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Clinton Lays Groundwork for Obama, Hu Talks in April
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US secretary of state meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen
Jiabao in Beijing, last stop on her tour of four Asian countries
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang
Jiechi will meet in Washington next month to work out details for talks between
the presidents of their two countries in April. U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton (l) is greeted by Chinese President Hu Jintao during
during their meeting in Beijing, 21 Feb 2009Clinton met with Chinese President
Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao Saturday in Beijing, the last stop on her tour
of four Asian countries.The meeting followed talks with Yang which focused on
working more closely on climate change, security and addressing the global
financial crisis.They also laid the groundwork for a meeting between Mr. Hu and
U.S. President Barack Obama during the upcoming summit of G-20 nations in
London in April. It would be the first meeting between the two leaders.After
her meeting with Yang, Clinton made it clear that the Obama administration
seeks to forge good relations with China.She also said China and the U.S. are
resuming military exchanges that were suspended last October when the Bush
administration notified Congress of its plans to sell nearly $7 billion worth
of arms to Taiwan.Clinton went on to say she appreciates China's continued
confidence in U.S. Treasury bonds. China is the largest holder of U.S. Treasury
bonds.Ahead of her talks, she said the debate with China over human rights
should not get in the way of progress in other areas.Amnesty International said
it was disappointed that Clinton would not make human rights a priority in her
diplomatic engagement with China. Human Rights Watch called Clinton's remarks a
strategic mistake. Clinton said she would not shy away from such questions, but
added that U.S. officials more or less know what China is going to say.Beijing
is Clinton's last stop on her first overseas trip as the top U.S. diplomat. On
Sunday, she will attend church services in China and meet with women and civil
society leaders, then head back to Washington.Clinton's trip has already taken
her to Japan, Indonesia and South Korea.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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Obama: Americans to See Tax Cuts by April 1
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In weekly broadcast address, US president says employers will begin reducing
taxes for 95 percent of working families, under economic stimulus plan he
signed into law earlier this week
President Obama's weekly address, 21 Feb 2009U.S. President Barack Obama says
the tax cuts in the economic recovery
bill he signed recently should take effect by April 1. Mr. Obama
calls the stimulus package the first step on the road to economic
recovery. President Obama says the tax cut will reach more Americans more
quickly than any other in the nation's history. In
his weekly address Saturday, the president says the legislation
Congress passed and he signed will allow the average U.S. family to
keep an extra $65 each month. "Because of what we did, 95
percent of all working families will get a tax cut, in keeping with a
promise I made on the campaign. And I am pleased to announce that this
morning, the Treasury Department began directing employers to reduce
the amount of taxes withheld from paychecks," he said.Mr. Obama
signed the $787 billion stimulus plan on Tuesday, in hopes of creating
or saving 3.5 million jobs in the next two years.The bill
passed both houses of Congress, but received almost no support from
opposition Republicans. In Saturday's Republican response,
Representative Dave Camp of Michigan says his party wanted to pass a
stimulus plan, but that this particular plan involves too much
spending."Republicans
genuinely want to work with the president to solve these problems in a
responsible way that does not burden our children and grandchildren
with a mountain of debt," said Camp.The president says other
aspects of the economic crisis will need to be addressed. The first,
he says is slowing the spread of home foreclosures and falling home
values. On Wednesday, Mr. Obama unveiled his $75 billion proposal to
prevent as many as 9 million Americans from losing their homes. Mr.
Obama says fixing the broken U.S. economy will also require stabilizing
and repairing the banking system, and bringing the government's budget
deficit under control as the economy begins to recover."We
cannot successfully address any of our problems without addressing them
all, and that is exactly what the strategy we are pursuing is designed
to do," he said.The large amount of government spending in Mr.
Obama's economic initiatives is expected to lead to what he calls
"exploding" federal deficits. The president will hold a bipartisan
"fiscal responsibility summit" at the White House on Monday to talk
about ways to control the $1 trillion budget deficit.On
Tuesday, Mr. Obama is to address a joint session of Congress. The
speech is expected to emphasize the economy and his efforts to revive
it.
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Pakistan: Taliban Agrees to Permanent Cease-Fire in Swat
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Commissioner of Malakand region, which includes Swat valley, announced
agreement Saturday
SWAT ValleyGovernment officials in Pakistan say they have reached a permanent
cease-fire agreement with Taliban militants in the northwestern valley
of Swat.Syed Muhammed Javed, the commissioner of the Malakand region, which
includes Swat, announced the agreement on Saturday.The
head of a hardline group of Pakistani Taliban, Maulana Fazlullah, is
expected to make a radio announcement about the deal in the coming
hours.Fazlullah's father-in-law, Sufi Muhammad, who leads a
separate Islamist group in Swat, reached an agreement last week with
local officials to impose Islamic law (Sharia) in the region if his
militants lay down their arms.Taliban officials say Muhammad met with Fazlullah
earlier this week to negotiate peace.Militants
from various factions operate in northwestern Pakistan. Some use the
territory to launch attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, targeting local
and international forces.The United States and NATO have both
expressed concern that the deal reached with militants last week could
provide a safe haven for extremists in the already volatile region.Meanwhile,
officials say a roadside bomb exploded near a fuel tanker on a
Pakistani supply line in the Khyber district used by NATO forces in
Afghanistan. One person was killed, and two others wounded in the
blast.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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US Senator Meets With Syrian President
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John Kerry and Bashar al-Assad meet to explore improving relations between two
countries
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (l) meets with U.S. Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, at the Syrian presidential palace in
Damascus, 21 Feb 2009Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry Saturday. This is the latest in a
series of contacts between the two countries.Syrian government TV emphasized
the importance of Senator Kerry's visit and showed President Bashar al-Assad
smiling and gesturing energetically, as both men met to explore improving
relations between the United States and Syria.Relations between the two
countries have been strained for years. Syria's support for Hamas and Hezbollah
has been a point of contention with Washington. The United States also has
accused Syria of allowing militants to cross its border into Iraq. Syria
insists it is doing all it can to safeguard its long, porous border.Relations
soured further when the Bush administration pulled the U.S. ambassador out of
Syria in 2005 to protest Syria's suspected role in the assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Damascus has denied involvement in his
death.In the past few days, there has been a flurry of U.S. congressmen passing
through Syria, including Senator John Kerry, who arrived Saturday - a further
sign that Washington is engaging in a new openness toward Damascus. President
Barack Obama recently spoke of opening a new dialogue with old foes, alluding
to countries like Syria and Iran, if they would "unclench their fists."The
State Department also announced Friday it has scheduled a meeting next week
with Syria's ambassador to the United States to discuss outstanding differences
between the two countries - the first such meeting in months.A State Department
spokesman said Ambassador Imad Mustafa was invited to meet with Acting
Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman next week.The spokesman cited a
U.N. nuclear agency report Thursday that said traces of uranium were found at a
Syrian site suspected of being a covert nuclear plant. The State Department
urged full Syrian cooperation with the IAEA.President Assad told a British
newspaper this week he hopes for a new relationship with the United States now
that the administration of former President George W. Bush is over. The Syrian
president also said he expects President Barack Obama to send an ambassador
back to Damascus soon.The Syrian government daily Techrine also refrained from
its usual criticism of Washington in its morning editorial, insisting that a
"serious and positive dialogue was built on mutual respect and common interests
and [recognition] of Syria's important role in the region."Senator Kerry also
had some tough words for Syria, during a visit to Lebanon, Wednesday, insisting
that Damascus must "respect the political independence of Lebanon [and] help in
the process of resolving issues with Hezbollah and with the Palestinians."Syria
has yet to send an ambassador to Lebanon, despite the opening of an embassy in
Beirut, last December. Kerry equally criticized Bush administration policy
towards Syria, noting that it was naïve to "believe you could simply tell
people what to do and walk away and wait for them to do it."He went on to
describe his visit to Syria as a bid to "renew diplomacy, but without any
illusion or misplaced belief that, just by talking, things will automatically
happen."
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Iraq Reopens Abu Ghraib Prison
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Now called Baghdad Central Prison, it is home to about 400 inmates, although
officials say it will eventually house up to about 14,000 inmates
A cell is seen at a renovated Abu Ghraib prison, now renamed 'Baghdad
Central Prison' in Baghdad, Iraq, 21 Feb 2009
Iraqi officials have reopened Abu Ghraib, one of the country's most notorious
prisons, after renovating the facility just west of Baghdad and promising more
humane treatment of prisoners.Now called the Baghdad Central Prison, it is home
to about 400 inmates, although officials say it will eventually house up to
about 14,000 inmates.Abu Ghraib first gained notoriety during the regime of
Saddam Hussein, when the prison was used as a site for torture and mass
executions. It made news again in 2004, when the world learned of abuses
committed there by U.S. prison guards. A U.S. Army investigation detailed
abuses that led to one death and included alleged rape, sodomy, beatings and
what was described as a sadistic "game" in which dog handlers terrorized
prisoners.Iraqi officials say the renovated prison has modern facilities that
include computer chatrooms.The Iraqi government has said part of the prison
complex will be a museum, documenting crimes committed by the regime of former
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.Also Saturday, the U.S. military said an American
soldier died while on combat patrol near Baghdad.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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Lebanese Rocket Fire Raises Tension on Israeli Border
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Lebanese security sources say Israel fired artillery shells into southern
Lebanon, after three rockets were fired toward Israel from Lebanon
Lebanese security sources say Israel has fired artillery shells into southern
Lebanon, after three rockets were fired toward Israel from Lebanon. Israeli
sources say one of those rockets landed in northern Israel and wounded three
people. Lebanese rocket fire is raising tension on the border with Israel. An
Israeli police officer removes pieces of a rocket as others watch in a northern
Israeli village, 21 Feb 2009Rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon,
including one that slammed into an Israeli Arab village in Galilee. "We heard a
loud boom," a resident of the village told Israel's Army Radio. It was raining,
and he said that at first people thought it was thunder. He said there was a
lot of broken glass and damage in several houses. Israeli artillery returned
fire. There was no claim of responsibility but Israeli officials said such
attacks could not take place without the knowledge of the Islamic guerrilla
group Hezbollah which controls South Lebanon. Hezbollah, which is backed by
Iran and Syria, said it was not involved. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora
issued a statement condemning the rocket attack, saying it "threatened security
and stability." Rocket fire has been rare since the Lebanon War in 2006, when
Israel launched a 34-day assault on Hezbollah. Lebanon is still recovering and
the western-backed Lebanese government does not want another war. But the
Israeli army says Hezbollah has rearmed with 40,000 rockets since the war, and
military intelligence has warned that another conflict with Hezbollah appears
inevitable.
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Illegal Mining Threatens Liberian Rainforest
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More than 20,000 people thought to be living illegally in Sapo National Park
which is home to West Africa's second-largest rainforest
West Africa's second-largest rainforest is under threat from illicit mining and
hunting according to one of Liberia's top environmental officials. More than
20,000 people are thought to be living illegally in Liberia's Sapo National
Park.As part of the Upper Guinean rainforest ecosystem, Sapo is home to more
than 700 kinds of animals including threatened species such as the African
Golden Cat, the Liberian Mongoose, and the White-necked Rockfowl. The
1,800-square-kilometer preserve stretches from marshland near the coast of
southeast Sinoe County to the steep ridges of the Putu Mountains in the
north.Years of civil war in Liberia drove many of the park's rangers across the
border into Ivory Coast as rebels looted their buildings and poached forest
elephant and pygmy hippopotamus. But even with peace restored, Liberia's only
national park is still being plundered by illegal mining and hunting."Sapo
National Park is seriously threatened," said Jerome Nyenkan, deputy executive
director of Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency. "A whole group of West
African nationals - Malians, Guineans, Nigerians, Sierra Leoneans, Ghanians are
all in the park."Nyenkan says park rangers lack the training or equipment to
properly shield the park from outside encroachment. He estimates there are as
many as 20,000 people living inside the protected area cutting timber, fishing,
grazing cattle, and clearing ground for planting. Many search for diamonds and
pan for gold in the Sinoe River."We've been in the park for a number of years
now. We mine gold and diamonds. And some other minerals," said Liberian Garpu
Pajebo, who lives in the national park with his family."We don't have nowhere
to go. And the government says they want to come and take us from the park. We
are doing this business to bring up our future. And we need to live, so that is
why we are doing this business."The former rebel fighter says he moved to the
park because he could not find a job elsewhere.In a country were the United
Nations estimates some 85 percent of people are unemployed, Liberian officials
are working with donors to provide alternative sources of income for people
living in the park, including fish farming and ecotourism."So it's not a matter
of moving security men to run after people in the park. It's about addressing
some of the major concerns for which people are now into the park," Jerome
Nyenkan said.While Nyenkan says the government understands its responsibility
to create jobs, he says it also has the duty to prevent people from spoiling
this unique ecosystem to preserve it for future generations."When this
desecration of the park continues unchecked, the Sapo National Park is going to
be gradually losing its international significance," he said. "And so we don't
want this natural heritage to be destroyed, and the government of Liberia is
doing her best to rescue the park."Conservationists say Sapo is part of a
biodiverse corridor that is home to the highest number of mammal species in the
world including the Diana monkey, black-and-white Colobus, and the western
chimpanzee.
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US Still Skeptical About UN Racism Conference
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US team sent to preparatory meeting in Geneva says draft declaration still
contains objectionable segments on Israel, other subjects
State Department officials say they are still skeptical about whether a
U.N.-sponsored conference against racism set for April in Geneva can be a
constructive exercise. The United States walked out of the initial conference
on the subject in South Africa in 2001 because of attacks on Israel, but it
joined in preparatory talks for the Geneva meeting.
Officials say the U.S. team sent to the preparatory meeting in Geneva got a
sympathetic hearing from many of the delegations there.
But they say the draft declaration still contains objectionable segments on
Israel and other subjects, and U.S. participation in the full conference
remains in doubt.
The Obama administration broke with its predecessor and sent a delegation to
this week's preparatory meeting, even though the Bush administration had
initially decided not to attend and had opposed the April conference altogether.
The Geneva conference is a follow-up to the 2001 World Conference Against
Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance held in
Durban South Africa.
The United States joined Israel in walking out of that meeting because of
document language about Israel and Zionism that U.S. officials considered
anti-Semitic.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a delegation to the Geneva preparatory
talks that included U.S. diplomats and human rights activists, including a
senior official of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League.
At a news briefing Friday, State Department Deputy Spokesman Gordon Duguid
said the U.S. team went into the Geneva discussions with "grave concerns" about
the so-called Durban process, and the lengthy draft declaration now under
debate. He said the Americans got a good hearing but he was non-committal about
whether the United States will attend the full conference:
"There were many things we disagreed with in the document. The document began
as a very lengthy piece of work and got longer during the conference itself.
The intention was to engage, and to try to make something that was flawed,
better. We did not predict success, and I can't do that for you now. But we are
on the record with our international partners as to where we stand on these
issues," he said.
Duguid said an administration decision on whether to continue in the process
will await a meeting at which the U.S. delegates will brief Secretary Clinton,
and make a recommendation.
The issue of U.S. participation is controversial, with several U.S. Jewish
organizations calling for a boycott and advocacy groups like Human Rights Watch
saying the United States should attend the April conference, if for no other
reason than to block consensus on an objectionable final declaration.
A senior official who spoke to reporters at the State Department said U.S.
delegates voiced objections to several elements in the draft declaration
concerning Israel, but also others including language backed by Muslim
countries against defamation of religion that is widely seen as curbing free
expression.
The official said he did not think the United States is "warming up" to the
Durban process based on this week's discussions, saying U.S participants went
in skeptical and came out still believing that the problems are difficult.
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Australian, in Jail for Insulting Thai Monarchy, Receives Royal Pardon
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Harry Nicolaides's release follows active lobbying by his government
Harry Nicolaides listens to a journalist's question from a criminal court
cell while waiting to hear charges in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 Jan 2009An
Australian man, sentenced in Thailand to three years in jail for insulting the
Thai monarchy, has received a royal pardon and been sent back to Australia. The
man's release followed active lobbying by the Australian government. The
41-year-old Australian man, Harry Nicolaides, had been sentenced to three years
of jail in January for insulting the Thai monarchy in a 2005 novel. But a royal
pardon, granted by King Bhumipol Adulyadej late Thursday, led to Nicolaides
departing Thailand Friday to reunite with his family in Melbourne. Nicolaides
was arrested in late August and held in prison until his sentencing last month.
In January, TV images showed a clearly distraught Nicolaides as he was brought
to court in prison garb and shackled. Nicolaides had described his time in
prison as "torture" and "a bad dream." In the novel, which sold fewer than a
dozen copies, he made references deemed to have defamed the Thai crown
prince. Under Thailand's laws individuals can face up to 15 years prison for
insulting the monarchy. The law had been strengthened in 1976 during a period
of military rule in Thailand. The 81-year-old Thai monarch, King Bhumipol
Adulyadej, is deeply revered in Thailand. The Australian government,
politicians and the general public had been actively calling for Nicolaides'
release. Nicolaides, upon returning to Melbourne on Saturday, told reporters he
was still "bewildered" and "dazed" from the experience and had a deeply
emotional journey back to Australia. He said he had been skeptical over earlier
reports a pardon had been recommended by prison authorities. But human rights
lawyer Somchai Homal-or says foreigners, who are charged under laws protecting
the monarchy, generally are pardoned. "The lese majeste law in Thailand, the
penalty is high," said Somchai. "We have this law based on our tradition or
customary law that every Thai person should respect our king. So this cannot be
expected that the foreigner should respect or regard the monarchy the same as
the Thai." The Nicolaides case comes during a volatile period in Thai politics.
The country still faces deep divisions between supporters of former Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the urban middle class who have accused
Thaksin's supporters of seeking to undermine the monarchy. Several lese majeste
cases are pending. Recently a left wing academic charged with lese majeste
violations fled to Britain fearing he would not receive a fair trial. Thai
authorities have recently banned local distribution of the British newspaper,
The Economist, over articles that discussed the lese majeste laws. The Thai
government has also moved to shut down thousands of internet web sites deemed
critical of the Thai monarchy. King Bhumipol, who has reigned for over six
decades, in a national day address, raised questions over the law saying he
feared it would damage the monarchy's reputation.
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Student Journalists Report From Oscar Red Carpet
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Students won competition for chance to interview stars
Faheem Ahmed (L) with Anish PatelTwo student journalists from Rice
University in Texas are now in Hollywood, where they will get an opportunity to
report from the Oscars Sunday. Faheem Ahmed and Anish Patel will have a spot on
the red carpet and a chance to interview some of their favorite stars.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the Oscars,
teamed up with mtvU, the college music network, to give budding journalists a
chance to report from the Oscars. At Rice University, Faheem Ahmed teamed up
with his fellow pre-medical student, Anish Patel, and submitted a video. The
sponsoring organizations selected the top 10 entries, and the winners were
selected through two rounds of online voting.
Friday, the two were announced as winners. Teams from San Diego State
University in California and Fordham University in New York were runners up.
They are also in Hollywood and will see the Red Carpet from the bleachers with
the fans. Feheem says he and his partner are ready for the spotlight, prepared
to interview celebrities.
"It's important to be personable, be aggressive, because I'm sure there are
going to be so many journalists clamoring and were just two college kids from
mtvU. We can't let people push us around. And I think, finally, we've go to
represent the college demographic, so we're going to ask questions that college
kids would like to hear these actors talk about, and directors," he said.
Both young men are big movie fans. Anish hopes to interview the star of the
latest Batman film, The Dark Knight, one of his favorites. "I'd really like to
meet Christian Bale. I've been a big fan of his work, even before he was
Batman, and I'm also a big Batman fan. So I'd definitely like to meet him," he
said.
Feheem hopes to get interviews with his two favorite directors. "Danny Boyle
who just did Slumdog Millionaire, an incredible film, the cinematography is
amazing. I mean, I'm a big fan of his. He did Trainspotting, so many really
revolutionary films that brought a fresh take to the genre. And finally
Christopher Nolan, who did The Dark Knight. I mean, as impartial as I have to
be, I thought The Dark Knight was one of the best movies of the year," he said.
Both young men have immigrant backgrounds. Faheem's father came to the United
States on a scholarship as a student from Bangladesh. Anish is Indian American
and he was born in Britain.
Kodak TheatreBoth plan to become doctors. Anish says they also share the
goal of combining journalism with medicine. "In about a year, I'll be
matriculating into the Baylor College of Medicine as well, but I'd also like to
meld my medical career with being a correspondent and using the power of
journalism to help spread information and awareness about medical problems" he
said.
For now, the two are enjoying their new role as entertainment reporters. After
meeting the stars outside the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood Oscar night, they will
head backstage to join other journalists in interviewing the winners.
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