VOA News: Asia: New Details on China’s Sacking of Top Party Official

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

New Details on China's Sacking of Top Party Official Mar 23rd 2012, 05:27 Chinese political analysts are weighing the implications of the public fall of ambitious political leader Bo Xilai, who was recently dismissed as Communist Party chief in China's sprawling southwestern megacity, Chongqing. Much of the attention is focused on a confidential report that appears to provide new details of Bo's undoing. It says the central government decided to fire Bo after he interfered with a corruption investigation targeting his family and demoted one of his closest aides without first securing approval through normal Communist Party channels. Circulated among high-ranking party members last Friday, the report was leaked on the Internet and confirmed with party sources by foreign media. It sheds light on one of the biggest public scandals to hit the world of Chinese politics. The document confirms widespread speculation that Bo's police chief and trusted aide, Wang Lijun, visited the U.S. consulate in Chengdu last month to seek asylum. The report says Wang made the move out of fear for his safety. It says Bo had demoted him from his police post just days after Wang came to him with news of a criminal investigation involving members of Bo's family. "Was the final objective of that investigation to get rid of him [Bo Xilai]?" asks Jean Pierre Cabestan, professor of politics at Hong Kong Baptist University. "I would say probably." Bo, the son of one of the Communist Party's "founding fathers," was already a member of the Politburo, the highest echelon of political power in China. He aspired to be named to the Standing Committee, the innermost circle within the Politburo, when new members are appointed during the 18th Communist Party Congress later this year. But political analysts believe Bo's populist governing style, which featured a return to leftist economic policies of the past, had set him apart from the relatively reform-minded party leaders who are expected to assume power in the coming months. When in charge of the huge metropolis of Chongqing, Bo launched a number of eye-catching campaigns, including police operations managed by Wang against the city's well established organized crime leaders. He also won the hearts of China's neo-conservatives by promoting a nostalgic revival of Maoist ideology and songs. That appears to have set off alarms in Beijing. Casteban, the Hong Kong based professor, says recent statements by Premier Wen Jiabao about the need for political reform were meant as a warning to others in the party who admired Bo's approach. "To what extent this will be echoed by the party leadership and [by] a platform approved by the 18th Party Congress remains to be seen," says Cabestan. He said Xi Jinping, who is expected to succeed Hu Jintao as president next year, "is very much in the middle of the road. He has kept his cards close to his chest; I don't see him embarking on a destabilizing and varying political reform program." Both Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, who is expected to replace Wen Jiabao as premier, will hold seats on the Politburo's new Standing Committee. But the remaining seven seats are up for grabs. Wang Yang, party chief of the rich southern province of Guangdong, is thought to be a candidate for the seat that would have gone to Bo. His "Guangdong model," which favors private enterprise and encourages the work of civil organizations, stands in stark opposition to Bo's support for state-owned enterprises and top-down governance. Renmin University professor and political commentator Zhang Ming says that with his "Chongqing model," Bo showed it is possible to get things done without necessarily taking the path of political reform. "The fact that he was dismissed, and won't get into the Standing Committee, shows that China has avoided a turn to the left," Zhang says. "But it is very unclear to say in concrete who will benefit from his downfall." New Details on China's Sacking of Top Party Official Media files: reuters_China_Bo_Xilai_eng_300_14mar12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) voa-chinese-Bo-Xilai-21mar12-230.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: UN Security Council Condemns Mali Coup

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

UN Security Council Condemns Mali Coup Mar 23rd 2012, 01:32 The U.N. Security Council has condemned mutinous Malian soldiers for their "forcible seizure of power" from Mali's democratically elected government. In a statement late Thursday, the Council called on the soldiers to ensure the safety of President Amadou Toumani Toure and to return to their barracks.  The U.N. body also demanded the release of all Malian officials, and the immediate restoration of constitutional rule and Mali's government. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged those responsible to refrain from actions that could increase violence and further destabilize the country. On Thursday, a group of soldiers declared a coup d'etat on Malian television, after seizing control of state broadcasting services and the presidential palace. The soldiers said they acted because of the president's incompetence in fighting a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs in Mali's north. Following the overthrow, the United States said it is considering a cutoff in non-humanitarian aid to Mali, including economic, security and anti-terrorism funding. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. stands with President Toure's legitimately elected government. "The United States condemns the military seizure of power in Mali.  We echo the statements of the African Union, of ECOWAS (( Economic Community of West African States )), and of other international partners in denouncing these actions.  We've called for calm.  We've called for restoration of the civilian government under constitutional rule without delay, so that the elections can proceed as scheduled," Nuland said. The European Union also condemned the takeover and called for constitutional rule to be re-established as soon as possible.  Former colonial power France said it is suspending cooperation with Mali and urged that President Toure not be harmed. The president's whereabouts is not clear, although media reports say he is being protected by his presidential guard at an army camp.  The U.S. embassy said Mr. Toure is not there or at any other U.S. government residence. Leanne Cannon, the embassy's assistant public affairs officer, told VOA that the capital, Bamako, was largely quiet by Thursday evening but that sporadic gunfire could be heard. The coup took place just a few weeks before the president was due to step down at the end of his second term.  Mali is due to hold elections next month. Soldiers and their families had expressed increasing frustration with the president and what they considered a lack of weapons to fight the Tuareg rebels.  The rebels have taken over several towns in the north and the fighting has forced tens of thousands of Malians to flee their homes. The coup leaders announced Thursday they were closing the country's borders, had suspended the constitution and created a new committee to rule the country. Kasim Traore, a VOA reporter in the capital, Bamako, said the soldiers pledged to hold elections once national unity is restored and territorial integrity is re-established. "The long night has ended with a group of soldiers making a declaration on national television -- the national television station that was occupied by soldiers Wednesday morning -- and they declared they had ended the regime of Amadou Toumani Toure, and put in place the "National Committee for the Recovery of Democracy and the Restoration of State," following an attack at the presidential palace and following the protest at the Kati military camp, directed by Captain Amadou Aya Sanogo.  The captain told the population to stay calm and said the committee does not have any ambitions to hold on to power. " Tuareg separatists started attacking army bases in Mali's desert in January, after many Tuareg fighters returned from Libya, where they had assisted ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.  The United Nations refugee agency says the conflict has uprooted 130,000 people in and around Mali.  Many soldiers have died in the conflict. Tuareg nomads have launched periodic uprisings for greater autonomy in both Mali and Niger. Media files: RTR2ZO16_UN_Syria_21MAR12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) RTR2ZO16_TEASE_UN_Syria_21MAR12.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: ECOWAS Condemns Military ‘Adventurism’ in Mali

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

ECOWAS Condemns Military 'Adventurism' in Mali Mar 23rd 2012, 01:41 An official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says the sub-regional bloc will not tolerate "military adventurism" after mutinous soldiers toppled Mali President Amadou Toumani Toure. Communications director Sonny Ugoh said the crisis in Mali undermines ECOWAS' efforts at promoting peace, political stability and democracy in West Africa. "The regional leaders agree that the train of democracy is irreversible for us, and we will not allow adventurists to turn the hands of the clock backwards," said Ugoh. "This is essentially the basis for the protocol or democracy and good governance, which is an extension on the mechanism of intervention, resolution and peacekeeping and regional security." Ugoh said the sub-regional bloc will continue with its efforts to entrench democracy in West Africa. Ugoh said ECOWAS has begun consultations with its local and international partners to decide its next line of action. "We are concerned about this latest affront to democratic governance in West Africa," said Ugoh. "Regional leaders are consulting to see how best to respond to it, because that goes against the grain of all the instruments that ECOWAS members have signed. [This is particularly true regarding] democracy and good governance, where we agreed categorically, to not allow ascension to power obtained through this kind of means. The mutinous soldiers say they acted because of the president's incompetence in fighting a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs in Mali's north. But Ugoh said the soldiers "jumped the gun" after saying ECOWAS was preparing a mediation team to help broker a ceasefire in Mali before Wednesday's coup d'état. "The president of the commission Desire Ouedraogo led a fact finding mission that returned from Mali where they held consultations, all with the intention of starting a process that would hopefully lead to a negotiated resolution of the crisis in the north of Mali," said Ugoh. He said the coup d'état exacerbates the country's security problem. Mali was scheduled to go to the polls on April 29th to elect a new president to take over from President Amadou Toumani Toure. But, analysts doubt the vote will proceed as originally planned. Ugoh expressed optimism it will be held as scheduled, despite the overthrow of the government. "We are hopeful the election will hold…the citizens are perfectly entitled to vote in an election, and it is their responsibility therefore by voting to determine a government of their choice," said Ugoh. "It is not that any time anybody disagrees with the government then he mobilizes some disgruntled people and then takes over the reins of government." Media files: reuters_mali_soldiers_22Mar12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) Mali-300X300.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: US Calls for End to Military Takeover in Mali

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

US Calls for End to Military Takeover in Mali Mar 23rd 2012, 01:01 The United States is calling for the restoration of civilian authority in Mali, after soldiers on Thursday announced they have taken power in a coup d'état.  U.S. officials are reconsidering non-humanitarian assistance to Mali, following the takeover. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says the Obama administration stands with the legitimately-elected government of President Amadou Toumani Toure.  She says Mali has been a leading democracy in West Africa and its democratic institutions must be respected. "The United States condemns the military seizure of power in Mali.  We echo the statements of the African Union, of ECOWAS, and of other international partners in denouncing these actions.  We've called for calm.  We've called for restoration of the civilian government under constitutional rule without delay, so that the elections can proceed as scheduled," Nuland said. Mali was due to hold elections next month in which President Toure was expected to step down at the end of his second term.  Nuland says Washington hopes that the military action can be "quickly reversed," so Mali can get back to democratic governance. With soldiers holding the presidential palace in Mali, there have been reports that President Toure is in or near the U.S. embassy in Bamako.  Nuland says that is not true. The United States provides as much as $140 million a year in non-humanitarian security, economic and financial assistance to Mali.  Nuland says U.S. officials are meeting to determine what, if any of that assistance is appropriate to continue.  Humanitarian aid will not be affected. Mutinous soldiers say they moved against President Toure because of what they cite as is his incompetence in fighting a rebellion by ethnic Tuareg rebels in northern Mali.  The January resumption of that conflict followed the return to Mali of Tuareg fighters, who were previously allied with former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Nuland says the change of power in Libya has affected security in the Sahel, with rebels again fighting for an independent, Islamic state. "It's certainly true that there has been increasing concern inside Mali about Tuareg activity over the last number of months, in particular since the Tuaregs have had less to fight about in Libya and have moved on to Mali," she said. Tuareg rebels have taken charge of several towns in the north in fighting that the United Nations says has driven at least 130,000 people from their homes. With Mali's borders closed, mutinous soldiers say their new National Committee for the Recovery of Democracy and the Restoration of the State will hold elections after the country's territorial integrity is restored. Media files: PYH_nuland_230.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Occupy Movement Seeks Renewed Physical Presence

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Occupy Movement Seeks Renewed Physical Presence Mar 23rd 2012, 00:32 <!--AV--> The Occupy Wall Street movement is once again seeking a physical presence in New York City, following its dispersal by police from a lower Manhattan park in November.  Our correspondent reports the attempt renews tensions between protesters and law enforcement. "This is god**** our park!  This is our park!  The real people's park!  It's a real public park," screamed a protester. This impassioned Occupy Wall Street protester recently denounced New York police as bullies for enforcing a regulation that limits the size of signs in public parks.  At issue was this long banner.  Protesters say the regulation applies to commercial vendors, not public expression. The standoff took place Wednesday in Union Square Park, after police forcibly dispersed an attempt by protesters a few days earlier to reoccupy Zuccotti Park, about three kilometers away, where the Occupy movement began last September. Sherman Jackson, an Occupy media representative, says confrontations with police over territory draw media focus away from the movement's core message of corporate greed and income inequality.  Jackson says he defers to those who support a physical presence, but thinks it is not necessary. "The fact is that we use social media, we use Twitter, we use Facebook, we e-mail, we text one another, and we can muster a couple of thousand people within an hour to gather at any spot that we ask them to gather at," said Jackson. Protester and saxophonist Dave Intrator says a physical presence is essential.  He adds that the act of human beings assembling in a public space to talk politics, exchange ideas and to play music has become an exotic luxury.   He claims that peaceful gatherings, though often noisy and messy, threaten corporate interests that see the world in terms of efficiency and profits. "This in itself is an ideal of freedom, which is under attack in our modern, branded, corporatized, pre-formatted world," said Intrator. "And so, with respect to this concept of freedom, having this space is central to Occupy." Meanwhile, Zuccotti Park is again filled with tourists and people eating lunch.  But a substantial police presence and barricades stacked at the ready betray lingering tension between protesters and law enforcement.  Attorney Gary Darche says that tension made him think twice about going to the park. "It's not a comfortable situation between the security forces and I don't know who's coming and who's going, who's taking my picture," said Darche. "For all I know - maybe I sound paranoid - you could be someone from some organization.  I don't know." While protesters have moved to another location, a portable police tower maintains a vigil over Zuccotti Park.  As for the disputed sign at Union Square Park, protesters complied with police demands not to display it; they simply cut it in half and stood side by side holding each end.   Media files: Occupy_Wall_Street_-_Venue_WEB_VERSION_4x301.jpg Occupy_Wall_Street_-_Venue_WEB_VERSION_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__535578.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Asia: China Urges Vietnam to Stop ‘Illegal Poaching’ Near Disputed Waters

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

China Urges Vietnam to Stop 'Illegal Poaching' Near Disputed Waters Mar 22nd 2012, 23:39 A territorial dispute between Vietnam and China has escalated this week after Chinese forces arrested 21 fishermen. Vietnam says the fishermen detained near disputed waters in the South China Sea are being held for ransom. Beijing has urged its neighbor to stop what it calls "illegal poaching" in the area. Less than 24 hours after the Vietnamese government urged China to release 21 fishermen arrested near the disputed Paracel Islands, Beijing said the group is being held for territorial violations. At a news briefing in the Chinese capital, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei asked Hanoi to stop fishermen from entering the area again. Hong Lei said recently more than 100 Vietnamese ships had entered waters around the Paracel Islands, an area controlled by China but claimed by Vietnam. Hong Lei says on March 4, the fishermen were detained in the area. He says authorities acted in accordance with the law and urged Vietnam to better educate and manage fishermen so they would stop their illegal poaching in China. The comments came a day after Vietnam's Foreign Ministry issued a statement demanding the release of the fishermen. whom they claimed were being held for a ransom of $11,000. The Vietnamese government has advised families not to pay and are pressing Beijing for their release. The incident has put a lot of pressure on local people, says fisherman Le Van Loc from Quang Ngai province.  He was detained by the Chinese while he was sailing near the islands in 2010. Loc says, as a Vietnamese citizen, he is angry because the islands belong to Vietnam. He says families are told not to pay the ransom while the government demands the release of those detained. This had made life difficult for families. The incident is the latest in a long-running dispute about territory in the South China Sea. Last year, both sides signed a series of maritime agreements aimed at resolving tensions.  However, Vietnam has continued to protest Chinese activity on or near the islands. Earlier this month, Vietnam sent six Buddhist monks to re-establish abandoned temples on another series of islands claimed by both countries in the South China Sea. An editorial in China's official Global Times newspaper says on Wednesday the move to send monks there was a "religious guise" to "permanently claim sovereignty" over the islands. Vietnamese government spokesman Nghi denied the claims. He says the plan was a normal and civilian activity. Starting next month, the monks are to refurbish the temples and hold rituals there for at least six months. Vietnam abandoned the temples in 1975.  It recently renovated them as part of wider efforts to re-establish its claims to the Spratlys. The Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also claim portions of the more than 100-island chain. Beijing insists the entire 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea is part of its territory. It has become increasingly assertive about its maritime claims in recent months, regularly interfering with foreign fishing boats and oil exploration vessels. Fisherman Loc says he will continue fishing near the Paracel islands in the future.  However,  while China is strengthening its patrols, he will stay away. He says he still sees many boats heading to the islands, because they are near Vietnam's coastline. Media files: ap-vietnam-fishing-boat-fishermen480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) ap-vietnam-fishing-boat-fishermen230.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: Tax Evasion Possibly Biggest Drain of Money From Africa

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Tax Evasion Possibly Biggest Drain of Money From Africa Mar 22nd 2012, 23:59 According to Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington based group, the amount of money that has illegally left Africa since 1979 is twice as much as the amount that came in as aid money. Raymond Baker, director of GFI, said a common misconception is that money illegally flowing out of the continent is the result of corruption. But he said corruption is actually a distant third to commercial tax evasion. "Globally we have made an estimate that in the cross-border flow of illicit money, the component that stems from bribery and theft by government officials is only about three percent of the global total," said Baker. While that figure is a global figure, Baker said he is confident that tax evasion is the number one source of illicit money flow from Africa, followed by criminal activity such as drug trafficking and corruption comes in at a distant third. Baker explained that one of the most common forms of tax evasion comes through cheating of customs and value added taxes on goods flowing in and out of countries. "Most of the commercial tax evasion is done through the mispricing of trade - overpricing imports and underpricing exports." According to GFI, Nigeria has experienced the biggest amount of illicit outflow, with nearly $90 billion leaving the country illegally since 1979. Baker suggested using technology to stem this problem. "There is a growing availability of world market pricing data that is accessible online, so that customs and port officials in developing countries, holding an iPad would be able to look at an invoice or look at incoming or outgoing cargo and very quickly be able to check what is a similar price on this kind of commodity." He added his group and governments from emerging economies such as South Africa are meeting next week in London for a Trade Mispricing Roundtable. Media files: Corruption.jpg.main.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) Corruption.jpg.tsr.jpg SHRYOCK-03-23-2012-DBA-SHRYOCK-BAKER-AFRICA-TAX-EVASION.Mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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VOA News: Africa: UN: Ex-Gadhafi Tuareg Troops Fueling Mali Coup

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

UN: Ex-Gadhafi Tuareg Troops Fueling Mali Coup Mar 22nd 2012, 23:56 The United Nations said Thursday that ex-Gadhafi army officers of Tuareg origin have returned from Libya in large numbers to Mali, where they are fueling an insurgency that precipitated the apparent overthrow of the country's democratically elected president. The U.N.'s political chief, Lynn Pascoe, briefed the Security Council and later told reporters that a coup d'etat has been carried out in Mali and he echoed the U.N. Secretary-General's call for the country to quickly return to constitutional order. Pascoe, when questioned by reporters, said there is a correlation between the fall of Moammar Gadhafi's government in Libya last year and the influx of Tuareg fighters back into Mali. "Well, of course, there is a relationship because many of the Tuaregs, a sizeable number, had gone to Libya because there they could earn more money working in the military and other areas.  They were welcomed by the Gadhafi regime.  We think that somewhere in the range of 1,500 to 2,000 of them returned.  Some of them were actually quite high ranking people in the Libyan Army, so there is no doubt.  And they also came with weapons with them," Pascoe said. Pascoe said that when these groups returned and joined forces with the Tuareg rebellion that has been happening on and off in Mali for many years, they posed a significant challenge for the Malian Army. "They have clearly added much more firepower and drive to this operation, which made it very difficult for the Malian Army to deal with.  And that, at least from their statement, is one of the things that fueled the frustration and the anger of the groups because they did not think that they were being supported strongly enough in the fight against the Tuaregs," Pascoe said. The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned the seizure of power from the government by some elements of the military.  The council called on those who carried out the coup to ensure the safety of President Amadou Toumani Toure and to return to their barracks.  The Security Council also called for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule and the democratically-elected government in Mali. Media files: MALI_UNREST_SOTVO-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull_640x480_2213776965.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) Mali-300X300.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Tibetan Hunger Strike Ends with UN Letter

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Tibetan Hunger Strike Ends with UN Letter Mar 22nd 2012, 23:08 Three Tibetan independence activists ended their 30-day hunger strike on Thursday, after the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights promised to look into their concerns about rights and freedoms in their homeland.   There were tears and cheers as two senior United Nations officials came to the park across from the world body to meet with hunger strikers Shingza Rinpoche and Yeshi Tenzing, bringing them a letter from the U.N.'s top human rights official.  The letter's contents satisfied the activists' demands enough that they were willing to "indefinitely suspend" their hunger strike. A third hunger striker, Dorjee Gyalpo, who was in deteriorating health, was forcibly removed by New York City police on Monday and continued his fast in a local hospital until he was informed the hunger strike had ended. Tsewang Rigzin, President of the Tibetan Youth Congress, which organized the month-long peaceful protest, told supporters that this is a small victory that they would build on. "So, 30 days and we finally opened the doors of the United Nations today," said Rigzin. "What you all just saw is a victory for the Tibetan people.  And victory, not just for the Tibetan people, but victory for a non-violent struggle of the Tibetan people." Rigzin said the U.N. has assigned special rapporteurs to look into the situation inside Tibet.  He added that the United Nations states in the letter that they have contacted the Chinese government several times about delegations going into Tibet.  Rigzin said that High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has an open invitation from Beijing to visit China and that the U.N. is working on finalizing a date for the trip. The Tibetan activists sent a letter to the United Nations last month asking the world body to send a fact-finding mission to Tibet to assess the human rights situation there, where at least two dozen Tibetans have set themselves on fire this year to demand independence from China and the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The hunger strikers' petition also demanded the release of political prisoners, foreign media access and the end of China's so-called "patriotic reeducation" program.  They also called for international pressure on Beijing to lift what they say is undeclared martial law in Tibetan areas. The U.N. officials who brought the letter that ended the hunger strike offered the men orange juice to break their month-long fast.  In return, the activists draped them with Tibetan ceremonial scarves and shed tears of joy and relief. Richard Bennett, Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, would not discuss the contents of the letter.  But he said he was relieved that the strike was over. "Certainly, [I am relieved].  I think everyone has the right to peaceful protest.  But we are also relieved that this particular protest has concluded," said Bennett. The Tibetan Youth Congress said it would be taking the two hunger strikers to the hospital to undergo treatment as they break their fast.   Media files: Besheer_Tibetan_protest_Tsewang_Rigzin_UN_eng22mar12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) Besheer_Tibetan_protest_UN_Shinga_Rinpoche eng22mar12.jpg

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VOA News: Arts and Entertainment: Coroner: Whitney Houston Drowned Accidentally, Cocaine in System

VOA News: Arts and Entertainment Arts and Entertainment Voice of America

Coroner: Whitney Houston Drowned Accidentally, Cocaine in System Mar 22nd 2012, 22:47 Medical authorities have ruled that the death of U.S. music star Whitney Houston last month was due to accidental drowning and the effects of cocaine use and heart disease. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office made the announcement Thursday, saying no foul play is suspected. Houston's manager and sister-in-law, Patricia Houston, says the family is "saddened" to learn of the results but glad to have closure. The finding ends weeks of speculation about the cause of death for the troubled singer, who had battled drug and alcohol addiction for years.  A final coroner's report will be available for release in about two weeks. The 48-year-old Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her Los Angeles, California hotel room on February 11, the day before the Grammy awards ceremony that brings together some of the biggest stars in the U.S. music industry. Houston herself won six Grammys in a singing career that spanned nearly three decades.  On February 19, a day after a star-studded, televised funeral, she was buried in a private ceremony in her home state of New Jersey. Media files: AP040916010776.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) Whitney beautiful 230.jpg

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VOA News: Europe: Analysts Assess Motives in French Shootings

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

Analysts Assess Motives in French Shootings Mar 22nd 2012, 22:57 <!--AV--> It came as a terrible shock to the tight-knit Jewish community in southwestern France. Just days after nearby shootings of French soldiers of North African and Caribbean descent, a gunman pulled up on a motorcycle and opened fire on a rabbi, his two young sons and a little girl outside a Jewish school. The incident led many people, including experts, to assume the perpetrator was a right-wing extremist opposed to immigration and minority groups, a viewpoint that has garnered popularity in Europe over recent decades and entered the mainstream political rhetoric of several countries. The tone of this year's French presidential elections --  with strident statements on immigration and minority groups -- led to speculation that the political atmosphere had sparked the violence. But analysts such as Marat Shterin, a sociologist and extremism expert at King's College London, considered another scenario: that a seemingly contradictory form of radicalism -- Islamic militancy -- was behind the shootings. "I find it quite remarkable that the two versions of the event were considered plausible, although ... the right-wing sort of theory was even more plausible in the eyes of most people," he says. In retrospect, he adds, the theory of right-wing violence should not have been so prominent because its French advocates have legitimate outlets to circulate their views. "You've got a very peculiar situation in which, in my view, right-wing violence is less likely in France but right-wing extremism is considered quite legitimate," says Shterin. "In my view, in countries where right-wing views are expressed openly, it's less likely that they will be also expressed violently." A common target The shooting at the Jewish school was particularly troubling to so many people because three of its victims were young children. But the attack was also part of a pattern of strikes on Jewish targets in France. According to Matthew Goodwin of the University of Nottingham, the shooter's specific ideological orientation -- assuming the killings were politically motivated -- may not have helped police target a suspect. "One of the strange and also worrying factors about anti-Semitism is that it does cross the divide between politically-inspired extremists, such as those on the far right but also radical, violent Islamists who have particular grievances over issues around the Middle East and so on," he says. The alleged shooter, Mohammed Merah, who was killed in a gun battle following a 30-hour standoff with police early Thursday, was a French citizen of Algerian descent who claimed to follow al-Qaida's North African branch. Authorities say he apparently targeted soldiers to retaliate for French Army activities in Islamic countries, perhaps choosing ethnic Arab paratroopers because he viewed them as traitors. Authorities think he may have gone to the Jewish school out of anger over Israeli policies. Whatever the motives, his actions have triggered widespread mourning and solidarity among various ethnic and religious communities in France and elsewhere, and some soul-searching about how an open society can guard against the excesses of militant ideologies, regardless of their origins. Media files: AFP France Toulouse shooting 19Mar12 230.jpg Europe_Extermism_FOR_WEB__440427.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Africa: Africa's Rapidly Rising Urban Populations Need Housing

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Africa's Rapidly Rising Urban Populations Need Housing Mar 22nd 2012, 21:39 Housing ministers, officials, and other delegates met in Kenya's capital Thursday for a pan-African housing and urban planning conference. This year's theme focuses on the link between climate change and basic infrastructure. Joan Clos, executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program, known as U.N. Habitat, told reporters in Nairobi that Africa is now the fastest-urbanizing area in the world. The U.N. agency projects that the continent's urban population will triple in the next 40 years. According to Clos, most of the growth will take place in middle-sized cities of 500,000 to one million people rather than in capital centers. He said the huge jump in energy prices signals what he calls a "new era" in urban planning, especially with the presence of climate change. "In the city, we consume a lot of energy," said Clos. "We consume a lot of energy for transportation, for industrialization, for buildings, for heating and cooling, and the cities are going to be different due to the change of energy prices." The fourth annual African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development opened in Nairobi Thursday, attracting delegates from governments, housing authorities, urban planning departments, and others in countries across Africa. Kenyan Housing Minister Soita Shitanda told reporters delegates would be sharing experiences of problems in urban areas such as the growth of informal settlements, or "slums," and legislation governing urban development. "So I think what we are basically concerned with as a caucus of African countries is to try and create programs within the urban areas that can be able to deal with those problems, mainly of course housing and other related infrastructure within the urban areas," said Shitanda. Solomon Tekie, a manager in Namibia's National Housing Enterprise, described to VOA what he is hoping to get from the conference. "How can we actually use renewable energy and things that we already have?  We have the sun throughout the year, 24/7, why not?  Not only using them, but helping people learn about how to use renewable energy that we have rather than looking for things that we do not have, which are quite expensive and we are not able to maintain them," said Tekie. Some delegates told VOA that their big concern is massive traffic congestion in their cities, a concern echoed by U.N. Habitat's Clos. "That should be dealt with [through] better urban planning, especially the increase of the width of the streets and the interconnectivity of the streets," said Clos. "It is also [something] that we are considering very much, because a better traffic management implies less energy consumption." On the sidelines of the conference, Amnesty International held sessions discussing human rights violations committed by governments against people living in slums.  These include forcible evictions and lack of basic services such as clean water and schools. Media files: AFP_Kenya_Justus_Nyang_eng_480_22mar12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) AFP_africa_kenya_housing_eng_230_22mar12.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: USAID Prioritizes to Boost Impact in Africa

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

USAID Prioritizes to Boost Impact in Africa Mar 22nd 2012, 21:39 <!--AV--> In an era of tight budgets, U.S. foreign assistance programs aim to maximize the impact of limited funds. The U.S. Agency for International Development is curtailing initiatives in Latin America and Eastern Europe to boost efforts elsewhere, including Africa, where American-funded projects are spurring food production and improving healthcare. Villagers near Senegal's River Delta plan a year-long rotation of crops to supplement their diets and incomes. USAID provides technical guidance and has constructed wells for irrigation, helping to turn fertile soil into flourishing gardens. Ngara Diatta tends an onion patch that will later produce tomatoes, eggplants, and cabbage. "Before, goats and cows would trample our garden and eat the vegetables," said the gardener. "It was upsetting to work so hard and have it all ruined. Now thanks to this project, we have fences to protect our crops and I can sleep peacefully. This project has changed our lives. We can sell these vegetables to help our families." USAID also helped to construct an earthen dike and concrete retention basin to keep out saltwater and retain freshwater, allowing hundreds of hectares of land to be reclaimed for farming. "The groundwater used to be so deep that gardening was difficult. Thanks to the dike, we can find water easily. Now when the rice harvest is over, people plant vegetables. We can work year round," said community leader Abdoulaye Ndiaye. The Senegal project is part of a global U.S. anti-hunger campaign called Feed the Future. "Food aid costs eight-to-10 times more than investing in helping people produce and sustain their own futures through agriculture," said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. "We are starting to see real results in our Feed the Future partnership, with countries in that program experiencing a rate of agricultural productivity growth nearly eight times the global average." Foreign assistance accounts for one percent of U.S. government expenditures - a share considered too high by some lawmakers at a time of massive U.S. indebtedness. "You are going to have to convince me why it is necessary to borrow more money from communist China in order to give money to some other country or some other group of people," said Congressman Dana Rorhabacher. Other legislators say fighting hunger, poverty and disease abroad is in America's national interest. "It is infinitely cheaper to address these problems with economic and technical assistance now than to wait until fragile states collapse or conflicts erupt in wide-scale violence and we have to resort to costly emergency aid or even military action," Congressman Howard Berman. In rural Senegal, USAID's impact is plain to see. "We hear of rice shortages in Dakar but here, we do not have that problem," said Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Toubacouta Council president. "We are eating rice that we grow. We prepare it with oil from peanuts we farmed, and serve it with onions, eggplant, and cabbage. We thank the Americans for their continued support." Correspondents Anne Look and Nick Loomis in Dakar contributed to this story. Media files: USAID_Africa_senegal_230_SD04.jpg USAID_Africa_FOR_WEB_SD-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__597143.mp4 (video/mp4) USAID_Africa_FOR_WEB_SD-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__114419.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: USA: Robonaut 2 Does Its Chores on ISS

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Robonaut 2 Does Its Chores on ISS Mar 22nd 2012, 22:42 <!--AV--> NASA says the future of space exploration includes humanoid robots working alongside flesh-and-blood humans.  The U.S. space agency is a step closer to making that a reality with Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot on the International Space Station. Robonaut 2's nickname is R2, and it has been on the ISS since last year undergoing system checks and testing.   This month, the Robonaut was finally put to work  - as in, doing chores.  NASA says R2 successfully used a gauge to take ventilation samples in the Destiny Lab on the space station. Astronauts on the ISS regularly have to measure air flow in front of vents - and a human being's breath can alter the sample.   It's a perfect mundane chore for something that does not breathe.     Robonaut 2 was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors.   Its hands are human-like, so they can grip items as human hands do.  That is important because the components that need to be serviced in space - and the tools to service them - were developed with human hands in mind.   While it has human-like hands, R2 has no legs.  NASA says Robonaut legs are still in development, as the space agency explores the potentials of this prototype robotic astronaut. There are four Robonauts in existence, but R2 is the only one in space. Media files: nasa_r2_230_01sept2011.jpg Robonaut_-_Space_Station_-_web_version_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__349776.mp4 (video/mp4)

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