VOA News: Africa: Banned Swaziland Trade Union Vows Demonstration

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Banned Swaziland Trade Union Vows Demonstration Apr 12th 2012, 00:06 A leading member of the banned Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) said its nationwide demonstration will proceed Thursday, despite a court-ordered ban. TUCOSWA national organizer Vincent Dlamini said the group aims to present a petition to Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini demanding democratic reforms and an immediate end to the group's ban. "We intend to present a petition to the prime minister's office, if we would be allowed to get there. But if they disperse us violently, then of course we will disperse. But our intention is to go and make our demands known to the head of government," said Dlamini. "[This is] to call for broader democracy in Swaziland as well as to denounce the ban by government of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland, which is the only labor federation in this country." Attorney General Majahenkaba Dlamini said the government has obtained a court order banning the demonstrations. The administration contends that the organizers have failed to meet what it called the legal "industrial relations" requirement for the planned nationwide protests. Some Swazis are expressing concern the protests could lead to violent clashes between state security forces and the pro-democracy and labor union activists. Dlamini pledged TUCOSWA demonstrators will not instigate any violence. "Our intention is a peaceful protest march. But we can see on the streets that the security forces are fully packed… all three branches, which is the police, the prisons, and the soldiers are there," said Dlamini. "We do not wish to see our people getting injured. It is the government that is violent, and we want the whole world to be aware of that, that Swaziland government is very violent against peaceful protests. Because we are protesting peacefully…but we cannot guarantee that [violence] won't happen." Asked why TUCOSWA would choose to hold the protest in defiance of the government ban instead of seeking a dialogue, Dlamini said senior administration officials have refused repeated attempts to engage in talks. "There is no one to talk to. We have been available to discuss issues even the discussing of the ban concerning the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland...but the government is refusing. They are telling us that [the ban] is an order and that we must comply," said Dlamini. "On the issue of democracy, they are telling us that that will never happen while they are still alive." Last month, several trade union organizations merged to form TUCOSWA. Within weeks, the government placed a ban on it, declaring it was a politically active organization. Political parties are banned in the tiny Southern African kingdom. Critics say the Swazi administration has stifled political opposition by pressuring human rights organizations, trade unions, and civil society groups and banning all political parties. Analysts say King Mswati III's level of power is so significant - despite the 2006 reintroduction of a constitution - that the country can be considered an absolute monarchy. Media files: afp_swaziland_protests_file_04aug11_eng_large-resizedpx480q100shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) afp_South_africa_Swaziland_loan_file_230.jpg clottey-swaziland-demonstrations-dlaminireact-12april2012.mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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VOA News: Africa: ECOWAS Holds Emergency Meeting To Address Mali Rebellion

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

ECOWAS Holds Emergency Meeting To Address Mali Rebellion Apr 12th 2012, 00:16 A senior official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said the group's Mediation and Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Mali Thursday. ECOWAS external relations director Abdel-Fatau Musah said the emergency summit will enable the committee to come up with solutions to resolve the rebellion in Mali's north. "The meeting is to discuss the modalities for intervention… because what is happening in the north of Mali is not only against the territorial integrity of Mali, it is basically a very serious threat to peace and security in the region and international security as a whole," said Musah. The meeting in Ivory Coast's commercial capital, Abidjan, comes the same day Mali's speaker of parliament Dioncounda Traore is scheduled to be sworn in as interim president. "We are virtually at the point of resolving the coup d'état issue, and that's the return to constitutional order in the country," said Musah. "So all attention now is on trying to roll back the gains made by the rebels." Since last month's military coup in Mali, the rebels, with help from radical Islamic militants, have seized much of the country's north and proclaimed an independent state they called "Azawad". As part of an agreement with the outgoing military junta, ECOWAS pledged to help Mali fight the Tuareg rebels. Last week, the ECOWAS Chiefs of Defense Staff Committee developed their strategy for liberating territories in Mali seized by the Tuareg rebels. Musah expressed confidence in the sub-regional bloc's ability to end the rebellion. He said the group's protocols prohibit a non-consensual breakup of any of its member states. Musah said ECOWAS has proposed negotiations with the rebels, but he said "the negotiations are conditional on the fact that the question of the territorial integrity of Mali is non-negotiable. And that ECOWAS is never going to have any dialogue with a group that can be referred to as terrorist organizations. They only need to be destroyed, not negotiated with." Tuareg rebels, who refer to themselves as the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), control the cities of Timbuktu, Gao and other areas in the north. Musah said ECOWAS' standby force has been on high alert since the coup d'état. He warned the rebels could face harsh military action if they refuse to negotiate to end the rebellion. Media files: afp_mali_ecowas_eng_480_2apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) Reuters_mali_ecowas_230_27march12.JPG clottey-ecowas-emergency-meeting-musah-12april2012.mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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VOA News: Middle East: Israeli, Gaza Children Face Psychological Fallout From Aerial Strikes

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

Israeli, Gaza Children Face Psychological Fallout From Aerial Strikes Apr 12th 2012, 00:18 Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip frequently fire rockets into southern Israel, while Israeli forces carry out air strikes against Gaza.  Week-long exchanges in March killed 25 Palestinians and wounded four people in Israel.  Such confrontations cause high incidences of trauma among children on both sides of the border. <!--AV--> A birthday party at a school in Gaza's Beach refugee camp.  It is part of the effort to make the lives of these children as normal as possible. They are growing up under a threat of military strikes by Israel, which says it is defending its people from rocket attacks by Palestinian militants in Gaza. Psychologists say many of these children suffer from trauma.  Aida Kassab, of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program, trains parents and teachers to spot symptoms of its more severe form, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. "The signs [of PTSD] are hyperactivity, regressive behavior, stuttering, stealing, lying, bed wetting and poor academic performance.  All these problems are linked to trauma," she said. Sami Owaida is the only child psychologist in Gaza.  He says severe cases of trauma may require therapy but most children show signs of recovery over time. "But the problem is that the relapse is high, usually because with PTSD, if the shelling comes back, the child can develop a very fearful situation," he said. A few kilometers away, across a fence and a shoot-to-kill zone two kilometers wide, children in Israel suffer similar trauma.  About 12,000 rockets from Gaza have hit the area in the past 10 years. The Israeli Psychotrauma Center has created a special place for parents and their children.  Psychologist Naomi Baum says trauma can affect the entire family. "When families are under long-term stress, they forget some basic activities, like play.  Parents forgot how to play with their kids.  They were so worried about keeping them safe that they forgot how important play was," she said. In Hamas-ruled Gaza the situation is aggravated by an Israeli blockade that has degraded living conditions. Israel considers Hamas to be a terrorist group. The head of the Gaza Mental Health Center, Dr. Hasan Shaban Zeyada, says there is a strong connection between the political situation and the mental health of the people. "One political decision will help the people here a lot and will solve a lot of the difficulties.  And the mental health will be better," he said. He says trauma causes feelings of powerlessness and, as the conflict drags on, hopelessness which poses one of the biggest obstacles to recovery. Media files: palestine23.jpg Gaza_Israel_Trauma_WEB_VERSION16x9_-_Computer-standardQT-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__915927.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: USA: US Regulators Call for Limits on Antibiotic Use in Livestock

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

US Regulators Call for Limits on Antibiotic Use in Livestock Apr 11th 2012, 23:55 U.S. regulators are taking steps to check the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections from animals to humans.  The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is giving farmers three years to end their practice of using antibiotics solely to help animals grow.  The European Union already has banned this use of antibiotics, but it is common in the developing world. The Food and Drug Administration has issued guidelines for phasing out the use of antibiotics for purposes other than treating, controlling or preventing disease. Today, the use of small doses of antibiotics to promote animal growth is a common practice in large-scale livestock operations around the world.  But new strains of infectious bacteria resistant to these drugs are on the rise. Antibiotic misuse in people is one factor, says FDA Deputy Commissioner Michael Taylor. "But we know the use of medically important drugs for production purposes in food producing animals is a contributing factor," said Taylor. The new guidelines put these drugs under the supervision of veterinarians.   The animal drug industry says livestock use is a minor factor in antibiotic resistance. But Ron Phillips with the industry trade association, the Animal Health Institute, says his group worked with FDA on the new guidelines. "This puts us on a path toward where all antibiotic use in animal medicine is going to be used for the therapeutic purposes of treating, controlling and preventing disease, which is important not only to animal health, but to human health," said Phillips. University of Minnesota infectious disease expert James Johnson says the FDA's decision is good news that has been a long time coming. "This is encouraging," said Johnson. "It's nice to see FDA being proactive.  Well, frankly, it's a little hard to give them credit with being proactive because it's been so many decades.  But they're finally moving.  Okay, good." The FDA first proposed banning non-therapeutic use of some antibiotics in 1977.    The guidelines are voluntary, which some critics say might not be enough to motivate farmers to comply.  The FDA says it will review progress toward compliance in three years. Laura Rogers with the non-profit Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming says the FDA's action is a positive step.  But she says she is concerned that antibiotic use will not change much. "If you were to ask me what's the biggest gap, it's that they've left way too much wiggle room [leeway] when it comes to preventative uses," said Rogers. "That's going to have to be shored up [i.e., made more specific] in order for this action to be meaningful." Rogers says that preventing livestock disease that might result from overcrowding or unsanitary conditions is a common use for antibiotics in animals.    In developing countries, antibiotic use is believed to be widespread on large-scale farms.  But data is scarce, says Danilo Lo Fo Wong, an antibiotic resistance expert with the World Health Organization. "They're making the same mistakes that developed countries have gone through, which, in my view, is, of course, unnecessary," said  Lo Fo Wong. "They could go straight to the better solutions rather than go through the same evolution that developed countries have gone through." Lo Fo Wong says the U.S. experience is instructive.  And for countries trading with the United States, limiting antibiotic use might become a requirement as import rules tighten. Media files: cow1.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) AP-cattle-230.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Mitt Romney Emerges as Presumed Republican Presidential Nominee

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Mitt Romney Emerges as Presumed Republican Presidential Nominee Apr 11th 2012, 23:10 In U.S. presidential politics, the race for the Republican nomination is all but decided, after former Senator Rick Santorum suspended his campaign Tuesday, leaving it more likely former governor Mitt Romney will face President Barack Obama in November. Rick Santorum's surprise announcement, "...We will suspend our campaign effective today..." provoked a joyful response from Mitt Romney. "I kind of like today, this was a good day," Romney said. Santorum's departure came two weeks before primary voting in his home state of Pennsylvania, a contest political analyst Thomas Mann says Santorum was likely to lose. "Realizing he was going to get trounced [defeated] for the second time in his own state - last time when he was defeated for reelection to the Senate - he decided it is best to get out before making more enemies in the Republican Party," Mann said. Social conservatives propelled Santorum to victory in 10 states, prolonging a bruising and costly Republican primary fight.  For months, Santorum blasted former Massachusetts Governor Romney as a politically rudderless moderate. "He is the worst Republican in the country to put up against Barack Obama," Santorum said. And, for months, Romney insisted he is a true conservative, staking out right-wing positions that could prove a liability in the general election.   Now, with his nomination all but assured, Romney can focus attention and resources on President Barack Obama, who has been working to energize Democratic voters and appeal to independents. "No matter where you come from, what you look like, what your last name is - black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight [heterosexual], disabled or not, it does not matter.  You have a shot at the American Dream.  That is the vision we share," Obama said. Already, Romney is facing questions about his eventual vice presidential pick and running mate. "I am here to announce today that I do not even have a list [of vice presidential picks]," Romney said. Romney's emergence in April as the all-but-confirmed nominee gives him time to heal divisions within the Republican Party and craft a message that will appeal to broader segments of the American electorate.  Public-opinion pollster Peter Brown says Romney has work to do to erase the after-effects of a vicious nomination battle. "The Republican candidates for president have been kicking each other for several months, and that kind of negative tone rubs off [is damaging]," Brown said. There was no negativity from Romney after the Santorum announcement. "We are going to work together to make sure we take back the White House, the Senate, and we keep the House [of Representatives].  We are going to get the job done," Romney said. Media files: RTR30B50_Reuters_230_US_Romney_10APR12.jpg US_Election_-_Republicans__739198.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Asia: G8 Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria, Iran, North Korea

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

G8 Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria, Iran, North Korea Apr 11th 2012, 21:05 Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations are meeting in Washington for discussions that include the continuing violence in Syria, nuclear talks with Iran, and North Korea's missile launch plans.   U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the meeting is an opportunity to discuss the many global issues that require joint leadership from G8 nations. Topping the agenda: Syria. "We are alarmed for the ongoing violence in Syria, and we are concerned about the problems facing special envoy Kofi Annan as he attempts to bring about a cease-fire and the end to violence," said Secretary Clinton. Within the G8, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom have called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down as part of a democratic transition to end the political violence, which has raged for 13 months.  Russia has backed President Assad as he battles the opposition and continues to sell arms to Syria. Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet separately to discuss Syria after a video conference briefing by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Syrian troops shooting at Syrian refugees inside Turkey. With Turkey set to host another round of talks on Iran's nuclear program Saturday, Secretary Clinton says G8 foreign ministers believe it is an opportunity for Tehran to address seriously the international community's concerns about its nuclear ambitions. "We believe there is still time for diplomacy, but it is urgent that the Iranians come to the table to establish an environment conducive to achieving concrete results through a sustained process," said Clinton. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes and is not designed to develop nuclear weapons. It is a standoff similar to North Korea, where officials are readying the launch of a rocket which Pyongyang says will put a satellite in orbit. "It violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," she said. "I think we all share a strong interest in stability on the Korean peninsula, and we will be discussing how best to achieve that." Secretary Clinton says G8 foreign ministers will also discuss transnational issues including terrorism, piracy, food security, and support for democratic change in the Middle East and North Africa. Those talks continue Thursday in preparation for next month's G8 heads of state summit at Camp David. Media files: ap_Hillary_Clinton_g8_eng_11apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_Hillary_Clinton_g8_sq_eng_11apr12.jpg

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VOA News: USA: US Shooting Case Puts Spotlight on Controversial Law

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

US Shooting Case Puts Spotlight on Controversial Law Apr 11th 2012, 21:10 A special prosecutor in the southern U.S. state of Florida said a grand jury will not look into the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white, Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer in February. Under Florida law, the decision eliminates the possibility of a first-degree murder charge in the case - and leaves the decision to bring any charges to prosecutor Angela Corey alone. So far, the shooter has not been arrested or charged with a crime because of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law - which says a person has a right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force. The case has renewed a national conversation about gun laws. Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman said he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense during a confrontation, after calling the police emergency line to report a suspicious person: Dispatcher: "Are you following him ? Zimmerman: "Yes." Dispatcher:"Ok, we don't need you to do that." <!--AV--> The case has cast a spotlight on Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which gives people the right to protect themselves with deadly force, even outside of their homes.    Zimmerman told police he shot Martin after the teenager punched him and slammed his head on the sidewalk. Authorities did not charge Zimmerman with a crime because of the law. But former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who signed the statute in 2005, doesn't think it applies in the Trayvon Martin case. "'Stand Your Ground' means 'Stand Your Ground.' It doesn't mean chase after somebody who's turned their back," Bush said. Supporters of the "Stand Your Ground" law said it has reduced violent crime and protects citizens who are trying to defend themselves. Greg Stone favored expanding gun rights laws. "Its been proven over and over again that it will make it more safe. An armed society is a polite society," said Stone. Daniel Gross with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence disagreed, and told members of Congress the law needs close examination. "In Florida law enforcement authorities do not have the discretion to take away licenses to carry concealed weapons even from those who have killed unarmed people, which occurs with alarming regularity in states like Florida with Stand Your Ground or, more aptly named 'Shoot first, ask questions later', laws," said Gross. Florida law enforcement data indicate the number of justifiable homicide cases tripled in the first five years the "Stand Your Ground" law was on the books.  Florida criminal defense attorney Kendell Coffey via Skype. "The way it [the Stand Your Ground law] is being applied and the way juries are reacting, it's tantamount to a license to kill anytime the shooter makes a claim of self-defense and there are no eyewitnesses to contradict the shooter's claim," said Coffey. Former Florida state senator Durell Peaden, who helped craft the law, said it was not meant to allow abuse. "This law says nothing about vigilante type law. It says nothing about following anybody, it says nothing about those premeditated points by carrying a gun when you are following anyone," he said. "Those issues were not addressed and not intended to be addressed in this law." More than half of all U.S. states have similar laws. The controversy surrounding them continues to grow. Many of the demonstrators who have taken to the streets since the Trayvon Martin shooting hope lawmakers will take a closer look and take steps to revise them. Media files: RTR30JME_480_Reuters_CA_Martin_10APR12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) RTR30JME_230_Reuters_CA_Martin_10APR12.jpg US_SHOOTING_CASE_GUN_LAWS_W-standardQT-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__641131.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Africa: UN Calls on South Sudan to Withdraw From Sudanese Town

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

UN Calls on South Sudan to Withdraw From Sudanese Town Apr 11th 2012, 20:24 The United Nations Security Council has called on South Sudan to withdraw from a town in Sudan that it captured Wednesday. The 15-nation council called the seizure of the oil-producing town of Heglig a "very serious development". Khartoum accuses South Sudan of aggression, while South Sudan's President Salva Kiir reportedly told the U.N. Secretary-General that the clashes leading to the capture of Heglig were in self-defense. Whatever the cause, the U.N. Security Council demands that the fighting stop, the South withdraw and the two countries respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice holds the rotating presidency of the council this month. "Council members stressed that the SPLA must withdraw immediately and Sudan must stop aerial bombardments and incursions into South Sudan. Both sides must return to talks and cease all hostilities," she said. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also expressed his concern at the rising violence. His spokesman, Martin Nesirky said Ban spoke by telephone with President Kiir on Wednesday. "They discussed the recent escalation of conflict between Sudan and South Sudan. The secretary-general advised that before undertaking a discussion on the cause of the escalation, the immediate priority is to de-escalate the situation to avoid further bloodshed," he said. The spokesman said the U.N. chief also urged that the two nations hold a presidential summit as soon as possible as a confidence-building measure. The leaders of the two Sudans were supposed to meet earlier this month, but the meeting was canceled after an earlier round of fighting over Heglig. Ban also spoke with Sudan's U.N. ambassador Tuesday evening and strongly urged Khartoum to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further military action. The U.N. chief was in Washington Wednesday for a meeting of the Middle East Quartet. On the sidelines, his spokesman said he discussed the tensions in Sudan with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The African Union, which has been trying to mediate the outstanding issues between the two Sudans since they separated in July, has also called on the South to pull its troops out of Heglig. Media files: un_security_council_10Apr11.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) un_security_council_230_10Apr11.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: Drug-Resistant Malaria Threatens Effort to Control Disease

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Drug-Resistant Malaria Threatens Effort to Control Disease Apr 11th 2012, 20:32 <!--AV--> A team of researchers from the United States and Thailand says the growing number of cases of drug-resistant malaria being reported in Thailand and neighboring countries threatens the worldwide campaign to control and eliminate the mosquito-borne disease. The malaria parasite in the region is becoming resistant to the first-line malaria therapy - artemisinin combination treatment - and experts say there is a real danger of the resistant strain moving to Africa, where malaria is widespread. "The biggest fear is the resistance will spread across Southeast Asia and then spill over into Africa, where the vast majority of the 700,000 deaths a year [from malaria] occur. Historically, we have seen that when resistance to chloroquine [another anti-malaria drug] spread, there was an increase in mortality due to malaria. This is a very, very urgent situation," said Tim Anderson, of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, who spoke to us via Skype. Anderson was part of the team that found evidence of growing resistance to artemesinin therapy for malaria in the border regions of Thailand and Burma, which they fear can spread westward across south east Asia and into Africa. The researchers are calling for immediate steps to control the spread of the resistant malaria parasite. The number of malaria deaths dropped in the last few years because of the artemisinin combination treatment, and Anderson predicts that mortality figures will rebound if the drug loses its efficacy. "We are seeing that the drug kills the parasite 100-fold less well than it used to. That doesn't mean that the parasites are not killed, so we can still cure patients. But the concern is that the number of patients who are NOT cured will rise. We currently estimate that about 30 percent of the patients are not cured with artemisinin," said Anderson. "I have to say that I am not actually all that surprised. Every time we have developed a new drug, the parasite has figured out a way to get around it," said Dr. David Kaslow, the director of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative - an international nonprofit organization committed to developing a malaria vaccine. "The good news is that the first-ever malaria vaccine is on the horizon," said Kaslow. The malaria vaccine could be available by 2015, Kaslow said. But it will be just one more weapon against malaria, and the problem of resistance to artemisinin is real. "It is a piece of a larger control and - hopefully, some day - elimination and eradication program. We have to use a variety of tools - [including] bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and preventive therapy," said Kaslow. Experts say drug-resistant strains of malaria likely will continue to emerge. The solution, they believe, is to support the development of new drugs and new therapies to fight the disease. Media files: mosquito 300.jpg Health_Drug_Res_Malar_WEB-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__709697.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Middle East: G8 Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria, Iran, North Korea

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

G8 Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria, Iran, North Korea Apr 11th 2012, 21:05 Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations are meeting in Washington for discussions that include the continuing violence in Syria, nuclear talks with Iran, and North Korea's missile launch plans.   U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the meeting is an opportunity to discuss the many global issues that require joint leadership from G8 nations. Topping the agenda: Syria. "We are alarmed for the ongoing violence in Syria, and we are concerned about the problems facing special envoy Kofi Annan as he attempts to bring about a cease-fire and the end to violence," said Secretary Clinton. Within the G8, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom have called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down as part of a democratic transition to end the political violence, which has raged for 13 months.  Russia has backed President Assad as he battles the opposition and continues to sell arms to Syria. Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet separately to discuss Syria after a video conference briefing by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Syrian troops shooting at Syrian refugees inside Turkey. With Turkey set to host another round of talks on Iran's nuclear program Saturday, Secretary Clinton says G8 foreign ministers believe it is an opportunity for Tehran to address seriously the international community's concerns about its nuclear ambitions. "We believe there is still time for diplomacy, but it is urgent that the Iranians come to the table to establish an environment conducive to achieving concrete results through a sustained process," said Clinton. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes and is not designed to develop nuclear weapons. It is a standoff similar to North Korea, where officials are readying the launch of a rocket which Pyongyang says will put a satellite in orbit. "It violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," she said. "I think we all share a strong interest in stability on the Korean peninsula, and we will be discussing how best to achieve that." Secretary Clinton says G8 foreign ministers will also discuss transnational issues including terrorism, piracy, food security, and support for democratic change in the Middle East and North Africa. Those talks continue Thursday in preparation for next month's G8 heads of state summit at Camp David. Media files: ap_Hillary_Clinton_g8_eng_11apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_Hillary_Clinton_g8_sq_eng_11apr12.jpg

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VOA News: Arts and Entertainment: Basketball Court Moves To Broadway

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

Basketball Court Moves To Broadway Apr 11th 2012, 20:21 <!--AV--> "Magic/Bird" opened on Broadway this week. It's a play about two basketball legends, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, that goes beyond the usual sports saga. The famous athletes are played by young, and very tall, actors. This sports arena introduction of basketball Hall-of-Famers Earvin Magic Johnson and Larry Bird sets the stage for a drama about a ferocious rivalry that turned into friendship. After seeing the script, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird gave the green light. "I had a chance to witness a reading live with the actors and everything. Oh, Wow. It blew me away," said Magic Johnson. Magic and Bird are two of the greatest players in the history of professional basketball.  Magic starred for the Los Angeles Lakers and Bird for the Boston Celtics. The drama takes the audience from their college days through the 1992 Olympics. Bird's back problems ended his career while Magic's ended after he contracted HIV. On stage, Magic Johnson is played by Kevin Daniels.     "Whether you are a basketball fan or not, everyone can identify with being the best that you can be, and then excelling at that, and finding that same desire in someone else," said Daniels. Tug Coker plays Larry Bird. He himself is a former college basketball player. As a child, he loved the Boston Celtics and especially Larry Bird. "I just wish that I had a little more of Bird's sort of mental toughness, his hard work and dedication," said Coker. "Maybe I could have been a little better. Jeez, he's amazing!" The play shows how the men were fiercely competitive.  But they came to respect and value each other after a chance meeting off the court. Even as they remained rivals on the court, their friendship grew. Today, they care deeply about each other.   Thomas Kail, a young but seasoned Broadway director, says life is more than baskets and game highlights. "What we are interested in, what happens when the game is over," said Kail. "What happens after the career is over?  How do these men who have been elevated learn to walk among us again?" Many who attended the previews were touched by what they saw. "Just the dynamic of how they grew to hate each other, then grew to really love each other and adore each other," said Jason Hernandez from Los Angeles. "It's really an emotional play at times." "I was just so touched about the two men and their relationship," said Joanie Watkins, from New York. The producers say finding two actors who are each more than two meters tall and can act while dribbling a basketball was a challenge.      A challenge they met.   Media files: Theater_Magic_Bird_WEB_16x901.jpg Theater_Magic_Bird_WEB_16x9-standardQT-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__737522.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Asia: South Korean Conservatives Score Upset Parliamentary Election Victory

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

South Korean Conservatives Score Upset Parliamentary Election Victory Apr 11th 2012, 19:17 South Korea's ruling conservatives have scored an upset victory in a nationwide legislative election. The New Frontier (Saenuri) Party, along with minor parties on the right, are to retain control of the National Assembly for the next four years.   Economic issues, a spying scandal, and personalities outweighed national security concerns in South Korea's fiercely fought parliamentary election. An alliance of liberal parties failed to wrest control of the 300-seat National Assembly from the conservatives. North Korea made no secret of its preference for an opposition victory here, saying voters should choose "peace and democracy" and "deal a heavy blow to pro-U.S. warlike forces." A professor of international politics at Chung-ang University, Lee Cho-won, says South Korean voters have become immune to such rhetoric from Pyongyang. Lee says both of the major parties in South Korea also did not raise the issue of the North's impending missile launch, thus it had no significant impact on the election's outcome. The opposition attacked President Lee Myung-bak, who cannot run for re-election in December, for widening the gap between the wealthy and the underprivileged since taking office in 2008. It also criticized his administration's support for the recently ratified trade agreement with the United States. Another election issue: a still-unfolding political scandal implicating the presidential Blue House in spying on political opponents, civic groups, labor activists and journalists. The administration responded that 80 percent of the cases dated to the previous presidency of Roo Moo-hyun, whose supporters are now in the opposition. The main opposition Democratic United Party found its image damaged after nominating a candidate with a track record of highly offensive satirical comments. On a popular Internet radio show, the candidate, Kim Yong-min, had called for top U.S. officials to be raped or murdered and suggested kidnapping and executing American troops in South Korea.  He has called for the eradication of the country's powerful Protestant church and offended other constituencies, including the elderly. Kim lost his bid to gain a seat in the National Assembly. Voters were able to make separate selections for individual candidates and parties for proportional representation seats. The election gives a boost to the New Frontier Party, hoping to retain the presidency. It changed its name from the Grand National Party in February, in a bid to revitalize its image. This is the first time in two decades the legislative and presidential elections are being held in the same year in a country known for its volatile political environment. The current front-runner to succeed President Lee is the leader of the New Frontier Party, Park Geun-hye. She is the daughter of former president Park Chung-hee, whose 18 years of autocratic rule ended when he was assassinated in 1979 by his own intelligence chief. Possible strong challengers from the left include former President Roh's chief of staff, lawyer Moon Jae-in. He won a legislative seat in the polling in Busan, the country's second largest city. Eyes are also on the well-known entrepreneur turned academic, Ahn Chul-soo. He has yet to declare whether he will run for president. Ahn's only involvement in this election was in a video urging people to vote. Holding stuffed animal toys and playing off the popularity of the Angry Birds video game, Ahn says it is time for the good birds to throw themselves at the castle to get at the solid establishment's bad pigs. Recent public-opinion polls show Ahn and Moon as the two most formidable challengers to Park among all major potential candidates. Media files: reuters_south_korea_elections_eng_480_11apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) reuters_south_korea_elections_eng_230_11apr12.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Thousands of Pakistanis Flee Fighting in Northwest

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Thousands of Pakistanis Flee Fighting in Northwest Apr 11th 2012, 19:26 International aid agencies say Pakistan's counter-insurgency operations in a northwestern tribal district have forced thousands of families to flee the region. United Nations officials are warning that the number of internally displaced persons is growing by the day, and they say more funds are needed from international donors to help those affected. Pakistani security forces have frequently conducted major operations to try and secure the country's porous western border with Afghanistan, a known hub of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters. The latest battleground is the Khyber tribal district, which serves as a main trade route and supply line to NATO-led international forces in Afghanistan. The head of the United Nations refugee agency's operations in northwestern Pakistan, Ahmed Warsame, said that more than 200,000 people have fled the fighting since January. He said while an estimated 10 percent of the refugees have been accommodated at the Jalozai refugee camp just outside Peshawar, the rest have gone to neighboring towns to stay with family members. "It's a huge undertaking for us. Jalozai has increased its size four times as much as it was four weeks ago. We are currently registering some 2,000 families a day, and that has been fairly stable since March 17. Fifty-two to 53 percent of the population is women and children, and also elderly people," said Warsame. Pakistani authorities believe the flow of displaced people will continue for another six months. The UNHCR and other international aid agencies warn they will not be able to continue humanitarian assistance without additional financial resources from the international community. Faris Qaism, a spokesman for Save the Children, said the conflict is severely affecting children. "What we found is that many of these children are suffering from the psycho-social issues. This means that they are exhibiting behavioral changes - they have loss of appetite, some are scared to even go outside because they have witnessed firings or bombings in their areas," said Qaism. Pakistan's nearly decade-long war against home-grown Taliban extremists has triggered suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks around the country, killing thousands of people. The deadly violence, however, has relatively subsided during the past year. Authorities say that a series of violent militant attacks at the beginning of the year in and around the northwestern city of Peshawar, which borders the Khyber tribal region, has prompted the ongoing offensive. A turf war between extremist groups in Khyber also is being blamed for the exodus of displaced people. Media files: reuters_pakistan_jalozai_refugee_camp_480_11april2012.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_pakistan_jalozai_refugee_camp_230_11april2012.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Source: Charges to Be Filed in Florida Shooting

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Source: Charges to Be Filed in Florida Shooting Apr 11th 2012, 19:56 Law enforcement sources in the U.S. state of Florida say charges will be filed in the shooting of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin, who was killed by a white Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer in February. U.S. media outlets reported Wednesday that criminal charges will be brought in the case.  Pressure has been growing for police to arrest the shooter, George Zimmerman, who said he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense.  Police let him go after the February 26 shooting. But Martin's family says the young man was unarmed and confronted because of his race. They are demanding Zimmerman be charged with murder. Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department will take action if it finds evidence that a federal criminal civil rights crime was committed. Holder spoke Wednesday at the annual convention of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization founded by African-American civil rights leader the Reverend Al Sharpton. Holder said the Justice Department will conduct a thorough and independent review of the Trayvon Martin case, calling it a "tragedy that we're struggling to understand." "Although I cannot share where current efforts will lead us from here, I can assure you that, in this investigation - and in all cases - we will examine the facts and the law.  If we find evidence of a potential federal criminal civil rights crime, we will take appropriate action.  And at every step, the facts and the law will guide us forward," Holder said.     A recording of an emergency telephone call to police during Martin's and Zimmerman's confrontation is inconclusive. The case has ignited a debate about racial tensions in the United States.  Martin supporters say the shooting shows how young black men are constantly threatened with violence, while Zimmerman supporters say race had nothing to do with the killing. On Tuesday, Zimmerman's lawyers pulled out of the Florida case, saying they had lost contact with their client, despite repeated efforts to reach him. Attorneys Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner said they can no longer represent a client who will not communicate with them.  But they said they are concerned for Zimmerman's safety, saying he has "a bounty" on his head. Late Tuesday, special prosecutor Angela Corey announced she will hold a news conference later this week to disclose new information in the case.  It is up to Corey to decide whether to prosecute Zimmerman. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: apEricHolderMartinCase11Apr2012-resizedpx480q100shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) Zimmerman2.jpg

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