VOA News: Africa: Gabon Signs Deal to Build New Oil Refinery

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Gabon Signs Deal to Build New Oil Refinery Apr 25th 2012, 05:02 An adviser to Gabon's President, Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba, said the government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] with Samsung, a South Korea-based company, to build a new oil refinery in the Central African nation. The refinery is expected to be the constructed in the oil hub of Port-Gentil. Energy and Environment adviser Gin Park said the new refinery would replace SOGARA, the Gabonese Refining Company, which he said is too old and incapable of processing the quantities required by Ondimba's policy on developing the country's raw materials. The old refinery, which was built in 1967, currently produces about 21,000 barrels per day. "The old refinery will shut down in 2016, so it is important the new refinery is right on schedule.  The new refinery will be built in the same site where the old one is." Park said the construction of the new refinery is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2016.  He said experts from South Korea are currently in Gabon to begin feasibility studies about the refinery project. When completed, Park said, "The capacity of the refinery will be 50,000 barrels per day and the total investment cost is $1 billion." Half of the refined oil, he said, will be exported, while the remainder will be for local consumption. Park said negotiations are still ongoing between the government and Samsung before a deal is finalized for the construction to begin. "The contract is not signed yet, [it was] the MOU that was signed between Gabon and Samsung…The construction will be done by Samsung and the maintenance will be done by them and the Gabonese people," said Park. "The main product of the refinery will be diesel for domestic market and the other products will be for other markets, and the heavy fuel oil will be for the European market." Park said the government has embraced public and private partnership in the president's agenda of the "Emerging Gabon Initiative" for the construction of the new oil refinery. Media files: AP_UN_Gabon_Ali_Bongo_08jun11_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) afp_gabon_ali_bongo_230_20Nov09.jpg clottey-gabon-new-oil-refinery-park-25april12.mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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VOA News: USA: Romney Claims Mantle of Republican Presidential Nominee

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Romney Claims Mantle of Republican Presidential Nominee Apr 25th 2012, 05:24 Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is turning his attention toward the November general election -- and U.S. President Barack Obama -- after effectively securing his party's nomination with five state primary election victories Tuesday. Romney easily won the northeastern states of Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New York.  In a victory speech in New Hampshire, Romney told supporters that Mr. Obama has failed to restore the nation's economy, which has struggled with chronically high unemployment since the worldwide recession struck in 2008.  Romney declared that "a better America begins tonight." "Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better. The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it's not the best America can do. Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years, and it's the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together," he said. The former Massachusetts governor is claiming the Republican nomination after a long primary election season. Romney's path to the nomination was cleared when his strongest rival, former U.S. senator Rick Santorum, dropped out of the race two weeks ago. Romney entered Tuesday's primary contests, with at least 695 of the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, far ahead of Santorum and two other rivals, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Representative Ron Paul. Gingrich said earlier this week he would consider withdrawing from the race if he lost the Delaware primary, but he told supporters in North Carolina Tuesday that he would continue his campaign all the way to the Republican national convention in Tampa, Florida.  Gingrich says he wants the party to fight for social issues such as gun rights, U.S. energy independence, and a ban on same-sex marriages. "Let me also say that one of the reasons we are determined to go all the way to Tampa is to fight for a platform that does have these kind of issues in it, a platform that does include not only the issue of marriage, but a platform that frankly lays out the notion that the Second Amendment right to bear arms (in the U.S. Constitution) should be embodied in a treaty for all human beings everywhere on the face of the planet because the right to bear arms comes from our Creator, not from government," he said. Mr. Obama, the Democratic incumbent, faced no challengers for his party's nomination.   The president began a two-day trip Tuesday to college campuses in North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa, touting his plans for more affordable higher education. The president wants Congress to extend a law set to expire in July that would prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling. Mr. Obama spoke about the law in a comic segment when he appeared on a popular late-night television talk show, NBC-TV's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. "What we said is simple, now is not the time to make school more expensive for our young people" he said. Romney, who has questioned what the president has done for young people since taking office, has also endorsed extending the law. Media files: AP-Romney_tz.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: Iran Says Cyberattack on Oil Industry Had Little Impact

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

Iran Says Cyberattack on Oil Industry Had Little Impact Apr 25th 2012, 02:15 Iran says a suspected cyberattack on its state-run oil industry had little impact on operations thanks to rapid measures taken by experts to limit the spread of the virus. Iranian state news agency IRNA quotes an Oil Ministry official as saying there was "no damage" to the ministry's computer data from the virus, which authorities first detected on Sunday. Deputy Minister for Oil and Civil Defense Hamdollah Mohammadnejad also said Iranian oil production facilities have continued to operate without interruption. But he said it will take several days to investigate and resolve the issue. Iranian authorities say they responded to the cyberattack by switching off Internet access at Oil Ministry offices and facilities, including the country's main terminal on Kharg Island, which handles three-quarters of Iranian oil exports. Iran has periodically reported cyberattacks on its nuclear and industrial sectors. The head of a U.S.-based energy research company says that the latest digital assault on the Iranian oil sector is likely to have only a minimal impact on the country's oil production. International Petroleum Enterprises president Hossein Ebneyousef says Iranian oil terminals are "very low-tech" and have operated for decades without the Internet, using gravity rather than pumps to transfer crude from storage tanks to ships. Ebneyousef says Iranian oil terminal workers also have other means to communicate when email systems are down, including telephones. He says Iran has improved its response to cyberattacks since 2010, when its nuclear facilities were affected by the Stuxnet computer worm. Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of trying to sabotage Iran's nuclear program through methods such as cyberattacks. Both nations accuse Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and refuse to rule out any options for preventing such an outcome. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful. Media files: reu_iran_oil_230_19feb12.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: AU Gives Sudan, South Sudan 90 Days to Reach Peace Deal

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

AU Gives Sudan, South Sudan 90 Days to Reach Peace Deal Apr 25th 2012, 01:50 The African Union on Tuesday gave Sudan and South Sudan 90 days to settle their disputes over oil, citizenship and boundary issues or face binding international arbitration.  But, the ultimatum came amid more talk of war and an increase in border hostilities. A ministerial-level session of the AU Peace and Security Council threatened to abandon its high-level Sudan mediation process unless the talks begin to show results. The ultimatum signaled the continental body's frustration at the breakdown of negotiations led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.  The Mbeki panel talks collapsed this month as fighting erupted along the Sudan-South Sudan border. Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said that if the warring parties fail to resolve their disputes within three months, the  panel would be disbanded.  He said outstanding issues would then be settled by an unspecified arbitration process. "Three months from now, the panel will be ending its mission by either bringing the parties to agree, to sign and to implement all that is needed to resolve all the issues at hand or by formulating a comprehensive report for the Peace and Security Council to endorse it, for the international community to support it as binding and final," said Lamamra. But before the council's communique was issued, Sudan and South Sudan were suggesting that more talks about oil and borders were not the answer. Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Karti said that fighting must stop before talks can take place. "We need focusing on problems on the ground," said Karti. "If on a daily basis our borders are attacked from within South Sudan, this couldn't be accepted.  Talking about other issues like oil revenues, like borders - yes, these are important issues.  But these are not the issues that will take both parties to an escalating war." Karti rejected calls for an end to Khartoum's aerial bombing campaign, calling it a legitimate act of self-defense. "If you have an action, you should have a reaction," he said. "It is in international law of the Security Council itself and of the U.N. itself that I have the right of self defense.  If somebody is attacking me on daily basis, what should I do?" South Sudan's Minister of Cabinet Affairs Deng Alor suggested it is time to move past the Mbeki mediation process.  VOA obtained a copy of Alor's speech to the Peace and Security Council in which he said, "[I]t will not be enough to return to negotiations as they were." Speaking to reporters afterward, Alor suggested that the Mbeki panel has too little authority to force the warring neighbors to settle contentious issues. "The only thing we said is the mediation mechanism has to be enhanced," said Alor. "It has to be supported by the international community, so that it moves ahead." Alor accused Khartoum of using allegations of southern aggression as a pretext for avoiding negotiations. "The government of Sudan was saying they would only go back to negotiations if the security issue is resolved, meaning that we in South Sudan admit that we are supporting rebellion in South Kordofan, in Blue Nile and Darfur - something we are not doing," he said. A South Sudanese military spokesman reported that Sudanese warplanes continued their attacks this week, even after the south withdrew troops from a strategic oil center captured earlier this month. The bombing runs intensified after the South Sudan stopped pumping oil through Sudan in January, accusing Khartoum of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars of oil revenue.    Media files: ap_sudan_south_480_22apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_sudan_south_230_22apr12.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Company to Create 'Gas Stations' in Space

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Company to Create 'Gas Stations' in Space Apr 25th 2012, 01:03 A company based in the northwestern United States called Planetary Resources says it plans to mine near-Earth asteroids for raw materials, ranging from water to precious metals.   Planetary Resources' co-founder Peter Diamandis is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, medical doctor and CEO of the X Prize Foundation. Speaking at a news conference at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, Diamandis said he has wanted to be an asteroid miner since he was a teenager.     "The vision of Planetary Resources is to make the resources of space available to humanity, both in space and here on Earth, whether it's propellent from water on asteroids or strategic metals and minerals that are important to promoting and creating a world of abundance here on Earth," said Diamandis. Company officials say resource extraction from asteroids will grow to be valued at tens of billions of dollars annually, but they stress that that kind of payday is decades away.  They add that asteroid mining will provide a sustainable supply of precious metals to Earth's growing population. Along with Diamandis, Eric Anderson is the co-founder and co-chairman of Planetary Resources.  While precious metal such as platinum would be welcome, Anderson says they also want to mine for elements found in abundance here on Earth - namely hydrogen and oxygen, which are the basis for water...and rocket fuel.    "If we're able to successfully, successfully deploy and mine for water, we're going to create a network of propellant depots, of gas stations, that literally open up the roadways to the rest of the solar system," said Anderson. "So it's going to drastically reduce the cost of deep space exploration."    Planetary Resources says it has developed the first line in a family of deep-space prospecting spacecraft, the Arkyd-100 Series.  The craft is essentially a space telescope that will help scientists identify and prioritize near-Earth asteroid targets.  The company says this spacecraft will be launched in about two years.  Beyond that, officials said the plan is to mass produce follow-on Arkyd-300 series spacecraft and send them off in swarms on expeditions.  Planetary Resources says its mining would be done robotically.   Officials say they hope to identify asteroids to prospect within the decade. The company's financial backers include billionaires such as Google's CEO Larry Page and Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt.     Planetary Resources counts famed film director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron as a project advisor, but some news reports have identified him as a financial backer.  Cameron told VOA that his involvement in this project has been overstated in media reports.   "I'm not an investor in that," said Cameron. "I'm on the advisory board because I'm interested in lots of projects with respect to entrepreneurial space, as well as space, science and research." Cameron, who is visiting China for the Beijing International Film Festival, told VOA's Beijing bureau chief that as he left a party a few days ago, he was asked if he would be on the advisory board.  He said he answered "sure" as he walked out the door and that is "the sum total" of his involvement to date. Still, Cameron says, mining asteroids is a great idea. "We're going to be a resource-depleted planet that's going to be voracious for metals and rare earth minerals and things like that, which we can harvest from within the solar system. And there's logic to getting them from asteroids because you don't have to lift them out of a gravity well - like, mining on Mars doesn't make sense, mining on the moon makes very little sense, because you have to lift everything out of a gravity well to get it to Earth. But anyway, that's something that I'm only a tiny part of," he said. Officials at Planetary Resources say near-Earth asteroids could be reached with little propulsion, and it would be relatively easy to depart from them because of their very small gravity fields. They also say that private industry can take more risks, work at a faster pace and tolerate high-cost failures in a way that governments cannot. Media files: ap_Peter_Diamandis_eng_24apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_Peter_Diamandis_sq_eng_24apr12.jpg

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VOA News: USA: 3 More US Secret Service Agents Forced Out in Scandal

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

3 More US Secret Service Agents Forced Out in Scandal Apr 25th 2012, 01:31 The U.S. Secret Service says three more agents have been forced out of their jobs because of a prostitution scandal that has shaken the agency that protects the president. Officials said Tuesday two agents resigned and a third had his security clearance revoked.  Two others were cleared of charges of serious misconduct. This brings to nine the number of Secret Service agents who have lost their jobs for consorting with prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia earlier this month - days before President Barack Obama arrived for the Summit of the Americas.  The Pentagon is also investigating 12 military members who were allegedly involved. During the taping of his appearance on an NBC television talk show Tuesday, Mr. Obama called the agents caught in the scandal "knuckleheads."  But he said they should not detract from what the Secret Service does.  The president called the majority of the agents incredible guys, protecting him and his family as well as U.S. officials all over the world. Prostitution is legal in Colombia, but off-limits for many U.S. government employees because of the possible security risks. Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters. Media files: AP_Secret_Service_300.jpg

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VOA News: USA: US Lawmakers Hear from Kony-LRA Victims

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

US Lawmakers Hear from Kony-LRA Victims Apr 25th 2012, 00:45 <!--AV--> Former victims of the Lord's Resistance Army are demanding an end to bloodshed and human rights violations in Central Africa, and that outlaw LRA leader Joseph Kony be brought to justice. U.S. lawmakers heard from a Ugandan man made famous by the KONY 2012 viral video seen by tens of millions of people worldwide on YouTube. Abducted by the LRA at age 12, Jacob Acaye put a human face on the misery and suffering perpetrated by Joseph Kony. "We worry. The rebels, when they arrest us again, they will kill us. My brother tried to escape. Then they killed him using a panga [machete]. They cut his neck," he said. Featured in the YouTube video, Acaye's story touched millions and focused global attention on atrocities committed by the LRA. At age 21, Acaye's work continues. Tuesday, he testified before the U.S. Senate. "I am calling upon the world to come and join the youth who are advocating for the end of this war," he said. Now a law student, Acaye remains haunted by the pain of his past. "When you wake up in the morning and you hear that people are still being abducted in Congo, it takes my mind back to the situation where I was abducted. And if someone's brother is being killed in Congo, it takes my mind back when I saw my brother being slaughtered," he said. Over the last 25 years, the LRA is believed to have recruited tens of thousands of child soldiers and displaced as many as two million people across Central Africa. No longer based in Uganda, the LRA remains active in neighboring countries, says Senator Chris Coons. "In the past four months alone, the LRA has committed 132 attacks in three countries: the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan -- despite an increased U.S. presence and regional efforts to counter them," he said. The United States maintains 100 military advisors in the region to aid international efforts to capture Joseph Kony and disband the LRA This is no easy task, says Donald Yamamoto, deputy assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. "Ending the LRA threat is not an easy mission. The LRA operates in very small groups across vast territories roughly the size of California, and very heavily-forested," he said. Joseph Kony has been a fugitive from the International Criminal Court since 2005. His capture and conviction for crimes against humanity would be a blessing for Africa and the world, says former LRA victim and children's advocate Jolly Okot. "Bringing Kony to justice will show the world that impunity is not a way forward, to let human souls suffer. And I think bringing him to justice will, in the long run, stop people around the world who are so brutal, and who think that playing around with the lives of human beings is the way forward," he said. Jacob Acaye can envision a better future. "I do not want children to think that they will have to pick up a gun to get money, or pick up a gun to get food," he said. Media files: UGANDA_KONY_300X300_REUTERS.jpg US_-_LRA_-_Joseph_Kony_-_web_version_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__906388.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: USA: Experts Warn of Increased US Cyber Security Threat

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Experts Warn of Increased US Cyber Security Threat Apr 25th 2012, 01:29 Several security experts warned a U.S. congressional panel on Tuesday that urgent action is needed to counter the increasing threat of major cyber attacks on critical American systems and federal agencies.  A House of Representatives Homeland Security subcommittee held the hearing during a week when four cyber security bills are expected to come up for a vote in the House. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Oversight, Investigations, and Management Subcommittee, said China is the most aggressive collector of U.S. economic information and technology. "China's cyber warfare capabilities and the espionage campaigns they have undertaken are the most prevalent of any nation state actor.  China has created citizen hacker groups, engaged in cyber espionage, established cyber war military units," McCaul said. Cyber security experts told the panel that Russia, Iran and North Korea are also experimenting with cyber attacks, and that threats to U.S. electric power grid and mass transportation systems could also come from other foreign intelligence services, anti-American computer hackers and terrorists. Former FBI cyber security specialist Shawn Henry painted a bleak picture. "I believe most major companies have already been breached or will be breached, resulting in substantial losses in information, economic competitiveness and national security.  Many are breached and have absolutely no knowledge that an adversary was or remains resident on their network, often times for weeks, months or even years," Henry said. Experts told the panel that at some time all U.S. federal agencies have been hacked.  The experts called for Congress, the government and the business community to recognize the seriousness of the threat and to be proactive in developing with strategies to protect against cyber attacks. The hearing came during what has been called "Cyber Week," when the House of Representatives is expected to vote on four cyber security bills.  One of them, a bipartisan measure, would allow companies and the government to share more cyber security information and techniques as well as expand the government's role in protecting Internet services and corporate computer networks against cyber attacks. Some Democrats on Tuesday's panel said the four bills coming up for a vote do not go far enough in giving the government authority to provide oversight, instead calling for companies to voluntarily share information. "At the end of cyber security week, America will remain without a comprehensive national strategy that bears cyber security efforts in one domestic agency and protects the privacy rights of American citizens," said Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi. The other bills expected to be voted on this week would increase cyber research, development and education, and update federal computer network security practices. Media files: RTR2UQCC_US_Keyboard_20APR12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) RTR2UQCC_TEASE_US_Espionage_17APR12.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Romney Faces Little Challenge in 5 Republican Primaries

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Romney Faces Little Challenge in 5 Republican Primaries Apr 25th 2012, 01:37 Mitt Romney has won the primary elections in Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, taking another step toward capturing the Republican presidential nomination. Romney is also expected to win in Pennsylvania and New York - two other states where voters cast ballots Tuesday. Former senator Rick Santorum dropped out of the race two weeks ago. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Congressman Ron Paul have just a fraction of the number of delegates Romney has, giving the former Massachusetts governor a clear field. Incumbent Barack Obama will have enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination after Tuesday's primaries.  He faced no challengers this year. Mr. Obama began a two-day trip Tuesday to college campuses in North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa, touting his plans for more affordable higher education. The president wants Congress to extend a law set to expire in July that would prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling. Romney, who has questioned what the president has done for young people since taking office, has also endorsed extending the law. Media files: AP-Romney_tz.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: US Lawmakers Hear from Kony-LRA Victims

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

US Lawmakers Hear from Kony-LRA Victims Apr 25th 2012, 00:45 <!--AV--> Former victims of the Lord's Resistance Army are demanding an end to bloodshed and human rights violations in Central Africa, and that outlaw LRA leader Joseph Kony be brought to justice. U.S. lawmakers heard from a Ugandan man made famous by the KONY 2012 viral video seen by tens of millions of people worldwide on YouTube. Abducted by the LRA at age 12, Jacob Acaye put a human face on the misery and suffering perpetrated by Joseph Kony. "We worry. The rebels, when they arrest us again, they will kill us. My brother tried to escape. Then they killed him using a panga [machete]. They cut his neck," he said. Featured in the YouTube video, Acaye's story touched millions and focused global attention on atrocities committed by the LRA. At age 21, Acaye's work continues. Tuesday, he testified before the U.S. Senate. "I am calling upon the world to come and join the youth who are advocating for the end of this war," he said. Now a law student, Acaye remains haunted by the pain of his past. "When you wake up in the morning and you hear that people are still being abducted in Congo, it takes my mind back to the situation where I was abducted. And if someone's brother is being killed in Congo, it takes my mind back when I saw my brother being slaughtered," he said. Over the last 25 years, the LRA is believed to have recruited tens of thousands of child soldiers and displaced as many as two million people across Central Africa. No longer based in Uganda, the LRA remains active in neighboring countries, says Senator Chris Coons. "In the past four months alone, the LRA has committed 132 attacks in three countries: the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan -- despite an increased U.S. presence and regional efforts to counter them," he said. The United States maintains 100 military advisors in the region to aid international efforts to capture Joseph Kony and disband the LRA This is no easy task, says Donald Yamamoto, deputy assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. "Ending the LRA threat is not an easy mission. The LRA operates in very small groups across vast territories roughly the size of California, and very heavily-forested," he said. Joseph Kony has been a fugitive from the International Criminal Court since 2005. His capture and conviction for crimes against humanity would be a blessing for Africa and the world, says former LRA victim and children's advocate Jolly Okot. "Bringing Kony to justice will show the world that impunity is not a way forward, to let human souls suffer. And I think bringing him to justice will, in the long run, stop people around the world who are so brutal, and who think that playing around with the lives of human beings is the way forward," he said. Jacob Acaye can envision a better future. "I do not want children to think that they will have to pick up a gun to get money, or pick up a gun to get food," he said. Media files: UGANDA_KONY_300X300_REUTERS.jpg US_-_LRA_-_Joseph_Kony_-_web_version_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__906388.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Africa: Angola's UNITA Party Threatens Protests

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Angola's UNITA Party Threatens Protests Apr 25th 2012, 00:28 After being a U.S.-backed rebellion for decades in Angola, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, or UNITA, is now struggling as a political entity.  Its leader, Isaias Samakuva, is threatening massive street protests if there are no guarantees for free and fair elections expected later this year.  Samakuva spoke at a Washington event on Tuesday.   At the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Samakuva said that protests in recent months in Angola have not included UNITA members or supporters.  But he warned that could change soon, if measures are not taken to ensure a credible election. "We prefer to work for a peaceful change at the elections," said Samukva. "But if we realize that the government is not willing to have a clear and a transparent electoral process, then we will be in the streets.  This is a possibility now.  We are already mobilizing our people.  And in May, if the government does not change the situation, we will be in the streets." Legislative elections could be held by early September.  Following the vote, the leader of the party with the most seats will become president of Angola. But there are concerns by UNITA and other groups that the chairperson of the national electoral commission is part of the ruling party and a lawyer, rather than a judge as the law stipulates.  And voter registration began before new electoral legislation was passed. In the most recent election, in 2008, the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, or MPLA, won more than 80 percent of the vote and 191 of 220 legislative seats.  UNITA won only 16 seats. The head of the MPLA, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, has been in office since 1979. Samakuva alleges voting during the president 's rule has been repeatedly rigged, but that in recent years UNITA has accepted what Samakuva called "electoral fraud" to preserve peace and stability after three decades of civil war. In a speech earlier this month, President dos Santos celebrated 10 years of peace, while repeatedly denying claims the coming elections were being rigged.  He said those who are strong do not need to cheat to win. In Washington, Samakuva called on foreign election observers to be accepted and to quickly go to Angola to monitor the entire process. "We feel it gives more credibility to the elections and the presence of observers serves as well as a dissuasion measure for the tendency of rigging the elections," he said. The UNITA leader said his party's platform will highlight the economic disparities and extreme poverty in Angola, despite the country's production of nearly 2 million barrels of oil per day. Samakuva dismissed concerns that UNITA had been weakened by the decision of former party officials, led by Abel Chivukuvuku, to create a new organization, the Convergence of Angolan Salvation.  Samakuva said UNITA has registered some 250,000 new members in recent months, as it prepares to be more competitive in the elections.    Media files: colombant_Samakuva_eng_24apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB)

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VOA News: USA: LA Museum Takes Visitors Outdoors to Showcase Nature

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

LA Museum Takes Visitors Outdoors to Showcase Nature Apr 25th 2012, 00:38 <!--AV--> The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California, is redesigning its grounds to bring visitors outdoors, where they can spot hummingbirds and butterflies, take nature walks, and get their hands dirty in a garden. The L.A. museum's 1.4-hectare outdoor campus - previously a parking lot - has become a living exhibition of biodiversity. For some of these young students, it's their first time getting hands-on experience in a garden. Teacher Eva Eng says her students have been learning about plants in science class. "Oh, they really like hand-on things, getting their hands in the mud, and planting seeds, watering them, watching them grow.  And it's a wonderful experience," said Eng. The scientists at the museum have come outdoors to describe plants and insects in their natural setting. "They're pretty amazing looking things," said the scientist. "This one's a parasitic wasp with an egg-layer or ovipositor that's long than it's body...." Part of this newly landscaped area, now home to butterflies and wasps, was once a parking lot.  Today, it's a natural laboratory. Karen Wise, the museum's vice president for education and exhibits, says the scientists here study the impact of climate change on species around the world. "And we do that here in LA as well, and now, we're opening up the whole museum, making it an indoor-outdoor experience, so that our visitors can be a part of that experience," said Wise. Scientist Greg Pauly says one of the species found here, the Western pond turtle, is struggling to adapt to human intrusions on its environment. "150 years ago, before there were very many people here, all of the streams were just seasonal streams," said Pauly. "And the Western pond turtle loved that habitat.  And with people, we've changed the habitat.  There's a lot more permanent water like this pond here." And he says this changing habitat is one of the reasons the numbers of this species are declining. Some of the new construction includes a soaring glass atrium at the museum's North campus entrance, with a glass-lined pedestrian bridge leading into it.  Architect Fabian Kremkus, a German immigrant, says the white steel arches of the walkway were inspired by whale bones. "What I remember from my childhood visiting the Frisian Islands, that whaling captains would erect, when they retired, the biggest set of jawbones that they hunted," said Kremkus. "And so this is reminiscent of that and takes a cue from making a nice new entrance for the Natural History Museum. Today, city children have little contact with nature, and the outdoor display will change that, says landscape designer Mia Lehrer. "What does it mean to see what strawberry plants look like, that they don't come from a container in the store?   And a tomato …  children have been asked, where does ketchup come from?  They don't know," said Lehrer. Here, they're finding out. Parts of the new outdoor campus are open now for limited use.  It will open fully to the public in June of next year for the museum's 100-year anniversary celebration. Media files: Biodiversity_Display_WEB_VERSION_4x301.jpg Biodiversity_Display_WEB_VERSION_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__639437.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Asia: Automakers Vie for Market Share in China

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Automakers Vie for Market Share in China Apr 24th 2012, 23:19 The competition is intensifying in China, where automakers are competing for a share of the market in the world's most populous country.  More than 18 million cars were sold in China last year, and that number is expected to double in less than 10 years. Featuring more than 1,100 flashy, new vehicles, the Beijing Auto Show is now among the largest in the world. Car News web magazine editor Tycho de Feyter says it's an important showcase of China's economic clout. "The Chinese auto industry really wants to show off.  They want to show what they have. They want to show their new developments. They want to show their new cars. So this is really important," Feyter said. With annual sales projected to top $30 million by 2020, automakers are increasingly turning to China to drive global revenues. General Motors is opening up 600 new dealerships. And Ford Motors Asia Chief John Hinrichs says construction of two new manufacturing plants will double Ford's production capacity there. "China is a big part of our growth plan. It is the largest market in the world and a great potential opportunity for Ford to grow our business even further as part of our plan to sell 8 million vehicles annually in 2015 around the world," Hinrichs said. With a recent Beijing directive to have 5 million hybrid and electric vehicles on the road by 2020, many see China as a lucrative market for green technology. Among them, Nissan Motors chief executive Carlos Ghosn. "As leaders of the zero emission and EV [electric] cars in the world, we have to bring our technology and bring our products.  The Chinese want us to put it under a Chinese name.  We selected Venusia, so you're going to see a lot electric cars with Nissan technology coming under the Venusia name," Ghosn said. Not to be outdone, Europe's largest automaker, Volkswagen, is investing $400 million to build new manufacturing plants in China.  And Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says Mercedes Benz is expanding its lineup to target Chinese buyers. "First of all there is no stronger brand than the Mercedes brand with the three pointed star. Secondly, we're in the middle of our product offensive, that we'll add 10 new vehicles in our portfolio, plus replacing the ones which exist," Zetsche said.   Despite a slowdown in overall sales from previous years, industry experts say the growing ranks of Chinese millionaires continue to fuel double-digit increases in the sales of sport utility vehicles (SUV's) and luxury automobiles. Media files: CN_China_Auto_Market_640x48.jpg CN_China_Auto_Market__820952.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: USA: Alaskan Wins Environmental Prize for Opposing Offshore Drilling

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Alaskan Wins Environmental Prize for Opposing Offshore Drilling Apr 24th 2012, 23:27 Alaskan tribal leader Caroline Cannon has won a prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for battling to keep offshore oil and gas drilling out of Arctic waters. The annual award is given to six outstanding grassroots environmentalists from different regions of the world.  Cannon, the North American winner, is concerned that an oil spill would threaten her remote village and its traditional way of life. Saving her village traditions means everything to community activist Caroline Cannon.  This includes the annual hunt for one bowhead whale, in which villagers use wood-framed boats covered with seal skins.  Cannon is from Point Hope, a coastal community of 700 Inupiat people in northern Alaska.  She says their lives revolve around the whale. "We have the graveyard site, that's been there hundreds of years, that was built with whale bones.  And I particularly like the ice cellar - we call it the salon - where we store away our food, and it's covered with permafrost, it's underground, and it's built with whale bone," Cannon said. In recent years, there's been growing national interest in opening the Arctic waters to oil and gas development.  Cannon says she's not against drilling, but doesn't think oil and gas companies could contain an oil spill in the Arctic - even if they say they can. Since the sea is frozen half the year, she says an oil spill could last for months, destroying the ecosystem.   "There's no technology on how to clean an oil spill out in the Arctic.  They have not done an actual cleanup in that kind of an environment," Cannon said. Cannon says she'd be "more than willing" to support oil exploration if the companies could prove there was a safe way to contain an oil spill.  She's been involved in lawsuits to stop oil drilling in the Arctic.  She also taken her fight to lawmakers in Washington. "The Arctic is such a beautiful place, it's untouched.  They always refer to Alaska, 'as the last frontier.'  That's so meaningful for me," Cannon said. Some residents of Point Hope want the oil companies to come in because there would be jobs.  Federal regulators have approved the Shell Oil company's spill response plans in the region, meaning the company might be able to drill soon.    For Cannon, that would be devastating. "I know I'm going to lose some sleep, but I know I gave it the best I knew how.  I gave it all I had.  So that's what's going to count.  It's a scary thought," Cannon said. Cannon, like the other five winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize, also received $150,000.  She says she will give money to the village to help protect its lifestyle. Media files: North_American_Goldman_Priz.jpg North_American_Goldman_Prize__467219.mp4 (video/mp4)

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VOA News: Economy: Automakers Vie for Market Share in China

VOA News: Economy Economy Voice of America

Automakers Vie for Market Share in China Apr 24th 2012, 23:19 The competition is intensifying in China, where automakers are competing for a share of the market in the world's most populous country.  More than 18 million cars were sold in China last year, and that number is expected to double in less than 10 years. Featuring more than 1,100 flashy, new vehicles, the Beijing Auto Show is now among the largest in the world. Car News web magazine editor Tycho de Feyter says it's an important showcase of China's economic clout. "The Chinese auto industry really wants to show off.  They want to show what they have. They want to show their new developments. They want to show their new cars. So this is really important," Feyter said. With annual sales projected to top $30 million by 2020, automakers are increasingly turning to China to drive global revenues. General Motors is opening up 600 new dealerships. And Ford Motors Asia Chief John Hinrichs says construction of two new manufacturing plants will double Ford's production capacity there. "China is a big part of our growth plan. It is the largest market in the world and a great potential opportunity for Ford to grow our business even further as part of our plan to sell 8 million vehicles annually in 2015 around the world," Hinrichs said. With a recent Beijing directive to have 5 million hybrid and electric vehicles on the road by 2020, many see China as a lucrative market for green technology. Among them, Nissan Motors chief executive Carlos Ghosn. "As leaders of the zero emission and EV [electric] cars in the world, we have to bring our technology and bring our products.  The Chinese want us to put it under a Chinese name.  We selected Venusia, so you're going to see a lot electric cars with Nissan technology coming under the Venusia name," Ghosn said. Not to be outdone, Europe's largest automaker, Volkswagen, is investing $400 million to build new manufacturing plants in China.  And Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says Mercedes Benz is expanding its lineup to target Chinese buyers. "First of all there is no stronger brand than the Mercedes brand with the three pointed star. Secondly, we're in the middle of our product offensive, that we'll add 10 new vehicles in our portfolio, plus replacing the ones which exist," Zetsche said.   Despite a slowdown in overall sales from previous years, industry experts say the growing ranks of Chinese millionaires continue to fuel double-digit increases in the sales of sport utility vehicles (SUV's) and luxury automobiles. Media files: CN_China_Auto_Market_640x48.jpg CN_China_Auto_Market__820952.mp4 (video/mp4)

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