VOA News: Africa: Amid Tensions, Sudan-South Sudan Talks on Hold

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Amid Tensions, Sudan-South Sudan Talks on Hold Apr 3rd 2012, 12:42 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan to meet "as soon as possible" to resolve tensions between the two countries, but a meeting scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled. High hopes The two presidents had been due to hold talks in South Sudan's capital, Juba.  A wave of violent military clashes broke out last week with both sides blaming the other for starting the fighting. Eric Reeves, a U.S.-based Sudan and South Sudan researcher told VOA that jeopardizing the meeting may be what some senior military officials in Sudan were aiming for. "Right now the best guess is that those who made that agreement and those who did the preliminary work that made a summit in Juba seem plausible, were undermined by military officials who decided that they didn't want rapprochement, what they wanted was to continue to create a highly volatile militarily unstable situation along the north-south border," Reeves stated. He said he thinks the two countries are "very close" to war. Confrontation looming U.S. President Barack Obama urged South Sudan Monday to avoid military confrontation with Sudan. The White House says Obama spoke to South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, asking him to ensure South Sudan's military is neither involved in nor supports fighting along the border.  President Obama also emphasized the need for the two sides to reach an agreement in their ongoing oil dispute. Reeves said Obama's call was not directed at the right party. "I think the urging of restraint needs to be directed at Khartoum. Public statements such as that by President Obama only make it more difficult to discourage Khartoum from believing that they have something to gain militarily. The south has nothing to gain militarily," he said. "They are in a defensive posture." He also called for the United Nations to publish information gathered by its advisers and observers to help clarify the situation on the ground. Accusations Sudan has accused South Sudan of supporting rebels in Southern Kordofan and the state of Blue Nile, charges South Sudan has denied.  The south accuses the north of conducting airstrikes in its territory. In January, South Sudan shut down oil production that is the lifeline of both country's economies.  The south accuses the north of charging excessive fees to use northern pipelines. Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. Media files: Reut_SouthSudan_3apr12-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) Reut_SouthSudan_3apr12-300.jpg

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VOA News: Arts and Entertainment: Classic Fairy Tale Gets Hollywood Makeover in 'Mirror, Mirror'

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

Classic Fairy Tale Gets Hollywood Makeover in 'Mirror, Mirror' Apr 3rd 2012, 12:52 Julia Roberts and Lily Collins head the cast in a new family film of a beloved fairy tale. Mirror, Mirror, a fresh take on Snow White, takes its title from the question the evil queen poses daily to her magic mirror. <!--AV--> QUEEN "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" MIRROR "Snow White." PRINCE "Snow White?" QUEEN  "Ugh." Once upon a time, a very vain queen discovers that her fabled beauty is eclipsed by her stepdaughter, the princess kept locked away in the castle. Unfortunately for the evil queen, a charming prince glimpses the young Snow White. PRINCE "Do you know her? She has ivory skin and black hair …" QUEEN "Her hair is not black, it's raven and she is 18 years old and her skin has never seen the sun, so of course it's good." Julia Roberts and Lily Collins in "Mirror Mirror" Photo - Jan Thijs– ©2011 Snow White Productions, LLC. The queen sends Snow White to die in the forest. But the plucky and lucky teenager survives, meets seven dwarves and, with their cottage as her headquarters, mounts a strategic offensive against the queen. The fairy tale origins may be the same, but this is definitely a departure from the animated Disney version that has enchanted audiences for the past 75 years. Lily Collins, 23, daughter of British musician Phil Collins, stars as Snow White. Lily Collins in "Mirror Mirror" Photo - ©2011 - Relativity Media "I wanted to pay homage to the classic essence of that fairy tale princess and be very particular in everything from [the way I held] my hands to the way that I spoke to people," Collins explains. "But at the same time I'm wielding a sword and throwing things back at the prince, running and jumping and fighting for myself. So I never wanted to make a Snow White that was a caricature of the animated story. I wanted to make a real girl that audiences today could look at and say 'I want her to be a friend of mine.'" PRINCE "I can't fight you." SNOW WHITE "Why not?" PRINCE "Because you're a girl. I don't fight girls. Perhaps I should reconsider." Armie Hammer says he had fun playing the hapless prince. Armie Hammer and Lily Collins in "Mirror Mirror" Photo - Jan Thijs– ©2012 Relativity Media, LLC. "He just bounces around and has a good time. It's goofy, so you just have to go for it and have fun with it," Hammer says. But perhaps Oscar-winner Julia Roberts has the most fun. She seems right at home as the conniving queen. Julia Roberts and director Tarsem Singh on the set of "Mirror Mirror" Photo - Jan Thijs– ©2012 Relativity Media, LLC. "It was fun to play this villain," Roberts says, "because there aren't any real rules of syntax or reality that apply to her. I could kind of do anything and just go off the rails in any direction at any time and it would make sense to me. You don't have to worry too much about 'would a person really do this?'" India-born director Tarsem Singh designed Mirror, Mirror as a lark for families to enjoy. But for those who like their fairy tales dark, an edgy, more violent take on the story - Snow White and the Huntsman - comes to theaters later in 2012. Media files: Mirror Snow White main 480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) Mirror Mirror poster 230.jpg silverman_mirrormirror.mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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VOA News: Asia: ASEAN Leaders Open Summit in Cambodia

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

ASEAN Leaders Open Summit in Cambodia Apr 3rd 2012, 12:47 Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations - ASEAN - are gathered in Phnom Penh for a two-day summit that is expected to deal with simmering maritime disputes and a scheduled North Korean rocket launch. Host President Hun Sen focused on economic issues in his opening remarks Tuesday, urging the participating countries to work to narrow the gap between the region's richest and poorest countries. "Within the region, although the development gap among ASEAN members has been noticeably narrow, it is still huge," he said. "This requires to double our efforts to promote further growth and improve equitable distribution of the fruits of growth at both the national and the regional among members countries." The official agenda stresses talks on ASEAN's goal of developing a European-style single market within the next three years. But several of the participants have acknowledged the leaders will not be able to avoid discussions on pressing security issues. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all claim parts of the potentially resource-rich South China Sea, putting them at odds with Beijing, which claims all of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer waterway. The Philippines and Vietnam have both accused Chinese vessels of intruding into their exclusive economic zones and disrupting oil exploration activities. Manila has called for a summit of nations with claims on the South China Sea in order to reach an agreement on the use of the seas. Concern about North Korea Meanwhile, several ASEAN members have raised concerns about North Korea's planned rocket launch this month. Pyongyang says the rocket will place a weather satellite into orbit, but the United States and other nations say the real purpose of the launch is to test a missile that could deliver a nuclear weapon. During a preliminary meeting Monday, ASEAN foreign ministers praised Burma over its handling of parliamentary by-elections that saw democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi win her first seat in parliament.  Her National League for Democracy party won at least 40 of the 44 seats it contested in the April 1 balloting. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Media files: reuters_asean_meeting_3april2012_eng_480_edited-1.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) reuters_asean_meeting_3april2012_eng_230.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: UN Advance Team Travels to Syria in 48 Hours

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

UN Advance Team Travels to Syria in 48 Hours Apr 3rd 2012, 12:27 An advance U.N. team is due to arrive in Syria within 48 hours to discuss the deployment of peacekeepers in a bid to halt violence from the government's year-long crackdown on dissent. A spokesman for U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan made the announcement Tuesday, saying the group would work out the details of deploying international monitors to Damascus. The announcement comes a day after Annan said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had agreed to begin pulling out his forces from opposition protest hubs and complete the pullout by April 10. U.N. diplomats say President Assad also agreed to several "immediate" steps including a cessation of troop movements toward population centers and the start of a withdrawal of soldiers and heavy weapons already in such areas. The cease-fire proposal is part of a peace plan drafted by Annan last month and later endorsed by a U.N. Security Council statement. The U.N. says more than 9,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began a year ago. In spite of the plan, government attacks have continued with scattered violence reported on Tuesday. International Red Cross chief Jakob Kellenberger said Tuesday that it was too early to predict results from his meetings with Syrian government officials. The Red Cross chief traveled to Damascus to try to secure an agreement on implementing a daily two-hour pause in attacks to provide humanitarian assistance. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. Media files: Reuters Syria demonstrators 3Apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) Reuters Libya demonstrators 3Apr12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: US Offers $10 Million Bounty for 2008 Mumbai Terror Suspect

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

US Offers $10 Million Bounty for 2008 Mumbai Terror Suspect Apr 3rd 2012, 11:41 The United States is offering a bounty of up to $10 million for the Pakistani man accused of masterminding the deadly 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The State Department's Rewards for Justice website on Tuesday announced the reward for information leading to Hafiz Mohammad Saeed's capture and conviction. Saeed is the founding member of the Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is suspected of carrying out several terrorist attacks on Indian soil. The November 2008 terrorist attack on India's financial hub killed 166 people, including six Americans. India has long accused Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attack, with the help of Pakistan's military and spy agency. India's Ministry of External Affairs says the government welcomes the U.S. bounty on Saeed, who is one of India's most wanted fugitives. The ministry statement said the move reflects the commitment of India and the U.S. to bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice and sends a "strong signal" to Lashkar-e-Taiba that the international community remains united in combating terrorism. But the move could upset some in Pakistan, where Saeed is allowed to operate openly, sometimes appearing on television shows and giving public speeches. While Lashkar-e-Taiba is officially banned in Pakistan, some analysts say Islamabad has done little to crack down on its activities. U.S. officials have also announced a $2 million bounty for the group's deputy leader, Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki. Lashkar-e-Taiba is officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. Some information for this report was provided by AP. Media files: AP_Hafiz_Mohammad_Saeed_3apr12-resizedpx300X480q100dpi96shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) AP_Hafiz_Mohammad_Saeed_3apr12-resizedpx300.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Republicans Hold Presidential Primaries in 2 States, US Capital

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Republicans Hold Presidential Primaries in 2 States, US Capital Apr 3rd 2012, 11:55 U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney appears ready to add to his lead Tuesday to become the party's nominee and run against President Barack Obama in November's election. Three primaries take place Tuesday, including one in the nation's capital.  The others are in the eastern state of Maryland and the northern state of Wisconsin. Romney, who is the favorite in all three primaries, could pass the halfway mark in securing the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination.  He spent much of Monday criticizing Obama and Democrats for their economic policies, rather than talking about his Republican opponents. The main contender against the former governor of Massachusetts is Rick Santorum - a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.  His state is one of several that will hold the next round of primaries in three weeks.  Santorum says he is determined to stay in the race, despite Romney's sizable lead. Former House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Congressman Ron Paul are far behind in the race for the Republican nomination. If no candidate secures the necessary number of delegates before the Republican convention in August, the party's nominee would be decided at the convention. Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. Media files: reuters_romney_3apr2012_eng_480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_romney_3apr2012_eng_230.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Shooting Rampage Leaves 3 Dead at California University

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Shooting Rampage Leaves 3 Dead at California University Apr 3rd 2012, 12:00 Police in Oakland, California say a former student opened fire at a Korean-American Christian college Monday, killing seven people and wounding three others. Authorities said the 43-year-old suspect is a Korean national who surrendered shortly after the shooting. Witnesses say the suspect shot one of his victims at a reception desk at Oikos University before spraying bullets inside classrooms. Student Deborah Lee said she heard the gunshots and fled. "The first time when I heard it, I thought it was fireworks or just joking, but right after that one woman screamed a lot, shouting, and then my teacher went outside to check and then he said one woman told them, that somebody has a gun, run, and then we all of us in class just ran away," said Lee. Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan called the shooting "shocking and senseless" and described the scene as "extremely chaotic." "There were several people hiding in locked buildings, locked doors, behind desks, as you can imagine very frightened, very scared.  Some of them were injured, so we had to rescue them out.  We had to force our way into a number of rooms," he said. Oikos University founder, Pastor Jong Kim, tells the Oakland Tribune newspaper that the shooter is a former nursing student. Kim said he did not know whether the suspect was expelled from the school or dropped out. The gunman's motive is also not known. A spokesman for South Korea's foreign ministry said the government is monitoring reports about the incident, and called the shooting "unfortunate." Media files: reuters_california_shooting_3apr12_eng_480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_california_shooting_3apr12_eng_230.jpg

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VOA News: Americas: Colombian President Hails FARC Hostage Release

VOA News: Americas Americas Voice of America

Colombian President Hails FARC Hostage Release Apr 3rd 2012, 11:24 Colombia's FARC rebels have freed 10 hostages held in the jungle for more than a decade, in a move the country's president hailed as a "step in the right direction." The four soldiers and six policemen were airlifted from their jungle prison Monday aboard a Brazilian air force helicopter bearing the Red Cross logo. The men - who had been held for 12 to 14 years - appeared to be in relatively good health as they greeted relatives in Villavicencio before being flown to Bogota. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia had promised to free the captives in February. They also promised to stop carrying out ransom kidnappings for profit. FARC says the 10 were the last police and military hostages it was holding. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said the prisoner release was a positive step for the country's main rebel group, although insufficient to start peace talks toward ending Latin America's oldest insurgency. "This release, and above all, the promise of the FARC not to return to kidnapping, is a gesture that we appreciate. We appreciate it in all its dimensions. Without a doubt, it's a step in the right direction, a very important step," Santos said. President Santos has said the government will not negotiate with FARC until it stops kidnappings and releases all of its prisoners. Some Colombian civilian groups believe FARC is still holding as many as 700 hostages and they doubt the rebels are serious about talking peace. FARC has been active since 1964, saying it is fighting for the rights of the poor. It funds its operations mainly through drug trafficking and holding hostages for ransom. Colombia, the European Union, and United States regard FARC as a terrorist group. Media files: Reuters Colombia hostage release 3Apr12 300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) Reuters Colombia hostage release 3Apr12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: UN Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Mali

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

UN Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Mali Apr 3rd 2012, 11:02 The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Mali Tuesday, as military coup leaders remain in power and West African nations levy diplomatic and financial sanctions on the country. Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, decided Monday to close all borders between Mali and member states, and cut off the currency flow to the country, which relies on the region's central bank. Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo told VOA he is confident ECOWAS can resolve the crisis.  He says the group should encourage soldiers to return to their barracks, followed by a transition to elections and a return to democracy. "We have to acknowledge what you may call legitimate complaints of the military, that they were given [a] task without adequate tools to perform the task," Obasanjo said. "I think our leaders having acknowledged that legitimate situation that you found yourself, but the way you've gone about it is not the right way, and that way is not acceptable." Soldiers seized power from President Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22, accusing him of failing to provide the army with enough resources to stop Tuareg rebels. The heavily armed rebels arrived in northern Mali after the fall of neighboring Libya and launched an insurgency in mid-January.  Tuareg separatists have been seeking autonomy for decades. Obasanjo traced the situation in Mali to the failure to secure weapons in Libya. "Part of what is happening is part of the fallout from Libya," he said.  "Because what led to Mali is that the Tuaregs, some of whom got their weapons from the fallout from Libya, have been emboldened and more empowered so to say from easy access to weapons." The ECOWAS heads of state met in Senegal's capital, Dakar, after the end of a 72-hour deadline for Mali's military junta chiefs to restore constitutional order. According to a VOA correspondent at Monday's talks, ECOWAS said the junta's statement is a step in the right direction, but that it wants to see concrete action. The regional group also called on Tuareg rebels in Mali's north to stop their advance.  The rebels have seized three key towns since soldiers launched their coup last month. Human rights group Amnesty International issued a statement Monday calling on the rebels to "protect the civilian population" in areas they control and ensure abuses do not occur. The ECOWAS leaders also said they are putting a military force on standby. However, it is unclear when any troops would deploy and what their mandate would be. On Sunday, coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo pledged coup leaders will work to organize a democratic vote and will not run in the elections. Mali had been scheduled to hold elections this month, before Toure's overthrow.  The president, who completed nearly two terms, was not going to run.   Britain and France have advised their nationals to leave the country, while the United States says American should make plans to depart, if necessary. Media files: Reuters Mali coup leader 3Apr12 480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) Reuters Mali coup leader 3Apr12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Arts and Entertainment: Bollywood's 9 Eleven Hits the Big Screen

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

Bollywood's 9 Eleven Hits the Big Screen Apr 3rd 2012, 03:56 <!--AV--> For many, the numbers 9-11 trigger an understanding of the terrorist attacks upon New York and Washington on September 11th, 2001.  But in the new Bollywood movie "9 Eleven", terrorism takes a different form. "9 Eleven" is a new thriller written and directed by 36-year-old Manan Katohora.  The film concerns the kidnapping of a seemingly random group of 11 people who are handcuffed and locked up in an empty cell. They are threatened with death by a masked kidnapper every nine minutes who promises them a way out if they can answer the question "Why are all of you here?" While some of the hostages appear law-abiding, others do not. Their often earthy and occasionally funny conversations to find a solution ultimately unravel the mysterious link which brings them together but not without deadly results. Watch the Official Trailer for "9 Eleven" Katohora suggested his movie is "about things we do and their effect on other people." An independent American film inspired the Silver Spring, Maryland based Katohora to write something similar for Bollywood and the Indian speaking audience. Katohora said, "Typically Indian films have lots of songs and dances and romance but there haven't been a lot of films in this genre." "The new generation is looking forward to some different topics beyond your typical running around the trees and five songs and dances," he added. "9 Eleven" is the first Bollywood film shot in Washington DC.  The actors come from the Washington metropolitan area and cities along the U.S. east coast, mainly New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.  Several of them have lived in the United States for up to 20 years.  Katohora said some "had a mixture of Indian and American accents." Voice coaching was needed because the movie "required them to have a pure Hindi accent,"  Katohora explained. Katohora has previously directed two low budget English language movies. "9 Eleven" could put him on another level.  His efforts have resulted in winning the Canada International Film Festival's 2012 Rising Star Award. The movie was released in Mumbai and New Delhi in October, 2011.  It will be available in the North America market at a later date. Media files: movie_9_eleven_bollywood_eng_02apr12.jpg Film_Director_WEB_-_Computer-standardQT-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull.mp4 (video/mp4)

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