VOA News: Africa: Nigeria FM called 'Africa's Candidate' for World Bank President

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Nigeria FM called 'Africa's Candidate' for World Bank President Apr 11th 2012, 14:00 As the World Bank interviews Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as a candidate for its next president, academics, human rights organizations and regional bodies across Africa are supporting Okonjo-Iweala, with some calling her "Africa's candidate." At the same time, Africans across the continent are calling on the United States to step aside. In the 68 years since the World Bank's founding, an American has always held the job of president, while a European has always headed the International Monetary Fund.   In recent years, this dynamic has led to complaints that the West has too much say in organizations that are intended to benefit emerging economies.  Many Africans say they should be led by people who are actually from these economies. Nigerian political scientist Hussaini Abdu, with the anti-poverty group ActionAid says that if Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is chosen to head the World Bank, it would give the institution credibility in countries that do not trust it. "The significance is the fact that the leadership of the World Bank will be going to the global south.  Historically, the global south has seen itself as a victim of the World Bank, not as a beneficiary of the World Bank," said Abdu. On the streets of Nigeria's capital, locals say that if the selection process is fair and transparent, their finance minister is the obvious choice.  A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, and a former World Bank managing director, Okonjo-Iweala is competing for the bank's top spot with Colombia's former finance minister, José Antonio Ocampo and U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee, Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim. On a sweltering sidewalk in Abuja, local election official Abdullahi Bello smiles as he discusses Okonjo-Iweala's nomination. "I think [the] World Bank will need someone like her - an insider," said Bello.  "I see [her] as an insider because she has worked with the World Bank before.  I think she will do well, if given the opportunity." But not everyone in Nigeria supports the finance minister, especially earlier this year when she helped Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan cut a decades-old fuel subsidy that economists say institutionalized corruption and slowed economic development.   Prices from virtually everything to gas to food to school fees soared, causing nationwide protests.   At a market in Abuja, Shaibu Anibe, 42, a businessman and father of three children, says most Nigerians no longer blame the minister for the country's situation.  He says people now better understand the cut, and object only to the abruptness of the decision. "If you know you are going to remove the fuel subsidy, give six months, eight months, one year notice.  You should be able to convince Nigerians on why it should be removed," said Anibe. As Okonjo-Iweala's bid gains momentum, experts say the World Bank is under increasing pressure to consider her for the seat.  Originally nominated by South Africa, Nigeria and Angola, the minister later won endorsements from the African Union, regional leaders, the Nigerian presidency, and news organizations across the continent and beyond, including from The Economist magazine and The Guardian newspaper in Britain.   Other leaders, including World Bank President Robert Zoellick, who is stepping down at the end of June, have said that picking a non-American might be a mistake because it could lead to loss of American interest in and funding for the international organization. Political scientist Hussaini Abdu calls the idea "ridiculous." "We don't actually think that the world should continue to be blackmailed by what America is actually putting out there," said Abdu.  "I think America should accept that when America is making such contributions, it is only making the contribution to increase its influence." The World Bank has promised a fair and transparent process and is expected to announce its decision later this month.  Although all of candidates have powerful supporters around the world, some Nigerians are calling their finance minister, "Africa's pride." Media files: apNigerianFinanceMinisterNgoziOkonjo-Iweala11Apr2012-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) apNigerianFinanceMinisterNgoziOkonjo-Iweala11Apr2012-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8Tease.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Late Korean Leader Earns Posthumous Promotion

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Late Korean Leader Earns Posthumous Promotion Apr 11th 2012, 13:27 North Korea communists have promoted their late leader and his son to top posts in the country's only political party. Kim Jong Il, whose death was announced nearly five months ago, was deemed "eternal general secretary" of the Workers' Party of Korea. His son and political heir, Kim Jong Un, according to an announcement on the Pyongyang Central Broadcasting Station, is now the party's "first secretary" in accordance with the wishes of his late father. The announcer says the party meeting, with the confidence of the military and citizens, declared the new post for Kim Jong Un who has been prepared from an early age to achieve his great leadership and moral influence. A veteran watcher of the North Korean succession process, professor Chung Myung-chul at South Korea's Sogang University tells VOA there is no doubt now who is really going to be in charge. Chung says even though the younger Kim did not get the general secretary post, he has become for all practical purposes the party's top officer.  And with Kim Jong Il as eternal general secretary, his son can demonstrate his loyalty to his late father. Kim Jong Un's grandfather, North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung, was declared the country's "eternal president" in 1998, four years after his death. During the convening of the rare, special party conference in Pyongyang, it was announced that fueling was underway of a multi-stage rocket for North Korea's self-proclaimed "space launch." The reclusive and impoverished nation is poised to make its third attempt to put a satellite into orbit. The plans have been condemned by the international community as a violation of U.N. sanctions prohibiting North Korea from utilizing ballistic-missile technology.   Media files: reuters_north_korea_eng_480_11apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) reuters_north_korea_eng_230_11apr12.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Bo Xilal Scandal Dominates Chinese Media

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Bo Xilal Scandal Dominates Chinese Media Apr 11th 2012, 12:57 China's worst political scandal in decades dominated newspaper front pages in the Chinese capital Wednesday: a high ranking politician suspended from his key central party post and his wife suspected in the death of a British businessman. The articles say Bo Xilai's conduct has seriously violated the party's disciplinary rules and has badly harmed the image of the party and country. The People's Daily, which is seen as the mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party, published an editorial Wednesday saying no one is above the law. Related - China Strips Bo Xilai of Key Party Posts, Suspects Wife of Murder Bo is a former commerce minister and most recently was the party secretary of Chongqing, a huge city in southwestern China. He is the son of a famous revolutionary and was widely expected to eventually join the top echelons of Communist party in an important party conference later this year. One of the final nails on his political coffin came late Tuesday night, in a brief dispatch from the state-run Xinhua News Agency that said Bo was being suspended from his membership in the party's central committee. Another report announced that Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, is facing a criminal investigation in relation to the death of British businessman Neil Heywood last year. Scandal, a reflection of party infighting? Veteran writer Dai Qing, who closely follows Chinese politics, likens the unfolding events to a stage play - in which the audience watches, but cannot affect the outcome. She says the latest political scandal illustrates a high-level and internal fight within the Communist party. She says most Chinese people have no say in matters and can only watch from the sidelines. Xinhua says Gu and Heywood had business dealings, but they had a conflict about economic interests that had intensified. Heywood's death in Chongqing in November was not considered suspicious at the time, but police are now re-opening the case. Dai says, if Gu committed murder or if Bo was indeed some sort of accomplice, then officials have to show proof of wrongdoing. Dai says she is absolutely sure that Gu will receive a stiff sentence. She says she believes this is because it is, in her words, "the least damaging outcome for the party." She adds that the Chinese Communist party wants to present a united front before a major meeting this fall. The session which takes place once every five years, is significant because the party will name the country's new top leaders. China's Foreign Ministry refused to comment on what impact these events will have on the country's international image, and said only that the case is being handled by Chinese judicial authorities. Focus on Bo's wife Political commentators have highlighted the focus on Bo's wife, noting that Chinese political culture is full of well-known historical references to evil women, who were singularly blamed for committing atrocities. Michael Anti, a political columnist and blogger, says he found it odd that the official reports all referred to her as BoGu Kailai, which appends her husband's surname in front of her own. "Chinese propaganda guys really intentionally want to tell the people: [the] woman is not the woman [by] herself. It's BoGu Kailai. It's Bo Xilai's wife," said Anti. "It's not targeting the woman, it's not like the evil woman destroyed a good man. It's that the man, himself, is evil." Anti agrees that the scandal is indicative of a high-level power struggle. He compares the latest events in Chongqing to a serialized TV drama that he says was written and directed by China's central leaders, whom he adds are the only ones who know the real story. Media files: reuters_china_bo_xilai_11apr12_eng_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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VOA News: Asia: Chinese Internet Users React to Bo Xilai Scandal

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Chinese Internet Users React to Bo Xilai Scandal Apr 11th 2012, 13:23 Heavy keyword censorship on Chinese microblogs did not stop Chinese Internet users from hotly debating the deepening scandal surrounding former high-profile politician Bo Xilai, whose wife is under investigation for the murder of a British businessman. Wednesday, searches for those involved in the case produced no results on China's most widely used microblog service, Sina Weibo.  Related searches, such as for Chongqing, the city where Bo had been party secretary, prompted the response: "According to Chinese rules and regulations, the following results are not being shown." Users circumvented the blocks by referring to the political scandal as "the major news."  A Sina Weibo list of the 10 most debated topics on Wednesday, widely reposted online, included three Bo Xilai-related phrases. The founder of Chinese media monitoring website Danwei.org, Jeremy Goldkorn, says even sophisticated government attempts to censor the Internet will not be able to completely prevent information from spreading. "If people put together a bunch of words that are normally fine, it is just much more difficult to track," Goldkorn explained, "because you can not use filtering or software to track them. If they do not mention somebody's name [or] they do not mention any of the 'bad words,' [then] the speed of Weibo does allow these things to spread." Many comments on Weibo focused on the lack of public information in China about what is really happening inside the ruling Communist Party. "The major news is only told by officials," user "Reserved Cold" wrote on his blog stream. "Who can tell me what the real situation is like?" Some expressed concern about making public comments on the matter. "In the beginning I wanted to say something about the major news. I have braced my nerve but still I can't find the courage," a user from Beijing wrote, "I am not afraid of the character limitation. I am not afraid that they close my blog. What I am really afraid of is that for a word too much I will be detained." As the political scandal surrounding Bo has widened, Chinese authorities have increased efforts to suppress online rumors, but some Internet users express their thanks for information they gather online.  Beijing University economist Xia Yeliang said, "If it were not for these rumors, how can people hope to get real news from the official media?" Kaiser Kuo, director of international communication for Baidu.com, China's most used search engine, says Chinese Internet firms serve two masters - the government and consumers. "None of these Internet companies labors under the illusion that people prefer censored search results, but at the same time, we are multiple stakeholder companies," Kuo said. "We are obliged to obey the law in China, and we are also sort of compelled to explore the elasticity of our boundaries.  So, it is tough." Kuo says the developing Internet in China represents two opposing forces to him. "On the one hand, you have this ratcheting up of controls, but in the same period essentially, you've seen the Internet develop into a full-fledged, or mostly fully-fledged, public sphere in Chinese life. This is unprecedented. There's never been a time in China's history where there's been a comparably large and impactful public sphere," Kuo said. Media files: voa_chinese_bo_xilai_02July11_480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) Gu-Kailai_BoXilai_10Arp12_300.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: Burundi Receives Negative Business Climate Reviews

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Burundi Receives Negative Business Climate Reviews Apr 11th 2012, 12:07 The World Bank, in its annual Doing Business in East Africa report,  says the environment in Burundi is improving, but it could learn from some stronger economies in the region.  Burundi, a Great Lakes country of eight million people, has been described by the World Bank as one of the worst environments for business. In 2011, it ranked 177 out of the 183 economies evaluated. This year the young democracy has moved up eight positions, making it one of the most improved economies. Laurent Corthay, a World Bank advisor, describes Burundi's potential. "We have a good coalition for reform in the country, including the private sector. But also because within the region, in the EAC (East Africa Community), there are many good practices and the dynamic of the EAC integration is also spurring some changes in Burundi," said Corthay.   Burundi's progress is reminiscent of its northern neighbor, Rwanda. A few years ago, Rwanda was also at the bottom of the Doing Business rankings. After several state-driven reforms targeting the investment climate, Rwanda now ranks 45th in the world.   Similar reforms are being made in Burundi. In 2009, the Office Burundais des Recettes, or OBR, was established as a semi-autonomous tax authority. Strictly enforced tax collection is providing much-needed revenue. The reformed OBR has also made business fairer. Nadeem, an entrepreneur in Bujumbura, says he has seen an improvement. "They've really controlled the amount of fraud, what was happening previously, where we had people importing things and containers could enter the country without any duty paid depending on who you are or who you've paid," he noted.  "But today, things have really been controlled. It's helped level off the business, so we're playing more or less on the same playing field." The Burundi government has made other efforts to develop the private sector. The "New Company Law" reduces the time and money it takes to start a business. The registration fee has been cut from $350 to $40; the process can now be completed in a day. The law also strengthens the investor protection framework for both local and foreign shareholders. Despite the state-led reforms, significant challenges remain beyond the scope of legislation. Business owners face rampant corruption, an unskilled labor force, and a lack of basic infrastructure. A landlocked country, imports to Burundi are costly and often delayed, subject to the customs regulations of Kenya and Tanzania, neighboring countries with international ports. Nadeem describes the delays he's experienced. "Just to open something small you'd have to pre-think 4, 5, 6 months in advance," he said. "Everything would have to be imported. It's a little better today, but still the basic things are not available, and you have to go far to look for them." Armand is opening a French bakery in Bujumbura. Unreliable electricity has forced him to buy costly generators to power his ovens and refrigerators. "When we arrived in Bujumbura, we are forced to invest now $50,000 at least to save the quality of the power," he stated. Joanna, a young Burundian restaurateur, has had difficulties with construction.  "Because of the materials everything is so expensive and the quality is not that great so for example for the cement, it was a hassle," she added. "I had to do it twice actually, to build this, and finally I found that cement was going away so I had to do it again."   Business owners in Burundi, like Nadeem, often cite unskilled labor as a major problem. "For example we're trying to hire waiters, there is no training school for waiters, or for the hotel and tourism industry. We have to do all of the training in house, whereas in Kenya you have hundreds of colleges training people in services," he explained. Despite the challenges, World Bank adviser Corthay is optimistic about the country's progress. "We actually see that there is also some investment, even though we recognize that it remains a frontier market, but we see progress and actually the first marks of that is foreign investment coming in," he said. Many have sensed the potential of investing in Burundi. In recent years several multinational companies have arrived in the telecommunication, financial, and tourism sectors. Media files: Burundi Curious Map.jpg

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VOA News: Economy: Burundi Receives Negative Business Climate Reviews

VOA News: Economy Economy Voice of America

Burundi Receives Negative Business Climate Reviews Apr 11th 2012, 12:07 The World Bank, in its annual Doing Business in East Africa report,  says the environment in Burundi is improving, but it could learn from some stronger economies in the region.  Burundi, a Great Lakes country of eight million people, has been described by the World Bank as one of the worst environments for business. In 2011, it ranked 177 out of the 183 economies evaluated. This year the young democracy has moved up eight positions, making it one of the most improved economies. Laurent Corthay, a World Bank advisor, describes Burundi's potential. "We have a good coalition for reform in the country, including the private sector. But also because within the region, in the EAC (East Africa Community), there are many good practices and the dynamic of the EAC integration is also spurring some changes in Burundi," said Corthay.   Burundi's progress is reminiscent of its northern neighbor, Rwanda. A few years ago, Rwanda was also at the bottom of the Doing Business rankings. After several state-driven reforms targeting the investment climate, Rwanda now ranks 45th in the world.   Similar reforms are being made in Burundi. In 2009, the Office Burundais des Recettes, or OBR, was established as a semi-autonomous tax authority. Strictly enforced tax collection is providing much-needed revenue. The reformed OBR has also made business fairer. Nadeem, an entrepreneur in Bujumbura, says he has seen an improvement. "They've really controlled the amount of fraud, what was happening previously, where we had people importing things and containers could enter the country without any duty paid depending on who you are or who you've paid," he noted.  "But today, things have really been controlled. It's helped level off the business, so we're playing more or less on the same playing field." The Burundi government has made other efforts to develop the private sector. The "New Company Law" reduces the time and money it takes to start a business. The registration fee has been cut from $350 to $40; the process can now be completed in a day. The law also strengthens the investor protection framework for both local and foreign shareholders. Despite the state-led reforms, significant challenges remain beyond the scope of legislation. Business owners face rampant corruption, an unskilled labor force, and a lack of basic infrastructure. A landlocked country, imports to Burundi are costly and often delayed, subject to the customs regulations of Kenya and Tanzania, neighboring countries with international ports. Nadeem describes the delays he's experienced. "Just to open something small you'd have to pre-think 4, 5, 6 months in advance," he said. "Everything would have to be imported. It's a little better today, but still the basic things are not available, and you have to go far to look for them." Armand is opening a French bakery in Bujumbura. Unreliable electricity has forced him to buy costly generators to power his ovens and refrigerators. "When we arrived in Bujumbura, we are forced to invest now $50,000 at least to save the quality of the power," he stated. Joanna, a young Burundian restaurateur, has had difficulties with construction.  "Because of the materials everything is so expensive and the quality is not that great so for example for the cement, it was a hassle," she added. "I had to do it twice actually, to build this, and finally I found that cement was going away so I had to do it again."   Business owners in Burundi, like Nadeem, often cite unskilled labor as a major problem. "For example we're trying to hire waiters, there is no training school for waiters, or for the hotel and tourism industry. We have to do all of the training in house, whereas in Kenya you have hundreds of colleges training people in services," he explained. Despite the challenges, World Bank adviser Corthay is optimistic about the country's progress. "We actually see that there is also some investment, even though we recognize that it remains a frontier market, but we see progress and actually the first marks of that is foreign investment coming in," he said. Many have sensed the potential of investing in Burundi. In recent years several multinational companies have arrived in the telecommunication, financial, and tourism sectors. Media files: Burundi Curious Map.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Indonesia Issues Tsunami Warning After 8.6 Quake

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Indonesia Issues Tsunami Warning After 8.6 Quake Apr 11th 2012, 09:25 The U.S. Geological Survey says an 8.6-magnitude earthquake has struck off the northwestern coast of Indonesia, sparking fears of a tsunami throughout the Indian Ocean region. <!--IMAGE-RIGHT--> The quake hit about 430 kilometers southwest of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, at an estimated depth of 22 kilometers. In 2004, a giant 9.1-magnitude quake off of Indonesia's Sumatra island triggered an Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people, about half of them in Aceh province. Wednesday's quake was at roughly the same depth as the 2004 Indian Ocean quake. It reportedly rattled buildings as far away as Singapore, Thailand, and India. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami watch for 28 countries and territories bordering the Indian Ocean. It warned that earthquakes this size "have the potential to generate a widespread destructive tsunami." But it also said it has not confirmed that a tsunami has been generated. In Thailand, authorities are scrambling to evacuate beaches.  A tsunami warning has been issued for cities along the Indonesia island of Sumatra. If early projections do not change, the quake would be the ninth largest since 1900. The massive quake that devastated coastal northeastern Japan last year was a magnitude 9.0 and killed around 19,000 people. Media files: AFP Indonesia earthquake 11Apr12 480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) AFP Indonesia earthquake 11Apr12 230.jpg Indonesia Curious Map1.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Philippines Warship, Chinese Vessels in Standoff

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Philippines Warship, Chinese Vessels in Standoff Apr 11th 2012, 09:05 A tense maritime standoff between China and the Philippines showed few signs of cooling on Wednesday, with each side accusing the other of violating its territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. The standoff began Tuesday when two Chinese surveillance vessels blocked a Philippine warship from arresting a group of Chinese fishermen near a disputed shoal about 230 kilometers off the main Philippine island of Luzon. The incident prompted Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario to hold crisis talks Wednesday with Ma Keqing, the Chinese ambassador in Manila. Following the meeting, Rosario said the sides are looking to resolve the issue diplomatically, but warned that the Philippines is "prepared to secure our sovereignty" if challenged. The Chinese Embassy in Manila released a statement accusing the Philippine Navy of harassing the Chinese fishermen and taking part in "illegal activities." Both countries claim ownership of the shoal, which is known as Panatag in the Philippines, and as Huangyan Island in China. The Philippine foreign ministry says the Chinese fishing boats were first noticed Sunday by Manila's flagship naval vessel, the U.S.-built Gregorio del Pilar. Manila says the two Chinese surveillance ships on Tuesday positioned themselves between the warship and the Chinese fishing boats, "preventing the arrest of the erring fishermen." The Chinese Embassy statement says the fishing boats were simply taking shelter near the island due to inclement weather. It said the two surveillance ships were taking action to safeguard "Chinese national maritime interests and rights." Tensions in the region have risen in recent years as China becomes increasingly assertive about its claims over the entire 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, which is thought to be rich in oil and gas. There has been a series of run-ins involving fishermen, military patrols, and other vessels in the disputed waterway, parts of which are also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Ralp Cossa, a security analyst at the Pacific Forum in Hawaii, says the situation is not likely to improve in the near future. He says that he does not foresee any major military escalation, either. "No one really wants a dust up, and no one really wants a crisis. But no one wants to back down, either. And that's, of course, part of the problem, is that each country wants to enforce its claims," said Cossa. This week's dispute between the Philippines and China is the most dangerous confrontation between the two sides in recent years, and comes just after the countries said they had been working to lower tensions over the contested territory. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: reuters_china_philippines_sea_standoff_11apr12_480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_china_philippines_sea_standoff_11apr12_300.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Pyongyang Announces Fueling of Rocket for Space Launch

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Pyongyang Announces Fueling of Rocket for Space Launch Apr 11th 2012, 08:43 North Korean officials said Wednesday they have begun injecting fuel into a rocket for an imminent space launch, raising the stakes in an escalating standoff with its regional neighbors and the United States. Paek Chang Ho, chief of North Korea's launch command center, announced the action to a visiting group of international reporters, saying fuel was being loaded into the rocket as he spoke. The journalists, who visited the launch site Sunday, were able to view the activity by video, which was fed live to the remote command center Wednesday. Paek also said a weather satellite has been installed on the rocket, which is set for launch sometime between Thursday and Monday, depending on weather conditions. The video showed a tarpaulin draped over the top of the rocket, making that claim impossible to confirm. The scheduled launch has angered many of North Korea's neighbors, which see the action as ploy to test a ballistic missile that could later be fitted with a nuclear warhead. Ryu Gum Chol, deputy director of North Korea's space program, told a reporter from VOA's Korean service that the only purpose of the launch is space exploration. "It seems to me that your worries are unfounded. I reckon that the timing is important now, and you will know everything once you attend the April 15 centenary of the birth of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung," he said. "The rocket we have developed is only for the purpose of space exploration, so to claim it is for ballistic missile development is illogical." But U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the launch has raised doubts about North Korea's claims that it wants to improve ties with its neighbors and the United States. In a speech Tuesday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Clinton noted that the launch comes just weeks after Pyongyang agreed to suspend its nuclear and missile programs. "The speed of the turnaround raises questions about Pyongyang's seriousness in saying that it desires to improve relations with us and its neighbors," said Clinton. "This launch will give credence to the view that North Korean leaders see improved relations with the outside world as a threat to the existence of their system.  And recent history strongly suggests that additional provocations may follow.'' U.S. officials fear that Pyongyang may be planning to follow the launch with what would be its third underground nuclear weapons test. Satellite intelligence photographs made available to news organizations this week show evidence of preparations for such a test. North Korea's launch plan has derailed a recent agreement with the United States, under which Pyongyang agreed to suspend its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The United States was to have delivered 240,000 tons of badly needed food aid to the North. Clinton said Tuesday that by launching the rocket, Pyongyang was breaking that agreement as well as violating a U.N. Security Council ban on any North Korean ballistic missile testing. But Ryu said was no clause in the agreement with the United States banning a peaceful satellite launch. "As far as we know, there is no clause about banning peaceful satellite launch included in the agreement of February 29th talks," he said. "I don't think anything else will happen." Ryu's comment that nothing else will happen is perhaps a reference to the reports of a coming nuclear test. Japan and South Korea have both threatened to try to shoot down the rocket if it strays over their territory, an action Pyongyang has said would amount to a declaration of war. The rocket's first stage is planned to fall into the ocean about 160 kilometers from the Philippines, prompting that country to reschedule air traffic and order fishing boats to avoid the area. Media files: ap_north_korea_rocket_technicians_11apr12_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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VOA News: Africa: New Malawi President Consolidates Power, Fires Late President’s loyalists

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

New Malawi President Consolidates Power, Fires Late President's loyalists Apr 11th 2012, 06:32 Malawi's new president, Joyce Banda is moving quickly to consolidate her power. On Tuesday, she dismissed Information Minister Patricia Kaliati and police Chief Peter Mukhito. Banda also announced she was opening an investigation into the 2011 death of 25-year-old activist Robert Chasowa who had criticized late President Mutharika. Malawi freelance journalist Rafael Tenthani said President Banda wants to put in her government people she can trust. He also said President Banda was right to open an investigation into the murder of activist Chasowa. "The former inspector general of police was at the center of the murder of the university student. At the press conference today, she [President Banda] also said that she too had some unexplained accident on her convoy. So, politically, I think she had no choice but to start with this case," he said. Chasowa was found dead on a pavement of a Blantyre university campus.  Then police chief Mukhito told reporters at the time that Chasowa killed himself. Police also release two suicide notes, but Chasowa's relatives and friends said he was not suicidal and that the handwriting on the note was not his. Soon after the death of President Mutharika, then information minister Kaliati suggested that Vice President Banda, who had been critical of Mutharika and was expelled from the ruling party, could not be president. Tenthani said President Banda told a news conference Tuesday that the dismissal of Kaliati was one of the decisions that she could not wait to make. "You must recall that before the official announcement of the death of President Mutharika, some ministers led by Patricia Kaliati went to the television [station] to tell the world that Joyce Banda, although she was vice president and legally placed to succeed the president because she was expelled from her party, and therefore she was not eligible to succeed President Mutharika," Tenthani said. He said Banda, the second currently serving woman president in Africa, is trying to build on what Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf started when she was elected Africa's first woman president. "On Monday, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf actually called Joyce Banda to congratulate her on her ascension to power, and said that this is a new trend for women empowerment on the continent. So I think she's [Banda] is trying to build on what Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has started in Liberia," Tenthani said. The Malawian president also appointed Mary Nkosi as Reserve Bank governor, the first Malawian woman to hold the post. She also said Tuesday said she wanted to normalize relations with the country's foreign donors, including the United States. President Banda told reporters Tuesday that, in a phone call, she asked U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to unfreeze aid to Malawi that came through the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation. Ms. Banda said she assured Secretary of State Clinton that her government will work to restore the rule of law and democratic principles in Malawi, as well as respect for human rights. Tenthani said President Banda is trying to court foreign donors to return to Malawi because she believes the best way to revive Malawi's fragile economy is to invite donors back in the country. "The Malawi economy now is in a doldrums. We don't have foreign exchange in banks. All this is because most donors left Malawi because of President Bingu wa Mutharika's policies. So, she's trying to woo the donors back to Malawi, and so far the donors have been warming up to her," Tenthani said. Media files: ap_malawi_joyce_banda_300_20Jan12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_malawi_vp_joyce_banda_230_07Apr12-resized.jpg butty-malawi-banda-consolidates-power-tenthani-11april12.mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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