US Vice Presidential Candidates Spar on Foreign Policy, Economy
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During most of debate, Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden took aim at opponents at top of ticket
Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden debated foreign policy and the economy Thursday night in the only vice presidential debate of the campaign. Alaskan Governor Palin, a newcomer to the national stage, stood her ground during her exchanges with the veteran U.S. Senator Biden in the highly anticipated event. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from the site of the debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Senator Joe Biden (left) and Governor Sarah Palin during debate, 2 Oct 2008For most of the 90-minute debate, Governor Palin and Senator Biden took aim at their opponents at the top of the ticket.Palin criticized Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's stance on the Iraq war, particularly his pledge to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq within the first 16 months of his presidency, in consultation with commanders on the ground."Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq, and that is not what our troops need to hear today, that's for sure," she said.Biden said Obama is committed to ending the unpopular war, unlike Republican presidential candidate John McCain."For John McCain, there is no end in sight to end this war. Fundamental difference: we will end this war," he said.The war in Iraq has touched both vice presidential candidates personally. Governor Palin's son, Track, deployed to Iraq with the Army last month, and Senator Biden's son, Beau, is to leave Friday for Iraq as a member of the National Guard. Governor Sarah Palin speaks at vice presidential debate, 2 Oct 2008Palin accused Obama of wanting to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions."An issue like that taken up by a presidential candidate goes beyond naiveté and goes beyond poor judgment. A statement that he made like that is downright dangerous," she said.Biden responded that, "He [Obama] did not say he would sit down with Ahmedinejad. It surprises me John McCain does not know Ahmadinejad does not control the security apparatus in Iran. The theocracy controls the security."Palin and Biden both pledged to change current U.S. economic policy to benefit the middle class. Biden suggested McCain was out of touch with average Americans because he had said the fundamentals of the economy were strong just as the financial crisis broke out. Palin said her running mate was referring to a strong American workforce. She said Obama would raise taxes on Americans and small business owners. Obama has said he would cut taxes on the middle class and raise them only for those making more than $250,000. Senator Joe Biden at vice presidential debate, 2 Oct. 2008Biden said the financial bailout package that was approved by the Senate this week, which he, Obama and McCain all approved, could force Obama to scale back his pledge to double foreign aid.Following several recent interviews in which she appeared hesitant and shaky, Palin appeared confident and even folksy - as she did in response to Biden's efforts to tie McCain to the unpopular President Bush."So Joe, there you go again, pointing backwards again. You prefaced your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have planned to do for them in the future," she said.Palin said McCain is the candidate most suited to bring change because of his record as a maverick, taking on his own party when the time was right.Biden responded that McCain has not been a maverick on any issue that Americans care about.
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US, European Stocks Rise; Key Asian Markets Decline
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Traders watching as US House of Representatives considers massive government-sponsored bailout plan for financial sector
U.S. stock markets are making strong gains in Friday's early trading.Traders
are watching as the U.S. House of Representatives considers a massive
government-sponsored bailout plan for the financial sector. European markets also posted modest gains.It
was a different story in Asia, where Japan's benchmark Nikkei index
fell two percent, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down nearly three
percent.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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Signs Show US House of Representatives May Approve Financial Rescue Plan
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House rejection of bill Monday, triggered 778 point loss on Dow Jones, costing investors about $1 trillion in stock values
Support for a $700 billion plan to rescue the U.S. financial sector
appears to be growing in the U.S. House of Representatives, ahead of
Friday's expected vote on the bailout package. The measure already has
passed a preliminary vote on procedural issues. Several
Democratic and Republican lawmakers who voted against an earlier
version of the plan on Monday now say they will approve the measure.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he thinks there is a "good
prospect" the bill will pass.The plan includes amendments
designed to attract the support of reluctant lawmakers. It limits
compensation for the heads of failed financial institutions, and
increases the size of bank accounts protected by government insurance
against bank failure. There also are tax breaks for alternative energy
companies. The U.S. Senate easily passed the revised version on
Wednesday. President Bush has been personally lobbying House lawmakers to support the bill. Monday's
rejection of the bill in the House triggered a dramatic plunge on stock
markets, costing investors $1 trillion in stock values.The
bill allows the government to buy faltering mortgage-related
investments from financial institutions. Supporters say removing these
bad investments will restore the financial health of banks and
investment firms, and will encourage banks to resume lending. That
will ease the tight credit that threatens to stall the economy.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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Iraqi Presidential Council Approves Election Law
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Measure allows elections to take place in most locations early next year
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (File)Iraq's presidency council has approved a long-delayed and controversial provincial election law.The three-member panel, which includes President Jalal Talabani, passed the law Friday, allowing elections to take place in most areas early next year.Parliament approved the bill last month after dropping a provision for a power-sharing agreement in the oil-rich region of Kirkuk. The presidency vetoed an earlier version of the law after Kurdish lawmakers objected to the way seats on Kirkuk's provincial council would have been divided among the area's ethnic groups. That matter will now be considered separately, and elections in Kirkuk will be held after the rest of the country votes.The new law has prompted criticism from Christians and other minority groups because it also drops a clause guaranteeing seats for minorities.The top United Nations official in Iraq Staffan di Mistura voiced disappointment that the quota article was dropped, saying it would have protected minority rights.Provincial elections were originally scheduled to take place October 1. The United States has been pushing for elections, which it considers a step toward national reconciliation.In a separate development, the U.S. military in Iraq says it has captured 18 suspects during operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq.A military statement issued Friday says coalition forces in Bayji, south of Mosul, captured three suspects, including one man believed to be a local commander, or "emir", for a terrorist organization associated with al-Qaida.The rest of the suspects were detained in three operations in other parts of Iraq.The U.S. military also says coalition forces in Baghdad captured five people suspected of being involved in smuggling Iranian-supplied lethal aid, such as weapons, into Iraq.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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US Nuclear Envoy Says Talks in North Korean Capital 'Substantive'
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Christopher Hill says he has great concern about moves to restart Pyongyang's main facility for producing material useable in nuclear weapons
The chief U.S envoy in talks to get North Korea to give up its nuclear
weapons says his discussions with officials in Pyongyang covered a lot
of ground. He says he has great concern about moves to restart North
Korea's main facility for producing material useable in nuclear
weapons. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.Christopher Hill, right, is surrounded by reporters upon arrival at Foreign Ministry in Seoul, 03 Oct 2008U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Christopher Hill returned to South Korea Friday from
three days and two nights in North Korea, where he says he discussed
the issue of nuclear verification with leaders there.North
Korea submitted a declaration of its nuclear activities earlier this
year as part of a broader six-nation deal aimed at ending its nuclear
weapons capabilities altogether. Hill says he spent much of his visit
discussing the North's refusal to agree to a set of steps for
confirming the accuracy of that document."The discussions in
Pyongyang were quite substantive, we went into great detail on things,"
he said. "They were quite lengthy... needless to say, there's been a
lot of problems in the six-party process, so indeed we did quite a
substantial review of activities in the last couple months."In
August, President Bush decided not to remove North Korea from a State
Department list of nations suspected of sponsoring terrorism.
Washington promised that step as a reward for submitting the nuclear
declaration, but says keeping that promise will not be possible unless
the declaration is verified using internationally accepted methods,
possibly including random inspections of nuclear sites.North
Korea responded by reversing earlier steps it took to disable its
primary nuclear facility at Yongbyon. Last week it ejected
international inspectors and their surveillance equipment from the
site. Pyongyang warned it would resume reprocessing of spent nuclear
fuel into material useable for weapons by the end of this week.Hill says he cannot confirm whether that is actually happening. "I
don't have any update of what is going on in Yongbyon, obviously the
issue in Yongbyon is an issue that has been of great concern to us and
obviously that is one of the points that I conveyed," he said. Hill
was unwilling to provide details Friday about what sort of compromise
verification measures he may have proposed to North Korea. He says he
needs to brief other leaders in the six-nation process before fully
disclosing the content of his discussions. After briefing his Japanese
counterpart Friday night, Hill is scheduled to travel to Beijing on
Saturday, then return to Washington to confer with Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice.
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US Secretary of State Visits India to Discuss Nuclear Accord
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Communist parties, who oppose deal, plan to hold protest demonstrations during visit
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is arriving in India to
discuss the U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement, which has received
approval in the U.S Congress. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi,
India's communist parties, who oppose the deal, plan to hold protest
demonstrations during the visit. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (file photo)Secretary Rice will hold
talks Saturday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Foreign
Minister Pranab Mukherjee on the civilian nuclear pact, which the U.S.
Congress approved this week. The agreement ends a ban on sale
of civilian nuclear technology and equipment to New Delhi, which was
imposed in 1974 when India first conducted nuclear tests. India has not
signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.Former Indian
foreign secretary and former Indian ambassador to the United States
Lalit Mansingh says the pact represents a "big step forward" for India."Its
real significance lies in the fact that the entire key to unlocking the
three-and-a-half decades of technological isolation, these keys were in
the hands of the United States," he said. "So, finally, the U.S. has
come around to giving us the opening. Historically, it is very
significant. Americans who took the leadership in imposing sanctions on
India have finally helped India get out of it."Mansingh says
the pact will also enhance India's stature by allowing it to trade in
civilian nuclear commerce, while retaining its nuclear weapons. "On
the one hand, it enhances India's stature," he said. "On the other
hand, it recognizes India's enhanced stature. India is getting into the
higher league. India is going to be globally more active."U.S.
Secretary Rice hailed the agreement Thursday, before departing for
India. "It is an agreement that cements an effort that we've been
making for some time to bring together the world's largest democracy
with the world's oldest continuous democracy," she said. "And we
believe that the relationship between the United States and India is on
a very firm footing, and that can only be good for democracy and it can
only be good for the world."Both India and Washington have been building closer ties in recent years.However,
Indian Communist parties continue to staunchly oppose the deal. They
say the government has surrendered the country's sovereignty to U.S.
imperialism, and plan to hold demonstrations on Saturday to protest the
agreement. The largest opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party,
also says the agreement is not in India's interests.The pact
will effectively open a huge market worth billions of dollars to
companies from Western countries to build civilian nuclear reactors in
India.Earlier this week, India signed an atomic energy pact
with France during a visit by the Indian prime minister to Paris.
Companies from France, Russia and the United States are expected to be
on top of the list for engaging in nuclear commerce with India.
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Iran's Natural Gas Conference Raises Concerns Over Western Sponsors
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Country is under international sanctions over nuclear program; participation of major international energy firms in conference drawing criticism
Iran is hosting a international conference on its natural gas exports Saturday and Sunday in Tehran. Organizers say the meeting is aimed at developing Iran's rich natural gas sector. Iran is under international sanctions over its nuclear program and the participation of major international energy firms in the conference is drawing criticism, as VOA's Sean Maroney reports. French energy company Total and Austrian firm OMV are among the conference's main Western sponsors.OMV is Central Europe's leading oil and gas corporation. It also is partly owned by the Austrian government, causing local groups to raise objections. Simone Dinah Hartmann is with the Vienna-based group, Stop the Bomb, which lobbies for enforcing sanctions against Iran. She warns that Western companies' participation could have dire consequences."They think they are helping the Iranian people by investing in Iran," she said. "And I think it has to be made clear to them that, actually, they are the ones hurting people in Iran."Hartmann says these types of investments could encourage Tehran to defy the international community and, ultimately, result in prolonged sanctions.The United Nations, the European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions on Iran for its disputed nuclear activities. They accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons -- a charge Tehran denies. Oil and gas analyst Fereidoun Fesharaki argues that international sanctions against Iran do not prohibit companies from talking with the Iranian government.But U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack warns that any business discussions with Iran need to be carefully examined."Now is not the time to be discussing with Iran investments in its oil and gas industry, given its status in the international community regarding its behaviors, which are clearly outside the norm and have been judged by the [United Nations] Security Council to be outside acceptable international behavior," he said.Iran holds the world's second largest natural gas reserves, after Russia. But Tehran has had trouble developing infrastructure for those reserves, in light of the international sanctions. Even conference sponsor Total has scaled back its projects there. After Tehran tested long-range missiles several months ago, Total canceled plans to develop Iran's huge South Pars gas field.
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Nigerian Military Says It is Making Headway Against Rebels
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Offensive in Niger Delta two weeks old
Nigerian defense
officials say the military's two-week-old offensive against militants in the
Niger Delta has succeeded in reducing violence in the restive region. The officials
say scores of militants have been killed and dozens arrested with most of
their bases destroyed. But prominent Delta politicians say the
offensive will not ensure long-term security until the government provides
the region jobs and infrastructure.
Lt. Col
Sagir Musa is spokesman for the joint military task force charged with providing security in the Delta. He says tremendous progress
have been made in pacifying the restive oil rich region. "The situation is
relatively calm. So far, so good. There has not been any reported case of
security breach within our areas of responsibility which is a sign of good
development to the region and the nation as a whole."
He says
the reduction in violence can be attributed to a multi –pronged approach by the
government. "I wont attribute it to our efforts only, I think it is a combined
effort, a combined responsibility that resulted to the peaceful atmosphere that
everyone is enjoying in this period and we hope it will continue".
Lt.
Col Musa says residents of the delta have been instrumental is giving
information to the task force in its efforts to combat militant activities.
"Everybody seems to be disturbed about the situation in the Niger Delta, and
people are worried, disturbed and concerned. Therefore from time to time we
call on the people that who ever witnessed any criminal act should call
security agencies. We even volunteered dedicated telephone lines for that
purpose and people are just calling to say, this is what is happening and
please come to our aid."
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India's Appetite For Gold Not Dampened by High Prices
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Over past 12 months, prices have increased by nearly 50 percent; jewelers say recent financial crisis in world will only reaffirm faith people put in gold
Over the past 12 months, gold prices have increased by nearly 50
percent. But the high prices have not dampened India's appetite for the
precious metal. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi on India's
cultural affinity with gold. A customer selects gold bangles in Jammu, India, Mar 2008 After watching the steady
rise in gold prices over the past 12 months, 52-year-old Kanu Chadha
has radically raised her budget for the jewelry she wants to give her
daughter when she gets married next February.Gold prices
exceeded $865 an ounce last month. But that does not deter Kanu Chadha
from continuing with her purchases of stone-studded bangles, necklaces
and earrings set in gold."There is no other way out. Jewelry is
part of an Indian wedding, so you have to do it," she said. "So I am
going on purchasing it despite the rise in price. You may cut an item
here or there, or make the weight a little less, but you still carry on
with it. That is how the Indian psyche goes."India's desire for
gold dates back centuries. Parents and in-laws traditionally give gold
and gold-based jewelry as wedding gifts to the bride. It is considered
a woman's personal wealth. Indians also purchase gold during festivals,
as a gift to new-born babies, or as a safe investment.Ajay
Mitra, head of the World Gold Council in Mumbai, says a recent study
among consumers showed that runaway prices are not going to stop
Indians from buying the yellow metal. "Consumers across seven
cities in India came out very strongly that the intrinsic value of gold
continues to command a very high preference in their minds, and they
would continue to buy gold irrespective of what the absolute price is
as I said, it is intrinsic, it is auspicious, it is part of our genetic
upbringing," said Mitra. The love of gold cuts across economic
classes. Mitra says the study covered families with incomes ranging
from $200 to $2,000 a month. All of them wanted to invest some of their
savings in the metal.Gold is also bought heavily in rural
areas, where savings are often converted into the precious metal partly
because the banking system is not well developed. In fact, most village
marketplaces include a goldsmiths shop. Indeed, jewelers are
unfazed by the rise in prices. They say the recent financial crisis in
the world will only reaffirm the faith that Indians put in gold. Many
middle class Indians, who had put their money in stocks, find their
stock investments have tumbled, but their gold purchases now command a
higher value.India is the world's biggest gold consumer, importing about 700 tonnes to 800 tons a year.
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UN Launches Campaign with Diaper-Maker to Eliminate Newborn Deaths from Tetanus
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Campaign, in conjunction with Pampers diapers, uses actress Salma Hayek as spokeswoman and seeks to end scourge that kills one newborn every three minutes
The U.N. Children's Fund, in partnership with diaper-maker Pampers, is launching a global campaign to eliminate tetanus by 2012. UNICEF reports the disease kills about 140,000 newborn infants and 30,000 mothers every year in the poorest countries in the world. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA in Geneva.
It is the poor that die. Tetanus has been virtually eliminated in the wealthy industrialized world as a killer of babies and their mothers. But, the disease hangs on in 50 of the poorest countries in the world.
The majority of mothers and newborns dying of tetanus live in Africa and Southern and East Asia. They live in areas where women are poor and have little access to health care.
Philip O'Brien, UNICEF Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships in Geneva, says tetanus need not be a death sentence. He says a cheap, safe, effective vaccine is available, which can prevent this deadly disease.
"Now we have seen progress over the last 10-15 years. Numbers of deaths have come down. But, there is still a long, long way to go. I think it is one of the things that we know how to do. We have the resources to do it. We need the political commitment to make sure that every mother is vaccinated and therefore her unborn child is protected. But, we cannot do this alone," he said.
O'Brien says great public health advances, such as the eradication of smallpox and the drive to get rid of polio, have needed extraordinary partnerships between the public and private sectors and government involvement.
And, that's where Pampers comes in. This maker of baby diapers already has provided more than 50 million vaccines to UNICEF.
Vice President of Procter & Gamble Baby Care in Western Europe, Austin Lally, says his company aims to raise an additional 200 million vaccines over the next three years. One way of doing this, he says is through a campaign, which has just begun in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the benefit of this tetanus initiative.
"Every pack of Pampers that is bought between the first of October and the end of the year will actually contribute directly to raising one vaccine which UNICEF will distribute to help move towards this goal of eliminating tetanus," he said.
Salma HayekAnd for this purpose, Pampers has chosen Hollywood actress, Salma Hayek, as spokeswoman for the global Pampers/UNICEF campaign. Hayek, who has just returned from a visit to Sierra Leone, says it was heartbreaking to meet young mothers who had lost their babies to tetanus.
But, she says out of tragedy can come hope. She recalls an encounter with a woman who also had lost a child to this disease.
"She did not understand what had killed her first born child until UNICEF came and educated people about the disease and started providing the vaccines. It is because of this that I was able to sit in her house with her and her four healthy children that came after that first tragedy," she said.
Tetanus is caused by a bacteria, which enters the body through open wounds. Babies are most at risk in poor countries where women give birth at home, often in unsanitary conditions.
A woman, who receives a course of three vaccines, at a cost of less than two dollars, can pass on immunity to her unborn child and save his or her life.
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