Global Recession Spreads to Europe; Emergency Talks Convene in Washington
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EU says economic growth in eurozone shrank by two-tenths of one percent in third quarter, following similar decline in previous quarter
The European Union says 15 nations that use the euro as their currency are officially in a recession, as world leaders gather in Washington to discuss the global financial crisis.The EU says economic growth in the eurozone shrank by two-tenths of one percent in the third quarter, following a similar decline in the previous quarter. Within the eurozone, Germany and Italy are now in recession, joining Spain and Ireland. But France issued data Friday showing its economy grew slightly (one-tenth of one percent) in the third quarter. Hong Kong says it also slipped into recession in the third quarter.The head of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke, says there have been "tentative improvements" but the global financial system remains under "severe" strain. He says central bankers worldwide are staying in close contact, watching developments carefully, and stand ready to take additional steps as needed. Meanwhile, leaders from the world's 20 biggest and emerging economies are converging on Washington for talks on the crisis. U.S. President George Bush hosts visiting leaders at the White House late Friday. Formal talks are scheduled Saturday.Despite news of growing recession in Europe and Asia, markets in both those regions gained ground in Friday's trading sessions. U.S. share prices fell in Friday's early trading.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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Pakistani Officials Say 12 Killed in US Missile Strike
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Attack targeted village in North Waziristan, a hub for al-Qaida and Taliban militants near border with Afghanistan
Officials and witnesses in Pakistan say a suspected U.S. missile strike has killed at least 12 people, including foreign militants, in a remote tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The attack comes as gunmen shot and wounded a Japanese journalist and his Afghan colleague near the northwestern city of Peshawar. Ayaz Gul reports from Islamabad. The missile attack by a suspected unmanned U.S. drone is said to have targeted an al-Qaida hideout in the North Waziristan tribal region. Most of those killed are described as foreign militants. Pakistan's tribal regions lining the border with Afghanistan are believed to be used by militants linked to al-Qaida and Taliban for attacks on both sides of the border.Speaking in Washington on Thursday, CIA Director Michael Hayden said the Pakistani regions represent, as he put it, the greatest terrorism threat to the United States. In recent weeks, unmanned U.S. drones have stepped up missile strikes against militant bases on the Pakistani side of the border to discourage cross-border raids on NATO and Afghan targets. But Pakistani leaders have protested these attacks, saying they often kill civilians and fuel support for extremists. In his reaction to Friday's missile strike, chief of the Federal Interior Ministry, Rehman Malik, reiterated Pakistan's stance. "We have been protesting, we are lodging very serious complaints, and our protest to the U.S. government to stop it because this is the voice of the people of Pakistan," said Malik. "And I hope the U.S. authorities will listen to the voice of the people of Pakistan." Pakistan is a close U.S. ally in the war against terrorism but the missile strikes inside Pakistani territory have increased pressure on the government to review its policy. Many in Pakistan believe a wave of deadly suicide bombings and attacks on foreign nationals as well as diplomats are a reaction to the ongoing anti-insurgent operations by the Pakistani military in parts of northwest of the country. Security in the country has deteriorated recently, particularly in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. Unknown gunmen abducted a senior Iranian diplomat there on Thursday, a day after an American aid worker and his driver were shot dead in the city.Pakistani hospital staff shift injured Japanese journalist Motoki Yotsukura from ambulance to an emergency ward at a local hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, 14 Nov 2008Early Friday, Japanese journalist Motoki Yotsukura and his Afghan colleague Sami Yousufzai were shot and wounded on the outskirts of the Pakistani city. Speaking by telephone from Peshawar, a senior police officer in the area, Jawad Qamar, gave details of the incident to VOA. "They went across into the tribal area they wanted to interview a Taliban commander they came back towards the settled area they sat in their cars and unknown criminal fired pistol shots at them," said Qamar. "The Japanese journalist was injured in his ankle. The Afghan journalist was injured in the chest."Friday's missile strike and violence in Pakistan coincided with a visit to Islamabad by the U.S. commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan.General David McKiernan met with Pakistani parliamentarians at the U.S. embassy Thursday night to brief them on the security situation in Afghanistan and efforts to counter terrorism. No details of the discussions have been released to reporters. A spokesman for the U.S. embassy told VOA that the briefing was part of Washington's continued "outreach" to Pakistani lawmakers.
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CIA Director: Bin Laden Isolated
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Michael Hayden says al-Qaida leader has been forced to devote much of his energy to his own security
Frame grab from Saudi-owned television network MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center) shows alleged terror mastermind Osama bin Laden The director of the U.S. intelligence agency says al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden appears to be isolated from the terrorist group's day-to-day operations and has been forced to devote much of his energy to his own security.Michael Hayden said in a speech Thursday in Washington that hunting down bin Laden remains at the top of the CIA's priority list. Hayden suggested that the al-Qaida leader is hiding somewhere in the remote border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.The intelligence chief also said bin Laden's death or capture would have a significant impact on the confidence of the terrorist leader's followers.Hayden said al-Qaida remains the single greatest threat to the United States and that if a major strike on the U.S. occurs, it will bear the fingerprints of the terrorist organization. Additionally, he said al-Qaida is spreading its influence in Africa and the Middle East.In May, however, the CIA director said al-Qaida is losing influence in the Middle East and is on the defensive in other parts of the world. Hayden told The Washington Post newspaper that Osama bin Laden is losing the ability to exploit the war in Iraq to recruit more members.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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EU, Russia Discuss European Missile Defense
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he urged Russian counterpart not to carry out threat to deploy tactical missiles in Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad
French President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev during EU-Russia summit, in Nice, France, 14 Nov 2008French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he has urged his Russian counterpart not to carry out a threat to deploy tactical missiles in Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.Mr. Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev spoke Friday after a Russia-European Union summit in the French city of Nice. France currently holds the rotating EU presidency. Mr. Medvedev last week said Russia will put missiles in the Kaliningrad region if the United States implements plans to place a missile defense system in central Europe. He later said he will cancel the deployment if the U.S. scraps missile plans for Poland and the Czech Republic.U.S. officials say their planned system will defend against an Iranian threat.On other issues, the French and Russian presidents reported reaching consensus on the global financial crisis. Both men will join other world leaders in Washington Friday evening for the G20 summit.The French president also said he wants to lay the foundation for a new European security accord at an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting in mid-2009.The brief August war between Russia and Georgia was also expected to be on the agenda of Friday's talks. EU officials sharply criticized Moscow for sending troops into Georgia and broke off talks with Russia on a possible strategic partnership agreement.EU leaders agreed this week to resume the partnership talks.The union has called Russia's violation of Georgia's territorial integrity unacceptable. The 27-nation bloc also says it does not accept Russia's recognition of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.But European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says the August invasion of Georgia emphasizes what he calls the crucial need for permanent political dialogue between the EU and Russia.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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Reports say Obama Considering Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State Post
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Clinton says she is happy in US Senate, but wants to be 'good partner' to new president
Hillary Clinton (file photo)U.S. media are reporting that Senator Hillary Clinton is among the candidates President-elect Barack Obama is considering for secretary of state.Democratic officials have indicated that the former first lady is on Mr. Obama's list of candidates for the post. Senator Clinton lost to Mr. Obama in the Democratic presidential primary after a long and often bitter race.When asked earlier this week if she would take a position in the Obama administration, Clinton said that she was happy being in the U.S. Senate, but said she wants to be "a good partner" to the new president.Others said to be under consideration for secretary of state include Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.On Thursday, Mr. Obama's Vice President-elect Joe Biden met with outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney.Biden and his wife, Jill, received a tour of the official vice presidential residence in Washington. Both couples were cordial as they greeted each other, despite Biden's sharp attacks against Cheney during the presidential campaign.During vice presidential debate during the campaign, Biden accused Cheney of expanding his power beyond his constitutional authority, and referred to him as the most dangerous vice president in U.S. history.Mr. Obama on Friday will record the Democratic Party's weekly radio address on video as well so it can be viewed online. The move is the latest in the president-elect's plans to make the White House more technologically modern, and to find new ways to address the American people.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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Rice Hails US Election as Example to World
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addresses importance of recent presidential election for world and US in speech at James Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the U.S. presidential election held on November 4 was an example for the world in how a nation can overcome internal differences. Rice spoke at the 15th anniversary of the James Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston Thursday. VOA's Greg Flakus was there and filed this report.Condoleezza RiceIn her remarks, Secretary of State Rice addressed the importance of the recent U.S. presidential election for the world and for the United States. She noted that people in far away nations had followed the election campaign, even learning about the Iowa caucuses, which started the process in early January. She also spoke of the significance of Barack Obama becoming the first person of African descent to become president, saying that the United States had shown how democracy can help erase divisions between races and ethnic groups."[For] A girl like me who grew up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama to now elect an African-American president is an extraordinary matter," Rice noted, "and it says to the world that differences can be overcome and in a world in which different is still a license to kill, that is an awfully important message."As she prepares to leave her position as secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice says there are two matters of unfinished business that concern her more than many of the foreign challenges facing the nation. The first, she said, is the need for comprehensive immigration reform so that, as she put it, "people living in the shadows can achieve legal status to live and work in this country." She said anti-immigrant attitudes could undermine one of the things that has made America great."Unless we can renew that spirit of wanting to be open to those who want to be part of us, we lose a part of who we are," Rice said.Rice said the other concern she has for the United States is the state of education. Noting her background as a college professor before becoming a government official, she said she has always believed education is the means for a person from a modest background to achieve great things. Rice said the nation's failure to provide a good education could limit its future."It breaks my heart as an educator, but you know, as secretary of state, it terrifies me," she admitted. "Because if we are not able to educate our people, I can assure you we will turn inward, we will protect, we will be afraid of the world. And that will be a disaster for the world because America will not lead if we are not confident that our people are able to compete."Secretary of State Rice said the world craves American leadership and looks to this country as a place of endless possibilities. She says that makes a domestic issue like education important as a foreign policy issue as well, because education is the key to fulfilling the American ideal that what matters most is not where someone comes from, but what they are able to achieve.
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Need for Aid Rises as Insurgents Reach Outskirts of Somali Capital
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Civilians flee fighting south of Mogadishu, face major food shortages
The International Committee of the Red Cross announced that it is increasing food and other assistance for over 400,000 people displaced by violence in south and central Somalia. As Derek Kilner reports from VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi, the announcement comes as Islamist insurgents continue an advance towards the capital, Mogadishu.The ICRC's Somalia relief coordinator, Mathias Frese, said the organization will have tripled its food aid to Somalia from 2007 to 2008. The recent escalation in fighting, along with continued drought, have worsened what U.N. officials had already called Africa's worst humanitarian crisis.On Thursday, Islamist insurgents entered Elasha, a settlement of displaced people fewer than 20 kilometers from Mogadishu.Somali militia of al-Shabab are seen during exercises at their military training camp outside Mogadishu, 04 Nov 2008Resident Jama'a Abdirahman told VOA that the Islamists left as Ethiopian troops, retreating from the town of Afgoye to the west, passed through on their way to Mogadishu. He said that members of the government militia that had controlled the town had returned, but that members of the radical Islamist al-Shabab militia, as well as fighters from other Islamist factions were still in the area.On Wednesday al-Shabab took control of the port town of Merka, to the south. The transitional government, backed by Ethiopian troops, remains in control of Mogadishu, and the town of Baidoa, where the parliament is based, and has soldiers in Afgoye. But insurgents now hold much of the rest of south and central Somalia.Ethiopia had agreed to withdraw its forces from urban centers as part of a peace agreement with a moderate faction of the insurgency, but the rebel advance may change those plans. If Ethiopian troops remain, however, their presence will continue to be a major grievance and rallying cry for the insurgency.Meanwhile, the escalation in fighting has increased the numbers of Somalis fleeing across the border into Kenya. The U.N. refugee agency has echoed calls from Human Rights Watch, for increased attention to the influx. Emmanuel Nyabera, a spokesman for UNHCR in Nairobi, said the organization had asked the Kenyan government to construct a fourth refugee camp at Dadaab, along the border."We are extremely concerned about the situation in Dadaab refugee camp, because the camp is extremely overcrowded. The three camps that were supposed to accommodate around 90,000 refugees are currently accommodating around 224,000 people," said Nyabera. "We are currently receiving around 6,000 new asylum seekers every month. We are not in a position to give services to these people in a dignified manner."The fighting has also hampered aid efforts inside the country, where attacks on aid workers have increased in recent months, and both sides have been accused of disrupting aid deliveries. Abdirahman, at the Elasha camp, said that the World Food Program had increased deliveries since Islamist fighters dismantled government checkpoints in the area. Aid deliveries have also been restricted by insecurity along Somalia's coastline, which has seen a proliferation of hijacked ships in recent months. On Thursday night, a Chinese boat with 24 crew members was captured off the coast of southern Somalia.The European Union agreed last week to supply ships for a naval operation to combat piracy off Somalia's coast.
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India Begins Crucial Round of State Elections
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Polls, seen as test of ruling Congress Party popularity Party, will set stage for general elections due next year
India has begun a crucial round of state elections that are being seen as a test of the popularity of the ruling Congress Party. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the regional polls will set the stage for general elections due next year. General-Secretary of India's Congress Party Rahul Gandhi (c) during election meeting at Dhamtari, state of Chhattisgarh, 12 Nov 2008Security was tight as voters in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh cast ballots Friday to choose a new state government. Scattered violence blamed on Maoist rebels marred the vote in some areas.The Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP, which rules the state, hopes to retain power. But the Congress Party, which heads the governing national coalition, is putting up a tough fight. Chattisgarh is the first of six states that will choose new regional governments over the next six weeks. These are Madhya Pradesh, the capital Delhi, Rajasthan, Mizoram, and Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress Party and its main rival, the BJP, are the main contenders in most of the states.Political analyst, Ajoy Bose, says the elections are being seen as a mini referendum ahead of national polls scheduled to be held by next May. "These elections are widely seen as semifinals. Because they are on the eve, just a few months away from the parliamentary polls, they are seen as a kind of rehearsal, and they would give an indication of who would win," said Bose.The elections are being held against a backdrop of rising prices, a slowing economy, and security concerns raised by bomb blasts that have hit several major Indian cities in recent months.Ajoy Bose says these concerns could hurt the ruling Congress Party."There was widespread inflation, prices are nowhere near falling, and there is the wider economic crisis, so there is a general sense of gloom. And then of course there is a huge concern over the law and order situation which has been getting from bad to worse," said Bose.Some political analysts say if the Congress Party performs well, it may call early elections.It will also be easier for the party that is on a winning streak to cement crucial alliances with regional parties ahead of the general elections. In recent elections, neither the Congress Party nor the BJP has won an outright majority, and have needed to put together a coalition. Out of all the state polls, the most closely watched election will be that in Indian Kashmir, which was wracked by anti-India protests led by Muslim separatist leaders in the summer. The separatist leaders have called on voters to boycott the polls, and political observers say turnout may be low. The election will be held over several weeks due to security concerns.
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Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Loyalty to Moscow?
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Orthodox churches claim millions of followers who reflect political divide between those who favor closer ties with Russia and those seeking to orient their country towards Europe
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was accompanied by a proclamation of autonomy by a segment of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, whose leader is known as the Kyiv Patriarch. Another part of the Orthodox Church - the so-called Moscow Patriarchate - recognizes the Patriarch in Russia. Both churches claim millions of followers and also reflect Ukraine's political divide between those who favor closer ties with Russia and those seeking to orient their country towards Europe. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky has this report from Kyiv.Saint Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv - destroyed by the Soviets in the 1930's - was rebuilt to its original glory from centuries ago, after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. Many of those who pray here say they support Ukrainian independence and mistrust Russia. Among them is Andriy, an attorney and Greek Catholic from western Ukraine. He said he feels comfortable in an Orthodox church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, but not of Moscow. Andriy - Greek Catholic from Western Ukraine Andriy said he views the Moscow Patriarchate as an organization whose functions are definitely not religious, but rather, a branch of the Russian state. He claims all anti-Ukrainian actions in Ukraine are supported by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.The spokesman for Moscow's Patriarchate in Kyiv, Archimandrite Kyril Hovorun, said church leaders are aware of such concerns. Hovorun added his church wants to unite a nation dangerously divided between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces.Archimandrite Kyril said the church is seeking to implement a policy - if policy is a proper term for a church - that does not aggravate either side. He said its task is not to just passively take care of individuals, but to unite them into a single people - East and West - so that they feel themselves as part of a common whole, a large project and large civilization that is Ukraine.Hovorun said millions of people who belong to Ukraine's Moscow Patriarchate are good Ukrainians who should not be viewed as Russia's surrogates. Nadezhda, an eastern Ukrainian travel agent, attends services in churches that recognize Moscow.Nadezhda said the church was handed down to people for generations through their parents so she does not see any reason to change anything. She noted that it represents the union of three fraternal peoples, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusyns and sees no need to split. She added that there is but one God. Officials in the Kyiv Patriarchate acknowledged efforts by some in the Moscow Patriarchate to create a separate Ukrainian church. But Bishop Yevstratiy of the Kyiv Patriarchate said their church must be independent of Russia. Bishop Yevstratiy of the Kyiv Patriarchate Bishop Yevstratiy said if a church is located in one nation, but its leadership is situated in another - especially if relations between those two countries happen not to be simple - then it becomes very difficult to overcome the temptation to use church structures of the neighboring state for political ends, which he said is happening in Ukraine.Many Ukrainians noted that the headquarters of the Moscow Patriarchate in Kyiv are located on Ivan Mazepa Street, which is named after an 18th century Ukrainian leader who built many of the churches in the Patriarchate's ancient complex. Mazepa's image is also on Ukraine's 10-hryvna currency note. But in Russia, the term "Traitor Mazepa" remains common. The Russian Orthodox Church excommunicated Ivan Mazepa for violating a loyalty oath to Czar Peter the Great in 1709. Orthodox officials in Ukraine said the Russian church has not responded to their requests for Mazepa's reinstatement.
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Fan Favorites Win Big at CMA Awards
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George Strait, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney among winners in ceremony honoring country music's best in Nashville
The 42nd annual Country Music Association, CMA, Awards were handed out November 12 in Nashville. VOA's Mary Morningstar has this wrap-up on "Country Music's Biggest Night."George Strait holds award for Album of the Year, 12 Nov 2008The first of nine trophies handed during the show went to George Strait, who took home the Single of the Year Award for "I Saw God Today." George has been nominated by the Country Music Association 75 times, and has now won a record 22 awards. He also won this year's Album of the Year award for Troubadour. George offered his thanks to everyone involved in the making of the album and to his many fans."Wow! I want to thank the CMA, everyone that voted for mem," Strait said. "Thank you Tony Brown for producing such a great album. I love this album and really appreciate everybody who bought it and heard it. All the great songwriters that were a part of it. All the great musicians that played on it and played so great, played their hearts out. All you fans, you're the greatest. Everybody says they've got the greatest fans. Well, I've really got the greatest fans. Thank you very much."Sugarland's performance of "Stay" was a highlight of the last year's CMA Awards show. The ballad was the first song written entirely by the duo's lead singer Jennifer Nettles. Jennifer was recognized for her songwriting abilities by winning the Song of the Year honor. She's the first female artist to win that category since K.T. Oslin in 1988. Jennifer said she's grateful for writing a song that received such an emotional response.Jennifer Nettles holds award for Song of the Year, 12 Nov 2008"Well, thank you very much. I love writing songs and I love performing them and I love the fans that come out to our shows to see what we write," she said. "I just thank you so much for this award. To the CMAs, of course. To my label, Mercury [Records, everybody there that works these songs at radio. Damon Moverly, all the radio staff, thank you so much for what you do. And, the radio stations for playing it, all the PDs [Program Directors] out there. Thank you so much. Thank you. It's just been a gift from the beginning and it was a gift to write and I hope it was a gift and touched your hearts and thank you for this very much."Sugarland also repeated its 2007 win for Duo of the Year.The live three-hour telecast featured 19 performances by many of today's biggest Country stars. They included George Strait, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift and co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.The Eagles marked their first televised performance on an awards show at last year's CMA Awards. They returned to perform again in 2008. This year, the Eagles earned their first Vocal Group of the Year nomination in more than three decades, but lost to Rascal Flatts, who have won the category six consecutive times.This year, the Horizon Award was renamed New Artist of the Year. One of the biggest upsets of the night came when last year's Horizon Award winner, Taylor Swift, announced new trio Lady Antebellum the 2008 New Artist of the Year. The trio faced James Otto, Kellie Pickler, Rodney Atkins and Jason Aldean in that category. Brad Paisley holds award from Video of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, 12 Nov 2008Four of the five candidates vying for Male Vocalist of the Year repeated their nominations for the second year-in-a-row. Brad Paisley won the award last year and again this year, beating out Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Keith Urban and Alan Jackson. Brad also won the Music Video of the Year award for his 12th Number One single, "Waitin' On A Woman." One surprise guest on the awards show was Leslie Ponder, widow of Army Master Sergeant James Ponder from Franklin, Tennessee, who lost his life while fighting in Afghanistan. Leslie gave a poignant introduction to Carrie Underwood, who sang her current Number One hit "Just A Dream." Following her performance, Carrie was named the CMA's Female Vocalist of the Year for the third year-in-a-row. She was overcome with emotion when she accepted the award.Carrie Underwood holds award for Female Vocalist of the Year, 12 Nov 2008"Thank you Country music. I came here, I got here through an unconventional way and you guys didn't have to accept me at all. Everybody in town, everybody in Nashville, everybody in the Country music community has been so great," Underwood said. "Thank you Country radio for playing my songs. Everybody, Arista Nashville, Arista New York, mom, God, thank you so much. Simon Fuller, if it weren't for you I wouldn't be up here at all, so thank you so much. Ann Edelblute, everybody I know, thank you fans. You guys are amazing." Kenny Chesney went into the race with a leading seven nominations. But, he had to wait until the end of the show to hear Country star Shania Twain announce his name as a winner. Kenny earned the CMA's Entertainer of the Year award for the fourth time since 2004. "Don't Blink," is his Number One song from his nominated album, Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates.
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