慶祝環球郵報創刊16周年慶！環球郵報Blog新聞版開辦成功。世界讀者絡繹不絕，世界讀者增增日上。歡迎參觀環球郵報Blog新聞！ Founded 16 anniversary celebration Globe and Mail! Globe and Mail Blog pages success. Readers flooded the world, the world of readers increased growth Day. Welcome to visit the Globe and Mail Blog news!
臺北市市長 郝龍斌 賀
TaipeiCity Celebrate helongb
臺北市議會 議長 吳碧珠 賀
Taipei City Council Speaker wubizhu
臺北市鐵路管理局局長及全體同仁
臺北市北投囯中及全體師生
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February 2, 2008
africa
阿爾及利亞
Algeria
安哥拉
Angola
貝南
Benin
波札那
Botswana
布吉納法索
Burkina Faso
蒲隆地
Burundi
喀麥隆
Cameroon
維德角
Cape Verde
中非
Central African Republic
查德
Chad
葛摩聯盟
Comoros, Union of
剛果民主共和國
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
剛果
Congo, Republic of the
象牙海岸
Cote d'Ivoire
吉布地
Djibouti
埃及阿拉伯
Egypt
赤道幾內亞
Equatorial Guinea
厄利垂亞
Eritrea
衣索比亞聯邦民主共和國
Ethiopia
加彭
Gabon
甘比亞
Gambia, The
迦納
Ghana
幾內亞
Guinea
幾內亞比索
Guinea-Bissau
肯亞
Kenya
賴索托
Lesotho
賴比瑞亞
Liberia
大利比亞阿拉伯人民社會主義群眾國
Libya
馬達加斯加
Madagascar
馬拉威
Malawi
馬利
Mali
茅利塔尼亞伊斯蘭共和國
Mauritania, Islamic Republic of
模里西斯
Mauritius
摩洛哥
Morocco
莫三比克
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February 2, 2008
US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Reports Little Progress In Engaging Harare
US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Reports Little Progress In Engaging Harare By Carole Gombakomba
Washington
31 January 2008
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United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee says he has not made as much progress as he had hoped in engaging senior Zimbabwean government officials since taking up his assignment in Harare in November 2007.
Among members of President Robert Mugabe's cabinet he has so far only managed to work with Health Minister David Parirenyatwa on projects to stem the spread and help those living with HIV/AIDS - the United States is the leading funder of such efforts.
The U.S. ambassador expressed confidence in the Zimbabwe crisis resolution process mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community, despite recent setbacks which have led opposition officials and observers to declare the so-called SADC process a failure.
The negotiations deadlocked over the issue of the timing of elections, and President Robert Mugabe's recent decision to call elections March 29 led opposition negotiators to conclude that he had effectively swept aside the crisis resolution process.
McGee expressed concern about the conditions in the country ahead of the elections, citing official obstacles to auditing voter rolls and the extremely limited distribution of a report by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on house redistricting as indications of an uneven playing field in the presidential, parliamentary and local elections.
The state-controlled Herald newspaper took aim at McGee this week, accusing him of laying the groundwork for the U.S. government to say the elections were not free and fair if Mr. Mugabe should be re-elected and ZANU-PF maintain its majority.
Herald writer Isdore Guvamombe said McGee has made such comments because the country has "not approached a single foreign donor" seeking election funding.
McGee told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that he will continue to seek to engage Harare and to call for free and fair elections.
More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe...
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February 2, 2008
pan africa-UN's Ban to Go to Kenya, Warns African Leaders of Impending Catastrophe
UN's Ban to Go to Kenya, Warns African Leaders of Impending Catastrophe
By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
31 January 2008
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U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon dominated day one of the African Union summit, warning of a possible catastrophe in Kenya and saying he would go to Nairobi to support mediation efforts aimed at ending the country's ethnic violence. From summit headquarters in Addis Ababa, VOA's Peter Heinlein reports Mr. Ban's pointed comments on several East African hotspots overshadowed the election of a new AU president, and a host of events on the summit sidelines.
Speaking as news was coming in about the killing of a second Kenyan member of parliament, Secretary-General Ban called recent developments "alarming", and warned that if left unchecked, the situation could spin out of control.
Ban Ki-Moon, meets Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki at Assembly of African Union in Addis Ababa, 31 Jan 2008
"More than 800 people have already lost their lives in the increasingly ethnic clashes triggered by the aftermath of recent elections," Ban said. "Violence continues, threatening to escalate to catastrophic levels. Kenyan leaders, President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga in particular, have a special responsibility to do everything possible to resolve the sources of the crisis peacefully."
Speaking to an audience that included an estimated 40 African heads of state, including Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, Mr. Ban urged them to encourage Kenya's leaders to calm the violence and resolve their differences that erupted into ethnic cleansing in the wake of December's election.
After his speech, the U.N. chief held a closed meeting with Mr. Kibaki, and told reporters he would fly to Nairobi Friday to meet opposition leader Raila Odinga, and to support efforts to end the ethnic violence.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, left, attends a session of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, 31 Jan 2008
Underlining the urgency of the matter, the secretary-general issued a personal appeal to all Kenyans.
"I call on the Kenyan people, stop the killings and end the violence now, before it is too late," he said.
Mr. Ban also urged the leaders of Sudan and Chad to exercise restraint amid word from Chadian authorities that Sudanese troops are advancing on the capital, N'Djamena.
On a related matter, the secretary-general told reporters he is encouraged by discussions on Darfur over the past few days, involving United Nations, African Union and senior Sudanese government officials. But he suggested that deployment of a robust U.N.-AU peacekeeping mission is still being delayed by Sudanese obstacles, as well as by a lack of troops and military assets for the force.
"Full cooperation of the government of Sudan is critical," Ban said. "Likewise, timely provision of key assets such as helicopters and heavy transport equipment is essential. The people of Darfur depend on the police and troop contributing countries assembled here today to speed up the required preparations and arrive in the theater of operations as soon as possible."
Turning to another east African regional trouble spot, Mr. Ban expressed deep concern about the latest restrictions imposed by Eritrea on U.N. peacekeepers on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border. The chief of the Eritrea-Ethiopia peace force, known as UNMEE, told the Security Council last week that the mission had not been able to obtain fresh fuel supplies in Eritrea since the beginning of December.
Mr. Ban called the fuel restriction 'unacceptable'.
"This is having a crippling effect on the ability of the mission to discharge its mandate," he said. "I appeal to the government of Eritrea to life all restrictions that affect the activities of the peacekeeping mission."
In other summit news, Tanzania was elected to the African Union's rotating presidency. After the vote, Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete said Africa must take responsibility for its problems, rather than looking to external forces. Speaking in Swahili, he said, 'sometimes we are ashamed of hearing about conflicts in Africa all the time. We should admit the responsibility is ours'.
Friday, summit leaders take up a report by an independent audit panel that sharply criticized the organization's leadership. Among other things, the 220-page report concluded that the relationship between the AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare and other commissioners was dysfunctional,
At the same time, leaders will be deciding whether to hold elections to replace Mr. Konare and other members of the commission. In a speech to AU foreign ministers, Konare said he would not run for re-election, but diplomats say there is a move to postpone the voting.
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February 2, 2008
pan africa-Kenya Dominates Opening of African Summit
Kenya Dominates Opening of African Summit
By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
31 January 2008
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The political turmoil in Kenya has been the central theme at the opening session of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa. VOA's Peter Heinlein reports U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon leaves Friday for Nairobi to join efforts to calm Kenya's ethnic tensions.
Ban Ki-Moon gives press conference during 10th African Union Summit, 31 Jan 2008
"Sadly I have to start the substance of my address with the reminder of alarming developments in Kenya," Ban said. "More than 800 people have already lost their lives in the increasingly ethnic clashes triggered by the aftermath of recent elections."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was one of several persons expressing such sentiments in speeches at the opening session of the African Union summit. It was awkward, since Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki was sitting stoically in the audience, like a man in the dock.
Mr, Kibaki came to Nairobi against the advice of many who thought he might be better off staying at home in light of the ethnic violence gripping his country. His rival in December's disputed election, Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, was refused the opportunity to attend, and party leaders had accused the African Union of favoring Mr. Kibaki in the election dispute.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, left, and Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetang'ula, right, attend a session of the African Union summit, Addis Ababa, 31 Jan 2008
Secretary-General Ban, however, treated both equally, reminding them of their responsibility to halt the violence.
"Kenyan leaders, President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga in particular, have a special responsibility to do everything possible to resolve the sources of the crisis peacefully," Ban said.
African Union Commission chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare said he was uncomfortable bringing up Kenya's ethnic violence in front of President Kibaki. He called it tragic that a beacon of stability on the continent had descended into ethnic cleansing. He asked the assembly, "If Kenya burns, what is next?"
Despite a summit-eve statement by U.S. Undersecretary of State Jendayi Frazer that the killings in Kenya do not amount to genocide, Mr. Konare, former president of Mali, repeated his earlier warning that genocide could take place.
"Kenya has been one of the countries that was the hope for the continent. But today, if you look at Kenya, you see violence on the streets, and we are even talking about ethnic cleansing, we are talking of genocide in that country," he said.
Shortly after the session ended, Mr. Ban announced he would fly to Nairobi Friday to join efforts to calm the ethnic and political tensions.
"Clashes are growing along ethnic lines. If political leaders fail to act responsibly, in the interest of all Kenyan people, the situation could escalate beyond control," he said. "I will meet with President Kibaki here. Tomorrow I will go to Nairobi, to give my full support to the panel of eminent African persons led by my predecessor, former SG Kofi Annan. I will meet Mr. Odinga."
Speaking to reporters, the U.N. chief said "I call on the Kenyan people, stop the killing and end the violence now before it is too late."
Kenya is expected to be a continuing theme during the three-day summit, though Darfur, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Comoros Islands are also receiving attention.
About 40 heads of state and government are attending the three-day gathering at the headquarters of the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa.
The theme of the summit is "Industrialization in Africa", and several events are devoted to the subject of unleashing the power of private industry to generate a hoped-for African economic boom.
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February 2, 2008
central africa-EU Peacekeeping Force Chief Warns Chad, CAR Rebels Not to Interfere
EU Peacekeeping Force Chief Warns Chad, CAR Rebels Not to Interfere
By VOA News
29 January 2008
European Union EUFOR Chad/Central African Republic Operation Commander Lt. General Patrick Nash in Brussels, 29 Jan 2008
The commander of the European Union peacekeeping mission to Chad and the Central African Republic has warned rebel groups in the region not to interfere with EU troops.
Irish General Patrick Nash told reporters Tuesday that his troops will not take sides in fighting between rebel and government forces.
He said the peacekeepers will pay no attention to the rebels as long as they do not interfere with the EU mission to protect refugees and aid workers in the region.
But when asked if EU troops would fire back if attacked, Nash gave a one-word answer: "yes."
EU foreign ministers gave final approval to send 3,700 troops to Chad and the C.A.R. on Monday. EU officials say the first troops could be in place within weeks.
General Nash will lead the operation and France is expected to provide the majority of troops.
The U.N. refugee agency runs camps in eastern Chad housing more than 230,000 Darfur refugees and 180,000 displaced Chadians.
The agency has expressed concern about security in the area, which sees periodic battles between the Chadian army and rebels, in addition to spillovers of violence from western Darfur.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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February 2, 2008
central africa-At Least 17 Dead in Lake Tanganyika Ferry Accident in DRC
central africa-
By VOA News
30 January 2008
Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo now say at least 17 people have died after an overloaded ferry sank in Lake Tanganyika Friday.
Vice governor of southeast Katanga province Yav Tshibal tells reporters Wednesday that most of the victims were women and children. He says some passengers are missing, but more than 100 people survived.
DRC maritime inspectors say the accident happened late Friday on the eastern side of the lake, about five kilometers from the DRC port city of Kalemie. They say the boat struck a rock and sank.
The inspectors say the boat's manifest listed 58 passengers but they say such ferries are routinely overloaded with passengers and goods, so it is difficult to determine how may still be missing,
The ferry was sailing from Kalemie to Moba and the operator was attempting to go ashore for more passengers when the accident occurred.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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February 2, 2008
east africa-UN Chief Joins Talks in Kenya
UN Chief Joins Talks in Kenya
By VOA News
01 February 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says feuding political parties in Kenya must look beyond their individual interests and beyond party lines to end the post-election violence in the country.
The U.N. chief arrived in Nairobi Friday and quickly joined talks between the rival parties under the mediation of Mr. Ban's predecessor, former Secretary General Kofi Annan.
The driver of a minibus is shaken down by two men who were maning a road block where gangs of Luo tribe men are looking for members of the opposing Kikuyu tribe, 31 Jan 2008
Mr. Ban met with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki Thursday at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is holding talks today with Raila Odinga of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement.
About 850 people have died in violence triggered by the disputed re-election December 27 of Mr. Kibaki. The violence has displaced 300,000 people.
Thursday, a police traffic officer killed opposition lawmaker David Too in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret, the second killing of an opposition legislator this week. Police say the killing was related to a dispute about the officer's girlfriend. But the opposition say it was an assassination designed to reduce the party's numbers in parliament.
S
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February 2, 2008
southern africa-South Africa's Mbeki Briefs Southern African Leaders On Zimbabwe Talks
South Africa's Mbeki Briefs Southern African Leaders On Zimbabwe Talks By Patience Rusere
Washington
31 January 2008
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South African President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday briefed senior political officials of the Southern African Development Community on his efforts to mediate a solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe - an undertaking many believe has reached a dead end.
No details immediately emerged as what Mr. Mbeki told his SADC peers on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was briefing SADC's committee on politics, defense and security, whose members now include Tanzania, Angola and Namibia. The meeting was chaired by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete in the absence of Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
Mr. Mbeki was appointed mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis in March 2007 when SADC met in an extraordinary summit to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe, which had seen an upsurge in political violence as the state cracked down on the opposition.
The negotiations appeared to be making headway late last year, producing bipartisan support for a constitutional amendment and revisions of legislation regarding public order, elections, press freedom and broadcasting. But Mr. Mbeki was unable to overcome President Robert Mugabe's resistance to broader reforms despite a personal appeal for a postponement of elections now set for March 29.
For a sense of the atmosphere in Addis Ababa, reporter Patience Rusere spoke with National Coordinator Alois Mbawara of the British-based Free Zim Youth organization, who said that while little is known of Mr. Mbeki’s intervention, there seemed to be less sympathy for President Mugabe among African diplomats at the summit.
More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe...
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February 2, 2008
west africa-Health Authorities Signal Increase in Meningitis Cases in West Africa
Health Authorities Signal Increase in Meningitis Cases in West Africa
By Jade Heilmann
Dakar
31 January 2008
International relief and health authorities have raised the alarm of an increase in meningitis cases across West Africa. Jade Heilmann in our West Africa bureau in Dakar reports that nearly 300 cases have been found this year in Burkina Faso.
Girl is vaccinated against meningitis at medical center in Ouagadougou (file photo)
International relief authorities note an increase in cases of meningitis in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria since the end of 2007. Burkina Faso seems to be the most affected where the disease has claimed the lives of 52 people in the first two weeks of 2008, according to the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The World Health Organization says if there are at least 10 new cases of the disease each week for every 100,000 inhabitants in one health district, this qualifies as an epidemic.
Although the outbreaks have not yet reached this threshold, the OCHA says it wants to alert the public to the worrisome trend.
Elizabeth Byrs is a spokeswoman for OCHA in Geneva. She says waiting longer would be dangerous.
"It is better to send an alert right now than waiting for months until the outbreak is becoming more difficult to mitigate," she noted.
Last year, West Africa suffered from an epidemic that killed 2,000 people across nine countries. Byrs says the point of the alert is to prevent it from happening again this year.
"We hope this year we will not see such an outbreak, but it is an alert, for our partners: NGOs [non-governmental organizations], U.N. agencies and also country donors in order to get all contributions and financial support needed to respond to the situation," she said.
Burkina Faso's health authorities have already bought one million doses of meningitis vaccine. Niger's government has vaccinated 34,000 people. Byrs says governments are doing their best, but still need outside help.
"They need support in order to monitor the situation and to have a common plan of response to better address the needs of the population," she said.
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has been implementing a series of preparedness measures in 14 African countries since the end of 2007.
Byrs says the most important measure is to vaccinate people.
Meningococcal meningitis is the only bacterial form of the disease that can evolve into an epidemic. It is an infection of the fluid in the spinal cord and the membranes surrounding the brain. It is characterized by high fever, a stiff neck and vomiting.
Infants are the most vulnerable, but adolescents and adults can also be affected. Unlike the viral forms of meningitis, bacterial forms requires emergency care.
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February 2, 2008
africa news-Egypt Blocks Vehicles from Gaza as Border Talks Set in Cairo
Egypt Blocks Vehicles from Gaza as Border Talks Set in Cairo
By VOA News
31 January 2008
Egyptian police officers stand guard at the breached border wall between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, during a demonstration demanding the continuous opening of the border, 31 Jan 2008
Egyptian border guards are blocking access to Palestinian vehicles from the Gaza Strip, to try to slow the flow of people through a broken boundary.
Pedestrians are still passing into the Egyptian town of Rafah, and Egyptian-registered vehicles loaded with merchandise are being allowed to move in both directions.
Thousands of Palestinians have passed into Rafah since Hamas militants blew holes in the barrier last week. An Israeli blockade on Gaza has deprived Palestinians of basic necessities, driving them into Egypt to shop for supplies.
In Cairo Thursday, Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal is expected to discuss the border crisis with Egyptian officials. The militant group seized control of Gaza from its rival, Fatah, last June. Hamas says it wants to manage part of the border crossings.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the situation with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday.
Mr. Abbas said the Palestinian Authority should take over Gaza crossings with Egypt and Israel.
Earlier today, the Israeli army said soldiers shot and killed an armed Palestinian in the southern Gaza Strip. A spokesman said the man was shot as he approached the border with Israel with an assault rifle.
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February 2, 2008
pan africa-Rights Report: Democracies Not Holding Authoritarian Offenders Accountable
Rights Report: Democracies Not Holding Authoritarian Offenders Accountable
By Michael Bowman
Washington
31 January 2008
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A U.S.-based human rights group says despots around the world are attempting to pass themselves off as democrats, and in far too many cases are not being challenged by the world's established democracies. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, where Human Rights Watch released its annual report on the state of human rights across the globe.
First the good news: according to Human Rights Watch, many leaders have come to recognize the value of being seen as defenders of democracy. As a brand name, "democrat" has never been more popular. But that is only the beginning of the story.
"The bad news is that established democracies are letting autocrats pass themselves off as democrats," said Human Rights Watch Director Kenneth Roth. He said the last year has seen a "cheapening or degradation" of democracy.
"Democracy has come to be seen as the key to legitimacy. We see leaders playing rhetorical games. And so you have [Russian President Vladimir] Putin talking about 'sovereign' democracy, where the sovereign in question seems to be himself. You have the Burmese generals talking about 'disciplined' democracy. China discussing 'socialist' democracy. Or [Pakistani President Pervez] Musharraf, in his audacity, talking about 'genuine' democracy as he imposes emergency rule," he said.
Speaking at Washington's National Press Club, Roth accused established democracies like the United States of complicity in the charade.
"Perhaps the best illustration of the way that the natural defenders of democracy - the major Western democracies - are lowering the bar on what it takes to enter the club of democracies was the way that President Bush responded to General Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule in Pakistan. Musharraf detained thousands of opposition figures. He shut down part of the press. Judges were dismissed, undermining the rule of law. Yet President Bush said that Musharraf had somehow not crossed the line [gone too far]. He noted that Musharraf believes in democracy. That he is on the road to democracy. Now if the road to democracy includes locking up one's opponents, silencing the press, and undermining the rule of law, it is easy to see why every tyrant around the world thinks that he, too, might be able to qualify as a democrat," he said.
Pakistan has scheduled elections for February 18. President Musharraf has promised that all efforts will be made to ensure that they are free and fair.
Human Rights Watch's "World Report 2008" surveys conditions in more than 75 nations, noting humanitarian crises in Sudan, Somalia, and Eastern Ethiopia. It also draws attention to atrocities in Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Colombia, and serious abuses in a multitude of nations from Libya to Iran to China.
It says U.S. moral authority to speak out on global human rights has been severely eroded by the continued detainee operation at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the use of water-boarding as an interrogation tool, and other factors.
Asked about the report's criticism of the United States, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack dismissed any suggestion that the United States has ceased to be an effective advocate of human rights.
"Promoting democracy, promoting basic human rights around the world is at the core of our foreign policy. You have heard people from the president on down talk about the centrality of the promotion of democracy and freedom around the world to our foreign policy. I do not think there is any question about that," he said.
McCormack added that countries evolve toward democracy on their own timeline and according to their own histories, values and cultures, but that fundamental human rights apply to every country.
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US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Reports Little Progress In Engaging Harare
pan africa-UN's Ban to Go to Kenya, Warns African Leaders of Impending Catastrophe
pan africa-Kenya Dominates Opening of African Summit
central africa-EU Peacekeeping Force Chief Warns Chad, CAR Rebels Not to Interfere
central africa-At Least 17 Dead in Lake Tanganyika Ferry Accident in DRC
east africa-UN Chief Joins Talks in Kenya
southern africa-South Africa's Mbeki Briefs Southern African Leaders On Zimbabwe Talks
west africa-Health Authorities Signal Increase in Meningitis Cases in West Africa
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