Burmese Democracy Party Skips Parliament Opening
Burma's parliament reopened Monday with newly elected democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and 42 others in her National League for Democracy party refusing to take their seats in a dispute over the oath of office.
Also Monday, the European Union suspended long-standing trade and economic sanctions against Burma for one year in response to political reforms in the Southeast Asian nation.
NLD party officials say their contingent will not take their seats in parliament until the oath is changed so that they need not swear to protect a constitution written by the former military junta. Party spokesman Nyan Win told reporters Monday he believes the issue will be resolved quickly.
“I think within 10 days it will be overcome.”
The NLD wants the oath changed so its parliamentarians are required to “respect” the constitution rather than “safeguard” it. But the ruling party has so far refused.
President Thein Sein, visiting Tokyo, told reporters Monday he has no plans to change the wording of the oath, but insisted he will never reverse the ongoing democratization process.
In Luxembourg, British Foreign Secretary William Hague noted progress on political reforms in Burma by the new, nominally civilian government. But he also voiced concern about ongoing human rights abuses.
“Great progress has been made in Burma, but we remain very concerned about conflict and human rights abuses in some ethnic areas of Burma, particularly in Kachin state.”
Hague said there are still human rights issues in Burma including political prisoners and the conflict in Kachin, and warned the sanctions can be reimposed if Burma turns in what he called “the wrong direction.”
Nicholas Farrelly, a Burma analyst at the Australian National University, tells VOA he expects Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party and the government to move toward some kind of compromise on the oath of office dispute in the next few days or weeks.
“Aung San Suu Kyi is in a much stronger position than she has been in recent decades, but we shouldn't pretend that she is actually able to get absolutely everything that she and her supporters will demand. They seem to be talking about this current set of discussions in a sense implying that they are prepared to do a deal with the government to make this work for everyone. They don't want to be in a position where down the track they feel that their hands are tied because they have sworn this oath which has a particular set of words that they are not entirely comfortable with.”
Before the April 1 by-elections, Aung San Suu Kyi said one of her priorities as a legislator would be to amend the 2008 constitution, under which a full quarter of the seats in parliament are reserved for unelected members of the military.
--VOA
US Hosting Increasing Numbers of Chinese Tourists
An increasing number of Chinese tourists are visiting the United States, pleasing many American businesses in tough economic times.
The number of U.S. tourist visas issued to Chinese has risen dramatically, from 203,000 travelers in 2004 to the latest number available, which is 1.1 million. That puts China ninth on the list of countries of origin for U.S. tourism.
Ron Erdmann, deputy director of the U.S. Commerce Department's Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, told VOA the Chinese tourists are giving a boost to the U.S. economy.
“The Chinese who come here spend a great deal of money. That too has been setting records over the last several years. In 2011, they spent $5.7 billion to get to this country. So the money they spend for their airfares, and the money that they spend while they're in the U.S.A. buying U.S. goods and services whether it's attractions, restaurants, or the products they buy for gifts and souvenirs, or even things that they will take home, coming here and buying electronics, anything they purchase while they're here. It has a major impact on the United States in terms of dollar value.”
Erdmann said Chinese tourism also benefits the people of both countries culturally.
“And then, just as a cultural understanding that comes between our countries, when we see increasing numbers of Chinese coming to this country, the understanding that they get of the United States when they go back home of our people, and then the people that they meet here, understanding a little bit more about the Chinese.”
Erdmann said the growth in tourism from China is also boosting the sector of the U.S. travel industry that specializes in providing services to Chinese visitors. He said the U.S. government, for its part, is working to make sure that most visa applicants are approved promptly.
Malawi to Bury Late President
Malawi is set to bury late president Bingu wa Mutharika, who died of a heart attack earlier this month.
Several African presidents are in Malawi for Monday's funeral in Mr. Mutharika's home district, including the leaders of Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Malawi's information minister, Moses Kunkuyu, told VOA that the leaders of many political parties have paid their respects along with people from all regions of the country.
“Malawi is a unified state — in life, in death, Malawi's always united.”
Mr. Mutharika had broken with his vice president, Joyce Banda, who was expelled from the ruling party but rose to the presidency as directed in the country's constitution.
Kunkuyu said President Banda's role in the nation's response shows its unity.
“It is the president that is leading the nation in the whole mourning period, mourning our former head of state professor Bingu wa Mutharika. So that is indicative in its own that there is nothing like dissenting or having differences during a funeral.”
Mr. Mutharika ruled Malawi since being elected president in 2004 and winning a second term in 2009.
He was credited with improving food security in Malawi and, at one time, making his country a political and economic model for other African countries. In recent years, the national economy stumbled and unemployment rose sharply, and critics accused the late president of increasingly autocratic behavior.
GOVERNOR ATTENDS FCO LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN LONDON
His Excellency Governor Ric Todd is attending the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s annual leadership conference in London from Mon, 30 Apr until Friday, 4 May 2012.
During his absence, from 23 April, Chief Executive Officer of the TCI Government, Patrick Boyle will be sworn in as Acting Governor, until Governor Todd’s return on Mon, 7 May.
The first morning of the Conference will see Governor Todd meet with Governors and Administrators from the UK’s 13 other Overseas Territories to discuss the progress of the approaching FCO’s Overseas Territories White Paper, FCO strategy implementation as well as improving financial management and human rights. Minister Bellingham will join the conference and Minister Duncan is due to confirm his attendance also.
In the afternoon the Caribbean Governors will meet separately to discuss matters of mutual interest such as building prosperity, economic reform and regional integration.
All of Tuesday and Wednesday morning will be dedicated to FCO-wide plenary sessions on diplomatic excellence, security, prosperity, the UK economy and an update on the London Olympics.
On Wednesday afternoon, Governor Todd will attend a workshop being held by Lord Howell and Sir John Major on the subject of UK engagement with the Commonwealth and priorities for the Diamond Jubilee Fund.
Thursday morning will see a series of outreach sessions covering passport repatriation, procurement procedures and governance structures, developing tertiary education for OT citizens, and finally a session on Financial Services, led by Helen Hatton, chair, Anguillan Financial Services Commission. In the afternoon there will be an opportunity to meet senior representatives from other UK Government Departments. Friday is being kept clear to allow delegates to attend to other business in the FCO.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to promote the people and business of the TCI to our peers]both in the UK and across the other Overseas Territories,” said Governor Todd. “We share a unique heritage and meeting together in this way helps us to find new ways of improving the lives of our citizens and their economies by looking at what we can learn from, and do for, each other.”
Governor Todd will depart from TCI on 23 April and will be on leave until the Conference starts.
Witnesses, Official Say Sudan Bombs South Sudan
Witnesses and a South Sudanese official say Sudanese warplanes have carried out airstrikes on a border area of neighboring South Sudan, killing at least one person.
The deputy head of South Sudan's military intelligence called the bombings Monday near Bentiu a “serious escalation” and a “clear provocation.”
Reporters who witnessed airstrikes said the attack killed a young boy at a market.
The bombings come a day after South Sudanese troops completed their withdrawal from the flashpoint town of Heglig, a contested oil-producing area where they seized oil fields on April 10.
The international community has pressed both countries to halt cross-border attacks and restart dialogue.
The two sides have given conflicting reports of casualties during the battle for Heglig, with Sudan saying 400 South Sudanese troops were killed and South Sudan saying the number is a fraction of what Sudan claims.
The north and south signed a peace deal in 2005, ending a 21-year civil war that killed more than two million people. The deal included an independence referendum for the south, which split from the north last July.
The two countries have been unable to resolve disputes over borders, oil and citizenship.
Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb wakes from coma
Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb has woken from a coma after more than a week and begun to show signs of recovery.
Spokesman Doug Wright said he was able to nod and communicate with his family who have held a constant vigil at his beside in a central London hospital.
The 62-year-old fell into a coma after contracting pneumonia in his battle against colon and liver cancer.
Gibb's wife Dwina has revealed he cried when she played him Roy Orbison's 1962 song Crying.
Fellow Bee Gees star Barry Gibb had also been singing to his brother to try to rouse him.
Dwina Gibb told her local paper The Impartial Reporter, based in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland their children Robin John, Spencer and Melissa have been playing him music to "try and bring him back to us".
Facebook tributes
She said thousands of people have been saying prayers for him every day, and thanked his fans for their support.
In February Gibb said he had made a "spectacular" recovery from cancer but was later back in hospital for surgery.
Gibb was too ill to attend last week's premiere of his latest work The Titanic Requiem, a classical piece composed with his son to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking.
He was due to sing Don't Cry Alone in person at Central Hall Westminster in London.
The singer's website is down because of traffic volumes, with fans directed to his Facebook page, where messages of support can be left.
The British-born singer had surgery on his bowel 18 months ago for an unrelated condition, but a tumour was discovered and he was diagnosed with cancer of the colon and later of the liver.
It had been thought his cancer was in remission as early as last month.
Robin Gibb's musical career began when he formed the Bee Gees with his brothers Barry and Maurice in 1958.
The group is among the biggest-selling groups of all time with hits spanning six decades including Stayin' Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Massachusetts, and Words.
Their soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever was one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s and the band have won seven Grammy Awards.
Robin's twin brother Maurice Gibb died in 2003 aged 53 due to complications from a twisted intestine.
His younger brother Andy, who had a successful solo career, died of a heart ailment in 1988, aged 30.
Gibb last performed on stage at the London Palladium in February, supporting injured servicemen and women in a charity concert.
America's Next Top Model axes three presenters
Three stars of America's Next Top Model have been dropped from the long-running TV show, after falling ratings.
Photographer Nigel Barker, runway coach J. Alexander and photo-shoot director Jay Manuel will not return, said the show's host Tyra Banks.
The show follows a group of girls as they are put through a series of modelling tests in order to become the ultimate series winner.
Barker said he had been expecting to be dropped for some time.
"It wasn't a shock. I'm friends with Tyra and the producers," the photographer, who joined the show in 2004, told E! News.
"There had been a discussion that ratings were down and that something like this would happen. We had an incredible run and there aren't any hard feelings."
Former model Banks and the show's executive producer wrote on Facebook and Twitter: "Nigel Barker, Miss J. And Mr Jay: Thank you for all our years together on America's Next Top Model.
"Working with you is always an absolute pleasure. Excited for what the future holds for us."
Manuel thanked fans in a blog post for their support and said he was moving on to other projects.
"Nigel, Miss J and I had a great run, and now it's time for us to move on," he said.
No information has been given as to who would replace the three.
America's Next Top Model, which airs on the CW channel in the US, has lost more than half of its 2005 audience, and is currently watched by less than two million people.
In the UK the show is broadcast on Sky Living.
Kamla prays on 60th birthday
PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar spent her 60th birthday yesterday holding a thanksgiving “puja” (Hindu prayer ceremony) at her private residence in Estate Drive, Phillipine near San Fernando.
The prayers began at 2 pm and was attended by Persad-Bissessar’s relatives and specially invited guests including children and several elderly persons. She gave thanks to the Almighty for her family and strength of body and mind to lead the People’s Partnership coalition Government.
Persad-Bissessar, a devout Hindu, had a pundit perform prayers while she and members of her family bowed their heads. At her side were husband Dr Gregory Bissessar and their son, Kris.
Persad-Bissessar then distributed gifts to her invited guests, who gathered in the downstairs lobby and dining room of her residence.
Persad-Bissessar was born on April 22, 1952, in Siparia to a family of eight children. She became the country’s first female Attorney General and thereafter emerged to lead a coalition government in the General Elections 2010, to become the country’s first female Prime Minister.
Dressed in a radiant yellow and pink sari, Persad-Bissessar listened attentively to pundit Abdhenand Persad-Sharma, who performed Hanuman, Ganesh and Durga pujas with Dr Bissessar and Kris at her side.
Seated among the guests were Transport Minister Devant Maharaj and Minister in the Ministry of Works Stacy Roopnarine. At the time of the celebrations, Works Minister Jack Warner and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan were touring parts of Tabaquite to view road conditions.
Maharaj wished Persad-Bissessar a happy birthday and praised her for leading the Government which places special focus on children and the elderly. He thanked the Prime Minister for setting an example for others to follow in celebrating a birthday with prayers and thanksgiving.
“Whilst we’re accustom to the partying on such occasions as birthday celebrations, our Prime Minister chose to thank God for the gift of life and good health,” Maharaj said. Persad-Bissessar then distributed gifts to approximately 75 children and elderly persons. “You all are close and dear to me,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Newsday
Lil Kim Ready to Kick Off Her “Return of the Queen” Tour
The “Queen Bee” has been plotting her comeback for the past three years, and now comes the announcement that Lil Kim will hit the road on an 11-city tour, dubbed the “Return of the Queen.”
The “Return of the Queen” tour, which will kick off on May 11 in Austin, Texas, before making stops in cities like Philadelphia, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and the Bronx, New York City, before wrapping up on June 13 in West Hollywood, California.
Kim is currently hard at work on her untitled fifth studio album, the follow-up to 2005′s The Naked Truth, which included the singles “Lighters Up” and “Whoa”. Most recently, she released the promotional track, “Keys to the City“, featuring Young Jeezy, which may or may not be featured on her upcoming LP.
Jaden Smith In Talks To Star In Sci-Fi Thriller “Boy Nobody”
Sony Pictures and Will Smith’s Overbroook Entertainment have acquired the rights to the novel “Boy Nobody” as a starring vehicle his son, Jaden Smith.
According to Variety, Overbrook won an intense bidding war with several other major film studios for the movie rights to the book “Boy Nobody.”
The novel “Boy Nobody,” which hasn’t even been released yet, is a three-part science fiction story written by Allen Zadoff.
The movie will feature Jaden Smith starring as a teenage assassin who has been brainwashed.
Over the course of the film, he slowly regains his memory and his emotions.
Jaden Smith’s next movie will be M. Night Shyamalan’s movie “After Earth,” which also stars Will Smith.