Mali’s Interim President Returns to Mali
Mali's interim president arrived in Bamako to take office after military coup leaders agreed to hand power to a civilian government in a deal with neighboring countries announced Saturday.
Former speaker of parliament Dioncounda Traore will serve as president with a transitional government until elections are held. He flew into Mali Saturday from a temporary exile in neighboring Burkina Faso.
Ivory Coast official Adama Bitongo said a regional 15-member bloc was lifting the sanctions imposed on Mali to force the military to return power to civilian leaders after reaching an agreement with coup leaders late Friday.
“As a consequence the president of ECOWAS, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, in agreement with his peers,
has decided to immediately lift the sanctions against Mali.''
President Ouattara currently heads the Economic Community of West African States. The bloc also pledged to help Mali fight the Tuareg rebels who have seized much of the country's north and proclaimed an independent state there.
Coup leader Amadou Sanago has said the junta is stepping aside for an interim government of national unity, in order to lift the total embargo ECOWAS has imposed on the landlocked nation.
In Mali's capital Bamako relieved civilians gathered in the streets Saturday, holding up signs calling for peace.
The coup on March 22 plunged Mali into chaos and led to big gains by Tuareg rebels battling Malian forces in the northern part of the country. Ironically, the coup leaders had justified their takeover by denouncing what they said was the former government's ineffectual campaign to suppress the Tuareg rebellion.
Under the agreement, President Amadou Toumani Toure who has been in hiding since the coup, is entitled to live in safety wherever he chooses. He was ousted just months before a scheduled presidential election when he was due to step down.
Mali's neighbors all criticized the military takeover and the removal of President Toure. They also oppose the new “Azawad” state declared by the northern rebels. In their advance against the Malian army and seizure of Timbuktu and other areas, the Tuaregs have been fighting alongside members of the radical Islamist group Ansar Dine.
The self-styled National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad controls Timbuktu, Gao city and other areas in the north. It declared itself independent Friday and said its military campaign was over. The heavily armed Tuaregs, former based in Moammar Gadhafi's Libya, began fighting in northern Mali in mid-January.
There has been nearly unanimous international rejection of the MNLA rebels' proclamation. In addition to ECOWAS and other African states, the United States, France and other European powers have said they do not recognize Azawad.
The agreement with ECOWAS is said to call for a transitional government led by a consensus prime minister, and it calls for the lifting of all sanctions against Mali and an amnesty for coup leaders.
135 People Feared Dead in Pakistani Avalanche
Up to 135 people, mostly Pakistani soldiers, are feared dead after a massive avalanche engulfed a high-altitude military complex in mountainous Kashmir near the Indian border early Saturday.
In a statement late Saturday, Pakistan's military said up to 135 people — 124 army soldiers and 11 civilians — were buried under the wall of snow more than 20 meters thick in the Siachen Glacier region, with no sign of life more than 12 hours later. Both Pakistan and India have military outposts in the region, known as the world's highest battlefield.
The military launched a huge all-day search on the remote 6,000-meter peak involving helicopters, search dogs, troops, doctors and paramedics, but the rescue operation was called off late Saturday as darkness set in and the weather worsened. The search is due to resume early Sunday.
Pakistan's High Commissioner in Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, said about 150 people were in the military base at a time of the avalanche. The base is located in a high risk area where the inhospitable climate and avalanche-prone terrain have claimed more lives than gunfire.
The snowslide hit on the eve of a scheduled meeting between Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday. It will be the first visit to India by a Pakistani head of state since 2005.
Pakistan and India each have thousands of troops stationed in Kashmir, which both nations claim in full. Territorial disputes over control of the rugged, mountainous region have sparked two wars between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Since 1984, there had been skirmishes along the border until both sides agreed to a cease-fire in 2003.
Malawi’s New President Calls for Peace, Unity
Malawi's new president, Joyce Banda, has called for peace and unity as the nation mourns for her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika, who died suddenly on Thursday.
Ms. Banda spoke on Saturday after being sworn in in the capital, Lilongwe, as Malawi's first female president.
“I call upon all Malawians to remain calm and to keep the peace during this time of bereavement. Further, I wish to direct that all national flags at public buildings be flown at half-staff, and that the Malawian broadcasting corporation and private media will play sombre music as we honor this mourning period, which is for 10 days. I would like to ask all Malawians that we mourn the father of this nation with dignity.”
President Banda served as vice president in Mr. Mutharika's government, but was expelled from the ruling political party in 2010. She formed an opposition party, but remained vice president. She succeeds Mr. Mutharika as mandated by the constitution. In her inaugural speech, she called for national unity, saying “there is no room for revenge.”
The United States sent condolences to the people of Malawi and the family of President Bingu wa Mutharika following his death. In a statement issued Saturday, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said the United States welcomes the announcement that Vice President Joyce Banda has been sworn in as president.
Mr. Mutharika died of a heart attack he suffered at home on Thursday, despite emergency treatment at a hospital in Lilongwe. The government delayed official confirmation of Mr. Mutharika's death until Saturday, giving rise to concerns that his supporters were maneuvering to install a member of the late president's ruling party as Malawi's new leader.
More than 100 Dead in Syria Ahead of Peace Deadline
At least 100 people were reported killed across Syria Saturday, as government forces pounded opposition strongholds three days ahead of a deadline to halt all military action.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group that tracks the violence in Syria, said about two-thirds of those who died were civilians and that many of the casualties were in the central village of Latamneh.
Rights groups and witnesses said military shelling and clashes between pro-government and opposition forces erupted in several regions.
Ausama Monajed, a spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Council, said the government was trying to crush dissent ahead of the April 10 deadline.
“We've seen this over and over again. This will never bear any fruit and the regime will always try to escalate the level of violence before any deadline.”
Also Saturday, thousands of Syrians rallied in Damascus and several other cities to mark the 65th anniversary of the creation of the ruling Baath Party. Many waved red, black and green Syrian flags or pictures of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian government has promised to stop all military action by April 10 under terms of a peace agreement brokered by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. The agreement calls for the opposition to lay down its arms within 48 hours after the government fulfills its promise.
Monajed says the Syrian National Council backs the peace plan but doubts President Assad will abide by its provisions.
“Despite the fact that we supported the plan — and we still do — we do not think it is going to bear any fruit.”
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday sharply criticized the Assad government for its continued assault on civilians and said the cease-fire deadline “is not an excuse for continued killing.”
The U.N. says more than 9,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began 13 months ago.
France arrests Islamist suspects in fresh raids
Police in France have conducted new raids on Islamist suspects in the wake of the multiple killings by gunman Mohamed Merah.
At least 10 people were arrested as police conducted operations in Marseille, Roubaix, Carpentras and a number of other locations.
Thirteen people arrested in raids last week face terrorism charges.
President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to crack down on suspected radical Islamists after the Merah killings.
Most of Wednesday's raids were in the south and south-west, notably in Marseille but also in Carpentras, Valence and Pau, police sources told Agence France-Presse news agency.
There was also a raid in Roubaix, close to the Belgian border.
The operation comes less than a week after raids that targeted men who are believed to be associated with a radical group called Forsane Alizza, which was banned last month.
Police have been careful not to link the raids to the killings by Merah in Toulouse and Montauban.
The self-confessed al-Qaeda gunman was shot dead by police in Toulouse, following attacks in which he murdered seven people, including three children.
After last week's raids, Mr Sarkozy, who faces a presidential election this month, said the crackdown on radical Islamists "would continue and that will allow us to expel from our national territory a certain number of people who have no reason to be here".
On Monday, the French interior ministry announced the expulsion of five radical Islamic preachers as part of the crackdown.
China eyes freer financial markets to boost yuan role
China, the world's second-largest economy, is looking to increase investment and competition in its financial and banking sectors.
On Tuesday, it almost tripled the amount that international fund managers can invest in China to $80bn (£50bn).
At the same time, Premier Wen Jiabao told China National Radio that the monopoly of state-owned banks needed to be broken.
The shift may boost growth and create a more international Chinese currency.
Analysts have long said that opening up its financial markets was key to Beijing's efforts of pushing the yuan as an alternative to the US dollar as a global reserve currency.
The Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme is one of the main channels used by foreign firms to invest in Chinese financial markets.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission said raising the quota of the scheme was a step towards opening up the sector.
"The QFII programme enhances our experience of monitoring and regulating cross-board investment and capital flows," it said in a statement.
"It is a positive experiment to further open up the market and achieve the yuan convertibility under the capital account."
'Provide stability'
The move comes amid volatility in the Chinese stock markets.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index fell more than 20% last year. It has since seen a small revival, gaining almost 3% so far this year.
Analysts said the move to increase the quota for OFIIs was an attempt by the authorities to provide more stability to the markets.
"The longer term issue is about the structural health of China's stock markets," Stephen Joske of Australia Super, an institutional investor, told the BBC.
He explained that volatility in recent times had raised concerns about the impact of short-term and speculative investment in the markets.
"The hope is that allowing more foreign institutional investors, who are likely to have a more longer term approach, will provide stability to the markets."
'Far too easily'
In a further indication of Beijing's intent to loosen its grip on the tightly controlled financial sector, Premier Wen Jiabao hinted at allowing private investment in the country's banking sector.
The sector is dominated by the four big state-owned banks, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Agricultural bank of China.
However, Mr Wen said that their monopoly was hurting businesses in the country, as they had few options to raise capital.
"Frankly, our banks make profits far too easily. Why? Because a small number of major banks occupy a monopoly position, meaning one can only go to them for loans and capital," he was quoted as saying by the China National Radio.
"That's why right now, as we're dealing with the issue of getting private capital into the finance sector, essentially, that means we have to break up their monopoly."
Future growth
The lack of easy availability of capital has often been cited as threat to growth of small and medium sized businesses in China.
There have been fears that some of these businesses may turn to unofficial sectors for capital, increasing their borrowing costs substantially.
Analysts said that ensuring the sustainability of these businesses was key to China's growth.
"This is a time in China's economic history where future growth, and future jobs, depend heavily on small and medium enterprises and the private sector," said William Overholt of Harvard University.
Mr Overholt said growth of these businesses had been hurt by moves by China's central bank in the past to try to limit the amount of lending in the country. He added that the entry of private players was likely to create a more level playing field by helping them get more access to fresh capital.
"When you control inflation by high reserve ratios, what the banks do is cut off everybody but their biggest clients," he said.
"The financial system is strangling them."
Adele confirms she will release new music in 2012
Adele has told a French radio station she will have a new single out by the end of the year, but her next album will take "a good two years" to record.
The news will fuel speculation that the artist will record the theme tune to the latest Bond movie, Skyfall.
She has been the bookmakers' favourite since last year, but no official announcement has been made.
Speaking to France's NRJ, the singer added she needed to find time to write the follow-up to her hit record, 21.
"If I didn't write my own songs, I'd be out next week with a new album," she said.
"I have to take time and live a little bit. There were a good two years between my first and second albums, so it'll be the same this time."
Adele added that she was not worried about recreating the success of 21, which has now sold more than 20 million copies around the world.
"I don't think I'll feel the pressure for the next album to be as big as the last one because I know that's not really possible," she said.
"What's happened with this album is very rare anyway."
She said her ideal duet partner would be the late Etta James but she would also like to sing with Beyonce.
"I adore Beyonce, I've been listening to her since I was about 11," she told NRJ.
"I think her work as an artist and a singer is enviable in terms of the length of her career and how she's grown and grown but most of my inspirations are (from) old music and sadly they have all died."
Adele's second 21 recently overtook Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon in the list of best-selling UK albums.
The LP has now sold more than 4,142,000 copies in the singer's home country, making it the seventh biggest-selling album of all-time.
The singer from north London has enjoyed a stellar year with two Brit awards and six Grammy awards to her name.
Ashton Kutcher Dumps Rihanna
In Hollywood, relationships come and go like the wind.
The latest relationship to suffer this fate (if you even want to call it that) was Ashton Kutcher and Rihanna’s brief fling together.
When the papparazzi caught Rihanna sneaking out of Ashton’s house, that was the last straw for the actor.
According to an OK Magazine insider, once he found out that Rihanna’s visit to his house was made public he contacted her and told her that it was over.
Here’s the quote:
“When Rihanna arrives at his house she didn’t tell him she’d been photographed by paparazzi,” says the insider. “He was very specific that she check to make sure she wasn’t being followed, and the way he sees it, she either screwed up or — even worse — tipped the photographers off herself.”
Rihanna Wants to Portray Whitney Houston on the Big Screen
If the opportunity ever presented itself, Rihanna is hoping to make it known she would “love” the chance to play Whitney Houston in a biopic based on the singer’s life.
Opening up to The Press Association, Rihanna, 24, discussed her attachment to the legendary vocalist, who died tragically on February 11 at the age of 48.
“My first song that I remember falling love with was a Whitney Houston song: ‘I Will Always Love You,’” Rihanna shared. “It was really inspiring and it made me develop a passion for music, so really, she’s partly responsible for me being here in this industry.”
The “We Found Love” singer added she understands the type of commitment needed to undertake such a meaningful part.
“That would be something that I would have to give my entire life to do, because I would really want to pull it off,” Rihanna told reporters. “That’s a huge, huge role and whoever does it has to do a good job.”
Rihanna is slated to make her big screen debut next month when Battleship (also starring Alexander Skarsgard and Brooklyn Decker) hits theaters.
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Trump Won’t Bar Transsexual Beauty Queen From Shot at Miss Universe Canada Title
Jenna Talackova, the Canadian beauty queen, won’t have to fight Donald Trump for a chance to compete for the Miss Universe Canada title after all, even though she was born a he.
Talackova is everything you think of when you hear the words “beauty queen.” With her bright smile, flowing blonde hair and viciously long legs, you can’t deny she’s stunning.
But Talackova, 23, was first disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada competition because she was born a male, according to CTV. Talackova was originally selected as one of 65 finalists for the Donald Trump-owned competition and her profile and photos were pulled from the Miss Universe Canada website.
But the Trump organization has reversed its decision, announcing today that it won’t attempt to keep Talackova out of the contest.
“The Miss Universe Organization will allow Jenna Talackova to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada pageant provided she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions,” Michael D. Cohen, executive vice president and special counsel to Donald Trump, said in an email.
The Miss Universe Canada website states that to enter, women must be a Canadian citizen and between the ages of 18 and 27. If basic requirements are met, they are asked to fill out a longer application form. The form does not mention any rules against sexual reassignment surgery.
Talackova and her attorney, Gloria Allred, had scheduled a news conference for Tuesday in Los Angeles to discuss “why Jenna should be permitted to compete and what action [Allred] plans to take in the United States on behalf of Ms. Talackova if the Miss Universe Pageant refuses to change its discriminatory rule.”
The blonde beauty has not tried to hide her past. In a 2010 YouTube video for Miss International Queen, a transgender/transsexual competition in which Talackova was a contestant, she states that she began hormone therapy at age 14. At 19, she had sexual reassignment surgery.
A petition was started on Change.org asking Miss Universe Canada to “reverse the unfair disqualification of Jenna Talackova.” The petition was signed by tens of thousands of people.
Other fans have flocked to Facebook and Twitter to express their feelings over Talackova’s disqualification.
“Disgraceful. This is flat-out discrimination,” one fan commented on the Miss Universe Canada Facebook page.
“@JennaTalackova should NOT have been disqualified from @MissUniverse! Beautiful is beautiful. Down with discrimination,” one fan tweeted.
But reactions to Talackova’s story have been mixed.
“If she never stated on her application such detail, I support this decision,” one Facebook user posted to the Miss Universe Canada page.
This isn’t the first time a transgender woman has been disqualified from a competition. In 1976, Renèe Richards, a professional American tennis player who had sexual reassignment surgery to make her a woman, was denied entry into the U.S. Open by the United States Tennis Association unless she agreed to chromosomal testing. The USTA cited an unprecedented, women-born-women policy. Richards took her case to the New York Supreme Court, which ruled in her favor in 1977, allowing her to play as a woman.
The crown for Miss Universe Canada will be awarded May 19 in Toronto.
By Dean Schabner
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