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[Reza1969]

Rice: Iranian Nuclear Move Requires Strong UN Steps

By David Gollust
State Department
12 April 2006

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Iran's claims of an advance in uranium enrichment will require strong steps by the U.N. Security Council when it reconvenes on the issue at the end of the month. The secretary promised a steady U.S. diplomatic effort on the issue.

Secretary Rice says Iran's defiance of calls that it stop uranium enrichment will require strong action by the U.N. Security Council if the council is to maintain its credibility.

But Rice also says the United States is pursuing a steady diplomatic course on the issue, with officials saying the Bush administration is not seeking emergency action by the Security Council, despite Tuesday's Iranian announcement.

The secretary's comments added to a growing chorus of international concern about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's assertion that Iran was moving toward enriching uranium on an industrial scale for what Tehran says are peaceful purposes.

Rice addressed the Iranian nuclear issue in a talk with reporters as she began a meeting with the President of Equatorial Guinea, saying the Iranian leader's statement is just a step that will further isolate the Tehran government.

"It demonstrates that Iran is not adhering to the international community's requirements," she said. "And I do think that the Security Council will need to take into consideration this move by Iran, and that it will be time, when it reconvenes on this case, for strong steps to make certain that we maintain the credibility of the international community on this issue."

Rice said the Bush administration would be steady in its diplomatic track on the Iranian nuclear issue, because it believes that concerted and coherent diplomatic policy will convince the Iranians to return to compliance with international demands.

Earlier this week, administration officials downplayed news reports the administration was contemplating military action against Iran, though saying no options had been foreclosed.

The Bush administration has long said that Iran's nominally peaceful nuclear program has a concealed weapons component.

Rice said again the current conflict is not about Iran's right to have a civil nuclear-power program, but she said the world does not believe it should have the capability and technology that can lead to a nuclear weapon.

State Department officials said the United States is not asking for any change in the Security Council timetable for action on the Iranian issue.

The council is due to convene April 28 to hear a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's response to the so-called president's statement it issued late last month calling on it to halt sensitive nuclear activities.

The officials said Rice telephoned IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei to ask him to reinforce demands that Iran comply with its non-proliferation requirements when he told talks in Tehran later this week.

Source : VOA News

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[Reza1969]

Key US Senator Backs Direct Talks With Iran

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
16 April 2006

A top Republican in the U.S. Senate says the Bush administration should hold direct talks with Iran on Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Senator Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says direct talks with Iran could be helpful.

"I think that it would be useful," he said.

During an appearance on the ABC television program This Week, the Indiana Republican also stressed the need for direct U.S. talks with Russia and China about the best way to put pressure on Iran. Both countries are permanent veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council and have made clear they are reluctant to impose sanctions on Tehran. Lugar suggested it might be best to intensify diplomacy and put any discussion of sanctions aside for the time being.

"I believe for the moment, that we ought to cool this one too," he added. "The rhetoric has been pretty hot and heavy with the president of Iran on TV constantly. It appears to me that they [the diplomats] are not making that much headway and we need to make more headway diplomatically."

The Bush administration has long maintained that the best way to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue is through a multilateral approach. It has supported negotiations led by three European nations - Britain, France and Germany - and urged action by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Security Council.

One strong congressional supporter of the president's strategy is Senator Mitch McConnell. The Kentucky Republican split with Senator Lugar on the issue, explaining his view on the Fox television network's Fox News Sunday program.

"When the president went into Iraq, they accused him of being too unilateral. And now, he is applying a multilateral approach in Iran and they say it ought to be unilateral in Iran. Nobody seriously thinks there is a unilateral solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis," said McConnell.

But the stand espoused by Senator Lugar got some strong support on U.S. television from a leading Senate Democrat, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. He also appeared on Fox News Sunday.

"The Iranians have been very interested for us to be very directly involved, with the Europeans or not," he commented. "The point is we almost have no contact at all. They are asking us to sit down and talk about Iraq with them because they are concerned about that. That is an opening."

Meanwhile, two former members of the White House National Security Council have weighed in with their opinion on the use of military force against Iran. In an article written for the New York Times newspaper, Richard Clarke and Steven Simon warned against such action, saying it could be more damaging to U.S. interests than the struggle in Iraq.

President Bush has maintained he wants to resolve the matter diplomatically, though military action is always an option. He told a group of foreign policy students last week that in the case of Iran, multilateral diplomacy remains the best course, playing down media reports alleging military planning for a possible attack is under way.

Iran has maintained its nuclear program is purely civilian in nature and is designed to generate electricity. But the United States and its allies have argued that civilian program is really a cover for the development of nuclear arms.

Source : VOA News

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[Reza1969]

Pilgrims Celebrate Easter Sunday in Jerusalem

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
16 April 2006

Christians around the world are celebrating Easter, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Robert Berger spent the day among pilgrims in Jerusalem, and filed this VOA report.

Thousands of Christians converged on the holy places in Jerusalem to celebrate Easter, beginning at the crack of dawn.

It's a chilly Easter sunrise here at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, but pilgrims have come out to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The site is said to resemble the place where Jesus was buried. Facing an empty ancient tomb from biblical times, the worshippers proclaimed: the Lord is not here, He is risen.

Mr. Wright came all the way from Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. He told VOA that walking in the footsteps of Jesus on Easter is an experience of faith.

"I'm just sitting down and kind of letting it soak in. There's so much history here, and to imagine what happened and how important it is, it's a little overwhelming," Wright says.

The main Easter celebration was a solemn liturgy at one of the holiest places in Christianity.

A fragrant cloud of incense is rising above the ancient stone tomb here in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, believed to be the site of Jesus' resurrection. Priests in white robes are celebrating Easter mass surrounded by pilgrims from around the world. The church is packed this year-unlike in previous years when Israel-Palestinian violence scared pilgrims away.

Israeli police and soldiers patrolled the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem's Old City, but the atmosphere was calm. Jonathan Fambrough is from the U.S. city of Atlanta.

"There's really so much security, there is so much, in my feeling, my experience, safety," Fambrough says. "And, you know, I feel just as at home here as I would in New York City. And I think it's just absolutely silly that people don't come here because of security."

So pilgrims enjoyed a peaceful Easter in the turbulent Middle East.

Source : VOA News

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[Reza1969]

UN Warns Sudanese Refugees in Chad Have Nowhere to Go

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
16 April 2006

The UN refugee agency warns some 200,000 Sudanese refugees who fled to Chad from Darfur would have nowhere to go were they to be expelled from the country. A UNHCR spokeswoman tells VOA, the agency has heard nothing official from the authorities in Chad about possible expulsions.

UNHCR spokeswoman, Jennifer Pagonis, says she does not want to speculate about what would happen to the refugees were they to be expelled.

"Obviously, they cannot go to Darfur," she said. "The situation there is not suitable for the return of refugees there. They still fear persecution. The situation in Darfur is not good. Even our own activities in the region have been curtailed because of the security situation. So, they cannot go back to Darfur. We certainly hope that we can continue working with the Chadian government."

On Friday, Chad's president threatened to expel the Sudanese refugees by the end of June, unless the international community took steps to stop, what he called, Sudan's efforts to undermine his government. The government issued this warning in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt by rebels who, Chad claims, are supported by the Sudanese government.

Since war between Sudanese-backed militia and rebel groups broke out in Darfur three years ago, tens of thousands of people have been killed and about two million made homeless. An estimated 200,000 fled to neighboring Chad seeking asylum.

Pagonis tells VOA the UNHCR has been working very closely with the Chadian government since the beginning of the influx of refugees from Darfur in 2003. She hopes the cooperation between them can continue.

"We have good contacts with the government. We talk to them regularly and we will certainly be talking to them now about this. You know Chad has had a very large burden in dealing with these 200,000 refugees," reminded Pagonis. "They are in an extremely difficult, hostile area, part of the country, in terms of the physical terrain. And, it certainly has not been easy for them. That is why the UNHCR has been there helping them cope with this. So far, we have managed under pretty difficult circumstances. So, we think that we can at least try to continue that."

Pagonis says there are only about 12 resettlement countries in the world. She says it is unlikely that other countries would be willing to take 200,000 refugees. She says she does not believe a solution lies in that direction, nor does it lie in sending them home.

She says the refugees from Darfur have suffered enormously and it would be unthinkable for them to be put through another horrendous situation. She urges all parties to respect the refugees and to respect their right to asylum.

Source : VOA News

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[Reza1969]

China's President Calls for Talks With Taiwan

By Daniel Schearf
Beijing
16 April 2006

Chinese President Hu Jintao says new talks with rival Taiwan should begin as soon as possible to maintain peace in the region. Mr. Hu's remarks come just days before he is due to meet President Bush in Washington.

Hu Jintao said Taiwan and China should resume talks on an equal footing and on the basis of a 1992 consensus, in which the two sides agreed the island and the mainland were part of "One China."

China and Taiwan split in 1949 after a civil war. Since then China has considered independently-ruled Taiwan a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Mr. Hu made the call for early negotiations Sunday in a televised meeting with Lien Chan, the former chairman of Taiwan's main opposition party. Mr. Lien was in Beijing for a cross-straits economic forum.

Without specifying current government members, Mr. Hu said Sunday elements in Taiwan were creating obstacles to better relations by refusing to honor the consensus.

Mr. Hu says ignoring the people's wishes, some people are denying the consensus of 1992 and deliberately damaging the status quo, which is that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. He adds that only by honoring the consensus can the two sides achieve the goal of peaceful development and common prosperity.

Beijing has sought to isolate Taiwan's independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian by developing ties with the opposition Nationalists. Mr. Lien's visit to the two-day economic forum was his third in the past year.

The United States has urged China to talk directly to Taiwan's leaders but the Beijing government says it will not negotiate with anyone who does not honor the 'One China' policy.

China has also repeatedly stressed the importance of improving economic ties with Taiwan and on Saturday pledged a package of trade and economic benefits, including aviation, agriculture and finance deals.

Mr. Hu also announced that China's economy grew by more than 10 percent in the first quarter of this year. However, he insisted China was not deliberately pursuing high-speed growth and was more concerned about the environment and people's livelihood.

Mr. Hu's visit to the United States begins on Tuesday. While there he will meet with President Bush for talks that will include Taiwan and trade issues.

Source : VOA News

The audio file link :

[Reza1969]

Indian Court Lifts Ban on Bombay's Famous Dance Bars

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
16 April 2006

An Indian court has lifted a ban imposed on dancing-girl bars in the western city of Bombay. The bars were an integral part of nightlife in Bombay, the city that is home to India's entertainment industry.

A year ago, the Maharashtra state government brought the curtains down on more than 600 dance bars in Bombay, where tens of thousands of girls used to sway to popular numbers from Indian films as customers showered them with money.

These ritzy bars were a longtime feature of Bombay's vibrant nightlife. But the state government ordered them shut, saying they were hubs for prostitution and crime, and were corrupting youth.

But angry bar owners, bar girls, and women's rights activists rejected the government's contention and launched a bitter fight. They said the bars provided clean entertainment to the middle classes.

The dance bars' supporters argued that they were tame by the standards of many similar establishments across the world. The girls remained fully clothed during performances and customers were prohibited from touching the dancers.

Nearly 75,000 dancing girls were thrown out of work by the ban, which shut down bars across the state. In the past year, many of the dancers had to leave Maharashtra in search of alternate work and women's activists have expressed fears that some may have been forced into prostitution.

Now the dancing girls have reason to cheer again. This week, the Bombay High Court overturned the ban, calling it unconstitutional and saying it violated the dancing girls' right to choose their employment.

Varsha Kale heads the Bar Girls Union, which, along with the bar owners, has waged the legal battle to have the ban lifted.

Kale says the girls did not get any alternative work, despite government promises to provide them with jobs. She says they faced unemployment, but had confronted the hardship with great fortitude.

One of the dancing girls, Vandana, told local television news channels that she hopes the court order will enable her to work again.

Vandana says she danced to earn a living for her family. She says it was a respectable occupation and she worked hard like anyone else to earn an income.

The bar owners are getting ready to open their shutters - but the fight is not completely won yet. The Bombay High Court says the state government can appeal against its verdict to the Supreme Court within two months. The authorities say they may do just that.

Source : VOA News

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[Reza1969]

Berlusconi Resigns as Italian PM

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
02 May 2006

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has resigned, paving the way for a center-left government led by Romano Prodi. His resignation came more than three weeks after Italy's general elections.

For weeks, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi refused to concede defeat in Italy's general elections. His challenger, Romano Prodi, who heads a center-left coalition, won by a narrow margin. Berlusconi finally went to the presidential palace to meet with the Italian head of state.

A presidential spokesman read a statement that said that Berlusconi had resigned and President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi has asked him to remain temporarily as caretaker prime minister.

Earlier, Berlusconi has presided over a short cabinet meeting in which he announced his decision to resign. Berlusconi was elected leader of the center-right coalition in 2001 and has been the longest serving prime minister in Italy since World War Two.

After learning of Berlusconi's resignation, Prodi - the winner of the elections - said democracy goes on, sometimes slowly, but it goes on. He expressed the hope that the political vacuum would not last long.

Berlusconi has pledged to lead a fierce opposition.

Meanwhile, Prodi has been working on his line-up for Italy's new government. It is up to the Italian president to give Prodi the mandate, but it remains unclear whether a new president will need to be elected first, because Ciampi's term expires later this month.

Ciampi had indicated he wanted his successor to give the new prime minister his mandate. But there has been widespread speculation that Ciampi might change his mind to put an end to the political delay.

Ciampi has stressed the need for Italy to quickly revive the country's zero-growth economy. He has also said political tensions must ease if the nation is to work together on that goal.

Source : VOA News

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