• diary political and General News Events from Feb 2

China has been investing money and labour in Nigerian infrastructure in return for deals on oil drilling rights and supplies of crude. Nigeria, an impoverished nation of 140 million, hopes to make development gains from the relationship.
NIGERIA-HOSTAGES|LANGEN|AFA|CSA|LBY|RWSA|RWS|REULB|GNS|G|RBN|AFN|Z|ABN|O|OIL|RNP|DNP|PGE|PEN|SXNA
Document LBA0000020070106e3160008n

The 1030 GMT News Advisory
AFP

691 words

6 January 2007

05:39 AM

Agence France Presse

AFPR

English

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2007 (AFP) -
Duty Editor: Trudy Harris
News Desk: + 852 2829 6211
-- WORLD HEADLINES --
COLOMBO Fresh bus bomb kills 15 in Sri Lanka
WASHINGTON: Bush overhauls US Iraq leadership
COMILLA: 50 feared dead in Bangladesh bus fire
WASHINGTON: Rice in North Korea talks effort
-- ASIA --
SriLanka-unrest-blast,2ndlead
COLOMBO
A suspected Tiger suicide bomber triggers a powerful blast inside a crowded bus in southern Sri Lanka, killing 15 passengers and wounding 40 in the second attack on transport in as many days, police say.
550 words 1100 GMT by Amal Jayasinghe. Pictures
NKorea-nuclear-talks-US,6thlead
WASHINGTON
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with her South Korean counterpart as part of what she called "intensive" efforts to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.
750 words moved by David Millikin
Bangladesh-accident,3rdlead
COMILLA, Bangladesh
At least 50 people are feared burnt to death after fire engulfs a bus in the eastern Bangladeshi town of Comilla.
500 words 1130 GMT. Picture
India-crime-murder-children,2ndlead
NEW DELHI
The wife and son of a businessman suspected of the rape and mass murder of children in a case that has sparked outrage in India defend the man, saying he is not a monster.
550 words 1130 GMT by Parul Gupta. Picture
Indonesia-accident-air,lead
MAKASSAR, Indonesia
A team of US aviation experts arrives in Indonesia to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of a passenger jet carrying 102 people which vanished five days ago.
550 words moved by Adek Berry
India-northeast-unrest,4thlead
GUWAHATI, India
Separatist rebels gun down 13 people while they are sleeping early Saturday in India's remote northeast, bringing to 32 the number slain in 12 hours of violence.
600 words 1130 GMT by Zarir Hussain. Picture
Bangladesh-politics-vote,lead
DHAKA
Bangladesh's opposition vows to shut down the country for weeks if the government does not cancel a national election slated for January 22 and announce a fresh polling date.
500 words 1130 GMT by Shafiq Alam
Nigeria-unrest-oil-China,5thlead
LAGOS
China calls for concerted effort to rescue five Chinese telecommunications workers abducted in Nigeria's oil-rich southern Niger Delta by unidentified armed men.
700 words moved
-- AMERICAS --
US-Iraq-Bush,2ndlead
WASHINGTON
President George W. Bush pursues a sweeping overhaul of the US diplomatic and military leadership in Iraq as he put the finishing touches on a retooled war-fighting strategy.
750 words 1145 GMT by Olivier Knox
US-Iraq-Bush-Congress,lead
WASHINGTON
The US Congress's new Democratic leaders pile political heat on President George W. Bush over Iraq, days before his expected rollout of a new last-ditch strategy for the chaos-torn country.
750 words moved by Stephen Collinson
-- MIDDLE EAST --
Iraq
BAGHDAD
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki threatens to "review" ties with countries that have criticised the bungled execution of Saddam Hussein, which he insists was an "internal affair" for his government.
600 words 1200 GMT by Salam Faraj. Pictures
Mideast
GAZA CITY
Tensions simmer in the Gaza Strip as the Palestinians accuse Israel of mounting its first incursion since a November truce following deadly factional fighting that has complicated efforts to free a kidnapped AFP photographer.
500 words 1045 GMT. Picture
-- EUROPE --
Spain-attacks-Basque,2ndlead
MADRID
A week after Basque separatists broke a ceasefire with a deadly bombing at Madrid's airport, the group has still offered no explanation for its return to violence, as rescue workers finally remove the body of the second victim.
550 words 1245 GMT
Poland-religion-Vatican-history-communist
WARSAW
The church in overwhelmingly Catholic Poland plunges into a crisis without precedent as Stanislaw Wielgus, a self-admitted collaborator with the detested communist-era secret police, takes up the post of archbishop of Warsaw.
700 words 1130 GMT by Michal Mrozinski. Picture.
-- AFRICA --
Somalia-unrest-Ethiopia
MOGADISHU
Ethiopia-backed Somali government troops pursue remaining Islamists forces holed up in the country's southern region bordering Kenya as opposition against Ethiopian presence mounts in the capital Mogadishu.
550 words 1130 GMT by Mustafa Haji Abdinur
afp
Document AFPR000020070106e31600565

AFP World News Summary
AFP

425 words

6 January 2007

04:53 AM

Agence France Presse

AFPR

English

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
PARIS, Jan 6, 2007 (AFP) -
Top world news stories at 0945 GMT on Saturday:
Iraq-justice-execution-Saddam-PM
BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki brushed aside the rising international criticism over the bungled execution of Saddam Hussein, saying it was an "internal affair" for his country.
US-Iraq-Bush
WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush embarked on a sweeping overhaul of the US diplomatic and military leadership in Iraq as he put the finishing touches on a retooled war-fighting strategy.
SriLanka-unrest-blast-bus
COLOMBO: A powerful bomb exploded inside a crowded bus in southern Sri Lanka, killing at least four passengers and wounding many more, police said only a day after six passengers were killed and another 70 wounded near Colombo in a similar attack.
Iraq-unrest-US-kidnap
BASRA, Iraq: Two Iraqi interpreters kidnapped along with an American citizen have been found murdered in central Basra, a spokesman for the British military told AFP.
Somalia-unrest-Ethiopia-demo
MOGADISHU: Ethiopian forces backing the weak Somali government fired shots in the air to disperse demonstrators denouncing their presence and a disarmament plan in the capital Mogadishu.
NKorea-nuclear-talks-US
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with her South Korean counterpart as part of what she called "intensive" efforts to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.
India-northeast-unrest
GUWAHATI, India: Separatist rebels gunned down 13 people in their sleep in India's remote northeast, bringing to 32 the number slain in 12 hours of violence, officials said.
Bangladesh-accident
DHAKA: At least 50 people were feared to have been burned to death after fire engulfed a bus in the eastern Bangladeshi town of Comilla, police said.
Indonesia-accident-air
MAKASSAR, Indonesia: A team of US aviation experts arrived in Indonesia to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of a passenger jet carrying 102 people which vanished six days ago.
Nigeria-unrest-oil-China
LAGOS: China called for the release of five Chinese telecommunications workers abducted in southern Nigeria's troubled oil-producing region, calling it a matter of the "highest importance".
Mideast-conflict-Gaza-incursion
GAZA CITY: Israeli tanks crossed into an open area in the northern Gaza Strip for the first time since the November 26 truce after militants fired two rockets from the area, Palestinian security sources said.
US-Iran-Syria-China-Russia-NKorea-sanctions
WASHINGTON: The United States announced sanctions against 24 foreign entities, including Russian, Chinese and North Korean firms, for allegedly selling banned weapons to Iran and Syria.
afp
Document AFPR000020070106e316004v2

AFP Asia-Pacific news summary
AFP

353 words

6 January 2007

03:53 AM

Agence France Presse

AFPR

English

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2007 (AFP) -
AFP Asia-Pacific news summary for Saturday.
NKorea-nuclear-talks-US
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with her South Korean counterpart as part of what she called "intensive" efforts to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.
India-northeast-unrest
GUWAHATI: At least 13 more people were killed in a pre-dawn separatist rebel raid in India's northeast, bringing to 32 the number slain in 12 hours of violence.
SriLanka-unrest-blast
COLOMBO: The death toll from a bomb attack on a packed bus outside the Sri Lankan capital Colombo rose to six with 70 others injured, officials said, blaming the blast on Tamil Tiger rebels.
Canada-Australia-US-Internet-pedophilia
MONTREAL: A sexually abused Canadian child has been placed under protection after sending an appeal for help over the Internet to an Australian website.
Nigeria-unrest-oil-China
BEIJING: China called for the release of five Chinese telecommunications workers abducted in southern Nigeria's troubled oil-producing region, calling it a matter of the "highest importance".
India-crime-murder-children
NEW DELHI: The family of a businessman suspected of the rape and mass murder of children in a case that has sparked national outrage defended the man saying he was not a monster.
Malaysia-Mongolia-crime-murder
KUALA LUMPUR: Bone fragments of a Mongolian model who was brutally murdered in Malaysia are being returned to her homeland so that her family can finally go ahead with a funeral.
Indonesia-accident-air
MAJENE, Indonesia: A team of US aviation experts arrived in Indonesia to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of a passenger jet carrying 102 people which vanished five days ago.
SKorea-Myanmar-rights-diplomacy-Nobel
SEOUL: Myanmar has rejected former South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung's request for a visa to the military-ruled country to visit detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
Japan-food-noodle-Ando
TOKYO: Japan bade farewell to Momofuku Ando, known as the inventor of instant noodles that have become a global household product, after he died aged 96.
afp
Document AFPR000020070106e316004jx

The 0530 GMT News Advisory
AFP

448 words

6 January 2007

12:55 AM

Agence France Presse

AFPR

English

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2007 (AFP) -
Duty Editor: Sunil Jagtiani
News Desk: + 852 2829 6211
-- WORLD HEADLINES --
WASHINGTON: Bush overhauls US Iraq leadership
WASHINGTON: Rice in North Korea talks effort
NEW DELHI: Family defends mass murder suspect
-- ASIA --
NKorea-nuclear-talks-US,6thlead
WASHINGTON
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with her South Korean counterpart as part of what she called "intensive" efforts to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.
750 words moved by David Millikin
India-crime-murder-children
NEW DELHI
The family of a businessman suspected of the rape and mass murder of children in a case that has sparked national outrage has defended the man saying he was not a monster.
500 words 0730 GMT
SriLanka-unrest-blast
COLOMBO
The death toll from a bomb attack late Friday on a packed bus outside the Sri Lankan capital Colombo rose to six with 70 others injured, officials say.
550 words 0730 GMT
Indonesia-accident-air,lead
MAJENE, Indonesia
A team of US aviation experts was due in Indonesia to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of a passenger jet carrying 102 people which vanished five days ago.
500 words 0830 GMT
Nigeria-unrest-oil-China,5thlead
LAGOS
China calls for concerted effort to rescue five Chinese telecommunications workers abducted in Nigeria's oil-rich southern Niger Delta by unidentified armed men.
700 words 0700 GMT
Canada-Australia-US-Internet-pedophilia,2ndlead
MONTREAL
A sexually abused Canadian child has been placed under protection after sending an appeal for help over the Internet to an Australian website, Canadian police say.
500 words moved
-- AMERICAS --
US-Iraq-Bush,newseries
WASHINGTON
President George W. Bush pursues a sweeping overhaul of the US diplomatic and military leadership in Iraq as he put the finishing touches on a retooled war-fighting strategy.
700 words 0600 GMT by Olivier Knox
US-Iraq-Bush-Congress,lead
WASHINGTON
The US Congress's new Democratic leaders pile political heat on President George W. Bush over Iraq, days before his expected rollout of a new last-ditch strategy for the chaos-torn country.
800 words moved by Stephen Collinson
-- EUROPE --
Spain-attacks-Basques,2ndlead
MADRID
Spanish police link a series of explosives finds in the Basque region with last Saturday's bomb blast at Madrid airport claimed by separatist group ETA, amid new bomb threats at Bilbao and Tenerife airports.
650 words moved by Olivier Thibault
Poland-religion-Vatican-history-communist,2ndlead
WARSAW
Warsaw's new archbishop takes office, amid raging controversy over his past ties with Poland's hated communist-era secret police which is rocking the deeply Catholic country.
750 words moved by Jonathan Fowler. Picture.
afp
Document AFPR000020070106e316002xm

The AFP Asia news agenda
AFP

547 words

5 January 2007

09:33 PM

Agence France Presse

AFPR

English

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2007 (AFP) -
Duty editor: Sunil Jagtiani
News desk: + 852 2829 6211
ASIA NEWS HIGHLIGHTS ON SATURDAY:
+ NKorea talks may resume
+ Sri Lanka hunts bombers
+ Indonesia looks for jet
BEIJING: Seeking Chinese comment on a US statement that six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program are set to resume in January (NKOREA-NUCLEAR-WEAPONS-TALKS)
COLOMBO: Reporting on investigations into a blast that ripped through a passenger bus outside the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, killing five people, with the military putting the blame on Tamil Tiger rebels (SRILANKA-UNREST-BLAST)
JAKARTA: Reporting on the search for a missing Indonesian passenger jet with 102 people on board (INDONESIA-ACCIDENT-AIR)
OTHER NEWS ITEMS:
BANGKOK: Reporting on investigations into the deadly New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok, which have intensified political tensions and sparked fears of a new coup in Thailand (THAILAND-ATTACKS-BLAST)
BEIJING: Reporting on first day of a visit to China by Segolene Royal, a socialist campaigning to become France's first woman president (CHINA-FRANCE-VOTE-ROYAL)
-- Following up after five Chinese telecommunications workers in Nigeria are reportedly abducted (NIGERIA-UNREST-OIL-CHINA)
DHAKA: Monitoring after Bangladesh's outgoing ruling party vows to take part in this month's scheduled elections, even as 20,000 opposition activists pledge to boycott the polls (BANGLADESH-VOTE)
HONG KONG: Tennis. Final of women's exhibition tournament (TENNIS-HKG)
JAKARTA: Reporting on the continuing search for survivors from a ferry that sank off the central island of Java a week ago (INDONESIA-ACCIDENT-SEA)
KATHMANDU: Monitoring for developments in Nepal's peace process amid moves to bring Maoist rebels into government (NEPAL-POLITICS)
KUALA LUMPUR: Monitoring the floods crisis in Malaysia, which has claimed 16 lives, as forecasters predict more downpours (MALAYSIA-WEATHER-FLOODS)
NEW DELHI: Reporting after Indian police arrest two suspects following the discovery of the bodies of at least 17 children just outside New Delhi (INDIA-CRIME-MURDER-CHILDREN)
-- Reporting on latest developments in takeover battle for the nation's fourth-largest mobile phone group Hutchison Essar (INDIA-HONGKONG-BRITAIN-TELECOM-HUTCHISON)
-- Millions of Hindus gather at the Ganges River in the northern city of Allahabad for the Kumbh Mela ritual, which they believe will wash away their sins (INDIA-RELIGION-FESTIVAL)
-- Tennis. ATP Chennai Open (TENNIS-ATP-IND)
SEOUL: Covering the arrest of the vice chief of the country's top financial watchdog on corruption charges (SKOREA-FINANCE-CORRUPTION)
-- Following up after a US spokesman said six-party negotiations aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons are expected to resume this month (NKOREA-NUCLEAR-TALKS-SKOREA)
SUVA: Monitoring developments after Fiji's coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama is sworn in as interim prime minister exactly one month after overthrowing the elected government (FIJI-COUP)
SYDNEY: Tennis. Australian women's hardcourt tournament on the Gold Coast (TENNIS-WTA-AUS)
-- Tennis. ATP Adelaide International (Tennis-ATP-AUS)
TAIPEI: Following up after Taiwan's much-heralded and delayed high-speed train took its first paying passengers (TAIWAN-TRANSPORT-RAIL-JAPAN)
WELLINGTON: Tennis. Final of Auckland Classic WTA women's tournament (TENNIS-WTA-NZL)
-- Cricket. Fourth one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka (CRICKET-NZL-SRI)
afp
Document AFPR000020070106e316001gu

The 0100 GMT News Advisory
AFP

417 words

5 January 2007

08:16 PM

Agence France Presse

AFPR

English

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
HONG KONG, Jan 6, 2007 (AFP) -
Duty Editor: Guy Newey
News Desk: + 852 2829 6211
-- WORLD HEADLINES --
WASHINGTON: Bush overhauls Iraq team
WASHINGTON: Rice pushes for new NKorea talks
MAJENE: US experts probe missing Indonesian plane
-- ASIA --
NKorea-nuclear-talks-US,6thlead
WASHINGTON
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with her South Korean counterpart as part of what she called "intensive" efforts to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.
750 words 0230 GMT by David Millikin
Indonesia-accident-air
MAJENE, Indonesia
A team of US aviation experts is due in Indonesia to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of a passenger jet carrying 102 people which vanished five days ago.
500 words 0200 GMT
Nigeria-unrest-oil-China,4thlead
LAGOS
Five Chinese telecommunications workers are abducted in Nigeria's oil-rich southern Niger Delta by unidentified armed men, a Chinese diplomat says.
650 words moved
-- AMERICAS --
US-Iraq-Bush
WASHINGTON
President George W. Bush pursues a sweeping overhaul of the US diplomatic and military leadership in Iraq as he put the finishing touches on a retooled war-fighting strategy.
700 words 0200 GMT by Olivier Knox
US-Iraq-Bush-Congress,lead
WASHINGTON
The US Congress's new Democratic leaders pile political heat on President George W. Bush over Iraq, days before his expected rollout of a new last-ditch strategy for the chaos-torn country.
750 words moved by Stephen Collinson
US-politics-Schwarzenegger,lead
SACRAMENTO, California
A hobbling Arnold Schwarzenegger is sworn in as California governor here, nailing his colours firmly to the centre-ground and calling for a new era of "post-partisan" US politics.
600 words moved. Picture
-- MIDDLE EAST --
Mideast-unrest-Palestinian,3rdlead
GAZA CITY
A tense calm reigns in the Gaza Strip after leaders of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas call for an end to the internecine violence that has killed 13 Palestinians in two days.
700 words moved by Adel Zaanoun. Picture
-- EUROPE --
Spain-attacks-Basques,2ndlead
MADRID
Spanish police link a series of explosives finds in the Basque region with last Saturday's bomb blast at Madrid airport claimed by separatist group ETA, amid new bomb threats at Bilbao and Tenerife airports.
650 words moved by Olivier Thibault
Poland-religion-Vatican-history-communist,2ndlead
WARSAW
Warsaw's new archbishop takes office, amid raging controversy over his past ties with Poland's hated communist-era secret police which is rocking the deeply Catholic country.
750 words moved by Jonathan Fowler. Picture.
afp
Document AFPR000020070106e316000p2

Gunmen kidnap Chinese workers in Nigeria
Mail and Guardian

576 words

5 January 2007

ISI Emerging Markets Africawire

LQAF

English

© Copyright 2007. Internet Securities, Inc. All rights reserved.
Gunmen in Nigeria's volatile southern Niger Delta abducted five Chinese workers in the early hours of Friday in what appeared to be a kidnapping for ransom, authorities and security sources said.
The Chinese embassy in Abuja said it was in contact with authorities in Rivers state, where the kidnapping took place, to try and secure the release of the men.
Abductions for ransom are common in the oil-producing delta.
"Five Chinese people were abducted at about 5am this morning. The details are not yet clear. The embassy is taking an active role in trying to rescue them," said the embassy's press secretary Zhang Hong Liang.
He said the embassy was not yet sure who had employed the men but it may have been a telecoms firm. Energy-hungry China has been strengthening ties with Nigeria, offering investments and technical help with Nigerian infrastructure in return for good deals on oil-drilling rights and supplies of crude.
A security expert working for a major oil company in the region said he had heard the five men had been working on a vandalised electricity line in the Emouhua area of Rivers state.
"They were abducted by community-based militants and have been taken to an unknown location," the source said.
This means the kidnappers were likely to be armed youths from the local area seeking a ransom rather than members of an organised militia pressing political demands.
Three Italians and one Lebanese working for Italian oil company Agip have been held captive in a different part of the delta since December 7 after they were kidnapped by fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend).
Kidnappings have plagued the delta for many years but they intensified in 2006 and many fear the violence will worsen in the build-up to Nigeria's general elections in April.
Almost all hostages in the delta are released unharmed after their employers and local authorities pay ransoms. However, one Briton and one Nigerian were killed last year in separate botched attempts by Nigerian troops to free them.
Nigeria, the world's eighth-biggest exporter of crude oil, gets all its oil from the Niger Delta but residents of the impoverished wetlands region complain that they have been neglected by central and local governments.
Poverty and high unemployment fuel militancy and crime. The Nigerian security forces are unable to control the remote waterways of the delta where kidnappings, attacks on oil facilities and theft of crude oil are commonplace.
Mend, which says it wants greater local control of oil assets and compensation from companies for oil spills, launched a series of attacks last February that forced the closure of a fifth of Nigeria's oil output capacity.
The faceless group has said it did not want money for the four Agip workers it is currently holding captive but would release them in exchange for four prisoners of Niger Delta origin held in Nigerian jails. -- ReutersRelated articlesPlan to free hostages foiled Blogs linking to: M&G Online | This article | What's this about?
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Document LQAF000020070106e3150000d

Local Handset Factory Closes Shop
by Frances Ovia

616 words

4 January 2007

09:02 AM

All Africa

AFNWS

English

(c) 2007 AllAfrica, All Rights Reserved
Lagos, Jan 04, 2007 (This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
The only handset factory in the country is now gathering dust as the Chinese owner, ZTE Nig, has stopped production for more than eight months.
According to reports, the company had closed shop for the second time in two years as it was closed for two months in 2005 over administrative problems.
When news men visited the handset factory in Abuja recently, they observed that the administrative office and customer centre were covered with dust.
The waiting room of the factory was also littered with pieces of paper and dirt while a handful of security men kept vigil at the entrance.
An impeccable source, who had worked with the company, explained that the factory had not assembled any handset since it was inaugurated by the former Minister of Communication, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, in May, last year.
The source said that the company had been trying to sell the handsets it had assembled before the visit.
The source said that most of the workers in the factory who were neatly clad in ZTE factory overalls during the ministers visit were only hired and trained for the event.
The source said that the 20 workers who worked at the factory during the visit were trained a day before the visit and after the inauguration they were each paid N2,000 for two days service.
"My brother worked there for two days and he collected his N2,000 after the minister's visit and left for school, " another source at the factory said .
The minister of communications had commended the Chinese company for providing jobs to so many Nigerians during his visit.
Adebayo had asked the Chinese company why they were assembling handsets instead of manufacturing as was stipulated in their proposals and agreement with the ministry.
The ZTE Nig. officials said the assembling of the sets would precede manufacturing, which, they added, would begin after the staff had been trained and facilities were set up.