in september this year
the government has offered his post to mario blejer who led the central bank
under the government of eduardo duhalde in during the worst economic
crisis for decades
argentina faces maturing debt repayments totaling billion dollars in
the central bank reserves hold more than billion dollars
argentina fulfilled its repayments of billion dollars in but the rate
of growth in government income has slowed down due to the global economic
crisis
the whole episode is symptomatic of wider problems in the economy notably
the collapse in revenues that has resulted from deep recession and the drop in
commodity prices since mid neil shearing senior emerging markets
economist for capital economics ltd in london told afp
period of impasse now looms and markets have sold off accordingly the peso
is down percent against the dollar equities are down by percent
shearing added
football italian league table
rome jan afp
italian league table after wednesday matches played won drawn lost goals
for against points
inter milan
ac milan
juventus
napoli
roma
parma
fiorentina
bari
palermo
sampdoria
chievo
cagliari
genoa
lazio
udinese
livorno
bologna
catania
atalanta
siena
un envoy urges reconciliation with taliban
united nations jan afp
the outgoing un special envoy to afghanistan on wednesday called for peace and
reconciliation between the kabul government and taliban insurgents
peace and reconciliation process must be launched and become an integral part
of the political agenda said kai eide who is to relinquish his post in march
it must be based on the constitution and must be afghan led and afghan owned
if the insurgency agrees to join peace process then this will significantly
enhance the prospects of foreign troop withdrawals he told the un security
council
but eide called on the afghan rebels to distance themselves from the past and
embrace the future as well as the progress which has been achieved in
afghanistan
he said the world body was ready to promote such reconciliation
the western backed kabul government has repeatedly called for peace talks with
the taliban who were ousted in us led attack in late
but afghan president hamid has said he is prepared seek dialogue with repentant
taliban as long as they accept the constitution
the taliban however have consistently refused any negotiations with kabul until
international troops leave the country
nato and the united states have troops in the country fighting the
insurgents who have spread their footprint over the previously peaceful north
and east inflicting record western military casualties
up to more us and nato troops are to arrive over the course of
backed by thousands of civilians as the war strategy turns from battleground
tactics to development and aid
in his address to the security council eide also proposed new transition
strategy which can allow afghans to be in charge of their own future based on
systematic buildup of civilian institutions to enable the government to
deliver services and the development of the afghan economy
if we do not take these civilian components of the transition strategy as
seriously as the military component then we will fail he added
eide said the london conference on afghanistan scheduled for january must
agree on politically driven strategy where afghan ownership and capacity
stand at the center of our activities
he warned that the ongoing military surge by the nato led international security
assistance force isaf must not lead to an accelerated pressure for quick
results in governance and economic development efforts which could divert
resources from long term approach to civilian institution building and
economic development
the norwegian official is to step down as un envoy after being criticized over
his handling of the fraud marred election in afghanistan in august
and un chief ban ki moon said wednesday the search for successor was still
under way
ban also welcomed us president barack obama new afghan strategy that seeks
an optimal balance between military and civilian efforts and would strengthen
cooperation with the united nations
obama new war strategy including decision to send an additional
troops aims to turn around the eight year taliban insurgency deny al qaeda
safe haven and train afghan forces
washington hopes to increase the number of afghan soldiers and police to
by july its target date to start withdrawing us soldiers but us
commanders have warned of the challenges involved in recruiting forces
ban meanwhile also underscored the need for broader and more effective civilian
efforts in afghanistan which will require much better coordination
he noted that eide suggested setting up dedicated civilian coordination
structure in consultation with the afghan government and international
stakeholders
versailles palace to welcome japan artist murakami
paris jan afp
the palace of versailles has invited leading japanese artist takashi murakami
for two month retrospective later this year the public corporation headed by
jean jacques aillagon said wednesday
the exhibition running from september to december will be murakami
first major retrospective in france and he comes after american jeff koons at
the palace in and frenchman xavier veilhan last year
murakami who was born in tokyo in will display his sculptures and
paintings in rooms in the palace hall of mirrors and the apartments of the
king and the queen
since controversy provoked by the jeff koons exhibition the palace symbol of
the system of absolute monarchy is being careful to avoid displaying works with
pornographic or morbid connotations that might offend some visitors
football italian league results collated
rome jan afp
collated italian league results on wednesday
ac milan ronaldinho pen thiago silva borriello huntelaar
pen genoa sculli suazo
chievo inter milan balotelli
cagliari lopez conti roma pizarro pen perrotta
atalanta napoli quagliarella pazienza
parma amoruso juventus salihamidzic castellini og
siena maccarone pen fiorentina kroldrup santana gilardino
mutu
catania spolli bologna
lazio floccari rocchi kolarov pen livorno bergvold
sampdoria cassano palermo cavani
bari riccardo meggiorini barreto udinese
nba wizards arenas suspended over guns in locker room
new york jan afp
national basketball association commissioner david stern suspended gilbert
arenas indefinitely wednesday saying the washington wizards playmaker is not
currently fit to take the court
arenas ran afoul of nba rules when he brought guns to the wizards arena
he said he was storing unloaded weapons in container in his locker to keep
them away from his children at home but arenas and the league were engulfed in
controversy when the new york post reported arenas and teammate had drawn guns
on each other in december incident
arenas has insisted that account was overblown but the incident remains under
investigation by law enforcement authorities
stern said in statement that arenas actions will ultimately result in
substantial suspension and perhaps worse
the possession of firearms by an nba player in an nba arena is matter of the
utmost concern to us stern said
the commissioner said he first planned to refrain from taking action because of
the pending criminal investigation which includes grand jury sitting in the
district of columbia
but stern indicated that arenas behavior had prompted him to take immediate
action
although it is clear that the actions of mr arenas will ultimately result in
substantial suspension and perhaps worse his ongoing conduct has led me to
conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an nba game stern
said accordingly am suspending mr arenas indefinitely without pay
effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the nba
china sentences tibetan film maker to six years family
washington jan afp
chinese court has handed six year prison term to tibetan film maker who
made an internationally watched documentary in which ordinary people aired
grievances his family said wednesday
dhondup wangchen had trekked across the himalayan territory for five months
asking about topics including chinese rule the exiled dalai lama and the
olympics which beijing was preparing to hold in august
the self taught film maker was arrested in march that year as major protests
erupted in tibet he had just completed the film leaving fear behind which
has since been screened in more than countries
the court in xining in qinghai province handed him six year sentence after
authorities accused him of subversion his family said in statement
my children and feel desperate about the prospect of not being able to see
him for so many years said his wife lhamo tso who fled to safety in india
with their four children in before he started filming
we call on the chinese authorities to show humanity by releasing him my
husband is not criminal he just tried to show the truth she said
the family said that the court barred him from bringing lawyer and that the
verdict was delivered quietly on december
wangchen who had no formal education made the film with assistance from his
cousin gyaljong tsetrin who has political asylum in switzerland
tsetrin said that his cousin had contracted hepatitis through rough treatment
in jail
ask myself how he will survive in prison for six years tsetrin said
tibetan monk who worked on the film jigme gyatso spent seven months in jail
in during which colleagues said he was beaten hung by his feet from the
ceiling for hours and kept tied to chair for days
more than tibetans gave interviews for the film many voicing frustration
about what they see as cultural suppression by china and expressing admiration
for the dalai lama
the tibetan spiritual leader fled to india in and is vilified by beijing
france to set up new genocide unit in paris court
paris jan afp
france plans to set up new panel to try cases of genocide and crimes against
humanity two ministers said in newspaper column published wednesday
justice minister michele alliot marie and foreign minister bernard kouchner said
legislation would be presented to parliament in the coming six months to create
the new unit within the paris high court
the genocide and crimes against humanity unit will be given special powers to
try cases of genocide and crimes against humanity that have occurred outside
france borders and involve many jurisdictions
the move will allow the cases to come to court more quickly and provide ways to
address many of the complications that arise from the serious cases the
ministers argued
france the founding nation of human rights will never be sanctuary for
perpetrators of genocide they wrote in the column published in the paris
newspaper le monde
the plan was announced hours before kouchner arrived for talks in rwanda on
thursday with president paul kagame following the resumption of diplomatic ties
between france and rwanda in november
kouchner will also visit ntarama church now memorial for the genocide
and hold talks with officials of the ibuka rwanda association which groups
survivors
we will resume cooperation in all areas we ll see how fast said french
official speaking on condition of anonymity
after rwanda kouchner was to travel to the democratic republic of congo congo
burkina faso and ivory coast
france is investigating more than dozen cases against rwandan genocide
suspects living in france including agathe habyarimana the widow of late
president juvenal habyarimana whose plane was shot down in april opening
period of violence that would escalate to genocide
only three people have been formally charged in france for their alleged role in
the genocide kigali priest wenceslas munyeshyaka laurent bucyibaruta former
state official in gikongoro southern rwanda and pascal simbikangwa who was
arrested on the french island of mayotte
kigali has repeatedly accused france of siding with the hutus during the
genocide in which people essentially minority tutsis were massacred
between april and july
greenpeace climate protesters released from danish jail police
copenhagen jan afp
four greenpeace protesters arrested for gatecrashing royal gala dinner for
heads of state at the un climate summit in copenhagen last month were released
from danish custody on wednesday police said
they have been charged but they are free to leave and can leave the country if
they want copenhagen police duty officer michael klausen told afp
the four are the director of greenpeace spain juan lopez de uralde norwegian
nora christiansen christian schmutz of switzerland and joris thijssen of the
netherlands
lopez de uralde and christiansen fooled security staff at the danish parliament
in copenhagen by drawing up to december gala dinner in limousine and
wearing evening attire schmutz posed as their bodyguard
there they unfurled banners reading politicians talk leaders act at the
entrance
you can detain people detain them for days and keep them incommunicado
and then suddenly say that they are free just like that with no explanation
lopez de uralde told spanish media after his release adding he was not allowed
to use the telephone or internet while he was detained
the hardest part was the uncertainty not understanding the process and knowing
that there was no reason for such harsh treatment for what we did he added
lopez de uralde had earlier complained of being treated like dog at the
danish jail and greenpeace spain last week delivered petition backed by
people to the danish embassy in madrid demanding their release
the four have been charged with illegally entering state property among other
things they still face trial and possible prison sentences
their release comes day in advance of their detention being reviewed by
danish judge
greenpeace spokeswoman told afp the four were freed after the organisation
provided police with the names of other greenpeace activists who took part in
the protest
in statement mads christensen executive director of greenpeace nordic said
the imprisonment of the activists has effectively been punishment without
trial
the alleged crime is that the four aimed to impress upon world leaders the
urgency of acting to prevent catastrophic climate change the length of their
detention without trial is out of all proportion to what was simple and
harmless protest with legitimate objective christensen added
afptv agenda for thursday
paris jan afp
we plan to file the following videos on thursday please consult the advisory
for additions and amendments
nigerian thwarted bomber indicted
washington
us officials on wednesday charged nigerian man with attempted murder and
attempted use of weapon of mass destruction after botched attempt to bomb
passenger jet on christmas day umar farouk abdulmutallab was accused of
boarding northwest flight carrying concealed bomb inside his clothing
according to court documents that detailed total of six charges against him
if convicted abdulmutallab faces life imprisonment
news coverage as available
searching for people missing in nepal civil war
bardiya district nepal
nepal has begun the release of nearly child soldiers who fought with
maoist rebels from their cantonments but as the himalayan nation takes step
towards restoring peace more than people across the country remain
missing from the conflict distraught families have blamed both the maoists and
government troops for kidnapping torturing and murdering their loved one and
are urging authorities to investigate
voiced report
ngos report on sudan crisis
paris
handicap international oxfram france and the french charity secours catholique
are to present report on thursday detailing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in
south sudan the report comes days ahead of the fifth anniversary of landmark
peace accord aimed at ending decades of fighting between the khartoum government
and southern rebels but the country remains wracked by chronic poverty
political tensions and violence that threaten international aid work and the
prospects for real peace
images and soundbites
anti apartheid hero mandela brought to big screen by eastwood
los angeles
after first opening in the united states south africa and canada invictus
clint eastwood epic about south african freedom fighter nelson mandela goes
on worldwide release in january the film director talks to afptv about his
vision of the end of apartheid and mandela ultimately triumphant rise to
become president of south africa
voiced report
medical marijuana gaining acceptance in us
durango colorado
support for legalising marijuana is growing in the united states in colorado
the number of medical marijuana dispensaries has increased exponentially ever
since local laws loosened up and president barack obama has said the federal
government will no longer pursue sellers and users who are obey state laws
fourteen states currently permit the medicinal distribution of marijuana and
several others could be heading in that direction
voiced report
as part of our series ahead of the african nations cup which kicks off sunday
we plan to file the following report
chelsea biggest challenge may just be around the corner
london
four of chelsea best players have left the club for the whole of january to
play in the african cup of nations so how will the west londoners cope without
the likes of didier drogba adaptation of previously offered report
voiced report
brand new homes for the homeless
marseille france
the homeless flock to emergency hostels to escape the bitter cold during winter
but there are rarely enough beds to go around salvation army project in the
southern french city of marseille hopes to change that by building cut rate
chalets
voiced report
afptv updated advisory
paris jan afp
we have filed the following videos
fertile terrain for al qaeda in yemen
sanaa
yemeni security forces on wednesday captured key al qaeda leader and two other
militants believed behind threats against western interests in sanaa police
said the government under pressure to show it can rein in terrorists says the
operation demonstrates its capacity to police its own territory but many in the
west fear that chronic instability and weak government have made the country an
ideal haven for al qaeda and its followers
news
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
mother of jordan bomber says he was no extremist new offer
amman
the mother of man named as an al qaeda infiltrator who blew himself up at
cia base in afghanistan said on wednesday that he was no extremist as officials
insisted he was useful agent the mother of humam khalil mohammed al balawi
told afp she had not heard from him for months and had no idea if he was dead
or alive insisting that he was never an extremist extracts from telephone
conversation note audio only with balawi and footage from the balawi family
home mosque and school the alleged suicide bomber attended
news
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
british airports trial body scanners new offer
manchester englad
britain will soon introduce its first full body scanners at london heathrow
airport in the wake of the failed detroit plane bombing one airport already
trialling the technology is manchester where security officials hope to use the
new scanners to speed up security checks and minimise the chances of repeat
attack
news
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
german credit card crisis cuts off millions of shoppers
berlin
more than million german bank cards have been hit by software bug that
cropped up on new year day keeping the cardholders from being able to
withdraw money from cash machines or make payments the problem stems from
faulty software unable to recognise the year according to bank
associations who have warned the feared computer bug has cropped up years
later than expected
news economy
images and soundbites
raw vid
web vid
snow brings mayhem to britain and france
london paris avranches granville france
britain most brutal winter in decades caused chaos for travellers and
bitterly cold temperatures cloaked much of europe millions of people woke up to
heavy snow after storms spread overnight causing mayhem on the roads for
travellers images and soundbites from britain and france
news
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
all eyes on yemen after failed terror attack
sanaa
us and western anti terror efforts have refocused on the arab state of yemen in
the wake of last month failed terror plot blamed on an al qaeda branch located
there umar farouk abdulmutallab the year old nigerian suspected of trying
to destroy us airplane in midflight is believed to have studied and received
training in yemen afptv visits the language school in sanaa where abdulmutallab
studied
special report
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
hurt as egyptian police activists clash over gaza relief convoy
cairo
about people were injured late tuesday in clashes between egyptian police and
pro palestinian activists trying to get relief convoy into the gaza strip
militants and medics said some activists belonging to the convoy led by
charismatic and outspoken british mp george galloway broke down the gate at
the port in el arish to protest an egyptian decision to ship some of the goods
through israel
news
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
survivors evicted after brazil landslides
angra dos reis brazil
brazilians affected by widespread landslides have been evicted from their homes
to make way for preventive demolition mudslides set off by torrential rains
have killed more than people in the past days along the brazilian coast as
hopes for more rescues dimmed with each passing hour but the demolitions mean
that many survivors are now left with nowhere to go
news
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
prayers at tokyo temples to ease worries over future
tokyo
huge crowds are flocking to tokyo temples to celebrate the new year
marks the year of the tiger for many it an opportunity to pray for good
health and prosperity at time of increased uncertainty
culture amp lifestyle
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
space age powerboat destroyed in japan whaling clash
at sea antartica
futuristic powerboat sent to harass japanese whalers has been sliced in two
and is sinking after clash in antarctic waters activists said on wednesday
all six crew on the ady gil trimaran which holds the round the world record
were rescued unharmed the sea shepherd animal rights group said in statement
images of clashes provided by japan institute of cetacean research and sea
shepherd anti whaling activists
news environment amp nature
images from institute of cetacean research
raw vid
web mmv
images from sea shepherd
raw vid
web mmv
chilean president human rights legacy
santiago
chileans go to the polls on january for presidential run off to elect
successor to president michelle bachelet who is barred from seeking second
consecutive term under the constitution chile first female leader leaves
legacy of moderate socialist reform and reputation as one of the nation most
popular leaders ever
special report
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
quiet national holiday for crisis struck cameroon
yaounde
this year cameroon is celebrating years of independence the central african
nation was first german colony and before being divided between france and
britain there are few commemorative ceremonies but most cameroonians are more
preoccupied by the future as the economic crisis has hit the country hard
special report
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
french shopping spree as seasonal sales begin
paris
the bitter cold and snow didn deter consumers from starting bargain hunting in
france biannual sales on wednesday handbags shoes or clothing shoppers from
all over flocked to paris department stores
news economy
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
sarkozy bruised by rings in new year
cholet france
france president nicolas sarkozy delivered his new year wishes to
industrial and labour representatives on wednesday the french leader insisted
new carbon tax to fight global warming would come into force in july as the new
year saw the end of corporate and inheritance taxes
news economy
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
as part of our series ahead of the african nations cup kick off on sunday we
filed the following report
angola minibus unavoidable for visiting football fans
luanda
angola is hosting the african nations cup for the first time in the event
year history the oil rich nation has built brand new stadiums for the
occasion but improving the transport infrastructure has proved more
troublesome task massive traffic jams and lack of public transport force city
dwellers to use private minibuses to get around
sport
