paris jan afp
we will shortly move the following stories
highlights
far off museum to save an ethiopian tribe soul
canada chinese immigrants assimilate quickly easily
entertainment ethiopia museum tourism feature
konso ethiopia
women jump up in their fluffy orange cotton skirts waggling their shoulders at
men who are swift to join the danse sporting white feathers and shepherd
crooks in tribal dance paying tribute to the heroes of the small konso
community who now have their own museum in remote southeast ethiopia
words by emmanuel goujon picture
canada china immigration feature
richmond canada
in cafe in this western canadian town customer orders soda from his
server though both customer and waitress are chinese the pair converse easily
and comfortably in english
words by michel viatteau file picture
lifestyle japan telecom mobile feature
tokyo
in the japan of stressed out salaryman may unwind from his hectic
futuristic lifestyle by time travelling back few centuries and taking
virtual stroll through medieval tokyo
words by frank zeller picture
for questions email nancy shields afp com or call
iran issues ultimatum to west over nuclear swap
tehran jan afp
iran already at risk of fresh un sanctions over its atomic drive has given the
west an ultimatum to accept uranium swap deal or see tehran produce its own
nuclear fuel
however the united states and germany shrugged off saturday move which the
us said amounted to iran standing in its own way
iranian foreign minister manouchehr mottaki was quoted as saying on state
television the international community has just one month left to decide
whether or not it will accept iran conditions
this is an ultimatum
reacting to the statement us national security council spokesman mike hammer
appeared nonplussed by iran demand saying that an existing international
atomic energy agency iaea proposal already offered to tehran was sufficient
the iaea has balanced proposal on the table that would fulfill iran own
request for fuel and has the backing of the international community hammer
said
if getting access to fuel is iran objective then there is absolutely no
reason why the existing proposal which iran accepted in principle at geneva is
insufficient the iranian government is standing in its own way
and germany one of six world powers engaged in united nations backed talks to
ensure iran nuclear programme is peaceful said the ultimatum made no
difference
the situation has not changed german foreign ministry spokesman told afp
the proposal of the international community remains valid iran must seize this
opportunity
the iaea the un nuclear watchdog had proposed iran ship most of its low
enriched uranium to russia and france for processing into fuel for the research
reactor
tehran rejected december deadline to accept this risking new un sanctions
but it said on tuesday it was ready to swap its low enriched uranium for nuclear
fuel abroad while insisting the exchange happen in stages
iran is already under three sets of un sanctions for refusing to abandon its
sensitive programme of uranium enrichment the process which produces nuclear
fuel or in highly extended form the fissile core of an atomic bomb
the united states and some other western countries suspect iran is seeking to
develop nuclear weapons under the guise of civilian nuclear power programme
the islamic republic adamantly denies this saying its nuclear programme is
strictly for the production of energy
world powers have been pushing iran to accept the un brokered deal and are also
mulling plans to impose fresh un sanctions against it for dismissing the year
end deadline
on wednesday us state department spokesman darby holladay said the west would
still focus on dual track policy regarding the islamic republic
even as we leave the door open to engagement world powers agree that iran
will face consequences if it does not meet its international nuclear
obligations darby told afp
the un security council five permanent members the united states russia
china france and britain plus germany are in the process of considering
next steps consistent with our dual track policy he said
un diplomatic source in new york has said preliminary work on drafting
sanctions resolution was likely to begin in mid january
iran defiant ultimatum comes as the country faces its worst domestic crisis
whereby protesters against president mahmoud ahmadinejad june re election have
been harshly confronted by the authorities
the washington post said last week the united states was weighing targeted
sanctions against members of tehran government as it hardens its line towards
iran after bloody crackdowns on protests
tablets netbooks and smart phones to be ces stars
san francisco jan afp
sleeker smarter mobile phones tablets and netbooks will be stars at next
week premier consumer electronics show ces in las vegas as firms bring out
their latest gadgets to court the internet crowd
while this year ces will be smaller due to the global economic crisis
people are registered to attend and the number of first time exhibitors tops
for the first time
google nexus one smart phone based on android software is likely to ignite
ces buzz even though the device is to debut at the internet giant headquarters
in california two days before ces starts thursday
ces goers are eager to see whether the google branded phone lives up to
expectations in scenario reminiscent of the palm pre launch at the annual
electronics show last year
all eyes are on the nexus one said analyst rob enderle of enderle group in
silicon valley
the other thing of course is the tablets wave of android tablets will be
hitting at ces and it looks like apple is coming at the end of the month
tablet computer to be launched at ces by india based notion inc is generating
the most interest due to attributes such as paper like screen graphics for easy
reading outdoors and full color resolution
by waiting few more weeks to launch tablet apple will be able to assess how
competitors position themselves in the market and adapt its strategy
accordingly
electronic books or books will also be rolled out in abundance at ces
industry tracker forrester research predicts that six million readers will be
sold in the united states alone in doubling the number bought in the
country the prior year
an eagerly awaited que reader by plastic logic will premier thursday in an
invitation only press conference slated prior to the opening of the show floor
we are going to be awash in books enderle said the contrast between
tablets and books is going to be pronounced
lightweight bare bones laptops referred to as netbooks or ultraportables will
also be rage at ces as computer makers debut offerings tailored for market
that has boomed during hard times
making devices ranging from flat screen televisions to cars or home thermostats
smart with computer chips and links to the internet will gain momentum at ces
powerhouses behind huge but ever thinning televisions that are hallmark of ces
will tout online capabilities along with rich graphics prime for viewing films
in high definition or blu ray formats
you will see the tv set become more than just simple tv set and the blu ray
player more than blu ray player predicted dolby consumer technology
marketing director craig eggers
last year saw yahoo widgets on tv sets more television makers are installing
devices to stream youtube cinemanow and other online video on tv
dolby which is planning ces announcements of its own is intent on making sure
audio richness on devices does justice to eye popping graphics
television screens with improved capabilities will be big stuff at ces and
there is rumor that the first us television station will launch during ces
according to enderle
microsoft and yahoo are among internet titans that will be announcing
innovations or alliances at ces
the consumer electronics association has beefed up the size of videogame gear
zone and an ilounge devoted to software and accessories for apple iphones ipods
and macintosh computers
speakers include microsoft chief executive steve ballmer nokia head olli pekka
kallasvuo ford president alan mulally intel leader paul otellini qualcomm
boss paul jacobs and hisense chairman zhou houjian
analysts also expect the automotive zone at ces to hold intriguing innovations
with internet networking and television being further integrated into cars and
trucks
the final thing is that is expected to start showing up hard at ces
enderle said referring to the coming iteration of wireless broadband internet
technology
it is kind of the holy grail of next generation wireless more bandwidth lower
price and overall better experience
ces routinely includes surprise visits by celebrities as well as chance for
people in the industry to fire policy questions at the head of the us federal
communications commission
google phone debut expected this week
washington jan afp
google is expected to ring in the new year by unveiling its own smartphone on
tuesday the nexus one in bid to expand its powerful web brand in the booming
mobile arena
the internet search and advertising giant has already gained foothold in the
market with its android mobile operating system featured in number of phones
starting with mobile in october and more recently with the droid
from motorola
but the nexus one designed by taiwanese handset maker htc represents
significant departure in that google is expected to sell the google branded
phone directly to consumers who will not be tied to any one telecom carrier
apple popular iphone for example is available exclusively in the united
states through at amp but buyers of the google phone will reportedly have
their choice of wireless carriers
technology blog gizmodo citing leaked documents said the nexus one will cost
dollars unlocked meaning it isn tied to specific carrier or
dollars with two year service agreement with mobile subsidiary of
germany deutsche telekom ag
google has been coy about any plans to jump headfirst into the fast growing
smartphone market dropping hints but not confirming its intentions outright
agence france presse and other media outlets have been invited to press event
on tuesday at google headquarters in mountain view california billed only as
an android press gathering
with the launch of the first android powered device just over year ago we ve
seen how powerful open platform can spur mobile product innovation the
invitation said and this is just the beginning of what possible
google provided no further details about the event whose timing appears to be
an attempt to upstage the consumer electronics show the annual technology
extravaganza which opens in las vegas on january
among the hints dropped by google was blog post last month in which the
company said employees were testing mobile product internally in an exercise
known in the industry as dogfooding
google plunge into the smartphone market has drawn mixed reaction
it looks like google is moving to see if they can do the apple thing said
analyst rob enderle of enderle group in silicon valley in reference to the
iphone which has enjoyed phenomenal success since it was introduced in
pointing to google million dollar acquisition of mobile advertising
company admob in november number of analysts said google hopes to replicate
its web advertising success in the mobile space
not all are convinced by the wisdom of the move for google to go into the
business of selling phones just doesn make whole lot of sense gartner
analyst van baker said
just coming out with high end phone really doesn buy you much baker said
you be hard pressed to come up with enough revenue from pushing ads to pay
for the phone service
ovum research fellow jonathan yarmis said google will have to walk fine line
between marketing its own smartphone and being supportive partner for the
growing number of firms making their own handsets based on android
although android share of the us smartphone market is relatively small it has
doubled in the past year to percent in october according to comscore and
gartner predicts android based smartphones will capture percent of the global
market by the year
rio hotel horror as landslides kill
angra dos reis brazil jan afp
rescuers pulled more bodies from an avalanche of thick mud and rock that buried
luxury brazilian hotel filled with new year revelers as the death toll from
heavy rains in the south of the country rose to
twenty eight people were killed in the tragedy at the hotel on ilha grande
resort island southwest of rio and another six people injured
state officials said another landslide in the nearby city of angra dos reis
south of rio left at least people dead part of series of mudslides
brought on by incessant rains that have killed at least people across the
state of rio de janeiro since wednesday and left dozens missing
authorities said the hotel sankay was full to capacity with about guests
including children ringing in the new year at the idyllic seaside getaway on
bananal beach
the complex is nestled at the bottom of jungle covered hillside which gave way
before dawn friday on new year day transforming the tourist paradise into
hell
it was deafening noise ve never heard anything like it loud thunder
that wouldn stop felipe gomes martins hotel neighbor told brazil news
website
there was lot of earth mud trees trees falling and taking away
everything said martins who described how he and his father helped rescue
some people as the landslide swamped the area
rio deputy governor luiz fernando pezao said it was vision of horror
describing it to cbn radio as mountain of rocks and trees covering various
homes
nearby houses had been rented out to vacationers for the holiday period
fire chief said the death toll at the hotel site could rise to and rescue
teams were speeding their search saturday amid warnings of the possibility of
new landslides
the whole area is in severe danger of new landslides due to the vegetation
fire department commander pedro machado told globo news
about rescue workers and firefighters aided by rescue dogs wrestled to
remove tons of mud rocks and thick tree trunks in the hope of finding victims
alive on ilha grande but the chances of finding survivors are very slender
machado said
we cannot use heavy equipment because of the risk of setting off new
landslides he said
authorities said rescue operations would likely continue another hours
adding that most of the bodies recovered earlier were found on land at least
three more had been pulled from the sea
it is still not known if there were foreigners among the dead
the hotel sankay which opened in catered to brazilian and foreign
tourists looking for remote beachside hideaway
the island whose bananal beach can only be reached by water is the largest in
translucent bay studded with pristine tropical islands
in the center of the city of angra dos reis seaside town on the mainland
overlooking ilha grande bay about kilometers miles south of rio
another landslide buried several houses killing at least according to
government statement
top brazilian geologist said the natural risk is very severe in locations
like bananal beach where thick vegetation grows in unstable ground on steep
rocky terrain
the occupation of unstable areas is greatly increasing the risk of accidents
alvaro dos santos former director of the technology research institute told
the newspaper folha de sao paulo
although the rains stopped on friday authorities put rio on alert because of
fears of potentially devastating mudslides in its densely populated hillside
favelas or shanty towns
about people were reported killed thursday because of subsidence and house
collapses mainly in and around the city
the mudslides have forced people to leave their homes across the state
about the same number affected by similar mudslides which hit the state one year
ago
football benjani told to stay as mancini eyes united
middlesbrough england jan afp
benjani mwaruwari has been told he still has future at manchester city after
scoring for the first time in more than year during the fa cup third round
win away to middlesbrough
victory extended new manager roberto mancini percent unbeaten record since
the italian replaced the sacked mark hughes as city geared up for next week
eagerly awaited league cup semi final against manchester united in impressive
style at the riverside here on saturday
zimbabwe international benjani made the most of rare start with the only goal
to see off championship side middlesbrough as mancini displayed the strength in
depth at his disposal by making five changes and leaving more than million
pounds of talent on the bench to keep his side fresh for wednesday first leg
of the league cup semi final
asked immediately after the game if he was close to signing inter milan defender
ivan cordoba mancini replied no not for now
at the moment what is important is this game and manchester united
benjani has been linked with move away in the january transfer window after
falling down the pecking order at eastlands especiallly as mancini is expected
to bolster his squad with at least two new signings this month
but the year old provided timely reminder of his predatory goal scoring
instincts with first strike since he appeared on the scoresheet in the
draw against fulham in the premier league in december
the goal carved out by midfielder martin petrov in first half stoppage time
settled contest fought out in near blizzard conditions
mancini insisted the african could play significant role in the second half of
the season with city aiming to make it to wembley on two fronts
the former inter boss whose job prospects beyond this season may hinge on
ending the club year wait for major trophy said benjani came in and
took his goal really well
he looked good throughout the game and was pleased with his display he
shown me what he can do and that can only be good for the club and log may it
continue
mancini intends to watch manchester united when city local rivals face leeds
united in the third round of the fa cup at old trafford on sunday
city latest manager has won his three games in charge without conceding
goal but knows he faces by far the sternest test of his short reign in the
first leg at eastlands as injuries begin to hurt even squad with his club
strength in depth city
after introducing gareth barry carlos tevez and craig bellamy from the bench in
the second half against middlesbrough mancini said we ve got big problem at
the moment because we have lot of players injured so made changes today
because can play my players all the time
we re pleased to get through this test because the fa cup is an important
competition for us and it something we want to pay our full attention to
mancini hopes to have england midfielder shaun wright phillips in contention to
face united after four game injury absence but defender micah richards is
unlikely to figure because of thigh problem
football benitez still up for the cup after reading draw
reading england jan afp
rafael benitez insisted the fa cup remained top priority for liverpool after
his side were fortunate to scrape third round draw away to reading
reading who sit two points and two places above the second tier championship
relegation zone threatened an upset when simon church gave the hosts th
minute lead after benitez side failed to deal with free kick
steven gerrard hopeful long shot rescued draw for liverpool at the madejski
stadium here on saturday to set up replay currently scheduled to take place
at anfield on january
and benitez admitted his team must improve if they are to complete the job at
the second attempt
relieved said the under pressure manager think it was difficult
think they reading played really well to play in front of the tv cameras
and against liverpool think was massive boost for them and you could see
they played really well the spaniard added
you could see we were trying to do our best with really strong team and we
will play one again at anfield for the replay
we had two or three situations that could have been better but also they had
some chances
so credit to them and we are still in the competition benitez said
benitez fielded both gerrard and fernando torres in his starting line up for
competition that along with the europa league has suddenly assumed greater
priority although the manager conceded the burden of replay will do nothing to
boost liverpool hopes of finishing in the top four and claiming place in
next season champions league
we know that we have two clear chances to win trophies the europa league and
the fa cup so we will try to our best in both and keep improving in the
league said benitez whose side are four points adrift of english football
leading quartet
am disappointed with the result because we didn want to play more games
but it was tough tough game so we needed to work hard
benitez admitted he is looking at bringing in players to strengthen his squad
during the january transfer window but refused to be drawn on whether he had
made move for real madrid striker ruud van nistelrooy
we are not talking about players but will say that it will be very very
difficult he said
he was equally coy when asked about whether liverpool were interested in signing
aston villa forward emile heskey
will not talk about names benitez insisted this one because it is in all
the press here and also in spain but we are not trying to bring him so it will
be very very difficult to get him
reading caretaker manager brian mcdermott is keen to land the job full time and
hopes the royals efforts against liverpool can bolster his chances
he is more concerned though with picking up points in next weekend league
clash against championship leaders newcastle
points are our priority mcdermott said we play newcastle next week with
another full house we have to be spot on or we ll get nothing the championship
is tough tough league
we need to play like that every week the most important thing we ve lacked is
consistency and we have to get back to that
people said there was no pressure on us today but there is always pressure the
last thing we want to be is embarrassed in game of football side like
liverpool can embarrass you if you are not careful
replay was the least we deserved
football grant admits portsmouth fans right to show anger
portsmouth england jan afp
portsmouth manager avram grant admits he can understand why his club fans
protested against the board after coventry held the premier league strugglers to
draw in the fa cup third round
grant side needed an equaliser from kevin prince boateng to scrape replay
after david bell had put their championship opponents ahead at fratton park on
saturday
with portsmouth already bottom of the league facing winding up petition in
the high court and unable to pay the players on time for the third time this
season it was little surprise to grant that the pompey faithful finally snapped
after another lacklustre display
hundreds of fans gathered outside the directors entrance to register their
unhappiness with saudi owner ali al faraj and his directors and chanted sack
the board where the money gone and where the owner of our club
understand why they are frustrated but you must understand that no one at
the club is happy with the situation grant said
my job and the players job is to do things on the pitch the situation is not
easy but we can do our best for the team on the pitch and that what will do
very impressed with the supporters they were behind us for the whole game
and it not an easy time for us generally or in this game respect them
grant has spent more time discussing the club financial plight than his
players efforts on the pitch since taking over as manager from paul hart in
november
the former chelsea boss added to be honest feel as if not answering as
football manager
eighty per cent of the questions have been asked since came here haven
been about the football like to talk about things on the football side but
what can do
this is the situation and if have to answer these questions will answer
these questions but there are enough problems on the pitch we need to take care
of
meanwhile coventry boss chris coleman was pleased with the way his side matched
premier league opposition
it will be better result for us than portsmouth with their current
situation coleman said
think on the balance of play it was fair result thought we did well
and we coped well when we had to
strikes against al qaeda in yemen were us led report
washington jan afp
recent attacks on al qaeda positions in yemen including cruise missile strikes
were led by the united states according to cbs television report saturday
the channel quoted sebastian gorka us special operations expert who trains
yemeni officers as saying the united states had led the recent ground and air
assaults
that was very much something executed by the united states but with heavy
support by the yemeni government gorka said
it was cruise missile strikes in combination with military units on the
ground
the report comes after president barack obama earlier blamed al qaeda in the
arabian peninsula for arming and training young nigerian man who tried to blow
up us airliner on christmas day
the us leader also vowed to hit back at those behind the attack as his
administration faces criticism for failing to prevent the december attack
training camps have been struck leaders eliminated plots disrupted he said
in weekly radio address and all those involved in the attempted act of
terrorism on christmas must know you too will be held to account
yemeni forces launched raids on suspected al qaeda targets on december and
killing more than islamist militants
several others were also wounded in clashes this week in western province of
the impoverished arabian peninsula state which lies north of somalia across the
gulf of aden
on saturday security sources said yemeni army reinforcements had been sent to
the eastern provinces of abyan bayada and shawba where al qaeda militants have
hideouts
these measures are part of operations to hunt down elements of al qaeda
prevent any attempt of response after the raids and tighten the noose around
extremists one of the sources said
afp sports schedule for sunday january
paris jan afp
afp sports schedule for sunday january
football
fa cup third round in england with chelsea against watford manchester united
leeds and west ham facing arsenal
in scotland rangers and celtic clash
league action also in spain
slugs fbl eng facup fbl sco pr fbl esp
tennis
build up to the australian open with hopman cup underway in perth while the
brisbane wta atp tournament sees us open champion kim clijsters in action
slugs tennis hopman aus tennis atp wta aus
cricket
opening day of the third test between south africa and england in cape town
coverage by colin bryden
slug cricket rsa eng
rallying
second stage of the dakar rally is from cordoba to la rioja with nani roma in
bmw leading the car section and david casteu the pace setter in the motorcycle
section
slug auto moto rally dakar
alpine skiing
women world cup slalom at zagreb
slug ski world women
american football
last day of the nfl regular season
slug amfoot nfl
nordic skiing
world cup nordic combined and tour de ski nordic second round at oberhof
germany
slugs ski nordic combined ski nordic
ski jumping
third round of the four hills at innsbruck
slug ski jump fourhills
rugby union
action in the french top and english premiership
slugs rugbyu fra rugbyu eng pr
obama briefed on productive petraeus talks in yemen
honolulu hawaii jan afp
president barack obama was briefed by his top anti terrorism aide on saturday on
productive talks between senior us general david petraeus and leaders in
yemen senior us official said
petraeus the regional us military commander met yemeni president ali abdullah
saleh the local saba news agency said amid intensifying concern over the
presence in yemen of al qaeda cells blamed for an attack on us airliner
general petraeus was in yemen today as part of our ongoing consultations with
and efforts in support of yemen the senior obama administration official said
on condition of anonymity
we have made yemen priority over the course of the past year and this is
the latest in that effort
general petraeus briefed john brennan on the visit and during the course of
his consultations with the president brennan updated the president on general
petraeus productive visit
obama on vacation in hawaii earlier for the first time accused an al qaeda
affiliate of arming and training young nigerian man for failed suicide
mission to blow up northwest airlines plane near detroit on christmas day
in his weekly video address obama promised to hold the group al qaeda in the
arabian peninsula aqap to account for the attack declaring the united states
was at war with far reaching network of violence and hatred
