US Says Ministerial Meeting of Korea Nuclear Talks Could Occur Soon

By David Gollust Washington 14 September 2007

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Christopher Hill speaks during a press briefing about a bilateral meeting with North Korean envoys in Geneva, Switzerland, 31 Aug. 2007

The chief U.S. envoy to the negotiations on ending North Korea's nuclear program says Friday the first ministerial-level meeting of the six-party talks could occur pretty soon. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill goes to Beijing for another envoy-level session next week. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Envoys of the six parties are to convene in Beijing the middle of next week, amid signs the process under which North Korea is to abandon its nuclear program in return for aid and diplomatic benefits is gaining momentum.

Technical experts from the United States, Russia and China were in North Korea this week to examine ways the country's nuclear reactor at Yongbyon can be disabled under terms of the disarmament deal reached in broad form in September of 2005, and finalized last February.

At a news conference, Assistant Secretary Hill expressed satisfaction with results of the experts' visit, which came at North Korea's invitation.

He said he and fellow envoys next week will map out a plan for actually disabling the Yongbyon facility by the end of the year, and for completing the declaration of all North Korea's nuclear holdings including weapons required under the February accord.

Hill said if the envoys meeting is a success, the first foreign ministers' meeting of the six party process could occur shortly thereafter and would address the end-stage of the disarmament process. "This would be a real sign that we've kind of achieved a little momentum in this process. They'd review what we've been doing. And then they'd look ahead, a sort of sneak preview of the next phase, and I think the ministers will want to look very carefully at things like the Northeast Asia Peace and Security Mechanism idea that we have. And I think they would like to look ahead what we envision as the final stage of de-nuclearization, which is the abandonment of the fissile material - the weapons - pursuant to the opening paragraph of the September '05 statement," he said.

The six-party talks, which began in 2003, include North and South Korea, Russia, Japan, the United States and host China. The ministerial level session, likely to be held in October, would include a first-ever meeting between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-Chun.

Hill faced several questions about news reports this week quoting U.S. intelligence sources as saying North Korea may be cooperating with Syria on building some sort of nuclear facility in the Middle East country.

The reports have been cited by U.S. domestic critics of the six-party process as evidence that North Korea, while talking disarmament, may be engaged in nuclear proliferation.

Hill said he was not in a position to discuss what U.S. intelligence may know about such activity. But he stressed that ending North Korean proliferation activity is a high U.S. priority. "I can assure you that the issue of proliferation is and has been since the beginning of the six-party process very much on our minds. Because again, what is the problem with nuclear weapons in North Korea? One, it's a problem of regional stability. Two, it's a problem that these weapons and programs could find themselves elsewhere. So this has always has been a big concern of ours and will continue to be," he said.

Hill said the United States is preparing to ship heavy fuel oil to North Korea, which under the February agreement was promised one million tons of oil or equivalent aid from the others in the six-party talks in return for disarmament steps.

The senior diplomat also said the United States is considering, outside of the nuclear talks, the provision of substantial food aid to North Korea to make up for crop losses in recent floods there.

Despite its political differences with the communist state, the United States has long been a major supplier of humanitarian aid to North Korea.

US Poised to Advance in Women's World Cup Football Championship

By Jim Stevenson Chengdu,China 14 September 2007

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The United States' women's football team has defeated Sweden, 2-0, in a crucial first round Women's World Cup game in China. VOA's Jim Stevenson watched the game in Chengdu, where the Americans put themselves in position to advance to the quarterfinals from Group-B.

USA's Abby Wambach, right, fights for the ball with Sweden's Anna Paulson, left, during their Group B match of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, 14 Sept. 2007

Prolific scoring forward Abby Wambach found the net twice for Team USA on Friday. Wambach converted a penalty kick in the first half. She added her third goal of the tournament, and the 80th of her career, in the second half.

Lori Chalupny was taken down on a sliding tackle from behind as she tried to turn toward the Swedish goal for a shot. That resulted in a penalty kick that Wambach easily converted in the 34th minute.

U.S. veteran Kristine Lilly, who has appeared in every Women's World Cup since 1991, had several chances to score. But it was her pass in the 58th minute that split two defenders to set up Wambach's second goal.

"You know, it is one of those goals that, as a forward, you say 'yeah, I meant to put it exactly where it went.' But, in this type of situation, I just hit it as hard as I could. And it went in," she said.

U.S. head coach Greg Ryan was not surprised to get a great performance from his top players in a critical game.

"We knew this was a potentially elimination match with Sweden," he said. "Big players win championships. And we saw what Abby did tonight, played great. Lilly, great. And then I thought a very good performance from all of our players."

The win puts the United States at the top of Group-B with four points along with North Korea, which defeated Nigeria, 2-0. Sweden, the 2003 World Cup runner-up, has just one point after two matches, and is in danger of failing to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time. Nigeria also has one point.

The United States finishes the first round on Tuesday against Nigeria, while Sweden plays North Korea.

Also Friday, in Shanghai, Japan defeated Argentina, 1-0. England held defending champion Germany to a scoreless (0-0) draw. The results mean Germany and Japan top Group-A with four points each.

US Religion Report Faults Iraq, China But Commends Vietnam and Saudi Arabia

By David Gollust State Department 14 September 2007

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A U.S. State Department report said Friday that political violence in Iraq has significantly impaired religious freedom there. But the annual world-wide survey cited improvements in conditions for religious adherents in, among other places, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The annual report, which this year covered 198 countries and territories, is required under an act of Congress, and countries found to be significant violators of religious freedom are subject to U.S. sanctions.

Condoleezza Rice

Introducing the 2007 edition at a news conference, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said religious liberty is deeply rooted in American history and integral to U.S. efforts to combat what she said is the ideology of hatred and religious intolerance that fuels global terrorism.

"This past Tuesday was the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks," said Rice. "As we reflect on the tragedy of that day, we are reminded of the true importance of this report and we reaffirm our commitment to help us shed light on all countries where citizens are subjected to government censorship, hate crimes discrimination and violence for their thoughts and beliefs."

U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom John Hanford said the past year saw progress against religion-based discrimination in a diverse list of countries including Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh and India.

But he said half the world's population continues to live under persecution or serious restrictions of religious freedom in many countries, among them Iran, Eritrea, Burma and China.

The report says conditions deteriorated sharply in Iraq though Hanford said that was not due to government policy but rather insurgency-related violence targeting all faiths but especially religious minorities.

"For the most part people are getting caught in the cross-fire in the case of these minorities, though there have been cases where it's clear certain groups have been targeted," said Hanford. "The real problem that we're dealing with is that with the sectarian violence, not necessarily focused upon religious practice, that at the same time religious practice winds up being affected."

Hanford stressed continued progress in expanding religious freedom in Vietnam, which last year was taken off the State Department list of "Countries of Particular Concern" because of strides made in several areas, including the official recognition of once-banned Protestant congregations.

The U.S. envoy said the Saudi Arabian government, which officially recognizes only the Wahabi branch of Sunni Islam, has undertaken to curb incitement against other faiths and allows at least private observances of non-sanctioned religions.

"This has to do with, for example, reining-in the Mutaween, the religious police, from raiding religious gatherings," said Hanford. "To a large extent the government has been successful in stopping this practice."

"The government has guaranteed the right to private worship for people of minority faiths, and on any given week, you've got an enormous number of Christians and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists who are meeting and freely practicing in homes and places like that, without harassment. This is an improvement," he added.

The report says despite senior-level U.S. appeals, China continued to repress Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims and the Falon Gong spiritual group.

Ambassador Hanford said foreign religious activists have also been denied visas or expelled from China in what could be a crackdown related to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"The fear of many is that the government is wanting these Westerners out of the country, that their goal is to crack down on any chance that there might be protests in the run-up to the Olympics," said Hanford. "And our hope is that the government will take the opportunity of the Olympics, and the worldwide spotlight that will be shown, to respect religious citizens and their practice rather than to repress it."

Eight countries - China, Burma, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan - were designated as "Countries of Particular Concern" by Secretary Rice late last year.

A revised list is expected to be issued in November based on the new report. The delay is intended to give countries facing the designation and possible U.S. sanctions an opportunity to undertake reforms.

Russian Parliament Approves Political Unkown, Zubkov as Prime Minister

By Peter Fedynsky Moscow 14 September 2007

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The Russian Parliament has overwhelmingly approved President Vladimir Putin's choice to be the country's new Prime Minister. VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports that until Viktor Zubkov's surprise nomination two days ago, Russia's new head of government was little known by the lawmakers who voted for him.

Picture taken 31 May 2006 shows Viktor Zubkov speaking at a conference in St. Petersburg

Viktor Zubkov assumes the prime minister's position with 381 members of the State Duma, or lower house of the Russian Parliament, voting to approve his nomination. Forty-seven voted against with eight abstentions.

The vote was preceded by a 15-minute address by Mr. Zubkov and a 30 minute question and answer period with lawmakers. The nominee agreed with Duma members that changes are needed in the cabinet's social ministries. Relying on his experience as the head of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, he underscored the need to fight corruption.

"Society should work together with law enforcement. Only then will the system bring about order with this issue," Mr. Zubkov said.

Opposition to the new prime minister came mostly from Communist lawmakers. Party Chairman Gennadi Zyuganov explains why.

"It's because you agreed to implement old policies," said Zyuganov. "That road will not take Russia into the 21st century."

The emergence of Mr. Zubkov, a virtual unknown until his nomination two days ago, came as a surprise to Russian political observers. His quick approval by the State Duma does not surprise Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian radio and TV anchor, who says it is a Russian tradition to approve the president's choice of prime minister.

"The Russian constitution does not consider the position of prime minister to be of global importance," said Solovyov, "because the Yeltsin-era constitution secures the presidency above all."

President Putin praised his new prime minister as top professional, a decent person and brilliant administrator. The president also said Mr. Zubkov, like any Russian citizen, may compete in Russia's next presidential election. Mr. Putin is prohibited by the constitution to run for a third consecutive term in office. But there is widespread speculation that he is leaving only to return four years later, and expects Zubkov - a 66-year-old with no political base of his own - to serve as a place holder until Mr. Putin is eligible for the presidency again.

Alexander Konovalev, director of the Strategic Assessments Institute in Moscow, says ruling elites have a stake in Mr. Putin's return.

"Putin is a brand; the brand of the corporation known as the Russian bureaucracy. For many, Putin's departure could mean the loss of revenue sources, and perhaps even loss of freedom, because some could be facing jail," he said.

Konovalev adds that Mr. Putin could return in as little as two years, if his successor steps down prematurely for health or other reasons. Prime Minister Zubkov has already said he may run for the presidency. The election is scheduled for March 2008.

VOASE0914_In the News

14 September 2007

Bush Announces Some Troops Will Leave Iraq; Democrats Want More

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

This week, President Bush said he will bring home almost six thousand American troops from Iraq by the end of the year. He also accepted the advice of his top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, for limited reductions by next July.

President Bush discussing his Iraq plan

The president said his decisions on troop levels are being guided by the idea of what he called return on success. He said the reductions are possible because his decision to send additional troops earlier this year has improved security.

Troop levels in Iraq rose from around one hundred thirty thousand to nearly one hundred seventy thousand.

The president spoke from the White House Thursday night. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island answered for the Democratic Party which controls Congress. He said an endless and unlimited military presence in Iraq is not a choice. He said the Democrats propose to begin what he called a responsible and rapid redeployment of American troops out of Iraq.

A public opinion study by the Associated Press this week showed that almost two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the war. It also showed that fifty-eight percent believe the troop increase, known as the surge, has not helped the situation in Iraq.

The president spoke hours after a bomb killed a local Sunni leader he met during a visit to Anbar last week. Mister Bush called him "one of the brave tribal sheiks who helped lead the revolt against al-Qaeda" in that province.

The president again sought to link the war with security at home. He said the nation must succeed for the safety of future generations of Americans.

But Senator Reed warned that American interests throughout the world are being damaged. And he said the armed forces are being stretched toward the breaking point.

Democrats say the recent troop increase in Iraq has failed to meet what was supposed to be the main goal. That was to give Iraqi leaders the chance to work for political unity.

President Bush said Iraq's national leaders are getting some things done. For example, he noted that they have passed a budget and are sharing oil money with the provinces. He said efforts to unite warring groups are making progress locally. As local politics change, he said, so will national politics.

Congress wants the Iraqi government to meet eighteen political and security goals. On Friday, the White House gave a new report on these goals, known as benchmarks. The Iraqis are making satisfactory progress on nine of them, it says, one more than in the last report in July.

Also Friday, the State Department released its International Religious Freedom Report for two thousand seven. It says that over the past year, the violence in Iraq greatly harmed the ability of all religious believers to practice their faith. It says many individuals were victims of kidnapping, killings and other abuse because of their religious identity.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English -- online at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0913_Economics Report

13 September 2007

Homeowners Struggle With Rising Loan Rates, Falling House Prices
More than $380 billion in subprime adjustable-rate mortgages in the U.S. will reset to higher charges this year or next.

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

In the last few years, many Americans have bought houses with ARMs: adjustable-rate

A foreclosed home in Pasadena, California.

mortgages. These loans usually begin with lower interest rates for the first two or three years than fixed-rate mortgages. Then the rate changes as major interest rates rise or fall.

Holders could be surprised by their new, larger monthly payments as their loans reset to a higher rate. Some people may not even know they have adjustable-rate mortgages.

Some lenders and brokers who found loans for people are accused of misleading borrowers. Yet borrowers often did not even have to show proof of earnings.

Now, many people who took out adjustable-rate mortgages may not be able to make their payments. And not only holders of risky subprime loans; even buyers with better credit histories could lose their homes.

Next week, the Federal Reserve in Washington is expected to cut its target rate for short-term loans between banks. But long-term rates are the ones that affect things like housing loans, and these have been rising. Investors have been demanding higher returns in exchange for the risk of keeping money in longer-term securities.

Federal Reserve records show that homebuyers currently hold eight hundred fifty billion dollars in subprime adjustable-rate mortgages. The nonprofit Center for Responsible Lending points to numbers from UBS Investment Research. These show that two hundred twelve billion dollars in subprime ARMs will reset to a higher rate this year. Over one hundred seventy billion dollars in loans will reset next year.

The Center for Responsible Lending says subprime borrowers are the ones having the most trouble right now. One in five of them who received their loans in the last two years could lose their home.

Some homeowners hope to refinance their loans to avoid higher payments. But this is a bad time in the housing market. Falling home prices could make it difficult to refinance. This is true especially for buyers who were permitted to use little or no money of their own to buy their house.

Two weeks ago, President Bush announced some steps to help families avoid losing their homes while faced with rising payments. But last Friday there was more bad news: the economy lost four thousand jobs last month. It was the first time employers have cut jobs in four years.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0913_American Mosaic

13 September 2007

Luciano Pavarotti: A Beautiful Voice Is Silenced
A listener in Russia asks what are America's most respected and least respected professions. And the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's book ''On The Road.''

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We listen to opera music by Luciano Pavarotti …

Answer a question about the most respected professions …

And report about the anniversary of a famous American book.

"On The Road"

HOST:

Last week was the fiftieth anniversary of an extremely popular book by American writer Jack Kerouac. "On The Road" was first published on September fifth, nineteen fifty-seven. Reports say almost one hundred thousand copies of the book are sold in the United States every year. Shirley Griffith has more.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Jack Kerouac

Some critics considered Jack Kerouac a great writer. Others did not. But one thing is sure--young people loved "On The Road." The book is about two young men who travel back and forth across the United States, exploring new places and meeting new people. Their names are Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarity. The characters in the book are like Jack Kerouac and his friends.

Jack Kerouac did, in fact, travel across America several times in the late nineteen forties and early nineteen fifties. He traveled to almost every state in the United States and in Mexico. Often he hitch-hiked: he just asked people for a ride in their car. Sometimes he traveled with his friend Neal Cassady.

Jack Kerouac wrote "On The Road" in just three weeks in nineteen fifty-one. He typed it on several long pieces of paper that he connected to form a continuous document about thirty-six meters long. It took six years for the book to be published. But it immediately became a best-seller. One critic said "One the Road" was about all things American: individualism, the pioneer spirit, jazz, even apple pie.

Here, Jack Kerouac reads from his famous work:

JACK KEROUAC: "There he goes, Dean Moriarity, ragged in a moth eaten overcoat that he brought specially for the freezing temperatures of the East. Walking off alone, the last I saw of him, he rounded a corner of Seventh Avenue. Eyes on the street ahead, intent to it again. Gone!"

But Kerouac could not deal with the success and fame resulting from his book. He also could not deal with the way he believed his writing was misunderstood. He drank too much alcohol and died in nineteen sixty-nine at the age of forty-seven.

Six years ago, American businessman Jim Irsay bought Kerouac's original typed "On The Road" for more than two million dollars. It was shown all across the United States. Now, for the anniversary, it is being shown in Jack Kerouac's hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts.

Experts say Jack Kerouac's writing helped start the rebellious movement of American young people in the nineteen sixties. They also say young people today still read and enjoy "On The Road," but are not influenced to leave college and travel as Kerouac did.

Respectable Professions

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Moscow, Russia. Andy Martynyuk wants to know which professions in America are thought to be the most and least respected. You might be surprised by some of the results.

For thirty years, the research company Harris Interactive has carried out public opinion studies about which professions Americans respect. This year, they spoke to more than one thousand American adults by telephone. The results show that the most respected careers are not the ones that earn the most money. They are the professions that involve providing an important service to help society.

The researchers asked people which jobs they thought held very great respect. Sixty-one percent of the people listed firefighters as the most respected career. Scientists and teachers were next with fifty-four percent. The number of people who think teachers have jobs that people respect increased twenty-five points since the study started in nineteen seventy-seven.

Fifty-two percent of the people questioned said military officers and doctors had jobs worthy of great respect. Real estate agents who sell houses were at the very bottom of the list. Actors and bankers were the other two least respected professions. The Special English staff could not help but notice that reporters were very low on the list with only a thirteen percent rating.

U.S News and World Report magazine made a list of careers it thinks may seem exciting and rewarding but are less so in reality. These include advertising professionals, lawyers, and cooks. For example, the report says it might seem like fun to cook good foods for people in a restaurant. But many professional chefs have very repetitive duties and work very late hours.

Luciano Pavarotti

HOST:

Luciano Pavarotti was considered by many critics and music fans to be the greatest opera singer of the twentieth century. He died last week in his hometown of Modena, Italy, at the age of seventy-one. He had battled pancreatic cancer for more than a year. Steve Ember plays some of his music.

STEVE EMBER:

Luciano Pavarotti was born near Modena in nineteen thirty-five. His father was a

baker who loved to sing. As a child, Luciano listened to many great Italian opera singers in his father’s record collection. He began performing when he was nine years old.

Pavarotti started voice lessons ten years later. Another student at the school was his childhood friend Mirella Freni. Years later they performed together. Upon news of his death, Freni said: “The world has lost a great tenor, but I’ve lost a great friend, a brother.”

Here Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni sing "Viene la Sera" from the opera "Madama Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini.

(MUSIC)

Pavarotti sang many other kinds of songs besides opera. He sang with famous pop, rock and jazz singers. He recorded Christmas songs, Italian folk songs and other kinds of music.

Pavarotti also made popular recordings with two other famous opera singers, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo. The group became known as the Three Tenors. This song is from their first show in Rome, Italy. Listen as Pavarotti sings “Rondine al Nido.”

(MUSIC)

Some people criticized Luciano Pavarotti for extending his music beyond the limits of opera. But many opera lovers and experts were thankful for his common touch. James Levine of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City said Pavarotti's singing “spoke right to the hearts of listeners, whether they knew anything about opera or not.”

We leave you with Luciano Pavarotti singing what is probably his most famous opera song, “Nessun Dorma,” from Giacomo Puccini’s opera "Turandot."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Dana Demange, Nancy Steinbach and Caty Weaver, who also was our producer.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.