VOASE0326_Science In the News

26 March 2007

Millions of New Genes and Many New Proteins Are Found in Ocean Water
Also: Chimps are seen using weapons to hunt other animals. And a study shows that job cuts affect the mental health of both the employees being dismissed and those who continue working.

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. This week, scientists report finding millions of genes and thousands of protein families in seawater. We will also tell about chimpanzees using tools to hunt other animals. And, we will tell about a combination medicine to fight the disease malaria.

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VOICE ONE:

A group of scientists recently announced the discovery of new genes and proteins in the world's oceans. American Craig Venter is leading the study. He and other scientists have been using a boat called Sorcerer Two to collect the genetic information.

The findings are the first published results of a two-year project. They were reported in the Public Library of Science Biology, a web site that publishes research papers.

The crew of Sorcerer Two began collecting seawater in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda in two thousand three. Since then, the boat has sailed more than nine thousand six hundred kilometers. The new study is based on testing of ocean water from eastern Canada to the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean.

To capture the genes, crewmembers collected two hundred liters of ocean water every three hundred twenty kilometers. They put the water through equipment that separates viruses and other kinds of cells by their size.

VOICE TWO:

A supercomputer designed by the California Institute for Telecommunications and Technology found genetic evidence of microbes in the water. Microbes are life forms that cannot be seen by the human eye. They make up most of the living things on Earth. Scientists say microbes also are responsible for helping to create Earth's atmosphere. They say that understanding these small organisms will guarantee the survival of the planet and human life.

The computer study found millions of new genes and thousands of new proteins in the ocean microbes. The report discusses only the viruses and the smallest cells. The tests showed the genes of more than six million new proteins. That increases by two times the number of proteins already known.

Craig Venter says these findings show that human beings have not yet even begun to understand our planet and its environment. He says we do not know ninety-nine percent of what is living in the world. And he says this work is just the start of many new discoveries, including the development of new antibiotics and ways to fight climate change.

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VOICE ONE:

Research scientists say they have seen chimpanzees making and using weapons to hunt other animals. The researchers say they saw more than twenty cases of chimpanzees in Senegal hunting with sharp tools. Their observations were made between March of two thousand five and last July.

A report on the chimpanzee study was published in Current Biology magazine.

Jill Pruetz of Iowa State University led the researchers. She says it is not uncommon for chimpanzees to use simple tools. Chimps often use such tools to open nuts or to find small insects within trees. However, until now, no one has ever reported seeing the animals using tools for hunting.

VOICE TWO:

Miz Pruetz says the chimps made the tools from tree branches. She says they removed leaves from the sticks and sharpened the ends with their teeth. Then the chimps used their tools in a stabbing motion like a person would.

The researchers say they saw chimps stabbing the sharp tools into open holes in tree trunks. In one case, they saw a West African chimp kill a tree creature called a bush baby. Chimpanzees eat fruit more often than meat. But they also eat insects, monkeys and other small mammals for protein.

VOICE ONE:

During their time in Africa, the researchers saw at least ten chimps making sharp tools for hunting. They witnessed the activity mostly among young female chimps, ages ten to thirteen years old.

Adult male chimps are considered hunters. But only one adult male was observed in the tool-assisted hunting. Miz Pruetz notes that the adult males are stronger and larger than the females. As a result, she says, they are able to kill smaller animals easily without the use of weapon-like tools. She says the young females must compete with the stronger males for food.

Chimpanzees are genetically the closest living relatives to human beings. Because of these ties, the researchers suggest the study may also provide clues into early humans and their use of tools for hunting.

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VOICE TWO:

Malaria infects as many as five hundred million people worldwide each year and kills more than one million of them. The ones who die are mostly children in southern Africa.

Malaria drugs have been available for many years. Until now, however, they have been costly for the poor and not very easy to give to children.

This month, a big drug company and an international campaign announced a new anti-malarial that is low cost and easy to take. The drug maker Sanofi-Aventis of France is working in partnership with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative.

VOICE ONE:

The new product is called ASAQ [said as A-S-A-Q]. It combines what experts say are two of the best drugs for malaria: artesunate and amodiaquine. Officials say ASAQ will soon be available throughout Africa south of the Sahara.

Combinations of drugs are used to treat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. This is because it is easier for organisms to develop resistance to a single drug.

Current malaria treatments require adults to take as many as eight pills a day. And they often have to divide pills to give a smaller amount to children.

VOICE TWO:

ASAQ combines the medicines into one daily pill for children and two pills for adults. The medicine is taken for three days. Doctors say the simpler the treatment, the more likely people are to take their medicine.

Sanofi-Aventis has promised to sell ASAQ on a "no profit-no loss" basis to the poorest patients. The full treatment cost for older children and adults will be less than a dollar. The cost for a child under the age of five will be less than half a dollar.

VOICE ONE:

Sanofi-Aventis has also decided against seeking patent protections for ASAQ. That means other companies are free to make their own versions to sell at even lower prices.

Five groups including Doctors Without Borders established the international campaign four years ago. The aim is to work with major drug companies to create low-cost drugs for diseases that are common in poor countries. ASAQ is the first product to be launched.

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VOICE TWO:

Workers who lose their jobs often feel tense and worried. As a result, they may develop mental health problems. A recent report says those who remain at work after job cuts may be at risk of suffering similar problems.

The report was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Mika Kivimaki works for University College in London. He and Finnish researchers examined the effect of job cuts on those dismissed and workers who kept their jobs. They studied information on the use of drugs to treat depression and other mental sicknesses.

VOICE ONE:

The study involved almost twenty-seven thousand city government employees in Finland. More than seventeen thousand employees worked in offices where the size of the work force never changed.

Almost four thousand three hundred other employees lost their jobs. And, about four thousand eight hundred others worked in offices affected by job cuts. Yet they continued to work.

VOICE TWO:

The study found that men who had lost their jobs were most at risk of mental health problems. They were sixty-four percent more likely to be given a prescription drug for such a problem. Prescription medicines can only be bought with a doctor's order. Men who kept working in offices affected by job cuts were fifty percent more likely to take a prescription medicine. The study found that women were twelve percent more likely to use such a medicine after reductions in the work force.

Professor Kivimaki says the report shows that mental health in the work place is a serious issue. He said policy-makers, office supervisors and health experts should recognize that job losses can seriously affect the mental health of all workers.

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VOICE ONE:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Brianna Blake, Lawan Davis, Nancy Steinbach and Caty Weaver. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And, I'm Bob Doughty. Listen again next week at this time for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

VOASE0326_Agriculture Report

26 March 2007

Trying to Understand Food Labels
Experts attempt to decide what "natural" means.

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This the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

It can be hard to decide which foods to buy in an American grocery store these days. The information on many products makes different claims. These labels suggest that the food is safe, pure or kind to animals.

The label "organic" guarantees that the United States Department of Agriculture recognizes the product was grown under special conditions. The department says foods that meet requirements of its National Organic Program can use an official label. It shows the words "USDA Organic" inside a circle.

For example, U.S.D.A. organic food does not contain genes that have been scientifically changed. The food is grown without chemical treatments against insects or disease. It is grown without chemical fertilizers.

The U.S.D.A. organic label on meat and dairy products guarantees that they are from animals that live much of the time outdoors. The animals have been fed only organic food. The animals have not received antibiotic drugs. And they have not had hormone substances to make them grow bigger.

Organic meat and dairy products usually cost more than other products. But many people buy them because they believe they are more healthful.

The U.S.D.A. is trying to decide if fish can be labeled "organic." A decision is not expected for many months. However, the Marine Stewardship Council says its label promises that fish are not endangered and were caught without harming the local ecosystem.

There are also labels on coffee. Some coffee growers plant their crops on land with no natural plants to provide shade from the sun. Other coffee is grown under trees that provide shade for the coffee and homes for birds. This coffee is labeled "Bird Friendly." The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Council of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., guarantees coffee with the "Bird Friendly" label.

Other food labels include "natural," "cage-free" and "free-range." Experts say it may be harder for the food buyer to decide what these mean. For example, chickens may not have been raised in a cage. Still, they may have been in overcrowded conditions inside a building.

The Department of Agriculture will be holding meetings with food producers and the public to try to develop requirements for labels.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Transcripts and audio files of our reports are on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

First Guantanamo Military Commission Hearing to Open Monday

By Stephanie Ho Washington 26 March 2007

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An Australian detainee held by U.S. authorities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is to be the first so-called enemy combatant tried under a new military commission procedure that was approved by the U.S. Congress last year. David Hicks, who was picked up by U.S. authorities in Afghanistan in 2001, is scheduled to be formally charged in a preliminary hearing Monday. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Washington.

Courtroom illustration, David Hicks (center) as his defense council US Marine Corps Maj. Michael Mori, stands, before military commission at Guantanamo Naval Base (Aug 2004)

David Hicks has been held at Guantanamo for more than five years. U.S. authorities have accused him of fighting against U.S. troops alongside the Taleban in Afghanistan.

The long list of terrorism-related charges against Hicks has been reduced to the single charge of providing material support for terrorism. He will be the first Guantanamo detainee charged under new rules for military trials, which were adopted after the Supreme Court in June cast aside the previous system.

Hick's lawyers say he plans to plead not guilty.

The 31-year-old Hicks is a high school dropout and former kangaroo skinner, who converted to Islam in 1999. His father has said Hicks went to Afghanistan in early 2001 as part of a religious pilgrimage.

Court documents say Hicks was armed with grenades and an assault rifle, and had been trying to join the fight in Afghanistan for weeks, but apparently failed to win the confidence of his al-Qaida associates.

Human Rights Watch U.S. Advocacy Director Jennifer Daskal says the new military commissions are better than the old military tribunal system. But speaking by telephone from Guantanamo Bay, she said although the rules of the new military commissions are clearer, she has doubts about the fairness of the process.

"The rules that are laid out here raise serious concerns about whether or not these trials will be fair," she said.

Most importantly, she pointed to the use of evidence obtained through cruel, inhumane and degrading interrogation techniques, and rules that allow the U.S. government to conceal from the defense information about interrogation methods and activities.

She is among a group of non-governmental organization representatives and journalists who will be present in the hearing as observers.

In a VOA interview earlier this month, Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said he believes the Guantanamo facility should be shut down.

"Guantanamo should simply be closed," he said. "I mean, it has become a symbol of injustice. It is a scar on America's reputation around the world. And there is no reason that anyone should continue to be held there. People should either be tried before a fair and proper tribunal, or they should be released."

In a regular White House briefing Friday, spokesman Tony Snow said he does not expect Guantanamo to be shut down before President Bush leaves office in January 2009.

"The fact that we have just begun a legal procedure that does take time, and in cognizance of the rights of those involved, there are still quite a number of detainees, and I am imaging that - and I think it's pretty solid ground, but you can certainly contact the Department of Defense, which is coordinating military commissions - it's highly unlikely that you can dispense with all those cases between now and the end of the administration," he said.

U.S. authorities say they plan to try as many as 80 of the 385 detainees being held at Guantanamo. Another 80 detainees have been approved for release or transfer to another country, pending the results of negotiations with those countries.

US Senators Question Attorney General's Credibility

By Paula Wolfson White House 25 March 2007

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The political battle in Washington over actions taken by the Bush administration's Justice Department is intensifying. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports several key Senators - including some leading Republicans - are questioning the credibility of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The controversy surrounds the Justice Department's decision to fire eight federal prosecutors, who were appointed by the president. Six are known to be members of his Republican Party, while it is believed the other two are political independents.

Usually, the hiring and firing of federal attorneys takes place with little public notice. Not this time.

The White House maintains the eight were sacked for poor performance. But the fired attorneys say they were told to leave for purely political reasons, in some cases because they did not follow requests from Republican officeholders to launch aggressive investigations against Democratic Party opponents.

That accusation has ignited a political firestorm in Washington, with Democrats accusing the White House of using the federal attorneys as part of a campaign of intimidation that could undermine the credibility of the federal justice system.

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales takes a question during a news conference in Washington, (file photo)

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has insisted he played no role in the firings. But new evidence emerged Friday indicating he took part in at least one meeting where they were discussed.

The revelation outraged Senator Diane Feinstein - a California Democrat.

"Attorney General Gonzales has had the view that he serves two masters: that he serves the president and that he serves as the chief law enforcement officer," she said. "He serves one master, and that is the people of this country."

The normally low-key lawmaker told the Fox News Sunday television program that the attorney general must go.

"I believe he should step down," she said. "And I do not like saying this. This is not my natural personality at all. But I think the nation is not well-served by this."

On NBC's Meet the Press program, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee - Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania - said Gonzales has a lot of explaining to do when he testifies before the committee next month.

"We have to have an attorney general who is candid, truthful," he said. "And if we find he has not been candid and fruitful that is a very compelling reason for him not to stay on."

On ABC's This Week, Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska voiced similar concerns. He said the attorney general has a deep credibility problem, and may no longer be able to serve effectively.

"We govern with one currency, and that is trust," he said. "And that trust is all important. And when you lose or debase that currency, then you cannot govern."

President Bush reaffirmed on Saturday that he stands by his attorney general, and that the White House is doing all it can to provide Congress with the information it needs to investigate the firing of the eight federal attorneys.

Democrats say they hope the president will relent and will allow his top White House political and legal advisors to testify in public on the matter. They charge that the attorneys ultimately represent the people of the United States in the court system, and efforts to apply political pressure on prosecutions can not be tolerated.

Rice Seeks 'Common Agenda' for Settling Israel-Palestinian Conflict

By David Gollust Jerusalem 25 March 2007

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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in separate talks Sunday as she continued a quest for what she termed a "common agenda" to move forward on a two-state solution of the Middle East conflict. She'll complete her fourth mission to the region in as many months on Monday with a meeting in Amman with Jordan's King Abdullah and follow-up talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. VOA's David Gollust is traveling with Rice and has this report from Jerusalem.

Condoleezza Rice speaks during a joint press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, not seen, in West Bank town of Ramallah, 25 Mar 2007

Rice's mission follows creation of a new Palestinian unity government and precedes a critical Arab League summit later this week in Riyahd.

She is pushing not only to revive a negotiating process between Israel and the Palestinians but to create a parallel peace channel between Israel and the Arab states based on their 2002 Beirut peace initiative.

That plan offered Israel normal relations with all 23 Arab League member countries for returning to 1967 borders and reaching a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians, including settlement of the refugee issue.

Rice has repeatedly said on this trip she does not want to try to tell the Arab League what to do. But in a talk with reporters late Sunday before a dinner meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, she said it is a time for the Arab states to back up their expressed desire for a solution of the conflict with action.

"I've had very good discussions with the Arab leaders and I have a sense they understand and want to exercise their responsibilities for moving forward for peace," she said. "And I don't know how they will express it. But this is a time when it seems to me that there is a great desire to try and promote and a great desire to try and create the conditions for peace."

Rice said she hopes to find a "common agenda" between Israel and the Palestinians despite continuing problems, including the new unity government's refusal to accept international terms for peacemaking including a renunciation of violence and recognition of Israel.

She said with support from President Bush, she is prepared to continue investing time and effort to the task, while mindful that early breakthroughs are unlikely.

"My approach has been, I admit, careful. It's been step-by-step," she said. "I've not been willing to try for the 'big bang.' I don't think that that's where we are. I think that there are a lot of moving pieces here. I think the Palestinian unity government was a new factor as of a month ago. So to take the time to talk to the parties on the basis of the same questions and the same issues, I think is well-worth the time."

Rice began a long day of diplomacy with talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Nile River city of Aswan, before flying on to Tel Aviv from where she motorcaded to the West Bank town of Ramallah to meet Mr. Abbas.

The Palestinian president, who is due to attend the Arab League summit in Riyadh Wednesday, said he agreed the organization's 2002 peace plan needs to be reactivated. But, he resisted the idea it should be amended to deal with Israeli concerns.

"The Arab initiative, when it was launched was highly welcomed in the different Arab and international circles, and also in the Israeli circles," he said. "This initiative has become an important part of the 'road map' plan adopted by the Quartet. The road map has become a resolution of the [U.N.] Security Council with the number 1515. I didn't hear anybody saying that you need to amend or change or alter any of the articles of the Arab initiative."

Israeli officials say language in the Arab League plan providing for the return of refugees would threaten Israel's existence as a Jewish state unless it was amended to say that refugees should resettle only in the envisaged Palestinian state.

Earlier at a joint press appearance with Rice in Aswan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Ghiet said any talk of the Arab League amending the initiative was "illogical" unless and until it became a subject of actual negotiations with Israel.

Former US Ambassador to UN Skeptical Over Latest Vote on Iran

By Michael Bowman Washington 25 March 2007

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A former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says only regime change will cause Iran to halt its nuclear program. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, Ambassador John Bolton spoke one day after the U.N. Security council voted to impose new sanctions on Tehran for refusing to stop enriching uranium.

Amb. John Bolton (file photo)

John Bolton says the Security Council resolution is a "useful" measure but will not, by itself, force Iran to shelve its nuclear ambitions.

"Iran has made it clear they are going to continue to pursue their 20-year-long effort to get nuclear weapons," he said. "I think they have shown their determination to resist the Security Council, and there is no sign that these resolutions are making them back away from that."

The former ambassador spoke on CNN's Late Edition program. The Security Council resolution, which was approved unanimously, bans Iranian arms sales and freezes the assets of people and organizations tied to the country's nuclear program. It follows another resolution, approved in December, which banned countries from supplying materials and technology to Iran that could be used to further the country's nuclear and missile development programs.

Manouchehr Mottaki (filie photo)

Tehran scoffed at the December measure, and reacted similarly to the most recent resolution. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that suspension of nuclear activities "is neither an option nor a solution."

Meanwhile, the European Union's top foreign policy official, Javier Solana, has expressed hope for a resumption of talks with Iran aimed at a negotiated settlement of the nuclear impasse.

But Ambassador Bolton says he is skeptical that any amount of diplomatic pressure will convince Iran to change course.

"We need to accelerate a lot of things that are already underway: keeping Iran out of international financial markets more fully, denying them materials and technology they need to complete their effort to gain mastery over the nuclear fuel cycle," he said. "But I think, ultimately, the only thing that will stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons is regime change in Tehran. This regime has shown zero evidence that it has changed its strategic decision. And, to date, the pressure that has been applied to them has not moved them an inch."

Bolton added that the United States must be prepared to deal military with Iran, but that it is the Iranian people who should bring about a change in their government.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and that the international community has no right to interfere. The United States, the European Union and others have long-suspected Tehran aims to build a nuclear-weapons arsenal.

Tensions between Iran and the West flared over Tehran's detention of 15 British naval personnel Friday. Iran says the detainees entered Iranian waters while inspecting a merchant ship in a Persian Gulf waterway. Britain is demanding their immediate release.

VOASE0325_This Is America

25 March 2007

A Visit To the Florida Keys: Beautiful Islands In Southern Florida
In the Keys, you can dance to reggae or Cuban rhythms, visit some favorite places of writer Ernest Hemingway, or just lie in the sun.

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA IN VOA SPECIAL ENGLISH. I'm Steve Ember. Today, Mary Tillotson and I welcome you to a group of islands that extends into the Atlantic Ocean from the southern state of Florida. These islands are called the Florida Keys. In Key West, a sign on a monument says "America Begins Here."

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VOICE TWO:

The first European to see the Florida Keys was Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in the year fifteen-thirteen. He was searching for special water that would keep people young forever. But he did not find that special water, or any other water that people could drink. Later, other Spanish explorers mapped the area as an aid to help their treasure ships return to Spain.

Many of the Keys still have Spanish names, like Islamorada, Bahia Honda and Key Vaca. The word “Keys” comes from the Spanish word “cayos” meaning “little island.” And many of the Florida Keys are little. Hundreds of the islands are only pieces of sand that extend a few feet out of the water. Many are only visited by sea birds.

Yet some of the Keys are big enough to support large numbers of people. One of the most popular is Key West. It is the farthest south of the Keys that can be reached by car.

VOICE ONE:

A road extends southwest into the Florida Keys. It is called Highway One. It starts into the Keys from the state of Florida at a bridge that crosses the water to the island of Key Largo.

The road is narrow and the traffic is often slow as it travels through each of the small towns of the Keys. Highway One is about one hundred-fifty-seven kilometers from Key Largo to its end in Key West. It extends across many bridges between the islands. The longest of these bridges is eleven kilometers long. It is called Seven Mile Bridge and was completed in nineteen-eleven. At the time, it was considered one of the wonders of the world. No bridge crossed as much open water.

It was a strong bridge, too. Seven Mile Bridge survived many storms, including one huge ocean storm that damaged the Keys in nineteen-thirty-five. The first Seven Mile Bridge was replaced in nineteen-eighty-two, but you can still see the old bridge, close to the new one.

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VOICE TWO:

Sports fishing in the Florida Keys

Today, the Florida Keys are a popular holiday area. Many of the islands have beautiful white sand beaches. Swimming and boating are major sports. Visitors can pay to go on a boat for a fishing trip. They can catch many different kinds of fish including huge fish called sailfish or marlin. People come from all over the world to fish in the Florida Keys. In fact, the people who live on Islamorada Key claim their island is the “Sports Fishing Capital of the World.”

However, the people of other Keys say the fishing is just as good off their islands.

Visitors can ride on other kinds of boats in the Florida Keys. Some are special party boats. These go out for the day or during the night. There are food and drinks on these boats. They might also have bands or recorded music for dancing.

VOICE ONE:

The music heard in the Florida Keys is unusual. You can hear Cuban music. You can hear music of the Caribbean islands, old calypso music from deep in the Caribbean and reggae from Jamaica. You can also hear a lot of music by American songwriter and singer Jimmy Buffet. His music is a mix of American country and western, rock and the sounds of the Caribbean islands. People who really like his music call themselves “Parrot Heads.”

It is now time to take a little trip. Let us pretend we are traveling across the last bridge on Highway One to the island of Key West. Our car radio is playing one of Jimmy Buffet’s most famous songs, “Margaritaville.”

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VOICE TWO:

As we cross the bridge to Key West, we can see many boats. Some are fishing boats you can use for the day. Others belong to people who have sailed their boats here from many different places.

In the city, the houses are almost all painted white. A few are pink or light blue. Many houses are very old and very small. Key West is a very old city. Many of the buildings are more than one-hundred years old.

Many palm trees grow here. Colorful flowers grow in front of many of the little houses. You can stay in a room in one of these houses for the night. You can smell the ocean on the soft warm wind that blows across the island.

We drive past several streets and then come to Whitehead Street. We turn left. Very soon we come to the end of the street. There is a monument here. The sign says this is the southernmost part of the United States. The sign says “American Begins Here.” Beyond the sign is the ocean.

VOICE ONE:

After taking a few photographs of the sign, we turn the car around and follow Whitehead Street to number nine-oh-seven. This house belonged to the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway. For a few dollars, you can see the inside of the house. Hemingway had many cats when he lived here. He is gone, but the cats remain. Many are asleep on the beds or chairs. They are used to seeing people walking through the old house.

VOICE TWO:

After we leave the Hemingway house, we travel a little way to Green Street. There is a private museum here we want to visit. It is the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum. The museum is named after treasure hunter Mel Fisher. He discovered an old sunken Spanish treasure ship near Key West more than twenty years ago.

That ship was the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. Visitors can see some of the ship’s treasure at the museum. You can hold a huge, solid bar of gold worth many thousands of dollars. You can put your hands through a hole in a clear, plastic box and hold the huge piece of gold. But the box is built so you can not turn the bar toward the hole. You can not take the gold with you!

However, the museum store will sell you real Spanish coins that were found on the famous ship. They are very costly. Or you can buy a copy of a coin for much less money.

VOICE ONE:

From Mel Fisher’s Museum, we walk the short distance to Mallory Square, the center of Key West’s historic area. The square is famous for the Key West sunset celebration that is held each night if the weather is good. It is really more famous for the unusual people and animals you can see here. For example, you can see people sing or play music. You can see cats perform tricks. You can watch trained birds. You can buy a hat. Or just watch the beautiful sunset.

VOICE TWO:

From Mallory Square we walk to Duval Street. This is where we find many good eating and drinking places. You can buy very good Cuban food. Cuba is only about one-hundred-forty kilometers from Key West. The Cuban influence can be strongly felt in the city.

Or maybe you want to eat seafood instead. There are many good seafood restaurants. Singer Jimmy Buffet owns an eating place here, too. It is the Margaritaville Café where you can get a good American cheeseburger.

You can also find drinking places that have bands. Some bands play rock music. Some play music of the Caribbean. Still others play country and western music. There seems to be a kind of music for everyone.

There are many other businesses along Duval Street. Many stores sell clothing. Some stores sell the works of local Key West artists. Duval Street is a lively area. There seems to be a party here until very late into the night.

VOICE ONE:

A day at the Dry Tortugas National Park near Key West, Florida

There is much more to do and see in Key West. You can take a high-speed boat trip for about an hour to the Dry Tortugas National Park. A huge military fort was built there before the American Civil War.

You can rent an aircraft and take photographs of the beautiful Keys from the air. You can learn to breathe under water using special equipment. And, when your holiday is finished, you can drive slowly up Highway One, through the many other Florida Keys, stopping to enjoy each one on the way home.

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This program was written by Paul Thompson and produced by Cynthia Kirk and Caty Weaver. I'm Steve Ember with Mary Tillotson. Please join us again next week for another THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

VOASE0325_Development Report

25 March 2007

World Tuberculosis Day Observed
The World Health Organization declared tuberculosis a public health emergency fourteen years ago. Since then, a new report shows the percentage of the world’s population infected with the disease has leveled off.

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Patients suffering from tuberculosis in Hyderabad, India

World Tuberculosis Day was March twenty-fourth. It was also the one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary of the discovery of the bacterium that causes the lung disease.

Tuberculosis is one of the world’s leading infectious diseases. The World Health Organization says about two billion people around the world are infected with the bacterium that causes the disease. About one-point-six million people died from the lung disease in two thousand five.

TB infection can remain inactive in a person’s lungs for years, or even a lifetime. The disease, however, becomes active in about ten percent of all cases. TB causes a high body temperature and coughing. Infected people spread the disease by releasing particles from their mouths when they cough, sneeze, spit or talk.

Most TB cases are in South and East Asia, Africa and West Pacific nations. The World Health Organization says about sixty percent of all cases are discovered and a majority of them are cured.

The health agency has a five-step program to guarantee that TB patients take their medicine correctly. The program is called Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course, or DOTS. Directly observed means that local health care workers watch to make sure patients take their medicine every day. Full treatment usually lasts from six to nine months.

Some people, however, stop the DOTS program as soon as they feel better. That only makes the infection more difficult to treat. TB continues and grows into drug-resistant forms when patients fail to finish taking their medicine.

The World Health Organization declared TB a public health emergency in nineteen ninety-three. Since then, a new report shows worldwide tuberculosis rates are steady or falling. The report says the percentage of the world’s population with the disease reached a high level in two thousand four, and remained steady in two thousand five. If this continues for the next three to four years, WHO officials believe their Millennium Development Goal could be reached.

The goal is to discover at least seventy percent of infectious cases and successfully treat eighty-five percent of those cases by two thousand fifteen.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss. You can read and download audio of Special English programs at our web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.

Rice Meets Arab Ministers in Advance of Riyadh Summit

By David Gollust Aswan, Egypt 25 March 2007

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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met foreign ministers of four moderate Arab states in the Egyptian city of Aswan Saturday in advance of the Arab League summit next week in Riyadh. U.S. officials would like to see the Arab states renew their 2002 peace overture to Israel. VOA's David Gollust reports from Aswan.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, Egypt, 24 Mar 2007

Senior officials in the Rice party say they do not want to appear to be trying to tell the Arab League what to do.

But they are making clear they would like to see that organization reaffirm the 2002 peace initiative, and preferably supplement it with some sort of new political overture to Israel.

In the peace plan, initiated by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League member countries offered Israel normal relations, if it returned to 1967 borders and reached a two stage settlement with the Palestinian including the return of refugees.

But the 2002 initiative was overshadowed by the violence of the second Palestinian Intifada and later by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

In a talk with reporters, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch said Secretary Rice told her foreign minister colleagues from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that U.S. efforts to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be enhanced, if there was a parallel Arab-Israeli negotiating track. "The Secretary emphasized in the gathering with the foreign ministers the importance of Arab-Israeli reconciliation as an element in broadening peace, but also in helping to establish a track between the Israelis and Palestinians," he said.

A senior U.S. official who spoke to reporters said Rice was not preaching to her Arab colleagues about what needs to be done, but said none-the-less the United States views some sort of outreach to Israel by the Arab League to be of critical importance.

Rice also met with security and intelligence chiefs from the four countries of the so-called Quartet of moderate Arab states. The official said that conversation focused on, among other things, ways to curb arms smuggling to Hamas and other radical factions in the Palestinian areas, and to assure that aid flowing to those areas does not end up in the hands of extremists.

The senior official said the Arab Quartet members believe the Bush administration has struck the right balance on the new Palestinian unity government by continuing to back an international aid ban against it, but agreeing to continue contacts with non-Hamas members of the cabinet.

Rice continues her Middle East mission, her third thus far this year, with a meeting here Sunday morning with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

She then flies on to Israel where she will meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem after talks in the West Bank city of Ramallah with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas.

UN Imposes New Sanctions Against Iran Over Nuclear Program

By Barbara Schoetzau New York 25 March 2007

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The 15-mmeber UN Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to impose new sanctions on Iran over its refusal to end its uranium enrichment program. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has the details.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki speaks (R) as Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Jared Zarif (L) listens after members of the Security Council voted to put new sanctions on Tehran

The resolution freezes the assets of more than 28 Iranian individuals, companies and institutions, including the state-owned Bank Sepah, commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and companies they control. It also places an embargo on arms exports and calls on members to voluntarily restrict loans and financial assistance to the government of Iran.

The resolution calls on Iran to comply with International Atomic Energy Agency requirements, halt its nuclear enrichment program and return to negotiations over its nuclear program.

Britain, France, and Germany drafted the original resolution. British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said the sponsors are pleased that the Council was able to act unanimously after weeks of negotiations to send a clear message to Iran that it must comply with its legal obligations. "This is a legal act by the Security Council requiring Iran to actually implement what we have said. We, therefore, incrementally increased pressure on Iran. It is an appropriate response, but our hope was, and our preference, was to see a negotiated outcome. That is to say that it is open to Iran if she accepts to suspend enrichment and research and development, then we want to get into negotiations, we want to find a better way forward. The choice is Iran's but the offer on the table includes undeniably the development of a civil nuclear capability in Iran," the British ambassador said.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes, not producing nuclear weapons, and refuses to suspend the program as a precondition for negotiations. Speaking though an interpreter, Iran's Foreign Minister, Manoucheyhr Mottaki, told the Council that suspension is not an option or a solution. "Iran does not want confrontation nor does it want anything other than its own inalienable rights. I can assure you that pressure, intimidation will not change Iranian policy. The world must know, and it does, that even the harshest political and economic sanctions - or other threats - are far too weak to coerce the Iranian nation to retreat from their legal and legitimate demands," he said.

The new resolution tightens a measure passed in December that prohibited trade in sensitive nuclear materials and ballistic missiles and also froze the assets of individuals and institutions associated with atomic programs.

UN Secretary-General to Meet Israeli and Palestinian Leaders

By Robert Berger Jerusalem 25 March 2007

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The Secretary-General of the United Nations has arrived in Israel for separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the Middle East peace process and the fate of three kidnapped Israeli soldiers are topping the agenda.

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz, left, listens to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, right, upon the latter's arrival at Ben Gurion airport near Tel-Aviv, Israel

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hopes to give a boost to the stalled peace process during a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. He spoke upon arrival at the airport in Tel Aviv. "The United Nations has had crucial political and operational roles in the Middle East for more than 60 years. We were there at Israel's creation and I would dearly wish to be there again when a comprehensive solution to the conflict is achieved," he said.

Mr. Ban will hold separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But the Secretary-General disappointed both sides from the outset.

His decision not to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh drew angry reaction from the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas, which described it as "discrimination." Hamas agreed to share power with Mr. Abbas and other moderates in a national unity government that assumed power a week ago. The group said the new government represents the entire Palestinian people and the UN is supposed to be a non-political organization that represents all countries.

Israel, on the other hand, was hoping that Ban would boycott the Palestinian government. Israel refuses to deal with the new regime because Hamas rejects key international demands for lifting crippling sanctions--namely, renunciation of violence and recognition of the Jewish state.

Israel does not see the U.N. as a key mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a role that has traditionally been played by the United States. But Israeli officials believe the Secretary-General can play an important role in achieving the release of three kidnapped soldiers-one held by Hamas in Gaza and two others held by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz made that clear when he greeted MR. Ban at the airport. Peretz said Israel is confident that Mr. Ban will do everything he can to implement U.N. Resolution 1701 which calls for the return of the captive soldiers to their homes in Israel.

Cautious Calm Returns to Democratic Republic of Congo

By Naomi Schwarz Dakar 25 March 2007

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Residents of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are relieved but bitter, as calm has returned after two days of brutal fighting between government forces and the guard of opposition leader and former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba. Dozens are reported dead, and the death toll is expected to rise as more information becomes available. Naomi Schwarz has more on the story from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.

A man looks into a looted shop window, 24 March 2007, in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Jean-Tobie Okala, the deputy spokesman for the U.N.'s military mission in Congo, known by the French abbreviation MONUC, said he went outside for the first time this morning, after more than 48-hours of fighting. "The situation in the Congolese capital is calm. I went to the downtown. I can say that there are a lot of damages but social and economic activity are resuming," he said.

Okala said MONUC forces spent the past few days protecting and evacuating civilians and attempting to mediate between the government and Bemba.

The government issued a warrant for Bemba's arrest Friday, accusing him of treason and calling the clashes a rebellion. He has taken refuge in the South African Embassy in Kinshasa.

Local journalist Eddie Issango says many of Bemba's guard have fled across the river to neighboring Congo-Brazzaville or have turned themselves and their weapons into the U.N.

MONUC spokesman Okala says the government must once again look for ways to find solutions for the many challenges facing the DRC after decades of brutal war. "They have to secure the country. They have to reform security services. They have to promote social justice, promote women. So there is no time to waste," he said.

But Michel Nourredine Kassa, head of Kinshasa-based Leadership Training Initiative, said there remains a lot of anger over the events of the past few days. "There is a sense of relief, I guess, but beyond this sense of relief what I feel is a sense of extreme bitterness. Bitterness at how futile this chapter of this country's political life has been. Futile fighting when there were a thousand other options to settle this dispute than using violence," he said.

But despite the violence of the past days, all too familiar to Congolese who survived a civil war that left more than four million dead, Kassa says a sense of optimism remains. Mr Kassa added, "They are still hopeful because they know that they have voted and they know that their vote counts. It will never be like before."

Last year, the DRC held democratic elections that were widely hailed as an important step toward peace for the beleaguered nation. President Joseph Kabila won the vote, but the election was marred by violent clashes.

Kassa says looks he forward to a time of peace in the DRC, when the National Assembly will become a place for healthy - and peaceful discussion - by members of the government and a robust opposition.

VOASE0325_People In America

25 March 2007

Billie Holiday, 1915-1959: The Lady Sang the Blues
She was one of the greatest jazz singers in America.

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VOICE ONE:

I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

Billie Holiday

And I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Every week we tell about a person important in the history of the United States. This week, we tell about Billie Holiday. She was one of the greatest jazz singers in America.

(MUSIC: "God Bless the Child")

VOICE ONE:

That was Billie Holiday singing one of her famous songs. She and Arthur Herzog wrote it. Billie Holiday's life was a mixture of success and tragedy. Her singing expressed her experiences and her feelings.

VOICE TWO:

Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan in nineteen fifteen in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were Sadie Fagan and Clarence Holiday. They were young when their daughter was born. Their marriage failed because Clarence Holiday was not at home much. He traveled as a musician with some of the earliest jazz bands.

Sadie Fagan cleaned people's houses. But she could not support her family on the money she earned. So she moved to New York City where the pay was higher. She left her daughter in Baltimore with members of her family.

VOICE ONE:

The young girl Eleanora Fagan changed her name to Billie, because she liked a movie star, Billie Dove. Billie Holiday loved to sing. She sang and listened to music whenever she could. One place near her home had a machine that played records. The building was a brothel where women who were prostitutes had sex with men for money.

Billie cleaned floors and did other jobs for the prostitutes so she could listen to the records. It was there that young Billie first heard the records of famous black American blues artists of the nineteen twenties. She heard Bessie Smith sing the blues. And she heard Louis Armstrong play the horn. Both musicians had a great influence on her.

VOICE TWO:

Billie Holiday once said: "I do not think I'm singing. I feel like I am playing a horn. What comes out is what I feel. I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That is all I know."

Here is Billie Holiday singing a popular song of the Nineteen thirties, "More Than You Know."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Billie Holiday had a tragic childhood. When she was ten, a man sexually attacked her. She was accused of causing the man to attack her and sent to a prison for children.

In nineteen twenty-seven, Billie joined her mother in Harlem, the area of New York City where African-Americans lived. Billie's mother mistakenly sent her to live in a brothel. Billie became a prostitute at the age of thirteen. One day, she refused the sexual demands of a man. She was arrested and spent four months in prison.

VOICE TWO:

Two years later, Billie's mother became sick and could not work. Fifteen-year-old Billie tried to find a job. Finally, she was given a job singing at a place in Harlem where people went at night to drink alcohol and listen to music.

For the next seventeen years, Holiday was one of the most popular nightclub singers in New York. She always wore a long white evening dress. And she wore large white flowers in her black hair. She called herself "Lady Day."

VOICE ONE:

In the early nineteen thirties, a music producer, John Hammond, heard Billie Holiday sing in a nightclub. He called her the best jazz singer he had ever heard. He brought famous people to hear her sing.

Hammond produced Holiday's first records. He got the best jazz musicians to play. They included Benny Goodman on clarinet, Teddy Wilson on piano, Roy Eldridge on trumpet and Ben Webster on saxophone. They recorded many famous songs with Billie Holiday. "I Wished on the Moon" is one of them.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In the late nineteen thirties, Billy Holiday sang with Artie Shaw's band as it traveled around the United States. She was one of the first black singers to perform with a white band. But racial separation laws in America made travel difficult for her.

During this time, a new nightclub opened in the area of New York called Greenwich Village. It was the first club that had both black and white performers. And it welcomed both black and white people to hear the performers. The nightclub was called Cafe Society.

It was here that Billy Holiday first sang a song called "Strange Fruit." A school teacher named Lewis Allan had written it for her. The song was about injustice and oppression of black people in the southern part of the United States. It told about how mobs of white men had killed black men by hanging them from trees.

Many people objected to the song. It was unlike any other popular song. But it was a huge hit. Here is Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In the nineteen forties, Holiday started using the illegal drug heroin. Soon her body needed more and more of the drug. It began to affect her health.

In nineteen forty-seven, Billie Holiday was arrested for possessing illegal drugs. She was found guilty and sentenced to nine months in prison. When she was released, New York City officials refused to give her a document that permitted her to work in any place that served alcoholic drinks. This meant Holiday no longer could sing in nightclubs and jazz clubs. She could sing only in theaters and concert halls.

Ten days after her release from jail, she performed at New York's famous Carnegie Hall. People filled the place to hear her sing. This is one of the songs she sang at that concert. It is called "I Cover the Waterfront."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen fifty-six, Billie Holiday wrote a book about her life. The book was called “Lady Sings the Blues.” A friend at the New York Post newspaper, William Dufty, helped her write the book. A few months later, she was arrested again for possessing illegal drugs. But instead of going to prison, she was permitted to seek treatment to end her dependence on drugs. The treatment was successful.

That same year, she performed her second concert at Carnegie Hall. Here is one of the songs Holiday sang that night. It is called "Lady Sings the Blues." She and Herbie Nichols wrote it.

(MUSIC: "Lady Sings the Blues")

VOICE ONE:

Billy Holiday's health was ruined by using illegal drugs and by drinking too much alcohol. Her last performance was in nineteen fifty-nine. She had to be led off the stage after singing two songs. She died that year. She was only forty-four. But Lady Day lives on through her recordings that continue to influence the best jazz singers.

(THEME)

VOICE TWO:

This Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced by Lawan Davis. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. Listen again next week at this time for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on VOA.

House Democrats Challenge President Bush on Iraq War Funding

By Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 23 March 2007

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In a direct challenge to President Bush, the House of Representatives has, on a roughly party line vote of 218 to 212, called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq no later than the end of August 2008. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, the president has condemned the House action, and reiterated a veto threat.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, right, accompanied by Rahm Emanuel, center, and David Obey, walk to the Speaker's office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Mar 23, 2007

Democrats succeeded in passing a measure that ties funding needed to support U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with requirements to limit the duration of deployments, and force President Bush to certify the readiness of military units.

The beginning of a withdrawal period would be triggered, if the president cannot certify to Congress at two key points this year, that the Iraqi government is satisfactorily reaching political, economic and security benchmarks.

During the debate, the Democratic appropriations chairman, David Obey, asserted that, wording, timelines and benchmarks aside, the primary significance is Congress' determination to exert some control over the president's Iraq policy.

"What is important is that, for the first time, this Congress will be exercising its constitutional responsibilities to provide real oversight on the executive branch of government, and we will be trying to set this country on a new direction," he said.

Congressman John Murtha, a Vietnam War veteran, referred to U.S. troops killed and wounded in Iraq, and money in the bill for military health care, saying Iraqi leaders must be held to commitments to shoulder more of the burden.

"When you see 3,000 [U.S. troops] that have been killed, or 25,000 that have been wounded, it is individuals that have been wounded, individuals that have been killed, and those families are suffering. They [Iraqis] have a civil war. We have to put benchmarks in this bill, so the Iraqis start to do it themselves, and the Americans aren't forced to make up the difference and do it themselves."

Democratic leaders were generally successful in persuading most outspoken anti-war Democrats to support the bill, even though it gives a longer timetable for withdrawal than they wanted.

Only 14 crossed party lines to oppose their leadership, while only two Republicans voted for the bill.

Republican minority leader John Boehner made a final appeal against the measure:

"Who doesn't believe that if we go down this path, we are going to leave chaos and genocide in Iraq, and we are going to tell our enemies all around the world that you can take on the United States, you can push them to the edge, and, at the end of the day, they will just go home?" he asked.

Both sides also turned to war veterans to make their case.

"Internationally announcing our timelines for withdrawal literally hands the enemy our war plan, and gives them hope that they will win, if they just wait it out," said Sam Johnson is a Texas Republican. "What world superpower would do such a thing?"

Pennsylvania Congressman and Iraq war veteran Patrick Murphy delivered emotional remarks for Democrats:

"In the last four years the Republican Congress followed this president, as thousands of brave American soldiers returned home in coffins with our American flag," he said. "Nineteen of those coffins had American soldiers I served with in Iraq, 19 paratroopers."

After the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke to reporters.

"It [Congress] voted 'no' to giving a blank check to an open-ended commitment to war without end to the President of the United States, and 'yes' to begin the end of the war and the redeployment of our troops," she said.

The Senate, which Democrats narrowly control, may begin debate next week on a measure containing about $3 billion less than the House version, with a non-binding call for a U.S. withdrawal by March 2008.

But any legislation containing a timetable or other conditions faces a veto threat from President Bush, who condemned the House action as, in his words, "an act of political theater."

President Bush makes statement on US House of Representatives approval of bill on Iraq troop withdrawal at White House, 23 Mar 2007

"Amid the real challenges in Iraq, we're beginning to see some signs of progress," said Mr. Bush. "Yet, to score political points, the Democratic majority in the House has shown it is willing to undermine the gains our troops are making on the ground."

House Speaker Pelosi declines to say what strategy House Democrats will take in negotiations with the Senate, should a bill pass there, to reconcile differences to avert a veto.

House Republicans assert Democrats will ultimately be forced to accept a clean bill, without troop readiness requirements or withdrawal timetables that the president will accept.

Mozambique Arms Depot Explosion Kills Dozens, Injures More

By Delia Robertson Johannesburg 23 March 2007

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At least 83 people are dead, and about 300 have been injured in a series of explosions at an arms depot on the outskirts of the Mozambique capital, Maputo. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg.

Maputo resident reacts after blast at arms depot, 23 Mar 2007

The explosions at Mozambique's largest military arms depot near the international airport late Thursday afternoon is thought to have been caused by the high temperatures of around 38 degrees [centigrade] in the capital in recent days.

Mozambique Red Cross director, Fernanda Teixeira, said that one explosion led to another as ammunition of various types was ignited, sending incendiary projectiles into the neighboring suburb of Magoanine.

"But what we know is that the explosion was very big and some of these projectiles went to houses of people, damage the houses and killed people around," explained Teixeira.

Teixeira also said that the explosions occurred at one of the busiest times of the day.

"And this happened in a moment when normally people is going back from the office to the house, some children still in school, so it was a busy time, let's say," said Teixeira.

Thousands of people in the area are leaving their homes following the explosions which were heard up to the distance of 10 kilometers.

Mozambique has experienced a series of disasters recently. At least 140,000 people were displaced last month following flooding in Zambezi province; and unusual spring tides this week caused further damage. Teixeira says such events divert resources and attention from important development work.

"[The] main problem that I see is that the efforts of Mozambicans that should be directed to development work, we are now concentrating on responding to these emergencies and we are not giving the necessary attention to the normal development work that we need to do," said Teixeira.

South Africa has sent a team of experts to assist in assessing the damage caused by the explosions. President Thabo Mbeki said in a statement that South Africa would respond positively to any further requests for assistance from Mozambique.

VOASE0323_In the News

23 March 2007

Fighting in Mogadishu Leads to Appeal for Countries to Keep Their Promise to Help Somalia
A support plane for the African peacekeeping force in Somalia crashes near Mogadishu; officials say it was shot down.

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

A plane carrying eleven people aiding the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia crashed Friday near the capital, Mogadishu. Officials say it was shot down by a missile shortly after takeoff from the airport.

Smoke from heavy fighting in Mogadishu

The apparent attack followed two days of intense fighting in Mogadishu between resistance fighters and Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies. The fighting eased on Friday after one group of fighters said it had reached a ceasefire with Ethiopian forces.

Earlier this week, the commander of the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia urged several African countries to speed up their promised deployment of troops to help secure Mogadishu.

On Wednesday, resistance fighters pulled the bodies of two pro-government soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu and burned them. At least twenty-five people have been killed in the fighting. Hundreds of people have been injured. Hundreds of others have fled their homes to escape the violence.

The spokesman for the African Union peacekeeping force says the violence in Mogadishu is becoming more deadly and better organized. However, he also said the violence should not stop other nations from honoring their promise to send troops.

The African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia currently includes fewer than two thousand Ugandan soldiers. Resistance fighters have attacked the Ugandan troops daily since their arrival in Mogadishu earlier this month.

Burundi has offered to send one thousand seven hundred troops. However, the nation says it does not have enough equipment for the force. Nigeria, Malawi and Ghana have also said they would send troops, but they have not yet provided a plan for deployment.

Even if all four countries sent peacekeepers, the force would still be far from reaching its goal of deploying eight thousand African troops in Somalia. The troops are needed to protect the country's temporary government. They are also needed to train Somali security forces and bring back order to the area.

Civil war in Somalia began in nineteen ninety-one. Since then, militias loyal to different groups have controlled parts of the country. There has been no central government to provide law and order or even basic services to the population.

Somalia's temporary government was formed in Kenya more than two years ago after an internationally led peace process. Ethiopia sent troops to Somalia in December to help the temporary government push an opposition Islamist movement from power. The Somali government has since struggled to control resistance violence in the capital.

The Somali government recently announced that it will hold a conference next month to bring warring groups together for peace talks.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. You can download transcripts and audio from our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.

Defense Chief Calls on US Congress to Fund Iraq, Afghan Wars Without Conditions

By Al Pessin Pentagon 22 March 2007

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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says if the Congress does not approve additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by mid-April, without special conditions, the department will have to make cuts that could affect troop training and deployments. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

Secretary Gates began a news conference by reading a list of cuts the U.S. army would have to make. He said if there is no more money for the war by mid-April, the army would have to slow training for units heading to Iraq and Afghanistan, and if the money is delayed past mid-May some units would not be ready to deploy on time.

He said that would require units already deployed to stay beyond their scheduled return dates. He said the delays would also affect training for other units, and postpone the repair of military equipment and the purchase of urgently needed parts and other hardware.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, 07 Mar 2007

"This kind of disruption to key programs will have a genuinely adverse effect on the readiness of the army and the quality of life for soldiers and their families," said Mr. Gates. "I urge the Congress to pass the supplemental as quickly as possible."

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Friday on the Pentagon's $93 billion supplemental funding request. Democratic Party leaders want the House to attach conditions to the money, including a requirement to withdraw all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by August of next year at the latest, and earlier if the Iraqi government does not make progress on key political issues. President Bush says he will veto the bill if it has those requirements.

A veto would also deprive the Defense Department of the money it needs, but Secretary Gates says he, too, is opposed to attaching conditions to the funding.

"I've also discussed other concerns that I have with the legislation that I've articulated on the record, in terms of setting specific dates and specific conditions," he added.

Pentagon officials and senior military officers have said requiring a troop withdrawal by any specific date would limit the options of commanders, enable insurgents to simply wait until that date to launch a new wave of attacks, and potentially endanger U.S. forces.