Singapore signs pact with Myanmar to modernize its economy
Singapore, Singapore (AHN) – Singapore and Myanmar on Monday signed a bilateral, economic and trade agreement.
Under the Singapore-Myanmar Technical Cooperation Program pact, Singapore will open itself to foreign investment as well as offer training courses on trade, tourism development and central banking to the Southeast Asian nation.
The agreement was signed during Myanmarese President U Thein Sein’s first visit to Singapore after becoming president last year.
Myanmar had been a secretive military regime in the last decade, but post-2010 elections, situations changed in the country as government released several political prisoners and even legalized the pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy party. This prompted Washington to revive full diplomatic ties with it. Even the EU decided to partly lift sanctions on Myanmar.
Both the U.S. and the EU have promised to further ease sanctions, if they see free and fair parliamentary by-elections in April this year.
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Obama, Harper stay apart on pipeline issue, ink other agreements
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The visiting Canadian leader and the American president on Wednesday remained noncommittal on a controversial oil pipeline linking the two countries but signed a border deal.
Addressing a joint press conference at the White House, with Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama said, “With respect to the politics, look, this is a big project with big consequences.”
Asking for a assessment for environmental impact, Obama said, “We’ve seen Democrats and Republicans express concerns about it. And it is my job as president of the United States to make sure that a process is followed that examines all the options.”
Harper, on the other hand refused to be drawn into any controversy saying, “You can appreciate that I would not comment on the domestic politics of this issue or any other issue here in the United States.”
Harper added that Obama had an “open mind” on the project, but wanted a full assessment carried out. “He’s indicated to me, as he’s indicated to you today, that he is following a proper (process) to eventually take that decision here in the United States, and that he has an open mind in regards to what the final decision may or may not be,” Canadian leader said about the 1,600-mile pipeline that would run from Canada to the Texas coast.
“My position, the position of the government of Canada on this issue, is very well known,” said Harper, hinting at his backing for the Keystone XL plan, which is projected to create jobs in the U.S. and in Canada and to enable oil from the Canadian province of Alberta to reach the world market.
The two leaders announced signing of a trade deal and perimeter security agreement, which would allow easier access to ports and increase harmonization of security checks and procedures at land borders.
“Together, they represent the most significant steps forward in Canada-U.S. cooperation since the North American Free Trade Agreement,” Harper said.
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U.S. encourages SAARC but hesitant to get more involved
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The United States encouraged the participating nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, also known as SAARC, but Washington had no intentions to increase its own involvement with the association according to one of the top U.S. diplomats.
Addressing journalists at a special briefing at the State Department, Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said, “We’re an observer country and we welcome that role, but we’re not seeking to enhance our role in any way.”
Assistant Secretary Blake returned from a trip to the Maldives as head of the U.S. observer delegation to the 17th Summit of the SAARC which has eight member nations and nine observers.
The U.S., however, urged the participating South Asian nations to not only cement ties among themselves but also to enlarge cooperation with Central Asian countries to accelerate the building of a New Silk Road.
Assistant Secretary Blake said, “I explained our support for greater regional integration not only within South Asia, but between South and Central Asia and Secretary Clinton’s vision of a New Silk Road linking the economies of South and Central Asia in a web of trade, transit, and energy connections.”
“The SAARC states hope to implement a South Asia free trade agreement by 2016, and there was some progress that was announced during the recent summit,” said Blake, lamenting the fact that the SAARC members were “not ready to endorse proposals to move up the date for SAFTA implementation.”
The SAARC leaders agreed “to finalize a regional railways agreement in the next year and to create an Indian Ocean cargo and ferry service by 2012,” said Assistant Secretary Blake.
The U.S. has enjoyed observer nation status since 2007 in SAARC, which groups Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
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Iran, North Korea cloud Obama, Lee interaction with press
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – President Barack Obama on Thursday shelved his policy of diplomatic negotiations as he noted his administration’s goal to make “sure that they (Iranians) pay a price,” while seeking to “isolate” Iran — not only over the alleged assassination plot, but over its nuclear program and ties to terrorism.
Addressing a joint press conference with visiting South Korean president Lee Myung Bak at the White House, Obama refused to say explicitly whether he believed Iran’s leaders knew about a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador in Washington, but the Iranians should be held accountable in any event, reiterated Obama.
“Even if at the highest levels there was not detailed operational knowledge, there has to be accountability with respect to anybody in the Iranian government engaging in this kind of activity,” Obama said.
President asserted himself when he replied to one conservative channel correspondent saying, “Well I did not know you were the spokesman for Romney.”
Smiling Obama answered when he was asked if he considered the alleged Iranian assassination plot to be “an act of war.”
The journalist framed his question citing Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney as saying earlier, “what specific steps will you take to hold Iran accountable? Especially when Mitt Romney charged last week, quote, ‘If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on Earth, I am not your President. You have that president today.’”
On the recent nod from U.S. Congress for the free trade agreement with Korea, President Lee said he is confident Korean parliament will ratify the deal soon.
“I am confident that the Korea National Assembly will soon ratify this very important agreement in the near future,” Lee said. “It is a win-win agreement that will benefit both of our economies in countless ways.”
Calling the FTA an “historic milestone,” Lee said the countries have set an example of job creation and economic growth through free trade.
Highlighting the ongoing concern in Europe, Lee noted the global economy’s present challenges, saying, “the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement will demonstrate to the world that we can create good quality jobs and stimulate growth through open and fair trade.”
Obama summed up the agreement effect as, “In short, this agreement will boost American exports by up to $11 billion and support some 70,000 American jobs.”
The occasion was also used by Obama to warn North Korea, saying, “If Pyongyang continues to ignore its international obligations, it will invite even more pressure and isolation.”
“If the North abandons its quest for nuclear weapons and moves toward denuclearization, it will enjoy greater security and opportunity for its people,” Obama offered as a choice for North Korea.
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Raising debt ceiling U.S. avoids “default”; Obama urges Congress to nod trade deals
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The United States avoided the dreaded scenario of “default” on Tuesday and ended weeks of political circus in Washington as both Congress and the Senate passed the required bill raising the debt ceiling of the country allowing the U.S. Treasury to immediately borrow billions of dollars.
The legislations allows for more borrowing later but also aims to reduce the nation’s $14.3 trillion deficit by more than two trillion dollars over 10 years but the concern of rating agencies was still unclear leaving the chances of a downgrade for American credit rating open.
The White House announced during the regular daily briefing that President Barack Obama signed into law debt-ceiling legislation after the Senate passed the Congress approved bipartisan bill with a 74-26 vote on Tuesday before a midnight deadline to get a deal done. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Monday by a vote of 269 to 161.
Earlier addressing journalists at a Rose Garden news conference on Tuesday as the bill cleared the last hurdle of the Senate vote, Obama said, “This compromise guarantees more than $2 trillion in deficit reduction.”
Thanking “the American people for keeping up the pressure on their elected officials to put politics aside and work together for the good of the country,” Obama said, “It’s an important first step to ensuring that as a nation we live within our means.”
“This is, however, just the first step. This compromise requires that both parties work together on a larger plan to cut the deficit, which is important for the long-term health of our economy,” said Obama.
Admitting that the plan would need to include cuts to social programs and taxation on wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations, Obama said, “That means making some adjustments to protect health care programs like Medicare so they’re there for future generations.”
“It also means reforming our tax code so that the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations pay their fair share,” said Obama, adding, “And it means getting rid of taxpayer subsidies to oil and gas companies, and tax loopholes that help billionaires pay a lower tax rate than teachers and nurses.”
Expressing his frustration over the way the political bickering went on for weeks, Obama said, “Voters may have chosen divided government, but they sure didn’t vote for dysfunctional government.”
In a message directed to the American lawmakers, Obama said, “When Congress gets back from recess, I will urge them to immediately take some steps — bipartisan, common-sense steps — that will make a difference; that will create a climate where businesses can hire, where folks have more money in their pockets to spend, where people who are out of work can find good jobs.”
“I want Congress to pass a set of trade deals — deals we’ve already negotiated — that would help displaced workers looking for new jobs and would allow our businesses to sell more products in countries in Asia and South America, products that are stamped with the words “Made in America,” Obama added in his call to Congress.
During the Senate debate, Republican Senator John McCain from Arizona in a statement said, “Mr. President, I support the legislation before us today to raise the debt ceiling and at the same time curb government spending without raising taxes.”
Saying that the U.S. “cannot default on our obligations and this bill prevents that from happening,” McCain said, “Mr. President, this measure represents the beginning — not the end — of what I believe will be a sustained national focus on getting our fiscal house in order. We still have a very long way to go and a great deal of hard work to do.”
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U.S. signs antitrust cooperation agreement with Chile
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement with Chile to enable antitrust agencies in the two countries to improve their law enforcement relationships.
“Chile has one of the most advanced antitrust systems in Latin America,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a statement after the signature ceremony, adding, “They are natural partners for us, and I’m pleased that we can formalize and strengthen the great relationship we have with them.”
Leibowitz signed the agreement with Felipe Irarrázabal, Chile’s national economic prosecutor. Christine Varney, assistant attorney general in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division also signed on behalf of the department.
“This new agreement is a significant step in developing a close relationship between the antitrust agencies of the United States and Chile. It is an important tool that will be used to protect consumers in both countries,” said Varney.
She said provisions in the agreement “provide a sound basis for enhanced cooperation on a day-to-day basis, while minimizing possible conflicts between the two nations’ antitrust enforcement activities.”
“We look forward to working more closely with our Chilean colleagues at a time when sound antitrust enforcement is a high priority in both the United States and Chile,” Varney added.
U.S. antitrust agencies already have similar agreements with Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and Mexico.
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U.S. signs antitrust cooperation agreement with Chile
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement with Chile to enable antitrust agencies in the two countries to improve their law enforcement relationships.
“Chile has one of the most advanced antitrust systems in Latin America,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a statement after the signature ceremony, adding, “They are natural partners for us, and I’m pleased that we can formalize and strengthen the great relationship we have with them.”
Leibowitz signed the agreement with Felipe Irarrázabal, Chile’s national economic prosecutor. Christine Varney, assistant attorney general in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division also signed on behalf of the department.
“This new agreement is a significant step in developing a close relationship between the antitrust agencies of the United States and Chile. It is an important tool that will be used to protect consumers in both countries,” said Varney.
She said provisions in the agreement “provide a sound basis for enhanced cooperation on a day-to-day basis, while minimizing possible conflicts between the two nations’ antitrust enforcement activities.”
“We look forward to working more closely with our Chilean colleagues at a time when sound antitrust enforcement is a high priority in both the United States and Chile,” Varney added.
U.S. antitrust agencies already have similar agreements with Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and Mexico.
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Arsenic found in U.S. chicken supply
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The Food and Drug Administration released a statement Wednesday revealing that some chicken meat may contain small amounts of arsenic. The agency claims, however, that the actual amount is too minute to pose a danger to people who eat it.
The findings were revealed in a study developed by the FDA that reported Roxarsone, an ingredient in chicken feed, contained a potentially carcinogenic form of arsenic and was finding its way into the livers of animals treated with the drug. Roxarsone has been used by poultry producers since 1944.
The substance is produced by Pfizer Inc. and subsequently officials are removing if from the U.S. market. Additionally, the FDA has suspended the drug and poultry producers have stopped using the ingredient – initially used to kill parasites and promote growth in the bird feed.
The announcement of the FDA sales suspension came after an FDA study of 100 broiler chickens detected inorganic arsenic at higher levels in the livers of those treated with Roxarsone than in those who did not get the drug.
The FDA is stressing that people should not stop eating chicken that may have been treated with the drug, as the study was meant to raise “concerns of a very low but completely avoidable exposure to a carcinogen.”
Organic arsenic naturally forms in the livers of chickens. However the inorganic form, such as with Roxarsone, is more toxic than the naturally occurring form.
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Hispanics criticize Supreme Court ruling on Arizona’s illegal immigration law
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – Leaders of the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities continued sharp criticisms Friday against a Supreme Court decision that upholds a tough state law against illegal immigration.
They say the ruling on Thursday will lead to discrimination against Hispanic people.
The Arizona law empowers local police to shut down any business that knowingly hires illegal immigrants.
The Supreme Court ruling is expected to encourage other states to enact similar laws to ensure employees are Americans.
The Obama administration opposed the Arizona law, saying the state was authorizing itself to set immigration policy that the Constitution reserves to the federal government.
The Supreme Court said Arizona was not setting a new immigration policy, merely enforcing the federal laws that already exist.
“Arizona hopes that its law will result in more effective enforcement of the prohibition on employing unauthorized aliens,” Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wrote for the 5-3 majority.
As a result, “the Arizona regulation does not otherwise conflict with federal law,” he wrote.
Among the first Latin American leaders to criticize the Supreme Court’s decision was Wilbert Bendezu, president of Peru’s Parliament.
He said the Supreme Court’s decision set a “dangerous precedent” that will lead to other laws against immigrants.
Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Utah, Mississippi, Ohio and Florida all have either enacted or are considering laws against illegal immigration that closely follow the “Legal Arizona Workers Act.”
Bendezu said the Arizona law gives employers no other choice than to fire workers who lack U.S. government work permits.
He estimated that about 600,000 Peruvians live illegally in the United States.
Other criticism came from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), a civil rights organization for Hispanics.
“Today’s regrettable decision in Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting is a tortured product of judicial activism responding to perceived political views of the moment,” said Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF’s president.
He hinted that the Supreme Court’s decision could lead to approval of Arizona’s S.B. 1070.
The state law authorizes local police to question and arrest anyone if the officers have “probable cause” evidence they are illegally in the United States. The law is awaiting an appeal to the Supreme Court before it can be enforced.
“Laws that encroach on exclusive federal immigration enforcement by mandating or permitting untrained local police officers to engage in racial profiling will find little refuge in today’s decision,” Saenz said. “Wise state and local lawmakers must continue to tread carefully in areas touching on immigration. As has been the case for well over 200 years, federal action remains the sole legitimate avenue to address immigration issues.”
Dissenters on the Supreme Court largely agreed that Arizona lawmakers overstepped their authority with the Legal Arizona Workers Act.
“Either directly or through the uncertainty that it creates, the Arizona statute will impose additional burdens upon lawful employers,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in dissent.
The other dissenters were Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.
Breyer wrote that employers now are likely to “erect ever stronger safeguards against the hiring of unauthorized aliens, without counterbalancing protections against unlawful discrimination.”
The Arizona law also requires employers to check the immigration status of all job applicants using an online federal background check program called E-Verify.
The Supreme Court ruling said E-Verify was “entirely consistent” with federal law.
About 215,000 employers nationwide have enrolled voluntarily in the E-Verify program. South Carolina and Mississippi also require employers to do E-Verify background checks.
Some members of Congress have said recently they plan to introduce bills requiring E-Verify checks nationally.
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Bangladesh inks deal for international company to sell natural gas
Dhaka, Bangladesh (AHN) – Bangladesh has for the first time allowed a foreign energy company to sell natural gas within the country amidst widespread criticism by social justice activists. Opposition had caused a year-long delay in signing a contract.
The state energy regulatory body Petrobangla on Monday signed a gas purchase and sales agreement (GPSA) with Australian oil company Santos Limited.
The gas demand in the southern port and industrial city of Chittagong port is 420 to 430 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), yet only 280 to 240 mmcfd are available.
Santos can now sell directly to consumers in the gas-starved Chittagong market.
Petrobangla was scheduled to sign the GPSA in July last year, but was delayed as the government Energy and Mineral Resources Division failed to finalize official formalities in time.
Petrobangla Chairman Professor Hossain Monsur told reporters that industrial production and commercial activities in Chittagong were facing a serious crisis due to a gas supply shortage, adding that he was hopeful to resolve the gas crisis in Chittagong by 2012 with support from the international oil companies, according to English-language daily The Sun.
An official of Petrobangla told All Headline News on condition of anonymity that the delay in the decision to sign the agreement with Santos was because of fear in the government of political backlash by the mainstream opposition Bangladesh Nationalists Party (BNP).
John Chambers, president of Santos Sangu Field Limited, told The Sun that he has received proactive responses from businesses in Chittagong that have invested millions of dollars in infrastructure sector, but could not begin operation of their industrial productions due to the gas crisis.
Entrepreneurs and investors in Chittagong demand primary fuel at any price to accelerate economic growth, Santos executive said.
Santos has plans to invest $120 million for the wells, drilling and connecting to national gas grid, which is expected to be complete in two years.
Last year, Santos acquired U.S., energy giant Cairn Energy Sangu Field Limited, which began doing business in Bangladesh in 1993.
Economics professor Anu Muhammad, an activist of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Port and Power, charged that bureaucrats in connivance with politicians were bent on giving away production-sharing contracts to international energy giants. The state-owned BAPEX was competent to conduct oil and gas exploration, as they have demonstrated their skills, observed the activist.
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