Brazil's Lula pays tribute to Africa's historic role

Brazil is committed to help Africa build a future of stability and development, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said.

On his last African tour as president, he said Brazil could never repay its historic debt to the continent.
His successor would have a moral duty to increase trade and investment, he told West African leaders in Cape Verde
Brazilian trade with Africa has quadrupled since Lula became president in 2002.
The Brazilian leader has made improving links with Africa a vital part of his foreign policy, which emphasises "South-South" relations.
He has toured the continent at least ten times, visiting 25 different countries.
Despite high popularity ratings at home, he is barred by the Brazilian constitution from a third consecutive term as president and must step down after elections in October.
'Historic debt' "Today we are united for the future," President Lula told a summit of the West African regional grouping Ecowas in Santa Maria, Cape Verde.
"Brazil - not just me - took a political decision to make a re-encounter with the African continent."
He said Brazil could never repay its "historic debt" to Africa - a reference to the millions of Brazilians who are descended from African slaves.
"Brazil would not be what it is today without the participation of millions of Africans who helped build our country."
He said Brazil was determined to help eliminate hunger and poverty in Africa through trade, investment and the transfer of technology.
"Whoever comes after me has the moral, political and ethical obligation to do much more."
'Defender of Africa' President Pedro Pires of Cape Verde paid homage to Lula on behalf of Ecowas.
"Brazil is a country that is respected and listened to, and its president is a great defender of Africa's interests. It should have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council," he said.
Trade between Brazil and Africa has grown from $6bn (£4bn) to $24bn (£16bn) under President Lula.
Brazilian companies have invested heavily in oil and mining, and have taken on big infrastructure projects.
Lula has also promoted cooperation on agricultural development and bio fuels, and launched an international television station - TV Brasil Internacional - that broadcasts to African nations.
Lula's final tour also takes in Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa.
He will attend the Fifa World Cup final as leader of the host country for the 2014 tournament.
He said he hoped Brazil would face an African team in the final in 2014.

Source: WN

Guinea election to go to second round

Electoral officials in junta-ruled Guinea announced late Friday that a runoff vote would be needed to determine who wins the mineral-rich West African nation's first free election since independence.
Former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo garnered about nearly 40 percent of vote in last Sunday's historic poll, well short of the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff, electoral Commission chief Ben Sekou Sylla told reporters in the capital, Conakry.
Longtime opposition politician Alpha Conde won just over 20 percent, while another ex-premier, Sidya Toure, came in third with close to 16 percent of the vote, Sylla said.
If confirmed by the Supreme Court, the result would mean Diallo faces Conde in a second round.
The electoral commission has said the runoff would be held July 18, but late Friday, several electoral officials said it would likely be pushed back until later in the month because of delays in counting ballots from the first round.
The June 27 poll has been praised as the first free vote since independence from France in 1958 and comes after decades of dictatorship that culminated in the yearlong rule of Moussa "Dadis" Camara.
Camara was shot in the head last December by his presidential guard and exiled to Burkina Faso where he remains as part of a peace deal.
On Wednesday, 17 of the 24 candidates — including the top three finishers — complained of ballot-box stuffing and irregularities. But the U.S. Embassy and international observers said they had found no evidence of widespread fraud.
Guinea's people are among the poorest in Africa, despite the fact the country hosts one of the world's largest reserves of bauxite, the raw material used to make aluminum, and billions of dollars worth of iron ore, diamonds and gold.
Interim leader Gen. Sekouba Konate, along with all members of his junta and a transitional governing council comprised of civilians were barred from running in the vote.
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Associated Press Writer Todd Pitman contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.

Source: WN

Former hot dog eating champ arrested

He didn't compete for the hot dog eating title this year, but he did cause a scene at the contest.
Takeru Kobayashi was arrested at Coney Island after his rival, Joey Chestnut, won the annual Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The six-time champion of the contest was trying to make his way on stage after this year's event, according to a representative for Kobayashi and a New York police officer at the Brooklyn precinct booking desk.
This year's competition had already caused a stir after word that Kobayashi -- who took home the title every year from 2001 to 2006 -- would not be participating because of a contract dispute with Major League Eating. He watched from the stands.
Kobayashi was trying to prove he was better than other competitors, said Yuki James, one of Kobayashi's handlers.
Chestnut won by consuming 54 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The win -- Chestnut's fourth straight -- was short of his 68-hot dog record set last year.
A statement from the New York Police Department's public affairs office following the arrest said Kobayashi was charged with two misdemeanors and one violation, with the violation considered a low-level charge similar to a traffic violation. The two misdemeanors were resisting arrest and obstructing government administration (specifically, interfering with police). The violation was trespassing.
Kobayashi was being held at a police precinct in Brooklyn, and it was unclear whether he had a lawyer or when he might have bail set.
In the days leading up to the event, Kobayashi said he loves the contest and he wanted to participate, but that the contract was too restrictive. Speaking through a Japanese interpreter, he said that all his income is earned through competitive eating. He said the new contract required by the competition would bar him from competing elsewhere in the United States or Canada for a year.
Both sides said contract negotiations went on until Saturday morning.
MLE chairman George Shea called Kobayashi's arrest "unfortunate."
"It makes you wonder what his thinking was," Shea said.
"Major League Eating made an enormous effort to get him into the contest," he added. "We wanted him there. Nathan's wanted him there. The fans wanted him there."
Hailing from Japan and weighing in at 160 pounds, Kobayashi, 31, rose to frank-feasting stardom in 2001 when he devoured 50 dogs, shattering the previously held record of 25 1/8.
But in 2007, having entered the challenge with a jaw injury, Kobayashi met his match in Chestnut.
Chestnut, the 230-pound contender from San Jose, California, downed 66 dogs to Kobayashi's 63 that year. Kobayashi has not won the competition since, and Chestnut is currently ranked No. 1 in competitive eating by the MLE.
For a hot dog to be counted as finished, competitors must consume both the hot dog and the bun.
Currently ranked third, Kobayashi still holds world records for eating cow brains (17.7 pounds in 15 minutes), lobster rolls (41 in 15 minutes) and rice balls (20 pounds in 30 minutes).

"This guy did great things for our sport," Shea said. "He's a fearsome competitor."

Source: CNN

Mortars hit Green Zone during Biden visit

Three mortar rounds struck harmlessly inside Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday night during a weekend visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.
No damage or injuries were reported from the bombardment, which occurred about 10:30 p.m. Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET).
The district, formally known as the International Zone, houses Iraqi government offices and the U.S. Embassy. But there were no injuries or damage reported from the shelling, Iraqi Interior Ministry and U.S. officials told CNN.
The district was a frequent target of rocket and mortar attacks during the worst of the war that followed the U.S. invasion in 2003. A similar attack struck during a Biden visit in September.
Biden landed in Iraq on Saturday to celebrate the U.S. Independence Day holiday with American troops, the White House said.
He also met with Iraqi political leaders, including Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and with former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, whose political coalition narrowly won an election in March.
Iraqi political factions are still negotiating who will lead the new government following that vote. Biden told them after their meeting that "you must have all voices represented in this government for it to be successful," and noted later that a country's second election -- not its first -- is "the most important election in a country's history."
"Now there's a new parliament that's been seated, and when the new government is formed, it will mark something absolutely extraordinary -- a peaceful transition of power encompassing all the people of Iraq, maybe for the first time in their history," Biden said during remarks Sunday at Camp Victory, the U.S. base near Baghdad's airport.

And Biden said the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq will continue as scheduled, with the pullout expected to be complete by the end of August. But he said 50,000 Americans will remain to train and support Iraqi forces, and the United States will remain engaged with Iraq "diplomatically, politically, economically, culturally (and) scientifically."

Source: CNN

India hails $3 billion showpiece airport terminal

A massive new terminal at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport is being touted as a testament to India's economic prowess.

The sprawling five million square foot building was officially opened Saturday by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi.

Complete with imported granite floors, huge white columns fitted with expensive speakers, 63 elevators, 95 immigration counters and a state of the art security and baggage system, Terminal 3 is also home to India's first transit hotel.

Officials say the new nine-level hub will be able to handle 34 million passengers per year, making it one of the biggest in the world.

"This is a confirmation that India has truly arrived on the world stage," India's Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told the crowd of invited guests.

Terminal 3 is a far cry from the cramped, low tech international terminal that existed before.

In addition to its architectural grandeur, the $3 billion building is attempting to be green with high ceilings featuring skylights to save on energy consumption during the day.

It was built in just 37 months in anticipation of the Commonwealth Games, which are coming to Delhi in October this year.

But the terminal is not without its critics. Some question the amount of money spent on the project, pointing out less than one percent of the population travels by air.

Source: CNN