Happy New Year!
I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy New Year! May the new year bring you joy and happiness!
World Bank chief Wolfowitz stresses need for Africa help
Kyodo) - World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz on Tuesday stressed the importance of helping Africa solve its poverty and the importance of Japan’s role in developing assistance for the world’s poor countries in terms of contributions as well as being a role model for such countries due to its economic success.
Wolfowitz, who is visiting Japan for the first time after he assumed the post in June, expressed gratitude to Japan in a speech given at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo, as the World Bank depends heavily on Japan’s financial market.
As the World Bank leader, Wolfowitz said, he is putting priority on Africa to help the countries in the region attain sustainable development. (more…)
Africa seeks $110 bln annually to beat poverty
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Africa has drawn up a $110 billion (63 billion pounds) annual investment plan to meet United Nations goals of halving poverty by 2015 and wants foreign donors to supply at least a third of the cash, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Firmino Mucavele, CEO of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), said the money was needed for sectors ranging from agriculture to health to lift the continent’s annual economic growth rate to 7 percent from below 5 percent.
“This is the minimum amount of money we need to grow the continent at a pace that would allow us to sharply reduce poverty in line with U.N. Millennium Development Goals,” Mucavele said at an investment conference in Johannesburg. (more…)
Egypt hails ElBaradei, its second Nobel Laureate
CAIRO (AFP) - Mohamed ElBaradei drew praise in his native country after he became the second Egyptian to win the Nobel Peace Prize, following Anwar Sadat who shared the prize with Israel’s Menachem Begin almost three decades ago.
The Nobel Committee praised ElBaradei for his efforts to ensure nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes, though his critics say he has unfairly bent to the demands of the United States over Iran’s nuclear program.
Analysts in the Egyptian capital said that despite contrasting views about ElBaradei’s performance as head of the UN nuclear watchdog, the 63-year-old diplomat’s award provided the country with a new source of national pride.
“This is great news for Egypt. This gives Egyptians back their confidence. It has brought in a sense of national rehabilitation,” said Mustafa al-Sayyed Said, professor of political science at Cairo University. (more…)