Indonesian minister named World Bank managing director - Summary

Jakarta - Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has been appointed managing director of the World Bank Group, the bank said.

The appointment came amid controversy in Indonesia over Indrawati's role in the 2008 bailout of a small bank, which prompted calls for her to resign as finance minister.

World Bank President Robert B Zoellick said Tuesday that Indrawati had been an outstanding finance minister and would play a key role in helping the bank strengthen client support.

"Ms Indrawati brings a unique set of skills and experience to the World Bank Group, from the vantage point of an advancing middle-income country that still faces significant challenges of poverty," Zoellick said.

Indrawati has accepted the appointment, the World Bank said.

"It is a great honor for me and also for my country to have this opportunity to contribute to the very important mission of the bank in changing the world," she was quoted as saying.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono approved Indrawati's new assignment, saying that her departure was a "big loss."

"Ms Sri Mulyani has worked very hard to develop an appropriate fiscal policy and reform our financial system to discipline the use of state budget and improve accountability," the president said, adding that reforms she initiated had resulted in a steady increase in state revenue from taxes.

Indrawati became finance minister in 2005. During 2008-09, she served as coordinating minister of economic affairs. From 2002-04, she was an executive director on the board of the International Monetary Fund.

In her new role, which she will officially assume on June 1, Indrawati will supervise three World Bank regions: Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, and East Asia and Pacific.

Indrawati has been questioned by parliament and the country's anti-corruption commission for her role in the 700-million-dollar rescue of Bank Century.

Critics, including the majority in parliament, said the bank should have been allowed to collapse. But Indrawati insisted the move was to prevent a crisis in the banking system at the height of the global economic downturn.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322079,indonesian-minister-named-world-bank-managing-director--summary.html.

Iran warms to Brazil as mediator for nuclear fuel deal

Tehran - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he agreed "in principle" with Brazil mediating a UN-backed uranium exchange deal, Fars news agency reported Wednesday.

A statement by the presidential office said that Ahmadinejad indicated his approval in a phone call to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday.

The statement said Ahmadinejad also agreed to discuss "further technical details" with Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva during his visit to Iran on May 15.

According to a plan brokered in October by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran's low-enriched uranium was to be exported to Russia for further enrichment. and then to France for processing into fuel for a Tehran medical reactor.

Tehran has said it was prepared either to buy the highly enriched uranium or exchange its own if the swap took place on Iranian soil.

The world powers and the Vienna-based IAEA refused to have the handover take place in Iran.

The West is pushing for further sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council for its refusal to suspend enrichment and lack of cooperation with IAEA inspectors.

Brazil, which is a rotating member of the Security Council, has so far opposed sanctions and offered to help settle the dispute by mediating the uranium exchange deal.

Lula's preference for negotiations before imposing any punitive actions has been welcomed by Tehran.

Although the uranium exchange deal would not settle more than seven years of dispute over Iran's enrichment program, it is regarded by observers as a first step.

Tehran rejects accusations that it is working on a secret military program and nuclear weapons research.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322080,iran-warms-to-brazil-as-mediator-for-nuclear-fuel-deal.html.

German arms lobbyist from Kohl era jailed for eight years

Augsburg, Germany - Karlheinz Schreiber, 76, a lobbyist who promoted arms sales to Arab nations under former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, was imprisoned Wednesday for eight years for tax evasion.

Judges said he evaded 7.3 million euros in taxes in the 1990s by failing to tell the tax authorities about the hidden millions he wielded as "commissions" when he was organizing controversial exports of aircraft and armored vehicles to the Middle East.

His lawyers had insisted to the last that he was not guilty. Schreiber, a German, had fled to Canada after an inquiry exposed him. He spent many years opposing German attempts to extradite him.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322081,german-arms-lobbyist-from-kohl-era-jailed-for-eight-years.html.

Iranian students protest US threats

Iranian university students and academics have staged a demonstration in front of the UN building in Tehran to protest US nuclear threats against Iran.

The large crowd of students gathered in front of the United Nations building on Wednesday morning to show their objection to US President Barack Obama's recent threatening comments about a nuclear strike on Iran.

Holding up placards that read "The US is the world's sole nuclear felon," the demonstrators called for Obama's resignation.

Last month, US President Barack Obama released a new US Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) that among other things restricted the use of nuclear arms against other states, expect Iran and North Korea.

Just before issuing the new US nuclear weapons strategy, Obama told the The New York Times that the loophole in the NPR would apply to what he called "outliers like Iran and North Korea."

On April 21, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution condemned Obama's comments. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Washington's nuclear threat would leave a 'dark spot' in US history.

"International bodies cannot turn a blind eye… No one should dare to threaten humanity in this way. We will not allow the US to revive its evil dominance over Iran with such threats," said the Leader.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also criticized Obama over what he has called an attempt to threaten world nations with nuclear weapons.

The students rallying in Tehran chanted slogans in support of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and President Ahmadinejad.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125519§ionid=351020101.

Ahmadinejad: Age of nukes is over

Iran's president says Tehran rejects nuclear weapons, as both immoral and unpractical tools that powers build, stockpile and use to threaten others.

"The age of the nuclear bomb, the worst and ugliest weapon known to man is over. We reject atomic weapons both in moral and practical terms," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a press conference in New York on Tuesday afternoon.

"We believe those who build, store and use nuclear weapons to threaten others are committing the ugliest deed of all," he added.

Ahmadinejad described Washington's decision to disclose the number of its nuclear warheads as a step forward, but asked the US administration whether it took pride in possessing such destructive power.

"Just two bombs created that atrocity in two Japanese cities. Now do you think it is a source of pride to own 5,000 new generation warheads with greater destructive potential?" he asked.

Ahmadinejad said US nuclear weapons were a global threat, especially to the people in countries where they are stored.

He also commented on remarks by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about the need for Iran to" restore trust within the international community on the peaceful nature of its nuclear program."

Ahmadinejad said if the UN headquarters were in Tehran and Iran held veto powers at the Security Council, Ban would not have spoken as he did on Monday.

He pointed out that Iran's atomic activities were under the full supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog and said that it was not up to Iran to prove its innocence.

"The US government claims that Iran's nuclear work has diverted from the peaceful path. We ask, 'What evidence do you have to prove that,' and they say 'We have no proof, but we are sure that you have deviated, you prove otherwise.' How can we move forward with such logic," asked Ahmadinejad.

The Iranian president was in New York to take part in the UN nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125514§ionid=351020104.

Qotbi to analyze World Cup matches

Iran's national soccer team manager Afshin Qotbi is scheduled to travel to South Africa in order to analyze the 2010 World Cup matches in person.

The Iranian coach's trip is aimed at seeing and analyzing North Korea's matches in South Africa's World Cup which begins on June 11 and ends on July 11.

The Iranian outfit is in Group D of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, competing with World Cup qualifiers North Korea, defending champions Iraq and the UAE.

Iran will hold a training camp in Austria from July 11-24 and play a friendly match against South Korea on September 7th to prepare itself for the Asian tournament.

According to the Iranian boss, the success of the Iranian side in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup depends on its preparation.

“Asian football is on the rise and the difference in standards of teams is getting thinner. There are no clear favorites in our group. I believe, the success of Iran in the competition will depend on our preparation,” Qotbi said following the 2011 Asian Cup draw at the Aspire Dome in the Qatari capital on April 23rd.

“We're giving shape to an extensive training program and want to make steady progress,” the 46-year-old Iranian coach added.

“We've a few talented youngsters in the squad and they need more experience and exposure. We're confident of doing well, but again we need to make the right kind of build-up,” he further explained.

Draw for 2011 Asian Cup:

Group A: Qatar, Kuwait, China, Uzbekistan

Group B: Saudi Arabia, Japan, Jordan, Syria

Group C: South Korea, India, Australia, Bahrain

Group D: Iraq, North Korea, UAE, Iran

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125509§ionid=3510211.

Philippines to delay presidential polls

Only six days before the Philippines' first automated election, officials say the presidential poll is likely to be postponed due to glitches in the counting machines.

Faulty memory cards used in the vote-counting machines prompted the Philippines election commission to delay the poll in order to eliminate the risk of fraud and violence.

The glitches were found after the country's Commission on Elections conducted the final testing of the devices on Monday and recalled all compact flash cards for reconfiguration, Commission's Spokesman James Jimenez explained.

The Southeast Asian state is notorious for fraud after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo allegedly rigged the 2004 presidential election in her favor.

"Postponement of election is the only remedy to prevent a failure of election," President Arroyo's election lawyer said Monday.

Meanwhile, Margaux Salcedo spokesman for former President Joseph Estrada -- who is seeking to run as president -- ridiculed the issue, saying "It's ironic that poll automation, which is supposed to secure the sanctity of the ballot, is now the very threat to the process."

The Philippines is holding its first computerized election, as earlier in 2005, audio recordings of a phone conversation between President Arroyo and then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano were released to the public. The conversation allegedly contained discussions about rigging the 2004 national election results.

The crisis escalated when the minority of the Lower House of Congress called for Arroyo's impeachment. Their attempt, however, was blocked by the president's coalition in September 2005. No trial has so far been held over the issue.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125507§ionid=351020406.