Radio Havana Cuba-05 February 2002 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 05 Febuary 2002 . *INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY CONVENTION UNDERWAY IN HAVANA *CUBA AND THAILAND STRENGTHEN BILATERAL TIES *CHINA'S AMBASSADOR HIGHLIGHTS CULTURAL TIES WITH CUBA *CONGRESS TO SUBPOENA FORMER EXECUTIVE OF ENRON CORPORATION *WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ENDS AMID VOLLEY OF CRITICISM AGAINST WASHINGTON *SECOND WORLD SOCIAL FORUM WRAPS UP WITH WORLDWIDE PROTEST AGENDA FOR 2002 *EUROPEAN LEADERS BLAST BUSH "AXIS OF EVIL" SPEECH *ACTIVISTS DEPLORE COLOMBIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, URGE NO MORE US AID *ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA LEAVES 100 DEAD, MORE THAN 400 WOUNDED . *INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY CONVENTION UNDERWAY IN HAVANA Havana, February 5 (RHC)-- Cuba is the host of the Third International University Convention in Havana, which began Monday and will run through Friday. The conference, whose central theme is the University in the New Millennium, is being attended by more than 1000 delegates from 30 countries. The director of UNESCO's Higher Education Division, Komlavi F. Seddoh highlighted the necessity to promote the values of solidarity and human justice worldwide, to guarantee the quality of education and to adopt a questioning attitude towards the new cult societies. In addition, he pointed out that the effects of globalization have highlighted social disparities, injustices and the poverty of millions of people throughout the world, including the industrialized countries. During his intervention, Seddoh added that education is among the top priorities established by UNESCO for the period 2002-2003, since it is considered the key for economic and human development. Cuba's Minister of Higher Education Fernando Vecino Alegret presided over the opening conference under the slogan: "Cuban higher education in search of the excellence". He stressed that today, higher education should be able to command respect in order to negate any tendency that could destroy the work of humanity as a space to promote universal values, mutual understanding and peace. The Cuban minister also offered a detailed explanation on the sector's current development in Cuba and its concept of University for All. *CUBA AND THAILAND STRENGTHEN BILATERAL TIES Havana, February 5 (RHC)-- Thailand's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affaires, Prancha Guna-Kasem, during official talks held Monday in Havana, emphasized to his Cuban counterpart, Jose Armando Guerra Menchero, his country's willingness to widen the increasing bilateral relations between both nations. Both parties agreed to consolidate their bilateral ties through an economic and technical cooperation agreement signed by the Foreign Affairs' Deputy Ministers of the two countries. The agreement will be the basis of the Cuba-Thailand Joint Commission to broaden bilateral cooperation between this island and Thailand. Guna-Kasem and his delegation arrived in Havana on Saturday at the official invitation of the Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. During his stay, he will meet with top government leaders and will visit centers of economic and historical interest. Guna-kasem will conclude his official visit to the island on Thursday. *CHINA'S AMBASSADOR HIGHLIGHTS CULTURAL TIES WITH CUBA Santiago de Cuba, February 5 (RHC)-- Cultural cooperation between Cuba and China has reached its optimum- said China's Ambassador to Cuba, Wang Zhignan. During the inauguration of a photo exhibition entitled "The Achievements of the Republic of China", Whang Zhignan stressed the favorable cultural exchange that has characterized both nations' relations. He recalled the visits by important Cuban leaders to China, highlighting those by the island's ministers of Education and Culture. Wang praised the successful tour around his country by an artistic group from the famous Tropicana Cabaret and his hope that they visit China again this year. The ambassador praised the historical links between China and Cuba that go back to June 3rd, 1847 when the first Chinese people arrived in Havana and influenced the formation of Cuban society. The photo exhibition, which is taking place in the Havana's Eastern Gallery during the entire month of February, is made up of more than two hundred color images, including fifty-two of the famous Beijing Opera House, over a hundred photos of economic advances and fifty images of the Chinese capital. The exhibition is sponsored by Cuba's Ministry of Culture, the Cuban Institute of Friendship among the Peoples and the Chinese Embassy in Havana. *CONGRESS TO SUBPOENA FORMER EXECUTIVE OF ENRON CORPORATION Washington, February 5 (RHC)-- U.S. legislators have unanimously decided to subpoena the former top executive of the scandal-ridden Enron firm as Democratic senators and representatives launched the most stinging attack to date against the Bush administration's involvement in the scandal. Once former chief executive Kenneth Lay refused to testify Monday before a Senate panel, Democrats and Republicans lined up to support the issuing of a subpoena. But the Republicans were reportedly horrified when Democrats accused the Bush administration of running a "cash-and-carry" government on behalf of the disgraced company. Senator Ernest Hollings, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, accused President Bush and his administration of being in Enron's pocket and creating a culture of government corruption. Stating that "everyone knows how the Bushes got their cash," Senator Hollings recited a list of cabinet members and other administration officials who had formerly been on the Enron payroll as employees, advisers or lawyers - including Attorney General John Ashcroft, the president's economic advisor Lawrence Lindsey, Army Secretary Thomas White and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Ashcroft's Justice Department has rejected the Democrat's demands for the appointment of a special counsel to look into the Enron scandal, insisting that there is no conflict of interests involved in the inquiry it was conducting. Ashcroft himself, however, earlier excused himself from the investigation following revelations of financial backing from Enron for his senatorial campaign in the 2000 elections. With new revelations surfacing daily about Enron executives getting rich while bankrupting the life savings and pensions of their employees and balking on their creditors, several of those executives slated to testify this week in Congress have already indicated that they will take their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. *WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ENDS AMID VOLLEY OF CRITICISM AGAINST WASHINGTON New York, February 5 (RHC)-- New York's World Economic Forum wrapped Monday following what is being called a surprising volley of criticism against Washington from even US politicians and business leaders. Speaker after speaker slammed America as a smug superpower, too beholden to Israel at the expense of the Muslim world, and inattentive to the needs of poor countries or the advice of allies. And though some of the criticism came from non-Western leaders, a large measure came from personalities like U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and Microsoft Corporation Chairman Bill Gates. Senator Clinton cited a global poll that characterized Americans as selfish and bent on arranging the global economy for their own benefit. She said the U.S. hasn't done its fair share to take on some of the global challenges like poverty, disease and women's rights. Gates warned that the terms of international trade were too favorable to the rich world, calling this reality a disparity that feeds resentment. He termed as a healthy sign the thousands of anti-globalization activists who took to the streets of New York to protest the gathering, saying that they are raising the necessary question of whether or not the rich world is giving back enough. *SECOND WORLD SOCIAL FORUM WRAPS UP WITH WORLDWIDE PROTEST AGENDA FOR 2002 Porto Alegre, February 5 (RHC)-- The Second World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, wound up Tuesday with an extensive agenda of anti-globalization protests to be held over the next 12 months. Nearly 60,000 participants -- tripling those of the first such gathering last year -- including more than 15 thousand delegates from 123 countries representing 5,000 political, grassroots and environmental organizations, first put their sights on the summit of European heads of state to take place in Barcelona, Spain, next March 15 and 16th. Participants said the voices of anti-free market globalization activists will also be heard at the UN Conference on Financing Development in Monterrey, Mexico in March, at activities for the International Day Against Militarism and in Favor of Peace in Rome, Italy in May, at the World Food Summit also in Rome in June, at the Summit of European Heads of State in Seville, Spain in June, and at the Summit of the Group of 8 Industrialized Nations in Toronto and Calgary, Canada in July, among many others. The first World Social Forum was in reply to the traditional Davos World Economic Summit. But participants said that during this second summit, the Davos gathering - which was moved to New York - had to respond to their concerns in a world increasingly questioning the current international economic order thanks in large part to their efforts. *EUROPEAN LEADERS BLAST BUSH "AXIS OF EVIL" SPEECH Berlin, London, Brussels, February 5 (RHC)-- A chorus of European leaders has express opposition to any military action against states identified by US President George W. Bush as an "axis of evil." According to many observers, Bush's state of the union address a week ago clamoring for an expansion of the so-called war on terrorism has widened even further the split between Europe and Washington. Germany led the protests, sending a clear signal that it wants nothing to do with an attack on Iraq, which Bush named alongside Iran and North Korea. German's foreign ministry stated that there is no indication, no proof that Iraq is involved in terrorism, and that this argument cannot be used to legitimize old disputes. Other European Union member states have insisted that they plan to continue their dialogues with Iran and North Korea. Asked about Bush's approach to the "axis of evil," European Commission spokesman Gunnar Weigand said senior EU representatives do not agree with that kind of policy. The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, urged the U.S. to act multilaterally and not as a "global unilateralist." But Washington has clearly stated that it will act unilaterally, while angrily condemning British Home Secretary Jack Straw's affirmation that the "axis of evil" speech was more a vote-winning tactic in upcoming U.S. elections than a military strategy. *ACTIVISTS DEPLORE COLOMBIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, URGE NO MORE US AID Washington, February 5 (RHC)-- As Washington prepares to step up military aid to Colombia, human rights organizations have affirmed that the Colombian government has not complied with human rights requisites established by the U.S. Congress. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Washington Office on Latin America have announced that they have evidence, which has been provided to the State Department, that Colombian authorities are not suspending members of the military who have been credibly accused of human rights violations and giving aid and support to right-wing paramilitary death squads. The three organizations said they also have evidence that the army and the navy continue collaborating with the death squads and are not cooperating with judicial authorities investigating the paramilitaries. This month, Secretary of State Colin Powell must decide whether the Colombian government has complied with conditions set forth by U.S. lawmakers as a condition for further aid. Meanwhile, President Bush's plan to finance the training of a second Colombian military anti-drug brigade also has components that target leftist guerrillas - leading some lawmakers to express concern over Washington's growing involvement in Colombia's civil war. The plan also includes the protection of oil pipe lines often blown up by rebels and the deployment of special U.S. forces in a training and advisory capacity -- though Washington insists that they will take no part in combat. Senator Patrick Leahy affirmed late Monday that Bush's proposal for the first time crosses the line that separates the drug war from the fight against the insurgency. Senator Paul Wellstone said the new proposal will only lead to a deepening of the U.S.'s involvement in Colombia's now 38-year-old internal armed conflict. *ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA LEAVES 100 DEAD, MORE THAN 400 WOUNDED Lagos, February 5 (RHC)-- A growing number of voices in Nigeria are calling for the return of a military government following one of the country's worst episodes of ethnic violence. In Lagos, the country's economic capital and largest city, at least 100 people were killed, more than 400 wounded and thousands fled their homes amid four days of violence between the Hausa and Yoruba ethnic groups that overwhelmed the capacity of the local police force. Late Monday, Nigerian soldiers moved into the city to quell the disturbances and search for those responsible. But numerous similar massacres have occurred since President Olusegun Obasanjo was elected in May, 1999, replacing the country's military regime. It's estimated that some 10,000 people have died in conflicts of religious or ethnic origin since the military turned over power to civilian authorities following 15 years of rule. Nigeria is home to 120 million people divided into 250 ethnic groups. But according to observers, most of the conflicts are not about religion or ethnic origin, but rather, about achieving a better life through the acquisition of good land, jobs or political power. Despite civilian rule, poverty in this oil-rich nation continues on the rise. And some in Nigeria have suggested that disgruntled members of the army are behind the violence, hoping for instability and a return to military rule. (c) 2002 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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