Tag Archives: Hu

Economic Strides at U.S.-China Summit / Iran Talks / A Drumbeat in Iraq

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Economic progress was all in a day’s work for President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. The United States hopes upcoming international talks with Iran will be meaningful. The USAID is working toward transparency and efficiency. A new idea for African farmers is a winner for a Uganda man. Finally, meet Tom Teasley, a percussionist on a mission.

One-Day Summit Yields Economic Strides
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President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to move toward liberalized global trade and investment and to oppose measures that could lead to protectionism. During a one-day summit in Washington, Obama, right, and Hu emphasized “their strong commitment” to engage in talks to conclude the World Trade Organization’s Doha Development Agenda, which would foster greater global trade liberalization.

The Upcoming Talks With Iran
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The United States is hoping for a “meaningful and practical negotiation process” when it joins five other nations in talks with Iran about its nuclear activities. The State Department also said the Obama administration is willing to discuss an updated deal to provide nuclear fuel for Iran’s Tehran Research Reactor.

USAID Announces Reforms
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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announces new policies aimed at improving efficiency, increase transparency and setting a new standard for the field of development, says USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah.

A Winning Idea for Farmers
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Johnstone Baguma Kumaraki of Uganda won the 2010 Africa Rural Connect online contest for developing ways to increase the capacity of small-scale rural maize farms. Farmers across Africa will benefit from Kumaraki’s idea, which is aimed at providing them with better storage and marketing options.

In Iraq, a Different Drummer
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World-renowned percussionist Tom Teasley frequently tours the United States and other countries as a musician and cultural communicator, most recently visiting Iraq through a program of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. At right, Teasley works on rhythms with young Iraqi percussionists.

Chinese President Hu’s State Visit / Remembering Sargent Shriver / New York Arabic Music

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Chinese President Hu Jintao meets with President Obama and other U.S. officials during a one day state visit. R. Sargent Shriver dies at 95. The vote in Southern Sudan represents an “historic milestone.” The U.S. brings street lights and new security to Kabul, Afghanistan. And finally, meet Arab-American Singer Gaida and her New York Arabic music.

President Hu’s State Visit
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President Obama welcomes China’s President Hu Jintao to the White House calling for greater cooperation in security and economic relations, and also calling for greater respect for universal human rights. “We have an enormous stake in each other’s success,” Obama says at the formal White House arrival ceremony on the south lawn. It is the eighth time the two world leaders have met face-to-face in two years.

Sudan’s “Historic Milestone”
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Southern Sudan’s referendum on self-determination marks “a historic milestone” for the Sudanese, says Ambassador Princeton Lyman, head of the U.S. State Department’s Sudan Negotiation Support Unit. Lyman testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs January 18.

Sargent Shriver: 1915-2011
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R. Sargent Shriver, founder of the Peace Corps, the Special Olympics and programs to combat poverty in the United States, dies at age 95 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Lighting the way in Kabul
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has spent $160,000 to install 28 streetlights along a busy commercial street in the Afghan capital of Kabul and another 170 or so will go up in coming months. The project is funded by the Army Corps’ Commander Emergency Response Program, which targets projects that directly benefit a local community.

Meet the Songstress Gaida
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Arab-American Singer Gaida was born in Germany, raised in Syria and is currently a New Yorker. Since her professional debut in 2006, Gaida has won rave reviews and her work has appeared in several movies. “I call my music New York Arabic music,” Gaida, above, says. “It is like me: I am an Arab New Yorker.”

The U.S. Prepares for Hu / Assessing Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan / An Iranian American Star

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The United States is “preparing diligently” for Chinese President Hu Jintao’s state visit. A top U.S. diplomat discusses the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire and the coming vote in Sudan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates heads to China, Japan and South Korea. Construction of coal-fired power plants is on the decline in the United States. And, finally, meet Iranian-American actress Sarah Shahi.

Preparing for Hu
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Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi meets with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other senior U.S. officials ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s January 19 state visit to the United States. In remarks with Yang, Clinton says Hu’s visit is “very much anticipated and looked forward to,” and the Obama administration is “preparing diligently” for it.

An Historic Occasion in Sudan
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The January 9 referendum in Sudan will be an “historic occasion” for the Sudanese and all Africans, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson says.

The Crisis in Côte d’Ivoire
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Carson also says the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire is a challenge to democracy not only in that country but across West Africa and worldwide. “There is no question that the election in Côte d’Ivoire was stolen,” he says.

Gates Travels to Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans talks with high ranking officials during an upcoming trip to China, Japan and South Korea. Gates will stress the importance of  a sustained and reliable military-to-military relationship between the United States and China. 

Rethinking Coal
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Construction of coal-fired power plants has slowed significantly in the United States as a sluggish economy and uncertainties surrounding future energy policy make electric utilities rethink their investment plans. Power companies did not break ground on a single new coal plant in 2009 or 2010, the environmental group Sierra Club reported recently.

An Iranian-American Star
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Sarah Shahi, right, stars in a new American TV show, a first for an Iranian-American actor. Shahi, of Texas, plays lawyer-turned-mediator Kate Reed in Fairly Legal, which premieres January 20 on the USA Network.