Tag Archives: G8

The State of the Union / U.S., Mexico Action on Cross-Border Crime / Mothers and Daughters

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President Obama updates the nation on the State of the Union. The U.S. and Mexico talk tough on cross-border crime. Finance leaders expect this year’s G20 and G8 summits to focus on world food price and currency stability. Learn about a unique and environmentally-friendly use for old cooking oil. And finally, watch mothers and daughters in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan share their dreams and aspirations.


Obama Offers Plan to Meet 21st Century Challenges
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In the annual State of the Union address, President Obama urges American lawmakers to support innovative research and educational opportunities as a means of maintaining U.S. economic competitiveness and ensuring its progress in the 21st century. Obama referred to dramatic educational and research advances in countries like China and India, and said that he would ask Congress to fund programs in clean energy technology, biomedical research and information technology to help strengthen U.S. security, protect the environment and create new jobs in the United States.

U.S., Mexico to Take Steps on Border Crime
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa say the United States and Mexico are taking “decisive steps” to combat cross-border organized crime. The two leaders made remarks to the press after meeting in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Preparing for the G20
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The Group of 20 (G20) major industrial and emerging-market nations are expected to focus on world food price and currency stability during summits in 2011, finance leaders say at preliminary meetings in Paris.

The Power of Cooking Grease
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Chula Vista, a green California town near the Mexican border, recently contracted with a company that collects cooking grease from area restaurants and converts it into a 20-percent-grade biodiesel fuel known as B20. In recent months, the federal government has supported several similar projects around the country.

A mother and daughter in Afghanistan“Dreams for My Mother, Dreams for My Daughter”
Explore the videos and interviews in “Dreams for My Mother, Dreams for My Daughter,” a project by America.gov and the U.S. embassies in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in which pairs of mothers and daughters took turns interviewing each other about their dreams and aspirations. At left, Arezoo Ghanem in Afghanistan responds to a question from her mother, Maleke Ghanem, right, about her dreams for herself and for her country.

Agreements in Italy

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G8 leaders

President Obama and other world leaders have been crafting agreements at the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy. One the White House is particularly excited about is a strategy for reducing and securing nuclear weapons. As he said in Prague last April, President Obama seeks a world without nuclear weapons, and earlier this week reached an agreement with Russia on weapons.

The G8 statement “calls on all states to meet in full their arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation commitments.”

G8 leaders also issued a statement on climate change.

A list of G8 agreements, declarations and statements is available on the White House Web site.

Obama meets with Italian leaders

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President Obama is in Italy for the G8 major economies meeting, where world leaders are discussing a range of issues, including the economy and climate change. The summit is being held in L’Aquila, a city hit by a major earthquake this past April.

Obama toured some of the earthquake damage with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. “Obviously our hearts were broken by the death and destruction that took place after the earthquake. And I’m very pleased that the United States, like many other countries, will be contributing to help the rebuilding process,” Obama said.

Obama also met with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. The United States is “grateful that we will, for many years to come, be able to call Italy a friend,” Obama said during the meeting.