World Briefly

The Associated Press

Published Saturday, November 22, 2008

Obama outlines jobs plan to rebuild roads, modernize schools and improve energy system

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday outlined his plan to create 2.5 million jobs in coming years to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars.

"These aren't just steps to pull ourselves out of this immediate crisis; these are the long-term investments in our economic future that have been ignored for far too long," Obama said in the weekly Democratic radio address. The economic recovery plan being developed by his staff aims to create 2.5 million jobs by January 2011, and he wants to get it through Congress quickly and sign it soon after taking office.

He called the plan "big enough to meet the challenges we face" and said that it will jump-start job creation but also "lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy."

Aides said the economic plan outlined Saturday went further that the president-elect has gone before.

A trio of crises — housing, credit and financial — have badly damaged the economy, and financial analysts have projected the country's economic hardships will continue through much of 2009.

Obama acknowledged Saturday that evidence is growing the country is "facing an economic crisis of historic proportions." He noted turmoil on Wall Street, a decrease in new home purchases, growing jobless claims and the menacing problem of deflation.

He said he was pleased Congress passed an extension of unemployment benefits this week, but added, "We must do more to put people back to work and get our economy moving again."

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Obama moves quickly to fill Cabinet slots, with plans to tap Geithner as treasury secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama has moved with unusual speed to select officials for his administration, and senior Democratic officials say he intends to name Timothy Geithner as his treasury secretary as soon as Monday.

It was not clear when Obama intended to formally unveil any of his other picks for the administration that takes office at the stroke of noon on Jan. 20. One Democrat said John Podesta, a leader of Obama's transition team, had told Senate aides on Friday that Obama hoped for speedy confirmation so the new administration could get to work quickly thereafter.

Word of Geithner's likely selection emerged as New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in line to become secretary of state, said through a spokesman that discussions were on track for her appointment but no final arrangement had been made.

Obama's choice for attorney general, a third critical post as the president-elect rounds out his top Cabinet echelon, is Eric Holder. He held the No. 2 slot in the Justice Department in President Bill Clinton's administration.

The president-elect plans to announce Geithner's appointment in Chicago on Monday, barring an unforeseen snag in a background check that is nearly complete, said one of the senior officials, both of whom were familiar with the deliberations. He's the president of the New York Federal Reserve.

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Group including Carter, Annan refused entry to Zimbabwe for humanitarian mission

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Saturday that he and others planning a humanitarian mission in Zimbabwe had been refused entry to the impoverished African country.

Carter and two other members of The Elders group — former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and rights advocate Graca Machel, who is married to Nelson Mandela — had planned to assess the country's humanitarian needs as Zimbabweans are stalked by disease and hunger while political crisis occupies its politicians.

But they were told Friday night by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating the political crisis, that efforts to secure travel visas for the group had failed, Carter told reporters at a news conference in Johannesburg.

"We are very disappointed that the government of Zimbabwe would not permit us to come in, would not cooperate," Carter said.

It was the first time the 2002 Nobel Peace laureate has been denied permission to carry out a mission in any country, he said.

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What's a celebrity governor to do? Palin ponders future of travel, book deals, TV

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Oprah wants her, and so do Letterman and Leno. Fresh from her political defeat, Sarah Palin is juggling offers to write books, appear in films and sit on dozens of interview couches at a rate that would be astonishing for most Hollywood stars, let alone a first-term governor.

The failed Republican vice presidential candidate crunched state budget numbers this week in her 17th-floor office as tumbling oil prices hit Alaska's revenues. Meanwhile, her staff fielded television requests seeking the 44-year-old Palin for late-night banter and Sunday morning Washington policy.

Agents, including those from the William Morris Agency, have come knocking. There's even been an offer to host a TV show.

"Tomorrow, Governor Palin could do an interview with any news media on the planet," said her spokesman, Bill McAllister. "Tomorrow, she could probably sign any one of a dozen book deals. She could start talking to people about a documentary or a movie on her life. That's the level we are at here."

"Barbara Walters called me. George Stephanopoulos called me," McAllister said. "I've had multiple conversations with producers for Oprah, Letterman, Leno and 'The Daily Show.'"

Palin may have emerged from the campaign politically wounded, with questions about her preparedness for higher office and reports of an expensive wardrobe, but she's returned to Alaska with an expanded, if unofficial, title — international celebrity.

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Fla. teen kills self by drug overdose as live Web audience egged him on, tried to stop him

MIAMI (AP) — A college student committed suicide by taking a drug overdose in front of a live webcam as some computer users egged him on, others tried to talk him out of it, and another messaged OMG in horror when it became clear it was no joke. Some watchers contacted the Web site to notify police, but by the time officers entered Abraham Biggs' home — a scene also captured on the Internet — it was too late.

Biggs, a 19-year-old Broward College student who suffered from what his family said was bipolar disorder, or manic depression, lay dead on his bed in his father's Pembroke Pines house Wednesday afternoon, the camera still running 12 hours after Biggs announced his intentions online around 3 a.m.

It was unclear how many people watched it unfold.

Biggs was not the first person to commit suicide with a webcam rolling. But the drawn-out drama — and the reaction of those watching — was seen as an extreme example of young people's penchant for sharing intimate details about themselves over the Internet.

Biggs' family was infuriated that no one acted sooner to save him, neither the viewers nor the Web site that hosted the live video, Justin.tv. The Web site shows a video image, with a space alongside where computer users can instantly post comments.

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Astronauts face longest, hardest spacewalk yet; NASA struggles with water-recycling trouble

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronauts up on the international space station faced the longest and hardest spacewalk of their mission Saturday, a seven-hour-plus excursion to wrap up repair work on a gummed-up joint.

As the crews of the orbiting shuttle-station complex focused on the greasy outdoor extravaganza, engineers back on Earth struggled to understand a potentially serious problem with a newly delivered recycling system that is supposed to turn astronauts' urine into drinking water.

The $154 million system shut down again Friday and had managers wondering whether space shuttle Endeavour would bring back any samples of processed urine. The equipment has to work properly and the water has to pass safety tests in order for the space agency to double the size of the station crew next year.

At a news conference Friday, astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper said her upcoming spacewalk — the third of the mission — would be busier than usual. She and Steven Bowen have to finish cleaning and lubricating a jammed solar wing-rotating joint, and put in new bearings.

"It looks like it's going to be challenging," she said. "We have a lot of work to do."

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Bush urges continued pursuit of free trade in face of worsening global economic crisis

LIMA, Peru (AP) — President George W. Bush, faced with a dwindling number of days in office, was using his final world summit to try to keep a virulent economic crisis from triggering a retreat into protectionism.

Bush was pushing to get the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting to endorse a global action plan for combatting the crisis in which the nations would commit to not erecting new trade barriers over the next 12 months.

The countries would instead pledge to push ahead to jump-start stalled global trade talks by getting a broad outline for a deal completed by the end of December.

In his weekly radio address, which sounded themes he was expected to elaborate on during a speech to business leaders here Saturday, Bush said all countries must focus on the three great forces that drive economic growth — "free markets, free trade and free people."

"Free markets have helped millions lift themselves out of poverty," the president said. "Free trade has helped small nations turn themselves into global economic powers."

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US defense chief: World can't afford to skimp on Afghan funding, troops

CORNWALLIS, Nova Scotia (AP) — Even in a global financial crisis, the world cannot afford to skimp on its obligations to Afghanistan, which wants to double the size of its army but will never be able to pay for it, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says.

Gates said some characterizations of backsliding in the 7-year-old Afghan war are too dire, but he said violence is up. Nations with fighting forces in Afghanistan and those without must respond, Gates said Friday after a day of strategy talks with British, Canadian and other defense ministers with troops fighting alongside Americans in Afghanistan's closely contested south.

The United States has asked Japan and NATO allies that have refused to send troops to Afghanistan to fund an estimated $17 billion doubling of the Afghan army to 134,000 soldiers over five years.

Gates has waged a nearly two-year campaign to recruit additional fighting forces from reluctant NATO allies, saying the military alliance would be weakened if some nations remained on the sidelines of the NATO fight in Afghanistan. He has seemed resigned, however, to accepting checks instead of troops from some European nations.

The global financial crisis should not let donor nations off the hook, Gates said.

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Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker sues over South Carolina plane crash that injured him

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Punk musician Travis Barker on Friday sued companies linked to a plane that crashed in South Carolina, injuring him and killing two friends.

The former Blink-182 drummer sued the plane's owners, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and an airplane maintenance company, seeking more than $25,000 in damages.

Barker's suit claims the companies improperly operated and maintained the Learjet that overshot a runway and burst into flames on Sept. 19 in South Carolina.

The crash killed two pilots, Barker's assistant, Chris Baker, and Barker's bodyguard, Charles Monroe Still Jr.

Barker is seeking damages for pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of earnings, and medical and legal expenses. Still's mother, Thelma Martin Still, joined Barker in the lawsuit and is suing the companies for damages including grief and sorrow, funeral expenses and loss of earnings.

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Trades set Knicks up to be players in summer of 2010; day ends with more Marbury controversy

NEW YORK (AP) — With two moves, the New York Knicks created salary space for a premier free agent and playing time for Stephon Marbury.

They hope someone like LeBron James wants their money more than Marbury wanted their minutes.

Short-handed after trading their two top scorers and Marbury declining to play, the Knicks lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 104-87 on Friday night.

Still, it was a successful day for the Knicks, who freed up coveted salary-cap space for the summer of 2010 when team president Donnie Walsh traded Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford in separate deals.

"We've accomplished a lot of things and again, I don't think we've compromised this season, which was important to me and to Donnie and the fans and everybody else," coach Mike D'Antoni said before the game. "We didn't compromise it. We will be fighting for the playoffs, which we were doing before. And we cleared cap to be a player as we go forward with our plan."

Crawford was sent to Golden State for forward Al Harrington. Hours later, Randolph was shipped to the Los Angeles Clippers along with reserve guard Mardy Collins for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.

Walsh has repeatedly said his goal was to get under the cap in time for a potentially sensational free-agent crop that could be headlined by James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

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