第３種郵便物認可 (4) THE TIMES TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2011 5 world IN BRIEF Deficit reduction talks stall Drug-resistant gonorrhea emerges

Ottawa AFP-JIJI lines as an election year ap- to return to the White House on For the first time, international researchers have identified a Obama presses for $4 trillion cut proaches, brought warnings from Monday with a plan to secure strain of gonorrhea that is resistant to treatment with antibiotics, the administration and congres- the 218 votes needed for a mea- scientists announced at a sex disease research conference as Republicans back out on deal sional Democrats that, unless a sure to pass the House. Obama Monday. The common bacterial infection, often called the “clap,” deal is reached within the next told the group to expect to meet has until now been easily treatable with antibiotics but if left Washington public rhetoric, both sides ap- two weeks — in order to give daily until a deal is reached, said alone can cause infertility in women and painful urination and a peared Sunday to dig further into Congress time to approve it — the official, who like others spoke pus-oozing infection in men. Details of the discovery were to be their positions, leaving the talks the United States would default on the condition of anonymity to released by Swedish researcher Magnus Unemo and colleagues at Talks between President Barack deadlocked, a historic default on its fiscal obligations for the discuss the private meeting. the 19th conference of the International Society for Sexually Obama and congressional lead- looming and a fragile economy first time. “The president pushed to do Transmitted Disease Research this week in Quebec City. ers Sunday evening failed to increasingly vulnerable to the Asked if the parties could something real and not just kick “While it is still too early to assess if this new strain has become break a partisan stalemate over consequences of Washington’s reach a deal in the next 10 days, the can down the road,” said a widespread, the history of newly emergent resistance in the how to raise the federal borrow- entrenched partisanship and Obama, flanked by congressio- senior administration official. bacterium suggests that it may spread rapidly unless new drugs ing limit, leaving the politically ideological divide over taxes and nal leaders in the Cabinet Room “He said he was ready, will- and effective treatment programs are developed,” Unemo said. charged negotiations in limbo entitlements. before the meeting, said simply, ing and able to make the hard with three weeks remaining be- House Speaker John Boehner “We need to.” choices and hoped they would Cyprus naval base explosion kills 12 fore the administration says the jolted the negotiations over the The Democratic official said join him.” country will begin to default. weekend when he announced Obama, who began the ses- Republican leaders, mean- Mari Cyprus AP The White House meeting ad- that his party would not support sion by recounting the nature while, suggested that a “contin- Hours after a huge explosion tore through a Cypriot National Guard journed after roughly 75 minutes the larger deficit-cutting plan of the compromise that had gency plan” is in the works to naval base killing at least 12 people, rescue crews scoured the area without agreement over how far Obama has proposed because been under discussion before raise the debt ceiling if the gulf Monday for more victims as the dead were transported to hospitals the parties should go in cutting it includes tax increases, com- Boehner’s weekend announce- between the parties could not be in Larnaca and the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. the deficit over the next decade plicating the meeting’s agenda ment, pushed for the larger plan bridged. Obama has dismissed Dozens of rescue personnel were at the site after a brush fire and whether tax cuts and en- before it even began. According throughout the meeting. incremental steps, saying that sparked a blast that set light to containers of gunpowder, causing titlement reductions should be a to a Democratic official familiar He reminded Boehner, the of- now is the moment to address widespread damage and leading to extensive power cuts. President part of any deal. with the Sunday talks, Obama ficial said, that the speaker had the underlying causes of fiscal Dimitris Christopfias described the blast as “a catastrophe of biblical Congressional leaders were asked Republican leaders, “If not admitted that a smaller deal imbalance. proportions.” Opposition leader Nicos Anastasiades said all 98 Talking tough: President meets for budget talks to return to the White House on now, when?” could be just as difficult to push After weeks of debate, Obama containers, which held about 2,000 tons of gunpowder, had exploded. with congressional leaders, including House Speaker John Monday to continue talks . The enduring disagreement, through Congress as a large one, may now have a tenuous hold The bodies of at least two people lay on a hillside charred by the Boehner (left), at the White House on Sunday. AFP-JIJI In negotiating position and drawn sharply along partisan and he challenged Republicans on the political high ground as fire about 200 meters away. State broadcaster CyBC said 62 people he takes on a more visible role had been injured, including two who were seriously hurt but whose in urging party leaders to set lives were not in danger. 1979’s delayed payments offer glimpse into default scenario aside ideology and programs important to each party’s base William, Kate end North America trip in order to trim an estimated $4 ANALYSIS Across the dial on “Fox News from the first default in its his- lion worth of bills, a tiny amount which over time translated into trillion from the deficit over the Los Angeles AP Sunday,” South Carolina Repub- tory. even then, given the global in- billions of dollars in increased next decade. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed back to the U.K. on Washington lican Sen. Jim DeMint accused That last-minute approval, vestment in U.S. debt. interest payments on the nation’s Obama’s political strategy Sunday after a weekend in Southern California following their THE WASHINGTON POST Geithner of “playing Chicken combined with a flood of in- Investors, some of whom debt — a cost that was shoul- since his party’s midterm elec- nine-day visit to Canada, the first tour Prince William and his Little” and called his dire warn- vestor demand for Treasury joined a class-action suit against dered by taxpayers. tion loss has been to portray bride, Catherine, have made since getting married in April. U.S. airwaves brimmed once ings irresponsible. bills and a series of techni- the government to recover dam- “The impact is smaller at first himself as a reasonable man in The U.S. portion of their travels was a somewhat low-key affair again Sunday with talk of what “There certainly will be dis- cal glitches in processing the ages, eventually were paid in full because only new debt is affect- partisan Washington, at times compared to their visit to the north, where — French separatists will — or will not — happen if ruption, but this is not a deadline backlog of paperwork, resulted with back interest. ed,” they wrote. “But over time, angering both Republicans and aside — they were greeted with rapturous welcomes . lawmakers fail to meet the Aug. we should rush and make a bad in thousands of late payments T-bills, as they are known, as the older debt matures and Democrats in doing so. They managed to see a sweeping sampling of the Los Angeles 2 deadline to raise the nation’s deal,” DeMint said, echoing the to holders of Treasury bills that continued to be considered a becomes refinanced at higher His proposal, which he has ar- area. On Sunday, they paid a brief visit to Skid Row, downtown’s legal limit on borrowing. views of some fellow conserva- were maturing that April and safe investment. Treasury offi- rates, the entire cost of the de- gued would bring certainty to an gritty homeless core. After attending a swanky reception to raise Unmentioned by either side tives who have downplayed the May. cials both then and now argued fault is realized.” economy constrained by anxiety money for Tusk Trust, an African wildlife conservation group, was an obscure bit of budgetary potential fallout. “You hear lot of people say, that the event was not even a de- Zivney said that the 1979 in- over the nation’s fiscal condi- their final stop was with the group ServiceNation: Mission Serve, history in which the country did In fact, there was one short- ‘The government never default- fault, but merely a delay caused cident, which pales in compari- tion, would involve spending which aims to help veterans find jobs. default on some of its bills — lived incident in the spring of ed.’ The truth is, yeah, they did. by the internal logjam. son to the size and scope of pay- cuts to agency budgets includ- and wound up paying the con- 1979 that offers a glimpse of . . . It might have been small, it “It was quickly forgotten,” said ments the Treasury could have ing the Pentagon’s, ending the U.S. urges Yemen’s Saleh to resign sequences. some of the problems and costs might have been inadvertent, but Jim Angel, a finance professor at to forego if it can no longer bor- George W. Bush-era tax cuts for Treasury Secretary Timothy that might arise if the stalemate it happened,” said Terry Zivney, Georgetown University. row money come Aug. 2, offers the wealthiest Americans, and Washington THE WASHINGTON POST Geithner said on CBS television’s on Capitol Hill continues. a finance professor at Ball State And yet, the study by Zivney a useful case study in the real- changing entitlement programs During a face-to-face meeting in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, a top “Face the Nation” program that Then, as now, Congress had University who coauthored a and his partner, Dick Marcus, world consequences that result in ways his party has tradition- White House official told Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to inaction “would be catastrophic been playing a game of chicken paper on the episode titled “The found that even that brief failure when the U.S. government does ally opposed. step aside and allow the political transition he had once approved for the economy.” with the federal debt limit, rais- Day the United States Defaulted to meet some obligations had ex- not seem like the sure bet it has Lawmakers in both parties but never ratified to move forward, according to the White House. He added that “no responsi- ing it to $830 billion — com- on Treasury Bills.” pensive consequences. always been. have refused to lift the $14.3 tril- John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s assistant for counterter- ble leader would say the United pared with today’s $14.3 trillion All things considered, the The pair concluded “that the “It creates doubt, and I think lion debt limit unless the mea- rorism and homeland security, met Saleh at a hospital in Riyadh States of America, for the first — only after Treasury Secretary incident amounted to a minor series of defaults resulted in a that’s the real lesson,” he said. sure is accompanied by a strat- where he is recovering from wounds suffered in an attack on the Sa- time in its history, should not Michael Blumenthal warned blip. The Treasury had missed permanent increase in interest “The market has a much longer egy to sharply curtail borrowing naa presidential compound early last month. pay its bills, meet its obligations.” that the country was hours away payments on about $120 mil- rates” of more than 0.5 percent, memory than individuals.” over the next decade. Mongolia national day Seeking to build a strategic partnership

Today is the 90th anniversary of In 2009, the Mongolian gov- dorj Zorigt, Mongolia’s minister high-level dialogues, advancing 12-member Mongolian rescue Mongolia’s national day, when ernment signed an investment of mineral resources and ener- economic relations, revitalizing mission was dispatched to Mi- the country gained its indepen- agreement with Canadian and gy, visited Japan and had meet- people-to-people and cultural yagi Prefecture, relief supplies dence from China in 1921. British-Australian firms to de- ings with several officials, in- exchanges, and strengthening comprised of 2,500 blankets For Mongolians, their na- velop the Oyu Tolgoi copper and cluding then Foreign Minister coordination to address region- and 800 sweaters were deliv- tional day on July 11 is the gold mining complex, which is . al and global issues. ered to Tome city in Miyagi Pre- start of a three-day festival of considered to be one of the larg- On Sept. 24, Prime Minister • Promoting high-level dia- fecture and $1 million was do- sports and culture called Na- est such undeveloped mines in Naoto Kan met with his coun- logues: Both sides confirmed nated to support victims of the adam, inscribed in 2010 on the world, with estimated re- terpart, Sukhbaatar Batbold, the intention to promote sum- disaster. Besides official assis- UNESCO’s representative list serves of 36 million tons of cop- during the U.N. General As- mit-level dialogues and hold a tance, all Mongolian civil ser- of the Intangible Cultural Her- per and 1,300 tons of gold. sembly in New York, which was foreign ministers’ meeting an- vants decided to donate one itage of Humanity. Another large mineral de- followed by a round-table nually. President Elbegdorj in- day’s pay, and donations from For those outside the country, posit is the Tavan Tolgoi open- meeting on Oct. 2 in Tokyo be- vited Prime Minister Kan to citizens and companies have Mongolia is known recently for pit coal mine in the South tween the two, along with offi- visit Mongolia. In response, also been collected. its wealth of resources. Gobi, with estimated reserves cials from leading Japanese Prime Minister Kan said that he Located in the northern of 6.4 billion tons of coking and companies. Batbold was in To- would consider the possibility of With information provided by Mongolian Plateau in Asia, thermal coal. The government kyo at the time to attend the such a visit. the official website of the Mongolia is a landlocked coun- carried out an open bid retirement ceremony for Mon- • Advancing economic rela- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Strengthening ties: Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj and Prime Minister Naoto Kan sign try bordered by Russia to the through January 2011 for the golian sumo wrestler tions: Bilateral cooperation will Japan the Japan-Mongolia Joint Statement for Building a Strategic Partnership on Nov. 19 in Tokyo. north and China. About 1.5 mil- rights to operate as subcontrac- Asashoryu, the yokozuna, or be promoted to develop mineral CABINET PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE lion sq. km in area with a popu- tors of the mine, in which the grand champion, who left the resources in Mongolia, includ- lation of around 3.1 million, world’s leading mining compa- sport in February 2010. ing coal, uranium, rare earth Mongolia is the 19th largest and nies, financial organizations From Nov. 4 to 5, the second metals and other raw materials. the most sparsely populated in- and foreign consortia partici- meeting of the joint study group To start the negotiations on a dependent country in the world. pated. From among 15 candi- for the Japan-Mongolia Eco- Japan-Mongolia EPA soon, both Ulan Bator, the capital and larg- dates, six entities, including nomic Partnership Agreement sides will accelerate the review est city, is home to about one- companies from Japan, Austra- (EPA) was held in Tokyo, with process. third of the population. lia, Brazil, China, Russia, South the participation of representa- • Revitalizing people-to-people Amid the tides of democrati- Korea, and the U.S., have been tives from government, industry and cultural exchanges: Japan zation influenced by the end of chosen as finalists. and academia. welcomed the visa exemption communism in Eastern Europe On Nov. 19, Prime Minister that Mongolia granted to Japa- in 1989, the first free parliamen- Relations with Japan Kan had a meeting with Mongo- nese visitors. The two sides will tary elections took place in Japan and Mongolia established lian President Tsakhia Elbeg- also collaborate in holding a Mongolia in 1990. Ever since, diplomatic relations in 1972, but dorj, who was on his working ceremonial event commemorat- the country has rapidly moved since Mongolia at the time was a visit to Japan as an official ing the 40th anniversary of the on the path toward a new soci- socialist country, the differences guest. establishment of diplomatic re- ety and has undergone big in political systems between the After the meeting, the two lations between the two coun- changes politically and eco- two countries did not allow clos- leaders signed the Japan-Mon- tries in 2012. nomically. er bilateral relations to develop. golia Joint Statement for Build- • Strengthening coordination to Mongolia’s main industry is However, as Mongolia became ing a Strategic Partnership. address regional and global is- shifting from traditional cattle liberalized in 1990, relations be- Also, the exchange of notes on sues: The Mongolian side ex- breeding to mining and manu- tween Mongolia and Japan start- the Two-Step-Loan Project for pressed support for Japan’s vi- facturing backed by its abun- ed to develop in numerous fields Small and Medium Enterprises sion on United Nations Security dant mineral resources. Further on the basis of mutual efforts to Development and Environmen- Council reform. Both sides will development of the mostly un- establish relations, a sense of tal Protection (Phase II) and also strengthen cooperation on tapped coking coal deposits and ethnic affinity and vigorous eco- other documents were signed the issue of . The other mining sectors, such as nomic cooperation from Japan, by then Foreign Minister Seiji Japanese side asked for cooper- uranium and rare earth metals, with a view to Mongolia’s de- Maehara, Sadako Ogata, presi- ation on the abduction issue. are expected to promote an eco- mocratization and transition to dent of the Japan International Most recently, in the after- nomic boom in Mongolia. a market economy. Cooperation Agency, and Gom- math of the March 11 earth- Mongolia maintains positive Since Prime Minister Toshiki bojav Zandanshatar, Mongolia’s quake and tsunami that struck relations and has diplomatic Kaifu visited Mongolia in 1991, minister of foreign affairs and northeastern Japan, the Mongo- missions in many countries, the two countries have con- trade, in the presence of the two lian government immediately such as Japan, China, India, ducted a number of high-level national leaders. decided to assist Japan at an ex- Russia and the United States. visits. The following are high- Both sides agreed to advance traordinary Cabinet meeting on The government has focused a lights of some of these meetings exchanges and cooperation to March 12. great deal on encouraging for- from 2010: build a strategic partnership Based on the Cabinet deci- eign investment and trade. From July 29 to Aug. 3, Dash- based on four pillars: promoting sion, the following occurred: a

PAGE: 5