U.S. relief plane to Myanmar authorized
YANGON, Myanmar, May 9 (UPI) -- Myanmar has authorized the landing of a U.S. military plane loaded with supplies, U.S. officials said Friday.
Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman, said the C-130 has permission to land Monday in Yangon, the city formerly known as Rangoon, The Washington Post reported. But a U.S. disaster assistance team is still waiting in Bangkok for visas.
The World Food Program said it will send two relief aid airplanes Saturday despite the government's seizure of previous aid shipments.
The military junta ruling the country formerly known as Burma seized contents of two WFP flights -- high-energy biscuits that could feed "95,000 hungry people in Myanmar," Nancy Roman, a spokeswoman for the WFP, said. The relief organization suspended its relief operation after the food was confiscated.
The reclusive military has been criticized for its handling of the crisis in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which killed tens of thousands and left millions homeless, the BBC reported.
Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a statement Friday it was not ready to allow foreign aid workers to enter the country. Government leaders said they would accept aid, but insisted they would handle the distribution.
Poll shows either Democrat leading McCain
WASHINGTON, May 9 (UPI) -- A poll released Friday finds that both possible Democratic candidates lead U.S. Sen. John McCain, but the presumptive Republican nominee is still in the hunt.
The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll also found that McCain's major weakness is the economy. About 32 percent of those surveyed said Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is best-equipped to handle the economic slump, followed by 26 percent for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and 23 percent for McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. Voters who list the economy as their major concern were also far more likely to favor a Democrat.
Both Clinton and Obama lead McCain in one-to-one matches. Clinton led McCain 47 percent to 38 percent, with 11 percent undecided, while Obama led McCain 46 percent to 40 percent, with 9 percent undecided.
A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg survey in February gave McCain a slight lead over either Democrat. Susan Pinkus, the poll director, said that the weaker economy probably accounts for the shift.
The poll interviewed 2,208 adults across the country, including 1,986 registered voters, during the first week in May.
OPEC hints at output increase
WASHINGTON, May 9 (UPI) -- The top Libyan oil official said Friday OPEC might hold an early meeting, a signal the group might increase output to bring prices down.
Shukri Ghanem said he would agree to a meeting before September, when the group had scheduled its next gathering, The New York Times reports.
When the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries held its last meeting in March, leaders blamed the sharp increase in price on speculation. They said supplies were adequate.
But prices have continued to rise. Crude oil for June delivery closed at almost $126 a barrel Friday.
The high prices for crude oil have filtered through the world economy, contributing to high prices for food and plane tickets as well as expensive gasoline and heating oil. That puts more political pressure on OPEC, the newspaper said.
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced a bill in Congress last week that would require the U.S. government to take action against anti-competitive OPEC practices.
Report: Venezuela aided rebels
BOGOTA, May 9 (UPI) -- Files on the computer of a slain Colombian rebel leader indicate ties between rebels and the Venezuelan government, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The files reviewed by The Journal show that Venezuela offered to let the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, use one of its ports to receive arms shipped from Russia, and may have offered to help them procure arms like rocket-propelled grenades.
"There is complete agreement in the intelligence community that these documents are what they purport to be," a senior U.S. official told the newspaper.
The FARC have been fighting the Colombian government for more than 40 years. In recent months, since the discovery of the laptop that belonged to deceased FARC leader Raul Reyes -- killed in a raid in Ecuadorian territory in March -- Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez has been accused in the Colombian media of directly aiding the rebels.
Chavez has denied offering the group financial aid or sanctuary in Venezuela.
YANGON, Myanmar, May 9 (UPI) -- Myanmar has authorized the landing of a U.S. military plane loaded with supplies, U.S. officials said Friday.
Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman, said the C-130 has permission to land Monday in Yangon, the city formerly known as Rangoon, The Washington Post reported. But a U.S. disaster assistance team is still waiting in Bangkok for visas.
The World Food Program said it will send two relief aid airplanes Saturday despite the government's seizure of previous aid shipments.
The military junta ruling the country formerly known as Burma seized contents of two WFP flights -- high-energy biscuits that could feed "95,000 hungry people in Myanmar," Nancy Roman, a spokeswoman for the WFP, said. The relief organization suspended its relief operation after the food was confiscated.
The reclusive military has been criticized for its handling of the crisis in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which killed tens of thousands and left millions homeless, the BBC reported.
Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a statement Friday it was not ready to allow foreign aid workers to enter the country. Government leaders said they would accept aid, but insisted they would handle the distribution.
Poll shows either Democrat leading McCain
WASHINGTON, May 9 (UPI) -- A poll released Friday finds that both possible Democratic candidates lead U.S. Sen. John McCain, but the presumptive Republican nominee is still in the hunt.
The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll also found that McCain's major weakness is the economy. About 32 percent of those surveyed said Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is best-equipped to handle the economic slump, followed by 26 percent for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and 23 percent for McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee. Voters who list the economy as their major concern were also far more likely to favor a Democrat.
Both Clinton and Obama lead McCain in one-to-one matches. Clinton led McCain 47 percent to 38 percent, with 11 percent undecided, while Obama led McCain 46 percent to 40 percent, with 9 percent undecided.
A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg survey in February gave McCain a slight lead over either Democrat. Susan Pinkus, the poll director, said that the weaker economy probably accounts for the shift.
The poll interviewed 2,208 adults across the country, including 1,986 registered voters, during the first week in May.
OPEC hints at output increase
WASHINGTON, May 9 (UPI) -- The top Libyan oil official said Friday OPEC might hold an early meeting, a signal the group might increase output to bring prices down.
Shukri Ghanem said he would agree to a meeting before September, when the group had scheduled its next gathering, The New York Times reports.
When the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries held its last meeting in March, leaders blamed the sharp increase in price on speculation. They said supplies were adequate.
But prices have continued to rise. Crude oil for June delivery closed at almost $126 a barrel Friday.
The high prices for crude oil have filtered through the world economy, contributing to high prices for food and plane tickets as well as expensive gasoline and heating oil. That puts more political pressure on OPEC, the newspaper said.
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced a bill in Congress last week that would require the U.S. government to take action against anti-competitive OPEC practices.
Report: Venezuela aided rebels
BOGOTA, May 9 (UPI) -- Files on the computer of a slain Colombian rebel leader indicate ties between rebels and the Venezuelan government, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The files reviewed by The Journal show that Venezuela offered to let the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, use one of its ports to receive arms shipped from Russia, and may have offered to help them procure arms like rocket-propelled grenades.
"There is complete agreement in the intelligence community that these documents are what they purport to be," a senior U.S. official told the newspaper.
The FARC have been fighting the Colombian government for more than 40 years. In recent months, since the discovery of the laptop that belonged to deceased FARC leader Raul Reyes -- killed in a raid in Ecuadorian territory in March -- Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez has been accused in the Colombian media of directly aiding the rebels.
Chavez has denied offering the group financial aid or sanctuary in Venezuela.
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This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
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