U.S. BLASTS CHINA AND RUSSIA FOR FAILING TO MEET MINIMUM STANDARDS TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING *

STATE DEPT DOWNGRADED THE COUNTRIES, PUTTING THEM ON A PAR WITH N KOREA AND SYRIA *

THE U.S. ALSO DOWNGRADED UZBEKISTAN OVER ITS STATE-SANCTIONED USE OF FORCED LABOR IN ITS ANNUAL COTTON HARVEST *

PRES OBAMA NOW HAS 90 DAYS TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO APPLY SANCTIONS, ALTHOUGH THAT WOULD BE UNLIKELY *

ACTOR JAMES GANDOLFINI, BEST KNOWN FOR HIS PORTRAYAL OF MOB BOSS TONY SOPRANO ON THE HBO SERIES "THE SOPRANOS," HAS DIED *

THE EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR WAS WORKING ON A NEW SERIES FOR HBO AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH *

GANDOLFINI SUFFERED A POSSIBLE HEART ATTACK ON VACATION IN ITALY *

U.S. AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES WILL MEET IN QATAR THIS WKND TO DECIDE ON HOW TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS FOR HELP FROM THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY *

MEETING WILL INCLUDE GOVT OFFICIALS FROM 11 COUNTRIES IN THE SO-CALLED FRIENDS OF SYRIA GROUP *

TALKS COME A WEEK AFTER THE OBAMA ADMIN AGREED TO SEND ARMS TO SYRIAN REBELS AMID THE COUNTRY'S DEADLY TWO-YEAR CIVIL WAR *

FED RESERVE SAYS IT EXPECTS UNEMPLOYMENT TO FALL FASTER THIS YEAR THAN ITS PREDICTION IN MARCH *

THE FED NOW PREDICTS THE JOBLESS RATE WILL FALL TO 7.2% OR 7.3% BY THE END OF 2013 *

THAT'S DOWN FROM ITS PREDICTION OF 7.6% THREE MONTHS AGO *

THE FED ALSO EXPECTS THOSE RATES TO FALL BETWEEN 6.5% AND 6.8% BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR *

STOCKS CLOSE LOWER ON WALL STREET AFTER THE FED RESERVE SAYS IT COULD SLOW BOND PURCHASES LATER THIS YEAR *

THE DOW SANK 206 POINTS ON WED TO CLOSE AT 15,112, A LOSS OF 1.4% *

S&P 500 FELL 22 POINTS WHILE THE NASDAQ WAS DOWN 39 *

HOUSE VOTES TO CUT FOOD STAMPS BY $2 BIL A YEAR *

THE BILL CUTS ABOUT 3% FROM THE $80 BIL-A-YEAR FOOD STAMP PROGRAM *

THE CHAMBER REJECTED A DEMOCRATIC PLAN TO MAINTAIN CURRENT SPENDING LEVELS ON FOOD STAMPS AND CUT FARM SUBSIDIES INSTEAD *

HE WAS 51 YEARS OLD *

THE MOTHER OF A 10-YR-OLD PA GIRL WHO FOUGHT FOR A LUNG TRANSPLANT SAYS HER DAUGHTER IS IMPROVING *

JANET MURNAGHAN SAYS HER DAUGHTER SARAH IS NOW ON A VENTILATOR *

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THAT FIRE IS BEING CALLED THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE IN STATE HISTORY *

 

Latest White House Press Pool Report: Look who piloted his own 747 to visit President Obama!

by

Mar 12 2013 - 12:56 PM ET

comments

Subject: In-town pool report 2: Brunei bi-lat

 

Pool was ushered into the Oval Office at 11:55. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah wore a dark suit and green tie.

 

POTUS called it a “great pleasure” to welcome a “key leader in the South East Asian region” who is “widely respected around the world” to the White House. He said they have gotten to know each other at multilateral meetings, including the ASEAN conference last November, and since the sultan is hosting the next ASEAN conference, this was a good time to meet in Washington. This continues the 160-year relationship with Brunei, he said. POTUS noted that the sultan has ruled alongside nine U.S. presidents. “I won’t ask him which one was his favorite.”

 

POTUS: “Our interests in having a strong, peaceful, prosperous Asian-Pacific region is something that we share.”

 

He said the issues to be addressed at the October ASEAN conference include: energy and climate change, expanding commerce through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, maritime issues, education and English-language programs, and U.S.-ASEAN-Chinese humanitarian and disaster relief joint exercises.

 

On maritime issues: “Obviously there has been a lot of tension in the region around maritime issues, and his majesty has shown great leadership as far as bringing countries together and making sure that everybody is abiding by basic precepts of rule of law and international standards so that conflicts can be resolved peacefully and effectively.”

 

On education: “His majesty himself of Brunei has helped to finance a number of English-language structures for youth in the South East Asia region.” This “expands commerce but also strengthens ties between the United States and other nations in the region.”

 

On disaster relief: “Our militaries are extraordinarily capable, and our bilateral relationship … has the capacity to help people in times of need and to try to help avoid conflict, rather than start conflict.”

 

“Overall, I’m very grateful for his majesty’s outstanding leadership and his friendship, and I’m glad that he’s had a chance to visit.”

 

POTUS noted that the sultan piloted his own 747 here to Washington. “I think you’re one of the only heads of state that flies their own 747.” He then made a joke comparing his experiences flying on Air Force One. Couldn’t make it out on my recording.

 

Alluding to the sultan’s famed wealth, POTUS expressed his delight that his counterpart and family are heading to New York tomorrow: “We’re going to encourage him to do some shopping” in order to “strengthen the U.S. economy.”

 

Handshake.

 

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, referring to note cards, to POTUS: “Thank you for inviting me to visit. I know you have a very busy schedule. It is very kind of you. This is a good opportunity to renew the long-standing friendship between Brunei Darussalam and the United States.

 

He called his morning meeting with Obama “an excellent meeting” and reiterated many of the points that POTUS made.

 

“The United States has been a good friend to ASEAN.”

 

After thanking POTUS, the sultan said he looked forward to welcoming him to Brunei.

 

Another handshake.

 

POTUS did not answer a question on the Ryan budget. Pool was ushered out about eight minutes after entering.

 

Fun facts about Brunei via the CIA website:

 

This South East Asian nation, bordered by Malaysia and the South China Sea, gained its independence from Britain in 1984.

It has one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.

The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries.

Brunei is smaller than Delaware.

Islam is the majority religion, and Malay the official language.

76 percent of the population is urban, and almost 93 percent of the population is literate.

The government is a constitutional sultanate, or Malay Islamic Monarchy.

Hassanal Bolkiah was appointed sultan Oct. 5, 1967.

The government provides health care and education through the university level, but taxes are almost 49 percent of GDP.

In 2010, the unemployment rate was 2.7 percent, and the nation had no debt in 2005.

Brunei does not put up with drug trafficking, which is punishable by death.

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