CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama met with his former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton to see if she would be interested in a role in his administration, two sources told CNN Friday.
Sen. Hillary Clinton has been mentioned as a candidate for Obama’s secretary of state, sources say.
Sen. Hillary Clinton has been mentioned as a candidate for Obama’s secretary of state, sources say.
Obama also will meet with the man he defeated in the general election, Republican Sen. John McCain, on Monday, the Obama transition team announced Friday.
On Friday, Clinton responded to the latest rumors at a transit policy speech in Albany, New York.
“I’m very happy there is so much press attention and interest in transit,” Clinton said to laughs.
“In the off chance that you’re not here for this important issue and are here for some other reason, let me just say that I’m not going to speculate or address anything about the president-elect’s incoming administration.”
She added: “I’m going to respect his process and any inquiries should be directed to his transition team.”
Clinton went to the meeting Thursday with Obama because “she knew Obama wanted to talk about whether she would have a role in the administration,” one of the sources knowledgeable about the meeting said.
Obama and Clinton met in Chicago, Illinois, at the request of the president-elect, the sources told CNN.
The two sources said Clinton was surprised to hear rumors she was being considered for secretary of state position. The sources could not confirm that the she and Obama discussed the nation’s top diplomatic position or that it was offered.
This is not the first time Clinton has been rumored to be under consideration for a position on Obama’s team.
The New York senator was said to be on Obama’s short list of possible vice presidential picks this summer, but Obama ended up picking Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.
That source said Clinton thought the speculation that she would be tapped to be Obama’s secretary of state was “silly” because of the earlier buzz about her becoming Obama’s running mate. iReport.com: Who should Obama pick?
A spokesman for the former presidential candidate and first lady, Philippe Reines, said “any speculation about Cabinet or other administration appointments is really for President-elect Obama’s transition team to address.”
On Monday night, while walking into an awards ceremony in New York, Clinton was asked if she would consider taking a post in the Obama administration.
“I am happy being a senator from New York. I love this state and this city,” she said. “I am looking at the long list of things I have to catch up on and do.
“But I want to be a good partner and I want to do everything I can to make sure his agenda is going to be successful.” Video Watch whether Clinton would join Obama’s team »
Other names that have been mentioned for the top diplomatic role include Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democrats presidential nominee in 2004, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and energy secretary in the Clinton administration.
Latino groups are championing Richardson for the top State Department slot. If picked, Richardson would be the nation’s first Latino secretary of state.
A source close to transition team tells CNN that Obama is also trying to build a diverse Cabinet that includes women and minorities and that works as a team.
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Obama’s transition team is expected to announce some high-level staff positions on Friday.
Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs is widely expected to be named White House press secretary, and Obama chief strategist David Axelrod is expected to be picked as a White House senior adviser.
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC said on Friday it will not join any new government in the country before outstanding issues in power-sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party are resolved, an opposition offical said.
“Neither Robert Mugabe nor ZANU-PF has the legitimacy to form a government. The SADC resolution does not bestow Mugabe with the right to form a government. We will not be part of that, we will campaign against that illegitimate government,” MDC Vice President Thokozani Khupe told reporters.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – China proposed to Ethiopia to enhance bilateral relations through expanding joint cooperation and coordinate their positions on world affairs to safeguard their interests.
The offer was made during a visit by the speaker of the Chinese parliament Wu Bangguo to the country from November 8 to 10, the official Xinhua reported.
Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), called on in his meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi that the ruling parties, legislature and governments of the two nations to step up exchange and cooperation.
Wu also proposed the two nations to focus on three key projects that he believed would be vital to foster the bilateral cooperation, referring to an agriculture technology demonstration center, an all-packed economic and trade project including the construction of hydropower stations and the establishment of an oriental industrial zone to attract investment from Chinese companies.
“China encourage its companies to expand investment in Ethiopia and will adopt open policies on technology transfer and as well as training program for the Ethiopian personnel,” Wu told Meles.
Echoing on Wu’s proposal, Meles said the Ethiopia-China cooperation has become an important drive for the country’s development. The cooperation with China is of vital importance to push forward Ethiopia’s development and the Ethiopian government highly values it, Meles noted.
He said the Ethiopia would make its efforts to further implement the projects between the two sides and consolidate the cooperation in fields such as agriculture, infrastructure and human resource.
CAEP TOWN – South Africa’s rand advanced for a second day against the dollar as stocks rose and investors increased their stakes in higher-yielding, emerging-market assets.
The rand, which is little changed this past week, declined 33 percent this year as foreigners sold the country’s shares and bonds, partly on concern it will struggle to finance its current-account gap amid the world’s worst financial-market crisis since the 1930s. Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index advanced 2.6 percent The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 1.1 percent.
“The rand is taking its direction from offshore equity markets,” said George Glynos, managing director in Johannesburg of Econometrix Treasury Management, which advises clients on bond and foreign-exchange transactions. “The European equity markets are all in the green at the moment. That is one of the reasons why emerging markets, generally speaking, are responding to lower levels of risk aversion.”
Against the dollar, the rand gained 1.4 percent to 10.167 by 2:20 p.m. in Johannesburg, from 10.2600 yesterday. Earlier, it fell to as low as 10.5051.
South Africa’s benchmark FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index of stocks climbed for the first day in four, advancing 2.3 percent. The index has fallen 32 percent this year.
Government bonds rose, with the yield on the benchmark 13.5 percent security due September 2015 falling 6 basis points to 8.86 percent. The yield on the 13 percent note maturing in August 2010 lost 7 basis points to 9.26 percent. Yields move inversely to bond prices.
“Over the past couple of weeks, we have also very clear indications that foreigners are starting to see value in South African bonds,” Glynos said. “We have seen bond inflows to the tune of about 11 billion rand so far for the month of November.”
Zimbabwe’s parliament has been forced to close because it has run out of cash and water, the opposition claimed today, as the country’s economic crisis causes a virtual shutdown of public life.
Hotels in Harare have been refusing to accept MPs because the parliament has no money to pay their expenses or allowances.
It has also gone days without water. Speaking to the independent news agency Zim Online, Innocent Gonese, chief whip of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said: “Parliament has no money to pay for the MPs’ allowances and accommodation. That is why parliament had to adjourn to December 16. There was also no water at the building.”
On Tuesday the high court was forced to close because of water shortages. Many schools and hospitals are also shut.
The capital’s main hospital, Harare Central, has been spared daily water and power cuts, but most of its wards are empty, and the reception areas are deserted, according to the US medical charity Operation Hope. “I have never seen anything like this,” said its director, Jennifer Trubenbach.
Zimbabwe’s economic crisis means its water authority is unable to import chemicals to purify Harare’s supply.
Meanwhile, state media reported today that Robert Mugabe has started the process of forming an “inclusive government” in line with the recommendations at the weekend by the 15-nation Southern African Development Commission (SADC).
A power-sharing deal was stalled after the Zimbabwean president appointed his own party representatives to the cabinet jobs.
The MDC is meeting today to discuss its response to the SADC proposals to break the deadlock.
The Gambia Football Association in collaboration with the world football’s governing body (FIFA), are set to organise a training course for over dozen of top Gambian male referees, a press release issued by the national football’s governing body has revealed.
Dubbed the “High Level FIFA Refereeing Course”, the training, which will be held at the Friendship Hotel housed at the Independence Stadium, Bakau, is scheduled between November 17 and 22.
To be directed by Mr Joseph Wellington, a Ghanaian born FIFA instructor, the week-long course will gather 26 referees from the Gambia’s premier league.The release attributed the training to the great importance FIFA attaches to training of army of volunteers in its member associations.
The secretary of state for Youth and Sports and the president of the Gambia Football Association, Mr Sheriff Gomez and Seedy Kinteh respectively, are expected to grace the opening ceremony on Monday, November 17.
