Why she’s not running For president by Richard Nieva
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MICHELLE OBAMA
April 2016
APRIL 30, 2016
Newsweek Table of Contents June 30, 2016
77
ANTHONY CUTHBERTSON
Scientists are developing a method to store vast amounts of data on DNA molecules
Jerry Brown saved California
Page 26
Columns 11
Becker Slams British Tennis Star’s Doping Comments TEDDY CUTLER
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Whale vomit worth billions LUCY CLARKE-BILLINGS
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Brazil’s troubled path to the Summer Olympics CARTER DOUGHERTY
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Ted Cruz could still nail this thing MATTHEW COOPER
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7.8-magnitude quake in Ecuador REUTERS
Population: More over- Page weight than underweight
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Features 44
Fighting genital mutilation in Somalia CONNOR GAFFEY
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Trump is fast losing the delegate game: BEN MARGULIES
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UC Berkeley: Sexual Harassment Scandal JESSICA FIRGER
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What Shakespeare can teach us in 2016 David Tennant Talks Heroes, Villains and Hair Extensions
Scientists are developing a method to store vast amounts of data on DNA molecules
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IVA DIXIT Amnesty Report 4600
37
Pg 34
Iran Has 7,000-Strong Undercover Vice Squad Patrolling Tehran’s Streets JACK MOORE
Plus 9
Notebook
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Contributors
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Newsweek | April 2016
COVER STORY: Michelle Obama, first lady: Why she won’t be running for president, supported by Barack
News ‘A VOTE FOR THE ANC IS A VOTE FOR THE CONSTITUTION’ - ZUMA President Jacob Zuma has promised voters that a vote for the ANC would also mean “a vote for the Constitution of South Africa”. “The ANC remains committed to the assertion in the Freedom Charter that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.
HEALTH-E: NEW HIV PILL SLATED FOR PRIVILEGED FEW? Better HIV treatment is coming to South Africa but a lack of generic producers may keep it in the hands of the few for years to come, demonstrating that the road to cheaper and better treatment remains a long and complicated one.
ETHIOPIA: DEATH TOLL FROM SOUTH SUDANESE ATTACKS RISES TO 208
The death toll from cross-border raids in Ethiopia by South Sudanese gunmen has risen to more than 200, with 108 children kidnapped in the attacks. Ethiopian government spokesman Getachew Reda told Reuters that 208 people had been killed in the attacks, which took place on Friday in Ethiopia’s Gambella region, in the west of the country along the border with South Sudan.
IN BRIEF
STATS SA: LESS YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE SINCE 2009
QUORA: ACTIVIST DETAILS FRIGHTENING LIFE IN EGYPTIAN PRISON
READ SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MORE
OIL PRICES FALL AFTER SAUDI-IRAN TENSIONS SINK TALKS TO END GLOBAL SURPLUS
The report also shows the proportion of economically active youth declined over the past five years. The report analyses the socio economic and demographic profile of the youth in the country, focusing on various aspects including employment, education and access to housing and other basic services.
Newsweek Europe @Newsweek www.newsweek.com NEW ANTI-GAY LAW PROVES MISSISSIPPI DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ (THE BIBLE) From wailing that forbidding discrimination impedes their religious freedom, to declaring the bible their official state book, Christian politicians and their supporters have recently been engaged and most-embarassing and Anti-Christian behaviour in years.
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Newsweek | April 2016
It was a horrifying experience. I was secretly abducted by state security and was put in solitary confinement for 11 days. T he scariest part was that I didn’t really know what was going to happen to me, and I had no idea what was happening outside the prison
Oil prices tumbled on Monday after a meeting by major exporters in Qatar collapsed without an agreement to freeze output, leaving the credibility of the OPEC producer cartel in tatters and the world awash with unwanted fuel.
JAPAN QUAKE RATTLES MARKETS AS FACTORIES SHUT About 30,000 rescue workers were scouring the rubble for survivors and handing out food to survivors TOKYO – The Japanese share market fell more than 3 percent on Monday after a series of earthquakes measuring up to 7.3 magnitude struck a southern manufacturing hub, killing at least 42 people and forcing major companies to close factories.
No Mrs President For Michelle Obama Richard Nieva
M
ichelle Obama isn’t planning a second stint in the White House after she leaves in January. “Will you run for president?” rapper Queen Latifah asked the first lady Wednesday at the South by Southwest tech, film and music conference here in Austin, Texas. The crowd of more than 2,000 people burst into applause. “I will not run for president,” Obama said to sighs from the audience attending her keynote moderated by Latifah. “Here’s one of the reasons why: I’ve got these two young people at home. “Being the daughters of a president -- not so easy,” she continued. “They’ve handled it with grace and poise, but enough is enough.” The first lady was both playful and thoughtful as she contemplated life after her husband, President Barack Obama, leaves office. (She broke into a line of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men when first asked about the end of the term.) President Barack Obama spoke at SXSW on Friday, the first time a sitting president has ever delivered a speech at the 30-year-old festival. The Obamas will be just the latest to join the ex-first couple club. George and Laura Bush have stayed out of the public eye since they left the White House, though both campaign for global health care and education reform through the George W. Bush Institute. Bill Clinton actively supports global issues, such as increasing opportunities for women and girls and reducing childhood obesity, with the Clinton Foundation. Hillary Clinton, of course, is running for president. “These are issues that won’t go away during a presidential term.
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Photo: James Bareham
Newsweek | April 2016
They don’t go away in a lifetime.”
First Lady Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama said the role of first lady is a unique platform, but didn’t provide specifics about what she will do next. “When I leave here, there will be another platform. There’s always another platform,” she said. “But I don’t know what it will feel like.” The first lady did say she plans to continue the kind of work she’s done as part of the Obama administration. That work focused on four areas: Giving more girls access to education through the Let Girls Learn initiative; battling childhood obesity with the Let’s Move program; encouraging young people to pursue higher education or professional training through Reach Higher and, along with Jill Biden, supporting veterans and their families through Joining Forces. “These are issues that won’t go away during a presidential term,” she said. “They don’t go away in a lifetime.”
“ When I leave here,
there will be another platform. There’s always another platform.” A seat at the table
Michelle Obama was at SXSW specifically to tout Let Girls Learn. The White House says more than 62 million girls around the world are not in school, half of them adolescents. Launched last March, Let Girls Learn is a joint effort of several government agencies and organizations, including the US Department of State, the US Agency for International Development and the Peace Corps.
Michelle obama, optimistic about the future
She was joined onstage by rapper Missy Elliott, songwriter Diane Warren and actress Sophia Bush, who talked about helping women to overcome inequality. The women shared stories of their past, their struggles and even the music that influenced their lives. (The first lady cited Stevie Wonder’s “Talking Book,” which her grandfather gave her.) On Tuesday, Michelle Obama helped to record a women-empowerment anthem called “This is For My Girls.” The first lady doesn’t actually sing on that recording, but she did get the artists
“I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.” to collaborate on it. Written by Warren, the song features Elliott, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Rowland, Janelle Monae, Lea Michele, Zendaya, Jadagrace and Chloe & Halle. Chloe & Halle, a duo signed to Beyonce’s record label, performed the single before the panel took the stage. The song was executive produced by
Makers.com, an AOL-owned website that highlights the stories of women. Warren has likened the song to “We Are the World,” the star-studded charity single from 1985. The first lady on Wednesday also talked about how men can empower women. She said the key for men is to always push for diversity. “When you have a seat at the table -and have access to power -- the question you can ask yourself is, ‘Is there diversity around the table?” she said. “Are there voices and opinions that don’t sound like yours? “There are a lot of men-only tables going on in this country and around the world,” she continued. “And the only people who can change that are the men at the table.” Obama also talked about grassroots organizing and making a difference. “You don’t have to be president to do that,” she said. “I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.”
Eli Watkins She indicated a desire to be free from partisan controversy while still serving the public, saying she wanted to “impact as many people as possible in an unbi-
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Newsweek | April 2016
Photo: Ben Baker
ased way.” She also cited her children as a reason not to seek the office. The first lady has often enjoyed high popularity relative to other public officials and rumors once floated notably spread by Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, of her running for Senate from her home state of Illinois. She has pursued a range of causes during her time in the White House, particularly children’s health initiatives, and she said she would continue to do so after the end of President Barack Obama’s term, perhaps even more successfully “without the constraints and the lights and the cameras” that surround the White House. “There’s a potential that my voice could be heard by many people who can’t hear me now because I’m Michelle Obama, the first lady,” she said. She said she was planning to continue her advocacy work, with a special focus on working with young people, after her time at the White House and that she wanted a new generation of engaged young people to get into politics. “I just know that if I can do this and be here and have gone to great colleges and have all these wonderful experiences, you can do it too,” she said.
Greener pastures for
Nhlanhla Nene at Allan Gray TMG Digital Photo: Simon Dawson
someone of Mr Nene’s experience on our board‚ and we are grateful that he chose to accept the appointment. “We are looking forward to his strategic and leadership contribution to the board.” The Allan Gray statement said “Nene has extensive experience in the financial services and public sector”‚ and listed his progress from serving “in local government from 1996” to his holding the position of “minister of finance from May 2014 until December 2015”.
News24
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A
fter his being “treated shockingly by President Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress (ANC)”‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday wished former Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene well in his new appointment. Nene will be joining the Allan Gray group as a non-executive director‚ it was announced on Monday. Last week‚ Nene was cagey about his new appointment in the private sector. Four months after his surprise firing by Zuma – which caused turmoil in the markets and a far-reaching political crisis for the ANC - Nene told eNCA that he was moving on. Nene told the broadcaster that it was not “wise” to talk about future employment before actually being employed as
that would “jump the gun”‚ but did quip that his “gardening leave” is coming to an end soon. The DA’s David Maynier said on Monday that the “suggestion that he would be appointed to a position in the Brics Bank now looks like a blatant lie”. “The former minister did his best to do the right thing and hold the fort at National Treasury‚” added Maynier. “We wish him well in his new position and hope that it will not be too long before he returns to public life in South Africa.” Allan Gray board chairperson Ian Liddle said: “We are very happy to have
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Newsweek | April 2016
resident Jacob Zuma said Nene was the preferred candidate to head the Africa Regional Centre of the new Brics Bank Nene has yet to hear from the Brics Bank, he told eNCA in an interview last week. Asked whether he would take the post if formally offered to him, Nene said: “That will depend on the profile of the job.” Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier welcomed Nene’s appointment. “The former minister has been treated shockingly by President Jacob Zuma and the ANC. The suggestion that he would be appointed to a position in the Brics Bank now looks like a blatant lie.” “The former minister did his best to do the right thing and hold the fort at National Treasury. We wish him well in his new position and hope that it will not be too long before he returns to public life in South Africa.” Nene told Media24 last Monday that he is preoccupied with other matters at his home in KwaZulu-Natal and did not want to weigh in on the political battles that have rocked South Africa. “Until I make my next move, I am enjoying intimate time with my family, and also doing my gardening,” he said when contacted telephonically.
News
Oscar Pistorius learnt that he will know his fate in June, when the court deliberates during a fresh sentencing hearing on charges of murder. Photo: EPA/ALON
The big political question is a simple: “Will President Jacob Zuma stay, or will he go?”. Coming after the firing of Nhlanhla Nene, and then the Constitutional Court’s Nkandla ruling, it’s no surprise thatthere is more pressure on Zuma than ever. Photo: EPA
DA wants Gupta Competition Commission report tabled in Parliament | Atul Gupta Photo: ROBERT TSHABALALA
Semenya records treble feat with Olympics preparation firmly on track Photo: NIC BOTHMA
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Newsweek | April 2016
Feature
hijacked by Somali pirates on round world trip
Christian and Evelyne Colombo
Sofia Bouderbala
C
hristian and Evelyne Colombo were on a round-the-world trip when their “Tribal Kat” catamaran was hijacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea. Christian was killed and his body dumped in the water, while his wife was held hostage for 48 hours before being rescued by the Spanish military. Two members of the gang identified as the “recruiters”, Farhan Abdisalamn Hassan and Ahmed Abdullahi Akid, were handed 15-year sentences. Farhan Mohamoud Abchir, a minor at the time of the hijacking who has developed schizophrenia while in prison, according to his lawyer, was given the lightest six-year jail term. The prosecutor had sought terms of up to 22 years for the seven. “It’s hard to understand the range of the penalties, the motivations of the court. Fifteen years is a very heavy sentence,” said Augustin d’Ollone, lawyer for Akid Abdullahi. The Colombo family cried as the sentence was read out.
“This verdict does not satisfy us.”
“It has been four years that we have sought life sentences. This verdict does not satisfy us,” the family said in a statement posted on social media. Before the sentence was read out, the Somalis asked for “forgiveness” for a crime they said haunted them “every day”.
- ‘War, hunger’ -
The Colombos had sold everything before embarking on a dream round-theworld trip. They left the Yemen port of Aden in early September 2011 and were head-
Evelyne rescued by Spanish military Photo: Durdu News ing for Oman a journey that took them through notoriously pirate-infested waters when naval authorities received a distress signal from their “Tribal Kat” catamaran. A German frigate found the boat several hours later. There were bullet holes in the deck and a pair of glasses lying in a pool of blood. No one was on board. Two days later, a Spanish warship located the skiff believed to belong to the pirates. They tried to approach but turned away when the attackers dragged Evelyne Colombo into view, a gun to her head.
It was never found. She had spent a nightmarish 48 hours with the pirates, kept under a tarpaulin, drenched by waves and in constant fear of death.
Spanish military
The dramatic decline in piracy off the Somali coast means the trial could be the last in Europe for some time. The European Union’s military counter-piracy mission “Atalante” saw zero vessels pirated over the past three years, compared with a peak of 47 in 2010.
The Spanish military prepared a raid and attacked a few hours later, leaving two pirates dead and the remaining seven under arrest. Evelyne Colombo told her rescuers that her husband’s body had been dumped into the sea.
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Newsweek | April 2016
The defence team sought to present the seven Somalis as unwilling criminals forced into piracy by the hardships of life in Somalia. “War... hunger... for these men to be properly judged, the court must understand the hell from which they have come,” one of their lawyers, Martin Reynaud, previously told AFP, saying this could only explain rather than excuse their actions.