Around The World

India, Pakistan to \ncreate hotline to lower risk of nuclear flare-up \nNEW DELHI, INDIA -- India and Pakistan announced Sunday that they would establish a new hotline between their foreign ministries to alert each other of potential nuclear risks.\nIn a joint statement after two days of talks, the South Asian rivals said the hotline would help "prevent misunderstandings and reduce risks relevant to nuclear issues."\nThe two countries, both nuclear powers, have gone to war three times since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.\nThe joint statement said an existing hotline between director generals of military operations in both countries would also be improved and secured.\nExperts from both sides also reaffirmed their suspension of nuclear tests except where the policy would be jeopardized by "extraordinary events."\nIndia and Pakistan carried out nuclear tests in May 1998, provoking military and economic sanctions by the United States and its allies.\nInternational fears of a nuclear confrontation were exacerbated when the two countries fought in the Himalayas in 1999 and came close to war again in mid-2002 when India blamed Pakistan for a terrorist attack on its Parliament compound.\nThe talks began Saturday with a meeting between top foreign ministry officials, Sheel Kant Sharma from India and Tariq Usman Haider of Pakistan.\n Arroyo wins another new term as \nPhilippine president \nMANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has won another term in office, a congressional committee announced Sunday after finishing a contentious vote count six weeks after the election.\nThe opposition, which has claimed Arroyo's camp manipulated the May 10 vote and cheated action film star Fernando Poe Jr. of some 2 million ballots, fought the proceedings all the way. Arroyo's victory margin was about 1 million votes.\nThe military and police have been put on full alert for possible trouble.\nThe end of the count paved the way for Arroyo's proclamation as winner by the full Congress. But the opposition still can question the committee's report on the count later this week or file a protest after the proclamation to the Supreme Court election tribunal that likely would take years to resolve.\nPoe's people also have talked about a "people power" revolt like those that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and President Joseph Estrada, Poe's close friend, in 2001.\nThe congressional committee worked through the weekend and finally finished counting the last of 176 provincial summaries of votes, called certificates of canvass, late Sunday.\nThe final tally had Arroyo with 12,905,808 votes and Poe with 11,782,232, a difference of 1,123,576 votes. Three other candidates were well behind.\n Treasury secretary says continued growth in economy, jobs expected \nWASHINGTON -- Treasury Secretary John Snow said Sunday he expects continued strong economic growth and "lots and lots of good jobs" created in the coming months.\nAt the same time, however, he said world affairs have so dominated the public's attention that the strong growth is not reflected in polls about President Bush's stewardship of the economy.\n"There's been so much attention to other things, particularly the war in Iraq, that it's deflected attention from the economy," Snow said. "But the news on the economy ... is so good and so pervasive, so far-reaching, that I think people will change their views here."\nThe nine-month period that ended April 30 showed an annual growth of 5.5 percent in the gross domestic product, which measures the value of all goods and services produced in the United States. That was the strongest three-quarter growth in 20 years, Snow said on CNN's "Late Edition."\n"I think we're going to see more of the same continuing strong GDP growth and continuing strong job growth," Snow said.\nQuoting private estimates, which he said look reasonable, Snow said the economy should create 200,000 to 300,000 jobs a month. Again using private forecasts "that are in line with our own internal assumptions," he set probable GDP growth in the next few months at 4 percent to 5 percent rates.\n"It looks like we'll have growth for the coming quarters of over 4 percent, which of course, is terrific," he said. "It's well over the long-term average of the economy, and it's a growth rate that assures us that we'll see lots of good jobs created."\nThe economy has created 1.2 million jobs this year. Still, 1.2 million more Americans are unemployed than when President Bush took office 3 1/2 years ago.\n"As I travel the country, I'm really impressed by, as I meet with small business and medium-sized businesses and larger businesses, by the fact that the business community is so optimistic," Snow said. "They're expanding, they're putting capital into their businesses, they're growing and they're hiring. And that's really all over the country."\nSnow did not answer directly a question whether Americans should be worried about the practice of employers who eliminate jobs in the United States for cheaper labor abroad.\nThat practice, often called outsourcing, has become a major issue in campaigns for the White House and for Congress.\nHouse Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi announced last week an "American Jobs Plan" the Democrats have created as a package the party's candidates can use in campaigning.