World Bank board to name next president

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WASHINGTON, June 25 (AP): Robert Zoellick, President Bush's former trade chief and No 2 diplomat, appeared certain to win approval as the World Bank's next president.
The World Bank's 24-member board scheduled a closed-door meeting Monday to take up Zoellick's nomination, which was put forward by Bush. No other countries nominated candidates.
Zoellick would succeed Paul Wolfowitz, who will step down on June 30, ending a stormy two-year tenure at the poverty-fighting institution.
Wolfowitz courted controversy from the start because of his role in the Iraq war when he was deputy defence secretary. However, it was his role in arranging a hefty pay raise for Shaha Riza, his girlfriend and bank employee, that forced his upcoming departure.
He met with the board for around four hours last Wednesday to discuss key issues, including challenges of development, the bank's governance and leadership as well as future strategic directions.