Pirate risk forges unlikely high seas alliances

By KATHARINE HOURELD, Associated Press Writer

NAIROBI, Kenya – World powers including the U.S., Russia and China are teaming up at sea to tackle the pirates plaguing Somalia's lawless coast, as a sharp increase in attacks has forced nations who may be rivals on land to make unlikely alliances.

Analysts say the shift from competition to cooperation is also helping to safeguard naval budgets in countries like the United States and Britain that are fighting land-based wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It's remarkable you have in what is generally considered not to be the most strategically important corner of the Earth, you have the Chinese, the Russians, the Americans, the Indians, all working together against a common enemy," said piracy expert Roger Middleton from the London-based think tank Chatham House.

"They've been trained to fight each other, not small enemies," he said.

Pirates have launched increasingly bold attacks against vessels in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden in hopes of capturing a ship and crew and collecting millions of dollars in ransom. They currently hold nearly 250 hostages from around the world, including a British couple taken last month. Three ships have been seized in the last week alone.

Lt. Nate Christensen of the Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet said 25 ships from 14 nations are now patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

Russia and China announced in September that they would be doing joint anti-piracy patrols under "Operation Blue Shield," and many nonaligned countries such as Japan or South Korea also have sent ships to the region. Russia is also supporting the NATO patrols.

Cmdr. James Kraska, a professor at America's Center for Naval Warfare Studies, says all except Iran are sharing information and protection.

Major players in the region meet once a month to share information and to deconflict areas of responsibility. Last week, navies from 26 nations, including from the EU, NATO, China, India, Japan and Russia met. Ukraine participated for the first time.

"The bottom line is that the way we describe it is unprecedented cooperation between all anti-piracy players in the Gulf," said Cmdr. John Harbour, spokesman for the EU Naval Force.

The effort is not always trouble-free. The U.S., India and Pakistan all have non-compatible cryptography equipment, said Christensen. And the Chinese and Americans have been forbidden to communicate using their official military e-mail addresses because of fears of espionage, so the crews e-mail each other using Yahoo or Hotmail addresses, Middleton said.

Nations have managed to overcome obstacles to help each other, even if their governments are at loggerheads on land. Last May, a South Korean warship sent a helicopter to help the North Korean cargo ship Dabaksol when it was under attack.

In September, the Turkish frigate TCG Gediz pursued pirates attacking the Greek-owned bulk carrier Handy V, despite the fact negotiations between Turkey and Greece over the disputed island of Cyprus have broken down repeatedly.

"No nation can do it alone," Krasaka said.

It may be easier for naval forces to cooperate than land forces. The traditional mariner's code states sailors are obligated to help another ship in trouble, and no one has a territorial claim on the seas.

Even working together the warships cannot prevent all attacks. The Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden are simply too vast. Analysts say the lure of multimillion dollar ransoms is too strong for men in Somalia, a war-ravaged country that hasn't had a stable government for a generation and where nearly half the population is dependent on aid.

On Wednesday, the European Union Naval Force said that Somali pirates had seized a cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with 22 crew members on board.

Naval spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour said that there are three Greeks and 19 Filipinos among the crew of the Greek-owned Filitsa. The ship is registered in the Marshall Islands.

A press release by the EU said the ship was taken 400 miles (640 kilometers) northeast of the island nation of the Seychelles. It had been heading for the South African port of Durban but has now turned around and is heading north.

Man convicted of Egyptian woman's court killing

By LARS RISCHKE, Associated Press Writer

DRESDEN, Germany – A Russian-born German man was found guilty Wednesday of murder and sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a pregnant Egyptian woman in court, an attack that triggered outrage in the Muslim world.

The Dresden state court said in its ruling that because of the particularly brutal nature of the crime defendant Alexander Wiens, 28, would not be eligible for early release.

During the trial, Wiens admitted stabbing Marwa al-Sherbini to death at a July 1 court hearing in Dresden. Wiens had argued, however, that his actions were not premeditated and that he had no xenophobic motivation. His attorneys had sought a lesser manslaughter conviction and said they would appeal the verdict.

Maria Boehmer, the German government official responsible for immigrant affairs, said the verdict was "an important signal for the people of Egypt and other parts of the Arab world."

"The message is: There is no place for xenophobia in our country," she said.

Al-Sherbini, a 31-year-old pharmacist, was stabbed at least 16 times by Wiens in the Dresden courtroom where she was to testify against him. She had filed a complaint against him in 2008, accusing him of insulting her with racial slurs, calling her a "terrorist" and "Islamist" during an altercation.

Many German courts, including the one where the killing took place, have no security checks at their entrance. Prosecutors said the defendant used a kitchen knife with a 7-inch (18-centimeter) blade that he had brought into the courtroom in a backpack.

Her husband, a scientist conducting research in Dresden, was stabbed and suffered serious injuries when he intervened to protect her. The couple's 3-year-old son was in the courtroom and witnessed the attack.

About 1,500 demonstrators outside the courtroom ahead of the verdict carried signs with slogans like "stop the Islam hate in Germany" and "the death of Marwa is the result of Islam hunting."

In addition to murder, Wiens was convicted of attempted murder for his attack on al-Sherbini's husband, Elwy Okaz.

Presiding Judge Birgit Wiegand said the court was not influenced by the intense international interest in the case.

"We did not pronounce the verdict for the Muslims or any other group, we pronounced the verdict according to German justice — like we would against any other defendant," she said.

"He murdered Marwa al-Sherbini before the eyes of her child," Wiegand said.

Though Wiens' sentence was the harshest possible under the German system — most condemned to life in prison are eligible for release after 15 years — people in the victim's hometown of Alexandria, Egypt, said it was not enough.

"She died, but he's still alive," said neighbor Badr Shorbagy, 57.

Egyptian Ambassador Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy told reporters outside the courtroom, however, that he thought "justice has been honored."

"Getting the maximum possible sentence, I think that itself says a lot," he said.

In his closing arguments on Monday, prosecutor Frank Heinrich said there was no doubt of Wiens' reasons.

"It's clear that his motive was hatred for Muslims," Heinrich told the panel of judges. "Like a maniacal, cold-blooded killer, he started stabbing the woman and her husband, who was trying to protect her."

When given an opportunity to respond in court Tuesday, Wiens declined to comment.

"I don't want to say anything," he told the court.

Wiens, a German citizen, was born in the Russian city of Perm and has lived in Germany since late 2003.

Egyptians expressed outrage at the attack and an initially low-key German response, which many viewed as a sign of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment.

The week after the killing, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her condolences to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak but did not comment publicly.

U.S. Jews turn to Israel to escape bleak job market

By Sangwon Yoon

JERUSALEM (Reuters Life!) – Jewish American math teacher Goldie Burdetsky never expected to find herself working the front desk of a hotel in southern Israel alongside management interns young enough to be her children.

"I mean, for God's sakes, I have a master's degree in education," said the 55-year-old New Yorker. "I expected to be able to find a teaching job in the U.S. without any problems. But I couldn't."

Burdetsky decided to escape the dire economic situation back home, by coming to Israel on a program that offers Jews free housing, Hebrew classes, training, and work experience -- all of which translate into temporary financial respite.

As the unemployment rate in the U.S. climbed to a 26-year high of 10.2 percent last month, growing numbers of young and adult American Jews were arriving in Israel to inexpensively "wait out" the economic lull.

In an attempt to lure diaspora Jews to make Israel their permanent home, the Israeli government and Jewish organizations offer a multitude of scholarships and travel grants, allowing many to spend up to six months in Israel almost for free.

The key aim is to safeguard a Jewish majority in a country where Arab citizens make up 20 percent of the population. In 2008, some 15,400 Jews immigrated to Israel, of whom 3,200 came from North America.

MASA, which means journey in Hebrew, oversees 160 such programs. It has seen the number of participants double and even quadruple this year, especially among those aged 21 to 30.

Participation in Burdetsky's hotel management internship scheme jumped from 10 last year to 55 this year.

The World Union of Jewish Students Israel Hadassah, a post-university experience program, recorded a 100 percent increase in registrations, with 100 participants scheduled for the second half of 2009, compared with 50 all of last year.

"With the economy the way it is in North America, more and more Jewish college graduates who can't find a job are deciding to delay their careers and come to Israel for a while," said WUJS Israel director Mike Mitchell.

BOOSTING IMMIGRATION

Yahel Segev, marketing director of MASA, said the increase reflects the success of the organization's marketing strategy.

Its 'Better Stimulus Plan' campaign, inspired by the U.S. government's post-crash economic stimulus package, offers grants to North American Jews for career development in Israel.

"With the Israel stimulus grant we are trying to convince them that while the situation is bad in America, they can spend time in Israel," Segev said.

For decades Jewish organizations have sent Jews from around the world to Israel for free, or at a very low cost, with hopes of boosting immigration or at least building ties to Israel.

Matt Bennett, a 25-year-old from Vineland, New Jersey, is currently attending the same program as Burdetsky. He says he is unsure whether he will stay on after it ends.

"They're funding these programs to attract more Jews to come," Bennett said. "Will I immigrate? For now I'm just going to say that if it's going to help me and advance my career, I'll take it while I can. That's what I'm doing."

Segev of MASA said the programs aim to reconnect Jews to their Jewish roots, but that's not all.

"We're very happy about every single person who immigrates after completing a MASA program," she acknowledges.

Adam Hecht, 25, from Los Angeles, said he probably would not be immigrating to Israel after his five months here.

"I'm American. I doubt I will come to identify with Israelis over the next couple of months," he said. "Except maybe, that is, I could immigrate ... if I find my future wife here."

Israel-Jordan Joint Earthquake Drill Held Despite Friction

(IsraelNN.com) Israel and Jordan conducted a joint earthquake drill on Monday in the Beit She'an Valley, practicing techniques in evacuation and treatment procedures, according to IDF Army Radio. The maneuvers were held despite continued friction over Arab riots on the Temple Mount and the status of Jerusalem.

The joint Israeli-Jordanian emergency maneuvers were intended to create commonality between the two forces in order to ensure smooth cooperation in the event of an actual natural disaster.

Soldiers from the Home Front Commands of Israel and Jordan operated in a simulated environment set up at Kibbutz Mesilot, where a number of buildings were demolished to provide the proper atmosphere. IDF Major-General Anwar Sa'ab, commander of the northern district of Home Front Command, supervised the Israeli forces.

The two groups worked in full cooperation with each other on all operations.

Drill Held Despite Friction Over Israel-PA Relations

The drill was not publicized until its conclusion in order to allow the Jordanian forces to operate without its government having to contend with negative sentiment at home, which might have forced a last-minute cancellation.

On Monday, the day the drill was held, King Abdullah II warned that Israel must be careful in dealing with the issue of the status of Jerusalem in talks with the Palestinian Authority. "Jerusalem is a red line and Israel must internalize the importance the city holds for Arabs, Christian and Muslim, and stop playing with fire," he said. The king also insisted the Israeli-PA negotiations must ultimately lead to establishment of a PA state on the land of Judea and Samaria (West Bank), with Jerusalem as its new capital.

Despite the anniversary last month of 15 years since the signing of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, the Hashemite monarch has been increasingly critical of the Jewish (Zionist) State.

Abdullah has particularly slammed Israel's management of affairs at the Temple Mount -- specifically the clashes between Muslim worshipers hurling rocks and bottles near the Al-Aqsa mosque, and Israel Police officers repeatedly forced to quell the violence with riot control techniques. The Jordanian king warned last month that the government's interventions on the Temple Mount would "derail all opportunities for peace and stability in the region."

Report says Tel Aviv uses site to get inside people's head

Report says Tel Aviv uses site to get inside people's head
Israel uses Facebook to spy on Arabs & Muslims

November 9, 2009, DUBAI (Al Arabiya)

For Facebook users updating their statuses or posting family pictures is for their select friends list but according to new report the information most people believe is private is actually being used by Israel to profile people and spy on them to obtain valuable information.

According to "reliable" sources quoted in France-based, Israël Magazine, Israeli intelligence focuses mainly on Arab and Muslim users and uses the information obtained through their Facebook pages to analyze their activities and understand how they think.

The extensive report allegedly ruffled some feathers in the Israeli government and diplomatic circles and Israel's ambassador to Paris accused the magazine of "making classified information available to the enemy."

Israel's covert activity was uncovered in May 2001, Gerard Niroux, Professor of Psychology at France's Provence University said.

"It is an intelligence network made up of Israeli psychologists who lure youths from the Arab world, especially from countries located within the range of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in addition to countries in Latin America," Niroux, who is the author of a book called The Dangers of the Internet, said.

Niroux said a huge number of men use the networking website to meet women and warned this was unsafe as it is the best way to lure men and find their weak points.

"It is very easy to spy on men using women," he told the magazine.

This is not the first time Israel has been accused of using Facebook to spy on people and in April 2008 Jordanian paper al-Haqiqa al-Dawliya published an article entitled "The Hidden Enemy" making the same claims.

The paper said it was dangerous because people, especially the youth, often reveal intimate and personal details about themselves on Facebook and similar online communities, making them easy targets for people looking in.


Political Facebook

Facebook is no stranger to politics and is often used to organize protests or launch opposition campaigns, such as during the recent unrest in Iran, which Israël Magazine said gives Jewish intelligence valuable insight in to political activities taking place in enemy countries.

The paper added it is no longer necessary for occupation forces, like Israel and the United States, to use the traditional tools to control people or inciting sedition as it is now enough to use Facebook to promote certain ideas that infiltrate a certain social and political structure of any given country.

The fact that Israel uses Facebook to spy on Arabs is not just confined to media reports, but it is a general sentiment shared by people in the region.

People have been working as spies without realizing it, the report said, adding by just logging in to a chat room and talking about anything with someone he does not know is enough to do the job.

Any information revealed will be analyzed and used at a later stage.

Israel has a long history of espionage in the Middle East. During the 1956, 1967 and 1973 wars, Israel used to thoroughly examine the obituary pages in Arab newspapers, leading the Egyptian army to ban publishing obituaries of military personnel.

Analyzing the content of Egyptian papers also played a major role in planning for the 1967 war, according to Israeli media reports, adding the war actually started as Egyptian newspapers ran a story that several army officers of different ranks would be having breakfast together at 9:00 a.m. on June 5, 1967, the day Israel attacked Egypt.

Scientists: New dinosaur species found in SAfrica

By CELEAN JACOBSON, Associated Press Writer

JOHANNESBURG – A newly discovered dinosaur species that roamed the Earth about 200 million years ago may help explain how the creatures evolved into the largest animals on land, scientists in South Africa said Wednesday.

The Aardonyx celestae was a small-headed herbivore with huge barrel of a chest, and the scientists said it could prove to be a missing evolutionary link.

"This is definitely without a shadow of a doubt a brand new type of dinosaur — one that no one has seen before and one that has a very significant position in the family tree of dinosaurs," said Australian paleontologist Adam Yates.

Yates, who is based at the University of the Witwatersrand's Bernard Price Institute for Paleontological Research, led the research with a number of other local and international scientists.

Their findings were published Wednesday in the Proceedings of The Royal Society B, a London-based peer-reviewed journal.

The Aardonyx celestae walked on its hind legs but could drop to all fours and stood nearly 6 feet (about 1.7 meters) high at the hip, the scientists said. It was about 10 years old when it died and weighed about 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms). Its death may have been caused by drought.

Yates says the Aardonyx celestae has many characteristic of the plant-eating herbivores that walked on two legs as well as their descendants. Those sauropods, known more popularly as brontosaurs, grew to massive sizes and went about on all fours.

The newly discovered species shows an intermediary stage in the evolution of these creatures, Yates said.

"Aardonyx gives us a glimpse into what the first steps toward becoming a sauropod involved," he said.

The discovery of the new species was made by postgraduate student Marc Blackbeard, who was excavating two sites about five years ago.

Yates believes that the scientists may have stumbled onto a "paleontological oasis" in central South Africa that may yield further previously unknown dinosaur species.

Already they are working on the bones of two other specimens found at the site and have also unearthed some giant teeth believed to belong to a mysterious carnivorous dinosaur.

Pak to buy Chinese J-10 fighters worth over USD 1.4bn

In a major move to boost its air warfare capability, Pakistan is to purchase 36 J-10 fighter aircraft from China in a deal worth more than USD 1.4 billion, with options open for induction of more similar aircraft.

China will supply the 36 J-10 fighter jets, enough to equip two squadrons, under a preliminary agreement that could lead to "more sales", a Pakistani official has said.

Pakistan might buy "larger numbers" of the multi-role aircraft in the future but has not signed any deal to purchase as many as 150 jets, the official told the Financial Times.

The J-10 or Jian 10 is China's most advanced combat aircraft and is the third generation fighter comparable to American F-16 Fighting Falcons.

Islamabad and Beijing are also collaborating to build an advanced fighter -- JF-17 or "Thunder" and the first of these aircraft are expected to roll out by the end of this month, Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said recently.

China is one of the main arms suppliers of Pakistan and has sold combat jets to it for over three decades. But Beijing has seldom supplied Pakistan with advanced fighter aircraft like the J-10.

Court discharges Hizbul Mujahideen suspect after 18 years

November 11, 2009

A Delhi court on Wednesday discharged Mohammed Ahsan Dar, a suspected aide of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in an 18-year-old Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act case.

A special TADA court let off Dar, saying there was no prima-facie evidence against the accused in the matter as the Central Bureau of Investigation had already filed a closure report.

"There is no evidence against the accused to proceed with the trial since the CBI has already filed a closure report in the case," the special TADA court said.

The CBI had sought closure of the case against Dar on the ground that it had failed to get a confessional statement on the charges leveled against him of receiving money from Salahuddin.

Dar, along with Salahuddin, was wanted in the case registered under TADA for allegedly abetting terror activities in the country.

He was accused by the CBI of receiving USD 10,000 (about Rs 4.64 lakh) and a letter from Salahuddin in the first information report registered on April 20, 1991.

Dar, 53, who hails from Baramullah and evaded arrest for a long time, was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police on January 14, 2009, and later quizzed by the investigating agency after being taken into three-day custody in June.

The CBI had got Dar declared proclaimed offender from a court on December 19, 1993. The agency later made a volte-face saying he was not charge sheeted as no incriminating materials could be found.

The police had initially arrested two of Dar's accomplices Ashfaq Hussain Lone and Shahbuddin Ghouri from the capital in 1991, as they were going to hold a meeting at the office of Jamaat-e-Islami to step up terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The CBI had filed a charge sheet against the two under the Indian Penal Code and the TADA.

The designated TADA court had in July 1998 awarded Lone, HM's deputy chief of intelligence, and Ghouri, an MPhil student from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, a seven-year prison term.

In its closure report, the CBI said the only evidence against Dar, was in the form of confessional statements of Lone and Ghouri under Section 15 of the TADA, which can only be used in a joint trial with the accused.

Source: rediff.
Link: http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/nov/11/relief-for-hizbul-mujahideen-suspect-after-18-yrs.htm.

Koalas could be extinct in 30 years: conservationists

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia's koalas could be extinct in 30 years, conservationists warned Tuesday, calling for the iconic creatures to be declared an endangered species.

The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey indicated numbers may have plunged by more than half in the past six years due to climate change, disease and over-development.

The study showed there were between 43,000 and 80,000 koalas on mainland Australia, down from an estimated 100,000 in 2003, said Foundation chief Deborah Tabart.

"We're saying (numbers) could be as low as 43,000 and as high as 80,000, Tabart told public broadcaster ABC Radio.

Large numbers have been killed by an outbreak of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, while others have been affected by loss of habitat due to deforestation and climate change, Tabart said.

Hotter, drier conditions had reduced the nutritional value of their staple food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to fatal malnutrition, she said.

"I really think climate change is starting to affect koala populations," she said.

Tabart said the findings, which were based on surveys of almost 2,000 forest sites, pointed to total extinction of the species within 30 years without government action.

Conservation groups unsuccessfully tried to have the animals declared a vulnerable species in 2006, but Tabart said the new data was proof of a "drastic decline".

"There has been a great deal of opposition to the protection of the koala over many years and I think that still exists," she said.

Researcher Bill Ellis said he'd found evidence of localized extinctions and there were "major declines in populations" along the east coast.

The government's threatened species committee was due to make a recommendation by mid-2010, but representative Bob Beeton said they would not be swayed by its status as one of the country's favorite animals.

"There's a number of species which are charismatic and emotionally charged. We don't consider that," said Beeton.

"I mean, we'd consider the koala with the same level of diligence and dedication as if it were the death adder."

Assad OKs resistance against Israel

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Syrian President Bashar Assad ratcheted up the rhetoric against Israel, calling for action against the Jewish (Zionist) state if it fails to return the Golan Heights.

"This does not contradict the constant desire to achieve a just and inclusive peace on the basis of the restoration of the occupied lands, starting with the occupied Syrian Golan," Assad told the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday.

"The failure of negotiations in returning all rights means automatically the existence of the resistance as an alternative solution."

Syrian Arab News Agency reported Assad accused Israel of daily atrocities against the Palestinians and called for the dismantling of all West Bank settlements -- not just a construction freeze.

It is time to work toward eliminating "Zionist occupation," SANA quoted him as saying.

"Nobody will take care of our interests and rights when we neglect them. We cannot rely on others when we cannot rely on ourselves," he said.

The Golan Heights is a strategic plateau that straddles the borders of Israel and Syria. Israel captured the area in the Six Day War in 1967. Syria has said it would be willing to embark on peace talks with Israel on condition the land is returned to its jurisdiction.

Government awarded 48 teachers on Education Day

Jammu, Nov 11(PTI) Lauding the role of teachers in transforming the state, Jammu and Kashmir government today awarded 48 teachers for devotion to their duties.

"We have awarded 48 teachers as best teachers for devotion to their duties. Two of the teachers were given state awards and cash prize of Rs one lakh, while the rest received district awards and a case prize of Rs 50,000," minister for Education and Public Enterprises, Peerzada Mohmmad Sayeed told reporters here today.

Peerzada emphasized on the need to develop human resources saying that the progress of a nation in any field depends upon its people's level of literacy and education.

The minister assured the teachers that their service condition will be improved and the curriculum will be set up as per the modern lines.

Khalifeh: No swine flu vaccine in Lebanon

BEIRUT: Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh said a vaccine for the A(H1N1) virus, better known as swine flu, was still not available in Lebanon. In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper on Tuesday, Khalifeh said reports claiming otherwise were unfounded and “irresponsible.” Khalifeh said he was unaware of any vaccine distribution, highlighting that parties claiming they have the A (H1N1) vaccine will be tracked down by the Health Ministry.

The 'Unknown' Fight the Illegal

By Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler

OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM, Nov 8 (IPS) - "Make sure your father gets this," the municipal inspector tells a ten-year-old boy at the gate of the concrete house in an alleyway in the Al-Bustan quarter of Silwan, a Palestinian neighborhood right under the shadow of the walled Old City.

"This" is a court-approved demolition notice, "No. 59". It's for a house under imminent threat of being torn down by the Israeli authorities because it does not have the requisite building permit.

The demolition notice is headed: "To Unknown Addressee".

"Now they refer to me as 'Unknown'. But they know my name very well - they address payment orders for all municipal and other taxes to me by name," says Moussa Oudeh.

Moussa, father of five, is one of 78 householders in Al-Bustan whose homes are slated for demolition. Since the election of a new Israeli mayor exactly a year ago, ten other houses in Al-Bustan have been bulldozed.

A handful of armed Israeli police and border police bar access to the narrow alleyway.

A small crowd of residents gathers.

An argument breaks out in Hebrew between Sergeant Fares and Moussa, who is flanked by Fakhri Abu Diab, the elected coordinator of the Silwan Committee Against House Demolitions.

"This is the State of Israel, this is the Land of Israel," says the sergeant. "What are you talking about," counters Moussa. "My father, my grandfather, my grandfather's grandfather were all born here. We're from Silwan, you're the occupiers."

"It may be your land, but it's our land too," answers Sergeant Fares.

A balding officer in sunglasses throws his arm around his sergeant's shoulder and escorts him a few metres off. "Cool it," he whispers, "don't get drawn into a political argument, please."

"What I don't understand," chimes in Fakhri, "is why the provocation. Why come here with your helmets and battledress and rifles and jeeps - to intimidate us? To push us to violence so that you think you can justify what you're doing? If you're going to deliver demolition warrants, why not simply send them in the post, like you do with our taxes?"

"How many demolition notices are you serving today, all 78?" we ask the two baseball-capped city officials. "None of your business," replies the one in the red cap, "You're in our way, clear off!"

"Their policy is to do it in dribs and drabs," explains Mohammad Nakhal, a community coordinator in Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. "If they did it all at once, the whole world would come down hard on them."

Mohammad has been caught up accidentally: he'd come to Silwan to talk to Fakhri about future tactics for strengthening the peaceful community resistance to active Israeli takeover policies in East Jerusalem.

If for Palestinians the timing of any demolition procedures is always ill-timed, this time it may be ill-timed for Israel as well.

It's the eve of another meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama; the Israeli leader reportedly hopes the U.S. will side with Israel and fault the Palestinians for failing to resume peace talks.

On the eve of Monday's planned Washington meeting, Palestinians were encouraged by reports that the Obama Administration intends to harden its stance on Israeli policies in occupied East Jerusalem.

The U.S. is apparently trying to appease the beleaguered Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who last week declared that he will step down soon because of the impasse in peacemaking.

"We're growing disappointed. Obama has yet to translate his verbal promises into deeds," says Mazen Abu Khulbein, another Silwan activist. "Still, we haven't given up hope on him yet. His position on East Jerusalem will really test his intentions."

The two police Land Rovers and two Toyota vans, all with iron grills protecting their windscreens against stone-throwing, speed off to their next destination, out of Wadi a-Nar and up the hill. Just 200 metres away, the silver-blackened dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque inside the Haram Al-Sharif, Noble Sanctuary compound (a site also holy to Jews as their Temple Mount), looms over the imposing 16th century Old City walls.

The vans park near a new seven-storey block of flats. A blue-and-white Israeli banner, with a large Star of David, has been unfurled from the roof down to the alley beneath.

It's one of several buildings in Silwan where nationalist religious Israelis have settled in recent years in a bid to boost the Jewish presence in the Arab neighborhood.

For some time, it's been an open secret that the settlers also don't have the requisite permit for their building.

According to Israeli press reports, after the recent demolition nearby of a small Palestinian home, human rights groups took the matter to the Israeli courts. A city inspector called to the dock was asked by the magistrate, "How come you didn't serve a demolition notification on the seven-storey building as well?"

"I simply didn't notice it," replied the inspector.

The court has yet to take action on the petition against the settlers for their infraction.

Down the road, outside the Al-Maleek pizza parlor, some of the policemen have been on standby in case of trouble. Suddenly, the calm is threatened. From a couple of alleys back, a small shower of stones comes over the roofs. The policemen move quickly into battle position.

Sergeant Fares holds up his hand, staying any response.

Fakhri steps in as well, calming the clump of Palestinian onlookers. "We don't want any additional trouble. Our main purpose is to get these orders rescinded, and violence won't serve us at all," he says, addressing both the policemen and the crowd.

"Mr Unknown" Moussa is still seething. As the vans prepare to drive off, he flings his demolition notice into the face of the blue-capped city inspector. It's flung contemptuously back.

Fakhri sums up the low-keyed, but potentially explosive, incident: "We're still waiting to see light at the end of the tunnel. We have to keep clinging to our hopes. Unfortunately, for the moment, if there's any light at all coming into the tunnel, I fear it's no peace train, only the usual oncoming train that'll just run us down blindly once again."

A Glance At the American Elections Drama

Afghan Resistance Statement
A Glance At the American Elections Drama
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

November 9, 2009

On November, the 2nd, the first episode of the American colonialist drama ended which had started two months ago on August 20. For the last four years, the American rulers have been blaming Hamid Karzai for the constant failures in the country.

They allege that corruption is rampant in government offices, the people are alienated and Hamid Karzai including his immediate relatives have secret links with drug traffickers. As evidence, they constantly refer to the releasing of some well-known heroin smugglers by Hamid Karzai from prison. Contrarily, Hamid Karzid accuse them of disbursing their financial assistance to Afghanistan through the channels of foreign NGOs which are involved in embezzlement and corruption, spending only 20% of the assistance in Afghanistan and putting the rest 80% in their own pockets. While their bickering continued, the American rulers brought forward a new pawn by the name of Abdullah who agreed to all legitimate and illegitimate wants of Washington.

The People Boycott Elections:

People positively responded to the statement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, calling for boycott with the election. Seeing that only a minuscule numbers of voters turned out on the day of polling, the followers of Karzai and Dr. Abdullah in northern and southern Afghanistan resorted to stuffing the empty boxes with fraudulent ballots. The Election Complaint Commission received 2800 complaints about frauds and rigging in votes. American rulers with the complicity of the United Nations jointly handed over the complaints to the Complaint Commission which was headed by a foreigner and its foreign members outnumbered the Afghan members. Even one Afghan member of the commission stepped down, accusing the foreigners of taking every thing in their own hands and taking decisions on themselves without consultations with their Afghan counterparts.

After the passage of two months, the Complaint Commission invalidated 30% of H. Karazai votes, pushing him below the 50% threshold. Doing this, they gave Hamid Karzai a message that they knew tactics, which will strip him of power or induct him through legal means. As another instrument of pressure on Karzai and the Afghan people, the Americans suspended payment of all ongoing projects and stopped launching new.

Meanwhile, American Democrat Senator and Chairman of the Foreign Relation Committee, John Kerry visited Kabul to find out whether Karzai was ready to accept all American demands or he still was in the bickering mode. After a few days of hot discussion, pressures and telephonic calls from the White House, Karzai unconditionally accepted all American demands and the Americans announced that a run-off would be held. This was a political ploy to legitimize Karzai victory.

John Kerry applauded Karzai for being a sagacious statesman, whereas Hillary Clinton said that Abdullah’s pull-out of the second round of elections would not leave negative impact on the legality of the elections. The Independent Election Commission with the consultation and instruction from the American rulers declared Karzai as next president of Afghanistan. Ironically, now the same H. Karzai who was a little before responsible for all corruption and heroin trafficking, was legitimate president after bowing to the American demands. The American and British rulers immediately congratulated him on his victory and the UN General Secretary, visiting Kabul, congratulated Karzai to further rubberstamp his victory.

Veracity of the stance of the Islamic Emirate:

Our people surely remember that the Islamic Emirate always maintained that the real decision about the results of elections is made in Washington. The elections are held in order to throw dust in the eyes of people and hide their colonialist agenda under the clout of elections. They want to keep the common people occupied in the election drama to distract their attention from the civilian casualties caused by the blind bombardment of the invaders, poverty, unemployment and corruption. This is to ensure that people are not able to form a common front against these atrocities. Our people are aware that Americans as per their habit left Dr. Abdulla, in the lurch after using him against Hamid Karzai to domesticate the latter.

They had given him fleshy promises at the outset but then left him in the middle. Still, the White House rulers will keep him as a spare in order to use him time and again for taming Karzai. No doubt, they will always install the one who dances well to the tune of the Americans.

Islamic Emirate as a Force of the People:

Events in our country in the last two months showed that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is both a military and a public force. It is a public force because people positively responded to the call of the Islamic Emirate for boycott with the elections and stood by it and it is a military force because all the American, NATO and the stooge regime military and police force could not prevent the Mujahideen from carrying out attacks on the polling day, on August 20. The Mujahideen made 200 attacks throughout the country on that day, paralyzing the whole elections process.

Observers believe, the military strength displayed by the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate on the polling day of the run-off elections faced the Americans with frustrations while the audacious martyrdom- seeking attack on UNAMA guesthouse in Kabul played out their last strength to hold the runoff.

Conclusion:

These events show that the Islamic Emirate is an undeniable reality. The last eight years have proved that no one could obliterate this reality by dint of military force, political maneuvering and propaganda campaigns. The invaders should understand to admit this reality today rather than admitting it tomorrow. They should let the Afghans to start a new life under the shade of a just Islamic system in an independent country. The colonialist’s ambitious dreams of colonizing of the 18th and 19th centuries are not feasible in this 21st century. The people are awake now. They know that it is their natural right to have freedom and a government of their choice. The colonialists should willingly grant them this right; otherwise, they will surely grab the right from them.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=59897&s2=10.

Turkey Could Be Virtually Alone With NATO Nukes

ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey could soon be virtually the only NATO member with a nuclear arsenal.

European diplomats and analysts said NATO members were planning to remove the nuclear arsenals from European territory. They said this would leave Italy and Turkey as the only NATO members with a nuclear arsenal.

Jordan Launches Effort To Be F-16 Center

AMMAN [MENL] -- Jordan has launched negotiations with a major Western defense firm to establish the Hashemite kingdom as an F-16 service and modernization center in the Middle East.

Officials said Jordan plans to develop infrastructure for maintenance, overhaul and repair for the F-16 multi-role fighter. They said the MOR center would service Jordan's growing F-16 fleet, acquired from Europe and the United States.

Abbas Appears Set To Resign

RAMALLAH [MENL] -- Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas appears set to resign by 2010.

Palestinian sources said Abbas has relayed his intention to step down from office before elections scheduled for Jan. 24, 2010. The sources said the 74-year-old Abbas appears to have lost the will to govern amid rising criticism from within the Fatah movement.

Israel Signs Air Defense Contract With India

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel has signed a major air and missile defense contract with India.

The state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries has signed a $1.1 billion contract to sell an air and missile defense system to India. Under the deal, IAI would deliver the advanced Barak-8 point-defense system to the Indian Navy.

Remembering Arafat

A Palestinian boy touches a mural of the late leader Yasser Arafat, in Gaza City, yesterday. Palestinians mark the fifth anniversary of Arafat's death. Arafat died November 11, 2004, in a Paris hospital at age 75. Writing in Arabic reads "In Jerusalem - who is in Jerusalem - I only see you".

The rival militant Hamas group which runs Gaza banned similar commemoration in the coastal strip and arrested several activists from Arafat's Fatah movement from holding rallies.

Arafat is buried in Ramallah, the West Bank administrative capital.

At the ceremony in Ramallah on Tuesday evening, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said his people are prepared to make peace with Israel but they will not agree to moves that reinforce Israel's occupation - a remark seen as a veiled criticism of US policy.

Egyptian patrol besieged by smugglers near Gaza

RAFAH — Bedouin gunmen ambushed an Egyptian patrol that had seized contraband cement destined for the Gaza Strip, triggering an hours-long standoff in the desert that left one officer and five troops wounded, security officials said Tuesday.

The security force, reinforced with two armored cars and nearly a dozen police vans, had acted on a tip looking for a smugglers’ warehouse in the mountainous area in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, just south of the border town of Rafah.

The force seized 200 tons of cement that the smugglers had planned to take to Gaza through a network of tunnels, a local security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Local Bedouin tribes involved with the contraband got word of the raid and ambushed the force, besieging it for over four hours, the official said.

The gunmen burned tires, fired their guns into the air and threw stones at the police, said a security official in Rafah, speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason as his colleague. The troops used tear gas to repel the siege, he said.

It was unclear how the six were wounded.

Cement is a much coveted product in the Gaza, which has been under a crippling economic blockade since 2007 following the violent takeover by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Egyptian officials said reinforcement was deployed to the area, and negotiated with Bedouin chiefs to ensure the ambush ended.

The cross-border Gaza tunnels were among the main targets of a punitive three-week Israeli military air and land campaign that started in late December. The tunnels, Israel said, were used to smuggle weapons.

A trickle of goods are now allowed into Gaza through commercial border crossings but Israel bans shipments of cement and other building material, fearing they could be used by militants.

Thousands of Gaza homes were damaged or destroyed during Israel’s offensive. U.N. officials have warned many Gazans will be left homeless if construction material is not allowed in for them to rebuild.

New data show recovery in China economy

New data shows China's industrial production and retail sales grew in October due to massive government bailout.

China's National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday that demand for Chinese exports also picked up after the recent global financial crisis.

The figures also indicated that the world's third-largest economy could reach its target of eight percent growth in 2009.

"Based on the October data, we have more reason to believe that the foundation for and confidence in achieving the full-year growth target have further strengthened," Reuters quoted NBS spokesman Sheng Laiyun as saying on Wednesday.

Last week, the World Bank improved its growth forecast for China to 8.4 percent in this year.

Sheng says activity in the factories and workshops jumped by 16.1 percent in October compared with a year earlier.

The data shows consumer spending grew 16.2 percent on-year in October — up from 15.5 percent in September.

Experts believe the figures are signs of recovery in China's economy.

"The recovery appears to be broadening, with the drivers of economic growth shifting from stimulus-driven infrastructure projects to private investment and the improvement in exports," said Jing Ulrich, a Hong Kong-based economist with JP Morgan.

It added that exports decreased 13.8 percent to $110.76 billion in October from a year ago.

Iran finalizes Cyrus Cylinder exhibit

After several months of negotiations with the British Museum in London, the Cyrus the Great Cylinder exhibit in Iran has been finalized for January 16, 2010.

The clay Cyrus Cylinder, which is currently housed at the British Museum in London, will be brought to Tehran in January, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) announced on Wednesday.

The Cyrus the Great Cylinder is inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform with an account by Cyrus II, king of Persia (559-530 BC) and is considered the world's first charter of human rights.

“The cylinder will be brought to the Iranian capital on January, 16, 2010 and will be on public display for three months,” Hamid Baqaei said.

“A large audience awaits the exhibit to initiate. The organization expects the Iranians' welcome to extend the timetable for another month,” he added.

The ancient cylinder was scheduled to be given to Iran on loan in September; however, the British Museum backed out of the agreement, citing Iran's post-election unrest.

Tehran had earlier said that it would cease cooperation with the British Museum until the Cylinder was loaned to the National Museum of Iran.

After Iran's ultimatum and its two-month deadline for London to loan the ancient clay cylinder to Iran, the British Museum sent a delegation to Tehran to review the deal.

Iran has assured the British side about the safety of the priceless artifact.

Erdogan promises Iran Turkish intelligence aid against Israel

In the secret part of their talks in Tehran on Oct. 28, DEBKAfile's military sources reveal that Turkish prime minister Tayyep Recep Erdogan and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck military cooperation deals which promised Iran Turkish military intelligence and air force assistance against a possible Israeli attack on its nuclear sites.

Their understandings have bound Turkish to pass intelligence data to Tehran on potential Israeli preparations for a strike and on US military movements in the Middle East for providing backup. Our sources report that the details finalized in meetings between the Turkish and Iranian military specialists in Istanbul Monday, Nov. 9, were due to be sealed by presidents Abdullah Gul and Ahmadinejad Tuesday. The Iranian president is to be in Turkey as guest of the Islamic Conference.

The Turkish prime minister has not only buried his country's longstanding military and intelligence ties with Israel but climbed aboard the adversarial axis confronting the Jewish (Zionist) state. Turkey has agreed to round out the forward surveillance outposts encircling Israel's borders: Hamas from the southwest in Gaza, Syria in the east, Lebanon in the north and now Turkey from the northwest. Tehran is banking on this encirclement for early warning of an approaching Israeli strike and any supportive American movements.

According to Western intelligence sources in Ankara, heads of the Turkish army objected to their government's strategic turn to Iran and the cutoff of its ties with Israel. However its pro-Islamic leaders, which have gradually eased the army out of policymaking, have forced them to accept operational ties with the military of an anti-Western Middle Eastern nation as being in the nation's best interests.

Erdogan's most compelling argument is that President Barack Obama's secret proposal for Iran to deposit 400 kilos of its enriched Iran in Turkey for safekeeping in charge of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, had elevated Turkey to an enhanced role as a broker between the US and Iran, sanctioned by Agency director Mohamed ElBaradei. If Turkey, a member of NATO, was able to gain the Iranian regime's trust, the Turkish prime minister maintained, it was only thanks to the military understandings he reached in Tehran.

DEBKAfile's military sources report that word of the Turkish-Iranian military collaboration deal landed with shocking effect in Washington and Jerusalem. They had not forewarned by their intelligence services that Erdogan was willing to go as far as this to ally Turkey with the Islamic regime.

Egypt to start restoration of tomb Tutankhamen

November 11, 2009

Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) announced on Tuesday that it is about to start restoration and management of tomb Tutankhamen in cooperation with J. Paul Getty Trust Conservation Institute (GCI), a statement said.

"I was happy when we CT scanned the mummy of King Tut in order to reveal the secrets of his family, but now I am even more thrilled to invite the GCI to restore his tomb and return the glory of the boy king," said Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the SCA.

According to the statement, the renovation project will last for the next five years as it will start with a period of research and assessment, including the preparation of an accurate record of the condition of the tomb and its wall paintings.

"I always see the tomb of King Tut and wonder about those spots, which no scientist has been able to explain," Hawass said.

"It has been a privilege to work in Egypt on projects in the past, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to do so again," said James N. Wood, president and CEO of the Getty Trust.

"We have great respect for the efforts made by our colleagues in Egypt to preserve their nation's wealth of cultural heritage, and look forward to working with them to address the conservation issues of this significant site," Wood added.

The tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings within the World Heritage site of Ancient Thebes. The tomb of Tutankhamen is perhaps the most famous of Egypt's Pharaonic tombs.

Although it is the smallest of the 26 known royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the burial place of this short-lived 18th Dynasty pharaoh was found by British archaeologist Howard Carter on Nov. 4, 1922, with its spectacular funerary contents virtually intact.

The tomb's extraordinary collection of artifacts -- including numerous gold objects -- is now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and has fascinated museum visitors for decades.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/6809467.html.

Britain, Jordan urge Israeli settlement halt

LONDON (AFP) – British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and King Abdullah II of Jordan called on Israel Tuesday to halt settlement activity on Palestinian land, a spokesman said after talks in London.

"The PM and His Majesty ... expressed concern at the lack of progress and agreed that Israeli settlement activity should be halted," said the Downing Street spokesman.

"They agreed to increase their efforts in support of a just and viable two-state solution, and to ensure that regional and European leaders were engaged to support and galvanize US-led negotiations," he added.

The pair also discussed global economic recovery and Afghanistan, among other issues, he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Wednesday, and will receive a strong message that building on occupied land must stop, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.

Netanyahu insists he has limited new construction, and has called for an immediate return to talks, but Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said this is impossible and that he will resign if the deadlock continues.

Military sees increase in wounded in Afghanistan

By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Far from winding down, the numbers of wounded U.S. soldiers coming home have continued to swell. The problem is especially acute among those who fought in Afghanistan, where nearly four times as many troops were injured in October as a year ago.

Amputations, burns, brain injuries and shrapnel wounds proliferate in Afghanistan, due mostly to crude, increasingly potent improvised bombs targeting U.S. forces. Others are hit by snipers' bullets or mortar rounds.

With Veterans Day on Wednesday, wounded veterans from the recent conflicts consider the toll of these injuries, and the rough road ahead for the injured. Of particular concern are the so-called hidden wounds, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder that can have side effects such as irritability and depression.

Since 2007, more than 70,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury — more than 20,000 of them this year, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Most of the injuries are mild but leave symptoms such as headaches and difficulty concentrating.

Vince Short, 42, a former Army specialist who suffered brain injuries in a 2003 roadside bomb attack in Iraq, said he can't help but feel for the soldiers coming home from Afghanistan with similar wounds.

"I cry out for them. It's tough. It's hard to put it in words," Short, who served with the District of Columbia Army National Guard, said in an interview at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, where he receives weekly physical and mental therapy.

Thanks to the therapy, he said, he's in a good place. But in the early years of his recovery, he said, he found it difficult to return to work, and his marriage fell apart. Short said he was confident and motivated before he was injured. Now, he has memory problems and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"At that point, there was still a lot of panicking going on inside of me because it's like, 'What's going to happen to me?'" said Short. "I used to have a career. I used to have a good solid marriage. I was doing really good, and now look at me."

In Afghanistan, spinal injuries have increased significantly, due mostly to the powerful explosives used in the improvised bombs that rattle U.S. troops inside heavily armored vehicles. For those injured by these bombs, recovery can mean a year or more at a military medical hospital like Walter Reed Army Medical Center, followed by months, years or even a lifetime of therapy and coping with disability.

At least 1,800 troops were wounded in Afghanistan in the first 10 months of this year, about 40 percent of all the wounded U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Nearly 1,000 of those injuries occurred in the last three months.

In Iraq, more than 600 troops have been wounded so far this year.

By far, improvised explosive devices are the biggest killer of U.S. troops in both countries.

In Afghanistan in the last four months, the volume of explosives used to make IEDs, as well as the number of IEDs, have increased, Col. Wayne Shanks, chief of public affairs for the International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan, said in an e-mail.

Spinal injuries account for one in six of the wounds treated in the Afghanistan battle theater, Shanks said. Of those injuries, about 15 percent involved motor or sensory changes such as a broken back or spinal cord injury, Shanks said.

He said the military has a "concerted counter-IED" effort and is working with the local population to encourage their help.

Garry J. Augustine, deputy national service director of Disabled American Veterans, said improved protective gear and advancements in battlefield medicine have helped — but they also have resulted in higher survival rates for those with extreme wounds that often proved fatal in previous wars.

"Getting over the initial injury is one thing, but going about dealing with your life, the rest of your life, with these injuries is quite another," Augustine said.

Sgt. Dirk Bryant, 28, of Creston, Ill., a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, credits those advancements for his survival. He was on patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Jan. 30 when a bullet cut into his hip and left a softball-sized wound. The experience left him emotional and, at times, depressed as he wondered if he'd be able to walk again.

Through rehab and determination, he said, he has made a near-full recovery. He's currently a student at Northern Illinois University, aspiring to become a museum curator or historian, and could very well go back to Afghanistan to fight.

"I just feel very fortunate," Bryant said. "There's a lot of people that weren't as lucky as I was."

Dr. Joel Scholten, associate chief of staff of rehab services at the VA Medical Center in Washington, said experts are keeping an eye on injury patterns in the war zones so medical treatments can be adjusted as necessary.

"When the war's over, the veterans will still have issues related to service that we'll need to be here for them," Scholten said.

Even when injuries don't involve combat, the recovery process can be a time of reflection and bonding with others in the hospital wards, said retired Lt. Col. Kurt Kosmatka, 50, who came down with a disease while in Iraq in 2007 that's weakened his immune system and left him with respiratory problems. He spent more than a year at Walter Reed and has been at the VA hospital in Washington since January.

He said he feels for those who are getting wounded who don't have strong family connections to help them through the process.

"It was pretty tough on some guys and girls," Kosmatka said.

EU: Somali pirates seize cargo ship with 22 crew

By KATHARINE HOURELD, Associated Press Writer

NAIROBI, Kenya – Somali pirates on Wednesday seized a cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with 22 crew members on board, the European Union Naval Force said.

Naval spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour said that there are three Greeks and 19 Filipinos among the crew of the Greek-owned Filitsa. The ship is registered in the Marshall Islands.

A press release by the EU said the ship was taken 400 miles (640 kilometers) northeast of the island nation of the Seychelles. It had been heading for the South African port of Durban but has now turned around and is heading north.

Pirates have increased their attacks since the end of the monsoon season last month. They are now holding at least 12 ships and more than 200 hostages. Three ships have been seized in the last week alone.

Pirates can often command multimillion-dollar ransoms for the release of the vessels they capture, a fortune in impoverished Somalia. The failed state has not had a functioning government for a generation and its lawless coastline provides a perfect pirate haven.

Iran tourism experts denied UK visa

The UK Embassy's delay in issuing visas for staff of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization has led to the cancellation of Iran's tourism exhibit in London.

The British Embassy in Tehran failed to issue visas in a timely fashion for Iranian exhibitors hoping to attend the World Travel Market in London, which is scheduled for November 9 to 12.

The embassy gave staff shortages as the reason for failing to issue visas for the staff of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) as per scheduled.

As a result, ICHTO, Iran's official representative in the tourism exhibition, canceled its pavilion for this year's event.

A few travel agencies could make it to the program on time with their previously issued visas as individual representatives.

Last year, the exhibit hosted about 50,000 travel industry professionals, representing over 200 countries. Participants in the event include the airline and cruise ship industry, media, tourism, advertising, hotel management and marketing.

The annual World Travel Market in London provides opportunities for members of the global travel industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and discuss the latest developments in pertinent fields.

Maliki slams Riyadh 'negative' stance

Baghdad has sharply criticized Saudi Arabia for its negative stance towards Iraq since the overthrow of former dictator Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime.

"All the signals confirm that the Saudi position is negative regarding Iraqi affairs," Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in response to journalists' questions posted on his website.

"There are no positive signs on the part of [the Saudi] government," he added.

Maliki said that repeated mediation efforts by Arab and foreign nations aimed to improve relations between Riyadh and his Shia-led government had 'led to nothing'.

Maliki, however, maintained that his country nonetheless wanted good relations with the Saudi monarchy, which has not reopened its embassy in Baghdad despite the resumption of its diplomatic relations with Iraq since early 2004.

Iraq blames the region's Sunni majority powerhouse for efforts to deepen sectarian divisions in Iraq by funding and supporting extremists and al-Qaeda insurgents.

In August, Iraqi lawmakers condemned Saudi Arabia over reports on the Nahrainnet website, accusing Wahhabi Saudi Arabia of employing Ba'athists and al-Qaeda terrorists to root out the Shia faith in Iraq.

Many of the terrorists captured in Iraq are Saudi nationals who have entered Iraq illegally to embark on their self-styled 'jihad' against what they see as the domination of 'apostate' Shias, the website said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=110992§ionid=351020201.

Somali gunmen free abducted Kenyans

Wed Nov 11, 2009

Two Kenyan businessmen, captured in Mogadishu's main market two days ago, have been released by their abductors, witnesses say.

The abductors had demanded a ransom for their release, but it was unclear if any money was paid for the businessmen, who run a printing company in Mogadishu.

"The two Kenyans were released and they immediately left for their country. I don't know what helped their release," Mohamed Gure, a colleague of the two former hostages, told AFP.

The printing firm has been operational since 2006 and one of the Kenyans had only recently arrived in the capital.

The kidnapping of foreigners is common in Somalia, a country torn apart by decades of internal clashes that have made it one of the world's most dangerous places.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/110985.html.

New evidence delays Sherbini case verdict

New evidence has delayed the announcement of a German court's verdict for the man who murdered Egyptian Muslim woman Marwa el-Sherbini.

In July, Alex Wiens stabbed 18 times Sherbini in front of her three-year old son in a Dresden courtroom as the Muslim woman was testifying against him.

When Sherbini's husband rushed to help her, a security guard confused him for the attacker and shot him.

The court's new evidence is Wiens' Russian military pass, which shows the Russian army did not draft him for medical reasons, a spokesman for the Dresden state court said.

The court also received information from Russian authorities saying he was discharged because he was believed to have 'indifferent schizophrenia', said Peter Kiess.

The new information means a court-appointed psychologist who had earlier deemed Wiens to be fully responsible for his actions now has to reevaluate his findings.

The prosecutor has asked for a life sentence for 29-year-old Wiens, an unemployed ethnic Russian.

The murder of Sherbini, a pharmacist who was three months pregnant, stirred outrage in the Muslim world, especially in her native Egypt. Many have accused Germany of lax security and failure to protect its minority Muslim population amid a new wave of hatred against Arabs.

In 2003, Sherbini moved to Dresden after her husband received a scholarship to study genetic engineering in the Max Planck Institute. He was scheduled to present his doctoral thesis when Sherbini was killed.

Turkish opposition delays PKK peace plan

Nationalist lawmakers in Turkey have delayed the government's announcement of a plan to end the over two-decade conflict in the Kurdish-dominated southeast.

Interior Minister Besir Atalay ran out of time to present the measures in parliament amid a tension triggered by opposition MPs.

The plans, first announced three months ago, apparently include education in Kurdish language, restoring Kurdish names of places and more freedom to use Kurdish in election campaigns.

The incident comes despite efforts by the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeking opposition support for a negotiated settlement to end the insurgency by the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK).

The PKK, blacklisted as terrorist organization, has been engaged in a 25-year armed struggle for autonomy against the Ankara government which has left over 40,000 people killed.

Nationalist sentiment has been too strong in Turkey to allow any official recognition of a separate Kurdish identity for the ethnic Kurds who make nearly 20 percent of the Turkish population.

Turkey's government started to mellow down after a group of PKK fighters entered the country from northern Iraq and announced they wanted to lay down their arms.

The government package, now awaiting parliamentary debate on Thursday, is expected to stop short of indulging the request for a general amnesty made by the PKK and its supporters.

On Tuesday, the leader of the main opposition, Republican People's Party, Deniz Baykal, harshly criticized the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party for offering the package, calling it a 'plot in the name of developing democracy' which would jeopardize the republic's accomplishments.

In recent years, Turkish military has tightened the noose against PKK forces, launching regular airstrikes on their hideouts in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan.

Ankara says the Iraqi region hosts some 2,000 PKK guerrilla fighters who stage hit-and-run attacks inside the Turkish territory.

UN gives backing to 'Mandela Day'

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 18 July Mandela Day, to mark the contribution of Nelson Mandela to world freedom.

The resolution was introduced by South African Ambassador Baso Sangqu.

He described his former president as an icon and a symbol of hope whose life had mirrored United Nations' ideals.

Libyan diplomat Dr Ali Abdussalam Treki, the current General Assembly president, said the move showed the body's "attachment to freedom".

In South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said it was pleased about the UN's declaration.

"It serves as a catalyst for each and every person around the world to realize that they have the ability to change it through action," said Achmat Dangor, the foundation's chief executive .

"As Mr Nelson Mandela reminded us 'it is in our hands' to create a better world," he added.

The 18 July was chosen because it is Nelson Mandela's birthday. He turned 91 earlier this year.

Charities associated with the former South African leader have been campaigning for such a day for some time.

They want people to give 67 minutes to a good cause - reflecting the 67 years Mr Mandela has spent as an activist.

"These actions can range from a vision for creating peace and reconciliation, to sharing food with a neighbor in need," said Mr Dangor.

Iran warning over Yemen conflict

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has warned against foreign intervention in the conflict between the Yemeni government and rebels.

Unidentified parties were adding fuel to the crisis, and attempts to help or to take military action would have negative consequences, Mr Mottaki said.

Correspondents say his comments appear to have been intended for Saudi Arabia.

Shortly afterward, Riyadh promised it would continue air strikes until the rebels moved back from its border.

"We are not going to stop the bombing until [they] retreat tens of kilometres inside [the Yemeni] border," Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled Bin Sultan said, according to the AFP news agency.

Saudi forces launched a ground and air offensive on the rebels, known as the Houthis, after a security officer was killed in a cross-border raid by the group in its south-western Jizan region.

The Houthis meanwhile said on their website that Saudi fighter jets had bombed villages on the Yemeni side of the frontier on Tuesday, killing two women and wounding a child.

Strikes also targeted a government building in the village of Shida, they said.

'Be careful'

In Tehran on Tuesday, Mr Mottaki was asked about Yemeni allegations that Iranian religious and media organizations were backing the rebels, who want more autonomy and a greater role for their version of Shia Islam, Zaydism.

Last month, officials in Sanaa said security forces had seized a ship carrying weapons destined for the Houthis at a port in Haja province, and detained its crew. Iranian officials dismissed the story as a fabrication.

"A country which seeks a role to establish peace and stability in all countries in the region... cannot have a role in creating tensions," Mr Mottaki said.

"We strongly warn the regional countries to be careful, to be vigilant," he added.

"Monetary aid, providing arms to extremist and terrorist groups or actually taking action against them and crushing those groups or the people and embarking on military operations - these all will have negative consequences."

In an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia, with whom Tehran has had hostile relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Mr Mottaki said there were "certain people who add fuel to some crises".

"Those people should be assured that the smoke and the fire they have ignited will entangle them themselves," he added.

The minister said regional powers should instead try to restore stability in Yemen.

"Any kind of instability in Yemen, any kind of instability in Iraq, in Afghanistan or in Pakistan, they will have their own impact on the whole region," he warned.

Later, a commander of the militant group, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, purportedly urged Sunnis to confront the Houthis.

In an audio recording posted on the internet, Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Rashid, denounced what he called the Yemeni rebels' aspirations and incursions against Sunnis.

He said the Shia community and Iran were trying to take over Muslim countries, and that "their threat to Islam and its people is much bigger than that from Jews and Christians".

The Houthis, named after the family of their leader, say they are trying to reverse political, economic and religious marginalization of their community.

They also accuse Saudi Arabia of supporting the Yemeni armed forces by allowing them to launch attacks from its territory, a charge both countries deny.

The Yemeni government accuses the rebels of wanting to re-establish Zaydi clerical rule, which ended in 1962, and of receiving support from abroad.

The Zaydi community are a minority in Yemen, but make up the majority in the north of the country.

The insurgents first took up arms against the government in 2004, after which government forces killed or captured much of the Houthi leadership.

The government launched a fresh offensive in August 2009, which has precipitated a new wave of intense fighting.

Aid agencies say tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

Germany calls for Afghanistan conference to set 'clear goals'

Berlin - The German defense minister has called for an international conference on Afghanistan to set what he called "clear goals" for the NATO-led alliance's deployment there. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who took over the ministry last month, told ARD television on Wednesday that such a conference would probably come to "new conclusions" about the way forward.

US President Barack Obama is currently weighing his country's strategy for the Afghan conflict, after tainted elections threw NATO's support of President Hamid Karzai into doubt.

Germany's deployment of up to 4,500 soldiers to the Hindu Kush has been unpopular at home, particularly since a German-ordered airstrike in September apparently killed dozens of civilians.

Germany provides the third-largest NATO contingent in Afghanistan after the US and Britain.

"If we should have to realign our objectives after such a conference, then we would also have to think about our own capabilities there," Guttenberg said.

The German parliament must debate the renewal of the army's Afghanistan mandate before mid-December. Any increase of German troop levels, as may be requested by the US when it has decided on its own strategy, would prove highly controversial.

However, Guttenberg said, "We must not be shy about using the word exit strategy."

In recent weeks Guttenberg has been unusually frank about Germany's involvement in Afghanistan, which previous defense ministers had always avoided calling a "war".

On Wednesday a German soldier was injured in a firefight with Afghan rebels, after an armored patrol was attacked with rockets. An Afghan soldier was also injured, although neither were thought to be in a life-threatening condition.

Peres pushes for Brazil support against Iran

As the Iranian president is scheduled to set out on a state visit to Brazil in two weeks, Israeli President Shimon Peres has urged Brasilia to use its growing clout to curb Iran's nuclear work.

"There needs to be a voice against destruction and against terror, a clear voice. I know that Brazil rejects threats, destruction, rejects terror, and the clear voice of Brazil has a strong echo in the entire world," Peres said in a speech to the Brazilian Congress on Tuesday.

He claimed Iran was a 'global danger' and called on the South American powerhouse to play a role in international efforts to rein in Iran's nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans to visit Brazil on November 23 to improve the cordial relations between Tehran and Brasilia, who share the same stance on peaceful nuclear activities.

"I don't want to argue about the president of Iran on Brazilian soil, but we think his policies are a global danger," Peres said.

"I cannot ignore that Iran makes weapons and wants to destroy Israel," he added.

Iran faces pressure to halt its nuclear enrichment, as world powers claim its program is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.

Along with world powers, Israel — the sole possessor of a nuclear warhead in the Middle East — accuses Iran of efforts to develop a nuclear bomb, maintaining that a 'nuclear Iran' is the prime existential threat to its security.

Tehran, however, has denied seeking nuclear weapons and called for the removal of all weapons of mass destruction from across the globe.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has defended Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program and opposed imposing sanctions against the country.

In September, he urged the West to stop pushing Iran over its nuclear program and called for dialogue and engagement with Iran to foster peace.

Abbas criticizes Arab League for not boycotting Hamas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday criticized the Arab League (AL) for not boycotting his bitter rival Islamic Hamas movement which rules the Gaza Strip.

Abbas told a group of Palestinian businessmen at his Ramallah headquarters that the AL should boycott Hamas movement "because it is the one which obstructs reaching an inter-reconciliation agreement."

"There has been a previous decision made by the Arab League one year ago saying that it would boycott the party which blocks or obstructs the inter-dialogue and the reconciliation," Abbas said.

He accused Hamas for having not so far accepted an Egyptian-drafted reconciliation pact, which was supposed to be signed by all Palestinian factions on Oct. 24, adding "they (Hamas) blocked reconciliation, so where is the boycott?"

Abbas' Fatah party accepted the Egyptian pact although it has some reservations. However, Hamas movement said that it will not sign on the pact until the text of the pact is amended.

Abbas said "Egypt is not biased, and it doesn't stand to the side of Fatah or the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)."

Abbas wondered "what is the position of the Arab League now after Hamas rejected to sign on the reconciliation pact," adding "we had demanded the Arab League follow-up committee to convene on Nov. 12 to say its final word."

Egypt, which sponsors the inter-Palestinian dialogue, announced in late October that signing on reconciliation was postponed "until a further notice" after Hamas said it will not sign on the pact before amending it.

HRW: Kurds harming Iraq's minorities in north

Kurds risk creating 'full-blown human rights catastrophe' for small communities in Iraq north.

BAGHDAD - Minorities in northern Iraq are the victims of a conflict between Kurd and Arabs in some provinces, Human Rights Watch warned Tuesday.

In a report titled "On vulnerable ground: violence against minority communities in Nineveh province's disputed territories," the group said the area's ruling Kurds risk creating "a full-blown human rights catastrophe" for small communities that have lived there through the ages.

Iraq's troubled provinces include Nineveh, of which Mosul is the capital, the oil-rich province and city of Kirkuk, and Diyala.

The HRW report said that while Iraq's Kurds deserved redress for the "crimes" committed against them by previous governments, the issue of disputed territories should be treated separately.

"The minority communities who live there (are) in a precarious position, bearing the brunt of the conflict and coming under intense pressure to declare their loyalty to one side or the other, or face the consequences," it said.

"They have been victimized by Kurdish authorities' heavy-handed tactics, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, and intimidation, directed at anyone resistant to Kurdish expansionist plans."

To avert the crisis, New York-based HRW said the regional government should "initiate independent and impartial investigations of individuals, including Kurdish security forces, alleged to be responsible for carrying out killings, beatings and torture against minorities."

It should also modify its constitution to give legal recognition to Shabaks and Yazidis as distinct ethnic groups and "cease repression" of those "that oppose Kurdish policies in the disputed areas," the report said.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=35611.

Why Are Muslims Alone in Condemning Crimes?

Christian organizations did not issue any condemnations (for crimes committed by Christians or in the name of Christianity) - even though no one group in the history of the world has committed more crimes than Christians, notes Yousef Abudayyeh.

Muslim organizations and the people who run them in the US should be ashamed of themselves for what they have done to add to the misery and discrimination that Arabs and Muslims face in the United States of America.

These sad and bankrupt organizations are always the first to condemn any tragedy that happens here or anywhere for that matter, when the perpetrator(s) are of the Muslim faith or are Arabs or of Arabic heritage.

Their actions are responsible for the continued discrimination against us. Instead of issuing condemnations of crimes that take place, and making it look as if being Arab or Muslim is the reason for committing the crime, they should have a backbone and either shut up or take the stand that will challenge the right wing and the system in the United States and make it clear to them that Islam and or Arabs are not reasons crimes take place.

No human being should condone the killing of people anywhere and that's why we should all be shocked to see crimes such as the one committed by Nidal Hasan take place.

Crimes always take place and they are carried out by people who for whatever reason(s) commit them, and we all should take a clear stand against these crimes, but the Muslim and Arab organizations in this country should not be waiting for crimes carried out by Muslims and or Arabs to take place so they can be the first to condemn them, but their job should be to combat racist acts and rhetoric that is taking place on daily basis, which goes without any challenge.

Since the first second that media outlets in the US learned that Hasan was a Muslim, they started attacking the religion and those who believe in it and the condemnations by Muslim and Arab groups did nothing but add fuel to these racist attacks on us.

This should be clear to those organizations, because this always happens. And even though some Jason Rodriguez went into his former work offices in Orlando Florida and started shooting and killing people there, media outlets said nothing about this guy's religion and its role in having him commit this outrageous crime, nor did Christian organizations issue any condemnations - even though no one group in the history of the world has committed more crimes than Christians.

So why do these Muslim and Arab organizations keep doing this? Go figure.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=35617.

UN slams Israeli violations against Lebanon

UN reminds Tel Aviv that Israeli spying, flights over Lebanon violate resolution 1701.

UNITED NATIONS - All Israeli military flights over Lebanon break a resolution aimed at ending the 2006 hostilities between the two neighbors, a UN envoy said Tuesday.

"Every single Israeli overflight of Lebanon is a violation, your question gives me a welcome opportunity to repeat that," the UN special envoy for Lebanon, Michael Williams, told reporters.

"To the best of my knowledge, there's probably no other country in the world -- probably, I may be wrong -- which is subject to such an intrusive regime of aerial surveillance."

Williams highlighted "the discovery of listening devices which almost certainly seem to have been left by the Israelis.

"Are these violations? Yes of course, they're violations of 1701," he said referring to the resolution.

Williams has just drawn up a report into the implementation of resolution 1701 which ended hostilities in 2006, but did not seal a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The resolution also insists on the strict embargo on providing arms to the Lebanese resistance, as well as their complete disarmament. It also affirms the Lebanese government's sovereignty across the whole country.

All UN reports on the implementation of the resolution say that Hezbollah have not disarmed and continue to get weapons from abroad, and that the Israeli air force continues to overfly the country in violation of the resolution.

Israel waged a bloody 34-day war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 after Hezbollah fighters seized two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid that aimed to free Lebanese soldiers from Israeli prisons. The bodies of the soldiers were returned in a prisoner swap.

The war claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

Hezbollah, originally a resistance group formed to counter an Israeli occupation of south Lebanon, had forced the Israeli military out of Lebanon in 2000. Israel, however, continues to occupy the Lebanese Shabaa Farms.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council also welcomed the formation of a new Lebanese government.

"The members welcomed the progress achieved by the formation of the new unity government of Lebanon and they expressed their continued support for the work of UNIFIL and special coordinator Williams," said Austrian envoy Thomas Mayr-Harting.

Somalia: Saudi Livestock Move Boosts Somaliland Economy

10 November 2009

Hargeisa — Days after Saudi Arabia lifted a nine-year ban on livestock imports from Somalia, the market in Hargeisa, Somaliland, has seen a 10-fold increase in sales, according to local traders.

"One thousand five hundred sheep used to be sold in the market before the recent announcement... compared to more than 16,000 animals in the market daily in the last few days," Jama Farah Du'alle, a middleman ('dilal') in the market, told IRIN on 7 November.

Livestock keepers in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, whose mainstay is pastoralism, said they were beginning to see a change in their fortunes.

"In the last nine years I used to earn 5,000-10,000 Somaliland shillings a day [US $1.6 - 3.2] but by Allah's mercy in the past few days I have been earning 60,000-70,000 a day, which has really improved my life," Du'alle said.

Somaliland's livestock minister, Idiris Ibrahim Abdi, announced the Saudi move on 5 November. Imposed in late 2000, the ban followed an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in the Horn of Africa region.

RVF is an acute viral infectious disease of humans, cattle and sheep, which usually occurs during the rainy season. Clinically it is characterized by fever, loss of body coordination and sudden death.

Saudi Arabia, which used to be the biggest buyer of Somali livestock, said it had lifted the ban to coincide with the 'haj' pilgrimage later in November.

Better days for Berbera

The decision allows livestock keepers to ship animals to Saudi Arabia through Somaliland's traditional livestock port of Berbera. In the past, the port also served livestock trucked from the neighboring Ethiopian regions of Somali and Oromiya.

Berbera had been losing its importance as a business center since 2000. Thousands of people there moved to other towns such as Hargeisa and Burao.

"[Most] of the young men who used to work in the livestock export business as animal herders on vessels heading to Saudi Arabia, have moved to Arab countries or other urban centers within Somaliland," a local resident said.

The Saudi decision, according to local pastoralists, has renewed hope that Somali livestock can fetch a good price. "We have suffered in the last few years because of the ban; our animals had no value in the market.

"For example one lamb was valued at only about US$20, which is much less than the cost of foodstuff," said Rashid Haybe Illeeye, from the Lebi-Sagaale region along the Somaliland-Ethiopia border.

"Today I came with four lambs as usual - to buy food - and three of them were bought at $40-50," Illeeye said.

A local journalist based in Burao told IRIN that the lifting of the ban was a boon to all. "The market has not seen such activity for nine years," he explained. "The whole of Burao - from tea ladies, truckers and nomads, to porters - is doing a booming business."

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200911100804.html.

Somalia: Flooding Drives Civilians From Their Homes Amid Aid Funding Shortfall, Warns UN

10 November 2009

Around 16,000 Somalis have been forced from their homes by severe flooding in the south of the strife-torn country, the United Nations humanitarian arm said today, while underscoring that a funding shortfall is hampering relief efforts.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that recent flooding has devastated areas of southern Somalia, damaging river embankments, collapsing latrines and contaminating shallow wells. The forecast for the coming weeks predicts a moderate chance of further flooding, with OCHA devising a contingency plan to assist some 450,000 people in southern Somalia.

Despite the mounting humanitarian need in the Horn of Africa nation, there is a significant shortfall in funding for emergency relief efforts, stressed OCHA, noting that while the number of people needing aid had doubled, donations were down 40 per cent. OCHA reported that to date, the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) for Somalia had received approximately $507 million, or 60 per cent of the $850 million requested for this year. Somalia's funding crisis also severely impacts the impoverished country's health sector, which has only received 48 per cent of the $103 million it needs for 2009. Within that amount, the World Health Organization (WHO) has requested almost $13 million, of which only $3.2 million - or less than a quarter - has been donated.

The lack of funding jeopardizes response to the many health risks in a country suffering from one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, WHO spokesperson Paul Garwood told reporters in Geneva. WHO's latest update on Somalia noted the growing number of diseases the Somali population suffers, including diarrhea, some cases of cholera, suspected measles and acute respiratory infections.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200911100861.html.

Germany donates a piece of the Berlin Wall to Taiwan

Taipei - A piece of the Berlin Wall was erected in Taiwan on Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall and to show Taiwan's determination to pursue freedom and democracy. The segment of the Berlin Wall - 3.5 metres tall, 1.2 metres wide and weighing 2.5 tons - was put up in front of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy in Taipei.

Parliament Speaker Wang Jin-pyng presided over the unveiling ceremony which was attended by diplomats from the representative offices of a dozen countries in Taiwan.

"The fall of the Berlin Wall signifies freedom and democracy. We thank Oberhavel County of Germany for giving this piece of the Berlin Wall to Taiwan in recognition of Taiwan's seeking freedom and democracy," he said.

At the ceremony, Jorn Mothes, a civil rights activist from the former East Germany, recounted the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.

The ceremony was followed by a seminar on the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall for democracy, freedom and human rights.

Taiwan is the fourth country to receive a section of the Berlin Wall from Oberhavel County after the United States, Finland and Poland.

One killed, 82 injured in Indonesia quake - Summary

09 Nov 2009

Jakarta - One person was killed and 82 people were injured when when a powerful earthquake struck Monday off Indonesia's Sumbawa island, officials said. Dozens of homes and other buildings were damaged in Bima district of West Nusa Tenggara province in the magnitude-6.7 earthquake, said Rustam Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry's crisis center.

"The victim died after being treated for seven hours in hospital for injuries sustained in the quake," Pakaya said.

He said of the 82 people injured, six were hurt seriously.

The National Disaster Management Agency said on its website that 12 houses, two school buildings and a health clinic were badly damaged.

More than 60 other houses suffered minor damage, it said.

The quake, which struck at 2:41 am Monday (1941 GMT Sunday), was also felt strongly on the nearby tourist island of Lombok, Pakaya said.

The quake's epicenter was in the eastern part of Sumbawa island, which lies about 1,300 kilometres east of Jakarta, the United States Geological Survey said.

Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for intense seismic and volcanic activity.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293820,one-killed-82-injured-in-indonesia-quake--summary.html.

Google to buy AdMob for 750 million dollars

San Francisco - Google is to pay 750 million dollars to buy AdMob, a provider of advertising on mobile phones, the internet search leader announced Monday. The deal is the third largest ever undertaken by Google and underscores the company's strategy of extending its online advertising dominance to the mobile web, where its Android smartphone operating system is becoming increasingly popular. Google said it expected antitrust regulatory review in the US but not in Europe.

AdMob has a system that serves display ads on mobile phones and its purchase could give the still nascent market a powerful boost, analysts said.

"Google could have built this itself, but this gives them a head start," says mobile analyst Greg Sterling of Sterling Market Intelligence. "It will thrust Google into the forefront of mobile display ads."

"AdMob is a great Silicon Valley story," said Google in a blog posting to announce the deal. "We are looking forward to having them join the Google team and work with us on the future of mobile advertising."

Palestinians dent Israeli barrier on day of Berlin Wall anniversary

Qalandia Checkpoint, West Bank - Dozens of Palestinians marked the 20th anniversary for the fall of the Berlin Wall on Monday by pulling down a section of the concrete barrier erected by Israel between the Qalandia refugee camp and Jerusalem. Palestinians used a truck to remove a small section of the 8-metre high wall surrounding the airport strip at Qalandia, which Israel has incorporated into the sections of Jerusalem it annexed following the occupation of the city in 1967.

As the chunk was pulled free, the group cheered and crossed the wall into the airport strip for few minutes before an Israeli army patrol arrived and dispersed them with tear gas. Two Palestinians were arrested.

Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, from the Palestinian Committee Against the Wall, said the gesture was the Palestinian way of marking the fall of the Berlin Wall, expressing hope that the barrier Israel started building in 2003 will also fall.

Israel built the wall around Jerusalem and most of the West Bank after a wave of Palestinian suicide attacks in Israeli cities, claiming it was intended to keep out suicide bombers.

Palestinians say the wall was built to incorporate rich farming land into Israel and to isolate the Palestinians behind the barrier, sections of it concrete and others just a fence.