Merkel in Moscow for Russian WWII victory celebration

Moscow - German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived Saturday evening in Moscow to participate in Russia's celebrations of the 65th anniversary of victory over Hitler's Germany.

Her airplane landed at the government airport Vnukovo, according to Itar-Tass agency.

Merkel will join Russian leaders and others on the viewing tribune on Sunday to watch the military parade cross Red Square with 10,000 soldiers and heavy Russian military equipment.

For the first time in 65 years, military units from the NATO powers France, Britain and the US are participating in the ceremony.

In an interview with Itar-Tass, Merkel said the invitation to the victory celebrations was a great honor. She said it was not something to be taken for granted, that a German leader would be allowed to participate in this event.

The gesture showed that Russia and Germany had learned from history and could live in peace and friendship, she said.

Five years ago, Gerhard Schroeder was the first German chancellor to be invited to the Red Square victory celebrations.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322669,merkel-in-moscow-for-russian-wwii-victory-celebration.html.

At least eight killed in Russian mine explosions - Update

Moscow - At least eight people were killed late Saturday in twin coal mine explosions in the Kemerovo region of western Siberia, according to Itar-Tass agency.

Another 64 miners remained underground at the Raspadskaya company- operated mine, according to a source in the regional department for emergencies. Some of them had been in radio contact with officials outside.

The eight deaths and 20 injuries occurred in the first explosion, about 23:55 local time.

Up to 356 people were believed to have been working at the mine at the time of the accident, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, state agency Ria Novosti reported.

At least 282 miners were able to leave the mine after the explosions.

Twelve ministry rescue teams and rescue workers from nearby Novokuznetsk were trying to reach those stranded by the explosion.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered officials to do everything they could in the rescue efforts.

The explosion destroyed three buildings above ground.

The Raspadskaya coal mine, opened in 1973,is the largest of its kind in Russia with 300 kilometers of shafts. It produces 8 million tonnes of coal a year for domestic needs as well as export to Ukraine and Asia.

In 2007, an accident in a nearby mine in Novokuznetsk claimed 110 lives, the worst mine accident in decades in Russia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322670,at-least-eight-killed-in-russian-mine-explosions--update.html.

First woman president of Costa Rica commits to environment

San Jose - Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica's first female president, was inaugurated Saturday, promising transparency in governance and commitment to the environment.

She was sworn in by the leader of the legislative assembly, Luis Gerardo Villanueva, in the open air, before a crowd of 25,000.

The center-right politician Chinchilla, 51, of the ruling National Liberation Party, won the February 7 presidential election with over 46 per cent of the votes. Her closest rival, center-left Otton Solis, took 24 per cent.

The top finisher needed at least 40 per cent to avoid a runoff.

Experts have observed that in a runoff, Chinchilla would have likely struggled against a united opposition.

Drug-trafficking - a growing concern for the small Central American country of 4.5 million that does not have an army - and its associated violence are set to be the main worries for the incoming government.

A political scientist by training, Chinchilla started her political career in the 1990s. She held positions as vice minister and then minister of public security. Since 2002, she has been a member of the Legislative Assembly and was made vice president by outgoing President Oscar Arias in 2006.

She is married to Spanish businessman Jose Maria Rico, with whom she has one son.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322672,first-woman-president-of-costa-rica-commits-to-environment.html.

Tea Party victory: Republican senator dropped by Utah conservatives

Washington- Utah Republicans Saturday dropped Senator Robert Bennett for the party's nomination for November elections, making him one of the first victims of the conservative Tea-Party movement.

According to media reports, Bennett, 76, who has served three terms - 18 years - in the Senate, still was popular among Utah Republican voters.

But his defeat came at the Republican state convention, giving yet another signal of the polarized political climate leading up to the November elections. Conservative Republicans objected to his working with a Democratic senator on health care issues, The Los Angeles Times reported.

In late April, a similar surge of right-wing sentiment forced Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a moderate Republican pilloried for hugging Democratic President Barack Obama, to declare as an independent for the US Senate as a political rival gained steam from the Tea Party movement.

Democrats are bracing for losses in November's congressional elections amid public dissatisfaction with the uncertain economy and Obama's health care reform.

Much of that discontent is channeled through the Tea Party movement, a nationwide grassroots organization with enough muscle to force moderate Republicans to the right on issues. The movement claims to be the legacy of the Boston Tea Party, a protest during the American Revolution against taxation without representation.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322676,tea-party-victory-republican-senator-dropped-by-utah-conservatives.html.

Two-thirds of US Senate backs landmine ban

Washington - Sixty-eight Senators have drafted a letter to US President Barack Obama urging support for an international treaty banning landmines, according to a copy of the letter made public Saturday.

The number is one more than the 67 votes that would be needed to adopt such a treaty in the 100-member body, indicating a bipartisan effort rare in a Washington polarized by health care reform and financial stimulus.

A similar letter was being circulated in the lower House of Representatives to put added pressure on Obama for approval.

In the letters, legislators note the effectiveness of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.

"In the 10 years since the Convention came into force, 158 nations have signed including the United Kingdom and other ISAF partners, as well as Iraq and Afghanistan which, like Colombia, are parties to the Convention and have suffered thousands of mine casualties," the Senators wrote.

"The Convention has led to a dramatic decline in the use, production, and export of anti-personnel mines."

The letter, circulated by Senators Patrick Leahy and George Voinovich, a Democrat and a Republican, was made public by the US Campaign to Ban Landmines.

In November, the White House said its policy was under review and for the time being, there were no plans to join the pact.

The United States, China and Russia are among a handful of countries that have refused to join the accord. The Bush administration maintained the mines were essential for national security.

The United States has not used or produced landmines in the 12 years since the treaty has existed but continues to keep stockpiles, which would be prohibited under the treaty. It is the only NATO member nation that has not joined the pact.

Landmines left over from wars are blamed for thousands of deaths and injuries in the last decade. The United States is the world's largest contributor to humanitarian landmine cleanup programs. Since 1993, the United States has given 1.3 billion dollars to landmine removal programs.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322684,two-thirds-of-us-senate-backs-landmine-ban.html.

15 killed in Mogadishu clashes

At least 15 people have been killed and dozens more injured during fresh fighting between the Ahlu Sunna and al-Shabab fighters in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

The recent clashes started on Saturday night in the southern sector of the city, near the Bakara Market area.

The clashes came one week after two powerful explosions claimed the lives of around 50 people and left over 120 others injured in a mosque al-Shabab officials used for delivering speeches.

Both pro-Somali government forces and the al-Shabab fighters have been preparing for a possible confrontation over the control of Mogadishu in recent days.

Somalia has been grappling with years of deadly civil war since the 1991 ouster of Mohammad Siad Bare, the military leader, who headed the country's central government.

Nearly half of Somalia's 3.8 million people are in dire need of foreign food aid, as the country has lacked an effective government for the past 20 years.

Last month, a report by the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia linked the continuing civil strife in the Horn of Africa country to the transitional government's “weakness”.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125907§ionid=351020501.

Assad: Israel no peace partner

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says no "viable peace" with Israel can be achieved in the Middle East since the regime does not seek peace.

Speaking in Turkey on the possible resumption of mediated talks with Israel, Assad told reporters at a joint conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul on Saturday, "As for peace, we spoke about peace; you may ask what peace we are referring to as there is no peace, no peace process or viable partner."

Turkey mediated four rounds of indirect talks between Israel and Syria in 2008. The talks stalled following Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip at the turn of 2009 which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians.

"Peace, as it appears, is not a demand of the Israelis, but we are committed to this mediation and Turkey's role, but we also emphasize the fact that Israel is not a partner, at least at the present stage, and I do not think they were a partner in the past either," Reuters quoted the Syrian leader as saying.

"Israel is not ready for mediation because it knows that a successful mediation will bring peace, and the Israeli side does not want peace," added Assad in Istanbul during his two-day visit to Turkey.

For his part, Gul said Damascus had expressed its readiness to resume the talks a number of times, but the proposal had not been reciprocated by Tel Aviv.

"To tell the truth we have not heard from Israel. Of course, it is their decision to make," the Turkish President said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125906§ionid=351020206.

5 members of terrorist groups executed

Tehran's Public Prosecutor Office says five people have been executed in the country over their involvement in bomb attacks and links to terrorist groups.

The convicts were hanged in Tehran's Evin prison early Sunday.

Three of them were arrested in 2006, and convicted for their involvement in a failed bomb plot in the capital Tehran.

The attack was organized by the anti-Iranian terrorist group known as PJAK, which is the Iranian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The three were also in possession of weapons and explosives in their houses.

Another was captured after planting a bomb near a military base in Tehran, and later confessed to being a member of the same terrorist group.

The last of the five was convicted for complicity in a deadly bombing in the city of Shiraz in 2008.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125908§ionid=351020101.

7.2-magnitude quake rocks Indonesia

A 7.2-magnitude quake strikes the Indonesian province of Aceh, the local Meteorological and Geophysics agency says, issuing a local tsunami alert.

Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia.

Earlier in April, a 7.7 earthquake shook Sumatra, prompting a brief tsunami warning and sending residents rushing for higher ground.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125885§ionid=3510212.

Lebanon wins Hummus battle with Israel

A Hummus competition between Israel and Lebanon has entered a new phase in the wake of Beirut's production of the largest plate to date of the Middle Eastern dip.

Around 300 Lebanese cooks joined hands to prepare a gigantic 10,452 kilogram dish of hummus, the size of Lebanon in square kilometers.

It weighs more than twice as much as the plate of hummus Israeli cooks had made back in January.

A Guinness World Records representative has confirmed the feat.

Lebanon has accused Israel of stealing traditional Arab dishes, including hummus, and marketing them as Israeli.

Hummus, a popular dish in the Middle East, which is eaten with bread or vegetables as a dip, is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini (a paste of ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125884&sectionid=351020203.

Two soldiers killed in Turkey

In Turkey, two soldiers have been killed in two separate explosions near the country's border with Iraq where Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) militants operate.

The soldiers were killed when two improvised detonative devices went off in the southeastern provinces of Hakkari and Sirnak on Saturday, the Turkish military said, blaming the blasts on PKK militants.

With the start of spring and the warming of weather, separatist PKK militants have launched fresh attacks on Turkish forces.

On Friday, Kurdish militants attacked a military checkpoint in Hakkari, killing two soldiers.

Turkish soldiers retaliated by pursuing the militants across the border into Iraq and killing at least five of them.

Increased PKK attacks have fueled violence in the region, prompting the Turkish military to launch air incursions into northern Iraq, reports indicate.

"Operations in the region are continuing and it is believed that the losses of the terrorists are higher," AFP quoted a military statement by Turkey's army as saying.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125881§ionid=351020204.

Erdogan, Lula to visit Iran together

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit Tehran together to hold talks on Iran's nuclear program.

Lula will arrive in Tehran to attend the Fourteenth Summit of the Group of 15 (G-15) on May 17, Mehr news agency reported.

Meanwhile Erdogan's visit to Iran comes as part of Ankara's efforts to resolve Tehran's nuclear issue through diplomatic means.

Brazil and Iran are members of G-15 which was established at the ninth Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade in 1989 with a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperity for its member states.

Some sources have told the Mehr news agency that the Turkish and Brazilian leaders will present Tehran a "joint proposal" on a nuclear fuel swap deal, which the UN has brokered.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman on Saturday voiced Tehran's readiness to continue talks on the proposed swap deal.

"Turkey and Brazil are among the countries that have proposed solutions and these solutions indicate that it is possible to reach a swap deal and arrive at mutual understanding," Ramin Mehmanparast said.

Under the proposed deal, Iran would send most of its low-enriched uranium abroad for further processing and conversion into fuel rods. The fuel would be used by the Tehran research reactor, which produces radiomedicines for cancer patients.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125875§ionid=351020101.

Statement of the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on the occasion of the commencement of Al-Faath Operations

Statement of the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on the occasion of the commencement of Al-Faath Operations

Saturday, May 08, 2010

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Help from Allah and a speedy victory. So give the good news to the Believers.

After the inception of the legitimate Jihad of the people of Afghanistan against the invading coalition under the leader of America and the vast resistance sprawling on a period of nine years, the invading Americans and their blind coalition followers willy-nilly reached a point that the NATO foreign ministers in a recent gathering had to take a decision that they should withdraw their morale-sagging troops from Afghanistan.

The invaders may paint the disgraceful defeat of their forces at the hands of the Afghan Mujahideen as they like; it is up to their defeatist logic. But the ground realities in Afghanistan show that the retreat is a clear-cut defeat of the non-believing forces versus the forces of belief and Islamic faith.

While believing that with the help of Allah (SWT) and selfless support of the people of Afghanistan, all foreign invading forces will ultimately face defeat, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan meanwhile once again emphasizes on the unconditional and immediate withdrawal of all foreign invading forces from Afghanistan. To achieve this end, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers the armed Jihad the only mean to reach that destination. In order to expedite the momentum of the Jihadic activities, the Islamic Emirate announces this spring operation by the name of Al-Faath (victory) to be launched against Americans, NATO members and their surrogates.

Al-Faath is a prideful word in the history of the Muslims. It has been used in the Holy Quran to mean success, upper handiness and victory. A chapter out of 114 chapters of the Holy Quran is named Al–Faath. Muslims were favored with Al-Faath, victory on the ground of Al-Badar battle in the second lunar year of Hijara. In this battle, Muslims killed Abu Jahal, the leader of the non-believers.

The second Al-Faath came on the eighth years of Hijra. It was the victory of Mecca. This is considered the beginning of establishment of Islamic rule in the world. So, the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan chose this name to be the name of this spring operations against the Americans and NATO forces. Like the Badar, the Conferarates battles and the Victory battle of Mecca, we hope these operations will be successful operations against the global invading forces, if Allah willing.

The Al-Faath operations will target the invading Americans, the NATO military personnel, foreign advisers, spies who pose as foreign diplomats, members of the Karzai stooge administrations and members of the cabinet, members of the parliament, personnel of the so-called ministry of defense, intelligence department, ministry of justice, ministry of internal affairs, contractors of foreign and domestic private security companies, contractors and personnel of military logistics and military constructions companies and all supporters of foreign invaders who are working for the strengthening of foreign domination.

The Al-Faath Jihadic operations will start in 10th May 2010 this year to include operations against the defeated foreigners and their surrogates all over the country. It will comprise of tactics of successful tips and runs operations, inter-cities operations, and laying siege to cities, blockade of roads of military centers, use of IED, assassination of government officials, detainment of foreign invaders and martyrdom-seeking operations as needs be.

1. Prior to the commencement of Al-Faath operation, we urge all military intelligence, judicial and administrative officials to part ways with the surrogate and moribund administration and instead, side with their own people against the invaders in order to force them pull out of the country. If police men or army soldiers surrender to Mujahideen, their work will be appreciated by Mujahideen via bestowing on them material incentives. Those who support the non-believers will be considered as one of them and will be punished for their betrayal.

2. Owners and workers of transportations and construction companies, who transport logistical goods for the foreigners or build their construction facilities, should put an end to these illegitimate activities. Otherwise, Mujahideen will deal with their personnel and technical equipments in the same manner as they deal with the foreign invading troops and their equipments. They will kill their personnel and destroy their equipments. This is because their activities help extend the occupation of the beloved country Afghanistan.

3. Those foreign investors, who make investment in Afghanistan to ensure American interests in Afghanistan and their benefits invariably end up in the pockets of the foreigners instead of the people, should avoid making such investment. Instead, they should make investments in sectors which benefit them and the people rather than the invaders. Nor they should bolster the foreigners. Mujahideen will destroy and wipe out every thing that is considered supporting the foreign invaders. Then none should have reason to complain.

4. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan assures the Muslim Mujahid people that the days of the liberation of the country from the brutal claws of the invaders are around the corner thanks to the help of Allah (SWT) and your unforgettable sacrifices. You are urged to join the ranks of Mujahideen in this historical and critical phase in order to pound, kill and obliterate the invading forces. You are urged to strengthen the lines of resistance with your persons.

5. The leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan earnestly requests the honorable and brave Mujahideen to pay attention to the safety of life and property of people and make every effort to protect them during all operations including the operation Al-Faath. Pleasure of Allah (SWT) and prosperity of people should make your sole goal of Jihad. This is in order to ensure the sanctity of the sacred goals of Jihad.

6. Take people advice and views in all your activities; show strong determination, sagacious approach, comprehensive planning and utilize all successful experiences of the past. Concentrate your thought and efforts on Jihad and oversee that the Mujahideen are not involved in unnecessary activities. Bring momentum to the strongholds of Jihad with the none-believers so that an Islamic government can be established and seek help and strength from Allah (SWT) in your Jihadic and charity works.

Source: Theunjustmedia.
Link: http://theunjustmedia.com/Afghanistan/Statements/May10/Statement%20of%20the%20Leadership%20Council%20of%20the%20Islamic%20Emirate%20of%20Afghanistan%20on%20the%20occasion%20of%20the%20commencement%20of%20Al-Faath%20Operations.htm.

The Arabs, weak by choice

Hasan Afif El-Hasan

The history of the Arab League since its inception in 1944 suggests that the Arab regimes have long chosen to be weak and irrelevant, writes Hasan Afif El-Hasan

May 7, 2010

Nation states in the area from Morocco to Iraq, including the Arabian Peninsula, share a distinct culture and history and speak Arabic, albeit in hundreds of dialects. While Arab nationalism is "ingrained in the soul of Arab individuals based on the sentiments of a glorious past", Arab unity is today still needed to deal with the challenges of 21st-century orientalism.

The European colonialists divided the region, planted the state of Israel, drew borders and supported its ruling regimes after stripping them of their legitimacy in favor of tribal and local nationalism, and as a result the region remains the hostage of its imperialist past. Each state within the region has developed its own laws, culture and history, and each has developed its own interests, which in many cases are not shared by others.

The establishment of a strong union of these nations that could defend their interests against the big bullies of the world, similar to the European Union, cannot be taken seriously under the present regimes, whose policies cast doubt on their legitimacy. In fact, the history of the Arab League since its inception suggests that the Arab regimes have chosen to be weak and irrelevant.

In October 1944, delegations from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Trans-Jordan passed what they called the "Alexandria Protocol", which provided the basis for the creation of the Arab League. Saudi Arabia joined the protocol in January 1945, and the League pact was signed in March.

The Arab League was established according to the wishes of Great Britain as a prerequisite for the admission of the Arab states to the United Nations. The number of League member states has now reached 22, with members being supposed to coordinate and collaborate to safeguard each other's independence and sovereignty.

Yet, whenever the League's members have been called upon to meet their obligations, they have failed individually and collectively to do so and have proven that they are high on rhetoric and low on action.

Attempts at union among Arab states have had short lives, but wars, violence and human-rights violations have become the trademark of the region. The 1958-1961 union between Egypt and Syria failed, and the 1958 union between Iraq and Jordan was aborted in the same year, when the Iraqi royal family and its supporters were massacred during the military coup led by Abdel-Karim Qassim.

Muammar Gaddafi proposed federation between Egypt, Libya and Syria in 1972, but this project was abandoned in 1977, and the 1990 merger of north and south Yemen is in trouble, with separatist sentiment in the south being strong.

Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war that has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands and will certainly lead to a divided Sudan, either into north and south or east and west. The West and Israel are actively involved on behalf of the separatists, and the Arab League has chosen to act as a spectator.

Even under occupation, the Palestinians are bitterly divided politically with Hamas governing the Palestinians in Gaza and Fatah only nominally governing the Palestinians in the West Bank. The Arab states have been accomplices in Palestinian infighting, supporting one faction or another.

The only successful union in the Arab world has been that between the United Arab Emirates, due to personal relationships among the families that control the UAE's six city-states and the feelings of insecurity that come from living next to more populous and more powerful neighboring states.

The Arab League has failed to live up to what its name implies. In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, five members of the League decided to intervene militarily on behalf of the Palestinians, but they waited until more than 250,000 Palestinians had been uprooted and thousands massacred. Jewish armed units methodically dehumanized Palestinian non- combatant civilians, attacking their villages, demolishing their houses, carrying out mass ethnic-cleansing, and hunting down thousands.

While the Palestinian depopulation process was unfolding, the rhetoric employed by members of the Arab League reached new heights, which the Jews, both before and after the establishment of Israel, exploited to perpetuate the myth of a potential "second Holocaust" carried out by the Arabs.

Such rhetoric gave the Israelis an excuse to use their military power to occupy more Arab land and to remove the remaining inhabitants of the areas they had conquered by force. Israel was portrayed as a weak David attacked by an Arab Goliath, and Jews all over the world and their sympathizers came to the rescue, providing volunteers and material support.

Yet, facts on the ground always suggested something different from what the myths present. The nascent state of Israel with its half a million population had more manpower and arms than the total Arab military contingents that came to defend the Palestinians. Besides being outnumbered by their opponents, Arab League armies did not have the political will to fight, and they were fighting more against each other than against the Israeli military.

Personal animosity among the leaders of the Arab states made the military intervention futile. They surrendered Palestinian land through their incompetence and corruption, instigating mutual antagonism and promoting their leaders' agendas at the Palestinians' expense. The Trans-Jordan Arab Legion commander-in-chief John Bagot Glubb called the 1948 war "the phony war".

Nineteen years later, the Arab states surrendered the West Bank, Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Sinai and the Golan Heights to Israel in the 1967 war. The Egyptians never intended to go to war in 1967 and moved their troops into Sinai to warn Israel not to attack Syria. Yet, Egypt's decision played into the hands of the Israelis, who were eager not to miss this unique opportunity to take over all of Palestine.

Israel therefore considered Egypt's action to be a declaration of war and responded with a surprise attack on 5 June, destroying most of the Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian forces. Egypt eventually signed a separate peace treaty with Israel, leaving the Palestinians and the Syrians to deal with the consequences of the 1967 war alone.

No Arab League state supported Libya in its confrontation with the US in 1986 when US planes bombed targets in the country killing at least 100 people. The Arab states again were passive spectators when Arafat was later holed up in his Ramallah compound, and perhaps killed, because he had outlived his usefulness to Israel. They were passive once again when the Israeli military attacked Lebanon and committed horrendous war crimes against the Lebanese and the Palestinians in 1978, 1982 and 2006, or when it destroyed Gaza in 2008-09 and murdered or injured thousands of Palestinians.

At the same time, Arab League members have fought bloody wars against each other in Yemen and Iraq. Following the 1962 military coup in Yemen, Egypt's military fought to prop up the republican regime in Yemen against the royalist insurgents, who were aided by Saudi Arabia, which did not recognize the Yemen Arab Republic until 1970.

Iraq, a member of the Arab League, invaded and annexed another member, Kuwait, in 1990, and Arab states asked the US to settle the dispute for them. A US-led coalition of 34 nations then fought Iraq and liberated Kuwait in 1991. Jordan and the PLO, both members of the Arab League, were treated by the Gulf states and Egypt as virtual pariahs for proposing an inter-Arab solution to the conflict.

The Arab League did not come to the defense of the Iraqi people in 2003 when a multinational force led by the US and the UK invaded Iraq, destroying the country's institutions, causing horrific bloodshed, displacing millions and creating ethnic, sectarian and religious conflict. The Arab Gulf states, members of the Arab League, provided bases and logistical support for the invading foreign armies, while Turkey, a NATO member, refused to provide such facilities.

The League's impotence and irrelevance in solving such region-wide conflicts and civil strife has stigmatized the Arabs, who have become the subject of international humor and disdain. During the 1982 Argentinean-British conflict over the Falkland Islands, the Argentinean junta leader was quoted as saying, "we are not an Arab state: we do not capitulate." The United States in turn has adopted European colonial policies and stereotypical views of the Arabs.

Today, the Arab League has chosen not to back up its policies to deal with Arab problems, and its members have chosen not to translate promises into deeds. The support the Palestinians receive from the Arab League comes only in the form of occasional rhetoric and the advice to accept Israeli- American dictates.

The Arab states have assumed the role of mediators, rather than defenders, of the Palestinians. And, despite their close relations with Washington, the moderate Arab regimes have no influence on US policy towards the Palestinians if they wish to intervene on their behalf. While the 2006 Arab League summit in Khartoum pledged to fund the Palestinian Authority, no money was provided because members yielded to an Israeli- and US-led campaign to deny aid to the Hamas-led government.

Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion to rebuild Gaza, but, like other promises, this one has not been kept. League members pledged to break the Gaza siege, but instead they became partners with Israel. Egypt is currently building an Israeli-designed and US-financed steel wall along its 10km border with Gaza, which will complete the Strip's isolation in violation of the besieged Palestinians' rights under the Geneva Conventions.

Collectively, the Arab states have the potential to be politically, economically and militarily respected. They have the manpower, the natural resources, the strategic location, a sizable middle class, and they have the capital. But they choose instead to be weak and irrelevant. Ruling elites are entrenched and estranged from their peoples, and they have no respect for human rights, suppress dissent and weaken internal opposition.

Such elites have not allowed the opposition to act peacefully, to demonstrate, to call for change, or to rise up. Only grassroots Islamist movements now threaten these regimes. Some Islamist movements have followed ambitious strategies to seize power, while others seek cooperation and gradual change. This has been the case while the Arab ruling elites have created authoritarian regimes and chosen not to invest in the intellectual, human and material resources to build socio-economic infrastructure for their citizens.

Instead, they have chosen to create consumer, and not productive, societies by investing their countries' resources in the West rather than in their own people and creating jobs for the unemployed. The Arab regimes have chosen to be disunited with no common purpose, thus becoming powerless to support any decisions they make.

Regarding the Palestinian issue, the Arab regimes have chosen to submit to the US, Israel's main strategic ally and the defender of Israel's aggressions and its violations of Palestinian human rights and international law. The US does not hide its bias against the Palestinians. Instead, it labels Palestinians who refuse to succumb to occupation and humiliation "terrorists", and it calls the mass murder of Palestinians and the collective punishment Israel imposes on the Palestinian civilian population "self-defense".

The Arab League has often reintroduced its 2002 "land for peace" initiative, while threatening to take it off the table if Israel goes on ignoring it. Yet, the League does not have to withdraw the plan. Israel has already rejected it through its provocative rhetoric and bloody deeds, and as long as the Arabs choose to be weak they cannot do anything about it.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=65785&s2=09.

The secret behind Iran's power

By Fatih Abdulsalam
Azzaman, May 6, 2010

Why is Iran seen as a fundamental power in the region stretching from Afghanistan to Lebanon and in between Iraq, its golden state?

There are some who think that Iran’s military maneuvers and revelations of new weapons, boats, frigates and missiles that can reach Israel and Europe are the source of this power.

People who entertain such opinions, I am sorry to say, are naïve. The U.S. and Europe have no fears of the display of Iranian armaments.

Strategy analysts and experts say Iranian weapons might be ineffective. The point is whether the weapons are operational and can be used.

The analysts believe if the U.S. attacks Iran, the first thing its forces will do is to render Iranian weapons systems ineffective.

Iran’s Western enemies will take the initiative and do not allow Iran to unleash its missiles and other weapons on their targets.

But still Iran is a powerful country. Iran’s strong muscles are not due to its weaponry.

Iran’s strength emanates from its diplomacy and the role it plays almost in all important files in the region. Arab states have almost no role to play here.

Therefore, it is so hard for Iran’s nemesis, the U.S., to embark on any negotiating or movements in the region without taking Tehran into account.

Tehran has proxies and agents throughout the region. They are the source of Iran’s power and not its weapons.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.info/?fb=1&p=65750.

Meddling in Africa

Israel is forging ever-closer ties in the Arab hinterland in Africa, virtually unopposed

Saleh Al-Naami

May 7, 2010

All signs indicate that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman remains keen on implementing his ministry's strategic priorities as set out from his first day in office, including pouncing on Africa. Lieberman's interest in Africa revives former prime minister Golda Meir's outlook in the 1950s and 1960s. She visited most non-Arab states on the continent. Israel's current intensified moves mainly target the Horn of Africa, which includes Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

While the Israeli Foreign Ministry is in theory in charge of Israel's policies in Africa, there is no doubt that the party that is playing the greater role is Mossad. It maintains active agents in many African capitals, as recently revealed by Haaretz newspaper. Assigning Mossad this task is directly connected to this organization's routine attempts to undermine the national security of Arab states in Africa and on the Red Sea.

Indeed, there is a direct relationship between recent efforts to nurture Israeli-Ethiopian ties and threats by the government of Addis Ababa to re-channel Nile waters to the disadvantage of Egypt and Sudan. According to Israeli sources, the relationship between Tel Aviv and Addis Ababa went to a new level when Tel Aviv showed dexterity in abandoning its former ally Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki for the sake of closer ties with the Ethiopian regime. Israel and Ethiopia have signed many arms deals and are involved in training programs whereby Israeli military units train Ethiopian forces.

Some make a connection between Tel Aviv's cooperation with Addis Ababa and Ethiopia's victories over Eritrea in battles that took place two years ago. Meanwhile, no one expects Israel or Ethiopia to reveal what may have been planned against Egypt behind the scenes. Lieberman once threatened to destroy Egypt's High Dam. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz insists that Egypt is an "enemy state" despite the 1978 Egypt- Israel Peace Treaty.

It is widely known that Israel uses its relations with states and political movements that are hostile to Arab countries to undermine Arab national security, and distract influential Arab states with secondary issues. This way, the role of these Arab states in the Arab-Israeli conflict is curtailed. In a recent and unprecedented admission, Shlomo Nakdimon, adviser to former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, stated that Israel had maneuvered since the 1950s to strengthen ties with the Kurds in northern Iraq in support of their separatist agenda to undermine the Iraqi regime and influence the priorities of Baghdad. For the same reasons, Israel drew closer to the Shah of Iran as well as the military leadership and secularists in Turkey because of their animosity towards the Arab world. Israel also built an alliance with the Maronites in Lebanon to target Palestinian resistance and Lebanese nationalist movements.

In his book Periphery Alliance, Nakdimon noted that the same reasoning was behind Israel's move to nurture ties with the separatist Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), whereby they supplied the movement with arms and training. It is also no secret that Tel Aviv encouraged Jewish lobby groups in the US to draft agendas for expatriate Coptic groups, which are then presented to the US Congress and the US administration, specifically to include claims of discrimination and oppression of Copts.

Regarding Ethiopia, there was a time when Eritrean President Afewerki had strong ties with Israel, which had convinced him to undermine the security of Yemen by occupying Yemeni islands in the Red Sea using superior weapons supplied by Israel. But since that time Tel Aviv has felt it more beneficial to nurture relations with Ethiopia -- Afewerki's arch nemesis -- and did not hesitate in cutting the Eritrean president off. In particular, Tel Aviv wants to sidetrack Egypt since it continues to be the major challenge for Israel's regional strategy, as stated by Israel's deputy prime minister and minister of strategic threats in Netanyahu's government, General Moshe Yalon, who previously served as chief of staff of the armed forces.

Israel's interest in the Horn of Africa is not limited to meddling in Egypt's national security by interfering with Cairo's quota of Nile waters, but also serves higher Israeli goals. The Horn of Africa overlooks the straits of Bab Al-Mandab, through which passes 20 per cent of Israel's foreign trade. The growing power of Al-Qaeda and other groups associated with it in the region, especially in Somalia, has encouraged Israel to establish a presence in the area. As a close ally of Israel, Ethiopia's interference in Somali affairs has facilitated Israel's job. There are indications that Israel has used Ethiopia's occupation of large areas in Somalia to give Mossad a foothold.

Zvi Bar expressed a widely held fear in Tel Aviv when expressing concern about the rise of Islam in Africa since it would lead to an anti-Israel atmosphere on the continent. Some analysts believe this is why Israel is redoubling its efforts in the region. When Israel approaches regimes that are in power struggles with Muslim opponents, they encourage them to rely on Israel's experience in confronting Islamic movements. Hence, Israel has exerted much effort in drawing closer to Nigeria, and signed an agreement to supply it with military equipment.

There is also a long list of Israeli interests in Africa that it wants to protect, including controlling oil mining on the continent, whereby Israeli companies -- under European cover -- are in charge of oil exploration in several African countries. Israel has taken great interest in Africa's oil reserves after UN reports confirmed them at more than 80 billion barrels. Israel also mines natural resources in African states, including uranium. In his book With the Power of Science, Israeli nuclear scientist Ariel Bakhrakh revealed that Israel had stolen uranium from African states under the pretense that its scientists were carrying out geological tests.

Third, Africa is a vast market for Israeli products, especially military products. Also, Israel monopolizes many industrial and economic sectors in a number of Africa states. For example, Israeli companies have a strong hold on food products in Ethiopia. Finally, producing and exporting diamonds is a major source of revenue for Israel, and these diamonds are mined in Africa.

Historically, Israel has used several tools to strengthen ties with African countries, at times by exporting technical know-how in agriculture and at others through military training, discreetly providing medical treatment for African rulers at Israeli hospitals, and hosting African students at Israeli universities. Israel has not hesitated to participate in military coups in some African states. As confirmed by Yossi Melman, an Israeli commentator on intelligence issues, it is certain that Mossad assisted in coups that took place in Uganda and Zanzibar.

What is remarkable is that Israel is moving freely on the African continent without any Arab reaction. Arab states are failing to utilize the many tools they possess to not only stop Israel's maneuvers, but more importantly to halt Tel Aviv's efforts to undermine Arab national security.

Source: Uruknet.
Link: http://www.uruknet.info/?fb=1&p=65762.

Spain closes 20 airports because of volcanic ash - Summary

Madrid/Hamburg - Twenty northern Spanish airports will remain closed Saturday at least until 8 pm (1800 GMT) because of the arrival of a volcanic ash cloud from Iceland, Infrastructure Minister Jose Blanco said.

Airports which had already been closed comprised Santiago de Compostela, La Coruna, Vigo, Asturias, Santander, Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Leon, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria, Zaragoza, Pamplona, Llerida and La Rioja.

Ash was now drifting towards the north-eastern region of Catalonia, which would close the airports of Barcelona, Sabadell, Girona and Reus, Blanco said.

About 320 of the 648 scheduled flights were expected to be canceled at Barcelona airport, affecting 28,000 passengers.

More than 120 out of a total 190 flights had been canceled at other airports by midday, affecting 9,500 passengers.

The ministry was helping to organize alternative transport by rail, road or sea. The rail company Renfe was scheduling extra trains while the airline Iberia was hiring buses for its passengers.

The ash cloud arrived overnight and is also affecting part of Portugal, where more than 120 flights were canceled.

According to the Meteorological Institute in London, the ash cloud could linger over northern Spain through Sunday and spread eastwards towards the Mediterranean region and Italy.

On Friday, Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management reported that volcano under the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, 120 kilometers south-east of Reykjavik, was again spewing increased amounts of ash.

In the preceding days the volcano was "producing less lava and more volcanic ash," agency spokesman Agust Gunnar Gylfason said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322641,spain-closes-20-airports-because-of-volcanic-ash--summary.html.

Six paramilitary troopers killed in Maoist attack in central India

New Delhi - At least six paramilitary troopers were killed and 10 injured Saturday when Maoist rebels blew up their vehicle in India's central Chhattisgarh state, news reports said.

The incident took place in Bijapur district, about 284 kilometers south of the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, IANS and PTI news agencies reported.

"The Maoists blew up a bullet-proof vehicle in the Koretal forested stretch. At least six CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) men were killed and a few injured," IANS quoted Chhattisgarh director general of police Vishwa Ranjan as saying.

The rebels had planted an improvised explosive device in the path of the vehicle, police said.

This is the first major attack by Maoist rebels in the state since they killed 76 security personnel in an ambush on April 6 in adjacent Dantewada district.

The mineral-rich, forested Bastar region stretches across both Bijapur and Dantewada districts and is a stronghold of the Maoist rebels.

"It appears that the security personnel ignored the instruction not to travel in any kind of vehicle in the Naxal-infested areas," Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said.

Maoist rebels are often called Naxalites after the Naxalbari area in West Bengal state where the movement first emerged in the late 1960s.

The rebels are known to mine routes along which they expect security forced to travel.

Maoists are active in 200 of India's 626 districts, and virtually control 34, according to the federal Home Ministry.

The rebels claim they are fighting for the rights of the tribal people, the poor and the landless and operate in some of the country's poorest regions.

More than 1,300 people have been killed since January 2009 in violence linked to the Maoist insurgency, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the gravest internal security threat facing India.

Federal paramilitary forces and state police have launched an operation to weed out the rebels in eight states, including Chhattisgarh, since November 2009.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322644,six-paramilitary-troopers-killed-in-maoist-attack-in-central-india.html.

Lithuania's gay pride parade sparks protest - Summary

Vilnius - The Baltic Pride gay parade took place in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius Saturday, with hundreds of participants facing off against thousands of anti-gay protesters.

A heavy police contingent backed up by strategic road closures kept the opposing parties on opposite banks of the River Neris.

The parade was given a last-minute go-ahead Friday, after an an earlier court-imposed ban.

Organizers said they hoped the parade would draw attention to intolerance of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals in staunchly Roman Catholic Lithuania.

The protesters claimed the parade glorified homosexuality at the expense of traditional family values.

"Lithuania is a democracy. We are not a barbaric country, but this sort of thing should be kept private," said a protester who gave his name as Domatas.

Around 3,000 protesters lined the banks of the river Neris and occupied an area around the landmark Reval hotel.

Most simply stood and watched, but a few chanted slogans including "Death to gays" and "Lithuania for Lithuanians" and expressed anger towards President Dalia Grybauskaite.

Trouble briefly threatened to flare when the protesters threw water bottles into police lines and set off a smoke bomb, but with riot police lining up for action the crowd calmed.

Vilnius county police chief Kestutis Lancinskas said 19 people had been arrested for public order offenses including carrying offensive weapons.

Two members of the Lithuanian parliament were among those detained. The MPs would be charged with attempting to incite a riot, Lancinskas told reporters.

A member of Germany's parliament, Volker Beck, who was among the marchers, told the German Press Agency dpa he was attending Baltic Pride in order to put pressure on the Lithuanian government.

"This is a signal to the Lithuanian government that we are in Europe and lesbian and gay people have equal rights. I would like it if German people would have the courage to do the same," Beck said.

"Gay and lesbian people don't ask for something special, just for the protection of their human rights," he added.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322646,lithuanias-gay-pride-parade-sparks-protest--summary.html.

Putin lays war monument cornerstone, calls for honesty in history

Moscow - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday praised the role of the former Soviet Union in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II and insisted on history being dealt with honestly.

In remarks at ceremonies laying the cornerstone for a new war monument in Moscow, Putin said Russia would continue to use its entire influence in the world to preserve the heritage of the Soviet army's great victory over Hitler's fascism.

"It is our general duty to preserve the historical truth and to protect the honor and dignity, the good names of the still living and the fallen heroes," Putin said at the ceremonies in Victory Park, according to the Interfax agency.

Those who aimed to try to use the victorious heritage of the Soviet Union for political intrigue against Russia would have no future, he said. He warned against misusing history to try to sow new divisions and hostility between the nations.

A number of Georgian opposition politicians attended Saturday's ceremonies, during which Putin also condemned as an act of "barbarity" the explosive attack on a war monument in the Georgian city of Kutaissi in December 2009.

The ceremonies came a day before Moscow was to host a huge May 9 victory day celebration and military parade on Red Square marking the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II.

A number of foreign leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, were due to attend Sunday's celebrations.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322650,putin-lays-war-monument-cornerstone-calls-for-honesty-in-history.html.

Malaysia calls for Kingdom's help to foster Islamic finance

By Shahid Ali Khan

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia can be a strategy partner of Malaysia to promote international Islamic finance industry, said a high-ranking official of Malaysia bank currently visiting the Kingdom.

Mohamed Razif Abd Kadir, deputy governor, Bank Negara Malaysia said at a press conference Saturday that the dynamic nature of economic ties and historical relations between the two countries, Saudi Arabia could be a strategic partner for Malaysia in shaping the global Islamic finance industry.

A 50-member delegation led by Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah, financial ambassador of Malaysia International Islamic Financial Center (MIFC) is currently visiting Saudi Arabia.

MIFC is an initiative to promote Malaysia as an Islamic financial hub by global integration of economic linkages among organizations related with Islamic finance.

The MIFC delegation is comprised of representatives from Malaysia’s regulatory authorities, national investment agencies, Islamic banks, Islamic fund managers, Takaful operators and professions services firms and Shariah research institute.

The delegation is organizing road shows in Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah seeking to establish contacts with Saudi businessmen and investors.

Kadir said about 60 percent of Sukuk in the world’s financial market originate from Malaysia. “In fact, Malaysia has a 60 percent of the Sukuk world’s market share,” he said.

Sukuk, a “legal instrument, deed, check” is the Arabic name for a financial certificate, but commonly refers to the Islamic equivalent of bond.

Kadir said during the visit MIFC members will hold talks with officials of Capital Market Authority (CMA) and Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA). “We will explore possibilities of establishing close links that can shape the global Islamic finance industry,” he said.

He said the countries in Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) alone comprised of a population of 500 million people that offers huge potential for Islamic finance.

The awareness among the people in ASEAN-member countries namely Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar is increasing remarkably, he said.

“Saudis can join hands with Malaysia and other players in the region to tap this huge potential for Islamic finance,” he said.

Nik Mohamed Din Nik Musa of MIFC Promotions Unit said the level of interest for Islamic finance is rising among Saudis. He said more number of Saudi businessmen and investors started looking for Shariah compliant projects.

“During our current visit we want to establish contacts with more number of Saudi businessmen before entering into transaction dealings,” he said.

Dr. Nazrin Shah, MIFC Finance Ambassador said there has been a 30 percent growth in the corporate Sukuk that rose to SR32 billion in 2009 from SR24 billion in 2008.

“The annual compound rate of growth in Sukuk issues is 21 percent since 2001,” she said.

Source: Saudi Gazette.
Link: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010050271066.

Clegg weighs Conservative alliance

The UK Liberal Democrats are mulling plans to join forces with the Conservatives to form amid an inconclusive parliamentary vote that has rendered no outright winner.

With 57 seats, the third-place Liberal Democrats could provide each of the main parties with a majority win.

The Conservatives establishing the largest party in the parliament own 306 seats compared to 258 for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labor Party.

The next government needs more than 50 percent of the vote to secure an absolute majority.

Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg is due to continue his discussion with the Conservatives on Saturday to examine a possible coalition led by them.

"Clearly the result of the election means the politicians have a duty to speak to each other as people deserve a good stable government," Clegg said.

"And that's why I'm very keen that the Liberal Democrats should enter into any discussion with other parties as we are doing, in a constructive spirit and that's precisely what we'll do in the coming hours and days."

Clegg said there are four important issues top on his party's agenda, including "fair tax reform," a new approach to education and to the economy and "fundamental political reform."

He said any deal with either political party should guarantee their realization.

"Throughout we will be very much making the case for the four big priorities that we've always said well before this election took place would guide us in any circumstances," Clegg said.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125828§ionid=351020606.

China rainstorm toll rises to 65

The death toll from heavy rains and storms in southern China has risen to at least 65, with more than a dozen still missing, officials say.

China's Ministry of Water Resources said Saturday the bad weather has affected more than two and half million people.

The worst hit area is Chong-Ching city, with at least 31 dead. Sources say another 14 are still missing.

Nearly 10000 homes were destroyed as strong rains, which began on Wednesday, are expected to continue for the next few days.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125829§ionid=351020404.

Abbas says yes to proximity talks

The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) agrees to hold indirect "peace" talks with Israel, disregarding Hamas' disbelief in the US-brokered process.

"The Palestinian leadership has approved the proximity talks," said Jibril Rajub, the deputy secretary general of Fatah, the PLO's largest faction, on Saturday, according to AFP.

The Palestinian side is expected to express its readiness in a meeting with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell later in the day.

The talks were stalled in March after Israel announced a plan to build less than 2,000 settler units in al-Quds (East Jerusalem). Israel occupied al-Quds as part of the West Bank in 1967 and later annexed it.

The Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee, Mahmoud Abbas, had said earlier that Tel Aviv had to choose between peace and continuing settlement construction on the Palestinian lands.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas had, meanwhile, condemned potential resumption of the negotiations, arguing that the move would only serve to facilitate further "Israeli violations" against Palestinians.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125827§ionid=351020202.

Aljazeera awards Press TV doc

A Press TV documentary production has received the Human Rights award of the 6th edition of the Aljazeera International Documentary Film Festival.

Aliya Battalion directed by Rashed Radwan competed with 198 documentaries from 39 countries, which participated in the 2010 edition of the festival held on the theme of 'Freedom and Human Rights.'

Radwan's 60-minute film is about a small sniper army of former Soviet soldiers, who are used by Israel to terrorize Palestinian civilians in West Bank cities and villages.

“Ailiya Battalion has been the most popular Press TV documentary,” Fars News Agency quoted head of Press TV's international documentary department Mohsen Barmahani as saying.

The film includes interviews with the snipers and presents their training sessions and the killing of civilians in the West Bank.

Radwan is a Spanish filmmaker and writer of Iraqi descent, who has made numerous documentaries on the theme of war.

Tiarget: Heart of Iraq, Gaza Genocide, Human Market and Iraq at the Edge of Civil War are among his best known works.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125824§ionid=351020105.

Thai groups remain committed to peace

Thailand's government and red-shirt protesters say they are committed to ending the country's political crisis which has paralyzed Bangkok for months.

The pledge comes after unknown assailants attacked and killed two policemen during two separate incidents in the capital. Ongoing violence has left at least 29 people dead and hundreds of others injured over the past two months.

Both the government and the protesters say the attacks were the work of elements intent on derailing the reconciliation road map.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva aims to resolve the crisis by holding elections on November 14.

The red-shirts have agreed to the measure, but want a firm date for the dissolution of parliament before ending their protests.

The red-shirts are mainly supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006. He was later sentenced to two years in prison on charge of corruption.

Thaksin, who lives in exile to avoid imprisonment, remains popular among the rural poor. The ousted prime minister has called on his supporters to seek reconciliation with the Thai government.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125823§ionid=351020406.

IAEA to focus on Israeli nukes in June

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will discuss Israel - the owner of Middle East's sole atomic arsenal -- and its nuclear activities.

The IAEA is allowed to refer nuclear proliferation concerns to the UN Security Council.

The issue, which has always eluded IAEA's agenda with the help of the United States, has been included in the list of items to be brought up at the agency's gathering on June 7, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

The matter is to be discussed under the subject of Israel's "nuclear capabilities" at the request of the body's 18 Arab members.

The organization has avoided the issue since its inception and for more than half a century amid Israel's insistence on maintaining a policy of nuclear "ambiguity," under which the regime neither confirms nor denies having nuclear weapons.

Tel Aviv has repeatedly brushed aside international calls for joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Since 1958, when Israel began building the Dimona plutonium and uranium processing facility, it has allegedly manufactured scores of nuclear warheads, earning reputation as the sole owner of such weapons in the Middle East.

Former US President Jimmy Carter has attested to the existence of the arsenal, which he said includes between 200 to 300 warheads.

According to AP, the June meeting's agenda could change, should Washington and other Israeli allies raise strong objections to the measure.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125821§ionid=351020202.

Iran's naval drills go on in S. waters

Iran has launched the third phase of a major naval maneuver in the country's southern waters of the Straight of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman in a display of its military might.

During the fourth day of the drill on Saturday, hovercrafts strafed mock enemy targets while vessels, destroyers, and frigates blocked their advance towards Iran's territorial waters, a Press TV correspondent reported.

In another coordinated joint operation, Iran's navy speed boats, backed by the Air Force jet fighters, stopped an invading enemy vessel and captured commandos on board.

Certain tactical operations were also conducted in the third stage of the naval drills, including electronic countermeasures (ECM) as well as disabling enemy radars and communication systems.

The third phase of the drill is scheduled to continue with reconnaissance and drone aircrafts conducting interception operations.

The massive drill code-named Velayat 89 began last Wednesday. It will be carried out in six phases and is scheduled to last eight days.

Speaking before the commencement of the drills, Navy commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that by holding the maneuvers, Iran sought to display its prowess in defending the country's territory while conveying a message of "peace and friendship" to the regional states.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125809&sectionid=351020101.

Russia provokes U.S attack on North Korea

After when the Polish President Kaczynski was killed near Smolensk, Western observers began to monitor carefully the information flow from Russia. The words of the formal ringleader of the Kremlin Medvedev in an interview with Izvestiya newspaper on the possibility of beginning a new world war draw in this regard a careful attention.

Commentators believe that Medvedev's words reflect tendencies of the political strategy of the Kremlin.

According to the influential newspaper The Europen Union Times, under the "active measures" (disinformation) the FSB Russia spreads rumors that the explosion at the oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, was organized by North Korean terrorists.

According to the disinformation from the international terrorist organization FSB Russia, citing a source in the Russian Northern Fleet, North Korea fired torpedoes on the platform, ostensibly because it was built and financed by the South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.

North Korea is waging economic war against the South, and is trying to inflict maximum economic damage on South Korea.

To the attack itself, FSB reports continue, the North Korean cargo vessel Dai Hong Dan believed to be staffed by "17th Sniper Corps suicide" troops left Cuba's Empresa Terminales Mambisas de La Habana (Port of Havana) on April 18th whereupon it severely deviated from its intended course for Venezuela's Puerto Cabello.

Within 209 kilometers (130 miles) of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform which was located 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of the US State of Louisiana it launched an SSC Sang-o Class Mini Submarine (Yugo class) estimated to have an operational range of 321 kilometers (200 miles). On the night of April 20th, according to the disinformation of the Russian FSB, the North Korean Mini Submarine manned by these suicidal 17th Sniper Corps soldiers attacked the Deepwater Horizon with 2 incendiary torpedoes causing a massive explosion and resulting in 11 workers on this giant oil rig being killed outright.

Barely 48 hours later, on April 22nd, this North Korean Mini Submarine committed its final atrocity by exploding itself directly beneath the Deepwater Horizon causing this oil rig to sink beneath the seas and marking 2010's celebration of Earth Day with one of the largest environmental catastrophes our World has ever seen, according to the FSB.

American portal Alaska Pride in connection with the "active measures" of the Russian terror gang FSB, writes:

"It appears that information that the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico was caused by a North Korean have been surfaced and spread by Russian sources.

Strong circumstantial evidence implicates the Russia in the recent plane crash in Smolensk which decapitated a big chunk of the Polish government.

So that begs the question; why is Russia spreading this story? Do they want to goad us into attacking North Korea in order to paint us as an aggressor and turn world opinion more against us? Do they want to see us spend more of our strength and means warring in foreign lands to strain our economy further?"

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

Source: Kavkaz Center.
Link: http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2010/05/08/12010.shtml.

Malaria risk in Somalia declines by over 50 per cent

NAIROBI / KENYA, 25 April 2010 – New research commissioned by UNICEF Somalia into estimates of malaria transmission in Somalia indicates a major decline in risk from the disease from 2005 to 2009. This decline has resulted in a nationwide reduction of over 50 per cent in the number of Somalis getting sick or dying from malaria.

“UNICEF and its partners in the Global Fund Malaria Program for Somalia have worked hard to prevent malaria cases and improve access to effective diagnosis and treatment. While not all the decline in cases can be attributed to these efforts in improved control and treatment, it is gratifying to see that in such a difficult operating environment real positive change is possible,” said Rozanne Chorlton, UNICEF Representative for Somalia on the occasion of World Malaria Day today.

The Global Fund Malaria Program has focused on community-based distribution of long lasting insecticide treated bed nets to those communities living in higher prevalence areas as well as increased training of health workers to enable them to provide effective diagnosis and treatment of malaria.

In most African countries where malaria is common, treatment is normally based on assumptions – without testing - that fever means malaria. More often individuals start taking action either by self medication with drugs bought over the counter or other local remedies from a herbalist. In response to this, it is imperative to devolve capacity to effectively diagnose and treat malaria. But if a fever is not malaria it must also be treated otherwise medical staff are pressured to treat for malaria no matter what the test says.

The approach to train health workers in fever management is aimed at building their capacity to manage other conditions that present themselves with fever that include measles, ear infections, sore throat or pneumonia. By being trained on how to conduct a simple 15-minute rapid diagnostic test, a health worker is able to conduct a blood test to detect if a patient has malaria parasites or not and to provide the appropriate treatment.

“In some instances the true cause of fever may not be malaria and by not getting tested for malaria, individuals can miss the opportunity to treat the real cause of fever,” says Ahmed Jama - Malaria Coordinator for the Global Fund Program in Northwest Somalia (“Somaliland”). “Generally we see that 1 per cent of persons tested in Northwest Somalia actually have malaria while the others are suffering from other illnesses that require different treatment. Our program aims to ensure all those with fever are treated – but treated for the right disease. ”

Financial support to the program has been made possible through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In 2006, UNICEF introduced the WHO-approved Artemesinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) to all health facilities across Somalia except health posts (the lowest level of facilities). Now the challenge is to devolve treatment further to the numerous health posts. This has proven a significant challenge in a country with no functioning health system and on-going conflict. Training materials have been simplified to a level that can be understood by Community Health Workers.

In the past six months UNICEF has supported the training of 393 Community Health Workers in the management of fever-related illnesses. These workers serve 180 of the estimated 480 health posts across Somalia. Efforts are under-way to expand the network of effective treatment still further. In addition UNICEF has distributed 732,000 long lasting insecticide treated nets over the last two years in malaria prone districts across Somalia. This has contributed to reduction of malaria morbidity. A recent survey indicates that distribution of nets has enhanced coverage to about 45 per cent of households.

“UNICEF will continue to train health workers and supply all health facilities with rapid diagnostic tests for malaria and effective drugs so that people who suspect they have malaria get tested and treated,” says Ms Chorlton. UNICEF is committed to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases - while guaranteeing universal access to malaria prevention and treatment by all the Somali people.

Malaria remains a major public health challenge in Somalia that requires a concerted partnership to maintain the reductions in risk seen since 2005 and prevent its resurgence.

Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Link: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_53410.html.

Iraq and Syria spearhead regional immunization week

Twenty-two countries and territories ramping up immunization efforts and delivering life-saving vaccines

GENEVA, 27 April 2010 – Iraq and the Syrian Arabic Republic this week launched their national immunization weeks, part of a region-wide push to raise vaccination rates. The week will be Iraq’s first, while this year marks Syria’s eighth.

“Immunization weeks signal a commitment that governments are placing the health of children at the top of their priorities,” said Jos Vandelaer, UNICEF’s Chief of Immunization, from New York. “Vaccines are an essential tool in the fight to prevent the needless deaths of children.”

Iraq and Syria are just two out of twenty-two countries and territories that are focusing efforts this week on raising awareness about the importance of immunizing children under the age of five, a key component of immunization weeks.

Events in Iraq kicked off on 24 April, and will run through 30 April. Departments of Health at all 18 Iraqi governorates are being joined by hundreds of communities to carry out a variety of awareness and health education activities, especially in low coverage areas. Activities are designed to remind parents, caregivers and health care providers of the benefits and importance of routine childhood vaccination and will include media events, workshops, training sessions, social mobilization initiatives, round table discussions and exhibitions addressing a wide range of vaccine-related issues.

In Syria, events started on Sunday 25 April and run through Thursday 29 April across all Syrian governorates, and are being coordinated by the Ministry of Health. Health centers and mobile health units will administer vaccines to children under five against polio, measles, tetanus and rubella. In addition the Ministry of Health is seeking to administer tetanus vaccinations to all women between the ages of 15 – 49 who have yet to receive immunizations.

The World Health Organization, in coordination with UNICEF, has been working on organizing immunization weeks across several regions. The recent launches in Iraq and Syria are part of the first-ever immunization week in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, which includes 22 countries and territories, all of which participated. The immunization week in the Eastern Mediterranean joins the already established immunization weeks organized by WHO’s regional offices in Europe and the Americas, together with UNICEF and other partners.

Other countries and territories participating in the Eastern Mediterranean immunization week are: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, occupied Palestinian territory, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Link: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_53429.html.

Sixty thousand Haitian children to receive life-saving vaccination as part of Vaccination Week of the Americas

PORT-AU-PRINCE, 29 April 2010 - An estimated 60,000 Haitian children under the age of five will receive life-saving immunization in the next few days, as part of the Vaccination Week of the Americas – an annual vaccination initiative covering 44 countries and territories in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The vaccination drive in Haiti is being led by the Ministry of Health with the support of UNICEF, WHO and the Pan American Health Organization. It starts on Saturday 1 May and will target the areas of Cornillon, Fonds Verettes, Gantier and Thomazeau in the country’s West Departement and Cayes Jacmel, Marigot, Anse à Pitre, Belle Anse, Grand Gosier and Hotte in the South East Departement adjacent to the border with the Dominican Republic. Children will receive vaccinations against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, and rubella.

“Vaccination is the most cost-effective life saver for children – but the human cost of not vaccinating a child is immeasurable,” said UNICEF Representative in Haiti Ms. Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans. “The concurrent vaccination efforts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic also emphasize the collaborative spirit embodied by the Vaccination Week of the Americas.”

Following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January, routine immunization efforts were severely affected; many health facilities were damaged or destroyed and interruptions to fuel and power supplies has had a major impact on health services – including the cold chain system that supports the storage and distribution of vaccines. In the areas targeted in the coming days, already weak immunization networks were especially affected, with the local situation further compounded by an influx of displaced families from other quake-affected areas – with pre-quake vaccination levels as low as 53 per cent, the Vaccination Week is therefore an important opportunity to re-start routine immunization in these vulnerable areas.

Children will also receive vitamin A supplements and de-worming treatment. Vaccinations will be undertaken at fixed centers and through outreach teams traveling to the most hard-to-reach communities. A total of 146 groups of vaccinators will work on the campaign.

UNICEF is providing vaccines, syringes and other equipment with financial assistance also provided by UNICEF and WHO.

This round of vaccinations will supplement an ongoing campaign that began in February and which has already reached more than 220,000 children under the age of eight in 687 locations in camps for displaced persons in Port au Prince, Léogâne, Petit Goâve, Grand Goâve and Gressier.

Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Link: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_53454.html.

Sexist song outrages Lebanese women - Feature

Weedah Hamzah

Beirut - When Lebanese singer Mohammed Iskandar sang his song "Jumhoriyet Albi," (The Republic of my Heart) he may not have realized the offense his lyrics would cause among his female listeners.

But the song, written by his son Fares and a hit since it was released last month in Arabic music charts, has unleashed a storm of protest from women who think it undermines women's rights and intelligence.

"My heart beats for you," sings Iskander, "But we have no girls here that work with their degrees, our girls are pampered and everything she wants is at her service."

"Take the idea of working with your brains," he continues, "Why cause yourself problems? Assuming I agree that you work, what would we do about your beauty?"

Iskandar, in his mid-30s, is a renowned Lebanese Dabke singer. Dabke is the national folkloric dance of Lebanon and Syria, variations of which can be seen across the Middle East.

"The boss might fall in love and his feelings be aroused, and naturally I would go to the office and destroy it right in front of him," Iskandar sings lustily.

"I respect women's rights, but I wish you'd consider my feelings. What is this job that would separate us? Damn the money, I'll burn it."

Lara Dou, a 20-year-old Lebanese student, was outraged by Iskander's lyrics. "For God's sake, someone should tell him we don't live in the Stone Age. Women can protect themselves, be independent and reach the top," she said.

"All women in the Arab world should sue this singer because in a way he is saying women should be confined to their homes and not work because their beauty might attract other men," Randa Attaya, a 47- year-old Lebanese painter, told the German News Agency, dpa.

But despite Lebanese women's dismay, the song has been a hit.

A CD seller in Beirut's Hamra street, who would not give his name, told dpa that the song was "a best seller these days among taxi drivers and men."

"Some women have come and bought it just out of curiosity," he added.

Effat Zeidan, a member of the Progressive Women's Union in Lebanon, said the song reflected "how some men still think in the Middle East."

"Of course there are men who don't think women should be confined to their homes, but the percentage isn't very high in this region," Zeidan said. "Arab women should unite and fight such ideas."

She stressed that Lebanese women, like other women across the Middle East, were still battling a male-dominated culture.

A women's rights group in Syria, Mrsaad Nisaa Syria (Syrian Women's Monitor) also condemned the song, deeming it "an open call to abolish education for women and a flagrant invitation for violence against women."

The group has called on Syrian radio stations to ban the song.

Although Lebanon is considered a liberal country in the region, and its constitution guarantees equality to all citizens, the country's laws are multifaceted and tend to discriminate against women in practice.

General patriarchal attitudes in Lebanese society make it difficult for women to obtain upper-level positions in the public and private sectors.

The Lebanese government has also made little, if any, effort to assist rural women who suffer disproportionately from poverty and have little awareness of their rights due to a high rate of illiteracy.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322590,sexist-song-outrages-lebanese-women--feature.html.

Town election official attacked in the Philippines

Manila - A town election official was shot by an unidentified gunman in the southern Philippines, three days before the scheduled national and local elections, a police report said Saturday.

Jay Actub Salinas was wounded late Friday in front of his home in Loreto town in Agusan del Sur province, 875 kilometers south of Manila.

Salinas has just delivered the memory cards of the vote-counting machines at the town elections office when he was attacked.

Police investigators said the victim was in stable condition and was being treated at a hospital in nearby Tagum City.

Police and soldiers have vowed to maintain order during Monday's elections, when more than 50 million registered voters are to choose the next president, vice president, 12 senators, more than 200 congressmen and nearly 18,000 local officials.

Dozens of people have been killed and injured since the campaign period started in January, but police said the toll was far lower than during the 2007 election, when more than 100 people were killed.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322601,town-election-official-attacked-in-the-philippines.html.

Six convicted drug traffickers hanged in Iran

Tehran - Six convicted drug traffickers were executed on Saturday in Iran, official news agency IRNA reported.

The six were hanged in a prison in the city of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran, after their initial death verdicts were confirmed by the Supreme Court.

Murder, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking of quantities in excess of 5 kilograms are among crimes punishable by death in Iran.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322605,six-convicted-drug-traffickers-hanged-in-iran.html.

Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable ballistic missiles

Islamabad - Pakistan Saturday successfully tested two ballistic missiles capable of delivering both conventional and non-conventional warheads, the military said.

The launches of the short-range Hatf III and medium-range Hatf IV were conducted at the end of annual field exercises of Army Strategic Force Command.

"Both missiles can carry conventional and nuclear warheads to a range of 290 kilometers and 650 kilometers respectively," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said.

Pakistan's arsenal of missiles target India, while the latter also has missile systems capable of hitting major Pakistani cities.

The two countries are bitter enemies and have fought three wars, two over Himalayan region of Kashmir, since they gained independence from Britain in August 1947.

The latest test came a week after their prime ministers met in Bhutan on the sidelines of a regional conference, and promised to improve relations.

Saturday's tests are unlikely to aggravate tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, as they regularly carry out missile testing and notify each other in advance.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, who witnessed the tests along with senior military officers, said it was time for the world to recognize Pakistan as a nuclear power with equal rights and responsibilities.

He also demanded that Pakistan be given a Nuclear Supplier Group waiver for civil nuclear energy cooperation, as energy is a vital economic security need and nuclear power is a clean way forward.

"Pakistan is capable of providing nuclear fuel cycle services, under IAEA safeguards, and this offer was also made at the Nuclear Security Summit," Gilani said.

Pakistan first conducted nuclear tests in 1998, weeks after India's initial tests, and has been demanding recognition as a declared nuclear state since then.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322610,pakistan-test-fires-nuclear-capable-ballistic-missiles.html.

Spain partly closes air space as volcanic ash cloud arrives

Madrid/Hamburg - Spanish aviation authorities Saturday closed the air space over northern Spain as a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland arrived in the region.

The airports of Santiago de Compostela, La Coruna, Vigo Asturias, Santander, Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca and Leon were affected by the closure which was set to last until 2 pm (1200 GMT), the aviation authority AENA said.

The cloud of ash arrived overnight and is affecting part of Portugal as well.

According to the Meteorological Institute in London on Saturday, the ash cloud could linger over northern Spain through Sunday and spread eastwards towards the Mediterranean region and Italy.

On Friday, Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management reported that volcano under the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, 120 kilometers south-east of Reykjavik, was again spewing increased amounts of ash.

In the preceding days the volcano was "producing less lava and more volcanic ash," agency spokesman Agust Gunnar Gylfason said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322611,spain-partly-closes-air-space-as-volcanic-ash-cloud-arrives.html.

Spanish king undergoes lung surgery

Madrid/Barcelona - Spain's King Juan Carlos on Saturday underwent surgery to one of his lungs, the royal palace announced.

Doctors at a hospital in Barcelona removed a 2-centimeter growth from the 72-year-old monarch's right lung which had been detected in previous routine examinations, according to the palace.

Juan Carlos kept to his work schedule, including a meeting with US Vice-President Joe Biden, the day before he was admitted to hospital.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322613,spanish-king-undergoes-lung-surgery.html.

Iran launches 1st bird-watching festival

Iran has launched its first national bird-watching festival in the capital of Tehran in an attempt to raise public awareness about native Persian birds.

The country's first bird-watching event was launched in Sa'd Abad cultural complex on Saturday, seeking to attract fans and encourage individuals to take part in different specialized areas of birding.

Organizers of the event are also holding Iran's ecotourism capacities exhibition and related digital photography competitions on the sideline of bird-watching festival.

Workshops have also been organized in order to help participants shape a better perception of bird-watching.

Participants and visitors will also be able to take part in the accompanying conferences on the role of the public in the development of the practice, the role birds play in the environment and international Ornithology experiences.

The one-day event has been organized through joint efforts by the country's National Committee of Ecotourism, the Tourism Department of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) and Avayeh Tabi'at Institute.

According to an official at the Department of Environment, Iran has 517 species of endemic birds that can be introduced to the public in order to attract ecotourists.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125799§ionid=3510212.

US angry at French acquittal of Iranian

The US Department of Justice has angrily objected to a French court ruling that acquitted Iranian businessman Majid Kakavand of all charges of violating US trade sanctions against Iran.

"Although we're disappointed by the French court ruling, we will continue to seek justice in this matter," Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said in a statement following Kakavand's acquittal.

"Efforts to apprehend Kakavand are ongoing and should he come into US custody, he will stand trial for his alleged crimes,” he added, claiming that Washington officials had "provided French authorities with detailed analyses of Kakavand's conduct, of the applicable US laws and provisions of the treaty that we felt supported his extradition to the United States."

At the behest of the US government, French authorities arrested Kakavand in March 2009 on charges of illegally exporting military technology to Iran.

The provisional arrest warrant claimed that Kakavand had used his company in Malaysia to order electronic components from American firms and ship them to Iran.

Since then, White House officials have pushed hard for the businessman's extradition to the United States, but their demands were turned down by French authorities who found that, contrary to US claims, the items Kakavand exported to Iran did not involve dual-use technology applicable to military equipment.

Following the findings, Kakavand was acquitted of all charges and released from jail.

The 37-year-old Iranian, who arrived in Tehran early on Saturday, says he will sue the US government for what his lawyers insist to be fabricated documents to support the case for his extradition.

"Given that I have spent fourteen months in jail on false charges, it is my legal right to sue the US authorities as soon as possible," said Kakavand, who arrived in Tehran early Saturday, IRNA reported.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125797§ionid=351020101.

South Africa hopes US bows out early

South Africa's police chief has expressed hope that the US is knocked out of the 2010 World Cup in the first round to avoid a visit by President Barack Obama.

"One challenge is the American president who is coming, not coming, coming, not coming," General Bheki Cele told a parliamentary committee during a briefing on the police's World Cup security plans in Cape Town on Friday.

"It is 50-50. Our famous prayer is that the Americans don't make the second round," he went on to say.

"We are told that if it goes to the second or third stage, the US president may come," he added.

The South African top policeman further pointed out that he had provisional confirmation that 43 heads of state would attend the 2010 World Cup.

“At the moment we have 43 heads of state provisionally confirmed. That 43 will be equal to this one operation," he noted.

The United States is in Group C, competing with England, Slovenia and Algeria. The 2010 tournament will mark the country's ninth run at the World Cup.

South Africa has set aside 44,000 police in an attempt to secure the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 11.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125795&sectionid=3510211.

Turks protest Israeli mosque burning

Hundreds of people have taken to streets of Istanbul burning Israeli flags in protest at a recent attack against Palestinian mosques by Israeli settlers.

The demonstrators -- who rallied after the Friday prayer in the Turkish city's monumental Fatih Mosque -- chanted anti-Israeli slogans and warned of massive demonstrations against aggressive Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, IRNA reported on Saturday.

The latest anti-Israeli march comes after a May 4 case of "arson" in which Israeli settlers reportedly broke into a mosque in a village near the northern West Bank city of Nablus and set fire to the Muslim house of worship.

The blaze caused damage to the building, desecrating the Islamic site by charring holy books and prayer carpets.

Israeli authorities in the civil administration, however, have voiced doubts about the Palestinian claim, claiming that the fire could have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

The Palestinians, on the other hand, have condemned the latest arson attack and argued that all evidence indicated that Israeli settlers were behind the case.

The arson attack took place as US mediator George Mitchell arrived in the region to make a push for restarting the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Since its establishment after the Second World War, Israel has either destroyed or seized more than 1,000 mosques in the occupied territories, IRNA quoted Palestinian officials as saying.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125790§ionid=351020204.