Bulgaria set to take in a Guantanamo detainee

Sofia - Bulgaria is prepared to take one detainee from the US prison for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said Thursday. Before making a final decision, Bulgarian experts are due to travel to Guantanamo for briefings with the immigration candidate, he said, explaining that Bulgaria seeks a "most acceptable profile."

Sofia had considered sheltering two Guantanamo detainees who were not indicted, Tsvetanov said, stressing they "are not terrorists." He did not name the nationality of the detainees in question.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306371,bulgaria-set-to-take-in-a-guantanamo-detainee.html.

Haiti seeks formula to rise from the ruins - Feature

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Port-au-Prince, Haiti - Some say that Haiti's capital should be moved, as happened in Brazil with the building of the new city of Brasilia. Others think Port-au-Prince should be "closed," half the population removed and the city rebuilt on a new plan. It took only 35 seconds on January 12 for Haiti, and especially its capital city of 3.5 million inhabitants, to be turned into ruins. In spite of international efforts, many years could pass before the small Caribbean nation - the poorest in the Western Hemisphere - rises from the rubble.

Two weeks after the catastrophe, the top priorities are no longer burying the dead nor food, although the distribution of food remains a challenge. Now there are 500,000 people in makeshift refugee camps who must be relocated, and the work of clearing the tons of concrete that give the center of Haiti the appearance of a major war zone has to begin.

"We are in a very fragile country, socially vulnerable," Jean Mathurin, an economic adviser to the government, said. "We haven't developed a capacity to avoid catastrophes; this blow may contribute to changing that reality."

Mathurin has high hopes that the lessons from a tragedy with more than 150,000 deaths can bring about change, and reconfigure Haiti into a nation that is less centralized, with opportunities spread to other regions.

He speaks like a man absolutely convinced of what needs to be done, but it all seems an idealistic dream. A new Haiti would require years of work, billions of dollars and international aid of grand dimensions.

"It is a very high cost," Mathurin said. "(But) if we want to save lives and make it so they don't have to come back and help us again like in this disaster, somebody will have to bear the cost.

"We have too many people in Port-au-Prince, and other parts of the country have not been developed. Here's where people found hospitals, universities, work that doesn't exist in other regions," he said.

"Now we have a great opportunity to create services and options for making a living in other parts of the country. Now we have the chance to temporarily close Port-au-Prince, for health reasons, and relocate the population to other regions."

According to Mathurin, the city was designed for 300,000 people and does not have the capacity to handle the current population. He estimated that 400,000 had already migrated out of the city. The International Organization for Migration (OIM) calculates between 130,000 and 200,000 people have left.

Those who have left probably intend to return. Many will return to Port-au-Prince when they can because the places where they now find themselves have little to offer.

Mathurin said he hoped that the face of the country could be changed within three years, and said the world should support the process of reconstruction.

But talk of reconstruction seems a luxury in Haiti. There are urgent needs: what to do with the people in the refugee camps, with the rubble, with the destroyed economy, on top of the age-old poverty in a country that has suffered years of political instability and misery.

Even the government doesn't have a place to meet. The National Palace, seat of the presidency, collapsed, as did several ministries.

"People are desperate," OIM spokesman Niurka Pineiro said. He noted that in Haitian culture, "when someone is from one barrio, he doesn't want to move anywhere else."

Mathurin is not alone in wanting "a change of era," as he calls it. Jordan Ryan, the director of the office of crisis prevention and recovery of the UN Development Program, agreed that Haiti now has a "unique opportunity" to be better off than before the earthquake.

The government has estimated that is would need a minimum of 3 billion dollars during the next 10 years for the country to be able to function.

In March, the UN will host a conference of donors to coordinate reconstruction.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306060,haiti-seeks-formula-to-rise-from-the-ruins--feature.html.

President Rajapaksa heads for victory in Sri Lanka - 3rd Update

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Colombo - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was heading for a clear victory in the presidential polls with the final results soon to be officially released, election officials said Wednesday. Rajapaksa, who is running for a second term, won 5.5 million votes, or 57.81 per cent of the vote, while his main rival, former army commander Sarath Fonseka, won 40.21 per cent, according to an unofficial tally.

The turnout was 70 per cent of the 14 million registered voters.

Meanwhile troops ringed a hotel in the capital where General Fonseka was staying, but the government denied it was trying to arrest the former army commander.

Ten uniformed soldiers detailed to provide security for Fonseka surrendered, but the military claimed that they were army deserters.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakakra said shortly before the results of Tuesday's election were due to be announced that there were no attempts to arrest Fonseka, the candidate of an opposition coalition.

"We have information that there are as many as 400 former army soldiers," Nanayakakra said. "We want to check about their presence and whether they want to create any problems."

"We see this as a move to restrict his movements and harass him," Anura Dissanayaka, a spokesman for the opposition, said.

The Cinnamon Lakeside is a five-star hotel in Colombo adjoining the air force headquarters. Fonseka, the former army commander under Rajapaksa, had checked into the hotel with some of his supporters after the voting had finished Tuesday evening.

Both candidates had campaigned on leading the military victory against Tamil separatist rebels. The 26-year war ended in May with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's defeat.

Some violent incidents were reported during the election, but observers said they were not serious enough to disrupt the balloting.

Overnight, police reported a series of election-related incidents, including attacks on opposition supporters.

A Buddhist monk and a civilian were killed in a hand grenade attack on a temple in Gampola, 120 kilometers east of the capital. Police said it was an election-related incident. A curfew was imposed in the area to prevent the spread of violence.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306057,president-rajapaksa-heads-for-victory-in-sri-lanka--3rd-update.html.

Malaysian police arrest 12 in alleged Singapore drug ring

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Kuala Lumpur - Police detained 12 people including three Singaporean nationals allegedly involved in a syndicate supplying illegal drugs to Singapore, a news report said Wednesday. Anti-narcotics police from the southern Johor state launched raids on the suspects Tuesday, following months of investigations with Singaporean authorities, police chief Mokhtar Shariff said.

"The syndicate trafficked the drugs to Singapore using couriers," Mokhtar was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

Police seized drugs, cash in multiple foreign currencies, cars, laptops and jewelry worth 530,000 ringgit (151,430 dollars), he said.

Two of the three detained Singaporean men were on the police wanted list in their home country.

The suspects would be charged with trafficking, which under Malaysian law is punishable by the death.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306065,malaysian-police-arrest-12-in-alleged-singapore-drug-ring.html.

DNA sampling to be used as India prepares for tiger census in Sunderbans

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

New Delhi — India plans to conduct a tiger census in the Sunderbans forests, an area that lies between India and Bangladesh and is home to the Asiatic tigers, in February and preparations are underway to hold it with DNA sampling for checking the head count, news reports said Wednesday.

According to Pradeep Vyas, director of the Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve (SBR) the exercise will be conducted after field training of staff was over. Over 200 forest guards will be on duty to assist the staff who will conduct the census .

For the first time, DNA sampling method would be tried for the tiger head count in the famous mangrove forest, he has been quoted as saying.

India's ministry of Environment and Forests last week announced it was negotiating an integrated coastal zone management project worth USD $ 200 million with the World Bank, of which $ 50 million will be allocated for the world's largest mangrove forests in the estuarine islands of the Sunderbans.

Federal Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh said the funds, to be utilized over a 5-year period, will be employed in projects relating to eco tourism, coastal erosion protection, improvement of the livelihood of the people who live in the fringe areas of the forests, construction of cyclone shelters, electrification projects and building capacity of universities and institute that provide technical support.

The project is expected to come through by June this year, he said adding that the Sunderbans Development Board will be responsible for the control and management of these funds.

The Sunderbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.

The forest lies at the feet of the River Ganges and is spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, forming the seaward fringe of the delta. The seasonally-flooded Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests lie inland from the mangrove forests. The forest covers 10,000 kms. of which about 6,000 are in Bangladesh.

The area is known for the eponymous Royal Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris), as well as numerous fauna including species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes. It is estimated that there are now 500 Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area.

The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the eco-region has been mostly converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining.

The remaining forests, together with the Sunderbans mangroves, are important habitat for the endangered tigers. Additionally, the area serves a crucial function as a protective flood barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around Kolkata (Calcutta) against the result of cyclone activity.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306077,dna-sampling-to-be-used-as-india-prepares-for-tiger.html.

Iran executes murderer in public

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Tehran - A convicted murdered was hanged in public on Wednesday in central Iran, official news agency IRNA reported. The man had killed the deputy prosecutor of Isfahan city last year, and was hanged at the site of the murder, it said.

The death sentence was carried out after it was confirmed by the supreme court.

Iran usually implements executions inside prisons, but occasionally carries them out in public.

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

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306072,iran-executes-murderer-in-public.html.

Indonesian president's popularity drops

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Jakarta - The popularity of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has dropped, partly owing to controversy over a bank bail-out and perceived back-pedaling in fighting corruption, according to a new poll released Wednesday. A nationwide survey of 2,900 people conducted this month found that Yudhoyono still enjoyed good ratings from a substantial majority of Indonesians but his approval ratings had fallen to 70 per cent from 85 per cent in July, the Indonesian Survey Institute said.

The pollster attributed the drop to respondents' unhappiness with the president's performance in areas such as law enforcement and the economy.

An ongoing tussle over the government's decision to bail out a failing small bank in 2008 and Yudhoyono's perceived waning commitment to fighting corruption has contributed to the decline, it said.

Parliament has launched an inquiry into the bailout of Bank Century amid accusations by critics that the rescue was meant to save the money of people close to Yudhoyono.

Critics have suggested that some of the money was used to bankroll the president's re-election campaign last year.

Yudhoyono won a second five-year term on promises to fight graft and boost the economy.

He denied the allegations over the bank bail-out, saying it was meant to prevent a crisis in the banking system.

Yudhoyono's popularity was also hit by a scandal in which police and prosecutors allegedly framed two deputies of the Corruption Eradication Commission in what appeared to be a high-level conspiracy to weaken the graft-busting agency.

Corruption charges against the two deputies were dropped late last year at Yudhoyono's request following intense public pressure.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306075,indonesian-presidents-popularity-drops.html.

Cyprus peace talks extended ahead of expected visit by UN chief

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Athens/Nicosia - Rival leaders on Cyprus will meet on Friday during an extended second round of peace talks in an effort to reunify the divided island this year, UN officials said Wednesday. Six-days of UN-led negotiations ended on Wednesday without any indication of a breakthrough and rival leaders have agreed to an extra day of intensive talks ahead of a possible visit by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon next week.

The visit by the UN secretary general is seen as an effort to shore up the faltering negotiations aimed at reaching a settlement of the Cyprus problem.

"They have been focusing their discussion on governance and power- sharing ... The two leaders have decided that they will meet again on Friday for further discussions," said the UN secretary general's special adviser, Alexander Downer.

Both Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders say they are committed to finding a solution this year after 16 months of sluggish negotiations which included three marathon sessions alone earlier this month.

Peace talks were launched amid much optimism and high expectations in September 2008 but have since faltered as the two sides remain divided on the core issues of property, security and territorial adjustments.

Cyprus has been been split since 1974, ever since Turkey invaded the northern third of Cyprus in response to a Greek-inspired coup.

Greek Cypriots currently live in the south of Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots in the north, divided by a United Nations-supervised buffer zone, or No Man's Land - which runs through the heart of Nicosia.

Experts have expressed fears that the two leaders have little time left, with elections in the occupied northern part of the island expected to bring to power a hardliner.

On Wednesday, Turkish Cypriot hardliner Dervis Eroglu, considered to be a nationalist extremist, said he will run in presidential elections in northern Cyprus on April 18.

If elected, Eroglu will likely bring a permanent division the island by forming two entirely separate states.

EU officials have said that progress at the Cyprus reunification talks will be essential to move Turkey's slow-moving EU accession process forward.

Although the peace talks and Turkey's EU membership negotiations are separate processes, a breakthrough on one is likely to have a positive impact on the other.

Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias has ruled out any draft agreement at this stage, as both sides are adamant that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Leaders have suggested that much of their differences lie on how to deal with the thousands of property claims from people uprooted in past conflicts.

Greek Cypriots leaders have also criticized recent proposals by the Turkish Cypriots which include separate rights to sign international agreements and control of the Mediterranean island's airspace.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306197,cyprus-peace-talks-extended-ahead-of-expected-visit-by-un-chief.html.

Davos begins with Sarkozy call for global reform - Summary

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Davos, Switzerland - The World Economic Forum began Wednesday evening, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy lashing out against greedy capitalism, pushing for a more moderate version of the market economy and issuing a call for a revamping of the global monetary system. "Today, we need a new Bretton Woods," said Sarkozy, referring to the international financial institutions established in the wake of World War II.

France, the president said, would encourage such reforms when taking the helm of the G8 and G20 forums of rich nations and emerging economies in 2011.

His speech against the excesses of the boom era and the systemic risks taken by financiers, was expected at this year's forum, running under the slogan "Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild."

"This means concretely rethinking our values, redesigning our systems and rebuilding our institutions," WEF founder Klaus Schwab said before introducing his visitor from Paris.

Addressing some 2,500 participants, Sarkozy said there was a need for further regulation of the financial sector, in part to end dangerous speculation, adding that he was in agreement with the recent calls for reform from US President Barack Obama.

But France's head of state warned that the changes should not hurt the competitiveness of one country at the expense of another.

"How can we conceive that in a competitive world, we can insist that European banks have four times more capital to cover the risks of their market activities, without demanding the same of American or Asian banks," Sarkozy told an elite crowd of business and political leaders that erupted from time to time in applause.

A global system of rules was needed for markets and financial institutions, he said, while also supporting an international rules- based system for labor, the environment and health issues.

Jaime Caruana from the Bank of International Settlements - the central bank of central banks - had earlier said that while a global framework was needed for economic and capital flows, each country would likely have to design its own rules.

Nations with trade surpluses should boost consumption and a single currency could not dominate the globe, Sarkozy said in his opening address, calling for a balanced world to prevent future crises.

The annual meet high up in the Swiss Alps, was taking place amid concerns economic recovery in some developed countries was still shaky and unemployment in the richest nations was creeping up, even if gross domestic product results show positive signs.

Debates in preliminary sessions focused on how much regulation of the banking sector was needed and how the developing world should learn from the mistakes of the rich countries, while trying to avoid a deeper economic crisis.

"There is a risk of a double-dip recession. Emerging market economies will do better than advanced economies," said Nouriel Roubini, an economist considered one of the few to have predicted the crisis.

China's emergence as an economic superpower was also being talked about, along with the ramifications for the economies it will surpass, and the United States, expected to remain number one for some years to come.

In general, the growing importance of the emerging economies was firmly on the WEF's agenda.

A recent index released by Standard and Poor's rating agency showed that Brazil, Russia China and India have risen from 1.4 per cent to 15 per cent of world market value over the last decade.

Also on the agenda was a heated debate scheduled Thursday on the eurozones, to be attended by European leaders and Jean Claude Trichet, the head of the European bank in Frankfurt.

In the background, the earthquake devastation in Haiti was featured, with a plan by former US president Bill Clinton for a new economic initiative for the Caribbean country.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306183,davos-begins-with-sarkozy-call-for-global-reform--summary.html.

Israeli foreign minister calls on Hungary to ban hate speech

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

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Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Budapest - Israel's foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman called on Hungary to bring in laws banning "hate speech" during a visit to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. "We must stop the spread of anti-Semitism in this way because extremist movements are ever more boldly raising their heads in Hungary," Lieberman said, as quoted by the state news agency MTI.

Earlier in the day, the prime ministerial candidate of the governing Hungarian Socialist Party, Attila Mesterházy, tabled a motion to ban "hate speech" in the Hungarian parliament.

Liebermann also held talks with Hungary's foreign minister Peter Balazs while in Budapest, the ministry said in a statement.

The two discussed regional stability in the Middle East and "Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism and the dangers inherent in Iranian politics," the ministry said.

The Hungarian capital Budapest is home to Central and Eastern Europe's largest Jewish population, with some estimates as high as 100,000, as well as the continent's largest synagogue.

Up to 600,000 Hungarian Jews are believed to have perished during the Holocaust, mostly in the closing days of the Second World War.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306182,israeli-foreign-minister-calls-on-hungary-to-ban-hate-speech.html.

UN: Situation in Gaza unsustainable for Palestinians

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

New York - Failure to address the Hamas-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip that ended a year ago has created unstable living conditions and a sense of hopelessness for the Palestinian people, the UN said Wednesday. The UN had proposed a dialogue on the origin and aftermath of the December 2008-January 2009 conflict and voiced concern that the proposal was not taken up a year later.

Hamas continued to hold control over Gaza, which has a population of 1.5 million, with no elections held on Monday, the scheduled election date, for the Palestinian Authority. President Mahmoud Abbas had decided to step down.

"We continue to support the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank within the framework of the legitimate Palestinian Authority," said Oscar Fernando-Taranco, the UN assistant secretary general for political affairs. He was addressing the monthly UN Security Council session on the Middle East.

He called for free and fair election to be held in Palestinian territory. The Palestine Liberation Organization has extended the mandate of the president and legislature until elections can be held.

Fernando-Tarranco told the 15-nation council that there had been a "notable increase" in violence throughout January between Gaza and Israel. He said 70 projectiles of different sorts were fired at Israel, of which 19 hit targets in the country. Israel conducted 20 incursions into and launched 11 airstrikes against Gaza.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306185,un-situation-in-gaza-unsustainable-for-palestinians.html.

Lebanese, Egyptian prime ministers discuss trade, energy

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Cairo (Earth Times) - Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Nazif, on Wednesday held a series of talks in Cairo aimed at boosting economic and energy ties. Egyptian Foreign Ministry sources said the talks were likely to produce a series of memorandums of understanding to be announced when Hariri meets Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak on Thursday.

Cairo's official MENA news agency noted the presence of Egyptian Petroleum Minister Samih Fahmi, and said the talks had included discussion of increased Egyptian investment in Lebanese energy projects.

Lebanon's power grid strains to keep up with the country's demand. Beirut is subject to frequent blackouts.

A pipeline linking Egypt's natural gas refineries with the Lebanese city of Tripoli came online in October, with supplies being used at a nearby power plant.

Following one-on-one talks between the two prime ministers, the Lebanese foreign, economy and information ministers met with the Egyptian ministers of economy, information, international cooperation and manpower, MENA reported.

Hariri arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, for the latest stop in a tour that last week took him to France and Turkey.

He also arrived hours after an Egyptian State Security Prosecutor asked for the death penalty in the case of 26 men, including Lebanese and Palestinian nationals, accused of plotting attacks in Egypt on behalf of the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah.

Hezbollah and Hariri are traditional political rivals, but now govern together as part of an "all-party" government.

In Beirut on Wednesday, Ahmed Fatfat, a member of Hariri's parliamentary bloc, told Lebanon's New TV that he did not know whether Hariri would play a mediating role in the Egyptian court case.

"The important thing is that they have a fair trial," Fatfat said.

Apple announces eagerly awaited iPad - Summary

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

San Francisco - Apple chief executive Steve Jobs revealed the company's eagerly awaited tablet computer Wednesday, promising that the iPad would give users "the best web experience you have ever had."Saying that there was room for a third device between a laptop and a smartphone, Jobs demonstrated the new device at a launch event in San Francisco.

Comparing the iPad to a larger version of the company's genre- defining iPhone, Jobs said the device would feature a 9.7-inch (24.6- cm) multi-touch screen and specialize in common tasks like browsing the web, email, video, music and picture tasks, as well as playing games and reading ebooks.

"If there's going to be a third category, it has to be better at these tasks - otherwise it has no reason for being," he said.

The iPad will be price competitive with low-end laptops and netbooks. It will be available in 60 days starting at a lower than expected 499 dollars for a 16 GB model going up to 829 dollars for a 64 GB model with wi-fi and 3G capabilities. 3G plans will be available though AT&T, the exclusive iPhone carrier in the US, starting at 15 dollars a month for 250 GB of data and 30 dollars for unlimited data.

Investors initially balked at the first details of the iPad, sending Apple stock down 4 per cent. But the announcement of the pricing, turned their sentiment around and the stock recovered to gain 1 per cent on the day.

Analysts had predicted that Apple could sell 5 million units and generate 3 billion dollars in revenue if the iPad was priced at 600 dollars. With cheaper units available Apple may surpass those expectations and forge a new category that it can dominate as it did with the iPhone and iPod, analysts said.

Jobs said the device was just 1 cm thin, weighed 680 grams, had battery life of 10 hours in use and over one month on standby and would come with a 16 GB flash hard drive.

Able to connect to the thousands of applications already available for the iPhone, the iPad also functions as a game playing device through the use of its built-in accelerometer.

The device's use as a newspaper reader was demonstrated by New York Times digital chief Martin Nisenholtz. He said that the application developed in three weeks, "captured the essence of reading a newspaper" while also offering features like instant video clips.

"iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price," said Steve. "iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306201,apple-announces-eagerly-awaited-ipad--summary.html.

Swedish diplomat named UN mission chief in Afghanistan - Summary

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

New York - Stefan de Mistura, a veteran UN troubleshooter, was named head of the UN mission in Afghanistan on Wednesday. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who selected de Mistura to replace outgoing Norwegian Kai Eide, said the Swedish diplomat will take over on March 1.

De Mistura previously headed the UN mission in Iraq and held other important UN assignments.

Ban said Afghanistan is reaching a turning point in its struggle for survival and its population want a "larger say" in running the country. An international conference on Afghanistan was to take place in London on Thursday, which Ban will attend.

"Looking ahead, we need a more balanced approach," Ban said. "Our civilian strategy cannot be an add-on to the military strategy."

He explained that civilian organizations, like the UN, and the military should retool their cooperation in their joint efforts to help the Kabul government settle the war in the country and bring about peace and development.

Ban told reporters before leaving for London that the international community should give the Kabul government a "clear picture" about what and how much it could provide in term of assistance to foster peace, stability and economic development.

"At the same time, the international community expects President (Hamid) Karzai to come up with a strong compact in areas of good governance, how to fight corruption and enhance human rights," said Ban, who will meet Karzai in London.

The London conference will be followed by another in Kabul in two months.

Ban said he was encouraged by Karzai's attempts reconcile with Afghan parties that do not share his policy, including some Taliban members who would break up with the insurgent group and cut all ties with al-Qaeda.

Kabul apparently has asked a UN Security Council sanctions panel to remove the names of Taliban members who would join the Afghan government from the UN list of terrorist suspects subject to UN sanctions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306202,swedish-diplomat-named-un-mission-chief-in-afghanistan--summary.html.

World powers vow Yemen long-term aid to stave off al-Qaeda - Summary

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

London - World powers must broaden the range of support they give to Yemen immediately and sustain it over many years to stop the country from becoming a base for al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, top diplomats at a conference in London said Wednesday. That will require aid which goes beyond military assistance to help the Yemeni government defeat rebels in the north and south, instead targeting reform, economic development and the rule of law.

"The assault on Yemen's problems cannot begin and end with its security challenges and its counter-terrorism strategy. In tackling terrorism, it is vital to tackle its root causes," said Britain's foreign minister, David Miliband, who chaired the conference.

"In Yemen's case, these are manifold: economic, social and political ... (They) will take a sustained commitment by Yemen and the international community," Miliband said.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for the meeting in response to the failed bomb attack on an airliner over Detroit on December 25. The alleged bomber was reportedly trained in Yemen.

The meeting was piggy-backed onto a long-planned major international conference on Afghanistan that opens Thursday in London.

The overriding concern of the London talks was to stop Yemen becoming a failed state which could serve as a base for al-Qaeda and other militant groups.

"We believe that bringing unity and stability to Yemen is an urgent national-security priority of ours," US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

In particular, she praised the Yemeni government's "relentless pursuit of al-Qaeda," saying that "by doing so, they have earned the support and cooperation of the international community."

But conference participants stressed that the multitude of Yemen's problems would demand an equally broad-based response from both the Yemeni government and international players.

"This must be a partnership if there is to be a successful outcome," Clinton said of future cooperation.

Clinton emphasized that Yemen's problems could not be solved by "military force alone," stressing that the US treated Yemen's sovereignty as a "paramount guiding consideration."

"Ultimately, the future of Yemen is up to the Yemenis themselves," she said.

US military teams and intelligence agencies have been helping Yemeni troops in military operations that have killed six of the 15 top leaders of a regional al-Qaeda affiliate, The Washington Post reported earlier Wednesday. The operations were approved by President Barack Obama.

Yemen's Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi acknowledged that the problems facing his government "cannot be remedied unless we implement an agenda of reforms," adding that a "political solution must be found through dialogue."

He said that conference participants had shown "true understanding of the challenges facing Yemen."

Key among the conference decisions was an invitation by the Gulf Cooperation Council to a follow-up meeting in Riyadh on February 27-28. The foreign ministers of the six GCC countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Quatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates - were among 20 nations taking part in the London meeting.

The Riyadh meeting should "share analysis on the barriers to effective aid in Yemen, leading to a joint dialogue with the government of Yemen, including on priority reforms," an official statement approved at the conference said.

Earlier drafts of the declaration had called for a donors' conference, but the phrasing was changed at the last minute.

The British government hosted a donors' conference on Yemen in 2006. On that occasion, world powers pledged some 5 billion dollars in aid, but they subsequently failed to pay.

"The vast bulk of that money has not been spent," Miliband acknowledged.

The countries at the conference also decided to found a regular discussion group, the "friends of Yemen," dedicated to keeping the country's problems high on the international agenda.

Those countries included the GCC sextet, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States), and international groups such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and European Union.

At the conference, the Yemeni government agreed to begin talks with the IMF on the possibility of applying for a loan in return for further economic reforms.

"Economic and social reform by the government of Yemen (is) key to long-term stability and prosperity ... with strong support from the international community," the final statement said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306203,world-powers-vow-yemen-long-term-aid-to-stave-off-al-qaeda.html.

ANALYSIS: New beginning for Honduras under President Lobo

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Buenos Aires/Tegucigalpa, Honduras - "Reconciliation" is the key word that Porfirio Lobo uttered Wednesday, when he was inaugurated as Honduras' president. The impoverished Central American country is in dire need of reconciliation, seven months after a coup that ousted president Manuel Zelaya and led Tegucigalpa to international isolation.

Internal tensions have been rife for many months, even before the coup, and Lobo, a 62-year-old conservative agribusinessman, did well to promise a new beginning.

In the hours prior to his inauguration, conditions were established to end the crisis.

Congress passed early Wednesday an amnesty for political crimes surrounding the coup, which supporters say was prompted by Zelaya's insistence on holding a referendum on a constituent assembly that could have allowed him to stand for reelection.

The amnesty affects Zelaya himself, against whom an arrest warrant had been issued for treason and abuse of authority, among other crimes. But it also benefits Roberto Micheletti, who was named to lead the country after the coup.

Lobo himself had vowed to ensure safe conduct on Wednesday for Zelaya to finally leave Honduras.

The ousted leader was forced into exile in Costa Rica in the wake of his removal from power, but later secretly returned to Honduras on September 21 and sought refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa.

The de facto government headed by Micheletti had made it impossible for Zelaya to leave the embassy, threatening to arrest him as soon as he set foot on Honduran soil.

But things have changed under Lobo: the new president vowed to accompany Zelaya to the airport, so he can finally accept an invitation from Dominican President Leonel Fernandez and travel to Santo Domingo.

On Tuesday, the Honduran Supreme Court exonerated the country's military leadership of charges related to Zelaya's expulsion. The court argued that military leaders acted in the face of a "situation of real danger in Honduras" and of a threat of an "institutional collapse of the state," amid tensions in the weeks leading up to the ouster.

Even once these steps have been taken, however, Lobo is bound to walk on thin ice. The international community almost unanimously condemned the coup. The Organization of American States (OAS) suspended Honduras from membership, loans were cut off, aid was frozen and trade decreased.

The country, which was already suffering the effects of the global financial crisis, is believed to have lost around 400 million dollars as a result of the coup.

Even the election that Lobo won on November 29 has hardly been recognized by the international community, for having taken place under an undemocratic regime.

And the fact that Micheletti refused to the last to leave the presidency and to allow Zelaya to be reinstated symbolically for the power transfer hardly makes things easier for Lobo.

Many countries remained expectant Wednesday. Spain, for example, described the situation as "abnormal" and noted that it needs to be "corrected," in the words of Juan Pablo de Laiglesia, secretary of state for Iberian-American affairs.

"With the honoring of engagements that Lobo has made, a full normalization of relations will take place," De Laiglesia said.

When that happens, European Union and Latin American ambassadors can return to the troubled Central American nation.

The Honduran population does not generally hold high hopes for the quality of its democracy and modestly looks forward to a return to normality.

Whether this entails a concept of fairness remains secondary. The country has long been under the control of a few rich and powerful families. Lobo comes from one of them.

But then so did Zelaya, who took office as a right-wing liberal but nevertheless committed sacrilege by siding with the poor and aligning the country with the camp led by left-wing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Lobo stands where Zelaya once stood: before huge challenges.

Over half the Honduran population lives in poverty. Many experts note that a redistribution of wealth and power from the country's elites to a broader portion of society could be key to getting Honduras out of its chronic economic and political crisis.

That was just what Zelaya claimed he wanted. And he did not do that well.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306204,analysis-new-beginning-for-honduras-under-president-lobo.html.

Angry tourists await evacuation from Inca citadel Machu Picchu

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Lima - Around 1,400 tourists remained trapped Wednesday at the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, in the southern Peruvian region of Cusco, and some complained about ongoing evacuation procedures. "It has been mostly private helicopters that came over. They charged up to 500 dollars and they took away those who could pay. No priority was given to the sick or to children," Brazilian tourist Deliane de Queiroz told Peruvian media.

Heavy rain had claimed 10 lives in the region of Cusco, damaged the property of 10,000 people and caused a mudslide that cut off the railway service between the world-famous Machu Picchu and regional capital Cusco.

On Tuesday, over 400 tourists were evacuated from the village of Aguas Calientes, adjacent to the archeological site of Machu Picchu, in Peruvian Air Force helicopters and private aircraft.

Among those still trapped in the area were 500 Argentines, 300 Chileans and 120 Brazilians.

Tourists regularly visit Machu Picchu and return to Cusco, the nearest city, for the night. A mudslide led Sunday to an interruption of the railway, leaving tourists trapped near the Andean citadel.

The small tourist town of Aguas Calientes did not have enough hotel beds for all the day visitors and some have had to use tents or sleep at the station.

"We have gone hungry," Argentine tourist Florencia Galindez said.

"Bouts of flu and stomach problems have already started. The cold is implacable and we have no mats or blankets," said Chilean tourist Fernando Celis.

Visitors complained of the price increases in food and lodging, and of the chaotic evacuation procedure.

Peruvian Tourism Minister Martin Perez visited the area Wednesday and said 800 further people were expected to be evacuated later in the day.

In Washington, US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said Tuesday that the United States had provided four helicopters to help with the evacuation of about 400 US citizens. US embassy personnel were moved to the area from the capital Lima to assist the Peruvian police and military.

Machu Picchu gets up to 55,000 visitors per year. The citadel is Peru's main tourist destination and as such a major source of income.

Located at an altitude of about 2,400 meters in the Andes, over the Urubamba valley, the so-called "Lost City of the Incas" features over 200 structures including temples, palaces and other buildings.

Built in the 15th century, Machu Picchu remained largely hidden from the outside world until US archeologist Hiram Bingham came across it in 1911.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306205,angry-tourists-await-evacuation-from-inca-citadel-machu-picchu.html.

IMF approves 102-million-dollar loan to Haiti

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Washington - The International Monetary Fund's executive board on Wednesday approved a 102-million-dollar loan to help Haiti rebuild after this month's devastating earthquake. Combined with payouts from an existing loan program, the IMF said it would transfer a total of 114 million dollars to Haiti's government by the end of this week, marking the largest handover of funds since the magnitude-7 earthquake struck on January 12.

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the transfer would provide Haiti with "urgently needed cash resources" that would allow it to acquire emergency imports to help those who survived.

The IMF has been under fire along with other creditors for offering Haiti loans instead of grants and refusing to cancel Haiti's debt. The IMF said Haiti would not have to start paying back the loan for five and a half years.

Strauss-Kahn lamented that the earthquake had destroyed Haiti's economy just as it was beginning to show signs of improvement. He noted that, at nearly 3 per cent, Haiti had the second-highest growth rate in the Western Hemisphere in 2009.

"Aside from the human tragedy, this disaster represents a major setback for the Haitian economy, following several years of progress in maintaining macroeconomic stability, resuming growth, and implementing essential structural reforms," Strauss-Kahn said.

The January 12 earthquake killed at least 150,000 people and left much of the impoverished Caribbean country in ruins.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306207,imf-approves-102-million-dollar-loan-to-haiti.html.

Five killers of Bangladesh founder executed

Wed, 27 Jan 2010

Dhaka - Bangladesh on early Thursday hanged five out of 12 former military officers convicted in the 1975 assassination of the country's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, media reports said. The execution of the killers came 35 years after Mujibur was killed along with most of his family in a military putsch on August 15, 1975.

The condemned killers walked to the gallows one after another shortly after midnight Wednesday at Dhaka Central Jail amid tight security, the Daily Star newspaper reported quoting unnamed officials.

Those hanged were former artillery officer Mohiuddin Ahmed, and four retired officers - major Bazlul Huda, lieutenant colonel Sultan Shariar Rashid Khan, lieutenant colonel Syed Farooq Rahman and major AKM Mohiuddin.

Earlier, mercy petitions from four of them were summarily rejected by President Zillur Rahman. The Supreme Court also rejected their petitions to review the death penalty after the punishment had been approved by a special judge's court and confirmed by the High Court.

Law enforcers wrapped tight security cordons around the central jail areas in the densely populated old city sector. Several thousand gathered beside the barriers curious about the execution of Mujibur's self-declared killers, who were tried under civilian law.

The crowd chanted slogans asking the government to bring back the rest of those convicted in the killing to face execution. Six of the others are fugitives. The seventh reportedly died in Zimbabwe in 2001, officials said.

After the Supreme Court rejected the appeal, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shafique Ahmed had ruled the execution could take place before January 31, in accord with a period of time set by law.

Mujibur, who led Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, was killed along with most of his family by a group of disgruntled army officers in a military putsch which overthrew the elected government.

The assassins were not pursued by subsequent governments. A murder case was filed only after Mujibur's eldest daughter, Hasina, became prime minister in 1996. But the trial process was halted after Hasina lost power in the 2001 general elections. She resumed the process only after she returned to office with a huge parliamentary majority in late 2008 general elections.

Human rights groups and the European Union last week opposed the death sentences, saying the murders had been "politically motivated".

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306208,five-killers-of-bangladesh-founder-executed.html.

Abbas in Russia: Mideast peace process is deadlocked

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Moscow - The Middle East peace process is deadlocked, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday. "There is no blueprint that can get the political processes moving forward," Abbas was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

Medvedev said that Moscow supported the two-state solution that sees the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Russia was calling for a new start to the peace process and could make its own contribution, Medvedev said, speaking of the possibility of a February meeting in Moscow of the so-called Mideast Quartet - Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Sochi confirmed plans by Moscow for a large international Mideast conference. However, beforehand, Israel and the Palestinians must make considerable progress in their, he said.

Lavrov renewed his defense of Russia's contacts with the radical Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas.

"In order to continue dialogue, no one should be isolated," he said.

Israel has on several occasions threatened to boycott the Moscow peace conference should Hamas or the Lebanese radical Islamist organization Hezbollah take part.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305950,abbas-in-russia-mideast-peace-process-is-deadlocked.html.

Advanced new Russian fighter makes first flight

By Steve Gutterman

MOSCOW, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia test-flew a long-awaited new fighter plane on Friday, determined to challenge the United States for technical superiority in the skies and impress weapons buyers around the globe.

The "fifth-generation" stealth fighter -- Russia's first all-new warplane since the Soviet collapse plunged the defense industry into poverty and disarray -- flew for 47 minutes, planemaker Sukhoi said.

"The plane performed very well. All our expectations for this first flight were met," Sukhoi spokeswoman Olga Kayukova said on Rossiya 24 television. "The premiere was a success."

Russia's main networks led news programs with reports of the flight and showed footage of the needle-nosed, camouflage-painted jet taking off from a snow-lined airstrip at a Sukhoi factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in Russia's Far East.

Foreign journalists were not invited.

Fifth-generation jets are invisible to radar, have advanced flight and weapons control systems and can cruise at supersonic speeds. The new jet is Moscow's answer to the U.S.-built F-22 Raptor stealth fighter -- the world's only fifth generation fighter yet in service -- which first flew in 1997.

Analysts have said it would probably be five to seven years before Russia's military gets to fly the new fighter. The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed source as saying the first deliveries to Russia's air force were likely in 2015.

Successful development of the fighter, which Rossiya 24 said has been tentatively dubbed the T-50, is crucial to showing that Russia can challenge U.S. technology.

The 1991 Soviet collapse ushered in a cash-strapped time of troubles for Russia's military. Its aircraft makers have been building warplanes based on updated Soviet-era designs.

Defense spending increased in the oil-fulled period of economic growth during the 2000-2008 presidency of Vladimir Putin, who has encouraged pride in Russia's military might.

But the military has continued to suffer embarrassing and sometimes deadly setbacks since the nuclear submarine Kursk sank in 2000, killing all 118 seamen aboard.

Several failed tests of the submarine-launched Bulava (Mace), an intercontinental ballistic missile touted by the Putin as able to pierce any air defense, have troubled the Kremlin.

Interfax cited its source as saying that the new Russian plane had lowered and raised its landing gear twice during the flight and added that "the American F-35 fifth-generation jet couldn't do that (on its test flight)."

The new plane is important for future Russian arms sales.

In a statement on company website sukhoi.org, Sukhoi director Mikhail Pogosyan said the company plans to further develop its fifth-generation fighter program together with India, its biggest client for existing planes.

"I'm certain our joint project will surpass Western equivalents in terms of cost-effectiveness, and will not only strengthen the defense power of the Russian and Indian air forces but also take a respectable place on the world market," he said.

Sukhoi is Russia's largest exporter of military planes and accounts for about a quarter of the country's annual arms sales, which reached $7.4 billion last year.

Along with giants India and China, existing clients for Russia's weapons include U.S. foes such as Iran, Syria and Venezuela, and their purchase of an advanced new fighter could cause concern in the United States and its allies.

The U.S. Congress has banned export sales of the F-22.

Source: Bernama.
Link: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=472260.

New envoy to Afghanistan has rich experience in conflict-affected areas: UN chief

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon said on Thursday that veteran Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura, his newly-appointed special representative for Afghanistan, "brings with him more than three decades of experience with the United Nations in conflict-affected areas including Somalia, the Middle East, the Balkans, Nepal and Afghanistan," according to a UN press statement here.

"In these positions, and under challenging conditions, he has promoted political dialogue, led reconstructions, development and humanitarian assistance efforts, and been involved in overseeing elections," the press release said.

De Mistura will be tasked with leading the world body's efforts in Afghanistan, taking over on March 1 from Kai Eide of Norway, the current special representative of the secretary-general and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA).

A dual citizen of Italy and Sweden, de Mistura has served as deputy executive director for external relations of the Rome-based World Food Program (WFP) since last July.

From 2007 to 2009, he was the secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq ( UNAMI).

De Mistura served in many different capacities under the UN umbrella, which include the UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq from March through August 1997, director of the division of public affairs of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and representative in Somalia for UNICEF.

Also holding positions in the WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), de Mistura was a member of the Security Council Panel on Humanitarian Issues in Iraq in 1999.

Ban made the announcement of de Mistura's appointment to the press here on Wednesday, shortly before he left New York for London to attend the international conference on Afghanistan, which opened on Thursday.

"I am grateful for the support from all important stakeholders to this appointment that will help UNAMA extend its role in coordinating the international civilian effort in Afghanistan," Ban told reporters.

De Mistura was born in Stockholm in 1947. He speaks Swedish, Italian, French, German, Spanish and Arabic (colloquial). He is married and has two daughters.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90856/6882445.html.

Ahmadinejad: imperialism to fail in seizing control of Mideast energy resources

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that imperialist powers are trying to seize control of the Middle East energy resources but they will fail, the local satellite Press TV reported.

Talking to a group of officials in Tehran, Ahmadinejad said Iran, together with other freedom-loving countries in the region, will never allow imperialism to succeed.

"They (imperialist powers) seek to dominate energy resources of the Middle East but the Iranian nation and other nations (in the region) will not allow them to be successful," he said.

Ahmadinejad did not point out examples of the imperialist states but he has previously referred to certain Western countries which are seeking to claim their ever-presence in the region under the cover of fighting terrorism and solving problems of the region.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/6882192.html.

France calls for restraint on Korean Peninsula

France on Thursday called for restraint on the Korean Peninsula after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted artillery exercises in the west coast of the country.

France called on the DPRK to "refrain from any action that might aggravate the tension in the region and to resume dialogue with the international community," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

The DPRK fired some 30 artillery shells Wednesday morning into waters of the "no-sail" zones it declared a day earlier. South Korean military responded by firing warning shots.

Pyongyang said it would carry on more firing drills in the same waters in the future.

The DPRK declared a shipping ban on Tuesday in the area south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), which was fixed unilaterally by the U.S.-led United Nations Command after the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Seoul regards the NLL as the de-facto western inter-Korean maritime border, but Pyongyang does not accept it.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/6882617.html.

Eastern China province elects new political adviser

The ongoing political advisory session of east China's Shandong Province on Friday elected a new chairman of the provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Liu Wei, born in 1958, has replaced 64-year-old Sun Shuyi to take the job.

Sun was removed from the post at a meeting of the CPPCC Shandong Provincial Committee in mid December, just a few months before he was to retire.

The reason of his removal was not specified.

A native of Shandong Province, Liu Wei also serves as a Standing Committee member and organization chief of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6882924.html.

UN rights expert warns of human rights violations in Somalia

January 29, 2010

The UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Dr. Shamsul Bari, has issued a strong warning on the security, human rights and humanitarian situation in the country, including Somaliland and Puntland.

Bari described as "extremely serious" the situation in South and Central Somalia, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of the fighting between forces of the transitional government forces (TFG) and Islamist armed groups.

"The Islamist Forces fighting to topple the TFG are reported to have carried out extrajudicial executions, planted mines, bombs and other explosive devices in civilian areas, and used civilians as human shields," said Bari in a statement received here on Friday.

"Fighters from both sides are reported to have fired mortars indiscriminately into areas populated or frequented by civilians."

At the end of his fourth monitoring mission to the Horn of Africa, the UN expert reported grave violations of women and children's rights, including the recruitment and use of children by several parties to the conflict.

He added that "corporal punishment in the name of Sharia Law by such groups, including floggings and amputations following summary if any proceedings, arbitrary detention, death threats and intimidation are reportedly taking place."

The UN expert stressed that "journalists and human rights defenders in all parts of Somalia continue to face severe restrictions, increasing death threats and are often victims of targeted killings for their work".

"The suspension of the humanitarian assistance and the discontinuation of the food distribution with continuing restrictions by armed groups to humanitarian access by targeting aid workers violate rights to protection, adequate food, medical care and shelter," he said.

In particular, he noted that piracy, human trafficking and mixed migrations remain the most serious challenges to the Puntland government.

"Piracy and the huge money it generates may pose a security threat not only to Somalia and the region, but to the whole world, " Bari stated, warning that "the recent killings targeting senior politicians in Puntland raise legitimate security concerns regarding the spread and the attempt of terrorist groups to destabilize Puntland and Somaliland."

Bari was unable to visit the capital, Mogadishu, and southern and central Somalia due to security constraints.

"The stabilization of Somaliland and Puntland could have a positive impact on South and Central Somalia," the UN human rights expert stressed.

He urged the international community and the UN to strengthen international engagement and support to Somalia, including Puntland and Somaliland.

"This increased support is required particularly for the implementation of the three pillars of the Djibouti process -- political, security and recovery -- which all include cross- cutting human rights issues," Bari said.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR estimates that more than 117,000 residents of Mogadishu have been displaced in the past month due to heavy exchanges of fire between government troops and Islamist insurgents.

It says that the latest round of fighting has caused 200 deaths among civilians and wounded 700 others.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90856/6883166.html.

Israelis Stop Flocking to Turkey

by Benjamin Joffe-Walt
Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Israeli tourism to Turkey down by almost half since Gaza war.

The number of Israelis visiting Turkey has dropped by 44% since the Gaza war caused a diplomatic crises between the two countries, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies has said.

Israeli visits to Turkey had boomed in the years preceding the Gaza war, with well over half a million Israeli tourists visiting the country in 2007 and 2008.

But the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies has reported that just over 311,000 Israeli tourists visited Turkey in 2009, a 44% drop from the 558,000 Israeli tourists in 2008.

"It is not for me to say the reason but you know the situation," Sunay Unlu, a researcher at the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies told The Media Line.

Despite recent reports in Turkish media that Israeli tourism was on the comeback, last month saw a 40% decrease in Israeli tourists relative to the figures for December 2008, when the Gaza war began.

"There has been a major drop in Israelis interested in Turkey," an Israeli airline official, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Media Line. "Because of all the [political] mess, it became quite clear that the Turks don't exactly love us, and most Israelis haven't forgiven them. As a result, the industry has completely changed. The country which last year was the most popular Israeli destination on earth is now a place we are simply not flying to."

Israel and Turkey have been engaged in a public diplomatic crisis since Israel launched a military operation in Gaza in 2008.

Accusations that Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza led to a heated exchange between Israeli President Shimon Peres and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at an international conference in Davos.

Relations between the two former allies have deteriorated ever since and in October 2,000 Israeli workers’ unions declared a boycott against Turkey.

Following reports that Turkish travel agencies are cutting prices to stave off the loss of Israeli tourists, the unions have used the drop in Israeli tourism as a pressure tactic to attempt eliciting an apology from the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan for his alleged attacks on Israel.

Earlier this week representatives of 2,000 Israeli workers’ unions agreed at the Group Tourism Fair to withhold all vacation packages to Turkey should an apology not be forthcoming.

The boycott includes the workers' unions of the Prime Minister’s Office, Israeli airline El Al, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality, the Communications Ministry, Israel Railways and the national bus company Egged.

"Of course the main reason was the Israeli boycott," Turkish foreign ministry official told The Media Line on the condition of anonymity. "It's normal for things that happen in the political arena to affect tourism, I respect the Israeli people's decision and we expect for all this to end this year."

"But it's also a reflection of the economic crises," he said. "A lot of Israelis are now unemployed and there are many more Israelis afraid of losing their jobs. This affects their vacation decisions."

Despite the global economic downturn and the Israeli boycott, Turkey's tourism industry continued to see overall growth in 2009.

Turkey saw a 2.81% increase in the number of foreign visitors to the country in 2009, with just over 27 million tourists arriving throughout the year.

In a sign that Turkey was starting to see the end of the effects of the global economic recession, the number of foreign tourists was up last month by over 12% compared to the previous year.

Even at their peak in 2008, Israeli tourists ranked tenth in the number of entries to Turkey, and made up less than 2.5% of the country's tourists. German tourists make up 20% of tourists in Turkey, followed by England, Russia, the Netherlands and Iran.

Turkish tourism officials have argued that while the Davos incident led to a notable decline in Israeli tourism, Turkey has seen a notable increase in tourism from Muslim countries, where Erdoğan’s walkout was popular.

Source: Media Line.
Link: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=27851.

Flying Washington Kabul Just Got Easier

by Adam Gonn
Thursday, January 28, 2010

Afghani airline Safi Airways signs interline deal with United Airlines for single fare tickets.

A cooperation contract between a number of international airlines and an Afghani carrier has been signed to make traveling to Kabul much easier.

“Safi Airways is the first Afghan carrier to sign a cooperation contract with United Airline, Lufthansa and Emirates Airlines” Claus Fischer, Chief Communications Officer of Safi Airways, told The Media Line. “Starting Wednesday, it will be the first time it has been possible to buy a single-fare ticket from Kabul to Washington.”

The Safi family owned carrier plans to facilitate travel in and out of Afghanistan for western expats and increasing numbers of Afghan families who now live abroad.

Though the airline was founded in 2006 it did not start flying until 2008 and for the past nine months has been under a new management team.

“Traveling to Kabul use to be a hassle,” Fischer said. “You never knew when the flight would be going, or whether it would be going.”

Fischer added that because the route required a connection and because “reliability” was lacking in Afghani air-transport, Safi Airways was focusing on safety and punctuality.

“We have two types of passengers,” he said. “Western expats who are based or do business in Afghanistan and former afghan citizens now holding a passport from the United States or European who usually come once or twice a year to see their families in Afghanistan.”

“We just need to find a way to facilitate seamless travel for all the people who travel for almost 20 hour just to get to and from Kabul.” Fischer added.

“We are currently operating a fleet of four aircrafts, two Boeing 737 one Being 767 and one Airbus 340,” he said. “We are serving the markets from Kabul to Dubai and will start Kabul to Doha [in Qatar]. Since last June we are the only carrier with non-stop flights from Kabul to Frankfurt.”

Fischer said that the airline took special precautions regarding safety, considering the volatility of the region.

“At the airport there is a state contract in place between Afghanistan and the Emirates,” Fischer said. “A Western company paid for by the United Arab Emirates is actually doing airport security.”

“Two sniffer dogs check every aircraft before it is boarded, we have 100% baggage screening,” he explained. “When the passenger goes through security it’s just like in a western airport there is no difference.”

Aviation Expert Christian Lambertus said the moves might be part of a larger plan to enlarge its operations.

“Being a private airline in this region, it is the only way to expand their network in a short time with minimum investments,” he told The Media Line. “Currently Safi has only two long range aircraft … the demand for traffic to Kabul might be higher than expected.”

“So I guess they want to access those markets and gain traffic rights and slots,” Lambertus said. “It could be their intention to get a foot in the door in those markets.”

Source: Media Line.
Link: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=27871.

Bosnian Serbs move step closer to secessionist referendum

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Sarajevo - The defiant leadership of Bosnia-Herzegovina's ethnic Serb enclave on Tuesday cracked open the door to a referendum that the international community has condemned as secessionist. The government of the Serb Republic (RS), the Serb part of Bosnia, passed a bill which, if parliament turns it into law, lays the groundwork for a referendum aiming to cement ethnic partition.

The international community split Bosnia into the largely sovereign ethnic territories in 1995 to end three years of bloodshed. While the Bosnian and Croat territories have largely begun to cooperate, the RS has fought to remain separate, despite pressure for a nationwide fusion.

That stance, coupled with a veto over national policies, has left the nation hamstrung on many important issues. To reverse the blockade, the European Union and the United States have proposed transferring some power from ethnic territories to central institutions, a proposal which has been rejected.

The Serb referendum, planned for February, now aims to underline the refusal to relinquish governance to a central administration, shared by Muslims and Croats.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305956,bosnian-serbs-move-step-closer-to-secessionist-referendum.html.

US concerned over weapons flow into southern Sudan before elections

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

New York (Earth Times) - The United States on Tuesday raised concern over the flow of heavy weapons into southern Sudan, where violence has increased as the region prepares for elections in April. US Ambassador Susan Rice said the UN Security Council, which met on the situation in Sudan, was briefed about the flow of weapons while it discussed preparations for elections five years since Khartoum and the south signed a comprehensive peace agreement.

"What we have seen is the level of violence in a high degree of sophistication and it's a real concern," Rice told reporters after the council meeting. No other diplomats discussed the issues openly.

Rice said the US is working with the UN and the Sudanese government to ensure security in the south so it can carry out the local elections.

She said concern was raised about the source of the weapons, which she said may have originated from northern Sudan as there had been a long history of the north fueling the conflict in the south. Rice said the flow of weapons to the south was "deliberate."

The peace agreement also called for a referendum in 2011, which will let the south decide whether it wants to continue the power- sharing scheme with Khartoum as part of the 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of north-south warfare. Relief organizations said the conflict caused the deaths of up to 2 million people.

The agreement was signed by Khartoum's National Congress Party and the main opposition in the south, the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM).

"We raised the issue of insecurity in the south where violence has increased, and the protection of civilians," Rice said about the discussion in the council. She said insecurity was exacerbated by inflow of weapons.

UN urges sustained international support for Yemen's development

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

New York - Yemen and the international community should use the high-level conference in London on Wednesday to discuss ways to jointly address problems and challenges facing Yemenis, a UN spokesman said Tuesday. The conference hosted by the British government was called after the failed December 25 attempt to blow up a US commercial airliner before it landed in Detroit. Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, allegedly trained by al-Qaeda in Yemen, has been charged in the attack.

UN undersecretary general for political affairs B Lynn Pascoe was to attend the conference with a UN delegation.

Spokesman Martin Nesirky said the meeting presented an opportunity for discussion on problems in Yemen and their underlying causes, which included economic, development and humanitarian issues.

"Sustained international support will be necessary to ensure the prosperity, security and stability of Yemen and the region as a whole," Nesirky said.

"We hope this will be the initiation of a long-term process of cooperation between the government of Yemen and the relevant regional and international partners," he said.

Nesirky said the UN stands ready to take part in the joint efforts and provide support and cooperation in areas of highest priorities to Yemen and its people.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305962,un-urges-sustained-international-support-for-yemens-development.html.

UN prepares for major donor conference for Haiti in March

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

New York - The United Nations is studying the "best mechanism" to fund the reconstruction of Haiti following the destructive earthquake of January 12, UN officials said Tuesday. Technical experts from various international financial institutions and the UN have already begun what is known as the post-disaster needs assessment to work out a list of initial demands for the international donor conference scheduled to take place in New York in late March.

The Haitian government has estimated it will take at least 3 billion dollars over ten years to restore the country to functioning. The president of Haiti's neighbor, the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez, has put the costs at 10 billion dollars over the same time period.

At an international conference Monday in Montreal, 20 countries pledged to "stand with Haiti for the long term," saying an initial 10-year commitment was "essential."

At the conference, the Haitian government asked the UN to make a more exactassessment of the costs and time period, said Jordan Ryan, a director of the crisis prevention department and development program at UN headquarters in New York.

The team of technical experts from the World Bank, the American Development Bank, the European Commission and the UN will be on the ground in Haiti on February 9 to begin the post-disaster need assessment, Ryan said.

Those experts will assess the losses and physical damage inflicted on Haiti by the earthquake, which registered at magnitude 7 on the Richter scale. At least 30 per cent of Port-au-Prince was destroyed and more than 150,000 people were killed.

"On funding, it will take enormous resources in addition to what's needed today to help with the reconstruction," Ryan said. "Clearly the international financial institutions that were present (in the conference) will play a major role in that."

"There are discussions right now on the best mechanism, whether it will be a multi-donor trust fund, or how to do bring in the best of the international financial institutions" into the reconstruction efforts, he said.

Ryan said in a news conference, accompanied by John Holmes, the top UN humanitarian coordinator, that the Haitian government will play a leading role in the reconstruction efforts. Both Ryan and Holmes said the UN had learned lessons from previous disasters when it was called to provide relief assistance.

"We have an opportunity to be ruthless in term of rooting out duplication by having a much more coordinated effort that ensure that the benefit from the assistance will be the Haitian people," Ryan said.

Holmes said the UN had appealed for 575 million dollars for emergency relief for Haitians after the giant earthquake hit and 48 per cent of that amount has been met. Holmes did not rule out the possibility that a fresh appeal when the UN revises the humanitarian needs in Haiti.

Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305966,un-prepares-for-major-donor-conference-for-haiti-in-march.html.

NATO, Russia renew top-level military ties - Summary

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Brussels - NATO and Russia on Tuesday renewed the top-level formal military ties that the alliance broke off after Russia's invasion of Georgia in 2008, in a further sign of the improving relations between the former Cold War foes. The two sides are at odds over a range of strategic issues, most notably concerning their relations with former-Soviet states such as Georgia and Ukraine, but they are also seeking more cooperation on issues such as counter-terrorism.

The head of NATO's military committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, met the chief of Russia's defense staff, General Nikolai Makarov, at the alliance's Brussels headquarters, NATO officials confirmed.

The two men then headed into a meeting with the chiefs of staff of all 28 NATO members, to discuss military cooperation in the coming years.

"All 29 members exchanged views on military cooperation and the way ahead for practical activities in the field of logistics, combating terrorism, search and rescue at sea, and counter-piracy," a statement issued by NATO read.

They also agreed to start drawing up "a work plan of military cooperative activities," and to meet again in May.

It is the first time that the chiefs of staff of NATO and Russia have met since May 2008. In August of that year, Russia invaded NATO hopeful Georgia in retaliation for a Georgian attack on the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

NATO responded by breaking off formal military ties.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305968,nato-russia-renew-top-level-military-ties--summary.html.

Former Guatemalan president Portillo arrested at request of US

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Guatemala City - Former Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo was arrested Tuesday at a luxury Caribbean resort in the country, one day after he was indicted on money laundering charges in the United States. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom confirmed Portillo's arrest, which had been requested by US authorities for laundering an estimated 70 million dollars involving US banks.

"Nobody is above the law," Colom said.

The money allegedly came from the embezzlement of public funds. Preet Bharara, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Monday that Portillo was charged with "converting the office of the Guatemalan presidency into his personal ATM."

Public prosecutor Amilcar Velasquez said Portillo, who ruled Guatemala from 2000 to 2004, was arrested in Punta de Palma, Izabal, 300 kilometers north of Guatemala City in a major police operation.

Guatemalan authorities had been looking for Portillo, 58, since Sunday.

Only a few days after leaving office in 2004, Portillo left for Mexico, amid allegations of corruption during his presidency. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and claims he is the object of politically motivated persecution.

Portillo was extradited to Guatemala in November 2008, although he was released on bail.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305976,former-guatemalan-president-portillo-arrested-at-request-of-us.html.

Haiti death toll reaches 150,000; world makes 10-year pledge - Summary

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Port-au-Prince, Haiti - The Haitian government has increased the confirmed earthquake death toll to 150,000 as it moved to fence off part of the Port-au-Prince center to be cleared for rebuilding. Two weeks after the fierce earthquake hit, the odor of decaying bodies hangs heavy, from the massive burial sites and from those still in the lethal embrace of collapsed buildings.

From the ruins of the children's hospital, Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs (Little Brothers and Sisters,) only three bodies were retrieved, a Lebanese rescue worker said.

"There are more than 300 children's bodies in there. The three we recovered have no one to bury them. Who has time for that now?" he said.

US health officials Tuesday said they were launching special assessment systems to rapidly identify disease outbreaks in the refugee camps. Rapid assessments would be done "in the coming days," said Peter Bloland of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)

"We are working very hard to stand up and implement the public health surveillance system ... to detect the emergence of potential outbreaks of infectious disease that might arise from the breakdown in the public health system," Bloland said.

He noted that even before the earthquake, Haiti suffered from extensive problems with malaria, dengue fever and respiratory and diarrhea diseases.

The Haitian health ministry has announced a tetanus immunization program, Bloland said. It was also looking at marshaling a vaccination program against normal childhood diseases.

Even while international groups urgently moved food, water and shelter to 3 million people affected by the quake, the Haitian government and international community turned their sites to rebuilding.

Twenty countries including the United States, France and Canada pledged in Montreal on Monday to "stand with Haiti for the long term." The group said a 10-year commitment was "essential."

Figures ranging from 3 billion to 10 billion dollars have been mentioned, but only a few financial commitments were made for Haiti's reconstruction in Montreal. The United Nations said Tuesday it will host a donors' conference in late March in New York, after conducting a needs assessment in February.

The UN said it had received nearly half of its call for 575 million dollars in emergency relief.

Direct help from abroad came even from such impoverished nations as Nicaragua, which has sent its third load of material aid and now has 44 health workers there, the government said in Managua.

The Haitian government plans to block off portions of the ruined capital Port-au-Prince to allow the remaining bodies and debris to be cleared away for rebuilding.

To accommodate up to 1 million homeless, it has asked UN peacekeepers to start levelling areas outside the capital for 200,000 tents.

In other developments:

- The World Food Program (WFP) estimated it has distributed 5 million meals to 300,000 people. WFP head Josette Sheeran said it would have to feed 2 million people for at least 12 months. She called for contributions of ready-to-eat meals from worldwide military forces. High protein biscuits are also in demand, since cooking is very difficult in a world robbed of pots, water and stoves.

- WFP has prioritized aid for women and children. "We were very concerned that those who need food the worst will be overrun: women and children," Sheeran said.

Sometimes stronger men elbow in, or riots occur, slowing down food deliveries. "Our biggest problem is ... that we don't have enough security units," said Lieutenant Colonel Fernando Pereyra of the MINUSTAH peacekeeping force, which hands out supplies. The 20,000 US military personnel on the ground and offshore are to aid in providing security.

- Doctors Without Borders says its inflatable field hospital program is a big hit with Haitians, because they can get treatment without the fear of walls tumbling around them in the aftershocks.

Veronica Chesa, a nurse working with the group, said the patients slept better in the inflatables: "I found out that fewer patients were asking for sleeping pills," she was quoted as saying in the group's press statement.

- The textiles factory owned by Haitian industrialist Charles Baker is set to get back to work in the coming days, said Baker, 55, a presidential candidate four years ago. His factory buildings are still standing, only the office space at the front was damaged. He expected 600 of his 750 workers to return to work.

"We can start anew. We are going to make it," Baker says.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305978,haiti-death-toll-reaches-150000-world-makes-10-year-pledge--summary.html.

IMF, World Bank cancel 1.6 billion dollars in Afghan debt

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Washington - Afghanistan has received 1.6 billion dollars in debt relief from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Paris Club of creditors, the three groups said Tuesday. The announcement comes as government delegations from more than 60 countries were to gather in London later this week for a conference on military and civilian aid to Afghanistan.

The IMF and World Bank said Afghanistan completed the long-running debt relief process by carrying out "a number of important reforms despite an extremely challenging environment characterized by insecurity, a food crisis, and a difficult political situation."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305979,imf-world-bank-cancel-16-billion-dollars-in-afghan-debt.html.

Tourists still trapped at Inca citadel Machu Picchu - Summary

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Lima- Close to 2,000 tourists remained trapped Tuesday near the world-famous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu due to heavy rain and mudslides that have claimed six lives in the southern Peruvian region of Cusco. Tourists regularly visit Machu Picchu, in the municipality of Aguas Calientes, and return to Cusco, the nearest city and the regional capital, for the night.

A mudslide led Sunday to an interruption of the railway that regularly links Aguas Calientes and Cusco, leaving tourists trapped near the Andean citadel. The small tourist town did not have enough hotel beds for all the day visitors, most of them foreigners, and some have had to use tents or sleep at the station.

Since Monday Peruvian authorities have been deploying helicopters to evacuate those affected by the interruption of the railway service.

Peruvian Tourism Minister Martin Perez said Monday that authorities planned to evacuate the people affected to the village of Ollantaytambo, from where they could proceed to the city of Cusco, the capital of the Andean region of the same name.

In Washington, US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said the US had provided four helicopters to help with the evacuation of about 400 US citizens. US embassy personnel were moved to the area from the capital Lima to assist the Peruvian police and military.

Heavy rain has continued, causing damage to homes and making rivers overflow their banks. It also appeared to be threatening Machu Picchu itself.

"The Vilcanota river, 15 kilometers from Machu Picchu, flowed over its banks, and there have been four or five collapses of structures in this Cultural Heritage (area)," Cusco Mayor Luis Flores said Monday.

Marco Ochoa, president of the Association of Tourism Agencies in Cusco, estimated at between 750,000 and 1 million dollars the sector's daily losses from the shut down of the regular tourism flow. The railway is the only means of getting from Cusco to Machu Picchu, Peru's main tourist destination and as such a major source of income.

Peruvian authorities declared a state of emergency in Cusco and the neighboring region of Apurimac.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305980,tourists-still-trapped-at-inca-citadel-machu-picchu--summary.html.

EXTRA: Haiti police fire over heads in food turmoil

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Port-au-Prince - Haitian police Tuesday fired shots into the air as a riot erupted around a food convoy moving through earthquake destruction in the outlying district of Petionville. Hundreds of people from an improvised refugee camp at Place Saint Pierre ran after the three-truck convoy as it moved past. Police fired over their heads, but it did not stop the men, women and children from grabbing bags of flour and other foods from the truck, observed by a German Press Agency reporter.

There were no injuries.

The impromptu camps lack basic food, water and services. The World Food Programme estimates it will have to feed 2 million people for at least the next 12 months.

It's difficult getting food and water through to earthquake survivors, given the condition of rubble-strewn roads and lack of security.

Many Haitians have not eaten a decent meal or even a bite of daily bread since the January 12 disaster struck. An estimated 150,000 people have died and the toll continued to rise.

There are more than 300 impromptu camps like the one at Place Saint Pierre in Port-Au-Prince. About 500,000 people live in the camps, which range from 50 people to 20,000 people, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says.

Aid organizations are trying to put their stamp on organization. The IOM expects to begin to build temporary camps with services for 10,000 people each in the Haitian capital and outlying areas, the spokeswoman for the organization, Niurka Pineiro, told dpa.

"We are looking for solutions day by day," she said.

She anticipated the first two camps to be built in Croix des Bouquets, about 13 kilometers to the north-west of Port-au-Prince, and in the Route of Tabarre, near the embassy of the United States.

The IOM is charting a program to later replace the tented camps with homes that will be built by the hands of the earthquake refugees, for which they will be paid in cash by IOM and other organizations.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305983,extra-haiti-police-fire-over-heads-in-food-turmoil.html.

China to deliver second batch of relief goods to Haiti

Tue, 26 Jan 2010

Beijing - China on Tuesday dispatched a second shipment of aid worth 1.8 million dollars to earthquake-hit Haiti. A plane carrying 65 tons of relief goods was expected to arrive Wednesday morning in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, the Ministry of Commerce said.

The shipment included 400 portable power generators, 10 water-purifying machines, 500 tents, 20,000 items of clothing and medicine.

Beijing pledged 30 million yuan (4.4 million dollars) in aid for Haiti.

China would continue to watch developments in Haiti and join with the international communities to provide relief, a ministry official was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305816,china-to-deliver-second-batch-of-relief-goods-to-haiti.html.

Iran urges OIC to contact Muslims in non-Islamic states

KAMPALA, Uganda, Jan. 28 (MNA) - Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has called for establishing contacts with Muslims living in non-Islamic countries across the world.

“Contact with Muslim minorities living in non-Islamic states and making efforts to restore their rights” are among issues that the OIC parliamentary union must adopt through “a logical, orderly and efficient” procedure, Larijani told the sixth summit of Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Kampala, Uganda, on Thursday.

Larijani said a considerable number of Muslims have succeeded to find seats in parliaments in non-Muslim states and this can greatly help to defend the rights of Muslim minorities.

He added such persons can also help establish a “constructive interaction” between these parliaments and the OIC Parliamentary Union, the Mehr News Agency correspondent from Kampala reported.

Larijani also cited the strangulation of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip by the Zionist regime and the adventurist military movements by the U.S. and NATO in Iraq and Afghanistan, under the pretext of fighting terrorism, as major challenges facing the Islamic world.

Larijani expressed hope that planned parliamentary polls in Iraq and Afghanistan would help establish full sovereignty in the two countries.

Elsewhere in his speech to the conference, Larijani praised parliamentary election in Lebanon last year which helped end the political crisis in the country. The senior Iranian lawmaker praised the Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah for his great contribution in helping establish unity in Lebanon.

Source: Mehr News.
Link: http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1025615.

Iran set to propose 'Day of Gaza' at PUIC summit in Uganda

KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 27 (MNA) – Iran will urge the Islamic countries to designate a day in their official calendars as ‘Day of Gaza and Resistance’ at the meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) in Uganda, senior MP Kazem Jalali announced on Wednesday.

Jalali is accompanying Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani in a trip to Uganda to attend the sixth summit of Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) which started on January 24 and will run until 31.

“Naming a day as ‘Day of Gaza and Resistance’ in the calendars of Islamic countries is one of the proposals that Iran will put forward at the meeting,” said Jalali, the spokesman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

The Iranian parliament has already approved January 7 as ‘Day of Gaza, Symbol of Palestine Resistance,’ he stated.

He went on to say that the Iranian delegation will present the proposal to the Parliamentary Union and will push for approval of the proposal.

Iran also has other proposals to make in regard to the Palestine issue and unity among Islamic countries, he explained.

The senior Iranian lawmaker added political, economic, and cultural committees will discuss major issues facing the Muslim world on the sideline of the summit.

“Issues concerning Lebanon, Palestine, Afghanistan, and other Islamic countries will be discussed at the meeting.”

During his trip to Kuwait, Larijani had said that examining important issues facing the Muslim world should be discussed at the PUIC summit.

The Iranian parliament speaker is the current president of the Islamic Parliamentary Union. He will preside over the meetings for two days.

According to the New Vision, the conference is aimed at preserving the Islamic values, promoting solidarity among member states, upholding international peace and security in addition to advancing education, particularly in science and technology.

Source: Mehr News.
Link: http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1025302.