New museum documents German influence in US - Feature

Wed, 24 Mar 2010
Frank Brandmaier

Washington - Perhaps not at first glance, but certainly on closer inspection, it is clear that German influence is ubiquitous in the United States.

The capital of North Dakota, for example, is Bismarck; the state of Kentucky's is Frankfort. German immigrants named the places they settled after the German cities they left: Berlin, Hamburg and Neu Braunfels.

Some places had so many German settlers that they were dubbed Germantown. Around 1900, Little Germany on Manhattan's Lower East Side was the third-largest German-speaking city after Berlin and Vienna.

Even the name Presley - as in Elvis - derives from the German surname Pressler.

About one-sixth or 50 million of the roughly 300 million Americans have roots in Germany or another German-speaking country. There are museums in the US dedicated to their origins, history and stories, but they are at best small-scale regional institutions.

"Until now there has been no national museum for German immigration that covered the subject comprehensively," said Ruediger Lentz, director of the new German-American Heritage Museum, whose mission is to do just that.

The museum in Washington opened to the public in March after two years of planning.

The German-American Heritage Museum fills about 300 square meters inside a Victorian house built in 1888 by German emigrant and businessman John Hockemeyer in the US capital's historic Penn Quarter, once the pulse of German-Jewish life.

The two national colors black, red and gold and red, blue and white swirl into one another on the walls. A 15-meter-long chronology of more than 400 years of German-American history serves as a focal point and historical guide. Highlights along the chronology are illustrated by historical photographs and explained in concise texts.

Ten chapters of particular importance, such as the participation of Germans on both sides of the American Revolution at the end of the 18th century and the stories of people who fled Nazi Germany, invite visitors to deepen their knowledge.

Changing exhibits tell of German immigrant stories and tradition- rich German-American clubs whose umbrella association, the German- American Heritage Foundation, is also a supporter of the museum. A multimedia kiosk in the middle of the museum reports on the Germany of today and about the museum's well-known partners, the immigration museum on New York's Ellis Island, the BallinStadt emigration museum in Hamburg and the German emigration museum in Bremerhaven.

"We take up where BallinStadt and the German emigration museum leave off," said Lentz.

"We want to tell the stories of German immigrants and make them interesting."

As part of a research project, Americans with German roots are being invited to tell their stories. The museum will archive them in audio-visual format and evaluate them.

"We hope to be able to collect thousands of voices in the course of a year," Lentz said.

The 62-year-old director is convinced that Americans will take interest in the museum. On its Facebook page, more than 700 people registered themselves as friends of the museum within a six-week period, and the number is growing.

"There is a need for information that we can meet," Lentz said, adding that he is absolutely convinced that the museum will be a success.

He's not bothered that the material presented in the museum fails to match that of other museums. Lentz worked on the project for more than two years on behalf of the German-American Heritage Foundation, writing all the texts in the exhibit himself while maintaining his job at Deutsche Welle. A staff of 20 people, including students and teachers, volunteered their time, while a designer looked after the professional layout of the show.

"We did everything ourselves," said Lentz.

Otherwise, setting up the exhibit would have cost four times as much. The foundation had previously acquired and expanded the house.

Once things are up and running, four main salaried employees will comprise the museum's core team, financed by donations and contributions from the foundation. There are no long-term state grants.

Already, the museum will have to close a 200,000-dollar gap in the annual budget, the director said. Renting out the rooms for events should balance it out, Lentz said, shrugging his shoulders with a laugh.

"I view it as a challenge," he said, flashing a bit of American can-do spirit. "I am convinced that the museum will be an economic success."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315520,new-museum-documents-german-influence-in-us--feature.html.

Two Uighur brothers held in Guantanamo arrive in Switzerland

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Geneva - Two brothers held at the United States military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have arrived in Switzerland after being released, an official said Wednesday.

The two men, who hold Chinese nationality and are members of the minority Muslim Uighur group, arrived Tuesday after being held in Guantanamo for eight years.

The pair are will make new lives for themselves in the canton of Jura, in the north-west of the Alpine country.

The French speaking canton will host the brothers, aged 33 and 45, and help integrate them into local society, Julliard Charles, head of the Jura government, was quoted as saying.

Switzerland's federal government agreed with Washington to take in former Guantanamo inmates as part of an effort to help the current US administration close the controversial prison.

Despite the long imprisonment, the two men were not charged of any crime.

Charles told the local parliament that the brothers were being aided by the Jura services for refugees. Deputies in the house applauded the announcement.

China has slammed the Swiss decision to host the men, but the Jura has said the decision was based on humanitarian considerations alone.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315538,two-uighur-brothers-held-in-guantanamo-arrive-in-switzerland.html.

Ethiopia suppressing opposition before election, warns lobby group

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Nairobi (Earth Times) - The Ethiopian government is waging a campaign of repression against political opponents ahead of parliamentary elections set for May, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday.

Around 200 protesters were shot following the last elections in 2005 and an unknown number of opposition figures, including Birtukan Mideksa, head of the Unity for Democracy and Justice party, remain imprisoned.

According to HRW, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has tightened its grip on society since the previous poll and brooks no opposition.

"If as expected ... the party wins a landslide victory it is unlikely to be a victory of democracy,"Georgette Gagnon, Africa Director for HRW, told journalists in Nairobi on Wednesday. "It will be a vindication of a strategy of oppression and control."

HRW researchers interviewed over 200 people in dozens of communities across Ethiopia and found that the EPRDF uses a variety of methods, including intimidation and harassment, to force people to join the party.

"The government rules with an iron fist ... to control communities in both urban and rural areas," Gagnon said.

Relief aid is also withheld from the needy in the poor Horn of Africa nation as a means of stopping people from opposing the government, HRW found in its report, One Hundred Ways of Putting Pressure.

"I am a member of the EPRDF, but I do support the opposition party," one party member told HRW. "The list of receipts - the proof that I am paying my dues to the party - are required to get relief assistance."

Gagnon said international donors - including the World Bank, United States and European Union - were "very timid" in their criticism of the regime, despite being well aware of the abuses.

Donors say that they have to work with the government to gain access to millions of needy Ethiopians, but Gagnon said they should channel aid in different ways and demand independent reviews of the way aid money is used.

The government has also suppressed the media, HRW and other activists say. Zenawi recently admitted that Voice of America's Amharic channel had been jammed.

Ethiopia, an ally of the US in fighting terrorism in the region, has consistently denied such accusations and accuses of HRW of trying to smear its name.

Mauritania provides emergency food aid to citizens

2010-03-24

Some 147,000 Mauritanians will receive 6,000 tonnes of immediate food aid, AFP quoted Mauritanian food security commissioner Mohamed Ould Mohamedou as saying on Tuesday (March 23rd). According to Ould Mohamedou, a national study conducted last month in collaboration with the World Food Program found that the border areas are most affected by "inadequate agricultural output" and insufficient food stocks.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/24/newsbrief-06.

Algeria makes new arrests in Sonatrach corruption probe

2010-03-24

An Oran court this week handed down indictments against five senior executives from the local office of Algerian energy company Sonatrach, Liberte reported on Tuesday (March 23rd). According to investigators, procurement contracts worth some 2 million euros were signed with a French industrial safety equipment manufacturer. The contract cost was allegedly ten times the actual value of the tools acquired.

The case is the latest in corruption allegations leveled against Sonatrach. In late January, Algeria launched a judicial investigation of CEO Mohamed Meziane and several other top executives for bribery, corruption and criminal conspiracy.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/24/newsbrief-03.

Scholars untangle riddles of Moroccan Jews' migration

Historians and social researchers are shedding new light on the journey of Jews into Morocco.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 24/03/10

Researchers from around the globe met March 17th-20th in Essaouira to take a uniquely academic look at the history of Jewish migration to Morocco.

Guests from 10 countries and over 20 universities presented more than 60 scientific papers at the three-day academic conference on the topic, which was organized by the Council of the Overseas Moroccan Community (CCME).

"This is the first time the subject has been approached from a scientific perspective," CCME president Driss Yazami said, adding that the conference was intended to debunk myths about Jewish migration.

According to the organizers, "the goal of the meeting was to highlight the fact that the Maghreb will not be stripped of its Jewish memory, will fully embrace its multiple histories and will also recognize, in those who became its nationals, the rightful custodians of its memory".

The conference followed recent recommendations by the Justice and Reconciliation Authority (EIR), Human Rights Advisory Council president Ahmed Herzenni said.

"The subject is very interesting in light of the fact that one of the main recommendations given by the EIR related to the need to restore the country's memory and re-read Moroccan history calmly," he said.

Council of Israelite Communities in Morocco general secretary Serge Berdugo praised the co-existence of Jews and Muslims in Morocco.

"This situation of peace and tolerance is due on the one hand to their historic settlement, and on the other hand to… Maghreb Islam, which allowed Jews to retain their faith and religious practices and participate in city life", he said.

The conference was at times politically charged. Some Moroccans spoke out against the participation of nine Israeli researchers in the conference, noting continuing tensions in the Middle East. But Yazami defended the conference as apolitical.

"A conference on Jewish and Muslim immigration must be held, because it has nothing to do with politics," he said. "We need to explore history more fully to better define the Maghreb's identity."

Scholars have written about the history of Muslim and Jewish migration within the Maghreb, according to the CCME, but they have not always done so comprehensively or in a correct context. Few historians have explored the links that may exist between Jewish migration from the Maghreb to Europe, the Americas or Israel, or the large waves of migration of all origins that shaped the post-colonial era, according to the CCME.

Seen in an appropriate historical context, Jewish migrations will resemble other migrations, according to the CCME.

"If we try to re-situate the history of migration in a multi-dimensional context and framework where denominational and political matters are not the only things under consideration, the specific features of Jewish migration become hazier, without disappearing, and give way to a shared migrant status that reflects the modern character of our societies," the CCME concluded.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/24/feature-02.

Hungarian official suspended over Israeli military exercise

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Budapest - The head of the air transport division of Hungary's National Transport Authority has been suspended over an Israeli military exercise in Hungarian airspace, Transport Minister Peter Honig said on Wednesday.

A further four members of staff are to be disciplined over the authority's failure to consult secret services before issuing a permit for Israeli military aircraft to enter Hungarian airspace on March 17.

At a hastily called session of a parliamentary defense committee on Tuesday, Defense Minister Imre Szekeres insisted that his ministry had been aware in advance of the Israeli military exercise.

A delegate from the center-right opposition party Fidesz accused the government of not treating the matter seriously enough.

The right-wing newspaper Magyar Nemzet reported on March 18 that two Israeli military aircraft had carried out what appeared to be a reconnaissance mission, flying low over Budapest international airport.

The report sparked a row over the apparent breakdown of communications between airspace controllers and Hungary's military and secret services, who had apparently not been informed of the flights.

Committee member Zoltan Gal of the governing Socialist Party told the committee that the "hysteria" surrounding the incident would not have arisen had the aircraft not been Israeli.

In the wake of the media reports of the flights last week, Israel's ambassador to Hungary Aliza Bin-Noun denied that the aircraft had been spy planes and described the exercise as "routine".

The defense minister noted that around 500 authorizations for "state-military" type flights are issued in Hungary every year.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315623,hungarian-official-suspended-over-israeli-military-exercise.html.

Russian jets bomb ice-clogged rivers

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Moscow - Russian military jets are waging war against an unusual enemy - ice.

A total of 15 Sukhoi fighter planes and Mi-8 combat helicopters have been deployed to bomb ice blocking rivers in Siberia and far Eastern regions to prevent flooding, defense spokesman Vladimir Drik told the state-run Ria Nowosti news agency Wednesday.

He said only the best pilots were being recruited for these missions, which target large waterways such as the Ob, Yenisey, Lena and Amur rivers.

During thawing season, the ice sheets often get stuck, backing up water and causing some of Russia's vast rivers to flood. Removing the ice dams will allow the water to run off more quickly.

Moscow's civil defense ministry estimates that some 3,000 towns with a combined 2 million or so inhabitants are threatened by spring flooding.

Russia also uses its air force to shoot rain-inducing chemicals into clouds, so that the capital is sun-drenched during important holidays.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315634,russian-jets-bomb-ice-clogged-rivers.html.

California likely to vote on legalizing marijuana

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Los Angeles - Backers of a voter initiative to legalize marijuana in California have enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot in November, they said Wednesday.

California already permits the use of medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. But the new measure seeks to make California the first state in the US to legalize marijuana for non-medical uses.

The proposal would permit California adults to possess one ounce (28 grams) of marijuana and to cultivate about 2.3 square meters of marijuana plants per residence.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, which is organizing the initiative, the proposal has already secured almost 700,000 signatures, easily passing the 434,000 signatures needed to put it to voters.

City and county governments would be allowed to impose a sales tax under the proposed statute. They also would be allowed to establish local ordinances relating to distribution.

California first enacted a law allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana in 1996, and another 13 states now allow medical marijuana.

Polls have shown a slight majority of Californians in favor of legalization, but ironically many of the people currently involved in marijuana cultivation are hoping the measure fails to pass since they believe it would precipitate a drastic drop in prices.

According to a report in northern California's Times-Standard, officials and growers in Humboldt County, which is known as the Emerald Triangle because of its huge marijuana business, said that legalization could be "devastating" to the region's economy.

"We have to recognize that if we have something that is this big a piece of our economy that is subsidized by being illegal, that this is an unsustainable situation," Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace said.

Meeting organizer Anna Hamilton of Shelter Cove said she believes legalization could be "devastating" to the region and that Humboldt County should plan ahead by capitalizing on its name recognition as a marijuana destination.

"We have to embrace marijuana tourism, marijuana products and services - and marijuana has to become a part of the Humboldt County brand," Hamilton was quoted as saying.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315645,california-likely-to-vote-on-legalizing-marijuana.html.

Chilean Insulza re-elected to head OAS

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Washington - Chilean Jose Miguel Insulza was re-elected Wednesday as secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) for another five-year term.

Insulza, 66, the only candidate, was elected by acclamation. He said he welcomed the renewed support "humbly but also with joy" and stressed the value of the OAS amid recent criticism.

"It makes sense to have a hemispheric organization not just for geographic reasons but also because we share a set of values and ideas and we try to put them into practice, and it is those freely accepted ideas and commitments that must always guide our management," Insulza said.

His re-election was virtually guaranteed well in advance, both because he was the only candidate and also because enough countries had already committed their vote for him. However, several governments made it clear Wednesday that their support is conditional.

Roy Chaderton, the Venezuelan ambassador to the OAS, said the organization "must get used to agreements and disagreements."

Nicaraguan ambassador Denis Moncada called the OAS to "not continue being an instrument of empire," with reference to the United States.

Thirty-two countries in the Americas - all except Cuba - are currently members of the OAS. The organization last year ended the decades-long suspension of communist Cuba, but Havana has not requested admission.

Also last year, the OAS suspended Honduras from membership in the light of the June coup that ousted then-president Manuel Zelaya. The suspension has not been lifted, although a new government has since been democratically elected in Tegucigalpa and steps were being taken to normalize its foreign relations.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315652,chilean-insulza-re-elected-to-head-oas.html.

China defends Myanmar's democratic process

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

New York - China's new ambassador to the United Nations, Li Baodong, on Wednesday urged respect for Myanmar's electoral laws, which have been challenged by the country's opposition as well as the UN leadership.

"General elections can be held in any country, it's a matter of a sovereign state," Li told reporters, emerging from a UN Security Council meeting in which issues in Myanmar were discussed. China has usually objected to discussion on the internal matters of other countries.

"It is very important for the international community and the UN Security Council, and the UN, to help Myanmar promote a healthy environment conducive to general elections," Li said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been asking the military government in Yangon to make the elections this year inclusive by releasing all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of the opposition National League for Democracy. Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, has appealed for her participation in the elections, but has been rejected.

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the council took up Myanmar's political issues because the situation is considered by council members to be a threat to international peace and security.

"The instability that can be caused by a fraudulent electoral process is a threat to international peace and security, and this is why it was entirely right for the council to put it on the agenda for discussion," Grant said.

The council debated the issues behind closed doors, but did not decide on any action.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315654,china-defends-myanmars-democratic-process.html.

Former US president George W Bush to visit Taiwan

Taipei - Former US president George W Bush is to visit Taiwan in late April, a media report said Wednesday.

Next Magazine said that Bush, who left office in January 2009, has accepted the invitation to visit the island. He is to deliver a speech and meet with Taiwan officials, the weekly quoted an unnamed source as saying.

The source said Taiwan has defined visit as an academic exchange to make it less sensitive to China, who takes a dim view of official diplomatic visits to the island, which it considers a breakaway province.

The Chinese authorities had been notified of the visit and said they would not object, the source said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Chen Ming-cheng confirmed that Taipei had issued the invitation.

To avoid angering China, many foreign leaders, including Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev, visited Taiwan only after retiring from political office.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316548,former-us-president-george-w-bush-to-visit-taiwan.html.

Serbian Parliament condemns Srebrenica massacre - Summary

Belgrade - The Serbian Parliament passed a resolution early Wednesday with a paper-thin majority to condemn the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica 15 years ago.

The declaration, which offered apologies to families of the victims of the worst atrocity in Europe since the World War II, was backed by 127 legislators in the 250-seat assembly.

Some 8,000 Muslim boys and men were killed by Serb forces at Srebrenica in July 1995, toward the end of the three-year war pitting Serbs against Muslims and Croats.

The resolution, which does not use the term "genocide", aims to help Serbia distance itself from the past and move closer to the European Union. It pledges support for the arrest of Ratko Mladic, the general who commanded Serbs at Srebrenica, and apologizes for not doing enough to prevent the massacre.

Serbian nationalists vehemently opposed the declaration, insisting that the reports of killings at Srebrenica were overblown and that any massacre was not different from atrocities committed against Serbs in the Bosnian war.

The Serbian parliament is set to debate another resolution condemning crimes committed against Serbs in the Bosnian war.

Leading Serbian human rights activist Natasa Kandic criticized the lack of the term "genocide" and told daily Danas that Serbia "missed a historic opportunity" to show the world it has left the past behind.

Daily newspaper Blic reported that the thin majority was achieved with political haggling, which included striking a deal on a long- standing political dispute about members of parliament simultaneously holding outside jobs. The deal creates an exemption for some members of parliament, allowing them to hold outside jobs.

Bosnian analyst Janko Velimirovic told Politika daily that the Serbian parliament "should have waited for all the facts" and finally "separate the truth from manipulation" before adopting a resolution.

"No one in the Serb Republic (the Bosnian Serb entity) denies that a huge crime was committed over Muslims in Srebrenica and that crime can never be justified," said Velimirovic, a head of the Center for research of war crimes in the Serb Republic.

But the parliament should have waited for the full truth on Srebrenica "as Muslim officials gave no one, including the Hague tribunal, a list of people who left Srebrenica," he added.

"It is still not determined how many Muslims were shot after they were taken prisoners or have surrendered and how many were killed" in fierce battles Bosnian army and Serb Republic army fought, he told Politika.

Mladic remains on the loose in Serbia despite a genocide indictment by the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Serbia remains reluctant to arrest him, though that is a key condition for its closer ties with the EU.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316557,serbian-parliament-condemns-srebrenica-massacre--summary.html.

Record number of French disapprove of government's economic policy

Paris - If French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to know why he and his ruling UMP party suffered a heavy defeat in recent regional elections, he would do well to read the results of a poll made public Wednesday by France Info radio.

According to the survey, a record 70 per cent of respondents said they disapproved of the government's economic policies, up 7 per cent over one month ago.

Only 27 per cent of those asked in the poll said they had a good opinion of the government's economic policies, down 5 per cent from February.

According to the BVA institute, which carried out the poll, that is "close to the lowest ever level of approval recorded by this indicator."

The poll was taken on March 26 and 27, less than a week after the ruling conservatives suffered one of their worst-ever electoral defeats, drawing only 35 per cent of the votes cast in the second round of regional elections.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316561,record-number-of-french-disapprove-of-governments-economic-policy.html.

Spain maintain lead over Brazil in FIFA rankings

Zurich - Spain led an unchanged top three but there was plenty of movement elsewhere in the top 10 of the latest world football rankings issued on Wednesday by the governing body FIFA.

European champions Spain have 1,602 points for a slim lead over Brazil (1,589) while the Netherlands are third with 1,261 points.

Portugal climbed from sixth to fourth on 1,214 at the expense of Italy (1,183) and Germany (1,157). England (1,120) moved ahead of France (1,077). Argentina remained ninth on 1,075 while Croatia returned into the top 10 in 10th place with 1,051 points.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316570,spain-maintain-lead-over-brazil-in-fifa-rankings.html.

Strike disrupts rail traffic in Spain at start of Easter holidays

Madrid - Spanish rail traffic suffered delays and cancellations Wednesday at the start of the Easter holidays as employees of the rail company Renfe staged a 24-hour work stoppage.

The trade union CGT, which called the strike, pledged to guarantee a minimum service level of 75 per cent.

Renfe said the strike had hardly any following. CGT, a small railway trade union that represents a minority of workers, put following at about 80 per cent.

Delays of up to one hour were reported at Madrid's Atocha railway station. Renfe said affected passengers would be placed on alternative trains or could return their tickets for a refund.

The strike was protesting a reform of the employee ranking system. It came just as millions of Spaniards were preparing to travel by rail or road at the start of the Easter holidays.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316573,strike-disrupts-rail-traffic-in-spain-at-start-of-easter-holidays.html.

EU to allow its citizens to propose laws, under strict conditions

Brussels - The European Union is to allow its citizens to sign online petitions asking for new laws to be drafted, but only after a series of safeguards are respected, according to a proposal presented Wednesday by the European Commission.

The so-called citizens' initiative is one of the reforms foreseen by the EU's Lisbon Treaty. It is meant to reduce the perceived gap between voters and Brussels institutions, often perceived as too wide and bureaucratic.

"It will introduce a whole new form of participatory democracy to the EU," said Maros Sefcovic, the EU commissioner in charge of putting the proposal into practice.

In 2006 a web-based campaign calling for the abolishment of the Strasbourg seat of the EU Parliament - seen by some as a waste of money as most parliamentary activities are based in Brussels - came to nothing as the commission could not legally act upon it.

This could now change, as Sefcovic vowed that the EU executive "will have to give serious consideration to requests made by citizens' initiatives."

However, he also implied that there is no obligation for them to be taken up, since the commission, the EU's executive, is to retain its exclusive right to draft legislation.

According to the proposals, citizens' initiatives would have to be supported by at least 1 million people from one third of the EU's 27 current member states, with signatures being collected within a year.

Petitions could be killed off immediately if the EU executive found them "manifestly against the fundamental values of the EU."

There would also be a minimum tally of signatures from single EU nations, equal to the number of deputies that country elects to the European Parliament, multiplied by a factor of 750.

In Germany, the bloc's most populous country with over 80 million people, the threshold would be equal to around 74,000 signatures.

Once the 300,000 signatures mark is reached, with input from at least three member states, a preliminary check would be carried out to see if the commission would be legally allowed to draft the EU law being proposed.

"It is important that this new feature of the democratic process should be credible, should fully assure data protection and should not be open to abuse or fraud," the EU executive stressed.

Once all the hurdles are cleared, the commission would have four months to either accept the citizens' initiative by coming forward with the required legislation, commission a study - which would mean a longer process - or reject it outright.

The reforms have to be agreed by EU member states and by the parliament before they become operational. The commission hopes this could happen by the end of the year.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316574,eu-to-allow-its-citizens-to-propose-laws-under-strict-conditions.html.

Swedish tourist falls to his death in Bali volcano crater

Bali Island, Indonesia - A Swedish tourist died Wednesday when he fell into the crater of Bali's Mount Batur, an active volcano, police said.

Kintamani district police chief Made Oka said 25-year-old Daniel Petersen fell into the crater in the early morning when he climbed the 1,717-meter volcano with two friends and a guide.

Oka said police presumed that Peterson was killed instantly by sharp rocks inside the 150-meter-deep crater.

The accident took place in bad weather which made the path slippery, police said, adding that rescue workers were attempting to recover the body.

Mount Batur last erupted in 2000.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316576,swedish-tourist-falls-to-his-death-in-bali-volcano-crater.html.

Iran to hold talks with China over nuclear dispute

Tehran - Iran plans to hold talks with China over the Islamic state's controversial nuclear program, official news agency IRNA reported Wednesday.

Chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili is to go to Beijing Thursday to meet Chinese officials and discuss the latest developments in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, the report said.

While the United States, Britain and France are in favor of imposing further sanctions against Iran, the other two permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - China and Russia - have been reluctant to back such measures.

US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he hoped the UN Security Council adopt tougher sanctions against Iran within "weeks" if the Islamic republic continued to refuse to comply with the council's resolutions on the matter.

Iran has several times said the sanctions are a futile effort by the world powers to stop the country's nuclear program, and hailed China - and Russia - for resisting the introduction of new sanctions.

Tehran has consistently rejected Western charges that it is secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program, saying its atomic projects are solely for peaceful purposes.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316577,iran-to-hold-talks-with-china-over-nuclear-dispute.html.

Miracle baby elephant gets Miracle for a name

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Sydney - The baby elephant at Sydney's Taronga Zoo that two weeks ago defied the experts and was born alive and well is Mr Shuffles no more.

The calf that vets mistakenly said had died in his mother's womb was Thursday named Pathi Harn, which means "miracle" in Thai.

Pathi Harn had outgrown his Mr Shuffles nickname, as he no longer lumbers along like an old man but scampers like the healthy infant he has become.

"He used to just hide under his mother, Porntip, and stay between her legs most of the day but now he comes out and has a look around and a play," a zoo spokesman said.

Thai Consul General Kiattikhun Chartprasert, guest of honor at a naming ceremony that Buddhist monks led, said the back-from-the-dead calf showed "the beauty of life while respecting the possibility of death at the same time."

Pathi Harn is the third elephant to be born in Australia's Asian elephant captive breeding program that began with a shipment of elephants from Thailand.

"I believe the miracle of this calf will become another part of the Thai legacy in Australia," Chartprasert said.

A fourth baby elephant, also resulting from artificial insemination, is due at Taronga in December.

More than 10,000 people entered a competition to pick a name from a list of seven Thai monikers. Pathi Harn won 47 per cent of the votes cast.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315689,miracle-baby-elephant-gets-miracle-for-a-name.html.

Sweden is world's 'most networked' economy, as US slips: study

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Geneva - Sweden, Singapore and Denmark topped the list of the world's "most networked" economies in the latest survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF) released Thursday.

According to the 2009-2010 study, a good network enables economic progress, and top countries were seeing their information and communication technology (ICT) acting as catalysts for sustainable growth.

WEF economist Irene Mia said the three leading countries all built their capacity on a "long-standing focus placed by governments and private sector alike on education, innovation and ICT access and diffusion."

ICT would help increase development and competitiveness, the WEF said.

Switzerland occupied the fourth position, moving up a notch, while the United States was ranked fifth, falling two spots from last year's list.

Hong Kong moved up four spots to place eighth, but Iceland dropped out of the top 10.

Finland, Canada, the Netherlands and Norway closed the top rankings.

In total, 133 countries were reviewed in the study.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315702,sweden-is-worlds-most-networked-economy-as-us-slips-study.html.

India's Bharti Airtel to finalize deal with Zain Telecom

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

New Delhi (Earth Times) - Kuwait-based Zain Telecom said that it accepted a 10.7-billion-dollar bid by the Indian telecommunications company Bharti Airtel Ltd to acquire Zain's African operations.

The deal would see Bharti Airtel acquire Zain's assets spread across 15 African countries, the IANS news agency reported.

Zain Telecom's Africa arm, Zain Africa BV, said in a statement late Wednesday Bharti Airtel had completed the due diligence process for the acquisition and definitive agreements were expected to be finalized and signed within days.

Zain Telecom has an estimated 41.9 million customers in Africa.

The statement said the proposed sale did not include Zain's operation in Sudan or its investment in Morocco.

Bharti Airtel had announced Sunday that it had finalized funding worth 8.3 billion dollars with major international banks and the State Bank of India for its proposed acquisition.

The deal represents Bharti Airtel's third attempt to enter the African market. Merger talks with South Africa's MTN Group fell through on two occasions.

Bharti Airtel has operations in India and Sri Lanka. It had more than 118 million customers as of November.

SingTel, South-East Asia's largest telecommunications firm, has a 32-per-cent stake in Bharti.

Bharti Airtel shares rose by 3.35 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange soon after Zain confirmed the deal.

Denmark holds off on buying new fighter jets

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Copenhagen - Denmark has decided to postpone a decision to buy new fighter jets, the Defense Ministry said Thursday, citing a review that suggested it could extend the lifespan of its current fleet.

Denmark has 48 US-made F-16 fighter jets that according to a new military study could fly at least two years longer than planned, extending their lifespan to 2018 or longer.

The government said it made sense to postpone the decision on selecting a replacement for its aging F-16s, but added that a decision on new fighters would be made under the current national Defense Agreement that covers the period from 2010-2014.

"It has emerged that we can fly the F-16s two to four years longer," Defense Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech said, adding it was "common sense to wait a few years with the (procurement) decision."

Bech has asked the military to analyze how long the F-16s can operate. Denmark was also considering reducing its fleet of fighters from 48 to 30.

The opposition Socialist People's Party and Social Liberals which backed the Defense Agreement welcomed a postponement, citing the economic challenges facing Denmark.

Candidates for the Danish order include the US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) made by Lockheed Martin, Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet, and the Swedish-made Jas 39 Gripen.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315714,denmark-holds-off-on-buying-new-fighter-jets.html.

US biologist wins Templeton Prize on religion and science

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

New York - An American biologist and former Roman Catholic priest on Thursday won the pricey 2010 Templeton Prize for advocating mutual respect but separation of religion from science.

Francisco J Ayala, a naturalized US citizen from Spain, specializes in research into parasitic protozoa that may lead to cures for malaria and other diseases.

The Templeton foundation announced the award for Ayala's 30-years of warning that both science and religion would be damaged if one field invades the other. He has called instead for mutual respect between the two.

Ayala, 76, a former Dominican priest, moved to New York in 1961 for graduate school and became a leader in molecular evolution and genetics. He is the Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California at Irvine.

The annual Templeton Prize, established by the financier John Templeton, was valued at 1.53 million dollars this year. The prize honors individuals who make "exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual dimension" in their daily life and professions.

Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will award the prize at a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace on May 5.

Ayala said in prepared statement for the prize's announcement that science does not contradict religion.

"If they are properly understood," he said, "they cannot be in contradiction because science and religion concern different matters, and each is essential to human understanding."

He referred to Picasso's Guernica mural, saying that only a person with a spiritual view could impart the horror of the meanings in the masterpiece painting while dealing with its massive dimensions and pigments.

The Templeton Prize officials said: "Ayala's clear voice in matters of science and faith echoes the foundation's belief that evolution of the mind and truly open-minded inquiry can lead to real spiritual progress in the world."

In his opposition to religious intrusion into science, Ayala served as an expert witness in 1981 in a pivotal case. The US Federal Court ruled against a law mandating the teaching of creationism alongside of evolution in schools in the state of Arkansas. Ayala was awarded the National Medal of Science from US President George W Bush in 2001.

Ayala served in President Bill Clinton's presidential Committee of Advisers on Science and Technology in 1994 and as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) from 1993 to 1996. He is a also member of the National Academy of Sciences and a foreign member of the scientific academies of, among others, Spain, Russia, Italy, Mexico and Serbia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315808,us-biologist-wins-templeton-prize-on-religion-and-science.html.

US to help rebuild Pakistan's infrastructure

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Washington - The United States agreed Thursday to help Pakistan rebuild key parts of its infrastructure as it works to improve lives in the South Asian nation, a critical ally in the ongoing war against terrorism.

US and Pakistani officials signed a 40-million-dollar preliminary deal to upgrade critical roads in Pakistan's north-western Swat Valley, where the Pakistani military has been waging a campaign to oust al-Qaeda and Taliban militants over the last year.

The deal came on the second day of a "strategic dialogue" held in Washington between US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, to strengthen ties and expand relations beyond US goals in the war on terrorism.

The United States "reaffirmed its resolve to assist Pakistan overcome socio-economic challenges by providing technical and economic assistance," according to a statement released by the two sides.

The countries promised increased cooperation on economic and energy development, as well as in education, agriculture and water supplies. The dialogue included top officials from the US and Pakistani militaries and other government officials.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315830,us-to-help-rebuild-pakistans-infrastructure.html.

Owner of Globovision TV channel arrested in Venezuela

Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Caracas - Guillermo Zuloaga, owner and president of the television channel Globovision, was arrested Thursday in Venezuela as he attempted to leave the country.

Hours earlier, ruling-party legislators had requested a probe of his behavior regarding comments he had made at a media industry gathering in the country about the 2002 coup attempt against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Zuloaga contacted Globovision to denounce his own arrest, which he described as arbitrary since he had not been informed that an arrest warrant had been issued against him.

He said he was traveling to Bonaire, in the Netherlands Antilles, for Easter. He was set to leave from the airport in the western Venezuelan state of Falcon when he was arrested. He was to be taken to Caracas.

"I have not received any notification that I have any problems, except what has been on the news, that there is supposedly an investigation of my comments at the (meeting,)" Zuloaga said of the Inter-American Press Association gathering.

Shortly afterward, Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz confirmed the reasons for the arrest and said the authorities feared that he might escape from the country.

Ortega Diaz charged that Zuloaga had made offensive, disrespectful comments about Chavez.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315833,owner-of-globovision-tv-channel-arrested-in-venezuela.html.

Many Israelis regard Obama as pro-Palestinian, poll finds

Fri, 26 Mar 2010

Jerusalem - Many Jewish Israelis believe US President Barack Obama is pro-Palestinian, a poll published Friday by the Jerusalem Post showed.

The poll said 48 per cent regarded Obama as pro-Palestinian while 9 per cent saw him as pro-Israeli.

The Jerusalem Post commissioned the Smith Research Institute to question 500 Israelis Sunday and Monday after weeks of heightened tensions between Obama and Israel but before the crisis intensified during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House.

Thirty per cent of Israelis said his administration was neutral and 13 per cent expressed no opinion in the survey, which has a margin of error of 4.5 per cent.

Among Israelis who considered themselves right wing, a large majority (72 per cent) saw Obama as pro-Palestinian.

Nonetheless, the number of Israel's Jews who see Obama's policies as pro-Israel has risen somewhat over the past year, from 4 per cent in another Jerusalem Post/Smith Research poll in August, and from 6 per cent in June.

In the August poll, the number of Jewish Israelis who believed the Obama administration was more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli was a majority of 51 per cent.

The June poll was taken shortly after Obama reached out to the Muslim world in a Cairo University address, and 50 per cent of those sampled considered the administration's policies more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli.

Obama had appeared to receive better numbers in a survey published March 19 in the Haaretz newspaper, in which a majority described his policies as either "to the point" or "friendly."

According to the Israeli media, Obama in his talks with Netanyahu this week listed a series of tough demands, which commentators have argued, if met, could bring down Netanyahu's right-leaning coalition. The media are quoting a Netanyahu adviser as saying that among Obama's demands was a freeze in construction in East Jerusalem and a two-year deadline to peace negotiations from the moment they begin.

Netanyahu, who returned from Washington late Thursday, was expected to submit his reply by Saturday, the reports said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315893,many-israelis-regard-obama-as-pro-palestinian-poll-finds.html.

Myanmar junta welcomes, then expels CNN correspondent

Fri, 26 Mar 2010

Naypyitaw, Myanmar - Myanmar authorities on Friday expelled CNN South-East Asia correspondent Dan Rivers after officially inviting him to attend an annual military parade, sources said.

Rivers arrived in Yangon Thursday, traveling on a journalist visa allowing him to cover Armed Forces Day, an annual parade presided over by the military junta's chief, Senior General Than Shwe, in the military's capital of Naypyitaw, 320 kilometers north of Yangon.

"I was a bit surprised that they allowed me in because the last time I was here they had deported me," Rivers said in Naypyitaw, shortly before his most recent deportation.

Rivers had last entered Myanmar in May 2008, traveling on a tourist visa to cover the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, which killed about 140,000 people.

Myanmar's ruling junta was widely criticized at the time for failing to facilitate visas for foreign relief workers seeking to enter the country to assist the disaster-hit communities.

Foreign journalists were also barred from entering, but that is the norm in Myanmar, where the regime keeps a tight grip on local reporters and only occasionally allows foreign reporters to enter officially, usually on junkets that serve its own political purposes.

Rivers was initially granted a journalist visa to cover Armed Forces Day Saturday but then was suddenly escorted back to Yangon without explanation.

"A special agent came and told him he would not be allowed to attend Armed Forces Day and took him to the airport," a witness said.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. Than Shwe has promised to hold a general election some time this year, but few predict the polls would be either free or fair.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315911,myanmar-junta-welcomes-then-expels-cnn-correspondent.html.

Six convicted for 'honor killing' in India

Fri, 26 Mar 2010

New Delhi - In a landmark judgment, an Indian court has convicted six people for the 2007 "honor killing" of a newly-wed couple who defied local kinship traditions, news reports said Friday.

A court in the northern Indian state of Haryana found six men guilty on Thursday of murdering Manoj, 23, and his bride Babli, 19, of Karoran village in Kaithal district, the Asian Age newspaper reported.

The couple had defied local caste and kinship traditions of the rural Jat community that forbid men and women of the same sub-caste from marrying as they are regarded as siblings.

The girl's family had complained to the Jat khap panchayat or caste council after Manoj and Babli wed.

The council had pronounced the marriage illegal and ordered a boycott of the groom's family. The council also announced that villagers who kept ties with the family would be fined 25,000 rupees (about 550 dollars).

On June 15, 2007, as Manoj and Babli were trying to leave the area, a group of men led by Babli's brothers and cousins dragged the them out of a bus, took them to a remote location and hacked them to death before dumping the bodies in an irrigation canal.

Those convicted Thursday included five members of Babli's family and a leader of the caste council who had been publicly celebrated after the incident for protecting the honor of the Jat community.

While pronouncing them guilty, judge Vani Gopal Sharma said there was no place for a parallel system of justice in the country.

Jagmati Sangwan, president of the Haryana unit of the All India Democratic Women's Association, said, "We hope the guilty would be awarded strict punishment so that a signal is sent to those self-styled panchayat (council) leaders who have been taking the law into their own hands."

There have been several cases in recent years where young men and women have been ostracized or even killed for marrying against the wishes of the tradition-bound rural Jat communities.

A 21-year-old youth was lynched by a mob in a village in Jind district of Haryana in July 2009 after his marriage to a girl of the same clan was declared illegal by the caste council.

There is no composite data available on the number of such incidents in the past.

The government is considering an amendment to the Indian Penal Code to define "honor killing" as a heinous crime with punishment ranging from life imprisonment to the death sentence.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said in parliament in 2009 that the government was considering "a fresh definition" for such killings.

"Caste panchayats aid and abet honor killings. Principal actors in such panchayats need to be arrayed as accused and prosecuted for murder," Chidambaram said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315930,six-convicted-for-honour-killing-in-india.html.

Spanish king comes out in defense of bullfighting

Fri, 26 Mar 2010

Madrid - Spain's King Juan Carlos has intervened in an ongoing debate on the country's bullfighting tradition, describing it as a "fertile cultural and artistic world," press reports said Friday.

The monarch made the comments while presenting bullfighting prizes awarded by a cavalry institution in the southern city of Seville on Thursday.

Breeders of fighting bulls preserved their "pure race," the king said.

Juan Carlos and his eldest child Elena are known as bullfighting enthusiasts.

The king commented on bullfighting at a time when the parliament of the north-eastern region of Catalonia is considering a ban on the spectacle, which opponents regard as animal torture.

The regions of Madrid, Valencia and Murcia, on the other hand, have announced they will declare bullfights a part of their cultural heritage.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315931,spanish-king-comes-out-in-defence-of-bullfighting.html.

Morocco sentences drug trafficking gang

2010-03-25

A Marrakech court on Wednesday (March 24th) sentenced 8 members of a drug trafficking gang to jail terms of up to four years, MAP reported. The group was involved in dealing and trafficking hard drugs, mainly cocaine, at night clubs in the Marrakech area.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/25/newsbrief-03.

Arab foreign ministers confer ahead of Libya summit

2010-03-25

Arab foreign ministers met in Sirte, Libya on Thursday (March 25th) to prepare for the 22nd Arab League summit this week-end, international press reported. Issues discussed by the ministers included international terrorism, Palestine, Sudan and the progress of resolutions reached at the 2009 Arab Economic Summit.

The Arab League summit will be held Saturday and Sunday in Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's hometown. According to AFP, Sirte is filled with conciliatory banners reading: "The time is not for disputes," "We must work together," and "The interest of the (Arab) nation rises above all differences."

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/25/newsbrief-01.

Tunisia conference links education, tolerance

Young people should be taught to appreciate foreign cultures and engage with different societies, according to presenters at a recent conference in Tunis.

By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 25/03/10

Education plays a key role in creating tolerant societies and opening young peoples' eyes to other cultures, participants at a Tunis conference on youth and peace said on Monday (March 22nd).

Educators should teach youth to co-operate with and understand other cultures from an early age, said Tunisian Organization for Education and the Family (OTEF) director Salem Mekki.

The conference, held jointly by OTEF and the Educators' Forum under the banner of "Youth and Education: Dialogue for Peace and Partnership in the World", drew participants from Tunisia and the Mediterranean community. Experts and students examined how education can stop racism and strengthen dialogue between cultures.

Students attending the conference also saw education as a way to improve inter-cultural relations. One of them, Montaser Ebeid, said he sees school as a place where he can meet more friends and learn foreign languages, allowing him to explore the world and appreciate unfamiliar cultures.

Another student, Jihan Moussa, credited the internet with connecting her to people around the world, while acknowledging that school has taught her to appreciate the opportunities this brings.

"Some lessons and teachers also play a role in introducing us to other cultures, which is very important," she told Magharebia.

Tunisia has paid special attention to young people's concerns recently, declaring 2010 "International Youth Year" and launching initiatives to spur youth involvement in civil society.

On March 20th, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali announced he would create a parliament for young people this year, in addition to a fourth consultation with youth and a field survey on their concerns.

These efforts "highlight the international awareness of the value of youth, who are central to progress and modernization and who are indeed the basis of any development efforts", said Tunisian Education Minister Hatem Ben Salem.

The conference also explored how European civil society has reinforced the concept of dialogue among civilizations and peace in the world.

Jean-Claude Gonon, a former general rapporteur of the Council of Europe Conference of INGOs, said that dialogue among younger generations was important for developing a national identity and boosting values of citizenship and tolerance.

Louis Michel, a member of the European Parliament, said dialogue can only improve civil society.

"Dialogue is the answer, not the problem," said the MP. "It is vital that we stress dialogue and teach it in elementary schools so we'll be able to listen to the 'other'."

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/25/feature-01.

Algerian tourism boom spurs new hotels, jobs

2010-03-29

Algerian tourism officials inked a construction contract with local investors to build 28 new hotels, APS reported on Sunday (March 28th). Nearly 4,000 new jobs will be created. Speaking at the signing ceremony for the hotel deal, Town Planning, Environment and Tourism Minister Cherif Rahmani said that some 430 tourist projects begun since 2008 should generate 58,000 jobs. Rahmani also estimated the number of tourists in 2009 at 1.9 million. "Five years ago, we had 500,000," he noted.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/29/newsbrief-04.

Arab League Summit wraps up in Sirte

2010-03-29

The 22nd Arab League Summit ended Sunday (March 28th) in Libya with the adoption of the Sirte Declaration, local and international press reported. Preparation of the agreement to create a joint Arab action plan on key issues will be overseen by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Arab League member states are expected to ratify the final document at an extraordinary summit next October.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/29/newsbrief-03.

Morocco launches anti-cancer campaign

A new initiative will expand the number of Moroccan hospitals offering cancer treatment, while also focusing on prevention and early detection.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 29/03/10

Health authorities in Morocco have begun a campaign to fight cancer by opening new treatment centers and expanding health-care coverage.

Morocco launched the 8-billion dirham campaign, which aims to make treatment, detection and preventive care more accessible, on March 23rd.

Four regional health-care centers will be opened in Safi, Laayoune, Meknes and Tangier, in addition to two special cancer centers for women in Rabat and Casablanca, and two pediatric cancer centers in Fes and Marrakech. Palliative care units will be added to several provincial hospitals, while existing oncology centers in Morocco will be expanded.

Morocco currently has five state-run cancer centers and four private-sector facilities to treat the disease, which accounts for 7.2% of all deaths annually, with 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

"The plan has come at just the right time to address the growing need to combat cancer at the national and regional level, and reflects Morocco's commitment to adopting a regional strategy on the issue," said the WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hussein Gezairy.

The anti-cancer campaign will also expand cancer patients' right to receive health-care benefits to offset the high costs of treatment, which is especially critical in a country where two-thirds of citizens have no health-care coverage.

According to the Health Ministry, up to 90% of the treatment costs for certain types of cancer are borne by the patients, which in turn impoverishes them and their families.

Fatiha, a 52-year-old housekeeper, knows first-hand how steep the costs of treatment can be after undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy.

"Each session costs me 2,600 dirhams," she told Magharebia. "Benefactors are helping me to get treatment. Without them, I'd have been dead long ago."

A significant portion of the anti-cancer campaign will focus on prevention and early detection. To further this aim, the Health Ministry will build more than 30 screening centers throughout the country over the next 10 years to screen women for early signs of breast and cervical cancers.

The campaign will also highlight preventive measures individuals can take to prevent the onset of the disease by living a healthier lifestyle, stopping smoking and avoiding other carcinogenic products. Around 40% of all cancers are preventable, cancer specialists claim.

Health Minister Yasmina Baddou praised the plan for its "ambitious yet realistic response to cancer" and its efforts to provide affordable, high-quality care for those who suffer from long-term illnesses.

Health care activists also praised the plan for its breadth and believe it will have a real impact on Moroccans' lives.

"The national cancer plan will help address the lack of capacity to treat the disease," said Professor Abdellatif Ben Idder.

Latifa El Abida, who heads the Lalla Salma Association to Combat Cancer, lauded the plan for its wide-reaching implications.

"The plan will enable Morocco to tackle this terrible illness by means of the best and most effective approaches available globally, while also taking account of the national situation," she told Magharebia.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/29/feature-02.

Libyans give cautious welcome to Islamists' release

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

Many in Libya support the freeing of hundreds of imprisoned Islamists, but others remain wary of the move's implications for society.

By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 29/03/10

Libya's release of hundreds of Islamist prisoners has been received by the public with a mix of welcome and apprehension about the future.

Authorities on Wednesday (March 23rd) released 214 repentant supporters and leaders of terrorist groups, including dozens from the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), after the militants renounced terrorism. A total of 705 Islamists have been set free to date; according to Saif al-Islam Kadhafi, son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, a remaining 232 prisoners will be released soon.

"This...is a day of reconciliation and reunion", Saif al-Islam Kadhafi said in a press conference marking the release. "To me, in my capacity as the president of the Kadhafi Foundation, which sponsored this step, this day means an initiative of dialogue with all the Islamic groups in prison or overseas."

The release of the latest group, which includes LIFG emir Abdelhakim Belhaj and the group's military chief Khaled Shrif, "opens the bridges of dialogue, discussion and reintegration of all the brothers into society so that they may be tools for building, rather than tools for demolition", he added.

In a 417-page document released last September, "Corrective Studies on the Doctrine of Jihad, Hesba and Ruling", the Libyan group repudiated al-Qaeda and denounced the killing of civilians under the pretext of jihad. The document's authors include the brother of al-Qaeda terrorist and former LIFG leader Abu Yahya al-Libi, who was killed in Pakistan in 2008.

Many Libyans contacted by Magharebia viewed the mass release positively, but hoped the government would take further steps.

"We welcome the release, though we consider it to be a very late step," rights activist Alaa Mohamed Dersi said. But he added that "there are still innocent prisoners or prisoners who've completed their terms and were not among [those] released today".

"The release of senior LIFG leaders is considered a step in the right direction for proceeding with the reform of Libyan society from within," social activist Ghaida Touati said. "I hope that the policy of dialogue and reconciliation will continue, because I consider it to be the only way to re-structure Libyan society from within and to reject the policy of exclusion and restriction of freedoms."

"I won't forget to mention another prisoner of conscience, namely my colleague and writer Jamal Hajji, who's still in prison," added Touati. "I hope he'll be released soon."

Others cautioned that the release alone was not a cure for issues facing Libyan society, particularly those involving the judiciary.

"When we look at the issue from the angle of rights that were violated, we find that the violations were not restricted to illegal detention of suspects, but also were made against people whose acquittal was proven by court judgments," lawyer Abdessalam Mesmari said in a statement to Magharebia. "These violations constituted serious crimes, including unjustified denial of freedom, failure to implement court judgments, and even public insult and ridicule of the judiciary to find pretexts for the continued detention of hundreds of prisoners who were acquitted by the courts."

"The only way to guarantee that these violations will not be repeated is by legally deterring those responsible by trying them; otherwise, it will be like a poorly-directed, absurd carnival focused on undermining people's rights and then condescending to give them the same, in a celebration in which the victims and their relatives show happiness and gratitude," added the lawyer.

In his statements to reporters on March 23rd, Saif al-Islam Kadhafi offered a more upbeat view of the release, highlighting his foundation's role in re-integrating the released Islamists into society.

"There is a program that we sponsor, related to how we can help them now that they have their freedom, how they can return to the society, and how we can rehabilitate them so that they may be reintegrated in a correct way and become effective and constructive forces in society, in terms of education and job opportunities."

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/29/feature-01.

Obama condemns deadly attacks on Moscow subway - Summary

Mon, 29 Mar 2010

Washington- US President Barack Obama condemned Monday's suicide attacks on the Moscow subway that killed at least 38 people and expressed solidarity with the Russian people.

"The American people stand united with the people of Russia in opposition to violent extremism and heinous terrorist attacks that demonstrate such disregard for human life, and we condemn these outrageous acts," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

Authorities believe two female suicide bombers carried out separate morning attacks on the metro system in what was the worst terrorist attack on the Russian capital in six years. At least 35 others are believed to have been injured.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones, and I wish all who sustained injuries a successful recovery," Obama said.

Meanwhile, US authorities were stepping up security in the subway stations in Washington and New York. Metro authorities in Washington announced there would be security sweeps throughout the day.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316311,obama-condemns-deadly-attacks-on-moscow-subway--summary.html.

Merkel urges Turkey to open ports to Cypriot vessels - Summary

Mon, 29 Mar 2010

Ankara - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on a two-day visit to EU-candidate Turkey, Monday urged Ankara to open up its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels, something it had previously agreed to do as part of its membership negotiations.

Turkey currently forbids ships and planes from Cyprus, an EU member, to enter the country. Ankara had previously signed an agreement, known as the Ankara Protocol, which would allow for Greek Cypriot vessels into Turkey.

In a press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Merkel said that the Cyprus issue stands as a major barrier to Turkey's EU aspirations.

"In my mind, the most important issue to resolve is the Ankara Protocol, as the current situation is such that the Cyprus issue is unresolved," Merkel said of Turkey's continuing EU accession talks.

Merkel has previously stated that, rather than full EU membership, she would rather see Turkey be given a "privileged partnership" with the bloc.

Turkish officials have strongly rejected this suggestion. In Ankara, Merkel said that the accession talks will continue.

"Irrespective of the fact that we still have divergent opinions over full membership, we nevertheless want to continue along this path," Merkel said in reference to the ongoing negotiations.

"We are taking big steps forward," in terms of joining the EU, Erdogan said.

Merkel's visit, which will also take her to Istanbul, exposed other rifts between Germany and Turkey. Among the topics Merkel and Erdogan discussed was the question of how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.

The chancellor said the international community might be forced to consider stronger measures on the issue. "If Iran does not in the end show transparency over the question of nuclear energy, we must also consider sanctions," Merkel said.

Erdogan, whose country has been deepening its trade and political relations with Iran, disagreed. "We are of the view that sanctions is not a healthy path and that the best route is diplomacy," Erdogan said.

Germany is Turkey's largest trading partner and some 3 million Turks live in the country, the largest groups of Turks living outside of Turkey.

The status of those Turks is another area of disagreement between Merkel and Turkish leaders.

Erdogan, who has previously warned Turks living in Germany about the dangers of "assimilation," suggested in a recent interview that Turkish schools be set up in the country.

In Ankara, Merkel said she does not oppose the creation of schools that teach Turkish in Germany, but they cannot be substitutes for integrating into German society.

"What is unacceptable, is for this to be an excuse for Turks living in Germany not to learn the German language," the chancellor said.

"The language of the country one lives in is the precondition for good integration," Merkel said, stressing that the goal was not assimilation.

"This is about everybody keeping their roots, their culture and their belief, but those of the third and fourth generation living in Germany should be able to participate in our social life."

Merkel is scheduled to go to Istanbul on Tuesday, where she will visit local monuments and a German-language high school. She is also scheduled to meet with German and Turkish business leaders.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316312,merkel-urges-turkey-to-open-ports-to-cypriot-vessels--summary.html.

UN chief to visit Central Asian nations

Mon, 29 Mar 2010

New York - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is to visit Central Asia where he will meet with government leaders to discuss development, disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, the UN said Monday.

Ban will leave UN headquarters on Wednesday, heading to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, for the first stop in the five-nation tour. He will also visit Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

In Ashgabat, Ban will meet Turkmenistan's leaders and visit the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights.

In Kazakhstan, he will visit the former nuclear test site of Semipalatinsk and hold talks in Astana with the country's president, the parliament's speaker and members.

On the way back to New York, Ban will visit Vienna for the spring session of the Central Executives Board and hold discussions with Austrian leaders. He is scheduled to address the permanent council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316316,un-chief-to-visit-central-asian-nations.html.

UN chief condemns Moscow bombings

Mon, 29 Mar 2010

New York - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday "strongly condemned" the twin suicide bombings that killed at least 38 people in the Moscow subway.

"The secretary general is confident that the Russian authorities will bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack," Ban said in a statement.

He extended his "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims, the government and people of Russia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316321,un-chief-condemns-moscow-bombings.html.

Palestinian refugees decry Arab summits as 'useless' - Feature

Mon, 29 Mar 2010
Weedah Hamzah

Beirut - Palestinian refugees are questioning the effectiveness of Arab summits in the wake of last week's meeting in Libya, saying they yield little more than talk.

"Speeches. Arab leaders should not meet to solve any Arab issue, because they never come out with anything except speeches," Abu Jammal, a Palestinian refugee who has lived in Lebanon since Israel was established in 1948, said Monday.

Speaking to the German Press Agency dpa in Chatila camp at the southern outskirts of Beirut, the 78-year-old Abu Jammal, whose full name is Mohammed Abu Rodeina, described the latest Arab summit as "useless."

"It is very clear to all the Palestinians now that they are being sold out at an auction," the survivor of the Sabra and Chatila massacre, when Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, said.

Members of the 22-nation Arab League gathered in Libya for their annual summit on Saturday. Israel's decision to build 1,600 new settlements in east Jerusalem has been a particular point of focus for delegates.

"I heard on the radio that the leaders failed to reach a consensus over the resumption of the peace talks with Israel," Abu Jammal noted. "However, the Arab summit recommended giving the peace talks another opportunity if Israel halts its settlement."

Moamer Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, had opened the summit by calling on Arab leaders to take action, not just resort to words.

"The Arabs can never reach an agreement on anything," Abu Jammal said. "Building hopes on Arab leaders is useless."

"Simply, our leaders underestimate our level of intelligence," he added.

Abu Jammal, who lost two sons fighting for their right to return home, is among four million Palestinians who living in the diaspora. Some 367,000 of them live in miserable conditions in 12 camps across Lebanon.

Suheil Natour, a Palestinian political analyst, told dpa, "the Palestinian people have lost hope in all promises and simply, they see no light in the long, dark tunnel."

"The Palestinians do not want promises only, they want real support in order for them to face the Israeli daily challenges," Natour said.

In the nearby Mar Elias camp, shop vendors reading newspapers on Monday morning were also critical of Arab leaders at the summit.

"Arab summits are a place for Arab leaders to either fight with each other or reconcile, but they never focus on the important issues that they are supposed to tackle and resolve," Mohammed Chaban said.

He said he believes the entire Middle East is "in a critical position" because of Arab political divisions.

"Maybe we have to remind the Arab leaders that Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories are territories occupied by Israel in 1967, and all constructions on these lands are illegal Jewish settlements," he added. "Because for sure, they seem to have forgotten."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316330,palestinian-refugees-decry-arab-summits-as-useless--feature.html.

Obama calls Medvedev to express condolences - Summary

Mon, 29 Mar 2010

Washington - US President Barack Obama telephoned Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday to offer condolences following the suicide attacks on Moscow's metro system that left at least 38 people dead.

Obama pledged US cooperation in assisting the Russian government track down those responsible for the attacks and bring them to justice, the White House said.

Authorities believe two female suicide bombers carried out separate morning attacks on the metro system in what was the worst terrorist attack on the Russian capital in six years. At least 35 others are believed to have been injured.

Obama had earlier issued a statement condemning the attacks and expressed solidarity with the Russian people.

"The American people stand united with the people of Russia in opposition to violent extremism and heinous terrorist attacks that demonstrate such disregard for human life, and we condemn these outrageous acts," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones, and I wish all who sustained injuries a successful recovery," he said.

Meanwhile, US authorities were stepping up security in the subway stations in Washington and New York. Metro authorities in Washington announced there would be security sweeps throughout the day.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316343,obama-calls-medvedev-to-express-condolences--summary.html.

Curfew in India's Hyderabad city after religious riots

New Delhi - An indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of the southern Indian city of Hyderabad after days of clashes between Hindus and Muslims left one person dead and over 80 injured, officials said Tuesday.

The violence broke out in the Moosabowli district after a dispute over putting up some religious flags near a place of worship and spread to other areas Sunday.

The riots continued Monday, with mobs hitting each other with sticks and throwing stones. A youth was stabbed to death.

As the violence showed no signs of abating, local authorities imposed a curfew on Monday evening.

"No untoward incident has been reported since Monday night across the riot-hit area. The situation is tense but under control," an officer at the city's police control room said.

Over 100 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, he added.

Nearly 1,000 federal paramilitary personnel were deployed in sensitive areas in the city, which is considered India's leading technology hub.

Hyderabad, capital of Andhra Pradesh, hosts offices of Indian firms such as Satyam Computer Services Ltd and international companies like Google Inc, Microsoft Corp and IBM Corp.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316383,curfew-in-indias-hyderabad-city-after-religious-riots.html.

17 Indians get death penalty in United Arab Emirates

New Delhi - A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced 17 Indian nationals to death for killing a Pakistani man in an attack last year, news reports said Tuesday.

The murder took place in Sharjah, an emirate north of Dubai, in January 2009 following a dispute over an illegal liquor business, the Times of India reported.

A shariah court, which applies Islamic law, sentenced the 17 men to death after evidence, including DNA tests, showed they had stabbed the victim to death, the report said.

The convicted men are aged between 17 and 30 years.

It was the highest number of death sentences handed down at one time in the Emirates, the PTI news agency reported.

The court said that the violence was a result of the turf war between groups selling illegal alcohol in and around labor camps in Sharjah.

Sharjah has the toughest restrictions on the sale of alcohol of all the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, India was seeking consular access to the sentenced men.

"The government will offer all legal help to the men and I have asked our consul general in Dubai to follow up the case personally and file for an appeal at the earliest by engaging a lawyer," Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told the Times of India.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316387,17-indians-get-death-penalty-in-united-arab-emirates.html.

Merkel on Istanbul tourist trail at Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque

Istanbul - German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the religious heritage of Istanbul on Tuesday, the second day of her trip to Turkey, as she visited the Hagia Sophia, a former church and mosque which is now a key tourist attraction.

"An impressive architectural masterpiece in a metropolis that has always been home to many religions," Merkel wrote in the guestbook of the present-day museum, which remained open to regular visitors during her tour of the building.

The chancellor continued her sightseeing in Istanbul, this year's joint European Capital of Culture, with a visit to the Blue Mosque.

Later in the day, Merkel is due to visit a German school in Istanbul, where she is to participate in a panel discussion with pupils.

A German-Turkish economic forum is also scheduled, at which both Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are due to be present. Germany is one of Turkey's key trade partners.

The previous day, Merkel held formal talks with Erdogan in Ankara, after which she stressed that Turkey's conflict with Cyprus was a major stumbling block in European Union accession talks.

The leaders are at odds over Turkey's desire to join the European Union, in place of which Merkel would prefer a "privileged partnership."

Disagreement also flared up last week, after Erdogan demanded that more be done to promote Turkish schooling in Germany. Merkel in turn stressed the importance of learning German as a key to integration.

Germany is home to 3 million people of Turkish origin.

Istanbul, home to 13 million people, shares the title of European Capital of Culture with Germany's former industrial Ruhr area and the town of Pecs in Hungary.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316406,merkel-on-istanbul-tourist-trail-at-hagia-sophia-and-blue-mosque.html.

Spanish economy will be slow to recover, central bank says

Madrid - The Spanish economy will shrink 0.4 per cent this year, the Bank of Spain said Tuesday.

The recession-hit economy will recover only in 2011, when it will grow 0.8 per cent, the central bank said.

The forecast was less optimistic than that of the government, which expects gross domestic product (GDP) to decline 0.3 per cent this year and to grow by 1.8 per cent in 2011.

The global crisis and the meltdown of Spain's housing sector have plunged the country into its deepest recession in 60 years.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316407,spanish-economy-will-be-slow-to-recover-central-bank-says.html.

60,000 children Syrian children sign 200-meter anti-smoking banner

Damascus - Some 60,000 children in northern Syria have signed a 200-meter-long banner encouraging people to quit smoking, Damascus' official al-Thawra newspaper reported Tuesday.

The banner, created in the northern province of Idlib, also featured comments from the children and their parents highlighting the negative economic and personal effects of smoking on families and society, the newspaper said.

The banner is part of an anti-smoking campaign organized by the "vanguards" of the ruling Baath Party to highlight the consequences of smoking on health, the economy and the environment.

A law banning smoking in public places and prohibiting advertising of all tobacco products is scheduled to take effect in May.

Violations of the new law, which also applies to the smoking of water pipes, will be punishable with fines up to 5,000 Syrian pounds (100 dollars).

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316410,60000-children-syrian-children-sign-200-metre-anti-smoking-banner.html.

EU's president to publish haiku collection

Brussels - European Union President Herman Van Rompuy is to publish a collection of haiku, short structured poems based on a Japanese form, officials in Brussels announced Tuesday.

The ascetic 62-year-old Belgian politician, economist and philosopher, is famed in Brussels for his love of the terse poems. His habit of writing them to comment on everyday scenes has not been derailed by his appointment as the EU's top politician.

His latest composition, posted online on March 20, just days before he hosted a crunch EU summit, runs:

"Thinned out and grown bald, You can now see through the wood All the way to spring"

Van Rompuy is set to present the first anthology of his haiku on April 15, officials in his private office confirmed.

The poems will be published in the original Dutch - his native language - with translations into English, French and Latin.

Van Rompuy has already published six books on esoteric subjects such as "Christendom: a modern thought" and "Renewal in head and heart," but this is his first full-length book of poetry.

His interest in haiku has already sparked imitations, with august publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Britain's Independent immortalizing his appointment with verses of their own.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316415,eus-president-to-publish-haiku-collection.html.

Algiers holds international conference on Islam and science

2010-03-30

An international conference on Islam and rational sciences opened Monday (March 29th) in Algiers, El Khabar reported. High Islamic Council (HCI) President Cheikh Bouamrane said that the 3-day symposium aims to respond to "questions posed by some intellectuals on the agreement between Islam and the spirit and contribution of this religion to universal civilization".

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/30/newsbrief-06.

AMU chief visits Algeria

2010-03-30

Arab Maghreb Union Secretary-General Habib Benyahia and Algerian State Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem met Monday (March 29th) in Algiers to discuss globalization challenges and AMU progress, El Moudjahid reported. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Benyahia hailed Algeria's commitment to enhancing cultural, religious and economic relations in the Maghreb.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/30/newsbrief-05.

Algerian municipal workers launch general strike

2010-03-30

More than 500,000 Algerian municipal workers will begin a 2-day general strike on Tuesday (March 30th), Tout sur l'Algerie reported. The Interior Ministry reportedly failed to dissuade union members from striking over wage demands. A massive turnout is anticipated for Algeria's first such municipal strike since the country's independence. Vital services such as garbage collection could be paralyzed.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/30/newsbrief-04.

Reports differ on status of Emirati prince missing in Morocco

2010-03-30

Morocco denied reports that local and international search teams recovered the body of missing Emirati prince Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed al Nahayan, MAP reported on Tuesday (March 30th). Foreign media reports quoted Spanish Civil Guard sources as saying in Madrid on Saturday that "the lifeless body of Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan has been located". The 41-year-old Abu Dhabi Investment Authority chief and younger brother of Emirates President Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan was in a glider that crashed last Friday into an artificial lake in Skhirat, south of Rabat. The plane's pilot was found over the week-end in good condition.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/30/newsbrief-01.

Vigorous resettlement program finds homes for Algerians

The government has responded to October's housing protests with an ambitious resettlement program for Algerians.

By Walid Ramzi for Magharebia in Algiers – 30/03/10

Algerian authorities have launched the country's largest resettlement program in history.

"After 40 years of suffering, destitution, despair and oppression, life has been restored to us," Deyar al-Shams resident Ahmed Bournan said. "We are born anew after we were almost dead."

Bournan is one of several families in Deyar al-Shams to benefit from the government's ramped-up construction efforts. One resident, Zakia, lived with her children in a shantytown for ten years before receiving their new home. Another, Sabri Ammar, suffered under high winter humidity and a leaky roof with his family of eight until they moved.

Aqeela Zeytouni and her family of 10 lived in extreme destitution for 35 years, she said. Her family had never known stability or hope until the Algeria's resettlement program found her a new home, Zeytouni said.

The government launched a ramped up resettlement program March 13th in the wake of last October's protests in neighborhoods like Deyar al-Shams. Authorities plan to build 70,000 new houses per year as part of the program, Minister of Housing and Urbanization Nordine Moussa said. The ministry has already marked 550,000 homes for demolition over the next four years, he said.

Four main cities – Algiers, Annaba, Oran and Constantine – host 15% of the country's run-down housing units, Moussa said. The program targets 45,000 families for resettlement in the capital alone and plans the construction of 10,000 housing units in the city by the end of the year.

About 600 slums populate the capital, Algiers Housing Directorate director Mohamed Ismail said. Each hosts between 10 and 2,000 residents.

Occupants of dense slums, dilapidated buildings and homes damaged in Algeria's 2003 earthquake will benefit from the government's housing program, he said. About 8% of Algerian's homes are unsafe or inadequate.

Eliminating substandard buildings, constructing new houses and resettling residents will cost an estimated 88 billion dinars per 35,000 housing units, Ismail said. The government has earmarked more than 140 billion dinars for the program.

The new resettlement program outlines seven stages in the capital: first, the evacuation of densely-populated slums; the evacuation of residents who occupy buildings marked as condemned in technical reports; the evacuation of densely populated neighborhood residents in the heart of the capital; the resettlement of residents living in pre-fabricated housing units; the resettlement of residents of dilapidated buildings in Casbah and the surrounding areas; the evacuation of residents living in graveyards; and the relocation of residents in the municipalities.

The government has commissioned about 270,000 homes since the second half of 2007. About 125,000 homes are scheduled for construction, and building efforts have begun on about 143,000.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/30/feature-02.