Delays blot Sudan election pace

Sun Apr 11, 2010

As people go to polling stations to cast their ballots in Sudan's landmark three-day elections, the electoral process has suffered delays due logistical problems.

Witnesses said that by midday (0900 GMT), queues began to form as several voting stations in the capital, Khartoum, had not yet opened, with election organizers busy unwrapping ballot boxes.

Although widespread boycotts by the main political parties have subtracted from the suspense of the presidential vote, local and parliament elections remained competitive.

Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir also voted in the first multiparty polls in 24 years.

More than 16 million people have registered for the vote and 32 aircraft and some 2,000 vehicles were used in the past few weeks to mobilize supplies to over 10,700 polling stations scattered around the vast country.

Main opposition parties accused Bashir's ruling National Congress of planning to rig the ballot, after revelations that the National Election Commission had hired a government-run firm to print ballot papers instead of a Slovenian company.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/123026.html.

Former Kyrgyz pres. may face arrest

Kyrgyzstan's interim government says it is considering arresting ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and putting him on trial.

Interim leader Roza Otunbayeva said on Sunday that the arrest warrants for Bakiev's accomplices have already been issued.

The ousted president has been hiding in the south of the country since Wednesday's bloody uprising.

The opposition-led government says it cannot guarantee Bakiyev's safety against those seeking revenge.

It has asked Bakiyev to step down and has ruled out the use of force to capture him. The former president, however, refuses to resign.

He says any attempt to kill him will 'drown' Kyrgyzstan in blood. Earlier, Bakiyev called for talks with the interim government.

Bakiyev has also called on the UN to create an independent commission to investigate Wednesday's violent uprising.

The Kyrgyz opposition took power following bloody protests earlier this week. The violence has left 81 people dead.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123025§ionid=351020406.

Iran to mass-produce faster centrifuges

Iran's nuclear chief says second generation centrifuges will soon be mass-produced, stating that the country is moving toward nuclear self-sufficiency.

"We are not in a hurry. Second generation centrifuges will be mass-produced within the next few months," head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi told ISNA.

The 2nd generation centrifuges are thrice as fast as the ones operating in Natanz.

"In a year, we will have prototype cascades of the third generation," Salehi said.

On Friday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled the third generation of domestically-built centrifuges that are ten times as fast the operational ones and capable of producing 10 kg (22 lb) of UF6 (uranium-hexafluoride) in a year.

Salehi said the Natanz enrichment plant would host 60,000 new centrifuges as soon as the new types become operational.

The US has attempted to downplay Iran's nuclear achievements.

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Sunday that Iran was "continuing to make progress" in its nuclear program. However, "It's going slower ... than they anticipated. But they are moving in that direction."

Iran says its nuclear program is for the civilian applications of the technology. The West, however, accuses the country of seeking military objectives in its pursuit.

Salehi said Iran is close to self-reliance in most nuclear fields.

"Fortunately and without exaggeration, Iran has entered [and is making progress] in all nuclear fields," he added.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123024§ionid=351020104.

Upcoming aid ship convoy may stoke tensions between Turkey and Egypt

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

* * * * *

The Turkish Humanitarian Aid Foundation (İHH), together with several other international nongovernmental organizations, is planning to sail to Gaza with seven aid ships to draw attention to the embargo on the besieged area, but Egyptian and Palestinian diplomatic sources warn that such a move could create diplomatic problems and may not actually be beneficial to the people of Gaza.

The diplomatic sources recalled that a similar move by the Viva Palestina convoy last December caused problems and said this time the problems could be even more severe.

The December convoy, which carried British, Arab and Turkish aid to Gaza, first went to Aqaba, situated far from Gaza. Egyptian authorities did not allow the convoy to cross Egypt and directed it to El Arish, the closest harbor to Gaza. Demonstrations against Cairo were held in Turkey at that time.

İHH spokesman Salih Bilici said their goal this time is to enter Gaza via the Gaza harbor and that while they are aware of possible problems, they don’t have an alternative plan. “We don’t have a plan B, C or D. We have decided to reach to Gaza by sea and enter via its port,” he told Sunday’s Zaman.

He said they bought two ships for this purpose, one passenger vessel with a 1,083-person capacity, and a cargo vessel that can hold 3,500 tons. British NGOs will contribute two ships to the fleet, Greece one ship and Irish NGOs will send another. It is expected that five ships carrying aid to Gaza will set sail near the end of May.

Bilici said that in addition to medical aid, the ships would carry construction materials. “We are taking construction materials as a symbolic gesture. Since the war, construction materials have not been allowed in; there are many government buildings, schools and hospitals in Gaza that were devastated. We want to convey the message that ‘they are destroying, we are rebuilding’,” Bilici said.

Bilici claims that Israel does not have any right to prevent them from entering Gaza’s port but said that Israel might find an excuse:

“They could find some pretexts, like holding military exercises, for not letting us reach Gaza. But we will. We will enter Gaza by sea via the Gaza port. We are determined,” he said. According to Israeli sources, it is not possible to enter Gaza by sea, and additionally construction materials are not allowed in under any circumstances.

“We think those kinds of convoys are political. They are more directed at political propaganda and less directed at humanitarian aid,” Amit Zarouk, a spokesperson at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara, told Sunday’s Zaman.

He claimed that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza now, that electricity to the area is supplied by Israel, that exports are allowed from Gaza, that hundreds of trucks carrying food enter Gaza every day and that all sorts of medical aid is free to enter Gaza.

“But there are well-known ways to do this, and these are the ways used by the UN aid agencies, other international organizations and the Turkish Red Crescent. There are two gates to Gaza, Karni and Kerem Shalom. The sea route is not acceptable for us,” he said.

Zarouk underlined that the cement and iron will not be allowed to enter Gaza under any circumstances. “Those kinds of materials, instead of making houses for people, are used for building bunkers and reinforcing the armed capacity of Hamas and also constructing tunnels for smuggling weapons,” he said. When he was asked what would happen if the ships tries to enter Gaza, Zarouk answered that he couldn’t say at the moment.

“This propaganda is not acceptable, and we will deal with it accordingly,” he said.

In the past, Israel had two tactics: Either the Israeli Navy would force ships to dock at the Port of Ashdod in Israel, unload the aid and after inspecting it send to Gaza or force ships to turn back to open sea. According to Palestinian Ambassador to Turkey Nabil Maarouf, Israel would never let such an aid fleet enter Gaza, and the fleet will be forced to alter its route to dock at the El-Arish port. If this is the case, the ambassador noted, such a situation could create diplomatic problems.

Egyptian Ambassador to Turkey Abderahman Salaheldin told Sunday’s Zaman that the rules are very clear on sending humanitarian aid to Gaza:

“First of all they need to notify us ahead of time about their plans and give us details of their humanitarian aid. Medical supplies will go to the Refah crossing, but the non-medical assistance has to be coordinated with Israel,” he said and added that so far they had not received any request from the İHH or the other NGOs.

The Egyptian ambassador recalled that any initiative aiming to help the Palestinian cause should remember that Israel wants to make the division of Palestine at Gaza and the West Bank in order to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Ambassador Salaheldin added that they are constantly sending aid to Gaza and working for the reconciliation of Palestine, which would be in the best interests of the Palestinians.

“To supply humanitarian aid is only one part of efforts to help our Palestinian brothers. We should be working hand-in-hand for peace and an independent Palestine state. If the Turkish public is not well educated in the situation, we will lack the support of this very energetic public for this cause,” he said and added that everybody should understand the laws and international obligations of Egypt and no one should put Egypt in the same boat with Israel the occupier.

The İHH's Bilici said that they were aware of the fact that both Israel and Egypt might try to prevent them from entering but argued that since their motive is humanitarian and they have the support of 42 countries’ NGOs, these two countries will be obliged to step back.

“Last time Egypt was criticized by the international community, especially by the Arab and Islamic media. We don’t think they will repeat this,” Bilici said. When he was asked if they had ever communicated with Israeli and Egyptian authorities about their planned trip, he said no.

Last time Egyptian authorities directed the convoy to the port of El Arish, where scuffles broke out between members of the convoy and the Egyptian police after part of the convoy was barred from entering Gaza. Violence erupted during solidarity protests held by Palestinians in Gaza awaiting the convoy’s arrival, resulting in the death of an Egyptian policeman. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed About Gheit described the aid convoy as “farcical” and said the country would no longer allow such solidarity convoys and that from now on all aid to Gaza must be handled by the Red Crescent at El Arish.

Ambassador Maarouf warned that the same scenes could be repeated, that such a move might cause diplomatic problems and that the Palestinians might not be benefit from the aid.

“I have another proposal, and I am discussing it with the NGOs,” Ambassador Maaruf said and explained his suggestion as follows: “I am suggesting we gather the Turkish, Palestinian and Egyptian Red Crescents, form a convoy, but not of ships, raise the three flags and coordinate it together and enter Gaza. This way the ultimate aim of helping Gaza will be achieved. The three Red Crescents can directly distribute food to the people. This will also serve to enhance relations between Egypt and Turkey, instead of creating problems in Ankara-Cairo relations.”

When Bilici was asked about this suggestion, he said their journey aims to enter Gaza via the Gaza seaport. “We are not calculating anything but to enter Gaza. We are determined to do it, because by sea it is possible to carry more aid than over land. Secondly we want to show the world that it is possible to break the embargo for humanitarian reasons,” he said.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-207069-101-upcoming-aid-ship-convoy-may-stoke-tensions-between-turkey-and-egypt.html.

Polish president's body returns to Warsaw

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writers

WARSAW, Poland – The body of President Lech Kaczynski was returned to Poland on Sunday, where it was greeted by grieving dignitaries and thousands of Poles lining the route from Warsaw's airport to the presidential palace.

The plane carrying Kaczynski's body arrived from the airport in Smolensk, Russia where had and 95 others had been heading Saturday to honor 22,000 Polish officers slain by the Soviet secret police in 1940 in the western Soviet Union.

Kaczynski's twin brother knelt on the ground and pressed his head against the flag-draped coffin before rising and crossing himself.

The coffin was escorted by 10 soldiers from the back of the plane as somber music played. Warsaw Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz was among seven priests and military chaplains who led prayers at the airport and sprinkled holy water on the coffin.

There was no sign of the twins' ailing mother Jadwiga, who has been hospitalized. The president had canceled several foreign trips lately to be by her side. Also on the tarmac were Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Marta Kacyznski, the only child of the president and his wife, Maria, who also perished in the crash.

Thousands of people stood silent in the streets to mourn Kaczynski and the dozens of political, military and religious leaders killed in a Russian plane crash that ravaged the top levels of Poland's elite.

Church bells pealed at noon and emergency sirens shrieked for nearly a minute before fading into silence. Hundreds bowed their heads, eyes closed, in front of the presidential palace. Buses and trams halted in the streets.

No date for a funeral has been set.

The death of the president and much of the state and defense establishment in Russia, en route to commemorating one of the saddest events in the neighboring nations' long, complicated history, was laden with tragic irony.

"He taught Poles how to respect our traditions, how to fight for our dignity, and he made he made his sacrifice there at that tragic place," said mourner Boguslaw Staron, 70.

Among the dead were Poland's army chief of staff, the navy chief commander, and heads of the air and land forces. At the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army in Warsaw, hundreds gathered for a morning Mass and left flowers and written condolences. Government spokesman Pawel Gras said the country's armed forces and state offices were operating normally despite the devastating losses.

The acting president, Parliament Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, said he would call for early elections within 14 days, in line with the constitution. The vote must be held within another 60 days.

Kacyznski had said he would seek a second term in presidential elections this fall but was expected to face an uphill struggle against Komorowski and his governing party, the moderate, pro-business Civic Platform. Kacyznski's nationalist conservative Law and Justice Party could benefit, however, from the support of a country mourning the loss of their president particularly with elections now set to take place by late June.

In Moscow, Russia's transport ministry said that Russian and Polish investigators had begun to decipher flight data recorders of the aging Soviet-built Tu-154 airliner that crashed Saturday while trying to land in deep fog in Smolensk, killing all aboard.

Russian officials had said 97 people were killed but revised the figure to 96. Poland's Foreign Ministry also confirmed the figure.

The Smolensk regional government said Russian dispatchers had asked the Polish crew to divert from the military airport there because of the fog and land instead in Moscow or Minsk, the capital of neighboring Belarus.

Former president, Solidarity founder and Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, said it was too soon to cast blame.

"Someone must have been taking decisions on that plane. I don't believe that the pilot took decisions single-handedly," he told reporters. "That's not possible. I have flown a lot and whenever there were doubts , they always came to the leaders and asked for a decision, and based on that, pilots took decisions. Sometimes the decision was against the leader's instructions."

Polish-Russian relations had been improving recently after being poisoned for decades over the slaying of some 22,000 officers and others in Katyn forest and in other areas. About 4,000 Polish army officers were killed in the forest by Josef Stalin's NKVD, the forerunner to the KGB, in 1940

Russia never has formally apologized for the murders but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's decision to attend a memorial ceremony earlier this week in the forest was seen as a gesture of goodwill toward reconciliation. Kaczynski wasn't invited to that event because Putin, as prime minister, had invited his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk.

Kaczynski, 60, was the first serving Polish leader to die since exiled World War II-era leader Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski in a mysterious plane crash off Gibraltar in 1943.

Kaczynski's twin brother Jaroslaw flew to Smolensk on Saturday evening and identified the bodies.

In Warsaw's historic center, large sections of the street were blocked to traffic to allow the flow of people expressing their grief. Mourners carried candles and roses and joined a long line to sign a book of condolences in the palace.

Also aboard the plane were the national bank president, the deputy foreign minister, the army chaplain, the head of the National Security Office, the deputy parliament speaker, the Olympic Committee head, the civil rights commissioner and at least two presidential aides and three lawmakers.

Some on board were relatives of the officers slain in the Katyn massacre. Also among the victims was Anna Walentynowicz, whose firing in August 1980 from the Lenin Shipyards in Gdansk sparked a workers' strike that spurred the eventual creation of the Solidarity freedom movement.

Walesa was among those who signed a condolence book in Gdansk.

"The elite of our country has perished," he said.

Children also placed simple drawings and messages of mourning: "I love our president," said one, alongside a picture of a human figure and a cross.

Polish television carried black-and-white montages of those killed in the crash and devoted nonstop coverage to the crash, including lingering looks at Kaczynski and his wife, Maria Kaczynska, who also died in the crash.

President Dmitry Medvedev declared Monday a day of mourning in Russia.

The Tu-154 was the workhorse of Eastern Bloc civil aviation in the 1970s and 1980s. Poland has long discussed replacing the planes that carry the country's leaders but said it lacked the funds.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, there have been 66 crashes involving Tu-154s in the past four decades, including six in the past five years. The Russian carrier Aeroflot recently withdrew its Tu-154 fleet from service, largely because the planes do not meet international noise restrictions and use too much fuel.

The Polish presidential plane was fully overhauled in December, the general director of the Aviakor aviation maintenance plant in Samara, Russia, told Rossiya-24. The plant repaired the plane's three engines, retrofitted electronic and navigation equipment and updated the interior, Alexei Gusev said. He said there could be no doubts that the plane was flightworthy.

Japan to display antique Persian rugs

Japan is to host a month-long exhibition of antique Iranian rugs and hand-woven fabrics during a local festival, an organizing body says.

Japan's Silk Museum will put a collection of Iranian carpets and hand-woven silk fabrics on display in the city of Kyoto where the event will kick-start on April 23, Iranian Handmade Carpets Association website in Japan says.

Also on display will be a monumental silk carpet dating back to Safavid monarch, Shah Abbas' era around 500 years ago.

The antique carpet is to be put on show during the annual semi-religious Gion Matsuri festival for the first time during the past decades.

The carpet delivered to Japan during the Safavid period through the Silk Road, has been usually kept out of public view for preservation.

Organizers of the show will also display various stages of creating hand-woven silk materials from the development of silkworm cocoons to the weaving of fabrics and carpets.

The Japanese host has organized the event with the aid of Iranian Handmade Carpets Association and National Iranian Carpet Center, a sponsor for the exposition.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123001§ionid=351020105.

Iran brings 'Mersad' missile on stream

Iran says its first domestically-built air defense system, which is said to be more powerful than the US-made Hawk missile, is ready to become operational.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Sunday that the anti-aircraft missile, dubbed Mersad (Ambush), features cutting-edge technology that makes it able to “destroy modern aircrafts at low and medium altitudes.”

Mersad is also equipped with sophisticated radar signal processing technology, an advanced launcher, and contains exclusive electronic equipment for guidance and target acquisition.

“The state-of-the-art technology used in Mersad links it to other anti-aircraft batteries and provides it with the unique ability to combat electronic warfare," he continued, adding that the dynamic system features capabilities that are superior than those in the US-made Hawk missile, which Iran purchased in the 1970s.

Vahidi announced that the country has begun mass-production of the medium-range missile and plans to deliver a sizable number to the armed forces by the end of the year.

The production of Mersad, according to Vahidi, marks a technical breakthrough in Iran's defense capabilities and proves that the country's armed forces have achieved high levels of self-sufficiency.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123003§ionid=351020101.

Iran speaker slams US nuke policy

Iran's parliament speaker has criticized the new US nuclear arms policy, pointing out that it is in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"The US has announced it will not use nuclear weapons except in extraordinary situations. It has also pledged not to use atomic bombs against NPT members, apart from Iran and North Korea," Ali Larijani said, addressing the Iranian parliament on Sunday.

"And they call this a 'new' nuclear arms strategy. Just take a look at how many contradictory issues are embedded in this policy," he said.

"The term 'extraordinary situation' can always be used to justify a US nuclear attack. This proves the reports that leaked about the use of low-yield nuclear weapons in Iraq were true," he added.

Last week, US President Barack Obama released a new US Nuclear Posture Review that among other things will restrict the use of nuclear arms against most non-atomic states.

The exception will remain for a possible nuclear attack on countries that are, from the US perspective, not in compliance with non-proliferation treaties.

In a Monday interview with The New York Times, Obama clarified what Washington meant by non-compliance with non-proliferation treaties by saying that the loophole would apply to what he called "outliers like Iran and North Korea."


During his Sunday comments, Larijani asked US officials which international regulations they had based their new strategy on that would allow them to make such exceptions.

He pointed out that NPT-member states were obliged to dismantle their nuclear weapons instead of trying to make legal loopholes for their use.

Israel, India, and Pakistan are the only nuclear-armed regimes that have not signed the NPT. But, Obama made no reference to any of those nuclear-armed powers.

While North-Korea has withdrawn from the NPT, Iran has been a long-time member of the pact. Its civilian nuclear activities have also been placed under the supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.

The US, Israel and other Western powers allege that Iran is pursuing a military agenda under the guise of its civilian atomic program.

However, IAEA inspectors have not found anything to back up that claim, despite having inspected Iranian facilities more than any other sites around the world.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123000§ionid=351020101.

Kamkars to perform in Europe, Iraq

The world-renowned Iranian 'Kamkars' music ensemble is preparing to perform traditional Persian music concerts in Europe and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

The group will start off with a concert at the Oslo World Music Festival, performing Persian and Kurdish pieces on July 8, 2010.

"All Persian pieces will be new compositions by me and Pashang, Arsalan and Ardeshir Kamkar," ensemble director Houshang Kamkar told Fars News Agency.

"We will also perform newly composed and folk Kurdish pieces," he added.

On the sidelines of the Norwegian festival, Houshang Kamkar will hold a seminar in English to introduce Persian music.

London's Barbican Hall Center and WOMAD music festival will host the Kamkars in late July.

The ensemble's next program will be in Baghdad, where the Kamkar family will be accompanied by famous Kurdish Iraqi singer Adnan Karim as well as a group of Baghdad Symphonic Orchestra members and musicians from the city of Sulaimaniyah.

A Kurdish family of virtuosic vocalists and instrumentalists, the Kamkars are among Iran's leading musicians who perform traditional Kurdish and Persian music.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123016§ionid=351020105.

'US nuclear summit bound to fail'

Nobel laureate Jody Williams has cast doubt on the fruitfulness of an upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in Washington given the US double standard in its nuclear policies.

In a March 29 interview with Inter Press Service, Williams said the Washington summit, as well as the conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), slated for May 3-28 in New York, would yield no results unless the US and Russia fulfill their commitments.

Williams won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the Mine Ban Treaty, which was signed in December 1997. She is founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

"I don't see how the US or Russia, who hold most of the world's nuclear weapons, can go to the NPT conference in May and call upon states who have already given up the weapons to increase their commitment to not having them," she said.

On April 8, US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which requires both sides to reduce their nuclear arsenals to 1,550, or about one-third below current levels.

However, some analysts believe the agreement would in fact allow the two nuclear powers to dispose of their outdated first generation nuclear weapons, while keeping the more modern and powerful ones.

Williams criticized Washington's "double standard" on Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while selling "nuclear technology to India," a non-signatory to the NPT.

India has signed major deals with both Russia and the US on nuclear energy cooperation.

The US is pushing for further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, which the West claims to be directed at military purposes.

Iran's nuclear work is under the close inspection of the UN nuclear watchdog, which has stressed the non-diversion of nuclear material in its numerous reports.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123013§ionid=3510203.

Iran to hold intl. poetry confab

Iran is planning to hold its 1st Conference on Iranian and International Poets in the capital city of Tehran and the cultural cities of Shiraz and Isfahan.

The event will be held from April 17 to 21, 2010, as part of efforts to promote Persian literature and poetry and establish new links between Iranian and international cultural communities.

"The confab aims to introduce poets from around the world and establish dynamic interactions among them," Deputy of Cultural Affairs at Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohsen Parviz said.

Parviz urged poets to use this opportunity to their benefit as such events have the potential to introduce and promote literary activities.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123014§ionid=351020105.

Iran-Iraq trade increased to $7 bn

A senior official in Iran's embassy in Iraq says the value of trade between the two neighboring countries has stood at $7 billion last year.

Iran's Commercial Attache in the Iranian embassy in Iraq Mehdi Nejatnia, in an interview with Press TV on Sunday, said that the value of trade between the two countries in 2009 increased by one billion dollars comparing with the earlier year.

He noted that Iran exported $4 billion of over 2,000 different goods to Iraq, while Iraq exported $3 billion of goods, mainly crude oil, sulfur, and iron to Iran.

He stressed that violence in Iraq, including recent terror attacks targeting foreign embassies in Baghdad, will not deter Iranian businessmen from expanding their trade with Iraq.

Nejatnia said that 53 Iranian companies will showcase their products in a five-day exclusive exhibition that will be launched in Najaf on Wednesday, which indicates determination to further boost trade with Iraq.

He stated that about 70 percent of Iranian goods are exported to Iraq via the Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122995§ionid=351020102.

NASA marks Hubble's 20th anniversary

Scientists at the US space agency are preparing a 'new' collection of images scheduled for release on the 20th anniversary of the launching of the Hubble telescope.

NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) scientists are set to commemorate the 20 years of the Hubble Space Telescope's service via the release of new images taken by Hubble on April 24, US media reported Saturday.

The agency has already published a number of images in a new book titled: A Journey Through Space and Time ahead of the occasion.

The ten billion dollar outer space observatory, which orbits the Earth at an altitude of 350 miles (560 kilometers), has already circled the planet 100,000 times and produced clear and unprecedented images through focusing on different corners of the universe.

Despite a number of problems that originally arose due to the telescope's 'inaccurate' shaping, NASA revamped the device and decided to keep it operational until 2014 when it will be replaced by another orbiting telescope, the James Webb.

Named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble, space telescope studies have made major contributions to humanity's understanding of the cosmos, including the scientific calculation of the age of the universe, which is known to be around 13.75 billion years old, and its accelerating expansion after its inception in the Big Bang.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122994§ionid=3510208.

Israel ranks 6th with up to 300 nukes

Analysts for a reputable military journal have rated Israel as the world's sixth nuclear power, alongside Britain, with up to 300 nuclear warheads.

Citing comments by British security experts, the British Jane's Defense Weekly has revealed that Tel Aviv is currently in possession of between 100 and 300 nuclear warheads.

The firepower was more or less equal to that of the United Kingdom, the publication said.

The armaments, it added, were deployable via land, air or sea and could be rendered “fully” combat ready “within days.”

According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, based in London, Israel's strategic strength is based on short-range ground missiles Jericho 1, and intermediate range Jericho 2 missiles.

Based on Jane's report, the scope of Jericho 1 has increased from 1500km to 4500 km. Since 2005, Israel has also added the Jericho 3 long-range missile with a targeting range of 7800 km to its stockpile.

The journal says in addition to conventional atomic warheads, some observers believe Israel has also developed tactical nuclear arms in the form of landmines and artillery shells.

Since 1958, when it began building its widely-reported Dimona plutonium and uranium processing facility, Israel has reportedly manufactured scores of the warheads, earning reputation as the sole owner of such hardware in the Middle East.

Former US president Jimmy Carter, aerial footage and decades of recurrent reporting have attested to the existence of the arsenal.

Despite the high-profile accusations that Israel introduced the weapons into the Middle East, Tel Aviv maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity on the matter and has so far refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — a treaty which seeks to limit the spread of such weapons of mass destruction.

The US and its other European allies, however, have so far kept silent about Israel's military nuclear activities.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122993§ionid=351020202.

Barca beats Real, soars to top of table

Barcelona has climbed to the top of the Spanish League table with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid.

Argentinian forward Lionel Messi scored the first goal at 32 minutes. It was Messi's 27th league goal of the season.

In the 55th minute, Pedro Rodriguez scored to seal the win in the 'El Clasico' football match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid.

Barca and their coach Pep Guardiola won their fourth consecutive Clasico and inflicted a first home defeat on Real after a perfect 15 league wins this season.

Barcelona is now odds on favorite to retain their championship as they are three points ahead of Real with seven games to go.

The Champions League final will be held on May 22 at Barcelona's home stadium, Bernabeu.

Earlier, Sevilla enhanced their hopes of a top four finish with a 2-1 win at Malaga, moving them three points ahead of fifth-placed Real Mallorca.

Villarreal beat Sporting Gijon 1-0 at home to move into the top six, a point above Athletic Bilbao.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122971§ionid=3510211.

N Korea warns South about psyops

North Korea has harshly criticized what it calls Seoul's propaganda war against Pyongyang and threatened to prevent South Koreans from crossing its border.

South Korean activists have floated anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North by balloon over the past few years. The activists now say they have also started sending DVDs disclosing secrets about the private life of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

On Saturday, the North Korean military called the move a "foolish act" and a "wanton violation and blatant challenge" to a 2004 agreement to halt all propaganda activities signed by the two countries' armed forces.

The military has "repeatedly and strongly" urged Seoul to discontinue the anti-North Korea campaign, it said in a notice sent to the South's military published by North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea also threatened to promptly respond with corresponding decisive measures "unless the South side takes an understandable measure for discontinuing the despicable psychological smear campaign."

The North Korean army said it would also reconsider whether to continue to provide a military guarantee for the passage of personnel through the buffer zone dividing the two Koreas.

South Korea responded by saying it had "sincerely" abided by the 2004 agreement and expressed hope that "the issue does not cause a hitch in the development of inter-Korean relations."

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122969§ionid=351020405.

Hezbollah praises Iran's nuclear program

Hezbollah says Iran's nuclear program is in the best interests of Muslim nations.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Saturday that the United States is an oppressive and colonialist power in the region that has dealt numerous blows to the Mideast.

“The US administration seeks to deter Iran from its nuclear development program by means of pressure and tough sanctions. It calls on Tehran to give assurances that its nuclear activities are of a civilian nature, even though it has done so,” Qassem added.

He went on to say that even if Iran presents hundreds of pieces of evidence proving its nuclear program is peaceful, the US and other Western countries will reject it all.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122974§ionid=351020203.

US suspends flights from base in Kyrgyzstan - Summary

Washington - The US military has suspended flights through an air force base in Kyrgyzstan following deadly fighting in the central Asian nation, a spokesman confirmed Saturday.

Flights to transport troops and weapons to Afghanistan will now go through another base rather than the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan, said Major John Redfield, a spokesman for US Central Command in Florida.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke Saturday with Roza Otunbayeva, the former foreign minister appointed by the opposition to head the new government after an uprising toppled President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Otunbayeva said the country would abide by existing agreements regarding the use of the base, the State Department said in a statement. Clinton offered humanitarian assistance and voiced US support for efforts to peacefully solve the country's political problems.

The decision on the flights was made late Friday and any move to resume flights would be made by US military personnel in the region based on developments in the country, Redfield said.

The move has not disrupted supplies into Afghanistan, he said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318041,us-suspends-flights-from-base-in-kyrgyzstan--summary.html.

Swing to the right expected as Hungary goes to the polls

Budapest - Hungarian voters headed to the polls at 0400 GMT Sunday for the first round of general elections that opinion polls suggest will produce a huge swing to the right.

The 46-year-old former prime minister Viktor Orban is expected to lead his center-right party Fidesz back to power after eight years of Socialist government.

However, a big question remains over how many Hungarians will back the far-right nationalist party Jobbik, which won a surprise 15 per cent of the vote in Hungary's European Parliament elections last June.

Around 60 per cent of decided voters support Fidesz, roughly three times the level of support enjoyed by the Socialists, according to recent opinion polls.

Most polls have placed Jobbik a few percentage points behind the Socialists, although a couple suggested support for the extreme right might even outstrip that for the left.

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 1700 GMT.

Hungary has one of the world's most complex electoral systems, with elections taking place in two rounds, the second to be held on April 25.

In the first round, 176 members of parliament are chosen via a straightforward majority vote in their local constituencies.

Voters also put a cross next to the name of a preferred party, and a further 152 seats in parliament are apportioned on a proportional representation basis.

Smaller parties, such as the new green-liberal Politics Can Be Different, are hoping to pass the 5 per cent threshold needed to enter parliament.

The remaining seats in the 386-seat parliament are shared out via a complex system to compensate parties for votes received that would otherwise have been "wasted".

Given the size of lead Fidesz has shown in opinion polls, however, for the party not to emerge the clear winner after the first round of voting would represent a major upset.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318053,swing-to-the-right-expected-as-hungary-goes-to-the-polls.html.

Six killed in road accident in Philippines

Manila - Six people were killed when a tricycle they were riding in slammed into a passenger bus in the Philippines, police said Sunday.

The victims were traveling to Ozamiz City in the southern province of Misamis Occidental when the accident occurred Saturday, a police report said.

Initial investigation showed the tricycle driver lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the bus on the opposite lane while trying to avoid a child crossing the highway.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318055,six-killed-in-road-accident-in-philippines.html.

Poll opens in Sudan elections

Nairobi/Khartoum (Earth Times) - Polling stations opened Sunday for the country's first parliamentary and presidential elections since the end of a bloody civil war five years ago, which pitted the north against the south.

Southern Sudan, which enjoys autonomy, also elects its own president and parliament.

Some 16.5 million voters have registered for the elections, which are overshadowed by a boycott of opposition parties over fears of vote-rigging and international criticism.

Polling stations in Sudan's 25 provinces are open from 8 am (0500 GMT) to 6 pm from Sunday to Tuesday, owing to the size and bad infrastructure in Africa's largest country. Results are expected for April 18.

The polls are to be the first multiparty elections since 1986 and are supposed to usher in a new era of democracy in Sudan, which is recovering from a decades-long civil war between the mainly Muslim north and Christian and Animist south, as well as conflict in the western province of Darfur.

The re-election of controversial President Omar al-Bashir seems almost certain after almost all opposition candidates pulled out.

Al-Bashir, who seized power in a bloodless 1989 coup, has repeatedly refused to give in to opposition demands for a delay and continues to claim the polls are credible.

Security has been a major concern and human rights groups reported attempts to harass and obstruct opposition campaigns.

Most of the estimated 2.6 million internally displaced living in camps in Darfur have not been registered to vote and many observers say the polls in the province have already been rigged in favor of al-Bashir and his ruling National Congress Party (NCP) through gerrymandering, bribery and manipulation of census figures.

US astronauts begin second spacewalk

Washington - Two US astronauts left the International Space Station Sunday on the second of three spacewalks to install a new ammonia tank that is part of the orbiting laboratory's cooling system.

Rick Mastracchio and Clayton Anderson, who are visiting the ISS on a space shuttle Discovery mission, will remove an empty ammonia tank and install a new one during the planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk.

The astronauts started their spacewalk ahead of schedule, at 1:30 am (0530 GMT).

The multi-step process of installing the new tank with the aid of the station's robotic arm requires three spacewalks, the first of which was Friday.

The ammonia tank is part of a cooling system on the station and must be periodically changed.

The next spacewalk is set for Tuesday.

On Saturday, NASA extended Discovery's mission by one day to allow the crew to inspect the shuttle's heat shield while still docked at the ISS. Discovery is now slated to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19 at 8:54 am (1254 GMT).

The US space agency is scheduled to retire the aging space shuttle fleet later this year after three remaining missions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318063,us-astronauts-begin-second-spacewalk.html.

New US ambassador arrives in the Philippines

Manila - The new US ambassador to the Philippines has arrived in the country, one month before Filipinos were to hold crucial elections, airport officials said Sunday.

Ambassador Harry K Thomas Junior arrived late Saturday and was welcomed by embassy officials and staff at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

In his arrival statement, Thomas said he was "delighted" to take up his post as new envoy of the United States to the Philippines.

"America and the Philippines are long-standing free partners, we have great plans, and we have much to do together," he said. "I look forward to working with the people of the Philippines."

Thomas said his father, who was in the Philippines after World War II, "always told (him) that he had a great time with the people of the Philippines."

"I hope that I can live up to the work that he and his colleagues did here," he added.

Thomas arrived one month before national and local elections on May 10, when more than 50 million Filipinos were to vote for a new president, vice president, legislators and local officials.

The US has warned of possible violence before and after the elections and has urged its citizens to exercise extreme caution when traveling to the Philippines.

Thomas is a former director general of the US Foreign Service. He was US ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005, and held other posts in India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Peru.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318067,new-us-ambassador-arrives-in-the-philippines.html.

Germans voice shock at Kaczynski death - Summary

Berlin - Germans, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, voiced shock and sympathy Saturday at the death of President Lech Kaczynski and other senior Polish officials in the Smolensk plane crash.

"This is a political and human tragedy for Poland our neighbor," Merkel told reporters at her Berlin office. She said she had been shocked and lost for words when she first heard of the crash.

Describing Kaczynski as a "combative European" who had loved his country, she said, "We in Germany will miss him too."

Merkel said her own special memory of Kaczynski was that he had invited her to attend Polish national day celebrations on November 11, 2008. "That was a very special gesture to Germany as neighbor."

She sent a message to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying, "All Germany stands at Poland's side in sympathy and solidarity at this tragic moment."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who was visiting South Africa, also voiced shock at the deaths in Smolensk. He described Kaczynski and the other senior officials as people that the European Union had counted on.

Westerwelle said he was personally upset, as had got to know Kaczynski as an extremely wise and lively person with whom to talk.

"Poland has suffered a dreadful loss," said German President Horst Koehler said, adding that Kaczynski had spent his life fighting for a free Poland. He said Kaczynski and his wife had been friends of the Koehlers.

Germany's main political parties and many community leaders promptly issued statements of sympathy as news of the crash spread through Germany by radio and television.

The news especially shocked Germany's large Polish immigrant community. Eight Polish handball players employed with German clubs wore black armbands during matches at a tournament in Hamburg's Color Line Arena.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317999,germans-voice-shock-at-kaczynski-death--summary.html.

Croatia begins enforcing strict no-smoking policy

Zagreb - Croatia began enforcing a stricter no-smoking policy in cafes and restaurants on Saturday, following a six-month transition period.

The no-smoking law, in line with European Union standards, came into effect last May, but was put on hold in September under pressure from cafe, restaurant and bar owners who complained they were massively losing business.

Now, cafes and bars smaller than 50 square meters must declare themselves smoking or non-smoking, while those that are larger may have a properly isolated and ventilated smoking section.

Violators of the smoking rules face fines ranging from 5,000- 15,000 kuna (900-2,800 dollars). However, only 400 out of the 16,000 establishment fitting that description have asked for the dual registration.

It is estimated that at least one-third of Croatia's 4.5 million inhabitants are smokers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317989,croatia-begins-enforcing-strict-no-smoking-policy.html.

Poland in shock after president's death in plane crash - Feature

Dominika Maslikowski

Warsaw - Poles were left in shock and grief Saturday after President Lech Kaczynski's death in a plane crash that killed 96 people, including dozens of high-ranking Polish politicians and officials.

"The modern world has not seen a drama like this," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who reportedly began to cry when he first heard of the crash.

Crowds thronged in front of the presidential palace, where the white and red Polish flag was flown at half-mast.

One woman holding a rosary prayed on bended knee as dozens of others in the silent crowd lit candles and placed roses and tulips near the lions that stand at the entrance.

There were candles with the logo of the 1940 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis, in which Kaczynski's father fought. And there was a flag of the Solidarity labour union, in which Kaczynski fought against the Communist regime that took power when the Nazis were defeated.

Parliament speaker Bronislaw Komorowski - who will take over the presidential office until the elections - declared a week-long period of national mourning as condolences arrived from leaders across Europe and worldwide.

"It was so unreal and impossible," said Paulina Luba, 20, who came to pay tribute to the president with two friends. "For us it's a great tragedy. I was in shock."

"My tears are pouring," Warsaw resident Marian Wlodarczyk, 75, told the German Press Agency dpa. "I don't have any words besides a deep grief. I will remember him for the rest of my life."

Commentators across the political spectrum were teary-eyed as they spoke to media about Kaczynski, a conservative who was known for his traditional values.

"I'm shaken by what has happened, it is a great tragedy for Poland," Adam Michnik, editor-in-chief of the Wyborcza daily, told local media. "I knew him personally for many years, and although I often disagreed with him on politics, I always had the feeling he was a person of great patriotism and kindness towards people."

"Everyone has their different ideas, but he had Poland's interests at heart," said a store clerk in Warsaw, who declined to give her name.

The plane was on its way to ceremonies in Katyn, where Kaczynski was to lead events marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet massacre of some 22,000 Polish officers in 1940. Commentators said the spot of the atrocity will now take on a new meaning for Poles.

Kaczynski "died as a patriot fulfilling his presidential responsibilities," wrote blogger Andrzej Olechowski, an independent president candidate. "This drama gives a new dimension to the symbolism of that place that is for always connected with Poland."

"It's unbelievable, this tragic, dramatic and cursed Katyn," said Aleksander Kwasniewski on TVN 24. "It's a cursed place, a terrifying symbol."

In Krakow, southern Poland, the historic Zygmund's Bell was rung, which only happens at significant moments in Polish history.

The deaths of dozens of other officials were mourned in the plane crash. Their deaths dealt a heavy blow to Poland's elite.

Other passengers included Aleksander Szczyglo, head of the National Security Office, Franciszek Gagor, head of the army chief of staff, and Slawomir Skrzypek, head of Poland's national bank.

The tragedy was comparable to Katyn, said former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, which saw the death of some 22,000 Polish officers and lawmakers, physicians and professors.

"This is a second tragedy after Katyn," Walesa told TVN 24. "They tried to cut our head off there, and now, too, our nation's elite is dead. To fill the void will take awhile. It's a great loss."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318000,poland-in-shock-after-presidents-death-in-plane-crash--feature.html.

More than 5,000 Sudanese voters in Egypt head to poll Sunday

Cairo (Earth Times) - More than 5,000 Sudanese voters in Egypt will head to polls Sunday to cast their votes in the presidential election, a source at the Sudanese Embassy in Cairo said Saturday.

The official said that 5,377 Sudanese people were expected to cast their votes at four polling stations, in Cairo and the coastal city of Alexandria.

The electoral process in Egypt was being observed by representatives of the electoral commission as well as Egyptian civil society organizations, the official said.

The United Nations had said the Khartoum government was not ready to hold the nationwide April 11-13 balloting for a new president, the first since 1986, because it failed to educate the voters, ensure security and equip voting stations.

"Opposition activists have been prevented from carrying out peaceful activities, arrested and tortured. It is clear that elections carried out in this context will be severely compromised." said Osman Hummaida, executive director of the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies.

Several opposition parties, including The Umma party, one of Sudan's main opposition parties, announced they will boycott the elections, citing fears of rigging.

Medvedev sends condolences to Poles over Kaczynski death - Summary

Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a televised address on Saturday to express his condolences at the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski in a plane crash.

"In the name of the Russian people I send the Polish people my deep and sincere sympathy and promise to help the bereaved and relatives of the victims," a visibly moved Medvedev said on national television.

He said the tragedy had shocked everyone in Russia.

The president promised to work with Polish authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into crash, which occurred in heavy fog near the western Russian city of Smolensk.

Kaczynski and his delegation were on their way to attend a ceremony at the Russian village of Katyn to mark the 70th anniversary of the Soviet massacre of 22,000 Polish officers during World War II.

The Russian leader said his country would go into a state of mourning on Monday as a sign of respect to the late president.

The speech was expected to receive close attention in Warsaw, which has had tense relations with Moscow, although ties had improved recently.

Latest reports said all 97 on board the Russian-built Tupolev TU- 154, including Kaczynski's wife, Maria, the head of the Polish central bank, and much of Poland's military leadership, died in the crash.

Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shogyu said the bodies of the victims would first be taken to Moscow, where relatives of the victims were due to arrive on Sunday.

Earlier, Russian media had spoken of a possible pilot error.

The vice commander of the Russian air force, Sergei Razygrayev, told Itar-Tass news agency the pilot had made four attempts to land in bad visibility and had refused an offer to divert to another airport in Minsk in Belarus.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318011,medvedev-sends-condolences-to-poles-over-kaczynski-death--summary.html.

Avalanche hits landed helicopter in Russia, 10 killed - Summary

Moscow - An avalanche smothered a landed helicopter on Russia's mountainous Kamtchatka peninsula on Saturday, killing at least five German snowboard enthusiasts and five of their helpers.

A party of 13 board users had paid to be taken up to the mountain slope in an Mi-8 helicopter and had just stepped out when the snowslide began. There are almost no roads in the wilderness areas of the peninsula on the Pacific coast.

Among the survivors, one crewman and a German sportsman were in hospital in critical condition.

In Moscow, the Health Ministry said two teams of doctors flew to the accident site at the Dukum Pass, 70 kilometers from the town of Yelisovo, the news agency Interfax reported.

Another news agency, Itar Tass, quoted the Kamchatka office of the Civil Defense Ministry saying 10 occupants had been confirmed dead. But no final toll had been issued by the end of Saturday.

The Flory Kern travel agency in Germany, which organized the heli-ski holiday, said the paying guests comprised nine Germans, one Belgian and one Russian. There had been one Russian and two German guides on board. The helicopter itself had had a crew of three.

Kamchatka is attracting growing numbers of western tourists thanks to its splendid scenery with volcanoes, glaciers and lakes. A snowboard, which resembles a wide ski, is used to glide over snow on steep slopes.

In Germany, a Bavarian police helicopter pilot said it was common for the beat of helicopter rotors to trigger avalanches.

"It's mainly from vibration caused by the noise," he said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318020,avalanche-hits-landed-helicopter-in-russia-10-killed--summary.html.

Discovery mission extended

Washington - The US space agency NASA on Saturday extended by one day space shuttle Discovery's mission at the International Space Station.

The move was made to allow an inspection of Discovery's heat shield while the craft is still docked at the International Space Station.

Discovery is now slated to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19 at 8:54 am (1254 GMT).

The inspection has been standard procedure since the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on reentry into the Earth's atmosphere in 2003 after its heat shield was damaged.

The inspection is usually done after the shuttle undocks from the ISS, but problems with the Discovery's system that transmits videos from the shuttle back to Earth prompted NASA to do the check before leaving the ISS.

NASA is scheduled to retire its fleet of aging space shuttles later this year, with just three more flights after Discovery aimed at transporting big ticket items to the space station. But the agency has indicated that flights could extend into early 2011 if delays are necessary.

Discovery has brought a new ammonia tank for the station's cooling system that astronauts are installing in a series of three spacewalks and an Italian-made equipment carrier. The next spacewalk is to begin early Sunday.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318040,discovery-mission-extended.html.