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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Egypt acts against Brotherhood funding

Thu Apr 22, 2010
Five members of Egypt's main opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood have been charged with money laundering and raising funds abroad.

According to an order by the Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, the Muslim Brotherhood activists will be tried by a State Security Emergency Court.

Four of the suspects were charged in absentia and only one of them was present during the court session.

One of the charges that the suspects are facing is raising money for the Muslim Brotherhood through holding conferences in England purported to be intended for Islamic charity organizations.

The government has been facing a rising tide of calls for democratic reforms. The Brotherhood remains the most organized opposition, with thousands of members and a fifth of the seats in parliament.

Since the group's dramatic wins in the 2005 elections, the government has carried out a series of crackdowns, targeting the group's top leadership and its funding resources.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/124051.html.

Nicaragua in political turmoil

Supporters of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega have clashed with police after they blocked access of a building to opposition lawmakers.

The protesters on Wednesday wanted to stop opposition lawmakers from overturning a decree which was earlier issued by Ortega.

The opposition is seeking to overturn Ortega's decree extending the terms of some 25 top magistrates and civil servants, which they claim is intended to help him secure his reelection bid.

Last November, a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for the leftist president to seek reelection in 2011.

However, the opposition says the decree is illegal, adding that they have gathered the necessary 47 votes to overturn it.

Ortega served as Nicaragua's president from 1985-1990. He was reelected in 2006.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124049§ionid=351020706.

Sri Lankan new premier swears in

Sri Lankan new Prime Minister Dissanayake Mudiyansalage Jayaratne has taken the oath of office following the ruling party's landslide victory.

Jayaratne, one of elder statesmen of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was elected as premier on Thursday by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to head the government in the parliament.

The victory of the UPFA was achieved after voting was re-run in two districts, which had canceled the polls due to fraud.

The ruling party that managed to secure 140 seats in the 225-member parliament, however, missed the opportunity to rewrite the constitution as it fell six seats short of the two-thirds majority that would enable the party to change the constitution.

UPFA's nearest rival, United National Front, could pick up only 60 seats. An ethnic Tamil party and a coalition led by the country's jailed former army chief won 14 and seven seats, respectively.

Jayaratne's political background goes back to 1970 when he was first elected to parliament. He is the founding member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the second-largest in Sri Lanka and the main party in the ruling coalition.

The new parliament will convene on Thursday for the first time.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124045§ionid=351020406.

Former Olympic president dies at 89

The former president of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch has died at the age of 89 due to cardio-respiratory failure.

Samaranch died Wednesday in the Quiron hospital in his home town of Barcelona two days after being admitted with coronary problems.

"I cannot find the words to express the distress of the Olympic Family," the current IOC president Jacques Rogge said. "I am personally deeply saddened by the death of the man who built up the Olympic Games of the modern era, a man who inspired me, and whose knowledge of sport was truly exceptional."

"Thanks to his extraordinary vision and talent, Samaranch was the architect of a strong and unified Olympic Movement," he added. "I can only pay tribute to his tremendous achievements and legacy, and praise his genuine devotion to the Olympic Movement and its values. We have lost a great man, a mentor and a friend who dedicated his long and fulfilled life to Olympism."

Samaranch was born in 1920. He pursued a career as diplomat and sports administrator before leading the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for 21 years.

He had been appointed as the president of IOC in July 1980. Two turbulent decades during his term were marked by two boycotts in Moscow in 1980 and in Los Angeles in 1984.

Samaranch, however, managed to maintain the quality of the Games and increase the number of participating countries.

Developing TV rights, commercialism, and sponsorship negotiations were among other acclaims of this wise man.

Samaranch was appointed honorary life president of the IOC when he stepped down as president in July 2001.

The former IOC president suffered ill health for several years prior to his death.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124044§ionid=3510211.

Iran taekwondo squad bags 4 medals

Iran's national taekwondo squad has earned three gold and one bronze medal in the 2nd West Asian Taekwondo Championships underway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Iran's taekwondo practitioner Ehsan Naqibzadeh won a gold medal after defeating his rivals from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq in the 54kg category on the first day of the event on Wednesday.

Behzad Ilkhani earned the second gold for Iran by beating his Yemeni, Qatari and Saudi opponents in the 74kg class.

Iran's third gold medal was collected by Kourosh Rajoli who overpowered athletes from Bahrain and Jordan respectively.

Yasin Akbar Nattaj received the bronze medal for the Iranian outfit after he lost to a Saudi taekwondo practitioner in the second round. Earlier, Akbar Nattaj edged past his Qatari opponent 12-3 in the first round.

A total of nine teams from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Syria, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen and Lebanon have taken part in the 2nd West Asian Taekwondo Championships.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124043§ionid=3510211.

Ahmadinejad departs on Africa tour

Thu Apr 22, 2010
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has departed Tehran for Zimbabwe on the first leg of his trip which will also take him to Uganda.

Before his departure at the Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday, the president told reporters that the visit comes as part of his administration's plan to consolidate ties with African countries.

He said that he is to inaugurate a production line of tractors in Zimbabwe as well as attending the country's International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.

In Zimbabwe, President Ahmadinejad will also meet President Robert Mugabe to discuss political and economic cooperation as well as regional and international issues.

The Iranian president will then leave for Uganda, where he will meet with his counterpart Yoweri Museveni and other officials to discuss various issues including "joint economic ventures" and "mining activities".

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, senior aide Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi and the head of the presidential office Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei will also accompany the president on his African tour.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/124042.html.

Sudan: Two Major Parties Agree to Accept Polls Results - Report

21 April 2010
 
The parties to Sudan's 2005 peace agreement have agreed to accept the results of last week's election and to form a new unity government, the Sudan Tribune reports from Juba.

The online newspaper said this was agreed at a meeting Tuesday between Southern Sudan's leader, Salva Kiir Mayardit of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), and Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, deputy chair of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP).

"The incumbent president... is expected to remain the President of the Republic while Salva Kiir is expected to continue as First Vice President of the Republic and President of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan," the Tribune reported.

"Observers say that the agreement between the two respective ruling parties in the North and South, committing themselves to acceptance of the results before they are officially released, signifies a giant step towards maintaining the status quo."

The paper said the SPLM candidate for the national presidency, Yasir Saeed Arman - who withdrew from the election - had attended the Juba meeting, along with SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum. The two leaders have complained that the NCP rigged elections in Southern Blue Nile state.

SPLM agents were reporting that their candidate for state governor was in the lead, but pro-NCP media were reporting the opposite, according to the Tribune. The SPLM candidate, Malik Aggar, reportedly issued a statement on Tuesday evening saying he will accept the election results regardless of who wins the governorship post.

The SPLM boycotted the polls in most states in the north but took part in those in Southern Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201004210061.html.

Iran to produce systems similar to S-300

Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi says Iran plans to produce missile defense systems similar to Russia's S-300 system.

Asked if Iran has plans to produce an S-300 defense system, Vahidi said on Wednesday, “We don't need to produce the S-300 system, but we have plans on the agenda to produce similar weapons.”

He also stated that Iran has developed a medium-range air defense system.

“All parts of the system have been domestically produced,” the defense minister added.

Vahidi explained that the defense system has “three radars and a domestically produced missile that has high agility and a range of more than 40 kilometers.”

Meanwhile, on Wednesday Iran's ambassador to Russia, Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi, told the Mehr news agency, “Russian officials are committed to their [S-300] deal with Iran.”

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124017§ionid=351020101.

Thai protesters block army train

As the political turmoil in Thailand enters its sixth week, anti-government protests in the capital spill over to the northeast with demonstrators blocking a train carrying military vehicles.

The protesters claimed on Wednesday that the confiscated military vehicles were intended to be used to suppress fellow demonstrators in the Thai capital of Bangkok. Thai authorities, however, have denied the allegation.

Tensions rose in the country after a failed attempt by security forces on April 10 to flush protesters from another location erupted into the worst political violence Thailand has seen in 18 years.

The six-week confrontation has left 25 people dead and more than 800 wounded.

Meanwhile, as the government has warned to resort to force in dispersing violent protesters, the Red Shirts made a move to fortify their encampment in the capital on Wednesday, using tire barricades and homemade weapons including bamboo spears and wooden shields.

Government helicopters were seen flying high above the site of protest rallies early Thursday. Demonstrators responded by shooting fireworks at them.

The protesters are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and activists that opposed the military coup ousting Thaksin in 2006. They have described the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as illegitimate arguing that he rose to power under military pressure.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124041§ionid=351020406.

Iran elected OPCW deputy head

The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has voted for the Islamic Republic of Iran as the vice-chair.

The OPCW members unanimously voted in favor of appointing Iran's ambassador to the Netherlands, permanent representative to the organization, Kazem Gharib Abadi, as its deputy head at the 60th session of the 41-member body in The Hague on Thursday.

The Executive Council of the OPCW is responsible for the implementation of directives issued by the Chemical Weapons Organization (CWC or Convention).

High up on the agenda of the OPCW is the total eradication of chemical weapons, which, according to an international convention, should be implemented by April 29th, 2012.

Since Iran has been a victim of chemical weapons, mostly mustard gas and sarin, the Iranian delegation to the organization has been one of the most active members.

Iran, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Western Europe and other states, are among the members of the Executive Council of the Organization.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124040§ionid=351020101.

Iran begins major military drill in PG

Iran has begun a massive military exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to show off the country's defensive capabilities and its determination to maintain security in the region.

The maneuver dubbed the Great Prophet 5 coincides with the 31st anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

IRGC's naval, air and ground forces are taking part in the major drill that seeks to display Iran's constructive and determined military power in establishing security in the strategic region.

New weapon systems are reported to be demonstrated during the maneuvers that will continue for the next three days.

"The main objective of this war game is to preserve the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the global energy and economy," IRGC's Deputy Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami told reporters.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, connects the Persian Gulf with the Sea of Oman. Nearly 40 percent of the world's crude oil passes through this waterway.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124036§ionid=351020101.

Hijabi schoolgirl expelled in Spain

A state-run school in Madrid has expelled a teenage girl for refusing to remove her Islamic hijab.

Najwa Malha, 16, was expelled from the Camilo Jose Cela school, near Madrid, for violating the dress code.

Malha says she deeply feels discriminated against.

Malha, born in Spain to Moroccan immigrant parents, began wearing a hijab two months ago to express her religious beliefs.

The Association of Moroccan Workers and Immigrants in Spain has condemned the move. It says the school's decision has violated Malha's right to an education.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124025§ionid=351020606.

'Blackwater/Xe behind Pakistan unrest'

The former leader of Pakistan's opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami has accused the US security firm Blackwater/Xe of being behind the unrest in the country.

Speaking to reporters in Peshawar, Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that the situation in the country would never improve if the government in Islamabad continued to be the frontline ally of Washington.

"The rulers have been fighting the US war in our own streets, which is fanning unrest," he added.

On Wednesday, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hassan told Press TV that Pakistan's alliance with the US was the main reason behind a surge in bomb attacks across the country.

"The notorious Blackwater agents are behind the bomb and suicide attacks in our country as the US wants to destabilize Pakistan… after invading neighboring Afghanistan," he said.

The people of Pakistan are united against the US and are ready to force the government to end its alliance with Washington on the so-called war against terror, he added.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124024§ionid=351020401.

Zionist occupiers… Heed my call

Hard talk

Like most people, I do believe in dialogue and civilized coexistence, like most people I long to live in dignity and freedom in my homeland, like most people I yearn for peace and justice for every human, like most people I like to foster loving and trusting relationships with all decent individuals; however, our problem with the Zionist occupiers is not about hate and distrust as they like to believe, it’s not about security as they constantly declare, nor is it about dialogue or lack of it thereof!

Our problem with them is not confined to the many aspects of their occupation, human right abuses, checkpoints, walls, collective punishment and assassinations.

The origin of our problem is as profound as a the roots of a fig tree, buried deep and covered up with piles of dishonesty and deceit, yet its fruits has the pungent taste of supremacy, arrogance, racism, dehumanization, theft, and war crimes, and no amount of fig tree leaves could conceal or beautify.

So, to unearth the core of the problem and spell the truth-out loud and clear, I am going to direct my words towards the Zionists of all shades and affiliations.
Furthermore, I am going to be to honest and blunt here; as the catastrophic situation that they have created does not stomach glossing over any longer

Zionist occupiers:

I must warn you; that what I am going to say is not going to be very pleasant, it will taste as bitter as the chilling years of your occupation, as cold as the barren roots of our uprooted olive trees, and as sour as the dry lips of dying babies at your military checkpoints.

My words will be parched, choking and hard to swallow; it will be as rigid and impervious as the cement of your apartheid wall

My words will smell of tear gas and burning flesh of infants while cuddled in their mothers’ arms after an air raid

My words will be burning hot like a bullet penetrating the head of a little boy as he picked a stone to throw at his oppressor

My words will be sizzling with blazing fire like the one ton bomb dropped from afar at a neighbourhood of sleeping women and children

My words will be gushing causing excruciating pain and discomfort because it stems from the depth of my wounded, distressed and agonised soul that was tormented by your people for the entirety of my existence.

So Zionist occupiers heed my words;

Our problem with you is not a “conflict” between two warring parties, who are similarly wrong and equally guilty as you shamelessly often describe… NO… NO… NO

The problem is one of aggression, oppression, colonization, theft, and occupation on your side, and one of being oppressed, exploited, and occupied on our side.

It’s one is of a crime of theft of a whole country and the ethnic cleansing of a whole nation by your people on the one hand and a displaced and dominated population on the other

It’s one of a CRIMINAL THIEF and a DISPOSSESSED VICTIM

To equate the two is nothing but an act of deception and a manifestation of moral bankruptcy.

A whole lot of your people came from ALL over the world, stole our homeland, dispossessed and expelled us, took over our homes and farms, destroyed our villages and history, occupied our country, oppressed those who stayed behind, killed and maimed who dared to demand their rights or attempted to assert their humanity, demonized and subjugated us to a racist, bigoted and ruthless set of laws that don’t apply to yourselves; then you come with chilling cold-heartedness and assert that both parties are equally guilty!!

Which planet are you living on?
By what principles do you abide?
What ethics do you follow?

Have you ever questioned the morality of your actions as multinationals who gave themselves the liberty to come to our homeland -which I am denied the right to live in- take it over by violence and bloodshed, then settle there on the ruins of the villages you’ve annihilated, dwelling in the homes of some dispossessed Palestinians, for no other justifications than the dominance of your Jewishness and the fact that we are not Jews?

Does that not smell of rotten racism, arrogance and supremacy to your clogged-up conscience?

The only crime that our people committed is that they existed on the land of their ancestors which you proclaimed as a God given-right to Jews only.

Your people have destroyed our culture, denied our existence as human beings, treated us for four generation with sheer cruelty, ruthlessness and contempt, and subjugated us to inconceivable savagery and humiliation, and denied us even the right to defend ourselves on our stolen Palestine under the pretext of “terrorism”

On top of all that your people have lied and lied, until they believed their own lies, you managed to brainwash yourselves with packs of cover-ups and masks of reality until truth became so blur and obscured, so much so that most of your people refuse even to acknowledge their own crimes of theft of a whole country and disposition of a whole nation

You stole the land of our ancestors and forefathers under the claim that some few thousands years back in history, some people who followed your religion have lived there, and apparently secured a contract with God affirming the eternal ownership of this land

How dare you give yourselves these abhorrent privileges of taking over someone’s home and homeland just because you belong to a particular faith?

What does an American Jew, a Russian Jew, an African Jew, a Japanese Jew, an Indian Jew or a German Jew has anything to do with the Land of Palestine?

If you think we are some kind of brainless retarded human beings who lack your “intelligence”, “emotions” and “morality” and who would just disregard what happened to them sixty years ago, and who would be happy to live as your inferiors in their own homeland; you better think again

We are sick and tired of witnessing your crimes for decades on end
We are sick and tired of your deception, false claims and the pretence of innocence and victim-hood
We are sick and tired of your orchestrated peace processes and leading-no-where road-maps

What is needed at this stage is not dialogue and reconciliation, what is most urgently needed is to STOP ALL your incessant ugly racism, supremacy, aggression and assault, to put a halt to your crimes, and to take a serious look in the mirror as a whole “population” and see what monsters have you become!

You need to address within your immoral and utterly sick society the obscene injustices you’ve inflected upon us
You need to deal with the hideous, corrupt, aggressive, militarized and wicked society that you have become

Before worrying about hate and distrust that engulfs you, you aught to be worrying about the crimes of your people and the injustices they have committed -and still committing- and how to facilitate for justice to run its course, and how to restore back the rights of millions that you have violated.

That requires an inner reflection of you as a whole people, it requires an honest and sincere look within yourselves, serious questioning of the “history” that you were taught, a bursting of the bubble that you are living in, it requires that you stop all your acts of aggression, theft of land, humiliation, murder, and destruction of our community, and above all, it requires that you step down from the high ground that you placed yourselves on, and be prepared to GIVE UP ALL the privileges that you have bestowed upon yourselves by the “virtue” of your Jewishness!

It also requires restoring our rights back including the right of return of all refugees, AND the compensation to ALL those who suffered from your Frankenstein creation of the racist Zionist entity.

To those blood-soaked criminals who come frothing with fake words of peace but get incensed and infuriated when they hear the word justice, I would say:

Masters of lies and dishonesty

I would like to see you talking to the Nazis who abused you without asking them to acknowledge their crimes

I would like to see how you respond to those who deny the holocaust

I would like to see you turning a blind eye to Hitler’s crimes and moving forward without asking for justice or compensation

Masters of terror and deceit

How do you want us to move on with out YOU acknowledging your crimes of theft, ethnic cleansing and genocide, yet you demand that the whole world acknowledges the crimes of Hitler against you?

Masters of arrogance and conceit

How could you deny our Catastrophe and your responsibility for it, yet insist and make sure that anyone who even doubts (let alone denies) the holocaust or the number six millions has to pay severely by imprisonment and loss of livelihood and even life?


Masters of mischief and evil doing

God had sent you many warnings; that you do not transgress or do mischief in the land, but your arrogance, self interest, greed and supremacy are blinding you from seeing the evil you are doing

Instead of acknowledging your crimes and establishing justice, you are still in a state of total denial, carried away with more crimes, more lies, and suppression of truth

Instead of repentance and accepting that you have wronged us, you try to silence our faint voices causing more deception, concealing the truth and sinking deeply in the abyss of immorality and wickedness


Your Jewishness, your self interest, your love of material gains and you drunkenness by power is what you worship now not the God of goodness, peace and justice

My warning to you now is the same warning given to your ancestors by many prophets and prophetic voices:

You are descending deeper in the hole that you dug for yourselves by your evil deeds, your denial of truth, and by your inability to ask for forgiveness

The crimes that you have committed against us are indeed painful and agonizing, but it’s only done against our physical bodies, our souls are out of your reach and forever intact; however, it’s your own souls that you are disfiguring and destroying, if only you knew

Unfortunate, pitiable and deceived souls

You have lost your humanity and killed your own souls if only you could see

Unless and until you acknowledge your crimes and correct the wrongs you have committed there will be a dark bleak and desolate future awaiting for you

And this is not a threat; it is a promise

Mischief makers

They cry peace, but what they mean is war; they scream freedom but what they mean is enslavement; they shout democracy but what they mean is democracy for their own kind.

The Quran describes such people whose words contradict their deeds:

“And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only. Are not they indeed the mischief-makers? But they perceive not. (2:11-12)”

WARNING

“And We gave (Clear) Warning to the Children of Israel in the Scripture, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and will become tyrants and behave insolently with extreme arrogance.” (17:4)

“When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants of mighty prowess: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.” (17:5)

“Afterwards, we will give you a turn over them, and will grant you an increase of wealth and children; we will give you the upper hand.” (17:6)

“If you do good, it will be for your own benefit, but if you do evil, it will be against your souls. When the prophecy of your second transgression will come to pass, sadness will cover your faces. They (your enemies) will enter the mosque as they did the first time, they will wipe out all the gains you had accomplished.” (17:7)

“It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, but if you revert to transgression, we will counter with retribution. We have designated hell as a final abode for those who conceal the truth.” (17:8)

The ONLY thing that could save you -arrogant Zionists- from a bleak and painful future is to reverse your evil ways of oppression, arrogance and greed, and join the civilized world and behave like normal human beings with justice and compassion

But mischief makers perceive not
Posted by nahida the Exiled Palestinian

Source: Uprooted Palestinians.
Link: http://uprootedpalestinians.blogspot.com/2010/04/hard-talk-zionists-occupiers-heed-my.html.

Bosnian veterans besiege parliament

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, April 21 (UPI) -- A protest in Sarajevo by thousands of Bosnian war veterans over pension cuts turned violent Wednesday and at least 20 people were injured, local media said.

The midday demonstration in front of the downtown parliament saw veterans of the 1992-95 war throwing rocks and bottles and smashing windows, Radio Bosnia-Herzegovina reported.

The veterans and their families tore down police barricades but were turned back by tear gas, the FENA news agency said.

Simultaneous protests were also held in the cities of Mostar and Travnik, but no violence was immediately reported, BalkanInsight.com reported.

The demonstrations came two months after the tripartite Bosnian-Muslim, Croatian and Serbian government announced cuts to veterans' pensions, which the report said consumed 40 percent of last year's budget.

The government said it had to make the cuts to qualify for World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans, the report said.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/04/21/Bosnian-veterans-besiege-parliament/UPI-69411271855970/.

Guard killed by lions in Indian animal park

M G Srinath

New Delhi – A guard who manned the gates of a animal park in Mumbai was attacked and killed by a lioness which sneaked out of its caged enclosure, news reports said Wednesday.

Authorities at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai on Tuesday had to struggle for hours to retrieve the body of the 45-year-old man as the lioness reportedly carried his body and roamed around the enclosure before being tranquilized, the Indian Express newspaper said Wednesday.

But other reports said the guard's body is yet to be retrieved.

A lion followed her and carried away the body after the lioness dropped it. It was retrieved hours later after all lions were chased and locked in cages, officials said.

The incident occurred around 5.50 pm local when the last bus of the lion safari was leaving the park. Harishchandra Gembal, the tribal worker who mans the gates of the park, was opening the inner gate for the bus to leave without realizing that the lioness had sneaked out from behind the bus, P N Munde, Conservator of Forests, SGNP, told The Indian Express.

Shoba, the lioness, pounced on an unsuspecting Gembal who was the only person around. After knocking him down, it carried him between its jaws and roamed around before park authorities reached the area and tranquilized the animal.

But other reports said, the attack took place due to the alleged negligence of the forest guard as he left the door of the enclosure open during feeding time of the lions, an official said.

According to an official, Gembal, had gone to feed the five lions and lionesses in the enclosure at around 6 pm local but he apparently forgot to shut the trap door separating the wild animals and the feeding area.

Seizing the opportunity, one of the two lionesses rushed in and pounced on Gembal, even as a couple of other forest guards watched in horror.

Regaining their composure, one of the guards tried to shut the trap door to prevent the other three lions from escaping. But one of them proved too fast and bolted out.

Additional armed forest guards were summoned from the national park headquarters located around two kilometers away and they tried to chase the 'killer' lioness away and collect the guard's body.

But the lioness, growling ferociously, refused to let go of the body for nearly an hour. The forest guards later shot a tranquilizer and immobilized her.

However, till late Tuesday they could not retrieve the body since one lion was still at large in the national park, the official said.

The 110-sq km Sanjay Gandhi National Park is located in northern Mumbai and parts of southern Thane and is a popular haunt for tourists. It has a rich variety of wild animals including tigers and lions, over five dozen leopards, wild boars, peacocks, the flying squirrel, hyenas and the world's largest Atlas butterfly.

The Lion Safari is a 20-minute ride through a 29.65 acre fenced forest area in the park. There are about 25 lions which visitors can see up close from inside the caged buses provided by the park.

The SGNP (formerly Borivali National Park) is surrounded on three sides by the city. It is one of the few national parks existing within a metropolis limit.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319770,guard-killed-by-lions-in-indian-animal-park.html.

Two adult elephants die of 'exhaustion' due to lack of water and food in Indian jungle

M G Srinath

New Delhi – Two adult elephants have died of “exhaustion” while searching for water and food during the last four days in the Sathyamangalam forests in southern Tamil Nadu state, the Times of India newspaper reported Wednesday.

A 35-year-old makhna — a bull elephant without a tusk — died in the elephant haven of Thengumarahada in Bhavanisagar forest range in Sathyamangalam division on Monday evening. The postmortem examination conducted by forest department veterinarian revealed that the elephant had died of “impaction,” a potential case of dehydration and colitis in the stomach.

On April 16, a 50-year-old female elephant was found dead at Kovilur forest area in Palayam. The elephant had lesions in liver and spleen, an indication that it had raided pesticide-laced food crops because of the fodder shortage in the jungles, the report said.

Elephants gulp at least 100 to 125 liters of water everyday. While healthy elephants can trudge long distances in search of water, “weak and sick” animals are unable to “perambulate” and succumb, says forest veterinarian Dr N.S. Manoharan.

However, Sathyamangalam District Forest Officer, S. Ramasubramaniam, has been quoted as saying that there is no food or water scarcity in the forests. “We have provided adequate water troughs for the animals. And it is not abnormal for elephants to die at 35 years in wild conditions,” he said.

With the onset of summer, forests in western Tamil Nadu have been reeling under severe drought conditions and a spate of fire as well.

With fodder and water holes drying up in the jungles, elephants are raiding the agricultural fields in hamlets located on the forest fringes.

Besides drought conditions, viral diseases are also taking a toll on elephants. Last Sunday, a baby elephant died at a water trough at the Salim Ali Center for Ornithology at Anaikatty in Coimbatore, due to “severe viral infection”.

The death of the elephants comes days after elephant conservationists and Tamil Nadu Forest officials discussed initiatives undertaken and future activities for conservation of Asian elephants in the state during a two-day workshop at Coimbatore city.

Participants also discussed issues that are affecting elephants in Tamil Nadu, according to DNA newspaper.

The workshop is a follow-up on recommendations of the national elephant corridor workshop held in Bangalore city in December 2007.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department, the Project Elephant, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), the Elephant Family and the World Land Trust (WLT) jointly organized the workshop.

Tamil Nadu state chief wildlife warden R Sundararaju has been quoted as saying that the habitat degradation and fragmentation are among major causes of human-elephant conflicts.

Sundararaju called upon participants to formulate viable recommendations to reduce conflicts and help conserve elephants.

"Help us conserve the elephant and forests for our own survival," Sundararaju said.

Highlighting the significance of corridors in elephant conservation, Project Elephant director AN Prasad said corridor connectivity is always a necessity for elephant's survival.

"Elephants are wide-ranging and are continuously on the move, so connectivity is always a necessity for elephant's survival. If the connectivity is broken, elephants either remain trapped in small areas or they migrate to other unchartered territories leading to conflicts," Prasad has been quoted as saying.

The WTI executive director Vivek Menon expressed concern that elephant species is in danger in India despite being revered as a God, the newspaper report said.

"Despite elephants being found in large numbers in India, and despite them being revered as a God, the species is in danger. It is important to make people understand the elephant and its needs to facilitate its conservation," Menon said.

The workshop discussed the WTI work the 'Right of Passage' that documents 88 elephant corridors across India.

The workshop also discussed the issues related to human-elephant conflict scenario, status of corridors, as well as mitigation of elephant deaths due to train hits in various forest divisions in Tamil Nadu.

The Indian subcontinent has the largest population of Asian elephant with population estimates ranging from 26,000 to 31,000.

The 12,000 sq. km area, spanning three southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala may be home to 6,300 elephants, the largest remaining population of Asian elephants in the world, according to various reports.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319786,two-adult-elephants-die-of-exhaustion-due-to-lack-of.html.

Rabat Earth Day concert to feature international stars

2010-04-21

Morocco will close Earth Day celebrations with a mega-concert in Rabat on Saturday (April 24th), MAP reported. Fadl Shaker, Doudou N'Diaye Rose, Seal and other international stars will join Morocco's Najat Atabou, Hoba Hoba Spirit and Fnaire for several shows. Oum, Hayat El Idrissi, Adil Bencharoun, Aicha Tachenuite, Hamid El Kasri, Hicham Bajjou and Adnane Laayouni will perform a song written for Earth Day.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/04/21/newsbrief-03.

Tunisia touts first 'green energy' community

2010-04-21

Ksar Ghilane on Tuesday (April 20th) became Tunisia's first fully "green" community, with 50 households using wind and solar energy, ANSA reported. The project for the town near the Tunisian Sahara cost 210,000 dinars.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/04/21/newsbrief-04.

Middle Atlas welcomes int'l children's theater festival

2010-04-21

The Rif region town of Taza will host its 11th International Children's Theater Festival on Thursday (April 22nd), MAP reported. Along with troupes from host nation Morocco, performers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Indonesia, Turkey, Tunisia, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Cote Ivory, France, and Poland will participate in the three-day event.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/04/21/newsbrief-06.

Algerian opposition leader backs open border with Morocco

2010-04-21

Algerian opposition Socialist Forces Front party chief Karim Tabou renewed his call to open the land border between Algeria and Morocco, Tout sur l'Algerie reported on Tuesday (April 20th). Speaking Monday on Morocco's 2M public broadcasting network, Tabou said that the process of Maghreb integration is predicated on opening the border. "There is no problem between the peoples of Algeria and Morocco. The Algerians and the Moroccans have a happiness to be found. It was known in the past. When the borders were open, Algerians were happy to come to Morocco," Tabou said.

The land border has been closed since 1994. In 2008, Morocco began calling for the opening of its shared border with Algeria and the normalization of relations between the two nations. Algeria, meanwhile, has said that the border will remain closed until the two countries agree on a "package of deals", including a solution to the Western Sahara conflict.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/04/21/newsbrief-02.

Another Study Confirms Memory-Boosting Effect of Blueberries

Monday, April 19, 2010
Marek Doyle, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) As the prevalence of dementia continues to rise, a recent study has demonstrated that a common food may have a role to play in the prevention and treatment of the condition. A recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has shown that blueberries had a measurable improvement in learning and world list recall, which backs up a 2008 study with the same conclusions.

Dr Krikorian recruited nine elderly subjects with an average age of 76.2 and gave them a daily dose of wild blueberry juice; the subjects received between 6 and 9ml per kilo of bodyweight, which would equate to around 525ml per day in the average 70kg/155lb man. The memory improvements were compared to the performance of a separate demographically-matched group who consumed a placebo drink, ruling out any doubt that the observed changes in memory were attributable to practice effects.

"Because blueberries are high in antioxidants, which have beneficial health effects, they are being examined in many research projects," said Donal O'Mathuna after looking at the study results. "Blueberries are a nutritious and safe food... adding blueberries to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is warranted."

What was particularly interesting was the effect the blueberry juice had in lowering both depressive symptoms and glucose levels in the blood. Whether a reduced level of insulin was related to the impressive results in mental function are not yet clear, but the study strongly supports the idea that flavonoids such as anthocyanins, previously thought to function as purely an antioxidant in the human body, have wide-reaching effects in human health.

In 2008, researchers at the University of Reading found that the anthocyanins in blueberries activate the part of the brain that controls memory and learning. At the time, Dr Jeremy Spencer commented: "Scientists have known of the potential health benefits of diets rich in fresh fruits for a long time. Our research provides scientific evidence to show that blueberries are good for you and supports the idea that a diet-based approach could potentially be used to increase memory capacity. We will be taking these findings to the next level by investigating the effects of diets rich in flavonoids on individuals suffering from cognitive impairment and possibly Alzheimer's disease."

Despite the failure of mainstream medicine in dealing with dementia, it may be too much to hope for that doctors will agree with Spencer's view and adopt a dietary approach in the management of these problematic conditions. Meanwhile, those keen to prevent cognitive decline, or to help manage the condition in others, may take heart from the confirmation that healthy foods may do more than simply keep their waistline in check.

Source: NaturalNews.
Link: http://www.naturalnews.com/028606_blueberries_memory.html.

Belgrade's landmark TV tower reopens after NATO destruction

Belgrade - One of Belgrade's landmarks - the TV tower on Mount Avala - was reopened Wednesday evening, 11 years after it was demolished in NATO's bombing of Serbia.

The reconstruction of Avala tower began three years ago and cost around 13 million dollars. The money was obtained through donations and state grants.

The new tower, opened in the presence of Serbia's highest ranking officials, is the exact replica of the previous 204-meter high tower, built in 1965.

In 1999, NATO bombed Serbia to stop Belgrade's brutal crackdown on Albanian insurgents in Kosovo.

Many public buildings, including power and water plants and Serbian state television RTS were bombed. More than 3000 people were killed and the damage was estimated at 30 billion dollars.

Nine years after the bombing, the Albanian majority in Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia.

Serbia, backed by Russia, does not recognize Kosovo.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319901,belgrades-landmark-tv-tower-reopens-after-nato-destruction.html.

US to provide Germany with helicopters for Afghan mission - Summary

Berlin - The United States pledged on Wednesday to provide Germany with combat helicopters in northern Afghanistan, during a visit to Berlin by the top commander of NATO's Afghanistan mission, US General Stanley McChrystal.

After meeting with McChrystal, German Defense Minister Karl- Theodor zu Guttenberg said in a statement that the US would provide "capabilities in the weeks and months to come where we have deficits," including Medevac helicopters and helicopter gunships.

McChrystal's visit comes as Germany is reeling from the recent loss of seven German soldiers killed in two separate attacks by Taliban insurgents in the Kunduz region of northern Afghanistan.

The US is to increase its troops in northern Afghanistan to approximately 5,000, almost matching the number of German forces based in the region. Their contingent is to include between 45 and 70 helicopters, some of which will be equipped for combat.

Guttenberg did not specify for how long the extra US capabilities would be made available. The German mission is operating largely without helicopters at present.

The defense minister said it was "important that, in the coming weeks and months, this capability gap be closed as quickly as possible," adding that the US would assist Germany "as long as we are not in a position to protect ourselves."

McChrystal thanked Germany, which has the third largest troop presence with the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, for its military contribution.

"The role being played by German forces in the north (of Afghanistan) and the headquarters continues with distinction, and I applaud their service and their sacrifices," the NATO commander said.

For the first time in modern German history, the country on Wednesday awarded foreign soldiers the Cross of Honor, one of the highest Bundeswehr, or military, tributes.

Guttenberg presented the award to 14 US medics who tended to the fallen German soldiers during the deadly clashes earlier this month.

Earlier Guttenberg and McChrystal laid wreaths at the defense ministry in honor of the soldiers killed in battle.

On Thursday, Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to give a government statement in parliament on the Afghan mission, which is deeply unpopular in Germany.

On the same day, Guttenberg is also scheduled to face a parliamentary inquiry into the aftermath of a German-commanded airstrike last year, in which many civilians were amongst the estimated 142 dead and injured.

Earlier in the week, the commander of the airstrike, Colonel Georg Klein, was absolved of any wrongdoing, when prosecutors ended their inquiry into the circumstances of the attack on two tankers hijacked by the Taliban.

Both Merkel and Guttenberg have raised legal questions in recent months by acknowledging that the armed conflict in Afghanistan could be described as "war" in common parlance.

The government would legally have to seek renewed parliamentary approval for a mandate to wage war in Afghanistan. The engagement is currently defined in Germany as an "armed conflict."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319881,us-to-provide-germany-with-helicopters-for-afghan-mission--summary.html.

Majority of Hungarians want strong government: new poll

Budapest - More than half of Hungarians think a center-right government with a two-thirds majority would be a good thing, the pollster Perspective Institute reported on Wednesday - four days before the second round of general elections.

Such a supermajority would give Fidesz, the conservative party led by the charismatic Viktor Orbán, the power to amend Hungary's constitution and make major structural reforms, for example to the electoral system and media law.

While 57 per cent were in favor, only 27 per cent of respondents in the poll said they thought it would be bad for Hungary if Fidesz emerged as clear winner after the first round of voting on April 11 were to secure such a mandate.

Fidesz has already secured an outright majority with 206 of 386 seats in Hungary's parliament after the first round of voting on April 11.

With 57 constituencies undecided after first round voting where candidates needed to win over half of total votes cast, Fidesz is hoping to secure on Sunday the additional seats it needs to gain an unprecedented two-thirds majority.

In the first round, Fidesz came top in all but one of the undecided constituencies, and many analysts believe it is well placed to win the extra 52 seats required to achieve what Orban said earlier would be a "miracle".

The prime ministerial candidate of the Socialist Party, which has suffered a massive electoral defeat after eight years in government, warned on Tuesday of the "danger" of a too-powerful Fidesz.

"The second round is about whether Viktor Orban will be subject to any parliamentary control or whether he will be able to exercise his will in a dictatorial style, with a voting machine behind his back," Attila Mesterhazy said.

The small green-liberal party LMP (Politics Can Be Different), meanwhile, challenged Fidesz to reveal what reforms it is planning besides its recently announced intention to halve the size of parliament and local governments.

Fidesz won almost 53 per cent of the vote in the first round of elections on April 11, beating the governing Socialist Party into second place on just over 19 per cent.

The far-right party Jobbik is set to enter Hungary's parliament for the first time, having won over 16 per cent of the vote.

The new LMP, with 7.5 per cent of the vote, was the only other party to make it past the five-per cent threshold for entry to Hungary's parliament.

The second and final round of voting is due to take place from 0400 GMT TO 1700 GMT on Sunday, April 25. Initial results are expected late on Sunday evening.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319882,majority-of-hungarians-want-strong-government-new-poll.html.

Poland announces early election date after Kaczynski death - Summary

Warsaw - Poland's acting President Bronislaw Komorowski on Wednesday set June 20 as the date for early presidential elections to succeed former president Lech Kaczynski, who was killed with 95 other people in the country's plane disaster earlier this month.

All parties now have until Monday to notify the state election commission of their candidates. The candidates must then publicly announce their candidacy by May 6 and gather 100,000 signatures.

The deadlines left two parties pressed for time. The plane crash not only killed Kaczynski, who was expected to run for re-election, but also Jerzy Szmajdzinski, who was to be the presidential candidate for the Democratic Left Alliance.

It has been speculated that Kaczynski's twin brother Jaroslaw, the current head of the Law and Justice party, will run on his party's bill. The party is expected to announce its candidate Saturday after a meeting.

The Democratic Left Alliance, the country's third largest party, is reportedly considering two candidates, and was expected to meet Thursday to discuss its choice.

Komorowski, meanwhile, is the presidential candidate for the ruling center-right Civic Platform.

He is leading in the polls with nearly half of the votes, according to a survey of 1,000 people published Wednesday in the daily Rzeczpospolita. Jaroslaw Kaczynski was second with 26 per cent of the votes.

"Such a good result for Komorowski is surprising," analyst Jacek Kucharczyk, of the Institute of Public Affairs, told the daily. "Because you could expect that voters would want to value the opposition party, who took such a heavy loss in the (plane crash) tragedy."

The conservative Polish People's Party announced on Wednesday that its candidate would be Waldemar Pawlak, the party's head and deputy premier. The agrarian party has served in a coalition with the ruling Civic Platform party since 2007.

Pawlak said the upcoming campaign and elections would be delicate to conduct in the aftermath of the plane crash in Smolensk, Russia.

"Most important will be to conduct a political campaign in a worthy and proper manner, in this time and mood," Pawlak said.

Another candidate, Tomasz Nalecz, withdrew on Wednesday from the race, saying a "Polish-Polish war" might erupt after the crash and he wanted no part in it. Nalecz had been the candidate for the Democratic Party and the Social Democracy of Poland, two minor left- wing parties.

"The atmosphere of mourning after a big tragedy, and these great emotions could become fuel for such a war," Nalecz said. "The less political rivalry, or less candidates, the less risk there will be for such a war."

Presidential elections were originally slated for this autumn.

Under the Polish constitution, the date of the presidential elections must be announced within two weeks of the president's death. Voting must then take place within 60 days of that announcement.

A possible second round of voting was set for July 4.

Komorowski had planned an earlier announcement of the new election date, but the opposition successfully appealed to wait until Kaczynski was buried Sunday in Krakow.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319892,poland-announces-early-election-date-after-kaczynski-death--summary.html.

Russia to buy French warships

Moscow - Russia is to buy four French Mistral helicopter carriers - the first time it has bought war ships from a NATO member, Russian officials announced Wednesday.

After long consultation, the government had given the deal the green light, Mikail Dmitriyev, head of Russia's military-technical cooperation authority, told state news agency Ria Novosti.

The contract was likely to be signed before the end of 2010.

But numerous NATO members have criticized the deal. The Baltic nations fear that Russia is extending its military power in the Baltic Sea area, and Washington is concerned about a technology transfer which could harm the interests of NATO members.

France argues that the sale of the 200-meter-long ships does not include weapons.

The exact conditions of the sale remain unclear. Russia is interested in buying four Mistral class ships, but wants only one of them to be built in France and the rest in Russia. Paris has suggested two be built in France and two in Russia.

A meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev a few weeks ago did not come to any definite agreement.

The Mistral, worth between 400 and 500 million euros, is equipped to carry 16 helicopters and around 1,000 soldiers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319893,russia-to-buy-french-warships.html.

Two Kurdish armed groups reject landmine use

Geneva - Two Kurdish militant organizations have signed agreements in which they pledge to no longer use anti-personnel mines, a Swiss humanitarian organization announced Wednesday.

The group Geneva Call said that with the addition of the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran and the Liberation Forces of Eastern Kurdistan, 41 armed rebel groups have now pledged not to use the devices.

Both groups were quoted as saying they had agreed to stop the use of landmines because of the "suffering" the devices have caused to Kurdish people.

Human rights groups say landmines tend to cause harm to civilians long after wars end and have pushed for a global ban.

Over 150 governments have signed an international convention, the "Ottawa Treaty," banning the use and production of anti-personnel mines.

Militant organizations which are not states cannot join the treaty, but through Geneva Call and the government of the Canton of Geneva, can sign Deeds of Commitment which oblige them to end use of landmines.

The United States, Russia, China and some other key military powers have refrained from signing the Ottawa Treaty.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319905,two-kurdish-armed-groups-reject-landmine-use.html.

Foreign companies pledge to avoid bribery in Russia

Moscow - Dozens of foreign companies, including some of Germany's best-known multinationals, on Wednesday pledged not to offer bribes in Russia in a Kremlin-sponsored bid to improve the country's business image.

Independent corruption watchdog Transparency International last year ranked Russia 146 for corruption out of 180 countries.

"Our companies are adopting concrete mechanisms against everyday corruption, said the Director of Russian-German Chamber of Commerce, Michael Harms.

Representatives of the Russian branches of Siemens, Daimler and Deutsche Bank were among those present to sign the initiative.

By doing so the companies committed themselves to a strict anti- corruption policy within their own ranks and when doing business in Russia, where bribery is commonplace.

Arkady Dvorkovich, a top economic adviser to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also attended the signing.

Medvedev has made his anti-corruption drive a top priority. There have been a number of scandals involving foreign companies in the country in recent years.

The offices of the Russian branch of US computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard were searched last week in an investigation into whether the company's employees had paid millions of dollars in bribes to the Russian prosecutor generals' office.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319915,foreign-companies-pledge-to-avoid-bribery-in-russia.html.