Clegg weighs Conservative alliance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

China rainstorm toll rises to 65

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

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

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

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

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

Abbas says yes to proximity talks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aljazeera awards Press TV doc

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thai groups remain committed to peace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IAEA to focus on Israeli nukes in June

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iran's naval drills go on in S. waters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russia provokes U.S attack on North Korea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center

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

Malaria risk in Somalia declines by over 50 per cent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iraq and Syria spearhead regional immunization week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sexist song outrages Lebanese women - Feature

Weedah Hamzah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Town election official attacked in the Philippines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six convicted drug traffickers hanged in Iran

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

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

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

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

Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable ballistic missiles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spain partly closes air space as volcanic ash cloud arrives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spanish king undergoes lung surgery

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

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

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

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

Iran launches 1st bird-watching festival

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US angry at French acquittal of Iranian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

South Africa hopes US bows out early

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turks protest Israeli mosque burning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Report: Robots harmful to humans

The inexorable rise of a robot-driven lifestyle may end up having 'dangerous' consequences for humans, German scientists say in a recent study.

The Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics at the German aerospace agency recently conducted a series of tests, which involved robots using sharp tools alongside humans, in order to see if a prototype safety system could limit the damage done.

In the tests, a robotic arm holding an assortment of household tools such as a steak knife, kitchen knife, scissors and screwdriver was programmed to strike, stab and puncture test substances that mimic soft tissue.

With the safety system turned off, the scientists found that the robot, which weighed 14kg and had a 1.1m reach, inadvertently inflicted wounds that would prove to be "lethal" if inflicted on a living subject.

The scientists said their findings into the slashing injuries robots could cause were of utmost importance given the prospect of robots becoming domestic helpers in the near future.

Other studies had previously looked into the dangers of heavy robots bumping into people.

The research was presented to the 2010 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, which was held in Alaska in early May.

Robots are used in military, domestic, medical and even security applications in developed countries, particularly in Japan.

Honda's ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) is widely considered to be the most advanced humanoid robot ever built with unique abilities to run, climb stairs and recognize faces.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125788§ionid=3510208.

Pakistan test-fires 2 ballistic missiles

By MUNIR AHMED, Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan successfully test-fired two ballistic missiles Saturday capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the military said.

The Shaheen-1 missile has a range of about 400 miles (650 kilometers), while the second Ghaznavi missile could hit targets at a distance of 180 miles (290 kilometers), an army statement said. Both can carry conventional and nuclear warheads.

Pakistan's missiles are mostly intended for any confrontation with archrival India, and the range of the Shaheen-1 would include the Indian capital of New Delhi. Saturday's tests are unlikely to aggravate tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, since they both routinely conduct missile tests.

The latest Pakistani missile test came more than a week after the leaders of two sides met in Bhutan on the sidelines of a regional conference, hoping to improve relations that have been strained since the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other senior army and civil officials witnessed the launches on Saturday, which "successfully hit the target areas," the statement said.

Pakistan became a declared nuclear power in 1998 by conducting nuclear tests in response to those carried out by India. Islamabad test-fired its first missile that same year.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, two over control of the Himalayan region of Kashmir.

4 Turkish troops killed in clash with PKK

Four Turkish soldiers have been killed and seven wounded in clashes with Kurdish rebels in eastern Turkey, a security source said.

A military outpost near Nazimiye town, Tunceli province, came under attack by militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) late on Friday, triggering a gunfight that lasted until the early hours of Saturday.

The commander of the outpost was one of the soldiers killed.

Two of the wounded soldiers are in critical condition and are being treated at a military hospital in a neighboring province.

Several Kurdish rebels are also believed to have been killed in the exchange of fire, AP quoted the source as saying on Saturday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the army dispatched additional troops and attack helicopters to the mountainous area early on Saturday to hunt down the attackers.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, took up arms against Ankara in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125759§ionid=351020204.

Israeli soldiers clash with Palestinians

Israeli forces have clashed with Palestinians protesting against the construction of the apartheid wall and other Israeli policies.

On Friday, clashes erupted in two West Bank villages when Israeli soldiers fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, which caused a fire in olive groves.

Palestinians held rallies in the villages of Bilin and Nabi Saleh to protest Tel Aviv's land confiscation and settlement plans.

Protesters set out toward the wall carrying Palestinian flags and calling for national unity to resist the Israeli occupation.

A Palestinian protester was injured and six others were arrested.

On Thursday, Palestinians and foreign activists also demonstrated against Israel's construction of an illegal apartheid wall in the West Bank.

Locals say the apartheid wall is being built on land the Israelis are confiscating from the Palestinians.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125751§ionid=351020202.

Algeria to subsidize solar-powered electricity

Algeria will subsidize the price of electricity produced from solar energy in the southern provinces, Energy Minister Chakib Khelil told parliament on Thursday (May 6th). The combined solar-gas power plant in Hassi R'mel will produce some 150 MW in 2010, Khelil noted.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/05/07/newsbrief-06.

Mauritania disallows jail visits from veiled women

2010-05-07

Mauritanian penal authorities decided to bar veiled women from visiting inmates, an unnamed Nouakchott central prison official told ANI on Thursday (May 6th). The ban reportedly comes as part of new security measures at the facility, where more than 60 Salafists are incarcerated.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/05/07/newsbrief-04.

Saif Al-Islam calls for Libya constitution

2010-05-07

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son Saif al-Islam al-Kadhafi called for his country to create a "unanimous constitution", Daily News Egypt reported on Thursday (May 6th). "The way of governance needs to be revised dramatically and in a very serious way. This is priority number one," the younger Kadhafi said Wednesday in Cairo. "You cannot run a country without having a constitution, without basic laws. It's a must," he added.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/05/07/newsbrief-03.

Moroccan children carve out playgrounds in the streets

The Moroccan Youth Ministry plans to provide better playground facilities for youngsters, as the lack of parks force many children to amuse themselves on busy arteries.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 07/05/10

In working-class districts across Morocco, community sports facilities where young people can play and thrive are virtually absent. Kids are forced to play in the streets instead, disrupting drivers and risking injury with improvised football pitches.

Drivers generally do not protest against the behavior, acknowledging the shortage of social and sports venues in their neighborhoods.

"The street that leads to my house is often cut off by young people playing football," said Temara resident Omar Chtibi. "I've learned to take a different route to allow them to play in peace."

Chtibi – a father of two teenagers – said the blame lies with the state, "which has failed to provide suitable areas for them".

His son Hicham stopped playing ball long enough to talk about the lack of proper places to play. "Why didn't officials think about including facilities for young people in their development plans, as happens in many countries around the world?" he asked.

"We're really suffering. If it weren't for the tolerance of passers-by and residents who have children like us, we'd be at risk of getting involved in crime due to a lack of funds. Our families don't have the money to pay the subscription fees for us to join clubs", he said with disappointment.

Sociologist Hicham Khouzama said that the problem has existed for a long time, but has worsened in recent years due to the breakneck pace of urbanization. Many previously empty areas are now taken over by construction.

"One is left with the impression that residential districts are just blocks of concrete with a woeful lack of green spaces and leisure centers," he said. "It's time we did something to change this situation, which could have a terrible effect on our children."

Khouzama added that community venues are an important tool in the fight against juvenile delinquency and explains that fewer playgrounds can encourage crime or fundamentalism. "For lack of adequate facilities, young people seek to fill the gap by other means, which can set them on the path to crime", he said.

According to the youth and sports ministry, efforts are being made to turn the situation around.

The ministry has set a goal to build 1,000 social and sports centers by 2016, to boost sports in several cities and to improve the lives of young people. To this end, King Mohammed VI in March laid the foundation stone of a combined community social and sports center in the district of Ain Sbaa in Casablanca.

The ministry and local authorities signed agreements in Rabat in March to tackle the lack of facilities in the capital region. Ten centers are to be built there by 2012, with two opening this year in the working-class districts of Yaacoub El Mansour and Youssoufia.

Hassan Amrani, governor of the Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer region, said the projects will benefit more than 30,000 children.

Student Hamza Labied hopes that officials follow through on this pledge, and on the agreed timeline. "The promises must become a reality on the ground. We're fed up with empty talk," he said.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/05/07/feature-01.

Nepal Maoists end crippling strike amid growing opposition - Summary

Kathmandu - Nepal's former Maoist rebels ended a six-day-old strike on Friday, faced with growing opposition and escalating threats of large-scale violence.

The Maoists had called the nationwide general strike on Sunday, vowing to continue it until their demands for the government to step down were met.

"There have been conspiracies to discredit our strike by making people fight each other," Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said. "In view of such conspiracies, possible violence as well as calls from various sectors, our party has withdrawn the strike."

The Maoists would, however, proceed with other forms of anti- government protests, Dahal said.

Earlier Friday, an estimated 25,000 people gathered in central Kathmandu demanding that the Maoists end their strike immediately.

"Our patience is running out," Kush Kumar Joshi, president of the Nepalese Business Association, told the crowd. "We don't want confrontation, but want the Maoists to realize that they cannot hold the entire country hostage."

The rally was the biggest anti-Maoist protest since the former rebels had launched the strike, which closed down factories, shops, banks and schools and halted all ground transport.

The demonstrators clashed with Maoist supporters in several parts of the city. Baton-wielding riot police fired live ammunition into the air and used tear gas to separate the two sides.

A day earlier, violence had also flared up in several parts of the country after local residents, fed up with the strike, clashed with Maoist supporters.

The government said it imposed a curfew in three towns as the violence escalated.

The Maoists gave up fighting government forces in 2006, ending a decade-long communist insurgency that killed at least 14,000 people.

However, the latest political crisis has raised fears of a return to a full-scale conflict.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322550,nepal-maoists-end-crippling-strike-amid-growing-opposition--summary.html.

Two Egyptian UN peacekeepers killed in Sudan's Darfur

New York - A UN-African Union peacekeeping convoy in Sudan's Darfur region was ambushed by unidentified armed men on Friday, resulting in two UN troops from Egypt killed, the UN said.

The UN said the armed men opened fire indiscriminately at the convoy of three UN vehicles and 20 military personnel in Edd al Fursan, in southern Darfur. The attackers fled after UN troops returned fire.

The attack seriously injured three UN peacekeepers, who were taken to a hospital of the UN-African Mission in Darfur in Nyala and were reported in stable condition.

The deaths of the two Egyptian troops brought to 24 the total of UN peacekeepers killed in Darfur since January 2008 when the mission was deployed.

The UN envoy to the region expressed "outrage" at the cowardly attacks against the peace mission. The UN called on the Sudanese government to identify, capture and swiftly bring the attackers before justice.

British election leaves all options open - Summary

London - Britain's general election produced a stalemate Friday which left open the prospect of a new, Conservative-led government or a continuation of Labor rule.

An intense battle for power ensued as both Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Conservative leader David Cameron said they would enter into talks with the smaller Liberal Democrat Party to secure a stable government.

Cameron's Conservatives emerged as the biggest force from Thursday's poll, while failing to gain an absolute majority to govern alone.

After votes in all of the 649 contested constituencies were counted Friday, the Conservatives were shown to have won 306 seats, just 20 short of an overall majority.

Labor came second with 258 seats, representing a loss of 91 seats compared with the last general election in 2005.

The Liberal Democrats secured 57 seats, down five from 2005.

In percentage terms, the Conservatives' share of the popular vote stood at 36.1 per cent, Labor was at 29.1 per cent and the Lib Dems at 23 per cent. Turnout for the election was 65 per cent.

The figures confirmed a hung parliament, a situation where neither of the two big parties has an absolute majority.

Brown, who appears determined to stay on in his job despite heavy Labor losses, offered the Liberal Democrats a referendum and swift legislation on electoral reform in what he called a "progressive pact" to prevent a Conservative government.

But Cameron said that Brown had lost his mandate to govern, and also offered "comprehensive talks" on cooperation with the Liberals that he said were in the "national interest."

A Conservative party spokesman said Cameron had already spoken to Clegg on the telephone Friday, adding that an offer of cabinet posts was "not excluded."

Earlier, Clegg said he would talk to the Conservatives first, because they had become the biggest party.

His decision will not have been welcomed by the Labor party, which has been openly wooing Clegg to enter into coalition talks in the hope of clinging on to government.

Government circles insisted that the "basis exists" for a coalition agreement with Clegg, built around the issues of electoral reform and the economy.

"My duty to the country, coming out of this election, is to play my part in Britain having a strong, stable and principled government, able to lead Britain into sustained economic recovery," Brown said.

As the wait for clarity continued, the prime minister was locked in talks with his closest aides in Downing Street to assess the possibilities of a government pact with smaller parties.

But there were clear signs that the process would be drawn out.

The Liberal Democrats said they would hold a crucial meeting Saturday to consider possible alliances.

Meanwhile, there were no signs that Queen Elizabeth II, who would have to "invite" the future government leader, was in any hurry to do so.

The monarch, who was staying at Windsor Castle outside London, is unlikely to become involved until the situation becomes clearer, constitutional experts said.

It was her view that it was "up to the politicians to get together to produce a solution," one expert said.

The result was a shock for Clegg, who had been branded the "superstar" of the 2010 election.

"We simply haven't achieved what we had hoped," Clegg said.

Pre-election opinion polls had forecast a 35-per-cent vote share for the Lib Dems.

The party has been campaigning for electoral reform aimed at replacing the present majority first-past-the-post system with proportional representation.

Throughout the campaign, the key question had been whether the Liberal Democrats, desperate to seize the chance of a lifetime, would back Labor or the Conservatives in a new government.

Under the unwritten rules of Britain's constitution, the sitting prime minister can first ask Queen Elizabeth II for the chance to form a government.

However, convention also states that the party with the most seats has the "moral" right to ask to form a government.

The dramatic all-night election count produced a number of surprises.

Peter Robinson, the Protestant leader of the government in Northern Ireland, lost his seat in the Westminster parliament in his Belfast east constituency.

Meanwhile, Caroline Lucas, the leader of Britain's Green Party, made history by becoming the first Green member of parliament in Britain.

Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party, failed in his attempt to win his first parliamentary seat in the working class district of Barking, east London.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322557,british-election-leaves-all-options-open--summary.html.