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Saturday, November 6, 2010

UN human rights report raises ire in US

Sat Nov 6, 2010

The findings of the recently released Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council have received mixed reactions from officials in Washington.

While some lawmakers welcomed the criticism leveled by the 47-member UNHRC as "constructive dialogue," a top Republican lawmaker told reporters that the US should quit the UNHRC.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who is likely to become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the UNHRC, "is dominated by rogue regimes, including Cuba, which serves as vice-chair. So long as the inmates are allowed to run the asylum, the Human Rights Council will continue to stand in the way of justice, not promote it."

Furthermore, John Bolton, the former UN envoy under President George W. Bush, said, "For the Obama administration, this is an exercise in self-flagellation, which they seem to enjoy. But it doesn't prompt equivalent candor from the real rights abusers."

The UPR, which was released on Friday, turned the spotlight for the first time on US human rights abuses and called on the White House to investigate allegations of torture.

Ambassadors of UNHRC member states urged the US to swiftly shut down Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, where allegations of torture have been raised.

The panel also called on Washington to abolish the death penalty.

The UPR reviews human rights records of all 192 UNHRC member states. Under the process, each state must declare actions that have been undertaken to improve the human rights situation in their countries.

While the Bush administration boycotted the Human Rights Council, the Obama Administration made a decision to participate.

In August, the administration handed over a 22-page report to the UNHRC, which documented abuses by federal and local police and corrections and immigration officials.

Input from minorities, including Muslims, Native-Americans, African-Americans and other minorities were also included in the report.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://presstv.ir/detail/149886.html.

Quake shakes western Iran; 100 injured

Sat, 06 Nov 2010

Tehran - An earthquake rattled the province of Lorestan in western Iran Saturday, injuring at least 100 people, the news network Khabar reported.

The quake measured 4.9 on the Richter scale and shook areas near the town of Doroud, the network said.

According to local officials, at least 25 people had to be hospitalized but others were sent home after medical checks.

The quake damaged several residential buildings in Doroud.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352213,quake-shakes-western-iran-100-injured.html.

Yemeni court orders 'forcible arrest' of US-born cleric - Summary

Sat, 06 Nov 2010

Sana'a, Yemen - A Yemeni state security court on Saturday ordered the "forcible arrest" of US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, wanted by the United States for links to al-Qaeda.

Asiri is beleived to be the bomb maker of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). He is the main suspect in a plot to get parcel bomb packages onto US-bound cargo planes.

Al-Awlaki has been connected to a failed Christmas airline bombing over Detroit and killings at a US army base at Fort Hood, Texas.

He is believed to have links to the AQAP, the Yemeni wing of al-Qaeda.

The order was issued by the court's presiding judge Mouhssein Alwan during the second hearing into the trial in absentia of al-Awlaki who is charged with inciting the killing of foreigners.

Awlaki is believed to be hiding in a tribal area in the southern Yemeni province of Shabwa.

Judges also ordered the arrest of Othman al-Awlaki, a co-defendant in the case and relative of al-Awlaki, who is also still on the run.

The only defendant present in court was Hisham Mohammed Assim, a security guard who is accused of killing a Frenchman and injuring a Briton in a shooting spree at the offices of the Austrian OMV energy firm in Sana'a last month.

Assim rejected any connections to al-Qaeda or al-Awlaki, saying he was tortured by interrogators.

"I have had personal reasons (for the killing)," Assim told judges during the hearing attended by journalists.

Asked what was his motive for the killing, Assim refused to explain.

The court was adjourned until November 9.

Security forces launched last week an operation to hunt down al-Awlaki and a Saudi al-Qaeda fugitive called Ibrahim al-Asiri.

Anwar Al-Awlaki was earlier this year put on a list of suspected terrorists whom the CIA is authorized to kill, according to US media reports.

He was already on a target list kept by the military and eluded at least one strike by Yemeni forces who had assistance from the US to target a gathering of al-Qaeda suspects.

Awlaki and the AQAP's leader Nasser al-Wahyshi, survived a Yemeni airstrike in Shabwa in December, police officials said.

An impoverished country located at the south-western tip of the Arabian peninsula, Yemen has come under immense pressure from the United States and the West to fight al-Qaeda after the resurgence of the group under its local branch.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352227,us-born-cleric-summary.html.

Pope arrives in Spain for two-day visit

Sat, 06 Nov 2010

Rome - Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday arrived in Spain for a 32-hour visit during which he was expected to encourage the increasingly secular country to rediscover its Christian roots.

The Alitalia Airbus passenger jet carrying Benedict landed at the airport of the north-western city of Santiago de Compostela at 11.24 am (10.24 GMT).

Clad entirely in white, the pontiff was welcomed by Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia, while crowds waved yellow-and-white Vatican flags and cheered, "Long live the pope!"

Thousands of people were lined along the route that the popemobile was due to take to the city center.

About 6,000 seats had been reserved for believers at the Obradoiro square in the heart of the medieval city, where the pope was scheduled to celebrate a mass in the afternoon.

All the seats were filled already in the morning. Some of the faithful had spent the night outside to be able to attend the papal mass.

A group of Chilean students said they wanted to thank God for the recent rescue of 33 miners trapped in the San Jose mine, while another group from Mexico said they would pray for world peace.

The papal mass in Santiago de Compostela will mark 2010 as a Holy Year in the city, a popular Christian pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages.

Before celebrating the mass, the pope was due to visit the cathedral and pray at the tomb of Saint James the Apostle.

More than 6,000 police had been mobilized in the biggest security operation ever in Santiago de Compostela.

The pontiff was later scheduled to fly to Barcelona where on Sunday he is set to consecrate the city's Sagrada Familia church. It was designed by the visionary architect and devout Catholic, Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926).

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, an agnostic whose liberal social reforms have frequently pitted him against the Vatican, will not attend either mass.

However, the pontiff planned to hold private talks with Zapatero at Barcelona airport before his departure for Rome on Sunday evening.

The visit was the pope's second to Spain, after a first one in 2006.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352233,arrives-spain-two-day-visit.html.

Obama visits Gandhi museum, pays tribute to his hero

Sat, 06 Nov 2010

New Delhi - Mahatma Gandhi was an inspiration to the world, US President Barack Obama wrote Saturday in the visitor's book at a museum dedicated to the Indian leader in Mumbai.

Obama and his wife Michelle, who are in India on a three-day visit spent half an hour at Mani Bhavan, the house in which Gandhi lived off and on between 1917 and 1934. It has now been turned into a museum and library for Gandhi memorabilia.

Obama has on several occasions said Gandhi, who honed his philosophy of non-violent protest and self-reliance during his days at Mani Bhavan, is one of his political and ideological heroes.

"I am filled with hope and inspiration as I have the privilege to view this testament to Gandhi's life. He is a hero, not just to India but to the world," Obama wrote in the visitor's book at Mani Bhavan.

Obama has often said he admired Gandhi for changing the world just by the power of his ethics.

"The America of today has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent social action movement for Indian independence which he led," Obama said during an interaction with American schoolchildren in 2009, according to a White House transcript.

Another of Obama's heroes, Martin Luther King, visited Mani Bhavan with his wife Coretta in 1959 and stayed there for two days. On Saturday, Obama spent a few minutes reading comments written by King in a visitor's book during that visit.

Obama is also scheduled to visit a memorial to Gandhi in the Indian capital Monday where he would be holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The US president is in India on the first leg of a 10-day Asia tour that will take him to Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352234,museum-pays-tribute-hero.html.

Hamas condemns British moves to change laws

05-11-2010

Al Qassam website -Gaza- Hamas has strongly condemned on Thursday the British moves to limit authority of the British Judicial system in chasing Israelis, including high-ranking officials, involved in crimes against humanity.

Hamas's condemnation was in reaction to statements issued earlier by William Hague, the British foreign minister, as he met with Israeli officials in occupied Jerusalem unveiling his government's intention to propose a change of law to the House of Commons so that individuals and groups could no longer apply to courts to issue arrest warrants against those suspected of committing crimes outside the United Kingdom.

"The British government's move is considered clear submission to the Zionist pressures, and contradicts British constant calls for preserving human rights and for putting war criminals on trial. It is a clear proof of a policy double-standard when the Zionist entity is involved."

Hamas also called on the British government to review its policies that opposes the prevailing international and European public opinion that labels the Zionist entity as a threat to the international peace and order.

Moreover, the Movement called on human rights organizations to join efforts in pressuring members of the House of Commons not to bow to the Israeli pressures in this regard in order to preserve international justice and protect the Palestinian people from the Israeli occupation that violates even their most basic of human rights.

A number of high-ranking Israeli officials, including former foreign minister Tzipi Levni, have refrained from visiting Britain fearing arrest for committing war crimes against the people of the Gaza Strip during "Cast Lead" operation in late 2008.

The IOF troops used prohibited weapons against Palestinian civilians there, including white phosphorous and depleted uranium bombs that killed and wounded thousands of them, the great majority of them were children and women.

Source: Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades - Information Office.
Link: http://www.qassam.ps/news-3720-Hamas_condemns_British_moves_to_change_laws.html.

Gazans mark the Khan Younis massacre

06-11-2010

Al Qassam website -Gaza- Hamas held on Friday evening a memorial to mark the 54th anniversary of the Khan Younis massacre in which IOF invading troops killed 1200 Palestinians from the city and refugee camp of Khan Younis.

The massacre took place on 3 November 1956 the invading IOF troops rounded up residents of Khan Younis and its refugee camp and shot them on the streets and in their homes under the pretext that there was resistance to the invasion. UN agencies put the figure at 275 civilians killed 140 were refugees who were uprooted from their homes eight years earlier and 135 were local residents of Khan Younis. But Palestinians put the figure at 1200 civilians and twice that number of Egyptian soldiers who tried to stop the aggression.

Dr. Zahhar, member of Hamas's political bureau, said during a speech at the event that Hamas will never be a dagger in the side of the Arab and Muslim nation and that the Palestinian people whose blood mixed with the blood of Egyptian and Syrian soldiers in the fight against the occupation will certainly achieve victory in their struggle for liberation and freedom.

He also called on Fatah to stop the farce of so called peace talks with the Israeli occupation and concentrate instead on reconciliation with Hamas and national unity to face occupation and liberate the Aqsa Mosque and all holy places.

For his part MP Yahya al-Ababsa said that resistance was the only way to end the occupation and achieve complete liberation.

Source: Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades - Information Office.
Link: http://www.qassam.ps/news-3724-Gazans_mark_the_Khan_Younis_massacre.html.

Kosovo's Fatih Mosque, re-constructed by Turkey, opened

Fatih Mosque, one of the 800 mosques in Kosovo, was constructed in 1461.

Friday, 05 November 2010

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday put Fatih Mosque, re-constructed by Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), into service again in Kosovo.

Fatih Mosque, one of the 800 mosques in Kosovo, was constructed in 1461.

Speaking at the ceremony held to re-open the mosque, Erdogan said the Ottoman heritage only in Kosovo was almost more than the cultural heritage in Anatolia, except Istanbul. "The mosques, bridges, hostels and alms houses are the indelible marks of the interest shown by our ancestors to this region," he added.

Erdogan said, "such works are the signs of our brotherhood. We will boost together and continue to progress on our path."

Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, who also addressed the opening ceremony, stated that the services strengthened hope, belief and togetherness between the two countries.

He said friendship between the peoples of Turkey and Kosovo would be continuous.

Erdogan later opened Sultan Murat Hudavendigar Tomb Culture and Promotion House into service in Kosovo. "We want to see this tomb as a symbol for peace, justice, brotherhood and solidarity not only for the region but also for the whole world," Erdogan said speaking at the opening ceremony.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=65973.

Inspired, Al-Quds fest goes underground

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- "We go to really private spaces, to people who have sometimes experienced rough things," Al-Quds Underground Festival organizer Merlijn Twaalfoven said ahead of the launch of the event's second year.

On the bill for a select number of guests - word of mouth and invitation only - were joint performances between British, Dutch and Palestinian artists, displayed in secret locations accessed by underground passages and tall stairs via guides working with the project.

Over three nights, 150 small performances will take place in living rooms and public spaces, some of which were shut down by Israeli officials in the wake of a hot contest for cultural expression in Jerusalem during the 2009 ALESCO-declared year of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the year's Capital of Arab Culture.

"Last year was our first edition as a response to that reality," Twaalfoven explained, referencing the inability of Jerusalem organizations to celebrate the city's Palestinian history and culture.

Shortly after 2000, Israel declared Palestinian Authority activities in Jerusalem illegal. It had previously closed down Orient House, the diplomatic center for officials in the city, and when artists came to plan the 2009 events, Israeli forces closed down planning sessions, cultural activities and balloon launches. The official opening events of the year were held three months late in Bethlehem.

One of the highlights of the underground festival for the intrepid young audience, was a visit to Hamam Al-Ayn. The location was shut down in the wake of the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, halting more than 700 years of continuous use since its construction by the Mamluks.

The facility fell into disrepair and an initiative by the Center for Jerusalem Studies, which helped host the underground festival, sought to open the bath in January 2009 to celebrate Jerusalem's history. Permits were sought, some were granted, but work was forcibly halted on the location by Israeli forces in the lead-up to the festival.

Amidst the scaffolding of the halted renovations, a Palestinian oud player and British baratone serenaded a small group of young Jerusalemites, invited by friends and family to participate in the festival.

"They're opening it illegally, so the Israelis could shut it down tomorrow," the event's spokeswoman commented.

Overlooking Al-Aqsa

Another highlight, hosted by the head of the Uzbek community in Jerusalem Sheikh Abdul Azizi Buchari, saw Al-Aqsa Muezzan Sheikh Sa’ed Abbasi, whose voice rings out the call to prayer from the preeminent Old City mosque, and Dutch throat singing-specialist Mark van Tongeren.

"To live so close to Al-Aqsa Mosque, it means you are in the center of where things happen," organizer Twaalfoven said of the impetus behind hosting events in the heart of the Old City, and incorporating guests who have often been at the heart of conflict.

The secrecy of the event also prompted some to participate, where they would otherwise decline. "Its private, we go to their living rooms, to their bedrooms even, that's why we need to invite just small groups," Twaalfoven said.

Audience members for the 2010 festival were also drawn exclusively from the Palestinian community in and around East Jerusalem. "Its easy to just ask the people who usually go to concerts such as this, people with a western spirit or internationals; they can come easily. But to get people from here, especially young people, its a challenge."

PILARA, a youth group in the city partnered with Twaalfoven, offers young leaders as guides between the secret destinations and asks them to invite friends, family and classmates to register for the performance tours.

While other event organizers from theater to cinema to art showings have observed that the irregularity of cultural events in the Old City, the inability to widely advertise festivals and the prohibition on official Palestinian governmental involvement have meant scant audiences and more expats than Palestinians, the underground festival sought to buck the trend.

The young men and women, the first of three nights-worth of guests, trekked inconspicuously through the Old City streets. "We had to go underground because it is so important [to recognize] that culture is there, that we celebrate richness and expression. Its hard in a situation of occupation," Twaalfoven said of the decision to keep the festival an invitation only event.

"I wish everyone could go, people from other countries, to see what the real life was like in the old city. For now we have 150 shows in three days, small shows, but we are at our limit for now.

"But its also a good thing that it is small. There are many things that people in Jerusalem believe that are very big, like the end of times or something, even world peace is supposed to start here, all big things. We will talk about small things in private situations," he said.

The only internationals at the events were the artists, who worked alongside their Palestinian counterparts in advance to set out the program, and brainstorm the best shows for the venues that organizers had collected.

That cooperation between artists and Palestinians was part of the larger significance of the project for Twaalfoven. "Its like a dialogue between cultures. People in western Europe expect that you are supposed to hold dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and I tell them, 'look, first we must make a dialogue between the west and people here so we can really understand what's going on here.' Its so important that our concepts of life and peace be based on real contact with local people."

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=331032.

East Turkestan: Uyghurs Support Tibetan Language Protest

Uyghurs voice their objections to a language policy as they back Tibetan protests taking place in western China.

Below is an article published by Radio Free Asia:

Beijing is moving to clamp down on the Internet in northwestern China as ethnic minority Uyghurs express support for protests by Tibetan students campaigning for language rights, according to Uyghur residents and intellectuals.

Tibetan students have been protesting over the last two weeks, mostly in China's western province Qinghai, over fears the authorities will introduce a Chinese-language-only curriculum.

As the protests spread to Beijing about a week ago, authorities tried to block information about the demonstrations from reaching Uyghurs, who have long endured erosion of their language rights throughout schools in Xinjiang, according to Uyghur students.

“The local government is controlling the university websites and news about the Tibetan protests in Qinghai, but we have already received information from our friends in inner China about the protests there and at Beijing National Minorities University,” said one student from Xinjiang.

“They told me that the Uyghur university students [in Beijing] are talking about the Tibetan student protests and are very excited about it. Even the Kazakh students are in support of the Tibetans,” he said.

“But right now, every university is tightly restricting the students in Xinjiang and also in inner China. Even groups of Uyghurs who are studying in inner China’s ‘Xinjiang classes’ are being controlled,” said the student, who asked to keep his name and location anonymous for fear of persecution.

Uyghurbiz.net, a popular website and online discussion forum for Uyghur issues, recently reported that nearly every student enrolled in special “Xinjiang classes” for Uyghurs in inner China has been approached by school security and told to refrain from joining in any protests backing Tibetan language rights.

The report said that parents have also received calls from school security telling them to prevent their children from supporting the protests.

School restaurants serving Uyghurs, and which prepare food according to Muslim dietary rules, have been dishing out special meals in a bid to prevent any unrest, the report added.

‘No one asked us’

A Uyghur teacher in Xinjiang, who also requested anonymity, agreed that Uyghur support for the Tibetan protests is high in the region.

“Every Uyghur teacher and student is supporting Tibet right now, because we have the same problems here,” the teacher said.

“We should be using our own language, and our students need to be learning about our culture so that we can stay Uyghurs,” she said.

The teacher added that the Uyghur community in Xinjiang has been very upset with the work of recently appointed Xinjiang Governor Nur Bekri and other officials who claim to represent their interests to Beijing.

“The Chinese central government wants bilingual education here, but the local government should be asking the local people what they want. We don’t agree with this policy, but no one has asked us,” she said.

“The local government is doing everything wrong. The government should not be enforcing a bilingual policy, especially on the young Uyghur children in kindergarten.”

She said that enforcing the use of Mandarin Chinese in Uyghur schools has had a detrimental effect on the entire education system in Xinjiang.

“After the bilingual policy, many local Uyghur teachers lost their jobs because they don’t speak Mandarin, which has been very bad. Some high school students no longer want to study at school. All of the courses require Mandarin now, so the students aren’t interested in class,” she said.

Ilham Tohti, an outspoken Uyghur professor at Beijing National Minorities University, and webmaster of Uighurbiz.net, said Uyghur students at his school have been eager to join in protests with their Tibetan classmates.

“From the beginning of the Qinghai protests, Uyghur students studying at my university were all supportive. Some students came to my office and said they want to protest with the Tibetan students, but I advised them that we can support them without protesting,” Ilham Tohti said.

Ilham Tohti said in a telephone interview that he has been under constant surveillance by school security personnel since the Tibetan protests began.

“The other day someone from the Beijing security police came to talk to me about my ideas on these Tibetan protests. I told them they must be careful with their policies in the Xinjiang region,” he said.

“The Chinese government has been using bilingual education in Xinjiang for much longer than in Tibet, and Uyghurs have had a very bad experience with this policy.”

“I can 100 percent guarantee that if the government doesn’t change this policy in Xinjiang, Uyghurs will carry out this kind of protest as well, and it could become another July 5,” he said, referring to deadly riots in the capital Urumqi last year that left nearly 200 people dead, by the Chinese government's tally.

Ilham Tohti called for a rethink in Chinese policies in Xinjiang, which he said is “essential for the sake of stability in the region.”

“I hope the government will find a new strategy for Xinjiang which will allow the people there more freedom. If they really want to keep Xinjiang, this is what they must do.”

Support from abroad

Erkin Sidik, a U.S.-based senior optical engineer at NASA, agreed that the Chinese central government must allow the preservation of local dialects and minority culture if it hopes to maintain stability in the country’s frontier regions.

“All minorities should keep their own language. The Chinese government says they have a bilingual policy, but it’s really a Chinese language policy. They will destroy these minorities’ languages and cultures. So I am very supportive of the Tibetan students’ situation.”

Erkin Sidik was named as one of the “splittist elements” responsible for inciting the July 5 ethnic riots after he had visited Urumqi earlier to give a presentation at Xinjiang University on language in the Uyghur school system.

The Uyghur author of several articles on bilingual education in Xinjiang maintains that his talk was not politicized and merely summarized the situation according to central government policy and its implementation in the region.

“It’s like the Pakistani independence movement. They fought against the use of Hindi because they wanted to keep the use of Urdu and this led to their fight for independence [against India],” he said.

“The Chinese government should learn from this lesson if they want to maintain control of Xinjiang.”

Millions of Uyghurs—a distinct, Turkic minority who are predominantly Muslim—populate Central Asia and Xinjiang.

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China's ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

Chinese authorities blame Uyghur separatists for a series of deadly attacks in recent years and accuse one group in particular of maintaining ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Source: Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).
Link: http://www.unpo.org/article/11896.

Israel suspends co-op with UNESCO‎

Sat Nov 6, 2010

Israel has suspended cooperation with a UN body to protest describing of the historic sites in the occupied Palestinian territories as Palestinian.

UNESCO angered Israel in late October by naming the historic sites in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds (Jerusalem) -- sacred to both Muslims and Jews -- as Palestinian.

The board of the UN's cultural organization, in its biannual session on October 21, adopted five proposals initiated by Muslim member states regarding sites which are considered holy to both Muslims and Jews.

Israel, in early 2010, annexed two West Bank holy sites -- the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) and the Bilal Mosque (Rachel's Tomb) to their heritage list.

Palestinians view the additions of the shrines to Israel's heritage list as a land grab.

Referring to the Bilal Mosque in its statement, the UNESCO board voted 44 to one, with 12 abstentions, to reaffirm the site was "an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories and that any unilateral action by Israeli authorities is to be considered a violation of international law,” dpa reported late Friday.

"Israel has suspended cooperation with UNESCO," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told parliament, according to a statement from his office late Friday.

Ayalon said ties with UNESCO would remain frozen until it repealed the decision describing the tomb as a mosque, a definition Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as "absurd."

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova Bokova endorsed a statement by Robert Serry, UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process, that the sites have "historical and religious significance not only to Judaism but also to Islam and to Christianity."

She also "expressed her concern" at the heritage plan and the "resulting escalation of tension in the area."

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/149796.html.

Young Tunisia smokers cause concern

Smoking claims 7,000 lives every year in Tunisia, and educators, parents and officials are worried that young smokers are on a dangerous path.

By Monia Ghanmi for Magharebia in Tunis – 05/11/10

Every day in Tunisia, twenty people die of smoking-related diseases. Despite these grim statistics, secondary school and college students remain heavy smokers.

"It's my pen that I can't give up," said 17-year-old Ramez Aloui. "The fun of sipping a cup of coffee is not complete unless it is accompanied by a cigarette."

Aloui added that young people in Tunisia smoke because they consider smoking to be a symbol of manhood, an ability to shoulder responsibility, a challenge to family authority and as a means to attract the opposite sex. He then pointed to his classmate Yasmine Nafati, 17, sitting next to him, playing with a cigarette between her fingers and blowing smoke out of her lips.

Nafati told Magharebia that she smoked her first cigarette when she was 14-years-old. She justified it by saying cigarettes are available everywhere at prices affordable to everyone.

Adham Dhaoui, a 16-year old student, goes every day to the coffee shop that is located near his school on Marseille Street. He justified his addiction to smoking by saying that it gives him more self-confidence and feels enjoyable. Dhaoui said began smoking when he was 13 years old after pressure from friends. He took up the habit as something to do or as a "change of the mood" but now it is a daily practice that he can't avoid.

Nabil Ben Amer, a waiter at the coffee shop, said the same scene is repeated every day, with students representing most of his customers. He added that their number continues to increase, something he blames on the lack of parents observing their children.

However, Hammadi Mahjoubi, a parent, said the reason young people smoke is due to "the absence of a law banning the selling of such products to students". He considered that to be some sort of encouragement of smoking, especially in light of the continued sale of individual cigarettes for low prices. Hammadi also accused educational institutions of not providing better activities for students to occupy their free time.

Teacher Bessma Chanmi disagreed, saying that parents are the ones who encourage their children to smoke in an indirect way by giving them money and not monitoring their behaviour. She said parents give their children absolute freedom to act at an early age without any guidance or observation.

"Educational institutions have for years been implementing an awareness policy to sensitize students about the harms of smoking, noting that they have formed health clubs for students that aim to warn them of the serious diseases and the negative complications of cigarettes on man's health," Chanmi added.

Dr Mounira Masmoudi Nabli, co-ordinator of the national anti-smoking program, confirmed that smoking can cause many deadly diseases, such as cancer and clogged arteries. In addition, there is a possibility that smokers, especially young people, may suffer from heart disease and strokes.

She noted that the government has prepared an integrated awareness program, both in the media and at schools, in order to reduce the percentage of smokers and subsequent deaths. The ministry has also created 211 clinics to help people quit smoking. The clinics are staffed by specialized doctors who care for smokers both physically and psychologically.

The government has also stepped up legal measures by banning smoking in public spaces and punishing violators with fines. In addition, Tunisia has banned all forms of advertising for tobacco products and insisted that tobacco manufacturers clearly show the negative effects of smoking on cigarettes packs.

Dr Nabli urged all parties to combat tobacco manufacturers, who turned their attention to the young people category, who they started to focus on in their ads, after studies showed that the percentage of adult smokers has dropped.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/11/05/feature-03.

Corruption endemic in Algeria, Transparency International alleges

Despite modest progress over the last year, corruption remains rampant across Algeria, an annual report says.

By Fidet Mansour for Magharebia in Algiers - 05/11/10

For the seventh year running, Algeria finds itself at the bottom of the annual corruption ranking drawn up by Transparency International.

The 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranked Algeria 105th out of 178 countries surveyed. While Algeria's 2.9 rating out of 10 presents a marginal improvement from 2.8 (111th place) last year, the country is still listed as one of the most corrupt places in the world.

"All the talk by the authorities has changed nothing; Algeria has been seen to adopt or announce decisions aimed at stemming the problem, but they are not being applied," the Algerian Anti-Corruption Association (AALC) announced on October 27th. AALC, which represents Transparency International, added that "it is time for the Algerian authorities to stop picking on those who are working to combat corruption".

Responding on October 31st to the report's release, Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said that the results were "not objective".

"The Algerian state has stepped up its measures and control mechanisms to fight corruption and misappropriation of public money over recent years," the prime minister said. He added that these mechanisms involve "the training and qualification of managers who are responsible for handling public money, and the appointment of financial inspectors and expert legal officials within ministries to examine the public tender process".

Despite Algeria's slight improvement, the country "is still losing ground" compared with its Arab neighbors, economic expert Abderrahmane Mebtoul told Magharebia.

"Their societies suffer corruption too, but you can see that efforts have been made regarding good governance," Mebtoul said.

Algeria falls behind Tunisia (4.3 points) and Morocco (3.4) in the rankings but is still ahead of Mauritania (2.3) and Libya (2.2).

"Corruption has become institutionalized, affecting all spheres of economic and social life, bringing the country's national security into question," Mebtoul said.

Journalist Amar Meziane told Magharebia that Algeria's low ranking was a result of a string of scandals which have rocked the country over the past two years. In particular, he mentioned three major affairs: the Sonatrach scandal, the East-West Highway project, and the fiscal fraud committed by Orascom Télécoms Algérie (OTA).

Top officials connected to the East-West Highway project were imprisoned for engaging in corrupt practices with the Chinese. In other corruption scandals, a high-ranking official in the fisheries ministry was found guilty of orchestrating illegal business deals with foreign parties and some senior managers of Algérie Poste received prison sentences for corrupt practices.

Inquiries into the Sonatrach and East-West Highway affairs were continuing, Algiers Court public prosecutor Belkacem Zeghmati said on Wednesday (November 3rd) at a press conference to mark the start of the 2011 judicial year.

"These affairs are important, requiring time to determine the damage done to the national economy, and the amount of money which has been misappropriated," Zeghmati said.

These scandals have caused concern on the streets of Algeria. Faced with declining purchasing power, Algerians wonder whether the authorities are really capable of putting an end to all these vested interests.

"These scandals worry me, and I really wonder how these people have managed to get away with it for so long before being caught," said economics student Warda Imren.

"What worries me most is the fact that corruption can have affected major sectors like the oil industry," Slimane Kenzy said.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/11/05/feature-02.

French foreign minister in Lebanon to discuss Hariri tensions

Fri, 05 Nov 2010

Beirut (dap) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived Friday in Beirut for a two-day visit to discuss the tensions prevailing in Lebanon over a United Nations tribunal's investigation into the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri.

"The visit is an occasion to reiterate French support for the Lebanese authorities and cabinet headed by (Prime Minister Saad) Hariri," Kouchner was quoted as saying upon arrival.

He will meet with Hariri - the son of the slain premier - Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and House speaker Nabih Berri, as well as other Lebanese officials.

Tensions have been high in Lebanon since unconfirmed reports indicated that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would indict members of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah for Hariri's murder by the end of November.

Observers fear that such a move could lead to clashes similar to those in May 2008, when gunmen led by Hezbollah took control of the capital.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352164,lebanon-discuss-hariri-tensions.html.

NASA scraps Discovery launch until end of month - Summary

Fri, 05 Nov 2010

Washington - Technical problems have forced NASA to delay the launch of the space shuttle Discovery until at least the end of this month, officials said Friday.

Discovery's launch had been delayed several times, initially due to technical problems but later because of poor weather. Then additional technical problems resurfaced ahead of a scheduled take- off on Friday afternoon.

The next launch window is November 30 to December 6.

The latest problems were caused by a vent-line hydrogen leak severe enough to force NASA to scrap a back-up plan to get the shuttle up on Monday, and a 17-centimeter crack in foam lining the external fuel tank.

"We are going to fly when we are ready and clearly were not ready to fly," said Mike Leinbach, the space shuttle launch director.

He added that engineers and officials will thoroughly evaluate the problem and that it was critical to "take this slowly."

NASA was still trying to determine the severity of the problem.

"We just won't know til we get inside the thing," Leinbach said.

NASA officials have not ruled out the possibility that the launch could be delayed until next year and in turn force a postponement of Endeavor's launch, which is scheduled for the end of February.

Discovery's problems are the latest for the shuttle fleet as NASA winds down the legendary space shuttle program. Endeavor's flight was the only remaining scheduled launch, although NASA had not ruled out one more.

The oldest vehicle in the space shuttle fleet still operating, Discovery entered construction in 1979 and blasted off into space for the first time in 1984.

This mission is to deliver the last major US contribution to the International Space Station - an extra room - along with supplies, including a human-like robot known as Robonaut 2, the first-such robot ever sent to space.

After the shuttle fleet is retired, astronauts will travel to and from the ISS on Russian spacecraft.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352171,discovery-launch-summary.html.