France to ban new prophet film protest

September 19, 2012

PARIS (AP) — France's leadership is barring a planned protest by people angry over a film produced in the United States that insults the Prophet Muhammad, but are defending a newspaper's right to publish caricatures of the prophet.

France's foreign minister said security is being stepped up at some French embassies amid tensions in France and elsewhere around the film "The Innocence of Muslims." French authorities and Muslim leaders urged calm in the country with western Europe's largest Muslim population.

Riot police took up positions outside the Paris offices of a satirical French weekly that published crude caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad on Wednesday that ridicule the film and the furor surrounding it. The provocative weekly, Charlie Hebdo, was firebombed last year after it released a special edition that was "guest edited" by the Prophet Muhammad and took aim at radical Islam. The investigation into that attack is still under way.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that organizers of the planned demonstration Saturday against the film "Innocence of Muslims" won't receive police authorization for the protest. Ayrault told French radio RTL on Wednesday that "there's no reason for us to let a conflict that doesn't concern France come into our country. We are a republic that has no intention of being intimidated by anyone."

A wave of protest has swept some Muslim countries over the amateurish video posted online. The total number of deaths linked to unrest over the film is at least 28. In Paris, prosecutors have opened an investigation into an unauthorized protest last Saturday around the American Embassy that drew about 150 people and led to scores of arrests.

The tensions around the film in France provoked debate about the limits of free speech. Ayrault emphasized that the freedom of expression was guaranteed in France, but said it "should be exercised with responsibility and respect."

Satirical, small-circulation weekly Charlie Hebdo often draws attention for ridiculing sensitivity around the Prophet Muhammad. Its website was down Wednesday, but it was unclear why. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, speaking on France Inter radio, said Wednesday, "In France we have freedom of expression, very well, this principle must not be infringed." But he added, "Is it pertinent, intelligent, in this context to pour oil on the fire? The answer is no."

He said that he had "sent instructions to all countries where this could pose problems, we are taking specific security measures." An umbrella group for French Muslims, the CFCM, issued a statement expressing its "deep concern" over the latest Charlie Hebdo caricatures and warned that "in a very tense context, it risks exacerbating tensions and provoking reactions."

It urged French Muslims to "not cede to provocation and ... express their indignation in peace via legal means."

Orthodox Russian deacon stands up for Pussy Riot

September 18, 2012

TAMBOV, Russia (AP) — Sergei Baranov keeps his clerical robes hanging neatly in his closet, but he believes he will never again wear them inside a Russian Orthodox Church.

Baranov, who had led a quiet life as a deacon in the small city of Tambov, became an Internet celebrity last month when he asked to be defrocked in an open letter to the Moscow patriarchate, saying he was outraged by the church's stance against three members of the punk band Pussy Riot.

The feminist rockers were sentenced to two years in prison after singing a "punk prayer" against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral, a stunt that divided Russians. Even some of the devout who did not approve of the women's high kicks at the cathedral's pulpit in February spoke out against the trial and what appeared to be the church's heavy-handed involvement. Baranov gave them a strong public voice — and gave up his calling in order to back up his beliefs.

Baranov told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he supports the band's stunt and does not regret his resignation. "Everyone prays as they can," Baranov said of the Pussy Riot members. "And with their act they exposed the ills and blisters of society. We should have done that a long time ago."

The Pussy Riot trial had given courage to Baranov, who said he had long been critical of the church's stance but that the girls' actions had shown him that the church is ripe, if not overdue, for serious reform.

Baranov was far away from the discontent still simmering in Moscow after the trial. But he managed to further ripple the waters with the help of Facebook, as his letter accumulated over 4,000 likes and almost 2,000 re-posts within several days.

The Internet has mobilized countless opposition voices like Baranov's throughout Russia, this time helping a little known cleric draw attention to what he sees as the ills of the Orthodox Church, its conservatism and its open support for Putin.

The Pussy Riot case demonstrated that the church is more attentive to the government than to the needs of its believers, and it is time for a change in the clergy hierarchy, he argued. Anger with the church began to boil at the time of Putin's re-election to a third presidential term in March, when Patriarch Kirill strongly backed his bid, calling the 12-year Putin rule a "miracle of God." Putin, who was facing massive street protests in Moscow against his rule, was eager to have a helping hand by the church in swaying more devout voters in his direction.

"When Hitler and Stalin created their powerful totalitarian regimes, they made use of powerful ideologies," said Father Gleb Yakunin, a former Russian Orthodox Church priest who was defrocked in the 1990s. "Putin seems to be a good administrator, but (he's) a weak ideologist, so he decided to use something that already exists."

After Baranov posted his open letter online, the Tambov regional clergy issued a press release on their website in which they accused him of "rakish behavior" and alcohol abuse, saying that he was using the current political climate and the trial of Pussy Riot as an excuse to leave the church.

The former deacon was subsequently defrocked, although an official defrocking requires confirmation by the patriarch, who is likely to sign the mandate within a few weeks. Officials at Moscow Patriarchate wouldn't comment on Baranov's case.

According to Baranov, local politicians were also rattled by his letter, and he said he had been approached by a deputy governor and security officials, who asked him about the political motives behind his statements.

On a sunny Tuesday morning in Tambov, a city about 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Moscow best known for its delicious potatoes, locals were far from providing support for the defrocked deacon. Several members of the Pokrovsky Cathedral, the church where Baranov served, said they believe that a priest should respect his religious order, and that respect for the church should come before freedom of speech.

"It wasn't correct for him to write in support (of the Pussy Riot girls)," said Larisa Krasnova, a retired military sergeant who had been visiting the church with her grandson. "I approve of the fact that they were tried because it's blasphemy and because it's unforgivable."

Baranov said he doesn't expect the support of local churchgoers. He is afraid, however, that the church is preparing to further purge him, ensuring that he will no longer be able to take part in the services that he fell in love with when he was 13 years old.

"When the media furor dies down, they will simply excommunicate me from church," Baranov said. "Once this happens, I won't have the right to enter a church, I will lose the right to communion." The church has not yet requested Baranov's excommunication, although it has not denied that such action may take place.

Excommunication is a quite rare punishment in the Orthodox Church. Most famously, novelist Leo Tolstoy was excommunicated, and others who are unrepentant, like Yakunin, have suffered a similar fate.

Large anti-austerity protests in Spain, Portugal

September 15, 2012

MADRID (AP) — Tens of thousands of people from all over Spain rallied in the capital Saturday against punishing austerity measures enacted by the government, which is trying to save the country from financial collapse.

Large anti-austerity protests also took place in neighboring Portugal. Demonstrators in Lisbon threw tomatoes and fireworks at the Portuguese headquarters of the International Monetary Fund. Two protesters were arrested, but otherwise the rally was peaceful.

Spain is stuck in a double-dip recession with unemployment close to 25 percent. The conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has introduced stinging cuts and raised taxes in a bid to reduce the deficit and to reassure investors and officials from the 17-nation eurozone.

The marchers in Madrid unfurled banners with slogans such as "Let's go! They are ruining the country and we have to stop them." "This government's policies are causing too much pain," union chief Ignacio Fernandez Toxo said. "It's a lie that there isn't another way to restore the economy."

The situation looks set to get worse in coming weeks. At a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Cyprus on Friday, Spain revealed it would present a new set of economic reforms by the end of the month. It's a move that raises expectations that Spain might soon ask for financial help.

The economic reform plan will be unveiled by Sept. 27. It is expected to be the launch-pad to Spain's tapping of a new European Central Bank bond-buying plan. Just before Saturday's march began, buses transporting protesters blocked several major roads in the Spanish capital. The main organizers were Social Summit, an association of more than 150 organizations, and the Workers' Commissions and General Workers trade unions.

The Interior Ministry's regional office said it had expected more than 500,000 people to reach a central Madrid square, but later said 65,000 had attended to listen to speeches made by protest leaders.

Toxo called for a referendum on the government's austerity and bailout plans, saying the measures were so different from the ruling Popular Party's election pledges that Spaniards should have the right to express an opinion on them.

Rajoy was swept to power with a large majority in November elections, having said "I have no plans to raise taxes." The Madrid protest comes four days after another anti-government gathering in the northeastern city of Barcelona that attracted about 1.5 million demonstrators, according to police estimates.

"We've had our pay cut. We don't get the firefighting training and equipment we need. There are more students and fewer teachers in our children's classrooms, and health care is also being cut," firefighter Carlos Melgaves said, while marching in a group of about 50 firefighters. "We can't take it anymore."

Spain's economy minister, Luis de Guindos, said his government is aware it is asking citizens to make sacrifices. They "are absolutely unavoidable if we are to correct the difficult economic climate we are experiencing," he said in Cyprus, where Europe's finance ministers were meeting Saturday. "We are laying the foundations for a recovery."

Rajoy has accepted a loan of up to €100 billion ($127billion) to help ailing banks reeling from a collapse of the country's real estate and construction industries. His government also has faced punishingly high interest rates while raising money on bond markets to keep the economy in liquidity.

The country is widely expected to ask to sell its bonds to the European Central Bank, but the conditions attached have been the subject of ongoing negotiations. In Portugal, another package of recently announced government austerity measures could turn the nation's sullen acceptance of belt-tightening into an explosion of anger similar to that seen in Greece over the past two years.

More than 50,000 people said on Facebook they would attend a large protest in Lisbon and organizers called smaller demonstrations in 40 other Portuguese cities. Last week, Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho announced an increase in workers' social security contributions to 18 percent of their monthly salary from 11 percent. The cut is equivalent to a net monthly wage.

Portuguese Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar said income taxes will go up next year and public employees will lose either their Christmas or vacation bonus, roughly equivalent to a month's income. Many pensioners will lose both.

Protester Magda Alves said the austerity measures being applied to overcome the eurozone financial crisis were not working. "What is being done in Portugal now was done in Greece, it is being done in Spain, and was also applied in other countries on other continents," Alves said. "The result was always the same: disaster."

Associated Press writers Barry Hatton and Yesica Fisch in Lisbon, Portugal, and Alan Clendenning in Madrid, contributed to this report.

Anti-Putin lawmaker ousted in Russia; who's next?

September 14, 2012

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's parliament on Friday expelled a former Kremlin loyalist who joined the growing opposition movement, propelling President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on political dissent into the halls of power.

By punishing Gennady Gudkov, a fellow former KGB officer, Putin signaled his zero tolerance for any type of revolt within the political system. Gudkov's expulsion from the State Duma also means he loses his immunity from prosecution, and his supporters fear he could face arrest.

"We have come very close to the brink that separates an authoritarian regime from a dictatorship," said Gudkov, who was ostensibly ousted for running a business in violation of parliament rules, an allegation he denies.

The 293-150 vote to expel Gudkov came a day before the first major opposition rally since June, and it could help fan the flames of protest after the summer lull. Many activists already are angry over the two-year prison sentences handed down in August to three members of the punk band Pussy Riot for performing an irreverent anti-Putin song inside Moscow's main cathedral.

Since returning to the presidency in May after four years as prime minister, Putin has tightened the screws on a protest movement that drew tens of thousands to the streets over the winter. New laws have been passed to deter people from joining protests, and opposition leaders have faced searches and criminal investigations.

Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin political consultant, said Gudkov was targeted out of fears that his example might encourage other members of the political elite to join the opposition. Gudkov's behavior was like "a specter of the split in the elite that the Kremlin is so afraid of," Pavlovsky said. "It scared them a lot."

For most of the past decade, the State Duma — the lower house of parliament — has obediently rubber-stamped Kremlin bills. Moderate criticism was tolerated because a solid pro-Kremlin majority could ensure the safe passage of any legislation.

Gudkov, 56, was long part of that majority. He worked at the KGB, the Soviet secret police and intelligence agency, from 1981 until 1992, and then continued his career in its main successor agency before becoming a lawmaker in 2001.

He initially joined United Russia, the dominant Kremlin party, before moving in 2007 to Fair Russia, another Kremlin-created party that in recent years has begun to lean more toward the opposition. Gudkov was deputy chairman of the Duma's security committee and enjoyed good relations with many senior officials in security agencies.

But he had become increasingly critical of Kremlin policies in recent years, denouncing the government's inefficiency and corruption in official ranks. A decisive moment came last winter when he surprisingly emerged at a giant opposition rally. The stout, mustachioed man cut a striking figure among young activists as he chanted "Putin, resign!" from the stage.

The backlash began after a May 6 rally on the eve of Putin's inauguration for his third term as president. The protest ended in clashes between protesters and police. Authorities soon began inspections of a private security firm that Gudkov had set up and revoked its license, citing purported irregularities. Then investigators and prosecutors sent petitions to parliament claiming that Gudkov was running a separate business — a street market for construction materials — in violation of Duma regulations.

"For many years, Gudkov has been integrated in Putin's system of government and Putin's system of business," political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky said on Ekho Moskvy radio. "Putin does not forgive treachery."

Gudkov and his son, also a parliament member, struck back by releasing documents showing property and businesses owned by United Russia members. In his final remarks before Friday's vote, Gudkov said the stifling of dissent would lead only to greater protest.

"You are trying to muzzle critics with repression," he said. "You won't succeed. People can't be driven back to their kitchens. They will come out and demand honest elections and an honest life." The expulsion sent a chill through other legislators. Communist deputy Vladimir Pozdnyakov said before the vote that it would put pressure on all lawmakers, adding, "We have no guarantee now that any other deputy will not end up in this meat grinder."

Vladimir Isachenkov contributed to this report.

Latest cutbacks in Portugal bring explosive mood

September 14, 2012

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Nationwide protests are expected to draw tens of thousands, with police bracing for possible clashes. The prime minister's Facebook page has been swamped with irate messages such as "Get lost, thief." Even prominent members of the governing coalition are joining the chorus of rage.

New Portuguese austerity measures announced in recent days may be the tipping point that transforms the nation's sullen acceptance of belt-tightening into an explosion of anger like that seen in Greece over the past two years. It threatens to wreck Portugal's plans for taming its debt woes and spawn another hotspot in Europe's financial crisis, just as the continent was feeling cautious optimism about saving the joint currency zone.

The five days that radically soured the Portuguese mood began last week when Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho announced an increase in workers' social security contributions to 18 percent of their monthly salary from 11 percent. The cut is equivalent to a net monthly wage.

Then it was the finance minister's turn to convey bad news. Income taxes will go up next year, Vitor Gaspar said. Public employees will lose either their Christmas or vacation bonus, each roughly equivalent to a month's income, and many pensioners will lose both. More public employees will join the dole queue.

Last year was tough enough, especially for public employees, whose salaries were cut by up to 10 percent as they lost their two bonuses. Meanwhile, property and sales taxes went up, and tax deductions and welfare entitlements went down for everyone.

To top it off, the recession, which the government predicted would bottom out this year, will continue into next. Suddenly, resignation over austerity has given way to fury. Workers and business leaders, opposition parties and government stalwarts — all have joined in sending Passos Coelho the message that Portugal can no longer stand the pain.

In addition to Saturday's mass protests, the Portuguese are due to voice their anger in a series of strikes and other demonstrations over the next few weeks. Social networks have also provided a sounding board for discontent.

In a post on his Facebook page last weekend, the prime minister wrote that the latest austerity announcement was one of the hardest speeches he had ever made. He addressed the message to the Portuguese people, calling them "amigos," and signed it "Pedro." Within a week, the post had more than 56,000 comments — most of them sharply critical, some insulting — and only about 9,400 "likes."

"You've let me down, a lot. Next time I won't vote for you," said one of the milder comments, posted by Natercia Abreu. The suddenly hostile climate could push Portugal along a path similar to Greece, where public defiance has frustrated efforts to lay out a clear path to recovery, damaging Europe's efforts to contain the financial crisis.

Lisbon University professor Jorge Freitas Branco said the Portuguese are feeling "very frustrated" with the economic hardship. "These protests act as a lightning rod, they let people get things off their chest," he said. "The government is going to be under a lot of pressure."

Portugal has won praise from the other 16 countries using the shared euro currency for complying with the terms of the €78 billion bailout agreement it signed in May last year after a decade of paltry growth and mounting debts. The 34-page agreement set out a list of targets Portugal must meet, including spending cuts and economic reforms, by 2014. All three main parties gave their blessing to the strategy in a display of national unity that encouraged foreign lenders.

That has abruptly changed. A third recession in four years has denied the government anticipated tax revenue, and record unemployment of 15.7 percent has drained Treasury funds. That has forced the government to cut deeper.

"I'm angry. Of course I am," said Silvio Alves, a surgeon at a Lisbon public hospital who is close to retirement. Alves belongs to the Portuguese middle-class which has felt the brunt of the cutbacks. He reckons he lost more than €20,000 in income last year.

That meant the family vacation this summer was spent at the homes of friends and family because the usual foreign travel became unaffordable. Alves reports "zero luxuries" at home — a sharp lifestyle change for a surgeon. His wife, whose chain of clothes shops went bust in the recession, keeps a list of what products are cheapest at which supermarkets. They're eating into their savings to support their teenage son's ambitions to find work abroad.

"We're feeling it in our bones," Alves says of the austerity. Maria Jose Rego, a 45-year-old restaurant owner, says tax hikes are killing her business. Last year, the government increased sales tax on meals to 23 percent from 13 percent, pushing up menu prices. A hike in taxes on gas and electricity to 23 percent from 6 percent, meanwhile, drove up costs. Rego and her husband have already closed three of their five restaurants over the past 18 months, laying off about 100 staff. Due to the new measures, they expect to shut the remaining two by the end of the year.

"We're just getting poorer and poorer and it's harder and harder to get by in this country," she said at a protest outside Parliament last week. "People are getting more and more riled. It's time to stand up and fight."

Business leaders are also chafing at the new tax hikes. The measures will bring another crunch in private consumption, which already fell 6 percent in the first half of the year, said Antonio Saraiva, president of the Confederation of Portuguese Industry. What businesses need are steps to get people spending again and generate company growth and new hiring, he said.

Meanwhile, the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers and the General Workers' Union — the two main groups, representing more than 1 million workers — announced a street demonstration later this month and are mulling a general strike.

Antonio Jose Seguro, the leader of the main opposition Socialist Party which endorsed earlier cuts, said the government had gone too far this time and vowed to vote against the 2013 state budget. The government has enough votes to approve the 2013 spending plans anyway.

Signs of strain have also emerged within the coalition government. Powerful members of the Social Democratic Party, the coalition's senior member, expressed dismay at the prime minister's strategy. Former party leader and ex-finance minister Manuela Ferreira Leite described the latest cuts as "surreal."

The Popular Party, the junior member of the coalition, meanwhile, had previously ruled out any more tax hikes. Its senior leaders were due to meet at the weekend amid reports of dissent among its members.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend street protests in Lisbon and 20 other cities on Saturday. The demonstrations, organized via a Facebook page by a group of local intellectuals, were called to contest the cutbacks and were to take place under the slogan, "We want our lives back!"

Previous protests have been peaceful, but police this time are watching out for signs of trouble. "For the first time in my life," said Alves, the Lisbon surgeon, "I feel like going to a street protest."

Syrian rebels seize control of a border crossing

September 19, 2012

AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — Syrian rebels have seized control of a border crossing on the frontier with Turkey and pulled down the Syrian flag.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene Wednesday says Syrians on the Turkish side of the border are celebrating and yelling, "I am a free Syrian!" People are moving freely across the border, crawling under barbed wire.

There were fierce clashes Tuesday as rebels and regime forces fought for control of the Tal Abyad crossing. Syria's rebels control several other border crossings into Turkey but it is believed to be the first time they have tried to take the border area in the northern province of Raqqa.

Taking control of border crossings helps the opposition ferry supplies into Syria and carve out an area of control.

Syrian forces, rebels clash near Turkey

September 19, 2012

BEIRUT (AP) — Fierce clashes broke out Tuesday between Syrian rebels and regime forces battling for control of a border crossing on the frontier with Turkey, and Turkish authorities told residents to evacuate the area.

The violence along the border with Turkey, which is a strong supporter of the rebels trying to oust President Bashar Assad, underlines the regional danger as the Syrian civil war increasingly draws in neighboring countries.

On the diplomatic front, a spokesman for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said the Egyptian leader told Iran's foreign minister in a meeting Tuesday in Cairo that relations between the two countries were being hindered by Tehran's support for Syria's regime.

Spokesman Yasser Ali said Morsi told the Iranian minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, that as president he cannot ignore the fact that public opinion in Egypt is overwhelmingly against the Syrian regime, which he said "uses harsh language and violence against people."

The two were meeting as part of a Morsi-sponsored Syria peace initiative dubbed the "Islamic Quartet," bringing together Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — all supporters of the Syrian rebellion — with Iran.

Salehi, whose country is a crucial ally to the Assad regime, is traveling to Syria on Wednesday, where he will meet with Assad and other Syrian officials. Iran has provided strong backing to the Syrian leadership since the uprising began in March 2011.

The Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, said Tuesday that government forces and rebels were engaged "in very fierce" battles near the border crossing of Tal Abyad.

One woman was hit by a stray bullet and hospitalized in the Turkish border town of Akcakale. The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said six Syrians were injured in the clashes and brought across the border for treatment. Akcakale authorities told residents living close to the frontier to evacuate the area.

Turkish state TV TRT also said some rebels fled to Akcakale to escape attacks. Syrian opposition groups confirmed the fighting but had no immediate word on whether rebels succeeded in gaining control of the crossing. It is believed to be the first time Syrian rebels have tried to seize the border area in the northern Raqqa province, most of which is controlled by Assad's forces. Rebels control several other border crossings into Turkey.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials reopened the western Qaim border crossing with Syria to a limited number of Syrian women and children fleeing the escalating civil war. The mayor of Qaim, Farhan Fitkhan Farhan said that 100 Syrian refugees entered Iraq through the border crossing Tuesday and more would be let in on daily basis. But he said only women and children would be allowed, while young men would be denied entry for security reasons.

The crossing was closed last month following of fierce fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels on the Syrian side of the borders. In Jordan, Syrian refugees at a Jordanian camp pelted the U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi's convoy with stones during a protest over the international community's failure to stop the bloodshed.

Brahimi, who visited another camp in Turkey the same day, has himself called his task "nearly impossible." But some in Jordan's Zaatari camp shouted slogans implying that his initiative, which involves meetings with Assad, only legitimizes the Damascus regime.

"Leave our camp. By seeing Bashar, you've extended his life," some 200 refugees chanted. Teenagers threw rocks at the vehicles of officials as they departed, according to an Associated Press reporter at the camp. U.N. refugee agency spokesman Ali Bebe confirmed the protest but said he did not see stones thrown.

Jordan hosts more than 200,000 displaced Syrians — the largest number in the region. The 31,000 residents of the Zaatari camp have frequently protested against conditions in their settlement, located on a plain in the northern desert. Jordan says the huge influx of Syrians has put pressure on its infrastructure and social services.

Brahimi also toured a camp in the Turkish border province of Hatay. Dozens of Syrian refugees demonstrated outside the camp, waving a rebel flag and denouncing Assad. Some 83,000 refugees have found shelter in 12 camps along the Turkish border with Syria.

Brahimi said it appeared refugees were being treated well in Turkey and that he hoped for an end to the violence. "We hope that their country finds peace again and they can return to their country as early as possible," he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke to Brahimi on Tuesday and will meet him this weekend after he arrives in New York, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Tuesday. Germany's U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig, the current Security Council president, said Brahimi would meet informally with members on Monday.

Also Tuesday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry brushed off Syrian accusations that it was allowing thousands of Muslim extremists to cross into its territory. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Selcuk Unal told reporters that Turkey may not even respond to letters Syria sent to the U.N. Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon accusing Turkey of allowing thousands of terrorists access to the country.

"Instead of leveling complaints and making false accusations against various countries, including ours, Syria should look at the situation inside the country and take the necessary steps to correct the situation," Unal said.

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Umut Colak in Hatay, Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad and Dale Gavlak in Amman contributed to this report.

Lebanon demands explanation from Iran over troops

September 17, 2012

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has asked for official clarifications from Iran over statements by a senior commander that they have military advisers in Lebanon.

A statement released by Suleiman's office says the president made his comments Monday while receiving Iran's ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi. The top commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Sunday that his force has high-level advisers in Lebanon and Syria. Gen. Mohammed Ali Jafari's comments marked the clearest indication of Iran's direct assistance to its main Arab allies, Damascus and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

He told reporters that the Guard's Quds force have been in Syria and Lebanon as advisers for a long time, but was not more specific. The statement said Ambassador Roknabadi denied there were advisers in Lebanon.

Turkey seeks to relocate some Syrian refugees

September 16, 2012

ANTAKYA, Turkey (AP) — Already host to 80,000 Syrians in refugee camps, Turkey is now seeking to relocate some of the tens of thousands of others living outside the shelters to relieve pressure on local communities and better handle security in its tense border area.

Many Syrians who have fled violence in their country are living near the border but outside the dozen camps, either staying with relatives or renting apartments, a large number of them in Antakya, the largest city in Turkey's southeast Hatay province. The influx since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad began 18 months ago has strained municipal resources and tested the ability of the Turkish government to monitor cross-border traffic amid concerns about sectarian tension and militant activity in the region.

Turkish authorities, who support the Syrian opposition in its war with Assad's regime, now want the refugees living outside the camps to either enter them or move to other provinces. Up to 40,000 Syrians are living in Turkey outside the shelters, according to some estimates, while the U.N. refugee agency puts the number at up to 60,000. Hundreds of thousands of other Syrians have also fled to neighboring countries, including Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.

"A few days ago, the police came and told us we had a week to leave Antakya. They gave us the names of three or four places we could go," said 35-year-old Syrian refugee, Mahmoud Mohammed. He, his wife, their 2-year-old son and his brother's family are living in a two-room apartment for $150 (€116) a month.

Samar Mohammed, Mahmoud's wife, said they had tried to live in a refugee camp but found the conditions difficult. "My son has bronchitis and suffers from complications. He needs special food and a clean environment," she said. "Our needs weren't met in the camp and his condition got worse. We've been living in this apartment for two months and it would be very hard to go back to the camps."

Antonio Guterres, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, and Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, a special envoy for the U.N. refugee agency, visited camps near the Syrian border this past week and thanked Turkey for welcoming and providing for Syrians who had fled their homes, while urging donor countries to do more to help. Turkey has pressed in vain for the United Nations to set up "safe zones" inside Syria where civilians can shelter, but divisions within the international community and the security risks of such a project preclude any move to implement it for now.

Antakya's mayor, Lutfu Savas, said there are sectarian tensions along the Syrian-Turkish border, and security concerns and potential discord were the main reasons for plans to relocate refugees who are outside the camps. Many Turks in Hatay province belong to a minority sect that is linked to the Alawites, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that dominates the Syrian regime and is fighting an insurgency comprised largely of Sunni Muslims. Turkey is concerned that the sectarian tone of the conflict could exacerbate tension in its own communities.

"In the interest of maintaining order and protecting everyone here, our government wants our (Syrian) brethren to move and live somewhere else," Savas said. "First and foremost, they're being asked to move into the refugee camps. But if they have the means and if they entered (Turkey) using their passports, they're being asked to move out of Hatay. I think it's a valid argument."

A Turkish government official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with policy, said Turkey was doing everything it can to help Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey. "Every country has the right to regulate or arrange the accommodation or duration of the stay of foreigners, including Syrians," the official said.

Sali Al-Bounni, a Syrian teacher and assistant principal at a school in Antakya that taught 800 Syrian children, said it was recently closed because of the government's decision to move refugees out of Hatay province.

"The day we closed the school, everyone — students, teachers — was crying," he said. "Now the families are calling us and asking where we'll be relocating because they want to move to where the school will be. But we have no idea where to go."

Chris Torchia reported from Istanbul.

Nationalism may rise under Japan's next gov't

September 19, 2012

TOKYO (AP) — One is a former prime minister known for his nationalistic views. A second is a hawkish former defense chief. And a third is the son of Tokyo's outspoken governor whose proposal to buy and develop a cluster of uninhabited islands claimed by both China and Japan has set off a territorial furor between the two countries.

A look at the top candidates to lead Japan's main opposition party — and potentially to become Japan's next prime minister — suggests that Japan may soon get a more nationalist government. That could ratchet up already tense relations with China and South Korea over territorial disputes that have flared in recent weeks and brought anti-Japanese demonstrations to dozens of Chinese cities.

There is little sign that Japanese have grown more nationalistic, but the ruling Democratic Party of Japan is expected to get clobbered in elections that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says he will call soon. Voters are angry over Noda's push to double the sales tax and his party's failure to bring promised change to Japan's stodgy politics.

That leaves the opposition Liberal Democratic Party poised to regain the power it lost three years ago after decades of being Japan's dominant political force. Polls suggest the LDP would win the most seats in the more powerful lower house of parliament, although probably not a majority, so it would need to forge a governing coalition to rule.

If the LDP regains power, its new leader, to be chosen in a Sept. 26 party vote, would almost certainly become the next prime minister. The LDP is a conservative, pro-U.S. party with a traditional suspicion of China. The five candidates running for its top job, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, have been taking turns calling on Japan to get tough with Beijing in the escalating dispute over the rocky outcroppings in the East China Sea called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. The islands, near key shipping lanes and surrounded by rich fishing grounds and untapped natural resources, are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan.

"Losing a piece of our territory eventually means losing the whole country," declared Ishiba, a security and national defense expert who is considered a hawk, a press conference Wednesday. He has said he would be in favor of developing the islands — a move that would surely anger China.

"Our beautiful countryside and ocean are under threat," Abe, perhaps the most right-wing of the five, has said from the campaign trail. Abe riled Asian neighbors when he was prime minister in 2006-07 by saying there was no proof Japan's military had coerced Chinese, Korean and other women into prostitution in military brothels during World War II. He later apologized, but lately he has been suggesting that a landmark 1993 apology for sex slavery may need revising.

Abe also has recently said he regrets not visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, including executed war criminals, during his time as prime minister. This issue is important: Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni in the early 2000s put relations with China into a deep freeze.

Another front-runner in the LDP race is Nobuteru Ishihara, son of the Tokyo's stridently nationalistic governor Shintaro Ishihara. The elder Ishihara set off the East China Sea flare-up by proposing in April that Tokyo's metropolitan government buy the islands from their private Japanese owners and build fishing facilities on them. That compelled the central government to buy the islands themselves to prevent efforts to build on them that could have escalated the dispute.

China still responded angrily, sending surveillance ships into waters near the islands and allowing protests that have raged for days. Japanese have been alarmed by footage of Chinese rioters attacking Japanese-owned companies in China.

While the younger Ishihara is less outspoken than his father, his blood ties would be a major obstacle for Beijing in particular. "It's going to be very difficult for him to disassociate himself from his father," said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University in Tokyo. "If you do have a nationalist in charge in Japan, they could make things worse. They certainly could throw oil on the fire."

China is not the only country clashing with Japan over land. Tensions with South Korea spiked after President Lee Myung-bak visited an island cluster called Dokdo by South Korea and Takeshima by Japan that is claimed by both countries but controlled by Seoul.

Japanese voters, however, may not share nationalist politicians' aggressive stance. The general population appears more deeply concerned about the stagnant economy, social security and overhauling energy policy in the wake of last year's nuclear disaster at Fukushima.

Aside from the usual small protests outside the Chinese Embassy, by far right-wing demonstrators in black trucks blaring martial music, there have been virtually no public demonstrations in Japan over the East China Sea islands, while thousands gather regularly in front of the prime minister's residence to demand the end of nuclear power.

While some Japanese want a tough leader who can stand up to China, others are worried that if Abe, Ishiba or Ishihara become prime minister, ties with China and other neighbors will worsen. "I'm worried this dispute could lead to war if any of these men become our leader," said Kaoru Hara, a 22-year-old advertising agency employee. "We need someone who can express Japan's position but also someone who can listen to China's side."

Still, China's rise and North Korea's attempts to fire a rocket near Japan earlier this year create an opportunity for some politicians to exploit. "I don't think the country is moving to the right, but I think there's more room today to whip up more nationalist fervor because people are feeling a bit more vulnerable," said Sheila Smith, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.

Ishiba, who twice has held the top post in the nation's military, is the most popular choice among LDP supporters, according to a Kyodo News agency poll. He has a reputation for being sharp and a bit of a military geek. He has also suggested that one reason Japan should maintain its nuclear energy program is to keep open the option of developing a nuclear warhead — although Japan currently has no such plans.

Ishihara, a former TV political reporter, has stressed the importance of dialogue with China. But last week, he said he believed it was important that the emperor be able to visit and pray at Yasukuni Shrine, which would surely upset China.

Two other candidates for the LDP's presidency, former economic and fiscal policy minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and former foreign minister Nobutaka Machimura, are both less nationalistic but seen as having little chance of winning.

Abe's track record as prime minister was that of a nationalist ideologue: He urged a revision of Japan's pacifist constitution, pressed for patriotic education, upgraded the defense agency to ministry status and pushed for Japan to have a greater international peacekeeping role.

He has also reached out to the brash, young mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto, a rising star who wants to slash the number of seats in parliament and has espoused nationalistic views. He recently formed his own national political party that analysts predict could win a chunk of seats in elections and be a part of an LDP-led coalition.

Abe blasted China over the anti-Japanese protests Wednesday, saying that if Beijing can't protect Japanese living in China, it "should not enjoy membership in the international community." "In Japan," he said, "there is no flag-burning, there is no harm to Chinese nationals in this country, and we should be proud of that."

Associated Press Writers Yuri Kageyama and Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

Quake rocks Japan's crippled nuclear power plant

Tokyo (AFP)
Sept 29, 2011

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake shook an area of northeast Japan which includes the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant Thursday but there were no reports of damage to the facility, officials said.

The moderate quake struck offshore near the coast of Fukushima at 7:05 pm (1005 GMT) with a "very shallow" focus, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

There were no fears of a tsunami following the tremor, the agency said.

"The quake has not caused anything abnormal at Fukushima Daiichi," Masashi Kato, a spokesman for the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co., told AFP.

"The plant is continuing its normal operations including the injection of water into the (molten) reactor cores," he added.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage elsewhere.

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11 triggered a monster tsunami which killed some 20,000 people and crippled cooling systems at the plant, causing meltdowns in some of its reactors.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Quake_rocks_Japans_crippled_nuclear_power_plant_999.html.

Typhoon shuts down Hong Kong, hits China

Hong Kong (AFP)
Sept 29, 2011

A powerful typhoon brought Hong Kong to a shutdown Thursday, with financial markets and businesses forced to close as it swept past before slamming into the Chinese island of Hainan.

Typhoon Nesat, which claimed 35 lives when it barreled across the Philippines this week, buffeted Hong Kong with winds of up to 121 kilometers (75 miles) an hour.

Weather authorities in mainland China issued the first red typhoon alert of the year as Nesat gained momentum near Hainan, an island popular with tourists.

China's National Meteorological Centre warned of flooding and mudslide risks on Hainan and urged the cancellation of all outdoor activities.

About 300,000 people were evacuated in Hainan in the face of the strongest typhoon to hit China this year as it landed in Wenchang city packing winds of up to 151 kilometers an hour.

Authorities in the island province called boats back to port, suspended flight and ferry services and closed schools, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

In Vietnam, authorities said fishing boats should return to port and urged farmers to harvest crops quickly to reduce potential losses from Nesat, which is expected to reach Northern provinces on Friday.

The Hong Kong Observatory hoisted a number-eight tropical cyclone warning before dawn, triggering the closure of schools and transport services, and authorities opened typhoon shelters for those seeking refuge.

Three people were injured by falling scaffolding and tree branches, and about 50 people were evacuated from their homes after a barge slipped its moorings in heavy seas and crashed into a seawall, public broadcaster RTHK said.

Most businesses were shut and bus services halted, leaving the normally bustling central business district eerily quiet, with only a few people struggling to work on foot.

The observatory lowered the number-eight warning to number three at 4:10pm (0810 GMT) as Nesat made its way across the South China Sea, skirting Hong Kong before making landfall on the resort island of Hainan.

In Hong Kong, the observatory urged the public to continue to remain alert.

"Nesat has made landfall over the northeastern part of Hainan island this afternoon, and continues to move further away from Hong Kong," it said.

Financial markets, courts, schools and government buildings are all closed and ferry services suspended during a number-eight signal. The highest signal that can be issued is number 10.

Hong Kong, a major shipping hub, also suspended port services.

At least 287 flights were disrupted at Hong Kong International Airport by Thursday afternoon, including 20 cancellations and 245 delays, an airport authority spokeswoman told AFP.

A similar number-eight warning was hoisted in the southern Chinese city of Macau, which is an hour's ferry ride from Hong Kong, suspending public transportation and closing schools there too.

In the Philippines, tens of thousands of people were still battling neck-deep floodwaters Thursday after Nesat's deadly path across Luzon, and authorities said the toll was likely to rise.

Nesat made landfall in the Philippines on Tuesday, bringing heavy rains and winds that caused storm surges and massive flooding including in the capital Manila.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Typhoon_shuts_down_Hong_Kong_hits_China_999.html.

Israeli bunker-busters cause Mideast alarm

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI)
Sep 28, 2011

The disclosure that U.S. President Barack Obama approved the sale of 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs to Israel, which wants them for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear installations, has sent ripples of alarm across the Middle East, including Israel itself.

Fears that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a right-wing hawk who has vowed to eliminate what hard-liners view as an existential Iranian threat to the Jewish state, could order a pre-emptive strike, have been emblazoned in headlines run by the liberal daily Haaretz in recent days.

"Netanyahu's messianism could launch attack on Iran," said one.

"Netanyahu must be stopped from attacking Iran," declared another.

Fifty-five U.S.-made bunker-busters, designated GBU-28 Hard Target Penetrators, were secretly delivered to Israel in 2009.

But despite his determination to defang Iran, Netanyahu hasn't launched an attack on Iran, even though he had the weapons needed to blast underground nuclear facilities.

However, concerns he could unleash them remain. For one thing, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, himself a former prime minister and chief of staff, have in recent months carried out command changes on an unprecedented scale in Israel's military and intelligence arms.

Meir Dagan, director of Israel's foreign intelligence service until he stepped down in January, said commanders who opposed any attack on Iran because of the regional firestorm it would detonate have been dismissed.

Of the 18 living former chiefs of Israel's security establishment, eight have made known their opposition to Netanyahu's strategic thinking.

Another four "have made their alarm publicly clear though they aren't aggressively campaigning right now," one observer said.

These include Yuval Diskin, until recently director of the General Security Service, and Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, edged out as chief of the general staff earlier this year.

Six of the others retired years ago and are keeping their thoughts to themselves, even though Netanyahu's reported enthusiasm for hitting Iran is becoming a public issue.

The other two, Barak and another ex-chief of staff, Moshe Yaalon, are serving in Netanyahu's coalition Cabinet. Yaalon is strategic affairs minister.

Dagan, a hard-charging former army general with a record of ruthlessness against Israel's enemies, has publicly declared that attacking Iran "is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

He said Netanyahu and Barak were intent on plunging Israel into "a dangerous military adventure in Iran" that was certain to trigger a regional war that would ultimately threaten Israel's existence.

Dagan told one interviewer: "I decided to speak because when I was in office, Diskin, Ashkenazi and I could block any dangerous adventure. Now I'm afraid there's no one to stop Bibi (Netanyahu) and Barak."

"Netanyahu is completely serious in his desire. And in his preparations to circumvent the warnings of the entire defense establishment in order to implement this desire, which many of those in his inner circle have defined as messianic: to attack Iran before winter," one Haaretz commentary observed.

Israel had been pressing Washington for GBU-28s since 2005 but the Americans worried the technology would find its way to China, which Israel was selling military systems.

U.S. President George W. Bush eventually sanctioned the enterprise and Obama gave final approval when he took office. Both presidents opposed any unilateral Israeli strike against Iran.

At a Nov. 18, 2009, meeting between U.S. and Israeli military chiefs, a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable stated, "both sides Â… discussed the upcoming delivery of GBU-28 bunker-busting bombs to Israel, noting that the transfer should be handled quietly to avoid any allegations the USG (U.S. government) is helping Israel prepare for a strike against Iran."

It was probably not a coincidence that a week later Netanyahu imposed a 10-month settlements freeze in the West Bank at Obama's request in bid to galvanize the moribund peace process.

So why secretly transfer GBU-28s to Israel and then give the game away?

Some observers say Washington wanted to "hug Israel close" and make it feel secure. Others suspect leaking the transfer would give the Iranians pause knowing Israel could blast their nuclear sites.

Another explanation is that Obama was simply establishing his pro-Israel credentials in advance of a tough 2012 presidential campaign.

But what doesn't appear to be in doubt is that while U.S.-Israeli diplomatic relations are distinctly strained right now, military cooperation has been stepped up -- possibly to keep an eye on the Israelis.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israeli_bunker-busters_cause_Mideast_alarm_999.html.

Potatoes are the cheapest source of potassium

Sept. 28, 2011

SEATTLE, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- White potatoes are the largest and most affordable source of potassium per serving of any vegetable or fruit, U.S. researchers said.

Dr. Adam Drewnowski and colleagues at the University of Washington -- in a study funded by the industry group the U.S. Potato Board -- merged nutrient composition data from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Database for Dietary Studies with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion national food prices database.

The researchers used food frequency of consumption data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Affordable Nutrition Index was the metric used to assess nutritional value per dollar for potatoes and for other vegetables.

Potatoes were the lowest-cost source of dietary potassium, a nutrient identified by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines as lacking in the American diet.

The high cost of meeting federal dietary guidelines for potassium, 4,700 milligram per person per day, presents a challenge for consumers and health professionals, but the cost of potassium-rich white potatoes was half that of most other vegetables, Drewnowski said.

"Potatoes deserve credit for contributing to higher diet quality and increasing vegetable consumption," Drewnowski said in a statement.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2011/09/28/Potato-cheapest-source-of-potassium/UPI-12631317267688/.

Iran equips marine forces with 'cruise' missile

Tehran (AFP)
Sept 28, 2011

Iran has equipped its naval forces with a short range "cruise missile," able to hit targets in costal areas and warships within "200 kilometers (125 miles), the country's defense minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

"Today we are witnessing the equipping of the Guards navy and army navy with ample numbers of the Qader cruise missile," General Ahmad Vahidi said, quoted by his ministry's website referring to the elite Revolutionary Guards who are tasked with defending Iranian waters in the Gulf.

"It has 200 km range and has ability to be launched quickly against warships and costal targets. It flies in low altitude, has high destructive power, (and is) lightweight with high precision," he added.

He added that it could be fired from the coast or from vessels of different classes, increasing considerable the operational ability of the forces.

The Qader missile was unveiled last month by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with Iranian officials dubbing it a "cruise missile" built entirely by local experts. The president said Iran's military arsenal was defensive, aimed at ensuring the country's "enemies do not dare attack."

Iran in the past two years has increased development, testing and unveiling of new "indigenous" military equipment, including missiles.

The Iranian navy recently boosted its presence in international waters, sending vessels into the Indian Ocean to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates.

It also sent two ships into the Mediterranean for the first time in February, via the Suez Canal, to the annoyance of Israel and the United States.

Iran's navy commander, Admiral Habibollah Sayari, said on Tuesday that Iran was planning to deploy ships close to US territorial waters, without saying when.

Iranian naval forces are mainly composed of small units equipped with missiles in the Gulf and operating under the control of the Revolutionary Guards.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_equips_marine_forces_with_cruise_missile_999.html.

US, Indonesia sign $30m debt-for-nature swap

Jakarta (AFP)
Sept 29, 2011

The United States forgave almost $30 million in Indonesian debt Thursday, diverting the funds to tropical forest conservation on Borneo.

The debt-for-nature swap is authorized under the US Tropical Forest Conservation Act, aimed at mitigating climate change by reducing deforestation which releases greenhouse gases.

"We are all aware that Indonesia's forests are facing tremendous pressure domestically and globally, due both to economic growth here and an economic crisis abroad," said US embassy acting deputy chief of mission James Carouso.

Swathes of carbon-dense peatland in Kalimantan, Indonesia's part of Borneo Island, have been destroyed to make way for lucrative palm oil and pulp and paper plantations.

Burning the peatland, a traditional land-clearing method, releases enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and creates haze that travels to neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.

Indonesia already receives forest conservation funds from Norway, Australia and Britain, as well as multilateral funds.

In a $1 billion deal with Norway, Jakarta in May implemented a two-year ban on new logging permits for peatland and primary forest.

Deforestation is estimated to account for almost 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In Indonesia it is said to produce more carbon emissions than all the cars, buses, trains and planes in the United States, making it the world's third-biggest emitter, according to UN figures.

The swap is supported by the WWF and the Nature Conservancy, which will monitor disbursement of the funds to approved projects proposed by communities.

"The government will deposit $28.5 million dollars into a fund and will slowly disburse the money for individual projects. It is intended to benefit civil society," said WWF Indonesia's Budi Wardhana, who oversees the organization's economic instruments.

Indonesia has a history of debt swaps in other areas, such as education and health.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/US_Indonesia_sign_30m_debt-for-nature_swap_999.html.

China orders safety drive after environment protests

Beijing (AFP)
Sept 29, 2011

China on Thursday ordered manufacturers of potentially toxic products to conduct safety and environmental checks after a recent spate of major anti-pollution protests triggered fears of more unrest.

The Asian nation has been hit by two large-scale demonstrations in as many months, sparked by concerns among residents that factories were polluting the environment, forcing local authorities to shut the plants.

In the northeastern city of Dalian, for instance, thousands of locals protested last month against a factory that made paraxylene (PX), a flammable carcinogenic liquid used in the production of polyester films and fabrics.

"Manufacturers of sensitive products such as PX and owners of construction projects must immediately start safety and environmental checks," said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top economic planner.

It also called on local authorities to launch inspections of those manufacturers, in a statement released with four other ministries and agencies such as the State Administration of Work Safety, and published online.

The NDRC raised the example of Dalian, where people protested after a pollution scare spread when an incoming storm breached a dyke protecting the PX plant and threatened to damage the building.

"Although there were no leaks or other related accidents, it sparked concern about the PX project among some Dalian residents and triggered a mass incident," the statement said.

"In recent years, some enterprises have ignored safety production management of hazardous chemical substances, and environmental pollution accidents have occurred... which can lead to mass events."

Protests against pollution are not new to China, as breakneck economic growth over the past three decades has caused severe degradation of air, land and water quality.

But the growth of social networking, in particular Twitter-like "weibo" or microblogs, has helped spread the word about environmental issues and mobilize protests against perceived polluters.

Earlier this month, more than 500 residents living near a plant making solar panels protested for three days in the eastern city of Haining, forcing authorities to temporarily shut the factory.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/China_orders_safety_drive_after_environment_protests_999.html.

A day many feared turns into a great one for EU

September 12, 2012

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — It was Super Wednesday — a day dreaded by many in the European Union not so long ago.

By nightfall though, a sigh of relief settled across much of the continent. From ornately dressed judges in Germany to Dutch voters biking to polling stations and nervous traders on the stock floors, much went the way European Union leaders were hoping.

Early in the day, perhaps the biggest decision of all came from the constitutional court in Germany, which had to rule on that country's participation in a euro500 billion ($640 billion) bailout fund, underpinning efforts to contain the debt crisis. Rule against it and financial chaos beckoned. A staunchly independent institution, the Federal Constitutional Court still went with the government and the rescue program.

"It is a good day for Europe," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. In the Netherlands, the strong showing of euroskeptic politicians during the summer campaign threatened to turn a founding member of the EU into a liability for those seeking closer cooperation in Europe to deal with the debt crisis.

When the exit polls showed, it became clear outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte and social democrat Diederik Samsom would be in the driving seat to form the next government. Both see European cooperation as the way ahead.

Boosted by the ruling in Germany, markets around the world were going up and the much-maligned euro breached $1.29 for the first time in four months. And instead of a fast slide downwards in case of a court rejection, stocks markets held their own, with some even showing slight gains.

"There is only good news today," Piotr Kaczynski of the Center for European Policy Studies said, in marked contrast with the months of depressing developments that had some predicting the demise of the euro currency and the disintegration of the 27-nation EU.

"It shows a Europe that is trying to turn the page. It is a good sign for Europe to get out of the rut," Kaczynski said. Whether it is a turning point is far too early to tell. As the positive news spread around Europe, Greece, as so often, spoiled the party with a new wave of strikes to protest spending cuts, which are key to provide the country with rescue loans.

HOW BIG WAS THE DECISION IN GERMANY? The creation of the European Stability Mechanism rescue fund for indebted governments is seen as crucial to contain the crisis that threatens the world economy, and so was participation of Germany, the economic juggernaut of the embattled eurozone.

Positive momentum had already been created by the European Central Bank's decision last week to buy unlimited amounts of short-term government bonds issued by troubled countries. A negative court decision could have dampened the upbeat mood immediately.

"Today, Germany is once again sending a strong signal to Europe and beyond," Merkel said. "Germany is assuming with determination its responsibility as the biggest economy and as a reliable partner in Europe."

"Within less than a week, the eurozone has finally received its long sought-after impressive bazooka," said Carsten Brzeski, an economist with ING in Brussels. WHAT WILL THE DUTCH ELECTION RESULT BRING?

Just a few weeks ago, polls and campaign talk were dominated by Socialist Party leader Emile Roemer, who bragged that fines imposed by EU headquarters for financial digression would only be paid "over my dead body," and by populist firebrand Geert Wilders, who predicts the death of the euro and wants the Dutch to turn their back on the EU headquarters in Brussels.

Both were left licking their wounds on Wednesday night, especially the anti-euro Wilders, who exit polls showed had lost almost half of his seats in parliament, dropping to 13. "In Brussels they are now celebrating but we are facing several tough weeks ahead," Wilders said.

Roemer, once vying to win the elections outright, was stuck at 15 seats. Instead, pro-EU prime minister Mark Rutte saw his VVD surge with 10 more seats to 41, just one ahead of Social Democrat Diederik Samsom, who also backs European integration, according to exit polls.

That should keep the Dutch firmly in Europe's camp, even though strategies are sharply different on how to deal with the widening economic crisis. The difference between Rutte and Samsom reflects the deep divisions within the EU and among the 17 nations who use the common euro currency. As a socialist, Samsom is in the camp of French President Francois Hollande and with nations who spend their way out of trouble. Rutte is with Merkel and wants to pare back spending to get government finances on track and lower borrowing costs.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED TO MAKE THIS SUCH A HUGE DAY? In Strasbourg, France, the European Commission was asking national governments to give up control of their banks to try to solve its crippling financial crisis.

In a proposal that represents one of the most significant surrenders of national sovereignty since the creation of the euro in 1999, the EU's executive arm proposed to make the European Central Bank the single supervisor for all 6,000 banks in the 17 countries that use the currency.

Here too, it promises a clash between the nations seeking closer integration and those who staunchly cling to as much national sovereignty as possible. "We cannot continue trying to solve European problems just with national solutions," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in his annual State of the Union address.

It is hardly a done deal though, since the plan could get vetoed by one or more of the EU nations. "You're unlikely to get unanimity by the end of the year," said Mujtaba Rahman, an analyst with the Eurasia Group. "You're in a comfortable place now, but, at some point, it gets messy."

US sends Marines to Libya after deadly attack

September 13, 2012

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The U.S. dispatched an elite group of Marines to Tripoli on Wednesday after the mob attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Officials were investigating whether the rampage was a backlash to an anti-Islamic video with ties to Coptic Christians or a plot to coincide with the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Tuesday's stunning attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi poses a daunting task for U.S. and Libyan investigators: searching for the culprits in a city rife with heavy weapons, multiple militias, armed Islamist groups and little police control.

The one-story villa that serves as the consulate was a burned-out wreck after the crowd armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades rampaged through it. Slogans of "God is great" and "Muhammad is God's Prophet" were scrawled across its scorched walls. Libyan civilians strolled freely in charred rooms with furniture and papers strewn everywhere.

President Barack Obama vowed in a Rose Garden address that the U.S. would "work with the Libyan government to bring to justice" those who killed Ambassador Chris Stevens, information manager Sean Smith and two other Americans who were not identified. Three other Americans were wounded.

Stevens was the first U.S. ambassador killed in the line of duty in 30 years. "We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, but there is absolutely no justification for this type of senseless violence. None," said Obama, who also ordered increased security at U.S. diplomatic posts abroad.

Republican Mitt Romney accused the Obama administration of showing weakness in the consulate killings, but the president retorted that his rival "seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later." Some in the Republican Party called Romney's remarks hasty.

The mob attack on Tuesday — the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strike in the U.S. — was initially presumed to have been a spontaneous act triggered by outrage over a movie called "Innocence of Muslims" that mocked Islam's Prophet Muhammad that was produced in the U.S. and excerpted on YouTube. The amateurish video also drew protests in Cairo, where angry ultraconservatives climbed the U.S. Embassy's walls, tore down an American flag and replaced it with an Islamic banner.

But a U.S. counterterrorism official said the Benghazi violence was "too coordinated or professional" to be spontaneous. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.

The FBI was sending evidence teams to Libya, a law enforcement official said. Libya's new leadership — scrambling to preserve ties with Washington after U.S. help to overthrow former dictator Moammar Gadhafi — vowed to find those behind the attack. Interim President Mohammed el-Megarif apologized to the United States for what he called the "cowardly" assault, which also killed several Libyan security guards at the consulate in the eastern city.

Parliament speaker Omar al-Houmidan suggested the attack might have been planned, saying the mob "may have had foreign loyalties" — an apparent reference to international terrorists. "We are not sure. Everything is possible," he said.

A Libyan jihadist group, the Omar Abdel-Rahman Brigades, claimed responsibility for a bomb that went off outside the Benghazi consulate in June, causing no injuries. The group, which also carried out several attacks on the International Red Cross in Libya, said at the time that the bomb was revenge for the killing of al-Qaida's No. 2, Abu Yahya al-Libi, in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan.

About 50 U.S. Marines were sent to Libya to guard U.S. diplomatic facilities. The Marines are members of an elite group known as a Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, or FAST, whose role is to respond on short notice to terrorism threats and to reinforce security at embassies.

The Marines, sent from a base in Spain, were headed initially to the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, not to Benghazi, according to U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.

The consulate attack illustrated the breakdown in security in Libya, where the government is still trying to establish authority months after Gadhafi's fall. There also were indications that two distinct attacks took place — one on the consulate, then a second hours later early Wednesday on a nearby house to which the staff had been evacuated.

The crowd of several thousand that descended on the consulate was armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, said Wanis el-Sharef, the deputy interior minister of Libya's eastern region. A small contingent of Libyan security protecting the facility fired in the air, trying to intimidate the mob. But faced with superior size and firepower, the Libyan security withdrew, el-Sharef said. Gunmen stormed the building, looted its contents and torched it, he said.

Details of how the Americans were killed were still unclear. Stevens, 52, and a consulate staffer who had stayed behind in the building died in the initial attack, el-Sharef said. The rest of the staff successfully evacuated to a nearby building, preparing to move to Benghazi Airport after daybreak to fly to the capital of Tripoli, he said.

Hours after the storming of the consulate, a separate group of gunmen attacked the other building, opening fire on the more than 30 Americans and Libyans inside. Two more Americans were killed, he said.

Dr. Ziad Abu Zeid, who treated Stevens, told The Associated Press that he died of asphyxiation, apparently from smoke. In a sign of the chaos, Stevens was brought by Libyans to the Benghazi Medical Center with no other Americans, and no one at the facility knew who he was, Abu Zeid said.

He said he tried to revive Stevens for about 90 minutes "with no success." The ambassador was bleeding in his stomach because of the asphyxiation but had no other injuries, the doctor said. Widely regarded as one of the most effective American envoys to the Arab world, Stevens brokered tribal disputes and conducted U.S. outreach efforts in Jerusalem, Cairo, Damascus and Riyadh. As a rising star in U.S. foreign policy, he retuned to Libya four months ago, determined to see a democracy rise where Gadhafi's dictatorship flourished for four decades.

Smith, 34, was an Air Force veteran who had worked as an information management officer for 10 years in posts such as Brussels, Baghdad and Pretoria. Smith was also well-known in the video game community.

The bloodshed stunned many Libyans, especially since Stevens was a popular envoy among different factions and politicians, including Islamists, and was seen as a supporter of their uprising against Gadhafi.

The leader of Ansar al-Shariah, an armed ultraconservative Islamist group, denied any involvement in the attack. "We never approve of killing civilians, especially those who helped us," Youssef Jihani said in a reference to Stevens. "We are well-educated and religious."

The violence in Libya raised worries that further protests could break out around the Muslim world, but the reaction was limited. The movie, "Innocence of Muslims," came to attention in Egypt after its trailer was dubbed into Arabic and posted on YouTube. The video-sharing website blocked access to it Wednesday. The trailer depicts Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman in an overtly ridiculing way, showing him having sex and calling for massacres.

In Cairo, some 200 Islamists staged a second day of protest outside the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday, but there were no more attempts to scale the embassy walls. After nightfall, the group dwindled and some protesters scuffled with police, who fired tear gas and dispersed them, emptying the streets.

In a statement on his official Facebook page, Egypt's Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, condemned the movie, saying the government was responsible for protecting diplomatic missions as well as the freedom of speech and peaceful protest.

But, he added, authorities "will confront with full determination any irresponsible attempt to break the law." Romney's criticism of Obama didn't mesh completely with events in Cairo. A U.S. Embassy statement that Romney referred to as akin to apology was issued by the Cairo embassy at midday on Tuesday at a time the staff was aware of still-peaceful demonstrations nearby. It was four or five hours later when the mob breached the compound's walls and tried to burn a U.S. flag, and later still when the Libya attack happened.

The embassy statement condemned "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims — as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions," and noted that religious freedom is a cornerstone of American democracy.

About 50 protesters burned American flags outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia's capital Wednesday but were kept away from the building by reinforced security. And in Gaza City, dozens of protesters carrying swords, axes and black flags chanted "Shame on everyone who insults the prophet." The rally was organized by supporters of a militant group aligned with the ruling Hamas movement.

Afghanistan's government sought to avert any protests. President Hamid Karzai condemned the movie, and authorities also temporarily shut down access to YouTube, said Aimal Marjan, general director of Information Technology at the Ministry of Communications.

The search for those behind "Innocence of Muslims" led to a California Coptic Christian convicted of financial crimes who acknowledged his role in managing and providing logistics for the production. A man identifying himself as Sam Bacile told the AP on Tuesday that he wrote, produced and directed the film.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, told the AP in an interview outside Los Angeles that he was manager for the company that produced "Innocence of Muslims." Nakoula denied directing the film and said he knew Bacile. But the cellphone number that the AP used Tuesday to reach the man who identified himself as Bacile was traced to the same address near Los Angeles where the AP found Nakoula. Federal court papers said Nakoula's aliases included Nicola Bacily, Erwin Salameh and others.

Nakoula told the AP that he was a Coptic Christian and said the film's director supported the concerns of Christian Copts about their treatment by Muslims. Nakoula pleaded no contest in 2010 to federal bank fraud charges in California and was ordered to pay more than $790,000 in restitution. He was also sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered not to use computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer.

Nakoula denied posing as Bacile. During a conversation outside his home, he offered his driver's license to show his identity but kept his thumb over his middle name, Basseley. Records checks by the AP subsequently found the name "Basseley" and other connections to the Bacile persona.

Bacile told the AP he was an Israeli-born, 56-year-old, Jewish writer and director. But a Christian activist involved in the film project, Steve Klein, said Wednesday that "Bacile" was a pseudonym, that he was not Jewish or Israeli, and a group of Americans of Mideast origin collaborated on the film. Officials in Israel also said there was no record of Bacile as an Israeli citizen.

And even though Bacile told AP he was 56, he identified himself on his YouTube profile as 74. Bacile also said he is a real estate developer, but his name does not appear in searches of California state licenses, including the Department of Real Estate.

Film industry groups and permit agencies said they had no records of "Innocence of Muslims." A man who answered a phone listed for the Vine Theater, a faded Hollywood movie house, confirmed the movie had run for a least a day, and possibly longer, several months ago, arranged by a customer known as "Sam."

Michael reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Esam Mohamed in Tripoli, Matthew Lee and Stephen Braun in Washington, Gillian Flaccus in Los Angeles, Joseph Federman in Jerusalem and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report.

8 Ingredients You Never Want to See on Your Nutrition Label

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
Aug 23, 2012

The year was 1950, and The Magic 8-Ball had just arrived in stores. It looked like a toy, but it wasn't. It was a future-telling device, powered by the unknown superpowers that lived inside its cheap plastic shell. Despite a bit of an attitude—"Don't count on it," "My reply is no"—it was a huge success. Americans, apparently, want to see their futures.

A few decades later, Congress passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act that, among other things, turned the 45,000 food products in the average supermarket into fortune-telling devices. Americans inexplicably yawned. I'm trying to change that. Why? The nutrition label can predict the future size of your pants and health care bills.

Unfortunately, these labels aren't as clear and direct as the Magic 8-Ball. Consider the list of ingredients: The Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 3,000 additives, most of which you've never heard of. But the truth is, you don't have to know them all. You just need to be able to parse out the bad stuff. Do that and you'll have a pretty good idea how your future will shape up—whether you'll end up overweight and unhealthy or turn out to be fit, happy, and energized.

While researching the new Eat This, Not That! 2013: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution, I identified 8 ingredients you never want to see on the nutrition label. Should you put down products that contain them? As the Magic 8-Ball would say: Signs point to yes.

BHA

This preservative is used to prevent rancidity in foods that contain oils. Unfortunately, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) has been shown to cause cancer in rats, mice, and hamsters. The reason the FDA hasn’t banned it is largely technical—the cancers all occurred in the rodents’ forestomachs, an organ that humans don’t have. Nevertheless, the study, published in the Japanese Journal of Cancer Research, concluded that BHA was “reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen,” and as far as I’m concerned, that’s reason enough to eliminate it from your diet.

You’ll find it in: Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles


Parabens

These synthetic preservatives are used to inhibit mold and yeast in food. The problem is parabens may also disrupt your body’s hormonal balance. A study in Food Chemical Toxicology found that daily ingestion decreased sperm and testosterone production in rats, and parabens have been found present in breast cancer tissues.

You’ll find it in: Baskin-Robbins sundaes

Partially Hydrogenated Oil

I’ve harped on this before, but it bears repeating: Don’t confuse “0 g trans fat” with being trans fat-free. The FDA allows products to claim zero grams of trans fat as long as they have less than half a gram per serving. That means they can have 0.49 grams per serving and still be labeled a no-trans-fat food. Considering that two grams is the absolute most you ought to consume in a day, those fractions can quickly add up. The telltale sign that your snack is soiled with the stuff? Look for partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient statement. If it’s anywhere on there, then you’re ingesting artery-clogging trans fat.

You’ll find it in: Long John Silver’s Popcorn Shrimp, Celeste frozen pizzas

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Sodium Nitrite

Nitrites and nitrates are used to inhibit botulism-causing bacteria and to maintain processed meats’ pink hues, which is why the FDA allows their use. Unfortunately, once ingested, nitrite can fuse with amino acids (of which meat is a prime source) to form nitrosamines, powerful carcinogenic compounds. Ascorbic and erythorbic acids—essentially vitamin C—have been shown to decrease the risk, and most manufacturers now add one or both to their products, which has helped. Still, the best way to reduce risk is to limit your intake.

You’ll find it in: Oscar Mayer hot dogs, Hormel bacon

Caramel Coloring

This additive wouldn't be dangerous if you made it the old-fashioned way—with water and sugar, on top of a stove. But the food industry follows a different recipe: They treat sugar with ammonia, which can produce some nasty carcinogens. How carcinogenic are these compounds? A Center for Science in the Public Interest report asserted that the high levels of caramel color found in soda account for roughly 15,000 cancers in the U.S. annually. Another good reason to scrap soft drinks? They’re among The 20 Worst Drinks in America.

You’ll find it in: Coke/Diet Coke, Pepsi/Diet Pepsi

Castoreum

Castoreum is one of the many nebulous “natural ingredients” used to flavor food. Though it isn’t harmful, it is unsettling. Castoreum is a substance made from beavers’ castor sacs, or anal scent glands. These glands produce potent secretions that help the animals mark their territory in the wild. In the food industry, however, 1,000 pounds of the unsavory ingredient are used annually to imbue foods—usually vanilla or raspberry flavored—with a distinctive, musky flavor.

You’ll find it in: Potentially any food containing “natural ingredients”

Food Dyes

Plenty of fruit-flavored candies and sugary cereals don’t contain a single gram of produce, but instead rely on artificial dyes and flavorings to suggest a relationship with nature. Not only do these dyes allow manufacturers to mask the drab colors of heavily processed foods, but certain hues have been linked to more serious ailments. A Journal of Pediatrics study linked Yellow 5 to hyperactivity in children, Canadian researchers found Yellow 6 and Red 40 to be contaminated with known carcinogens, and Red 3 is known to cause tumors. The bottom line? Avoid artificial dyes as much as possible.

You’ll find it in: Lucky Charms, Skittles, Jell-O

THE DOMINO EFFECT: Sugar doesn’t just come in the form of cookies and candy. Discover the insidious ways it can creep into your diet with 9 Sneaky Sources of Sugar.

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, used as a flavor enhancer, is plant protein that has been chemically broken down into amino acids. One of these acids, glutamic acid, can release free glutamate. When this glutamate joins with free sodium in your body, they form monosodium glutamate (MSG), an additive known to cause adverse reactions—headaches, nausea, and weakness, among others—in sensitive individuals. When MSG is added to products directly, the FDA requires manufacturers to disclose its inclusion on the ingredient statement. But when it occurs as a byproduct of hydrolyzed protein, the FDA allows it to go unrecognized.

You’ll find it in: Knorr Noodle Sides, Funyuns

SAfrica labor unrest spreads; 36,000 miners strike

September 10, 2012

MARIKANA, South Africa (AP) — Chanting miners wielding machetes, clubs and spears marched from shaft to shaft of South Africa's beleaguered Lonmin platinum mine Monday, trying to intimidate the few workers who reported for duty in the fourth week of a crippling strike whose impact has already included dozens of miners killed by police.

At one point on their 10-kilometer (six-mile) trek, a striker lashed a whip at a man they accused of reporting for work. He took off across the scrubland with dozens of men waving machetes and clubs in pursuit. The man was saved by police officers who pulled him into their moving vehicle.

Meanwhile, labor unrest spread in the country, with an illegal strike by more than 10,000 workers halting operations at the west section of Gold Fields International's KDC gold mine. The strikes are rooted in rivalry between the main National Union of Mineworkers and a breakaway union.

At the KDC gold mine, for instance, spokesman Sven Lunsche said the strike started Sunday night and that senior managers met Monday with strikers demanding the removal of NUM shop stewards and a minimum monthly wage of R12,500 ($1,560).

Some 12,000 miners at east KDC staged a weeklong illegal strike to demand the removal of NUM shop stewards that ended Sept. 3. At a second platinum mine, Implats, 15,000-plus workers are demanding a 10 percent pay raise although they are continuing to work, spokesman Johan Theron said.

London-registered Lonmin PLC said just 6 percent of its 28,000 workers turned up Monday morning at its mine in Marikana, northwest of Johannesburg. Mine drivers drove around looking for workers to pick up, but the buses returned to the mine empty.

In Marikana, hundreds of chanting strikers descended on one after another of the Lonmin mine shafts, chanting anti-government songs and blaming President Jacob Zuma for the police killings. They were monitored by armed police in riot gear, some in armored cars, others on foot.

As strikers approached Lonmin's Hossy shaft, police escorted a speeding cavalcade of buses and vans carrying working miners and trucks with explosives as they rushed to get from one mine shaft to another.

Strikers have threatened to kill any miners or managers who do not respect their demand for all work to stop until Lonmin agrees to a monthly take-home pay of 12,500 rand ($1,560), about double their current wages.

Lonmin had hoped many more miners would come to work since a peace accord was signed last week with three major unions. But it was rejected by a breakaway union and nonunion strikers. The government brokered the peace deal after police shot and killed 34 miners and wounded 78 on Dec. 16 at Marikana, a mass shooting reminiscent of apartheid-era days that has traumatized the nation of 48 million.

Ten people were killed in the week before the shootings: two police officers hacked to death by strikers, six union shop stewards and two mine guards burned alive in their car. The Legal Resources Centre, meanwhile, announced that it has hired forensic experts and pathologists to investigate the Marikana violence on behalf of the South African Human Rights Commission.

The commission has stepped in following local news reports alleging that some miners were shot as they tried to surrender to police, others were shot in the back as they ran away from the police fire, and some were run over and killed by police armored cars.

Police and government officials have refused to comment on the allegations, saying they must await the results of a judicial commission of inquiry that is to report to Zuma in January. Miners told The Associated Press they are getting desperate and do not have enough money to feed their families because of the no-work, no-pay strike. One said a loan shark is refusing to give money to any but long-time customers.

Still they said they remain resolute and will not return to work until their wage demand is met. The miners refused to give their names to a reporter. The National Union of Mineworkers said the Marikana strikers had gone around Sunday night threatening anyone who went to work.

Negotiations between mine managers, several unions and representatives of strikers who do not want to be represented by any of the unions were postponed for 24 hours because the strikers' representatives said they did not know about the meeting, Lonmin spokeswoman Sue Vey said. She said the talks would start off by working out a framework for salary negotiations and probably would last several days.

But Gideon du Plessis, general secretary of Solidarity union representing mainly white mine workers, said the strikers' representatives sent a message saying their position had not changed and they would not go back to work until Lonmin agrees to the salary demand.

The last of the miners killed by police were buried during the weekend, one in Lesotho and three in South Africa. The Daily Dispatch newspaper quoted a family member as saying that one of them, Thembelakhe Mati, was wounded in the shooting and got away to hide in a shack, fearing he would be arrested if he went to the mine hospital for treatment.

Half a dozen buses carrying mourners who had attended the funerals in far-flung parts of the country returned Monday to a shantytown of tin-walled shacks without water or electricity near the mine.

Faul reported from Johannesburg.

American killed in Libya protest over film

September 12, 2012

CAIRO (AP) — Protesters angered over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad fired gunshots and burned down the U.S. consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, killing one American, witnesses and the State Department said. In Egypt, protesters scaled the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, and tore and replaced the American flag with an Islamic banner.

Tuesday's attacks were the first such assaults on U.S. diplomatic facilities in either country, at a time when both Libya and Egypt are struggling to overcome the turmoil following the ouster of their longtime leaders, Moammar Gadhafi and Hosni Mubarak, in uprisings last year.

The protests in both countries were sparked by outrage over a film ridiculing Muhammad produced by an Israeli filmmaker living in California and being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the United States. Excerpts from the film dubbed into Arabic were posted on YouTube.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton confirmed that one State Department officer had been killed in the protest at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. She strongly condemned the attack and said she had called Libyan President Mohammed el-Megarif "to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya."

Clinton expressed concern that the protests might spread to other countries. She said the U.S. is working with "partner countries around the world to protect our personnel, our missions, and American citizens worldwide."

"Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet," Clinton said in a statement released by the State Department. "The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind."

In Benghazi, a large mob stormed the U.S. consulate, with gunmen firing their weapons, said Wanis al-Sharef, an Interior Ministry official in Benghazi. A witness said attackers fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the consulate as they clashed with Libyans hired to guard the facility.

Outnumbered by the crowd, Libyan security forces did little to stop them, al-Sharef said. The crowd overwhelmed the facility and set fire to it, burning most of it and looting the contents, witnesses said.

One American was shot to death and a second was wounded in the hand, al-Sharef said. He did not give further details. The violence at the consulate lasted for about three hours, but the situation has now quieted down, said another witness.

"I heard nearly 10 explosions and all kinds of weapons. It was a terrifying day," said the witness who refused to give his name because he feared retribution. Hours before the Benghazi attack, hundreds of mainly ultraconservative Islamist protesters in Egypt marched to the U.S. Embassy in downtown Cairo, gathering outside its walls and chanting against the movie and the U.S. Most of the embassy staff had left the compound earlier because of warnings of the upcoming demonstration.

"Say it, don't fear: Their ambassador must leave," the crowd chanted. Dozens of protesters then scaled the embassy walls, and several went into the courtyard and took down the American flag from a pole. They brought it back to the crowd outside, which tried to burn it, but failing that tore it apart.

The protesters on the wall then raised on the flagpole a black flag with a Muslim declaration of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet." The flag, similar to the banner used by al-Qaida, is commonly used by ultraconservatives around the region.

The crowd grew throughout Tuesday evening, with thousands standing outside the embassy. Dozens of riot police lined up along the embassy walls but did not stop protesters as they continued to climb and stand on the wall — though it appeared no more went into the compound.

The crowd chanted, "Islamic, Islamic. The right of our prophet will not die." Some shouted, "We are all Osama," referring to al-Qaida leader bin Laden. Young men, some in masks, sprayed graffiti on the walls. Some grumbled that Islamist President Mohammed Morsi had not spoken out about the movie.

A group of women in black veils and robes that left only their eyes exposed chanted, "Worshippers of the Cross, leave the Prophet Muhammad alone." By midnight, the crowd dwindled. By early morning Wednesday, only about a dozen protesters remained, chanting "No God but Allah" for the benefit of news camera at the scene. Two bearded men nearby loudly debated about way to stop "America from harming the prophet."

Most streets leading up to the embassy reopened to traffic except for a side street employees use to enter the compound. Six Egyptian army armored vehicles were parked, next to a line of anti-riot police in helmets and body armor.

The embassy announced there will be no visa services on Wednesday. A senior Egyptian security official at the embassy area said earlier on Tuesday night that authorities allowed the protest because it was "peaceful." When they started climbing the walls, he said he called for more troops, denying that the protesters stormed the embassy. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

The Cairo embassy is in a diplomatic area in Garden City, where the British and Italian embassies are located, only a few blocks away from Tahrir Square, the center of last year's uprising that led to the ouster of Mubarak. The U.S. Embassy is built like a fortress, with a wall several meters (yards) high. But security has been scaled back in recent months, with several roadblocks leading to the facility removed after legal court cases by residents.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry promised in a statement to provide the necessary security for diplomatic missions and embassies and warned that "such incidents will negatively impact the image of stability in Egypt, which will have consequences on the life of its citizens."

One protester, Hossam Ahmed, said he was among those who entered the embassy compound and replaced the American flag with the black one. He said the group has now removed the black flag from the pole and laid it instead on a ladder on top of the wall.

"This is a very simple reaction to harming our prophet," said another, bearded young protester, Abdel-Hamid Ibrahim. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Egyptian police had removed the demonstrators who entered the embassy grounds.

Muslims find it offensive to depict Muhammad in any fashion, much less in an insulting way. The 2005 publication of 12 caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper triggered riots in many Muslim countries.

A 14-minute trailer of the movie that sparked the protests, posted on the website YouTube in an original English version and another dubbed into Egyptian Arabic, depicts Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman in an overtly ridiculing way, showing him having sex and calling for massacres.

The website's guidelines call for removing videos that include a threat of violence, but not those that only express opinions. YouTube's practice is not to comment on specific videos. Sam Bacile, a 56-year-old California real estate developer who identifies himself as an Israeli Jew and who said he produced, directed and wrote the two-hour film, "Innocence of Muslims," said he had not anticipated such a furious reaction.

Speaking by phone from an undisclosed location, Bacile, who went into hiding Tuesday, remained defiant, saying Islam is a cancer and that he intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion.

Bacile said he believes the movie will help his native land by exposing Islam's flaws to the world. "Islam is a cancer, period," he repeatedly said in a solemn, accented tone. Though Bacile was apologetic about the American who was killed in Benghazi, he blamed lax embassy security and the perpetrators of the violence.

"I feel the security system (at the embassies) is no good," said Bacile. "America should do something to change it." Bacile said the film was produced in English and he doesn't know who dubbed it in Arabic. The full film has been shown once, to a mostly empty theater in Hollywood earlier this year, he said.

Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-born Christian in the U.S. known for his anti-Islam views, told The Associated Press from Washington that he was promoting the video on his website and on certain TV stations, which he did not identify.

Both depicted the film as showing how Coptic Christians are oppressed in Egypt, though it goes well beyond that to ridicule Muhammad — a reflection of their contention that Islam as a religion is inherently oppressive.

"The main problem is I am the first one to put on the screen someone who is (portraying) Muhammad. It makes them mad," Bacile said. "But we have to open the door. After 9/11 everybody should be in front of the judge, even Jesus, even Muhammad."

For several days, Egyptian media have been reporting on the video, playing some excerpts from it and blaming Sadek for it, with ultraconservative clerics going on air to denounce it. Medhat Klada, a representative of Coptic Christian organizations in Europe, said Sadek's views are not representative of expatriate Copts.

"He is an extremist ... We don't go down this road. He has incited the people (in Egypt) against Copts," he said, speaking from Switzerland. "We refuse any attacks on religions because of a moral position."

But he said he was concerned about the backlash from angry Islamists, saying their protest only promotes the movie. "They don't know dialogue and they think that Islam will be offended from a movie."

Associated Press writers Bradley Klapper in Washington, Shaya Tayefe Mohajer in Los Angeles, and Esam Mohamed in Tripoli, Libya, contributed to this report.