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Friday, June 15, 2012

Walnut lowers breast cancer risk

Tue Sep 6, 2011

A new study conducted at the Marshall University suggests that women who eat a handful of walnuts on a regular basis are at lower risk of developing breast cancer.

Researchers found that female mice fed with daily walnuts were more than two times less likely to develop breast cancer compared to the ones on a typical diet.

According to the report published in the journal, Nutrition and Cancer, the average size of breast tumors was almost smaller in walnut eating mice which developed breast cancer during the trial period.

"These reductions are particularly important when you consider that the mice were genetically programmed to develop cancer at a high rate," said lead researcher Dr. Elain Hardman.

"We were able to reduce the risk for cancer even in the presence of a preexisting genetic mutation," she added.

Genetic analysis showed that the walnut-containing diet changed the activity of multiple genes relevant to breast cancer in both mice and humans.

Previous findings had shown that walnuts contain many beneficent nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and gallic acid that are effective in lowering the risk of high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and cancers.

"The results of this study indicate that increased consumption of walnut could be part of a healthy diet and reduce risk for cancer in future generations," Hardman said.

Although more investigations are needed to confirm the study's findings, researchers recommended that eating at least 2 ounces (57 grams) of walnuts each day can have the same preventive effect against breast cancer in humans as well.

"Dietary changes could prevent one-third to two-thirds of all cancer," added Hardman saying that a healthy diet, combined with regular exercise, a sensible weight, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco could prevent breast cancer, as well as other common cancers.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197730.html.

Human colon stem cells identified

Wed Sep 7, 2011

An international team of scientists have successfully isolated and grown human colon stem cells from fresh biopsy samples in a lab-plate for the first time.

Led by Professor Eduard Battle from Barcelona's Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), and Toshiro Sato at University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands, the team managed to identify and localize human colon stem cells (CoSCs).

According to the article published in Nature Medicine, CoSCs renew the epithelial cells lining the large intestine, which their malfunction and changes may cause diseases such as colorectal cancer.

Researchers also developed a method to obtain the newly found stem cells through biopsy and isolate and grow them outside the body in lab-plates.

“This is the first time that it has been possible to grow single CoSCs in lab-plates and to derive human intestinal stem cell lines in defined conditions in a lab setting,” said study author Peter Jung from IRB, Barcelona.

“For years, scientists all over the world have been trying to grow intestinal tissue in lab-plates; testing different conditions; using different nutritive media. But because the vast majority of cells in this tissue are in a differentiated state in which they do not proliferate, they survived only for a few days,” he added.

The new findings may lead to further understandings about many complicated intestinal disease and new effective treatments.

The discovery can also provide grounds for future studies about stem cell therapies, organ development and regenerating defected intestine for patients.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197899.html.

Libyan envoy: New government to buy back weapons from rebels

Sep 7, 2011

Paris - Libya's transitional authorities plan to disarm the rebels who toppled Moamer Gaddafi's regime by buying back their weapons and inviting them to join the national army, the National Transitional Council's envoy to Paris, Mansour Saif al-Nasr, said Wednesday.

Libya is awash with weapons, including large amounts of shoulder-fired aircraft missiles snatched from the regime's stockpiles over the course of the six-month civil war.

Some such missiles have reportedly found their way across the border into Mali, raising fears among neighboring states and Western governments that they could fall into the hands of the Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group. AQIM has bases in northern Mali.

'Once security is established, we will recover all the weapons,' Al-Nasr told the German Press Agency dpa, saying there was 'a plan to buy back the arms.'

Already, a commission in Tripoli is registering weapons and issuing the bearers with permits, he said.

For those young fighters who were loathe to disarm, 'we will offer to them to join the army,' he said.

The NTC's first priority however is to convince remaining pockets of Gaddafi loyalists in the towns of Bani Walid, Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte and the southern town of Sebha to surrender.

The whereabouts of the fugitive strongman himself is unknown.

A military spokesman for the rebels said he was 'trapped in a 60-kilometre radius area surrounded by forces of the (rebels') Transitional National Council.'

Al-Nasr would not be drawn on his whereabouts but said he believed he was still in Libya.

NTC leaders Mustafa Abdul Jalil and Mahmoud Jibril would move to Tripoli 'in the coming days, maybe even this week,' he said.

Meanwhile, the NTC would demand from Niger that it confiscate and hand over assets siphoned away by fleeing regime members, he said.

Al-Nasr reiterated claims that large sums of cash and gold had been 'stolen' from the Central Bank in Tripoli and in Sirte, possibly by regime members that fled to Niger in recent days.

Libya's neighbor to the south has admitted that Abdullah Mansoor, said to be Gaddafi's internal security chief and Mansour Daw, a senior army member, are both in Niger. Reports of a convoy of as many as 200 vehicles arriving from Libya Monday have yet to be confirmed.

Al-Nasr said Niger had given assurances that 'all those who arrive in Niger will be disarmed and placed under surveillance so that they do nothing to disrupt the revolution.

Niger had also assured that any regime members sought by the International Criminal Court would be dealt with 'according to the conventions in place,' he said. Niger is a signatory to the treaty that established the ICC.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/africa/news/article_1661461.php/Libyan-envoy-New-government-to-buy-back-weapons-from-rebels.

Italians brace for anti-austerity strike

Tue Sep 6, 2011

Millions of Italians are set to go on a general strike in the capital Rome to protest fresh austerity measures adopted by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government.

The day-long strike will be held against a 45.5-billion-euro package of spending cuts and tax hikes introduced by the Berlusconi administration.

The protest action has been called by CGIL, Italy's biggest trade union, which demands from Rome to take measures to protect public jobs and punish tax evaders, the BBC reported Tuesday.

The strike is expected to disrupt public transportation, including train and bus services, and lead to the closure of some government offices.

Italian airline Alitalia has also announced that the action will force it to reduce the number of its domestic flights.

The Italian parliament is due to vote for a controversial austerity package that was compiled in early August under pressures from Italy's eurozone partners and the European Central Bank (ECB).

On Monday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano called for swift action to reinforce the economic austerity plans while warning of clear signs that markets have lost confidence in Italy.

The strike comes as Berlusconi's popularity rating has plummeted to an all-time low.

Italy's budget deficit currently stands at 3.8 percent of the country's GDP. The government introduced a 48-billion-euro austerity package in July to balance the budget.

However, analysts say the Italian government needs an additional 20-billion-euro cut in spending to achieve a balanced deficit by 2013.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/197658.html.

Spaniards protest austerity measures

Tue Sep 6, 2011

Thousands of Spaniards have launched rallies in the Spanish capital Madrid against their government's austerity measures, Press TV reported.

The three-day protest starting on Tuesday was initiated by Spain's two largest trade unions, the Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) as well as the Unio'n General de Trabajadores (UGT).

Tensions are running high as unions are battling a constitutional reform that consists of a controversial budget cap.

The protesters are now demanding a referendum before the Constitution is changed.

Possible clashes between protesters and security forces as well as traffic disruptions expected, as the protest organizers anticipate the rally to grow by Thursday.

Meanwhile, thousands of Italians have stated a general strike in the capital of Rome, protesting against their government's recently adopted austerity measures.

The strike is expected to disrupt public transportation, including train and bus services, and lead to the closure of some government offices.

Italian airline Alitalia has also announced that the action will force it to reduce the number of its domestic flights.

On Monday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano called for swift action to reinforce the economic austerity plans while warning of clear signs that markets have lost confidence in Italy.

The strike comes as Berlusconi's popularity rating has plummeted to an all-time low.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/197780.html.

'Libya's frozen assets in China $15bn'

Wed Sep 7, 2011

Libya's frozen assets in China are worth about USD 15 billion, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University says.

The Chinese professor, Gong Shaopeng, also stated that unfreezing Libya's frozen assets should be a gradual process, Chinese newspaper China Daily reported on Tuesday.

He added that the assets already unfrozen are enough for Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) to operate for eight months until a general election is held.

Last week, NTC chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil said that China had obstructed the release of some of Libya's frozen assets.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Beijing had "no difficulty in principle" with the release of such assets.

Some countries recently filed an application to the United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committee to release the frozen assets of the Libyan government.

"In the spirit of being responsible to the Libyan people, China and some other members of the United Nations Security Council maintain that the use of the assets and supervision mechanism be further specified," Jiang said.

"After some applicant countries submitted more information, the application was approved by the United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committee," she noted.

He Wenping, an expert on African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also said that a supervision mechanism is vital for the assets to be used in a proper way.

"It will be irresponsible if the assets are released without supervision. That may open the door for corruption," said the expert said.

Tens of billions of dollars in additional Libyan state funds have also been frozen by a number of Western governments, which have expressed reservations about releasing them despite NTC's repeated pleas for funds to run the interim government.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/197868.html.

Iran to launch new space mission soon

Tue Sep 6, 2011

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has announced the forthcoming launch of a bio-capsule into space carrying a live creature.

Iran's domestically-built satellite carrier, Kavoshgar 5, is tasked with carrying the bio-capsule into space with a live creature over the next few days, IRIB quoted General Vahidi as saying on Tuesday.

Reports indicate that the launch could take place as early as Wednesday.

In March, Iran successfully launched Kavoshgar 4 rocket, capable of sending satellites and carrying live creatures into space.

As part of a plan to develop its space program, Iran successfully launched a satellite, dubbed Rassad (Observation), into the earth's orbit on June 15.

The Rassad satellite was the country's first space-based imaging device.

The country's Rassad satellite recently completed its mission following its launch in mid-June.

Iran launched its first domestically-built data-processing satellite, the Omid (Hope), into orbit in 2009.

The Islamic Republic is one of the 24 founding members of the United Nations' Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which was set up in 1959.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197676.html.

SAIC builds Egyptian training center

Sept. 7, 2011

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- SAIC has been tapped by the U.S. Army to build a third simulation, training and instrumentation center for the Egyptian armed forces.

The single-award contract has a three-year period of performance and a total value of more than $46 million.

The Science Applications International Corp. previously developed and implemented Egypt's the first two armed forces combat training centers as well as a home station training capability for the Egyptian armed forces under direct commercial contracts with the government of Egypt.

Under the new contract, SAIC will design and build a fixed and mobile AFCTC is interoperable with the other AFCTCs to accommodate the execution of large training exercises.

The AFCTC will function at the brigade level, provide realistic force-on-force training, and consist of software and hardware systems that support: exercise control, field instrumentation, weapons engagement simulation, after action reviews and live and constructive commanders training.

"We are pleased to continue SAIC's support of the Egyptian armed forces through the AFCTC No. 3," said Bev Seay, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. "The AFCTC program is critical to preparing Egypt's warfighters for their critical missions, and we look forward to helping them maintain training readiness and enhance their realistic modeling and simulation capabilities."

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/09/07/SAIC-builds-Egyptian-training-center/UPI-82781315400375/.

Afghan governor killed in Taliban attack

Tue Sep 6, 2011

An Afghan governor and his three guards have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar.

The incident took place on Tuesday when Asil Khan Khogyani, the governor of Sherzad district, was heading to work, AFP reported.

"Asil Khan was killed in a roadside bomb attack. Three of his guards, one of them also driving the car, were also killed," said Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the provincial administration spokesman.

Taliban has claimed responsibility for the assault.

"In a bomb attack, the Sherzad district governor was murdered today," said Zabihullah Mujahed, the spokesman for the militant group.

Another roadside bombing attack on Tuesday left at least five Afghan National Army soldiers dead and wounded several others in the northwestern province of Badghis.

No group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on soldiers.

The roadside bombs or the improvised explosive devices are Taliban's weapons of choice against US-led foreign troops, Afghan government officials as well as civilians.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/197804.html.

Bahrainis demand downfall of regime

Wed Sep 7, 2011

Anti-government protesters have once again taken to the streets in Bahrain, demanding the downfall of the repressive Al Khalifa regime.

Chanting anti-regime slogans, protesters held a protest rally in Sanabis, a suburb of the capital city Manama, and called for the release of prisoners detained by the Saudi-backed forces of the despotic regime.

Protests against Manama rulers have flared up in different parts of the tiny Persian Gulf sheikhdom despite the persisting brutal crackdown by the regime's Saudi-backed forces.

Earlier this week, government forces attacked several peaceful rallies.

Demonstrations intensified following the killing of 14-year-old Ali Jawad during an anti-government protest rally following Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, last Wednesday.

He was killed when a tear-gas canister fired by regime forces hit him in the head.

His family is planning to file a lawsuit against the Al Khalifa regime at an international court.

Meanwhile, over 200 Bahrainis imprisoned for participating in anti-government protests have gone on a hunger strike.

Last week, a number of doctors and nurses arrested for treating injured anti-government demonstrators went on hunger strike to protest their prosecution by a military tribunal.

Some of the doctors and nurses are reported to be in critical condition due to long detentions and harsh treatment by the Al Khalifa forces and have been hospitalized.

In February, massive protests broke out in Bahrain, with people taking to the streets and calling for a constitutional monarchy -- a demand that later turned into calls for the ouster of the monarchy.

In mid-March, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed military forces to Bahrain to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on the popular protests.

Scores of protesters have been killed -- many under torture -- and numerous others have been detained and transferred to unknown locations during the regime's crackdown.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/197828.html.

Three dead as 6.6-magnitude quake hits Indonesia

Subulussalam, Indonesia (AFP)
Sept 6, 2011

Three people were killed Tuesday when a 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's Sumatra island, officials said.

The quake struck deep underground shortly after midnight around 400 kilometers (250 miles) southeast of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra, the US Geological Survey said.

Falling debris killed a 10-year-old boy as he slept in his home in Subulussalam, Aceh province, a doctor said.

"The boy was sleeping next to his mother when a wall collapsed and bricks fell onto his stomach, crushing him. His mother brought him to us but we couldn't save him in time," the doctor, named Hasbi, said.

Two other people were killed in separate incidents, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

Panicked residents rushed out of their homes, many crying and screaming for help, as the quake shook the area for around two minutes, according to an AFP correspondent.

"That was the strongest quake I'd ever felt. I thought the end of the world was here," 42-year-old farmer Abdul Kader Angkat said.

The jolt was also felt by residents in the cities of Banda Aceh and Medan, officials said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake was too far inland to generate a tsunami.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where the collision of continental plates causes high seismic activity.

Aceh was devastated when a 9.1-magnitude quake off Sumatra in December 2004 triggered a huge tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the Indian Ocean.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Three_dead_as_66-magnitude_quake_hits_Indonesia_999.html.

Jordan to reopen embassy in Tripoli

Sep 07,2011

AMMAN (JT) - Jordan will reopen its embassy in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, within the few coming days, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mohammad Kayed said on Tuesday.

Jordan’s mission to the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) will soon relocate from Benghazi to the premises of the Jordanian embassy in Tripoli, according to Kayed.

“The decision to reopen our embassy in the Libyan capital was taken in light of the improvement of situations on the ground,” Kayed told The Jordan Times yesterday.

He added that the embassy was closed and the staff was brought back to Amman in April due to the fighting and violence that had erupted.

According to the spokesperson, around 9,000 Jordanians used to reside in Libya before the revolution started, adding that after the missions left the Libya territories, many Jordanians left Libya by different means of transportation.

“We believe that no more than 2,000 Jordanians are still living in Libya. Hopefully, the embassy will communicate with the Jordanian citizens once it resumes its services and we will be able to accurately identify the number of our citizens there,” he added.

The reopening of the Jordanian embassy in Tripoli also reconfirms Jordan’s recognition of the NTC of Libya as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the official as saying.

Jordan recognized the council in May. It also presented humanitarian and logistic assistance to Libya within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

In an international conference on Libya held in Paris last week, His Majesty King Abdullah voiced Jordan’s readiness to contribute to the reconstruction of Libya and maintaining its stability, including providing it with military and police training as well as capacity building in the educational, judicial, medical and construction fields.

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/jordan-to-reopen-embassy-in-tripoli.

Gathafi's Jamahiriya may 'relocate' to Niger

2011-09-06
By Deborah Pasmantier – SHISHAN, Libya

A Libyan military convoy with Moamer Gathafi rumored aboard has crossed into Niger, a military source said, as new regime fighters were poised to strike at the toppled strongman's last bastions.

Gathafi's spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, however insisted the fugitive dictator is in top health and planning his country's defense, and that he and his sons were ready to fight to the death, though he gave no clue of their whereabouts.

"I saw an exceptionally large and rare convoy of several dozen vehicles enter Agadez from Arlit... and go towards Niamey" late Monday, the Niger military source said, referring to the northern Niger city of Agadez.

"There are persistent rumors that Gathafi or one of his sons are traveling in the convoy," the source added.

A journalist from a private radio station in Agadez said he saw "a convoy of several dozen vehicles crossing the city and heading towards Niamey", the Niger capital.

Another Nigerien government source earlier said prominent regime officials had fled across the border on Sunday. They included Gathafi's internal security chief Mansour Daw, who was earlier reported to be in the loyalist stronghold Bani Walid with at least two of the fallen strongman's sons.

Anti-Gathafi fighters were ready on Tuesday to strike at Bani Walid, an oasis town southeast of Tripoli, at the slightest provocation.

Kamal Hodeisa, a Libyan defense ministry official, told AFP in Tripoli that anti-Gathafi fighters would "move if there is an act of aggression by Gathafi's forces against our rebels inside Bani Walid or if they attack civilians.

"There is debate among rebels whether to go forward or to stay but I think in the end they will respect the deadline," he said, referring to a truce until September 10 to try to negotiate the surrender of the last Gathafi strongholds.

Abdullah Kenshil, the chief negotiator for Libya's new government, said civilians were being held hostage in the center of the town, in administrative buildings and in five or six nearby villages.

"Gathafi's soldiers have also closed the gates of the town and are not letting families leave," he said. "That worries us, we don't want to kill civilians in the attack."

Negotiations for the surrender of Bani Walid, southeast of Tripoli, broke down late Sunday but there was little movement on that front on Monday despite concerns that local families could be held as human shields.

Operational commander Abdulrazzak Naduri told journalists at Shishan, north of Bani Walid, that the National Transitional Council (NTC) does not "want any more bloodshed."

Gathafi spokesman Ibrahim insisted however that the toppled leader was busy planning to re-take Libya.

Gathafi is "in excellent health and planning and organizing Libya's defense," Ibrahim told Syria's Arrai television channel on Monday.

"We are still powerful," he said, adding that the sons of the fugitive dictator "had assumed their role in the defense of and sacrifice for" their country. He however did not name them.

Pledging "a fight to the death or until victory," Ibrahim, who is thought to be in Bani Walid, said: "We will fight and resist for Libya and for all Arabs."

Branding the new rulers "NATO agents," he accused them of "committing crimes, above all rape, murder and looting."

He said: "Libya will never fall and the worthy tribes are defending and will continue to defend each of the free town and recapture those that have been raped."

Local officials said most senior figures had fled Bani Walid with Gathafi's most prominent son, Seif al-Islam, who according to Naduri left a few days before for Sabha, further south, that is still in the hands of regime loyalists.

Two other sons of Gathafi, Saadi and Mutassim, were also reported to be in Bani Walid and it is suspected that the strongman himself crossed through the oasis town although it is unclear when.

No clashes were reported on Monday in Gathafi's hometown of Sirte or the southern oases of Sabha and Al-Jufra.

China meanwhile denied reports of offering Gathafi arms at the fag end of his regime. In Beijing, the foreign ministry acknowledged Libyan officials had visited in July for talks with "interested companies" but insisted no arms contracts had been signed nor any direct or indirect exports made.

"Chinese companies did not sign arms sales contracts and they did not export military products to Libya," spokeswoman Jiang Yu told journalists, adding her country "does not allow any actions that contravene UN resolutions."

Citing secret documents it had obtained, The Globe and Mail reported that state-controlled Chinese arms companies were ready to sell weapons and ammunition worth at least $200 million to Gathafi in late July.

Britain on Monday re-established its diplomatic mission in Tripoli.

The UN Security Council is on Friday to discuss the launch of a wide-ranging mission to Libya to help tackle police reform, justice and election preparations, a UN diplomat told AFP on Monday.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=47942.

Libyan exiles save Tunisia's tourist haven of Djerba

2011-09-06
By Kaouther Larbi – DJERBA, Tunisia

Among the tens of thousands of Libyans who have taken refuge in neighboring Tunisia in the past six months to wait out the worst back home, the richest are saving the tourist haven of Djerba.

The usual bookings from Europe to this island resort known for stunning beaches and sunsets dropped off after Tunisia's own uprising in January. That revolt not only led to the collapse of president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali's dictatorship but touched off the "Arab Spring" movement against repressive regimes, which hit Libya in February.

Now, the Libyans have made up for the loss of Europeans and other Westerners, according to local entrepreneurs.

"The misfortune of some brings good luck to others," quipped taxi driver Jamel.

Though 2011 has already been declared the worst year yet for Tunisian tourism -- a sector that accounts for seven percent of the gross domestic product and employs 400,000 people in this North African state -- Djerba has been rescued by wealthy refugees.

Several thousand Libyan refugees have settled on this island of 139,000 residents right off Tunisia's coast, waiting for the complete fall of Moamer Gathafi's regime and greater stability before they decide to return under the new rebel leadership in Tripoli.

Big cars with Libyan license plates fill many of the parking places. Their owners bide time in the restaurants, cafes, shops and apartments for rent close to the sea.

"Without them, my income would have been close to nothing," acknowledged Cherif, 39, a grocer in Midoun.

"Since the uprising against the Libyan regime, we have recorded a turnover of 100,000 dinars (51,000 euros / 72,000 dollars) per day, which is an increase of 10 percent over the year 2010," said Adel Khlifi, the deputy director of a large supermarket at Houmet Souk, the main town on the island.

Khlifi said that the Libyans are "very good clients" who buy a lot of food products. "The cost of their purchases are more than 120 dinars by day," Khlifi added.

"It's true that we miss the foreign currency income (brought in by European tourists), but we cannot deny that we have been saved by our Libyan brothers," said Salem, 49, who runs a restaurant in Djerba's tourist zone and has for the past two months served meals to about 50 Libyans a day.

"At least we are not going bust this year," added Mohamed, a manager in a trendy cafe in Midoun.

Legend holds that Djerba, ironically, was the land of the Lotus Eaters described in Homer's Greek epic "The Odyssey", where eating the local fruit made Ulysses' men not care about returning home.

While the Libyans are unlikely to forget their own homecoming, Mohamed and others dependent on the tourist trade try to make their stay a bit easier.

"Spoil them as they deserve," he urged his waiters on a recent evening as he welcomed the first customers with a big smile.

"They're a long way from home, their country is at war. They need us to boost their morale. They certainly deserve that in light of what they spend," Mohamed said.

In some hotels, a special price for Libyans has been posted up in the reception, no higher than 60 dinars (about 30 euros, 42 dollars) including full board.

"This is a symbolic price for these people who are living in a difficult situation. We must help them during this period," said Adbelwahab Majoul, the manager of a four-star hotel.

The Libyan VIPs stay in five-star hotels, which have kept their high prices. These palatial buildings in recent months took in officials of the Gathafi regime and representatives of the Libyan rebels for secret talks.

However, not all agree with Mohamed and the presence of the Libyans has upset some Djerba residents, who are waiting impatiently for their guests from across the border to leave.

"Since the Libyans arrived, the price of vegetables and fruit has almost doubled," complained Ali, a civil servant. "You can queue for an hour to buy water and milk, since there are so many Libyans in our shops."

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=47945.

In Kiev, a protest camp outside Euro 2012 fan zone

June 15, 2012

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — If soccer fans aren't seeing enough action on the field in the European Championships, they can get a dose of rough-and-tumble Ukrainian politics near the fan zone in Kiev.

Supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko, the imprisoned former prime minister and the country's top opposition figure, have gathered in a protest camp next to a special area where fans mingle, drinking beer and watching matches on giant screens. On display at the camp is an effigy of a judge, a pile of mock human waste and a plastic pig with the president's face.

The championships already are being boycotted by Western leaders to protest Tymoshenko's imprisonment. And the protesters hope their eye-catching camp will further raise pressure on President Viktor Yanukovych to release her.

"We are showing what our government is really like," said Ivan Shibko, a top activist at the Tymoshenko camp. "They are doing this to keep opposition leaders in jail during elections." Tymoshenko's seven-year jail sentence in October over abuse of office charges drew a storm of anger and condemnation from the West. The United States and the European Union called the verdict politically motivated and several Western leaders canceled plans to attend Euro 2012 matches played in Ukraine. The EU also put on hold a key cooperation agreement with Kiev over Tymoshenko.

The charismatic, blond-braided Tymoshenko says Yanukovych, who narrowly defeated her in the 2010 presidential election, threw her in jail to bar her from the October parliamentary vote. Tymoshenko, 51, spearheaded the 2004 Orange Revolution mass protests that annulled Yanukovych's fraud-tainted presidential victory. But he returned to power, capitalizing on slow reforms and constant bickering in the Orange camp.

Yanukovych has defied Western pressure to release Tymoshenko and even linked her to a murder case 16 years ago in an interview this week, further diminishing her chances of getting out of jail any time soon. Yanukovych also insists that the boycott by European leaders will have no effect on the championship's success.

Parliament members from Tymoshenko's party said they would be watching football matches from sport bars, rather than from gleaming new stadiums alongside top government officials, in protest of her jailing. And while they will be rooting for Ukraine, Tymoshenko's supporters also plan to "enlighten" foreign fans on the true face of Ukraine's leaders.

The work is already under way at the protest camp set up nearly a year ago outside the central Kiev court house where Tymoshenko was tried and sentenced. On a hot afternoon this week, supporters wore white T-shirts reading "Free Yulia" on the front and "Football fest in prison" on the back. They handed out brochures and posters and gave foreign fans guided tours of the camp, where the mock human waste represents Yanukovych's party and the hanging effigy the judge who sentenced Tymoshenko. The opposition leader herself was shown as a white dove locked in a cage. An English translator was on duty to assist the fans.

"It seems very confusing: Why is she in jail? Nobody knows," said Swedish fan Hakan Kronander, wearing his team's bright yellow T-shirt, as he strolled through the tent camp. "They (EU) should put pressure on Ukraine to do something about this."

Dressed in the fake chain armor of a medieval knight despite 25 Celsius (77 Farenheit) heat, English fan Stan Stanfield climbed on top of the Yanukovych-faced pig and posed for a face-in-hole photograph, pretending to be a boxer punching the Ukrainian president in the face.

"It's disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful," Stanfield said. "She's been locked up, she's a victim of a corrupt society." Stanfield is captain of a team of English fans that will be playing against Ukrainian fans next week. His side will be wearing "Free Yulia" T-shirts.

"We will help in any way we can by joining the cause and the fight for Yulia," Stanfield said. But despite the giant Tymoshenko posters, catchy banners and scores of national yellow-and-blue flags, the tent camp seemed drowned out by the soccer fan zone and the general festive mood of the football championship. Some fans stopped at the camp, while many others went through it without paying much attention. Earlier this week, an attempt by Tymoshenko supporters to stage a rally outside the Olympic stadium where the England team was playing France, was blocked by riot police.

Two top EU envoys were in Kiev this week on a mission to monitor the legal proceedings in the Tymoshenko case, hoping to pile pressure on Yanukovych ahead of an appeals hearing at the end of this month.

But experts predict she will remain in jail — despite opposition efforts to highlight the Tymoshenko case to the West and to visiting fans. "There will be T-shirts, there will be rallies in the fan zone, some statements from EU officials," said Vadym Karasyov, a Kiev-based political analyst with ties to the government. "But nothing will change radically: Yanukovych will not let her out of prison before elections. You don't have to be a political scientist to see that."

Pharmacist's death highlights Greek plight

June 15, 2012

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Some Greek pharmacies will close on Friday, but not in protest against the relentless burden of austerity or the withering of state reimbursements for the drugs they sell. Rather, they are mourning for one of their own, a pharmacist who was shot dead in an apparent holdup.

Violent crime is more ingrained in many other societies, but the slaying of 54-year-old Spyros Poukamisas this week is the kind of sad event that cuts deeply into the Greek sense of community at a time of crisis and division. It is a symbol of the national handwringing about how far a country, steeped in glorious tradition, can fall.

"This is another atrocious crime, which shows that matters have come to a head. We have reached the limits of our endurance. Security is our first priority," said Antonis Samaras, head of the conservative New Democracy party, which is locked in a tight race with the radical left Syriza party ahead of elections on Sunday.

Granted, the death of Poukamisas near his pharmacy in a gritty district of Piraeus port this week was a fleeting episode, conceived by two men who vanished in a getaway car. Greece and the globe are more consumed by the vote whose outcome, realists and doomsayers alike fear, could imperil the idea of European unity and menace the world's biggest economies.

The immediate question is whether Greece, now under the stewardship of a caretaker government, will stick to traditional politicians like Samaras or empower Syriza's Alexis Tsipras, a populist who has talked of scrapping an international bailout deal that imposed harsh cutbacks and reforms on a population used to a better life.

The bigger conundrum for Greece is what it will be in the long term: a state adrift, as it is now, or a viable nation with a production-based economy and social cohesion to match. The land that gave logic, justice and geometry to the world in ancient times has, in its more recent history, contorted inward. State excesses and book-cooking, record unemployment and inflated crime rates have fed Greek dysfunction.

Greek media reported that Poukamisas, the pharmacist, had been mugged in the past and that he told his assailants, "Not this time, guys," before they killed him. Pharmacies in the Athens area closed in protest for six hours Thursday. Most Piraeus pharmacies will be shut all day Friday.

A statement by the Greater Athens pharmacists' association said the killing reflected an "unprecedented" situation in Greece and "proves that our society is in a state of collapse and has been surrendered to the mercy of uncontrolled criminal activity."

While aspects of such rhetoric appear overblown, statistics show a deterioration in law-and-order during the economic crisis. The Public Order Ministry reported an increase in nearly all categories of crime between 2010 and 2011, with murder up 5 percent and armed robberies in occupied homes up 110 percent.

Greece accounts for a tiny piece of the global economy, but the threat of contagion — devastating spillover elsewhere in Europe and beyond — drives jitters in the markets. A vulnerable nation like Italy, however, has a strong industrial base and a host of brand names coveted worldwide. Greece has agriculture, but its fundamentals are more limited. Tourism and shipping are among the pillars of its fortunes; both are under strain amid speculation about whether Greece will have to abandon the euro in a chaotic and possibly economically debilitating exit.

This month, thousands of Greek and international shipping executives gathered at a trade event at which Theodore Veniamis, president of the Union of Greek Shipowners, invoked an old saying from Chios, a Greek island in the Aegean.

"The sea gets sick but never dies," he said. Veniamis asserted that Greek shipping remained internationally competitive, with a fleet of 3,325 vessels, but he lamented the impact of the global economic crisis on the freight market, as well as the administrative confusion caused by the abolition of Greece's merchant marine ministry.

Tourism accounts for nearly one fifth of the Greek economy, and the government seeks to lure an increasing number of tourists who are reluctant to relax in a country seemingly on the edge. A state campaign, "The True Story About Greece," touts antiquities, thermal springs and sun-splashed coastlines and islands.

Tatiana Karapanagioti, the culture and tourism minister, criticized the "gloom-and-doom myths" about Greece's plight, noting that tourism arrivals reached a record high of 16.5 million visitors in 2011. She said the elections on Sunday, a replay of an inconclusive, first round ballot, are not a cause for worry.

"This is simply our democratic process in action, no different than any other country," she wrote in a commentary in The Huffington Post this month. "True, the stakes of the coming election are unquestionably high. Yet, the birthplace of democracy is as safe, secure and calm as it has ever been."

That last point is surely open to debate, or even derision among more seasoned critics. True, Greeks have had harder times. They put up with centuries of Ottoman rule, a schism between a king and a prime minister, a Nazi occupation, a civil war and a military dictatorship. But a nation whose pride springs from the intellectual exploits of ancient city-states has, for many, become a dangerously untrustworthy member of the global community.

This week, a debate in a London hall turned on whether Britain should return ancient Greek sculptures called the Parthenon Marbles, which were removed from the Acropolis in the early 19th century and are on display in London's British Museum.

Tristram Hunt, a British lawmaker, said it was unwise to send back the fragile sculptures, long demanded by Greece, as it faces the "terrible prospect of economic meltdown." But author Stephen Fry alluded with irony to the Greek crisis in support of the motion to return them.

"We will never, ever be able to repay the debt that we owe Greece," Fry said in praise of the contributions of ancient Greeks to world culture.

Spain's passing dazzles in 4-0 win over Ireland

June 14, 2012

GDANSK, Poland (AP) — Spain's dazzling ball control, dizzying passing game and deluge of shots were way too much for Ireland.

Fernando Torres scored a goal in each half, and David Silva and substitute Cesc Fabregas added the others as Spain beat Ireland 4-0 and eliminated the Irish from the European Championship with its most lopsided loss in 41 years.

Spain, which leads Group C along with Croatia with four points, dominated the tempo and scoring opportunities through its quick combinations and precise passing. The defending champions completed an incredible 779 passes and took 26 shots — 20 of them on goal — in a performance that put it on course for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Torres, who scored in the Euro 2008 final, put Spain ahead early after dispossessing Richard Dunne inside the area and scurrying past Stephen Ward before sending an angled shot over goalkeeper Shay Given in the fourth minute.

Torres started over Fabregas as the world champions reverted to fielding a traditional striker after the attack was led by six midfielders against Italy. The Chelsea striker showed that a late season turnaround was no fluke as he became Spain's third all-time leading scorer with 30 goals in 95 appearances.

"We wanted to win, to make a better impression than we did against Italy," said Torres, whose team completed three times as many passes as the Irish. "From the first minute we showed the character to win."

Torres' first goal marked the start of Spain's assault on the Irish, who had started well with Simon Cox forcing Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas into a tricky save in the second minute. "Unfortunately the goal for the second time after three minutes throws your tactical plan out the window," said Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni, whose team also conceded early in a 3-1 loss to Croatia.

But Spain's combination passing got better, leaving Ireland in a constant chase. Spain midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso exploited every crack through the middle with pinpoint passes that were either spoiled by poor finishing, blocked shots or saves.

"For the vast majority of time, we were chasing shadows," Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews said. Silva was a continuous threat inside the area before finally converting early in the second half. The Manchester City forward gathered the ball inside the area in the 49th before showing some patience by rolling a left-footed shot around two defenders and through Dunne's legs and out of the reach of Given.

Given still made clutch stops on shots from Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Alonso, who pushed forward alongside fullbacks Alvaro Arbeloa and Jordi Alba as Spain looked for goals. "They are the best side I've ever played against and probably the best side I will ever play against," Ireland defender Sean St. Ledger said.

While Ireland enjoyed a brief spell of chances in the second half, with Casillas stretching to save a shot from Robbie Keane in the 75th, it was Torres who ran on to Silva's pass and held off Dunne's pressure to shoot around Given in the 70th.

"That why we put him on, to do what he did today, to score goals," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. "It was an exemplary game for us in many senses. We played a very complete game. Fabregas, who scored against Italy while playing in an unlikely attacking role, received Silva's corner at the near side and sent a shot off the inside of the far post to complete the rout in the 83rd.

Ireland will play its final match against Italy, which has two points and needs of a victory to advance to the quarterfinals. Spain can advance with a draw against Croatia on Monday. "To go out looking for a draw would be very dangerous," Del Bosque said.

Russian It Girl's path from parties to protests

June 14, 2012

MOSCOW (AP) — "I'm Ksenia Sobchak, and I've got something to lose. But I'm here." That's what the 30-year-old blond socialite and TV personality said when she began her unlikely foray into political activism by taking the stage at a huge anti-Putin rally in December.

It was a shaky start. Sobchak was greeted with jeers and boos from protesters, who derided her as a rich party girl and were suspicious of her motives because of her family's close personal ties to Vladimir Putin. Six months later, Sobchak has been accepted into the ranks of Russia's protest leaders, completing a transformation that reflects the civic awakening of millions of young Russians after a decade of political passivity.

Young Internet-savvy office workers, students and members of what is known as the "creative class" form the heart of the protest movement that has drawn tens of thousands onto the streets of Moscow since a December parliamentary election was won by Putin's party with what observers said was widespread fraud.

Putin has taken a tougher approach toward the opposition since returning to the presidency in May. But while hundreds of demonstrators have been detained over the past month, Sobchak found out only this week that she does indeed have something to lose. Her apartment was among the homes of protest leaders that were raided by police. They read her personal correspondence, seized her passport — and confiscated at least 1 million euros ($1.3 million) in cash.

It was a quick change of fortune for Russia's It Girl. Sobchak had been considered untouchable because of Putin's enduring loyalty to her late father, who as mayor of St. Petersburg in the early 1990s gave Russia's future president his first government job and launched his political career. Putin began a third term on May 7 after four years as prime minister.

When asked about Putin, rumored to be her godfather, Sobchak has expressed gratitude to him for taking care of her family after her father, Anatoly Sobchak, fell out of political favor. She has been restrained in her criticism of Putin himself, while at the same time calling for more open government, fair elections and an end to the corruption that pervades Russian society.

While still in her early 20s, Sobchak became one of the most recognized figures in Russian entertainment, the girl everyone loved to hate. She dated pop stars and wealthy men and co-wrote a bestselling book called "How to Marry a Millionaire." Her fashion tastes were often over the top. In 2007 on the Russian show "Circus of the Stars," Sobchak wore an enormous pink bow while prancing around the stage with two French poodles.

One of Sobchak's most controversial projects is "Dom-2," a scandalous reality show modeled on "Big Brother" that she has hosted since its interception in 2004. Russian viewers also saw her shimmying across the stage of "Dancing With the Stars" and posing as a scantily clad Tarzan on a 2006 cover of Playboy magazine.

Throughout the 2000s, this enfant terrible epitomized the hedonism and materialism ushered in by the oil boom. By her own account, she earns more than $2 million a year. "I don't understand why they hate me so unanimously," Sobchak said in a 2008 interview with the newspaper Izvestia. "I don't call for killings, riots or overthrowing the government. I'm just a hostess of entertaining shows."

Sobchak did not respond to interview requests sent by email, Twitter and text message. In recent months, Russians have watched Sobchak trade her bows for boxy spectacles and her millionaire boyfriends for a low-key romance with Ilya Yashin, a leading figure of the opposition.

To those who question the sincerity of her transformation, Sobchak asserts that her move toward the opposition was long in the making. In an interview following her debut at the Dec. 24 protest, Sobchak said the entertainment industry had served as her escape from her expected path. After graduating from a Moscow university favored by Russia's political elite, she knew she could have had her pick of government jobs.

"It was a conscious choice, to build my own career, to make a name for myself," she said in the January interview with the New Times weekly. "Another issue here, of course, is that I used all means to build it and was ready to pay any price for it."

Her embrace of the opposition was another conscious choice, she said. "I'm against this system. I'm against bureaucratization, corruption, seeing the same people in power," Sobchak said in the New Times interview. "But I'm not personally against Putin."

When she took the stage at the opposition rally, dressed in jeans and a white bomber jacket, Sobchak was visibly nervous. "The most important thing is to be able to influence the government, not seek to overthrow it," she told the crowd to shouts of "bitch" and worse. At later rallies, she was met with more restraint and even some applause.

The socialite's public stand has taken a toll on her career. Previously a welcome guest on entertainment shows on all national television channels, Sobchak says she has effectively been blacklisted by the Kremlin-controlled networks. Her attempt to bring political discourse to a younger audience failed when her show on Russian MTV was taken off the air after just one show.

The early morning raid on her apartment this week, though, was the first time she had come under direct pressure. The investigators announced the seizure of the $1.3 million in cash, apparently hoping the enormous sum would dispel any sympathy for Sobchak. She said she earned that money as one of Russia's best paid television personalities and she was keeping the cash at home because she doesn't trust Russia's banks.

Sobchak said the search was humiliating but would not change what she describes as her "moderate" political views. "I still stick to the same things," she said in the radio interview. "You can't just chant 'Putin, go away!' because it doesn't make any sense at this point. We need to chant: 'Putin, give back our votes!'"

A month before her debut at the protest rally, Sobchak starred in an hour-long talk show dedicated to her 30th birthday. Wearing a long and somber black dress, Sobchak said she was ready for a new life.

"Before I turned 30, I worked to create Ksenia Sobchak," she said. "Ksenia Sobchak turned out to be appalling and terrible in some respects, but nice in others. Now that I've created this Ksenia Sobchak, I need to pursue new goals."

Egypt's high court orders parliament dissolved

By Dylan Stableford | The Lookout
(June 14th 2012, Thursday)

Egypt's high court ordered the entire Egyptian parliament dissolved on Thursday, saying the January elections held there were unconstitutional.

The constitutional court in Cairo declared that one-third of the lower house of parliament was elected unconstitutionally, according to the Washington Post.

"The makeup of the entire chamber is illegal and, consequently, it does not legally stand," the court said.

The high court also ruled that Ahmed Shafiq, an ally and former prime minister to ousted president Hosni Mubarak, can run for president against Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood candidate.

The rulings—both of which favor Mubarak supporters—were met with an immediate outcry from protesters, who clashed with police outside the courthouse.

Egypt's historic presidential election—the first since Mubarak's ouster—begins Saturday.

"Both decisions empower the Mubarak status quo," Omar Ashour, director of Middle East studies at Exeter University, told the Post, "which is no surprise, as the judges of the court were appointed by the latter, and represent a part of the so-called 'deep-state.'"

Islamists secured a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament in the Jan. 7 elections.

Mubarak stepped down in February 2011 following more than two weeks of anti-government demonstrations—part of the so-called Arab spring.