Germany blocks Turkey's EU accession talks

June 20, 2013

LUXEMBOURG (AP) — Germany has blocked the next step in the European Union's membership talks with Turkey over Ankara's crackdown on anti-government protests, a diplomat from an EU nation said Thursday.

Berlin blocked the decision to open a new chapter in the long-running accession talks because "there are still open questions," said the diplomat. The decision comes as a blow to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Turkish government, which faces increasing international scrutiny over its crackdown on several weeks of protests in Istanbul and other cities.

Pushing ahead with the EU accession talks as scheduled next week would have required unanimous approval at a meeting of top diplomats representing the EU's 27 member nations in Brussels on Thursday. But Germany and another nation expressed reservations and blocked the move, the diplomat said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the closed-door meeting publicly. The diplomat declined to name the second nation.

Human rights groups have said that the protests in Turkey have left more than 5,000 people injured and more than 3,000 were detained, then released. The anti-government demonstrations were sparked by a police crackdown on environmental activists in Istanbul on May 31, but also criticized what some regard as Erdogan's authoritarian style of leadership.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week said she was "appalled" to see the Turkish security forces' "overly harsh" crackdown on the protests. NATO-member Turkey began EU accession negotiations in 2005, but has made little progress because of a dispute with Cyprus, an EU member, and opposition among some in Europe to admitting a populous Muslim nation into the bloc.

The session of EU talks to open next week was to focus on regional policies, not Turkey's protests. But some officials expressed concern that such talks could appear to endorse the crackdown on the demonstrations.

"I regret that the Turkish government did not react with dialogue and de-escalation to the protests but with an aggravation in rhetoric and actions," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in an interview published late week.

"It is therefore all the more urgent that we start a dialogue with Turkey as soon as possible on the question of fundamental rights, the rule of law and basic freedoms," he told daily Nuernberger Nachrichten in remarks confirmed by his party office.

The European Parliament last week sharply criticized what it called disproportionate force used by police against demonstrators, and lawmakers scrapped a visit to Turkey planned this week. Erdogan reacted angrily to the EU parliament's criticism, but officials from his Islamic-rooted Justice and Development party said Wednesday that Turkey still wants to join the bloc.

Germany itself remains a potential obstacle to Turkish EU membership. Merkel and her conservative party have long advocated a vaguely defined "privileged partnership" instead of full membership, though Westerwelle's Free Democrats — her junior coalition partners— are less skeptical.

"I think precisely now it is important to start negotiating with Turkey about exactly these issues — from freedom of the press to freedom to protest," he said.

Bulgaria parliament revokes security chief choice

June 19, 2013

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria's parliament has revoked the controversial appointment of a legislator and media mogul to head the country's security service, which led to several days of large protests.

Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski apologized Wednesday for last week's appointment of Delyan Peevski to the powerful post and asked legislators to reverse the decision. The motion to cancel Peevski's appointment was backed by all 128 legislators present.

Oresharski said he made a political mistake, and apologized to "the thousands of people who took to the streets to protest." He rejected, however, protesters' demands that he resign because it would lead to a "bigger political crisis."

President Rosen Plevneliev is convening political leaders Thursday to seek solutions to end the political crisis.

Candidate shot at Albania election polling place

June 23, 2013

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An Albanian political candidate was shot and a supporter of a rival party killed in an exchange of gunfire near a polling station, police said Sunday, as the country held crucial elections already marred by a dispute that could leave the outcome up in the air.

Both conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his close rival, Socialist leader Edi Rama, have hopes for eventual entry to the European Union, and the election is seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote. An EU diplomat condemned the violence.

There were few immediate details, but a police spokesman said that Gjon Gjoni, 53, died after being shot in an exchange of fire with Mhill Fufi, 49, a candidate for Berisha's governing Democratic Party. An opposition party leader identified Gjoni as a supporter.

Another man, Kastriot Fufi, was also injured. It was not immediately clear if he and the candidate were related. The shooting in the city of Lac started with an argument, said police spokesman Tefik Sulejmani, who gave few other details.

Once one of the world's hardest-line communist countries, the impoverished country has had a rocky road to democracy, plagued by corruption and elections marred by violence and vote-rigging. The month-long contest had been relatively calm until election day, though there had been reports of civil servants and even school children being pressured to attend pro-government rallies.

Ilir Meta, the leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration said the dead man was a supporter and directly blamed police and "criminal elements" of the ruling Democrats of exerting pressure at polling stations.

"Sali Berisha is not Albania's premier any more. He cannot leave power without shedding blood," said Meta. The EU's top diplomat in Albania took a hard stand on the violence. "I want to say something very clear, very firm. Among the international and European standards for elections, there is the refusal of violence," said Ettore Sequi, the EU ambassador to Tirana.

Some 3.3 million registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the eighth national polls since the fall of communism in 1990. The country's president called for unity. "Peace, calm, citizens' life is important. I appeal for calm and maturity because, true we vote for different parties, but we are one nation," Bujar Nishani said.

Because of a battle over the country's election commission, it is uncertain when results will be announced, though the law mandates they be revealed no later than three days after the vote. Rama postponed voting to head to Lac, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of the capital Tirana.

Berisha invited all Albanians to take part in the vote and turn Sunday "into a day of festivities and good understanding." "I assure you that your vote will be fully respected," Berisha told reporters after casting his ballot.

The premier declined to comment on the killing, saying he needed more information first. Following aggressive campaigns by both Berisha's Democrats and the Socialists, streets in the capital of Tirana were uncommonly empty, but had long queues of people at polling stations.

The country's seven-member election commission, which prepares and holds votes, is down by three people, meaning it may be unable to certify the election. If the election is not certified, it means Parliament cannot be convened and no government formed.

In April, one of Berisha's main government allies withdrew from the coalition to join forces with the opposition. He was then ousted and replaced at the election commission by Berisha's Democrats. That move drew sharp criticism from the United States and the EU, who said it would erode people's confidence in the electoral process.

Three members affiliated with the opposition withdrew in protest, leaving the commission short of the people necessary for 5-2 approval. They have said they would consider returning to the commission to certify the election once they see the results.

Albania joined NATO in 2009 but has failed to gain candidate status from the EU, which is pressing for broader democratic reforms and an improved election record. Some 400 international observers and about 8,000 local ones are monitoring the voting.

Albanian voters urged to remember 'ties to world'

June 22, 2013

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania's president on Saturday warned voters to remember the country's "ties to the world" during parliamentary elections considered a crucial test of the impoverished nation's ability to hold fair elections.

Conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha is seeking a third term but faces a strong challenge from Socialist leader Edi Rama in Sunday's vote. Both have ambitions of closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union, which is pressing for broad reforms and an improved election record in a country once among the most isolated in the world.

As required by law, political parties ceased their one-month campaign the day before the vote. Though the month-long election contest has been relatively calm — unlike past elections that were frequently marred by violence — the West is concerned that the vote won't be fair.

The campaign season has been marked by a continuing dispute over the country's election commission after the ruling Democrats replaced a member and the opposition pulled its members out in response. That means the commission won't be able to certify election results, potentially leaving the outcome of the vote in doubt.

There have also been reports of civil servants and even school children being pressured to attend pro-government rallies. President Bujar Nishani urged voters to have "Albania and its future" uppermost in their minds.

"(We) should properly consider the importance tomorrow's vote has for our ties with the world, with which our freedom, prosperity, fate of the present and the future are closely linked." Some 3.3 million eligible voters will choose among more than 6,900 candidates from 66 political parties who run for 140 parliamentary seats. Some 400 international observers and more than 8,000 local ones will monitor the polls.

It is uncertain when results will be announced.

Albania votes after rowdy but peaceful campaign

June 21, 2013

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Political parties in Albania rallied supporters on their final day of campaigning for Sunday's general elections, which are considered a test for the Balkan country to shed its history of troubled polls as it seeks closer ties with and eventual membership in the European Union.

Conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha, 68, is seeking a third term and spoke in front of thousands of backers at his Democratic Party's main election rally Friday in the capital Tirana. He is facing a strong challenge from 48-year-old Socialist Edi Rama, whose campaign has concentrated on the enduring levels of poverty in the country, which has 3.3 million registered voters.

Rama is leading in most opinion polls, though surveys are not generally considered reliable in Albania. Both he and Berisha have run aggressive campaigns, with negative TV ads and daily party rallies around the country — leaving its cities and towns littered with blue Democrat and purple Socialist flags and pamphlets.

Rama's Socialists even paid for television ads in neighboring Greece, which has a large Albanian immigrant community. Once one of the world's hardest-line Communist countries, Albania joined NATO in 2009 but has failed to gain candidate status from the European Union, which is pressing for broader democratic reforms and an improved election record.

"The parliamentary elections in Albania on 23 June represent a crucial test for the country's democratic institutions and its progress toward the European Union," Catherine Ashton, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, and Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said in a recent statement.

Berisha called on his countrymen to get on "the road toward European Albania. "The road toward Europe is the enlightened future for each Albanian. Let's get together to take the candidate status. With major reforms and efforts during this year we shall make our utmost to launch (membership) negotiations," Berisha said.

The monthlong election contest has been relatively calm, unlike past elections that were frequently marred by violence. However, there have been reports of civil servants and even school children being pressured to attend pro-government rallies.

The country heads to the polls amid a continuing dispute over the country's election commission that remains dominated by Berisha allies despite the fracturing of his center-right coalition in mid-April. Berisha's failure to resolve the dispute over the Central Election Commission drew sharp criticism from the United States and EU.

Rama held his main campaign rally Thursday, addressing thousands of supporters in Tirana's central Mother Teresa Square. He accused Berisha of running the country with a corrupt elite who had "ruined the economy, society, democracy, and Albanians' European dream."

On Friday, Rama took part at a big rally in northern Shkodra city and then by helicopter flew to southern Vlora city, where the Socialists were holding their last rallies at the same time. The Vienna, Austria-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has sent a team of election monitors to Albania.

Albania to vote in crucial polls determining its EU future

21 June 2013

(TIRANA) - Albanians go to the polls on Sunday for a crucial vote that could determine whether one of Europe's poorest country has a chance of joining the European Union in the foreseeable future.

Having failed to deliver clean elections since the fall of communism two decades ago, Albania desperately needs to prove that it is able to hold fair polls that meet international standards if it is to have a shot at joining the bloc.

But even in the run-up to the elections, accusations of vote-buying and voter roll irregularities are already flying, sparking fears of a repeat of the 2009 polls which descended into a political crisis.

And international observers are warning that democratic elections are compromised as the agency tasked with certifying the vote is paralyzed by a dispute.

Brussels, which has twice rejected Tirana's EU membership application, said the vote "represents a crucial test for the country's democratic institutions and its progress towards the European Union".

"It is the joint responsibility of all Albanian political leaders... to create conditions for election results to be accepted by all," EU Foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuelle said in a joint statement ahead of the vote.

Brussels would "watch everything very closely," Ettore Sequi, head of the EU mission in Tirana, told AFP.

Since the collapse of Enver Hoxha's communist regime in 1990, polls in the country have been marred by violence and allegations of vote-fixing.

The last general elections in 2009 ended up with a dispute between Prime Minister Sali Berisha's ruling center-right Democrats and the center-left Socialists led by Edi Rama.

The opposition boycotted parliament for months, crippling legislative progress in the country.

And once again, as Albania's 3.2 million voters gear up to pick lawmakers for the 140-seat assembly, the electoral system appears to be struggling to meet international standards.

It emerged that the Central Electoral Commission -- the agency tasked with certifying the vote -- would be unable to carry out its mission because it has lost three members over a dispute.

US ambassador Alexander Arvizu warned that: "In order to have a good election, you need a functioning commission, not the one based on a charade."

The Council of Europe said "democratic elections are compromised as the commission would not be seen by Albanians as an impartial body."

Opposition leader Rama also alleges irregularities in the voters' register and attempts by the ruling Democrats to buy voters.

"I strongly hope that peoples' will would not be manipulated... but these elections are not like ones that a NATO or EU member country should have," Rama said.

Berisha -- who is seeking his third term as prime minister -- dismissed Rama's claims as an "opposition's attempt to justify in advance its next electoral defeat".

The prime minister's Democrats have pledged new investments while accelerating Albania's path towards the EU.

Berisha has also promised a six percent hike in wages and pensions to come into effect after the election.

Berisha, 69, said he wants "another four years, the most ambitious in my life, (in order) to realize the dream of Albania joining EU."

Voters such as 37-year old teacher Eduart Bimi, are hoping that the electoral "promises of more employment and investments" would be kept.

Analysts have predicted a tight race between Berisha's and Rama's parties.

Some 3,000 observers will monitor the elections, while first unofficial results are expected by Monday.

Source: EU Business.
Link: http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/albania-politics.pbb.

Latvia's medieval Riga Castle damaged by fire

June 21, 2013

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — A major fire has caused extensive damage to Riga Castle, the medieval fortress that houses the National History Museum of Latvia.

Viktorija Sembele, a spokeswoman for the State Fire and Rescue Service, said Friday that the overnight fire damaged the roof and the second and third floors of the castle. She says some significant items in the museum suffered water damage but none was destroyed.

The castle is normally the residence of the Baltic state's president, Andris Berzins, but he is currently not residing there since the building is under reconstruction. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Sembele says one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

New wind farm cleared for the Netherlands

June 20, 2013

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, June 20 (UPI) -- European energy company RWE said Thursday it was cleared to build a 90 megawatt wind farm in the western Netherlands.

RWE said it was moving forward with plans to install 12 wind turbines that have a design capacity of 7.5 megawatts each. The company said the onshore turbines are the largest of their kind.

The Zuidwester wind farm is part of a larger wind project dubbed Noordoostpolder, which will consist of 86 turbines with a combined capacity of 429 MW. The company said the entire project would generate enough electricity to meet the annual energy demands of 400,000 households.

RWE said Thursday construction on the Zuidwester wind farm should start next year. It was cleared for construction by a regional council.

Members of the European Union are called on to increase the amount of renewable energy on their grids by 20 percent by 2020, based on a 1990s benchmark level.

The Global Wind Energy Council estimates wind energy could have 1,000 gigawatts worth of installed capacity by 2020 and cut emissions by 9 billion tons per year with the right policies in place.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2013/06/20/New-wind-farm-cleared-for-the-Netherlands/UPI-36161371731159/.

Antifreeze on Titan Could Affect Its Chances for Life

by Charles Q. Choifor
Moffett Field CA (SPX)
Jun 21, 2013

Antifreeze normally helps prevent freezing, but scientists find a common antifreeze compound that might exist on Saturn's largest moon Titan can get trapped within ice-like cages.

This discovery could influence what researchers think is possible about the evolution and development of life on Titan and other icy celestial bodies.

Titan, which is bigger than Mercury, is the only celestial body aside from Earth known to have liquid on its surface. These seas, made of liquid methane instead of water, have often led to speculation over whether or not they could support life.

Besides possessing seas on its surface, investigators recently discovered hints that Titan has a watery internal ocean as well. For this ocean to stay liquid, scientists have suggested it may possess antifreeze molecules that stifle the formation of ice when temperatures drop below the normal freezing point of water. Hidden watery oceans are also thought to exist in other icy moons, such as Jupiter's satellites Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.

Such watery oceans raise the possibility that life as we know it might dwell under icy shells, because life exists virtually everywhere there is liquid water on Earth.

One possible antifreeze compound on Titan might be ammonia, which is commonly used in fertilizer and household cleaners. Another might be methanol, the simplest kind of alcohol molecule - a colorless, flammable, poisonous chemical also known as wood alcohol that can blind or kill when drunk.

Estimates suggest an underground watery ocean at least 55 miles (90 kilometers) thick could survive on Titan provided it was about 4 percent methanol and 1 percent ammonia. Even though ammonia can serve as an antifreeze, past studies from physical chemist John Ripmeester at the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa and his colleagues found it nevertheless could get trapped within ice-like lattices known as clathrate hydrates.

However, roughly 70 years of research suggested there was little or no direct evidence that clathrates might cage methanol. As such, methanol is often used by industry to prevent clathrate hydrates from developing within oil and gas pipelines.

"Common knowledge said that methanol, since it behaves like antifreeze, shouldn't enter hydrate cavities," Ripmeester said.

Now Ripmeester and his collaborators find methanol can indeed get entrapped within clathrate hydrates after all.

"Methanol, a material best known as an antifreeze and used to prevent hydrate formation in industry, actually is a promoter of hydrate formation at low temperatures," Ripmeester said.

The scientists first tinkered with clathrates not made of water ice, but rather clathrates made of organic compounds such as tetrahydrofuran hydrate. At temperatures near 32 degrees F (zero degrees C), the normal freezing point of water, X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed methanol could get incorporated within these clathrate hydrate lattices.

The researchers found that solutions comprised solely of water and methanol could not get frozen to form clathrate hydrates. However, experiments and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that solutions containing water, methanol and methane could form these ice-like cages.

Surprisingly, Ripmeester and his colleagues found that at low temperatures, methanol could actually encourage the formation of solid clathrate hydrates instead of suppressing it. These findings raise questions whether and how methanol is employed to help prevent clathrate formation in pipelines in the future, especially in polar climates and the deep ocean.

By promoting the formation of methane clathrate hydrates on icy celestial bodies, methanol could also explain the relatively high concentrations of methane and other hydrocarbons seen on the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus, despite predictions that most such hydrocarbons should have escaped from its atmosphere long ago. As temperatures fluctuate, methanol-loaded clathrate hydrates on those bodies could break down, giving off methanol, Ripmeester said.

"This new knowledge definitely will affect the development of new models for icy planets," Ripmeester said.

One compelling feature of this discovery regarding the possibility of life on alien worlds is how clathrate hydrates could bring together key ingredients of life close together, such as water, ammonia and methanol. The closeness of these various molecules presents a favorable environment for producing more complex organic compounds, Ripmeester said. These molecules could ultimately serve as the basis for life.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Antifreeze_on_Titan_Could_Affect_Its_Chances_for_Life_999.html.

Metamorphosis of Moon's Water Ice Explained

by Nancy Neal Jones for Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 21, 2013

Using data gathered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, scientists have explained how energetic particles penetrating lunar soil can create molecular hydrogen from water ice. The finding provides insight into how radiation can change the chemistry of water ice throughout the solar system.

Space scientists from the University of New Hampshire, in Durham, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., have published their results online in the Journal of Geophysical Research Planets.

Discovering molecular hydrogen on the moon was a surprise result from NASA's Lunar Crater Observation Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, which crash-landed the LCROSS satellite's Centaur rocket into the Cabeus crater in the permanently shadowed region of the moon. These regions have never been exposed to sunlight and have remained at temperatures near absolute zero for billions of years, preserving the pristine nature of the lunar soil, or regolith.

Instruments on board LCROSS trained on the resulting immense debris plume detected water vapor and water ice, the mission's hoped-for quarry, while LRO, already in orbit around the moon, saw molecular hydrogen.

"LRO's Lyman Alpha Mapping Project, or LAMP, detected the signature of molecular hydrogen, which was unexpected and unexplained," said Andrew Jordan, research scientist and lead author of the paper from the University of New Hampshire's Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space.

"After the finding, there were a couple of ideas for how molecular hydrogen could be formed but none of them seemed to work for the conditions in the crater or with the rocket impact." Jordan said.

"Our analysis shows that the galactic cosmic rays, which are charged particles energetic enough to penetrate below the lunar surface, can dissociate the water, H2O, into H2 through various potential pathways."

The analysis was based on data gathered by the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) instrument aboard the LRO spacecraft. CRaTER characterizes the global lunar radiation environment by measuring radiation dose rates from galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles.

"We used the CRaTER measurements to get a handle on how much molecular hydrogen has been formed from the water ice via charged particles," said Jordan. Jordan's computer model incorporated the CRaTER data and showed that these energetic particles can form between 10 and 100 percent of the H2 measured by LAMP.

The study notes that narrowing down that percent range requires particle accelerator experiments on water ice to more accurately gauge the number of chemical reactions that result per unit of energy deposited by cosmic rays and solar energetic particles.

"This result indicates the importance of radiation exposure to the volatile chemicals stored in lunar cold traps, which has implications for our understanding of the history of the solar system as well as its future exploration," said Timothy Stubbs, research scientist and co-author on the paper from NASA Goddard.

Source: Moon Daily.
Link: http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Metamorphosis_of_Moons_Water_Ice_Explained_999.html.

Super-hurricane-force winds on Venus are getting stronger

Paris (ESA)
Jun 19, 2013

As the closest planet to Earth, Venus is a relatively easy object to observe. However, many mysteries remain, not least the super-rotation of Venus' atmosphere, which enables high altitude winds to circle the planet in only four days. Now images of cloud features sent back by ESA's Venus Express orbiter have revealed that these remarkably rapid winds are becoming even faster.

Similar in size to Earth, Venus has an extremely dense, carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere and the planet's surface is completely hidden by a blanket of bland, yellowish cloud. Only at ultraviolet wavelengths (and to a lesser extent in the infrared) do striking cloud streaks and individual cells emerge, due to the presence of some unknown UV absorber in the cloud deck.

By tracking the movements of these distinct cloud features, observers have been able to measure the super-hurricane-force winds that sweep around the planet at the cloud tops, some 70 km above the scorching volcanic plains.

Despite decades of observation from the ground and from spacecraft, a number of mysteries remain. What causes the remarkable super-rotation of Venus' atmosphere - so called because the upper winds travel 50 times faster than the planet's rate of rotation? How do the winds vary with latitude and longitude? How much do they change over time?

The answers to some of these questions are being provided by instruments on board Venus Express, such as the Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC), which have been observing the atmosphere for 10 Venus years - equivalent to 6 Earth years.

The VMC acquires instantaneous snapshots of Venus at UV and near-infrared wavelengths. Simultaneous imaging in these wavebands makes it possible to detect and track cloud features, and thus derive wind data, at two different levels - approximately 70 km and 60 km above the surface.

Venus Express follows a 24 hour orbit which approaches to approximately 250 km above the north pole, before moving out to a distance of 66 000 km above the south pole. This highly elliptical path provides particularly good viewing conditions for the entire southern hemisphere, while enabling higher resolution, small scale images of the northern hemisphere.

These factors combined mean that VMC imagery provides, for the first time, an opportunity to study cloud level winds with high spatial and temporal resolution over a time scale of more than half a decade.

The latest analyses of Venus' cloud motions and wind speeds, based on VMC data, have been made by two independent teams - one led by a Russian group (Khatuntsev et al.) and the other by a Japanese group (Kouyama et al.). By painstakingly measuring how cloud features in VMC images move between frames, the two groups have been able to reveal new patterns in the planet's circulation.

"We analysed images obtained during 127 orbits with a manual cloud tracking method, and 600 orbits with a digital correlation method," said Igor Khatuntsev from the Space Research Institute in Moscow, lead author of a paper in the journal Icarus. "Over 45 000 features were tracked by human visual comparisons, and more than 350 000 features were tracked automatically using a computer program."

The manual method of wind speed measurements consisted of tracking motions of high contrast cloud features in pairs of images taken at different times. This allowed better recognition of cloud patterns and was more reliable than the digital method in middle to high latitudes, where clouds tend to be streaky, or where contrast was low. The problem with this method is that it is very time consuming.

On the other hand, the digital tracking technique was capable of streamlining image processing and producing 10 times the number of wind vectors. Both methods were in good agreement at low latitudes (below 40 degrees), but digital tracking was preferred for studying temporal variations of the mean (average) rate of flow.

The Japanese-Swedish team relied solely upon their own automated cloud tracking method to derive their motion from images taken about one hour apart, at latitudes between 55\302\260S and 70A S. A specially developed mathematical formula was used to reduce errors in the image analysis. This team's analysis is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

Variable winds

The detailed analysis made it possible to establish the mean atmospheric circulation, its long-term and diurnal trends, orbit-to-orbit variations and periodicities.

In low latitudes the mean zonal (east-west) wind is about 94 m/s (338 km/h) in a retrograde direction. (Both Venus' surface and atmosphere rotate in retrograde direction, i.e. clockwise seen from the north pole, the opposite direction to the rotation of the other planets.)

The zonal wind speed usually peaks at 40 - 50A S, reaching approximately 102 m/s (367 km/h) in a mid-latitude jet stream. Poleward from 50A S, zonal wind speed rapidly decreases. This means that the cloud top winds take up to five days to circle the planet's equator, but only about three days in the mid-latitudes.

The mean meridional (equator to pole) wind slowly increases from zero at the equator to about 10 m/s (36 km/h) at 50A S. At higher latitudes, the meridional wind slows steadily, reaching zero close to the fast-moving eye of the global vortex located at the pole.

The VMC-derived wind profiles showed significant variability from orbit to orbit. In low latitudes, variations in the mean zonal speed sometimes exceeded 25 m/s (90 km/h). This corresponded to a dramatic variation from 3.9 days to 5.3 days in the period of atmospheric rotation. The latitude of the high speed jet also varied considerably, ranging from 38A S to 57A S.

Perhaps the most dramatic discovery was a steady increase in the mean cloud top wind speeds at low latitude from around 300 km/h to almost 400 km/h (80 - 110 m/s) in the period 2006 - 2013.

"This is an enormous increase in the already high rotation rate of the atmosphere," said Igor Khatuntsev. "Such a large variation has never before been observed on Venus, and we do not yet understand why this occurred."

Both papers also show that the wind speeds demonstrate both short term and long term oscillations. These include regular variations linked to the local time of day and the altitude of the Sun above the horizon.

Other changes in wind speed were harder to explain. In some observations, the zonal wind gradually decreased from 100 - 110 m/s at the equator to less than 50 m/s in the polar regions, while in others the wind velocity was almost constant up to 40A S, with a prominent jet at 50A S. The velocity difference between consecutive orbits in the jet region could be as great as 30 m/s (over 100 km/h).

Between the equator and 35A S latitude, the zonal wind velocity was found to oscillate roughly every 4.8 days, similar to the super-rotation period at the equator. This periodicity seems to be linked to waves in the upper troposphere.

There is also some evidence of a much slower periodic oscillation which occurs roughly every Venusian year.

"We found a peak every 238 days, but this may not be real," said Igor Khatuntsev. "It may be associated with the periods when the VMC was able to conduct observations of the planet's day side."

"Our analysis of the cloud-tracked dayside velocities derived from Venus Express VMC images showed that the mean zonal velocity varied repeatedly by more than 20 m/s over a period of about 255 days," said Toru Kouyama from the Information Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, in Ibaraki, Japan.

"These papers increase the number of questions that we need to answer about the atmospheric super-rotation of Venus, which is one of the great unexplained mysteries of the Solar System," said HA Yen kan Svedhem, ESA's Venus Express Project Scientist.

"Further investigations into the spatial structure of these wind oscillations are needed in order to explain what drives the atmospheric circulation patterns. Meanwhile, Venus Express continues to surprise us with its ongoing observations of this dynamic, changing planet."

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Super_hurricane_force_winds_on_Venus_are_getting_stronger_999.html.

NASA Announces Asteroid Grand Challenge

Washington DC (SPX)
Jun 19, 2013

NASA announced Tuesday a Grand Challenge focused on finding all asteroid threats to human populations and knowing what to do about them.

The challenge, which was announced at an asteroid initiative industry and partner day at NASA Headquarters in Washington, is a large-scale effort that will use multi-disciplinary collaborations and a variety of partnerships with other government agencies, international partners, industry, academia, and citizen scientists. It complements NASA's recently announced mission to redirect an asteroid and send humans to study it.

"NASA already is working to find asteroids that might be a threat to our planet, and while we have found 95 percent of the large asteroids near the Earth's orbit, we need to find all those that might be a threat to Earth," said NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver.

"This Grand Challenge is focused on detecting and characterizing asteroids and learning how to deal with potential threats. We will also harness public engagement, open innovation and citizen science to help solve this global problem."

Grand Challenges are ambitious goals on a national or global scale that capture the imagination and demand advances in innovation and breakthroughs in science and technology. They are an important element of President Obama's Strategy for American Innovation.

"I applaud NASA for issuing this Grand Challenge because finding asteroid threats, and having a plan for dealing with them, needs to be an all-hands-on-deck effort," said Tom Kalil, deputy director for technology and innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

"The efforts of private-sector partners and our citizen scientists will augment the work NASA already is doing to improve near-Earth object detection capabilities."

NASA also released a request for information (RFI) that invites industry and potential partners to offer ideas on accomplishing NASA's goal to locate, redirect, and explore an asteroid, as well as find and plan for asteroid threats. The RFI is open for 30 days, and responses will be used to help develop public engagement opportunities and a September industry workshop.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Announces_Asteroid_Grand_Challenge_999.html.

Europe's space hub to open its doors on 6 October

Noordwijk, Netherlands (SPX)
Jun 19, 2013

From the latest space ferry to the very first Alphasat, Europe has never been more active in space, with a crowded manifest of ESA launches across the rest of the year. But where are all these varied missions born? See for yourself this October, as ESA's ESTEC research and technology center opens its doors to the public.

No sooner has Luca Parmitano joined the International Space Station than ESA's latest space truck is resupplying the orbital outpost. Meanwhile, the May-launched Proba-V is returning its first maps of global vegetation, while the high-power Alphasat telecoms satellite is being prepared for launch. The Gaia satellite will soon begin charting a billion stars in 3D in our Galaxy, while the next batch of Galileo navigation satellites will also fly this year.

All very different space missions with diverse goals, but their origins can all be traced back behind the doors of a single location: the European Space Technology and Research Center, ESTEC - ESA's single largest establishment, nestling beside the sand dunes of Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

In place for more than half a century, ESTEC is the incubator of the European space effort, where most ESA projects are born and where they are guided through development. Involvement may start with initial mission planning, research projects or laboratory support, extending to the testing of entire spacecraft in the ESTEC Test Center, the largest facility of its kind in Europe. And ESTEC's Erasmus is the leading European repository of human spaceflight expertise.

ESTEC's Space Expo visitor center is open year-round but on 6 October this year, for one day only from 10:00 to 17:00, the entire establishment is being opened to the public - provided you book early enough.

This year's Open Day is taking place as part of the Netherlands' national Weekend of Science.

This will be your chance to meet ESA astronauts, talk to space scientists and engineers, view specialist laboratories and test equipment simulating every aspect of the orbital environment, look at satellites being tested for space and touch hardware that has already flown in space.

Not to mention all the additional space exhibitions, videos and lectures, ESA merchandise for sale and dedicated children's activities planned for the Open Day.

Source: Space Mart.
Link: http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Europes_space_hub_to_open_its_doors_on_6_October_999.html.

Mars had oxygen-rich atmosphere 4,000 million years ago

Oxford, UK (SPX)
Jun 21, 2013

Differences between Martian meteorites and rocks examined by a NASA rover can be explained if Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere 4000 million years ago - well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on Earth 2500m years ago.

Scientists from Oxford University investigated the compositions of Martian meteorites found on Earth and data from NASA's 'Spirit' rover that examined surface rocks in the Gusev crater on Mars. The fact that the surface rocks are five times richer in nickel than the meteorites was puzzling and had cast doubt on whether the meteorites are typical volcanic products of the red planet.

'What we have shown is that both meteorites and surface volcanic rocks are consistent with similar origins in the deep interior of Mars but that the surface rocks come from a more oxygen-rich environment, probably caused by recycling of oxygen-rich materials into the interior,' said Professor Bernard Wood, of Oxford University's Department of Earth Sciences, who led the research reported in this week's Nature.

'This result is surprising because while the meteorites are geologically 'young', around 180 million to 1400 million years old, the Spirit rover was analyzing a very old part of Mars, more than 3700 million years old.'

Whilst it is possible that the geological composition of Mars varies immensely from region to region the researchers believe that it is more likely that the differences arise through a process known as subduction - in which material is recycled into the interior.

They suggest that the Martian surface was oxidized very early in the history of the planet and that, through subduction, this oxygen-rich material was drawn into the shallow interior and recycled back to the surface during eruptions 4000 million years ago.

The meteorites, by contrast, are much younger volcanic rocks that emerged from deeper within the planet and so were less influenced by this process.

Professor Wood said: 'The implication is that Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere at a time, about 4000 million years ago, well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on earth around 2500 million years ago.

As oxidation is what gives Mars its distinctive color it is likely that the 'red planet' was wet, warm and rusty billions of years before Earth's atmosphere became oxygen rich.'

Source: Mars Daily.
Link: http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Mars_had_oxygen_rich_atmosphere_4000_million_years_ago_999.html.

Bolivians unhappy with Morales seeking third term

June 21, 2013

LA PAZ, Bolivia, June 21 (UPI) -- Bolivians are beginning to voice disquiet over the way President Evo Morales is preparing to prolong his rule through constitutional devices that will likely enable him to seek election to a third term.

The president has high approval ratings among Bolivia's majority Amerindian and Mestizo voters, the first and second largest groups respectively in a population of 10 million. The president has less loyal supporters among citizens of European ancestry but all three communities have worked fairly well so far with the government.

Until now.

News of Morales wanting a third term has been circulating for some time, but it stirred a diplomatic row between La Paz and the Organization of American States, which has headquarters in Washington.

Inevitably, fiery rhetoric related to "the empire" -- the United States -- having something to do with all this got into headlines as the president accused the OAS of backing U.S. interests rather than serving the peoples of the member countries.

In April a constitutional court ruled Morales could stand for president a third time because his first term from 2006 to 2010 did not count since it was under an old constitution.

Opposition politicians called the court ruling unconstitutional and vowed to fight to have it overturned. Although Morales' indigenous racial background has been part of the winning formula, the government-led reinterpretation of constitutional law has left opposition divided.

Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera signed the change into law while Morales was out of the country at that time.

"He has the constitutional right to choose to be re-elected," Garcia Linera declared at the time, but critics are not so sure.

"It is clear that the will of the MAS [the Movement Towards Socialism ruling party] is to remain in power and opt for the re-election of Evo Morales," political analyst Maria Teresa Zegada told the El Pais newspaper.

Despite the constitutional maneuvers, Morales has yet to formally announce his candidacy in elections to be held next year.

But the president reacted angrily amid leaks about his plans, prompting OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza to apologize.

In a 2008 letter OAS Secretary for Political Affairs Kevin Casas-Zamora wrote to former Bolivian conservative President Jorge Quiroga about a Morales comment he would not seek a third mandate.

As the third-term controversy brewed last week, Quiroga released the contents of the letter in El Pais. Published comments appeared to suggest OAS gave assurance Morales a third term was off the table.

Analysts said the revelation by Quiroga, who was president from 2001 to 2002, contradicted presidential campaign pronouncements by senior aides, including Vice President Garcia Linera.

Critics said the president's pledge not to go for a third term was documented in negotiations involving the opposition, the OAS and the United Nations as part of international efforts to promote democracy in Bolivia.

Morales singled out the OAS for targeted criticism following the disclosure. The OAS needs deep transformations and shouldn't be seen serving "the empire" rather than the people, Morales said.

The president is facing renewed discontent over drought in the Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Tarija and Cochabamba regions, which has affected more than 16,000 families. Critics say a $2.67 allocation for relief handouts may not be enough as the drought spreads.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2013/06/21/Bolivians-unhappy-with-Morales-seeking-third-term/UPI-42011371813747/.

Deposed Honduran leader's wife leads in polls

June 23, 2013

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Manuel Zelaya was unceremoniously booted from power four years ago when Honduras' army hustled him out of the country in his pajamas, a coup prompted by fears among Honduras' business and political elite that he was getting too hungry for power.

Now he's back with a new shot at the presidential palace, this time as the husband of the leading presidential candidate, Xiomara Castro. Polls show Castro, 53, leading seven other candidates ahead of the Nov. 24 election, including the military general who conducted the coup. The country's two traditional parties, which backed the coup, are struggling in third and fourth place, behind Castro and a popular sports TV personality.

The election of a self-proclaimed socialist could be considered a stunning change in a country where oligarchs have maintained political power over a poor, uneducated majority for at least a century. But Zelaya, too, is a wealthy landowner from the old guard, and most people see his wife as his cover in a country that bans presidential re-election. He is running for a congressional seat from his own state.

Even one of her former speechwriters says Castro lacks the political heft of other female leaders in Latin America, such as Argentina's Cristina Fernandez or Chile's Michelle Bachelet, who came to power with extensive records of their own. "She is an invented banner to fill the political needs of Manuel Zelaya," said Sergio Suazo, a Honduras National University political science professor.

Zelaya says he is merely her driver and guardian, present in the campaign "to ensure the safety of Xiomara and to be as close to her as possible." But when they arrive at political events, it is he who is mobbed by cameras and supporters. She stays in the background until he decides to hand her the spotlight.

Even Castro says her election would be a Bill and Hillary Clinton-style "Buy one, get one free." "The decisions are going to be made by me, now it's my turn," she told The Associated Press in a campaign swing. "But I will consult with him on every occasion, as he consulted with me in the past."

It was the suspicion that Zelaya wanted to reform the constitution and seek re-election that helped get him kicked out in the first place. He was whisked out of the country at gunpoint in June 2009 after he defied a Supreme Court order to drop plans to hold a referendum asking Hondurans whether the constitution should be revised.

Zelaya was elected from the traditional, centrist Liberal Party, but began aligning himself more and more with the late leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, adopting his populist platforms and rhetoric. His ouster was backed by members of his own party, who thought that Zelaya, like Chavez, would seek to stay in power indefinitely. Chavez served 14 years and had just been re-elected to six more years when he died of cancer in March.

Zelaya has denied that was his intention, saying he just wanted to open up government to the people. Honduras received widespread criticism and international sanctions for the coup, including its suspension from the Organization of American States.

Zelaya ended his long exile and returned to Honduras in May 2011 under a deal brokered by Colombia and Venezuela and that paved the way for the poor Central American country's reintegration into the world community. He had already laid the foundations for a new Liberty and Refoundation Party, known as Libre — Spanish for Free.

Now Castro is running with the same goal, calling for an assembly to change the constitution. She and Zelaya vow to combat "savage capitalism." "We will help get the oligarchy out of power through democratic socialism," Castro said, and she vowed to rejoin the leftist alliance founded and led by Chavez until his death, the Boliviarian Alliance for the Americas.

It's far from clear she would be able to achieve those goals even if elected. While she has been rising in the polls, a Gallup survey last month showed her favored by 28 percent of voters. That could be enough to give her the presidency under the country's no-runoff election system. But it also could leave congress firmly in the hands of far more conservative parties.

Salvador Nasralla, a sportscaster running with the recently created Anti-corruption Party had 21 percent in May. Congressional President Juan Orlando Hernandez of the ruling National Party, was third place with 18 percent.

The survey was conducted between May 2-8 and had a margin of error of 5 percentage points. The poll numbers reflect the collapse of confidence in the National and the Liberal Parties that have shared power in the Central American country for more than a century. Poverty is high and violence has become so common that Honduras considered the most dangerous country in the world.

Experts say the fall of the main two parties also reflects discontent over the coup. According to a poll by Vanderbuilt University's AmericasBarometer program, 58 percent of Hondurans opposed the coup and 72 percent were against the expulsion of Zelaya.

Though voters went on in 2009 to elect Lobo of the conservative National Party, the turnout was only about 50 percent, compared to 56 percent when Zelaya was elected in 2005. Castro is popular in her own right, a woman who earned credibility as the face of resistance to the coup. She married Zelaya at age 17 and has worked by his side in his 30-year political career. They have four children. As first lady, she was in charge of social development programs and worked in a coalition of first ladies working on problems of women with HIV for the United Nations.

"Xiomara is a woman who demonstrated leadership during the coup. She was the head of the resistance while her husband was in exile," said Libre Party member Gerardo Torres. "She never hid, and she urged the people to continue their struggle peacefully."

But she seems timid in the face of the outsized personality of her husband, and former insiders say she wasn't part of his inner circle during the coup. "When we were inside the building of the Brazilian Embassy, she was never part of the political committee, the writing of manifestos, the making of decision, she was always left out," said Milton Benitez, who was with the couple when they were confined to the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa for nearly three months after trying to return.

Suazo said the coup was a great political miscalculation on the part of Zelaya's political foes. "The images of the army repressing, beating people in the streets, the forced exile of a president, not allowing him to return to the country, all this created a mysticism, a mythification of a leader that didn't exist before. He became the champion of victims because he too was a victim," Suazo said. If not for the coup, he added, Zelaya would be "on his farm in Olancho as a former president with little relevance."

Brazil leader breaks silence about protests

June 22, 2013

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Demonstrators once again took to the streets in Brazil on Saturday, continuing a wave of protests that have shaken the nation and pushed the government to promise a crackdown on corruption and greater spending on social services.

Thousands gathered in the central square of Belo Horizonte and hundreds rallied in several other cities, largely to protest legislation that would limit the power of prosecutors to investigate crimes in a country where many are fed up with the high rate of robberies and killings.

President Dilma Rousseff broke days of silence on Friday with a broadcast address in which she vowed to battle corruption while improving government services, acknowledging the anger that has led to more than a week of vast, sometimes violent protests across Latin America's largest country.

She said she planned to soon meet with leaders of the protest movement, governors and the mayors of major cities. But it remained unclear who could represent the massive and decentralized groups of demonstrators taking to the streets with a range of grievances, including woeful public services despite a high tax burden.

Rousseff said that her government would create a national plan for public transportation in cities. Officials in many cities have already backed down from the hike in bus and subway fares that set off the protests. She also reiterated her backing for a plan before congress to invest all oil revenue royalties in education and a promise she made earlier to bring in foreign doctors to areas that lack physicians.

"I want institutions that are more transparent, more resistant to wrongdoing," Rousseff said in reference to complaints of deep corruption in Brazilian politics, which is emerging as a focal point of the protests. "It's citizenship and not economic power that must be heard first."

The leader is a former Marxist rebel who fought against Brazil's 1964-1985 military regime and was imprisoned for three years and tortured by the junta, and she pointedly referred to earlier sacrifices made to free the nation from dictatorship.

"My generation fought a lot so that the voice of the streets could be heard," Rousseff said. "Many were persecuted, tortured and many died for this. The voice of the street must be heard and respected and it can't be confused with the noise and truculence of some troublemakers."

Edvaldo Chaves, a 61-year-old doorman in Rio's upscale Flamengo neighborhood, said he found the speech convincing. "I thought she seemed calm and cool. Plus, because she was a guerrilla and was in exile, she talks about the issue of protests convincingly," Chaves said. "I think things are going to calm down. We'll probably keep seeing people in the streets but probably small numbers now."

But Bruna Romao, an 18-year-old store clerk in Sao Paulo, said Rousseff's words probably wouldn't have an impact. "Brazilians are passionate," she said. "We boil over quickly but also cool down fast. But this time it's different, people are in full revolt. I don't see things calming down anytime soon."

Some 1 million anti-government demonstrators took to the streets nationwide Thursday night to denounce everything from poor public services to the billions of dollars spent preparing for next year's World poor public services

The protests continued Friday, as about 1,000 people marched in western Rio de Janeiro city, with some looting stores and invading a $250 million arts center that remains empty after several years of construction. Police tried to disperse the crowd with tear gas as they were pelted with rocks. Police said some in the crowd were armed and firing at officers.

Other protests broke out in in the country's biggest city, Sao Paulo, where traffic was paralyzed but no violence was reported, and in Fortaleza in the country's northeast. Demonstrators were calling for more mobilizations in 10 cities on Saturday.

With Pope Francis scheduled to visit Brazil next month, the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops issued a statement expressing "solidarity and support for the demonstrations, as long as they remain peaceful."

"This is a phenomenon involving the Brazilian people and the awakening of a new consciousness," the Catholic leaders said in the statement. "The protests show all of us that we cannot live in a country with so much inequality."

Rousseff had never held elected office before she became president in 2011 and remains clearly uncomfortable in the spotlight. A career technocrat and economist, she was helped into the presidency by her mentor, the tremendously popular former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Marlise Matos, a political science professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, said before Rousseff spoke that officials need to take stronger action. "The government has to respond, even if the agenda seems unclear and wide open," she said. "It should be the president herself who should come out and provide a response. But I think the government is still making strategic calculations to decide how to respond. What I'd like to see as a response is a call for a referendum on political reform. Let the people decide what kind of political and electoral system we have."

Social media and mass emails were buzzing with calls for a general strike next week. However, Brazil's two largest nationwide unions, the Central Workers Union and the Union Force, said they knew nothing about such an action, though they do support the protests.

A Thursday night march in Sao Paulo was the first with a strong union presence, as a drum corps led members wearing matching shirts down the city's main avenue. Many protesters have called for a movement with no ties to political parties or unions, which are widely considered corrupt here.

The unrest is hitting the nation as it hosts the Confederations Cup soccer tournament, with tens of thousands of foreign visitors in attendance. Carlos Cardozo, a 62-year-old financial consultant who joined Friday's protest in Rio, said he thought the unrest could cost Rousseff next year's elections. Even as recently as last week, Rousseff had enjoyed a 74 percent approval rating in a poll by the business group the National Transport Confederation.

"Her paying lip service by saying she's in favor of the protests is not helping her cause," Cardozo said. "People want to see real action, real decisions, and it's not this government that's capable of delivering."

Barchfield reported from Rio de Janeiro and Brooks from Sao Paulo. Associated Press writers Stan Lehman in Sao Paulo and Jack Chang in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Turkish police unleash water cannon on protests

June 22, 2013

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish police used water cannon to disperse thousands gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square on Saturday to observe a memorial for four people killed during recent anti-government protests. The officers later fired tear gas and rubber bullets, and in some cases beat people with batons, to scatter demonstrators who regrouped in side streets.

The police move came as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that foreign-led conspirators he alleges are behind the anti-government movement in his country also are fomenting the recent unrest in Brazil.

The protests in Turkey erupted three weeks ago after riot police brutally cracked down on peaceful environmental activists who opposed plans to develop Gezi Park, which lies next to Taksim. The demonstrations soon turned into expressions of discontent with what critics say is Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian and meddlesome ways.

Erdogan, who took power a decade ago, denies he is authoritarian and, as evidence of his popularity, points to elections in 2011 that returned his party to power with 50 percent of the vote and gave him a third term in office.

On Saturday, demonstrators converged in Taksim, where they laid down carnations in remembrance of at least three protesters and a police officer killed in the rallies. For about two hours, protesters shouted anti-government slogans and demanded that Erdogan resign before police warned them to leave the square.

Some demonstrators tried to give carnations to the security forces watching over the square, shouting: "Police, don't betray your people." But after their warnings to disperse were ignored, police pushed back protesters with water cannon, even chasing stragglers down side streets and apparently blocking entrances to the square.

An Associated Press journalist said police drove back protesters into side streets off Taksim — including the main pedestrian shopping street Istiklal — and later fired several rounds of tear gas and rubber bullets to scatter the crowds who refused to disperse. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

Dogan news agency footage showed two police officers hitting protesters with batons and kicking them as they forced their way through Istiklal street. A few demonstrators threw rocks at a police water cannon, while other protesters tried to calm them down and prevent them from attacking police.

Police in the capital, Ankara, also sprayed tear gas and pressurized water to break up hundreds of protesters who gathered in two neighborhoods, wanting to march to the city's main square, Dogan reported.

Last week, police had used water cannon as well as tear gas and rubber bullets to clear Taksim and end an occupation of Gezi Park by activists. But the demonstrations had largely subsided in Istanbul in recent days, with many protesters using a new, more passive approach of airing their grievances: standing motionless.

Erdogan has faced fierce international criticism for his government's crackdown on the protests, but he has defended his administration's actions as well as the tough police tactics. He also has blamed the protests on unspecified foreign forces, bankers and foreign and Turkish media outlets he says want to harm Turkish interests.

Brazil, meanwhile, has been hit by mass rallies set off this month by a 10-cent hike in bus and subway fares in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere. The protests soon moved beyond that issue to tap into widespread frustration in the South American nation over a range of issues, including high taxes and woeful public services.

During an address to tens of thousands of his backers in the Black Sea coastal city of Samsun, the latest stop in a series of rallies he has called to shore up his political support, Erdogan declared that Brazil was the target of the same conspirators he claims are trying to destabilize Turkey.

"The same game is now being played over Brazil," Erdogan said. "The symbols are the same, the posters are the same, Twitter, Facebook are the same, the international media is the same. They (the protests) are being led from the same center.

"They are doing their best to achieve in Brazil what they could not achieve in Turkey. It's the same game, the same trap, the same aim."

Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

Assaf named goodwill ambassador by PA, UN

23/06/2013

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Mohammad Assaf, the first Palestinian to win the popular Arab Idol TV singing contest, will also become the UN's first Palestinian goodwill ambassador and the PA’s goodwill Diaspora ambassador.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas made the appointment shortly after Assaf’s win on Saturday evening, according to PA news agency WAFA.

Assaf will have “full diplomatic privileges” in his appointment, Abbas said, describing his winning as a “victory” for the Palestinian people.

Among those there to support Assaf were influential Palestinian businessman Munib al-Masri, PA Culture Minister Anwar Abu Aisheh, Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Dabour, and Abbas’ son Yasser.

The Arab Idol winner was also named goodwill ambassador for UNRWA, making Assaf the first Palestinian to receive the title.

A diplomatic source in Beirut, where MBC's Arab Idol is filmed, told Ma'an the agreement was signed days ago to make Assaf the first-ever Palestinian refugee to become a goodwill UN ambassador, becoming the Palestine refugee agency UNRWA's first-ever regional youth ambassador, the source said Saturday.

"A man with a golden voice is going to take the Palestinians' voice to the universe. At long last, a fantastic story out of Gaza that will touch the hearts of the world," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the ambassadorship had not yet been announced.

"It is a wonderful day for Palestine and for the UN."

Thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza celebrated in the streets late Saturday after the judges announced this year's winner. They also launched fireworks.

Assaf, a 23-year-old from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, has become a household name in Palestine.

In an interview as he prepared for the final stages of the show, he thanked his fans in Palestine for their support.

"If I keep thanking you forever it is never enough," Assaf said, promising to do his best to keep entertaining his fans.

He also thanked Palestinian leaders for their encouragement, particularly those who came to Beirut to watch him perform in the show.

"Their presence gave me more energy to move on and sing better and represent Palestine in its beautiful image," he said.

As he succeeded in the final stages of the show, Assaf received phone calls from President Mahmoud Abbas and former Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

The president urged Palestinian communities across the world to vote for Assaf, and instructed the PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contact embassies to mobilize support for the Arab Idol star.

Assaf said he would first return to his home in the Gaza Strip after the competition and later perform three shows in West Bank cities.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=607476.

Assaf named goodwill UN ambassador

23/06/2013

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Mohammad Assaf, the first Palestinian to win the popular Arab Idol TV singing contest, will also become the UN's first Palestinian goodwill ambassador.

A diplomatic source in Beirut, where MBC's Arab Idol is filmed, told Ma'an the agreement was signed days ago to make Assaf the first-ever Palestinian refugee to become a goodwill UN ambassador, becoming the Palestine refugee agency UNRWA's first-ever regional youth ambassador, the source said Saturday.

"A man with a golden voice is going to take the Palestinians' voice to the universe. At long last, a fantastic story out of Gaza that will touch the hearts of the world," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the ambassadorship had not yet been announced.

"It is is a wonderful day for Palestine and for the UN."

Thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza celebrated in the streets late Saturday after the judges announced this year's winner. They also launched fireworks.

Assaf, a 23-year-old from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, has become a household name in Palestine.

In an interview as he prepared for the final stages of the show, he thanked his fans in Palestine for their support.

"If I keep thanking you forever it is never enough," Assaf said, promising to do his best to keep entertaining his fans.

He also thanked Palestinian leaders for their encouragement, particularly those who came to Beirut to watch him perform in the show.

"Their presence gave me more energy to move on and sing better and represent Palestine in its beautiful image," he said.

As he succeeded in the final stages of the show, Assaf received phone calls from President Mahmoud Abbas and former Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

The president urged Palestinian communities across the world to vote for Assaf, and instructed the PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contact embassies to mobilize support for the Arab Idol star.

Assaf said he would first return to his home in the Gaza Strip after the competition and later perform three shows in West Bank cities.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=607449.

Hamas MP praises Arab Idol winner's 'thankfulness to God'

23/06/2013

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- A Hamas MP praised Muhammad Assaf for becoming the first Palestinian to win the popular TV competition Arab Idol on Saturday night via Facebook.

MP Yahya Mousa posted on his Facebook page that he welcomed Assaf’s thanks to God and his kneeling to the ground as though in prayer when he was announced the winner.

Assaf won Arab Idol and dedicated his winning to the Palestinian people.

Later it was announced that he was to be made the first Palestinian refugee ambassador for UNRWA, the UN agency tasked with providing services to Palestinian refugees in Palestine and the Middle East.

Assaf, a 23-year-old from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, has become a household name in Palestine.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=607472.

Spain, France win Under-20 WCup opening matches

June 21, 2013

ISTANBUL (AP) — Spain showed why it is favored to win the Under-20 World Cup by beating the United States 4-1 on Friday in its opener after doubles from star strikers Jese and Gerard Deulofeu.

France also turned in a strong performance in the other Group A match, scoring two second-half goals within four minutes to win 3-1 against Ghana. Spain opened the scoring when Deulofeu fires a shot across the goal mouth and Jese volleyed the ball into the net in the fifth minute.

Deulofeu, who plays for Barcelona, received the ball outside the area, sidestepped a defender and sent a blistering shot just beyond goalkeeper Cody Cropper to make it 2-0 in the 42nd. The European champions caught the defense sleeping two minutes later.

Javier Manquillo made a great run, passed to Jese, who was lurking in the area, and the Real Madrid striker scored his second goal just before halftime. "We are happy for our team," Spain coach Julen Lopetegiu said. "In the first half, we had problems with the American pressure. But we tried to run behind the defenders and we had the chance to score goals."

Spain seemed to content to sit back for much of the second half, but again its counterattack paid dividends. Deulofeu received a long ball, got around Cropper and scored his second. The Americans pulled one back when Luis Gil, who plays for Real Salt Lake, scored from just outside the area in the 77th.

U.S. coach Tab Ramos defended his decision to press Spain, insisting he didn't want to "defend on our side of the field and lose." "It's difficult to press Spain for 90 minutes. I thought we did a pretty good job of that," he said. "What happens when you press, the press gets broken and you are vulnerable in the back. When you have players like Jese and Deulofeu — such great players, the timing of their runs is excellent. Sometimes great players will win the game regardless of what you do."

France, which lost to Spain in the semifinals of the Under-19 European Championship, showed it has the attack to go far in the tournament. After Ghana missed several early chances, France dominated the Group A encounter for much of the second period. The French hit the post in the 51st minute before Sevilla midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia put the team ahead with a header in the 65th. Three minutes later, Kondogbia chipped a nifty pass into the area for Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo to shoot between the legs of goalkeeper Eric Antwi.

France forward Jean Christophe Bahebeck scored a third in 79th, before Ghana substitute Yiadom Boakye pulled one back in the 85th. "Today, we were lacking a lot of things. We had a very average game but in the end we won 3-1," France coach Pierre Mankowski said. "So I told the boys it was important to win because it was the first game. Clearly we can enhance our game, and in fact we have to be stronger for the next games."

Mankowski was full of praise for Kondogbia and Sanogo for wreaking havoc on Ghana's defense, using their size and quickness to outflank the smaller defenders and to get to loose balls in the area. Sanogo has shown the most improvement since he spent a year playing for Sevilla, Mankowski said.

"Now he understands the right moment to try and score, the moments to make a difference," Mankowski said. "When he is good on the pitch, the team is good." Ghana coach Sellas Tetteh, who managed his side to the 2009 title, blamed the loss on several defensive lapses and missed chances when his team dominated in the first 20 minutes.

"It's not good that we lost but I believe there were a few things there we could take home," he said. "We had a wonderful first half, but we were a little bit sloppy midway in the second. We also conceded that early goal. That created a lot of problems for us. We finished the game stronger and that is positive."

Security has been stepped up at all seven sites following weeks of sometimes violent protests after riot police cracked down on environmental activists who opposed plans to remove trees and develop Gezi Park in Istanbul. But the protests this week have given way to peaceful resistance, and there were no signs of protesters Friday at the Ali Sami Yen Arena.

Instead, the problem was a lack of spectators. The France-Ghana match only attracted 2,800 fans, leaving much of the 50,000-seat stadium empty. That confirmed FIFA's fears ahead of the tournament that tickets were selling too slowly, with only 300,000 of the 1.3 million tickets sold.

South Korea came from a goal down to beat tournament newcomer Cuba 2-1 in the Group B opener. Reyes opened the scoring for Cuba in the seventh minute, only for the Asian champions to score twice in the second half. Kwon Chang-hoon scored a penalty in the 51st, and Rey Seung-woo hit the winner in the 83rd.

In other Group B match, Portugal led 2-0 over Nigeria but Ajagun scored twice within 10 minutes to draw the African side level. Bruma added a second in the 69th to give the Portugese the win.

Rocket near Beirut brings Syrian war closer

June 21, 2013

BEIRUT (AP) — A rocket slammed into a suburb of Beirut on Friday, bringing the conflict in neighboring Syria closer to Lebanon's bustling capital and reviving bitter memories of the country's own devastating civil war.

With skirmishes between Shiites and Sunnis on the rise around the country, religiously mixed and highly vulnerable Lebanon is increasingly buffeted by powerful forces that are dividing the Arab world along sectarian lines.

There were no casualties from the rocket, which struck a Christian area southeast of Beirut overnight, but the incident raised fears that Lebanon was being sucked into a war that has already paralyzed state institutions and strained its economy with the presence of more than a half-million Syrian refugees.

"This is very, very dangerous," said Pierre Ashkar, head of a syndicate of hotel owners, referring to the potential damage to the tourism industry from such rocket attacks. He said his daughter and her husband were among scores who have canceled plans to come Lebanon.

"When our kids can't come to Lebanon, I don't know how a French, British or even a Saudi and Kuwaiti can," he told The Associated Press. For the most part, Lebanon has stayed on the sidelines of the Arab Spring, keeping up its appearance as an oasis of relative stability, which has helped its tourism and entertainment businesses.

The Lebanese — and the tens of thousands of expatriates and Gulf Arab tourists who visit every summer — have learned to live with the country's occasional bouts of upheaval and violence, including huge street protests that followed the assassination of a former prime minister in 2005 and deadly street clashes in 2008, when the militant Shiite Hezbollah group briefly overran parts of Beirut.

Beneath the surface lurk the same forces that devastated the country in its years of civil war, with simmering hatreds still dividing Muslims and Christians, Sunnis and Shiites, and secular and fundamentalist groups.

The Lebanese civil war began in 1975 with clashes between mostly Muslim Palestinian factions and Christian militiamen, and eventually turned into a Christian-Muslim civil war in which external players like Saudi Arabia, Syria and Western countries used the country as a battleground.

The uprising in Syria against President Bashar Assad, which began in March 2011, brought sectarian tensions to the surface and has inflamed rivalries. The two countries share a complex web of political and sectarian ties, and Lebanon is deeply divided into pro- and anti-Assad groups, a legacy of Syria's long dominance of its small neighbor.

Lebanon's Sunni Muslims mostly back the overwhelmingly Sunni rebels in Syria, while many Shiites support Assad, who is a member of Syria's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Sectarian tensions sharply increased after the Shiite militant group Hezbollah openly joined Assad's forces in fighting the rebels seeking his ouster. Lebanon has seen repeated bursts of violence, but it has mostly been restricted to border areas and the northern city of Tripoli.

Rockets from Syria fall regularly into towns and villages near the border. Last week, the tensions exploded into street clashes in the southern city of Sidon, suggesting the scope of the fighting was widening.

Friday's rocket slammed into a valley southeast of Beirut, causing a blast that reverberated across large parts of the city and surrounding mountains. After hours of searching, Lebanese soldiers found the rocket in Jamhour, a Christian area near the presidential palace, the Defense Ministry and the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahyeh, the military said in a statement. Two rocket launchers still holding one rocket also were found about 10 miles (15 kilometers) to the north of the city, also in a Christian town.

It was the second such attack in less than a month. Two rockets hit Dahyeh on May 26, wounding four, hours after the Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech to help propel Assad to victory.

The gap widened when Hezbollah fighters were instrumental in a recent Syrian government victory as they helped pro-Assad forces regain control of the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanese border.

No one claimed responsibility the rocket attacks near Beirut, but rebels in Syria have vowed to retaliate and have sent rockets slamming into Hezbollah strongholds in northeastern Lebanon. Friday's attack may also have been an attempt to drag Christian areas into the conflict, or perhaps was intended to send a message to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, a Christian.

Rebel groups have warned Suleiman to rein in Hezbollah. Under pressure, the president has been increasingly critical of Hezbollah involvement in Syria; on Thursday, he said the group was making a "mistake" and urged it to leave Syria.

The conflict has paralyzed Lebanese institutions. In downtown Beirut, Lebanese protesters continued a sit-in for a second day Friday near the parliament building to demand elections that originally were scheduled in June. Their chants on both evenings were drowned out by music blasting from a nearby rooftop nightclub, a sign of Beirut's bon vivant lifestyle struggling to prevail.

Last month, the 128-member parliament extended its term by a year and a half, put off the balloting because of the deteriorating security conditions in the country. The demonstrators, who clashed with police Thursday, say the extension was unconstitutional. They have set up tents, blocking a side road in the city center.

Ali Jammoul, a 22-year-old activist and biology student taking part in the sit-in, said he fears the Shiite-Sunni sectarian hatreds will lead to a cycle of revenge killings even uglier than Lebanon's civil war, which is believed to have killed 150,000 people.

"The Lebanese are hostage to external dictates. They are spectators waiting to see what is going to happen in the battle (for Syria)," he said, adding that Lebanon, with its weak government, was powerless to stay out.

Ashkar, the tourism official, said Beirut is typically packed in the summer with more than 100 percent capacity but now is at only 40 percent occupancy, most of them business travelers. Hezbollah's public involvement in the war in Syria, he said, was a big blow to the industry that contributes 20 percent to the national income.

"This is really the worst season" since 1992 after the restoration of the tourism industry following the end of civil war, he said. For the first time in years, all of Lebanon's hotels, with their 22,000 rooms, are partially closed or operating at reduced capacity, he added.

The tension has risen to a point where politicians on TV talk shows regularly throw invectives, and sometimes water glasses, at each other, or engage in a few fistfights. The violence prompted organizers of Lebanon's famous Baalbek International Festival to announce plans to move the annual music show out of the ancient city with its Roman ruins because of its proximity to the Syrian border. Earlier this month, 18 rockets and mortar rounds fired from Syria hit the area, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Syrian frontier.

"The situation in Baalbek does not permit holding the festival, and we are now looking for a new venue," an official with the festival said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to talk to reporters.

At least one participant, American soprano Renee Fleming, has canceled a planned concert at the festival, which is usually held under the towering columns of the Roman Temple of Jupiter, citing deteriorating security conditions. The festival is scheduled to begin in August.

Many Lebanese have despaired over the violence and the country's future. "Half of my family left recently," said Jammoul, who was among bottle-throwing protesters who clashed with police overnight. "My brother was my comrade in the streets. ... I cried when I returned to the streets after a week and he wasn't next to me, when I got beaten and he wasn't near me," he said.

Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report.

Germany-Turkey diplomatic dispute intensifies

June 21, 2013

BERLIN (AP) — A diplomatic dispute over Turkey's EU membership bid and a crackdown on demonstrations in the country intensified Friday as Germany summoned the Turkish ambassador over comments made by a minister about Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Merkel on Monday criticized the crackdown by security forces as "much too strong." The chancellor also has long been skeptical of Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union; her coalition government supports continuing membership talks, but this week blocked a decision to move forward the negotiations.

Turkey's minister in charge of EU affairs, Egemen Bagis, suggested on Thursday that Merkel was picking on Turkey for political gain as she attempts to win a third term in September elections. Bagis said that if Merkel is looking for "internal political material," then "this should not be Turkey." He also pointed to the election defeat last year of then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a fellow opponent of Turkey's EU membership.

"If Mrs. Merkel follows and reviews what happened to Sarkozy, who previously tried to use (Turkey) as political material, she will see that the fate of those who mess around with Turkey is not all that good," said Bagis, who is Turkey's chief EU negotiator.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke told reporters that ambassador Huseyin Avni Karslioglu was summoned to the ministry Friday. He would say only that the reason was comments by a Turkish official regarding Germany and the future of the EU membership talks, adding: "These are comments that met with incomprehension — this is not in order."

In an apparent tit-for-tat action, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Germany's top diplomat was being summoned, because the government wanted to express its "discomfort" with what he called "certain statements that have disturbed Turkey." Davutoglu, who spoke to Turkish state media during a visit to Ukraine, did not specify what statements he meant.

Bagis said Friday he hoped that Germany "steps back from (the) serious mistake" of blocking progress in Turkey's membership talks. Last month, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was hopeful of opening negotiations on another chapter in the membership talks before the end of June. But on Thursday, Germany and the Netherlands blocked a decision to do so.

That chapter concerns regional policies, not Turkey's protests. Asked whether the decision to block its opening was linked to the Turkish crackdown, Peschke said it was down to "open technical questions" on which he wouldn't elaborate.

However, he added that "of course, as always in life, everything is linked to everything else." Human rights groups have said the protests in Turkey have left more than 5,000 people injured and more than 3,000 were detained and then released.

The demonstrations were sparked by a police crackdown on environmental activists in Istanbul May 31, but protesters also criticized what some regard as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's authoritarian style of leadership.

Merkel also said Monday that "what is happening at the moment in Turkey does not correspond to our idea of the freedom to protest and the freedom of speech." NATO member Turkey began EU accession negotiations in 2005, but has made little progress, in part reflecting unease among some in Europe to admitting a populous Muslim nation.

Turkey's entry talks cover 35 different areas, or chapters. Only 13 have been opened, and several areas have been frozen over Turkey's refusal to allow ships and planes from Cyprus, an EU member, to enter its ports and airspace.

Germany itself is a potential obstacle to Turkish EU membership given that Merkel and her conservative party have long advocated a lesser, vaguely defined "privileged partnership," though Westerwelle's Free Democrats — her junior coalition partners— are less skeptical.

A spokesman for Merkel stressed that Germany's support for continuing membership talks remains unchanged. "Neither the chancellor nor the government are in any way questioning the accession process," Georg Streiter said. "It's not about whether, only about how the accession process is continued."

Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.