Egyptians facing international prosecution for links to coup includes journalists and clerics

Monday, 18 November 2013

The list of those being considered for prosecution by a team of international lawyers includes journalists and clerics associated with the coup in Egypt, it has been revealed. Tayab Ali of London's ITN Solicitors, who heads the team, said that they intend to prosecute all those accused with crimes against humanity in Egypt, whether military or civilian officials, current or former.

Speaking during a press conference in London on Saturday, Ali said that all of those involved with inciting the killing of peaceful demonstrators face prosecution. However, he declined to name anyone on the list in order to preserve the confidentiality and integrity of the investigations.

Nevertheless, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) has learned from other sources that the list of defendants includes generals and civilian leaders who took power after the coup, such as General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt's Minister of Defense; Sedki Sobhi, the army Chief of Staff; Adly Mansour, the interim President; and Hazem Beblawi, the interim Prime Minister. The list also includes key members of the interim cabinet headed by Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy.

The anonymous sources said that the list of defendants includes journalists and politicians who would stand accused of inciting the coup authorities to commit crimes against humanity. According to the sources, the list includes media figures such as Lamees Al Hadidi, Amr Adeeb, Yousef al-Husseini, Wael Ebrashi and Khairi Ramadan; among the politicians threatened with prosecution are Tharwat Kherbawi and Abdel Halim Qandil. Muslim clerics on the list include the former Mufti of Egypt, Shaikh Ali Jumaa, who called openly on film for anti-coup protestors to be killed, calling them "infidels".

Once formally accused, the list of defendants will be subject to universal jurisdiction laws which allow some states, including European countries and several others around the world, to arrest and put them on trial if they arrive on their sovereign territory for any reason.

Meanwhile, the International legal team had on Saturday announced the launch of a hotline and web address through which the public could submit information on suspects...

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/8364-egyptians-facing-international-prosecution-for-links-to-coup-includes-journalists-and-clerics.

General Afifi denounces media blackout during Morsi's trial

Tuesday, 05 November 2013

General Omar Afifi, an Egyptian political refugee in the US, has criticized Egypt's Defence Minister General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi for denying media channels the right to broadcast the trial of former President Mohamed Morsi.

Afifi posted the following comments on Facebook: "General Al Sisi has insulted and despised the Egyptian people when he refused to broadcast the trial of ousted President Morsi. He has misled the public and deliberately displayed contempt for the Egyptian people's will. But who are the rightful owners of Egypt? The Egyptian people are entitled to know the complete truth. By not broadcasting Morsi's trial, Al-Sisi has intentionally and recklessly insulted the Egyptian people, who have every right to know the full truth and to decide on their own who is a traitor and who is a thief. Who is the oppressor and who is oppressed? The people are meant to choose their ruler! How will the Egyptians choose if everything is hidden? Why did Al-Sisi prevent the media from broadcasting Morsi's trial? What does he want to hide from the people and what is he afraid of? The Egyptian people must know the truth to decide their own destiny and to choose their rulers or to oust them.

I tell both Al-Sisi and Morsi that nothing remains hidden forever. The truth must be revealed out of respect for the Egyptian people."

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/8163-general-afifi-denounces-media-blackout-during-morsis-trial.

Egypt's coup leaders employ Israeli company to secure Suez Canal

Wednesday, 06 November 2013

A report by the Arab Organization for Human Rights has revealed that an Israeli company, Seagull Maritime Security, provides maritime security services for cruises and cargo ships passing through the Suez Canal in Egypt. The Egyptian authorities have granted the company a license to work in the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and in Arab and African ports including Jordan, UAE and Oman.

According to the report the company is one of the few whose guards are allowed to disembark fully armed on the Egyptian Tiran Island.

The company's official site does not reveal its Israeli identity however several other sites connected to the company reveal the background of the company's directors and managers as IDF veterans from elite units. The company is a member of the Israeli Association of Private Security Companies. The company was founded by its CEO, Kfir Magen who served as an officer in the Israeli navy, in 2008. According to related sites the company's directors were prominent leaders of the Israeli army, including Eliezer Marom who served as a navy commander between 2007 until 2011. Marom planned the attack against the Freedom Flotilla in 2010 and Operation Cast Lead in 2008.

The company's advisory board chairman, Ami Ayalon, served as commander in chief of the navy in 1992 and participated in an attack against the Suez in 1969 which claimed the lives of 80 Egyptian soldiers. Ayalon who served as head of the Shin Bet in 1996 now works within the company.

According to the report several Israeli veterans work for the same company, including Jeremy Weiss who served as a senior commander in the Israeli Special Forces, Yuval Brenner who served as an officer in the Israeli elite scouts unit and Ron Ben- Shimon.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/8173-egypts-coup-leaders-employ-israeli-company-to-secure-suez-canal.

Egypt to re-evaluate relations with Turkey

Thursday, 07 November 2013

The interim Egyptian presidents' spokesman, Ehab Badawi, has said that Egypt will reassess its relations with Turkey in light of Turkey's contradictory messages towards the country. Badawi said the "Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, narrow partisan vision has forced Egypt and Turkish- Egyptian relations towards a path that Egypt had been careful to avoid out of respect to our historical relations". Badawi said "the Turkish Prime Minister's statements are made as calls emerge demanding the Egyptian ambassador return to Ankara".

Badawi's comments followed statements by the Turkish Prime Minister on events in Egypt. Erdogan said "the Rabaa al Adawiya four finger symbol by ousted President Mohammed Morsi supporters is not a mere symbol of the Egyptian people's just cause. It has become a symbol to denounce injustice and oppression all over the world".

The Turkish foreign ministry has released a statement demanding Egypt release all political prisoners including Mohammed Morsi, saying such a move would significantly contribute to achieving reconciliation and dialogue.

The Egyptian foreign ministry condemned Erdogan's speech during the Justice and Development Party's meeting, saying the Turkish Prime Minister's remarks come after a series of statements made by Turkish officials.

The Egyptian foreign ministry's statement said "the Turkish officials insist on falsifying facts about the situation in Egypt and defying the will of the Egyptian people. The most recent statement by the Turkish foreign ministry on Monday is an unacceptable interference in Egypt's internal affairs."

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/8197-egypt-to-re-evaluate-relations-with-turkey.

This is what Morsi told the judge

Monday, 04 November 2013

Upon his first appearance in court, ousted Egyptian President, Mohammed Morsi, introduced himself before as "the legal president of Egypt," and waved his hand with the Rabaa al-Adawiyya massacre symbol.

From inside the court, Morsi said, "I am Dr Mohammed Morsi, the legal president of the Arab Republic of Egypt."

Witnesses said that he raised his hand to show the Rabaa al-Adawiyya massacre symbol.

He said, "I am here because I fell (victim) to a crime, by the traitors who carried out a coup. They removed me from my position. Since I separate the judiciary from having taken part in such a crime, I place responsibility on the judge."

Morsi also said, "The order to prosecute me is invalid since the public prosecutor is illegal and he was appointed by the coup authorities."

The hearing session started at 10.00 am, Cairo time. It was planned to take place in the Appeal Court's headquarters in Cairo, but was later moved to the court at the Police Academy.

Many anti-coup journalists and advocates were prevented from attending the proceedings. The hearing session was then postponed because security sources claimed that there were "security threats."

Witnesses said that Morsi had chanted, "Down with the military coup." They said that the other Muslim Brotherhood leaders, who were in the same dock, repeated the same chant after him.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/8143-this-is-what-morsi-told-the-judge.

Mursi Supporters Rally in Several Cities, Limited Clashes in Alexandria

1 November 2013

Supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi staged several marches on Friday in Cairo and several cities to voice their support for Mursi whose trial is expected to take place on Monday.

The trial of Mursi and several Muslim Brotherhood leading figures is scheduled for next Monday.

The charges include inciting violence during clashes between supporters and opponents of the Brotherhood at the presidential palace on December 5. Eleven people, including Journalist al-Husseini Abu Deif, were killed while hundreds were injured in these clashes.

In Cairo, allies of Mursi marched from mosques in Helwan, Maadi, and Nasr City, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

A march for Muslim Brotherhood supporters headed from Maadi and Helwan on its way to the Ittihadeya presidential palace in Cairo's Masr al-Gedida, MENA added.

In Giza, Mursi supporters arranged marches from al-Mahrousa and al-Istiqama mosques. They carried banners with the Rabaa symbol and chanted slogans calling for the return of Mursi to power.

Police forces sealed off Mostafa Mahmoud and Nahda squares in anticipation of marches that might head to these squares.

In Alexandria, an eyewitness reported the outbreak of limited clashes between a pro-Mursi march on one hand and Alexandria residents and police forces on the other.

The police arrested a number of Brotherhood supporters after they were found in possession of what the police called anti-Armed Forces leaflets.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201311011206.html.

Egypt police, protesters clash at Cairo university

October 21, 2013

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian anti-riot police fired tear gas Sunday at hundreds of supporters of the country's ousted Islamist president, besieging them inside a prestigious Muslim institution after stone-hurling protesters cut off a main road.

Sunday's clashes marked the second day of unrest at Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam's most prominent center of learning. Many supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood are students at Al-Azhar, a stronghold of the group. The campus is also near where Islamists had set up a sprawling protest camp that security forces raided in August, leaving hundreds dead and sparking days of unrest.

The students' protest started with a march inside campus, where protesters hurled stones at the administrator's offices, smashing windows and breaking doors, said Ibrahim el-Houdhoud, deputy head of the university. He told satellite news channel Al-Jazeera Mubashir Misr that he warned protesters against leaving campus and clashing with security forces.

The protesters however ignored the advice, marching out of the main gates to hold "prayers for the dead" — honoring students killed in earlier clashes between security forces and protesters in July. The protests come amid heated debate over a new law that would place tougher restrictions on demonstrators, which includes imposing heavy fines and possible jail time on violators.

Morsi was overthrown by the military July 3 after millions took to the streets to demand he step down. Since then, Cairo has seen non-stop demonstrations by his supporters demanding his return. A military-backed crackdown has left hundreds dead and seen thousands arrested.

Ousting Morsi escalated militant attacks in Egypt, especially in the volatile Sinai peninsula. Egypt's interior minister escaped an assassination attempt when a car bomb targeted his convoy near his residence in Cairo last month.

There also have been attacks against Coptic Christian churches. On Sunday night, masked gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on a group of people at a Coptic church holding a wedding in Cairo, killing a man, a woman and an 8-year-old girl, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry. The ministry did not offer a motive for the shooting, which happened in Cairo's Waraa neighborhood.

Egypt's official news agency MENA also reported that two members of Central Security Forces were injured Sunday when their bus came under attack near border town of Rafah in northern Sinai. Militants attacked the bus with automatic weapons and fled the scene. The soldiers were heading to their camp in Rafah.

Egypt's capital scarred by 2½ years of turmoil

October 08, 2013

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's capital has long been proud of its nickname, "Mother of the World" — a metropolis of 18 million throbbing with the vitality and fun of other great cities, even if at times it seemed unmanageable and chaotic.

But Cairo's spirit has been deeply scarred by 32 months of turmoil and bloodshed from two "revolutions," constant protests and crackdowns, and a military coup. Residents talk of an unfamiliar edginess. People are more suspicious of each other, whether because of increased crime or constant media warnings of conspiracies and terrorism.

Families are split by bitter ideological differences. Fights are sparked by a word or a gesture seen as supporting either the military or the Islamists who were ousted from power by the armed forces. The mood goes beyond ideology. With police battered by the upheaval and rarely enforcing regulations, many people flout laws with no thought of the consequences — whether it's the cafes that take over sidewalks or thugs who seize plots of land.

A curfew in place for nearly two months has put a damper on Cairo's nightlife. It has been eased to start at midnight, but that was usually the hour when streets and parties were just getting lively. Political violence has killed more than 2,000 people in the city and wounded many others, starting with the Jan. 25, 2011, revolution that ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak. That was followed by demonstrations against the military rulers who replaced Mubarak, the protests during President Mohammed Morsi's year in office, and the June 30 "revolution" that prompted the July 3 coup against the president.

"Political differences have made some people lose their humanity," said Shaiymaa Awad, a 32-year-old Morsi supporter. Awad said she was in a bus recently that drove past Rabaah el-Adawiya, the mosque where hundreds of Islamists were killed in August when police cracked down on a sit-in demanding Morsi's reinstatement.

When she broke down crying, "other passengers looked surprised, but none of them understood why," Awad said. The Rabaah mosque is not the only city landmark now more famous for one of the violent incidents of the past 2½ years. Others include:

— A historic bridge over the Nile, once a favored romantic spot for couples, that was the site of a battle between police and anti-Mubarak protesters. — The towering Nile-side state TV headquarters nicknamed "Maspero," now known for the army's killing of more than 25 Christian protesters.

— Moqattam, once simply the rocky plateau overlooking the city where couples went to steal kisses, now remembered for a bloody street fight between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and opponents. New neighborhoods joined the list Sunday, when Morsi supporters and police clashed, killing at least 40 people. With more streets strewn with debris and blackened by fires, Cairenes fear the city is turning into a Baghdad or a Beirut at their most violent.

"Blood is everywhere," said Belal Fadl, a popular satirical columnist and scriptwriter. "It is good that life goes on after every episode of bloodshed, but it is terrible from a human perspective," he said, adding that people now react to violence "as if they are watching it on a silver screen."

Cairo has long been an unruly, tough place — densely populated, heavily polluted and choked with traffic. With few parks or green spaces, and almost no street entertainment, residents have few public outlets for escape.

Yet it also was the place where all Egyptians — rich, poor, intellectuals, laborers and migrants from the countryside — were jammed together, forced to get along by smoothing over their differences with a sense of humor.

There was no contradiction seen between deep religious piety — another Cairo nickname is the "City of a Thousand Minarets" — and raucous street weddings with beer and belly dancers. The city has gone through rapid lurches. The anti-Mubarak uprising saw an idealistic, "revolutionary" optimism. Under Morsi, conservative Islamists were emboldened, scolding the public to adhere to "God's law" and vilifying Christians and secular Egyptians.

Now the mood is defined by a media blitz demonizing the Islamists, idolizing military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and intimidating critics. One recent morning, a police officer shouted at a man whose car had broken down on a busy overpass. The man had a beard — a hallmark of an Islamist — and the policeman angrily accused him of intentionally trying to snarl traffic.

Later the same day, workers in one of the city's country clubs berated a bearded colleague for putting worship ahead of work. "You cannot be at the mosque all day while we do all the work," one barked.

The Aug. 14 crackdown near the Rabaah mosque left perhaps the deepest scar. The bloodshed gave Islamists a strong sense of martyrdom — but much of the rest of Cairo's population showed little sympathy, embittered by Morsi's presidency.

While the largely pro-military media hardly mention the deaths of Morsi supporters, the Sept. 19 killing by Islamic militants of a police general led to an outpouring of emotion for his widow and children. The interim president received them in his palace, and the education minister personally escorted two of the general's children to school on the first day of classes.

The curfew imposed during the anti-Mubarak uprising was openly ignored, but uncustomary discipline has marked the nighttime restrictions put in place since August. Many say they are doing so to aid the crackdown against Islamists.

Mahmoud Ziad, a 23-year-old student who regularly takes part in protests of the coup, said he is haunted by seeing friends shot to death Aug. 14. He has other friends who used to oppose military rule but now support el-Sissi.

"I ask them how can they be happy after all those who were killed. How can they support the killer?" The other legacy is a seemingly constant state of rebellion. Residents always found ways around rules imposed by overbearing force and bureaucrats. Now they simply break them.

Double- and triple-parked cars clog the streets. Drivers blithely go the wrong way on one-way roads. Police, if they ever show up, are challenged with much bravado. "The line that separates freedom from criminal chaos has disappeared in Cairo," said Mohammed Hashem, a veteran activist and publisher who transformed the city's literary scene in the past decade with his patronage of young, experimental novelists.

In a city that was once extremely safe, crime has become more frequent. Ahmed Mokhles, a 32-year-old doctor, said a youth on a motorcycle snatched his $450 mobile phone out of his hand while he was talking on it. The motorcyclist was slowed down by traffic, and Mokhles nearly caught up with him. But two men on another motorcycle — accomplices, Mokhles believes — blocked him, and the thief escaped.

Everything can conspire to build up stress — a blazing hot day, rising prices, unmoving traffic, family woes. Allam Oudah, who earns $180 a month as a security guard and drives a taxi to make ends meet, described rushing his daughter to the hospital when she got diarrhea, not just for treatment but also because of mounting diaper costs if she wasn't quickly cured.

When asked to turn on the air conditioning in the taxi, he broke into a sarcastic rant: "For 10 pounds, I'll point all the fans at you. If that's not enough, I'll fan you myself." Fadl, the satirist, said that despite its recent problems, there is a resilience in the city.

"Give Cairo a little respite from its troubles, and it will quickly regain its old spirit," he said. Mustafa Ibrahim, a poet, noted the true meaning of the capital's name — "al-Qahira" — Arabic for "the conquerer."

"Cairo conquers its own residents as well as anyone who thinks he or she is bigger than the city," he said. "Cairo can crush you, but it maintains its charm and spirit," he said.

Egypt: 51 killed in new bout of street violence

October 07, 2013

CAIRO (AP) — Security forces and Islamist protesters clashed around the country Sunday, leaving 51 killed, as a national holiday celebrating the military turned to mayhem. Crowds from Egypt's two rival camps — supporters of the ousted Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, and backers of the military that deposed him — poured into the streets and turned on each other.

Several neighborhoods of the capital, Cairo, resembled combat zones after street battles that raged for hours. Morsi supporters fired birdshot and threw firebombs at police who responded with gunshots and tear gas. Streets were left strewn with debris, and the air was thick with tear gas and smoke from burning fires, as the crack of gunfire rang out.

An Associated Press photographer saw nine bodies lying on the floor of a clinic in the Cairo district of Dokki, scene of some of the heaviest clashes. Most of the bodies had gunshot wounds to the head or chest.

Sunday's death toll of 51 was the highest on a single day since Aug. 14 when security forces raided two sit-in protest camps by Morsi supporters, killing hundreds. Even as fighting continued in the streets, the military went ahead with lavish celebrations for the holiday marking the 40th anniversary of the start of the 1973 Mideast war with Israel.

In the evening, a concert was aired live on state TV from a military-run Cairo stadium where pop stars from Egypt, Lebanon and the Gulf sang anthems to the army and dancers twirled on stage before a cheering crowd. Military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, other top brass and interim President Adly Mansour attended the show.

"There are those who think the military can be broken," el-Sissi said in an address at the concert. "You see the Pyramids? The military is like the pyramids, because the Egyptian people are on its side."

The clashes were the latest chapter in the turmoil roiling the country since the ouster in February 2011 of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The new violence is certain to set back efforts by the interim, military-backed government to revive the economy, especially the vital tourism sector, and bring order to the streets of Cairo, where crime and lawlessness have been rife.

Morsi was Egypt's first civilian and first freely elected president, succeeding four since the early 1950s who hailed from a military background. But after a year in office, Morsi was faced by massive protests demanding his ouster, accusing his Muslim Brotherhood of taking over power — and on July 3, el-Sissi removed him.

The military is now back as the real source of power in Egypt, and state and independent media have been depicting it as the country's savior — with growing calls for el-Sissi to run in the presidential election due early next year.

Sunday's holiday was an opportunity for Egypt's leaders to further fan the pro-military fervor sweeping the country since the coup. But the holiday was also a chance for Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies to show that they are surviving a fierce crackdown that has jailed more than 2,000 from their ranks since the coup.

Thousands of their backers held marches in various parts of Cairo, while at the same time crowds in support of the military took to the streets. In some cases, the two sides set upon each other, pelting each other with rocks and firebombs.

The Health Ministry reported 51 people killed nationwide, with at least 40 of them in Cairo, and more than 240 injured. The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police, said 423 Morsi supporters were detained across the nation.

"It is now crystal clear that the coup is a nightmare for Egypt and its people and is trying so hard to tear the fabric of this nation," a coalition grouping the Brotherhood and its allies said in a statement.

"At the time when festivities are arranged for one section of the population, they call on Egyptians to dance on the dead bodies of their compatriots who oppose the coup," it said, calling for a rally in Tahrir Square on Friday.

The scene of Sunday's fighting in Cairo contrasted sharply with a carnival-like mood in the city's central Tahrir Square, where thousands of supporters of the military waved Egyptian flags, blew whistles and touted posters of el-Sissi. Adding to the festivities, a military band in green jackets and off-white pants played, and men spun in whirling dervish-style dances.

Demonstrators distributed petitions demanding that el-Sissi run for president. "We cannot find a man who can run the country at this stage except for him (el-Sissi)," said aspiring actress Wafaa el-Sharqawi, who was distributing the el-Sissi petition in Tahrir. "Can we possibly have a civilian president who is weaker than his defense minister?"

Soldiers barricaded entrances to central Tahrir Square with barbed wire and armored personnel vehicles to guard it against possible attempts by Morsi supporters to enter the plaza, Egypt's most prominent political stage since it was the epicenter of the anti-Mubarak uprising nearly three years ago.

Metal detectors were installed at the entrances and demonstrators pouring into the square were searched by troops. Army helicopters flew low over the square, with Egypt's red, white and black flag trailing. Some two dozen F-16 jet-fighters staged a celebratory flight over Cairo in late morning, ushering in the commemoration of the 1973 war.

At 2 p.m. — the time the war began in 1973 — church bells tolled and chants of "Allahu akbar," or "God is greatest," blared from mosques in parts of Cairo. Still, not all in the square were enthused about the military.

Moamen Mahmoud, a 23-year-old student, was in Tahrir on Sunday and mused about the ironies of the shifting sands of Egypt's politics in the past 2 ½ years. He said he took part in the 2011 uprising and in subsequent protests against the military's direct rule of the country for some 17 months after Mubarak's fall.

"I came here today because I cannot miss an occasion like this, but sadly the revolutionaries are no here. I was here once chanting against military rule and now look at this. We forgot the principles of the revolution," he said.

"Those who criticized the Brotherhood supporters for hoisting Morsi posters are now doing the same with el-Sissi's posters," said Mahmoud Badawi, a 27-year-old university graduate who is opposed to the July 3 coup. "Throughout history, military rule is corrupt."

The climax of the day's festivities was the extravaganza at the military-owned stadium in the eastern part of Cairo, attended by el-Sissi and kicked off with a dazzling display of fireworks. El-Sissi's predecessor, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, was among those attending the ceremony, making his first public appearance since Morsi removed him and his chief of staff, Sami Anan, in August last year. Tantawi served Hosni Mubarak as defense minister for 20 years and took over the reins of the country when his mentor was ousted in a 2011 uprising.

Anan, who has presidential ambitions, was not present. Also in attendance was Gihan Sadat, widow of the late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, revered as the country's 1973 war hero and the architect of his country's peace treaty six years later.

Associated Press reporter Mariam Rizk and photographer Hassan Ammar contributed to this report.

Bangladesh halts execution of opposition leader

December 11, 2013

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Lawyers for a leader of Bangladesh's largest Islamic party sought Wednesday to have his death sentence thrown out after a late-night reprieve saved his life just hours before he was to be hanged.

Abdul Quader Mollah, convicted of war crimes during the nation's war of independence against Pakistan in 1971, was due to be executed at a minute past midnight, but lawyers went to the home of Judge Syed Mahmud Hossain and secured a postponement.

The lawyers are trying to convince the Supreme Court to throw out the sentence in a case that could usher in a new wave of political violence ahead of national elections set for next month. After beginning to hear the case Wednesday, the Supreme Court adjourned until Thursday.

Mollah's party, Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, enforced a nationwide general strike on Wednesday and issued a statement warning of "dire consequences" if he were executed.

Hundreds of pro-government activists, meanwhile, blocked traffic on a main road in Dhaka demanding Mollah's immediate execution. The developments come at a time of deep tension in Bangladesh, a nation struggling to overcome extreme poverty and rancorous politics.

Mollah would be the first person executed in special trials begun by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2010 of people suspected of crimes during the nation's war of independence against Pakistan in 1971. The government says Pakistani soldiers, aided by local collaborators, killed 3 million people and raped 200,000 women during the nine-month war.

Most of the defendants in the trials are opposition members. Mollah's party and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party say the trials are an attempt to weaken the opposition and eliminate Islamic parties. International human rights groups have also raised questions about the impartiality of the tribunal. Authorities have denied the allegations.

Deadly clashes have followed court verdicts against six other current and former officials of Mollah's party, and extra police are stationed in the capital to head off any new violence. Paramilitary guards are on standby across the country as well.

Carrying out the execution would complicate an already critical political situation in Bangladesh, where the opposition has carried out violent protests for weeks to back a demand for an independent caretaker government to oversee the general elections early next year.

The government has rejected that demand and said a political government headed by Hasina would conduct the elections. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke by phone with Hasina "to express his strong concern about the prevailing situation in the country," a statement from his office said Wednesday.

It said Ban urged Hasina to "resolve differences" over the upcoming elections with dialogue. The election is set for Jan. 5, but the opposition alliance led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia plans to boycott it. Weeks of blockades and general strikes have left nearly 100 people dead since October. Mollah's party has been banned by the Election Commission from taking part in the elections.

Mollah's family had met him at a Dhaka jail on Tuesday for what was expected to be the last time. As authorities finalized the time for the execution, many cellphone users in Bangladesh received text messages from an unknown number that said if Mollah was executed a civil war could break out. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission said it is trying to determine who sent the messages.

Defense counsel Sazzad Ali Chowdhury said the postponement late Tuesday gave lawyers time to file the petition which the Supreme Court's Appellate Division was reviewing Wednesday. Mollah was found guilty by the special tribunal in February of killing a student and a family of 11 and of aiding Pakistani troops in killing 369 others during the independence war. He was sentenced to life in prison. The Supreme Court changed the penalty to a death sentence in September, triggering deadly clashes and a nationwide general strike.

Until it gained independence in 1971, Bangladesh was the eastern wing of Pakistan. Mollah's party campaigned against Bangladesh's independence and has been accused of forming several groups to help Pakistani troops in killing, rape and arson.

Associated Press writer Cara Anna at the United Nations contributed.

Ukraine's president is a political survivor

December 11, 2013

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has a history of being humiliated, most memorably in the 2004 Orange Revolution that deprived him of the presidency.

He fought back to become president six years later, only once again to face mass protests on the streets of Kiev and the derision of his countrymen. One of the persistent chants of the protesters now besieging the capital is "criminal, get out," a reference to his teenage convictions for robbery and assault.

Yanukovych has given no clear indication that he knows how to solve the current crisis, but he seems to be relying on the same tactics that have made him a political survivor. Ukraine was thrown into crisis last month when Yanukovych suddenly backed away from a long-awaited political and economic agreement with the European Union, deciding to focus instead on restoring trade ties with Russia. The abrupt shift back toward Moscow angered many in Ukraine, particularly in Kiev and the western regions of the country.

For Yanukovych, it was a seemingly natural choice. His support is in the Russia-friendly east of the country, where he grew up and began his political career. To survive he needs the backing of the coal and steel magnates in the east, whose industries depend on Russian markets and supplies of Russian natural gas.

But he continues to insist that Ukraine's future belongs in Europe and that he could still sign the agreement with the EU in the spring. As he alternates meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Western diplomats, Yanukovych appears to be trying to please both sides. The sense is that he is maneuvering between Moscow and Brussels, negotiating for the best deal.

The political standoff is aggravated by Ukraine's rapidly deteriorating finances. The economy has been in recession for more than a year, and the government is in desperate need of foreign funding to avoid a default.

The EU holds out the promise of long-term economic benefits, with foreign investment and greater access to European markets. But Yanukovych wants the EU to come up with more immediate cash. Moscow might be more willing to offer a bailout and a better price for gas, but it expects Ukraine to join a Russia-dominated trade bloc instead. If Yanukovych were to make a deal with Putin, the reaction on the streets of Kiev would be fast and furious.

Yanukovych also has waffled on his reaction to the protests. Shortly after they began on Nov. 21, his government sent baton-swinging riot police to disperse a few hundred demonstrators spending the night on a central square. But the violence only galvanized the protests, and Yanukovych quickly apologized.

He seemed set to wait them out. But early Wednesday, riot police flooded into central Kiev and appeared to be preparing for a brutal assault, only to withdraw hours later when the protesters stood their ground.

To Yanukovych, the protest camp on Independence Square and the vast rallies must be a bitter reminder of the Orange Revolution, when similar demonstrations against voting fraud forced the annulment of a presidential election that he thought he had won.

But instead of vanishing from the political scene, he returned in 2006 as prime minister, a position he had held from 2002 to 2004. And in 2010, capitalizing on disappointment with the Orange government, he won election as president.

Yanukovych had only been in office a few months when a gust of wind once again made him look foolish. To honor the war dead on Victory Day, he was bowing his head in front of a large wreath when it was blown over by the wind in a direct hit. He freed himself from the branches, smoothed his hair and walked on.

Berry reported from Moscow.

Ukrainian leader offers talks, protesters say no

December 11, 2013

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Opposition leaders in Ukraine rejected President Viktor Yanukovych's offer of talks Wednesday, saying they will not sit down with him until he fires his government and releases all arrested demonstrators.

That stance reflected their growing confidence after the abrupt withdrawal of riot police from parts of Ukraine's capital early Wednesday raised protesters' hopes that weeks of demonstrations have eroded police support for Yanukovych and his government.

Yanukovych issued an invitation late in the day to political, religious and civil figures to join a national dialogue. But it gave no details about a proposed date for the talks — and could have been merely an attempt to buy time and mollify Western officials.

The opposition reaction was scathing. "Instead of a round table, what we got is a breakup (with) truncheons. The authorities are driving into a dead end," opposition leader Oleksandr Turchynov said. Yuri Lutsenko, a former Interior Minister who is now another opposition leader, said the police retreat shows that "basically only some units remain" loyal to Yanukovych.

"This is a great victory," Arseniy Yatsenyuk, leader of the largest opposition party in parliament, said of the police withdrawal. He spoke from the stage at Kiev's central Independence Square, where protesters have set up an extensive protest tent camp manned around the clock.

Western diplomats have increased their pressure on Yanukovych to seek a solution to the tensions that have paralyzed this economically troubled nation of 46 million. In response, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and other officials promised Wednesday that police would not act against peaceful protesters.

"I want to calm everyone down — there will be no dispersal" of protesters," Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko said in a statement, which did not explain why thousands of helmeted and shield-bearing police were deployed in the first place.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with Yanukovych on Wednesday after visiting the protest camp. "I made it absolutely clear that what happened last night, what is happening in security terms here, is absolutely impermissible in a European state, a democratic state," she said, referring to police scuffles with protesters.

In Washington, the State Department said it is evaluating all options, including possible U.S. sanctions against Ukraine. It didn't provide details, but in the past the U.S. has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on senior officials in oppressive governments.

Yanukovych's shelving in November of an agreement with the European Union to deepen economic and political ties has set off weeks of protests. Supporters of the EU pact — including many in Kiev, the capital — want Ukraine to become closer to Western Europe and distance itself from Russia, which ruled or dominated Ukraine for centuries.

Russia has worked hard to derail the accord, issuing a variety of trade threats, and Ukrainians in the east look more favorably on aligning closer with Russia. Yanukovych, who is seeking a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund to keep Ukraine from going bankrupt, is sensitive to the economic disruption that trade disputes with Russia can cause.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was also in Kiev, meeting with both government officials and opposition figures to urge them to hold talks. The flurry of police action in Kiev began about 1 a.m., when phalanxes approached Independence Square from several directions, tearing down some tents and barricades and scuffling with some protesters. Many protesters, wearing orange construction hats to protect themselves from police truncheons, locked arms against the police and some scuffles broke out.

Separately, three buses of riot police parked on the steps of the city administration building, about 300 meters (yards) away from the square. Protesters poured water on the steps, which quickly froze, and grappled with police.

The police returned to the buses and pulled away hours later, as protesters shouted "Shame!" and "Way to go!" The larger police contingent at the square also left and by Wednesday afternoon, new tents and barricades were being put up.

The protests are the biggest since Ukraine's pro-democracy Orange Revolution in 2004, which forced the annulment of Yanukovych's presidential victory in a fraud-tainted election and ushered his pro-Western opponents into power.

Yanukovych won back the presidency in the 2010 vote, narrowly defeating Yulia Tymoshenko, a key Orange Revolution figure. Tymoshenko was then imprisoned on charges of abuse of office, a case widely criticized in the West as political revenge.

Yuras Karmanau in Kiev and Laura Mills in Moscow contributed to this report.

Pope Francis is Time's Person of the Year

December 11, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) — Time magazine selected Pope Francis as its Person of the Year on Wednesday, saying the Catholic Church's new leader has changed the perception of the 2,000-year-old institution in an extraordinary way in a short time.

The pope beat out NSA leaker Edward Snowden for the distinction, which the newsmagazine has been giving each year since 1927. The former Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected in March as the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit. Since taking over at the Vatican, he has urged the Catholic Church not to be obsessed with "small-minded rules" and to emphasize compassion over condemnation in dealing with touchy topics like abortion, gays and contraception.

He has denounced the world's "idolatry of money" and the "global scandal" that nearly 1 billion people today go hungry, and has charmed the masses with his simple style and wry sense of humor. His appearances draw tens of thousands of people and his @Pontifex Twitter account recently topped 10 million followers.

"He really stood out to us as someone who has changed the tone and the perception and the focus of one of the world's largest institutions in an extraordinary way," said Nancy Gibbs, the magazine's managing editor.

The Vatican said the honor wasn't surprising given the resonance in the general public that Francis has had, but it nevertheless said the choice was a "positive" recognition of spiritual values in the international media.

"The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honors," said the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. "But if the choice of Person of Year helps spread the message of the Gospel — a message of God's love for everyone — he will certainly be happy about that."

It was the third time a Catholic pope had been Time's selection. John Paul II was selected in 1994 and John XXIII was chosen in 1962. In Argentina on Wednesday, Padre Toto, one of the many "slum priests" the pope supported for years as archbishop of Buenos Aires, praised Time magazine's selection.

"I think the recognition of Time magazine is good news, because Pope Francis embodies one of the values of a church that's more missionary, closer to the people, more austere, more in keeping with the gospel," Toto said. "He had the genius of knowing how to express this sense of the church and hopefully his way of being will catch on with other political leaders, business executives, sports figures. His leadership is inspiring."

Besides Snowden, Time had narrowed its finalists down to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and gay rights activist Edith Windsor, whose Supreme Court case led to the fall of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prevented same-sex couples from federal benefits.

President Barack Obama was Time's selection for 2012. Time editors make the selection. The magazine polled readers for their choice, and the winner was Egyptian General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who didn't even make the top 10 of Time's final list.

Associated Press writers Nicole Winfield in Rome and Rodrigo Abd in Buenos Aires contributed to this report.

'Pitchfork' protests spread across Italy in advance of confidence vote

Dec. 11, 2013

ROME, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Protests of the so-called "Pitchfork Movement" spread across Italy Wednesday as demonstrations against tax hikes driven by austerity measures gained ground.

Protest leaders threatened a large-scale demonstration in Rome if members of parliament did not withhold their votes from a confidence measure, ANSA reported.

In the third day of anti-government demonstrations, protesters in Turin blocked traffic while other protests around the city shut down food markets and other businesses.

Protesters in Genoa occupied the central square, while a large crowd gathered outside an office of the national tax collection agency in nearby Savona.

In Bisceglie, in southern Italy, protesters occupied the train station, slowing passenger and freight service.

Ahead of the confidence vote, Premier Enrico Letta called for elected officials to be respected.

"This republican Parliament and our offices demand respect in such bitter times," Letta said.

Beppe Grillo, leader of the Five-Star Movement, encouraged police to no longer protect politicians, but Letta said the "loyalty" of the police to upholding Italian democracy was "unquestionable."

Police at a recent protest took off their helmets, which was interpreted as an expression of solidarity with protesters. Police chiefs denied that, saying officers routinely removed their helmets as a way of ensuring the situation had calmed.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/12/11/Pitchfork-protests-spread-across-Italy-in-advance-of-confidence-vote/UPI-47511386775107/.

From seed to smoke, Uruguay testing legalized pot

December 11, 2013

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguay's drug control chief, Julio Calzada, is a nervous man.

As of Wednesday, he has just 120 days to deliver regulations controlling the world's first national marijuana market. President Jose Mujica's goal is to drive drug traffickers out of the dope business and reduce consumption by creating a safe, legal and transparent environment in which the state closely monitors every aspect of marijuana use, from seed to smoke. That means designing and maintaining an industry that is small, contained and profitable.

Congress only approved Mujica's grand "experiment" in broad strokes. The fine print must strike a delicate balance on issues including what strength to allow for marijuana, what price to charge, who can farm it, how to crack down on illegal growers, how to persuade users to buy from the state instead of a dealer, and how to monitor use without being seen as Big Brother. If the rules are too lenient, or too strict, the whole project could fail.

QUALITY: To compete against illegal dealers, the licensed product has to offer a good high, but not so good that consumption explodes or other problems ensue. Calzada told the AP that pharmacies might sell varieties with between 5 percent and 15 percent of THC, marijuana's psychoactive substance.

COST: Calzada said they might begin charging a dollar a gram, and raise or lower it in competition with illegal dealers. Opposition Sen. Jorge Larranaga said this could require subsidies, since in the Netherlands, a gram costs eight euros, more than 10 times as much. Calzada suggested legal pot can be grown much more cheaply in Uruguay.

SUPPLY: Calzada estimates that with fewer than 200,000 habitual smokers in the country of 3.3 million people, just 10 hectares (25 acres) could provide enough weed to complement marijuana produced by authorized pot-growing clubs and individuals licensed to grow a maximum of six plants at home. He said farmers have expressed interest, but how to choose them remains to be determined.

DEMAND: The goal is to persuade Uruguayan adults currently buying from illegal dealers to register with the state, and then crack down on illegal dealers and users. The registration process must be welcoming, and yet have built-in protections so the state can stop licensed users from reselling their legal pot to unregistered friends or even visiting tourists.

CLONING: To crack down on illegal supplies, licensed product must be identifiable. Mujica's wife, Sen. Lucia Topolansky, told the AP the state would provide cloned seeds whose plants can be traced. Opponents said that once license holders grow the allowed six plants at home, tracing legal weed may be impossible. Calzada said he's studying the problem.

MONITORING: Too much government intervention and people won't sign up for legal highs. Too little and the market could quickly spin out of control. Socialist Deputy Julio Bango, who co-authored the law, says they're drawing on the state of Colorado's experience for these logistics.

Mujica acknowledged that his government isn't "totally prepared," but said the global drug war has clearly failed. "Einstein said that there's nothing more absurd than trying to change the results by always repeating the same formula. That's why we want to try other methods," he said in an interview published Wednesday in the newspaper La Republica. "We know we've started down a road where there's no university to tell us what to do. But we have to try, because there's no blind man worse than the one who doesn't want to see."

Senators gave the plan its final congressional approval Tuesday night despite warnings by the U.N.'s International Narcotics Control Board that it violates a treaty signed by Uruguay limiting the legal use of cannabis and other narcotics to medical and scientific purposes.

Venezuela's foreign minister, Elias Jaua, on Wednesday called it an "audacious" and "innovative" move that his government will be closely evaluating as it's implemented.

Associated Press writer Leonardo Haberkorn reported this story in Montevideo and Michael Warren reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Black and white, thousands bid farewell to Mandela

December 12, 2013

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Black and white, old and young, South Africans by the thousands paid final tribute Wednesday to their beloved Nelson Mandela. In silence or murmuring, they filed past the coffin. Some glanced back, as if clinging to the sight, a moment in history.

One man raised his fist, the potent gesture of the struggle against white rule that Mandela led from prison. A woman fainted on the steps, and was helped into a wheelchair. They had only a few seconds to look at the man many called "tata" — father in his native Xhosa — his face and upper body visible through a clear bubble atop the casket, dressed in a black-and-yellow shirt of the kind he favored as a statesman

"I wish I can say to him, 'Wake up and don't leave us,'" said Mary Kgobe, a 52-year-old teacher, after viewing the casket at the century-old Union Buildings, a sandstone government complex overlooking the capital, Pretoria, that was once the seat of white power.

Wearing the black, green and gold of the African National Congress, the ruling party Mandela once led, she was among the multitude who endured hours in the sun to say goodbye to the man they call their father, liberator and peacemaker.

Kgobe said losing Mandela, who died Dec. 5 at 95, was like losing a part of herself. "This moment is really electrifying, knowing well what he did for us. I wish we could follow in his steps and be humble like he was," said Kgobe, whose grandfather, an ANC activist, was arrested several times.

Long lines of mourners snaked through the capital for a glimpse of Mandela's body as it lay in state for three days — an image reminiscent of the miles-long queues of voters who waited patiently to cast their ballots during South Africa's first all-race elections in 1994 that saw Mandela become the country's first black president.

At a parking lot where buses ferried people to the viewing, the mood was cheerful. When a bus carrying supporters of the ANC made a wrong turn and drove away from the Union Buildings, one man joked: "Do they think we will steal the body?"

There was order and respect once they disembarked at the foot of steps leading to a marquee that sheltered Mandela's casket. Signs on the wall said no firearms were allowed. Some people shielded themselves from the sun with squares of cardboard plastered with large images of Mandela.

"Today was the first day and the last day I saw him. ... I had to see him for myself even if I couldn't speak with him," said Amos Mafolo, who works in logistics for the South African police. When his four children are older, Mafolo said, he will sit them down and tell them where he was on this day.

Silver Mogotlane opened his heart, saying he knew Mandela as a symbol and a historical figure, but still wondered in awe: "Who is this man?" "I'm lost. My mind is lost," he said after passing the casket.

Police officers stood nearby, one holding a box of tissues. Mandela was lying in state in the same hilltop building where he made a stirring inaugural address that marked the birth of South Africa's democracy — an irony that was not lost on the throngs.

"It's amazing to think that 19 years ago he was inaugurated there, and now he's lying there," said another viewer, Paul Letageng. "If he was not here, we would not have had peace in South Africa." The mourners were joined by world leaders and Mandela family members, who walked silently past the casket at a special morning viewing, Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, and his former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, among them.

By the afternoon, long lines had formed, but the government said the cutoff point had been reached, urging people to arrive early on the following two days to get their chance. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, South African President Jacob Zuma and other leaders passed by the casket in two lines as four junior naval officers in white uniforms stood guard.

U2 frontman Bono also paid his respects, as did F.W. de Klerk, the last president of white rule who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela for ending apartheid. "I hope that his focus on lasting reconciliation will live and bloom in South Africa," de Klerk said.

South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, stood transfixed before removing his trademark black cowboy hat and crossing himself. The orderly proceedings were in contrast to a large-scale celebration Tuesday that went somewhat awry because of poor transport planning, faulty sound equipment and even an alleged impostor who, acting as an interpreter for the deaf, spouted nonsense rather than translating speeches by President Barack Obama and other statesmen.

The half-empty stands at that event led some to think the public had become apathetic, but the overwhelming response Wednesday showed South Africans' thirst for a simple way to say goodbye. On Wednesday morning, police on motorcycles escorted a hearse bearing Mandela's flag-draped coffin from a military hospital outside Pretoria. Hundreds lined the streets, singing songs from the struggle against the apartheid regime and calling out farewells to Mandela.

Army helicopters circled overhead, but a sudden quiet fell over the amphitheater as the hearse arrived. Eight warrant officers representing the services and divisions of the South African military carried the casket, led by a military chaplain in a purple stole. The officers set down the coffin and removed the flag.

Mandela's body is to be flown Saturday to Qunu, his rural childhood village in Eastern Cape Province, where he will be buried Sunday.

Associated Press writers Gregory Katz and Jon Gambrell in Johannesburg and Ben Curtis in Pretoria contributed to this report.

Quails in orbit: French cuisine aims for the stars

Paris (AFP)
Dec 11, 2013

It's your 150th day in space, and life is starting to resemble the movie "Groundhog Day" -- a repetitive daily routine interspersed with tugs of longing for life back on Earth.

Then, all of a sudden, things start to look up.

Mission Control has declared that today will be a "special day," and you can look forward to a lip-smacking, finger-lickin'-good gourmet meal at the end of it.

This is where France's space chefs come in.

In an initiative backed by top-of-the-line cuisinier Alain Ducasse, a team of cooks design and make "Special Event Meals" -- SEMs -- to enliven the nutritious but often dull freeze-dried diet of life in space.

About once a month, as the distant Earth rolls slowly beneath them, astronauts can feast on roasted quail, Breton lobster, hand-reared chicken from the Landes, casserole of Burgundy beef cheek, Riviera-style swordfish or duck breast in a caper sauce.

Dessert could be a lemon cream cake, chocolate cake, or "millefeuille" (literally, "thousand-leaf") puff pastry with fruit and cream filling.

As with almost everything connected with space, preparing food to be consumed in zero gravity comes with a range of challenges.

Rule no. 1 is safety, said Lionel Suchet, deputy head of France's Toulouse Space Center, who launched the program.

Because of a "no bacteria" requirement, the food must be handled in an ultra-clean environment.

'Captain Haddock' danger

Another potential devil is texture. Ingredients that provide a pleasant feel in the mouth on Earth could be lethal in space, Suchet said.

"Food can't be too dry, breaking up into crumbs that astronauts can inhale," he said.

"At the same time, you can't have it too liquid. If food is too runny, you get 'Captain Haddock Syndrome'," Suchet said.

This was a reference to an episode in one of the Tintin cartoon books, where a character's whisky rolls up disconcertingly into a ball as their spaceship speeds to the Moon.

"Captain Haddock Syndrome" may sound fun... but the balls of liquid can cause short circuits if they touch electronic gear.

Then there is ease of use. The food must fit in ultra-light aluminum tins that can be reheated on an induction cooktop.

And the astronauts must be able to consume the contents one-handed, using a spoon. Anything with bits that are too big, too tiny, too fiddly or need to be cut is a no-no.

France's National Center of Space Studies (CNES) has ordered up to 2,000 individual meals, from 25 recipes, for next year alone. They are certified by NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Henaff, a small pate-making company based at Pouldreuzic, Brittany, does the cooking, using a sterile chamber at its plant.

French culinary involvement in space dates back to 1993, when French astronaut Jean-Pierre Haignere returned from a mission aboard the Russian space station Mir.

Everything went well, but the food was another matter: day after day of black bread, cold herrings and tinned plasticky cheese... For any French palate, a cosmic nightmare.

In a rush of sympathy, Richard Filippi, a teacher at a restaurant school in Souillac -- appropriately in the foodie heartland of the Dordogne -- contacted the CNES, offering his help.

The meals proved an instant success. In 1997, when France was forced to cancel a manned mission to Mir, Russia's cosmonaut begged the CNES to send up the food anyway as they liked it so much.

"At this point, we discovered that there was an important issue at stake, not just in operational terms but also psychologically, for teams to meet for a good meal on special occasions," Suchet told AFP.

With Ducasse's help, the menu expanded to top-of-the-range offerings. SEMs were born in 2004, and five years later made their first appearance on the ISS.

The importance of festive meals is influencing preparations for manned missions to Mars.

Boredom and tensions between team members will be among the greatest obstacles on what is likely to be a round trip of two years in extreme confinement.

One idea is to have dishes that on "special days" pop out from secret compartments to provide crew with a tasty, morale-boosting surprise.

Source: Space-Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Quails_in_orbit_French_cuisine_aims_for_the_stars_999.html.

India's Supreme Court upholds anti-gay sex law

December 11, 2013

NEW DELHI (AP) — India's Supreme Court struck down a 2009 lower court decision to decriminalize homosexual conduct, dealing a blow Wednesday to gay activists who have fought for years for the chance to live openly in India's deeply conservative society.

The judges said only lawmakers and not the courts could change a colonial-era law that bans homosexual acts and makes them punishable by up to a decade in prison. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community across India reacted to the surprise decision with defiance.

"We cannot be forced back into the closet. We are not backing off from our fight against discrimination," said Gautam Bhan, an activist who had petitioned the court. After the ruling, dozens of activists outside the court began crying and hugging each other in consolation.

"This is a very sad day for us, we are back to square one in our fight for the democratic rights of the gay community," said Ashok Row Kavi of the activist group Humsafar Trust. Lawyers and supporters of gays, lesbians and transsexuals vowed to continue pressing for the removal of the law, which they say encourages discrimination, even if it is rarely invoked by prosecutors.

"We feel very let down," said lawyer Anand Grover, who had argued the case on behalf of the advocacy group NAZ Foundation. "But our fight is not over and we will continue to fight for the constitutional right."

He said the foundation would ask for the Supreme Court's decision to be reviewed. According to international human-rights groups, more than 70 countries around the world have laws criminalizing homosexual conduct, with India by far the most populous. Some other countries, while not explicitly outlawing gay sex, have measures that restrict gay-rights activities, such as Russia's recently enacted law prohibiting "gay propaganda."

Efforts to repeal colonial-era anti-sodomy laws have failed to gain much momentum in Africa and Asia, but there have been notable recent gay-rights gains in Latin America, where same-sex marriage or civil unions have been legalized in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and parts of Mexico.

The largest gay-rights group in the United States — the Human Rights Campaign — described the Indian court ruling as a "disturbing step backward." "It is incomprehensible that a court of law would take the side of discrimination against LGBT citizens," said the group's chief foundation officer, Jeff Krehely. "Criminalizing LGBT relationships leads to dangerous situations, not just for committed couples, but also for LGBT youth, who today received a deeply harmful message that they are less than equal."

The United States expressed concern about the Indian Supreme Court decision, although it wasn't immediately clear if Washington had directly raised the issue with Indian government officials. "We oppose all actions that criminalize consensual sex conducts between adults," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington. "We call on all governments to advance equality for LGBT individuals around the world."

But the court ruling was welcomed by a conservative U.S. legal advocacy group, Alliance Defending Freedom. "The India Supreme Court has ruled in the interest of the health of its society rather than the interests of activist groups trying to use the court to do their bidding," said the group's chief counsel, Benjamin Bull.

The law in question, dating back to the 1860s when Britain ruled over South Asia, states that "whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal" can be punished by up to 10 years behind bars.

The 2009 New Delhi High Court ruling, which said the law violated fundamental human rights, infuriated conservatives and religious groups who say homosexuality represents a threat to traditional Indian culture.

In a rare alliance, the groups — including the All India Muslim Law Board, Christian groups and Hindu spiritual leaders — argued that gay sex is unnatural and that India should maintain the law. Amod Kanth, head of the Prayas organization for children's welfare, one of India's largest civic groups, cheered Wednesday's ruling and said banning homosexuality is key to ensuring children's normal development and protecting their rights to family.

"Only a man and a woman constitute a family and contribute for the holistic development of a child, which is not possible without a father and a mother," Kanth told the Press Trust of India news agency.

Activists have long argued that the law encourages discrimination and leaves gays, lesbians and bisexuals vulnerable to police harassment or demands for bribes. In a country where arranged marriage is still largely the norm, many gays hide their sexual orientation from friends and relatives.

Acceptance is slowly growing, though, particularly in big cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai. In the last few years, activists have staged large gay pride parades featuring rainbow-colored flags and banners, joyful songs and dancing through the streets.

The government, meanwhile, has begun acknowledging India's transgender — or hijra — community, the origins of which go back millennia to a time when transsexuals, eunuchs and gays held a special place in society backed by Hindu myths of their power to grant fertility.

In 2009, the government allowed them to register to vote as "others," rather than as men or women. And in 2010, a new "third gender" category was added to the national census. Law Minister Kapil Sibal said little about Wednesday's verdict beyond agreeing that the "legislature is the final arbiter of what law should be."

If the issue comes up in Parliament, he said, "we will take it up."

AP National Writer David Crary in New York contributed to this report.