Polls close in a crucial Turkish parliamentary election

June 07, 2015

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has wrapped up a crucial parliamentary election that will determine whether ruling party lawmakers can rewrite the constitution to bolster the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Polls closed Sunday afternoon, but preliminary results are not expected to start coming in for some hours. Erdogan himself was not on the ballot. Still, the election was effectively a referendum on whether to endow his office with extraordinary powers that would significantly change Turkey's democracy and prolong his reign as the country's most powerful politician.

Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, the AKP, is expected to win significantly more votes than any opposition party but it must win a supermajority of the 550 seats in parliament to change the constitution.

All eyes will be on the results for the main Kurdish party, HDP. If it crosses a 10 percent threshold for entering parliament as a party, that would extinguish AKP's constitutional plans. The vote comes amid high tensions after bombings Friday during a HDP rally killed 2 people and wounded scores. On Sunday, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a suspect had been detained in the case, but provided no other details.

More than 53 million voters in Turkey and abroad are eligible to choose the deputies to the Grand National Assembly. If the ruling AKP wins a majority of 330 seats, it could call for a national referendum to change the constitution. If the party captures 367 seats, it could vote in a change without a referendum.

After casting his vote, HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas called for peace after what he saw as an "onerous and a troubled campaign." Aside from the constitutional issues, the election could have a major impact on the peace process to end decades of insurgency by Kurdish militants in Turkey.

Scuffles between rival party supporters were reported in at least two provinces Sunday, including one in Sanliurfa which injured 15 people. Erdogan has been Turkey's dominant politician since his party swept into power in 2002 — becoming prime minister in 2003 and leading his party to two overwhelming parliamentary election victories. In a gamble, last year he decided to run for president, banking that his party could later bolster his powers.

Under the current constitution, Erdogan is meant to stay above the political fray as president. But he has been campaigning vociferously, drawing complaints from the opposition that he is ignoring the constitution.

As he cast his vote Sunday, Erdogan praised the election as an indication of the strength of democracy in Turkey. "This strong democracy will be confirmed with the will of our people and extend the trust we have in our future," Erdogan said.

Early in the campaign, he called on voters to give AKP 400 deputies, but a slim majority for the ruling party is a more likely result. That could leave Erdogan stranded in the presidential palace without the powers he has long sought.

A narrow win by the AKP, however, could be the best result for Davutoglu, who would lose power if Erdogan has his way. Opposition parties, including the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, and the nationalist MHP party looked stronger in a recent poll, campaigning on positive economic agendas.

Hakan Kiziltan, an Ankara resident, expressed optimism after voting Sunday. "May it be good for our people and our country," he said. "I believe our country will go even further after these elections."

Police block entry to Istanbul park on protest anniversary

May 31, 2015

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish authorities have deployed thousands of police to block entry into Istanbul's Gezi Park, barring access to a few hundred demonstrators trying to mark the second anniversary of the start of the nationwide anti-government protests in 2013.

Holding carnations and shouting slogans, the protesters tried Sunday to march to Istanbul's main square where Gezi is located, but were blocked by police. They dispersed after delivering speeches and leaving carnations on a street leading to the square.

Hundreds of thousands of Turks took to the streets denouncing the government's increasingly autocratic leadership in May and June 2013. The protests were sparked by opposition to government plans to uproot trees at Gezi to build a shopping center. Thousands were wounded and at least 12 people died in protests that year.

Albania holds local polls, key to launch EU membership talks

June 21, 2015

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanians on Sunday voted in local municipal elections, a key step in their efforts to launch membership negotiations with the European Union.

Last year, Albania was granted EU candidate status and now Tirana is expecting to get approval for the launch of full membership negotiations. Besides tangible results in the rule of law, the justice system and the fight against crime and corruption, Brussels also expects free and fair elections in post-communist Albania, where they have always suffered from violence or manipulation and political squabbling.

"The June 21 election test, almost a year after getting the country's candidate status, should serve as our main investment in launching the membership negotiations with the European Union," President Bujar Nishani said Friday in a call for participation.

About 3.4 million voters were eligible to cast their ballots in the country's seventh local elections since the fall of communism in 1990 to elect 61 mayors and 1,595 municipal counsellors. There were no immediate official figures on the turnout.

Voting started Sunday at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and ended at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT), although some stations remained open after that to allow people waiting in line to cast their ballots. About 6,000 police officers were deployed near 5,300 polling stations and hundreds of army special troops were guarding government buildings and embassies. Initial reports suggested the voting had proceeded peacefully in most places with only a few minor acts of violence.

Officials from the governing Socialists and the opposition Democrats called on counting commissioners to be careful and fair in the process, which has previously been marred by differences and efforts of manipulation.

The focus is on the mayor of Tirana, where a 37-party coalition led by Prime Minister Edi Rama's Socialists has nominated former social affairs minister Erion Veliaj, while the 15-party opposition led by outgoing Mayor Lulzim Basha's Democrats tapped parliamentarian Halim Kosova as its candidate.

Following the polls, the country will change its local governance to only 61 town halls instead of the previous 373 town halls and communes in an effort to cut expenses and increase the independence of local authorities.

Around 200 international observers are monitoring the polls. They will report preliminary findings on Monday. The law says results must be revealed no later than three days after the vote.

Ghannouchi discloses attempts to eradicate Tunisian Islamists

Saturday, 11 July 2015

Head of Ennahda movement Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghannouchi has expressed concern with attempts by some to return to a program of trying to "annihilate" Islamists in Tunisia, Quds Press reported on Friday.

Al-Ghannouchi downplayed these attempts, saying they are unlikely to succeed. "There are weak attempts, but they are not feasible because the collective voice in Tunis is not to exploit and benefit from calamities; instead the prevailing voice is that of unity and fighting terror," he said.

Meanwhile, he called for all Tunisians to unite in fighting terror and regain the confidence of the Europeans in their country.

He reiterated that the aggression which targeted Tunis aimed to destroy the state, the revolution, rights and freedoms, democracy, as well as the image of Islam.

Al-Ghannouchi stressed that Tunis is facing an "existential danger" which requires every Tunisian to become involved in the war to defend the country, the revolution and Islam.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/19787-ghannouchi-discloses-attempts-to-eradicate-tunisian-islamists.

Saud al-Faisal, former Saudi foreign minister, dies

July 10, 2015

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's Prince Saud al-Faisal, who was the world's longest-serving foreign minister with 40 years in the post until his retirement this year, has died, the ministry spokesman said Thursday. He was 75.

The tall, stately Prince Saud was a fixture of Mideast diplomacy, representing the oil-rich Gulf powerhouse as it wielded its influence in crisis after crisis shaking the region — from Lebanon's civil war in the 1970s and 1980s, through multiple rounds of Arab-Israeli peace efforts, the 1990 Iraqi invasion of neighboring Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War, al-Qaida's Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to the current day's tensions between the Arab Gulf bloc and Iran, Arab Spring uprisings, Syria's civil war and the spread of Islamic State group extremists.

The country's government-owned media announced Saud's death after midnight Friday. The official announcement, carried by state television, did not state the cause of death. The prince had undergone multiple surgeries in recent years for his back, which left him walking with a cane, and for other ailments.

Word of his passing first emerged late Thursday when Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman, Osama Nugali, wrote on his official Twitter feed, "The eye tears, the heart saddens. We all are saddened to be separated from you."

The prince, who took the ministry post in 1975, retired on April 29, citing health reasons. At the time, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed him, saying he "has not just been the planet's longest-serving Foreign Minister but also among the wisest." He was succeeded in the post by Adel al-Jubeir, who before that was Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Washington.

Kerry expressed his condolences to Saud's family and friends, King Salman and to the people of Saudi Arabia, saying the prince was "a man of vast experience, personal warmth, great dignity, and keen insights who served his country loyally and well."

"I personally admired him greatly, valued his friendship, and appreciated his wise counsel," Kerry added. "His legacy as a statesman and diplomat will not be forgotten." President Barack Obama said in a statement that generations of U.S. leaders and diplomats benefited from Saud's "thoughtful perspective, charisma and poise, and diplomatic skill."

Saud was the son of Saudi Arabia's third king, Faisal, who ruled from 1964 until he was assassinated in 1975. Prince Saud, who had a bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton University and had been deputy petroleum minister, was soon after appointed to the foreign minister post, which his father had held during his reign. The young prince, fluent in English and French, brought an air of sophistication and charisma, whether in crisp suits or in the traditional Saudi white robe and gold-trimmed black cloak with a red-checkered head piece. Soft spoken, he often showed a sense of humor not often seen among the publicly stolid royal family.

He was father to six children, three boys and three girls. King Salman's son, Prince Sultan, is married to one of Prince Saud's daughters. The late prince's brothers are also known as highly educated and eloquent, with Prince Khaled al-Faisal serving as the governor of Mecca and another brother, Prince Turki al-Faisal, heading a research center and think tank after decades as the head of intelligence.

Mamoun Fandy, author of Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent, said his death marks the end of an era as the elder royals move to shift power to younger princes. "The history of Saudi foreign policy is al-Faisal, both him and his father," he said. "It's how the world knew Saudi Arabia, through al-Faisal."

Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said the world lost a "noble" diplomat who defended his nation with "courage and valor." Iyad Madani, the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the world's largest body of Muslim nations, said the prince fought major political battles in his career for the sake of his country and for the Muslim world.

He led Saudi diplomacy over a period that saw the kingdom — once better known for behind-the-scenes influence — become more overt in throwing its weight in affairs across the Mideast. Tending to the alliance with the United States was a major part of that. Saddam's invasion of Kuwait brought U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia, a deployment that raised some opposition among Saudis.

Al-Faisal played a key role in patching ties with the United States which were strained by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. He insisted in public speeches that Islam and Muslims are not the enemy, saying in 2004 in an address at the European Policy Center in Brussels: "You just cannot dismiss a 1,400-year-old culture and civilization by stigmatizing it as merely a hatchery for terrorism."

After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq ousted Saddam, Saudi Arabia often bristled over the consequences — the rise of Shiite power in Baghdad and the growing influence there of Shiite-led Iran, the kingdom's top rival. Saud "had to explain to the world how they hated Saddam Hussein, but objected handing over Iraq to Iran," Fandy said.

Al-Faisal was not seen as a hawk toward Iran, but was part of the leadership that saw the Shiite powerhouse across the Gulf waters as the main challenge to Sunni-led Saudi Arabia. Last year, he invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to visit Saudi Arabia, but later accused Iran of fomenting unrest throughout the Middle East. Zarif ended up visiting shortly after King Abdullah's death in late January and expressed hopes of greater co-operation with the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

Among the stories shared about the prince by Western diplomats in Riyadh is that at one point, he had approached King Abdullah to ask to retire as foreign minister, saying he was tired and needed to rest. The monarch declined his request, telling him, "So I should be the only one to die in office?"

In one of his last public appearances as foreign minister in March, he helped rally efforts for Saudi Arabia to lead a coalition of Arab countries to bomb Yemen's Shiite rebels who had taken over the capital there. "We are not warmongers, but if the drums of war call for it, we are prepared," Saud said in a speech to the kingdom's consultative Shura Council, arguing that Yemen was integral to overall Gulf security and that Iran was behind the rebels.

__ Keath reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Ellen Knickmeyer in San Francisco contributed to this report.

Bahraini opposition leader released after 4 years

June 20, 2015

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — A top Bahraini opposition leader was released Friday after more than four years in prison for his role in protests calling for reform in the Gulf kingdom.

The WAAD (National Democratic Action Society) group confirmed on its official Twitter account that Ibrahim Sharif was released Friday. Sharif was sentenced in June 2011 to five years in prison for plotting to overthrow Bahrain's 200-year-old monarchy.

Sharif was one of 20 prominent pro-democracy activists calling for political reforms who were convicted by a military-led tribunal after the government cracked down on them. He was leading WAAD at the time of his arrest in March 2011.

Bahrain's majority Shiites, inspired by Arab Spring protests elsewhere, launched an uprising seeking to limit the wide-ranging powers of the ruling Sunni dynasty. The strategic island nation is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Brian Dooley, a program director with Human Rights First, applauded the release. "More than four years after President Obama called for the release of peaceful opposition leaders in Bahrain Ebrahim Sharif is finally out," he said in a statement. "This is a long overdue move, and he should never have been jailed in the first place."

Heritage title for Japan industry sites draws mixed reaction

July 06, 2015

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese officials Monday celebrated the U.N. cultural body's approval of world heritage status for 23 historic sites showing the country's transformation from feudal isolation into an industrial power at the end of the 19th century.

Seoul portrayed the decision as a diplomatic win after Japan also agreed to acknowledge its history of forcing tens of thousands of South Koreans, Chinese and World War II prisoners of war to work at dozens of factories, mines and other industrial facilities, conscripted to fill labor shortages especially toward the end of the war. China called for a better accounting from Tokyo on its past forced labor practices.

Though the number of survivors is dwindling, some of those who endured starvation, abuse by their captors and bombardment are still seeking redress, or at least apology. Until recently, Seoul had objected to the listing by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee unless the role of Korean prisoners forced to work at the sites during World War II was formally recognized. The two countries sparred for weeks but eventually reached a compromise that finessed the issue. It is unlikely to entirely finish it, however.

"Japan is prepared to take measures that allow an understanding that there were a large number of Koreans and others who were brought against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions in the 1940s at some of the sites," the Japanese delegation said in a statement.

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said the country was pleased that the sites were recognized "in the form that takes account of our legitimate concerns." "We have achieved our principle and position that historical truths must be reflected as they are," he said.

Japanese officials expressed their delight with the UNESCO listings, which include Gunkanjima, or "Battleship Island," a former coal mine on a fortress island off Japan's southwest coast. Kenji Kitahayashi, the mayor of Kitakyushu, a city where the Yawata steel mill, which used thousands of forced laborers, is located, said the value of places that "became the driving force of Japan's industrial development has gained global recognition."

Japan's foreign minister, Fumio Kishida, said in a statement that Japan would "sincerely address the recommendations by the International Council on Monuments and Sites," which asked that Japan acknowledge that foreign workers were forced to labor at many of the sites and that its exhibits reflect the entire history of those places.

But Kishida emphasized that Japan had not budged in its stance that any issues related to compensation, including forced labor, were settled decades ago. China's official Xinhua News Agency cited Beijing's UNESCO envoy as questioning Japan's recognition of that past.

"There still lacks an adequate account from Japan of the whole facts surrounding the use of forced labor," it cited Zhang Xiuqin, the UNESCO ambassador, as saying. She urged Japan to ensure that "the sufferings of each and every one of the forced laborers are remembered, and their dignity upheld."

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Monday at a regular briefing that "Japan should win trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community with practical actions."

AP writer Emily Wang contributed to this report.

Not friends yet, but Japan and South Korea are talking

June 21, 2015

TOKYO (AP) — Foreign ministers from Japan and South Korea held a rare meeting Sunday on the eve of the 50th anniversary of their countries normalizing relations marred by Japan's colonization and World War II conquest.

Yet, the ties between the most important U.S. allies in Asia are so low that the major outcomes of the talks were an agreement to keep discussing difficult historical issues and to work together to achieve a first meeting between their leaders. As a small step, the two countries' leaders will attend Monday's ceremonies in their respective capitals, instead of just exchanging written statements as once anticipated.

Yun Byung-se's visit Sunday was the first by a South Korean foreign minister since 2011. Yun and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, shook hands but made no comment during the several minutes of media coverage at the outset of their highly sensitive talks. The ministers then held talks for two hours before talking for another hour over Japanese "tempura" cuisine, which Japanese officials said was a good start. But Japanese officials were tight-lipped about whether any progress was made on Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women and other outstanding issues related to wartime history.

Yun is set to pay a courtesy visit to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday before attending anniversary events in Tokyo. Kishida told reporters late Sunday the two ministers agreed to regularly meet and make efforts to have their leaders meet "at an appropriate time." He also said that the two sides agreed to cooperate to promote UNESCO World Heritage listings of each other's sites, but did not elaborate on whether either side made concessions. Seoul has objected to Japanese industrial sites, criticizing Japan for neglecting their dark history of using Korean slave laborers.

Japanese officials said Monday's appearance by both leaders at the ceremonies would be a significant step to show their intention to improve the relations. Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye have yet to hold fully fledged bilateral talks since taking office in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Washington has been concerned about its allies' strained relations.

"It's a grave situation, and what's more serious is that Japan's diplomacy toward South Korea has turned harsher against the backdrop of public sentiment," said Junya Nishino, a political science professor at Keio University.

They are rooted in Japan's colonization of Korea, from 1910 to the end of World War II. The relations improved in the late 1990s, following Japanese apologies, cultural exchanges and a Korean pop culture boom in the 2000s, but nosedived a few years ago largely because of differences over their shared history.

Many Koreans still remember Japan's 35-year colonization as the era of brutality and humiliation, during which they were forced to use Japanese names and language while their pride, heritage and sense of identity were severely threatened. After ties were normalized, three more decades passed before Seoul officially allowed Japanese films and other popular culture back into the country.

A downturn started in 2012, when then-South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited a cluster of Seoul-controlled islets also claimed by Japan. As public sentiment soured, ethnic Koreans in Japan, many of whom descendants of forced laborers, became target of racial insults by right-wing extremists.

Anti-Korean books and magazines have become bookstore staples, while Korean pop idols who once dominated Japanese TV shows have largely disappeared, and many shops in downtown Tokyo once known as Korea Town closed.

Nishino said the deterioration in relations could also be traced to South Korea's rising economic clout and international profile, which have touched a nerve for many Japanese, who have lost confidence in their own leadership amid economic slump and political disarray.

Tokyo maintains that the 1965 treaty settled all compensation claims between Japan and South Korea, but Seoul says wartime crimes, including sexual slavery, should be readdressed. Economic relations are still generally strong, although Japanese tourist arrivals and direct investment in South Korea have declined since 2012, while those from South Korea have remained relatively stable.

At least 2 dead in Ukraine sports club attack

July 11, 2015

MOSCOW (AP) — At least two people were killed Saturday in a gun and grenade attack in a western Ukraine city involving the country's notorious nationalist militia Right Sector.

Police had surrounded some gunmen in a wooded area of the city of Mukachevo and were trying to negotiate their peaceful surrender, a statement from the regional prosecutor's office said. But details of the violence remained confused.

The prosecutor's statement said about 20 armed people bearing Right Sector insignia surfaced in the early afternoon and called for a meeting with local residents at a cafe. They then began shooting, the statement said.

Ukrainian news reports earlier said that the violence broke out at a sports facility reportedly controlled by a national parliament member from a faction opposed to Right Sector. It wasn't clear whether the cafe referred to by the prosecutor statement was part of that facility.

The sports complex is connected to a national parliament member from a faction strongly opposed to Right Sector, said Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Interior Ministry. A Right Sector statement reported by Ukrainian news media said two of the militia's members had been killed. But Gerashchenko said three were killed and that three policemen and four civilians were wounded. He also said the attackers destroyed two police cars with grenade launchers.

The Right Sector statement said its members were attacked by "bandits" connected to Mikhail Lano, who reportedly controlled the sports facility, which local media said includes a gym and swimming pool.

Right Sector was one of the most militant factions in the massive protests in Ukraine's capital that led to pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych fleeing the country in February 2014. After war broke out in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russia separatists several months later, Right Sector has fought on the government side and Amnesty International has accused the group of holding civilians as prisoners and torturing them.

Right Sector leader Dmytro Yarosh holds a seat in parliament, but the group has little formal involvement in conventional politics. Russia has been harshly critical of Ukrainian leaders for not taking a firm stand against Right Sector, saying Kiev's apparent tolerance of the group suggests the government harbors fascist leanings.

The Russian foreign ministry's envoy for human rights, Konstantin Dolgov, seized on Saturday's events to renew the criticism. "Right Sector has again shown its bandit face in Mukachevo. In Kiev, they don't want to break with neo-Nazis," he wrote on Twitter.

A member of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's bloc, Irina Friz, meanwhile said on Facebook that "I don't exclude the presence of Russian traces in the incident ... as this region is in the zone of interest for Russian special services."

Mukachevo is in far western Ukraine, near the borders of Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Ukraine's self-defense units look for the enemy within

July 11, 2015

ODESSA, Ukraine (AP) — Striding through headquarters, Todor Panevsky gleefully announced that comrades in his self-defense unit had detained a pro-Russian separatist sympathizer in this picturesque port city.

"We'll ask him a few questions and then we'll hand him over to the security services," said Panevsky, a portly part-time opera singer who has refashioned himself as the commander of an armed patriotic vanguard against secessionist sentiment in Odessa.

Odessa lies more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) west of the front line in east Ukraine, where government troops are mired in a war of attrition against Russian-backed separatists. Still, anxiety about a second front emerging here is fueled by regular news of arrests of people suspected of plotting militant anti-government activities.

Panevsky says authorities aren't doing their job and units like his are stepping in. "The fight against separatism should be carried out by the security services, which are completely corrupt and compromised," he said.

His organization comprises 300 active volunteers, but that he can draw on hundreds more in the event of mass unrest, Panevsky said. The hardcore members of the unit gather for light arms training at a camp outside Odessa at the weekend.

The legal status of such self-defense units is unclear, and some in the city speculate that they may be set on a collision course with authorities nervous about the presence of unaccountable armed gangs.

By Panevsky's own admission, his unit's activities clearly cross into legally questionable territory. While giving a tour of his group's headquarters, he showed a dank basement room where he said detained people are sometimes kept.

Pressed about the whereabouts of the captured pro-Russian activist, Panevsky demurred and said the man would soon be released. He quickly changed the subject, instructing underlings to organize a honey-trap drug purchase to catch a small-time pusher. It was unclear whether the suspected separatist agitator was in fact detained.

Odessa has not been spared its share of unrest. The city tipped into bloodshed in May last year, when clashes between pro-unity and pro-Russian activists culminated in 48 deaths. The bulk of those deaths occurred after the pro-Russian crowd was cornered in a trade union building that was later set alight.

Those events had an almost instantaneous chilling effect on the activities of Russia-leaning activists. Those who agree to speak publicly are wary about labels that they fear could attract attention from authorities.

"When somebody says that I am pro-Russian and they are pro-Ukrainian, it feels as though they want to annul my Ukrainian citizenship," said Maurice Ibrahim, a leading figure in the anti-government Kulikove Pole movement in Odessa. Kulikove Pole is named for the city square where the activists habitually congregate.

Ibrahim's background is a vivid illustration of the eclectic mix of interests encompassed by the movement that militates for Ukraine to develop closer ties with Russia instead of the West. He left behind the civil war in his native Lebanon in the mid-1980s to study in Odessa, and stayed. He became a Ukrainian citizen 10 years ago.

For Ibrahim, the appeal of the pro-Russian camp stems from his radical left-wing political views. Others in his movement cleave to more emotive issues of ethnic ties to Russia, language rights and the perceived notion — energetically propagated by Kremlin media — that the Ukrainian government is pursuing a far-right agenda.

Citizens of Odessa predominantly speak Russian, the lingua franca that unites a city renowned for its rich and long history of ethnic diversity. The promotion of a loudly Ukrainian nationalistic message smarts with those Odessans who take pride in their distinctive identity.

Moscow's hand is seen behind much of the violent trouble that has hit Ukraine over the past year, including in Odessa. In April, the Security Service of Ukraine announced it had detained 10 people suspected of planning to set off explosions in the city. The security services said the group was found in possession of bomb-making equipment, guns and flak jackets. Officials claimed the men were being coordinated by the Russian special services, although it offered no evidence.

Odessa's regional branch of security services told The Associated Press it could divulge no information on people currently facing charges of separatist activities, but it did say that no Russian citizens have been arrested.

Ibrahim and like-minded activists denied those in Kulikove Pole had any connection to subversive activities. "The blasts, these are likely the work of solo operators," Ibrahim said. "They imagine that they are doing something that will benefit us somehow, whereas in fact they are only doing us harm."

When not patrolling the streets or trying to apprehend petty criminals, the Ukrainian patriotic groups also indulge in low-level intimidation of anti-government, pro-Russian groups. A press conference in Odessa last week given by the lawyer of a jailed Kulikove Pole activist was mobbed by a group of muscled men, who heckled and laughed throughout the proceedings. One man seen in the room was a leading figure in Panevsky's organization.

Nadezhda Melnichenko, a reporter with Odessa-based news site Timer, whose editorial line is strongly critical of the current government, said such petty harassment is commonplace. "There is nobody here for them to physically attack, but the appearance of young men with powerful bodies has a certain intimidating effect," Melnichenko said outside the press conference hall.

Panevsky argued that with the country fighting a war against what most Ukrainians believe to be an external aggressor — Russia — there is no room for squeamishness about going after those perceived to be a threat.

"It's very important to look after every small piece of land, every millimeter of Ukraine," Panevsky said. "We can't allow anybody to denigrate or destroy our national values."

Researchers discover ancient flower that naturally treats diabetes; Big Pharma immediately begins developing synthetic version

Friday, July 10, 2015
Ethan A. Huff

(NaturalNews) Israeli researchers have discovered an amazing plant native to their region that apparently helps treat type-2 diabetes naturally without the need for drugs or injections. But rather than promote the actual plant as a therapeutic option for patients, the team is instead working with drug companies to isolate the plant's "active ingredient" so it can be synthesized and turned into a patented, corporate-owned pharmaceutical drug.

The plant is known as Chiliadenus iphionoides, or sharp varthemia, and it has a stocky, furry-looking stem that produces spiny yellow flowers. In both cellular and animal models, extracts from this aromatic shrub have been shown to exhibit antidiabetic activity, helping to improve sugar absorption into muscle and fat cells, as well as reduce blood sugar levels.

Based on these powerful outcomes, as reported in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, sharp varthemia appears to be a godsend for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus, which the American Diabetes Association says is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. today. But you won't find the plant at your local CVS or Walgreens pharmacy, and you likely never will.

Whole-plant sharp varthemia can't be patented, so drug companies will steal one component in order to capitalize on it

It's not that sharp varthemia isn't effective at treating diabetes; it is, otherwise the researchers who discovered it wouldn't have stated the following in their study:

"Chiliadenus iphionoides extract increased insulin secretion in s cells as well as glucose uptake in adipocytes and skeletal myotubes. The extract also displayed hypoglycemic activity in the diabetic sand rat. ... Chiliadenus iphionoides exhibits considerable anti-diabetic activity, although the mechanism of action remains to be determined."

This is quite clearly a positive clinical outcome, but it doesn't do much to fatten the wallets of drug industry CEOs and executives who only profit when medicinal components are isolated and synthesized. Since natural plants can't be patented (at least not yet), there's no money to be made from selling sharp varthemia in whole-plant form.

Instead, scientists will have to figure out a way to steal the plant's "active ingredient," which in and of itself is a misnomer, since plants contain a host of bioactive components that work synergistically to promote healing. The complexity of this synergy is far beyond what any human scientist could ever comprehend, of course, hence the mysteries of the natural healing arts. But none of this matters when there's profits to be made.

Bio-piracy is the essence of the pharmaceutical industry; natural plants and herbs work better, but they don't generate billions in profits!

In the case of sharp varthemia, scientists working on behalf of drug industry moguls will identify what they believe to be the plant's "active ingredient," which they will then use to develop a drug that can be patented and sold for billions of dollars. And if anyone tries to sell the plant in whole form as medicine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will surely swoop in and declare sharp varthemia to be an "unapproved drug."

Such a scenario is bio-piracy at its finest, robbing nature of her lifeblood in order to turn pieces of it into a for-profit, "sick care" health management pill or vaccine, and it's the foundation upon which the pharmaceutical industry is built.

It's exactly what drug companies did with the Madagascar periwinkle, a traditional medicine native to Africa that works as a natural appetite suppressant. It's also been shown effective in the treatment of leukemia which, once drug companies found out about this, resulted in components of the plant being bio-pirated and sold for huge profit.

"We need to do more in developing countries regarding informing people about biopiracy," said Yoke Ling Chee of the Third World Network, as quoted by DW.de. "But we also need to create more awareness among consumers so when they use products they know that biopiracy might be involved."

Source: NaturalNews.
Link: http://www.naturalnews.com/050351_natural_medicine_diabetes_sharp_varthemia.html.

Myanmar opposition to run in November polls despite doubts

July 11, 2015

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) — The Myanmar opposition party led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi announced Saturday it will contest the general election on Nov. 8 despite misgivings about transparency, in an effort to challenge the ruling military-backed party.

"We will contest the election to continue implementing the democratic transition that has yet to be achieved," Suu Kyi told reporters in the capital, Naypyitaw. Suu Kyi is still unable to run for president after lawmakers recently turned down efforts to amend the constitution. Her party boycotted the 2010 polls because it considered election rules to be unfair. It took part in by-elections in 2012 after changes were made, winning almost all seats it contested — which nonetheless represented a small bloc in Parliament.

Myanmar was under army rule from 1962 until 2011, when the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party took power. President Thein Sein, a senior leader in the former military government, introduced surprising reforms, especially in the economy, but their pace has slowed, and the military still is the ultimate power-holder.

Asked if the elections will be free and fair, Suu Kyi replied: "Not completely." She said the main concern is the voter list, which she said contains "many, many errors. ... It means that the voter concerned will not be allowed to cast his or her vote on the day of the election and this is a grave concern for us."

Her party has repeatedly said the election cannot be free or fair if the constitution is not amended. The constitution was enacted during military rule, and gives the army a dominant say in the administration of the country. One clause mandates that 25 percent of the seats in Parliament must be held by the military, ensuring it has veto power over constitutional amendments. Another clause has the effect of barring Suu Kyi from presidency.

Suu Kyi's party was on the cusp of taking power in 1990, when it won a landslide victory, two years after a pro-democracy uprising was crushed by the military, and Suu Kyi — daughter of the country's independence hero Gen. Aung San — became the country's most popular political figure.

They had won although she and senior colleagues were in detention, only to have the polls declared invalid by the army. Two decades of sharp repression followed. A total of 498 seats for the lower and upper houses, 644 region and state parliament seats and 29 seats representing ethnic groups are up for grabs in November.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday that a credible vote will be an important step in Myanmar's democratic transition. He said the U.S. was providing technical support to the election commission, political parties and civil society to ensure elections are "inclusive and transparent." But the influential leader of the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell, said the United States should not provide trade benefits to Myanmar until after November parliamentary elections indicate the state of political reform .

McConnell strongly criticized Myanmar's government for blocking constitutional changes last month.

Associated Press writers Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.