Thousands of Belgians protest against austerity measures

11 March 2015 Wednesday

About 10,000 people have gathered in the Belgian capital of Brussels to protest against the center-right government’s "austerity" measures.

Workers and labor unions said on Wednesday they had been angered by austerity measures being imposed by Belgium’s new center-right government, which include a two-year extension to the age of retirement, cuts in spending on healthcare and delays to the indexation of wages in relation to prices.

Between 8,000 and 10,000 people attended the demonstration, local media reported, where protesters held banners reading "No Poverty" and fired smoke flares at a square in central Brussels.

Belgium’s four-party coalition government under Prime Minister Charles Michel, which took office on October 11, has also pledged to cut corporation tax from 33 percent to 25 percent.

"The plan is the answer we need to confront the main handicap of the European economy - the lack of investment," Moscovici said.

However, the heavily trailed €315 billion investment plan, presented by EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker last November, was widely criticized at the time after it was disclosed that only €21 billion of money was actually available - reallocated from existing funds.

Juncker said in November the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) was based on reallocating funds and luring private investors into the scheme instead of taking on new debt in an effort to revive the struggling EU economy.

He said the three-year scheme, starting in June 2015, would use public "seed money" of €21 billion, with the EU financing €16 billion from its budget and the European Investment Bank (EIB) providing the remaining €5 billion.

It is understood the "seed money" would come in the form of guarantees to be used to raise private funding for investment in higher-risk projects valued at the estimated €315 billion.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/156438/thousands-of-belgians-protest-against-austerity-measures.

Lithuania marks 25th anniversary of Soviet exit

March 11, 2015

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania has marked the 25th anniversary of its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union amid warnings that its freedom could once again come under threat.

In celebrations overshadowed by Moscow's intervention in Ukraine — another former Soviet republic — Lithuanian independence leader Vytautas Landsbergis told lawmakers Wednesday not to take freedom for granted or "our success story may soon become a temporary success story."

Current President Dalia Grybauskaite urged Lithuanians to show strength and courage as "the rattle of the guns is heard" from the east. Lithuania, now a member of NATO and the European Union, became the first Soviet republic to declare independence on March 11, 1990. But it only achieved its freedom over a year later after a failed communist coup in Moscow.

Muslim dentist opens free clinic in California

10 March 2015 Tuesday

Growing up in a large lower middle-class family on his father’s teaching salary, Makbul Patel said he learned early the value of a dollar. In his private practice, he saw that people were in need and wanted to help them, saying that this project is something that is close to his heart

World Bulletin / News Desk

When he immigrated to America about 30 years ago, Makbul Patel experienced something he hadn’t in his native India – a bone-chilling winter.

Patel, who lives in Riverside with his wife, Nasim, said his first stop when he came to the United States to continue practicing dentistry was Chicago.

“It was amazing,” he said. “When I came to Chicago, I saw my first winter. I didn’t have any exposure to snow.”

In an article in The Press Enterprise, Patel explains how who lived in California called him and urged him to come to a warmer climat which he did six months later. Thirty years later he has been serving patients in the Inland Empire and helping the community through his work and volunteer efforts.

Patel, 57, earned recognition from the city in late 2014 for his service when he received a Riverside Heroes Award.

Patel also founded Al-Shifa Dental Clinic, a free clinic in San Bernardino that provides care to patients regardless of their income, social background, religion, race or ethnicity.

Patel, a devout Muslim, sees his mission to help people in need as a duty, he said.

“In my faith, medicine is a noble profession,” he said. “So serving the community is one of the noble things to do.”

Patel has been very active in his community especially as he saw a sharp rise in anti-Muslim sentiment after the 9/11 terrorist attacks - he spearheaded several efforts to connect the Muslim community with Riverside, and established the Open Mosque Day event, inviting the public to visit and learn about Islam.

He helped to establish the Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner in Riverside, an event that brings residents from various faiths and walks of life together.

Omar Zaki, who met Patel more than 15 years ago at the Islamic Center, nominated his friend for the Heroes Award. What he saw in Patel, was his ability to give and still maintain his piety and humbleness. He pointed out that for Patel, the driving force was his Islamic faith.

“As a Muslim, it’s his responsibility to help others. He does this without asking for him. He is the guy in the back of the room doing 90 percent of the heavy lifting.”

Zaki recalled how Patel created an annual event that recognized students graduating from high school and going on to college, giving each youth a gift and providing them with a boost from the community.

“This man has really tried to demonstrate to everyone he has come across what the meaning of being a good Muslim is,” Zaki said. “He does so with his generosity. We as American Muslims need more Dr. Patels.”

Patel, born one of 10 children in Gujarat, India, was the first in his family to become a dentist but his shining example also has spurred his son Sameer and daughter Asma to dentistry and  a nephew who is also studying. His youngest son Hamza is at UC Riverside and is considering dentistry as well.

Patel’s nonprofit dental clinic is closest to his heart. Patel said in 1999, a group of Muslims started a nonprofit medical clinic in the unincorporated area of Muscoy. In 2004, Patel opened a dental office there.

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” he said. “I came here and saw lots of people who come to my dental office with no insurance. I was looking for a good opportunity. I’ve always wanted to give back to the community.”

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/156349/muslim-dentist-opens-free-clinic-in-california.

Zaytuna: First Muslim College in America

09 March 2015 Monday

On Wednesday, March 4, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) granted Zaytuna College accreditation. WASC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and accredits institutions in several Western states, including Zaytuna’s neighbors such as Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Accreditation from WASC is a mark of credibility, and after extensive collaboration they passed on the decision to grant Zaytuna College accreditation. This effectively affirms Zaytuna’s strong educational mission and organization as well as its commitment to institutional quality, financial stability and accountability. It helps ensure that Zaytuna successfully fulfills the objectives outlined in its curriculum, which grounds its students in both the Islamic and Western scholarly traditions.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/156312/zaytuna-first-muslim-college-in-america.

Argentine farmers strike to protest leftist govt

11 March 2015 Wednesday

Most Argentine farmers halted crop sales on Wednesday, a farming group said, kicking off a three-day strike that will reduce the delivery of grains to port but is unlikely to affect exports because of sufficient reserves in storage.

Three out of the four largest farming groups in the South American grains powerhouse are taking part in the strike to protest leftist President Cristina Fernandez's interventionist government policies, which they say erode their profits.\

"The halt to sales is widespread throughout the country," said Luis Etchevehere, president of the Argentine Rural Society. "We're demonstrating against government policymaking over the last 12 years that just hasn't worked."

Farmers in Argentina, the world's top soymeal exporter and a major source of corn and wheat for world markets, threatened more protests on Tuesday if the government did not respond to their grievances.

Argentina imposes export quotas on wheat and corn in order to guarantee strong supply levels locally and keep consumer prices low. It also levies a 35 percent tax on soybean exports that growers say kills their profits.

Fernandez's government was shaken by a widespread farmers rebellion in 2008 that reduced exports for months and cut into government revenue. Relations with farmers have been strained since then.

Growers warn they will make sure their grievances are heard ahead of October's presidential election, calculating that the president will be keen to avoid unruly social unrest or a blow to government finances ahead of the vote.

However, Fernandez's cabinet chief, Anibal Fernandez, on Wednesday took a veiled swipe at big farming bosses: "This is not a strike," Fernandez told reporters. "It is a lockout by bosses who handle a certain level of production."

Fernandez is barred from running for a third consecutive term in office and the three front-running presidential aspirants are considered more market-friendly.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/156452/argentine-farmers-strike-to-protest-leftist-govt.

Solar plane lands in India after 2nd leg of world tour

11 March 2015 Wednesday

The world's only solar-powered plane has docked in the city of Ahmedabad of India Tuesday night, completing the second leg of its record-breaking attempt to fly around the world, according to the company Solar Impulse's website.

The Swiss-made airplane "Solar Impulse 2," which is able to fly day and night without a drop of fuel, started its solar-powered flight early on Monday as it took off from Abu Dhabi and headed east to Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman.

It took a 12-hour flight for "Solar Impulse 2" to arrive in Muscat, where it lifted off once again for Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat.

After completing the second leg of the first round-the-world flight in 16 hours, the aircraft is to remain two days in Ahmedabad before departing for Varanasi in northern India.

The pilots and founders of the aircraft are Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg.

Solar Impulse 2 is expected to reach the origin city Abu Dhabi late July after a five-month world tour, in which it will also stop in Myanmar, China, the U.S., Europe and North Africa.

According to the company website, the aircraft, made of fiber, is the lighter version of the Solar Impulse 1 that was engineered five years ago.

It has a 72-meter wingspan weighing 2.3 tons with 17,000 solar cells embedded into the wings.

"During the day, the solar cells recharge lithium batteries weighing 633 kg, which allow the aircraft to fly at night and therefore to have virtually unlimited autonomy," details the website of Solar Impulse 2.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/156429/solar-plane-lands-in-india-after-2nd-leg-of-world-tour.

Myanmar police charge at student protesters with batons

March 10, 2015

LETPADAN, Myanmar (AP) — Hundreds of riot police charged at students protesting Myanmar's new education law on Tuesday, pummeling them with batons and then dragging them into trucks, bringing a quick, harsh end to a weeklong standoff. Authorities said more than 120 people were arrested.

Security forces threw stones and jumped over fences as they broke up the demonstration. Dozens of students and monks were chased into a Buddhist monastery, said Honey Oo, a student leader. "Many people were beaten and several arrested," she said by telephone.

After the crackdown, police were seen celebrating and shouting, "Victory! Victory!" Information minister Ye Htut said 127 people, including 65 students, were detained and 16 police and eight demonstrators had been injured.

While there were no reported deaths, Tuesday's violence served as a reminder of Myanmar's recent days of brutal, authoritarian rule. A European Union delegation that has been training Myanmar's police in crowd control issued a statement expressing deep concern over the use of force against protesters and calling for a formal investigation.

The nominally civilian government installed four years ago has been grappling with the consequences of newfound freedoms of expression. It has been especially sensitive about public protests, arresting hundreds of people since taking office for peacefully expressing their views.

In January, about a hundred students started marching from Myanmar's second biggest city, Mandalay, to the old capital, Yangon, to protest a new law that puts all decisions about education policy and curriculum in the hands of a group largely made up of government ministers, which critics say undermines the autonomy of universities.

The demonstrators were joined by monks and other activists, bringing their number to around 200 in the last nine days, when they were blocked by police and began a sit-in on a road near a monastery in Letpadan, about 140 kilometers (90 miles) north of Yangon.

Early Tuesday, the two sides had appeared close to reaching an agreement. Police said the students could march to a nearby town and then be transported to Yangon in government-provided trucks, but then demanded that the protesters refrain from shouting slogans or waving flags.

Hundreds of police wearing helmets and camouflage fatigues formed a human chain several layers deep across the road while setting up barbed-wire barriers. The protesters, many wearing red T-shirts and bandanas, tried to push their way through. Some monks in maroon robes joined the students.

The police then abruptly turned on the students, chasing them with batons and sticks. Associated Press photographers said some protesters were beaten on the head, punched and kicked as they were dragged to the waiting trucks.

Those arrested included two student leaders, Min Thwe Thit and Phyo Phyo Aung. Myanmar's government is especially sensitive about protests in Yangon because the city was the scene of 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations largely led by students and brutally crushed by the former military junta, with an estimated 3,000 people killed.

Similar protests spread across the country, eventually leading to the collapse of the previous 26-year socialist military regime. In recent days the government has crushed several protests in and around Yangon, usually by dragging demonstrators into trucks.