French farmers block Alpine roads over low meat, milk prices

July 23, 2015

PARIS (AP) — Angry French farmers relented Thursday after a day of protesting low milk and meat prices by blocking roads to Mont Saint-Michel and the Alps — but warned that other agricultural protests are on the horizon.

The farmers used tires, tractors and tree trunks to block roads all around the country a day before many French take to the roads to start their summer vacations. Mont Saint-Michel, in the northwestern Normandy region, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourists were forced to park their cars along the road and walk for several kilometers (miles) to the famous island.

The farmers blocked three major highways for eight hours around the eastern city of Lyon, a gateway to the Alps and the south of France. Traffic backed up 25 kilometers (15 miles) by mid-day. Some roads in western France, a region with many milk and pork farms, were also jammed.

Farmers say their profits are being chipped way by cheap imports and pressure from grocery chains. Low prices have put about 10 percent of France's livestock farms on the verge of bankruptcy, according to the government.

Farmers were angry after the French government offered to back loans for farmers and delay tax payments as part of a 600 million-euro ($654 million) agricultural plan but it did not give any direct financial aid in order not to break EU market rules.

Xavier Beulin, president of FNSEA, the main farmers' union, warned of other possible protests "in the next two to three days." He said he is willing to immediately work with the government on "long-term and mid-term solutions."

President Francois Hollande met with farmers and union officials Thursday in Dijon. "We want supermarket chains to make the necessary effort to pay the farmers," Hollande said.

British university says Quran parchment among oldest

July 22, 2015

LONDON (AP) — A British university disclosed Wednesday that scientific tests prove a Quran manuscript in its collection is one of the oldest known and may have been written close to the time of the Prophet Muhammad.

The announcement by the University of Birmingham thrilled Muslim scholars and the local community, which boasts one of the country's largest Muslim populations. The find came after questions raised by a doctoral student prompted radiocarbon testing that dated the parchment to the time of the prophet, who is generally believed to have lived between 570 and 632.

"This manuscript could well have been written just after he died," David Thomas, a professor of Christianity and Islam at the University of Birmingham said of the fragment written in ink on goat or sheepskin.

"Parts of the Quran that are contained in those fragments are very similar indeed to the Quran as we have it today. This tends to support the view that the Quran that we now have is more or less very close indeed to the Quran as it was brought together in the early years of Islam."

Muslim tradition says the prophet received the revelations of the Quran between 610 and 632 — but it wasn't written down immediately. The first leader of the community after Muhammad's death, Caliph Abu Bakr, ordered the book to be written and it was completed by the third leader, Caliph Uthman, in 650.

Thomas said the tests conducted by Oxford University suggest the animal from which the parchment was taken was alive during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad or shortly afterward. The two parchment leaves contains parts of suras, or chapters, 18 to 20. The manuscript is written with ink in an early form of Arabic script known as Hijazi.

The manuscript has long been part of the university's Cadbury Research Library. But it had been bound improperly and was attached to the leaves of a manuscript with a similar script that is not as old. The library houses approximately 200,000 pre-1850 books dating from 1471 and around 4 million manuscripts.

The carbon dating was undertaken after an Italian doctoral research student, Alba Fedeli of Milan, noticed the difference in the writing. She also found discrepancies in the documentation that made her question whether the works were the same.

She said the development was just as wonderful as the rest of her work, trying to downplay the attention that followed her discovery. "Every time I have a chance to see an original manuscript, I feel I have a beautiful opportunity," Fedeli said. "I was very happy to add a further element."

Birmingham is a center of Islam in Britain, with about 20 percent of the city describing themselves as adherents of the faith. The planned display for the manuscript in October could prove a boon to the local economy, with adherents already expressing an interest in traveling to the city to see a piece of history.

Muhammad Ali, the administrator at Birmingham Central Mosque, described his emotion at being among only a handful of people invited to view the manuscript three weeks ago after its importance was recognized.

"There were tears in my eyes," he said, recalling his thrill at seeing something from the time of the prophet. "It is very much unique. This is something from his life."

Burundi: President Nkurunziza wins controversial third term

July 24, 2015

BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has won a third term in office, an electoral official announced Friday, amid controversy over whether his new term is constitutional.

Nkurunziza won 69 percent of the vote while his closest rival, Agathon Rwasa, got 19 percent, said electoral chief Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye. There were neither celebrations nor protests in the streets of Bujumbura, the capital, after the results were announced.

Nkurunziza, 51, was expected to be re-elected because he did not face a strong challenge in Tuesday's polls after some opposition groups boycotted the election. Rwasa, the leading opposition candidate, said his campaign had been hindered by officials.

The United States and Britain condemned the elections as not being credible because of violence, intimidation, media restrictions and questions over the legitimacy of a third term for Nkurunziza. Burundi has been rocked by violence since April after the ruling party announced Nkurunziza would run for another term. Streets protests have left at least 100 people dead. More than 170,000 refugees have fled the country fearing electoral violence, said the U.N. refugee agency

The protests led to an attempted military coup in mid-May which was quickly put down by pro-Nkurunziza forces. Many fear that Nkurunziza's determination to stay in power can trigger widespread violence in the poor central African country of 10 million that has a history of civil strife.

Earlier this month the Burundi government said the army had put down a rebellion in the country's north killing 31 insurgents and arresting 171 others. "Burundian authorities repressed demonstrations as if they were an insurrection, and now the country appears to be on the verge of conflict," Amnesty International said in a report Thursday.

Nkurunziza's efforts to stay in power show a wider problem in the region of leaders seeking to overstay their time in power by any means necessary, said Jeff Smith of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Opponents say Nkurunziza must retire because the constitution limits the president to two terms. But the president's supporters say he is eligible for a third term because he was chosen by lawmakers — and not popularly elected — for his first term in 2005.

Burundi election results to be announced Friday

July 22, 2015

BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — Results from Burundi's presidential election will be announced Friday, with incumbent Pierre Nkurunziza expected to win a third term that his opponents allege is unconstitutional.

About 72 percent to 80 percent of the country's 3.8 million voters cast ballots Tuesday, said electoral commission head Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye. Violence on Monday night, as well as an opposition boycott, hindered turnout in the capital. Three people, including two police officers, were killed by gunfire in opposition strongholds.

Agathon Rwasa, the main opposition figure, said his attempts to campaign had been frustrated by the government, and the U.S. and Britain said the election was not credible due to the intimidation of Nkurunziza's opponents.

The Coalition of Independence of Hope, which supports Rwasa, will reject the outcome, said Charles Nditije, who is part of the coalition. More than 100 people have died in protests since April when the ruling party announced Nkurunziza would seek a third term. The demonstrations triggered an attempted coup in May that was quickly put down by forces loyal to Nkurunziza. Earlier this month, the government said it crushed a rebellion in northern Burundi, killing 31 insurgents and arresting 171 others.

Many fear that Nkurunziza's efforts to stay in power to could bring renewed conflict in Burundi, which gained independence from Belgium in 1962. Since then, it has had four coups and a civil war that killed 250,000 people.

"The attitude of the government is pushing people to create a rebellion," said Francis Nyamoya, secretary general of opposition party Movement For Solidarity and Democracy. "If it is necessary, force will be used to push out Nkurunziza," he said, adding that members of his party are being killed.

Burundi set for presidential poll amid political unrest

July 21, 2015

BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — Burundi is set to hold a presidential election Tuesday amid unrest over incumbent President Pierre Nkuruniziza's bid for a third term in office.

Fears have been rife that the polls may trigger violence. A grenade exploded in Bujumbura, the capital's central business district Monday but did not wound anyone, said Deputy Police Spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye. At night, gunfire could be heard in the neighborhood of Nyakabiga, according to local Journalist Patrick Wasso who lives nearby.

It was not clear if anyone was injured. The same neighborhood saw explosions and gunfire on the eve of parliamentary polls on June 26. Preparations for voting day are complete with ballot boxes and papers distributed to nearly 11,500 voting centers throughout the country and security has been improved to ensure a smooth voting process, electoral commission spokesman Prosper Ntahorwamiye said Monday.

Ntahorwamiye said the commission expects a high turnout of the 3.8 million registered voters, saying that improved security has encouraged refugees to return. But the U.N. refugee agency said it has not seen any returns of the more than 170,000 who have fled the country fearing election-related violence.

The European Union suspended its election observer mission in Burundi in May over concerns about restrictions on independent media, excessive use of force against demonstrators and intimidation of opposition parties and civic groups. Citing insecurity, Catholic Church leaders also withdrew their support for the elections as scheduled.

The United Nations Observer Mission to Burundi said the parliamentary election, in which the ruling party won a majority of seats, was not conducted in a conducive environment for free, credible and inclusive elections.

It has deployed to the field to monitor Tuesday's election. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on authorities "to do all in their power to ensure security and a peaceful atmosphere during the election" and "to refrain from any acts of violence that could compromise the stability of Burundi and the region," his spokesman said.

Ban noted that East African Community-backed negotiations between the government, opposition and other political actors aimed at ending the unrest were suspected Sunday without agreement on a range of issues that would have contributed "to the creation of a climate conducive to the holding of credible and peaceful elections," the spokesman said.

The U.N. chief reiterated his appeal for the resumption of "a frank dialogue" among all parties and urged them to avoid undermining the progress achieved in building democracy, the spokesman said. Bujumbura has seen weeks of sporadic street battles between the police and civilians. More than 100 people have died in demonstrations since the ruling party announced Nkurunziza's candidacy in April.

Protesters say Nkurunziza must go because the constitution limits the president to two terms, but the president's supporters say he is eligible for a third term because he was chosen by lawmakers — and not popularly elected — for his first term in 2005.

The unrest triggered an attempted military coup in mid-May that was quickly put down by pro-Nkurunziza forces. Gloria Ndayisaba 35, who runs a food kiosk in Musaga market, said she will not vote because Nkurunziza is on the ballot.

"Peter (Nkurunziza, as some refer to the president) should just go home and let us continue with our lives. It's time to let another person rule," Ndayisaba said, adding that her business was down by 50 percent.

Dozens of Nkurunziza's critics including his second vice-president, the vice president of the electoral commission, and the deputy president of the Supreme Court have fled the country or are in hiding over death threats.

Of the eight presidential candidates three, including two former presidents, withdrew from the race last week saying the polls will not be free and fair. Burundi's electoral commission has, however, denied receiving their withdrawals.

"Nkurunziza running for the presidency is a constitutional coup," former president Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, who has pulled out of the race, told The Associated Press by phone Monday. U.N. human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein told the U.N. Security Council earlier this month that "the risk to human life, and to regional stability and development, is high" as a result of escalating politically motivated violence and Burundi's history of recurring bloodshed and atrocities.

FIFA presidential election to be held on Feb 26

July 20, 2015

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA will hold a presidential election on Feb. 26, giving Sepp Blatter seven more months in power before leaving the scandal-tainted governing body.

The date was chosen by FIFA's executive committee on Monday, after Blatter announced plans to resign four days following his re-election in May. FIFA is reeling under the weight of American and Swiss criminal investigations into corruption, which led to 14 officials being indicted in May when Blatter won a fifth term.

FIFA's 209 members will return to Zurich next year to select a new president almost than nine months after Blatter's resignation statement. Potential contenders include UEFA President Michel Platini and Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who lost to Blatter in May.

Former Brazil great Zico and Liberia football federation president Musa Bility have said they will seek the five nominations required.

NASA discovers Earth-like planet in 'habitable zone'

By Michael Walsh | Yahoo News
Thu, Jul 23, 2015

NASA astronomers announced Thursday that they had found an Earth-like planet roughly 1,400 light years away.

The newly discovered Kepler-452b, which is in the Cygnus constellation, orbits a star from what is called the habitable zone: the distance at which water can pool on the surface of a planet.

Other planets, such as Kepler-186f, have been discovered in this sweet Goldilocks spot that is neither too close nor too far to potentially sustain life.

But Kepler-452b is different because it circles a G2-type star — just like our sun.

“There’s really one place that we know has life in the universe, and that’s Earth, so finding another planet around a star that’s very similar to our sun is quite exciting,” NASA astronomer Jeff Coughlin said in an interview with Yahoo News.

The scientists are not necessarily saying that other types of stars, such as M-dwarfs, cannot sustain life. But there are many unknown factors about what sort of role they would play in creating or preventing it.

Kepler-452b is roughly 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth but still has a good chance of being rocky like Earth rather than spacious like Neptune or Jupiter, according to NASA.

The Kepler spacecraft was launched in 2009 to collect and transmit data on potential Earth-like planets.

Coughlin, a Kepler scientist at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., explained that signs of periodic dimming and brightening are the first clues of a potential planet.

“The second step is to really delve in deep to the Kepler data itself,” he said. “Take a really hard look and rule out all of the other possibilities of what could be causing the signal.”

At that point, Coughlin said, the scientists consider the object of study a “planet candidate,” but official confirmation relies on additional data outside of Kepler.

“They used ground-based telescopes to really observe the star better and rule out the remaining scenarios,” he said. “That’s when you call it confirmed. At the 99 percent level, this has to be a planet.”

The ground-based observations were conducted at the McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin, the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on Arizona’s Mt. Hopkins and the W.M. Keck Observatory on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea.

At a Thursday news conference in Cape Canaveral, Fla., scientists announced the discovery of Kepler-452b and 11 small new candidate planets that are in the habitable zone.

The research paper reporting the team’s findings will appear in an upcoming issue of The Astronomical Journal.

“We’ve been analyzing the data as we got it from Kepler. And we’ve been finding planets that are closer and closer to being very much like the Earth,” Coughlin said. “Kepler-452b is the next step. It’s the closest we have. But the story is still going on.”