i On Global Trends

Madeleine McCann: Will the High Court investigate allegations relating to a Ward of Court?

2008-07-24T17:35:00.006+10:00

The Portuguese publication Correio da Manhã, (the publication the British media and Team McCann are happy to quote when they publish "McCann-Friendly" articles but quick to deride when they don't) recently published certain allegations relating to David Payne and Gerry McCann. The same allegations are reportedly contained in the book “The truth of the lie” written by former police chief Goncalo Amaral.

Last month it was revealed that last summer, Madeleine was made a ward of court at the request of the McCanns, to empower judges to act in her best interests in any legal dispute.

In light of allegations involving Maddie's father as well as David Payne, will the High Court be acting in Madeleine's best interests to ensure these allegations are properly investigated by the relevant authorities and/or agencies?

According to Tiscali.reference, when a minor is made a ward of court, no important step in the child's life can then be taken without the court's leave.

As the allegations relate to Madeleine, I would have thought the High Court would have not only the desire but also the authority, to find out if there is any substance to the allegations. After all, it would be in Madeleine's best interests.

Or was the order only designed to be enforced in the case of legal disputes - such as court cases involving libel that in reality would only be in the best interests of the McCann's - the parents who made their daughter a ward of court and who are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to find people to sue.

Fuel Crisis: Thailand - Buffaloes play greater role as fuel and fertiliser prices soar

2008-07-24T13:52:00.002+10:00

"Buffaloes are like having capital," Kongsin Wilaikham, from Norgpue in Khon Kaen Province in northeast Thailand, told IRIN. "I rely on my buffaloes because the tractor is now so much more costly, given fuel prices. I use them for ploughing, for their manure and for cash when needed."

Five years ago, Kongsin took a 100,000 baht (US$2,940) loan from the government's Agricultural Bank to buy four buffaloes. From the offspring he has kept 11 and sold another 10 to supplement his income.

Like many farmers with buffaloes, Kongsin uses more manure and less chemical fertiliser. The surplus manure he sells for 12 baht per sack. "One application of manure can last two or three years if applied correctly. I want to use less and less chemical fertiliser because it costs so much."
In recent decades, buffaloes have been increasingly replaced by tractors. But according to agriculture authorities, as tractors now cost as much as 70,000 baht ($2,200) and fuel and fertiliser prices are skyrocketing, more farmers are seeking to buy buffaloes as draft animals to plough the fields, for manure, a good source of natural and cheap fertiliser, and to sell for cash when times are tight.

Yod Sisunt, animal scientist of livestock breeding in the Livestock Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, told IRIN: "In our national agricultural plan, we are thinking of ways to increase the use of buffaloes and fertiliser."

The plan has the blessing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who sees using buffaloes and other livestock as an integral part of his goal for a sustainable agricultural policy and urged as far back as the 1980s the establishment of a buffalo bank from which poor farmers could borrow and purchase animals at reasonable prices. His daughter, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has also been a strong advocate for the greater use of buffaloes and promoted the establishment of a Buffalo Association Training School to teach young farmers how to use buffaloes efficiently.

Chintana Indramangala, senior expert in livestock production at the Department of Livestock Production and secretary to the Buffalo Association Training School, estimated that while there were as many as seven million buffaloes in the 1970s, numbers were down to 1.53 million in 2007.

"Only a small percentage of these are being used as draft animals," said Chintana. "The rest are multi-purpose, for the manure and for income when sold as meat." There are approximately two million small mechanical tillers nationwide, according to the Agricultural Ministry.

Significant shift

Phansiri Winichagoon, manager of the environmental unit of the UN Development Project Thailand, told IRIN: "While no one has quantified it yet, I think there will be a significant shift to buffaloes because of the high price of fuel and fertilisers." Most agricultural experts think it is time for the government to do a formal survey to see just how big a shift is taking place.

Charan Chantalakhana, former professor of livestock systems at Kasetsart University, told IRIN buffaloes are most efficient in rain-fed areas and small-scale farms in which there is only one crop per season. "Some 80 percent of Thai farms are rain-fed and small-scale and most are now less that two [12 rai] or three hectares [18 rai]," said Charan. He added that farms had shrunk in recent years as hard-pressed farmers sold land to other farmers or for industrial sites.

Noohtian Kerdsak and his wife Somboon own one such small-scale farm in Nang Yakao village, Khon Kaen Province.

"We use the buffaloes more now for ploughing because of the high cost of tractors," Noohtian told IRIN, adding that with the increased use of manure he had cut his chemical fertiliser use by 30 percent – a significant saving when the price has risen from 330 baht ($10) to 1,250 baht ($37) per 50kg.

Last year, he harvested 160 sacks of rice of 30kg each, 95 of which were kept for family consumption and the remainder sold at 250 baht ($7.80) each. He also harvested 45 tonnes of sugarcane at 680 baht ($21) per tonne. Any profit goes for "fertiliser, consumption of other foods for the family and for making merit [giving financial offerings at the local Buddhist temple]".

Noohtian is a great advocate of the buffalo. "If you have 60,000 baht to buy a tractor – in 10 years' time it is no longer good, but with that money you can buy six buffaloes or so and they will have offspring to sell for cash and manure instead of fertiliser.

"Look around, you see buffalo, but you also see there are no new tractors. The people have stopped buying them because of the high fuel prices."

Disclaimer:This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
Photo: Copyright IRIN

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

GasBlitz.com

Illegal Immigrants: Italy targets illegal immigrants

2008-07-24T13:50:00.002+10:00

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has won parliamentary backing for a crime package critics say discriminates against immigrants.

Under new laws approved by the Senate, illegal immigrants convicted of crimes will now face jail sentences a third longer than those for Italians, BBC announced.

Courts will be able to jail illegal immigrants for up to four years rather than simply deport them.
Property rented to illegal immigrants can also be confiscated.

Both the Catholic Church and Italy's left-wing opposition say that, as well as targeting immigrants unfairly, the new laws may also encourage racism.

The period of detention for illegal immigrants waiting to be deported has been increased from 60 days to 18 months - in line with recently introduced European Union anti-immigration guidelines.

The package includes measures to counter drink-driving and organised crime, and allows soldiers to patrol the streets alongside the police.

The laws were approved by the Senate by 161 votes to 120 on Wednesday, with eight abstentions, after approval in the lower house last week.

Mr Berlusconi had introduced the decree shortly after being elected in April on a platform that included a promise to crack down on crime.

The Senate was addressed by the anti-immigrant Northern League party's Sandro Mazzatorta, who linked immigration to criminality.

"Foreigners committed 60% of the attempted homicides, 60% of the robberies (and) 82% of the muggings," he said, referring to last year's figures from the city of Brescia.

But creating harsher sentences for illegal immigrants undermines the "principle of equality" outlined in the Italian constitution, according to opposition Senator Anna Finocchiaro.

Republished permission of FOCUS Information Agency

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

TheBritishMedia.com

Corruption: Congolese outraged after revelations that more than $1.3 billion have been embezzled under President Joseph Kabila's administration

2008-07-24T13:41:00.002+10:00

By Peter Clottey Washington, D.C. 24 July 2008

Some Congolese are reportedly expressing outrage after learning that more than $1.3 billion have been embezzled under President Joseph Kabila's administration. The monies were allegedly stolen or lost in corruption and mismanagement of government agencies and state-run businesses. President Kabila's government assured Congolese Wednesday that it has instituted an investigation and would punish the perpetrators behind the scandal.

The government adds that those found guilty will be asked to reimburse stolen money and could face possible prison sentences. But some political observers dismissed the government's announcement as a farce after previous investigations into various levels of corruption within the administration was reportedly covered up. From the capital, Kinshasa, Congolese businessman Victor Ngnezayo tells reporter Peter Clottey that most Congolese are fed up with ongoing corruption within government agencies.

"I understand there has been $1.3 billion of embezzlement of public funds and from public enterprises. These are major enterprises… and a few others and these were discoveries that happened during the period probably a couple or several years," Ngnezayo pointed out.

He said some Congolese are skeptical about the commitment of President Kabila's government to rid state institutions of graft.

"I think the immediate reaction is how serious the government is taking this, and the question that is immediately brought up is will they (government) actually apply the necessary sanctions for the managers of these public enterprises. You are aware that so far, there has been total lack of accountability. But if this is the beginning, people would be grateful for it because this is the major problem, lack of accountability in our country," he said.

Ngnezayo said most people are doubtful of the assurances from President Kabila's government.

"They (Congolese) will only believe it if this investigation goes as far as making the same audit in the government, in the public enterprises at the presidential office, in parliament and in the senate," Ngnezayo noted.

He said some people are worried those found to have been complicit in corruption allegations would not be punished.

"That is the fear all of us have. In the previous investigations, no real sanctions have been taken, and our fear is that even now the public authorities could cover up," he said.

Ngnezayo said ordinary Congolese do not feel their views matter.

"There is very little the ordinary man on the street can do because the government doesn't serve the people's purpose, and they are not ready to listen to the man on the street, but the man on the street is suffering from all these. And we would like to have a major change in the management of public funds and the management of the natural and human resources," Ngnezayo pointed out.

Meanwhile, President Kabila's government said the investigation only covered the period in 2006 and 2007 when there was a transitional government that included former rebels, the civilian opposition and members of civil society. The government claims that it has opened disciplinary proceedings against 53 people believed to be responsible for various cases of corruption.

Published with the permission of Voice of America

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

LatestMediaTrends.com

Sri Lanka: Cooment on the unilateral ceasefire of the LTTE

2008-07-24T13:35:00.001+10:00

On the unilateral ceasefire of the LTTE (By: Ranjith Gunarathne)

Republished for information and discussion only. This report does not necessarily reflect the views of Mike Hitchen Consulting

The LTTE has announced that it would observe unilateral ceasefire during the period of SAARC. The declaration states further that its aim is to facilitate the conference and to extend goodwill of the LTTE. There are many reasons behind this surprise move of the LTTE, specially, during the time of successful military operations of the security forces and the Government of Sri Lanka has been vigorously campaigning against the LTTE in the international arena.

In fact, the leaders of the SAARC countries are also expected to condemn all types of terrorism in the region and take unified action against terrorism. In this sense, obviously terrorism would be a main item of the agenda of the forthcoming conference.

In this context, this move can be considered as a desperate attempt of the LTTE to save the status quo and win sympathy of the leaders of the region. Additionally, the LTTE needs this ceasefire in order to avoid any adverse publicity that might garner during the time of the conference. It is also a fact that any successful military operation of the security forces during the period would also add many minus points to the LTTE's scorecard as the whole world is observing the conference proceedings very closely.

The Government of Sri Lanka would also have an opportunity to present its case to the observer countries such as the USA, Japan, South Korea, China etc. Obviously, these countries would make it a point to gather enough information about the current situation in Sri Lanka. In this respect, just announcing the ceasefire, the LTTE is also trying to brand the Government of Sri Lanka as a bad guy. Nevertheless, the Government of Sri Lanka has very clearly indicated its willingness to sit at the table to find a lasting political settlement to the problem. Countries are aware that the LTTE, which has avoided to discuss any peaceful settlement with the Government of Sri Lanka.

Although the LTTE leader might have decided to become a good guy, he cannot escape from the eyes of the SAARC leaders who have been very carefully monitoring all the activities of the LTTE. In fact, the SAARC countries are aware of the nexus between the LTTE and many transnational terrorist organizations that give troubles to their countries. Therefore, it is obvious that the tigers cannot be able to hide its true face from the leaders of the SAARC, especially, India, which has been trying to bring the tigers to the negotiation table on number of occasions, is aware of the true nature of the LTTE. Indians cannot forget the way in which the LTTE terrorists brutally assassinated former Prime-Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Therefore, this face saving effort of the LTTE would not bring any credit to the organization. It would only highlight its weaknesses. Obviously, the Government of Sri Lanka has got a golden opportunity to present its case to the neighbors to obtain their support to defeat the LTTE militarily in order to bring peace to the country through a political settlement.

Source: Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

TotallyGold.com

Burma: Forced labor in cyclone damaged naval base

2008-07-24T13:31:00.002+10:00

Source: Kaladan Press Network Please visit and show your support and appreciation

The Burmese Navy has been forcing fishermen to work in the Dayawaddi naval base in Kyaukpru since July 15, according to official.

The "Kyun Thaya" naval outpost on the border of Maybon-Kyaukpru townships under the Dayawaddi naval base was destroyed due to heavy rain and storms between May 13 and 16.

The camp was beautiful and officers from Dayawaddi naval headquarters frequently visit the camp for a break. It also has some villages where fishermen live.

The Dayawaddy naval base in Kyaukpru Town is the second biggest naval base in Arakan State.

On July 15, navy personnel from " Kyun Thaya" naval outpost 533, went to the Bay of Bengal to arrest fishermen while they were fishing in the sea for over two to three days. The arrested fishermen and their engine boats were brought to "Kyun Thaya" naval base for forced labor since July 15, said a fishermen on condition of anonymity.

The fishermen were forced to work in the base where many structures were destroyed during the storm and heavy rain. The fishing boats were anchored near the naval camp and the fish the fishermen caught started rotting, with the naval authorities paying no heed. Most of the fishermen are from Kyun Thaya Island villages and belong to Rakhine and Rohingya communities.

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

TotallyGold.com

US Election: Obama on Jerusalem

2008-07-24T13:16:00.003+10:00

The following is being issued by the Republican National Committee:

Today, Obama continued backtracking on his statement that Jerusalem should be the undivided Capital Of Israel:

Obama Claimed That "The Wording Was Poor" on his call for Jerusalem to be the undivided Capital Of Israel.

Gibson: "And then there's the issue of Jerusalem. You've said in the speech, to AIPAC, Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel. And it must remain undivided. When you said that did you not realize the significance that that has for so many people in this region?"

Obama: "Well, number one, the fact is that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. And so I was simply saying a fact, with respect to--"

Gibson: "You said 'must remain undivided,' (crosstalk) those are code words."

Obama: "Well the issue of it being undivided, I have said and I said immediately after the speech that that word was poorly chosen, that what I was referring to is making sure that we're not setting up barbed wire across Israel--"

Gibson: "But Senator, it was a very simple, declarative statement. It must remain, and you started the paragraph by saying, 'Let me be clear'--"

Obama: "Charlie, the day after, or the day of making the speech I conceded that the wording was poor, and it's immediately corrected--"

Gibson: "Rookie mistake?"

Obama: "Well I wouldn't say rookie mistake, I think that veterans make mistakes as well." ("Gibson Interviews Obama," ABC News, 7/23/08)

NOTE: Yesterday, Obama Claimed He Had Never Backtracked On The Status Of Jerusalem. CBS's Katie Couric: "You said not too long ago that Jerusalem should remain undivided. And then you backtracked on that statement. Does that play into the argument that some believe that someone more experienced would not have made that kind of mistake?"

Obama: "Well, if you look at what happened, there was no shift in policy or backtracking in policy. We just had phrased it poorly in the speech. That has happened and will happen to every politician. You're not always gonna hit your mark in terms of how you phrase your policies. But my policy hasn't changed, and it's been very consistent. It's the same policy that Bill Clinton has put forward, and that says that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel, that we shouldn't divide it by barbed wire, but that, ultimately that is a final status issue that has to be resolved between the Palestinians and the Israelis." ("Obama: Surge Doesn't Meet Long-Term Goals," CBS News, 7/22/08)

In His Remarks To The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Obama Said That Jerusalem Should Be The Undivided Capital Of Israel, But Just One Day Later Said The City's Future Should Be Negotiated By Israel And The Palestinians:

Obama Said Jerusalem Would Be The Undivided Capital Of Israel.

Obama: "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Arlington, VA, 6/4/08)

One Day Later, Obama Said The Future Of Jerusalem Would Have To Be Negotiated By Israel And The Palestinians.

CNN's Candy Crowley: "I want to ask you about something you said in AIPAC yesterday. You said that Jerusalem must remain undivided. Do Palestinians have no claim to Jerusalem in the future?" Obama: "Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 6/5/08)

"Facing Criticism From Palestinians, Sen. Barack Obama Acknowledged Today That The Status Of Jerusalem Will Need To Be Negotiated In Future Peace Talks, Amending A Statement Earlier In The Week That Jerusalem 'Must Remain Undivided.'"(Glenn Kessler, "Obama Clarifies Remarks On Jerusalem," The Washington Post's" The Trail" Blog, blog.washingtonpost.com, 6/5/08)

Obama Has Previously Said That Jerusalem Should Be "Undivided":

In An American Jewish Committee Election Questionnaire, Obama Said "Jerusalem Will Remain Israel's Capital, And No One Should Want Or Expect It To Be Re-Divided." "The United States cannot dictate the terms of a final status agreement. We should support the parties as they negotiate these difficult issues, but they will have to reach agreements that they can live with. In general terms, clearly Israel must emerge in a final status agreement with secure borders. Jerusalem will remain Israel's capital, and no one should want or expect it to be re-divided." (American Jewish Committee Website, http://www.ajc.org, Accessed 7/22/08)

In A 2000 Position Paper, Obama Stated That "Jerusalem Should Remain United And Should Be Recognized As Israel's Capital."

"Third, he addressed the issue in 2000 in a position paper on Israel as part of his unsuccessful congressional campaign that year. In that paper, he stated, 'Jerusalem should remain united and should be recognized as Israel's capital.'" (Rick Richman, "Obama's Redivided Jerusalem," The New York Sun, 7/16/08)

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any
candidate or candidate's committee.

SOURCE Republican National Committee

Formatting of this article is as issued by the above

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

ObamaOnIraq.com ObamaOK.com TheNeoconClub.com

International Development: Sudan and UN sign four-year development assistance plan

2008-07-24T13:06:00.001+10:00

The Sudanese Government today signed an agreement with United Nations agencies operating in the country on a four-year aid plan covering peacebuilding, governance and the rule of law, employment, education and health care as well as other services.

The agreement, known as the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), was signed by representatives of the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan and 18 UN agencies headed by Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator Ameerah Haq.

Ms. Haq said the new agreement, which covers the years 2009 to 2012, “will enable us to move beyond annual planning, and set more ambitious development goals with the help of all our national and international partners. With the endorsement of this planning tool, the UN will spare no effort in helping the country achieve tangible progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”

“The consolidation of peace and stability in the country remains the ultimate goal of the UNDAF process,” she added.

Welcoming the new agreement, Sudan’s State Minister of International Cooperation El Elias Nyamlell Wakoson said that it “represents an important step in terms of moving forward jointly with a common vision of our strategic direction in support of the peace process.”

Source: UN News Centre

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

BritishInstitution.com

Iraq: Students association offers reward for citizen's arrest of Condoleezza Rice

2008-07-24T12:59:00.001+10:00

Auckland University Students Association have issued a press release offering any Auckland University student a $5000 reward if they are able to make a successful citizen's arrest of United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her visit to Auckland over the weekend, for what they allege is her role in overseeing the "illegal invasion and continued occupation of Iraq".

AUSA President David Do said: "It is hard enough living as a student in Auckland these days without having a war criminal coming to town, so we thought we'd give our students a chance to make a dent in their student loans and work for global justice at the same time".

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

AnAmericanPolitician.com

Oil: Venezuela signs over three oil fields to Belarus

2008-07-24T12:57:00.001+10:00

Venezuela has signed over three more oil fields to a joint venture with Belarus. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared the two nations were strongly united in their resistance to "U.S. imperialism" and Washington's "lackeys."

AP reports the fields were signed over after Chavez met President Alexander Lukashenko, the hard-line leader of the ex-Soviet state whom the United States has called Europe's last dictator.

The joint venture was established last year with Chavez promising to supply Belarus' oil needs for the next century as a sign of solidarity. Belarus relies on Russia for oil, but has troubled relations with Moscow.

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

OilBlitz.com

Women's Issues: Iran's dress code complicates Olympic broadcasts

2008-07-24T11:51:00.005+10:00

By Farangis Najibullah RFE/RL

Female rugby players train in Tehran

For years, Iranian women have been active in regional and international sports competitions, but religious laws in Iran prevent women from being seen on television without an Islamic hijab. While Iranian women play sports dressed in the traditional hijab, their international competitors do not -- and therefore cannot be shown in Iranian broadcasts.

For this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, however, Iranian authorities might allow state television to broadcast the women's events. Ali Asghar Purmohammadi, who is responsible for broadcasting sports programs for Iran's state-run television, has said he is pressing Iranian authorities to give special permission to show women competing in the Olympic Games next month.

There are just three women among the 53 Iranian athletes who will compete in the Beijing Olympics from August 8-24, with one woman each competing in rowing, archery, and tae kwon do.

Millions of Iranian viewers would no doubt like to cheer on their female athletes in Beijing. But few Iranians expect their religious leaders to allow state television to air footage of women who do not obey Iran's Islamic dress code, which requires women to cover their heads and hair, and to disguise the shape of their bodies. Iranian television and print media largely avoid broadcasting or publishing pictures of female athletes because of the dress code violations by their international opponents.

Fatemeh Sepanji, a Tehran-based sports commentator, tells RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the Iranian media are forced to pretend that women athletes in Iran do not exist.

"They obey all the rules. They are allowed to take part in sports. So why shouldn't they be shown on television?" she asks. "Obviously they will be shown [on TV] all over the world [when they compete in the Olympics]. What is the point of showing them in one country and hiding them in another?"

The restrictive dress code has prevented Iranian women from participating in many sports, such as swimming, diving, and other water sports, along with gymnastics, running events, and cycling.

Many Iranian sportswomen say they find it difficult to move in heavy, loose clothes -- especially in hot weather. Besides, they have to pay close attention to make sure that their hair or the skin on their arms or legs does not unexpectedly show while they are competing. Such "mistakes" in the heat of competition can result in a heavy price being paid by the women athletes.

Ramoneh Lazar, a member of Iran's rowing team, was expelled from the national team after her ankles were seen inside her boat during a competition in Bangkok.

Additionally, representatives of Iran's intelligence services follow the women athletes everywhere -- including at international competitions -- to ensure they don't violate any Islamic rules.

President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's government actually tried to promote greater female participation in sports during the early days of his term. However, after facing vocal opposition and fierce criticism from religious leaders, his government gave up on the initiative.

Indeed, the pressure from religious leaders on the issue is strong. Ayatollah Alam Alhoda is one of many influential clerics who virulently oppose women's involvement in any sports activity. During a sermon after recent Friday Prayers in the Mashhad city mosque, the ayatollah said it is "unlawful" for women to participate in sports.

Another Iranian mullah said that women should not ski because "during skiing they have to move their knees and it looks more like dancing than sport."

Faced with dress restrictions and vociferous opposition, Iranian women participate in those sports that are compatible with the dress code, such as archery, rowing, soccer, and other events where the hijab and loose clothing might be uncomfortable and disadvantageous, but still allow them to compete.

Tae kwon do and kickboxing are hugely popular among Iranian women, but some mullahs say they are bothered by the fact that at the end of a match the male referees must hold the female competitors' hands in order to raise the hand of the winner.

Male coaches of women's teams also have difficulties, and their role has often been the subject of debate. When a female team has a male coach, the team members have to obey the dress code even during training because of the presence of the male coach or trainer.

And to make their jobs even more difficult, male coaches are required to keep a clear physical distance between themselves and the female athletes they instruct.

RFE/RL's Radio Farda correspondent Mahin Gorjideridani contributed to this report

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

ObamaOnIraq.com

Nuclear Issues: 100 employees "slightly" contaminated following leak at French reactor

2008-07-24T11:43:00.003+10:00

French media has reported Wednesday 100 employees of Electricite de France were"slightly" contaminated by radioactive elements that leaked from a pipe at a reactor complex in Tricastin in southern France

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

TotallyGold.com

Madeleine McCann: Three words

2008-07-22T13:15:00.000+10:00

Ignored
Abandoned
Betrayed.

Welcome to Great Britain, the Land of Responsible Parenting.

* Have children
* Go on holiday
* Abandon your children
* Blame everyone else
* Become media heroes.

Seconds away, round two

Women's Issues: Israel - Language barrier, lack of transport means Bedouin women miss out on health care

2008-07-22T13:07:00.003+10:00

A Bedouin woman walks back home from a visit to the local clinic.

"I mostly try to talk with my hands," said Mona. "I try to explain where it hurts or what is bothering me. If the doctor understands, then he understands. If not, not." Her Hebrew is virtually non-existent.

Mona (not her real name), like thousands of the other Bedouin-Arab women in southern Israel's Negev desert, struggles to cope with a language barrier that is a major factor in their inability to receive proper medical treatment.

"I am lucky because I can speak the language," said Subha, from a remote village in the desert. "Otherwise it is really hard."

The problem was especially difficult in the "unrecognised villages" - ones that were not officially on Israel's map, as the state sees their existence as illegal.

The Bedouin say their villages either existed before Israel was founded, or during the first years of the nascent state by internally displaced persons (IDPs) in need of a new place to live following the migrations - sometimes forced - during and just after the 1948 Middle East war.

According to the Israeli Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), about 48 percent of Arab women in the unrecognised villages are unable to speak Hebrew. Of those who do speak it, most have only a limited knowledge.

Ad hoc translations

"When I go with my wife to the clinic, sometimes when I am in the waiting room, the doctor will come out and ask for my help in translating," said Atir, a Bedouin man fluent in both Hebrew and Arabic.

He admits this is far from ideal.

According to PHR, this method, while maybe stemming from a physician's good (but ultimately misguided) intentions to better understand a patient, presents multiple complications: the translations are not professional and sometimes inaccurate; the man can be embarrassed to translate all the woman told him; the woman can be too embarrassed to tell the full story to a stranger.

The end result can be tragic, with women not receiving full treatment for problems, or getting the wrong treatment. In cases where there might be an option - for instance natural or surgical childbirth - a woman's true wishes may not be conveyed, leading to her rights being severely violated.

"The health clinics need real translators," said Subha.

Lack of transport

The other major factor contributing to the women's troubles in accessing health services was transport. The women generally do not have driving licenses or cars and are forced to rely on their husbands or on public transport.

PHR recently told a Knesset (parliament) committee discussing the issue that some 80 percent of women in the unrecognised villages had opted to forgo medical care because of the problems they faced.

" I need to go on foot to the highway," Mona described a trip to the doctor. From her unrecognised village it can be anywhere between 500m or several kilometres to the main road, where a woman then has to hitch-hike.

"It can take an hour and a half to get a lift," she went on. When the woman finally reaches Beersheba, where her clinic is located, she has to take a bus, which eats up another 30 minutes.

In Mona's case, she sometimes has to do all this with an asthmatic child in need of medical help in the summer heat.

Mona and other women told IRIN that on more than one occasion they and family members had had to give up on medical care, because of the language barrier or lack of transport.

The Israeli Ministry of Health said it operated mobile inoculation units to reach women and children in remote areas unable to travel to clinics. This was meant to help alleviate at least part of the problem.

Other government officials have said many problems the Bedouin in the Negev face are a result of their living in unrecognised villages and refusing to move to the townships the state established, which are now home to about half of the community - 80,000 people.

Disclaimer:This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
Photo: Copyright IRIN

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

FemaleConfidence.com

Bilateral Relations: Iran and Georgia strengthen bilateral ties

2008-07-22T12:57:00.001+10:00

Iran's ambassador to Georgia said Tehran and Tbilisi intend to strengthen economic and commercial ties.

Mojtaba Damirchi, who is visiting abilities and capacities of Parsabad city in Ardebil province, said ties between Iran and Georgia is a good pattern of nice relations between two countries.

Tehran, Tbilisi by considering ways to expand and develop economic and commercial ties are trying to promote existing relations, he added.

Damirchi described Iranian private sector presence in Georgia "desirable" and added the private companies are working in the fields of foodstuff, detergents, construction materials, transportation and road building.

Source:IRNA

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

BilateralRelations.com

Human Rights: Belarus authorities haul in opposition sympathizers

2008-07-22T12:50:00.002+10:00

By Jan Maksymiuk RFE/RL

Investigators in Belarus appear to have few leads as they try to track down whoever was responsible for a bombing earlier this month at an outdoor concert attended by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Police wasted little time detaining a dozen opposition activists in the immediate aftermath of the Independence Day blast, which injured about 50 people.

But authorities have since released all of them without filing charges, and police are continuing with a massive dragnet that reaches into precincts all over the capital.

The July 4 attack, using a homemade bomb that sprayed nuts and bolts for hundreds of meters, has already led to a major reshuffle in the government.

Among the first to feel the wrath of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who was in the vicinity of the blast, was Security Council Secretary Viktar Sheyman. Despite having been Lukashenka's closest aide since the beginning of his presidency in 1994, Sheyman was dismissed and replaced with KGB Chairman Yury Zhadobin. Lukashenka's chief of staff, Henadz Nyavyhlas, subsequently lost his job as well.

Opposition activists who were targeted include former members of the Belarusian Association of Military Servicemen, an organization established in 1991 and outlawed by the Supreme Court in 1996.

Illya Bohdan, a 21-year-old Belarusian Popular Front activist, was released on July 20 along with his 22-year-old colleague, Anton Koypish, after serving 10 days of detention. Bohdan told RFE/RL's Belarus Service that the number of suspects being held in connection with the case at a prison on Minsk's Akrestsina Street appeared to number in the hundreds.

"In the end, all the people who were kept behind bars as suspects in this criminal case were called political [detainees]," Bohdan said. "There were students as well as people who violated the law in some way in the past. It was a roundup, and it's difficult for me to say what its purpose was."

The news came amid unconfirmed reports of law-enforcement officers fingerprinting students and lecturers at chemistry faculties of Belarusian universities.

In a search for clues, police last week began visiting ordinary Minsk residents asking about their whereabouts at the time of the Independence Day concert and whether they might have noticed anything that could help solve the crime.

Estimates have placed the number of people at the Independence Day concert at 500,000, and police officers were conspicuous in many parts of the city in the days after the explosion.

Skeptics suggest the widespread interrogations are unlikely to further the case, and could be intended more to send a psychological message to the public.

But police general and current legislator Mikalay Charhinets defended the oblique methods as an essential means of gaining needed information. "There is no other way out," said Charhinets, "such work with the population [in such cases] is envisaged in all other countries of the world."

On July 19, Prosecutor-General Ryhor Vasilevich appeared to confirm to journalists that the operation had yet to uncover any major clues. "People who are detained are being questioned, but this doesn't mean that they are to blame," Vasilevich said. "One cannot solve a crime while just sitting in an office and examining papers."

He added that "work is being done throughout the country [and] let's hope that it produces a result."

Vasilevich declined to say how many people had been detained in connection with the bombing case.

Meanwhile, speculation continues over who might be behind the blast and who could have benefited from it.

"Nasha Niva" reported last week that the state-controlled television channel ONT posted a poll on its website about who was behind the attack but removed it a few hours later. Of the 810 people who had responded, nearly 80 percent believed that the authorities had orchestrated the blast. Less than 4 percent blamed the opposition, while 10 percent blamed "hooligans" and 7.5 percent pinned the blame on "terrorists."

One of the theories around the blast asserts that the personnel decisions made by Lukashenka after the bombing reflected infighting in Lukashenka's inner circle between Sheyman and Viktar Lukashenka, the president's eldest son, who was appointed to the Security Council in January 2007.

Whoever the culprit, many independent commentators claimed that the blast exposed a fundamental weakness in Belarusian law enforcement. Those critics suggested that with police and security officers trained primarily to suppress or preempt political dissent, they are glaringly ineffective in solving criminal cases.

"They have actually become good at getting to know what people whisper to each other in bedrooms, but sleep through a bolt from the blue," political commentator Alyaksandr Klaskouski wrote in "Nasha Niva" on July 19.

Copyright (c) 2008. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

usbeatbox.com

Mining: Coal mine flood traps 56 people in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

2008-07-22T12:45:00.002+10:00

A coal mine flood left 56 people trapped in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Reuters reported.

The flood occurred at the Nadu mine in Tiandong County, Xinhua said late on Monday, citing the Guangxi Work Safety Administration, state news agency Xinhua said.
Rescuers have so far failed to contact the miners underground, the report said.

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

usMiningIndustry.com

Burma: Burma's thugs ratifies human rights charter

2008-07-22T11:58:00.001+10:00

Burma's military government has ratified the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' new charter, which commits ASEAN members to observe democratic principles and protect human rights.

Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win presented the ratification Monday at an annual meeting of top diplomats from the 10 ASEAN member nations.

Burma's ratification follows criticism by other ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, which agreed to the charter last year but have withheld their own ratification until Burma improves its human rights record.

Opening this week's ministerial meeting in Singapore, the city-state's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, said ASEAN will continue with implementation of the charter despite some members' resistance. The document, intended to work toward a region-wide free trade zone by 2015, sets common negotiating rules for ASEAN members on trade, investment, environment and other topics.

Burma has been widely criticized for its human rights record. Critics of ASEAN say the forum has not done enough to pressure Burma to end abuses and free detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

In an earlier rebuke, ASEAN foreign ministers issued a statement expressing "deep disappointment" that Burma's military government has extended Aung San Suu Kyi's detention a further six months. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been under house arrest for most of the past 18 years.

During their talks in Singapore, ASEAN members also are preparing to welcome North Korea as a regional partner, when Pyongyang signs a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

ASEAN is holding its annual security dialogue on Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and foreign ministers from five other countries involved in negotiations on North Korea's nuclear program (China, Japan, Russia, North Korea and South Korea) will talk on the sidelines of the meeting.

Published with the permission of Voice of America

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

AnAmericanPolitician.com

Human Rights: Torture of Palestinian by Israeli soldiers to be investigated

2008-07-22T11:40:00.001+10:00

Gulf Daily News reports the Israeli military has launched an investigation into the shooting of a blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian with a rubber-coated bullet which was caught on film.

The website of Israel's Yediot Aharonot newspaper reported the soldier had been arrested.

Footage of the incident, released by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, shows the demonstrator with an army officer holding his arm.

A soldier next to him appears to take aim at his leg, a shot is fired and the camera darts briefly away before showing the man lying on the ground.

The protester, identified as Ashraf Abu Rahman, 27, was lightly wounded in the incident which took place on July 7 in Nilin, an occupied West Bank village where regular protests are staged against Israel's barrier.

The army, which said five border guards, three soldiers and two labourers working on the wall were injured during protests in June, announced the inquiry after the video was shown on Palestinian television.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said the film raised several questions and had "missing sequences".

She added that the man went home with a wounded toe and without filing a complaint.

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

OilBlitz.com

Bilateral Relations: Secretary-General appeals for calm between Cambodia and Thailand

2008-07-22T11:35:00.002+10:00

Expressing concern over the recent escalation of tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on both sides to peacefully resolve the situation.

There is a build-up of military forces near the Preah Vihear Temple in Cambodia, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) earlier this month.

“The Secretary-General calls for restraint on both sides and hopes that this matter can be resolved peacefully and by diplomatic means in the context of the excellent relations that traditional exist between the two countries,” according to a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

The temple, which dates back to the 11th century, and was recognized by the World Heritage Committee for “its natural situation on a promontory, with sheer cliffs overlooking a vast plain and mountain range; the quality of its architecture adapted to the natural environment and religious function of the temple; and, finally, the exceptional quality of the carved stone ornamentation of the temple.”

Source: UN News Centre

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

LatestMarketTrends.com

Norway: Norway to search for war criminals

2008-07-22T11:26:00.001+10:00

Norwegian justice officials said yesterday a new check of asylum records from the 1990s has revealed that more war criminals from the Balkans may be living in Norway.

Norway granted group protection to refugees from the Balkans, which meant that individuals weren't always questioned, Norwegian broadcasting NRK quoted prosecutor Pal Lonseth as reporting. Norway will be looking more closely at a handful of cases.

NRK pointed that around 12,000 refugees from the war in the Balkans came to Norway during the 1990s. Some 70 people granted residence permission in Norway are suspected of committing war crimes, not just in the Balkans but in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries.

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

TotallyGold.com

Defense: U.S. Army urged to stop shooting pigs

2008-07-19T13:31:00.001+10:00

The U.S. Army moved ahead yesterday with plans to shoot live pigs and treat their gunshot wounds in a medical trauma exercise for soldiers headed to Iraq.

The Army says it is critical to saving the lives of wounded soldiers. Animal-rights activists call the training cruel and outdated.

Major Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division, said the training is being conducted under a U.S. Department of Agriculture license and the careful supervision of veterinarians and a military animal care and use committee.

"It's to teach Army personnel how to manage critically injured patients within the first few hours of their injury," Cheng said.

The soldiers are learning emergency lifesaving skills needed on the battlefield when there are no medics, doctors or facilities nearby, he said.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, however, said there are more advanced and humane options available, including hi-tech human simulators. In a letter, PETA urged the Army to end all use of animals, "as the overwhelming majority of North American medical schools have already done".

"Shooting and maiming pigs is as outdated as Civil War rifles," Kathy Guillermo, director of PETA's laboratory investigations department, said.

The group demanded the exercise be halted after it was notified by a "distraught" soldier from the unit, who disclosed a plan to shoot the animals with M4 carbines and M16 rifles

Source: Xinhua

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

USDefenseIndustry.com

Burma: Cyclone victims harness rainwater to survive

2008-07-19T13:23:00.003+10:00

Viewed as a curse by those who lost their homes and loved ones to Cyclone Nargis, heavy rain in recent weeks is proving a saviour of sorts to thousands of cyclone survivors in need of safe drinking water.

“When it rains, I feel it is a blessing,” Daw Khin, a woman in her early fifties in the village of Pawin outside Bogale Township at the far tip of the delta, said. “Now what I have to do when it rains is ensure it drains into a ceramic pot.”

But Daw Khin - struggling to provide for her five-member family more than two months after the worst natural disaster in recent times to strike Myanmar - is still worried.

Should the heavy rains that continue to pummel her roofless home stop, so too would her one source of clean drinking water.

“The thought of no more rain kills me,” she said.

An estimated 2.4 million people were severely affected by the category four storm that struck Yangon Division and parts of the Ayeyarwady Delta in southern Myanmar in early May, leaving nearly 140,000 people either dead or missing.

Inadequate access to water

A Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) in June by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the UN and the Myanmar government, revealed a significant number of households reporting inadequate access to clean drinking water.

On 10 July the UN reported that 74 percent of people in the cyclone areas had inadequate access to clean water, with rainwater collection viewed as critical in reducing the risk of disease outbreaks.

Most people in the delta today find themselves reliant on rainwater as their primary source of safe drinking water.

Ponds, the traditional source of drinking water in the area, became heavily salinated when a three-metre tidal surge inundated much of the low-lying area, devastating homes and crops across a 23,500 square kilometre area (almost twice the size of Lebanon).

Today those same ponds are avoided by area residents for fear of water-borne diseases like diarrhoea - prompting them to look to the sky for help, which so far has delivered as part of this year’s rainy season.

To harness what nature provides, residents, particularly in more remote areas, make do with what they can find - including bamboo, or plastic sheeting donated by the government or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to funnel the water, while others use handmade drains made of zinc.

“My drain is made of plastic. But it's good enough for three households,” Hla Htay, a Pawin resident who shares her water with her neighbours, told IRIN.

“It'd be a disaster, if we have no more rain,” she said.

Water purification

International organisations and UN agencies, including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), are working to provide water purification tablets and kits, as well as water filters, to ensure the water is clean.

Various water purification systems in the storm-affected area have also been put in place - in an effort to mitigate the risk of water-borne diseases - an approach that so far appears to be working.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), to date there have been no reported outbreaks of water-borne disease.

Moreover, significant efforts are now under way to pump contaminated water out of ponds so that they can be replenished with this year’s monsoon rains.

Keeping traditional water ponds for drinking and household needs is the best way to mitigate the problem of water shortages, according to Waldemar Pickardt, chief of water and environmental sanitation for UNICEF/Myanmar in Yangon, the former Burmese capital.

Time running out

Most of the pumps used to drain the ponds are small. This allows for greater mobility into more remote areas by boat, but the pumps’ capacity is limited.

Pumping out the ponds is a race against time. In some places, local volunteers are stepping forward to clean them up. However, many ponds have yet to be touched, even though the heaviest rains normally end in August.

“I'm afraid we won't finish cleaning all the water ponds before the rainy season goes out,” UNICEF’s Pickardt told IRIN, pointing out that they now had only one month to make the ponds ready to fill with rainwater for the year ahead.

“I'm afraid the next hardship will be to get safe water,” Pickardt warned. “Water shortages would be more likely to happen in those areas [the storm-affected Ayeyarwaddy Delta] when the rain stops,” the UNICEF official said, adding that a water shortage was likely in the dry season around January and February.

Disclaimer:This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
Photo: Copyright IRIN

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

OriginalBlogger.com

Brazil: Police kill at least eight in Rio de Janeiro slum

2008-07-19T13:09:00.002+10:00

Police killed at least eight people in a raid on drug traffickers in a Rio de Janeiro slum, a spokesman said on Friday, following widespread anger and fear over police brutality in recent weeks. Globo news agency reported 10 people were killed, Reuters reported.

Police were met with gunfire in the Minha Deusa (My Goddess) favela, or shantytown, a spokeswoman said. Officers seized machineguns, grenades, five stolen cars and drugs.
Earlier this week, a street vendor and a motorist were shot dead in botched police operations in the famed tourist city.

Brazilians were outraged this month when two police officers killed a 3-year-old boy by firing on the car his mother was driving, thinking it was the getaway vehicle of criminals.
The number of suspects killed last year by police rose 25 percent to 1,330.

Governor Sergio Cabral has said his policy of confrontation is needed to counter the heavily armed drug gangs that control the slums.

Republished permission FOCUS Information Agency

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

TotallyGold.com

U.S. Election: Obama heads to the Middle East and Europe seeking to bolster his foreign policy and national security credentials

2008-07-19T12:41:00.005+10:00

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama travels to the Middle East and Europe next week as he seeks to bolster his foreign policy and national security credentials with U.S. voters. Obama is also expected to visit Iraq and Afghanistan soon. Obama's Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, is already well known overseas, and Obama's trip amounts to an introductory international tour of sorts for a man who could become president next January. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
Senator Obama will head first to Jordan and Israel, followed by stops in Germany, France and Britain.

Obama supporters hope his trip will bolster the contention that he is ready to lead U.S. foreign policy and be commander in chief of the military.

Public opinion polls give Republican John McCain the edge in those areas at the moment, and Obama has spent a lot of time recently talking about foreign policy and national security issues as he campaigns around the country.

"Instead of alienating ourselves from the world, I want America, once again, to lead," he said. "As president, I intend to pursue a tough, smart and principled national security strategy, one that recognizes that we have interests beyond Baghdad."

Obama has pledged to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office. He has also vowed to send more troops to Afghanistan to bolster the war effort there.

Senator McCain opposes a timetable for withdrawal in Iraq and accuses Senator Obama of ignoring the success of the Bush administration's military surge strategy.

McCain is quick to emphasize his own experience in both the military and Congress to highlight Obama's relatively short tenure as a first term U.S. senator from Illinois.

"In wartime, judgment and experience matter," he said. "They matter. In a time of war, the commander-in-chief does not get a learning curve. If I have that privilege [of being President], I will bring to the job many years of military and political experience, experience that gave me the judgment necessary to make the right call in Iraq a year and a half ago."

Political experts say Obama's trip is essential for two reasons. First, it provides Obama an opportunity to demonstrate his foreign policy expertise to American voters, an area that polls suggest he needs to improve.

Second, it will allow Obama to open a dialogue with foreign leaders, as he makes his first appearance on the international stage as a potential president.

Stephen Hess is a political scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"In the case of particularly Senator Obama, who is very new on the political scene, it, I think, was incumbent on him to at least touch base in many parts of the world, parts of the world in which he may not have spent any time," he explained.

Public opinion polls show more Americans believe that John McCain is ready to be commander-in-chief than Barack Obama.

But McCain is facing a major challenge of his own with regard to the domestic economy, which voters now regard as the number one issue in the campaign.

Polls show the public believes Obama would do a better job than McCain in trying to turn the economy around.

Democratic pollster Doug Schoen says that is one reason why Obama continues to lead McCain in public opinion polls.

"What Americans want in a president is somebody who can provide new direction and new leadership for the country," he said. "They see the economy in a seriously deteriorating state. They are concerned about our position overseas and they want new and fresh leadership."

University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato says Obama has the advantage of being a Democrat in what should be a good year for Democratic candidates.

But Sabato says both Obama and McCain have weaknesses they need to address, and that is one reason Obama is traveling overseas.

"The minuses for Obama, I think, no question race and inexperience," he explained. "Those are the two big minuses. For McCain, his great advantage is his biography and his experience. He is a reassuring figure. The minuses for McCain, you can start with President Bush and you can end with President Bush."

Recent polls give Obama a lead of anywhere from two to nine points over McCain. Pollster Doug Schoen says he expects a close result on November 4.

"Well, it is a close election. It is within five points now, and I think that John McCain, certainly while he is behind, has a real fighting chance to win the election," he noted.

The next major opportunities for both candidates to win over voters will come at the national party conventions where Obama and McCain will be officially nominated. The Democrats meet the last week of August in Denver, while the Republicans will gather the following week in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

By: Jim Malone Washington, 18 July 2008
Published with the permission of Voice of America

Sedo- Domain name Aftermarket:

ObamaOK.com ObamaOnIraq.com