May 31, 2012 

And Then There Were Some....the 6th Mass Extinction?

(Video euronews)

Scientists are calling it `The Sixth Mass Extinction'; species are dying off faster than at any time since the dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago. It is estimated that around 30,000 species become extinct each year.  Palaeontologists characterize mass extinctions as times when the Earth loses more than three-quarters of its species in a geologically short interval, as has happened only five times in the past 540 million years or so. Biologists now suggest that a sixth mass extinction may be under way, given the known species losses over the past few centuries & millennia. Here, a review how differences between fossil & modern data & the addition of recently available information influence our understanding of the current extinction crisis. Results confirm that current extinction rates are higher than would be expected from the fossil record, highlighting the need for effective conservation measures. (Read More at Nature)

Palestine: PalFest Literature Festival in Gaza for First Time

(Video: Highlights of PalFest 2012/The MohaDoha)

This year for the 1st time the Palestinian Festival of Literature, or PalFest, was held in Gaza. Since it was founded in 2008, the festival's aim has been to bring together Palestinian & international authors; organizing public events in the evenings & creative writing workshops for Palestinian students during the day.  According to the festival's founder, Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif, having the festival in Gaza has been the ultimate goal of the event since it began, but it always faced tremendous difficulties in getting permits for the participating authors to come through the Rafah Crossing. This year they were successful & a group of about 40 Egyptian, Tunisian, Sudanese & Palestinian authors, artists & activists were granted permission to visit Gaza & participate from May 5 to 10. Tho, on the closing day of the festival in Dar al Basha, a historical house, police shut down the festival & 3 hours later apologized, stating it was an “individual error”, & "PalFest would always be welcome in Gaza".  The closing event took place in Cairo on May 11^th. (Read more at PalFest)

Israel: Anti-Africa Protests Erupt Against Migrants in Tel-Aviv

(PHOTO: Israelis protest against African migrant workers in south Tel Aviv, May 23, 2012/Moti Milrod)In the Hatikiva neighborhood of Tel Aviv, Israel 1,000 “protesters” which ended in rioting - demanded the detention & deportation of the recent influx of Africans - somewhere between 700 & 3,000 - who have come to Israel seeking asylum from various horrors, notably the wars & cross border conflicts of Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea & Ethiopia.  Demonstrators attacked African passersby while others lit garbage cans on fire & smashed car windows.  

(PHOTO: Scenes from Tel Aviv last night/Moti Milrod) The crowd shouted "The people want the Sudanese deported" & "Infiltrators get out of our home."   The protesters expressed their dismay with the government's handling of the situation & last week Interior Minister Eli Yishai, called for the detention & expulsion of all asylum seekers; & the country's Attorney General  Yehuda Weinstein will argue next week before the Jerusalem District Court that there is no legal obstacle to the expulsions since `none of them face any threat to their lives where they came from'. Police arrested 17 people during the protest. (Read more at Haaretz)

In Myanmar, ‘Electricity first; democracy second.’

(Video Burma VJ Media)

In protests that began Sunday in Burma's largest cities of Rangoon & Mandalay, hundreds of people have been holding candlelit protests to protest against chronic electricity shortages; the largest since the 2007 monk-led “Saffron Revolution,” which was brutally crushed by the then-military regime who outlawed public gatherings of more than 5 people. Until now, unsure of how a new law which allows `peaceful, authorized protests' would be applied in practice, Burmese citizens have only held small, tentative rallies; the candlelit movement against power blackouts is the law’s 1st major test. So far, police have let most demonstrations unfold without intervening, except in the central town of Pyi Thursday.

(PHOTO: Protesters in front of Sule Pagoda, Rangoon/Citizen Journalists Myanmar)On Wednesday, officials said that due to a recent drought, Burma’s hydro-electric plants have been pumping out less power than usual, while consumption has been higher. Many protesters have expressed anger that Burma exports a majority of its energy to foreign countries, notably China & Thailand, despite chronic shortages at home. In Mandalay, people get about 4 or 5 hours of electricity per day; in Yangon, only slightly better.  But the biggest side effect of the electricity shortage is water shortages as many people rely on motorized pumps to get water from the ground.  (Read more at France 24)

"Space, For the Rest of Us"

(Video: IBNTIMES/NASA) 

"Space is hard & unforgiving & there is still a lot of challenging work ahead for the SpaceX Dragon team. I would not pop the champagne corks just yet. But this is a moment to savor," says long-time space correspondent Miles O'Brien.  For the 1st time since the US space shuttle Endeavour's wheels came to a halt on July 21, 2011, a US built spacecraft is back in motion, on its way to meet up with the International Space Station.  It's now been more than 50 years since human beings 1st flew to space & little more than 500 of them have been there. Talk about the ultimate elite club.  But things started looking a little brighter in the wee hours of this morning when entrepreneur Elon Musk's `SpaceX' developed Falcon 9 left launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida, so the Dragon capsule can rendezvous with the ISS, fly in formation safely & then sidle up close enough to be grasped by the space station's robot arm - the 1st time ever a private entity (tho administered by NASA) will make such a visit. Dragon's 1st close encounter with ISS will happen on Friday, May 25th - a fitting moment as it will be the 51st anniversary of John F. Kennedy's audacious, historic speech to a joint session of Congress that set the US on its course to the moon.  (Read more at PBS)

Chicago Prepares for NATO Summit

(Video Al Jazeera)  

US president Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago is this weekend's venue of the NATO summit about the future of the foreign forces in Afghanistan, which commences Sunday after this weekend's G8 meeting, with more than 60 heads of state scheduled to attend. Thousands of protesters are also expected to converge on a city with a history of violent protests, notably the 1968 Democratic National Convention.  Security is a primary concern & Obama's former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, now the mayor of the city, is tasked with seeing the event through without incident.  Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports from Chicago.

This Weekend's Solar Eclipse, Can You See it?

(PHOTO: Flickr) On May 20, the moon will pass between the Earth & the sun, creating a brilliant annular solar eclipse for some viewers & an equally amazing partial solar eclipse for many others. An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is at a certain distance from the Earth, so that it appears relatively smaller than the sun; in a total eclipse, the moon appears to be the same size as the sun. This happens because the moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle but rather is an ellipse, putting it sometimes a bit further from the Earth than others. Not everyone will be able to see it. Only a relatively small number of people will be in just the right spot. Some of the major cities & places that lie along the path of best viewing for this annular eclipse include Tokyo; in the US-Alaska’s Aleutian Islands; Redding, California; central Nevada; southern Utah; northern Arizona; & Albuquerque, New Mexico.  If you live in East Asia & near the Pacific Ocean, you’ll also be able to see the partial eclipse.  The eclipse will begin on the west coast of the US at 6:30 pm PDT on May 20.  (Read more at Mashable)

South China Sea Dispute Blamed Partly on Depleted Fish Stocks

(Video BONTV)

China & the Philippines have announced temporary bans on fishing in areas of the South China Sea they both claim as sovereign territory; tho every year China imposes a ban for several weeks in a northern part of the South China Sea for replenishment anyway. The move could help cool tempers after ships from the 2 sides faced off in April over Chinese fishing in the disputed Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island by China, but the Philippines & Vietnam complain it is just another way for China to assert its claims on maritime territories that they also dispute.  The South China Sea is thought to contain enormous reserves of oil & natural gas - about 80% of the same amount of Saudi Arabia - much of it in disputed areas. China claims most of the South China Sea, putting it in conflict with competing claims by Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.  China's halt to fishing will go through August 1 while the Philippines did not indicate a time period for its ban. (Read more at VOA)

Fallen Journalists Honored

(PHOTO: James P. Blair)Today, the Newseum in Washington, DC rededicated its Journalists Memorial (pictured), which honors reporters who died or were killed in the pursuit of news. The names of 70 journalists who died in 2011 & 2 who died in previous years, have been added to the memorial at the ceremony; last year was the deadliest year on record for journalists. Alejandro Junco, the president & CEO of Grupo Reforma, which publishes 3 Mexican newspapers, was the keynote speaker at the event.  With the addition of this year’s names, the memorial will honor a total of 2,156 reporters, photographers, broadcasters & news executives from around the world, dating back to 1837.  (By Merrill Knox for Mediabistro)

Fifteen people killed in Nepal plane crash; 6 survive

(Video IBNLive) 

15 people have been killed in a plane crash in the Himalaya mountains. 6 other people onboard the aircraft which is operated by Agni Air, survived the impact tho were injured; including 2 Danish nationals. The Dornier plane came down during a landing attempt at Jomsom airport - a gateway for trekkers & religious pilgrims on their way to the Muktinath temple - in northern Nepal, about 200 kilometers NW of the capital Kathmandu. The plane was enroute from the city of Pokhara.  Jomsom has a reputation as of 1of the world’s most dangerous airfields, perched on mountainous terrain more than 2 1/2 thousand meters above sea level. Nepal’s Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai issued a statement after the crash, expressing his condolences. (Read more at the Himalayan Times)

Bird flu can transmit in mammals, study finds

(PHOTO: A mutant flu virus became more transmissible passing between lab ferrets/NATURE) After months of debate about how to release the findings publicly, a report published in Nature finds that, Avian H5N1 influenza viruses in the wild may be 1 small step away from spreading effectively between mammals (humans). That is the sobering message from a controversial study by Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. In the words of a virologist from Columbia University in New York. “It does not disappoint.” 

(GRAPH: How the virus works/NEWSCIENTIST) H5N1, commonly known as `bird flu', is highly pathogenic & often lethal in humans, but it cannot yet spread efficiently between people & animals. Kawaoka & his team mutated a gene, which produces the protein the virus uses to stick itself to host cells.  Researchers combined this gene with 7 others from a highly transmissible flu virus, the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009 -  & found the hybrid virus could spread between ferrets in separate cages after acquiring just 4 mutations. What's worrying to scientists is that some Middle Eastern H5N1 strains, notably found in Egypt, can already recognize human receptors & the study suggests the virus could be just 1 stabilizing mutation away from being able to spread to & between humans.

(PHOTO: Florida chicken coop/Larry Rana, USDA)Corroborating  experiments have been conducted by a team at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands & they have just received approval to publish their paper in an upcoming Science edition. Such a hybrid virus could emerge naturally; both H5N1 & H1N1 have been found in pigs, but the hybrid virus evolved further after Kawaoka’s team gave it to ferrets - the best animal model for human influenza - which saw the virus spread between ferrets for the 1st time; some in nearby cages by airborne spread. (Read more at NATURE)

Africa Connects to the World

(MAP: Internet penetration worldwide, 2012; dark is most/Wikipedia)Slow Internet connections could soon become a thing of the past in West Africa when 2 underwater fiber-optic cables are laid from Europe down the western coast of Africa in mid-2012. The cables will bring faster, more reliable & likely cheaper broadband Internet to Cameroon, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone & 15 other countries along the Atlantic coast of Africa; several getting broadband access for the first time.  8 West African countries, are already connected via the older, slower SAT-3 cable & the Nigeria-based MainOne cable, which came online in mid-2010.  Governments & private telecoms, like MTN & France Telecom, are paying the bill of more than $600-million bills for each cable.  Eastern & Southern Africa are a few years ahead as a 2nd underwater cable, SEACOM, went online on that side of the continent in July 2009.  Hundreds of millions of dollars of terrestrial cables must also be built to connect rural areas and landlocked countries, like Mali & Niger, to the submarine network.  The Africa Coast to Europe, or ACE, cable will stretch 17,000 kilometers & land in 20 countries on its way from France to South Africa. The West Africa Cable system, or WACS, will measure 14,000 kilometers & hit 13 countries between London & South Africa.  The WACS cable alone is expected to increase connectivity by more than 20% on the continent. (Read more at VOA)

Best and worst places to be a global mother, Save the Children report      

(PHOTO: Herokids)The just released State of World's Mothers 2012 report by international child rights NGO  'Save the Children' has seen India slipping 1 position down from the 75th spot of last year's report; now at 76. Afghanistan is no longer the worst place in the world for mothers; Niger is. According to the annual survey which looks at how good the life of a mother is around the globe, one out of every 140 women in India runs the risk of dying during childbirth, as compared to neighboring China where 1 in 1,500 women runs the risk of maternal death, while it is 1 in 1,100 in Sri Lanka & 1 in 180 in Myanmar.  Africa's Niger is the world's worst place to be a mother because both mothers & babies face a mounting range of obstacles to survival & wellbeing due to a lack of basic medical care; poor access to contraception; child malnutrition & illness. Additionally, low primary school enrollment & extremely low economic opportunity for women, as well as deepening humanitarian crises as a result of crop failures & high food prices all contribute to the endemic issues which often impacts the most critical first 1000 days of life.  The legacy can last a lifetime. (Read more at Sydney Morning Herald)

Barbados & UNDP Host Pre Rio+20 Meeting on Sustainable Energy

(Video `Sustainable Energy for All', UNFoundation)

The Barbados’ government & the United Nations Development Program are co-hosting an informal ministerial meeting dubbed “Sustainable Energy for All” this week. The 2-day meeting, which begins Monday, comes ahead of a preparatory Rio+20 meeting on Wednesday. The Barbados talks aim to produce a declaration which decries the realities & opportunities of SEFA from the perspective of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).  The meeting looks to outline a clear statement on circumstances, needs & vulnerabilities of SIDS & call & to commit to supporting the actions of SIDS DOCK - a sustainable energy project which provides a mechanism for investment in green energy & energy efficiency - pioneered by the Alliance of Small Island States, UNDP Barbados & the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.  More than 100 high-level officials from SIDs, representing the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, South China Sea, the Caribbean & the Pacific will attend the conference resulting in the `Barbados Declaration' to be signed Tuesday.  (Read more at Caribbean Journal)

Colombia FARC says its holding FRANCE24 Journalist

(PHOTO: FRANCE 24 journalist Romeo Langlois/EPA)The Colombian rebel group FARC confirmed it is holding French journalist Romeo Langlois, 35, who disappeared on April 28th a week ago on assignment for FRANCE24; wearing what the ruling secretariat of FARC said was "military clothing of the regular army" when security forces he was accompanying on a counter-narcotics mission were attacked by FARC fighters. It said it was holding Langlois "in the quality of a prisoner of war. Journalists that Colombia's armed forces take with it on military operations don't adhere to the impartial purpose of informing about reality."  Colombia's defence minister has said that during the attack Langlois removed the helmet & flak jacket the army had provided & identified himself as a civilian, tho he is thought to be lightly wounded in an arm but not in danger.

(Video RPasur) 

The FARC spokesman says he is from the 15th Front of the FARC & that it captured Langlois in a 7-hour firefight in which 6 people had been captured; only Langlois is still in captivity as 5 Colombian soldiers were released the next day. He said that now the rebels knew Langlois was a journalist "we hope to quickly overcome this impasse".  Both Brazil & Colombia have called for Langlois's immediate release stating he is "a journalist who was doing his job. As such, he is protected, as a civilian, by the Geneva Convention."   (Read more at FRANCE24)  

Hungary and Kazakhstan form economic alliance

(PHOTO: Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, standing; meeting with Kazakh PM Karim Massimov in Astana/PM.KZ)Hungary's PM Viktor Orbán signed several agreements with his Kazakhstan counterpart Karim Massimov on a trip to Astana this weekend for the Hungary-Kazakhstan business forum where Orban discussed his country's economic crisis & stated: “We not only have a new government, but also changed our mentality & approach to general issues: this is the main source of our international vision. We started thinking this way 2 years ago. We did not lose our hopes & ambitions. This is why 50 Hungarian companies consider it a priority to send their representatives to this forum to improve & enhance relations with our Kazakhstan partners.” Kazakhstan is Hungary's primary trading partner in Central-Asia.  (Read more at NEW EUROPE)

5 Nations Plus the EU Commission President Announce Snub to Ukraine's `Euro 2012' over Tymoshenko Case

(Video SBS News)  

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has declared he has no intention of visiting Ukraine for the upcoming `Euro 2012' football championship unless there is a swift improvement in the human rights situation there - including the release of the country's opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko a former leader of Ukraine's Orange Revolution & a former Prime Minister.  She's currently in jail on a 7-year sentence for abuse of power over the signing of an allegedly unfavorable gas supply contract with Russia following the 2009 gas crisis.  Today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel added her voice & said she too would boycott unless the situation is resolved; as has her sports minister Hans-Peter Friedrich.  According to a report in Der Spiegel, Merkel will stay away from the Ukraine Euro 2012 games & is urging her ministers to do the same.  Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia & Estonia have also told Ukraine they will boycott the May 11-12 Yalta meeting of Central & Eastern European presidents ahead of the Euro 2012 matches in June.  Tymoshenko herself claims she is being targeted by her political opponent, Ukraine's current President Viktor Yanukovych  & has gone on a 10-day (so far) hunger strike.  Some of the Euro 2012 matches are scheduled to take place in Kharkiv where Tymoshenko is being held.  (Read more at RIA NOVOSTI)

Tunisia court fines TV station boss for airing animated film `Persepolis'

(PHOTO: Persepolis is Iranian director Marjane Satrapi’s adaptation of her graphic novel about growing up during Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution/Sony, Everett , Rex Features)A Tunisian court has convicted the head of a private TV station, Nessma TV for disrupting public order & violating moral values by airing an animated film that some religious leaders say insults Islam.  The court in Tunis ordered Nabil Karoui to pay a 2,400 dinar (£964) fine because his station aired the animated film `Persepolis' in October. The film is Iranian director Marjane Satrapi's adaptation of her graphic novel about growing up during Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution & previously won the jury prize at the 2007 Cannes film festival.  The French-language movie, had earlier appeared in Tunisian theatres with little complaint. The case has pitted liberals & defenders of media freedom against hardline Islamic groups who say that the film, which includes a depiction of God, is sacrilegious. The legal battle has underscored a struggle between secularists & Islamists in the north African nation after last year's overthrow of its longtime dictator, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the first Arab spring uprising. Karoui's lawyer said he would appeal the verdict.  The broadcast prompted angry demonstrations and Karoui's home was later firebombed. (Read more at The Guardian)

56 Killed in Attack on Nigeria Cattle Market

(PHOTO: Potiskum cattle market in Northern Nigeria, Yobe state after the attack/The Nation) There was almost nothing left yesterday of 1 of the largest open air markets in West Africa, Nigeria's thriving Potiskum livestock market - the major commercial city in Yobe State which serves as a bustling trading hub for neighboring Chad, Cameroon & Niger.  A group of armed robbers came with a Volkswagen Golf car & according to reports opened fire;  then escaped, & came back around 6:00pm with explosive materials - burning down buildings, cars & structures & shot at people, say witnesses. The Secretary of Nigerian Red Cross in the state, Zabu Buba, said they took about 30 people to the hospital; & 40 cows along with 17 vehicles were destroyed. 

Potiskum, a usually boisterous town was thrown into mourning, as a 10pm curfew took affect & entry & exit points in the town were blocked by security forces. The Emir of Potiskum, Alhaji Umaru Bubaram Ibn Wuriwa Bauya, visited the market & condemned the attack; a motive & claim of responsibility remain unknown. Sometimes violence in Nigeria, especially in parts of the north or the volatile Middle Belt - where the largely Christian south & Muslim north meet - is driven by ethnic rivalry over land & resources that has little to do with the Boko Haram insurgent terrorist group. (Read more at The Nation)

Jordan swears in new conservative-dominated cabinet

(PHOTO: Jordanian prime minister and royal court chief Fayez Tarawneh/KHALIL MAZRAAWI)Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday swore in a 30-strong cabinet led by PM Fayez Tarawneh, instructing him to form a government for "a limited transitional period" to implement reforms needed to hold general elections by the end of 2012. The cabinet includes 20 newcomers, among them former MP Ghaleb Zubi as interior minister, and 1 woman, Nadia Hashem, as state minister for women's affairs.  FM Nasser Judeh retains his assignment, journalist Samih Maayatah becomes information minister & economist Suleiman Hafez becomes finance minister.  The king appointed Tarawneh on Thursday after accepting the resignation of Awn Khaswaneh, 62, an International Court of Justice judge who formed his cabinet last October to become the 3rd premier of 2011. Jordan has seen persistent Arab Spring-inspired demonstrations almost every week since January 2011, demanding sweeping reforms & a tougher fight against corruption. (Read More at The Daily Star)

Boko Haram Plans More Attacks On Media

(PHOTO: Boko Haram in Nigeria is stepping up attacks on the country's media/The Nation)Less than a week after a bomb attack on Nigeria's `This Day' newspaper in Abuja killing 3 people, terrorist group Boko Haram released a new video in which it names more media organizations as targets of its next attack. In an 18-minute message released on YOUTUBE the sect threatened to attack news outlets that include Voice of America (Hausa), Radio France (Hausa), Daily Trust, Guardian Newspapers, Punch, Daily Sun, Vanguard, Nation, Tribune, National Accord, Leadership, Daily Trust, People's Daily & Sahara Reporters from New York.  The message, delivered in Hausa, shows live broadcast coverage of the bombing saying, 'Nigerians, our name is not Boko Haram, we are Muslims, Ahlis sunnah, engaged in jihad'; & 'We attacked `This Day' because we will never forget or forgive anyone who abused our prophet.'  Referring to This Day' as having `dishonored our prophet, Mohammad (SAW) during the Miss World pageant in Kaduna in November 2002.'  Shots of the late leader of the sect Muhammad Yusuf, delivering a sermon & preaching, were also shown. The voice explains, 'We are just getting the opportunity to attack the media house, & we are hoping to continue these attacks until we drive them out of existence.'  (Read More at ALLAFRICA)

Workers demand pay hikes, equality at global `May Day' marches

(Video OccupyLA)

In Asia, `May Day' moved beyond its roots as an international workers' holiday to a day of international protest Tuesday, with workers turning out in droves at rallies in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau & Taiwan demanding hikes in pay they say has not kept up with rising consumer prices, while also calling for lower school fees & better conditions for foreign workers.

(PHOTO: Workers in Manila at May Day/IBN)Marches in Europe over government-imposed austerity measures took place, some of the largest in Spain where 1 in 4 people is out of work.  In France, Italy & Germany the latest focus of a debt nightmare that has already forced 3 Eurozone countries Greece, Ireland & Portugal to seek financial bailouts.

(PHOTO: May Day rally in Kuwait City/Kuwait Times)The group has called instead for a "Marshall Plan" stimulus program to revive EU depressed economies. Sadly in southern Pakistan an unemployed father of 6, Abdul Razzaq Ansari, 45, set himself on fire in an apparent attempt to kill himself because he was mired in poverty, said police officer Nek Mohammed. (He suffered burns on 40% of his body but survived.)

(PHOTO: May Day rally in Moscow/RTT)In Russia, approximately 100,000 people - including President Medvedev & president-elect Putin -  took part in the main march in Moscow. In the US, demonstrations, strikes & acts of civil disobedience are taking place as some of the country's most visible Occupy rallies since the fall. (HUMNEWS)

Azerbaijan Harasses Journalists as Eurovision Song Contest Draws Near 

(PHOTO: Khadijah Ismailova, a journalist with Radio Liberty in Azerbaijan/Spiegel Online)The Eurovision Song Contest is 1 of the longest running television shows in the world, started May 24, 1956.  While not technically an EU member nation, this year Azerbaijan will host the 56th edition of Europe's favorite song show. Why? Ell & Nikki, only the 4th entry ever from Azerbaijan received the highest number of points from voters & juries from 43 European countries, meaning that Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan will host this year's final contest to be held May 22-26 in the “Crystal Hall” on the shore of the Caspian Sea. More than 30,000 people are expected to fly in to watch the show in person with almost 125 million worldwide TV viewers.  But authorities are concerned that the generally `subpar at best' human rights situation in Azerbaijan will overshadow the `spirit of song'.

(Video: Ell & Nikki will represent Azerbaijan with the song "Running Scared" at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest)

Already journalists in the country are reportedly being intimidated & harassed. Khadijah Ismailova for example, realized her apartment was bugged with cameras & microphones after pictures of her having sex with her boyfriend surfaced in a letter she received, calling her a `slut'.  She filed a complaint over the intrusion into her private life & the investigation is ongoing; she says she plans to follow the appeals process as far as the European Court of Human Rights.  Although the government professes secularism, forbids the wearing of head scarves in schools & openly opposes the construction of mosques, religious morality remains influential among the largely Shiite populace.

(PHOTO: Baku's Crystal Hall under construction, Jan 2012/Wikipedia) Despite the democratic shortcomings in Azerbaijan, human rights advocates agree that the press should nonetheless travel to Baku to cover the Eurovision Song Contest in order to get a 1st-hand view of the situation. But Ismailova warns that foreign journalists will most likely be spied upon. "Everyone should worry," she says. "Big Brother is everywhere."  Currently, at least 11 journalists, bloggers & media professionals are in jail in Azerbaijan. (Read more at Spiegel Online)

Bee research details harm from insecticides

(PHOTO: WashingtonPost) New research has begun to unravel the mystery of why bees are disappearing in alarming numbers worldwide: Some of the pesticides most commonly used by farmers appear to be changing bee behavior in small but fatal ways. 2 new studies found that honeybees & bumblebees had trouble foraging for food & returning with it to their hives after exposure to the new insecticides, which is widely used to protect grains, cotton, beans, vegetables & many other crops. The new pesticides have been welcomed as an environmental plus because, by almost all accounts, they are less harmful to other wildlife than previous pesticides.  Although the authors of the studies published Thursday in the journal Science do not conclude that the pesticides - called neonicotinoids, derived from the same nicotine found in tobacco - are the sole cause of the decline in bees or the more immediate & worrisome phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, they say the omnipresent chemicals have a clearly harmful effect on beehives.  The neonicotinoid pesticides are introduced directly into the seeds of crops planted by farmers & permeate the entire plant as it grows - including the pollen & nectar the bees feed on, killing them by attacking their central nervous systems.  Researchers found a sharp drop in the number of queen bumblebees produced, a decrease in the size & weight of beehives, & a demonstrated increase in the number of bees unable to find their way home.  (Read more in Science)

'Eyeless Shrimp', 2 Years After BP's Deepwater Oil Explosion

It's almost 2 years since BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, scientists say they have found deformities in seafood & a great decline in marine life.  "In my 20 years working on red snapper, looking at somewhere between 20 & 30,000 fish, I've never seen anything like this," said Dr. Jim Cowan of Louisiana State University's Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences who says he started hearing about fish with sores & lesions from fishermen in November 2010 & his findings replicate those of others living along vast areas of the Gulf Coast that have been impacted by BP's oil & dispersants. Reports also include finding disturbing numbers of mutated shrimp, crab & fish, fish with oozing sores, underdeveloped blue crabs lacking claws, & eyeless crabs & shrimp.  (Read more at Al Jazeera)

United Airlines Ends Vaccine Support to Pacific Islands

(PHOTO: ScienceBuzz)Flu vaccines may not arrive as expected in 6 Pacific islands beginning this year after United Airlines discontinued the service of shipping them for free from the US Department of Defense,  as was the carriers practice.  Pacific Island Health Officers Association's Michael Epp relayed the message to its members  which include American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, & Palau, in a letter last week. The annual practice was started by Continental Airlines in 2007; United bought Continental in May, 2010.  Hawaiian Airlines & Continental Micronesia are also partners with DOD but only fly to some countries.   Even with more than 26,000 flu doses sent last year, most of the islands are still short. In its letter to DOD United's regional sales manager for southwest region, Bill Conrad, indicated that "while I do believe this is a worthy cause, unfortunately is does not align with our overall corporate efforts and strategies,” adding that it will not able to extend any gratis support for this movement. (Read more at Saipan Tribune)

Iraq and Iran Make Friends

(PHOTO: Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki (L) meets with Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran Sunday/Tehran Times) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that if Iran & Iraq stay “powerful & esteemed” there will be no place for enemies of the world’s nations. He made the remarks in a meeting with Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki in Tehran on Sunday.  He called Tehran-Baghdad ties "exemplary" & said that there is no obstacle in the path of "consolidating relations between the 2 countries at regional & international levels". The 2 leaders emphasized the need to accelerate previous agreements between them & said that Iran & Iraq should take measures necessary to promote cooperation based on principles of peace, stability & common interests saying the Tehran-Baghdad political relationship is "close" but they should cement ties in "all areas".   Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government has received support from Iran, a regional Shiite powerhouse.  Iraq will host the next round of nuclear talks between Iran & the 6 world powers in Baghdad May 23.  (Read more at Al-Arabiya)

Fighting words: North Korea Threatens South Korea

(PHOTO: Kim Jong-UN, NK's leader/Telegraph) North Korea threatens South Korea with `Special Military Action', escalating the war of words between the 2. Pyongyang is now threatening “quick action” against its neighbor who last week after N. Korea's failed missile launch, unveiled a missile of its own saying its capable of quickly striking any target in the North. On Monday afternoon KCNA, the state news agency interupted regular programming reading a not so normal announcement saying a `special operation' would reduce to “ashes in 3 or 4 minutes” the supporters of South Korea's president using "unprecedented peculiar means & methods.”  Pyongyang blames President Lee for insulting the North as the country was mourning its late leader, Kim Jong Il, who died in December. North Korea often uses aggressive language in its dictums. But some analysts say the latest message may could preclude some sort of attack;  tho there seems to be no suggestion of a mobilization of North Korea's military. Since 1953 when an armistice was signed ending 3 years of devastating warfare. The 2 Koreas have never signed a peace treaty, have no diplomatic relations & exist with 50,000 US troops between them.  (Read more at KCNA)

Building the Quantum Internet

(PHOTO: An artist's depiction of the two-quantum bit created by researchers/Science,AAAS)Communications networks are vital for day-to-day lives, & now the 1st prototype of a quantum one has been developed based on interfaces between single atoms & photons. For a quantum network to be useful, the exchange of quantum information must be reversible; difficult, because quantum information is very fragile, & the no-cloning theorem prevents the copying of a different quantum state. A breakthrough in solving this problem has been achieved by a group led by professor Gerhard Rempe of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Germany, using individual atoms to store information & transfer data by the controlled exchange of photons; the 1st elementary quantum network for secure communications.

(PHOTO: Single atoms form the nodes of an elementary quantum network in which quantum information is transmitted by the controlled exchange of single photons/Andreas Neuzner, MPQ)What it means? Information can be transmitted, bit by bit, from 1 atom to a 2nd atom by mapping its quantum state onto individual photons. The photons travel through a fiber optic cable & are absorbed by the 2nd atom which can then send information back to the 1st atom, or act as a hub to any number of networked atoms - proving that the quantum states can be transferred much better than is currently possible with any classical network. The group also demonstrated `entanglement', or a correlated state, between 2 physically separated network nodes which researchers believe could serve as a model for the teleportation of quantum information over very large distances, & might enable an entire quantum internet. (Read more at CNET)

India: The Woman Behind the Missile

(Video StarTV)  

At 8:07AM on Thursday, when India’s 1st inter-continental ballistic missile tore into the overcast sky of Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast, all eyes were on 1 woman on the ground - 49 year old chief scientist of missile Project Agni-V, Tessy Thomas whose team spent the past 3 years building the missile. By Thursday night, Thomas was back in Hyderabad & celebrating with her colleagues at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) office.   Thomas grew up in Kerala close to the Thumba launching station, watching rocket launches & dreaming about them. After alot of hard work, a B Tech & an M Tech later, she joined the almost all-male DRDO ‘club’ in 1988.

(PHOTO: Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-5 test fired from Odisa coast, India, 4.19.12/Hindustan Times)Thomas says she's always considered herself a “scientist”, even becoming the favorite pupil of former President & ‘missile man’ APJ Abdul Kalam. Thomas is the 1st woman scientist in the country to head a missile program.  Tho, 1 major challenge she says has been in striking a balance between a career & a regular family life. For many years Thomas has had to be apart from her husband Saroj Kumar, a commodore in the Indian Navy, who she met during her M Tech in Pune & her son Tejas, an engineering student. (Read more at the Hindustan Times)

Peru: Dolphins Die in Mystery

(Video BlueVoice) 

Since mid-January, an estimated 3,000 dolphins have been found dead along the shores of northern Peru, in what has become 1 of the largest marine mammal mortality events ever reported. No cause has been determined, tho evidence of middle & inner-ear damage, lung lesions & bubbles in the blood are consistent with acoustic impact & decompression syndrome, leading to speculation that oil exploration in the region may be to blame. Persistent organic pollutants that accumulate in organisms further down the food web also tend to become more concentrated in top predators such as dolphins.

(PHOTO: Dolphins beached in Peru/BlueVoice) In a statement released earlier this month, BPZ Energy confirmed that it was conducting acoustical, seismic studies in the area, but that the dolphin deaths began more than 2 weeks before their exploratory activity began.  Much of the information about the current stranding comes from an investigation conducted by Dr. Carlos Yaipen Llanos, from the marine mammal rescue team ORCA Peru, & Hardy Jones of BlueVoice. Traveling 135 km along the coast of northern Peru in late March, Llanos & Hardy noted approximately 600 dolphins stranded, some pregnant.  Hardy Jones has produced this video about their trip. Research into the die-off will continue. (Read more at Ecology Global Network)

Brazil, Uruguay Set Up Railroad to Link Countries

(PHOTO: President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil & Uruguay's President Jose Mujica meet Thursday/Presna Latina) The presidents of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, & Uruguay, Jose Mujica met on Thursday to discuss priority areas for bilateral cooperation, especially physical infrastructure & energy integration, science, technology & innovation, biotechnology & digital television.  The Brazilian president revealed that the 2 idea is to complete two sections of railway that will link the two countries.4 months ago, during the Summit of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), the 2 leaders decided to step up their nations' strategic alliances. This is Mujica's 2nd visit to Brazil in 2012. The 1st trip took place in January, when he chose Brazil for a vacation & took advantage of his stay to visit ex-president & personal friend Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was receiving treatment for a larynx tumor.  (Read more at Cadena)

High-level UN group aims to help countries improve nutrition

(PHOTO: IRIN) High-level officials tasked by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with promoting good nutrition have agreed to focus on ensuring programs supporting nutritional sustainability produces tangible results, & that resources for country-led actions are coordinated, aligned, transparent & accountable.  The group was appointed by Mr. Ban to serve as “strategic guides” for the SUN Movement, a global initiative that aims to improve maternal & child nutrition focusing on the critical 1,000-day window between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday, when proper nutrition can mean the difference between health & sickness, life & death.  Among the group’s members are the leaders of Mozambique, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Namibia, Nepal & Nigeria.  The 1st meeting of the Lead Group for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement was chaired by Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of  UNICEF & brought together 27 leaders of countries, organizations & sectors working to improve nutrition.  (Read more at UN News Centre)

UN Wives Call Out Syria's First Lady as `By-Stander'

The wives of 2 UN ambassadors from Germany, Huberta von Voss-Wittig & Sheila Lyall Grant wife of the UK diplomat have produced a video released on Youtube appealing to Syria's 1st  lady, Asma al-Assad to "care more for your people & less for your style".  The presentation contrasts the luxury lifestyle of 37-year-old Asma, mother of 3, former investment banker - who  last year (February, 2011) was profiled in Vogue magazine - with images of dead & injured Syrian children; asking viewers to sign a petition demanding the UK-born first lady (whose Sunni parents originally hail from Homs) speak out.

(PHOTO: Vogue, 2011 profile of Asma Assad. `A Rose in the Desert'/The Atlantic) "Stop being a bystander" taunts the video, with calls to "stop your husband".  The video includes an archive clip of Asma, telling an audience, "We should all be able to live in peace, stability & with our dignities"; then asking  "What happened to you, Asma?" The video follows a similar online appeal from human rights group Rise 4 Humanity. Asma & Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria, were shown on Syrian state TV Wednesday packing food aid, for victims of fighting in Homs where the president's forces are crushing an uprising in defiance of a UN brokered ceasefire agreement - in full view of international observors deployed to the country on Monday.  (Read more at SMH)

Nigeria warned against population explosion

(MAP: Deep orange cities with 10 million plus people/Wikipedia) Jeffrey Sachs, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special adviser, warned Monday that an impending Nigeria population explosion could see the nation balloon from 158 million people to 730 million by 2100.  "I am really scared about population explosion in Nigeria. Nigeria should work towards attaining a maximum of 3 children per family," Sachs said on the margins of an interactive presidential meeting with key members of the business community.  "An increase in annual economic growth from the current 7% towards encouraging integrated development in economy, agriculture, urban & rural sectors, building a good health system, education, power, railway - could see the country become 1 of the most important economies in the 21st century."  President Goodluck Jonathan, who will on Sunday begin a new 4-year term (he came into office in May 2011 following the death of Umaru Yar'Adua), told the meeting, he will lead his country's economic team saying his new administration was determined to take decisive steps in order to transform a nation whose unemployment rate is more than 21%. Nigeria has 6 cities with a population of over 1 million people - (largest to smallest) - Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, & Benin City).  Lagos is the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa, with a population of over 8 million in its urban area alone. (Read more at TIMES Live)

Palestinian Prisoners Hunger Strike to Protest Israel

(Video Scoop.NZ) 

1500 or so Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails began an open-ended hunger strike Tuesday, & another 1,100 refused to eat for the day, the Israel Prisons Service said. The strike began on the Palestinians' annual Prisoners' Day.  On the same day that Khader Adnan, who ended a 67-day hunger strike in February, was released from jail.  Among those who refused food on Tuesday were 8 women being held in the Givon Prison after being refused entry to Israel in the 'flytilla' protests over the weekend. Human rights groups say more prisoners in the Ofer & Megiddo prison are expected to join the strike in coming days.  The strikers are protesting three main Israeli policies: solitary confinement, administrative detention & the continuation of sanctions imposed before the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Palestinians held a rally in Ramallah Tuesday, to mark Prisoners' Day.  (Read more at Haaretz)

Sudan/South Sudan: A Tale of Two Neighbors

(Video NTV)  

The top UN human rights official Navi Pillay said today that Sudan's indiscriminate bombing raids have resulted in civilian casualties in South Sudan & urged the 2 countries' governments to halt the escalating violence along their border areas where civilians are in South Sudan, including in Mayom & Bentiu in Unity State & in Warrap; resulting in the deaths of at least 8 & injuring 22 in attacks since Saturday. She also voiced alarm at South Sudan's "unwarranted occupation" of the oil-producing region of Heglig in Sudan's South Kordofan state, as well as over reports of a dramatic build-up in the number of northern militia in the disputed Abyei area the past few days.

(PHOTO: IOM coordinates the WASH response in Doro Camp where there are over 52,000 registered refugees from Sudan/Doro Camp, March 2012, A Torres Sortiz) Ms. Pillay supported the call by UNSG Ban Ki-moon to convene a planned presidential summit of the 2 countries as soon as possible & to renew a commitment, from both sides to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which formally ended 22 years of civil war between the neighbors. The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Ms. Hilde Johnson, echoed Ms. Pillay's comments.  Meanwhile aid agencies are struggling to keep up with the food & water needs of over 37,000 people in Jamam refugee camp fleeing violence across the border in Sudan's Blue Nile State.  Oxfam, CARE, MSF, IOM, & UNHCR among others are all working in the area where it's said many people have diarrhea, & are eating tree leaves to survive. The UN & international agencies have warned of impending famine. (Read more at AllAfrica)

Iran-UAE spar over Abu Musa island

(MAP: Straits of Hormuz, Abu Musa Island location/Wikipedia)Arab foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council which include the nations UAE with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar & Saudi Arabia will hold a special meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday to discuss an ancient dispute over the Abu Musa islands between Iran & the UAE. The meeting comes after Abu Dhabi recalled its ambassador to Tehran & lodged a protest with the UN in protest after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a visit to the territory which both countries lay claim to, along with 2 other islands Lesser Tunb & Greater Tunb in the southern Gulf. Tehran insisted historical documents proved "the Persian Gulf is Persian," & said the visit was a purely "domestic issue."

(PHOTO: Abu Musa/Wikicommons) Abu Musa is a 12-km island in the eastern Persian Gulf, part of a 6-island archipelago near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. Administered by Iran as part of the Iranian province of Hormozgan, it is also claimed by the UAE. As of 2010 the island had some 2,038 inhabitants.  After British occupation, in 1971, UAE & Iran agreed to give sovereignty to the former but allowed the latter to station troops on the island. Abu Musa, the only inhabited island of the 3 was placed under joint administration in de-occupation deal called Sharjah, now administered as part of the UAE. Abu Dhabi says the Iranians have since taken control of the entire island which controls access to the oil-rich Gulf & have installed an airport & military base on Abu Musa. (Read more at GulfNews)

Super Bacteria Found in New Mexico Cave

(PHOTO: A researcher stands near the "Pearlsian Gulf" in the Lechuguilla caves, NM/Max Wisshak)Lechuguilla Cave, a subterranean tunnel stretching for 130 miles through Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, US  may just hold the key to the growing global problem of antibiotic resistance to current modern viruses. Deep in the cave's most arid depths, amid no sunlight, no water - a lush garden of bacteria grows untouched by humans for 4 million years.  These strains of bacteria thrive on harsh minerals of the geological formations to which they cling & fend off other life forms that would prey on them.  Hazel A. Barton, a spelunker & microbiologist at the University of Akron in Ohio collected about 500 strains of bacteria from 3 sites in the cave. Of the 93 strains that were chosen for evaluation, all were resistant to at least 1 of the current antibiotics used to fight bacterial infections & some were resistant to at least 14. Virtually all of the 26 antibiotics tested - from natural products like vancomycin to synthetics such as ciprofloxacin & linezolid - proved useless in killing at least 1 of the strains of bacteria collected.

(GRAPH: A bacteria breaking down an antibiotic/TextbookofBacteriology)What does this mean?  Try as you might to kill them, infectious diseases gain the upper hand against medicines eventually & the process cannot be stopped.  The study appeared on the same day the US Food & Drug Administration asked drug makers & veterinarians to reduce the widespread use of antibiotics in commercial livestock.  In 2010, nearly 29 million pounds of antibiotics were fed to animals, accelerating bacteria's adaptation to drugs.  Scientists have long believed the ability of disease-causing bacteria to outwit antibiotics was a man-made phenomenon that made many bacteria's less vulnerable to drugs used to fight tuberculosis, malaria, gonorrhea, influenza, pneumonia &  AIDS.  The findings make it clear that humans will always have to contend with antibiotic resistance, no matter what steps are taken to prevent it; but the study's findings should help scientists to develop antibiotics for future use.  (Read more at NATGEO)

Kiribati Considers Buying Land in Fiji

(PHOTO: Kiribati Parliament House/Wikipedia) The Kiribati government says at the next sitting of parliament it will propose buying a block of land in Fiji for business & investment opportunities. Radio Kiribati reports the President Anote Tong as saying his government needs the approval of parliament to go ahead with the land transaction which would allow the nation to buy the 2,200-hectare Natoavatu Estate in Vanua Levu, Fiji.

(MAP: Oceania/WorldAtlas)Mr. Tong says the area is fertile & could support many profit-generating projects but that at this stage there are no plans to use the land to resettle people affected by climate change. Kiribati is situated in Oceania; made up of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator about half way between Hawaii & Australia. Kiribati is 1 of the world's poorest countries with few natural resources. Copra & fish represent the bulk of production & exports with tourism providing more than 1/5 of GDP. (Read more at RNZ)

The Donkey's Are Coming

(PHOTO: Donkey statue on Nali street/Telegraph)A political party in Iraq’s Kurdistan region called the Donkeys’ Party has unveiled a statue of its 4-legged namesake on Nali street in central Sulaimaniyah. The bronze statue shows the head & shoulders of a donkey dressed in a suit, collared shirt & tie. It took famous Kurdish sculptor Zerak Mira 7 months to create & cost $4,000. Donkeys’ Party secretary-general Omar Kalol said he hopes the statue will encourage people in Kurdistan to treat animals better, especially donkeys. “The donkey played a very distinguished role in the Kurdish armed liberation movement & it was the only friend of the Kurdish fighters in the mountains during the struggle” he said, referring to decades-long guerrilla war in northern Iraq & Iran. The Donkeys’ Party was founded & officially authorized in 2005. (Read more here at Khaleej Times)

Guyana testing public opinion on death penalty & gay rights

(PHOTO: Caribbean360)Guyana is engaging in a national debate on whether to eliminate its death penalty & change laws discriminating against homosexuals & transgender people. Town hall-style meetings will be held across the country starting this month as part of a promise made to the United Nations Human Rights Council & will allow the Guyana government to gauge public opinion before deciding whether to change any laws. National Security Minister Clement Rohee has already launched the debate on hangings via televised panel discussions that allow for call-ins.  No one has been hanged in Guyana since 1997, even though the law remains on the books; nearly 30 prisoners are on death row in the country. Regarding the question of homosexuality laws, Presidential Adviser Gail Teixeira told the media:  “Government has no line or position on the gay rights issue.  We will hold the consultations &  if the recommendation is to change the laws, then that will be taken into consideration.”  The independent Society Against Sexual Orientation & Discrimination has said it will campaign to remove what it says are extremely discriminatory colonial-era laws. (Read more at Caribbean360)

Asia, Africa: Future Urban Growth Leaders

(GRAPH: Expected growth of urban areas worldwide between 2011-2025/UN) New UN estimates say Africa & Asia are expected to make up 86% of the growth in urban populations worldwide in the decades leading up to 2050. Newly released data shows urban development in Africa is expected to roughly triple, exceeding 1.2 billion; urbanites in Asia will soar from 1.9 billion to 3.3 billion. Samut Prakan is the fastest growing urban area when it comes to volume of people, growing the most between 2010 & 2015; its citizenry anticipated to surge by 9%. The Thai province located south of Bangkok is known for its fishing & boasts that it has the world’s largest crocodile farm.  Close behind are the booming metropolises of Can Tho (Vietnam), Mogadishu (Somalia), Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) & Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Even with big growth smaller burgs like Mogadishu & Yamoussoukro they aren’t going to catch up to Tokyo, Delhi or Los Angeles anytime soon.  Countries will have to scramble to provide enough urban jobs, housing, energy & infrastructure to avoid an explosion of slums, the U.N. says.  (Read more at the U.N. website) 

Syria refugees scatter to neighboring nations

(Video euronews/Lebanon)  

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu called UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at 2am Friday morning to tell him of intensifying military attacks & a notable increase of refugees at the Syria border; more than 2,800 people fled fighting Thursday, more than double the highest previous 1-day total. They crossed near the Turkish village of Bukulmez, officials said, & were waiting on the other side. 44 minibuses took the arrivals to a refugee camp at Reyhani.

(Video AlJazeera/Jordan)

There were reports of a mass grave nearby after days of shelling by Syrian helicopters & Turkey is urging the UN to send officials to evaluate the situation, asking the body to play a “more active role” as the supposedly agreed upon deadline for a withdrawal of forces draws near, April 10 - allowing humanitarian aid to reach Syrians; almost 10,000 of whom have died since the uprising began in mid-March 2011.

(Video Telegraph/Turkey)

Earlier Kofi Annan the UN-Arab League envoy, told the UN general assembly by video link from Geneva that Syrian authorities had assured him this week that troop withdrawals were under way tho events Friday showed violence raging in many parts of the country.  The total official UN numbers of Syrian refugees has reached 42,000 - while unofficial numbers say as many as 130,000 - in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya & Iraq. Turkey has 23,000 now with capacity for 45,000 according to officials.

Dreams and nightmares - Chinese leaders have come to realize the country should become a great paladin of the free market & democracy & embrace them strongly, just as the West is rejecting them because it's realizing they're backfiring. This is the "Chinese Dream" - working better than the American dream.  Or is it just too fanciful?  By Francesco Sisci

Baby step towards democracy in Myanmar  - While the sweeping wins Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy has projected in Sunday's by-elections haven't been confirmed, it is certain that the surging grassroots support on display has put Myanmar's military-backed ruling party on notice. By Brian McCartan

The South: Busy at the polls - South Korea's parliamentary polls will indicate how potent a national backlash is against President Lee Myung-bak's conservatism, perceived cronyism & pro-conglomerate policies, while offering insight into December's presidential vote. Desire for change in the macho milieu of politics in Seoul can be seen in a proliferation of female candidates.  By Aidan Foster-Carter  

Pakistan climbs 'wind' league - Pakistan is turning to wind power to help ease its desperate shortage of energy,& the country could soon be among the world's top 20 producers. Workers & farmers, their land taken for the turbine towers, may be the last to benefit.  By Zofeen Ebrahim

Turkey cuts Iran oil imports - Turkey is to slash its Iranian oil imports as it seeks exemptions from United States penalties linked to sanctions against Tehran. Less noticed, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Iranian capital last week, signed deals aimed at doubling trade between the two countries.  By Robert M. Cutler

"EAT GREEN, GO VEGAN"

(PHOTO: Rachna Singh & Mayank Telang, 2 bodypainted members of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) hold the sign 'Eat Green-Go Vegan' in Bhopal, India/A M Faruqui)

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