Lebanon bomb kills PLO official
People rush to help the injured
A roadside bomb in Lebanon has killed a senior Palestinian official and three others, said to be bodyguards, close to Mieh Mieh refugee camp near Sidon.
Kamal Medhat, a member of the Fatah faction, was the deputy representative of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Lebanon.
The bomb blew one car off the road and badly damaged another, scattering burning debris.
There was no immediate indication of who may have been behind the attack.
 Kamal Medhat recently attended a memorial for dead Hezbollah fighters |
Lebanon's crowded and poorly developed camps, housing families expelled from what became Israel in 1948, are prone to violent unrest and insecurity.
Two people were killed in a gun battle in Mieh Mieh camp on Saturday.
Leader visiting
The PLO's chief representative in Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, also visited the camp on Monday but was not caught up in the attack.
 |
The force of the blast tore through the Mercedes in which Mr Medhat was travelling and threw the car into a nearby field, witnesses said.
Witnesses said the bomb blast could be heard across Sidon. Young Palestinian men ran to attend to casualties as ambulances and emergency workers sped to the scene.
Munir Maqdah, in charge of security at Lebanon's 12 refugee camps, said the bomb had gone off near the entrance to the camp and an army checkpoint.
Reuters news agency reported that the bomb had been planted under a manhole cover.
'Mediation bid'
Mr Medhat had been visiting Mieh Mieh in an effort to calm the situation after the weekend shootings, a PLO official told AFP.
"He was on his way out of the camp where he had visited officials in a bid to ease the tension," said Hisham El-Debsi.
Osama Hamdan, a representative in Lebanon of the Palestinian group Hamas, confirmed that the dead man had played a role in helping to ease tensions among Palestinian groups.
Mr Zaarir of Fatah said the killing of his colleague was an attack on "the stability and the efforts which are being exerted in order to reunite the Palestinian factions... in Lebanon".
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing as an act of terrorism, Reuters added.
"President Abbas condemns the terrorist crime that targeted Maj Gen Kamal Medhat," a statement issued by his office said.
"He dedicated his life to serve his people and his cause."
Initial reports of the attack said four people were killed along with the PLO official.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Security tight as Macedonia votes
Security tight as Macedonia votes
The current president and other candidates cast their votes
Macedonians have voted in presidential and local polls seen as critical to the country's EU and Nato membership bids, amid stringent security.
Thousands of extra police were deployed and the electoral commission said voting went well during the day.
There were no reports of the kind of violence between rival ethnic Albanian parties that marred last June's parliamentary election.
"So far, so good," was US Ambassador Philip Reeker's assessment of the day.
A dispute with Greece over its name has also threatened its EU and Nato bids.
Run-off expected
According to opinion polls, Gjorgje Ivanov, of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's governing conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, has about a 10-point lead over Ljubomir Frckoski, who is backed by the Social Democratic SDSM.
Five other candidates are also running for the largely ceremonial presidency, including former Interior Minister Ljube Boskoski, who was acquitted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague last year.
 |  This is probably the last opportunity for quite some time for the country to show that it has not only the capacity, but also the political will, to organise elections in line with international standards  Erwan FouereEU envoy to Macedonia |
Current President Branko Crvenkovski is not running for a second term.
Neither of the frontrunners is expected to gain the absolute majority needed to avoid a run-off vote on 5 April.
Heavy snowfall prevented 134 of almost 3,000 polling stations from opening.
But Aleksandar Novakovski, head of the state electoral commission, said the affected polling stations had 12,556 voters registered - less than 1% of the total 1.8 million eligible voters.
Voting there would be repeated in two weeks' time.
Turnout at 1700 stood at 48.7% and there had been no official complaints of irregularities.
"I'm generally satisfied with the election process until now. Everything is going well," Mr Novakovski said.
Local polls were also being held simultaneously to elect mayors for 85 communities.
First preliminary results are expected during the night, with final results due to be announced in the coming day.
"So far so good"
The three weeks of campaigning passed off mostly peacefully, with a few claims of voter intimidation.
One person was killed and several injured in ethnic Albanian areas of Macedonia during parliamentary elections in June 2008 that monitors said fell short of international standards.
More than 500 international and around 7,000 local observers have been on hand to monitor Sunday's vote.
"So far so good," US Ambassador Philip Reeker said during the day, giving his first assessment on the electoral process.
The EU's envoy in Skopje, Erwan Fouere, said the vote was "the last chance not to miss the train again to EU" membership.
"This is probably the last opportunity for quite some time for the country to show that it has not only the capacity, but also the political will, to organise elections in line with international standards," he said.
Last year, Greece said it would block Macedonia from joining Nato and the EU unless it compromises over its official name.
Macedonia is also the name of a northern region of Greece.
In December 2008, Macedonia decided to take the issue of its name to the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
IPL will be staged outside India
IPL will be staged outside India
 |
This year's Indian Premier League will be held outside the country after organisers failed to secure government approval for the matches to go ahead.
The tournament clashes with the upcoming Indian general election, prompting fears over security.
An alternative venue is now being sought, with England a possible option.
"We have to move the event because of existing conditions," said Indian board president Shasank Manohar. "The venue will be decided soon."
Manohar said that all efforts had been made to stage the event in India but this had proved impossible and that discussions are underway with a number of other countries as potential hosts of the tournament.
"We made the best of our endeavors to stage the event in India," said Manohar. "We're in discussion with some foreign cricket boards who have shown interest."
The IPL is scheduled to be held from April 10 to May 24, with the elections for the Indian Parliament's lower house taking place across the country in five different phases between April 16 and May 13.
Two proposed itineraries were made to India's federal Home Ministry by IPL organizers but both were rejected as security forces would be preoccupied with the elections.
The security agencies in states hosting matches were subsequently approached and whilst some gave clearance for the matches, others refused to sanction fixtures until the elections were over.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
'Obstacle' Hungary PM to resign
'Obstacle' Hungary PM to resign
 Ferenc Gyurcsany is to notify parliament of his decision on Monday |
Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany says he will stand down, as his government's popularity plummets amid the global financial crisis.
The Socialist leader, in power since 2004, told his party congress that he considered himself a hindrance to further economic and social reforms.
He is to officially notify parliament of his decision on Monday.
Badly hit by the global credit crisis, Hungary received a $25.1bn (
Madagascar leader to be sworn in
Madagascar leader to be sworn in
 The army handed power to Andry Rajoelina |
Madagascar's new leader, Andry Rajoelina, who ousted elected President Marc Ravalomanana this week, is due to be formally sworn in as president.
But the ceremony at the main sports stadium in the capital, Antananarivo, is to be hit with a diplomatic boycott.
The US cut off non-humanitarian aid to Madagascar and the African Union suspended Madagascar on Friday. The EU also condemned the power grab.
Madagascar's constitutional court this week approved the handover of power.
"The ambassadors to the US, France, Germany and the European Union have told us they won't be attending," an aide to the deposed Mr Ravalomanana told Reuters new agency.
Mr Rajoelina, a 34-year-old former disc jockey, has suspended parliament and set up two transitional bodies to run the country.
The former Antananarivo mayor says he now wants to change the constitution, which at presents bars him from contesting presidential elections, as he is six years too young.
Washington called Tuesday's takeover a "coup" while the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has threatened sanctions against Madagascar.
There is still no word on the whereabouts of Mr Ravalomanana, whose re-election to a second term in 2006 could not save him from being ousted.
At least 100 people died in Madagascar during several months of violent protests and looting, triggered by the power struggle between Mr Ravalomanana and Mr Rajoelina.
Pope condemns African corruption
Pope condemns African corruption
 The Pope said God and history were not indifferent to "decent" behaviour |
Pope Benedict XVI has made an emphatic appeal to Africans to rid the continent of corruption once and for all.
The 81-year-old was speaking during a televised address in Angola during a week-long tour of African countries.
The Pope said that with integrity, magnanimity and compassion Africans could transform their continent.
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has launched a similar attack, accusing many African presidents of running anti-democratic regimes.
The Pope arrived in the Angola capital Luanda on Friday from Cameroon, on the second leg of his African tour.
He said that people in Angola knew "the time of hope has arrived" for Africa and that every "decent, hopeful human behaviour" would make a difference to God and in history.
"My beloved friends, with an upright, magnanimous heart that is also compassionate, you can transform this continent, freeing the people from the whip of greed, violence, disorder and guiding it through the path of those principles that are indispensible to any modern democracy," he said.
|   |
Those principles, he said, included respect, transparent governance, freedom of the press, health care and adequate schooling as well as the promotion of human rights.
The 81-year-old pontiff said Africans needed "a firm determination to change hearts and finally put a stop, once and for all, to corruption".
He also repeated concerns raised while he was in Cameroon that modern culture was destroying traditional African family values and he criticised the spread of sexual violence and abortion.
The Pope's speech was echoed by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has been Angola's leader for the past three decades and through a civil war which has left hundreds of thousands dead.
Mr dos Santos said Angolans were "looking for the best ways to rebuild what was destroyed in the recent past, and to build a modern society that will integrate all the people without discrimination or exclusion".
'Profound shame'
 Mr Annan said the Kenyan people were watching their leaders closely |
He said that it was a matter of profound shame that once elected, many African leaders come to believe that only they can be trusted to run their countries.
He accused such leaders of governing for the benefit of a ruling elite, rather than society as a whole and said that in too many African countries, human rights and the rule of law were disregarded.
Mr Annan is due to attend talks with Kenya's leaders in Geneva next week to assess the fragile power-sharing agreement which followed last year's post-election violence.
Mr Annan told Kenya's leaders their people had been shocked by the events of 2008 and were now demanding more from their politicians.
The BBC's Karen Allen says the meeting is intended to be about what lessons have been learned, but in reality it is likely to be tougher on the leaders.
Monday, April 27, 2009
US offers Iran a 'new beginning'
US offers Iran a 'new beginning'
 President Barack Obama has offered to "extend a hand" to Iran |
US President Barack Obama has offered "a new beginning" of diplomatic engagement with Iran in an unprecedented videotaped message.
"My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us," Mr Obama said.
His message was released to coincide with the festival of Nowruz - when Iranians mark the arrival of spring.
Relations between Iran and the US have been strained over Tehran's controversial nuclear activities.
The US fears Iran's nuclear programme is a cover to build atomic weapons, a charge Iranian officials deny.
Warning
In his message, President Obama said he wanted "to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran".
He said his administration was committed "to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community".
"With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this precious humanity that we all share. And we can once again call upon this spirit as we seek the promise of a new beginning," the message said.
But Mr Obama warned: "This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect."
Mr Obama has talked of engagement with Iran but has not made clear how that might take place.
Shortly after coming to office in January, he said "if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fists, they will find an extended hand from us".
However, earlier this month he extended sanctions against Iran for one year, saying it continues to pose a threat to US national security.
Venezuela calls for mayor arrest
Venezuela calls for mayor arrest
| By Will Grant BBC News, Maracaibo |
 Mr Rosales said the order was designed to crush dissident voices |
The Venezuelan government has called for the arrest of a key opposition leader on charges of corruption.
Manuel Rosales, who is mayor of the country's second city, Maracaibo, has said the charges against him are politically motivated.
The move comes just days after President Hugo Chavez sent troops to two major ports, including Maracaibo, in states run by the opposition.
Mr Rosales ran against Mr Chavez in the last presidential election in 2005.
In the latest in a series of clashes between the national government of Mr Chavez and leaders of the opposition, the public prosecutor is seeking the arrest of one of the president's most vocal opponents.
The state prosecutor, Katiuska Plaza, said the judiciary had a deadline of 20 days in which to come to a decision on whether to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Rosales on corruption charges.
The allegations of illegal enrichment date to his time as governor of the oil-rich state of Zulia and are charges he strenuously denies.
"This is an order that President Chavez has insisted on," said Mr Morales, adding that the accusations were intended to "crush" what he called "dissident voices in the country".
The government says the local leaders have failed to administer the ports properly and that a recent change to the law allows Mr Chavez to step in if he deems it necessary.
The opposition say the move is a further effort by the socialist leader to undermine their victories in last year's local elections and consolidate his hold on power.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Czechs halt US missile treaties
Czechs halt US missile treaties
 Mr Topolanek said the ratification process could be revived at any time |
The Czech government has withdrawn treaties committing the country to the US' missile defence shield from parliament, fearing they faced defeat.
The scheme is very controversial and the centre-right government has only a slim majority in parliament, which was due to vote on the treaties on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek insisted the withdrawal was temporary.
But doubts hang over the whole project, with US President Barack Obama refusing to commit to it.
The Czech government has invested much political capital in the project, which would rely on a radar station based on Czech soil.
The opposition is against Czech participation in the scheme.
With one MP sick, and another recovering from a car accident, the government beat a tactical retreat, says the BBC's correspondent in Prague.
"This does not mean we are giving up on the ratification process," Mr Topolanek said. "We can return this material to the lower house at any time."
The treaties have already passed the Senate, but must also pass the lower house to take effect.
'Offer to Russia'
Mr Topolanek is likely to discuss the matter with Mr Obama when he visits Prague next month.
Mr Obama has said his support for the missile shield - conceived under his predecessor George W Bush - depends on its affordability and proof that the technology works.
He has also said there would be no need for the shield if Iran was prevented from obtaining nuclear arms.
Some analysts have read this as an offer to Russia - which deeply opposes the project - to drop the shield plans if Moscow takes a harder line with Iran.
'Change needed' in Madagascar
'Change needed' in Madagascar
 Mr Rajoelina, centre, said history must not be allowed to repeat itself |
Andry Rajoelina, the former disc jockey who has taken power in Madagascar, says there must be changes to the constitution so elections can be held.
Military leaders conferred full powers on the 34-year-old after President Marc Ravalomanana resigned, refusing his request to form a military directorate.
But under the current constitution, the opposition leader is six years too young to be elected president.
He told the BBC free and fair elections would be held within two years.
He earlier installed himself in the president's offices, which were seized on Monday by pro-opposition troops after protests against Mr Ravalomanana began in January.
The political turmoil has left more than 100 people dead.
"There must not be a power vacuum," Mr Rajoelina told the BBC's World Today programme.
"The life of the country cannot wait, so for this reason the people, the very life force of Madagascar, have named me as president of the republic to govern the transition in order to prepare for elections that will be held within the next 18 to 24 months."
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in the capital, Antananarivo, says My Rajoelina has come into office on the back of public protests, apparently resolving a long power struggle on the Indian Ocean island.
But it would be wrong to think of this as a popular revolution, our correspondent says, as ultimately it was the military that got Mr Rajoelina into power.
The African Union had urged the army not to hand power to Mr Rajoelina, saying this would amount to a coup.
'Deep reflection'
Asked why earlier elections would not be held, Mr Rajoelina said he did not want "history to repeat itself".
| MADAGASCAR KEY FACTS  World's fourth largest island Biodiversity hotspot Exposed to tropical cyclones Population 20 million 70% live on less than $1 a day French colony until 1960 World's No 1 vanilla producer |
"We'll have to change the constitution," he told the BBC. "We'll have to analyse the law on political parties, the electoral code; we need time to do all this."
Asked about the future of Mr Ravalomanana, who resigned on Tuesday, Mr Rajoelina said that was up to the judiciary.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed grave concern at the unrest in Madagascar, appealing to all parties to ensure a "smooth transition".
The African Union and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) had condemned in advance any direct seizure of power by Mr Rajoelina.
Mr Ravalomanana announced on Tuesday he was resigning and handing over to the military during a radio address.
But Vice Adm Hyppolite Ramaroson said the army was giving full powers to Mr Rajoelina "to become president of the high transitional authority".
The president's decision to cede power marks a dramatic victory for Mr Rajoelina, who was sacked as mayor of the capital in February.
On Monday, Mr Rajoelina rejected Mr Ravalomanana's offer of a referendum to solve the crisis and called for his arrest.
Later that day, troops stormed the presidential residence in the centre of the capital and seized the central bank.
Mr Ravalomanana was re-elected for a second term in office in 2006 and under him, Madagascar's economy has opened up to foreign investment, particularly in mining.
But 70% of the 20 million population still lives on less than $1 (
Friday, April 24, 2009
Madagascar president steps down
Madagascar president steps down
 Former DJ Andry Rajoelina has promised elections within two years |
Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana has said he is standing down and handing power to the military.
But speaking in a radio broadcast, Mr Ravalomanana said an unnamed general had turned down an offer to take over.
The news came after opposition leader Andry Rajoelina installed himself in the president's offices, seized on Monday by pro-opposition troops.
Mr Ravalomanana has reportedly left the Iavoloha palace on the fringes of the capital for an undisclosed location.
The crisis on the Indian Ocean island has left 100 people dead since January.
 |
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in the capital Antananarivo says it seems clear that Mr Ravalomanana is stepping down, though there is some confusion over how it will be done.
In his radio address the president advised people to carry on listening to broadcasts.
Earlier, a spokesman for Mr Ravalomanana told Reuters news agency power had been handed to the most senior figure in the military, navy admiral Hyppolite Ramaroson.
As the military backs Mr Rajoelina, in this case power would effectively be handed over to the opposition leader, our correspondent says.
The move marks a dramatic victory for Mr Rajoelina, who was sacked as mayor of the capital in February.
The 34-year-old former disc jockey took up office at the presidential residence in central Antananarivo on Tuesday before emerging triumphantly to parade among thousands of supporters.
He has announced there will be a new constitution and elections within 24 months.
Our correspondent says the mood on the streets is one of relief as there had been fears of a bloody last stand if Mr Ravalomanana had continued to cling to power.
Earlier, a number of government ministers quit, as power ebbed away from the president.
| MADAGASCAR KEY FACTS World's fourth largest island Biodiversity hotspot Exposed to tropical cyclones Population 20 million 70% live on less than $1 a day French colony until 1960 |
Mr Ravalomanana had said he was ready to fight to the death at the Iavoloha palace, about 15km (nine miles) from the city centre.
On Monday, Mr Rajoelina, who has declared himself president, rejected Mr Ravalomanana's offer of a referendum to solve the crisis and called for his arrest.
Later that day, troops stormed the presidential residence in the centre of the capital and also seized the central bank.
The African Union on Monday condemned the events in Madagascar "attempted coup d'etat".
Mr Ravalomanana was re-elected for a second term in office in 2006 and under him, Madagascar's economy has opened up to foreign investment, particularly in mining.
But 70% of the 20 million population still lives on less than $2 (
Win for UK story-telling website
Win for UK story-telling website
| By Darren Waters Technology editor, BBC News, Texas |
Representatives of five of the world's hottest young web companies deliver their pitch in the time it takes to ride 26 floors in an elevator.
A small British company has been named Best in Show at the South by Southwest Web Awards, in Austin, Texas.
Six to Start won the top prize for We Tell Stories, an interactive approach to retelling literary classics and redefining modern online story-telling.
The website held off competition from the likes of Hulu - the popular on-demand online TV site - Flickr and geo-location company BrightKite.
Dan Hon, co-founder of Six to Start, said: "It's been unbelievable."
He told BBC news: "We were quite pleased and happy [just] to win the experimental category."
Founded by Mr Hon and his brother Adrian in September 2007, the site was inspired by the "emerging field of alternate reality games (ARG) or cross-platform entertainment; this intersection where you have creativity and technology".
ARGs allowed stories to develop dynamically at almost any point, said Mr Hon.
| SXSW WEB AWARDS WINNERS Activism: Tweet Congress Amusement: Addictionary Art: Things I Have Learned in my Life, So Far Blog: The Bygone Bureau Business: Jasmax CSS: ProjectMiso Classic: Flickr Community: Lost Zombies Educational Resource - The Cycle Experimental: We Tell Stories Film / TV: Hulu Games: Why So Serious? The Dark Knight Alternate Reality Game Mobile: Gigotron Motion Graphics: NVIDIA Speak Visual Music - James Zabiela Personal Portfolio: Ali Felski Student: Modernity Spirit of Experimentation Technical Achievement: Aviary People's Choice Award: Lost Zombies Best of Show Award: We Tell Stories |
"The technology is there to let people dip in and out of stories when they want. And when they run live, they are a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with people."
After working on the ARG Perplex City for Mind Candy, the two brothers set up in business for themselves.
"Our heart lay in creating fantastic experiences that really pushed technology.
"We are seeing a generation of people who have grown up with video games and at same time we are seeing incredible acceleration in technology where the internet is everywhere now," said Mr Hon.
He said the company's ambition was to "to take devices like mobile phones and transport people into a fantastical, magical world that is playful, has great game design and story-telling".
He added: "The one thing which really drives us is trying to make then as accessible as possible."
For Six To Start that means games that do away with controllers or keyboards, and instead allow gamers to interact with characters by just picking up the phone.
"If you could just step into he the world of Harry Potter or Star Wars whenever you wanted, it is a great way to entertain people."
We Tell Stories came about after Penguin's digital publisher heard Mr Hon speak at a conference.
Keen to experiment, Penguin commissioned a series of classic novels to be remixed and retold in the digital age, and with new works redefined for the web generation.
 There are six different interactive stories on offer |
"The big thing for us was telling stories that cannot be done on any other platform," he said.
But this did not mean creating stories for the Kindle crowd.
"E-books are boring - they are just taking a manuscript and turning it into a PDF. It is taking no advantage of the possibilities afforded by the internet and other platforms.
"That's what led to wanting to tell stories on tools like Google Maps."
We Tell Stories worked with six authors on new forms of story-telling.
"They were fantastic and didn't run away from this. They want to do it again. We need that creative talent, great story telling and want them to be excited about the potential of this new medium."
Some of the stories use tools like Twitter and weblogs, telling a more conventional multi-platform tale from different viewpoints.
The husband and wife writers Nicci French wrote live for an hour each day for five days, with readers able to see the story unfold one sentence at a time.
Mr Hon said: "It was terrifying for them. Writing can be a solitary experience and suddenly they were being turned into performance artists."
Philippine clashes near hostages
Philippine clashes near hostages
 The Red Cross is concerned for the safety of three ICRC hostages |
At least six people have been killed in the Philippines, in an intense bout of fighting between the army and Islamic militants.
The troops were engaging the Abu Sayyaf group for the second consecutive day on the southern island of Jolo.
They are trying to rescue three Red Cross hostages - two of them foreigners - who are being held by the militants.
There is no information on the safety of the hostages, who have now been held for two months.
Government forces have been trying to box in the militants, to force their surrender, while the hostages have called for talks for their release.
Held hostage
The fighting erupted on Monday, when members of the Abu Sayyaf gang tried to break out of a military encirclement, the military said.
Gang leader Albader Parad may have been wounded or killed in the fighting, the military said.
The three workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have been held since 16 January in a hilly jungle area near southern Jolo island's Indanan township.
The ICRC said they had last been in touch last Wednesday and that the hostages - Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba - were "calm and composed".
They have been enduring constant rain, some illness, and enforced movement as the gunmen holding them sought to avoid military operations.
The Abu Sayyaf has demanded the withdrawal of the military in exchange for freeing the captives.
Military spokesman Brigadier-General Gaudencio Pangilinan told reporters there was no word on the hostages.
"But now we know that they are intact in one group, the Abu Sayyaf and the hostages," he said.
 The Red Cross continues to distribute aid to civilians displaced by fighting |
"We learned later that they [the hostages] were nearby" during the clash. "Now they have moved locations, they are being pursued.
"They have moved I think around two or three kilometres from the original encounter site."
AFP news agency reported that troops had found tents and other equipment belonging to the three Red Cross workers.
ICRC concerns
In a statement, the ICRC said it was concerned that the firefight may have placed the hostages' lives in danger.
Alain Aeschlimann, the ICRC's head of operations in Asia, said that he last spoke with the hostages by phone on 11 March.
"The ICRC is aware that an exchange of gunfire took place in the region," Mr Aeschlimann said. "We're very concerned to hear about this development."
Thursday, April 23, 2009
West Ham & Blades end Tevez saga
West Ham & Blades end Tevez saga
 Tevez is now playing for Man Utd |
West Ham and Sheffield United have reached an out-of-court settlement over the long-running Carlos Tevez saga.
Tevez helped West Ham achieve Premier League survival in 2006/2007 but the Blades, who were relegated, claimed he should not have been allowed to play.
A hearing into the matter was to start on Monday but has now been abandoned.
The clubs have struck a deal with reports claiming the Blades will receive upwards of
Australia cuts migrant job intake
Australia cuts migrant job intake
 Construction and manufacturing are slowing in Australia |
Australia has said it will cut the number of skilled foreign workers it accepts by 14% to safeguard local jobs.
Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced the cut, the first by the country in 10 years.
Mr Evans said the government did not want to admit people who would compete with Australians for limited jobs amid the global financial crisis.
Unemployment is rising in Australia, after years of economic growth fuelled largely by mining exports.
"We're going to cut (the programme) from 133,500 to 115,000, so that's about a 14% cut," Mr Evans told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The number of foreign skilled migrants will be cut by 18,500 for the 2009/10 financial year, which starts in June, from a total number of 133,500 in 2008/09.
"The economic circumstances in Australia have changed as a result of the global financial crisis," Mr Evans said. "It is prudent to reduce this year's migration intake accordingly."
Construction slowdown
The permanent skilled migration programme will bar entry to foreign bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters and electricians for the foreseeable future.
"That's where we've seen a drop-off in demand [and] some major redundancies," Mr Evans said.
He added that further cuts may be made when the national budget is unveiled in May.
The migrant scheme offers permanent residency to approved skilled workers.
Employers will still be able to bring in foreign tradesmen by sponsoring them under a special visa for temporary migrant workers, provided they can prove that the labour cannot be sourced in Australia.
Professions such as nurses, doctors, engineers and information technology will be safe, as Australia still has shortages in these areas.
The government removed hairdressers and cooks from Australia's list of critical skills shortages late last year.
Figures released last week showed the unemployment rate had risen to a four-year high of 5.2%. The federal government predicts a jobless rate of 5.5% by June, and 7% by the same time next year.
The government recently announced an Aus$27.5bn (
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Madagascar president offers poll
Madagascar president offers poll
 Mr Ravalomanana said he was not afraid of holding a referendum |
Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana has said he is prepared to hold a referendum to end the country's political crisis.
The move comes amid growing tensions in the capital Antananarivo, with Mr Ravalomanana vowing to ignore opposition calls to resign.
The opposition had earlier threatened to march on the presidential palace if Mr Ravalomanana refused to stand down.
At least 100 people have been killed since protests broke out in January.
Mr Ravalomanana told thousands of his supporters gathered outside the presidential palace that he was "not afraid" of holding a referendum.
"We must follow democratic principles. If we have to, we will organise a referendum," he said.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Antananarivo said Mr Ravalamanana's offer was an indication of how much pressure he was under from the opposition, led by the capital's former mayor, Andry Rajoelino.
It was not immediately clear what the content of the proposed referendum would be, but the president's special advisers told the BBC it would be along the lines of whether Mr Ravalamanana should remain in office.
Social networks 'are new email'
Social networks 'are new email'
| By Darren Waters Technology editor, BBC News website, Texas |
 Facebook is the dominant platform for status updates |
Status updates on sites such as Facebook, Yammer, Twitter and Friendfeed are a new form of communication, the South by SouthWest Festival has heard.
"We are all in the process of creating e-mail 2.0," David Sacks, founder of business social network Yammer said.
Tens of millions of people are using social networks to stay in touch.
The growth in such services is being heralded as the start of the real-time, pervasive web.
'New communication'
Mr Sacks said: "What people want to do on social network these days is post status updates. We think it's all people want to do."
Yammer is an enterprise social network, designed to facilitate communication within companies and organisations.
It is one of a growing number of services that lets users share micro-updates. Other services have a richer mix of content, including sharing photos and video, and allowing comments from people within your social network, building a so-called activity stream.
"I think its a new form of communication; not quite e-mail, more lightweight and more real time, often with little bit of a publishing flavour to it," said Paul Buchheit, founder of FriendFeed, and the creator and lead developer of GMail, while at Google.
FriendFeed lets users share content from other services, such as Twitter and Flickr, and comment directly on the postings in real-time.
Simplicity and ubiquity
With more than 175 million users Facebook is the dominant platform for status updates.
Ari Steinberg, an engineering manager at the firm, told BBC News: "It's been interesting to see the way people change the way they communicate.
"You used to e-mail content to people and you had to choose who you wanted to e-mail it to and you didn't know if your friends even wanted to see it.
"Now you can passively put something out there and let people engage with it."
The simplicity and ubiquity of some of these services is beginning to see activity feeds and status updates replace many of the uses to which e-mail was once put.
Mr Sacks said: "It's no coincidence that these products are all looking like e-mail.
"These products are all standardising around a message form at the top, and the inbox which is a feed then folders around the side."
'Open system'
The problem with the current crop of status update services is that they are to varying degrees interoperable.
For example, while Twitter can be used to power a status update on Facebook the same is not true in reverse.
"We want to see a more open system where everything links together, the same as it does with e-mail," he said.
While e-mail has common protocols which allow people to send and receive messages even if they are with different services, such as Hotmail or GMail, the same is not completely true with status updates and activity feeds.
There are some standard protocols but the rapid development in the complexity and breadth of activity feeds, to include comments and ratings, has led to a series of walled gardens.
Dare Obasanjo, a program manager at Microsoft, said the firm was working on a set of standards.
"You need to give sites permission to get your data," he said.
'Hard to compete'
The complex nuances of relationships on social networks, with users having different degrees of openness with different friends or followers, further complicates the introduction of standards.
Facebook has also been accused of being unwilling to open up its system and work with other status update firms, and there is a belief among some that the social network is enacting a "land grab" in an effort to become the de-facto platform.
Mr Sacks said: "On the consumer side Facebook could become the one site for all social messaging. That becomes very hard to compete with."
But Mr Buccheit said he believed the different firms were moving towards a more federated system.
"There will be no separation between Facebook and Friendfeed and Twitter."
Mr Steinberg said: "We are totally happy to interoperate with other sites."
He told BBC News that interoperability wasn't necessary for activity streams to become a global messaging service.
"It's definitely something and a pretty cool thing we would like to enable. Conceptually it makes a lot of sense.
"It's in our interests to let people share. Twitter has had a lot of success in letting people taking their data and sharing it externally.
"We'd love to be able to let people tap into that."
Gun found in dead officer inquiry
Gun found in dead officer inquiry
 Youths threw petrol bombs at police in protest at the arrest of Colin Duffy |
A gun and ammunition have been found during searches in Northern Ireland as part of the investigation into the murder of policeman Stephen Carroll.
The weaponry was discovered in Lurgan, where a number of petrol bombs were thrown at police on Saturday evening.
Earlier, leading republican Colin Duffy was arrested in the town and is still being questioned about last week's murder of two soldiers in Antrim.
Constable Carroll, 48, was shot while on duty in Craigavon on Monday.
Mr Duffy is one of three men being questioned about the murder of two soldiers at Massereene Army base last Saturday night.
The 41-year-old was arrested during a police raid in Lurgan on Saturday.
Detectives investigating the soldiers' murders also carried out an operation in Bellaghy in County Londonderry.
Ex-IRA member
Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar were shot outside the base in Antrim. About 500 people attended a vigil at the scene on Saturday.
The gathering, which was organised by Antrim Borough Council, was addressed by the mayor of the town and local clergy. The mayors of Wexford, Cork, Westmeath, and Wicklow also attended.
The dissident republican group, the Real IRA, said it carried out the attack.
The other men arrested over the murders are aged 32 and 21.
Mr Duffy is a former IRA member who has been critical of Sinn Fein's support for the police service.
Officers searching his house came under attack from stonethrowers but there are no reports of serious injuries.
Sappers Quinsey, 23, from Birmingham and Azimkar, 21, from Wood Green, London, were attacked after coming out of the base to collect pizzas they had ordered.
Two gunmen in a car parked nearby opened fire with semi-automatic rifles.
Four other people, including two pizza delivery men, were injured.
The soldiers, from 25 Field Squadron of 38 Engineer Regiment, were murdered just hours before they were to have been deployed in Afghanistan.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Iraq's voices of pessimism
Iraq's voices of pessimism
Life may appear to be improving in Iraq, reports the BBC's Mike Sergeant, but while most Iraqis are desperate to believe the war is over, many still worry about what the future may hold.
 More than 25,000 people are thought to have been killed in Iraq in 2007 |
Bombs were exploding every few hours.
In a typical day, dozens of bodies were dumped on the streets of Baghdad. Thousands were killed every month.
The events of recent days have shocked many Iraqis and brought back painful memories.
Every attack is an uncomfortable reminder of the many risks that still lie ahead.
Spirited
A couple of weeks ago, things seemed a little brighter here.
Military commanders were keen to show off what people in the news business like to simplify as "life getting back to normal".
We attended one of many media events carefully designed to give the sense of things looking up.
A dozen or so reporters and cameramen were driven in military convoy to Shula, a suburb previously said to have been one of the most violent in the capital.
On arrival, we were handed a leaflet welcoming us on what was described as "a walking tour - honouring the improvements of the Shula area".
So, as instructed, we were briskly marched off to "honour" those improvements.
The brochure told us exactly what we were about to see: "Terrorists tried to destroy the best chicken restaurant in Shula", it read.
"They did not succeed.
"They also tried to destroy the spirit of Shula. They failed in this regard as well."
Darkness and light
Then we watched a football match.
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The crowd was almost entirely made up of heavily armed US and Iraqi soldiers.
One American colonel told me that he was "shocked" by how good life was here.
"People are still out there who want to do bad things," said another US soldier "but they are on the run."
US troops on the ground often talk about "good guys" and "bad guys".
They sometimes portray the struggle in Iraq as a battle between the vast majority of "ordinary Iraqis" and a small minority of "terrorists" who want to destroy progress and turn back the clock to the chaos of two years ago.
Six years of war has taught their commanders that things are almost always more confusing.
This patchwork country of intermingled faiths and traditions is not easy to divide into the "forces of light" on one side and "darkness" on the other.
Cultural re-awakening
In most areas and on most days you can see real improvements.
 Iraqis are feeling more confident about being out on the streets at night |
Men sit around drinking alcohol watching women dance. These activities might have got them killed in the past.
In other parts of the city, restaurants, shops and galleries are reopening.
Cultural life is starting to blossom again. The sound of traditional Iraqi songs can be heard once more.
We spent an hour at a music institute in the centre of Baghdad.
In 2006 and 2007, the students had to play in secret and hide their instruments in plastic bags on the way to school. Now they are confident enough to perform their ballads openly.
| The people I have met desperately want to believe the war is over |
When we visited there was only one, Hazzar Bassam. She plays an instrument called the joza, made from the shell of a coconut.
"It's true there are generally fewer explosions now," she told me, "but the violence may be coming back again. We are still afraid."
Waiting for revenge
Recent attacks have led others to question the accepted international narrative of recent months that Iraq is definitely "getting better" while Afghanistan is "getting worse".
 About 140,000 US soldiers are currently based in Iraq |
Hundreds are still dying violently here every month.
The people I have met desperately want to believe the war is over.
Voices of pessimism, though, are not that hard to find.
One Iraqi friend told me that there will be many scores to settle once the US military leaves.
"Most people are sick and tired of violence, but some are just waiting for the right moment to take their revenge," he said.
"People in this country never forget, particularly if their relatives were brutally killed."
Everyone knows the Americans are leaving. The big unknown is what happens when they do.
Has Iraq really turned the corner? Or are most of the gunmen and bombers simply biding their time and waiting for the power struggles to come?
It is very hard to make predictions about a country like this. But, to think that Iraq is a problem that somehow has now been "solved", might be to repeat the historic mistake of simplifying a very complicated place.
From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 14 March, 2009 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service
Hezbollah chief defiant on Israel
Hezbollah chief defiant on Israel
 Hassan Nasrallah's speech marked the Prophet Mohammed's birthday |
The leader of Lebanon's Islamist Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, has said his group will never recognise Israel's right to exist.
He was responding to a US suggestion that both Hezbollah and the Palestinian faction Hamas should recognise Israel before expecting any US engagement.
"We reject the American conditions," he said. "As long as Hezbollah exists, it will never recognise Israel."
Israel and Hezbollah's armed wing fought a bloody conflict in 2006.
Mr Nasrallah made the statement rejecting the US conditions for talks said in a speech marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
'Positive developments'
Hezbollah leads a bloc in Lebanon's parliament that has veto power over major decisions in the unity government.
The coalition was formed last year after a political crisis that brought the country to the brink of civil war.
Last week, the UK said it would establish low-level contacts with the group, citing "positive political developments".
A British diplomat told the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington that the decision had been driven by the belief that it was possible to encourage Hezbollah to move away from violence.
But a senior US official told reporters on condition of anonymity that he was unhappy with the move.
He said he would have liked Britain to explain "the difference between the political, military and social wings of Hezbollah because we don't see a difference between the integrated leadership as they [the British] see it".
The US and Israel regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Drone 'kills 24 Pakistan Taleban'
Drone 'kills 24 Pakistan Taleban'
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Missiles fired by an unmanned US drone have killed at least 24 people in Pakistan's Kurram tribal region near the Afghan border, officials have said.
Local officials said the dead were local Taleban and that the toll may rise. Thirty others were injured.
Correspondents say this is the fifth drone attack on Pakistani territory since Barack Obama became US president.
Pakistan is critical of the tactic because, it says, civilians are often killed, fuelling support for militants.
The target of the missile attack on Thursday night was a training camp run by a local Taleban commander.
The camp in the Brijo area is located some 20km from Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.
Hostages
Local officials told the BBC Urdu Service that a drone fired four missiles into the camp, a huge compound with five rooms which served as a weapons store, meeting place and lodging for the local Taleban.
It was being run by Commander Fazal Saeed, who was present, along with 57 others, during the missile attack. Officials said that the commander escaped unharmed.
 Pakistan is critical of the US drone tactic |
Witnesses said people living in the area turned off their lights following the blasts to avoid being targeted by missiles.
They said the entire Taleban compound was set on fire and that announcements were made using mosque loudspeakers in the area urging people not to approach the camp for fear of more drone attacks.
Last month, a missile strike in the same area targeted a suspected Taleban training facility.
Missile strikes by unmanned drone spy aircraft have mostly targeted foreign fighters in the Waziristan region over the past couple of years.
The BBC's Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says the strikes are now also targeting facilities run by local or Afghan Taleban in the lower Kurram region, from where attacks have been launched into the Khost and Paktia provinces of Afghanistan.
The southern parts of the lower Kurram region share borders with Afghanistan's Khost province, where US and coalition forces have major deployments of forces.
The US does not confirm drone attacks but no other countries have the power to deploy such weapons in the region.
Angola floods displace thousands
Angola floods displace thousands
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About 25,000 people have lost their homes in southern Angolain flooding caused by three weeks of non-stop heavy rain, the Red Cross says.
It estimates about 125,000 people have been affected across Cunene province by the floods, which are now threatening to spread south into Namibia.
The BBC's Louise Redvers says more rain fell in December than during the five months of the previous rainy season.
Our reporter says more heavy downpours are forecast in the coming days.
Homes and livestock have been swept away and many people have been cut off as flood water covers roads and fields.
The region is inundated every year during the December to April rainy season but the Red Cross says the situation is "drastic" this year.
Amid fears of cholera and malaria epidemics, the agency has been distributing mosquito nets, water purification tablets and rehydration sachets.
The World Health Organization has delivered five tonnes of health care kits and supplies of drinking water.