- Arab League Approves Israel, Palestine Peace Talks2010-07-29 22:44:12 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
Cairo, Egypt (AHN) - Arab foreign ministers in principle have agreed for direct Middle East peace negotiations and allowed Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to decide the timeline on when he wants to start talks with Israel.
The announcement was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he expressed his readiness to start talks within next few days, while Washington, which had been putting pressure of both the sides to move forward on the issue, also hailed the news. However, Abbas\' rivals Hamas condemned it and reiterated their demands.
Responding to a media question on whether Arabs had given approval to start peace talks, Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani, said, " There is an agreement but with the understanding of what will be discussed and how the direct negotiations will be conducted." "We will leave the assessment of the position to the Palestinian president as to when the conditions allow the beginning of such negotiations," he said, during the Arab League\'s foreign ministers\' meet in Egyptian capital Cairo.
The meeting also designed a letter for U.S. President Barack Obama in which they had laid out the "general principles" of peace talks.
Meanwhile, AL Chief Amr Mussa sought written guarantees and added that the two sides need to be serious on negotiations and should aim to resolve the status talks.
In the letter, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat wants the other party to discuss Israel\'s first halt settlement construction in the disputed regions whenever the talks start.
"The Arabs also demanded in their letter to Obama that the reference point of the Palestinian state be the 1967 borders, with agreed-upon exchanges of land and a halt to settlements," he said.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Spanish Court Orders Warrant, Extradition Of U.S. Soldiers Over Journalist\'s Death2010-07-29 20:24:29 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
Madrid, Spain (AHN) - A Spanish court has issued an arrest warrant and ordered extradition of three American soldiers, who believed to have killed a local television cameraman in Iraq during the U.S. invasion in 2003.
National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz said that Lt. Col. Philip de Camp, Capt. Phillip Wolford, and Sgt. Thomas Gibson fired a shell from an American tank that hit the Palestine Hotel in capital Baghdad on April 8, 2003. Spanish TV channel Tele 5\'s cameraman, Jose Couso, and a Ukranian cameraman Taras Protsyuk, who worked for Reuters, died in the incident.
It may be noted that the case was archived just a year after his death, but on the appeal of cameraman\'s family against the decision, the court reopened the case for the third time on July 13 and reissued the warrant in its ruling on Thursday.
The court opened the case in 2008 but closed it after finding that Couso\'s killing was a result of an act of war. It again opened the case but forced to close it because of the investigating magistrate, who presented only one-sided evidence.
Justice Pedraz, in the arrest order, said that he demanded extradition because of two reasons - firstly the charges he considered were serious and secondly because of non-cooperation from the United States side in the investigation since they refused to allow Spanish judicial officials to question them.
Jose\'s brother David is reportedly happy with the court\'s order and hoped that the U.S. government would collaborate with the Spanish justice system in the search and capture in order to sit these murderers in the court.
The U.S. has refused to extradite the soldiers, saying that its military investigation has already cleared them from any wrongdoing. The military claimed that the troops did not violate any rules of engagement.
The soldiers, in their defense, had said that they hit under belief that they found a spotter, who was guiding in hostile fire.
There were no immediate comments from spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Madrid after the ruling.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - India To Fix Naxal Problem In 3 Years, Says Home Minister2010-07-29 15:35:50 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
New Delhi, India (AHN) - India\'s interior minister made a tall promise Thursday, pledging that the government would be able to finish the problem of Maoist guerillas within the next three years with the help of two-pronged strategy focused on inducing development schemes and making police effective in affected areas.
Speaking during a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee, Minister of Home Affairs P. Chidambaram said that he was confident enough about defeating the challenge posed by the left wing extremists known as Naxalites. The challenge will be met jointly by the central as well as state governments, he added.
He told the meeting, "The government was confident that the problem of left wing extremism would be overcome in the next three years."
The two-pronged strategy, which will be used to tackle the Naxalites, was decided upon after the MHA held consultations with the states facing the Naxal menace.
Recognizing it as a responsibility of the central government to assist the states in every possible way, Chidambaram said that it was primarily the responsibility of the states to tackle Naxalism.
He also maintained that besides enforcing law and order in the Naxal-affected states, the central government was helping the state governments by sharing intelligence and funding development schemes for the deprived areas and population
In a meeting on July 14, which Chief Ministers of the seven affected states attended, it was decided to set up a unified command between four of the states--West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand--to launch and execute anti-Naxal operations. In addition, the central government also promised to provide these four states with additional helicopters, funds and additional security personnel.
Moreover, an Empowered Group, to be chaired by the Member Secretary, Planning Commission, would look into any revision of the development schemes related to road connectivity, schools, healthcare and drinking water to alleviate problems of the poor in these states.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Karnataka Bans Iron Ore Exports To Curb Illegal Mining2010-07-29 14:41:47 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
Bangalore, India (AHN) - In a bid to stop illegal mining in Karnataka state, officials there have decided to put a stop on export of iron ore, in addition to banning transport of iron to other states.
Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa announced the ban Thursday, saying there was no other way to curb illegal mining in the state. A few days ago Yeddyurappa met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who asked him to take the action.
Yeddyurappa said that the ban on illegal mining would stay till the state Lok Ayukta, or ombudsman, finished his probe into the instances of illegal mining between 2000-2010.
Official figures suggest that about 49 million tonnes of iron ore are being produced in the state. According to media reports, the state has experienced 20,702 instances of illegal mining in the past three months.
The government has also put a check on issuing transport permits for moving iron ore for export purposes.
Over the past few weeks, a controversy has raged in the State over illegal mining and iron ore export, which the Congress party had dubbed as the "scam of the century" amidst allegations that the illegal mining and exports from Karnataka amounted to billions of rupees.
Congress, the main opposition party in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state, has organized a protest march from the state capital of Bangalore to Bellary, a place rich in iron ore deposits. Congress is demanding an official probe into the issue by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Congress chose Bellary, located 320 kilometers from Bangalore, as its protest destination because the city is the political base of Tourism Minister G. Janardhana, his elder brother Revenue Minister G. Karunakara and younger brother, G. Somashekara, who is member of the State Assembly.
Besides being an important part of the political establishment of the state, the Reddys are also powerful mine owners whom Congress has accused of being part of the illegal mining nexus.
Although the Reddy brothers have vehemently denied all the charges against them, they are also likely to protest the ban on exports of iron ore.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Somali Pirates Release Turkish Vessel2010-07-29 13:48:53 GMTShow articleHussein Moulid - AHN News Africa Correspondent
Nairobi, Kenya (AHN) - Somali pirates have released a Turkish cargo ship and its 21 crew members more than four months after seizing the vessel.
The 35,244-deadweight tons Maltese-flagged MV Frigia was hijacked on March 23 off the Indian coast with a crew of 21--19 Turks and two Ukrainians. They were not believed to be injured during the ordeal.
The vessel was carrying a load of fertilizer from Israel to Thailand when it was hijacked about 1,000 nautical miles east of the northern Somali coastline, according to a statement from the European Union Naval Force.
Somali pirates are still holding at least 16 other ships with well over 200 crew members.
EU NAVFOR is patrolling the pirate-infested waters of Somalia as part of a United Nations-backed mission to curb piracy, which has since spilled into the waters of the entire region.
Somalia-based sea bandits have caused havoc in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world\'s busiest shipping routes where more than 20,000 ships transit the waters annually.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Second Missing U.S. Sailor Found In Afghanistan2010-07-29 12:54:33 GMTShow article
Kris Alingod - AHN News ContributorKabul, Afghanistan (AHN) - The body of a second American sailor missing in Afghanistan since last week has been found, ending nearly a week of intense search efforts in a province known to be a Taliban stronghold.
Coalition troops discovered the remains of Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, in Logar, according to the BBC.
The recovery comes four days after NATO found the body of Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, 30, in eastern Afghanistan.
The sailors failed to report to their destination on July 23. McNeley, of Wheatridge, CO, died from wounds sustained from an incident in Logar on the day they disappeared, according to the U.S. Navy.
Newlove, of Renton, WA, survived the fire fight with militants and was reported as alive and in a safe location. The Taliban, which had taken responsibility for McNeley\'s death, was reportedly deciding about what demands to make in return for Newlove.
No official statement about Newlove\'s death has been issued by NATO or the Navy.
Logar is a province in the east where Afghan and coalition forces have been conducting clearing operations.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Dutch Model Lara Stone Sues French Playboy For Publishing Unauthorized Images2010-07-29 12:16:32 GMTShow article
Anne Lu - AHN Entertainment ContributorParis, France (AHN) - Dutch supermodel Lara Stone is suing Playboy for publishing unauthorized photos of her last month.
The 26-year-old catwalk beauty claims the French edition of the men\'s magazine and photographer Greg Lotus used her images without her consent.
The photos that were published in the June/July issue of French Playboy, which include her full frontal nude and topless images, were apparently taken by Lotus last year. The model said the pictures weren\'t meant to be published on the adult glossy.
Stone has instructed lawyers to begin proceedings against the magazine and the photographer in Paris.
She said in a statement, "Playboy had no right to publish these unauthorized photographs. It\'s not the kind of publication I would ever choose to appear in."
"I feel I have no option but to take steps to protect my reputation."
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - South African Public Strike Threatens Economy; Could Cripple Government, Trade, Commerce2010-07-29 12:00:30 GMTShow articleAyinde O. Chase - AHN News Editor
Johannesburg, South Africa (AHN) - Thousands of striking public servants took to the streets of South Africa and marched in cities across the country.
The strike which began on Thursday is the opening day of an open-ended strike over pay.
Despite 210,000 members of the Public Servants Association taking to the streets in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and other cities there initially appears to be little impact on basic services.
An estimated 900,000 workers in total could be on strike next week when other unions join in the protest.
Analysts believe that will change if customs officers, healthcare workers and government clerks get involved. The resulting strike could cripple the government and halt trade and commerce.
The workers are demanding a pay increase of 8.6 percent and a monthly housing allowance of 1,000 rand (137 dollars).
Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi is asking for the strikes to be delayed until he is able to meet with union leaders Thursday.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - British Chancellor Osborne Asks India To Allow British Insurance Firms To Own Larger Stakes In Indian Companies2010-07-29 11:47:40 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
Mumbai, India (AHN) - British Chancellor George Osborne asked India on Wednesday to consider deregulating further its insurance industry to permit British insurance firms to own larger stakes in Indian companies.
Further deregulation would increase foreign ownership in insurance companies to 49 percent from the current 26 percent, Osborne told the Indian Banks\' Association. Aviva Chief Executive Andrew Moss and Standard Life Chairman Gerry Grimstone supported Osborne\'s call.
Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron are in India to promote improved trade ties between Delhi and London.
The chancellor urged the International Monetary Fund to grant India greater responsibilities as the South Asian country expands its influence in the global stage because of its booming economy and population, making India a major consumer market target.
The diplomatic achievements made by Osborne and Cameron in their Asian tour, however, may be threatened by concerns of the Indian government over immigration caps Britain has made recently, particularly those coming from non-European Union nations.
Cameron assured Indian officials London will consult Delhi over a proposed new limit on non-EU migrants. Earlier, Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma told Cameron the limit may adversely affect trade relations between the two countries because of anticipated difficulty among Indian professionals to enter Britain.
By April, Britain would place a 24,100 temporary limit on migrants upon the recommendation of Home Secretary Theresa May. Business Secretary Vince Cable, who is part of the British delegation in India, said he will push for a liberal immigration policy and an open economy.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - NEDA Forecasts 8 Percent Philippine Economic Growth Rate For 20112010-07-29 11:40:10 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The Philippines\' top economic official on Thursday said renewed investor confidence and reduced government paperwork could grow the country\'s economy as much as 8 percent in 2011.
Cayetano Paderanga, director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, linked the expected changes, particularly in the area of government procedures and infrastructure, to higher investments that would spur growth. The optimism is expected to translate into a gross domestic product growth rate to exceed targets of 5 to 6 percent expansion.
In the past decade under the Arroyo administration, the Philippines registered an average annual economic growth rate of 4.4 percent. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said in her farewell speech that one of the key legacies of her administration was 37 continuous quarters of positive growth in the gross domestic product.
President Benigno Aquino, in his state of the nation address Monday, accused the Arroyo administration of bleeding the national coffers, leaving only 6.5 percent of the 2010 budget for the new administration to spend for the last six months of this year. Arroyo\'s spokesperson denied the accusation.
To reduce the country\'s poverty, economists said the Philippines must register a 7 percent GDP growth rate annually. To achieve higher GDP growth rates, Paderanga said the Aquino government will invest in infrastructure related to electricity, transport, water, irrigation and solid waste management.
For the first quarter of 2010, the Philippines logged a 7.3 percent GDP growth, which was above expectations and over government-set targets. It was the highest Q1 growth rate in 30 years. Paderanga\'s predecessor, Augusto Santos, credited the expansion to growth in the petroleum and coal, food manufacturing and electronic machinery industries.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - India Alarmed Over Chemicals\' Use On Veggies2010-07-29 11:26:46 GMTShow article
AHN News StaffNew Delhi, India (AHN) - India\'s Junior Health Minister Dinesh Trivedi has called for a nation-wide crackdown amid reports that the country\'s farmers are randomly using hazardous and toxic chemicals like Oxytocin to ensure that their vegetables appear more plump and fresher until they reach markets.
The minister said that Oxytocin is a drug that could cause irreparable damage, if taken through vegetables, over a period of time. The possible side effects could be nervous disorders, memory loss, heart disorders and sterility.
Trivedi, in a letter to Union Health Secretary K Sujatha Rao, demanded immediate action against farmers, which use such practices to boost their sales. He further said that the health benefits of consuming green vegetables were no longer safe.
Trivedi added that the farmers were mainly injecting this hormone, normally given to pregnant women as it helps in inducing childbirth and lactation in women, in vegetables like pumpkin, cucumber plants, eggplant, gourd and fruits like watermelon to make them look big. The vendors also inject the drug just before coming to the market to make their fruit and vegetables appear fresher and bigger in size.
India has banned the Schedule H drug for public sale long ago following reports that some parts of the country use it on underage girls to make them look older before marriage.
The drug\'s use on animals is also banned, however, farmers illegally use it on cattle to augment milk output. Despite the ban, the drug is available at all general stores across the country.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Berlusconi Passes Another Hurdle As Parliament Approves Austerity Cuts2010-07-29 11:20:17 GMTShow article
AHN News StaffRome, Italy (AHN) - Despite opposition from regional governors, judges, diplomats and civil servants, Italian lawmakers passed a $33 billion austerity package to help conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi cut the growing public deficit in two years\' time. The package will help bring Italy\'s budget in line with the eurozone\'s expectations.
The Lower House approved the unpopular package by 329 to 275 two weeks after Senate approved it. The proposal, which includes cutting expenditure and freezing public sector employees\' pay, is expected to get approval in a final budget vote on Thursday.
The package also increases the women\'s retirement age to 65 years in the public sector from next year. This will also see a 10% reduction in minister\'s perks and other ministerial budgets. Ministers and undersecretaries, who are not MPs, will also have to face a 10% reduction in their salaries. In the public sector, managers, whose salary is above EUR 50,000 ($64,620), will face 5% cut in their salaries, while those whose salary is above EUR 150,000 ($193872) will face a 10% reduction in their pay.
The government also pledged to crack down on tax evaders once they get final approval.
Meanwhile, center-left opposition Democratic Party\'s leader Pierluigi Bersani described the budget as unjust and warned that this could hamper economic growth, which recently revived after the global economic slowdown.
The central bank of the country also said that the package could hit country\'s shaky economic growth.
Speaking at a press conference later, Berlusconi said that the approval of the package was necessary. "If it was not approved, international speculation would have been unleashed on our country, creating a situation not like that of Greece but still bloody and dangerous," he added.
The budget, which is applicable for 2011-12, is aimed at reducing the public deficit to 2.7% of country\'s GDP in next two years. The deficit was 5.3% of GDP last year and it planned to reduce it to 5% this year, 3.9% next year and 2.7% in 2012.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Official Vows To Revive Death Penalty Debate As Japan Executes 22010-07-29 11:16:45 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
Tokyo, Japan (AHN) - Opponents of the death penalty in Japan have raised concerns after Tokyo executed two convicted killers Wednesday.
Kazuo Shinozawa, 59, who killed six women in a jewelry shop fire, and Hidenori Ogata, 33, who killed a couple seven years ago, were the first inmates to be executed since the center-Left government assumed power last September.
Justice Minister Keiko Chiba, the main critic of the execution, announced she would review the death penalty in coming weeks after witnessing the executions at the Tokyo Detention Center.
Talking to reporters, Chiba, who was appointed in September, said, "It made me again think deeply about the death penalty, and I once again strongly felt that there is a need for a fundamental discussion about the death penalty."
Human rights group Amnesty International condemned the death sentence and said that the prison\'s harsh conditions were driving inmates insane.
In July last year, Japan executed three convicts, including a Chinese national. Nearly 100 prisoners are estimated to be on death row in the country.
To expose the mechanics of the execution process to public scrutiny, Chiba disclosed her plans to open up death chambers to the media for the first time. She added that media would not get access to death chambers on execution dates.
Japan faces international criticism for its use of the death penalty because it neither tells prisoners nor their families about the execution date beforehand. Despite this, more than 85 percent of the country\'s population supports the death penalty, a recently carried out survey showed.
Japan and the U.S. are the only two industrialized democratic nations to carry out capital punishment for multiple homicides.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Israeli and Palestinian Teens Mix at MEET2010-07-29 10:56:34 GMTShow articleThe Media Line Staff
Israel (TML) - Most people don\'t believe Israeli and Palestinian high school students can get together and get along. But a summer program in Jerusalem proves they can.
For four weeks this summer, 100 Palestinian and Israeli students cross paths as they learn not only basic science and business skills, but also how to communicate with the other in a unique program aptly called MEET - Middle East Education through Technology.
"It was a great opportunity in MEET to meet Israelis and see their point of view," said
Rawan Abu Lafi, a 16-year-old Palestinian junior from Shuafat, a neighborhood bordering Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah.
"It was a great opportunity to meet Palestinians," chimed in Adam Ochayon, 17, from the Israeli town of Mevaseret and a fellow participant in the program.
MEET is a private initiative set up in 2004 by Israelis and Palestinians who met as students abroad and dreamed of creating a "social start-up" that would engage youths from both sides.
"I had to fly over oceans to meet people who lived 10 minutes away from me [in Israel].
We created relationships and a feeling that changed the way I looked at the world and my ability to solve problems. It made it very clear to me that we had to create a generation for whom the reality was very different," said Anat Binur, founder and member of the executive board, who grew up in the Israeli town of Herzliya.
Fellow board member Abeer Hazboun, a native of Bethlehem in the West Bank, said the aim was not necessarily to make the students best friends, but to teach them to work as partners.
"We wanted to create an alternative model for classical conflict resolution and try to bring students who we believe have the potential to be leaders in the future and invest in them, empower them, educate them, provide them with skills of 21st century," Hazboun said.
Meeting at the computer labs donated by Hebrew University of Jerusalem\'s Givat Ram campus, 100 high school sophomores, juniors and seniors spend four weeks in intensive computer and business studies.
The first year of the three-year program focuses on computer systems, using JAVA software. The second and third year also include business development. It costs about $5,000 per student, who all receive a full scholarship.
The rigorous selection process involves testing, group dynamics and personal interviews where students must show their commitment to the three-year program. Only 44 are accepted out of 530 applicants. Including returning second and third year students, there are 100 participants. The budget is $800,000 a year provided by MIT, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Al-Quds University, various foundations and Israeli and Palestinian donors.
"It\'s hard to raise funds," Binur said. "I feel, especially over the past four years, that many people have given up or become very pessimistic and they don\'t always believe that Palestinians and Israelis are actually willing to do something, to change their futures and try to make it more positive."
Participants come from both Arab and Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem, as well as the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem and the Israeli towns of Beit Shemesh and Mevaseret. Those who live outside of Jerusalem reside in campus dormitories in rooms shared by Israelis and Palestinians.
"In the overnight it\'s a great opportunity to get to know each other," said Ochayon. "It really gets personal. You sleep in the same room. You can\'t really tell the difference. It doesn\'t really matter if you are Israeli or Palestinians."
The idea is to teach conflict resolution through computer science and business. Instructors come from prestigious American technology university MIT, the primary partner of MEET.
Anna Premo, of Pittsburgh in the United States, has spent the last four weeks teaching first year students how to use JAVA, the computer programming language.
"On the first day I walked in and I couldn\'t tell the difference between the Israelis and Palestinians, but I noticed there were clear-cut groups already and they seemed to be speaking either in Arabic or Hebrew and it was hard to try and figure out how to bring them together," Premo said. "But after the first week and they knew each other better and it was easier."
MIT graduate Ben Chun, currently a high school teacher from San Francisco, had his third year students under his spell in his class on their final projects. Sporting waist-length hair and a petite goatee, he said later that he was looking for something to do during the summer break that was more meaningful than a standard trip abroad. He compared his California students with the ones he instructed in Jerusalem.
"Some of the things are the same, teenagers are teenagers. But some of the things are very different. The level of politics and cultural conflict that they are dealing with on a daily basis, we don\'t really have that kind of thing in San Francisco," Chun said.
Second year students Palestinian Jillian Shawer and Israeli Nastia Fermenko proudly showed off their project.
"We are working on a project which is called \'IM CHAT\', so we are going to chat with friends but our project has many special features," Shawer said.
The MEET program doesn\'t end in the summer. They continue meetings once a week in Jerusalem. After high school Israeli students are drafted into the army while their Palestinian counterparts will likely move on to college.
Some alumni like Wissam Jarjoui, a graduate from the first class in 2006, actually made it into MIT.
"MEET has helped me make that next step which is to have Israeli friends and realize this is something you can do. There isn\'t anything holding you back," Jarjoui said.
While Jarjoui was at college his fellow classmate Zohar Moyal was serving in an Israeli army combat unit. Like other alumni, they have returned this summer to volunteer and support the program. Moyal said ultimate peace was a complicated task, but dialogue helped.
"This is a long time conflict. I think that MEET is one of the solutions," Moyal said.
For Anat Binur, the return of alumni showed the staying power of the MEET program.
"Suddenly we have all the alumni coming back and calling us, wanting to be involved and volunteer," Binur said. "I think we have created a very unique model that can be replicated in many other places in the world."
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Met Office, NOAA Report Confirms Global Warming2010-07-29 10:43:31 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) - A report released Thursday by the Met Office and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed global warming. The Met Office is the weather bureau of the United Kingdom, while the NOAA is the Met\'s counterpart in the United States.
The yearly climate change report compiled by the two national weather bureaus said that the first half of 2010 were the hottest on record. The basis of that conclusion was 11 different indicators that compared temperatures from various locations way back from 1850. It measured air and sea temperatures and even melting ice.
Among these data are land and sea surface temperatures from the NASA\'s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the U.S. National Climatic Data Center. Data from four of six months this year indicates that 2010 may break record holder 1998 as the hottest year.
Met Office Climate Monitoring and Attribution Head Dr. Peter Stott attributed the 0.56 degree Celsius warning over the last five decades to greenhouse gas emissions.
The report may, however, be disputed because of previous reports that emails stolen from the University of East Anglia said scientists were willing to change land surface temperature readings just to reach the conclusion that there is global warming. While the scientists were eventually cleared by an independent probe, the scandal places a big question mark on findings or conclusions of global warming.
Stott, to prove the reliability of their data, said the data which came from three different agencies, showed each decade became warmer since the 1980s even if there were variations year to year.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Iran Pressures Shi\'ite Iraqi Allies To Support Al-Maliki for Prime Minister2010-07-29 10:31:43 GMTShow articleThe Media Line Staff
Tehran, Iran David E. Miller - Iran has sent a message to Shi\'ite allies in Iraq, demanding they support the candidacy of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, the Arab daily A-Sharq Al-Awsa has reported.
According to the report, based on an anonymous source in the Islamist Iraqi National Alliance (INA) led by Sayyed Ammar Al-Hakim, the Iranian message directed their Shi\'ite partners in Iraq to accept Al-Maliki\'s candidacy "even if he hit you over the head."
The report added that Iranian authorities have prevented Muqtada Al-Sadr, a member of the INA currently residing in Iran, from traveling to the city of Irbil in northern Iraq for political meetings. This is presumed to be a punitive measure for his rejection of Al-Maliki and apparent support for his rival Iyad \'Alawi.
"Iran is worried that \'Alawi represents mainly Sunni interests in Iraq, whereas Al-Maliki is better for Shi\'ites," Ali Al-Saffar, a Middle East analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit told The Media Line. "Iran believes that the premiership of \'Alawi would mean the weakening of the Shi\'ite stronghold of Iraq over time."
"\'Alawi has done little to alleviate the Iranian fears," he added. "Although he himself is Shi\'ite, most of the people surrounding him are Sunni."
"As far as Iran is concerned, a partnership between \'Alawi and Al-Maliki is the worst case scenario, because it would mean that the ruling coalition was independent of Iran\'s Islamist supporters in the Iraqi National Alliance."
However, an alliance between \'Alawi and Al-Maliki would make sense, said Al-Saffar, since they are both centrists and widely agree on internal Iraqi affairs. Al-Hakim, on the other hand, is a federalist and his policies significantly diverge from those of his contenders.
Dr. Reider Visser, editor of the Iraq-focused website historiae.org, doubted Iran was backing Al-Maliki. He said that for a long time Iran\'s priority in Iraq has been a unified Shi\'ite coalition, and therefore \'Alawi is not an option for them. However, there is no real indication that Iran has changed its policy of supporting a weak compromise candidate from the INA.
"The Iranians are sticking to their policy of keeping Shi\'ites united in a sectarian front," Visser told The Media Line.
Dr. Matthias Küntzel, a political scientist and expert on Iran, said that Iran\'s intervention in Iraqi politics was not surprising. "Homeisim (Iran\'s revolutionary ideology) is an expansionist ideology. Iran has no interest in stabilizing the region; on the contrary - it seeks to destabilize it and humiliate the Americans in the process."
Iraq has come to a political standstill ever since parliamentary elections in early March and the three main factions have not been able reach an agreement on a candidate for prime minister.
Iyad \'Alawi\'s Iraqiya bloc emerged first from the election with 91 seats, followed closely by Nouri Al-Maliki\'s State of Law alliance with 89. The religious Shi\'ite Iraqi National Alliance came in third with 70 seats.
In early June Al-Maliki\'s coalition merged with the Iraqi National Alliance; however, Muqtada Al-Sadr, a member of the INA, is reluctant to support Al-Maliki\'s reappointment as prime minister.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Bank Of England Not Inclined To Hike Interest Rates Yet2010-07-29 10:17:32 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) - Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said Wednesday Britain is not ready for a 0.5 percent interest rate increase despite better-than-expected economic growth rate figures released last week.
King said the British central bank would not want to base a benchmark lending rate adjustment on one economic indicator alone. He asserted there are still several risks that pose a threat to the country\'s recovery and no talks yet of the need to apply breaks.
Speaking at a cross-party Treasury Select Committee, King said that while the coalition government\'s emergency budget has not made a significant difference in Britain suffering a double-dip recession, relying on one economic indicator to hike key lending rates is dangerous.
He said the wider economic woes globally all indicate that Britain cannot be confident of a recovery in demand, output and employment in the U.K. could be sustained.
King also warned the committee that Britain\'s high inflation rate will continue to eat into the earning power of Britons in 2011. Britain\'s latest inflation rate is 3.2 percent, which is significantly higher than the government-set target of 2 percent.
Rising prices went against the Bank of England\'s anticipated slowdown, which adds to pressure on households as increases in wage remain weak.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Kuwaiti Bank To Open Trading Hall For Women2010-07-29 09:53:15 GMTShow articleThe Media Line Staff
Kuwait City, Kuwait Adam Gonn - Women will now be able to personally trade on Kuwait\'s stock exchange.
Accommodating the growing number of Kuwaiti women wanting to trade, as well as Kuwaiti cultural tradition, the Kuwait Finance House is opening a trading hall exclusively for women at the local stock market exchange.
"Women\'s banking is no longer limited to deposit and withdrawal," Tahani Saleh Al-Khamis, an area manager with the bank Kuwait Finance House told The Media Line. "[Women\'s banking] has expanded over and beyond to include the demand for diversified products such as participation in investment funds and portfolios, particularly new and existing [ones]."
"We, in turn, offer them a complete package of data about the new and existing funds and portfolios in addition to the advice and consultation," she said.
A statement from the bank described the new hall as being equipped "with the most modern means of technology and information including state-of-the-art computing and communication facilities providing an environment [with] speed and flexibility while highly private and secure, befitting women clients who wish to trade outside the official stock market building."
The bank also said it is trying to produce a modern concept in banking services that allows women to take on a growing role and to develop their aspirations in the business community.
Hakim Al Fasulait, public relations manager at the Kuwaiti Stock Exchange, said there are already women at the stock exchange.
"[There are] about 30,000 [female] traders that have an account," Al Fasulait told The Media Line. "But there is not much trading now. The market is not strong," he said. "We used to trade for $350 million every day, now is about a quarter, $120 million," he said.
A recent study showed that Kuwaiti women are very familiar with new technology as 53 percent spend more than seven hours a week online outside of work and 68 percent have an account on the social networking site Facebook.
In addition, Kuwait is one of the most politically progressive countries in the region. Women can vote, a right they won in 2005, and women can be elected into parliament, with four seats out of 50 being won by women in the last parliamentary elections in May 2009.
Some analysts, speaking to The Media Line off the record, said it still remains unclear if the latest move by Kuwait Finance House will prove beneficial for the women of Kuwait since the country\'s financial sector remains very traditional and conservative. For instance, all women who work wear the hijab, the Islamic head scarf that covers the hair. The new hall could be an attempt by the bank to attract more female customers without forsaking the bank\'s Islamic values.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Nepal\'s Tiger Population On Increase2010-07-29 09:43:44 GMTShow article
Kathmandu, Nepal (NewsBahn) - Conservationists and wildlife experts may be brought to cheers with the news that Nepal has made major progress on tiger conservation, with the population of the big cats sharply increasing this year in Nepal, according to a recently-completed study.
A joint study carried out by various national and international agencies revealed the number of tigers across the country has increased by 34, to a total of 155. Last year, 121 tigers were found.
Results of the census were announced Thursday on the occasion of World Tiger Day. The count, which took three months to conduct throughout the country\'s major national parks, was undertaken by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation in association with the National Trust for Nature Conservation and the World Wildlife Fund, Nepal.
The majority of the tigers, 125, were found in Chitwan National Park, a popular tourist spot for wildlife safaris and other green adventures. Bardia National Park had 18, Suklaphata Wildlife Reserve eight and Prasa Wildlife Reserve had four tigers this year. Tiger populations living outside of protected areas and conservation areas were not included in the count.
Marking World Tiger Day for the first time, the Forest Ministry made a commitment to double Nepal\'s tiger population by 2020. Nepal has also declared 2010 International Tiger Year.
Wildlife poachers pose serious threats to the life of this endangered beast, whose skins and bones are smuggled through Nepal to China to be used for manufacturing traditional Chinese medicines.
The census was conducted through analyses of footprints, or pugmarks, and camera trapping. "This will be a good message for [the] upcoming tiger summit in Russia where we are preparing a country report," a Forest Ministry official told All Headline News.
AHN Correspondent Anil Giri contributed to this report.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved - Cameron Defends Comments On Pakistan\'s Record On Tackling Terrorism2010-07-29 08:03:37 GMTShow articleAHN News Staff
New Delhi, India (AHN) - Just a day after Prime Minister David Cameron warned Pakistan about promoting terror in India and Afghanistan, the British leader defended his "frank" comments and said that Pakistan had made progress but needs to do more. His latest remarks came after he was accused of damaging the prospects for regional peace.
In a statement to media, Cameron, who is on a two-day visit to India to boost relations with the Asian superpower, said it was important to speak frankly about the problems as he sees them. He added that the Pakistani government indeed had made progress hunting terrorists on their soil. However, the efforts were not enough because the terror attacks involving Pakistani-based militants continue in the neighboring countries of India and Afghanistan, as well other regions of the world. Cameron further said that Britain sees it as unacceptable to allow Pakistan to support terrorist groups.
Cameron\'s comments apparently disappointed Pakistan\'s envoy to London, High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan, as he expressed grief over Cameron\'s decision to ignore Pakistan\'s role in the war against terror.
Cameron said he believed a recent report on Pakistan\'s Inter Services Intelligence agency\'s role in secretly helping the Afghan insurgency. Pakistan has strongly denied claims in leaked U.S. military records and Hasan slammed Cameron for believing such reports, which he said lacked both credibility and corroboration.
The report came from U.S. documents leaked on the WikiLeaks website. The White House has denounced the leaks as "irresponsible."
Hasan later told the BBC he hoped Cameron made his remarks by mistake. "He is new in government, maybe he will learn soon and he will know how to handle things," said the high commissioner.
He also wanted Cameron to make fresh comments to pacify the Pakistani people and government, claiming that they have taken the matter very seriously.
Pakistani ambassador to U.S. Husein Haqqani claimed that the leaked documents did not reflect the current on-ground realities. He hoped that Americans knew what Pakistan was doing in Afghanistan, citing a document that revealed NATO\'s doubts whether Pakistan or Iran are helping the Taliban.
"We have paid a price in treasure and in blood over the last two years. More Pakistanis have been killed by terrorists, including our military officers and intelligence service officials. We are not going to be distracted by something like this," he said.
Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved