World News Post: May 23, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

COSTA RICA - A former president convicted of corruption

Miguel Angel Rodriguez was sentenced April 27 to five years in prison for receiving bribes, kickbacks from Alcatel. Rodriguez, who led the country between 1998 and 2002, was found guilty of having received 500,000 dollars over the 14 million paid by the French company to Costa Rican officials. He protested his innocence throughout the trial and said he would appeal his conviction.

Several former officials of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute were also convicted.

EU bans the Syrian president will travel to Europe and retain assets

Brussels .- The foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) have decided today to punish the Syrian president, Bashar al-Asad, forbidding travel to Europe and freezing their assets in EU territory, in response to the crackdown on protests in the country. As confirmed by diplomatic sources told Efe, the Twenty-seven have agreed to expand the list of persons affected by sanctions regime, which already included 13 senior officials.

Hackers Germans planned to attack a French nuclear plant

The German Criminal Investigation Office (BKA) has avoided the computer attack against a nuclear power company EDF, whose property is owned by the French State and has 58 active nuclear reactors in France, although researchers have not specified which of they were threatened. The news of a plan of attack against a nuclear plant is relatively close to its borders has caused great alarm in Germany.

CAMBODIA-THAILAND - No hope for cease-fire on the horizon

"The festering border dispute," as the newspaper in Bangkok. "Efforts to bring peace on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border are deadlocked. The two leaders have still not proposed a solution to end the armed conflict, even as they declared open to dialogue. " The Cambodian-Thai clash with heavy weapons for seven days around the disputed area of the temple of Preah Vihear.

The fighting has claimed another victim this April 28.

Increasing numbers of wealthy Chinese who emigrate to the West

Beijing .- Two million Chinese people got permanent residence abroad since 1999 by the deposit of average amounts of $ 800,000 (400,000 of them in Canada), reported the official Xinhua news agency. The main reasons for Chinese economic elites to go to live abroad are air pollution and poor Chinese educational system for children, the agency said.

The so-called "investment immigrant" Chinese banks must deposit in the country of destination varying amounts of U.S. $ 500,000 to 1.2 million Singapore dollars or $ 850,000 in Australia, money that will recover after some time according to the regulations of the country. "This is the third phase of migration started in the eighties with the shipment by the Student Government, followed by family reunification, labor and low skilled labor to the current characterized by possession of money and knowledge," wrote the official source.

Saleh does not sign the transfer of power and claims to be prepared for a civil war

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has refused to sign the agreement for a peaceful transfer of power proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and has warned the opposition that is ready for a "civil war." According to government sources, the party decided at a meeting attended by Saleh did not initial the agreement with the opposition if the two parties signed at the same time a strategy with a schedule of implementation of the initiative.

MIDDLE EAST - Israel welcomes the newly approximation of Fatah and Hamas

"Netanyahu warns against its Fatah reconciliation agreement with Hamas," as the newspaper in Tel Aviv. Israeli Prime Minister has reacted coolly to the agreement reached in Cairo, April 27, between the two Palestinian movements. Fatah and Hamas decided to move on to four-year struggle to form a transitional government for presidential and legislative elections.

Fatah must "choose between peace with Israel and peace with Hamas," said Netanyahu.

Fatah (homepage) Fatah (wikipedia) Israel (geolocation) Israel (wikipedia) Hamas (wikipedia) Weapons Hidden in Mosque Neutralized by Israel Air Force 31 Dec. 2008 (youtube) Rapprochement (wikipedia)

Obama starts European tour with a visit to his Irish ancestry

Dublin .- U.S. President Barack Obama, arrives today to Ireland to make a brief one-day visit during which he plans to travel to the village of his ancestors, the small town of Moneygall, County Offaly (center). Obama's visit is non-state and although security measures are strong, are not as extreme as those deployed last week to mark the historic journey of four days of Queen Elizabeth II.

Thus, the President may refer to a welcome speech to the thousands of Irish people will gather late in the afternoon on College Green, opposite the University of Trinity College Dublin, the same stage where Bill Clinton did in 1995. The event will include musical performances from Westlife, Imelda May and Edward, while other artists such as actors Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Rea and Gabriel Byrne will entertain the public until Obama stand on a platform protected by bulletproof transparent panels.

Spain cedes and the EU approves sanctions against Bashar Assad

Having overcome the reluctance of Spain, among others, the foreign ministers of the EU formally agreed today to punish the Syrian President Bashar Assad. Twenty should veto the entry and freeze any account or property in his name. Although he had agreed to punish the president's environment and impose an arms embargo for weeks, the Spanish, traditionally close to Damascus, refused to attack also Asad.

UNITED STATES - The deadly storm devastated the South

"Storms kill nine people in Georgia, destroying everything in their path," states on its Web site daily from Atlanta. Since the beginning of the week, at least 72 people were killed during violent storms that swept across the south. But Alabama is paying the heaviest toll, with more than 45 victims in just one day on April 27.

The state of emergency was declared in that State and in Arkansas, Tennessee and partly in Mississippi.

The Taliban denied that Mullah Omar is dead

Barcelona. (Editorial) .- The leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Mullah Omar, has spent five days without contact with his family, something that apparently is very rare. This unusual silence Taliban leader has led the Afghan Tolo TV station to say that Mullah died while traveling from Quetta to the Pakistani province of North Waziristan.

This article was denied by a Taliban spokesman has claimed that their leader is still alive. "Reports of the death of Amir al Moemineen (Omar) are false, is healthy and safe," said the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, Qari Muhammad Yousaf, a news agency Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), based in Pakistan .

Proposed to postpone the elections in Tunisia from July to October due to time

The constituents of Tunisia elections scheduled for July 24th, could be postponed until October 16. Yendubi Kamel, chairman of the independent commission appointed by the transitional government to organize elections, has proposed delaying them because "not enough time to renew and update the electoral roll." Moreover, the political parties have not had time to prepare for the appointment to the polls, the first after the overthrow of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on 14 January.

Spain - The passivity of young hides a storm

"This is just the beginning," promises the text in which the organization Juventud sin Futuro [Youth without a future] thank the participants in the demonstration on April 7 in Madrid. Between 1000 and 2000 people attended, but the organization is satisfied and places great hope in the next call, scheduled for mid-May.

What is certain is that at least one game of the young - that "the most educated youth" from the story that "will live less well than their parents" as their manifesto says - indignant and down the streets like their French activist asked the 93-year-Stéphane Hessel [in his book You indignation].

The Taliban assault on a base in Pakistan caused dozens of deaths

Islamabad .- At least a dozen people have died in the armed assault by a group of Taliban insurgents on a military base in the southern city of Karachi, told local television today. As the channel GEO, Army forces have killed at least six insurgents, while the string DAWN figure five the number of fatalities among members of the security forces.

The attack was claimed by the Taliban, local media pick. Made by fifteen armed men, the assault began near dawn and eight hours after the shootings were continuing between Pakistani troops and Taliban insurgents, who had gathered strength in the interior of the enclosure. A spokesman for the Navy, Irfan-ul-Haq, told Efe that the raiding party with automatic rifles burst into the PNS Mehran airbase, used by the Navy, and in the first clashes killed two members of the body.

Pakistani Taliban claim attack on a naval base in Karachi

An attack claimed by the Taliban at the naval air base in Karachi (Pakistan and south of the country's most populous city) has left at least ten people dead, according to figures provided by local television channels, which continues to increase on a First official results with four deaths. Between 15 and 20 heavily armed attackers stormed the base early to commit the attack.

Eight hours after the assault continuing firefights between Pakistani troops and Taliban insurgents, who had gathered strength in the interior of the enclosure. The base was surrounded by marines. As the channel GEO, Army forces have killed at least six insurgents, while the string DAWN figure five the number of fatalities among members of the security forces.

UNUSUAL - Everest? Hard drive

For the seventh heaven, you knew. To climb onto the roof of the world's new. Mountaineers fuel to Viagra to the summit of Everest. By dilating the blood vessels of the lungs, the blue pill would allow them to absorb more oxygen. "The doctors have assured us that as long as we do not think sex should not be problems," said David Hempleman-Adams, the leader of the expedition, the Sunday Times.

Mount Everest (geolocation) Mount Everest (wikipedia)

Obama travels to Europe to rebuild ties and address wars and revolts

Barack Obama today begins a six-day trip to Europe in the wars in Libya and Afghanistan and unrest in the Arab world monopolize the meetings. The economy, which until a few months dominated the transatlantic dialogue, may be relegated to a secondary position. The visit will stage a new attempt to rebuild ties.

Dilute the European Obamamania, found that Washington sends a leader who stands above all the interests of his country and is willing to pull the trigger to do so, European capitals seeking to avoid irrelevance and placed in a world in which U.S. President looks Asia and is reluctant to engage in the backyard of the EU.

The pilot of Air France plane accident in Brazil was not in the cabin

The pilot of Air France plane that crashed into the sea in 2009 off the Brazilian coast was not in the cabin at the time of the accident, which reportedly had access to the edition of the German weekly "Der Spiegel". The magazine quoted research reports launched, under which the recordings available on how the pilot is heard Marc Dubois, 58, rushes into the cockpit.

"We still gave instructions to the two co-pilots to save the plane," cites "Der Spiegel" an expert close to the investigation. The Air France Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic in the morning of May 31, 2009, four hours after taking off from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The 228 passengers and crew died.

UNUSUAL - Isidro and Manuel, last speakers - scrambled - the ayapaneco

Manuel Segovia, 75, and Isidro Velazquez, 69, are cold and not on speaking terms. Damage: two Mexicans are the last people in the world to speak ayapaneco. It's a story that bounces on the Web since its publication in the Mexican daily Milenio. It gives us the news ayapaneco, one of 2500 languages in danger of extinction.

Alongside popoluca of Tzotzil or Totonaco the ayapaneco is also one of the 68 languages listed in Mexico by cultural authorities increasingly attentive to the value of intangible assets consisting of the native dialects. But of all the ayapaneco is certainly the worst off: two people speak it and they are all young.

First death sentence in Egypt for crimes during the revolution

Cairo. .- A leaked police today became the first condemned to death in Egypt for killing protesters during the revolution that overthrew the regime of Hosni Mubarak, after a Cairo court issue a ruling. According to judicial sources, the agent tried in absentia, was accused of killing twenty demonstrators and injuring fifteen others.

The sources told Efe that the incident was triggered on 28 January during the revolution, which started on 25 of the same month in the popular Cairo neighborhood of Al Zawia al Hamra, when police fired on protesters stormed to prevent in a police station. The court also submitted documentation of the case to the mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa, to approve the execution, in accordance with the rules of the country.

Obama reaffirms to a Jewish lobby in his plan on the 1967 borders

The U.S. president, Barack Obama continues his ground and maintains its particular recipe for peace for the Middle East, which has greatly angered Israel. In a speech to the main Jewish lobby, Obama has maintained its proposal for Israel to reopen negotiations with the Palestinians based on the 1967 borders, which has been flatly rejected by the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who already retort saying that "67 borders are indefensible." In that year there was the call of the Six Day War, the third Arab-Israeli conflict, which ended with the Hebrew occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights.

UNUSUAL - No Comment

Kieron Williamson began painting two years ago. Today, his works sell for up to 20,000 pounds each (more than 22 000 euros). The "Mini Monet" has earned enough money to offer a home to her parents, who created a fund to manage its assets.

South Sudan believes that Abyei is making a "declaration of war"

London. .- The People's Liberation Army sursudanés Sudan (SPLA) has denounced the military takeover of the town of Abyei by Sudanese Army is a "declaration of war" that violates the peace agreement signed in 2005, culminating in July with the secession of southern Sudan. Abyei is not included in the territory to monitor the independence, but they claim as their own.

"If the international community does not intervene quickly, be a complete violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, an absolute violation of the cease-fire and a declaration of war by Khartoum," stated a spokesman for the SPLA, Colonel Philip Aguer in Speaking to the BBC. Another spokesman for the SPLA, Raphael Gorgeu, explained that thousands of people have fled the area in the direction of Agok, some 45 kilometers south of Abyei, and the escape to the south continues.

A devastating tornado caused at least 89 people in the city of Joplin

A devastating tornado has been beaten to force the city of Joplin, Missouri, which was virtually destroyed with hundreds injured and, according to local press, at least 89 dead. The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, declared a state of emergency and ordered the deployment of National Guard and medical teams to help rescue victims.

Speaking to CNN, the governor would not give a precise number of deaths. The direct impact of the tornado in this city, which has about 50,000 inhabitants, has caused devastation similar to that experienced by the town of Tuscaloosa, Ala., last month, killing 30 people. The local newspaper in the city, "Joplin Globe, tells on his website looks bleak left by the tornado in its path, with the streets almost impassable by fallen trees and utility poles.

UNUSUAL - Exorcism

Kyrgyz MPs seven sheep were sacrificed before the opening of the parliamentary session of April 21, 2011. Objective of this ritual funded by the 120 members of the Assembly: chase away evil spirits that they could not work quietly. The three coalition parties are struggling to agree. In recent weeks, the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament) was the scene of a series of brawls.

(24. Kg Kyrgyzstan)

Langoustine boil with wild garlic butter recipe (29/03/2011)

Merkel's CDU suffers setback in regional elections in Bremen

Berlin. .- The regional elections of the federal state of Bremen (northern Germany) today strengthened the positions of Social Democrats and Greens, which is expected to renew their coalition in the 'Land', and dealt another blow to the ranks of Chancellor Angela Merkel, especially partners, the Liberals.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), the dominant force in the federal state since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), not only defended his position of first force but also rose to 38%, compared to 36.7% in 2007 -, according to projections by ZDF public television at the end of the premises.

Hundreds of women report gender Paris reflexes Strauss-Kahn's case

A thousand people convened by feminist organizations have focused on Sunday in Paris to protest what they denounced as the outcrop in France of "sexist and reactionary reflexes" after the scandal of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The demonstrators gathered near the Pompidou center, in the center of the city with two personalities as head of the movement: the TV reporter Audrey Pulvar, and Clementine Autain communist politics.

UNUSUAL - Berlu, male boss

Take the 16 letters of the first and last name of Silvio Berlusconi. Swap them. You get "the boss unico manly" - "the only male boss." Council President bragged that anagram at a dinner with the foreign press in Rome, while ensuring that his evenings in the company of alluring girls were "extremely accurate." The Italian leader also swept the suspicions of sexual favors granted to her old friend Emilio Fede.

Day of surprises for the demonstrators # AcampadaParís

The day of protest on May 21 began at three in the afternoon on the steps of the Opera Bastille. It brought together more than three hundred people to participate in a protest that was increasingly creating more and more interest in the French population, which continued to come to ask what was the movement.

"We came prepared, had a member of the group's logistics movement. We manifest in Spanish, English and French for all. " The press was very large in place, and activists could scarcely suffice to attend to all media. According to the order of the day was organized for the coming days and this was done.

Merkel also punishes Bremen

The regional elections of the federal state of Bremen (northern Germany) strengthened the positions of Social Democrats and Greens, which is expected to renew their coalition in the 'Land', and dealt another blow to the ranks of Chancellor Angela Merkel, especially their partners, liberals. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), the dominant force in the federal state since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), not only defended his position of first force but also rose to 38%, compared to 36.7% in 2007 -, according to projections by ZDF public television at the end of the premises.

UNUSUAL - Nuclear or malt?

Whiskey? That energy is the future! Some 16 000 British households will soon be enlightened malt, reports The Times.

Sudan confirms the military takeover of Abyei

Khartoum. .- The Sudanese government on Sunday confirmed the decision of the Abyei region, on the border between southern Sudan, undergoing a process of secession, and the rest of the country. The cease-fire of war between north and south provides for the demilitarization of Abyei. "The Sudanese armed forces are controlled Abyei and clearing it of illegal forces," stated the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Amin Hassan Omar, told the media from Khartoum.

Ali Abdullah Saleh says he is prepared for a civil war

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says he is prepared for "civil war" if the opposition insists he leaves office. "If you give in and want to drag the country into civil war, will assume responsibility," said Saleh before warning that they will be "responsible for the blood will flow" if "persist in their stupidity." Saleh has refused to sign the agreement for a peaceful transfer of power proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

BASKETBALL - The African Nations Championship rebounds in Madagascar

Originally scheduled this summer in Côte d'Ivoire, the 26th edition of Afrobasket male, African championship basketball will finally be in Madagascar Welcomes L'Express de Madagascar. Small nation of basketball in Africa, Madagascar inherits the first organization of this prestigious tournament to be held from August 17 to 28.

"On the other candidate countries (Tunisia, Egypt) live a little complicated sociopolitical situations, while Angola was proposed to organize in December. We believe that Madagascar was the candidate most stable," said Mr. Bile, Secretary General of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Africa.

Saudi woman arrested for a video on driving a car

Cairo / Riyadh. - Saudi authorities arrested this weekend a woman who had posted an Internet video in which she was seen driving a car, something forbidden to women in strict Islamic state. Manal al-Sherif activist is in jail for the images that showed the wheel of a vehicle in the city of Chobe in the east.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world we are not allowed women to drive. The Arabic Network for Human Rights in Cairo today described the incident as a "clear sign of the horrific treatment of human rights in Saudi Arabia." Al Shefif and other youth launched a civil disobedience campaign across the social network Facebook.

A Jordanian kills his sister for 17 years to wash the family's honor

A Jordanian was convicted of the murder of his sister of 17 years to "wash the family honor." According to judicial sources, the reason was their constant output of home. Young, 20, has been accused of committing a "premeditated crime." "Strangled his sister in Zarka (village 23 kilometers from Amman)" to "bad mood" and "absentee often the family home." "The buried in the garden," says the indictment.

Obama believes that any attempt to recognize a Palestinian state before the UN will be "unrealistic and symbolic"

London. The U.S. president, Barack Obama, has opined that the Palestinian attempts to gain UN recognition of an independent state are so "unrealistic" and "symbolic" because, in his view, this initiative completely ignores Israel's position , a country considered as an essential to achieve a peace agreement in the Middle East, explained on Sunday in an exclusive interview to the BBC.

The Palestinians seek to obtain recognition of their state as a member of the UN next September as the stagnant peace talks with Israel. Just yesterday, the member of the Central Committee of Fatah, Nabil Saath, encouraged Obama to join other countries that have already expressed their support for the formation of a Palestinian state comprising the West Bank and East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel.