Archive for April, 2009

Global Voices reports that “a grainy video from 2005 made headlines, shaking up viewers around the globe. The video, first shown on U.S.-based ABC News, showed Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al-Nahyan – brother of UAE’s crown prince Sheikh Mohammed – torturing an Afghan grain farmer, attacking him with a cattle prod, then literally pouring salt on his wounds” (WARNING: Video contains graphic content and is not suitable for all viewers).

Global Voices goes on to report that in Bahrain, Internet users were surprised to find out that access to the video on YouTube had been blocked by the Bahraini authorities. Writing on popular online forum, Bahrain Online, which is also banned in Bahrain, user Mahdy notes:

In a scandalous fashion, the Bahraini Ministry of Information is telling us that spreading information which exposes torturers in against Bahraini law!
The Bahraini Ministry of Information is trying to cover up on a crime being broadcast on YouTube after it filtered a video published on the famous site which features an Afghani being tortured at the hands of Isa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The following links are blocked by the Ministry of Information: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGWj…eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGWjxzMka4

Read the full story here.

Meanwhile, Financial Times reported that “Abu Dhabi said on Wednesday it would investigate allegations that a senior member of the ruling family tortured an Afghan citizen.”

The UN Dispatch Blog links to a Washington Times article which highlights the world’s deadliest spot: the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

With all the attention given to Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur and other hot spots around the world, one place consistently is forgotten – the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Mobutu Sese Seko’s Zaire.

Yet the death toll from conflict in this single place has been the greatest in the world, by far, over the past decade. More than being a humanitarian tragedy, the war destabilizes a country rich in minerals, allows the establishment and spread of diseases such as Ebola (which probably came from Congo) and makes a mockery of Western values and American leadership as we sit and watch the ongoing strife, says the Washington Times. 

The authors, Bruce Jones and Michael O’Hanlon, “go on to advocate a more robust U.S. footprint in providing military assistance to MONUC (the United Nations Mission in DR of Congo) and in lobbying Europe to offer troops. “Congo is not Darfur,” they argue, and the Congolese government has not objected fervently, as Sudan’s has, to the inclusion of European peacekeepers.’

U.S. and European troops — and especially supplies and logistical assistance — would be welcome, of course, but we should not be picky in where MONUC peacekeepers come from. What we should be picky about is making sure that the force’s joint operations with the Congolese, Rwandan, and Ugandan governments follow established humanitarian principles. And just because it is facing a shortage of troops, that isn’t reason for MONUC to turn to an indicted war criminal; the involvement of Bosco “the Terminator” Ntaganda in these operations should be clarified and made public.”

Links: 

UN Dispatch: http://www.undispatch.com/

Washington Times: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/29/worlds-deadliest-spot/

An Italian merchant ship, the Jolly Smeraldo, escaped a pirate attack today while 300 southeast miles of the coast of Mogadishu, says La Repubblica.

The ship was approached by a boat with seven people on board, but managed to flee the attack with some diversionary manoeuvres. There are no reported wounded on board, despite the pirates having fired several shots at the ship.

“We were afraid, but we succeeded in getting to safety,” said the ship captain Domenico Scotto di Perta. “They moved quickly, and shot at us without incurring damages to the ship. Then, when they saw our tenacity, they decided to leave us alone.”  

The Jolly Smeraldo has a total of 24 crew members. 15 are Italian while the other nine are from Eastern Europe. The crew has been in touch with their families to reassure them of their safety.

Four days ago another Italian ship, a cruise ship, managed to foil a pirate attack. 

Posted by our contributor Alessandro Passanti

Neither the effects of the global economic crisis, nor the 64^th anniversary celebrations of Soviet Latvia’s victory over the Nazis managed to reverse the Latvian State Commission’s decision to determine reparations for the Soviet occupation which lasted 40 years (1950-1990).

The Commission was established in 2005 after the Latvian Parliament adopted a law on “compensation for Soviet occupation,” and it will end its activity in 2010.

The preliminary estimates presented by the Commission include economic, ecological, demographic, social, and moral costs incurred by the Soviet occupation, and, so far, reach a total of 200 billion dollars. According to the Commission’s extensive inquiries, Latvia lost its economic potential and saw its GDP halved by the occupation’s after-effects. The Latvian State Commission maintains that this has caused Latvia’s development to lag behind in comparison to its regional counterparts.

Despite the extent of the Commission’s work, Russia has already announced it will not honor any demands for reparations. “All such demands, including financial ones, linked to the so-called Soviet occupation, ignore political, historical, and legal realities, and are considered unfounded accordingly,” underlined the representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Nesterenko.

Another high-ranking Russian official pointed out that the chapter of Soviet occupation in Latvia is now closed and attempts to revive it could damage bilateral relations between Russia and Latvia.

Latvia has been reluctant in celebrating the anniversary of the Soviet victory over the Nazis by ethnic Russians in Latvia. The new EU and NATO member has struggled to accept its Soviet past and its request for reparations could transpose into another case of Estonia’s Bronze Soldier.  Latvian authorities have decided to combine the anniversary of May 9th by pro-Russian organizations with the informational campaign on Soviet crimes organized by Latvian Nationalists.  

Russia is becoming worried that it might not any have strong and effective tools to influence the rebellious behavior of former Soviet republics. Moscow’s frustrations are steadily growing as Latvia’s stance on reparations could serve as a precedent for other former Soviet nations such as Ukraine, which has recently become vocal about the USSR’s role in the 1932-1933 famine known as the Holodomor. 

Posted by our contributor Denis Cenusa

Hundreds of people may have caught swine flu in New York, officials said Tuesday, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg played down the danger, saying the disease was hardly different to regular influenza.

“So far this disease looks like the disease we have every year,” Bloomberg told a news conference.

Bloomberg said swine fever, which has apparently entered the United States after a deadly outbreak in Mexico, was behaving much like “the garden variety” of winter flu.

Nonetheless, the WHO is now calling the swine flu a pandemic, raising the alert level to 5 out of 6. 

Richard Besser, acting director at the Center for Disease Control, said that 36,000 people die nationwide from influenza each year, reports AFP.

In the meantime, the NYC Health Commissioner circulated a Swine Flu FAQ which can be read in part below:

What is swine influenza? 

 Swine flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks in pigs. There have been reports of serious illness and deaths due to swine flu in Mexico, but the recently confirmed cases in the United States have been mild. 

What are the symptoms of swine influenza? 

Swine flu symptoms appear to be similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, lethargy, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu 

How does swine influenza spread? 

Swine flu viruses can be directly transmitted between pigs and people. Human-to-human transmission is also possible, and appears to be occurring with this outbreak. Spread is mainly through coughing or sneezing. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. 

Who is at risk for swine influenza? 

Anyone who has contact with an infected person may be exposed to swine flu. Human transmission is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu: through aerosolized particles that are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. 

How can I protect myself from swine influenza? 

Here are the best ways to avoid getting or spreading swine influenza: 

 Encourage all people to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze. 

 Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.  

 Try to avoid close contact with sick people.  

 If you get sick, limit contact with others to avoid infecting them. 

 These are the same protections as those for seasonal flu and many other respiratory infections. 

What should I do if I have flu-like symptoms? 

Anyone experiencing fever, cough or sore throat should stay home from work or school for at least 7 days, and not return until one to two days after the symptoms end. Wash your hands frequently. And as always cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. You do not need to go to the hospital for mild illness, but anyone with severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment immediately. 

Is there a vaccine for swine flu? 

“It was on the evening of November 9, 1989, a memorable press conference lay behind me.”

 That is how Günter Schabowski starts his reflections, published in Die Zeit, about his role in helping tear down the Berlin Wall – the monument that had embodied the physical division of Germany for almost thirty years.

 Schabowski recalls the historic moment, in which Italian news agency correspondent, Riccardo Ehrmann, asked him  about the law on travel that had been publicized one week earlier. His response would have unpredictable effects, that Schabowski himself was seemingly unaware of.

 His announcement that all bans against traveling abroad were lifted caused much confusion.

While people were gathering at the border-crossing point at Bornholmer Strasse expecting to cross, the border guards initially refused them passage.

 Schabowski immediately went to speak personally with the border control. By the time he arrived, the borders were about to open. Schabowski notes that, despite the delay, people were still happily awaiting the moment they could finally cross the border.

 Finally, he explains that this mishap at the border-crossing point was due to a miscommunication between the party leaders. Luckily, there was no outbreak of violence, which, according to Schabowski, is the actual miracle of November 9, 1989.  

Time magazine reports a different version of the story here. 

Posted by our contributor Alexandra Eckert

SKYTG24, Italy’s leading 24 hour news channel, obtained an exclusive interview with New York’s first African-American mayor, Mayor David N. Dinkins.

Mayor Dinkins was mayor from 1990 until 1993, after which Rudolph Giuliani was elected.

When Dinkins came to power, he ushered in a new era of racial healing in New York City and took great measures at curbing the city’s rampant crime rate.

Here is the abridged transcript of the interview:

SKYTg24: Mr. Mayor, when you became the first African-American mayor of New York City, you ushered in an era of racial healing. Now, that we have the first African-American president, do you think America can fully consider itself a post-racial society?

MAYOR DINKINS: I remember I was in the Marine Corps in 1945 and we [African-Americans] were treated in the South less well than were German or Italian prisoners of war. But things have improved greatly. But it is a mistake to think that we have cured all of our problems. [Obama] is the President of the United States who happens to be black. He’s not the black President of the United States. And I think he’s doing a fine job.

SKYTG24: Do you think Obama could have done more in his first 100 days?

MAYOR DINKINS: I don’t know if he could have done anymore in a 100 days. This is something born of the days of Franklin Roosevelt. There’s no magic to 100. It could be 105, or 200, or 50. But I think he’s doing fine. To me the key has been this: During the campaign, and I supported Hillary Clinton, I had no negative comments about Obama, but I said, as others have said before me- ‘you campaign in poetry but you govern in prose.’ Now that he has been elected, we know he can make a great speech, that he has tremendous eloquence. The question is will he know speak substantively about the problems we face. And I think he is doing this.

SKYTG24: What are your thoughts on those African Americans who did not vote for Obama in the last election and who are not happy with his work to date?

MAYOR DINKINS: The number of African-Americans who did not vote for Obama in the general election, forget the primary, but in the general election, those are small in number. I would dare say that you might even have difficulty in finding those who would acknowledge that they didn’t vote for him. Because there is something strange about a winner. People love a winner. Many of us who are black, we’ve got friends now that we never knew we had now that Obama is in the White House.

SKYTG24: What are the similarities between your experience as executive of the city of New York and the experience President Obama is going through now?

MAYOR DINKINS: First I should say that being Mayor of New York is the second best job in the world, second only to being President of the United States. I think that his problems are the same as those of a mayor, or governor or anyone else, except that their bigger, and he has more help and a lot more money.

The full transcript will be made available only at www.dailybabel.com shortly.

Two alleged members of the Basque separatist group ETA that fled a gas station without paying last Saturday, have evaded capture in France, each escaping in a separate stolen car, reports Spain’s El Mundo. Minister for the Interior, Alfredo Peréz Rubalcaba, emphasised the efforts of French security forces to capture the fugitives, stressed that ‘when two ETA members have to flee like this, they are cut off from the organisation’ which in turn would hinder their activity. 

The Minister insists that ETA’s latest ‘brushes’ with police mean that their organisational capacity is ‘weaker than ever’, while the efficiency of the security forces is ‘better than ever’. The Minister praised the model collaboration between France and Spain in the fight against terrorism. The parameters of this collaboration will be extended in an attempt to tackle areas such as organised crime and drug trafficking. The Minister highlighted French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s recent visit to Spain and the outcome of the twenty first bilateral summit between France and Spain.

Read the full story here.

Posted by our contributor Jennie Rothwell

Ireland’s Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, launched an online tool to help businesses calculate their carbon emissions. Gormely announced the Carbon Management Tool (CMT), available on the website change.ie, which uses data specific to Ireland to help calculate emissions from energy, transport, water and waste. 

The CMT does not disclose any information provided to it and users have a secure password log in. Forty-five organisations across the public and private sectors tested the tool, providing feedback on user friendliness, content and relevance. The CMT features information and advice from Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) and the Environmental Protection Agency, and was developed according to Greenhouse Gas Protocol methodology

Gormley stated that ‘effective carbon management will not only reduce the amount of carbon emissions produced but it will also cut costs’. The Minister believes that ‘every organisation can save money through knowing its carbon emissions and taking steps to reduce them through more effective energy supply and usage, improved travel policies and effective water and waste management.’

Read the full story from the Irish Times here.

Posted by our contributor Jennie Rothwell

Germany’s Berlin-based center for disease control, the Robert Koch    Institute, confirmed on Wednesday that three people in the country have    been diagnosed with H1N1, a potentially deadly form of swine flu.

In the southern German state of Bavaria, a top health official provided    details about two people carrying the virus there. Bavarian Health Minister    Markus Söder said during a press conference that the two diagnosed had returned to Germany from a trip to Mexico. Both patients, he said, were already recovering from the illness.

Elsewhere in Germany, suspected swine flu infections have been reported in the eastern state of Saxony, as well as Lower Saxony in the west.

Meanwhile, in Austria, officials with the Health Ministry in Vienna confirmed Wednesday that a 28-year-old woman had been infected with H1N1. Suspected cases have also been reported in many other countries, including France, Belgium, Switzerland and Chile. A total of five cases were confirmed in Great Britain and two further cases in Spain on Wednesday. So far none of the patients is in serious condition, says Der Spiegel. 

Meanwhile, the AP reports that a 23-month-old toddler became the first confirmed swine flu death outside of Mexico as authorities around the world struggled to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations. Officials say the death was in Houston, Texas.

Breaking news says that the child was a Mexican citizen brought to the US for treatment.