China Bars Artist from Surveilling Himself

World-renowned artist Ai Weiwei says while authorities in China have no problem monitoring him around the clock, they do have a problem with him aiding their efforts.The dissident artist said late Wednesday via Twitter that Chinese officials told him to shut down a website he was using to stream surveillance video of himself only 46 hours after it started running.He tweeted, “Byebye to all the voyeurs.”The Chinese government prohibited Ai from leaving Beijing until June following his arrest last year on charges of tax evasion. Officials have also put him under constant surveillance.Ai, an outspoken social critic, installed four surveillance cameras in his home and had been streaming them on his site, .He told CNN International he did it to provide some comfort to fans and supporters. Ai said, “They felt helpless, they just do not know where I am and do no get any answer about it. So I want to give them an opportunity to share with my situation.”Ai also said Chinese authorities are already using numerous cameras to monitor his activity, including 15 within 100 meters of his house, calling it “absurd.”Ai was arrested in early April 2011 at the height of a crackdown on Chinese dissidents and activists, possibly prompted by fears of Middle East uprisings spreading to China.Ai helped design the celebrated “Bird's Nest” Olympic stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Recent media reports said he was using the online video messaging service Skype to help design a pavilion for London's 2012 Olympics.Ai's work is set to be displayed in Washington at the Smithsonian's Sackler Gallery and the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum.

Posted on: 5 April 2012 | 3:04 am

New Senegal President Makes Cabinet Appointments

Senegal's newly elected President Macky Sall has named his first cabinet just two days being sworn into office.Senegalese state television announced late Wednesday the president has appointed music icon Youssou Ndour to the culture and tourism ministry and former banker Amadou Kane to the finance ministry.They are some of the new faces in President Sall trimmed down Cabinet, which includes 25 members compared to 40 posts in former president Abdoulaye Wade's administration.President Sall defeated Wade in a run off election last month, ending Wade's 12 year reign over the west African nation.

Posted on: 5 April 2012 | 3:03 am

Legacy of Khmer Rouge Tribunal at Risk without Cambodian Support: Observers Say

Observers following the troubled Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal say an escalating dispute with the Cambodian government makes it increasingly unlikely that new charges will ever be brought against remaining suspects.The United Nations-backed court has already sentenced one former Khmer Rouge official to life in prison, and is hearing a second case against the group's three top surviving leaders.But Clair Duffy, who follows the trial for the Open Society Justice Initiative, tells VOA the highly controversial cases 003 and 004 will probably not move forward without the support the Cambodian government, which is on record as opposing any new investigations.“I can't see those cases moving forward, as in any suspects ever being arrested or prosecuted, without the [Cambodian] government's full cooperation. And in the time that I've been monitoring these proceedings, the government has not budged a single millimeter.”The Cambodian government, which includes many former Khmer Rouge members, has voiced strong opposition to pursuing more cases, saying any further prosecutions could divide Cambodian society and spark a civil war.Last week, the United Nations promised to replace two international investigating judges who resigned in recent months complaining of improper interference in their work. But the world body warned it still has “serious concerns” about the judicial process, saying it is “essential” that the Cambodian government extend “full cooperation” to the new judges.Duffy says the U.N. should go one step further. Her organization is calling for a full investigation into the government's behavior toward the court, saying the legacy of the tribunal itself is at risk.“We started calling for a full inquiry by an independent panel of experts into political interference in the court. Really, it's not enough to appoint another judge. We've been saying all along this is commission of inquiry material here.”In March, Swiss Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet resigned, saying he could not continue his work because of repeated challenges to his authority by his Cambodian counterpart on the tribunal, You Bunleng.The Swiss jurist joined the tribunal earlier this year to replace German investigating judge Siegfried Blunt, who quit in October after also complaining of political interference.The hybrid Cambodian-international tribunal is investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians who died during the 1975-1979 rule of the Khmer Rouge.The U.N. says the court also faces a “serious funding challenge” from international donors, who seem to be increasingly losing faith in the tribunal, which has spent more than $150 million since its formation in 2005.

Posted on: 5 April 2012 | 3:02 am

Ex-US Diplomat Says North Korea ‘Dangerous’ If Ignored

The former U.S. envoy to North Korea says the Obama administration must continue to engage with Pyongyang, even if goes through with a rocket launch scheduled for this month.Stephen Bosworth told VOA's Korean Service this week that the United States has always made clear to the North Koreans that it is opposed to the regime launching a long-range missile, regardless of its reasons.“It's been clear I think from the beginning, from the beginning of this latest effort at re-engagement, that the United States would not accept North Korean assertion that an attempted satellite launch was not a long-range missile test. This is an argument they tried to use before and we rejected it in 2009. It is a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, so I think that the outcome was predetermined.”Pyongyang claims the launch is aimed at placing a weather satellite in orbit, as part of the celebration of the 100th birthday of the late North Korean founder, Kim Il Sung.The United States has already said it will withhold food aid to the North if it goes through with the launch, as Bosworth believes it will. Washington won an agreement from North Korea in February for it to suspend all nuclear activities and long-range ballistic missile launches, in exchange for sending the impoverished nation 240,000 tons of food.Bosworth says there will not be “a lot of appetite” for more negotiations in the near future if the missile launch goes ahead, as he believes it will. But he says the administration must keep its lines of communication with North Korea open, simply because there are no good options to resolve the matter.“Well, I think it is a mistake to try to leave North Korea in a position where they have no stake in ongoing discussions. When they're left unattached, they tend to do other dangerous things.”Bosworth resumed his position as dean of Tufts University's law school in Boston in October after serving as U.S. envoy to nuclear talks with North Korea for two and a half years.

Posted on: 5 April 2012 | 3:01 am

ASEAN Leaders Open Two-Day Summit in Cambodia

Within the region, although the development gap among ASEAN members has been noticeably narrow, it is still huge. This requires to double our efforts to promote further growth and improve equitable distribution of the fruits of growth at both the national and the regional among members countries.”The official agenda stresses talks on ASEAN's goal of developing a European-style single market within the next three years. But several of the participants have acknowledged the leaders will not be able to avoid discussions on pressing security issues.The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all claim parts of the potentially resource-rich South China Sea, putting them at odds with Beijing, which claims all of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer waterway. The Philippines and Vietnam have both accused Chinese vessels of intruding into their exclusive economic zones and disrupting oil exploration activities.Manila has called for a summit of nations with claims on the South China Sea in order to reach an agreement on the use of the seas.Meanwhile, several ASEAN members have raised concerns about North Korea's planned rocket launch this month. Pyongyang says the rocket will place a weather satellite into orbit, but the United States and other nations say the real purpose of the launch is to test a missile that could deliver a nuclear weapon.During a preliminary meeting Monday, ASEAN foreign ministers praised Burma over its handling of parliamentary by-elections that saw democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi win her first seat in parliament. Her National League for Democracy party won at least 40 of the 44 seats it contested in the April 1 balloting.ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Posted on: 3 April 2012 | 4:08 am

Spain's jobless level hits record 4.75 million

The number of Spanish jobseekers rose for the eighth month in a row in March to hit a record 4.75 million.The Labour Ministry said the number of people filing for unemployment benefits rose by 38,769 with the services sector seeing the most jobs lost.The jobless rate in Spain stood at 23.6% in February, according to EU figures released on Monday.The situation is even worse for young Spaniards as youth unemployment is running at 50%.Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union and it is expected to rise further this year.The government hopes that reform to the labour market will help ease the problem.Its measures include cutting back on severance pay and restricting inflation-linked salary increases.But those measures have angered unions, who organised a general strike last Thursday.Secretary of State for Employment Engracia Hidalgo said in a statement: "We continue to face an unsatisfactory situation of an increase in the number of people registered as unemployed."This is why it is necessary to reiterate the importance of creating confidence and flexibility for companies, as was done with the labour law reform."'Extreme situation'The unemployment situation is likely to be made worse by deep cuts in government spending.On Friday the government said that 27bn euros ($36bn; £22.5bn) would be cut from the 2012 budget. Departmental budgets will be cut by almost 17%.Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said on Friday the nation was in an "extreme situation"."This is a moment that demands serious efforts to reduce spending but also structural reforms to cause the economy to grow and create jobs," she said.The budget will be presented to Parliament later on Tuesday.

Posted on: 3 April 2012 | 4:07 am

Colombian hostages' long wait for freedom

Luis Alfonso Beltran had been waiting for freedom for 5,145 days. And on the afternoon of Monday 2 April, his wait was over.It was then that the helicopter carrying Sgt Beltran and the nine other police and military hostages held by Colombia's Farc rebels landed in the town of Villavicencio.Heavy rain had delayed the operation, which was brokered by a local group Colombians for Peace and supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Brazilian Air Force.For a while it seemed as if the release of the hostages, presented by the rebels as a "peace gesture", would have to wait for another day.But after the rains eased, the helicopter took off for a rendezvous point in the jungle and returned with the men.In Villavicencio, at last, Sgt Beltran was finally able to embrace his mother for the first time in more than 14 years.Together with Luis Arturo Arcia, also released on Monday, Sgt Beltran had the dubious honour of being the longest-serving military hostage of Colombia's oldest and largest insurgent group.Changed worldAll the men set free had spent more than a decade captive in the jungle, where the Farc kept them in the hope of forcing an exchange for jailed guerrillas.During that time the world changed and so did their families.For Sgt Beltran's mother and the other relatives it had been years of agonyLoved ones died, and sons and daughters left behind grew older away from their fathers.And during that time, Colombia also changed.The mighty Farc, which a decade ago had some 18,000 fighters and was able to take over relatively large cities, grew weaker.They suffered military setback after military setback, and twice had to appoint a new top commander.Over time, it also became more than evident that pictures of the men chained in the jungle did no good to the guerrillas' public image.The death in captivity of some hostages also provoked some of the biggest demonstrations Colombia had ever seen.Because of this, many Colombians believe that by releasing the hostages the Farc were simply trying to get rid of a problem and to buy some time in order to regroup.Others, however, regard the releases, and the Farc's promise to stop kidnapping civilians for ransom, as a first genuine step towards peace."It certainly is a peace gesture, an important gesture," Ivan Cepeda, from Colombians for Peace, told the BBC."It was a difficult decision for the Farc to make," says Ariel Avila, from the Bogota-based think-tank Corporacion Nuevo Arcoiris."It was negotiated between the seven members of its [political] secretariat and it almost broke it, which had never happened before."I don't know if that brings Colombia closer to peace, I don't know if things will end well or not, but do I know [the hostages' release] proves the Farc wants to negotiate."The challenge, according to Mr Avila, is that the Colombian society might not yet be ready to enter new peace talks.Peace in sight?President Juan Manuel Santos will have to move carefully.He welcomed the releases but insisted, once again, it was not enough.In the past, he has asked the Farc to abandon kidnapping, stop their "terrorist attacks", refrain from recruiting minors and stop trafficking drugs.Mr Santos made a point of emphasising the fate of civilians kidnapped for ransom, saying the hundreds still being believed to be held by the Farc must also be freed.The Colombian president also suggested military operations against the rebels would continue until the Farc gave further proof of his commitment to peace."Make no mistake: this government has a policy, which consists in facing the violent groups with all its might," he said.This suggests that, at least on the surface, little will change in Colombia as a result of the release of Mr Beltran and his fellow hostages.But at the same time, hopes for a negotiated peace also seem more realistic than they were before 17:00 on 2 April 2012.

Posted on: 3 April 2012 | 3:56 am

Bashar al-Assad's uncle says he cannot survive for long

The uncle of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad believes it is unlikely that he can hold onto power much longer.Rifaat al-Assad told the BBC that the level of violence on the streets was too high for his nephew to survive.Mr Assad has lived in exile since he unsuccessfully tried to seize power from his brother, Hafez, in the 1980s.In February 1982, he led a military assault on Hama to suppress an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, leaving between 10,000 and 25,000 people dead.'Co-operate'Although Rifaat al-Assad tried to oust Hafez in a coup while he was recovering from a heart attack and was effectively sent into exile in 1984, he was only formally stripped of his position as Syrian vice-president in 1998.When Bashar became president following his father's death in 2000, Rifaat criticised the succession as a "real farce and an unconstitutional piece of theatre". He considered himself the legitimate successor.BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen says that on one level, it is not surprising that Rifaat - from the vantage point of a gilded exile on one of Paris's smartest avenues - has harsh words for the president.But the points Rifaat makes are widely accepted among the opponents of the Assad regime both in the West and in the Arab world, he adds."The problems are now general to all parts of Syria - there are no places that have escaped violence - so I don't think he can stay in power," he told the BBC. "I would say, though, that he should stay so he can co-operate with a new government and offer the experience he has."Rifaat insisted that the Assad family was still "pretty much accepted by the Syrian people"."A commission should go from the Arab League and the [UN] Security Council to monitor free and transparent elections," he added."Then you will see that the Assad family has got much more importance and support than some of the meaningless figures [of the opposition Syrian National Council] who we see on TV screens now."What Rifaat meant by that was that he could make a good president - highly unlikely given his years of exile, our correspondent says.

Posted on: 3 April 2012 | 3:55 am

Gunman Kills 7, Wounds 3 at California Religious School

Police in Oakland, California say a former student opened fire at a Korean-American Christian college Monday, killing seven people and wounding three others.Authorities said the 43-year-old suspect is a Korean national who surrendered shortly after the shooting.Witnesses say the suspect shot one of his victims at a reception desk at Oikos University before spraying bullets inside classrooms.Student Deborah Lee said she heard the gunshots and fled.“The first time when I heard it, I thought it was fireworks or just joking, but right after that one woman screamed a lot, shouting, and then my teacher went outside to check and then he said one woman told them, that somebody has a gun, run, and then we all of us in class just ran away.”Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan called the shooting “shocking and senseless” and described the scene as “extremely chaotic.”“There were several people hiding in locked buildings, locked doors, behind desks, as you can imagine very frightened, very scared. Some of them were injured, so we had to rescue them out. We had to force our way into a number of rooms.”Oikos University founder, Pastor Jong Kim, tells the Oakland Tribune newspaper that the shooter is a former nursing student. Kim said he did not know whether the suspect was expelled from the school or dropped out.The gunman's motive is also not known.A spokesman for South Korea's foreign ministry said the government is monitoring reports about the incident, and called the shooting “unfortunate.”

Posted on: 3 April 2012 | 3:51 am

Sudan, South Sudan Talks on Hold Amid Tensions

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan to meet “as soon as possible” to resolve tensions between the two countries, but a meeting scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled.The two presidents had been due to hold talks in South Sudan's capital, Juba. A wave of violent military clashes broke out last week with both sides blaming the other for starting the fighting.Eric Reeves, a U.S.-based Sudan and South Sudan researcher told VOA that jeopardizing the meeting may be what some senior military officials in Sudan were aiming for.“Right now the best guess is that those who made that agreement and those who did the preliminary work that made a summit in Juba seem plausible, were undermined by military officials who decided that they didn't want rapprochement, what they wanted was to continue to create a highly volatile militarily unstable situation along the north-south border.”He said he thinks the two countries are “very close” to war.U.S. President Barack Obama urged South Sudan Monday to avoid military confrontation with Sudan.The White House says Mr. Obama spoke to South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, asking him to ensure South Sudan's military is neither involved in nor supports fighting along the border. President Obama also emphasized the need for the two sides to reach an agreement in their ongoing oil dispute.Reeves said Mr. Obama's call was not directed at the right party.“I think the urging of restraint needs to be directed at Khartoum. Public statements such as that by President Obama only make it more difficult to discourage Khartoum from believing that they have something to gain militarily. The south has nothing to gain militarily. They are in a defensive posture.”He also called for the United Nations to publish information gathered by its advisers and observers to help clarify the situation on the ground.Sudan has accused South Sudan of supporting rebels in Southern Kordofan and the state of Blue Nile, charges South Sudan has denied. The south accuses the north of conducting airstrikes in its territory.In January, South Sudan shut down oil production that is the lifeline of both country's economies. The south accuses the north of charging excessive fees to use northern pipelines.

Posted on: 3 April 2012 | 3:51 am

One in 10 apprentices in England works at Morrisons

One in 10 apprenticeships created in England last year was at Morrisons supermarkets, the BBC's Panorama programme has learned. But most of the 52,000 apprentices at the supermarket giant were existing employees who were over 25. The company said it was fulfilling a commitment to offer more of its employees a formal qualification. Critics say the money being poured into private training schemes should be creating new jobs and improving skills. Profit-taking   In 2011, the government in England spent £1bn to create more than 450,000 apprenticeships, a 63% rise on the previous year. The Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee has questioned the money being paid to Elmfield Training, the private company that has a £37m government contract to train apprentices and which runs Morrisons' apprenticeship scheme.  Ged Syddall, CEO of Elmfield, was questioned by MPs about the £12m profit reported by his company in 2010 - all of it from government funding. Mr Syddall personally took home nearly £3m in dividend.This is despite Ofsted inspectors giving the firm only a "satisfactory" rating while the majority of colleges that provide training have been rated as "good" or "outstanding" by Ofsted.Almost 40% of the food retailer's workforce are enrolled in the apprenticeship scheme, which takes an average of six months to complete. Apprentices learn about customer service, inventories, stock-taking, and working at the cash-till.Norman Pickavance, Morrisons' HR director, said his firm was committed to giving its employees formal qualifications. "People who do not leave school with a qualification often feel that they do not have access and do not see the kind of skilled jobs or managerial positions as something they can aspire to." Loophole   Charlie Mullins, managing director of Pimlico Plumbers in London, said the notion of a true apprenticeship was being put in jeopardy, because of the length of time Morrisons apprentices take to qualify - six months versus three years for an apprentice plumber."When supermarkets are just saying we've got apprentice shelf-stackers and apprentice people pushing a broom round, I think all they're really doing is undervaluing the word apprentice."They're actually I think just seeing a loophole in the system that they can claim money on it."Mr Mullins said his business employs 18 apprentices out of a staff of 200 and is committed to skilled training that includes evening college and day release college time.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 8:33 am

Petrol stations 'struggling to restock'

Petrol stations say they are struggling to restock after panic buying sparked by fears of a tanker driver strike. Retail Motor Industry, which represents 5,000 independent stations, said 30-50% of garages had run out of some fuels. Prices were "going crazy" because some retailers were buying fuel from new sources, it said. Ministers say they are working to keep prices down. Some 2,062 fuel tanker drivers are in a dispute with employers over safety standards and working conditions.  Conciliation service Acas said on Monday that employers were starting "exploratory talks" aimed at averting a strike. The threat of possible strike action prompted widespread panic buying of petrol and diesel at the end of last week. 'Government created crisis'   Retail Motor Industry chairman Brian Madderson told BBC Radio 4's Today that 30-50% of all retail sites it had polled had either one grade or both grades of petrol out of stock. "The withdrawal of fuel in such a frenzy in the mid part of last week has actually made the tankers roll back orders, so that some members won't be getting any fuel until later this week," he said. Mr Madderson said some of his group's members had been given permission by their usual suppliers to source petrol from elsewhere if they could find it. He said a member in the Midlands was among them. "He was selling unleaded at 137.9p a litre he's paid a fortune to get an extra load in, he's now selling at 147.9," Mr Madderson said. "The government created a crisis where one did not exist... industry should have been involved much earlier." The government has faced widespread criticism for urging motorists to keep their petrol tanks topped up, and calls have been made for the resignation of Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, who advised people to store petrol in jerrycans in case of industrial action. 'No urgency' to top up   On Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said motorists should go to the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website for the latest advice. The website advises motorists there is "no urgency to top up your tank". The Downing Street spokesman said the advice had been updated after Unite had made it clear that its members would not strike over Easter. The spokesman said the government was focused on putting "robust" contingency plans in place for any industrial action. He said David Cameron had full confidence in Francis Maude. Transport Secretary Justine Greening told BBC Look North in Hull that the government had "worked hard to keep the cost of petrol down". "We are making sure petrol stations can get topped-up... things are getting back to normal," she said. On Sunday, Foreign Secretary William Hague defended ministers' actions, saying the country was now in a "better state of preparedness" for the eventuality of a tanker strike. He said Mr Maude's comments - which prompted safety warnings by the Fire Brigades Union - were a "technical error". Two days after Mr Maude's advice, Diane Hill was injured at her York home while pouring petrol from one container to another in her kitchen. It is not known if she had been storing petrol because of the strike threat. On Monday morning she was said to be in a critical but stable condition. Labour's Yvette Cooper said on Sunday that government ministers had been "disgracefully irresponsible".  The seven companies involved in the driver dispute - Wincanton, DHL, BP, Hoyer, J W Suckling, Norbert Dentressangle and Turners - are responsible for supplying 90% of the UK's 8,706 petrol stations. They also supply the country's airports. Workers at DHL and JW Suckling voted against strike action but backed action short of a strike.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 8:32 am

NATO: Personal Problems Not Taliban Behind Most ‘Blue-on-Green’ Attacks

The NATO force in Afghanistan says insurgents are not responsible for most of the attacks by Afghan security force members on their NATO colleagues. The coalition instead blames personal grievances and battle stress suffered by Afghan troops. NATO spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said Monday that investigators have found “signs and symptoms” that could have been seen in those cases. He said leadership must improve to make sure that those signs are identified before an incident happens. So far this year, NATO says Afghan security personnel have shot dead 17 foreign troops in 10 separate so-called “green-on-blue” incidents. The Taliban normally claims responsibility for the violence. In the wake of the attacks, NATO officials say they are implementing enhanced security measures. Meanwhile, officials in northern Afghanistan say twin bomb blasts wounded at least 23 people at a market in Baghlan province Monday morning. A medical official said the casualties include children, students and police officers. At least seven Afghan security force members also were wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 8:30 am

Burma’s Opposition Party Wins By-Election in Landslide

Democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi declared a “new era” for Burma Monday, after she and fellow members of her party won a landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary by-elections. Burmese state media say partial election results show that the opposition National League for Democracy has so far won at least 40 of the 44 seats it contested. The results of the remaining seats were not announced. The NLD said earlier that it won at least 43 seats. Aung San Suu Kyi told a crowd of supporters outside NLD headquarters in Rangoon Monday that she hoped the election results will force government to heed the will of ordinary citizens. “We hope that this is the beginning of the new era, where there will be more emphasis on the role of the people in the everyday politics of the country.” She appealed to other political parties to help bring democracy and better living conditions to the impoverished country. “We also hope that we will be able to go further along the road towards national reconciliation. We will welcome all parties who wish to join us in the process of bringing peace and prosperity to our country.'' The Union Solidarity and Development Party, which was formed by the ruling military before it ceded power in a general election last year, will continue to have an overwhelming majority in parliament. However, international diplomats who monitored the elections expressed favorable comments Monday. Observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations issued a statement saying the election was conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner. And David Lipman, head of a European Union delegation, expressed satisfaction at the changes taking place in Burma, also known as Myanmar. “We want to try and continue to support and encourage the tremendous momentum for change in Myanmar and that's what the European Union wants to do and that's why we were here yesterday.” The NLD won a landslide victory in 1990 general elections, but military leaders at the time refused to relinquish power and the victors were refused entry into parliament. Aung San Suu Kyi was held under some form of confinement by the military government for most the the past 22 years. Voting took place Sunday under the watch of a small group of observers from the European Union and a regional grouping of Southeast Asian nations. However, the monitors were only given a few days to prepare for their mission, and some have said they considered themselves watchers rather than monitors. U.S. and European Union authorities have hinted that they would consider lifting some economic sanctions imposed on the former military government, if Sunday's polls are determined to be free and fair. Those sanctions were levied during the past two decades in response to widespread human right abuses under military rule.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 8:29 am

Swiss arrest warrants fuel tax row with Germany

German opposition politicians are threatening to block a deal with Switzerland to tackle tax dodgers after the Swiss issued arrest warrants for three German tax officials. The warrants accuse the three of industrial espionage by getting the secret details of accounts at the Swiss bank Credit Suisse.  The data about German tax dodgers was on a CD bought by German investigators. The German parliament has not yet approved the tax deal with Switzerland. Berlin estimates that 130-180bn euros (£108-150bn; $173-240bn) of German citizens' deposits in Swiss banks are liable for tax.  Berlin has reached a deal with Switzerland to tax the deposits at 26.4% minimum - the same rate as in Germany - from next year, German media report. But the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens, who control several German states, are not happy with the deal, saying it has too many loopholes. They can block it in the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat. In 2010 tax officials from North Rhine-Westphalia state, governed by the SPD, paid a whistleblower 2.5m euros for a CD containing the names of people evading tax in Germany by using Swiss bank accounts. Switzerland accuses the officials of violating its banking secrecy laws and industrial espionage. Tax inspectors also raided branches of Credit Suisse in Germany in 2010. Tax haven criticised   Switzerland's secretive banks have faced growing pressure internationally as governments try to recover taxes in the wake of the financial crisis. The Economy Minister of Germany's Baden-Wuerttemberg state, Nils Schmid (SPD), said the Swiss warrants were "a bad sign" that "does not contribute towards a tax agreement between Germany and Switzerland". North Rhine-Westphalia's Finance Minister, Norbert Walter-Borjans of the SPD, called the Swiss move "an attempt at intimidation" and vowed that his officials would buy such CDs again if necessary in future.  The BBC's Steve Evans in Berlin says the Swiss move is a sign of the tensions between governments trying to maximise tax revenues and countries with powerful banks who want to protect the identities of rich customers. The SPD deputy leader in the Bundestag (lower house), Joachim Poss, said German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble "has apparently not yet grasped the scale of the conflict [with Switzerland]". "Instead of expressing understanding for the Swiss position I expect from him a crystal-clear statement of the German state's legal position", he told the Saarbruecker Zeitung. He said Mr Schaeuble must urge the Swiss to abandon their policy of "sheltering cross-border tax crimes".

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 6:41 am

Pakistan Convicts bin Laden’s Widows

A Pakistani court has convicted the three widows of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and two of his daughters on charges of illegally residing in the country and has sentenced them to 45 days detention. The court has also ordered their deportation. The lawyer for the five women said they were each fined $110 and have already paid the fees. The widows, two Saudis and one Yemeni, with their 10 children have been in Pakistani custody since bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy Seals at his compound in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad on May 2, 2011. The women were formally arrested on March 3 and will receive credit for time already served, shortening their sentence to two weeks. The French news agency reports Monday's proceedings were presided over by a judge in a makeshift court set up in the house where the women have been living and where they will serve out their sentences. The United States conducted the raid on bin Laden deep in Pakistani territory, about an hour outside the capital Islamabad, without Pakistan's knowledge or cooperation. While the operation was hailed as a success in the United States, it plunged the two countries' relationship to one of its lowest points, with Islamabad criticizing the raid as a serious violation of its sovereignty.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 6:38 am

Millions spent on apprentice firms without scrutiny

Huge amounts of public money have been handed to private companies to train apprentices with little scrutiny over how it is being spent. BBC Panorama found that nearly £250m worth of contracts went to large subcontractors in 2011 which have not been inspected by Ofsted. This is because of a loophole in the government's £1.4bn training scheme. Some of the companies involved did not even have jobs to offer young people who signed on as apprentices. The programme also found evidence of a training firm forging paperwork to try to gain accreditations. Gold standard    In 2011, the government in England spent £1.4bn to create more than 450,000 apprenticeships, a 63% rise on the previous year. In order to meet demand for apprenticeships, further education colleges are increasingly subcontracting work to private training firms.  Unlike colleges, these firms are not subjected to regular inspection. In the case of one subcontractor, Forward Thinking Training Solutions, a painting and decorating apprenticeship for an NVQ was to be delivered in 16 weeks, rather than the year that industry experts say it should take to properly train an apprentice. The company went into administration last month. Scott Upton, vice principal of Sandwell College in Birmingham, said a formal apprenticeship is the "gold standard of vocational training" and rushing candidates through an apprenticeship programme will devalue the entire system. "When you get new entrants into the market wanting to put people through as quickly as possible without providing the highest quality, that's got to be a cause for concern."At another firm - JML Dolman in Wolverhampton - Allan Middleton, who left the firm 5 weeks ago, was an internal verifier for apprentices. Mr Middleton said he understood the company was being paid £9,000 for each apprenticeship completion award issued. It was his job to verify the apprentices' work had been done, which would allow JML Dolman to apply for more funding. He said he refused to do so but found evidence it was happening anyway. Whistleblower   In a statement, JML Dolman said there had been no deliberate attempt to deceive or mislead: "There were administrative failings which resulted in mistakes being made. These were genuine errors. "As soon as these anomalies were identified... those responsible were dismissed and systems put in place to ensure there could be no recurrence of these problems."But a current employee has told the BBC that the problems still exist.The whistle-blower told the programme that paperwork obtained by Panorama that shows apprenticeships as complete, could not have been at the time they were signed off because the firm did not employ an assessor then. John Hayes, Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, said the government will act on subcontractors. "The crackdown on subcontractors that aren't delivering will be relentless," he said. "This is not something we were not aware of in terms of the overall picture, the character of subcontracting is something that I was sufficiently concerned about, in order to insist that we tighten the screw."

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 6:22 am

David Goodwillie pleads guilty to assault in Glasgow

Scotland and Blackburn striker David Goodwillie has pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in Glasgow. The 23-year-old forward admitted attacking John Friel in the city's Queen Street on 3 November 2010. Goodwillie repeatedly punched Friel on the head and body and kicked him on the body during the incident. He pleaded guilty during an appearance at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Sentence on the footballer was deferred until next month for reports. Goodwillie made his competitive debut in December 2005 with Dundee United, appearing as a late substitute in the defeat over Rangers at Ibrox. He has represented Scotland at all international youth levels and received his first call-up for the senior team in November last year. The striker signed a four-year deal last August with Blackburn Rovers and scored his first goal for the team against Kilmarnock.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 6:22 am

Clashes Across Syria as Annan to Brief UN

Fresh violence erupted in Syria Monday between government and opposition forces as international envoy Kofi Annan prepared to brief the U.N. Security Council on his mission's progress to ease the bloody crisis. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad killed two people in arrest raids in northern Idlib province. The group also said rebels killed two soldiers in attacks on checkpoints in the south. And one person died in the northern city of Aleppo when explosives stashed in a kiosk blew up. Mr. Annan, the U.N.-Arab League special envoy for Syria, will update the Security Council in closed session Monday on the prospects for peace in the strategic, war-torn country. On Sunday, more than 70 countries, including the United States, pledged to send money and communications equipment to opposition groups inside Syria. Participants at the “Friends of Syria” conference in Istanbul said several Gulf nations are creating a fund to channel millions of dollars to the main opposition Syrian National Council to pay the salaries of rebels attempting to overthrow Mr. Assad. Delegates said the move is aimed at encouraging more members of Mr. Assad's military to defect to opposition groups leading the year-long uprising. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the conference Washington is providing equipment to opposition activists in Syria to help them organize, remain in contact with the outside world and evade government attacks. Clinton said the United States also is creating a program to document atrocities committed during Mr. Assad's violent crackdown on the revolt. She also announced a doubling of U.S. humanitarian aid for Syrians affected by the conflict to $25 million. Syrian National Council chief Burhan Ghalioun urged participating nations to strengthen Free Syrian Army rebels and create humanitarian aid corridors inside the country. Differences remained within the international coalition about whether its assistance to the Syrian opposition should be expanded from financial and non-lethal measures to the supply of weapons. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been the strongest advocates of arming the rebels, but U.S., European and other Arab governments oppose such a move. Clinton said Mr. Assad would be “mistaken” to believe he can manipulate the peace plan to buy time to crush the uprising, saying the Syrian opposition is “gaining in intensity, not losing.” Conference host Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said if the Security Council fails to take action to stop Mr. Assad's crackdown, the international community must support what he called the Syrian people's “right to self-defense.” But Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Sunday Iraq rejects efforts to arm the Syrian opposition and topple the Assad government because such actions could create a “wider crisis in the region.” The Friends of Syria communique also recognized the exiled Syrian National Council as a “legitimate representative” of the Syrian people and a leading opposition “interlocutor” with the anti-Assad coalition. Syrian state media denounced the Istanbul conference as a gathering of the “enemies of Syria.” The United Nations said more than 9,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began a year ago.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 6:12 am

17 Killed in Pakistan Cross-Border Attack

Pakistani officials say dozens of militants launched an attack on a paramilitary checkpoint in Pakistan, killing at least three soldiers. The Frontier Corps said at least 14 insurgents were killed when troops responded to the attack Monday in the Mohmand tribal area, near the Afghan border. The identity of the militants was not immediately clear, but Afghan and Pakistani Taliban have strongholds on both sides of the porous border. Pakistan has been under pressure to do more to destroy militant sanctuaries since a U.S. military raid last year killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 6:08 am

'American Idol' Mansion Former Orgy Porn Den    The "American Idol" kids are following in the footsteps of orgy-lovin, sex-crazed, swingers -- TMZ has learned -- because the mansion they just moved in to was previously used for PORN! Sources tell TMZ, the new digs currently housing the top 9 finalists on ‘Idol’ is the same place Playboy TV shot season 2 of its racy sex show "Swing." For those you who haven’t seen it ... "Swing" is a show about couples who move into a house with the sole purpose of “living out their erotic curiosities” through swinging ... i.e one big fat excuse for banging each other as often as possible.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 6:01 am

Media on Friends of Syria meeting

Middle Eastern and Turkish media express a variety of views on the outcome of the weekend meeting of countries backing political change in Syria, with some hailing it as a success and others expressing disappointment. A writer in a Qatari paper says that the recognition of the opposition Syrian National Council as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people at the gathering ''means the beginning of the end of the Syrian regime". However, a Turkish commentator says the 'Friends of the Syrian People summit in Istanbul disappointed anyone who had hoped it would lead to the creation of a humanitarian aid corridor. Papers in Syria dismissed the event as a gathering of Syrian enemies.  Editorial in Qatar's Al-Rayah   The regime is very mistaken if it continues to disregard the will of the international community... as the consensus to support the demands of the Syrian people that was agreed upon at the Istanbul conference and the recognition of the National Council as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, means the beginning of the end of the Syrian regime. Tariq al-Hamid in the pan-Arab Al-Sharq al-Awsat The Friends of Syria conference yesterday can be considered a starting point to respond to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his soldiers' crimes. The conference also gave a clear message that Assad's departure is inevitable. Yusuf al-Kuwaylit in Saudi Arabia's Saudi Al-Riyadh The least that was expected from the gathering was the international recognition of the Syrian National Council, the expulsion of ambassadors, economic sanctions and arming of the opposition. These are legitimate demands in light of the continuation of the killings.  Asli Aydintasbas in Turkey's Milliyet   Those in the opposition who want a buffer zone or a humanitarian aid corridor did not get what they hoped for. The most important outcome of the Istanbul summit was the support given to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's diplomatic initiative.  Editorial in the United Arab Emirates' The National The meeting recognised the Syrian National Council as the "legitimate representative" of the opposition. The label only partially masks the fact that opposition divisions are deepening, rival factions are splintering and no single "opposition" speaks for the Syrian people. By propping up one group without pressuring it to include other forces, the international community may, unwittingly, be deepening Syria's crisis. Abd-al-Ila Bilkiziz in United Arab Emirates' Al-Khalij   It seems the internal opposition has the political courage to initiate a programme for a political settlement and national reconciliation and block the road to civil war, while the external leadership continues with calls for foreign intervention and armed intifadah. Abdulhamit Bilici in Turkey's Zaman While it took things further than the previous meeting in Tunisia, decisions to end the bloodshed did not come out of the Istanbul Summit either.  Ziyad Ghusn in Syria's Tishrin   As expected, yesterday's gathering in Istanbul yielded nothing but hatred and conspiracy against the Syrian people… who will once again confront them and defeat them.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 5:58 am

Priest in 'indecent images' row at primary school in Pomeroy

An investigation is under way after indecent images were "inadvertently" shown by a Catholic priest during a presentation at a primary school in County Tyrone. Father Martin McVeigh projected the images onto a screen during a meeting for parents in Pomeroy in preparation for First Holy Communion. One child was also present. Parents said 16 indecent images of men were displayed. The priest said he had no knowledge of the offending imagery. Cardinal Sean Brady said the PSNI had indicated that no crime had been committed. The incident occurred during a meeting at St Mary's School in Pomeroy on 26 March. According to a statement from the parents, the images were projected onto the screen from a memory stick the parish priest had inserted into a computer before the presentation. The parents said Fr McVeigh quickly removed the memory stick.  Cardinal Sean Brady said the PSNI indicated a crime had not been committed  "He was visibly shaken and flustered," said the parents. "He gave no explanation or apology to the group and bolted out of the room. The co-ordinator and the teachers then continued with the presentation. "The meeting continued in his absence, however, the parents who viewed the pictures were horrified and distracted.  "Twenty minutes later he returned, he continued with the meeting and wrapped up by saying that the children get lots of money for their Holy Communion and should consider giving some of it to the church." In a statement on Monday, Cardinal Brady, the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, said "inappropriate imagery was inadvertently shown by a priest at the beginning of a Powerpoint presentation, causing concern to those present. "This was immediately removed from the screen. "The priest has stated that he had no knowledge of the offending imagery. The archdiocese immediately sought the advice of the PSNI who indicated that, on the basis of the evidence available, no crime had been committed. "The priest is co-operating with an investigation of the matter on the part of the archdiocese."

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 5:55 am

23 Wounded in Afghan Blast

Officials in northern Afghanistan say twin bomb blasts have injured at least 23 people, including at least seven security personnel.  Authorities say the explosions tore through a market Monday in Baghlan province. The French news agency says the second explosion happened after security forces arrived to investigate the initial blast and that half of those wounded were children. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 5:53 am

Who are Boko Haram Islamists?

By Farouk Chothia Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau says his group will not be defeatedContinue reading the main story Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram - which has caused havoc in Africa's most populous country through a wave of bombings - is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.Its followers are said to be influenced by the Koranic phrase which says: "Anyone who is not governed by what Allah has revealed is among the transgressors".Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it "haram", or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society.This includes voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers or receiving a secular education.Boko Haram regards the Nigerian state as being run by non-believers, even when the country had a Muslim president.Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf was killed after his arrestThe group's official name is Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, which in Arabic means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad".But residents in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, where the group had its headquarters, dubbed it Boko Haram.Loosely translated from the local Hausa language, this means "Western education is forbidden".Boko originally means fake but came to signify Western education, while haram means forbidden.Since the Sokoto caliphate, which ruled parts of what is now northern Nigeria, Niger and southern Cameroon, fell under British control in 1903, there has been resistance among the area's Muslims to Western education.Many Muslim families still refuse to send their children to government-run "Western schools", a problem compounded by the ruling elite which does not see education as a priority.AudaciousAgainst this background, the charismatic Muslim cleric, Mohammed Yusuf, formed Boko Haram in Maiduguri in 2002. He set up a religious complex, which included a mosque and an Islamic school.Boko Haram despises Western education and wants Islamic law imposedMany poor Muslim families from across Nigeria, as well as neighbouring countries, enrolled their children at the school.But Boko Haram was not only interested in education. Its political goal was to create an Islamic state, and the school became a recruiting ground for jihadis to fight the state.In 2009, Boko Haram carried out a spate of attacks on police stations and other government buildings in Maiduguri.Continue reading the main storyBoko Haram: Timeline of terror2002: Founded 2009: Hundreds killed when Maiduguri police stations stormed 2009: Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf captured by army, handed to police, later found dead Sep 2010: Freed hundreds of prisoners from Maiduguri jail Dec 2010: Bombed Jos, killing 80 people and blamed for New Year's Eve attack on Abuja barracks 2010-2011: Dozens killed in Maiduguri shootings May 2011: Bombed several states after president's inauguration June 2011: Police HQ bombed in Abuja Aug 2011: UN HQ bombed in Abuja Nov 2011: Co-ordinated bomb and gun attacks in Yobe and Borno states Dec 2011: Multiple bomb attacks on Christmas Day kill dozens This led to shoot-outs on Maiduguri's streets. Hundreds of Boko Haram supporters were killed and thousands of residents fled the city.Nigeria's security forces eventually seized the group's headquarters, capturing its fighters and killing Mr Yusuf.His body was shown on state television and the security forces declared Boko Haram finished.But its fighters have regrouped under a new leader and in 2010, they attacked a prison in Maiduguri, freeing hundreds of the group's supporters.Boko Haram's trademark has been the use of gunmen on motorbikes, killing police, politicians and anyone who criticises it, including clerics from other Muslim traditions and a Christian preacher.The group has also staged several more audacious attacks in different parts of northern Nigeria, showing that it is establishing a presence across the region and fuelling tension between Muslims and Christians.These include the 2011 Christmas Day bombings on the outskirts of Abuja and in the north-eastern city of Damaturu, a 2010 New Year's Eve attack on a military barracks in Abuja, several explosions around the time of President Goodluck Jonathan's inauguration in May 2011, followed by the bombing of the police headquarters and the UN headquarters in Abuja.In a 15-minute video posted on YouTube, the group's leader Abubakar Shekau defended the group's targeting of Christians, saying this was revenge for previous attacks on Muslims.He also said his group would not be defeated by the security forces.The attacks have raised global concern, with a US Congressional report - released in November 2011 - warning that Boko Haram was an "emerging threat" to the US and its interests.The report said Boko Haram may be forging ties with al-Qaeda-linked groups in Africa, but the group denies this.Analysts say northern Nigeria has a history of spawning groups similar to Boko Haram.The threat will disappear only if the Nigerian government manages to reduce the region's chronic poverty and builds an education system which gains the support of local Muslims, the analysts say.Nigeria: A nation dividedDespite its vast resources, Nigeria ranks among the most unequal countries in the world, according to the UN. The poverty in the north is in stark contrast to the more developed southern states. While in the oil-rich south-east, the residents of Delta and Akwa Ibom complain that all the wealth they generate flows up the pipeline to Abuja and Lagos.Nigeria's 160 million people are divided between numerous ethno-linguistic groups and also along religious lines. Broadly, the Hausa-Fulani people based in the north are mostly Muslims. The Yorubas of the south-west are divided between Muslims and Christians, while the Igbos of the south-east and neighbouring groups are mostly Christian or animist. The Middle Belt is home to hundreds of groups with different beliefs, and around Jos there are frequent clashes between Hausa-speaking Muslims and Christian members of the Berom community.Southern residents tend to have better access to healthcare, as reflected by the greater uptake of vaccines for polio, tuberculosis, tetanus and diphtheria. Some northern groups have in the past boycotted immunisation programmes, saying they are a Western plot to make Muslim women infertile. This led to a recurrence of polio, but the vaccinations have now resumed.Female literacy is seen as the key to raising living standards for the next generation. For example, a newborn child is far likelier to survive if its mother is well-educated. In Nigeria we see a stark contrast between the mainly Muslim north and the Christian and animist south. In some northern states less than 5% of women can read and write, whereas in some Igbo areas more than 90% are literate.

Posted on: 2 April 2012 | 4:14 am