World heading for climate ‘abyss’: UN
VOH Watch
Sep 03-Sep09VOH Watch
GENEVA, Sep04: The world is accelerating towards a climate catastrophe, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday, urging rapid progress in talks to cut emissions and tackle global warming.‘Our foot is stuck on the accelerator and we are heading towards an abyss,’ the UN secretary general said in a speech to the World Climate Conference.Ban, who this week visited the Arctic to witness first hand the changes wrought by global warming, warned that many of the ‘more distant scenarios’ predicted by scientists were ‘happening now.’ ‘Scientists have been accused for years of scaremongering. But the real scaremongers are those who say we cannot afford climate action — that it will hold back economic growth,’ he said.‘They are wrong. Climate change could spell widespread disaster,’ Ban warned. The UN leader pinned his hopes of a breakthrough on a summit of world leaders in New York this month to discuss climate change. Talks on extending the Kyoto protocol on emissions cuts in time for December’s Copenhagen conference had been too limited, he said.‘We have 15 negotiating days left until Copenhagen. We cannot afford limited progress. We need rapid progress,’ he added, criticising ‘inertia’ towards climate change. ‘In New York, (I) expect candid and constructive discussions. I expect serious bridge building. I expect strong outcomes,’ Ban told delegates and ministers from some 150 countries at the meeting in Geneva. The UN chief warned that the price of failure in Copenhagen would be high ‘not just for future generations, but for this generation.’
Ban later reiterated that a pledge by the Group of 8 industrialised countries this summer for a long-term 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050 was not sufficient. ‘I continue to believe that they should have a mid-term target, I’m going to continue on that with the G8 and G20 (leading economies),’ he told journalists.The UN secretary general has carried out several climate-related visits since he took the helm of the world body, including to Antarctica. He also saw advancing deserts in Chad and the diminishing Amazonian rainforest in Brazil.Visibly sobered by his Arctic visit, he warned that rising sea levels, partly generated by melting ice in thepolar region, would threaten major cities and potentially up to 130 million people.Climate change was also triggering a rush for natural resources in the Arctic as sea passages opened up, he warned.‘We are not just changing the environment, climate change is altering the geopolitical landscape,’ said Ban.He urged action on the key areas of the Copenhagen negotiations that are riven by disagreements between rich, emerging and poor nations.They include measures to adapt to climate change and ‘fast-track funding’ to help the most vulnerable and developing countries.While developed nations need to set ‘ambitious mid-term’ emissions targets, Ban said developing countries also ‘need to act to slow the growth of their emissions.’
In India, a government-backed report released on Thursday said the country’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions were expected to nearly triple in the next two decades, while still remaining below the global average.India’s per capita output is one of the lowest globally, but given its massive population it is one of the top polluters in the world. It is also among countries that have long rejected binding carbon emission targets on the grounds that they would hinder economic growth and development.The World Conference on Climate Change on Thursday approved the first steps in setting up a new global framework to share information.—AFP
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Oil prices drift lower in international market
VOH Watch
Sep 03-Sep09VOH Watch
NEW YORK, Sep, 04: Oil prices drifted lower Thursday as markets awaited the US August jobs report Friday for clues on the direction of the world's biggest economy and energy consumer. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for October delivery, settled at 67.96 dollars a barrel, down nine cents from Wednesday's closing level. In London, Brent North Sea crude for October delivery shed 54 cents to close at 67.12 dollars a barrel. "The stock market is a big driver now and it's almost flat," said Ellis Eckland, an independent trader. With the major Wall Street indices barely in the green as the oil market closed, a jump in opening oil prices, in response to the Shanghai stock market's nearly 5.0 percent gain, petered out. "We saw the reverse happen when the Chinese stock market was down 6.0 percent" on Monday, Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates pointed out. "Clearly at the moment there is a big link between how the equity markets around the world are performing and what is going on in the oil market," he said. Oil contracts, essentially those close to expiration, had found support in the US Department of Energy's latest weekly energy report Wednesday, which showed declines in crude oil and gasoline reserves and a stabilzation in demand. "Near-term demand and supply are tightening a little bit," Eckland said. The New York benchmark contract slid lower in the final minutes of trading, as investors braced for the highly anticipated US August employment data due Friday. The News
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60 tonnes of fuel spills as tanker splits in Red Sea
VOH Watch
Aug26-Sep02VOH Watch
CAIRO, Aug 29: A Panama-flagged oil tanker broke in two as it made its way through the Red Sea towards Egypt’s Suez Canal on Friday, spilling 60 tonnes of fuel, a security official said.
The official, quoting the vessel’s Filipino captain, said the crew were cleaning up the cargo tanks when all of a sudden the ship “split in two for reasons yet unknown”. The tanker was on its way to Suez for maintenance work and some repairs, the official said, adding that the tanker was not ransporting any oil at the time except for the 60 tonnes destined for its own usage. The 24-member crew were rescued, he added. Egyptian officials were meanwhile trying to contain the oil spill. afp_________________________________
Iran slows atom fuel drive: IAEA VOH Watch
Aug 26-Sep 02VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has slightly reduced the scale of its nuclear fuel production work and has fulfilled demands for more effective monitoring of its Natanz uranium enrichment site, the UN atomic watchdog said on Friday.
But Iran also raised the number of installed, though not all enriching, centrifuge machines by some 1,000 to 8,308, a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report obtained by Reuters said. The report said Iran also allowed inspectors to revisit the Arak heavy-water reactor site this month after barring access for a year, but this was a one-off and Tehran had not resumed providing design information to the IAEA. This would allow the Islamic Republic to resume a major expansion of enrichment if it chose, barring technical problems, UN officials familiar with the report said. The report will form the basis for six-power talks on Sept 2 to look into harsher UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Iran’s gesture of cooperation with the IAEA could make it harder for the United States and three big European allies to persuade Russia and China, major trade partners of Tehran, to agree on steps to squeeze its lifeblood oil sector. 
The report said Iran was enriching uranium with about 400 fewer centrifuges than the almost 5,000 operating at the time of the last IAEA report. It did not say why, but a senior ormed diplomat told Reuters earlier a number of machines had been taken down for maintenance or repairs. Iran’s reported stockpile of low-enriched uranium had increased to 1,508 kg, almost 200 more than in May, the report said. UN officials said the output rate had stagnated because of the fewer number of machines on stream. Reuters _________________________________
More Indian Nuk Test, US Nuk Scientists Seen Sign
VOH Watch
WASHINGTON, August 28: US nuclear pundits feel the Indian establishment — political, scientific, or both in concert – may be lining up to conduct more nuclear tests to validate and improve the country’s arsenal before the Obama administration shuts the door on nuclear explosions.
“You bet he wants to test again,” said Henry Sokolski, Executive Director of the Washington DC-based Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, when asked about the remarks from a key Indian nuclear scientist suggesting India’s thermonuclear test was not up to mark. Breaking news
Fire erupts in Greece-Residents calls the disaster as
'Black day'
Officials terms the fires as 'an ecological disaster'
VOH Watch
Aug 19-25 ATHENS, Aug 24:(Mujahid Hussain): A fierce fire that erupted in Greece has forced more than ten thousand dwellers to leave the place neat Athens city on Sunday mourning. A drop in galeforce winds has offered a respite to Greek firefighters struggling to control a raging fire near Athens. Over 500 firefighters, including a Cypriot contingent, battled the blaze east of the capital, fighting to save the communities of Daou Penteli and Nea Makri and prevent the fire from moving northwards.
An area near Marathon, the site of one of history's most famous battlegrounds, were also in danger. Spyros Zagaris, the mayor of Marathon, said he had been "begging the government to send over planes and helicopters" but to no avail, telling Greek TV that "we are just watching helplessly".Similarly, Zagaris was among several local leaders who accused the government of having no plan to fight the fire. 
According to a regional tv channel, many in Greece are upset at the government's response to a situation that has become familiar to many Greeks, with residents in some affected areas, saying firefighters and equipment were nowhere to be seen. "Both from the far right and the far left, the refrain has been that the Greek government has learnt nothing since the fires of 2007. "It's said this is a national crisis and it is not the time yet for political points to be scored." The government, which is clinging to a one-seat majority in parliament, trails the socialist opposition in opinion polls. On the other hand, Greek authorities declared a state of emergency in and around Athens on Sunday, ordering at least 10,000 people to leave their homes as the fire, fanned by strong winds, swept through thousands of acres of forest near the capital. 
Many people sprayed water throughout their properties, cleared brush and beat embers with tree branches in an attempt to halt the fire.There have been no reports of deaths or injuries yet, but scores of houses have been gutted and thousands of hectares of the area's rapidly dwindling forests are gone. Nearly 2,000 firefighters and soldiers have been deployed to tackle the blaze on the ground, together with hundreds of volunteers.__________________________________________
Pak, China sign MoU on cooperation in fisheries
VOH Watch
Aug. 19-25 VOH Watch
CHINA, Aug 24: Pakistan and China on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperation in river fisheries and related technologies. President Asif Ali Zardari was also present at the signing ceremony between Indus River Fresh Water Fisheries Research Institute and Pearl River Fishery Research Institute of Guangzhou. From Pakistani side, the MoU was signed by Sindh Minster for Irrigation Murad Ali Shah and from Chinese side, it was signed by head of Pearl River Fishery Institute. Murad Ali said that under the MoU, China will collaborate with Pakistan for preparation of plans to undertake the research work in Pakistan on the same pattern as that of Pearl River Fishery Research Institute. He said the two sides will cooperate for development and manufacturing of floating feed for fish and technology for seed production of fresh water prawn and other high value fish.
It also envisages fish disease diagnosis and its control and exchange of technology of breeding and culture of ornamental fishes. Part of cooperation includes exchange of visits by experts in the related field and holding of workshops and symposia on various subjects related to the river fisheries. Murad Ali said the President wants cooperation from China in the field of developing river fisheries to enhance its production in Pakistan. He said Pakistan has many opportunities to develop breeding programmes of local varieties of fish in collaboration with researchers from the institute. The signing of this MoU, he added, is a step towards achieving this goal. In a meeting with President Zardari on Sunday, Secretary Communist Party of China Guangdong Committee, Wang Yang had stated that he would direct all the Chinese provincial departments, that are signing MoUs with Pakistan, to honour their commitment. Earlier on his arrival, President Zardari was briefed by the Institute’s officials about its research work. 
He was informed that the institute, established in 1953, has carried out 89 scientific researches at national level that over the years had greatly enhanced production of various types of fishes. The President was also taken around the ponds where the fishes are kept and inseminated artificially. He also visited a hall named after Professor Zhong Lin, who is considered the founder of modern river fisheries in China, and was briefed about different varieties of fishes and other technical aspects of their breeding. The Nation___________________________________________
China begins Xinjiang riot trials, The Chinese authorities stepps up security in Urumqi ahead of the trials
VOH Watch
Aug 19-25URUMQI, Aug 24:(AFP) Chinese authorities are expected to begin the trials this week of some 200 people accused of involvement in last month's deadly riots in the western region of Xinjiang, according to state media. Security was being stepped up in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi ahead of the trials, the China Daily reported on Monday, although it did not specify when the hearings would begin. China has vowed to crack down hard on those responsible for the violence, with officials saying last month that some could face the death penalty. The trials could again raise tensions in Xinjiang, where many among the region's native Muslim Uighurs resent the growing presence of ethnic Han Chinese and government controls on religious and cultural life.
The suspects on trial face charges including murder, arson, robbery, vandalism and "organising crowds to disrupt public order", the China Daily said. Xinjiang is officially an autonomous region but in practice it is tightly controlled by Beijing. It is sparsely populated but has large reserves of oil, gas and minerals. The region's Turkic speaking Uighur population number around eight million. Uighur activists say migration from other parts of China is part of official effort to dilute and suppress Uighur culture in their own land. Uighurs say they face repression on a range of fronts, including bans on the teaching of their language. Uighur separatists have staged series of low-level attacks since early 1990s. China says Uighur separatists are terrorists and linked to al-Qaeda. According to Chinese police 197 people, mostly ethnic Han, died in the riots which broke out on July 5. The violence followed protests in Urumqi over the killings of two Uighurs in ethnic strife at a factory in southern China.The clashes triggered revenge attacks from Han Chinese in the worst ethnic unrest seen in China for decades. In its report on Monday the China Daily said a "drastic increase in security" had been ordered in Urumqi "in response to an expected mass gathering of Han and Uighur people awaiting the court verdicts". The newspaper did not give a breakdown on how many Uighurs and how many Han would go on trial, but it said more than 170 Uighurs and 20 Han lawyers had been assigned to the suspects. The paper reported last week that thousands of items of physical evidence had been collected, including videos and photographs as well as bricks and clubs stained with blood. The Chinese government has blamed Uighur exiles for stoking the unrest, singling out Rebiya Kadeer, a Uighur businesswoman who was jailed for years in China before being released into exile in the US, for "masterminding" the unrest. AFP_____________________________________
WASHINGTON Aug 18: US president
Barak Obama while addressing to addressing the 110th Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Phoenix has claimed that terrorists have shifted thier bases from Afhanistan to the remote tribal areas of Pakistan. According to the US president the perpetrators of 9/11 are planning more attacks and if left unchecked the Taliban insurgency will mean the creation of larger safe havens from which Al-Qaeda could plot to kill more Americans. ‘As I said when I announced this strategy, there will be more difficult days ahead. The insurgency in Afghanistan didn’t just happen overnight, and we won’t defeat it overnight. This will not be quick. This will not be easy.’ ‘But we must never forget: This is not a war of choice; this is a war of necessity.’ ‘Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which Al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. So this is not only a war worth fighting. This is fundamental to the defence of our people,’ said the US president.By moving forward in Iraq, the US has been able to refocus on the war against Al Qaeda and its extremist allies in the Afghanistan, Pakistan region, US President Barack Obama said on Monday. “That is why I announced a new, comprehensive strategy in March. This strategy recognises that Al Qaeda and its allies had moved their base to the remote, Tribal Areas of Pakistan.”
The US president also said those who attacked America on September 11 were plotting to do so again. “If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which Al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. So this is not only a war worth fighting. This is fundamental to the defence of our people,” he said. (Dawn, Geo news)___________________________________________
Militants in Pakistan planning new attacks: Manmohan
VOH Watch
Aug 11-18 NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday that militants in Pakistan were plotting new attacks on India as he urged security forces to stay on high alert. ‘There is credible information of ongoing plans of terrorist groups in Pakistan to carry out fresh attacks,’ Mr Singh told a summit on internal security attended by the chief ministers from India’s states.
‘After the Mumbai attacks, we have put in place additional measures. There is need for continued utmost vigilance,’ added Singh, who also pointed to the threat posed by left-wing militants in the east of the country. India has boosted its security to prevent assaults after the attacks in the country’s financial capital Mumbai in November, in which gunmen killed 166 people. ‘All states need to actively share intelligence information to avert any terror attack,’ he said. India’s intelligence-gathering techniques were severely criticised after their collective failure to thwart the bloody Mumbai attacks. Mr Singh said militants were operating far beyond the confines of the violence-hit northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister also said India faced another serious challenge from left-wing extremism, namely Maoists who have inflicted heavy casualties on security forces. India’s Maoists, also known as the Naxals, say they are fighting for the rights of neglected tribal people and landless peasants. They are now active in more than half of the country’s 29 states — particularly in the east, the poorest part of India. Estimates of their numbers nationwide range between 10,000 and 20,000, but little is known about their shadowy leadership. To deal with the Maoist crisis, Mr Chidambaram announced a multi-pronged strategy at the summit. ‘We will talk, we will act, we will restore order and we will undertake developmental activities in Naxal-hit areas,’ he said.—AFP________________________________________
VoH Watch
Aug04-Aug 11WASHINGTON Aug 07: Federal judge Sonia Sotomayor has become the first Hispanic confirmed as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. The Senate approved her nomination Thursday in a vote of 68 to 31. Several Republicans joined majority Democrats in supporting Sotomayor. Shortly after the nomination was approved, President Barack Obama said he was "deeply gratified" by the outcome of the vote. He said the three principles of justice, equality, and opportunity are ones that made possible Sotomayor's journey to the Supreme Court. 
During debate on Sotomayor's nomination this week, many Republicans charged that the 55-year-old Sotomayor would rule according to her personal biases. But Democrats described her as an experienced, mainstream moderate judge. Sotomayor will be the third woman to sit on the nation's highest court. President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents, to replace retired Justice David Souter. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-to-6 last week, largely along party lines, to send Sotomayor's nomination to the full Senate. The News
Extremists exploiting economic woes of people
VoH Watch
WASHINGTON Aug 07: The United States was providing direct economic assistance to Pakistan to prevent extremists from exploiting people’s deprivations, the White House said on Thursday. John Brennan, a senior presidential adviser on counter-terrorism, said that providing such assistance to Pakistan was part of America’s new approach to combating extremists. Mr Brennan, in his address to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the Obama administration was also replacing the old theory of ‘global war on terror’ with a new strategy. The new policy, he said, focussed narrowly on Al Qaeda and relied more on efforts to engage the Muslim world. ‘It goes beyond bombs and bullets,’ he added. ‘Describing our efforts as a ‘global war’ only plays into the warped narrative that Al Qaeda propagates,’ Mr Brennan said. ‘It plays into the misleading and dangerous notion that the US is somehow in conflict with the rest of the world.’ President Obama, he said, had adopted ‘a fundamentally new and more effective approach’ by attacking the longer-term problem of Muslim extremism through diplomacy and political and economic strategies. This was in addition to ‘unrelenting’ pressure on terrorist havens such as those near the Afghan-Pakistani border, in Yemen and in Somalia, he added. Mr Brennan noted that the extremists knew that economic deprivations made people vulnerable and wherever governments were unable to provide for the legitimate needs of their people, these groups stepped into the void. ‘It is why they offer free education to impoverished Pakistani children, where they can recruit and indoctrinate the next generation,’ said the senior White House aide. And ‘that is why the president has made clear that our relationship with Pakistan is grounded in support for Pakistan’s democratic institutions and the Pakistani people.’ The US, he noted, was going to provide $1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year for education, health care, and infrastructure, as well as for opportunity zones to spark development in the border regions. The United States, he said, was also harnessing its economic power to make substantial increases in foreign assistance including poverty reduction, global health, and food security. Such assistance was not ‘a crutch for societies in need, but a catalyst for development, good governance, and long-term prosperity, he added. Dawn News
During debate on Sotomayor's nomination this week, many Republicans charged that the 55-year-old Sotomayor would rule according to her personal biases. But Democrats described her as an experienced, mainstream moderate judge. Sotomayor will be the third woman to sit on the nation's highest court. President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor, the daughter of Puerto Rican parents, to replace retired Justice David Souter. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-to-6 last week, largely along party lines, to send Sotomayor's nomination to the full Senate. The NewsExtremists exploiting economic woes of people
VoH Watch
Aug04-Aug 11
VoH Watch
Aug04-Aug 11
MELBOURNE Aug 05: Australian police arrested four men they said were linked to a Somalian militant al Shabaab group on Tuesday, accusing them of planning a suicide attack on an army base and raising fears the Al Qaeda-linked rebels were seeking targets outside Africa. 
The four were seized in dawn raids on 19 properties across Melbourne following a seven-month investigation involving several forces and Australia’s national security agency ASIO. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the arrests showed “the threat of terrorism is alive and well”. But officials said Australia’s terrorism warning alert would remain at medium level, where it has been since 2003.It is the latest high-profile terrorism case that the country’s police and intelligence agencies have uncovered. Australia’s biggest terrorism trial ended in February when a Muslim cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika was jailed for 15 years for leading a cell that planned to bomb a 2005 football match in Melbourne. Altogether, 12 people were jailed over the plot. “Essentially, what these people are about is changing Western foreign policy,” said Clive Williams, terrorism analyst at Macquarie University. “In the case of the US, it is support for Israel in particular. In the case of Australia, it is things like our deployment to Afghanistan.” Al Shabaab: The four detained men were aged between 22 and 26 and were all Australian citizens with Somali and Lebanese backgrounds. Police said they were linked to Somalia’s al Shabaab group. Analysts say al Shabaab, which is on the US State Department’s terrorism list, has links with Al Qaeda and has recently had success recruiting from the Somali diaspora and among other Muslim youths abroad. Acting Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus told reporters the suspects had planned to storm a military base in suburban Sydney with automatic weapons. They said police had evidence including phone conversations, text messages and surveillance footage, including of one suspect outside suburban Sydney’s Holsworthy army base. 
The court heard the men planned to seek a fatwa, or religious ruling, to support an attack on the base. In Mogadishu, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told reporters the turmoil in their chaotic nation was to blame. “We are sorry if Somalis who fled their homes because of the insecurity then cause trouble in other countries,” he said. Muslim leaders in Australia, worried about a backlash, called for calm on Tuesday, saying the overwhelming majority of Australia’s 340,000 Muslims condemned violence. reuters
The four were seized in dawn raids on 19 properties across Melbourne following a seven-month investigation involving several forces and Australia’s national security agency ASIO. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the arrests showed “the threat of terrorism is alive and well”. But officials said Australia’s terrorism warning alert would remain at medium level, where it has been since 2003.It is the latest high-profile terrorism case that the country’s police and intelligence agencies have uncovered. Australia’s biggest terrorism trial ended in February when a Muslim cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika was jailed for 15 years for leading a cell that planned to bomb a 2005 football match in Melbourne. Altogether, 12 people were jailed over the plot. “Essentially, what these people are about is changing Western foreign policy,” said Clive Williams, terrorism analyst at Macquarie University. “In the case of the US, it is support for Israel in particular. In the case of Australia, it is things like our deployment to Afghanistan.” Al Shabaab: The four detained men were aged between 22 and 26 and were all Australian citizens with Somali and Lebanese backgrounds. Police said they were linked to Somalia’s al Shabaab group. Analysts say al Shabaab, which is on the US State Department’s terrorism list, has links with Al Qaeda and has recently had success recruiting from the Somali diaspora and among other Muslim youths abroad. Acting Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus told reporters the suspects had planned to storm a military base in suburban Sydney with automatic weapons. They said police had evidence including phone conversations, text messages and surveillance footage, including of one suspect outside suburban Sydney’s Holsworthy army base. 
The court heard the men planned to seek a fatwa, or religious ruling, to support an attack on the base. In Mogadishu, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told reporters the turmoil in their chaotic nation was to blame. “We are sorry if Somalis who fled their homes because of the insecurity then cause trouble in other countries,” he said. Muslim leaders in Australia, worried about a backlash, called for calm on Tuesday, saying the overwhelming majority of Australia’s 340,000 Muslims condemned violence. reuters_____________________________________________
VoH Watch
Aug04-Aug 11
“A list like this is at the same time surprising and embarrassing,” the China Daily said in an editorial, commenting on the result of the survey, which was carried out in June and July.“The sex workers’ unexpected prominence on this list of honour... is indeed unusual.” 
The newspaper said the list showed scientists and teachers ranked “way below, and that government functionaries, too, scored hardly better.” Soldiers and students were ranked after sex workers on the list of trustworthy professions, the Insight China magazine said. afp________________________________________________
Top UN official lauds Pakistan’s Guinness World Record for tree planting
VoH Watch
Aug04-Aug 11
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 5 (APP): A top U.N. environment official has lauded Pakistan’s efforts in setting a Guinness World Record for planting over 500,000 trees in one day, part of the South Asian nation’s pledge in the global Billion Tree Campaign. 
In the record-breaking feat, 541,176 young mangrove saplings were planted in 24 hours by 300 volunteers on 15 July without using any mechanical equipment in the vast wetlands of the Indus River Delta in Thatta District, according to a news release issued by the Nairobi-based UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
The event was part of Pakistan’s pledge to plant 120 million trees in UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign, which seeks to plant 7 billion trees ‘or one for every person on the planet, with a bit to spare” by the end of 2009. “The Billion Tree Campaign has been setting records since it was launched in 2006 as one avenue and conduit for global public concern over climate change” noted UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. He added that Pakistan’s Guinness World Record will contribute to the goal of 7 billion trees by December, when world leaders gather for the UN climate change conference in Denmark to ‘seal the deal’ on a new global pact to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which contains legally binding targets for reducing emissions.
“I am ever more confident that this record can be broken too and inspire governments to seal the deal in Copenhagen in December,” Steiner added. With the destruction of natural forests emitting more greenhouse gases every year than the transport sector, planting trees “which absorb carbon dioxide and store nearly 300 gigatonnes of carbon in their biomass “ is a crucial defence in the fight against global warming. APP
In the record-breaking feat, 541,176 young mangrove saplings were planted in 24 hours by 300 volunteers on 15 July without using any mechanical equipment in the vast wetlands of the Indus River Delta in Thatta District, according to a news release issued by the Nairobi-based UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
The event was part of Pakistan’s pledge to plant 120 million trees in UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign, which seeks to plant 7 billion trees ‘or one for every person on the planet, with a bit to spare” by the end of 2009. “The Billion Tree Campaign has been setting records since it was launched in 2006 as one avenue and conduit for global public concern over climate change” noted UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. He added that Pakistan’s Guinness World Record will contribute to the goal of 7 billion trees by December, when world leaders gather for the UN climate change conference in Denmark to ‘seal the deal’ on a new global pact to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which contains legally binding targets for reducing emissions.
“I am ever more confident that this record can be broken too and inspire governments to seal the deal in Copenhagen in December,” Steiner added. With the destruction of natural forests emitting more greenhouse gases every year than the transport sector, planting trees “which absorb carbon dioxide and store nearly 300 gigatonnes of carbon in their biomass “ is a crucial defence in the fight against global warming. APPVoH Watch
TEHRAN Aug 05: Hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will on Wednesday be sworn in for a second term as Iranian president in a ceremony likely to be snubbed by opposition leaders who claim he was fraudulently re-elected. Ahmadinejad Takes Oath As Iran President. The 52-year-old Ahmadinejad has to formally take the oath of office before parliament, top military officials and foreign diplomats and then be tasked with forming a new government despite bitter political in-fighting.
Ahmadinejad was approved at a ceremony on Monday for a second four-year term by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who described him as “courageous, astute and hardworking.” His victory in the June 12 elections set off the worst turmoil in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with deadly street protests, a raft of political trials and increasing divisions among the ruling elite. About 30 people were killed in the violence, hundreds wounded and around 2,000 initially arrested, while 110 have been put on trial. There were media suggestions that the swearing-in will be boycotted by Ahmadinejad’s main rivals who refuse to acknowledge his victory and consider his new government “illegitimate.” Opposition leaders including Ahmadinejad’s defeated rivals Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi and former president Mohammad Khatami were pointedly absent from Monday’s ceremony, as was powerful cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Iran’s judiciary chief on Tuesday urged the country’s bitterly divided political groups to unite. “I hope all officials understand the situation and maintain unity,” said judiciary chief and leading cleric Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi. “I hope they do what is best for the revolution, the regime, and Islam and disappoint the enemies,” he was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency. In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Tuesday acknowledged Ahmadinejad as the “elected” president of Iran, but stopped short of declaring him the “legitimate” president. 
Khamenei, who has given his full backing to Ahmadinejad, on Monday warned his protege that the “angry, wounded opposition” would continue challenging his government. He also told Ahmadinejad to heed the views of his critics, in a possible reference to the row between the president and his own conservative supporters over his political staff moves. Ahmadinejad in his second term is expected to keep up Iran’s defiance of the international community over its controversial nuclear programme which he aggressively pursued in his first stint despite UN sanctions. Breaking News_________________________________________________
Ayat ullah Kamenei endorses Ahmed-i-Nejad
VoH Watch
TEHRAN Aug 05: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is set to endorse Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president on Monday, two days before the re-elected president is sworn in for a second amid intense political turmoil in the Islamic republic.
Ahmadinejad Endorsed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Ahmadinejad’s confirmation by Khamenei comes as Iran grapples with its worst turbulence since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with deadly street protests, a raft of political trials and an escalating feud between rival factions. Ahmadinejad, 52, is himself under fire from his own hardline camp, which questions his loyalty to Khamenei who publicly backed the hardliner’s victory in the June 12 poll. The announcement of Ahmadinejad’s landslide victory was met with a vast outpouring of anger from opposition supporters who claim their votes were stolen. Massive street protests left at least 30 people dead and saw several thousand protesters rounded up, among them prominent pro-reform figures and journalists.
Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who stood against Ahmadinejad, have accused the authorities of massive vote rigging and branded Ahmadinejad’s presidency illegitimate. Ahmadinejad’s re-election has also created a rift among the clergy, with several senior clerics siding with the opposition and condemning the post-election violence and the regime’s treatment of its critics. The authorities hit back with a heavy-handed crackdown on protesters, whom they accuse of seeking to overthrow the regime.
The hardline camp was further irked when Ahmadinejad sacked intelligence minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie following a reported “quarrel” over Rahim Mashaie’s appointment. Ahmadinejad denies any rift with Khamenei, characterising his relationship with the supreme leader as one of “father and son.” Iran’s crackdown on protesters drew international condemnation, including from arch-foe the United States. 
After three decades of severed diplomatic ties, Washington earlier this year made overtures to Tehran, offering talks over their long-standing disputes, including the nuclear issue. Iran has yet to respond but has ruled out negotiations on the nuclear programme, insisting the work is for solely peaceful ends.Should Ahmadinejad stick to his guns on the nuclear programme, his second term is likely to be characterised by greater tension with the West, which has warned of even tougher sanctions. Breaking News
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UK Pakistan Christians for abolition of Blasphemy Law
VoH Watch
LONDON, Aug 04 (APP)- The British Pakistani Christians have called for the abolition of the Blasphemy Law saying that the act has been often misused against the minority community by the unscrupulous elements to cause law and order situation.A delegation of Pakistan Christian Alliance Europe led by councillor James Shera, a former mayor of Central English town of Rugby, met Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan and senior officials of the chancery and expressed disquiet over the violence against the Christian community in Gojra. They underscored the importance of addressing the concerns of the Christian community and protecting their lives and property from the religious extremists who they said have used the Blasphemy law to perpetuate atrocities on them. VoH Watch
Aug 03-Aug 11
The delegation submitted a petition to the High Commissioner regarding the incident at Gojra and appealed for the abolition of religious discriminatory laws 95C and restoration of 1973 Constitution. The High Commissioner expressed deep regrets over the unfortunate incident and said both the Federal and Punjab Governments have taken appropriate steps to bring the situation under control and arrested those responsible for this act. Hasan assured the delegation of the punitive action against the perpetrators of the crime and said cases have been registered against both DCO and DPO for their failure to bring the situation under control while a large number of people have also been arrested. The High Commissioner further informed that he is constantly in touch with high officials in Islamabad and Lahore to expedite necessary action. He told the delegation that the Government has already announced compensation of Rs. 500,000 each for the deceased and Rs. 300,000 each for those whose homes have been destroyed. Hasan stressed upon building consensus among the political parties for taking steps through parliamentary process to check the misuse and abuse of article 95C of the constitution. The delegation spoke about the contributions of the Christian community in the making of Pakistan and also in education, health and defence sectors. They said the Christians have always remained loyal to Pakistan and also stressed on declaring preaching of hatred a culpable crime be it against religious minorities or sects within the Muslims. The delegation said it would approach all the political parties including the religious ones to build consensus on the abolition or necessary modifications in the Blasphemy Law to create a more tolerant society in Pakistan. The High Commissioner reassured the delegation that Pakistan Peoples Party has always worked for human rights and neither Islam nor any other religion permits killing of innocent people. He further said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah emphasised on peaceful co-existence of minorities and for providing them and other suppressed classes their due rights. APP___________________________________________________
Microsoft beefs up in battle with Google over
search engine market
search engine market
VoH Watch
By David Sarno
Washington and Los Angeles Aug 4: After a decade of skirmishes among dozens of Internet search services, only two major players may be left standing on the battlefield: the world's largest search engine, Google Inc., and its newly powerful rival, Microsoft Corp.The software giant said Wednesday that it was joining forces with Yahoo Inc. to battle Google. The Microsoft-Yahoo alliance faces intense regulatory scrutiny, but should the blockbuster pact go through, "search" will no longer be one of Yahoo's keywords. The Sunnyvale, Calif., company said it was ready to give up on its search engine and take its place alongside forgotten names that once defined the nascent industry: Alta Vista, Excite, HotBot and Lycos.By David Sarno
Aug 04-Aug 11
Instead of using its own search engine, Yahoo's massive network of Web pages would feature Microsoft's Bing, more than tripling Microsoft's reach. That would instantly give the Redmond, Wash., company almost a third of the search engine market, an expansion that could send shock waves through the industry. Two-thirds of Internet search queries in the U.S. are made through Google's dominant engine, according to Web ratings firm ComScore. "Tectonic would be a good word," said Tim Cadogan, chief executive of OpenX, an online advertising company in Pasadena and former senior Yahoo executive who oversaw the company's search efforts. "It creates a viable competitive force in the search landscape to be able to compete with Google." But antitrust regulators typically have rejected deals that reduce three major market players to only two. The 10-year agreement would not take effect until antitrust approval was granted, an outcome that executives from the companies said they hoped to get by early next year. The deal requires approval not only by Washington officials but, most likely, by European regulators as well. Winning those approvals could be difficult, said David Balto, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress think tank and former federal antitrust official. "You've got three significant rivals in search, and I think allowing two of them to combine raises serious antitrust questions," Balto said. A Justice Department spokeswoman said Wednesday that the agency was aware of the pact but would not comment further. Yahoo and Microsoft said they welcomed scrutiny from regulators and argued that the creation of a rival to Google would stimulate competition. "This partnership actually increases choice," said Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of Microsoft's online audience business group. "It goes from effectively having only one provider of search . . . to now two, because we now have a credible alternative." Under the agreement, Yahoo would receive 88% of the advertising revenue generated by Bing searches conducted on its websites, an income stream that the company said could amount to about $500 million in annual operating profit. Yahoo also said it could save about $200 million annually from jettisoning its proprietary search business.
Although Hilary Schneider, executive vice president of Yahoo's North America division, declined to say how many Yahoo employees in Burbank and Santa Monica would be affected by the deal, she said some workers in its search business would "need to look for other jobs either within Yahoo or elsewhere." As of June 30, Yahoo counted 13,000 employees worldwide. It would not break down the number of employees in Burbank who work on Yahoo's search advertising business. Santa Monica houses some of Yahoo's media content operations, including its news, sports, games and entertainment divisions. Meanwhile, Microsoft said the deal would bolster its newly unveiled Bing search engine, which has had favorable reviews but has been slow to catch on. As part of the deal, Microsoft would have access to Yahoo's storehouse of search technology, and could pick and choose which elements to add to Bing -- including potentially inheriting some of Yahoo's search experts. But some analysts questioned whether the Yahoo elements would boost the attractiveness of Microsoft's offering. "They've already got a good search engine," said Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of SearchEngineLand.com. "Yahoo's search technology clearly isn't a giant leap forward over Google. Otherwise Yahoo would have more people searching on it." Investors and analysts tended to agree that Yahoo may have received less-than-stellar terms on the deal. Some were expecting Yahoo to receive between $1 billion and $2 billion in upfront payments from Microsoft, according to Todd Greenwald, an analyst with Signal Hill, but no such payment materialized. "There's a feeling that they mortgaged their future and didn't get that much for it," Greenwald said. Los Angeles Times
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Former Iranian President Khatami Criticised on Trial
VoH Watch
TEHRAN Aug 03: Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has criticised the trial of people accused of violence after June’s disputed presidential election.Former Iranian President Khatami Criticised on Trial Mr Khatami’s website said the “show trial” would damage confidence in Iran’s Islamic establishment. More than 100 people went on trial on Saturday, including several leading reformists, on charges including rioting, vandalism, and conspiracy. VoH Watch
July 27-Aug 03
The poll was won by incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. On Mr Khatami’s website he expressed hope that Saturday’s trial would not “lead to ignorance of the real crimes.The reformist Mr Khatami was president from 1997 to 2005. The BBC’s Kasra Naji says the timing and scale of the trial came as a surprise and suggests Iran’s leadership wants to send a message to stop any more protests. The AFP news agency quotes Mr Khatami as making more outspoken criticism of the trial. “What was done yesterday is against the constitution, regular laws and rights of the citizens,” his office quoted him as saying. “The most important problem with the trial procedure is that it was not held in an open session. The lawyers and the defendants were not informed of the contents of the cases ahead of the trial.” Some of the defendants told the court their earlier claims of fraud during the 12 June poll were baseless, official media said. But Iran’s largest reformist party, Mosharekat, dismissed the court appearance as a “show trial” and said the confessions had been forced.Many protesters insisted that Mr Mousavi was the real winner of the 12 June election. The semi-official Fars news agency reported that former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh, former government spokesman Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, former senior lawmaker Mohsen Mirdamadi and former Industry Minister Behzad Nabavi were among those on trial. Foreign media, including the BBC, have been restricted in their coverage of Iran since the election protests turned into confrontations with the authorities in which at least 30 people were killed. Opposition groups alleged widespread vote-rigging. Post-election protests saw the largest mass demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 revolution, which brought about the current Islamic system of government. Breaking News__________________________________________________________
Remains of missing Gulf War pilot Scott Speicher
found in Iraq
VOH Watch
IRAQ Aug 03: The remains of Lt Cdr Michael "Scott" Speicher, a US pilot shot down over Iraq in the Gulf War in 1991, have been found in the desert, ending an 18-year mystery and speculation he might be alive. found in Iraq
VOH Watch
July 27-Aug 03
Lt Cdr Michael "Scott" Speicher, 33, was lost in the opening days of the conflict and pronounced dead after his F18 Hornet was shot down. Eighteen months later his wife Joanne remarried his friend Buddy Harris, a fellow US navy pilot. But uncertainty over his fate and the failure to locate any remains led his status to be changed several times to "missing in action" and later "missing-captured". After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the discovery of what appeared to be the initials "MSS" on a prison cell wall raised hopes he had been captured and might be alive.Last month, an Iraqi came forward stating he knew of two other Iraqis who remembered an American jet crashing and a dead pilot being buried in the desert by Bedouins. Marines stationed in the western province of Anbar searched the area around the remote crash site and found bones and skull fragments. Using dental records, the remains were identified as being those of Capt Speicher, who was twice promoted posthumously. They will now be returned to his wife for a proper military burial. Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, said that the discovery underlined the American military's commitment that no comrade would be left behind - a credo that is deeply embedded in the psyche of US servicemen. "Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless of how long or how difficult that search may be," he said. Capt Speicher had two children, now of university age, and his widow had two more with Mr Harris, who became a tireless campaigner for the true fate of his friend to be established. Cindy Laquidara, a lawyer for Capt Speicher's widow, said: "The family's proud of the way the defence department continued on with our request to not abandon the search. We will be bringing him home." .Telegraph 4 New Nato chief takes charge Anders Fog Rasmussen, the former Danish prime minister, is due to start his first day at work as head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato). Denmark's former leader took up his duties on August 1, but Monday marks his first day as secretary general of the US-Europe military alliance. He takes over from the Netherland's Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who held the role since 2004. Rasmussen almost lost out on the job earlier in the year after Turkey, a key Nato member, opposed his appointment, only backing down after he vowed to seek better relations with the Muslim world. Relations between Denmark and the Muslim world came under strain in 2005, during Rasmussen's premiership, after Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.Despite global protests, Rasmussen refused to condemn the publication. This year, in a speech in the Turkish city of Istanbul, Rasmussen called for a balance between free speech and a respect for religion. Afghan challenge: Afghanistan, where US-led forces are battling the Taliban, will be one of Rasmussen's biggest tests. "There is certainly a hard core [Taliban] that is impossible to reach any deals with. They have only respect for military powers"Anders Fog Rasmussen, Nato secretary-general. Nato took over some operations in the country six years ago. But a steadily rising number of civilian casualties because of Nato attacks has fuelled Afghan anger against western forces.Haroun Mir, an Afghan political analyst, warned that Nato's new secretary-general had a long way to go. Engaging Taliban: In an interview published in the Danish newspaper Politiken on Saturday, Rasmussen said he would support dialogue with "moderate groups on the outer reaches of the Taliban". "There is certainly a hard core that is impossible to reach any deals with. They have only respect for military powers," he was quoted as saying. "But there are groups that you can talk with to try and bring about some kind of reconciliation with the Afghan community." He continued: "I certainly don't know why one should strike any agreements with those who are killing our soldiers. We are talking about other groups located on the outer fringes of the Taliban." Other European officials, including David Miliband, the Britain's foreign secretary, have struck similarly conciliatory notes about engaging Taliban fighters willing to renounce violence. Aljazeera Tv Network 5 UK faces more threat from Pakistan than Helmand voH Watch LONDON Aug 03: A House of Commons report published on Sunday concluded that the UK faced more threat from inside Pakistan than from Afghanistan’s Helmand province where, the report asserted, British soldiers were sent on ‘an ill-defined mission undermined by unrealistic planning and lack of manpower’. The Labour-chaired Commons foreign affairs select committee report raises the alarming spectre of Al Qaeda, ‘which has shifted its focus into Pakistan’. Professor Shaun Gregory, an expert on Pakistan at Bradford University, told the committee that a direct attack on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons infrastructure could not be ruled out. According to the Observer, MPs concluded that there was now a ‘strong argument to be made’ that the Afghan insurgency was no longer an immediate threat to Britain, adding: ‘That threat in the form of Al Qaeda and international terrorism can be said more properly to emanate from Pakistan’. The report concluded that, while the military campaign in Helmand might be gaining traction, Afghan support for the troops had been damaged by civilian casualties and ‘cultural insensitivity’, and there was no evidence the war on drugs had reduced poppy cultivation. A weak, corrupt police force was driving Afghans back to the Taliban to seek justice, it argued, while cultural assumptions about women were barely changed. The Observer said Whitehall was braced for the publication this month of a review of the Afghanistan campaign by General Stanley McChrystal, commander of US forces there, which was expected to trigger a fresh debate over troop numbers. Some MPs believed parliament might even be recalled from recess to debate Afghanistan. The Foreign Office admitted on Saturday night that the insurgent threat in Helmand was ‘greater than anticipated’, but said the aim of denying Al Qaeda a safe haven remained unchanged. The committee suggested that Whitehall was distracted by Iraq during its planning, made wrong assumptions about Afghan expectations and gave unclear direction to the armed forces. It noted that ‘most analysts believe the initial UK strategy failed primarily because of a lack of manpower and a poor understanding of the local situation’. Meanwhile, a memo from Major Brian Dupree leaked to the newspaper showed that Britain’s war effort in Afghanistan was being hindered by a number of frontline troops ‘too fat to fight’. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that it had directed military chiefs to ensure units were following army fitness policy after concerns were raised over a ‘worrying trend of obesity’. Dawn News Pessanger Plane Disappears in Indonesia VOH Watch AKARTA Aug 03: A plane carrying 16 people disappeared over eastern Indonesia on Sunday, an airline official said.Pessanger Plane Disappears in Indonesia The Twin Otter plane was on a commercial flight in the remote Papua region when it lost contact with ground officials, said Capt. Nikmatullah, the director of operations of the airline operating the plane, Merpati Nusantara. Nikmatullah, who goes by a single name, said no trace had been found of the plane more then four hours after it took off. The aircraft was carrying enough fuel to keep it in the air for 3 1/2 hours, he told Metro TV station. The plane was on a 50-minute journey from Sentani, a major airport in Papua, to the town of Oksibil, he said. Much of Papua is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. In the past, crashed planes have never been found.Indonesia, a nation of more than 18,000 islands, has seen a string of air crashes in recent years.__________________________________________________________
The icon figures of Reforms put on Trial by Iran
VOH Watch
The charges included rioting, vandalism, “acting against national security”, and conspiring against the ruling system, state media reported. Iran tries 100 moderates over election unrest.It is said that the main reformist party linked to Britain and this is the first time since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution that dozens of senior officials, including former ministers, vice-presidents and lawmakers, have been put on trial. Indictment: The official IRNA news agency quoted the indictment as saying the charges against the defendants also included acting against national security by planning unrest, participating in the “Velvet Revolution”, attacking military and state buildings and conspiring against the ruling system. “The trial of some of those accused of being involved in post-election unrest started this morning,” IRNA said. “Some 100 people were put on trial in a Tehran Revolutionary court.” Velvet Revolution was used to describe the non-violent 1989 revolution in Czechoslovakia, which overturned communist rule. Under Iran’s Islamic law, acting against national security could be punishable by the death penalty. Rights groups say hundreds of people, including senior pro-reform politicians, journalists and lawyers, have been detained since the June 12 election. 
State television showed footage of the courtroom with many young defendants, some handcuffed, and former vice president Muhammad Ali Abtahi, former deputy foreign minister Mohsen Aminzadeh and former MP Mohsen Mirdamadi in prison uniform. On trial are also prominent members of Iran’s leading moderate parties, founded by former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Muhammad Khatami. Both are backers of moderate defeated candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. Leading moderates say the vote was rigged in favour of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 
The authorities deny the charge. Semi official Fars news agency said at least four prominent reformers now said that the vote was not rigged. “Former vice-presidents Muhammad Ali Abtahi and Mohsen Safai -Farahani, former Industries Minister Behzad Nabavi, (Iranian-Canadian journalist) Maziar Bahari and former deputy interior minister Mostafa Tajzadeh have confessed that the issue of fraud in the Iran vote was baseless,” Fars reported. Bahari, who came to Iran to cover the vote for Newsweek, has said that he took cash from Britain’s Channel Four television for sending footage of unrest, Fars said, adding he had told reporters that foreign media were involved in the unrest. According to Aljazeera TV channel report that according to the Iranian law, an individual can be sentenced a capital punishment if it proves him involved in anti state activities.Aljazeera TV networkIranian TV confirms arrest of 3 Americans
VOH Watch
SULAIMANIYAH Aug. 02: Iranian state TV confirmed Saturday that Tehran has detained three Americans after they crossed the border from northern Iraq.The Kurdish regional government's envoy to Washington, Qubad Talabani, told The Associated Press the three were tourists and had mistakenly crossed into Iranian territory Friday while hiking in a mountainous area near the town of Ahmed Awaa.VOH Watch
Iran's state owned Arabic language al Alam TV station cited a ``well-informed source'' in the Interior Ministry that the three Americans were detained Friday after crossing into Iran's Kurdistan province. The report said the Americans were arrested after they failed to heed warnings from Iranian border guards. Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region has been relatively free of the violence that plagues the rest of Iraq. Foreigners often feel freer to move around without security guards in the area, and tourists have been known to visit the scenic area. It is relatively easy for tourists to get into the region, particularly if they arrive by airplane. The Kurdish government generally grants visitors visas valid for one week when they arrive at the airport. The mountainous border area is a popular hiking destination and well known for its thick growth of pistachio trees. .The NewsVOH Watch
“We held many press conferences, released authoritative information at the first moment, made public the truth, and exposed the violence masterminded by the ‘three evil forces” and their lies,” he said. Journalists from more than 100 overseas media organizations had traveled to Urumqi to cover the aftermath of the riot, according to officials with the media center.“Practice has proven that the policy conforms to the requirements of the opening-up and reform and the pace of the times, and demonstrates the nation’s democratic progress, civilization, openness, inclusiveness and confidence,” he said. “It (the policy) is beneficial to safeguarding the overall situation of reform, development and stability. It should be maintained and further improved,” he added. Hong Kong reports 3rd swine flu-related deaths
VOH Watch
HONG KONG Saturday, August 01: Hong Kong has reported its third swine flu-related death after a 58-year-old man who died of a heart attack later tested positive for the H1N1 virus. VOH Watch
The Princess Margaret Hospital says in a Saturday statement that the man, who had chronic heart disease, sought hospital treatment on Thursday because he was suffering from a chest infection with a fever. 
The hospital says he died of cardiac arrest on Friday and that hours later the hospital confirmed that he also had the swine flu virus. The NewsVOH Watch
Nigeria July 30: Nigerian security forces shelled 
then stormed the mosque and compound of an Muslim sect blamed for days of violence across northern Nigeria, killing more than 100 militants in a raging gunbattle. The bodies of barefoot young men littered the streets of Maiduguri on Thursday morning as the army entered into the moque and opened fires on militants hiding within moque. AsianewsAnti India forces may benefit from US military aid to Pakistan
VOH Watch
NEW DELHI July 30: India on Wednesday said it had conveyed its concerns to the United States over the possibility of American military aid to Pakistan being channelled to anti-India elements. 
“We have conveyed our concerns to the US regarding the risk of diversion of US military aid meant for counter-insurgency operations by Pakistan towards acquisition of conventional weapons for their deployment against India,” External Affairs Minister SM Krishna told the Rajya Sabha (Upper House). DailytimesVenzuela to end ties with Colombia
VOH Watch
Obama calls on China to respect ethnic and religious minorities
VOH Monitoring Report
WASHINGTON July 29: Barak Obama on Monday has urged Chinese government to respect the rights of religious and thinic minorities living in the country and would that Washington would work with Beijing to end the North Korean nuclear arms programme.He also called on Chinese government to resolve its internal problems with a dialogue to concerned parties. Downnews
VOH Watch
SRINAGARJ July 28: Omer Abadullah, Chief MinisterIndian held Kashmir resigned form office and submitted it to Governor N N VohraGovernor N N Vohra on Tuesday over allegations of his involvement in a sex scandal. He termed it as a baseless attempt to defame his reputation and create obstacles in the way of his government. 
According to edia sources, In response, Governor NN Vohra asked Abdullah to continue his duties as chief minister. Vohra said he would not accept the resignation until he had fully investigated the allegations and verified the claims. Abdullah has been accused by a former finance minister involved in a prostitution upheaval, involving about fourty underage girls whose clients allegedly included politicians, bureaucrats, security officials and businessmen in Indian held Kashmir. Down NewsUK issues woman police officials hijabs to enter mosques
VOH Watch
LONDON July 28(APP): Police in south-west England have issued its female officers hijabs (headscarves) to wear when entering mosques. The headscarves are embroidered with the West Country force’s name and logo, and come in two colours – black for police officers and blue for community support officers. 
A spokes woman said they were not intended purely to cater for Muslim cultural sensibilities but were multi-faith. “They are designed to be used in any place of worship. plainclothes officers could use them to cover their shoulders in a Catholic Church, or they can be used to cover the head in synagogues,” she said.app 3 venzuela to end ties with Colombia VOH Watch cARAKAS July 29, Venzuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced on Tuesday that he is going to freez relations with nighbouring country Colombia and called back his ambassador to avoid allegations from Bogota that Caracas has links to FARC Marxist guerillas in Colombia. sammanews 4 Obama calls on China to respect ethnic and religious minorities VOH Monitoring Report WASHINGTON July 29: Barak Obama on Monday has urged Chinese government to respect the rights of religious and thinic minorities living in the country and would that Washington would work with Beijing to end the North Korean nuclear arms programme.He also called on Chinese government to resolve its internal problems with a dialogue to concerned parties. AjazeeranewsIndia not involved in Balochistan
VOH Watch
Chidambaram NEW DELHI July 28: Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram has said India has nothing to do with Balochistan and said why it will do anything there when there are enough problems on its western border. He made it clear that Congress will rally behind the government over the Indo-Pak joint statement when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaks in Parliament next week. 
Singh will spell out in Parliament the “real meaning” of the document and apprise how Balochistan found its way in it, Indian minister told a news channel. “We are not involved in Balochistan. We have nothing to do with internal problem of Pakistan,” he said. “Besides, why should we get involved in Balochistan? We have enough problems on our western border with Pakistan,” Chidambaram said. Source: 111breakingnews VOH Watch
Washington July 27:US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and reiterated Washington’s commitment to protect close ally Israel from any threat posed by Tehran. What we want to do is to send a message to whoever is making these decisions, that if you’re pursuing nuclear weapons for the purpose of intimidating, of projecting your power, we’re not going to let that happen,” Clinton said.
Iran’s pursuit is futile,” she told NBC TV’s “Meet the Press” programme, adding that Iran did not have the right to develop a nuclear weapon. It is unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” she added. Clinton annoyed ally Israel last week by saying the United States would cope with a nuclear Iran by arming its allies in the Gulf and extending a “defense umbrella” over the region. Several senior U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and national security advisor James Jones, will be in Israel this week, seeking to reassure the Jewish state. Clinton said the Obama administration might still engage with Iran’s regime, even though she thinks the people there “deserve better than what they’re getting.” Moderator David Gregory asked Clinton if the U.S. would be betraying Iran’s democratic movement if the administration decides to negotiate with the government over its nuclear program. I don’t think so, David,” she replied. “We have negotiated with many governments who we did not believe represented the will of their people. Look at all the negotiations that went on with the Soviet Union. That is a part of American diplomacy. You don’t get to choose the people. that’s up to the internal dynamic within a society. But, clearly, we would hope better for the Iranian people. We would hope that there is more openness, that peaceful demonstrations are respected, that press freedom is respected, " she added. (APP)
Iran’s pursuit is futile,” she told NBC TV’s “Meet the Press” programme, adding that Iran did not have the right to develop a nuclear weapon. It is unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” she added. Clinton annoyed ally Israel last week by saying the United States would cope with a nuclear Iran by arming its allies in the Gulf and extending a “defense umbrella” over the region. Several senior U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and national security advisor James Jones, will be in Israel this week, seeking to reassure the Jewish state. Clinton said the Obama administration might still engage with Iran’s regime, even though she thinks the people there “deserve better than what they’re getting.” Moderator David Gregory asked Clinton if the U.S. would be betraying Iran’s democratic movement if the administration decides to negotiate with the government over its nuclear program. I don’t think so, David,” she replied. “We have negotiated with many governments who we did not believe represented the will of their people. Look at all the negotiations that went on with the Soviet Union. That is a part of American diplomacy. You don’t get to choose the people. that’s up to the internal dynamic within a society. But, clearly, we would hope better for the Iranian people. We would hope that there is more openness, that peaceful demonstrations are respected, that press freedom is respected, " she added. (APP)VOH Watch
Italy July 26: US President Barack Obama, on his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office, has said Africa must take charge of its own destiny in the world. Mr Obama also told parliament during his one-day stay in Ghana that good governance was vital for development. Major challenges awaited Africans in the new century, he said, but vowed that the US would help the continent.
The US President's trip comes at the end of a summit of eight of the worl 's most powerful nations, held in Italy. Ghana was chosen as the destination for the president's visit because of its strong democratic record. “We wanted to make sure to come to an African country after the G8 and after my business in Moscow to emphasise that Africa is not separate from world affairs,” Mr Obama said after meeting President John Atta Mills in the capital, Accra. “What happens here has an impact everywhere,” he said. “I have come here to Ghana for a simple reason,” the US President said. “The 21st Century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Ghana as well.” he added.
The US President's trip comes at the end of a summit of eight of the worl 's most powerful nations, held in Italy. Ghana was chosen as the destination for the president's visit because of its strong democratic record. “We wanted to make sure to come to an African country after the G8 and after my business in Moscow to emphasise that Africa is not separate from world affairs,” Mr Obama said after meeting President John Atta Mills in the capital, Accra. “What happens here has an impact everywhere,” he said. “I have come here to Ghana for a simple reason,” the US President said. “The 21st Century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Ghana as well.” he added.Obama urges for a continued international support to country's economy
VOH Watch
WASHINGTON July 26: America has Acknowledged recent operation against Taliban in FATA as aserious move towards peace and prosperity of region. He said that Washington was helping Pakistan to stabilise its Northwestern regions.“I think that at this point what you’ve seen is the Pakistani military step up in a way that we have not seen. 
I mean, they are engaged in a battle against Al Qaeda allies in that region and are trying to reassert control in areas that have become lawless.” Obama told ABC News in an interview. Keep it coming: Obama said he wanted to see the international community continue its support for Pakistan as the country makes efforts to rehabilitate millions internally displaced persons (IDPs). He said Islamabad must be supported for the well being of the IDPs to make sure they were not inclined to become militant sympathisers in the future. “There are downsides to that. You’re seeing the displacement of a lot of people in those battle zones. And I’m very worried that are we, as an international community, adequately helping Pakistan to deal with those people who’ve been displaced because we don’t want that to be a new recruitment tool for radicals saying that, you know, you’ve been chased out of your home because of Pakistan. We have to be very careful about the potential use of that kind of propaganda,” Obama said. The US president described Al Qaeda as a “non-state actor, a shadowy operation” and told the channel that he would not use the term ‘victory’ against the organisation as a US goal in Afghanistan. “I’m always worried about using the word ‘victory’ because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur. “You know, we’re not dealing with nation-states at this point. We’re concerned with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. So when you have a non-state actor, a shadowy operation like Al Qaeda, our goal is to make sure they can’t attack the US,” he said. (APP)
I mean, they are engaged in a battle against Al Qaeda allies in that region and are trying to reassert control in areas that have become lawless.” Obama told ABC News in an interview. Keep it coming: Obama said he wanted to see the international community continue its support for Pakistan as the country makes efforts to rehabilitate millions internally displaced persons (IDPs). He said Islamabad must be supported for the well being of the IDPs to make sure they were not inclined to become militant sympathisers in the future. “There are downsides to that. You’re seeing the displacement of a lot of people in those battle zones. And I’m very worried that are we, as an international community, adequately helping Pakistan to deal with those people who’ve been displaced because we don’t want that to be a new recruitment tool for radicals saying that, you know, you’ve been chased out of your home because of Pakistan. We have to be very careful about the potential use of that kind of propaganda,” Obama said. The US president described Al Qaeda as a “non-state actor, a shadowy operation” and told the channel that he would not use the term ‘victory’ against the organisation as a US goal in Afghanistan. “I’m always worried about using the word ‘victory’ because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur. “You know, we’re not dealing with nation-states at this point. We’re concerned with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. So when you have a non-state actor, a shadowy operation like Al Qaeda, our goal is to make sure they can’t attack the US,” he said. (APP)A Genie is sued for Haraasment
Monitoring report
July 20-July27
Saudi Arabia: Some times interesting events occure like the report says taht Saudi Arabian family is taking a genie to court, accusing it of theft and harassment, reports say. They accuse the spirit of threatening them, throwing stones and stealing mobile phones. The family have lived in the same house near the city of Medina for 15 years but say they only recently became aware of the spirit. They have now moved out. A local court is investigating. In Islamic theology, genies are spirits that can harass or possess humans. "We began to hear strange sounds," the head of the family, who come from Mahd Al Dahab, told the Saudi daily. He did not want to be named.
Lifeguards were on the lookout Friday in Malibu for any signs of a shark spotted the day before.Malibu Shark Attack. Although the sight of the shark may have shock some, it’s hardly unusual. “It’s their home,” said county lifeguard Capt.
Terry Harvey, who added that he did not know what type of shark was seen off the coast, only that it was “fairly sizeable.” On Thursday, a helicopter crew captured video of the shark, which was estimated to be between 10-12 feet long. The shark didn’t harm anyone but lifeguards alerted beachgoers of its presence.
Experts say that sometimes sharks confuse wetsuits for the black skin of sea lions, which are a common food source. The aquatic phenomenon was said to have been as close as 500 feet from Surf-Rider Beach. The Malibu shark sighting happened two days before the premier of the SyFy Channel’s “Malibu Shark Attack.”
Malibu Shark Attack
Asia News Report
July 26, 2009Lifeguards were on the lookout Friday in Malibu for any signs of a shark spotted the day before.Malibu Shark Attack. Although the sight of the shark may have shock some, it’s hardly unusual. “It’s their home,” said county lifeguard Capt.
Terry Harvey, who added that he did not know what type of shark was seen off the coast, only that it was “fairly sizeable.” On Thursday, a helicopter crew captured video of the shark, which was estimated to be between 10-12 feet long. The shark didn’t harm anyone but lifeguards alerted beachgoers of its presence.
Experts say that sometimes sharks confuse wetsuits for the black skin of sea lions, which are a common food source. The aquatic phenomenon was said to have been as close as 500 feet from Surf-Rider Beach. The Malibu shark sighting happened two days before the premier of the SyFy Channel’s “Malibu Shark Attack.”Big Ben Rings On 150th Birthday
VOH Watch
July20-July27
London: A giant birthday message is to be projected on to Britain Parliament's clock tower to mark 150 years since the first ringing of Big Ben. 
The Great Bell struck its first hour on 11 July 1859 and a year of celebrations is taking place for the anniversary. The message reading "Happy Birthday Big Ben, 150 years, 1859 - 2009," will be beamed on to the tower after sunset. Other activities celebrating Big Ben have been organised by the Guy Fox History Project charity. Over the next 12 months children and volunteers will explore the clock tower and research its history. After 150 years, Big Ben still holds a special place in the hearts of Londoners and the world. Mike McCann, Keeper of the Great Clock, said: "After 150 years, Big Ben still holds a special place in the hearts of Londoners and the world as a magnificent example of engineering and building genius."
The Great Bell struck its first hour on 11 July 1859 and a year of celebrations is taking place for the anniversary. The message reading "Happy Birthday Big Ben, 150 years, 1859 - 2009," will be beamed on to the tower after sunset. Other activities celebrating Big Ben have been organised by the Guy Fox History Project charity. Over the next 12 months children and volunteers will explore the clock tower and research its history. After 150 years, Big Ben still holds a special place in the hearts of Londoners and the world. Mike McCann, Keeper of the Great Clock, said: "After 150 years, Big Ben still holds a special place in the hearts of Londoners and the world as a magnificent example of engineering and building genius."
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