Politics, not race, likely behind Obama speech uproar

After decades of criticizing public schools as places where hardly anybody learns anything, suddenly conservatives are upset that a 15- to 20-minute Web cast in schools might teach too much. That's because the Web cast is by President Barack Obama. His critics fear he might teach something that they'd rather not have our schoolchildren hear.

The quarrel began after Education Secretary Arne Duncan e-mailed principals that the president would speak on Tuesday over the Internet, on C-SPAN and via satellite “directly to the nation's schoolchildren about persisting and succeeding in school.”

Somehow that useful message, coming amid the heat of an unrelated health care debate, was immediately interpreted by Obama's conservative critics as a sneaky way to enlist children into promoting his political agenda.

Or, as Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida Republican Party, put it, “As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology.”

Mercy. It takes a different planet from the one on which I live to find “persisting and succeeding in school” to be socialist ideology. But conservative pundits were just getting warmed up to the biggest political panic since former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin accused the House health care bill of mandating “death panels.”

Blogger Michelle Malkin charged schools and teachers unions were using students as “little lobbyists.” American Values President Gary Bauer declared, “Tuesday may be a good day to sit in on your child's classes.”

The Education Department didn't help matters with the darkly suggestive wording that someone, dare I say, stupidly included in a set of classroom activities posted on the department's Web site to accompany the speech.

It suggested that students “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president.” A White House spokesman acknowledged that the original was “inartfully worded.” Translation from government-ese: Somebody messed up.

Out went the old wording. The updated version asks students to “write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals.” Good. Ask not what you can do for the president, children. Ask what you can do to help your own futures.

As much as some observers suspect bias in this backlash against the nation's first black president, I don't think race has much to do with it. Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1988 and George H.W. Bush in 1991 gave similar televised addresses, amid some criticism from Democrats about propagandizing on the taxpayers' dime. That's politics.

Besides, values do matter. If conservatives heard that Bill Cosby, for example, were delivering the address, I think they would be delighted. I cannot guarantee that all of his political views would please conservative stalwarts. But his five-year-old crusade for self-help and personal responsibility has given voice to values on which the Obama left and the Malkin right can find rare agreement: the importance of good parenting.

Here I speak from hard-learned experience. Politics may come and go, but the day-to-day job of raising kids brings out the conservatism in us all.

That's why a lot of parents welcome Obama's messages to kids. Many hope for what some educators have called an “Obama effect,” the role modeling that might help our offspring to expand their definition of “cool” to include academic excellence, family obligations, parental responsibilities and, heaven help us, pulling their pants up to full mast.

And for African American children, in particular, there's another important message in Obama's famous unflappability: Don't let racism or suspicions of racism dim your determination to succeed.

Obama received a huge political boost last year when he espoused such Cosby-esque values that Americans tend to share across racial and party lines. Maybe that's what his conservative rivals are really worried about.

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Saturday he was convinced that civilians, in addition to militants, were among those killed in a NATO airstrike that killed at least 90 people in northern Afghanistan.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal toured the site of the massive explosion that occurred early Friday as Afghans tried to siphon fuel from two tankers that were hijacked late Thursday by the Taliban in Kunduz province.

The fuel was earmarked for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, known as ISAF.

ISAF Capt. Elizabeth Mathias said Friday the military believed there were no civilians near the trucks at the time of the attack. NATO learned afterward that this was not the case. Video Watch more about the airstrikes »

McChrystal visited the hospital Saturday where the injured were being treated.

"It's important to me that we be as honest with the Afghan people and with people around the world as possible," he said.


"Of course, you don't know all the facts until an investigation's complete. And I clearly don't know all the facts now, and would not want to affect a potential investigation by making some conclusion that might be inappropriate.

"But from what I have seen today in going to the hospital, it's clear to me that there were some civilians that were harmed at that site."

The total death toll has varied depending on the source, but local Afghan officials have said at least half of those killed were civilians. Photo See images of the strike aftermath »

NATO and Afghan authorities were investigating.

The Taliban gave villagers the go-ahead to drain the tankers after they became stuck in the mud when the militants tried to drive them through the Kunduz River.

With the trucks stuck on the riverbank, the German commander of the NATO forces in the area called in the airstrike, the German military said. No German soldiers or planes were involved in the attack.
fghan President Hamid Karzai said Friday he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths and reiterated that no civilians should be killed or injured in anti-terrorist military operations.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay released a statement saying, "ISAF will do whatever is necessary to help the community, including medical assistance and evacuation as requested. ISAF regrets any unnecessary loss of human life

U.S. general sure Afghan civilians killed in airstrike

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Saturday he was convinced that civilians, in addition to militants, were among those killed in a NATO airstrike that killed at least 90 people in northern Afghanistan.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal toured the site of the massive explosion that occurred early Friday as Afghans tried to siphon fuel from two tankers that were hijacked late Thursday by the Taliban in Kunduz province.

The fuel was earmarked for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, known as ISAF.

ISAF Capt. Elizabeth Mathias said Friday the military believed there were no civilians near the trucks at the time of the attack. NATO learned afterward that this was not the case. Video Watch more about the airstrikes »

McChrystal visited the hospital Saturday where the injured were being treated.

"It's important to me that we be as honest with the Afghan people and with people around the world as possible," he said.

"Of course, you don't know all the facts until an investigation's complete. And I clearly don't know all the facts now, and would not want to affect a potential investigation by making some conclusion that might be inappropriate.

"But from what I have seen today in going to the hospital, it's clear to me that there were some civilians that were harmed at that site."

The total death toll has varied depending on the source, but local Afghan officials have said at least half of those killed were civilians. Photo See images of the strike aftermath »

NATO and Afghan authorities were investigating.

The Taliban gave villagers the go-ahead to drain the tankers after they became stuck in the mud when the militants tried to drive them through the Kunduz River.

With the trucks stuck on the riverbank, the German commander of the NATO forces in the area called in the airstrike, the German military said. No German soldiers or planes were involved in the attack.
fghan President Hamid Karzai said Friday he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths and reiterated that no civilians should be killed or injured in anti-terrorist military operations.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay released a statement saying, "ISAF will do whatever is necessary to help the community, including medical assistance and evacuation as requested. ISAF regrets any unnecessary loss of human life

Failed rescue: 2 beached whales die off Fla. shore

By J. PAT CARTER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Rescuers failed in a frantic bid to save a mother whale and her baby after the pair ran aground off a South Florida beach Monday as hundreds looked on, many in tears. Neither animal survived despite efforts to keep them alive with moist towels and umbrellas to protect their drying skin from the scorching sun.

A team of marine mammal specialists tried to save the distressed whales after they became trapped in shallow waters at Hollywood beach, just north of Miami. The mother died and the calf had to be euthanized, authorities said.

Swimmers spotted the whales around 1 p.m. in waist-deep water and tried to encourage them to head back toward deeper water. The whales briefly swam away, but returned and headed toward the beach.

The mother - which experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration identified as a beaked whale - was about 10 to 12 feet long. The calf was about half her size.

Some placed towels on the whales trying to keep them moist, and volunteers waded into the water and held umbrellas over the animals in hopes of further shielding them from the sun as a summertime crowd of about 300 tourists and residents looked at the somber scene.

After the mother died, the calf was brought next to her and euthanized by a NOAA marine mammal specialist.

"I have tears in my eyes," said Eileen Vulpis of Coral Springs. "Everyone here is upset, everyone really thought they were going to try to save the baby."

Blair Mase, a stranding coordinator for NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, said beaked whales normally do not survive in captivity, and that the calf would have been unable to live without its mother.

Dozens of people with video and still cameras waded into the water, trying to get closer to the whales as authorities kept others back behind yellow police tape. A police helicopter hovered nearby.

Experts will perform necropsies on both whales, Mase said.

Mase said whales can beach themselves for a variety of reasons, including climate conditions, disorientation after hearing a loud noise, sickness and parasites.

There are normally one or two so-called "beaching events" of beaked whales a year in South Florida, according to NOAA experts. But they noted it's still traumatic for beachgoers to witness.

Some in the crowd were parents trying to explain what was happening to their young children.

"Whales tear at our heartstrings," said Mase.

Clinton presses Angola to fight corruption

nited States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses a press conference in Luanda, August 9, 2009.Clinton pressed Angola on Sunday to do more to fight corruption during a two-day visit to the oil-producing country aimed at bolstering ties between the two nations. REUTERS
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressed Angola yesterday to do more to fight corruption during a two-day visit to the oil-producing country aimed at bolstering ties between the two nations.


Angola rivals Nigeria as Africa’s biggest oil producer but about two-thirds of the population live on less than $2 a day. It ranks 158th on Transparency International’s 180-nation corruption list.

“Corruption is a problem everywhere and where it exists it undermines people’s faith in democracy, it distorts governance,” Clinton said at a news conference alongside Angolan Foreign Minister Assuncao dos Anjos.

Corruption has been a theme of Clinton’s trip to Africa, echoing US President Barack Obama when he visited Ghana last month. She praised Angola for publishing its oil revenues online and for working with U.S. officials to increase transparency.

“Of course we raised this issue with the minister but I think it is only fair to add that Angola has begun taking steps to increase transparency,” said Mrs Clinton, the first US secretary of state to visit since 2002. A senior US official said Clinton had been very direct in her discussions with the foreign minister regarding Angola’s record on corruption and also urged the African nation to play a bigger role in the region.

“They are moving in the right direction, so its better to encourage them,” the US official said. US-Angolan ties have improved since the end of Angola’s 27-year civil war, during which Washington helped bankroll one of the losing groups, Unita, now the main opposition party.

Unita urged Mrs Clinton to press the government not to delay the first post-war presidential election. (Reuters)

NY pilot who radioed warning: Plane like missile

The wreckage of a helicopter is lifted by crane from the Hudson River and placed on a boat as seen from Hoboken, N.J., Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009. Divers recovered a piece of a submerged helicopter and a fifth body Sunday as investigators searched the Hudson River for wreckage from the helicopter and a small plane that collided in midair, killing nine people.

NEW YORK -- The pilot who radioed a desperate, last-minute warning says a plane that struck a helicopter over the Hudson River "looked like a cruise missile hitting a target."

Ben Lane warned fellow helicopter pilot Jeremy Clarke on Saturday that the plane was bearing down on him.

Lane tells the Daily News that another pilot heard him scream "Watch out! Watch out!"

He doesn't remember screaming. But he does recall seeing a wing and chopper blades falling before both aircraft plummeted, killing nine.

He searched for survivors, but there were none.

Lane says a crash was inevitable along the busy corridor. He says helicopter pilots stay in constant radio contact. But many small plane pilots - he calls them "weekend warriors" - do not.

Typhoon Morakot leaves 6 dead, 3 missing on Chinese mainland

FUZHOU/HANGZHOU, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Morakot has left six people dead and three others missing on the Chinese mainland after a powerful landing in east China Sunday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said late Monday.


Pedestrians wade through a flooded street in Cangnan, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 10, 2009. Rainfall brought by typhoon "Morakot", the 8th this year, has flooded the county seat of Cangnan.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>

Four deaths were reported in Zhejiang Province and one each in Fujian Province and Jiangxi Province, the ministry said. Two people in Zhejiang and another in Fujian are missing.

More than 8.8 million people in the three provinces and Anhui Province as well were affected by Morakot, which forced local authorities to relocate 1.4 million.

It toppled more than 6,000 houses and inundated 387,300 hectares of cropland, the ministry said. Direct economic losses have amounted up to 9 billion yuan (1.3 billion U.S. dollars), it said.

Vice Premier Hui Liangyu headed Monday to worst-hit regions in Fujian and Zhejiang to visit residents as well as military and police staff that are fighting the typhoon.

Hui, also head of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, first visited Xiapu and hard-hit Fuding city upon arriving in Fujian.

He made an on-the-spot inspection of the situation after Typhoon Morakot swept across the region, and visited relocated residents.

Hui asked local governments to be on high alert for flooding, landslides, and mud-rock flows that may occur after heavy rains, and at the same time closely watch the safety of reserviors.

Morakot weakened to become a tropical storm early Monday, yet still caused heavy flooding and grave losses along its path in China.

The Zhejiang Meteorological Station announced Monday that Morakot was slowing and weakening as it was moving northwestward, bringing heavy rain to northern Zhejiang.

In Xiapu county, the typhoon's landing point, at least 136,000 people suffered property losses from flooding and landslides caused by Morakot, which packed winds up to 118 km per hour on its arrival.

Zhang Changjian, deputy county head and director of the county's flood control and drought relief headquarters, said the county's agriculture and fishery industries had been severely battered, with direct losses estimated at 200 million yuan (29 million U.S. dollars).

He said 14 townships were flooded, and eight roads were blocked by floods and landslides.

The county seat of Cangnan is flooded on Aug. 10, 2009 in east China's Zhejiang Province. Rainfall brought by typhoon "Morakot", the 8th this year, has flooded the county seat of Cangnan. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>

Xie Xiaoping, manager of the Xiapu Power Co. Ltd., said staff had been working around the clock to ensure power supplies, but some villages saw short blackouts.

A total of 155 passenger vessel sailings were cancelled and more than 48,000 vessels were recalled to ports in Fujian, where 505,000 people were evacuated from their homes as authorities raised the typhoon alarm to a red alert, its highest level, Sunday.

Wenzhou City, in Zhejiang, reported the first death in the typhoon on Sunday after three adults and a 4-year-old boy were buried when the torrential rain brought five houses down. After they were rescued, the boy died, according to the city's flood-control headquarters.

In Zhejiang, more than 3.4 million people suffered property losses as hundreds of villages were flooded and more than 1,800 houses collapsed, according to the Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

In Cangnan, one of Zhejiang's 20 flooded counties, vehicles left parked on main roads were submerged in water measuring 1 meter in depth.

The National Meteorological Center said violent rainstorms would continue in south Jiangsu, southeast Anhui, northeast Jiangxi, Shanghai, most parts of Zhejiang and Fujian, and Taiwan over Monday.

The center issued the highest alert at 6 p.m. Sunday in response to expected rainstorms in these regions, advising people to stop work outdoors, and urging authorities to clear drainage channels in cities and villages.

The center also warned of possible flooding near Taihu Lake, Jiangsu Province, as downpours reached 100 to 130 mm.

The West Lake in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, was closed Sunday, and navigation along the Qiantang River, one of its tributaries, stopped.

TAIWAN LOSSES

Typhoon Morakot also brought great losses to Taiwan. According to the island's disaster response center, Morakot had killed 12 people and injured 52, while 32 were still missing as of Monday.

Taiwan's meteorological department lifted the typhoon alert at 10 a.m., but continued to forecast rainstorms in the area south of Miaoli County.

Although typhoon Morakot has left Taiwan, the weather conditions on Monday remained unstable and some mountainous areas might have very heavy rainstorms, landslide and flooding, the forecast said.

The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) expressed sympathy to the Taiwan people who suffered from the typhoon via the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

The mainland was deeply concerned with the great losses in Taiwan and conveyed condolences and hoped the Taiwan people could resume normal living and working conditions as soon as possible, said a letter from the ARATS to the SEF on Monday.

Obama underplays Buy American policy

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and U.S. President Barack Obama pose for the official photo at the end of the North American Leaders' Summit in Guadalajara on Aug. 10, 2009. REUTERS

Controversial procurement plan won't endanger trade, U.S. President says as summit with Harper and Calderon wraps up in Mexico
Steven Chase and Josh Wingrove

Guadalajara, Mexico — From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Monday, Aug. 10, 2009 11:16PM EDT

Barack Obama is playing down Buy American government procurement policies that exclude Canadian suppliers, suggesting it is an isolated problem and raising hopes that local U.S. governments might cut deals with provinces to expand cross-border bidding.

The always diplomatic U.S. president was telling Canadians, in other words, to stop overreacting.

“I do think it's important to keep this in perspective. This in no way has endangered the billions of dollars of trade taking place between our two countries,” Mr. Obama said Monday as he wrapped up a brief North American Leaders' Summit in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been lobbying Mr. Obama for help in obtaining Canada an exemption from American measures that shut Canadian firms out of the bidding for U.S. state and municipal contracts funded by the President's stimulus package.

The Prime Minister failed to clinch any guarantees during the two-day summit, but Mr. Obama said he believes there could be ways of improving access for provinces to local government procurement in the United States.

“There may be mechanisms whereby states and local jurisdictions can work with the provinces to allow for cross-border procurement practices that expand the trading relationship.”

Canadian municipal leaders who are fighting the Buy American provision were encouraged by the President's comments.

“This is the first time publicly that the President had acknowledged that there is an issue … he's willing to take a look at it, which we have to think is positive,” said Rick Bonnette, Mayor of Halton Hills, Ont. The town of 55,000 spearheaded a Federation of Canadian Municipalities resolution two months ago calling for Canadian products to be included in U.S. stimulus spending. It was signed by about a dozen Canadian municipalities that are threatening to stop buying U.S.-made products
Canadian exporters say they're feeling the pinch. At Hayward Gordon, a Halton Hills company specializing in industrial water pumps, American business that once made up three-quarters of the firm's orders is drying up.

“It's millions of dollars in orders that are starting to pile up,” said John Hayward, the company's second-generation president who believes the worst is yet to come.

“It's about to hit us like a tidal wave,” he said. “I have to compete against American companies here [in Canada] and sometimes lose orders to them, and I can't turn around and compete in the U.S. And there's a hell of a lot wrong with that.”

However, Mr. Obama – busy trying to push through controversial health care reforms, nurse the U.S. economy back to health and secure Afghanistan – made it clear that Buy American provisions are not something that greatly trouble him.

“I want to assure you your Prime Minister raises this with me every time we see each other,” he said after the Three Amigos meetings with Mr. Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon. “[But] I think it's also important to keep it in perspective, that in fact we have not seen some sweeping steps toward protectionism,” he said.

Canadian officials fear that Buy American is a creeping and persistent problem and that U.S. lawmakers may keep passing legislation, beyond the stimulus package, that bars Canadian firms from competing for work. But Mr. Obama gave little indication he considered the procurement barriers a long-term problem, saying while he's no fan of the Buy American provisions, they were simply a drawback of a hastily passed stimulus package.

“It's not a general provision but was it restricted to a very particular aspect of our recovery package,” he said, noting the measure does not break World Trade Organization regulations.

“It was not something that I thought was necessary but it was introduced at a time when we had a very severe economic situation and it was important for us to act quickly and not get bogged down in debates around this particular provision.”

At a mid-west gathering of the Council of State Governments, a policy and networking organization for politicians from across the U.S., several Canadian politicians were pressing more than 500 lawmakers to adopt a resolution opposing the Buy American provisions Monday.

“There was a lot of misunderstanding about these policies among politicians on the state level,” said NDP MP Jim Malloway from the conference in Overland Park, Kansas. “They assumed that their allies in Canada would be excluded from the provisions and were shocked to hear that Canada might be harmed by this.”

The draft resolution, which encourages “local, state and provincial governments to adopt open procurement policies within our regions and between our two countries”, will go to a vote Tuesday morning. Judging by conversations with his U.S. counterparts, Mr. Malloway expects the motion to be adopted with little opposition.

Mr. Harper said he expects to discuss the matter “at greater length” with Mr. Obama in their upcoming meetings – a tête-à-tête at the White House in mid-September and a Group of 20 economic summit later that month.

Days before the meeting, Canada's premiers had signalled they're prepared to strike a new trade deal to open their procurement markets to the United States in return for exemptions from Buy American policies, and put their weight behind Mr. Harper. The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters trade association has also called for an end to the Buy American clause. Mr. Bonnette believes the broad opposition will give Mr. Harper a strong mandate in negotiations.

“Hopefully it will all get ironed out,” the mayor said. “Our companies base their business plans on an integrated market. It's pretty hard to separate one country from the other.”

With a report from Patrick White in Winnipeg

Bayon Information Center opens in Siem Reap, Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Based in Siem Reap provincial town, Bayon Information Center, serving as a showcasing center that reflects 15-year attainment of JSA/JASA (Japanese organization) in rehabilitating Bayon temple, was officially opened for the public on Aug. 6, the official news agency AKP reported on Monday.

Siem Reap provincial governor Sou Phirin, APSARA Authority General Director Bun Narith and representatives from Japanese Embassy and UNESCO partook in the opening ceremony organized by JASA organization.


The center provides not only information on history and temple sin Angkor area but also other researches as well as international cooperation projects. Photographic and video presentations and verbal explanation are means for showcasing the resources available in the center.

As part of its effort to restore current Angkorean temples, the Japanese government has picked Bayon as key focus given its priceless and unique natures. National conciliation effort represented one of Bayon's most valuable natures.

Cambodia Made It Again into the International Media

The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 624

Cambodia made it again into the international media – together with Norway, it may be said.

Norway is hardly known in Cambodia – a small country of only about 4.5 million people compared to Cambodia’s around 14 million. Few people may know that the Norwegian branch of the international group of Save-the-Children fund organizations – Redd Barna – has been co-operating with the Ministry of Education of Cambodia over the years. And the organization Norwegian People’s Aid made it sometimes into the Cambodian press because of its involvement in landmine clearance and other activities related to dealing with landmines.


Since 1992 people from Norway are involved in Cambodia, providing technical assistance to the Cambodian Mine Action Center [CMAC]. But Norwegian People’s Aid does not work only on direct landmine clearance. In 1997, NPA was requested by the local authorities to assist in the resettlement of 5,000 displaced families on mine-free and de-mined land. In January 2007, requested by the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority [CMAA], NPA cooperated in Empowering CMAA, to analyze, plan, and use mine action data.

So far, their program Mines and Explosive Detection Dogs – through the NPA Global Training Center for Mine Detection Dogs co-operating with CMAC – found interest also in the Khmer press.

How is it possible that the people of this small country are involved in such work internationally? What is the background of the Norwegian People’s Aid? Norwegian People’s Aid has developed out of the Norwegian Labor Movement – struggling for their own rights, and extending the same spirit to others: “We support people in their struggle for more power and influence over their own lives and in the development of their societies.” The organization has about 12,000 members all over Norway: organizing work in Norway like First Aid and other emergency services, running receptions centers for refugees, voluntary activities for elderly and disabled people, as well as work against racism.

And the financial basis? A lot comes from individual regular supporters. But the Norwegian Television System is also assisting with fund raising for public concerns by organizing every year a Telethon: one whole Sunday afternoon and evening is dedicated to information about a specific issue, and at the same time, almost every house in the country is visited by volunteers collecting money. In this way, the 4.5 million Norwegians – “financial crisis or not” – collect normally around US$20 million and more millions during a few hours. And in preparation of these events – dedicated to problems of drug addition, physical disabilities, education, de-mining – a lot of further information is in newspapers, on radio, and on TV. In relation to Cambodia, this included recently also information about the conflicts between the residents around the Boeung Kak lake and the business plans of developing high rise buildings and to beautify Phnom Penh.

The Motto of the Kingdom of Norway is “Everything for Norway” – and this pride in their own identity leads to international outreach, support, and cooperation, at present in more than 30 countries, always trying to work with local partners and with local authorities. As for mine action, Norwegian People’s Aid is one of the leading organizations worldwide. But the work in this field of special competence is based on four wider concerns:

- Work against oppression, poverty and unfair distribution of resources.
- Fighting racism and discrimination.
- Working for gender equality, and against violence and abuse.
- Prevention, promoting voluntarism and building competence.

With these goals, the Norwegian People’s Aid found a natural partner in the Cambodian Disabled People’s Organization [CDPO], working – in their own words –

“to develop the networks of people with disabilities so as to support, protect, serve and promote their rights, achievements and interests, in order to bring about their fuller participation and equality in society.

Vision

People with Disabilities have a right to participate fully and equally in society.
Value

One voice of People with Disabilities.
Empowerment of People with Disabilities.

Mission

Develop the networks of people with disabilities so as to support, protect, serve and promote their rights, achievements and interests, in order to bring about their fuller participation and equality in society.
Objective

To promote and bring about positive changes in attitudes in Cambodian society towards people with disabilities…”

After a Miss Landmine event had been organized with Norwegian cooperation in 2008 in Africa, in Angola, also a country suffering from decades of civil war and the devastation landmines bring, a similar event was planned and prepared in Cambodia in 2009, with the following goals – with which the Cambodian Disabled People’s Organization agreed and they prepared an event together, based on the following convictions: [depending on your browser setting, if you wait several seconds, a "slide show" may start]

EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO BE BEAUTIFUL!

- Female pride and empowerment.
- Disabled pride and empowerment.
- Global and local landmine awareness and information.
- Challenge inferiority and/or guilt complexes that hinder creativity-
- historical, cultural, social, personal, Asian, European.
- Question established concepts of physical perfection.
- Challenge old and ingrown concepts of cultural cooperation.
- Celebrate true beauty.
- Replace the passive term ‘Victim’ with the active term ‘Survivor’
- And have a good time for all involved while doing so!

Twenty women have been finally selected, and their pictures were to be displayed in the cultural center of the Meta House in Phnom Penh. They come from the provinces and cities of Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampot, Kompong Cham,Kompong Chhnang, Kandal, Kep, Kompong Speu, Kompong Thom, Mondolkiri, Pailin, Phnom Penh, Preah Sihanouk, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Pursat, Siem Reap, Stung Treng, Svay Rieng, and Takeo.

They range in age between 18 and 48, they survived a mine explosion between 1979 and 2000, they are farmers, or selling cake at a market, work in a factory, or are students. And their pictures show that they are, in spite of having survived a terrible experience, claiming their “right to participate fully and equally in society” according to the Vision of the Cambodian Disabled People’s Organization.

This endeavor is sponsored and funded, like many other international activities, by the people of Norway, in this case through the Arts Council Norway (Norsk Kulturråd) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But Ministry of Social Affairs Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation of Cambodia prohibited the planned event, as The Mirror reported already on Thursday, 6.8.2009, and the Miss Landmine website said: “all further activities on Cambodian territory are canceled as of today 2 August 2009.”

The Cambodian Disabled People’s Organization followed suit: “We totally support the content of the announcement of the Ministry of Social Affairs Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation not to support the Miss Landmine contest, because it can create misunderstandings among the public towards the honor of disabled people, especially of disabled women.”

And the Minister of Women’s Affairs declared in The Cambodia Daily, that her Ministry had never given full support to this plan, as had been claimed.

This event brought Cambodia again into the international media: Soon after the prohibition, there was a report broadcast on BBC World Service, and a quick research showed that by now there are are about 250 reports in the media in Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Many of these reports refer also to the pictures on the Miss Landmine website. To look at them, to read the individual short notes of every one of these 20 women standing form many, many more survivors, may explain why this planned event – and its prohibition – finds such wide international interest. What does it mean that the positions taken by the Cambodian authorities on the one side, and the people of Norway who supported the efforts which were welcome in Angola, and which seem to be welcome in the media reports around the world? Even when the language not of all reports can be understood, the pictures speak clearly.

Please recommend us also to your colleagues and friends.

Get the camera ready for this Cambodia Adventure!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

You won’t be able to resist getting snap-happy in Cambodia – the region is a melting pot overflowing with spectacular sights, fascinating history, other-worldly spirituality and unique culture, all fringed by dense jungle.

Tour Cambodia with a five-day extension before one of Contiki’s amazing new Asian itineraries and throw yourself head first into one of the sparkling jewels of South-East Asia. Learn about the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, visit the captivating Angkor Wat, sample traditional deep-fried spiders and delve deep into the country’s heartbeat.

Highlights of this tour include:

•Phnom Penh: discover the city once known as the Pearl of Asia with its broad French-style boulevards, boutique stores and unique local culture

•Siem Reap: travel by tuk-tuk to watch the sun set over one of the most stunning skylines in Asia and visit the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake by wooden boat

•Angkor Wat: visit one of the biggest religious monuments ever built and marvel in its splendor, which was lost in the jungle for more than 600 years

The 5-day Cambodia Extension tour is priced from $725 per person, twin share (land only). Departures are available until May 2010.

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SKorea doing everything to free citizens in North

By JAE-SOON CHANG
The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's president said Friday the country is "doing everything it can" to win the release of its citizens detained in North Korea, after former President Bill Clinton brought home two American journalists.

The release of reporters Euna Lee and Laura Ling raised calls for Seoul to do more for five South Koreans being held in the North, one since late March.

With ties between the Koreas at a historic low, Pyonyang has refused to talk about the detainees, and South Korea has ruled out the possibility of sending an envoy to negotiate their release.

South Korean and Japanese officials said Clinton urged the North to free the South Koreans and to address a decades-old abduction of Japanese citizens during his landmark trip to Pyongyang earlier this week that included a rare meeting with leader Kim Jong Il.

"The government is doing everything it can" to win the freedom of a South Korean who worked a joint factory complex in the North and four fishermen abducted when their boat strayed into northern waters, President Lee Myung-bak said via his spokesman. "The government is fully aware of the concern and interest the people have in this issue.

Lee did not elaborate on what measured were being taken, but he added that Seoul and Washington had fully coordinated on the American journalists' release.

Though Pyongyang has publicly refused to talk about the South Koreans it is holding, Seoul's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported Friday that the isolated regime had indicated it was willing to negotiate the worker's release when the chairwoman of Hyundai Asan, a South Korean firm with close business ties to the regime, visited Tuesday.

The paper, which cited unidentified government officials, said Hyun's deputy plans to travel to the industrial complex next week, and could bring the detained worker home.
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Hyundai Asan denied the report, saying North Korean officials made no mention of the captive worker during the chairwoman's trip. The company said its president could make a routine visit to the North next week.

South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said he is not aware of the North's making such a suggestion. Deputy spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo also said there was no mention of the held worker in a Hyundai Asan report to the government on the chairwoman's trip.

On Thursday, Seoul's Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said he understood that Clinton conveyed to North Korea that the South Korean worker and fishermen "should be released on humanitarian grounds." He said South Korea hasn't heard how the North Koreans reacted.

In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told reporters that "Clinton urged Kim Jong Il to make progress" on the issue of abducted Japanese nationals. He cited an unidentified senior U.S. government official as the source of the information.

Nine killed as plane and helicopter collide over New York

Nine people were killed when a light plane and a helicopter collided over New York, sending both aircraft plunging into the Hudson River.

New Yorkers enjoying a beautiful summer afternoon watched in horror as the small plane carrying three people including a child clipped the back of the helicopter, which had just taken off on a sightseeing trip with five Italian tourists aboard.


One eyewitness told the NY1 TV he saw a wing come off the plane and the helicopter "fell like a stone" into the river.

Search and rescue craft immediately rushed to the crash site but it quickly became apparent there would be no survivors. Three bodies had been recovered by night fall and officials said they held out no hope of finding survivors.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: "This has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission. There's not going to be a happy ending."

Debbie Hersman, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the helicopter, operated by Liberty Helicopter, a sightseeing helicopter company, had been located and marked with buoys and investigators were using side-scanning radar to try to locate the aircraft.

She said another Liberty pilot had witnessed the crash.

"He saw a small single-engine aircraft approaching from behind (the helicopter). ... He stated that he saw the right wing of the aircraft impact the helicopter," she said.

Witnesses spoke of a 'loud boom' as the aircraft collided, and crashed into the river.

"We heard a really loud crash which sounded like lightning or thunder,"one woman told local media. "They were both falling from the sky."

Witnesses described seeing a low-flying plane smashing into the helicopter, and then wreckage scattering. One of the plane's wings was severed by the impact.

Eyewitness Buzz Nahas told AFP he was the plane without one of its wings "fluttering" into the water.

"There was a loud pop, almost like a car backfire,"he said. "The helicopter dropped like a rock."

Witnesses also spoke of seeing debris - either part of the plane's wing or fragment of the chopper's rotor - fluttering down.

Chunks of debris also fell on the New Jersey side of the river, narrowly missing motorists.

The plane, headed for Ocean City, New Jersey, left Teterboro Airport in New Jersey at 11:54 a.m. (1554 GMT), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement. It had landed at the airport 25 minutes earlier with the pilot aboard to pick up two passengers.

New York state Governor David Paterson offered the bereaved his condolences.

"What began as a beautiful day with blue skies has turned into a day of darkness for those who lost someone they love today," he said.

The collision took place in a densely crowded air corridor used by commercial flights, private pilots and tourist helicopters.

It came six months after the now famous successful splash landing in the Hudson by Captain Chesley Sullenberger after his Airbus jet lost power when it hit a flock of wild geese.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine called Saturday's accident "devastating" and said that safety measures needed checking.

"All of us in this region also need to take a long and serious look at the circumstances surrounding this crash to ensure that significant air traffic over the Hudson doesn't come at the risk of the safety of New Jersey families who live along the riverfront," he said.

White House says no to tax hike for middle class

WASHINGTON -- In a rebuke to the Treasury secretary, the White House said Monday that President Barack Obama remains opposed to any tax hike for families earning up to $250,000.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs restated the assurance after Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers appeared Sunday to leave open the possibility Obama would tap middle-class Americans' income to reduce the deficit or help pay for a health insurance overhaul.

"I'm going to deal with this and I'll do this one more time," Gibbs said after repeated questions from reporters about the differences between the economists and Obama. "The president was clear. He made a commitment in the campaign. That commitment stands."

The conflicting statements from administration economic and political officials illustrate the problem facing Obama: how to find a politically palatable way to pay for the health insurance overhaul he insists is the cornerstone to bringing the rapidly escalating federal deficit under control.

And the mixed signals are coming out of the White House as Congress heads into its August recess and what's expected to be a month-long battle across the country over the direction and financing of the health care plans emerging in the House and Senate.

In their Sunday television interviews, Geithner and Summers sidestepped questions on Obama's intentions about taxes. Geithner said the White House was not ready to rule out a tax hike to reduce the federal deficit; Summers said Obama's proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere.

"There is a lot that can happen over time," Summers said, adding that the administration believes "it is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what."

During his presidential campaign, Obama pledged "you will not see any of your taxes increase one single dime" and repeatedly said middle-class families would not be effected.

But the simple reality remains that his ambitious overhaul of how Americans receive health care - promised without increasing the federal deficit - must be paid for.

"If we want an economy that's going to grow in the future, people have to understand we have to bring those deficits down. And it's going to be difficult, hard for us to do. And the path to that is through health care reform," Geithner said. "We're not at the point yet where we're going to make a judgment about what it's going to take."

Those comments dominated Gibbs' daily meeting with reporters.

"The president was clear during the campaign about his commitment on not raising taxes on middle-class families," Gibbs said. "And I don't think any economist would believe that in the environment that we're in raising taxes on middle-class families would make any sense, and the president agrees."

Geithner appeared on ABC's "This Week." Summers appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" and CBS' "Face the Nation."

Australia 'foils suicide attack on army base'

Australian police arrested four people last night who were planning a suicide attack on a military base.

Police said members of a Melbourne-based group had 'been undertaking planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Australia' Photo: EPA

About 400 officers from state and national security services took part in at least 19 predawn raids on properties in the southern city of Melbourne, Victoria state police said in a statement.

Police said members of a Melbourne-based group had "been undertaking planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Australia."

The group was allegedly linked to hostilities in Somalia, the statement said without giving further details.

The Australian newspaper reported those detained were Islamic extremists who had planned to launch a suicide attack on an Australian Army base. Members of the Melbourne group allegedly travelled to Somalia in recent months to train with the extremist group al-Shabaab, and were allegedly planning to use automatic weapons to kill as many soldiers as possible, the newspaper reported, without providing sources for its information.

Police refused to confirm the report or release any further details, but said they would be holding a press conference later Tuesday.

The United States has designated al-Shabaab a foreign terrorist organisation. The US State Department's annual terrorism report in April said al-Shabaab was providing a safe haven to al-Qaida "elements" wanted for the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia in mind

Ann told her experience and feeling in Angkor temples as well as in Siem Reap, Cambodia when she took part in an eighteen day travel through Asia with her husband.

Independent travel has been great, but after 4 months on the road all the planning and organizing was getting a bit tiresome. We booked an 18-day guided tour that would take us from Bangkok all the way through Cambodia and Vietnam with the luxury of nearly everything being planned for us.

In Bangkok we met up with our group of 11 fellow travelers, as well as our guide and a new trainee. As it turns out, everyone has been great and our group is getting along quite nicely.

The first part of our tour took us into Siem Reap, our first stop in Cambodia. Before I get any further, I’d like to go over some shocking statistics. The average age in Cambodia is 57. About 50% of the population is under the age of 18. Their literacy rate is said to be between 40-50%. And about 1/3 of their population lives on less than $1 USD per day. Another interesting fact??? 80% of all visitors to Siem Reap are either Japanese, Korean, or Chinese.

Getting from Bangkok to Siem Reap involved a 12 hour bus ride across the boarder, of which the last 160 kilometers were on a very bumpy and unmaintained gravel road. At one point our bus had to stop for repairs as we had 3 flat tires. As we crossed from Thailand to Cambodia the changes were immediate. Garbage was everywhere you looked, piled high in fields and ditches. At the boarder we had to get off the bus, walk through customs, and wait on the Cambodia side to be picked up again. Brian managed to get robbed in the first 5 minutes in Cambodia, luckily it was only his bottle of water. A young barefoot and filthy boy walked very slowly up to him, looked him in the eye for a few seconds, bent down and grabbed the bottle sitting near Brian’s feet, and ran off. Everyone in our group just watched in a combination of amusement and sadness…then clutched their belongings a little tighter.

Day two, and three, and four brought us on a guided tour of the famous Angkor Temples which were built between the 8th and 13th centuries and are spread out over about 40 miles around the village of Siem Reap. Some were in nearly complete ruin, some in the middle of restoration, and some in surprisingly great condition considering they are a tiny bit old. For you movie buffs, the Angelina Jolie movie Tomb Raider was filmed in one of the jungle temples there.

While in Siem Reap we also took a boat ride on lake Tonle Sap which is home to a floating village of houseboats, floating stores and churches, even a boat that serves as a basketball court. We did some shopping around the temples and in Siem Reap, because every few feet there are children surrounding you begging you to buy there bracelets/scarves/books /etc. We’ve also done a lot of eating - Cambodian Khmer food is very tasty.

Lots of pumpkin, coconut sauce, and fresh fruit.

So far our travels in Cambodia have surpassed our expectations. Next stop? Phnom Penh. Stay tuned…..

Author: Anne
Source: The Hallgrens’ Blog - Realtravel
They are traveling as a couple in their 30s from Belle Plaine. They decided to quit their jobs, sell their house in the suburbs, and spend time exploring the world.

Health Care to Dominate Lawmakers' Summer Recess After Quick Deal Eludes Congress

And just like that, the fast track is gone, and the push for health care reform has stepped off the bullet train.

In three days, it will be August and the start of the House's summer recess, and congressional leaders have conceded they will not approve health care reform legislation by then. President Obama says that's "OK." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says it'll get done "whenever."


That's a big change from just two weeks ago, when it seemed the legislation was on autopilot, cruising through votes in three committees while the president and his allies predicted swift passage on the floor despite GOP opposition.

And although some members of a coalition of conservative Democrats announced a breakthrough in negotiations Wednesday, a final deal on the legislation could be a long way off, meaning August could stand as a key month before the potentially dramatic finale in the fall.

"I'm not afraid of August. It's a month," Pelosi said recently.

But August -- the Senate recess begins a week after the House breaks -- will be the first big gap in public debate since health care reform hit the fever pitch. To fill the gap, lawmakers and the president will keep pressing their case while on break.

Senate lawmakers on both sides of the aisle plan a flurry of in-person town hall meetings in their districts.

Democratic leadership aides told FOX News that their members will be hosting events across the country, while Republicans apparently are trying to match that.

Already, Republican Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and John Barrasso of Wyoming, both doctors, are hosting an educational program called "The Senate Doctors Show" to give their take on health care reform. The senators are answering questions submitted by e-mail, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

The "Doctors Show" is heading on the road over recess, FOX News has learned.

Meanwhile, aides will spend the summer break toiling over how to marry the Senate Finance Committee bill with elements of a more partisan bill from the Health Committee before bringing it to the floor.

It's unclear whether the Finance Committee bill even will be done by that time, though. Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., is trying to strike a bipartisan compromise that could produce a bill that looks substantially different from the versions that have passed out of committee. Despite signs of progress in the discussions, a Baucus aide sent a memo to staffers Wednesday saying "neither an accord nor an announcement is imminent."

Similar town halls meetings are planned for House members over August.

Under a deal announced Wednesday among the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, congressional leaders and the White House, the House will wait until September to bring the bill to the floor -- so that members can spend August combing through the massive bill and listening to the concerns of their constituents.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday there's a chance lawmakers could stay in session next week to work on a health care bill, but he called the chance "pretty slim."

"We're trying not to foreclose options," he said.

And out of the White House, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that President Obama will continue to travel in August to hold town halls on health care and the economy.

The president won't be holding the kind of daily health care events he has held since last week, but Gibbs said he would be speaking out regularly on the topic during break.

With public opinion split over health care reform, the August encounters between lawmakers and their constituents could be critical, not only in keeping the American people on board with the reform push but also in shaping the course of debate once members return in September.

A Gallup poll out Wednesday showed 44 percent of Americans believe health care reform would improve U.S. medical care, while only 26 percent believe it would improve their own medical care.

The poll was conducted Friday and Saturday, based on interviews with 2,017 adults. It had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

FOX News' Trish Turner and Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Woman in baby cut from womb case is arraigned

By HOLLY RAMER
The Associated Press
Thursday, July 30, 2009; 11:29 AM

CONCORD, N.H. -- A woman accused of cutting a baby girl from her mother's womb in Massachusetts has been arraigned on a fugitive from justice charge in New Hampshire and is being held on $2 million bail.

Thirty-five-year-old Julie Corey of Worcester, Mass., appeared in Concord District Court via video from the county jail Thursday morning, a day after she was arrested at a homeless shelter in Plymouth, N.H. She did not waive extradition to be brought back to Massachusetts. The judge scheduled a hearing for Aug. 30.

Police say she was arrested after acquaintances became suspicious of her claims that she had just given birth.

The body of the girl's mother, Darlene Haynes, was found Monday in her Worcester, Mass., apartment.

The baby was in good condition Thursday at a New Hampshire hospital.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A baby girl cut from her mother's womb in Massachusetts was in good condition at a New Hampshire hospital on Thursday, officials said, and a woman arrested at a homeless shelter with the infant was to appear in court.

Thirty-five-year-old Julie Corey of Worcester, Mass., was arrested Wednesday in Plymouth, N.H., where police found her and a man with the child at the shelter. Corey was charged as a fugitive from justice and was to be arraigned Thursday morning in district court in Concord.
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The two used to live in the same apartment building as Darlene Haynes, the slain woman, a downstairs neighbor said. Agnes Brady said the couple moved out in the winter, before Haynes moved in.

A public records database also shows the two lived in the same building as Haynes in the past.

Brady said Corey was very friendly, and recalled her once baking a lasagna for all of the neighbors in the apartment building. Her son, Randy LaRose, said Corey had an 11-year-old son from a previous relationship who also lived in the apartment.

Corey was arrested after acquaintances became suspicious of her claims that she had just given birth, police have said.

Jackson mother 'agrees custody'

A lawyer for Michael Jackson's mother has told US TV that an agreement has been reached over the custody of the late pop star's three children.

Londell McMillan told CBS News that Katherine Jackson is to be awarded custody of Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, seven.

He said Debbie Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two elder children, would have "meaningful visitation rights".

A court hearing to formalise custody is scheduled for Monday in Los Angeles.

Katherine Jackson was granted temporary custody of the children after the star's death on 25 June.

The biological mother of Prince Michael II, also known as Blanket, has never been revealed.

"It's an agreement, an agreement for the best interests of the children. This is not a money deal - this is not about money," Mr McMillan said in an interview on The Early Show.

"All of the parties are resolved - there is no situation better for these children than for them to be raised and reared in the loving care of Mrs Katherine Jackson," he said.

Custody rights

Jackson stated in his 2002 will that he wanted his mother to care for the children if he died.

Debbie Rowe gave up custody rights following her divorce from Jackson in 2000, but sought them again in 2005.

She and Jackson agreed a settlement in 2006 but the terms were never disclosed.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County coroner's office has said the release of Jackson's autopsy results have been delayed until next week.

The results were due to be revealed this week, amid speculation about the possible role prescription drugs played in the singer's death.

County coroner assistant chief Ed Winter did not discuss the reasons for the delay.

Obama's day: Hot dispute, cold beers

Good morning from The Oval. Exactly 90 years ago, federal troops were called out to respond to race riots in Chicago.

The patchy road of race relations has run throughout American history. Today marks a unique milepost: Beers at the White House between a president, an African-American college professor, and a white police officer who arrested the professor at his home.

President Obama, Henry Gates, and James Crowley meet at 6 p.m., at a picnic table behind the Oval Office. Obama is hoping for a "teachable moment."

Meanwhile, reactions to the Henry Gates-James Crowley flap have landed some public employees in big trouble. And the woman who made the initial 911 phone call has spoken out.

A few hours before the "beer summit," Obama meets with Phillipines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

We're not sure if the president will say anything about health care, but things are happening on Capitol Hill. House Democratic conservatives have struck a deal on a health care packages, but how will liberals react? And what about the public?

In the meantime, a series of reports show the economy is improving, while Obama says he is not anti-business.

The "cash for clunkers" program has cost the government $68.9 million so far. Check out our DriveOn blog, including Chris Woodyard's "Clunker of the Day."

The Oval will be here throughout the day and into the evening, reporting on White House beers and anything else that might happen. Have a good day -- and tonight, if you're inclined, celebrate America with a cold, frosty one.

(Posted by David Jackson; photo from Associated Press)

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Nigerian 'Taliban' offensive leaves 150 dead

Islamic group opposed to western education, Boko Haram, launches attacks across four northern provinces


Dead Nigerians are brought to a police station in the northeastern city of Bauchi after a gun battle in the early morning. Photograph: Ardo Hazzad/Reuters

A self-styled "Taliban" intent on imposing sharia law on all Nigerians widened its offensive yesterday in violence that has left 150 people dead.

Boko Haram, an Islamic group opposed to western education, has launched attacks across four northern provinces over the last two days and declared its intention to fight to the death.

Civilians were pulled from their cars and shot, their corpses then left scattered around the streets, witnesses told the BBC. Its reporter counted 100 bodies, mostly those of militants, near police headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno state. The police and army were on patrol, firing into the air, as hundreds of people fled their homes.

Witnesses said a separate gun battle raged for hours in Potiskum, Yobe state, where members of Boko Haram chanted "God is great!" as they set a police station ablaze. Two people were confirmed dead and the police made 23 arrests.

Three people were killed and more than 33 arrested in Wudil, 12 miles from Kano, the biggest city in northern Nigeria, while the town's senior police officer was wounded.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has more than 200 ethnic groups and is roughly equally split between Christians and Muslims. The predominantly Muslim north has progressively ushered in a stricter enforcement of sharia law since 2000.

Boko Haram, which models itself on the Taliban but has no known link, began its string of attacks in the northeastern city of Bauchi on Sunday after some of its members were arrested.

Around 70 militants armed with guns and grenades targeted a police station but were driven back by officers and soliders who then raided neighbourhoods, resulting in at least 55 deaths and up to 200 arrests. The Bauchi state governor imposed a night-time curfew as a result.

Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, leader of Boko Haram, which literally means "education is prohibited", claimed that the government had been targeting his followers and they would never surrender.

He told Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper: "What I said previously that we are going to be attacked by the authorities has manifested itself in Bauchi, where about 40 of our brothers were killed, their mosque and homes burnt down completely and several others were injured and about 100 are presently in detention. Therefore, we will not agree with this kind of humiliation, we are ready to die together with our brothers and we would never concede to non-belief in Allah."

He added: "I will not give myself up. If Allah wishes, they will arrest me; if Allah does not wish, they will never arrest me. But I will never give up myself, not after 37 of my followers are killed in Bauchi. Is it right to kill them, is it right to shoot human beings? To surrender myself means what they did is right. Therefore, we are ready to fight to die.

"Democracy and the current system of education must be changed otherwise this war that is yet to start would continue for long."

Bauchi, Yobe, Borno and Kanoare among the 12 of Nigeria's 36 states that started a stricter enforcement of Islamic law in 2000 – a decision that has alienated sizeable Christian minorities and sparked bouts of sectarian violence that has killed thousands.

Clashes in Bauchi in February killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens. A Muslim group attacked Christians and burned churches in reprisals over the burning of two mosques, which Muslims blamed on Christians.

Last November, more than 700 people were killed in two days of fighting in the central city of Jos after a disputed election triggered the worst fighting between Muslim and Christian gangs in years.

Boko Haram is not connected to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the prominent rebel group responsible for a campaign of violence that has battered Africa's biggest energy sector, located in Nigeria, since early 2006.

Race row after arrest of professor

Have you heard the one about the president, the professor and the policeman?

The issue of race in the US is alive and kicking as the case of the arrest of a Harvard professor last week has highlighted.

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr was arrested at his home after he was seen trying to force his way in to the house.

He was held for disorderly conduct after allegedly accusing the arresting officer, Sgt James Crowley, of racism.

President Obama used up political capital as he got involved in the case, saying that the police had acted "stupidily".

Things have now changed to such an extent that Sgt Crowley is being invited to the White House for a beer.

Buying a touring motorbike in Vietnam

hoto by: DON MORGAN AND STUART MCDONALD
Not-so-lonely creek: trifling obstacles such as rivers shouldn’t hold up your progress too much.

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Ask around if you plan to go into the remote regions of the country. there's no harm in trying your luck.
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The Phnom Penh Post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
DON MORGAN

When it comes to transportation, the motorbike reigns supreme in Southeast Asia, probably because it provides a speedy, inexpensive and durable platform for travel around the region

FOR TRAVELFISH.ORG

BY far, the best way to experience Vietnam is by motorbike. As is the case elsewhere in Southeast Asia, here, the motorbike is king. They are cheap to buy, easy to repair, and they can take you places the tour bus would never dare to go.

What's more, there are no restrictions on foreigners buying motorbikes. All you need is a passport and valid visa, and you'll receive a title of ownership and a deed of transfer.

Rentals will suffice for most, but if you plan on serious bike time, buying is more economical - you can even sell the bike before you leave and recoup most of the expense.

We know the traffic seems crazy. But once you get the hang of it, you'll learn there is a method to the madness. Travel by motorbike has its dangers, to be sure, and should be undertaken conscientiously. But the vast majority of foreigners come away from their motorbike trek with nothing but great experiences to talk about back home (and maybe a few tail-pipe burns to remember them by).

You can buy a bike almost anywhere, but bigger cities will have a better selection and be more comfortable selling to foreigners. Naturally, it's best to shop around. When you settle on a bike, insist on taking it for a spin - and to a mechanic for a once over.

Your two main considerations are whether to buy new or used, and how powerful a bike you need. New Japanese and Chinese models can be purchased for as little as US$400. They should be more reliable, but then again, you may be the one stuck working out all the kinks. And you'll take a bath on the resale value.

Photo by: Don Morgan and Stuart McDonald
What happens when things go wrong.

Tuning up
We recommend a used bike. This may seem a bit daunting, and it's a good idea to make friends with a trustworthy mechanic if you can swing it.

When you buy a bike, all you're really looking at is the engine, the shocks, the wheels and the frame. If nothing's leaking or broken, and it kicks up a throaty hum when it runs, you're off to a good start. Everything else on a bike can be fixed cheaply and easily - though be sure to factor such repairs into the price you plan to pay.

In terms of power, a 100 cc bike is fine throughout most of the country, depending on the weight you intend to carry. By the time you stack two people and two full packs on it, you'll struggle up the hills even in Dalat.

Consider a clutch
Northern Vietnam is notoriously hilly and requires at least a 115cc bike. Check out the bikes used by the guys who do the Easy Rider tours, and look for something similar. If you've never driven a clutch, consider learning - it quickly becomes second nature.

Even if you buy a bike that's been restored, be sure to take it to a mechanic anyway and put some more money into it. New tires, brake drums, batteries, starters and the like are all cheap and will give you that much more peace of mind. Finally, think about where you're going to put your stuff. We got a custom-made back rack for US$6.25.

When it comes to plotting a route, we suggest planning to see more of the country by seeing less of it. You can't see everything from Sapa to Vung Tau by motorbike in a month. Pick a region - north, central, or south, and focus on that. Alternately, many buses and trains will take on a motorbike as freight for the price of an extra ticket, so you can split a trip between two regions.

Don't plan an overly aggressive route. The whole point is to take in the scenery, to stop and explore along the way. We find more than 120 kilometres in any given day starts to feel rushed. Fortunately, in thin, compact Vietnam, there is always a good option for your next stop within that distance.

It's also worth mention that, while the 'open road' in Vietnam can be breathtakingly beautiful and provide an utterly authentic experience of the country, this is Vietnam, and not all roads are open.

Try your luck
Ask around if you plan to go into remote regions of the country, especially near the borders, but there's really no harm in just trying your luck. The worst that can happen is that the police will ask you to turn around.

Final note: Wear a helmet, bring rain gear and memorise the lyrics to "Born to be Wild" before you leave. You'll be needing them.