European Union Wins Nobel Peace Prize

A European flag reflects in a building of the EU headquarters in BrusselsThe European Union has been awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo announced the winner of the prestigious prize during a ceremony Friday.

The committee says "the union and its core members have for over 6 decades contributed to the advancement of peace, reconciliation democracy and human rights in Europe."

The committee said although the European Union is current undergoing "grave economic difficulties" and "considerable social unrest"  it wished to focus on the E.'s stabilizing role in transforming Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace.

The Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported an hour ahead of the announcement that the decision, by the five-member panel, was unanimous.

Nobel prize announcements began Monday with the medicine prize going to stem cell researchers John Gurdon of Britain and Japan's Shinya Yamanaka. Frenchman Serge Haroche and American David Wineland won the physics prize on Tuesday for work on quantum particles. Americans Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka won the chemistry prize on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Chinese author Mo Yan was awarded the prize for literature.

The Nobel Memorial Prize in economic sciences will be announced on October 15.

The winners will receive their prizes at formal ceremonies in Stockholm and Oslo on December 10.

Pope Benedict on 3-Day Tour of Lebanon

Pope Benedict XVI waves upon his arrival at Beirut international airport as he is welcomed by Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman, September BEIRUT — Pope Benedict has arrived in Lebanon on a three-day visit aimed at promoting peace in this turbulent nation bordering both Syria and Israel. He is the first pope to travel to Beirut in 15 years, and his trip comes at a time of rising tensions among Christians in many parts of the Middle East.

Hundreds of people and heavy security greeted the pope's arrival at the capital's Rafik Hariri international airport. He asked for prayers and efforts to deepen the dialogue between Christians and what he called “followers of other religions.”

Lebanon has been preparing for the papal visit for months. Main highways are decorated with Vatican flags and billboards welcoming the pope.

Christians like Nabil Braidy are celebrating what they call a momentous occasion. "The pope’s visit is important, and it’s kind of a victory for Christians as well as Muslims," said Braidy.

Pascal Sakr, another Lebanese Christian, hopes the pope's visit will promote peace. It’s good to have this visit now, at this moment, because of the situation in the region. This visit will give us support and peace for Lebanon and the Orient,” Sakr stated.

This is a turbulent time for Christians in this part of the Middle East. Lebanon is undergoing a period of relative peace after years of civil war, and Christians say they feel secure here, but they are concerned about spillover from the civil war in Syria, which has had a powerful influence on Lebanon for decades.

More than 1,330 Syrian Christian refugees have fled to Lebanon, says Archbishop Issam John Darwich of Zahle, a Christian stronghold.

“We are really afraid that the same event that’s happening in Syria will happen in Lebanon, and everywhere in the Arabic country," he said.

Still, Lebanese Christians are divided politically over the conflict in Syria. Amin Ammourieh, a columnist with the An Nahar newspaper, says some of this derives from political divisions here between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.

“Most of the Sunnah [Sunnis] are against the Syrian government and most of the Shias are with the Syrian government, so the Sunnah are united, the Shias are united, but the Christians are divided," he explained. "And that is the reason why they are weak in politics.”

There are an estimated 13 million Catholics in the Middle East. Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, says the pope will work toward allaying their concerns about rising Islamic fundamentalism, and plead with them not to flee their homelands.

“The Christians have always played a key seminal role in this culture, in this civilization from the time of the advent of Islam in the seventh century onward," Salem stated. "They are part of this history, this civilization. They should not alienate themselves from it.”

The 85-year-old pontiff will meet with Muslim leaders and politicians and also visit the pilgrimage site of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. His visit will conclude Sunday after a public Mass near the Beirut waterfront.

World Stock Indexes Jump on US Economic Boost

A man walks past a stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan,

Stock markets in Asia and Europe surged Friday as investors cheered the U.S. central bank's aggressive actions to boost the sluggish American economy.

 

The Hong Kong index advanced nearly 3 percent and the Tokyo market almost 2 percent. Stock indexes in London, Frankfurt and Paris closed higher, while key exchanges in the U.S. moved upward after a big surge late Thursday.

 

One stock analyst in Hong Kong, Francis Lun of Lyncean Holdings, said investors had expected the U.S. Federal Reserve to act, but nonetheless welcomed the central bank's latest attempt to spur hiring in the slack American labor market and to keep interest rates low for the next several years.

 

"Of course, the market has been expecting the news, and welcomed the news, and we see today that equity markets in Asia, all around, rise strongly, and the Hang Seng Index up almost 500 points," he said. "So it is a good measure, a market-boosting measure, and I think that the Hong Kong market will rise a little bit more."

 

Some U.S. analysts remained skeptical that the Fed's action to buy $40 billion a month of securities supported by real estate loans to put more money into the world's largest economy would make much difference in the economy.  The central bank has already bought more than $2 trillion worth of securities since the world recession hit in 2008, but U.S. job growth remains weak and the jobless rate has been above an unusually high 8 percent level for 43 straight months.

 

Some critics also say the central bank action could eventually lead to increased prices for U.S. consumer goods, even as the Fed, for now, is clearly intent on boosting hiring in the labor market and has concluded that inflation is under control.

 

The U.S. government reported Friday that more expensive gasoline pushed consumer prices ahead in August by the most in three years -- six-tenths of a percent. But it said that overall inflation remains tame, up only 1.7 percent over the last year.

 

In addition to buying securities, the Federal Reserve said it would extend the timetable to keep its key lending rate near zero percent from late 2014 at least through mid-2015. The central bank said it expects that eased financing "will remain appropriate for a considerable time," even after the economy strengthens from its current sluggish pace.

 

The central bank maintains political neutrality in the United States. But its latest stimulus lands in the final stages of the country's presidential election campaign, where the state of the economy is the key issue.

 

Republican challenger Mitt Romney says the incumbent Democrat, President Barack Obama, has failed in his oversight of the American economy and that he would not reappoint Fed chairman Ben Bernanke when his term ends in early 2014.

 

Romney attacked the Fed's latest round of monetary easing, calling it a "sugar high" that will cut the value of the dollar and the savings accounts of Americans.

 

As he campaigns for a second term in the White House, President Obama has pointed to 30 months of job growth in the U.S. He says Romney would return to policies that led to the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930's.

India PM Sparks Protests Over Fuel Hike

Activists of Socialist Unity Center of India (SUCI) burn an effigy with a portrait of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a protest in Kolkata, India, SeptemberIndian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has defended economic reforms aimed at reducing his country's rising fiscal deficit and attracting foreign investment.

Singh on Saturday supported the government's move to raise diesel fuel prices by about 12 percent.

He approved an increase of nearly one cent per liter at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, sparking a backlash from some of his political allies and the opposition.

India's government also agreed Friday to open its retail market to large foreign companies.  Opponents say that move will hurt the country's small retailers and cost many jobs.

India's economic growth is slowing and worries about the country's credit rating and inflation are rising.

The government has been under pressure to reduce its deficit by cutting spending for subsidies, including fuel.

14 Killed in Pakistan Blast

A security official and residents inspect the site of a bomb attack in the Lower Dir tribal area in Pakistan September 16, 2012.

Officials in northwestern Pakistan say a roadside bomb blast has hit a van, killing 14 people, including two children.

Authorities say at least 10 passengers were wounded in the explosion Sunday in the Lower Dir tribal area near the Afghan border.

Police officials say the bomb was detonated by remote control.

Officials say they do not know who set off the bomb, but insurgent attacks are common in the country's remote tribal regions where militants from both Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are active

Protesters Condemn Japanese Move to Nationalize Islands

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing Thursday to condemn Japan's move to nationalize a disputed island chain in the East China Sea.

The protesters called for Japan to leave the uninhabited islands — known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese — and for a boycott of Japanese products.

Chinese authorities allowed the demonstrations to proceed, although police prevented protesters from getting close to the Japanese embassy compound.

Japan's Kyodo news agency reported anti-Japan protests also took place in Shanghai and Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province.

China's vice commerce minister, Jiang Zengwei, warned Thursday the dispute could affect trade between China and Japan, while Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba called for calm.

China is Japan's largest trading partner.

On Monday, Japan announced a $26 million deal to nationalize the disputed island chain, whose waters contain rich fishing grounds and potential oil reserves. Japanese officials said the move was meant to ensure that no one triggers a confrontation with China by developing the uninhabited islands.

China called Japan's purchase a violation of Chinese sovereignty, saying China does not recognize any Japanese ownership of the islands. China urged Japan to revoke the purchase immediately.

Japan rejected China's demand, saying Tokyo will not reconsider a transaction involving what it considers to be sovereign Japanese territory.

On Special Day, Disabled Kids Ride the Waves

Austin Bramson takes a ride on a surfboard with the help of a Best Day at the Beach volunteer
LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY —

Austin Bramson is about to ride on a surfboard for the first time, and that will be quite an accomplishment. The 15 year old has a rare genetic disorder, and is unable to speak or walk.

His mother, Nancy Cruse, explains that since birth, he has been totally dependent on others for his care. "He will always be in diapers. He needs to be fed. He can not self feed at all, he can not self drink. He can not dress himself. He’s in a wheelchair which he can not operate himself."

Yet now, wearing a life-jacket and water safety helmet, Austin is getting ready to ride the waves rolling into this Atlantic shore. He's one of dozens of developmentally and physically challenged kids who've come to the popular seashore in Long Branch, New Jersey, to have one of their "best days at the beach."

Volunteers put their arms around his body, lift him out of his wheel chair, and lay him on his stomach on top of a surfboard.

The volunteers carry him out into the ocean about 15 meters from the shore and when the right wave comes along, Austin starts riding it in with the help of a volunteer who’s lying on the back of the same surfboard.

There’s a wide grin on Austin’s face as he comes ashore. His arms and legs wiggle with excitement.

His mother beams. "It just had to be pure joy. Just had to be pure joy. I just, the smile on his face I haven’t seen that smile in a long time from him. So I mean I started to cry. You wonder sometimes when you have a child with a disability: are they happy and to see that I knew he was happy. At that moment, he was happy."

Best Day at the Beach is a day when young people from ages 4 to 24 with developmental and physical disabilities can get help surfing, boogie-boarding and kayaking -- and draw cheers from their families, friends and volunteers.

"Really, it’s about showing kids what’s possible and showing everyone what’s possible," says Max Montgomery, a longtime surfer who co-founded Best Day at the Beach four years ago in his native California after being inspired by a similar local program. "We have parents come down and tell us 'Oh, my kid is not going to do this.' And then they’re standing there with tears watching their kid exceed their wildest dreams. We have kids come down here saying they’ve dreamed of being a surfer and yet maybe they’re in a wheel chair. And we get them out in the water, surfing."

While some of the kids very rare disorders, like Austin, most of the new surfers have disabilities such as Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy or autism.

Best Day at the Beach sponsors about 20 events each year at Atlantic and Pacific beaches. Montgomery says each one gives about 40 special-needs children and young adults the chance to ride the waves.

"There’s just something about tapping into the power of the ocean and feeling freedom and to be able to help someone experience that is truly a blessing," he says.

Dozens of volunteers come out to help Montgomery with his events. New York attorney Eliot Bickoff spent the day surfing with one kid after another.

Growing up, Bickoff spent his weekends on the Jersey Shore.

"I’m a surfer myself [and an] avid waterman," he says. "And it’s just a great opportunity to share the sport with other people, you know, let everybody have a fun time and try a sport that otherwise would be pretty tough or inaccessible."

"Awesome, dude!" says Jenny Heath-Kaplan,12, who is autistic, as she rides a surfboard, just as she did on her first trip to Best Day at the Beach last year.

Her mother, Wendy Heath, says the fun and social interactions help Jenny progress.

"Often times we find when we give her an experience like this she gets a language surge," Heath says. "On the way home, she’ll say things that we’ve never heard her say before. So I think that thrill, translates into that sort of surge."

Each time Jenny finishes riding a wave to the shore, she asks for another trip. The volunteers get ready to take her out again, giving her the Best Day at the Beach possible.

US Jobs Numbers Fuel Presidential Campaign Rhetoric

A supporter uses her personalized mobile phone to take a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama as he speaks at a campaign event at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, September 9, 2012.
Economic concerns are dominating the U.S. presidential contest, days after a monthly labor report showed weak job creation and hundreds of thousands of Americans leaving the workforce.

Friday’s disappointing jobs numbers are playing into a central argument put forth by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

“We are not creating as many jobs to keep up with our population growth," said Romney. "This is not the kind of news the American people were hoping for and deserve. But I am here to tell you that things are about to get a lot better.”

Romney told supporters in Virginia he will revive America’s slow-growth economy if he is elected president in November.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama acknowledged U.S. economic woes while campaigning in Florida.

“Nobody is satisfied with the status quo," said Obama. "There are too many folks out there who still need a job. And the question is not whether we need to make more progress. The question is how do we do it.”

In an election expected to turn on economic sentiment, the candidates are offering sharply different plans to boost growth and create jobs.  The president wants to allow taxes to rise on top earners while boosting infrastructure and education spending.  Former Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee spoke on the U.S. television program Fox News Sunday.

“I do not believe that having the [income tax] rates go back to what they were in the 90s will have any negative impact that is significant on the economy," he saud. "And you can use the money for things that are important, like cutting taxes for businesses that hire people.”

By contrast, Mitt Romney wants to further cut federal income taxes across the board while boosting military spending. Romney economic adviser Glenn Hubbard also appeared on Fox.

“We have very anemic growth in the U.S. economy," said Hubbard. "We could do better with much better policy. Romney is proposing tax reform, regulatory reform, a wise budget strategy, and trade.  The president has proposed tax increases.”

On the campaign trail, President Obama summed up the Republican approach this way:

“Tax cuts, tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and then let us have some more tax cuts," he said. "Tax cuts when times are good. Tax cuts when times are bad. Tax cuts to lose an extra few pounds. Tax cuts to improve your love life.”

Mitt Romney is keeping the focus on President Obama’s economic record and a stubbornly-high unemployment rate.

“We remember that the president promised that if we let him borrow almost a trillion dollars [for economic stimulus spending], he would never let it reach eight percent," said Romney. "It has been above eight percent ever since. He does not have a plan.  And we have got to make sure he does not have any more days in the White House after January.”

Public-opinion polls consistently show the economy as voters’ top concern. Polls show most Americans do not believe President Obama created current U.S. economic woes, but that not enough has been done to correct them during his administration.

Attacks Across Iraq Kill Over 50

Security forces inspect the scene of a car bomb attack in Basra, 550 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012.
A series of attacks across Iraq killed more than 50 people and wounded nearly 250 others Sunday.

The violence hit more than 11 cities and targeted Iraqi security forces, police recruits and markets.  There has been no claim of responsibility, but attacks targeting security forces are the hallmark of insurgents in Iraq.

Authorities say the deadliest attack took place near the southern city of Amara, where two car bombs killed at least 14 people.

Meanwhile, a Baghdad court sentenced the nation's Sunni vice president to death in absentia, in a decision likely to inflame political tensions.

The court found Tariq al-Hashemi guilty of running death squads against security forces and Shi'ites, a charge the vice president has strongly denied.  Hashemi fled Iraq after authorities first leveled the charges against him.  He currently is in Turkey.

Obama Concludes College Tour

President Barack Obama shrugs during a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Aug. 29, 2012
WHITE HOUSE — While Republicans hold their convention in Tampa, Florida, President Barack Obama has been campaigning in college towns.  The president is hoping college students will help him win re-election, as they helped elect him in 2008.

In Charlottesville, Virginia Wednesday, Mr. Obama told about 7,500 people that young voters made change possible in the last election, and he hopes they can do it again.

“And in November, your voice will matter more than ever," said President Obama. "And listen, if you doubt that, then pay a little attention to what is happening in Tampa this week.  [Crowd boos]  Don’t boo, vote.”

The president spoke near the University of Virginia, after the university declined the campaign’s request to speak on campus, saying it would disrupt classes.

Obama was concluding a two-day trip that also included speeches at Iowa State University and Colorado State University.

College students and other young voters were a large part of the coalition that helped Barack Obama win the presidency in 2008.

This year, the crowds are often smaller, but still enthusiastic.

For the second day during the GOP convention, the president criticized Republican nominee Mitt Romney for promising to dismantle Mr. Obama’s health care plan.  Republicans often ridicule the plan as unnecessary government interference in a private industry, calling it “Obamacare.”

“He calls my health care law ‘Obamacare.’  I call his plan ‘Romney doesn’t care," said Obama.

Obama also made a rare campaign trail reference to immigration issues.  He condemned Republicans for opposing legislation to allow the children of illegal immigrants to stay in the United States.

“You can say that in this century, we do not think young immigrants who were brought here when they were children, and understand themselves as Americans, and have pledged allegiance to the Flag, should suddenly be deported to countries where they have never been," he said.  

Republican nominee Mitt Romney spoke Wednesday to the American Legion, a veterans organization.  At the group’s convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, Romney said that if elected, he will work to keep the U.S. military strong and make the 21st century an “American century.”

“And to accomplish that we must have the strongest military and the strongest economy in the world," said Romney. "Regrettably, President Obama has failed on both counts.  As his term in office comes to an end, we are now further from making this an American century.  Our economy is weak, and our military is bracing for devastating cuts.”

Public opinion polls show the president and Mr. Romney virtually even.

Obama is concentrating most of his efforts on a number of key states where the election is likely to be decided, including Iowa, Colorado and Virginia.  In 2008, he was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Virginia’s electoral votes since 1964

Foreign Journalists See US Democracy in Action at Conventions

Susan Stevenson is the director of the State Department's Foreign Press Center at the Republican National Convention, Tampa, Florida, August 28, 2012. (J. Featherly/VOA)
TAMPA, Fla. — Americans are not the only ones turning their attention to the U.S. presidential race this week. Reporters for foreign news outlets make up a substantial part of the 15,000 media members in Tampa, Florida, for the Republican Party's nominating convention. And a long-time U.S. State Department service is helping make sure they have the tools to work effectively.

Located in a nearby convention center, the Republican National Convention's media workspace is a sprawling maze of curtained-off enclosures - each assigned to a different media outlet.

One of those spaces belongs to the State Department's Foreign Press Centers.

Yingzi Tan is a reporter covering the Republican National Convention for China Daily, Tampa, Florida, August 28, 2012. (J. Featherly/VOA)

​​Perched at the end of a long table in the heart of the centers' blue-partitioned workspace, reporter Yingzi Tan, is hard at work.

Tan writes for the English-language China Daily newspaper and is focusing her coverage on foreign policy issues and China-U.S. relations. This is her first time covering a U.S. political convention.

“It's quite a unique experience for me, because I feel very excited, because I've seen so many happy crowds, confident, and the scene is very lively inside the stadium. And it's very different from what we have in China, such kind of national convention, so it's very interesting for me to observe this American political event,” Tan said.

Susan Stevenson is the director of the Foreign Press Centers' two permanent locations in Washington and New York. She says the State Department has a long history of involvement in U.S. political conventions, helping to demystify the U.S. political process.

“What we do is we set up a filing space for the foreign journalists, and then we arrange for briefers from each party to come and talk about the party platform, as well as journalists to talk about what to look for in covering a convention, knowing that for many of these foreign journalists this will be their first time covering a convention and they need to know a little bit better how the U.S. political process works,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson says the effort is attracting journalists from around the world, including Asia, Europe, South America and Africa. She says most of the visitors are journalists like Tan, who are often new to the United States and trying to make sense of the American system.

“We did not come in 2004, and we got a lot of flak from the journalists about it, because if we are not here it's very hard for them to get access to anybody from the party platform or inside the party operation, because obviously their readers are not people who can vote,” Stevenson said.

Thomas Gorgissian is covering the Republican National Convention for the Egyptian daily al-Tahrir, Tampa, Florida, August 28, 2012. (J. Featherly/VOA)

​​Thomas Gorgoissian writes for the Egyptian daily Al-Tahrir newspaper, named after Tahrir Square, the center of the country's 2011 revolution. He says Egypt and other countries are interested in the U.S. political process because American policies directly affect them.

“They want to know what's going on in this convention and later after this they will be interested about the debates and then the election process in order to know if Obama is going to lose or Romney is going to win or Obama is going to continue -- what kind of America we are going to have or the world is going to have accordingly. Because as we know and you know and I know and everybody knows, if America sneezes the whole world can catch cold,” Gorgoissian said.

So far, the operation at the Republican convention has attracted nearly 80 journalists a day. The centers will also set up in Charlotte, North Carolina, next week when Democrats gather for their national convention.

Ryan's Speech Excites Republican Delegates

Republican vice presidential nominee, Rep. Paul Ryan addresses the Republican National Convention Aug. 29, 2012
TAMPA, FL -- U.S. Voters got their first real look at Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan Wednesday.  Ryan, a congressman from Wisconsin, delivered his acceptance speech before the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, and a nationwide TV audience. 

The 42-year old Congressman was little known nationally just a few weeks ago.  But he was thrust into the political limelight Wednesday when he formally accepted the Republican Party's vice presidential nomination as Mitt Romney’s runningmate.

Ryan brought Republican delegates to their feet several times with a searing critique of President Obama's economic record.

“It all started off with Greek columns, stirring speeches and the thrill of something new.  Now all that's left is a presidency adrift, surviving on slogans that already seem tired, grasping at a moment that has already passed, like a ship trying to sail on yesterday's wind,” he said.

Ryan said if he and Mitt Romney are elected in November they will repeal President Obama's signature health care reform law and will work to trim the nation's $16 trillion debt.

Ryan is a favorite of conservatives and was the author of controversial budget proposals in the Republican controlled House of Representatives that would reform popular social welfare programs like Medicare, the government health care system for the elderly.

Democrats say the Republican plan to reform Medicare would increase costs for seniors, but Ryan says he and Mr. Romney will press the debate as part of a plan to get the country out of debt.

“We will not duck the tough issues.  We will lead.  We will not spend four years blaming others.  We will take responsibility.  We will not try to replace our founding principles.  We will reapply our founding principles,” he said.

There was also a heavy focus in Wednesday's convention program on foreign policy, including a speech from Senator John McCain, the party nominee who lost to Barack Obama in 2008.

McCain criticized the president for not taking a more active role in the conflict in Syria.

“In other times, when other courageous people fought for their freedom against sworn enemies of the United States, American presidents - both Republicans and Democrats - have acted to help them prevail.  Sadly, for the lonely voices of dissent in Syria, and Iran, and elsewhere, who feel forgotten in their darkness, and sadly for us, as well, our president is not being true to our values,” he said.

In addition to McCain, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the delegates that Mitt Romney would restore U.S. Leadership around the world if he wins in November.

“Dictators in Iran and Syria butcher their people and threaten regional security.  Russia and China prevent a response and everyone asks, where does America stand?  Indeed that is the question of the hour.  Where does America stand?  You see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question, unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place,” she said.

The Republican convention will conclude on Thursday when presidential nominee Mitt Romney will give his formal acceptance speech before thousands of spectators in the hall and tens of millions of people watching on television both in the United States and around the world.  It is potentially a key pivot point in the campaign and comes amid public opinion polls that show the race between Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama remains close.

Urgani Isaac, largohen banorët e New Orleans

Mijëra banorë të New Orleans kanë lënë shtëpite e tyre, të trembur nga afrimi i uraganit Isaac. Erërat e tij të forta dhe shirat e rrëmbyer do të përplasen mbi qytetin e Luizianës saktësisht 7 vjet pas shkatërrimit nga uragani Katrina, edhe pse është një ciklon më pak i fuqishëm. 

Porta e re mbrojtese e New Orleans janë mbyllur me shpresen se do te arrijne te frenojne vërshimin e ujërave. Frika eshte e madhe, edhe pse Isaac ka shume gjasa te dobesohet perpara se te mberrije ne New Orleans. Nuk presim nje uragan te ngjashem me Katrinen, por nuk harrojme se edhe uraganet e kategorive me te vogla mund te vrasin, tha kryebashkiaku i qytetit, Mitch Landrieu.

New Orleans-i eshte veçanerisht i rrezikuar nga stuhite per shkak te hapjes qe ka dhe qendres krejtesisht nen nivelin e detit. Shpresat jane qe porta mbrojtese 8 metra e larte te shmange problemet e 2005-ses, kur qyteti u permbyt pjeserisht edhe per shkak te deshtimit te argjinaturave.

Presidenti Obama i bëri thirrje banorëve të zonave që mund të preken nga uragani të ndjekin me kujdes lajmërimet e zyrtarëve lokalë dhe atyre shtetërorë, sidomos në se jepet urdhëri për evakuim. Shefi i Shtepise se Bardhe tha se në këto kushte nuk është koha që për të mos u kushtuar rëndësisë paralajmërimeve.

Nje dite me pare, ai deklaroi gjendjen e emeegjencës për Luizianën, duke i hapur rrugen financimeve federale për këtë shtet. Isaac, një stuhi tropikale e shnderruar ne uragan te kategorise se pare që përparon ngadalë, mund të sjellë me vehte reshje të shumta dhe të shkaktojë përmbytje në pjesën më të madhe të shteteve bregdetare. Edhe pse nuk eshte dhene urdher per evakuim masiv, guvernatori i Luizianes i ka keshilluar sidomos banoret e zonave te uleta te gjejne mundesine per nje largim te perkohshem.

Durrës, Bllokohen 720 kg marijuanë

Policia e Durrësit ka sekuestruar 720 kg marijuanë. 

Lënda narkotike u gjet në kamionin me targë AA623EP. Drejtuesi i mjetit është ndaluar.

Lënda narkotike ishte ndarë në 36 çanta nga 20 kg secila.

Kamioni me drogë u ndalua në terminal ndërsa po imbarkonte në traget.

Sekuestrohen 93 kg marijuanë në Gjirokastër

Ndërsa në Gjirokastër janë sekuestruar 93 kg marijuana dhe është arrestuar një prej transportuesve.

Lënda narkotike u sekuestrua në pyllin me pisha pranë Nepravishtës dhe po transportohej nga 4 persona. Tre prej tyre arritën të largoheshin.

Mendohet se personat po e kalonin marijuanën drejt kufirit grek.

Policia arrestoi për drogën Hajri Buçin, 28 vjeç, nga Durrësi.

Vlorë, arrestohet grupi i grabitësve

Policia e Vlorës arrestoi një grup të rrezikshëm grabitësish që drejtohej nga dy vëllezërit e ish-krahut të djathtë të Zani Caushit. 

Leonard Idrizi, anëtar i bandës së Çoles është vrarë gjatë luftës mes bandave, vëllai i tij më i vogel Fatbardhi i mori emrin. Policia arrestoi katër persona anëtarë te ketij grupi dhe jane ne kerkim tre te tjere tashme te identifikuar.

Drejtuesit e ketij grupi, vellezerit Joni dhe Leonard Idrizi jane me banim ne Durres dhe persona me precedente penale ne Greqi per grabitje me arme, por qe nuk njiheshin nga policia shqiptare. Banda grabiste kazinote, lojrat e fatit dhe pikat e karburantit.

Ne nje rast gjate nje tentative grabitje ata kane qelluar me arme edhe policine. Por gjate largimit, nje prej drejtuesve te bandes ka hequr masken dhe kapelen ndersa ndodhej para nje kamere te nje subjekti privat dhe aty eshte zbuluar identiteti i tij. Dy nga anetaret e bandes u kapen te fshehur ne nje banese, ndersa dy te tjere jane ndjekur dhe kapur ndersa tentonin te kalonin kufirin me Greqine.

Florida bëhet gati për stuhinë tropikale

Banorët në jug të Floridës kanë bërë përgatitjet finale për stuhinë tropikale “Isaac”, që pritet të bjerë në brigjet amerikane. 

Qindra fluturime dhe lundrime janë anuluar, erërat e forta kanë shkaktuar ndërprerje të energjisë, ndërsa pikat e naftës po shqyrtojnë mundësinë e mbylljes.

Edhe shtete të tjera në Amerikë janë vënë gjithashtu në alarm pasi parashikuesit e motit kanë paralajmëruar se “Isaac” mund të përforcohet më tej gjatë rrugës së tij.

Stuhia tashmë ka shkaktuar dëme të mëdha në Karaibe, ku ka vrarë katër persona në Haiti dhe ka shkaktuar përmbytje në Kubë.

Qendra Kombëtare e Uraganëve deklaroi se stuhia po lëvizte me rreth 30 kilometra në orë drejt Floridës, në pjesën jugore të saj, dhe pritet që të zbarkojë gjatë së dielës.

Banorët në Florida Kis, një ishull i vogël që lidhet me tokën qëndrore përmes një ure, kanë gjithë fundjavën që udhëtojnë për në veri.

Ata janë mësuar me përgatitjet e zakonshme për stuhitë dhe shumë prej tyre kanë izoluar shtëpitë dhe bizneset e tyre.

Vetëm pak bare dhe restorante qëndruan të hapura vonë gjatë së shtunës, për t’u shërbyer grupeve të turistëve dhe vendasve që kishin vendosur të rrezikonin.

Australi, gjyq kundër “Robinson Cruso” së vërtetë

Një 60-vjeçar, i cili prej dy dekadash jeton i vetëm në një ishull të braktisur në Australi, do të përballet me një betejë të rrallë ligjore që ka fituar një vëmendje botërore. 

Ky “Robinson Cruso” i kohëve moderne, australiani i quajtur David Glasheen, është zhvendosur në ishullin e “Restauration”, pranë brigjeve të Kuinslendit, që prej vitit 1993.

Një ish-biznesmen nga Sidnei, Glasheen zgjodhi këtë stil të vemtuar jetese pasi humbi pothuajse dhjetë milionë dollarë në bursë në vitin 1987.

Pasi shkoi disa herë pranë vetvrasjes, atëherë 40-vjeçari kuptoi se kishte dëshirë të shkëputej nga njerëzimi dhe të jetonte vetëm për disa kohë.



Megjithatë, jetesa në ishullin e braktisur shumë shpejt u shndërrua në një ëndërr të bërë realitet për të, ndërsa të vetmit që i bëjnë shoqëri janë qeni i tij besnik dhe disa manikinë që zëvendësojnë njerëzit.



Por, 20 vjet më vonë, autoritetet kanë nisur një proces ndaj tij, lidhur me disa klauzola nëpërmjet të cilave ai fitoi të drejtën të zhvendosej në ishull.



Ish-biznesmeni, i cili ushqehet me arra kokosi dhe peshq të kapur vetë, mori me një qera të papërfillshme ishullin, me kusht që të zhvillonte në të kapacitete turistike, por e vetmja ndërtesë turistike është kasollja e improvizuar në të cilën ai jeton.



Nëpërmjet pranimit të vizitave në ishull dhe publikimit të fotografive të jetës së tij të qetë e paqësore, Glasheen bëri një thirrje publike ndaj autoriteteve që ta lënë të jetojë edhe për pjesën e mbetur të jetës në vendin e ëndrrave të tij.



 

Siri, 200 të ekzekutuar nga Assad

Varr masiv ne Siri

Aktivistët e opozitës siriane lajmëruan të dielën se me dhjetëra trupa të pajetë u gjetën pranë një qyteti në afërsi të kryeqytetit Damask, në atë që përbën masakrën e radhës së trupave të presidentit Bashar al-Assad. 

Sipas opozitës, viktimat e zbuluara në qytetin e Derias ishin ekzekutuar të gjitha gjakfohtësisht.

Një raportim i pakonfirmuar foli për mbi 200 trupa të zbuluar nëpër banesa, vendstrehime dhe bodrume të ndryshme.

Mediat ndërkombëtare e kanë të pamundur të verifikojnë vërtetësinë e këtij lajmi, për shkak të mungesës së aksesit në zonë.

Megjithatë, Televizioni Shtetëror Sirian deklaroi se “Deraja është pastruar nga mbetjet e fundit të terrorizmit”.


Lajmi për masakrën e tmerrshme në Deraja vjen pas lëshimit të një ofensive të gjerë frontale të ushtrisë së rregullt mbi pozicionet e kryengritësve në qytet ditën e shtunë.

Ofensiva nisi pas dhjetë ditësh bombardimi intensiv, që dobësuan dukshëm pozicionet e rebelëve, të shpërtalluar më pas nga ndërhyrja e vendosur e ushtrisë.

Besohet se të ekzekutuarit ishin robër lufte dhe civilë.

Experts Believe Limited Press Freedom to Continue in Ethiopia

Officials move a portrait of Meles Zenawi shortly after the announcement of his death in Addis Ababa August 21, 2012.The death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has raised questions about the state of press freedom in the country.  After weeks of government silence over Meles' health, he died suddenly in a Belgian hospital on August 20.  Journalists who had reported on his health had seen harsh reprisals from the government, such was the case with Temesgen Desalegn, editor of the prominent Ethiopian weekly newspaper Feteh who was jailed late last month.

Analysts say hardliners in the government, coupled with the country's one-party rule, will keep the Ethiopian press firmly under government control in the future. Mohamed Keita with the Committee to Protect Journalist's Africa Program says government prosecution and laws prevented a free press from developing under Meles.

"Systematic persecution and criminalization of news gathering activities, critical reporting, investigative journalism never had a chance to grow under his rule because access to information never became a reality and his government continually enacted laws that ever restricted the activities of journalists and criminalized these activities," said Keita.

The illness and whereabouts of Meles had been a source of rampant media speculation for weeks, including reports that he had died or gone on holiday.

Keita says this is because of the government's culture of secrecy.

"Because the government did not provide reliable information, refused to give details about his whereabouts and his condition," noted Keita.  "This reflected the culture of secrecy within the ruling party and so in the absence of reliable information rumors ran wild and this is why there was so much speculation."

Meles has been succeeded by Hailemariam Desalegn, who had been deputy prime minister. Keita thinks freedom of the press in Ethiopia will not improve under Hailemariam because of hardliners' influence in the ruling party.

"The ruling party, there are hard-liners in the party and they wield a lot of influence," Keita noted.  "I don't think Hailemariam is a hard-liner, but I'm sure he's under a lot of pressure so I don't know if he'll have a chance to really break with the past."

VOA correspondent Peter Heinlein, who was based in Addis Ababa, says the government made it increasingly hard to report during his several years there.

"We saw a steady increase in the regulation of the news media and also the government is very clever in limiting the number of sources that are available to reporters," Heinlein explained.  "People in Ethiopia are generally wary of speaking to reporters and many times I would go back to a source or a person I'd spoken to and interviewed for a second time and found that after they appeared on VOA the first time they were warned that this is not the thing to do and some of them flat out told me 'I'm scared to talk to VOA. I'm scared to talk to the foreign press.'"

Heinlein says it was difficult for the Ethiopian press to report accurately on Meles' deteriorating health because of the government line.

"The state media and the private media were more or less hewing to the government line," Heilein added.  "It's very difficult to really suss out what the truth is in an environment like that."

Press freedom so far has not improved under Meles' successor.  Feteh newspaper editor Temesgen Desalegn was denied bail Thursday after being jailed for reporting on the health of the prime minister last month.

Heinlein thinks press freedom will not improve under the new leadership.

"Hailemariam is basically the same government as Meles Zenawi," Heilein noted.  "Ethiopia is a one party state defacto and the policies won't change. The policies are dictated by a small politburo known as the executive committee and that executive committee has not relinquished one iota of its policy-making authority now that Meles Zenawi is gone."

Amnesty International has condemned the government's detention of Temesgen, saying the arrest is a worrying signal that the government intends to carry on targeting dissent.

Scientists Say World's Oceans Hold Great Medical Promise

Fish swim around a deep coral reef at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Humans have turned to nature for medicines since ancient times. And modern scientists have searched the world’s rainforests for new medicinal compounds. The earth’s oceans may be an even better source, though, and at least 26 drugs that come from marine organisms are currently on the market or in development. A generation of innovative chemists hopes to boost this number.

Chemist Mande Holford has an unusual partner in her hunt for new medicines: a fierce marine snail that eats fish. Her study of the creature, she said, is not entirely scientific.

“I fell in love with snails because their shells are gorgeous,” said Holford.

Their tongue-like proboscides, on the other hand, are deadly. They inject prey with venom that’s made of poisonous chains of amino acids, called peptides.

“I like to say that the snails produce a cluster bomb. Inside [their] venom, you have between 50 to 250 peptides," said Holford. "All target something major in the nervous system. One thing that they hit is a pain signal. When they silence the pain signal, the prey doesn’t go into fight or flight mode.”

Marine research yields major medicines

So the fish stays calmer than it naturally would, even as it’s being eaten. Chemists already have had one major success repurposing the snail’s peptides - a drug called Prialt eases pain for HIV and cancer patients.

“On your neurons, you have these 'gates' that allow things to pass from one side to the other. The gate that controls chronic pain, they’ve found a way to shut it down using one of the peptides,” said said Holford.

Holford may have been drawn to study snails by their beauty. She represents a broader trend, however, toward marine research.

“We’ve found some absolutely fascinating chemistry,” said David Newman, who directs the Natural Products Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. After years of collecting organisms on land, his team now collects only marine life, like sponges or corals. He explains that because these organisms can’t move, they rely on chemical warfare.

“I have been known to say that weapons of mass destruction are alive and well on the coral reef, if you happen to be a fellow sponge who’s trying to encroach, or you’re a starfish that’s trying to eat the sponge. These are extremely toxic agents because of the dilution effect of seawater,” said Newman.

For an organization looking to kill cancerous cells, such potent chemicals are an attractive weapon.

Deep ocean mud loaded with cells

And far below coral reefs, some nine kilometers deep, lies what may be an even more promising source - mud.

“Close to 70 percent of the surface of the earth is really deep ocean mud,” said William Fenical, who directs the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at the Scripps Institute for Oceanography in California. His team focuses on microorganisms living on the sea floor.

“These muds contain about one billion cells in the volume of a sugar cube,” said Fenical.

For comparison, that’s one million times the organic matter you’re likely to find in a similar amount of soil on land. It’s the sheer diversity of this microbial soup that excites Fenical.

“For the last 50 years, microorganisms that occur on land have been exploited for the production of antibiotics, cancer drugs, and cholesterol lowering drugs. What we believe is that the ocean is a completely new resource for such microbial products,” he said.

Fenical’s team already has two drugs in development. He said he sees no end to prospects for ocean-based medicines.