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Maoists block roads to Kathmandu

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:20:32 -0600

Thousands of Nepal's former Maoist rebels have blocked all roads leading into the capital, Kathmandu, to protest against the governing coalition.

Waving red flags, the rebels blocked the road at Thankot which connects the capital with the east-west highway.

Hundreds of riot police have been deployed to keep the peace.

The BBC's Joanna Jolly in Kathmandu says the Maoists want a debate on presidential powers in parliament, but the government has refused the demand.

The Maoists emerged as the largest party in Nepal's first democratic election last year.

They say President Ram Baran Yadav acted unconstitutionally by overruling their decision to sack the army chief earlier this year.

The president's decision led to the collapse of the Maoist-led government in May.

Slogan shouting

Supporters of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have gathered on roads connecting Kathmandu with the rest of the Himalayan nation.

At the Thankot checkpoint, the main entrance to the capital, hundreds of Maoist supporters held banners and their party's red flag, stopping vehicles and chanting slogans.

Seven other Maoist checkpoints have been set up around the city and only ambulances and emergency vehicles are being allowed to pass through.

Police said roads were shut by the protests but that there were no reports of violence.

Sagar Chandra Thapa, a Maoist leader in the Kathmandu valley, told the BBC that he expected thousands more supporters to join the blockade throughout the day.

"Today's protest is against the president's unconstitutional move. Our protest is to establish civilian supremacy over the military. We want to discuss it in the parliament, but we are not allowed. Therefore, we are forced to take to the streets."

The Maoists say they will continue their protests until their demands are met.

They plan a demonstration at the main government office complex in Kathmandu on Wednesday. Thousands of Maoists held similar rallies against the president in September.

The coalition government has asked the Maoists to call off their protests. It hasrefused to discuss their demands, saying the issue has already been resolved.

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US and Israeli leaders hold talks

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:26:47 -0600

US President Barack Obama is due to meet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House as Washington struggles to revive Middle East peace talks.

The talks come amid heightened tension between the Obama administration and Israeli and Palestinian leaders over Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Aides to Mr Netanyahu said the two leaders would also discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Mr Netanyahu is in Washington to address a forum of Jewish leaders.

The Israeli prime minister's meeting with Mr Obama on Monday was announced only after he had arrived in the US.

The White House had previously declined to confirm the meeting, but Israeli officials denied that the absence of an invitation would be a snub to Mr Netanyahu.

US setbacks

Mr Obama's administration has made Israeli-Palestinian peace talks the cornerstone of its Middle East policy.

However, its peace efforts have recently suffered two setbacks.

The Palestinians say a settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank is a precondition for a renewal of talks, and Washington has been backing their stance.

But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton angered Arab leaders last week when she praised Mr Netanyahu's offer of a limited easing of settlement building as "unprecedented".

The second blow came when moderate Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced he would not seek re-election because of the impasse in peace negotiations.

He accused the US of backtracking by refusing to persuade Israel to freeze Jewish settlement building.

Mr Obama was originally scheduled to address the Jewish Federations of North America's annual General Assembly, which Mr Netanyahu is attending.

But he pulled out to attend a memorial service at Fort Hood military base following the massacre there. His chief of staff Rahm Emanuel will address the meeting instead.

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Korean naval ships 'clash at sea'

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:24:33 -0600

There has been a clash between ships from the rival navies of North and South Korea, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The agency says that a South Korean warship fired a shot at a North Korean vessel which crossed the demarcation line off their western coast.

The North Korean ship returned fire, but no injuries are reported so far.

The two navies have engaged in deadly exchanges twice along their western sea border in the past decade.

In October, North Korea's navy accused South Korea of sending warships across their maritime border to stir tensions, and warned that further incursions could spark retaliations.

The communist state's navy said that on one day alone, ships had crossed the boundary 10 times.

South Korea recognises the Northern Limit Line, drawn unilaterally by the US-led United Nations Command at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, which has never been accepted by North Korea.

In 1999 a North Korean ship was sunk and several vessels from both sides were damaged during an exchange of fire.

In 2002 four South Korean sailors and an estimated 30 North Koreans were killed in a 20-minute battle.

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India lawmaker hit for Hindi oath

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:56:14 -0600

A legislator in the Indian state of Maharashtra was attacked by four rivals inside the state assembly for taking an oath in the national language, Hindi.

Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi was hit by legislators from a regional party who wanted him to take the oath in the local language, Marathi.

The four assailants have been suspended from the assembly for four years.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party has been campaigning for greater rights for the Marathi people of Maharashtra.

The party has been accused of several attacks on migrant workers in the last couple of years.

MNS is led by Raj Thackeray - a nephew of Bal Thackeray, the founder of the right-wing Hindu Shiv Sena party.

Slapped

The MNS legislators attacked Mr Azmi on Monday as soon as he began taking the oath in Hindi.

They snatched the microphone and one MNS member, Ram Kadam, slapped him.

Later, the assembly passed a resolution suspending the four legislators - Vasant Gite, Shishir Shinde, Ram Kadam and Ramesh Wanjale - for four years for unruly behaviour.

Politicians from various parties have condemned the assault.

India's governing Congress Party has described the incident as "constitutionally impermissible and democratically shameful".

The assembly began a three-day special session on Monday for newly-elected legislators to take their oaths.

Assembly elections were held in Maharashtra last month and the Congress and its regional ally Nationalist Congress Party secured a comfortable win.

Maharashtra is one of India's most important states. Its capital, Mumbai (Bombay), is the country's financial centre. The Congress has ruled the state for the last two terms with its ally the NCP.

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DNA tests in Cambodia bring hope for rare crocodile species

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:48:09 -0600

By Guy deLauney
BBC News, Phnom Penh

Conservationists say there is fresh hope for one of the world's rarest reptiles.

DNA tests have found 35 pure-bred Siamese crocodiles at a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia.

There are fewer then 250 of the species left in the wild, but the crocodiles at the sanctuary could now form the basis of a captive-breeding programme.

Siamese crocodiles may be smaller than some other species, but they're easily capable of breaking human limbs.

So for the conservationists at the Phnom Tamao wildlife rescue centre, taking DNA samples was a hazardous task.

In February this year, they wrangled and wrestled 69 of the beasts so they could gather genetic information.

And now it turns out all the hard work was worth it.

Thirty-five crocodiles have been confirmed as pure-bred Siamese - including six adults which may be suitable for starting off a captive breeding programme.

And more than two dozen younger crocs may be released into the wild when they are old enough.

The discovery continues a remarkable comeback for the species.

Siamese crocodiles were declared extinct in the 1990s - before a small population was discovered in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains.

But the conservation organisation Fauna and Flora International has warned that any celebrations would be premature.

Siamese crocodiles mature slowly.

So it will take 15 years before the breeding programme comes to fruition.

And in the meantime, everything from poaching to hydroelectric projects pose a threat to crocodiles and their habitats.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Japan to boost aid to Afghanistan

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:54:28 -0600

By Roland Buerk
BBC News, Tokyo

Japan's Government has pledged $5bn (£3bn) in new aid to Afghanistan over the next five years.

The decision comes days before US President Barack Obama visits Tokyo.

Japan's centre-left government has said it will end a naval refuelling mission in support of US led efforts in Afghanistan.

Since coming to power in September the government also said it was working on a plan to would offer more civilian aid instead.

Japan's Government has been working on a plan to offer more aid to Afghanistan since announcing it would end a mission by the Maritime Self Defence Force to supply fuel to assist US-led operations in the country.

Now there is a figure - $5bn (£3bn) over the next five years.

It is likely to be used for job training, helping former Taliban fighters to reintegrate with society, and for agriculture and infrastructure development.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is expected to discuss details of the scheme with US President Barack Obama when he visits Japan on Friday.

Mr Hatoyama took power in September after winning a landslide in a general election which ended more than half a century of almost unbroken power for the conservative Liberal Democratic Party.

His Democratic Party of Japan wants a more equal relationship with the United States.

The alliance, half a century old next year, is critical to Japan's security and a cornerstone of American policy in Asia. One source of tension is the planned relocation of an American military base on the southern island of Okinawa.

The United States is resisting Japan's attempts to reopen negotiations, saying it would undermine a broader agreement to a reorganise the nearly 50,000 strong American force in the country.

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Ex-Thai PM arrives in Cambodia

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:14:22 -0600

Fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has landed in the Cambodian capital to take up a job as economic adviser to the government.

He was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail in neighbouring Thailand in a conflict of interest case.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen offered Mr Thaksin the advisory post on the eve of a regional summit hosted by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The Thai government has expressed anger and embarrassment about the deal.

Ties between Cambodia and Thailand have been tense in recent months as disputes around a cross-border temple complex have flared.

Cross-border cross-ness

Mr Thaksin exited a small private airplane at Phnom Penh International Airport and was then escorted into the Cambodian capital by a convoy of cars under tight security, said an AFP photographer at the scene.

"Thaksin is now in Cambodia. He flew in on a special flight and just landed at the military airport," said Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian information minister and the top government spokesman.

"We are looking forward to learning from Thaksin's great economic experience and we are convinced that his experience will contribute to our country's economic development," he said.

Mr Thaksin, a former telecoms billionaire, is in self-imposed exile and spends much of his time in Dubai.

He is scheduled to give a lecture on Thursday to 300 economists at the ministry of finance.

Thailand's government is outraged at the Cambodian move, and at Cambodia's apparent rejection of Thailand's judicial imperative to send Mr Thaksin to jail.

The Thai government and its supporters also fear that Mr Thaksin could use his new home just across the border as a campaign base.

Mr Abhisit's government was appointed after defections in parliament followed a period of military rule since the coup in 2006 which deposed Mr Thaksin.

It recalled its ambassador from Cambodia over its appointment of Mr Thaksin after Cambodia would refuse to extradite the tycoon because it considered him a victim of political persecution.

A government spokesman told the BBC that Cambodia valued Mr Thaksin's leadership qualities and business experience and that he would be an asset to the country.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Red flags

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:06:29 -0600

Mark Mardell on the FBI's probe of Maj Hasan's links

US Army attack 'not terror plot'

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:44:58 -0600

The FBI says that a US Army major suspected of killing 13 people was not part of a "broader terrorist plot".

Maj Nidal Hasan was noticed by the FBI in December as part of an unrelated inquiry by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, but did not raise concerns.

Investigators said his communications with another person were in line with his job as an army psychiatrist.

Maj Hasan remains in hospital but has regained consciousness after being shot by police during the attack last week.

Thirteen people died and another 29 were injured in the shooting at Fort Hood base in Texas on Thursday.

The FBI said it had "no information to indicate that Maj Hasan had any co-conspirators or was part of a broader terrorist plot".

The bureau did not name the person Maj Hasan communicated with, and did not confirm reports that he was a radical cleric living in Yemen.

The content of the communications between Maj Hasan and the other individual was assessed as "consistent with research being conducted by Major Hasan in his position as a psychiatrist at the Walter Reed Medical Center" in Washington DC.

'No red flag'

"Because the content of the communications was explainable by his research and nothing else derogatory was found, the JTTF concluded that Major Hasan was not involved in terrorist activities or terrorist planning," the FBI said in a statement.

MARDELL'S AMERICA

"If a solider, a Muslim unhappy about waging war on other Muslims, gets in touch with a man well-known for advocating terrorism, shouldn't that 'raise a red flag' "

Mark Mardell
BBC North America editor

Read Mark's thoughts in full

There were between 10 and 20 communications, beginning in December 2008 and continuing in 2009.

Content was of a social nature as well as "religious guidance".

They did not include the sort of threatening or inciting language that would have triggered an investigation.

A senior government official said the "general tenor of the communications was benign".

The communications contained "no red flag", according to the official.

Senior investigators say Maj Hassan, who is conscious and has called for a lawyer, is to be charged in a military court, rather than the US District Court.

Motive unclear

Investigators also said that being on the FBI's radar would not have been enough to prevent Maj Hassan from legally obtaining a weapon.

The FBI investigation has not identified a motive, and a number of possibilities remain under consideration.

Some reports said Maj Hasan, a 39-year-old US-born Muslim, was unhappy about being deployed to Afghanistan.

FBI Director Robert Mueller has ordered a review of how the agency dealt with information about Maj Hasan.

Senior US Senator Joe Lieberman has said he plans to open a congressional investigation into whether the shootings were a terrorist attack.

Mr Lieberman also said he hoped to determine whether the army missed signs that Maj Hasan may have harboured extreme views.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Penis tissue replaced in the lab

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:37:40 -0600

Tissue created in a laboratory has been used to completely replace the erectile tissue of the penis in animals.

The advance raises hopes of being able to restore full function to human penises that have been damaged by injury or disease.

Rabbits given the engineered tissue by the scientists from Wake Forest University in New Carolina had normal sexual function and produced offspring.

The study appears online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Professor Anthony Atala said: "Further studies are required, of course, but our results are encouraging and suggest that the technology has considerable potential for patients who need penile reconstruction.

"Our hope is that patients with congenital abnormalities, penile cancer, traumatic injury and some cases of erectile dysfunction will benefit from this technology in the future."

Reconstructing damaged or diseased penile erectile tissue is a tough challenge because of the tissue's complex structure and function.

ENGINEERED TISSUE

Known as the corpora cavernosa penis
Two columns of sponge-like material, forming a significant part of the organ
The structures, bound together with connective tissue and covered with skin, fill with blood during an erection

Different approaches have been tried - including the use of silicone prosthesis - but with limited success.

The Wake Forest team has already achieved considerable success in the field of tissue engineering, developing whole human bladders that have been implanted into patients.

In a previous study, the researchers engineered short segments of rabbit erectile tissue with 50% of full function.

In the latest work, they harvested smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells from the animals' erectile tissue.

These cells were multiplied in the laboratory and used to seed a three dimensional scaffold, which was implanted into the animals' penis.

Organised erectile tissue with blood vessel structures began to form as early as a month later.

The researchers believe the key was the fact that the cells were injected into the scaffolds on two separate days, enabling them to hold almost six times as many smooth muscle cells as in previous studies.

"Tissue engineering techniques may well lead to clinical advances with time"

Tim Terry
British Association of Urological Surgeons

During an erection, it is the relaxation of smooth muscle tissue that allows an influx of blood into the penis.

The relaxation is triggered by the release of nitric oxide from endothelial cells.

Tests showed that vessel pressure within the engineered tissue was normal and that blood flowed smoothly through it and drained away from it normally after an erection.

When the animals with the engineered tissue mated with females, vaginal swabs contained sperm in eight out of 12 cases. Four of the 12 females were impregnated.

Tim Terry, honorary secretary of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, described the study as "fascinating".

He said complex, highly invasive surgery was often the only option for patients with damaged erectile tissue and the latest work offered long-term hope of a better alternative.

However, he said, much work would be required before the technique could be tested on humans, with potential problems including finding a suitable place to embed the new tissue and ensuring it had an appropriate nerve supply.

"Nevertheless, tissue engineering techniques may well lead to clinical advances with time," he said.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

US sniper execution appeal denied

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:50:07 -0600

The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal for a stay of execution from lawyers for the man behind the 2002 sniper attacks in Washington DC.

John Allen Muhammad is due to be executed on Tuesday for the murder of Dean Harold Meyers, one of 10 people killed during three weeks of attacks.

The court gave no reason for the rejection of the clemency appeal.

Muhammad's then teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, is serving life in prison for his part in the attacks.

The two men killed six people in Alabama and Louisiana before moving on to Maryland, Washington and Virginia.

Mr Meyers was shot at a petrol station in Manassas, Virginia.

Muhammad will die by lethal injection at a prison in Virginia but his lawyers have criticised the court ruling.

"Virginia will execute a severely mentally ill man who also suffered from Gulf War Syndrome," the Associated Press news agency quoted lawyer Jonathan Sheldon as saying.

Mr Sheldon also criticised the timing of the execution, due the day before Veterans Day, a US public holiday honouring the military.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

'State of war'

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:10:50 -0600

The Pakistani army operation in South Waziristan has been accompanied by a string of deadly bomb attacks on civilian and military targets across the country.

Here, ordinary Pakistanis describe the impact frequent attacks have on their lives and their hopes that the army succeeds in South Waziristan.

UMAR AZMAT WAZIR, FROM SOUTH WAZIRISTAN, NOW IN PESHAWAR

My family left our home in Shakai - a remote valley in South Waziristan, in 2003. We left because of the bad security situation and because we couldn't accept the doctrine of the militants.

Since then we've been living in Peshawar. We've experienced many suicide attacks lately, especially since the army started its offensive in South Waziristan.

This has changed the daily life and habits of every resident of the city. In the past we would go shopping, we would go to cafes and the stadium during weekends, to the cheap bazaar on Sundays. Most people, including me, avoid going to those places now.

"I would love to be able to return to my home and to work for the development of a democratic system there "

Peshawar is closest to the militants' stonghold, so everybody is aware that attacks here can be engineered easily and that more attacks might follow.

The Taliban want to put pressure on the government. It's their strategy to halt the operation in South Waziristan. But in my view that objective cannot be achieved because all Pakistanis are united against the terrorists who brought misery to them.

The army was successful in Swat and I hope it will be successful in South Waziristan too. But it's very important that measures are taken to prevent militants from going over to Afghanistan where they can find havens.

More US and UK troops need to be positioned on the Afghan side of the border. Only then can the threat be removed.

I would love to be able to return to my home and to work for the development of a democratic system there.

Most of all, I would love to work on educational projects there, because the basic problem of our area is poor education and illiteracy. Educated Waziristani youth will be the guaranty of peace and prosperity.

AWAIS ABBASI, ENGINEERING STUDENT, ISLAMABAD

The recent attack on the Islamic University has inflicted great trauma on me and many of my Pakistani brothers and sisters.

This incident has made one thing clear - that terrorists are following us everywhere: in mosques, shopping centres, hotels, restaurants and even educational institutions.

The government has closed many schools and universities, including mine, due to security concerns. It's exactly like a state of war, a war which is more frightening, because we can't see the face of our enemies. They just come from somewhere and take hundreds of lives in seconds.

"Drone attacks are nothing more than a game of 'whack a mole', while the mole works on plans for large scale terrorist attacks"

This war is affecting every aspect of our lives: our behaviour, emotions and thoughts. Many of my friends are experiencing trauma in different forms: losing control of emotions and having nightmares of getting killed in an explosion.

They can never combat terrorism by launching military operations in South Waziristan or any other tribal area of Pakistan. I think that only breeds hatred and a sense of deprivation among local people.

Drone attacks are nothing more than a game of "whack a mole", while the mole works on plans for large scale terrorist attacks.

If you kill three or four terrorists, you will lose hundreds of people, as happens in Pakistan these days.

The 1,500-mile-long border Afghanistan shares with Pakistan is a wild and dangerous place, one that is ruled by gunmen. The border plays a vital role in the growing insurgency in Pakistan and promotes the trade of opium.

The border should be sealed and no illegal immigration between the two countries should be allowed.

SYED AHMED, KARACHI

There is growing fear in Pakistan's major cities. People refrain from going out unnecessarily. Shopping places are deserted and there are very few people hanging out in public places.

The militants are not only involved in bombings and killings, they are also frequently caught snatching mobile phones and cash from houses and people waiting at bus stops.

"The Taliban are not fit to stand in front of an army "

The Pakistani army is doing a great job by fighting these hard-core militants in a very complex area. I am very hopeful that the army will achieve their goal because the thought of losing the battle with the extremists horrifies me.

The Taliban can be easily defeated. You must have noticed that they are not interested in killing individuals of the armed forces, they are always after collateral damage, that can tear apart the emotions of the society. This proves that they are not fit to stand in front of an army.

The best way is to stop them entering big cities at any cost. The government should consider beefing up security at all exit and entry points. The coastal line around Karachi should be monitored 24 hours a day. No one should be allowed in without proof of address.

The government should also have a plan for educating the masses of South Waziristan. Poor education brings flawed way of thinking.

AKSEER SAFDAR, TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKER, ISLAMABAD

I feel highly depressed by the current security situation in the country. There is a growing fear in Islamabad and other cities of Pakistan about the increasing threat of militancy and suicide bomb attacks.

This menace has affected our daily habits - people fear to go out to public places and markets. The Taliban seem to be dictating to us how to live our lives.

The militants are striking hard in their attempts to demoralise ordinary people and the security agencies. But, having seen the recent success of the army in Swat, I and many of my colleagues are quite optimistic about the outcome of the operation in South Waziristan.

The Taliban are hard-core militants who have no respect for either the religion of Islam or humanity. They want to impose their dark vision on the rest of the world and particularly on Pakistan.

In recent days, the Pakistani military has found solid evidence leading to Indian involvement in funding these extremists. The long-term solution would be to go after the militants with full force while at the same time destroying their life line, which means conveying some tough messages to neighbouring countries.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Teaching Pol Pot

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:07:22 -0600

By Guy De Launey
BBC News, Phnom Penh

Students can rarely have seemed so enthusiastic about receiving a textbook.

Even though it was not a school day, dozens of them made their way in to Sisowath High School in the centre of Phnom Penh for a presentation ceremony.

School and government officials were formally handing out the new Khmer Rouge history book, a scene that will be repeated across the country in the closing months of this year.

Three decades have passed since the fall of the Khmer Rouge government. Yet only now are Cambodian schoolchildren finally starting to learn about what happened during the Pol Pot era.

As many as two million people died in the late 1970s from forced labour, malnutrition and the summary execution of so-called "enemies of the revolution".

But the subject was conspicuous by its absence from the high school curriculum until the new textbook received official approval.

At Sisowath High, the students enthusiastically fired questions at the book's author and an official from the ministry of education. They asked "Who were the Khmer Rouge" and "Why did they kill their own people"

Fragile society

These are the kind of things which one might have thought they would already know. But official information has been thin on the ground. Until now the official school text contained a mere five lines on the Pol Pot era.

Khamboly Dy has expanded that paragraph to an entire textbook for the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, an organisation which gathers evidence about Khmer Rouge atrocities.

WHO WERE THE KHMER ROUGE

Maoist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979
Founded and led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998
Abolished religion, schools and currency in a bid to create agrarian utopia
Up to two million people thought to have died from starvation, overwork or execution

Like most Cambodians, he was born after the fall of the Khmer Rouge - but he insists young people must not ignore the subject.

"After the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia was so damaged and fragile - like broken glass," he says.

"The young generation has the responsibility to repair this broken glass. They need to understand what happened in their country before they can move forward to build up democracy, peace and reconciliation."

Teaching the Khmer Rouge era has not been straightforward in Cambodia.

The subject disappeared from the curriculum in the early 1990s when Pol Pot and his followers were among the signatories to a peace agreement.

A series of defections and the presence of former Khmer Rouge members in the current government mean it is still a sensitive issue to tackle.

So the new textbook is careful to concentrate on the grim facts of the Pol Pot era, rather than any political analysis. And that has ensured its official approval.

There are chapters titled "forced labour", "purges and massacres" and "interrogation and torture" - but no explicit photos.

Changing attitudes

Seventeen-year-old Rina was among the first students at Sisowath High to receive the textbook - and looked forward to closing the gaps in her knowledge.

"I feel regret and guilty about this; they killed a lot of people," she explained.

"The new textbook will give me the experience of what happened in Cambodia - and Cambodians will never let this happen again."

The absence of the Khmer Rouge era from the school curriculum meant young Cambodians had been relying on older family members for information.

Researchers discovered that some found the horrific stories barely believable, and cast doubt on whether the atrocities actually happened.

Those attitudes may now change. Sisowath High School history teacher Im Sao Sokha will be among those using the new textbook to guide students through Cambodia's bloody past.

"I lived through this period myself," he says.

"No other country killed its own people like this - it was a disastrous episode in Cambodian history. If they understand what happened during the Khmer Rouge, students will change their attitude. They won't get involved with conflict, violence or fighting with each other."

It is a lot of weight to put on a single textbook. But at the very least it should help to ensure that young Cambodians have the full details of the events of the Pol Pot era. What happens next is up to them.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

China's Hu set for Malaysia visit

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:59:21 -0600

By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Shanghai

China's President Hu Jintao is due to arrive in Malaysia for talks ahead of an Asia-Pacific regional summit in neighbouring Singapore later this week.

Mr Hu will be the first Chinese head of state to visit Malaysia in 15 years.

Chinese bank ICBC - the world's largest lender by market value - is expected to be granted a licence to open branches in the country during his visit.

It will be the first time in nine years that a foreign bank has been given permission to do so in the country.

China is increasingly important for Malaysia.

It has overtaken Singapore, the United States and Japan to become Kuala Lumpur's number one trade partner this year.

In April, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced that up to nine new licences would be granted to foreign banks to operate in Malaysia, to help to liberalise the banking sector and promote foreign investment.

The government is expected to grant ICBC one of these licenses during Mr Hu's visit.

The two leaders plan to sign an agreement to build more infrastructure projects together and will hold talks ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

Trade is likely to be a major issue at Apec and China is seeking support for its complaint that Washington is engaging in protectionism that will harm world trade if left unchecked.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Leaders' call to action in Berlin

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:56:02 -0600

World leaders marking the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall have said the battle against injustice around the world must continue.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was joined at the Brandenburg Gate by UK PM Gordon Brown, France's Nicolas Sarkozy and top US diplomat Hillary Clinton.

They warned human rights were still under threat for millions of people.

The wall's fall in 1989 saw Germany reunify, prompting the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Cold War's end.

Communist East Germany erected the 155-km (96-mile) concrete barrier in 1961 to encircle West Berlin and prevent its citizens from fleeing from the east into the capitalist enclave.

"There could be no clearer rebuke of tyranny, no stronger affirmation of freedom"

Barack Obama

In pictures: Berlin Wall anniversary

In quotes: Twenty years on

Russia's mixed feelings

At least 136 people are thought to have been killed at the wall while trying to escape.

Ms Merkel - who grew up in East Germany - presided over Monday's celebrations.

She led a procession of leaders through the Brandenburg Gate - the symbol of German reunification in 1990.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, former Polish President Lech Walesa and ex-Hungarian Prime Minister Miklos Nemeth were also among leaders, past and present, who attended.

Ms Merkel said the anniversary was a reminder to "take on the challenges of our time" - from poverty to climate change - and "the defence of human rights all over the world".

Mrs Clinton said the event was "a call to action".

HOW THE WALL FELL

13 Aug 1961: East Germany erects the Berlin Wall
Aug-Sep 1989: Tens of thousands of East Germans seek asylum abroad as communist control over Eastern Europe relaxes
7 Oct: Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev indirectly calls for reform on a visit to East Berlin
18 Oct 1989: Egon Krenz replaces Erich Honecker as East Germany's leader after anti-government protests
4 Nov: Mass protests by East Germans culminate in a million-strong rally in Berlin
9 Nov: The Wall is breached after the East German government moves to lift curbs on travel over the border to West Germany

Hewitt: Exhilaration of freedom

Wall's fall: Your memories

The night the Wall fell

"There are still millions across our world who are separated, maybe not by walls... but people who are separated from their loved ones, who are kept behind, who are locked behind bars," she continued.

She introduced a special video address from Washington by US President Barack Obama, who said the fall of the wall had been a clear rebuke of tyranny.

Mr Brown said: "Let me thank you, the people of Berlin, for showing that in a troubled world with an Africa in poverty, and a Darfur in agony, a Zimbabwe in tears and a Burma in chains, individuals even when in pain need not suffer forever without hope."

Tens of thousands of people braved rainy downpours to mark the events of two decades ago that transformed the political face of Europe.

Mr Sarkozy said the anniversary was "a call to fight oppression and to tear down all the walls that still separate the world, that divide cities, regions and nations".

Mr Medvedev said confrontation was in the past and now was the time to "build a different, new, better world".

After the leaders spoke, a chain of 1,000 giant foam dominoes - painted with messages of freedom by young people - was toppled along where the wall once stood.

The symbolic act was to reflect how the then Communist governments of Eastern Europe fell one after another.

The festivities were capped with fireworks and a concert featuring music from Berlin's State Opera and the American rock band Bon Jovi.

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Miliband 'will not take EU job'

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:50:07 -0600

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has rejected the chance to become EU high representative, the BBC understands.

He was seen as a frontrunner for the foreign affairs job, one of two created by the EU Treaty, but has insisted he is not "available" to be a candidate.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said Mr Miliband had told the head of the European socialists' group on Sunday he was not interested in the job.

Foreign secretary since 2007, he has been touted as a future Labour leader.

He has been campaigning hard for former PM Tony Blair to get the other job created by the Lisbon Treaty, that of president of the European Council.

But there have been suggestions that Mr Miliband might be in the running for the foreign affairs role if Mr Blair fails to be selected for the job of president.

The foreign secretary had responded to speculation he might take the job of EU high representative for foreign affairs by saying he was not "available" to be a candidate but had not ruled out taking it if it was offered.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said he understood Mr Miliband had told the president of the centre-left grouping in the European Parliament that he was not interested in the job when they met on Sunday.

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Lebanon finally forms government

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:48:47 -0600

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has announced the formation of the 30-member national-unity cabinet - five months after a general election.

Five ministers were chosen by President Suleiman, and 15 are from PM-designate Saad Hariri's Western-backed coalition.

The remaining 10 are from the opposition, including two members of Hezbollah, which struck a deal with the governing coalition last week.

The deadlock over the new government had threatened Lebanon's stability.

Mr Hariri's coalition won a narrow majority in June's election, but needed to negotiate with the opposition to form a unity government.

"Finally, a government of national unity is born," Mr Hariri said.

"I want to be honest from the start: this government can be a chance to renew faith in the state and its institutions... or it can turn into a replay of our failures."

'Real partnership'

Although his party has 15 cabinet positions, with Hezbollah and allies ten, neither side has outright control.

Hezbollah representative Mohammed Fneish told the Associated Press news agency: "This formula achieves the principle of real partnership in political decision-making on key decisions."

The five ministers appointed by President Sleiman include key interior and defence portfolios.

One of the delays was prompted by Christian leader Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, who insisted on retaining the sensitive telecommunications ministry.

Mr Hariri accepted his demand after initially rejecting it.

Mr Hariri led what many described as an anti-Syrian coalition to victory in the elections five months ago.

Syria was a significant political player in neighbouring Lebanon for nearly 30 years until the death of Mr Hariri's father, Rafik, in 2005.

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Canadian rescued from bears on Arctic ice

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:37:22 -0600

A Canadian teenager has been rescued from an ice floe drifting in the Arctic sea, where he was reportedly stranded with two polar bears.

Search and rescue teams parachuted onto the 15m (40ft) floe after spotting the 17-year-old Inuit youth from the air.

They told the BBC he appeared to have shot and killed a mother polar bear in self-defence, orphaning her two cubs.

The teenager is being treated for mild hypothermia and frostbite in the small town of Coral Harbour, on Hudson Bay.

Jean Pierre Sharp of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, told the BBC the teenager had been on a hunting expedition with an older man in the remote area, when one of their snowmobiles broke down.

The teenager set off alone to find help but became stranded when the ice floe broke away and drifted loose, said Mr Sharp, leaving him trapped overnight as temperatures fell to -20C.

A rescue mission was launched when the men were reported missing. The older man was found not far from the snowmobiles and received treatment for hypothermia.

The younger man was spotted from the air but rescuers lost sight of him as night fell.

He was spotted again on Monday morning about 7km (four miles) off shore - by that time, the floe had drifted at least 45km (30 miles) in the Arctic Ocean.

Paratroopers jumped onto the ice from a Hercules transport plane to rescue him.

"This young man had quite a journey," said Cpt Michael Young, of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at a Canadian army base in Ontario.

"It was cold and dark, and there was apparently a couple of polar bears on the ice floe with him too," Cpt Young told the AFP news agency.

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Liverpool toil to Birmingham draw

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:58:59 -0600

By Mandeep Sanghera

A controversial penalty by Steven Gerrard salvaged a draw for Liverpool as their faltering season continued against Birmingham at Anfield.

Gerrard scored from the spot to make it 2-2 after David Ngog had appeared to dive over a Lee Carsely tackle.

Ngog had earlier put the Reds ahead when he smashed in a far post volley but Christian Benitez levelled when he nodded in a well-worked set piece.

Cameron Jerome's 30-yard strike shocked the Reds before Gerrard's equaliser.

Birmingham will be furious at the penalty given by referee Peter Walton as Carsley did not seem to make any contact with Ngog as the under siege visitors valiantly kept the Reds at bay.

However, despite a half-fit Gerrard, who had only come on because of an injury to Albert Riera, slotting in from 12 yards the result will only heap further pressure on Reds manager Rafael Benitez after a game Liverpool were expected to win.

606: DEBATE
What are your thoughts on the game

Liverpool's defensive solidity has been their strength in Benitez's reign but the foundations he has laid have been on rocky ground this season and again undermined their play.

The home side had taken a patient and calm approach to the match before gradually raising the tempo and taking the lead.

Glen Johnson was having plenty of joy down the right flank and, after weaving between two defenders, he pulled the ball back for Ngog, whose initial shot was saved by Joe Hart.

Hart scampered across his goal to fend away Dirk Kuyt's follow-up but the Blues keeper had no chance when Riera crossed to the far post where Ngog smashed a left-foot volley into the roof of the net.

The Reds were in control only to let their weakness at the back allow the visitors back into a game they rarely looked like making an impact on.

Former Everton midfielder James McFadden swung a Blues free-kick to the far post and, after being headed on by Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, Christian Benitez nodded in from close range.

The goal had given Birmingham encouragement and the visitors had an extra air of belief about them as they repelled some concerted Liverpool pressure as the home side looked to re-establish their grip on the game.

Hart tipped over a 25-yard strike from Javier Mascherano before the Blues defence cleared a tamely struck Lucas Leiva sidefooted shot off the line.

Liverpool brought Gerrard on when Riera went off with a hamstring problem but their unfit captain could do little as the visitors took the lead in spectacular fashion.

Jerome controlled Dann's head ball forward, fended off the irritation of Mascherano and unleashed a thunderous shot which dipped over keeper Reina.

The Reds piled on the pressure and it almost paid off only for Gerrard to head a Glen Johnson cross against the outside of the post from eight yards.

Birmingham defended in numbers with an admirable bravery which saw the particularly impressive centre-backs Scott Dann and Roger Johnson flinging their bodies at crosses and shots to keep the home side at bay.

However, they conceded an equaliser in controversial circumstances as Gerrard sent Hart the wrong way from the spot.

The Anfield crowd were now staunchly behind their team and Ngog sidefooted wide after Gerrard powered in a cross to the near post in an exciting finale.

A winner, though, eluded the Reds as they stayed seventh in the Premier League with Rafael Benitez still without a league win over Birmingham in seven attempts.

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US trio 'on Iran spying charge'

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:27:41 -0600

Three young Americans detained in Iran over alleged illegal entry are to be charged with espionage, state news agency Irna says.

Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal have been held by Iranian authorities since the end of July.

The trio are thought to have crossed a poorly marked border by mistake while hiking in Iraq's Kurdish region.

The US has voiced deep concern about their detention, while their families have appealed for their release.

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NZ withstand Aamer heroics to win

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:44:06 -0600

Third one-day international, Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Zahed Stadium):
New Zealand 211 beat Pakistan 204 by seven runs
Match scorecard

New Zealand had to weather a remarkable innings from Pakistan tail-ender Mohammad Aamer before clinching the one-day series decider in Abu Dhabi.

Chasing 212 to win, Pakistan were 47-0 after eight overs but hit the self-destruct button to reach 101-9.

Aamer then hit a stunning unbeaten 73 in a stand with Saeed Ajmal worth 103, but Pakistan fell seven runs short.

The 17-year-old Aamer made the highest score by a number 10 in one-day history but Ajmal was out with five balls left.

Though New Zealand could celebrate a 2-1 series win, much of the talk remained centred on Aamer.

He blazed three sixes in one Daniel Vettori over and then took on all the bowlers in a hugely successful assault considering he had come into the game with a best score of 37 in all organised professional cricket.

Aamer hit three fours off a wayward Kyle Mills and an edge of desperation crept into New Zealand's game as two appeals were denied and a couple of fortuitous edges - one from each batsman - brought further boundaries.

With about a run a ball required over the closing overs, Aamer and Ajmal played sensibly and 11 were needed from the last 10 balls when another big appeal, for a catch behind the wicket, was rejected.

606: DEBATE

"A great effort indeed. I can understand the pain inside Aamer. A world-class effort which should have resulted in Pakistan victory"

ravisg28

But the first ball of the final over, bowled by Jacob Oram, finally provided New Zealand's salvation as Ajmal top-edged his pull to allows Mills, running in from fine leg, to take a good catch.

Pakistan's last two batsmen had produced the best stand by a final-wicket pair in ODIs since Viv Richards and Michael Holding in 1984 at Old Trafford.

Earlier, Brendon McCullum followed up his match-winning century last Friday with an aggressive 76 after the Black Caps had won the toss and opted to bat first.

But New Zealand could not build fully on McCullum's efforts and were bowled out for 211 in the 47th over despite Ross Taylor also contributing well with 44.

They fell away badly in the latter half of their innings as Ajmal (4-33) and his fellow spinners took a firm grip of the game. But the advantage was frittered away alarmingly quickly by the Pakistan batsmen.

The procession of wickets began when Khalid Latif fell lbw to Vettori, before Salman Butt was run out after a mix-up with Younus Khan. Pakistan's skipper then saw his defensive edge off Shane Bond snared by Taylor in the slips.

Despite facing an easy required run rate, Pakistan's middle and lower order played a succession of wild shots against some accurate but not over-demanding bowling.

Shoaib Malik miscued a pull, Umar Akmal edged a cut, Shahid Afridi nicked his drive behind before Kamran Akmal surpassed them as he tried to fetch Tim Southee from outside off-stump only to pick out mid-on.

In the 24th over, Umar Gul hit a drive to mid-on only for his non-striking partner Abdul Razzaq to charge down the wicket for a non-existent single and be sent back. He was run out by yards to leave the score 86-8.

The last three batsmen were left to score 126 between them, and though Gul hung around grimly to see them pass 100 he eventually picked out deep midwicket off Oram (3-20) following a succession of maidens.

New Zealand appeared on course for a massive victory, but they were pushed every inch of the way by Aamer and Ajmal.

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Flood misery

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:17:40 -0600

Scott Elberger is a US paediatrician volunteering in El Salvador who is now giving medical aid to refugees from the floods that have devastated the country.

About 7,000 people in El Salvador are living in shelters after floods and mudslides destroyed homes and villages.

President Mauricio Funes has declared a national emergency as a result of the disaster which has left large parts of the country without electricity or clean water and cut off from government aid.

We are in a refugee camp of 700 people, in the area of San Pedro Masahuat, south of San Salvador.

The camp has been set up in a school that has been closed down.

There are people sleeping on the floor, sleeping in hammocks. And there are a lot of children here.

"Mudslides and downed bridges have made it impossible to travel"

Scott Elderberg,
Paediatricians for Central America's Children

Your emails from El Salvador

There is a pump for water and women are using a local well for bathing.

Everybody here seems okay. But there is a very dense number of people packed into a very small area.

These are people who were evacuated - they knew the writing was on the wall and that things were only going to get worse.

Mudslides

We (Paediatricians for Central America's Children) are a group of doctors, nurses and lay people who are here on a medical mission.

Our intent was to go to the Eastern part of El Salvador yesterday but our ability to travel has been hampered by mudslides and downed bridges that have made it impossible to travel.

So instead this morning we came here from San Salvador to give medical aid at the request of the First Lady of El Salvador.

On the way here we saw some mudslides on the major roads. As we came south towards the coast it is definitely much wetter here.

South of San Salvador was hit very hard by the floods. While everyone else seems to be concentrated on the San Vicente area, we have come here.

The rains have been pouring in a monsoon-like way for the last two days.

This whole area was flooded out and people had to leave their homes.

And the area east of here was really badly flooded - Zacatecoluca. That's where we think most of these refugees have come from.

Disease potential

We set up our clinic in a communal area of the school - with a corrugated iron roof over us.

"There is a lot of standing water around, after the floods, so there is potential for a dengue fever epidemic"

Scott Elderberg,
Paediatricians for Central America's Children

We're using desks and benches to put out whatever things we can to help people.

Initially we will only able to see acute patients - diarrhoea, injuries, upper respiratory infections, and possibly dengue fever.

There is a lot of standing water around, after the floods, so there is potential for an epidemic.

The people with significant traumatic injuries have already been triaged out to the local hospital.

What we are treating is those who have become sick since they were evacuated.

I'm told there are multiple refugee camps scattered across El Salvador like this right now.

And now that the government has declared a national emergency USAID will be able to start distributing help.

Are you in El Salvador Have you been affected by the floods Send us your stories using the form below.

You can also send us your pictures and videos of the flooding to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.

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Concern at Lebanon maid deaths

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:17:31 -0600

A human rights group wants the Lebanese government to investigate the deaths of eight foreign maids last month, six of whom fell or jumped from high places.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said four of the deaths were classified as suicides by the police, three as possible work accidents and one as a heart attack.

Officials had to explain why there was such a high death rate among Lebanon's 200,000 domestic workers, it said.

Last year, HRW reported that at least one foreign maid was dying every week.

In January, the labour ministry introduced a standard employment contract that clarified certain terms and conditions of employment for domestic workers, such as the maximum number of daily working hours, as well as a new regulation for employment agencies that aimed to improve oversight of their operations.

However, domestic workers are still not covered by Lebanon's labour laws, and there are no mechanisms to enforce the new regulations.

'Living in a cage'

The eight women who died during October included four Ethiopians, two Nepalis and two Malagasies, HRW said.

"The government needs to explain why so many women who came to Lebanon to work end up leaving the country in coffins"

Nadim Houry
Senior researcher for HRW

"The death toll last month is clear evidence that the government isn't doing enough to fix the difficult working conditions these women face," said Nadim Houry, a senior researcher at the organisation.

"The government needs to explain why so many women who came to Lebanon to work end up leaving the country in coffins."

A diplomat from one of the countries from which one of the dead women came told HRW that foreign maids in Lebanon were "under pressure, with no means to go away".

"Their passports are seized and they are often locked away in their employer's house," the diplomat said.

"It is like they are living in a cage. Human beings need to mingle with others; otherwise they lose their will to live."

HRW urged the government to begin tracking deaths and injuries, to ensure the police properly investigate them, and to develop a concrete strategy to reduce these deaths by combating forced confinement, providing a hotline for workers, appointing labour inspectors and improving working conditions.

The organisation also urged the embassies of the migrant workers' countries to increase support services, including counselling.

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Libya releases Swiss businessmen

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:08:37 -0600

Two Swiss businessmen abducted in Libya in August have been handed over to the Swiss embassy, officials say.

Max Goeldi and Rachid Hamdani have been held in Libya for more than a year in the midst of a diplomatic spat between the two countries.

The pair were refused exit visas in July 2008, following the arrest in Switzerland of the son of Libya's leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

They were returned to the Swiss embassy without explanation, Switzerland says.

The businessmen were as well as could be expected in the circumstances, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said, but it is not clear whether they will now be free to leave Libya.

Retaliatory measures

Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife were detained in July 2008 after being arrested at their luxury hotel in Geneva accused of beating two of their servants.

The couple were released on bail within days and returned to Libya. The charges were later dropped, but the case infuriated Tripoli.

Their arrest sparked retaliatory measures from Tripoli, including the cancelling of oil deliveries, withdrawing billions of dollars from Swiss banks, refusing visas to Swiss citizens and recalling some of its diplomats.

Mr Goeldi and Mr Hamdani were prevented from leaving the country days after the arrest of the Gaddafis.

Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz apologised for the arrests in August - in a move many hoped would secure the businessmen's release - but since then the pair had been held at an undisclosed location, Swiss authorities said.

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Activists break West Bank barrier to mark fall of Berlin Wall

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:27:50 -0600

Palestinians and foreign peace activists have broken apart a section of the West Bank barrier.

They used ropes and at least one truck to pull down some of the concrete blocks forming the Israeli-built wall.

The activists carried out the protest to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The barrier, which separates Israel from the West Bank, is a mixture of fences, barbed wire, ditches and concrete slabs up to 8m (26ft) high.

Israeli armed police, who are reported to have arrived shortly afterwards, are believed to have used tear gas to force the activists to stop.

Incomplete

Abdullah Abu Rahma, who helped co-ordinate the action at Qalandiya near Ramallah, said the event was deliberately timed to coincide with the German anniversary.

He said the aim was to help the Palestinian people to get to Jerusalem, the Reuters news agency said.

"This is the beginning of the activities, which we do, to express our hold on our land, and our refusal to this wall - the wall of torture, the wall of humiliation."

The Israeli government approved the construction of the wall, although around 30% of it is still due to be completed.

In 2004, the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an advisory ruling that the barrier was illegal and should be removed.

Israel's official position is that the barrier is a security fence, defending its citizens from attacks by Palestinians.

The Palestinians, on the other hand, view it as as a land grab as the route of the wall cuts deep into the West Bank in places.

Only 15% of the barrier follows the Green Line, the internationally recognised boundary between the West bank and Israel.

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SA World Cup rail project delayed

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:20:08 -0600

One of South Africa's major projects for next year's World Cup will not be ready, the BBC has been told.

A spokeswoman for Gautrain - a high-speed rail link - told the BBC that the line would not be operational until at least two weeks into the tournament.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Johannesburg says the news is a blow to South Africa's hopes of a successful event.

In another development, a World Cup organiser has hit out at spiralling accommodation prices for the event.

Organising committee boss Danny Jordaan said inflated prices could damage South Africa's prospects of enticing tourists back after the tournament.

Contractors pressured

Organisers of South Africa 2010 had hoped fans would arrive at Johannesburg airport and board a high-speed train to the commercial centre.

Instead, most football fans' first experience will now be a taxi or a shuttle bus and more than likely a sizable traffic jam, our correspondent says.

"It is not to look at the World Cup as a once-off, but to see tourism over a period of time creating a stable and predictable basis"

Organising committee boss Danny Jordaan

For the past three years builders have been working on the Gautrain - an ambitious $3.5bn (£2bn) project linking Johannesburg, Pretoria and the airport.

Contractors, under pressure to complete before next June's deadline, demanded an additional $180m (£107m) to accelerate their work and hit the target.

But the South African government refused, saying it was too much money for just a few weeks' gain.

In their assessment of South Africa's preparedness - football's governing body Fifa has already identified lack of transport infrastructure and a shortage of accommodation as likely problems.

Hotel price hike

Meanwhile, Mr Jordaan told Reuters news agency he was concerned to hear that some owners of hotels and private homes have inflated prices by up to six times during the past few months.

"It is one of the things we asked the tourism authorities to look at," he said during a visit to London.

"It is not to look at the World Cup as a once-off, but to see tourism over a period of time creating a stable and predictable basis. Otherwise you will get a huge influx of tourists into the country and they don't return. Unfortunately this is one of the things that has emerged around major events."

In Johannesburg, World Cup Local Organising Committee spokesman Rick Mkhondo told the BBC they were appealing to those providing accommodation to be "as reasonable as possible".

"We are in constant discussions with government and other partners in ensuring that we have accommodation at reasonable prices," he added.

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Desperate search in El Salvador

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:01:26 -0600

Soldiers and civilians in the small Salvadorean town of Verapaz have been frantically searching debris left by a landslide for missing people.

A torrent of mud and boulders from the Chichontepec volcano hit the town near the capital, San Salvador, on Sunday, wrecking 300 homes and burying cars.

Bodies covered in mud-caked sheets are being collected at a local chapel.

Officially the death toll across El Salvador after days of heavy rainstorms stands at at least 130 people.

"All I could do was tell my wife to grab the kids and flee"

Arnoldo Paz
Verapaz resident

In pictures: El Salvador floods

President Mauricio Funes declared a national emergency, describing the damage as "incalculable".

"Today is a very sad day for the country and its government, in fact it is one of the most tragic days in memory," he said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday.

The BBC's weather centre says the disastrous rains were mainly caused by a low pressure system in the Pacific, which was linked indirectly to Hurricane Ida.

Ida, which passed the country three days ago, was downgraded to a tropical storm as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico on Monday.

Warnings were lifted for the US coastline between Louisiana and Florida.

'A huge wave'

The areas around El Salvador's capital and the central province of San Vicente were hit hardest.

"We were able to see full trees floating by to the ocean"

Jaymes Kine, Playa El Tunco, El Salvador

El Salvador floods: Your e-mails

In the town of Verapaz in San Vicente, soldiers, emergency workers and relatives resumed a search for the missing at dawn on Monday as military helicopters ferried in food for the searchers.

Rescuers had dug into the night - some with their bare hands - to find survivors in the town about 50km (30 miles) outside San Salvador, as a persistent drizzle fell.

"All we heard in the morning was loud noise," Verapaz resident Arnoldo Paz told AFP news agency.

"It was a torrent of water and mud that swept away everything in its path. All I could do was tell my wife to grab the kids and flee."

Mr Paz said his house had been swept away by the current.

Another survivor, Cruz Ayala, described the landslide as "something black, like a huge wave, a huge noise".

"I heard screams of people asking for help," she said.

She survived by climbing on to the roof of a neighbour's house but one of her nieces, aged 14, was missing.

The Associated Press earlier quoted Red Cross spokesman Carlos Lopez Mendoza as saying 60 people in the town were missing.

The official death toll was not broken down by location.

About 7,000 people are living in shelters as a result of the disaster and large parts of the country are without electricity or clean water and remain cut off from government aid.

Are you in El Salvador Have you been affected by the floods Send us your stories using the form below.

You can also send us your pictures and videos of the flooding to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.

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Australia tackles refugee source

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:56:17 -0600

Anbarasan Ethirajan
BBC News

Sri Lanka and Australia have agreed to set up a joint mechanism to tackle the problem of people smuggling.

The agreement was signed in Colombo by the two countries' foreign ministers.

It comes amid a stand-off in Indonesia involving nearly 80 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers who are refusing to leave the Australian boat that intercepted them.

The Australian government says the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka has led to a surge in Tamil asylum-seekers arriving on its shores.

The growing number of asylum-seekers is becoming a political issue in Australia, with the government facing criticism for softening the immigration laws since it took office in 2007.

Reconciliation

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith met his counterpart, Rohitha Bogollagama, and other senior officials in Colombo to discuss ways of tackling people-smuggling.

Australia wants the Sri Lankan government to do more to control the flow of Tamil civilians leaving the island.

Mr Smith called on the Sri Lankan government to embrace political reforms and reconciliation as a way of securing lasting peace, following its defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels in May.

Mr Smith also urged the Colombo authorities to accelerate the resettlement of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians displaced by the war and now confined in government-run camps in the north.

The measures, Australia hopes, will reduce the number of Sri Lankans leaving the country.

But Sri Lankan officials say many of the asylum seekers are economic refugees who are trying to use the war as an excuse to seek a better life.

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Mid-ocean pirate attack on tanker

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:55:50 -0600

Somali pirates have attacked an oil tanker some 1,000 nautical miles off the coast - the furthest yet away, the EU's anti-piracy mission reports.

The Hong Kong-registered BW Lion managed to evade an attack by two fast skiffs, firing automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, it says.

Meanwhile, a maritime expert reports that pirates have seized a ship carrying weapons.

International warships are patrolling Somali waters to deter pirate attacks.

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Money talks

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:23:02 -0600

By Christian Fraser
BBC News, Sharm el-Sheikh

China sees vast opportunity in Africa. Since 2001 total trade has grown tenfold - last year it stood at $107bn (£63.7bn).

Add to that the significant sums of financial aid and direct investment that are on offer and you can see why the representatives of the 50 African states who have travelled to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are extremely keen to hear what China has to say.

There are the giant oil producers of Libya, Nigeria and Angola, the mineral-rich governments of central Africa and of course the leaders the West has turned its back on - Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Sudan's indicted President Omar al-Bashir are both here.

Money talks

But whichever country they come from, the African leaders all understand one thing.

"Africa needs infrastructure," said Youssouf Ouedraogo, a special adviser to the president of the African Development Bank.

Mr Ouedraogo recognises that in exchange for the oil, gas, and minerals that drive China's fast expanding economy, there is hard cash available for Africa's biggest projects.

"We need the ports, roads, electricity, the airports to help Africa's poorest country grow. You can't do that without money for infrastructure."

Chinese Prime Minister Wen JiaBao has a big chequebook. Over three years, he is pledging $10bn (£5.9bn) in new loans, 100 new clean energy power stations. And there are the opportunities arising from the difficulties the emerging world has in financing these infrastructure projects, especially as foreign banks retreat to home markets.

At the same time, China is keen to invest billions of dollars of its foreign reserves. A lot of that money is tied at the moment to assets in the United States and to the weak dollar. Investment in new African projects offers a useful alternative.

There is criticism however that China's full-throttle rush into Africa has done nothing to stop corruption and bad governance. And it is criticised for its willingness to deal with brutal and corrupt governments.

Last month a little-known Chinese company invested $7bn (£4.16bn) in a mining deal in Guinea, despite the international condemnation there has been for the country's military junta.

In September the army in Guinea opened fire on demonstrators killing 150 people.

Mr Wen was asked by a Western journalist whether he was concerned by the criticism.

"There is huge competition between East and West for Africa"

Mustafa al-Gindi

"There have been allegations for a long time that China has come to Africa to plunder Africa's natural resources and practise neo-colonialism. The allegation in my view is totally untenable.

"Who is really asking these questions", he said. "Is it the African states or is it the West looking on nervously"

But it is not just the West asking, there are senior African politicians worried too. Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bagudu Hirse said China was throwing money at corrupt and repressive regimes.

"We accept what China is doing. And we welcome their investment. But they must understand that we are very sensitive to good governance and democracy. We can't start thinking of imposing sanctions on Guinea or Niger for bad governance and then they go behind us and strike some other deals.

"We suspect they do that anyway. They will never confirm it, but we read the newspapers - we know what is going on."

The Egyptian independent MP Mustafa al-Gindi sees it as a battle between East and West for the biggest share of African spoils. He believes the old relationships in Africa are now being tested and he is hugely fearful of China's way of doing business.

"There is huge competition between East and West for Africa", he said.

"And whatever they say, it is a fact that the Chinese come to Africa not just with engineers and scientists - they are coming with farmers. It is neo-colonialism.

"There are no ethics, no values, there is only one thing, 'I want the land and I don't mind how we get it'. And I think if Europe and the West really want to play in Africa, then ethics and values are the weapons they must use."

At this conference the Chinese have stood by their policy of non-intervention. The Chinese do not want to take sides.

"This is money," said Mr Wen, "or independent development, no strings attached".

But can they continue to exert real influence in the emerging world without taking positions on the big geopolitical issues of the day

CHINA IN AFRICA

China is Africa's second-biggest trading partner, behind the US
Between 2002 and 2003 two-way trade doubles to $18.5bn
By 2008 trade tops $100bn - China exports $51bn, imports $56bn
Almost all imports come from oil-rich nations: Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, and Sudan

Sources: China Daily, Reuters, Council on Foreign Relations

Learn Chinese for free... in Liberia

Guinea and China 'agree big deal'

China praised for African links

Angus Blair, of Beltone Financial, who advises companies investing in North Africa, thinks not.

"They are trying to be friends with everyone", he said.

"But in the end, in one form or another, China is going to have to take a stand if it wants to maintain its long-term interests. It is quite clear that behind the scenes China is seeking to increase its power and its influence over the past decade, and they have done it to major effect."

It has to be said of course that there are plenty of major Western companies operating in countries with oppressive governments.

And Mr Wen insists that Chinese oil companies are taking only a fraction of the resources their big American counterparts are taking.

Nonetheless as the Western banks start to retreat, withdrawing their money under growing financial pressure, it is China with its billions of dollars of foreign reserves that holds the cards.

And so far, they have signalled they mean to drive home that advantage.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Day of the Skulls

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:09:13 -0600

In Bolivia, the Day of the Skulls is a colourful collision of ancient ritual with Catholic belief. The BBC's Andres Schipani went to a central La Paz cemetery to find out more.

Oscar Morales kneels down facing two crystal boxes, each containing two beret-wearing human skulls.

"I pray to Saddam [Hussein] and Che [Guevara]," he says. "I have them with me, at my place in a shrine. I give them offerings and they give me their protection. They've never failed me, never, I am their most faithful devotee."

Surrounding him, thousands of people are walking around the huge graveyard, singing and playing popular music to their decorated skulls, praying to them, and making all kinds of offerings, from flower bouquets to sweets and bread.

Monica, an Andean indigenous woman, is wearing a bowler hat and flouncy skirt. She sits by a grave next to Justo, her great-grandfather's skull.

"He is so good and he takes such good care of my mother and me that he is an integral part of my family. I have a lot of faith in him," she says.

This is Dia de los Natitas - a local religious rite that reaches its high point each year in early November - just a week after the Catholic All Saints Day.

'Ancient death rituals'

The "natitas" - or "flat noses" in the local Aymara indigenous language - are human skulls that are revered by thousands of Catholic indigenous Bolivians who believe they protect them from evil, help them attain goals and even work miracles.

The skulls - which are not necessarily from relatives or loved-ones - are sometimes exhumed and sometimes passed from hand to hand. They spend most of their time indoors but are paraded in the city's main public cemetery every year at this time.

"The rite is now a blend of Catholic and indigenous beliefs, but has its roots in ancient rituals for the death practised by the country's Indian groups such as the pre-Inca Aymara and Quechua," says Dr Josef Estermann, an Andean theology expert.

"These practices remain very much embedded in the everyday life of Bolivia's indigenous majority."

All of the "natitas" have names - but they do not necessarily correspond to those of the people they originally belonged to.

Captain Victor is one of La Paz's most popular objects of devotion. This cigarette-stained skull, supposedly of a former policeman, is revered as a deity by a faithful group of followers who believe he is an "integral part of their faith".

Tradesmen, poor indigenous women, students, police officers and even members of parliament visit him year round to ask favours and shower him with flower petals, coca leaves and cigarettes.

"Somebody gave me Victor 22 years ago with the condition not to let him go. How could I let him go if he is one the most precious parts of my life" says Victor's owner, Virginia Laura, a diabetic mother of three, with tears in her eyes.

"He helped me overcome the most difficult times of my disease, he protects my home, my family, everything that I value. I don't think I can live without him by my side," she says while kneeling down before a human skull sporting sunglasses and wearing an olive-green police officer's hat.

'Confused religious ideas'

In order to honour the bones of their ancestors, some people like to throw parties after the celebrations at the cemetery. Such is the case of Victor's most loyal followers.

At a restaurant near the cemetery, packed with candles and banners, devotee Sofia Fernandez says: "I pray to the Lord at the same time I pray to Victor."

Sofia has been an absolute fan of Victor for the past 20 years, and she says he has helped her with debt problems and even physically punished an "unfaithful" who "threatened" her.

But the Roman Catholic Church does not feel comfortable with such a collision of beliefs. And they have been trying to convince devotees to let go.

Earlier this month the Church called on the faithful to stop using human skulls at special mass celebrations. The Archbishop of La Paz, Edmundo Abastoflor, urged followers of the Andean rite to "let them rest in peace".

Some inside the Church even link the practice to the occult.

However, some priests believe they have no other choice than to let people pray Catholic prayers to their skulls, and even allow them to go to church with them.

"I receive them and not as enemies of the Catholic faith," the cemetery's Roman Catholic priest, Father Jaime Fernandez, told the BBC after giving an informal blessing to thousands of skull-carrying devotees at the cemetery's chapel.

"They don't have bad spirits or bad consciousnesses; they are not anti-religious; they are not enemies of the Catholic faith. Somehow I understand them, but I also understand they have very confused religious ideas."

"Officially the Catholic Church does not recognise such a thing," Father Fernandez adds.

"I've been here for 15 years. I know my brethren and I've tried to explain to them that what we have to celebrate is not death but resurrection and that they cannot use human skulls as intermediaries between them and God.

"But, let's be honest, in the end, who am I to stop their uncontrollable faith"

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Where were you when the Wall fell?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:14:12 -0600

World leaders will join thousands of people to mark 20 years since the Berlin Wall's fall. What did it mean to you?

Hungary's 'forgotten' war victims

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:35:25 -0600

The deportation in 1944 of thousands of Hungary's civilians to the Soviet Union, although on a similar scale to the deportation of its Jewish people to the death camps, receives little official attention in Hungary, as Nick Thorpe reports.

Arpad Kovari stands at the top of the steps at Nyiregyhaza railway station, nearly two metres tall, scanning the faces of the new arrivals from Budapest. He hides his disappointment well as I shake his hand.

He was hoping for a whole television crew, not a lone reporter, to listen to his tale of what he dares to call the Hungarian Holocaust: the deportation of some 600,000 Hungarians to Soviet labour camps after the Second World War and the death of at least 200,000 in captivity.

His father was one of them.

"My dad was a ticket collector," Arpad begins, as we drive through the traffic-lit streets of this autumnal city. He worked on the same railway on which I have just slid comfortably into Nyiregyhaza, washing a paprika omelette down with coffee and fresh orange juice.

On 1 November 1944, the Soviet army captured the town. The next day, all able-bodied men were ordered to their workplaces, to start clearing the ruins.

Arpad was three months old, the youngest of four sons. His father was 45. Arpad never felt his father's arms around him again.

Many graveyards

The workers were rounded up and marched to the next city, Debrecen. Between 2,000 and 3,000 of them - 4% of the population.

"For 20 years, Arpad Kovari has been trying to persuade the Hungarian state to create a day of remembrance for the Hungarian Holocaust"

There they were loaded into cattle wagons, which rolled into Romania in the bitter cold of the last winter of the war. The good boots and warm winter muffler worn by Janos Kovari, Arpad's father, were taken away.

According to fellow prisoners, he died of pneumonia in a transit camp in Focsani, in eastern Romania, three or four months later. There are no written records of his death, nor of his final resting place.

Nyiregyhaza is as rich in tombs as it is in apples. There are nine graveyards.

A small ceremony takes place each year on 2 November in the North Cemetery. Thanks largely to Arpad's efforts, "an unknown Hungarian civilian" was exhumed three years ago in the city of Baltsi in Moldova, and reburied here with honour.

Most of the Hungarians from Nyiregyhaza ended up in a work camp in Baltsi, those who survived the journey. And there most of them died - of malnutrition, over-work or disease.

Their remains lie scattered at the far end of a cemetery, and on open ground elsewhere in the city.

As the Eastern Front moved west, the Russians rounded up civilians in each town and village in Hungary. Budapest fell on 13 February 1945.

One hundred thousand men and women were taken to the Soviet Union from there alone.

Suppressed pain

During the ceremony in Nyiregyhaza, an elderly lady in a purple coat cannot stem her tears.

She was 15 when they took her father away. She remembers her mother pleading with him not to go, remembers him turning down sandwiches saying he would not be gone for long.

And how for three years she went with her mother to the railway station, always expecting that he would step down off a train and raise his hand.

And how eventually her uncle came back. He escaped one camp, walked barefoot for months, was caught, put in another camp, and was finally granted an amnesty in 1948.

"Don't wait for your husband any more," her uncle told her mother, bluntly. "I buried him with my own hands."

For 40 years, Hungarians could not speak about the missing; Soviet domination ruled out any discussion, so the pain incubated.

With the fall of communism, it burst out. It is still trying to find forms of expression.

'Hill of human bones'

For 20 years, Arpad Kovari has been trying to persuade the Hungarian state to create a day of remembrance for the Hungarian Holocaust, not in competition with the Jewish Hungarian Holocaust, he explains, but alongside it.

In the last letter of rejection from the president's office, he was told that civilians are all lumped together as "victims of communism" and remembered each year on 25 February.

Hungary also has days of remembrance for the Jewish and Gypsy victims of the Holocaust. The calendar is sinking under the weight of remembrance, one can almost hear the officials say. Let us keep a few days in the year when our memories are blank.

Crows flock over the North Cemetery, a flypast of birds, not military jets, joining their rough voices to the national anthem, above a planet littered with flowers and candles.

Three upright rails and the wheels of a railway carriage are mounted beside the grave of the unknown civilian, in honour of the railwaymen who never returned.

Back in his living-room, Arpad's three-year-old granddaughter, Jofie, brings me wooden elephants and antelopes to admire and stands quietly listening to our conversation.

On the table, Arpad has arranged photographs that he took on his trips east in search of the lost Hungarians.

"Maybe that one is your dad," Jofie tells him, wanting so much to be helpful and pointing to a group of men who are holding a cross on a small hill in the city of Baltsi.

"That hill," says Arpad, "is made of human bones."

How to listen to: From Our Own Correspondent

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The rail thread that links Europe

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:19:19 -0600

In the week the Lisbon Treaty was finally ratified, the BBC's Johnny Dymond travelled the continent's railways to glean a sense of its past and future.

It is early in the morning in Warsaw, far too early to be doing anything but sleeping. It is cold and dark outside, and the only sound is of crows calling raucously to each other beyond my window.

I am waiting to take the train to Berlin. It has been a long week, bound together by long train journeys through the cities and farmlands of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland.

I like trains. A cynic might suggest that this week was designed around my desire to spend long days staring out of a train window watching the scenery change around me. That is not true.

But in a scramble around central Europe, piecing together people's memories of the past, as the EU stumbled towards the future, trains provided a moment of respite that cars and aeroplanes do not.

Once railways were a measure of the European balance of power and the great industrial nations vied to lay down track in territories near and far.

Now, as Europe's light is overshadowed by the fast developing East, they are more parochial measures of national pride.

Empty carriages

In Budapest, the eastern railway station is a monument to faded imperial glory. There is soaring Hapsburg architecture, and the kind of scale that speaks of high industrial ambition.

But now pigeons rootle around in the international ticket hall and raw wooden beams hold up the ceiling.

The frescoes in the grand entrance have been restored and the fluted columns painted a brilliant white and gold, but they only serve to show how decrepit the rest of the place is.

"We spent a fortune doing this place up and now we can't afford to maintain it," despaired a Hungarian colleague.

Twenty years after the fall of communism, nearly everyone I spoke to in Budapest said the greatest change in their lives was the freedom to travel.

So I was a little disappointed to find the train to Prague nearly deserted. Maybe the motorways were thick with cars.

My phone rang all through the afternoon. The Czech president had announced that he had signed the Lisbon Treaty - after eight years of drafting, wrangling, voting and wildly-overblown rhetoric on every side, the reform treaty would come into force.

If the train would only hurry up, I might get to Prague on time and be able to get my report to London.

The train, the 171 Hungaria, rumbled along, but there is no rushing a good train ride.

Little charm

The train to Warsaw left from the modern, fairly ugly Prague city centre station.

It is tempting to blame it on the communists, but it could well have been a typically dry Czech joke, all that squat concrete thumbing its nose at the fairy tale city around it.

"There are few more unhappy stations in Europe than Warsaw Central. Ugly inside and out, its windswept, neglected spaces cry out for the wrecker's ball"

Cocooned by the train, I watched the landscape change again.

Czech communists clearly specialised in clumsy industrialisation and ugly urban planning.

Concrete houses rotted into the wet soil, tower blocks wept dark trails of rain.

Pre-war, red-brick factories provided some meagre relief.

Up in the hills the fir trees were already covered with snow.

But there are few more unhappy stations in Europe than Warsaw Central.

Ugly inside and out, its windswept and neglected spaces cry out for the wrecker's ball.

What marvels might have come before have been long forgotten.

The departing Nazis razed the city and it is now a place of much concrete and little charm.

Joined up

But there was time in Warsaw - often spent in choking traffic jams - to ponder the role that trains have played in making Europe a joined up reality, rather than a disparate collection of countries, cities, towns and villages.

More than a century ago, trains knitted together the map of Europe as never before.

And now, with most of Europe free of border checks and controls, the great intercity trains pass with no hindrance through country after country - the only mark of changing sovereignty, the font and colouring of railway station signs.

The smug satisfaction that so often grips the railway traveller rose in my heart.

I looked out of the rain-streaked window of my long-stationary car.

Two grey stone slabs faced me, behind them two more, with names carved into them, and plaques engraved in Polish and Hebrew.

"It's Umschlagplatz," said my friend. "It was a railway station. Where the trains took the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto directly to Treblinka."

Our car jerked forward, and on we drove, into the wet Warsaw night.

How to listen to: From Our Own Correspondent

Radio 4: Saturdays, 1130. Second weekly edition on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only)

World Service: See programme schedules

Download thepodcast

Listen oniPlayer

Story by story at theprogramme website

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.