NEWS,29 AND 30.03.2013

Russia warns on North Korea situation

Russia warned on Friday that a flare-up in tensions between North Korea and the United States could spin out of control, urging all sides involved in the standoff to refrain from muscle-flexing."Unilateral actions are being taken around North Korea which manifest themselves in an escalation of military activity," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said."We can simply see the situation getting out of control, it would spiral down into a vicious circle," he told reporters at a news conference alongside his Ukrainian counterpart."We believe it is necessary for all not to build up military muscle and not to use the current situation as an excuse to solve certain geopolitical tasks in the region through military means," he said, calling on all sides to create conditions for the resumption of talks.North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un earlier Friday ordered missile units to prepare to strike the US mainland and military bases in the Pacific after US stealth bombers flew over South Korea.The flights were part of annual drills between the United States and South Korea, which North Korea each year denounces as rehearsals for war. Pyongyang has been particularly irate this time, angered by UN sanctions imposed after its long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test last month.

North Korea in a 'state of war'

North Korea declared it was in a "state of war" with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington that any provocation would swiftly escalate into an all-out nuclear conflict. The US said it took the announcement "seriously", but noted it followed a familiar pattern, while South Korea largely dismissed it as an old threat dressed in new clothing.It was the latest in a string of dire-sounding pronouncements from Pyongyang that have been matched by tough warnings from Seoul and Washington, fuelling international concern that the situation might spiral out of control."As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," the North said in a government statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency."The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over," the statement said, adding that any US or South Korean provocation would trigger "a nuclear war".The two Koreas have technically remained at war for the past six decades because the 1950- 1953 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.The North had announced earlier this month that it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with Seoul in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises.The White House labelled the latest statement from Pyongyang as "unconstructive" and, while taking it "seriously", sought to place the immediate threat level in context."North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.In Seoul, the Unification Ministry insisted the war threat was "not really new". The Defence Ministry vowed to "retaliate thoroughly" to any provocation, but added that no notable troop movement had been observed along the border.As with past crises, Pyongyang did not allow the tensions to impact the Kaesong industrial complex, a joint South-North venture that provides the regime with crucial hard currency."The border crossing to Kaesong is functioning normally," said unification ministry spokesperson Park Soo-Jin.A verbal battleMost observers still believe this will remain a verbal rather than a physical battle."The North Koreans in recent weeks have turned rhetoric into performance art," said Gordon Flake, a Korea specialist and executive director of the Mansfield Foundation in Washington."When they have already declared the armistice null and void, I do not think a declaration of war breaks new ground," Flake said.But he added that the situation had now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carried the potential for rapid escalation."The danger is, when the North Koreans have threatened a nuclear attack on Washington, they may not know a limit on how much they can get away with," said Flake.Both China and Russia called for calm Friday, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voicing particular concern."We can simply see the situation getting out of control, it would spiral down into a vicious circle," Lavrov told reporters.His warning came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, after US stealth bombers flew over South Korea.The high-stakes standoff has its roots in North Korea's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February.Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicising its use of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers in the war games.The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft out of bases in Guam and the US mainland were intended as a clear signal of US commitment to defending South Korea against any act of aggression.

Russia responds to North Korea

Russia on Saturday called for "maxim responsibility and restraint," after North Korea declared it was in a "state of war" with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington against any provocation. "We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return," Grigory Logvinov, a Russian foreign ministry pointman on North Korea, told the Interfax news agency."Naturally, we cannot remain indifferent when an escalation of tensions is taking place at our eastern frontiers," the Russian diplomat was quoted as saying. "We cannot but worry."Logvinov said Russia was in "constant touch" with its partners involved in six-party nuclear negotiations, which include the two Koreas, China, the US, and Japan.Separately, the Interfax news agency quoted a diplomatic source as praising South Korea and the United States' positions in the stand-off with North Korea."The situation is, of course, very tense and dangerous but still there are some encouraging moments: The reaction from the United States and South Korea is measured and calm to a certain degree," the source was quoted as saying."It is not the time to breathe fire," the source added. "The time has come for active, non-public diplomacy aimed at searching for a political settlement within the framework of international law including the decisions of the UN Security Council which are binding in nature."North Korea on Saturday declared it was in a "state of war" with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington that any provocation would swiftly escalate into an all-out nuclear conflict.

The United States said it took the announcement "seriously", but noted it followed a familiar pattern, while South Korea largely dismissed it as an old threat dressed in new clothing.

North Korea threatens to close factory

North Korea on Saturday threatened to shut down a joint industrial complex with South Korea, state media said, in the latest warning from Pyongyang at a time of escalated tensions between the two sides. The threat from the state body in charge of the complex just north of the Korean border followed an announcement by the North on Wednesday that it was cutting its last military hotline with the South."We will relentlessly close the industrial complex if South Korea tries to damage our dignity even a little," the body said in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency."We warn that stern measures will be taken if [South Korea] continues to make reckless remarks defaming our dignity," it said, adding the fate of the complex depends "entirely" on the attitude of Seoul.The industrial complex which lies 10km inside North Korea was established in 2004 as a symbol of cross-border cooperation.North Korea has always been wary of allowing crises in inter-Korean relations to affect the zone a crucial hard-currency earner for the communist state.But there had been concerns that operations at the complex would be affected by Pyongyang's move to sever the military hotline used to monitor movement in and out of the zone.The line was used daily to provide the North with the names of those seeking entry to Kaesong, guaranteeing their safety as they crossed one of the world's most heavily militarised borders.Earlier on Saturday North Korea declared it was in a "state of war" with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington that any provocation would swiftly escalate into an all-out nuclear conflict.It was one of several dire-sounding pronouncements from Pyongyang, recently, that have been matched by tough warnings from Seoul and Washington, fuelling international concern that the situation might spiral out of control.

Venezuela election: Battle between equals

As Venezuela prepares for its first election without Hugo Chavez in years, the opposition hopes to find a level playing field at last. And the government can't help but cling to his legacy. Neither of the candidates in the 14 April election can truly compare to the populist, crowd-wooing people's tribune that was Chavez, who was first elected in 1998 and died of cancer 5 March.With his booming voice and nearly constant tweets, speeches and diatribes against what he saw as US imperialism, he dominated and some would say polarised Venezuela like few others could.Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, head of the opposition coordination group, said his candidate Henrique Capriles, whom Chavez beat in a presidential election last October, "will no longer have as his adversary a living political legend".Instead he faces acting president Nicolas Maduro, the ruling Socialist Party candidate and Chavez's handpicked heir, a former bus driver who worked his way up in politics. He was vice president when Chavez died at age 58."It is a battle between equals. In that sense it is a more conventional situation, like in any democracy," Aveledo, who coordinates the MUD group of opposition parties, said in an interview with AFP.When Chavez was president, he got involved in every election campaign, no matter how small, even down to the municipal level.Now he is gone, but his memory is vividly fresh.And it will overshadow the election so thoroughly that both the government and the opposition reckon that to one extent or another, voters will be casting ballots for or against a man who is dead.Aveledo accused Maduro of deliberately trying to make this another election about Chavez rather than about the issues that Venezuelans face in their day to day life, which he said Maduro is shunning."But Chavez cannot be the focus of this campaign because we are not talking about a government that was, but rather the one that will be," he said.Capriles, a state governor, is focusing not on Chavez but on Maduro and therefore says things like: "Don't hide, don't put on a disguise, Nicolas. This is not about Chavez, but rather you."Indeed, as the country goes to the polls for the second time in just five months, these are uncharted waters for both sides.Since December, when Chavez left for cancer surgery in Cuba and named Maduro as his heir in case he never came back or became incapacitated, the opposition says it has been closely studying the heir apparent."Can Nicolas Maduro get as many people out to vote as Chavez did? No one knows. Will we be able to get as many people to turn out without the incentive of defeating Chavez? No one knows that either," Aveledo said.Polls give Maduro an advantage of more than 10 points.Maduro is not ChavezBut Aveledo urges caution about the numbers because this is a new game for Venezuela and events are unfolding fast from the time of Chavez's death until election a mere 40 days will have gone by."Right now there is no way to take a clear and accurate snap shot of voter intentions," he said.The big question, he said, is this: "How long will it take Chavez supporters to realise something which they know intuitively and which the government already knows, which is that Maduro is not Chavez?"Aveledo said the government has an unfair big advantage in the campaign, which officially begins 2 April. He said the National Election Council has banned some opposition activities and the tone of the race is nasty.Maduro is trying project authority and assert himself because he was personally annointed by Chavez, and feels he needs to take an aggressive attitude to be seen as a strong leader, Aveledo said.In the October elections, Capriles gave Chavez a decent run for his money, winning 44% of the votes, compared to 55% for Chavez.Still, that loss hurt the opposition badly. In state elections held shortly afterwards pro-Chavez people won in 20 of the 23 states where voting was held.MUD is a hodgepodge of political parties united by one thing opposition to Chavez and otherwise riven by internal differences.After the state election fiasco it did a lot of soul searching and managed to unite to nominate Capriles as candidate again, despite his earlier loss."MUD is like an earthquake-proof building. They sway but don't fall," Aveledo aurged. He said the coalition's goals are a large turnout among its people and a high level of abstention among those who backed Chavez."That is what we want and that is what we are striving for," he said.

Obama offers Easter, Passover greetings

US President Barack Obama on Saturday offered Easter and Passover greetings to millions of Americans, urging them to use this time to reflect on the nation's common values. "As Christians, my family and I remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for each and every one of us how he took on the sins of the world and extended the gift of salvation," Obama said in his weekly radio and internet address. "And we recommit ourselves to following his example here on Earth.”The president noted that this week, Jewish families are also gathered around the Seder table, commemorating Passover the exodus of Jews from Egypt and the triumph of their faith over oppression. Obama said that common humanity bound all Americans regardless of their faiths. "As Americans, we're united by something else, too: faith in the ideals that lie at the heart of our founding, and the belief that, as part of something bigger than ourselves, we have a shared responsibility to look out for our fellow citizens," he said. The president said these religious celebrations also offered Americans a chance to pause and reflect, to embrace their loved ones, to give thanks for their blessings and "to rededicate ourselves to interests larger than our own”.

Pope to celebrate first Easter vigil

Pope Francis is to celebrate his first Easter vigil on Saturday after praying for peace in a Middle East "torn apart by injustice and conflicts" during Good Friday's ceremonies.The newly elected Argentine pope will preside over a mass at St Peter's Basilica on Saturday evening, baptising four adult converts to the Catholic Church during the service an Albanian, an Italian, a Russian and a US national of Vietnamese origin, according to the Vatican.The ceremony will mark the end of three days of intensive Easter preparations set to culminate on Sunday when the Vatican's first non-European pope in nearly 1 300 years celebrates Easter mass in front of tens of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square. Francis marked Good Friday with a traditional torch-lit ceremony around the Colosseum in Rome, presiding over the re-enactment of Jesus Christ's last hours and praying for Christians in the Middle East and for "our Muslim brothers". "Christians must respond to evil with good, taking the cross upon themselves as Jesus did," said Francis, who followed the ceremony from under a canopy overlooking the 2 000-year-old Roman amphitheatre. The pope also referred to a visit to Lebanon last year by his predecessor Benedict XVI, who stunned the world by resigning last month at the age of 85."We saw the beauty and the strong bond of communion joining Christians together in that land and the friendship of our Muslim brothers and so many others," the 76-year-old pope said. Brazilian, Chinese, Italian, Lebanese and Nigerian faithful took turns carrying a wooden cross around the Colosseum, where it is commonly believed that Christians were martyred. Prayers read out at the ceremony were written by a group of Lebanese young people. The Vatican has voiced concern over the fate of Christian minorities in many parts of the Middle East and the rise of radical Islam, as well as calling for an end to conflict in the region. Vatican spokesperson Reverend Federico Lombardi said the pope had shortened some of the lengthy Easter ceremonies as part of his "desire for simplicity". Helping the poor The pope, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, was known in Argentina for his humble lifestyle, his outreach in poor neighbourhoods and his strong social advocacy during his homeland's devastating economic crisis.He began the most sacred season in the Christian calendar on Holy Thursday by washing the feet of 12 young prisoners in an unprecedented new take on an ancient pre-Easter ritual. Popes performing the ceremony which commemorates the gesture of humility believed to have been carried out by Jesus for his 12 disciples at their last meal have usually washed the feet of priests. Francis's trip to the Casal del Marmo youth prison was the first time a pontiff had performed the act in a jail, and the first time women and Muslims were included. Latin America's first pontiff has set a markedly different tone from his predecessor, with a more open and informal style that is unusual in the Vatican halls of power.Francis has already broken with several traditions, although he is yet to begin tackling the many problems assailing the Roman Catholic Church, including reform of the scandal-ridden Vatican bureaucracy and bank.