NEWS,01.AND 02.03.2013

Senators Push Promise to Support Israeli Strikes on Iran

 

New legislation introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) calls for the U.S. to provide military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israel should its government decide to launch military strikes on Iran. The measure would effectively signal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can decide not just whether to enter Israel into war with Iran, but whether the United States enters such a war. It comes as tentative diplomatic progress was reported from negotiations involving the U.S. and Iran.The unprecedented measure is being unveiled as part of the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference this weekend in Washington, DC, that will bring thousands of the group's supporters to push the measure on Capitol Hill. The group will also support a new sanctions bill in the House that could authorize the U.S. to sanction companies, including in Europe and Asia, for any commercial dealings with Iran. That measure has raised concerns about further exacerbating medicine shortages impacting the people of Iran.The Graham resolution is framed as a non-binding measure aimed at encouraging the President to implement and escalate sanctions on Iran. But the final clause "urges that, if the Government of Israel is compelled to take military action in self-defense, the United States Government should stand with Israel and provide diplomatic, military, and economic support to the Government of Israel in its defense of its territory, people, and existence."Senator Graham has made clear that "self defense" can be defined as preventive war based on redlines that Netanayahu has established that contradict President Obama's stated policy.Graham initially announced the resolution during the 2012 Election campaign as a challenge to President Obama's comments that he "has Israel's back" and said his resolution would clarify that "in the event Israel had to take preventive action, we would have their back" in terms of military, financial, and diplomatic support.In discussing his planned resolution, he made clear that Israel has a different set of military capabilities than the U.S., but that his measure would compel the U.S. to take action based on Tel Aviv's window instead of Washington's. "There are two different clocks here, the Washington clock and the Tel Aviv clock...The Israelis are not going to let the window close on their ability to slow down this program. They're going to act... They're going to control their own destiny."The measure may raise a red flag for the Pentagon, which has been concerned that Israel could draw the U.S. into a war against the authority of the President and his military leadership. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dempsey explicitly warned last year that he does not want the U.S. to be "complicit" in an Israeli strike. The Pentagon also conducted a simulation last March that determined and Israeli strike on Iran would draw in the U.S. and leave hundreds of Americans dead in the immediate aftermath. The Pentagon leaked the report to the press, in a move widely viewed as seeking to stop Netanyahu from pushing the U.S. into war.Military leaders from both Israel and the United States have warned in dire terms that strikes on Iran would only delay the nuclear program and make it more likely that Iran would build a weapon. Former Joint Chiefs Chairman James Cartwright recently stated that such action would require "tens of years" of military occupation by the U.S. Others have noted that such action would require as many as one million troops. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said "such an attack would make a nuclear-armed Iran inevitable."The Graham-Menendez resolution also "reiterates that the policy of the United States is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon capability and to take such action as may be necessary to implement this policy." However, this is not the policy of the United States. AIPAC last year pushed measures in Congress to attempt to change that, and managed to pass them in both chambers. But the measure never was sent to the White House and did not become policy. The President pointedly stated at AIPAC's convention last year that preventing nuclear weapon acquisition, not capability, was his policy. That message has apparently been ignored.

Hugo Chavez Chemotherapy: Venezuela Says President Receiving Treatment For Cancer Again

 

President Hugo Chavez has been receiving chemotherapy since recovering from a severe respiratory infection in mid-January and "continues his battle for life," his vice president said late Friday.Vice President Nicolas Maduro suggested the chemotherapy was continuing in the government's first mention of it as among treatments that Venezuela's cancer-stricken president has received since his Dec. 11 cancer surgery in Cuba. Maduro made the disclosure after a Mass for Chavez in a new chapel outside the military hospital where authorities say the socialist leader has been since being flown back to Caracas on Feb. 18.The vice president quoted Chavez as saying he decided to return to Venezuela because he was entering "a new phase" of "more intense and tough" treatments and wanted to be in Caracas for them.Maduro's offering of the most detailed rundown to date of Chavez's post-operative struggle came hours after an accusation by opposition leader Henrique Capriles that the government has repeatedly lied about Chavez's condition."We'll see how they explain to the country in the (coming) days all the lies they've been telling about the president's situation," Capriles, whom Chavez defeated in Oct. 7 elections, said in a tweet.Chavez has not been seen nor heard from since going to Cuba for his fourth cancer surgery, except for a set of "proof of life" photos released Feb. 15 while he was still in Havana.Chavez first revealed an unspecified cancer in the pelvic region in June 2011, and reported undergoing radiation treatment and chemotherapy after earlier operations.The government has sent mixed signals on Chavez's condition, although Maduro has said several times that Chavez was battling for his life. He repeated that Friday, and also accused opponents of spreading rumors about Chavez's health to destabilize the nation.Maduro, Chavez's chosen successor, said his boss' condition was extremely delicate over New Year's as he battled a respiratory infection that required a tracheal tube."In mid-January he was improving, the infection could be controlled, but he continued with problems of respiratory insufficiency. Afterward, there was a general improvement, and the doctors along with President Chavez decided to initiate complementary treatments," Maduro said."You know what the complementary treatments are, right? They are chemotherapy that is applied to patients after operations."Cancer specialists couldn't be reached immediately for comment on Maduro's announcement. But oncologists have said that chemotherapy is sometimes given to slow a cancer's progression, ease symptoms and extend a patient's life.The opposition says Chavez should either be sworn in for the new term he won in the election or declare himself incapable and call a new election. The constitution says he should have been sworn in on Jan. 10, but Venezuela's Supreme Court said it was OK to wait.Earlier Friday, Maduro accused the Spanish newspaper ABC and Colombia's Caracol network of spreading lies about Chavez's condition.ABC said without specifying its source that Chavez's cancer had spread to a lung. It said he had been moved to an island compound in the Caribbean.Chavez's son-in-law, Science Minister Jorge Arreaza, said on state TV that Chavez continues "to fight hard and is in the military hospital, as peaceful as he could be, with his doctors, with his family."

Italy's Democratic Triumph

Italy's most recent election is further proof that democracy works.The election in which Italian citizens ignored the 'sensible' center parties, gave a large mass of votes to a political coalition recently organized by a comedian. The election which created a divided government that has virtually no chance of forming a stable coalition. The election which has been roundly panned by pundits from The Atlantic to The Economist, from the Brookings Institution to The Daily Show. The election which caused a nose-dive in international markets. Yes, that election. As bad as it sounds on the surface, it was, in fact, a great triumph of democracy.You see, there is a reason that so many Italians voted for a protest party. They are in the midst of a terrible economic recession. For years, they have been told by European Union economic planners that the way out of this recession is to implement a series of austerity measures and as the recession gets worse each year, so must the austerity measures. These austerity measures, including tax increases and cuts to social services, are extremely unpopular. And just as importantly, the Italians feel that these measures are being imposed upon them from the outside; that the EU has successfully bullied the two major political parties in Italy to continue along the austerity path, despite the unpopularity of the austerity agenda.The political equation in Italy at the time of the election was: high unemployment  widespread belief that government is ignoring the needs of the citizenry public perception that things are only getting worse. In many countries that adds up to rioting, perhaps even a constitutional crisis or revolution, maybe some crackdowns by a government that gets nervous to hold onto its power and starts to fear that its citizenry will get too far out of hand. But instead, the Italians took their frustration, they went to the ballot box, and they voted. That's a triumph of democracy if there ever was one.Many pundits are criticizing the Italians for voting for the 'wrong' people. The pundits seem to think that the Italians ought to have voted in a way that has the least impact on international markets. But that's absurd. The Italian people don't answer to Wall Street. Instead, the Italian government answers to the Italian people a people who are angry, increasingly unemployed, and feeling ignored by the powers that control their fate. In the real world, the alternative to this "chaotic" election isn't a business-friendly utopia; it's weeks of rioting shutting down Rome, or even worse, the Arab Spring. So who cares if the Italian people voted for the 'wrong' parties? Yeah, maybe this election leaves the markets a little unstable, and maybe it means that Italy might need another election in six months. Those are pretty small complaints in the grand scheme of things. Or to put it another way, as poorly as the markets reacted to the Italian election, think about how poorly the markets would have reacted to rioters looting and pillaging their way through Rome. There is basically no other way that the Italian people could have vented their anger which would have led to a better market reaction and plenty of things they could have done to cause much more harm. Not only would most ways of expressing anger stall the economy and leave investors jittery, they would also cause damage to infrastructure and create costs for the already over-stressed Italian budget (e.g. cleaning up debris, rebuilding burned buildings, etc.). How do we know that democracy works? Because when faced with a situation that leads many countries dissolve into chaos, Italy's citizens were able to let off steam in a way that let the powers that be know the displeasure of the people, but which didn't shut the country down. Compared to the alternative, voting in a protest party is a credit to both the Italian people and to their democratic institutions.

An Unhealthy Nexus: Iran and Argentina

 

This week the Congress of Argentina is debating the approval of an agreement signed by Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi, which aims to create a "Truth Commission" into the 1994 terrorist bombing attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires.By voting to approve the agreement majorities in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Congress have joined with President Kirchner in failing to act in the interest of the Argentine people and all those affected by this heinous terrorist attack; the deadliest terror attack in the Americas prior to 9/11. Argentina now seems set on a path of colluding with the those who stand accused as the perpetrators to replace the Argentine criminal justice process with a vague arrangement that will, at best, further delay justice and, at worst, result in a gross miscarriage of justice. How did we get to this point in which the Argentine government is party to a sham agreement with the Iranian regime? How did Argentina agree to allow Iran to injure the victims and their families again this time by disrespecting the memory of those citizens of Argentina who lost their lives and were injured.According to Argentinean and Iranian news reports, it seems the conversations began about two years ago. Foreign Minister Hector Timerman had been on record, several times condemning such allegations. His declarations now prove to be untrustworthy because reality proves different.It is hard to believe that Argentina will now play into the hands of the Iranians and collaborate with the world's most notorious state sponsor of terrorism. This agreement only serves the interests of the Iranian perpetrators in their nearly 20 year efforts to evade the consequences of their culpability in the attack and bypass the Argentine justice system. What troubles me more is that Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in her interest to defend this agreement goes to the point to intimidate the Jewish community through social media and challenges its leaders. Moreover, she implicitly exonerates the Iranian regime from any responsibility in case of a future terror attack. How can President Kirchner be so blind about who she is talking about?Iranian President Ahmadinejad's repeated anti-Semitic rants, outright Holocaust denial and statements calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map" are a venomous expression of the contempt that the Iranian president has for the Jewish people.The extremism of the Iranian government is well understood by its citizens, its neighbors and the international community and goes far beyond rhetoric. We need to remind Argentina's government that in the aftermath of its 2009 elections, Iran showed its true colors. A regime that so blatantly denies the voice of its people by rigging an election and violently suppressing public outrage cannot be trusted on the international scene.At a time when the international community is sanctioning Iran over its nuclear aspirations, countries like Argentina, who have been direct targets of Iranian terror, should be at the forefront of isolating rather than engaging in a sham negotiation with its rogue regime.For more than 18 years the international community supported the Argentine government's efforts to investigate the AMIA bombing. We cannot support President Kirchner's intentions to turn away from pursuing justice for the victims.In the interest of the 85 innocent Argentinians killed, the hundreds more who were injured, Jews and non-Jews alike, and their families, justice needs to be served and it won't be through this agreement as Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and President Fernandez de Kirchner want us to believe.

The Second Battle of Marathon

 

The Second World War was the most destructive and bloody conflict of all times. Large and small countries fought bitterly to the end, killing millions of humans and causing immense devastation of both nature and societies. To some degree, WWII was also a holocaust of civilization.Germany and Italy started the war against other European countries in 1939 and 1940. Germany dealt with the countries of Western Europe and Italy started with Greece, which it attacked on October 28, 1940. The Greeks soundly defeated the invading Italians in the northern Greek province of Epirus and Albania. The Greek victory became the "first victory" of the Allies in WWII. This historical fact was so important in the evolution of WWII, indeed, largely determining the course of the war between Germany and Russia, and, therefore, the outcome of WWII, that it deserved its own history. It found its student in George Blytas, a Greek from Egypt who had an engineering career in America. Blytas' father was born in a village in Epirus, Sitaria, where fierce battles took place between Greeks and Italians. Blytas visited Sitaria in 1951. Eventually, he became a self-taught historian to record the events of the fateful 1940-1941 war between a large European country, Italy, successor to Rome and partner of Nazi Germany, and small Greece, successor of ancient Greece.Blytas spent 18 years in composing his story - a detailed narrative of war between Greeks and Italians and Germans in 16 chapters, and a record of the dreadful consequences of the occupation of Greece by Germans, Italians and Bulgarians in 8 chapters. The 24 chapters of the book represent the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet.Blytas starts his account by quoting Hitler talking about WWII. Hitler acknowledged the Italian war against Greece was a bad idea. "The shameful defeats that the Italians suffered in their pointless campaign in Greece," Hitler said, "compelled us, contrary to our plans, to intervene in the Balkans primarily Greece, April 6, 1941, and that in turn led to a catastrophic delay in the launching of our attack on Russia."Blytas says Greece played a "crucial" and "defining" role in WWII. His book, "The First Victory" (Cosmos Publishing, 2009), backs him up. The Greek victory over the Italians was no small skirmish. Italy poured more than 500,000 soldiers supported by hundreds of tanks and warplanes. Then, starting on April 6, 1941, the Germans added even more troops, tanks and warplanes. All together, the Axis powers, Italy, Germany, Albania and Bulgaria, marshaled about 750,000 soldiers against Greece. The Greeks decimated the elite German paratroopers in Crete.WWII lasted for 72 months. The Allies failed in Europe where German troops captured Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark in less than 3 months. In the midst of this failure, Greece resisted the Axis powers for 7 months. This was, according to Blytas, an "astonishing achievement" hardly less important than the battle of Marathon. In 490 BCE, Athenians and Plataeans defeated a vastly larger invading Persian army, thus keeping Greece and Europe free from Persian occupation and slavery. The war and resistance of Greece to Italians and Germans in WWII also saved Europe from Nazi German occupation and slavery. "The battle of Greece," Says Blytas, "was the twentieth-century version of the battle of Marathon."The world watched Greek heroism against the armies of Mussolini with admiration. Blytas quotes President Roosevelt praising Greece. Speaking on October 28, 1943, the third anniversary of the Italian invasion of Greece, Roosevelt said Greece "set an example that every one of us must follow until the despoilers of freedom everywhere are brought to their just doom."The end of WWII brought partial doom to the despoilers of freedom. But the historians did not hear Roosevelt. They rushed defending the strong powers and ignored Greece. Indeed, they neglected the strategic role Greek resistance to Italy and Germany had in the delayed German attack on Russia, which led to the defeat of Germany. They also distorted the first victory of Greece, suggesting British troops made that possible. Not a single British soldier, Blytas says, was in continental Greece in the winter of 1940.For these reasons read "The First Victory." It is the first scholarly treatment of what Greece did and suffered in WWII. The story Blytas tells is gripping, thorough, thoughtful and backed by reliable evidence.The Axis powers dismembered Greece and killed 10 percent of her population and wiped out her infrastructure. When the occupiers left Greece, the country looked like a nuclear bomb had hit it. This is important because truth is important.s Euripides said, "Blessed is the man who has learned history."

NEWS,23. AND 24.02.2013

Italians vote in cliffhanger elections

Voting was underway in Italy's general election on Sunday, amid uncertainty about who will prevail and signs of mounting support for a radical protest party which advocates a referendum on the country's eurozone exit.Polling stations opened at 8am (07:00 GMT) and were to close at 10pm. A second day of voting takes place on Monday, from 7am to 3pm, with exit polls due immediately thereafter.A total of around 50 million Italians are eligible to vote, but analysts predict abstention rates of around 30%. Snow in northern Italy was expected to hold some voters back.According the Ministry of Interior, voter turnout stood at 14.6% by noon, down from 16.3% at the last general elections in 2008.The frontrunner in the contest is centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, but his "Italy Common Good" coalition risks falling short of a majority in the upper house of parliament, the Senate.Negotiations to form a government may be complicated by the likely success of comedian Beppe Gril, whose anti-establishment Five Star Movement drew hundreds of thousands of people for its final rally on Friday in Rome.Pollsters say the movement could emerge as the third or second-largest single party in parliament. Grillo is not standing himself, but has pledged to act as the party's "spokesperson."The other main contenders are scandal-prone former premier Silvio Berlusconi, whose conservative coalition was trailing the centre-left before an opinion polls blackout came into force on February 8, and outgoing premier Mario Monti.Monti's centrist alliance is seen as the most likely coalition partner for Bersani were he not to secure a solid majority but the prospective deal is hindered by policy differences between Monti and Bersani's leftist ally, Nichi Vendola.All the leaders except Grillo had cast their vote by Sunday morning.

Britain clings to austerity

British finance minister George Osborne insisted on Saturday that he would not abandon his deficit-cutting drive after Moody's stripped the country of its coveted triple-A debt rating.The opposition lashed Osborne, saying his plan for the economy was shot through, while analysts said that although it was an embarrassment for him, the downgrade would have a limited impact in the markets.In an expected rebuff to London's hopes that sharp spending cuts would both gradually eliminate the deficit and revive growth, Moody's rating agency cut Britain's grade by one notch to Aa1 on Friday.Osborne said it was a "loud and clear message that Britain cannot let up in dealing with its debts, dealing with its problems, cannot let up in making sure that Britain can pay its way in the world."What is the message from the ratings agency? Britain's got a debt problem. I agree with that. I've been telling the country for years that we've got a debt problem, we've got to deal with it."What do they also say? That if we abandon our commitment to deal with that debt problem, then our situation would get very much worse and I'm absolutely clear that we must not do that."Asked if he had broken his commitment to protecting Britain's credit rating, he said the true test of credibility was whether Britain could borrow money."At the moment we can do that very cheaply with very low interest rates precisely because people have confidence that we have got a plan," he said.Moody's said government debt was still mounting and that growth was too weak to reverse the trend before 2016.It described the British economy as constrained both by turgid global growth and the drag from businesses and the government rapidly slashing their debt burdens.Calling it a "humiliating blow", Labour opposition finance spokesperson Ed Balls said Osborne had failed in his chief stated mission of retaining Britain's AAA status."The reality is an economy which is not growing, a deficit which is getting bigger, families in real stress and a government which is ploughing on regardless with a plan which is not working," he told BBC television."Saying 'the medicine is not working, let's increase the dose of the medicine' that is completely crazy economics."However, Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight research group, said that the market had been anticipating the downgrade for some time, though Britain's pound sterling currency may be vulnerable."It does focus attention on the UK economy's extended and ongoing serious problems," he said."The loss of the AAA rating certainly puts pressure on Mr Osborne to come up with more initiatives in the (March 20) budget to try and boost growth."While an embarrassment for the government and a cause for piqued pride, we suspect that the loss of the AAA rating will have only a limited negative impact for the UK economy." Mark Littlewood, director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs free-market think-tank, said: "The damaging impact of ballooning national debt, public spending raging out of control and tax rises should not be underestimated."Taking immediate action to tackle the deficit must now be the priority. George Osborne should focus on making sufficient savings in public spending to implement a substantial programme of tax reductions."Meanwhile Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at stockbrokers BGC Partners, said the downgrade was not a reason for an economic policy change."Any amount of manipulation by attempted false stimulation of the economy in an attempt to create 'artificial' growth would in my view make an already bad deficit problem even worse," he said."We have all lived beyond our means for far too long."If the UK deficit is to be brought down and the task of reducing the debt mountain begun, Mr Osborne has no option but to stick to his guns."We are light years away from returning to growth."

Indian tycoon donates $2bn to charity

Indian software tycoon Azim Premji said Saturday he has given $2.3bn to an education charity that he controls, reportedly the biggest charitable donation in the country's recent history.It is his second recent big donation after giving almost $2bn to the charity in 2010, and came shortly after he joined the Giving Pledge club set up by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffet.In Saturday's donation, the chairman of software firm Wipro transferred shares worth $2.3bn from the company to a trust which controls the education charity Azim Premji Foundation, a company statement said.The billionaire, who inherited a cooking oil company and transformed it into India's third-biggest outsourcing services firm, said the trust will use the funds to scale up the foundation's activities "significantly". The charity seeks to boost the quality of India's overstretched education system by improving teacher quality and setting up model schools.The Business Standard newspaper and other media reported it was the biggest one-off donation to charity in India in modern times.The media-shy tycoon is India's third wealthiest individual with a net worth of some $16bn, according to a 2012 Forbes rich list.Premji, whose trust funds initiatives including rural education and teacher training, has long promoted education as a way to tackle India's deep poverty.He told a recent World Economic Forum in Davos that "education is perhaps the most powerful enabler of human life and equity".A few days ago, he became the first Indian to join the Giving Pledge club, which encourages the world's wealthiest to donate at least half their fortunes to charity.Those who are "privileged to have wealth should contribute significantly to try and create a better world for the millions who are far less privileged," Premji said when joining the club.The billionaire's donation comes amid growing disquiet in India about the yawning divide between the country's burgeoning wealthy class and the hundreds of millions still living in deep poverty.A 2012 report on philanthropy by global consultancy Bain noted a "striking imbalance" in India, noting it was home to one of the world's fastest-growing wealthy populations but also one in three of the world's malnourished children.While the report noted that philanthropy was on the rise, it added there was "significant room for improvement if India is benchmarked against the US, one of the world's leaders in private giving".With Premji's latest donation, his educational charitable trust's shareholding in Wipro will go up to nearly 20%.

Horsemeat scandal: Now health fears

Horsemeat containing a drug potentially harmful to humans has likely entered the food chain, France said on Saturday, adding health concerns to the food scandal raging across Europe.A spokesperson for the French agriculture ministry told AFP several horse carcasses containing the drug Phenylbutazone have probably ended up being eaten by consumers.Phenylbutazone is an anti-inflammatory treatment for horses which is potentially harmful to humans and by law is supposed to be kept off plates.Britain alerted Paris that six tainted carcasses had been exported to France in January, but the meat had already been processed by the time the warning came.Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll said that although some of the meat had been recalled, the equivalent of three carcasses had "probably" made it to consumers, but added there was "no health risk" since the traces of phenylbutazone found in the meat were "extremely weak".The minister underscored that the find was in no way connected with the wider horsemeat scandal however, since the meat had not been disguised as beef.But the announcement still added a new dimension to the scandal over mislabelled meat that erupted in Europe in January after horsemeat was initially found in so-called beef ready-made meals and burgers in Britain and Ireland. Since then, supermarkets across the continent have pulled prepared meals from their shelves, with effects felt as far away as Hong Kong, where an imported brand of lasagne has been withdrawn from stores. On Saturday, Italy joined the long list of countries that have been hit by the fraud, reporting its first case of horsemeat-contaminated lasagne. The horsemeat was found in tests on six tons of mincemeat and 2 400 "lasagne bolognese" packages produced by a central Italian company that had used meat from suppliers based in the northern part of the country.The tests were carried out as part of sweeping checks by police on 121 brands across the country.French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday that he would push for mandatory labelling of meat in ready-made meals."I want there to eventually be mandatory labels on the meat contained in prepared meals," Hollande said while visiting an agricultural show in Paris."Until then, I will support... all initiatives for voluntary labelling" so that "consumers know the origin of the products they are consuming, especially meat".French firm Spanghero has been at the heart of the scandal after it allegedly passed off 750 tons of horsemeat as beef, with the product eventually finding its way into 4.5 million "beef" products sold across Europe.French authorities had initially suspended the company's sanitary license, but following protests from 300-odd workers allowed the company to resume production of minced meat, sausages and ready-to-eat meals.The company was banned, however, from stocking frozen meat.In Ireland, authorities on Friday suspended production at a meat processing plant after investigators found it was selling horsemeat labelled as beef.B&F Meats, a small company licenced to debone beef and horsemeat in Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary, was found to be sending horsemeat to a customer in the Czech Republic, the Irish agriculture ministry said in a statement.The label in the Czech language refers to beef, it added.

North Korea ups readiness, tensions

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has overseen a military drill, state media said on Saturday, his third such inspection in as many days as tensions run high following Pyongyang's third nuclear test.Accompanied by top military commanders, Kim watched a flight exercise and a paratrooping drill by the Korean People's Army, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said."He called on the KPA service personnel to put spurs to making preparations for going into action, keeping themselves at maximum alert at all times."Once the enemies make a provocation, you should give full play to the inexhaustible combat capability to deal deadly blows at them ... and blow up their strongholds of aggression," he was quoted as saying by KCNA.The state news agency did not to give the date of the visit but it was believed Kim's latest trip was on Friday.KCNA said on Friday Kim had also inspected a tactical attack exercise combined with live shell firing.On Thursday, KCNA reported he had visited KPA Unit 323, which is believed to be an anti-air missile unit.North Korea on 12 February carried out its third nuclear test in seven years in what it says was a riposte to the US hostility shown in the widening of existing UN sanctions following its satellite launch in December last year.World powers on the UN Security Council united to condemn the nuclear test, and the US led calls for tougher sanctions.But Pyongyang has threatened still stronger action, defying warnings of United Nations measures.North Korea is already under international sanctions for conducting two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, which both came after long-range rocket launches.

Hundreds pray for Hugo Chavez

Hundreds of Venezuelans held a candlelight vigil Friday for President Hugo Chavez, praying for their leader while he remained in a hospital undergoing cancer treatment.Chavez's supporters gathered on a wide stairway in a hillside park near the presidential palace. They lit candles at sunset and sang along with a recording of a healthy Chavez belting out the national anthem.Some wiped away tears. Others closed their eyes and prayed.Some said they felt sad, yet still hopeful that Chavez might be able to survive."We're praying for the president, for him to get through all of this," said Ana Perez, a seamstress holding a candle and shielding her flame from the breeze with a piece of paper.Her eyes filled with tears as she talked about Chavez. "There is no other president like this one. He's unique," she said, wiping a wet cheek."He's going to come out of all of this, and he's going to get better," Perez said. "He's survived many hard things. He's strong."A group of indigenous people wearing colourful dresses, beads and feathers danced around a bonfire at the base of the stairs. One man blew on a conch shell, while others shook maracas as they danced around the flames.Chavez hasn't been seen since he returned to Venezuela on Monday from Cuba, where for 10 weeks he was recovering and fighting complications following his latest cancer surgery on 11 December.Vice President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday night that he and other officials had met with Chavez at the military hospital. Maduro said Chavez is continuing to undergo treatment for "respiratory insufficiency" and is breathing through a tracheal tube, which hinders speech."He communicated with us through various written ways to give us his guidance," Maduro said, speaking on television alongside other aides at the hospital. Maduro said Chavez was smiling and in an energetic mood, "with an immense strength of will."He said they talked with Chavez in three sessions lasting about five hours. "We came out filled with his strength," Maduro said.During the vigil, some in the crowd held photos of Chavez while a preacher spoke from a stage, saying: "The president is going to be healthy!"Lissette Cordero, who stood holding a candle next to her 5-year-old son, said she's grateful to Chavez for creating government-funded neighbourhood councils and inexpensive state-run food stores.Her son, who also held a candle, looked up at the stage where the minister was speaking and asked, "Is that Chavez?""No," his mother replied with a smile."I have faith he's going to recover. It's hard," she added. "I love him."The government has not given details about the treatment Chavez is undergoing, and hasn't identified the type or exact location of the tumours that have been removed from his pelvic region.Venezuela's opposition has demanded the government provide more specific information about Chavez's condition, and has criticized a decision by lawmakers last month that indefinitely postponed his swearing-in ceremony for a new six-year term.Two prominent Venezuelan jurists asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to determine whether Chavez is fit to remain in office. Former Supreme Court President Cecilia Sosa Gomez and professor Jose Vicente Haro called for the court to appoint a board of medical experts to determine whether Chavez is in physical and mental shape to remain president.They argued that if Chavez is fit to be president, the court should proceed to hold a public swearing-in.Government officials insist Chavez remains in charge and has been communicating with government officials about policy decisions and signing documents.Foreign Minister Elias Jaua read a lengthy letter from Chavez on Friday to a gathering of African and South American leaders in Equatorial Guinea.In the letter, which ran for about 1, 00 words, Chavez said he was sorry not to be able to attend the meeting. Chavez denounced Western military intervention in countries such as Libya in recent years, and called for more "South-South co-operation."The letter ended with the words: "We will live and be triumphant!"Prayer gatherings for Chavez this week have included a ceremony where indigenous shamans danced on Thursday, attended by Guatemalan indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchu.Menchu, who received the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize, said she had come to Venezuela "as one of the Maya spiritual guides" with knowledge of medicinal traditions."I'm completely sure that President Hugo Chavez has received the cosmic energies. He has received the strength of our Mother Earth. ... He is going to overcome big obstacles," Menchu said Friday at a televised event where she spoke alongside Maduro.As for Chavez, she said, "He has to have sufficient rest so that he can recover the strength of his vital energies as soon as possible."

NEWS,16.12.2012

Venezuelan elections a test for Chavez

Venezuelans are choosing governors and state lawmakers on Sunday in elections that have become a key test of whether President Hugo Chavez's movement can endure if the leader leaves the political stage.Voters in some areas of Caracas were awakened before dawn by fireworks and reveille blaring from speakers mounted on trucks. But turnout in the initial hours of voting appeared to be much lower than the country's October presidential vote, when long lines snaked out of polling stations and Chavez won another six-year term.The vote is the first time in Chavez's nearly 14-year-old presidency that he has been unable to actively campaign. He hasn't spoken publicly since undergoing cancer surgery on Tuesday in Cuba.Governorships in all of the country's 23 states are being decided in the elections. Chavez's party currently controls all but eight of the states, and if it maintains its dominance the vote could help the president's allies deepen his socialist policies, including a drive fortifying grass-roots citizen councils that are directly funded by the central government.For the opposition, the elections are apt to determine the fate of its leadership. The most pivotal race involves opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who gave Chavez his stiffest challenge yet in the October presidential election, and is now running for re-election in Miranda state against Elias Jaua, Chavez's former vice president.The elections could also be an important dry run for new presidential elections if cancer cuts short Chavez's presidency.Chavez is due to be sworn in for another term on 10 January. But if his condition forces him to step down, Venezuela's constitution requires that new presidential elections be called promptly and held within 30 days.Chavez said before undergoing the surgery that if he's unable to continue, Vice President Nicolas Maduro should take his place and run for president.Alida Delgado, a lawyer, was waiting to vote outside a school in an affluent neighbourhood of Miranda state. She said she favoured Capriles because Chavez's government has left the country immersed in rampant crime and economic troubles. She said one of her sons moved away to Canada several years ago in search of work as a business manager.As for Chavez, Delgado said: "I hope he recovers, but I think there's going to be change.""God willing, I think that soon we're going to have new elections," Delgado said, adding: "May the opposition win."Chavez's son-in-law, Jorge Arreaza, who is also the government's science and technology minister, said in a Saturday phone call from Havana broadcast on television that the president had called for supporters to turn out to vote.Arreaza said Chavez is in full control of his mental faculties and has been talking with his children and getting daily visits from Fidel Castro while recovering slowly from the surgery, which was his fourth cancer-related operation since June 2011.Chavez's political allies framed the election as a referendum on his legacy, urging people to dedicate the vote to Chavez. The government put up banners on lampposts reading "Now more than ever, with Chavez."Jesus Hernandez, a public school employee, said he would vote for Jaua out of support for Chavez. "We have a leader, and we have to follow that leader."If the Chavistas gain or even hold steady, the executive branch could strengthen its hold on the grass roots, as communal councils decide such questions as who gets a new roof, or which streets need repairs, distributing the funds directly. Chavez's opponents have objected to the government's campaign to develop such state-funded "communes" because they bypass the traditional authority of state and local elected officials.The closeness of the vote to Christmas and apparent apathy among many voters suggested a low turnout. In the last presidential election, 81% of registered voters turned out, but gubernatorial elections tend to draw fewer people.Some said a low turnout could be a hazard both for Chavez's camp and the opposition.Political analyst Carlos Raul Hernandez said he thinks Chavez's illness could keep some voters away because he's developed "a style of messianic leadership" in which he stands out far above his political allies."There are a lot of people who are only interested in Chavez, not at all the governors," Hernandez said.

Hugo Chavez Cancer Surgery: Fidel Castro Meets With Venezuelan President

President Hugo Chavez is in full control of his mental faculties and has been talking with his children and getting daily visits from Fidel Castro while recovering slowly from cancer surgery in Cuba, his son-in-law said Saturday.Chavez has been recovering favorably despite some "moments of tension" after Tuesday's surgery and is now in a "process of stabilization," Science and Technology Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Venezuelan television in a phone call from Havana.It's unclear when Chavez might be well enough to return home, but Information Minister Ernesto Villegas expressed hope it could be soon. Chavez, who was re-elected in October, is due to be sworn in for another six-year term on Jan. 10."We're extremely hopeful that the president may be with us very soon. But it would also be irresponsible on my part to speak of dates," Villegas told The Associated Press."We're confident that President Chavez will be here to take office on Jan. 10. Now, in the event that weren't possible, our people would have to be prepared to understand it," Villegas said.He spoke during a ceremony in downtown Caracas attended by Vice President Nicolas Maduro and other government officials as well as visiting leaders from other countries.Arreaza's phone call became the centerpiece of the televised ceremony, and he said Castro has come to see Chavez every day since the surgery."He always stops by to personally find out about El Comandante's health condition and also to share his knowledge with all of us, and to give the family courage and encouragement," said Arreaza, who is the husband of Chavez's eldest daughter, Rosa.Chavez has long shared a close friendship with the former Cuban president, describing him as being like a father and mentor.The 58-year-old Venezuelan leader underwent his fourth cancer-related operation in Cuba after tests found the illness had come back despite previous operations, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He previously had said in July that tests showed he was cancer-free.Throughout his treatments in Cuba, Chavez has kept secret some details about his pelvic cancer, including the exact location and type of tumors removed. Venezuela's government has said Chavez suffered complications during a complicated six-hour surgery but has since been recovering progressively.Arreaza said there had been "moments of tension, above all on (December) 11 and 12, but we've overcome them one by one.""The president has begun to communicate with his close relatives," he said. Arreaza said that as Chavez began to speak, he told him of "his deep love for his people.""El Comandante has fought a great battle, and, as he told us, he will overcome each of these moments little by little. He's getting better," Arreaza said.Chavez also called for his supporters to vote in Venezuela's gubernatorial elections Sunday, Arreaza said."He is now completely in full intellectual conditions to send this message to the Venezuela," Arreaza added.Maduro told Arreaza to give Chavez a message: "Tell him that the people here are on their feet working, battling." Maduro expressed confidence that Chavez's allies will win Sunday's elections.Maduro also said National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello made a quick trip to Havana on Friday along with Attorney General Cilia Flores and they were in contact with Chavez's family."Praying together, we're going to achieve the miracle," Maduro said.The vice president, whom Chavez recently designated his preferred successor, also repeated his government's condemnation of President Barack Obama's criticisms this week of "authoritarian policies" in Venezuela. Maduro called Obama's comments "unacceptable."Saturday night's ceremony was held on the eighth anniversary of the creation of the leftist Bolivarian Alliance, or ALBA, bloc of nations, which includes Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba and other nations.Maduro read aloud a letter from Castro in which he said "the name of Hugo Chavez is admired and respected throughout the world." The former Cuban president was quoted as writing that "the doctors are fighting with optimism" for Chavez's recovery.Bolivian President Evo Morales, who attended the event in Caracas, told the television network Telesur that he hadn't yet been able to travel to Cuba but that he hoped to meet with Chavez soon. He didn't give details.Chavez's daughter Maria, who was with the president in Havana, thanked supporters for their prayers in a message on her Twitter account."We are continuing to battle along with papa," she said, expressing trust in "the hand of God!"

Kim Jong Il Death Anniversary Celebrated With Rocket As Centerpiece By North Korea

North Korea parlayed the success of last week's rocket launch to glorify leader Kim Jong Un and his late father on Sunday, the eve of the first anniversary of his death.The successful firing the rocket on Wednesday – ostensibly to place a satellite in space was a clear sign that Kim will continue his father Kim Jong Il's militaristic hardline policies despite international condemnation.The West sees the rocket as a thinly-disguised way of carrying out U.N-banned tests of long-range missile technology, which it says not only threatens regional stability but is also a waste of resources when millions of North Koreans have little to eat in the famine-beset country crying out for economic reforms.It is also feared that after the rocket launch, Pyongyang will press ahead with a nuclear test to build a warhead small enough to be carried by a long-range missile.At a somber memorial service Sunday to start a fresh round of mourning, North Korea's top leadership predictably eulogized Kim Jong Il and his son, who is certain to have gained national prestige and clout by going ahead with the rocket launch.Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of North Korea's parliament, credited Kim Jong Il with building Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, and called the satellite launch a "shining victory" and an emblem of the promise that lies ahead with his son in power.Top military official Choe Ryong Hae, meanwhile, warned that the army was prepared to defend the country's sovereignty.Wednesday's launch was North Korea's second attempt in eight months to fulfill Kim Jong Il's 14-year quest to put a satellite into space. International experts confirmed that the rocket succeeding in reaching space.Criticism of the launch was swift. The United States called it a covert test of missile technology, and U.N. Security Council condemned the launch as a violation of resolutions barring Pyongyang from developing its nuclear and missile programs.However, the launch fit neatly into the preparations to mark the first anniversary of Kim's death and the rise of his young son.Even before his death, Kim Jong Il had laid the ground for his son to inherit a government with national policies focused on science, technology and improving the economy. The son has been characterized as forward-thinking and tech-savvy  and the kind of man bold enough to take a gamble on a tricky rocket launch.A launch in April, sent amid festivities to mark the centenary of the birth of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, ended in failure shortly after liftoff.Kim Jong Un made clear his intention to treat Wednesday's successful launch as a gift to his father.He invited scientists in charge of the launch from a west coast launch pad to Pyongyang for the mourning rites, including a visit to the mausoleum where Kim Jong Il's body is believed to be lying in state "to report to him" on the success of the launch, according to state media. Kim Jong Il's body has not been seen since the funeral that followed his Dec. 17, 2011, death of a heart attack. The mausoleum that houses the embalmed body of his father, Kim Il Sung, is expected to reopen this week. Both bodies will then be on display. The mood in North Korea has been subdued this month in the run-up to the anniversary. However, news of the launch cheered people and the regime held a mass rally on Friday at the main plaza in Pyongyang. Starting Saturday, North Koreans began streaming to a bronze statue of Kim on Mansu Hill and to Kim Il Sung Square to pay their respects, many laying white mourning flowers and bowing before his image. On Sunday, a solemn Kim Jong Un joined the memorial service at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on the eve of the anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death. Kim, whose entrances and exits usually are accompanied by a triumphant welcome song and a swell of cheers, entered the stage in silence, followed by top Workers' Party, government and Korean People's Army officials, as well as his aunt and uncle.A military band played the militaristic "Song of Gen. Kim Jong Il" as officials and the audience bowed toward the massive portrait of Kim hung above the stage.Tight security surrounded the gymnasium near Pyongyang's Pothong Gate. Armed soldiers in helmets posted along the street outside diverted traffic and pedestrians while more guarded every entrance to the building. The handful of foreign journalists allowed to cover the event, including The Associated Press, were searched by armed soldiers.In his speech, Kim Yong Nam called Kim Jong Il a "peerless patriot" who strengthened the military and stood up to the United States. The U.S. and North Korea signed a truce, not a peace treaty, at the close of the 1950-53 Korean War, and Pyongyang cites American troops in South Korea as a key reason for building its atomic weapons program. As the hourlong ceremony came to a close, the band briefly played the mournful refrain to "The General Will Always be With Us." After the musicians put down their instruments, Kim Jong Un stood up and led a silent procession out.