South Koreans kidnapped in Afghanistan were released this week by Corina Ciubotaru

Afghanistan is a country where armed forces trying to establish a climate of peace and cooperation only succeeded in drawing more attention to what happens in the country. Recently, it became the world's largest producer of opium with 98% of the world's supply being planted here. In that same region of Helmand, the Taliban have their way and it's from there that they lead their operations. Six weeks ago, they kidnapped 12 South Koreans who were in Afghanistan to do good for the people by working in hospitals. After killing two men, the others got freed on Wednesday, much to the joy of their families, the Afghan government and South Korea. The Red Cross, which the volunteers were working for, aided in the negotiations and even though no money was offered to the Taliban, the South Korean government's promise to keep Christian missionaries away from the country as well as remove the 200 troops stationed there might just have done the trick. South Korea sent troops to Afghanistan to aid the U.S.-led force and this is why the Taliban claim to have kidnapped the missionaries. Now, fears arise that the Taliban will use this method to get what they want. In the past two years, countless civilians have been kidnapped in Afghanistan by this ethnic group and some of them have even been killed. Some people are still being held hostage, including a German engineer and 4 Afghan colleagues; they were taken prisoners one day before the South Koreans and their families are still waiting for them to come home safely.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070829/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan;_ylt=An9vkEIKZf2IHxXyKH3UBeas0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Bhutto: Musharraf to quit as army chief by Delia Cruceru

Pakistan's former prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto told in an interview for CNN on Wednesday that Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has agreed to step down as the country's military chief during negotiations on a power-sharing deal with her. "We're very pleased that Gen. Musharraf has taken the decision to listen to the people of Pakistan by taking the decision to take off the uniform. I expect that he will step down (as army chief) before the presidential elections, but that is for the president to say," Bhutto said. Bhutto is in talks with Musharraf for several months involving a pact that would protect the general's re-election bid from legal challenges and public disenchantment with military rule. An ally for the President Musharraf, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, confirmed that the two sides reached an agreement about the President's military role: "Both sides have agreed on the issue of uniform," he told reporters. According to him Musharraf will step down as army chief before the presidential vote but only "he knows the date and she (Bhutto) knows the date." A spokesman for the State Department in Washington, Tom Casey said: "Our principal concern in Pakistan is that there be free, fair and transparent elections."

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Abdullah Gul, Turkey's new president as of yesterday by Corina Ciubotaru

Turkey has a new president starting yesterday and on the surface, it seems there could be no better choice for the country. He used to be the country's foreign minister so he has good relations with people from the E.U. and the U.S. Turkey has wanted to become an E.U. member for years and now the president of the EU commission welcomed Mr. Gul as the new leader of this country. Mr. Bush also congratulated him by phone. Turkey has the biggest army in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation after the Americans, and it's just this army that can make Abdullah Gul's life hard as President. His term should normally last for seven years but since some generals didn't show up to his ceremonial confirmation, analysts are right to be worried about the relationship between them, which can lead to an abrupt end to his regime. The military want the country's leader to continue on the secular path created by the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. On the other hand, the E.U. would like the army to retreat from political life in order to accept the country as a new member. Turkey is halfway between Europe and the Middle East so a military regime wouldn't be quite to the liking of peace-loving Europeans. Gul has declared a number of times that his goal is for nobody in the country to be discriminated against anymore and that he intends to keep the Islam and the affairs of the state separate. If he succeeds then Turkey just might be another capitalism success story.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070828/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey;_ylt=Apd7qu0M7G2HEj6yizk4F7us0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Trapped miners ate coal, drank urine by Delia Cruceru

Two Chinese brothers survived six days after the illegal mine where they were working collapsed. They had no food, water or light, just their surviving instinct and their experience. They were forced to eat coal to feel their bellies full and drink their urine from discarded bottles founded inside the mine, and cranking jokes about their wives. "I told my brother, ‘your wife is going to have to marry someone else'," Meng Xianyou told the Beijing News. His brother added: "I laughed too, I said my wife could find a rich man in Shenyang. But then I thought, I have two children and my wife is ugly, so it'd be hard for her to remarry." Relatives of Meng Xianchen and Meng Xianyou thought that the miners are dead and burned ghost money at the entrance to the pit and left offerings of steamed buns, cakes and canned food to assist the "deceased" miners in the afterlife. After the sound of the rescuing team diggings stopped the brothers had a breakdown. "At the beginning, our mobile phone still had power so there was a little bit of light. Two days later the battery ran out so we could only feel with our fingers and listen," said Meng Xianyou. But then they tried to dig their way out by excavating three horizontal tunnels. Thinking that they were going in the wrong direction they started on a vertical tunnel, which led them to the surface.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070828/ap_on_re_as/china_miners_escape;_ylt=Av3icBpqSUALPkY_irkZpB6s0NUE

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More poppies in Afghanistan than in Colombia by Corina Ciubotaru

Even though it's being torn apart by war, Afghanistan is a country that goes about its routine and is getting better at it every day. Recently, the southern province of Helmand came into worldwide attention once again when it became the biggest opium producer in the world. Did you think Colombia was the drug capital of the world? Helmand now produces more opium than Colombia, Bolivia and Peru combined, about 193,000 hectares being cultivated this year. And don't be fooled into thinking the people had no alternative for growing crops, the land in this southern province is among the most fertile in the country. It's a question of choice; the UN countries have poured billions of dollars into changing people's habits, but growing poppies remains a big source of income for Talibans. Other regions of Afghanistan are doing better though, as the northern part of the country has increased the number of provinces clear of opium from 6 to 13. The strange part of this story is that worldwide demand for opium hasn't increased recently, so Afghanistan is building stockpiles of the narcotic, probably to finance future terrorist acts. 50 laboratories are used in Helmand alone to convert all that opium into heroin and plans to spray the cultivated areas with herbicides aren't much to the liking of locals who fear the chemicals would endanger the health of their families. British troops are concentrated in the southern part of Afghanistan and are mainly responsible for the peace-keeping efforts and general well-being of the region.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6965115.stm

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Floods in Romania affect the lives of thousands by Corina Ciubotaru

After a hot summer in Romania, the sudden rains brought flash floods and left people stranded and desperate. A 19-year old boy died after the car he was in got swept away by the waters and another one, 14 years of age, got hit by lightning while he was grazing his animals on a field. Tourists from the 17th century monastery of Sambata de Sus, a few hundred kilometers north of Bucharest have been evacuated from their guest houses for fear of flooding. In the north-east of Romania, villages Moldovita and Vatra Moldovita have been cut off by water turning dirt roads into swamps, leaving 1,400 stranded. In Harghita county, another few hundred became isolated by torrential rains, while six towns in the center of the country where also flooded. Out of the country's 41 counties, 7 more are expected to be hit by floods during the next few days. For some of them, flooding has become a common occurrence, as summer rains affect large regions of Romania each year. Authorities are usually slow or unable to react and inhabitants are caught off guard, many refusing to leave their homes and choosing refuge on rooftops in case of emergency. Floods came after a very hot period, the warmest summer in decades. Temperatures hit 43 degrees C on some occasions and the levels of drinking water have reached critical levels in some areas, where the water had to be rationalized. There were talks about declaring emergency state a month ago, but fortunately that wasn't necessary in the end.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6964786.stm

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Fires in Greece have become an international issue by Corina Ciubotaru

This summer hasn't been easy on anyone. Floods, drought, hurricanes and wildfires have affected the lives of millions. Greece is the latest country affected. 73 people have already died, being caught by the flames in their homes, cars or on the fields, trying to run away. The death toll keeps rising as the authorities try to control the fires, with aid from the European Union. Countries like Germany, Iceland, Norway, Israel or Serbia have already sent or promised to send water-carrying planes, while the ones from France, Italy and Canada are already dropping water. The Greek authorities have sent in the army to help fire-fighters and volunteers bring the disaster to an end. Strong winds and temperatures reaching 46 degrees Centigrade make operations difficult and time-consuming, so more lives are in danger every day. Luckily fires threatening the ancient Olympia site in southern Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, which has been around for almost 2,000 years, have been extinguished and the area is safe. The South region of the country, especially the Peloponnese peninsula, has been the worst affected. Authorities fear the fires are the work of arsonists and have already begun questioning suspects and arresting some of the most dangerous ones. Rewards have been put up for anyone that can help identify and arrest an arsonist. Some people in Greece have been known to intentionally start forest fires in order to clear up land for farming and other developments, so the arson theory isn't all that far-fetched. The Greek authorities have sent in the army to help fire-fighters and volunteers bring the disaster to an end.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070826/ap_on_re_eu/greece_fires;_ylt=Aov55c7a4RZbZ56tCD5yofqs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Report finds Iraqi government precarious by Delia Cruceru

A new U.S. intelligence report finds that says that the Iraqi government is incapable of governing itself, it is stranded by insurgent and sectarian violence with high levels. The report predicts that the Iraqi government "will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months. To date, Iraqi political leaders remain unable to govern effectively." The stability in Iraq is "measurable but uneven" and there are some improvements in the security since the beginning of the year continuing to improve slowly over the next six to twelve months. "The strains of the security situation and absence of key leaders have stalled internal political debates, slowed national decision-making, and increased Maliki's vulnerability" to factions that could form a rivaling coalition, the document says. This report from the National Intelligence comes in a crucial time, next month General David Petraeus and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocke have to present a report over the success of the temporarily increasing U.S. troop levels in Iraq. Republican Senator John Warner, who has just returned from Iraq called President Bush to bring some of the troops back home until Christmas saying that the move "wouldn't destabilize the country, but could send a clear warning to Iraq that time is running out."

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070823/ap_on_go_ot/us_iraq;_ylt=Ak54En2wj3sNEEqGLPXJUe.s0NUE

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Hurricane Dean pummels Jamaica by Delia Cruceru

Powerful winds and torrential rains devastated Jamaica Sunday. Now Hurricane Dean's death toll is raised to almost 14 deaths from the central Lesser Antilles, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica. Although the prime minister of Jamaica made a call for people to abandon their homes and seek for shelters many ignored it, they're afraid that their assets will be stolen "Too much crime in Kingston. I'm not leaving my home," Paul Lyn said in Port Royal, east of Kingston. In Goldmine, a village in Clarendon, a 44 year old farmer was buried under his collapsed home, and in the St. Thomas parish, in the island's southeastern corner, a girl of only 14 year old was crushed when the roof of her home caved in. Tourists that missed their flights took shelter in Sandals Whitehouse, a resort with hurricane-proof walls. Many of them were worried about their lives or if they're going to see their beloved ones again. Trinice Taylor from California said she wasn't sure if she will ever make it back to her home. "I'm celebrating my 40th birthday today, and it's going to be a birthday to remember," she said. The Hurricane was classified as being one of Category 5 by The National Hurricane Center, and that it will have sustained winds of 160 mph. The space shuttle Endeavour will head home a day earlier than projected, as NASA fear that the Hurricane may change its route to north and threaten the mission control in Houston.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070819/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/tropical_weather;_ylt=ApWs90ikC4FhS1SDWpojuMKs0NUE

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France offers U.S. symbol with Iraq trip by Delia Cruceru

Sunday, Bernard Kouchner paid an unexpected and symbolic visit in Iraq, being the first French official to visit Iraq after the war. The Foreign Minister of France, Bernard Kouchner he came in Iraq not to propose initiatives but to listen to ideas on how his country might help stop the devastating violence, because in his opinion the Iraqi have to restore the nation by themselves. "Now we are turning the page. There is a new perspective. We want to talk about the future. Democracy, integrity, sovereignty, reconciliation and stopping the killings. That's my deep aim," said Kouchner. Bernard Kouchner is the former U.N. administrator for Kosovo and co-founder of the Nobel Prize-winning aid group Doctors Without Borders. He was welcomed in Iraq by the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hosyhar Zebari and as well by the Bush administration. The White House called the visit "This is one more example along with the new U.N. mandate, the neighbors conference process and recent announcements by Saudi Arabia to open an embassy and forgive Saddam-era debt, of a growing international desire to help Iraq become a stable and secure country." The visit of the France official coincided with the fourth anniversary of the truck bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, when 22 people died including the United Nations special envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was a friend of Mr. Kouchner.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070819/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AsEIftTCS0W3wiATpLbCoRSs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Bomb kills provincial chief in Iraq by Delia Cruceru

Another governor was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. The governor of Muthana was killed is the second official killed in one week, as the Shi'ite Muslim groups are still fighting for the control of some of Iraq's main oil regions. Mohammed Ali al-Hassani was heading to the provincial capital of Samawah, when his Land Cruiser was struck. Hadi al-Ameri, an Iraqi parliamentarian and head of the Badr Organization said: "The purpose behind these assassinations is to create Shiite-Shiite strife." Samir Salim Attar, the deputy minister for science and technology was kidnapped in Baghdad by armed men who used at least eight SUVs to intercept Attar's heavily defended government convoy. The son of the governor killed yesterday, Ahmed, said that the Sadr's militia is to blame for the attacked and he promised revenge. "We will take our revenge after the three-day mourning period," said Abu Haider, the tribal leader. Bernard Kouchner, in his second day visit in Iraq met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and other Iraqi officials. "It is true that, in the past, we did not agree with certain countries about the events in 2003, but all that has been put behind us now. Today, we have to look toward the future," Kouchner said in press conference. He also insisted that the U.N. should that a key role in helping the stopping of violence in Iraq.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=An55Yak60mW477a6Rot.Hw6s0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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At least 510 killed in big Peru quake by Delia Cruceru

A day after the devastating earthquake from the Peru's southern coast, officials announced that the death toll rose to 510 and at least 17.000 people were displaced from their homes. The most damaged regions were the city of Ica and the port city Pisco. The capital, Lima was also hit by the quake. In Pisco at least 200 people died in San Clemente cathedral while they were attending to the celebration of the Virgin Mary and a special mass marking one month since the death of a Pisco man. The city is left without water, power and many residents are left without homes sleeping outside, afraid that aftershocks might ruin the other buildings. "We don't have lights, water, communications. Most houses have fallen. Churches, stores, hotels â€" everything is destroyed," Pisco Mayor Juan Mendoza told Lima radio station CPN. The U.S. Geological Survey declared that the quake had the magnitude of 7.9 to 8, and at least 15 aftershocks followed with the magnitude of 5. In Chincha, a town near Pisco, the quake collapsed the wall of the Tambo de Mora prison and almost 680 escaped, only 29 being captured. The United States, Red Cross, European Union and United Nations offered cash, tents, water, medicine and other supplies. U.S. officials declared that the US navy hospital ship Comfort, equipped with a staff of 800 and 12 operating rooms, is in Ecuador and could quickly sail to Peru if asked.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/peru_quake;_ylt=AnGDwKIubKKb2lvWWA9mNLas0NUE

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Counting bodies by Claudia Sonea

In northwestern Iraq, areas in the town of Qahataniya, 75 miles west of Mosul, four truck bombers exploded within minutes of each other. According to local officials (including Hashim al-Hamadani, a senior provincial security official; Kifah Mohammed, director of Sinjar hospital; and Iraqi army Capt. Mohammed Ahmed) and police there were 250 bodies pulled from under the crumbled houses and 350 people were injured. They expect the death toll to rise around 500. Because the area was under curfew and the wounded were taken to various hospitals, the figures provided by the authorities could not be checked independently. Amin Farhan, the only Yazidi legislator in Iraq's 275-seat parliament, said that 50 houses completely collapsed trapping entire families beneath mud bricks and other wreckage. The carnage was an act of ethnic cleansing, bearing the hallmark of al-Qaida. The target was the Yaizidis, a small Kurdish sect centered near Mosul, who is considered to be infidel by some Muslims. A week before the attack an al-Qaida front group, the Islamic State in Iraq, distributed leaflets warning about the attack near the area where it happened and motivating it with religious reasons. Rescuers are still trying to dig out from under clay houses shattered by the blast impact. It was the worst one since ever, the lower death estimate was higher than the number of people killed last November (23) in Baghdad's Shiite Muslim enclave of Sadr City- 215. A young boy yelled in pain while his bloodied face was nursed and a toddler had his head and arms bandaged. Hospitals were overwhelmed and the rescue vehicles were hold back by the curfew. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki criticized the terrorism that endangers their national unity. In Iraq the situation is bad; at least 44 people were killed or found dead this week. How will be the progress report on Iraq delivered by the top U.S. commander, Gen. David Petraeus? Stay connected and you will find out.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070815/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=Ata3Fl_9D5bXlGWz.fT.OjWs0NUE

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U.S. may soon label Iran Guard "terrorist" by Delia Cruceru

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is now on the blacklist of U.S designated as a terrorist organisation. It's the first time ever when U.S. added military forces of a sovereign government to its list of terrorist organisations. This move will allow Washington to target the 125,000- strong elite military corp's business operations and finances. The President George Bush wants Iran to help Iraq to stabilize but Trita Parsi, an Iranian affairs analyst, said: "It's very hard to see how the administration expects diplomacy to succeed when at the same time it is designating partners in that diplomacy as terrorists." U.S. is expected to put Iran Guard on the terrorist list formally before the N General Assembly meeting next month. This designation will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Iran was labeled as a state sponsor for terrorism since 1984, but it is said that this aggressive move targeting the Guard is a new challenge for the U.S. An unnamed Foreign Ministry official quoted by the IRNA news agency said about the U.S. move: "Such a report is in the framework of the propaganda and psychological activity of the American administration against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070815/tpl-uk-usa-iran-guard-81f3b62_3.html

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Iraq still on fire by Claudia Sonea

Late Tuesday four suicide bombers struck nearly simultaneously in northwestern Iraq killing at least 175 people and wounding 200 more, according to Iraqi military and local officials. It was an attack against Yazidis, a small Kurdish sect considered infidel by some Muslims. The blame for the recent actions against this sect falls on a Yazidis family that stoned to death their 18 years old daughter, 18-year-old Duaa Khalil Aswad, who run away from home with her Muslim boyfriend and converted to Islam. The Islamic State in Iraq, an al-Qaida front group, warned one week before about the gruesome attack through distributed leaflets. After sundown near Qahataniya, 75 miles west of Mosul around which is the center of the Yazidi faith, four trucks approached the city and exploded within minutes of each other. The police stated that at least one of the trucks was an explosives-laden fuel tanker. Shops were set ablaze and flats crumbled because of the explosions; the victims' number is supposed to rise. Despite the fact that there was no claim of responsibility, the attack bore the hallmark of al-Qaida, regrouping in Anbar and Diyala provinces. Dhakil Qassim, mayor in the town of SInjar, a city close by the attacks, blamed the terrorist and said that Yazidis community has nothing to do with the armed conflict. This was another humiliation for the US army, the attack coming after the brazen daylight raid on the Oil Ministry complex when Dozens of gunmen wearing security force uniforms abducted a deputy oil minister, Al-Wagaa and four other officials. In a similar raid on Iraq's Finance Ministry five Britons were kidnapped. The crime scenes are near the stronghold of the Mahdi Army militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Sadr City. Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman stated in Washington that they are expecting the attacks to increase during this situation. 3,700 US militaries have been killed and the situation is still unsolved. How long it will take for the situation to calm down, no one really knows. Innocent people continue to be victims of the religious prejudices and of an unfair war. Surf on and keep your eyes on the news, there is much more to come.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070814/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AhsPtSazULasVgJy97QDrVes0NUE

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Things look bad for North Korea after floods by Corina Ciubotaru

Massive floods have wreaked havoc in North Korea; in some regions rain levels reached 2 feet and caused the worst damage this decade. 30,000 houses were destroyed and over 100,000 hectares of farmland flooded, and now the U.S. and South Korea are thinking of aiding the country that can barely sustain itself even without natural disasters occurring. It is a frequent recipient of foreign food aid but it hasn't called for help yet in this case, even though a tenth of the country's annual grain harvest has been devastated. Even before the floods, North Korea faced a food shortfall of about 20% of its needs and has issued a preliminary help request to the UN. The organization made a survey and decided the country may need long-term assistance to recover and not be affected by famine, as was the case in the late '90s, when hundreds of thousands of people died. Electrical and railway lines have also been damaged, adding to the already grim situation of electrical power in the communist nation. Recent floods are presumably not going to affect the meeting between North and South Korean leaders later this month. South Korea has been making efforts in recent years to aid its southern neighbor and to find ways of uniting the countries once again. Families divided by the world's most fortified border have been allowed to reunite briefly on some occasions, and the two Koreas share an industrial park in a border city, benefiting from the North cheap labor force and the South high-tech machinery.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070814/tsc-nkorea-weather-floods-c2ff8aa_2.html

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Have all Chinese toys become unsafe? by Corina Ciubotaru

A man killing himself over toys isn't something you hear about everyday. But the manager of a toy company in China taking responsibility to the edge and ending his own life sounds a bit more believable. It is the result of authorities recalling toys manufactured by his company Lee Der Industrial Inc., after it was discovered that the paint used to make them contained high amounts of lead. This can cause serious health concerns in kids, including vomiting or even neurological problems. China has had a number of scandals recently involving products that did not meet safety standards. Food, toothpaste and toys are just some of the products that were deemed unsuitable for use by authorities in importing countries, so the safety inspectors' controls are on the increase all around the country, as China needs exports to support the booming economy. Another company that has been recently found responsible for selling unsafe products is Hansheng Wood Products Factory who also used dangerous paint on its wooden toys, sold as part of the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway series. And the trouble doesn't end here; Mattel, the company that recalled the Lee Der products last week, has announced a similar action will take place in a few days, involving 9 million items. Other companies like Hasbro and RC2 also recalled products due to manufacturing problems. This is a big blow to the entire industry as parents don't know who to trust anymore. A few kids have already undergone surgery after swallowing small magnets that perforated their intestines.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070813/ap_on_re_as/china_tainted_products;_ylt=AgqkbkFFmZ5oMhLWQKBo05.s0NUE

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Italian and Iraqi gun transaction on the black market by Ana Maria Ciobanu

It was a normal day at the Fiumicino Airport in Italy, Rome. The police was quietly digging through a traveler's checked baggage, looking for hidden drugs. They found a weapon catalogue instead, which turned out to be a clue to something bigger. Anti-Mafia investigators were helped by the airport police's discovery which led them down a trail of telephone and e-mail intercepts, into the midst of a huge black-market transaction. Iraqi and Italian partners were sending more than 100.000 Russian-made automatic weapons into the bloodbath of Iraq. The deal was worth $40 million. Everything is still unclear and a lot of questions have remained unanswered till now. Iraqi government officials were involved in the secret deal, without the knowledge of the U.S. Baghdad command. Why did these officials resort to the black market in Italy and where exactly were the weapons heading? We'll have to wait for the investigation to come up with some answers. Meanwhile, USA's plan to replace the Russian AK-47s with American M-16s will probably send more assault rifles onto the black market. Wouldn't everything be easier if the slaughter in Iraq would stop? Are we all the bad guys from cartoons that plan "world domination"?

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Biking along the Berlin Wall by Ana Maria Ciobanu

The Berlin Wall, built 46 years ago by Communist East Germany, separated friends and families, lovers, acquaintances, lives. It was torn down quickly in 1989 everybody wanting to erase all memories of the loathed barrier. Now tangible evidence of what once was the Berlin wall is very hard to find. Berlin has learnt throughout these years that denying your past isn't a very good idea and it's re-discovering its painful Cold War past by building a $6 million bike trail that follows the path of the 160-km Wall built on the sad day of August 13, 1961. Michael Cramer a Berlin political leader and the mastermind behind this incredible project (which had to fight years of resistance), said: "The Wall is part of our past and we can't just erase it." The bike tour is fascinating, offering both a physical challenge and historical treats as it winds its way through mostly green sections of the city. Thirty signs are posted along the route describing historical landmarks. The Wall's look is a little out of date. Huge dream houses have popped up on parts of the former death strip. Stables and chicken farms are sitting very well on that land without knowing what it meant for the world. Thick underbrush has spread across other areas of the strip, which was between 5 meters and about 100 meters wide. Let's hope everyone will enjoy Michael Cramer's wonderful initiative and the next time we'll visit Berlin we'll rent a bike and ride along Berlin's Wall.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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The Talebans spread confusion around the prisoner release moment by Ana Maria Ciobanu

After stating they are ready to free the 21 south-Korean hostages in exchange for some imprisoned Afghan sustainers, as if they were trading apples for peaches, the Talebans are now spreading confusion. The spokesmen for the kidnappers group had earlier stated that the hostage women will be released in exchange for the same number of women imprisoned by the Afghan authorities. These women were arrested because they were bringing food to the fundamentalists. Taleban spokesman Yusuf Ahmadi on Sunday said the two ill women hostages would be freed thanks to the progress made during two days of talks in the central city of Ghazni. However he also added: "The time hasn't been decided. It could be today." The Taleban kidnappers have already killed two hostages, both men and asked in several ways the release of the Taleban prisoners held in the detention centers. The Korean minister who is handling the hostages' situation at the moment announced that their health condition isn't in a good shape. The original group of 23 was captured on the main road from Kabul to Kandahar. The Afghan government, highly criticized after a previous prisoner exchange, has ruled out a swap to secure the release of the Koreans.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Bush and Sarkozy met for hamburgers in Maine by Corina Ciubotaru

The two heads of state met last week at George W. Bush's residence in Maine, for what was intended to be a casual lunch with hamburgers and blueberry pie. But people found it very hard to believe that the President of the United States could invite his French counterpart over for lunch, without any political strings attached. And it seems politics came up after all, but in a more discreet setting. Sarkozy came alone, as his wife Cecilia allegedly felt sick and two of their kids as well. After the all-american lunch, the two presidents along with former U.S. leader George Bush Sr. went on a 30-minute boat-ride during which nobody knows what happened, so a little bit of politics may have been included in the conversation. Sarkozy is known for his love of America and chances are that relations between the two countries will improve dramatically under his regime. As opposed to his predecessor Jacques Chirac who had not agreed to the invasion of Iraq and some other Bush decisions, today's French president promised to make peace with the Americans. He appeared at the meeting in jeans and a blazer, keeping with the informality of the entire meeting then he and Bush gave each other hearty handshakes and a clap on the shoulder. And he was already on holiday with his family in New Hampshire these days. All this love for the United States has caused some problems back in the country for the 52-year old ruler who is also against the war in Iraq but has a style much closer to Bush.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6941917.stm

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Pervez Musharraf didn't declare an emergency state in Pakistan by Ana Maria Ciobanu

George Bush asked Pakistan to organize fair elections considering the increasing violence and the political problems happening in the country. The Pakistan leader Pervez Musharraf eventually didn't declare an emergency state as it was speculated. This measure would have allowed him to postpone the election. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf continues to lose popularity but he also continues to benefit from Washington's support, being one of the most important allays in the fight against terrorism. The American Leader has asked President Musharraf to take some serious measures against the terrorism suspects, relying on the information obtained by the Secret Services. George Bush told the press he has no reasons to believe the Pakistan President will declare an emergency state in his country. A spokesman of the Pakistan Government declared that general Musharraf didn't declare an emergency state because he wanted to prove his loyalty towards democracy. Internal tensions in Pakistan have increased after last month's incident when the Government's troupes occupied a radical mosque. Over 100 persons were killed. Besides these internal issues, the safety in the north-west area of the country, at the Afghanistan border has deteriorated and a Pakistan minister stated that the American threats concerning a possible mission in the tribal areas, only made things worst.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Bush says Iran is destabilizing force in Iraq by Delia Cruceru

President George W. Bush accused that Iran is destabilizing force in Iraq. The President called Iran a "very troubling nation" and that it should be isolated, warning them in a news conference: "When we catch you playing a nonconstructive role (in Iraq), there will be a price to pay." Bush hopes to convince the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that at an eye-to-eye video conference that Iran is a threat to Iraqi security. "If the signal (from Maliki) is that Iran is constructive, I will have to have a heart-to-heart with my friend, the prime minister. Because I don't believe they are constructive," Bush said. "I don't think he, in his heart of heart, think they're constructive either." He also warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai at a visit to an U.S. presidential retreat at Camp David, to be more suspicious of Iran, after the Afghan President denied accusations that that Tehran was arming the Taliban. But Teheran denies Bush's accusations that it is supplying weapons to militants to stoke violence and blames the U.S. military presence. Iran's First Vice President Parviz Davoudi told to the Iraqi Prime Minister that Iran "has always made a special effort to help provide and strengthen security in Iraq." But Bush insists on the fact that Iran is playing a negative role in Iraq, supporting violence between Shi'ites and Sunnis.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070809/tpl-uk-iraq-iran-bush-43a8d4f_1.html

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Georgia, Russia deadlocked over mystery missile strike by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

Amid angry denials from Moscow, Georgia attempted to gain international support behind its accusations that a Russian plane engaged in a missile strike on its territory. David Bakradze, Georgia's minister for conflict resolution said that the report released was written by Europe's main security and democracy body, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Military observers in Georgia at the time of Monday's incident saw one aircraft flying from the northeast, but it is also said that other monitors reported seeing a plane fly from southwest to northeast. Bakradze said that ."There is no other country than Russia to the northeast." Virginie Coulloudon, an OSCE spokeswoman in Vienna stressed that it was "an internal report that does not represent the position of the OSCE, but confirmed the document was genuine. After the 4.8 metre (15.7-foot) missile landed in a field some 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Georgian capital on Monday, the United Nations Security Council said it would wait for more information before acting. Refering to this matter, a statement from Congolese ambassador to the UN Pascal Gayama, who is presiding over the Security Council this month said "We are looking forward to hear more about the facts, from OSCE particularly, so that would enable the Security Council to have a full picture of the situation before engaging any action." Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili accused Russia of bombarding Georgia, even if the missile did not explode and caused no injuries,raising the stakes in already tense relations between the pro-Western country and its Soviet-era master. Georgia's preparations to join the Western-led NATO military alliance infuriated Russia, which was regarding them as an incursion into its historical sphere of influence. A NATO spokeswoman said that the alliance's Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo had spoken by phone with Bezhuashvili and that ."They agreed that NATO would stay in close contact with the Georgian authorities and that it will follow the ongoing investigations." But Russia again rejected claims that one of its jets had entered Georgian airspace and released a missile and also accused Georgia of tampering with evidence.

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Foreign affairs by Claudia Sonea

After eight years Kosovo's situation is still unsolved. According to Wolfgang Ischinger, a German diplomat and EU Kosovo envoy, the deadline is December 10. The fate of the breakaway province was blocked by Serbian ally Moscow, convincing that new talks should be held under the supervision of the Contact Group -- the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Russia. Very debated the Martti Ahtisaari offers to 90 percent of Albanians the independence under EU supervision. Despite the fact that Russia insists on extending the deadline, Ischinger refused to change it and said their duty as troika it is not to make new proposals. The talks between Serbia and Albania have lasted 13 months without any results. The West plans a shuttle diplomacy and the onus will be laid especially on Belgrade. A senior European diplomat said that a possible face-to-face meeting might lead to a "Rambouillet-type showdown" (the failed peace conference of February 1999) and that is why it is not taken in count by the Contact Group. NATO powers leading 16,000 troops in the territory believe that Albanians might become restless if they will be denied the independence. The West hopes will be a final envoy of diplomacy and talks on the majority Albanian territory, a solution must be found. Kosovo is urging the United States and EU to make possible their independence and support a unilateral declaration this year. Until now the 27-member EU is insisting in recognizing the province as a state and taking it on their supervision. None of the two sides, Belgrade or Kosovo, has come to an agreement and apparently none would make a compromise. There are still months ahead and until December a lot of things may happen. Stay connected and watch what's spinning at your border.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070809/twl-uk-serbia-kosovo-troika-bd5ae06_1.html

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President Karzai held meetings to discuss Afghanistan's future by Corina Ciubotaru

Peace in Afghanistan is on its way. President Karzai has had a meeting a couple of days ago with British Defense Secretary Des Browne and they agreed that the country itself will eventually have the biggest role in post-war recovery efforts. The Afghan army should play a bigger part in their country's safety, and local administrations will need to become stronger to encourage respect for the laws as well as economic growth. It also appears the international peace keeping force isn't doing its job very well lately, as they have been unable to prevent the killing of about 600 civilians this year alone. The British have 7,100 troops in Afghanistan and plan to increase that number. Mr. Karzai has also held talks with Pakistani tribal leaders and Prime Minister, to express his country's desire to make peace with its neighbor Pakistan. The officials and tribal leaders came together in a jirga, a tribal council in Kabul and discussed how to put an end to Taliban attacks on both sides of the border. The possibility of uniting the two countries has also been suggested as a way to end hostilities once and for all. Rebel actions have been on the rise since the American-led attack in 2001 and now they started to include kidnappings and torture of civilians. Many Taliban rebels are concentrated in the Helmand region in southern Afghanistan and Waziristan, in the north of Pakistan, and that's also where the highest number of troops, international and local, has been dispatched.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070809/tuk-afghanistan-britain-a7ad41d_2.html

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Kim Jong Il and Roh Moo-hyun will meet on August 28 by Corina Ciubotaru

North and South Korea's leaders are set to make history as they meet for the second time in Pyongyang, North Korea, between August 28 and 30. After their first meeting in 2000, the world waited anxiously for the two nations to sign a formal peace treaty that would end the 54-year old cease-fire, and today's international leaders have the same expectations now. Even though the war still goes on in the South Asian peninsula, Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Jong Il's countries have come a long way on the path to cooperation, by creating an industrial park in the border city of Kaesong, using high-tech South Korean equipment and workers with low wages from North Korea. But there are a couple of problems: the second meeting was supposed to be held in Seoul in South Korea instead of Pyongyang in the North, and the event is viewed by the Grand National Party as a political move in an attempt by President Roh Moo-hyun to gain some popularity. Over the years, democratic South Korea provided billions of dollars for the development of socialist North Korea, which has just recently announced the end of its nuclear program. It seems Kim Jong Il is trying to open up to outside relations, perhaps realizing this is the only true way for progress in his country. Still, he is known for not entering a negotiation that he has nothing to gain from. This may be the beginning of a new era for the two countries whose people have been separated for decades by the most fortified border in the world.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6936158.stm

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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The conflict between Georgia and Russia persists by Ana Maria Ciobanu

The conflict between Georgia and Russia, which occurred because of a missile weighing about a ton which landed in a farmer's yard, needs to come to an end. Georgia initially stated that the missile had been fired by Russian jets. Russia immediately denied any involvement concerning the missile. USA and Europe immediately interfered and asked the two countries to work out the conflict rationally and cool off as soon as possible. Till Wednesday this didn't look like it was going to happen because Georgia kept accusing Russia and Russia, of course, kept denying everything. Maybe Georgia made an official statement on Wednesday to simply end the conflict; we can't know for sure why the missile appeared 65 km west of Tbilisi. The official statement for Reuters suggested that the missile was dumped by a Russian pilot after coming under fire from separatist forces in South Ossetia. Russia officials continued to deny any implications and Georgia is ready to request a special meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss what it called an "act of aggression". Georgia's President is a U.S.-trained lawyer who has managed to pull his country out of Russia's orbit. He stated Tbilisi's answer to Moscow's aggression will be calm and measured. Mikhail Saakashvili also urged the Western nations to condemn Russia's attitude because of their bullying attitude towards their pro-Western neighbors.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Thirty Iraq 'militants' were killed during an US raid by Ana Maria Ciobanu

The US forces are doing it again. Thirty Iraq 'militants' were killed in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad during an air strike following a raid in the Shia district of Sadr City. The US military stated the dead were part of a network that was smuggling weapons from Iran. As usual, the official statements never sound like the witnesses statements. Witnesses said women and children were among those killed. The US forces are doing it again. Thirty Iraq 'militants' were killed in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad during an air strike following a raid in the Shia district of Sadr City. The US military stated the dead were part of a network that was smuggling weapons from Iran. As usual, the official statements never sound like the witnesses statements. Witnesses said women and children were among those killed. The Associated Press quoted Iraqi police saying nine civilians were killed in the US operation in Sadr City. Two of the civilians were women. Immediately after that, a military statement was issued and the spokesman said there had been women and children in the area during the raid but that none of them were killed. How is this possible to believe, when after the raid, men and young boys were seen mourning over coffins outside a nearby hospital and hundreds of residents marched through the city protesting against the raid? This tragedy came just in the eve of a major Shia religious festival which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Two years ago almost 1000 pilgrims were killed at the same pilgrimage after rumors spread that a suicide bomber was amongst the crowd. In these terrible cases the purpose of the war doesn't even matter anymore. What matters is that we're in the year 2007 and we're not capable of resolving conflicts without killing thousands and thousand of civilians. Haven't we learnt anything?!

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Another earthquake strikes Indonesia by Ana Maria Ciobanu

Nature just won't leave Indonesia alone. As soon as they calm down after a calamity, another one strikes them. Early Thursday, a powerful earthquake under the Java Sea violently shook the tall buildings of the capital and made panicked residents get out in the streets. Geophysicists stated there was little risk of a tsunami. The earthquake struck at 12:04 a.m. and had a preliminary magnitude of 7.5. It was at a depth in the Earth of 180 miles. Don Blakeman, a geophysicist at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo. said the quake was also felt in parts of Malaysia. Fortunately, no damages were reported. The 9 million people in the capital were scared and they had all the reasons to be after the tragedy which happened in December 2004. According to John Bellini, another USGS geophysicist the earthquake in 2004 had the "center close enough that it actually ruptured the surface of the sea floor, which caused a tsunami." This earthquake however was felt by people on the ground, it caused buildings to shake and water fly out of the pools, but it was too deep to cause the ocean bottom to move. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelag and is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location in the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

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Guilty until proved innocent by Claudia Sonea

It's the twist of the cliché used in law process. Mohammed Haneef, an Indian doctor, was detained by the Australian police for suspicion of terrorism and his working visa has been canceled. Kevin Andrews, Australian Immigration Minister, despite the fact that he had no evidence of the doctor's participation in the failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow at the end of June, continued to maintain his suspicions because Dr Haneef failed character test and associated with alleged criminals like Kafeel Ahmed and Saleel Ahmed, suspects named in the attacks. The association, although it is somewhat controversial, it is based on the fact that they are relatives; the suspects are distant cousins on his mother's side. All charges against him were dropped, but his visa was still canceled, therefore Haneef will fight back because he needs the visa, mostly for practical reasons. The lawyers defending him said that the immigration laws were misused and applied only to keep him behind bars. Immigration minister has wide-ranged powers and the appeal could be rejected. However, Justice Jeffrey Spender, the federal court judge hearing the case is not at all satisfied of Minister Andrew's methods and thinks that he too would have failed the test because he defended criminals when he worked as a barrister. Moreover, the defendant admitted to have relations with the suspects and did not deny he came in contact with them during his stay in London, but he strongly states he had not been involved in any terrorist activity. His interview gave to the Australian police is printed in Australian and Indian newspapers, after being released on the Internet. What will happen next? Stay connected!

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6936191.stm

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The international community will send 26,000 troops to Darfur by Corina Ciubotaru

International forces have joined efforts to restore peace to the troubled region of Darfur, in Sudan. After fighting for the last four years, during which hundreds of thousands of people died and millions were relocated, the dispute has intensified over the last week, as rebel forces captured the strategic city Adila. Countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East agreed to send troops and police to the region. By the end of this year, 26,000 mainly African troops and police will be dispatched to Darfur, and will also incorporate the forces of the African Union. Ethnic African rebels fight in Darfur against the predominantly Arab government accused of not helping the region more and it seems neither party is willing to surrender. So, the government has agreed to allow UN troops to aid in settling the conflict in a passive manner: they are there to protect against attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers, while only monitoring weapons, instead of disposing of them. Rebel African forces have now separated into several rival factions, and it seems they have also lost their focus since they are fighting each other as well as the government. Sudan is the largest country in Africa and the tenth largest in the world. Its history is marked by wars and struggles for independence and power and it was run as two separate provinces by the British, the south and the north, and Darfur is a region in the West of the country, near the border with Chad.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6936579.stm

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July was a good month according to military officials by Ana Maria Ciobanu

After there's been a drop in the American deaths last month, extremists seem to be regrouping. Four more U.S. troops and a British soldier have died in attacks, according to the military officials statements on Tuesday. U.S. deaths had dropped slightly in July to 79. This was the lowest monthly report since November when 70 U.S. deaths were registered. The Pentagon said the overall number of U.S. troops in Iraq has temporarily peaked at its all-time high -about 162.000- because new units arrive to replace those on the way out. Since the war began (3/19/03), 3680 U.S. soldiers have died. Since Election (1/31/05), 2243 have left this violent world. The official number of wounded U.S. soldiers is 27104, but several organizations estimate the number is way higher. An odd thing is that USA keeps doing the same mistakes. The officials aren't keeping a right track of the wounded and many data isn't released to the public. Between 8 and 10 percent of nearly 12,000 soldiers from the war on terror treated at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany had "psychiatric or behavioral health issues," according to the commander of the hospital, Col. Rhonda Cornum. What's happening out there is absolutely incredible. Doesn't anyone remember the Vietnam War? Does America really need a psychiatrically challenged population? Do they need the protests, the tears of thousands of families? My guess is and I'm sure a lot of you out there agree, they don't care about individuals, they care about reporting what a good month July was because only 79 soldiers died.

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N. Korea aid for disarmament talks begin by Delia Cruceru

Representatives from six nations gathered at Panmunjon, a truce village on the inter Korean Border, to start two days of talks on ending North Korea's nuclear program. "After many twists and turns, the six-party process has gained momentum again," South Korean envoy Chun Yung-woo said as the talks began. Experts from US, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea will analyze possibilities of granting Korea with 950.000 tons of oil in exchange for declaring and disabling all its nuclear facilities. South Korea has already given 50.000 tons of oil to North Korea, in exchange North Korea shut down its sole operating nuclear reactor in July. But North Korea has limited facilities for receiving that amount of oil, one unidentified official from South Korea told Yonhap news agency that North Korea only had the storage capacity to accept 200,000 tons of oil per year. "We want to give the oil to North Korea as quickly as possible but paradoxically it cannot afford to take it all," a Seoul official engaged in the six-party talks told AFP last month. The group will provide for North Korea energy and economic assistance, denuclearization, northeast Asian security, and U.S. promised helping to rebuild the country's infrastructure.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070807/ap_on_re_as/koreas_nuclear;_ylt=An_pIR7HRJN1TpB1GfQcYzCs0NUE

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Weather"s wrath by Claudia Sonea

After the breaking news from US state Montana that was hit by wildfires, now the water it turning against a country in south-west of Europe, Bulgaria. The heavy rains started on Saturday and according to the local authorities eight people died and many more were injured. In Tsar-Kaloyan six people drowned, ten were injured and four are declared missing, including a child. Moreover, the town now has no electricity or drinking water and that is why a state of emergency has been declared. In the southern town of Pazarjik was also declared state of emergency, because of the water level rose one meter. In the northern Rousse region, a couple was defenseless in face of the floods, the 88-year-old husband died and his wife was hospitalized with hypothermia, according to medical reports. The changing weather made casualties and there were reported many cases in respiratory diseases. From Saturday and until Sunday, the temperature rose and dropped in an awkward way. Saturday after heavy rains a heat wave brought temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius and on Sunday they fell to 12. The conditions were terrible, many tourist rushed back home. The Romanian customs hade to deal with a long queue, many of those returning home lost their cars or their belongings in the floods. Is a tormented situation and brings an apocalyptical image in front of us. This is nature striking back for all the pollution we make by going to war and creating nuclear bombs and other harmful things. Take care of the planet, because it's not ours to waste. Green power!

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070807/tsc-bulgaria-floods-c2ff8aa_1.html

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Dubrovnik fire threat subsiding by Delia Cruceru

The beautiful Croatian city of Dubrovnik, a Unesco World Heritage site, is in danger once more. After fires were contained yesterday, today the change of winds started the fire again. The fire started along the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday and affected several villages, making its way through the pine forests that surround the port city to the Adriatic Sea. More than 1,000 firefighters and two Canadair planes succeeded in bringing the blaze under control but it started to spread again after the wind changed direction. "The flames are under control along the entire line. In some quarters we had to fight the fire from house to house, but we have succeeded in limiting the magnitude of the damage," said fire chief Tomislav Vuko. He also said that the fire might get very dangerous if it gets out of control and it will spread to Zaton. The Dubrovnik Mayor Dubravka Suica was forced to declare state of emergency. "We have set up a civil security headquarters and we're ready for evacuation of inhabitants from the districts that are in danger," she said. Almost 3,000 sq km (1,200 sq miles) of forest from the Southern Europe burned this year almost as much as in the whole of 2006, the European Commission said on Thursday.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6932578.stm

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Pentagon loses almost 200,000 weapons in Irak by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

The 200,000 U.S. supplied rifles and pistols for the new Iraqi security forces are unaccounted for. according to Congress. The Government Acountability Office informed congress that loose records of the Pentagon caused losing track of nearly 110.000 AK-47 rifles and about 80.000 pistols, provided for the new Iraqi army and national police. The GAO (investigative arm of Congress) also found about 250,000 pieces of body armor and helmets to be missing. A reviewing report issued in July 31, which follows an October accounting by the Defense Department's inspector for Iraqi reconstruction, shows continuous problems with missing and incomplete files, and a total of 500,000 weapons misplaced. The auditors were unable to say if the weapons were stolen,used by insurgents or were still in Iraqi hands, but a Pentagon official, that stated some of the weapons were destroyed and some went back to Iraqi forces, says "anything is possible". Pentagon's Bryan Whitman declared on Monday he is not aware of any reports on U.S. weapons designated for Iraqi security forces, and the weapons mostly dated back to Saddam's rule and none of them had serial numbers. Coalition commanders tightened procedures for tracking weapons, and since June Iraqi forces have been issued U.S. rifles which are electronically traced. Coalition trainers did not keep any record of the weapons used, so there is no way of discovering when the weapons have been delivered, and officials blame it all on the lack of a "fully operational distribution network" The Defense Department begun a review "to ensure proper accountability is in place for the Iraq train-and -equip program", while Pentagon officials stated on Monday that the accounting systems should be "continuously improved upon and refined".

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Taliban’s cowardice exposed by Claudia Sonea

At a joint news conference with President Bush, Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke about the Taliban like force struggling on the death bed. It is no longer a threat to his government or to its institutions and before extinction it tries to take some more human lives, killing with cowardice innocent people. According to President Bush Afghanistan's 110,000 troops are being aided by 23,500 U.S. troops and 26,000 troops from other nations. Both presidents vowed to work together and with others to thwart terrorism of all kinds. Not long ago, Afghan President criticized the U.S. attacks that have killed innocent civilians and now he praises a U.S. health program that saved the lives of 85,000 Afghan children. On the other hand, he also said Iran proved to be a stabilizing force in Afghanistan, while Bush disagreed with him, saying that the decision to make nuclear weapons it's just another way of defying the international community. Karzai did not seem to share the US President's views and switched to the subject regarding the trade in poppies from his country, stating that despite the amount of time required to stop it, they will do it. Bush is working with the governments of South Korea and Afghanistan to find solutions for the release of the 21 South Korean hostages kidnapped by Taliban. White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe maintained the initial position saying that they won't make any concessions with the terrorists. The situation is still tensed. Moreover, the unsolved question of who is supporting the Taliban is on the list of Afghan President that will be debated at the jirga (Afghanistan's traditional assembly) with Pakistan leaders at Kabul, Afghanistan. God be with he hostages and hope they soon will be released. Until further news, stay connected!

related story: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/06/bush.karzai/index.html

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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South Asian flood victims fight for food by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

Monday, in Patna, India, at least 35 boat passengers were feared drowned, after the events that followed South Asia'a devastating floods. The boat that carried about 100 people overturned at about o hour away from Patna, according to district administrator Sashank Shekhar Singh. "We are looking for survivors. There is a heavy current in the river and we are facing great difficulties. It's very dark, there are no lights and more forces are rushing from Patna," Singh declared. The floods, which are seen as a symptom of the climate change affected 35 million people in the region, and 455 were killed in India, Bangladesh and Nepal alone. a teenager drowned in Bihar as he went for food dropped by helicopter, women and children clashed over small packets of biscuits being handed out by a local aid organisation, while villagers in another part of the stated looted a trector full of grain. "We are surviving on snails as we have nothing to eat", "The waters have taken everything from me except five cows and some chickens". these are only two examples of how bad the situation is getting down there. Besides the shortage of food, the danger of epidemics hangs over the victim's heads. UNICEF said it was starting to see early reports of diarrhoea while Marzio Babille, who is coordinating the U.N. response to the Bihar flooding, said he was also worried about diseases such as measles in a state where only a third of children are fully vaccinated and nearly two-thirds are malnourished. In Bangladesh 36 more people were drowned or killed by snakebites overnight, taking the confirmed death toll from more than two weeks of deluge to 156, while in Nepal around 60 people have died in the last couple of weeks.

by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Russia cancels most Afghan debt by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

A significant boost for the war ravaged country of Afghanistan occured when Russia agreed to cancel 90% of the countrie's Soviet-era debt, of about $10 billion. Even if the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan that lasted from 1979 to 1989, when the Red Army withdrew, caused the death of about 1 million Afghans, Russia is also Afghanistan's biggest creditor, mostly for sales of weapons during the Soviet era. The agreement between Alexei Kudrin, Russia's Minster of Finance and Anwar-ul Haq Ahadi, his counterpart, was signed in Moscow. This move from Russia is a major support for the Afghan Government who is struggling to assert authority over the Taleban rebels, with the help of NATO and US-led forces. Kudrin declared that Russia wishes to actively participate in helping the economy of Afghanistan and wanted to support the Afghan Government in building a new life and stabilizing the economic and political situation of the country. Kudrin also declared this to be a historic day for the two countries, as a long lasting discussion has finally ended. "I look forward to greater cooperation with Russia. We would like further economic cooperation with Russia. We think Russian companies have the competitive advantage and that they can compete in Afghanistan's market." Mr Ahadi said.

by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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U.S. Al-Qaida member threatens foreign embassies by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

A new video appeared Sunday in Cairo, threatening embassies and diplomats all across the Islam. The video's protagonist is a Californian, Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzan al-Amriki: "We shall continue to target you, at home and abroad, just as you target us, at home and abroad, and these spy dens and military command and control centers from which you plotted your aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq". The video also features a virtual recreation of the bomb attack that led to U.S. dilomat David Foy's death, on March 2006, in Pakistan. Gadahn is a wanted man back in the States, charged with treason, wanted by the F.B.I. since 2004 and with a price of $1 million on his head. His last appearance was in May, in a video in which he threats the U.S. with attacks far worse than those of Sept. 2001. Although the authenticity of the video was not fully confirmed by expert Laura Mansfield, it did feature the logo of as-Sahab, al-Queda's production house. On top of that, militant Web forums have been announcing a new Gadahn video for days, and even the U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group stated it had obtained a copy of the video. The video featured Gadahn in traditional Islamic red and white ceckered scarf, speaking in english and being doubled by Islamic subtitles. "Years of bitter trial and experience have revealed the danger (embassies) pose and shown that the only way to deal with them when they refuse to leave of their own accord is to expel them by force," Gadahn said. The video also featured al-Qaida's second in command, Ayman Zawahri, who outlined the crimes of western countries against the Islam. As he spoke images of U.S soldiers in Iraq and Afganistan, and mosques being destroyed were shown.

by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Flooding Easing Around South Asia by Delia Cruceru

Floods started to become usual in South Asia after the monsoons season started in June. Millions of people from the region had to leave their houses, at least 289 people were killed last week, officials said. Since the season started only in India 1200 people were killed, 14 million people from there and 5 million from Bangladesh were displaced by flooding, Regional authorities are fighting now with waterborne diseases that lead to bacterial diseases that can cause acute respiratory infections, dysentery, rashes, fevers and a host of other illnesses. The severe weather stroked northern and central China, the United Kingdom and the United States, but medical experts say that Southern Asia faces the most deadly health risks from severe weather because of the lack of sewer systems, poor access to drinking water and the massive number of people who live in low-lying areas along rivers. "Water, basic hygiene and sanitation is an apocalyptic issue in South Asia," said Marzio Babille, chief of health for the U.N. agency for children, UNICEF. "There has been some progress. But it's way too little to cope with the enormous pressure of environmental factors and climate change that is needed." Authorities started to distribute health kits, food and emergency supplies with the help of the Indian air force, two helicopters being used for rescue and relief efforts.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070805/ap_on_re_as/south_asia_monsoon_floods;_ylt=Apr_xc2uHEMMEq26anodgkWs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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