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Above - the Zimbabwe MDC opposition party activists Magabe locked up in a police station. There is a shortage of photographs because of the detestable "Magabe Laws". Magabe is second to Arafat as social predator of the week.

. This week our eye in on the very undemocratic democracy ruled by the despised tyrant with the name Magabe. He creates and changes the laws of the land to increase his power and get rid of any opposition. He has legislated many laws - "Magabe Laws". He has become an international disgrace to the concept of democracy demonstrating in his attitudes and behavior that he has no respect for the rights of the individual. Since his administration, Zimbabwe has fallen from being a great African country and economy to a country that cannot feed itself and seeks aid from whereever it can get aid. .

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AP
Tiananmen vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park

 Hong Kong's annual June 4 movement began in 1989 when more than one million Hong Kong residents gathered to protest Beijing's use of military force. 

Thirteen years later, the candlelight vigil is the largest of all demonstrations in Hong Kong and is the only pro-democracy protest of this magnitude in China.

 Even though Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule five years ago, it is governed under a separate and autonomous system that guarantees civil liberties, such as the freedom of assembly and speech not granted to mainland Chinese. 

Lee Cheuk-Yan is one of the founding members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic and Democratic movements in China, which organizes the annual rally.

 "When we are promoting democracy in China you can not say it is anti-China. It is actually very much pro-China, but of course we are against the regime and the system that massacred the people and denied the people its basic rights," Mr. Lee said. 

Last year about 40,000 people joined the vigil, a record low when compared to the hundreds of thousands who attended the rally in the 1990s.

 One academic at Hong Kong's Baptist University has said lower turnout is partly due to Hong Kong people acknowledging China's economic reform and village-level elections as positive changes. He also said they do not hold the same anti-Beijing sentiment, which was once prevalent. 

Michael DeGolyer is the director of the Hong Kong Transition Project, which tracks public opinion in the territory. "There were a lot of people who came to these vigils prior to the 1997 hand-over as an expression of opposition to Beijing's interference in Hong Kong affairs. But since 1997 the central government has pretty much stayed out of Hong Kong affairs. So as a vigil about change of the Communist Party, and keeping the Communist Party out of Hong Kong, that reason has disappeared and along with it has gone a lot of the people who used to come," he said. 

Hong Kong political parties pushing for democratic reforms in mainland China continue to call for Beijing to reverse its verdict that the 1989 pro-democracy protests were aimed at toppling the government. 

After weeks of massive demonstrations to push for greater openness 13 years ago, Chinese tanks and soldiers moved to crush the student-led democracy movement around Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Hundreds, possibly thousands were killed. 

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On Wednesday African leaders and business executives begin three days of talks in South Africa on the economic future of the world's poorest continent. 

African political leaders and members of the continent's business community will meet from Wednesday through Friday in the Indian Ocean port city of Durban. 

The talks will be the 12th Summit of the World Economic Forum in Africa. They are set to focus on the New Economic Program for African Development, known as NEPAD. The 15-nation NEPAD steering committee will co-host the summit. 

NEPAD is the brainchild of South African President Thabo Mbeki and Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo. It aims to convince the developed world that Africa is a good place for investment. 

The World Economic Forum has said seven heads of state, roughly 800 business leaders and scores of other regional officials will attend the summit. They will discuss good governance, peace and security and infrastructure development. 

The summit is also expected to address several regional trouble spots, including Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. African diplomats tell the Reuters news agency there will be special talks on the Congolese peace process alongside the economic meeting. 

Reuters has reported South African President Mbeki will meet with Malawian President Bakili Muluzi and Zambian leader Levy Mwanawasa to exchange views on how to re-start the peace dialogue in the DRC. 

Mr. Mwanawasa currently chairs the Organization of African Unity. Mr. Muluzi heads the 14-nation Southern African Development Community, or SADC, which includes Congo. All three men are scheduled to take part in the economic summit. 

A DRC peace summit scheduled for last week in Zambia was postponed indefinitely, in part because it was not clear that all the parties would be attending. That summit was supposed to build on a controversial partial agreement that emerged from an earlier round of talks held in South Africa. 

The government reached a secret peace deal with one of the main Congolese rebel groups. But another major armed group and several opposition parties have rejected the agreement. 

When the Zambian, South African and Malawian leaders meet in Durban for the economic summit, it is believed they plan to use the opportunity to discuss ways of re-starting the Congolese peace process. 

Reuters has said the leaders of Mozambique, Rwanda and Uganda will also take part in the consultations. 

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Japan has ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol aimed at curbing global warming. But it is unlikely the pact will go into force during the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which opens in August. 

The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi officially endorsed the Kyoto Treaty's ratification Tuesday. Prime Minister Koizumi said in a statement it will not be easy to meet the targets in the treaty. He said it will require a joint effort by the government, corporations and individuals. 

The global climate treaty was signed five years ago, in the ancient Japanese capital Kyoto. It requires industrialized nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2 percent from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. Some scientists say that the gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, contribute to rising temperatures around the world. 

Japan pledged to cut its emissions six percent, but environmentalists predict this will be difficult. Environment Minister Hiroshi Oki said that as the host nation of the Kyoto pact, he is pleased that it has been ratified. He added that the government, along with the people of Japan, will aim to achieve the treaty's goals. 

A Japanese official said the nation's environment minister and other leaders will urge the United States, Russia and other countries to participate in the agreement. 

The United States, the world's largest polluter, rejected the treaty last March shortly after President Bush took office. His administration said that participation in the pact would hurt the U.S. economy. A U.S. government report released Friday for the first time blamed human actions for global warming, but it recommended adapting to climate changes rather than making sharp cuts in greenhouse gases. 

At least 55 nations, accounting for 55 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, must ratify the Kyoto Protocol before it becomes legally binding. 

The pact is likely to miss the deadline for going into force, scheduled for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa. That gathering opens on August 26. Due to a delay in ratification by Russia, another major greenhouse gas emitter, reaching that deadline has become virtually impossible. 

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NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels Thursday and Friday as pressure from Washington builds for the alliance to boost its capabilities to fight terrorism. The West's premier security organization is also seeking ways to deal with challenges outside of its traditional Euro-Atlantic area of operation. 

The defense ministers of the 19 nation alliance are gearing up for a summit in Prague next November that diplomats say will set out new goals for the organization. The meeting follows a landmark accord last month that gives Russia a role in NATO decisions about terrorist threats and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. 

The main item on the agenda for this week's meeting is the widening capabilities gap between the United States and its allies. 

The United States has been pressing the allies to increase defense spending and acquire new capabilities to face new challenges to security. Even though budgets are tight, and no European politician facing an election wants to spend more on defense, U.S. officials say they think the allies will be ready at the Prague summit to commit to improving their military muscle. 

The alternative, say diplomats at NATO headquarters, is for the alliance to become a two-tier alliance, with the United States providing smart bombs, logistics and intelligence, while others provide ground troops or simply sit on the sidelines. 

American officials say it is urgent for Canada and the European allies to build up their capabilities in such areas as strategic airlift, precision-guided munitions, and secure communications. 

Washington also wants the alliance to develop a strategy to protect troops and civilian populations from biological and chemical weapons. It is suggesting that some of the smaller allies, given the difficult budgetary climate, pool resources or specialize in individual capabilities to keep costs down. 

All of these ideas have picked up support in Europe recently. Britain and Spain this week called for NATO to transform itself from a strictly collective defense alliance into a more flexible organization whose forces can be used wherever they are needed, raising the prospect of missions beyond the Euro-Atlantic area. That call is consistent with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson's insistence that the alliance must be able to deploy small, highly mobile units quickly into far-flung trouble-spots and sustain them there. 

NATO is developing what a senior official describes as "a new military concept" that will define what role its armed forces should play in the war on terrorism. The official says NATO is also considering how to respond to attacks on non-member countries that are outside its area of operation. 

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At a NATO meeting in Brussels, defense ministers have agreed the alliance needs to be better prepared to respond to the pervasive spread of weapons of mass destruction - a threat Secretary Donald Rumsfeld describes as urgent and far worse than previously thought. These threats could result in NATO members becoming more involved in the fight against terrorism. 

George Robertson

NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, speaking after a meeting of alliance defense ministers who heard U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld offer a dire warning - that threats of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons falling into the hands of terrorists are actually worse than the facts now suggest. 

"This threat is not theoretical. It is real; it is dangerous. If we do not prepare promptly to counter it, we could well experience attacks in our countries that could make the events of September 11th seem modest by comparison," Mr. Rumsfeld said. 

An outline provided to reporters on what he told fellow ministers behind closed doors suggests Mr. Rumsfeld was emphatic, saying what happened in the United States should make other countries ask what they need to do now to prevent a similar attack in Europe. 

NATO secretary-general Robertson all but conceded the alliance is not entirely equipped to meet that threat. "There is doctrine that deals with the use of nuclear weapons. There are actually methods of protection against some chemical weapons, and we have got some capability in that area. But we have to face the fact that biological weapons, germ warfare is now coming on to the agenda for both individual terrorists and perhaps for terrorist states," Mr. Robertson said. 

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld advised fellow NATO members not to wait for absolute proof before acting against terrorist threats, suggesting the alliance may soon find itself breaking with tradition and becoming involved in military action far beyond European soil. 

"The only defense is to take the effort to find those global networks and to deal with them as the United States did in Afghanistan. Is that defensive or offensive? I personally think of it as defensive. We had no interest in doing anything in Afghanistan. It was not on the radar scope," Mr. Rumsfeld said. 

All of this, though, will require increasing military budgets, while at the same time reducing the capabilities gap between the U.S. military and those of Europe. Secretary Rumsfeld wrapped up a news conference here Thursday with a final warning: the way NATO has done business for the last half century can no longer provide a defense against the kind of terrorists and weapons that will inevitably strike again, this time, perhaps, in Europe. 

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Lawmakers from both U.S. political parties are calling on President Bush to stop construction of nuclear power reactors in North Korea as part of a 1994 agreement. The lawmakers say the United States should force a delay in construction, scheduled to begin this August, because of Pyongyang's refusal to allow full inspections of its nuclear facilities. 

Under the Agreed Framework of 1994, the United States and key allies agreed to pay for construction of two light water nuclear reactors in North Korea, in exchange for Pyongyang's agreement to stop suspected weapons-related aspects of its nuclear program. 

North Korea is required to be in full compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, safeguards, including full inspections, once most of the reactor project is completed. 

However, lawmakers on Capitol Hill say the situation the United States finds itself in since September 11, and ongoing concerns about North Korean nuclear efforts, should delay construction. 

President Bush in April said he could not certify to Congress that Pyongyang was complying with all provisions of the agreement. 

Republican Congressman Benjamin Gilman of the House International Relations Committee says Mr. Bush should now move to suspend construction. 

"We are now urging the president, once again," he added, "to follow up on his decision of April, by suspending nuclear reactor construction in North Korea until North Korea begins cooperating with the IAEA in a manner required under the Agreed Framework." 

Mr. Gilman, fellow Republican Chris Cox, and Democrat Ed Markey, say even with Pyongyang's full cooperation, it will take until 2005 for the International Atomic Agency to determine if North Korea is in compliance with nuclear safeguards. 

Citing what they call recent reports that North Korea is continuing a covert nuclear weapons program, Congressman Cox says it makes no sense to allow reactor construction to move ahead of full compliance. 

"Until we get answers to these fundamental questions, it is fundamentally at odds with rational U.S. policy, and with rational security policy for the region, for the United States to provide the core of technology and nuclear materials that could be so easily hijacked and used for nuclear weapons," said Mr. Cox. "The reprocessing of nuclear material from this light water reactor could permit the government of Kim Jong Il to make as many as 60 bombs or more per year." 

The lawmakers question how the Bush administration can be critical of Russian nuclear reactor sales to Iran, while proceeding with the reactor element of the Agreed Framework project with North Korea. 

Both countries, along with Iraq, were named by President Bush earlier this year as being in an "axis of evil" supporting terrorism. 

Congressman Markey says the United States and Russia need only look at the alarming prospect of nuclear war between India and Pakistan as an example of what can happen from the spread of nuclear technology. 

The lawmakers delicately sidestepped questions about what reaction South Korea might have to their call for a halt to reactor construction. 

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The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says an extra $24 billion a year in public investments is needed in poor countries to meet the U.N.'s goal of reducing by half the number of the world's hungry people by the year 2015. The FAO appeal comes on the eve of a U.N.-sponsored World Food Summit in Rome (June 10 to 13) that will assess the progress in reducing global hunger since the first World Food Summit was held six years ago.

 With 800 million people in the world today chronically hungry, and with a severe famine breaking out again across Southern Africa, there is obviously much work left to do to reduce global hunger. The Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization's North American office, Charles Reimenschneider, says progress since the first World Food Summit in 1996 has been disappointing.

 "Unfortunately, we have not been as successful [as we'd hoped], and we have only been cutting about six million a year from the rolls of the hungry, by our estimates. In order to reach the goal of 400 million by 2015, we really need to be cutting about 22 million people a year, so we have got to really pick up the pace."
 
 

Jacques Diouf

 "Agriculture is the livelihood of the rural people, and 70 percent of the poor people are in rural areas," stressed Mr. Diouf. "If you do not allow them to gain employment, if you do not allow them to get income, naturally, they will never get out of their poverty and their hunger. And you don't achieve that by cutting or reducing the investments in their main activity, which is agriculture."

 The FAO has proposed a new anti-hunger investment project that would target the rural poor. It would finance the building of new rural roads and irrigation systems, for example, and support new school meals and food-for-work programs for the world's hungriest. 

Officials of the Rome-based development agency insist that such investments can return substantial economic dividends. They predict that reducing the number of hungry people in the world by half could yield benefits of at least $120 billion a year, calculated in terms of healthier, longer-lived and more productive populations.

 Delegates to the four-day World Food Summit in Rome are expected to hold fast to the 1996 summit's original hunger-reduction goal, and to focus on how the world might do a better job of meeting it. 

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The World Bank's aid system is up for discussion at the G8 meeting

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By David Schepp  BBC News Online North America business reporter

It is a location so obscure, it is hard to pinpoint on most maps. 

Located at the southern end of the Canadian Rockies, the tiny resort town of Kananaskis is a wildly curious place to hold a summit of world leaders. 

Organisers hope to avoid a repeat of Genoa's riots

And yet, for their purposes, organisers for the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations have chosen an ideal location by which to hold the meetings. 

Long tired of noisy protesters - some of who have resorted to bottle throwing and looting - and the intense media scrutiny they bring, the G8 has decamped to a small village in the western Canadian province of Alberta, seeking some peace and quiet. 

Limited access

Last year, Canada played host to numerous gatherings of world officials, including the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City and last November's Group of 20 meeting in Ottawa, but none has provided the kind of seclusion afforded in Kananaskis. 

It is here where the leaders of the world's eight largest economies - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and US - will gather to hammer out strategies as divergent as alleviating poverty and fighting terrorism. 

Given President George W Bush's perceived protectionist bent as well as his go-it-alone stance on international issues, the group may find reaching consensus difficult. 

He has alienated his European allies with his calls for tariffs on imports such as steel and for backing out of the Kyoto climate treaty, even as they stand four square behind America in its war against terrorism. 

Security was tight at the recent Halifax meetings

Meanwhile, leaders of the other nations, such as Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, are just as concerned with boosting aid in Africa and other initiatives to increase foreign investment. 

Mr Bush's reluctance to embrace such issues has begun to yield given his need for support of his new non-proliferation initiative. 

On Wednesday, the president pledged $500m (£334m) to battle Aids in Africa, an effort to soften criticism the US is stingy with its aid to poor nations. 

Rocky Mountain wilderness

As Mr Bush, Mr Chretien and the others hash out their differences during their two-day meeting, activists - and the media - will camp out in Calgary, 56 miles northeast of Kananaskis. 

At previous meetings of world officials - such as those in Genoa and Seattle in 1999 - demonstrators roared and battled police in protest against international trade and loan programmes to poor nations. 

Kananaskis is renowned for its natural beauty

They oppose the policies of the G8, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which anti-globalisation forces say devastate rather then help poor nations. 

But protesters will have a tougher time making their presence known at Kananaskis. 

Rural, rugged and remote

The secluded village sits within a much larger provincial park region known as Kananaskis Country, or K Country, as the locals call it. 

Carved from the Rocky Mountain wilderness the 4,000 square kilometre region was set aside by the Alberta government 30 years ago. 

Kananaskis Village is rural, rugged and remote, and enjoys few of the amenities of its up-the-hill cousin Banff, renowned for its Swiss Alps-like charm and dramatic scenery. 

A winding mountain road provides the only access to the village, and if security officials shut down access to Kananaskis, demonstrators will be limited to hiking over 10 miles of rough terrain from neighbouring Canmore. 

The organisers of this year's summit make no bones about the fact the village, which has but two hotels, is hard to get to. In fact, it was chosen precisely for that reason. 

It is amid this dramatic setting - high in the Canadian Rockies - that the world's leaders will grapple with the harsh realities and increasing uncertainties of a world stunned by terror and struggling with poverty and disease. 

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The United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency says governments need to take urgent steps to prevent and detect the theft of radioactive materials. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warns that more than 100 countries have inadequate security programs for such materials. The agency urged all governments, including the United States, to improve security and to recover missing supplies. 

Agency director Mohamed El Baradei says governments need to exercise complete control of radioactive materials to protect them against theft or terrorism. 

The warning comes just weeks after U.S. authorities arrested a man suspected of involvement in an al-Qaida terrorist plot to set off a so-called "dirty bomb" in the United States. A dirty bomb is a device using conventional explosives to spread dangerous radioactive substances over a wide area. 

The the U.N.'s Atomic Energy Agency did not list the countries with inadequate security programs. 

But it noted that American companies have lost track of 1,500 sources of radioactive materials in the past six years. It also quoted a European Union study showing that about 70 sources of radiation are lost from regulatory control every year in EU countries. 

Many sources are used in everyday life in the fields of medicine, agriculture and industry and are not as large and well protected as nuclear power plants. 

The U.N. nuclear watchdog says it will lead efforts to hunt for lost radioactive material across the former Soviet Union, where the problem is especially bad. U.S. and Russian scientists say their two countries will join forces with the U.N. in the recovery operation. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters. 

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South Korean prosecutors have indicted the son of President Kim Dae-jung on charges of influence peddling and tax evasion. The move is a blow to the South Korean leader, whose image has been damaged by this and other related corruption scandals. 

AP
Kim Hong-gul

Mr. Kim is also accused of evading taxes the funds he received.

 The 39-year-old has not commented directly on the allegations, though he has publicly apologized for any controversy he has caused. 

Mr. Kim was arrested and detained in mid-May, days after returning to Seoul from the United States, where he has lived since 1998.

 Andrew Pratt, a consultant with the Industrial Research and Consulting in Seoul, said while President Kim has not been accused of any wrongdoing, the case has hurt his reputation as a man elected on promises to reform corruption. 

"Kim Dae-jung made a big statement that he was going to be different from the previous two presidents whose families have also become involved in financial troubles. He said he would be a clean president and that this would not happen during his term. Now it appears that all his children have become involved with scandals this of course is a great embarrassment to him," Mr. Pratt said. 

The 77-year-old president resigned from the ruling party in May and apologized for the corruption scandals allegedly involving his sons and several associates. His departure from the Millennium Democratic Party preceded local elections to be held across the country next week. 

Mr. Pratt said that opposition politicians will emphasize the scandal involving Kim Hong-gul ahead of the upcoming poll. "During election time, the opposition has played this [scandal] up, and perhaps with an eye on their possible future masters, the prosecution has been perhaps more willing to pursue these cases and come up with a result than they would have been during the previous couple of years," he said. 

President Kim's five-year term ends in February and by law he cannot seek re-election in a presidential poll to be held in December. 

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A dam has collapsed in northern Syria, killing at least 10 people. 

The Zeyzoun dam burst late Tuesday evening flooding at least three villages, according to Syria's state-run news agency SANA. 

Syrian officials said at least 100 homes were destroyed when the dam collapsed. The dam was located near the village of Zeyzoun in the province of Hama in northern Syria. Residents have been evacuated to higher ground, many via helicopters. 

SANA reported that several days before the collapse residents of Zeyzoun had been calling the provincial government warning cracks had appeared in the dam. Many people in nearby villages said they evacuated their homes prior to the collapse after receiving warnings from people fleeing Zeyzoun. 

Bulldozers are reportedly working to uncover roads from a blanket of mud. 

The dam, which was only six years old, was the fourth largest in Syria, with a capacity of 70 million cubic meters of water. 

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa Miro is reported to be supervising civil defense efforts. According to SANA, President Bashar al-Assad has ordered immediate assistance for the families of those who were killed. 

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A Roman Catholic Church panel says any American priest who abuses a child in the future should be removed from the priesthood, but priests with only one case of abuse in their past might be able to remain in the ministry. The panel's recommendations will be considered by U.S. Catholic bishops when they meet next week.

 The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' special Committee on Sexual Abuse calls for zero tolerance of child sexual abuse by priests, but only for future incidents. 

Archbishop Harry Flynn

 The committee says priests who have abused more than one child in the past should also be removed from the priesthood, but that those with only one case of abuse in their past might get a second chance. The committee suggests those priests be sent for treatment and then be evaluated by a panel composed of clergy and non-clergy to determine whether they can return to the ministry. 

AP
Barbara Blaine

 The issue of zero tolerance for abusive priests is likely to be a contentious one when bishops meet next week in Dallas to create a nationwide policy for Catholic clergy who abuse children. Hundreds of adults in just the last few months have come forward to report past abuse by priests. The handling of those cases has varied from diocese to diocese. In many cases, priests were transferred to other parishes rather than disciplined.

 The committee proposal calls for creating a national child protection office, which would educate dioceses on protecting children. It also recommends creating a review board to work with the child protection office to examine how the church is responding to abuse. 

Claire Noonan

 The committee's plan also includes apologies to victims and emphasizes the bishops' commitment to reform. Barbara Blaine of the Survivor's Network hopes the bishops consider the recommendations to be a starting point at next week's meeting. She said, "We are very hopeful that the bishops minds and hearts will remain open and that after they hear the concerns of the victims, that they will tighten things in their policy.

 Whatever policy the bishops develop next week is subject to approval by officials at the Vatican. A Vatican spokesman Tuesday said the Holy See will not comment on the committee's recommendations before the bishops' meeting. 

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AP
Bishop Wilton D. Gregory

The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops opened the meeting in Dallas Thursday, calling the church's crisis over sex abuse by priests perhaps the greatest crisis the church has faced. Bishop Wilton Gregory of Belleville, Illinois apologized to victims of abuse, and to all Catholics whose faith has been shaken by the scandal. 

"How can we bishops bear to look you parents in the eye and tell you that your children are your greatest treasure if we do not also treasure, love and protect them?" he said. 

Several victims of abuse spoke to the roughly 300 bishops and cardinals assembled for the meeting. One woman from Alaska told the bishops her abuser warned her not to tell her mother what had happened. Craig Martin of Minnesota tearfully spoke of being abused by a priest who took him on a fishing trip years ago. In telling the story, Mr. Martin referred to himself as "John Doe," instead of using his real name. 

"John remembers the motel that night, with the priest, but hardly anything else. John has no idea how he got home," he said. "It is only 35 years later that John is starting to remember what happened that horrible night." 

Since January, at least 250 of the nation's 46,000 priests have resigned or been suspended over sexual misconduct claims. Four bishops have also resigned, though none specifically because of how they handled abusive priests. 

The bishop's committee on sex abuse last week recommended removing from the ministry those who could abuse children in the future, but suggested that some priests with just a single case of abuse in their past might be able to remain on the job if they've received treatment and evaluation. 

Many bishops and outside groups want all abusive priests removed, even for past incidents. Any policy adopted here in Dallas is subject to approval by the Vatican. 

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Two years ago, a private Canadian company got permission from a provincial government to ship water from Lake Huron to water-starved countries in Southeast Asia. When the federal government got wind of the deal, the contract was revoked. But environmentalists feared that another assault on Great Lakes water could arise under a provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement. 

Chapter 11 is a clause that allows private foreign investors to sue local governments if they believe their trade rights have been violated. In the case of Great Lakes water, that could mean that trade laws could trump environmental regulations, and that businesses could overturn a government's ability to protect natural resources and human health. 

At a recent U.S.-Canada law conference held in Cleveland, Ohio, government officials, policymakers, and trade lawyers gathered to discuss the environmental consequences of Chapter 11 and other trade issues. In the Great Lakes region, the sharpest impact may have been to air quality. 

"Increased freight transportation linked to NAFTA has led to significant air pollution at both borders," she said. 

Jannine Ferretti heads the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation, an international agency established to address environmental concerns under NAFTA. She has admitted that as yet, there's been only limited assessment of those impacts. But she said what data there is, shows it's not all bad news. 

"The Mexico steel, because of NAFTA's investment provisions, actually enabled Mexico steel to upgrade its technology, making the sector actually in some ways cleaner than that of the U.S. and Canada. But what about the effects of trade rules on environmental policy? And this is where we go to NAFTA's Chapter 11," she said. 

"Chapter 11 is a chapter designed to protect investors from one NAFTA country that invested in another NAFTA country and it has led to a number of cases that have worried the environmental community," Mr. Loy said. 

Frank Loy served as Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs under the Clinton administration. He has said under Chapter 11, a number of private investors have successfully sued foreign governments for millions of dollars, contending that meeting local environmental regulations violated their rights under free trade laws. 

"I would say the cases worry me a lot. My guess is there already is a regulatory chill, a timidity on the part of governments to take certain actions for fear of subjecting the state to liabilities," Mr. Loy said. 

Part of that regulatory chill may derive from the concern that it's not an open process. One of the sharpest criticisms of Chapter 11 is that the cases are heard and decided by a closed-door, three-person tribunal, with no mandate to hear testimony from third parties. So while the public has a hard time benefiting from NAFTA, companies have it relatively easy. In one of the first challenges under the provision, U.S.-based Ethyl Corporation won nearly $20 million in damages from the Canadian government for its ban on a gasoline additive called MMT. Canada has since dropped the ban. Another case involved an Ohio company, S.D. Meyers, that treats the chemical compounds known as PCBs. 

James McIlroy, a trade lawyer from Toronto has said the company wanted to import the waste from Canada, despite a Canadian prohibition. "The government of Canada said we are prohibiting this for environmental reasons. But the real reason, when you really looked at it hard, the real reason was there was a PCB plant in Alberta in western Canada that the government of Canada wanted to promote," he said. 

Mr. McIlroy is not alone when he said a number of Chapter 11 cases apparently based on environmental protection have proved on closer scrutiny to be a cover-up for government trade protection. While he doesn't dismiss the environmental issues, he does caution against blowing them out of proportion. 

"I think it's fair to say, whether the cases are valid or not, there haven't been a whole lot of them. And therefore this is not this huge, massive problem that people are talking about. And this has been around since, what, 1994, and you can still count the number of cases on both hands," he said. 

Ohio Democrat Congressman Sherrod Brown voted against NAFTA. He disagreed with Mr. McIlroy's assessment. "Their arguments are specious. Perhaps in the opinion of trade lawyers, these challenges have served as a cloak for protectionism. But to trade lawyers, everything's seen as a cloak for protectionism," Mr. Brown said. 

Congressman Brown said while companies began making use of Chapter 11 only about four years ago, there have been plenty of other trade challenges to environmental laws. 

"Time after time after time, both in NAFTA and in every public health challenge under the WTO, 33 straight times, public health laws, environmental laws, and food safety laws, every single time they've been struck down. That's wrong, whenever a trade law can be used to undercut or repeal a democratically-attained rule or regulation," Mr. Brown said. 

Both opponents and supporters agree it's unlikely NAFTA will be revised anytime soon. But the precedents set under NAFTA could affect future trade agreements. Arguments on both sides of the issue will undoubtedly be aired again as Congress takes up approval of new fast track trade legislation with similar investor protections this spring. Environmental groups believe equitable settlement of future trade challenges may have to rely on the strength of public opinion to sway government decisions. 

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Thousands of travellers are facing delays

Air travel across Europe was thrown into chaos on Wednesday as air traffic controllers went on strike against an EU plan to put the continent's air space under international controls. 

Thirty-six hours we've got to wait. How sick are we about that?

UK passenger

Thousands of passengers had their travel plans disrupted as controllers in France, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Hungary walked out. 

Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed. France was the worst hit. 

Normally bustling airports stood empty as passengers heeded warnings to stay away, and there were reports of long queues at train stations as people looked for alternative transport. 

"We've got a booking for tomorrow dinner time, can you believe that? Thirty-six hours we've got to wait. How sick are we about that?," one UK passenger told the BBC. 

We are ready for further action, and why not this summer?

French trade union leader

The chaos has spread to countries not taking part in the strike, including Germany, where Frankfurt airport said it had cancelled 64 flights on Wednesday. 

A general strike in Greece on Tuesday and another one planned in Spain for Thursday have further complicated the situation for travellers. 

The air traffic controllers' union in France has warned there could be further strikes on the way if the EU does not rethink its proposals. 

At-a-glance problems

Many countries are being badly hit, including: 

• France Only 10% of short and medium-haul Air France services operating. British Airways running only four services out of 126 to France. Charles de Gaulle airport handling only 264 flights out of normal 2,000. At Orly airport, 77 out of 660 flights operating. 
• Italy Fifty Alitalia flights cancelled, Air France cancels 22 of 23 flights from Rome. 
• Germany More than 10% of Lufthansa flights to France cancelled, but long-haul services and domestic flights should remain unaffected. Frankfurt airport, Europe's second-busiest, cancelled 64 flights, mainly to and from the strike-hit countries. 
• Spain Sixty Iberia flights to or from France cancelled, along with 57 domestic flights. 
• Portugal Most airports at a standstill. Fifty-two flights cancelled by national airline TAP. 
• Greece Fifty domestic flights and four international services cancelled. 
• Netherlands Dozens of flights cancelled, including 20 KLM services to France. Other services facing hour-long delays, expected to worsen. 

The French controllers are on strike from 0400GMT until 2000GMT. Controllers in Portugal, Italy, Greece and Hungary were stopping work for four hours on Wednesday from 1000GMT. 

Long-haul flights through European airspace were likely to be less affected. 

This is the worst possible time to be organising a strike

EU transport commissioner

And the strikes are due to end early enough on Wednesday to prevent any significant disruption to flights on Thursday. 

The Single Skies plan which has sparked the protest would replace national air spaces with new zones of control based on international air corridors. 

But the striking air traffic controllers believe the Single Skies system will lead to job losses and privatisation, and could compromise safety standards. 

"We want safety to remain an absolute priority," union representative Sophie Coppin told the BBC from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. 

Further strikes could take place, union leaders say. 

Air traffic controllers oppose EU reform plans

"We are ready for further action, and why not this summer?" said French union leader Patrick Malandin. 

European Commission officials insist the changes do not herald privatisation, and say the strike risks damaging European airlines just as they are beginning to recover from months of economic difficulties after 11 September. 

"This is the worst possible time to be organising a strike," said EU Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio. 

The commission estimates that the current system of air routings costs Europe 5bn euros ($4.7bn) annually in extra fuel, staff costs, and lost passenger time. 

Spanish general strike

As the rest of Europe recovers from the strike on Thursday, Spain will be in the grip of a general strike. 

Flights from Wednesday afternoon onwards are expected to be affected, as airlines will not want to risk their planes getting "stuck" during the strike. 

Unions are taking action in protest against planned government reforms to the unemployment system. 

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Going nowhere: France has been worst hit by strike

 

By James Coomarasamy  Charles de Gaulle Airport

Bryan Bancroft and his 10-year-old son Alex should have spent the morning enjoying the rides at EuroDisney. 

Instead, they spent the last day of their holiday at Charles De Gaulle airport, trying to arrange a flight home and a hotel room in Paris for the next two nights. 

They had been due to fly back to Manchester airport later in the day, but - last night - Bryan received a letter warning him about the strike. 

To put it politely, I'm up a creek without a paddle

Bryan Bancroft Stranded passenger

As he turned away from the Air France desk, he was frustrated, but resigned to his fate. 

"The airline is saying that it's not their responsibility, so we have to find a hotel ourselves," he said. "To put it politely, I'm up a creek without a paddle". 

Normally, Bryan wouldn't be too concerned about spending the day at an airport. He is - he told me - a plane spotter. 

The trouble is, today he doesn't have too many planes to spot. 

Only about 200 of the 2,000 flights which normally take off from or land at Charles De Gaulle airport are flying - as the French air traffic controllers have once again shown their ability to cause widespread disruption. 

They have been joined - though not for the whole day - by colleagues from Greece, Italy and Portugal. 

Our Canadian colleagues are told they can't drive home at the end of their long shifts, but - five minutes earlier - they're controlling the movements of planes

Sophie Coppin Air traffic controllers' union

All of them are concerned that the European Commission's plans to create a single European air traffic control authority by 2005 could open the door to creeping privatisation. 

They argue that - if this happens - it would threaten passenger safety. 

"Look at our Canadian colleagues," said Sophie Coppin of the French air traffic controllers' union. 

"In their privatised system, they're told they can't drive home at the end of their long shifts, but - five minutes earlier - they're controlling the movements of planes." 

The European Commission, for its part, says that the so-called European Single Sky plans do not include any obligation for governments to privatise air traffic services. 

Domestic agenda

Officials say that - at a time when Europe's skies are increasingly congested - the single air traffic system would reduce delays and benefit consumers. 

In France, there is a national as well as an European aspect to this strike. 

It may have been timed to coincide with this week's EU transport ministers' meeting, but it also comes just days after President Jacques Chirac's new government officially took office. 

France's previous, communist transport minister, was broadly sympathetic to the strikers and while his right-wing successor has expressed concern about the industrial action, he also has reservations about the Single Sky plan. 

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Heathrow was quiet due to cancellations

British holidaymakers are facing travel chaos as a series of air traffic control strikes begins across Europe. 

French, Italian, Greek, Portuguese and Hungarian air traffic controllers are stopping work for between one and 12 hours on Wednesday. 

The action is in protest at an EU plan to replace national air spaces with new zones of control, based on international air corridors. 

The stoppages will be followed a day later by a 24-hour general strike in Spain against unemployment benefit reforms, which will disrupt an estimated 80,000 travelling Britons. 

Click here for an at-a-glance guide to delays and cancellations

British Airways (BA) cancelled 122 of its usual 126 flights to France on Wednesday, leaving up to 15,000 people having to make other arrangements. 

The airline also dropped a further 38 flights to Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

But there were few signs of disgruntled passengers reported at British airports because airlines and tour operators had managed to reschedule many flights and give prior warning. 

BA cancellations

France 122  Spain 12  Italy 10  Switzerland 8  Germany 4  Belgium 2  Luxembourg 2

Parts of Heathrow resembled a ghost town on Wednesday morning, with no queues at ticket desks and empty airport shops. 

At Gatwick airport in West Sussex, 40 flights were cancelled and others were delayed. 

A Gatwick spokeswoman said: "Despite all the problems we managed to get away 3,000 people in one hour mid-morning and that's pretty good. 

"We were able to get away some Wednesday flights on Tuesday while others have been put back until after the strike." 

Larger aircraft

Sixty flights out of 500 were cancelled at Stansted airport, Essex, although others were delayed. 

Passengers at Manchester Airport faced delays of between two and three hours, although 19 flights to and from France were cancelled. 

The general manager of Manchester Airport's Terminal 2, Gary Lager, told BBC Breakfast: "The European operation for the rest, particularly our chartered operations, we've had a few days notice and been able to reschedule." 

And Frances Tuke, of the Association of British Travel Agents, said travellers should ring their tour operator or airline before heading to the airport.

Controllers are protesting over a 'single sky' policy

She added: "For most holidaymakers going on chartered airlines, they probably won't be affected too badly. 

"It's tomorrow [Thursday], with the strike in Spain, when contingency plans are kicked in and working, there should be a lot of changes to tomorrow's flights." 

A BA spokesman said it would operate larger aircraft to accommodate passengers from cancelled flights. 

Services to Greece and Portugal would also be disrupted, he added. 

Buzz has cancelled 50 of Wednesday's flights and Air France has cancelled all flights between England, Ireland and France. 

TAP-Air Portugal says delays are certain. 

Meanwhile, 400 flights into Spain have already been cancelled in preparation for Thursday's action and Palma Airport on Majorca will be closed. 

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Travellers are being urged to plan ahead

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The scientists said mobile phones were still safe to use

A major study into the safety of mobile phones has concluded that they may affect the health of people who use them. 

Research carried out by scientists in Finland suggests radiation from mobile phones causes changes in the brain. 

It is the first time that scientists have looked at the effects of mobile phone radiation on human cells rather than those of rats. 

We need further study looking at real people

Prof Darius Leszcynski

The two-year study concluded that even low-level emissions from handsets are damaging. 

Scientists from the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority found that exposing human cells to mobile phone radiation damaged the blood-brain barrier - a safety barrier in the body that stops harmful substances in blood from entering the brain. 

They discovered that the exposure caused the cells in blood vessel walls to shrink which enabled molecules to pass into brain tissue. 

Lab tests

Professor Darius Leszcynski, who carried out the study, said the results came from laboratory tests on human cells and that further research was needed to see if the same effect actually happened in humans. 

But speaking to BBC News Online, he said: "The blood-brain barrier has been shown to be affected by radiation in animal studies. 

"There is a lot of uncertainty about whether this happens in humans. We have shown some biological effects." 

Prof Leszcynski said these changes could have a serious impact on a person's health if they were found to happen in humans. 

"If it did happen it could lead to disturbances, such as headaches, feeling tired or problems with sleeping. A study by a Swedish research group even suggested it could lead to Alzheimer's disease." 

However, he added: "It is important to remember that our study has been done in the laboratory where we can detect even the smallest changes. 

"We cannot say whether it happens in humans. We need further study looking at real people to see if the blood-brain barrier is affected. 

"What is happening in the human brain is an absolute enigma. We don't know at all." 

'Still safe'

Prof Leszcynski said mobile phones were still safe to use. 

"At the moment, there is no scientific support for introducing any sort of limitation either on use of mobile phones or setting new safety limits. 

"There is no need because we don't have any science to support it. All the guidelines in place at the moment are fine." 

Prof Leszcynski will present his findings at a conference in Quebec, Canada, next week. 

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Lab tests looked at radiation emissions

A UK university has designed a mobile phone antenna which it says could cut radiation emissions into the body by up to 85%. 

Scientists from Loughborough University's Centre for Mobile Communications Research (CMCR) proved the antenna worked in laboratory tests. 

But it has yet to be tested as part of a phone, or in studies on people. 

The researchers say their research could contribute to phones with lower Specific Absorption Rates (SAR). 

Our research is ongoing, but tests have shown we are on the right track

Professor Yiannis Vardaxoglou, CMCR

SAR is the measure of the amount of radiation from mobile phone handsets absorbed by human tissue. 

All handsets used in the UK have SARs which fall within international guidelines. 

But the Loughborough researchers say limits are being continually reduced, so any technology which can contribute to blocking radiation is useful. 

They add that as phones get smaller, the antennae is closer to the head, meaning there is a greater need for reduced SARs. 

Locating mobiles

The antennae was designed using laser technology and computer modelling techniques. 

The initial aim of the research focussed on how Global Positioning System technology could be used to locate mobile phone signals, such as when a call is made to the emergency services. 

But scientists also discovered the potential for reduced radiation emissions. 

The design the experts at the CMCR developed has a low 'near field' interaction - the radiation field around the antennae. 

Professor Yiannis Vardaxoglou, head of the centre, told BBC News Online: "If the near field could be reduced to a millimetres with a high level of predictability then a low SAR antenna could be a real possibility. 

"Our research is ongoing, but tests have shown we are on the right track." 

Barrie Foley, chief executive of Sarantel, a Wellingborough-based company which makes miniature antennas, and has worked with the CMCR, said: "This technology is real and can be delivered to the market, unlike many claims by various organisations in the past." 

Industry interest

But a spokeswoman for the Federation of Electronics Industry said: "Manufacturers are looking at all sorts of antenna developments, some of the research they carry out themselves, other work is carried out by universities or other organisations. 

"Clearly, the design and performance of mobile phones is something the industry is interested in." 

Dr Mike Clarke of the National Radiological Protection Board added: "Our view is that there is no actual evidence for any harm."

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The following is a dated but related news article on Mobile Phones:

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Researchers carried out tests on the devices

Hands-free kits are the best way of protecting mobile phone users against potentially harmful radiation, though shield devices do have some effect, experts say. 

A report published on Friday looked at four types of shields that can be used, but its author said hands-free devices - which had been examined in a previous study - still came out on top. 

The devices looked at in the report, published by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were: 

• shields which cover the whole phone 
• ear pieces which cover earphones 
• buttons which can be placed on the phone 
• antennae clips

The report says that shield covers and antennae clips work the best, but reduce the phones power and coverage. 

You can buy shielding devices which do reduce the dose of radiation but many of them reduce the effectiveness of the phone

Dr Michael Manning, report author

It does not name individual brands. 

The report is published two years after an expert panel chaired by Sir William Stewart, former chief scientific advisor called for independent testing of such devices. 

The report's author Dr Michael Manning, who has been carrying out research in the area for several years, told BBC News Online: "The main finding of this report is that you can buy shielding devices which do reduce the dose of radiation but many of them reduce the effectiveness of the phone. 

"If the user is looking to reduce the exposure from a mobile phone, they would do well to consider the option of a hands-free kit, rather than using shield devices." 

Hands-free kits were examined in a previous study by Dr Manning. 

Reduced power

Of the shielding devices, which all use absorbent material, tested in this latest report, the sleeves which shield the whole phone came out best. 

However, they also reduced the effectiveness of the phone, by weakening signal reception. 

The shield covers were one of the devices examined

Dr Manning admitted that in some instances, the phone may automatically boost its power to compensate for the weak signal, thereby negating the safety effects of the cover. 

Clips which can be put on top of the phone's antennae also work, but again reduce effectiveness, the report says. 

Buttons, which can be placed on various parts of the phone to absorb radiation do "something, but not much", said Dr Manning. 

Least effective are earpiece shields, which do "very little". 

He said which device people used was a matter of convenience for them. 

Exposure

Simon Rockman of What Mobile magazine said: "Because they've got a shield, they feel they've got a solution to a perceived problem. That's what makes them better. 

"It's a placebo effect. It's not scientific." 

A spokesman for the Federation of Electronic Industries, speaking prior to the report's publication, said the balance of evidence to date suggested that mobile phones did not cause any adverse health effects. 

He also pointed out that information on SAR values, the amount of energy put into your body by the phone which varies between types, had been available since October last year. 

He added that the World Health Organization said that scientific evidence did not indicate the need for protective devices on mobile phones. 

"The WHO has said that if people are still concerned they can make a personal choice to reduce their exposure to radiation waves by using a hands-free kit." 

He said manufacturers recommended people use the hands-free kit designed for their particular phone.

AP
Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II traveled to London's historic Saint Paul's Cathedral aboard an 18th century Gold State Coach in a procession that began at Buckingham Palace.

 Hundreds of thousands of her subjects lined the route, many waving Union Jack flags as they cheered and waved to their monarch.

 The cathedral was packed with the high and mighty of British society, including many members of the royal family, Prime Minister Tony Blair and his cabinet.

 The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, led the congregation in thanking Queen Elizabeth for her long service to the British people. "Here now in this great cathedral, we give thanks, your majesty, for your devotion and dedication over 50 extraordinary years," he said. " And we offer in return our respect, our admiration, and yes, our love."

 After the service, the queen attended a luncheon, at which Prime Minister Blair praised her patriotism and commitment to her subjects. "They know you care for the people, are dedicated to their welfare and will never let them down," he said. "Deference may be inherited, but affection is earned. And the affection this country feels for you is real."

 The solemn tributes to the monarch came after a raucous night in London, where the queen hosted a pop music concert at Buckingham Palace, capped by a spectacular fireworks display. Police estimate one million people jammed the streets and parks around the palace for the event.

 The festivities were winding up Tuesday with parades, an aerial show and an appearance by the queen and her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. 

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U.S. and British military forces in Afghanistan have detained five people and confiscated weapons and explosives during a raid on a suspected al-Qaida hideout north of Kandahar. 

Coalition officials told reporters Friday the five detainees have definite intelligence value to the U.S. -led war on terror, but that it is too early to say whether they are members of Osama bin Laden's terror network. The western troops also recovered automatic weapons, plastic explosives, materials for making booby traps and documents. 

The weapons and other materials were seized in a pre-dawn raid Thursday in a village some 80 kilometers north of the former Taleban capital. No one was injured during the raid. A spokesman said the operation was based on what he called "unambiguous intelligence" that the village was being used by al-Qaida. 

Coalition forces have mounted several search and seizure operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan in recent weeks, but many times have come up with only traces of the militants. 

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. 

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Broadcast: June 8, 2002

 This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, In The News.
 
 

AP
Voting for delegates

 The loya jirga tradition began hundreds of years ago. Tribal leaders from all over Afghanistan would be called together to accept or reject national policies, to settle disputes between tribes or to consider new constitutions. Most loya jirgas in the past have been all male. 

The loya jirga is a temporary decision- making group. It is not a permanent part of the Afghan government. The loya jirga is a representative process although it is not considered fully democratic. Representatives of the most honored or most powerful Afghan families choose the people who elect loya jirga members. 

The current loya jirga process began in December of last year. Afghan groups agreed to set up a six-month government following the ousting of Taleban rulers. That agreement also called for an emergency loya jirga to be held at the end of the six-month term to appoint a longer-term temporary government.

 In January, Afghanistan appointed an independent committee to establish rules and methods for the loya jirga. The committee had to decide on a process for choosing loya jirga members. It also had to make sure that women and minorities had representation on the loya jirga. One-hundred-sixty seats were guaranteed for female delegates.

 The process of choosing loya jirga members has gone through several steps. First, local leadership councils chose electors. The number of electors for an area was based on population. 

Then, last week, the electors went to Kandahar for the final voting. They chose the final group of loya jirga members from among themselves. The process was not free of problems. There were reports of vote-buying. There also were reports that electors had been threatened. 

There were delays in the voting as well. The process was not completed until Friday, two days later than planned.

 Afghanistan’s former King Mohammad Zahir Shah will open the loya jirga Monday. He returned to the country recently after living in exile for more than twenty years. Zahir Shah ruled Afghanistan for forty years and is still considered influential with many Afghans. However, his part in the loya jirga is ceremonial.

 The loya jirga is to complete its work by June sixteenth. Many experts believe it will choose Hamid Karzai, the current temporary leader of Afghanistan, to continue as its next leader. Mister Karzai says he will accept the position if it is offered. The new temporary leader and government of Afghanistan will serve for two years. Then the country hopes to hold free and fair elections to choose a fully representative government.

 This VOA Special English program In The News was written by Caty Weaver. This is Steve Ember.

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Afghanistan is set to hold a Loya Jirga, or grand council, on Monday. Delegates will meet in Kabul to choose a new government. The task of putting together such a gathering was a logistical headache. 

The Loya Jirga can be likened to a political convention, except it is nothing like Afghanistan has ever seen. 

The 1551 delegates, coming from all across Afghanistan, will deliberate, eat and sleep under extremely tight security at a facility that has risen from the rubble of the Kabul Polytechnic Institute. 

The price tag for the United Nations to organize the Loya Jirga, including feeding and housing the delegates comes to a hefty $7.3 million, including $3.5 million from the German government, which also undertook the mammoth task of constructing the facility. 

The classrooms at the institute have been refurbished into sleeping quarters for the delegates. Another large, circular building has also been rehabilitated and turned into a large dining hall. For the council itself, a large enclosed tent was constructed on the site. Huge generators provide an uninterrupted power supply. 

All of this work was done in the astonishingly short period of six weeks. 

Andreas von Schumann is the project manager for the government-owned German Agency for Technical Cooperation. He says the institute was in ruins from factional fighting and that explosives ordnance experts, known as EOD teams, from the international peacekeeping force had to first come in to clear unexploded mines, rockets and bombs. "It was destroyed from the war between 1992 to '96," he said. "And our first task was to clean the site, to clean so that the construction work could start. And we were there together with ISAF [peacekeepers] with so-called EOD services to look for these things. And in the third week of April, we start the construction work. And we do it, all this work, with Afghan sub-contractors." 

The centerpiece is the mammoth conference hall, a new 2,800 square meter tent. It has metal sides and a tent roof and is equipped with up-to-date sound and communications equipment. It was brought over in modular parts, along with other gear, in five huge Antonov transports planes beginning in early May. It is, in fact, very much the same as one of the huge tents set up at the annual Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich. It is not, as Mr. von Schumann adds with a laugh, a German beer tent, but maybe a piece of it once was. "I did read that this is a tent from Oktoberfest," he said. "That is wrong because [only] maybe one piece of the tent was once at Oktoberfest." 

Security is extremely tight because of fears of a possible attack by terrorists. Soldiers of the newly-formed Afghan National Guard provide much of the security, but they are backed up by members of the international peacekeeping force. A 3,000-meter fence surrounds the 336,000 square meter site. The surrounding hills are manned by peacekeepers to prevent anyone from raining rocket or mortar fire on the Loya Jirga. 

No one gets in to the facility except delegates and the 450-member support staff, each of whom has been issued a special identity card. There are metal detectors and body searches. The media are barred from the facility during the Loya Jirga itself and were only allowed one visit to see it. The 500-plus reporters, photographers, camera people and technicians are restricted to a press center at a nearby hotel, where they will monitor the proceedings on closed-circuit television. 

Mr. von Schumann says it is not clear what will happen to the tent when the Loya Jirga is over. It may be dismantled and taken back to Germany, but it may also be left on the site for future use. 

Mr. von Schumann says his biggest headache afterward is explaining to his bosses how he could do all this in six weeks when it usually takes his agency a year and a half to organize conferences. 

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Hamid Karzai

Speaking one day after his landslide election by a traditional elective council, Hamid Karzai said his transitional government is committed to establishing genuine democratic government. 

"I don't want a banana republic, what is that called? I want a real country. I want a real, free judiciary," Mr. Karzai said. "I want them to have the authority to take criminals to court, to bring justice to this country. And when the parliamentary elections take place, I want a real legislative body, laws to be made by them, government to made accountable. There has to be accountability, otherwise we will go nowhere." 

The Loya Jirga, or grand council, elected Mr. Karzai Thursday by an overwhelming margin, with more than 80 percent of the delegates voting for him. Mr. Karzai has headed the outgoing transitional government for the past six months. Under the Bonn Accords signed late last year, the new government - dubbed the Transitional Authority - will draft a new constitution and pave the way for elections. 

It is a formidable task. Afghanistan does not have a tradition of strong central government, and much power has shifted into the hands of local warlords during 30 years of war and civil strife. Some of those warlords were able to win places as delegates to the Loya Jirga. 

Mr. Karzai, who referred to himself as president, said that the warlords will gradually be disarmed as a new national army is built. But he said that - at least for now - the search for peace and stability may have to take precedence over bringing criminals to justice. 

"We are not thinking in terms of reconciliation. We are thinking in terms of justice and peace," he stressed. "But we must find and determine first whether we want justice and peace together - can we afford that, can we have it - or should we go in stages - first have peace and stability, stabilize that, make it strong, and then give the people of Afghanistan the justice that they require. If we could do both at the same time, it would be great. Do we have that luxury? We must see." 

Mr. Karzai called on the international community fulfill its pledges of aid for Afghanistan, saying what has come in has been "minimal" as he put it, to what has been promised. His first priority for that aid, he said, is rebuilding the country's shattered road system. 

"I will not accept any excuses in that. I want the world community to help Afghanistan rebuild its highways. We need to have roads in order for our people to be able to communicate and go and do business. That's a priority. It's also labor intensive. It will attract a lot of labor, it will find a lot of jobs for Afghans," he said. 

And, in words designed to soothe the worries of potential foreign investors, Mr. Karzai also pledged to run both an effective and clean administration. 

"We will not only continue to improve the structure of the administration, make it more efficient, but we will work relentlessly, very relentlessly, against corruption," Mr. Karzai said. " This is an area in which I will be as determined to fight as we fight against terrorism. This menace must go away." 

Mr. Karzai is mulling over who will be in the new cabinet, which must be approved by the Loya Jirga. Afghan political sources say there is intense backroom negotiations going on about those choices. 

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Britain has turned over command of multinational peacekeepers in Kabul to Turkey. The formal change of command took place in Kabul Thursday. The Turkish troops will be trying to keep the peace during potentially rough political times. 

With Afghanistan's transitional president Hamid Karzai in attendance, Britain handed over command of the 4,000 troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to Turkey. 

Honor guards of Britain's Royal Anglian Regiment, many of whom are soon to return home, and the Turkish Battalion Task Force Group paraded across a Kabul football field in a colorful change of command ceremony. The British flag was lowered and the Turkish flag raised. 

British Major General John McColl thanked Afghans for their hospitality. In a wry reference to past British colonial adventures in Afghanistan in the 19th and 20th centuries, he noted that British troops had not always fared so well in Afghanistan. "Afghanistan has hosted British generals in the previous two centuries on at least three occasions," he said, "and, generally, things have not gone too well for my predecessors. It's been an honor for the UK to lead ISAF for the past six months, and I'm delighted that things have gone a little better this time." 

Taking command of the peacekeeping force is Major General Akin Zorlu. "In response to calls from both the international community and the United Nations," he said, "Turkey has willingly agreed to take over the leadership of the International Security Assistance Force with the aim of contributing to the peace and security that the Afghan people have long desired." 

President Karzai praised ISAF for both its security role, and for carrying out civil works as well. "ISAF not only provided security for the citizens of Afghanistan, for the people of Kabul, but ISAF also rebuilt our schools, helped some public building, and reopened our airport," said Mr. Karzai. 

The 4,000 troop ISAF contingent draws from a number of European nations, with intelligence and logistical support from the United States. Its mandate does not extend, however, outside Kabul. 

Britain will soon be pulling out the bulk of its force from ISAF, as well as withdrawing Royal Marines who have been engaged in anti-terrorist operations with U.S. forces. Turkey now has 1,200 troops in ISAF, and another 200 are to be added by the end of June. 

Turkish military spokesman Major Murat Pekgulec said Turkish military pride is on the line, as Turkey assumes its first command of a multinational peacekeeping force. "This is the first time Turkey is leading a peacekeeping operation," he said. "This is also an important thing for us, for the Turkish Army, to prove their professionalism in the peacekeeping operation." 

Turkey will command the ISAF force for the next six months. 

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Karzai promised to root out corruption

The Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, has sworn in his cabinet. 

It will govern the country until elections are held in 18 months' time. 

I hope that through education I can help the children of Afghanistan

Yunis Qanooni, Education Minister

The swearing-in took place at the presidential palace in Kabul after the former interior minister - the ethnic Tajik Yunis Qanooni - decided to accept the role of education minister having previously rejecting the offer. 

The other outstanding post, that of minister for women, has been given to Mahboba Hoqooqmal, a former head of law at Kabul University. 

She was abroad and did not know of the appointment, Mr Karzai said. 

Her predecessor, Sima Samar, had been unpopular with some conservative Muslims, who accused her of being un-Islamic. 

About half of the 28 ministers belong to the Tajik-led Northern Alliance - the group that swept the Taleban from power last year. 

Pledges

The ceremony was attended by officials of former King Zahir Shah as well as representatives of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). 

"We promise to fight against bureaucratic corruption and safeguard our independence and national sovereignty and we pledge to be honest and faithful to the country's national interest," Mr Karzai told the ministers as part of the oath. 

Qanooni: proud to serve the children

The swearing-in went ahead hours after Mr Qanooni reversed his earlier decision not to accept the post of education minister, in addition to that of national security adviser. 

"I hope that through education I can help the children of Afghanistan," Mr Qanooni told reporters. "I am happy once again to be in the service of the people." 

The education portfolio was offered to Mr Qanooni a week after he resigned the interior ministry "for the sake of national unity", making way for Mr Karzai's choice of an ethnic Pashtun, Taj Mohammad Wardak. 

Mr Karzai has been trying to produce a more ethnically balanced cabinet than that of his six-month interim government, which was dominated by members of the Northern Alliance which helped international forces overthrow the Taleban. 

Ethnic rivalry

Pashtuns form the majority in Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance, meanwhile, is dominated by ethnic Tajiks. 

Some Pashtuns have felt they have been victimised because the Taleban were mainly Pashtun. Other ethnic groups such as the Uzbeks also wanted greater representation. 

We pledge to be honest and faithful to the country's national interest

Hamid Karzai

The key foreign and defence ministries remain with the Tajiks, who have another five posts. 

Two ministries - civil aviation and tourism - were taken from supporters of the former king and given to Northern Alliance supporters. 

Mr Karzai, himself a Pashtun, named 12 other Pashtuns to his cabinet, three Uzbeks, two Hazaras, two Shias and a Turkmen. 

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U.S. President George W. Bush has directed the CIA to step-up covert efforts to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, according to a report published Sunday in The Washington Post. Key congressmen say the notion of a change of government in Iraq has broad support in the legislature. 

The newspaper's front page report says the president has directed the CIA to use all available tools to remove Saddam Hussein. 

The Bush administration is not commenting on the report, which outlines a comprehensive covert campaign. But it was the main topic of conversation for key senators and congressmen interviewed Sunday on American television. 

Tom Daschle (file photo)

The South Dakota Democrat said he agrees on the need for a regime change in Iraq. But he stressed the timing of any U.S. action is crucial, citing ongoing efforts to cripple the al-Qaida terrorist network and the need to work constructively with Arab nations on the Middle East peace process. "I think the timing of all this is very important," said Tom Daschle. "But we want to work with the administration to find the best way and the best time to do this." 

John McCain (file photo)

The Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joseph Biden, also appeared on Face the Nation. The Delaware Democrat said the United States must have a fail-proof plan in place before taking on Saddam Hussein. He noted that if cornered, the Iraqi leader might resort to biological or chemical weapons. 

Joe Biden (file photo)

Senator Biden stressed that President Bush must make the case for action to America's allies before formally putting any plan in place. During his recent trip to Europe, Mr. Bush tried to ease European concerns about military action against Iraq. But at the same time he stressed that hostile nations that seek weapons of mass destruction pose a threat to all freedom-loving countries. 

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AP
An unidentified villager cries, as he holds his wife in Abdareh, Qazvin province

The rumblings of the quake that rocked Iran's Qazvin province Saturday may have exceeded 6.0 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in the town of Bou'in Zahra, 225 kilometers west of the capital, Tehran, where the reverberations also were felt. 

Majid Shalviri, head of the provincial Red Crescent Society, said that most of the deaths occurred in Qazvin province. The earthquake and several aftershocks were also reported to have hit other provinces in the north, central and western parts of the country. 

Mohamed Hossien Parvinian, deputy governor of Qazvin province, told Iran's official news agency that 10 villages in the province suffered damage ranging between 50 and 100 percent. 

Iranian President Mohamed Khatami sent a condolence message over state-run television and called on the Interior Ministry to cooperate with other agencies in speeding assistance to the victims.

AP
Villagers look on as a bulldozer searches for bodies in Abdareh village, Qazvin province

Earlier, the official news agency reported the quake measured 5.2 on the Richter scale, but the U.S. Geological Survey has reported a magnitude of 6.3 

Nearly 40 years ago an earthquake struck the same area in Iran, killing more than 12,000 people and demolishing 124 villages. Iran lies on seismic fault lines where tremors are a regular occurrence. 

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Rescuers are sifting through the rubble of villages in north-western Iran destroyed by Saturday's earthquake.

The hunt for survivors continues, by hand...

...and with machinery

Dogs are being brought in to search through the rubble

Occasionally, survivors are found

But many bodies are also being recovered

Thousands have lost their homes

Many others have lost much more

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The experts examined previous studies into smoking

Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke increases the risk of developing a wide range of cancers, international experts have said. 

A working group from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization, examined all of the major studies looking at smoking and cancer. 

After a five-day meeting in Lyons, France this week, they concluded that second-hand smoke increases the risk of cancers of the uterus, cervix, liver and kidneys. 

Passive smoking is quite clearly more than just the nuisance many of the world's tobacco companies would have us believe

Marsha Williams, ASH

They suggested non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke are between 20% and 30% more likely to develop cancer. 

The experts also found cancers of the stomach, liver, uterus, cervix, kidney and myeloid leukaemia could be caused in part by smoking. 

The group of 29 experts from 12 countries found second-hand tobacco smoke was carcinogenic to humans and that typical levels of passive exposure have been shown to cause lung cancer among people who have never smoked. 

This means hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide from these cancers could now be linked to smoking. 

Definite link

Dr Kurt Straif, who organised the IARC meeting, said the group examined 50 studies examining the link between passive smoking and cancer. 

Speaking to BBC News Online, he added: "This is the first time that a global organisation has concluded that exposure to second hand smoke is linked to cancer." 

One of the experts, Sir Richard Doll, said: "Environmental tobacco smoke that people experience at work or at home is definitely a cause of lung cancer. 

"That has been discussed for a long time but this is the first time a group of independent scientists have reviewed all the evidence and said there is no question it is a cause of lung cancer." 

Sir Richard said the findings should have a significant influence on health policies around the world and could strengthen arguments for a ban in this country on smoking in workplaces. 

The experts also stated that one half of all persistent cigarette smokers are eventually killed by a tobacco-related disease. 

Half of these deaths occur in middle age, which means they lose an average of 20-25 years of non-smoker life expectancy. 

Annually tobacco accounts for millions of cancer deaths around the world, and it is the largest cause of preventable cancers. 

However it causes a greater number of premature deaths from cardiovascular and lung diseases and strokes than from cancer. 

Apart from cigarettes, other forms of tobacco smoking such as cigars and pipes increase the risks for cancer of the lung, head and neck. 

Mounting evidence

Marsha Williams, of the anti-tobacco campaigning group ASH, said the findings added to the mounting body of evidence of the health risks from second-hand smoke. 

She said: "Passive smoking is quite clearly more than just the nuisance many of the world's tobacco companies would have us believe. 

"People are harmed and killed by it and it is time industry, government and smokers themselves woke up to this fact." 

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The following article is dated but related to the health issues raised regarding Mobile Radios under the TRADE section of this magazine.

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There are no rules on using phones on trains

Train passengers who hate it when other commuters use mobile phones on board may have every right to get angry. 

Research carried out by scientists in Japan suggests that using a mobile phone inside a train carriage could have serious health risks for other passengers. 

They found that electromagnetic radiation levels inside trains can exceed international safety limits if even a small number of passengers are using their phones. 

It's possible even if the train is not crowded

Tsuyoshi Hondou, Tohuku University

This is because the microwave radiation emitted from handsets has effectively no where to go and simply bounces back off the carriage's metal structure. 

Tsuyoshi Hondou, from Tohuku University, used the plans of a typical train carriage to calculate the impact of mobile phone mivrowave radiation. 

Unsafe levels

He found that very little radiation managed to escape through windows and was instead reflected inside. 

He discovered that if just 30 people in a standard carriage with 151 passengers used their phone radiation levels exceeded the limits recommended by the International Committee for Non-Ionising Radiation. 

But he added that because the radiation can build up, levels can be high in carriages with fewer passengers. 

"It's possible even if the train is not crowded," he told New Scientist magazine. 

Mr Hondou said the findings, originally published in the Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, were worrying in light of the growth in the number of people with WAP phones and other wireless electronic devices. 

He suggested train operators should consider introducing rules on the use of mobile phones in carriages. 

But he added that the effects seen in train carriages may also apply to buses and elevators. 

"At the moment we have no regulation on the use of mobile phones in areas where many people are together. 

Further research

Prof Les Barclay, who is a member of the Department of Heatlth mobile phone research committee, suggested that the health risks were minimal. 

"Signals from the antenna and mobile phone decrease very rapidly as you move away from the phone," he said. 

"By the time a signal has been reflected by a distant wall it will be at a very low level." 

Prof Barclay said the committee was not planning to study the use of mobile phones on trains. 

But speaking to BBC News Online, he added: "It is something we could look into. It would be rather an easy job to do that kind of assessment." 

A spokeswoman for the Rail Passengers Council said it would be interested in finding out more about the issue. 

"In terms of the health impact of using mobile phones on trains, this is not something we have researched in the past. 

"But it is certainly something we would be interested in. While we probably wouldn't carry out such a study ourselves we would be interested in any findings." 

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An earthquake in 1995 devastated Kobe in Japan

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Agreements and resolutions affecting Israel and the Palestinians.

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Map of modern Israel

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