By PAM BELLUCK
PHILADELPHIA — Antonio Vasquez was just 60 when Alzheimer’s disease derailed him.
He lost his job at a Queens bakery because he kept burning chocolate chip cookies, forgetting he had put them in the oven. Then he got lost going to job interviews, walking his neighborhood in circles.
Teresa Mojica of Philadelphia was 59 when she got Alzheimer’s, making her so argumentative and delusional that she sometimes hits her husband. And Ida J. Lawrence was 57 when she started misplacing things and making mistakes in her Boston dental school job.
Besides being young Alzheimer’s patients — most Americans who develop it are at least 65, and it becomes more common among people in their 70s or 80s — the three are Hispanic, a group that Alzheimer’s doctors are increasingly concerned about, and not just because it is the country’s largest, fastest-growing minority.
Studies suggest that many Hispanics may have more risk factors for developing dementia than other groups, and a significant number appear to be getting Alzheimer’s earlier. And surveys indicate that Latinos, less likely to see doctors because of financial and language barriers, more often mistake dementia symptoms for normal aging, delaying diagnosis.
“This is the tip of the iceberg of a huge public health challenge,” said Yanira L. Cruz, president of the National Hispanic Council on Aging. “We really need to do more research in this population to really understand why is it that we’re developing these conditions much earlier.”
It is not that Hispanics are more genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, say experts, who say the diversity of ethnicities that make up Hispanics or Latinos make a genetic explanation unlikely.
Rather, experts say several factors, many linked to low income or cultural dislocation, may put Hispanics at greater risk for dementia, including higher rates of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke and possibly hypertension.
Less education may make Hispanic immigrants more vulnerable to those medical conditions and to dementia because scientists say education may increase the brain’s plasticity or ability to compensate for symptoms. And some researchers cite as risk factors stress from financial hardship or cultural adjustment.
The Alzheimer’s Association says that about 200,000 Latinos in the United States have Alzheimer’s, but that, by 2050, based on Census Bureau figures and a study of Alzheimer’s prevalence, the number could reach 1.3 million. (It predicts that the general population of Alzheimer’s patients will grow to 16 million by 2050, from 5 million now.)
“We are concerned that the Latino population may have the highest amount of risk factors and prevalence, in comparison to the other cultures,” said Maria Carrillo, the group’s director of medical and scientific relations.
In response, Alzheimer’s and Hispanic organizations have started health fairs and support groups. Some Alzheimer’s centers have opened clinics in Latino neighborhoods.
“There’s some taboos” about Alzheimer’s, said Liany Arroyo, director of the Institute for Hispanic Health at the National Council of La Raza, which surveyed Latinos. “Folks did not necessarily understand what it was.”
Antonia Lopez, who immigrated from Panama to Boston, showed symptoms at about 60, but it was 10 years before the family acknowledged it was Alzheimer’s, said her daughter, Carol Franklin.
“My mom was telling people, in her confusion, that I spanked her,” she said. “My brother believed that. He said to me at one point, ‘Don’t say that my mom has Alzheimer’s, because I believe it’s just part of being old.’ ”
Overwhelmingly, Hispanics with Alzheimer’s live with multigenerational families instead of in nursing homes. That support can be beneficial, experts say, but it severely stresses families.
When Maria Contreras, a Salvadoran immigrant, began wandering and hallucinating, her daughter, Teresa Navas, took her into her home in Silver Spring, Md. The strain on Ms. Navas and her children compelled her to place her mother in a nursing home, but when she kept getting sick, Ms. Navas took her home again and quit her job teaching Spanish.
“I have to be with her all the time,” she said. “Sometimes she doesn’t even know who I am.”
Mr. Vasquez’s daughter, Ana, 39, moved her parents to her Philadelphia home. She works at a neighborhood grocery and tells her sons, 6 and 11, “Watch out for your grandfather.”
Once, Mr. Vasquez was found hitchhiking on a major Philadelphia street. On a visit to the Bronx neighborhood where he had lived, he wandered away, leaving his family frenetically searching subway stations. “I was desperate, crying, especially when the night was coming,” said his wife, also named Ana.
Nine hours later, he appeared on their Philadelphia porch, having happened upon a bus to Philadelphia and given the driver a card with their address.
Scientists are searching for what sets Latinos apart. Dr. Rafael A. Lantigua, a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University Medical School, said, “There’s no gene at this point that we can say this is just for Latinos.” Dr. Lantigua added that one gene that increased Alzheimer’s risk was less prevalent in Latinos than non-Hispanic whites.
Kala M. Mehta, an assistant professor in the geriatrics division at the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed autopsies from 3,000 Alzheimer’s patients, finding “similar neuropathology” among Latinos, whites and African-Americans.
And Mary Sano, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, found that different ethnic groups shared the most common behavioral symptoms, like repeating sentences and uncooperativeness.
But researchers say they have seen disparities in the timing of the illness and its severity when diagnosed.
Dr. Steven E. Arnold, director of the Penn Memory Center at the University of Pennsylvania, studied 2,000 white, African-American and Latino Alzheimer’s patients.
Dr. Arnold found that the Latinos, mostly low-income, poorly educated Puerto Ricans, many with diabetes, “have more depression,” and their scores on tests in Spanish measuring dementia averaged about 15 percent lower than African-Americans and about 30 percent lower than non-Hispanic whites. Latinos were on average about three-and-a-half years younger than non-Hispanic whites and about five years younger than African-Americans, he said.
Dr. Christopher M. Clark, director of the Center of Excellence for Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania, studied the age at which 174 Alzheimer’s patients in California, New York and Pennsylvania first showed symptoms and found Spanish speakers were on average 6.8 years younger (about 67) than non-Hispanic whites, regardless of whether they were Mexican, Caribbean or South American. That Latinos are on average younger than other Americans accounted for a small part of the gap, but not most of it, Dr. Clark said.
Research is scant on the age of onset in Latinos remaining in their native homes, but Dr. Clark said patients in two clinics in Mexico and Puerto Rico did not show symptoms early.
Mary N. Haan, a University of Michigan epidemiologist heading the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging, studied 1,800 Mexican-Americans over 10 years and found greater likelihood of Alzheimer’s for those more “acculturated” to American society, based on a number of factors, including diet and social networks. Dr. Haan attributed that to higher stress from being “relatively poorer off” and “more socially isolated.”
Dr. Cruz, of the National Hispanic Council on Aging, said, “As you acculturate, you lose those protective factors linked to nutrition, physical activity, social support system, that come with you when you first arrive here.”
Dr. Haan found more acculturated people more prone to diabetes, and people with diabetes or obesity more likely to have Alzheimer’s. Researchers theorize that high insulin levels and poor cerebral blood flow can cause brain changes that accompany Alzheimer’s, said Dr. Jose A. Luchsinger, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center.
Dr. Cruz said many Alzheimer’s risk factors “have to do with poor education,” which aggravates nutrition, financial status and health care.
Mrs. Mojica, from Puerto Rico, with five years of schooling, developed diabetes and hypertension after a hard life in a rundown row house, where she and her husband care for their 39-year-old mentally retarded son.
Not all Hispanics have medical or sociological risk factors.
Ida Lawrence, whose Alzheimer’s has made her hide money in socks and shower obsessively, attended high school in Honduras, learning English. Her husband, Robert, said he thought her dementia might be inherited, adding, “She’s been healthy except for the fact that she was coming down with this Alzheimer’s thing.”
Mr. Lawrence, who has prostate cancer, struggles to care for his wife, still only 63. “Everybody says to me, ‘Bob it’s going to get worse,’ ” he said.
Ms. Franklin finally moved her mother, Ms. Lopez, to a nursing home, where she cries and “doesn’t want nobody to touch her,” she said.
“It hurts me so much to see her like that,” Ms. Franklin said. “It’s like I can see her on one side of the mountain and say, that’s not my mom.”
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Study: 25% of us have left childhood religions
More than a quarter of American adults have left the faith in which they were raised, switching to another religion or no religion at all, according to a national survey of religious affiliation.
In addition, adults who claim no ties to any religious institution have grown into the fourth largest category of religious affiliation, a trend led by California and states in the West, according to a report by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Researchers said the large number of immigrants who have come to California from Central America and Asia have had an effect on the question of religious affiliation in the state as well as the makeup of particular denominations, particularly Catholics. While 10 percent of U.S. adults have left the Catholic Church, an influx of Catholic immigrants has kept the church's population stable.
Because the numbers of the unaffiliated have grown, Protestants are on the verge of becoming a minority in the United States. Only 51 percent of American adults describe themselves as Protestant.
In addition to the 28 percent of Americans who have left their childhood faith entirely, 16 percent have switched from the Christian denomination of their childhood to another Christian denomination.
The fluidity of affiliation in the United States underscores the competitiveness of the religious market, in which groups are vying for members, said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum. "If you're going to rest on your laurels, you're history."
The survey of more than 35,000 adults was distinctive in the number of respondents as well as the number of questions posed. It found that 78 percent of the 220 million adults in the United States are still Christian.
Among Protestants, evangelicals are the largest single group, representing 26.3 percent of the nation's adult population. Mainline Protestant denominations - including Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians - continue to see their numbers shrink, currently representing just 18.1 percent of the overall population. Historically black churches, which are increasingly taking on members of other ethnicities, represent 6.9 percent of the overall population.
Catholics are the second largest group of Christians, representing roughly 24 percent of the population - a relatively constant figure for the past 35 years.
But the constancy of that figure obscures the dramatic and unique way in which immigration patterns are reshaping America's religious identity, the survey found. Unlike in Europe, the majority of immigrants to the United States are Christian. And those immigrants are heavily Catholic, particularly those from Mexico.
Among immigrant adults, Catholics amount to 46 percent, while 24 percent are Protestants. But among U.S.-born adults, Protestants outnumber Catholics 55 to 21 percent.
The departures from the church mean that "roughly 10 percent of all Americans are former Catholics," the study found. While 31 percent of American adults were raised Catholic, only about 24 percent describe themselves as Catholic today.
These shifts are seen throughout the Bay Area, said George Wesolek, director of the Office of Public Police and Social Concerns within the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
St. Peter Church in the Mission District draws about 25,000 people every weekend, Wesolek said. The Catholic churches in East Palo Alto, the Bay Area's most heavily Latino city, hold most of their services in Spanish, he said.
The responsibilities of the parishes, the social mission of the church and the needs of the congregants are changing as a result.
"The Latino and immigrant base of the church is now making up the core, especially in California," said Wesolek, noting that Filipinos are a large portion of the archdiocese. "That has implications in almost every way." Priests must be multilingual, for example, and be able to meet the needs of different cultures.
The Western states have long been a destination for immigrants as well as the native-born, said John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum and a principal author of the study. That mobility and lack of deep roots also play a role in the region's higher rate of the religiously unaffiliated, Green said, referencing other studies.
"The West was settled relatively late," he said. "It didn't have the tradition of established religious institutions that you have in the East or the South. They didn't have that history to draw upon."
That is compounded by immigration, particularly from Asia, which has brought other religious traditions, and that makes Western states like California distinct, he said.
"The West has always been quite diverse in religious terms and is especially diverse these days," he said. "And that level of diversity has created a group of people who aren't as interested in organized religion. They have other options."
Roughly 16.1 percent of the U.S. population describes themselves as not affiliated with any religious organization or body, a category that includes those who believe in God. In California, the unaffiliated account for 21 percent. Researchers said the numbers of atheists and agnostics - roughly 1.6 and 2.4 percent of the U.S. adult population - have remained consistent over time.
Those who are raised unaffiliated change their beliefs, too: Roughly half of those who were raised without a religious tradition now claim one as adults, according to the survey.
Green said the impact of the unaffiliated has yet to be seen. But it needs to be watched.
"The large size of this unaffiliated group could have a profound affect on the character of American religion," he said.
In addition, adults who claim no ties to any religious institution have grown into the fourth largest category of religious affiliation, a trend led by California and states in the West, according to a report by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Researchers said the large number of immigrants who have come to California from Central America and Asia have had an effect on the question of religious affiliation in the state as well as the makeup of particular denominations, particularly Catholics. While 10 percent of U.S. adults have left the Catholic Church, an influx of Catholic immigrants has kept the church's population stable.
Because the numbers of the unaffiliated have grown, Protestants are on the verge of becoming a minority in the United States. Only 51 percent of American adults describe themselves as Protestant.
In addition to the 28 percent of Americans who have left their childhood faith entirely, 16 percent have switched from the Christian denomination of their childhood to another Christian denomination.
The fluidity of affiliation in the United States underscores the competitiveness of the religious market, in which groups are vying for members, said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum. "If you're going to rest on your laurels, you're history."
The survey of more than 35,000 adults was distinctive in the number of respondents as well as the number of questions posed. It found that 78 percent of the 220 million adults in the United States are still Christian.
Among Protestants, evangelicals are the largest single group, representing 26.3 percent of the nation's adult population. Mainline Protestant denominations - including Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians - continue to see their numbers shrink, currently representing just 18.1 percent of the overall population. Historically black churches, which are increasingly taking on members of other ethnicities, represent 6.9 percent of the overall population.
Catholics are the second largest group of Christians, representing roughly 24 percent of the population - a relatively constant figure for the past 35 years.
But the constancy of that figure obscures the dramatic and unique way in which immigration patterns are reshaping America's religious identity, the survey found. Unlike in Europe, the majority of immigrants to the United States are Christian. And those immigrants are heavily Catholic, particularly those from Mexico.
Among immigrant adults, Catholics amount to 46 percent, while 24 percent are Protestants. But among U.S.-born adults, Protestants outnumber Catholics 55 to 21 percent.
The departures from the church mean that "roughly 10 percent of all Americans are former Catholics," the study found. While 31 percent of American adults were raised Catholic, only about 24 percent describe themselves as Catholic today.
These shifts are seen throughout the Bay Area, said George Wesolek, director of the Office of Public Police and Social Concerns within the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
St. Peter Church in the Mission District draws about 25,000 people every weekend, Wesolek said. The Catholic churches in East Palo Alto, the Bay Area's most heavily Latino city, hold most of their services in Spanish, he said.
The responsibilities of the parishes, the social mission of the church and the needs of the congregants are changing as a result.
"The Latino and immigrant base of the church is now making up the core, especially in California," said Wesolek, noting that Filipinos are a large portion of the archdiocese. "That has implications in almost every way." Priests must be multilingual, for example, and be able to meet the needs of different cultures.
The Western states have long been a destination for immigrants as well as the native-born, said John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum and a principal author of the study. That mobility and lack of deep roots also play a role in the region's higher rate of the religiously unaffiliated, Green said, referencing other studies.
"The West was settled relatively late," he said. "It didn't have the tradition of established religious institutions that you have in the East or the South. They didn't have that history to draw upon."
That is compounded by immigration, particularly from Asia, which has brought other religious traditions, and that makes Western states like California distinct, he said.
"The West has always been quite diverse in religious terms and is especially diverse these days," he said. "And that level of diversity has created a group of people who aren't as interested in organized religion. They have other options."
Roughly 16.1 percent of the U.S. population describes themselves as not affiliated with any religious organization or body, a category that includes those who believe in God. In California, the unaffiliated account for 21 percent. Researchers said the numbers of atheists and agnostics - roughly 1.6 and 2.4 percent of the U.S. adult population - have remained consistent over time.
Those who are raised unaffiliated change their beliefs, too: Roughly half of those who were raised without a religious tradition now claim one as adults, according to the survey.
Green said the impact of the unaffiliated has yet to be seen. But it needs to be watched.
"The large size of this unaffiliated group could have a profound affect on the character of American religion," he said.
Sarcasm reigns as Hillary Clinton attacks Barack Obama's campaign
Sen. Hillary Clinton schmoozes with media and answers questions during flight to Rhode Island Sunday for campaign speech.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Hillary Clinton's assault on Barack Obama shifted from outrage to heavy sarcasm Sunday, with the former First Lady mocking her rival as much as chewing him out for his tactics.
Framing Obama as both a deceiver and a dream weaver, Clinton said "none of the problems we face will be easily solved."
Then oozing derision, Clinton cracked, "Now, I could stand up here and say, 'Let's just get everybody together. Let's get unified. The sky will open. The light will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing, and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect.'"
Her remarks drew chuckles from a supportive audience gathered at Rhode Island College.
"Maybe I've just lived a little long, but I have no illusions about how hard this is going to be," she said. "You are not going to wave a magic wand and have the special interests disappear."
Clinton's mockery of Obama came a day after she railed, "Shame on you, Barack Obama," decrying what she termed deceptive mailings in Ohio about her stances on universal health care and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Later, in Boston, Clinton signaled she would continue her more aggressive approach against Obama. "I just have this sense that finally my opponent is getting maybe a little bit of scrutiny," she said.
The New York senator has a narrow lead over Obama in the Buckeye State and is trying to regain ground after 11 consecutive primary defeats.
Campaigning in Cleveland, Obama pushed back on the NAFTA issue, using quotes from Clinton's book to demonstrate her past support for the pact. NAFTA has been blamed for an exodus of jobs in pivotal states like Ohio, where Democrats vote March 4.
"Ten years after NAFTA passed, Sen. Clinton said it was good for America. ... Well, I don't think NAFTA has been good for America - and I never have," Obama said during a campaign stop at a wallboard factory. "The fact is, she was saying great things about NAFTA until she started running for President."
Clinton has said on the campaign trail that the trade agreement - which was passed during her husband's administration - is problematic.
Obama said Sunday that while he has issues with NAFTA, an attempt to repeal it "would probably result in more job losses than job gains in the United States."
A Clinton spokesman retorted that Obama has spoken positively of NAFTA in the past: "Sen. Obama's insistence on repeating attacks that have been demonstrated to be false by independent entities proves once and for all that his speeches about the new politics are just words."
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Hillary Clinton's assault on Barack Obama shifted from outrage to heavy sarcasm Sunday, with the former First Lady mocking her rival as much as chewing him out for his tactics.
Framing Obama as both a deceiver and a dream weaver, Clinton said "none of the problems we face will be easily solved."
Then oozing derision, Clinton cracked, "Now, I could stand up here and say, 'Let's just get everybody together. Let's get unified. The sky will open. The light will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing, and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect.'"
Her remarks drew chuckles from a supportive audience gathered at Rhode Island College.
"Maybe I've just lived a little long, but I have no illusions about how hard this is going to be," she said. "You are not going to wave a magic wand and have the special interests disappear."
Clinton's mockery of Obama came a day after she railed, "Shame on you, Barack Obama," decrying what she termed deceptive mailings in Ohio about her stances on universal health care and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Later, in Boston, Clinton signaled she would continue her more aggressive approach against Obama. "I just have this sense that finally my opponent is getting maybe a little bit of scrutiny," she said.
The New York senator has a narrow lead over Obama in the Buckeye State and is trying to regain ground after 11 consecutive primary defeats.
Campaigning in Cleveland, Obama pushed back on the NAFTA issue, using quotes from Clinton's book to demonstrate her past support for the pact. NAFTA has been blamed for an exodus of jobs in pivotal states like Ohio, where Democrats vote March 4.
"Ten years after NAFTA passed, Sen. Clinton said it was good for America. ... Well, I don't think NAFTA has been good for America - and I never have," Obama said during a campaign stop at a wallboard factory. "The fact is, she was saying great things about NAFTA until she started running for President."
Clinton has said on the campaign trail that the trade agreement - which was passed during her husband's administration - is problematic.
Obama said Sunday that while he has issues with NAFTA, an attempt to repeal it "would probably result in more job losses than job gains in the United States."
A Clinton spokesman retorted that Obama has spoken positively of NAFTA in the past: "Sen. Obama's insistence on repeating attacks that have been demonstrated to be false by independent entities proves once and for all that his speeches about the new politics are just words."
62 Killed In Attacks On Iraq Pilgrims
(CBS/AP) A roadside bomb killed three people on a Shiite pilgrimage Monday morning as they traveled through the outskirts of Baghdad, while the death toll in a suicide bombing Sunday that struck a refreshment tent filled with pilgrims has risen to 56, Iraqi authorities said.
In all, extremists have attacked pilgrims headed to the holy city of Karbala three times in the past two days.
The suicide bomber detonated himself among pilgrims taking a break at a roadside tent for a bite to eat and tea. The blast killed at least 56 people and injured 68, according to police and Dr. Mahmoud Abdul-Rida, director of the Babil health department.
Hours earlier, extremists attacked another group with guns and grenades in the predominantly Sunni Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, killing three and wounding 36, police said.
Monday's roadside bombing, in addition to killing three people, also wounded 15, said a police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.
The suicide bomber targeted travelers near Iskandariyah, as authorities have fortified the capital and Karbala to in an attempt to keep away extremists.
The U.S. embassy in Baghdad and U.S. military forces issued a joint statement Monday condemning the attacks.
"Those killed and wounded in yesterday's barbaric attacks in Baghdad and Iskandariyah were innocent citizens participating in an important religious commemoration," it said. "This indiscriminate violence further reflects the nature of this enemy who will target even those practicing their religion in an effort to re-ignite sectarian strife in Iraq."
Karbala is burial site of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most revered figures, where ceremonies will culminate Wednesday to commemorate the end of the 40-day mourning period following the anniversary of his death.
Separately, six pilgrims drowned Saturday in a boat accident on the Tigris River.
Meanwhile, Turkish troops fired dozens of salvos of artillery shells across the Iraqi border on Monday, a day after the military confirmed that a Turkish helicopter crashed in Iraq and eight military personnel were killed during a cross-border ground operation against Kurdish rebels.
The sound of the artillery fire from a distance could be heard in this border town of Cukurca. Several military bases that support the incursion into Iraq are on its outskirts, and artillery units have been positioned on hilltops overlooking Iraq.
Turkey began the ground operation Thursday to target autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels who attack Turkey from hideouts on the Iraqi side of the border.
The guerrillas said Sunday they shot down a Turkish military helicopter near the Turkish-Iraqi border.
Turkey's military said technicians were inspecting the wreck to determine why the helicopter crashed near the border. It was not clear if any of the reported casualties were on board.
The military did not specify on its Web site whether the eight fatalities were troops or pro-government village guards, local residents who are familiar with the terrain and accompany the military on operations against the rebels. NTV said three village guards had been slain, but did not say when or where they died.
The Turkish toll since the start of the incursion Thursday is 15, according to military figures.
The armed forces say 33 rebels were killed in Sunday's fighting, bringing the rebel death toll since Thursday to 112.
The incursion is the first confirmed Turkish military ground operation in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
The rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, are fighting for autonomy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in the semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The conflict started in 1984 and has claimed as many as 40,000 lives.
In all, extremists have attacked pilgrims headed to the holy city of Karbala three times in the past two days.
The suicide bomber detonated himself among pilgrims taking a break at a roadside tent for a bite to eat and tea. The blast killed at least 56 people and injured 68, according to police and Dr. Mahmoud Abdul-Rida, director of the Babil health department.
Hours earlier, extremists attacked another group with guns and grenades in the predominantly Sunni Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, killing three and wounding 36, police said.
Monday's roadside bombing, in addition to killing three people, also wounded 15, said a police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.
The suicide bomber targeted travelers near Iskandariyah, as authorities have fortified the capital and Karbala to in an attempt to keep away extremists.
The U.S. embassy in Baghdad and U.S. military forces issued a joint statement Monday condemning the attacks.
"Those killed and wounded in yesterday's barbaric attacks in Baghdad and Iskandariyah were innocent citizens participating in an important religious commemoration," it said. "This indiscriminate violence further reflects the nature of this enemy who will target even those practicing their religion in an effort to re-ignite sectarian strife in Iraq."
Karbala is burial site of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most revered figures, where ceremonies will culminate Wednesday to commemorate the end of the 40-day mourning period following the anniversary of his death.
Separately, six pilgrims drowned Saturday in a boat accident on the Tigris River.
Meanwhile, Turkish troops fired dozens of salvos of artillery shells across the Iraqi border on Monday, a day after the military confirmed that a Turkish helicopter crashed in Iraq and eight military personnel were killed during a cross-border ground operation against Kurdish rebels.
The sound of the artillery fire from a distance could be heard in this border town of Cukurca. Several military bases that support the incursion into Iraq are on its outskirts, and artillery units have been positioned on hilltops overlooking Iraq.
Turkey began the ground operation Thursday to target autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels who attack Turkey from hideouts on the Iraqi side of the border.
The guerrillas said Sunday they shot down a Turkish military helicopter near the Turkish-Iraqi border.
Turkey's military said technicians were inspecting the wreck to determine why the helicopter crashed near the border. It was not clear if any of the reported casualties were on board.
The military did not specify on its Web site whether the eight fatalities were troops or pro-government village guards, local residents who are familiar with the terrain and accompany the military on operations against the rebels. NTV said three village guards had been slain, but did not say when or where they died.
The Turkish toll since the start of the incursion Thursday is 15, according to military figures.
The armed forces say 33 rebels were killed in Sunday's fighting, bringing the rebel death toll since Thursday to 112.
The incursion is the first confirmed Turkish military ground operation in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
The rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, are fighting for autonomy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in the semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The conflict started in 1984 and has claimed as many as 40,000 lives.
Kosovo peacekeeping tests U.S. troops
CAMP NOTHING HILL, Kosovo - Spc. Scott Krampitz stands on a plateau overlooking a smattering of shabby houses against a backdrop of snowcapped peaks known as the Cursed Mountains.
His unit of Humvees and trucks patrol muddy roads in northern Kosovo, protecting tiny hamlets of Albanians from ethnic Serbs infuriated by the birth of the newest state in Europe.
The Minnesota native is one of 1,455 American troops taking part in a NATO peacekeeping force whose mission has become even more delicate since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.
The United States and many Western countries have recognized Kosovo's statehood, angering Serbs who consider the region the heart of their culture and orthodox religion. At the same time, NATO troops strive not to take sides between Kosovo's rival groups - putting them in a tough spot last week when Serbs vented their anger by destroying U.N. and NATO property, setting off hand grenades and staging protests.
Serbs used plastic explosives and bulldozers to destroy the two main U.N.-run border checkpoints between Kosovo and Serbia. Protesters tipped over metal sheds that housed Kosovo's multiethnic customs service and sent them sliding down a hill and into a river. They vandalized and set fire to passport control booths.
NATO peacekeepers did not intervene, apparently trying to avoid stoking tensions.
"We are ready to act tough in case of further such incidents," said Maj. Etienne du Fayet, the French spokesman of the NATO Task Force North stationed in Mitrovica, a Kosovo town split by a river into Albanian and Serbian sides.
Kosovo Albanians represent 90 percent of the new state's 2 million people. But here in the north, they are a tiny minority compared to Serbs.
Aliu Hazir, an ethnic Albanian living in an isolated mountain settlement, fears Serb anger could boil over into the sort of bloody ethnic cleansing campaign triggered by former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic's offensive against separatist Kosovo Albanians.
The bloodletting stopped only when NATO chased Serbian troops out in 1999, and Kosovo became a U.N.-administered province.
A big part of the 15,900 peacekeepers' mission is to protect the 30,000 Serbs who live in virtual ghettos in isolated enclaves on the Albanian-dominated territory.
"We are faced with a display of nationalism on both sides," said Krampitz, of Owatonna, Minn.
He's not the only Minnesotan serving in Kosovo. More than 400 members of the Minnesota National Guard are part of "Task Force Bayonet" with a mission of keeping communities safe and secure.
In addition to the NATO peacekeeping force, a multiethnic U.N. mission has administered the province since 1999. Further testing international resolve to keep Kosovo intact, the Serbs prevented Albanian policemen, judges and other staff of the U.N. mission from going to work in northern Kosovo since Sunday's independence declaration.
At least four hand grenades exploded in front of a U.N. court in Mitrovica in the past few days, as Serb judges and court clerks staged daily protests in front of the building to make sure Albanians could not get in.
His unit of Humvees and trucks patrol muddy roads in northern Kosovo, protecting tiny hamlets of Albanians from ethnic Serbs infuriated by the birth of the newest state in Europe.
The Minnesota native is one of 1,455 American troops taking part in a NATO peacekeeping force whose mission has become even more delicate since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.
The United States and many Western countries have recognized Kosovo's statehood, angering Serbs who consider the region the heart of their culture and orthodox religion. At the same time, NATO troops strive not to take sides between Kosovo's rival groups - putting them in a tough spot last week when Serbs vented their anger by destroying U.N. and NATO property, setting off hand grenades and staging protests.
Serbs used plastic explosives and bulldozers to destroy the two main U.N.-run border checkpoints between Kosovo and Serbia. Protesters tipped over metal sheds that housed Kosovo's multiethnic customs service and sent them sliding down a hill and into a river. They vandalized and set fire to passport control booths.
NATO peacekeepers did not intervene, apparently trying to avoid stoking tensions.
"We are ready to act tough in case of further such incidents," said Maj. Etienne du Fayet, the French spokesman of the NATO Task Force North stationed in Mitrovica, a Kosovo town split by a river into Albanian and Serbian sides.
Kosovo Albanians represent 90 percent of the new state's 2 million people. But here in the north, they are a tiny minority compared to Serbs.
Aliu Hazir, an ethnic Albanian living in an isolated mountain settlement, fears Serb anger could boil over into the sort of bloody ethnic cleansing campaign triggered by former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic's offensive against separatist Kosovo Albanians.
The bloodletting stopped only when NATO chased Serbian troops out in 1999, and Kosovo became a U.N.-administered province.
A big part of the 15,900 peacekeepers' mission is to protect the 30,000 Serbs who live in virtual ghettos in isolated enclaves on the Albanian-dominated territory.
"We are faced with a display of nationalism on both sides," said Krampitz, of Owatonna, Minn.
He's not the only Minnesotan serving in Kosovo. More than 400 members of the Minnesota National Guard are part of "Task Force Bayonet" with a mission of keeping communities safe and secure.
In addition to the NATO peacekeeping force, a multiethnic U.N. mission has administered the province since 1999. Further testing international resolve to keep Kosovo intact, the Serbs prevented Albanian policemen, judges and other staff of the U.N. mission from going to work in northern Kosovo since Sunday's independence declaration.
At least four hand grenades exploded in front of a U.N. court in Mitrovica in the past few days, as Serb judges and court clerks staged daily protests in front of the building to make sure Albanians could not get in.
Kosovo border creeps south, for 24 hours
By Matt Robinson
ZUPCE, Kosovo, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations persuaded Serbs on Sunday to remove two checkpoints they had set up 20 kms (12 miles) inside the border of newly independent Kosovo.
For 24 hours, a blue portacabin topped with floodlights stood at the side of the road running north to the Kosovo-Serbia border, manned by Kosovo Serb police officers checking vehicles.
The regional U.N. police chief negotiated with the local Serb authorities to have the cabin removed with the help of Danish NATO peacekeepers, watched by a crowd of agitated Serbs.
One week after its Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia, there is a sense Kosovo is destined for partition, with the Serb-dominated north splitting away.
If partition came, the frontier between the two sides would run where the portacabin was placed in Zupce.
"It's their imaginary red line," one Western official at the scene commented. "They're playing games with us, saying this is where the border post should be."
Another blue box was placed on the eastern edge of the Serb-dominated strip of northern Kosovo and later removed.
Serbia has not said explicitly it wants to partition Kosovo, but in rejecting the province's secession it has promised to strengthen its grip on Serb areas, notably the north where just under half of the 120,000 Serbs live with their backs to Serbia.
Kosovo's 90-percent Albanian majority rejects partition.
"Every part of Kosovo is under the full control of NATO, Kosovo police and the United Nations," Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said on Sunday. "We are following closely these events and we are ready to face all challenges."
The United Nations mission on Sunday turned down a request from Serbia's Minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, to visit Kosovo on Monday, a spokesman said. It cited "public security concerns".
The European Union is taking over supervision of Kosovo from the United Nations, which has run the territory since NATO went to war in 1999 to save its Albanians from Serb ethnic cleansing.
OCCUPATION
Serbs have rejected the mission as an "occupation".
The command structure in the Kosovo police service is now split between Serb and Albanian, the Serbs coordinating their work through the U.N. police and local municipalities, not through Pristina.
What few ties there were between the north and Pristina are breaking down. On Tuesday, mobs burned down the two border posts in the north, forcing NATO to intervene.
Danish, French and American soldiers now secure Gates 1 and 3-1. Kosovo police and customs officers have yet to return.
In Zupce, Serb cars without registration plates drove slowly up to the 'checkpoint' every 20 minutes, turning and driving back below Serbian flags flying from trees. A policeman waved through a Serb car, and stopped an Albanian to check his papers.
Next to Zupce, in the Albanian village of Cabra, Danish soldiers established a small base on Saturday, with armoured personnel carriers and tents.
If Kosovo was partitioned, Cabra would be cut off from the rest of Kosovo. (Additional reporting by Fatos Bytyci and Branislav Krstic; Editing by Douglas Hamilton and Robert Woodward)
ZUPCE, Kosovo, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations persuaded Serbs on Sunday to remove two checkpoints they had set up 20 kms (12 miles) inside the border of newly independent Kosovo.
For 24 hours, a blue portacabin topped with floodlights stood at the side of the road running north to the Kosovo-Serbia border, manned by Kosovo Serb police officers checking vehicles.
The regional U.N. police chief negotiated with the local Serb authorities to have the cabin removed with the help of Danish NATO peacekeepers, watched by a crowd of agitated Serbs.
One week after its Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia, there is a sense Kosovo is destined for partition, with the Serb-dominated north splitting away.
If partition came, the frontier between the two sides would run where the portacabin was placed in Zupce.
"It's their imaginary red line," one Western official at the scene commented. "They're playing games with us, saying this is where the border post should be."
Another blue box was placed on the eastern edge of the Serb-dominated strip of northern Kosovo and later removed.
Serbia has not said explicitly it wants to partition Kosovo, but in rejecting the province's secession it has promised to strengthen its grip on Serb areas, notably the north where just under half of the 120,000 Serbs live with their backs to Serbia.
Kosovo's 90-percent Albanian majority rejects partition.
"Every part of Kosovo is under the full control of NATO, Kosovo police and the United Nations," Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said on Sunday. "We are following closely these events and we are ready to face all challenges."
The United Nations mission on Sunday turned down a request from Serbia's Minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, to visit Kosovo on Monday, a spokesman said. It cited "public security concerns".
The European Union is taking over supervision of Kosovo from the United Nations, which has run the territory since NATO went to war in 1999 to save its Albanians from Serb ethnic cleansing.
OCCUPATION
Serbs have rejected the mission as an "occupation".
The command structure in the Kosovo police service is now split between Serb and Albanian, the Serbs coordinating their work through the U.N. police and local municipalities, not through Pristina.
What few ties there were between the north and Pristina are breaking down. On Tuesday, mobs burned down the two border posts in the north, forcing NATO to intervene.
Danish, French and American soldiers now secure Gates 1 and 3-1. Kosovo police and customs officers have yet to return.
In Zupce, Serb cars without registration plates drove slowly up to the 'checkpoint' every 20 minutes, turning and driving back below Serbian flags flying from trees. A policeman waved through a Serb car, and stopped an Albanian to check his papers.
Next to Zupce, in the Albanian village of Cabra, Danish soldiers established a small base on Saturday, with armoured personnel carriers and tents.
If Kosovo was partitioned, Cabra would be cut off from the rest of Kosovo. (Additional reporting by Fatos Bytyci and Branislav Krstic; Editing by Douglas Hamilton and Robert Woodward)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
British media criticised over wave of young 'suicides'
LONDON (AFP) — The British media is under the spotlight, accused of encouraging a flurry of apparent suicides by impressionable teenagers in and around the small town of Bridgend in the south Wales valleys.
In little over a year, 17 young people have been found dead, 16 of them hanged -- a rare method for suicide particularly among young girls -- and one hit by an oncoming train.
The latest was 16-year-old Jenna Parry. She was discovered hanging from a tree near her home in Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend. Last week, two cousins were found dead within hours of each other.
With so many deaths of young people -- all of whom were either related, knew each other or had some link with previous victims -- the British press has begun to talk of Internet suicide pacts and the area as "suicide county".
But the assertion has been strongly rejected, with police, families, lawmakers and mental health charities all accusing the media of encouraging copy-cats and sensationalism.
"I would like to put to bed any suggestion within the media that we are investigating suicide pacts or suicide Internet links," Dave Morris, an assistant chief constable with South Wales Police, said Tuesday.
"We are speaking to young people in Bridgend and what we are getting from them is that the media is starting to contribute to their thoughts in terms of how they feel, pressures they are under and Bridgend becoming stigmatised through the media."
Carwyn Jones, who represents the Bridgend area for the Labour Party in the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff, has also weighed in, criticising London-based papers for unbalanced coverage and having preconceived ideas about the town.
Sharon Pritchard, whose 15-year-old son was one of the two cousins found hanged last week, said: "The media coverage put the idea (of suicide) in Nathaniel's head."
But Morris admitted that all the young victims used social networking sites which could have been a factor -- as such media are more influential among the young than newspapers.
Statistically, Wales has the highest number of suicides in Britain -- 19.4 per every 100,000 men and 17.4 for the same number of women. Lack of facilities for young people in the Bridgend area have been highlighted.
Yet, although the town of Bridgend -- population 130,000 -- is in a former mining area, it is not particularly disadvantaged, having managed to attract foreign investors of the likes of Sony or Ford.
"It's described as a highly depressed former mining town -- but it's never been a mining town. And the town is getting an awful reputation," Carwyn Jones was quoted as saying in this week's Press Gazette trade newspaper.
British newspapers, which are bound by a code of conduct to avoid "excessive detail" about suicide methods, have also cited the "Werther effect" -- a contagion phenomenon among young people proposed by US academic David Phillips.
Phillips, a sociologist at the University of San Diego in California, draws a parallel between the number of actual suicides and the publication in 1774 of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther".
That triggered a wave of suicides in Europe among young, male "romantics".
The Guardian on Thursday cited research from Oxford University's department of psychiatry that said there was "compelling evidence" that news reports on, and fictional drama about, suicide increases suicidal behaviour.
Sue Simkins, from the centre for suicide research, said there was "clear evidence" reports describing suicide methods, condolences and online obituaries "romanticise" the deceased and lead to copy-cat attempts.
"Studies have also found increases in suicides after a picture is used of the victim or the location and where the story is sensationalised, is prominent in the paper and is repeated," she added.
In little over a year, 17 young people have been found dead, 16 of them hanged -- a rare method for suicide particularly among young girls -- and one hit by an oncoming train.
The latest was 16-year-old Jenna Parry. She was discovered hanging from a tree near her home in Cefn Cribwr, near Bridgend. Last week, two cousins were found dead within hours of each other.
With so many deaths of young people -- all of whom were either related, knew each other or had some link with previous victims -- the British press has begun to talk of Internet suicide pacts and the area as "suicide county".
But the assertion has been strongly rejected, with police, families, lawmakers and mental health charities all accusing the media of encouraging copy-cats and sensationalism.
"I would like to put to bed any suggestion within the media that we are investigating suicide pacts or suicide Internet links," Dave Morris, an assistant chief constable with South Wales Police, said Tuesday.
"We are speaking to young people in Bridgend and what we are getting from them is that the media is starting to contribute to their thoughts in terms of how they feel, pressures they are under and Bridgend becoming stigmatised through the media."
Carwyn Jones, who represents the Bridgend area for the Labour Party in the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff, has also weighed in, criticising London-based papers for unbalanced coverage and having preconceived ideas about the town.
Sharon Pritchard, whose 15-year-old son was one of the two cousins found hanged last week, said: "The media coverage put the idea (of suicide) in Nathaniel's head."
But Morris admitted that all the young victims used social networking sites which could have been a factor -- as such media are more influential among the young than newspapers.
Statistically, Wales has the highest number of suicides in Britain -- 19.4 per every 100,000 men and 17.4 for the same number of women. Lack of facilities for young people in the Bridgend area have been highlighted.
Yet, although the town of Bridgend -- population 130,000 -- is in a former mining area, it is not particularly disadvantaged, having managed to attract foreign investors of the likes of Sony or Ford.
"It's described as a highly depressed former mining town -- but it's never been a mining town. And the town is getting an awful reputation," Carwyn Jones was quoted as saying in this week's Press Gazette trade newspaper.
British newspapers, which are bound by a code of conduct to avoid "excessive detail" about suicide methods, have also cited the "Werther effect" -- a contagion phenomenon among young people proposed by US academic David Phillips.
Phillips, a sociologist at the University of San Diego in California, draws a parallel between the number of actual suicides and the publication in 1774 of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther".
That triggered a wave of suicides in Europe among young, male "romantics".
The Guardian on Thursday cited research from Oxford University's department of psychiatry that said there was "compelling evidence" that news reports on, and fictional drama about, suicide increases suicidal behaviour.
Sue Simkins, from the centre for suicide research, said there was "clear evidence" reports describing suicide methods, condolences and online obituaries "romanticise" the deceased and lead to copy-cat attempts.
"Studies have also found increases in suicides after a picture is used of the victim or the location and where the story is sensationalised, is prominent in the paper and is repeated," she added.
East Timor's Wounded President Regains Consciousness
By Phil Mercer
Sydney
21 February 2008
The East Timorese President, Jose Ramos-Horta, has regained consciousness from a drug-induced coma 10 days after he was shot in an assassination attempt. Doctors at the Australian hospital where Mr. Ramos-Horta is being treated say he has made good progress, although he remains in a serious condition. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
The East Timorese president has already had five operations in the past week and a half, and medical staff in Darwin say he will have to undergo more minor surgery.
The doctors say the president has been responding well to treatment, but he remains in intensive care, and it is not clear when he will be fit enough to leave hospital.
Dr. Len Notaras says Mr. Ramos-Horta is being brought back to consciousness in stages.
"He is now gradually waking up and the sedation is being reduced and has been gradually speaking to the senior clinical staff around him and to a number of very close family members as well," said Dr. Notaras. "His condition at this stage is still serious."
President Ramos-Horta was shot twice in the back and chest on February 11 in an attack by rebels in the East Timorese capital, Dili. The country's prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, was targeted in a separate ambush the same day, but escaped unharmed.
Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by followers of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was killed during the assault on Mr. Ramos-Horta.
Arrest warrants have been issued against 17 people suspected of being involved in the attempted assassinations.
Australian peacekeepers, along with reinforcements from Portugal, Malaysia and New Zealand, were deployed to East Timor in 2006.
They were sent to quell fighting between renegade elements of the East Timorese security forces - also led by Alfredo Reinado - and units loyal to the government.
Last week's assassination attempts prompted Australia to send an addition 200 troops and police officers to Dili amid fears of more unrest. International troops are now combing the area around Dili in search of the would-be assassins.
Sydney
21 February 2008
The East Timorese President, Jose Ramos-Horta, has regained consciousness from a drug-induced coma 10 days after he was shot in an assassination attempt. Doctors at the Australian hospital where Mr. Ramos-Horta is being treated say he has made good progress, although he remains in a serious condition. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
The East Timorese president has already had five operations in the past week and a half, and medical staff in Darwin say he will have to undergo more minor surgery.
The doctors say the president has been responding well to treatment, but he remains in intensive care, and it is not clear when he will be fit enough to leave hospital.
Dr. Len Notaras says Mr. Ramos-Horta is being brought back to consciousness in stages.
"He is now gradually waking up and the sedation is being reduced and has been gradually speaking to the senior clinical staff around him and to a number of very close family members as well," said Dr. Notaras. "His condition at this stage is still serious."
President Ramos-Horta was shot twice in the back and chest on February 11 in an attack by rebels in the East Timorese capital, Dili. The country's prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, was targeted in a separate ambush the same day, but escaped unharmed.
Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by followers of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was killed during the assault on Mr. Ramos-Horta.
Arrest warrants have been issued against 17 people suspected of being involved in the attempted assassinations.
Australian peacekeepers, along with reinforcements from Portugal, Malaysia and New Zealand, were deployed to East Timor in 2006.
They were sent to quell fighting between renegade elements of the East Timorese security forces - also led by Alfredo Reinado - and units loyal to the government.
Last week's assassination attempts prompted Australia to send an addition 200 troops and police officers to Dili amid fears of more unrest. International troops are now combing the area around Dili in search of the would-be assassins.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Profile: Cuba's Carlos Lage
By Patrick Jackson
BBC News
Cuba's de facto prime minister, Vice-President Carlos Lage, is tipped by some to play a greater political role after Fidel Castro's retirement.
Looking more like a bank manager than the right-hand man of a communist revolutionary leader, he has gradually become Cuba's face abroad, standing in for the ailing "Comandante" at Latin American summits and other foreign forums.
A doctor who worked his way up to the heights of Cuba's Communist Party and government, he has been described as a model child of the revolution.
If you are going to move from the historic generation, then he is absolutely a logical choice
Professor Antoni Kapcia
Nottingham University
He is also credited with doing much to rescue the economy in the 1990s after the collapse of Cuba's main economic partner, the USSR.
And for the Cuban revolution's enemies, the quiet 56-year-old may be seen as someone they can do business with, simply because he is not a Castro.
Doctor and manager
Born in Havana on 15 October 1951, Carlos Lage Davila trained as a paediatrician and spent time in Ethiopia as part of a Cuban medical contingent.
A leader of both the Federation of University Students and the Young Communist Union, he joined the Communist Party in 1976 and entered its Central Committee in 1980.
He accompanied Fidel Castro on foreign visits in the 1980s and early 1990s and was entrusted with drafting reforms to restructure the centralised economy.
LAGE'S ECONOMIC TRACK RECORD
Encouraged small businesses, more flexible land tenure, foreign investment and foreign tourism in 1990s
Oversaw legalisation of US dollar in 1993 (some restrictions re-imposed in 2004)
Negotiated 2004 deal with Venezuela to obtain cheap oil in return for Cuban medical aid
Latterly, as secretary of the Council of Ministers, he has effectively run the government, making him prime minister in all but name.
"I think the Cuban public tends to see him as a very efficient operator," says Antoni Kapcia, a professor at the UK's Nottingham University who has been researching Cuban politics for more than 30 years.
"Above all, people remember him as the man who oversaw economic reforms."
A more recent success was negotiating the oil-for-doctors deal with Venezuela.
Brian Latell, a former head of the CIA's Cuba division and author of After Fidel: Raul Castro And the Future of Cuba's Revolution, agrees he might make an effective leader.
"As in whatever few other strange places that continue to describe themselves as communist, the new Cuban brand will be pragmatic and flexible," he notes.
Foreign appeal
Neither flamboyant nor given to long speeches, Carlos Lage is so different from the charismatic Fidel Castro "that he is almost welcome", says Mr Kapcia.
Mr Latell observes that popularity, in any case, is hardly a prerequisite for Cuban leaders.
"Certainly Fidel was, for a time, and still with many," he says.
"But all the others, [Fidel Castro's brother] Raul included, do not operate on the basis of personal popularity. This is a dictatorship."
Outside Cuba, at least within Latin America, Mr Lage is said to enjoy much respect as a diplomat.
"He is seen as a very urbane, mild-mannered, sophisticated politician who gets on well with people," Mr Kapcia says.
The fact he is not Fidel or Raul Castro means he could be acceptable to the US should Washington initiate low-level talks, he suggests.
Anti-Castro exiles view him as someone who has "generally stayed outside the repression mechanisms", according to Andro Nodarse Leon of the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation.
"He is more of a party guy than a state police guy - unlike those whose hands are tainted with blood," says Mr Leon, who grew up in Havana in the 1980s.
Exiles who would never talk to the Castro brothers, he believes, might speak to someone like Mr Lage if they thought it could lead to an end to communist rule.
'Logical choice'
Yet, as Mr Kapcia points out, Carlos Lage is very much the Castro brothers' man.
"He is seen by the Cuban leadership as a safe pair of hands in terms of keeping the basics of the system together but making the necessary reforms," he says.
"He is also quite broadminded and quite willing to adapt, and the nature of the Cuban system is that it does adapt remarkably well.
"So if you are going to move from the historic generation, then he is absolutely a logical choice."
For Brian Latell, the chief measure of Mr Lage's success may simply be "the fact that he has survived for many years in very high office without alienating either Castro brother - quite an accomplishment".
BBC News
Cuba's de facto prime minister, Vice-President Carlos Lage, is tipped by some to play a greater political role after Fidel Castro's retirement.
Looking more like a bank manager than the right-hand man of a communist revolutionary leader, he has gradually become Cuba's face abroad, standing in for the ailing "Comandante" at Latin American summits and other foreign forums.
A doctor who worked his way up to the heights of Cuba's Communist Party and government, he has been described as a model child of the revolution.
If you are going to move from the historic generation, then he is absolutely a logical choice
Professor Antoni Kapcia
Nottingham University
He is also credited with doing much to rescue the economy in the 1990s after the collapse of Cuba's main economic partner, the USSR.
And for the Cuban revolution's enemies, the quiet 56-year-old may be seen as someone they can do business with, simply because he is not a Castro.
Doctor and manager
Born in Havana on 15 October 1951, Carlos Lage Davila trained as a paediatrician and spent time in Ethiopia as part of a Cuban medical contingent.
A leader of both the Federation of University Students and the Young Communist Union, he joined the Communist Party in 1976 and entered its Central Committee in 1980.
He accompanied Fidel Castro on foreign visits in the 1980s and early 1990s and was entrusted with drafting reforms to restructure the centralised economy.
LAGE'S ECONOMIC TRACK RECORD
Encouraged small businesses, more flexible land tenure, foreign investment and foreign tourism in 1990s
Oversaw legalisation of US dollar in 1993 (some restrictions re-imposed in 2004)
Negotiated 2004 deal with Venezuela to obtain cheap oil in return for Cuban medical aid
Latterly, as secretary of the Council of Ministers, he has effectively run the government, making him prime minister in all but name.
"I think the Cuban public tends to see him as a very efficient operator," says Antoni Kapcia, a professor at the UK's Nottingham University who has been researching Cuban politics for more than 30 years.
"Above all, people remember him as the man who oversaw economic reforms."
A more recent success was negotiating the oil-for-doctors deal with Venezuela.
Brian Latell, a former head of the CIA's Cuba division and author of After Fidel: Raul Castro And the Future of Cuba's Revolution, agrees he might make an effective leader.
"As in whatever few other strange places that continue to describe themselves as communist, the new Cuban brand will be pragmatic and flexible," he notes.
Foreign appeal
Neither flamboyant nor given to long speeches, Carlos Lage is so different from the charismatic Fidel Castro "that he is almost welcome", says Mr Kapcia.
Mr Latell observes that popularity, in any case, is hardly a prerequisite for Cuban leaders.
"Certainly Fidel was, for a time, and still with many," he says.
"But all the others, [Fidel Castro's brother] Raul included, do not operate on the basis of personal popularity. This is a dictatorship."
Outside Cuba, at least within Latin America, Mr Lage is said to enjoy much respect as a diplomat.
"He is seen as a very urbane, mild-mannered, sophisticated politician who gets on well with people," Mr Kapcia says.
The fact he is not Fidel or Raul Castro means he could be acceptable to the US should Washington initiate low-level talks, he suggests.
Anti-Castro exiles view him as someone who has "generally stayed outside the repression mechanisms", according to Andro Nodarse Leon of the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation.
"He is more of a party guy than a state police guy - unlike those whose hands are tainted with blood," says Mr Leon, who grew up in Havana in the 1980s.
Exiles who would never talk to the Castro brothers, he believes, might speak to someone like Mr Lage if they thought it could lead to an end to communist rule.
'Logical choice'
Yet, as Mr Kapcia points out, Carlos Lage is very much the Castro brothers' man.
"He is seen by the Cuban leadership as a safe pair of hands in terms of keeping the basics of the system together but making the necessary reforms," he says.
"He is also quite broadminded and quite willing to adapt, and the nature of the Cuban system is that it does adapt remarkably well.
"So if you are going to move from the historic generation, then he is absolutely a logical choice."
For Brian Latell, the chief measure of Mr Lage's success may simply be "the fact that he has survived for many years in very high office without alienating either Castro brother - quite an accomplishment".
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
US Rules Out Quick Cuba Policy Change
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration is ruling out any changes in its Cuba policy — including lifting a five-decade trade embargo — after Fidel Castro's resignation, deriding his brother and heir apparent, Raul, as "dictator lite."
Despite having openly wished for Castro's demise and the end of his rule for years, U.S. officials said Tuesday that Castro's decision to step down on his own terms leaves little hope for real democratic transition in communist Cuba during Bush's final year in office, although it may open options for his successor in the White House.
Led by President Bush, a chorus of officials expressed hope that Castro's departure would spark fundamental changes for the Cuban people. But they also said they doubted that would happen under Raul Castro and said there was little chance the nearly 50-year-old U.S. embargo on Cuba would be lifted.
"They're the ones who suffered under Fidel Castro," Bush told a news conference in Rwanda. "They're the ones who were put in prison because of their beliefs. They're the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society. So I view this as a period of transition and it should be the beginning of the democratic transition in Cuba."
"Eventually, this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections — and I mean free, and I mean fair — not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as true democracy," Bush said. "The United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty."
Even as U.S. lawmakers suggested Castro's retirement should set off a review of U.S. policy, senior State Department officials in Washington said there would be no lifting of the embargo, which has been the centerpiece of American policy toward Cuba since it was first imposed in 1960 and strengthened in 1962.
"I can't imagine that happening any time soon," said Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.
The ailing Castro, 81, who has called the embargo "criminal" and claims its impact has run into the tens of billions of dollars, announced earlier Tuesday he would not accept another term in office when parliament meets to elect a new president this weekend.
Castro outlasted nine U.S. presidents who, with some minor policy adjustments, have steadily ramped up pressure on Cuba. At least two Secretaries of State, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, said publicly while in office that they hoped "the actuarial tables" would catch up with the aging Cuban leader who was a persistent thorn in Washington's side.
Long-standing U.S. irritation with Castro was evident on Tuesday with officials stressing they were not optimistic for any kind of quick change under Raul Castro, to whom Fidel ceded power temporarily in July 2006.
"The changing of the guard is not significant of and by itself," deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters, repeatedly referring to Raul Castro as "dictator lite" or "Fidel lite."
"It will be significant if in fact it leads to greater openness and freedom for the Cuban people and ultimately to a democratic transition," he said. But he cautioned that "the general analysis is that Raul Castro is 'Fidel lite.' He is simply a continuation of the Castro regime, of the dictatorship."
Jumping into the fray, the top three U.S. presidential candidates all said Washington should look for ways to encourage democratic reforms in Cuba, steps that could lead to normalizing U.S. relations with Cuba later on.
Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and Republican John McCain called for the release of Cuban political prisoners and said the United States should look for ways to encourage democratic reforms in Cuba.
"The United States must pursue an active policy that does everything possible to advance the cause of freedom, democracy and opportunity in Cuba," Clinton said.
Obama said the U.S. must be prepared to take steps to normalize relations with Cuba and to ease the embargo if Cuba's new leaders "begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change."
McCain underscored that "freedom for the Cuban people is not yet at hand."
In Congress, more than 100 lawmakers from both sides of the aisle signed a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging a "tough-minded review" of current U.S. policy toward Cuba, which they said had left the United States "without influence at this critical moment" on the island.
"After fifty years, it is time for us to think and act anew," they said.
Separately, Rep. Howard L. Berman, D-Calif., the acting chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would call hearings on the development that "may provide an opportunity for the United States to inject creativity and fresh ideas into that policy to better achieve our common goal of bringing freedom to the people of Cuba."
Meanwhile, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Miami-area Republican who was born in Havana, said Castro's resignation was irrelevant because his regime had already "done great harm to the suffering Cuban people." She urged the administration to look into indicting both Castros for Cuba's 1996 shoot-down of a humanitarian relief plane.
Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who is of Cuban descent, said Castro's resignation "is not the cause for celebration that some would believe. This does not represent the replacement of totalitarianism with democracy. Instead, it is the replacement of one dictator with another."
Cuban leaders have often expressed willingness to deal with the United States — but only on Cuban terms — conditions that look nothing like the U.S. demands laid down to lift the embargo in the Helms-Burton Act of 1996.
The law grants U.S. presidents broad leeway over how to enforce the embargo but the embargo rules themselves will stand as long as either Raul or Fidel are in power, according to Helms-Burton.
Still, Raul Castro has repeatedly offered to improve relations with Washington, even if the Bush administration shows no sign of taking him up on it. He has hinted he favors greater, if still limited economic freedom. And he's already allowed more, if limited, public criticism of the government.
Since taking the provisional presidency, he has extradited three U.S. fugitives, reduced the number of Cuban political prisoners by more than 20 percent and refrained from imposing the death penalty in two military mutinies where firing squads seemed likely. He also said Cuban forces would recapture any terror suspects who escape from the Guantanamo prison.
MATTHEW LEE
Despite having openly wished for Castro's demise and the end of his rule for years, U.S. officials said Tuesday that Castro's decision to step down on his own terms leaves little hope for real democratic transition in communist Cuba during Bush's final year in office, although it may open options for his successor in the White House.
Led by President Bush, a chorus of officials expressed hope that Castro's departure would spark fundamental changes for the Cuban people. But they also said they doubted that would happen under Raul Castro and said there was little chance the nearly 50-year-old U.S. embargo on Cuba would be lifted.
"They're the ones who suffered under Fidel Castro," Bush told a news conference in Rwanda. "They're the ones who were put in prison because of their beliefs. They're the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society. So I view this as a period of transition and it should be the beginning of the democratic transition in Cuba."
"Eventually, this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections — and I mean free, and I mean fair — not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as true democracy," Bush said. "The United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty."
Even as U.S. lawmakers suggested Castro's retirement should set off a review of U.S. policy, senior State Department officials in Washington said there would be no lifting of the embargo, which has been the centerpiece of American policy toward Cuba since it was first imposed in 1960 and strengthened in 1962.
"I can't imagine that happening any time soon," said Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.
The ailing Castro, 81, who has called the embargo "criminal" and claims its impact has run into the tens of billions of dollars, announced earlier Tuesday he would not accept another term in office when parliament meets to elect a new president this weekend.
Castro outlasted nine U.S. presidents who, with some minor policy adjustments, have steadily ramped up pressure on Cuba. At least two Secretaries of State, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, said publicly while in office that they hoped "the actuarial tables" would catch up with the aging Cuban leader who was a persistent thorn in Washington's side.
Long-standing U.S. irritation with Castro was evident on Tuesday with officials stressing they were not optimistic for any kind of quick change under Raul Castro, to whom Fidel ceded power temporarily in July 2006.
"The changing of the guard is not significant of and by itself," deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters, repeatedly referring to Raul Castro as "dictator lite" or "Fidel lite."
"It will be significant if in fact it leads to greater openness and freedom for the Cuban people and ultimately to a democratic transition," he said. But he cautioned that "the general analysis is that Raul Castro is 'Fidel lite.' He is simply a continuation of the Castro regime, of the dictatorship."
Jumping into the fray, the top three U.S. presidential candidates all said Washington should look for ways to encourage democratic reforms in Cuba, steps that could lead to normalizing U.S. relations with Cuba later on.
Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and Republican John McCain called for the release of Cuban political prisoners and said the United States should look for ways to encourage democratic reforms in Cuba.
"The United States must pursue an active policy that does everything possible to advance the cause of freedom, democracy and opportunity in Cuba," Clinton said.
Obama said the U.S. must be prepared to take steps to normalize relations with Cuba and to ease the embargo if Cuba's new leaders "begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change."
McCain underscored that "freedom for the Cuban people is not yet at hand."
In Congress, more than 100 lawmakers from both sides of the aisle signed a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging a "tough-minded review" of current U.S. policy toward Cuba, which they said had left the United States "without influence at this critical moment" on the island.
"After fifty years, it is time for us to think and act anew," they said.
Separately, Rep. Howard L. Berman, D-Calif., the acting chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would call hearings on the development that "may provide an opportunity for the United States to inject creativity and fresh ideas into that policy to better achieve our common goal of bringing freedom to the people of Cuba."
Meanwhile, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Miami-area Republican who was born in Havana, said Castro's resignation was irrelevant because his regime had already "done great harm to the suffering Cuban people." She urged the administration to look into indicting both Castros for Cuba's 1996 shoot-down of a humanitarian relief plane.
Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who is of Cuban descent, said Castro's resignation "is not the cause for celebration that some would believe. This does not represent the replacement of totalitarianism with democracy. Instead, it is the replacement of one dictator with another."
Cuban leaders have often expressed willingness to deal with the United States — but only on Cuban terms — conditions that look nothing like the U.S. demands laid down to lift the embargo in the Helms-Burton Act of 1996.
The law grants U.S. presidents broad leeway over how to enforce the embargo but the embargo rules themselves will stand as long as either Raul or Fidel are in power, according to Helms-Burton.
Still, Raul Castro has repeatedly offered to improve relations with Washington, even if the Bush administration shows no sign of taking him up on it. He has hinted he favors greater, if still limited economic freedom. And he's already allowed more, if limited, public criticism of the government.
Since taking the provisional presidency, he has extradited three U.S. fugitives, reduced the number of Cuban political prisoners by more than 20 percent and refrained from imposing the death penalty in two military mutinies where firing squads seemed likely. He also said Cuban forces would recapture any terror suspects who escape from the Guantanamo prison.
MATTHEW LEE
Musharraf's rivals win Pakistan election
(Releads after pro-Musharraf party concedes defeat)
By Robert Birsel
ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's opponents won a big election victory on Tuesday after voters rejected his former ruling party, raising questions about the future of the U.S. ally who has ruled since 1999.
Counting was continuing with results still awaited from almost 100 seats, but no party was expected to win a majority in the 342-seat National Assembly.
The opposition parties of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appeared to have won enough to command a majority, according to unofficial results. But there is no certainty that they will work together.
The pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League was trailing a distant third, and the party's spokesman conceded defeat but kept open the possibility of joining a coalition.
"Obviously, the nation has spoken through the ballot. We couldn't convince them. They have rejected our policies and we have accepted their verdict," PML's Tariq Azim Khan told Reuters.
"For the best interest of the country, we're willing to cooperate and work with anybody. Otherwise, we're also ready to play our role in opposition."
According to unofficial results from 241 seats, Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had won 80 and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had 64.
The pro-Musharraf PML trailed with 37. Small parties and independents shared the others.
Musharraf has said he would accept the results and work with whoever won to build democracy in a country that has alternated between civilian and army rule throughout its 60-year history.
DECISIVE FACTOR
Some analysts said the decisive factor in the PML's defeat was Musharraf's unpopularity and resentment over inflation, food shortages and power cuts.
Groups of happy opposition supporters celebrated in the streets in cities across the country as results trickled out.
Full unofficial results are due later on Tuesday.
Pakistan's main stock market welcomed the peaceful polls and absence of rigging complaints, and shares rose more than 3 percent. But dealers said the formation of a parliament hostile to Musharraf would make investors nervous.
Monday's vote was postponed from Jan. 8 after Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack on Dec. 27, which raised concern about the nuclear-armed country's stability.
As president, former army chief Musharraf did not contest the elections, aimed at completing a transition to civilian rule, but the outcome could seal his fate.
A hostile parliament could try to remove Musharraf, who took power as a general in a 1999 coup and emerged as a crucial U.S. ally in a "war on terror" that most Pakistanis think is Washington's, not theirs.
Analysts said the implications for a president whose popularity slumped after he imposed emergency rule and purged the judiciary last year were ominous.
"It's the moment of truth for the president," said Abbas Nasir, editor of the Dawn newspaper. "There will be thoughts swirling in his mind, whether he can forge a working relationship with two parties whose leadership he kept out of the country."
Bhutto spent eight years in self-exile to avoid corruption charges she denied. Sharif was exiled a year after Musharraf ousted him in 1999. Both returned late last year.
Sharif was barred from the election because of past criminal convictions he says were politically motivated.
The election was relatively peaceful after a bloody campaign and opposition fears of rampant rigging by Musharraf's supporters proved unfounded.
COALITION QUESTIONS
The PPP, led by Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, had been expected to reap a sympathy vote, while Sharif's party is doing surprisingly well despite a mixed record as prime minister, when he clashed with the judiciary.
His defiance of old foe Musharraf and support for the judges he purged had paid off, analysts said.
A victory for Sharif, who has repeatedly called for Musharraf's removal, or the inclusion of his party in a coalition with the PPP would be disastrous for the president.
Some analysts said differences between the PPP and Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif made a coalition doubtful.
A secular ethnic Pashtun nationalist party was winning in North West Frontier Province, beating Islamists who won in 2002.
Fear appeared to have kept many people from the polls. An election watchdog group put turnout at 35 percent. At least 20 people were killed in election violence, including, Zardari said, 15 PPP activists. (To read more about the Pakistan election, double-click on [nSP61741]; and visit the Reuters blog "Pakistan: Now or Never?" here) (Additional reporting by Zeeshan Haider, Faisal Aziz and Sahar Ahmed in Karachi; Editing by Alex Richardson)
© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
By Robert Birsel
ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's opponents won a big election victory on Tuesday after voters rejected his former ruling party, raising questions about the future of the U.S. ally who has ruled since 1999.
Counting was continuing with results still awaited from almost 100 seats, but no party was expected to win a majority in the 342-seat National Assembly.
The opposition parties of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appeared to have won enough to command a majority, according to unofficial results. But there is no certainty that they will work together.
The pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League was trailing a distant third, and the party's spokesman conceded defeat but kept open the possibility of joining a coalition.
"Obviously, the nation has spoken through the ballot. We couldn't convince them. They have rejected our policies and we have accepted their verdict," PML's Tariq Azim Khan told Reuters.
"For the best interest of the country, we're willing to cooperate and work with anybody. Otherwise, we're also ready to play our role in opposition."
According to unofficial results from 241 seats, Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had won 80 and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had 64.
The pro-Musharraf PML trailed with 37. Small parties and independents shared the others.
Musharraf has said he would accept the results and work with whoever won to build democracy in a country that has alternated between civilian and army rule throughout its 60-year history.
DECISIVE FACTOR
Some analysts said the decisive factor in the PML's defeat was Musharraf's unpopularity and resentment over inflation, food shortages and power cuts.
Groups of happy opposition supporters celebrated in the streets in cities across the country as results trickled out.
Full unofficial results are due later on Tuesday.
Pakistan's main stock market welcomed the peaceful polls and absence of rigging complaints, and shares rose more than 3 percent. But dealers said the formation of a parliament hostile to Musharraf would make investors nervous.
Monday's vote was postponed from Jan. 8 after Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack on Dec. 27, which raised concern about the nuclear-armed country's stability.
As president, former army chief Musharraf did not contest the elections, aimed at completing a transition to civilian rule, but the outcome could seal his fate.
A hostile parliament could try to remove Musharraf, who took power as a general in a 1999 coup and emerged as a crucial U.S. ally in a "war on terror" that most Pakistanis think is Washington's, not theirs.
Analysts said the implications for a president whose popularity slumped after he imposed emergency rule and purged the judiciary last year were ominous.
"It's the moment of truth for the president," said Abbas Nasir, editor of the Dawn newspaper. "There will be thoughts swirling in his mind, whether he can forge a working relationship with two parties whose leadership he kept out of the country."
Bhutto spent eight years in self-exile to avoid corruption charges she denied. Sharif was exiled a year after Musharraf ousted him in 1999. Both returned late last year.
Sharif was barred from the election because of past criminal convictions he says were politically motivated.
The election was relatively peaceful after a bloody campaign and opposition fears of rampant rigging by Musharraf's supporters proved unfounded.
COALITION QUESTIONS
The PPP, led by Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, had been expected to reap a sympathy vote, while Sharif's party is doing surprisingly well despite a mixed record as prime minister, when he clashed with the judiciary.
His defiance of old foe Musharraf and support for the judges he purged had paid off, analysts said.
A victory for Sharif, who has repeatedly called for Musharraf's removal, or the inclusion of his party in a coalition with the PPP would be disastrous for the president.
Some analysts said differences between the PPP and Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif made a coalition doubtful.
A secular ethnic Pashtun nationalist party was winning in North West Frontier Province, beating Islamists who won in 2002.
Fear appeared to have kept many people from the polls. An election watchdog group put turnout at 35 percent. At least 20 people were killed in election violence, including, Zardari said, 15 PPP activists. (To read more about the Pakistan election, double-click on [nSP61741]; and visit the Reuters blog "Pakistan: Now or Never?" here) (Additional reporting by Zeeshan Haider, Faisal Aziz and Sahar Ahmed in Karachi; Editing by Alex Richardson)
© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Official NYC Condom Gets Makeover for Valentine's Day
“Get some” free NYC condoms on this special lovers’ day – February 14 – it’s for your own safety and your partner’s, city authorities are campaigning this week.
New York City’s Health Department is continuing its free condom initiative by issuing a redesigned edition of the famous NYC condoms.
“We want to give away as many condoms as people will use because we're trying to make New York City an even safer place to have sex, and this is a powerful way to do it,” Monica Sweeney, the Health Department's assistant commissioner for HIV prevention and control, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
This year’s initiative includes street teams handing out “friendly-looking” condoms on Thursday, in locations such as Times Square, Wall Street and near City Hall and an ad campaign on television and radio as well as in subways and buses, encouraging everyone and all to “get some.”
The city has been making efforts to reduce rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies among its dwellers for years, and one essential part of its campaign has been the free condoms initiative. Last year, authorities even redesigned the package to make it more attractive for would-be users.
This year, a revamp has occurred again.
“Good design can help bring condoms out of the closet,” designer Yves Behar, founder of the San Francisco-based design agency, fuseproject, explained. “The brand’s friendly design and the dispenser’s approachable shape convey openness and acceptance. They say condoms are nothing to be embarrassed about.”
The “fresh package design” and “elegant new dispenser” were both gifts to New York City from Behar, whose clients include One Laptop Per Child, Johnson and Johnson, Jawbone and Herman Miller, the city specified in a press release.
About 100,000 of New York's 8.2 million residents have HIV or AIDS, and many more are diagnosed each year.
NYC doubled the monthly number of free condoms it gave away starting with 2007’s redesign, from 1.5 million to 3 million. Sweeney said some 900 establishments currently offer condoms. She added that more than 36 million free condoms were given away last year.
New York City’s Health Department is continuing its free condom initiative by issuing a redesigned edition of the famous NYC condoms.
“We want to give away as many condoms as people will use because we're trying to make New York City an even safer place to have sex, and this is a powerful way to do it,” Monica Sweeney, the Health Department's assistant commissioner for HIV prevention and control, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
This year’s initiative includes street teams handing out “friendly-looking” condoms on Thursday, in locations such as Times Square, Wall Street and near City Hall and an ad campaign on television and radio as well as in subways and buses, encouraging everyone and all to “get some.”
The city has been making efforts to reduce rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies among its dwellers for years, and one essential part of its campaign has been the free condoms initiative. Last year, authorities even redesigned the package to make it more attractive for would-be users.
This year, a revamp has occurred again.
“Good design can help bring condoms out of the closet,” designer Yves Behar, founder of the San Francisco-based design agency, fuseproject, explained. “The brand’s friendly design and the dispenser’s approachable shape convey openness and acceptance. They say condoms are nothing to be embarrassed about.”
The “fresh package design” and “elegant new dispenser” were both gifts to New York City from Behar, whose clients include One Laptop Per Child, Johnson and Johnson, Jawbone and Herman Miller, the city specified in a press release.
About 100,000 of New York's 8.2 million residents have HIV or AIDS, and many more are diagnosed each year.
NYC doubled the monthly number of free condoms it gave away starting with 2007’s redesign, from 1.5 million to 3 million. Sweeney said some 900 establishments currently offer condoms. She added that more than 36 million free condoms were given away last year.
Israel goes on alert after top terrorist killed
JERUSALEM: Israeli security instructed embassies and Jewish institutions around the world to go on alert Thursday for fear of revenge attacks for a car bomb that killed a top-wanted terrorist, Imad Mughniyeh, officials said.
Soon after the explosion in the Syrian capital of Damascus Wednesday that killed the Hezbollah fugitive, Israel insisted it was not the perpetrator. But the perception that Israel wanted Mughniyeh dead left the Iranian-backed militia and many in the Arab world pointing a finger at the Jewish state.
Mughniyeh was the suspected mastermind of several attacks that killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon and of cruel kidnappings of Westerners.
Israeli embassies have gone on alert and Israeli security has instructed Jewish institutions to also be aware, Israeli officials said on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to discuss security matters with the press. Israel's Foreign Ministry would not comment.
The Shin Bet security service has ordered security increased at several points, defense officials said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter. Israel Radio reported that security had been raised on airplanes, and boats and at sensitive installations.
The army raised its awareness on its border with Lebanon and in the Palestinian territories for fear of attacks and kidnappings, the defense officials said. The Israeli army spokesman would not comment.
Mughniyeh's killing is expected to raise Israel-Hezbollah tensions and could ignite a new round of cross-border hostilities despite Israel's denial of involvement
Soon after the explosion in the Syrian capital of Damascus Wednesday that killed the Hezbollah fugitive, Israel insisted it was not the perpetrator. But the perception that Israel wanted Mughniyeh dead left the Iranian-backed militia and many in the Arab world pointing a finger at the Jewish state.
Mughniyeh was the suspected mastermind of several attacks that killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon and of cruel kidnappings of Westerners.
Israeli embassies have gone on alert and Israeli security has instructed Jewish institutions to also be aware, Israeli officials said on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to discuss security matters with the press. Israel's Foreign Ministry would not comment.
The Shin Bet security service has ordered security increased at several points, defense officials said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter. Israel Radio reported that security had been raised on airplanes, and boats and at sensitive installations.
The army raised its awareness on its border with Lebanon and in the Palestinian territories for fear of attacks and kidnappings, the defense officials said. The Israeli army spokesman would not comment.
Mughniyeh's killing is expected to raise Israel-Hezbollah tensions and could ignite a new round of cross-border hostilities despite Israel's denial of involvement
Official: Shooting victim brain dead
OXNARD, Calif.—A brain dead 15-year-old boy was on a ventilator Thursday for possible organ donation, and a classmate suspected of shooting him in the head was under arrest on investigation of attempted murder, authorities said.
Eighth-grader Lawrence King was shot Tuesday during a class at E.O. Green Junior High, police said.
He was pronounced brain dead Wednesday at St. John's Regional Medical Center after examination by two neurosurgeons, Ventura County Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Craig Stevens said.
King was on a ventilator while his family decided on organ donation, Stevens said.
Oxnard Police Department spokesman David Keith announced earlier that King was dead. "I'm sticking with my earlier statement. I was informed by the hospital that he has passed away," Keith said.
He said the teen's family asked police to not comment on King's medical condition.
The hospital referred inquiries to police.
The unidentified 14-year-old classmate arrested after the shooting was booked Tuesday for investigation of attempted murder.
If King dies, the 14-year-old could face charges of murder and use of a firearm in commission of murder, prosecutor Greg Totten said.
Police have not alleged a motive for the shooting, but said there appeared to have been "bad blood" between the teens. Police said a handgun was used in the attack, which occurred with more than 20 other students in the room.
King had been under the care
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of the county foster care system and lived at Casa Pacifica, a nearby center for abused and neglected children, said Steve Elson, the facility's chief executive.
"We're are all stunned and it's just an unspeakable tragedy," Elson said.
King had been receiving help from school support staff, district Superintendent Jerry Dannenberg said. He had no details on the type of assistance the teen needed.
About three-quarters of the junior high's 1,150 students body showed up Wednesday for school, where psychologists held counseling sessions, Dannenberg said.
Oxnard is about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Eighth-grader Lawrence King was shot Tuesday during a class at E.O. Green Junior High, police said.
He was pronounced brain dead Wednesday at St. John's Regional Medical Center after examination by two neurosurgeons, Ventura County Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Craig Stevens said.
King was on a ventilator while his family decided on organ donation, Stevens said.
Oxnard Police Department spokesman David Keith announced earlier that King was dead. "I'm sticking with my earlier statement. I was informed by the hospital that he has passed away," Keith said.
He said the teen's family asked police to not comment on King's medical condition.
The hospital referred inquiries to police.
The unidentified 14-year-old classmate arrested after the shooting was booked Tuesday for investigation of attempted murder.
If King dies, the 14-year-old could face charges of murder and use of a firearm in commission of murder, prosecutor Greg Totten said.
Police have not alleged a motive for the shooting, but said there appeared to have been "bad blood" between the teens. Police said a handgun was used in the attack, which occurred with more than 20 other students in the room.
King had been under the care
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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of the county foster care system and lived at Casa Pacifica, a nearby center for abused and neglected children, said Steve Elson, the facility's chief executive.
"We're are all stunned and it's just an unspeakable tragedy," Elson said.
King had been receiving help from school support staff, district Superintendent Jerry Dannenberg said. He had no details on the type of assistance the teen needed.
About three-quarters of the junior high's 1,150 students body showed up Wednesday for school, where psychologists held counseling sessions, Dannenberg said.
Oxnard is about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Senate Ethics Committee Admonishes Craig
(The Politico) The Senate Ethics Committee officially admonished Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Wednesday, almost six months after the Republican was arrested in a Minneapolis airport restroom for lewd conduct.
In a letter signed by all six members of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the members affirmed the initial guilty plea that Craig signed after an undercover officer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport arrested him in a men's room sting.
"The committee accepts as proven your guilty plea and all matter set forth in your guilty plea," the letter read.
In the official ruling, the senators also cast doubt on Craig's later pleas of innocence after the arrest report was unearthed.
"Your claims to the court, through counsel, to the effect that your guilty plea resulted from improper pressure or coercion, or that as a legal matter, know what you were doing when you pled guilty, do not appear credible," said the letter.
In addition, the committee members berated Craig for attempting to use the influence of his office to avoid arrest and failing to notify the panel that he had used $213,000 in campaign funds to pay his legal fees, a violation of Senate rules. Campaign funds can only be used to pay legal bills related to a lawmaker's official duties.
The letter included unusually stern language for the Ethics panel, not normally known for its tough treatment of colleagues.
"We consider your attempt to withdraw your guilty plea to be an attempt to evade the legal consequences of an action freely undertaken by you - that is, pleading guilty," said the letter.
The Ethics Committee released the letter late Wednesday as most lawmakers and reporters were headed to the annual dinner sponsored by the Washington Press Club Foundation.
Copyright 2008 POLITICO
In a letter signed by all six members of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the members affirmed the initial guilty plea that Craig signed after an undercover officer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport arrested him in a men's room sting.
"The committee accepts as proven your guilty plea and all matter set forth in your guilty plea," the letter read.
In the official ruling, the senators also cast doubt on Craig's later pleas of innocence after the arrest report was unearthed.
"Your claims to the court, through counsel, to the effect that your guilty plea resulted from improper pressure or coercion, or that as a legal matter, know what you were doing when you pled guilty, do not appear credible," said the letter.
In addition, the committee members berated Craig for attempting to use the influence of his office to avoid arrest and failing to notify the panel that he had used $213,000 in campaign funds to pay his legal fees, a violation of Senate rules. Campaign funds can only be used to pay legal bills related to a lawmaker's official duties.
The letter included unusually stern language for the Ethics panel, not normally known for its tough treatment of colleagues.
"We consider your attempt to withdraw your guilty plea to be an attempt to evade the legal consequences of an action freely undertaken by you - that is, pleading guilty," said the letter.
The Ethics Committee released the letter late Wednesday as most lawmakers and reporters were headed to the annual dinner sponsored by the Washington Press Club Foundation.
Copyright 2008 POLITICO
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Magical History Of The Wedding Kiss
A kiss is still a kiss no matter if you do it the French way or any way. So why has that short sow of affection between the bride and groom became such an awaited part on most weddings?
Today's wedding kiss is a testament to the newlywed's devotion and love for each other but it had a more practical meaning during the Roman Times when it was used to seal the legal bond or marriage contract. This may be the origin of the expression "sealed with a kiss" and that does not only refer to a wedding. It seems that the Romans are known for their fascination to the ancient art of kissing. They started the passionate betrothal kiss which is said to be the origin of the kiss which was done at the end of the ceremony.
That kiss between the new husband and wife serves as a public agreement that they willingly enter into a life-long contract called marriage. The more superstitious ones believe that the wedding kiss paves the way for the mingling of the couples' souls.
Even the Catholics had their share of popularizing kissing when it was made part of the Catholic Mass in the 13th century. This practice was however removed during the Protestant Revolution although Christians have continuously kissed the Pope's ring.
But while Catholic weddings are characterized by the kissing of the bride, it was the Russians who first incorporated this tradition into the wedding ceremony to seal the promise with the act. Even modern weddings have these rites not only in the church but even during the reception. Traditionally, the guests signal their desire to witness the kissing of the bride and groom by clinking their glasses during the reception.
However, some couples distribute wedding bells not only as favors but also to be used by the guests requesting a kiss of their own. Whatever the history of the wedding kiss, it sure makes the event more romantic and memorable.
Today's wedding kiss is a testament to the newlywed's devotion and love for each other but it had a more practical meaning during the Roman Times when it was used to seal the legal bond or marriage contract. This may be the origin of the expression "sealed with a kiss" and that does not only refer to a wedding. It seems that the Romans are known for their fascination to the ancient art of kissing. They started the passionate betrothal kiss which is said to be the origin of the kiss which was done at the end of the ceremony.
That kiss between the new husband and wife serves as a public agreement that they willingly enter into a life-long contract called marriage. The more superstitious ones believe that the wedding kiss paves the way for the mingling of the couples' souls.
Even the Catholics had their share of popularizing kissing when it was made part of the Catholic Mass in the 13th century. This practice was however removed during the Protestant Revolution although Christians have continuously kissed the Pope's ring.
But while Catholic weddings are characterized by the kissing of the bride, it was the Russians who first incorporated this tradition into the wedding ceremony to seal the promise with the act. Even modern weddings have these rites not only in the church but even during the reception. Traditionally, the guests signal their desire to witness the kissing of the bride and groom by clinking their glasses during the reception.
However, some couples distribute wedding bells not only as favors but also to be used by the guests requesting a kiss of their own. Whatever the history of the wedding kiss, it sure makes the event more romantic and memorable.
World of Warcraft Gold Diggers
World of Warcraft is a very competitive game. I'm sure that this is definitely not what Blizzard Entertainment meant when they first released the game, but reality is that WoW gamers became over-competitive and achieving WoW gold is not the primary mission of gamers from all over the world.
The quest for WoW gold has produced some pretty weird ways of achieving the desired goods. One of the most fascinating outcomes of this Gold craze is the WoW gold sweat shops. During the last years many people recognized the ability to sell WoW gold for real money. This effect drove people to establish some sort of WoW gold factories in which the workers played hours after hours of Wold of Warcraft and gained large amounts of gold. After the gold was achieved the "factory owners" published it on forums and internet sites that are dedicated to World of Warcraft and offered to sell the gold to other players. This virtual market became very popular among avid WoW gamers who used to spend big amounts of money on buying WoW gold.
When this phenomenon became a bit too big, Blizzard Entertainment decided to put an end to it and announced that selling WoW gold is forbidden and that gamers who will buy gold will face penal actions and might get their account deleted. This announcement, however, failed to stop the WoW gold merchants from selling it on forums and chat rooms. Still, many World of Warcraft gamers decided to look for a different way to achieve gold and discovered WoW gold guides.
World of Warcraft gold guides are the best tool for fast and easy gold. Since buying WoW gold isn't acceptable anymore gamers must count on themselves and use all sorts of strategies and tactics for achieving the precious resource. Nowadays you can find many informative WoW gold guides that offer players tons of excellent tips and tricks for their favorite role-playing game. Not only that using World of Warcraft gold guides is less dangerous, it is even better for gamers who want to experience the real joy of the game without using forbidden (and cowardly) tactics such as buying WoW gold. For serious gamers we always suggest World of Warcraft gold guides.
Jessie Wilson
The quest for WoW gold has produced some pretty weird ways of achieving the desired goods. One of the most fascinating outcomes of this Gold craze is the WoW gold sweat shops. During the last years many people recognized the ability to sell WoW gold for real money. This effect drove people to establish some sort of WoW gold factories in which the workers played hours after hours of Wold of Warcraft and gained large amounts of gold. After the gold was achieved the "factory owners" published it on forums and internet sites that are dedicated to World of Warcraft and offered to sell the gold to other players. This virtual market became very popular among avid WoW gamers who used to spend big amounts of money on buying WoW gold.
When this phenomenon became a bit too big, Blizzard Entertainment decided to put an end to it and announced that selling WoW gold is forbidden and that gamers who will buy gold will face penal actions and might get their account deleted. This announcement, however, failed to stop the WoW gold merchants from selling it on forums and chat rooms. Still, many World of Warcraft gamers decided to look for a different way to achieve gold and discovered WoW gold guides.
World of Warcraft gold guides are the best tool for fast and easy gold. Since buying WoW gold isn't acceptable anymore gamers must count on themselves and use all sorts of strategies and tactics for achieving the precious resource. Nowadays you can find many informative WoW gold guides that offer players tons of excellent tips and tricks for their favorite role-playing game. Not only that using World of Warcraft gold guides is less dangerous, it is even better for gamers who want to experience the real joy of the game without using forbidden (and cowardly) tactics such as buying WoW gold. For serious gamers we always suggest World of Warcraft gold guides.
Jessie Wilson
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