The unanimous Board of Directors at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet have announced that Ingrid Lorentzen has been appointed as the new director of the Norwegian National Ballet and Per Boye Hansen the new director of the Norwegian National Opera.
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Rising inflation and slower growth in Europe combined with falling purchasing power for Americans knocked investor sentiment, sending stocks down sharply Friday on both sides of the Atlantic.
|||Rising inflation and slower growth in Europe combined with falling purchasing power for Americans knocked investor sentiment, sending stocks down sharply Friday on both sides of the Atlantic.
The euro dropped against the dollar as official data showed a spike in eurozone inflation to 3.0 percent in September, while the region's unemployment rate was steady at 10 percent in August.
London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares fell 2.09 percent to 5,088.35 points in afternoon trade after Wall Street opened, Frankfurt's DAX 30 dropped 3.26 percent to 5,455.53 points and in Paris the CAC 40 slid 1.92 percent to 2,969.47 points.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.31
percent to 11,007.46 points in the first minutes of trade. The S&P 500 dropped 1.57 percent to 1,142.21 points, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 1.70 percent to 2,438.53 points.
The falls came on US Commerce Department data that pointed to weakening consumer power as incomes fell by 0.1 percent in August, the first decline in nearly two years, even as prices for goods picked up.
“It seems very unlikely that consumers can lead the economy to a faster recovery pace,” economists John Ryding and Conrad DeQuadros of RDQ Economics told clients in a briefing note.
In Asia, the main indices in Tokyo, Australia and South Korea closed flat. Hong Kong shed 2.32 percent with the Hang Seng Index playing catch-up after being shut on Thursday.
In foreign exchange deals on Friday, the euro dropped to $1.3442 from $1.3586 in New York late Thursday. The dollar was stable against the Japanese currency at 76.75 yen from 76.79 yen on Thursday.
Sharply rising inflation across the eurozone was unexpected, creating a dilemma for European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet who chairs his final policy meeting next week.
Trichet must now make a difficult call on whether to reduce interest rates to face a weak economy depite rising prices.
With firm hopes by investors that major central banks ease monetary policy, inflation creeping up in the eurozone is sure to disappoint as it probably makes a rate cut from the ECB less likely.
The much larger-than-expected jump in eurozone consumer inflation “reinforces suspicion that an ECB move as soon as next Thursday is unlikely,” said IHS Global Insight analyst Howard Archer.
Analysts were looking for an interest rate cut to counter slowing eurozone growth.
Meanwhile Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou was due to hold talks with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, one day after German deputies agreed to boost the bloc's bailout fund.
France's own banks are critically exposed to sovereign debt from Greece and other weak links in the eurozone chain Ä Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Fears on French and European banks have underscored major market falls throughout the third quarter.
“It's been one hell of a third quarter and the excitement of recent weeks is likely to continue over the next three months. We end the quarter no closer to a long-term solution to the European sovereign debt crisis ... and the global economic outlook is still a confusing picture,” said Kathleen Brooks, analyst at trading group Forex.com.
“The euro is looking weak ... and stocks, which have had their worst quarter since 2008, look fragile. Will there be another leg lower for risk, or will Germany save the eurozone and cause a huge relief rally?
“These are the questions we grapple with as we enter the last three months of the year,” she added. - Sapa-AFP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/fears-knock-global-stocks-1.1148433
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Several of law bodies have responded to the reported dismissal of Swaziland's justice minister and a high court judge
|||A number of law bodies have expressed alarm at the reported dismissal of Swaziland's justice minister and a high court judge.
This emerged in a joint statement by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Southern Africa Development Community Lawyers Association (SADC LA), and the Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC) on Friday.
“These actions speak to clear contempt for the rule of law and further debasement of Swaziland's system of governance,” they said.
Swaziland High Court Judge Thomas Masuku and the country's justice minister had reportedly been fired. The minister was apparently dismissed for refusing to sign Masuku's dismissal order.
The law bodies said Masuku's dismissal followed a clearly tainted disciplinary hearing.
The initial 12 charges of misconduct put to Masuku were so vague and unsubstantiated as to create the impression that they were spurious.
As it transpired, several of the charges were abandoned at the disciplinary hearing.
The hearing itself was not conducted in compliance with fundamental principles of justice and fairness, said the law bodies.
The chief justice refused to recuse himself, notwithstanding the fact that he acted both as accuser and judge.
The application for the hearing to be held in public was denied and the opportunity to cross-examine deponents to the affidavits attesting to Masuku's alleged misconduct was also refused. No reasons were provided for these decisions.
The organisations said these recent events were likely only to further inflame Swaziland's judicial crisis. -
Sapa
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/law-bodies-alarmed-at-swazi-saga-1.1148484
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Tripoli's residents are beginning to grow weary of the continued presence of hundreds of armed fighters in the city.
|||More than a month since revolutionary forces seized the Libyan capital, the heavy thud of anti-aircraft guns and the crackle of automatic weapon fire still echoes across the city, and bands of young fighters in pickup trucks bristling with heavy weapons cruise the streets.
Revolutionary brigades from across the country swept into Tripoli late last month in a stunning offensive, effectively ending Mummar Gaddafi's nearly 42-year rule and sending the longtime dictator into hiding. While Tripoli's residents are still reveling in their newfound freedoms, they are also beginning to grow weary of the continued presence of hundreds of armed fighters in the city.
The growing anger spurred locals to set up the Tripoli Support Group, which is now petitioning Libya's new rulers, known as the National Transitional Council, to get a handle on the revolutionary brigades in the city.
“We have witnessed negative behavior from the revolutionaries in Tripoli, and the NTC has fallen short because it hasn't given the local council any authority or support to rein in the revolutionaries,” said Mohammed Shabbu, a businessman who helped set up the Tripoli Support Group.
Shabbu is drafting a letter to the NTC calling on it to order all outside revolutionary brigades to leave Tripoli. He warned that their long-term stay has sapped some of the support residents feel for them.
“Sometimes you ask a young child, 'Do you like the revolutionaries?' The child will answer, 'No, they scare me,'“ he said.
The Tripoli Support Group was founded by Sadeg Zaroug, a 63-year old architect. He said the group boasts more than 100 members and aims to act as a watchdog over the NTC and the local council.
“We want to observe the excesses of the NTC and local councils,” Zaroug said.
Revolutionary fighters from across the country flooded Tripoli during the capital's fall, rolling in from Misrata, Benghazi and Zintan in their spray-painted, pockmarked pickup trucks outfitted with anti-aircraft guns.
But then they stayed, setting up bases in parks and Gaddafi's old homes and beach houses, patrolling neighborhoods in search of weapons and Gaddafi loyalists, usually without direct orders to do so from the military council or field commanders.
Now, they clog the city streets downtown, sticking out in the bumper to bumper traffic, the young men sporting revolutionary-chic - bushy beards, red berets and fatigues. They position their AK-47s so the barrel sticks out the window, and occasionally fire a few rounds skyward.
Since Gaddafi's fall, visiting US and European officials have urged the NTC to assert its authority over the revolutionary brigades and rein them in. The NTC, which is struggling to establish a new government, has publicly vowed to do so, but also has given mixed messages to the fighters.
Last month, NTC head Mustafa Abdel-Jalil urged brigades from outside Tripoli to clear out of the city and leave security to Tripoli's citizens and brigades. But the following day, pressured by the revolutionary brigades who felt insulted, he backtracked and asked the brigades to stay on and secure the city.
A spokesman for the revolutionary military, Col. Ahmed Bani, dismissed concerns about the fighters, saying it was too early to talk about disarming revolutionaries.
“As long as Gaddafi is free, the young men will hold on to their arms and it will be impossible to take the arms away from them,” Bani told the AP. “But when Gaddafi is caught they will return to their normal jobs and let go of the arms.”
But more than a month since Tripoli fell, Shabbu, 40, and other Tripoli residents are losing patience.
“We owe a lot to the revolutionaries and won't forget their efforts, but it's time for them to leave our city and leave us to police it,” he said.
Shabbu said the Tripoli Support Group drafted a request to Abdel-Jalil and will hold a protest Friday to impose an order for brigades from outside Tripoli to formally leave the city with their heavy weapons.
While he supported the decision to keep the revolutionaries around when Tripoli was falling, Shabbu said now that the city was stabilizing, the armed revolutionaries were acting inappropriately.
“They are shooting chaotically, fighting over the location of their bases, raiding homes with no warrants and for no real reasons,” Shabbu said.
He said that Tripoli needed a civilian police service, complete with a new patrol cars, logo and uniforms. “People need to see that the security is run by people different from Gaddafi's era so they can love the police as their new protectors,” Shabbu said. - Sapa-AP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/tripoli-residents-want-revolutionaries-out-1.1148263
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Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg warns that the economic crisis is not yet over, and says that the National budget to be presented next week, will be more restrictive than many expect.
Source: http://www.norwaypost.no/news/pm-crisis-not-yet-over-25768.html
The new Mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Norway, located in Furuset, Oslo, will be officially opened on Friday. It will be the largest in the Nordic countries.
Source: http://www.norwaypost.no/culture/new-mosque-to-be-opened-in-oslo-25775.html
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There will be no celebrations to mark Arsene Wenger's 15th anniversary as Arsenal manager on Saturday, just a north London derby at Tottenham the following day.
|||London – There will be no celebrations to mark Arsene Wenger's 15th anniversary as Arsenal manager on Saturday, just a north London derby at Tottenham the following day.
The Frenchman is not in a celebratory mood after seeing his team win just twice in its six Premier League matches this season.
“There is plenty not to be happy about,” Wenger said. “I never look back and I am not an anniversary fan. In top-level sport you have to see what comes next and try to focus on that.”
The former Monaco and Nagoya Grampus Eight manager has won the Premier League title three times, but with Arsenal failing to win a major trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, the pressure on him has been mounting.
With fans' memories fading of how Wenger has revolutionised the setup at Arsenal and the unbeaten league campaign in 2003-04, there have even been calls for the 61-year-old manager to be fired.
“We all have trust in the manager and we now need to go and show the people that they are wrong,” midfielder Alex Song said.
Arsenal goes into the derby 13th in the standings, while Tottenham is sixth although just two points ahead.
Morale has been raised at Arsenal by a run of three wins: over Olympiakos in the Champions League, Bolton in the Premier League and Shrewsbury in the League Cup.
“I think we have a good opportunity to show we can do something in the league this year,” Song said. “That is why we are motivated to go there and get something positive.”
Tottenham has bounced back from its own poor start - successive losses -by winning twice and drawing once.
Key to the revival has been former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who has scored three in three games since joining on loan from Manchester City.
“In the big games he will want to show he is not 'dead,'“ Song said. “Everyone put him down when he went to Manchester City but I am very happy for him. We know Adebayor is a very good player.”
As long as he keeps his cool. He enraged Arsenal fans by pleading for a move to Manchester City and then performing an outrageous goal celebration when playing against his old club in 2009.
“There is always aggravation when players leave clubs but he will get on and hopefully play well,” Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said.
Manchester rivals United and City are leading the way this season, unbeaten and separated only by goal difference at the top.
But both had difficult midweek matches in the Champions League.
United hosts Norwich on Saturday fresh from a 3-3 draw against Basel that left it with just two draws in the group stage so far.
City heads to nearby Blackburn on Saturday with more serious issues after striker Carlos Tevez was suspended for apparently refusing to come off the bench in Tuesday's 2-0 loss at Bayern Munich.
“We need to try to help Carlos,” said Pablo Zabaleta, a teammate for City and Argentina. “He has been a really important player for us in the last two years but maybe this season he has had more games on the bench.
“Sometimes that is difficult, and more so for strikers, who need to play, need to score, need to feel confidence.”
Just two other teams remain unbeaten after six matches: fourth-place Newcastle, who are at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and Aston Villa, who are eighth and hosts Wigan.
Also Saturday, Liverpool is at Everton for the Merseyside derby and Sunderland hosts West Bromwich Albion.
On Sunday, bottom-place Bolton hosts Chelsea, Fulham takes on Queens Park Rangers in a west London derby and Swansea faces Stoke. – Sapa-AP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/no-celebrations-for-wenger-1.1147478
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“They (Gaddafi loyalists) have lost everything. This is their last battle and so are fighting fiercely.”
|||Ferocious attacks by Gaddafi diehards forced fighters of Libya's new rulers to retreat from the ousted strongman's birthplace Sirte, where a tank shell killed three in a “friendly fire” attack.
Equally fierce resistance from loyalists in the desert town of Bani Walid, Moamer Gaddafi's other remaining bastion of support, has stalled a final assault by National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters, said commanders, who called on NATO to increase its air support.
While the fugitive Gaddafi's whereabouts remain unknown, Libya's defence ministry spokesman Ahmed Bani said in Tripoli one of his sons, Seif al-Islam, was in Bani Walid and another, Mutassim, in Sirte.
Along with his father and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, Seif is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
An NTC commander in eastern Sirte told AFP that fighting which raged into Wednesday night was the fiercest yet since new regime forces launched their assault on the Mediterranean port city on September 15.
“There were heavy clashes (on Wednesday). Our men came under heavy attack,” said the commander, who asked not to be identified.
The fighting was so intense, he added, that his forces were forced to retreat three kilometres outside the city.
“They (Gaddafi loyalists) have lost everything. This is their last battle and so are fighting fiercely. Our troops are taking a heavy beating at the moment. Today we retreated three kilometres,” he said, adding that battles were concentrated at the port and the city's eastern outskirts.
NTC fighters captured the port in east Sirte two days ago, in a major victory for their battle for control of the Gaddafi stronghold.
It was unclear whether the port was still under their control, but the commander said NTC forces were still present there late on Wednesday.
“It is becoming a day-to-day fight. One day we are winning, the next day they are winning,” he said.
In a separate incident, three NTC fighters were killed by “friendly fire” on Wednesday when they were shelled by a tank on the frontline in eastern Sirte, the commander said.
“There was some lack of coordination and... our fighters were hit by a shell fired by our tank stationed behind them. There were three martyrs,” he said.
In another incident, medics at a field hospital about 50
kilometres west of Sirte said on Thursday two fighters were killed and 18 were wounded when a rocket in a munitions dump fired accidentally, possibly due to rain, and slammed into their room.
The anti-Gaddafi forces have urged NATO to intensify its air war because of heavy losses both in Sirte and in Bani Walid, where senior NTC commander Daou al-Salhine al-Jadak was among 11 fighters killed in a rocket barrage on Tuesday.
An AFP correspondent said that despite heavy use of tanks, rocket launchers and artillery, the NTC forces had not advanced from positions held for the past few days in Bani Walid, 170
kilometres southeast of Tripoli.
“There is always incoming missile and artillery fire. We are returning fire with heavy weapons but we are not sending in infantry. We are waiting for reinforcements,” Captain Walid Khaimej told AFP.
“NATO is here but is not doing enough. They take out the rocket launchers firing at us, but they are immediately replaced. We need more help from NATO.”
Under a UN mandate aimed at protecting civilians, the alliance has been giving air support to the popular revolt that erupted in February and forced Gaddafi out of Tripoli and into hiding last month.
Its daily operational updates suggest it has scaled down the intensity of its strikes: they report attacks on targets in Bani Walid on just one of the past three days.
But Colonel Roland Lavoie, the air campaign's military spokesman, said: “NATO has not reduced its activity in Libya,” noting alliance aircraft had conducted at least 100 sorties per day over the past few days.
“The number of strikes depends on the danger against the civilian population, in conformity with our mandate,” Lavoie told AFP in an email.
Interim justice minister Mohammed al-Alagi said in Tripoli, meanwhile, that Libya has issued a summons for Gaddafi's former prime minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, who fled to neighbouring Tunisia.
Mahmudi, premier until the last days of Gaddafi's regime, was arrested last week on Tunisia's southwestern border with Algeria.
A Tunisian court swiftly sentenced him to six months in prison after finding him guilty of illegal entry, but that decision was overruled on Tuesday by a higher court following an appeal. - Sapa-AFP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/ntc-fighters-forced-to-retreat-1.1147380
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Protesters barricaded roads and burned tyres while fighting with security forces on the second day of street violence in Guinea.
|||Conakry - Protesters barricading roads and burning tyres fought with security forces in Guinea's capital Conakry on Wednesday, a day after similar clashes killed three people, witnesses and a police official said.
The West African state is due to hold a parliamentary election later this year to complete a transition to civilian rule, but the main opposition party says the poll is being rigged in advance by President Alpha Conde.
“Protesters have set up roadblocks and are burning tyres to stop traffic. We're in the process of breaking them up,” a police official told Reuters, asking not to be named because he was not authorised to speak publicly.
He said he believed the roadblocks were partly aimed at stopping a ceremony by the government to mark the anniversary of a 2009 massacre of 150 demonstrators in a Conakry stadium by gunmen loyal to the then-ruling military junta.
Residents said police used teargas and truncheons to drive off the protesters, who were operating in groups of several dozen and blocking the main road between the neighbourhoods of Hamdallaye and Koloma.
“The gendarmes have come into the neighbourhoods and they are chasing people. Everybody is staying inside,” said Koloma resident Mohamed Diallo.
The clashes come a day after the main opposition UFDG party organised a rally to protest against preparations for the election, due later this year. No date has been set.
At least three people were killed when security forces cracked down on the rally, police and medical sources said. The government said two died in Tuesday's clashes and 39 people, including 23 security personnel, were injured.
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International called on Guinean authorities to investigate the deaths and said Conde was falling into the pattern of brutal rule in the former French colony.
“It's deeply alarming that President Alpha Conde is resorting to exactly the same brutal methods as his predecessors,” Paule Rigaud, Amnesty's Deputy Director for Africa, said in a press release.
Guinea held its first free election late last year bringing Conde to power, a move that was meant to close the book on decades of instability and pave the way for increased investment in its mining sector.
The United States, which along with former colonial ruler France helped steer Guinea's transition back to civilian rule, called on the government to ensure the opposition was included in the political process.
“It is absolutely essential that (the elections) be held. They have already been delayed and it is important that they continue to move forward,” said Johnnie Carson, US Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs.
“It is important that President Conde continue to reach out to the opposition and to ensure that it is known to all that he represents all the people of Guinea,” he told an online briefing.
UFDG leader Cellou Dalein Diallo has said he believes Conde's government is seeing to tamper with voter rolls to win a majority in the legislative polls, and that Conde installed a close ally as head of the electoral commission. - Reuters
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/guinea-rocked-by-street-violence-1.1146736
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Jomo Cosmos have found themselves rooted at the bottom of the log after a goalless draw against Wits.
|||Johannesburg - The old adage “too soon to panic” may not be appropriate for struggling Jomo Cosmos despite a grim, goalless draw with Bidvest Wits in Daveyton on Wednesday night.
With other lowly teams in the Premier League - Golden Arrows (against Kaizer Chiefs) and AmaZulu (against Ajax Cape Town) - gaining stunning victories against two of the top sides, Cosmos now find themselves firmly rooted to the bottom position in the log table.
And the spectre of a nightmarish third relegation in five seasons will surely be haunting Jomo Sono's team, who are now the only side in the Premier League without a victory.
After scoring a mere three goals from their seven matches, in which they were beaten four times and drew on the three other occasions, Cosmos would appear to have a crisis on their hands.
And there was little joy from the dour draw with Wits that had the handful of spectators threatening to take an early nap.
It was a relative night off for respective goalkeepers Energy Murambadoro (Wits) and Avril Phali (Cosmos), who each had only two saves of any note to make throughout the 90 minutes.
The game was further marred by a succession of free kicks and robust play during which Cosmos had three players booked and Wits had one player shown a yellow card.
Wits remain in a mid-table ninth position and would have been content with the away point in difficult conditions. - Sapa
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/relegation-woes-plague-cosmos-1.1146753
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A STRAIN of genetically enhanced bacteria developed by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may pave the way for new synthetic drugs and new ways of manufacturing medicines and biofuels, according to a paper published recently in Nature Chemical Biology.
For the first time, the scientists were able to create bacteria capable of effectively incorporating ?unnatural? amino acids- artificial additions to the 20 naturally occurring amino acids used as biological building blocks- into proteins at multiple sites. This ability may provide a powerful new tool for the study of biological processes and for engineering bacteria that produce new types of synthetic chemicals.
?This provides us with a lot more room to think about what we can do with protein synthesis,? said Lei Wang, assistant professor in Salk?s Chemical Biology and Proteomics Laboratory and holder of the Frederick B. Rentschler Developmental Chair. ?It opens up new possibilities, from creating drugs that last longer in the blood stream to manufacturing chemicals in a more environmentally friendly manner.?
In 2001, Wang and his colleagues were the first to create bacteria that incorporated unnatural amino acids (Uaas) into proteins, and, in 2007, they first used the technique in mammalian cells. They did this by creating an ?expanded genetic code,? overriding the genetic code of the cells and instructing them to use the artificial amino acids in the construction of proteins.
The addition of Uaas changes the chemical properties of proteins, promising new ways to use proteins in research, drug development and chemical manufacturing.
For instance, Wang and his colleagues have inserted Uaas that will glow under a microscope when exposed to certain colours of light. Because proteins serve as the basis for a wide range of cellular functions, the ability to visualize this machinery operating in live cells and in real time helps scientists decipher a wide range of biological mechanisms, including those involved in the development of disease and aging.
Genetically modified bacteria are already used for producing medicines, such as synthetic insulin, which has largely replaced the use of animal pancreases in the manufacture of drugs used by diabetics to regulate their blood sugar levels.
To date, such recombinant DNA technology has used only natural amino acids, which limit the possible functions of the resulting protein products. The ability to insert Uaas could dramatically expand the possible uses of such technology, but one major barrier has limited the use of Uaas: only a single Uaa at a time could be incorporated into a protein.
To insert the instructions for including a Uaa in a bacterium?s genetic code, Wang and his colleagues exploited stop codons, special sequences of code in a protein?s genetic blueprint. During protein production, stop codons tell the cellular machinery to stop adding amino acids to the sequence that forms backbone of the protein?s structure
In 2001, Wang and his colleagues modified the genetic sequence of the bacteria Escherichia coli to selectively include a stop codon and introduced engineered molecules inside the bacteria, which surgically insert a Uaa at the stop codon.
This trained the bacteria to produce proteins with the Uaa incorporated in their backbone.
The problem was that another biological actor, a protein known as release factor 1 (RF1), would stop the production of a Uaa-containing protein too early. Although scientists could insert stop codons for Uaas at multiple places along genetic sequence, the release factor would cut the protein off at the first stop codon, preventing production of long proteins containing multiple Uaas.
?To really make use of this technology, you want to be able to engineer proteins that contain unnatural amino acids at multiple sites, and to produce them in high efficiency,? Wang said. ?It was really promising, but, until now, really impractical.?
In their new paper, the Salk researchers and their collaborators at the University of California, San Diego described how they got around this limitation. Since RF1 hindered production of long Uaa-containing proteins, the scientists removed the gene that produces RF1. Then, because E. coli dies when the RF1 gene is deleted, they altered production of an alternative actor, release factor 2 (RF2), so that it could rescue the engineered bacterium.
The result was a strain of bacteria capable of efficiently producing proteins containing Uaas at multiple places. These synthetic molecules hold promise for the development of drugs with biological functions far beyond what is possible with proteins that include only naturally occurring amino acids. They may also serve as the basis for manufacturing everything from industrial solvents to biofuels, possibly helping to address the economic and environmental concerns associated with petroleum-based manufacturing and transportation.
?This is the first time we?ve been able to produce a viable strain of bacteria capable of this,? Wang said. ?We still have a ways to go, but this makes the possibility of using unnatural amino acids in biological engineering far closer to being reality.?
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The appeals chamber at the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Rwanda has upheld the prison sentence on former military officer Ephrem Setako.
|||Nairobi - The appeals chamber at the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Rwanda upheld the 25-year prison sentence on former military officer Ephrem Setako for genocide crimes and crimes against humanity, the tribunal's news agency said on Wednesday.
The appeals chamber also found Setako, who was head of legal affairs in Rwanda's defence ministry at the time of the 1994 genocide, guilty of an additional charge of murder as a war crime, but did not increase the sentence.
Setako had argued he should be acquitted because of what he called inconsistencies in witness testimonies regarding his responsibility in two separate massacres.
“The Appeals Chamber confirmed the lower court's conviction and 25-year prison sentence on ex-Rwandan military officer Lieutenant Colonel Ephrem Setako for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” a statement issued by the Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda said.
In their original indictment, prosecutors said Setako armed and trained militiamen and ordered them to kill Tutsis in several areas of Rwanda. Ethnic Hutu militia and soldiers butchered 800 000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus in just 100 days in 1994.
Setako, 62, was arrested in Holland in February 2004. - Reuters
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/genocide-court-rejects-setako-s-appeal-1.1146732
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Daniel Hutton from England has just completed his seven-week, 3,000-kilometer trip around Iceland. He cycled and sung to raise funds for Lj�sid, a rehabilitation and support center for cancer patients and their families in Iceland, and The Carers? Resource in Harrogate.Source: http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news?cat_id=29314&ew_0_a_id=382657
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The Indonesian authorities plan to define oil palm plantations as forest. This could bring the rain forest agreement between Norway and Indonesia into danger, Greenpeace says.(Photo: Environmental Minister Erik Solheim)
Source: http://www.norwaypost.no/news/fear-for-rainforest-agreement-with-indonesia-25763.html
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Soley Minerals, a subsidiary of the Australian mining company Thielorr Sarl, has applied for permission from the National Energy Authority to explore whether magnetite and other metals can be harnessed from the ocean floor off south Iceland and in H�radsfl�i bay in the east.Source: http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news?cat_id=29314&ew_0_a_id=382523
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The JSE ended over 3% higher in what a local equities dealer referred to as a great day on the markets.
|||The JSE ended over 3% higher on Tuesday in what a local equities dealer referred to as a great day on the markets. Hopes that European authorities would soon announce a plan to solve the debt challenges was boosting market sentiment worldwide.
The trader noted that optimism for “additional and more substantial commitments” to the eurozone debt problems was improving market sentiment.
He said there had also been some continuation of risk appetite out of the US, while locally, the rand had “strengthened considerably”.
By 17:00 local time, the JSE all-share index was 3.48% higher at 30,752.40 points, with resources jumping 4.46%, platinum miners lifting 3.66%, and banks adding 3.63%. Industrials were 3.04% in the black, while financials added 2.90%.
Gold stocks however fell 0.68%.
The rand was bid at 7.79 to the dollar, from 8.06 the JSE's close on Monday. Gold was higher at US$1,661.56 a troy ounce from US$1,604.45 at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was at US$1,574/oz, from US$1,542/oz previously.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that US stocks rose sharply higher on the back of strong gains in overseas markets, as continued hopes for action to stem the eurozone debt crisis fuelled investor optimism.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 247 points, or 2.2%, to 11,291, putting the blue-chip index on pace for a third straight day of gains.
The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rallied 26 points, or 2.2%, to 1,189, and the technology-oriented Nasdaq Composite rose 46 points, or 1.8%, to 2,562.
The action follows sharp gains in overseas markets amid reports of a potential expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility as well as plans for the European Union to aggressively recapitalise its banks.
In the US, fears of a potential government shutdown were assuaged after a deadlock on budget talks was broken, leading the Senate to approve of a bill late on Monday to fund the government through to November 18. The House is likely to approve the bill as well.
On the JSE, Anglo American (AGL) surged R16.85 or 6.02% to R296.85, BHP Billiton (BIL) lifted R12.99 or 6% to R229.49, and Sasol (SOL) moved R13.75 or 4.24% higher to R337.80.
Among gold shares, Anglogold Ashanti (ANG) lost R2.70 to R346.80, while Harmony (HAR) gained 7 cents to R95.75. Gold Fields (GFI) was down R1.15 to R127.25.
DRD Gold (DRD) rose 3 cents to R4.13. The miner announced on Tuesday that the Business Rescue Practitioner overseeing business rescue proceedings at its 74%-owned Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mining Company Limited (Blyvoor) has given notice of Blyvoor's intention to enter a 60-day consensus-seeking process in terms of Section 189 (3) of the Labour Relations Act with the National Union of Mineworkers and UASA to consider reducing employee numbers by approximately 500 people.
In platinum stocks, Amplats (AMS) was R24.21 or 4.40% firmer at R574.20, Impala Platinum (IMP) rose R5.78 or 3.57% to R167.58. But Aquarius (AQP) shed 40 cents or 1.67% to R23.60.
Among diversified miners, Exxaro (EXX) jumped R11.38 or 6.49% to R186.60 and Kumba Iron Ore (KIO) climbed R33.19 or 7.66% to R466.69. African Rainbow Minerals (ARI) garnered R8.03 or 4.56% to R184.10.
In Industrial stocks, SAB (SAB) was R5.42 or 2.08% higher at R265.42, Bidvest (BVT) added R5.83 or 4.06% to R149.49, and Imperial (IPL) rose R4.39 or 4.12% to R111.04.
Mobile operator MTN (MTN) was up R6.53 or 5% to R137.14, and Vodacom (VOD) gained R4.84 or 5.55% to R92.04.
Technology firm Datacentrix Holdings (DCT) said it expected earnings per share and headline earnings per share for the six months ending August to be between 0% and 10% lower compared with the previous corresponding period. The interim results are expected on October 4.
The share was trading four cents higher at R4.22.
Least-cost routing company, TeleMasters Holdings (TLM) said it hoped to complete its de-listing from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) by early 2012. The company was down three cents or 2.07% to R1.42.
In banking, FirstRand (FSR) added 74 cents or 3.77% to R20.39, while Standard Bank (SBK) lifted R3.30 or 3.57% to R95.76, and Nedbank (NED) was up R6.60 or 5% to R138.55.
In retailers, Mr Price (MPC) gained R2.87 or 4.35% to R68.80, and Holdsport (HSP) rose R1.41 or 4.69% to R31.48. Holdsport (HSP), which runs the Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse stores, on Tuesday said headline earnings per share increased by 30.4% to 141.7 cents for the half-year ended August 31. Core headline earnings per share increased by 22.3% to 159.2 cents.
Media group Naspers (NPN) surged R18.05 or 5.26% to R361. - I-Net Bridge
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/europe-lifts-mkts-jse-up-over-3-1.1145807
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Libya's transitional government has delivered $16 million to this remote southern city beset by fighters loyal to Moammar Gaddafi.
|||Libya's transitional government has delivered 20 million dinars ($16 million) to this remote southern city beset by fighters loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, hoping to bolster support for revolutionary forces.
Journalists on Tuesday accompanied the oil and finance minister, Ali al-Tarhouni, and the cash on the first flight to touch down in the desert city of Sabha since a NATO enforced no-fly zone order in March. The 20 boxes of 20-dinar notes, each weighing 78 kilograms, were delivered to the Sabha central bank.
Revolutionary forces have gained control of much of the area but still face heavy resistance.
“The forces inside these areas are not opposed to joining us but they do not want to disarm,” said Ahmed Bashir, spokesman for Libya's National Transitional Council in Sabha. “They have the weapons and no manpower. We have the manpower and lighter weapons.”
More than a month after sweeping into Tripoli and ending Gaddafi's nearly 42-year rule, the fugitive leader's supporters are still putting up a fierce fight on three fronts: in Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, the town of Bani Walid southeast of the capital and in pockets in the country's vast desert south, including Sabha. Most of the recent fighting has occurred in Bani Walid and the Mediterranean coastal city of Sirte.
Gaddafi's whereabouts are unknown, although he has exhorted his supporters to fight on several times in audio messages.
Syrian-based Al-Rai TV, which has become the former regime's mouthpiece, aired video of Gaddafi's son, Seif al-Islam, and it said it was taken last week. The same video, however, appears to have been uploaded to YouTube on March 6. A second YouTube video appears to show the same event with an upload date of Feb. 27, early on in the uprising.
Seif al-Islam Gaddafi's last known public appearance was on Aug. 23 in Tripoli. Many have speculated that he is hiding in Bani Walid. Like his father, he has been charged by the International Criminal Court with crimes against humanity for the regime's bloody efforts to repress the uprising.
In Sabha, revolutionaries are based in the city's largest neighborhood, al-Gurtha. They have set up a national council office and checkpoints on roads leading to areas where Gaddafi loyalists refuse to hand over their weapons. Residents are able to cross checkpoints into Gaddafi loyalist-held areas, but only if they have family inside, and even then they risk being accused of being Gaddafi supporters.
Bashir said the area has no Gaddafi brigades, but there are worries that armed Gaddafi loyalists may ambush revolutionary forces from the desert.
In Sirte, commanders said Libyan revolutionary forces battled their way into the eastern outskirts in a bid to link up with anti-Gaddafi fighters besieging the city from the west. Anti-Gaddafi forces first attacked Sirte nearly two weeks ago, but have pulled back in the face of heavy rocket fire and loyalist snipers.
Abdel-Basit Haroun, a revolutionary field commander, said fighters reached a roundabout less than six miles (10 kilometers) east of the city center. He said the plan was for the forces from the east and west to meet inside Sirte.
“We are almost there, but the hard phase of the takeover has just begun,” Haroun said in a telephone interview from the eastern city of Benghazi. “We stopped using heavy weapons because the residential areas are packed with families, children and women. We are also facing snipers all over the rooftops of tall buildings.”
A revolutionary brigade commander on the city's western front, Al-Tohami Abu Zayan, said anti-Gaddafi forces can take Sirte “whenever we choose,” but are holding back to protect civilians. He said fighters are in touch with civilians inside and working to secure them a way out of the city.
For nearly two weeks, revolutionary forces have regularly fired mortars, Grad rockets and tank shells into the city. Civilians have been fleeing for days, driven out by the fighting as well as deteriorating living conditions, including shortages of food, water and medicine.
The fighters besieging Sirte have received a boost from NATO airstrikes, which have played a key role in decimating Gaddafi's military forces since the alliance first intervened in the Libyan civil war in March. British Maj. Gen. Nick Pope said Royal Air Force aircraft struck targets in Sirte and Bani Walid on Monday.
“In Sirte, a formation of Tornado GR4s attacked ammunition stores, destroying their targets with Paveway guided bombs,” he said.
He said strikes also hit Bani Walid after NATO reconnaissance identified a psychological warfare center and a firing position used by Gaddafi forces.
NATO said about 200 000 Libyan civilians are still threatened by forces loyal to the country's former regime, primarily in Sirte and Bani Walid.
“Remaining Gaddafi forces refuse to recognize their defeat. As a last resort, they are hiding in civilian areas,” NATO spokesman Col. Roland Lavoie said at a news conference in Naples.
Forces loyal to the former regime are looking for Gaddafi opponents, taking them hostage and sometimes executing them, Lavoie said. But he said the loyalists cannot hold out long and NATO's mission would end soon.
Meanwhile, a Tunisian judicial official said Libya's former prime minister has been freed from jail after an appeals court overturned his conviction for illegally entering Tunisia.
Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi was arrested Sept. 22 on charges of illegal entry after he was found without a visa as he tried to flee across the border to Algeria. He was convicted the same day and sentenced to six months in prison.
Libya's transitional government said last week it would ask Tunisia to send al-Mahmoudi home to face justice. A justice ministry spokesman says no official extradition demand has been made. - Sapa-AP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/ntc-delivers-16m-to-southern-city-1.1146405
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Soley Minerals, a subsidiary of the Australian mining company Thielorr Sarl, has applied for permission from the National Energy Authority to explore whether magnetite and other metals can be harnessed from the ocean floor off south Iceland and in H�radsfl�i bay in the east.Source: http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news?cat_id=29314&ew_0_a_id=382523
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The Government is announcing increased sales tax on diesel powered cars in the coming years, after it has become clear that there is more pollution from diesel engines than previously estimated.
Source: http://www.norwaypost.no/money-and-finance/increased-tax-on-diesel-powered-cars-25758.html
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World stocks rose for a third straight session, with European shares up 2 percent, as investors took comfort from reports that officials were working to add to measures to calm the euro zone debt crisis.
|||World stocks rose for a third straight session on Tuesday, with European shares up 2 percent, as investors took comfort from reports that officials were working to add to measures to calm the euro zone debt crisis.
After losing more than 7 percent last week, the MSCI all-country world stock index was up 1.5 percent for a 2.5 percent rebound so far this week.
The trigger has been rising expectations following weekend meetings of the International Monetary Fund that European policymakers will act to contain Greece's debt problems and resolve a debt crisis that threatens to do serious damage to the world economy.
Some officials have said that plans are underway to boost the size of a regional bailout fund to cut Greece's debts and recapitalise banks, although others have underlined they are at a very early stage and Germany has said there are no plans to increase the size of the fund.
“Given so much uncertainty at the moment, there is room for both pessimism and optimism. The optimists have taken the forefront on hopes that we could see European politicians getting to grips with the current situation over the coming weeks,” said Keith Bowman, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
“But there are still a lot of concerns. Investors remain sceptical.”
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 2.4 percent after rising 1.8 percent on Monday.
Japan's Nikkei gained 2.8 percent.
EURO FLAT
The relative bullishness did not spill over onto foreign exchange markets where the euro was flat at $1.3540, just above 8-month lows.
“Any indication that European politicians will take fundamental steps to contain the debt crisis is positive for the euro, but we have had so many disappointments and this is not something that can be fixed overnight,” said Niels Christensen, currency strategist at Nordea in Copenhagen.
“A lot of investors are looking to reset new short euro positions around $1.36, maybe around current levels.”
The dollar was lower against a basket of currencies .
Core euro zone debt prices were lower as the stock markets recovered. They have been rising sharply in a risk aversion trade.
But eyes remained on the debt-strapped periphery.
Italy will kick off a busy week of debt sales with short-term and zero coupon debt. The country will issue longer-term debt later this week in a more rigorous test of investor appetite for lower-rated euro zone paper. - Reuters
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/world-stocks-rebound-1.1145695
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Norway's women lost�23-25 to Russia in the final of the Handball World Cup in �rhus, Denmark on Sunday. Russia led 12-11 at half time, but Norway quickly gained a 16-13 lead after the break.
Source: http://www.norwaypost.no/football-handball/norway-lost-handball-final-25757.html
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World stocks rose for a third straight session, with European shares up 2 percent, as investors took comfort from reports that officials were working to add to measures to calm the euro zone debt crisis.
|||World stocks rose for a third straight session on Tuesday, with European shares up 2 percent, as investors took comfort from reports that officials were working to add to measures to calm the euro zone debt crisis.
After losing more than 7 percent last week, the MSCI all-country world stock index was up 1.5 percent for a 2.5 percent rebound so far this week.
The trigger has been rising expectations following weekend meetings of the International Monetary Fund that European policymakers will act to contain Greece's debt problems and resolve a debt crisis that threatens to do serious damage to the world economy.
Some officials have said that plans are underway to boost the size of a regional bailout fund to cut Greece's debts and recapitalise banks, although others have underlined they are at a very early stage and Germany has said there are no plans to increase the size of the fund.
“Given so much uncertainty at the moment, there is room for both pessimism and optimism. The optimists have taken the forefront on hopes that we could see European politicians getting to grips with the current situation over the coming weeks,” said Keith Bowman, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
“But there are still a lot of concerns. Investors remain sceptical.”
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 2.4 percent after rising 1.8 percent on Monday.
Japan's Nikkei gained 2.8 percent.
EURO FLAT
The relative bullishness did not spill over onto foreign exchange markets where the euro was flat at $1.3540, just above 8-month lows.
“Any indication that European politicians will take fundamental steps to contain the debt crisis is positive for the euro, but we have had so many disappointments and this is not something that can be fixed overnight,” said Niels Christensen, currency strategist at Nordea in Copenhagen.
“A lot of investors are looking to reset new short euro positions around $1.36, maybe around current levels.”
The dollar was lower against a basket of currencies .
Core euro zone debt prices were lower as the stock markets recovered. They have been rising sharply in a risk aversion trade.
But eyes remained on the debt-strapped periphery.
Italy will kick off a busy week of debt sales with short-term and zero coupon debt. The country will issue longer-term debt later this week in a more rigorous test of investor appetite for lower-rated euro zone paper. - Reuters
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/world-stocks-rebound-1.1145695
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Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to continue their recovery when Olympiakos visit the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League.
|||London – Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to continue their recovery from a miserable start to the season when Olympiakos visit the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Wenger's side have lurched from one disaster to another for much of 2011 and the opening few weeks of the new campaign have been no different.
The departures of star midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri destabilised an already fragile squad to such an extent the Gunners briefly languished just one place above the Premier League relegation zone after their worst start for 58 years.
Wenger has been forced to swat away increasingly pointed questions about his future, while the club's chief executive Ivan Gazidis felt obliged to issue a vote of confidence in the French coach after a 4-3 defeat at Blackburn.
In the circumstances, Saturday's 3-0 win over Bolton was a much-needed morale boost, but the critics, both in the Emirates stands and the media, will be back in force if Arsenal slip up at home to Olympiakos.
The Gunners kicked off their Group F campaign with a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund and victory over the Greeks is essential to avoid falling behind in the race to reach the second round.
Wenger can take confidence from the Robin van Persie-inspired win over Bolton and his side's formidable home record in Europe's elite club competition.
Even eventual winners Barcelona lost at the Emirates last season, beaten 2-1 in the first leg of the last 16, and Wenger knows his team's comfort level at home will be key to qualification.
“In the Champions League, you need 11 points to qualify from the group stage, that means you have to take nine at home and two or three away,” he said.
“We got an interesting point in Dortmund and we know after if we do well at home, then we will qualify.”
While Wenger will rightly regard his side as favourites against Olympiakos, he must have been cursing his luck on Monday when it was confirmed England midfielder Jack Wilshere will be sidelined for up five months following surgery to cure a stress fracture to his right ankle.
Wilshere has been sidelined since suffering the injury in a pre-season friendly against the New York Red Bulls and his absence robs Wenger of his most creative midfielder.
There was further bad news earlier in the day when Arsenal captain van Persie revealed he was in no hurry to commit his long-term future to the club.
Van Persie scored his 100th Arsenal goal against Bolton on Saturday and his form and fitness are essential ingrediants to any hopes of winning a trophy this season.
For now Van Persie remains committed to the cause and he believes Arsenal's gritty draw against Dortmund will stand them in good stead for the rest of the competition.
“We achieved a good result in Dortmund, even if their late goal might make that sound a bit strange,” Van Persie said.
“They are the German champions and their running and fitness was phenomenal. You could see we found it difficult to string passes together and it was clear we were playing against a top team.
“Looking at the situation as a whole, they really pushed us to the limit, so it is a good result and a decent start in the Champions League.”
Olympiakos continued their 100 per cent start to the league season with a 3-2 win against Ergotelis on Saturday thanks to goals from Kevin Mirallas, David Fuster and Marcano.
But the Greek outfit lost their opening Champions League game 1-0 at home to Marseille and travel to north London knowing another defeat would leave them with a tough task to qualify for the last 16. – Sapa-AFP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/wenger-expects-arsenal-s-revival-to-continue-1.1145444
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A peace committee has urged the Nigerian government to negotiate with the Islamist sect Boko Haram.
|||Abuja - Nigeria's government should negotiate with an Islamist sect blamed for scores of attacks, including last month's bombing of the UN headquarters, a committee appointed by the president recommended on Monday.
But talks should be conditional on the militants renouncing violence, it said.
The committee launched nearly two months ago - weeks before the UN bombing - made the recommendation in its final report on insecurity in the country's northeast, where the sect known as Boko Haram has carried out most of its attacks.
“The federal government should fundamentally consider the option of dialogue and negotiation, which should be contingent upon the renunciation of all forms of violence and surrender of arms… ,” committee head Usman Galtimari said of the report's findings.
A rehabilitation programme should follow, he said.
It also said the “extra-judicial killing” of the sect's ex-leader Mohammed Yusuf and other members by security agents had contributed to the problem.
Issues such as poverty and politicians' use of “private militias” had been among the factors that have also led to violence in the region, it said.
The report recommended that a new committee with greater powers be constituted to negotiate with Boko Haram.
Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo received the report and pledged the government would take action.
“Government will look at the report and act as a matter of urgency in implementing this report,” he said. “It is not going to be business as usual.”
Boko Haram has been blamed for scores of shootings and bomb blasts, mainly in the country's northeast. It claimed responsibility for the August 26 attack on UN headquarters in Abuja that killed at least 23 people.
There have been growing fears that the sect has formed links with outside extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda's north African branch.
It is believed to include several factions and its membership and source of financing remain unclear.
Boko Haram launched an uprising in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north in 2009 that was put down by a brutal military assault which left hundreds dead.
Yusuf, its leader at the time, was captured during the assault and later killed. Police said at the time that he had been trying to escape.
It re-emerged in 2010 with a series of assassinations, while increasingly sophisticated bomb attacks have occurred in recent months. - Sapa-AFP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/peace-group-urges-talks-with-boko-haram-1.1145394
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