Political

Zimbabwe Opposition Leader To Protest Runoff

10 May 2008

REUTERS (PRETORIA) - Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is returning to the country to contest the planned run-off against President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai said would only participate in the election if international observers and media get full access to ensure it is fair. He said the country's electoral commission is not creditable and called on the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to send peacekeepers.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/07/stories/2008050752840100.htm

(Reliability: 7)

Travel

Air Travel E-Tickets To Replace All Paper Tickets June 1 2008

6 May 2008

THE HINDU BUSINESS LINE (NEW DELHI) - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) based in Geneva has mandated that from 1 June 2008 airlines will have to stop using paper tickets and switch to using e-tickets exclusively. IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said it takes USD 1 to process an e-ticket and USD 10 to process a paper ticket. IATA estimates that the global implementation of e-ticketing will save the industry up to USD 3 billion annually. IATA says e-ticket penetration in Africa, West Asia and North Africa, Russia and the CIS is low, but that these regions represent only 8 per cent of total volume.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/07/stories/2008050752840100.htm

(Reliability: 8)

Travel

China To Lose Millions On Flight Cuts

29 April 2008

BLOOMBERG (NEW YORK) - China Eastern Airlines Corp., the nation's third-largest carrier, said it may lose USD 58 million in sales this year after scrapping flights that a labor dispute disrupted.

Two routes in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan will stop May 4, 2008. The number of its flights on six Yunnan routes have dwindled to between two and six daily.

China's government took away routes from the carrier after its pilots aborted flights to protest working conditions. The country's airlines are facing a shortage of pilots after adding about 100 aircraft in the past year to meet surging travel demand in the world's second-largest aviation market.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=ay.FygpPnwRU&refer=asia

(Reliability: 9)

Military/WMD

South Africa: SANDF To Cease Border Operations In 2009

DOI 23 April 2008

ALLAFRICA (TSHWANE) - The South African Defense Force (SANDF) announced on 22 April that it will cease its oprations at the country's border posts in March 2009. According to the SANDF Head of Communications Siphiwe Dlamini, the SANDF would continue to provide support service on request. "As the SANDF, we do not have arresting powers, but we will continue to support the police in patrolling the borders", he said.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200804230828.html

(Reliability: 7)

Military/WMD

Planning Conference "Georgian Express 2008"

DOI 21 April 2008

GEORGIA MINISTRY OF DEFENSE (TBILISI) - British and Georgian officials held planning conferences on 21-24 April 2008 for the British-Georgian joint military exercise "Georgian Express 2008". The joint military exercise will launch in September 2008 and 160 Georgian and British military service members will undergo the two weeks of training.

Source: http://www.mod.gov.ge/?l=E&id=911

(Reliability: 8)

Comment: This will be the third "Georgian Express" joint British-Georgian exercise. The first two Georgian Express exercises took place in 2004 and 2007.

Health

US Centers For Disease Control Points Finger At Switzerland For Measles Outbreak

DOI 24 April 2008

THE TELEGRAPH (UNITED KINGDOM) - The United States Center for Disease Prevention and Control identified Switzerland as one of the main sources of a recent outbreak of measles, which spread across the Atlantic with returning holidaymakers. The outbreak began when a seven-year-old returned from a family vacation in Switzerland on January 15 infected with measles, leading to a further 11 reported cases in San Diego. A European Union-backed surveillance network, EUVAC released, during the week of 14 April 2008, a report that put Switzerland at the top the list of European countries, which possessed significantly more measles cases in the past year. The expected arrival of over five million visitors from around the world for the Euro 2008 football championships in Switzerland heightens growing concerns about the measles threat. The Swiss Federal Health Office issued recommendations that all visitors to Switzerland check their vaccination status and immunize if they have not had the full course of vaccine.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2008/04/24/euro-2008-football.xml

(Reliability: 7)

Comment: Euro 2008 football championships will take place 7-29 June 2008.

Tourism And Travel

Taiwan KMT Party To See First Chinese Tourists Via July 4 Weekend Flights

DOI 23 April 2008

XFN-ASIA (TAIPEI, CHINA) - The Kuomintang (KMT), which will become the ruling party after Ma Ying-Jeou swears in as president on May 20, 2008, is planning for the first arrivals of Chinese tourists flying direct to Taiwan on July 4 when weekend charter flights across the Taiwan Straits launch. Chang Jung-Kung, director of the KMT's mainland affairs department, will head a mission to mainland China in early May for preparatory consultations on exact routes and airports.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/04/23/afx4926549.html

(Reliability: 7)

Comment: Taiwan plans to spend USD 991 million on preparations for millions of tourists from political rival China under a plan to boost the economy. President Ma aims to admit 3000 Chinese tourists every day in the hopes that they will bring in cash and create job opportunities.

Political

Details Emerge From The Africa-India Forum Summit

DOI 16 April 2008

XINHUA (BEIJING) - The two documents adopted at the recent Africa-India Forum Summit, the Africa-India Framework for Cooperation and the Delhi Declaration, cover rather broad issues like reorganization of global institutions, climate change and terrorism but underline the two sides' intention to deepen and broaden their mutual economic and security partnership. India plans to double its financial credit to Africa to $5.4 billion in the next five years.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/16/content_7987068.htm

(Reliability: 6)

Comment: The Africa-India Forum Summit took place on 8-9 April 2008. India and other African leaders agreed to hold the summit every three years – the next summit will be in 2011.

Culture

Dubai To Host International Literature Fest In 2009

DOI 16 April 2008

KHALEEJ TIMES (DUBAI) - The Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature (EAIFL) will take place on 25 February to 1 March , 2009.Authors who have confirmed to speak at the festival include celebrated writer Paolo Coelho, English adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Second Children’s Laureate Anne Fine, and children’s writers Lynne Truss, Jeremy Strong and Lauren Child. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation wishes to further awareness about its ‘Oktub’ (Write) and ‘Tarjem’ (Translate) programs, which seek to increase intellectual output in the Arab World. TheFoundation attended the London Book Fair (2008) hoping to promote its programs.

Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/April/theuae_April524.xml&section=theuae&col=

(Reliability: 6.5)

Military/WMD

Indonesia Sends Personnel To Join UN Peace Mission Exercise In Bangladesh

DOI 11 April 2008

THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA: HELSINKI, FINLAND (JAKARTA) - Indonesia on 6 April 2008 sent 40 military personnel to join a UN peacekeeping force exercise in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi Air Force Chief of Staff vice Marshal Zia Rahman opened the exercise, code-named "Shanti Doot-2", at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) an institute responsible for handling peace missions, the Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters said in a press statement on 7 April 2008. The activity, which involved 16 Asia-Pacific countries was aimed at improving the skills of each participating country's security personnel in maintaining peace, that statement said. Indonesia is slated to host such an exercise in 2009.

Source: http://www.indonesian-embassy.fi/in/index.php?&p=News__Publications/1&tr=1207924556_963

(Reliability: 9)

Celestial

Russia Says No More Space Tourists

DOI 14 April 2008

FOX (MOSCOW) - President Vladimir Putin ordered his government Friday to speed up construction of a new cosmodrome and development of a booster rocket in a bid to revive the nation's space glory. Russia's space agency chief, meanwhile, said the country may stop selling seats on its spacecraft to "tourists" starting in 2010 because of the planned expansion of the international space station's crew from the current three to six or even nine in 2010. The development came a day before the 47th anniversary of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's becoming the first man in space. The Soviets also launched the first satellite — Sputnik — and the first woman in space, and carried out the first spacewalk.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,350792,00.html

(Reliability: 8.5)

LE/Infrastructure

Nigeria: Henry Okah To Have Secret Trial, MEND Vows Retaliation

15 April 2008

IRIN (ABUJA)— In response to the Nigerian government’s decision to hold a secret trial for Henry Okah, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) leaders have said that they will escalate armed conflict. "We have pulled out of any peace talks, we have not disarmed so there really is no progress since Henry's arrest," the spokesman for the MEND, who goes by the name of Jomo Gbomo, wrote in an e-mail to IRIN on 13 April 2008. Gbomo also wrote that militants would target oil installations even if the oil companies repair pipelines. “It only takes a few minutes to destroy what took years to build." Okah’s defense team will challenge the decision of a closed hearing on 22 April. The government’s prosecutor argues that a public trial would be a threat to security.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200804150906.html

(Reliability: 8)

Economic/Political

Musharraf Meets With Chinese Leaders

DOI 13 April 2008

XINHUA (BEIJING) - During a meeting with visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China will actively participate in the infrastructure construction in Pakistan and encourage Chinese business to invest in the country in order to realize the sustainable development of cooperation. Musharraf noted that Pakistan will continue to maintain close high-level exchanges, advance bilateral free trade, so as to realize the bilateral trade volume amounting to 15 billion U.S. dollars by 2011. In addition to meeting with Wen, Musharraf also met Jia Qinglin, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee – the primary, and only legal, outlet for minority groups in China.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/13/content_7969694.htm

(Reliability: 8)

Analysis: Musharraf visit likely had three objectives. First, meeting with CPPCC chairman Jia indicates the importance of this body. The CCPPCC functions as a political outlet for minority groups within China. Musharraf’s visit with Jia likely indicates Pakistan’s concern over recent Tibetan protests. Second, Musharraf visit is likely an attempt to reach out to China, in order to counterbalance pressure from Washington over the recent violence in Pakistan. Third, Musharraf likely is attempting to discuss the violence in Karachi and how is impacts the importation of China’s energy.

(Analytic Confidence: 8)

Political

Egypt Jails 25 Muslim Brotherhood Members

DOI 15 April 2008

AFP (CAIRO) - An Egyptian military court jailed 25 members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood for up to 10 years for financing a banned organization and acquitted 15 others. Khayrat al-Shater and fellow leader Hassan Malek received seven years while seven other received 10 years in absentia. Egyptian authorities accuse the Muslim Brotherhood, which controls a fifth of the seats in parliament, of seeking to revive its underground military wing and of eventually trying to topple the regime.

Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiXhvQe6KVab9TMQCZzadIXE_08A

(Reliability: 8.5)

Comment: This is not the first sentencing issued from a military tribunal. The Egyptian government prefers using military tribunals due to their higher rate of conviction and uses them regularly.

Entertainment/Political

Potter Author Joins Other Authors In Calling For Action In Darfur.

DOI 13 April 2008

BBC (LONDON) - Harry Potter author JK Rowling has joined fellow children's writers in calling for greater protection for children living in war-torn Darfur. An open letter signed by 14 authors, including best-selling US writer Judy Blume and Michael Morpugo, declares: "It is time to change the narrative." Human rights groups estimate that more than a million Sudanese children have been caught up in the bloodshed, displacement and killing in the region.

Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7342740.stm

(Reliability: 8)

Analysis: It is unlikely that the open letter put out by the authors will have any effect on the peacekeeping operations in Darfur. This is not the first time that a group of celebrities have tried to cause change in policies before and these movements never gain enough momentum to ensure effective change.

(Analytic Confidence: 7)

LE/Infrastructure

Nigeria: Angry Youths Occupy Oil Installation

DOI 11 April 2008

AP (YENAGOA)— On 11 April 2008, Shell spokeswoman Caroline Wittgen said that militant youths occupied a Royal Dutch Shell PLC oil installation in southern Nigeria, shutting down its production of 5,000 barrels a day. The rising numbers of militant attacks cut about 20 percent of Nigeria’s normal petroleum output, and help send oil prices toward all-time highs. Militant leader Henry Okah is on trial for treason and other crimes, and the main militant group is promising further attacks.

Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/11/africa/AF-GEN-Nigeria-Oil-Unrest.php

Reliability: 8)

Health

BIO-Europe Spring 2009, Returns To Milan, Italy

DOI 10 April 2008

MEDICAL NEWS TODAY - The third annual BIO-Europe Spring 2009 Conference returns to Milan, Italy, the site of its inaugural event, on March 16-18, 2009 at the Milano Convention Center (MIC). BIO-Europe Spring Conference is the second largest dedicated partnering event in the biotechnology industry. Biotechnology companies from around the world participate in BIO-Europe Spring to identify and meet with companies across the life sciences companies. Professor Rossi Bernardi, Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Human Capital, for Milan, stated the BIO-Europe Spring event "helps to shine more light on the rapid progress of our industry, the exceptional quality of our scientific programs and the great potential for partnering with Italian firms."

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/103421.php

(Reliability: 5)

Military/WMD

Russian Military To Get New Tank

DOI 7 April 2008

OFFICIAL WIRE (MOSCOW) - Four-star General of the Army Nikolai Makarov, Russia's current chief of armaments, looks forward to a breakthrough in tank building soon. In 2009 the Russian army will get a new tank - the T-95 -- far superior to existing models. This is an entirely new battle tank, with new running gear, power plant, armaments, fire control, reconnaissance and target identification facilities. Russia's is the only army in the world using two types of main battle tank: the gas turbine T-80 -- T80U -- and the diesel-powered tank T-90 -- T-90S. The T-95 is currently undergoing tests, which the army expects to complete this year. The army anticipates that its adoption for service will bring the long-awaited unification to this sphere.

Source:http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=64353&catid=855

(Reliability: 6.5)

Environment

New Climate Change Talk Scheduled For 2009

DOI 1 April 2008

XINHUA (BANGKOK) - As the Bangkok Climate Change Talks ended on 4 April, delegates from developed and developing countries agreed on a working plan for future negotiations at a meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. The meeting will take place in late 2009. The purpose of the new meeting is to reach a new pact on global climate change after 2012.
The Bangkok summit rejected Japan’s climate change proposal, which would set midterm national targets for "each major emitting country" by calculating emission reduction potential in each sector. Opponents of Japan’s proposal argue that if adopted, the change would also require developing nations to cut emissions by sector, something that is very unpopular.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/01/content_7900926.htm

(Reliability: 8.5)

Immigration

Sudan Refugee Camp To Host Mia Farrow During Olympics

DOI 07 April 2008

TIMES&TRANSCRIPT (SAN FRANCISCO) - As the world turns its attention to Beijing and the Summer Olympic Games, Mia Farrow will be broadcasting from a Sudanese refugee camp to highlight China's involvement in the region. Farrow will spend the first week of the Beijing Olympics in August showing the poor living conditions of ethnic African refugees displaced by conflict with the Sudanese Arab-dominated government, the group Dream for Darfur announced Thursday. The group criticizes China's role as Sudan's main trading partner, buying oil from Sudan and selling the country many of the weapons used to wage war on the agrarian tribal people of Darfur, said executive director Jill Savitt. Farrow's broadcasts will be available online.

Source: http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/lifetimes/article/260516

(Reliability: 7)

Entertainment/ Political

India Opens Up To Pakistani Film

DOI 07 April 2008

BBC (INDIA) - A critically acclaimed Pakistani film on Islam was released across cinemas in India. It is the first Pakistani film to get a wide commercial release in India in over four decades. Officially, India and Pakistan have banned each other's films since going to war in 1965. But in recent years, the two countries have made exceptions. In 2003, Pakistani film Khamosh Paani (Silent Waters) had a limited release in India. In 2006, Pakistan allowed three Indian films to be shown. Indian films are hugely popular in Pakistan and illicit copies are easy to find. India's Hindi-language film industry, which includes Bombay's Bollywood movies, is the world's largest by viewership.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7330072.stm

(Reliability: 8)