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School meals mean BARINGO, Dec 13: It’s lunchtime at Nginyang primary school in dry and dusty Baringo district, western Kenya. Many of the school’s 671 students . ....more Iraqi
agent denies NEW YORK, Dec 13: A former Iraqi intelligence officer said to have met with the suspected leader of the Sept 11 attacks has told US officials no.....more 3
missing after cargo MANILA, Dec 13: Three passengers on a fishing boat were reported missing today after the vessel collided with an unidentified cargo vessel in the . ......more Britain’s
Queen has LONDON, Dec 13: Britain’s 77-year-old Queen Elizabeth underwent minor surgery, but the royal family denied media reports that skin lesions removed .....more |
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Saudi Ambassador praises US as force for good HOUSTON, Dec 13: Saudi Arabia’s US Ambassador praised the United States as a good world citizen and advised Americans not to be too hard on ....more Argentine
Govt wants BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, Dec 13: Argentina’s Government encouraged Courts to probe media reports that senators took bribes from a ....more Plan
to blow up UK LONDON, Dec 13: Militants linked to Al-Qaeda plotted to blow up the British embassy in Yemen, the BBC said. .. ....more Thai
Government BANGKOK, Dec 13: The Thai Government, under pressure to explain the circumstances behind some 2,500 drug-related killings, has announced a . . ....more |
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School meals mean education access for many Kenyan children BARINGO, Dec 13: It’s lunchtime at Nginyang primary school in dry and dusty Baringo district, western Kenya. Many of the school’s 671 students are standing in a line that snakes around the compound, their arms outstretched, clutching bowls. Uncharacteristically, it begins to pour, yet the children stand in the rain, eagerly waiting for their share of the day’s maize mixture. The children run for shelter only when their teachers tell them to do so. "They are afraid they will miss the food," explains the school’s headmaster, Mark Lomariwo. He points to a small boy who walks 15 kilometres to Nginyang school every morning, and returns to his home at night. "This is the one meal he will eat today." But that may soon change at Nginyang school and some 4,000 others in 29 arid and semi-arid districts across Kenya, and two slum areas in the country’s capital, Nairobi. Officials predict that, if they are unable to raise almost 42,000 metric tons of food worth more than 15 million US dollars for 2004, "hundreds of thousands" of Kenyan children might be forced to drop out of primary school, and many schools in places like Baringo could shut their doors. Officials say many of the programme’s donations have dried up, in some cases, because donors have shifted their spending priorities. The national school feeding programme, which began in 1980, is funded by donors through the World Food Programme (WFP) and carried out by the Kenyan Government. Altogether, more than one million primary school children receive a hot meal that, for many, is the only one they will get all day. The programme’s rational is simple: Children in food insecure areas come to school to receive food and are educated at the same time. Some of them will go on to receive further education, and return to develop the community. Lomariwo’s example illustrates this concept. He says he first started attending a school near the one where he is currently headmaster because his mother died, his father was old, the family had lost their animals, and there was no food to eat at home. "I was sure to get food (at school)," he explains. "I joined I continued. Now I’m a teacher. I benefited from the food programme and now I’m benefiting my community and Kenya because the knowledge that I have has helped these children to learn." Moses Atuko, 24, a graduate of Nginyang school, is now in his fourth year in a public health programme at Moi university. "to me, it’s kind of a circle. You go to school, you get fed, you go to high school, you finish, you get work, you come and feed your own family." Atuko says he plans to return to the area after he graduates as a community health care worker. He says he hopes to work with the school feeding programme. Children in Baringo and other food insecure parts of Kenya would normally stay away from school to look after animals, pick wild berries, or perform other types of work that would bring in food for the family. Martha Losutan explains how the feeding programme has helped his family. "When the food was not there, my children’s health was not good. We had porridge in the morning that was the only time they could get food. During the dry season, the children looked so sickly. "Now, the children look so comfortable," Losutan says with a grin. "Before, they couldn’t concentrate and they were confused. Now they are developing." The children’s increased nutrition is reflected in how the schools perform nation-wide. Within the last five years, Baringo has ranked within the top ten districts that perform the best academically out of more than 50 districts in the country. Cutbacks to, or the cancellation of, the school feeding programme in Baringo and all across Kenya would be "tragic" and would prevent the Government from carrying out its pledge to provide free primary education for all children across the country, especially in food insecure areas, says Keiru. "Education or human resource development in arid or semi-arid lands depends purely on school feeding," he says. "it’s not something we would want to envisage happening." (DPA) |
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Iraqi agent denies meeting with 9/11 hijacker-NYT NEW YORK, Dec 13: A former Iraqi intelligence officer said to have met with the suspected leader of the Sept 11 attacks has told US officials no such meeting occurred, the New York Times reported today. Citing US officials familiar with classified intelligence reports, the newspaper said Ahmad Khalil Ibrahim Samir Al-Ani, who was taken into US custody in July, told interrogators he did not meet Mohamed Atta in Prague. That reported meeting was used by conservatives within and outside the Bush administration as evidence of a link between former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda, the group responsible for the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. In the run-up to the war, US President George W Bush argued that invading Iraq was part of his administration’s anti-terrorism campaign. US officials cautioned that ANI may have lied to interrogators about the meeting, but the CIA and FBI eventually concluded that the meeting probably did not take place and that there was no evidence that Saddam’s Government was involved in the Sept 11 hijack attacks, the Times said. Czech officials initially confirmed reports that an Iraqi spy had met with Atta in Prague, even as the CIA and FBI said it was unable to corroborate them. The meeting eventually became a key element in a battle between the CIA and Bush administration hawks over Prewar intelligence, the Times said. Officials said that since Saddam’s Government was toppled and the United States gained access to Iraqi officials and files, the CIA has still not uncovered evidence that might change its Prewar assessment of the connections between Saddam and Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the report said. (AGENCIES) |
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3 missing after cargo ship collides with boat in Philippines MANILA, Dec 13: Three passengers on a fishing boat were reported missing today after the vessel collided with an unidentified cargo vessel in the southern Philippines, the Coast Guard said. Sketchy reports said the fishing boat Alma 4, which was carrying 25 people, collided with the unknown vessel early today near Talicud island in Davao city, more than 1,000 kilometres south of Manila. (DPA) |
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Britain’s Queen has face and knee surgery LONDON, Dec 13: Britain’s 77-year-old Queen Elizabeth underwent minor surgery, but the royal family denied media reports that skin lesions removed from her face were suspected of being cancerous. A Buckingham palace spokeswoman said the facial surgery had been carried out to remove some minor, "benign" skin lesions. ITV news reported that tissue removed from the Queen’s face during the 75-minute operation at London’s King Edward Vii hospital was being tested for early signs of cancer. The Queen also had torn cartilage removed from her left knee during the operation, which was described by the palace as "entirely successful". "The Queen is expected to leave hospital some time during the weekend, and she should be fully active again within a few weeks," the spokeswoman said. The knee operation had been announced in advance and was similar to surgery on her right knee earlier this year — both caused by a stumble the Queen suffered last December. But the removal of the lesions from the Queen’s face came as a surprise. The Queen is expected to spend Christmas and the New Year with her family at their Sandringham country estate in eastern England. The outdoor-loving Queen has enjoyed robust health for most of her life. In one of her few other known accidents, she broke a wrist in 1994 when her horse tripped. (AGENCIES) |
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Saudi Ambassador praises US as force for good HOUSTON, Dec 13: Saudi Arabia’s US Ambassador praised the United States as a good world citizen and advised Americans not to be too hard on themselves in a speech aimed at Bolstering rocky US-Saudi relations. "Please remember you are a force for good. Don’t be Masochists — be proud of what you do and easy does it, you can’t please everybody. God couldn’t please everybody," Prince Bandar Bin Sultan told the Houston world affairs council yesterday. "The United States is a force for good all over the world, and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise," Bandar said to a standing ovation from an audience of about 400 people. Saudi-US relations have suffered since the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington in which the perpetrators were mostly Saudi nationals. But Bandar described the relationship as "strong and deep" and said Saudi Arabia was a staunch ally in the US "war on terrorism." "We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you against evil," he said. Bandar praised President George W Bush for having the "guts" to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. "We should be grateful for what the United States has done to get rid of these two evils," he said, referring to the Taliban in Afghanistan and former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein. He derided Europe, with the exception of Britain, for failing to step into difficult situations around the world. One would not want to be "in a dark alley hoping the Europeans will come and help," bandar said. ‘’they probably would never show up.’’ Bandar said Saudi Arabia was moving forward with social and political reforms that many in the US have demanded, but counseled patience. "If you really are our friends ... Don’t rush us," he said. (AGENCIES) |
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Argentine Govt wants probe of senate bribe report BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, Dec 13: Argentina’s Government encouraged Courts to probe media reports that senators took bribes from a past administration in 2000, allegations that could damage key figures in the ruling peronist party. Argentine media yesterday quoted a former senate clerk as saying he delivered bribes to senators in return for passage of a labor reform law pushed by the Government of former President Fernando De La Rua many of the accused senators were peronists. De La Rua, a member of the radical party, was toppled in a popular revolt as Argentina’s economy crashed in December 2001. After a succession of other leaders, peronist Nestor Kirchner became President last May, vowing to stamp out corruption in Argentina’s Government and Courts. "Argentina needs for those responsible for these things ... To answer for themselves in court," Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernandez told local radio. Only a handful of senators in office during 2000 remain in their posts. Some others have moved on to other important political positions. The report could lead to the reopening of a Court investigation into suspected bribes that started after the labor reform law passed in 2000, sparking a scandal from which De La Rua never fully recovered. Several senators were questioned by a federal Judge, but no one was ever convicted. De La Rua has repeatedly denied there was corruption in his Government. (AGENCIES) |
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Plan to blow up UK embassy in Yemen foiled -BBC LONDON, Dec 13: Militants linked to Al-Qaeda plotted to blow up the British embassy in Yemen, the BBC said. In a report on its flagship evening television news bulletin last night, it said the plot was foiled when security officials caught the militants filming the building in the capital Sanaa. "I think it was very serious...," Britain’s Ambassador to Yemen, Frances guy, told the BBC when asked about the plot. "We are very conscious that we are a high priority target here in Yemen and we try our best on a daily basis to review our security and improve it as much as we can." The BBC, Britain’s state broadcaster, said some 20 militants were involved in a plot to drive a truck bomb through the gates of the embassy some three months ago. After being caught filming the building, their video tape was sent to London for analysis, the BBC said. A foreign office spokesman in London declined to comment on details of the report, saying: "We never comment on the security of individual buildings for good reason, but the security of our staff is paramount. "There is not one size fits all approach to security." last month, suicide bombers attacked the British consulate and a London-based bank in Istanbul, killing 32 people and injuring hundreds. Britain and its interests abroad are regarded as a target for terror attacks because of London’s staunch support for the United States in it’s self-declared war on terror and its decision to invade Iraq. (AGENCIES) |
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Thai Government delays disclosure of results of drug killings probe BANGKOK, Dec 13: The Thai Government, under pressure to explain the circumstances behind some 2,500 drug-related killings, has announced a delay in the release of results of a police investigation into the deaths. Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said the results of the probe, which were due to be made public yesterday, would be delayed three days until Monday because police and officials at central region seven had failed to complete their portion of the report in time. "On Monday the Government will release the report to the public," Chavalit told reporters at Government house yesterday "it will be available on the (Thai Government) website." Thai Police were reported to have been working around the clock on the report since the country’s revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, urged the Government to explain the circumstances of some 2,500 people reported killed during a three-month anti-drug blitz that began on February 1. The king’s request, which came on December 4 in a speech to mark his 76th birthday, put pressure on the Government of Thaksin Shinawatra, which has been accused of condoning extrajudicial killings in its war on drugs. Police claimed most of the killings were the result of drug dealers killing each other, while human rights advocates accused police of carrying out wholesale extrajudicial killings. After amnesty international, UN officials and other human rights advocates questioned the legality of the killings, police stopped publicizing their body counts. Human rights activists expressed scepticism about the hastily ordered probe, fearing a white wash after the Government announced it would be carried out by the same people who led the campaign, including General Chavalit. The national human rights commission of Thailand yesterday recommended that "other institutions (be allowed to) closely monitor and investigate previous drugs-related cases under their responsibility". "As for innocent people who died without any drugs involvement, the Government should undertake any measure to guarantee their innocence to the public in order that their families, who have been shunned by society, can return to their normal life," the Commission said in a statement. (DPA) |
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Britain’s Prince Harry takes to the beach SYDNEY, Dec 13: British royal Prince Harry has taken another break from his four-month working holiday as a cowboy on a big Australian cattle farm, news reports said. After taking time out from his blue-collar job on a spread near the Queensland town of Roma to watch England win the rugby world cup in Sydney, the Lanky son of the late lady Diana was spotted on a sunshine coast beach. Australia’s aap news agency reported that Harry and his minders had rented a cluster of oceanfront chalets. The 19-year-old also visited Swish Noosa heads, impressing locals with his Ruddy complexion and angular frame. "He has really nice skin and he’s quite tall," Noosa heads shell service station’s Jenny Mason said of the Prince after seeing him there. She added that she thought he was much better looking in real life than he appeared in the tabloid magazines. "I didn’t think he was that good looking until then," she was quoted as saying. During his time in Australia, Prince Harry has played for young england in a polo match against Australia and been in the stands for the Ritzy Melbourne cup horserace in Australia’s second-biggest city. Unlike elder brother and heir to the throne William, Harry has a wild streak that could make his stay in the anything-goes sunshine coast a reportable event for London’s racy tabloids. They will perhaps be hoping to catch him drunk and disorderly or high on drugs. Two years ago Harry earned the nickname "Harry pothead" after his father, Prince Charles, discovered he had a ducked under licensing laws for a drink in a pub and had developed a Marijuana habit. It’s his first visit abroad without a royal as a minder. Harry, who is expected to take up a place at the royal military academy at Sandhurst next year, is due another holiday after his beachside break. Next week he will fly to London to spend Christmas with his family. (DPA) Nauru gets off tax haven blacklist PARIS, Dec 13: Nauru, a tiny coral island in the south Pacific with one main road but about 400 banks, is being struck off a blacklist of renegade tax havens, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said. The OECD, grouping all of the world economic powers, said it was striking Nauru from the list, which was published in 2002 in a bid to put pressure on places deemed to be turning a blind eye to tax dodgers, criminals and traffickers. "The oecd welcomes the commitment Nauru has made to improve transparency and establish effective exchange of information for tax matters with oecd countries by 31 December 2005," the OECD said in a statement issued form its Paris headquarters. Nauru, famous for the masses of bird droppings that gave it once huge phosphate mines, has been accused by the US treasury in recent years of ignoring laundering through its banks of billions of ill-gotten funds that were spirited out of Russia. A new Nauru Government said last June it was revoking 139 offshore banking licences and hoped it would be spared the threat of international financial sanctions. The OECD said several other territories remained on its blacklist — Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Liberia and the Marshall islands. (AGENCIES) US soldier killed in Iraq blast BAGHDAD, Dec 13: A US soldier was fatally wounded and two others were hurt in a blast near the flashpoint Iraqi town of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, the US military said. The soldiers were in a convoy when the attack occurred around 6:30 AM local time and one died of his wounds in hospital, the military said in a statement. (AGENCIES) Peru’s toledo asks for cabinet resignation LIMA, PERU, Dec 13: Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo asked for his cabinet’s resignation late last night, including that of his popular Prime Minister, Beatriz Merino, the national palace said in a statement. Toledo, who is expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle in the next few days, has been at odds with Merino over who should be in the new cabinet. Merino, who is visiting the United States, has faced a wave of attacks in the past two weeks from unidentified sources in local media accusing her of everything from corruption to Lesbianism. The media reports are seen as an attempt to slur her reputation and force her resignation. Investors worry Merino’s departure could destabilize Toledo’s Government, dogged by strikes and street protests during its more than two years in power. Merino, a tax lawyer with a reputation for honesty, is seen as key to helping Toledo reform Peru’s weak institutions, improve tax collection and drive economic growth. (AGENCIES) |
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