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Monday, May 27, 2013

Israel's president calls for return to peace talks

SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan (AP) ? Israel's president on Sunday urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to overcome differences and resume peace negotiations, saying the sides could not afford "to lose this opportunity."

President Shimon Peres issued his call ahead of a gathering of Mideast leaders on the sidelines of a conference hosted by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan.

Sunday's conference included a rare face-to-face meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, with the participation of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who has devoted much of the past two months to restarting long-stalled peace talks.

"We shouldn't lose the opportunity because it will be replaced by a great disappointment," Peres told reporters in Jordan. "For my experience, I believe it's possible to overcome it. It doesn't require too much time."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed.

"Enough is enough. A lot of our young people have started to lose confidence in the two-state solution," he said to a loud applause from an audience of more than 1,000 business and government leaders from 23 countries worldwide.

He blamed the growing mistrust on Israeli moves, essentially construction in West Bank settlements and detention of hundreds of Palestinians.

Abbas reiterated his rejection of partial solutions. "We will neither accept interim solutions, nor a state with temporary borders or a peace based on economic perks without progress on the political track," he said.

At one point in the closing session, Kerry joked with Abbas and Peres ? who exchanged hugs, kisses, handshakes and emotional speeches ? telling both from the podium that he had an "agreement you can come up and sign."

Abbas peeked at Peres, pointing to the podium. Then both laughed.

Palestinian-Israeli peace talks broke down nearly five years ago, in large part due to disagreements over Israeli settlement construction on occupied territories claimed by the Palestinians. The Palestinians say there is no point in negotiating while Israel continues to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which they say undermines their quest to set up an independent state. The Palestinians want both areas, captured by Israel in 1967, as parts of their state.

On his fourth visit to the Middle East since taking office in February, Kerry held talks with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week. He said during his latest regional swing that both sides must make hard decisions to move toward direct negotiations.

Peres, who won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for helping forge an interim deal with the Palestinians, sounded upbeat and determined to help in peacemaking with Palestinians.

"It is time for peace," he said. "I believe this is an important opportunity to (engage), not to waste time, return to negotiations and complete the negotiations with the Palestinians."

He said a peace agreement must be "based on a two state solution: an Israeli state, a Palestinian state living as good neighbors cooperating economically and bringing a message to the young generation."

For decades an ardent supporter of peace with the Palestinians, Peres holds a ceremonial role in Israel, and his views are highly respected in Israeli society. Netanyahu, who has most decision-making powers, holds more hawkish positions than Peres and has given few signs of how he sees a final peace deal with the Palestinians.

While Netanyahu has endorsed the concept of a two-state solution, the Palestinians accuse him of undermining that goal through his actions. In particular, they object to continued settlement construction and Netanyahu's refusal to endorse Israel's pre-1967 lines as the basis for a future border.

Netanyahu has called for resumption of peace talks without preconditions, saying all those issues would be on the table.

Israeli media reported that Peres discussed with Netanyahu some key issues he is expected to raise at Sunday's forum.

Earlier Sunday, a group of Israeli and Palestinian businessmen at the conference unveiled a plan to push their leaders to begin serious peace negotiations.

"We're using our collective business experience and influence to convince leaders on both sides that peace is a must," said Palestinian business tycoon Munib Masri.

Masri said he was leading the initiative, called "breaking the impasse," along with Israeli high-tech guru Yossi Vardi. He said they would lobby both sides to make peace.

___

Associated Press writer Jamal Halaby contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israels-president-calls-return-peace-talks-142510503.html

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Reports: Kuwait oil minister resigns

KUWAIT CITY (AP) ? Kuwait media say the Gulf nation's oil minister has resigned after criticism of a $2.2 billion compensation payment over a collapsed business deal.

There was no immediate official comment Sunday on the reported resignation of Hani Hussein, but he has faced calls to be questioned in parliament over the payment to Dow Chemical Co.

Some lawmakers have demanded an investigation into the settlement this month with Dow. The payment was for the 2008 withdrawal of Kuwait's state-run petrochemical company from a planned plastics joint venture.

The websites of several newspapers, including pro-government Al Watan, reported Hussein's resignation was accepted.

Kuwait is one of OPEC's top exporters, but the resignation is not expected to bring disruptions. Kuwait's oil policy is set by a special panel controlled by the ruling family.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/reports-kuwait-oil-minister-resigns-155952249.html

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Zimmerman's lawyers say Trayvon Martin argued with friend, was 'angry' on night of shooting

Pool / Getty Images file

George Zimmerman, defendant in the killing of Trayvon Martin, stands in the Seminole Circuit Court with his attorney Mark O'Mara for a pre-trial hearing on April 30, 2013 in Sanford, Fla.

By James Novogrod and Tom Winter, NBC News

Attorneys for George Zimmerman say that unreleased text messages drawn from Trayvon Martin?s cell phone show the 17-year-old was arguing with a friend and was ?angry? on the day he was shot and killed in Sanford, Fla.

?This is relevant to Mr. Martin?s overall demeanor that day and relevant to his emotional state,? a new court filing by the defense team reads. The filing goes on to say the messages ?may assist the jury in understanding why Trayvon Martin chose to hide and then confront George Zimmerman rather than simply going home.?

The document, filed with the court in Sanford and made public Friday, is the latest in a back-and-forth over the admissibility of character evidence related to Martin, whose death on Feb. 26, 2012 spurred a national conversation about race, guns, and Florida?s expansive self-defense laws.

Zimmerman, 29, is accused of second degree murder in Martin?s death and will face trial June 10. He has plead not guilty, telling police he resorted to self-defense after Martin punched him and beat his head to the ground after the two crossed paths inside a gated community that night.

Prosecutors have asked the court to prohibit text messages and other materials related to Martin?s life, arguing the materials are irrelevant to the circumstances surrounding the teen?s death.

At a key hearing next week, Judge Debra S. Nelson will hear arguments over what evidence should be admissible at trial.

Thursday, Zimmerman?s lawyers released a slew of evidence culled from Martin?s cell phone, including two pictures of a handgun, and text messages that appear to refer to an organized fight and smoking marijuana.

"He got mo hits cause in da 1st round," Martin says in a November 2011 message, apparently referring to a fight. "He had me on da ground nd I couldn?t do ntn."

In the filing made public Friday, Zimmerman's lawyers say the messages show Martin was an experienced fighter, and that marijuana use "can affect one's judgment and demeanor and is known to cause paranoia and aggression in some."

Text messages between Martin and the friend referred to as Witness 8 from the night of the shooting are redacted in the defense's Thursday release.

Legal experts, citing strict standards for evidence under the law, say it?s not likely the materials will be admitted.?

In a release Thursday, a lawyer for Martin?s family, Benjamin Crump, called the release of the materials from Martin?s phone a ?desperate and pathetic attempt by the defense to pollute and sway the jury pool.?

But in an interview, Mark O?Mara, Zimmerman?s lead attorney, said he doesn't presume all of the evidence will be admitted.? Gathering and sharing materials is part of the normal course of discovery in Florida, O?Mara said, where prosecution and defense are required to swap evidence before trial.

"I'm not sure that any of the stuff about Trayvon Martin's background or my client's background will be relevant," O'Mara told NBC News. "If they were to not go into George's background, and not suggest that Trayvon Martin was an angel, we won't go there either.?

In July, the State released an FBI report that included an interview with an ex-fiancee who filed an injunction order against Zimmerman after an altercation.

Prosecutors also released a photocopy of a MySpace page from 2005, on which Zimmerman appears to disparage Mexicans.

Zimmerman?s attorneys say their client, whose mother is Peruvian, harbors no prejudice. The FBI report also concluded there was no evidence Zimmerman ever demonstrated any racial bias.

Also Friday, the court released a second document by the defense, pushing for a hearing to examine State studies of a 911 tape that captured screaming on the night of the shooting. Lawyers for Zimmerman are seeking to prevent voice analysts hired by the prosecution from testifying at trial.

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Zimmerman defense releases texts about guns, fighting from Trayvon Martin's phone

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Paper: Japan government says unaware of ghosts at PM residence

TOKYO (Reuters) - A delay in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife moving into their official residence, the site of past assassinations, has revived talk of ghosts in the corridors, prompting the government to deny any knowledge of hauntings.

Abe has not moved into the prime minister's official residence for five months since he took power.

Asked by an opposition lawmaker about the reported hauntings, the government issued a formal statement on Friday saying it was not aware of ghost sightings, Asahi newspaper and other media reported.

The residence, formerly the prime minister's office, was built in 1929 and was the site of military rebellions, including in 1932 when then-Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai was assassinated.

Talk of ghosts has long haunted the building, remodeled in the early 2000s. It has served as the official residence for the prime minister and the premier's family since 2005.

Abe has given no explanation for the delay in moving in, but it is not uncommon for the premier to take some time before taking up residence.

(Reporting by Linda Sieg and Yoko Kubota; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-government-says-unaware-ghosts-pm-residence-paper-095227533.html

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Amanda Bynes Appears in Court, Says Bong Was Just a Vase, Released on Recognizance

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/amanda-bynes-appears-in-court-says-bong-was-just-a-vase-released/

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Ivory Coast techies elect new 'Web Mayor'

Emmanuel Assouan, the newly inaugurated 'web mayor' of Ivory Coast's economic capital, poses in this undated picture in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, made available Sunday May 26, 2013. Five days after Ivorians went to the polls for local elections in late April, Abidjan's budding network of bloggers, strategists, designers and Web entrepreneurs organized a separate vote for 'Web Mayor.' From a crowded field of 12 candidates, the city's active community of self-described internet geeks selected Assouan, a 22-year-old who still lives with his parents.(AP Photo/Robbie Corey-Boulet)

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) ? A 22-year-old who lives with his parents is the new mayor of Ivory Coast's largest city, at least according to the West African nation's active community of self-described Internet geeks.

Abidjan's budding network of bloggers, strategists, designers and Web entrepreneurs organized a separate vote for "Web Mayor," in late April days after Ivorians went to the polls for local elections.

Emmanuel Assouan was crowned leader for a group that in recent years has dreamed up creative ways to aid the city's population of roughly 4 million people and draw attention to government shortcomings in areas like traffic congestion and power supply, said Amevi Midekor, who helped organize the vote.

Assouan beat out a crowded field of 12 candidates, with more than 25 percent of 534 votes counted.

In a suit, he took the oath of office on Friday night with his parents looking on. As he placed his right hand on a gleaming white iPad, Assouan vowed to foster an online community that was "healthy, safe and rich in content." Ivory Coast has a reputation for cybercrime, which has placed it on blacklists for websites like PayPal.

But it's clear Abidjan's techies see their work as central to reforming the broader image of Ivory Coast.

"Always we hear the same things about Ivory Coast - the problems of war, of politics," said Bacely Yorobi, head of a social media marketing firm called Social Spot and the third-place candidate for "Web Mayor."

"We hear no information about the world of technology. So we want the Web community to speak with one voice and bring the message that Ivory Coast is back, and we are having a technological revolution," Yorobi said.

The online community came of age during Ivory Coast's 2010-11 postelection violence, which ended with heavy fighting in Abidjan prior to the April 2011 arrest of former President Laurent Gbagbo, who had refused to leave office despite losing the vote to current President Alassane Ouattara.

Using Twitter hashtags and maps, members alerted one another to violence and to people in need of food or medical care.

With the conflict over and recovery under way, Edith Brou, blogger and founder of a webzine geared to Ivorian women, said she wanted Abidjan to blossom into "the next technopole" rivaling other African cities like Dakar, Senegal and Nairobi, Kenya.

Like other techies, she said the group had little interest in politics. She drew a contrast between April's government-sponsored local elections, which produced pockets of unrest when losing candidates contested the results, and the vote for "Web Mayor," which was decidedly peaceful.

"It's the difference between a clean election and a dirty election," said Brou, who placed second in the "Web Mayor" vote. "In the local elections, when you lose, you cry, you insult someone, you rally your supporters. For us, it's different. We are here to work together to develop the community. I lost, I accepted it, and I congratulated the person who won. It's that easy."

Still, certain members of Abidjan's online community don't shy away from challenging the government or highlighting its failures.

In late January, responding to a wave of electricity cuts, 37-year-old designer and advertiser Charles Dadie created a black-hooded cartoon villain named Delestron - a play on the French word for power cut, "delestage."

Though initially intended as a joke, Dadie soon gave Delestron his own Facebook page, and he has amassed more than 4,700 "likes." Following a citywide power cut earlier this month, a graphic on the page showed Delestron standing over a map saying, "Tonight I will strike everywhere at once."

"Delestron was created to denounce the power cuts with a bit of humor," Dadie said. "This is the character of Ivorians. And I think this is a more advanced method of articulating our concerns. It's not violent. And it allows people to express their opinion quickly, so that the authorities are aware of it."

The national electricity company already had its own superheroes: Two men in full-body orange-and-green spandex suits who restore power with a simple nod of the head. In a video on the company's home page, the men work their magic at a home, a factory and a hospital where a woman is undergoing an ultrasound before ending up at an outdoor dance party.

But after Delestron's popularity took off, a new female superhero appeared on the scene, informing Abidjan residents of efforts to repair power cuts. Electra's 710 Facebook followers are also treated to detailed posts on rate structures. The character was widely believed to have been created by the national electricity company, though officials have not confirmed this, and the company could not be reached for comment.

Dadie said it would "probably be better if officials focused on improving the electricity situation rather than creating cartoons."

But the attention garnered by Delestron shows the potential power of online activism in Abidjan, something Assouan, the new "Web Mayor," said he hopes to use to spur innovation in online commerce, government and education.

He doesn't have much time, however. A new election for "Web Mayor" is tentatively scheduled for next spring.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-05-26-Ivory%20Coast-Web%20Mayor/id-2f08e3f2c30543a781c0156f16f1d908

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What's an "Ugly" Building, Anyway?

The Carbuncle Cup is the annual U.K. award for the ugliest buildings in the country. Above you can see some of this year's nominees, submitted by readers of the Guardian. It's fun to point out a blight on a skyline! But there's also a problem: ugly isn't a great way to discuss architecture.