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Asian Voice - Saturday 6th March 2010
SEWA’s Ela Bhatt chosen for Niwano Peace Prize Tokyo: Ela Bhatt, the founder of Ahmedabad based Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and noted social worker has been chosen for the Niwano Peace Prize this year for her contribution to the uplift of poor women in India. Ms. Bhatt, recognised as one of the pioneers in the development of the most oppressed and poorest women of India for more than three decades, will receive the award here on May 13. The award, which recognises the significant contribution of an individual to inter-religious understanding and cooperation leading to world peace, comes with a certificate, a medal and prize money worth ¥20 million. She set up SEWA in 1972.
Roundup 300 feared dead in Uganda landslides Kampala: Up to 300 people are feared dead after heavy rain triggered landslides that swept through villages on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Uganda, officials said on Tuesday. The chairman of the eastern Bududa district, Wilson Watira, said that mud and boulders crashed through homes and health centres overnight in the villages of Nameti, Kubewo and Nankobe. Watira said that rescuers had recovered between 40 and 50 bodies, but that he expected the death toll to increase. 'We estimate that 300 people died,' Watira said. 'As I speak, we are trying to rescue people. All the houses are buried and it is difficult to recover all the dead bodies from the rubble because we have no excavators. 'The situation is terrible.' The minister for the northern region, David Wakikona, who rushed to the scene, said that at least 10,000 people have been displaced.
Kenya leaders try to heal rift Nairobi: Kenya's president and prime minister have met for the first time since a power struggle broke out a week ago which threatened the unity government. They agreed to settle issues that had strained their relationship, Prime Minister Raila Odinga's spokesman said. They fell out after President Mwai Kibaki overturned a decision by the prime minister to suspend cabinet ministers over corruption allegations. The pair formed a coalition to help end riots after the 2007 election. After the talks, Mr Kibaki's office released a brief statement saying: "The consultations centred on a wide range of issues touching on the grand coalition government." I appeal to honourable members to shun the divisive parties and politics, and focus on the greater good of our country.
Indian-origin media baron shot dead in Nepal Kathmandu: Less than a month after a controversial media magnate was gunned down in daylight in the best-protected area of the capital, a media tycoon of Indian origin was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Nepal's restive southern plains adjoining the border with India. Arun Singhania, the 50-year-old publisher of the Nepali daily Janakpur Today, published from southern Nepal, died during the Holi revelry in the Terai on Monday evening while on his way home, police said on Tuesday. Singhania received three bullets shot from close quarters by unidentified assailants who accosted him on two motorcycles, police said. Janakpur, southern Nepal's famous temple town renowned for its Janaki temple, remained paralysed after the Janakpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry called a shutdown to protest the murder. The Federation of Nepalese Journalists also condemned the killing and said they would stage a protest rally in the restive town to demand the immediate arrest of the culprits.
Zimbabwe given back IMF voting rights after 7 years Harare: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to restore Zimbabwe's voting rights after a seven-year suspension for unpaid debts. But the fund said the country was still ineligible for loans until it had paid off more of the $1.3bn (£841m) it owes to creditors. In the meantime, Zimbabwe can take part in IMF decision-making. The move recognises the country's efforts to repair its economy and improve relations with donors. There are signs that the country's economy is improving a year after former foes, President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai united in a coalition government. The IMF said it had taken the decision to restore Zimabawe's voting rights after a request from the county's Finance Minister Tendai Biti.
US doc indicted for raping 103 children In worst child sex abuse case, the pediatrician was charged on more than 400 criminal counts Dover, Delaware: A Delaware grand jury returned a sweeping indictment last week against a pediatrician accused of serial molestation in what could be one of the worst child sex abuse cases in US history. The 160-page indictment returned by a grand jury charges Dr Earl Bradley of Lewes with 471 counts of sexual crimes against 103 children. Attorney General Beau Biden said all of the alleged victims, including one boy, were caught on more than 13 hours of video recordings, some dating to 1998, that were seized from Bradley’s office and home. “The charges in this indictment are unique in the history of the state of Delaware, as far as I can tell,” he said.
Israeli refuses Nobel nomination Oslo: Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu has again asked to be removed from a list of Nobel Peace Prize nominees, the head of the Oslobased Norwegian Nobel Institute said last week. Vanunu, a former nuclear technician who was jailed for leaking details of Israel's nuclear programme to a British newspaper in 1986, cited that he did not want to be associated with Simon Peres, a former Nobel Peace Prize laureate and current president of Israel. Vanunu was released from prison in 2004 after serving an 18year sentence for treason. In a letter published last year he claimed that Peres "was the man who ordered my kidnapping".
Dr Earl Bradley
“These were crimes committed against the most vulnerable among us - those without voices,” Biden added as tears welled in his eyes and he paused to collect himself. Biden said that while there have been other cases around the country involving multiple victims, “I know of no other that has this many victims.” The charges against Bradley include rape, sexual exploitation of a child, unlawful sexual contact,
continuous sexual abuse of a child, assault and reckless endangering. Bradley, who was arrested in December and initially charged with 29 felony counts for allegedly abusing nine children, is being held with bail set at $2.9 million. His medical license was permanently revoked by the state Board of Medical Practice last week. Bradley’s attorney, Eugene Maurer, said he had not read the indictment but was not surprised by the allegations. “I’m sure they have their reasons for including all these different victims in this indictment,” said Maurer, noting that under state law, a single conviction of rape would be enough to put Bradley behind bars for life. Maurer added that the
“real battleground” in the case will be Bradley’s mental state, not what is seen on the videotapes or alleged in the indictment. The indictment alleges Bradley was videotaping his sexual exploitation of patients as far back as December 1998. Many victims were assaulted repeatedly, some on consecutive days, according to the indictment, which alleges that one girl was raped more than a dozen times over a period that lasted more than a year. Authorities would not say whether they think Bradley had videotaped all of his alleged assaults or whether there may be more victims. “I expect that we will add to this indictment with new charges over the coming months,” Biden said.
Massive quake in Chile kills 723 Santiago: At least 723 people have been confirmed dead in Saturday's devastating earthquake in Chile, latest media reports said. Till Sunday, the toll stood at 708. According to reports, the President has declared a 30-day emergency in Maule and Biobio, the worst hit areas, along the west coast. Chile has asked for international help and several foreign countries and international organisations like the EU and the UN have promised help. Tsunami sweeps away entire towns on Chilean coast. Earlier reports said at least two million Chileans had been affected by the massive earthquake. "The power of nature has again struck our country,"
Several big aftershocks were later felt in the south-central region, including ones measuring 6.9, 6.2 and 5.6 on the Richter scale. According to reports, nearly 1.5 million housA resident observes the San Francisco de Curico church after it was damaged es were damaged, highways in the quake on March 1 were sliced to a spokeswoman said. pieces, bridges and buildThe mayor of ings collapsed in the 8.8 Concepcion city has said magnitude quake just food stock is running out. before dawn on Saturday Police reportedly used tear about 200 miles southwest gas and water cannons of the capital Santiago. against looters at a superThe quake hit near the market on Sunday. town of Maule, 200 miles The President has southwest of capital city of declared a “state of catasSantiago, at a depth of 22 trophe” in the country. miles underground.
Obama chooses another Indian-American Washington: In yet another appointment of IndianAmericans in the Obama administration, an eminent attorney from the community has been chosen for the US President's Advisory Committee on the Arts. Obama has appointed eminent Indian-American attorney, Amy K Singh, as
President's Advisory Committee on the Arts for the prestigious John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the White House has said. Based in Obama's home town Chicago, Singh practises in areas of entertainment, advertising and marketing, and provides counsel to clients on event
production and promotion, television production, talent and other matters. Before starting her own practice, she held several positions, including as general counsel/senior vice president of DDB Chicago Inc, and as an associate in the Chicago office of the firm now known as Sidley Austin
LLP. Singh was a member of the junior board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently on the board of the Mikva Challenge. She works to support the arts and youth which develops civic leadership in Chicago's high school youth, the White House added.
Gaddafi declares ‘holy war’ against Switzerland Benghazi (Libya): Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has declared a jihad against Switzerland in a worsening diplomatic row between the two countries. Gaddafi criticised a recent Swiss vote against the building of minarets and called for Muslims to boycott the country. 'If Switzerland was our neighbour we would
declare war,' Gaddafi said last week in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi at an event to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed. 'Muslims need to mobilise in all the Islamic countries of the world and refuse to allow Swiss planes to land, their ships to dock or allow Swiss products enter their countries.' Libya's rela-
tions with Switzerland soured when Gaddafi's son Hannibal was detained in a Swiss jail after he and his wife were accused of beating their servants in Geneva in July 2008. The north African country has withdrawn billions of dollars from Swiss banks and last week began turning Europeans away from the country,
after Bern issued a blacklist banning 180 Libyans, including Gaddafi, from entering the country. 'Let us wage jihad against Switzerland, Zionism and foreign aggression,' he said. 'Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against Mohammed, God and the Koran.'