The crossing from Dublin to the Welsh port of Holyhead is sometimes quietly referred to as the Abortion Ferry. Ireland’s laws are so strict that a hospital let a woman die last year rather than give her life-saving treatment that might have harmed her fetus. Ireland is an outlier among European states on abortion rights, but a closer look at European laws might bring some valuable perspective to the U.S. debate.
In contrast to Ireland, abortion is available on demand almost everywhere in Europe during the first trimester. Each country varies in the details, but later term abortions are available only under exceptions related to the health of the mother or fetal abnormalities. These situations usually require some official medical review.
Some countries like Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, and Belgium require counseling or a waiting period even in the first trimester. Like Ireland, a handful of countries either outlaw the practice or make it highly impractical, including Poland, Malta, and Cyprus. Though abortion is broadly available and free, Western European countries have the lowest rates of abortion in the world.
Beyond Ireland and Poland, abortion rarely draws a much political interest. The more restrictive countries are beginning to liberalize their laws, but there is no meaningful political will to remove the modest abortion restrictions that exist in places like Germany and France. Across the bulk of Europe, abortion can fairly be regarded as a settled issue.
The consensus in Europe is more restrictive than abortion laws across much of the U.S. Technically, under the terms of the Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence no U.S. state may bar an abortion before the fetus reaches viability, roughly 24 weeks. In practice of course, states are cooking up numerous different ways to make abortion impractical or at least humiliating without overtly violating that standard. And although late term abortions are legal across much of the US, they are extremely rare. There are four doctors in the US who perform third-trimester abortions.
Just last week Ireland passed legislation which may eventually let a woman receive an abortion if continuing the pregnancy threatens her life. A final vote is due this week. The Catholic Church remains staunchly opposed to even this very limited measure.
As protestors gather to challenge Rick Perry’s efforts to shut down most Texas abortion clinics, a glance at Europe might offer some suggestions for the shape of a more or less final compromise on the question of abortion. And for those who take solace from “it could be worse” scenarios, Ireland plays its usual role. Though a small crack is appearing in Ireland’s iron laws, “Mary still boards the ferry.”
Army soldiers stand guard in front of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, July 9, 2013.
Let me say it out loud from the very beginning. I am not an expert on Egyptian politics. As an observer and a journalist, of course I have been following the events since the dictator, President Hosni Mubarak, was ousted after the Jan. 25, 2011 revolution in Tahrir Square. Yet I cannot claim to have full command of the domestic dynamics of the country, unlike many others in Turkey.
As in any other case in Turkey, numerous academics, journalists and analysts turned into “Egypt experts” overnight. Prior to that, they were all experts on Syria. The same group of people who frequently appear on TV could also become experts on chemical weapons or North Korea, depending on the issues at the top of the agenda for any given region in the world. Turkey is a country where some people know everything, regardless of the subject!
Ironically though, even the coup that took place on July 3, ousting the first democratically elected president of Egypt, Muhammad Morsi, was analyzed through a prism of Turkish
domestic politics in the country. To be clearer, “observers” took a stance depending on their political tendencies. Turkey's government quickly described the military's intervention as a coup and asked for a return to democracy. Although the majority of people also regarded the military's intervention as an unacceptable anti-democratic move, some experts claimed that the military had no choice but to intervene because Morsi was unable to rule the country any longer, primarily due to extreme polarization and certain groups having been excluded from power.
Many comments implied that the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi deserved such an intervention, although it has been only a year since their rise to power. No reason could justify a military coup, but in the case of Egypt, the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood was not given a fair chance to govern told everyone that it was more about Morsi's identity and his “Islamism” rather than poor performance that led to his removal.
What is worse is that in Turkey, even some members of Parliament, where the will of the nation is vested, drew parallels from the Egyptian example to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government in Turkey, implying that polarization leads to such results. Not only Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Birgül Ayman Güler, who openly suggested supporting the coup, but also academics at well-known universities implicitly warned the government to take lessons from Egypt. Clearly, for many what happened in Egypt did not really matter unless it had a useful connection to their political arguments about Turkish domestic politics.
Compared to the leading powers of the world such as the US and the EU, Turkey's principled reaction should be considered a badge of honor. The African Union should also be commended for suspending Egypt's membership due to the military coup. However, the reactions of both the US and the EU were extremely disappointing, since they refrained from calling it a coup. In an equally shameful reaction, former Prime Minister and current Middle East envoy Tony Blair said in an article in the Observer that “the military was confronted with the simple choice of intervening or allowing chaos.” Indeed, his subsequent remark that millions of “open-minded” people need to know that the West is on their side is a clear manifestation of the distinction in the minds of Westerners: the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist movements are not modern by default while secularists are “like Westerners.”
One does not need to be a Middle East expert to see that the coup in Egypt opened room for the brutal regime in Syria to maneuver and extended the life expectancy of Bashar al-Assad's ability to remain in office as the president. The fact that Saudi Arabia also openly supported the coup that deposed Mubarak turned the Middle East into a more fragmented place and decreased Israel's security concerns. After all, a Middle East ruled by dictators is much more predictable than people's movements and therefore preferable to countries like Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
There is no easy option ahead for Egypt. Although further uncertainly and instability loom for the country, holding elections as early as possible is imperative. It should not be surprising to anyone if the Muslim Brotherhood comes back stronger, as long as they are not involved in violence despite the provocations of the military.
There are obviously lessons to be learned; not for Turkey to take from Egypt, but for Egypt to learn from Turkey's long history of military interventions and painful transition to democracy.
From L, Bahrain’s FM Sheik Khalid bin AhmedI bin Mohammed al-Khalifa, Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Saud al-Faisal, his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and United Arab Emirates’ Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan posing for a group photo. (Photo: AP)
The military coup that ousted Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, has played into hands of the Shiite bloc led by Iran and the Gulf bloc led by the pro-status quo Saudi Arabia, shifting the balance of power in the region, foreign policy analysts say.
“The coup in Egypt has sharply weakened the ‘pro-change' bloc comprising Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Tunisia,” Ahmet Kuru, an associate professor of political science at San Diego State University, said in remarks to Sunday's Zaman.
According to Kuru, those who benefit from the coup are the "pro-Shiite" bloc comprising Iran, the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Iraq, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the "pro-status quo" bloc comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Jordan.
Given Egypt's crucial role and central position in the politically fragile Middle East, the military coup is likely to have a tremendous impact on the balance of power in the region, agree analysts.
While the countries in the region are still at the stage of trying to understand the ramifications of the coup in Egypt, some countries welcomed the coup and others condemned it.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have expressed their support for the Egyptian military's removal of Morsi; however, the fall of the Egyptian leader is bad news for countries like Turkey and Qatar.
In a serious blow, Ankara has lost its key ally in the volatile region after the coup ousted Morsi, who enjoyed a close relationship with Ankara during his one-year presidency.
“The coup in Egypt has had a detrimental impact on Turkish foreign policy. Turkey has lost a key ally with the fall of Morsi,” added Kuru.
The overthrow of a democratically elected leader in a country via a military coup was harshly criticized by senior Turkish officials, who consider the move unacceptable.
Known for its close relationship with members of Morsi's moderate Islamist party, the Freedom and Justice Party, officials from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) declared their support for Morsi and denounced the overthrow of the Egyptian president, trying to convince other countries to step up pressure on Egypt.
Also, among the wealthy Gulf Arab states, only Qatar has close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood (MB or Ikhwan), which emerged as Egypt's most potent political force following a popular uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.
Qatar, along with Turkey, has given strong financial and diplomatic support to Ikhwan. By comparison, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have had strained relations with Cairo since Morsi's party came to power. Both Gulf countries developed a deep antipathy for the MB as its power has grown across the Middle East over the past two-and-a-half years of uprisings -- a situation they consider a threat to their stability.
According to Kuru, the two Gulf countries supported the coup because they were afraid of an emerging democracy in Egypt as an alternative to their monarchical regimes.
“The weakening of Egypt has also weakened the bloc that Turkey seeks to form. The transfer of power in Qatar has created deep uncertainties and the Ennahda rule in Tunisia is very fragile. Now, the question that comes to mind is: Who is Turkey's friend in Middle East?” asked Kuru.
Qatar, a key supporter of the new governments that rose to power in Arab Spring countries, is losing ground in regional politics as its powerful emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, unexpectedly abdicated in favor of his son Tamim last month.
Analysts believe that while Qatar's regional influence has declined, Saudi Arabia appears to have seized the reins on key issues, notably Egypt and Syria.
Turkey should not put all eggs in one basket in Egypt
With the fall of Morsi, Ankara was faced with disappointment again, similar to what it experienced with Syria, and took a firm stance, strongly condemning the incidents in Cairo.According to Yaşar Yakış, a former Turkish foreign minister and the president of the Ankara-based Center for Strategic Communication (STRATİM), in the Syrian crisis Turkey's national interests were harmed, and if relations between Turkey and Egypt deteriorate, Ankara's Middle East policies will suffer.
“Turkey has done the right thing by opening up to the Middle East. However, Turkey has overestimated its own power when carrying out Middle East policy. It failed to meet expectations. Turkey put all its eggs in one basket in its Syria policy and eventually was harmed by this policy. I hope Turkey will not put all its eggs in one basket in Egypt,” Yakış told Sunday's Zaman.
Relations between Turkey and Syria worsened because of the former's stance against the Syrian regime and brutal crackdown on an anti-regime uprising.
“The survival of the Assad regime in Syria and the coup in Egypt have made Turkey's claim to regional leadership dubious. Everybody should ask: If Turkey really is a 'regional power,' how come it had no impact in preventing the coup d'état in Egypt?” said Kuru.
“Turkey should not take part in a sectarian polarization. It is not rational to pursue a foreign policy based on religious and ideological parameters. Religion and ideology should not overcome national interests,” added Yakış.
Turkey's relations with the Shiite bloc -- comprising Syria, Iran and Iraq -- have deteriorated in past years for several reasons. Turkish relations with the central government in Baghdad were strained due to various factors, including the Syrian crisis and the Kurdish issue. On the Iranian front, Syria, one of the last Shiite allies of Iran in the region, was the main reason for the further deterioration of relations between Turkey and Iran.
When talking about the Shiite bloc, Kuru maintained that while a weakened Egypt would not serve Ankara's interests, Tehran would regard a weakened Egypt as compatible with its interests in Syria and even in Palestine.
“The coup is likely to lead Egypt into socio-political chaos and to prevent it from playing any major role on the issues of Syria and Palestine. It is not possible for Egypt, after all, to play an active role and cooperate with Turkey in Syria,” said Kuru.
Frustrated by the lack of international support in solving regional issues, particularly the Syrian conflict, which has become a tough ordeal for the region, Ankara considers Egypt an important partner due to its influential role in the Arab world.
Egyptian-Turkish relations have even strengthened in the past year as the two countries have adopted a similar stance regarding the Syrian conflict in the diplomatic sphere and are supporting Syrian opposition forces that are struggling to topple the embattled Assad.
As the US lectures China over its ‘mishandling’ of NSA leaker Edward Snowden, Beijing has agreed to resume talks on an investment treaty with the US that could open up new business opportunities.
For the US business community, the otherwise embarrassing Snowden scandal may prove to be a blessing in disguise in talks with Chinese negotiators.
The United States has said it is "very disappointed" in China for not handing over Edward Snowden, the former NSA analyst-turned-whistleblower, who escaped to Hong Kong with a laptop full of secrets in hand.
Meeting with Chinese envoys on Thursday, President Barack Obama voiced "disappointment and concern" that Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong on June 23 for Russia.
Speaking at a joint press conference, State Councilor Yang Jiechi said that due to Hong Kong's autonomy, the region's decisions were based on its laws and were "beyond reproach."
Despite the scandal, both powers agreed to restart investment treaty talks.
American firms have been anxious to gain access to lucrative Chinese markets as consumer demand among an expanding middle class continues to explode. A deal between the two economic superpowers could see key sectors of the Chinese economy open up to American companies.
Chinese officials seem prepared to break with precedence and make all sectors of its economy fair game to US investors.
The United States has said it is "very disappointed" in China for not handing over Edward Snowden, the former NSA analyst-turned-whistleblower, who escaped to Hong Kong with a laptop full of secrets in hand.
Meeting with Chinese envoys on Thursday, President Barack Obama voiced "disappointment and concern" that Snowden was allowed to leave Hong Kong on June 23 for Russia.
Speaking at a joint press conference, State Councilor Yang Jiechi said that due to Hong Kong's autonomy, the region's decisions were based on its laws and were "beyond reproach."
Despite the scandal, both powers agreed to restart investment treaty talks.
American firms have been anxious to gain access to lucrative Chinese markets as consumer demand among an expanding middle class continues to explode. A deal between the two economic superpowers could see key sectors of the Chinese economy open up to American companies.
Chinese officials seem prepared to break with precedence and make all sectors of its economy fair game to US investors.
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (L) and US Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew wait for a roundtable meeting during the 5th US and China Strategic and Economic Dialogue at the US Department of the Treasury July 11, 2013 in Washington, DC (AFP Photo / Brendan Smialowski)
US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew hailed the investment treaty commitment as a sign of positive change in the Communist-controlled country of 1.35 billion people.
"A high standard US-China bilateral investment treaty is a priority for the United States and would work to level the playing field for American workers and businesses by opening markets for fair competition,'' Lew said in a statement.
"The commitment made today stands to be a significant breakthrough and marks the first time China has agreed to negotiate a Bilateral Investment Treaty, to include all sectors and stages of investment, with another country," he added.
Chinese regulators will also release some audit documents of US-listed Chinese companies to US securities regulators, Lew said on Thursday, a move that is hoped to mitigate a dispute over several accounting scandals.
Washington is looking for greater oversight after alleged misconduct at Chinese firms listed in the US led to billions of dollars in losses. Investigations into possible fraud have been blocked as auditors have refused to turn over documents for fear of violating Chinese privacy laws.
The decision to restart the bilateral talks was reached at negotiations between American and Chinese officials in the US on Thursday.
"A high standard US-China bilateral investment treaty is a priority for the United States and would work to level the playing field for American workers and businesses by opening markets for fair competition,'' Lew said in a statement.
"The commitment made today stands to be a significant breakthrough and marks the first time China has agreed to negotiate a Bilateral Investment Treaty, to include all sectors and stages of investment, with another country," he added.
Chinese regulators will also release some audit documents of US-listed Chinese companies to US securities regulators, Lew said on Thursday, a move that is hoped to mitigate a dispute over several accounting scandals.
Washington is looking for greater oversight after alleged misconduct at Chinese firms listed in the US led to billions of dollars in losses. Investigations into possible fraud have been blocked as auditors have refused to turn over documents for fear of violating Chinese privacy laws.
The decision to restart the bilateral talks was reached at negotiations between American and Chinese officials in the US on Thursday.
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| The Pakistan Hockey Federation has convened an emergency meeting on July 15 to discuss team’s performance in the WHL |
KARACHI: Pakistan hockey team coach Hanif Khan on Friday said there was no rift among members of the team management, and termed media reports about the differences mere rumours.
“We are working hard to make a comeback in the Asia Cup next month,” Hanif, the former Olympian, said. “I don’t know from where such rumours surfaced when we are looking to lift the team’s performance for the Asia Cup collectively.”
It was reported in the media that coach Hanif and consultant Tahir Zaman have refused to work together, however both the officials denied such reports of infighting.
Hanif said he was hopeful that the green shirts would make a comeback in Asia Cup and win the title to claim a place in the 2014 World Cup.
“We have the talent to outdo our opponents. Hopefully, our injured players will recover; we are also working on our grey areas. We missed a lot of opportunities inside the circle in the World Hockey League. Had we availed those chances the results in the WHL would have been different.
“But now we are working on those areas and hopefully our players will produce a better show next month,” Hanif added.
Meanwhile, Tahir also brushed aside reports of rift in the team management. He reiterated Hanif’s words that some key players were injured, which was the reason Pakistan failed to perform at the WHL.
“Some of our key players were injured, which was one of the reasons we failed to perform in the WHL. However, this is not a justification but a fact. I assisted the team management from behind the scenes so there is no question of conflicts, which actually never happened,” Tahir insisted.
Tahir reckoned that the Asia Cup would be a tougher test for Pakistan.
“The WHL offered three places for the World Cup while only the winners at the Asia Cup will qualify for the World Cup. The Asia Cup will be the battleground also for India, Malaysia and South Korea along with Pakistan for the World Cup qualification. Therefore, the contest will be tough and seeking a place for the World Cup through the Asia Cup will be a tougher assignment for green shirts,” he explained.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has convened an emergency meeting on July 15 to discuss team’s performance in the WHL and preparation for next month’s Asia Cup.—Agencies
LAHORE: The unpaid bills of private power companies — commonly known as circular debt — have again started to pile up in spite of the payment by the government of Rs260 billion to clear their outstanding bills up to end March this year.
Although the exact size of the unpaid bills of private power producers — usually referred to as IPPs (independent power producers) — for the post-March period is not yet compiled, the sources in the power companies told Dawn on Friday that the amount could already have touched the Rs40-45bn-mark. This is despite that the government is making partial payments to the companies.
“My company is producing electricity seven days a week. But we are being paid for only four days of production,” said a senior executive of an IPP on the condition of anonymity.
He said the “issue was complex and the one-time payment of the previous bills was not sufficient to keep the so-called power sector circular debt from rising in future. The government needs to take tough decisions without wasting more time.”
He listed the government’s failure to increase electricity prices to bridge the gap between the cost of generation and sale, prevent power theft and transmission and distribution losses as major factors for the “re-emergence of the power sector debt”.
“The government must follow up on its earlier announcements of reforming the power sector if it does not want the debt to pile up to its previous level.”
The Nawaz Sharif government had pushed fiscal deficit for the last financial year from 7.5pc to 8.8pc of the size of the economy in order to create space of Rs322bn for the payment of the unpaid bills of both state-owned and private power companies and the Pakistan State Oil.
Besides paying the private power producers, the government had also partially cleared the bills of public sector companies and PSO to the tune of Rs62bn.
In order to make the payments before the close of the last financial year on June 30, the government had ordered banks to keep their branches open on the last Saturday of the month despite weekly holiday.
The payments to the private producers were made after they signed a memorandum of understanding with the government. Among other conditions agreed to by the IPPs in the MoU, they had also promised to add 1,700-1,800 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid before the start of Ramazan.
However, all the IPPs have so far added just 194 MW to the system. The total electricity produced by the IPPs stood at 6,117 MW on Friday morning against 5,923 MW they supplied on June 28 when the payments were made to them. This is despite the fact that one producer, Liberty, which was closed on the day payments were disbursed, is now producing 196 MW.
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| Indian paramilitary personnel keep watch on a deserted street during a strike called by separatists in Srinagar on July 13, 2013 on Martyrs' Day. |
SRINAGAR: Businesses were closed and troops patrolled the streets in Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday as separatists rejecting Indian rule called a strike on an annual holiday marking the anniversary of a bloody 1931 uprising.
Martyrs' Day marks the day when 21 Kashmiri Muslims were ordered killed by the army of the state's Hindu king to quell their revolt.
On Saturday, police and paramilitary soldiers laid razor wire across roads in the old quarters of Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir, and warned residents to stay indoors, according to local resident Bashir Ahmed.
Traditionally, both separatists and pro-India Kashmiri groups commemorate the day, but key separatist leaders were under house arrest to stop them from leading rallies.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan. About 68,000 people have died in over two decades of conflict.
SYDNEY: Australian authorities were scouring remote seas for survivors Saturday after a people-smuggling boat carrying 97 went down, with 88 people rescued so far and the body of a baby found.
Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said the boat first issued a distress call in rough seas north of Christmas Island, between Australia and Indonesia, on Friday morning.
Rescuers were unable to reach the scene until 10:00 pm, and a short time later Clare said a huge wave broke over the boat and it began to sink.
“Last night our officers have rescued 88 people and they've recovered the body of a little baby boy,” Clare told reporters, adding that the infant was reportedly less than a year old.
“The advice to me is that there were 97 people on board and a search and rescue effort is happening right now.”
Two navy patrol boats and a merchant vessel were combing the seas 87 nautical miles north of Christmas Island, along with a military aircraft and two maritime rescue planes.
The ill-fated ship was believed to have originated in Indonesia with passengers from Iran, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, Clare said.
Clare said the 88 plucked from the sea overnight had been transferred to immigration detention on the remote island, Australia's main facility for holding asylum-seekers arriving by boat.
It is the second asylum boat incident on the dangerous people-smuggling sea passage from Java in a week — a vessel issued a distress signal last Friday after taking on water but was ultimately able to fix its engine.
Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was in Indonesia holding diplomatic talks on the sensitive issue with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the time.
Rudd said Saturday's emergency “underlines the absolute importance of Australia continu(ing) to adjust its policy to meet changing circumstances in the region and in the world”.
“The loss of any child's life or of any person's life at sea in these sorts of circumstances is a genuine human tragedy,” the prime minister said.
“Our response in terms of elevating the work we do cooperatively with the Indonesians and others is now urgent.”
Promising that he would “have more to say” regarding policy changes ahead of this year's elections, Rudd highlighted source and transit country talks and tightening refugee claims and approvals as key areas.
“Other measures in terms of the continued adjustment of our border protection policy are critical,” he said.
Hundreds of asylum-seekers have drowned on the dangerous sea voyage from Indonesia when their rickety, overloaded boats sank.
More than 13,000 asylum-seekers have arrived in Australia by boat since January 1, piling pressure on the ruling Labour party in an election year.
It is a controversial political issue likely to loom large in the lead-up to polls to be held later this year.
The conservative opposition accuses Labour of losing control of Australia's borders and proposes using the navy to tow back people-smuggling boats — a plan not welcomed by Jakarta.
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| Security officials cordon off Lyari area after fire-exchange between two groups, in Karachi on Thursday, July 04, 2013. |
KARACHI: Director General (DG) of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Aftab Sultan, and Interior Secretary Major (retd) Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on Saturday visited Karachi’s conflict-ridden Lyari area to review the situation.
Following the visit to Lyari, DG IB Sultan and Interior Secretary Major (retd) Chaudhry also visited Chief Secretary of Sindh Ejaz Chaudhry.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Chief Secretary of Sindh Chaudhry confirmed their visit, and added that they had been instructed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Lyari, who had taken special notice of the mass immigration of the residents to safer areas.
Furthermore, the provincial chief secretary said that the DG of IB and the interior secretary were also given a briefing about the situation in Lyari. They were told that the Lyari situation was due to the conflict between two groups.
Moreover, DG IB Sultan and Interior Secretary Chaudhry were informed that the federal government had assured the provincial government of its assistance in restoring law and order in the conflict-ridden Lyari, including the supply of mobile locators.
Chief Secretary of Sindh Chaudhry told Dawn.com that 59 cases pertaining to the out-of -turn promotions in Sindh police department had been disposed of on Supreme Court’s order, adding that only 12 cases of out-of-turn promotions remained, and would be resolved soon.
The Sindh chief secretary also said that those officials who were transferred to the provincial police department from other departments had been sent back to their previous departments.
The Calabrian mafia, suspected of running Europe's biggest cocaine smuggling operation, controls its area of southern Italy with a mixture of bribery and corruption. But when Maria Carmela Lanzetta, the mayoress of one small town was attacked a year ago, she and the country said "enough".
There is something uncomfortable about Calabria. It is like the embarrassing distant relative nobody likes to mention.
Being down in the toes of Italy's boot I am struck by a gruesome metaphor. Calabria's woes are the country's neglected gangrene - so far away in the extremities that few further up the limb seem to care.
But in April 2012 the nation woke up to a burning sensation in its diseased foot.
Perhaps from the fire in Maria Carmela Lanzetta's chemist shop, underneath her family's apartment? Or maybe it was the sting of the bullets shot at her car soon afterwards?
Whatever the case, the mayoress of the tiny coastal town of Monasterace cried out in pain. And she was heard.
After months of intimidation, most likely by the 'Ndrangheta - the Calabrian mafia - Maria Carmela Lanzetta's cry of "basta" ("enough") echoed nationwide.
Her resignation became front-page news, prompting the national leader of her Democratic Party to travel down to Monasterace to beg her to reconsider.
Other local mayors threatened to resign en masse and local people - who had helped clean up her fire-damaged pharmacy - held candle-lit processions for her.
The unassuming mayor of a town with a population of 3,500 became a national symbol of the fight against the mob.
The government gave her police protection and promised to help her achieve her goals.
She conditionally agreed to take back her resignation, giving the state a three-month ultimatum to make the changes necessary for her to govern.
That was a year ago. Now I had travelled to Monasterace to find out in person if anything had changed.
"No," she tells me despondently. "Or perhaps it has. It has got worse. This should have been the year of stability. Instead it's a mess."
Maria Carmela is quick to stress that this is not simply about death threats and the mafia: it is about a crippling economic and bureaucratic vacuum that has left her powerless to see through any of her plans.
"We have no money; state funds have been frozen. We have had to declare the council bankrupt. I have got no resources, no prospects. I'm seriously thinking of giving up."
I admit I am surprised. I have just finished reading Italy Down Here - Maria Carmela Lanzetta and the women against the 'Ndrangheta.
In it, she comes across as a determined leader and a powerful mother figure. But right now, she feels more like Sisyphus.
"I'm tired and I've had enough." Her brown-flecked blue eyes bear no trace of self-pity, just a "that's-how-it-is" tone of wistful resignation. "I want my life back."
Maria Carmela's life has definitely not been her own since last year. She has invited me to her home as she does not like to call out her police escort on a Sunday.
"It's like being in prison," I say, as we sip coffee on her terrace.
"Absolutely," she replies grimly, indicating the glistening sea just across the road. "I used to swim every day - at lunchtime or after work. I haven't been in the water for over a year."
"Why don't you ask the police to accompany you? They wouldn't mind."
She shakes her head. "Only for official business," she says. "But they're there to protect you personally," I protest. She shakes her head again. "I do miss popping to the shops, and going to the hairdresser."
I tell her I think she is being bloody-minded. She says it is a matter of principle.
Maria Carmela is undeniably a woman of steadfast principles. She plays by the rules and her rulebook is always the strictest version. But she wants everyone to play by them and that has just never been the Calabrian way.
Illegal and unfinished construction sites are common
The magnificent coastline is pockmarked with eyesores - half-finished concrete monstrosities built without planning permission, and rotting rubbish on the streets.
Her high standards have put many backs up. She tells me: "Culturally, there is an absence of civic responsibility. Lots of my citizens don't see why they have to pay taxes for water and refuse collection."
She is self-critical too, telling me that she does not always communicate well with her citizens and that her rigid attitudes have led to frequent conflicts with other council members.
"I had no political experience. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to bring legality to Monasterace - I did not want any connections with the mob, and I have managed to keep all our contracts clean, but I don't have the resources to continue."
And now she would just like to be the local chemist again.
"Mayors get a small salary but I don't draw mine, I do this as voluntary work. I'm paying others to do my job while I'm working for free. If you had to give up the source of your income, no matter how noble the cause, you'd struggle too."
She wants her family life back too. "My husband's always supported me in this. My sons did too at first, but now they say, 'Mamma, who's forcing you to do this?'"
Fortunately, Maria Carmela has found great friendship and support in other Calabrian mayoresses, some of whom, like her, live under police protection.
In the book, she says she believes it is the women of Calabria who will bring about positive social change. "I still think that," she smiles wearily, "I just think we need a whole lot more women to be able to achieve it."
Having said goodbye, I go to see the council building - a derelict former school with missing windows, stained walls and broken shutters.
As I walk down to the beach to dip my feet into the evening tide, I pass the rubbish overflowing from the seafront bins.
I wonder if this brave pharmacist will ever find the remedy for Calabria's literal and figurative decay.
I had just finished writing this when I heard the news that she had resigned.
From the end of July, Maria Carmela Lanzetta will no longer be mayoress of Monasterace.
I phoned her. She sounded relieved. This time, she says, her "basta" is definitive.
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| Sources in Mirza’s family told Dawn.com that the former provincial minister would meet Scotland Yard officials in next few days. |
KARACHI: Former home minister of Sindh province, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza on Saturday reached London to help British authorities investigate among other charges, money laundering and incitement to violence against MQM chief Altaf Hussain.
Sources in Mirza’s family told Dawn.com that the former provincial minister would meet Scotland Yard officials in next few days. Mirza, who is settled with his family in Dubai, had flown to London when he was contacted by the British officials.
London’s Metropolitan Police and the Scotland Yard have confirmed that they are currently investigating the above mentioned charges against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, who is settled in Britain.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari, who is at present in London also, telephoned Mirza requesting him to not meet with the British investigators, sources informed Dawn.com. The latter, however, refused to abide by the president’s advice.
The Scotland Yard officials requested Mirza to reproduce the evidences, he had offered to present against the MQM and its chief Altaf Hussain back in 2011.
The senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader had resigned as vice president of PPP’s Sindh chapter as well as membership of the Sindh Assembly following spat with MQM – the then coalition partner of President Zardari’s party at the centre and in Sindh.
Mirza had leveled serious allegations on MQM terming the party and its head responsible for target killings in Karachi. He not only accused Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad of patronising target killers but also accused MQM’s former minister for ports and shipping Babar Ghauri of being responsible for disappearance of Nato containers.
MQM, however, had condemned all the allegations hurled at it by Zulfiqar Mirza.
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| Staff at Kibagabaga Hospital in Rwanda have developed their own version of the checklist |
Making a series of simple checks such as ensuring that the correct patient is on the table and operating on the right part of the body, could help surgical teams save almost half a million lives a year across the world.
Patients have died when surgeons have removed the wrong organ, left instruments inside the body, or even operated on the wrong patient.
In 2008 the World Health Organization launched the Surgical Safety Checklist to counter human errors like these. Studies showed it was so effective in reducing complications that many hospitals quickly adopted it.
But although it was developed as a global tool, it has proved harder to roll out in poorer countries.
The Lifebox Foundation is training staff in one Rwandan hospital how to use the checklist, and hope to roll out the training to the rest of the country's 45 hospitals.
So what are the questions that could save your life?
1. Are you operating on the right patient?
Making sure the right patient is on the operating table is on the checklist twice
Incredible as it sounds, surgical teams don't always operate on the right patient, with an estimated 200-300 'wrong-person' operations taking place in the USA each year.
Checking the right person is on the operating table is so critical that it is on the list twice: once before the patient goes under anaesthetic and again before the incision is made.
A UK hospital trust recently performed eye surgery on the wrong patient, despite the Surgical Safety Checklist being compulsory in UK hospitals since 2010.
It's not enough just to have the checklist to hand. The questions seem simple but using the list properly means really thinking each step through, says Dr Iain Wilson, a consultant anaesthetist who was involved in the development of the checklist.
"If you create a 'tickbox culture' it doesn't necessarily get introduced in the right spirit. It's a problem if you move the focus from the patient to the procedure."
2. Are you performing the right operation?
Checking the right operation is being performed can save a lot of time and distress
This is another double-check on the list.
'Wrong-site' operations are, not surprisingly, more common when there's a choice of left or right.
In a case where a man died when his only healthy kidney was removed, the surgeon said he studied the X-ray the wrong way round before the operation.
In Rwanda, where very few hospitals currently use the checklist, an elderly man went in for an operation for his fractured right hip. He woke up some time later to be told they had put the screw in the the wrong side and would have to start all over again the next day.
3. Do you know the name and job of everyone on the team?
Team introductions help everyone understand what they are doing
This is something surgical teams under time pressure might balk at: why do they need to introduce each other?
But group introductions not only let everyone know each other's role in the operation, they also encourage people to speak up later on in the operation, says consultant paediatric anaesthetist Dr Isabeau Walker.
"There's often someone who's noticed something that's not quite right. If that person's been introduced and they've got a voice, they're much more inclined to speak up."
4. Has the anaesthetic machine been checked?
Although the checklist itself only takes a few minutes to run through, it refers to inspections that should have already taken place, like thorough machine checks.
This is especially important in developing countries where an estimated 40% of healthcare equipment is out of action, compared with less than 1% in high-income countries.
Modern techniques and monitoring have seen deaths from anaesthesia fall to 1 in 200,000 in the developed world.
But in Togo the risk of anaesthesia mortality is as high as 1 in 133, according to a study from 2005, and the vast majority of the deaths were considered to be avoidable.
5. Are the patient's oxygen levels being monitored?
Pulse oximeters, which measure blood levels, are essential for safe surgery
Oxygen levels in the patient's blood can be monitored by a pulse oximeter, a device which clips onto a finger or earlobe and sounds an alarm if the level drops.
While they are acknowledged as a standard safety device and are ubiquitous in Western operating theatres, 70% of operating theatres in Sub-Saharan Africa work without them.
It is the only item on the checklist that refers to new technology not widely available throughout the world.
To address this 'pulse oximetry gap", the Lifebox Foundation distributes pulse oximeters cheaply or even for free to lower income countries.
In the Rwandan project, pulse oximeter distribution goes hand in hand with Surgical Safety List training.
6. Have you removed all instruments from the patient?
One of the last steps on the checklist is to count all instruments, sponges and needles
A woman in Uganda died when a 12in mop was left in her body after a caesarean section. A mop is a large swab often used instead of suction in low-resource hospitals. By the time the mistake was discovered, the mop had completely embedded itself in the woman's intestines.
There are three stages to the checklist: "sign in", checks carried out before the patient goes under anaesthesia; "time out", before the first incision is made; and "sign out", before the patient leaves theatre.
One of the last checks before the patient leaves is a complete count of all instruments, sponges and needles - aimed at ensuring those kinds of life-and-death mistakes do not happen.
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| Mr Morsi's supporters have been staging protests demanding his return to office |
Egypt's public prosecutor's office says it is investigating complaints against ousted President Mohammed Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
They include spying, inciting killing protesters, attacking military barracks and damaging the economy. It did not say who had filed the complaints.
Mr Morsi was deposed by the army on 3 July. The US has called for his release from detention at an unknown location.
Egypt's interim leader Adly Mansour has promised new elections early next year.
Reconciliation blow
The prosecutor's office said it was investigating the complaints in order to prepare a file so that those accused could be questioned.
Among those named with Mr Morsi are the Brotherhood's leader, Mohamed Badie, and senior members of its political wing, the Freedom of Justice Party (FJP) including Deputy Director Essam El-Erian.
Mr Morsi's supporters, many of them members of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement he comes from, have been staging mass protests in the capital, Cairo, since the army's intervention on 3 July.
They are demanding his reinstatement as president and say the military's actions amounted to a coup.
The army says it intervened to remove Mr Morsi in response to protests by millions of Egyptians who accused him of becoming increasingly authoritarian and failing to tackle economic difficulties.
Dozens of people have died in clashes during major demonstrations by pro- and anti-Morsi protesters.
The BBC's James Reynolds, in Cairo, says the move by the prosecutor's office appears to weaken the already remote prospects for a reconciliation between the interim authorities and the Brotherhood.
On Friday, Germany's foreign ministry urged the authorities to end restrictions on him and allow an international organisation, such as the Red Cross, access to him.
Asked later if the US agreed that he should be released, state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters: "We do agree."
On Saturday, the Brotherhood said the main issue was "protecting the legitimate right of the people and their will through a democratic ballot box".
Spokesman Gehad el-Haddad said there would be further protest and sit-ins "until the president is released and reinstated regardless of his physical condition".
Transition rejection
Mr Morsi, who was Egypt's first freely elected leader and the first Islamist president, has been held at an undisclosed location since 3 July. The army has suspended the constitution.
On 8 July, Mr Mansour laid out the timetable for a new constitution and elections, which included:
- a panel to form formed within 15 days to propose changes to the constitution
- parliamentary elections to be held by early 2014
- presidential elections to be held once parliament has convened
But Mr Morsi's supporters have rejected the plan and some political groups opposed to him, including the main liberal coalition to the National Salvation Front (NSF) say they were not consulted about it.
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BBC Correspondent Chris Morris: "Questions will inevitably be asked about whether much more could - or should - have been done to prevent a tragedy."
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The train crash south of Paris which left six people dead may have been caused by a fault in the rail tracks, says the state rail company.
SNCF said a metal bar connecting two rails had become detached close to Bretigny-sur-Orge station.
Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier has praised the driver, saying his quick actions averted a worse accident.
Those killed were four men and two women, aged between 19 and 82. Thirty people were injured, eight seriously.
A minute's silence was held across France's train network at noon on Saturday to commemorate the victims.
The train had just left Paris on Friday afternoon and was heading for Limoges when it derailed at Bretigny-sur-Orge at 17:14 (15:14 GMT) on Friday.
Transport routes were particularly busy at the time, as France began a long weekend for Bastille Day.
Continue reading the main story
French rail company SNCF says that a piece of metal connecting two rails outside Bretigny-sur-Orge station caused the train to leave the tracks.
Six carriages derailed as the train passed through the station at 137km/h (85mph). The train's third and fourth carriages derailed first and the others followed. One mounted the station platform.
Giving its initial findings, SNCF management told reporters the connector had worked its way loose and become detached at points 200m outside Bretigny station.
"It moved into the centre of the switch and in this position it prevented the normal passage of the train's wheels and it may have caused the derailment," Pierre Izard, SNCF's general manager for infrastructure, told reporters.
'Extraordinary reflexes'
The inquiry is now expected to focus on how the piece of metal had become detached.
Checks are being carried out on some 5,000 similar connections across the whole of the rail network.
A crane has arrived on site to lift a carriage which was left on its side.
Regional government head Michel Fuzeau said there was a possibility that more bodies could be found underneath, but that there was "no hope of finding anyone wounded".
Aside from SNCF, investigations are being conducted by judicial authorities and France's BEA safety agency.
Mr Cuvillier said the driver had "absolutely extraordinary reflexes in that he sounded the alarm immediately, preventing a collision with another train coming in the opposite direction and which would have hit the derailing carriages within seconds".
SNCF said 385 passengers were on board when the train crashed and the station platforms were crowded.
British student Marvin Khareem Wone was on a train on another platform when the carriages of the intercity ploughed into the station.
"The train went off the railway; it just went on the platform and kind of flew in the air for a second and went upside down," he told the BBC.
"The first and the second coach were completely destroyed. I really thought no-one could survive that because it was completely mashed up. Everyone was crying and running everywhere. A woman was crying for her daughter who was still on the train."
Because of the damage to the station, he said ambulances could not reach the platform and the lift was not working.
Many people feel it was lucky that the accident was not a lot worse, given the violence of the impact and the fact that a packed train ploughed onto the platform at peak time, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris.
Local media said a group of people had attempted to steal from the victims and rescuers shortly after the crash and threw stones at emergency workers as they tried to reach passengers.
However later Mr Cuvillier said there had only been "isolated acts", including an attempt to steal a mobile phone - although small groups had given the rescuers a "somewhat rough welcome".
Journalist Olivier Ravanello was one of the first at the scene of the crash
The Red Cross and France's SAMU rescue service denied they faced any problems in their operations, the AFP news agency reports, while local socialist MP Jerome Guedj tweeted that it was necessary "not to play things down (...) but not to exaggerate anything either".
