In the last three years alone, Punch faced 41 legal disputes, losing just 7 cases. Among its adversaries: a depute prime minister, the son of a former prime minister, a duke, a viscount, two world-famous singers, an international bank, mercenaries, a detective inspector, to boxing promoters, Stanley Kubrick, the BBC and the British government.

Kabul, Afghanistan - Millions of children return to 3,000 schools

Afghani children went back to their classes in 3,000 schools across the country thanks to the UN Children's Fund Program, UNICEF and USAID. UN aid workers and Afghan officials delivered over 7,000 tons of textbooks, blackboards, notebooks, pencils and tents plus teaching and learning materials. At the same time, the 87 year old exiled Afghan King Mohammed Zahir Shah enjoyed his triumphant return to Kabul. His return is a symbol of tentative new stability in Afghanistan in the post-Taliban era. He stated, "I am thankful to God the Almighty, that my desire to see my country and countrymen came true after 29 years of separation from the homeland." During the king's era, he gave women the right to vote, work and and more importantly to receive education, things that were banned during the Taliban reign. The former king and former president Rabani supported Mr. Hamid Karzai in the Joya jirga ("Greatest assembly") national meeting, where he was elected as president, having won more than 80% of the votes. Interestingly, Massada Jalal, 35, a female doctor nominated herself for presidency, and received more than 11% of the votes from the 1295 members, which include more than 200 women.

Rangoon, Burma - Nobel Peace Prize laureate released

Political activist, human rights advocate, freedom fighter and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi (57 years old) has confirmed a visit to Norway where to deliver her Nobel Prize address, which has been long postponed due to her long house arrest by the Myanmar military junta. Leaders around the world have welcomed the release of Burma's leader of the non-violent movement for democracy and human rights.

She is the daughter of national leader General Aung San, who was assassinated in July 1947 and Daw Khin Kyi, who Burma's ambassador to India in 1960. She studied philosophy, politics and economics, St. Hugh's College, Oxford University and was elected Honorary Fellow in 1990. In the same year, she was awarded, in absentia, the 1990 Rafto Human Rights Prize and the Sakharov Prize (human rights prize of the European Parliament). In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. For more information on Aung San Suu Kyi, visit www.dassk.com.

Cuba - Carter visit to cool US-Cuban relations

President Jimmy Carter (39th US president), made an historic 5-day visit to Havana to explore issues of mutual interest between the United States and Cuba in an effort to improve relations between the two longtime adversaries, which are separated by just a few drops of water (90 miles across the Florida Strait)!! Relations had seen some improvement following the return of Elian Gonzalez to Cuba in 2000. This is the first visit by an American head of state to Cuba since President Fidel Castro, 75-years-old, seized power in Cuba in 1959. 

President Carter made human rights a cornerstone of his presidency between 1977-1981, and since then has crafted a career promoting basic freedoms and transitions to democracy in authoritarian states. In his uncensored live Spanish speech at the University of Havana, he called for a referendum on a package of civil rights reforms for Cuba including freedom of speech, amnesty for political prisoners, the right to own a business, and finding ways to dismantle the US embargo. Carter mentioned, "We realized that on some of these issues we have differences, but welcome the opportunity to find points in common." President Castro commended Carter's comments saying, "It is no secret that for almost a century there have not been optimal relations between our two states. However in the four years as president, you [Carter] had the courage to make efforts to change the course of those relations."

Interestingly, a day following Castro's speech, Cuban newspapers made no mention of his remarks on democracy in Cuba, but placed emphasis on his comments about the US embargo!

Meanwhile, President Castro's dissident daughter living in Florida mentioned that the visit by President Carter will be like the one by Pope John Paul II in 1998, which generally enhanced Castro's status as a leader in his country.

Utah, USA - The trial of a famous polygamist!

Judge Donald Eyre has found avowed polygamist, Tom Green, 54, guilty of the charge of raping a child whom he married when she was 13 and he was 37. Mr. Green has been serving a 5-year sentence since he was convicted last year of being married to five women at the same time. The five wives and 33 children who regard him as their family patriarch are terrified that the rape charge will delay his return home.

Green has said authorities knew he was living with multiple wives but did nothing until the families were on television. One of his staunchest defenders is the woman that prosecutors say he raped. "It was my idea to be married to him," she said. "It wasn't Tom taking advantage of me."

Anti-polygamy groups say many people in rural Utah practice so-called plural marriage, believing it adheres to the original guidance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- commonly called the Mormon church. Green holds such beliefs. Polygamy was originally encouraged by Mormons, who settled in the Utah territory after fleeing religious persecution. But the church banned the practice in 1890 to win full statehood in the United States for Utah, where it now has a base for its fast-growing, worldwide religion.

Freetown, Sierra Leone - Amputatees go to ballot boxes

Many mutilated and amputated voters in Sierra Leone used prosthetic claws to cast their ballots in the May presidential and legislative elections. Victims whose limbs were amputated by rebels turned out to vote in high numbers. Special provisions were made so that people who are missing their hands could vote using their toes. One voter mentioned that the election monitors inked his toe to show that he had voted in the West African nation's first multi-party elections in 25 years and 10 years after the brutal civil war. Voting was carried out in an overall atmosphere of calm. Voter turnout was high. The elections were processed peacefully under the gaze of 17,000 UN peacekeepers, who were shocked to see that thousands of the country's 5.4 million citizens had missing hands, feet, ears, noses or lips. Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in Africa as noted by the UN, where adult literacy is about 31% and life expectancy is barely 45 years. Many Sierra Leoneans believe this election may mark a turning point in their country's history. 

Ottawa, Canada - Chretien outlines G-8 agenda

During his last visit to Paris, the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, mentioned that since Canada is host of the G-8 conference this year, we should not make terrorism rather than Africa, the focal point of the discussions. Mr. Chretien said that the developed world could not let the African continent of 800 million people down - regressing rather than progressing. "We have to make sure they come back as part of the global situation and make a positive contribution to growth in the world." Prime Minister Chretien, who went on a 12-day tour of Africa this year, is convinced that the key to ending terrorism is increased democracy and a better respect for human rights." He is also pushing for a new partnership between rich and poor countries. In April, Mr. Chretien received an award as "Statesman of the Year" from the East-West Institute in New York for seeking to build democracy and prevent wars. Past recipients of this award have been former US president George Bush and Vaclav Havel, president of Czech Republic. Mr. Chretien is the longest lasting leader from the G-8 nations.

Vatican - The Pope endorses "World Youth Day"

Pope John Paul II, 82 years old, will not retire. He has Parkinson's Disease and both knee and hip ailments. Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, Archbishop of Toronto, is arranging the Roman Catholic Church's eighth World Youth Day (WYD) gathering for July 27-28. In 1997, one million youth gathered in Paris and in 2000, more than two million gathered in Rome. The youth meetings usually focus on praying for peace and non-violent resolutions to conflict. Pope John Paul is invited to open for the event, but if the pope is too frail to make the trip, it is expected the Toronto WYD organizers will wait until the last moment to say so. The Pope has been very busy lately with the saints and devils in the Catholic church. The most recent of the Pope's canonized saints was the Italian Pio da Pietrelcina ("Padre Pio"). On the other hand, the Pope is saddened by the sexual scandals within the priesthood.

Washington, USA - Bush, Putin agree to trim nukes

Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin signed a treaty to slash their nuclear arsenals by two thirds. Mr. Bush said this treaty will liquidate the legacy of the Cold War. "It will make the world more peaceful and put behind us the Cold War once and for all." Mr. Putin said, "We are satisfied by the joint work. Without the interested, active position of the American administration and the attention of President Bush, it would have been difficult to reach such agreements." The agreement commits both powers to reducing the number of developed warheads in their arsenals to between 1,700-2,200 over the next 10 years. Each side currently deployed between 5,000-6,000 missiles. The road to the treaty had its origins in the 2000 presidential election, when Mr. Bush vowed to slash the strategic arsenal.

Dili, East Timor - East Timor celebrates independence after 297 years

The world saluted East Timor on its becoming the newest independent nation on May 19, 2002 after being a colony to Portugal, Japan, Holland and Indonesia since 1695. More than 150,000 East Timorese celebrated their country's birthday. The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the crowd, "I salute you, people of East Timor for the courage and perseverance you have shown. Yours has not been an easy path to independence. You should be very proud of your achievement." Shortly after the raising of the new national flag, Jose Alexandre Gusmao (aka. Xanana), a 55-year-old poet and former guerilla leader was sworn in as East Timor's first elected leader. He recited to his people a poem he had written, "Independence! As a people, as a territory, as a nation! One body, one mind, one wish!" Australia, Canada, China, Russia and USA were the first to recognize the new state - the Democratic Republic of Timor Lorosae. Prime minister Mari Alkatiri and his 23 cabinet ministers began their responsibilities to eradicate poverty and create jobs in a poor country with oil and gas reserves.


Moscow, Russia - Putin and Clinton dolls boom, Bush and Bin Laden flop

Tourists visiting Moscow's matryoshka doll markets in Arbat Street were surprised by the new variety of dolls representing famous people. Since the days of glasnost and the first daring doll of Mikhail Gorbachev, the dolls have been used to lampoon political leaders or honor celebrities. The most popular model is a caricature of Russian President Putin, which opens to reveal his predecessors, from Boris Yeltsin to the last Tsar Nicholas II (inside Nicholas is Rasputin - the monk who wedged himself in the Tzar's marriage helping the collapse of the House of Romanov). The Beatles also have a matryoshka which opens from a wide-waisted John Lennon to a tiny Ringo Starr. President Clinton's doll, a hot-seller, represents a classic story of sex and intrigue that appeals to tourists. Inside him are the familiar faces of Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, wife Sen. Hillary Clinton and finally a saxophone. The most recent wooden doll depicting U.S. President George W. Bush wearing a large cowboy hat, inside him is a brief history of predecessors - Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Interestingly, there are dolls of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. However, Osama's dolls were reportedly poor sellers.

London, UK - Will the "Iron Lady" return?

In March 2002, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the 76 year old first female prime minister of Britain who started her tenure at 10 Downing St. in 1979, authored her latest book, Statecraft, which will substitute her forceful presence on the political stage. Thatcher suffered recently a series of minor strokes which some believe may end her political career that has spanned over 50 years. She was forced from office by her own Conservative Party in late 1990, after 11 years as prime minister. She fell ill while she was preparing to launch into a series of speeches to promote her book, which renews her goals for Britain's withdrawal from the European community. Instead she entertains the possibility of Britain joining NAFTA, an arrangement she sees as more dynamic and less bureaucratic than the E.U. She will always be remembered for introducing the word "privatization" to the English language and idea of "New Conservatism." The book is dedicated to President Ronald Regan, Thatcher's partner in the conservative revolution of the 1980s, and the man she credits as "supreme architect of the West's Cold War victory." Three themes emerge from her reflections on the ending of the Cold War: United States mission as the world's only superpower, the new threats posed by the so-called rogue states, and a process towards European unity. Her philosophy is reminiscent of British politician, Edmund Burke - the father of modern conservatism - who is cited frequently in her book.

Lima, Peru - Thousands of Inca mummies unearthed

Archaeologists unearthed more than 2,000 mummies and funerary objects in Peru that may help in better understanding the Inca civilization that collapsed with the European invasion of South America dating back to the last years of the Inca civilization (between 1480 and 1535), around 500 years ago. Researchers have found more than 50,000 objects that could help to answer questions about the elite who once ruled 10 million, in an empire that stretched from Columbia to Chile. Prof. Guillermo Cock led the research project and stated, "We are studying to determine who they were, age and sex, growth and development, nutrition, illnesses they suffered from, the causes of death, the genetic relationship among individuals, and even what kind of work they did. The physical anthropologists will be able to find answers to all these questions in the marks that muscles leave in the bone." The National Geographic Society in Washington supported Prof. Cock and his team for this project.

Mummification was practiced in several parts of South America from as early as 7,000 years ago, but burial sites created by the Incas and other civilizations were destroyed by the Spaniards. That means intact mummies are rare and a find of this scale, the archaeologists say, provides a unique opportunity to study the Inca society which once dominated the western regions of South America.

Newfoundland, Canada - Beothuks: the lost tribe

The death of the 61 year old archeologist, Dr. Ralph T. Pastore (Memorial University, Nfld.) in February 2002 raised interest in his studies about the Beothuks, the lost tribe of Newfoundland. In 1982, Dr. Pastore was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and later developed cancer. As an ethno-historian, he developed a fascination in this native people, and the local myth of their extinction. The Beothuks were unique in many respects since they chose to have very little contact with Europeans. They were hunters and gathers with a population ranging between 500 and 2,000 people. He found in his survey materials from the Dorset Eskimo and the Beothuks. The mythology said that the Beothuks were victims of international genocide. Pastore emphasized the role played by the ecology of Newfoundland, whereby you have to live on the coast and depend on fishing to survive, since in central Newfoundland caribou was the only prey. The Beothuks did not want to live with the Europeans, who chose to live on the coasts. This moved the Beothuks inland essentially leading to their demise. Dr. Pastore is author of the book, Shanawdithit's People: The Archaeology of the Beothuks -published in 1992. For further information on the Beothuks, visit www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/beothuks.htm

Seoul, Korea - Sisters reunite after 50 years

The reunion of Korean elderly family members was a long-awaited dream. More than 12,000 elderly South Koreans who registered for reunions died last year. There is no mail, telephone link, or other direct means of communication between the ordinary citizens of the two countries.

Two sisters, 62-year-old South Korean Lee Bu-ja and her 67-year-old North Korean sister Lee Shin Ho broke down in tears when they met each other for the first time in half a century in the North Korean mountains, separated by the history of unresolved hostilities between North and South Korea. Their 93-year-old father, Uh Byung-soon unfortunately died only three days before witnessing this reunion. This is the fourth reunion of separated kin since the Koreas were divided in 1945 and the historic year 2000 inter-Korean summit improved relations between the rival nations which share the world's most heavily armed border.  Recently, a 93 years-old South Korean mother (Park Soon-yi) held the hands of her North Korean 71 years-old son (Kang Dae-sung) in a reunion after half a century of separation!!

Los Angles, USA - "Barbie's mom" and her empire

Poor Barbie has become orphaned. Her mom died at 85 from cancer. Who could have ever predicted that a woman who invented and designed the immensely popular doll with prominent breasts, would herself lose a breast to cancer. After undergoing mastectomy, she invented a better prosthesis and dared the people to tell the difference between her real and artificial breast. She also campaigned for better screening and early detection of cancer, back in the 1970s, an era when even talking about breast cancer was radical. When thinking of symbols that represent American culture worldwide, one can name a few such as McDonalds (The Golden Arch), KFC, Nike, Pepsi among others including the Barbie doll. Ruth Handler, who was known to the world as "Barbie's Mom," died at the age of 85 from complications of bowel cancer surgery, thirty years after having been diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing mastectomy. Throughout her history and Barbie's, it is possible to trace the story of women through the 20th century. The tale revolves around breasts - Barbie's and Mrs. Handler. In the 1950s, she noted that her daughter Barbara did not have any adult looking dolls to play with because nobody made them. Mrs. Handler figured an adult female doll. The first Barbie doll was born in 1959, and was named after her daughter. More than one billion Barbie's have been sold since 1959 and circle the planet. Two Barbie dolls are sold every second somewhere in the 150 countries where she is marketed, in a business of $1.5 billion per year. Barbie was once criticized as being "too modern," has since been rejected by some academics and feminist circles as too traditional. Some anti-Barbie activists realize now that it is unfair to blame a doll for all the bad things that happen to our girls, from anorexia to low self esteem to lack of ambition, others feel the doll is directly responsible for these ailments. Some controversy also centers around the doll's breasts, and has been boycotted in some countries. Others have criticized the dolls physique and clothing as a paternalistic image of what women ought to look like. Mrs. Handler's grand daughter Stacey recently wrote a book, "The Body Burden: Living in the Shadow of Barbie."

UK - Lucian Freud's controversial gallery!

The famous painter, Lucian Freud, the youngest grandson of Sigmund Freud was born in Berlin on December 8, 1922, when his father came from Vienna with jaw cancer. He has lived in Germany, Greece, France and the UK and in the 1940s he met Giacometti, Picasso and Francis Bacon. Lucian has drawn controversial portraits of well-known people. His recent "unrealistic" portrait of Queen Elizabeth II raised a lot of arguments.

In June 2002, he opened his art gallery, "Self Portrait, Reflection" at Tate Britian, Millbank, London. One of the portraits done by Freud of Baron Thyssen when he was between his 4th and 5th marriages received a lot of attention during the gallery in June, especially since Baron's wife disliked it. Unfortunately, during the 50th anniversary ceremonies for the Queen, there was a fire in Buckingham Palace close to Lucian Freud's gallery on June 1st!

Moscow, Russia - Stalin: hero or villain?

A graveyard of sorts for the statues of Soviet leaders that occupied prominent city squares until they were purged in the euphoria that accompanied the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 are present now in Moscow's sculptures park. Among the statutes of Lenin and Brezhnev is a single statue of Stalin, surrounded by stone skulls, representing his victims. The nose has been chiseled off his face. Nikita Okhotin published the CD, known simply as Stalin's Lists, which includes a list of his victims that fall largely under three categories: counter-revolutionaries, rich farmers, and others called spies. The CD also includes scans of the original execution lists. There is still a passionate debate Russia on whether Stalin was a hero or a villain. In Stalin's native Georgia on March 5, 2003, they are arranging an event for the 50th anniversary since his death.

Brazil - New parrot species in Amazon

Two graduate zoology students at the University of Sao Paulo, R. Gaban-Lima and M. Raposo, captured a bird in the southern Amazon state of Para. The greenish small bird with a bold orange head and a vultures hooked neck measures about 25cm from head-to-tail and weighs about 170g. The bird is a new species, not a young Vulturine parrot. The co-author of Parrots: A Guide to the Parrots of the World, Tony Juniper said that, "This is only the fourth parrot species to be discovered in 1988. The others were discovered in Ecuador, Peru and Brazil's central Amazon. A complete scientific description including the bird's scientific name will appear in the July edition of the peer-reviewed ornithological journal, The Auk.

Winnipeg, Canada -  Cannabis church raises controversy

Mr. Chris Dalman, a minister with the Church of the Universe, which currently has only 12 members, is the founder of the first cannabis church-cafe ("The Cannabis Devout Mission Cafe") that is devoted to worship cannabis ("The Holy Tree of Life"). According to the church's website, "members are encouraged to surround themselves with the holy Tree of Life, not just inhaling it, but wearing it, growing it, writing on it, eating it, etc." Members get to decide for themselves ways and times to use God's Tree of Life. Mr. Dalman's intent is to allow his church members to smoke the weed as a religious sacrament at his cafe. In January, Vancouver police raided and shutdown Marijuana Tea House, which was originally established for medical marijuana users. In Canada, people expected to die from AIDS within 12 months or those with severe illness can possess and grow marijuana or have someone grow it for them (137 people have already been issued licenses to grow marijuana). The Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Medical Protective Association oppose this unique medicinal-marijuana program, and have told doctors not to sign requests for federal approval to possess cannabis.

Oslo, Norway - The best book of all time

Oslo's Norwegian book clubs asked 100 well-known writers in 54 countries to rank the ten best books in history. They compiled the 100 greatest works of fiction coming up with "Don Quixote" as the best book of all time. This book was published as two parts in 1605 and 1615 and earned 50% more votes than any other books trumping works by Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Homer, Chekov, Mark Twain, Naguib Mahfouz, Ernest Hemingway, Dostoyevsky, Balzac, Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Anderson, etc. The author of the winning Spanish book is Miguel de Cervantes Saaverda. The Nigerian author, Ben Okri said, "If there is one novel you should read before you die, it is Don Quixote." More than two thirds of the 100 selected titles were written by Europeans, almost half were written in the 20th century and 11 were written by women. The full list included works from 13 Nobel Laureates, 9 contemporary writers, and 10 authors with more than one book chosen. Four novels by Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) and three of Shakespeare's tragedies are among the chosen list: Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Possessed, and The Brothers Karamazov; Hamlet, King Lear, Othello. The list included the Mesopotamian tale, "The Epic Gilgamesh" written 3,800 years ago and discovered on clay tablets in the 7th century B.C. and based on the Sumerian civilization. You can view the entire list of the books at http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,711520,00.html .

Giza, Egypt - Pyramid number 110 unearthed

A Swiss team found the pyramid completely by accident. They were excavating the burial site of fourth dynasty Pharaoh Redjedef, son of Cheops, when they came across sharply cut blocks protruding from the ground above a square base. The team spent two months investigating the pyramid, which was buried five meters (15 feet) underground and contained three chambers. The archaeologists found part of an empty limestone sarcophagus, pieces of pottery and an alabaster jar used to store human innards following mummification. Prof. Hawass said the size and location of the pyramid suggested the tomb belonged to a woman, possibly the sister, daughter or wife of Redjedef. Hieroglyphics found in the tomb spelled out the word Cheops. Redjedef succeeded Cheops, whose Great Pyramid is one of the most well-known in Egypt. The last similar discovery occurred four years ago, when another queen's pyramid was found at Saqqara.

Hawaii, USA - "Honolulu Peace Plus Declaration"

The Rotary Peace builders meeting was held in Hawaii from  April 3-9, 2002 under the auspices of the Honorable state governor Ben Cayatano. Amb. Moto Nishimura, member of The Ambassadors Magazine editorial board attended this meeting, in which the'HONOLULU PEACE PLUS DECLARATION' was passed. 

Russia, UK & USA - Deaths of 11 microbiologists raise conspiracies

The death of 11 distinguished microbiologists over the span of just 5 months, is a tale only the best conspiracy theorist could dream up. The first 3 died in the space of just over a week in November 2001 - Benito Que (52-years-old) at Miami University, Don Wiley (57-years-old) at Harvard University, and Vladimir Pasechnik (46-years-old) in Russia. In December 2001, Robert Schwartz (57-years-old) was stabbed in Virginia and his daughter who identified herself as pagan high priestess has been charged. Only four days later, Nguyen Van Set (44-years-old), died in an air locked laboratory accident. In February 2002, Victor Korshunov (56-years-old) was killed when he was bashed over head near his home in Moscow. Four days later, British microbiologist Ian Langford (40-years-old) was found dead in his home naked from the waist down and wedged under a chair. In San Francisco, two prominent microbiologists died two weeks later: Tanya Holzmayer (46-years-old) was killed by her fellow Matthew Huang who shot her when she opened the door to a pizza delivery, then he shot himself. In March 2002, David Wynn-Williams (55-years-old) was hit by a car while jogging near his home in Cambridge. They following day, Steven Mostow (63-years-old) known as "Dr. Flu" for his expertise in treating influenza and a noted expert in bio-terrorism, died when his plane crashed near Denver. So what does any of it mean???

To commemorate the 60th anniversary between Canada and Norway, their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja  made a 6-day official visit to Canada. During their trip they visited Ottawa, Toronto, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

Their visit included a return to Ontario's "Little Norway" in Muskoka (where more than 3,000 Norwegian pilots, sailors and soldiers trained) on the anniversary of Norway’s liberation from German occupation (May 8) where the King stayed as a young exile during the Second World War, the opening of the Viking exhibit called "Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga" (featuring more than 300 Sami and Inuit artifacts) at the Canadian Museum of Civilizations, a visit to Nova Scotia's Camp Norway, where Norwegian whalers trained to become gunners on merchant marine ships during the war, and then stopped at L'Anse aux Meadows Viking historic site on the northern tip of Newfoundland (discovered by Norwegians, Anne Stine and Helge Ingstad).

Seif al-Islam, 29-years-old, business studies graduate and eldest son of the second marriage of the Libyan leader Moammar Ghadhafi has been credited in repairing Tripoli's ties with most Western countries after more than 30 years of mutual hostility since his father seized power in 1969. He helped in the negotiation for the release of the European and South African hostages held by the fanatic rebels in Southern Philippines in 2000. In a recent visit to Paris he mentioned that the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington had brought Libya close to the United States, since his father was the first Arab leader to condemn the attacks. The leader's second son heads the Gaddafi Foundation, a charity which tries to project a new and positive image of Libya. Does it mean Seif al-Islam is being groomed for the succession of his father? No, he insists, "that would be inconsistent with Libya's progressive system."

USA - Diamond extravaganza at Oscars

The "Diamond Lady", Laura Elena Harring, the co-star of Mulholland Drive and ex-wife of Count Carl von Bismarck, made a dazzling entrance at the Oscars with her one-million platinum and diamond pair of shoes designed by Stewart Weitzman and her sporting 77-carat diamond necklace (valued more than 27-million dollars). Her latest movie is "John Q" with actor Denzel Washington.

"They are calling me ‘The Diamond Lady,’" she said following her appearance in the much-touted "Million Dollar Shoes" -- an ankle-strap creation of spun platinum and 464 diamonds. "It's a true Cinderella story! I even have two stepsisters, but they aren't bad," quipped the sultry star of “Mulholland Drive.” The dazzling shoes went on tour after their one-night stand with Laura culminating on the displays at Harrods in London.

Hudson Bay, Canada - Polar bears face extinction

Environmental hazards are becoming a global concern. A recent study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released a warning that polar bears face impacts from toxic pollutants and future oil developments in the Arctic region. The report, called Polar Bears at Risk, also found that global warming is already affecting polar bears around Hudson Bay. They are physically suffering from climate change since Arctic temperatures have risen 5 degrees over the past 100 years. That temperature change has caused the sea ice to shrink 6% over the past 20 years. After that, the ice melts completely, forcing the Hudson Bay polar bears to shore, where they fast on stored fat until the fall freeze-up. With warmer temperature, the bears have less time to hunt on the ice and therefore less time to buildup their body fat. WWF mentioned that there is a need to ratify the controversial 1997 Kyoto Protocol to fight global warming.

Lusaka, Zambia - One country and a thousand tribes!

More than 40 heads of African states attended the 3-day-summit Organization of African Unity (OAU) meeting, which became African Union (AU) after 38 years. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged African leaders to aside their conflicts and form a unit front to face the continent's problems including the AIDS pandemic and poverty, which are irrespective of country, race, creed, ethnicity and religion. Zambian President Fredench Chiluba emphasized the importance for a move towards peace, stability, unity, tolerance, and reconciliation. In 1999, the Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi strongly advocated a move towards Pan-African unity, mentioning that "Africa is one country with thousand tribes."

Chile - Conference continues discussion on elephant ivory

Four African countries (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) requested to bring a limited ivory trade in the November 2002 of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) held in Chile. They are trying to reverse the ban on their national trade of elephant ivory by applying to CITES convention that governs endangered species. Elephant ivory has been banned from international trade for 8 years after scientists warned that the big tusked African elephant could become extinct if the commercial hunting was kept up. The Indian elephant, which lives in several Asian countries is also endangered. Roughly 5,000 species of animals and 25,000 species of plants are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade.

HEALTH NEWS

Saskatchewan, Canada - Can farming deer threaten human health?

It seems that game farming presents a threat to wildlife, agriculture, economics and to human health. Recently Korea banned elk and velvet antler importation from Saskatchewan because of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) on North American game farms. It is known that velvet was sold as an aphrodisiac and traditional remedy. CWD is the sister disease to mad-cow, the well-known fatal spongiform encephalopathy that affects farm animals. The disease has also been found on game farms in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Wisconsin, with some of the highest concentrations of deer in North America, has found 14 white-tailed deers with CWD, and the state will test up to 14,000 deer this fall.

California, USA - Mozart's music thought to enhance baby IQ    

Many scientists interested in fetal development found that parents can start talking to their babies and teaching them while they are still in the womb. The latest research by scientists in the Pre-natal University, showed that listening to Mozart's music can help guarantee having a baby with higher IQ. Dr. Frances Rauscher (Wisconsin) found a connection between pre-natal exposure to Mozart and a life-long improvement in temporal-spatial ability. Both Dr. David Chamberlain and Dr. Thomas Verny, the authors of "The Mind of your Newborn Baby" and "The Secret of the Unborn Baby" respectively, support this view. Dr. Rene Van de Carr, a California obstetrician and author of "While You Are Expecting: Your Own Prenatal Classroom", has established the Pre-natal University, and has developed a program of pre-natal stimulation for the unborn baby. Welcome to the womb class!!

Kiev, Ukraine - Remembering Chernobyl

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma laid flowers at the symbolic burial in the capital Kiev, paying tribute to those who died after Chernobyl's nuclear reactor no.4 exploded in April 26, 1986. This event is a reminder of the tragic potential that nuclear power has. The Chernobyl catastrophe cannot be wiped from human memory. It has been blamed for thousands of deaths due to radiation-linked illnesses and for a huge increase in thyroid cancer. Health specialists have advised that genetic mutations and contaminated food could lead to a new generation of Chernobyl victims and prolong the tragedy for years to come.

Ottawa, Canada - Possible cure for multiple sclerosis?

Dr. Mark Freedman, director of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Clinic at Ottawa Hospital, and his team succeeded in treating four Canadian MS patients with extremely high-dose chemotherapy, followed by stem-cell transplant. The stem cells were harvested from the patients' bone marrow before the chemotherapy and then re-implanted. Mrs. Stephanie Rainville-Wray, 30 years old, was the first to accept this new radical trial therapy, after being diagnosed with MS six years ago. She agreed to the experiment despite an 8% chance of dying from the treatment. She was pleased that the MRI scans showed no active disease following the treatment. The Canadian team is the first in the world to try stem cell transplants on much younger and healthier MS patients, and they hope to stop the disease before it begins its "disabling" process.

United Nations- US, Vatican and Islamic states collaborate on AIDS campaign

In May 2002, the UN held a special session for the General Assembly on children. The conference agenda discussed issues of child labor, children serving as soldiers, trafficking of children, healthcare, poverty and education. The USA, Vatican and Islamic countries have established an alliance to oppose birth control as the solution to AIDS problems. The US is convinced that birth control is not the solution to the world's AIDS crisis. Some mentioned that safe sex education has to be available to adolescents, yet American scientists mentioned that the only solution to the AIDS crisis is both pre-marital and post-marital sexual abstinence and not safe sex education of adolescents. Critics have argued that this position is unrealistic and counterproductive, abstinence being less marketable of a solution than birth control.  

Geneva, Switzerland - Death certificate for polio


According to recent data released by the WHO, polio is now endemic in only 10 countries. More than half of the reported cases were in northern India. It is well-known that no country is free from the dangers of polio until the entire world is free of it. Polio has been known for at least 3,000 years (its immobilizing power was depicted on an ancient Egyptian engraving). At its peak, it paralyzed or killed about half a million people every year, before the development of a vaccine in 1955. Dr. Maria-Otelia Costales, one of the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) senior health advisors, said that we need to act now and quickly to finish this job. Only 537 cases of polio were recorded around the world last year. A total of 575 million children were vaccinated in 94 countries and WHO hopes to sign an official death certificate for the disease and to declare a world free of the illness by 2005. The single biggest supporter for polio eradication has been Rotary International which to date has contributed $462 million. The organization set out in 1985 to make the world polio-free, Rotary's 100th anniversary. Only one other infectious disease has been eradicated - smallpox.

WORLD - High suicide rates in Industrialized Nations

In a new report from Statistics Canada, the suicide rates among industrialized nations are reported to range between 3 to 23 per 100,000 in Greece and Finland respectively. Canada's suicide rate is 14 per 100,000 and ranks about the middle of the pack among industrialized nations. Interestingly, worldwide, men are far more likely to take their lives than are women. In Canada four men kill themselves for every women who does. Newly published research from Statistics Canada mentioned that a Canadian is almost 7 times more likely to die of suicide than to be a victim of homicide, while in the United States there are twice as many suicides as homicides. The commonest (40%) of suicides in Canada are by hanging, followed by poisoning (26%) and firearms (22%). In the United States, almost 60% of all suicides are committed with firearms and the rest are by either poisoning or hanging. The report reveals that suicide is a leading cause of death in all ages groups - victims ranging from 10-85 years of age. Suicide and attempted suicides (7 times more frequent than successful suicides) have dramatic public health and economic impacts.

Kuwait - The KMJ celebrates its 35th birthday

Kuwait Medical Journal (KMJ) was established in 1967 with Dr. Abdel Razak Al-Adwani (neurologist) as the first chief editor. He was followed by many distinguished Kuwaiti doctors: Prof. Abdel Razak Al-Youssef (cardiologist) 1969-1985, Prof. Abdulla A. Al-Rasheed (pediatrician) 1986-1994, Dr. Abdel Rahman A. Al-Awadi (preventive medicine) 1995-2000 and Dr. Nael Al-Naqueeb (surgeon). The current editorial board now publishes six issues annually instead of the usual four. The board of the magazine is made up of doctors from all Arab countries and other international figures.

Washington DC, USA - Deaf couple choose a deaf sperm donor!

Newborn Jauvine's profound deafness brought smiles and cheers for her deaf parents. They mentioned it would be nice to have a deaf child, who would be the same as them. They are convinced that deafness is not a disability, it is a cultural identity, therefore they chose a deaf sperm donor to increase their chances of having a deaf baby. It worked once before, we already have a deaf daughter (Jen aged 5). They enjoyed that their deaf children share the same language and argue that deaf subculture offers a rich world of art, history and language (American Sign Language [ASL]), in which the deaf are vastly better off. The deaf advocates are convinced that they are not a pathology waiting to be cured, they see themselves as a linguistic and cultural minority.

Cairo, Egypt - New series on environmental medicine

As a follow up to the UN-sponsored Habitat conferences on environmental issues, the Pan-African Environmental Mutagen Society's 4th International Symposium will be held in Cairo in 2003. With the discussion of the Kyoto treaty dominating debate on environmental matters, the impact of pollutants on health predominate in this conference. The convention's focus is on child health and the creation of a healthy environment in Africa, free from pollutants such as mutagens, teratogens and carcinogens. Distinguished scientist, Prof. Wagida Anwar, the conference president, will preside over the meeting and will write a series on environmental medicine for The Ambassadors Magazine in the upcoming issue.

Chicago, USA - Can patient stem cells cure Parkinson Disease

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Chicago discussed the case of the 59-year-old engineer with Parkinson's Disease, who has become the first known patient with the disease to be treated with stem cells taken from his own brain. The Parkinson's patient reported that previous drugs failed to treat him and to stop his hand tremors. The work was led by Michel Levesque, a neurosurgeon with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Three years after stem cell treatment (begun March 1999), the patient's symptoms have improved by more than 80% and the hand tremors have largely disappeared. If this treatment can give the same result with other patients, this would be considered a breakthrough to treating Parkinson's Disease.

WHO - Obesity endemic in Canada

New "obesity maps" show that more than 3.3 million Canadians are obese (having more than 30% body fat). Among adults, obesity represents 13.3% of the population, which would be 1 out of 8 Canadians. The figure is higher in middle provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario) where the rate is 1 in 6. The prevalence of obesity tripled from 1985 to 1998 from 5.6% to 14.8%. The direct medical costs attributed to obesity top $1.8 billion annually. Obese are more likely to develop chronic health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, etc. Dr. Katzmarzyk mentioned in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association that "the maps clearly show the progression of the obesity epidemic across the country." In the United States, the prevalence of obesity rose to 18% in 1998 from 12% in 1991. The WHO has declared obesity to be a worldwide epidemic. About 1.1 billion people are over-weight. The New England Journal of Medicine (Vol. 346, Issue 21: 1623-1630) published recently in May 23, 2002 a study by Dr. David E. Cummings on the appetite-stimulating hormone "ghrelin", discovered in the stomach in 1999 that may help treatment of obesity instead of stomach bypass operations.

Australia - People with Down syndrome leading longer, better lives

Canada - Can alternatives compete with Viagra?

More than 150 million men in the world suffer erectile difficulties. Health Canada has approved a new testosterone gel to treat men experiencing low sex drive and erectile dysfunction and to make them feel virile. Rubbing the androgel on the shoulders or biceps daily, can give more energy in 1-3 months of use, since it contains the hormone testosterone, which can treat its deficiency in old age. Men know of many aphrodisiacs and virility boosters, like rhinoceros horn, horny goat weed, vacuum devices, compression rings, penile implants, and urethral pellets before the discovery of Viagra - Pfizer's little blue pill. The gel was developed by Illinios-based Unimed Pharmaceuticals. The gel has side effects which can include unwanted hair growth, acne, and prostate problems. The question lies, can this new gel compete with Viagra pills? Andrologists are looking for alternatives for Viagra, which does not work for everyone. One of the alternatives is the Citalis pill which is produced by Eli Lilly & Co. and ICOS Corporation. The second is the red pentangle-shaped tablet Uprima, which is developed by Abbott's Labs & Japan's Takeda Chemical Industries.

Cleveland, USA - Malaria-proof mosquitoes raise hopes for disease eradication

Malaria infects up to 500 million people and kills more 2 million yearly. Recently, Prof. Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, published a study in Nature (Vol. 417: 452–455 - May 2002) about a new breed of mosquitoes in which the malaria parasite dies before it can be transmitted. He and his colleagues succeeded in altering mosquito genes for the first time to resist malaria. They inserted an artificial gene into mosquito DNA and created an insect in which the malaria parasite dies before it can be transmitted through the saliva. The modified mosquitoes are expected to pass on the gene to their offspring so that future generations will inherit malaria-fighting trait naturally. The German molecular biologist Gareth Lycett (Nature 417: 387–388 - May 2002) mentioned that geneticists have dreamed of molecular magic on the mosquito, after the fruit fly was first modified twenty years ago.

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