International News

Paris, France - American First Lady improves relations with France

The American First Lady, Laura Bush, made a 5-day trip to Paris and Moscow visiting the UNESCO headquarters and stated that , "[the organization] will help achieve peace by spreading the values that will help defeat terror and lead to a better and safer world [through] education, tolerance, respect for human life, and respect for each other's differences."  Earlier in the day, French President Chirac welcomed her for a short meeting at the Elysee Palace, and he kissed her hand in front of cameraman and photographers as she emerged from the limousine. She described the friendship between France and the USA as intimate and intense.

USA - Mini-me's American love story!

Verne Troyer, 34, the American actor famous for his role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers film series has announced he is to wed his 29 year old yoga instructor girlfriend, Genevieve Gallen, who is six-foot, two-inches tall. The couple met on New Year's Eve at a private Mansion Party in Beverly Hills, for the Millennium 2000. He has been in an exclusive relationship with her since July 2002.  Verne Troyer said he felt like a giant when Genevieve agreed to tie the knot.

Iraq - The case against Saddam Hussein

Following the capture of the deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein on Saturday, December 13, 2003, the Iraqi people seek to see his trial done by Iraqi judges in their country. He and his regime are accused of a long list of war crimes and crimes against humanity including:(1) the use of poison gas against Iranian people during 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, (2) the "Anfal" campaign in the late 1980s against Iraqi Kurds including the use of poison gas on Halabja, (3) crimes against humanity arising from the invasion of Kuwait in 1990-1991, (4) possible genocide crimes against the Marsh Arabs and Shiite Muslims in Southern Iraq, and (5) extra-judicial killings of political opponents over a period of decades throughout Iraq.

London, UK - Diana books stir feelings 

The Royal wedding of HRH Prince of Wales, 32, to Lady Diana Spencer, 20, on October 8th, 1981 is unforgettable. Three quarters of a billion people watched the wedding and the Royal kiss. Despite this tremendous event, their marriage would end in divorce. Soon after, Princess Diana would die in a tragic car accident in Paris. The appetite for books on Diana have not waned. Recently, Princess Diana's mother told Max Riddington and Gavan Naden, authors of Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother, her side of Diana's life story. Another book written by Paul Burrell entitled A Royal Duty, raised much controversy. Even Diana's sons have said that the book is a deeply painful, cold and overt betrayal by her butler.

Romania - Underage marriage among Romanian Gypsies

Ana Maria Cioaba, 12, is the youngest daughter of Florin Cioaba, the self-proclaimed Roma (Gypsy) King. She was widely reported this week to be distressed at her arranged marriage to a 15-year-old bridegroom, Birita Mihai, in the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, near Bucharest. She hiked up her wedding dress and fled the church, crying "Leave me alone!" Not long after, the groom's family proudly proffered the wedding night sheets to prove that the marriage had been consummated. While the legal minimum age of marriage in Romania is 16, underage marriages are common among the Roma. Until now, Romanian authorities have tolerated the culture of a community of 1.5 million in a nation of 22 million.

Florin Cioaba appeared on Romanian television to defend the wedding saying, "As a father, I know what is good for my kids. There are some laws that have to be respected. We Roma, have a tradition to marry our children when they are minors." The marriage would have remained a Romanian issue, but the European Union envoy Emma Nicholson wrote a letter to the Romanian government demanding action especially in light that Romania has applied to join the European Union in 2007.

Tokyo, Japan - Tom Cruise and Japanese PM agree on Elvis

Actor Tom Cruise admires Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, for his leading musical talents. He said that, "He is really an extraordinary man and a pretty good singer. We sang Elvis together." The Japanese PM is an eclectic music lover, whose favorites also include Wagner. The Hollywood superstar actor was in Tokyo recently to promote his new martial arts movie, The Last Samurai.

Lebanon - "Arabic Idol" stirs the region

A total of 4.8 million votes were cast to select the Arab popstar for the TV show, Superstar. The show was shown on the Lebanese satellite station FutureTV and runs in a similar format to the very successful American Idol show in the US. Competitors in the final stages of show came from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and the UAE. The Lebanese favorite, Melhem Zaid, came in third and was welcomed back to his hometown by a cheering crowd of ten thousand and sheep were slain for his honor. Upon his elimination, angry fans in the audience pelted each other with chairs and scores of people took to the streets to protest. When the Jordanian singer, Diana Karzon, was crowned Superstar, hundreds of people filled the streets of Amman cheering, honking car horns, and even shooting guns into the air to celebrate her victory. The Syrian runner-up, Rowaida Attiyeh, burst into tears when the results were announced while Diana held her hand and belted out an Arabic song, Two Moons Standing At My Door.

Mexico - Who are the paleo-Americans?

Paleo-pathologists have analyzed 33 skulls from an isolated tribe in Mexico from 200-2700 years ago and have found that they are similar to those of ancient Australians. Dr. Tom Dillehay, an anthropology professor from the University of Kentucky, argues that they may have been the direct descendants of paleo-Americans, a relatively modern group that is said to have arrived in North America 15,000 years ago, long before the ancestors of modern native peoples. This study was published in the September 4th issue of Nature magazine and adds to the growing evidence that the early settlement of North America was a far more complex story than researchers had long believed. The isolated tribe may have evolved distinct physical characteristics because its members lived alone for many years, in what is now Baja, California, a place where plants and animals evolved differently than in the rest of Mexico.

Alabama, USA - Roy Moore: The Ten Commandments Judge

The 2,400kg granite monument, engraved with the 10 commandments and other Christian texts, had sat in the foyer of the Montegomery Alabama court house for 2 years, after Roy Moore, the state's Chief Justice had it carved and placed there as provocation. It was rolled out of public view at the end of August since some people argued that the monument contravened with the US Constitution's strict separation of religion and government. Judge Moore, who was suspended from his post for his refusal to move the monument, declared that the courts were wrong and that the country's laws should be built on a biblical foundation.

Calgary, Canada - Will "Maungwudaus" leave Canada?

The portrait, Maungwudaus, completed by Paul Kane in 1851 has been under federal government protection since March 2003, when the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board denied its export to a US collector who paid $2.2 million for it. The works of Canadian artist, Paul Kane (1810-1871), are rarely placed in auctions and when they actually do, they often generate fierce bidding wars. For example, two of his works Scenes in the Northwest and Portrait sold for $4.6 million and $5.06 million respectively. The portrait raising the controversy is of Maungwudaus who was born in 1810, baptized as "George Henry", and later served as a church missionary.

Greece - Controversy continues over ancient marble sculpture

The British Museum rejected the Greek pleas for the return of the Elgin Parthenon Marbles to its home country. They mentioned that it was the museum's duty to preserve the universality of the Marbles and to protect them from being appropriated as a nationalistic political symbol. Richard Allen, the Liberal Democratic MP leading the Parthenon 2004 Campaign for their return in time for the Athens Olympics, said that the museum has lost all justifications for retaining the sculpture, which were torn from the Acropolis by Lord Elgin in 1802.

Giza, Egypt - The 2nd Conference of Africa Genome Initiative

Ain Shams University Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (ACGEB) is organizing the 2nd conference of Africa Genome Initiative "Genomics of African Society" in March 2004 in Giza. The conference is organized in collaboration with the Human Science Research Council of South Africa and the PAN African Environmental Mutagen Society, under the auspices of HE Prof. Mofeed Shehab, Minister of Education & Scientific Research, HE Prof. Mohamed Tag El-Din, Minister of Health & Population, and Prof. Saleh Hashem, President of Ain Shams University. The conference directors are Prof. Wilmot James from the HSRC & California Institute of Technology and Prof. Wagida Anwar, the director of the Pan African Environmental Mutagen Society. The conference focuses on issues related to Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in the African content such as: the role of post – genomic biotechnology in African development, the ethical, legal, and social implications of post-genomic drug and vaccine discovery in Africa, and Genetic bottlenecks human migration and history and archaeology of Africa.

Indiana, USA - Purdue-based Global Media Journal now online

The Global Media Journal (GMJ) is an electronic publication devoted to the exploration of the fascinating, evolving, and ever-expanding field of communication and is hosted by the Department of Communication and Creative Arts at Purdue University Calumet, Indiana, USA. The idea for this groundbreaking journal started in 1999 by Prof. Yahya Kamalipour, (head of the Department of Communications & Creative Arts), while he was preparing his book Global Communication. The latest issue of the journal (Fall 2003) includes several articles dealing with media and communications issues in the Middle East region and China. There are also several articles studying the role of media in war coverage. This journal can be accessed online at www.globalmediajournal.com. Dr. Kamalipour has a plethora of publications, including his latest book with Lee Artz, The Globalization of Corporate Media Hegemony State University of New York Press - September 2003.

Michigan, USA - Razanne versus Barbie

Many Muslim-Americans prefer Razanne doll with her long-sleeved dresses and head scarf which was created by Ammar Saadah, the founder of the NoorArt Inc. with his wife. Razanne has the body of a pre-teen and comes in three types: fair-skinned blond, olive-skinned with black hair, or black skin with black hair. In the United States, Barbie maker, Mattel markets a Moroccan Barbie and sells a collectors doll named Leila. Leila's elaborate costume and tale of being taken as a slave in the court of a Turkish sultan are intended to convey the tribulations of one Muslim girl in 1720s. "It is no surprise that they'd [Mattel] tried to portray a Middle Eastern Barbie either as a belly dancer or a concubine" said Saadeh adding that countering such stereotypes was one of his goals. Razanne's doll sells around 30,000 yearly. Some Islamic Middle Eastern countries are likely to be attracted to "Praying Razanne" who comes with a long hijab and modest prayer gown. Iran's version of Barbie and her husband Ken was launched 2 years ago with the names Sara and Dara.

Interestingly, Mattel released a new line of family-oriented Barbie's this Christmas. Midge and Baby, represents a pregnant doll, is among the top ten new toys for 2004. Although no husband comes in the set, but she is clearly represented as married since she has a shiny gold wedding ring on her finger!

Washington, USA - Anita Kunz satirical drawings

Anita Kunz, the famous Canadian illustrator, will be honored with an exhibition of her work in the Swann Gallery for Caricature and Cartoon at the Library of Congress in Washington. She is well-known for her drawings in The New Yorker, Mother Jones, Rolling Stone, The American Prospect, and Time. She possesses an extraordinary skill and is almost Flemish in her sense of detail and finish as well as possessing a sensitivity to social issues through her uncanny gift for celebrity portraiture. One of her illustrations gained much attention was that done of President Bill Clinton.

Uganda - No tears for the butcher Idi Amin

Idi Amin, the former Ugandan dictator and butcher, died with hypertension complications and renal failure, then buried outside his country. He served as the blood-thirsty ruler of Uganda from 1971 to 1979 and was forced out of power and into exile by Tanzanian troops. He believed himself to be omnipotent, chosen by God and protected by spells. Up to 400,000 people are believed to have been killed under his rule. Human rights groups and Ugandan government officials have expressed disappointment that Amin never faced trial for his alleged crimes.

His eight-year rule was characterized by bizarre and brutal behavior. In 1972 he expelled the entire Asian population of Uganda, blaming them for controlling the economy for their own ends. It had also been reported that he would feast on the bodies of his enemies, dump them in the Nile for crocodiles to eat, and kept the heads of others in his fridge!

Melbourne, Australia - Coptic Pope involved in public controversy

Pope Shenuda III faced hostile threats during his last visit to Coptic Orthodox churches in Australia, after he had declared that same-sex marriages are against the Biblical teachings and is a definite sin. "We support those courageous people who oppose homosexual marriage and the appointment of gays to the clergy," he added. Australian believers of all faiths, along with the police authorities served as human shields to protect him from the hostile threats from gay rights groups throughout his visit. After this visit, the Pope went to Libya to receive the honorable Gaddafi Human Rights Prize in a ceremony attended by former Algerian president Ahmad Ben Bella. He received the prize in appreciation of his national and humanitarian stances and his belief in constructive and free dialogue.

Geneva - International displays of literary rarities

The museum, built underground in Geneva's Cologny suburb by Swiss architect Mario Botta, opened to display world literary heritage with manuscripts and volumes ranging from an Egyptian Book of the Dead, Shakespeare's folios, first edition of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto, 5,000 years old clay tablets from Mesopotamia, a 1378 edition of Dante's Divine Comedy, one of the three remaining originals of the German theologian, Martin Luther's, These, and priceless editions of key texts of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. It also includes classics from Japanese and Chinese medieval literature.

Jerusalem - Authenticity of ossuary not yet settled

A purported first century inscription naming Jesus may or may not be the real thing. The limestone burial box (ossuary), with the inscription "James son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus" that emerged on Israel's antiquity market last year and was exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, raised debates over its authenticity. If authentic, the ossuary would offer a rare physical link to the life of Jesus, but Israel's Antiquities Authority declared that the inscription was a fraud. They stated that the ossuary is ancient but oxygen isotope analysis suggested the words were inscribed in modern times. The American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature said that we have to examine the box more closely before passing judgment. 

Austria - Was Mozart a buffoon?

Peter Shaffer's Amadeus has been too convincing in portraying the musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), as a buffoon. The central character in the play - an Italian kapellmeister named Antonio Salieri (1750-1825), a musical lion of the 18th century Viennese court - plots against the life and reputation of Mozart. He portrayed Mozart as a sociological, ill-mannered oaf who speaks only in negative terms of other composers, while others consider him often deceived because of his instinctive trust of others and hospitality to his greatest enemies and slanderers. Shaffer portrayed Salieri as an envious man who was jealous of the younger Mozart, raising the possibility that he might have poisoned him. Interestingly, Pushkin's drama, Mozart and Salieri, rejects the idea of literal poisoning, suggesting instead that Salieri poisoned Mozart with his hatred by blocking his advancement with the Emperor Joseph II. 


New Jersey, USA - Short actor wins big for his film

The lonely laconic little man, Peter Dinklage, 34, of view words and fewer inches, was the distinctive character of The Station Agent. The film was the winner of the Audience, Best Screenplay and Best Performance Awards at last year's Sun Dance Festival. It was also given the prestigious Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Writer director, Tom McCarthy, was given full marks in his feature debut. The Station Agent is about three people with nothing in common, except their shared solitude, until chance circumstances bring their lives together.

Canberra, Australia - Prince Harry's art irritates some Aboriginals

Artworks created by Prince Harry for his A-levels at Eton College have upset Australia's Aboriginal artist community. He has been accused of misusing and stealing Aboriginal art motifs for the pictures. In one portrait released to the world's media, Harry is seen in front of two pieces which contain lizard motifs said to have been inspired by Aboriginal culture. Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation, a group which protects against the exploitation of aboriginal culture, has said Prince Harry's use of lizards in his artwork was akin to stealing their culture. 

The growth in status and value of Aboriginal art in recent years has prompted a new breed of fraudsters to try to capitalize on the popularity of the distinctive paintings that depict stories of one of the world's oldest races. Mass reproduction of Aboriginal art and a series of high-profile fraud scandals have sparked a campaign by Australia's indigenous community to protect its art.

Italy - Good Italian cholesterol

US researchers have recently used a synthetic version of "good" cholesterol to almost magically reverse the effects of one of the most common forms of heart disease. The drug derived from a the Italian village of Limone sul Garda, which is blessed with unusually potent high-density lipoproteins (HDL), markedly reduced atherosclerosis in just six weeks. The study was recently published by Dr. Steven Nissen from Ohio's Cleveland clinic in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He mentioned that, "the notion that we could bring about disease regression in just six weeks is truly revolutionary." It is well known that most heart drugs are designed to lower low density lipoproteins (LDH) which are nicknamed "bad" cholesterol. The new drug is called recombinant ApoA1 Milano.

Germany - Theologians and scholars with Sheik Al-Azhar

A group of distinguished Christian theologians and scholars from different German academies visited the Islamic leader, Dr. Sayed Tantawy, Sheik of Al-Azhar in Egypt. They discussed together how to strengthen interfaith dialogue between believers of different faiths. It is well-known that Sheik Tantawy is a peace activist who advocates religious tolerance and cooperation.

Maryland, USA - The gifted Goodwill Ambassador of Muscular Dystrophy

Mattie J.T. Stepanek, the gifted 11-year-old Muscular Dystrophy Association Goodwill Ambassador, has been writing short stories and poetry since he was  three-years-old. What makes Mattie special is his wonderful attitude and strong will. He has Muscular Dystrophy and is disabled in many ways. But he chooses to show his "abilities." He is a public speaker and frequent guest on Good Morning America, the Oprah Show and others. He has been awarded for his poetry countless times.

Mattie's latest book of poetry, Hope Through Heartsongs, will be released in April 2004 by Hyperion Press. His first two books, Heartsongs and Journey Through Heartsongs, became national best-sellers. Hope Through Heartsongs contains poems of hope for individuals and the world, and includes poems written after the attacks of Sept. 11.

Johannesburg, South Africa - Birthday celebrations for Mandela

South Africans of all ages and races heaped praise on Nelson Mandela, the hero of anti-apartheid struggle, as he and the entire nation celebrated his 85th birthday. He is adored like a favorite uncle, idolized like a rock star and revered like a religious icon. He won the nation’s first all-race elections after the fall of apartheid in 1994, retired in 1999, and is as popular now as he ever was. Mandela’s face has appeared on a South African coin, a city district was named after him, and a bridge linking the north of the city with the crimb/drug ravished south in Johannesburg has been named after him. Some business leaders hope to build a massive, rotating statue in his likeness – the Statue of Freedom – taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty.

Mandela’s birthday is being marked by a whirlwind of celebrations. Former US President Bill Clinton delivered the first annual Nelson Mandela lecture in his honor. About 1,600 guests paid tribute to him at a gala banquet including Oprah Winfrey, Naomi Campbell, Robert De Niro and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. “I feel very happy indeed,” the Nobel Peace Prize winner said as he met a group of disabled children outside his house.  “I want you to be encouraged to know that in spite of your disabilities, you are human beings and you have hopes and wishes like all of us. You are accepted as ordinary human beings, like myself.”


Vatican - Mother Teresa beatified

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have thronged into St Peter's Square in Rome to witness the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta by the Roman Catholic Church, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's papacy. The 83-year-old Pope, who is the first non-Italian Pope in more than 450 years, so admired Mother Teresa that he waived the standard waiting period for beatification to bring forward the honor. Beatification means that she may now be publicly venerated. For actual sainthood, proof of at least two miracles is required.

Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her decades of service to the sick and destitute. She died in 1997, aged 87. Her Missionaries of Charity order, launched in 1950 with only 12 nuns, has grown to 4,500 sisters in 133 countries running homes, schools and hospices for the poor and dying.

Cairo, Egypt - AUC celebrates Nobel Laureate's Birthday

On December 11, 2003, the American University in Cairo (AUC), celebrated the 92nd birthday of the 1988 Nobel Prize literature laureate, Naguib Mahfouz. The AUC has been designating an award for the best Arab novelist annually since 1996. The award is named after the great Mahfouz and held on his birthday. The winners are given a golden medal with a carved portrait of Naguib Mahfouz and their winning novel is offered free translation to English in the university's press. Previous winners came from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine and included the novelists Yousef Adris, Latifa Al-Zayyat, Huda Barakat and Ahlam Mistiganimy. This year, the prolific Egyptian novelist, Khairy Shalabi, 66, was awarded the prize for his book, Wikalit Attia.

Iran - First Muslim woman to win Nobel Peace Prize

Iranian lawyer and human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi, 56, has won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2003, chosen from a list of 165 candidates including Pope John Paul II and former Czech President Vaclav Havel. She has been a leading figure in the struggle for the rights of women and children in her country. She is known for representing the interests of persecuted individuals and has braved reprisals for her beliefs and works as a lawyer and also teaches at the University of Tehran.

The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Ole Danbold Mjoes, announced that the prize would be going to either an Iranian or a Muslim woman for the first time. "She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children," Mjoes said. "As a lawyer, judge, lecturer, writer, and activist, she has spoken out clearly and strongly in her country, Iran, and far beyond its borders. She has stood up as a sound professional, a courageous person, and has never heeded the threats to [her] own safety." Thousands of people greeted the Nobel Peace Prize winner in extraordinary scenes at Tehran's city airport on her return to the Iranian capital. She was welcomed by a government delegation that included the Vice-president Mohamed Ali Abtahi. President Khatami mentioned in a statement, "Obviously I am pleased that a compatriot has achieved such success."

Wisconsin, USA - "Ape diet" good for humans!

One of the major health hazards of modern living - high cholesterol - can be dramatically improved by eating foods our primate ancestors commonly dined on, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association done by Prof. Patrick McBride, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison. He mentioned that, "The fact that diet alone can produce results that are as dramatic as the main pharmacological weapon against high cholesterol will surprise most doctors." Commenting on this article, Prof. James Anderson, University of Kentucky, suggested in the Editorial of the same journal, "that physicians prescribe the ape diet to patients before even considering drugs."

The "ape diet" was so effective at lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) that it worked as well as a cholesterol-lowering statin drug. The vegetarian diet contains healthy doses of soy protein, oats, barley, nuts, fiber, vegetable oils, and fruits and vegetables--the same foods that many pill-popping Americans routinely avoid--can reduce cholesterol by almost 30%. The study's authors acknowledge that the real-world effectiveness of the diet will have to be tested in routine living situations where people make their own meals on a regular basis. Compliance was easier for those in the study because the foods were pre-packaged and delivered to their homes.

USA - 'Mankind' births 3 books

Mick Foley, known as "Mankind" the famous WWE wrestler, who was thrown off a 5-meter high steel cage in 1998, is the author of three books. In 1999, he wrote an autobiography, Foley Is Good, which made the New York Times Bestsellers' list and was followed by another memoir bestseller entitled, Have A Nice Day. His latest book is a novel entitled, Tietam Brown and is currently working on his second novel, Scooter, about an Irish family in the Bronx in the 1960s. Foley is among many celebrities that have published their memoirs which became bestsellers, such as model Naomi Campbell and Sophie Dahl, musician Pete Townshend and Ray Davies, actors Joan Collins and Ethan Hawke.

Oregon, USA - Criminal gets attention over his beaded beard

In 1984, Mormon fundamentalists, Dan and Ron Lafferty, butchered her sister-in-law and her infant daughter after receiving what they believed to be a divine revelation. They considered her guilty of opposing their increasingly fanatical beliefs which included the taking of multiple wives. Dan is now serving two life sentences while his brother Ron hung himself in prison. Interestingly, Dan has recently gained media attention for growing his beard in an odd fashion. His beard extends all the way down to his belly, with ten beads! Dan also considers the new book "Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith" to be a part of God's plan for him to spread his "strange revelation."

Tennessee , USA - Tina the elephant on the move

After spending 33 years in the Great Vancouver Zoo, Tina, the ailing Asian female elephant, was moved to Tennessee, where other old female Asian elephants can roam freely. She will join the current residents Shirley, Sissy, Tarra, Jennie, Winkie and Bunny. Marcella Smith, who helped move Tina to her new home in rural Tennessee said, "It will be so neat for Tina to socialize with other elephants. They can all be with each other and talk Asian elephant talk!"

Italy - Aksum obelisk returns to Ethiopia

The Aksum obelisk is finally on its way back to its home in Ethiopia. The 24-metre high, 150 tons granite monument was taken by the Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini in 1937 as booty from his newly conquered African Empire. It was then placed on display in a busy piazza in central Rome. It was only after the top of the obelisk was shattered by a lightening strike in May 2002, that the Italians were finally embarrassed into actually sending it back. Aksum was once the capital of the Ancient Aksumite Empire in what is today Ethiopia. Interestingly, there are 13 Pharaonic Egyptian obelisks which are present in St. Peter's Square, which were blundered by the Romans and the most famous one in Paris, France which was taken by Napoleon.

Sana'a, Yemen - First cartoon exhibition opens

Minister of Culture and Tourism, Khaled Al-Rowaishan, opened an exhibition of two Yemeni cartoonists, Mazan Shoja Al-Din and Amar Noaman at its headquarters. The exhibition includes a number of cartoons which deal with Yemeni social issues and Arab political issues. The caricatures reflect freedom of expression throughout by criticizing Arab political stances towards the Palestinian and Iraqi issues. The two Yemeni cartoonists have held other exhibitions of their cartoons in Yemen, but they hope to someday hold exhibitions outside the country. Interestingly, one of the most well-known Yemeni cartoonists, Mohammed Al-Shaibani believes that the majority of Yemeni people do not view cartoons as an artform!

London - Save Rafael's Madonna of the Pinks

The Madonna of the Pinks, a 5'x12' portrait painted by Rafael in 1507, most probably for Madalena della Oddi, a noble woman in Perugia. This is one of the most high-profile works of the well-known Italian artist. Today, five centuries later, this brilliant gemstone of Renaissance art would find itself at the center of a fierce and very public debate. Currently, it is the property of the 12th Duke of North Umberland and has been housed since 1991 at the National Gallery in :London. Many saw it as a catastrophe when in last October the Duke announced his sale of the painting to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles for £35 million. The British government announced an export ban, in order to keep the portrait from the Getty's grasp. A campaign was also setup by British citizens collecting money to "Save the Rafael." The picture was brought to England by the fourth Duke in 1853 from the famous Camuccini collection in Rome.

Yemen - “Queens of Yemen:” The trials and triumphs of Yemeni women

The British Embassy held an evening premiere of the new 30-minute documentary film “Queens of Yemen” at the residence of Frances Guy, the British Ambassador, on Sunday, July13. The film show was attended by a number of Arab as well as foreign diplomats, and dignitaries. It belongs to Women’s National Committee and was financed by the British embassy and deals with women’s courage and persistence that leads each one of them to personal success. The film, produced and directed by Austrian-born but Yemeni-resident Gudrun Torrubia (pictured right), presents the experiences of four Yemeni women who coped with a host of problems and obstacles but ultimately were capable of realizing their dreams to become financially independent despite oppressive social traditions and customs. The film highlights men’s perspectives on the same issue as well, including family members who opposed the women and others who support them. Social traditions remain a key element, under the theme that women can find success and respect even though working in defiance of customs and norms. “This is a film about women made by women and produced by women for women,” British Ambassador Frances Guy said in her welcoming speech at the premiere.

Nunavut, Canada - Recognizing Inuit art

Kenojuak Ashevak, 76, the world's most famous Inuk, displayed her drawings in London's Tate Gallery as well as Ottawa's National Gallery of Canada. Six of her prints are currently on display at Feheley Fine Arts Gallery in Toronto's Yorkville district that specializes in Inuit art. She was born on the southern coast of Beffin Island, and is the first Inuit artist whose drawings were selected to be made into prints to represent Inuit art and culture. Her drawings are full of exquisite images of fish, birds, sled dogs, igloos, and faces. She has been with the West Beffin Eskimo Co-op for 50 years now. One of her most famous drawings, The Enchanted Owl, was painted on a 6 cent postage stamp in 1970.

London - Super Di, the Marvel comic character only a dream

A new Marvel comic book, casts the late Princess Diana as a super-heroin. In it, a mutant Diana's comeback is threatened by a nasty crew of mutant Eurotrash dead set on sending her back where she came from. The 5-episodes series called Di Another Day on Diana is part of the X-Statix comic books, which are written by Briton Peter Milligan. He stated that the "the powers of the [comic] characters are reflections of our celebrity and fame-obsessed society... these glamorous, rich and powerful characters turned themselves into stars - pretty much what Diana did." However, Maggie Thompson, editor of Comics Buyer's Guide, believed that this comic is simply an attention-getting device that is typical of writers. Interestingly, X-Statix was expected to sell around 150,000 copies worldwide until Marvel Enterprises Inc. decided to drop its release stating, "[We have] decided to remove Princess Diana and all references to the Royal Family from the five-part X-Statix series".

Kuwait - Gifted Kuwaiti Women

In the last three decades, Kuwaiti women have made excellent achievements in all fields--will they succeed in winning their suffrage? Interestingly, the political and social roles of Arab women was the main theme of the Kuwait International 28th Arabic Books Exhibition which was held recently with 638 publishers from 25 countries. The keynote speaker, Sheika Hesa Al-Sabah, talked about the role of Kuwaiti women in all fields of arts and science. Three female Kuwaiti medical scientists succeeded in making a scientific breakthrough in a collaborative study with British scientists Prof. Andrew H. Crosby (London) and Prof. John A. Raeburn (Nottingham). Al-Awadi-Bastaki-Marafie scientific breakthrough was done by Dr. Sadika A. Al-Awadi,, the founder of the Kuwait Medical Genetics Center in 1979 along with her two colleagues Dr. Laila Bastaki and Dr. Makia Marafie, who managed to classify a new autosomal recessive disease in five sibs of a Bedouin family through molecular studies done in the UK and labeled as the "Kuwait locus". The only other family documented with this disease was among the Amish inbred population of Ohio, USA by Prof. Victor McKusick, the father of medical genetics in 1964 naming it TROYER Syndrome. Hopefully, the successes garnered by Kuwaiti women in different fields can facilitate greater political rights in the gulf emirate. 

Benin - The roots of African art

The Europeans discovery of African art began with the British expedition against Benin in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Much of the art taken from Benin was displayed in European Museums, making it the first time anyone outside Africa comprehended this country's artistic treasures.

The Royal Palace of Benin was one of the great cultural complexes of Africa, a continent that, according to Victorians was not supposed to have anything like it. It is divided into many palaces, houses, and apartments of the courtiers and comprises beautiful long square galleries resting on wooden pillars from top to bottom, covered with cast cover in which pictures of their war exploits and battles are carved. Every roof is decorated with a small torret, ending in a point, on which birds, cast in copper with spread wings, are standing.

Paris, France - Cancer survivor wins again

Lance Armstrong, 32, is one of five cyclists to have won the Tour de France five times. He survived the 23-day clockwise ride around France in brutal heat and heavy rain, overcoming the challenges from Jan Ulrich of Germany with a 61-second differential, the narrowest of his victories. The celebration of Armstrong's victory means even more to him since he had been diagnosed with testicular, lung, and brain cancer in 1996 which led to two operations and four rounds of chemotherapy with a survival rate of 40% before winning the race for the first time in 1999. He recently wrote about his journey with the disease in an autobiography entitled, Every Second Counts, published Broadway Books. After winning the race, Armstrong mentioned that he was anxious to participate in it again next year in an attempt to win it for the record-breaking sixth time.

Munich, Germany - Zoo workers cool down elephants

In the past summer, temperatures throughout Europe were extremely hot and unbearable. In London, the mercury broke through the 100 Fahrenheit mark. As a result of this heat, zoo workers in Germany were obliged to cool down the animals using water hoses. In the Vatican, the Pope made his prayers for rain. This particular heat wave hit France the hardest, causing a whopping 14,000 fatalities throughout the months of July and August making this one of the deadliest hot-weather disasters in a century.

Afghanistan - Contradictions in Afghani women's rights

Kabul University was formally established in 1947. Four universities, including Bonn in Germany and Purdue in the US supplied assistance in the rebuilding of the university after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. About 7,000 students, including 1,700 women, who were forbidden from attending school under the Taliban, now wander around the serene green campus, free to learn and mix with one another. Despite the apparent growing freedoms for women in the new Afghanistan, a 25-year-old Afghan woman living in the United States who participated in the Miss World beauty pageant claiming to represent her home country, was condemned by the new Afghanistan government, including President Karzai himself, particularly after participating in the swimsuit category by wearing a bikini. The dark-haired, black-eyed Vida Samadzai, apparently from a Pashtun tribe, was born and raised in Afghanistan but left for the United States in 1996 to escape the extremist Taliban regime which forced women to cover themselves from head to toe. The only other Miss Afghanistan was Zohra Daoud, who joined the Miss Universe contest in 1972, before the country was ravished by war. 

Global - The top ten transparent countries

Transparency International listed 133 countries with sufficient data available based on surveys with international business people, analysts, and residents' views of the prevalence of bribes and theft in their countries. The ten least corrupted countries were found to be Finland, Iceland, Denmark, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia, Norway and Switzerland. The Corruption (CPI) score relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business people, academics and risk analysts.

Thailand - Chiang Mai's artisans

Thailand's second largest city, Chiang Mai, is now the shopping destination of choice of dedicated followers of interior design fashions and is called the "Ubud" of Thailand. An influx of talented young artisans eager to express traditional principles go there to decorate and produce different objects, including teapots. Many of the different accessories offered are made from well-cured bamboo and other indigenous woods, wooden temple doors, boxes, and lathe-turned vessels. 

Kerala, India - Elephants get pensions!

Elephants employed by the state of Kerala in southern India are to be granted full retirement benefits at the age of 65. The new provisions will only apply to those elephants employed by the state. Those working for private businesses such as circuses will not be covered. They are to be given good food, healthcare, and proper living conditions according to State Forest Minister, K Sudhakaran.

Elephants can live for over 70 years in the wild, but their life expectancy is reduced considerably when kept in captivity.  The move comes as elephants in the Indian capital Delhi are being fitted with reflective badges in an attempt to prevent road accidents. 

Cairo, Egypt - Birth of the Global Academy of Tropical Surgery

Two distinguished international surgeons, Prof. Refaat Kamel (Ain Shams) and Prof. John Lumley (London), have edited a new book entitled, Tropical Surgery, which will be launched in March 1, 2004. The significant volume includes contributions from more than 200 renowned authors. A meeting is organized for all of the contributors and WHO officials on the day of the book's release. The meeting is said to discuss the birth of the "Global Academy of Tropical Surgery," a multidisciplinary organization for education and research.. Prof. Refaat Kamel, winner of the 2002 State Merit Prize, can be contacted at rkamel2000@hotmail.com with regards to the new college and textbook.

Netherlands - Prince chooses fiancée over throne

Dutch Prince Johan Friso has effectively renounced his right to succession amid reports that his future bride was once romantically involved with a gangster, the government said. In a letter to parliament, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said the prince, the second in line to the throne, would not ask parliament to approve his marriage to Mabel Wisse Smit, 35, thereby preventing him taking the throne. He added that the marriage was planned for next April.

Controversy about royal partners is nothing new in the Netherlands. Protests erupted two years ago when Crown Prince Willem Alexander presented his Argentine fiancée, whose father served as a minister in the military junta. The pair was only allowed to marry after it was agreed that her father could not attend the wedding in February last year. Also, in the 1960s, Queen Beatrix's marriage to German-born diplomat Claus caused outrage among many Dutch for whom memories of the World War II German occupation of the Netherlands were still fresh.

Toronto, Canada - Can old people enjoy complex jokes?

Dr. Prathiba Shammi, psychologist at Baycrest Center for Geriatric Care in Toronto, reported that older people still easily get simple humor but have more difficulty than younger people in understanding complex jokes. Her test involved performing three humor tests on two groups of volunteers. In 1999, she reported that the brain's right frontal lobe plays an important role in understanding humor and is involved in feeling empathy and detecting sarcasm and irony. Despite the apparent lack of understanding jokes, Dr.Shammi who is in her fourties, said that seniors are in no way suffering from brain damage.

Cuba - Celia Cruz more than a singer, just short of a saint

Celia Cruz, the famous Cuban singer known as the "Queen of Salsa," died in exile from cancer at the believed age of 79. She helped reinvent the sound of modern Latin music, with its tropical background and drumbeats that set-off swift, hip-shaking, swirling, and whirling dance moves for more than half a century. In more than five decades of performing, during which she released more than 70 albums and appeared in 10 movies, Cruz scooped up many of music's highest accolades, including five Grammys and two Latin Grammys.

She was one of the handful of elite women singers to symbolize, identify, and promote the national identities of the countries and regions from which they come such as Amalia Rodrigues (Portugal), Fairouz (Lebanon), Edith Piaf (France) and Umm Kulthum (Egypt).

UK - Record-breaking sales for J.K. Rowling's books

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter 5-book series have hit a quarter of a billion sales which is an “unprecedented” figure, the author’s agent said in November. Rowling is now at work on the sixth title. The books have been translated into 60 languages including Gujarati, Latin, Faroese and Macedonian and sold in more than 200 territories around the world. Interestingly, an anonymous Chinese author has decided JK Rowling is taking too long to write the fifth book - so has written a new adventure to satisfy the huge Potter market in the country called Harry Potter And Leopard Walk Up To Dragon. 

“JK Rowling’s books have paved the way for a new generation of exciting children’s writers, causing a revolution in children’s enthusiasm for reading.” The first in the series Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone was published only six years ago and the latest Order Of The Phoenix was published this summer. Seven books will be published altogether and Rowling has begun work on the penultimate adventure.

Equatorial Guinea - "Our President is God," says State Radio!

State radio in the tiny west African state of Equatorial Guinea has hailed the nation's leader as "the country's God." In a program called Bidze-Nduan (Bury the Fire) which deals with "peace, tranquility and the order reigning in the country" the radio declared that President Teodoro Obiang Nguema was "in permanent contact with the Almighty." The radio message further stated that the president was "like God in heaven" who has "all power over men and things." It is well known that most the country's population listens to state radio since there are no newspapers in the country! 

The remarks were made in a weekly program presented by the presidential aide and broadcast in Fang, the language used by the majority ethnic group, which makes up 80% of the population of about 500,000. President Nguema won the 2002 presidential elections by almost 100% to serve a third, seven-year term.

Global - Will depression be the leading cause of death in 2020?

Leading figures in the treatment of depression have been taking part in a major conference in London, entitled the Depression - A Social and Economic Timebomb. The conference, launched by Prime Minister Tony Blair, was coordinated by groups including the WHO, the Institute of Psychiatry in London and Harvard Medical School.

Participants want to develop strategies for combating an illness which, according to the WHO, will affect 30% of all adults by 2010. Today, it hits about 20% and is already estimated to be the leading cause of disability worldwide and is said to be responsible for more than 4,500 deaths a year - one every 75 minutes. The conference looked at a range of different problems, including suicide among young people, managing depression in the workplace, the role of antidepressants, stress-induced violence in pregnancy and depression in the elderly. Will depression be the second leading cause of death worldwide by 2020 and what are the ways to reduce its burden?

San Francisco, USA - Al-Jazeera book a bestseller

Miss Ireland, 19-year-old Rosanna Davison, showed star power runs in her family when she was crowned Miss World in China in December. Davison is the daughter of Chris De Burgh, the singer best known for his 1995 hit "Lady in Red." Second place went to Miss Canada, Nazanin Afshin-Jam, while the host country's Miss China, Guan Qi, took third. It was the first time an Irish contestant had won the pageant, beating 105 other contestants. It was China's first time hosting an international beauty pageant, held in the southern resort city of Sanya.

Interestingly, Miss Net UK, Lucy Layton, 20, won the title of Miss Net World in a beauty contest hosted by leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli, Libya. This was the nation's first international beauty pageant featuring contestants wearing t-shirts adorned with pictures of the Libyan president. More information can be found at www.missnetworld.tv

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