US, Russia agree on Syria chemical arms measure

Felipe Sep 27, 2013

Ending weeks of diplomatic deadlock, the United States and Russia have reached an agreement on a draft UN Security Council resolution aimed at ridding Syria of its chemical weapons arsenal.

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said a deal was struck with Russia «legally obligating» Syria to give up its chemical stockpile and the measure would go to the full Security Council this evening. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said an «understanding» had been hammered out.

The United States had been negotiating on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s chief ally. The aim was to craft a measure to demand the destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal in line with a US-Russian deal reached earlier this month that averted American military strikes on Syria in the midst of Syria’s civil war.

Western powers on the Security Council backed away from many of their initial demands, diplomats say, in order to secure Russia’s approval.

A major sticking point between Russia and Western powers was whether the resolution would be under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, which covers the council’s authority to enforce its decisions with measures such as sanctions or military force.

The compromise draft resolution makes the measure legally binding but provides for no means of automatic enforcement with sanctions or military force. Originally, the United States, Britain and France had wanted the resolution to state explicitly that it was under Chapter 7.

The only reference to enforcement in the draft is a threat that if Syria fails to comply with the resolution, the council would impose punitive measures under Chapter 7, which would require a second resolution that Russia could veto.

A US State Department official hailed the deal as a «breakthrough.»

«The Russians have agreed to support a strong, binding and enforceable resolution that unites the pressure and focus of the international community on the Syrian regime to ensure the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons,» the official said.

The UN Security Council will hold a closed-door session to debate the issue at 8 pm local time (0000 GMT), the French delegation said. A vote was not expected, one diplomat said.

Diplomats from the permanent Security Council members – China, Russia, the United States, France and Britain – had been haggling over the details of a resolution to back the American-Russian accord announced on Sept. 14 in Geneva to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons.

Assad agreed to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons in line with the US-Russian agreement in the wake of that sarin gas strike on civilians in the suburbs of Damascus last month – the world’s deadliest chemical arms attack in 25 years.

Washington has blamed Assad’s forces for the attack, which it said killed more than 1,400 people, and President Barack Obama threatened a US military strike in response.

Russia and Assad have blamed the attack on rebels battling to overthrow him in a civil war that, according to the United Nations, has left more than 100,000 people dead.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Iran says it wants to resolve nuclear row within months

Felipe Sep 26, 2013

Iran’s new government, stepping up a campaign to project a more moderate image abroad, said it wants to jump-start talks with world powers to resolve a decade-long dispute over its nuclear program and hoped for a deal in three to six months.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is set to hold talks on the nuclear issue on Thursday with US Secretary of State John Kerry as well as diplomats from Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, in a rare encounter between top American and Iranian officials.

«The only way forward is for a timeline to be inserted into the negotiations that’s short,» new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as telling the Washington Post, through a translator, during a visit to New York, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly.

«The shorter it is, the more beneficial it is to everyone. If it’s three months that would be Iran’s choice, if it’s six months that’s still good. It’s a question of months not years,» said Rouhani when asked for a time frame for resolving Iran’s nuclear dispute with the West.

Earlier, Iran’s foreign minister expressed hope for a quick resolution of the nuclear stand-off.

Asked what he expected from Thursday’s meeting with the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany, Zarif told reporters: «a jump-start to the negotiations … with a view to reaching an agreement within the shortest span.»

Speaking after a meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he added: «The Islamic Republic has the political readiness and political will for serious negotiations and we are hopeful that the opposite side has this will as well.»

«We (Zarif and Fabius) … had a good discussion about the start of nuclear talks and the talks that will take place tomorrow at the foreign ministerial level between Iran and the P5+1,» Zarif said, referring to the so-called P5+1 group comprising the five Security Council powers plus Germany.

US President Barack Obama cautiously embraced overtures from Rouhani, a new centrist president, as the basis for a possible nuclear deal and challenged him to take concrete steps toward resolving the issue.

Iran has been negotiating with the P5+1 since 2006 about its nuclear program, which Western powers and their allies suspect is aimed at developing a nuclear-weapons capability. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian energy purposes only.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Kenya says ‘defeated’ mall militants, five dead, 11 held

Felipe Sep 25, 2013

Kenya’s president said today that his forces had «defeated» Islamists from Somalia’s al Shabaab, had shot five of them dead and detained 11 others suspected of killing 67 people after storming a Nairobi shopping mall.

It remained unclear after Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the nation on television whether the four-day security operation at the upmarket Westgate centre was completely over, or whether any militants were still at large or hostages unaccounted for.

«We have ashamed and defeated our attackers,» Kenyatta said, adding that bodies were still trapped under rubble following the collapse of part of the building late in the operation. A fire began on Monday which officials said was started by the gunmen.

Sixty-one civilians and six security personnel had been confirmed killed in the four days of bloodshed, Kenyatta said. Five of the attackers were shot dead and 11 suspects were in custody: «Kenya has stared down evil and triumphed,» he said.

The president added that he could not confirm intelligence reports that a British woman and two or three Americans might be involved. Forensic scientists were involved in trying to identify the nationalities of the «terrorists», he said.

«Towards the tail end of the operation, three floors of the Westgate mall collapsed and there are several bodies trapped in the rubble including the terrorists,» he added. The death toll had previously been put by officials at 62.

«These cowards will meet justice as will their accomplices and patrons, wherever they are,» said the president, who thanked other leaders for support and used his address to both praise the response of the Kenyan people and call for national unity, six months after his election was marked by ethnic tensions.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Obama urges UN to back tough consequences for Syria over chemical weapons

Felipe Sep 25, 2013

US President Barack Obama urged the United Nations today to back tough consequences for Syria if it refuses to give up chemical weapons and urged Russia and Iran to drop their backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Speaking to the UN General Assembly, an annual gathering of world leaders, Obama laid out US priorities for the volatile Middle East and North Africa. He stressed that the United States wants diplomatic outcomes to festering disputes, but does not rule out the use of military force or direct action against extremist threats.

Obama stepped back from launching unilateral military action against Syria early this month, setting in motion a diplomatic effort that led to Russian assistance in persuading Syria to agree to give up its chemical weapons after a poison gas attack on Aug. 21 that US officials say killed 1,429 people.

With Syria’s promise not yet fulfilled, Obama’s challenge at the United Nations was to persuade world leaders to join in applying pressure on Syria with a UN Security Council resolution that includes tough consequences should Assad not surrender his chemical weapons stockpiles in a verifiable way.

«The Syrian government took a first step by giving an accounting of its stockpiles. Now, there must be a strong Security Council resolution to verify that the Assad regime is keeping its commitments, and there must be consequences if they fail to do so,» said Obama.

The worry from the US side is that Russia might veto any UN resolution that contains an explicit threat of military force against Syria.

Prospects for an agreement between Russia and the West on a draft resolution may be improving, with Western powers giving up on what UN diplomats call a «trigger» clause for automatic punitive measures in the event of Syrian non-compliance.

Obama said if Syria ultimately surrenders its chemical weapons, that should energize diplomatic efforts to persuade Assad to give up power after 2-1/2 years of civil war in which more than 110,000 people have been killed.

Obama had an explicit message for Assad’s two biggest backers, Iran and Russia: The notion that Syria can return to a pre-war status quo «is a fantasy.»

«It’s time for Russia and Iran to realize that insisting on Assad’s rule will lead directly to the outcome they fear – an increasingly violent space for extremists to operate,» he said.

He also seemed to specifically reject Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent criticism of Americans’ belief of «American exceptionalism,» a view that Obama has repeated, as have other US presidents, to justify U.S. intervention abroad.

«Some may disagree, but I believe that America is exceptional – in part because we have shown a willingness, through the sacrifice of blood and treasure, to stand up not only for our own narrow self-interest, but for the interests of all,» he said.

Obama announced the United States will provide an additional $339 million in humanitarian aid to ease the Syrian refugee crisis, including $161 million for people inside Syria and the rest for surrounding countries.

In his 43-minute speech, Obama tried to boost prospects for Middle East peace as the United States seeks to nurture direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Obama, who will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Tuesday and next week will sit down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the time is ripe for the international community to get behind the pursuit of peace.

Amid concern about the rise of violence in Africa after an attack on a mall in Nairobi, Kenya by the Somali militant group al-Shabab, Obama said the United States must reserve the right to defend its core interests.

«We will dismantle terrorist networks that threaten our people. Wherever possible, we will build the capacity of our partners, respect the sovereignty of nations, and work to address the root causes of terror,» he said. «But when it’s necessary to defend the United States against terrorist attacks, we will take direct action.»

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Rouhani blasts sanctions against Iran in UN speech

Felipe Sep 25, 2013

Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, blasted international sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, comparing them to the widely criticized punitive measures against Iraq while the late Saddam Hussein was in power.

«These sanctions are violent, pure and simple,» he told the UN General Assembly, adding that normal people, not political elites, ended up suffering because of them. «The negative impact is not nearly limited to the intended victims of sanctions.»

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

United Nations reports ‘dramatic’ progress in fight against AIDS

Felipe Sep 24, 2013

The global rate of HIV infection and the number of AIDS-related deaths have been dramatically reduced, thanks to expanding access to treatment, the United Nations said in a report issued today.

In its annual update on HIV, which it said now infects around 35.3 million people worldwide, UNAIDS said deaths from AIDS and HIV infection rates were falling, while the number of people getting treatment is going up.

AIDS-related deaths in 2012 fell to 1.6 million, down from 1.7 million in 2011 and a peak of 2.3 million in 2005. And the number of people newly infected with the disease dropped to 2.3 million in 2012 down from 2.5 million in 2011.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS can be transmitted via blood, breast milk and by semen during sex, but can be kept in check with cocktails of drugs known as antiretroviral treatment or therapy.

By the end of 2012, some 9.7 million people in poorer and middle-income countries had access to such AIDS drugs, an increase of nearly 20 percent in a year.

Since 2001, the UN report said, there has been a 52 percent drop in annual new HIV infections among children and a 33 percent reduction in newly infected adults and children combined.

In 2011, UN member states agreed to a target of getting HIV treatment to 15 million people by 2015. As countries scaled up treatment coverage and as evidence showed how treating HIV early also reduces its spread, the World Health Organization set new guidelines this year, expanding the number of people needing treatment by more than 10 million.
Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS’ executive director, said the international community should aim to surpass the 2015 goal.

«Not only can we meet the 2015 target of 15 million people on HIV treatment, we must also go beyond and have the vision and commitment to ensure no one is left behind,» he said in a statement with today’s report.

The UNAIDS report found that despite a flattening in donor funding for HIV, which has remained near 2008 levels, individual countries’ domestic spending on the epidemic has increased, accounting for 53 percent of global HIV resources in 2012.

Total funding for the global fight against HIV and AIDS in 2012 was $18.9 billion, about $3 billion to $5 billion short of the estimated $22 billion to $24 billion needed annually by 2015.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Kenya says hostages freed in al Shabaab mall siege

Felipe Sep 24, 2013

Kenya said its security forces had taken control of the Nairobi shopping mall where Islamist fighters killed at least 62 people, and that police were doing a final sweep of shops after the last of the hostages had been rescued.

Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which began at lunchtime on Saturday. Kenyan officials say there were 10 to 15 attackers.

President Barack Obama offered US support, saying he believed Kenya – the scene of one of al Qaeda’s first major attacks, in 1998, and a neighbour of chaotic Somalia – would continue to be a regional pillar of stability.

Kenyan security forces believed the end was in sight for the siege at the upmarket shopping mall in the capital, saying its forces were «in control» as the ordeal entered its fourth day.

A government official said there was no resistance from the attackers late on Monday night after a barrage of gunfire and blasts throughout the day, but that the security forces were cautious in case some attackers were hiding in the building.

«Our forces are combing the mall floor by floor looking for anyone left behind. We believe all hostages have been released,» the Ministry of Interior said.

The siege has followed a pattern of bursts of gunfire and activity followed by long lulls.

Patronised by well-to-do Kenyans and expatriates, Westgate mall epitomised the African consumer bonanza that is drawing foreign investment – from West and East – to one of the world’s fastest growing regions.

Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, said the United States stood with Kenyans against «this terrible outrage».

«We will provide them with whatever law enforcement support that is necessary. And we are confident that Kenya will continue to be a pillar of stability in eastern Africa,» he said in New York.

British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he believed six Britons had died in the attack. Other known foreign victims are from China, Ghana, France, the Netherlands and Canada. Kenyan officials said the total death toll was at least 62.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

FRANCISCO SORPRENDE AL MUNDO

Chiara Sep 20, 2013

El papa Francisco no deja de sorprender con sus declaraciones. Ayer mismo se animó a hablar de dos temas tabú para la Iglesias: parejas divorciadas y matrimonio homosexual.

Hoy se animó a hablar del aborto.

El 13 de marzo de 2013, se celebró el cónclave que llevó a Jorge Mario Bergoglio a transformarse en el nuevo papa Francisco, nombre que tomó en honor a San Francisco de Asís.

El sumo pontífice tiene dos méritos: es el primer papa de formación jesuita y el primero proveniente del Hemisferio sur.

Desde el preciso momento que se sentó en el trono papal, Francisco no dejó de poner el dedo en la llaga y se animó a hablar de temas que son considerados tabú en la Iglesia. Dos de ellos los mencionó ayer en la entrevista que le concedió a Antonio Spadaro, director de la revista jesuita italiana La Civiltá Cattolica.

Allí, en un extenso reportaje que tuvo lugar los días 19, 23 y 29 de agosto, el sumo pontífice versó sobre la necesidad de que la iglesia revea el matrimonio gay y el tratamiento a personas que se han divorciado.

«Durante el vuelo en que regresaba de Río de Janeiro dije que si una persona homosexual tiene buena voluntad y busca a Dios, yo no soy quién para juzgarla. Al decir esto he dicho lo que dice el Catecismo. La religión tiene derecho de expresar sus propias opiniones al servicio de las personas, pero Dios en la creación nos ha hecho libres: no es posible una injerencia espiritual en la vida personal», aseguró allí.

Francisco recordó luego que «una vez una persona, para provocarme, me preguntó si yo aprobaba la homosexualidad. Yo entonces le respondí con otra pregunta: ‘Dime, Dios, cuando mira a una persona homosexual, ¿aprueba su existencia con afecto o la rechaza y la condena?’. Hay que tener siempre en cuenta a la persona. Y aquí entramos en el misterio del ser humano. En esta vida Dios acompaña a las personas y es nuestro deber acompañarlas a partir de su condición. Hay que acompañar con misericordia. Cuando sucede así, el Espíritu Santo inspira al sacerdote la palabra oportuna».

Este viernes, el santo padre volvió a meter el dedo en la llaga al hablar del aborto. Según él, los niños no nacidos y los ancianos «no se pueden descartar».

«Las cosas tienen un precio y son vendibles, pero las personas tienen una dignidad, valen más que las cosas y no tienen precio. Por ello -dijo el papa- la atención a la vida humana en su totalidad se convirtió en los últimos tiempos en una verdadera prioridad del magisterio de la Iglesia, particularmente a esa mayoría indefensa, o sea, el discapacitado, el enfermo, el niño no nacido, el niño, el anciano».

Francisco formuló estos conceptos en un discurso a los ginecólogos católicos a quienes recibió en audiencia.
Mdzol.com

Mother of Washington gunman apologises, says ‘my heart is broken’

Felipe Sep 20, 2013

The mother of Washington Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis apologised to the victims and was unable to explain what drove her son to open fire on civilian workers inside a restricted military installation.

«I don’t know why he did what he did, and I’ll never be able to ask him why. Aaron is now in a place where he can never do harm to anyone, and for that I am glad,» Cathleen Alexis said in an audio statement aired on MSNBC from her home in New York.

«To the families of the victims, I am so, so very sorry that this has happened. My heart is broken.»

All 12 victims, aged 46 to 73, were civilians caught up in the shooting spree on Monday morning by the former Navy reservist, who received security clearance to work as an information technology contractor at the site despite a history of misconduct and signs of mental illness.

Alexis, 34, was killed in a gun battle with police officers.

With his motive still a mystery, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel acknowledged there were «red flags» before Alexis received security clearance.

«Obviously when you go back in hindsight and look at all this, there were some red flags – of course there were,» Hagel told a news conference. «And should we have picked them up? Why didn’t we? How could we have? All those questions need to be answered.»

The government Office of Personnel Management (OPM) acknowledged on Wednesday that during a 2007 security check of Alexis it had uncovered a 2004 arrest on a charge of malicious mischief, but said that the Pentagon decided to grant him clearance anyway.

The OPM declined to give further details, but Alexis was arrested for malicious mischief in 2004 in Seattle when police said he shot the tires of a construction worker’s car with a Glock .45-caliber handgun. Alexis later described the incident as anger-fueled «blackout,» according to a police report. The case was never prosecuted.

In 2010, Alexis was arrested for shooting through the roof of his apartment and into a neighbor’s home, but charges were dropped when authorities determined it was an accident.

More recently, the US Department of Veterans Affairs said Alexis twice visited VA emergency rooms for insomnia but never sought care from a mental health specialist and denied he suffered from anxiety or depression.

Alexis received medication for insomnia in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 23 and Washington on August 28.

«On both occasions, Mr. Alexis was alert and oriented, and was asked by VA doctors if he was struggling with anxiety or depression, or had thoughts about harming himself or others, which he denied,» the VA said in a statement.

A few weeks earlier, on August 7, Alexis told police while on a business trip to Newport, Rhode Island, that he had trouble sleeping because he was «hearing voices.» He believed people were following him and «sending vibrations into his body,» according to a Newport police report.

Newport police found his behavior so odd that they called Navy police to alert them and sent them a copy of their report.

The Navy said it was looking into the Newport incident.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Iran’s Rouhani says wants peace, blames Israel for region’s ‘instability’

Felipe Sep 20, 2013

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in a television interview, said his country is not seeking war but harshly criticized Israel for bringing «instability» to the Middle East and for questioning his government’s intentions toward nuclear arms.

The comments from the new Iranian president came during the second part of an interview with NBC News that aired today, just days before he travels to New York for an appearance at the United Nations.

Rouhani called Israel «an occupier, a usurper government that does injustice to the people of the region» and said it «has brought instability to the region with its war-mongering policies.»

But when asked further about Israel, Rouhani also said: «What we wish for in this region is rule by the will of the people. We believe in the ballot box. We do not seek war with any country. We seek peace and friendship among the nations of the region.»

In an earlier part of the interview that aired yesterday, Rouhani said Iran would never develop nuclear weapons and that he had «complete authority» to negotiate a nuclear deal with the United States and other Western powers.

Rouhani, who took office in August, reiterated that stance when asked about recent comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioning his motives. Israel, thought to be the only nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, is pushing to halt Iran’s nuclear advance, and Netanyahu has called Rouhani a «wolf in sheep’s clothing.»

«We have clearly stated that we are not in pursuit if nuclear weapons and will not be,» Rouhani told NBC.

The interview appears to be the latest signal by the centrist cleric – that has included a recent letter exchange with US President Barack Obama – aimed at improving relations between Iran and the West after years of hostility. Rouhani also appeared to signal support for the pro-democracy uprisings sweeping across the region.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Tunisia ruling party agrees to transition talks

Felipe Sep 20, 2013

Tunisia’s governing Islamists have agreed in principle to a trade union proposal that it step down to make way for a transitional government and new elections.

The coalition’s approval of the plan may open up an immediate dialogue with the its secular opponents and end the unrest that erupted after the assassination of an opposition figure in July.

«Our response to the initiative of the union was positive as a platform for dialogue with the political parties,» said Ameur Larayedh, a senior official in the moderate Islamist ruling party Ennahda.

Tunisia, where the overthrow of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 was the first «Arab Spring» revolt, has been in crisis for weeks, souring a political transition that had been seen as one of the more successful among the region’s nascent democracies.

Stepping in to mediate, the UGTT labour union proposed a timetable on Tuesday for the government to step down in three weeks and make way for a caretaker administration to oversee elections.

«We have some reservations, but we are ready to discuss these points within the dialogue, which we expect to begin next Tuesday probably,» Larayedh told Reuters.

Emad Daymi, head of the CPR party, one of Ennahda’s junior coalition partners, also expressed support for the plan.

The opposition alliance, which includes some Ben Ali-era figures, is still studying the proposal, officials said.

Angered by the assassination of two of its leaders in less than a year and emboldened by Egypt’s army-backed ousting of an Islamist president, Tunisia’s opposition held protests to try to topple Ennahda.

The government has since agreed to step down, but wants guarantees about the handover before it does so.

Any new talks would still be fragile, with hardline factions on both sides showing little appetite for compromise. But unlike Egypt, Tunisia’s armed forces have stayed out of the political fray.

Source: Buenos Aires HErald

Kerry: Security Council must be prepared to take Syria action

Felipe Sep 20, 2013

US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was essential the deal reached last Saturday be enforced and that the UN Security Council be willing to act on it next week, when the UN General Assembly holds its annual meeting in New York.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, admitted that he could not be 100 percent certain a US-Russian plan for the destruction of Syrian chemical arms would be carried out successfully, but he saw reason to hope it would.

«The Security Council must be prepared to act next week,» Kerry told reporters in Washington today. «It is vital for the international community to stand up and speak out in the strongest possible terms about the importance of enforceable action to rid the world of Syria’s chemical weapons.»

Rebels have been fighting government forces in a civil war that has claimed 100,000 lives since 2011. Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil told Britain’s Guardian newspaper that neither government forces nor rebels were currently capable of outright military victory.

Putin told a gathering of journalists and Russia experts in the Russian town of Valdai that he could not be 100 percent certain the plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons would succeed.

«But everything we have seen so far in recent days gives us confidence that this will happen,» he said, adding, «I hope so.»

Russia and the United States brokered the deal to put Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical arms stockpiles under international control to avoid possible US military strikes that Washington said would punish Assad for a poison gas attack last month.

The West blames Assad’s government for the Aug. 21 attack in Ghouta, outside Damascus, which the United States says killed 1,429 people.

Assad has denied his forces were responsible for the attack. Putin also reiterated Russia’s contention that the attack was staged by opponents of Assad.

But Kerry said, «We really don’t have time today to pretend that anyone can have their own set of facts approaching the issue of chemical weapons in Syria.

«This fight about Syria’s chemical weapons is not a game. It’s real. It’s important,» Kerry added.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

British cosmologist Hawking backs right to assisted suicide

Felipe Sep 18, 2013

British cosmologist Stephen Hawking has backed the right for people who are terminally ill to choose to end their lives and to receive help to do so as long as safeguards are in place.

The wheelchair-bound Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease aged 21 and told he had two to three years to live. Now 71, he is one of the world’s leading scientists, known especially for his work on black holes and as author of the international bestseller «A Brief History of Time».

Speaking ahead of the release of a documentary about his life this week, Hawking said he backed the right to die but only if the person involved had chosen that route.

He recalled how he was once put on a life support machine after suffering pneumonia and his wife was given the option of switching off the machine but this is not something he wanted.

«I think those who have a terminal illness and are in great pain should have the right to choose to end their lives, and those who help them should be free from prosecution,» Hawking told the BBC.

«There must be safeguards that the person concerned genuinely wants to end their life and are not being pressurised into it or have it done without their knowledge and consent as would have been the case with me.»

Assisted suicide is illegal in Britain and the issue of whether or not to decriminalise it for people whose lives are unbearable is a matter of debate in many countries.

Right-to-die advocates say people capable of making that decision should be allowed to die with dignity. Opponents say liberalising the law could leave vulnerable people at risk.

Switzerland and several US states are among places where some forms of euthanasia or assisted suicide are legal under certain circumstances.

Hawking, who has made guest appearances in TV shows such as The Simpsons and Star Trek, says his active mind and sense of humour are key to his survival.

Hawking communicates via a cheek muscle linked to a sensor and computerised voice system. He urged anyone with a disability to focus on what they can do and not regret what they cannot do.

«Theoretical physics is one field where being disabled is not a handicap. It is all in the mind,» said the scientist, who works at Cambridge University.

The documentary «Hawking» by Vertigo Films is due to be released in Britain on September 20.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Syria says Western powers are forestalling peace talks

Felipe Sep 18, 2013

Syria accused Western powers today of trying to wreck prospects for a negotiated settlement to the country’s 2-1/2-year conflict by imposing preconditions on the peace process and supporting rebel fighters.

The comments, highlighting the precariousness of any international mediation between Syria’s two warring parties, followed a meeting of foreign ministers from the United States, France and Britain a day earlier. They warned there would be consequences if President Bashar al-Assad did not hand over Syria’s chemical weapons.

A US-Russian deal to remove the weapons averted the immediate prospect of a US military strike against Syria, but US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted it offered Assad «no lifeline» and that he had «lost all legitimacy».

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as saying the comments by the Western powers «exposed the truth of their aims in Syria» and their desire to impose their will on the Syrian people.

«Discussion of political and constitutional legitimacy in Syria is the exclusive right of the Syrian people,» it said.

The agreement to remove chemical agents by mid-2014 was seen as a diplomatic success for foreign powers that might reinvigorate efforts to set «Geneva 2» peace talks.

Geneva 2 seemed stalled indefinitely after a poison gas strike outside Damascus that killed hundreds of people. The opposition and Western powers blame Assad for the attack.

The opposition has refused to attend Geneva 2 talks if they do not require that a final deal include the removal of Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for four decades.

Kerry’s comments appeared aimed at assuaging opposition complaints that the diplomatic efforts on chemical weapons was restoring Assad’s legitimacy.

Western powers have given some support to insurgents fighting to overthrow Assad but have hesitated to give them sophisticated weaponry because of rebel divisions and the dominance of hardline Islamist factions.

SANA accused Western powers of trying to prolong the conflict and said their stated commitment to a negotiated solution «contradicts their continuing attempts to preempt the political process and impose preconditions on it and their continuing support for groups practicing violence and terrorism in Syria.»

The SANA statement insisted Assad would remain in power «as long as the people desired it,» contradicting one of the primary opposition demands that he be removed.

«Whoever is not pleased by this reality should not go to the Geneva conference,» the SANA statement said.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Thirteen dead in Washington DC Navy Yard shooting

Felipe Sep 17, 2013

A 34-year-old gunman opened fire at the US Navy Yard in Washington on Monday in a shooting that left 13 people dead at the busy military installation not far from the US Capitol and the White House, officials said.

The suspect, identified by the FBI as Aaron Alexis of Fort Worth, Texas, was among the dead and authorities said they were searching for another possible gunman wearing military-style clothing.

Earlier, officials said they were looking for two men, but then said police had established one of them was not a suspect in the shooting, which began at about 8.30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT).

The Washington DC mayor and the police chief reported 12 fatalities and an unknown number of wounded at the Naval Sea Systems Command, one of five such commands where civilians, military personnel and contractors build, buys and maintain Navy ships and submarines. About 3,000 people work there.

«We have no indication of motive at this time,» said Washington D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting and then talked about it at the start of a speech on the US economy.

«We are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened at another military installation, in our nation’s capital,» said Obama, who vowed to enact «sensible» gun control measures after a gunman shot dead 20 school children and six adults at an elementary school in Connecticut last December.

«They know the dangers of serving abroad, but today they face the unimaginable violence that they wouldn’t have expected here at home,» Obama said.

The Washington shooting happened less than three weeks after US Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death for murdering 13 people in 2009 at Fort Hood, Texas, where he gunned down unarmed soldiers in what he later called retaliation for US wars in Muslim countries.

Among the injured in Monday’s shooting was a District of Columbia police officer, who was in stable condition in surgery, and one other law enforcement officer, officials said.

Washington Hospital Center said it was treating three gunshot victims, who were in critical condition, and was expecting more to arrive.

«We had a few additional folks who were injured, they were not fatally injured,» Lanier said.

At George Washington University, a man in his 60s died of a single gunshot wound to his head, said Babak Sarani, head of trauma surgery.

The man was shot in his left temple and the injury «was not survivable by any stretch,» Sarani told reporters, adding he was unsure what type of weapon was used or whether the bullet had exited the victim’s body.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Obama says will not negotiate with Congress on debt ceiling

Felipe Sep 17, 2013

President Barack Obama said today he would not negotiate with Congress over whether to raise the US debt ceiling and chided Republicans for threatening to bring the government to a halt in an effort to repeal his signature healthcare reform law.

The White House is gearing up for difficult budget talks with lawmakers, but it has said consistently that the president would not negotiate over the debt limit, which must be raised so Washington can pay its bills.

«I will not negotiate over whether or not America keeps its word and meets its obligations. I will not negotiate over the full faith and credit of the United States,» Obama said at the White House.

«This country has worked too hard for too long to dig out of a crisis just to see their elected representatives here in Washington purposely cause another crisis,» he said.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

UN chemical experts confirm sarin gas used in Syria attack

Felipe Sep 17, 2013

UN chemical investigators have confirmed the use of sarin nerve agent in an Aug. 21 poison gas attack outside the Syrian capital in a long-awaited report that confirmed the West’s suspicions but was not intended to assign blame.

«This is the most significant confirmed use of chemical weapons against civilians since Saddam Hussein used them in Halabja (Iraq) in 1988,» UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. «The international community has pledged to prevent any such horror from recurring, yet it has happened again.»

The UN team was investigating only whether chemical weapons were used in a deadly assault on the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Ghouta. It was not charged with concluding who launched the attack.

«On the basis of the evidence obtained during the investigation of the Ghouta incident, the conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, also against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale,» said the report by chief UN investigator Ake Sellstrom of Sweden.

«In particular, the environmental, chemical and medical samples we have collected provide clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used,» it said.

The report said the weather conditions on Aug. 21 ensured that as many people as possible were injured or killed. Temperatures were falling between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., it said, which meant that air was moving downwards toward the ground.

«Chemical weapons use in such meteorological conditions maximizes their potential impact as the heavy gas can stay close to the ground and penetrate into lower levels of buildings and constructions where many people were seeking shelter,» it said.

Fuente: Buenos Aires Herald

Engineers start Costa Concordia salvage off Italian island

Felipe Sep 17, 2013

Engineering teams on the Italian island of Giglio began lifting the wrecked Costa Concordia liner upright today in one of the most complex and costly maritime salvage operations ever attempted.

The vast hulk of the 114,500-tonne cruise liner has lain on its side for more than 20 months, dominating the tiny port in the Tuscan holiday island where it ran aground and capsized on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people.

After a three-hour delay caused by an overnight storm which interrupted final preparations, salvage crews started the so-called «parbuckling» operation at around 9.00 a.m. (0700 GMT).

The first signs the wreck was shifting were registered at around midday as underwater cameras recorded water swirling in the area where the metal was resting on the sea bed.

«It’s all quite within projections, both in terms of measurements and the way the wreck’s behaving,» Sergio Girotto, project manager for contractors Micoperi, told reporters.

In contrast to the accident, a catalogue of mishap and misjudgement over which the Concordia’s captain Francesco Schettino faces multiple charges, the salvage operation has so far been a tightly coordinated engineering feat.

At a cost estimated so far at more than 600 million euros ($795 million), it is expected to be the most expensive maritime wreck recovery ever, accounting for more than half of an overall insurance loss of more than $1.1 billion.

A multinational team of 500 salvage engineers has been on Giglio for most of the past year, stabilising the wreck and preparing for the start of the lifting operation.

The ship, a floating hotel carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew, sank when rocks tore into its hull after it came too close to shore at the start of a Mediterranean cruise.

Marine insurers who have to calculate the cost of covering a new breed of large cargo and cruise vessels will be watching the project on Giglio closely, well aware that any problems could have a significant impact on future insurance contracts.

Today, Italian Environment Minister Andrea Orlando said that Italy, which is seeking compensation for the environmental damage caused by the wreck, should be able to put a figure to its claim once the damage to the seabed became visible.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Incendio en hospital psiquiátrico de Rusia deja 14 muertos

Felipe Sep 13, 2013

37 personas están desaparecidas. Al menos 14 personas murieron y 37 están desaparecidas tras un incendio en el hospital psiquiátrico de la ciudad de Ramensky, en la región de Novgorod, en el noroeste de Rusia, informó la agencia Notimex.

El incendio destruyó una parte del edificio donde se encuentran los pacientes de sexo masculino. Al menos 60 personas se encontraban en ese sector, la mayoría de los cuales eran enfermos.
«Una enfermera murió tratando de salvar a los pacientes. En este momento 37 personas están desaparecidas», señaló un vocero de la comisión que investiga el incidente.
«Más de 20 personas han sido evacuadas, pero el destino de 37 sigue siendo desconocido, lo que no significa que hayan muerto. Puede que hayan conseguido salir por sí mismas», dijo el ministro de Emergencias, Oleg Voronov.
Un paciente habría provocado el incendio
Cinco unidades y una docena de efectivos del Cuerpo de Bomberos se han trasladado al lugar para sofocar el incendio, reportó la agencia rusa de noticias RIA Novosti.
El incendio tuvo lugar hacia las 4 de la mañana hora local, al parecer después de que un paciente quemara su cama, según informó el gobernador de la provincia, Serguéi Mitin, de acuerdo con la agencia Efe.
«El personal médico vio a un paciente en la cama número 2 envuelto en llamas. Es posible que él fuera el responsable de que se declarara el incendio», señaló el gobernador.
Y añadió que todo apunta a que el interno «estaba fumando y se le incendió la cama».
El hospital iba a ser cerrado por falta de seguridad
La agencia Interfax, citando a una fuente no identificada, afirma que hay 36 muertos, una enfermera y 35 pacientes, y que se siguen buscando cuerpos, aunque oficialmente la cifra está en 14.
Las autoridades informaron de que más de 20 personas fueron evacuadas del centro en llamas, pero que la evacuación fue complicada por el estado de los pacientes, muchos de ellos incapaces de valerse por sí mismos.
De acuerdo a un responsable del Ministerio de Situaciones de Emergencia de Rusia, Yuri Deshevuij, el internado debía ser cerrado en agosto de 2014 por orden judicial, precisamente por su escasa protección contra incendios, ya que el edificio es de madera.
Esta es la segunda tragedia de estas características que tiene lugar en Rusia en pocos meses. El pasado abril, otro incendio en un hospital psiquiátrico a las afueras de Moscú se cobró la vida de 38 personas.

Fuente: http://m.noticias.univision.com/

Voyager 1 es la primera nave espacial en salir del Sistema Solar

Felipe Sep 13, 2013

Expertos de la NASA confirmaron la salida al espacio interestelar, a casi 19.000 millones de kilómetros de la Tierra

Tardaron un año para comprobarlo, pero finalmente hoy es oficial: la NASA confirmó que la sonda Voyager 1, lanzada en 1977, salió oficialmente del Sistema Solar y se encuentra navegando en pleno espacio exterior al cual no llegan las partículas emitidas por el Sol.

«Ahora que tenemos nueva información clave, creemos que éste es un salto histórico hacia el espacio interestelar», afirmó el científico Ed Stone, encargado del proyecto Voyager con sede en el Instituto tecnológico de California, en Pasadena, que depende de la NASA.

Los análisis de densidad de plasma en el entorno de la nave revelaron que se encuentran en la región interestelar, afirmaron los investigadores de la Universidad de Iowa , que publicaron su estudio en el sitio de la revista estadounidense Science .

«Es la primera vez que un aparato construido por el hombre sale del Sistema Solar, es decir, de la heliósfera, donde terminaN las partículas y el campo magnético solar. Se trata de un límite bastante físico que recién ahora pudo ser constatado», explicó a LA NACION en perfecto español el astrónomo francés Julien Girard desde el Observatorio Europeo Austral (ESO), con sede en Paranal, Chile.

Según el experto, el cambio drástico de densidad y temperatura que supone dejar el Sistema Solar es lo que estudiaron durante un año los científicos de la NASA, ya que en agosto de 2012 la nave Voyager dejó las cálidas partículas solares y se adentró en el espacio frío y oscuro, más allá del Sistema Solar, a casi 19.000 millones de kilómetros de la Tierra.

«En estos momentos la nave se mueve a mayor velocidad y acelera más porque el espacio donde navega es menos denso, es decir, no choca con ninguna partícula solar. Es el límite del espacio exterior», puntualiza Girard, quien explica que al conocerse la noticia, los astrónomos del mundo bromeaban diciendo: «¿Otra vez salió la Voyager del Sistema Solar?», en alusión a las continuas dudas acerca del recorrido de la nave.

Y es que según explicaron los científicos de la NASA, en la sonda Voyager no funciona el instrumento que determina la densidad del plasma de donde se encuentra, por lo que los expertos debieron recurrir a tres mediciones distintas ( por ejemplo la densidad de los electrones medidos por la nave en su entorno) para comprobar el salto al espacio interestelar.

«Ya ha estado navegando durante un año a través del medio interestelar (gas frio ionizado o no) que hay entre las estrellas, es decir que cruzó la frontera de la heliosfera que se llama heliopausa, donde el viento solar para.», precisó Girard.

UNA NAVE MUY RÁPIDA

La sonda Voyager 1, de 722 kilogramos de peso, fue lanzada el 5 de septiembre de 1977, desde Cabo Cañaveral, Florida, EE.UU.Su misión original era visitar los planetas Júpiter y Saturno, pero se extendió más allá del Sistema Solar.

Su hermana Voyager 2 fue lanzada 16 días antes, pero nunca podrá sobrepasar a Voyager 1, que acumuló una velocidad mayor debido a los impulsos gravitacionales que adquirió tras su paso por los planetas más grandes del Sistema Solar, es decir, Júpiter y Saturno. Según los científicos, la nave Voyager 1 viaja hoy a una velocidad de 17 kilómetros por segundo, a diferencia de los 13 km/s que lo hace Voyager 2.

«La comunidad astronómica internacional está muy contenta con este gran logro, pero aún falta mucho para que el hombre pueda llegar tan lejos, por ejemplo un viaje cerca de la estrella Alpha Centauri B que tiene un planeta de masa terrestre que gira en tres días alrededor de ella», indicó Girard.

Y agregó: » Imagínense que la sonda tardó 36 años en viajar 19.000 millones de kilómetros y aunque no va en esa dirección, para que otra nave llegue al sistema solar de Alpha Centauri B, se necesitarían 40.000 años más para cubrir los cuatro años luz que nos separan»..

Fuente: La Nación

Cairo accuses Hamas of training Egypt militants

Felipe Sep 13, 2013

Egyptian state television accused Palestinian Hamas of training Egyptian Islamists in how to carry out bombings, putting more pressure on the Muslim Brotherhood, ally of Hamas.

In neighbouring Gaza, the ruling Hamas party strongly denied the allegations.

Egypt has faced turmoil since the army forced the Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi from the presidency in July. A week ago, the interior minister survived an assassination attempt in Cairo, amid fears the country could face an Islamist insurgency.

The allegations that Hamas has been training Egyptian militants could lead the military-backed authorities to escalate their crackdown on the Brotherhood.

«Security authorities have learned that the military wing of the Hamas movement trained several people to undertake car-bombing operations and trained various others to make explosives,» said a presenter on state television.

«The military wing of the Hamas movement provided various Salafi jihadists and also other religious currents with 400 landmines. The security apparatus documented this and they will be arrested.»

Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman for the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, said of the report, «This is completely incorrect».

It was an «attempt to demonise Hamas», he added.

The army-backed government in Egypt has tightened control of crossings from the Sinai peninsula into Gaza, which Egypt ruled from 1948 to 1967, and continued assaults on militants in Sinai.

Egypt’s closure of cross-border smuggling tunnels used to move weapons and goods into the Gaza Strip has dealt a major blow to the Palestinian group.

Hamas has recently tried to lower tension with Egypt, ordering Muslim preachers to mute their criticism of Cairo.

Gaza preachers, in fiery sermons, have accused Egypt’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, of waging war on Islam. Egyptian army officials have accused Hamas of interfering in Egyptian affairs and suggested Palestinians were helping Islamist militants in Sinai, which borders Gaza and Israel.

At Gaza street rallies, Hamas fighters have flashed a four-finger salute – a show of support for Morsi.

His ousting was seen as a setback for Hamas, and came as the group’s ties with traditional allies Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah party have also suffered over its siding with rebels battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Security sources said the former chief of staff under Morsi, Mohamed Rifaa el-Tahtawy, was detained on Thursday on charges of espionage. He had been detained in August over accusations of inciting the detention, torture and interrogation of protesters in 2012, but was released on Tuesday.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

High-stakes US.-Russian talks open, Syria to join chemical arms ban

Felipe Sep 13, 2013

The United States and Russia began talks on Moscow’s plan for Syria to surrender its chemical weapons as Damascus formally applied to join a global poison gas ban, but Secretary of State John Kerry underscored that US military force may still be necessary if diplomacy fails.

«This is not a game,» Kerry said in an appearance with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after opening talks in Geneva aimed at fleshing out Russia’s plan to secure and dispose of Syria’s stockpiles of chemical arms.

The talks were part of a diplomatic push that prompted President Barack Obama to put on hold his plans for US air strikes in response to a chemical weapons attack on civilians near Damascus on Aug. 21.

The United States and its allies say Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces carried out the attack with sarin nerve gas that killed about 1,400 people, including 400 children. Russia and Assad blame rebel forces.

The United Nations said it received a document from Syria on joining the global anti-chemical weapons treaty, a move Assad promised as part of a deal to avoid US air strikes.

The move would end Syria’s status as one of only seven nations outside the 1997 international convention that outlaws stockpiling chemical weapons. Other holdouts include neighbours Egypt and Israel, as well as North Korea.

The United States immediately warned Syria against stalling tactics to avoid military strikes. Assad told Russian state television in an interview broadcast on Thursday he would finalise plans to abandon his chemical arsenal only when the United States stops threatening to attack him.

Kerry expressed some optimism about the talks in Geneva – expected to last two days – saying, «We do believe there is a way to get this done» and that the United States was «grateful» for ideas put forward by Russia to resolve the crisis.

But he and Lavrov differed sharply on US military threats.

«We proceed from the fact that the solution of this problem will make unnecessary any strike on the Syrian Arab Republic,» Lavrov said during the appearance with Kerry.

«President Obama has made clear that should diplomacy fail, force might be necessary to deter and degrade Assad’s capacity to deliver these weapons,» Kerry asserted.

«Expectations are high. They are high for the United States, perhaps even more so for Russia, to deliver on the promise of this moment,» Kerry said, adding that a peaceful resolution was «clearly preferable» to military action.

Kerry said any agreement must be comprehensive, verifiable, credible and implemented in a «timely» fashion – «and finally, there ought to be consequences if it doesn’t take place.»

Russia has been Assad’s most powerful backer during the civil war, which has killed more than 100,000 people since 2011, delivering arms and – with China – blocking three UN resolutions meant to pressure Assad.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

‘Syria is placing its chemical weapons under international control because of Russia’

Felipe Sep 13, 2013

Syria’s decision to cede control of its chemical weapons was the result of a Russian proposal, not the threat of US military intervention, Interfax news agency quoted President Bashar al-Assad as saying in a Russian television interview.

«Syria is placing its chemical weapons under international control because of Russia. The US threats did not influence the decision,» Interfax quoted Assad as telling Russia’s state-run Rossiya-24 channel in the interview.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

NASA loses contact with comet probe

Felipe Sep 13, 2013

NASA has lost radio contact with a pioneering comet probe that hunted for planets beyond the solar system, officials said.

The last radio communications with the Deep Impact spacecraft were on Aug. 8, and recent attempts to contact the probe have failed, NASA said.

Engineers suspect a software glitch is causing Deep Impact’s computers to continually re-boot, crippling its ability to fire its steering thrusters and position itself for communications with Earth. The spacecraft’s solar panel may also not be pointing toward the sun to generate power.

«The team is now trying to determine how best to try to recover communication,» lead scientist Michael A’Hearn, at the University of Maryland, wrote in a mission status report.

The next attempt to contact the spacecraft is expected this weekend, said NASA spokesman D.C. Agle, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Deep Impact was launched in January 2005 for a close-up study of a Comet Tempel 1.

As the probe’s name implies, the primary mission, which took place in July 2005, involved the release of an 820-pound (379 kg) metal slug that tore into the comet’s nucleus, raising a plume of materials for the mother spacecraft – as well several ground and space-based telescopes – to analyze.

Five years later, Deep Impact sailed by a second comet, Hartley 2, and has made long-distance observations of two other comets, including the recently discovered Comet ISON, which is heading toward a close encounter with the sun in November.

In its extended mission, Deep Impact was used to search for extrasolar planets. With no more fuel for comet visits, the probe has been heading toward the only target it could reach, an asteroid approaching Earth called 2002 GT.

Since the asteroid’s orbit brings it as close as 4.7 million miles (7.5 million km) to Earth, astronomers consider it a hazardous object and gained approval from NASA to keep Deep Impact operating in hopes of a 2020 rendezvous.

More recently, Deep Impact was playing a role in an ongoing campaign to study Comet ISON, which scientists believe is making its first pass through the inner solar system.

Deep Impact began making observations in January that showed the comet brightening in a matter of hours. ISON is expected to be within Deep Impact’s view through September and again in March through May 2014 after the comet swings around the sun.

The spacecraft returned its first images of ISON in January.

«We have not received any of our expected observations of comet ISON due to a spacecraft problem,» A’Hearn wrote.

Comet ISON, which was discovered in September 2012 by two Russian astronomers, may not survive its close encounter with the sun. It has not brightened as much as scientists expected, dampening predictions that it might be visible from Earth even in daylight.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Nuevo gesto del Papa a los no creyentes

Felipe Sep 12, 2013

ROMA.- «Me pregunta si el Dios de los cristianos perdona a quien no cree y no busca la fe: la cuestión, para quien no cree en Dios, está en obedecer a su propia conciencia. También para quien no tiene fe, hay pecado cuando uno va en contra de la conciencia.»

El Papa volvió ayer a dar señales de apertura hacia los no creyentes, al escribirle una carta al fundador del diario La Repubblica, Eugenio Scalfari, decano de los periodistas italianos y ateo, que fue publicada en la portada del periódico con el título: «El Papa: mi carta a quien no cree».

Francisco decidió responder con una epístola a dos editoriales escritos por Scalfari el 7 de julio y el 7 de agosto pasados en su diario; en ellos, el periodista e intelectual italiano se hacía preguntas sobre fe y laicismo. Y recordaba, además, que era «un no creyente que no busca a Dios», es decir, una oveja perdida, y que, para él, «Dios es una invención consolatoria de la mente de los hombres».

«Ha llegado la hora de un diálogo abierto y sin preconceptos sobre la fe», le escribió el papa argentino, en una epístola que causó gran impacto por la apertura de Jorge Bergoglio hacia quienes piensan distinto.

En forma clara y directa, ante la pregunta de si una persona que no tiene fe, ni la busca, comete lo que para la Iglesia es un pecado, será perdonada por el Dios cristiano, Francisco explicó que, como la misericordia de Dios «no tiene límites», si uno se dirige a él con el corazón sincero y contrito, la cuestión reside en obedecer a su propia conciencia.

«Escuchar y obedecer» a la conciencia, aclaró el ex arzobispo de Buenos Aires, significa «tomar una decisión frente a lo que se percibe como bien o como mal y sobre esta decisión se juega la bondad o la maldad de nuestro accionar».

Aunque el papa del fin del mundo fue más allá. Preguntado sobre si es pecado creer que no existe ninguna verdad absoluta, sino tan sólo una serie de verdades relativas y subjetivas, el Papa fue tajante. «Para empezar, yo no hablaría, ni siquiera para quien cree, de verdad «absoluta», en el sentido de que absoluto es lo que está desatado, es decir, lo que adolece de cualquier relación. Ahora, la verdad, según la fe cristiana, es el amor de Dios hacia nosotros a través de Jesucristo. Por lo tanto, ¡la verdad es una relación! Tanto es así que también cada uno de nosotros capta y expresa la verdad a partir de sí mismo: desde su historia y cultura, de la situación en que vive, etc. Esto no significa que la verdad sea variable y subjetiva, todo lo contrario», dijo. «En otros términos, la verdad, siendo en definitiva un todo con el amor, requiere humildad y apertura para ser buscada, acogida y expresada», puntualizó.

Acto seguido, destacó que es más necesario que nunca, para poner en marcha un diálogo «sereno y constructivo», entenderse en los términos empleados, para no caer en contraposiciones y para reformular en profundidad las cuestiones.

EL CELIBATO «SE PUEDE DISCUTIR»

La misma apertura que demostró el Papa en la carta que escribió al fundador de La Repubblica, pudo verse en una entrevista concedida por el futuro número dos del Pontífice, el arzobispo Pietro Parolin, secretario de Estado designado, al diario El Universal, de Venezuela. Aún nuncio en ese país, quien será el brazo derecho de Bergoglio en el Vaticano admitió que el celibato «se puede discutir».

La cuestionada tradición católica que impide a los sacerdotes tener pareja «no es un dogma de la Iglesia y se puede discutir porque es una tradición eclesiástica», en contraposición con los dogmas «definidos e intocables» instituidos por Jesús, opinó el arzobispo italiano de 58 años.

Respecto del celibato, Parolin opinó que «no se puede decir, sencillamente, que pertenece al pasado». «Es un gran desafío para el Papa porque él posee el ministerio de la unidad y todas esas decisiones deben asumirse como una forma de unir a la Iglesia, no de dividirla. Entonces se puede hablar, reflexionar y profundizar sobre estos temas que no son de fe definida y pensar en algunas modificaciones, pero siempre al servicio de la unidad y todo según la voluntad de Dios. No es cuestión de hacer lo que nos plazca, sino de ser fieles a lo que Dios quiere para su Iglesia», expresó el designado secretario de Estado, que reemplazará al controvertido Tarcisio Bertone..

Fuente: LA Nación

Putin pide a EE.UU apartarse del lenguaje de la guerra

Felipe Sep 12, 2013

El presidente de Rusia, Vladimir Putin, pidió a Estados Unidos dejar el lenguaje de la guerra y retornar a la senda de la diplomacia civilizada y del acuerdo político, en un llamado a renunciar a los planes militares contra Siria.

Si podemos evitar el uso de la fuerza contra Siria, esto mejorará el clima de las relaciones internacionales y fortalecerá la confianza mutua, escribió Putin en su artículo «Llamamiento a la precaución desde Rusia», destacado hoy aquí por las principales agencias de noticias.

Afirmó que será un éxito compartido y abrirá la puerta a la cooperación en otras cuestiones fundamentales.

En una reflexión sobre las amenazas de una nueva intervención militar, después de Afganistán (2001) e Irak (2003), Putin consideró extremadamente peligroso animar a la gente a verse como algo excepcional, sea cual sea la motivación.

Es alarmante que la intervención militar en los conflictos internos en el extranjero se haya convertido en algo común para Estados Unidos, observó el mandatario.

A renglón seguido sentenció que millones de personas en todo el mundo ven más y más a la norteña potencia no como un modelo de democracia, sino que ven que confía únicamente en la fuerza bruta, formando coaliciones bajo el lema «o estás con nosotros o contra nosotros».

Tenemos, recalcó el gobernante, que dejar de utilizar el lenguaje de la fuerza y volver a la senda de la diplomacia civilizada y del acuerdo político, sobre la base del legado de los fundadores de Naciones Unidas, opinó.

Resaltó cómo los fundadores de Naciones Unidas se dieron cuenta de que las decisiones que afectan a la guerra y a la paz deben tomarse solamente por consenso.

«La profunda sabiduría de esto ha apuntalado la estabilidad de las relaciones internacionales desde hace décadas», exteriorizó el mandatario.

Alertó Putin a Estados Unidos y a los aliados occidentales que la ONU podría correr la misma suerte de derrumbarse como la Liga de las Naciones, si los países influyentes eluden al organismo mundial y adoptan una acción militar sin autorización del Consejo de Seguridad.

Bajo el actual derecho internacional, el uso de la fuerza solo se permite en defensa propia o por la decisión del Consejo de Seguridad.

Cualquier otra cosa es inaceptable en virtud de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas y constituiría un acto de agresión, sentenció Putin de manera lapidaria.

En opinión del presidente ruso, lo que ocurre en Siria no es una batalla por la democracia, sino un conflicto armado entre el Gobierno y la oposición, en un país multirreligioso.

Hay algunos defensores de la democracia en Siria. Pero hay más que suficientes combatientes de Al Qaeda y extremistas de todas las tendencias que luchan contra el gobierno de Damasco, en un conflicto interno «alimentado por armas extranjeras suministradas a la oposición», aseguró.

Contrastó Putin, que en los últimos días surgió una nueva oportunidad para evitar la acción militar y exhortó a Estados Unidos y a todos los miembros de la comunidad internacional a aprovechar la disposición del gobierno sirio para colocar su arsenal químico bajo el control internacional, y su posterior destrucción.

Dijo saludar las declaraciones del presidente Barack Obama en el sentido de apreciar en la propuesta rusa una alternativa a la acción militar, y su interés de continuar el diálogo con Rusia sobre Siria.

Fuente: Prensa Latina

Corea del Norte habría reanudado la actividad nuclear en Yongbyon

Felipe Sep 12, 2013

Corea del Norte habría reanudado sus actividades en el complejo nuclear de Yongbyon, el más importante del país, según un informe del Instituto Coreano-Estadounidense de la Escuela de Estudios Internacionales Avanzados Johns Hopkins.

«Las imágenes satelitales del pasado 31 de agosto muestran vapor saliendo de un edificio cercano al que alberga las turbinas del reactor de gas grafito y los generadores eléctricos», ha dicho, según informa la agencia de noticias Yonhap.

El Instituto ha explicado que «tanto el color y como el volumen del vapor son consistentes con el tipo de vapor generado por el sistema eléctrico, lo que indica que el reactor nuclear está funcionando o a punto de hacerlo».

Hace un mes, ya alertó de que las autoridades norcoreanas habían «doblado sobradamente» el tamaño del edificio que alberga la centrifugadora de gas destinada al enriquecimiento de uranio, «con lo que podría doblar también el número de centrifugadoras».

Corea del Norte anunció en abril su intención de reanudar las operaciones en todas sus instalaciones nucleares, en particular la de Yongbyon, aunque no precisó cuándo, y aseguró que se utilizarían para fines civiles –como la generación de electricidad– y militares.

La decisión de reiniciar las operaciones en Yongbyon, permitirá a Corea del Norte extraer el plutonio de las barras de combustible gastado de sus reactores nucleares, que podría usar con fines armamentísticos, tal y como hizo en las pruebas nucleares de 2006 y 2009.

En julio de 2007, Corea del Norte cerró Yongbyon y destruyó su torre de refrigeración en cumplimiento del acuerdo al que había llegado durante las conversaciones a seis bandas (las dos Coreas, China, Japón, Rusia y Estados Unidos), por el que se comprometía a iniciar su desnuclearización a cambio de ayuda internacional.

Fuente: Europa Press

Obama leads ceremonies for 12th anniversary of 9/11

Felipe Sep 12, 2013

US citizens were commemorating today the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with solemn ceremonies and pledges to not forget the nearly 3,000 killed when hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field.

The 12th anniversary may not capture the same attention as others, such as two years ago, when the 10th anniversary was also the first following the death of Osama bin Laden from a May 2011 raid by US forces in Pakistan.

New York City, still scarred from the attacks that brought down the Twin Towers, will repeat the ritual of reading of the names of the 2,983 people who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Nineteen hijackers also died in the attacks later claimed by bin Laden and al Qaeda, leading directly to the US war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq.

A citywide moment of silence was set to be held at 8:46 a.m. (1246 GMT) in observance of the time American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower, followed by another at 9:03 a.m. (1303 GMT) when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower.

Further moments of silence are: at 9:37 a.m. (1337 GMT), when American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon; at 9:59 a.m. (1359 GMT) when the South Tower fell; at 10:03 a.m. (1403 GMT) when United Flight 93 hit the ground near Shanksville; and at 10:28 a.m. (1428 GMT) when the North Tower collapsed.

The World Trade Center site is undergoing reconstruction.

Two skyscrapers are nearly completed on either side of the plaza, including One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776 feet. There are plans for two more very tall buildings at the site plus a museum, still under construction beneath the reflecting pools, and a grand entrance to a functioning transportation hub.

In Washington, President Barack Obama was expected a Pentagon ceremony with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Martin Dempsey. The private ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial includes a wreath-laying and is for family members of those killed in the attack.

Hagel and Dempsey will attend a second ceremony later in the Pentagon’s center courtyard.

At the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the National Park Service was holding a groundbreaking for the visitor center and a memorial service starting at 9:45 a.m. including a reading of the names of the Flight 93 passengers and crew, a ringing of bells, a wreath-laying, and brief remarks.

A number of cities will hold ceremonies including 21-gun salutes, moments of silence, and memorial services to remember those who lost their lives including the police officers and firefighters killed working to save the victims of the attacks.

The website 911memorial.org is encouraging classroom discussions, service projects, and other commemorative acts.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

Syria agrees on chemical weapons deal, US remains cautious

Felipe Sep 12, 2013

Syria accepted a Russian proposal to give up chemical weapons but US President Barack Obama said it was too early to tell if the initiative would succeed and he vowed to keep military forces at the ready to strike if diplomacy fails.

In a televised address to Americans, Obama pledged to explore Russia’s proposal for Syria to place its chemical weapons under international control, while expressing skepticism about the initiative.

He said he had asked the US Congress to postpone a vote on authorizing military action while Washington and its allies try to pass a United Nations resolution requiring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to give up the weapons in a verifiable way.

In a sign of how hard that will be, Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that the chemical weapons plan would only succeed if Washington and its allies rule out military action.

In what amounted to the most explicit, high-level admission by Syria that it has chemical weapons, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said in a statement shown on Russian state television that Damascus was committed to the Russian initiative.

«We want to join the convention on the prohibition of chemical weapons. We are ready to observe our obligations in accordance with that convention, including providing all information about these weapons,» Moualem said.

«We are ready to declare the location of the chemical weapons, stop production of the chemical weapons, and show these (production) facilities to representatives of Russia and other United Nations member states,» he said.

Obama said there had been «encouraging signs» in recent days, in part because of the US threat of military action to punish Assad for what Washington says was the use of poison gas to kill 1,400 civilians in Damascus on August 21.

«It is too early to tell whether this offer will succeed,» Obama said. «And any agreement must verify that the Assad regime keeps its commitments. But this initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force.»

Moscow has previously vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions that would have condemned the Syrian government over the conflict.

The latest proposal «can work only if we hear that the American side and all those who support the United States in this sense reject the use of force,» Putin said in televised remarks.

Obama said he was sending Secretary of State John Kerry to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Thursday for further talks, and he himself would continue discussions with Putin.

Amid the whirlwind of diplomatic activity focused on the response to the chemical weapons attack, the civil war resumed in earnest on Tuesday with Assad’s jets again bombing rebel positions in the capital.

An initial UN Security Council resolution, drafted by France, would demand that Syria make a complete declaration of its chemical weapons program within 15 days and immediately open all related sites to UN inspectors or face possible punitive measures.

The French draft resolution adds that the Security Council would intend «in the event of non-compliance by the Syrian authorities with the provisions of this resolution … to adopt further necessary measures under Chapter VII» of the UN Charter.

Russia has made clear it wanted to take the lead on any resolution. Lavrov told his French counterpart that Moscow would propose a UN draft declaration, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Obama said he would work with allies as well as Russia and China, both of which have veto powers on the Security Council, to craft a UN resolution. He gave no timetable for how long he would wait for such talks to play out.

«Meanwhile, I’ve ordered our military to maintain their current posture to keep the pressure on Assad and to be in a position to respond if diplomacy fails,» Obama said.

The president also reiterated his arguments for why it would be in the national security interests of the United States to punish Syria for using chemical weapons if diplomacy fails.

«If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons,» Obama said. «As the ban against these weapons erodes, other tyrants will have no reason to think twice about acquiring poison gas and using them.»

Source: Buenos Aires Herald

US: Diplomatic solution for Syria will take time

Felipe Sep 12, 2013

The White House warned that a diplomatic solution over Syria would take «some time» and pledged to pursue talks despite skepticism from US lawmakers that Damascus would make good on a Russian plan to surrender its chemical weapons.

A day after President Barack Obama urged Americans to support his call for military strikes if diplomacy failed, officials warned of a long process ahead.

The diplomatic initiative, kicked off by Syria’s close ally Russia as a way to avert US military strikes, was scheduled to move forward on Thursday when US Secretary of State John Kerry meets in Geneva with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The State Department said those talks would last two days or more. At the heart of the talks will be Russia’s opposition to a continued threat of military action that Washington says is needed to ensure Syria complies.

«We are doing the responsible thing here, which is testing the potential there for success,» White House spokesman Jay Carney told a briefing, referring to a diplomatic push.

«I suspect this will take some time.»

A senior State Department official said Kerry and Lavrov had spoken about their desire while in Geneva to have «a substantive discussion about the mechanics of identifying, verifying and ultimately destroying Assad’s chemical weapons stockpile so they can never be used again,» referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia’s proposal for Syria to surrender its chemical weapons to international control, which has been agreed by Damascus, was seen by Obama as a possible way to avoid a military strike opposed by most Americans.

There has also been stiff opposition in Congress to military intervention. Obama conceded on Monday that he was not confident he had the votes for congressional authorization.

Obama wants to hold Assad accountable for a suspected chemical weapons attack in a Damascus neighborhood on Aug. 21 that US officials say killed about 1,400 people including 400 children. Syria denies it instigated such an attack.

US lawmakers expressed skepticism about Russia’s plan.

Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on CNBC he was «1,000 percent supportive of us figuring out the right solution here diplomatically» but that he had «zero trust» in Russia.

Senator John McCain, a Republican who has been one of the most vocal proponents of a military strike, told a Wall Street Journal breakfast roundtable with reporters that he was not optimistic that diplomacy would succeed.

«Put me down as extremely skeptical,» said McCain, who is among a bipartisan group of nine senators seeking to draft a resolution that would be presented to Congress for a vote if a diplomatic agreement is reached.

Under that proposal, US action would depend on a UN resolution demanding Assad put his chemical weapons under UN international control by a certain date. If he failed to do so, Obama would be authorized to use force.

Source: Buenos Aires Herald