Tahun Depan Hari Buruh Libur

Jakarta,  Para buruh di Indonesia akan menerima kado dari Pemerintahan Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) saat peringatan Hari Buruh Internasional (Mayday) nanti. SBY menetapkan 1 Mei sebagai hari libur nasional. Tapi pelaksanaannya bukan pada 1 Mei mendatang melainkan pada tahun-tahun berikutnya.

“Beliau akan berikan kado istimewa yang sudah kami tunggu-tunggu lama sekali. Akan jadikan 1 mei sebagai hari libur nasional pada tahun-tahun berikutnya,” ujar Presiden Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia (KSPI) Said Iqbal usai bertemu Presiden SBY di Istana Negara, Jakarta, Senin (29/4).

Presiden menjanjikan peresmian hari libur itu saat bertemu dengan sejumlah aktivis buruh di antaranya dari Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia (KSPI), Konfederasi Majelis Pekerja Buruh Indonesia (MPPI), Konfederasi Serikat Buruh Sejahtera Indonesia (KSBSI),Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Seluruh Indonesia (KSPSI) dan Kongres Aliansi Serikat Buruh Indonesia.

Pengumuman resmi itu akan disampaikan Presiden saat pertemuan dengan pimpinan serta pekerja PT Maspion dan PT Unilever di Surabaya, Jawa Timur.

“Beliau juga sampaikan tentang empati. Beliau katakan beliau juga dari keluarga miskin, tentu empati dan hati bisa rasakan bersama masyarakat miskin, termasuk di dalamnya buruh,” tandas Said. (Forum Keadilan)

Gwyneth Paltrow Selebritas Hollywood Paling Dibenci menurut majalah Star

LOS ANGELES, Gwynet bukan bintang biasa. Dia adalah putri sutradara Bruce Paltrow, yang dia rawat hingga meninggal dunia pada 2002. Ibunya, aktris Blythe Danner. Ayah baptisnya, sutradara langganan Oscar, Steven Spielberg. 

 Dia adalah bintang dalam film super populer “Iron Man” dan menikah dengan musisi terkenal Chirs Martin, vokalis band rock super populer, Cold Play.

 Dia super tinggi, super cantik, super berbakat, super sehat..., pokoknya super.

 Jadi mengapa semua orang membenci Gwyneth Paltrow?

 Paltrow berada dalam 20 Selebritas Hollywood Paling Dibenci bersama Chris Brown, Jesse James, Justin Bieber, Matt Lauer, Kristen Stewart, yang semuanya memiliki karakter-karakter buruk yang terdokumentasi dengan baik.

 "Secara budaya kita menghormati 1 persen perempuan yang meraih posisi puncak. Oprah, Madonna, Beyonce, "kata pakar budaya pop Natalie Rotman dalam kolom Tarts Pop FOX411. "Gwyneth meraih Oscar pada usia 27, bertunangan dengan Brad Pitt, jadi gadis sampul Vogue, dan menikah dengan bintang rock. Mereka ingin melihat Anda berkeringat."

 Tapi, tampaknysa satu-satunya kesempatan orang melihat Paltrow berkeringat adalah ketika dia berolahraga ditemani pelatih terkenal dunia, Tracy Anderson, yang juga mitra bisnis miliknya yang menjalankan studio Tribeca dengan biaya sekitar $900 per bulan. Tapi, ini studio “elite” kata orang dalam di Hollywood.

 Memang Paltrow makin menonjolkan kehidupannya yang super elite dalam situs kesehatan, gaya hidup, dan kuliner, GOOP, yang dia rintis pada 2008. Dengan situs bermoto “memelihara aspek batin” ini Paltrow tiba-tiba “tahu segalanya” dan mengeluarkan berbagai produk kontroversial, mulai dari pembersih harian yang harganya ampun-ampunan hingga makanan mahal yang tak masuk akal hingga saran-saran untuk liburan.

 Belum lagi kiat-kiat aneh yang dia bagikan untuk membesarkan anak.

 Paltrow mengatakan kepada majalah InStyle bahwa dia tidak mengizinkan anak-anaknya menonton televisi dalam bahasa Inggris. Dalam bukunya “It’s All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great”, dia juga mengungkapkan  bahwa anak-anaknya sering “kelaparan karena menghindari karbohidrat.” Segera saja, pemberitaan tentang “Gwyneth Paltrow Membuat Anak-anaknya Kelaparan” berubah menjadi “Gwyneth Paltrow: Menyiksa Anak?”

The New York Post menggambarkan buku baru Paltrow itu sebagai “manifesto beberapa mahasiswi sehat yang mengerikan.”

 Paltrow membalas berbagai kecaman dengan mengatakan, orang-orang yang bersikap negatif akan mengalami benturan energi. Dia “juga tidak peduli” kepada “orang-orang yang kasar”.

 Tapi, beberapa pihak berada di sisi Paltrow.

 "Gwyneth Paltrow itu sukses, cerdas, perempuan pekerja keras, dan dia tahu itu. Kepercayaan dirinya menyerang urat saraf orang-orang," kata Ronn Torossian, CEO perusahaan 5WPR yang berlokasi di New York. "Meskipun itu tidak membantu dia di Amerika ketika dia mengatakan 'Orang Inggris lebih jauh lebih cerdas dan beradab dibanding orang Amerika.'”

 "Saya benar-benar berpikir penampilan Gwyneth meningkat dalam beberapa tahun terakhir; wajahnya terlihat segar, bahagia dan cantik," kata selebritas majalah veteran dan ahli hiburan Jen Birn.

 Soal daftar selebritas “paling dibenci”, Birn mengatakan itu semua bersumber dari cemburu.

 "Setiap kegelisahan yang tertuju pada Gwyneth sekarang berasal dari kecemburuan—bukankah kita semua ingin terlihat seperti dia di usia 40 dengan suami, karier, dan anak-anak yang hebar? Orang-orang tampaknya bakal menolak siapa pun yang mencoba melakukan apa pun selain akting, entah itu mengabarkan tentang gaya hidup sehat atau menyanyi,” kata Birn.

 “Dia tampaknya makin lebih nyaman dengan dirinya sendiri, dia bersinar dan tampil sebagai orang yang ingin Anda ajak pergi. Jika ada, orang-orang yang terintimidasi oleh dia dan 'membenci Gwyneth'  ini hanya pembenaran bagi mereka agar tidak berusaha untuk menjadi lebih seperti dia," ujar Birn.

Daftar Lengkapnya :

20. Chris Brown

 19. Jesse James

 18. Taylor Swift

 17. Shia LaBeouf

 16. Lindsay Lohan

 15. Angelina Jolie

 14. Jay Leno

 13. Ashton Kutcher

 12. LeAnn Rimes

 10 and 11. Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian

 9. Anne Hathaway

 8. Justin Bieber

 7. Madonna

 6. Matt Lauer

 5. Katherine Heigl

 4. John Mayer

 3. Jennifer Lopez

 2. Kristen Stewart

 1. Gwyneth Paltrow

(Sh & FoxNews)

Airline plot trio get life terms

Three men who plotted to blow up liquid bombs on flights from the UK to North America have been jailed for life, with minimum terms of up to 40 years.

Ringleader Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, was jailed for at least 40 years.

Plot "quartermaster" Assad Sarwar, 29, must serve at least 36 years, while Tanvir Hussain, 28, was jailed for at least 32 years at Woolwich Crown Court.

Their aim was a terrorist outrage to "stand alongside" the 9/11 attacks on the US "in history", the judge said.

Mr Justice Henriques called the plot "the most grave and wicked conspiracy ever proven within this jurisdiction".

The trial heard that at the time of his arrest, Ahmed Ali, of Walthamstow, east London, had identified seven US and Canada-bound flights that were to be attacked within a two-and-a-half-hour period.

The judge said that the plot had "reached an advanced stage in its development", with the men in possession of enough chemicals to produce 20 detonators.

"I'm satisfied that there is every likelihood that this plot would have succeeded but for the intervention of the police and the security service," he said.

"Had this conspiracy not been interrupted, a massive loss of life would almost certainly have resulted - and if the detonation was over land, the number of victims would have been even greater still."

The convicted men displayed no emotion at their sentences, although Ahmed Ali shook his head and appeared angry and frustrated at earlier sentencing remarks from the judge.

"With this plot you sought the attention of the world and now you have it," Mr Justice Henriques told him.

"You have embraced Islamic extremism and it is that burning extremism that has motivated you throughout this conspiracy and is likely to drive you again."

E-mails submitted as evidence in the trial had shown that "the ultimate control of this conspiracy lay in Pakistan", the judge said.

Ahmed Ali, Sarwar, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Hussain, from Leyton, east London, had been "high-level executives within this country".

A fourth man, Umar Islam, 31, convicted of a more general conspiracy to murder charge, has been given a life sentence and will serve a minimum of 22 years in prison.

The men's arrests in 2006 caused chaos to the global aviation industry and prompted continuing restrictions to the amount of liquids passengers can take on to aircraft.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, is seeking a retrial of three other men for conspiracy to murder, after the jury failed to reach a verdict on this charge against them.

A legal hearing on 5 October will decide whether Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Khan, 28, and Waheed Zaman, 25, will face another trial.(BBC)

Short History of Cigars and Tobacco

Have you ever wondered where cigars were first produced? It is widely believed that cigars were first produced in Spain. But before cigars became all the rage in Europe, tobacco was needed to make them. Tobacco is indigenous to the Americas, where native peoples have produced it for hundreds of years. It is believed that the Maya of Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and parts of Central America cultivated tobacco, and even smoked it! Tobacco use spread to other tribes, both north and south. It is believed that its first use in the United States was probably among the tribe along the Mississippi. It wasn't until Christopher Columbus sailed his famous voyage to the Americas in 1492 that the rest of the world came to know tobacco.

It is said that Columbus was not impressed by tobacco or its use among native peoples, but many sailors grew found of the strange plant. Soon it quickly caught on in Spain and Portugal. From there, it spread to France, where the French ambassador Jean Nicot lent his name to the scientific name for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The origins of the word tobacco itself are still suspect, although many believe it is simply a corruption of the word Tobago, which is the name of a Caribbean island. Still others believe it comes from the word Tabasco, a region (and now state) in Mexico.

The first tobacco plantation in the United States was established in Virginia in 1612. More tobacco plantations followed in Maryland soon after. Although tobacco became a popular crop, it was only smoked in pipes. The cigar was not introduced to the United States until the late 18th century. Israel Putnam, an army general who had served in the Revolutionary War, is credited with introducing the cigar to the United States. He had traveled to Cuba after the Revolutionary War and returned with a box of Cuban cigars. Their popularity quickly spread, and soon enough cigar factories were established in the area of Harford, Connecticut, where General Putnam resided.

In Europe, cigar production and consumption did not achieve widespread popularity until after the Peninsula War in the early 19th century. British and French veterans returned to their homelands after years of serving in Spain with their tobacco pipes in tow. Among the rich and fashionable, the favored method of taking tobacco was the cigar. Cigar smoking remains a habit associated with the rich and discriminating of upper society.

SKorea says North fires 7 missiles off east coast

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, a violation of U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day.
The launches, which came two days after North Korea fired what were believed to be four short-range cruise missiles, will likely further escalate tensions in the region as the U.S. tries to muster support for tough enforcement of the latest U.N. Security Council resolution imposed on the communist regime for its May nuclear test.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said three missiles were fired early Saturday, a fourth around noon and three more in the afternoon. The Defense Ministry said that the missiles were ballistic and are believed to have flown more than 250 miles (400 kilometers).
"Our military is fully ready to counter any North Korean threats and provocations based on strong South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted military officials as saying the missiles appeared to be a type of Scud missile. North Korea's Scuds are considered short-range, the South's military said.
But Yonhap also said it is possible they could have been longer-range Rodong missiles fired a shorter distance.
Scud missiles have a range of up to 300 miles (500 kilometers), which could hit most of South Korea. The Rodong has a range of up to 800 miles (1,300 kilometers), putting most parts of Japan within striking distance.
North Korea is not allowed to fire Scuds, medium-range missiles or long-range missiles. They are banned under U.N. resolutions, including Resolution 1874 passed after North Korea's May 25 nuclear test, that prohibit any launch using ballistic missile technology.
Thursday's launches, on the other hand, did not violate the resolution, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. Kim Tae-woo, vice president of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said it was believed North Korea launched cruise missiles Thursday.
Ballistic missiles are guided during their ascent out of the atmosphere but fall freely when they descend. Cruise missiles fly low and straight to their target.
The North has a record of timing missile tests for the U.S. national day, which fell on Saturday.
"The missiles were seen as part of military exercises, but North Korea also appeared to have sent a message to the U.S. through the missile launches," a senior official in South Korea's presidential office said, without elaborating.
The official told The Associated Press that North Korea could fire more missiles in coming days, but said there was little possibility it could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, as it threatened in April.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank, said both political and military reasons were behind the launches.
"I think it's a demonstration of their defiance and rejection of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, for one thing, and to demonstrate their military power capabilities to any potential adversaries," Pinkston said.
He also pointed out that July 4 is not only U.S. Independence Day but also the anniversary of a 1972 joint communique in which the two Koreas agreed to work toward peacefully reunifying their divided peninsula.
During the U.S. Independence Day holiday in 2006, Pyongyang fired a barrage of missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 that broke apart and fell into the ocean less than a minute after liftoff. Those launches, which occurred on July 5 in North Korea, also came amid tensions with the U.S. over North Korea's nuclear program.
North Korea's state news agency carried no reports on the launches. But the North had warned ships to stay away from its east coast through July 10 for military exercises — an indication it was planning launches.
The chief of U.S. Naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, said Saturday the American military was ready for any North Korean missile tests.
"Our ships and forces here are prepared for the tracking of the missiles and observing the activities that are going on," Roughead said after meeting Japanese military officials in Tokyo before news of the launches.
South Korea and Japan, which are within easy range of North Korean missiles, condemned the launches as a "provocative" act that violates the U.N. resolution.
South Korea "expressed deep regret over the North's continuous behavior that escalates tensions in Northeast Asia by repeatedly defying" the resolution, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said in a statement that the launch of missiles "is a serious act of provocation against the security of neighboring countries, including Japan, and is against the resolution of the U.N Security Council." In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment. China is the North's closest ally. (Yahoonews)

Stars Dying in Threes: What Are the Chances?

Every time celebrities die in threes, your humble media inform you that, no, actually, they don't.
If you won't listen to us, then maybe you'll listen to the celebrity death month generator.
In the wake of the passings of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, we tracked down two writers who ran the numbers on celebrities dying in threes.
And here's what they say...
The Celebrity Death Month Generator Doesn't Lie
In 2005, Rob Cockerham, the Web provocateur of Cockeyed.com, put together a timeline of celebrity deaths for that August. As to what defined a celebrity, Cockerham settled on a person who's passing warranted a front-page mention on Google News.
In the end, Cockerham charted 11 deaths, five of which occurred in a three-day span. Three times, two celebrities died on the same day. At no time did three Google-worthy names die on the same day. (Even the McMahon, Fawcett and Jackson deaths, which spurred the latest "dying in threes" talk, occurred over three days.)
Cockerham decided any triples that could be found were "convenient triples," as he wrote. Or, to put it another way, if a computer program were to spit out a bunch of dates, it too might randomly hit a trifecta.
And that's exactly what the computer program that Cockerham wrote did: In six trial runs, the so-dubbed celebrity death month generator spit out nine calendar days each. Sometimes the numbers were clustered, sometimes they were spread out.
At no time did the fates seem to have it "in" for a particular date.
"It proved that if you look at events happening randomly on a timeline you will be able to find groups of three," Cockerham said this week. "But if you really look at what you're doing, you won't be able to put all the dots in groups of three."
The Billy Mays Conundrum
In a 2004 piece for his now-defunct column, Stupid Question, John the Obscure's John Ruch broke out the World Almanac, and examined its 105 Almanac-designated notable deaths for the previous year (up through October, when the book went to press).
Amid the various death dates, some bunched together, some not, Ruch even found one, May 14, 2003, in which three celebrities died on the same day. But he still found himself unmoved by the "superstition," as he puts it, that celebrities are destined to die in threes.
"It's classic garbage-in, garbage-out," Ruch told E! News.
While 2003 produced one of those classic "celebrities die in threes" stretches that gets everybody talking—the week in which John Ritter, Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon all passed away—it also produced others that got nobody talking, Ruch observed. For instance, the aforementioned May 14 saw the passings of Dave DeBusschere, Wendy Hiller and Robert Stack.
"And anybody who can identify all three of those 'celebrities' deserves the grand prize on Jeopardy!," Ruch wrote in his column. (For the record, DeBusschere was a basketball star; Hiller, an Academy Award-winning actress; Stack, the star of TV's The Untouchables.)
How to define a celebrity, an issue Cockerham would later confront, is just one of the problems with the "celebrities dying in threes" hypothesis, Ruch said. Another is when does a sequence of three begin. Or end.
When TV pitchman Billy Mays died three days after Fawcett and Jackson, Ruch asked, "So is this starting a new series?"
The question could be asked anew with Wednesday's passing of Oscar and Emmy winner Karl Malden. Does he get grouped with Mays? Or was Mays already taken, having been grouped with 1950s TV star Gale Storm and impressionist Fred Travalina, both recently deceased, if not Fawcett and Jackson. And if Mays was grouped with Fawcett and Jackson, where did that leave McMahon? Grouped with character actor Hal Riddle, who died June 17, and 1960s rocker Sky Saxon, who died June 25, along with Fawcett and Jackson?
And then there's the matter of what to make of a celebrity the caliber of Jackson.
"My question is should Michael Jackson count for three all by himself," Ruch said. "He was pretty darn famous."
It's all enough to make your head hurt. Or your celebrity death month generator explode.
"This is why it's an irrational thing," Ruch said. "You keep defining the definitions."http://www.eonline.com/

A Michael Jackson-Honoring Event of Some Kind Headed to Staples?

As Neverland Ranch was crossed off the list, the question remained: Where the heck will Michael Jackson's memorial be held?
Considering thousands of fans will want in on any public event, the Jackson family appears to be zeroing in on Los Angeles' Staples Center to hold some type of tribute to the King of Pop on Tuesday morning.
A spokesman for AEG Live, which owns the venue, tells E! News, "At this time, nothing is scheduled, nothing is planned" and a LAPD spokesman says they're still waiting to hear from the family as far as mobilizing officers for peace-keeping and motorcade purposes goes.
But sources say that July 7 at Staples—for an event that will not include a viewing of the body or a traditional funeral service—is the goal.
The news comes as Neverland Ranch was officially checked off the list, both as a spot for a public viewing and as a burial site. California law requires that humans be buried in established cemeteries and it's up to local officials (and a gob of paperwork) to obtain permission to bury someone on private property.
Although a rep for the cemetery said it's impossible for them to comment on a family's burial plans, L.A.'s famed Forest Lawn is where Jackson's body is said to be now, awaiting interment.
But his family has yet to file a death certificate, which is required to bury the King of Pop anywhere, E! News learned Wednesday.
A burial permit specifying the "disposition" of a body (i.e. cremation, burial, donation to science) cannot be obtained until there's a death certificate, according to the California Department of Health.
Families have eight days from the time of a relative's death to file a death certificate, but as of Wednesday afternoon, the vital records office had not yet received the Jackson paperwork. "Maybe the family has not made final arrangements," suggested a health department official.

467K jobs cut in June; jobless rate at 9.5 percent

WASHINGTON – Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June, driving the unemployment rate up to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent, suggesting that the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy.
The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing, companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on a solid ground.
June's payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected.
However, the rise in the unemployment rate from 9.4 percent in May wasn't as sharp as the expected 9.6 percent. Still, many economists predict the jobless rate will hit 10 percent this year, and keep rising into next year, before falling back.
All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June.
If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 16.5 percent in June, the highest on records dating to 1994.
Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 6.5 million jobs.
As the downturn bites into sales and profits, companies have turned to layoffs and other cost-cutting measures to survive. Those include holding down workers' hours and freezing or cutting pay.
The average work week in June fell to 33 hours, the lowest on records dating to 1964.
Layoffs in May turned out to smaller, 322,000, versus the 345,000 first reported. But job cuts in April were a big deeper — 519,000 versus 504,000, according to government data.
Even with higher pace of job cuts in June, the report indicates that the worst of the layoffs have passed. The deepest job cuts of the recession came in January, when 741,000 jobs vanished, the most in any month since 1949.
And there was some other encouraging job news Thursday.
In a separate report, the department said the number of newly laid-off workers filing applications for unemployment benefits fell last week to 614,000, in line with economists' predictions. The number of people continuing to draw benefits unexpectedly dropped to 6.7 million.
Still, job losses last month were widespread.
Professional and business services slashed 118,000 jobs, more than double the 48,000 cut in May. Manufacturers cut 136,000, down from 156,000. Construction companies got rid of 79,000 jobs, up from 48,000 the previous month. Retailers eliminated 21,000, up from 17,600. Financial activities cut 27,000, following 30,000 in May. The government cut 52,000 jobs, up from 10,000 the previous month. Leisure and hospitality cut 18,000 jobs, erasing a gain of the same size in May.
One of the few industries adding jobs: education and health services.
With the weakness in the job market, workers didn't see any wage gains in June. Average hourly earnings were flat at $18.53.
The worst crises in the housing, credit and financial markets since the 1930s have plunged the country into the longest recession since World War II.
Many think the jobless rate could rise as high as 10.7 percent by the second quarter of next year before it starts to make a slow descent. Some think the rate will top out at 11 percent. The post-World War II high was 10.8 percent at the end of 1982, when the country had suffered through a severe recession.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke predicts the recession will end this year, with many economists forecasting that the economy will start to grow again as soon as the current July-September quarter.
But recoveries after financial crises tend to be slow, which is why economists predict it will take years for the job market to return to normal. Some predict the nation's unemployment rate won't drop to 5 percent until 2013.
An elevated unemployment rate could become a political liability for President Barack Obama when congressional elections are held next year. The last time the unemployment rate topped 10 percent, the party of the president — then Ronald Reagan's GOP — lost 26 House seats in midterm elections in 1982.
So far, many people are saving — rather than spending — the extra money in their paychecks from Obama's tax cut, blunting its help in bracing the economy. Much of the economic benefit of Obama's increased government spending on big public works projects won't kick in until 2010, analysts say.
The White House last week said federal money is being shoveled out of Washington quickly, but states aren't steering the cash to counties that need jobs the most.
Large job cuts have continued this week. Newspaper publisher Gannett Co. said it plans to cut 1,400 jobs in the next few weeks, about 3 percent of the work force, as it faces a prolonged slump in advertising revenue. Farm machinery company Deere & Co. said 800 salaried employees, or 3 percent of its salaried work force, took a voluntary buyout offer.(Yahoonews)

Iran's Crisis in the Western Media

It seems that the battle lines and areas of the current confrontation with Iran are being drawn up by the media. In the virtual word of media hype and opinion, it is obvious that the recent Iranian elections are deliberately being manipulated and distorted by the Western media. This exploitation has also extended to the online world, taking advantage of sites like Facebook and Twitter for propaganda purposes.

While the ostensible subject of the present media attention is the legitimacy or otherwise of the elections and the always dominant question of democracy and human rights, the media interpretation and presentation of the Iranian situation is in reality not concerned with issues of fairness and legitimacy.Even a cursory analysis of mainstream Western media reveals that what is of significance is the creation of a certain stereotypical image or a view of government of that country.One can see this even in small but significant details - for example, the Iranian government is constantly referred to on news channels like CNN as the regime in Iran. This term implies a host of negative connotations that, with repetition, tends to create a stereotypical impression of the Iranian government and its rulers. This attempt at shifting public perception of Iran’s government principles is yet another form of exploitation by Western media.
Political Motives?
The need to convey the image of a corrupt leadership in Iran suits many Western objectives in the region. The reason for this media frenzy to present Iran as an inhumane dictatorship is simple – it conforms to and supports the present policy directives from the United States and other countries.The need to convey the image of a corrupt and fanatical leadership in Iran suits many Western objectives in the region. This is a story that we have become well acquainted with in the last few years – a pattern in which Western media sources support and even generate biased views about certain governments in the regions that are in line with Western propaganda.

One need only refer to recent reports on the attitude generated about Iran to find sufficient reason for the present media stance. For instance, Western support for Iranian "dissidents" speaks volumes about the intention of the West in the region. As one recent article states, the Obama administration is going ahead with plans to fund groups that support Iranian dissidents, which is in essence the continuing of a program that became controversial under president Bush. This also relates to the question of interference in the affairs of the internal politics of other counties.There is certainly more to these elections than meets the eye. As many pundits point out, the elections are more about internal power politics than about purely democratic principles. It is clear that there is a power struggle underway in the internal political echelons of the country.Recent reports indicate that Rafsanjani has been lobbying fellow members of the powerful Assembly of Experts, with the intention of possibly replacing Khamenei. The fact taht this may mean a dramatic shift in power within the theocratic system once again provides insight into the reasons for the intense perssure from the media to demonize the current "regime."Iran, like every other democratic country, has its own internal political strife and it would be naïve to expect the democratic process in this country to be unblemished and without controversy.This is the nature of democracy and politics.America is certainly the last country in the word to cast stones as it too has been mired in allegations of questionable electoral process in the past. The reality is that democracy is never a clean black or white process and power always plays a role. This raises the obvious question as to why the recent Iranian elections has been dramatized and distorted by Western media to the extent that it has.Simplistic View of Elections
The moral accusations being leveled at Iran come from a country that overthrew a democratically elected government in 1953. The fact that a simplistic view of the elections has been promoted in the media is evidence enough that the intention is to create propaganda and to avoid a clear and analytical interpretation of recent events.

An article by Bill Van Auken entitled “The Propaganda War Against Iran ”succinctly summarizes the present situation with regard to the role of the Western media.He suggests that, “The US media, led by the New York Times, is continuing its concerted propaganda campaign against Iran over charges that the government stole the June 12 presidential election”. The author goes on to analyze the recent media distortions and states that, “There is not even a semblance of objectivity in the media coverage, which parrots the charges of the opposition headed by defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi.”

Van Auken also notes that the media presentation of the recent events has been almost totally one-sided with all blame for the violence being placed at the door of the Iranian government, and not an ounce of blame directed at the opposition.Furthermore, the point is also made that very few of the Western news outlets draw the necessary connections with the larger regional issues. The media has conveniently forgotten to remind their viewers and readership that “the US is waging two wars, on Iran’s eastern and western borders, both aimed at establishing American hegemony over the oil-rich territory.”

Once again, it seems, we are in a strange, virtual landscape that we encountered prior to the Iraqi war, where facts are distorted and edited to suit certain political agendas of certain countries.The irony of the media allegations against Iran should also not be forgotten. We should remember that the moral accusations that are being leveled at Iran come from a country which “overthrew a democratically elected government in 1953, propped up a brutal dictator, the Shah, for more than a quarter of a century, and has carried out covert CIA operations in the recent period involving the use of special operations troops on Iranian soil,” says Van Auken.The Internet's Role
As a result of the increased activity in response to the election, Twitter rescheduled its maintenance period. The media and propaganda war has als o taken a new turn in the Internet; in particular with regard to affecting viewers’ perceptions through social and networking sites. The extent of possible media cover now includes making use of networking sites such as Facebook , YouTube and Twitter. These sites are also being used to generate a stereotypical image, albeit derogatory, of the Iranian government and society.
It is perhaps more than coincidence that Twitter decided to change its scheduled maintenance services as a result of the elections in Iran. Twitter has become a very active source of views, mostly opposed to the election results.As a result of the increased activity in response to the election, Twitter rescheduled its maintenance period. This is interesting in terms of the role that alternative media sources play in conveying news and information. But what is perhaps even more interesting in relation to the way that news is being manipulated is the claim by the US State Department that is was responsible for Twitter’s decision to stay online.The Australian Broadcast Company reported that the US State Department claimed that the US government had requested Twitter to delay maintenance plans because of the site's use as a communications tool by Iranians following their disputed election.Was this an attempt to increase the negative perception of the elections via networking?
It is difficult to determine the impact that sites like Twitter have had on the negative or positive perceptions of Iran during the elections. However, while there are allegations of interference and manipulation of this media from both sides what is clear is that social sites have been used to a certain extent to create a negative perception of the Iranian government and that this had added to the media-generated groundswell of negative response to that country in the West.

A site with visual impact like YouTube certainly has been successful in promoting a very biased and negative view of the elections. The impact of this site is underlined by the news exposure that hundreds of videos of the riots have been posted online.In an interview with CBS, the head of news and politics of YouTube, Steve Grove, provided some insight into the way that YouTube was being used as conduit of anti-Iranian sentient. He refers to the courage of those Iranians who were prepared to “take a risk and to upload this footage” and to “raise pressure internationally”. This is a very laudable sentiment but should we not also be asking whether it is possible that, under the guise of well-intentioned heroism, there might be those who would exploit this medium to augment and exacerbate the already negative image of Iran to Western audiences?

There are also two sides to this storyand the propaganda war from both sides seems to have moved onto the networking sites. While there are reports that the Iranian authorities banned access to sites like Facebook, implying a denial of free speech, this is countered by Iranian assertions that the FBI ordered the disruption of Internet servers that host Iranian Web sites in the wake of Iran's election fallout.

The point that is ebbing made is not the Iranians elections were without fault and possible illegal intervention, but rather that Western media has used the elections to stimulate and generate increased hostility and resentment towards that country and its government, which can only result in a decrease in harmonious relationships and an increase of suspicion and hostility.By Gary Smith ,Journalist - South Africa

Madonna Can't Stop Crying For Michael Jackson

The sudden death of Michael Jackson jolted his friends and family, a second blow to the entertainment world after it lost another icon, Farrah Fawcett, just hours earlier. "I can't stop crying over the sad news," Madonna says. "I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless." Lisa Marie Presley, who was briefly married to Jackson in the mid-1990s, says, "I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me." "My heart is overcome with sadness for the devastating loss of my true friend Michael," adds Brooke Shields, who raised eyebrows when she briefly dated Jackson. "He was an extraordinary friend, artist and contributor to the world. I join his family and his fans in celebrating his incredible life and mourning his untimely passing." Elizabeth Taylor, one of Jackson's closest and longstanding friends, was "too devastated" to issue a statement, her rep says, while Quincy Jones, who produced Jackson's biggest hits, says, "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words." Cher, calling in to Larry King Live on CNN, shared many memories of Jackson, including dancing together on the Queen Mary and seeing the musical Dreamgirls together. "I am having a million reactions," said Cher. "When I think of him, I think of this young boy, this teenager I first met … He was a great teenager, optimistic and adorable." Whitney Houston, who has battled her own demons and is on the verge of a comeback, just as Jackson was, released a statement saying simply, "I am full of grief."

Actress Jane Fonda used Twitter to express her grief, writing, "I am stunned. My friend, Michael Jackson is dead. He lived with me for a week on the Golden Pond set after 'Thriller.' " In a statement Thursday afternoon Britney Spears said, "I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone!" Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which honored Jackson with 13 Grammys, says, "Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry, talent, and vision as Michael Jackson. He was a true musical icon." In a long, heartfelt statement, Usher said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss and paid tribute to Jackson's legacy. "May God cover you Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire Jackson family particularly Michael's mother, children and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer, and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for him and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer, who in so many ways, transcended the culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled. Michael Jackson will never be forgotten." Another star who was clearly influenced by Jackson, Justin Timberlake, also paid tribute to the pop star. "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music," he wrote on his Web site. "He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones." On his Web site, former child actor Corey Feldman, who was once very close friends with Jackson, posted a statement mourning his old pal. "I come to you today with great sadness, acknowledging the loss of the greatest entertainer in the history of mankind. For me he was more than that, he was my idol, he was a role model, he was someone to cry to when my childhood was unbearable, he was a brother, he was a dear friend," Feldman writes. "Unfortunately Michael and I had a falling out on Septenmber 10th 2001 and that broken friendship had never been repaired … I am filled with tremendous sadness and remorse. All I choose to remember from this point is the good times we shared and what an inspiration he was to me and the rest of the world. Nobody will ever be able to do what Michael Jackson has done in this industry, and he was so close to doing it all again. I am truly, and deeply sorry for all of the heartbroken fans and supporters worldwide."

North Korea vows to enlarge its atomic arsenal

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea vowed Thursday to enlarge its atomic arsenal and warned of a "fire shower of nuclear retaliation" in the event of a U.S. attack, as the regime marked the 1950 outbreak of the Korean War.
The anniversary came as the U.S. Navy followed a North Korean ship suspected of carrying weapons in violation of a U.N. resolution punishing Pyongyang's May 25 nuclear test, and as anticipation mounted that the North might test-fire short- or mid-range missiles in the coming days.
President Barack Obama extended U.S. economic sanctions against North Korea for another year Wednesday, saying the North's possession of "weapons-usable fissile material" and its proliferation risk "continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the United States, according to the White House Web site.
According to the 2008 document outlining the restrictions, "all property and interests in property of North Korea or a North Korean national ... were blocked." The U.S. measures are on top of U.N. sanctions that bar member states from buying weapons from or selling them to North Korea. They also ban the sale of luxury goods to the isolated country and prohibit the provision of weapons-related technical training and financial transactions.
State-run newspapers in Pyongyang ran lengthy editorials accusing the U.S. of invading the country in 1950 and of looking for an opportunity to attack again. The editorials said those actions justified North Korea's development of atomic bombs to defend itself.
The North "will never give up its nuclear deterrent ... and will further strengthen it" as long as Washington remains hostile, Pyongyang's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.
In a separate commentary, the paper blasted a recent U.S. pledge to defend South Korea with its nuclear weapons, saying that amounted to "asking for the calamitous situation of having a fire shower of nuclear retaliation all over South Korea."
Historical evidence shows it was North Korea that started the Korean War by invading the South, but Pyongyang claims the U.S. was to blame. The totalitarian government apparently hopes to infuse North Koreans with fear of a fresh American attack to better control the hunger-stricken population.
The U.S. fought alongside the South, leading U.N. forces, during the war. The conflict ended in 1953 with a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula divided and in a state of war. The U.S. has 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect against renewed hostilities.
The U.S. has repeatedly said it has no intention of attacking the North.
The new U.N. resolution seeks to clamp down on North Korea's trading of banned arms and weapons-related material by requiring U.N. member states to request inspections of ships carrying suspicious cargo.
North Korea has said it would consider any interception of its ships a declaration of war.
Adding to the tensions, North Korea has been holding two U.S. journalists since March. The reporters, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegal border crossing and hostile acts earlier this month.
Ling's husband, Iain Clayton, said Wednesday that his wife called him on Sunday night and she sounded scared. He also said Ling's medical condition has deteriorated and Lee has developed a medical problem. Ling reportedly suffers from an ulcer.
The Kang Nam — the ship the U.S. is tracking — is the first North Korean ship to be followed under the resolution. It left the North Korean port of Nampo a week ago and is believed bound for Myanmar, South Korean and U.S. officials said.
A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday that the ship had already cleared the Taiwan Strait.
He said he didn't know how much range the Kang Nam has — whether or when it may need to stop at a port to refuel — but that the ship has in the past stopped in Hong Kong.
Another U.S. defense official said he tended to doubt reports that the Kang Nam was carrying nuclear-related equipment, saying the information officials had received seemed to indicate the cargo was conventional munitions.
The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing intelligence.
The U.S. and its allies have not decided whether to contact and request an inspection of the ship, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday.
Reports about possible missile launches from the North highlighted the tension on the Korean peninsula.
The North has designated a no-sail zone off its east coast from June 25 to July 10 for military drills.
A senior South Korean government official said the ban is believed connected to North Korean plans to fire short- or mid-range missiles. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.
Meanwhile, South Korea is trying to organize talks among North Korea's five negotiating partners in six-nation nuclear talks — the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and Russia — in an attempt to get Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.
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Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and Pauline Jelinek, Pamela Hess and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

Air France: Flight 447 pilot's body retrieved

PARIS – Air France says the bodies of the chief pilot of Flight 447 and a flight attendant have been retrieved from the Atlantic.

The airline says in on its Web site that the two are among those identified in the international search operation for remains of the 228 victims and wreckage of the May 31 crash. The airline hasn't identified crew members by name, but a pilots' union named the captain as Marc Dubois.
Earlier this week the international police agency Interpol said 11 of the 50 bodies retrieved have been identified. It says they are eight Brazilians, one with joint Brazilian-German citizenship, one Brazilian-Swiss and a British national.

Mousavi claims pressure to drop election challenge

By KARIN LAUB, Associated Press Writer Karin Laub, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO – Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says on his official Web site that his access to people is being restricted and that he is being pressured to withdraw his election challenge.
Mousavi has alleged massive fraud in Iran's June 12 presidential election and insists he is the rightful winner.
According to his Web site Kalemeh, Mousavi said there were "recent pressures on me aimed at withdrawing" the challenge."
He also said that his "access to people is completely restricted," the site said.
Iran's supreme leader has declared hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner, and said the election will not be reversed.