 | BAGHDAD, 1 August 2012 (IRIN) - Assessments of security trends in Iraq vary wildly depending on who you speak to, how you count the statistics, and which period of time you study. But one thing is clear: bomb blasts, targeted killings or improvised explosive devices are still a daily occurrence in Iraq. |
Aug 1, 2012
Briefing: Why is Iraq still so dangerous?
Briefing: Why is Iraq still so dangerous?:
UGANDA: New disarmament effort seeks community involvement
UGANDA: New disarmament effort seeks community involvement:
 | GULU, 1 August 2012 (IRIN) - The Ugandan government is making a fresh attempt to rid the northern region of illegally held arms, after an ultimatum to surrender such weapons was widely ignored earlier in 2012. |
Voter ID Issue Is One of Many for U.S. Voting Systems
Voter ID Issue Is One of Many for U.S. Voting Systems: Twelve years after a too-close-to-call presidential contest in Florida ended in a divisive Supreme Court ruling, the United States’ voting methods are as laden with problems as ever.
Ramadan Poses Challenges for Muslims at the Olympics
Ramadan Poses Challenges for Muslims at the Olympics: The arrival of Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, has led to a variety of issues for the estimated 3,000 Muslim athletes and officials at the Olympic Games.
Syrian rebels seize rural territory while Assad forces focus on major cities
Syrian rebels seize rural territory while Assad forces focus on major cities:
AL-BAB, Syria — War came late to this little farming town set amid rolling hills in the Syrian countryside east of Aleppo, where the absence of upheaval was long construed as an implicit signal of support for the government led by President Bashar al-Assad.
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AL-BAB, Syria — War came late to this little farming town set amid rolling hills in the Syrian countryside east of Aleppo, where the absence of upheaval was long construed as an implicit signal of support for the government led by President Bashar al-Assad.
Read full article >>
For besieged Syrian dictator Assad, only exit may be body bag
For besieged Syrian dictator Assad, only exit may be body bag:
Even with rebel armies closing in, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is showing no hint of a willingness to cede power, raising the prospect of a long, bloody and potentially calamitous final chapter to the country’s civil war, U.S. officials and Middle East experts say.
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Even with rebel armies closing in, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is showing no hint of a willingness to cede power, raising the prospect of a long, bloody and potentially calamitous final chapter to the country’s civil war, U.S. officials and Middle East experts say.
Read full article >>
Michael Phelps leaves room for Mom while on top of the world
Michael Phelps leaves room for Mom while on top of the world:
LONDON — The race had been over for nearly an hour, the medal ceremony long finished. The four American swimmers smiled their telegenic grins and held their gold between their thumbs and forefingers for the cameras. But Michael Phelps wasn’t done. He still had a ritual to attend to, the one that began as a 7-year-old at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Find Mom.
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LONDON — The race had been over for nearly an hour, the medal ceremony long finished. The four American swimmers smiled their telegenic grins and held their gold between their thumbs and forefingers for the cameras. But Michael Phelps wasn’t done. He still had a ritual to attend to, the one that began as a 7-year-old at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Find Mom.
Read full article >>
Julian Castro, Latino mayor of San Antonio, to keynote DNC convention
Julian Castro, Latino mayor of San Antonio, to keynote DNC convention:
Eight summers ago, a fresh faced politician took to the podium for a keynote address at the Democratic convention that launched him onto the national stage and a path to the White House.
Among the viewers of then Sen. Barack Obama's national debut was Julian Castro, now mayor of San Antonio, who will follow in Obama’s footsteps as keynote speaker at the Democratic convention this year in Charlotte.
Read full article >>
Eight summers ago, a fresh faced politician took to the podium for a keynote address at the Democratic convention that launched him onto the national stage and a path to the White House.
Among the viewers of then Sen. Barack Obama's national debut was Julian Castro, now mayor of San Antonio, who will follow in Obama’s footsteps as keynote speaker at the Democratic convention this year in Charlotte.
Read full article >>
Wages aren’t stagnating, they’re plummeting
Wages aren’t stagnating, they’re plummeting:
Many economists have expressed concern that median wages have stagnated since the 1970s, as illustrated in the following chart from the Economic Policy Institute.
For workers in the 10th, 20th and 50th percentiles, median hourly wages haven’t grown much at all since the early 1970s. But a few economists have argued that this misses what’s really going on: Since the 1970s, women and racial minorities have become more integrated into the general workforce. So while white men, white women and racial minorities of both genders have all seen gains, the argument goes, the lower wages paid to women and racial minorities push down the median wage figure enough that these gains are disguised. Edward Conard’s new book “U
nintended Consequences” makes a case along these lines, using the following chart (via Evan Soltas).
Read full article >>
Many economists have expressed concern that median wages have stagnated since the 1970s, as illustrated in the following chart from the Economic Policy Institute.
For workers in the 10th, 20th and 50th percentiles, median hourly wages haven’t grown much at all since the early 1970s. But a few economists have argued that this misses what’s really going on: Since the 1970s, women and racial minorities have become more integrated into the general workforce. So while white men, white women and racial minorities of both genders have all seen gains, the argument goes, the lower wages paid to women and racial minorities push down the median wage figure enough that these gains are disguised. Edward Conard’s new book “U
nintended Consequences” makes a case along these lines, using the following chart (via Evan Soltas).
Read full article >>
New poll shows Obama with significant lead in swing states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania
New poll shows Obama with significant lead in swing states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania:
President Obama has cracked 50 percent and is leading presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney in a trio of key swing states, according to new polling.
The CBS News/New York Times/Quinnipiac University polls show Obama ahead of Romney in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, all by at least six points. Obama is up in Florida 51 percent to 45 percent; in Ohio 50 percent to 44 percent; and in Pennsylvania by double digits — 53 percent to 42 percent .
Read full article >>
President Obama has cracked 50 percent and is leading presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney in a trio of key swing states, according to new polling.
The CBS News/New York Times/Quinnipiac University polls show Obama ahead of Romney in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, all by at least six points. Obama is up in Florida 51 percent to 45 percent; in Ohio 50 percent to 44 percent; and in Pennsylvania by double digits — 53 percent to 42 percent .
Read full article >>
Curbing the costs of high-tech health
Curbing the costs of high-tech health:
Advances in medical technology are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they have brought huge health gains to millions of Americans. Hip and knee replacements, heart operations, brain surgery, drugs — treating everything from high cholesterol to depression — have become routine when they were once considered exotic or unimaginable. The drawback is that these same breakthroughs have driven health spending upward, because they’re prone to misuse and overuse.
Read full article >>
Advances in medical technology are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they have brought huge health gains to millions of Americans. Hip and knee replacements, heart operations, brain surgery, drugs — treating everything from high cholesterol to depression — have become routine when they were once considered exotic or unimaginable. The drawback is that these same breakthroughs have driven health spending upward, because they’re prone to misuse and overuse.
Read full article >>
Study: Rich, poor Americans increasingly likely to live in separate neighborhoods
Study: Rich, poor Americans increasingly likely to live in separate neighborhoods:
Rising income inequality has led to a growing number of Americans clustering in neighborhoods in which most residents are like them, either similarly affluent or similarly low-income, according to a new study detailing the increasing isolation of the richest and the poorest.
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Rising income inequality has led to a growing number of Americans clustering in neighborhoods in which most residents are like them, either similarly affluent or similarly low-income, according to a new study detailing the increasing isolation of the richest and the poorest.
Read full article >>
Aging power grid on overload as U.S. demands more electricity
Aging power grid on overload as U.S. demands more electricity:
They began to bend in the roaring wind, then their steel girders snapped like twigs, the towers toppled and the lights went out.
Minutes before the windstorm arrived to pummel the Washington area on June 29, it swept east through West Virginia, crushing three electrical transmission towers that are a tiny part of an intricate power grid that’s supposed to keep the lights on in America.
Read full article >>
They began to bend in the roaring wind, then their steel girders snapped like twigs, the towers toppled and the lights went out.
Minutes before the windstorm arrived to pummel the Washington area on June 29, it swept east through West Virginia, crushing three electrical transmission towers that are a tiny part of an intricate power grid that’s supposed to keep the lights on in America.
Read full article >>
UBS: Facebook IPO Cost Us $350 Million
UBS: Facebook IPO Cost Us $350 Million: The Swiss bank said the loss on the Facebook IPO wiped out nearly half of its second-quarter profit, and it accused Nasdaq of a "gross mishandling" of the stock-market listing.
Backlash Builds Over Thai Rice Program
Backlash Builds Over Thai Rice Program: Thailand's government is under pressure to revise its programs to prop up international prices of rice and rubber, as the cost of those efforts spirals.
Saudi Woman Allowed to Compete in Headwear
Saudi Woman Allowed to Compete in Headwear: The International Olympic Committee said Saudi female judo athlete Wojdan Shaherkani will compete in the Olympic Games, resolving a dispute about whether she would be allowed to fight in headwear.
Microsoft Reboots Hotmail as Outlook.com
Microsoft Reboots Hotmail as Outlook.com: Microsoft is phasing out the email service Hotmail, a pioneer of electronic mail accessed on the Web, in favor of a new-but-old brand: Outlook.
More Signs of Asia Slowing
More Signs of Asia Slowing: Slower growth in China's manufacturing sector in July added to a broader ramp-down in the region, as slack demand in Europe and the U.S. continued to erode growth in Asia's export-driven economies.
So Many Devices, Few Ways to Share
So Many Devices, Few Ways to Share: The leading online file storage and sharing services are useful for anyone who wants to view documents on multiple devices or share them with others.
No Vacation From Tweeting
No Vacation From Tweeting: In this hyperconnected age, social media is along for the ride—even on vacation.
Facebook Flip: Fidelity Funds Exit Early
Facebook Flip: Fidelity Funds Exit Early: A year after they first started buying Facebook stock, many Fidelity Investments fund managers are shrinking their stakes.
US 'wasted' $200m on training Iraqi police
US 'wasted' $200m on training Iraqi police: Report from auditors finds that massive US programme to train Iraqi police was unwanted and led to 'de-facto waste'.
Mali unwed couple 'stoned to death'
Mali unwed couple 'stoned to death': Local officials say unmarried pair killed in public in Aguelhok, in the first reported sharia killing since occupation.
UN team to visit North Korea flood areas
UN team to visit North Korea flood areas: Two days of heavy rain submerged buildings, left tens of thousands homeless and damaged agricultural areas.
Court says Namibia illegally sterilised women
Court says Namibia illegally sterilised women: Judge rules state coerced three HIV-positive women into operation by forcing them to sign forms they did not understand.
Deaths in Sudan's biggest price protests
Deaths in Sudan's biggest price protests: Eight people killed and 20 injured in anti-austerity rally in Darfur, with police accused of using live ammunition.
India restores power after historic blackouts
India restores power after historic blackouts: Factories and shops reopen after two days of power outages left an estimated 620 million people without electricity.
Pakistan's new intelligence chief visits US
Pakistan's new intelligence chief visits US: Visit of Zaheer ul-Islam signals thawed relations with Washington after Islamabad agreed to reopen NATO supply routes.
Blast and jailbreak rock Libya's Benghazi
Blast and jailbreak rock Libya's Benghazi: Bomb shakes city's military intelligence office and break-in at prison frees suspected killer of former rebel chief.
Somali assembly endorses draft constitution
Somali assembly endorses draft constitution: Two suicide bombers killed outside the building where leaders voted to support the UN-backed plan.
Assad praises troops as planes pound Aleppo
Assad praises troops as planes pound Aleppo: President says fate of nation at stake in fight against rebels, as rights group reports brutal crackdown on dissidents.
Israel's ultra-Orthodox to face army draft
Israel's ultra-Orthodox to face army draft: Defence minister orders army to prepare conscription for men from conservative community previously exempt from duty.
Jakarta is 'world's most active Twitter city'
Jakarta is 'world's most active Twitter city': Indonesian capital narrowly beats Tokyo for top spot, as study shows 93 per cent rise in use of site in Saudi Arabia.
Rebels 'execute' regime loyalists in Aleppo
Rebels 'execute' regime loyalists in Aleppo: Video from Syria appears to show men accused of being shabiha lined up and shot at point blank range.
Thirteen States and D.C. Give Obama Majority Approval
Thirteen States and D.C. Give Obama Majority Approval: President Obama's approval rating was above 50% in 13 states and the District of Columbia in the first half of 2012. Residents of Hawaii and Rhode Island were most approving, while those in Utah, Wyoming, and Alaska were least.
Jul 30, 2012
As Syrian War Drags On, Jihad Gains Foothold
As Syrian War Drags On, Jihad Gains Foothold: Syrians involved in the uprising say it is becoming more radicalized: homegrown Muslim jihadists, as well fighters from Al Qaeda, are demanding a say in running the resistance.
Drone Pilots, Waiting for a Kill Shot 7,000 Miles Away
Drone Pilots, Waiting for a Kill Shot 7,000 Miles Away: Drones are not only revolutionizing American warfare but are also changing in profound ways the lives of the people who fly them.
Laura Lang Rethinks Magazines for Time Inc.’s Digital Audience
Laura Lang Rethinks Magazines for Time Inc.’s Digital Audience: In her first couple months Laura Lang has convened senior executives to review each magazine and assess what each needs to thrive in a digital world.
The Caucus: Romney’s Remarks About Palestinians Draw Criticism
The Caucus: Romney’s Remarks About Palestinians Draw Criticism: Mitt Romney’s remarks at a fund-raiser suggesting cultural differences accounted for disparities between the per capita incomes of Israel and the Palestinians, have drawn criticism.
The Caucus: Democrats Move to Put Gay Marriage in Party Platform
The Caucus: Democrats Move to Put Gay Marriage in Party Platform: The Democratic Party’s embracing of same-sex marriage comes more than two months after President Obama backed the rights of gay couples to wed.
As Americans embrace Ethiopian cuisine, its farmers grow more teff
As Americans embrace Ethiopian cuisine, its farmers grow more teff:
It’s almost midnight, but Zelalem Injera, an Ethiopian bread factory housed in a cavelike Northeast Washington warehouse, is wide awake. As its 30-foot-long injera machine hums, Ethiopian American businessman Kassahun Maru, 61, proudly explains that it cranks out 1,000 of the fermented Frisbee-shaped discs every hour for the region’s growing number of ethnic grocery stores, health food boutiques and Ethiopian restaurants.
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It’s almost midnight, but Zelalem Injera, an Ethiopian bread factory housed in a cavelike Northeast Washington warehouse, is wide awake. As its 30-foot-long injera machine hums, Ethiopian American businessman Kassahun Maru, 61, proudly explains that it cranks out 1,000 of the fermented Frisbee-shaped discs every hour for the region’s growing number of ethnic grocery stores, health food boutiques and Ethiopian restaurants.
Read full article >>
Health insurance mandate faces huge resistance in Oklahoma
Health insurance mandate faces huge resistance in Oklahoma:
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Supreme Court may have declared that the government can order Americans to get health insurance, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to sign up.
Nowhere is that more evident than Oklahoma, a conservative state with an independent streak and a disdain for the strong arm of government. The state cannot even get residents to comply with car insurance laws; roughly a quarter of the drivers here lack it, one of the highest rates in the country.
Read full article >>
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Supreme Court may have declared that the government can order Americans to get health insurance, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to sign up.
Nowhere is that more evident than Oklahoma, a conservative state with an independent streak and a disdain for the strong arm of government. The state cannot even get residents to comply with car insurance laws; roughly a quarter of the drivers here lack it, one of the highest rates in the country.
Read full article >>
Lebanese worry that Syrian army might escalate attacks
Lebanese worry that Syrian army might escalate attacks:
ON THE LEBANON-SYRIA BORDER — As the fighting in Syria intensifies, many Lebanese fear that the conflict could spill over the border, upending the fragile sectarian balance holding their country together and sparking another bloody internal conflict fueled by regional powers.
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ON THE LEBANON-SYRIA BORDER — As the fighting in Syria intensifies, many Lebanese fear that the conflict could spill over the border, upending the fragile sectarian balance holding their country together and sparking another bloody internal conflict fueled by regional powers.
Read full article >>
U.S. construction projects in Afghanistan challenged by inspector general’s report
U.S. construction projects in Afghanistan challenged by inspector general’s report:
A U.S. initiative to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on construction projects in Afghanistan, originally pitched as a vital tool in the military campaign against the Taliban, is running so far behind schedule that it will not yield benefits until most U.S. combat forces have departed the country, according to a government inspection report to be released Monday.
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A U.S. initiative to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on construction projects in Afghanistan, originally pitched as a vital tool in the military campaign against the Taliban, is running so far behind schedule that it will not yield benefits until most U.S. combat forces have departed the country, according to a government inspection report to be released Monday.
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Report: In India’s Maoist conflict, human rights workers kept in fear
Report: In India’s Maoist conflict, human rights workers kept in fear:
In the bloody war between Maoist guerrillas and Indian security
forces that has killed more than 3,000 people since 2008, it is the grassroots development and human rights workers who face the fear of the gun too.
Read full article >>
In the bloody war between Maoist guerrillas and Indian security
forces that has killed more than 3,000 people since 2008, it is the grassroots development and human rights workers who face the fear of the gun too.
Read full article >>
Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defects, while thousands flee Aleppo fighting
Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defects, while thousands flee Aleppo fighting:
BEIRUT -- Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defected on Monday, according to the British Foreign Office, striking a blow against the beleaguered government of President Bashar al-Assad as tens of thousands fled heavy fighting in Aleppo, the most populous city in the country and its commercial capital.
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BEIRUT -- Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defected on Monday, according to the British Foreign Office, striking a blow against the beleaguered government of President Bashar al-Assad as tens of thousands fled heavy fighting in Aleppo, the most populous city in the country and its commercial capital.
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Tea party retools itself, pushing Republicans toward more strident conservative positions
Tea party retools itself, pushing Republicans toward more strident conservative positions:
FORT WORTH — For much of the past year, things looked bad for the tea party: Polls showed little new interest from voters, and its favorite presidential contenders flopped in the face of Mitt Romney, who was denounced in the movement. But the final days of the Republican Senate primary runoff here suggest that the tea party may be reshaping itself into a political operation with long-term viability.
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FORT WORTH — For much of the past year, things looked bad for the tea party: Polls showed little new interest from voters, and its favorite presidential contenders flopped in the face of Mitt Romney, who was denounced in the movement. But the final days of the Republican Senate primary runoff here suggest that the tea party may be reshaping itself into a political operation with long-term viability.
Read full article >>
Power Blackout Hits Northern India
Power Blackout Hits Northern India: Northern India's worst power failure in 10 years created chaos Monday, leaving hundreds of millions of people without power for several hours and highlighting India's woeful efforts to boost its power infrastructure.
North-South Divide Marks Euro's Struggle
North-South Divide Marks Euro's Struggle: Though Finland and Portugal share a common currency, their divergent economic outlooks echo the divide between the euro-zone's strongest and weakest members.
Ramadan Without a Lantern
Ramadan Without a Lantern:
Ramadan lanterns in Giza. Photo: Kodak Agfa. Creative Commons.
A day or two before the start of Ramadan, my mother would take me by the hand and walk me over to ’am Metwali’s shop, a small street-corner stand filled with every shape and size of beautiful Ramadan lanterns, which he made by hand from brightly colored glass and aluminum. When I’d open the little door of a lantern, I would find a candle holder in the base and it pleased me. I’d ask for the the biggest one, and my mother would buy it and a box of colored candles for me.
Every night after evening prayers, I’d light a candle, place it inside the lantern, and leave the house to stroll around our neighborhood. There I would join other children, some that I knew and others that I met on those nights, and we would sing Ramadan chants like “Wahawee ya Wahawee” and “Ramadan is upon us.”
In the company of the lanterns and the children, Ramadan nights were filled with pleasure and excitement, a contrast to the hardship of daytime fasting.
My mother used to say: “He who does not fast, does not break fast with us.”
Fasting was boring in our household. The adults would sleep all day and wake a few short hours before sunset. On the other hand, with the call to afternoon prayer I would head to the mosque to pray, memorize verses of the Qur’an, and learn the rules of reciting and reading the Holy text. The elderly sheikh who taught me had a crisp voice and my small heart would shake with the freshness of each verse. The sheikh would also choose the shortest, most beautiful chapters so I could memorize them quickly and advance ahead of my colleagues in recitation.
But the true beauty of Ramadan shines at night, after the evening prayers. There was beauty in the company of my friends on our strolls, beauty in the lanterns, the chants, and the late nights out. We would walk behind the mesaharaty and return home moments before dawn.
For me Ramadan meant lanterns, friends, a cannon, and the late night meal of Suhoor.
When I had a son, I wanted to pass my love of the Ramadan lanterns on to him. I took him by the hand to a small bazaar that still displayed the old-fashioned lanterns, and showed him a variety of options. He seemed confused for a while, his eyes shifting from the lantern to my face and back, before he dragged me towards a well-lit boutique across the street.
At this boutique all the lanterns were plastic and made in China. His face lit up when he saw one that looked like Aladdin’s lamp, and held it tightly to his chest: “Baba, I’m buying this one,” he announced.
This father is clearly nothing like his son. This son is nothing like his father.
Times have no doubt changed over the years, but I still want my son to value what we make with our hands, what the mind crafts with its creativity and imagination. I want him to appreciate art and be more impressed by hand-crafted things than by what machines can produce.
Still, I bought my son his beloved made in China plastic lantern. But I also bought an old fashioned aluminum lamp like the one I played with over thirty years ago. My son asked, “Who’s that one for?”
I said, “It’s for me”
He laughed, shook his head, and said, “I’m sorry Baba, you are a bit too old for those lanterns, but you know what? I won’t let you down. I’ll take it too.”
Translation: Nour Abdelghani
Fiction: Childhood Memories of Ramadan
Ramadan lanterns in Giza. Photo: Kodak Agfa. Creative Commons.
A day or two before the start of Ramadan, my mother would take me by the hand and walk me over to ’am Metwali’s shop, a small street-corner stand filled with every shape and size of beautiful Ramadan lanterns, which he made by hand from brightly colored glass and aluminum. When I’d open the little door of a lantern, I would find a candle holder in the base and it pleased me. I’d ask for the the biggest one, and my mother would buy it and a box of colored candles for me.
- “From Egypt” attempts to draw a cultural map of Egypt and the Arab world by profiling the artistic, literary, and political issues that affect the region via on-the-ground coverage of current events, publications, and the fight for freedom of expression.
- Hamdy El-Gazzar is an Egyptian writer and one of the 39 young Arab writers included in the Beirut 39 Project. His first novel, Sihr Aswad (Dar Merit, 2005) won the prestigious Sawaris Award, and was subsequently translated by Humphrey Davies (Black Magic, AUC Press, 2007). His second novel, Ladhdhat Sirriyya (Secret Pleasures) was published by Dar al-Dar in 2008. He is currently working on a third novel.
In the company of the lanterns and the children, Ramadan nights were filled with pleasure and excitement, a contrast to the hardship of daytime fasting.
My mother used to say: “He who does not fast, does not break fast with us.”
Fasting was boring in our household. The adults would sleep all day and wake a few short hours before sunset. On the other hand, with the call to afternoon prayer I would head to the mosque to pray, memorize verses of the Qur’an, and learn the rules of reciting and reading the Holy text. The elderly sheikh who taught me had a crisp voice and my small heart would shake with the freshness of each verse. The sheikh would also choose the shortest, most beautiful chapters so I could memorize them quickly and advance ahead of my colleagues in recitation.
But the true beauty of Ramadan shines at night, after the evening prayers. There was beauty in the company of my friends on our strolls, beauty in the lanterns, the chants, and the late nights out. We would walk behind the mesaharaty and return home moments before dawn.
For me Ramadan meant lanterns, friends, a cannon, and the late night meal of Suhoor.
When I had a son, I wanted to pass my love of the Ramadan lanterns on to him. I took him by the hand to a small bazaar that still displayed the old-fashioned lanterns, and showed him a variety of options. He seemed confused for a while, his eyes shifting from the lantern to my face and back, before he dragged me towards a well-lit boutique across the street.
At this boutique all the lanterns were plastic and made in China. His face lit up when he saw one that looked like Aladdin’s lamp, and held it tightly to his chest: “Baba, I’m buying this one,” he announced.
This father is clearly nothing like his son. This son is nothing like his father.
Times have no doubt changed over the years, but I still want my son to value what we make with our hands, what the mind crafts with its creativity and imagination. I want him to appreciate art and be more impressed by hand-crafted things than by what machines can produce.
Still, I bought my son his beloved made in China plastic lantern. But I also bought an old fashioned aluminum lamp like the one I played with over thirty years ago. My son asked, “Who’s that one for?”
I said, “It’s for me”
He laughed, shook his head, and said, “I’m sorry Baba, you are a bit too old for those lanterns, but you know what? I won’t let you down. I’ll take it too.”
Translation: Nour Abdelghani
Detained Blogger’s Mum Self-immolates
Detained Blogger’s Mum Self-immolates:
The mother of a popular Vietnamese blogger and government critic died Monday in a rare self-immolation protest, concerned over the plight of her daughter who is to stand trial for criticizing the state, according to a family member.
Dang Thi Kim Lieng, 64, set herself ablaze at dawn in front of a municipal building in her home province of Bac Lieu in southern Vietnam and succumbed to serious burn injuries on the way to the hospital.
Lieng was very concerned over the trial of her 43-year-old daughter Ta Phong Tan, a Catholic former policewoman who has been held in detention since September last year along with two other bloggers after she slammed corruption within the government, Tan’s younger sister said.
“[M]y sister's detention and charges affected her deeply,” Ta Minh Tu told RFA in an interview, saying Tan’s case had also led to constant state surveillance over the family.
“[The authorities] followed us all the time. Whenever I would go to [Ho Chi Minh city], someone would immediately begin tailing me.”
Tu said her mother was also troubled by a threatened eviction from her town over a personal land dispute which the government had not resolved, despite numerous petitions sent to officials.
“The family has been threatened that they will be evicted out of town—to an island to live,” Tan’s close friend Duong Thi Tan said.
Tu said she was shocked to learn of her mother’s self-immolation.
“This morning, my mother went out of the house as usual,” Tu said. “I thought that she would do her routine of drinking coffee.”
“I wasn’t aware of her self-immolation in front of the Bac Lieu People's Committee. I was informed by some acquaintances and later by the police,” she said.
“On receiving the news, my brother rushed to the hospital. When he got there he phoned me and said that her body had been burned black.”
Agence France-Presse quoted a priest named Dinh Huu Thoai, who is close to Tu’s family, as saying that Lieng died before she could receive medical treatment.
“Her wounds were very serious and she died on the way to the hospital,” the priest said.
Self immolations are rare in Vietnam. At the height of the Vietnam War, Vietnamese Buddhist monks burned themselves in protest over the fighting and alleged persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam's Roman Catholic-led government.
Blogger trial
Tan, and bloggers Phan Thanh Hai and Nguyen Van Hai, are due to stand trial on Aug. 7 facing charges of "distorting the truth, denigrating the party and state" for politically critical blogging and for posting hundreds of articles on a banned website known as the "Free Journalists Club" of Vietnam.
Tan, who was a member of Vietnam’s ruling communist party before she became a freelance journalist, frequently blogged about abuses in Vietnam’s legal system.
Phan Thanh Hai, 43, blogged under the pen name Anh Ba Saigon on various issues including territorial disputes with China, environmentally sensitive bauxite-mining projects, a corruption scandal surrounding the state-owned shipbuilder Vinashin, and state harassment of dissidents.
Nguyen Van Hai, also known by his online handle Dieu Cay, was first detained in October 2008, after participating in anti-China protests ahead of the Beijing Olympics, and later sentenced to 30 months in jail on allegedly trumped-up tax evasion charges. He was originally scheduled to be released in October 2010.
Hai’s case was raised by U.S. President Barack Obama in a statement marking World Press Freedom in May this year.
The three bloggers face a maximum of 20 years in prison, based on the charges under Article 88 of Vietnam’s criminal code, a draconian provision that prohibits “conducting propaganda against the state.”
In the last three years, Vietnam authorities have imprisoned more than a dozen prominent bloggers and activists for using the Internet to express their opinions and advance their causes.
Human Rights Watch has accused the government of mounting a sophisticated and sustained attack on online dissent, including by detaining and intimidating anti-government bloggers.
France-based Reporters Without Borders lists one-party Vietnam as an “Enemy of the Internet.”
Reported by RFA’s Vietnamese service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The mother of a popular Vietnamese blogger and government critic died Monday in a rare self-immolation protest, concerned over the plight of her daughter who is to stand trial for criticizing the state, according to a family member.
Dang Thi Kim Lieng, 64, set herself ablaze at dawn in front of a municipal building in her home province of Bac Lieu in southern Vietnam and succumbed to serious burn injuries on the way to the hospital.
Lieng was very concerned over the trial of her 43-year-old daughter Ta Phong Tan, a Catholic former policewoman who has been held in detention since September last year along with two other bloggers after she slammed corruption within the government, Tan’s younger sister said.
“[M]y sister's detention and charges affected her deeply,” Ta Minh Tu told RFA in an interview, saying Tan’s case had also led to constant state surveillance over the family.
“[The authorities] followed us all the time. Whenever I would go to [Ho Chi Minh city], someone would immediately begin tailing me.”
Tu said her mother was also troubled by a threatened eviction from her town over a personal land dispute which the government had not resolved, despite numerous petitions sent to officials.
“The family has been threatened that they will be evicted out of town—to an island to live,” Tan’s close friend Duong Thi Tan said.
Tu said she was shocked to learn of her mother’s self-immolation.
“This morning, my mother went out of the house as usual,” Tu said. “I thought that she would do her routine of drinking coffee.”
“I wasn’t aware of her self-immolation in front of the Bac Lieu People's Committee. I was informed by some acquaintances and later by the police,” she said.
“On receiving the news, my brother rushed to the hospital. When he got there he phoned me and said that her body had been burned black.”
Agence France-Presse quoted a priest named Dinh Huu Thoai, who is close to Tu’s family, as saying that Lieng died before she could receive medical treatment.
“Her wounds were very serious and she died on the way to the hospital,” the priest said.
Self immolations are rare in Vietnam. At the height of the Vietnam War, Vietnamese Buddhist monks burned themselves in protest over the fighting and alleged persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam's Roman Catholic-led government.
Blogger trial
Tan, and bloggers Phan Thanh Hai and Nguyen Van Hai, are due to stand trial on Aug. 7 facing charges of "distorting the truth, denigrating the party and state" for politically critical blogging and for posting hundreds of articles on a banned website known as the "Free Journalists Club" of Vietnam.
Tan, who was a member of Vietnam’s ruling communist party before she became a freelance journalist, frequently blogged about abuses in Vietnam’s legal system.
Phan Thanh Hai, 43, blogged under the pen name Anh Ba Saigon on various issues including territorial disputes with China, environmentally sensitive bauxite-mining projects, a corruption scandal surrounding the state-owned shipbuilder Vinashin, and state harassment of dissidents.
Nguyen Van Hai, also known by his online handle Dieu Cay, was first detained in October 2008, after participating in anti-China protests ahead of the Beijing Olympics, and later sentenced to 30 months in jail on allegedly trumped-up tax evasion charges. He was originally scheduled to be released in October 2010.
Hai’s case was raised by U.S. President Barack Obama in a statement marking World Press Freedom in May this year.
The three bloggers face a maximum of 20 years in prison, based on the charges under Article 88 of Vietnam’s criminal code, a draconian provision that prohibits “conducting propaganda against the state.”
In the last three years, Vietnam authorities have imprisoned more than a dozen prominent bloggers and activists for using the Internet to express their opinions and advance their causes.
Human Rights Watch has accused the government of mounting a sophisticated and sustained attack on online dissent, including by detaining and intimidating anti-government bloggers.
France-based Reporters Without Borders lists one-party Vietnam as an “Enemy of the Internet.”
Reported by RFA’s Vietnamese service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Lone Protester Detained
Lone Protester Detained:
Police in Tibet’s Chamdo prefecture last week detained a young Tibetan who staged a solitary protest during the visit of a Chinese official to the area, Tibetan sources said.
Ngawang carried the banned Tibetan national flag and shouted slogans before being seized and taken into custody, said Penpa, a Tibetan resident of New York, citing contacts in the region.
“On the 24th or 25th of this month, Ngawang carried out a lone protest in Gonjo county [of the Tibet Autonomous Region],” Penpa said.
“He ran to the main street of the town carrying a Tibetan national flag and shouting ‘Long live the Dalai Lama,’ and ‘Freedom for Tibet.’”
Ngawang also called out to local Tibetans not to fight each other over pasture land, saying, “If you’re so brave, come and join me in my protest,” Penpa added.
Ngawang was able to walk up and down the street only twice before police stationed in the town, the Gonjo county seat, rushed to the scene and detained him, Penpa said.
The next day, he was taken to Chamdo prefecture’s main town, “but his current whereabouts are unknown,” Penpa said.
Confirming Penpa’s account, but giving the date of the protest as July 22, the web site of the India-based Tibetan government in exile identified Ngawang as belonging to the Lana family of the Bolo subdivision of Tikar town in Chamdo.
Photos displayed
Meanwhile, in defiance of Chinese restrictions, Tibetans living in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture in Sichuan are more frequently displaying photos of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in private homes and in public, a Tibetan resident of the area said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Recently, His Holiness’s picture has been widely displayed at public gatherings and during religious sermons,” the source said, adding that religious teachers who do not put up the pictures attract smaller crowds.
“Also these days, His Holiness’s picture is displayed more openly in Tibetan homes, restaurants, and hotels.”
Images of Tibet’s exile prime minister Lobsang Sangay are also popular, the source said. “He is very much liked by Tibetans because His Holiness the Dalai Lama has put great trust in him.”
“Young students from middle to high school have put Katri [prime minister] Lobsang Sangay’s picture on their computers,” he said.
Because of this, China is imposing restrictions on the use of Lobsang Sangay’s photo and on references to him contained in CDs or DVDs, the source said.
Reported by Tenzin Wangyal and Norbu Damdul for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translated by Rigdhen Dolma. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Police in Tibet’s Chamdo prefecture last week detained a young Tibetan who staged a solitary protest during the visit of a Chinese official to the area, Tibetan sources said.
Ngawang carried the banned Tibetan national flag and shouted slogans before being seized and taken into custody, said Penpa, a Tibetan resident of New York, citing contacts in the region.
“On the 24th or 25th of this month, Ngawang carried out a lone protest in Gonjo county [of the Tibet Autonomous Region],” Penpa said.
“He ran to the main street of the town carrying a Tibetan national flag and shouting ‘Long live the Dalai Lama,’ and ‘Freedom for Tibet.’”
Ngawang also called out to local Tibetans not to fight each other over pasture land, saying, “If you’re so brave, come and join me in my protest,” Penpa added.
Ngawang was able to walk up and down the street only twice before police stationed in the town, the Gonjo county seat, rushed to the scene and detained him, Penpa said.
The next day, he was taken to Chamdo prefecture’s main town, “but his current whereabouts are unknown,” Penpa said.
Confirming Penpa’s account, but giving the date of the protest as July 22, the web site of the India-based Tibetan government in exile identified Ngawang as belonging to the Lana family of the Bolo subdivision of Tikar town in Chamdo.
Photos displayed
Meanwhile, in defiance of Chinese restrictions, Tibetans living in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture in Sichuan are more frequently displaying photos of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in private homes and in public, a Tibetan resident of the area said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Recently, His Holiness’s picture has been widely displayed at public gatherings and during religious sermons,” the source said, adding that religious teachers who do not put up the pictures attract smaller crowds.
“Also these days, His Holiness’s picture is displayed more openly in Tibetan homes, restaurants, and hotels.”
Images of Tibet’s exile prime minister Lobsang Sangay are also popular, the source said. “He is very much liked by Tibetans because His Holiness the Dalai Lama has put great trust in him.”
“Young students from middle to high school have put Katri [prime minister] Lobsang Sangay’s picture on their computers,” he said.
Because of this, China is imposing restrictions on the use of Lobsang Sangay’s photo and on references to him contained in CDs or DVDs, the source said.
Reported by Tenzin Wangyal and Norbu Damdul for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translated by Rigdhen Dolma. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Insurgents Kill Four Soldiers in Thai Deep South
Insurgents Kill Four Soldiers in Thai Deep South:
Security footage of the insurgents approaching the Thai soldiers. (Photo: Thai Channel 3)PATTANI, Thailand—Four Thai soldiers were shot to death at close range Saturday in a brazen daylight attack carried out by suspected Muslim insurgents in Thailand’s violence-prone south. Two soldiers were wounded.
Video footage of the attack in Pattani Province was captured by surveillance cameras that authorities have installed throughout Thailand’s three southernmost provinces, where an Islamist insurgency that erupted in 2004 has claimed more than 5,000 lives.
The footage shows pickup trucks tailing a pair of motorbikes that soldiers were riding as they returned from a military patrol to their base.
As the trucks pulled up alongside the motorbikes, armed men opened fire on the soldiers at close range and shot them dead. They then stole their victims’ rifles, which they used to fire at another oncoming security vehicle before fleeing.
Police Col Kong-att Suwannakha said three motorbikes were attacked in total, each carrying two soldiers. Police were looking for about 15 suspects in connection with the attack but had made no arrests.
The shooting is among several attacks by suspected militants since the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began last week.
A roadside bomb on Wednesday in nearby Yala Province killed five policemen.
The three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are the only Muslim-dominated provinces in the largely Buddhist country.
Security footage of the insurgents approaching the Thai soldiers. (Photo: Thai Channel 3)
Video footage of the attack in Pattani Province was captured by surveillance cameras that authorities have installed throughout Thailand’s three southernmost provinces, where an Islamist insurgency that erupted in 2004 has claimed more than 5,000 lives.
The footage shows pickup trucks tailing a pair of motorbikes that soldiers were riding as they returned from a military patrol to their base.
As the trucks pulled up alongside the motorbikes, armed men opened fire on the soldiers at close range and shot them dead. They then stole their victims’ rifles, which they used to fire at another oncoming security vehicle before fleeing.
Police Col Kong-att Suwannakha said three motorbikes were attacked in total, each carrying two soldiers. Police were looking for about 15 suspects in connection with the attack but had made no arrests.
The shooting is among several attacks by suspected militants since the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began last week.
A roadside bomb on Wednesday in nearby Yala Province killed five policemen.
The three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are the only Muslim-dominated provinces in the largely Buddhist country.
Unlikely Vietnam Considers Gay Marriage
Unlikely Vietnam Considers Gay Marriage:
A gay Vietnamese man wears a red ribbon at a HIV/Aids awareness campaign in Hanoi on Nov. 27 (Photo: Reuters)HANOI, Vietnam—Dinh Thi Hong Loan grasps her girlfriend’s hand, and the two gaze into each other’s love-struck eyes. Smiling, they talk about their upcoming wedding—how they will exchange rings and toast the beginning of their lives together.
The lesbians’ marriage ceremony in the Vietnamese capital won’t be officially recognized, but that could soon change. Vietnam’s communist government is now considering whether to allow same-sex couples to marry or legally register and receive rights—positioning the country to be the first in Asia to do so.
“Our love for each other is real and nothing changes regardless of whether the law is passed or not,” said Loan, 31. “But when it is passed, we will definitely go get registered. I can’t wait!”
Even longtime gay-rights activists are stunned by the Justice Ministry’s proposal to include same-sex couples in its overhaul of the country’s marriage law. No one knows what form it will take or whether it will survive long enough to be debated before the National Assembly next year, but supporters say the fact that it’s even being considered is a victory in a region where simply being gay can result in jail sentences or whippings with a rattan cane.
“I think everyone is surprised,” said Vien Tanjung, an Indonesian gay-rights activist. “Even if it’s not successful it’s already making history. For me, personally, I think it’s going to go through.”
Vietnam seems an unlikely champion of gay-rights issues. It is routinely lambasted by the international community over its dismal human rights record, often locking up political dissidents who call for democracy or religious freedom. Up until just a few years ago, homosexuality was labeled as a “social evil” alongside drug addiction and prostitution.
And Vietnam’s gay community itself was once so underground that few groups or meeting places existed. It was taboo to even talk about the issue.
But over the past five years, that’s slowly started to change. Vietnam’s state-run media, unable to write about politically sensitive topics or openly criticize the one-party government, have embraced the chance to explore gay issues. They have run lengthy newspaper stories and television broadcasts, including one live special that won a top award.
Video of Vietnam’s first publicized gay wedding went viral online in 2010, and a few other ceremonies followed, capturing widespread public attention. The Justice Ministry now says a legal framework is necessary because the courts do not know how to handle disputes between same-sex couples living together. The new law could provide rights such as owning property, inheriting and adopting children.
“I think, as far as human rights are concerned, it’s time for us to look at the reality,” Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong said on Tuesday in an online chat broadcast on national TV and radio. “The number of homosexuals has mounted to hundreds of thousands. It’s not a small figure. They live together without registering marriage. They may own property. We, of course, have to handle these issues legally.”
Globally, 11 countries have legalized same-sex marriage since the Netherlands became the first to do so in 2001. Only a few US states allow it, but President Barack Obama provided hope for many couples worldwide after announcing his support earlier this year.
The issue has remained largely off the table across Asia. In Thailand, many tourists see a vibrant gay, lesbian and transgender community, but it exists largely as part of the country’s lucrative entertainment industry, separated from politics and conservative Thai society.
Muslim-dominated nations such as Indonesia have strict laws against homosexuality. Sodomy can result in up to 20 years in jail and caning in Malaysia. But that has not stopped some from continuing to fight for more rights and visibility.
In Singapore, more than 15,000 people—double last year’s turnout—recently held up pink lights in a park at night to support acceptance of the community in a modern city-state where gay sex remains illegal, even though the law is not enforced.
In Taiwan, a 2003 bill to recognize same-sex marriage failed to receive enough support to make it law, though a lesbian couple is expected to tie the knot in August at a Buddhist monastery.
Vietnam will also hold its first public gay pride parade Aug. 5 in Hanoi. The country is socially conservative, but the government restricts the kind of politicized religious movements that typically push back against same-sex marriage in other countries. Gay pride events also seem to pose little threat to Communist Party’s dominance.
The same-sex marriage proposal still has several hurdles before it could become law. The Justice Ministry will consider opinions from the public along with government agencies before submitting its draft proposal to the National Assembly next May on whether to recommend same-sex marriage or some other type of legal recognition with rights. Then, it must be approved by a majority of parliament.
“Some people told me if Vietnam could legalize it, it would be very good example for other counties to follow,” said Le Quang Binh, head of the nonprofit Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment, which is consulting on the marriage law. “People think that talking about it is a big step forward already … I hope it will lead to more openness or tolerance for gays and lesbians in Vietnam.”
As for Vietnamese partners Loan and Nguyen Thi Chi, who share a one-room apartment down a narrow alley in Hanoi, they say their love and commitment is real, regardless of whether a law exists to recognize them when they marry next month. But they hope the new proposal will ease stigma that lingers around same-sex couples.
Chi, 20, knows the pain of discrimination all too well. She recently dropped out of college after being publicly outed by a note taped to one of her classroom doors saying she was “diseased.” She was harassed and bullied for a-year-and-a-half on campus until finally deciding that she had enough.
“Things must change,” she said. “Even though it was not a nice experience, more and more people are interested in knowing about the community. And the more people that know about it, the more people will have a different view on it.”
A gay Vietnamese man wears a red ribbon at a HIV/Aids awareness campaign in Hanoi on Nov. 27 (Photo: Reuters)
The lesbians’ marriage ceremony in the Vietnamese capital won’t be officially recognized, but that could soon change. Vietnam’s communist government is now considering whether to allow same-sex couples to marry or legally register and receive rights—positioning the country to be the first in Asia to do so.
“Our love for each other is real and nothing changes regardless of whether the law is passed or not,” said Loan, 31. “But when it is passed, we will definitely go get registered. I can’t wait!”
Even longtime gay-rights activists are stunned by the Justice Ministry’s proposal to include same-sex couples in its overhaul of the country’s marriage law. No one knows what form it will take or whether it will survive long enough to be debated before the National Assembly next year, but supporters say the fact that it’s even being considered is a victory in a region where simply being gay can result in jail sentences or whippings with a rattan cane.
“I think everyone is surprised,” said Vien Tanjung, an Indonesian gay-rights activist. “Even if it’s not successful it’s already making history. For me, personally, I think it’s going to go through.”
Vietnam seems an unlikely champion of gay-rights issues. It is routinely lambasted by the international community over its dismal human rights record, often locking up political dissidents who call for democracy or religious freedom. Up until just a few years ago, homosexuality was labeled as a “social evil” alongside drug addiction and prostitution.
And Vietnam’s gay community itself was once so underground that few groups or meeting places existed. It was taboo to even talk about the issue.
But over the past five years, that’s slowly started to change. Vietnam’s state-run media, unable to write about politically sensitive topics or openly criticize the one-party government, have embraced the chance to explore gay issues. They have run lengthy newspaper stories and television broadcasts, including one live special that won a top award.
Video of Vietnam’s first publicized gay wedding went viral online in 2010, and a few other ceremonies followed, capturing widespread public attention. The Justice Ministry now says a legal framework is necessary because the courts do not know how to handle disputes between same-sex couples living together. The new law could provide rights such as owning property, inheriting and adopting children.
“I think, as far as human rights are concerned, it’s time for us to look at the reality,” Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong said on Tuesday in an online chat broadcast on national TV and radio. “The number of homosexuals has mounted to hundreds of thousands. It’s not a small figure. They live together without registering marriage. They may own property. We, of course, have to handle these issues legally.”
Globally, 11 countries have legalized same-sex marriage since the Netherlands became the first to do so in 2001. Only a few US states allow it, but President Barack Obama provided hope for many couples worldwide after announcing his support earlier this year.
The issue has remained largely off the table across Asia. In Thailand, many tourists see a vibrant gay, lesbian and transgender community, but it exists largely as part of the country’s lucrative entertainment industry, separated from politics and conservative Thai society.
Muslim-dominated nations such as Indonesia have strict laws against homosexuality. Sodomy can result in up to 20 years in jail and caning in Malaysia. But that has not stopped some from continuing to fight for more rights and visibility.
In Singapore, more than 15,000 people—double last year’s turnout—recently held up pink lights in a park at night to support acceptance of the community in a modern city-state where gay sex remains illegal, even though the law is not enforced.
In Taiwan, a 2003 bill to recognize same-sex marriage failed to receive enough support to make it law, though a lesbian couple is expected to tie the knot in August at a Buddhist monastery.
Vietnam will also hold its first public gay pride parade Aug. 5 in Hanoi. The country is socially conservative, but the government restricts the kind of politicized religious movements that typically push back against same-sex marriage in other countries. Gay pride events also seem to pose little threat to Communist Party’s dominance.
The same-sex marriage proposal still has several hurdles before it could become law. The Justice Ministry will consider opinions from the public along with government agencies before submitting its draft proposal to the National Assembly next May on whether to recommend same-sex marriage or some other type of legal recognition with rights. Then, it must be approved by a majority of parliament.
“Some people told me if Vietnam could legalize it, it would be very good example for other counties to follow,” said Le Quang Binh, head of the nonprofit Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment, which is consulting on the marriage law. “People think that talking about it is a big step forward already … I hope it will lead to more openness or tolerance for gays and lesbians in Vietnam.”
As for Vietnamese partners Loan and Nguyen Thi Chi, who share a one-room apartment down a narrow alley in Hanoi, they say their love and commitment is real, regardless of whether a law exists to recognize them when they marry next month. But they hope the new proposal will ease stigma that lingers around same-sex couples.
Chi, 20, knows the pain of discrimination all too well. She recently dropped out of college after being publicly outed by a note taped to one of her classroom doors saying she was “diseased.” She was harassed and bullied for a-year-and-a-half on campus until finally deciding that she had enough.
“Things must change,” she said. “Even though it was not a nice experience, more and more people are interested in knowing about the community. And the more people that know about it, the more people will have a different view on it.”
Jul 29, 2012
Tempeh, tofu back on table after three-day strike ends
Tempeh, tofu back on table after three-day strike ends: After being absent from Jakartans’ dining tables due to a three-day strike, tempeh (soybean cake) and tofu will be back on the market starting on Saturday.Head of the city’s cooperatives and ...
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