Calan blog

Palestinians to hold local polls on July 9

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – The Palestinian cabinet decided on Tuesday to hold local elections on July 9, in what will be the first time the people have gone to the polls since 2006.

"The cabinet decided during its meeting today to hold local elections on Saturday 9 July and charged the electoral commission with making the necessary preparations for it," government spokesman Ghassan Khatib told AFP, reading from an official statement.

Local polls were originally set for July 17, 2010 but postponed after the Islamic Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, said it would not participate.

Hamas on Tuesday reiterated its refusal to participate in polls run by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by the rival Fatah movement, meaning the elections are likely to be limited to the West Bank.

"These elections are not valid because they are called for by the Palestinian Authority and the government and are devoid of legitimacy," spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP in Gaza City.

"We in Hamas will not participate in this farce and will not recognise the result of it."

The last time the Palestinians went to the polls was in 2006 for legislative elections, which Hamas won by a landslide.

Since January 2009, when Mahmud Abbas's four-year term as president expired, Hamas has refused to recognise the authority of his government. Abbas's term in office has been indefinitely extended pending new elections.

Last week, prime minister Salam Fayyad said local polls would be held "this year" and that it was time to start preparing for a general election, prompting another denunciation from Hamas.

Hamas says there can be no fresh vote without reconciliation with the rival Fatah party, which is headed by Abbas and dominates the Palestinian Authority.

The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are separated by Israeli territory and are ruled by rival administrations.

The Ramallah government had called a general election for January 2010 but backed down after Hamas refused to hold parallel polls in Gaza.

A year after winning the 2006 elections, Hamas ousted its Fatah rivals from the Gaza Strip following a week of bloody street battles, bringing to a head many years of bitter rivalry between the two movements.

Local elections were last held across the Palestinian territories in 2005.

Fayyad's announcement that the Palestinian Authority would start preparing for a general election was made as massive anti-government protests swept through Egypt, calling for the removal of President Hosni Mubarak.

An earlier wave of mass protests in Tunisia succeeded in forcing out president Zine El Abdine Ben Ali, sending shock waves across the Middle East and prompting a number of regional governments to make hasty changes in a bid to avoid a similar fate back home.

Recall news

WASHINGTON – The following recalls have been announced:

_About 142,000 Hoover WindTunnel Canister Vacuums because of concerns about fire and shock hazards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the power cord between the power nozzle and the wand connector can short-circuit. According to CPSC, this can occur even if the vacuum has been turned off but left plugged in. There has been one report of a minor injury. Hoover, based in Glenwillow, Ohio, has received 69 reports of overheating or electrical malfunctions, including a few reports of fire and smoke damage. The vacuum, which is silver and black, was sold at department stores and retailers nationwide from March 2003 to December 2008. Consumers can call Hoover at 888-564-2066 for more information and a free repair.

_About 261,000 LED Night Lights imported by American Tack & Hardware Co. Inc. (AmerTac), of Saddle River, N.J. An electrical short circuit in the light can cause it to overheat, smolder and melt — a fire or burn risk. AmerTac has received 18 reports of the night lights smoking, burning, melting and/or charring, including three reports of minor property damage and one of a minor burn injury. The lights were sold at hardware stores, lighting showrooms and home centers nationwide from March 2009 through January of this year. Consumers can call 800-420-7511 for more information.

_St James Smokehouse Inc., in Miami is recalling Scotch Reserve Whisky & Honey Smoked Scottish Salmon 4oz retails packs because of possible Listeria contamination. No Listeria illnesses have been linked to the salmon packs. The problem was discovered after routine sampling by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The recalled salmon was sold in The Fresh Market stores located in Fla., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Ga., Va., Ky., Ala., Ind., Ill., Ohio, La., Md., Ark., Wis., Miss., Penn., Mass., Ct., N.Y. Contact the company at 305-461-0231 for more information.

U.N., West warn rushed Egypt change a risk to Mideast

MUNICH (Reuters) – The United Nations on Sunday drove home the warning from Western nations that a transition to democracy in Egypt should not be rushed to avoid worsening the crisis and destabilising the entire Middle East.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon backed up calls at a security conference in Munich from the United States and Europe for a rapid change of power in Egypt followed by a more sedate transition through democracy and eventually free elections.

Ban told reporters he had urged authorities in Cairo "to make the necessary changes and reforms as soon as possible. I hope the leaders of Egypt heed the calls of their own people."

That was in tune with the message delivered in Munich by U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton, Britain's David Cameron and Germany's Angela Merkel that 82-year-old President Hosni Mubarak should step down now, if that is what the Egyptian people want.

"The more this is put off, the more we are likely to get an Egypt that we wouldn't welcome," said Cameron.

"There will be a change in Egypt," said Merkel, who added that it would be remiss of the international community "not to side with people who are speaking out against injustice."

But Western leaders and diplomats were careful to emphasize that it should be the Egyptians who decide.

The U.N. secretary-general, asked about the debate over whether Mubarak should leave immediately as protesters demand or stay to oversee reform, answered: "It's something which should be left to the Egyptian people."

ENVOY'S REMARKS RILE EUROPEANS

European diplomats attending the Munich meeting bristled at the suggestion of the retired U.S. diplomat Frank Wisner, sent by President Barack Obama to talk to Mubarak, that he should remain for an unspecified period to steer through reforms.

The State Department distanced itself from Wisner's remarks, saying it not necessarily share his views.

"We are very unhappy about Wisner's remarks which give the impression the West wants to influence decisions which should be left up to the Egyptians," said a European diplomatic source.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan also sounded a note of caution. "A democratic transition must be ensured in the shortest possible time. If this is achieved I believe the people will certainly accept such an outcome," he told reporters.

"But first the ground must be prepared ... A reliable administration would provide the opportunity for such a base -- this could be an interim election administration."

Merkel told the conference that her experiences from the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 had taught her that rushing into democratic elections was counterproductive and Egypt should take its time, once Mubarak departs, to prepare its institutions.

Washington also emphasizes the need for gradual transition to democracy after nearly two weeks of protests against Mubarak's 30-year regime, while Cameron said it was not a matter of "flicking a switch and holding an election.

Ban Ki-moon linked the unrest in Egypt and other Arabic countries including Tunisia to the stalled Middle East peace process, in which he said Mubarak had been a "key player."

The U.N. chief said the turmoil directed against leaders in "Egypt and elsewhere in Arab countries" was a cause for concern because of the impact on regional stability.

"That is why we would like to see this transition take place in an orderly manner, without having any negative sudden impact on overall peace and stability in this region," said Ban.

Some U.S. and German media reported that Mubarak could leave for Germany where he has had medical treatment in recent years. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told Reuters he would not speculate on such reports.

(Additional reporting by Michele Sani, Christine Vouvekena and Alexandra Hudson; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Husband: Giffords would embrace flight decision

HOUSTON – The astronaut husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said Friday his wounded wife would embrace his decision to rocket into space in two months and he expects her to be well enough to be at his launch.

Space shuttle commander Mark Kelly refused to say whether the congresswoman took part in his decision and declined to go into details about her condition or whether she can communicate.

"I know her very well and she would be very comfortable with the decision that I made," Kelly told reporters.

His decision, announced Friday, comes just four weeks after Giffords was shot in the head outside a Tucson, Ariz., supermarket. His choice to lead space shuttle Endeavour's final voyage was made easier, he said, by his wife's rapid progress in rehab.

The 46-year-old astronaut said he never imagined in the immediate aftermath of the shooting that he would ever fly the two-week mission. He immediately quit training after the Jan. 8 shooting.

Kelly said he told her mother there was no way he'd leave Giffords' side. Gloria Giffords responded, "What, are you kidding me?"

Within two weeks, Giffords was transferred to TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston, and that's when he started reconsidering. He weighed how much time he could spend with her, and how much he needed to be with his crew at Johnson Space Center on the outskirts of Houston.

"So that's a debate I had with myself," he said. The fact that she's busy all day in rehab was key, he added.

Kelly said their parents, siblings and his teenage daughters were "completely unanimous."

"Everybody felt that this was the right thing for me to do," he said.

Kelly said any critics of his decision don't know his wife.

"She is a big supporter of my career, a big supporter of NASA," he said.

Giffords' bullet wound was devastating. Though doctors described her early progress as remarkable, they have said very little about her condition. Houston doctors are not giving updates.

In the first several days after the shooting, she gave a thumbs up and was able to stand with help. She massaged her husband's neck, picked out colors on an iPad and playfully took the ring off a nurse's finger. Friends and Kelly described her as able to understand them.

But rehab experts say her progress will be slow, and the head of the hospital where she's staying said doctors will help her reach "a new normal."

No one has yet reported that Giffords has spoken or made sounds. She can swallow and breathe on her own and follows commands to lift an arm or a leg.

Kelly said a doctor told him she's doing better than 99 percent of other people with this type of injury. He said he's not providing any updates on her condition to avoid speculation by strangers.

"It's not something I feel comfortable talking about," he said.

When asked if Giffords might be well enough to attend his launch, he replied: "Absolutely. I have every intention that she'll be there for the launch. I've already talked to her doctors about it."

Giffords, 40, was meeting with constituents when she was gunned down. Six people were killed and 13 were injured in the rampage; a 22-year-old suspect is in custody.

Kelly's space mission will be Endeavour's final flight and the fourth for him. He will lead a veteran, all-male crew to the International Space Station.

A Navy captain, he entered the astronaut corps in 1996, along with his identical twin Scott, who's currently circling the planet as the space station commander.

Two astronauts now in management positions sat at Kelly's side during the 47-minute news conference, televised live on NASA TV. They had chosen a backup commander just in case. After Kelly approached them a week ago about rejoining his crew, they discussed it with NASA flight surgeons as well as Giffords' doctors. They told him to wait a week and try easing back into training, to see how it would feel being apart from his wife. He flew training jets twice this past week, did a four-hour launch simulation and even went out of town.

In the end, NASA officials agreed he was ready to return to the shuttle commander's seat. Chief astronaut Peggy Whitson explained that it's better to fly someone who's been training for the past 18 months, like Kelly has, than to plug in someone new.

There's considerable training between now and the April 19 launch target date, almost certainly with long hours and few days off for the crew. The six astronauts will go into quarantine a week before the launch, with limited access to family.

Kelly acknowledged that he considered what would happen to Giffords and the rest of his family if he died on the mission.

"Spaceflight is a risky business. Apparently so is being a member of Congress. We each take risks everyday in our lives," he said.

He assured his bosses he will not change his mind about flying, no matter what happens between now and then. When he resumes training Monday, he'll face a longer work commute. He's moved into a friend's home in downtown Houston to be closer to Giffords' hospital. As for when he's in orbit, he said he'll make do with e-mail updates and his mother-in-law will make any necessary decisions about his wife's care while he's gone. By then, his brother will be back home and lending support.

The mood in the news auditorium at the space center was subdued. Before the event began, Kelly read over some note cards and sipped water. He took no questions from any of the 20 gathered journalists once the news conference ended, quickly leaving the room.

He wore a blue wrist band that bore a peace sign, a heart and the name "Gabby."

Kelly's mission already was set to be one of the highest profile shuttle flights ever. It will be Endeavour's last voyage and the next-to-last for the entire 30-year shuttle program. The shuttle will deliver a $2 billion physics experiment by a Nobel Prize winner.

Endeavour was originally scheduled to launch last July, but was bumped into 2011 because the experiment wasn't ready.

A former colleague of Kelly's said she respects his choice.

"I'm not going to second-guess his decision for anything," said former space shuttle pilot Susan Still Kilrain. "I'm sure it's the decision that Gabby would have wanted him to make."

Susan Hileman, who was wounded in the Tucson shooting, was also supportive. She was holding 9-year-old Christina Green's hand when the gunfire erupted. The girl was killed.

"I'm sure this decision was ... right for him and for them," said Hileman, who was shot three times. "He's kind and thoughtful and he loves his wife as much as my husband loves me, which is a lot, and we're both lucky women to have such strong men in our lives."

Rabbi Stephanie Aaron, who performed the marriage ceremony for Giffords and Kelly in 2007, said the couple has been communicating but she did not elaborate. They have a strong history of supporting one another, she noted.

"My sense is that he sat with her and they made the decision together," Aaron said.

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Aerospace Writer Marcia Dunn reported from Cape Canaveral, Fla. AP writer Amanda Lee Myers in Phoenix and video producer Tom Ritchie in Washington contributed to this report.

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Josh Duhamel gives hint on Fergie's halftime show

DALLAS – Actor Josh Duhamel is taking a cue from his wife Fergie and staying mostly quiet about any details of the Black Eyed Peas' Super Bowl halftime show. But he did let out one hint Saturday: She's a little nervous.

"I know in the beginning there's something she's kind of nervous about," Duhamel said, declining to divulge anything else about the band's performance Sunday.

The "Transformers" and "Life as We Know It" star joined other celebrities Saturday in DirecTV's Celebrity Beach Bowl, a flag football game on a sand-filled football field that was held inside a heated tent in downtown Dallas. Other celebrities included Chace Crawford of "Gossip Girl," Kevin Dillon of "Entourage" and Hayden Panettiere.

Duhamel said he'll be at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday to support his wife and her fellow band members. Fergie and Duhamel were married in January 2009, after dating since 2004.

At a news conference earlier this week, Fergie and fellow Black Eyed Peas members held back on discussing too many details about their performance during the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers.

"We're not allowed to give away the set list, but it will be packed with energy — what the Black Eyed Peas bring," Fergie said, adding that it was a "huge honor" to be picked as halftime performer.

"We want everybody to have a good time and just dance, party," band member will.i.am said.

The six-time Grammy award-winning Black Eyed Peas have sold more than 28 million albums worldwide and are known for songs such as "Boom Boom Pow," "I Gotta Feeling" and "Imma Be."

A person familiar with the plans for Sunday's halftime show said R&B star Usher and former Guns 'N Roses guitarist Slash are slated to make surprise appearances. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday, because the musicians' performances were not going to be announced.