World/Nation Briefs 5.1.2012
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — May Day moved beyond its roots as an international workers’ holiday to a day of international protest Tuesday, with rallies throughout Asia demanding wage increases and marches planned across Europe over government-imposed austerity measures.
Europeans will take to the streets to protest against the measures that are being blamed for a big increase in the number of unemployed, particularly in Spain where one in four people is out of work.
In the United States, demonstrations, strikes and acts of civil disobedience are planned, including what could be the country’s most visible Occupy rallies since the anti-Wall Street encampments came down in the fall.
In Asia, thousands of May Day protesters in the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan demanded hikes in pay that they say has not kept up with rising consumer prices, while also calling for lower school fees and expressing a variety of other gripes.
In Moscow, around 100,000 people — including President Dmitry Medvedev and president-elect Vladimir Putin — took part in the main march through the city center.
———
1 year on from raid that killed Osama bin Laden, no answers from Pakistan on who helped him
ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan (AP) — One year since U.S. commandos flew into this Pakistani army town and killed Osama bin Laden, Islamabad has failed to answer tough questions over whether its security forces were protecting the world’s most wanted terrorist.
Partly as a result, fallout from the raid still poisons relations between Washington and Pakistan, where anti-American sentiment, support for Islamist extremism and anger at the violation of sovereignty in the operation can be summed up by a Twitter hashtag doing the rounds: 02MayBlackDay.
The Pakistani government initially welcomed the raid that killed bin Laden in his three-story compound, but within hours the mood changed as it became clear that Pakistan’s army was cut out of the operation. Any discussions over how bin Laden managed to stay undetected in Pakistan were drowned out in anger at what the army portrayed as a treacherous act by a supposed ally.
That bin Laden was living with his family near Pakistan’s version of West Point — not in a cave in the mountains as many had guessed — raised eyebrows in the West. The Pakistani army was already accused of playing both sides in the campaign against militancy, providing some support against al-Qaida but keeping the Afghan Taliban as strategic allies.
A week after the raid, President Barack Obama said bin Laden had a ‘‘support network’’ in Pakistan and the country must investigate how he evaded capture. Pakistan responded by announcing the formation of a committee to investigate bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan as well as the circumstances surrounding the U.S. raid.
———
On taxes, health care and government’s role, Obama and Romney offer distinct choices to voters
WASHINGTON (AP) — For the better part of a year, Mitt Romney has tethered himself to an array of positions designed for the Republican presidential primaries, stances that put him to the right of where he’s been through much of his career and raise questions about where he really wants to go. President Barack Obama’s politicking has tacked to the left, thanks to all those speeches to Democratic fundraisers and other activist-heavy events that play up the liberal in him.
Now, though, it’s time for both politicians to start maximizing their appeal to the broad electorate, a task Obama had the luxury of starting early as the incumbent without an intra-party struggle to settle. And as they compete for that middle ground, the essential differences between them may become harder to see.
Those differences surely exist. Obama and his Republican challenger are offering voters a distinct choice on taxes, a sharp disagreement over health care and a classic ideological divide on social issues that neither candidate seems eager to talk about. So, too, Obama has shown he believes in the power of the purse — or the power of debt — to right an economic downturn in ways that Republicans find hard to swallow.
Take taxes. Romney and Obama are at odds over whether low taxes on the wealthy help fuel the engine of economic growth or are an unfair giveaway to people who don’t need it.
That’s far more than a debating-society point. Despite the substantial tax cuts Obama has supported since becoming president, he wants to push even more than in 2008 to raise taxes on the rich and on companies that outsource jobs. Romney wants lower rates for all incomes and no special tax penalties on corporate behavior.
———
No comment: After prostitution scandal Secret Service emphasizes ’secret’ part of its mission
WASHINGTON (AP) — After two weeks of disturbing revelations about a tawdry prostitution scandal, the Secret Service and its supporters are circling the wagons to restore the ‘‘secret’’ part of its mission.
Retired agents have been instructed to stop talking to reporters. Secret Service agents are dismantling Facebook accounts, hanging up on reporters and notifying headquarters — even calling police — when journalists knock on their doors at home for interviews about the investigation.
‘‘What purpose do these revelations, true or exaggerated, serve? What ever happened to one’s pride in being discreet and keeping a confidence?’’ asked the president of the Association of Former Agents of the U.S. Secret Service, Pete Cavicchia, in an email to members. Cavicchia, head of a New York-based security and investigations firm, praised retired agents who declined interviews, urged others to ‘‘exercise the proper caution’’ and added, ‘‘We as an organization and individually do not have to add to the damage and speculation at this time.’’
Cavicchia said Monday that the email speaks for itself.
The scandal and what it’s revealed about the culture inside the Secret Service have been a shock to an agency that is famously discreet. More than a dozen Secret Service agents contacted by The Associated Press have abruptly hung up or declined to return multiple messages to discuss their agency and former coworkers. One reported it to headquarters when an AP reporter visited his home in the evening; some retired officials who were interviewed quickly notified headquarters about what questions reporters were asking.
———
Supporter: China police admit blind activist’s escape was legal, despite local security cordon
BEIJING (AP) — Since blind activist Chen Guangcheng was being held under illegal house arrest by local Chinese officials, his only offense in escaping from his rural home has been to embarrass his captors. Even police in Beijing seem to acknowledge this, saying he broke no laws, according to his supporters.
Chen, a campaigner who exposed forced abortions and other abuses, made a surprising escape from house arrest, through fields and forest, more than a week ago to the presumed custody of U.S. diplomats. Security forces and officials have reacted angrily, detaining several of his supporters for questioning, including Beijing-based activist and Chen’s friend, Hu Jia.
However, Hu said Tuesday that the two police officers who questioned him in Beijing acknowledged that Chen, as well as two other activists who helped him flee his guarded farmhouse in eastern China, did not act illegally.
‘‘They are all free citizens,’’ Hu quoting the police officers as saying. ‘‘For them to come to Beijing and so on, there is nothing illegal about it. They are free to do so. They did not do anything wrong, they have no legal trouble. We just want to understand the situation and verify it.’’
Beijing police had no immediate response to a faxed request for comment.
———
Santorum wants assurances from Romney before he publicly backs one-time bitter rival
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Santorum wants to ensure the GOP’s policy platform represents conservatives’ interests. Newt Gingrich wants help retiring his campaign debt and repairing his reputation.
Both Republicans are expected to endorse their former rival Mitt Romney — and signal to their backers to fall in line behind the party’s presumptive nominee — but each wants assurances that Romney will deliver for them. Neither is rushing toward the task.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t appear that Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is going to go that way. Paul is still in the race and hasn’t yet recognized Romney as the party’s nominee. The tea party favorite and former Libertarian presidential nominee seems unlikely to endorse given deep differences with Romney on economic and foreign policy issues.
Romney plans to meet Santorum on Friday and Gingrich plans to endorse him this week, an end-of-primary dance that happens every four years once the party settles on a nominee.
Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, quit the race April 10 but has stopped short of publicly embracing Romney as the GOP’s standard bearer after a bitter primary season that featured Santorum calling Romney ‘‘the worst Republican in the country’’ to run against Obama.
———
103 bodies pulled from river after ferry capsizes in northeast India; at least 100 missing
BURABURI, India (AP) — Army divers and rescue workers pulled 103 bodies out of a river after a packed ferry capsized in heavy winds and rain in remote northeast India, an official said Tuesday.
At least 100 people were still missing Tuesday after the ferry carrying about 350 people broke into two pieces late Monday, said Pritam Saikia, the district magistrate of Goalpara district.
Deep sea divers and disaster rescue soldiers worked through the night to pull bodies from the Brahmaputra River in Assam state. Rescue operations were centered around the tiny village of Buraburi near the India-Bangladesh border.
Heavy winds and rain hampered rescue operations, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Assam’s top elected official.
‘‘I will be ordering an inquiry into the cause of the accident, but right now our priority is to account for every person who was on the ferry,’’ Gogoi said.
———
No clear front-runner emerges ahead of Tony Award nominations, though ’Spider-Man’ still looms
NEW YORK (AP) — God might not be eligible for a Tony Award nomination on Tuesday, but stories about him are jostling for attention on Broadway. And even Spider-Man might be redeemed.
Nominations would be heavenly for ‘‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’’ ‘’Godspell’’ or ‘‘Leap of Faith,’’ joining last year’s ‘‘Sister Act’’ and ‘‘The Book of Mormon’’ to add to the unusual cluster of religious-themed shows around Times Square. (Nuns also appeared in one scene of ‘‘Ghost the Musical,’’ for the record.)
Unlike last year when ‘‘The Book of Mormon’’ was a heavy favorite, this season has no obvious front-runner. And plays got a bit more attention than musicals, usually Broadway’s bread-and-butter.
‘‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,’’ the former punch-line and now top-earning hit, might contend, even though it’s been around for a long time. The reason is simple: It began previews in November 2010 and endured six delays in opening night and a record-breaking preview period before finally officially opening June 14, 2011 — missing the last Tony Awards eligibility cut off, meaning it can be nominated this year.
Julie Taymor, the co-book writer and director, is eligible for a directing nod, although she has sued her former employers over copyright issues. What happens if she and her one-time collaborators, U2’s Bono and The Edge, all earn nods might make for an awkward award season.
———
Reigning champion Mavericks head back to Dallas in hole after 2 close losses to Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Last postseason, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks rode a wave of late-game comebacks to win the franchise’s first NBA title.
Now the Oklahoma City Thunder are showing the Mavs how it feels to be on the other side.
Russell Westbrook scored 29 points, Kevin Durant added 26 in an off-shooting performance and Oklahoma City clawed out a 102-99 victory over Dallas on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
The Mavericks led in the final minute in both road games so far, but couldn’t even manage a split as the Thunder gutted out two wins by a total of four points.
‘‘We just haven’t made enough plays. It is tough, there’s no question about it,’’ Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. ‘‘We’ve had opportunities and we haven’t cashed in. They’ve made one more play than we have in both games. That’s how playoff basketball is.’’
———
Stoudemire cuts left hand in postgame incident after Heat top Knicks 104-94 in Game 2
MIAMI (AP) — Drops of blood stained the carpet leading up to the back entrance of the New York Knicks’ locker room. The glass portion of a nearby fire-extinguisher case was quickly replaced. And Amare Stoudemire needed doctors and paramedics to treat a cut on his left hand.
Game 2 probably wasn’t all the Knicks lost in Miami on Monday night.
Stoudemire left the building with his arm in a sling and what appeared to be a bulky wrap over his left hand, long after the Heat took control of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series with a 104-94 win over the Knicks, going up 2-0.
It resumes Thursday in New York, and although the Knicks were saying nothing for certain, it seems most unlikely that Stoudemire would be able to play.
‘‘I am so mad at myself right now, I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start,’’ Stoudemire wrote on Twitter after the Knicks left the arena.
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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — May Day moved beyond its roots as an international workers’ holiday to a day of international protest Tuesday, with rallies throughout Asia demanding wage increases and marches planned across Europe over government-imposed austerity measures.
Europeans will take to the streets to protest against the measures that are being blamed for a big increase in the number of unemployed, particularly in Spain where one in four people is out of work.
In the United States, demonstrations, strikes and acts of civil disobedience are planned, including what could be the country’s most visible Occupy rallies since the anti-Wall Street encampments came down in the fall.
In Asia, thousands of May Day protesters in the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan demanded hikes in pay that they say has not kept up with rising consumer prices, while also calling for lower school fees and expressing a variety of other gripes.
In Moscow, around 100,000 people — including President Dmitry Medvedev and president-elect Vladimir Putin — took part in the main march through the city center.
———
1 year on from raid that killed Osama bin Laden, no answers from Pakistan on who helped him
ABBOTTABAD, Pakistan (AP) — One year since U.S. commandos flew into this Pakistani army town and killed Osama bin Laden, Islamabad has failed to answer tough questions over whether its security forces were protecting the world’s most wanted terrorist.
Partly as a result, fallout from the raid still poisons relations between Washington and Pakistan, where anti-American sentiment, support for Islamist extremism and anger at the violation of sovereignty in the operation can be summed up by a Twitter hashtag doing the rounds: 02MayBlackDay.
The Pakistani government initially welcomed the raid that killed bin Laden in his three-story compound, but within hours the mood changed as it became clear that Pakistan’s army was cut out of the operation. Any discussions over how bin Laden managed to stay undetected in Pakistan were drowned out in anger at what the army portrayed as a treacherous act by a supposed ally.
That bin Laden was living with his family near Pakistan’s version of West Point — not in a cave in the mountains as many had guessed — raised eyebrows in the West. The Pakistani army was already accused of playing both sides in the campaign against militancy, providing some support against al-Qaida but keeping the Afghan Taliban as strategic allies.
A week after the raid, President Barack Obama said bin Laden had a ‘‘support network’’ in Pakistan and the country must investigate how he evaded capture. Pakistan responded by announcing the formation of a committee to investigate bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan as well as the circumstances surrounding the U.S. raid.
———
On taxes, health care and government’s role, Obama and Romney offer distinct choices to voters
WASHINGTON (AP) — For the better part of a year, Mitt Romney has tethered himself to an array of positions designed for the Republican presidential primaries, stances that put him to the right of where he’s been through much of his career and raise questions about where he really wants to go. President Barack Obama’s politicking has tacked to the left, thanks to all those speeches to Democratic fundraisers and other activist-heavy events that play up the liberal in him.
Now, though, it’s time for both politicians to start maximizing their appeal to the broad electorate, a task Obama had the luxury of starting early as the incumbent without an intra-party struggle to settle. And as they compete for that middle ground, the essential differences between them may become harder to see.
Those differences surely exist. Obama and his Republican challenger are offering voters a distinct choice on taxes, a sharp disagreement over health care and a classic ideological divide on social issues that neither candidate seems eager to talk about. So, too, Obama has shown he believes in the power of the purse — or the power of debt — to right an economic downturn in ways that Republicans find hard to swallow.
Take taxes. Romney and Obama are at odds over whether low taxes on the wealthy help fuel the engine of economic growth or are an unfair giveaway to people who don’t need it.
That’s far more than a debating-society point. Despite the substantial tax cuts Obama has supported since becoming president, he wants to push even more than in 2008 to raise taxes on the rich and on companies that outsource jobs. Romney wants lower rates for all incomes and no special tax penalties on corporate behavior.
———
No comment: After prostitution scandal Secret Service emphasizes ’secret’ part of its mission
WASHINGTON (AP) — After two weeks of disturbing revelations about a tawdry prostitution scandal, the Secret Service and its supporters are circling the wagons to restore the ‘‘secret’’ part of its mission.
Retired agents have been instructed to stop talking to reporters. Secret Service agents are dismantling Facebook accounts, hanging up on reporters and notifying headquarters — even calling police — when journalists knock on their doors at home for interviews about the investigation.
‘‘What purpose do these revelations, true or exaggerated, serve? What ever happened to one’s pride in being discreet and keeping a confidence?’’ asked the president of the Association of Former Agents of the U.S. Secret Service, Pete Cavicchia, in an email to members. Cavicchia, head of a New York-based security and investigations firm, praised retired agents who declined interviews, urged others to ‘‘exercise the proper caution’’ and added, ‘‘We as an organization and individually do not have to add to the damage and speculation at this time.’’
Cavicchia said Monday that the email speaks for itself.
The scandal and what it’s revealed about the culture inside the Secret Service have been a shock to an agency that is famously discreet. More than a dozen Secret Service agents contacted by The Associated Press have abruptly hung up or declined to return multiple messages to discuss their agency and former coworkers. One reported it to headquarters when an AP reporter visited his home in the evening; some retired officials who were interviewed quickly notified headquarters about what questions reporters were asking.
———
Supporter: China police admit blind activist’s escape was legal, despite local security cordon
BEIJING (AP) — Since blind activist Chen Guangcheng was being held under illegal house arrest by local Chinese officials, his only offense in escaping from his rural home has been to embarrass his captors. Even police in Beijing seem to acknowledge this, saying he broke no laws, according to his supporters.
Chen, a campaigner who exposed forced abortions and other abuses, made a surprising escape from house arrest, through fields and forest, more than a week ago to the presumed custody of U.S. diplomats. Security forces and officials have reacted angrily, detaining several of his supporters for questioning, including Beijing-based activist and Chen’s friend, Hu Jia.
However, Hu said Tuesday that the two police officers who questioned him in Beijing acknowledged that Chen, as well as two other activists who helped him flee his guarded farmhouse in eastern China, did not act illegally.
‘‘They are all free citizens,’’ Hu quoting the police officers as saying. ‘‘For them to come to Beijing and so on, there is nothing illegal about it. They are free to do so. They did not do anything wrong, they have no legal trouble. We just want to understand the situation and verify it.’’
Beijing police had no immediate response to a faxed request for comment.
———
Santorum wants assurances from Romney before he publicly backs one-time bitter rival
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rick Santorum wants to ensure the GOP’s policy platform represents conservatives’ interests. Newt Gingrich wants help retiring his campaign debt and repairing his reputation.
Both Republicans are expected to endorse their former rival Mitt Romney — and signal to their backers to fall in line behind the party’s presumptive nominee — but each wants assurances that Romney will deliver for them. Neither is rushing toward the task.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t appear that Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is going to go that way. Paul is still in the race and hasn’t yet recognized Romney as the party’s nominee. The tea party favorite and former Libertarian presidential nominee seems unlikely to endorse given deep differences with Romney on economic and foreign policy issues.
Romney plans to meet Santorum on Friday and Gingrich plans to endorse him this week, an end-of-primary dance that happens every four years once the party settles on a nominee.
Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, quit the race April 10 but has stopped short of publicly embracing Romney as the GOP’s standard bearer after a bitter primary season that featured Santorum calling Romney ‘‘the worst Republican in the country’’ to run against Obama.
———
103 bodies pulled from river after ferry capsizes in northeast India; at least 100 missing
BURABURI, India (AP) — Army divers and rescue workers pulled 103 bodies out of a river after a packed ferry capsized in heavy winds and rain in remote northeast India, an official said Tuesday.
At least 100 people were still missing Tuesday after the ferry carrying about 350 people broke into two pieces late Monday, said Pritam Saikia, the district magistrate of Goalpara district.
Deep sea divers and disaster rescue soldiers worked through the night to pull bodies from the Brahmaputra River in Assam state. Rescue operations were centered around the tiny village of Buraburi near the India-Bangladesh border.
Heavy winds and rain hampered rescue operations, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Assam’s top elected official.
‘‘I will be ordering an inquiry into the cause of the accident, but right now our priority is to account for every person who was on the ferry,’’ Gogoi said.
———
No clear front-runner emerges ahead of Tony Award nominations, though ’Spider-Man’ still looms
NEW YORK (AP) — God might not be eligible for a Tony Award nomination on Tuesday, but stories about him are jostling for attention on Broadway. And even Spider-Man might be redeemed.
Nominations would be heavenly for ‘‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’’ ‘’Godspell’’ or ‘‘Leap of Faith,’’ joining last year’s ‘‘Sister Act’’ and ‘‘The Book of Mormon’’ to add to the unusual cluster of religious-themed shows around Times Square. (Nuns also appeared in one scene of ‘‘Ghost the Musical,’’ for the record.)
Unlike last year when ‘‘The Book of Mormon’’ was a heavy favorite, this season has no obvious front-runner. And plays got a bit more attention than musicals, usually Broadway’s bread-and-butter.
‘‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,’’ the former punch-line and now top-earning hit, might contend, even though it’s been around for a long time. The reason is simple: It began previews in November 2010 and endured six delays in opening night and a record-breaking preview period before finally officially opening June 14, 2011 — missing the last Tony Awards eligibility cut off, meaning it can be nominated this year.
Julie Taymor, the co-book writer and director, is eligible for a directing nod, although she has sued her former employers over copyright issues. What happens if she and her one-time collaborators, U2’s Bono and The Edge, all earn nods might make for an awkward award season.
———
Reigning champion Mavericks head back to Dallas in hole after 2 close losses to Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Last postseason, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks rode a wave of late-game comebacks to win the franchise’s first NBA title.
Now the Oklahoma City Thunder are showing the Mavs how it feels to be on the other side.
Russell Westbrook scored 29 points, Kevin Durant added 26 in an off-shooting performance and Oklahoma City clawed out a 102-99 victory over Dallas on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
The Mavericks led in the final minute in both road games so far, but couldn’t even manage a split as the Thunder gutted out two wins by a total of four points.
‘‘We just haven’t made enough plays. It is tough, there’s no question about it,’’ Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. ‘‘We’ve had opportunities and we haven’t cashed in. They’ve made one more play than we have in both games. That’s how playoff basketball is.’’
———
Stoudemire cuts left hand in postgame incident after Heat top Knicks 104-94 in Game 2
MIAMI (AP) — Drops of blood stained the carpet leading up to the back entrance of the New York Knicks’ locker room. The glass portion of a nearby fire-extinguisher case was quickly replaced. And Amare Stoudemire needed doctors and paramedics to treat a cut on his left hand.
Game 2 probably wasn’t all the Knicks lost in Miami on Monday night.
Stoudemire left the building with his arm in a sling and what appeared to be a bulky wrap over his left hand, long after the Heat took control of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series with a 104-94 win over the Knicks, going up 2-0.
It resumes Thursday in New York, and although the Knicks were saying nothing for certain, it seems most unlikely that Stoudemire would be able to play.
‘‘I am so mad at myself right now, I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start,’’ Stoudemire wrote on Twitter after the Knicks left the arena.
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