Ties with Israel may outlast Turkish anger at raid

By SELCAN HACAOGLU and SUZAN FRASER (AP) – 54 minutes ago

ANKARA, Turkey — Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship has ignited unprecedented anger in Turkey and driven the Jewish state's relations with its most important Muslim ally to their lowest point in six decades.

There are signs, however, that the countries' long-term strategic alliance and military ties will endure.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan furiously told parliament Tuesday that the "bloody massacre" of at least four Turkish activists among nine passengers slain by Israeli naval commandos was a turning point in the long-standing alliance.

"Nothing will be the same again," Erdogan said, gesturing angrily, his voice shaking at times.

Thousands of Turks staged protests across the country and pockets of demonstrators shouted "down with Israel!" near the Israeli ambassador's residence — an unusual sight in one of the capital's richest districts.

The pro-Islamic newspaper Yeni Safak described the Israeli troops as "The children of Hitler" in a banner headline.

Japanese PM Hatoyama to offer resignation

Yukio Hatoyama has said he wanted to step down as Japan's prime minister as his government has failed to fulfill its election pledges concerning the relocation of a U.S. military base in Okinawa, the NHK TV channel has said.

The government had pledged that the military base would be relocated "outside of the country, or, at least, outside of the prefecture" of Okinawa, the TV channel said. However, after eight months of negotiations, a decision was made to relocate the base within the prefecture.

Hatoyama is expected to announce his resignation at an emergency plenary meeting of Japan's Democratic Party later in the day, NHK reported.

Rights activist: Cuba starts relocating jailed dissidents

By David Ariosto, CNN

Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- Cuba has begun moving some of its jailed dissidents to prisons that are closer to their homes, according to Elizardo Sanchez, head of Cuba's independent Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

Sanchez said he believes it may be the "beginning of a process" that could lead to better prison conditions for additional dissidents.

The move signals one of the first indications of a softening in treatment toward the country's estimated 200 political prisoners, following a rare meeting between President Raul Castro and the island's Catholic church leaders last month.

Citizen science 'can safeguard birds' future'

By Mark Kinver

Science and environment reporter, BBC News

Encouraging people to record everyday sightings of common bird species could help limit future extinctions, an international study suggests.

It concludes that large, long-running records are needed to show how numbers and distribution change over time.

The authors add that the internet could allow people to log their sightings on line, and urge websites to standardise the way data is collated.

The findings have been published in the journal PLoS Biology.

Lead author Elizabeth Boakes said millions of people enjoyed birdwatching, and data collected by the "twitchers" could be vital for professional scientists in the future.

"There is a wealth of untapped data that could be made available for conservationists," explained Dr Boakes, a research associate for the Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc) Centre for Population Biology at Imperial College London.

Transcript reveals last moments of doomed flight

By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -- Pilots were warned of potential danger at least eight times in about 30 seconds before a Polish jet crashed in Russia in April, killing President Lech Kaczynski and about 100 others.

A transcript that the Polish government released Tuesday shows that an automated warning system sounded the alarm several times before the Tupolev-154 crashed in western Russia.

S. Korea diplomat to visit Russia to discuss Cheonan crisis

A senior South Korean diplomat will arrive in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss rising tensions on the Korean peninsula following the sinking of the Cheonan corvette in the Yellow Sea, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Head of the staff on issues of peace an exchange on the Korean Peninsula Vee Son Nak will visit Moscow on June 2-4 to discuss questions of interest to both parties, including the Cheonan situation," the ministry said.

It said the Korean diplomat is expected to hold talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin.

Moscow unveils Tsereteli sculpture commemorating Beslan victims

A monument by controversial Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli to commemorate the those killed in the 2004 Beslan school siege was unveiled in downtown Moscow on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Russian Academy of Arts told RIA Novosti.

Terrorists attacked Belsan's school No. 1 on September 1, 2004, when parents, teachers and pupils were gathered for the first day of term. The school was held in a three-day siege in which at least 334 people, including 186 children, were killed.

Lithuania calls for full economic integration of Russian Kaliningrad with EU

The Baltic Nuclear Power Plant, under construction in Russia's western exclave of Kaliningrad, will only receive sufficient demand for its energy supplies if Kaliningrad is integrated into the EU economy, the Lithuanian Energy Minister said.

In late February, Russia began construction on the two-unit Baltic Power Plant in Kaliningrad in a bid to combat an increasing energy crisis in the region. The first unit is to go into full production in 2016, with the second to follow in 2018.

The constructors of the plant have not ruled out exporting nuclear power to the EU market, including the Baltic States.

Saakashvili expresses condolences over death of Soviet-era celebrated poet

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has expressed his condolences over the death of one of the most celebrated Soviet-era poets, denounced by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev as a "bourgeois formalist".

Voznesensky, who along with a generation of liberal-minded artists known as "children of the 1960s" enthusiastically helped Khrushchev dismantle Stalinism in the Soviet Union, died on Tuesday at the age of 77.

"Georgia has always considered Voznesensky and his poetry part of its culture," Saakashvili said in a letter to the poet's widow, Zoya Boguslavskaya, adding that the poet's "love for Georgia and the Georgian people has improved our self-image".

"He united the Georgian and Russian people through his art," the letter said.

Saakashvili said Voznesensky had lived as a "real member of the Russian intelligentsia" as "he was able to defend freedom and his own art from suppression".

Lithuanian parliament supports Georgia's territorial integrity

The Lithuanian parliament has adopted a resolution supporting Georgia's territorial integrity and calling for the establishment of autonomy in the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the parliament's press service has said.

A total of 55 members of the 141-seat Seimas supported the resolution, which was initiated by 76 MPs. Nine lawmakers voted against it, and 23 abstained from voting.

More carcinogens in American cigarettes, the CDC says

Cigarette-smoking Americans receive higher doses of the most potent carcinogens than do smokers in many foreign countries because of variations in the way tobacco is processed for cigarettes, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. American cigarettes are typically made from "American blend" tobacco, a specific blend that, because of growing and curing practices, contains higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines. The most popular Canadian, Australian and British brands, in contrast, are made from "bright" tobacco, which is lighter in color and cured differently.

The study was designed primarily to correlate how well levels of the chemicals in cigarettes correlate with levels of their metabolites in smokers' urine. The data about exposure to the chemicals in different countries were an added benefit. The CDC team enlisted 126 regular smokers in Australia, Canada, Britian and, in the U.S., in New York and Minesota. All smoked one brand routinely, typically the most popular brands in their country.  Smokers in Minnesota smoked Marlboro, Newport, Marlboro Light and Camel Light, while those in New York smoked Marlboro, Newport, Newport Light, Camel Light and Marlboro Menthol.

The team focused on the most lethal carcinogen in the tobacco smoke, 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and its primary metabolite in urine, known informally as NNAL.  They collected cigarette butts from each smoker over a 24-hour period and analyzed them for the content of NNK, an indicator of how much of the carcinogen the smokers were exposed to. They also collected urine and measured levels of NNAL.  The team reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention that the amount of NNAL in urine was directly related to the amount in the cigarette butts and that significantly higher levels were found in U.S. smokers, with levels in New York higher than those in Minnesota. The lowest levels were found in Australia and Canada, while the British smokers displayed intermediate levels.

Crews probe Guatemala sinkhole as neighbors flee

By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA (AP)

GUATEMALA CITY — A cavernous and almost perfectly round sinkhole swallowed an entire intersection in Guatemala City during a tropical storm, spooking people in the neighborhood but exciting geologists.

The hole is 66 feet (20 meters) across and plunges nearly 100 feet (30 meters) deep.

Geologists said Tuesday that the circular shape suggested a cave formation underneath, but what exactly caused the sinkhole was still a mystery.

Brazil will oppose, but respect, Iran sanctions

By MARCO SIBAJA (AP)

BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil's foreign minister said Tuesday that despite the nation's strong opposition to any new sanctions on Iran, it would respect them if they are approved.

Foreign Minister Celso Amorim spoke before a Senate committee to explain Brazil's role in an Iranian nuclear fuel-swap deal it helped broker with Turkey.

"Brazil meticulously respects the sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council against Iran," he said. "If there are sanctions, even if Brazil is not in favor, we're going to respect them".

Both Amorim and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have been outspoken in their opposition to potential new sanctions.

Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, but the West fears it is geared toward nuclear weapons.

Maritime Forum 2010 declared a success

By SHAHEEN NAZAR | ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: The Saudi Maritime Forum 2010 concluded here with delegates as well as exhibitors and participants expressing satisfaction at the outcome of the forum’s three days of deliberations.

“The initiative to involve the international maritime community was a welcome move. It provided an opportunity to the Kingdom as well as international players to exchange ideas and come closer for mutual benefit,” said Peter M. Swift, managing director of Intertanko, a global organization of tanker owners engaged in the shipment of oil.

Swift, one of the delegates at the forum who had come from London, said that since Saudi Arabia is a leading oil supplier and an important member of the international maritime community, any development here has a global impact. He added that the forum was an opportunity for the Saudi maritime industry to project itself on the global level.

“Both sides are looking at each other and trying to understand each other’s viewpoint,” he added.

Many of the delegates, including Swift, were of the opinion that the level of participation in the forum was satisfactory as the recession-hit maritime industry has just started to recover. If all goes well, next year’s event will attract even more people outside the Kingdom.

S. Africa ruling alliance faces split over corruption

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa's powerful labour federation Tuesday warned its historic alliance with the ruling ANC will be at risk if its leader is disciplined for speaking out against top-level corruption.

Zwelinzima Vavi, the leader of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has angered the ruling party by criticising President Jacob Zuma and his cabinet for not investigating allegedly corrupt ministers.

The African National Congress (ANC) has said it plans to take disciplinary action against Vavi, who is also an ANC member.

"If the decision is allowed to stand it will create a terrible precedent which would spell the end of the alliance," Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven warned in a statement.

He said the decision was unprecedented in the history of the alliance between the ANC, Cosatu and South African Communist Party.

Govt looks at direct role for Army against Naxals

NEW DELHI: The government is veering around to expanding the role of the armed forces in the ongoing anti-Naxal operations, with a hard look even being taken at whether they should be "directly deployed'' in the fight against the Maoists. 

While an enhancement of their present surveillance, logistical and training mandate is a certainty, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting likely on Thursday will take the final call on whether to enlist the armed forces in a more direct combat role. 

The decision will be influenced as much by political considerations as security imperatives. Yet, the possibility of armed forces being asked to take on the Left-wing extremists is no longer being summarily dismissed like before.

David Miliband wins backing of Alistair Darling in Labour leadership race

With 82 MPs still to nominate choice, former chancellor says Miliband could re-engage party with public

Allegra Stratton, political correspondent

David Miliband tonight received a boost in his campaign to become the next Labour leader when he gained the backing of the former chancellor, Alistair Darling.

Darling said he "believed strongly" the former foreign secretary was the right choice to lead Labour "for opposition and then back to power", in a period he described as crucial for the party.

In a letter to his Edinburgh South West constituency party, Darling said: "David is a leader … He has the judgment and gravitas to make tough decisions … we don't know what will happen with the coalition government, the tensions in it are becoming clear … I have seen David up close – I know he can lead".

The endorsement means that Miliband now has the backing of both the men who occupied the big offices of state below prime minister.

Citi cuts up to 600 CitiFinancial jobs

(Reuters) - Citigroup Inc's (C.N) CitiFinancial unit will shut 330 of its U.S. branches and cut between 500 and 600 jobs, in an effort to cut costs at the business and make it more attractive to potential buyers.

Citigroup said on Tuesday that it would shut about 18 percent of CitiFinancial's 1,833 U.S. branches and stop making loans at another 182 branches.

The decision to close or stop making loans at the various branches depends on consumer demand and regional economies, Mary McDowell, the Baltimore, Maryland unit's chief executive officer, said in an interview on Tuesday.

Burundi ex-rebel leader Agathon Rwasa quits elections

Five opposition candidates have withdrawn from presidential polls in Burundi due to take place on 28 June.

They include the former rebel leader Agathon Rwasa, who was widely thought to be the key challenger to the current President Pierre Nkurunziza.

All had called for the resignation of Burundi's electoral commission following local polls last month, which they say were fraudulent.

Gaza flotilla deaths: pressure builds on Israel for full inquiry

Soldiers 'shot to kill', claim activists in accounts that differ sharply from those of Israelis

Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem

More than 600 pro-Palestinian activists were tonight locked up in an Israeli prison as calls grew for a full, impartial and independent inquiry into the commando raid on their flotilla which left nine dead and dozens injured.

First accounts from activists on board the ships began to emerge today with some claiming the Israeli forces who stormed the largest ship in the flotilla – the Mavi Marmara – shot to kill and used electric stun guns against them.

The accounts differed sharply from those coming from Israeli politicians and military, who said the soldiers were provoked into violence. A spokesman said it had been a measure of "last resort" after its troops had found themselves in a "lynching" when they landed on the ship.

"Este es el mejor ejemplo de que Israel siente que está por encima de la ley"

La Liga Árabe se reúne de urgencia para debatir sobre el ataque de Israel y cuenta con la asistencia del embajador turco en El Cairo

NURIA TESÓN | El Cairo 01/06/2010

Los representantes de los 22 países miembros de la Liga Árabe se encuentran en El Cairo en una reunión urgente en la que analizarán la situación del conflicto árabe-israelí tras el asalto del lunes a la Flotilla de la Libertad. Un acto que la organización panárabe tildó el mismo día del suceso en un comunicado de "crimen" y de "acción terrorista".

El encuentro ha empezado con una declaración del embajador turco en El Cairo, Husyam Armi Rotsalt, que ha sido invitado de forma extraordinaria a unirse a los miembros de la Liga. Sentado a la derecha del secretario general de la organización, Amer Mussa, el turco desgranó los argumentos que han llevado a su Gobierno a retirar a su embajador de Tel Aviv.

"Dado que la agresión se ha producido en aguas internacionales se trata de un ataque contra el derecho internacional", señaló Husyam. "Es una violación flagrante de la ley internacional", afirmó el diplomático turco, quien concluyó que es necesario que "el mundo endurezca su discurso".

Walcott omitted from World Cup squad

Four years after earning a sensational selection for the 2006 World Cup, Theo Walcott has been left out of Fabio Capello's England squad for this year's tournament in South Africa.

Walcott has endured an injury-troubled time since scoring his memorable hat-trick against Croatia to launch England's qualifying campaign in September 2008.

Shoulder, back, knee and hamstring problems restricted Walcott to just 15 starting appearances for Arsenal this term.

Tropical storm Agatha blows giant hole in capital

A mind-boggling and dramatic picture – and completely genuine, as an enormous hole was blown open in the middle of Guatemala's capital by a tropical storm.

The 60-metre deep sinkhole swallowed up a three-storey building, killing at least one man.

Tropical storm Agatha is to blame for the giant crater. The deadly storm brought torrential rains to the Central American country, causing deadly mudslides and flash floods.

Meteorologists reported that the capital Guatemala City saw 108mm of rain in a single day, as much as it normally gets in a month.

Agatha has already killed 150 people in Central America – 123 in Guatemala, 17 in Honduras and at least nine in El Salvador.

Israel begins releasing flotilla activists as aid reaches Gaza

By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -- Israel began releasing activists detained from a Gaza aid flotilla Tuesday as humanitarian cargo aboard the ships was unloaded and taken into the blockaded Palestinian territory.

Israel's moves came as the Jewish state came under blistering international criticism, especially from Turkey, its closest Muslim ally.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of a "bloody massacre".

"We see clear murder taking place, and we see an aggressive country" that's not regretting this, Erdogan said Tuesday in a parliamentary address. "We're sick and tired of your lies. Be honest".

Also Tuesday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak approved the opening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt for humanitarian purposes, state-owned television reported.

The border crossing linking Egypt to Gaza will be kept open for only a few days, Palestinian officials said.