Dunya TV

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• Isaac: Obama declares state of emergency in Louisiana
• Multan: Passengers protest against delay in train
• Zardari seeks greater market access for Pak products
• Mega Ramp skate boarding competition comes to Rio
• Footless boy dreams of becoming soccer star
• Bajaur: 31 militants, 3 soldiers killed in clashes
• No charges in Quran burning, video: US military
• France ready to recognise Syrian opposition govt
• 6 soldiers, 3 Marines punished for misconduct
• Rain halts play for two hours at U.S. Open
• US Taliban fighter battles prison group prayer ban
• Women, Christians named to Egypt president team
• Legal world arms trade worth $8.5b annually: survey
• Age discrimination unproven in Boeing sale: court
• Caged big cats stuck on Paraguay border for two months

Isaac: Obama declares state of emergency in Louisiana Posted: The people of New Orleans on Monday prepared themselves for yet another hurricane -- seven years after the fabled city of jazz was swamped by Hurricane Katrina, which left 1,800 dead.President Barack Obama, no doubt mindful of the bungled handling of that tragedy by his predecessor George W. Bush, declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, allowing federal funds and aid to flow to local authorities.The president also convened a briefing with officials including Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator (FEMA) Craig Fugate, hours before Tropical Storm Isaac was expected to become a Category One hurricane.Katrina left behind a devastating sprawl of destruction and death when it hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005, and a halting emergency response from the Bush administration was a black mark on his second term in office.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its 0000 GMT bulletin that Isaac was about 295 miles (470 kilometers) south-southeast of Mobile, Alabama and packing maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour.A hurricane warning was issued earlier for New Orleans and nearby areas as Isaac churned toward the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, with the storm likely to reach hurricane force late Monday or early Tuesday, and then make landfall.Alabama governor Robert Bentley has ordered mandatory evacuations in Mobile and Baldwin, counties that sit on the Gulf Coast.Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who has recommended voluntary evacuations within the hurricane watch area, urged people to prepare for the worst.If you are in low lying areas and are thinking about evacuating, today is the day to do that, he said Monday. If you plan on hunkering down at home, today is the day to get supplies. I strongly encourage people not to wait, added Jindal, who stayed away from the weather-affected Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Those heeding the call included Tammy Edmondson, who looked anxious as she picked through the grocery shelves at a Target store with her daughter and a friend in tow.Edmonson left town ahead of Katrina and it was a month before she could go home. We had a lot of damage -- were still fixing some of it, she said. FEMA said its National Response Coordination Center had been activated and would handle eventual requests for aid from affected states.The emergency management agency has also deployed four disaster response teams to Gulf states and has moved other resources to pre-positioned command locations closer to the potential storm impact areas.Isaac has been moving slowly so far and was swirling in the Gulf of Mexico about 230 miles (370 kilometers) southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, but the storm is beginning to gather pace, the Miami-based NHC said.Isaac is expected to become a hurricane soon, it said. Dangerous surges in water levels could cause flooding on the coast, with the storm dumping up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain on southeastern Louisiana, southern Alabama, Mississippi and the western Florida panhandle.

Multan: Passengers protest against delay in train Posted: Karachi bound Pakistan Express was 16-hour late due to failure of engine again and again that irked the passengers traveling from Rawalpindi to Karachi. On reaching Multan Railway Station, the passengers started protesting against the Pakistan Railways.Earlier, the passenger launched peaceful protest, demanding replacement of engine. But the non-professional attitude of the Railway administration turned the protest violent.The passengers attacked the train and damaged the engine. They also damaged the building of the station and blocked the track.Police reached the spot and resorted to baton charge to disperse the protestors. The police managed to arrest seven protesters on the occasion.

Zardari seeks greater market access for Pak products Posted: Addressing annual dinner of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association in Islamabad‚ President Asif Ali Zardari said that it was time for international community to think of ways to compensate the countries adversely affected by war on terror. He said the ongoing fight against militancy has inflicted huge damage to Pakistans economy.Zardari said Pakistan is entitled to preferential treatment and greater market access due to its sacrifices in the war against terror. He asked the business community to give their input for economic development to political parties preparing manifesto for next general elections.Lauding twenty-five billion dollars export target by the textile sector he said that there is a potential for one hundred billion dollars. The president acknowledged that there was need to provide enabling environment for growth of the sector and agreed that the interest rate should be brought further down to give boost to the industry.He proposed floating of special textile bonds to provide soft money to textile sector for its development. The president urged exporters to look for other markets to given a meaningful boost to the countrys exports.

Mega Ramp skate boarding competition comes to Rio Posted: The MegaRamp competition, which brings together the worlds best and most daring skateboarders and BMX riders, comes to Rio de Janeiro.The worlds best skateboarders and BMX riders descended on Rio de Janeiro this weekend for the fourth edition of the MegaRamp competition, which sees riders compete on a massive ramp.The ramp, set up at the historical Sambodromo where the Rio carnival parade takes place, was 367 feet long and as tall as a nine storey building.This past weekend athletes from all ages showcased their talent in front of thousands of spectators. The crowd, despite the intense heat, filled the stands to almost its full capacity.Brazilian skateboarder Bob Burnquis was hurt doing a move and walked away from the ramp limping. But he was determined not to let his fans down and to keep on riding.Im injured, it hurts, but I have performed while injured before, so Im going to go out there, do what I have to do, and just put it in Gods hands, he said.As fate would have it, he went on to win the competition on Sunday, to the delight of home fans. Another fan favourite was 11 year old Troy Wood, who despite his young age, was able to hold his own against older competitors.

Footless boy dreams of becoming soccer star Posted: Eleven-year-old Gabriel Muniz is just like most Brazilian boys his age -- he hates homework, chores and dreams of being a soccer star when he grows up.Although he stands out as one of his schools top players, Muniz is unlikely to make it into a conventional team because he was born without feet. His mother Sandra Muniz says her son has always lived a normal life despite his physical limitations.Everyday Muniz wakes up at 6:30 and rides his bicycle to school along with his older brother with whom he shares a bed.Last year he received a donated foot-ankle prosthesis, which he uses on rainy days. His mother cannot afford special treatments and said she was glad her son adapted well to his physical challenges early on.He started walking before he was one. We would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never fell, she said.Playing against boys twice his size, in many ways Muniz outperforms them. The shy boy is popular among his peers and is often chosen to be team captain in gym class.His gym teacher, Jose Lopes, said Muniz may help create opportunities for children like him. The disability only exists inside our heads and he is proving it to everyone; he is challenging the social norms. To this day there isnt a Paralympics 11-a-side football team, but Gabriel is showing this will have to change, because he wants to play 11-a-side football, he said.His best friend, 13-year-old Lucas Santos, said Muniz was a great player. He is skilful, he goes after it (ball), he is fearless, and he knows how to organise plays. He also makes good passes, he said. His popularity doesnt stop with the boys, however.Off the pitch, Muniz has also proved to be a heartthrob. He is a good friend, he is funny, he is smiley..., said his 12-year-old classmate Luana Martins.After his appearance in Brazils most popular sports show on TV Globo network, Muniz was invited to take part in Barcelonas vacation training camp in Saquarema.His story and impressive skills inspired the Spanish clubs managers and he received an invitation to meet his biggest idol Lionel Messi next month.

Bajaur: 31 militants, 3 soldiers killed in clashes Posted: An operation to clear Taliban militants from a volatile area of Pakistans northwest on Monday left 36 dead including three soldiers and two members of a government supported peace committee, officials said.Armed forces had launched the operation to clear the village of Batwar, which lies in the Bajaur tribal district, of Taliban militants who had crossed over from the neighbouring Kunar province of Afghanistan.During the clash, 31 militants were killed while three security personnel embraced shahadat (martyrdom), a senior official of the paramilitary Frontier Corps told AFP.Two members of the peace committee also embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while five security personnel got injured, he said.Most of the area has now been cleared of militants, but the operation still continues to flush out the remaining fighters, another official said. It was not possible to confirm the death toll independently because the far-flung district is inaccessible to media and aid workers.Bajaur is one of seven districts in Pakistans semi-autonomous tribal belt, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have carved out strongholds used to plot attacks on Pakistan.Pakistan has lost more than 3,000 soldiers in the fight against homegrown insurgents but has resisted US pressure to do more to eliminate havens used by those fighting the Americans in Afghanistan.

No charges in Quran burning, video: US military Posted: Six U.S. Army soldiers and three Marines escaped criminal charges for mistakenly burning Qurans and urinating on the corpses of Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, but they received administrative punishments, the officials said Monday.A military investigation concluded that miscommunications, poor guidance and soldiers decisions to take the easy way instead of the right way resulted in the burning of more than 300 Qurans and other religious books at a U.S. base in Afghanistan early this year.U.S. military leaders widely condemned both the Quran burning and the urination, which was captured on video. The Quran burning triggered Afghan riots and retribution killings, including two U.S. troops who were shot by an Afghan soldier and two U.S. military advisers who were gunned down at their desks at the Interior Ministry.The exact punishments were not disclosed Monday, and it was not clear whether the lack of criminal charges would trigger any protests in Afghanistan. Administrative punishments could include demotions, extra duty, forfeiture of pay or a letter in their file. They also could stall future advancement and end military careers.Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said Karzais office would review the decisions and wait until Tuesday to respond. The news on the punishments came late at night in Afghanistan.Afghan officials have claimed the Quran burning was intentional, and the incident reinforced perceptions in the country that Americans are insensitive to the Afghans religion and culture.Discipline against a Navy sailor in the Quran burning was dismissed. The Navy said the sailor was found not guilty of any alleged misconduct. The Marine Corps said it will announce discipline against additional Marines in the urination case at a later date.The investigation report provided new details about the missteps that led to the burning of about 315 religious books and Qurans, which had been were taken from the Parwan Detention Facility. Officials believed that extremists being detained there were using the texts to exchange messages. The religious books and other materials were put in burn bags and were taken to a fire pit used to burn garbage at Bagram Air Field, a major U.S. base north of Kabul.More than 2,000 books, including about 1,200 religious texts and Qurans, were targeted for disposal, but most were saved when an angry crowd of Afghans interceded. Troops estimated that about 100 religious books were destroyed. Others were recovered, but many were damaged.Officials have said repeatedly the Quran burning was not intentional and a mistake. The report released Monday found that service members mishandled Qurans and other religious material and put them in an incinerator. But it concluded that there was no malicious intent to disrespect the Quran or defame the faith of Islam.Instead, it said the burning disaster resulted from miscommunications, ignorance about the handling of Qurans and the failure to provide clear guidance.Specifically, the report found that the service members relied too heavily on one linguists conclusion that the Qurans, which also had militant messages in them, were rewritten versions that were extremist and would not be considered real Qurans. It also said the service members mistakenly interpreted a commanders order to get rid of the books as permission to take them to the burn pit.The report also found that only one of the service members assigned to transport the books to the burn pit knew they were carrying religious books. Even after commanders at the detention center realized a mistake was being made, the troops they dispatched to stop the burning went to the wrong location and didnt find the truck with the books.It was only when a local Afghan at the incinerator noticed that Qurans were being burned that he called for help from other workers, and they turned off the burner and began to douse the flames with water. The three service members disposing of the books became frightened by the growing, angry crowd and rapidly departed the area in the truck, the investigation said.The urination video, which came to light in January and appeared on YouTube, showed four Marines in full combat gear urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban insurgents. On Monday, the Marine Corps revealed that there also were photographs taken at the time.In the video, one of the Marines looked down at the bodies and quipped, Have a good day, buddy. The Marine Corps, in a release Monday, said one Marine pleaded guilty to urinating on the Taliban soldiers and posing for a photograph. Another Marine pleaded guilty to wrongfully videotaping the incident and posing for a photograph, and a third pleaded guilty to failing to report the mistreatment of human casualties and lying about it.The unit involved fought in the southern Afghan province of Helmand for seven months before returning to its home base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in September.

France ready to recognise Syrian opposition govt Posted: French President Francois Hollande urged Syrias divided opposition on Monday to form a provisional government, promising that France would recognize it in hope of accelerating the departure of President Bashar Assads regime as the violence escalates in the Arab country.The French leader, clearly frustrated with reticence from China and Russia in crafting a tougher tack against Assad at the United Nations, staked out unprecedented terrain to jolt opposition leaders into unity both anti-Assad fighters on the ground in Syria and exiles working abroad to end his reign.Hollandes appeal to the opposition underscores a belief in many diplomatic circles that a credible alternative to Assads regime must take shape first in order to expedite the Syrian leaders exit an outcome that France, the U.S. and many other Western powers have sought for months.Syrias opposition remains badly fragmented and it is far from clear whether such a provisional government could be formed anytime soon. But Hollandes statement, believed to be the first of its kind, appeared aimed to give an impetus to the creation of such a government in part because there is no international mandate for stronger action.Many Western nations and Arab countries have called for Assad to leave power, but none has gone so far as to formally recognize the opposition.France asks the Syrian opposition to form a provisional government inclusive and representative that can become the legitimate representative of the new Syria, Hollande said in a speech to Frances corps of ambassadors.We are including our Arab partners to accelerate this step, he said at the presidential palace. France will recognize the provisional government of Syria once it is formed.The conflict in Syria, which began as popular protests in March 2011 and has evolved into a civil war, is estimated by activists to have killed more than 20,000 people. Over the weekend, evidence mounted of mass killings by government forces in the Damascus suburb of Daraya.Echoing similar concerns expressed recently by President Barack Obama, Hollande said France remains very vigilant ... to prevent the use of chemical weapons by the (Assad) regime.Hollande said that any use of chemical weapons to repress Syrias people would provide a legitimate reason for direct intervention by the international community. But France sees no clear indication that Assads forces are taking any steps to employ chemical weapons, a French official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.French officials noted a push for international military action in Syria could prove to be a dilemma for Obama, who is vastly popular in France and up for re-election this fall, because they feel that the U.S. public has little appetite for a new intervention in the Middle East after wars in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan.France also has taken steps to support the creation of free zones for the protection of displaced people inside Syria notably along the lines of a buffer zone idea floated by Turkey, Hollande said.Russia and China have blocked U.N. sanctions against Syria by using their vetoes on the U.N. Security Council. Hollande took issue with that, saying Moscows and Beijings attitude weakens our ability to carry out the mandate conferred on us by the U.N. charter.Syrias opposition has been plagued by divisions and infighting since the start of the uprising last year, and forming a transitional government is fraught with difficulties.Abdelbaset Sieda, the leader of main umbrella opposition group the Syrian National Council, said recently the group was planning and consulting for a transitional government. But several other opposition groups are known to be making similar plans, including a new opposition alliance headed by veteran opposition figure Haitham Maleh.

6 soldiers, 3 Marines punished for misconduct Posted: The Defense Department has given administrative punishments to six Army soldiers for burning Qurans at a U.S. base in Afghanistan, and to three Marines for urinating on the corpses of Taliban insurgents. There were no criminal charges.The Marine Corps says it will announce discipline against other Marines in the urination case later.The two incidents of misconduct, both revealed earlier this year, enraged Afghans, and the Quran burning triggered riots in the street.The exact punishments were not disclosed. Administrative punishments could include demotions, extra duty, forfeiture of pay, or a letter in their file. They could also stall any future advancement and end their military careers.

Rain halts play for two hours at U.S. Open Posted: Play was suspended for about two hours on the opening day of the U.S. Open on Monday when rain showers swept through the National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows.Defending champion and seventh seed Sam Stosur of Australia was one of the few players to reach the second round before the rain came as she crushed Croatias Petra Martic 6-1 6-1.The showers arrived at 1230 ET and halted play on all of the courts as fans raced for cover. Scattered showers were forecast throughout the day although play resumed about 1440 ET.Among those scheduled to play later on Monday were five-time champion and world number one Roger Federer, three-times winner Kim Clijsters and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova.

US Taliban fighter battles prison group prayer ban Posted: A U.S.-born Taliban fighter testified Monday that the U.S. government is forcing him to sin by denying him the right to pray daily with other Muslims in the highly restricted federal prison unit where he is detained.John Walker Lindh testified that the Indiana prison, where hes serving a 20-year sentence for aiding Afghanistans former Taliban government, allows prisoners to eat, talk, play cards and exercise together but bans daily group prayer. He contends this violates a 1993 law barring the government from curtailing inmates religious expression without showing it has a compelling interest.Lindh, 31, adheres to a school of Islam that requires group prayer five times a day, if possible. His testimony came at the beginning of his civil trial seeking to overturn the prisons policy.I believe its obligatory, Lindh said. If youre required to do it in congregation and you dont, then thats a sin. The government maintains that preserving security in the Communications Management Unit, where inmates contact with the outside world is sharply restricted and most of their movements are monitored, gives it the right to limit group activities, including prayer. Group religious activities in the unit are limited to once a week for all faiths, it says.Muslims in the unit are allowed to pray together only once a week, except during the holy month of Ramadan. At other times, they must pray in their individual cells. The self-contained unit houses 43 inmates, 24 of them Muslim. Inmates are under open and covert audio and video surveillance, and except for talks with their attorney, all of their phone calls are monitored. Prisoners arent allowed to touch family members during tightly controlled visits, and they must speak English unless they are reciting ritual prayers in Arabic.Without such tight security, the government claims, the prisoners would be able to conspire with outsiders to commit terrorist or criminal acts.Lindh says he is suing because his religion requires him to oppose injustice. He also challenged the governments contention that allowing prisoners to pray in a group would constitute a security risk, pointing out that prisoners are allowed to engage in other activities together.There are no legitimate security risks by allowing us to pray in congregations, said Lindh. Its absolutely absurd. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2009 by two Muslim inmates in the unit. Lindh joined the lawsuit in 2010, and the case has drawn far more attention. The other plaintiffs have dropped out as they were released from prison or transferred to other units.Lindh had been charged with conspiring to kill Americans and support terrorists, but those charges were dropped in a plea agreement. He is serving a 20-year sentence for supplying services to the now-defunct Taliban government of Afghanistan and carrying explosives for them. He is eligible for release in 2019.

Women, Christians named to Egypt president team Posted: Egypts Islamist president Mohammed Morsi on Monday named a team of 21 advisers and aides that includes three women and two Christians and a large number of Islamist-leaning figures, backing off campaign promises to appoint a Christian and a woman as vice presidents.The move is the latest by Morsi, a longtime member of the Muslim Brotherhood who was inaugurated in late June, to establish his authority and break with the era of ousted President Hosni Mubarak by forming his own leadership.Morsis office has sought to depict him as independent of the Brotherhood and as a leader who wants to bring a wider political spectrum behind him, including liberals but the Brotherhood still holds the preponderance of power in his administration.In midst of a fierce presidential election campaign earlier this year, Morsi sought to broaden his support and allay fears of Brotherhood dominance by promising to appoint a youth, a woman and a Christian to vice president posts. The promise brought an outcry from ultraconservative Islamists known as Salafis who said they would not accept a Christian or woman vice president, since they say neither is allowed to serve as head of state.Since Morsis inauguration, some Brotherhood officials have contended he was forced into the promises, signaling that he would likely back down. Earlier this month, Morsi appointed a senior judge, Mahmoud Mekki, as vice president. When asked, Morsis spokesman Yasser Ali told reporters that there will be only one vice president for the time being.Instead, Ali on Monday announced the formation of Morsis presidential team, which includes four senior aides and a 17-member council of advisers, which includes seven figures seen as political liberals and 10 who have Islamist leanings of various degrees.The rolling back of the promises reflects Morsis growing confidence as a president who holds super powers exceeding those of his predecessors, said Nabil Abdel-Fatah, a scholar with Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.Morsi holds both executive power and legislative authority after he sidelined the top military generals who ruled Egypt after Mubaraks ouster on Feb. 11. 2011. The generals had dissolved parliament and taken on legislative powers, so when they were sidelined, Morsi seized the power to make laws a power he has used once so far.The announcement of the new team has nothing to do with the promises Morsi made before, said Abdel-Fatah. Those chose will pose no challenge to the president ... this is only for cosmetic purposes.Abdel-Fatah said the appointments suggested Morsi does not want to share powers with a vice president. This is just another sign that we are heading to a deadlock with the Brotherhood insisting on monopolizing power, he said.The four senior aides include Pakinam el-Sharkawi, a female political scientist who will be in charge of political issues and Coptic Christian writer Samer Morcus, whose title is aide for democratic transition. The oterhs are a senior Brotherhood member, Essam Hadad, who will be the aide for foreign relations and international cooperation and a leading Salafi, Emad Abdel-Ghafour, who was named the presidents aide for society outreach.The 17-member council includes two women and a Christian, Rafiq Habib, who is deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhoods political arm Freedom and Justice party and one of the few Christian members of the Islamist group.The council includes six members of the Muslim Brotherhoods Guidance Bureau, the groups top executive body, and three other figures seen as Islamist-leaning.Ali, the spokesman, did not say what the councils role would be but said it will meet regularly. Ahmed Maher, a co-founder of the secular April 6 youth group, which engineered last years anti-Mubarak uprising and which has thrown its backing behind Morsi, said that is group was watching how much the president keeps his promises and we will hold him accountable later on when the time comes.Though their role is still vague, but Maher believes the aides and the advisers can help Morsi reform state institutions and break away from old regime policies. They will be his eyes to carry reforms and institutional shake-ups, said Maher, who comes under criticism for siding by Morsi.The list did not include three figures that Morsi sidelined in the past month and named as advisers the former military chief and defense minister, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, his deputy Gen. Sami Anan, and former Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri. That could suggest that their advisory appointments were largely symbolic.

Legal world arms trade worth $8.5b annually: survey Posted: The legal international trade in small arms, light weapons, their parts and ammunition is worth at least $8.5 billion annually more than double the previous estimate in 2006, according to a survey by independent researchers released Monday.The Small Arms Survey 2012 said the increase from the last estimate of $4 billion is due to several factors large-scale government spending especially during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, increased purchases of small arms and ammunition from foreign countries by American civilians, and better information and improved methods of calculating the value of transfers.Eric Berman, managing director of the survey, said at a news conference at U.N. headquarters launching the 367-page report that it took four years to review the government-authorized international trade in small arms and researchers are now working on a multi-year effort to examine the illicit trade.We think the authorized trade is larger than the illicit trade, although the illicit trade may do more damage or be more problematic, he said. So its not just a question of total value, but I think we can clearly say that the two combined would be over $10 billion.The Small Arms Survey, established in 1999, is an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. It is supported by the Swiss Foreign Ministry and contributions from the governments of the United States, Australia and eight European countries.The first survey was published in July 2001 when U.N. member states adopted a plan of action to accelerate national regional and international efforts to tackle the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. It reviewed what was then known about supplies of small arms, control efforts, and the effects of their use.The new surveys release was timed to Mondays opening at U.N. headquarters of the second conference to review progress in implementing the action plan.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message to the conference that more than half a million people are killed each year by illicit small arms, mainly poor civilians.While some progress has been made since 2001 to tackle the problem, he said there is still limited cooperation among countries in tracking illicit weapons, and in many countries, insecure stockpiles continue to be a source of arms and ammunition for armed groups, terrorists and organized crime.Last month, the U.N. General Assembly failed to agree on a new U.N. treaty to regulate the global arms trade. Ban urged the 193 U.N. member states to adopt a robust treaty as soon as possible, saying it is long overdue and would definitely make a big difference in addressing the havoc small arms and other conventional arms and ammunition are causing.Berman said the research project leading to the new estimate of government-authorized international arms transfers included a review of tens of thousands of records, customs reports and government data. The survey examined small arms in 2009, ammunition in 2010, light weapons in 2011, and parts and accessories in 2012.Based on the findings of the four-year study, the survey estimated the annual value of the international trade to be at least $8.5 billion, $1.662 billion in small arms, $811 million in light weapons, $1.428 billion in parts, $350 million in accessories, and $4.266 billion in ammunition.Berman said the $8.5 billion figure is almost certainly an underestimate because researchers looking at parts and accessories for weapons only covered sights, not range finders, fire control systems and items for anti-tank guided weapons and shoulder-launched missiles.One surprise, Berman said, was that ammunition accounts for half the total and that underscores how important the aspect of ammunition is in government dealings with arms control issues.The survey also looked at top exporters and identified 12 countries in 2009 that exported at least $100 million in small arms and light weapons, led by the United States and including France and Japan for the first time. The U.S., with $1.75 billion, also led the list of seven countries that imported at least $100 million.Researchers also reported their initial findings on the illicit use of small arms and light weapons in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. The survey said one conclusion in all three countries is that armed groups are almost always using older-generation weapons except for a significant percentage of Iranian weapons seized from insurgents in Iraq, which were manufactured relatively recently.As part of a new effort to look at trends, the survey also examined rising homicide rates in many Latin America and Caribbean countries. The global average of firearm homicides is 42 percent, but firearms were used in an average of 70 percent of homicides in Central America, in 61 percent in the Caribbean, and in 60 percent in South America, the survey said.It singled out El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico for high firearm homicide rates.

Age discrimination unproven in Boeing sale: court Posted: A federal appeals court ruled Monday that former employees of The Boeing Co. failed to demonstrate a pattern of age discrimination in the wake of the 2005 sale of its commercial aircraft business in two central states.Ninety former Boeing workers sued in December 2005 claiming they lost their jobs because of their age when the Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer sold operations in Kansas and Oklahoma to Onex Corp.Onex formed Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems to handle the business. Their lawsuit was granted conditional class-action status in 2006 under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Monday with the 2010 decision of U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren, summarily siding in favor of the aerospace giants. Melgren found there was too little evidence to put the case before a jury.Although the Employees have provided evidence that discrimination occurred during Boeings divestiture of the Division, we agree with the district court that the Employees cannot prove a pattern or practice of age discrimination, the appeals court wrote.In its 47-page ruling, the appeals court said while older employees fared slightly worse than younger ones, they had failed to show the companies hiring practices unfairly hurt older workers. It also agreed with the lower courts finding that the ex-employees failed to show the companies intended to interfere with their pension benefits.The companies had argued they expected Spirit would save money by paying its workers less and employing fewer of them. Its labor contracts provided wages higher than the market required in Wichita, Tulsa and McAlester, and it believed a new company would be able to negotiate less costly labor contracts, according to the filing.Its labor costs were also high because of the age of its workforce after seniority-based layoffs in the early 2000s eliminated many younger employees. The plaintiffs argued the companies planned to cut costs by getting rid of older, more expensive workers.But the appeals court found that the former employees cannot prove that such a scheme existed. The sale closed on June 16, 2005, and Boeing terminated all 10,671 workers. The next day, Spirit rehired 8,354 employees, who had been selected by Boeing managers, the court noted.Employees older than 40 were recommended and rehired at slightly lower rates than younger ones. The average age of Spirits workforce was 48.2, about five months younger than Boeings workforce in those operations the day earlier.Spirit AeroSystems emailed a short statement Monday, saying the company was pleased the appeals court upheld the previous ruling. The court made the correct decision. It speaks for itself, Boeing spokesman Chaz Bickers said in an email.The appeal affected only the class-action litigation. Individual workers could still pursue multiple, separate age discrimination lawsuits.We are disappointed in the outcome of the appeal, said Lawrence Williamson, the Kansas City, Missouri, attorney representing the workers. The decision only finds ... we cant meet the legal threshold of pattern or practice point, but does not remove any of the individual claims for the plaintiffs. And we will consider all options, including asking the Supreme Court to take a look at the decision.

Caged big cats stuck on Paraguay border for two months Posted: Thats the border limbo 16 tigers and lions have faced in Paraguay because Argentine officials refuse to approve their paperwork for re-entry.The nine Bengal tigers and seven African lions belong to an Argentine circus that performs in the Paraguayan capital each August. Their owner, Oswal Wasconi, brought them back for this years circus only to learn that a new law in Paraguay bans live animal acts at circuses.With no chance of performing, Wasconi tried to ship his big cats back to Argentina. But then they got stuck at the border.Estela Gomez, director of Paraguays wildlife agency, said the animals all have good-health certificates, but their entry to Argentina was blocked by officials demanding more information about the protected species.Aides to Argentinas quarantine office director, Raul Castelli, said he was in a meeting and could not explain the holdup.After inquiries from The Associated Press on Friday about the cats plight, Gomez said her ministry decided to move the big cats two by two to the Asuncion zoo, so that they can live in some comfort and not in a strange area.Furthermore, she said that Wasconi has promised to provide them with food and liquid because these animals are physically quite large.In the next few days we will continue investigating the true reasons why the Argentine authorities arent authorizing their return, she said. I cant anticipate whether these beasts will remain forever in Paraguay or eventually go to Argentina.

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