Azerbaijan evictions tarnish Eurovision glitz

In the shadow of an enormous Azerbaijani flag, a landmark concert hall is rising from the Caspian Sea shoreline as the oil-rich ex-Soviet state prepares to host the Eurovision song contest in May.

But a human rights dispute has marred Azerbaijan's preparations for the pop extravaganza as homes are demolished as part of an urban regeneration project which includes the ultramodern 'Crystal Hall' where Eurovision will be staged.

Rights activists allege that several hundred families have been evicted from the area so far under pressure from the Baku city authorities to accept what they claim is inadequate compensation that will not buy similar apartments in the centre of the capital.

"The pressure comes from various sides," said Zohrab Ismailov of the Public Association for Assistance to Free Economy campaign group, claiming that the authorities sometimes cut off gas, electricity and water to intimidate people into leaving.

Emirates 24/7 – Also see Etiraz: Authorities preparing to attack the last residential building on the Eurovision Hall area and Barbarians Inside The Gates: Ten Centuries and Eurovision – Video of the projects here

London arming the World

The biennial Defence and Security Equipment International at the ExCel Centre has attracted hundreds of companies, ranging from the world's biggest producers of warplanes and missiles to niche hi-tech firms, although exhibitors also include makers of life-saving and medical products.

Delegations from 65 governments have been invited, including Bahrain, a longtime recipient of British arms, whose security forces have recently fired at unarmed demonstrators. Other invited Middle East governments include Iraq, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

India, which may soon overtake Saudi Arabia as Britain's largest single arms market, is on the guest list, which also features Algeria and Morocco.

Libya, whose arms dealers were guests two years ago, has not been invited, although it can expect to be asked next time when its new government should be in power. China, invited two years ago, is not on the official guestlist this time.

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) and other groups are planning a mass lobby of parliament and demonstrations in the Docklands.

The Guardian

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US congressman says Iraq should repay war costs

A US congressman called on Friday for Iraq to repay a portion of the "mega-dollars" that Washington has spent since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, at a news conference in Baghdad.

Republican representative Dana Rohrabacher's remarks stand in stark contrast to those by senior American officials, including most recently CIA chief Leon Panetta, who has said the United States should seriously consider any Iraqi request for US troops to stay beyond a year-end deadline for their departure.
"Once Iraq becomes a very rich and prosperous country... we would hope that some consideration be given to repaying the United States some of the mega-dollars that we have spent here in the last eight years," Rohrabacher told journalists at the US embassy in Baghdad.
"We were hoping that there would be a consideration of a payback because the United States right now is in close to a very serious economic crisis and we could certainly use some people to care about our situation as we have cared about theirs."

From Activist Post

Greenpeace says Barbie doll is forest vandal

Greenpeace on Wednesday accused Mattel, the US maker of Barbie dolls, of contributing to the wanton destruction of carbon-rich Indonesian forests and habitats of endangered species like Sumatran tigers.

The environmental group said packaging used in Barbie and Ken boxes contained timber products from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), which it described as a "notorious" destroyer of Indonesia's dwindling natural forests.

"Barbie destroys natural forests and pushes rare species such as tigers to the brink of extinction," Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Bustar Maitar said.

"Mattel, which makes Barbie, must stop wrapping the worlds most famous toy in rainforest destruction." He said APP was a "notorious rainforest destroyer which has been exposed many times for wrecking Indonesia's rainforests to make throw-away packaging".

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