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Crisis
What the real crisis is like!
If you think that the current economic crisis is something that has never happened in history before, you may be wrong! After the collapse of the agriculture sector in Zimbabwe in 2000, the inflation in that country skyrocketed to 231 million percent a year! Just think about it - 231 000 000%! Unemployment went up to 80% and a third of country's population left it. Let`s now have a look at the photos that you may not be able to see anywhere else in the world.
Here is a boy getting change in 200 000 dollar not
One 200 000 dollar note equals less than $0.10 cents.
One 200 000 dollar note equals less than $0.10 cents.December 22nd, a new note of 500 000 dollars introduced to the market!
Next - 750 000 dollars.
January - new note of 10 million dollars.
This US $10 dollar note is 10 times worth more than the 10 million dollars Zimbabwe note.
A case worth 65 billion Zimbabwe dollars which equals to $2000 US dollars.
A case worth 65 billion Zimbabwe dollars which equals to $2000 US dollars.
This guy is going to a supermarket. The exchange rate is 25 million Zimbabwe dollars for 1 US dollar.
This mountain of cash is worth $100.
This mountain of cash is worth $100.
Next is 250 million dollars note!
Sorry, how much is this t-shirt?
Sorry, how much is this t-shirt?
- It`s cheap, only about 3 billion dollars!
May - a note of 500 million dollars is introduced!
June - note worth 25 and 50 billion are printed.
And finally - 100 billion dollars note!
What can you buy for it? Well, these 3 eggs for example.
Thats how people went to restaurants!
And the bills:
In August, the government devalued Zimbabwe dollar by removing 10 zeros from notes.
However, inflation kept going up and in September for this amount of cash you could only buy 4 tomatoes.
And for this - some bread.
50 000 a couple of weeks ago! They`ve got a pretty good chance of hitting billion dollar notes again by the end of this year!
And then it started again: 20 000 dollars note in September.
50 000 a couple of weeks ago! They`ve got a pretty good chance of hitting billion dollar notes again by the end of this year! Submitted by :Samrajya Manandhar
Husband Of The Year Award
Everyone of us receive fun stuffs now and then as an email forward from friends or we sometimes notice them in blog posts. Here we make an attempt to scour the net and bring to you the best of these stuffs on a regular basis.
The United Kingdom
Husband Of The Year Award
The honorable mention goes to :
The United Kingdom
...followed closely by
The United States of America
And then ............ .... Poland
But 3rd Place must go to
.........
Greece
It was very very close
But the runner up prize
Was awarded to....
............ . Serbia
But the winner of the
Husband/partner of the year
.....is
........... Ireland
Ya gotta love the Irish.
The Irish are true romantics.look, he's even
Holding her hand..
Woman has Man in it;
Mrs. Has Mr . In it;
Female has Male in it;
She has He in it;
Madam has Adam in it;
Remember You Don't Stop Laughing Because You Grow
Old,
You Grow Old Because You Stop Laughing
by Pramod Das
Lattest Article
Creative Tea Drinking
The kettle doesn’t discriminate against loose-leaf, teabags and compressed-tea, tea drinkers’ coz its co
mfy enough brewing any of these sorts. The added advantage of a separate glass container for the loose tealeaves makes sure you don’t get any debris while sipping your drink. If the creative-cook gets the better of you; heck you can even use the kettle to brew up some exotic hot beverage and treat yourself!
This is how the kettle works:
Add the loose tealeaves to the glass container and pop the cap on it and load it into the water filled kettle. Place your turtle kettle on the stove, set the timer on the cap, and wait for the ring. The glass container has very small machined holes so that the tea can be infused properly without moving about in the water. So after when you pour your tea to drink it, you won’t be sucking in the bits of tea leaves.
To boil water simply slap on the cap without plugging in the glass container and wait for the whistle to sound.
Made from ceramic, the kettle features a side window that lets you keep a check on the water levels of the container. The handle and timer cap is made out of a heat resistant phenolic plastic, making them easy to handle when hot.
Qatar Airways took home the airline award for Best Economy Class in the Middle East at a ceremony for travel industry professionals held in Dubai.Readers of the monthly Business Traveller Middle East magazine voted the Doha-based airline as having the most comfortable cabin and best inflight service for passengers travelling in Economy.The win comes just weeks after Qatar Airways earned the title of Best Economy Class in the world at the annual Skytrax passenger survey awards in Germany.The latest accolade recognises the airline’s continued commitment to offering the travelling public with unrivalled levels of inflight service.Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Most airlines invest heavily in developing their premium cabins and, while we continue to do this, Qatar Airways strives to innovate in Economy Class ensuring our high standards are maintained and passenger expectations are exceeded worldwide.” Qatar Airways recently revamped its Economy Class inflight-service, which sees all onboard meals served in a more upmarket, appetising and stylish way, aimed at enhancing passengers’ overall flying experience. New-look colourful meal tray components offer Economy Class passengers a whole new take on food presentation, guiding them on a wonderful culinary journey.Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 68 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 84 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East and North America.Over the next 10 months, Qatar Airways will add six new routes to its burgeoning network – Goa and Amritsar in India; Sydney and Melbourne in Australia marking its first foray Down Under; and two further cities in Europe.
Ah, those dreaded words! There may not be a right way to handle being dumped. But there's most certainly a wrong way. No matter what the situation is, it's a good idea to strive to be cool, collected and graceful. If you find yourself facing this uncomfortable situation - whether you are the one breaking up or being dumped - try these tips for letting go of your relationship - not your dignity. 
Is there anything worse than waking up one morning only to discover that your lover just up and left? Perhaps they even stooped as low as leaving you with nothing more than a crummy post-it note, blubbering voice mail - or gasp - a two-word text. One day they were there and the next they weren't, leaving you wondering if the relationship ever existed in the first place. But something had to have happened, right? You must've done something wrong to warrant such an outcome. Or could it be possible, that they left because of nothing at all.
The kettle doesn’t discriminate against loose-leaf, teabags and compressed-tea, tea drinkers’ coz its co
mfy enough brewing any of these sorts. The added advantage of a separate glass container for the loose tealeaves makes sure you don’t get any debris while sipping your drink. If the creative-cook gets the better of you; heck you can even use the kettle to brew up some exotic hot beverage and treat yourself!This is how the kettle works:
Add the loose tealeaves to the glass container and pop the cap on it and load it into the water filled kettle. Place your turtle kettle on the stove, set the timer on the cap, and wait for the ring. The glass container has very small machined holes so that the tea can be infused properly without moving about in the water. So after when you pour your tea to drink it, you won’t be sucking in the bits of tea leaves.
To boil water simply slap on the cap without plugging in the glass container and wait for the whistle to sound.
Made from ceramic, the kettle features a side window that lets you keep a check on the water levels of the container. The handle and timer cap is made out of a heat resistant phenolic plastic, making them easy to handle when hot.
Qatar Airways took home the airline award for Best Economy Class in the Middle East at a ceremony for travel industry professionals held in Dubai.Readers of the monthly Business Traveller Middle East magazine voted the Doha-based airline as having the most comfortable cabin and best inflight service for passengers travelling in Economy.The win comes just weeks after Qatar Airways earned the title of Best Economy Class in the world at the annual Skytrax passenger survey awards in Germany.The latest accolade recognises the airline’s continued commitment to offering the travelling public with unrivalled levels of inflight service.Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Most airlines invest heavily in developing their premium cabins and, while we continue to do this, Qatar Airways strives to innovate in Economy Class ensuring our high standards are maintained and passenger expectations are exceeded worldwide.” Qatar Airways recently revamped its Economy Class inflight-service, which sees all onboard meals served in a more upmarket, appetising and stylish way, aimed at enhancing passengers’ overall flying experience. New-look colourful meal tray components offer Economy Class passengers a whole new take on food presentation, guiding them on a wonderful culinary journey.Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 68 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 84 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East and North America.Over the next 10 months, Qatar Airways will add six new routes to its burgeoning network – Goa and Amritsar in India; Sydney and Melbourne in Australia marking its first foray Down Under; and two further cities in Europe.
Ah, those dreaded words! There may not be a right way to handle being dumped. But there's most certainly a wrong way. No matter what the situation is, it's a good idea to strive to be cool, collected and graceful. If you find yourself facing this uncomfortable situation - whether you are the one breaking up or being dumped - try these tips for letting go of your relationship - not your dignity.1. Keep your cool
No one's exactly thrilled to hear that their union "isn't working out," but giving into your anger won't pay in the long run. You can trust that there are two uncomfortable sides to this conversation. If your partner is worth missing, it hurts them, too. And if they aren't, then they're hardly worth a scene you'll regret later. Shouting and name calling will only reinforce their decision. It's possible that your feelings aren't the only things that are hurting, but try not to let your pride cloud your judgment. Your partner's decision to walk away isn't a reflection on you but how you handle the scenario is. As difficult or unfair as your partner may be at the moment, the two of you did choose to share something of yourselves. Don't let an ugly breakup deprive you of fond memories for the future.
2. Get answers (but don't expect satisfaction)
If you're up for it, now is the time to collect the explanation you'll need for closure. Communication can become muddled and unpredictable after a breakup, and most of us need a little information before we can close the book on a relationship. It's especially important if your ex-partner didn't have the decency to face you in person. Ask (carefully and in a non-accusatory tone) what has changed and why they aren't happy. When the irons have cooled, your previous lovers answers could prove useful, especially if it's clear their dissatisfaction has sources over which you have no control. Plus, you'll have your chance to make your own position known (in a civil and rational way you'll want to remember later). Of course, if you're not up for a re-hash of old hurts, feel free to keep it short and simple. Let's face it - some things are better left unheard.
If you're the one breaking up, have the decency to do it face-to-face (no emails or text messages) and be open to answering any questions with honesty, respect and compassion.
If you're the one breaking up, have the decency to do it face-to-face (no emails or text messages) and be open to answering any questions with honesty, respect and compassion.
3. Believe its best
It isn't lip service. If your partner is throwing in the towel, you don't want to be in that match anymore. A relationship weighed down by resentment or uncertainty has no value to you. At best, staying together now would only mean a few months of uncomfortable uncertainty, followed by a breakup further down the line. You run the risk of further alienating each other, and are less likely to be amicable later. Not to mention there's a lot of satisfaction in revenge - especially when it comes in the form of a life well-lived.
4, Concentrate on the positive
Seriously. Don't get so hung up on what you're losing that you lose sight of what you have to gain. Take advantage of your newly earned free time to return to yourself. See the friends your partner didn't like, watch the movies that made them yawn and go to all the places you love that they didn't. A little proactive flirting and indulgence is the perfect therapy to remind you of how desirable you are and what is no longer off-limits.
5. Make a clean break
Walk away now, and don't look back. Asking your ex questions is one thing. Arguing your case is another. The moment they announce they're finished trying, they've lost the right to your energy. If you hope to get back together, being apart (and happy) is the best course of action to begin. If you want to tackle the friendship thing, give it time first. The easiest way to sabotage a post-breakup friendship is to try too soon. Give it a few months. Then take it slowly.
Is there anything worse than waking up one morning only to discover that your lover just up and left? Perhaps they even stooped as low as leaving you with nothing more than a crummy post-it note, blubbering voice mail - or gasp - a two-word text. One day they were there and the next they weren't, leaving you wondering if the relationship ever existed in the first place. But something had to have happened, right? You must've done something wrong to warrant such an outcome. Or could it be possible, that they left because of nothing at all.
Why, why, why?
So, now that they're gone, there are likely many questions that need answering. Should you have known? Did you miss out on a shift in behavior? When faced with questions about the future, the same future you once aligned on as a duo, their more recent responses were a less than lusty, "I don't know."Sometimes, in the thick of a relationship, you might feel like someone went from all to nothing overnight, when in fact, they might have been dropping subtle clues along the way - hints, that you may not have been ready to accept as fact. Or could it be that their coping skills just stink? Crisis can be an almost instant sanity check on the sustainability factor in a relationship. Like when they leave you after you lose your job, or a parent gets sick.
It's not you; it's me
The bizarre nature of your situation could provoke you to start sleuthing like a modern day Sherlock Holmes… But what if, after you've done the diligence, you have still been unable to dig up any good explanation for why your mate left. Could it be that there are none to be found? Experts confirm that there is in fact a "type" that seeks out exclusive relationships with no intention of taking them beyond the initial state of commitment, leaving you wondering, why? The serial monogamists of our world (those engaging in committed exclusive relationships for anywhere from 2-12 months), may simply crave nothing more than the intoxicating thrill that is felt most intensely during the initial stages of a relationship.
Get past the why
At a certain point, when you have rehashed the multitude of potential explanations as to why your lover may have left, eventually, all of the "whys?" need to slide to the side to make room for the I. It's time to choose yourself over the person that passed up the opportunity to know you for the long haul. The reality is, until that happens you are cluttering up your world so much so that you're not leaving any room to find that special person that won't run for the hills when you need them the most. Everybody deserves that chance to find someone who will know, without a doubt, that you're the one. In order to live a happy and fulfilling life, we can only give up a fraction of our time to looking back, without hampering our chances for moving forward. If you spend all of your days dissecting the past, you'll miss out on the opportunity to discover what the future holds. The best thing we can do to restore harmony from the fallout of an AWOL lover, is to release our need to know why.As upsetting as it may be, knowing why will not change the fact that someone that you loved dearly, left. So move forward, with your head held high, because you're the type of person that would know better than to do what they did, and you deserve someone that sees the possibility of the future in the same way that you do. Good luck!
Visually challenged people require braille books in order to read. However, not many books are available in braille due to cost and inefficiency. Translating a 500 page book into braille nearly doubles the thickness. EAP is a technology that can dynamically change the surface pattern by way of an electromagnetic signal - simulating braille text. Not exactly a new idea but a nice executive nonetheless.
Current World Affairs
Israeli president : Iran threatens US, Europe
America, May 5 : Israel's president charged Monday that Iran's nuclear program threatens the United States, Europe and Arab nations, as well as Israel.
"The fanatic rulers of Iran are on the wrong side of history," Shimon Peres told a convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby in Washington.
"In addition to their nuclear option, they invest huge capital in long-range missiles," he said, asserting that Iran is not threatened by anybody. He said that "Iran funds and arms Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza to spread divisions in Lebanon and among the Palestinians, divisions and terror."
Peres said, "Their agents target Americans, Europeans, Arabs and other people." However, he did not call for action against Iran.
Israel considers Iran a strategic threat because of its nuclear program, suspected development of ballistic missiles and repeated calls from its president to wipe Israel off the map. Rejecting Iranian claims that its nuclear program is peaceful, Israel has called on the world to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and has not taken the option of military action off the table.
The Israeli president meets President Barack Obama on Tuesday. He endorsed Obama's call for an outstretched hand instead of a clenched fist but warned that the world is under a dark cloud of militant extremists.
Peres said that Israel's new, hawkish government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, wants to work for peace. But Peres, like Netanyahu, did not mention creation of a Palestinian state, although the Israeli elder statesman has worked for what is known as the "two-state solution" for many years. Netanyahu was scheduled to address the AIPAC convention later.
Peres, 85, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, explained that while Netanyahu used to be his political opponent, "now he is my prime minister," emphasizing the ceremonial nature of his role as president.
Peres praised a 2002 Arab peace initiative offering Israel normal relations in exchange for withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem. He said that since Israel was not a party to drawing up the proposal, it does not have to agree to every word.
Iraq, May 5 : Iraq's government Monday ruled out allowing U.S. combat troops to remain in Iraqi cities after the June 30 deadline for their withdrawal, despite concern that Iraqi forces cannot cope with the security challenge following a resurgence of bombings in recent weeks.
Asking U.S. forces to stay in the cities, including volatile Mosul in the north, would be embarrassing for Iraq's prime minister, who has staked his political future on claims that the country has turned the corner in the war against Sunni and Shiite extremists.
The departure of heavily armed combat troops from bases inside the cities is important psychologically to many Iraqis, who are eager to regain control of their country after six years of war and U.S. military occupation.
U.S. officials played down the Iraqi decision, with Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman saying it's up to the Iraqi government to request an extension of the U.S. presence in the cities and "we intend to fully abide by" terms of the security agreement.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told reporters Monday that violence had not risen to a level that would force a change in the withdrawal schedule.
Last month, however, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said he was worried that Iraqi forces won't be ready to assume full responsibility for Mosul by the end of June.
Privately, some U.S. officers fear the Iraqis may lose control of Mosul within a few months after American forces pull out of Iraq's third largest city, where al-Qaida and other Sunni militants remain active.
The U.S.-Iraq security agreement that took effect this year calls for American combat troops to leave urban areas by the end of June, with all U.S. forces out of the country by the end of 2011.
But a series of high-profile bombings has raised questions whether Iraqi forces can assume more security responsibilities, especially in Mosul.
Nationwide, at least 451 people were killed in political violence last month, compared with 335 in March, 288 in February and 242 in January, according to an Associated Press tally.
Even in Baghdad, where violence is down sharply from levels of two years ago, attacks are continuing.
On Monday, two car bombs exploded almost simultaneously near the Oil Ministry and a police academy, killing at least three people and wounding eight.
Although those casualties were relatively low, the attack was significant because it occurred in a sensitive, well-guarded area in the heart of the Iraqi capital.
The security agreement allows Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to request an extension of the deadlines if he feels Iraqi forces need help. But the prime minister's spokesman said the withdrawal deadlines, including the June 30 date, were "non-extendable."
"These dates cannot be extended and this is consistent with the transfer and handover of responsibility to Iraqi security forces," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.
Kurdish officials would prefer to keep U.S. troops in Mosul after the deadline.
"I have doubts about security and stability in Mosul," Kurdish politician Saadi Ahmed Pera said. "Therefore, U.S forces should stay in Mosul until all the pending problems among political groups in the city are solved."
However, many other key Iraqi politicians, including the newly elected leadership in Mosul, oppose keeping U.S. combat troops in urban areas after the June deadline.
Al-Maliki, a Shiite, needs the support of the Sunni leadership in Mosul as he prepares for national elections by the end of the year.
The new governor of the Mosul area told the AP on Monday that the departure of U.S. troops from the city will actually reduce violence, since much of it is directed at the Americans.
"A U.S. withdrawal will reduce the number of targets," Gov. Atheel al-Nujaifi said. "We believe it's important for U.S. troops to stay in camps outside the cities to provide help only if needed."
The requirement to leave the cities applies only to combat troops and not to trainers, advisers and others in noncombat roles. The agreement does not preclude combat soldiers from patrolling in Baghdad, Mosul and other cities from bases outside the city limits.
But prominent Shiite lawmaker Abbas al-Bayati said extending the June 30 deadline would "send the wrong signal to the Iraqi people" that the Americans might remain in the country indefinitely.
"Thus both sides must stand together to fulfill the withdrawal timetable," he said.
U.S. combat troops largely pulled out of many cities in 2005 and 2006 but returned a year later as part of the U.S. troop surge that was designed to protect civilians from Shiite and Sunni extremists living in their neighborhoods.
This time, U.S. and Iraqi officials are gambling that Iraqi security forces are better trained and equipped to prevent the return of extremists than they were years ago.
Extending the deadline would also call into question al-Maliki's claim that his government has set the country on the road to stability — despite the occasional spike in violence.
On Monday, al-Maliki told an audience in Paris that he would not allow Iraq to be used as a "base for any terrorist organization" and that the country was ready for foreign investment.
Nevertheless, U.S. officials believe security in Iraq remains fragile because the various religious and ethnic groups have still not agreed on power-sharing arrangements necessary for long-term stability.
America, May 5 : Israel's president charged Monday that Iran's nuclear program threatens the United States, Europe and Arab nations, as well as Israel.
"The fanatic rulers of Iran are on the wrong side of history," Shimon Peres told a convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby in Washington.
"In addition to their nuclear option, they invest huge capital in long-range missiles," he said, asserting that Iran is not threatened by anybody. He said that "Iran funds and arms Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza to spread divisions in Lebanon and among the Palestinians, divisions and terror."
Peres said, "Their agents target Americans, Europeans, Arabs and other people." However, he did not call for action against Iran.
Israel considers Iran a strategic threat because of its nuclear program, suspected development of ballistic missiles and repeated calls from its president to wipe Israel off the map. Rejecting Iranian claims that its nuclear program is peaceful, Israel has called on the world to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and has not taken the option of military action off the table.
The Israeli president meets President Barack Obama on Tuesday. He endorsed Obama's call for an outstretched hand instead of a clenched fist but warned that the world is under a dark cloud of militant extremists.
Peres said that Israel's new, hawkish government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, wants to work for peace. But Peres, like Netanyahu, did not mention creation of a Palestinian state, although the Israeli elder statesman has worked for what is known as the "two-state solution" for many years. Netanyahu was scheduled to address the AIPAC convention later.
Peres, 85, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, explained that while Netanyahu used to be his political opponent, "now he is my prime minister," emphasizing the ceremonial nature of his role as president.
Peres praised a 2002 Arab peace initiative offering Israel normal relations in exchange for withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem. He said that since Israel was not a party to drawing up the proposal, it does not have to agree to every word.
Iraq insists on US leaving cities by June 30
Iraq, May 5 : Iraq's government Monday ruled out allowing U.S. combat troops to remain in Iraqi cities after the June 30 deadline for their withdrawal, despite concern that Iraqi forces cannot cope with the security challenge following a resurgence of bombings in recent weeks.
Asking U.S. forces to stay in the cities, including volatile Mosul in the north, would be embarrassing for Iraq's prime minister, who has staked his political future on claims that the country has turned the corner in the war against Sunni and Shiite extremists.
The departure of heavily armed combat troops from bases inside the cities is important psychologically to many Iraqis, who are eager to regain control of their country after six years of war and U.S. military occupation.
U.S. officials played down the Iraqi decision, with Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman saying it's up to the Iraqi government to request an extension of the U.S. presence in the cities and "we intend to fully abide by" terms of the security agreement.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told reporters Monday that violence had not risen to a level that would force a change in the withdrawal schedule.
Last month, however, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said he was worried that Iraqi forces won't be ready to assume full responsibility for Mosul by the end of June.
Privately, some U.S. officers fear the Iraqis may lose control of Mosul within a few months after American forces pull out of Iraq's third largest city, where al-Qaida and other Sunni militants remain active.
The U.S.-Iraq security agreement that took effect this year calls for American combat troops to leave urban areas by the end of June, with all U.S. forces out of the country by the end of 2011.
But a series of high-profile bombings has raised questions whether Iraqi forces can assume more security responsibilities, especially in Mosul.
Nationwide, at least 451 people were killed in political violence last month, compared with 335 in March, 288 in February and 242 in January, according to an Associated Press tally.
Even in Baghdad, where violence is down sharply from levels of two years ago, attacks are continuing.
On Monday, two car bombs exploded almost simultaneously near the Oil Ministry and a police academy, killing at least three people and wounding eight.
Although those casualties were relatively low, the attack was significant because it occurred in a sensitive, well-guarded area in the heart of the Iraqi capital.
The security agreement allows Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to request an extension of the deadlines if he feels Iraqi forces need help. But the prime minister's spokesman said the withdrawal deadlines, including the June 30 date, were "non-extendable."
"These dates cannot be extended and this is consistent with the transfer and handover of responsibility to Iraqi security forces," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.
Kurdish officials would prefer to keep U.S. troops in Mosul after the deadline.
"I have doubts about security and stability in Mosul," Kurdish politician Saadi Ahmed Pera said. "Therefore, U.S forces should stay in Mosul until all the pending problems among political groups in the city are solved."
However, many other key Iraqi politicians, including the newly elected leadership in Mosul, oppose keeping U.S. combat troops in urban areas after the June deadline.
Al-Maliki, a Shiite, needs the support of the Sunni leadership in Mosul as he prepares for national elections by the end of the year.
The new governor of the Mosul area told the AP on Monday that the departure of U.S. troops from the city will actually reduce violence, since much of it is directed at the Americans.
"A U.S. withdrawal will reduce the number of targets," Gov. Atheel al-Nujaifi said. "We believe it's important for U.S. troops to stay in camps outside the cities to provide help only if needed."
The requirement to leave the cities applies only to combat troops and not to trainers, advisers and others in noncombat roles. The agreement does not preclude combat soldiers from patrolling in Baghdad, Mosul and other cities from bases outside the city limits.
But prominent Shiite lawmaker Abbas al-Bayati said extending the June 30 deadline would "send the wrong signal to the Iraqi people" that the Americans might remain in the country indefinitely.
"Thus both sides must stand together to fulfill the withdrawal timetable," he said.
U.S. combat troops largely pulled out of many cities in 2005 and 2006 but returned a year later as part of the U.S. troop surge that was designed to protect civilians from Shiite and Sunni extremists living in their neighborhoods.
This time, U.S. and Iraqi officials are gambling that Iraqi security forces are better trained and equipped to prevent the return of extremists than they were years ago.
Extending the deadline would also call into question al-Maliki's claim that his government has set the country on the road to stability — despite the occasional spike in violence.
On Monday, al-Maliki told an audience in Paris that he would not allow Iraq to be used as a "base for any terrorist organization" and that the country was ready for foreign investment.
Nevertheless, U.S. officials believe security in Iraq remains fragile because the various religious and ethnic groups have still not agreed on power-sharing arrangements necessary for long-term stability.
By ROBERT H. REID
45 killed in attack on engagement party in Turkey
Turkey, May 5 : Masked assailants with grenades and automatic weapons attacked an engagement ceremony in southeast Turkey on Monday, killing 45 people. Two girls survived after the bodies of slain friends fell on top of them during the onslaught.
NTV television quoted Deputy Gov. Ferhat Ozen of Mardin province as saying the nighttime attack occurred in Bilge village near the city of Mardin. Some media outlets reported that a "blood feud" among families had led to the killings in a region where tribal ties and rivalries sometimes eclipse the power of the state.
Citing Ozen, NTV said the motive could be an old feud between rival groups of pro-government village guards who fight alongside Turkish troops against Kurdish rebels in the region. If that is the case, the government would come under renewed pressure to rein in the militiamen, some of whom have been linked to drug smuggling and other crimes.
Mehmet Besir Ayanoglu, the mayor of Mardin, told Turkey's Channel 24 that he spoke to two survivors, both girls, who said at least two masked men stormed a house where the ceremony took place. Other reports put the number of assailants at four.
"'They raided the house, we were in two rooms, they opened fire on everyone, they were wearing masks,'" Ayanoglu quoted the girls as saying. The girls said they lay underneath the bodies of friends until the attack was over.
Interior Minister Besir Atalay said 45 people were killed and six were wounded, and ruled out involvement of Kurdish rebels. He said he, along with the justice and agriculture ministers, would travel to the village early Tuesday.
Anatolia news agency said the attack lasted 15 minutes. All initial reports said the assault happened during a wedding, though CNN-Turk television later said it took place during an engagement ceremony.
One survivor, a 19-year-old woman, said the assailants ordered people to huddle in one room and opened fire, NTV reported. Another report said the attack occurred when people were praying at the house. Some guards responded to the attack but the assailants fled, NTV said.
Ahmet Can, a relative who took the body of his nephew to a hospital, said the site of the attack was horrifying.
"You could not believe your eyes, it is unbelievable," he told Channel 24.
The attack occurred during the ceremony for the daughter of Cemil Celebi, a former village official who was among the wounded.
An Islamic cleric who was presiding over the marriage died at a hospital, NTV said. The fate of the bride and groom was not immediately known. The attack killed an entire family, including the parents and their six children, aged between three and 12.
Ambulances took at least 17 bodies to the morgue of a hospital in Mardin, said Aytac Akgul, a local official. Hundreds of relatives of the victims gathered there, wailing. Several people offered to donate blood.
State television said soldiers surrounded the village and cut off all roads leading to it. It said there was no power there, and the village could not be reached by telephone. Journalists were barred from traveling to Bilge.
For years, Turkey has struggled over how to trim the 70,000-strong village guard force without releasing masses of trained fighters onto the streets of the southeast, where unemployment in some areas reaches 50 percent. The system is one of the few lucrative sources of employment in the region.
The military has purged thousands of village guards suspected of favoring Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in the southeast. Several hundred guards have also faced criminal charges that include drug and weapons smuggling.
Many rebels and guardsmen are from the same villages or clans. Most guardsmen are poor villagers, and local residents and activists say some were forced to join against their will. Others were signed up by politically powerful clan leaders allied with the state.
The conflict between Kurdish guerrillas and government forces has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984.
Some fear flu rebound as Mexico seeks 'normalcy'
Mexico, May 5 : Mexico announced a return to "normalcy" on Monday, preparing to reopen businesses and schools even as the virus sickened more than 1,200 people in 20 countries. World health officials said the global epidemic is still in its early stages, and that a pandemic could be declared in the days to come.
But Mexico's president said it was waning at its epicenter, justifying Wednesday's end to a five-day nationwide shutdown he credits for reducing the spread of the new virus.
Already, streets in the capital seemed more lively, with more vehicles and fewer people wearing face masks. Some cafes even reopened ahead of time. President Felipe Calderon said universities and high schools will reopen on Thursday, and younger schoolchildren should report back to school on May 11.
"The school schedule will resume with the guarantee that our educational institutions are in adequate hygienic condition," promised Calderon, who called on parents to join educators in a "collective" cleansing and inspection of schools nationwide.
"This is about going back to normalcy but with everyone taking better care," Calderon said.
Parents and teachers will turn away children who appear sick. The government is spending $15 million for detergent, bleach and soap to clean buildings, in a country where 12 percent of the nearly 250,000 schools — about 30,000 — lack running water or bathrooms.
Mexico canceled its biggest celebration of the Cinco de Mayo holiday Tuesday, a re-enactment of the May 5, 1862 victory over French forces in the central state of Puebla. Other holiday events also were canceled.
And experts inside Mexico's swine flu crisis center warned that the virus remains active throughout Mexico and could bounce back once millions return to work and school. It also may get worse north of the border.
"The bottom line is that there hasn't been time for the severe illnesses to perhaps show up in the U.S. yet," Marc-Alain Widdowson, a medical epidemiologist from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press.
Experts in the U.S. also urged caution, even as a New York City school reopened Monday after a spring break trip to Mexico led to as many as 1,000 people being sickened.
"We are by no means out of the woods," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC.
Health Secretary Jose Cordova insisted that swine flu infections are trending downward after 27 deaths at the center of the epidemic. He said those infected appear to pass it on to an average 1.4 other people, near the normal flu rate of around 1.3.
Cordova said soccer stadiums and concert halls could reopen — if fans are kept 2 meters apart.
But other experts said the known cases are almost certainly only a fraction of what's out there, meaning more illnesses could surface once crowds gather again in Mexico.
"It's clear that it's just about everywhere in Mexico. I think now there is considerable person-to-person transmission," Widdowson said. And now that the virus is taking off in the U.S., chances of severe cases could rise as well.
"We've seen in many of the cases in Mexico, there's been sometimes five to seven days of being mildly ill with increasing respiratory distress and then being hospitalized, and then spending five days or a week in hospital, so that's a timeline of two weeks," he said.
As of Monday, Mexico had 802 confirmed cases, and U.S. case grew to at least 300 in 36 states. Globally, the virus has reached more than 1,276 people in 20 countries — still in its early stages, to the World Health Organization.
The WHO was studying whether to raise the pandemic alert to 6, its highest level, which would mean a global outbreak has begun. WHO uses the term pandemic to refer to geographic spread rather than severity. Pandemics aren't necessarily deadly. The past two pandemics — in 1957 and 1968 — were relatively mild.
"We do not know how long we will have until we move to Phase 6," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said. "We are not there yet. The criteria will be met when we see in another region outside North America, showing very clear evidence of community-level transmission."
The Southern Hemisphere is particularly at risk. While Africa still hasn't reported any swine flu infections and New Zealand is the only country south of the equator with confirmed cases, winter is only weeks away. Experts worry that typical winter flus could combine with swine flu, creating a new strain that is more contagious or dangerous.
Still, the U.N. health agency urged governments to avoid unproven actions to contain the disease, including group quarantines of travelers from Mexico and bans on pork imports.
"Let me make a strong plea to countries to refrain from introducing measures that are economically and socially disruptive, yet have no scientific justification and bring no clear public health benefit," Chan said in a video message to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Calderon said other governments have treated his citizens unfairly, and that punishing nations that report outbreaks sets a bad precedent for future flu control efforts. "If they weaken us economically or in other ways, Mexico will be able to focus much less attention and funds on this problem," Calderon said.
Mexico's Economy Secretary, Gerardo Ruiz, said Mexico will bring the issue to the World Trade Organization if other countries don't drop restrictive measures.
Beijing denied that it is discriminating by quarantining Mexicans and any other passengers who came in close contact with them, even those who don't show symptoms.
Among the passengers stuck in Chinese hotels was Briton Mark Moore, who urged China to lift the quarantine.
"The government is trying to show the world they are strong in organizing this," the 37-year-old director of a Singapore-based company said in a phone interview. "I need to be in Singapore now. I have loads of things to do."
A group of 25 Canadian university students and a professor also were quarantined in China over swine flu fears, said University of Montreal spokeswoman Sophie Langlois. The group does not have any symptoms, Langlois said.
China, Argentina and Cuba are among the nations banning regular flights to and from Mexico, marooning passengers at both ends. Mexico and China both sent chartered flights to each other's countries to collect their citizens. Argentina also charted a flight to bring Argentines home.
And in a goodwill measure, China sent Mexico the final batch in a $5 million humanitarian assistance package consisting of masks, gloves, disinfectants, infrared thermal scanners and other items.
The latest figures from Mexico suggest the virus may be less lethal and infectious than originally feared. Only 38 percent of suspected cases have turned out to be swine flu, and no new deaths have been reported since April 29. But Cordova acknowledged that about 100 early deaths in which swine flu was suspected may never be confirmed because mucous or tissue samples were not collected.
Widdowson, of the CDC, said it's too early to say the outbreak is waning in Mexico, but the signs of progress are clear.
"What we have not seen in Mexico City is a huge, runaway epidemic, and I think that's totally clear. The hospital capacity has not been exceeded. So there hasn't been anything like the kind of picture that people might expect from a severe flu," he said. "I think that gives us optimism."
Good hygiene can be a challenge in Mexico's crowded schools — a problem illustrated by 10-year-old Carolina Arteaga, who wandered with a plastic cup in downtown Mexico City Monday, begging money from people outside gleaming office towers. She had no surgical mask and no gloves as she eagerly rubbed a few coins together with grubby fingers.
"I forgot it at home," the fourth-grader said when asked why she didn't have her mask.
Carolina will soon be returning to school and says she knows to wash her hands frequently. But because she needs to collect money to help her mother buy food, such instructions probably won't be carried out.
Madonna adoption case heard amid paternity dispute
Malawi, May 5 : Malawi's highest court heard arguments Monday on Madonna's bid to adopt a 3-year-old girl from the southern African country, as a dispute erupted over whether a man trying to stop the proceedings is the girl's father.
Madonna was not at Monday's hearing at the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, which was held in public after the judges reversed an earlier decision to hold a closed session.
The three judges adjourned after hearing from lawyers for the pop star and for two independent children's rights groups. The judges did not immediately set a date for the next session in the case, at which a decision was expected to be announced.
Madonna is fighting a lower court's decision that she cannot adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James because she had not been screened over time by Malawi authorities. The court said the rules were bent when Madonna adopted her son David from Malawi last year.
The pop star's Malawian lawyer, Alan Chinula, said he was "hopeful" the appeal would succeed, and argued the lower court had relied on outdated law to block the girl's adoption.
A renowned Malawi constitutional expert, Modechai Msiska, joined Madonna's legal team, arguing in court Monday that although the issue of residence was a factor, it would be unconstitutional if adhering to it negated "certain rights of the child."
Johns Gulumba, lawyer for Eye of the Child, an independent group that opposes the adoption, argued that following the rules kept the doors closed to potential child abusers. He added foreign adoptions should be the last resort, "when all other options, like foster parenting in country of residence, have failed."
Madonna found the girl in 2006 at Kondanani Children's Village, an orphanage in Bvumbwe just south of the commercial capital of Blantyre. It was the same year she adopted David, whom she found at another orphanage in the central Mchinji district.
On Sunday, a man told The Associated Press he was the girl's father, and has sought help from the Malawi Law Society to stop the adoption.
James Kambewa, a 24-year-old security guard, acknowledged he has never seen the child. According to court documents, she was placed in the orphanage when her 14-year-old mother died a few weeks after giving birth to her.
But Kambewa said he now wanted to claim custody of Chifundo.
"I may be poor, but I think I have what it takes to raise a daughter," he said. "I will fight the adoption."
The brother of the girl's mother told the AP the family does not know Kambewa.
"How can he claim he is the father when he hasn't been around all this time?" said Peter Baneti, who explained that the girl was put in the orphanage because there was no one to breast-feed the baby.
Baneti said he had agreed to the adoption on behalf of the family, and that Kambewa was "just an opportunist."
Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said in an e-mail message she doesn't know if Kambewa is the father.
"All I know is that Mercy has been in an orphanage since the day she was born," Rosenberg said.
Kambewa, in an interview to be aired Monday on CBS' "The Early Show," said he has only seen the girl "in newspapers and TV — not face to face." But he told CBS the girl "is a Malawian — so (I) need her to grow as a Malawian as well with our culture."
On the show, Kambewa wore a necklace bearing the girl's name.
Madonna has founded a charity, Raising Malawi, that helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's more than 1 million orphans, half of whom have lost parents to AIDS.
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