US and Germany urge Russia not to arm Syria military.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the delivery of Russian weaponry would have a "profoundly negative impact" and put Israel's security at risk.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged Moscow not to hinder the chances of mooted peace talks.

In Syria, fierce fighting continued on Friday around the key town of Qusair.
Dozens of opposition fighters reached the town on Friday to bolster it against an offensive involving government forces and militants from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group that supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

1. The long-range surveillance radar tracks objects over a range of 300km (185 miles) and relays information to the command vehicle, which assesses potential targets

1. A target is identified and the command vehicle orders the engagement radar to launch missiles

1. Launch data is sent to the best placed of the battalion's six launch vehicles and it releases two surface-to-air missiles

1. The engagement radar helps guide the missiles towards the target. It can guide up to 12 missiles simultaneously, engaging up to six targets at once

One opposition activist told the BBC the humanitarian situation in the town near the Lebanese border was worsening, with 800 wounded people needing treatment.
'Unified' government
Mr Kerry and Mr Westerwelle held talks in Washington a day after Mr Assad said a Russian contract to supply the S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system was being implemented, without confirming any deliveries.

The S-300PMU-2 - the variant experts believe will be sent - is a highly capable system that, as well as targeting aircraft, also has the capacity to engage ballistic missiles.

Two Russian newspapers on Friday quoted defence sources as saying that it was unclear if any of the missile system would be delivered this year.

Mr Kerry called on Russia not to upset the balance in the region by providing weaponry to the Assad regime, "whether it's and old contract or not".

---

After 40 years of tight dictatorship in Syria, it is not surprising that the opposition is finding it hard to produce a coherent, representative leadership to face off against a tough regime team in the proposed Geneva conference.
What was meant to be a three-day meeting of the opposition coalition in Istanbul turned into eight days of in-fighting that has failed to achieve its stated goals of electing a new leadership, approving an interim government and taking a clear position on the Geneva proposal.
After initially saying it would go to Geneva with conditions, the opposition now says it will not go as long as Hezbollah is fighting at Qusair. That buys it time for the great deal of work, and doubtless wrangling, that will be needed to construct a plausible delegation for the talks, and more meetings will be held early next month.
By contrast, the regime side is unified and coherent, and has decades of negotiating experience to draw on. The opposition risks a severe defeat in the talks, unless it gets its act together very seriously.

"It has a profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region and it does put Israel at risk," he said.

"We hope that they will refrain from that in the interests of making this peace process work," he said.

He added that he was convinced the Syrian opposition would take part in US and Russian-backed talks expected to be held in Geneva next month. Russian and American officials are set to meet next week to prepare the ground for the peace conference.

The BBC's Jim Muir in
Beirut says a lot more needs to be done for the opposition to be in any kind of shape to attend any conference in a coherent manner.

He says that, by contrast, the Syrian government appears unified and confident.

Mr Assad said on Thursday that Syria would "in principle" attend the peace conference in Geneva if there were not unacceptable preconditions.

In an interview with Lebanon's al-Manar TV, which is owned by Hezbollah, he warned that Syria would respond in kind to any future Israeli air strikes.
Qusair crisis
Meanwhile, Syrian state television said troops and Hezbollah fighters had captured the Arjun district of Qusair on Thursday.
The source said 30,000 people were still in Qusair, 80% of which was under rebel control, although these figures cannot be independently verified.

"There is no water at all, because the Assad regime controls the water supply, and there has been no electricity for four months," he said.

More than 80,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million have fled Syria since the uprising against Mr Assad began in 2011, according to UN estimates

Libya after Gaddafi.

The International Criminal Court's pre-trial chamber has rejected Libya's request to try the son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam.

Mr Gaddafi has been indicted by the ICC on war crimes charges relating to the 2011 uprising which toppled his father.
He remains in the custody of a local militia that captured him in late 2011, and is not in official state custody.


Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was seen as the most likely successor to his father
This and other challenges meant Libya was not ready to host the trial, the pre-trial chamber's judges
 said.
In a statement, the judges at The Hague recognise "Libya's significant efforts to rebuild institutions and to restore the rule of law".
However, Libya continued to "face substantial difficulties in exercising fully its judicial powers across the entire territory", they added.

Mr Gaddafi, who was seen as the most likely successor to his father, was captured by militias in the desert town of Ubari in November 2011 - allegedly trying to flee the country.

He is being held in the town of Zintan, where he is facing separate charges, accused of complicity in exchanging information, obtaining documents that threaten national security and insulting the national flag.

The charges are linked to a visit to Mr Gaddafi in June 2012 by ICC lawyer Melinda Taylor and three other ICC staff.

Ms Taylor was accused of clandestinely passing Mr Gaddafi a coded letter from a fugitive former aide.

The ICC staff were held for three weeks and then released to The Hague; they are not expected to return to Libya to face charges.

The ICC issued a warrant for Mr Gaddafi's arrest in June 2011 for two counts of crimes against humanity.

SERENA WILLIUMS WINS.

Serena Williams coasted into the last 16 of the French Open on Friday with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
In another Roland Garros mismatch involving the in-form top seed, the 31-year-old American was in control from the start on the Suzanne Lenglen showcourt, winning the first set in just 23 minutes.
Cirstea was facing an embarrassing whitewash, but she rallied briefly at the start of the second set and even had two break points to lead 3-2.

Serena Williams hits a forehand to Sorana Cirstea during their French Open match at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, on May 31, 2013. Williams coasted into the last 16 of the French Open with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Cirstea.
But she failed to take either of these and Williams simply stepped on the accelerator again to race away and end the remaining pockets of resistance from the Romanian.
The win was the 27th in a row for Williams - the best unbeaten run of her career - and it took her into a fourth round match against the winner of the tie between Roberta Vinci of Italy and Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic.
She has dropped just six games in three matches as she campaigns for the 16th Grand Slam title of her career, but just the second in Paris where she last won in 2002.
Williams reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros the following year and since then has fallen four times at the quarter-final stage, but last year she was upset in the first round by Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

Eric Abidal ends Barcelona playing career

A tearful Eric Abidal called an end to his six-year Barcelona playing career on Thursday, less than two months after returning to action from a liver transplant.
"I am going, but I am sure I will be back" in another capacity, the French defender told a news conference at the club, which said it had offered him a role running the club's training schools.
"I would have liked to continue playing for Barca, but the club sees things differently and I have to respect that, Abidal said, choking back tears.
Abidal, 33, returned to first-team action last month after making a remarkable recovery from last year's liver transplant, prompted by cancer.

Barcelona's French defender Eric Abidal sheds a tear at a press conference in Barcelona on May 30, 2013. Abidal was calling an end to his six-year Barcelona playing career, less than two months after returning to action from a liver transplant.
He received a rousing ovation from fans in the Camp Nou as he joined the match against Mallorca on April 6 -- 14 months after going under the knife.
He is out of contract at the end of the season but had said he hoped to continue playing for another couple of years.
"I had two aims -- firstly to fight for the sake of my daughters and see them grow up, and secondly to start playing again," he said of his recovery.
Abidal "has become a very special person for all of us", said the club's president Sandro Rosell, sitting alongside the player as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and other stars of the Barcelona squad looked on.
"He is an example of how to overcome difficulties. He will go down in our history for the way he managed to come back as a player," Rosell said.
He added that Abidal was welcome to return to Barca "whenever he wants to come back", even if he left first to play for another side.
"We are not saying goodbye," Rosell said.
"When he stops being a player, the doors are open for him to be a technical director of our schools at international level."

TAHADHARI YA UGONJWA WA NIMONIA INAYOTOKANA NA CORONA VIRUS.

Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii, imepokea taarifa kutoka Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) mnamo tarehe 22 Mei 2013, kuhusu kuwepo kwa ugonjwa wa Nimonia unaosababishwa na kirusi cha “Novel Coronavirus”.Taarifa hiyo inaeleza kuwa,tangu ugonjwa huo utokee mwishoni wa mwaka 2012 hadi tarehe 23 Mei 2013  idadi ya wagonjwa wapatao 44 na vifo 22 viliripotiwa

Shirika la Afya Duniani limethibitisha ugonjwa huu kuwepo katika nchi za Mashariki ya Kati  yaani Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabi na Falme za Kiarabu (UAE). Katika bara la Ulaya, ugonjwa huu umethibitishwa kutokea nchi za Ujerumani, Ufaransa, na Uingereza. Katika bara la Afrika, ugonjwa huu umetokea Tunisia.

Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii inapenda kutoa tahadhari ya Ugonjwa huu kwa wananchi wote, katika mikoa yote ya Tanzania na hasa wale wanaosafiri kuelekea maeneo tajwa yenye uthibitisho wa ugonjwa huu.

Ugonjwa huu unaenezwa na kirusi kiitwacho “novel coronavirus (nCoV).”. Dalili kuu za ugonjwa huu ni kushindwa kupumua kwa ghafla, homa kali, kukohoa, na kubanwa na mbavu na hatimaye kupata Nimonia. Dalili nyingine ambazo zinaweza kutokea ni pamoja na kupata maumivu makali ya tumbo pamoja na  kuharisha.

Vile vile ugonjwa huu unaweza kupelekea figo kushindwa kufanya kazi na hata kusababisha  kifo. Kipindi cha kuonekana kwa dalili za ugonjwa huu ni kati ya siku 2 hadi 10 baada ya kupata maambukizi. Ugonjwa huu hauna tiba wala chanjo.

Ugonjwa huu unaweza kuambukizwa kutoka kwa mtu mmoja kwenda kwa mwingine. Njia za maambukizo bado hazijajulikana ingawa uwezekano mkubwa wa maambukizo ni kwa kwa njia ya hewa (kukohoa/kupiga chafya) au kwa kugusa majimaji/makamasi kutoka kwa mgonjwa aliyethibitishwa kuwa na ugonjwa huo.

Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii, imechukua hatua zifuatazo katika kukabiliana na tishio la ugonjwa huu:

·        Kutoa taarifa ya tahadhari ya ugonjwa huu kupitia kwa Waganga Wakuu wote wa Mikoa na Wilaya kwa Tanzania bara. Aidha, taarifa hii pia imejumuisha namna mgonjwa anavyoweza kutambuliwa (Ainisho la Ugonjwa),  “Fact sheet” ya ugonjwa, Mwongozo kwa watumishi wa afya wa namna ya kuchukua sampuli ikiwa ni pamoja na vipeperushi vinavyoelezea jinsi ya kujikinga na maambukizi ya ugonjwa huu.    

·        Kuimarisha ufuatiliaji wa ugonjwa huu kupitia kwa Wataalamu wa Afya katika Mikoa, Wilaya na maeneo ya mipakani. Aidha watalaamu hawa pia wanatoa elimu kwa wananchi kuhusu dalili za ugonjwa huu na jinsi ya kujikinga na maambukizi ili endapo ugonjwa huo utatokea uweze kutolewa taarifa mapema.

·        Wizara inasisitiza kuwa hakuna vikwazo vyovyote vilivyowekwa kwa ajili kwa wasafiri watakaokwenda au kurudi katika maeneo tajwa yaliyothibitishwa kuwa na ugonjwa huu. Vipeperushi vya ugonjwa huu vimetumwa katika maeneo ya mipakani ili iwapo msafiri anayeondoka au kurudi nchini akiwa na dalili tajwa atoe taarifa kwa watumishi wa afya wa mpakani ili hatua stahili ziweze kuchukuliwa.

·        Kutoa mafunzo kwa watumishi wa afya na mipakani wa  namna ya kutambua na kujikinga dhidi ya maambukizo ya ugonjwa huu pamoja na uchukuaji wa sampuli iwapo mgonjwa atapatikana

·        Kupeleka vifaa kinga kwa ajili ya watumishi wa afya

Wananchi wanashauriwa kutokuwa na hofu kwani mpaka sasa hakuna mgonjwa yeyote aliyeripotiwa nchini. Wizara inapenda kutoa tahadhari kwa wananchi juu ya umuhimu wa KUNAWA MIKONO VIZURI KWA SABUNI NA MAJI MARA KWA MARA na pia KUZUIA MDOMO NA PUA KWA KITAMBAA AU KARATASI LAINI  WAKATI WA KUKOHOA AU KUPIGA CHAFYA.

Pia wananchi wanashauriwa kutoa taarifa kwenye kituo cha kutolea huduma za afya kilicho karibu mara watakapoona mgonjwa yeyote atakayehisiwa kuwa na dalili za ugonjwa huu.

USAFIRI WA BOTI KATI YA KISIWA CHA UNGUJA NA PEMBA WAIMARIKA

Ufafiri wa kuaminika kati ya Visiwa vya Unguja na Pemba, ukiwa na uhakika wa kwenda na kurudi Pemba ukiwa wa uhakika, kama wanavyoonekana abiria wa boti ya Royal Express, wakishuka katika boti hiyo wakitokea kisiwani Pemba wakiwasili katika bandari ya Unguja wakitokea Pemba, tatizo la usafiri kati ya visiwa hivi imekuwa ya kupingia mfano. kutokana na hatua za wafanyabiashara kutowa huduma hiyo ya kwenda na kurudi siku hiyo hiyo.

Syria to attend Geneva peace conference: FM.

Syria's foreign minister said on Sunday that his government will take part in a peace conference in Geneva, terming it a "good opportunity for a political solution" to the civil war in Syria.
Walid Muallem said during a news conference in Baghdad that he had told his counterpart Hoshyar Zebari and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of the decision during the previously unannounced visit to Baghdad.
Muallem told reporters that President Bashar al-Assad's regime had agreed "in principle to participate in the international conference which is supposed to be convened in Geneva".
"We think... that the international conference represents a good opportunity for a political solution to the crisis in Syria."
Muallem made the Baghdad visit on the same day Iraqi authorities searched a Syria-bound aircraft that had flown from Moscow through Iranian airspace into Iraq, Nasser Bandar, the head of Iraq's civil aviation authority, told AFP.
No prohibited items were found, Bandar said.

Agence France-Presse

Arjen Robben fires Bayern Munich to final glory over Borussia Dortmund.

Roman Weidenfeller made a number of superb saves

Manuel Neuer was also called into action on several occasions

Arjen Robben's late goal fired Bayern Munich to UEFA Champions League glory with a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in a compelling final at Wembley.

Bayern celebrate Champions League win

The former Chelsea man, who missed a penalty against his old club in the final last year, found the net with just 90 seconds remaining to settle an end-to-end contest packed with drama and incident to secure a fifth European crown for the Bundesliga champions.

Bayern went ahead in the 60th minute through Mario Mandzukic after being set up by Robben, but Jurgen Klopp's men responded soon after thanks to Ilkay Gundogan's penalty, while goalkeepers Roman Weidenfeller and Manuel Neuer were in superb form all night.
After a tight opening spell, Dortmund were the first to settle with Robert Lewandowski forcing Neuer to tip a venomous long-range strike over the bar and the keeper called into action again soon after to deflect Jakub Blaszczykowski's low near-post strike behind.
Bayern's goalkeeper was worked again by Marco Reus in the 19th minute when the talented midfielder evaded the attention of Philipp Lahm and Dante to warm Neuer's palms with a drive from outside the box, before Sven Bender's low curled effort was gathered with relative ease.
Bayern, who tasted final defeat in 2012 and 2010, finally threatened in the 27th minute as Mandzukic's towering header from Franck Ribery's cross was acrobatically turned over by Weidenfeller, and Javi Martinez then escaped from his marker to glance the resulting corner narrowly over.
Weidenfeller then had to race from his line to deny Robben as the Holland international burst in behind the Dortmund defence following Thomas Muller's incisive pass, before counterpart Neuer again demonstrated his ability to deny Lewandowski after he got in behind Jerome Boateng.
Muller was left to rue a missed opportunity from a corner when he failed to make a clean contact, before the half drew to a close with an unorthodox block from Weidenfeller as he kept out Robben's shot with his face after Mats Hummels misjudged a long ball over the top by Dante.
The deadlock was finally broken on the hour mark as Ribery threaded a pass through the advancing Dortmund defence for Robben to run onto, with the former Chelsea man drawing Weidenfeller to the touchline before cutting the ball back across the box for Mandzukic to tap home.
But Bayern's lead was short-lived with referee Nicola Rizzoli pointing to the spot after Dante's clumsy lunge on Reus, allowing Gundogan to step up to send Neuer the wrong way in front of the yellow wall of Dortmund fans.
Jupp Heynckes' side looked certain to regain the lead only to be denied by a stunning last-ditch clearance from Neven Subotic, who appeared second best to Robben but showed the commitment and desire required to clear Muller's pass from off the toes of the Bayern man.
Lewandowski rifled a dipping volley home from long range but Rizzoli's whistle had already been blown for handball against the striker, before David Alaba's drive towards the top corner was fisted away by a diving Weidenfeller, with the Dortmund keeper in action once again as the 90 minutes ran down to deny Schweinsteiger.
But just when the game looked certain to go into extra time, Robben burst through the centre of the Dortmund defence to collect Ribery's back-heel, jinked away from one tackle and Weidenfeller before rolling the ball home.
After the match, Bayern Munich hero Robben admitted winning the UEFA Champions League buried his previous demons
 He told Sky Sports: "There are so many emotions, especially where we came from last year and such a disappointment. The last four years, Bayern have been in the final three times. It needed to happen but you still have to do it."It is a special feeling. You cannot describe it. Everything is going through your mind. It is hard to say but you do not want to be a loser."
And Dortmund defender Hummels admitted Bayern deserved to be crowned champions of Europe after their dramatic victory at Wembley.
He told Sky Sports: ""The game was really close, but it was kind of deserved for Bayern because they were the better team in the second half, but for us it is very hard and disappointing.
"They get the cup, we don't. It is one of the hardest games we can lose."

 

TAIFA STARS KWENDA MOROCCO KUPITIA ETHIOPIA

Timu ya Taifa ya Tanzania (Taifa Stars) inatarajia kuondoka leo (Mei 26 mwaka huu) usiku kwenda Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ambapo itaweka kambi na kucheza mechi moja ya kirafiki kabla ya kwenda Morocco.
 

Hezbollah Beirut heartland hit as Syria war rages.

Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement rally in Mashghara in the western Bekaa Valley on May 25, 2013. The fighting in Lebanon has already spilled over into the country's second city, the northern port of Tripoli, where 30 people have been killed in a week of clashes between pro-Assad Alawites and pro-rebel Sunni Muslims.

MCHEZO WA MIELEKA NCHINI SENEGAL

Nchini Senegal, miereka ya kitamaduni inapendwa zaidi kuliko soka huku wachezaji wakijipatia pesa nyingi na hata kuwa watu maarufu. Katika sehemu nyingi za nchi mchezo huu ni wa wanaume pekee lakini katika maeneo ya mashinani , hususan Kusini mwa nchi, kuna historia ndefu ya wanawake kushiriki miereka na ndio maana timu yua taifa inajumuisha watu kutoka eneo hilo. Picha na maelezo: Laeila Adjovi.

Sirefina Diediou alijiunga na kikosi cha taifa mwaka jana. Anasema likuwa anapigana na vijana alipokuwa shuleni na ilimchukua mamake muda kukubali kuwa anapenda mchezo huu.
 

'Wakati wa kula Wadudu ni sasa' UN

Ulaji zaidi wa wadudu huenda ukasaidia dunia kukabiliana na uhaba wa chakula, hii ni kwa mujibu wa ripoti iliyotolewa na umoja wa Mataifa.

Ripoti hiyo iliyotolewa na shirika la chakula na kilimo na UN, inasema kuwa kula wadudu huenda kukasaidia kuboresha afya na kupunguza idadi ya watu.

Kadhalika ripoti hiyo inasema kuwa zaidi ya watu bilioni mbili duniani hula wadudu kama sehemu ya lishe bora.

Hata hivyo inasema kukerwa kwa watu na kuwaona wadudu ndicho kinasalia kuwa kikwazo kikubwa katika nchi nyingi za Magharibi.

Nyingu au (Wasp), Beetle pamoja na wadudu wengine, hawatumiki sana kama chakula kwa binadamu au wanyama, kulingana na ripoti hiyo.

Kilimo cha kufuga Wadudu ni moja ya njia za kusuluhisha tatizo la uhaba wa chakula

"wadudu wako kila mahali, na kuzaana kwa haraka, na pia hukuwa kwa haraka sana pamoja na kuwa na athari ndogo sana kwa mazingira,'' ilisema ripoti hiyo.

Thamani ya wadudu kwa afya.

Waandishi wa ripoti hiyo wamesema kuwa, wadudu wanaleta afya nzuri , wakiwa na viwango vya juu vya Proteni , mafuta na madini mengine.

'Wana umuhimu mkubwa kwa kuwa na uwezo wa kuongeza madini mwilini, hasa kwa watoto wenye utapia mlo.''

Wadudu pia ni muhimu sana kwa sababu wanakula chakula kidogo kuliko wanyama. Mfano Chenene (cricket) wanakula chakula kidogo sana ikilinganishwa na mifugo ingawa wana viwango sawa vya madini ya Proteni.

Aidha wadudu hao pia wana athari ndogo sana katika uchafuzi wa mazingira ikilinganishwa na mifugo.

Gesi aina ya Ammonia inayotolewa na wadudu kadhaa, ni ya chini mno ikilinganishwa na ile inayotolewa na mifugo mfano Nguruwe.

Ripoti hiyo inataka mikahawa kuwa na wadudu miongoni mwa vyakula wanavyouza.

Wadudu huliwa na watu wengi duniani lakini dhana hiyo haiwezi kufanikishwa kwa watu wa nchi za Magharibi.

Ripoti hiyo inapendekeza kuwa sekta ya chakula inaweza kusaidia katika kuhamasisha watu kubadili wanavyokula na hata kuonyesha watu kuwa wanaweza kula baadhi ya vyakula.

Katika sehemu kadhaa duniani wadudu kadhaa huonekana kama chakula kitamu.

Mfano Viwavi huliwa Kusini mwa Afrika na huonekana kama chakula cha hadhi ya juu na pia huuzwa kwa bei ghali.

Wadudu wengi wanaoliwa hutolewa msituni na hutumiwa na watu maalum.

Ripoti hiyo Inapendekeza kuwepo sheria ya kudhibiti uzalishaji wa wadudu kama chakula.

Syrian civil war in photos.

Fresh accusations that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons in the ongoing civil war have led many to renew calls for the world to take stronger actions to stop the growing humanitarian crisis.

But recent polls have shown Americans are very reluctant to support military interventions in Syria. In a Huffington Post/YouGov poll, as few as 5% of respondents were willing to commit troops to the cause

The Obama administration has been similarly hesitant to get involved in Syria.

Q&A: Is Syrian war escalating to wider conflict?

While the administration has made some efforts to respond to humanitarian crises elsewhere in the world -- the U.S. joined NATO in its successful mission to assist Libyan rebels, military advisers have been sent to Uganda to combat the Lord's Resistance Army and to Jordan to help Syrian rebels -- full-scale military intervention in Syria does not appear to be on the table.

Read more: Opposition source -- Syrian rebels get U.S.-organized training in Jordan

President Obama's varying view on humanitarian intervention is in keeping with over 20 years of inconsistent American policy on the issue.

  yria regiona

 

Over the last 20 years, the U.S. government has chosen to intervene in Bosnia, Kosovo, Somalia, Haiti, and Libya while resisting calls to take action in Rwanda and Sudan.

Read more: 5 reasons Syria's war suddenly looks more dangerous

To better predict whether the U.S. will intervene in Syria, or any other similar crisis, we must understand why Washington selectively engages in humanitarian intervention missions.

Our recent research on when and why the U.S. engages in humanitarian intervention emphasizes two factors that might force the U.S. government's hand on humanitarian intervention: public opinion and Congressional partisanship. We analyzed public opinion polls and congressional votes during four episodes of humanitarian intervention -- Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo -- and found, as recent debates seems to suggest, humanitarian intervention is mired in the mundane world of politics. Contrary to conventional wisdom, politics do not end at "water's edge."

There is some good news to report: both the general public and individual legislators understand and are responsive to the moral imperative of stopping humanitarian crises.

The public is generally supportive of humanitarian missions. Even in the recent polls on Syria, respondents believe something should be done, even if they are unsupportive of military action by the U.S..

Further, Congress is not wholly unresponsive to public preferences regarding intervention in humanitarian emergencies. Legislative support is more likely in cases where public opinion generally favors intervention.

Those who push for more humanitarian missions can increase support for such missions by raising public outcry for action.

But the bad news is that humanitarian crises, like in Syria, which should rise above politics as usual, are often mired in that very spot.

Although public opinion appears to have an influence on legislative behavior, traditional factors such as partisanship have the strongest influence on how legislators cast their votes.

Humanitarian intervention is most likely when the U.S. president enjoys a majority in Congress. In the case of the 1990s, humanitarian interventions failed to get off the ground when President Clinton lost majorities in Congress.

If American politics is becoming increasingly partisan, future administrations should have an even harder time galvanizing the domestic support they need to address any humanitarian crises.

Opinion: Obama's no-win options in Syria

This does not mean, however, that humanitarian intervention will only occur when a president enjoys a majority in Congress. As the recently launched humanitarian missions suggest, politicians are learning the lessons of the 1990s and circumventing Congress.

This helps explain why President Obama's decision to contribute the U.S. military to NATO operations in Libya proceeded without Congressional authorization; the president was surely aware that such a vote would go down to defeat in a Republican-controlled House and deeply partisan Senate.

Congress was similarly bypassed in October 2011 when the administration deployed military advisers to Uganda.

Congress was similarly bypassed in 2011 and 2013 when the administration deployed military advisers to Uganda and Jordan, respectively.

For those who advocate for a strong humanitarian intervention in Syria, our research does not paint a completely gloomy picture. Instead, it simply suggests that domestic political will is a necessary precondition for intervention missions and should not be overlooked.

It is important to recognize that partisan bickering and political jockeying shape responses to humanitarian crises just as in trade policy, arms control, and immigration politics. While the atrocities are singular in their importance, the politics of dealing with them are not.

For those eager to craft a uniform and effective international response to humanitarian crises as in Syria, they must first turn their attention to domestic politics.

The political elites who must decide when, whether, where and how to fulfill the responsibility to protect, face their own domestic political battles. Ignoring these contexts threatens to over-simplify both the problems and the promises of humanitarian intervention

Hat-trick of defeats haunts confident Bayern.

Jupp Heynckes (C) stages a training session for the Bayern Munich squad at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. Heynckes says the German champions are completely focussed on their Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on May 25 and defeat is unthinkable

Angelina Jolie has double mastectomy due to cancer gene.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer.

The 37-year-old mother of six has explained her reasons for having the surgery in the New York Times.

She said her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. "I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could," she wrote.

She said the process began in February and was completed by the end of April.
Risk reduced
In an article entitled My Medical Choice, Ms Jolie explained that her mother fought cancer for nearly a decade and died at the age of 56.
She said she had sought to reassure her children that the same illness would not take her away from them, "but the truth is I carry a 'faulty' gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer".

She said that once she "knew that this was my reality", she had taken the decision to undergo the nine weeks of complex surgery required to have a double mastectomy, followed by reconstruction of the breasts with implants.

"There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful," she wrote.

Her chances of developing breast cancer have now dropped from 87% to under 5%, she said.

She praised her partner, Brad Pitt, for his love and support throughout the procedure, and said she was reassured that her children had found nothing in the results "that makes them uncomfortable".

"I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity," she said.

"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options," Ms Jolie went on to say.

"I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices."

Emma Parlons: "If somebody said your flight was 86% likely to come down, you wouldn't get on that plane"

The award-winning actress and director is also a long-time supporter of humanitarian causes. She is currently a special envoy for the UN Refugee Agency.

During the period she was undergoing the double mastectomy procedure, Ms Jolie visited the Democratic Republic of Congo with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and attended the G8 summit of foreign ministers in London to raise awareness over sexual violence in conflict.

She also helped launch a charity to fund girls' education set up by the Pakistani schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot by the Taliban last October.

Ms Jolie has three biological children and three adopted children.

Kenya's Nairobi city hit by pig protest over MPs pay

Protesters in Kenya have released a pig and about a dozen piglets outside parliament to show their anger at newly elected MPs demanding higher salaries.

The animals licked blood spilled by a protester outside the parliamentary gates in the capital, Nairobi, reports the BBC's Anne Mawathe from the scene.

The unusual demonstration, organised by civil society groups, was intended to portray the MPs as greedy.

The MPs are demanding a monthly salary of about $10,000 (£6,540).

Kenya's Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has recommended that their salaries be pegged at around $6,300.

Kenya's MPs are among the highest paid in the world, and their salaries have often triggered controversy.

The average annual salary in Kenya is about $1,700.
'Tear gas fired'
"We have spilled the blood of the pigs to show that the MPs are greedy like pigs," said Boniface Mwangi, an organiser of the "Occupy Parliament" march.

He and other organisers were arrested by police, Reuters news agency reports.

Riot police hit protesters and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, which had marched from Nairobi's Freedom Corner.

The pig and piglets - brought in a truck - did not seem to be affected by the tear gas, and continued licking the blood, our reporter adds.

Earlier, protesters blocked MPs from entering parliament and demanded that they sign a petition rejecting a $10,000 salary.

Our correspondent says she saw only one MP signing the petition, though she is not sure he knew what he was signing.

Tuesday's protest comes just days after newly elected President Uhuru Kenyatta added his voice to the clamour against MPs increasing their pay and allowances, the Standard reports.

Kenya held presidential and parliamentary elections in March.

Parliament is made up of 416 MPs - 349 in the National Assembly and 67 in the Senate.

Our correspondent says some MPs have threatened to push for the scrapping of the SRC if it failed to yield to their demands.

The MPs say they deserve a $10,000 salary because they work very hard.

They also argue that they spend some of the money on their constituents - sometimes even paying for their school fees, our reporter adds.

MPs in the previous parliament awarded themselves a $107,000 retirement bonus in one of the last sessions before the election.

The package also provided them with an armed guard, a diplomatic passport and access to airport VIP lounges

Wigan stun Manchester City with 1-0 win at Wembley Stadium.

Ben Watson nodded home in stoppage-time as Wigan Athletic saw off Manchester City 1-0 to win the FA Cup final in dramatic circumstances.

The Latics, in their first final appearance, made the most of their numerical advantage in the closing stages, after Pablo Zabaleta had seen red for City.
It was a deserved triumph for the Latics, for whom Callum McManaman was outstanding, and completed a personal triumph for chairman Dave Whelan, who broke his leg in the 1960 final.
But for City, it means a trophyless campaign, and raises further questions over the future of Roberto Mancini, who it is rumoured will be replaced by Manuel Pellegrini in the summer.
It is true to say City's targets have changed markedly thanks to the money invested by Sheikh Mansour, but, as Roman Abramovich has discovered, and Tony Fernandes has done so painfully this season, money guarantees nothing.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez came up with an ingenious way of trying to overcome the massive odds stacked against his team. In leaving Arouna Kone and McManaman upfield even as City pressed, he forced the Blues to temper their attacking instincts, denying them the width which adds to the obvious danger their flair players pose.
When the half-time whistle blew City could claim most of the best chances. But in Joel Robles, preferred in goal to Ali Al Habsi, Wigan had a keeper in form. The Spain Under-21 star turned away an early effort from Yaya Toure and denied Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri later in the half.
In the middle was the best of the lot as Wigan's notoriously flaky defence parted to let Nasri through, which allowed David Silva to set up Carlos Tevez.
The Argentina star looked certain to score as his effort headed to one corner as Robles plunged towards the other. Somehow though, the on-loan Atletico Madrid man kept it out with his legs, in one of those moments that ends up being etched in final history.
And Wigan had chances to get their noses in front during that opening period too. McManaman was a constant threat, but first after running onto Kone's pass and then electing to check inside and curl home with his left foot rather than shooting first-time with his right, then embarking on a Ricky Villa-like slalom and driving a shot against Zabaleta, he wasted the best of them.
Not that he could be blamed 18 minutes after half-time when he embarked on a bewitching run into the City box and was only denied by Vincent Kompany's brave block.
Mancini executed a tactical rejig to counter Martinez's attacking intentions, but it was Wigan who hit the woodwork, albeit unintentionally, as Shaun Maloney's intended far post free-kick bounced off the bar with Joe Hart stranded.
And they had an extra man six minutes from the end when Zabaleta chopped down McManaman to collect a second yellow card and follow Kevin Moran and Jose Antonio Reyes into the FA Cup final hall of shame.
It was the signal for another Wigan assault, and by now no-one could deny they deserved something from the game.
Two free-kicks came and went before another McManaman burst forced Gael Clichy to concede a corner. Maloney swung it to the near post and Watson rose to power it into the corner and carve Wigan's name into history.

David Moyes claims he did not expect to leave Everton for Manchester United

 

David Moyes has admitted he did not expect to be leaving Goodison Park this summer but conceded that he could not say no to Manchester United.

Moyes has been speaking publicly for the first time since being named as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Old Trafford, and paid fulsome tribute to the Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and the supporters.

"The fans have been great to me from day one here. I would like to say thank you for that support they've always given me," he said.

"I wasn't planning on leaving. My contract was running out but we were planning for pre-season. All we've ever done here is keep planning."

"It was very difficult meeting with the chairman this week. I have great respect for him and we've had a great relationship

"The chairman has never been critical of me and he has always tried to give me everything he possibly can to support me.

"I wasn't planning on leaving. My contract was running out but we were planning for pre-season. All we've ever done here is keep planning."

When asked if he had considered turning down United's approach, Moyes said: "I have to be honest and say no.

Moyes, who ends his 11-year stint on Merseyside with a home game against West Ham before bringing the curtain down at Stamford Bridge next week, admits it will be a wrench to leave.

"I think Sunday will be emotional because I've been so close to the players and the people around Goodison," he added.

"As a manager I might have got more mellow. I hope I've not lost that intensity but maybe learned to use it in the right ways.

"Whoever comes in as manager will get a well-run club, a great set of players. I'm disappointed to be leaving such a great club."
David Moyes

"I'm sure there will be lots of good people interested in this job and no wonder, because it is a great place to work.

"Whoever comes in as manager will get a well-run club, a great set of players. I'm disappointed to be leaving such a great club.

"This club when I took over was bobbing along near the bottom of the league. Now we're competing around fifth or sixth spot every season.

"When I came in and mentioned the People's Club it was from my heart, it was how I felt about the club. The 11 years haven't disappointed me.

"The players this year have been exceptional and I would hate to think Sunday and next week are about David Moyes."

Vidic said: "I'm looking forward to working with David and I believe I will have the same success I had with Sir Alex.

"David and Sir Alex share some similarities - they are very passionate, they are both winners and you can see the way they approach the games and how they run things."
Nemanja Vidic

"David and Sir Alex share some similarities - they are very passionate, they are both winners and you can see the way they approach the games and how they run things.

"David Moyes did a great job with Everton. He is a man who gets his players to work hard and show discipline.

"He did that well with Everton because in the last few years they've been successful in getting into the top six

Meanwhile, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole told The Footballers' Football Show that Moyes was the ideal choice as United boss and not Jose Mourinho.

Former Old Trafford striking heroes Yorke and Cole backed the appointment, insisting that Moyes' managerial style and longevity at Everton had marked him out as the perfect successor to Ferguson.

Indeed, Yorke insisted that Moyes was a better fit for United than Real Madrid supremo Mourinho, claiming the Portuguese tactician's short-stay mentality would not work at Old Trafford.

"Jose is a very successful man and of course a successful manager as well, but Moyes just seems to fit and has longevity," said Yorke.

"Jose moves around and gets the best out of his players; couple of years, two or three years and then moves on. That seems to be his style of management. But at Manchester United it's a longevity job, it's not a quick fix."

Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick welcome David Moyes to Manchester United

Manchester United duo Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick have welcomed the appointment of David Moyes at Old Trafford and paid tribute to his success at Everton.

After Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed his retirement following 26 years in charge, the Premier League club announced that Moyes would be his successor on Thursday.

And the early reaction from within the dressing room suggests that the players view the Everton boss, who will take up his new post on July 1, as the ideal man for the job.

Ferdinand, who has played under Ferguson for over a decade at Old Trafford, said: "It was important the club made a decision quickly and got it all sorted before people could start making rumours.

"We've never had a problem with him here at United, he's a very honest man from the players you speak to and he's done a fantastic job at his previous club Everton. "The club have acted impeccably in that respect.

"It's great to see the new manager coming in, we've never had a problem with him here at United, he's a very honest man from the players you speak to and he's done a fantastic job at his previous club Everton.

"I'm sure he'll be very, very open and sympathetic to the traditions of the club and try and continue that and not come in and try and make crazy changes in terms of the whole characteristics of the club."

United and England midfielder Carrick has also been impressed by Moyes' work at Everton and is eagerly awaiting the start of a new era.

"He's honest and fair to his players as far as I'm aware. He sets high standards just as he expects high standards of ourselves." "He's done a terrific job at Everton," he said.

"He's been there a long time and has had great success with the resources he's had. It's obviously a big change because this club's been run for so long by one person.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting him and getting good training in pre-season and looking forward to a good future.

"He's honest and fair to his players as far as I'm aware. He sets high standards just as he expects high standards of ourselves."

.

"He's a very experienced man who has been at Everton for 10 years or so; he's had a very limited amount of money to spend but has managed to get the best out of his players.

"He's a loyal man - he's a family man; he's got all of the ingredients. He is certainly a football person.

"Only time will tell if he is the right man for the job, but I do believe that he is the right appointment at this stage."

Cole echoed that view and said that Moyes can look forward to having the full support of the board and fans alike - and have the necessary financial backing he needs to strengthen the squad as he sees fit.

"He fits the Manchester United mould, put it that way. He's had a great career at Everton as a manager despite having limited resources. But the good thing is that he will go to Manchester United and he will be backed, just as Sir Alex Ferguson was backed when it comes to transfer funds.

"He's going to take over a well-oiled machine that is very used to winning. If you look at his track record at Everton he's done very well and I think he will go in there and do what he needs to do to keep Manchester United winning."

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, who took Moyes to Goodison Park from Preston North End in March 2002, is understandably disappointed to be losing a coach who has offered so much to his club over the past decade, and admits he faces a tough task in finding a suitable replacement.

Schmeichel in shock:In resigning Sir Alex Ferguson.

Peter Schmeichel believes David Moyes could provide the stability Manchester United need, following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson at the end of the season.

The former United and Demark goalkeeper, who won five Premier League titles under Ferguson, told Sky Sports News he was 'shocked' and 'sad' to hear his former boss has decided to step down, but reckons Everton boss Moyes could potentially be an ideal replacement.
"David Moyes is made from the same cloth as Sir Alex and he's the kind of guy you look at and you think 'stability'."
  
Peter Schmeichel "What we're looking for isn't someone who can come in for ten months or three years," said Schmeichel.
"We're looking for someone who can stay and produce the same kind of stability as Sir Alex Ferguson has done.
"David Moyes has been more than a decade at Everton on limited funds and he's been doing a fantastic job. He's Scottish, he's made from the same cloth as Sir Alex and he's the kind of guy you look at and you think 'stability'. Beyond anything else that's the most important thing for Manchester United.
"You can look at Moyes and say 'this guy knows how to stay in a job for more than three years'.
"Don't forget there are going to be major changes in the commercial department - David Gill is stepping down and the club is really changing in the summer, so the more stability you can add to those changes the better.
"David Moyes sounds like a good solution - but there will be a lot of names thrown around in the next couple of hours, days and weeks. We have to wait and see what happens

David Moyes 'frontrunner' to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

David Moyes: Was linked with a move to Chelsea earlier this season but is now the favourite to replace Sir Alex Ferguson

Everton boss David Moyes is in pole position to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Sky sources understand.

United confirmed in a statement on Wednesday morning that Ferguson would retire this summer after more than 26 years in charge.
Moyes has long been tipped as a possible replacement for English football's most successful manager but the Scot is now in pole position to take the Old Trafford helm, with an announcement expected in the next 48 hours.
David Moyes and Jose Mourhino are at the head of the betting as Manchester United look for a replacement to Sir Alex Ferguson. The 50-year-old's Everton contract runs out in the summer and no agreement has been reached over a new deal.
He has previously said that he wants to wait until the end of this campaign before deciding whether to extend his time at Goodison Park into a 12th year.
Moyes has brought stability and consistency on a relatively small budget to the Merseysiders, despite not winning a major trophy, and is viewed by United chiefs as a man who, like his outgoing compatriot, values youth development and longevity.
 
 

Sir Alex Ferguson to retire this summer, Manchester United confirm.

Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season, Manchester United have confirmed.

Rumours about the 71-year-old's United future began to circulate at the club's golf day on Tuesday with United finally making the announcement on their website that English football's most successful manager will call time on a 26-and-a-half-year reign this summer.

Ferguson's decision comes just days after he secured his 13th Premier League title, and he also delivered United two European Cups, five FA Cups, four League Cups and a European Cup Winners' Cup.He will stay on at Old Trafford as a director and a club ambassador.
In a statement, Ferguson said: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.
"It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so. The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one.

"The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time."

"Our training facilities are amongst the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.
"Going forward, I am delighted to take on the roles of both Director and Ambassador for the club. With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future.
"I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential. My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement. Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.
"As for my players and staff, past and present, I would like to thank them all for a staggering level of professional conduct and dedication that has helped to deliver so many memorable triumphs. Without their contribution the history of this great club would not be as rich.

"In my early years, the backing of the board, and Sir Bobby Charlton in particular, gave me the confidence and time to build a football club, rather than just a football team.
 "Over the past decade, the Glazer family have provided me with the platform to manage Manchester United to the best of my ability and I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with a talented and trustworthy Chief Executive in David Gill. I am truly grateful to all of them.David Moyes: Was linked with a move to Chelsea earlier this season but is now the favourite to replace Sir Alex Ferguson
"To the fans, thank you. The support you have provided over the years has been truly humbling. It has been an honour and an enormous privilege to have had the opportunity to lead your club and I have treasured my time as manager of Manchester United."

Anwar says only fraud can stop Malaysia opposition

Two Muslim women make their way across a flooded field to listen to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim speak at a election rally in Ulu Melaka, May 3, 2013. Anwar said only fraud can stop his Malaysian opposition from scoring a historic election win as the rival sides launched a last-ditch campaign blitz Saturday on the eve of a tense vote

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim speaks at an election rally in Putrajaya on May 1, 2013. Anwar said only fraud can stop his Malaysian opposition from scoring a historic election win as the rival sides launched a last-ditch campaign blitz Saturday on the eve of a tense vote.

Australia halts cattle exports to Egypt

Australian cattle exported to Indonesia are shown in a truck in Jakarta on June 8, 2011. Australian cattle exporters said they had suspended live shipments to Egypt Saturday after abattoir footage shot by animal rights activists showed "horrific" mistreatment of cows.

Solar plane takes off on cross-country US trip

The first-ever manned airplane that can fly by day or night on the Sun's power alone took off Friday on the first leg of a trip across the United States.
Solar Impulse, piloted by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, left the runway in northern California at 6:12 am (13:12 GMT) against the backdrop of a golden morning sunrise, in what a mission control operator called a "perfect takeoff."
Flying quietly and slowly at a speed of about 43 miles (70 kilometers) per hour, the plane is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix, Arizona, early Saturday under cover of darkness.
"I have almost no wind," a smiling Piccard said just over an hour into the flight.
A dashboard showing the live speed, direction, battery status, solar generator and engine power, along with cockpit cameras of both Piccard and his view from the plane, are online at live.solarimpulse.com.
The US itinerary allows for up to 10 days at each stop in order to showcase the plane's technology to the public. Other stops are planned for Dallas, Texas, and the US capital Washington, before wrapping up in New York in early July.

The Solar Impulse plane on display at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, on March 28, 2013. The solar airplane has taken off from California on its first attempt at a cross-country trip across the United States

That will allow two pilots -- Piccard and his co-founder, Swiss engineer and ex-fighter pilot Andre Borschberg -- to share duties and rest between flights.
The project aims to showcase what can be accomplished without fossil fuels, and has set its "ultimate goal" as an around-the-world flight in 2015.
The plane has four electric motors and runs on energy provided by 12,000 solar cells.
Longer trips have already been successfully completed by the plane, which made the world's first solar 26-hour day and night trip in 2010.
However, the cockpit has room for just one pilot, so even though the plane could likely make the entire US journey in three days, Piccard decided it would be easier to rest and exchange flight control with Borschberg at rest stops.
Solar Impulse was launched in 2003. The project's ultimate goal is to fly around the world, with that endeavor scheduled for 2015.
The plane can fly at night by reaching a high elevation of 27,000 feet and then gently gliding downward, using almost no power through the night until the Sun comes up to begin recharging the aircraft's solar cells.

 The Solar Impulse piloted by Bertrand Piccard takes off from Rabat airport on July 6, 2012. The solar airplane has taken off from California on its first attempt at a cross-country trip across the United States

The US journey is being billed as the plane's first cross-continent flight. The plane completed its first intercontinental journey from Europe to Africa in June 2012 on a jaunt from Madrid to Rabat.
The slim plane is particularly sensitive to turbulence and has no room for passengers, but Piccard has insisted that those issues are not setbacks but challenges to be met in the future.
The project is designed to push the boundaries of what is possible in aviation by using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.
"Our airplane is not designed to carry passengers, but to carry a message," Piccard has said.