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BEIRUT (AFP) — Deadly gunbattles erupted in Beirut on Thursday after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah charged that a Lebanese government crackdown on his group was tantamount to a “declaration of war,” stoking fears of a full-blown sectarian conflict.

The international community launched urgent appeals for calm in the deeply divided country after two days of clashes between rival political factions that signalled a major escalation in a bitter 18-month power struggle. for more click here

In the spring of 2003 Dahr Jamail, a fourth-generation Lebanese-American with a taste for adventure, was up a mountain in Alaska, climbing and earning a living by working as a guide. He was, though, following news of the invasion of Iraq, and what he read and heard made him so furious that he decided to leave the mountains - “my church”, as he calls them - and head for that newly subjugated land, armed only with a laptop and a digital recorder. for more click here

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — Nyasha Putana could not help crying in pain as ruling party supporters in Zimbabwe whacked his buttocks and the soles of his feet in front of hundreds of fellow villagers.

At least five people died from beatings at Monday’s “political meeting” at Dakudzwa village, about 60 miles north of Harare, in Mashonaland, according to witnesses, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and a human rights worker who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.for more click here

EDINBURGH MP WELCOMES GOVERNMENT MOVE ON OVERSEAS PERFORMERS AT EDINBURGH FRINGE

Mark Lazarowicz MP, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North & Leith, has welcomed UK Government moves to ensure new immigration rules will not stop overseas entertainers performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Changes to the immigration rules, and the introduction later this year of a points-based system (PBS), had led to concerns that international performers would face thousands of pounds in charges to come to the event.

But following meetings between Scottish Secretary Des Browne and the Home Office, the UK Government has moved to ease these fears, announcing that temporary foreign workers attending festivals would be treated as visitors and will remain outside the PBS.

Mark said: “I warmly welcome this development which will ensure the Fringe can continue as the largest open access international arts festival in the world. I’m glad that the Home Office has responded to the concerns raised by Scottish MPs, including myself, and that the many visitors to the Fringe will continue to enjoy the performances of entertainers from around the world”.

For further comment and information please contact the office of Mark Lazarowicz MP on 020 7219 8222.

Website: www.marklazarowicz.org.uk

Constituency Office: 5 Croall Place, Edinburgh EH7 5HU
Tel: 0131-557-0577 Fax: 0131-557-5759

The US dollar fell for a second day against the euro as Fannie Mae reported a larger-than-expected $US2.19 billion loss, indicating the worst of the housing-led economic slowdown may not be over.

The US currency, up 3% against the euro from a record low set last month, weakened as the price of oil surged past $US122 a barrel, raising concern inflation will accelerate and growth may slow further. The Swiss franc increased versus the Brazilian real and the pound on speculation investors will reduce holdings of higher-yielding assets. for more click here

The Rev Richard Kirker, an Anglican deacon who steps down during 2008 after three decades leading Britain’s Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, believes that if the worldwide Anglican communion separates over homosexuality, the onus of responsibility will fall upon “those who walked away” - writes Martin Revis. for more click here

Seldom has the Shakespearian observation that “the evil that men do lives after them” been more true than with Adolf Hitler and his Nazis, whose genocide against the Jews created fear, resentment and behavioral changes that have reverberated to the present day. for more click here

The Federal Reserve said the proportion of US banks making it tougher for companies and consumers to borrow approached a record in the past three months as the credit crunch deepened.

A net 70% of banks increased loan rates over their cost of funds for commercial and industrial borrowing, according to the central bank’s quarterly survey of senior loan officers released today in Washington. That compares with 45% in the January survey, the Fed said. for more click here

The US dollar declined for a second day against the euro after Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke said in a speech that mortgage delinquencies will weigh on economic growth.

The US currency fell against the Malaysian ringgit and the Singapore and Taiwan dollars as investors sought out higher- yielding currencies on speculation the Fed will keep interest rates at the lowest in more than three years. The Australian dollar traded near a 24-year high on speculation the country’s central bank will keep borrowing costs at a 12-year high today to curb inflation. The Norwegian krone rose as oil prices rose to a record, boosting the value of the country’s exports. for more click here

The threat of a nuclear attack on the UK in the 1950s caused concern over the supply of tea, top-secret documents which have now been released reveal.

Government officials planning food supplies said the tea situation would be “very serious” after a nuclear war. for more click here