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HONGKONG: Martin Lee, one of the spearheads of Hong Kong’s
democracy movement for the past 20 years, said Friday he will step
down from his seat in the territory’s legislature later this year.
“In June, I will be 70. It is time to get some new blood. No one
person is indispensable,” Lee, who was a founding member of the
city’s Democratic Party, told AFP by phone. He will step down from
the city’s Legislative Council when his term ends in July.
-- AFP
THE HAGUE: The Netherlands was relieved Friday
at mild initial reactions to a controversial anti-Islam film posted
on the Internet by far-right deputy Geert Wilders amid lingering
fears that reception abroad may not be as calm. Wilders posted his
film Fitna, featuring violent imagery of terrorist attacks in New
York and Madrid intertwined with Koranic texts. The Dutch ministers
of justice and integration met Friday with organizations
representing religious and minority groups to talk about the film
ahead of Friday prayers in mosques here.
-- AFP
BAGHDAD: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki offered
Shiite militants cash for weapons deal on Friday in an attempt to
end violent clashes across Iraq that have killed more than 120
people. US-led coalition warplanes, meanwhile, bombed Shiite militia
positions in Basra, directly entering the fray for the first time
since the Iraqi army began the crackdown in the southern city, a
British military spokesman said. Two bombing missions were carried
out overnight against specific targets, Major Tom Holloway told AFP.
-- AFP
SEOUL: South Korea on Friday announced its
official recognition of Kosovo, sparking an angry reaction from
Serbia. “The government recognizes Kosovo as a sovereign state,”
said spokesman Moon Tae Young of the foreign ministry. “We hope
Kosovo’s independence will lead to its democratic development and
economic rehabilitation and contribute to regional peace and
security.”
-- AFP
PRAGUE: Best-selling author JK Rowling has been
challenged by a Czech lawmaker to visit children and psychiatric
institutions she has attacked as inhumane, CTK news agency said
Thursday. “Since you opened your mouth, the work of our employees
has been the subject of unjustified criticism,” said Miloslav
Macela in a letter sent to the Harry Potter author. Macela shares
responsibility for social care services in the central Pardubice
region.
-- AFP
PRAGUE: Australian actress turned pop diva Kylie
Minogue will announce her marriage to French actor Olivier Martinez
at a concert on May 12, a Czech website said Thursday. Minogue, who
turns 40 in May, will announce the marriage in Prague, Czech
organizer Jarda Hainzel was quoted as saying in the website
www.idnes.cz, adding that the number “of VIP tickets demanded by
Kylie’s team for the show surpassed the usual number.”
-- AFP
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