The pathologist who ruled the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer a homicide is standing by his report despite a contradictory conclusion by three other doctors and police, a Jamaican newspaper reported on Wednesday. I am sticking to my findings. He was murdered, Dr Ere Seshaiah told The Jamaica Observer.
Police relied on Seshaiahs autopsy in March when they announced Woolmer, 58, had been strangled in his hotel room a day after Pakistan was ousted from the Cricket World Cup. The announcement shocked the cricket world and triggered a high-profile homicide investigation. But on Tuesday Jamaican police said three independent pathologists from Britain, South Africa and Canada determined that Woolmer died of natural causes, and closed the murder probe.
Seshaiah told the Observer he is confident the coach was slain. Woolmer is not a first for me, he said. I have been doing autopsies here since 1995. An opposition lawmaker called for Seshaiah to be fired. He led the investigation team down a wrong path, Derrick Smith said in a television interview outside parliament. Now that we have found out that he has made an error, he should be terminated.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/14/2007 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) A local business man has been shot dead in Somalias southern port city of Kismayu, 500km of the capital by unknown gunman late Monday. The security situation in the city has been worsening for the past few days.
Ahmed Kheyr was gunned down overnight in front of his house. Witnesses say he was hit by several bullets and died on the spot. I saw when the gunman was shooting the businessman, I could do nothing because I feared, one resident who declined to be named said.
Shortly after the shooting, the security forces reached the area while the attacker escaped already unharmed.
It is not clear whether the latest killing was related to political motivation but the police in Kismayu are now continuing investigations over the case. We are conducting an inquiry over who was behind the killing on the businessman, said the police chief in Kismayu Ibrahim Shanfol.
Oh who, oh who could it be?
The shooting came as wide-spread insecurity looms in Kismayu, which has history of clan conflict as the city saw waves of killings and robbery that forced many residents to flee their houses for safety locations.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/14/2007 00:00 ||
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The story could be interpreted in totally different ways, depending on what kind of 'business' the businessman was operating. Was he a pimp? An arms dealer? A grocer? An insurance angent?
Seven serving and former officers of the Zimbabwe army have been charged with planning a coup d'etat against President Robert Mugabe. The men were arrested in stages, beginning on May 29, and appeared twice in closed hearings at Harare magistrates' court earlier this month.
Journalists and family members have been barred from the hearings and the case has now been referred to the Harare high court, where the accused are expected to apply for bail today. A police record of the arrests said that the officers were accused of "treason" over a plot in which they aimed to overthrow Mr Mugabe and install Emmerson Mnangagwa, the rural housing minister, in his place.
The police statement accuses Albert Mugove Matapo, 40, of recruiting six others "who conspired to plot a coup to overthrow the Zimbabwe government". Mr Matapo wanted to "recruit as many soldiers as possible to take over the government and all camps and be in control of the nation after which he will announce to the nation that he was in control of government and would invite Minister Mnangagwa and service chiefs to form a government", the police record said.Another former army officer, Albert Rugowe, is accused of conspiring with his co-accused and recruiting members of the army, the air force and the police "to whom he gave some tasks in preparation of a coup". Others named are serving officers, among them Capt Shepherd Maromo and Olivine Morale, whose rank and age have not yet been established.
There have been rumours of coup plots in Harare for months as Mr Mugabe, 82, has faced growing criticism for a spiralling economic crisis and crackdowns on opposition activists. This is the first case in which soldiers have been arrested and if proved, would constitute the first credible coup attempt in Mr Mugabe's 27-year rule.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/14/2007 12:19 ||
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80%: unemployment
£130: GDP per capita
-4.4%: growth
39: years life expectancy
700,000: people had homes and businesses destroyed by the Government in 2005
27: years with Robert Mugabe in power
$0: funds left for the Zimbabwean Army to pay for rations
Inflation is likely to bring Zimbabwes economy to a standstill within six months with the possible paralysis of President Mugabes Government and civil unrest, international aid agencies warned their staff yesterday. The countrys plight is likely to force Mr Mugabe to introduce emergency rule, said a group representing 34 organisations, including the United Nations, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Oxfam.
The warning came as the countrys consumer watchdog reported that the cost of living for an average urban family had risen by 66 per cent last month. In April inflation stood at a record 3,700 per cent. The internal memorandum from the Heads of Agencies Contact Group is the first evidence that international organisations are taking steps to prepare for a collapse. The memorandum is talking about a situation where there is no functioning government or a total breakdown, said an agency official, who asked not to be named. It is saying it is inevitable, not just a possibility. Our head offices have to know. Not many people have experienced this kind of crisis. The document says that inflation will continue to snowball. Thus economic collapse is expected before the end of 2007, it adds.
By that point the Zimbabwean currency will have become unusable and shops and services will substantially cease to function. This is likely to be followed by increased unemployment with concomitantly increased crime and possible civil disturbances. It points out that presidential and parliamentary elections are due by the end of March next year, but adds: If the country is unable to function, it is difficult to see how these can be held.
The Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights said last week: It can no longer be said that the health service is near collapse, It has collapsed.
The memorandum says that member organisations are forced to pay staff weekly as price increases outstrip wages, and before long staff will have to be given daily increases. It also urges that experts with experience of places such as Iraq or Afghanistan be recruited to advise staff in Zimbabwe.
Mr Mugabes reaction to the deepening crisis grows increasingly bizarre. This week he presided over the handover of 925 imported tractors, 35 combine harvesters and a range of other sophisticated equipment that cost $25 million (£12.5 million) of foreign currency. As far as it could be established, the recipients are all politicians. Today we are proud masters of our political and economic destinies, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/14/2007 12:06 ||
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I hope for the sake of the people there that it doesn't take Mugabe six months or even six weeks to "collapse" . . . as in "collapse and die."
Posted by: Mike ||
06/14/2007 14:16 Comments ||
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#2
Yo, Bob. Thanks for da tractor.
Whadda I do wit it?
Posted by: Farmin B. Hard ||
06/14/2007 14:24 Comments ||
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Looks like it's all tough in Zim these days. I know there's lots of members of the Hard family; you got a brother named Livin B., too? If you do, ask him how much he'd like to see Ian Smith back!
Posted by: Mac ||
06/14/2007 19:02 Comments ||
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#5
Will anyone be able to tell the difference? Will Hugo catch up with Mugabe?
#6
It's a race for the bottom........Bob's in the lead.....Dinnerjacket at the Rail.....Hugo in the stretch......
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/14/2007 20:28 Comments ||
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#7
Great track dialogue, Paul! Zimbabwe's only hope is to stretch Mugabe's neck at the earliest opportunity. Every breath this slimeball takes suffocates another Zimbabwean to death. He is the sort of parasite that kills the host. Think Alien.
#8
Mugabe is typical of the "one man, one vote, one time" crowd in Africa : take power, rape and pillage your way through the economy and finances of the country, and then start a rolling genocide through famine - both natural and man-made. I hope the South Africans are paying attention to all of this, because this is where the ANC is taking them in 10 years time.
In a bid to bring 'drastic' reforms in the Awami League (AL), several influential leaders of the party have prepared a 21-point draft proposal, which they will hand over to party President Sheikh Hasina within the next week. Several pro-reform leaders said they will be with Hasina if she accepts the proposals, otherwise they will challenge her leadership. Many senior leaders of the party have held regular secret meetings during the last couple of weeks for preparing the draft, which they said have been prepared after taking opinion from the party's central to grass roots level leaders.
To review the draft proposal, they held a meeting at the residence of the party's central leader Dr Ali Ashraf on Tuesday. "After finalising the proposal by Sunday, we will hand it over to the party chief as well as all the party leaders from central to upazila levels and to the media," said a leader who attended the meeting.
The key leaders of the move, including presidium members Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta, also held meetings with the leaders of the AL-led 14 party coalition and other like-minded political parties, sources said.
A leader attending the meeting said they have been moving fast to bring drastic reforms in the party, as they do not want to lock horns with the military-backed caretaker government. "We are not quitting the Awami League. Rather we will save the party of Bangabandhu through carrying out reforms as per the demand of the time," said the leader replying to a query.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/14/2007 00:00 ||
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is expected to finalise a deal on buying up to nine Russian submarines during a visit here later this month, a Russian newspaper reported on Thursday.
Ummm... Yasss. The mighty Venezuelan navy. In their Kursks.
Caracas has already ordered five 636-type diesel submarines and four of a new model of diesel submarine, the 677E Amur, the Kommersant broadsheet said, quoting unnamed sources in the ship-building and arms export sectors.
Oh. Okay. New model Amurs. Ever so much harder to sink with all hands.
They're automated, you can sink them with just one hand.
Chavez may have to settle for the older 636 submarines for the time being as the new 677E Amur has not yet been presented to Russia's own navy, a source at the arms export agency Rosoboronexport said. "To start off with they were insisting on only the Amurs but were then persuaded to take the 636 vessels," the source told Kommersant.
Better get the cash up front, Vlad.
The paper said Chavez planned to visit Russia on June 29, less than a year after a visit last July, the paper said.
He's not going by submarine, though.
If it goes ahead, the deal is likely to become a "new irritant in relations between Moscow and Washington," the paper commented. Venezuela has become a major buyer of Russian arms in recent years. Since 2005 Caracas has spent 3.4 billion dollars (2.6 billion euros) on arms from Russia, including 24 fighter planes, 35 military helicopters, air defence systems and 100,000 kalashnikov rifles, the paper said. Venezuela wants the submarines in order to overcome a possible US naval blockade, the paper said.
Oh that will work well. Our Navy could use the anti-sub practice.
Between 2004 and 2006 Russia supplied eight of the 636 submarines to China and is now building two such submarines for Algeria, Kommersant added.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/14/2007 09:18 ||
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Oh goodie. Target practice!
Posted by: US Navy ||
06/14/2007 9:44 Comments ||
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Getting the subs is one thing. Learning to use them effectively is another. Is Russia going to provide crews as well?
Diesel boats can be an effective threat if used correctly - they are very quiet when running on batteries. If you know how to use them, that is. Learning how can be deadly.
#7
Do you think we have enough LA class subs to cover both seaboards and do all the forward deployed things we need them to do in Asia, the Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf, the Arctic Ocean?
#8
If Venezuela wants to take over Aruba and Noth Antilles (right off their coast) subs would be a nice deterent. Of course the European anti-military stance would be an even better deterent.
Perhaps Chavez should consider villifying the Europeans for awhile since he can't provoke the US.
#10
Had the chance last weekend to tour that soviet attack sub at the San Diego Maritime Museum. Decommissioned in '94. Libya currently as 4 of em rusting away for those very reasons stated. Looks good on paper - operations are another matter. This is in itself interesting as these subs, while effective are brutally primitive. The one I saw was based off the Type XXI U-boat and used an analogue targeting computer. This suggests that those purchases were either just bluffs or forward asset placements to be used by implanted soviet crews in the case of hostilities. The Libyans never had or invested in the proper expertise to operate them. Chavez is just being suckered by the Russkies.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
06/14/2007 13:17 Comments ||
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Narc traffickers have been caught using subs off Colombia, Spain, and So. Korea and some of the reportedly missing nuclear missiles are sub-launched, if I remember correctly. Even if the launch tubes are destroyed, can't they reverse engineer them? 40' whale sharks migrate off the coast of So. America north toward Belize, putting the Navy at odds with Greenpeace for any maneuvers in these pristine waters. I trust Chavez less than I do the Russians and apparently that is meaningless, so the US must prepare to stand alone and defend ourselves again.
Jacques Chirac's presidential immunity expires at midnight on Saturday, opening the way for judges to question him over a string of investigations into alleged corruption and other scandals in France. During two terms as president from May 1995, Chirac benefited from a constitutional bar on the prosecution or investigation of a serving head of state by the examining magistrates who conduct criminal investigations in France.
Chirac, 74, is not widely expected to face any charges. The prosecution of a former head of state could damage the standing of France's presidency. But as an ordinary citizen, Chirac could face a summons to answer questions in a series of cases, many of which date back to the 18 years when he was mayor of Paris until 1995.
Dossiers include allegations that Chirac enjoyed free travel from a private company while he was president, and accusations that corruption was rife at City Hall when he was Paris mayor.
Chirac has denied any wrongdoing during his 1977-95 tenure as Paris mayor and his lawyer, Jean Veil, declined to comment on the cases. In some dossiers the former French leader could be heard as a witness -- meaning he is not a suspect -- in others he could eventually placed under formal investigation. Veil denied Chirac could face a summons as early as Monday by judges looking into a suspected attempt to smear Nicolas Sarkozy, the man who succeeded him as president.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/14/2007 11:52 ||
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Former U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, whose legacy as head of the world body was overshadowed by revelations that he belonged to a German army unit that committed atrocities in the Balkans in World War II, died Thursday. He was 88. Waldheim, who was hospitalized in Vienna last month with an infection, died at home of heart failure, with his family at his bedside, state broadcaster ORF reported. Austrian President Heinz Fischer issued a statement expressing his "deepest condolences," and officials lowered the flag outside his office to half-staff.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/14/2007 11:46 ||
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Free speech is NOT alive and well within the Democrat Party. The DNC had to close the comment section on their blog post regarding Fred Thompson. In an attempt to bash Thompson, the DNC posted The Fred Thompson Dummies Guide to Diplomacy. Check out some of these excerpts from comments from DNC blog visitors. Looks like the Reagan Democrats might feel right at home with Thompson
If this is really the worst that the DNC can come up with then Fred Thompson may be a problem. Tough talk on the Russians and bad mouthing the French is not going to upset the average voter. Bad mouthing Mexican immigration could be down right popular. Unless we can find something a little more current than the S&L fiasco we may have to hope that he stays out of it to protect his kids from the press.
. . . Have the French not jailed people for incorrect speech? Is Russia not run by ex-KGB? Does not the entire world make jokes about Putin bumping off his enemies? If you have something rotten to say about Thompson, something of substance and not based on the pure desire to trash a Republican - lets hear it. Did he say he hated kittens? That might be something to fuss about.
. . .
Hello?
Whats wrong with what Fred Thompson said here?
If you all think Fred Thompson is out of line then the democrats ARE really out of touch and Im on the wrong Blog!!!
We cant be contrary just because a Republican said its so, or because it may seem indelicate. The American people are sick and tired of indirect, overly calculated answers. On this issue Thompson is speaking the truth and if we are foolish enough to tap dance around Putins conduct, we will alienate voters.
This guys actually pretty smart. Conservative? Yea, but hes a pretty straight shooter, and them boys in the south love a straight shooter.
. . .
Afte 8 years of president Bush, I would not vote for Fred Thompson, or any Republican, to save my life. However, my political disposition is no excuse to sit by while this article attacks his comments. I say this as a Democrat, as an opponent of strict immigration policies, and as a Mexican-American dual citizen who lived in Mexico a quarter of his life: He Is Absolutely Right.
More from the DNC-ers at the link.
Posted by: Mike ||
06/14/2007 12:53 ||
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My secondary goal in life is to make the Democratic party irrelavant. Their actions in my state have made me a criminal. I will do everything I can legally to make sure they lose elections and suffer on a personal level.
Key Republican and Democratic senators are reaching for a deal to resurrect their stalled immigration compromise by requiring that some $4 billion be spent on border security and workplace enforcement. The mandatory security funding is part of a plan to attract more Republican support for the measure, which grants legal status to millions of unlawful immigrants.
In private meetings Wednesday, the bipartisan group that crafted the delicate compromise was hammering out a plan to allow votes on a limited set of Republican- and Democratic-sought changes in exchange for a commitment from GOP holdouts that they will back moving ahead with the bill.
Republican architects of the measure, which grants legal status to millions of unlawful immigrants, expressed confidence that such an agreement was possible as early as Thursday. "The list is there," said Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., adding that GOP senators were ready to present their plan to Senate leaders.
With the tentative package, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "should have what he needs to move forward," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. "This is just to let him know that it can be done."
Reid has said he would revive the measure if at least 20 more Republicans commit to moving ahead with the broad immigration bill. It stalled last week when only seven GOP senators supported a Democratic bid to limit debate and expedite a final vote. Reid expressed optimism that negotiators would strike a deal that could pave the way. Rest at link.
Posted by: ed ||
06/14/2007 00:00 ||
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grrrr
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
06/14/2007 1:14 Comments ||
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I can only suppose that some of our politicians really, really want to be voted out of office with all possible haste. So be it.
#5
You CAN'T vote them out of office - vote out the Donk and you get an interchangable Trunk, and v.v.
Third party? Forget about it - who's counting the votes?
#8
"requiring that some $4 billion be spent on border security and workplace enforcement." When I did my morning stroll around the capital two full buses pulled up and began disgorging pasengers all wearing UFW and LaRaza t-shirts and carrying immigration signs. It just made me ill to see. We are doomed if we don't get a handle on this and I mean as a nation and not a state.
Before you suck this ball of chum off the river bottom you may want to ask the question; Is this dedicated money or more of that vapor-funding. Ya know, just like the stuff that built the vapor-fence? UhYeah...thought so.
#10
Bush to Lock Funds for Border Security
Money Shot: The White House did not have an estimate of how much money the provision would generate yearly toward border security. It also could not say whether the money would be in addition to currently planned border security funding levels or just a way to dedicate funds to that purpose. And it wasn't clear what budget account would be drawn down to pay for the initial $4.4 billion.
Kosovo must give up the black-on-red, double-headed eagle of the Albanian national flag and reflect the multi-ethnicity of the region. The province, most of whose population is ethnic Albanian, has used the flag since NATO drove out Serb forces in 1999. It was carried into battle by guerrillas of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and now flies from state buildings and homes across the territory.
But under a Western-backed United Nations plan for a Kosovo state, the new symbols must reflect that the region is also home to 100,000 Serbs as well as Romany and Turkish minorities.
"Every bid to distance us from our Albanian identity is unacceptable," said Faik Fazliu, head of the KLA veterans' union.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres ended his losing ways on Wednesday, beating MKs Reuven Rivlin (Likud) and Colette Avital (Labor) to become Israel's ninth president. The victory vanquished his previous eight defeats. He also avenged his loss to the Likud's Moshe Katsav in the 2000 presidential race. "This may be my last contribution to the state," Peres said. "No matter how much I thought of this, I was caught unprepared. Today, I witnessed a show of unity, togetherness, and democracy at its finest. Today, the Knesset showed nobility and camaraderie."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/14/2007 00:00 ||
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Not much to worry about, a president of Israel is a figurehead. A dignified dignitary.
A not-so-secret top secret contract has been issued by the U.S. Air Force for work on a replacement for the SR-71 high-altitude, supersonic reconnaissance aircraft. The new aircraft, informally referred to as the SR-72, will apparently be unmanned, and use new high-altitude jet engines that the air force has been working on for some time.
The SR-72 is supposed to be capable of twice the range, and greater speed than the SR-71, and at an altitude of 100,000 feet or higher. A high-speed, high-altitude UAV like that would be a good replacement for spy satellites lost to anti-satellite weapons. Aviation Leak sez Mach 6.5 but won't see it until 2020.
Posted by: ed ||
06/14/2007 08:30 ||
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Is this the Aurora hypersonic aircraft much talked about over the past decade?
#2
Probably. However, there are multiple hypersonic plane designs being evaluated for a variety of missions, not all of them long range reconnaisance. In the case of an SR-71 replacements, the mission and requirements are well defined, there are reports that one or more prototypes are flying, etc. In the case of some other possible missions and designs, it's less clear that the programs are that far along. I do know of a couple detailed studies from a few years ago, however.
#3
No. But if Aurora exists, it's probably the technology demonstrator for the SR-72. The SR-72 is gonna be huge and expensive. Hope it becomes more than a military system, such as the carrier for an orbital launcher.
Posted by: ed ||
06/14/2007 9:10 Comments ||
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For another interesting speculative program search "Two-Stage-to-Orbit ''Blackstar'' System Shelved at Groom Lake?". Rantburg will not accept the Aviation Week link.
Posted by: ed ||
06/14/2007 9:20 Comments ||
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#5
Actually, the SR-71 could carry missiles (which the U.S. has already developed) that can knock down satellites in low earth orbit (as are most spy satellites.)
Very interesting! Shoot them Chinee birds down.
#6
Is this the high-altitude "pulse jet" engine that they have been working on? When they say twice the range, it makes me wonder if it isn't radically different than what we are using now.
#7
Pulse jet engines have been reported on for many years (donuts on a rope), but advances could make them capable of longer ranges. unmanned is the logical next step, but i would expect that to be phase next and initial versions have a cockpit. the Blackbird was able to reach 100k feet as well as (the YF-12 version) fire missles, although primarily designed for defense against Soviet aircraft that were thought to being built to counter the B-70. the YF-12 was to be the Valkrie's escort.
#8
This would be a scramjet, actually a turbine-ramjet-scramjet combo. Scramjets demonstrators have hit near mach 10, but the problem is materials can't withstand the extreme heat.
Posted by: ed ||
06/14/2007 20:37 Comments ||
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There has to be a lot of debate on whether a step up from the SR-71 is enough, given the tremendous advances in technology in recent years.
Think about the original concept: a manned, high altitude, high speed aircraft that takes high resolution film pictures.
It no longer needs to be manned, it still needs to be high altitude, but does it have to be high speed except to evade missiles? And it doesn't need to carry film, as it can relay its images via satellite.
That is, it sounds really "apples and oranges" different from the SR-71 concept.
#10
It no longer needs to be manned, it still needs to be high altitude, but does it have to be high speed except to evade missiles? And it doesn't need to carry film, as it can relay its images via satellite.
A hypersonic scramjet like this one DARPA tested in 2001 might be carrying .... something a bit more offensive than cameras. And if so, speed would matter, since the harder it is to realize the aircraft is aimed at you, the less time there is to respond to it.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The pathologist who ruled the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer a homicide is standing by his report despite a contradictory conclusion by three other doctors and police, a Jamaican newspaper reported on Wednesday. I am sticking to my findings. He was murdered, Dr Ere Seshaiah told The Jamaica Observer. 
(SomaliNet) A local business man has been shot dead in Somalias southern port city of Kismayu, 500km of the capital by unknown gunman late Monday. The security situation in the city has been worsening for the past few days. 
It is not clear whether the latest killing was related to political motivation but the police in Kismayu are now continuing investigations over the case. We are conducting an inquiry over who was behind the killing on the businessman, said the police chief in Kismayu Ibrahim Shanfol. 
Seven serving and former officers of the Zimbabwe army have been charged with planning a coup d'etat against President Robert Mugabe. The men were arrested in stages, beginning on May 29, and appeared twice in closed hearings at Harare magistrates' court earlier this month.
Inflation is likely to bring Zimbabwes economy to a standstill within six months with the possible paralysis of President Mugabes Government and civil unrest, international aid agencies warned their staff yesterday. The countrys plight is likely to force Mr Mugabe to introduce emergency rule, said a group representing 34 organisations, including the United Nations, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Oxfam. 
Jacques Chirac's presidential immunity expires at midnight on Saturday, opening the way for judges to question him over a string of investigations into alleged corruption and other scandals in France. During two terms as president from May 1995, Chirac benefited from a constitutional bar on the prosecution or investigation of a serving head of state by the examining magistrates who conduct criminal investigations in France.
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, whose legacy as head of the world body was overshadowed by revelations that he belonged to a German army unit that committed atrocities in the Balkans in World War II, died Thursday. He was 88. Waldheim, who was hospitalized in Vienna last month with an infection, died at home of heart failure, with his family at his bedside, state broadcaster ORF reported. Austrian President Heinz Fischer issued a statement expressing his "deepest condolences," and officials lowered the flag outside his office to half-staff.
Kosovo must give up the black-on-red, double-headed eagle of the Albanian national flag and reflect the multi-ethnicity of the region. The province, most of whose population is ethnic Albanian, has used the flag since NATO drove out Serb forces in 1999. It was carried into battle by guerrillas of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and now flies from state buildings and homes across the territory. 
Vice Premier Shimon Peres ended his losing ways on Wednesday, beating MKs Reuven Rivlin (Likud) and Colette Avital (Labor) to become Israel's ninth president. The victory vanquished his previous eight defeats. He also avenged his loss to the Likud's Moshe Katsav in the 2000 presidential race. "This may be my last contribution to the state," Peres said. "No matter how much I thought of this, I was caught unprepared. Today, I witnessed a show of unity, togetherness, and democracy at its finest. Today, the Knesset showed nobility and camaraderie."
