IWR WorldNews 28th April 6 - Kostenlose Archiv-Audioinhalte

A leading opposition figure in Belarus has been jailed for 15 days after leading a rally deemed illegal by the government. Alexander Milinkevich and three other opposition politicians were sentenced after the rally on Wednesday which was held in the centre of the capital, Minsk, instead of on the outskirts. At least 6000 people gathered at the demonstration which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. At the demonstration, Milinkevich urged supporters to work towards peacefully ousting newly re-elected President Alexander Lukashenko. Election monitors said the polls which brought Mr Lukashenko a third term were neither free nor fair. oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0 India has rejected a proposal by Pakistan to remove heavy weapons from the disputed Kashmir region. After three days of talks in Islamabad, however, the two sides agreed not to set up any new military posts along the demilitarised zone dividing Kashmir. The talks are part of efforts to improve relations between the two countries involved in a long running dispute over the Kashmir territory. oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0 The Brazilian former finance minister Antonio Palocci has been charged with four crimes, including money laundering and illegal enrichment. The charges stem from allegations that Antonio Palocci received kickbacks when he was mayor of the southeastern city of Ribeirao Preto in 2001 and 2002. Other charges against him include criminal association and using false documents. Mr Palocci, who resigned in March over the claims, is viewed as the architect of Brazil's economic recovery. He has denied the accusations. oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0 The Philippine government and Muslim rebels are to sign a deal next month on ancestral rights, paving the way for a final peace deal. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been fighting for an independent state for Muslims on the southern island of Mindanao. A truce has held since 2003 but a peace deal delayed because of a failure to agree over issues such as Muslim ancestral homeland and the sharing of revenues from natural resources. More than 120,000 people have been killed in nearly 40 years of conflict. oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0 The Kenyan Ministry of Health has been cleared of mismanaging funds given to fight HIV/Aids. The Auditor-General, Evans Mwai, dismissed allegations by some NGOs who had accused the ministry of mismanaging money from the Global Aids fund. The Kenyan government has been under pressure to account for the money it was given by the Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria so that new funds could be released. The Global Fund first requested a report last September. oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0oO0 Kenya is seeking to create new laws to protect local knowledge from being poached by western countries. Professor James Odek from the Kenya Intellectual Property Institute says hundreds of plants with medicinal value used by communities to treat diseases for centuries could have been taken and patented by multi-million dollar western firms. Indigenous knowledge is owned collectively by communities and is not currently protected by international patent laws, which prohibit trading or unauthorised use of innovations by individuals. Commercial organisations have argued that the knowledge does not belong to anyone and should be free to all.