WORLD WEEK: Norway as bin Laden target? Experts, residents are puzzled
Joe Ivansco / AJC
Why would al-Qaida want to go after an international peace symbol?
Norway? That was the big question last week after an audiotape purported to be the voice of Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, urged followers to attack the interests of America, Great Britain, Australia and Norway. Norway? Why Norway -- land of the Nobel Peace Prize and Valhalla ice cream?
One theory was that Norway simply had been confused with some other nation. The Netherlands, perhaps. "I have twisted my brain trying to find an answer, and after rejecting most theories I am left with this: Al-Qaida knows a local group is ready to attack a Norwegian target," Stein Toenesson of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, told Aftenposten.
"Of course he means Denmark," said Helle Lykke Nielsen, a terrorism expert at the University of Southern Denmark. "Looking at the context, he evidently is talking about the members of the coalition." Denmark was part of the coalition that backed the war in Iraq. Norway was not.
But Norway was part of the coalition in Afghanistan. Norwegian special ops troops helped track bin Laden in that country. "We take the threats seriously and have informed Norwegian embassies, businesses and citizens in relevant nations," declared Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik.
Mohammed Salah, head of the London-based Alhayat newspaper's Egypt office, offered Norwegians some hope. The word "Norway" may have been a camouflaged reference to an attack against a completely different target. Nauru, perhaps, or the Northern Mariana Islands. The United States, for one, was taking no chances. It immediately closed its embassy in Oslo.
And, then, Norway has that problem with fat dogs
As if Norway didn't have enough trouble with terrorist threats, veterinarians there are reporting a dog obesity crisis. A recent report said that half the canines in Norway are overweight. Vet Carsten Glindoe at Fredrikstad Animal Clinic told Aftenposten that he often sees dogs that suffer from rheumatism, diabetes and heart problems due to their unhealthy diet. He also warned of pregnant dogs having problems giving birth because they are so overweight. Many animal clinics have started offering diet programs for dogs, and diet dog food is gaining in popularity.
Ugly Betty, other soaps captivate Malaysia
Malaysians are getting hooked on soap operas, regardless of what language they are in or what part of the world they come from, according to the New Straits Times. What appears to be the most popular one is in Spanish, from Colombia: "Yo Soy Betty La Fea (I am Betty, the ugly one)." Already a cult classic in Latin America, the sad saga has seized the Malaysian imagination. According to the Times, some spellbound civil servants were said to have closed public counters early to watch bespectacled Betty, prompting cynical questions in Parliament. The lineup begins at 11 a.m. and runs until around 8 p.m. Among the offerings: "Pangako Sa Yo," "El Amor No Es Como Lo Pintan," "La Intrusa," "Mis Tres Hermanas," "Juana's Miracle" and "My Love, Patzzi." "No wonder the house is in a mess," one exasperated telenovela widower complained to the Times.
Ex-Atlantan feels the heat at embassy in Venezuela
Former Atlantan Charles Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, is under fire from that country's government for allowing a comedy act at the embassy on World Press Freedom Day that poked fun at President Hugo Chavez. As the controversy ballooned, Shapiro provided a complete text of his speech at the event on the embassy Web site, embajadausa.org.ve/wwwh079.html, and also told Radio Union News Network that he apologized to anyone who was offended by the event. At issue was a sketch by a Venezuelan comedian who, according to the government, portrayed opposition TV presenter Marta Colomina using Chavez as a puppet.
High-tech pub in Moscow helps clubgoers stay wired
Moscow has opened its first high-tech pub, called the Phlegmatic Dog. According to the Moscow Times, the club offers both electronic and live music, as well as Internet access for patrons on several dozen computer terminals, electronic menus and ordering, and a club-based intranet system that patrons can use to introduce themselves to folks at a table across the room. One room houses 60 terminals with all the latest software and is serviced by a staff of waiters and waitresses who supply patrons with beverages and snacks, which they order via the electronic menu. Proprietors say they will open 25 such clubs across Russia if the Dog makes a go of it.
Deal lets Miss Venezuela get to contest in Panama
Miss Venezuela made it to the Miss Universe contest in Panama after all. According to VHeadline.com, Venezuelan media tycoon Gustavo Cisneros struck a deal with Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso, who had insisted that Venezuela attend the event. Cisneros had been among those contending that the country could not afford to send Mariangel Ruiz to Panama because of a freeze on the exchange of Venezuelan currency for dollars. Cisneros told reporters, "Panama is celebrating the anniversary of its independence from Spain, so it is an important date for Latin America . . . we have decided to bring Mariangel Ruiz to Panama."
WORLD WRAP Rwanda held its first constitutional referendum. . . . Spain's governing Popular Party managed to hold power in many cities in municipal elections. . . .The Norwegian Federation for Animal Protection is opposing a program to give fishing poles to schoolchildren. . . . Kenya Cabinet Minister Najib Balala says he underwent humiliating security checks during a recent visit to the United States. . . . China plans to reopen the thousand-year-old Huqiu Tower, often referred to as China's "leaning tower," after 17 years of repairs.
QUOTED "We were chuffed in the '60s when we heard The Beatles were big in Russia. We thought, 'Wow! The power of music!' " Paul McCartney former Beatle, who gave his first performance in Russia over the weekend.
Compiled by Ron Taylor from news services and newspaper Web sites from around the world.