Amid Chaos Nigeria Voter Registration Extended (Updated Feb 6 1500GMT)

HN, February 6, 2011 - Nigerian officials late Saturday ordered a two-day extension to the largest-ever voter registration drive in Africa amid widespread choas that left many citizens unable to get documented.

The order of the last minute "mop-up" registration came as tempers flared at voter registration points across the country of 150-million people as thousands of voters were trying to obtain voter registration cards for April elections.

A voter registration point in Abuja. The technology used has caused widespread problems. HUMNEWS

As the deadline for voter registration ended at 1700 local time (1700GMT) Saturday, hundreds of people were angrily pushing towards the booths in two locations in the capital, a HUMNEWS correspondent on the scene said. Similar scenes of chaos were reported elsewhere in Nigeria - Africa's most populous nation.

"I've been waiting here since early this morning and still dont have my card," said Geoffrey, an Abuja resident in his 20s.

George, a small business owner, said it took at least 20 minutes per person for processing - which includes finger printing, a head shot photograph, verification of identification and printing and lamination.

As darkness began to fall at 1800 local time there was no way that officials could clear the backlog at the two points visited by HUMNEWS.

The two-day mo-up registration will occur only in certain states and only in certyain parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

The voter registration exercise - the largest-ever in Africa - was initially scheduled for a two week period. Despite assuarnces from the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) - which is overseeing the process - a second extension still may not be sufficient to document million of unregistered eligible voters.

Soon after the nationwide registration process got underway in January, widespread problems began to emerge with the more than 120,000 computers and peripherals purchased. Registrars also complained of a lack of crucial materials, a lack of electricity and late salaries.

Security was tight at registration points HUMNEWSEarlier in the week, Project 2011 Swift Count - and independent monitoring group, called upon the INEC to improve its logistical and organizational capabilities. Another group said that in spite of the one week extension, the registration exercise is still being undermined by non-functioning direct data capturing machines and shortages of essential materials.

As of Thursday, INEC said it has registered 54.9 million of an estimated 70 million potential voters. The average daily registration count has fluctuated recently between 3.2 million to 4.3 million-a-day. When all is said and done the entire registration exercise will have cost Nigerian taxpayers almost N100-billion.

Elections for presidential, senate and local races will be held April 7.

From a HUMNEWS correspondent in Abuja

Cancer in Africa is 'Like a Runaway Train'

Of the 16 million new cases of cancer that are predicted to occur annually by the year 2020, the majority (70%) will be in developing countries.

A "call to action" to address cancer in developing nations was proposed last year by experts writing in the Lancet (2010;376:1186-1193), and the problem has been highlighted in the run-up to today's World Cancer Day.

Among the developing world, African countries are the least able to cope, according to Afrox, the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation, a registered charity based in the United Kingdom.

"Lack of resources and basic infrastructure mean that most Africans have no access to cancer screening, early diagnosis, treatment, or palliative care. Consequently, a diagnosis of cancer leads, in most cases, to a painful and distressing death," AfrOx reports.

The rising incidence of cancer in Africa is like a runaway train.

"The rising incidence of cancer in Africa is like a runaway train coming down the track," said Alan Milburn, chair of AfrOx, and former British Secretary of State for Health.

"The global community must act now to prevent the situation from deteriorating," he said in a statement. "One third of cancers affecting people in the developing world are potentially preventable and another third treatable if detected early."

Highlighted in Latest Global Report

The problem of cancer in Africa is highlighted in a special section of a new report being publicized by the American Cancer Society: Global Cancer Facts & Figures . It is also emphasized in a report of global cancer statistics published online February 4 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

In Africa, the incidence of cancer is increasing, but it remains a low public health priority because resources are limited and there are other pressing medical problems, such as AIDS/HIV infection, malaria, and tuberculosis.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that there were 681,000 new cancer cases and 512,400 cancer deaths in Africa in 2008. These numbers are projected to nearly double by 2030 because of the aging and growth of the population; this rise might be even sharper, the report warns, because unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles associated with economic development and urbanization, including smoking, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity, are increasingly being adopted.

The most dominant cancers in Africa relate to infectious agents (cervical, liver, Kaposi's sarcoma, urinary bladder). In 2008, cervical cancer accounted for 21% of all new cancer diagnoses in women, and liver cancer accounted for 11% of all new cancers in men.

Another issue is that most cancers diagnosed in Africa are at an advanced stage of the disease, the American Cancer Society notes in a commentary on the report. This is due to a lack of screening and early detection services, but there is also a limited awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancers among the public and healthcare providers. In addition, there is a stigma associated with a diagnosis of cancer in most parts of Africa.

Survival after a diagnosis of cancer is much worse in the developing world than in the developed world, especially for cancers that can be detected by screening. For example, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer in Gambia,

Uganda, and Algeria is less than 50%, in contrast to the 90% seen in the United States.

AfrOx Working With ESMO

AfrOx is working with the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) to "galvanize the global community" into doing something about this problem.

ESMO president David Kerr, MD, professor of cancer medicine at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, was one of the founders of AfrOx in 2007.

A series of cancer prevention and awareness posters designed for use in Africa has been developed in collaboration with the ESMO Developing Countries Task Force. These posters aim to demonstrate how simple lifestyle changes can greatly reduce the likelihood of developing many cancers, and highlight, among other things, smoking cessation, daily exercise, healthy diet, and the importance of hepatitis B vaccination in preventing liver cancer.

The posters have already been launched in Ghana, where several other projects have begun, all in collaboration with the Ghanaian Ministry of Health.

The initial focus is in Ghana, AfrOx explains, because of its historic ties with Britain, its record of good governance, and the commitment of local policy makers and clinicians to control cancer.

Ghana has a population of 23 million, and the most common cancers are liver, prostate, breast, and cervical. However, there are only 2 oncology centers (in Accra and Kumasi), only 4 oncologists, and no specialist cancer nurses.

"The long-term aim is to establish a framework in which Ghana could potentially serve as a regional hub for supporting the development of cancer services in neighboring countries in West Africa," AfrOx reports.

One focus is improving the treatment of childhood cancers, focusing in particular on Burkitt's lymphoma (which accounts for 50% tumors), Wilms' tumor, and retinoblastoma. All of these can be treated successfully at an affordable cost, the Foundation notes, but cure rates for childhood cancer are currently only around 5% in Africa, compared with 75% to 80% in the United Kingdom.

One of the projects involves a 5-year twinning program between a British hospital and the pediatric cancer unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. Korle-Bu sees about 90 to120 new childhood cancer cases each year, and has access to good surgical and radiotherapy facilities, but there are major problems with understaffing and inadequate diagnostic capacity. Another problem is that the costs of drugs, blood products, and investigations are borne by the parents. AfrOx aims to set up "long-term sustainability funding" for this center, and hopes that it will be used as a template for developing other cancers centers in the region.

Other Projects in Africa

Other organizations also have ongoing projects to improve cancer care in Africa, as previously reported by Medscape Medical News.

In Malawi and Rwanda, Partners in Health, a nonprofit healthcare organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, is working with national ministries of health to operate health centers and hospitals in rural undeserved areas. That organization was cofounded by Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, in Boston, and Harvard-based facilities have provided support and training for local physicians and nurses. Even in the absence of oncologists, these trained healthcare personnel have begun to treat a variety of cancers that generally respond well to therapy, including breast, cervical, rectal, squamous head and neck cancer, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Kaposi's sarcoma.

One success story in Africa has been the improvement already seen in some areas in the treatment of Burkitt's lymphoma, the most common childhood cancer found in Equatorial Africa. Much of that achievement is credited to Ian Magrath, MB, BS, president of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research, who has worked in Africa for decades.

In a recent article in Cancer World, Dr. Magrath reflects on some of the lessons he has learned from that experience. The obstacles to good cancer care in resource-poor countries are completely different than those in wealthier nations, he points out, and emphasizes the necessity of understanding local resource limitations. "You have to be prepared to train and educate the professional staff — select a disease or discipline, and 1 or more centers, and try to develop those into centers of excellence or reference centers," he says.

These centers then become resources in their own countries, and serve as training facilities and improve access to diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care in other countries, he notes.

-        Reprinted from Zosia Chustecka, Medscape, and CA Cancer J Clin. Published online February 4, 2011.

World Cancer Day, 2011. What you need to know.

What is it?

Cancers are caused by a series of mutations. Each mutation alters the behavior of the cell somewhat. (Credit: Wikipedia)Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells. It can affect almost any part of the body. Other terms used are malignant tumours and neoplasm’s.  One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can then invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs.  The growths often invade surrounding tissue and can metastasize to distant sites. Metastases are the major cause of death from cancer. Cancer prevention is an essential component of all cancer control plans because about 40% of all cancer deaths can be prevented.  Many cancers can be prevented by avoiding exposure to common risk factors, such as tobacco smoke. In addition, a significant proportion of cancers can be cured, by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, especially if they are detected early. 

Q: Are the number of cancer cases increasing or decreasing in the world?

A: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and the total number of cases globally is increasing.

The number of global cancer deaths is projected to increase 45% from 2007 to 2030 (from 7.9 million to 11.5 million deaths), influenced in part by an increasing and aging global population. The estimated rise takes into account expected slight declines in death rates for some cancers in high resource countries. New cases of cancer in the same period are estimated to jump from 11.3 million in 2007 to 15.5 million in 2030.

In most developed countries, cancer is the second largest cause of death after cardiovascular disease, and epidemiological evidence points to this trend emerging in the less developed world. This is particularly true in countries in "transition" or middle-income countries, such as in South America and Asia. Already more than half of all cancer cases occur in developing countries.

Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer - a trend that is expected to continue until 2030, unless efforts for global tobacco control are greatly intensified. Some cancers are more common in developed countries: prostate, breast and colon. Liver, stomach and cervical cancer are more common in developing countries.

A number of common risk factors have been linked to the development of cancer: an unhealthy lifestyle (including tobacco and alcohol use, inadequate diet, physical inactivity), and exposure to occupational (e.g. asbestos) or environmental carcinogens, (e.g. indoor air pollution), radiation (e.g. ultraviolet and ionizing radiation), and some infections (such as hepatitis B or human papilloma virus infection).

Key risk factors for cancer that can be avoided are:

• tobacco use - responsible for 1.8 million cancer deaths per year (60% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries);
• being overweight, obese or physically inactive - together responsible for 274 000 cancer deaths per year;
• harmful alcohol use - responsible for 351,000 cancer deaths per year;
• sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) infection - responsible for 235 000 cancer deaths per year; and
• occupational carcinogens - responsible for at least 152,000 cancer deaths per year.

(Credit: Globocan 2008)GLOBAL CANCER STATISTICS:

The problem

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008.

The main types of cancer are:

• lung (1.4 million deaths)
• stomach (740 000 deaths)
• colorectal (610 000 deaths)
• liver (700 000 deaths)
• breast (460 000 deaths).

More than 70% of all cancer deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue to rise to over 11 million in 2030.

What causes cancer?

Cancer arises from one single cell. The transformation from a normal cell into a tumour cell is a multistage process, typically a progression from a pre-cancerous lesion to malignant tumours. These changes are the result of the interaction between a person's genetic factors and three categories of external agents, including:

• physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation;
• chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, aflatoxin (a food contaminant) and arsenic (a drinking water contaminant); and
• biological carcinogens, such as infections from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites.

Ageing is another fundamental factor for the development of cancer. The incidence of cancer rises dramatically with age, most likely due to a buildup of risks for specific cancers that increase with age. The overall risk accumulation is combined with the tendency for cellular repair mechanisms to be less effective as a person grows older.

Risk factors for cancers

(Credit: NIH) Tobacco use, alcohol use, unhealthy diet, and chronic infections from hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and some types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are leading risk factors for cancer in low- and middle-income countries. Cervical cancer, which is caused by HPV, is a leading cause of cancer death among women in low-income countries.

How can the burden of cancer be reduced?

Knowledge about the causes of cancer, and interventions to prevent and manage the disease is extensive. Cancer can be reduced and controlled by implementing evidence-based strategies for cancer prevention, early detection of cancer and management of patients with cancer.

Modifying and avoiding risks

More than 30% of cancer could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors, including:

• tobacco use
• being overweight or obese
• low fruit and vegetable intake
• physical inactivity
• alcohol use
• sexually transmitted HPV-infection
• urban air pollution
• indoor smoke from household use of solid fuels.

Prevention strategies:

• increase avoidance of the risk factors listed above
• vaccinate against human papilloma virus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)
• control occupational hazards
• reduce exposure to sunlight.

Early detection

Cancer mortality can be reduced if cases are detected and treated early. There are two components of early detection efforts:

• Early diagnosis: The awareness of early signs and symptoms (such as cervical, breast and oral cancers) in order to facilitate diagnosis and treatment before the disease becomes advanced. Early diagnosis programmes are particularly relevant in low-resource settings where the majority of patients are diagnosed in very late stages.
• Screening: The systematic application of a screening test in an asymptomatic population. It aims to identify individuals with abnormalities suggestive of a specific cancer or pre-cancer and refer them promptly for diagnosis and treatment. Screening programmes are especially effective for frequent cancer types that have a screening test that is cost-effective, affordable, acceptable and accessible to the majority of the population at risk. Examples of screening methods:
  • visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical cancer in low-resource settings;
  • PAP test for cervical cancer in middle- and high-income settings;
  • mammography screening for breast cancer in high-income settings.

Treatment

Treatment is the series of interventions, including psychosocial support, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy that is aimed at curing the disease or considerably prolonging life while improving the patient's quality of life.

• Treatment of early detectable cancers: Some of the most common cancer types, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, oral cancer and colorectal cancer have higher cure rates when detected early and treated according to best practices.
• Treatment of other cancers with potential for cure: Some cancer types, even though disseminated, such as leukemias and lymphomas in children, and testicular seminoma, have high cure rates if appropriate treatment is provided.

Palliative care

Palliative care is treatment to relieve, rather than cure, symptoms caused by cancer. Palliative care can help people live more comfortably; it is an urgent humanitarian need for people worldwide with cancer and other chronic fatal diseases. It is particularly needed in places with a high proportion of patients in advanced stages where there is little chance of cure.

Relief from physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems can be achieved in over 90% of advanced cancer patients through palliative care.

Palliative care strategies

Effective public health strategies, comprising of community- and home-based care are essential to provide pain relief and palliative care for patients and their families in low-resource settings.

Improved access to oral morphine is mandatory for the treatment of moderate to severe cancer pain, suffered by over 80% of cancer patients in terminal phase.

WHO response

In 2008, WHO launched its Non-communicable Diseases Action Plan.

WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the specialized cancer agency of WHO, collaborate with other United Nations organizations and partners in the areas of international cancer prevention and control to:

• increase political commitment for cancer prevention and control;
• generate new knowledge, and disseminate existing knowledge to facilitate the delivery of evidence-based approaches to cancer control;
• develop standards and tools to guide the planning and implementation of interventions for prevention, early detection, treatment and care;
• facilitate broad networks of cancer control partners at global, regional and national levels;
• strengthen health systems at national and local levels;
• provide technical assistance for rapid, effective transfer of best practice interventions to developing countries; and
• coordinate and conduct research on the causes of human cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and develop scientific strategies for cancer prevention and control.

RESOURCES:

The World Health Organization, Cancer site

Union For International Cancer Control

Center for Disease Control & Prevention

Cancer Schmancer

- HUMNEWS staff with information provided by the World Health Organization. 

HUMNEWS HEADLINES - February 4 -5, 2011 Asia & Pacific

photo courtesy OneIndiaISLAND NATIONS  

Healthy Islands

WHO push to create “healthy islands” in the Pacific

EU commits to progressing Pacific EPA

Island nations again proving their worth

AMERICAN SAMOA

American Samoa government cuts workers hours to save money

American Samoa politicians considering new taxes to bridge income shortfall

BHUTAN

Bhutan opens doors to Christians

Bhutan – Cranes on the skyline

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

Brunei open to joint oil exploration with China

Benefits of Brunei – Taiwan direct flights  

CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Radar surveillance system begins on Christmas Island as border protection taskforce acts on internal review recommendations

COCOS ISLANDS

Scuba diving spots for water sports lovers

Macau, photo courtesy BusinessInsiderCOOK ISLANDS

Former Cook Islands leader touted as new Speaker

EAST TIMOR

Soldiers answer prayers in East Timor

LAOS

Thousands gather in Fresno to honor Vang Pao  

MACAU

Uh-Oh is the great Macau story over?

MALDIVES

President says democracy consolidation not possible without decentralization

‘Blonde women only’ Maldives island hits snag as half of staff need wigs  

MARSHALL ISLANDS

Dubai conference pessimistic about piracy threat

Mock copy of newspaper headline, photo courtesy escapistmagazine NORTH KOREA

Kim Jung II left out of Japanese Homefront

North Korea not exactly friendly to Chinese investment

N. Korea’s top legislative body wants talks with Seoul’s lawmakers

NORTHERN MARIANNA ISLANDS

Column: GOP takes one step forward two steps back on race

TONGA

Tonga prepares for ferry criminal trial

Tonga government removes emergency regulations  

VANUATU

Village food crisis after Vanuatu cyclone

Charity starts close to home for courier boss

Hawke’s Bay apples provide windfall for Vanuatu family  

WALLIS AND FUTUNA

Heavy rain floods city

World food prices at an historic high (Report)

photo courtesy UN News(HN, February 3, 2011) --  World food prices have surged, for the seventh consecutive month, to a new historic peak in January, according to the updated FAO Food Price Index, a commodity basket that regularly tracks monthly changes in global food prices.

The index averaged 231 points in January and was up 3.4 percent from December – the highest level since the FAO started to measure in 1990 and higher than in June 2008 when the cost of food sparked violent protests in countries including Egypt, Haiti and Cameroon.

“These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come, FAO economist Abdolreza Abbassian said.

The individual group components of the index, apart from meat, all registered rises in January.

The Cereal Price Index averaged 245 points in January reflecting rises in the price of wheat and grain which had already gone up due to poor weather conditions this past year in countries such as Russia and the Ukraine and was driven higher by flooding in Australia, which is a major wheat exporter.

Political unrest

The high price of food seems to have been the spark that has unleashed a series of anti-government demonstrations, protests in several countries in the Middle East, beginning in Tunisia, where a young man set himself on fire after being prevented from selling fruits and vegetables, and spreading to Algeria, Yemen, Jordan and Egypt.

The Middle East and North Africa are the two regions that import the largest amount of cereal and countries in the area have been hit especially hard by the harvest shortages in Russia and the Ukraine this year.

Today the Moldovan government has decided to ban all wheat exports until the next harvest in an effort to prevent a large increase in the price of bread. The Prime Minister stated that the order should have been made earlier to avoid the “panic” that he says has already taken hold of the population.

wheat, file photoChallenges

Surging global food prices are just one of the many challenges that people face throughout the world. Climate change, growing population, and water sources are also affecting the overall food production and availability. As many countries grow increasingly dependent on food imports, they grow more vulnerable to natural disaster and market fluctuations taking place half-way around the world from them.

In India, The Financial Times reported earlier this week that food prices have hit their highest point in more than a year. Food prices are up by at least 18 percent from last year in a country where millions are spending more than 50 percent of their total income on food.

Rises are particularly high for dairy products, up 6.2% from December. Prices were driven higher by a combination of lower supply and increasing demand in emerging economies such as China and India.

The demand for food is expected to continue to grow as a result both of population grown and rising incomes according the FAO. Demand for cereals (for food and animal feed) is projected to reach some 3 billion tons by 2050. Annual cereal production will have to grow by almost a billion tons (2.1 billion tons today), and meat production by over 200 million tons to reach a total of 470 million tons in 2050, 72 percent of which will be consumed in developing countries, up from the 58 percent today.

The production of biofuels could also increase the demand for agricultural commodities, depending on energy prices and government policies.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick has asked global leaders to “put food first” and tackle the problem of price volatility.

“We are going to be facing a broader trend of increasing commodity prices, including food commodity prices”, he said.

Commodities prices have been on the rise generally with copper hitting a record high of $10,000 a ton.

Oil was also up on Thursday with Brent crude rising to $103.37 a barrel.

- HUMNews Staff

Hunger fuels discontent in the Middle East (Opinion)

Weeks of street protests across Tunisia culminated in the dramatic ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ali after 23 years in power. photo courtesy PressTVby Joel Brinkley

(HN, February 2, 2011) When the Middle East tumult began in Tunisia two months ago, demonstrators had barely a thought in their heads about throwing their president out of office. No, they had a larger problem. They were hungry.

Next door in Algeria, meantime, youths were setting government buildings afire and shouting "Bring us Sugar!" And after people first took to the streets in Jordan, Finance Minister Mohammad Abu-Hammour promised to lower commodity prices to "help the poor and middle class cope as global food prices rise."

The world is heading into a food crisis again, barely three years after the last one in 2008. That, not political reform, animated the riots and demonstrations across the Arab world and beyond -- until Tunisia's president fell from power on Jan. 14. After that, hungry demonstrators aimed higher.

Now, whatever the final results in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria and other states that have been under siege, millions of people in these places still will not be able to afford enough food for their families.

The United Nations office that monitors global food supplies announced last month that world prices for rice, wheat, sugar, barley and meat have reached record levels and will probably continue to rise in the months ahead. That list of affected foods is far broader than last time. In 2008, the demonstrations were called "bread riots" because of the high price of grains.

Late last month, the World Bank warned that Yemen was "particularly vulnerable" to food-price shocks because the country is desperately poor and imports most of its food. A few days later, thousands of protestors took to the streets, and the government finally announced it would institute price controls. But Middle Eastern nations aren't the only victims.

Thirteen people were killed in Mozambique last fall during riots over the price of bread. Sri Lanka's president warned his people that they couldn't import food to mitigate the crisis because so many other nations are in serious trouble, too. In Kenya, five people actually starved to death, local media reported.

Around the world, the U.N. reports, nearly one billion people live at the edge of starvation. These are the people who live on something like a dollar a day, and when the prices of staples, like rice and corn and wheat, shoot up, they can no longer afford to buy any.

In Sri Lanka, for example, prices for those staples rose by 30 percent in recent months. Already, 15 percent of Sri Lanka's infants suffer from "wasting," Unicef says. That means they are starving to death.

Who's to blame for all of this? America and other wealthy nations, in large part. When commodity prices begin to rise, Western speculators start buying commodity shares, driving prices even higher. After hearing about poor wheat crops in Russia and Ukraine last August, speculators drove the wheat price up by 80 percent.

At the same time, when gasoline prices are high, as they are now, demand for ethanol increases. Ethanol is made from corn, and Washington offers subsidies for corn's use as fuel. The U.S. is the world's largest corn producer, but now 40 percent of the crop is converted to ethanol. As a result, corn prices have risen by 66 percent.

Unusually violent weather also played a role. Floods, droughts, storms and wildfires in Australia, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine and South America, among other places, reduced crop yields. Agronomists blame climate change and predict worse in the years ahead.

But other villains hold responsibility, too. They are the past and current leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria and others of their ilk. They've had little control over global food prices. But they've wielded imperial control of their nations.

The Egyptian president lives in one of the world's most sumptuous palaces, once a luxury hotel with 400 rooms and a 6,340-square-foot ceremonial hall. Living there for nearly three decades, Hosni Mubarak knew full well that his people were hungry and desperate; 30 percent of the state's children grow up "stunted" because of malnutrition during the first years of life.

Regularly, union members and others held angry demonstrations over low wages, hundreds of them. To mollify them, sometimes Mubarak raised salaries a few pennies. But as successive food crises devastated his people, Mubarak, like his fellow dictators throughout the region, did little if anything to alleviate his peoples' misery -- watching their suffering from high windows in his grand manse. During the 2008 food crisis, his government actually cut bread rations.

Mubarak and the others brought this on themselves.

Joel Brinkley, a professor of journalism at Stanford University, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former foreign correspondent for the New York Times.

This article first appeared on StAugustine.com

EGYPT'S EVOLUTION: View from Cairo. What We Couldn't Show You.

(HN, 2/2/11) - HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw had arrived in Cairo, Egypt on Thursday, January 27, 2011 from an assignment in Africa.  His hotel, the Four Seasons on the First Residence in Cairo had been about 65% full when he checked in, about 10% full when he left this past Monday 1/31/11.  Throughout his stay with Egyptian friends who live in the country, Bociurkiw, who had been to Cairo many times - even living there for four months in recent years - toured the city as demonstrators took to the streets in ever larger numbers as the days of protests for Egypt's future wore on. He had no internet or SMS for the length of his stay, only hard line phone and a mobile phone in later days. 

He has since been evacuated by the Canadian government (you can see his report below) through a chaotic airport experience to Frankfurt, Germany and now onto assignment in Africa.  Internet in Egypt has been sporadically restored just today inside the country, and with Bociurkiw out we are able to share his photographs of the historic Friday protests across Cairo, and bring you his eyewitness video report. 

-- HUMNEWS staff. 

Update on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 3:17PM by HUMNEWS

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM FRIDAY PROTESTS, CAIRO, EGYPT - 1/28/11, By MICHAEL BOCIURKIW.

      

(c) HUMNEWS, 2011

SCENES OF EGYPT'S EVACUATION PROCESS AT CAIRO AIRPORT, January 31, 2011

These are scenes from the Cairo International Airport as Canadian, Australian, US and British  citizens were evacuated from Egypt to Frankfurt, Germany - Monday, January 31, 2011.

 In these videos shot by HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw on his IPhone 4.  

Canadian, Australian, American and British travellers being processed for an evacuation flight at Cairo International Airport on January 31, 2011. Boarding an Air Canada Boeing 777 which served as an evacuation flight at Cairo International Airport on January 31, 2011. Then, passengers on a Canadian evacuation flight from Egypt disembarking from the Air Canada Boeing 777 at Frankfurt International Airport, Germany, February 1, 2011. Australian travelers evacuated from Egypt being processed at Frankfurt International Airport, February 1, 2011.

As Egypt Descends Further Into Chaos, Foreign Visitors Flee (Report)

By Michael Bociurkiw

(HN, January 31, 2011) - As protests in Egypt headed into possibly their most tumultuous phase since the January 25 start of open defiance of President Hosni Mubarak, thousands of tourists, business travellers and expatriate workers rushed to international airports to catch evacuation flights home or to nearby safe havens.Travellers boarding an Air Canada evacuation flight Monday evening in Cairo. CREDIT: M Bociurkiw

At just past 1900GMT Monday an Air Canada Boeing 777 chartered by Ottawa lifted off from Cairo International Aiport for Frankfurt carrying more than 200 Canadian and Australian nationals. As soon as the jet lifted off the runway the weary passengers aboard burst into applause and cheers, relieved to be leaving behnd a city very much on edge.

The anxiety was clearly visible: a Canadian couple from Vancouver Island said they and other tourists endured a sleepless night due to gunfire and thugs who temporarily took over their Cairo hotel.

As if to add insult to injury the Air Canada relief flight almost missed its take-off slot when, at the last minute, Cairo International Airpoprt ground handling crew demanded an unexplained $2000 fee. Livid Canadian Embassy officials quickly gathered up a collection from passengers and the flight was eventually allowed to depart.

There were also indications that airport authorities were deliberately slowing the processing of evacuation flights: the Canadian-Australian flight was threatened with a delay by security officials who claimed the passengers werent properly screened, and then further delayed when no tow could be found to push back the jet from a remote stand.

The hitches infuriated Embassy officials but also many of the travellers - many of whom had harrowing stories to tell of enduring spreading lawlessness throughout the country. Some said the quick exit marked their last experience with Egypt.

The evacuation flights were so hastily organized that some airlines, including Air Canada, brought their own maintenance crews along - just in case of hitches on the ground in Cairo.

Like Canada, several other countries - including the United States, Turkey, Switzerland and Germany - chartered planes to take their stranded nationals out of Egypt. Canada was billing each passenger $400 for the evacuation flight to Frankfurt. Most passengers said they didnt mind absorbing the cost but some questioned why nationals of other countries were offered free passage by their respective governments.

A Canadian passport holder born in China was reportedly told by Chinese officials at the airport he was eligible for free passage to Beijing.

The measures to evacate foreigners were due to the deteriorating security situation as well as massive cancellation of outbound flights, especially by national flag carrier Egypt Air. There are unconmfirmed reports that Cairo Airport will close for at least two days later this week.

Today marked the most chaotic day at Cairo Airport since the crisis began almost a week ago. Tempers flared amid several delays and cancellations. HUMNEWS observed a near riot at desks designated for flights to Gulf countries.

The rush to leave is not misplaced: On Tuesday opposition leaders are calling for a one-milion-person march in central Cairo - just as the Mubarak Administration appears to be positioning itself for a major confrontation. This HUMNEWS correspondent saw several dozen tanks lined up near an urban military base, ready to roll at a moment's notice. There were also several reports of foreign journalists being harassed by security officials: an Al Jazeera crew was among many detained. Others are sauid to have had their equipment confiscated.

An indication of the widespread fear is that many Egyptians residents and visitors who hold Canadian and other passports could be seen queing up for evacuation flights.

As tourists, business travellers and expatriates bid goodbye to Egypt, tourism industry officials fretted about the huge blow to a sector that employs millions of Egyptians and is one of the top foeign exchange earners. The Four Seasons Cairo at First Residences was among many luxury hotels in the city where occupancy dipped to single digit figures.

The immediate impact of the exit of so many foreign professionals at once is also difficult to gauge. For example, the Air Canada flight carried at least a dozen staff from the Canadian International School in Cairo. There was no indication when they would return to resume teaching.

What is certain is that millions of Egyptians will be forced to endure a temporary economic slowdown - perhaps the price to be paid for removing the current regime.

David Hill, a British expatriate who manages a building site employing 1000 Egyptians, said it was impossible for him to to continue construction at a time when all of his employees insisted on staying home to protect their properties and valuables.

(Report) - Fleeing Egypt Tourists Leave Chaos In Their Wake. `Million Person March' Planned.

(HN-1/31/11) Cairo, Egypt.  The Cairo International Airport was mass chaos today as many countries evacuated citizens to their home countries and many Egyptians attempted to make their way back to their home towns from major cities such as Cairo and Alexandria.

Many foreign citizens, regardless of whether or not they wanted to leave, even given the dangers of staying, almost have to go. After a foreign citizens home government issues a travel warning and then an evacuation order, often times the citizen is essentially giving up the security and concern of their consulate offices and are on their own. In fact many insurance companies will not support claims of citizens who have defied their own governments orders. 

And, in the case of Egypt, even if your home government issues an order to evacuate, you may even have to pay for the privilege of leaving.  Canadian citizens who arrived at Cairo’s airport today for their flights out were told they needed to sign a waiver for a bill that would later be sent to them of $400 so they could leave the country and make it just as far as Frankfurt, Germany. While they may make their flights, they were told their luggage may not; and many did not have much with them as the call for evacuation came only with hours to pack.

Today, Lufthansa had many of the flights out of Cairo after Delta and several other major carriers stopped operations into and out of the Egyptian capital.

Michael Bociurkiw, our correspondent in Cairo stated that, “On the way here to the airport from the Four Seasons hotel on the First Residence, the taxi driver took another way around to avoid Tahrir Square.  In one part of the city I saw at least 40-50 tanks lined up in a column.  Many intersections were still being guarded it looked as though by private militia, and I saw absolutely no national police in the streets.”  He added, “Almost all of the legendary historical sites that I could see such as the Cairo Zoo and the entrance to the Pyramids at Giza were being guarded by Egyptian military vehicles”.

Bociurkiw goes on to say that the “Four Seasons hotel on the First Residence was operating at only 10 percent today. The manager stated they are not going to close because once you close its very hard to open again. And I spoke to a construction company owner early this morning who said he had to lay off close to 1000 men because his projects are no longer going forward with the crisis on. The impact on businesses in the country is staggering”.

Once he arrived at the Cairo airport, Bociurkiw spoke with many of those waiting in long lines at the airport to find out how they were getting out of the country.  All had been told that everything was being done to get them out of the country by 7pm local time tonight, even though a new curfew was put into place today restricting people's movements from 3pm to 8a.

A CBC television crew who Bociurkiw was interviewed by, told him that they were already aware of the 6 Al Jazeera journalists who had been arrested and then later released without their camera equipment and that many reporters they were in contact with had taken to shooting still photos on their blackberries and Iphones as a way to document the crisis.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the opposition in Egypt has called for a `Million Man’ style march in order to show their displeasure with the steps the Mubarak government has taken so far in addressing the demonstrators concerns and this morning the Egyptian Army issued a statement essentially endorsing the protesters rights to demonstrate.  

 ---HUMNEWS staff

(Report) - Could Egypt's Legendary and Lucrative Tourism Industry Be Devastated?

(Photo: Tourists riding camels @Egypt's Giza Pyramids. File) (HN-1/30/11) – Cairo, Egypt.  As parts of the Egyptian capital go up in smoke so too is the country’s lucrative and crucial tourism industry. 

“It could take us two years to return to the level we’re at right now“, said the manager of one of Cairo’s 5-star hotels.

He added that while other previous events did little to the harm the industry – such as the April 2006 attack on Jewish tourists in Dahab; and the January 2010 shooting of Coptic Christian bus tourists in Upper Egypt; they had nowhere near the `in your face’ factor of the current uprisings – which have seen Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and many other major tourist sites transformed into veritable war zones.

Egypt has six thousand years of recorded history. Ancient Egypt was among the earliest civilizations on the planet.  For millennia, Egypt maintained a strikingly complex and stable culture that influenced later cultures of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  Beginning in the early 19th century — from when Napoleon’s French forces invaded Egypt — interest in Egyptology and the ancient world spread across the world; culminating with the modern tourism industry which began with the findings by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 of King Tut’s tomb which urged this fascination laying the foundations for the modern tourism industry in the country.

Because much of the violence occurred just steps away from many of Cairo’s major hotels many tourists and business travelers were exposed to tear gas, horrifying scenes of vandalism and even live fire. The site of tanks and the sounds of jet fighters and helicopters have scared the living daylights out of many tourist visitors.

(Photo: Cairo International Airport, Courtesy WikipediaHUMNEWS spent the day visiting many tourist sites, hotel and visitor locations and found long lines of rattled tourists rushing to catch planes out of the country. Many had arrived here on prepaid vacations that were abruptly cut short when the chaos began to escalate after Friday’s mass demonstration.

Several countries including Turkey, India, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Japan, and the US will begin evacuating their citizens Monday.

As recently as Saturday many luxury hotels in Cairo were already operating low - below the 20% occupancy level. Normally the average rate of occupancy during season is about 75%. The manager of one international chain property in Central Cairo said he may temporarily close his 366 room hotel on the Corniche El Nil. This same manager said he was attacked by armed men Saturday evening while attempting to drive home.

As the chaos continues to spiral out of control, the iconic Nile River, the longest river in the world, has gone from being a virtual water highway to an empty expanse for miles. Grand tourist boats and elegant Falukas are all docked along the banks of the river because of a lack of business – increasing as the days goes on - and a restrictive nighttime curfew – also more constrained by the day.

Many hotels are struggling to maintain service standards as employees strain to make it to work and (Photo: Cruise ships on the Nile River, Courtesy Wikipedia)supplies run short.

Because of widespread looting hotel managers are going to unprecedented measures to secure their properties at night. The Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence in the Giza district boarded up its entrance way, turned off lights and drew curtains at dusk. The Grand Hyatt Hotel on the opposite side of the river – and much closer to the protests in Tahrir Square – hastily barricaded its entrance with banquet tables and chairs. Most of its popular food and beverage outlets including the Hard Rock Café Cairo were shuttered.

The widespread fear is not misplaced. In the last few days several shops, malls and even some hotels were attacked and looted by roving groups of looters. Some had even managed to breach security at the extremely popular Egyptian National Museum in Central Cairo and damage some of the ancient displays. And since for the first time since anyone can recall the Giza Pyramids have been closed indefinitely.  So has the Cairo Zoo also located in Giza. Because most of the police have disappeared off the streets of cities, a sense of lawlessness has taken hold.

The tourism industry is one of the largest income industries for Egypt – bringing in an estimated $11.6bn (£7.3bn) in last year and employing about 12 percent of Egypt's workforce.  Last year more than 13 million people visited Egypt, drawn by its stunning beaches, ancient sites, value for money and relatively safe reputation. The US, the UK, Europe, the Arab Gulf states and Russia are the top markets for the industry. The Sinai Peninsula is renowned for its azure waters and is a popular tourist destination for Israeli tourists.

(Photo: Sphinx at Alexandria, Courtesy Wikipedia)The harsh blow to the tourism industry comes as many new hotel properties are being built and are coming online in Cairo and Alexandria, and the expansion of the international airports in both Cairo and Alexandria are nearing completion.

Because of its rich history and well developed tourism infrastructure, Egypt has become a magnet for retired, well-heeled Western travelers. HUMNEWS spoke to many visiting couples in the last few days, many forced to cut short their dream vacation. One American couple from New Hampshire arrived in Cairo on Friday only to be told that their excursion to Upper Egypt had been cancelled and that they would have to depart the country less than 48 hours after arriving.

The crisis escalates.

The first priority of many visitors today was to leave the country as soon as possible. However a quick exit has been complicated by a complete nationwide shutdown of the internet.  Mobile phone text messaging has also been constrained.  Tour operators who rely on internet for bookings have been completely paralyzed.

The national flagship airline carrier – Egypt Air is completely overwhelmed by the crisis. Its website has crashed and many travelers complain that accessing the call center is nearly impossible. The ongoing curfew which will be extended Monday from 3p-8a means the carrier will have to adjust its flight schedule once again.

The curfew and information vacuum have forced many tourists to make a mad dash to the airport to catch flights home. Most arrive to Cairo International Airport to find impossibly long lines, delayed or cancelled flights and few check-in staff. There have also been complaints from stranded American and Canadian travelers for not being able to reach consular assistance lines of their home countries by telephone.

In addition to the tourists the country has a large expatriate population of mostly Thai, Sudanese, Eritrean, Somali and Iraqi. Many of whom are also wondering what to do. Stay, or go?

When HUMNEWS visited Cairo International Airport Sunday it was a complete scene of confusion – many travelers have been forced to stay overnight because of the curfew and cancelled flights.  Many Egypt Air aircraft have been parked on remote aprons of the airfield as demand for flights to and from Egypt have taken a fall.

Monday is again another work day in Egyptand it could be another day of unrest. For tourists, it still remains a day to try to leave this troubled country.

-        By HUMNEWS Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo who has only hotel TV and hard line and mobile phone; no internet or SMS, as told to HUM staff.

The View From Cairo, Egypt: Day 6 of Unrest as Observed on the Streets

(Photo: Nile River, Cairo, Egypt. Courtesy, AStantin.com)(HN-1/30/11) -- With a ten kilometer line of sight vantage point from where he can see th Nile River, after spending the day roaming the streets of Cairo with a longtime Egyptian friend, HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw says that he sees something he has never experienced in all his time in the ancient and now chaotic city, "absolutely no vehicle traffic on any of the streets, bridges or on the Nile river where dozens of tourist boats normally dot the waterway at night. It's eery after such a day of demonstrations just hours ago." 

Bociurkiw has been staying at the Four Seasons just near the on the October 4th bridge near the Cairo zoo for the past two days, and says the hotel manager tells him the hotel itself is now "only 25 percent full". 

"The only thing you can hear tonight with my window on the 16th floor of the hotel open is the wind and a dog barking," says Bociurkiw in a phone call. 

"You can hear gunshots every now and then".

At full capacity Cairo is one of the densest and oldest cities in the world with 15 to 20 million people filling its neighborhoods. The country has one of the largest standing armies in the world with almost half a million troops. 

There is still no internet connectivity, and the country's mobile phone service is running now, but spotty and "I still can't receive text messages," says Bociurkiw.  

He reports what other news media is also observing which is that, "one of the strangest things we observed on the streets today was almost no police presence in trying to stop the crowds, nor security forces openly stopping the looting or things like 'pop up' checkpoints. What we did see, ironically were all these trucks or lorries which are usually reserved for arrested people, full with police in them, just driving around. But they never got out of the vehicles to stop anyone. The police just sat by while things happened," Bociurkiw said.

"It seems more and more that people here are feeling the lack of police involvement in the past two days is a deliberate tactic by the government here," he says. 

Bociurkiw has been to Egypt many times and has, in the past lived there for a 6 month period.  His friend Marwa who lives in Cairo has also been travelling about with him throughout the day today. They observed hundreds of shop and stores broken into, cars overturned in the streets and makeshift checkpoints and bullet casings littering the streets and a steady stream of tear gas filling the air. 

Bociurkiw remains in Cairo as day 6 of Egypt's unrest dawns. 

Sunday is a work day in Egypt and the beginning of the week. 

-HUMNEWS staff

Mubarak says a new government will be appointed but, shows no signs that he is stepping down (News Update)

Egyptian President Hosini Mubarak tried to diffuse enormous discontent among the Egyptian people Friday night by announcing that a new government is on the way. He gave no indication that he himself planned to step down, despite increasing calls for him to do so. 

Mubarak, who assumed power in Egypt 30 year ago and is now 82 years old, made the announcement that a new government would begin being formed on Saturday following a day of widespread protest, demonstrations and violence.

-HUMNEWS staff

Update on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 5:29AM by HUMNEWS

(Breaking News) - Egyptian television is reporting that the country's cabinet has formally submitted its resignation.

Update on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 5:51AM by HUMNEWS

(Breaking News) - HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo, Egypt says street protestors on Day 5 of unrest talking of cabinet resignation say, "This step is not enough.  We want total regime change".

The turning point in Egypt (Breaking News Report)

(HN, January 28, 2011) Clouds of acrid smoke are rising over central Cairo as thousands of protesters, men, women and children from all walks of life continue to take to the streets of Egypt.

The protests, which began in earnest, at the conclusion of the Muslim Friday prayers, around 1pm local time, started with a few thousand people taking to the streets in and around Tahrir square. – Thahrir  square is the main square in Cairo and center of government buildings.

The government security forces were clearly prepared stationing thousands of well armed riot police in strategic locations around the city – specifically around bridges and government buildings.

At first many Egyptians took in the events from little coffee shops watching the protest unfold on Al Jazeera as they decided whether or not to join in. – It was so quiet at first that it appeared that perhaps the disconnecting of the Internet and mobile phones by the Egyptian government may have actually succeeded in destabilizing the protests.  

As the afternoon has worn on it is clear that Egyptians have decided to take to the streets as the swell of protesters continues to grow well into the early evening hours in Cairo.

From HUMNEWS’ current vantage point in Giza a non-stop stream of demonstrators continues to grow carrying signs and shouting anti-Mubarak slogans as they march towards the bridge crossing the Nile in an attempt to cross into central Cairo and head to Tahrir square.

The number of riot police has also increased as has the number of water cannon trucks and use of tear gas. HUMNEWS observed police utilize, with no provocation, water cannons and tear gas on demonstrators as they stood stoically and got completely soaked.

Plainclothes secret policemen dragged protesters out of the crowd, kicking and beating them as they were loaded into lorries and driven away.

A protester in his 40’s named Mohammed who works as an importer/exporter spoke with HUMNEWS blocks away from Tahrir square, when asked what he hoped would happen he echoed the comments of many other interviewed saying: “I hope the government goes away.” When asked if that was realistic he clasped his hands together to illustrate the collaboration between the government, police and military forces and shrugged.

Demonstrators encountered by HUMNEWS have been exceedingly friendly and helpful at times protecting foreigners from tear gas and other obstacles and making way for photographers and cameramen to capture the historical events taking place – with the Interent being shut down images are more difficult to get out of the country - was witnessed by the lack of photos in this article.

As the day is now turning into evening there are reports that foreign journalists are being targeted and rounded up and taken “elsewhere” by police. As one BBC reporter said the police have set many red lines today so that if you breath you have crossed the line.

Egypt is now different - there is no doubting the dynamic on the street.

 - Reported by HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo, Egypt

Update on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 11:21AM by HUMNEWS

The government has announced that there is now a curfew set to begin at 1600 GMT. Anyone on the streets can and will be arrested. Although it is clear now that the number of protesters outnumber the military and security police.

HUMNEWS was out in the Giza district where the swell of protesters continues to grow. Protesters have overtaken 3 army verhicles, and a monument near the Shareton hotel at the the foot of a bridge leading into the center of Cairo where protesters are heading and being handed water by onlookers in the area.

A young protester spoke to HUMNEWS and when asked if he was scared he said, "no, because my life is dead". This is a common sentiment among young people who have felt the effects of the rising cost of living and continue to make very little money.

It is also being reported that Mubarak will make a statement on state television later this evening.

Update on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 2:00PM by HUMNEWS

Egypt's military has deployed troops and tanks to enforce the curfew, which is now being enforced in all the country's cities as protests demanding the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak continue.

Protesters have attempted to storm the state TV building and Foreign Ministry so far unsuccessfully. For the first time there have been some shots fired and reports of looting.

As one female protester told HUMNEWS on the streets of the Giza district, "I have been here for hours and am not leaving until this cowardly government goes away."

Senior ruling party figures have acknowledged for the first time that thare are facing a potential revolution and called on Pres. Mubarak to institute "unprecedented reforms." "Nowhere in the world can the security forces put an end to revolution," Mustafa al-Fekki, chairman of the Egyptian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told Al Jazeera. "The security option alone is not sufficient and the president is the only one who can put an end to these events."

It is still being reported that Mubarak will take to the airwaves on state television later this evening.

Egypt Air has announced that it will cancel all flights for the next twelve hours. There has been very little in the way of movement from boats that usually go up and down the Nile filled with locals and tourists alike.

A Government Challenged on the Streets of Cairo - By Victoria Hazou (Photo Essay)

Cairo-based Canadian photographer Victoria Hazou captured these images of protesters on the streets of the Egyptian capital.