Tibetan Burns to Death in Protest Against China

A Tibetan man has burned to death after setting himself on fire to protest China's continued occupation of Tibet.

Father of two Lhamo Kyab, 27, died in the eastern Tibetan town of Bora. A source in India with close contacts in the area said that the self-immolation occurred near the Bora monastery.

The source said Lhamo Kyab called for Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to return to Tibet as he was engulfed in flames.

He is the fourth Tibetan this month who died of self-immolation.

Thousands of Lebanese Mourn Intelligence Official Killed in Blast

by Edward Yeranian

Thousands of Lebanese gathered in Beirut's Martyrs Square for the funeral of police intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan, killed in the explosion of a car bomb on Friday.

A sea of mourners gathered in Martyrs Square outside the Mohammed al Amin mosque as Lebanon's top political and religious leaders attended prayers inside. The flag-draped coffins of Hassan and an officer who died with him lay in state as the mufti of Tripoli, Malek Sha'ar, delivered the funeral oration.

As the prayers ended, several religious and political figures addressed the crowd, saying that Lebanon and the opposition March 14 coalition have paid “too high a price and suffered too many martyrs” in recent years.

The slain police intelligence official was allied with Lebanon's anti-Syrian opposition and seen as a supporter of the mainly Sunni rebels fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria's civil war has heightened political and sectarian tensions in neighboring Lebanon.

Former Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora told the crowd at the funeral that it is time for the assassinations to stop and for the current government, which is supported by the pro-Syrian Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, to resign.

He said the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati must no longer cover for the crimes that Siniora says are being committed. Sinioria added that Mikati himself bears moral responsibility for those crimes and must give way to a neutral, unity government.

The prime minister told a news conference Saturday that he had offered his resignation, but that President Michel Suleiman had asked him to stay on until political talks take place, to avoid a vacuum.

Siniora also accused Syrian Intelligence Chief Ali Mamlouk and pro-Syrian Lebanese politician Michel Samaha of being behind Wissam al Hassan's assassination. Samaha was arrested last month after being taped discussing a plot to blow-up politicians who oppose Syria.

Several blocks away, a crowd of young men threw stones and waved metal bars at a barbed wire barrier protecting the prime minister's offices. Security forces guarding the old Ottoman structure fired tear gas to keep the angry protesters from storming the barriers.

Earlier, a police band played funeral dirges as President Suleiman awarded the slain police inspector Lebanon's highest honor, promoting him posthumously to the rank of general. Suleiman told the crowd that Hassan's killing must not go unpunished:

He urged Lebanon's political leaders not to cover for the crimes that are being committed, saying that the people want the courts and the police to find and prosecute the criminals.

Christian political leader Michel Aoun, who is part of the outgoing pro-Syrian government, called Wissam al-Hassan a martyr but insisted that some political leaders are “trying to use his death for political purposes.”

American Indian Activist Russell Means Dies

American Indian activist and actor Russell Means died Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 72.

Means, a onetime leader of the American Indian Movement, called national attention to the plight of impoverished Native Americans in the 1970s.

He helped organize the 1973 siege of Wounded Knee – a 71-day confrontation in which hundreds of Indian activists occupied the town on the site of an 1890 Indian massacre. The protest, aimed at gaining federal adherence to treaties with Indians, ended with the deaths of two activists and a federal agent seriously wounded.

After leaving the movement in the 1980s, Means, who was known for his good looks and long dark braids, went on to act in several films including “Last of the Mohicans,” “Natural Born Killers,” and Disney's animated film “Pocahontas.”

He also ran unsuccessfully for president in 1988 but lost the Libertarian nomination to Ron Paul.

(Photo by Carol Moore)

Former US Presidential Candidate George McGovern Dies

George McGovern, a former U.S. lawmaker best known for a devastating defeat in the 1972 presidential election, has died. McGovern passed away at age 90 on Sunday in his native South Dakota. Family members say he had been suffering from a “combination of medical conditions.”

McGovern served terms as a Democratic Congressman and a Senator between 1957 and 1981.

In 1972, he campaigned on a platform opposing the Vietnam war as he challenged then-President Richard Nixon. He suffered one of the most severe defeats in a U.S. presidential election, winning a majority of votes in only one of the 50 U.S. states and in the District of Columbia.

In a 2006 interview, McGovern said his views on the Vietnam War were shaped by the time he spent as a World-War-Two combat pilot.

“I came out of that war, especially after the atomic bomb was set off — destroying two great cities in Japan — with the feeling that we have got to do something to halt this kind of barbaric enterprise. So, I think almost from the end of World War Two, I have been doing what I can to settle our disputes with other countries, where possible, without going to war.”

McGovern said he saw parallels between the Vietnam War and the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

“I think it was a great mistake to go into Vietnam, a country that was no threat to the United States and wanted nothing much other than to be recognized as a legitimate government. It was a mistake to go into Iraq, another country that was no threat to us and had nothing to do with the 9-11 attack. Our leaders, some of them, seem to think we are fighting terrorism in Iraq. I think we're causing it.”

In later life, McGovern served as a lecturer, teacher and the U.N. Global Ambassador on World Hunger.

President Barack Obama called McGovern a “statesman of great conscience and conviction.” Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said they were deeply saddened to learn of their friend's passing and that “we must continue to draw inspiration from his example and build the world he fought for.”

Former Cambodian King's Body Arrives in Phnom Penh

by Irwin Loy

Tens of thousands of mourners packed the streets of the nation's capital as the body of Cambodia's former king, Norodom Sihanouk, was flown home Wednesday from China where he died Monday of cancer at age 89.

Eight years after he gave up his throne to his son, Sihanouk is still called the father of the nation by many Cambodians.

Outside Phnom Penh’s main airport, thousands of white-clad mourners waited in searing heat to catch once last glimpse of the man known as "King-Father" as his golden casket, placed in a golden carriage fashioned in the shape of a swan, made one last journey to the Royal Palace where his body will lie in state for three months.

Poun Pon, a 67-year-old who journeyed from her rural home to say goodbye to a man she still calls "King," said she felt shock at hearing the of his death.

Also lining the 14-kilometer route, Long Kea, 72, only expressed a deep sorrow. "That's why I come to join his procession," said Kea. "It is all I could do."

"He struggled all his life and the country gained independence because of him," said Chhuong Chy, a popular comedian who also happened to be among the masses. "So as a son or grandson, I have been waiting for him, because I want to welcome him for the last time."

Mixed legacy

Some brought their young children to watch the mournful procession, wanting them to know the highly revered former monarch, who came to the throne in 1941 and ruled Cambodia off and on for more than 60 years, was much more than just grainy images on a television screen.

Although Sihanouk remains a hero to many Cambodians, he also leaves a mixed historical legacy. Unable to safely navigate the Cold War politics that engulfed his country, he sided with Khmer Rouge rebels who would later devastate his homeland and ultimately be blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians.

Yet for those who came of age during Sihanouk’s golden years of the 1950s and '60s, he is heralded for bringing his ancient kingdom through independence from France, war and genocide to form a fragile democracy.

Sihanouk’s return begins a week-long period of official mourning, during which the Cambodian flag will fly at half-mast and all entertainment is prohibited.

In 2004, Sihanouk abdicated the throne to his son, Norodom Sihamoni, citing old age and health concerns.

(Photo: Meeting in Beijing in 1956: from left Mao Zedong, Peng Zhen, Sihanouk, Liu Shaoqi.)

Cambodians Mourn Revered ex-King Sihanouk

Cambodians entered a second day of mourning Tuesday for their revered former king Norodom Sihanouk, as preparations were made to return his body from China.

Tearful mourners placed a small wreath outside the royal palace in the Cambodian capital and offered prayers for the man they called "King-Father."

Thirty-two-year-old monk Try Piseth said Kmer the former king's death is a major blow. “What he did was purely for the nation and religion, and I am so deeply sorry to lose him.  I am so speechless and cannot do much but to wish him rest in peace,” said Piseth.

Phnom Penh resident Chhun Chenda said all she can do now is mourn as she waits for the kings body to come back. “I love my king. I want him to continue to reign," said Chenda. "I want him to stay in our country forever.”

Norodom Sihanouk died of a heart attack in Beijing Monday at age 89 following a long battle with cancer. His son, King Norodom Sihamoni, and Prime Minister Hun Sen are in Beijing and are scheduled to escort the former king's body back to Cambodia Wednesday.

Even in death, the "King-Father" gets royal treatment. Sihanouk's body will be transported in a gold coffin and, once back, he will lie in state at the royal palace for three months before being cremated at a traditional Buddhist ceremony.

In a letter to the former king's widow, Monineath Sihanouk, and the current king, Prime Minister Hun Sen called the former king an “incomparable eminent figure.” The premier also tried to reassure Cambodians, saying he would remain dedicated to Cambodia’s “independence, integrity and…national unification.”

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was among those who paid respects to Sihanouk Tuesday, calling him an "old friend of the Chinese people."

Other condolence messages continued to pour in from around the world. The United States, which helped topple Sihanouk in a Washington-backed 1970 coup, offered condolences in a brief State Department memo.

North Korea, whose founder Kim Il Sung was close with Sihanouk, on Tuesday praised the former leader's "unprecedented" friendship with Pyongyang.

Sihanouk came to the throne in 1941 and went on to rule Cambodia off and on for more than 60 years.

He was heralded for bringing his ancient kingdom through independence from France, war and genocide to form a fragile democracy. But Sihanouk's name is also still soiled from his association with the Khmer Rouge movement, blamed for the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians.

Sihanouk abdicated the throne to his son, Norodom Sihamoni, in 2004 citing old age and health concerns.

(Photo: Billboard of King Norodom Sihanouk at Angkor International Airport.)

Cambodia Mourns Former King Who Shaped Decades of History

by Irwin Loy

Cambodians awoke Monday to the news that their country’s revered former king, Norodom Sihanouk, died overnight in Beijing. The 89-year-old leaves behind a colorful but tumultuous legacy.  To many Cambodians who mourned his death Monday, he will forever be remembered as the father of a nation.

Sihanouk’s death came amid one of the country’s most important religious festivals, Pchum Ben, when Cambodians pay respect to their ancestors.

At a pagoda in the capital, monks chanted while people made symbolic offerings of food to deceased relatives. Kong Sidoeun waited while his elderly mother prayed. He says the death of the man known to Cambodians as the "King-Father", came as a shock to his entire family.

“I feel shock, and unbelievable … our King-Father passed away. It’s very, very sad. I read this information to my family, and my family, my mother, my relative very shocked,” he said.

For half a century, Cambodia’s history was intertwined with Sihanouk’s. He led the country to independence from France in 1953. But his public support of the Khmer Rouge, following the 1970 coup that unseated him, also bolstered support for the communist movement that would devastate the country five years later.

Still, Sihanouk remains revered by many here. That is particularly true among older Cambodians, who associate him with the country’s post-independence years.

“I heard from my father, my mother and also I observed from the people, nationwide, they think during his period, under his control, the country is very developed. People live with safety during that time," Sidoeun stated. "It mean that in the region, Cambodia is one of developed countries at that time so it’s a very good achievement.”

At some government buildings in the capital, flags were flown at half-mast. Local television stations aired tributes to Cambodia’s former king. Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith says Sihanouk ushered his nation into the modern world.

“You know, when I was a young one. I used to quote his work. Now when I am old, the relationship is more than personal … It’s a great loss for the whole country,” Kanharith added.

Kanharith says officials are making preparations for a royal funeral. Sihanouk’s son and the current monarch, King Norodom Sihamoni, flew to Beijing, along with Prime Minister Hun Sen, to repatriate the King-Father’s remains.

Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk Dies

Former Cambodian king, Norodom Sihanouk, has died at the age of 89.

Cambodian government officials say the former leader died of natural causes early Monday , in Beijing, where he was receiving medical treatment.

Sihanouk came to the throne in 1941 and went on to rule Cambodia off and on more than 60 years.

Sihanouk was heralded for bringing his ancient kingdom through independence from France, war and genocide to form a fragile democracy.

During the Vietnam War, Sihanouk was briefly overthrown by a military coup while travelling overseas.

In an effort to return to power, he aligned himself with the radical communist group, the Khmer Rouge. But by 1976 was sidelined by them and in fear of his life.

The Khmer Rouge remained in power until 1979, but Sihanouk's name remained soiled from his association with the movement that resulted in the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians.

He returned from exile in 1991 and regained the throne in 1993 and went on to become a central figure in the country's development.

Sihanouk abdicated the throne to his son, Norodom Sihamoni, in 2004 citing old age and health concerns.

Former Senator Arlen Specter Dies of Cancer

Former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter has died of cancer at age 82. The Republican-turned Democrat represented Pennsylvania for 30 years, playing key roles in confirmation battles for U.S. Supreme Court nominees.

First elected to the Senate as a Republican in 1980, Specter garnered national attention and Republican ire for resisting then-President Ronald Reagan's 1987 Supreme Court pick, Robert Bork. Specter again played a prominent role in President George H. W. Bush's 1991 nomination of Clarence Thomas to the nation's highest court, fiercely interrogating witness Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of sexual harassment.

Long known as a political moderate in a Republican Party that was shifting further to the right on social issues and other matters, Specter switched to the Democratic Party in 2009. At the time, it was assumed he would have been hard pressed to survive a primary fight against fellow-Republican challengers the following year. He lost his 2010 primary election battle to a Democrat who lost the general election to Pennsylvania's current Republican senator.

Before entering politics, Specter served as a prosecutor in Philadelphia. He also served as a counsel for the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Specter had several bouts of cancer in recent years. He is survived by a wife and two children.

Burmese Independence Leader Dies in China

One of the last surviving Burmese independence leaders has died in exile.

Former Brigadier General Kyaw Zaw died Wednesday at a hospital in southern China, where he had lived since fleeing Burma in 1976. He was 93.

Kyaw Zaw rose to prominence as one of the “30 Comrades” who led the fight for Burma's independence from Britain in the 1940s, and he was a founding member of the Burmese communist party. He fled to China 35 years ago due to differences with the military junta ruling Burma at the time.

Former Burmese Army Chief U Tin Oo, who fought alongside Kyaw Zaw for Burmese independence, praised him for pushing for the fair treatment of the country's ethnic minorities. Now with the opposition National League for Democracy party, U Tin Oo said that Kyaw Zaw's death is a great loss for Burma.

Kyaw Zaw had been in poor health and recently expressed a desire to return from China to make a final visit and pay his respects at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, one of Burma's most revered Buddhist sites.

Burmese officials granted permission for Kyaw Zaw to return, but he was too weak to make the trip. A top government official said that the offer to return still stands for Kyaw Zaw's daughters, who lived with him in China.

Dissident Vietnamese Poet Nguyen Chi Thien Dies at 73

Dissident Vietnamese poet Nguyen Chi Thien, who memorized his poems while languishing in prison where he was not allowed to write, has died at age 73.

A friend of Thien announced his death this week in Los Angeles, where he had lived since 1995.

Thein was first jailed in 1960 after telling a group of Vietnamese students that World War II ended when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan. Official communist-issued textbooks insisted that the war ended by the Russians defeating the Japanese.

Thien spent most of the next 31 years in jails and prison camps, where he memorized his poems and only writing them down after he was released.

His collection, Flowers of Hell won him international awards and honors.

Thien moved to France and later to the United States, where the Vietnamese community in Southern California saw him as a symbol of freedom.