Six In The Morning Thursday February 13

ROBERT FISK

Thursday 13 February 2014

Iran’s dead poets society: The execution of Hashem Shabaani shows the pen can be mightier than the sword

For writing poetry in Arabic, a pacifist, father and carer, was accused of ‘spreading corruption’ and executed. 

In Iran, there should be a Dead Poets Society. Or perhaps a Martyred Poets 

Society, with its newest member a certain Arab-Iranian from Ahwaz, in the far south-west of the country, on the Iraqi border.

He has been hanged for “spreading corruption on earth”, one of hundreds put to death by the Islamic revolution since 1979. Everything about Hashem Shabaani cries out in shame against his executioners: his pacifist poetry, his academic learning, his care for his sick father – a disabled soldier seriously wounded in the 1980-88 war against the Iraqi invaders of his country – and his love for his wife and only child. Already, of course, he has become a political corpse. His killers, the Iranian interior ministry and a revolutionary tribunal judge called Mohamed-Bagher Moussavi, must be the first culprits.

Spain’s restrictive abortion Bill survives secret vote

Draft law would restrict abortion to cases of rape or danger to mother

Spain’s Socialists failed on Tuesday to block an unpopular draft law restricting women’s access to abortions, which has sparked large protests across the country and caused rare rifts in the conservative People’s Party (PP) that sponsored the Bill.

In an unusual secret ballot, which gave its members a chance to go against the ruling party’s line without being exposed, the PP, with an absolute majority in parliament, was able to defeat a motion to block the law.

Thousands of people all over Spain have joined marches in recent weeks to show their opposition to the Bill, which will limit abortion to cases of rape or severe danger to the mother’s health.

Russia presents rival UN resolution on humanitarian crisis in Syria

After threatening to veto a Western and Arab-backed measure to address the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Russia has presented its own rival resolution. The move comes amid stalled peace talks.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, reportedly presented the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, the United Kingdom, France and China - with a draft resolution on Syria's humanitarian crisis, according to a diplomatic sources speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The new draft aims to facilitate the delivery of aid to Syrian civilians and reportedly includes other items from the original Western and Arab text. However, it excluded an earlier provision which required Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to resign.

Envoys from the Security Council were scheduled to meet on Thursday "to try to merge the two texts", according to one diplomat.

'Ethnic cleansing' taking place in Central Africa: Amnesty International

AFP 

"Ethnic cleansing" is being carried out against Muslim civilians in the Central African Republic, with international peacekeepers unable to prevent it, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

France's defence minister earlier called on international forces deployed in the Christian-majority country to put an end to attacks by the militias "by force if needed".

Amnesty said it had documented at least 200 killings of Muslim civilians by Christian militia groups known as the anti-balaka, set up in the wake of the March 2013 coup by the mainly-Muslim Seleka rebellion.

"'Ethnic cleansing' of Muslims has been carried out in the western part of the Central African Republic, the most populous part of the country, since early January 2014," Amnesty International said in a report.

Venezuelan protests end in violence

Three were dead and dozens injured when violence broke out during anti-government protests in Venezuela, Wednesday. The opposition aims to influence policy and to oust President Nicolas Maduro. 

By Daniel Wallis, Reuters, Diego Ore, Reuters

CARACAS

At least three people were shot dead on Wednesday during anti-government protests in Caracas, escalating the worst bout of unrest in Venezuela since turmoil after President Nicolas Maduro's election last year.

The violence was a crescendo to weeks of sporadic demonstrations in the provinces led by opposition hardliners who denounce Maduro for failing to control inflation, crime and product shortages and vow to push him from office.

The government says the opposition is sowing violence to stage a coup similar to the one a decade ago that briefly ousted late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, though there are few signs that the current melees could topple Maduro.

13 February 2014 Last updated at 00:53

What is it like to ski in North Korea?

North Korea is not known for its winter sports - it does not have a single athlete at the Sochi Winter Olympics. But that has not stopped it opening a high-end ski resort in its eastern mountains. The Masik Pass Resort is "the most exotic ski destination on Earth", according to one tour operator - and perhaps also the most controversial. Lucy Williamson spoke to one of the first foreign tourists to visit.

There are not many ways to relax in North Korea. And so, in a society beset by political and economic challenges, the country's young leader has made leisure facilities a priority.

Since coming to power, he has opened a water-park and a dolphinarium, tested out new fairground rides, invited a team of American basketball stars over for an exhibition match and opened a ski resort.