Ovi Cartoons

PersOnality DisOrders

2010-06-05T13:44:00.003+03:00

Life Undercover

2010-04-15T15:27:00.004+02:00

Fatal blasts hit Jakarta hotels

2009-07-17T21:34:00.002+03:00

At least nine people have been killed, including two suspected suicide bombers, in two blasts at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. One explosion hit the Ritz-Carlton, ripping off its facade, and the other the JW Marriott. As many as 50 people were hurt, including many foreigners. At least one attacker was a guest at the JW Marriott, police said.

Suu Kyi back on trial again after the delay.

2009-07-10T15:50:00.003+03:00

The trial of the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has resumed after a six-week break for a defence appeal over allowing more witnesses. Ms Suu Kyi has been charged with breaking the terms of her house arrest after a US man eluded guards to visit her lakeside home in Rangoon

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was refused permission by Burma’s military rulers to meet Ms Suu Kyi last week. A guilty verdict and further detention are widely expected.

Dozens killed in Iraqi bombings

2009-07-09T15:37:00.003+03:00

Obama in Moscow for nuclear talks

2009-07-07T10:44:00.006+03:00

US President Barack Obama has arrived in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, focusing on further reducing nuclear stockpiles. Officials on both sides were quoted as saying a document had been agreed, though Russia said it was not final.

Both men say they want deep cuts to their current levels of 6,000 nuclear warheads each. In addition, Russia has been pressing Mr Obama to scrap a US plan for a missile defence shield in Europe.

G8 leaders to set emissions goals

2009-07-06T13:53:00.003+03:00

Leaders of G8 nations are to set a target to cut greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050.

They will also call for any human-induced temperature rise to be held below 2 degrees Celsius, but environmental campaigners believe key commitments will be scaled back. News of the G8 plans came as ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair urged rich nations to hit short-term climate targets by ramping up existing clean technologies.

He says ... Euro-elections

2009-06-07T10:50:00.004+03:00

EU launches ‘Eastern Partnership’

2009-05-09T10:21:00.001+03:00

The European Union has launched a plan to forge close political and economic ties with six former Soviet republics in exchange for democratic reforms.

The Eastern Partnership Initiative agreed in Prague is intended to bolster stability in the region, but without the prospect of eventual EU membership.

The EU will invest 600m euros (£535m; $804m) in the project up to 2013.
Russia has accused the EU of trying to carve out a new sphere of influence in what Moscow sees as its own backyard..

Greece steps up marbles fight

2009-05-05T08:58:00.004+03:00

Greece is stepping up its efforts to have the Parthenon marbles returned by the UK by building a museum to house them.

The ancient sculptures were removed from Greece more than 200 years ago by British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Lord Elgin.

The Greek Government has long fought to have the artefacts returned to their homeland and is still confident it will get its wish despite Britain’s consistent refusal to hand them over.

Farmer may have given swine flu to pigs

2009-05-03T11:47:00.003+03:00

The farmer "may have exposed swine on the farm to an influenza virus," said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

"We have determined that the virus H1N1, found in these pigs, is the virus which is being tracked in the human population," he added.

PersOnality DisOrders

2009-05-03T11:32:00.001+03:00

For more PersOnality DisOrders, HERE!

For more Ovi Cartoons, HERE!

China moves to curb swine virus spread

2009-05-02T11:22:00.004+03:00

China says it will quarantine all those who travelled on a flight from Mexico with a man suffering from swine flu, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. The 25-year-old man flew to Hong Kong via Shanghai on Thursday, and was admitted to hospital.

Beijing said it would put his fellow passengers under week-long observation. It also suspended flights from Mexico. The move came as South Korea confirmed a case of the virus, the second country in North-East Asia to do so.

Robert Mugabe subdued in victory

2008-06-30T09:36:00.003+03:00

Robert Mugabe’s election victory was never in doubt. After losing the popular vote to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai back in March, he was standing in a one-man race conducted in an atmosphere of fear and foreboding.

According to the opposition, almost 90 of its supporters had been killed in the run-up to the vote, with hundreds more missing - believed dead.

It says 2,000 were jailed, 10,000 injured and 200,000 displaced.

'Berlusconi bill' passed in Italy

2008-06-25T12:57:00.001+03:00

Italy's Senate has passed legislation which opponents of PM Silvio Berlusconi say is designed to help him in his legal battles with the nation's courts.

The bill would freeze some long-running trials for a year, including one involving Mr Berlusconi in Milan.

Al-Qaeda in retreat

2008-05-30T20:33:00.003+03:00

The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has said al-Qaeda is essentially defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and on the defensive elsewhere.

Michael Hayden's remarks, which correspondents describe as strikingly upbeat, come less than a year after the CIA warned of a resurgent al-Qaeda.

Ovi magazine, Copycats and Nokia

2008-05-22T17:41:00.001+03:00

First of all, we want to thank reporters, journalists and bloggers because they are the only ones who have seen what Mr. Nikula missed and hopefully the legal department of Nokia Corporation will not ignore. Mr. Nikula unethically ignored that there was already an Ovi magazine in Finland that had been well-established since December 2004 well before he ever created his copycat.

Read the original story here: http://ovimagazine.com/art/926

The fact that there is an internet link with the same name was a major clue, plus when he was forced to choose a name like Ovi dash something. Actually he missed that there is Ovi Lehti, Ovi Sanomat, Ovi Junior, Ovi Cartoons, Ovi iKritic, Ovi-magazine, Ovi stories, Ovi iBite and many others that belong to Ovi magazine and are registered to Chameleon Project, never forget the Ovi Bad Boys weekly radio show that is announced to all the Finnish newspapers and magazine; none of which are for sale. Fortunately reporters and bloggers did notice and they are aware of the major ethical injustice.

We like to emphasize this ‘not for sale’ because the Ovi magazine is not just an internet magazine but it is an idea with a heart and soul that hosts from its establishment in 2004 the ideals of democracy, freedom of speech and the exchange of opinion. Human rights, domestic abuse, the plight of children have been among just a few of the worthy causes we have championed, while simultaneously offering a platform for the work of new writers and illustrators, from Finland and from all around the world. That makes us a universal family that cannot be estimated in money.

Unfortunately, through leaks to the press, we discovered that Mr. Nikula is negotiating the sale of his copycat magazine and the Ovi trademark to Nokia Corporation. We trust that this is just a wishful thought and that Nokia Corporation will search a little bit better as to what is going on behind the name Ovi magazine.

Our four years of hard work advocating freedom of speech was recognised and rewarded by Newropeans, while we have had cooperation with many national and international magazines, such as Ydin magazine, Europe & Us, Agenda magazine, Books from Finland, EU-MAN, Free magazine, Newropeans-Magazine, OneWorld, Psihadi magazine and more. We have relationships with Non-Governmental Organizations, such as Reporters without Frontiers and Finland's International Cultural Center CAISA, and the site receives well-over 20,000 visitors a week - the numbers literally increase day after day. We are considered a well-established magazine and trademark internationally and Ovi magazine has been reference for hundreds of sites and blogs from all around the world.

We have always believed that this was an issue of ethics should it ever come to a court house – where, as we are well-informed by experts, we can easily win the case – and it comes as a surprise that, according to leaks to the press, some representative of the Nokia Corporation said that they had never heard of us. It is a simple enough task for them to Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask Jeeves or whatever else to locate the name Ovi and then find us straight away. Of course we didn’t financially invest in the promotion and push of Ovi magazine, like an international corporation can do, but the thousands of articles, the thousands of links and references to our work, even from Wikipedia and most of all the thousands readers keep us on the top in every search engine.

The fact that the copycats of the printed Ovi magazine ignored us, despite the fact that we could open a case anytime demanding a large percentage of their profits, which they knew, doesn’t excuse an international corporation like Nokia maintaining the same attitude. We are expecting their telephone call before investigating our legal rights on what they plan to pay the copycat because we want to know whether it is true and not a wishful greedy act of somebody who wants to increase his lost popularity.

It has been a justifiable question as to why we didn’t take the case to the court. From the very first moment, other than the support that came from every side and every corner of Finland including employees of the certain magazine, we believed that there is justice that punishes the unethical and the failure of the magazine from its second issue to reach anybody in Finland was proof.

Regarding the money behind this case, we believe that the people who read this magazine and have seen the path we have followed and the fights we have given over the last four years for democracy, for justice, against poverty and have realized the hours, the effort and the financial cost we have put in this magazine will know in their heart of hearts whether we are after the money!

The Ovi Team

Obama, Clinton Fundraisers Looking to Fall Together

2008-05-19T12:32:00.000+03:00

Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama may be locked in a state-by-state battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, but with no end in sight, the party's fundraisers aren't wasting any time. Fundraisers for the two candidates are discussing how to merge their war chests into a single campaign focused on taking on Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona in November.

Each party eventually unifies its donor base, but what makes this move unusual is that the campaign is still hard-fought and relations are strained. The Clinton campaign confirmed the move, saying, "We believe Hillary Clinton will be that nominee." Talk of a joint war chest comes as the two candidates prepare for an expected split decision in the primaries being held Tuesday.

Death toll rises over 10,000 in China quake

2008-05-13T09:11:00.002+03:00

The most powerful earthquake to hit China in 30 years has killed at least 10,000 people in south-western Sichuan province, with thousands more trapped. Chinese state media said that 10,000 people were thought to be buried in one town alone near the epicentre of the earthquake in Wenchuan County.Premier Wen Jiabao has called for urgent efforts to reach cut-off areas.

“The situation is worse than we previously estimated and we need more people here to help,” he said.

Medvedev to become Russian leader

2008-05-07T10:43:00.001+03:00

Dmitry Medvedev is to be inaugurated as Russia's third president since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Kremlin Palace ceremony will begin at midday (0800 GMT) in front of 2,400 invited guests.

For the 42-year-old father of one, the inauguration will cap a sharp ascendance from obscurity.

Microsoft walks away from Yahoo

2008-05-06T09:16:00.001+03:00

For more Photoville cartoons HERE!

For more cartoons HERE!

Petraeus set for Central Command

2008-04-23T19:24:00.002+02:00

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has recommended the top military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, be appointed head of US Central Command.

CentCom covers an area from the Horn of Africa into central Asia and includes all operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gen Petraeus's appointment is subject to the approval of the US Senate.

Zimbabwe launches ballot recount

2008-04-19T10:55:00.003+02:00

Election officials in Zimbabwe have started recounting some of the votes cast in disputed polls held last month.

The recount in 23 of 210 constituencies could overturn the parliamentary result which saw Zanu-PF lose its majority. Results of the presidential poll, which the opposition MDC says it also won, have not been released. It is thought the recount may lead to a run-off vote.

Pope attacks US sex abuse record

2008-04-18T18:45:00.001+02:00

Pope Benedict XVI has criticised US bishops for their handling of child sex scandals, saying their response to the crisis had sometimes been very poor.

He laid part of the blame for the crisis, of which he feels "deeply ashamed", on a breakdown in US values.

Gaffes dominate Democratic debate!

2008-04-17T18:51:00.002+02:00

Warm US welcome for Pope Benedictt

2008-04-16T09:14:00.001+02:00

Pope Benedict XVI has received an unprecedented presidential greeting from George W Bush after arriving for his first official visit to the US.

Mr Bush and his wife Laura were waiting on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base when the Pontiff's plane touched down.

Brown and the economy fears

2008-04-10T07:44:00.001+02:00

The British Prime Minister said a 2.5% fall in March, recorded by the Halifax, should be seen in the context of 10 years of big increases and low interest rates. He added that the government was not a "spectator" and was "always vigilant" on global economic difficulties.

Mugabe party demands poll recount

2008-04-06T08:33:00.001+02:00

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's party has asked electoral officials to delay the results of the presidential poll and to recount votes, reports say. The state-run Sunday Mail newspaper said the governing Zanu-PF party requested a recount because there had been "errors and miscalculations".

What really happened in the NATO summit?

2008-04-05T10:35:00.001+02:00

From the Ovi magazine

People of Skopje welcoming the Nazis

2008-04-04T11:55:00.001+02:00

A photo from Skopje's history, the history they obviously forget when they call others Nazis, but this is the problem with Skopje, they keep forgetting history, let's see if history will forget them one day or even worst if the Albanians will remember them!

Mugabe’s new campaign

2008-04-04T11:44:00.001+02:00

Mugabe apparently launched his campaign for an expected run-off presidential ballot even before the official results of Saturday's election were announced, with state media portraying the opposition as divided and controlled by former colonial ruler Britain.

2nd Opinion

2008-04-01T08:07:00.002+02:00

A cartoon from the Ovi magazine

He is bad ...really bad! Seriously, I think you'll need a second opinion after this.

For more 2nd Opinion, HERE!

For more Cartoons, HERE!

Turkish police clash with Kurds

2008-03-22T17:42:00.002+02:00

Clashes have broken out in a number of cities in Turkey between police and demonstrators celebrating the Kurdish spring festival.
Dozens of people were hurt and scores arrested in the protests, media said.

Famous last words! US economy

2008-03-18T19:56:00.005+02:00

US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has admitted that the US economy is facing a "sharp decline" at the moment but hoped for a recovery later in the year.

New parliament opens in Pakistan

2008-03-17T16:21:00.002+02:00

Pakistan's new parliament has convened for the first time since President Pervez Musharraf and his allies suffered a heavy blow in elections.Correspondents say the stage is set for a confrontation between President Musharraf and the government.

The parties of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and another former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, have agreed a coalition.

Conservatives win Iran election

2008-03-16T19:42:00.001+02:00

Conservative candidates in Iran's general election have kept control of parliament, in line with expectations.They did particularly well in the capital, Tehran, which is seen as the key to parliamentary power.However, many of the conservative winners are critics of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Chavez dares U.S. to put it on terror list

2008-03-15T13:30:00.001+02:00

President Hugo Chavez dared the U.S. on Friday to put Venezuela on a list of countries accused of supporting terrorism, calling it one more attempt by Washington to undermine him for political reasons.
Chavez said the "threat to include us on the terrorist list" is Washington's response to his government's successes in the region.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s working girl!

2008-03-13T21:06:00.002+02:00

Meet the Jersey Girl whose high-priced services forced a governor's resignation.

And he …resigns!

2008-03-12T22:05:00.002+02:00

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has resigned, after being linked to a prostitution ring.

Flanked by his wife Silda, Mr. Spitzer, a leading Democrat, told a news conference: "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work." He once again apologized for failing to live up to the standards he demanded of others - but he gave no details. Mr. Spitzer had allegedly been identified arranging to meet a prostitute in a Washington hotel. Mr. Spitzer made his name as an investigator of organized crime, financial crime and prostitution.

The man definitely had the right connections! I bet he had a small black book with all the necessary telephone numbers!

Deadline to quit for NY's Spitzer

2008-03-11T20:26:00.001+02:00

New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer has been given a deadline to step down or face impeachment proceedings over allegations that he hired a prostitute.

His top Republican opponent in the New York Assembly gave him up to 48 hours - until early on Thursday - to resign.

Sex scandal with NY governor who says …sorry!

2008-03-11T09:58:00.000+02:00

New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer has apologized amid allegations of involvement in a prostitution ring. The married father-of-three said he had acted in a way that violated his obligations to his family.

Gov Spitzer, a Democrat, apologized to his family and the public, whom he said he should have served better.

Europe's new orbital cargo ship

2008-03-09T11:43:00.001+02:00

Europe's new orbital cargo ship has launched from French Guiana on a mission to resupply the space station. The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is the biggest and most complex spacecraft Europe has ever tried to put in orbit. The 20-tonne unmanned freighter left the Kourou spaceport at 0403 GMT, riding atop an Ariane 5 rocket.

Obama defeats Clinton in Wyoming

2008-03-09T11:01:00.001+02:00

Barack Obama has won the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination in the state of Wyoming, defeating his rival Hillary Clinton by 61% to 38%.

He remains ahead in the overall contest in terms of delegates but is trying to regain momentum lost last week when Mrs Clinton won Texas and Ohio.

US missile hits 'toxic satellite'

2008-02-21T15:04:00.002+02:00

Monday, February 21, 2008

The US has successfully struck a disabled spy satellite with a missile fired from a warship in waters west of Hawaii, military officials say. Military operatives had only a 10-second window to hit the satellite - USA 193 - which lost control shortly after it was launched in December 2006. Officials were worried its hydrazine fuel could do harm, but it is not yet known if the fuel tank was destroyed.

Fidel Castro is stepping down.

2008-02-21T15:02:00.001+02:00

Monday, February 18, 2008
Fidel Castro is stepping down.

Bush in Vietnam warning over Iraq

2007-08-23T01:55:00.000+03:00

President George W Bush has warned a US withdrawal from Iraq could trigger the kind of upheaval seen in South East Asia after US forces quit Vietnam.

"The price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens," he told war veterans in Missouri. Mr Bush said the Vietnam War had taught the need for US patience over Iraq.

No pressure on Mugabe from summit

2007-08-18T18:58:00.000+03:00

Southern African leaders are putting no public pressure on

Zimbabwe

's President Robert Mugabe to solve his country's dire political and economic crises. After a two-day conference in

Zambia

's capital, Lusaka, delegates said only that they welcomed "progress" in talks between

Zimbabwe

's rival politicians.

The US called on the region's leaders to "press vigorously" for an end to the country's "man-made crisis".

Darfur rebels seek unity in talks

2007-08-04T11:28:00.000+03:00

Leaders from Darfur's fractured rebel movement are to hold their first main day of talks in

Tanzania

, aimed at finding common ground. The talks are being mediated by the United Nations and the African Union.

The UN envoy to Sudan, Jan Eliasson, said he was hopeful the talks would lead to peace negotiations with the Khartoum government in several weeks. But an influential rebel leader has boycotted the discussions, signalling the divisions within the movement.

Heavy Somali fighting amid crisis

2007-04-20T20:28:00.000+02:00

Fierce fighting has resumed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, following UN warnings of a humanitarian disaster.

One human rights agency put the death toll at 113. However, this figure cannot be confirmed. The main route used by people fleeing Mogadishu has been closed after an Ethiopian convoy on the road was attacked, and a blast hit a nearby military base on Thursday.

Jail for Serb video death squad

2007-04-10T21:40:00.000+02:00

Serbia

's war crimes court has jailed four Serb paramilitaries who were filmed as they shot dead six captured young Bosnian Muslims.

The Scorpions unit leader and one of his accomplices were given 20 years each - the others 13 and five years.

Iraq hosts key security meeting

2007-03-10T14:44:00.000+02:00

Iraq

's prime minister has appealed to neighbouring states to co-operate in tackling the insurgency which has left tens of thousands dead since 2003.

Addressing an international meeting in Baghdad, he did not name any particular country. But the US accuses both Iran and Syria of stoking the violence.

Chavez attacks Bush 'domination'

2007-03-10T14:31:00.000+02:00

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has attacked

counterpart George W Bush as a "symbol of domination" as the pair continue rival Latin American tours.

Speaking at an "anti-imperialist rally" in Buenos Aires, Mr Chavez said Mr Bush was no more than a "political corpse".

US general defiant on Iraq drive

2007-03-08T12:41:00.000+02:00

The new

commander in

Iraq

has said the Baghdad security crackdown has had some "tough days" but he was confident sectarian strife could be reduced. Gen David Petraeus was giving his first news conference since taking the command last month.

He said military force alone would not be a solution and that some militants would have to be engaged in talks.

Blair announces Iraq troops cut

2007-02-21T22:14:00.000+02:00

Prime Minister Tony Blair has told MPs that 1,600 British troops will return from Iraq within the next few months.

He said the 7,100 serving troops would be cut to 5,500 soon, with hopes that 500 more will leave by late summer.

Egyptian woman dies of bird flu

2007-02-16T21:06:00.000+02:00

A 37-seven-year-old Egyptian woman has died of bird flu, bringing the number of confirmed deaths from the virus in

Egypt

to 13.

The woman, Nadia Abdel Hafez, came from Fayyoum - an area well known in Egypt for poultry breeding.

Factions clash despite Gaza truce

2007-02-03T15:36:00.000+02:00

Sporadic gun battles are continuing in Gaza between the rival Hamas and Fatah factions, despite a renewed truce.

At least eight people have been wounded in fresh clashes, although calm has returned to some areas.

'Best chance' for Somalia peace

2007-01-19T14:05:00.000+02:00

The UN envoy to Somalia has urged the country not to waste "the best opportunity for peace for 16 years" after visiting the president.

Francois Fall urged President Abdullahi Yusuf to set up an inclusive government following the ousting of an Islamists group from the capital, Mogadishu.

Bombers rock Baghdad University

2007-01-16T21:34:00.000+02:00

At least 70 people have been killed and scores injured in a double bombing at a university in Baghdad, sources say.

A car bomb blew up outside Mustansiriyah University, and a suicide bomber targeted students as they fled.

Ovi magazine and the prestigious Grands Prix 2006 awards

2007-01-04T09:23:00.000+02:00

Ovi magazine, an online daily magazine based in Finland, came second in Newropeans Magazine's prestigious Grands Prix 2006 awards.

They were nominated as one of the three finalists in its 'Citizenship - Information' section, along with Sitécon and Le courrier des Balkans, the eventual winner.

Newropeans is an independent magazine developed for the exchange of views on the future of a democratic Europe. The awards have been running annually since 2003 and are designed to reward the people or organisations behind the democratisation of the EU. Previous winners include the European Space Agency, EUobserver.com, Cafe Babel, the European Court of Human Rights and Skype.

A registered jury of around 1,000 actors of the European civil society coming from 25 States voted online awarding Ovi magazine almost thirty per cent of the vote.

Happy New Year with Ovi magazine

2007-01-01T10:56:00.000+02:00

2006 is ...Dead!!!

Saddam is buried in home village

2006-12-31T17:07:00.000+02:00

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, hanged for crimes against humanity on Saturday, has been buried in the village where he was born 69 years ago.

In a sparsely attended ceremony in Awja, in the Tikrit region north of the capital, the former Iraqi leader was laid to rest in a family plot.

Happy Birthday Ovi Magazine

2006-12-20T09:15:00.001+02:00

December 20th marks the second birthday of Ovi magazine and we would offer you a slice of cake if we had one – chocolate, of course. Can you believe that two years have passed so quickly? Our stats include 17 free monthly PDFs, over 1100 original articles, dozens of cartoons, over 60 contributors and we are still a non-profit magazine!

Whether you have been with us from the very first day or joined us along the way, or have discovered us on this joyous occasion, we welcome you to continue participating in a project to champion free speech and encourage positive discussion.

Domestic violence, world famine, promoting equality and fighting for peace are common themes in Ovi magazine, but change does not come overnight. We need your help and support.

To effect real change, Ovi realizes that awareness needs to be brought to many of these issues and that is the role we play. We invite everybody to contribute to our magazine in the form of articles, interviews, promotion and participation in the comments section.

The Ovi team is determined to accomplish many of their goals throughout 2007 and their third year, so why not become a part of the Ovi project. It costs you nothing other than time and a little brainpower.

We’ve covered every issue for two years!

Happy Birthday Ovi magazine!

Bush defends Iraq strategy delay

2006-12-14T10:03:00.000+02:00

President George W Bush has said he will not be rushed into deciding how to change his Iraq policy.

He said he was receiving advice, but would reject implementing "ideas that would lead to defeat" - such as "leaving before the job is done"

Rumsfeld makes surprise Iraq trip

2006-12-10T13:22:00.000+02:00

Outgoing

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has made a surprise visit to

Iraq

, saying

forces should not quit the war until the enemy is defeated.

Mr Rumsfeld addressed 1,200 US soldiers and marines at a military base in Anbar province - an insurgent stronghold.

Second day of clashes in Somalia

2006-12-09T20:47:00.000+02:00

Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops have clashed with Islamists for a second day in western Somalia, officials and witnesses say.

The fighting took place in villages about 80km (50 miles) south-west of the government base in Baidoa, they say.

Radiation find in British embassy

2006-12-07T00:49:00.000+02:00

Small traces of a radioactive substance have been found at the British embassy in Moscow following a precautionary check, the

Foreign Office has said.

But officials said the levels of radiation found would not pose a risk to public health.

Controversial US envoy quits post

2006-12-05T08:48:00.000+02:00

The controversial

ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is to leave his post, the White House says.

Mr Bolton looked unable to win the necessary Senate support for him to continue in the job, which he had obtained on a temporary basis.

Lawyers lodge Saddam death appeal

2006-12-03T20:07:00.000+02:00

Lawyers for Saddam Hussein have lodged an appeal against the former Iraqi president's death sentence for crimes against humanity, court officials say.

The appeal was lodged just two days before the expiry of a deadline and a month after the sentence was imposed.

Iran: US exit key to Iraq peace

2006-11-28T23:41:00.000+02:00

troops must leave

Iraq

if security is to be restored,

Iran

's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said during talks with the Iraqi president.

The instability of Iraq was detrimental to all countries in the region and the US had no hope of improving the situation, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

US army 'to suggest Iraq changes'

2006-11-11T15:03:00.000+02:00

US military leaders are preparing to recommend changes in strategy on

Iraq

America

's top military officer says.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Peter Pace said commanders were having their own dialogue and would make the changes that were needed.

Why the hell to create a blog?

2006-11-08T02:53:00.001+02:00

"Why the hell to create a blog?" was the question we posted in the Ovi Forum back in April 2005 after a number of our regular readers had encouraged us to start one. Most of the comments were negative, such as Bighairyfinn's "It gives you the 15 minutes of fame required to make the average egocentrist happy" and harryparry's end statement, "If there is something you want to write about or if you have opinions that you want to express, then start a blog. Otherwise, why bother?"

Well, 19 months later we have learnt for ourselves 'why the hell to create a blog' and we have gone one, no two, maybe three…many steps further by creating more than one Ovi blog and have even chosen 'Blogs' as the theme for the 17th PDF magazine released today. We understand 'why to bother' and we feel that we have something to say. Okay, we have a great deal to say about everything, but that is why you read Finland's opinionated daily magazine.

The Ovi team were reluctant to change our magazine into a blog because we believe that an online magazine has a different reputation to a blog. We don't consider magazines better than blogs, or vice-versa. Instead, we believe that when a reader arrives at a magazine they expect something different from the content and style, which wouldn't be found on the average blog.

We actually discovered the difference for ourselves in the form of a personal freedom. Maintaining our own personal blogs or the Ovi blogs allows us to write about events in an alternative style to the magazine articles. Why? We don't really know, but Ovi does encompass over 80 different writers and they all have their own opinions, so the Ovi team owe it to one another to maintain a professional style and approach. However, the blogs free us from these constraints and we can exercise our…cheekiness far more.

Today, Thanos launches another three personal blogs in addition to his existing god-knows-how-many. We have a suspicion here that when he has created his 52nd blog he will create the Thanos Blog Playing Card Series - each card has the front page of one of his blogs. Anyway, one of the blogs launched today is written in twisted Athenian slang and another features tales, such as fairytales and other children's stories, so check those out.

Blogger and WordPress may dominate the blogosphere, but Asa has been experimenting with MySpace and he gets a secret thrill with every 'So-and-so wants to be your friend' message, while many of our readers also maintain their own blogs. How do we know? Well, they actively support and promote Ovi magazine via their pages, add us to their Blogrolls and pester fellow bloggers to do the same. They have also gently guided us through the rocky blog landscape, pointing out the dangers and being supportive, which is the other reason for our decision to choose 'Blogs' as our PDF theme: We wanted to say, "Thank you!"

The new PDF has become a landmark issue for the Ovi team. The reason for such a long gap between our 'Copycats' PDF and issue #17 is due to the desire of implementing a number of fresh ideas into its pages. You will spot some of them immediately and the others will merely soak into your unconscious because Thanos has performed some minor miracles with the style and overall feel of the layout, but you should look for yourself because we are a little biased.

PDF Issue #17 is full of articles about blogs, bloggers and blogging, plus a couple about podcasts and other web-related content, plus cartoons, jokes and other Ovi nuances that you have come to love. The first-timers are the luckiest of all because you have no idea what to expect, which is something that we often envy.

In case you don't know, the Ovi PDF is free to download and read. There are no catches to downloading the PDF; you don't need to register, you don't need to sacrifice your firstborn, you don't even need to say, 'Please!' A computer, net connection and a PDF reader go without saying, but you can always ask a friend to do it for you.

In April 2005, we began a long journey of discovery and today we are confident that we could satisfactorily answer our own forum question: "Why the hell to create a blog?" Could you?

The birth of a copycat

2006-10-17T20:18:00.000+02:00

On Friday 13th October, Jone Nikula and Ari Halttunen published the first edition of their brand new free magazine that will be distributed across Finnish cities and we hope that it will bring them bad luck. The familiar name of this new magazine is 'Ovi'.

Yes, they have stolen our name, a name we have built a reputation upon for three years and has become intrinsically connected with everything we do here at www.ovimagazine.com as the Ovi team.

We categorically state that the copycat has nothing to do with us and we ask for your continuing support,

The Ovi Team

Below is a copy of the mail we sent to the staff of the copycat magazine:

The Ovi magazine and the Ovi team feels obliged to say that the name of your magazine is simply splendid – we bet you gave great thought to its selection, after dismissing names like the New York Times, Newsweek, The Economist, you decided to send your creativity sky high using our magazine’s three-year-old name. Your graphic designer also did a splendid job as well; we bet their portfolio features other names like Leevi's Jeans, Colpa Cabana, Roleks and others.

Just as we have done over the last four months, we promise to answer all the mails coming to Ovi magazine and Ovi lehti, both names that are registered to us, but we suppose you already know that.

Actually, in a telephone call a few months ago with Ari Halttunen, he gave the rather entertaining answer, "We didn’t know you existed; we checked the internet!" You definitely knew about us since then and you know that we are the only true Ovi magazine and are one of the very few daily magazines in the world.

We wish you luck in the harsh world of free Finland newspapers, although we are confident you will find a niche among City, Voima, SixDegrees, V, Metro, Uutis 100, Nöjesguiden, Sue and Spektr. We're sure we missed four or five – oddly, we are so organized that we have carried out research into the future of free magazines and it doesn't look good.

We are certain you will finish on top of the pile…just before they are sent away for recycling. We're joking, although you are printing your magazine on recycled paper, aren't you? It is only coming out ten times a year, so you could always pass the cost onto your advertisers - let's hope the Green Party use you to promote their candidates in the coming elections. Ahhh, irony!

Luckily, you have the web edition of your magazine to champion yourselves online at the catchy URL of www.ovi-lehti-fi. Nice. Don't most of your competitors just have their title and dot fi? Oh well, we are sure it will work out through the search engines and your readers will not stumble upon any original titled online magazines…hmm.

Seriously, we wish you the best and if a copy happens to blow down the street and strike a leg then we may scrape it off the ground and have a read.

The Ovi Team

P.S. Despite the warnings, even from Roman Schatz, that you act as a copycat and our warnings that you shouldn’t base your future on somebody else’s work, you ignored everything. It's natural that we are going to publish the truth, warn advertisers and readers at every single chance.

US to introduce new N Korea draft

2006-10-12T07:52:00.000+02:00

US diplomats are circulating a new draft of a United Nations resolution imposing sanctions on

North Korea

in response to its claimed nuclear test.

US envoy John Bolton said he hoped the new draft, which the US will formally introduce on Thursday, would pass by the end of the week.

Iranian Bomb

2006-09-22T20:50:00.000+02:00

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted Thursday that Tehran's nuclear program is peaceful and said he is "at a loss" about what more he can do to provide guarantees.

"The bottom line is we do not need a bomb," he said at a news conference on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, iran, oviblog & theOviMagazine

Bin Laden '9/11 video' broadcast

2006-09-10T18:05:00.000+03:00

Arabic TV channel Al-Jazeera has broadcast what it says is unseen footage of Osama Bin Laden meeting some of the 9/11 hijackers.

The channel said it showed al-Qaeda leaders "preparing for the attacks and practising their execution".

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, theovimagazine, Bin Laden & 911

Gunman fires on Jordan tourists

2006-09-04T21:19:00.000+03:00

A gunman has opened fire on a group of foreign tourists in the Jordanian capital Amman, killing a British man. The shooting happened at the Roman amphitheatre, a popular attraction.

Five other tourists were injured - two British women as well as tourists from New Zealand, the Netherlands and Australia. The gunman was arrested.

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, Amman, gunman & Jordan

Annan to see Lebanon destruction

2006-08-29T13:35:00.001+03:00

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is to see first-hand the destruction wrought in south Lebanon during the four-week conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Mr Annan landed at the southern port of Naqoura, home to the UN peacekeeping force, after flying in from Beirut.

The force is to be significantly expanded under the UN-backed ceasefire, which ended the fighting. The UN chief will travel on to Israel, as he continues his regional tour to try to bolster the two-week old truce.

Ovi magazine, Ovi lehti, Lebanon, Hezbollah & Kofi Annan

Annan to see Lebanon destruction

2006-08-29T13:35:00.000+03:00

Ovi magazine, Ovi lehti, Lebanon, Hezbollah & Kofi Annan

Beirut fury at 'ceasefire breach'

2006-08-19T23:19:00.000+03:00

Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora has accused Israel of a "naked violation" of the five-day-old ceasefire, after a raid by Israeli commandos deep inside Lebanon. The raid, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, left one Israeli dead and two injured.

Israel said it was trying to disrupt the movement of weapons from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah, and insisted the ceasefire was still intact.

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, Israel, Lebanon & Hezbollah

US echoes Iraq civil war warning

2006-08-03T22:23:00.000+03:00

The top

commander in the Middle East, Gen John Abizaid, has said

Iraq

could move toward civil war if the sectarian violence is not stopped.

"The sectarian violence is probably as bad as I have seen it, Gen Abizaid told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, Iraq, Middle East , John Abizaid & USA

The new Ovi magazine

2006-07-27T21:24:00.000+03:00

The new
Ovi magazine
is now on line.
check it out!!!

Ovi magazine, Ovi lehti, Ovi & Original Ovi

Israel 'presses US on bomb sale'

2006-07-23T20:09:00.000+03:00

Reports from the

suggest Washington has been asked to speed up a shipment of precision bombs sold as part of a deal with

Israel

last year.

According to a report in the New York Times, Israel made the request after it began its air assault on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon 12 days ago. The weapons, including five-tone laser-guided bombs, are part of a sale signed last year. Unnamed US officials say the request to speed up delivery is unusual. From the news.

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, US, Israel, Lebanon & bombs

Israel vows no let-up on Lebanon

2006-07-17T23:37:00.000+03:00

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the attacks on

Lebanon

will be kept up until two captured soldiers are freed.

He also insisted Hezbollah guerrillas had to be disarmed and the Lebanese army had to control southern Lebanon.

"We are not looking for war or direct conflict, but if necessary we will not be frightened by it," he said.

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, cartoon, comic, Israel, Lebanon & Palestine

Scores dead in Mumbai train bombs

2006-07-12T00:35:00.000+03:00

More than 160 people have been killed and 460 injured by seven bombs on the train network in the Indian financial capital Mumbai (Bombay), police say.

The first of the near-simultaneous blasts went off at about 1830 local time (1300 GMT), during the rush hour in the suburbs on the Western Railway. Correspondents spoke of scenes of pandemonium, with people jumping from trains and bodies flung onto tracks. From the news.

ovi magazine, ovi lehti, cartoon, india, Mumbai, news, terrorism

George W. Bush: “Hard to read North Korea’s motives.

2006-07-06T21:13:00.000+03:00

President Bush said Thursday it is hard to read North Korea's motives in firing a missile with the potential to hit the United States or Canada, but said the U.S. cannot afford to misjudge the situation.

"I think we've got to plan for the worst and hope for the best," Bush said.

Bush stressed that the United States is seeking a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with North Korea. He cautioned that diplomacy will take time.

Ovi magazine, Ovi lehti, George w. Bush, north korea, Saddam, cartoon

Israel to 'intensify' Gaza action

2006-07-02T19:38:00.000+03:00

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered the military to intensify its actions in Gaza to secure the release of a captured Israeli soldier.
Mr. Olmert said he had instructed Israel's forces "to do everything" to free 19-year-old Cpl Gilad Shalit.

bush ovi ovi magazine ovi lehti israel palestine

Supreme Court Blocks Bush’s Guantanamo

2006-06-30T23:20:00.000+03:00

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President Bush overstepped his authority in ordering military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The ruling, a rebuke to the administration and its aggressive anti-terror policies, was written by Justice John Paul Stevens, who said the proposed trials were illegal under U.S. law and Geneva conventions.

bush
Guantanamo
Supreme Court
Cartoons
cartoon
ovi magazine
ovi lehti

G8 calls for Iran nuclear answer

2006-06-29T23:23:00.000+03:00

The G8 countries have called on

Iran

to give an answer in seven days to the international offer of incentives to halt its disputed nuclear programme.

G8 foreign ministers meeting in Moscow said they were disappointed Iran had yet to respond to the offer.

Ugandan rebel denies war crimes

2006-06-28T17:06:00.000+03:00

The leader of Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army, has insisted he is not guilty of war crimes.

Joseph Kony is wanted by a UN court, but told the BBC his group was not responsible for killings, maimings and abductions in northern Uganda. Mr. Kony was speaking in what he described as his first meeting with a journalist in almost 20 years. Thousands have died in the conflict between rebels and the government, and some two million forced to flee. Most of them live in camps, often in appalling conditions, in attempts to escape attacks by the LRA.

Israeli threat of military action

2006-06-26T18:07:00.000+03:00

“Israel's prime minister has promised prolonged and extensive military action to free an Israeli soldier missing and presumed held captive in southern Gaza.

"Let it be clear: We will reach everyone, no matter where," Ehud Olmert said in a speech in Jerusalem.” From the news.

Iranians seeking politics-free sport

2006-06-21T22:21:00.000+03:00

“The country's three matches have attracted both demonstrations by pro-Israeli groups and the threat of neo-Nazi action.

Questions have also been asked about the ban in Iran on women going to football matches. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was forced to go back on a promise to allow women into stadiums earlier this year following outrage from clergy.”

From the news today.

Charles Taylor leaves for trial

2006-06-20T20:57:00.000+03:00

Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor has left Sierra Leone on a plane ahead of his trial in The Hague. The UN-backed tribunal in Sierra Leone said he was taken by helicopter to Freetown's airport from his prison cell where he has been since his capture.

Mr. Taylor faces 11 war crimes charges after allegedly backing rebels in the decade-long Sierra Leone civil war. “Mr. Taylor is in a very reflective and pensive mood. This is his whole life we're talking about” Jewel Taylor

Iran's president Ahmadinejad calls for Asian unity

2006-06-18T23:55:00.000+03:00

Iran's president has told Central Asian, Russian and Chinese leaders they should co-operate to prevent what he called threats from domineering powers.

Addressing the SCO group of countries, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said it could become a strong institution if it extended ties to the political sphere.

Issue 15 of the original Ovi magazine went online.

2006-06-15T18:10:00.000+03:00

Boundaries is the theme and our team of writers have produced a sterling effort covering the subject, plus a few random articles thrown in for good measure.

There are over 50 web pages of new material for you to enjoy for the next month, including the usual favourites, such as U Do I Don’t, Show Bizz and Thanos’ one-man crusade against the clown president of Iran.

Check it all out today:

www.ovimagazine.com
We cover every issue

Bush makes surprise trip to Iraq

2006-06-13T17:27:00.000+03:00

US President George W Bush has arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on a surprise visit to meet new Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.

They met in the US embassy in the fortified Green Zone, where Mr Bush is expected to stay for about five hours in his first trip since November 2003.

"Good to see you," Mr Maliki said, who had had only a five-minute notice.

2006 World Cup started in Germany

2006-06-09T21:51:00.000+03:00

The 2006 World Cup has got under way in Germany with an extravagant opening ceremony in Munich's Allianz Arena. Pele, a World Cup winner in 1958, 1962 and 1970, carried the trophy onto the pitch, with German supermodel Claudia Schiffer at his side. More than 150 former World Cup winners were on display as the hosts put on a spectacular show.

Iran 'positive' on nuclear offer

2006-06-07T00:18:00.000+03:00

“Incentives aimed at persuading Iran to halt sensitive atomic research contain "positive steps" and "ambiguities", its chief nuclear negotiator has said. Ali Larijani spoke after receiving the proposal, agreed by world powers last week, from the EU foreign policy chief.

The proposals have not been made public but the BBC News website has learned that they include light water reactors and permission to buy US plane parts. Tehran says it will consider incentives but refuses to halt enrichment.” From the news.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

2006-06-03T12:38:00.000+03:00

For the first time there will be no cartoon but a text. Unfortunately living in the land of the copycat we have to deal with this as well. So it follows an announcement we feel oblige to write and if you read it and you want we will be grateful if you add it in your blog or site. Thank you!

Ovi magazine is so popular that Jone Nikula (former Finnish Idols judge) is using the same name on his forthcoming new free magazine.

Whether Jone was influenced by Thanos Kalamidas and Asa Butcher's Ovi was not mentioned in their Press Release (http://www.marmai.fi/doc.te?f_id=915164), but he will certainly become aware of the fact over the next few months.

The original Ovi has been an online magazine for 14 months, has published 14 issues and the name has become synonymous with our style. According to international web measurements, Ovi magazine, the only e-zine from Finland, outranks many Finnish monthly and daily magazines, in Finnish or English. In addition, we have been presenting a weekly radio show under the name 'Ovi Bad Boys' for nearly four months. The show name is announced every week in the Helsinki Sanomat radio programme section and we talk about Ovi magazine, interview guests and promote events for the foreign community.

After all the expense and effort they have done and will do, they will find that they are coming second and advertising another magazine that might not be their style! From our side, the only thing we have to do is remind them that there are European laws protecting copycats and fourteen months of successful history gives us a good advantage.

We will be sending this mail to all the media (including Ovi magazine network of blogs, forums and sites) nationally and internationally to ensure that people know that this free magazine has nothing to do with us.

If Jone Nikula or anybody connected with this Ovi impostor wishes to contact the original Ovi, please email info@ovimagazine.com

Open the original

www.ovimagazine.com

We cover every issue!

P.S. We would like to thank all our readers from the media companies who informed us straight away about this Press Release and we would also like to thank them for their support; it doesn’t matter if they did it anonymously or not. We think you should have informed Mr. Nikula as well, even though we are sure in a country where the Internet is so popular, Mr. Nikula’s associates were definitely informed and knew very well what they were doing.

Java earthquake toll passes 5,800

2006-05-31T16:44:00.000+03:00

Indonesia has upped the death toll from the earthquake which hit the island of Java on Saturday to more than 5,800.

Large quantities of aid started flowing into affected areas, and the UN spoke of "enormous progress" being made.

Bush invokes resolve of Cold War

2006-05-28T01:22:00.000+03:00

“President George W Bush has likened the US "war on terror" to the Cold War fight against communism after World War II, at a military graduation ceremony.

Speaking to cadets at West Point military academy in New York state, Mr Bush said the US would not rest until the threat of terror had been removed.” From the news.