The Palestinian Authority demands international investigation into the theft of the Palestinian organs

Middle East Monitor

December 21, 2009

The Palestinian Authority Minister of Health said that harvesting organs - such as corneas, bones and skin - from Palestinian martyrs, without the consent of their families, is a moral crime that contradicts to all international laws.

Minister Fathi Abu Mughli said, commenting on what was confirmed on Israeli television, that official Israeli bodies steal organs of Palestinian martyrs and implant them in the bodies of injured Israeli soldiers.

Abu Mughli said that the Israeli Ministry of Health's response to the Yehuda Hiss interview is unacceptable. In a 57-minute interview conducted with Yehuda Hiss, the head of Israel's forensic institute, Hiss spoke about how workers at the institute had harvested Israeli organs.

Dr. Abu Mughli emphasized that it is not allowed to take anything from the bodies of the dead without the written consent from their families, and in the presence of law representatives.

Abu Mughli described the response of Israeli hospitals - which commented on the case saying the subject is so old and there is no reason for talking about it now, as "shameless and immoral."

He said that the Palestinian health ministry "strongly condemns the attack on the sanctity of the dead, dismembering their bodies and taking their organs without parental consent. It calls upon the Israeli government to provide a response to this shameful act, and demands an immediate investigation on the subject."

Abu Maghli asked the international community, humanitarian organizations and human rightists to have an international inquiry into the subject and to present to justice all those involved in assaulting the bodies of Palestinian martyrs and stealing parts of their bodies.

Egypt's barrier along Gaza border called 'wall of shame'

By Jeffrey Fleishman and Amro Hassan

The underground barrier meant to prevent smuggling shows that Egypt is siding with Israel, Arab commentators say. 'It is like a total obedience to the American recommendations,' a Cairo editor says.

December 21, 2009

Reporting from Cairo - An underground barrier to prevent tunneling by smugglers along Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip has been dubbed a "wall of shame" by Arab writers and politicians who charge that Cairo is siding with Israel in isolating the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the seaside enclave.

Construction on the 100-foot-deep steel wall began a few weeks ago, but the Egyptian government didn't publicly acknowledge the project until the weekend. Officials defended the effort against accusations that it was an affront to Palestinians by the government of President Hosni Mubarak, which opposes Hamas, the militant group ruling Gaza.

"Whether it is a wall, sensors or tapping devices . . . what matters is that Egyptian territory must be protected," Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit was quoted as saying by Al Ahram al Arabi weekly magazine. "Whoever says Egypt is imposing its control on the border, we tell them this is Egypt's full right."

The controversy highlights Egypt's close geographical and emotional ties to the Palestinians, but also the complex political dilemma it faces in attempting to undercut Hamas. The construction comes at a time when Egypt is wary over Hamas' ties to Iran and the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, but also as Egyptian officials are pushing for unity between Palestinian parties and a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas that would free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Egypt has tightened its border with Gaza since Hamas gained control of the coastal strip in 2007. But the smuggling tunnels -- transporting goods as varied as weapons and baby food -- were considered lifelines to Palestinians who faced shortages because of Israel's siege of the territory.

"It is a wall of shame being built by Egypt on the borders with Gaza," wrote Ibrahim Issa, chief editor of daily newspaper Al Dustour. "It is like a total obedience to the American recommendations. We are opening our territories for a barrier that only serves and supports the Israeli and U.S. policies."

Issa, a frequent government critic, pointed out that regardless of his and many Egyptians' political persuasions, building the wall is a clear example of Egypt's authoritarianism.

"Unlike in Israel, where constructing a wall separating its territories from Gaza and the West Bank was debated in parliament and in the media before it was given the thumbs up, our regime was keen on classifying any information regarding the new wall. This is simply because Israel adopts a democratic system while Egypt doesn't enjoy such luxury," he wrote.

Similar reactions echoed across the region. They followed denunciations in January when Egypt closed its Rafah border crossing with Gaza during the Israeli invasion of the strip. The move effectively put a stranglehold on goods entering the enclave.

"We can understand it when the Israeli government uses the same methods as the Nazis in transforming the Gaza Strip into a huge concentration camp," wrote the London-based pan-Arab daily Al Quds al Arabi. "But what we cannot understand or accept is that the Egyptian government -- and not the Egyptian people -- should take part in such a crime for fear of the Israelis, and in an attempt to appease the U.S., getting nothing in return except humiliation and dishonor."

Palestinian journalist Mustafa Sawwaf wrote on a Hamas-affiliated website: "The issue has nothing to do with Egyptian national security, and more to do with Egyptian policy.

"As far as the borders with the Gaza Strip and the steel wall are concerned, this policy is linked less to Egypt's interests and security as it has become a tool for implementing U.S. schemes in the region."

The wall, dubbed "the steel barrier" by Egyptian media, prompted a number of lawmakers to file reports to the attorney general against Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif.

"Our government is alleging that it is for the country's own security while it is just another effort to stiffen the ongoing siege over our fellow Muslims in Gaza," said Hamdi Hassan, a Muslim Brotherhood member of parliament.

Gaza Freedom March is determined to break the siege

1,360 International Delegates appeal to Egypt to let the March proceed
GazaFreedomMarch.Org

For Immediate Release: December 21st, 2009

Contact: Ann Wright
019 508 1493 (Cairo), microann@yahoo.com

Gaza Freedom March is determined to break the siege
1,360 International Delegates appeal to Egypt to let the March proceed

Citing escalating tensions on the Gaza-Egypt border, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry informed us on December 20 that the Rafah border will be closed over the coming weeks, into January. We responded that there is always tension at the border because of the siege and that if there are any risks, they are risks we are willing to take. We also said that it was too late for over 1,360 delegates coming from over 42 countries to change their plans now.

Although we consider this as a setback, it is something we’ve encountered—and overcome--before. No delegation, large or small, that has entered Gaza over the past 12 months has received a final OK before arriving at the Rafah border. Most delegations were discouraged from even heading out of Cairo to Rafah. Some had their buses stopped on the way. Some have been told outright that they could not go into Gaza. But after public and political pressure, the Egyptian government changed its position and let them pass.

Our efforts and plans will not be altered at this point. We have set out to break the siege of Gaza and to march in Gaza on December 31 against the international blockade. We are continuing the journey.

Egyptian embassies and missions all over the world will be hearing by phone, fax and email from delegates and the supporters of the Gaza Freedom March over the coming crucial days, with the clear message: Let the international delegation enter Gaza and let the Gaza Freedom March proceed.

Many delegates are already in Cairo and more are arriving daily. Delegates canceled holiday plans months ago to come on the Gaza Freedom march and air tickets were purchased. We anticipate that virtually all of the 1,360 delegates will come to Cairo.

Because of the incredible humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by the Israeli attack on Gaza a year ago and by the international siege on Gaza, we feel morally obligated to continue our mission to bring more international attention to the plight of the 1.5 million people imprisoned in Gaza.

The Gaza Freedom March Steering Committee

For more information, contact Ann Wright 019 508 1493 (Cairo), microann@yahoo.com

Medea Benjamin medea@globalexchange.org
US +1.415-235-6517 Cairo 0189561919

Ehab Lotayef lotayef@gmail.com
Canada +1.514.941.9792 Cairo 017 638-2628

Haidar Eid haidareid@yahoo.com
Gaza +972 599 441 766

Top Yemeni lawmaker quits over civilian deaths

Yemen's deputy speaker of parliament has suspended his membership over a government attack south of the country in which dozens of civilians were killed.

Last Thursday, at least 63 civilians, including some 28 children, were killed in airstrikes which the government claimed to be aimed at uprooting an al-Qaeda cell operative in the southern province of Abyan.

"It is regrettable to take the lives of our children like this", said Ali Muhammad Al-Shadadi, calling on Sana'a to clarify the civilian deaths in the southern country, Yemen Post reported.

Shadadi announced his decision after Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs Rashad Al-Alimi failed to appear in the parliament to answer questions over the operation.

The parliament has approved to summon Al-Alimi and the Minister of Defense over the incident.

Al-Alimi vowed to present a report on al-Qaeda threats in the county on Wednesday.

The government, however, requested for another day to present a "comprehensive report on the last developments on al-Qaeda threats in Yemen," Yemen News Agency SABA reported.

Ex-Russian PM warns against attack on Iran

Former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov said Monday that the consequences of a military solution to Iran's nuclear program are "horrible and unpredictable."

Speaking at an international Middle East conference in Jordan, Primakov said an attack against Iran's nuclear installations would only 'radicalize' Tehran and at best, it would only 'postpone the development of nuclear weapons by Iran for no longer than two years', RIA Novosti quoted him as a saying.

"In that situation, Iran could consider it absolutely vital to have nuclear weapons," he added.

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the UN nuclear watchdog, says its activities are aimed at the civilian applications of the technology. The West, however, accuses it of pursuing nuclear weapons.

Primakov, who has served as Russia's foreign minister, prime minister and chief of intelligence services, expressed doubt that a political decision had been made in Iran to pursue nuclear weapons. "Russia has no information [to confirm this]."

He added that Iran has become a regional power in the Middle East.

"We owe this to the Americans," Primakov told the international forum.

"When they launched their operation in Iraq, they destroyed the balance of forces that had existed for years. Iran has attained the level of a Middle East power that must be reckoned with."

The forum was attended by Iran's Mohammad Sadeq Sadeqian, a Middle East expert, and Professor Sadeq Zibakalam.

Spain launching first volume of Miro letters

Barcelona is launching the first volume of letters and postcards written by Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramist Joan Miro.

Joan Miro's Catalan Letters includes more than 1,000 letters and postcards sent to over one hundred people connected with Miro such as relatives, friends, art critics, artists, gallery owners and journalists.

Created by the Joan Miro Foundation, the Fundacio Lluis Carulla and Editorial Barcino, the volume presents a large part of unpublished Miro correspondence.

Miro's first supportive gallery owner Josep Dalmau, his spokesman and critic in Barcelona Sebastia Gasch, Catalan poet J.V. Foix and famous architect Josep Lluis Sert are among the artist's correspondents.

The letters take one into the world of Miro from his early years as an artist, until his great artistic era after the end of World War II, Artdaily reported.

The volume was made possible by Miro's own efforts to keep everything related to his works, including his collection of sketches, preparatory drawings, notes, studies, etc.

Heavy Saudi casualties in war with Houthis

Saudi Arabia has acknowledged that its forces suffered heavy casualties during the all out war it launched against Yemen's Shia fighters in the mountainous north.

The remarks came amid fresh warnings by Riyadh to the Houthi fighters over the fighters' resistance to the continuing Saudi air strikes.

Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan said in a statement on Tuesday that 73 Saudis have been killed and 26 are missing since fighting broke out in November, AFP reported.

"The confrontation on the southern border" has resulted in "73 martyrs and 26 missing," he was quoted as saying in a media conference.

"We believe that 12 [of the missing soldiers] were killed, while we do not know about the fate of the other 14," Prince Khaled said.

"The number of wounded has reached 470, the majority of whom have been treated and released, while 60 remain in hospitals," he added.

The prince also warned the Houthi fighters to retreat from Al-Jabiriyah border village, which he said was the only place still under the Houthis' control.

"They have 24 hours to surrender, or we will destroy them," he said.

Riyadh joined Yemen's offensive against the Houthi fighters and vowed to continue its raids until they move back from the frontier between Yemen and the kingdom.

The fighters accuse Riyadh of targeting civilian areas far from the Saudi-Yemeni border.

They also say the attacks have so far left scores of civilians killed and thousands of others displaced.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=114393§ionid=351020206.

China opposes new sanctions on Iran

After France floated the idea of tougher sanctions against Iran, China rejects the push, saying more efforts should be made to reach a breakthrough regarding the country's nuclear issue.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday that the international community has no other choice than to impose new sanctions on Iran over the country's nuclear program.

Reacting to the stance, Chinese envoy to the UN Security Council said, "The door to diplomatic efforts is not completely slammed yet. Efforts should focus on trying to find a solution to the current impasse."

"We ask for more time to be given and efforts to be made to see if we can reach some sort of breakthrough," Chinese envoy La Yifan said.

The Chinese official's remarks, whose country is a veto-wielding member of the Security Council and can block more sanctions on Iran, came as the US administration had previously set December 31 as the deadline for progress on the diplomatic track.

Iran faces pressure to halt its nuclear enrichment as world powers claim the program is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.

Tehran, however, says nuclear weapons have no place in its defensive doctrine and has called for the removal of all weapons of mass destruction from across the globe.

The Grace of Damascus

The Hariri visit seals the fate of the International Tribunal that started in March 2008, investigating the murder of Rafik Hariri. Clearly, if the Syrians had anything to do with it, then evidence would have emerged to incriminate them by now, four years down the road. The Americans realize this, and so do the French, notes Sami Moubayed.

If former US president George W. Bush had tuned in to the English broadcast on Syrian TV on Saturday he would clearly frown at seeing Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri in Damascus, being greeted warmly as a guest of honor by Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

The footage would probably make him furious — that all attempts at breaking historic ties between Syria and Lebanon, and incriminating Syria for the murder of Sa'ad's father, Rafik Hariri, have vanished into thin air.

The last time Sa'ad Hariri was seen in Damascus was on June 13, 2000, attending the funeral of the late president Hafiz Al Assad along with his father. The young Sa'ad, aged 30 back then, warmly embraced President Bashar Al Assad, signaling how strong the Hariri family's relationship was with Syria.

Nearly 10 years down the road, Hariri came to Syria — again — this time in his capacity as the full-fledged prime minister of Lebanon, supported by a Cabinet that includes all of Syria's allies, Amal, Hezbollah, and the Free Patriotic Movement of General Michel Aoun.

Talk of Hariri's Syria visit had been in the air since the March 14 Coalition emerged victorious in the June parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Hariri clearly realizes that in order for him to succeed as prime minister, he now has to act as a seasoned head of state, dealing with all of the heavyweights that influence the political football in Lebanon.

Apart from ‘breaking the ice' between both Syria and Lebanon, the Hariri visit has a dramatic impact on bilateral relations between both countries, and on the new Lebanese premier in particular.

Hariri's visit is a confidence booster for Syria's allies in Lebanon, mainly Hezbollah. The arms of Hezbollah will not be touched, as clearly stated by Hariri's Cabinet policy statement, and on the contrary, the Lebanese state will work to protect and embrace the Lebanese resistance — even if another war breaks out with Israel, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been threatening for months.

Improvement

The visit sends bilateral relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia into an open-ended honeymoon, given that relations had soured because of Lebanon in 2005-08. Now that agreement has been reached in Beirut, the two countries can concentrate on what unites them — in Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine — rather than what separated them in Lebanon.

The Hariri visit seals the fate of the International Tribunal that started in March 2008, investigating the murder of Rafik Hariri. Clearly, if the Syrians had anything to do with it, then evidence would have emerged to incriminate them by now, four years down the road.

The Americans realize this, and so do the French, the Saudis, and many in Lebanon. Even without saying "I was wrong" Hariri has effectively backed out on all accusations he fired at Damascus in 2005, blaming them for the murder of his father.

The visit also breaks the unholy alliance between Hariri and certain Christian politicians in Lebanon, like Ameen Gemayel of the Lebanese Phalange and Samir Gagea of the Lebanese Forces (LF), who are both furious with the Damascus visit.

The fact that Hariri mended broken fences with both Hezbollah and Syria made them furious — especially since this meant a new relationship between Hariri and Michel Aoun, who challenges both the Phalange and LF for supremacy of Christian Lebanon, and is strongly backed by Damascus.

Domestically, the Hariri Cabinet is expected to do wonders for Lebanon since regional heavyweights like Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia all want it to succeed.

Gulf money will come pouring for investment into Lebanon, aimed precisely at bolstering Hariri, while political support will come from Syria and Hezbollah — much needed for him to polish his image as a serious prime minister with talent and character, and not just the rich offspring of a former premier.

Too much is at stake for the Syrians and Saudis to let Hariri fall. The Saudis have invested too much in Lebanon. As far as the Iranians are concerned, so long as Hariri protects and embraces the arms of Hezbollah, they will leave him alone.

Tel Aviv connection

What can go wrong? The only player able to wreck the scene in Lebanon is Israel. The Israelis have been preparing for an all-out war with Hezbollah, to right the wrongs done to them during the war of 2006, and they are clearly not pleased by Hariri's Damascus visit.

If they do go to war, this would spell disaster for Hariri, given that Hezbollah is strongly represented in his government. Reportedly, shortly after Hariri's visit to Syria, Hassan Nasrallah will be visiting Saudi Arabia.

If the Saudis embrace Nasrallah in as much as the Syrians embraced Hariri, a perfect friendship — if the word applies — would surface on all three fronts, making it increasingly difficult for Israel to create problems.

The crossing of paths by the Syrians and Saudis has therefore, resulted in a new mood — a very good mood — in the Middle East, that will have immediate positive aftershocks on Lebanon in general, and on Sa'ad Hariri in particular.

World governments 'betraying' Gaza civilians

16 rights groups say international community failed to end Israeli siege of Gaza Strip.

JERUSALEM - The world has "betrayed" civilians in the Gaza Strip by failing to end a blockade of the enclave, 16 rights groups, including Amnesty International and Oxfam, said Tuesday.

"The international community has betrayed the people of Gaza by failing to back their words with effective action to secure the ending of the Israeli blockade which is preventing reconstruction and recovery," said the report.

"It is not only Israel that has failed the people of Gaza with a blockade that punishes everybody living there for the acts of a few," said Jeremy Hobbs, executive director of Oxfam International.

"World powers have also failed and even betrayed Gaza's ordinary citizens. They have wrung hands and issued statements, but have taken little meaningful action to attempt to change the damaging policy that prevents reconstruction."

The groups said that Israel had allowed only 41 truckloads of construction materials into Gaza since a devastating 22-day war launched by Tel Aviv nearly a year ago ended with mutual ceasefires on January 18.

"Little of the extensive damage the offensive caused to homes, civilian infrastructure, public services, farms and businesses has been repaired" because of the shortages, the report said.

Some 1,400 Palestinians (mainly civilians and a third of which children) and 13 Israelis were killed during the war, which flattened portions of Gaza, an impoverished territory where the vast majority of the population relies on foreign aid.

Israel controls all but one of Gaza's border crossings, the Rafah terminal with Egypt, which Cairo rarely opens due to US-Israeli pressure.

"Sick, traumatised and impoverished people are being collectively punished by a cruel, illegal policy imposed by the Israeli authorities," said Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK.

"Israel's responsibility to protect its citizens does not give it the right to punish every man, woman and child of Gaza," she added.

The groups also urged rival Palestinian factions to create a unified government capable of delivering aid, and said resistance groups should refrain from rocket attacks from Gaza.

"Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, too, must maintain their current de facto cessation of violence and permanently cease all indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel," Hobbs wrote.

The report called on European foreign ministers to visit Gaza to see the damage for themselves and urged the EU to do all it can to lift the blockade.

Other groups signing the report include: Broederlijk Delen, CAFOD, CCFD Terre Solidaire, Christian Aid, Church of Sweden, Diakonia, Finn Church Aid, Medical Aid for Palestinians, medico international, medico international schweiz, Mercy Corps, MS ActionAid Denmark, Trocaire, and United Civilians for Peace.

First GCC e-Government Conference & Exhibition opens

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Top ICT policymakers in the GCC and international IT experts gathered here on Monday to share their experiences in e-Government applications and services and discuss 
future challenges.

The 1st GCC e-Government Conference and Exhibition inaugurated by senior royal family member Sayyid Asaad bin Tareq Al Said, is expected to agree the minimal e-Government services that should be provided by the GCC countries, with priority given to health, education and social security.

The delegates will also look at the possibility of establishing a link between e-Government portals of the six member states and draw up a set of uniform criteria and standards for ICT projects related to e-Government.

"Science and technology systems are the most important issues of concern to the world in this age," Mohammed bin Nasser Al Khusaibi, Chairman of Oman's Information Technology Authority, or ITA, observed in a speech, adding: "Addressing this issue is critical for sustainable development, as it has a significant impact in the service of development objectives and the achievement of human well-being."

Describing the conference as a "demonstration of Gulf cooperation and integration in all areas," he said it was indicative of a "deep and enlightened understanding of the requirements of a knowledge-based 
economy."

Khusaibi underlined the importance given by the Gulf Cooperation Council leaders to build a knowledge society and e-Government and their interest in employing digital technology.

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial Times (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093290452&src=MOEN.

Saudi Arabia sets record SR540bn govt spending

(MENAFN - Arab News) Saudi Arabia on Monday unveiled the largest budget in its history, projecting expenditures at SR540 billion ($144 billion) and revenues at SR470 billion ($125 billion). It has allocated SR260 billion for new welfare projects and SR137 billion for education.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who chaired the Cabinet's budget session at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, urged ministers to carry out the projects as quickly as possible without fail and without wasting the funds allocated for them.

In an address to the nation on the occasion, King Abdullah said the national budget for 2010 is 14 percent more than that of 2009. "It has taken into consideration the needs of the national economy as well as the global economic situation," the king added.

In his speech, which was delivered on his behalf by Abdul Rahman Al-Sadhan, secretary-general of the Council of Ministers, King Abdullah said the budget was designed to achieve sustainable development in the Kingdom despite falls in oil exports and prices. "We'll channel our financial resources to areas which require more spending in order to boost economic growth and development, make our economy more attractive for investment, and create more jobs for Saudis," the king said.

The budget allocations for the education sector cover 1,200 schools; new universities in Dammam, Al-Kharj, Majmaa and Shaqra; completion of the campuses of existing universities; and the establishment of new technical colleges and vocational institutes.

The budget has allocated SR61 billion for health and social development, the king said, adding that eight new hospitals would be constructed and 19 existing hospitals expanded during the fiscal year. A number of sports clubs and sports cities will also be established.

The municipal service sector has received SR22 billion, and the transport and telecom sector SR24 billion. Allocations for the water, industrial and agricultural sector amounted to SR46 billion, which included funds for infrastructure projects required by mineral industries in Ras Al-Zour.

King Abdullah said the government would continue its efforts to develop judicial facilities and implement a national plan for science and technology. State-owned lending organizations would continue to provide loans for agricultural, real estate and industrial projects. "The budget has envisioned achieving balanced development of the Kingdom's provinces," he said.

King Abdullah urged ministers to implement the budget without any negligence, adding that it should be carried out seriously, sincerely and speedily. "I know that some projects have not been implemented yet and have been wasted. I request you to inform me if you find any negligence on the part of anybody, including the minister of finance," the king told the Cabinet.

Speaking about the Kingdom's economic situation, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf said the Kingdom's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 was expected to decline by 22.3 percent to SR1.38 trillion as a result of a major fall in oil revenues. At the same time, the nonoil public and private sectors were expected to make a growth of 5.5 percent with the public sector growing by 10.2 percent and the private sector by 2.85 percent in current prices.

"All nonoil economic sectors have achieved positive growth during the year," the minister said. He estimated the growth in nonoil downstream industries at 2.2 percent; the transport and telecom sector six percent; the electricity, gas and water sector 3.35 percent; the building and construction sector 3.9 percent; the trade, hotel and restaurant sector 2 percent; and the finance, insurance and real estate sector 1.8 percent.

Al-Assaf said the private sector's contribution to the GDP this year amounted to 47.8 percent of total in fixed prices. "This shows the sector's effectiveness, especially those of downstream industries and services." He said the cost of living index rose by 4.4 percent in 2009 compared to the previous year.

Economists and financial analysts said the new budget would boost the Kingdom's economic growth. "For the upcoming year, it is impressive and encouraging to see that the government's expansionary outlook will continue," said Faisal H. Alsayrafi, managing director & CEO of the Jeddah-based Financial Transaction House.

"Almost $70 billion has been allocated for investment projects, focusing on sustainable development and job creation, which we believe will continue to push the Saudi economy into a stronger position in dealing with any side-effects of last year's economic crisis," he said. Alsayrafi added: "Last year's budgeted revenues were around $109 billion while actual revenues came in at over $134 billion � the cause for the deficit has been attributed to an increase in expenditure on various projects. Similarly, we could assume that the 2010 budgeted revenues, which are projected at over $125 billion, could be conservative estimates."

John Sfakianakis, group general manager and Chief Economist at Banque Saudi Fransi, said the budget reflected the government's strong commitment to spending to help create opportunities for the private sector and keep the economy on a sustainable growth pattern. "There is little doubt that the government is firmly committed to its $400 billion program through 2013," he said.

The spending that Saudi Arabia has embarked is being done with no debt created which is almost unique for any other country within the G20. Many G20 countries as trying to support their economies by printing money," Sfakianakis said.

Paul Gamble, head of research at the Riyadh-based Jadwa Investment, called it an aggressive budget, with spending maintained at a very high level. "Government spending played a vital role in supporting the economy during 2009, but weak confidence and tight credit conditions have constrained the private sector response. By maintaining high spending, particularly in the form of investment spending, the government aims to reassure the private sector about its confidence in the economic outlook," he added.

Gamble said the projected deficit would not be a problem as it could be financed through the drawing down of the foreign assets of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, which stood at $389 billion at the end of October.

"Preliminary data were stronger than we had anticipated. Real GDP grew by 0.15 percent despite a large contraction in the oil sector. Nonoil private sector growth was 2.5 percent with all sectors of the nonoil economy growing. Lower oil revenues pulled the current account surplus to an eight-year low of $20 billion."

Gamble expected the budget for 2010 would balance by the end of the year with an increase in oil revenues. "We estimate that oil production of 8.3 million barrels per day at $50 per barrel for Saudi oil ($51 per barrel for WTI) is consistent with the oil revenue projection used in the budget. We believe that this is a conservative assumption and based on our forecast that Saudi oil will average $70 per barrel during 2010 and government spending will be above the budgeted level, we forecast that the budget will be roughly in balance this year."

Said Al-Shaikh, chief economist at National Commercial Bank, said the government was pushing expansionary fiscal policy to stimulate growth of the nonoil sector.

"In the new budget, there is a SR35 billion increase in capital expenditure compared to last year's. So there will be a major expenditure in water, agriculture and infrastructure sectors which signifies there is an appropriation for new projects." The Kingdom has also increased budget for credit institutions. "The budget shows government continues to use specialized credit institutions to ignite economic growth," Al-Shaikh said.

Khaled Al-Bassam, associate professor of economics at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, said increased spending targeted by the budget would have great impact on boosting private sector growth. "There is strong relation between private sector growth and government spending," he said.

Ali Hassan Naqour, deputy chairman of the National Transport Committee, said the budget has allocated SR31 billion for roads, airports and railway projects. Yahya Kaushik, expert in water and sewage projects, noted 30 percent increase in budget allocations in the sector.

Businessman Abdullah Ridwan said the budget would boost the Kingdom's construction sector, adding that the sector would make substantial growth during 2010.

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial Times (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093290524&src=MOEN.

British marines 'going deaf' in Afghanistan

More than two-thirds of British combat troops returning from Afghanistan are suffering from permanent and severe hearing damage, a study has found.

The internal defense document is part of a wider study into the less well-known side-effects of the fighting in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The document released on Sunday revealed that of over 1,200 Royal Marine commandos who served in the war-torn country, 69 percent were experiencing hearing damages.

The findings indicate that hearing problems or almost complete deafness among combat troops are far greater than previously reported.

According to a British Ministry of Defense report dated December 7, close-combat fighting, roadside devices and the noise of low-flying coalition aircrafts are the main reasons behind the problems.

The report warns that the known scale of the problem might prove to be the "tip of the iceberg" because only the most severe forms of hearing loss, grave enough to bar troops from frontline service, are officially reported.

Britain currently has around 10,000 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Despite the growing unpopularity of the Afghan war, the UK will be deploying 500 more soldiers to the war-torn country in the coming week.

Ahmadinejad tasks team to evaluate WWII damages

The Iranian president called on Monday for the establishment of a national commission to calculate the amount of compensation for damages Iran sustained during World War II under British and Russian occupiers.

In a letter to Head of the Presidential Office Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tasked him with what he described as "asserting the Iranian nation's inalienable rights."

President Ahmadinejad described the level of hardship imposed on the nations of the world by global powers during the past century as "excessive."

"The Second World War was launched with the aim of creating new divisions and enforcing discriminatory, one-sided structures," President Ahmadinejad said in the letter.

He said while "a number of nations underwent pressure and suffered damages, certain governments benefited from political and materialistic profits."

Despite Iran's neutral stance in the war, the Iranian nation was placed among the "oppressed nations," Ahmadinejad said.

The Iranian president said during the invasion of Iran by both Britain and the Soviet Union in August 1941, the Allies made use of the country's infrastructure and resources to an extent that they named Iran as "The Bridge to Victory."

Pointing to the compensation received by certain countries after the conflict, President Ahmadinejad said Iran is yet to be paid compensation in return for the suffering that its people endured.

The call for the establishment of the assessment commission comes as earlier last week the Iranian president talked of plans to write to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asking for the country to be compensated.

Iran names project manager for 10 new nuclear sites

After Iran announced plans to construct at least ten more nuclear sites, the former deputy chief of the Atomic Energy Organization (AEO) of Iran has been tasked to oversee the project.

Head of the AEO Ali Akbar Salehi made the announcement on Monday adding that the former deputy chief, Mohammad Saeedi, is slated to assume another position as well but did not elaborate.

Saeedi resigned from his AEO position last week. He had been a member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team since 2004.

Iran approved plans in November to build 10 industrial scale uranium enrichment facilities, using a new generation of more efficient and more productive centrifuges.

"We are in need of 20 thousands megawatts [of electricity] that means 20 [times the amount the] Natanz [facility can produce]," Salehi had said earlier in an exclusive interview with Press TV.

"Now the government has decided to have ten sites with the same size as Natanz; of course when I say with the same size as Natanz it is concerning the amount of fuel that is produced and it is about thirty tons per year. Every site will be producing thirty tons per year which is enough for one nuclear power plant," he added.

The enrichment plants are set to be constructed in mountainous areas, which are hard to penetrate in the event of a military attack.

Galloway raps Arabs over forsaking Gaza

British Member of Parliament George Galloway has leveled strong criticism at Arabs over their inaction and failure to play a role in organizing aid convoys to the besieged Gaza Strip.

“It is a shame that this convoy [Lifeline 3] is coming from Europe and not from the Arab countries,” Galloway told reporters upon his arrival at Damascus International Airport.

He said that Lifeline 3 charity convoy is a message of solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip on the first anniversary of the Israeli onslaught against the coastal sliver.

Israel's three-week offensive against Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009 left more than 1,400 Palestinians dead, more than half of them civilians, according to medical sources. The Israeli assault also led to the destruction of schools, mosques, houses as well as UN compounds, inflicting $ 1.6 billion damage on the Gaza economy.

The British anti-war activist added that the third Viva Palestina convoy is aimed to direct the world's attention to Israeli war criminals who committed the horrendous crimes in Gaza as well as the courageous Palestinian resistance. He voiced hope that the Egyptian authorities would secure the arrival of the convoy without hindrance.

Galloway meanwhile expressed his deep gratitude to Syrian authorities for the contribution they made to facilitate the entry of the Lifeline 3 convoy organized by the UK-based Viva Palestina movement. Galloway described Syria as a fortress and the symbol of pride that has never forsaken Palestine.

The third international convoy to Gaza departed from London on December 5, 2009. The convoy is made up of volunteers from Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Malaysia, who have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds in their local communities to pay for ambulances, minibuses, vans and lorries and to fill them with medical and other aid that is desperately needed in Gaza.

Lifeline 3 will arrive in Gaza on December 27 through the Rafah border crossing to make a dent in the ongoing Israeli blockade imposed on the impoverished enclave.

Israeli political and military authorities now face the possibility of international prosecution and arrest over war crimes in the Gaza Strip. A British court has issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

The UN Security Council awaits investigative reports ordered pursuant to recommendations made by UN investigator Richard Goldstone, who detailed countless Israeli war crimes not just in the attacks on Gaza in 2008, but throughout the Israeli siege, which began in 2006.

Meanwhile, Egypt is building a wall along its border with Gaza which is installed and funded by the US in order to block the tunnels that have served as the only lifeline for needed food, household and consumer goods in Gaza.

'Obama foiled Copenhagen climate summit'

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has criticized US President Barack Obama for helping to 'thwart' efforts meant to reach a legally binding climate change deal.

Speaking at a news conference in Havana on Monday, Rodriguez harshly criticized Obama for his "imperial and arrogant" attitude at the recent UN climate conference in the Danish capital and called him a 'liar' for expressing confidence about reaching an effective deal by the talks' end.

"Obama knew he was lying, that he was deceiving public opinion," he added.

He also called the conference "a fallacy, a farce" and added that "at this summit, there was only imperial, arrogant Obama, who does not listen, who imposes his positions and even threatens developing countries."

He criticized the US for 'conspiring' to impose on the world a "suicidal" and non-binding agreement on climate, which falls short of obliging main polluters to make concessions on CO2 emissions.

Western Sahara activist continues campaign

Western Sahara independence activist Aminatou Haidar has called on the international community to make efforts to bring a halt to Moroccan human rights abuses.

The 43-year-old went on a hunger strike last month in order to draw the world's attention Western Sahara's quest for independence from Morocco.

The head of the Polisario Front, the Western Sahara's movement for independence, Mohammed Abdelaziz, says that Haidar's hunger strike in a Spanish airport was meant to stop the Moroccan government from 'capturing Polisario campaigners over treason and espionage.'

"Her... hunger strike has shed light on our struggle and has put the Western Sahara issue back at the top of the international agenda," Reuters quoted him as saying on Monday.

"Morocco should... stop its campaign against our people inside the occupied territories," Abdelaziz said.

"We urge the United Nations to set up a mechanism to protect our people's human rights... and to report on it as long as the conflict is unresolved," he added.

Western Sahara, a strip of land with large mineral reserves, has witnessed Africa's longest-running conflict over autonomy, after Morocco took possession of the former Spanish colony in 1976.

Libyan Muslim denounces prisoner abuse in UK

A Libyan national held in British custody on charges of 'terrorism' has said that Muslims in UK prisons are subjected to abuse and discrimination.

In a live interview with Press TV on Monday, 28-year-old Faraj Hassan said that shortly after arriving in the UK in 2002, the British police arrested him and locked him up for the next 15 months without trial before eventually filing terrorism charges against him in 2003 under the UK Terrorism Act.

“After spending months in detention, I was told that they wanted to extradite me to Italy. I fought this case for approximately five years,” Hassan said.

His extradition order to Italy was ultimately suspended, keeping him in jail for another four years on the basis of secret evidence and subject to a control order in addition to a UN financial sanction which prevented him from obtaining any income.

The British government refused to release him and kept him in a number of prisons where he underwent “occasional beatings” for “refusing to share cells with individuals who got pornographic photographs or sometimes for refusing a strip search.”

“After my acquittal in absentia in Italy, the Italian government was not interested in me anymore. Therefore, I was released under strict conditions,” he added.

Hassan compared his situation in prison to the situation of inmates held in the US military detention facilities of Abu Ghraib in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, saying that “is exactly what happens everyday in British jails… and they deliberately do it to Muslims because Muslims do not like to be naked in front of other men.”

He also referred to the many Muslims suffering in isolation in UK prisons, where inmates are kept “in a prison within the bigger prison.”

Asked about the control order constraints on his family, Hassan said that the British police continued to raid his residence frequently “to destroy him mentally” and deliberately put him in a situation to make him prone to misdemeanor.

Commenting on the British legal system's decision to uphold his control order, he criticized the court for extending the order over his possession of a documentary on the 9/11 incidents.

Faraj Hassan won his court case after the UK High Court judge was convinced that the UK Home Office and security services failed to present evidence of his links to terrorism.

2 Turkish army officers nabbed over assassination plot

Turkish security forces arrest two military officers in an Ankara district on charges of attempted assassination of Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, a report says.

The arrests were made on Saturday night during a police operation in Ankara's Cukurambar area, where most of the residents are members of Parliament. Both gendarmerie and police teams were involved, Today's Zaman daily reported late Monday.

Police teams searched two vehicles parked near Arinc's house followed by a raid on a nearby house. A piece of paper with Arinc's home address was found inside one of the cars.

An aide to Arinc confirmed that the police detained two men, members of the Special Forces Command, after receiving a tip about a possible assassination plot.

Later reports identified the two individuals as officers of the general staff. They were released after an interrogation.

Iran urges Egypt to help unite Palestinians

In a rare meeting with Egyptian government officials, Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani says Tehran and Cairo should put aside their differences with regards to the Palestinian issue.

Larijani, who is in Cairo to attend a committee meeting for the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), said Sunday that the governments of Iran and Egypt should work together to bring unity to Palestinian factions.

"It is most important for Iran and Egypt to set aside their differences and to focus on bridging the gap between political factions in Palestine," Larijani said in a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Larijani pointed to Egypt's power in lessening the miseries of the beleaguered population of Gaza -- which is still shaken by the devastating war waged by Israel last year -- by keeping the Rafah border open.

The Rafah border is the only escape route from the Gaza Strip which does not lead into Israel.

"At a time when Palestinians are dealing with a full-fledged crisis, we hope the Egyptian government would step in to help them deal with it," he said.

The comments come as Larijani held constructive talks with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Fathi Surur and President Hosni Mubarak.

The meetings are believed to be the first high-level talks between the two countries since they broke off relations in 1980. Tehran was critical of Cairo's peace treaty with Israel.

Wave of sickness and disease now striking Baby Boomers

(NaturalNews) Research is now showing that today's "baby boomers", the generation currently eclipsing age 60, is the first generation to be less healthy than the generation before them. Those in this age group are more susceptible to debilitating diseases than in years past, stemming primarily from poor diet and lack of proper exercise.

Professor Teresa Seeman, a researcher from the University of California, examined those today in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and compared her findings to people from the same age groups examined ten years ago. She came to the startling conclusion that about one in five people in their 60s today requires assistance in accomplishing daily activities. This number is 50 percent higher than it was a decade ago.

A common theme that emerged from the research is that technological advancements have played a significant role in creating poor health. As Americans have generally been weaned off of physical labor and instead placed in front of computer screens throughout the years, the level of physical activity among the population has dropped significantly.

The lack of effective exercise was emphasized by a 50 percent increase over the last ten years in people in their 60s having trouble performing simple activities such as walking a quarter-mile or climbing a small set of stairs. There was also a 40 percent increase in study subjects having trouble bending their knees to crouch, kneel, or get up from a chair.

Significant societal and technological advancements that were of great benefit to the Baby Boomers when they were younger is proving to be their downfall in their current stage of life. Those in this age group are fatter and weaker than previous generations were at the same age, and they are more susceptible to chronic ailments that severely curtail their quality of life.

Experts recommend the obvious, mainly an improved diet and increased physical activity. They also warn the current younger generations to become disciplined in living a healthy lifestyle now in order to help offset the things that are currently plaguing their parents and grandparents.

Dr. Ian Campbell, general practitioner and medical director of the charity Weight Concern, expressed concern over the growing reliance on pharmaceutical drugs rather than on lifestyle changes as the appropriate remedy for the problem. He recommends a more preventive approach in dealing with illness.

Perhaps the conditions of economic turmoil in America will drive the younger generations back to the fields where physical labor and nutritious bounty are sure to help undo some of the damage that's been done by a convenient, technology-driven lifestyle.

New research: natural exposure to everyday germs may protect kids from disease as adults

(NaturalNews) Gone are the days when play time for kids often meant getting dirty making mud "pies", splashing in mud puddles and creeks, and climbing trees -- and when children washed their hands, mostly just before a meal, it was with plain soap and water. Modern day parents often take pride in keeping their little ones squeaky clean and as germ-free as possible, dousing them with antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers. But new Northwestern University research suggests that normal exposure to everyday germs is a natural way to prevent diseases in adulthood.

The study, published in the December 9th edition of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, is the first to investigate whether microbial exposures early in life affect inflammatory processes related to diseases in adulthood. Remarkably, the Northwestern study suggests exposure to infectious microbes in childhood may actually protect youngsters from developing serious illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, when they grow into adults.

"Contrary to assumptions related to earlier studies, our research suggests that ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic environments early in life may contribute to higher levels of inflammation as an adult, which in turn increases risks for a wide range of diseases," Thomas McDade, lead author of the study, said in a statement to the media. McDade is associate professor of anthropology in Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research.

He added that humans have only recently lived in super clean environments and it could well be time to put down the antibacterial soap. That's because the new research suggests that inflammatory systems need a reasonably high level of exposure to common everyday germs and other microbes to develop and work properly in the body.

"In other words, inflammatory networks may need the same type of microbial exposures early in life that have been part of the human environment for all of our evolutionary history to function optimally in adulthood," stated McDade.

The Northwestern University researchers specifically studied how environments early in life might affect production of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein that rises in the blood due to inflammation, in adulthood. Research concerning CRP, which is an important part of the immune system's fight against infection, has primarily focused on the protein as a possible predictor of heart disease. Scientists previously have mostly conducted CRP research in affluent settings, including the U.S., where there are relatively low levels of infectious diseases.

McDade and colleagues were interested in what CRP production looks like in the Philippines where residents have with a high level of infectious diseases in early childhood compared to Western countries. However, compared to Western countries, the people of the Philippines have relatively low rates of obesity (which is associated with CRP) and cardiovascular diseases.

How the research was conducted
The research team worked with data from a longitudinal study of Filipinos which began in the 1980s with 3,327 Filipino mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy. The mothers were interviewed about breast feeding and care giving and their households were assessed for socioeconomic levels, hygiene (including whether homes included domestic animals) and how many people lived in the home.

Researchers also visited with the mothers after their babies were born and then every two months for the first two years of the children's lives. From that point on, the researchers followed up with the children every four or five years until the research subjects were approximately 22 years of age. During this entire period, records were kept on the children documenting their height and weight and any infectious diseases they contracted.

Blood tests revealed Filipino participants in their early 20s had CRP concentrations on average of .2 milligrams per liter -- that's about five to seven times lower than the average CRP levels for Americans of the same age.

"In the U.S we have this idea that we need to protect infants and children from microbes and pathogens at all possible costs," McDade concluded. "But we may be depriving developing immune networks of important environmental input needed to guide their function throughout childhood and into adulthood. Without this input, our research suggests, inflammation may be more likely to be poorly regulated and result in inflammatory responses that are overblown or more difficult to turn off once things get started."

Iran kills 8 armed bandits near Afghan border

The Iranian police have killed eight armed bandits near an eastern border town that forms the gateway between Iran and Afghanistan.

The armed men who sought to enter the city of Taybad in Iran's Khorasan Razavi province were stopped near the heights of the city, Khorasan Police said on Monday.

Taybad which is an official crossing point to Islam Qala in Afghanistan, is a rugged area where Iranian police have battled drug smugglers for decades.

The country has lost more than 3,000 police, soldiers, and border guards in the past three decades fighting smugglers.

Hamas, EU lawyers cooperate to prosecute Israeli war criminals

The Hamas government has set up a committee to provide information to European lawyers investigating Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

"We provide documents, reports and evidence of crimes to all international bodies aiding the Palestinian people in bringing Israeli civilians and military leaders to trial and issuing warrants for their arrest," Diya al-Madhun, the judge who heads the committee told AFP on Sunday.

"We have provided a group of independent lawyers in Britain with documents, information and evidence concerning war crimes committed by Israeli political and military leaders, including (Tzipi) Livni," he added.

Al-Madhun noted that the foreign lawyers acted independently and were not hired by the Hamas government.

Livni, who served as foreign minister during the war, canceled a trip to London last week after an arrest warrant was issued against her by a British court.

The Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip earlier this year killed over 1,400 Palestinians, including many children and women.

EU to restore cooperation with Mauritania

The European Union has agreed to completely restore cooperation with Mauritania, sixteen months after a military coup soured relations with the bloc.

The European Commission's director general for development, Stefano Manservisi said on Sunday that the EU is ready to release up to 156 million Euros ($224.5 million) in aid to Mauritania, frozen after the August 2008 coup.

The announcement comes after an EU evaluation team determined in October that constitutional order had been restored in the African state following a July presidential election.

"We have decided on the complete resumption of our partnership as well as a review of the priorities of cooperation between the two parties," Manservisi said at the end of a two-day trip to Mauritania's capital Nouakchott.

The Commission will vote formally on the restart of EU cooperation and aid in Brussels next month.

The move is considered as a step by West to bolster coup-leader-turned-president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

Last August 52-year-old Aziz led a bloodless coup that toppled Mauritania's first-ever democratically-elected president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

The former head of the presidential guards was later sworn in as president in August 2008, following a national vote seen by his opponents as fraud.

Most of the international community denounced the coup, and the African Union suspended the west African country from the 53-nation body.

The West, however sees Aziz as a strong ally in its so-called fight against terrorism in the Sahara.

Somali bloodbath leaves at least 45 dead

Deadly clashes have once again broken out between local fighters and pro-government forces across Somalia, leaving at least 45 people dead, many of them civilians.

Fighting erupted in the restive Somali capital Mogadishu late on Sunday, after fighters fired mortar rounds into a police compound, which was hosting the 66th police anniversary ceremony.

The attack prompted a heavy response from the African Union forces and government troops, who then shelled Mogadishu's busy Bakara market.

The exact number of people killed is yet unknown. However witnesses told Press TV that at least 20 people were killed and 45 others wounded in the fatal clash, including women and children.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest violence, which comes in the wake of a government-planned offensive against the powerful local fighters in the beleaguered capital.

Meanwhile on the same day, at least 25 people were killed in Somalia's north-central Mudug province, causing unrest in a relatively calm neighborhood.

Local residents say a land dispute between warring clans in the Bacadweyn town triggered the bloody conflict, our correspondent added.

The fresh attacks have forced hundreds of families to flee their homes, adding to the humanitarian strife in the region.

Somalia has been marred by two decades of civil unrest following the ousting of former dictator Mohammad Siad Bare in 1991.

Years of fighting between rival warlords and an inability to deal with famine and disease have led to the deaths of hundred of thousands of people.

World views Copenhagen conference as a total failure

The world has reacted strongly to the Copenhagen climate talks, expressing frustration and commenting that it stopped short of any end result.

Even the campaigners and environmentalists were left stunned at what they viewed as a total disappointment.

At the end of the 193-nation UN summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, there was no binding deal for combating global warming, a move led by the United States and China, the world's top two emitters of greenhouse gases.

The Danish government had been hoping for a positive outcome, but the Danes themselves expressed their frustration after being left with no binding deal.

India called the climate talks a complete failure and said there were no legally binding targets that the developed countries would have to meet.

"We have failed to agree at a sort of solution which will lead us to a viable action plan towards controlling climate change," Suparno Banerjee, spokesperson of the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment, said on Sunday.

Before the conference closed, Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva said only a miracle could rescue the talks.

President Hugo Chavez said that negotiations were conducted in the wrong way and accused world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, of only seeking a face-saving agreement.

He went on to add that the United States should join the Kyoto Protocol and empower it and answer to the world in a transparent way.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described capitalism and materialism as the root causes of the world's environmental crisis.

Several other nations also opposed the deal championed by Obama and five emerging economies, including India and China.

The summit agreement made on Saturday, December 19 stopped far short of a full endorsement of the plan, which sets a target of limiting global warming to a maximum 2 degree Celsius rise over pre-industrial times.

The plan does not specify greenhouse gas cuts needed to achieve the 2 degree Celsius goal that is seen as a threshold for dangerous changes such as more floods, droughts, mudslides, sandstorms, and rising seas.

Lavrov: Israeli settlement halt 'insufficient'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has asked Israel for more commitment to the peace process, saying a decision to limit some aspects of settlement construction is not enough.

"We have approved [Benjamin] Netanyahu's decision to impose a 10-month moratorium on some aspects of settlement construction," Russian news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying on Tuesday

During a speech at the University of Global Economy and Diplomacy in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, Russia's top envoy highlighted that although he believed the step was in the right direction, it still required improvement.

"The step is correct but clearly not sufficient," he added.

His remarks referred to a late November decision announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that construction would be limited in the occupied West Bank, but not in East Jerusalem Al-Quds.

Netanyahu added that the halt to the construction of illegal settlements — one of the main issues impeding the peace efforts — was not permanent and that settlement activity would resume once the temporary moratorium is over.

The settlements have also embittered Israel's relations with its main strategic ally, the United States.

On Monday, Lavrov said the United Nations needed to play a larger role in finding a solution to the Middle East conflict.

The visiting foreign minister also held talks with his Uzbek Counterpart Vladimir Norov and is expected to meet with Uzbek President Islam Karimov later on Tuesday.

Hamas slams Israel decision on 'heavyweight prisoners'

Hamas has accused Israel of hindering a prisoner swap deal after Tel Aviv expressed reservations over the return of some of the released Palestinian prisoners to their homes in the occupied West Bank.

In its reply to Hamas' request on Tuesday, passed via a German mediator, Israel balked at allowing "some of the heavyweight prisoners" to return to their homes in the West Bank, insisting that they instead go to the Gaza Strip or a third country.

The message was relayed to Hamas late Monday after marathon talks were held at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri blamed Israel for stalling negotiations to swap hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for a captured Israeli soldier, AFP reported.

He said the high-level talks merely showed the Israeli divisions were behind the delay in reaching a deal to release Gilad Shalit, who was captured in a cross-border operation from the Gaza Strip in 2006.

"The division inside the Israeli government is responsible for hindering the agreement," said Zuhri.

He said the movement had not "closed the door on the negotiations" but that it would adhere to its conditions.

According to the Israeli and Palestinian officials, Israel would release 450 Palestinian prisoners in return for Shalit with an additional 500 prisoners to be released at a later stage.

There are currently some 8,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Iran, Tunisia hold Islamic calligraphy exhibition

Iran and Tunisia have opened a joint exhibition of Islamic calligraphy works at Tunisia's Assad Ibn El Fourat cultural center in the city of Kairouan.

The event, to be held until Dec. 22, 2009, displays some 60 works of Islamic calligraphy created by Iranian and Tunisian artists.

The works feature Qur'anic verses as well as poems in various calligraphic forms such as Nasta'liq, Mehr News Agency reported.

The exhibition aims to bring artists of the two countries closer to each other and give them the opportunity to share their artistic and cultural experiences.

Culture Ministers of ISESCO member states selected Kairouan as the 2009 cultural capital of the Islamic world aiming to raise awareness about the cultural contribution of cities, which have had key roles in spreading Islamic civilization and values.

Toxic drink kills 14 in Pakistan

Locally brewed toxic drink has killed at least 14 people and sent another four men to hospital in Pakistan, where alcohol is officially banned, a police release says.

At least 14 people died after drinking toxic liquor apparently made under no food-production monitoring in Multan City located in Pakistan's central city of Multan late Friday.

A police report on Monday said four other men fell seriously ill and were admitted to a local hospital after they passed out from drinking the toxic mix with doctors describing their condition as critical.

Buying and drinking alcohol is officially banned under Islamic law in Pakistan. Alcohol is officially available in Pakistan only to non-Muslims and foreigners who are issued special permits.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Somali parliament 'shelled' after recess

Rebels have disrupted Somalia's first parliamentary session after five months by launching a series of mortar attacks in the conflict-plagued capital, Mogadishu.

The attack on the temporary seat of the Somali parliament came on Monday as lawmakers assembled for the first time since August, after increasing hostilities sent the house to an indefinite recess.

The 300 attending lawmakers were unharmed and President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed left shortly after delivering a speech, a Press TV correspondent reported.

The attack prompted a heavy response from the African Union forces and government troops in the beleaguered capital, killing at least 17 people and injuring 38 others.

Four employees of Somalia's Radio Voice of Democracy (VOD) were among the dead.

On the same day, a roadside bomb hit a vehicle belonging to a top Somali commander, killing at least five people and injuring eight others.

The commander was not in the car when the bomb went off, but his driver and one of his bodyguards were killed instantly.

Three passengers from a bus passing nearby were also killed in the incident.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest attacks.

The fresh spate of violence in the chaotic Horn of African state has forced hundreds of families to flee their homes, adding to the humanitarian strife in the region.

Somalia has been marred by two decades of civil unrest following the ousting of former dictator Mohammad Siad Bare in 1991.

Years of fighting between rival warlords and an inability to deal with famine and disease have led to the deaths of hundred of thousands of people.

Israeli soldier killed in training accident

A Golani infantry brigade soldier has been shot and killed by a fellow soldier during a routine Israeli army training exercise in the Golan Heights.

Private Mor Cohen, 19, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head after a bullet fired by one of his comrades penetrated the wall of a training facility and hit him, according to Ynet news.

Cohen was taking part in an urban warfare drill. Shortly after the soldiers, taking part in the drill, began firing at their designated targets, the company commander noticed Cohen was missing.

The officer ordered the soldiers to cease fire and shortly thereafter found Cohen mortally injured outside a training facility building.

A military physician was called to the scene and Cohen was rushed to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed.

The wounded soldier's condition deteriorated en route to the hospital. Once at Ziv's emergency room, doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Military police have launched a separate investigation into the incident.

Japan to decide on US base pact by May

Japan's Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa sets May as the deadline to decide where to relocate a controversial US military air base currently in Okinawa.

"We must work as quickly as possible," Kitazawa told reporters on Tuesday, stressing that Tokyo hopes to settle the issue as quickly as possible.

Kitazawa said he supported a plan agreed with Washington in 2006 to move the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from an urban area to a less populated coastal region within the southern prefecture of Okinawa.

But the plan is facing strong opposition from residents and the Socialists in the ruling coalition, including Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who want the base to be totally moved off the island.

Hatoyama's center-left government, which came to power in Japan in August after almost five decades of conservative rule, has pledged to reconsider past agreements on the US military presence and adopt a less subservient position toward Washington.

The announcement of the deadline came on the heels of a call by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who urged Japan's ambassador in Washington to implement the 2006 agreement reached after years of negotiations.

Last week, the Japanese prime minister said it would take "several months" before he could announce his decision on the issue and that he was seeking an alternative site to the previously agreed area for the relocation of the base.

Locals in Okinawa, which currently hosts more than half the 47,000 US troops stationed in Japan, associate the US military presence on the island with crime and pollution, recalling the outrageous account of the rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl by three American soldiers in 1995.

Iran's Jalili urges global nuclear disarmament

Iran's top nuclear chief has called for the implementation of the UN nuclear watchdog regulations and the NPT Safeguards Agreement to bring about global disarmament.

"This is a very serious issue. An international demand should be created for the disarmament nationwide and particularly for powers who use their nuclear capabilities and warheads," Saeed Jalili told reporters in Tokyo.

He urged an investigation into reasons that certain countries have access to modern nuclear weapons.

Certain powers are testing new generation of nuclear arms. They intend to remove pressure of the world's public opinion for the international disarmament by making propaganda, he said.

"What measures have been taken about nuclear arms of the Zionist regime [Israel] by those who passed three resolutions against the Iranian nation only for the existence of few centrifuges in Iran?" Jalili asked in an address to the Security Council.

"Which powers have provided the illegitimate regime [Israel] with nuclear arms?"

The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council also said that all signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should have their rights.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the NPT will sustain serious damage if legal limitations are imposed to certain members that carry out their responsibilities," he said.

He called on the international community to make efforts to help international disarmament and non-proliferation and prepare ground for the access of all nations to peaceful nuclear energy.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that no country should possess nuclear arms but all nations should have access to peaceful nuclear energy," Jalili said and added that Iran opposes monopoly of peaceful unclear energy.

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, says its nuclear program only seeks civilian applications of the technology.

However, the West accuses the country of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

The IAEA, which is continuously monitoring Iran's activities, says there is no evidence proving the West's allegations.

In regards to a UN draft for exchange of Iran's low-enriched uranium with more redefined fuel, he said the West's approach toward the proposal shows that if the country did not possess 3.5 percent enriched uranium, they would not be willing to provide it with fuel required to produce medical isotopes.

Turning to the threats of sanctions against Tehran over the proposal, he said it is quite "bizarre" that they seek to impose sanctions against a country for not willing to buy fuel from them.

Ahmadinejad: US bound to fail in ME

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the US will definitely fail in the Middle East, as the regional nations will not allow it to dominate the region.

Addressing people in the southern city of Shiraz on Tuesday, President Ahmadinejad said Iran strongly opposes US plans to spread its dominance in the region.

"The problem is that the US seeks to dominate the Middle East but the Iranian nation is an obstacle [to it]," President Ahmadinejad said, adding that issues such as Iran's nuclear program and human rights were nothing but mere "pretexts".

"The nuclear game is repetitious, old-fashioned and boring. Say publicly that you are seeking dominance over the Middle East but Iran does not allow [you to do so]. "

"But the world should know that the Iranian nation and the regional countries will make it impossible for the US to dominate the Middle East," the president noted.

On Iran's nuclear issue, President Ahmadinejad rejected outright the allegations that Tehran was making nuclear bombs.

He said if wanted, Iran could build bombs, which it did not, adding that the Iranian nation would stand firm on whatsoever it has announced till it achieves it.

"[You should] know that if we wanted to build bombs, we had enough courage to announce that we were making bombs."

"We are a great and brave nation. We told you that we will launch the [nuclear] fuel cycle and we did it. We told you that we will industrialize the fuel production and we did it ... we told you that we will launch a new generation of centrifuges and we did."

Nasrallah warns of Israel's fresh psych-war

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has warned about what he describes as Israel's continuing campaign of psychological warfare.

Nasrallah on Monday called on Lebanon to remain steadfast in confronting Israeli psychological warfare, which he said would not cease to exist, but would instead escalate in the future.

He said Israel was seeking two objectives in its psychological warfare, in the first place to "intimidate" Arab countries to either "give in or step back" and in the second, to "recover self-confidence" in Israelis.

Nasrallah also underlined the need to remain vigilant in combating Israeli psychological warfare, reiterating that "insight" and a better understanding of the situation could help overcome Israel.

The Hezbollah leader promised that Lebanon will continue to confront Israel.

"I tell Israelis that you tried every form of psychological warfare against us, but in return you received nothing but greater bravery, stability and faith from our side. In the future, we will do the same thing."

Hezbollah leader hails Hariri's landmark visit to Syria

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has hailed the Lebanese prime minister's visit to Syria, calling it a practical step to open up 'new horizons' in ties between the two Arab neighbors.

"The important and historic visit helps make the atmosphere comfortable between the two countries. It will also help prevent any Shia-Sunni strife," Nasrallah's office said in a statement late on Saturday.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Saturday for talks to end nearly five years of animosity between Damascus and Hariri's March 14 alliance.

His visit opened a new chapter in relations between the countries, which have been characterized by upheaval and suspicion for decades.

"We want to open new horizons between the two countries. The three rounds of excellent talks with the Syrian leader were frank and based on clarity.

"There will be serious steps from our side and on the part of President Bashar al-Assad to translate this cordial and serious relationship into steps on the ground in several fields," Hariri told reporters at a press conference at the Lebanese Embassy in Damascus.

Beirut's relations with Damascus hit rock bottom following the 2005 assassination of Hariri's father, former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon that followed.

The two Arab neighbors established diplomatic ties for the first time last year, with Syria opening an embassy in Beirut, while Lebanon sent an ambassador to Damascus.

Lebanese analysts say an improvement of ties with Damascus would bridge the political divide in Lebanon, ease sectarian tensions, and provide Hariri with the necessary authority to push through long-delayed economic and other reforms.

Indonesia's vice president faces questioning over bank bail-out

Jakarta - Indonesian Vice President Boediono was questioned by a House of Representatives special committee Tuesday for his role in the controversial bail-out of a minor bank last year. Boediono, who was governor of the central bank at that time, insisted that rescuing Bank Century was the "right decision." If the bank had been allowed to fail it would have had systemic impact on the country's banking industry, he said.

Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati are both deemed responsible for the 6.7-trillion-rupiah (716-million-dollar) bail-out in late 2008. Indrawati was also faces questioning by the committee.

The cash injection was condemned by government auditors and led to accusations of graft and illicit campaign financing.

Boediono said the country at the time was facing a possible economic crisis due to the global downturn with Indonesia having unstable currency reserves and bank having stopped giving loans to each other. Rumours about ailing banks spread rapidly and foreign exchange was fluctuating.

"In such a kind of situation if a bank was left to collapse, no matter how small, it would cause a chain reaction in the banking industry," argued Boediono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

In its report to the House last month, the Supreme Audit Agency listed a number of irregularities linked to the bail-out process, for which the central bank failed to provide full information.

On Monday, former central bank officials including former governor Burhanuddin Abdullah, dismissed Boediono's line of argument, and said that Bank Century was "too small to pose a systemic threat" to the country's banking sector and the economy.

The emergency bail-out was enacted with a presidential decree. Politicians, however, later argued there was no legal basis for the rescue, particularly since most of the funds were injected after parliament had rejected a government regulation in lieu of law.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week rejected the committee's appeal to suspend both Boediono and Indrawati while the investigation is underway.

Economists and bankers had warned that the prolonged political debate over the rescue may harm the country's economy as Indonesia loses momentum to bolster growth, while other nations gear up to attract investors.

Yudhoyono has strongly denied any involvement, insisting that the bailout was necessary to protect the economy from a crisis.

North, South Korea to replace copper hot line with high-speed one

Seoul - North and South Korea plan to open high-speed military hotlines next week to speed up information exchanges between the two Koreas about border incidents. "Today, we will complete the construction of the fiber-optic connection to conduct a pilot contact with North Korea's military," Won Tae Jae, a spokesman of the South Korean Defense Ministry, said.

Construction began in October to replace the aging copper hotline with a fiber-optic line, using telecommunications equipment delivered from South Korea.

The hotline is to be opened after North Korea raised tension Monday by declaring a "firing zone" in the disputed sea border, warning the South to steer clear away from the area.

North Korea has refused to recognize the Northern Limit Line, a sea border demarcated by the United Nations after the 1950-53 Korean War.

Instead, Pyongyang drew the Military Demarcation Line just south of the Northern Limit Line in 1999.

Stolen Pharaonic paintings return to Egypt from the Louvre

Cairo - Five ancient Egyptian paintings have returned to Cairo, Egypt's chief archaeologist Zahi Hawass announced Tuesday, after Paris' Louvre museum agreed to send them back. The 3,500-year-old paintings, from the tomb of a nobleman near the southern Egyptian city of Luxor, were stolen some time after 1975 and were acquired by the Louvre in 2000 and 2003.

Archaeologists from Germany's Heidelberg University in January 2009 notified Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities that the stolen paintings were at the Louvre.

"I believe returning these artifacts to Egypt is a good example to show that any museum that buys stolen artifacts will have an immediate reaction against them," Hawass said in a statement Tuesday.

"Any museum that buys stolen artifacts will receive this same treatment," Hawass said.

Cairo had cut relations with the Louvre over the paintings, but French President Nicolas Sarkozy last week symbolically returned them to Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak in a ceremony in Paris.

The announcement came amid a dispute over a 3,300-year-old bust of the ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti now housed in Berlin's Neues Museum.

Hawass on Sunday said he would formally request the bust's return to Egypt this week.

Hawass said documents presented by Friederike Seyfried, the director of Berlin's Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, proved the bust was taken from Egypt fraudulently.

Seyfried disputes that reading of the documents.

"The German position is clear and unequivocal," she said. "The acquisition of the bust by the Prussian state was lawful."

Seyfried was in Cairo Sunday to discuss future cooperation, including shared exhibitions and an exchange program for conservators, she said.

The Berlin museum has not ruled out the possibility of lending Nefertiti to Egypt for a fixed period, and is currently checking whether the 3,500-year-old bust is fit to travel.

China issues arrest warrant for milk-scandal activist

Beijing - Chinese authorities issued an arrest warrant for the father of a child who fell ill during a contaminated milk scandal and had set up a website to help other parents, a human rights group reported Tuesday. Zhao Lianhai, whose son was one of 300,000 children affected after drinking melamine-tainted milk powder, had been taken away by police on November 13, the activist group China Human Rights Defenders said.

The warrant, issued on Thursday, now formalizes his arrest, and indicates that the authorities plan a trial against the activist.

Zhao had set up a website, Jieshi Baobao (kidney stone babies) and tried to organize parents of other affected babies online and fight for compensation.

Police in November also searched Zhao's house and confiscated two computers, the group said, citing information from Zhao's wife.

According to official reports, six children died and more than 300,000 became ill from industrial chemical melamine that was added to milk powder and other Chinese milk products.

The scandal was hushed up for several months during last year's Beijing Olympics and only became public in September 2008, when hospitals were overcrowded with sick infants.

Some families have already received compensation from the companies involved in the incident.

Eurostar services resume amid angry scenes - Update

Paris/London - Passengers vented their anger at Eurostar staff as a limited train service resumed through the Channel tunnel Tuesday following a three-day shutdown. Eurostar said it would operate at 75 per-cent capacity Tuesday and give priority to passengers who have been stuck following the breakdown of four high-speed trains in the tunnel Saturday.

The operator said it would take no new bookings until the backlog was cleared. A first train departed from the Gare du Nord station in Paris early Tuesday, followed by a service from London St Pancras to Paris a little later.

However, confusion reigned at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris early Tuesday as the first train prepared to leave.

Priority was given to travelers who had purchased tickets for the weekend, but ticket holders did not appear to be well informed about which queue was the correct one.

A young woman named Shula, who had a ticket for a Monday train to London, told Europe 1 radio that she had been at the station since 5.30 am.

"And I am determined to spend the entire day here if that means I will be able to leave," she said.

In London, where people queued in their thousands to board the first trains, passenger fury erupted as travelers were told there was "no guarantee" they would reach their destinations before Christmas.

Amid chaotic scenes at the station, and with police on standby, some spoke of their frustration that they were not guaranteed a seat.

A Eurostar spokeswoman said the company would operate a services on a "shuttle basis" to get as many people across the Channel as possible.

But when asked whether ticket-holders were guaranteed to get home in time for December 25, she said: "I cannot guarantee that, no."

US citizen Bryan Field, who was planning to travel to Italy for Christmas, said rail bosses should have been better prepared for the wintry weather.

"Why aren't the British prepared?," he asked, after spending three nights in a London hotel waiting for a train to go.

Daniel Sharp, from London, was forced to postpone his weekend plans to visit his girlfriend in southern France, but boarded a train Tuesday.

"I'm glad to be getting across to see her at last, but am highly unsure that I will now be getting back to Britain for Christmas. They definitely have a lot to answer for," he said.

On average, some 15,000 people a day travel from St Pancras on Eurostar.

"We are looking at running extra trains," said spokesman Matthias Maher. "But it is very much dependent on the weather. There is just no way of guaranteeing seats for the people here."

The nightmare began Saturday when four Eurostar trains broke down in the tunnel, trapping more than 2,000 people for up to 15 hours and shutting down the service.

Heavy snowfall and icy temperatures in northern France are thought to be responsible for the breakdown of the trains. A further two trains also experienced problems.

The weekend cancellations affected some 59,000 people, including many families with children, who would have used the trains in the busy final weekend before Christmas.

Eurostar promised Monday to "get people home for Christmas" but said a normal service would only be restored after the holiday.

Israel sends Hamas answer on prisoner deal - 2nd Update

Jerusalem - Israel has sent Hamas its response to the Islamist organization's demands for a prisoner swap which would see hundreds of jailed Palestinian militants freed in exchange for an Israeli soldier held captive in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is demanding the release of around 1,000 jailed militants in exchange for Gilad Shalit, who was snatched on June 25, 2006 during a cross-border raid by three militias based in the coastal strip. salient.

A senior Hamas official, Ayman Taha, said his organization would "immediately convene" to study the Israeli proposals once received, and then submit its own reply. He did not say when the German mediator involved in the talks would hand over the Israeli response.

Israel Radio, quoting "senior officials," Tuesday morning, said the Israeli response includes a list of prisoners Israel will not let return to their homes in the West Bank, but wants to send to the Gaza Strip or exile overseas.

"So far, Hamas still rejects the principle of deporting a large number of prisoners out the Palestinian territories, and still wants to reduce the number of prisoners that Israel wants to deport to Gaza or abroad," Taha told the German Press Agency dpa.

The Israel answer to the Hamas demands was given after seven top ministers met on Monday to continue discussions on the deal.

Their talks - their fifth session since Sunday -ended without any formal announcement, despite speculation to the contrary beforehand.

All Israeli officials would say immediately after the meeting broke up after midnight, was that the government's negotiating team has been instructed to continue its efforts to secure Shalit's release.

The exact parameters of the proposed deal have been kept tightly under wraps and few details have been leaked from the meetings the seven ministers have held.

Reports which have emerged from the discussions say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to allowing freed Hamas activists to return to their homes in the West Bank, for fear they would launch attacks on nearby Israeli population centers, or would attack the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank and is Hamas' bitter rival.

The premier is believed to be holding out for the activists to be sent to the Gaza Strip, or even exiled overseas.

According to Israeli media reports Tuesday, if Hamas accepts this demand, the full Israeli cabinet would be convened in order to approve the deal.

Atomic bomb allegations 'make us puke,' Ahmadinejad says - Summary

Tehran - Allegations that Iran is seeking to make atomic bombs "make us ... just puke," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday. "These constant allegations against Iran have become an unfunny joke and make us and our nation just puke," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Shiraz in southern Iran.

"If we wanted to make an atomic bomb, then we would have been courageous enough to say that we were doing it," the president said in the speech, carried live by the news network Khabar.

He added that Iran was engaged only in a peaceful nuclear program and would not allow any country, "neither the United States nor the US servants," to interfere in Iran's internal affairs and deprive it of its legitimate nuclear rights.

"If they come up with documents [regarding secret Iranian military programs], we do not even look at them, and if they make deadlines [for making concessions in the nuclear dispute], then we in return will make deadlines for them to correct their policies," the president said.

Ahmadinejad was mainly referring to documents disclosed last week by the Times newspaper claiming Tehran was working on a four-year plan to make a nuclear bomb.

The president and the Foreign Ministry had rejected the report, saying the documents were fabricated.

Ahmadinejad also rejected what he termed interpretations in the West that the Iranian government has become weak following June's disputed presidential election which was overshadowed by fraud charges and caused a massive protests in the country.

"The West should know that the Iranian government is now 10 times stronger than last year," he said.

Ahmadinejad reiterated that "Iran would not welcome another dispute or confrontation" but still welcomed negotiations with world powers based on "logic and justice."

"But when we say something, then we mean it and will go until the end," he said, referring to his uncompromising stance in the nuclear dispute and the continuation of Iran's nuclear projects.

Ahmadinejad has ordered the construction of 10 more uranium enrichment sites and use of a new generation of more advanced centrifuges for accelerating the uranium enrichment process.

Ahmadinejad's deputy Ali Akbar Salehi said last week that a new generation of centrifuges would be ready by March 2011.

Salehi, who is also head of Iran's Atomic Organization, further claimed that 6,000 centrifuges - believed to be mainly the older models - were now operating at the Natanz uranium enrichment plant.

Iran insists it has the right to pursue peaceful nuclear development as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and rejects Western charges that it has been working on a secret nuclear program to make an atomic bomb.

However, its lack of transparency regarding its nuclear program and refusal to suspend uranium enrichment have led to several United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions against the Islamic state.

Kashmir leader 'denied' Pakistan visa

A leading politician in Indian-administered Kashmir has been denied a visa to visit Pakistan, her spokesman has said.

Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), had been invited to a conference in Islamabad, her spokesman added.

Ms Mufti has visited Pakistan twice in recent years, her spokesman said.

There has been no response so far from the Pakistan high commission in India to the statement.

Ms Mufti spokesman said that the leader had been invited by an NGO to a conference in Islamabad.

Several other pro-India Kashmiri leaders, including chief minister Omar Abdullah, have also visited Pakistan recently.

Sri Lanka Navy claims seizure of Tamil rebel ship

Colombo – The Sri Lanka Navy has seized a ship reported to have been used by Tamil rebels to smuggle weapons, the Defense Ministry said Monday. The vessel, known as the MV Princess Cristina, was escorted to Colombo harbor, the ministry said.

It did not say where the 89-meter-long ship was seized or the country of origin of the carrier.

The vessel was reported to have been seized based on information provided by a key Tamil rebel now in the custody of the government. The suspect, known as Kumaran Pathmanathan, was arrested in Thailand.

The Defense Ministry charged that the ship was also used in human trafficking.

Government troops ended a 26-year civil war in northern and eastern Sri Lanka in May after killing the Tamil rebel leadership. Before their defeat, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were known to have their own ships and have a navy.

In a separate development, the government said Monday that a key highway between the north and the south opened to the public without any restrictions.

Although the war was ended in May, the A9 road between the northern Jaffna Peninsula and the south of the country had been open only to members of the public traveling with an army escort and police clearance.

"We have fully opened the road, and no registration process is required," military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

The only land route from the north was initially closed in 1990 and was until now open only during a ceasefire from 2002 to 2006, but at that time, part of the road was under the control of the LTTE.