Iran will 'quicken nuclear work if US threats continue'

Iran's Parliament Speaker says his country will 'speed up' its nuclear work if the Obama administration continues to threaten the country with a new round of sanctions.

"Even if US President Barack Obama dares to repeat threats of tougher sanction against us as much as ten times, we will still be determined to pursue our enrichment program, but with a much faster pace," said Ali Larijani on Thursday.

Only hours after Iran announced a decision to domestically produce higher-enriched uranium under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog, Obama warned that the US is preparing a “significant regime of sanctions” against the Tehran government.

The US president, who was speaking to reporters on Tuesday, went on to accuse Iran of spurning his offer of engagement in order to continue what he called Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Larijani responded to the US allegations, warning that if continued, the threats will have heavy consequences in both Iran and the US.

"Whenever we make a significant breakthrough, whether it is launching a satellite into space or any other technological or scientific achievement, they quickly demonize it and claim that it is aimed at military or spying purposes," said Larijani.

"But their problem really lies with the fact that our status in the international scene is changing for the better," added the Iranian Parliament Speaker. "They can not bear to see our progress, which is why they want to keep us as an underdeveloped country."

Larijani noted that Western superpowers have ceaselessly sought to sow discord among Iranians in order to "fish in troubled waters."

The Iranian official made the comments in a large crowd marking the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=118461§ionid=351020104.

'US to expand military centers in Pakistan'

A senior US official says the American military plans to expand new training centers inside Pakistan in a bid to boost its so-called war on terror.

The senior US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the centers would be used to accelerate and expand the training of Pakistani forces, AP reported.

Washington which invaded neighboring Afghanistan more than eight years ago to allegedly destroy the militancy says the Pakistani military is key to rooting out al-Qaeda leaders allegedly hiding along the mountainous Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

According to the official, the plan will build a number of smaller training centers in the Northwest. Senior US officials have said they hope to train more than 9,000 members of the Pakistani Frontier Corps paramilitary force. The plan will also slash their previous four-year training time by half.

This comes at a time when anti-US sentiments are running high in Pakistan. Indiscriminate US drone attacks have killed hundreds of civilians in Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas, resulting in a surge in anti-American sentiments.

Anti-US groups have targeted growing numbers of American troops inside Pakistan. Last week, three US special operations soldiers were killed and two others wounded by a roadside bomb inside Pakistan. They were the first known US military fatalities in nearly three years.

Pakistan's Jamiat Ulema-e Islam Chief Maulana Fazal-Ur-Rehman said Monday that approximately 9,000 agents working for the US-based security firm Xe Services LLC (formerly known as Blackwater) are operating in Pakistan. He said that the number of Blackwater mercenaries exceeds that of Islamabad's police force, which stands at 7,000.

Fazl-Ur-Rehman condemned what he described as foreign aggression in Pakistan, holding Blackwater responsible for Taliban-like terrorist activities in the country.

Former Pakistani intelligence Chief Asad Durani told Press TV that he was able to confirm the involvement of the infamous US security contractor in US drone attacks on northwestern Pakistan.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik had repeatedly denied the presence of Blackwater in Pakistan. "No such agency named Blackwater is working in Pakistan," the minister said in January.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=118452§ionid=351020401.

Egypt to train Somali security forces, official says

Fri Feb 12, 2010

The Egyptian Government has expressed readiness to train recruits for Somalia's embattled military and police, Somali officials say.

Somali government officials confirmed on Friday Egypt's readiness to train 400 Somali police and military troops in an attempt to help combat piracy in Somali waters, a Press TV correspondent reported.

The confirmation comes after an official with Egypt's Foreign Office, Muna Omar, also verified her country's bid to assist in anti-piracy operations.

Somalia has been blighted by a 19-year-long bloody internal conflict that has created a myriad of other problems for the impoverished nation including piracy in the high seas around the Horn of Africa.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/118460.html.

Illuminated Qura'ns adorn Golestan Palace Museum

Tehran's Golestan Palace Museum is displaying a collection of exquisitely decorated Qur'ans that audiences will take to their hearts.

The exhibition, which will run until February 20, 2010, presents 11 Qura'ns — Muslims' holiest book which stands as the definitive word of God — that date to the Iranian Safavid (1502-1722 CE) and Qajar (1794-1925 CE) dynasties.

Most of the copies of the Qura'n are written in the Nasta'liq script, which is the most popular contemporary style among classical Persian calligraphy scripts. Persian calligraphers call it the "Bride of the Calligraphy Scripts."

Nasta'liq has a very clear framework for the graphic shape of the letters and for combinations of the letters and words — the composition of the calligraphy on the whole.

Persian calligraphy is considered one of the highest achievements of Iranian art and culture. Its history dates to pre-Islamic times (about 500-600 BCE) when Iran's Zoroastrians praised exceptional calligraphy as an art form.

Persian calligraphy is also a venerated form of Islamic art. Enthusiasts say it provides a common link between Islam and the various languages of Muslims worldwide.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=118459§ionid=351020105.

Turkey to launch Persian language TV network

The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) is planning to launch a Persian television broadcast in attempts to serve Farsi-speaking audiences.

The new TRT project will include news and documentaries covering politics, economics and cultural topics. The channel's target viewers would be around 100 million people across the Middle East, Europe and Asia — 70 million in Iran, 20 million in Afghanistan and 10 million in Tajikistan and central Asia.

The TRT Persian-language TV network is a project moving parallel to the needs of Turkey's foreign policy and other developments.

The project aims to recall the thousands of years of shared culture and relations between the Turks and Iranians.

This is while the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation will launch an Arabic-language channel on February 21.

The Turkish daily Today's Zaman has said the channel would feature several news presenters brought in from Al-Jazeera TV.

“We (Turks and Arab people) have lived together for many years in this region. Following the First World War, there was a disconnection between us. We're trying to bridge that gap. The best way to do this is to explain ourselves and our position to them in their own language,” TRT Istanbul Manager Akir Ozbek was quoted as saying.

Agreements have been made with all the Arabic-speaking countries to enable the Arabic TRT channel to be carried by satellite.

TRT also has plans for an English-language news station, and possibly even a Russian-language channel.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=118457§ionid=3510212.

Palestinians slam Netanyahu for hindering peace

Fri, 22 Jan 2010

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for hampering the resumption of peace negotiations.

Eraket said Friday that Netanyahu "imposed further conditions on negotiations and announced Israel's intention to continue its occupation" of the West Bank whatever happens, Reuters reported.

"Benjamin Netanyahu has said 'No' to a settlement freeze, 'No' to sharing Jerusalem, 'No' to the 1967 borders, 'No' to the rights of Palestinian refugees. Now he wants to retain the Jordan Valley," Erakat added.

"We had hoped to hear a clear commitment to negotiations without preconditions. What we got instead was Mr. Netanyahu again trying to dictate their terms and preempt their outcome," he said.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu scorned acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas for his refusal to end a year-old suspension of peace talks over demands for settlement freeze in the occupied Palestinian lands.

The negations have been halted due to Israel's refusal to freeze settlement construction in the occupied territories.

The Palestinians have repeatedly called for a clear framework for the talks and a timetable for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and East Jerusalem Al-Quds, which was occupied by Israel in 1967.

Abbas says he will not return to the negotiation table without a complete freeze to illegal settlement activities — a request Israel has so far refused.

The settlement construction on occupied Palestinian land is in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 446, 452 and 465.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=116800§ionid=351020202.

Schools close as South starts getting rare snow

By MELISSA NELSON, Associated Press Writer

PENSACOLA, Fla. – It took back-to-back blizzards to paralyze the nation's capital, but in the Deep South it only takes a couple inches of snow.

Flakes were falling — or threatened — Friday from Texas to the Florida Panhandle and then up along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, bringing a rare white landscape to spots that haven't seen snow in a decade or longer. The storm was crawling east out of Texas, where it left the Dallas area with more than a foot of snow, nearly 200 traffic accidents, thousands without power and hundreds of canceled flights.

Far less snow was falling in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. But it was still have a crippling effect. Snow, ice and sleet closed parts of Interstate 49 in central Louisiana.

Just the anticipation of an inch of snow was enough to close schools in the Florida Panhandle, while classes also were canceled in parts of Alabama.

In Pensacola, only heavy rain was falling early Friday as the area braced for possible snow.

Even a Starbucks in nearby Gulf Breeze, Fla., delayed opening. Jim Pavelic, a retiree from Chicago who relocated to Florida, made his way to the door of the store around 6:20 a.m. and read the sign noting the store would open late "due to the unprecedented weather patterns."

Pavelic couldn't believe it.

"You cannot even get a cup of coffee and it's raining," he said, laughing. "At least I don't need a snow shovel."

Several oceanside communities in South Carolina including Charleston — which hasn't seen recorded snowfall since January 2000 — could see between 2 and 4 inches of snow, said Jonathan Lamb, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Charleston.

And as much as 3 inches could hit Savannah, Ga., where snow was last traced in February 1996 — "and that was only 0.2 inches," Lamb said. It's been two decades since Georgia's oldest city had any notable accumulation, with 3.6 inches falling in December 1989. Normally, temperatures in February don't dip below 41 degrees.

"There's no doubt this is a significant event for us," Lamb said.

Highway patrol troopers in Texas, Alabama and several other states warned of treacherous morning commutes. Dallas police responded to 41 major traffic accidents and 132 minor ones Thursday, though no serious injuries were reported. The roof of a tire warehouse in west Dallas collapsed under the heavy snow overnight, leaving a gaping hole in the roof but causing no injuries.

American Airlines canceled about 240 flights Friday, mainly at its hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, airline spokesman Steve Schlachter said.

The snowfall made this the snowiest winter in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 32 seasons.

In Atlanta, Delta Air Lines canceled 400 flights for Friday in anticipation of as much as 2 inches of snow expected in the region. AirTran also thinned its schedule, announcing Thursday plans to cut 32 of its flights on Friday because of the threat of snow. That included flights in and out of Atlanta.

The snow hitting the Deep South comes just a week after the first of back-to-back blizzards hit Washington, D.C. — which ended up with about 28 inches of snow — and along the Eastern Seaboard. Residents are still digging out from those storms, which forced the federal government to shut down for about a week.

Laos enters final round in WTO accession negotiations

Vientiane - Communist Laos has entered the final round of negotiations to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO), state media reported Friday. The process, which has been ongoing for 13 years, was set to accelerate in the coming year, the report said.

"Laos is in the final round of negotiations for WTO accession," Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Nam Vinhaket told a conference on the WTO held in Vientiane this week.

The minister said Laos still needed to address questions regarding its service sector before entry was possible, the Vientiane Times reported.

"It is important to improve our laws not only for WTO but for ourselves, to integrate our economy into the international trade systems," he said.

Nam noted that it took China 15 years before gaining WTO membership in 2001, while after 13 years of talks Laos is already not far from its goal.

"This year, we will step up our negotiations for WTO accession," Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongloun Sisoulith told the same conference. "We need to do many things, we need to be more active and responsible to accelerate our work."

Laos, under communist rule since 1975, has opened up the economy to foreign trade and private investment since 1987.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308850,laos-enters-final-round-in-wto-accession-negotiations.html.

Alcohol ban for Papua New Guinea province

Sydney - An alcohol ban that is to come into force in Papua New Guinea's restive Southern Highlands province in May is needed to quell tribal violence that has cost dozens of lives since the start of the year, the local police chief said Friday. "Liquor contributes to at least 75 per cent of the law and order problems," Superintendent Jimmy Onopia told Australian public broadcaster ABC.

The Southern Highlands, home to 550,000 people, is the most populous of Papua New Guinea's 20 provinces and the location of a crucially important liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

Inter-clan violence last month prompted ExxonMobil Corp to halt work on sections of a 600-kilometer pipeline that is part of a gas project costing 14 billion US dollars.

Minister for Community Development Carol Kidu blamed the violence on squabbles over LNG royalties rather than drunkenness.

"Suddenly, with this LNG project and all of the tensions and jealousies over the land ownership and all these things, it blew up into a tribal war, a village war, an inter-village war," she said last week.

The Australian National University's Aaron Batten, a specialist on Pacific economies, said the Southern Highlands was likely to go the way of other Papua New Guinea provinces where the exploitation of natural resources had created a cash flow.

"PNG's history bears these risks out all too well," he said. "Those provinces which have recorded the largest earnings from resource extraction have been plagued by the weakest governance, the poorest levels of service delivery and in many cases by violence."

Papua New Guinea, a country of 6.6 million, is 148th out of 182 countries in the United Nations' human development index. Earlier this week the capital, Port Moresby, was fourth from the bottom in The Economist magazine's annual survey of the world's most livable cities.

In a ranking that took into account factors like healthcare, culture, environment and education, Port Moresby was ahead of only Harare in Zimbabwe, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Algeria's capital Algiers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308854,alcohol-ban-for-papua-new-guinea-province.html.

Myanmar junta chief confirms election to be held this year

Yangon - Myanmar military supremo Senior General Than Shwe confirmed Friday that the junta will hold a general election this year, honoring previous commitments to the international community. "A free and fair general election will be held this year in accordance with the seven step road map," Than Shwe said in a speech commemorating the 63rd anniversary of Union Day in the military capital of Naypyitaw, 350 kilometers north of Yangon.

The junta's road map lists a general election as one of the steps towards a "discipline-flourishing democracy."

Burmese Union Day commemorates the signing of an agreement in 1947 among various Myanmar ethnic groups and factions to create the independent republic of Burma.

Now known as Myanmar, the country was granted independence from Britain after a century of colonial rule in 1948.

In Yangon, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party used the occasion to reiterate calls for the release of all political prisoners, including Nobel laurate Aung San Suu Kyi, prior to the polls.

Suu Kyi, who has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest, was sentenced in May to another 18 months detention, effectively preventing her participation in any elections in 2010.

The party also called for the release of NLD Vice Chairman Tin Oo, who has been detained in his home for the past seven years. His detention period is due to expire on Saturday.

Rumours circulated in Yangon that Tin Oo, 84, is to be released late Friday or Saturday.

"U (Mr) Tin Oo has paid dearly for his courageous opposition to military rule," Human Rights Watch's Asia director Brad Adams said.

"His release on schedule will be an important test of whether Burma's generals will allow even modest pluralism before the elections this year," he said in a statement issued from HRW's New York headquarters.

Myanmar authorities arrested Tin Oo in May 2003 on politically motivated charges of disturbing public order after pro-government militias attacked the convoy carrying him and Suu Kyi near Depayin, in Upper Myanmar.

Tin Oo, a former military officer, was one of the founders of the NLD, which won Myanmar's last election in 1990.

The military has denied the NLD power for the past 20 years.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308861,myanmar-junta-chief-confirms-election-to-be-held-this-year.html.

ROUNDUP Astronauts install new room on International Space Station

Washington- Astronauts installed a new room on the International Space Station (ISS) Friday in a more than six-hour spacewalk and robotic effort. The Italian-made Tranquility node was attached to the outside of the station during the six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk that ended at 0849 GMT Friday.

Spacewalking astronauts Bob Behnken and Nicholas Patrick first prepared Tranquility to be removed from the space shuttle Endeavor's storage area, before astronauts Terry Virts and Kay Hire inside the ISS could maneuver a robotic arm to lift it out and attach it to the outside of the station.

The spacewalkers then connected cables between Tranquility and the ISS, making the orbiting space lab 90-per-cent complete. The hatch between Tranquility and the rest of the ISS will be opened early Saturday.

It will provide ISS's permanent crew with more space and house life support and environmental control systems, a treadmill and other equipment.

Perhaps the most anticipated part of Tranquility is the cupola that it will attach to the station. The six-windowed space will allow astronauts to operate robotic controls and get a 360-degree view, like a crane operator sitting in a cabin.

It is the largest window ever flown into space and is made of specially equipped glass that protects crew from solar radiation. The view will allow scientific observations and provide long-term astronauts with a much-need glimpse of home.

Two later spacewalks will complete Tranquility's hook-up with the station and get it fully functional, with the next set for 0209 GMT Sunday.

Since arriving Wednesday at the ISS, the Endeavor crew has done further repair work on a faulty piece of equipment designed to turn urine into drinkable water. The equipment has frequently malfunctioned, and several recent shuttle flights have delivered replacement parts.

ISS flight director Mike Lammers said Thursday that the repairs appeared to have solved the problem, but more tests were needed before astronauts could resume using the filter.

NASA said it had found a rip in a tile of Endeavor's heat shield and a protruding ceramic ring on the cockpit in a safety inspection of the shuttle.

US space agency experts are analyzing the issues, but further inspection would likely not be necessary. Since the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry in 2003 due to a problem with its heat shield, NASA has conducted thorough investigations of each shuttle after take-off.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308862,roundup-astronauts-install-new-room-on-international-space-station.html.

Parliamentary election campaign starts in Iraq

Baghdad - Election campaigns were launched in Iraq Friday by 6,172 candidates competing in the country's parliamentary election, set for March 7. Campaign posters and banners were seen across the different provinces from the early hours of Friday, while hundreds of people were walking in the streets distributing cards introducing the different candidates vying for the 325 seats in parliament.

Media outlets affiliated to major parties started advertising their party's electoral programs and displaying pictures of candidates, while newspapers are expected to publish detailed articles on the progress of candidates.

Campaigning will continue until March 5, in one of the shortest election campaigns since the fall of Saddam Hussein in the US-led invasion in 2003.

The start of the campaigning was postponed about a week by the electoral commission to allow for more time to settle the question of whether a group of candidates who had been barred from the election should be allowed to run.

Last month, some 500 candidates were initially blocked from participating in the coming polls because of their alleged connections to the former ruling Baath Party. The judicial electoral commission canceled the ban and described it as "illegal and unconstitutional."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308871,parliamentary-election-campaign-starts-in-iraq.html.

EADS aims to sell 300 Eurofighters, focus on Asia

New Delhi - The manufacturer of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet Friday said it was hoping to sell 300 fighter aircraft in the next 20 years with India representing nearly half of the potential orders. European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company NV (EADS) said there were "substantial" growth opportunities in the world market with India playing a "crucial" role.

In one of the biggest defence deals globally, New Delhi is to buy 126 multi-role combat aircraft that may be worth as much as 11 billion dollars.

"We evaluate the global demand for combat aircraft in the next 20 years at around 800 units. For Eurofighter Typhoon, we target 300 additional export contracts, with Asia representing a substantial part of these orders," Enzo Casolini, chief executive officer of Eurofighter GmbH, said in a statement.

According to EADS officials, the 300 export contracts were inclusive of the potential Indian order.

Bernhard Gerwert, chief executive of Military Air Systems, part of EADS, said that the company was keen on winning the Indian order.

"We are well positioned in the ongoing tender for the acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) because the Eurofighter Typhoon is the ideal answer to the threats that India faces," Gerwert said.

The EADS officials were speaking ahead of Defexpo 2010,India's largest international military exhibition beginning February 15.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is competing with Boeing Co's F/A-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin Corp's F-16, Russia's MiG-35, France's Dassault Rafale and Sweden's Gripen for the deal.

The companies submitted their bids in April 2008 to supply the jets as the Indian Air Force, which flies mainly Russian-made jets, is seeking to strengthen its fighter squadron fleet.

India is in the process of modernizing its defense forces, and several deals are in the pipeline, making it one of the world's leading arms' importers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308875,eads-aims-to-sell-300-eurofighters-focus-on-asia.html.

Beirut appeals to Spain for security help

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Spain needs to take a leadership role as the rotating head of the European Union and call on Israel to stop its aggression against Lebanon, Beirut said.

Spanish King Juan Carlos I paid a visit to Beirut to meet with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and other top leaders. Suleiman during an honorary dinner for the visiting monarch at the presidential palace praised the Spanish leadership in the fight against terrorism, Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper reports.

Suleiman added, however, that more could be done to persuade Israel to honor its international commitments regarding Lebanon.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which helped broker a cease-fire to a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, calls on Hezbollah to give up its weapons while reminding Israel of its duty to respect Lebanese territory.

Israel is accused of daily violations of Resolution 1701, while Beirut approved a measure in 2009 that lets Hezbollah, now a member of the government, keep its weapons.

Suleiman, meanwhile, praised the monarch for supporting peacekeeping efforts in the region as Spain assumes the leadership of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.

Madrid holds the rotating presidency of the EU currently.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/02/09/Beirut-appeals-to-Spain-for-security-help/UPI-38821265744610/.

Morocco, US to launch environmental protection plan

2010-02-10

Morocco and the United States on Tuesday (February 9th) signed a joint environmental protection and sustainable development "action plan", MAP reported. Under the accord completed in Rabat, the nations will co-operate on preserving biodiversity, managing important eco-system sites and boosting public awareness of environmental issues.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/10/newsbrief-05.

Renault to build Algeria factory

2010-02-10

Renault is expected to announce construction of a new car factory in Algeria, Le Monde reported on Wednesday (February 10th). The factory in Rouiba, near Algiers, would reportedly assemble some 50,000 Logan, Sandro and Symbol models each year.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/10/newsbrief-04.

Algeria, Niger to boost border security

2010-02-10

To stem smuggling, illegal immigration and arms dealing across their countries' shared border, the top customs' administrators of Algeria and Niger agreed Tuesday (February 9th) in Algiers to improve co-operation efforts. Mohamed Abdou Bouderbala of Algeria and Ibro Salifo Dodo of Nigeria also discussed establishing a joint border center to exchange information and exert better control over the movement of people and goods.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/10/newsbrief-03.

Algerian sailors greet NATO anti-mining group

2010-02-10

NATO anti-mine ships arrived on a "non-official" visit in the port of Algiers on Tuesday (February 9th). The 4-day call is part of an effort to build bilateral co-operation with Algeria's National Popular Army (ANP), El Moudjahid quoted a NATO spokesman as saying. Algerian naval cadets and officers will visit the ships to learn more about anti-mine technologies. Football matches between Algerian and NATO sailors have also been scheduled.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/10/newsbrief-01.

Corruption probes rock Algeria

A wave of scandals involving huge government contracts seems poised to scuttle the careers of many Algerian officials.

By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 10/02/10

Corruption scandals are piling up in Algeria, with allegations of nepotism and kickbacks connected to lucrative contracts reaching high-ranking officials.

Mammoth state-run energy company Sonatrach still has more secrets to reveal. The courts confirmed on January 28th that two senior managers are being held along with two sons of the CEO, Mohamed Meziane, who himself is being probed for alleged corruption, bribery and criminal conspiracy.

Although the current inquiry tackles giant contracts that allegedly skipped a call for tenders, former Sonatrach vice president Hocine Malti wrote on January 31st in the El Watan newspaper that corruption at the firm goes far deeper. He appealed to the public to go after "the sale of oil", which he said would reveal that Sonatrach "completes few spot sales, and most of its exports go to just four or five customers."

"If you dig a little deeper, you will realize that behind each of these customers is a member of the entourage, that these 'barons' have their stooges in Algiers, but also have 'correspondents' working at Sonatrach offices in London or Houston," wrote Malti.

Energy Minister Chakib Khelil on February 1st said he was completely unaware of the Sonatrach affair and related probes. He added that the accused senior managers were innocent until proved otherwise, and said he would not be stepping down from his post.

Meanwhile, the Sonatrach inquiry is expanding to embrace the firm's funding of a conference center and a five-star hotel for the April 2010 international gas summit in Oran. Other inquiries are under way at Hassi Messaoud, where oil wells are located and large contracts are awarded.

Public Works Minister Amar Ghoul has also drawn scrutiny from the courts in recent months. Several top officials connected to his ministry's East-West Highway have been imprisoned for engaging in corrupt practices with the Chinese partner in the project.

Yet another scandal erupted after a high-ranking official in the fisheries ministry was found guilty of orchestrating illegal business deals with foreign parties. Other sectors have not been spared; four senior managers of Algérie Poste have just seen their prison sentences for corruption confirmed by the courts.

Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni on February 3rd told the press that the wave of investigations is not a "hand-washing exercise". Nevertheless, he characterized them as mere ongoing inquiries similar to others around the world.

In a press conference the same day, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said: "[Corruption] is not a new issue; it comes around from time to time." He added that it was traditional for someone in his position to not judge or comment until the courts have delivered a verdict.

Asked about the political responsibility of the ministers in these scandals, the prime minister said that until the courts have ruled, "there is the presumption of innocence... political responsibility has not been established". And while acknowledging the Sonatrach affair's importance, because of the huge amounts of money involved, he also noted the Justice Ministry's involvement in "over 4,000 cases of corruption since 2006".

Ouyahia reminded his audience that a directive was signed in December 2009 by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. "The fight against corruption is not a chance thing, nor is it a recent thing," he said.

A national body to stamp out corruption "will be up and running by the end of next March", the prime minister declared, adding that an even more vigilant "committee" would start anti-corruption activities at an unspecified date.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/10/feature-01.

Hamas official warns of risk of war

Wed, 10 Feb 2010

Cairo - A Syria-based Hamas leader on Wednesday warned "there could be war at any time," as the row between Damascus and Jersualem continued to escalate. "Israel is an aggressive country that cannot be trusted," Moussa Abu Marzouq, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau in Damascus, told the German Press Agency...

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308504,hamas-official-warns-of-risk-of-war.html.

Islamist reinforcements enter Somali capital

Wed, 10 Feb 2010

Mogadishu (Earth Times) - Hundreds of heavily armed Islamist insurgents are pouring into the Somali capital Mogadishu, witnesses said Wednesday, amid reports the government is ready to launch a major offensive. Insurgent group al-Shabaab, which recently announced it was joining al-Qaeda's international jihad, is pushing to oust the weak Western-backed government and controls much of Mogadishu and south and central Somalia.

"Hundreds of Al-Shabaab forces are passing us towards Mogadishu in their armored vehicles," Maslah Afrah Elmi, a resident in Afgooye District, told the German Press Agency.

The weak Western-backed government is also building up forces on the streets of Mogadishu as it prepares to try and win back ground from the insurgents.

Residents said they saw government soldiers with new technicals - 4x4s mounted with machine guns - in the capital

"The situation in Mogadishu is not normal, I can see that both sides are preparing to fight," Sucdi Farah Ali, a mother of three, told...

Clint Eastwood: Obama lacks strong leadership

Wed, 10 Feb 2010

New York/Hamburg - Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood has accused President Barack Obama of lacking leadership skills, in an interview with Germany's Stern magazine. "You can win election but does that mean you can govern a country?" Eastwood said. "Up till now he hasn't shown much strength of leadership."

The 79-year old actor and director is a member of the Republican party - but was a harsh critic of the Obama's predecessor George W. Bush.

Eastwood compared Obama's first year in office to that of Nelson Mandela's in 1994. Eastwood's new film Invictus focuses on the former South African president.

"I hope he sees my film and understands the message," Eastwood said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308517,clint-eastwood-obama-lacks-strong-leadership.html.

Iraq Oil Minister: no security obstacle to oil field development

Wed, 10 Feb 2010

Baghdad - Iraq has told foreign companies contracted to develop 10 oil fields that security will not be a problem, Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahrastani said Wednesday. He told a news conference the security situation in Iraq was not the problem, but the possibility of war in other countries in the region was.

Fifteen oil companies representing 13 countries in 18 consortiums have won contracts to develop 10 oil fields, most of which are in the south of the country, he said.

"These contracts revolutionized the oil world, as the ceiling for crude oil production will rise to more than 12 million barrels per day over the next six years."

The minister re-iterated Tuesday's announcement that oil exports from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish areas would resume soon.

Exports from the Kurdish region were halted because of a dispute between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) over the KRG's contracts with foreign companies to export the oil.

Al-Shahrastani said the contracts "came about in unnatural circumstances."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308523,iraq-oil-minister-no-security-obstacle-to-oil-field-development.html.

EU Parliament on the brink of rejecting SWIFT deal with US - Summary

Wed, 10 Feb 2010

Strasbourg - Anti-terror cooperation between the European Union and the United States hung in the balance Wednesday as the European Parliament prepared to debate the merits of a deal to share data on bank transfers, officials said. The so-called SWIFT agreement allows the United States to collect EU citizens' banking data for anti-terror investigations. A nine- month interim version came into force on February 1, which parliament could reject in a vote set for Thursday, unless a last-minute compromise is found.

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, a Dutch deputy who drafted a report approved last week at committee level that recommended rejecting SWIFT, said in a debate Wednesday that parliament "cannot tell EU citizens it is selling out."

The European Commission - the EU's executive - and the EU Council - the body where national governments are represented - issued written assurances to members of parliament (MEPs) that their concerns will be taken into consideration in forthcoming talks with the US over a permanent SWIFT deal.

But Hennis-Plasschaert judged such guarantees to be "insufficient" and warned the interim deal would let the US access "millions of records of EU citizens." She added that parliament was tired of being "forever being promised jam tomorrow if only it was patient today."

The Dutch MEP was backed by her own liberal group and by socialist, greens and left-wingers. "As far as my group is concerned (...), I'm going to recommend rejection," said Socialists and Democrats' (S&D) group leader Martin Schulz.

Deputies want stronger safeguards on data protection, and access to classified documents which would normally be available only to the EU council and commission.

Spanish Interior minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, representing the EU's current presidency, said SWIFT data was used to investigate al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist acts such as the March 11, 2004 bombings that killed 191 persons in Madrid and to prevent another attack on Barcelona.

"If we reject this agreement, I think we will all be a little less secure," he warned.

But only the conservative European People's Group (EPP) said it would vote in favour, while the British-led European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) suggested putting off Thursday's vote in order to have more time to evaluate the guarantees offered to parliament.

Interior commissioner Cecilia Malstrom said a delay "might be a good idea."

The anti-SWIFT camp has been represented so far by a center-left coalition of liberal-democrats, socialists, greens and left-wingers, plus renegade German and Austrian conservatives.

Speculation mounted Wednesday on whether the commission and the council's pledges would convince some MEPs to switch sides, effectively splitting the anti-SWIFT coalition, or support the compromise to delay the vote.

If the 'no's' prevail, anti-SWIFT MEPs are convinced a new agreement can be negotiated in a few weeks. In the meantime, the US would request SWIFT data through EU national governments' channels, leaving no security gap.

US and EU governments, along with the commission, lobbied hard for the deal to be approved. On Friday, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner invited MEPs to Washington to see for themselves how the SWIFT data was being used.

Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso wrote Tuesday to parliament chief Jerzy Buzek, stressing that "the interim agreement is a very important element of the relations between the European Union and the United States in the field of security and the fight against terrorism."

Parliamentary insiders say "no" vote would be a further testimony of parliament's increased status under the Lisbon Treaty, which reformed the EU's workings since it came into force in December.

But it may also jeopardize relations with the US at a time when EU leaders are still reeling from President Barack Obama's decision to snub a planned EU-US summit in May.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308529,eu-parliament-on-the-brink-of-rejecting-swift-deal-with.html.

Palestinian kills Israeli soldier in northern West Bank - Summary

Wed, 10 Feb 2010

Tel Aviv - A Palestinian fatally stabbed an Israeli soldier south of Nablus Wednesday afternoon, the Israeli military said. The assailant was then apprehended after a security officer from a nearby Israeli settlement ran him over, slightly injuring him. He was arrested and taken for questioning. An Israeli military statement named him as Mahmoud Yusef Nimer Hattib, an officer in the Palestinian police.

The attack occurred at Tapuah Junction, south of Nablus. The soldier, a non-commissioned officer in the Israeli army, was sitting in his vehicle at a traffic light when the assailant reached in through an open window and stabbed him in his upper body.

The soldier tried to flee and managed to drive a short distance before his lost consciousness and his vehicle spun out of control.

He received emergency first-aid treatment at the site, but died of his wounds on the way to hospital.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308535,palestinian-kills-israeli-soldier-in-northern-west-bank--summary.html.

Italian who blasted US over Haiti quits in graft probe - Summary

Wed, 10 Feb 2010

Rome - Italy's top rescue official who recently sparked a diplomatic spat when he criticized US-led rescue efforts in Haiti announced his resignation Wednesday - after being informed he is under investigation in a corruption probe. Guido Bertolaso said he informed Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that he was stepping down as head of the Italy's Civil Protection services and as undersecretary in the premier's office.

His decision to quit was taken "so as not to hinder the work of the investigating organs," Bertolaso was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency. He also said he wanted to be interrogated by prosecutors as soon as possible.

But during a cabinet meeting in Rome, Berlusconi indicated he will turn down Bertolaso's resignation request.

Berlusconi "is convinced that Bertolaso will clarify everything," aide to the premier, Gianni Letta said.

Bertolaslo "is marginally involved in an investigation that focuses on other people," Letta added.

Earlier Wednesday four people including a senior public works official, Angelo Balducci, were arrested in connection with the probe.

The investigation centers on tender contracts for the construction of conference facilities at La Maddalena, an island off Sardinia which was initially chosen to host the 2009 Group of Eight (G8) summit.

Following a devastating earthquake in L'Aquila in April 2009, Berlusconi decided to switch the G8 summit venue there to raise the profile of reconstruction efforts.

During a January visit to Haiti, Bertolaso, who led rescue efforts in L'Aquila, criticized what he described as the rudderless and "military," nature of US earthquake assistance to the Caribbean nation.

Bertolaso's criticism embarrassed the Italian government as it came just hours before a meeting in Washington between US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

Berlusconi distanced himself from Bertolaso's remarks, but subsequently said the rescue services chief was in line for a ministerial appointment.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308543,italian-who-blasted-us-over-haiti-quits-in-graft-probe.html.

Israel MPs endorse Golan tax breaks

10 February 2010

JERUSALEM - The Israeli parliament passed on first reading Wednesday a bill that would grant tax breaks to residents of the Golan Heights, a move likely to anger Syria from which Israel seized the territory.

The bill, which needs to be approved at three further readings before becoming law, was supported by 67 of the 120 members of parliament.

The bill grants Golan residents the same tax breaks as residents of peripheral areas inside Israel.

The main opposition Kadima party strongly criticized the draft legislation — even though it was sponsored by one of its own members — saying the timing was wrong following a recent war of words between Israel and Syria.

The party said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should have accepted a suggestion from Kadima to delay the vote until tensions with Syria ease and accused him of “playing with fire.”

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman infuriated Damascus earlier this month with a stark warning that any new conflict between the foes would lead to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad being removed from power.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem countered that Israel’s major cities would come under attack in any new war.

Israel captured the strategic Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981.

Syria has always demanded the full return of the territory in any peace deal, right down to the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s main water source.

Source: Khaleej Times.
Link: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/February/middleeast_February300.xml§ion=middleeast&col=.

UN closes Palestinian camp on Syria-Iraq border

10 Feb 2010

DAMASCUS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The United Nations has closed one of two Palestinian refugee camps on the border between Iraq and Syria after finding shelter elsewhere for its 1,300 residents, a U.N. report said on Wednesday.

The Palestinians started fleeing to what became camps near the Syrian border in 2006 as a result of persecution and attacks on their community in Iraq by mostly Shi'ite militia.

The refugees gathered in areas near al-Tanf and al-Waleed border points, living under what U.N. officials have described as treacherous conditions. Syria refused to allow most of the refugees to reside permanently on their territory, saying other countries of the region, including Israel, should also bear responsibility for them.

A report by the United Nations Higher Commissioner for refugees said Tanf had closed on Feb 1.

Chile and Western countries, including Sweden and Australia, took in around 1,000 of the camp's residents since 2008 and Syria accepted the remaining 300, transferring them to al-Hol, another camp in northwest Syria that has refugees of different nationalities.

"Although the living conditions in Syria's Hol camp are slightly better, circumstances are not sustainable for prolonged habitation," the report said.

Al-Waleed, the other camp on the Syrian-Iraqi border, still houses around 1,000 Palestinians and 200 people of other nationalities, according to the UNHCR.

Iraq had 30,000 registered Palestinian refugees before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 that changed the balance of power in the country in favor of the Shi'ite majority and ushered in a period of sectarian strife.

The refugees had support from the Sunni-dominated government of Saddam Hussein but their fortunes worsened as Shi'ites gained political clout in the post-Saddam era.

Syria already hosts hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees and 430,000 Palestinian refugees registered with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. Most are descendants of the Palestinians who fled their homeland when Israel was created in 1948.

(Reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis; editing by Noah Barkin)

Source: Reuters Alertnet.
Link: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE6192WG.htm.

Muslim group wants investigation into UCI arrests

Feb. 10, 2010 | The Associated Press

IRVINE — A prominent Muslim group is calling on UC Irvine to investigate the arrests of 11 students during a raucous lecture where Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren spoke about U.S.-Israel relations earlier this week.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council sent a letter Wednesday to UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake saying it is unclear what laws the students broke.

The group says schools should not discourage students from expressing their First Amendment rights.

Oren's speech was interrupted by shouting and protests multiple times Monday night.

Eleven students were cited for disturbing a public event and released.

Earlier, the UCI Muslim Student Union issued an email condemning Oren's appearance. It was not clear if the arrested students were members of the group.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

Source: Southern California Public Radio.
Link: http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/02/10/muslim-group-wants-investigation-uci-arrests/.

Carter: Beshir likely to face election runoff

2010-02-11

Former US president believes there is ‘high likelihood’ Sudan’s presidential contest will need second round.

By Peter Martell - JUBA

Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir is likely to face a second round runoff against one of his opponents in April elections, former US president Jimmy Carter said on Thursday.

The presidential poll is to be held on April 11 in conjunction with parliamentary and regional elections as part of Sudan's first multi-party ballot since 1986.

Carter, who founded the Carter Center which is monitoring the elections, said he believed there was a "high likelihood" the presidential contest would need a second round.

"We don’t know yet whether President Beshir can get a majority at the beginning round," Carter told reporters in the southern capital.

"If not, which I think is likely, then there will be a runoff between him and the second person who got the most votes," he said.

In the election, the south’s ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) is challenging its former civil war enemies, Beshir's northern ruling National Congress Party (NCP).

Tensions are rising ahead of the ballot, with concerns the contest could boost violence in regions already struggling because of bloody inter-ethnic clashes that killed 2,500 people in south Sudan in 2009.

However, Carter said he expected there would be even more violence, and voiced hope it could be kept at a local level.

"I believe sincerely that everyone in Sudan, having suffered 25 years of horrible war, are dedicated to preventing any other outbreaks of violence," Carter said after meetings in Khartoum with Beshir and the south’s president, SPLM chairman Salva Kiir, in Juba.

"But this will be an intensely competitive election with a lot at stake, and I don’t think there is any doubt that there will be some altercations in the remote areas -- and I hope that they don’t expand."

The elections were provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in 2005 between north and south Sudan to end a devastating 22-year civil war that killed two million people.

The CPA is also meant to pave the way for a referendum on southern independence in January 2011.

The SPLM has chosen Yassir Arman, a secular Muslim from northern Sudan, to fight Beshir in the presidential election, while Kiir will seek another mandate as president of autonomous south Sudan.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37173.

Palestinians aim to push tourism beyond Bethlehem

Palestinian tourism sector struggles to lure more tourists amid restrictions of Israeli occupation.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank - For your next getaway, you might consider this: four nights and five days in sunny "Palestine: land of miracles".

It's a tough sell for a place that has become synonymous with Middle East occupation and violence, for an occupied country that does not even control all of its territory, let alone its major tourist attractions.

And yet the figures are up for the third year running. Palestinian tourism ministry records show that some 2.6 million tourists visited the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank in 2009.

Of those, more than 1.7 million were foreigners, just 1.2 percent fewer than in 2008 -- a veritable miracle in itself at a time when the global economic slump has sent tourism plunging 10 percent across the rest of the region.

The fact that the Palestinian territories are part of the Holy Land accounts for a large part of the success.

Bethlehem, home to the Church of the Nativity built on what tradition holds to be the birthplace of Jesus, is the prime attraction. More than 80 percent of all tourists who come to the Palestinian territories visit Bethlehem.

"We do not have a sea or sport centers, we don't have oil or fashion or nightclubs. Visitors must come as pilgrims," said Bethlehem mayor Victor Batarseh.

Being a one-attraction destination has its drawbacks, however, and those who come do not spend either much time or money.

"Every day they come and visit our city, but just for 20 minutes," said Adnan Subah, who sells olive wood carvings and pottery to tourists.

"They go from the bus into the church and then back on the bus," he said, gesturing forlornly at his empty shop despite its prime location near the church on Manger Square.

Still, despite its "Palestine: land of miracles" slogan, the Palestinian tourism ministry says it has more to offer than just holy sites.

Brochures tout the wonders of the Turkish baths of Nablus, the cosmopolitan coffee-shops of Ramallah and the archaeological attractions of ancient Jericho.

Brochures also advise travelers to take in the sites of the Gaza Strip, renowned for its "relaxed seaside atmosphere".

But the glossy pamphlets often also gloss over the complex reality of a highly volatile region.

The ministry's efforts are largely devoted to the myriad attractions of East Jerusalem, which is under illegal Israeli occupation and the Palestinians want back to the capital of their future independent state.

All of Jerusalem is controlled by Israel, which captured the eastern part of the Holy City in its 1967 war against its neighbors. But international law makes it clear that East Jerusalem remains Palestinian.

The Palestinian ministry leaflets also make no mention of Israeli army roadblocks or the controversial separation barrier (known to critics as the 'apartheid wall') that includes an eight-meter- (26-foot-) high concrete wall that cuts off Bethlehem from Jerusalem.

Today, Israel does not allow tourists into besieged, war-ravaged Gaza.

Palestinian tourism minister Khulud Daibes says that while the brochures try to show everything the region has to offer, their actual focus is more realistic.

"We can't promote all the Palestinian territory, so we are focusing on the triangle of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho," she said. "That's where we feel comfortable about safety issues and freedom of movement."

Later this year, she plans to launch a "Jericho 10,000" campaign focusing on the Biblical city.

With its proximity to the Dead Sea, Jericho is already the most popular destination among Palestinian tourists themselves.

However, the minister's greatest challenge is trying to foster and promote tourism to an occupied territory.

The Palestinians no longer have their own airport, and do not even control their border crossings into neighboring Jordan and Egypt.

"It's a challenge for us, how to be innovative and promote tourism under occupation," she said.

"We need to get people to realize that behind the wall there is a good experience waiting, and get them to stay longer on the Palestinian side."

Security is a key aspect in efforts to boost tourism.

"We had a very worried feeling all the time, but everything is okay," said Juan Cruz, 27, from Mexico who visited Bethlehem for Christmas. "Everything is very safe and there are lots of police everywhere, so that is good."

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37154.

Arabs urged to speed up economic integration

Arab League chief says inter-Arab trade represents weakest field in Arab economic integration efforts.

KUWAIT CITY - Arab finance and economy ministers opened a meeting in Kuwait on Thursday with calls for speeding up economic integration and establishing a customs union by a 2015 target date.

"We must have a working program with a timetable to implement Arab joint ventures and other economic integration projects," Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa told the opening ceremony of the one-day meeting.

Musa said that inter-Arab trade "represents the weakest field in Arab economic integration efforts," but added that there had been successes in the areas of investment and capital transfer.

Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa al-Shamali told the meeting that "so far, achievements have been well below ambitions and expectations."

Iraqi Trade Minister Safaa al-Deen al-Safi said "Arab economic integration has become an urgent necessity dictated by the fallout of the global economic crisis," and called for revision of the integration mechanisms.

Arab leaders held their first ever economic summit in Kuwait in January last year and adopted a number of resolutions calling for the speeding up of joint projects with the goal of forming a common market in 2020.

The Arab ministers meeting in Kuwait are to discuss ways to implement those resolutions ahead of a second economic summit in Egypt early next year, Musa said.

The Arab leaders also launched a two-billion-dollar Arab economic development fund to provide assistance to small and medium-size projects in poor Arab countries.

Musa said that pledges to the fund have exceeded the one-billion-dollar mark, which enables the fund to start operations, and urged Arab countries to make contributions.

Arab countries launched the Pan-Arab Free Trade Area about four years ago but it did little to boost commerce among member states, which remained at between 10 percent and 12 percent of total Arab trade.

The customs union is planned to be completed in 2015 and Musa urged Arab countries to make a timetable for implementation.

The ministers will also study measures to implement Arab programs for reducing unemployment and poverty, which runs as high as 40 percent in at least seven Arab nations.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37164.

Sinopec Finds 100 Million Tons Oil in Urumqi, Oriental Reports

By Sophie Leung

Feb. 12 (Bloomberg) -- China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. said it discovered 100 million tons of oil in a field in Urumqi, Xinjiang province, the Oriental Daily reported today, citing an unidentified company spokesman.

The new discovery will help the field reach its output target of 10 million tons of crude oil a year by 2015, the spokesman said, according to the Hong Kong-based Chinese language newspaper.

Source: Bloomberg.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601207&sid=aZI7zt0HXqbc.

Iran supreme leader lauds state rally, warns West

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's supreme leader has praised the massive turnout at the government-backed rally marking the 1979 Islamic Revolution and warned the West to stop putting obstacles in his country's path.

State Press TV reported on Friday that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thanked the "tens of millions" who showed up on the anniversary.

Khamenei says the gathering reflected the nation's strength and that it's time for "foreign enemies to wake up and abandon futile efforts to subjugate" Iran.

The statement was posted on Khamenei's Web site late Thursday, hours after the state-organized rally dwarfed opposition gatherings across Tehran.

Police clashed with anti-government protesters in several locations, firing tear gas to disperse them and paintballs to mark them for arrest.

Yemen president, rebels declare end of fighting in north

Sana' - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the leader of Shiite rebels Abdul-Malik al-Houthi have declared the end of fighting in the five-year conflict in the north-west of the Arab country, state TV and a rebel statement said.

Saleh issued a decree Thursday ordering an end to the military offensive against the Shiite rebels, state television reported.

Under the decree, all the military operations against the rebels, known as Houthis after the family of its leaders, would be halted by midnight Thursday.

A few minutes after the government decree was issued, the rebel leader al-Houthi announced a halt to the fighting, saying his followers would withdraw from their positions in the north-western provinces of Amran and Saada on the border with Saudi Arabia by midnight Thursday.

'We decided to stop the military operations in the north-western region and the borderline with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia starting at 00:00 tonight (2100 GMT),' President Saleh said in the decree.

He said the end of the fighting was intended to 'stop the bloodshed, create peace and allow the return of the displaced people to their villages'.

Saleh said his decision to halt the military attack was in response to the rebels' truce offer and their 'commitment to comply with the six terms' set out by the government as conditions to end the military offensive.

Saleh met with members of parliament entrusted with overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire and approved the formation of four field committees to monitor the ceasefire, according to the official Saba news agency.

Al-Houthi said in an e-mailed statement that he gave orders to his followers to 'withdraw from all fronts of fighting and to cease fire at the same time announced by the government'.

'After the fire is ceased, the roads will be opened and checkpoints will be removed,' al-Houthi said in the statement.

The Shiite rebel group announced a unilateral ceasefire with the national army Jan 30, a few days after announcing a truce with Saudi Arabia.

Rebel leader al-Houthi made the truce announcement in an audiotape posted on the group's website, saying he accepted the government's conditions for an end to the army's offensive against the rebels which was launched last summer.

Al-Houthi said his ceasefire offer intends to 'stop the bloodshed' and 'prevent Yemen from falling into a catastrophic situation'.

The government said it wants a pledge (from rebels) not to attack Saudi territories.

This is the fourth truce offer to be made by the rebels since the conflict started in mid-2004. The government has since also announced three ceasefire offers. Every time a unilateral or bilateral truce has been announced, it has collapsed before taking effect due to mistrust between the two sides.

Army forces have been pounding rebel bases in Saada since Aug 11. The offensive included aerial, artillery and missile strikes on rebel strongholds in strategic heights overlooking the Saudi border.

The government's six conditions for halting its all-out attack against the rebels included the end of hostilities by the insurgents; their withdrawal from all districts and mountainous positions; and the surrender of military hardware seized from the army.

The government also called for the rebels to give up their heavy and medium weapons and hand over military personnel they captured during the fighting.

One condition that was dropped was the demand for clarification from the rebels about the fate of a German family of five and a British engineer taken hostage in Saada in June.

The six people were among a group of foreign hostages - seven Germans, a Briton and a South Korean - abducted by armed men in Saada, where the rebels operate.

Three of the hostages - two German women and a South Korean female teacher - were found dead two days after the abduction.

This condition was dropped after the Houthis insisted that they had nothing to do with the abduction.

Members of the al-Houthi group have been battling the Yemeni government forces since mid-2004 in Saada, along the Saudi Arabian border.

They say they are fighting against the Yemeni government's corruption and its alliance with the US.

The Sana'a government accuses the Houthis of trying to reinstall the rule of Shiite imams who were toppled by a republican revolution in northern Yemen in 1962.

In November, the rebels carried out a cross-border raid, killing a Saudi border guard and drawing Saudi forces into the conflict.

Source: Malaysia News.
Link: http://www.malaysianews.net/story/600445.

US-PA talks futile, thanks to Israeli settlements

Sat, 23 Jan 2010

US President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy failed to bring back the acting Palestinian Authority chief to the negotiating table with Israel due to Tel Aviv's refusal to halt settlement activities.

During a three-hour meeting with George Mitchell in Ramallah, Mahmoud Abbas reiterated calls for a complete halt to Israel's settlement construction as a precondition for the resumption of peace talks, Ynet reported.

According to chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, Israel's insistence on maintaining control over the Jordan Valley — which makes up 28% of the West Bank, has hindered the peace process.

Israel is also refusing to negotiate on the future of Jerusalem Al-Quds, claiming it was one of the conditions for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state," according to Erakat.

"All of these things have derailed President Obama's peace train," he added.

Mitchell, who will leave the region over the weekend, said Obama remains committed to trying to broker a Mideast deal, but that his next move remains unclear.

Tel Aviv has so far refused to heed international calls for a complete freeze in illegal settlement activities, which violate the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 446, 452 and 465.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=116822§ionid=351020202.

US blamed for sending arms to Somalia

Thu, 21 Jan 2010

Amnesty International has accused the US of sending weapons to Somalia that could be used to commit "gross and widespread abuses."

The US deliveries to the Somalis, according to a Thursday report by the human rights group, included mortars, ammunition, as well as cash for the purchase of more arms.

The London-based group also raised fears that the weapons could be used by the government forces in indiscriminate attacks.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International demanded that Washington suspend further weapon shipments until there are adequate safeguards that the arms would not be instrumental in committing war crimes and human rights abuses.

The African nation has been without an effective government since 1991.

Last year, clashes in Somalia killed thousands of civilians and displaced hundreds of the thousands more, according to the report.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/116707.html.

President: Iran succeeded to enrich uranium to 20 per cent - Update

Tehran - Iran has succeeded to produce its first batch of uranium enriched to 20 per cent, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proclaimed Thursday. "I herewith tell you that we have succeeded to produce the first batch of the 20-per-cent uranium enrichment at the Natanz site and have delivered them to our scientists," Ahmadinejad said in a ceremony in Tehran marking the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The higher enriched uranium is turned into fuel rods in the neighboring Isfahan plant and eventually be used for the Tehran medical reactor. Iran began the process of enriching uranium from 3.5 per cent to 20 per cent on Tuesday.

Ahmadinejad gave no further details on the new production but said that Iran was still ready to purchase the fuel from any country, "even from the United States."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308649,president-iran-succeeded-to-enrich-uranium-to-20-per-cent.html.

Seoul and Tokyo want better relations

Seoul - The Japanese must never forget the suffering of Koreans under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, the Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said Thursday on a visit to Seoul. "I can understand the feelings of the people who were deprived of their nation and had their national pride damaged," he said in reference to the annexation in 1910.

Without directly apologizing for the harshness of colonial rule, he said the current government in Tokyo respected the 1995 declaration of former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama, which extended a "heartfelt apology" for causing "tremendous damage and suffering" to nations colonized or invaded by Japan.

Okada said after talks with his South Korean counterpart, Yu Myung Hwan, that he and Yu agreed that relations between their two countries had to be developed and that both parties wanted to find a solution to past problems.

"I believe we must move toward building a truly friendly and future-oriented relationship for the next 100 years to come," Okada said.

Relations between the neighbors have improved gradually in recent years despite a dispute over Japan's stance on its wartime behavior.

Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula is still keenly felt by Koreans, and many still want a formal apology from Japan.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308653,seoul-and-tokyo-want-better-relations.html.

South Africa celebrates 20 years of Mandela's walk to freedom

Cape Town (Earth Times) - South Africans on Thursday celebrated the 20th anniversary of former president Nelson Mandela's release from prison on Thursday by sharing their memories of his triumphant walk to freedom after 27 years behind bars for resisting apartheid. Veterans of South Africa's struggle to end racist rule, of which Mandela became the emblem during his imprisonment, converged on Groot Drakenstein prison near Cape Town from early morning to commemorate the historic event, which laid the ground for the country's peaceful transition to democracy in 1994.

Groot Drakenstein jail, formerly known as Victor Verster prison, was where Mandela spent the last year of his imprisonment for sabotage.

A number of Mandela's fellow Rivonia trialists - as the eight men, including Mandela, who were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 were known - his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela joined scores of ANC leaders for a breakfast at the prison.

Later in the morning, Madikizela-Mandela, who was by his side as he took his first steps to freedom on February 11, 1990, was due to lead a crowd in a commemorative 500-meter walk through the prison gates.

Mandela, who is 91 and frail, will not be participating in the walk but will attend the opening of parliament later on Thursday in Cape Town, where President Jacob Zuma will deliver the annual State of the Nation speech.

Zuma was scheduled to first address a mini-rally at the prison, which houses medium- and maximum-security prisoners as well as juvenile offenders.

The inmates would not be joining in the celebrations but would be allowed to watch the proceedings on television, a spokesman for the provincial department of correctional services told the German Press Agency dpa.

South African and international broadcasters devoted their morning shows to memories of Mandela's release, with politicians, journalists, activists and wellwishers recalling their excitement at seeing the man whose image had been banned from publication by the apartheid regime for three decades.

"I expected to see someone who looked like a boxer!," former telecommunications minister Jay Naidoo said. Instead, he saw a slender, silver-haired statesman.

Speaking to Johannesburg-based The Star newspaper, Madikizela-Mandela spoke of a bitter-sweet moment, when the nation gained a father but the Mandela family lost a spouse and a father to politics.

"Tragically, history marked the end of our lives as a family," she said, sentiments echoed by her daughters Zenani and Zindzi to the paper in its Thursday edition.

Mandela, who became the country's first black president after South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, began marking the anniversary last week with a dinner at his home in Johannesburg for a group of ANC veterans.

Sudan: Work Begins on Compensations for Victims of Darfur Conflict

10 February 2010

Today, about one hundred members of the Darfur Compensation Commission (DCC) and the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) came together in El Fasher, North Darfur, with the support of UNAMID's Rule of Law division to begin working in El Fasher, North Darfur, towards the compensation of victims of the conflict.

At the opening ceremony of the DCC's workshop entitled "Understanding Compensation under the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA)," senior UNAMID officials joined the Director of the DCC and the Secretary-General of the TDRA in North Darfur in stressing the importance of reparations to the pursuit of justice and sustainable peace in Darfur. "War-affected persons have an inalienable right to have their grievances heard in a comprehensive manner and to receive compensation," stated Mahmoud Abu Al-Ruzz, Acting Head of the Mission's North Darfur office.

The legal consultants and government officials participating in the workshop will be familiarized with the DPA's modalities for compensation and also try to learn lessons from other strife-ridden countries which underwent reparations, such as Sierra Leone.

Chief of UNAMID's Rule of Law Division, Germain Baricako pointed out that UNAMID is mandated to assist with addressing property and land disputes as well as compensation issues, as per the DPA and any subsequent peace agreement. However he emphasized that the provision of technical assistance and logistical support was only complementary, and that the primary responsibility to implement the DPA and compensation ultimately resided with the Government of Sudan.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201002100833.html.

CHRONOLOGY: Mandela's march from prison gates to presidency

Johannesburg (Earth Times) - Nelson Mandela's release from prison on February 11, 1990 set in motion a series of events that culminated in the country's peaceful transition to democracy four years later. His release came just days after then-president FW de Klerk announced the unbanning of the African National Congress (ANC) and other apartheid-era liberation organizations.

The following is a list of the key events in that four-year period:

1990:

February 2- De Klerk announces unbanning of ANC, South African Communist Party (SACP) and other anti-apartheid organizations.

February 11 - Mandela walks free from prison after 27 years. The anti-apartheid struggle hero is aged 71.

May 2 - The apartheid government and Mandela's ANC begin negotiations on the transition to democracy.

June 8- De Klerk lifts a four-year state of emergency.

August 6- The ANC formally suspends its armed struggle. The government agrees to release political prisoners

1991:

February- Mandela's wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, goes on trial in the case of murdered child activist Stompie Seipei. She is convicted of kidnapping and receives a six-year prison sentence, which is reduced on appeal to a fine.

December 20 - Beginning of multi-party talks in Johannesburg under the slogan Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA).

1992:

March 17- De Klerk gets backing for his reforms and negotiations with the ANC in an all-white referendum

- 69 per cent approve.

April 13- Mandela announces his separation from his wife, citing differences of opinion.

May - Second round of CODESA negotiations break down. Tens of thousands of ANC supporters march on seat of government to protest state-sponsored violence against blacks.

1993:

March 24- De Klerk admits the apartheid regime built six nuclear bombs, which were dismantled in 1990.

April - CODESA talks resume.

April 10- Assassination of Chris Hani, the popular SACP leader and chief of staff of the ANC's armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe by white extremists threatens to derail peace process.

June-November - Multi-party forum sets down April 27, 1994 as date for democratic elections and elects multiparty transitional government.

October 8 - United Nations lifts a 31-year ban on economic and other ties with South Africa and its nationals following an appeal by Mandela.

October 15- Mandela and de Klerk are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa."

1994:

April 27- South Africans turn out in massive numbers to vote in the country's first democratic elections. The ANC wins 62.6 per cent of the vote with the promise of "A better life for all."

May 10- Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is sworn in as the country's first black president.

Libyan court cuts Swiss businessman's sentence to four months

Tripoli (Earth Times) - A Libyan court Thursday cut the sentence of a Swiss businessman who had been arrested for visa violations in 2008, from 16 months to four months in prison. Max Goldi and his fellow businessman Rachid al-Hamdani were arrested days after police in Geneva questioned Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's son Hannibal and his wife following a complaint that they had abused domestic staff at a Geneva hotel. The case was later dropped.

Both men were sentenced last November to 16 months in prison on charges of illegal business activity and visa infractions.

Al-Hamdani was acquitted of both charges. Goldi was fined 1,000 Libyan dinars (780 dollars) for conducting illegal business in the country.

The two Swiss businessmen took refuge at the Swiss Embassy in Tripoli following their release on bail, and were sentenced to 16 months in prison in absentia last November.

They appeared in court during their appeals session following Libyan guarantees that the men would not be detained again if they left the embassy to attend the trial.

The men's lawyer, Saleh al-Zahaf, said that Goldi did not attend Thursday's session.

Former spy jailed for treason in Spain

Madrid - A former Spanish intelligence officer has been convicted of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison for trying to sell classified information to Russia, court documents showed Thursday. The Superior Court in Madrid found that Roberto Florez Garcia had stolen the top secret information and offered it to the Russians, although it could not be proven they actually bought the documents.

Florez had worked for Spanish secret service CNI from 1992-2004. He was arrested in July 2007, following a search of his home that uncovered letters offering the information to the Russian embassy.

The prosecution alleged that the former spy received 200,000 euros (274,000 dollars) for the information.

Florez's lawyer claimed his client was innocent, saying there was no proof that he had actually disclosed state secrets to the Russians.

The CNI director at the time, Alberto Saiz, said before the trial started in January that Florez had betrayed CNI agents and disclosed the internal workings of the organization.

Press reports said the US Central Intelligence Agency had alerted Spain in 2004 to a double agent in CNI ranks.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308752,former-spy-jailed-for-treason-in-spain.html.

NASA launches solar probe - Summary

Washington - An Atlas V rocket carrying a satellite to study the sun blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday. The 10:23 am (1523 GMT) launch sent the satellite into orbit, where it is to collect the most data ever assembled about the sun. The information will be relayed to a ground station in New Mexico, where the high-resolution images of the sun, readings from inside the sun and measurements of its magnetic field activity will be analyzed.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is the "crown jewel" of a fleet of NASA satellites planned to collect more details about what's going on underneath and above the surface of the sun, said Michael Luther, a NASA official overseeing the program.

This data is expected to give researchers the insight they need to eventually predict solar storms and other activity on the sun that can affect spacecraft in orbit, astronauts on the International Space Station and electronic and other systems on Earth.

Under the Living With a Star program, scientists said they hope to better predict the sun's periodic release of billions of tons of matter that can endanger human life and health, corrode oil pipelines, disrupt communications and cause power surges.

The solar probe will collect 60 images a minute with 10 times the resolution of high-definition television, 24 hours a day, measuring the sun's extreme ultraviolet light and mapping its plasma flows and magnetic fields.

From Earth's orbit, the SDO is to download 1.5 terabytes every day.

Under the normal 11-year cycle of solar disruptions, also known as sunspots, the SDO's mission will coincide with the next storms in 2013 or 2014.

Two earlier planned launches had to be postponed because of poor weather conditions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308760,nasa-launches-solar-probe--summary.html.

UN and India work on disposing hazardous medical waste

New York - The UN Industrial Development Organization on Thursday launched a 40-million-dollar pilot project to assist India dispose 300,000 tons of annual medical waste. Kandeh Yumkella, director of the UN agency that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, said the five-year program will be implemented in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab states.

"Every year, over 300,000 tons of medical waste is generated in India," Yumkella said. "UNIDO's environmentally friendly project will help effectively manage and dispose of hazardous medical waste."

UNIDO said Bangalore's MS Ramaiah Medical College will lead the waste disposal project, which will involve large, medium and small hospitals in the five mentioned states.

"To achieve an eco-friendly disposal of bio-waste, we not only need to train people to be conscious of quality, we also need the participation of the private sector," Yumkella said. "In Western countries, private businesses often deal with the disposal of bio- medical waste, which allows hospitals to focus on medical issues."

UNIDO said the project will help reduce persistent organic pollutants (POPs), especially dioxins and furans that are generated when bio-medical waste is not incinerated at the prescribed high temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Celsius.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/308771,un-and-india-work-on-disposing-hazardous-medical-waste.html.

Iran summons Canadian charge d'affaires

TEHRAN, Feb. 12 (MNA) -- Iran has summoned Canada’s charge d'affaires after it was revealed that a former Canadian ambassador to Tehran had spied for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The former Canadian ambassador to Tehran violated the Vienna Convention in regard to his diplomatic mission and the Canada government must be held accountable for such a violation, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday.

The diplomat vowed to notify Canada’s Foreign Ministry of the issue and promised to give the necessary response to Tehran as soon as possible.

Canada's former ambassador to Tehran, Kenneth Taylor, has revealed he actively spied for the CIA and helped the U.S. plan a military incursion into the country after Iranian students took control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979.

An arrangement was set up by then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark, whereby Taylor would provide U.S. intelligence with information from his position at the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, according to a report published in The Globe and Mail.

The report added that details of Taylor''s role are revealed in the book “Our Man in Tehran” by Trent University historian Robert Wright.

Taylor was Canada’s ambassador to Iran from 1977 to 1980.

Source: Mehr News.
Link: http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1034305.

Algeria to exploit world's 5th largest zinc mine

2010-02-11

The world's fifth largest zinc and lead deposit will be ready for mining in Algeria by 2013, ANSA reported on Wednesday (February 10th). The Amizour site has estimated reserves of 68 million tonnes. Western Mediterranean Zinc, a joint Algerian-Australian venture, will build access points to the mine, a new dyke and a mineral-treatment processing plant.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/11/newsbrief-04.

Algeria to impose price controls

2010-02-11

Algeria plans to regulate prices of widely-consumed goods to help curb rising inflation, Commerce Minister El Hachemi Djaâboub told APS on Wednesday (February 10th). Through amendments to the Competition Act, price controls will be imposed on 10-15 basic products, such as sugar and cooking oil. Already-regulated items include milk, flour, water, petrol and diesel fuel.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/11/newsbrief-02.

Algerian medical workers continue strike

2010-02-11

Hundreds of Algerian doctors, dentists and pharmacists staged a protest on Wednesday (February 10th) outside the Health Ministry in Algiers on Wednesday (February 10th), local and international media reported. The action came as part of a 7-week long strike over wages. Some 30,000 doctors, including 8,500 specialists, are employed in the public healthcare sector.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/11/newsbrief-01.

Wayward Algerian pedestrians face hefty fines

Algeria aims to reduce the number of traffic fatalities by severely punishing pedestrians for jaywalking and other offenses.

By Hayam El Hadi for Magharebia in Algiers – 11/02/10

Algerians may be more cautious about where they stroll, now that they face a 2,000-dinar fine for crossing outside an officially marked intersection.

The new fines are 10 times the amount previously charged to pedestrians for breaking the law. And to further deter scoff-laws, drivers may now report pedestrians for roadway violations.

The hefty new fines, which came into effect January 1st, are the latest effort by the Algerian government to stop mayhem on the roads. According to official statistics, 8.7% of all traffic accidents resulting in injuries involve pedestrians.

Authorities are confident that strict enforcement of the pedestrian-safety law will encourage the safe use of public roads and also help regulate the flow of traffic.

The new fines for pedestrians are part of a wider effort to improve traffic safety. Algeria recently banned old vehicles from the roads and limited the working hours of drivers of public service vehicles in the hopes of decreasing the number of fatalities.

Public safety officers are working hard to inform Algerians about the new penalties for jaywalking and other disruptions of traffic.

"Before we begin applying the measure in practice, we'll raise pedestrians' awareness" of the law, said police officer Mohamed. "They have to understand that the risk is real."

Mehdi, a young driver, said he hoped the law would make pedestrians "a little more disciplined".

"I've been hoping that pedestrians will get the same punishment as drivers when they break the Highway Code," he told Magharebia. "Pedestrians make me very afraid. They cross in any old place. They're in underpasses on the motorways. How can you avoid a pedestrian when you're driving fast on a motorway?"

Other Algerians are upset with the size of the new fines for errant walkers.

Salima, an Algiers-based personal assistant, called the fines "excessive by comparison with what Algerians can afford".

"I can definitely believe we're not too respectful of the law, but who can afford such a steep fine? It's really excessive!" she told Magharebia.

One law-enforcement officer in Algiers was not surprised by her reaction. "People are amazed at the fine for pedestrians," agreed Salim. "They forget that it has always existed, even though it used to be only 200 dinars and wasn’t really enforced," he added.

Now, the policeman said, "the state is really determined".

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/11/feature-02.

Hezbollah to hold major rally

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Hezbollah announced plans to hold a martyrdom rally featuring key leaders as border tensions with Israel approach a boiling point.

Hezbollah through its al-Manar news service said it plans to hold demonstrations Tuesday to correspond with the anniversary of the martyrdom of its leaders Sheik Ragheb Harb, Abbas Moussawi and Hajj Imad Moghniyyeh.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is expected to release a speech to an audience in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Lebanon, meanwhile, plans to honor the anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Sunday. Hariri was killed along with several others in a massive bombing in downtown Beirut in 2005.

The celebrations come as tensions with Israel over border security concerns escalate. Prime Minister Saad Hariri told the BBC in a recent interview that the escalations with Israel were becoming "really dangerous."

Israel and Hezbollah fought a bruising 34-day war in 2006. A U.N.-brokered cease-fire calls on Hezbollah to disarm while reminding Israel of its obligations to respect Lebanese sovereignty.

Both sides have undermined the effort, however. Beirut in 2009 approved a measure that allows Hezbollah, now a member of the government, to maintain an armed resistance. Israel, for its part, has conducted surveillance operations in Lebanese airspace on a daily basis.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/02/11/Hezbollah-to-hold-major-rally/UPI-42721265917325/.

Ahmadinejad warns Israel against military move

TEHRAN, Feb 11 — Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his Syrian counterpart that Israel should be resisted and finished off if it launched military action in the region, state broadcaster IRIB reported today.

“We have reliable information ... that the Zionist regime is after finding a way to compensate for its ridiculous defeats from the people of Gaza and Lebanon’s Hezbollah,” he told Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.

“If the Zionist regime should repeat its mistakes and initiate a military operation, then it must be resisted with full force to put an end to it once and for all,” Ahmadinejad said in the telephone conversation yesterday evening.

Ahmadinejad, who has often predicted the imminent demise of the Jewish state, said Iran would remain on the side of regional nations including Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.

The Islamic Republic does not recognize Israel, which it refers to as the Zionist regime. Israel sees Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat. — Reuters

Source: The Malaysian Insider.
Link: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/52810-ahmadinejad-warns-israel-against-military-move.