Zambian opp. leader under house arrest

Fri Apr 30, 2010
Police have placed the President of Zambia's United Party for National Development (UPND) Hakainde Hichilema under house arrest in Mufumbwe district in Northwestern province.

Zambian security forces put the opposition leader under house arrest on Thursday after his UPND members allegedly assaulted a man who they claimed had impersonated a policeman. Hichilema was campaigning for his party candidate Elliot Kamondo in Mufumbwe, Daily Nation newspaper reported.

UPND chairman for elections Ackson Sejani confirmed Hichilema's arrest. "He [Mr Hichilema] is held hostage under the supervision of inspector general of police Francis Kabonde. He was taken hostage around 5 a.m. Central African Time," Sejani said.

He added, "The entire UPND campaign team has been barricaded by the police; we can't go out. Even UPND camps are surrounded by police officers and there is heavy presence of police officers at polling stations."

Residents of Mufumbwe and Milanzi constituencies in Northwestern and Eastern provinces went to the polls on Thursday to vote for new parliament members after the death of Misheck Bonshe and Rueben Chisanga. Voting started at about 6 a.m. local time and ended at around 6 p.m.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/124949.html.

US concerned over Israel security

In an effort to woo Israel after nearly a month of tense relations, Washington warns Iran and Syria against “making threats” to Tel Aviv's security.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an attempt to make amends with Tel Aviv officials after relations hit an unprecedented low last month over an Israeli settlement project on occupied Palestinian lands in East Jerusalem (Al-Quds).

Clinton, who was addressing the annual meeting of the American Jewish Committee, struck a conciliatory tone when she stressed that the US commitment to Israeli security is “unshakable” in the face of threats posed by Iran and Syria.

During her speech, she accused Syria of providing Hezbollah with Scud missiles, a charge that has been wholly dismissed by Damascus, and warned that "Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is making decisions that could mean war or peace for the region."

The former first lady then turned to Tehran, saying that the Obama administration is still open to engaging in dialogue with Iran. Iran would have to first meet international demands over its low-level enrichment activities.

If Tehran falls short of that, Clinton warned, the US will have no choice but to push for a stronger round of economic sanctions at the UN Security Council.

The salvo of warnings comes as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is preparing to visit the US to attend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York from May 3 to 28.

US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley confirmed on Wednesday that visa applications for Ahmadinejad and his delegation, which had been earlier submitted in Bern, Switzerland, were likely to be approved.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124948§ionid=3510203.

Belgium ban on veil criticized

Amnesty International has criticized the Belgian parliament for passing a bill that will ban the wearing of full Muslim veils in public places.

The international human rights watchdog said on Thursday that it would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion.

The organization's expert on discrimination in Europe, John Dalhuisen, said the action sets a dangerous precedent.

"The obligation to combat discrimination cannot be fulfilled by imposing a measure that is itself discriminatory," Dalhuisen said.

The Belgian lower house of parliament earlier on Thursday voted 136 in favor of the ban and none against, with two abstentions.

The bill could become law in the coming months as the upper house, or Senate, is not expected to block it.

However, the prospect of an imminent election, brought on by the collapse of Belgium's coalition government, could cause a delay because parliament would have to be dissolved.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124940§ionid=351020606.

Israelis nab 9 Palestinians in WB

The Israeli army has arrested nine Palestinians during an operation that took place in various parts of the West Bank according to various Israeli and Palestinian sources.

The operation was carried out on Thursday morning during the dawn hours, the sources said.

The military announced that the detained men were arrested during home raids in the cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jenin. The army claims that the nine individuals belong to its wanted list, International Middle East Media Center reported.

On Wednesday, the Israeli troops abducted thirteen Palestinian civilians during predawn military incursions targeting the southern West Bank villages.

The nine men were detained as troops searched and ransacked residents' homes at the town of Sa'eer near al-Khalil (Hebron). The army gave no reason for the attack on Sa'eer.

Five more Palestinian civilians were also detained by Israelis on Monday at dawn and Sunday night during military incursions targeting West Bank communities.

Carrying out intrusive and terrorizing operations overnight, to arrest and kidnap Palestinians, has become a norm in the Israeli army, defying a security agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

More than 11,500 Palestinians, including many women and children are imprisoned by Israel, suffering under harsh conditions in detention centers.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124934§ionid=351020202.

Ten killed as Somalia rivals clash

Fri Apr 30, 2010

At least 10 people have been killed and over 20 others injured in heavy clashes between al-Shabab fighters and pro-government Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama militiamen in central Somali regions of Galgadud and Hiran.

The fighting broke out on Thursday in the central Somali village of El Bahay, 80 km north of Guriel, in Galgadud region. Six militants were killed in the ensuing heavy gun battle.

“We attacked and captured the area from our foes. It is part of our plans to expand our grip on territories in central regions," said an al-Shabab official. Ahlu Sunnah's Grand Chairman Ma'alin Mohammud Sheikh Hassan confirmed the fighting but refuted claims of losing the area to al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab also carried out attacks on a military base used by government troops and Ahlu Sunnah fighters near Beledweyne, the administrative capital of Hiran region. Local residents said four died during the fight.

“Today we attacked a training base used by government troops and their Ahlu Sunnah collaborators. We captured the base and some weapons," said Yussuf Ali Ugas, al-Shabab commander in Hiran region.

A Somali government official said that al-Shabab fighters attacked the base but stated that they were repelled.

Somalia has been overwhelmed by unrest since the 1991 ouster of the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Over 20,000 people have died since early 2007 after Ethiopia invaded Somalia. Militants now control large swaths of land in the country over which the weak, Western-backed central government has limited authority.

According to the UN figures, more than 1.4 million Somalis are displaced inside the country and some 570,000 live as refugees in neighboring countries.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/124933.html.

Israel hints at one-state solution

Israeli Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin has expressed reluctance to share occupied territories with Palestinians.

He said he doubted Tel Aviv would ever sign a peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority, adding that he did not believe acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas could deliver any "good."

Tel Aviv would rather accept Palestinians into Israel than dividing the occupied lands in a future two-state solution, Rivlin said during a Thursday meeting with Greece's ambassador to Israel, Kyriakos Loukakis, when asked about a possible peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Meanwhile he admitted that many Arabs have been encountering racism and arrogance from Israelis.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124929§ionid=351020202.

S Africa solar power program launched

Fri Apr 30, 2010
South Africa has officially inaugurated a solar water heating plan to save both money and the environment in Africa's worst pollution emitting country.

So far about 270 solar water heating panels have been set up in Pretoria - the country's executive capital -- for household water heating purposes.

South African President Jacob Zuma says the country produces the highest level of emissions throughout the continent and should reduce its enormous reliance on coal.

The country supplies 96 percent of its electricity from coal and that has made it Africa's worst emitter.

Based on the solar water heating plan, by 2014, South Africa will install one million solar heaters.

According to Zuma, the government has started converting water heating for hospitals, prisons, barracks and other government buildings.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/124922.html.

Belgium MPs vote to ban burqa

The majority of Belgian lawmakers have voted to ban the wearing of the burqa in public, making it possible for the first clampdown of its kind in Europe.

In the lower house of federal parliament, 136 deputies voted to ban nationwide clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified, including the full-face niqab and burqa.

The law would ban any clothing that obscures the identity of the wearer in places like parks and on the street. There were two abstentions and no votes against the restriction.

Exceptions could be allowed for certain festivities like carnivals if municipal authorities decide to grant them.

People who ignore the new law could face a fine of 15-25 euros ($20-$34) and/or a jail sentence of up to seven days.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124916§ionid=351020606.

Italy frees arrested Iranian reporter

Hamid Masouminejad, an accredited Iranian journalist held in Italy on charges of arms smuggling, has been released, says a top Iranian official.

Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, head of the High Council of Iranian Expatriates, said Masouminejad was released on Thursday through the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Presidential Office's "diplomatic efforts." He did not give more details about his release.

A senior correspondent for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Rome, Masouminejad, another Iranian national, Ali Damirchiloo, were arrested on March 3, 2010 on charges of illegal arms trafficking.

The IRIB reporter, however, has dismissed the accusation in a meeting with the Italian prosecutor.

On Wednesday, Majid Jafarzadeh, a senior aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said that Italian officials had agreed to release Masouminejad on bail and place him under house arrest pending his trial.

The Italian police claimed the arrested individuals transported weapons to third countries such as Britain, Switzerland and Romania before shipping them to Iran.

The Iranian government has rejected the accusations and described his arrest as a "Mafia-style tactic" to pressure Iran over its nuclear program.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124887§ionid=351020101.

Abbas not fit for prisoner swap: Hamas

Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal says the acting Palestinian Authority (PA) chief lacks credibility to be involved in a prisoner exchange deal between Palestinians and Israelis.

One day after Mahmoud Abbas expressed willingness to conclude a prisoner swap deal with Israeli officials, Meshal told the Saudi al-Watan newspaper that the acting PA chief was not qualified to resolve the sensitive issue.

In his Wednesday interview, Meshal blamed Israeli leaders for Gilad Shalit's continued imprisonment, saying that officials in Tel Aviv were responsible for failing to reach an agreement with Palestinians on the matter to date.

The Hamas leader said nearly 8,000 Palestinian prisoners were currently held in Israeli jails, warning that more Israeli soldiers will be arrested for future exchange with detained Palestinians.

"Israelis have left us with no option but to seize more troops," Meshal said.

"Gilad Shalit has not been and will never be the last Israeli soldier captured to be used as a bargaining chip for the release of Palestinian prisoners," he added.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124756§ionid=351020202.

UN mission in Sudan gets new one-year mandate

New York - The United Nations Security Council Thursday extended for another year its mission in Sudan and tasked it with additional responsibilities, including support for the self- determination vote next year between north and south Sudan.

The new mandate will expire April 30, 2011 with the possibility for further renewal "as may be required," the 15-nation council said in voting unanimously for the extension.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has deployed close to 10,000 troops, including 470 military observers, to monitor the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement between the government in Khartoum in the north and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in the south. The agreement, which ended decades of civil war, called for referenda in early 2011 to decide the future of the agreement.

The council asked UNMIS to submit a detailed plan about UN support for the referenda, including lessons learned from the 2010 national elections and its actions in the post-referendum period.

The UN had criticized national elections organized in mid-April in which Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who first took power in late 1980s, was re-elected. It has focused on irregularities and the lack of preparations and education of voters.

It called on UNMIS to make full use of its authority and capabilities to protect civilians, the relief and development workers and refugees.

Sudan's UN Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamed told reporters that the renewal resolution adopted by the council contained "positive elements" and Khartoum will work to implement them.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/321272,un-mission-in-sudan-gets-new-one-year-mandate.html.

Hungary's prime minister-elect starts naming new cabinet

Budapest - Viktor Orban, whose center-right party Fidesz won a landslide victory in Hungary's general elections this month, named some key members of his future cabinet while speaking to reporters on Thursday.

In a joint press conference with his new appointees, Orban promised a completely new government structure for Hungary.

Tibor Navracsics, 44, formerly leader of Fidesz's parliamentary caucus, has been appointed to head a new Ministry of Public Administration and Justice and will also act as deputy prime minister, Orban said.

Navracsics's new role will combine the functions of the old Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Local Government.

Mihaly Varga, 45, who served as finance minister from 2001 to 2002 in the last Fidesz government and remains one of the party's key economy experts, will head a new prime ministerial secretariat.

"The relationship between the prime minister and the people, and the media, too, must be set on a new footing," Orban said.

Fidesz had signaled earlier that it intends to reduce the number of ministries when it forms a government, with several functions being combined in single "super ministries."

The 46-year-old prime minister-elect said he expects "more comprehensive, faster and more effective work" from the incoming government.

The full cabinet will be unveiled during its inaugural meeting on Monday, Orban said.

Only one minister had already been named before the election: the multi-lingual veteran politician Janos Martonyi, 66, will be Minister of Foreign Affairs, a post he held in the last Fidesz government.

Orban noted that his deputy prime minister will be given new leadership powers, for which modifications to Hungary's constitution will be required.

Fidesz has the mandate to alter the constitution unilaterally thanks to the unprecedented two-thirds majority it secured in the elections on April 11 and 25, which saw the outgoing Socialists punished amid economic uncertainty, record unemployment and numerous high-profile corruption scandals.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/321274,hungarys-prime-minister-elect-starts-naming-new-cabinet.html.

Hezbollah and officials criticize US tour near Lebanese border

Beirut - The Lebanese Foreign Ministry was joined by other officials and the militant Hezbollah group in criticizing on Thursday a visit by a US security team to the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah called on the government to explain "why a US security delegation from the Counterterrorism Office visited the Masnaa border with Syria."

He described the visit on Lebanese territory "as a major security violation."

It comes days after Israel accused Syria of providing Hezbollah with Scud missiles, an allegation that Syria and Lebanon have dismissed as "lies."

Fadlallah warned that Israel has access to all information obtained by the US and wondered "who will be held responsible if the Masnaa area is targeted (by Israel) in the future."

"If the visit occurred in coordination with Lebanese officials, then it is a disaster," Shiite member of parliament Kassem Hashem, who has close links with Hezbollah, said.

"If the state was unaware of such a trip, then it is a bigger disaster," he added.

The American Embassy said Wednesday's visit was planned months ago and took place in coordination with authorities in Lebanon.

But the Foreign Ministry denied Thursday that it was informed in advance about the visit by the US team to the border crossing.

The ministry added that such acts violate Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which stipulates that all diplomatic missions should respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state and should not interfere in its internal affairs.

Unconfirmed reports said the US officials are part of an assessment team from the American Counterterrorism Office.

Okab Sakr, a member of parliament loyal to prime minister Saad Hariri, said he will submit a complaint to the US Embassy in Lebanon asking about the delegation's visit to the Masnaa border area if it turned out that the Lebanese government was unaware of the trip.

Sakr told local television that "even Internal Security Forces (ISF) Director General Ashraf Rifi did not know the visit took place."

Sakr urged all parties to help uncover the matter.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/321275,hezbollah-and-officials-criticize-us-tour-near-lebanese-border.html.

Mauritanian wins UNESCO prize for Maghreb journalism

2010-04-29
Mauritanian journalist Mohamed Fall Ould Oumère won the best Maghreb opinion article prize in a regional competition organized by the UNESCO office in Rabat, PANA reported on Wednesday (April 28th). Ould Oumère, the editor of weekly newspaper La Tribune and a pioneer of the Mauritanian private press, was recognized for an editorial promoting a "plural Maghreb". The award will be presented in Nouakchott on May 3rd to mark Mauritania's celebration of World Press Freedom Day.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/04/29/newsbrief-04.

UK orders Khalifa extradition to Algeria

2010-04-29

The UK Home Office on Wednesday (April 28th) agreed to extradite billionaire swindler Abdelmoumen Rafik Khalifa to his native Algeria. The decision comes nearly one year after a British court approved Khalifa's deportation.

In 2007, four years after Khalifa fled to London, a Blida court sentenced him to life imprisonment on fraud charges surrounding Algeria's largest-ever financial scandal. The corrupt tycoon is also wanted in France on embezzlement charges and for alleged involvement in the collapse of Khalifa Airways, Antinéa Airlines and Khalifa Rent-a-Car.

Khalifa is expected to appeal his extradition.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/04/29/newsbrief-02.

University deadlines add to worries of Moroccan bac students

Registration at universities will have already begun by the start of end-of-term exams.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 29/04/10

Moroccan students studying for the bac exams have another worry to add to their plate: major colleges are beginning their enrollment process before the start of exams.

"I must pass with good or very good merits to be admitted," Miriam said. "You have to pay 65,000 dirhams for five years. It's too much for my family, but besides my parents' savings, my father will get a loan."

Miriam hopes to gain admission into the new School of Economics and Governance founded in Rabat in 2008, she said. Financial concerns and application deadlines loom even as she studies for her final exams.

"She has always been brilliant," said her mother, Amina Berrada. "The big day is approaching. We have to meet the deadlines," she said with a tone of optimism and worry.

Berrada is rushing to contact public and private colleges for her daughter.

"Even with our limited income, I have been saving for her higher education tuition for years," she said. "It's even better if she is accepted into a prestigious public school."

Not all high school students are lucky enough to have parents who saved money for years for their children's university education. Hajer, a baccalaureate candidate in Mathematical Science, said that she is trying hard to score high enough to secure a place in a public school.

"The selection frightens me," she said. "If my family had enough financial resources to pay for my education, I would have worried less, because there are a large number of private schools [from which to choose]. I have to excel [on the bac] to be among the elite who are trained in public schools."

Less academically gifted students are also concerned about their future, but are realistic about their chances.

Hicham Bekkali, a baccalaureate candidate in literature, said that he does not intend to apply to a private college with his mediocre grades and his family's limited finances. His only real choice, he said, is to decide to which university department he will apply.

"My future looks unclear sometimes, and that is affecting how I prepare for the exams," Bekkali said. "But I was told that the prospects of the university are becoming increasingly promising."

Young baccalaureate candidates are becoming more strategic in the fields they choose to enter as they see the high unemployment rates faced by recent university graduates, sociologist Samira Kassimi said.

"The Moroccan society is on the rise. Middle class families, at least, are thinking in advance of their children's higher education to guarantee them a place in the labor market," she added.

Starting this year, Moroccan final-year students will receive an information packet explaining what choices are available to them and how to prepare for the bac, Higher Education Minister Ahmed Akhchichine said. The new procedure implements Morocco's emergency plan for education.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/04/29/feature-03.

Algerian handicraft sector endures tourism drop, reduced resources

Artisans say the handicraft industry needs raw material and tourists to succeed.

By Mouna Sadek for Magharebia in Algiers – 29/04/10

Algerian artisans are calling on the government and fellow craftsmen to work together to help the industry recover from years of depressed business.

Something as simple as easier access to clay could help the Algerian handicrafts sector see economic gains, artisans said.

"Although clay is available in Algeria, there is no specialist plant to process it in a way that meets the needs of craftsmen," said Samir, who sells crafts in Adekar, near Bejaia. "Generally, clay is imported from Spain and Italy, which pushes up the prices of craft products."

Only one tonne of clay per year is consumed by the Algerian sector, whereas Moroccan artisans use one tonne of clay per month, Samir said. This statistic alone shows the stagnation of the industry, he said.

The National Society for Traditional Craft Industries (SNAT) once took responsibility for securing raw materials for craftsmen, but the group was disbanded in 1987.

Attracting more tourists would also improve handicraft sales, artisans said. Handicrafts vendors depend on purchases by foreign visitors to remain financially viable. The bulk of Samir's sales come from Algerians living abroad who return to pick up traditional products, he said.

"In the summer, we get a lot of expatriates here, keen to have a souvenir of Algeria they can keep or give away to foreign friends," Samir said.

But tourism revenues have fallen due to spates of terrorist activity and have not recovered from pre-conflict levels.

The Algerian government is doing its best to bolster the handicrafts workers' trade, Handicrafts and SME Minister Mustapha Benbda told Algerian daily El Watan in January.

"The craft sector is going through a progressive consolidation and building phase," Benbada said.

"The first measure we introduced was to provide workers with the premises they needed: craft centers, galleries, display and sales areas, access to working premises for 23,000 craftsmen," he said.

A national fund for traditional arts and crafts, supported by the treasury, has been in existence since 2003, Benbada said.

7,000 new artisans registered with the ministry in 2009, while the number of handicraft-themed SMEs rose 8.36% from 2008. Of the 17,000 newly registered SMEs, 28% of these are in the traditional crafts industry. The minister credited the new trend of privatization with the increase in SMEs.

Some traditional crafts artisans, however, have been forced to look beyond their industry for economic sustenance.

Sabrina Bouchenafa runs Terre d'Orient, a cottage industry specializing in the production of ceramics and pottery, but had to take on odd jobs for many years to make ends meet.

The unwillingness of fellow artisans to band together and tackle the problems of raw materials and stagnated tourism is a major problem, Bouchenafa said, adding that her industry faces "collapse" unless a solution is found.

But artisans will always find ways to survive in a challenging economy, she said.

"The only alternative we could find, given the absence of tourists, was to go directly to the foreign embassies in Algeria, which have become the only source of demand for craft products," she said.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/04/29/feature-02.

Pakistan's tribal region to have special force: official

Pakistan will put in place a special force from the local tribesmen to establish government's writ in the militancy-hit South Waziristan tribal region, the local administrative officer said Thursday.

Youth in the age of 18-25 from two major tribes, Mehsud and Waziris, will be recruited in phases and the process will start from May 3rd, Shahab Ali Shah, the Political Agent of South Waziristan told a news conference in Tank, a city at the edge of South Waziristan.

The recruits will be part of the "FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Regions) Levis Force" and South Waziristan will have some 4000 men. A total of 1,500 men will be recruited in the first phase to be completed on May 7th.

Youth from Mehsud Tribe will appear for recruitment at Manzai Fort and those who belong to Wazir Tribe will gather at Wana Camp, the official said. There will be no fixed education criteria for the recruitment but the candidates must have some literacy, Shah said.

"They will work like Waziristan police," Shah said, adding every tribe will have their quota but merit will get priority in the recruitment process.

Shah said that the whole phased recruitment will be completed in three years and the men will be imparted up to six months training.They will also get Special Risk Allowance. They will have a regular scale and promotion opportunities.

Special residential barracks will be established for them. The expenses are estimated to be around three billion rupees (about 0. 36 billion U.S. dollars), the official said.

He said that the phased return of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as the result of military operation against the militants in South Waziristan will begin in a month. A road-map is being prepared for the repatriation process which will be announced in the media, he said.

Pakistani security forces started military offensive against Taliban militants in Oct. 2009 in South Waziristan. The troops controlled main bases of the militants after several months' attack and are still conducting search and clearance operation in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6968120.html.