South Korea to boost forces as North threatens attacks

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

Seoul - North Korea on Thursday threatened new attacks against the South, which decided to boost its forces in the Yellow Sea, media reports said.

North Korea's threats followed its artillery bombardment Tuesday of a South Korean island near the two countries' maritime border that left two South Korean soldiers and two civilians dead and injured 18 people.

"The [North] Korean People's Army will deal without hesitation the second and third strong, physical, retaliatory blow," the North Korean military said in a statement carried by state media.

North Koreans blamed the South and its ally the United States for the clash that set Yeonpyeong island on fire and forced residents to flee.

South Korea said it is to increase its armed forces in the seas west of their coasts to deter any further attacks from the North, an official from the Presidential Office said Thursday.

President Lee Myung Bak ordered that troops on five islands in the Yellow Sea receive better weapons, said Hong Sang Pyo, senior presidential secretary for public affairs. More of the budget is to be devoted to the forces there.

"We should not ease our sense of crisis in preparation for the possibility of another provocation by North Korea," Lee reportedly told a meeting of security and economy ministers. "A provocation like this can recur any time."

Seoul also said it was planning to overhaul its rules of engagement regarding the North after criticism that they are weak in the face of Pyongyang's aggression.

Lee said his country would make "across-the-board" changes to the rules.

The Stalinist state on Thursday dismissed a proposal from the US-led United Nations Command (UNC) to hold talks between generals on the artillery clash.

"North Korea rejected the proposal by the UNC because it appeared to see no practical benefit in the talks," a South Korean Defense Ministry official said.

The UN Command is tasked with monitoring the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. No peace treaty was ever signed, leaving the two Koreas still technically at war.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355150,forces-north-threatens-attacks.html.

India tests nuclear-capable Agni-I missile

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

New Delhi - India successfully tested its nuclear-capable Agni-I short-range ballistic missile off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa Thursday.

The missile, named after the Hindu god of fire, can carry payloads of 1 ton up to 700 kilometers and was introduced into the Indian Army in 2004. Regular trials have been carried out since.

"The trial of Agni-I was smooth and the test flight was fully successful," test range director SP Dash was quoted as saying by the PTI news agency.

The user trial was aimed at gauging the military's preparedness for handling the missile system.

The missile, 15 meters in length and weighing 12 tons, is part of India's deterrent program largely aimed at Pakistan and China.

Agni-II, which has a range of more than 1,500 kilometers, was first tested in 1999.

Since 2007, India has also successfully tested Agni-III, which can cover distances up to 3,500 kilometers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355154,tests-nuclear-capable-agni-i-missile.html.

China opposes 'military provocation' on Korean Peninsula - Summary

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

Beijing - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said his government opposes "any military provocation" on the Korean Peninsula and urged all sides to exercise "maximum restraint," state media reported Thursday.

"China has all along devoted itself to maintaining the Peninsula's peace and stability, and opposes military provocation in any form," Wen was quoted as saying during talks in Moscow with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"Under the current serious and complex circumstances, all concerned parties should exert maximum restraint and the international community should make more efforts conducive to easing the tension," he said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said later Wednesday that China "expresses concern" over plans for a US-South Korean joint naval exercise from Sunday, which Washington said would include the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

Hong also said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi had postponed a planned visit to South Korea due to scheduling problems.

"We express gratitude to South Korea for the arrangement and will communicate with South Korea to negotiate another time for the visit," Hong told reporters.

Wen's remarks were the first reported comments by a Chinese leader since a North Korean artillery bombardment of a South Korean island that left two soldiers and two civilians dead and injured another 18 people Tuesday.

Hong avoided blaming North Korea for the exchange of fire, saying Chinese officials had "noted that there are different views of the cause of the incident."

The official Xinhua news agency quoted Wen as saying the resumption of six-nation talks was an "essential way to secure stability and denuclearization on the Peninsula."

The agency said Medvedev told Wen that Russia supported an early return to the stalled talks, which involve North Korea, the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia and are aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

North Korea on Thursday threatened new attacks against the South and rejected a proposal by the United Nations Command to hold talks, South Korean media reports said.

The United Nations Command is tasked with monitoring the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea blamed the South and its ally the United States for the clash that set Yeonpyeong island on fire and forced many residents to flee.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355155,korean-peninsula-summary.html.

Four arrested on charges of election fraud, Afghan prosecutor says

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

Kabul - Four suspects have been arrested on charges of fraud and bribery during recent parliamentary elections that were marred by massive fraud, a senior prosecutor said Thursday.

The four included two money changers who had received cash on behalf of election officials to help certain candidates secure seats in the country's lower house of parliament, Deputy Attorney General Rahmatullah Nazari said at a press conference.

He said some members of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), the body that conducted the September 18 elections, were also involved in receiving bribes. "These officials are decision makers" in the IEC, he said.

The allegation came after the IEC on Wednesday declared 238 final winners of seats in parliament, while the results for 11 candidates in the southern province of Ghazni were withheld due to technical reasons.

More than 2,500 candidates, including over 400 women, vied for 249 seats in the lower house, known as the Wolesi Jirga.

Nazari accused the IEC on Wednesday of "prematurely releasing" the final results, saying his office has launched a criminal investigation into vote fraud.

The election, the second since the ouster of Taliban regime in late 2001, was marred by widespread fraud, irregularities and Taliban attacks. More than 1 million fraudulent votes were found and thrown out prior to the announcement of the final results.

A UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission has also sifted through about 6,000 complaints since the polling day and disqualified 19 people, including a cousin of President Hamid Karzai.

The IEC also disqualified another five candidates who were declared winners in the preliminary results.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355165,fraud-afghan-prosecutor-says.html.

Iraqi President assigns al-Maliki the task of government formation

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

Baghdad - Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani on Thursday officially assigned Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki the task of forming a new government, Iraqi news agencies reported.

Al-Maliki, head of the Shi'ite National Alliance, has 30 days to form a government comprised of groups which spent eight months reaching an agreement on how to allocate the country's leadership positions.

Earlier this month, Iraq's parliament voted to re-elect Talabani, who then appointed al-Maliki as premier for a second term, ending a stalemate that had dragged on since the March 7 parliamentary vote.

Former premier Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya List grouping, which won the largest number of seats in the house but failed to achieve a majority, was given the position of speaker of the house. The post went to Osama al-Nujaifi.

Allawi himself was made president of a national council for strategy.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355175,al-maliki-task-government-formation.html.

Portugal, Spain, Italy, Cyprus in EU dock over air pollution

Wed, 24 Nov 2010

Brussels - Portugal, Spain, Italy and Cyprus are to face European Union court proceedings over their failure to curb air pollution, the bloc's executive said Wednesday.

EU law has obliged since 2005 its member states to reduce airborne particles below specific annual and daily reference values.

But in a statement, the European Commission said the thresholds "have not been respected in several zones" of the four accused countries.

Authorities can ask for a waiver from the EU rules, but only if they submit air quality plans aiming to redress the situation. In the case of Portugal, Spain, Italy and Cyprus those plans were deemed insufficient.

As a result, a referral to the European Court of Justice was decided, which could lead to hefty fines if judges agree with the commission's stance.

Airborne particles are produced by industry, traffic and domestic heating, and can cause asthma, lung cancer and heart problems, the commission indicated.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355058,eu-dock-air-pollution.html.

Turkish premier warns of difficult times in the region

Wed, 24 Nov 2010

Beirut - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called for unity as the Middle East is going through a difficult period.

In a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart, Saad Hariri, Erdogan said:"The Middle East is going through a critical period, that's why we have to be united."

Erdogan said he was concerned about domestic developments in Lebanon, adding that "our efforts are focused on the means to contribute to maintaining national unity justice and peace." He said Turkey would not give preference to one sect or party over another.

The Turkish premier arrived Wednesday on a two-day visit to Lebanon, amid heightened tensions over reports that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will soon issue its indictment in the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri.

According to media reports, at least eight members of the Lebanese Shiite group, Hezbollah, are likely to be indicted. Hezbollah has warned of repercussions in the event of such a verdict.

Erdogan's trip comes as Turkey aims to play a bigger role as regional mediator in the Middle East.

Apart from political issues, his visit also focused on improving economic ties between the two countries.

"I am pleased to announce the signing of a free trade agreement between Lebanon and Turkey. Reaching this agreement required many rounds of negotiations," Hariri said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355090,premier-warns-difficult-region.html.

NASA delays shuttle launch to at least mid-December - Summary

Wed, 24 Nov 2010

Washington - The planned launch next week of the space shuttle Discovery has been delayed to mid-December to give more time for engineers to evaluate repairs made to the orbiter's external fuel tank, NASA said Wednesday.

NASA has encountered numerous delays over the last month in trying to get Discovery off the ground for its final voyage before the shuttle fleet is retired.

The main culprit has been several cracks found on brackets on the external tank. The fear is the cracks could cause insulation foam to break off and damage the shuttle during liftoff.

Broken foam damaged the shuttle Columbia in 2003, causing it to disintegrate while re-entering the atmosphere and killed all seven astronauts aboard.

"Managers decided the analysis and tests required to launch Discovery safely are not complete. The work will continue through next week," NASA said in a statement.

In scrapping the December 3-6 launch window, NASA set a new one that begins December 17.

The cracks were found on aluminum ribs that support an empty space inside the external fuel tank that separates the liquid oxygen tank at the top and the liquid hydrogen tank at the bottom.

The Discovery mission is to deliver the last major US contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) - an extra room - along with supplies, including a human-like robot known as Robonaut 2, the first-such robot ever sent to space.

Discovery is the oldest active shuttle in the fleet. After the shuttles are retired, astronauts will travel to and from the ISS on Russian spacecraft.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355099,least-mid-december-summary.html.

إطلاق طاقم الجزيرة في اليمن

25/11/2010 م

بعد أن احتجزهم الأمن ساعتين
إطلاق طاقم الجزيرة في اليمن

أفرجت قوات الأمن المركزي اليمنية عن طاقم قناة الجزيرة المكون من المراسل أحمد الشلفي والصحفي فضل مبارك والمصور سمير النمري والسائق عبد الغني الشميري، بعدما احتجزتهم بضع ساعات أثناء قيامهم بتغطية مباريات خليجي 20 في مدينة زنجبار التابعة لمحافظة أبين.

وكان أفراد نقطة أمنية بالمدينة الواقعة بجنوب البلاد قد اعتقلوا أفراد طاقم الجزيرة واقتادوهم إلى معسكر الأمن المركزي في المنطقة.

وقام الأمن بمصادرة كاميرا القناة وتفتيش معدات الفريق واستعراض المواد الفيلمية التي بحوزتهم, كما صودرت هواتفهم النقالة، وأعيدت إليهم فيما بعد.

وقال الشلفي في اتصال مع الجزيرة من عدن "توجهنا إلى زنجبار لعمل تقرير بعنوان محافظة أبين بين السياسة والرياضة، وحتى داخل ملعب المدينة حصلت لنا مشاكل مع الأمن، وفي طريق عودتنا كان هناك تعميم بحجزنا حيث صودرت هواتفنا النقالة وكاميراتنا".

وأضاف "تم الإفراج عنا بعد ساعتين من اعتقالنا وذلك رغم أنني تحدثت مع بعض الوزراء والمسؤولين في الحكومة اليمنية، لكن لم يتم إطلاقنا إلا بعد أن تأكد ضابط الأمن من أن أفلامنا كانت عبارة عن مقابلات وتقارير لا تمس بأمن خليجي 20".

واعتبر المراسل أن السلطات اليمنية "لديها هلع من كل ما يمس بالأمن وتعتقد أن طاقم الجزيرة ربما يقوم بعمل يخل بالأمن".

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/D062D2CC-3081-4D7A-8593-B907DCA043EB.htm.

Jordanian racers to join Jericho speed test

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Men and women from the Jordanian race car circuit will join their Palestinian counterparts Friday for the Wataniyah mobile-sponsored Speed Test.

The Jordanians arrived in Jericho on Wednesday with their vehicles for an advance tour of the city and time to practice on the Palestinian track. last night with their cars and had a tour in the city.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=335746.

East African states meet on Sudan ahead of referendum - Summary

Tue, 23 Nov 2010

Nairobi/Addis Ababa (Earth Times - dpa) - Regional heads of state made little progress in resolving outstanding issues related to an upcoming crucial independence vote for Southern Sudan during a summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa Tuesday.

The autonomous Southern Sudan is set to vote on breaking away from the north in early January - a referendum enshrined in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended decades of civil war between the Muslim north and Christian and Animist south.

Heads of state from regional grouping, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), meeting behind closed doors, pushed Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and Southern Sudan leader Salva Kiir to resolve their differences.

In a communique released at the end of the meeting, IGAD said both sides were dedicated to resolving the outstanding issues, particularly a dispute over the oil-rich Abyei region, which sits on the border between north and south.

"It would be particularly useful if consensus on the Abyei Protocol is achieved prior to the referenda as this would go a long way in fostering an environment of peace and harmony for the local communities," Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, who is the chair of the IGAD sub-committee on Sudan, told the assembled leaders.

With the referendum - in which the south is almost certain to vote for independence - fast approaching, analysts say sorting out long- standing issues such as Abyei and border disputes is crucial to avoid a return to conflict.

The meeting was originally due to take place in Kenya, but was moved after the International Criminal Court asked Kenya to arrest al-Bashir.

Kenya, a signatory to the Rome Statue that established the ICC, caused uproar earlier in the year when it failed to arrest al-Bashir during a visit to the capital Nairobi.

Ethiopia does not recognize the ICC, and is therefore under no obligation to arrest Sudan's leader.

Al-Bashir is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly carried out during years of conflict in the restive Sudanese province of Darfur.

The heads of state - including the leaders of Djibouti, Uganda and Ethiopia - also discussed Somalia, where Islamist insurgents are pushing to oust the weak Western-backed government.

IGAD criticized Somalia's government for infighting and the United Nations for failing to respond to a request for support in boosting the numbers of the African Union peacekeeping force operating in Somalia.

Colombian rebels kill seven police officers, soldiers

Tue, 23 Nov 2010

Bogota - Left-wing Colombian rebels killed four police officers and three soldiers in separate attacks in the south and central regions of the country on Tuesday, officials said.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) attacked a military patrol near Vista Hermosa in Meta province in central Colombia, where three soldiers were killed and four were injured, according to Miguel Briceno, mayor of the town.

In a separate attack, FARC forces killed four police officers and injured three others as they worked on rooting out illegal coca plantations in Guaviare province, in the south, the local police director Hector Montenegro said.

The Colombian military said it had killed a FARC commander, Luis Triana, alias Enrique or Calambrina, in a clash in Huila province.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/354910,seven-police-officers-soldiers.html.

Turkey 'will not remain silent' if Israel attacks Lebanon

25/11/2010

BEIRUT (AFP) -- Turkey will not remain silent if Israel attacks Lebanon or Gaza, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Beirut on Thursday, as ties between the longtime allies remained at an all-time low.

"Does (Israel) think it can enter Lebanon with the most modern aircraft and tanks to kill women and children, and destroy schools and hospitals, and then expect us to remain silent?" Erdogan said at a conference organized by the Union of Arab Banks.

"Does it think it can use the most modern weapons, phosphorus munitions and cluster bombs to kill children in Gaza and then expect us to remain silent?

"We will not be silent and we will support justice by all means available to us."

Turkey was once Israel's closest military and diplomatic ally in the Middle East but ties began to deteriorate when Ankara criticized Israel's December 2008 to January 2009 offensive against Gaza.

Relations then nosedived on May 31, 2010 when Israeli naval commandos stormed a Turkish-registered protest ship, the Mavi Marmara, part of a flotilla attempting to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Nine Turkish activists were killed in the operation.

Erdogan has said his country will not begin to restore relations with Israel until it apologizes for its "savage attack" on the vessel.

Thursday was the final day of the Turkish premier's two-day visit to Lebanon, during which he inaugurated a burns treatment center in Sidon, a major southern coastal city.

South Lebanon was badly hit during the Hezbollah militia's deadly 2006 war with Israel.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=336037.

توليد الكهرباء بالطاقة الشمسية بغزة

25/11/2010 م

أحمد فياض-غزة

مازالت مشكلة انقطاع التيار الكهربائي تؤرق أهالي غزة منذ أن دمر الاحتلال الإسرائيلي قبل أكثر من أربعة أعوام محولات محطة توليد وتوزيع الكهرباء الوحيدة، واستمرار تقليص كميات الوقود اللازم لتشغيل المحطة بعد صيانتها.

هذا الحال شكل تحدياً للغزيين المحاصرين واضطرهم للجوء إلى الكثير من الخيارات البديلة كاستجلاب المولدات الكهربائية الصغيرة عبر الأنفاق من مصر، وتخزين الكهرباء في بطاريات السيارات ومن ثم إعادة استخدامها بعد تحويلها إلى ترددات تتناسب مع تشغيل كثير من الاستخدامات الحياتية.

لكن اتساع دائرة مستخدمي المولدات في غزة خلّف جواً من الضجيج والتلوث لم تشهدته غزة من قبل، وهو ما دفع عددا من المبدعين والباحثين الجامعيين إلى محاولة الاستفادة من الطاقة الشمسية في توليد الكهرباء.

في بؤرة الاهتمام

ورغم محدودية هذه المحاولات الفردية ، فإنها في بؤرة اهتمام أهل غزة الذين يراودهم أمل تطوير هذه المحاولات علها تخرجهم من منغصات تكرار انقطاع التيار.

ويرى مدرس مادة الكيمياء للمرحلة الثانوية محمود شاهين، الذي يعتبر من أوائل من أنار منزله بالطاقة الشمسية، أن فكرة توليد التيار الكهربائي من الشمس تعتمد على توفر الخلايا الشمسية التي تعتبر المكون الأساسي والمهم لتعميم الفكرة.

وتقوم فكرة توليد الكهرباء من الطاقة الشمسية -وفق شاهين- على توصيل مرايا الخلايا الشمسية ببطاريات لتخزين الطاقة ثم تمريرها عبر محول كهربائي يعمل على تحويل التيار الكهربائي من 12 إلى 220 فولت لتتلاءم مع طبيعة الاحتياجات المنزلية، موضحا أن شحن البطاريات لا يأخذ وقتا كبيرا لتخزين الطاقة لأن فترة أشعة الشمس الساطعة على القطاع كبيرة.

وأكد للجزيرة نت أن منع دخول الخلايا الشمسية إلى غزة بفعل الحصار الإسرائيلي تعد السبب الأساسي لإعاقة سبل تعميم الفكرة.

ويتطلع شاهين إلى أن يرى قطاع غزة مضاء بالطاقة الشمسية، مناشداً المسؤولين والداعمين للشعب الفلسطيني الاهتمام بهذا المشروع، والعمل على استغلال الطاقة المتجددة للتغلب على مشكلة الكهرباء.

وذكر محمد حسن نائب عميد كلية الهندسة بالجامعة الإسلامية، الذي رعت كليته أبحاثاً لعدد من طلبتها في مجال توليد الكهرباء من الطاقة الشمسية، أن الطلبة الباحثين شرعوا في التركيز على هذا الموضوع السنوات الأخيرة بعد اشتداد الحصار واستمرار تكرار انقطاع التيار الكهربائي.

عقبات

وأضاف الأكاديمي الفلسطيني في حديث للجزيرة نت أن الباحثين وجدوا أن "الإشعاع الشمسي الساقط على قطاع غزة مدته 270 يوما تقريباً في العام، وبناء على ذلك فإن هناك إمكانية لتنفيذ مشروع الطاقة الشمسية لتوليد الكهرباء من طاقة نظيفة وآمنة وصديقة للبيئة وليس لها أي مخاطر على الإنسان".

وأشار إلى أن عدم توفر الدعم المالي الكافي لإنشاء مزارع للطاقة الشمسية وصعوبة الحصول على المعدات اللازمة لتنفيذ مثل هذا المشروع، هما أبرز المعوقات التي تحول دون تنفيذه.

وفي نفس السياق يرى كنعان عبيد نائب رئيس سلطة الطاقة بغزة أن فكرة توليد الطاقة الكهربائية بالطاقة الشمسية ليست جديدة، ويمكن تنفيذها في قطاع غزة ولكنها تحتاج إلى تكلفة مالية عالية.

وأكد عبيد للجزيرة نت أن سلطة الطاقة رعت تجربة إنارة منطقة جسر وادي غزة عن طريق الطاقة الشمسية، لكن لم يكتب لها النجاح بسبب نقص الكفاءات البشرية المتخصصة في مجال صيانة الألواح الشمسية وما يلزمها.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/455ABE6D-8B36-4B83-89FF-84CBE39E6332.htm.

Organization of the Islamic Conference delegation to visit Gaza

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- In an effort to improve services and lobbying for a better humanitarian situation in Gaza, a delegation from the Organization of the Islamic Conference will visit the coastal enclave for an extensive tour of existing infrastructure.

The delegation, headed by Humanitarian Affairs Department officer Fuad Al-Mazna’i, will arrive Sunday in Gaza and stay for four days.

Officials said the delegation includes doctors and specialists, who will carry out consultations and some surgeries while they are in the area, and assist aid workers in assessing the health situation with particular attention given to hospital facilities.

A representative of the organization said the visit came as part of the ongoing efforts of the OIC to rehabilitate the Palestinian community.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=335585.

Rights of Somali minority violated - report

Thursday 25 November 2010
Abdilatif Maalim, AfricaaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya

Minority Rights Group International said in a new report that minorities in war torn Somalia are subjected to summary executions, reported beheadings and rape.

The report, Nor redress: Somalia forgotten minorities documents the suffering of minorities in Somalia which is said to be worse than that of other groups owing to lack of protection.

According to the report, majority clans are segregating discriminating and abusing Somali minorities. The majority clans are excluding the minorities including, Bantu and Gaboye from any political, social and economic arrangements, denying them access to justice, notes the report.

In a press briefing in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi the executive of the Minority Rights International, Mark Lattimer said tens of thousands of minorities have been displaced from south-central Somalia due to civil war.

'There is a well-known saying in Somali: 'No-one will weep for you. No-one will avenge you.' That is the reality for the country's minorities,' he added.

Radical Islamist groups control large swaths of land in southern Somalia. Western backed transitional Federal government only control few areas in Mogadishu. Somali almost two decade civil war has uprooted hundreds of thousands from their homes. The renewed fight since 2007 has claimed the lives over 21,000 peopled.

According to the report, militant Islamist group al-Shabaab has persecuted Bantus and Christians in areas under its control in south and central Somalia, shooting and beheading some individuals.

Women from minority groups who fled to the breakaway state of Puntland have also falling victim to persistent rape from men belonging to majority clans, the report said.

MRG called for recognition of the country's minorities and their rights in the constitution and also recommended that United Nations and other aid agencies put more focus on minority rights in their programs.

Source: AfricaNews.
Link: http://www.africanews.com/site/Rights_of_Somali_minority_violated_report/list_messages/36252.

Moroccan nationalists 'hack Algerian embassy website'

ALGIERS — The website of Algeria's embassy in Washington has been targeted by Moroccan nationalist hackers, the mission said Wednesday.

Two other Algerian websites also appeared to be affected, according to statements on the websites, in attacks apparently motivated by Algiers' support for the Polisario Front.

The Front wants a referendum on self-determination for the Western Sahara region, with independence from Morocco as one of the options.

"The hackers left no doubt whatsoever as to their identities or those of their sponsors, now obviously resorting to desperate means and tactics," the embassy said.

A website giving information on Algeria, TSA, stated on Wednesday that it would be closed for several days following the hacking.

Another site with links to Algerian media websites was also affected.

Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco after Spanish settlers withdrew in 1975, but the Polisario Front fought the Moroccan presence until the United Nations brokered a ceasefire in 1991.

Rabat has pledged to grant Western Sahara widespread autonomy but rules out independence.

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.

Lebanon, Turkey Sign Free Trade Agreement to Boost Ties

By Massoud A. Derhally - Nov 25, 2010

Lebanon and Turkey signed a free trade agreement late yesterday night to help boost ties between the two countries during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit.

“This agreement is a new beginning for the relations between Lebanon and Turkey and its conclusion reflects our continuous commitment to develop the strong economic and commercial relations between us,” Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in an e-mailed statement. Official talks regarding the accord started six years ago, he said.

Trade volume between Turkey and Arab countries rose to $29 billion in 2009 from $13 billion five years earlier, Erdogan said in June. More than 2,000 Arab companies operate in Turkey, he said. Turkey and Lebanon had agreed in June on establishing a free trade zone that also includes Jordan and Syria.

Under the Turkish-Lebanese accords, industrial products have been divided into three groups, with some products becoming exempt from custom tariffs as soon as the Lebanese Parliament endorses the agreement, Hariri said. Tariffs on the second group of industrial products will be gradually freed from tariffs over five years.

Hariri and Erdogan also agreed to establish a joint committee to oversee trade ties.

Source: Bloomberg.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-25/lebanon-turkey-sign-free-trade-agreement-to-boost-ties.html.

Radical Lebanon cleric Bakri bailed from jail

BEIRUT — Radical Islamist preacher Omar Bakri, who was sentenced in Lebanon to life in prison on a number of charges, was freed on bail on Wednesday pending a retrial, a judicial source said.

"Bakri paid a bail of five million Lebanese pounds (3,330 dollars/2,500 euros) and was released from custody but must still turn up for every hearing of his retrial," the source told AFP.

Bakri, who has praised the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and hailed the hijackers as the "magnificent 19," had initially been tried in absentia by a military court and was sentenced on November 12.

He was subsequently arrested in his northern hometown of Tripoli.

Bakri must be retried because he was not present for the initial hearings.

The 50-year-old was found guilty of incitement to murder, theft and the possession of arms and explosives along with over 40 Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians and Saudis.

Lebanese police arrested Bakri on November 14, just three days after he boasted he would "not spend one day" of a life sentence behind bars.

Bakri, a Sunni Muslim, has appointed Hezbollah legislator Nawwar Sahili as his defense lawyer and appealed to the leader of Shiite militant Hezbollah for help.

"I urge Hassan Nasrallah to look at the injustice facing Omar Bakri who backs all resistance (movements) against Israel," arch-foe of Hezbollah, Bakri said in an interview with local television.

Bakri lived in Britain for almost 20 years before settling in Lebanon in 2005 after he was banned from London under government curbs following the underground and bus bombings that year.

The Syrian-born cleric, who also holds Lebanese nationality, has denied he has any links to Al-Qaeda although he said he believed in "the same ideology."

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.

Six AU peacekeepers arrested in Somalia

Thursday 25 November 2010
Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya

African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia has arrested six of its soldiers after two civilians were killed in indiscriminate gunshot in Mogadishu. The incident occurred Tuesday as convoy of heavily armed peacekeepers opened fire on civilians at a road between the international airport and the strategic Km 4 Area in South Mogadishu.

Nearly 10 civilians among them children were also wounded in the accident.

The commander of the peacekeepers serving the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), Major General Nathan Mugisha, has apologized.

Maj. Gen. Mugisha termed the incident unfortunate and shared with the Somali people their grief.

He said that one of the wounded was being treated at an Amisom medical facility, adding that the peacekeepers were ready to medically assist the other injured (that are being treated at Madina Hospital in Mogadishu) if required.

“We are not certain whether the soldiers were responding to a perceived threat,” the African Union force commander, Maj. Gen. Mugisha, said in a statement.

“However, all the soldiers involved have been arrested and taken into a military custody while a full inquiry is launched into the precise circumstances that took place.”

Local human rights and Mogadishu residents have accused Ugandan soldiers of routine firing into the air to disperse crowds.

Civilian casualties are increasingly problematic in Mogadishu, turning residents against the peacekeepers and Somali government.

Many residents are furious at the peacekeepers for shelling into civilian villages, though the peacekeepers say they are simply returning fire from insurgents.

Somalia’s al-Qaeda linked group of Al-Shabaab took credit for a suicide attack that hit Kampala in July that killed more 70 people. The group said it was a revenge for the innocent Somalis killed by Ugandan peacekeepers.

Source: AfricaNews.
Link: http://www.africanews.com/site/Six_AU_peacekeepers_arrested_in_Somalia/list_messages/36263.

Mauritania celebrates independence decennial with art

An American artist assisted Mauritanian painters in producing a mural and several other works to mark the country's independence.

By Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott – 24/11/10

The Mauritanian National Bureau of Museums and the US embassy in Nouakchott are organizing an exhibition to showcase the work of American artist Michelle Cavalcanti and Mauritanian artists to commemorate fifty years of independence and friendly relations with the United States.

The showing began on Monday (November 22nd) at the National Museum in Nouakchott, and will continue until December 14th under the title of "50 years of independence, 50 years of friendship".

"The exhibition, on the one hand, reflects the interest shown by the United States of America in our country's celebration of the 50th Independence Day, and the other hand, it commemorates the fifty years of friendship between Mauritanian and the United States of America," Mauritanian Culture Ministry representative Hadrami Ould Meiddah said.

The display was the result of three consecutive weeks of work where Cavalcanti supervised the training of 22 Mauritanian artists, who contributed to the production of 40 individual paintings and a large collective work of cultural diversity.

"The ties that bind our country and the United States of America are not new, as they extend to include all aspects of economic and social life in general, and cultural life in particular. The embassy has organized many cultural activities, conferences, evening events and concerts, without forgetting the fact that they provided the National Office with some technical equipment to facilitate its work," Ould Meiddah added.

Speaking to Magharebia on the sidelines of the show, Cavalcanti said she was very happy about her experience with the Mauritanian artists.

"It's great to come to Mauritania and join the Mauritanians in their celebrations of the National Independence Day and fifty years of friendship with the United States. I learned a lot about cultural diversity in this country, which I didn't know before. I was lucky to supervise a large wall painting that reflects the cultural diversity in Mauritania."

"The message from the painting is that we have four ethnic groups in Mauritania in harmony with each other, and we have different environments ranging from desert to the river, which means that everyone must play a role in the development of the country and that everyone should live in peace and harmony," Cavalcanti added.

Some artists also expressed their happiness with the exhibition, citing their experiences throughout the training. At the end of the opening ceremony, the Mauritanian artists who participated in the program were awarded gifts, with the presence of significant officials.

"I benefited from a lot of things during this training, which lasted three weeks," said Hamadi Diallo. "I thank the artist and expert Michelle Cavalcanti for her distinctive work and high artistic taste. She was a source of inspiration for all of us."

The presentation attracted many intellectuals, especially those interested in fine arts, who rushed to attend the show in the early hours of the opening.

"The paintings that were exhibited were great, and there is no doubt it will spur other artists to draw many other paintings, which means creating a competitive environment among Mauritanian artists," arts student Isselmou Ould Mohamed told Magharebia.

Ould Mohamed praised the large wall painting representing the cultural diversity, describing it as an "idea leading to the strengthening of national unity".

"It's a live example of the ability of art to gather cultures and melt them all in one crucible of humanity, to live together under the umbrella of peace, which human beings need, particularly nowadays," he said.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/11/24/feature-02.

Libya, Ukraine ease visa restrictions

2010-11-24

Libya and Ukraine on Tuesday (November 23rd) launched a visa-free regime for holders of diplomatic and official passports, Interfax reported. The same privilege will soon be granted to all citizens, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said after meeting in Tripoli with his Libyan counterpart Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi. The two countries also agreed to step up co-operation in agriculture, hydrocarbons, education and the civilian use of nuclear energy.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/11/24/newsbrief-05.

Algerian activists seek to criminalize gender-based violence

2010-11-24

To mark the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 15 women's rights NGOs will gather in Algiers on Thursday (November 25th) to plead for the adoption of domestic violence legislation, APS reported. The Algerian Family Planning Association is hosting the conference, which kicks off a national campaign aimed at garnering support for laws criminalizing violence against women. Delegations from Spain, Tunisia, France and Italy are expected to attend the event.

Last Saturday, United Nations Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo concluded a visit to Algeria to assess progress in stemming violence against women. Algeria invited the UN official to evaluate the country's implementation of UN recommendations.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/11/24/newsbrief-03.

EIB lends 500 mln euros to Algeria-Spain gas pipeline

Tue Nov 23, 2010

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide a 500 million euro loan for the Medgaz gas pipeline between Algeria and Spain, the bank said on Tuesday.

The loan -- the EIB's biggest for a Mediterranean energy project -- amounts to roughly half the total cost of Medgaz, which will pump about 8 billion cubic meters (283 billion cu ft) of gas from Algeria under the Mediterranean to Spain each year.

Medgaz is scheduled to come on stream in early 2011, having been delayed several times.

The EIB said in a statement the project would help meet growing gas demand in Spain and increase the diversity of natural gas supplies to the European Union.

The project will allow Spain to substitute pipeline gas for some of its substantial liquefied natural gas imports.

The Medgaz consortium comprises Algeria's state oil and gas firm Sonatrach, Spanish utility Iberdrola and oil firm Cepsa, as well as Italian utility Enel's Spanish unit Endesa and France's GDF Suez.

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6AM0U820101123.

Rioters clash with police in Algerian capital

Tue Nov 23, 2010

* Protesters throw stones and bottles at police

* Residents angered by attempt to demolish houses

* Gas exporter Algeria has periodic flare-ups of unrest

ALGIERS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Dozens of young men threw stones and glass bottles at police in Algeria's capital on Tuesday in rioting triggered by a dispute over housing.

Energy exporter Algeria has periodic outbreaks of social unrest, usually over high levels of unemployment and cramped housing conditions, but riots are rare in the heavily policed capital.

The clashes broke out in the densely populated Diar Elaffia neighborhood, in eastern Algiers, soon after municipal workers backed up by police began demolishing three houses that officials had ruled were built illegally.

Local residents, angered by the demolition, blocked roads and threw stones and bottles at police, a Reuters photographer at the scene said. The rioting subsided after a contingent of riot police arrived.

Algeria is emerging from a long conflict with Islamist insurgents, and some analysts and diplomats say social unrest now rivals militant violence as the biggest threat to stability.

The government has announced an investment plan worth $286 billion over the next four years to create jobs and improve living conditions. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has also promised 1 million new housing units by 2014.

In October last year, protesters in another neighborhood of Algiers threw petrol bombs at police in several days of rioting over housing conditions.

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://af.reuters.com/article/algeriaNews/idAFLDE6AM1V520101123?sp=true.

India boosts troop level near Tibet border

NEW DELHI, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- India is readying two army divisions totaling more than 36,000 troops for deployment by March along a disputed northern border with China.

The divisions are to defend against a possible Chinese attack on India's state of Arunachal Pradesh. But China, which roundly condemns the move, has been claiming for more 50 years that the area is part of its autonomous Tibet region.

The intended deployment of India's 56th Army Division was announced in November last year and it will be based in the state of Nagaland, immediately southeast of Arunachal Pradesh. The intention is to guard against a Chinese attack through Myanmar, formerly called Burma.

The other new formation, the 71st Army Division, will be based in Assam, the second of two states that borders Arunachal Pradesh to the south.

Indian Defense Ministry officials said the two infantry mountain divisions will be fully "operational with specialized equipment" by 2011.

"The two divisions are now virtually in place, with officers and soldiers already being posted for them. They are in process of getting new equipment, which includes armored personnel carriers and light Howitzers," said an unnamed defense official.

Also, a new battalion of highly mobile and versatile paramilitary Arunachal Scouts and Sikkim Scouts will be up and running by May next year. "All the men in these formations will be drawn from mountain-fit local tribesmen but the officers will be from the army, at least for a while," a corps commander said.

But Chinese officials have called the deployment unproductive and it sends the wrong signals to Beijing.

India's announcement comes three weeks before Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to India. His trip is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, which became a communist state in 1949 after defeating of the governing nationalist forces of Chang Kai-shek.

China and India fought a brief border war in 1962 but Chinese troops pulled back into Tibet. Since then periodic talks have taken place to ease tensions in an attempt to resolve their dispute. India and China signed a Peace and Tranquility treaty in 1993 whereby both sides were to scale down their military strengths in the area.

But despite attempts at rapprochement over the territorial issue, a large military presence by both sides close to the frontier has been maintained to varying degrees.

"Since a war with China in 1962, the Indian army has set up a total of 10 mountain divisions in the region," Wang Dehua, a Chinese expert on India at the Shanghai International Studies Center said in an article in the state run Global Times newspaper.

"Such a move aims to add chips to the upcoming China-India talks on border disputes."

Wang said, "Those hawkish groups in New Delhi are getting above themselves after the U.S. voiced support for India's bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council."

Sun Shihai of the Asia Pacific studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said India's increase in troops in the region "showed its unwillingness to make a concession during the demarcation talks."

In October 2009, China strongly criticized a visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Arunachal Pradesh, the first such high level visit to the state in a decade.

Chinese foreign ministry officials said Singh ignored Beijing's sensitivities over the disputed area.

The following month, China condemned a visit to the state by the Tibetan self-exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Since he fled Tibet in 1959 when Chinese troops marched into what was an independent country, Beijing has considered the Dalai Lama a political threat who foments separatist movements within Tibet.

Beijing's condemnation his visit was business as usual, said the Dalai Lama at the time.

"It is quite usual for China to step up the campaign against me wherever I go," he said after opening a museum at a 400-year-old monastery in Tawang, at the heart of the border row between the two countries. "My visit here is non-political."

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/11/24/India-boosts-troop-level-near-Tibet-border/UPI-46181290599100/.

Somalia: AU troops kill two civilians

Wednesday 24 November 2010 - 14:01
Ismail Hassan Olad, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya

At least two civilians have been killed and more than seven others wounded in Somalia's capital Mogadishu after AU troops are alleged to have deliberately open fire on them, according to Shabelle.net.

Three of the wounded civilians are confirmed dead at the Madina Hospital while the others are in critical conditions.

The commander of the African Union Forces in Somalia Nathan Mugisha has told the media the soldiers who were involved in the incident have been arrested while investigation is ongoing.

Source: AfricaNews.
Link: http://www.africanews.com/site/Somalia_AU_troops_kill_two_civilians/list_messages/36244.

Palestine, Syria condemn Israel referendum law

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP) - Palestinian and Syrian officials on Tuesday condemned a new Israeli law mandating a national referendum ahead of any withdrawal from occupied East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the bill, passed by Israel's parliament late on Monday night, makes "a mockery of international law, which is not subject to the whims of Israeli public opinion".

In Damascus, the foreign ministry said: "Syria totally rejects this Israeli measure which changes nothing to the fact that the Golan is Syrian territory and cannot be part of any negotiations."

The legislation, which was backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, passed with 65 Knesset members in favor and 33 against, and no abstentions.

It requires any government signing a peace agreement that cedes territory in East Jerusalem or the Golan, or any other sovereign territory within Israel itself, to either secure approval of parliament or hold a national referendum.

It would not affect territorial concessions within the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, which Israel has not annexed.

But Erekat said Israel had no right to put any future territorial concessions to a public vote.

“Ending the occupation of our land is not and cannot be dependent on any sort of referendum,” he said.

“Under international law there is a clear and absolute obligation on Israel to withdraw not only from East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, but from all of the territories that it has occupied since 1967.”

East Jerusalem was annexed shortly after the 1967 Six-Day war, while the Golan Heights plateau was formally annexed in 1981. Both were occupied in the conflict, and neither annexation has been recognized by the international community.

Any pullout from mainly Arab East Jerusalem would only occur as part of a peace deal, but talks between Israel and the Palestinians are currently suspended because of a dispute over Jewish settlement building.

The Palestinians have said they could seek international recognition for a unilateral declaration of statehood if peace talks are not relaunched soon, and Erekat said the referendum law brought new urgency to the proposal.

“The international community’s answer to this bill should be a worldwide recognition of the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Syria and Israel remain technically at war, and there are no official peace talks between the two countries at present.

“This law is addressed to those who still have illusions concerning the current Israeli government and who believe that it seeks peace,” the Syrian foreign ministry said.

The legislation also drew condemnation within Israel, with Defense Minister Ehud Barak saying it could serve as propaganda fodder for Israel’s foes.

“I’m not sure this law was needed or urgent and could be made use of by Israel’s enemies, letting them claim Israel is opposed to peace by shackling itself to avoid progressing on the peace process,” Barak told a conference Tuesday.

However, other domestic reaction to the legislation was largely focused on what it meant for the country’s political system, with several observers arguing it weakened the Knesset and Israel’s legislative process.

Ariella Ringel-Hoffman, writing in Yediot Aharonot daily, warned that a referendum was “not a process that enhances the decision-making process”.

“This is a process that detracts and diminishes the responsibility of the political establishment, it diffuses it and decentralizes it in a bad way,” she wrote.

“This is still a tool that undermines the status of the government, its right and its obligation to conduct negotiations, to make the best agreements possible and to make decisions.”

The Syrian media slammed the legislation, saying it was a sign that Israel had no interest in making peace.

Al Baath, the paper of Syria’s ruling Baath Party, called the law “a new aggressive measure that reflects Israel’ disdain for Arab rights and its rejection of international resolutions stipulating the withdrawal from Arab territory occupied in 1967”.

24 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://jordantimes.com/?news=32040.

حبس 12 إخوانيا بسبب دعاية انتخابية

24/11/2010 م

داخل مؤسسات حكومية
حبس 12 إخوانيا بسبب دعاية انتخابية

قضت محكمة جنائية مصرية بحبس 12 عضوا من جماعة الإخوان المسلمين في مصر ثلاثة أشهر بتهمة مباشرة دعاية انتخابية داخل مؤسسات حكومية، وهو الحكم الأول من نوعه في المعركة الانتخابية الحالية.

وقال محامي جماعة الإخوان المسلمين عبد المنعم عبد المقصود لمراسل الجزيرة بالقاهرة، إن محاكم أخرى ستبدأ اليوم نظر دعاوى هي الأولى من نوعها لمحاكمة 18 عضوا آخرين في الجماعة بتهمة رفع شعارات دينية في الحملة الانتخابية.

وقال إن عدد المحالين إلى محاكمات جنائية ارتفع حتى الآن إلى أكثر من 320 شخصا يتوقع أن تصدر ضدهم أحكام مماثلة. وعبر عبد المقصود عن دهشته من تصاعد الحملة الأمنية ضد الجماعة.

دعوة للمقاطعة

في هذه الأثناء دعت الحركة المصرية من أجل التغيير المعروفة باسم "كفاية" إلى مقاطعة الانتخابات النيابية المقبلة، وأن تكون المقاطعة بداية لما وصفته بعصيان سياسي.

وقالت الحركة في بيان لها إن الانتخابات ستزور، وإن المشاركة ستمنح التزوير شرعية.

من جهته قال الأمين العام للحزب الوطني الحاكم بمصر صفوت الشريف إن الحزب أصدر تعليمات لأمنائه في المحافظات "بألا ينساقوا وراء الاستفزازات التي يقوم بها أنصار المرشحين المستقلين من تنظيمات غير شرعية".

وقال الشريف إن هذه التنظيمات -التي لم يسمها- "تهدف إلى إشاعة مناخ من الفوضى".

قلق وتهديد

وفي هذا السياق أعرب ممثلو التحالف المصري لمراقبة الانتخابات عن بالغ قلقهم من قرارات اللجنة العليا للانتخابات بشأن رقابة منظمات المجتمع المدني على العملية الانتخابية "التي بلغت حد مصادرة الرقابة المحلية على الانتخابات، وذلك من خلال وضع الشروط والموانع التي تحد من نشاط وعمل المراقبين داخل اللجان الانتخابية".

وهدد التحالف الذي يضم 123 منظمة وجمعية حقوقية بالانسحاب من عملية الرقابة على الانتخابات مع بقية التحالفات الأخرى في حالة عدم استجابة اللجنة العليا للانتخابات لمطالب منظمات المجتمع المدني المعنية بالرقابة.

على صعيد آخر, تقرر تجديد حبس 33 شخصا من أعضاء جماعة الإخوان المسلمين 15 يوما على ذمة التحقيق، وذلك "لإثارتهم الشغب وتجمهرهم وتعمدهم تعطيل حركة المرور أثناء مسيرة دعائية لمرشح الجماعة بانتخابات مجلس الشعب بدائرة أبو كبير".

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/3BCD9BD6-CF3F-4D4E-B84F-C6A9381B5FF2.htm.

اعتقال مراسل الجزيرة نت بالقاهرة

24/11/2010 م

زوجه مرشحة الإخوان
اعتقال مراسل الجزيرة نت بالقاهرة

اعتقلت السلطات المصرية فجر الأربعاء مراسل الجزيرة نت في القاهرة بدر محمد بدر وصادرت بعض متعلقاته الخاصة، وذلك قبل ساعات من اعتقال مصور الجزيرة محمد العربي الذي كان يغطي أحداث المواجهات بين المسيحيين والأمن بمدينة الجيزة المتاخمة للقاهرة.

والجدير بالذكر أن عزة الجرف زوج بدر كانت مرشحة الإخوان المسلمين على مقعد الكوتة النسائية في دائرة 6 أكتوبر، وقد امتنعت مديرية 6 أكتوبر عن استلام أوراق ترشيحها، رغم حصولها على العديد من الأحكام القضائية التي تمكنها من تقديم الأوراق وإدراج اسمها ضمن المرشحات.

وعن ظروف اعتقاله قالت زوجه إن عناصر الأمن دخلوا المنزل في حدود الساعة الثانية والنصف قبل فجر اليوم وفتشوا أرجاء البيت، حيث صادروا جهاز الحاسوب الخاص بزوجها وعددا من المواد الصحفية التي كان يعدها للجزيرة، كما صادروا كل الأموال الموجودة في المنزل.

وأضافت زوجه -في اتصال هاتفي مع الجزيرة نت- أن ضابط الأمن طلب منها تحضير حقيبة ملابس لزوجها ووضع أدويته فيها، ثم اقتادوه للاعتقال قبل أن يعودوا بعد نحو نصف ساعة ويفتشوا المنزل مرة أخرى بما فيه غرف نوم الأبناء.

وترى الجرف أن اعتقال زوجها يشكل انتقاما لترشحها في الانتخابات، على حد تعبيرها.

وقالت إنها أبلغت نقابة الصحفيين بنبأ اعتقال زوجها -الذي لا يزال موجودا في مقر النيابة لكنه لم يعرض عليها بعد- حيث ستنظم اليوم وقفة احتجاجية للمطالبة بالإفراج عنه.

وكانت السلطات المصرية اعتقلت كذلك صباح اليوم مصور الجزيرة محمد العربي قبل أن يفرج عنه في وقت لاحق بعد اتصالات أجرتها الجزيرة مع السلطات المصرية.

وكان العربي يغطي أحداث المواجهات التي اندلعت صباح الأربعاء بين قوات الأمن المركزي ومسيحيين بمدينة الجيزة المتاخمة للقاهرة.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/328F3CA3-A9FD-4A70-8BB8-605B07FC8025.htm.

سفينة الأمل ترسو بميناء العريش

25/11/2010 م

رست بميناء العريش المصري فجر اليوم سفينة الأمل الأوروبية، المحملة بمساعدات إلى قطاع غزة والقادمة من ليبيا، بعد ثلاثة أيام أمضتها في غاطس الميناء.

وقال مدير ميناء العريش البحري اللواء جمال عبد المقصود إن برج المراقبة في الميناء كان قد فوجئ بالسفينة وهي تتجه صوب الميناء المصري دون ترتيب مسبق.

وذكر مصدر أمني مصري لوكالة الأنباء الألمانية أنه سوف يتم العمل على نقل المساعدات إلى معبر رفح البري من أجل إيصالها إلى القطاع، مشيرا إلى أن الموافقة المصرية على دخول السفينة إلى رصيف الميناء جاءت بعد عدة اتصالات مكثفة بين كبار المسؤولين في ليبيا ومصر.

وأضاف المصدر أنه من المقرر أن يتم نقل المساعدات، وهي عبارة عن 95 طنا تقريبا بخلاف 30 سيارة، إلى قطاع غزة مساء اليوم الخميس عن طريق معبر رفح البري وفقا للتعليمات التي صدرت من القاهرة بذلك.

وتحمل سفينة الأمل مساعدات أوروبية وعشرات الناشطين الأوربيين والعرب، ولم تقم بالتنسيق مع المسؤولين في مصر أو حتى إدارة الميناء كي يتم الاستعداد لاستقبالها.

يذكر أن عدة سفن وقوافل أوروبية وعربية حملت مساعدات إنسانية إلى القطاع المحاصر منذ ثلاث سنوات، بينها "شريان الحياة" و"أسطول الحرية" الذي تعرض لهجوم إسرائيلي دموي في نهاية مايو/أيار الماضي.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/BDBF68E3-B6A3-4B0F-BFE6-C224882D8AA3.htm.

هدوء بعد شغب بالعاصمة الجزائرية

25/11/2010 م

اشتبكت قوات الأمن الجزائرية أول أمس الثلاثاء بالعاصمة مع عشرات الأشخاص الذين احتجوا على هدم منازلهم التي تقول السلطات إنها بنيت بشكل غير قانوني، في حين يؤكد السكان أن مشكل السكن هو الذي يدفعهم إلى ذلك.

واندلعت المواجهات بين الطرفين بحي ديار العافية الشعبي المكتظ بالسكان، بعدما قام عمال بلدية العاصمة مدعومين بالشرطة بهدم ثلاثة منازل بحجة أن بناءها مخالف للقانون، وهو ما أثار غضب سكان الحي ودفعهم إلى الرد بشكل عنيف.

وقالت قناة الجزيرة إن عشرات الشبان قاموا بإغلاق الطرق ورشق الشرطة بالحجارة والزجاجات، وردت عليهم قوات مكافحة الشغب التي وصلت المكان بعد حدوث الاشتباكات بين الطرفين بالقنابل المسيلة للدموع.

ويؤكد المتضررون –وفق الجزيرة- أنهم أصبحوا مشردين بعد أن هدمت البلدية مساكنهم دون أن توفر لهم منازل بديلة، مع العلم بأن الأحياء العشوائية أصبحت تطوق العاصمة الجزائرية بسبب أزمة السكن.

وفي نفس السياق يقول أحد أرباب الأسر التي هدمت بيوتها -ويدعى العربي جوديل (52 عاما)- لرويترز إنه طرد من منزله هو وأسرته وأصبحوا في الشارع، مشيرا إلى أنه طلب من بلدية العاصمة إيجاد حل لأزمته "لكن لا حياة لمن تنادي"، في حين دعت زوجته الله أن يقتص ممن سمتهم الظالمين.

ويذكر أن الحكومة الجزائرية أعلنت خطة استثمار بقيمة 286 مليار دولار على مدى السنوات الأربع القادمة لإيجاد وظائف وتحسين مستوى المعيشة، كما تعهد الرئيس عبد العزيز بوتفليقة ببناء مليون وحدة سكنية جديدة بحلول عام 2014.

وتشهد الجزائر بين الحين والآخر موجات من الغضب والاضطرابات الاجتماعية بسبب مشاكل البطالة والسكن، لكن أعمال الشغب تكاد تكون نادرة في العاصمة الجزائرية على وجه التحديد بسبب خضوعها لوجود مكثف للشرطة.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/CA882CF0-9514-4269-AC16-BC8E1D639EC8.htm.

Jordan's Tribal Leaders Flex Their Muscles

by Abdullah Omar
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Rioting presents a challenge to campaign of King Abdallah II to impose rule of law

AMMAN, Jordan - Calm has returned to As-Salt, a city of 100,000 some 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of the capital Amman, after three days of rioting that erupted in the wake of a police shooting of an unarmed civilian. But the local tribes believed to be behind the unrest still have a beef with King Abdallah II.

The aftermath of clash is evident in the city’s downtown, where thousands of gendarmerie were deployed to contain angry crowds that smashed shop fronts and torched automated teller machines during 48 hours of rampaging. When his iron-fist policy failed, the king dispatched Interior Minister Nayef Al-Qadhi to the town to seek a truce with the tribes.

But the underlying causes of the rioting will be a tougher problem to solve. Western diplomats say the modernizing Abdullah is determined to impose the rule of the law on the influential tribes, but tribal chiefs are equally determined to preserve their traditional power and privileges, putting the two on a potential collision course.

“In King Hussein’s time, the tribes could get away with anything,” a Western diplomat told the Media Line, referring to Abdullah’s father, who ruled Jordan for close to half a century until he died in 1999. “But, King Abdallah II is adamant to put everybody under the rule of law. His policy isn’t being received well by tribes used to certain leverages.”

Jordan’s king and tribe drama could have far-reaching implications. The country is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. But with a war-torn Iraq to his east and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to his west, Abdallah faces a host of challenges to stable rule. Jordan’s tribes are the bulwark of his Hashemite monarchy and counterbalance the influence of Jordan’s big Palestinian population.

Last week’s rioting in As-Salt was set off by relatives of a man assaulted by a local police officer. The incident began when an officer reportedly put chase to a vehicle he deemed suspicious because it had no license plate and its windows were broken. As he pursued the car, he was confronted by relatives of the driver.

Eyewitnesses say the policeman pulled his gun and shot at close range a man they termed a bystander. Angry and vengeful, relatives of the victim and others attacked a police station, torched a police booth and bank, and hurled stones at gendarmerie forces. The police responded by storming shops and beating civilians inside them.

“Our relative was shot in the head from a close range, and the police told us immediately that they didn’t do it,” said Ali Khreisat, a member of the tribe that clashed with police. “They confessed later. But we needed to take the law in our hands because we do not have trust in police or the government.”

The melee in As-Salt is hardly an isolated incident in a country. According to official figures, nearly 200 cases of social violence – the official term for vigilantism -- were reported in the north, central and southern parts of the kingdom last year. One common factor among most incidents is that they happened in tribe-dominated areas.

The late King Hussein was in most respects a modernizer, but he relied on tribes to cement his grip on power amid fear about the rising influence of the country’s Palestinians. Abdallah II has continued his father’s legacy, but the Western-educated Abdullah has also sought to impose the law equally on all the population and use the police and other government mechanisms to enforce it.

“In Jordan, the tribe is a fundamental part of social and political identity. We cannot ignore this, but modernity requires the state to implement the law, without discrimination or favoritism,” Fuad Dabour, security-general of the Arab Communist Party, told The Media Line.

The unrest exploded just a few days ahead of the scheduled opening of a newly elected parliament, which needs to address not only the growing vigilantism, but to spur economic growth and cut Jordan's record $2 billion budget deficit. Abdallah has his work cut out, but thanks to voting rules that favor the kingdom’s rural, tribal allies, parliament is dominated by tribal leaders.

Of the 120 newly elected lawmakers, only 17 are Jordanians of Palestinian origin, even though they make up nearly 65 % of the population. Many observers say the elections system has enhanced tribal power at the expense of rule of law and government.

Experts have warned that the tribes may use their power to oppose the king, especially as economic pressures grow and trust in government decline. The attack on security forces in As-Salt suggests that police have become the public face of bad public policies and decisions, said Professor Musa Shtewy, a sociologist and member of a government committee to study social violence. Nearly 70% of the population is under age of 30, but the young lack work opportunities while a conservative mentality limits business and social advancement.

“Youth is living in a state of frustration. Political alienation and apathy are prevalent,” Shtewy told The Media Line. “We also have high unemployment, poverty and lack of future prospects.”

Dabour, the communist, blamed the government, which he says discourages the young from joining political parties that would raise them above narrow tribal allegiances.

“The authorities are reaping the fruits of what they planted,” he said.

Copyright © 2010 The Media Line. All Rights Reserved.

Source: The Media Line.
Link: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=30626.

Princess Muna inaugurates new headquarters for FFSPD

By Rand Dalgamouni

AMMAN - Members of the Families and Friends Society of Persons with Disabilities (FFSPD) on Wednesday celebrated the opening of their new headquarters, which they hope will allow them to serve a greater number of people.

HRH Princess Muna, the society's honorary president, inaugurated the new venue along with Their Royal Highnesses Prince Raad and Princess Majda Raad.

FFSPD founder and chairperson, Rima Ayoub Zureikat said one of the main challenges the society had faced since its founding 16 years ago was its small venue, adding that the new headquarters will allow them to serve a greater number of persons with disabilities (PWD) and their families.

She explained that FFSPD provides a variety of training, empowerment and social integration programs for PWD.

"We take those with multiple disabilities who come from areas where they have been previously isolated and ignored. Our motto is 'Tell me and I won't, show me and I might, involve me and I will'," she told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

"Our children are able, but in their own way," she added, noting that the society also provides help to mothers of children with disabilities.

"We train mothers on the best way to deal with their disabled children. They regain their confidence and overcome the social stigma that they may face," Zureikat explained.

She pointed out that the FFSPD is one of the first societies in Jordan to apply the Portage Program, which is a home-based educational, early interventional and diagnostic program for children from birth to nine years of age.

Under the program, a home visitor comes weekly to train the mother on how to best care for her child with mental, physical, or multiple disabilities.

"Some of the mothers we train become home visitors themselves, since their experience gives them the empathy to help mothers of other children with disabilities," Zureikat noted.

A two-year program prepares children aged between six and nine with mild to moderate mental disabilities, who have been previously home-serviced, for integration into schools within their local communities.

Zureikat explained that the FFSPD works with 30 children in their homes and 32 at the society's facilities, in addition to 40 older PWD aged between 16 and 40.

Employing a staff of 25, the society engages PWD in activities that range from cooking and sewing to summer camps, computer skills courses and horseback riding.

Zureikat said she is hoping to build another floor to accommodate more children and separate them by age.

She also hopes the society will be able to overcome the challenge of helping older PWD to join the labor market.

25 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32075.

Israeli envoy called over 'assault on diplomats'

By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Wednesday summoned Israeli Ambassador to Jordan Daniel Nevo and expressed the government's “utter rejection and condemnation” after two Jordanian diplomats in Tel Aviv “were assaulted by Israeli police”.

"We asked the Israeli government to deal with this incident in accordance with diplomatic norms and take all measures to ensure that such incidents never happen again," Judeh told The Jordan Times yesterday.

He added that he called on the Israeli government, in a letter of protest handed to Nevo, to start an immediate investigation into the incident and inform the ministry of its outcomes accordingly.

Agence France-Presse yesterday quoted the Israeli police spokesperson, Micky Rosenfeld, as saying: “They [the diplomats] were questioned for a short period of time in the area where police were on patrol.”

“Their IDs and passports didn’t exactly match. They were released after a short time when things were cleared up.”

Rosenfeld said the Jordanian embassy staff were stopped in the Tel Aviv area and that the police were still investigating what they were doing in what he said was “the middle of nowhere”.

“As far as we’re concerned, that incident will be looked into. What they were doing walking around that specific neighborhood [has] nothing to do with their work,” he said.

25 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32071.

New government sworn in

By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - Prime Minister Samir Rifai and his new Cabinet were sworn in yesterday before His Majesty King Abdullah, becoming the 73rd government in the country's history and the eighth since the King ascended the Throne.

Besides Rifai, 19 ministers from the outgoing government kept their portfolios and 11 new members joined Rifai's team.

The composition of the new Cabinet, which as its predecessor includes three women, reflects a desire to secure continuity in the workings of the government and to build on the achievements of the previous administration, the prime minister-designate said.

King Abdullah on Sunday accepted the resignation of Rifai’s government and tasked him with forming a new Cabinet to continue implementing the plans outlined in the outgoing government’s Letter of Designation about a year ago.

In the Letter of Designation addressed to the prime minister-designate on Sunday, King Abdullah commended the achievements of the outgoing government in several fields, but noted that there is still a “long” way to go to fully realize the development process.

The letter underlined the need for the government to continue working transparently and systematically to achieve the goals included in the previous Letter of Designation, highlighting several priorities that the government should take into account.

“The government must also cooperate with the legislative authority to complete the decentralization law to enable citizens to have a greater say in determining their future and identifying their development priorities,” the King said.

In his response to the King’s letter, Rifai pledged to implement the Monarch’s directives to proceed with reform and development and to move the country’s national interests forward towards a better and brighter future.

“The government realizes that cooperation between all institutions, in an integrated effort free of personal interests, is key to success in achieving the national goals, overcoming the challenges facing the country, and building the future Jordan and Jordanians deserve,” Rifai said.

Therefore, he added, the government will do everything in its capacity to build a genuine, institutional partnership with the Lower House on the basis of the Constitution and laws, in order to achieve the aspirations of the country and its citizens, as well as to promote shared responsibility for the process of development and modernization.

Rifai noted that the new government will embark on a comprehensive review to remove all obstacles facing the reform process and hindering efforts to build a better future for Jordan.

“The government will not hesitate to take firm decisions to ensure smooth progress in the reform process as instructed by Your Majesty, and will pay no attention to cynics or allow personal interests to obstruct these efforts,” Rifai said.

He added that the government will take all necessary steps to activate partisan politics in keeping with the Constitution and develop legislation related to public freedoms and human rights, as well as laws governing the performance of civil society organizations, in order to achieve political development that encourages public participation in decision making and creates a proper environment to ensure a successful overall reform process.

“In this context, and in line with the directives of Your Majesty, the government will do everything necessary to develop the media industry, and to ensure that the media practices its duties with utmost freedom and independence, while at the same time protecting society, institutions and individuals from the misconduct of some media practitioners that do harm to the nation and infringe on the rights of the people and their reputations,” the premier stressed.

Moreover, Rifai reiterated that the government will send the temporary Elections Law to Parliament for approval after making “any needed adjustments or amendments consistent with the interests of the country”, and will cooperate with the legislative authority to complete the decentralization law, which will enable citizens to play a greater role in identifying their development priorities.


List of Ministers

Following is the complete list of the new Cabinet:

• Samir Rifai: Prime Minister and Defense Minister

• Khalid Karaki: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education

• Saad Hayel Srour: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior

• Ayman Safadi: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State and Government Spokesperson

• Abdul Salam Abbadi: Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs

• Hisham Tal: Minister of Justice

• Suleiman Hafez: Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources

• Nasser Judeh: Minister of Foreign Affairs

• Walid Maani: Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

• Mohammad Abu Hammour: Minister of Finance

• Tayseer Smadi: Minister of Agriculture

• Hala Lattouf: Minister of Social Development and Women’s Affairs

• Amer Hadidi: Minister of Industry and Trade

• Alaa Batayneh: Minister of Transport

• Musa Maaytah: Minister of Political Development

• Nabih Shuqum: Minister of Culture

• Imad Fakhoury: Minister of State for Mega-Projects

• Jafar Hassan: Minister of Planning and International Cooperation

• Ibrahim Omoush: Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs

• Mohammad Najjar: Minister of Water and Irrigation

• Mohammad Obeidat: Minister of Public Works and Housing

• Marwan Juma: Minister of Information and Communications Technology

• Ali Ayed: Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications

• Samir Murad: Minister of Labor

• Rabha Dabbas: Minister of Municipal Affairs

• Nasser Shraideh: Minister of Environment

• Fares Qatarneh: Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs

• Nesreen Barakat: Minister of Public Sector Development

• Mahmoud Sheyyab: Minister of Health

• Ahmad Tbeishat: Minister of Parliamentary Affairs

• Zeid Goussous: Minister of Tourism and Antiquities

25 November 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32070.

اعتداء على موظفين أردنيين بإسرائيل

24/11/2010 م

محمد النجار-عمان

اعتدى رجال أمن إسرائيليون على موظفين يعملان بالسفارة الأردنية بتل أبيب, أمس الثلاثاء, حسب ما أكدت مصادر رسمية أردنية.

وجاء في صحيفة الغد الأردنية اليوم الأربعاء أن عسكريين إسرائيليين بزي مدني قاما بالاعتداء على الموظفين أثناء عودتهما إلى منزلهما.

وأوضحت أن الاعتداء جاء بعد أن طلب الأمن الإسرائيلي منهما إبراز جواز السفر رغم حملهما هوية إسرائيلية بموجب عملهما.

وأضافت أن الموظفين يعانيان من كدمات ورضوض، إلا أن حالتهما الصحية حسنة.

وأكد مصدر رسمي في وزارة الخارجية الأردنية للجزيرة نت أن الوزارة أجرت منذ أمس اتصالات مع السفارة الأردنية في إسرائيل للوقوف على ملابسات الحادث تمهيدا لاتخاذ القرار المناسب.

وتجري هذه الاتصالات بغياب وزير الخارجية الأردني ناصر جودة الذي قدم استقالته مع الحكومة التي يتوقع أن يعيد سمير الرفاعي تشكيلها اليوم الأربعاء.

ويقوم بالاتصالات الأمين العام للوزارة محمد الظاهر، حيث نص كتاب العاهل الأردني بقبول استقالة الحكومة على تولي الأمناء العامين مسؤولية إدارة الوزارات حتى تشكيل الحكومة.

ولم يعين الأردن سفيرا جديدا له في تل أبيب منذ تولي السفير السابق علي العايد منصب وزير الدولة لشؤون الإعلام والاتصال الناطق الرسمي باسم الحكومة في يوليو/تموز الماضي.

وبينما تضاربت الأنباء في الأشهر القليلة الماضية عن هوية السفير الأردني الجديد في تل أبيب، أكدت مصادر سياسية مطلعة للجزيرة نت أن تعيين السفراء يتم بقرار من العاهل الأردني عبد الله الثاني الذي يتولى تسمية السفراء خاصة في الدول المصنفة كدول "حساسة".

وتبادلت عمان وتل أبيب السفراء بعد توقيع معاهدة سلام بينهما في وادي عربة في أكتوبر/تشرين الأول 1994.

وعاشت العلاقات الأردنية الإسرائيلية حالة من التوتر العام الماضي بعد فوز بنيامين نتنياهو برئاسة الحكومة في إسرائيل قبل أن تعود الاتصالات السياسية لأعلى مستوياتها عندما التقى عبد الله الثاني بنتنياهو في عمان الصيف الماضي، وأجرى الجانبان عددا من الاتصالات الثنائية بعد هذا اللقاء.

وتوجه الحكومة الأردنية انتقادات مستمرة للسياسات الإسرائيلية خاصة ما يتعلق بالاستيطان في القدس المحتلة والضفة الغربية، لكن هذا الانتقاد لا يتقاطع، حسب مراقبين، مع استمرار علاقات تطبيع فنية على مستوى لجان حكومية وأمنية تلتقي بشكل شبه دوري.

وزار وفد من موظفي وزارة المياه الأردنية إسرائيل قبل أسابيع لحضور اجتماع دوري يتعلق بتنفيذ اتفاقات خاصة بالمياه، كما التأم في العقبة الصيف الفائت اجتماع أردني فلسطيني إسرائيلي للبحث في تنفيذ قناة البحرين بين البحر الأحمر والبحر الميت، وهو مشروع ثلاثي برعاية دولية يتوقع أن تبلغ تكلفته 10 مليارات دولار.

وتعارض أحزاب سياسية ونقابات مهنية العلاقات الثنائية بين الأردن وإسرائيل، وأقامت اللجنة العليا لحماية الوطن ومجابهة التطبيع اعتصاما قرب السفارة الإسرائيلية في عمان في ضاحية الرابية في 26/10/2010 اعتصاما احتجاجا على مرور 16 عاما على هذه العلاقات.

كما يقيم ناشطون قوميون ويساريون اعتصاما أسبوعيا قرب السفارة منذ الاعتداء على سفن أسطول الحرية نهاية مايو/أيار الماضي، وأكد الدكتور إبراهيم علوش أحد قادة هذا الاعتصام للجزيرة نت أن الاعتصام سيقام كل خميس من كل أسبوع حتى قطع العلاقات بين عمان وتل أبيب.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/1F887E8E-7141-4E05-B043-2FBEADAC91FA.htm.

Jordanian military field hospital arrives in Gaza

2010-11-24

Gaza - Another Jordanian military field hospital (Gaza 11) on Wednesday arrived in the coastal territory to replace (Gaza 10) whose tour of duty came to an end after treating thousands of Palestinians in the besieged strip .

(Gaza 10) Director Nidal Yunis said that the staff of the outgoing hospital is proud for accomplishing the mission which came upon directives by His Majesty King Abdullah II to provide excellent and quality medical service to alleviate the suffering of Gazans.

He added that Gaza 10 treated around 44,000 patients and performed 720 minor and major surgeries since its inception two months ago.

Director of Gaza 11 Nabeel Hmoud said that the new clinic comprises 210 medical, technical and administrative staff and will start work next Sunday.

Source: Ammon News.
Link: http://en.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=10949.