Prominent Kremlin critic jailed for 15 days

Sun, 02 Jan 2011

Moscow- Boris Nemtsov, a former vice premier turned Kremlin critic, was jailed for 15 days on Sunday for his role in an unauthorized demonstration, Interfax news agency reported.

Nemtsov was convicted of resisting arrest during the New Year's Eve protest in Moscow, one of several held across the country by human rights activists and opponents of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's government.

The 51-year-old Nemtsov is considered one of the most important leaders of Russia's non-parliamentary opposition.

He was the third prominent government opponent to be jailed in fast-track trials since police forcibly broke up the demonstrations two days ago, arresting around 120 people.

The protests came a day after former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsy was jailed for six years for stealing oil from his now defunct company, Yukos.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360446,critic-jailed-15-days.html.

Titleholder Sainz wins opening leg of Dakar Rally

Sun, 02 Jan 2011

Cordoba, Argentina - Defending champion Carlos Sainz of Spain won the opening leg of the 2011 Dakar Rally on Sunday.

The former world rally champion completed the 788-kilometer stage from Victoria to Cordoba 1 minute, 31 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Stéphane Peterhansel of France in a BMW.

Third place went to Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar, one of four drivers in a VW Race Touareg.

The rally began on Saturday with a so-called liaison stage that saw 407 drivers race off-road from Buenos Aires to Victoria, a distance of 377 kilometers.

The race is taking place in Argentina and Chile for the third consecutive year, after security problems drove it out of its original location in Africa.

The Dakar Rally, with more than 9,500 kilometers including 5,000 kilometers of specials, is to end January 15 also in the Argentine capital, where winners are to be celebrated a day later.

This edition, like its predecessors, will feature key stages in northern Chile's challenging Atacama Desert.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360455,opening-leg-dakar-rally.html.

Iran's Ahmadinejad fires 14 senior advisers - Summary

Sun, 02 Jan 2011

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has fired 14 of his senior advisers, the Mehr news agency reported Sunday.

One of the president's most senior advisers and closest aide for five years, Mehdi Kalhor, confirmed the dismissals, including his own, but said he did not know the reason.

The media and cultural advisory said he and the other 13 received Sunday a letter of thanks and appreciation from the president without further elaboration.

Observers believe the dismissals might be political or a cost- cutting move. If political, it remains to be seen whether the new advisers are technocrats or more ideological.

Ahmadinejad has been criticized for appointing deputies, ministers and advisers because of their ideological leanings rather than their technical qualifications.

The dismissals come nearly three weeks after the president sacked foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Mottaki was replaced by the chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali-Akbar Salehi. He is a technocrat who is more familiar with the dispute over the country's nuclear programs and considered more diplomatic than his predecessor.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360459,senior-advisors-summary.html.