Malaysian customs officers find drugs, arrest Iranian at airport

Tue, 11 Jan 2011

Kuala Lumpur - Customs officers at Penang airport in northern Malaysia arrested an Iranian allegedly found with 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamines worth 875,000 ringgit (273,430 dollars), a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The suspect, who was in his 30s, was arrested Sunday when officers discovered the drugs hidden in his bag, state deputy director of customs R Mariappa said.

The man was remanded in custody for seven days, Mariappa was quoted by the Star newspaper as saying.

The Iranian has reportedly visited Malaysia several times before.

If found guilty of trafficking, he faces a mandatory death penalty.

Malaysian police detained 138 Iranians last year on suspicion of drug trafficking, a jump from 16 the year before.

Authorities attributed the sharp increase to higher street prices of the drugs in Malaysia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/361671,drugs-arrest-iranian-airport.html.

Malaysian airport shut down after AirAsia plane skids off runway

Tue, 11 Jan 2011

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian authorities shut down an international airport in the eastern state of Sarawak Tuesday when they were unable to remove an aircraft that had skidded off the runway.

The accident occurred Monday during heavy rain. Four passengers suffered minor injuries and were treated at a nearby hospital, the official Bernama news agency reported.

The Airbus A320 aircraft operated by AirAsia Bhd was carrying 124 passengers and six crew members, officials said.

Authorities initially said flights were expected to resume by midday Tuesday but rainfall hindered work to remove the plane and officials kept the airport closed until further notice.

AirAsia also said Tuesday it will conduct an investigation with the Department of Civil Aviation into the the accident.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/361694,airasia-plane-skids-runway.html.

Israel dreading a democratic Arab world

The Israeli deputy PM expresses his concern over the democratization of the Arab world, following the dissolution of the Tunisian leadership

Saleh Naami in Gaza, Saturday 15 Jan 2011

The fall of Tunisia’s regime headed by Zine El Abidine Ben Alican have serious repercussions, said Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom.

In an interview on Israeli radio Friday night, Shalom said that he comes from a family of Tunisian immigrants.

“I fear that we now stand before a new and very critical phase in the Arab world. If the current Tunisian regime collapses, it will not affect Israel’s present national security in a significant way,” he said. “But we can, however, assume that these developments would set a precedent that could be repeated in other countries, possibly affecting directly the stability of our system.”

Shalom added that if regimes neighboring the Israeli state were replaced by democratic systems, Israeli national security might significantly be threatened. The new systems would defend or adopt agendas that are inherently opposed to Israeli national security, he said.

The deputy indicated that Israel and most of the Arab regimes have a common interest in fighting what he referred to as “Islamic fundamentalism” and its “radical” organizations which threaten Israel.

This threat, he added, is the reason behind much of the direct and indirect intelligence and security coordination between Israel and the Arab regimes.

Shalom emphasized that a democratic Arab world would end this present allegiance, because a democratic system would be governed by a public generally opposed to Israel.

Source: Ahram Online.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/3926.aspx.

Prison fire amid Tunisian unrest kills 42

By ELAINE GANLEY and BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA, Associated Press – Sat Jan 15

TUNIS, Tunisia – A coroner says 42 people have died in a fire at a prison in a Tunisian coastal resort town as unrest sweeps the North African country after its longtime president was forced out by protests.

Tarek Mghirbi, a coroner in the resort city of Monastir, says 42 bodies were brought to his office. He says all the victims appeared to have either burned to death or to have suffered smoke inhalation. He says the cause of Saturday's prison fire is unclear.

Massive street protests over corruption and unemployment forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country Friday night after 23 years of iron-fisted rule. In the last 24 hours, unrest, looting and arson have erupted.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia's president has left power for good, the president of the country's Constitutional Court said Saturday, declaring that the leader of the lower house of parliament will assume power until elections are held in two months.

It was the second time power has changed hands in this North African country in less than 24 hours.

Massive street protests over corruption and unemployment forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country Friday night after 23 years of iron-fisted rule. Saudi King Abdullah's palace confirmed early Saturday that the ousted president and his family had landed in Saudi Arabia, saying the kingdom welcomed him with a wish for "peace and security to return to the people of Tunisia."

When Ben Ali left, Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi stepped in briefly with a vague assumption of power that left open the possibility that Ben Ali could return.

But Constitutional Council President Fethi Abdennadher said Saturday that Ben Ali has permanently vacated his position and lawmaker Fouad Mebazaa has up to 60 days to organize new elections.

Ben Ali's ouster was the key demand of a month of protests that have swept the Mediterranean nation known for its sandy beaches, desert landscapes and ancient ruins.

While the protests were mostly peaceful, after Ben Ali's departure rioters burned the main train station in the capital of Tunis and looted shops.

An Associated Press photographer saw soldiers intervening Saturday to try to stop looters from sacking a huge supermarket in the Ariana area, 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the capital. Shops near the main bazaar were also looted.

A helicopter circled low over the capital, apparently acting as a spotter for fires or pillaging. Gunfire crackled anew Saturday morning.

Overnight, public television station TV7 broadcast phone calls from residents of working-class neighborhoods on the capital's outskirts, recounting attacks against their homes by knife-wielding assailants.

Ghannouchi — who held power for less than 24 hours — told TV stations overnight that he had ordered the army and other security forces to intervene immediately in those neighborhoods.

There has been no official announcement about Ben Ali's whereabouts in Saudi Arabia, but a source inside the kingdom said he was in the small city of Abha, about 310 miles (500 kilometers) south of Jeddah. The source said Ben Ali had been taken there to avoid sparking any possible demonstrations by Tunisians living in the larger, seaside city of Jeddah.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The president's ouster followed the country's largest protests in generations and weeks of escalating unrest, sparked by one man's suicide and fueled by social media, cell phones and young people who have seen relatively little benefit from Tunisia's recent economic growth.

Thousands of demonstrators from all walks of life rejected Ben Ali's belated promises of change and mobbed Tunis, the capital, to demand that he leave.

The government said at least 23 people have been killed in the riots, but opposition members put the death toll at more than three times that.

___

Hassan Ammar in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report.

PM replaces Tunisia president

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali leaves country following violent clashes in the capital, Tunis.

Last Modified: 15 Jan 2011 01:39 GMT

Tunisia's long-standing president has left the country amid violent protests and the prime minister has taken over control of the government.

"Since the president [Zine El Abidine Ben Ali] is temporarily unable to exercise his duties, it has been decided that the prime minister will exercise temporarily the [presidential] duties," Mohammed Ghannouchi, the Tunisian prime minister, said on state television.

Ghannouchi is now the interim president. He cited chapter 56 of the Tunisian constitution as the article by which he was assuming power.

Noureddine Miladi, a sociology and media lecturer of Tunisian origin, told Al Jazeera what Ghannouchi did was unconstitutional.

"It is manipulation of the constitution. It has been argued by the likes of Iyad bin Ashur, one of the top lawyers in Tunisia. He argues that the head of parliament is the only legitimate party able to form a legitimate [caretaker] government, for about 45 days and then [they must] call for elections," Miladi said.

"He [the speaker of the parliament] is supposed to oversee the success of the election. Ghannouchi is part of the same corrupt political elite as Ben Ali. There is nothing new in what happened today, it is a different twist of the game."

Tensions high

Tensions remain high despite Ben Ali's exit, with protesters reported to be ransacking government buildings in the capital, Tunis, and other cities. Citizens have made appeals for protection of their property, as several provinces are currently reporting unrest.

Protesters are reportedly demanding that the new interim president, a close Ben Ali ally, stand down.

Saudi Arabia officially announced early on Saturday that it was hosting Ben Ali and his family.

A palace statement carried by the official SPA news agency confirmed that Ben Ali arrived early on Saturday in the kingdom.

"Out of concern for the exceptional circumstances facing the brotherly Tunisian people and in support of the security and stability of their country... the Saudi government has welcomed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family to the kingdom," the statement said.

A Saudi source said earlier that Ben Ali's plane had landed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah but did not specify who had accompanied him to the kingdom.

Earlier, French media reported that Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, had refused to allow Ben Ali to land in his country.

In his televised address, Ghannouchi vowed to respect the constitution and restore stability, and called on citizens to "maintain patriotic spirit ... in order to brave through these difficult moments".

He also vowed to carry out inflation and unemployment redressal policies "exactly" as they had recently been announced by Ben Ali.

Ayesha Sabavala, a Tunisia analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit in London, told Al Jazeera that with President Ben Ali out of the country, there are "only ... a few people ... capable of [running the country] within the RCD [the ruling Rassemblement Constitutionel Démocratique party], and Ghannouchi is an ideal candidate".

Abdel Karim Kebiri, a former senior adviser to the International Labor Organisation, told Al Jazeera that "the people will be happy" with Ben Ali's departure.

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra said the days events were a "political earthquake" and "something unheard of".

He said that it was also as yet unclear what role the army was playing.

It was reportedly moving towards the capital to "take charge of the situation from the security forces, which are seen by Tunisians as a main problem for its long record of human rights abuses".

Violent unrest

Friday's developments come following weeks of violent clashes across the country over unemployment and rising food prices.

Matters came to a head in the capital, Tunis, on Friday, as police tear-gassed protesters gathered outside the interior ministry building. Witnesses said police used batons to disperse the crowd, but the protesters insisted they would not leave until Ben Ali steps down.

Sabavala opined that Ben Ali's exit will "certainly lessen these protests, but whether they completely stop - the only way that is going to happen is if the interim government immediately starts implementing plans to address the issues that have been at the core of these protests".

"Simply bringing in an interim president, and especially one who has been close to Ben Ali ... is not going to be enough," she said.

"Logically, there is bound to be a lot of distrust, because Ghannouchi is part of the very close inner circle ... of Ben Ali. Past promises that have been made [by that government] have not been kept."

Kamaal Bin Younis, a Tunisian journalist, reported that there have been expressions of discontent with the choice of a Ben Ali ally as interim president.

State media earlier reported that Ben Ali had imposed a state of emergency in the country and promised fresh legislative elections within six months in an attempt to quell the wave of dissent sweeping across the country.

There were also reports that the airport in Tunis had been surrounded by troops and the country's airspace has been closed. Air France, the main international airline into and out of Tunisia announced that it had ceased flights to Tunisia following that announcement.

State TV reported that gatherings of more than three people had been banned, and that violators would be shot by security forces if they did not heed their warnings.

Seventy-four year old Ben Ali had been in power for the last 23 years, after taking power in a bloodless coup. On Thursday, he vowed not to seek re-election and reduce food prices in a bid to placate protesters.

But the pledges seemed to have little effect as fresh street protests erupted on Friday.

Growing frustration

The unrest in the country began on December 17, after a 26-year-old unemployed graduate set himself on fire in an attempt to commit suicide. Mohammed Bousazizi's act of desperation set off the public's growing frustration with rising inflation and unemployment, and prompted a wave of protests across the country.

Ghannouchi, 69, is a trained economist who has been a close ally to Ben Ali for many years. Prime minister since 1999, he is one of the best-known faces of Tunisia's government. He also has served as the country's minister for international cooperation and its minister of foreign investment.

Chapter 56 of the Tunisian constitution, under which Ghannouchi has taken power, reads: "In the event the president of the republic is incapable of discharging his duties temporarily, he may order for his powers and authorities be delegated to the first minister, save the right of dissolving the parliament.

"During this period of temporary incapacity, the government shall remain standing until such state of incapacity is eliminated, even if the government is chastised.

"The president shall inform the speaker of the parliament and the chairman of the Advisers Board of the temporary delegation of his powers."

Source: al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/2011114172228117723.html.

Army chief rules out military cut in Kashmir

2011-01-14

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Indian Army chief General V.K. Singh Friday said there was no need to reduce the number of military personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, taking a cautious view on Home Secretary G.K. Pillai's announcement of 25 percent cut in security forces in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

'In what context the home ministry has talked of forces reduction, I will not like to make any comment. In the future, if they want to reduce the paramilitary or police force, I would not like to say anything,' the army chief said.

He said as far as the number of armed forces personnel was concerned, there was no need to reduce their presence.

'With regard to the army, we have deployed troops after analyzing our requirements on the border and the Line of Control (with Pakistan). Similarly, in the interior areas, to maintain peace and to carry out operations against militants, we have some troops. As of now, we do not feel we should reduce the numbers,' Singh told reporters at his annual media conference here.

Jammu and Kashmir, fighting a 20-year-old separatist campaign, has a security grid of involving the army, police forces and paramilitary. The grid is governed by a unified command led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Home Secretary Pillai told a seminar here that there will be a 25 percent cut in security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in the next 12 months, especially from populated areas to ensure people did not feel harassed by the over-presence of security forces.

The government doesn't give the number of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, but according to unofficial estimates the army has nearly one-fourth of its 1.13 million troops in the state for both guarding the borders and for anti-insurgency operations in the hinterland.

On the question of dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that gives legal impunity to the troops involved in anti-insurgency operations, Singh said he would not like to elaborate on the army's stand on the subject, as it is widely known.

The armed forces have opposed either partial withdrawal or amendments to the AFSPA, saying the troops needed legal protection when they have been called to control insurgency in aid of the civil administration in the border state.

'There has been a lot of debate on AFSPA. The matter (dilution of powers) is before the cabinet. You all know the armed forces stand on the issue and I would not like to say anything beyond this,' the army chief said.

Source: Sify.
Link: http://www.sify.com/news/army-chief-rules-out-military-cut-in-kashmir-news-national-lbot4kfgfjc.html.

2013: Tourist trips to resume to International Space Station

Wed, 12 Jan 2011

San Francisco - Bored with your usual holiday destinations? Space Adventures has an out-of-this world vacation for you.

The US-based commercial space travel company announced Wednesday that thanks to agreements with the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation and the Rocket Space Corporation Energia, it was offering three seats per year on Soyuz spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in 2013.

Space Adventures said the extra capacity was due to the increase of Soyuz production, from four to five spacecraft per year. Each flight will last approximately 10 days, the company said in a press release.

"We are very pleased to continue space tourism with Space Adventures," Alexei Krasnov, Director of Human Spaceflight of Russian space agency said.

"Also, the addition of a fifth Soyuz spacecraft to the current manifest will add flexibility and redundancy to our ISS transportation capabilities. We welcome the opportunity to increase our efforts to meet the public demand for access to space," he said.

Russia has not allowed commercial passengers aboard its cramped three-seater Soyuz spaceships since 2009 due to their increased workload as the US space shuttle retires this year.

The first space tourist was Denis Tito who traveled to the ISS in 2001 in a trip arranged by Space Adventure. The last private citizen to take the journey was Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte in 2009. No price for that trip was revealed. But software mogul Charles Simyoni reportedly paid 35 million dollars for his space jaunt earlier in 2009.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362011,resume-international-space-station.html.

Haiti remembers those killed in earthquake - Summary

Wed, 12 Jan 2011

Port-au-Prince- A funeral service in the ruins of Port-au- Prince cathedral Wednesday launched ceremonies to remember the 230,000 people killed in a quake that devastated Haiti a year ago.

Thousands, many of them dressed in white, gathered in the early morning for mass at the site of the cathedral, which was destroyed in the January 12, 2010 quake along with much of the city and its surroundings. Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot was among those killed in the quake.

All archbishops and bishops in Haiti conducted mass together, and the service was attended among others by Haitian presidential candidate Mirlande Manigat and by Haitian-American rapper Wyclef Jean.

Haitians and members of international aid organizations marked the anniversary in other cities and towns.

At 4:53 pm (2153 GMT), the precise time of the disaster a year ago, the whole country is set to grind to a halt, with white balloons being let off in areas devastated by the quake.

Edmond Mulet, commander of the UN Mission for the Stabilization of Haiti (MINUSTAH), highlighted the United Nation's support for Haiti one year after a quake which also claimed the lives of 102 UN peacekeepers and employees in the country.

"In the memory of hundreds of thousands of missing persons, of injured, of handicapped, of displaced people, the Special Representative of the United Nations General secretary for Haiti is keen to express to the Haitian people that the United Nations are and will remain with them," Mulet said in a statement.

The quake was "the greatest tragedy that the country and the United Nations have ever known," Mulet said.

He recalled the fact that Haiti lost not only thousands of civilians but also thousands of government officials and a huge portion of its infrastructure in the quake. MINUSTAH itself, he stressed, lost 102 people and was left "beheaded," Mulet said.

Former US president Bill Clinton and Wyclef Jean are among prominent personalities who are in Haiti for the anniversary.

Beyond the Caribbean country's borders, the anniversary was observed too.

In New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky said that "the Secretary-General would like to express his solidarity with the people of Haiti and all those who suffered tragic losses a year ago."

"We honour those who left us and carry on their work," Nesirky said.

In Washington, the Organization of American States (OAS) paid tribute to the dead.

"On such a sad day we join with Haiti and all of the international community in mourning for the loss of so many thousands of lives," said OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza.

Insulza highlighted evident problems in reconstruction efforts.

"The challenges and hurdles are huge and the lack of coordination persists, but we have to persevere. We owe it to all in Haiti and to the memory of those who died," he said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362040,killed-earthquake-summary.html.

Lebanon slams Israel for arrest of Lebanese citizen

Wed, 12 Jan 2011

Beirut/Tel Aviv - Lebanon lashed out Wednesday at Israel after one of its border patrols arrested a Lebanese civilian in the border area between the two countries.

"This is a flagrant assault on residents of southern Lebanon," the Lebanese army said in a statement. "Enemy troops crossed the technical fence south of the village of Rmeish and kidnapped a Lebanese man, whom they took into the occupied territories (Israel)."

Israeli military officials, however, said the civilian had crossed the border, and was picked up near the Israeli security fence, which lies several hundred meters south of the UN-recognized "blue line."

The Lebanese army identified the detainee as Charbel Khouri.

A Lebanese security source said Khouri is expected to be released on Thursday morning following contacts between the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Israel.

The Lebanese army said it was in contact with UNIFIL, which is tasked with monitoring the Lebanon-Israel border, in order to "free the citizen."

Lebanon has previously filed complaints with the United Nations over similar incidents, accusing Israel of violating the Security Council resolution that ended a 33-day war between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah in 2006.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362025,israel-arrest-lebanese-citizen.html.

Army on streets amid Tunisia unrest

Military struggles to contain looting and violence following the ousting of the country's president.

15 Jan 2011

Soldiers have been deployed on the streets of Tunisia amid chaotic scenes following the popular ousting of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the president.

Troops were patrolling Tunis, the capital, on Saturday and a state of emergency was in force after Ben Ali, president for more than 23 years, fled the country in the wake of widespread protests.

The main train station in Tunis has been torched, while gunfire was heard as soldiers intervened in attempts to stop looting in the city.

The Reuters news agency reported that squads of men in civilian clothes were driving through Tunis at high speed, shooting randomly at buildings and people.

Soldiers and plainclothes security personnel dragged dozens of suspected looters out of their cars at gunpoint and took them away in lorries, according to a report from the AFP news agency.

"The army is all over the place in Tunis, they are trying to check cars and control people going by," Youssef Gaigi, a blogger and activist based in Tunisia, said.

'Militia' fears

There are fears that some of the violence is being carried out by a armed factions allied to Ben Ali, with Reuters quoting an unnamed military source as saying: "Ben Ali's security is behind what is happening."

Gaigi, who had been part of the protests that brought down Ben Ali, indicated that the army's presence was required because the police force had broken down.

"Several militias, which are actually doing some of the looting are part of the ministry of the interior, or police members, and they are co-ordinated by heads of police and intelligence in Tunisia," he said.

"We heard the army have captured some of these people but there is still a lot of work to be done."

Elsewhere in Tunisia, at least 57 inmates at a prison in Monastir, eastern Tunisia, were killed when a prisoner started a fire at the facility.

Witnesses told Al Jazeera that other prisoners had escaped, meanwhile breakouts were reported at two other prisons in the country.

'Historic events'

In the past month, protests have swept across the country over unemployment, food price rises and corruption.

Ben Ali conceded power on Friday after a giant rally against him in Tunis but his departure, a key demand of the demonstrators, has failed to calm the unrest.

Public television station TV7 broadcast phone calls from residents of working-class neighborhoods on the capital's outskirts who described attacks on their homes by knife-wielding assailants.

Thousands of tourists have been evacuated from the Mediterranean nation following the unrest.

The president fled to Saudi Arabia amid the protests and Fouad Mebazaa, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, has taken over as caretaker president.

Arab nations have been largely silent on the Tunisian protests, but the Arab League on Saturday released a statement calling for calm an unity in the country.

"These are historic events by any standard," Hesham Youssef, the chief of cabinet for the Arab League's secretary-general, told Al Jazeera.

"The important thing is that the current period will be a transition period, and we hope that the political forces in Tunisia will unite in the call for change in order for them to have elections as soon as possible, in order to move ahead."

Source: al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/2011115135844457245.html.

Turkish premier rejects Merkel criticism of Cyprus conflict - Summary

Wed, 12 Jan 2011

Istanbul - Turkey's prime minister has strongly rebuffed comments made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticizing Turkey for making insufficient effort to solve the Cyprus conflict, Turkish media reported Wednesday.

"I guess Ms Merkel has forgotten what she has said. She herself said that it was wrong to admit southern Cyprus into the European Union," the semi-official Anatolian Agency quoted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying while on an official visit to Qatar.

European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis, meanwhile, said that Merkel had made a historic mistake, while Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned her that Germany could only contribute to Cypriot peace if she makes objective judgments.

Merkel visited Cyprus on Tuesday - the first visit by a German leader - and praised the steps taken by the Cypriot government, but asserted that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have not tried hard enough to find a resolution to the Cyprus problem.

The Cypriot government had "really proven their willingness to compromise, but unfortunately there has not been any response from the other side so far," Merkel said following talks with Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias.

The government in the Cypriot capital Nicosia on Wednesday said Merkel's comments show that Christofias' efforts to find a solution within European Union law and United Nations resolutions is being acknowledged and valued.

Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said Cyprus would "resolutely and consistently continue to work on a solution."

The Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in response to a Greek- inspired coup.

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, but only the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south enjoys EU privileges. The Turkish Cypriot north is recognized only by Turkey.

In a strongly worded response to Merkel's statements, Erdogan pointed out that Greek Cypriots in 2004 rejected a UN-sponsored plan for reunification of the island, which Turkish Cypriots had accepted.

"It is clear that [Merkel] does not know about the history of the Cyprus issue. I call on her to research its history and have tea with [former German chancellor] Gerhard Schroeder," Erdogan said.

Negotiations in recent years between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have made some progress on issues of governance and a power sharing formula under a future federation. But many more difficult issues, including that of property lost during the war, have yet to be resolved.

The Cyprus issue is a key obstacle to Turkey's efforts to join the EU. Eight out of the 35 chapters that guide the EU accession process have been frozen by the EU because of Turkey's conflict with Greek Cyprus, while Cyprus itself has informally blocked another six.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362030,cyprus-conflict-summary.html.

UN: Preliminary results in South Sudan vote expected on February 2

Wed, 12 Jan 2011

New York - With a continued large turnout of voters in South Sudan, the United Nations said Wednesday results for the self-determination balloting are expected in early February provided there would be no appeals.

But the final result would be declared on February 7 or 14 according to the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission's timeline, said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky at UN headquarters in New York.

The commission reported voters' turnout at 46 per cent since the seven-day voting began on Sunday to decide whether Southern Sudanese want to be independent or to remain under the government in Khartoum.

The turnout in north Sudan for expatriated Sudanese was 25 per cent.

The UN said some 3.6 million Southern Sudanese had registered to vote across the country in the last step to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by north and south Sudan in 2005 to end decades of a deadly civil war. Sudanese living abroad are also voting.

The vote is being monitored by thousands of foreign as well as Sudanese observers and by a UN panel on the referendum headed by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa.

The UN quoted Mkapa as saying on Wednesday that he expected the voting to end as scheduled on Saturday under the current pace of turnout.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362041,vote-expected-february-2.html.

UN remembers those killed in Haiti earthquake in 2010

Wed, 12 Jan 2011

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon led the world organization on Wednesday to commemorate victims of the earthquake in Haiti a year ago, vowing to maintain solidarity with the Haitian people as they face challenging days ahead.

The ceremony at UN headquarters in New York took place in the small chapel decorated with glass windows by French artist Marc Chagall and attended by senior officials of the organization.

A moment of silence lasting 47 seconds was held to echo the duration of the earthquake that struck the capital Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010, at 4:53 pm local time.

"We are gathered today in solidarity with the people of Haiti, with one another, and with all who lost their loved ones on that tragic day," Ban said in an address at the solemn ceremony. "For all who suffer injuries, physical and emotional, we offer our deepest sympathy."

The magnitude 7 quake killed an estimated 222,000 people, including 102 UN personnel and peacekeepers.

Ban said the struggle by the Haitian people and government to rebuild, backed by the international community, is far from over and the road ahead "will be long and hard."

"The UN and the entire international community has stood by Haiti and its people in its darkest hour," Ban said, urging continued efforts at recovery and reconstruction. "Together we will work with them toward a brighter future."

"In the memory of our fallen comrades, let's pledge to realize their dreams of a better Haiti," Ban said about the work of UN personnel who died in the quake.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362049,killed-haiti-earthquake-2010.html.

PLO 'applauds Tunisian people's courage'

15/01/2011

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization applauded on Saturday what it called "the unprecedented courage of the Tunisian people and their heroic sacrifices for their just rights."

The encouragement came as the Arab League called on all Tunisian political forces to unite and bring back calm after the ousting of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali amid deadly protests. The president had served in the same post for 23 years.

The PLO leadership said the spontaneous uprising of the Tunisian people "against corruption and oppression" reaffirmed that people possess creative power when it comes to self determination, democracy and development.

In a statement, the committee said the Palestinian leadership was proud of the courage Tunisian people showed defending their future. Palestinian leaders support and respect the political choice of the Tunisian people and their right to choose a leadership capable of realizing their dreams and goals, the committee said.

Tunisia hosted the Palestinian revolution and the PLO from 1982-1992, after the Palestinian leadership was forced to leave Beirut.

The PLO said that Palestinians remain grateful for Tunisian hospitality in the 1980s, and "support their choices now."

Tunisian authorities declared a state of emergency Friday following weeks of violent protests over rising food prices and high unemployment, the catalyst following a long build-up of political unrest and dissatisfaction with the government.

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali quit after 23 years of authoritarian rule and fled the country. He was last reported to be in Saudi Arabia.

The Arab League urged all political forces, Tunisian representatives and officials to unite "for the good of the Tunisian people and to achieve civil peace," a statement said.

The league urged all to "work together for the return of calm and security and stability," and to reach "a national consensus to bring the country out of this crisis while guaranteeing the respect of the will of the Tunisian people."

AFP contributed to this report.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=351182.

3 women 'ordered to remove' Muslim overgarment

14/01/2011

JENIN (Ma'an) -- Israeli soldiers deployed at a Jenin checkpoint on Thursday forced women to remove an overgarment worn by conservative Muslim women referred to locally as the jiljab, officials said.

Tawfiq Qabaha, member of the Barta'a Ash-Sharqiya village municipal council, told Ma’an that "soldiers ordered the women heading to the town to take off their jilbab for searches, and they were detained for more than three hours."

Jenin is among the most conservative Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, and women who choose to wear the jiljab are rarely seen without it covering their normal clothes while outside the home.

He added that head of the municipal council, Ghassan Qabaha, along with other senior officials headed to the checkpoint expressing anger over the orders from the soldiers and met with the officer in charge of the checkpoint.

The officer listened, but told them he could not disobey orders handed down by senior commanders, Qabaha said. However, a compromise was reached allowing the women to enter a separate room, where they were searched by a female soldier.

Qabaha urged the Palestinian leadership to intervene with the Israelis in order to reverse the apparent change in protocol.

An Israeli military spokesman denied knowledge of such an incident at the checkpoint.

Meanwhile Thursday, Israel's Government Press Office issued an official apology after an Al-Jazeera reporter was asked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security detail to remove her bra.

Al-Jazeera filed a complaint with the GPO and the Foreign Press Association following the incident, which took place before an annual banquet the GPO holds for the foreign press, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=350950.

PA threatens to shut down nursing homes

14/01/2011

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The Palestinian Authority ministry of social affairs threatened on Thursday to shut down 19 of 25 organizations under its supervision for various violations licensing rules and laws.

Majida Al-Masry, the minister, told Ma'an radio that the organizations, which were not named, were in disrepair and taking advantage of their clients in homes for orphans or the disabled and elderly.

The organizations' licenses were issued by the interior ministry, which is the sole authority with the power to revoke them, but the social affairs ministry's recommendation is for the 19 to be shut down.

Earlier in January, the PA's general prosecution shut down an unlicensed institute for the disabled in Bethlehem. Police said conditions in the residential center were dire, noting that the facility lacked electricity, heating and hot water.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=350742.

Deafening Western Silence as Tunisia's Violence Escalates Despite Curfew

Amid worldwide silence Tunisia's capital, witnessed the killings of 4 citizens by army and police despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew. The army deployed armored vehicles in the capital.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Amid worldwide silence, Tunisia's capital, witnessed the killings of 4 citizens by army and police despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew. The army has deployed armored vehicles in the capital.

Human rights and trade union activists believe the number of dead to be at least 50 since the nationwide unrest began as a result of the rising food and fuel prices, high unemployment and corruption although official reports believe the death toll to be 23 people.

In an attempt to stem the unrest, the dictator, Zin El Abidine Ben Ali, dismissed his interior minister responsible for the police force, which has used excessive force against protesters

Source: Ikhwanweb.
Link: http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=27820.

WB is governed by a multi-national authority

12-01-2011

Al Qassam website- Gaza -Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Tuesday that the US’s hiring of the infamous Blackwater firm for security services in the West Bank is a new scandal to add to the list of conspiracies between the Fatah-controlled PA in Ramallah, the CIA, and Israel.

The move confirms that the West Bank is governed by a multi-national authority aimed at protecting Israel and “liquidating” the defenders of the Palestinian cause, Barhoum told the Palestinian Information Center.

The new scandal came in conspiracy between the West Bank-ruling Fatah party, American intelligence, and Israel to crack down on resistance forces in the West Bank.

Barhoum called on Fatah to “harmonize” with the Palestinians, who wish to purge the land of foreign authorities and the Israeli occupation, and to launch a new strategy based on a national project and not an Israel-US project.

The US State Department awarded a subsidiary company of the formerly named Blackwater security company an 84 million dollars a year contract to provide security services to the West Bank over the next five years.

Observers are questioning the reason for the firm’s services in the West Bank.

Source: Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades - Information Office.
Link: http://www.qassam.ps/news-4020-WB_is_governed_by_a_multi_national_authority.html.

Erdogan: Turkey will stand by Hamas

13-01-2011

Al Qassam website-Istanbul -Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country stands by Hamas, calling the resistance movement an election-taking political party, and ruling out achieving peace in the region without them.

"We stand by Hamas when they are right, because the Hamas movement is a resistance movement. I do not see Hamas as 'terrorist'. They are people who defend the land, and it is a political group that entered the elections and won the elections," Erdogan told Al-Jazeera Wednesday night.

The Turkish premier accused those who call Hamas "enemies of democracy" of not giving the party a political opportunity. "They have been able to place all obstacles in front of them (Hamas) so they do not succeed in any way."

Erdogan urged Quartet head Tony Blair to include Hamas in the peace process, saying: "Peace will not come out of a Hamas-excluded table."

"Currently, Fatah and Hamas are two important elements in Palestine. If you see them as an element and do not see the other element, Palestinian peace will not materialize."

The Turkish PM called on the Israeli government to compensate for the May 2010 attack on the Mavi Marmara ship that killed nine Turkish citizens.

"We want Israel, after returning the Marmara ship to us, to apologize, to pay compensations, and thirdly, to lift the siege. Gaza is an open prison. It is not your right to sentence all those people to jail. If these demands are not met, our relations will not return to what they were."

Erdogan spoke harshly against Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, saying: "Lieberman has done every despicable act." He said the current government under Netanyahu is at its worst with Turkey.

Source: Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades - Information Office.
Link: http://www.qassam.ps/news-4028-Erdogan_Turkey_will_stand_by_Hamas.html.

Jordan fears another Tunisia

Calls for PM Samir Rifai to step down have mounted amidst waves of demonstrations and riots which swept the streets Saturday in protest against increasing prices as well as unemployment, as authorities fear another Tunisia.

Ahram Online, Saturday 15 Jan 2011

Jordan’s king established a task force in the palace overseen by Ayman Al-Safady and includes intelligence and military officers to prevent the eruption of Jordanian streets in the same way Tunisia’s has.

The kingdom’s major cities were surrounded by tanks and their check points and barriers were situated at the entrances to resist Jordan’s so called “day of rage” which went off Friday.

Protests spread out across major Jordanian cities as if inspired by the Tunisian example, in an unprecedented event led by the city of Al-Karak. The uprising was a clear statement against corruption, unemployment, and nepotism.

Baathists, especially those from Karak and Irbid, and military retirees led the campaign which the Muslim Brotherhood refused to take part in it.

Amman’s march initiated in front of Imam Al-Husseini’s mosque in the center of the capital where the demonstrators, exhausted by inflation, called for the dissolution of government. About 5 thousand protested shouting anti-government statements.

Source: Ahram Online.
Link: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/3916.aspx.

"جمعة غضب" بالأردن ضد الغلاء

محمد النجار-الكرك

طالب آلاف المتظاهرين الأردنيين برحيل الحكومة التي يرأسها سمير الرفاعي, وذلك خلال مظاهرات انطلقت بعد صلاة الجمعة احتجاجا على ارتفاع الأسعار، فيما عرف بـ"يوم الغضب الأردني".

وقد شهدت المظاهرات في مدينتي الكرك (150 كلم جنوب عمان) وإربد (80 كلم شمال عمان) اشتباكات مع مدنيين محسوبين على الحكومة الأردنية, إضافة إلى اعتداء على صحفيين، في حين غابت القوى الأمنية عن هذه المسيرات.

وخرج المئات من مواطني مدينة الكرك في مظاهرة بعد صلاة الجمعة من المسجد العمري بعد أن اشتبكوا مع مدنيين -أكدت قيادات في المسيرة أنهم من المحسوبين على الأجهزة الرسمية- هددوا فريق شبكة الجزيرة بالاعتداء وتكسير كاميراته، قبل أن يعتدوا على صحفي يعمل في قناة محلية أردنية.

وهتف المتظاهرون في المسيرة التي جابت عددا من شوارع الكرك ضد سياسات الحكومة الاقتصادية وطالبو برحيل حكومة الرفاعي، وسمع من بين الهتافات "يا رفاعي يا جبان اسأل أبوك عن نيسان"، في إشارة لأحداث أبريل/نيسان 1989، التي انطلقت في مدن أردنية إبان تولي زيد الرفاعي والد رئيس الوزراء الحالي رئاسة الحكومة، وتلاها قرار العاهل الأردني الراحل الحسين بن طلال بالتحول الديمقراطي في المملكة.

وقال النائب السابق عن محافظة الكرك علي الضلاعين إن "مدنيين محسوبين على الأجهزة الأمنية" اعتدوا عليه أثناء محاولته منعهم من تكسير كاميرات الصحفيين.

وقال الضلاعين للجزيرة نت إن "المسيرة كانت سلمية وذات مطالب سياسية، لكن الأجهزة الأمنية والرسمية استخدمت غوغائيين ومندسين للاعتداء على المتظاهرين والصحفيين".

وتابع "من خرجوا في المسيرة هم أبناء العشائر الغاضبون على الحكومة وسياساتها التي أفقرت الناس، ولكن الحكومة وأجهزتها أرادت تخريبها من خلال استثمارها العنف والغوغائيين للاعتداء علينا وعلى الصحفيين".

كما خرجت مسيرات كبرى من المسجد الحسيني في عمان والمسجد الهاشمي في إربد والمسجد الكبير في بلدة ذيبان بمحافظة مأدبا، واعتصم العشرات في مدينة السلط ومخيم البقعة للاجئين الفلسطينيين.

ونظمت المسيرات لجان شعبية، وشاركت فيها اللجنة الوطنية للمتقاعدين العسكريين، وقيادات سياسية معارضة، من بينها المعارض البارز ليث شبيلات وقيادات نقابية ويسارية، في حين كان الغائب الأكبر عنها الحركة الإسلامية بجناحيها (الإخوان المسلمون وجبهة العمل الإسلامي) وأحزاب المعارضة ورؤساء النقابات المهنية، وشاركت قيادات من الإخوان في مسيرة إربد فقط.

الجوع كافر

ورفع المتظاهرون أرغفة الخبز ضمن لافتات كتب عليها "أين أنت يا عزيزي" و"الجوع كافر"، كما انطلقت هتافات سمع منها "يا رفاعي يا غدار بعت الأردن بالدولار"، "يا شعبنا يا مسكين حرقوك بالبنزين".

وحضرت الأحداث التي تشهدها تونس بقوة في مسيرات المدن الأردنية، حيث أشاد متظاهرون بتحركات تونس والجزائر، ووجهوا الشكر للشعب التونسي على ما اعتبروه دفعا لحكومتهم في عمان لاتخاذ قرارات تخفيض أسعار بعض السلع.

وفي السلط هاجم مواطنون نواب البرلمان ووصفوهم بـ"الأموات والخفافيش"، وانتقدوا منحهم ثقة قياسية لحكومة سمير الرفاعي.

وكانت الحكومة استبقت مسيرات الجمعة باتخاذ سلسلة قرارات اقتصادية زادت تكلفتها عن 170 مليون دولار، كان من بينها تخفيض أسعار السولار والبنزين والغاز بنسبة 6%.

وطالب المعارض البارز ليث شبيلات العاهل الأردني بالتحرك سريعا لمحاسبة الفاسدين "قبل أن ينتقل ما يجري في تونس للأردن". وقال للجزيرة نت -بعد مشاركته في مسيرة في وسط العاصمة عمان- إن "الحالة التونسية تتكرر عندنا في الأردن، لأن الجوع بدأ يحركنا كما حرك التونسيين"، ووصف قرارات الحكومة للتخفيف عن المواطنين بأنها "تافهة وجاءت على حساب الخزينة المثقلة بالديون".

وتابع "نحن نريد أن نحمي العرش من الفاسدين حوله، لأن بلدنا بحاجة للعرش الذي وضعت حكومة سابقة قنبلة تحته عندما سجلت أراضي للخزينة باسم الملك".

وحمل شبيلات بشدة على قيادات المعارضة الأردنية التي غابت عن مسيرات الجمعة، وقال "عندما تحرك الناس وانتفضوا عام 1989 كانت مديونية الأردن 8 مليارات دولار، واليوم زادت على 15 مليار دولار، وما فعلته قيادات المعارضة أنها أزالت حكومات فاسدة وجاءت بحكومات أكثر فسادا".

وطالب العاهل الأردني بـ"إعادة الاعتبار للركن النيابي في النظام الأردني"، ووصف مجلس النواب الحالي بأنه لا يصلح أن يكون "مجلس مخاتير حارات".

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/BB6BD582-A682-4DC6-981A-EA0978B8329B.htm.

Jordanians march against inflation

Thousands vent anger in Amman and other cities against government's inability to rein in prices and poverty.

14 Jan 2011

Thousands of Jordanians have taken to the streets of the capital Amman and other cities to protest against rising commodity prices, unemployment and poverty.

The protesters are calling on the government headed by Samir Rifai, the prime minister, to step down.

Demonstrators, including trade unionists and leftist party members, carried national flags and chanted anti-government slogans in downtown Amman.

They called Rifai a "coward" and demanded his resignation.

"Prices, particularly gasoline and food, are getting out of hand,'' Buthaina Iftial, a 24-year-old civil servant, said.

"We're becoming poorer every day,'' she said, holding a poster with a piece of Arabic flatbread attached.

Police and plainclothes officers formed rings around the demonstrators to contain the protests. There were no reports of arrests or violence.

'Starvation and fury'

"Jordan is not only for the rich. Bread is a red line. Beware of our starvation and fury," read one of the banners carried after mid-day prayers, amid a heavy police presence, according to the AFP news agency.

"Down with Rifai's government. Unify yourselves because the government wants to eat your flesh. Raise fuel prices to fill your pocket with millions," the protesters chanted as they marched in Amman.

Similar demonstrations took place in the cities of Maan, Karak, Salt and Irbid, as well as other parts of the country.

"We are protesting the policies of the government, high prices and repeated taxation that made the Jordanian people revolt," Tawfiq al-Batoush, a former head of Karak municipality, told the Reuters news agency at a protest outside Karak's Al Omari mosque.

Friday's protests came amid similar protests in Algeria and Tunisia.

On Tuesday, Jordan's government announced a $169m plan to reduce the prices of commodities, including fuel, sugar and rice, and to create jobs in the face of rising popular discontent.

Protesters say these measures are not enough, and are complaining of growing unemployment and poverty. Year-on-year inflation hit 6.1 per cent last month.

The Muslim Brotherhood, its political arm the Islamic Action Front (IAF), and the country's 14 trade unions say they will hold a sit-in outside parliament on Sunday to "denounce government economic policies".

"We demand a solution to this problem to avert any negative repercussions through reforming policies and carry out true and fair economic and political reforms," the trade unions said in a statement.

Jordan's budget deficit hit a record $2 billion in 2009, 9 per cent of GDP, as public finances came under strain after the global downturn. The deficit is expected to narrow to 5 per cent of GDP this year as tough spending cuts take effect.

The kingdom had experienced civil unrest in the past over fuel price hikes and attempts to end bread subsidies. The government has already allocated 170 million dinars in the 2011 budget to subsidize bread, on which many poor in the country of 7 million people depend, officials said.

Source: al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/01/20111141219337111.html.

MB offshoot in Jordan: Regime Faces Unprecedented Level of Hatred from Jordanians

Islamic Action Front Party’s leader, Hammam Saeed, demanded that the Jordanian government addresses the crisis of the rise in price of essential commodities which amounted to levels threatening the society's security.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Islamic Action Front Party’s leader, Hammam Saeed, demanded that the Jordanian government addresses the crisis of the rise in price of essential commodities which amounted to levels threatening the society's security.

In an exclusive statement, the MB political arm’s leader Saeed called on the government to put an end to popular frustrations by taking serious steps to reform, adding that the continuing pressure upon citizens would generate unprecedented public outrage.

"The unfortunate events that we see in some Arab countries, which led to many deaths and hundreds of injuries, is a warning," he said, adding that Arab leaders must change their policy instead of using live ballots, tear gas and batons in the face of public anger.

Saeed urged the Jordanian government to learn a lesson from what is happening around them as tension, public pressure, restriction on freedom of speech, negligence for opposition demands, carelessness when conducting direct dialogue with national political powers, failure to meet people's demands and their essential needs and disregard for issues threatening the country's future and its national security continues and maybe tragic and dire consequences."

The MB Comptroller-General called on the government to stop responding to US dictates, urging them to take urgent steps on political reform, recognize the irregularities committed in the parliamentary elections, and talk openly to the people on its negative results in order to avoid the serious situation that might arise."

He also called for a comprehensive review on issues related to prices, particularly oil derivatives. "The government should be very sensitive toward the poor and issues concerning them," he said.

He also warned of what he described as an American scheme aimed at sowing chaos, raising sedition, and fragmenting and tearing apart Arab and Islamic countries, referring to what is happening in Sudan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Lebanon and recent unfortunate incidents in Egypt.

He also drew attention to the need of redressing the impact of Western policies aimed at manipulating national unity, in view of the fact that what is happening in Sudan could be repeated in every Arab country regardless of its size.

Source: Ikhwanweb.
Link: http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=27830.

MB Offshoot in Jordan Approves Strategy to Increase Membership

Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood offshoot The Islamic Action Front has approved a four-year strategy to increase the membership base of its political party during an IAF shura council.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood offshoot, The Islamic Action Front, has approved a four-year strategy to increase the membership base of its political party during an IAF Shura Council meeting.

According to Tayseer Fityani, head of the political arm's internal court, the political and economic situation in Jordan is ready for the IAF to increase the number of its members by at least 50 per cent. He added that there would be no changes to membership conditions, stressing he expected the party - founded in 1993 and considered the largest in the country - to become more active in the community.

Recommendations from at least two founding members will be required and those wishing to join must be at least 18-year-old Jordanians.

Other decisions on the Party's agenda include tackling political, economic and social challenges, and the establishment of two national campaigns against the rising cost of living and corruption. A committee will also be formed to address rising social violence which will be entrusted to engage with different groups of society to put an end to bloody feuds that threaten the country’s stability.

Internal sources maintained that other issues discussed during the meeting included ties with the Palestinian Authority and Israel as well as progress of the peace process.

The party has confirmed that it is open to engaging in dialogue with all parties in the country, including the government.

Upcoming roles have been assigned within the party’s leadership in order to avoid misunderstandings and conflict of interest in an effort to engage with the government over issues of public concern.

Source: Ikhwanweb.
Link: http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=27819.

Jordan's Islamist opposition to join protests

2011-01-12

Demonstrations are planned this week despite measures by Jordanian government to ease economic pressure.

AMMAN - Jordan's Islamist opposition said on Wednesday it would join in planned demonstrations this week over jobs and inflation, despite measures by the government to ease economic pressure.

"We decided to participate in the demonstration after Friday prayers," Jamil Abu Bakr, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said.

Mohammad Sneid, a popular trade unionist representing government workers who are paid on a daily basis, has called for a nationwide protest on Friday after midday prayers.

"Protests will take place in the southern cities of Maan Tafileh, Karak and Aqaba, as well as Irbid in the north and Salt in the west, and Madada and Dhiban in central Jordan," Sneid said.

He said the slogan of the protests is "a march for the downfall of (Prime Minister Samir) Rifai for a decent living."

The Brotherhood's participation is expected to broaden the protests.

Jordan announced a 169-million-dollar plan on Tuesday to reduce prices of commodities, including fuel, and create jobs in a bid to face rising popular discontent.

The new measures came after King Abdullah II instructed the premier to take "immediate and effective measures to mitigate the impact of rising prices of commodities on citizens," a senior official said.

The official also said a decision to increase public transportation fees has been frozen, despite hikes in fuel prices.

Jordanians complain of growing unemployment as inflation last month reached 6.1 percent.

The measures to control prices and create jobs follow widespread violent protests and fatal clashes with police in Algeria and Tunisia over inflation.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=43612.

Jordan's Islamists Condemn Decision Allowing Women to Work in Nightclubs

2011-01-08
Xinhua

Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood on Saturday condemned a labor ministry's decision allowing Jordanian women to work in nightclubs.

"We reject and strongly condemn the government's decision to open the door for Jordanian women to work in nightclubs. This is against Islam," Jameel Abu Baker, the movement's spokesperson, told Xinhua on Saturday.

According to local media reports, the Labor Ministry has recently issued a special decision that specified the professions that Jordanian women can work in from 10:00 pm until 6:00 am. The decision, which went into effect on Jan. 1, enabled Jordanian women to work in nightclubs, among other places.

"This decision will cause a moral corruption in the society. We are a conservative society and nightclubs should be closed," Abu Baker said.

Stressing the movement's condemnation of the decision, he said "allowing Jordanian women to work in nightclubs that are places for moral corruption and vices is against our values, traditions, norms and faith."

Source: CRIENGLISH.com.
Link: http://english.cri.cn/6966/2011/01/08/2724s614199.htm.

Jordan's king stresses EU key role in spurring Mideast peace

Sun, 09 Jan 2011

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II conferred Sunday with visiting Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi and underlined the European Union's "important role" in reinvigorating the deadlocked direct talks between the Palestinians and Israel.

"The monarch underscored the importance of the European role in backing efforts aimed at removing the obstacles that impede the achievement of tangible progress towards the two-state solution," a royal court statement said.

King Abdullah urged "an immediate move to relaunch serious and effective Palestinian-Israeli negotiations that addresses all last status issues in the run-up for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that lives in peace with Israel," the statement added.

Baconschi also held talks with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Judeh, who urged Israel to stop all settlement activity in the Palestinian territories as a prerequisite for the resumption of direct talks with the Palestinians.

The Palestinian Authority broke off the US-sponsored direct talks at the end of September after the Israeli government failed to extend a moratorium on the building of settlements.

During a joint press conference with Judeh, the Romanian Foreign Minister expressed his country's support for the two-state solution in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the cessation of settlement building and the immediate resumption of direct talks.

He thanked Jordan for approving the building of a Romanian church at the baptism site of Jesus Christ on the eastern bank of River Jordan.

Jordan and Romania on Sunday signed an agreement for cooperation in the sphere of peaceful uses of the nuclear energy and discussed ways for boosting trade and economic cooperation, the official Petra news agency said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/361446,role-spurring-mideast-peace.html.

Belarus police block opposition leader wife from EU travel

Thu, 13 Jan 2011

Minsk/Kiev - Belorussian border police on Wednesday blocked travel to Europe by the wife of a senior member of the Belorussian opposition one day after she defied a KGB order to refrain from speaking out on his fate.

Security personnel in the central province Baranovich halted Milana Mikhalevich in the early morning hours as she was en route to Poland for a speaking engagement.

She is the wife of Ales Mikhalevich, an opposition politician and former presidential in jail on charges of inciting riot during a late December anti-government protest.

Police detained Milana Mikhalevich for at least two hours before handing her a court order banning her travel abroad pending the outcome of a trial of her husband, the Interfax news agency reported.

Belarusian opposition media on Wednesday reported allegations by Milana Mikhalevich that KGB interrogators had forced her husband to request she voluntarily refuse to speak publicly on his detention, and to remain inside the country.

She would not give in to the government pressure tactics, she said in comments reported by the Belapan news agency.

The Mikhaleviches are the latest targets of a wide-ranging crackdown against political opponents by President Aleksander Lukashenko, Belarus' authoritarian leader.

Detainees have included politicians, students, anti-government activists, and in some case persons not even publicly opposing Lukashenko, but simply related to some one who has.

Lukashenko's secret police are thought to be holding 29 senior members of the opposition, among them Ales Mikhalevich, pending court hearings on charges against them.

Most face potential prison terms of 15 years for their role in a massed protest against Lukashenko taking place on December 19, shortly after polls closed in a national election.

Belarusian officials declared the incumbent Lukashenko the victor in the vote with 79 per cent popular support, a result allowing him to continue in office for a fourth term.

International observers have condemned the election as almost certainly fraudulent.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362097,leader-wife-eu-travel.html.

Danish Conservatives leader steps down as backing fades - Summary

Thu, 13 Jan 2011

Copenhagen- Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen gave up her position as leader of the country's Conservative party Thursday as it became clear the party's mood was turning against her.

Broadcaster TV2 News reported earlier in the day that parliament members at a meeting had said they did not support her as leader, and would seek to persuade her to step down. Similar calls have recently been made by party faithful in various districts.

Likely contenders to replace Espersen, who was abroad, were Justice Minister Lars Barfoed or Brian Mikkelsen, minister for economics. A party vote is expected for Friday.

However, Espersen plans to keep her ministerial position, which she only assumed 11 months ago, until national elections, which must be held no later than November.

Judging from recent polls, the Conservatives risk losing half their voter support, compared to the 2007 polls when they garnered 10 per cent.

Espersen, 45, was named party leader in 2008. She is Denmark's first female foreign minister.

She was roundly criticized for opting to go on holiday with her family instead of attending an Arctic summit in March 2010, missing an opportunity to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Liberal Party and the Conservative Party have cooperated since 2001. The minority government has relied on support from the populist Danish People's Party ever since the two parties formed their coalition.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362220,backing-fades-summary.html.

Jordan blasts demolition of historic hotel in East Jerusalem

Sun, 09 Jan 2011

Amman - The Jordanian government on Sunday condemned the demolition of a historic hotel in East Jerusalem to make way for apartments as a move that "runs counter to international law."

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh urged "immediate" action by the world community to stop the unilateral Israeli measures in the city which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war.

"The demolition of Shepherd Hotel by Israeli settlement organizations in the Arab Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, which seek to impose new realities on the ground, runs counter to international law and the relevant UN resolutions," Judeh said in a statement.

Earlier, the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton reminded Israel that settlement building on occupied Palestinian territory was illegal and also condemned Israel's move.

Judeh warned that the move would derail efforts to resume the deadlocked peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and "create a state of instability in the Palestinian territories."

The United Nations still considers East Jerusalem occupied territory.

Israel said that the Shepherd Hotel, which was purchased by a Jewish American millionaire in 1985 and empty for years, would be replaced by 20 apartments for Israelis.

The Palestinians broke off the US-sponsored direct talks with Israel at the end of September after the Israeli government failed to extend a moratorium on the building of settlements in the Palestinian territories.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/361467,historic-hotel-east-jerusalem.html.

Abbas, Jordanian FM celebrate Eastern Christmas

08/01/2011

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Naser Jouda attended Christmas mass in Bethlehem on Thursday, after the official updated the president on meetings between Jordan's King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking at a joint news conference ahead of the mass, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said the meeting represented "continued consultation between leaders of the two countries," a statement published on the government news agency WAFA quoted.

Jouda delivered greetings and congratulations on Christmas to the Christians of Palestine on behalf of King Abdallah, saying that he was instructed by Abdullah to "consult and to coordinate with our Palestinian brothers in all fields," and to partake in the Christmas events.

Jordan, he continued, alongside Palestine seeks to establish a Palestinian sate on the 1967 borders, saying he hoped Abbas and Abdullah would have fruitful meetings with EU officials in the coming months.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=348906.

Prince Ali wins FIFA vice presidency

JT and Agence France-Presse

AMMAN/DOHA - His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday congratulated HRH Prince Ali, who was elected earlier in the day as FIFA vice president.

In a phone call with the Prince following the election that took place in Doha, His Majesty said that the “success of Prince Ali is a success for each Jordanian man and woman”, voicing confidence in the wide experience of the Prince in football and his ability to take the game to a new level at the Arab, Asian and international levels, according to a Royal Court statement.

The Prince was quoted in the statement as thanking King Abdullah and stressing that “the achievement would not have been made without the support His Majesty extended to Prince Ali since he announced his nomination for the post”.

The Prince, who has been the president of the Jordan Football Association for a decade and who holds the same role at the increasingly influential West Asian Football Federation, said that he would exert his utmost efforts to make positive change in Arab and Asian football and act “as the best representative of Jordan and the Arabs in the international sports circles”.

Prime Minister Samir Rifai also called Prince Ali to congratulate him, voicing the “government’s pride in such an achievement”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Prince Ali told a press conference after the vote that he is committed to making good on promises he made during his election campaign, Petra reported.

“I nominated myself to support the youth sector,” he said, “We have to build an Asian sports base that is competitive enough to win international tournaments.”

His Highness received a flow of cables congratulating him for the new post, the agency said.

Prince Ali stunned powerful South Korean Chung Mong-joon by unseating him as FIFA vice president while Mohamad Ben Hammam won another term as Asian Football Confederation (AFC) chief.

Chung, the controlling shareholder in industrial giant Hyundai Heavy Industries, a major sponsor of the world football body, had been in the job since 1994 and was widely expected to retain the role.

But in a vote of the AFC’s 45 eligible members at their congress in Doha, the Prince won 25-20.

It was a big upset with rumors flying that Chung, 59, was to launch a campaign to unseat Sepp Blatter as FIFA president later in the year, someone he has previously feuded with.

Chung supported an unsuccessful attempt to unseat Blatter 10 years ago amid allegations of financial impropriety from the collapse of a marketing company that worked for FIFA.

He reopened the wounds just months ago when he insisted change at the top was in the interests of football’s world governing body.

Now that he is no longer among the FIFA hierarchy, he cannot run for the top job.

The Prince, son of the late King Hussein and late Queen Alia, becomes the youngest member of the FIFA executive committee at the age of 35 after rallying Arab support behind him.

“There has been a lot of division within Asian football and I want to bring a unity,” Prince Ali said ahead of the vote.

“It’s a very big continent and too much of the time too many people in the game have been left to themselves. I want to change this - and I think people understand my vision,” he added.

“We need to communicate more effectively both between ourselves and with the other confederations,” the Prince said.

“I, personally, have good connections to UEFA, to Africa and to the Americas and we can only all gain the more we work together. I see my job as being one of bridging gaps.”

Hammam, meanwhile, won a new four-year term as AFC president and vowed to take the game to a new level.

The Qatari, who has been in the job since 2002, was elected unopposed until 2015.

Another seen as potential successor to Blatter, Hammam has been instrumental in changing the face of Asian football.

The 61-year-old is seen as a modernizer who has overseen the launch of the AFC Champions League and the admission of Australia into the confederation.

“While Asia has not yet taken over the world, the rumblings of Asia can now be felt. We strongly believe that the future is Asia and we are working very hard towards the future,” he said.

“We must push our limits and challenge the status quo.”

In other votes, Thailand’s Worawi Makudi retained his seat on FIFA’s influential executive committee and Sri Lanka’s Vernon Manilal Fernando won the vote to replace the retiring Junji Ogura of Japan.

Another Japanese, Kohzo Tashima, and China’s Zhang Jilong had also been in the race.

The AFC is the biggest football confederation in the world with 46 members.

7 January 2011

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=33257.

Iraq marks army's 90th anniversary

Fri Jan 7, 2011

Iraq's army has marked the 90th anniversary of its 1921 founding with a huge military parade that included tanks and artillery weapons.

Top Iraqi officials, members of the country's military forces as well as foreign diplomatic missions attended Iraq's Armed Forces Day ceremony, which took place in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and attended a military parade in the Green Zone, which houses the Iraqi government offices and some foreign embassies, a Press TV correspondent reported from Baghdad.

"We in the national unity government will not let the army be politicized, and it will be for all, not for a specific faction," Maliki said in a speech after placing a wreath on the tomb.

He hailed the efforts of the army in fighting terrorism and bringing law and order to the country and reiterated that the Iraqi armed forces will not be used against any neighboring country.

"While we are working on building a stable country, we want an army that doesn't carry any hatred for any country, and that is be based on protecting the people, not like it was during the collapsed regime (under Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein)," Maliki, who is also the commander-in-chief of the army, said.

On parade were also 10 Abrams tanks Iraq has purchased from the withdrawing United States forces, the first of 140 that are to be delivered by the end of the year.

The Iraqi army took over responsibility of security control across the country in mid-2010 as the US military formally ended its combat mission in the country and reduced its troop strength to about 50,000.

In May 2003, the US civilian administrator for Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, abolished several ministries and institutions of Saddam's regime, and disbanded the army, declaring them illegal, something that is blamed for the widespread chaos in the following years.

Iraq has signed contracts with the United States to buy planes, tanks and warships worth $ 13 billion in the coming years. The contracts also include training and maintenance, something that makes sure that some members of the US military will remain in Iraq for long.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159001.html.

ICRC urged to clarify Asgari's fate

Fri Jan 7, 2011

An Iranian envoy has urged the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to exert its full capacity to determine the fate of Ali Reza Asgari, who has reportedly died in an Israeli prison.

Iran's permanent representative at United Nations Office at Geneva, Seyyed Mohammad Reza Sajjadi, held talks with Christine Beerli, vice president of the ICRC in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday and urged the organization to shed light on the mystery behind the reported martyrdom of the former Iranian deputy defense minister in an Israeli prison, IRNA reported.

During the meeting, he echoed grave concerns raised by Iranian caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who earlier this month wrote a letter to the ICRC Jakob Kellenberger concerning the recent report about the alleged death of Asgari.

Recently a Zionist media outlet reported that Asgari committed suicide in Israel's Ayalon prison but immediately removed the news story from their website.

The Eurasia Review website claimed that a source within the “inner circle” of the Israeli Defense Ministry had identified the prisoner as Asgari and that his death could have been murder and not suicide.

Asgari, had mysteriously disappeared in Turkey in 2007. He was widely perceived to have been abducted and transferred to Israel through an American military base in Turkey.

“Abduction of Asgari is a clear violation of international law and a clear example of the state-sponsored terrorism,” Salehi said in his letter.

Meanwhile, sajjadi stated that in the wake of the recently released reports concerning the fate of the former Iranian official, the ICRC is expected to use its capacity to clarify the issue of Asgaris' abduction.

The Iranian envoy further turned the spotlight on multiple cases of abduction carried out by the Israelis over the past years, namely the July 4 incident in 1982 when four Iranian diplomats were kidnapped by militiamen and Israeli forces at an inspection point in northern Lebanon.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159014.html.

Iran names envoys to Algeria, S Korea

Fri Jan 7, 2011

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the Islamic Republic is keen to enhance its ties with countries around the world as he names new ambassadors to South Korea and Algeria.

Ahmadinejad made the remark during a meeting on Thursday with Iran's new ambassador to South Korea, Ahmad Masoumifar and the Islamic Republic's new envoy to Algeria Mahmoud Mohammadi, IRNA reported.

During the meeting, the Iranian chief executive provided the new ambassadors with a set of guidelines on ways to further expand the Islamic Republic's ties within the regional and international scopes.

Pursuance of bilateral agreements and consolidations of ties both regional and global are considered to be the most important missions undertaken by all Iranian ambassadors around the world, Ahmadinejad stated.

The Iranian president further noted that Tehran welcomes the expansion of relations with other countries based on “justice and equality.”

The new Iranian ambassadors to South Korea and Algeria, for their part, submitted a report on their future plans to boost the Islamic Republic ties in the countries where they are due to fulfill their missions.

Before being appointed as Iran's ambassador to Algeria, Mohammadi, had served as Foreign Ministry spokesman, Iran's ambassador to Tunisia as well as representative of Abadeh in the Iranian Majlis.

Iran's new ambassador to South Korea, Masoumifar, had served as Iranian Charge d`Affaires to Malaysia as well as Iran's Consul General in Shanghai, China.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159006.html.

Iran cleric details inhumane Saudi acts

Thu Jan 6, 2011

An Iranian cleric has criticized Saudi Arabia for infringing upon his rights when he was detained and imprisoned over outlandish charges while on Hajj pilgrimage.

Yasser Khalili was arrested by a Saudi committee for promotion of virtue and prohibition of vice on the charge of “raising a shoe in front of the shrine of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” the cleric, who appeared on an edition of Press TV's “Face to Face” program, said.

I spent 38 days in jail before I was put on trial on September 3rd 2010, and “was sentenced to five months in prison and 150 lashes,” Khalili added.

Khalili said the Saudi government's refusal to grant him access to a lawyer is a breach of international law.

“All 140 pilgrims in our caravan were all clergies. The Saudi government was aware that this caravan was a special one. Our hotel manager told us to be careful because the hotel was under surveillance,” Khalili explained.

The Iranian cleric added that prisoners were treated differently according to their faith and nationality.

“In Saudi Arabia, Shias are not entitled to have ownership rights. Shias do not have any important jobs.”

Khalili wrote a letter to the judge “about the huge population of Sunnis living in Iran and that we have no problems with each other. We live together. Shias and Sunnis marry each other. They work together.”

“I wrote to him not to think of me as Sunni or Shia. Think of me as a human being. All human beings have some fundamental rights.”

In answer to a question about the charge against him, Khalili said, “From the way the Saudi authorities acted when they read the charges against me, I could tell they were not familiar with such a charge.”

“They had special shackles and handcuffs. They put them on your hands and feet so tightly. Apart from the physical pain, there was a lot of psychological pressure on me. They just wanted to humiliate me and make me feel cheap.”

The Iranian cleric was released after 115 days in prison and receiving the 150 whip lashes in the jail.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158975.html.

Cuba announces more cabinet changes

Fri Jan 7, 2011

Following last year's major cabinet overhaul, the Cuban government has newly announced the replacement of construction and telecommunications ministers.

According to a government statement announced on Thursday, Cuban Construction Minister Fidel Figueroa was being replaced due to “errors committed in his job.”

He is going to be replaced with Rene Mesa Villafana, who has been the head of Cuba's water supply organization, AP reported.

According to the statement, Minister of Telecommunications Ramiro Valdes will step down to have more time to supervise over the performance of both his old ministry on interior as well as the construction ministry.

Valdes, 78, is a former leader of the rebels who brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959. He is also an ex-interior minister and a close friend of incumbent President Raul Castro, Fidel's brother.

Valdes, who had a key role in boosting Cuba-Venezuela ties, also holds the position of vice presidency.

The reshuffle comes as the latest effort by the Cuban government in a series of cabinet overhauls and economic reforms over the recent months.

In summer, the government replaced ministers of oil and mining, transportation and sugar for what it described as their incompetence.

As part of its economic reform plan, the government has also released half a million state workers and opened up new opportunities for self-employment.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159034.html.

EU freezes assets on 88 Ivorians, 11 firms close to Ggagbo - Summary

Fri, 14 Jan 2011

Brussels - The European Union on Friday agreed to place a freeze on the assets of 88 individuals and 11 companies linked to Ivorian leader Laurent Gbagbo, EU officials said.

Besides the freeze on the assets of the 88, this list of people were also being banned from entering the EU. At the end of December the EU had imposed an entry ban on 78 people then deemed of "obstructing the peace process."

Gbagbo has rejected the results of Ivory Coast's presidential election in which he appeared to be ousted by challenger Alassane Ouattara. However, international observers overwhelmingly said that the results were valid, leaving Gbagbo in increasing isolation.

The list of Gbagbo allies and supporters to be targeted would come into force once it is officially published by the EU, either on Saturday or early next week, the EU officials said.

Analysts said that the key question would be how far the EU would target key Ivorian industries, especially the cocoa and oil trades. Such sanctions would have the maximum impact on the Gbagbo camp, but would also hit everyday citizens hard.

EU nations have unanimously hailed Ouattara as the winner of the election and have refused to accredit diplomats nominated by Gbagbo. The asset freeze comes alongside a visa ban, already in place.

Hariri: Lebanon's interests take priority over politics - Summary

Beirut - Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Friday that his country needs the efforts of all its people, but primarily the wisdom of its leaders, to overcome the current political turmoil.

"Some political figures in particular should overcome the disputes of the past because no one is more important than their country," Hariri said after holding talks with President Michel Suleiman.

Hariri returned earlier to Beirut after holding talks with his Turkish counterpart as part of an ongoing effort, including stops in the United States and France, to build support following the dissolution earlier this week of the unity government he had led.

That collapse was triggered Wednesday by the resignation of Hezbollah members who are opposed to a UN tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, father of the current caretaker prime minister.

"My allies and I will participate in the parliamentary consultations. We will cooperate fully with the president to form a new cabinet that would meet the demands of national consensus," the caretaker premier said.

Hariri stressed if he had to choose between authority and Lebanon's dignity, he would choose the later.

"Let it be clear for everyone that I have never sought authority at any expense," Hariri added.

"The 11 ministers' resignation is a democratic right. However, we want to note that this decision is a development unprecedented in the history of governments in Lebanon. We fear it will become a model of the Lebanese failure to establish national unity governments."

Hariri said that Saudi-Syrian efforts to resolve the political impasse in Lebanon "played a central role in maintaining a political truce in Lebanon in the past months."

He added that the efforts aimed to prevent strife and called for steps to strengthen state institutions.

Hezbollah and its allies have for months been pressing Hariri to disregard the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on the grounds that it is part of a US-Israeli plot that will indict Hezbollah members.

A source close to the Hezbollah-led opposition said earlier Hariri can head the new government if he pledges to stop the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

"We do not want to close the doors completely," the official said.

Hariri "could head the new government until 2013 if he pledges to terminate the plot behind the international tribunal," he added.

Hariri's adviser, former lawmaker Ghattas Khoruy, said "Prime Minister Saad Hariri is considered the only candidate for the premiership."

Suleiman has asked Hariri to head a caretaker government pending the outcome of consultations due to start Monday between Suleiman and parliamentarians on creation of a new government.

The current crisis is Lebanon's worst since 2008, when Hezbollah launched a military offensive to protest a government decision by the majority to dismantle the group's private telecommunication network.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362391,priority-politics-summary.html.

Moldova parliament forms new government

Fri, 14 Jan 2011

Chisinau/Kiev/Brussels - Moldova's parliament on Friday approved a pro-Europe cabinet, ending a month of coalition talks, the Infotag news agency reported.

Vlad Filat, head of the Liberal Democrat party, will continue to serve as prime minister, a job he held during the previous government, according to the report.

The previous government resigned in November after parliamentary elections, with no party or ruling coalition the clear victor.

Moldova's political system since then has been stalled as three small pro-Europe parties jockeyed to form a frail alliance, while the larger Communist party attempted to entice one of the pro-Europe parties to desert its allies.

The new cabinet contains ministers only from the three pro-Europe parties, and its makeup was practically unchanged from the previous one, according to the report.

"I have managed something in this life, because I have believed in myself," Filat said at an oath-taking ceremony. "We have a great deal of work ahead of us, but I believe we can manage it."

Moldova has been locked in a constitutional crisis for almost two years because no political alliance, neither Communist-led nor pro- Europe, has been able to amass 61 votes in the 101-seat national legislature needed to elect a president.

The stand off has left Moldova's government unable to conduct much business, as a president is needed to sign laws into effect.

The present ruling coalition, headed by Filat, controls 59 votes in parliament, two short of the minimum needed to make long-stalled legislation law.

Filat rejected predictions already widely prevalent in Moldovan media the present government will do no better than the previous one.

"We are simply obliged to succeed this time," Filat said. "We have no other choice."

The reaction of EU officials was similarly optimistic.

"We are confident that the new government will continue to build on the substantial progress achieved in EU-Moldova relations," said High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Fule in a joint statement.

"We hope that all political forces represented in the parliament of the Republic of Moldova will engage further in open and constructive dialogue," said the statement.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362389,parliament-forms-new-government.html.

Foreigners leave Tunisia as unrest spreads

Sat, 15 Jan 2011

Tunis/Paris - Tunisia was rattled by further unrest early Saturday even after President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had fled the country.

Witness said the central train station in the capital Tunis was on fire overnight despite a nationwide curfew. Supermarkets and residential buildings had also been set ablaze or looted and one hospital attacked, reports said.

Hundreds of European holidaymakers fled the country. German tour operators canceled all flights to Tunisia due to an imposed state of emergency.

Ben Ali left Tunisia on Friday after a month of popular revolt that claimed dozens of lives. He had earlier fired his government and announced early elections. His plane landed in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, local media reported early Saturday. Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, who had taken over as president, described the situation as complete security chaos. He called on residents to join forces to protect their belongings.

Ghannouchi is to serve as interim president until new elections are held. He said he would meet with leaders of Tunisia's political parties Saturday. Two opposition leaders had already indicated their willingness to cooperate with the interim government, he said in a televised interview Friday.

Ben Ali's return to Tunisia was "impossible," he added.

It was not clear whether Ben Ali had been forced to leave or had agreed to leave of his own accord.

His departure was met internationally with calls for Tunisians to form a new government in as peaceful a manner as possible.

Ben Ali, a 74-year-old former interior minister, had been president of the north African country since 1987, replacing self- styled "president for life" Habib Bourguiba when he was deposed in a coup.

His departure was prompted by anti-government demonstrations that were brutally repressed by the police. More than 60 protesters have been killed since mid-December, most shot dead by police firing on crowds with live bullets.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362445,leave-tunisia-unrest-spreads.html.

Southern Sudan enters final day of referendum on independence

Sat, 15 Jan 2011

Nairobi/Juba - Voters in southern Sudan headed to the polls Saturday on the final day of a week of voting in a landmark referendum on independence for the south.

Surveys at this point - after the turnout had already passed the 60-per-cent threshold needed to make the vote valid - indicated a clear decision in favor of independence for the region.

Election observers over the past few days had praised the generally peaceful voting, which got underway on January 8, although violence between two rival tribes in the restive Abyei region had left around 100 people dead.

The referendum is the centerpiece of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the Christian and Animist south - a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 2 million southerners and displaced 4 million more.

The United Nations said preliminary results from the vote were expected in early February, but that a final result would be declared either February 7 or 14 under the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission's timeline.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362451,enters-final-referendum-independence.html.

Trial of Egyptian charged with spying for Israel postponed

Sat, 15 Jan 2011

Cairo - The trial of an Egyptian man charged with spying on behalf of Israel was postponed on Saturday, after his lawyer withdrew from the case saying his client was a "traitor."

The Emergency State Security court postponed the hearing until Monday to allow the suspect, Tareq Abdelrazek, to hire a new lawyer.

Two Israelis, accused of spying on Egypt, will be tried in absentia.

The court session was held amid tight security. More than 500 soldiers were deployed around the court house, while nearby streets were cordoned off.

In December, Abdelrazek was arrested and charged with working for Israel's intelligence service, the Mossad, and supplying them with information about Egyptian citizens.

Abdelrazek, who owns an import-export company, is also accused of attempting to recruit spies in Syria and Lebanon for Mossad. He allegedly received 37,000 dollars from Israel for his activities.

Emergency courts do not provide the right to an appeal.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/362452,charged-spying-israel-postponed.html.