NASA marks 25th anniversary of Challenger disaster - Summary

Fri, 28 Jan 2011

Washington - The US space agency paused to remember the deadly explosion of the space shuttle Challenger 25 years ago on Friday.

The shuttle broke up just after launch on January 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts on board. The disaster was watched on live television by many Americans, including schoolchildren turned in to see the first teacher-astronaut travel into space.

More than 200 officials and family members attended a a memorial service at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ceremony was held at a memorial bearing the names of all astronauts killed in the line of duty and featured speeches by NASA officials and the widow of mission commander Dick Scobee.

Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator of space operations, told those gathered that the accident emphasizes the risks taken by astronauts every day.

"Their sacrifice was a stark brutal reminder that our knowledge, our technology our science, and our dreams are often paid for in the dearest possible way," he said.

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden marked an annual Day of Remembrance for astronauts killed in service on Thursday by placing wreath at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington.

The day is also used to honor three astronauts killed in a fire aboard Apollo I on January 27, 1967 and the seven crew members killed when the shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003.

"Throughout history, however, we have seen that achieving great things sometimes comes at great cost and we mourn the brave astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of NASA missions throughout the agency's storied history," President Barack Obama said in a statement.

"Through triumph and tragedy, each of us has benefited from their courage and devotion, and we honor their memory by dedicating ourselves to a better tomorrow. Despite the challenges before us today, let us commit ourselves and continue their valiant journey toward a more vibrant and secure future."

NASA is due to retire the shuttle fleet later this year, in part due to safety concerns following the Columbia disaster.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364824,challenger-disaster-summary.html.

Major Jewish group urges US to veto Arab-backed move in Security

Fri, 28 Jan 2011

New York - The Anti-Defamation League on Friday called for the United States to veto a draft resolution asking the UN Security Council to declare "illegal" Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem.

The draft is sponsored by more than 80 governments, including those in Arab and Islamic countries, in support of the Palestinian people. Arab diplomats at UN headquarters in New York said the move was intended to advance the issue of a Palestinian state once the Jewish settlements are declared illegal by the 15-nation council.

The ADL, the largest Jewish organization in the US fighting anti- Semitism, said it had written a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, calling for a US veto once the draft is moved to a vote in the council.

"It is now time for the United States to unambiguously declare it will veto the resolution if it is brought to the council for a vote," said ADL national director Abraham Foxman.

Foxman said the Palestinian leadership is publicly challenging the US not to veto the draft while it has refused to resume direct talks with Israel.

The US has already voiced opposition to the draft, calling the move "corrosive to the Middle East peace process." But it has not said flatly that it will veto it, which in effect would kill the resolution.

The US, Russia, China, France and Britain, the council's five permanent members, have veto power over UN resolutions.

The draft, which was submitted to the council on January 18, calls on the council to "reaffirm that the Israeli settlements established in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, are illegal and constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace."

The UN, the European Union, the US and Russia, which form the diplomatic quartet on the Middle East peace process, have called for a two-state solution as part of a settlement in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The quartet's peace road map calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state living in peace next to Israel.

The Palestinian Authority said more than 100 countries have already given principled recognition of a Palestinian state.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364829,veto-arab-backed-move-security.html.

Mubarak fires ministers, appeals for calm

Fri, 28 Jan 2011

Cairo - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak in the early hours of Saturday ordered the existing government and ministers to step down and promised a new leadership.

Mubarak was making his first address to his nation since anti- government protests erupted this week, appealing for calm and promising reform. But protests continued in the country even as he made his address, with some calling for the president's ouster.

"I regret the innocent victims and causalities on both sides, citizens and police personnel," said Mubarak, after reports indicated more than 20 people had died during the protests.

He appealed directly to the people and said he understood they wanted him to address poverty, employment and democratic reform and pledged progress.

Saying there was "a fine line between freedom and chaos" he urged calm, adding that only because of his own reforms over the years, were people able to protest.

Mubarak, aged 82, has ruled Egypt for nearly 30 years.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364836,fires-ministers-appeals-calm.html.

Britain urges Egyptian government to yield to 'legitimate' demands

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

London - The Egyptian government should respond to demands for reform and greater transparency expressed by the recent large- scale demonstrations, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Thursday.

"Clearly, in so many of these countries people do have legitimate grievances, which are economic and political," said Hague in a BBC radio interview.

"While every country is different, and we shouldn't try to dictate what they should do, in general I do think it's important in this situation to respond positively to legitimate demands for reform, to move towards openness, transparency and greater political freedom," he said.

"That would be my advice to Egyptian leaders," he added.

Hague said he had already urged the Egyptian government to stop the clampdown on social networking sites.

"I would urge the Egyptian government, and I have urged the Egyptian government, to respect rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. It would be futile over time to try to suppress such things."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364479,government-yield-legitimate-demands.html.

Thousands of protesters attend anti-government rallies in Sana'a

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Sana'a, Yemen - Thousands of opposition supporters attended four anti-government rallies in Sana'a on Thursday to demand that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

In the biggest rally, around 10,000 people gathered near the Sana'a University campus chanting slogans calling Saleh, who is ruling since 1978 Saleh to leave.

"Oh King Abdullah, here is Ali Abdullah," they shouted in reference to the Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz whose country is hosting toppled Tunisian president bin Ali, "The people want the president changed."

Another slogan said "No to extending (tenure). No to Inheritance."

The rallies were organized by the main opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties, led by the Islamist party, Islah.

The protests ended peacefully, witnesses said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364500,attend-anti-government-rallies-sanaa.html.

Jakarta plans dike to prevent going underwater

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Jakarta - Indonesia plans to build a large dike to prevent the sea from encroaching on its capital because of land subsidence and rising ocean levels, the governor of Jakarta said Thursday.

"The rate of land subsidence is faster than the rise of sea levels, and both phenomena result in flooding on the north coast of Java, including Jakarta," Governor Fauzi Bowo said.

"So there's no choice but to build a dike," he said without giving details about the size, cost or location of the structure.

Jakarta's city government is to meet in February with the central government to discuss the project.

The city administration has said the land has subsided by up to 1.5 meters in the past 20 years in certain business and industrial areas of Jakarta.

The problem is compounded by an estimated rise of 8 to 30 centimeters in sea levels as part of the effects of climate change.

In response, the city has installed high-powered pumps in the northern part of the city, where the land is below sea level, as part of flood-control measures.

Bowo has said the city has a target to reduce floods by 40 per cent by 2011 and 75 per cent by 2016.

Floods inundated much of Jakarta in 2007, killing 57 people and displacing about 450,000. Losses were estimated at 695 million dollars.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364503,plans-dyke-going-underwater.html.

Raids, protests after official's murder sparks outrage in India

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

New Delhi - Hundreds of thousands of government employees went on strike in India's western state of Maharashtra Thursday amid outrage over the killing of an official by members of the so-called oil mafia, officials and news reports said.

Tax official Yeshwant Sonawane was burnt alive while investigating a suspected fuel racket in Malegaon town, some 200 kilometers north-east of state capital Mumbai on Tuesday.

Administrative work was disrupted in the state as government employees and officials refused to work in protest against the killing.

"We demand adequate police protection while carrying out our duties. We also demand strict action against the killers," GD Kulthe, secretary of Maharashtra Gazetted Officers Federation, said.

"We are ceasing work today. Government employees' unions and district-level officers have also joined the protest," he added.

Meanwhile, police launched a crackdown against gangs involved in adulterating petroleum products.

As many as 250 people involved with suspected fuel rackets were arrested and the action would continue over the next few days, state officials told the NDTV network.

Kerosene, sold at subsidized rates for the poor was stolen and used to adulterate petroleum and diesel products by local "oil mafias" in a well-entrenched racket, officials said.

Sonawane's murder has exposed those crimes and drawn sharp criticism over the lawlessness in the region.

In New Delhi, Federal Oil Minister Jaipal Reddy met with senior officials to introduce policy changes to check adulteration and pilfering.

"He (Sonawane) died a martyr to the cause of an anti-adulteration drive," Reddy said announcing a compensation of 2.5 million rupees (54,844 dollars) to the bereaved family.

The police have so far arrested 11 suspected members of the adulterating gang allegedly behind Sonawane's death.

The suspects have been charged with murder, wrongful restraint and use of criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out his duties.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364504,murder-sparks-outrage-india.html.

Lebanese premier launches consultations to form government

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Beirut - Lebanon's premier designate Najib Mikati started on Thursday his consultations with the various parliamentary blocs to form a new government.

Mikati, 55, a moderate lawmaker with good ties to Syria and Saudi Arabia, was appointed as premier to replace outgoing premier Saad Hariri, after he won the backing of the Hezbollah-led coalition.

Mikati's two-day consultations would focus on seeking a government that include all parties, despite Hariri's Western-backed coalition having openly said that they will not participate in a government backed Hezbollah.

The new premier said if he fails to convince all parties to participate in his cabinet, then he will form a government made of technocrats.

Mikati was nominated to the premiership after Hezbollah and its allies brought down Hariri's government on January 12 amid disagreements over the UN-backed probe into the 2005 assassination of Hariri's father, former premier Rafik Hariri.

Hezbollah fears being implicated by the court's prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, who has filed confidential draft indictments to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's pre-trial judge, Daniel Fransen.

Hezbollah has also called on the Lebanese government to boycott the tribunal, which it described as a US-Israeli conspiracy.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364506,launches-consultations-form-government.html.

Autobiography: Olmert asked Abbas to sign deal in late 2008

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Tel Aviv - In excerpts of his autobiography published for the first time Thursday, former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert said he offered Mahmoud Abbas a far-reaching deal, but the Palestinian president hesitated and backed down.

The excerpts release by the Yediot Ahronot daily come after the al-Jazeera satellite TV published the so-called Palestine Papers over the past days - classified documents detailing the sensitive negotiations between Olmert and Abbas in the wake of the November 2007 Annapolis summit.

Under Olmert's proposal, the Palestinians would get a state based on the borders of before the 1967 war, in which Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, with some territorial exchanges that would allow Israel to keep its main settlement blocks.

Jewish built-up areas in occupied East Jerusalem would go to Israel and Arab built-up areas to the Palestinians. Five states would be responsible for holy areas in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Israel would absorb only a small number of Palestinian refugees, the rest would go to the Palestinian state. A tunnel would connect the West Bank and Gaza.

The dramatic excerpts show how close the Olmert and Abu Mazen administrations were to signing a peace deal - until their negotiations were cut short as the Israeli premier was forced to resign over corruption allegations.

In his book, whose publication date was not immediately known, Olmert made his offer in a September 16, 2008 meeting. He asked Abbas to sign right away, but the Palestinian president replied he was no expert on maps and asked for a delay.

"Give me the maps so I can consult with my friends," Olmert quoted Abbas as saying to him at the time.

"No, I replied. "Take the pen and sign now. You will never get a more just and fair offer. Don't hesitate. It is difficult for me too," Olmert said.

Abbas then asked for a few days for consultations, but postponed the next scheduled negotiation session because of a trip to Amman. They did not meet again.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364509,sign-deal-late-2008.html.

PROFILE: Nuclear sleuth ElBaradei seeks new role in Egypt

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Vienna/Cairo - Mohamed ElBaradei was known for many years as the world's chief nuclear inspector, but since his retirement as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has set his sights on politics in his native Egypt.

During his tenure at the Vienna-based IAEA, which ended in late 2009, ElBaradei was originally known as a cautious bureaucrat, who became more and more vocal on global issues as time went on.

Now he is bluntly criticizing Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak's 30-year long regime. After hinting at a potential bid for the presidency, ElBaradie's return to Egypt in early 2010 served as a rallying point for the country's divided opposition and lifted the hopes of thousands of activists.

He formed the National Coalition for Change, which brings together several of Egypt's opposition groups and demands democratic reforms from the government, including an end to emergency laws and transparent presidential elections.

But the Coalition suffered deep internal divisions in the lead-up to the country's upper and lower house elections later that year. Domestic support for ElBaradei fizzled, and he returned to Vienna.

Two days after widespread anti-government protests shook the country on January 25 2011, ElBaradei returned to Cairo saying he would be willing to lead a transitional government if the public asked him to.

However, there is skepticism in Egypt about ElBaradei's leadership potential, given his long period of absence from the country and his continued residence abroad.

At the IAEA, ElBaradei proved that he can withstand intense pressure and that he will "speak truth to power," as he is fond of saying.

In February 2003, a few weeks before the US-led invasion of Iraq, he said his agency had "found no proof" that the Saddam Hussein regime had a nuclear program.

Washington meanwhile insisted on the existence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction programs - which later turned out to be wrong.

After the invasion, ElBaradei openly criticized the United States for its mistake.

His stance on Iraq is widely believed to be one reason why he and the IAEA jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

In the controversy over Iran's nuclear program, ElBaradei also caused anger in Washington. He pleaded for a cautious approach, while the US advocated UN Security Council sanctions.

In his last years as IAEA head, ElBaradei frequently irritated Western governments by speaking out about topics which were not within his mandate, such as nuclear weapons disarmament and world poverty.

ElBaradei was born in Cairo on June 17, 1942 the son of a prominent lawyer. He also studied law, at the university in his home city and in New York.

He joined the Egyptian diplomatic service in 1964, and was posted to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

In 1984, he switched to the IAEA, where he headed the legal and external relations departments before succeeding the Swede Hans Blix as director general from 1993.

The former diplomat is married and has two adult children, a son and a daughter.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364620,seeks-new-role-egypt.html.

Hezbollah denies pressure in Lebanon regime talks

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Beirut - Lebanon's premier designate, Najib Mikati, embarked on a round of political consultations Thursday aimed at bridging deep divisions in parliament and forming a government capable of representing all of the country's factions.

Mikati, who is seen as a moderate who enjoys good ties with both Syria and Saudi Arabia, said he would seek to include all parties in his future cabinet.

The Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah denied Thursday that the movement had placed any demands on the newly appointed premier it has chosen to replace outgoing Western-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

"We did not give a list of conditions to prime minister Mikati," the head of Hezbollah's 12-member bloc in parliament Mohammed Raad said after meeting Mikati.

"What we asked for is a national partnership and a national salvation government in which all parties are in for the interest of the country," Raad added.

Hariri's refusal to break ties with the UN-backed Special tribunal for Lebanon (STL), probing the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, prompted Hezbollah and its allies to bring down Hariri's government on January 12.

It is widely believed that confidential indictments issued by the STL's prosecutor earlier this month implicate leading members of Hezbollah in the assassination.

Hariri, who described the Hezbollah walkout from his government a "coup d'etat," insisted that his coalition will never join a government led by a Hezbollah-chosen premier.

Hariri's parliamentary bloc has also asked Mikati to clarify his position regarding the STL.

Meanwhile, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who went from being an ally of Hariri to backing Hezbollah in choosing Mikati, called after the consultations for dialogue.

He also voiced the importance of democracy and the need not to resort to violence.

"It is important to avoid issuing inciting statements that jeopardize the country's security," Jumblatt said.

Mikati, a 55-year-old billionaire, has said that he will attempt to form a cabinet of technocrats if he fails to convince all political parties to participate in his government.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364628,pressure-lebanon-regime-talks.html.

Thousands join media law protest outside Hungarian parliament

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Budapest - Thousands called on the Hungarian government to repeal new media laws that they see as a threat to press freedom during a demonstration in front of the parliament building on Thursday evening.

Protesters waved banners proclaiming "There is no democracy without a free press," in the second large-scale demonstration in as many weeks against media laws that came into force this year.

The protest - organized through social networking websites - proves that "critical voices cannot be silenced," said Balazs Denes, head of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, a pressure group.

Critics are concerned that a new Media Council, composed of government nominees with nine-year tenures, is solely responsible for interpreting legal requirements for "balanced" reporting that respects "human dignity," and has the power to issue potentially ruinous financial penalties.

The European Union's executive is currently waiting for Hungary to answer an official letter that expressed "serious doubts" over the compatibility of the new media regulations with EU law.

The Hungarian government has said it will reply within the two- week deadline, which expires at the end of next week.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364637,law-protest-hungarian-parliament.html.

Obama says reforms in Egypt 'absolutely critical'

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Washington - Political and economic reforms are "absolutely critical" for Egypt's future, US President Barack Obama said Thursday, as mass protests seeking the ouster of President Hosny Mubarak entered their third day.

Obama, in a question-and-answer session on YouTube, said he has continued to press Mubarak to introduce reforms, while acknowledging the Egyptian leader has been a close ally on "a lot of critical issues" and a partner in the Arab-Israeli peace process.

"President Mubarak has been very helpful on a range of tough issues in the Middle East," Obama said.

Obama said the protests indicate "pent-up frustrations" about the state of Egyptian society and it is essential people in any country are free to "express legitimate grievances."

"I have always said to (Mubarak) that making sure that they are moving forward on reform - political reform, economic reform - is absolutely critical to the long-term well being of Egypt," Obama said.

So far seven people have died in violence as the Egyptian government has cracked down on protesters. Obama said neither side should resort to violence.

"My main hope right now is, is that violence is not the answer in solving these problems in Egypt," Obama said. "So the government has to be careful about not resorting to violence, and the people on the streets have to be careful about not resorting to violence."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364641,reforms-egypt-absolutely-critical.html.

Tunisian cabinet shuffled, ousting Ben Ali allies - Summary

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Tunis - Members of the political old guard in Tunisia left the interim cabinet on Thursday after days of protests calling for allies of ousted leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali to step down.

Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi announced the cabinet reshuffle late Thursday with changes in key posts such as defense, interior, foreign and finance ministers. Ghannouchi will keep his job as the head of the interim government.

Tunisia's Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane had resigned from the country's transitional government just hours earlier, becoming the second minister from the camp of Ben Ali to step aside.

Tunisia's official TAP news agency quoted Morjane, 62, as saying he was resigning in the interest of the country.

"Taking into account the interest of Tunisia, and in order to support the work of the national unity government ... I have decided to quit my mission as minister of foreign affairs," he said.

Morjane was one of several ministers from Ben Ali's government, who was reappointed to his post in the country's nine-day old unity administration. Their inclusion in the government meant to oversee Tunisia's transition to democracy had sparked widespread protests.

The change came in response to demonstrations in Tunis and a strike in Sidi Bouzid.

The government had said a day earlier that it is seeking the arrest of Ben Ali, his wife, Leila, and other relatives on charges of property theft and the illegal transfer of foreign currency.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364646,ali-allies-summary.html.

EXTRA: Tunisian journalist joins presidential race

Thu, 20 Jan 2011

Tunis - Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik on Thursday became the second candidate to announce his candidacy for president following the ouster last week of autocratic leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

Ben Brik, who was jailed for five months by Ben Ali's administration, announced his decision to the German Press Agency dpa in Tunis.

The only other person to have declared his candidacy so far is Moncef Marzouki, leader of the opposition Congress for the Republic, who returned to Tunisia on Tuesday from exile in France.

Ben Brik was sentenced to six months in prison in November 2009 after being found guilty of assaulting a woman. He was released five months later.

Press freedom groups had argued the case was trumped-up and was an attempt to silence the journalist and author, who had penned several articles critical of Ben Ali in French newspapers and magazines.

"My pen played a leading role in toppling Ben Ali's regime," Ben Brik told dpa.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363283,journalist-joins-presidential-race.html.

Tunisia's new unity government approves amnesty

Thu, 20 Jan 2011

Tunis/Brussels - Tunisia's transitional government held its first cabinet meeting behind closed doors Thursday and immediately approved a general amnesty for all political prisoners.

The measure still needs legislative approval, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, the minister in charge of regional development, told the German Press Agency dpa. The amnesty should clear the way for the al-Nadha movement, banned until now, to enter any future government.

Members of that party are currently not in the interim government. Its head, Raschid Ghannouchi, who is currently in exile in London, was expected to return to Tunisia this week.

Additionally, starting Friday, there were to be three days of national mourning for the victims of the recent popular uprising that drove former president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali from power last week.

Meanwhile, heads of the regime of the ousted Ben Ali began to roll and 33 of his relatives were arrested.

A shrunken unity government met after another minister stepped down, bringing to five the number of resignations since the government was named on Monday.

Zouheir Mdhaffer, a longtime ally of Ben Ali who was reappointed minister for administrative development, said he was stepping down in "the greater interest of the country".

He was the first minister drawn from the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), Ben Ali's old party, to quit. Four other ministers - three representing labor and one from the opposition - had already walked out, complaining that the RCD, despite being tainted by repression and corruption, was given all the top jobs.

Earlier Thursday, Mdhaffer and four other ministers resigned their membership of the RCD, while the party continued its own purge in the run-up to elections by scrapping its politburo.

The ministers were following in the example of Interim President Foued Mebazaa and Interim Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi, who quit the RCD earlier this week as the focus of the demonstrations that toppled Ben Ali last week shift to the RCD - the party that has ruled the country since independence from France in 1956.

In the capital Tunis, around 1,000 demonstrators assembled outside the party's headquarters to denounce its hold on power.

"Get lost, RCD," and "RCD out," read some of the placards waved by protesters.

Troops fired shots into the air to disperse the protesters.

Towns in the center of the country of 10 million also saw a third day of protests over the composition of the government, which is tasked with organizing free presidential and parliamentary elections within the next six months.

Meanwhile, the race to replace Ben Ali gathered pace with a second candidate, journalist Taoufik Ben Brik, throwing his hat in the ring.

Ben Brik, an outspoken critic of Ben Ali who was jailed for five months in 2009 and 2010 after writing articles critical of the regime in the French press, told the German Press Agency dpa in Tunis of his decision.

"My pen played a leading role in toppling Ben Ali's regime," Ben Brik told dpa.

Meanwhile, 33 members of Ben Ali's kleptocratic extended family were arrested on charges of crimes against the country, state television reported.

The television report showed images of jewelery, luxury watches and international credit cards confiscated from the suspects.

The European Union, meanwhile, has agreed to freeze any of Ben Ali's assets held within the 27-nation bloc, diplomats told dpa.

"Broad agreement was reached" on the need to go ahead, a diplomat said, while explaining the bloc had not yet worked out a definitive list of names to be targeted.

Switzerland took a similar decision this week.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363403,unity-government-approves-amnesty.html.

Tunisia begins mourning victims of Jasmine Revolution

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Tunis - Tunisia began three days of official mourning Friday for dozens of people killed during the recent month-long popular revolt.

The national flag was flown at half-mast on official buildings and state television broadcast Koranic psalms throughout the morning as the country mourned the victims of a brutal crackdown by the regime of ousted president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

The country's new unity government says 78 people were killed in the unrest. Human rights groups estimate the total number of dead, including several men who committed protest suicides, at over 100.

Most of the victims were civilians shot dead by police during nationwide demonstrations over unemployment, corruption and repression that eventually toppled Ben Ali on January 14.

The new government says there were also an "undetermined" number of deaths among the security forces.

Thousands of police demonstrated countrywide Friday to show their support for the uprising.

In Tunis, around 1,000 officers wearing red armbands, a symbol of protest in Tunisia assembled outside police stations and the offices of the main trade union movement UGTT.

"We no longer want to be a tool for the repression of the people by the authorities," one policeman told the German Press Agency dpa.

"The police is a people's party," others chanted.

Police in the central towns of Sfax, Tatouine and Gafsa held similar rallies.

At the same time, thousands of protesters gathered in Tunis and other cities to reiterate their demand that members of Ben Ali's old party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) be barred from power.

Since Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia the focus of the protests has shifted to the RCD, which got the lion's share of top jobs in a new unity government.

Both interim president Foued Mebazaa, interim prime minister Mohammed Ghannouchi and the ministers of foreign affairs, the interior and defense, among others, all served under Ben Ali and were RCD members until this week, when they quit the party.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363582,mourning-victims-jasmine-revolution.html.

Thousands attend funeral of wife of Israeli President Shimon Peres

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Tel Aviv - Eulogized by her husband, and accompanied on her last journey by thousands of mourners, Sonia Peres, the wife of Israeli President Shimon Peres, was buried near Tel Aviv Friday, a day after she died in her sleep aged 87.

"My love for her will remain in my heart until I die," the president said of his wife of 67 years.

He said that when he first met Sonia 73 years ago at the Ben-Shemen youth village south-east of Tel Aviv, "I knew that it was love at first sight."

"She loved the country. She loved the people. She did most of her work in secret," he said, in remarks broadcast live over the radio. "She went to clean floors at a number of institutions for children with special needs or hospitals."

Although married to one of Israel's leading and longest-serving politicians and statesmen, Sonia's reluctance to share in her husband's limelight was legendary and the couple rarely appeared together at public functions.

She did not move to the president's official residence in Jerusalem when Shimon Peres was elected president in 2007, but instead remained living at the couple's apartment in Oppenheimer street in an upscale Tel Aviv neighborhood.

It was there that her grandson discovered her dead late Thursday morning.

Peres is said to have been shattered by Sonia's death, and according to media reports, has been teary-eyed and uncommunicative since he was told of her passing.

The funeral was attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni, Defense Mister Ehud Barak, and a host of other top Israeli politicians and officials.

It was held, at her request, at Ben-Shemen, and not at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where Israeli leaders and dignitaries are usually laid to rest.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363488,israeli-president-shimon-peres.html.

Southern Sudanese vote overwhelmingly for independence - Summary

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Juba, Sudan - Southern Sudan looks certain to become the world's newest state after partial results published by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission Friday showed almost 99 per cent of voters had chosen to split from the north.

The week-long referendum was the centerpiece of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the Christian and Animist south.

With 3.2 million ballots tallied, 3.14 million people have voted for an independent state, according to incomplete provisional figures on the commission's website. Around 4 million people were registered to vote.

Just over 83 per cent of ballots cast in Southern Sudan have been counted, while all the votes from southerners living in the north and overseas have already been tallied, the commission said.

Most of the votes for unity came from voters in the north, where almost 43 per cent voted for Sudan to remain one country.

In the south, however, the vote was incredibly one-sided - in Unity State, only 90 people vote against independence - 0.02 percent of the votes cast.

In order for the outcome of the vote to be valid, 60 per cent of registered voters had to cast their ballots. Full preliminary results are due by the end of January.

The referendum process had raised fears of a return to north-south conflict, but these concerns have been calmed by Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and his northern party saying they will accept the result of the vote.

More than 2 million southerners died and 4 million were displaced in Sudan's 1983-2005 north-south civil war, which was essentially a continuation of the 1955-1972 conflict that followed independence from joint British and Egyptian rule.

Many issues remain to be resolved post-referendum, including the final demarcation of the north-south border, which bisects Sudan's oilfields and leaves most of the precious commodity in the south. The status of the restive border region Abyei also has to be decided.

Fighting in Abyei between northern and southern tribes claimed over 70 lives as the referendum got underway. A separate vote on whether the region goes with north or south has been delayed.

Should all go as planned, Southern Sudan is expected to be independent by July.

While southerners are elated at the prospect of becoming a nation state, aid agencies have warned the impoverished region faces huge challenges.

Southern Sudan suffers from clashes between rival communities, has only a few dozens kilometers of paved road in a country the size of France and has appalling development indicators.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363592,overwhelmingly-independence-summary.html.

South Korean troops rescue ship, kill pirates in Arabian Sea - Summary

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Seoul - Naval special forces from South Korea on Friday stormed a ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea, freed all 21 crew members aboard and killed eight pirates, South Korea's military said.

The captain of the South Korean-operated chemical tanker Samho Jewelry was shot in the stomach in the operation 1,300 kilometers off north-east Somalia but his injury was not life-threatening, said Colonel Lee Bung Woo, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The five other pirates on the vessel were captured, he said.

The crew had been held since January 15 when its 11,500-ton, Norwegian-owned ship was hijacked in waters between Oman and India. It was sailing at the time from Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates.

The rescue by South Korean navy SEALs was made three days after the South Korean destroyer Choi Young exchanged fire with the pirates as it was pursuing the hijacked Samho Jewelry and some of the pirates aboard disembarked to try to capture a Mongolian vessel.

Three South Korean soldiers suffered minor injuries in the earlier battle and were treated in a hospital in Oman while several pirates fell into the water and were believed to be dead, Lee said.

South Korean President Lee Myung Bak ordered the Choi Young to pursue the pirates early this week. The destroyer, which began patrols in the Gulf of Aden at the end of last year as part of an anti-piracy operation off Somalia, continued to dog the pirates since Tuesday, backed by an Omani navy ship, which helped in Friday's rescue operation.

Eight of the sailors aboard the Maltese-flagged vessel Samho Jewelry are South Korean, 11 were from Myanmar and two from Indonesia, according to the South Korean government.

"This operation demonstrated our government's strong will that we won't tolerate illegal activities by pirates any more," President Lee said.

Seven ships carrying South Koreans have so far been hijacked by Somali pirates. One continued to be held, and the other five were released after ransoms were paid.

News of the operation came as the European Union's anti-piracy force, Atalanta, reported that two other ships had been seized by Somali pirates.

The freighter MV Khaled Muhieddine K was taken Thursday 330 nautical miles, or 610 kilometers, south-east of the port of Salalah, Oman, an Atalanta spokesman said.

The captain reported that the ship with 22 Syrians and three Egyptians aboard had come under fire and was being boarded by pirates shortly before contact with the bulk carrier was lost, Atalanta said.

The Syrian-owned, Togo-flagged, 24,000-ton vessel was on its way from Singapore to Yemen.

The fate of another crew was also unknown Friday. A Vietnamese-owned bulk carrier and its 24 crew members were seized by Somali pirates off Oman, its shipping company said.

Nguyen Bien Cuong, head of the Hoang Son Co's maritime security department, said the last time his firm had heard from the Vietnamese crew of the 22,835-ton, Mongolian-flagged Hoang Son Sun was Tuesday.

The Hoang Son Sun was apparently pirated about 520 nautical miles, or 960 kilometers, south-east of Oman's capital, Muscat, Atalanta said.

The cargo ship was transporting feed for cattle for a Chinese company and was en route from Iran to China, Cuong said.

"We expect Somali pirates to understand that the cargo ship is owned by a Vietnamese company, a poor country, so they will not ask for ransom," Cuong said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363507,arabian-sea-summary.html.

Saudi minister says Lebanon statements 'taken out of context'

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Beirut - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Friday that his recent remarks about pulling out of Lebanon mediation talks were "taken out of context."

"What has changed is (Saudi Arabia's) position regarding mediation between Lebanon and Syria, but the kingdom will always support Lebanese legitimacy," Lebanese radio stations quoted him as telling the Saudi News Agency.

Lebanon is facing a political crisis after the government collapsed on January 12 when ministers of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah and their allies left the cabinet of Premier Saad Hariri.

Faisal reportedly told the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya Television on Wednesday that his country has abandoned mediation efforts in Lebanon, where he described the situation as "dangerous."

Saudi Arabia has played a key role in mediating previous political crisis in Lebanon, including the end of the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990.

The kingdom, which supports the ruling majority in Lebanon, has for months been involved in mediation efforts with Syria, the main- backer of the Hezbollah-led faction in the government.

The mediators were trying to find a solution for the political turmoil, triggered by the the UN-backed tribunal in the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, Saad Hariri's father.

Hezbollah resigned from the cabinet to protest against Saad Hariri's reluctance to cut ties with the tribunal.

Hezbollah is afraid of being implicated in the assassination by the court's prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, who this weak filed confidential draft indictments to the tribunal.

Hariri currently heads a caretaker government. Parliamentary consultations on the political situation are scheduled to take place January 24-25.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363471,lebanon-statements-taken-context.html.

Protesters disrupt French Foreign Minister's visit to Gaza Strip

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Gaza - French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie arrived in the Gaza Strip on Friday, but dozens of angry relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails tried to stop her convoy.

The relatives were angered over remarks she made Thursday in support of an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza, without also mentioning the Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Witnesses said that as soon as the minister's convoy entered the strip through the Erez crossing point, the protesters jumped in front of the vehicles and lay down in the road. Some also threw shoes at the cars.

Police dispersed the demonstrators and the convoy, accompanied by United Nations vehicles, was able to proceed toward Gaza City.

The fundamentalist Hamas movement, which administers Gaza, is demanding that Israel free about 1,000 prisoners in exchange for the soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was seized in a cross-border raid in June 2006.

A Hamas statement sent to the media said Alliot-Marie's statements were "biased toward Israel," and criticized her for not mentioning the Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.

While in Gaza, Alliot-Marie is scheduled to hold talks with UN officials, visit the French Cultural center in Gaza City and inspect al-Quds Hospital.

She is not scheduled to meet with any officials from Hamas, which has governed the coastal strip since June 2007, when its operatives routed security personnel loyal to the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas is subject to a Western diplomatic boycott due to its refusal to accept demands to lay down its weapons, honor past Israeli-Palestinian agreements and accept Israel's right to exist.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363460,ministers-visit-gaza-strip.html.

NASA begins work to add third and final shuttle flight

Thu, 20 Jan 2011

Washington - NASA will begin preparations for an additional shuttle flight it hopes to make in June before retiring the aging fleet, the US space agency said Thursday.

Space shuttle Atlantis would deliver supplies to the International Space Station under a plan to add a third and final shuttle mission to NASA's launch manifest. Two missions currently remain scheduled for the shuttle fleet, but NASA had long hoped to add a third.

Congress approved plans last year for a third flight, allowing NASA to start moving forward, but funding for the flight still remains uncertain and requires separate legislative approval.

Atlantis is now set to be on standby if a rescue mission is needed and could easily be utilized one last time on a full-fledged mission to the International Space Station.

Shuttle flights are currently set for late February and April. The planned February flight of Discovery has been plagued by delays due to problems in its fuel tank.

The Discovery mission also received another bit of unlucky news, when astronaut Tim Kopra suffered a biking accident, prompting NASA to replace him on the crew.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363413,add-final-shuttle-flight.html.

Lebanese Druze leader to back Hezbollah for premiership - Summary

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Beirut - The leader of Lebanon's Druze religious community said Friday he would no longer support caretaker premier Saad Hariri and instead side with the Hezbollah-led opposition in next week's consultations to name a new premier.

"I will stand by the resistance (Hezbollah) and Syria," Walid Jumblatt said at a press conference.

By doing so, Jumblatt defied his long-time ally Hariri, who is seeking to reclaim control of the government after it collapsed earlier this month following Hezbollah's withdrawal of support in a dispute over a UN investigation into the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri.

Jumblatt's announcement has not deterred Hariri's supporters, however.

"We still believe that we have the upper hand in naming the new premier," Hariri supporter lawmaker Ahmed Fatfat told the German Press Agency dpa.

Another lawmaker, Mustafa Alloush, said that if Hariri were to lose, his allies would not take part "in a Cabinet headed by Hezbollah."

Hezbollah has 57 seats in parliament, while Hariri controls 60.

Hariri is currently heading a caretaker government pending the outcome of consultations, due to be held early next week between Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and parliament.

However, sources close to the president predicted that the upcoming consultations might be postponed to pave way for more talks and mediation efforts by regional countries such Syria, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363563,hezbollah-premiership-summary.html.

Leaked cables: Sweden raised Iraqi refugee flow with US officials

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Stockholm - Two Swedish cabinet members raised concerns over the flow of refugees from Iraq in 2007 during talks with US officials, a Swedish daily said Friday, citing leaked US diplomatic cables.

While Sweden was prepared to receive asylum seekers there was need for "a return agreement" with Iraq for refugees whose applications were rejected the ministers said, according to US diplomatic cables leaked by whistle-blower site WikiLeaks and quoted by the daily Svenska Dagbladet.

During a September 2007 visit to Iraq, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Tobias Billstrom, minister for migration and asylum policy, met with Iraqi officials and US embassy officials in Baghdad.

According to the US cable, Bildt and Billstrom mentioned concerns that many arrivals after 2003 were "more difficult to assimilate."

Contributing factors were that the asylum seekers were destitute, and often had poor education or lacked language or professional skills.

Iraq and Sweden in early 2008 agreed on a repatriation agreement stipulating that Iraqis whose applications were rejected should voluntarily be sent back to Iraq. Baghdad would guarantee their security.

Sweden in 2007 expected some 20,000 asylum seekers from Iraq and about three in four applications were likely to be approved, Bildt said according to the US cable.

In 2007 there were some 100,000 Iraqis in Sweden, a country of 9 million.

Bildt and Billstrom have declined to comment on the remarks attributed to them.

However, Bodil Ceballos of the opposition Greens said she would request parliament's Committee on the Constitution to summon them.

"Our government has talked a lot about human rights, but this violates them," Ceballos told broadcaster TV4, adding that asylum applications were individual and not based on whether it was easy to assimilate someone.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363485,refugee-flow-us-officials.html.

Iran, world powers resume nuclear talks in Istanbul - Summary

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Istanbul - Iran and six world powers held the first of two days of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program in Istanbul Friday, with both sides hoping a positive approach could make headway in the stand-off.

Iran's National Security Council, of which Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili is the secretary general, said the talks had begun with a "positive atmosphere," according to a statement reported by Iranian state PressTV.

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany (collectively referred to as the 5+1 group) are seeking improved dialogue with Iran because of concerns about its nuclear program. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is negotiating on behalf of the 5+1 group.

Diplomatic sources said Friday that Ashton advised Jalili to have a bilateral meeting with US undersecretary of state for political affairs William J Burns, who is leading the US delegation, in order to achieve more substantial results.

The talks come just over a month after a round of negotiations in Geneva, which resumed dialogue between Iran and world powers after a 14-month hiatus, but achieved little more than an agreement to hold further talks in Istanbul.

Though Iran insists its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, many countries fear the program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

Iran's delegation told the six powers in the opening session of talks that it had a right to develop nuclear technology for civilian use and that the lifting of sanctions was a precondition for negotiations.

Despite the pressure of four rounds of United Nations-imposed sanctions, Tehran has not been pressured to abandon nuclear enrichment, which the 5+1 group demands.

In a statement released a day before the start of talks, US state department spokesperson Philip J Crowley said the US sought to "launch a meaningful and practical process that addresses the core issues with Iran's nuclear program."

But with Iran insisting that its nuclear enrichment activities were not up for debate, substantive results from the talks may remain elusive.

In recent days, both sides had expressed tentative hopes for a nuclear swap deal, in which Iranian low-enriched uranium (LEU) would be exchanged in return for foreign-made fuel for a Tehran research reactor.

Seen as a confidence-building measure, such a plan would remove some nuclear material from Iran that could theoretically be used for making bombs, replacing it with fuel that cannot be used militarily.

In a swap deal proposed at talks in 2009, Iran was to send 1,200 kilograms of LEU abroad - a figure that represented about 75 per cent of Iran's nuclear stockpile at the time.

But because Iran's known stockpiles of enriched uranium are now up to more than 3,000 kilograms, world powers say the amount of uranium would need to be revised upwards for a swap deal to be considered meaningful.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363590,talks-istanbul-summary.html.

Indonesian soldiers face jail over torture

Thu, 20 Jan 2011

Jayapura, Indonesia - A military prosecutor in Indonesia's Papua province on Thursday demanded up to one year in prison for three soldiers charged with disobedience for torturing suspected separatist rebels.

In a video posted on the internet in October, soldiers were seen burning the genitals of one suspected rebel and running a knife across the neck of another.

The prosecutors in the court martial in the provincial capital of Jayapura recommended that that the soldiers - Irwan Riskianto, Yapson Agu and Tamrin Makangiri - be sentenced to one year, 10 months and nine months, respectively.

The officers have been detained for two months.

The military said the soldiers had acted unprofessionally and charged them with disobeying orders. Rights activists said the soldiers should have been charged with violating human rights.

Another video posted on YouTube in July showing police officers taunting a fatally wounded suspected rebel sparked an outcry.

Papua is home to a low-level separatist insurgency with sporadic violence continuing despite regional autonomy awarded in 2001.

The former Dutch colony was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a UN-sponsored referendum that Jakarta was accused of manipulating.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363265,soldiers-face-jail-torture.html.

Cosmonauts install camera in spacewalk at ISS - Summary

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Moscow - Two Russian cosmonauts installed a communications antenna and a camera outside the International Space Station Friday in their first spacewalk of the year.

Dmitry Kondratyev and Oleg Skripochka spent five hours and 23 minutes on the spacewalk.

They installed a camera outside the station that will allow for better viewing of the docking of Russian Soyuz capsules arriving at the ISS and an antenna that will allow the sending of large files back to Earth at 100 megabytes per second, US space agency NASA said.

The cosmonauts also removed a broken part outside the station that had been used for an earlier experiment and brought inside materials for an experiment about exposure to space.

It was the first spacewalk for Kondratyev outside the station orbiting 350 kilometers above Earth.

Three Russian spacewalks are planned for the year.

Current ISS residents also include Russian Alexander Kaleri, Americans Scott Kelly and Catherine Coleman and Italian Paolo Nespoli.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363606,spacewalk-iss-summary.html.

Brazil death toll likely to reach 1,000 from floods, mud

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Rio de Janeiro - Several dozen more bodies were recovered Friday, bringing the death toll to 785 from more than a week of floods and mudslides, according to figures released by civil defense workers.

Officials fear the death toll will top 1,000, based on reports that another 400 people are still missing.

Heavy rainfall dropped the disaster on the state of Rio de Janeiro - a broad swath of countryside just beyond the city of Rio.

Recovery teams continue to work round the clock in the hilly Serrana region searching for the dead, while civil defense units distributed food and water. Most roads have been cleared for passage.

Brazil's worst weather catastrophe in recent history has left at least 6,000 people homeless. Another 8,000 people had to temporarily vacate their homes because of flooding, and spent some time in emergency shelters.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363611,reach-1000-floods-mud.html.

33 Ben Ali relatives arrested in Tunisia: state TV

Thu, 20 Jan 2011

Tunis - Tunisian authorities have arrested 33 members of ousted president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's family on charges relating to their accumulation of a large chunk of the country's wealth, state television reported Thursday.

No information was given about the identity of the detainees, or their relationship with the autocratic leader of 23 years, who was toppled last week by a popular revolt.

The television report showed images of jewelery, luxury watches and international credit cards, which had been confiscated from the suspects.

On Wednesday, the authorities already began investigating Ben Ali 's assets, as well as those of his family and his wife Leila's powerful Trabelsi clan.

The Trabelsis are accused of having systematically creamed off Tunisian resources during Ben Ali's long years in power.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363264,arrested-tunisia-state-tv.html.

Belorussian president strikes back at critics

Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Minsk/Kiev - Belarus's authoritarian president, Aleksander Lukashenko, lashed out at his critics as was sworn in for a fourth term in office Friday.

"We will protect our security and stability from threats, whether they come from inside the country or outside," he said.

"I would like to remind people who do not wish Belarus well one of our old folk sayings: 'Don't start a fire at your neighbor's house. It might just spread to yours'," he said.

European Union diplomats stayed away from the inauguration to protest the December 19 vote, which they believe was rigged in Lukashenko's favor, as well as subsequent crackdowns on the opposition. Some of them gathered instead in Lithuania for a series of EU meetings.

The ambassadors of Poland, Germany, Lithuania and nine other EU nations with legations in the capital Minsk had left Belarus on Thursday.

Also absent from Friday's ceremony were the ambassadors of the United States and Ukraine, the Belapan news agency reported.

Lukashenko described his election victory as a matter of life and death.

"It wasn't a question of electing a president," he said. "In reality the fate of our country was being decided, whether to be independent and strong or to fall into slave-like dependency," he said Friday.

More than 20,000 Belorussians took to the streets to protest Lukashenko's victory on election day. Police used force to break up the demonstrations, arresting more than 600 people.

A wide-ranging crackdown against government opponents has continued through January, with police raiding opposition homes and offices almost daily. Thirty-three opposition leaders and journalists are now awaiting trial in connection with the December demonstrations.

International groups, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), have been virtually unanimous in their criticism of the election and the continuing crackdowns.

Lukashenko has ordered the OSCE to close its office in Belarus and has threatened the EU with sanctions of his own.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/363524,president-strikes-back-critics.html.