Defected premier: Syrian regime near collapse

August 14, 2012

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Syria's defected prime minister said Tuesday that Bashar Assad's regime was near collapse and urged other political and military leaders to tip the scales and join the rebel side.

"The regime is on the verge of collapse morally and economically," Riad Hijab told a news conference in his first public comments since leaving his post and fleeing to Jordan with his family last week. Hijab is the highest-ranking political figure to defect from Assad's regime.

He said he felt "pain in his soul" over the regime's shelling and other attacks on rebel strongholds as the government stepped up its military offensive. Activists say more than 20,000 people been killed in the struggle since March 2011.

"I was powerless to stop the injustice," he said, speaking in front of the rebel flag. He called on "honorable leaders" in Syria to defect. "Syria is full of honorable officials and military leaders who are waiting for the chance to join the revolution," he said.

"I urge the army to follow the example of Egypt's and Tunisia's armies — take the side of people," he added. Hijab said he was now backing the rebels, but gave no clue on his plans. There had been speculation that he would travel to the Gulf nation of Qatar, which is one of the rebels' main supporters.

Iran to build long-range air-defense

Thu Sep 22, 2011

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi says the Islamic Republic will manufacture long-range air-defense systems in line with the country's plans to achieve self-sufficiency.

The design and production of long-range air-defense systems has been on the agenda of Iran's Defense Ministry, Vahidi told reporters on Thursday.

Iran is currently manufacturing low-range and mid-range air-defense systems inside the country, he said, adding that the country is self-sufficient in this area, IRNA reported.

He noted that domestically-manufactured defense systems in missile, marine and ground sectors are more powerful in comparison with previous ones.

The Iranian minister pointed to “unfounded” threats posed by enemies against the Islamic Republic and emphasized that they know they cannot counter Iran.

Today, we are witnessing the declining power of the US and Israel more than ever before but they are making baseless remarks against Iran to divert the global public opinion from the problems faced by the West and the Israeli regime, he pointed out.

Vahidi's remarks came after the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force has recently held the final day of massive three-phased aerial drills dubbed “Fadaeeyan Harim Velayat 3” (Defenders of Velayat Sanctuaries 3).

The drills were intended to simulate real-world scenarios in preparation for defending the nation against any possible foreign attacks against the country.

The United States and Israel have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the "option" of a military strike, based on the allegation that Iran's nuclear work may consist of a covert military agenda.

Iran insists that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200573.html.

Abbas makes statehood bid at UN

Fri Sep 23, 2011

Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmud Abbas has officially submitted his bid for the UN recognition of a Palestinian state to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Abbas handed over the request in a folder adorned with the Palestinian eagle crest on the front to Ban Ki-moon on Friday shortly before addressing the UN General Assembly.

The UN secretary general opened the folder briefly to study it.

Addressing the General Assembly, Abbas said that he decided to request for UN membership of his state after Israel smashed all efforts to reach a peace through talks.

"All of these sincere efforts and endeavors undertaken by international parties were repeatedly smashed against the rocks of the positions of the Israeli government, which quickly dashed the hopes raised by the launch of negotiations last September," he said.

He also described the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands as the main cause of the collapse of peace talks, adding that the PA is ready to return to negotiations if Tel Aviv halts its settlement activities.

Abbas received a standing ovation for his speech.

He also called on the Security Council to immediately approve full Palestinian membership at the UN, saying the time has come for Palestinians to be given the right to be called citizens of their own state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address the UN General Assembly after Abbas.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200801.html.

Turkey backs Palestine 'unconditionally'

Fri Sep 23, 2011

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells the United Nations General Assembly that Ankara will unconditionally support the Palestinians' proposal for recognition by the UN.

"Turkish support for the recognition of the state of Palestine is unconditional,” Erdogan said on Thursday, addressing the General Assembly's 66th annual session in New York, the Associated Press reported.

Turkey's backing has come as a big boost for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is planning to submit a formal bid for Palestine's membership in the world body on Friday.

The Turkish premier also called on Israel to lift 'the illegal blockade enforced against the people of Gaza.' Israel laid the siege on Gaza in June 2007, starting to deprive some 1.5 million people in the coastal sliver of food, fuel, and other necessities.

Last year, Israeli commandos attacked Mavi Marmara, the flagship of the Freedom Flotilla, an aid fleet, which had set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, in international waters and killed nine Turkish activists.

Erdogan used the speech to ask Tel Aviv again to make amends.

"Our demands from Israel are clear. Israel must apologize, pay compensation to the families of our martyrs, and lift the embargo, the blockade on Gaza. Until Israel meets these demands and takes steps in this direction, our position will not change."

Turkey recently downgraded the bilateral diplomatic relations, expelled the Israeli ambassador from Ankara, and suspended all military ties with Israel.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200696.html.

Saudis protest meddling in Bahrain

Fri Sep 23, 2011

Saudi protesters have once again poured into the streets to rally against the Al Saud regime's brutal military intervention in Bahrain, Press TV reported.

The protests in the eastern city of Qatif took place despite the government's strict ban on anti-regime rallies in the country.

Saudis have on various occasions voiced their anger with Riyadh's intervention meant to crush the popular uprising in the small Persian Gulf kingdom.

The protesters also slammed the high unemployment in the country and expressed frustration with the decades-long rule of the Al Saud dynasty which has a record of rights violation.

In mid-March, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed their military forces in crisis-hit Bahrain to assist the Manama regime in its severe suppression of anti-government protesters.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed ever since.

Saudi Arabia's eastern regions have been the scene of protests over the past months, and authorities have arrested scores of people including bloggers and writers for taking part in anti-government demonstrations.

According to Human Rights Watch, more than 160 dissidents have been arrested since February in Saudi crackdowns on anti-government protesters.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200725.html.

INDIA: 'Missing Girls is About Femicide'

Nitin Jugran Bahuguna

DEHRADUN, Sep 18 2011 (IPS) - India has been ranked the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women, but the widespread practice of selectively aborting female fetuses may make it the most hostile to the female gender.

In the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where the child sex ratio (0 – 6 years of age) has dropped to 886 girls per 1,000 boys – according to provisional data in the 2011 census – a strong civil society movement is building up against what is known as female foeticide.
Uttarakhand’s record is far worse than the unwholesome national child sex ratio which has declined to 914 girls per 1,000 boys, from 927 per 1,000 in the last decennial census, conducted in 2001.

Demographers extrapolate that where there were six million ‘missing girls’ in India’s 2001 census, the figure has risen to 7.1 million in the 2011 count – which puts India’s total population at 1.21 billion people.

“Technology and literacy have played a part in promoting female feticide as also a lack of principles and ethics in the medical profession,” says Shashi Bhushan of the Shri Bhuvaneshwari Mahila Ashram (SBMA), a Dehradun-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that helps protect the rights of women.

Bhushan’s reference was to the proliferation of illegally-run sex determination clinics using cheap ultrasound machines across Uttarakhand and their being patronized by educated people.

Rahmati Devi, 45, a dai (traditional birth attendant) in the picturesque lake district of Nainital, maintains that sex determination tests using ultrasound imaging are now routine in the villages of northern Uttarakhand.

“These tests always take place due to pressure from the husband or members of his family,” Devi told IPS.

“The addresses of ultrasound centers, where such services are provided clandestinely, are spread by word-of-mouth. These centers charge between Indian rupees 2,500 to 5,000 (52 – 105 dollars) to perform a sex determination scan,” Devi said.

Monitoring committees created under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, that prohibits sex determination tests, are not active in most districts of Uttarakhand, except for sporadic raids on clinics suspected to be carrying out illegal procedures.

The SBMA has been campaigning for three years now to create awareness against the practice at the grassroots level under a program called ‘Kopal’ (sapling). With support from Plan International and 13 other NGOs, the SBMA has focused on such issues as the adverse physical and psychological effects on women who undergo abortions to eliminate female fetuses.

When Madan Singh and his wife Radha Devi in Rampur, Chamoli district, were considering a sex determination test to avoid the possibility of having a third daughter a ‘nukkad natak’ (street play), mounted in their village under the Kopal project, convinced them against it.

Such successes encourage activists like Bhushan. “Our work with community-based organizations and youth groups has also seen an increase in birth registration rates and institutional deliveries.”

Bhushan believes that states like Uttarakhand are only now beginning to wake up to the enormity of the problem. “What is referred to as the ‘missing girls’ amounts to mass murder of girls or femicide,” he said.

Recognising that healthy attitudes to the girl child must begin early, the Kopal initiative includes mobilizing youth groups to sensitize peers and elders about the vital role that girls play in any balanced community.

“The issue of dowry remains a powerful factor against having girls. A family with more men is considered strong and sons are perceived as assets,” observes social worker Bina Kala, 35, of Anjanisain village in Tehri district.

Under Kopal’s aegis, Bina helps organize ‘Mountain Children’s Forums’ which provide opportunities for gender relations to be discussed between groups of boys and girls.

“At these meetings we emphasize that in rural households the girl child contributes much more to the family economy than boys. She supports her mother in domestic chores and even sacrifices her dreams so that families can invest in the boys,” says Bina.

Health threats and cultural attitudes to women were factors in a poll by TrustLaw, a news service run by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which ranked India as the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women, after Afghanistan, Congo and Pakistan, in results released in June.

At a Kopal meeting in Pithoragarh district, earlier this year, several girls complained that in spite of rising levels of literacy and education little has changed in the status of girls in the villages of Uttarkhand.

“At this meeting the boys responded by taking an oath that when they got back to their villages they would be more sensitive to their sisters and other girls,” recalls Bina.

At another Kopal meeting in the pilgrim district of Haridwar, a 17-year-old girl called Sonia emerged as a youthful voice in the fight against female feticide in Uttarakhand.

“We meet regularly and discuss ways to bridge the gender gap. Our message is that girls must be heard and that they have the right to equal treatment,” says Sonia who nearly dropped out of school but is continuing with her studies with support from SBMA.

Such civil society initiatives are backed by central and state government schemes designed to enhance the value of a girl-child in the eyes of the community.

Three years ago, the Uttarakhand government announced the ‘Nanda Devi Girl Child Scheme’ under which every girl child born after January 2009 in families living below the poverty line is entitled to a fixed deposit worth 105 dollars that can be withdrawn with interest when the girl clears high school and reaches 18 years of age.

“Such schemes are slowly but surely making a change in a society where the desire to have a male heir is a difficult and complex social issue,” says Bhushan.

Source: Inter-Press Service (IPS).
Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/09/india-lsquomissing-girls-is-about-femicidersquo/.

DADAAB: A Daily Prayer for Complication-Free Births

Isaiah Esipisu

DADAAB, Kenya, Sep 19 2011 (IPS) - Dr. Beldina Gikundi’s daily prayer is that the handful of malnourished pregnant Somali women who go into labor that day at the Dadaab refugee complex do not have complications, which might require a caesarean section. Because Gikundi knows that Somali cultural beliefs mean that she and her staff at Hagadera Hospital will most likely not be able to immediately operate on the women and save their lives and those of their unborn children.

“Somali women have specific people who must give consent before the procedure begins.
“We have, in the past, lost infants because of prolonged labor, which are lives we would have saved if it were not for these cultural beliefs,” said Gikundi, the doctor in charge of the maternity unit at the hospital. She said that each day between three to five women go into labor here.

Hagadera Hospital is a fully-fledged health facility at the Dadaab refugee complex, in North Eastern Kenya. Dadaab, the biggest refugee camp in the world, is divided into three camps: Ifo; Dagahaley; and Hagadera.

It is home to over 440,000, mostly Somali, refugees who have fled the famine and drought in their country. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 70,000 people fled to Dadaab from Somalia in the Horn of Africa in June and July and 1,500 arrived daily in the months to follow. The rate has since gone down.

Hagadera Hospital is run by the non-governmental organization International Rescue Committee and has 120 beds. It provides free inpatient and outpatient services and has a 24-hour operating theatre for emergency surgery.

But despite this, the lives of Somali women with labor complications remain at risk.
Gikundi told IPS that under normal circumstances consent is needed from a patient for a caesarean section. But in Somali culture, this consent must come from the woman’s father in-law, and if he is not available then consent must come from the expectant woman’s husband. And herein lies the complication.

A majority of the refugees at Dadaab are women, as their husbands and men-folk either remained behind in their villages to protect their belongings, or were working in the Somali capital Mogadishu at the time the famine struck and their families were forced to flee the region in search of aid.

Gikundi told IPS that on many occasions the hospital has had to either send someone to Mogadishu, or to the women’s villages in south Somalia, to search for their husbands or fathers-in-law for consent.

“As a result, we have seen women remain in labor for two or sometimes more days before we get the right people to give the consent for a life-saving operation,” she said.

Apart from losing the unborn infants, said Gikundi, the women run a high risk of developing vesicovaginal or obstetric fistula.

Obstetric fistula is caused by extended pressure of the child’s head against the soft tissue in the mother’s pelvis during childbirth. The tissue eventually dies from the lack of blood supply, and a hole develops between either the rectum and vagina or between the bladder and vagina.

Women who suffer fistula are usually unable to control the flow of urine or faeces. They are often stigmatized by their communities and families because of their condition.

“We repair an average of three cases of vesicovaginal fistula every month, which is a very high rate,” said Gikundi.

“Delay in seeking care for pregnancy-related complications and delay in consent for life-saving procedures like caesarean sections, among other reasons, have hampered progress in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among refugees in Dadaab,” said Ann Burton, a senior public health officer for UNHCR at Dadaab.

She said 14 women died during labor at Dadaab between January and July.

“This is a very sad situation because no woman is supposed to die while bringing forth a new life,” Burton said.

Other obstacles to maternal health are the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and the almost non-existent use of contraceptives.

According to public health experts at the UNHCR, almost all the Somalis at Dadaab practice FGM.

Studies in many countries have linked FGM to the increased risk of maternal and child morbidity and mortality due to obstructed labor.

“Women who have undergone FGM are twice as likely to die during childbirth and are more likely to give birth to a stillborn child than other women,” explained Dr. Joseph Karanja, a gynaecologist in Nairobi, Kenya.

Burton said that FGM is an emotive subject among the Somali refugees, and it needed to be addressed with caution.

Another obstacle to maternal health among the refugees is the failure of family planning.

The infant nutritional expert at Hagadera Hospital, Hadija Mohammed, said that many Somalis believed that family planning and using contraception was against their religion.

“Though, the truth is that Islam clearly permits family planning,” said Mohammed.

She added that many people wrongly believed that using contraceptives would cause infertility and other health complications.

A July survey by UNCHR of the three camps that make up Dadaab: Ifo; Dagahaley; and Hagadera, found that contraceptive uptake among refugees in the camps was two percent, three percent and one percent respectively.

As a result, the fertility rate at Dadaab is alarmingly high. On average women here have more than nine children in their lifetime.

“I do not have proper statistics, but the average fertility rate at the camp is likely to be more than nine children per woman,” said Gikundi.

However, UNCHR reports that there is a high attendance of antenatal care clinics.

“Between January and July, 95 percent of all pregnant women at Ifo and Hagadera camps attended antenatal clinics four times during their pregnancies, as recommended by the World Health Organization,” said Burton.

Also, between 84 to 94 percent of women at Dadaab gave birth under the supervision of a skilled birth attendant between January and July.

Gikundi said the hospital also had a 24-hour ambulance service to transport pregnant mothers.

“We also have informants, who are equal to community health workers, who keep monitoring pregnant women, reminding them of the importance of attending antenatal clinics. They will also call for an ambulance in case of any complications or labour pains,” said Gikundi.

Source: Inter-Press Service (IPS).
Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/09/dadaab-a-daily-prayer-for-complication-free-births/.

EU to observe Tunisian elections following January's revolution

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union (EU) on Wednesday announced that it will be observing Tunisia's upcoming Constituent Assembly elections.

European Parliament Member Michael Gahler will be leading the EU's Election Observation Mission for the Constituent Assembly elections, which are scheduled to take place on October 23 across the African country. The elected Assembly will have the fundamental task of writing the new Constitution of the country.

According to the EU, 130 observers will assess pre-election preparations and campaigning all over Tunisia, voting, counting and tabulation processes, as well as the post-election period. The first experts arrived in the country on September 8, and they will be gradually joined by the 120 other observers. A delegation of 15 Members of the European Parliament will reinforce the mission for the election period.

The EU has been extending its full support to the Tunisian people's aspiration for freedom, democracy and dignity, following January's revolution, and the EU said it will continue to support the Tunisian authorities and society in their path to democracy, in full respect of universal values.

"These elections represent an historical moment in the transition process of Tunisia towards democracy," said Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, following Tunisia's invitation to observe the elections.

"I wish to Michael Gahler and his team all success in their independent assessment of these important elections," Ashton added, as the elections mark the Tunisian citizens' first opportunity to freely choose their representatives.

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/news/eu-to-observe-tunisian-elections-following-januarys-revolution.html.

Kuwait, Bahrain, and UN experts call for creation of Palestinian State

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- Kuwait and Bahrain on Thursday called for the creation of a Palestinian State and an end to Israeli occupation of Arab territories at the United Nations' (UN) General Assembly.

Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah in his speech to the Assembly's general debate in New York said the UN still stands incapable of finding a solution to the Palestinian Question after 60 years, and has been unable to put end to the Israeli occupation of Arab territories.

Meanwhile, the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa, told the Assembly that the creation of a Palestinian State would "end an era of bitter Arab-Israeli conflict, subject to Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories."

Both leaders agreed that the creation of a Palestinian State would resolve conflict in the Middle East, as Sheikh Nasser expressed that "what really evokes concern is that the international community stands as a spectator of all those Israeli practices and policies, without opposing or deterring them, despite their clear contravention and violation of the most simple rules of international law and the resolution of international legitimacy."

The Kuwaiti leader urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to withdrawal from Palestinian and other Arab territories so that Palestinians can achieve their right to self-determination and establish a State with Jerusalem as its capital.

"We wish to renew our full commitment and support to the bid of the Palestinian Authority and its endeavours to obtain membership of the United Nations as an independent and full Member State," he added.

On Wednesday, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, in his address to the general debate, hailed calls for political reform in the Middle East and North Africa, saying the regions "abounded in great expectations."

Sheikh Hamad underlined that Qatar has always had a clear policy on the rules governing Arab, regional and international relations, which he said was based on reconciliation and harmony among peoples and nations.

"On the other hand, we, as well as others, have been unable to turn a deaf ear or blind eye to the calls of the wounded seeking help from near and far, against an entrenched oppression," he said.

On Monday, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a meeting that he intended to submit an application this Friday for Palestine to become a UN Member State.

Also on Thursday, Richard Falk, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, called on Member States to recognize "the reality of Palestinian statehood," and urged Israel to listen to the will of the millions of people who have suffered under its occupation.

Falk underlined the importance of the upcoming debate on Palestine's initiative at the UN, which provides a "momentous occasion for the international community to respond to a legacy of injustice."

"Palestine’s status as a State is not merely symbolic," said Falk. "It empowers Palestine with rights and duties under international law, such as full jurisdiction over its territory, legal standing to defend itself from other States, and the capacity to join international treaties – including human rights treaties."

In addition, Falk noted that for over 44 years, Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip have suffered under Israel's "oppressive occupation."

The UN expert continued by saying that Israel had steadily transferred its population into hundreds of settlements on Palestinian territory, while subjecting Palestinians to widespread and systematic violations of their basic human rights.

"I encourage Israel to heed calls throughout the region for governance based on the will of the people. The will of the Palestinian people must be respected too, starting this week at the United Nations and until Palestinians can enjoy the right they share with all other peoples of the world – the right to self-determination," Falk stated.

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/news/kuwait-bahrain-and-un-experts-call-for-creation-of-palestinian-state.html.

Iran sends biggest aid convoy to Somalia

Fri Sep 23, 2011

The Iranian Red Crescent Society's (IRCS) biggest aid convoy for the drought-stricken people of Somalia is expected to arrive in the country next week.

The convoy consists of the Iranian people's contributions which were collected by IRCS and the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF) in a nationwide fundraiser on food" on August 22, 2011.

The 5,000-ton shipment including foodstuff and medicine will reach Somalia by sea next Tuesday, IRNA reported on Friday.

IRCS has set up nine makeshift camps in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, housing about 5,000 families. There is also a mobile clinic in each camp providing Somalis with healthcare services.

IRCS has so far sent 15 humanitarian aid convoys to Somalia weighing about 600 tons as part of an initiative to supply Somalis battling with starvation and shortage of food.

The drought and famine have affected more than 11.8 million people across Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Somalia has been the hardest-hit country in what is being described as the worst drought in the Horn of Africa in 60 years.The UN says 3.2 million Somalis are in need of immediate life-saving assistance.

According to UN reports, about 3.7 million people in Somalia are on the brink of starvation and millions more in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda have been affected by drought.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200787.html.

Outrage after Iran executes 17-year-old

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iran on Wednesday executed a 17-year-old in public after murder charges, prompting the United Nations (UN) to voice concern over the situation.

Alireza Molla Soltani, 17, was reportedly sentenced to death last month for stabbing a popular athlete to death in mid-July, arguing that it was done in self-defense. Nonetheless, Iran publicly executed Soltani by hanging on Wednesday.

A group of independent UN human rights experts called once again for an immediate halt to the Iran's use of the death penalty, after condemning this recent execution of a teenager. They noted that the death penalty is widely accepted as an extreme punishment, and that it may only be imposed for the most serious crimes.

In a press release, the UN experts on the independence of the judiciary, and on torture expressed outrage at the execution practice in Iran "despite the international community's and our repeated calls for a moratorium."

"Any judgment imposing the death penalty upon juveniles below the age of 18, and their execution, are incompatible with Iran's international obligations," the experts underlined.

Over 200 people have been executed in Iran this year alone, the majority of whom were charged with drug-related offenses, according to the news release. Also on Wednesday, a man convicted of drug trafficking was hanged in Iran, local media reported.

"We, however, regret that execution is common practice for people charged with drug-related offenses, which do not amount to the most serious crimes," they stated.

The group of UN experts is conformed by Christof Heyns, Ahmed Shaheed, Gabriela Knaul and Juan Méndez. They went on to call on the Iranian Government to immediately implement a moratorium on the death penalty, particularly in drug-related and juvenile cases.

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/news/outrage-after-iran-executes-17-year-old.html.

DR CONGO: No Water, No Management, No Power

Anselme Nkinsi

KINSHASA, Sep 21 2011 (IPS) - Frequent power cuts have led to the firing of the board of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national electricity company. But it is not clear if sub-par generation from the Inga hydroelectric power stations supplying the capital Kinshasa is due to poor management or to unusually low water levels in the Congo River.

The two power plants – Inga I and II, located on the river some 300 kilometers upstream of the capital – have a combined potential output of 1,775 megawatts, but in recent years due to maintenance problems and delayed renovations they have produced around 800 MW.

However, the generating stations are presently putting out only 300 MW, hugely insufficient to meet demand. This explains the frequent power outages experienced by domestic and commercial consumers alike which led to the suspension of SNEL’s board by President Joseph Kabila in late August.

“We are victims,” protests Mbuyi Tshimpanga, director of the Inga hydroelectric power station. According to him, water levels are low due to poor rains in parts of the river’s four million square kilometer basin.

Tshimpanga says the river’s low water level has led to a reduction in electricity output from the Inga turbines, with serious consequences for supply not only to Kinshasa but to the provinces of Bas-Congo in the west and Katanga in the southwest.

The situation, he stresses, underscores the need to import between 50 and 120 MW from Zambia’s electricity network to reduce the deficit in Katanga province, which shares a border with DRC’s southern neighbor.

Albert Landu, coordinator of the non-governmental organization “Cause Verte”, based in Matadi, Bas- Congo, confirms that water levels are extraordinarily low, with serious implications for river ecosystems. “We have never experienced such a tragedy,” he says. “We fear heavy damage to fish stocks in our province.”

“The directors of SNEL have tried, day and night, to do everything possible to avoid a total black-out,” said Jean-Thomas Lokala, the utility’s outgoing technical director, adding that “The situation is serious without being chaotic…”

But SNEL’s argument that the power cuts are due to low water levels leaves some observers unconvinced. They say the Inga’s production problems are due to poor management, especially of the canal that guides water from the Congo’s main channel through the turbines, which has not been dredged for nearly three years.

“This canal receives 257.4 tones of sediment (sand, mud and gravel) per hour,” explains Henri Kimbanzi, director of Inga I, “that works out to 6,177.6 tones per day. Only 50 percent (of this sediment) is sucked up by machines or trapped by diversion dykes, while the rest is deposited in the channel.”

A dredge was purchased in 2007 for nearly four million dollars by SNEL from a Belgium-based company, Marine Trading Engineering. But it has not yet been installed following a misunderstanding between the company and SNEL; an editorial in the Congolese daily “L’Avenir” noted that the ten percent commission on the purchase was long ago paid out to members of the previous board.

The outgoing technical director for SNEL has rejected the criticism of the site’s management as unfounded. But during a media tour of the dam site in August, IPS noted that the company was busy clearing material from the channel using cutter-suction dredges, which loosen sediment before sucking it up through a pipeline for disposal.

“The consequences of a general failure of the electricity supply to Kinshasa while waiting for the return of the rains should be carefully managed,” says Eugène Bitongwa, owner of a bar in the city’s Bandalungwa neighborhood. If they are not, he says, the economy will suffer a major blow and the tensions that arise could be difficult to control.

Reacting to the suspension of SNEL’s board, Atundu Liongo, the leader of the government-aligned Convention des Democrates pour la République party said, “The decision taken by the head of state is a wise one. Yengo (the outgoing director general of SNEL) lacked imagination and determination.”

In a televised debate on Aug. 22, Triphon Kin Kiey, a member of parliament belonging to the ruling party, said that SNEL has been operating without proper future projections. “There exist in this country people who spend money for fun, yet never pay a single water bill or electricity. This is bad governance.”

But Steve Mbikayi, head of the opposition Workers’ Party, said: “The government is responsible for everything that it has condemned at SNEL. The failure of SNEL is a failure of the government, which has named water and electricity as one of the key development priorities of the Republic.”

Source: Inter-Press Service (IPS).
Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/09/dr-congo-no-water-no-management-no-power/.

Libyan rebel flag raised at United Nations

Sept. 21, 2011

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Moammar Gadhafi's flag is no longer flying at the United Nations because it represents violence and repression, the Italian foreign minister said Wednesday.

The flag of the rebel-backed Transitional National Council was formally raised at the United Nations, replacing the flag of the former Libyan regime.

"Gadhafi's flag is gone because it represented violence, repression, while today the flag of freedom flies and we must work together with the new Libya," Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in a statement.

A U.N. meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly backed transition plans outlined by Libya's new leadership.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hosted more than 50 heads of state at a Friends of Libya meeting. In a statement, they praised the Libyan people for "heroically" fighting for human rights and the rule of law.

Meeting delegates called on the rebel-backed leadership to form a new government "that reflects the full diversity of Libyan society and aims to build a new, united, democratic and pluralistic Libya in which human rights, fundamental freedoms and justice will be guaranteed."

Gadhafi is on the run and wanted for war crimes allegedly committed since February. International rights groups accuse Libyan rebels of committing atrocities during the Libyan war as well.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/09/21/Libyan-rebel-flag-raised-at-United-Nations/UPI-44031316616352/.

Europe on the edge of recession

August 14, 2012

LONDON (AP) — Europe is edging closer to recession, dragged down by the crippling debt problems of the 17-country euro bloc, official figures showed Tuesday.

Eurostat, the European Union's statistics agency, revealed that the economies of both the eurozone and the wider 27-country EU shrank by a quarterly rate of 0.2 percent in the second quarter of the year. In the first quarter, output for both regions was flat. A recession is officially defined as two straight quarters of falling output.

Europe's stumbling economy is making it harder for other economies around the world to recover and policymakers from all round the world are urging more decisive action, particularly from the European Central Bank, to deal with the crippling debt crisis to restore confidence to the global economy.

"The ECB's recent announcement that it will do 'whatever it takes' to save the euro is welcome, but clarity over what will be done is crucial," said Tom Rogers, a senior economic adviser for accounting firm Ernst & Young.

The region is the U.S.'s largest export customer and any fall-off in demand will hit order books — as well as President Barack Obama's election prospects. The eurozone is grappling with sky-high debt levels and record unemployment of 11.2 percent. Compared with the year before, the eurozone's economy is 0.4 percent smaller.

Without Germany continuing to post solid levels of growth, the eurozone would officially be in recession. Europe's largest economy grew by a quarterly rate of 0.3 percent in the second quarter. Though down on the 0.5 percent recorded in the first quarter, the advance was a little more than expected — most economists thought Germany would only grow by 0.2 percent.

Though Germany currently benefits from strong demand for its products, its high-value exporters are finding it increasingly difficult to tap international markets. Forward-looking surveys, including Tuesday's closely-monitored ZEW survey of German investor sentiment, are suggesting that confidence is taking a knock as Europe moves from one crisis point to another.

The other 16 countries that use the euro are Germany's biggest export market and six of them are in recession. The U.S. is also coming off the boil, with growth in the second quarter down compared to the previous three months at 0.4 percent, according to Eurostat.

Slower economic growth is also making it harder for governments and central banks to control the debt crisis in Europe. Shrinking economies make it more difficult to get the public finances into shape. Lower output dents tax revenues while forcing up the cost of social benefits.

"The big picture is that the economic growth required to bring the region's debt crisis to an end is still nowhere in sight," said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics. For those countries at the front-line of Europe's debt crisis, the figures make for grim reading. Unsurprisingly, Greece is faring the worst — its economy is 6.2 percent smaller than a year ago and back at the level it was in 2005.

Portugal, which has also been bailed out and enacting the tough austerity medicine, suffered a big 1.2 percent drop in output in the second quarter, compared with the previous quarter's modest 0.1 percent drop.

Italy and Spain, the eurozone's third and fourth largest economies, shrank by 0.7 percent and 0.4 percent respectively in the second quarter. Both countries are struggling to convince markets they have a strategy to get a grip on their debts. Spain has even acceded to a bailout of its banks.

Alexander Schumann, chief economist at The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, urged Europe's indebted countries to carry on with their reforms and that it won't be long before they start reaping the rewards.

"We need to be patient but there are positive signs that in 18 or 24 months we might see light at the end of the tunnel in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, "he said. "We can get there if politicians don't block the tunnel with ideas that add new uncertainty."

Gaza: Egypt opening border ahead of Muslim holiday

August 14, 2012

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Egypt on Tuesday opened its border with Hamas-ruled Gaza for a three-day period ahead of a major Muslim holiday this weekend, but imposed tight restrictions on who can travel and did not say whether it would resume normal border operations.

The government in Cairo closed the border Aug. 5, shutting down the Rafah passenger terminal and — according to Egyptian security officials — sealing more than 100 cross-border smuggling tunnels. The move came after Islamic militants in Egypt's Sinai desert near Gaza killed 16 Egyptian troops at a border post near Israel.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's government has suggested the assailants had help from Gaza, a claim Hamas denies. The Egyptian restrictions raised tensions between Morsi and Hamas, both members of the region-wide Muslim Brotherhood and presumably sympathetic to each other.

The Hamas interior minister, Fathi Hamad, has demanded that Morsi reopen the Rafah crossing quickly and suggested the new Egyptian president was acting like his predecessor, the staunchly anti-Hamas Hosni Mubarak who had backed Israel's tight blockade of Gaza's borders.

"We suffered from the unjust regime of Mubarak that participated in the Israeli blockade of Gaza," Hamad wrote in comments posted on his ministry's website. "Why should we suffer now, in the era of Egypt's revolution and democracy?"

Addressing Egyptian leaders, Hamad called for a different policy. "Palestine should be considered a priority," he wrote. "If you are not doing that, you have to correct your course." Last week, Egypt began allowing stranded travelers to return to Gaza, and some 4,500 have so far made the trip, according to Gaza border officials. On Tuesday, Egypt for the first time allowed some border traffic from Gaza, but only for a select few — Gaza students registered at foreign universities, those with residency abroad and medical patients.

Gaza border official Maher Abu Sabha said two-way traffic will continue for three days, in the run-up to the weekend's Eid el-Fitr holiday, which caps the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The limited opening is meant to relieve some of the pressure on Gaza, but also suggests that there is no imminent decision by Egypt to resume normal border traffic.

Amani Salman, 34, and her four sons were waiting on the Gaza side of the border, hoping to cross into Egypt en route to their home in Qatar. Salman said she had been scheduled to travel on the day after the attack and was forced to cancel her plane tickets, at a cost of $1,800.

She said she had hesitated for years to visit her family in Gaza because of the precarious border situation, but decided to risk the trip after the change of government in Egypt. "This year, I thought it will be better, but it was the same," she said. "We love Egypt and we were very happy for their new president. We are not asking for much, just to be treated as humans ... It's a mistake to punish Gaza."

Associated Press writer Ashraf Sweilam in El Arish, Egypt contributed reporting.

Jordanians to rally for Palestinian state

Fri Sep 23, 2011

Hundreds of Jordanians are set to hold a rally in the capital, Amman, to voice their support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

The demonstrators will also condemn the US for pledging to veto the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN Security Council.

Demonstration organizers, the National and Youth Movements, have also called on Jordanians to rally against what they called unfair and corrupt government, lack of political freedom and the slow pace of social reforms in the country.

Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmud Abbas is expected to submit the Palestinian request for membership to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon after addressing the General Assembly on Friday.

If Ban decides the request is in order, the Security Council will examine and vote on the bid. In order to pass, the bid will need the backing of nine out of 15 council members, with no vetoes from permanent members.

The future Palestinian state would include the West Bank and Gaza, with East al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital. The PA says it believes that more than 130 countries would recognize the state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders.

Israel and the US strongly oppose the Palestinian move. Washington, which supports Tel Aviv's position, claims that a Palestinian state can only be achieved through talks with Israel.

Some reports, however, suggest that Israel and the US are trying to turn Jordan into a homeland for Palestinian refugees, which has angered Jordanians.

On Thursday, Jordan's parliament condemned remarks by an Israeli lawmaker proposing Jordan as an alternative homeland for Palestinian refugees and urged the government to officially protest to the Israeli ambassador over such "offence.”

In 1948, Israel expelled more than 700,000 Palestinians from their homeland, forcing them to flee to different neighboring countries.

Currently, there are an estimated total of 4.7 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants dreaming of an eventual return to their ancestral homeland more than six decades later.

Jordan hosts the largest number of Palestinian refugees.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/200776.html.

Divided Military threatens Yemen's transition to Democracy

Written by Ali Saeed
Monday, August 13, 2012

Units Loyal to Former President Flex their Muscles

[Sana’a] When Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to step down last year, many Yemenis hoped their country was on the road to democracy. But much of the country’s military remains loyal to Saleh and new President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi is finding it hard to exercise his control over them.

The former president’s son, Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, remains in control of the Republican Guard. Recently, some 200 members of the elite unit marched to the Defense Ministry in the capital Sana’a to protest Hadi’s decision to form his own Presidential protection force. Until now, the Republican Guard has been responsible for protecting the President.

As the soldiers marched with their guns and rocket-propelled grenades [RPGs] in display, some argued with Yemeni citizens. “They blocked vehicles on the street, got me and all the passengers out of our van after they saw me taking photos of them with the camera of my cell-phone,” Ahmed Dawood, a journalist at the local Yemen Times newspaper told The Media Line. “They pointed their guns at me and asked me to give them my cell-phone,” he added, “but, after I explained that there was no memory card in the phone they left me.”

Since last February, when Hadi replaced Saleh after his 33-year-long reign, the new president has been governing from his house, guarded by the 1st Armored Division, which sided against Saleh in the popular uprising. Hadi has not felt secure enough to move into the Presidential Palace. But now, Hadi is trying to solidify his control over Yemen’s military’s many disparate units.

He recently took control of seven brigades that had been commanded by Saleh’s son, Ahmed, as well as another five which had been under control of General Ali Mohsen, Saleh’s rival.

The Gulf Countries Council [GCC] transition plan which removed Saleh from office stipulates that Yemen’s armed forces become more professional. But the Saleh regime still exerts military power through the Republican Guard, which constitutes one-third of Yemen’s 300,000 military personnel, according to Mohamed Abd Al-Sallam, director of Abaad Strategic Studies Center, a think-tank based in Sana’a. “If no serious actions to remove Saleh’s relatives from their offices are taken, they will continue to hinder the peaceful transfer of power,” Abd Al-Sallam told The Media Line.

Al-Sallam said Saleh also continues to hold powerful positions in civil institutions. “Their resignations must be done gradually, as getting rid of them is not that easy,” he said.

Saleh still heads the General People’s Congress [GPC], a party that he established in 1982. The party ruled Yemen until the popular uprising in 2011 that ultimately brought about Saleh’s resignation. Despite the fact he no longer holds office, Saleh’s supporters still call him “President” or “leader.”

“Saleh’s remaining at the helm of the GPC is not only a threat to the power transition, but also endangers the party itself, “ Al-Allam explained.

However, some in the party argue that Yemen is well on the road to democracy. ”Ali Abdullah Saleh has left office and the positions of his relatives are governed by military and civil laws,” Tariq Al-Shami, the head of the Media Department of the GPC told The Media Line. Al-Shami explained that the decision to remove Saleh as party chief must be taken by the members of the GPC.

Saleh’s eldest son, Ahmed, remains firmly in control of the Republican Guard, the elite wing of Yemen’s army, which has some 36 brigades nationwide, each equipped with the most modern weapons. General Mohamed Ali Mohsen, the former commander of the Eastern Military Command, said this year that since 1994, no new weapons have entered the hands of any Yemeni armed forces except the Republican Guard.

Yahya Mohamed Abdullah Saleh, the former president’s nephew, is the chief-of-staff of the Central Security Forces. He is one of hundreds of senior officials at several military, security and civil institutions who are still loyal to Saleh.

Late last year, Saleh’s son launched his own private satellite television channel, Yemen Today, which defends his father’s regime day and night. The channel has also a private radio station, Yemen FM, which transmits throughout Yemeni territory, providing glorified accounts of Saleh even to inhabitants of rural areas that lack basic amenities such as electricity.

Some opponents charge Saleh’s military units with widespread corruption. A source at the Ministry of Defense told The Media Line that officers of the 3rd Republican Guard Brigade who are loyal to Saleh are alleged to have recently stolen weapons and military trucks in collusion with departments of the defense ministry.

Last month, Saleh-loyalists who are members of the police force stormed the Interior Ministry in the capital Sana’a, left eight people dead in a clash with security guards, and stole documents, equipment and weapons.

In 1994, Saleh began a civil war with his then-deputy, Ali Salem Al-Baid, who was defeated and fled to Oman. However, since Saleh’s forced retirement, the two men are said to be cooperating to scupper the two-year transitional period which is to be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections.

“They [Al-Baid and Saleh] are in an alliance and each one has his own aims,” the think-tank’s Al-Salaam said. “Al-Baid is looking to return to politics and Saleh aims for internal conflict that will enable his son to rule Yemen,” he explained.

Saleh left the office in exchange for immunity from prosecution -- an offer not made to his counterpart, Egypt’s ousted President Hosni Mubarak, who is currently serving a life-sentence in prison. The deal also does not obligate Saleh to stay out of politics. Saleh remains strong and active within the political landscape through his relatives and aides.

Many fear that if Saleh continues to act as a shadow president, Yemen’s two-year transitional period may extend indefinitely amid political insecurity and economic deterioration.

Copyright © 2012 The Media Line. All Rights Reserved.

Olympic flag arrives in Rio, marking race to 2016

August 13, 2012

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Olympic flag touched down on Brazilian soil on Monday, marking the start of four years of preparations ahead of the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes waved the five-ringed flag as he and other top officials disembarked from the flight that brought them back from London, where they attended the games' closing ceremony on Sunday.

Speaking at a packed news conference at Rio's Tom Jobim international airport, Paes called it an "important moment" for Rio and for Brazil at large. He pledged the games will leave a vast legacy for Rio, the beachside metropolis that suffered from decades of neglect after it lost national capital status to Brasilia in 1960.

"I see the arrival of this Olympic flag as not the start, but the consolidation of an important process of transformation for the city of Rio de Janeiro," he said. "Rio is a city that spent the lion's share of its history, much more time than it should have, looking toward the past. I'm sure that this process of transformation, this turning toward the future, has been consolidated here."

He added the most important effects of the Olympics "are sometimes, many times, the intangible transformations, the impalpable ones related to the brand of a country, the brand of a city, with the self-esteem of a country."

A handful of demonstrators gathered outside the airport to protest against expulsions connected with Olympic projects and others tied to the 2014 soccer World Cup, which Brazil is also hosting. The Popular Committee for the World Cup and Olympics, which organized the protest, says as many as 170,000 people risk being removed from their homes, or already have been removed, due to projects related to the two mega-events.

The group says some 4,000 people living in the so-called Vila Autodromo, where the Olympic Park is to be constructed, are facing expulsion. Activists have complained of a lack of consultation between the government and the affected communities and also of low compensation paid out to those kicked out of their homes.

Asked about the government's plan was for the residents of Vila Autodromo, Paes responded that nothing would be done without extensive consultations. "No one is going to throw anyone out of anywhere ... without there being an alternative," he said. "The people will only leave there with lots of consultations, with lots of discussion, with lots of respect."

He added that some of those opposed to the evictions were people "who are always railing against the government. That's why things were paralyzed for so long. They don't want anything to happen here."

The Olympic flag, made out of silk for the 1988 games in Seoul, South Korea, will be temporarily housed in the City Hall and will be open to viewings by visitors.