Tunisia government agrees to step down

September 29, 2013

The Al Nahda-led government is to hand over power to an independent caretaker government.

Tunis: Tunisia’s governing Islamist party, Al Nahda, thrust into power by the Arab Spring, has agreed to step down after months of political wrangling with a hard-bargaining opposition.

In three weeks, the Al Nahda-led government is to hand over power to an independent caretaker government that will lead the country through elections in the spring. The deal comes as part of negotiations to restart Tunisia’s democratic transition after secular opposition groups, protesting the assassinations of two of their politicians, stalled work on a new constitution and an election law this summer.

The two sides will enter discussions this week mediated by the Tunisian General Labor Union, the nation’s largest. Its deputy secretary-general, Bu Ali Mbarki, announced Al Nahda’s acceptance of the plan on Saturday.

The move comes less than three months after the Islamist government of President Mohammad Mursi of Egypt, also elected during the Arab Spring uprisings, was ousted by the military. Al Nahda officials have repeatedly made statements in recent weeks signaling the party’s readiness to resign as a way to break the political impasse.

The opposition, and the union, have until now pressed for more concrete action. The union has scheduled three weeks for talks on a new government. During that time, the National Constituent Assembly, the body in charge of writing Tunisia’s new constitution, is expected to ratify it and confirm appointments to the election commission, resuming work after a two-month hiatus. After that, Al Nahda’s coalition government will resign.

Political consensus

The assembly, where Al Nahda holds the largest bloc of seats, will remain in place to serve as a check on the new government. Al Nahda decided to step down despite resistance from some of its members, saying Tunisia’s transition to democracy, which began after the president was toppled nearly two years ago, could succeed only with full political consensus.

Party members have criticized their leaders as having given away too much, Rafik Abdul Salam, the former foreign minister, said at a news conference on Monday. “It is being described as the party of concessions,” he said. “We are not ashamed of these concessions, because they are needed by Tunisia and to secure our democratic experience so that Tunisia can reach a safe shore.”

In fact, the country is so polarized, and opposition from leftist and secular parties, including the labor union, has been so dogged, that Al Nahda leaders acknowledge that they are better off having a neutral government that is accepted by all sides to run the elections.

Al Nahda was the largest winner in elections in October 2011, promising a model government that would blend Islamist principles with pluralism. But it has since lost popularity amid economic decline and a growing threat from terrorism. Tunisia has avoided the open violence of Egypt and Libya in its democratic transition since it began the Arab Spring with a popular uprising against President Zine Al Abidine Bin Ali in 2011.

Opposition parties have run a campaign of walkouts, sit-ins and evening rallies since the two assassinations to force the government to resign. Al Nahda countered with its own rallies, using supporters for speeches, music and fireworks. With neither side strong enough to defeat the other, the Islamists and their opponents have ended up coming to the negotiating table. Yet Al Nahda’s nearly two-year journey in government has been one of steady concessions and backing down. It has also been a sharp lesson for the Islamists: Their party has been most weakened by extremist Islamists linked to Al Qaida.

On the retreat

Since the assassination of a prominent leftist politician, Chokri Belaid, in February, which brought accusations that it was soft or even in cahoots with Islamist terrorists, Al Nahda has steadily been on the retreat. After the assassination, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resigned, saying the government had “disappointed” Tunisians with squabbling instead of leadership.

Jebali was the first to suggest handing power to a government of technocrats. Al Nahda opted for a reshuffle but appointed independent non-party figures to critical posts, including the ministries of interior and justice.

Then, in July, another opposition politician, Mohammad Brahmi, was assassinated in broad daylight in front of his family, bringing another wave of protests against the Al Nahda government, even though the government this time quickly identified the culprits as an extremist Islamic cell linked to Al Qaida, and blamed it for the Belaid assassination as well.

Finally, the ouster of Mursi — allied with the Muslim Brotherhood — encouraged the Tunisian opposition to try to oust the government. Al Nahda responded with further concessions, dropping all of its outstanding constitutional demands, including an article stating that Islam was the religion of the state and another that would have prevented a key rival, former Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi, from running for president.

Working out the details of the agreement remains difficult. Distrust runs high, and as the end of the transition period nears, the political parties have entered a hard-nosed power struggle.

“From 2011, we moved to another agenda, from the demands for a transitional democracy to a real struggle for power,” Abdul Basset Bin Hassen, head of the Arab Institute for Human Rights, said. “Because of the change, we have this tension and a lot of frustration.”

Source: Gulf News.
Link: http://gulfnews.com/news/region/tunisia/tunisia-government-agrees-to-step-down-1.1236734.

Tunisia Ennahda-led government crumbles from within

2013-07-29

TUNIS - A party in Tunisia's ruling Islamist-led coalition demanded a unity government on Monday to defuse a deepening political crisis, hours after the army sealed a square in the capital where protesters had clashed.

Tensions have been mounting over opposition efforts to oust the government following last week's assassination of a leftist politician, the second such killing in six months.

Soldiers blocked off the central Bardo square in Tunis, declaring it a "closed military zone" after pro- and anti-government protesters threw rocks at each other.

The Ettakatol party called for the coalition led by the Islamist Ennahda party to step down.

"We have called for the dissolution of the government in favor of a unity government that would represent the broadest form of consensus," Lobni Jribi, a party leader, said.

"If Ennahda refuses this proposal, we will withdraw from the government."

The threat by one of its own allies will ratchet up pressure on Ennahda, which has resisted opposition demands for the government's fall, and could encourage further defections.

Education Minister Salem Labyedh, an independent, has offered his resignation to the prime minister, local media said.

Tunisians fear they may be plunging into one of the worst crises in their political transition since autocratic leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced to flee by a 2011 uprising that sparked protests across the Arab world.

Security forces sealed Bardo square, located outside the transitional Constituent Assembly, with barbed wire and fencing.

The opposition, emboldened by the Egyptian army's ousting of an Islamist president this month, is now rejecting all concessions and reconciliation efforts by the government.

It has called for the 217-member Constituent Assembly to be dissolved. In the last few days, 70 lawmakers have left the body and to set up a sit-in protest outside its headquarters.

In the southern city of Sidi Bouzid, angry protesters tried to storm municipal offices to stop employees from going to work, residents said, sparking clashes with Ennahda supporters.

The army intervened to protect the offices and police fired tear gas, but residents said thousands of demonstrators were gathering in the southern city.

Opposition leaders say they might set up a rival "salvation government", an idea they will discuss later on Monday.

Spokesman for Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, Noureddine Bhiri, said opposition protests were tantamount to calling for "destruction of the state" at a moment when the government was trying to deal with the aftermath of the assassinations.

Bhiri challenged the opposition call for a new government, saying it had offered no vision for running the country.

"What are the alternatives that they want after dissolving the government? There is nothing but violence and destruction. We need to stay united to pass this phase and end terrorism."

Larayedh, who met the president and commanders of national security forces, was to address the nation later in the day.

France called for restraint and said it was worried by recent events. It urged the Tunisian authorities "to see this transition through to the end, in a spirit of dialogue and respect for the roadmap".

In Bardo square, opposition sources said security forces had beaten one of the lawmakers who had quit the Constituent Assembly. He was taken to hospital.

"The prime minister will be held accountable for any drop of blood spilled in the Bardo sit-in," opposition figure Manji Rahawi said.

Both rival protest groups have vowed to return to Bardo despite the army takeover of the square, local media said.

Tunisia's powerful labor unions also met opposition parties on Monday and were to discuss the option of more strike action. On Friday, a strike to mourn leftist politician, Mohamed Brahmi, who was assassinated last week, paralyzed much of the country.

The government says Brahmi's assailants used the same weapon that killed another secular leader, Chokri Belaid, on February 6.

Its critics say it has not done enough to investigate or stop the attacks it has blamed on hardline Salafist militants.

Many joining the swelling street protests cite anger with the instability in Tunisia as well as economic stagnation.

Others are frustrated that a constitution, promised one year after the 2011 uprising, has yet to be completed and are suspicious of the Islamist-led transitional government.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://middle-east-online.com/english/?id=60426.

Protests flare in Tunisia: Army declares Bardo Square 'closed military zone'

2013-07-29

TUNIS - The Tunisian army blocked off a square where rival protesters had confronted each other in Tunis on Monday, declaring it a "closed military zone" to try to stave off rising unrest.

Tensions have been growing over opposition efforts to oust the Islamist-led government following last week's assassination of a leftist politician, the second such killing in six months.

After protesters clashed early on Monday in the capital's central Bardo square, where Tunisia's Constituent Assembly is located, the army sealed it off with barbed wire and fencing.

In the southern city of Sidi Bouzid, angry protesters tried to storm municipal offices to stop employees from going to work, residents said, sparking clashes with supporters of the Islamist Ennahda party, which leads the transitional government.

The army intervened to protect the offices and police fired tear gas, but residents said thousands of demonstrators were still gathering in the southern city, the cradle of the revolt that overthrew President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

"Now many of the protesters are coming in carrying batons and it looks like the situation is going to escalate because both sides are standing firm," one resident, Mahdi al-Hurshani, said by telephone.

Tunisians fear they may be plunging into one of the worst crises in their political transition since Ben Ali was forced to flee by an uprising that inspired unrest across the Arab world.

Opposition leaders say they might set up a rival "salvation government", an idea they will discuss later on Monday.

The secular opposition, emboldened by the Egyptian army's ousting of an Islamist president this month, is now rejecting all concessions and reconciliation efforts by the government.

The unrest has erupted just weeks before the transitional Constituent Assembly was set to complete a draft of a new constitution. The opposition now demands that the 217-member body be dissolved. Seventy lawmakers have left it and set up a sit-in outside the Assembly offices in Bardo square.

Islamist-led government gathered for emergency talks on Monday. The government talks had been due to start at 0800 GMT but ministers were late arriving and the meeting had yet to get under way at 1100 GMT, a correspondent reported.

A meeting of the 500,000-member strong General Union of Tunisian Labor (UGTT) that was due to convene in the afternoon "to decide the fate" of the country, was also delayed, its secretary general Sami Tahri said.

"The UGTT will carry out its historic role to defend the right of Tunisians to protest peacefully... and assume its responsibilities vis-a-vis the crisis," Tahri said, adding that the meeting would start in the evening.

On Friday, the unions shut down much of the country for a strike to mourn the leftist politician, Mohamed Brahmi, who was assassinated last week.

France called for restraint and said it was worried by events in Tunisia, where it was once the colonial power, urging the authorities to ensure an open transition to democracy.

"(France) supports the transition process under way in solidarity with all of the Tunisian people," said a foreign ministry statement. "It urges the Tunisian authorities to see this transition through to the end, in a spirit of dialogue and respect for the roadmap."

The army fenced off Bardo square after rival protesters threw rocks at each other and police dispersed them. Opposition sources said security forces beat one of the lawmakers who had quit the Constituent Assembly. He was taken to hospital.

"The prime minister will be held accountable for any drop of blood spilled in the Bardo sit-in," opposition figure Manji Rahawi said.

Both protest groups vowed to return to Bardo, local media said. Opposition supporters were already gathering nearby, and Ennahda partisans vowed to return following afternoon prayers.

The government says Brahmi's assailants used the same weapon that killed another secular leader, Chokri Belaid, on February 6.

Its critics say it has not done enough to investigate or stop the attacks it has blamed on hardline Salafist militants.

Many joining the swelling street protests cite anger with the instability in Tunisia as well as economic stagnation.

Others are frustrated that a constitution, promised one year after the 2011 uprising, has yet to be completed and are suspicious of the Islamist-led transitional government.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://middle-east-online.com/english/?id=60418.

Tunisia faces general strike after Brahmi assassination

2013-07-26

By Hamida Ben Salah - TUNIS

Tunisia faced a general strike Friday after gunmen shot dead a leading opposition figure in a killing that brought thousands of protesters onto the streets and sparked international condemnation.

Tunisia's national airline Tunisair canceled all flights Friday.

MP Mohamed Brahmi, a father of five, was shot by unknown gunmen outside his home on Thursday in the second such political assassination this year.

The ruling Ennahda party, a moderate Islamist group, denied accusations from his family that it was involved.

Protesters took to the streets Thursday in central Tunis and in Sidi Bouzid, the birthplace of the Arab Spring and Brahmi's home town.

Police in Tunis fired tear gas to disperse scores of demonstrators who tried to set up a tent for a sit-in calling for the fall of the regime.

The General Union of Tunisian Labor (UGTT) called Friday's general strike across the country in protest at "terrorism, violence and murders".

It last called a two-hour general strike on January 14, 2011, the day former Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fell.

Brahmi, 58, of the leftist Popular Movement, was killed outside his home in Ariana, near Tunis, Watanya state television and the official TAP news agency reported.

"He was riddled with bullets in front of his wife and children," Mohsen Nabti, a fellow member of the small movement, said in a tearful account aired on Tunisian radio.

Human Rights Watch said that Brahmi's son, Adnen, had told its researchers he heard a first and a second gunshot, then several other shots as if from a machine gun.

He had his sister ran out of the house and as they reached their father's car they saw two men riding off on a motorbike, HRW said in a statement.

The February 6 assassination of Chokri Belaid, another opposition figure, also outside his home, sparked a political crisis in Tunisia and charges of government connivance.

"I accuse Ennahda," the MP's sister Chhiba Brahmi said at the family home in Sidi Bouzid. "It was them who killed him," she said, although she offered no evidence.

"Our family had the feeling that Mohamed would suffer the same fate as Chokri Belaid," whose family also blamed Ennahda, she added.

Ennahda chief Rached Ghannouchi rejected the charge in a statement to AFP. Brahmi's killing was "a catastrophe for Tunisia", he said.

"Those behind this crime want to lead the country towards civil war and to disrupt the democratic transition."

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the killing, adding her voice to calls by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for an investigation into the killing.

The United States condemned the "cowardly" assassination.

'Down with the Brothers'

Brahmi was elected MP in October 2011 for Sidi Bouzid, birthplace of the revolution earlier that year that toppled Ben Ali.

On July 7, he resigned as general secretary of the Popular Movement, which he founded, saying it had been infiltrated by Islamists.

Following his killing, angry demonstrators took to the streets of Tunis to denounce the ruling Islamists.

Mohamed Maaroufi, a member of a youth committee that organized the protest, told AFP that they would stay in the streets until Ennahda had been forced from government.

In Sidi Bouzid, crowds, referring to the Muslim Brotherhood, chanted "Down with the Brothers, down with the people's torturers!"

Thousands also protested in nearby Menzel Bouzaine, where Ennahda party offices were set ablaze.

Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, himself an Islamist, told reporters: "I condemn in the strongest terms this odious crime which targets the whole of Tunisia and its security."

He also called for calm.

"This drama must not be exploited to sow trouble," he said. "Only minutes after news of the murder was announced, calls were made inciting Tunisians to kill each other."

President Moncef Marzouki said the killing was aimed at derailing the Arab Spring, and called it a "second national catastrophe" after Belaid's murder.

President Francois Hollande of France, the former colonial power, called on the country to unite.

But he also called for "light to be shed as quickly as possible" on the murders of Brahmi and Belaid, who were both members of the same opposition bloc.

Ashton, in her statement, also noted that the killers of Belaid had still not been brought to justice.

On Wednesday, a minister and senior adviser to Larayedh said six people believed to have orchestrated Belaid's killing had been identified.

Noureddin B'Hiri said the details would be revealed "soon".

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=60359.

Tunisia PM: Tamarod is danger to democratic process

2013-07-23

TUNIS - Tunisia's Tamarod movement, which has called for the dissolution of the National Constituent Assembly, is endangering the country's democratic process, Islamist Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Monday.

"This copycat group which calls itself Tamarod is clear, and I think it represents a danger to the democratic process, an attempt to make it fail in Tunisia," Larayedh said in a radio interview.

"I don't think this movement will succeed. It's a copy of something foreign in Tunisia," he added, referring to Egypt's grass-roots movement behind the mass protests that led to Islamist president Mohamed Morsi's overthrow on July 3.

Shortly before Morsi was ousted, Tunisia's version of Tamarod (rebellion in Arabic) launched a petition demanding the dissolution of the national assembly, where the ruling Islamist party holds the most seats.

Ennahda, which is close to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and heads Tunisia's coalition government, triumphed in October 2011 parliamentary polls -- the first freely-held elections after the mass protests that toppled former Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

According to the latest figures, dated July 14, the group has collected 870,000 signatures, Tamarod spokesman Mehdi Said said.

The claim could not be verified.

The movement, which was created by 14 youth activists, has struggled to mobilize mass support and internal differences have seen three of its founding members evicted.

The National Constituent Assembly has failed to adopt a new constitution nearly two years after it was elected, due to a lack of consensus among MPs, and has also been repeatedly criticized for its inefficiency and the non-attendance of members.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=60282.

Morocco adopts new professions

By Siham Ali in Rabat for Magharebia
03/10/2013

Morocco is looking to develop new industries to tackle youth unemployment.

As part of an effort to create 220,000 direct jobs by 2015, special attention is being paid to training Moroccans in the new global professions, according to Larbi Bencheikh, the director-general of the Office for Vocational Training and the Promotion of Employment (OFPPT).

He specifically pointed to public works and civil engineering, tourism, ICT, transport and logistics as areas for growth.

The government has geared its strategies accordingly. King Mohammed VI on Monday (September 30th) officially opened an industrial aeronautical complex that should create 12,000 direct jobs. To cater to the needs of the labor market, the Institute of Aeronautical Professions, which opened its doors in 2011, will soon be expanded.

Another training facility, the Institute Specializing in Aeronautical and Airport Logistics Professions (ISMALA), opened last month.

Direct aid for training will be given for three years in the amount of up to €5,500 per person, Industry Minister Abdelkader Amara said. The successful development of industrial activities requires the availability of skilled and sometimes highly specialized human resources, as is the case in the aeronautical sector, the minister said.

When choosing what to study, young people must now take account of the current and future needs of the labor market, sociologist Hanane Bidaoui said. In her view, universities must look outwards to their environment so that they will not continue to be regarded as factories that generate unemployed people.

Two trends may be observed among young people. There are the thousands of unemployed graduates who assumed they would be recruited into the public sector, who refuse to attend any new training courses that cater to the needs of the market. They have even stepped up their protests outside parliament.

On the other hand, there are those young people who decided to stop sitting around and enroll in training courses.

Hamza Cherif is among those who expected public sector employment. With a degree in Arabic literature, he said it was the state's duty to give him a job that relates to the subject of his degree.

He has been jobless for over 15 years and lives with his parents.

Fatima Ezzahra T, sees things differently. As a private law graduate, she has been seeking a job in vain for three years. This year, she decided to boost her language skills and attend another training course in IT development so that she could find a job with an offshoring company.

"I can't wait for a job that may never come along. Although I got a good degree classification, my degree hasn't helped me get a job. That's why I've decided to follow a new path. And I feel confident about the future," she said with optimism.

That view was shared by Farid Serrat, a graduate in French literature. Last year he decided to attend a technical vocational course in mechanics.

"There's no harm in reconsidering your training so that you can land a job," he said.

His brother Charaf, who is studying towards his baccalaureate, is hoping to get into the Casablanca Institute of Aeronautics.

"If I study there, work is guaranteed," he told Magharebia.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2013/10/03/feature-03.

Supporters protest jailing of Morocco journalist

September 27, 2013

Protesters seek release of Moroccan journalist jailed after report on al-Qaida video

RABAT, Morocco (AP) -- Hundreds of people protested Thursday in support of a Moroccan journalist who was jailed after publishing a story about an al-Qaida video.

The prosecutor general announced this week that the journalist, Ali Anouzla, has been charged under Morocco's anti-terrorism law with assisting and advocating terrorism.

The protesters in the capital, Rabat, alleged he has been jailed for his independent views and criticism of authorities.

Anouzla, editor of the Lakome website, published a story about and posted the video by al-Qaida's north African affiliate.

The video, released earlier this month, was a rare attack on Morocco and accused the king of corruption.

Amnesty International said Anouzla's jailing "sends the message that any discussion of terrorism ... will be treated by the government of Morocco as a criminal offense."

If found guilty, Anouzla faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

Spanish court convicts 53 in corruption trial

October 04, 2013

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court convicted 53 people Friday in the country's biggest-ever corruption trial, which lasted two years and centered on widespread real estate fraud and bribery in the southern jet-set resort town of Marbella.

The defendants in the trial, which ended last year, included former town hall officials, lawyers and business representatives. The judge took several months to decide on the sentences — 40 other people were acquitted and two accused died while the case was being prepared.

Under a highly complex scheme in the mid-1990s, city funds were widely misappropriated, and public officials and business representatives divvied up under-the table kickbacks for planning permissions and construction of hotels, residential complexes and urban infrastructure. Much of the money was then laundered with the help of lawyers.

Marbella, located on Spain's southern coast, was a magnet for jet set and society figures from across the world during the 1970s and 1980s. The man who prosecutors said was the mastermind of the fraud, former Marbella urban planning adviser Juan Antonio Roca, got the biggest sentence — 11 years — for money laundering, bribery and fraud. He also was fined 240 million euros ($326 million).

Roca has been in jail since 2006 when he was first arrested as the case broke. Back then, he was considered one of the richest people in Spain with his assets including ranches, fighting bulls, thoroughbred horses, art, expensive cars and boats.

The scheme began when late Atletico Madrid soccer club owner Jesus Gil y Gil was mayor of Marbella between 1991 and 2002. Roca began working for Marbella town hall under Gil and claimed during the trial that he was just following the mayor's orders.

Gil had dozens of corruption case pending against him, many dealing with real estate fraud in Marbella, when he died in 2004. Other former Marbella mayors, Marisol Yague and Julian Munoz, received sentences of six and two years, respectively.

The sentences were in general considerably smaller than what prosecutors had demanded. In Roca's case, the prosecutor had asked for a 30-year sentence.

Pope follows footsteps of namesake St. Francis

October 04, 2013

ASSISI, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis made a pilgrimage Friday to the hillside town of Assisi and the tomb of his namesake, St. Francis, the 13th-century friar who renounced a wealthy, dissolute lifestyle to embrace a life of poverty and minister to the most destitute. St. Francis was famously told by God to "repair my house."

In word and deed, the first pope to name himself after St. Francis has made clear how he wants to follow that command, with a church that is welcoming to all, but especially the most marginalized, and a church hierarchy that is worthy of its 1.2 billion flock.

Here are some of his main goals as he attempts to achieve the church St. Francis would have wanted.

A CHURCH 'THAT IS POOR AND FOR THE POOR'

Pope Francis was having lunch Friday with the poor being cared for by a Catholic charity in Assisi. Since becoming pope in March, Francis has made it clear that one of his principal objectives is a church that is humble, looks out for the poorest and brings them hope. The "slum pope," as he is known because of his work in Argentina's shantytowns, recently denounced big business "idolatry" of money and sought to encourage those without the "dignity" of work.

A CHURCH THAT WELCOMES EVERYONE, INCLUDING NONBELIEVERS

At his first public audience a few days after his election, Francis made an unusual exception: In recognition that not all in the room were Christians or even believers, Francis offered a blessing without the traditional Catholic formula or gesture, saying he would bless each one in silence "respecting your conscience, but knowing that each one of you is a child of God." That respect for people of different faiths or no faith at all has become a hallmark of Francis' papacy as he actively seeks out atheists for dialogue.

A CHURCH THAT DOESN'T JUDGE

The pope's "who am I to judge" comment about gays represented a radical shift in tone for the Vatican. Yes, Catholic teaching holds that gays should be treated with dignity and respect, so Francis was making no change in doctrine. But church teaching also holds that gay acts are "intrinsically disordered" — a point Francis has neglected to emphasize. This refusal to judge applies to just about anyone Francis encounters, including drug addicts and convicts. He has brought a simple message that they are loved and deserve to be loved.

A CHURCH THAT IS 'MESSY' AND GOES OUTSIDE THE SACRISTY

Francis told Argentine pilgrims during World Youth Day in July to make a "mess" in their dioceses and shake things up, even if it meant irritating their bishops. He wanted to convey his hope the church would stop being so inward-looking, and instead go out to the peripheries to spread the faith. Francis' first trip outside Rome was to Lampedusa, an island closer to Africa than the Italian mainland. The last-minute trip was organized after several boat migrants seeking a better life in Europe drowned. Francis' eulogy for all migrants lost at sea denounced a "globalization of indifference." It was a prescient message given Thursday's shipwreck off Lampedusa that killed scores of migrants.

A CHURCH THAT ISN'T STUCK IN THE PAST OR OBSESSED WITH RULES

Francis has made clear he cares little for the old Latin Mass and has disparaged traditionalist Catholics still very much attached to it. He has forbidden one religious order from celebrating the pre-Vatican II liturgy without specific authority, seemingly rolling back the 2007 decree signed by Benedict XVI allowing for its wider celebration. More well-known is his disagreement with the church's "small-minded rules," saying too many Catholics were focusing on them. Rather, he wants the church to focus on mercy.

A REFORMED CHURCH

Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the church, and he has set about doing that, perhaps with St. Francis' "repair my house" instruction in mind. He has just finished three days of meetings with advisers helping him rewrite the main blueprint for how the Catholic Church is governed. Ideas include a "moderator" to make the Vatican bureaucracy run more smoothly and a revised role for the powerful secretary of state. It also includes involving lay men and women more in the life of the church. Just as St. Francis wanted.

Berlusconi, ultimate survivor, runs out of lives

October 03, 2013

He's the Great Houdini of world politics. Buffeted by scandal, convicted of corruption, abandoned by allies, Silvio Berlusconi has been written off countless times over the two decades in which he has dominated Italian politics — and each time he made a miraculous escape from the political dead.

Not tales of hot "bunga bunga" parties, nor charges of wrecking Italy's economy, nor sex and bribery trials, nor the chants of "buffoon" that hounded him from office two years ago have been enough to remove Berlusconi from politics — or even put a wrinkle in his tight perma-tan.

When he was forced to resign as premier in late 2011, the world's media — including The Associated Press — wrote Berlusconi's political obituary. A year later, Berlusconi led his party to a strong election finish that returned him to the heart of Italian politics.

But this week, it really may be time to say "Bye-Bye Berlusconi." On Wednesday, the billionaire mogul was forced into a devastating retreat in his campaign to bring down the government, after his own lieutenants rose up in mutiny. And on Friday, lawmakers are expected to strip Berlusconi of his Senate seat — banishing him from politics.

So surely, surely there's no way back for Silvio now? Readers can judge for themselves in this chronicle of Berlusconi's amazing escapes.

FOOT-IN-MOUTH DISEASE:

Berlusconi launched his political career in the 1990s as Italy's great salesman, hawking his vision of can-do success to a mesmerized public. But he hasn't been able to translate those communication skills on the international stage — committing gaffes that might have been fatal for other world leaders. Facing criticism in 2003 at the European parliament by a German lawmaker, Berlusconi compared his adversary to a concentration camp guard: "Mr. Schulz, I know there is in Italy a man producing a film on the Nazi concentration camps. I would like to suggest you for the role of Kapo. You'd be perfect." In 2005, Berlusconi bragged that he had to charm Finland's president into giving up her nation's bid to host a European food authority: "I had to use all of my playboy tactics," he quipped. And after Barack Obama was elected in 2008, Berluconi saluted the new American president as "handsome, young and also suntanned." Many Italians seemed to brush it all off with the attitude: It's just Silvio, having a bit of fun.

BUNGA! BUNGA!:

One was a teenage Moroccan dubbed by the press as "Ruby the Heart-stealer." Another was a high-class hooker who produced tapes of Berlusconi allegedly sweet-talking her in his Rome residence. Then there was the 18-year-old Neapolitan who purportedly called him "Papi" — "Daddy" — and was the chief reason that his wife, disgusted with what she called his "cavorting with minors," left him in 2009. Berlusconi has never denied a weakness for beautiful women, saying with a twinkle in his eye that he's "no saint," but the endless stream of sleaze surrounding tales of "bunga bunga" parties shadowed the end of his career — and landed him in legal trouble. This year, a court convicted Berlusconi of sex with a minor and abuse of power over his tryst with Ruby, whose real name is Karima El Mahroug. Here again, many Italians — men and women alike — responded either with a shrug or a twinge of admiration.

BROKEN NOSE, NOT BROKEN MAN:

At the end of a rambunctious 2009 filled with sex scandal, Berlusconi held a rally in Milan in which he declared, among other things, that he was a "good-looking" man. After the speech, as Berlusconi waded through the adoring crowd toward his chauffeur-driven car, a man with a history of mental illness clubbed him with a souvenir replica of the Milan cathedral — smashing two teeth, breaking his nose and cutting his lip. The attack hardly slowed Berlusconi down. In fact, it provoked an outpouring of sympathy from around Italy, bolstering his standing at a delicate political time. And after numerous sessions of reconstructive surgery, the famously pampered visage was once again beaming confidently to the cameras. Silvio was back — but not for long.

BUFFOON! BUFFOON!:

The jeers split the air outside Rome's presidential palace and a band of revelers erupted in a rendition of Handel's "Alleluia!" It was Nov. 12, 2011 — and Berlusconi had just handed in his resignation. The man who had cast a spell over Italy with his infectious optimism and spectacular success had finally lost the heart of a nation worn out by an endless stream of muck about sexual misdeeds, unbridled corruption and economic bungling that critics said had driven Italy to the brink of a financial abyss. Markets were panicking over Italy's colossal debt, and even some of Berlusconi's allies felt it was time for him to go. But as his successor — the sober economist Mario Monti — pursued a policy of austerity that alienated Italians, Berlusconi began making rumbles of a comeback. When he launched his campaign, Berlusconi's fuzzy promises of revival and tax largesse began to sound pretty good. Berlusconi's party came in a strong second place — and went on to join Enrico Letta's coalition government.

SUPREME REBUKE:

Then in August, Italy's highest court put its stamp of finality on one of several Berlusconi graft convictions, capping years of legal wrangling in which the media tycoon filed appeal after appeal — all the while remaining Italy's dominant political figure. The four-year prison sentence would have been the death knell of any other politician. But not Berlusconi. No sooner had the court ruled than the conservative leader was back in attack mode — broadcasting a nationwide video in which he vowed to stay in politics and revive "Forza Italia!" ("Let's Go Italy!"), the movement that launched his political career. He stayed out of jail under rules allowing the elderly to serve sentences at home or by carrying out community service. Allies were soon predicting that the nation's revered president would issue a pardon. And until this week's dramatic events, Berlusconi made it clear that he was the one calling the shots in his political camp.

Berlusconi could still land in prison: He was handed a seven-year sentence in the Ruby case — and if he loses his appeal, it's possible he'll end up behind bars.

BACKSTABBING ALLIES:

In the end, Berlusconi's biggest enemies may have turned out to be his best friends. Throughout his long career Berlusconi has been laid low time and again by allies who have betrayed him at critical moments. The media mogul's love-hate, on-again-off-again political marriage with the populist Northern League is the key example: They caused his first government to collapse in 1994 when they yanked support amid noisy bickering. Berlusconi also had a rocky partnership with the formerly neo-fascist National Alliance: In 2010, the party's leader withdrew his backing for the government, triggering a no-confidence vote that Berlusconi barely squeaked through. In 2011, it was a rebellion by members of Berlusconi's own party that forced him to resign in disgrace, as markets lost confidence in Italy's economy.

And on Wednesday, Berlusconi's top deputies balked at his order to bring down Letta's government in a no-confidence vote — paving the way for Friday's vote to strip him of his Senate seat.

Berlusconi weakened by political about-face

October 02, 2013

MILAN (AP) — Silvio Berlusconi's failed attempt to topple the Italian government has left him weaker than ever, zapped of the aura of invincibility that has surrounded him for two decades as he faces the possible loss of his Senate seat and a ban from politics.

Still, it is unlikely to be his last act. The 77-year-old three-time former premier staged one of Italy's most stunning political plot twists in memory on Wednesday when he took the Senate floor at the last minute to announce that he would, after all, support Premier Enrico Letta's government in a confidence vote.

It was a face-saving measure that came after key loyalists in Berlusconi's center-right party refused to follow his bid to collapse the coalition government as fallout over his tax-fraud conviction. The conviction carries a four-year prison sentence that endangers his role as a legislator.

"We have decided, not without internal strife, to vote in confidence" Berlusconi said. Though he tried to look magnanimous, it was the billionaire media mogul's first-ever defeat within the party he founded and which has achieved electoral success largely through his personal appeal.

Berlusconi's retreat bestows a measure of stability on Letta's 5-month-old left-right coalition which won confidence votes in both houses and faces the daunting task of trying to revive Italy's economy. And while Berlusconi was left bruised and battered, political analysts argue he is not yet out of the picture.

"Berlusconi is not finished," said Roberto D'Alimonte of Rome's LUISS University. "This is another step toward the end, but it is not the end yet. The end will come with a major electoral defeat. "He has great resources. He has media resources, financial resources, the resources of the 6 or 7 million voters who will follow him down the abyss. That is why he cannot be counted out, even with his options being closed."

Whether Berlusconi can ever again face the electorate is far from certain because his judicial woes are narrowing his ability to maneuver. His appeals over his tax fraud conviction were exhausted this summer, and he now faces a prison term, the loss of his Senate seat and a political ban that will bar him from running in new elections.

Berlusconi's theatrics — pushing for the government to fall, then saving it at the last minute — are a sign of the nervousness provoked by his judicial woes, said Giuseppe Orsina, a political scientist who this summer published a book about Berlusconi's influence in Italy.

"This is another paradox," Orsina said. "It wasn't in his interest to make the government fall, from the point of view of his companies, and it was not politically rational. It was rational in the protection of his honor ... It was an act of political pride."

Despite being weakened, Orsina said Berlusconi "remains a protagonist in the political life. Today he suffered a defeat that is the first in the history of his party." A Senate committee is due to vote in the coming days on whether to recommend stripping Berlusconi of his seat following his conviction of tax fraud and its four-year sentence. A 2012 law bans anyone sentenced to more than two years in prison from holding or running for public office for six years.

Separately, a Milan appeals court will decide later this month on the exact length of a political ban, from one to three years, that was included alongside the four-year sentence in the tax fraud case.

Berlusconi also must decide if he wants to serve his sentence — reduced to one year due to a general amnesty extended to first-time offenders — under house arrest or by performing social services, a choice that will impact his political reach.

Beyond that, Berlusconi is appealing his seven-year sentence on a conviction of paying a minor for sex and forcing public officials to cover it up. That sentence, if confirmed, carries a lifetime political ban.

Naples prosecutors also are preparing charges against him for allegedly paying a lawmaker to pull support from a former government of ex-Premier Romano Prodi, a move that seriously weakened that center-left government.

Berlusconi has claimed his innocence in all these cases, and alleged that he is being persecuted by elements in the judiciary. D'Alimonte said it is a foregone conclusion that Berlusconi will lose his seat, sooner or later, due to his legal problems. "He would have lost his seat even without the government crisis, so nothing has changed," the analyst said.

It remains to be seen if the rift in Berlusconi's People of Freedom party that emerged over the confidence vote will heal or lead to a permanent fracture. Dissident lawmakers in the party have announced they will try to form a new parliamentary group, while Berlusconi has previously said he will relaunch the original Forza Italia party that brought him to power.

The confidence vote delays the threat of new elections, at least for now: Analysts don't expect the center-right to stop challenging the center-left on policy. Meanwhile, with Berlusconi unlikely to be running in elections any time soon, his daughter Marina is being floated as a likely political successor.

"Marina can be competitive," D'Alimonte said. "If Marina steps in, then Berlusconi is still in the fray. That is why I say only an election can put an end to the Berlusconi saga."

Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this report from Rome.

Parliament showdown looms for Italy prime minister

October 02, 2013

ROME (AP) — The survival of Italy's government was in doubt Wednesday before expected confidence votes in Parliament forced by Silvio Berlusconi's decision to yank his party's support. But a divisive split among Berlusconi stalwarts in favor of stability might temporarily save the fragile ruling coalition.

Premier Enrico Letta made a last-ditch appeal to lawmakers to save his government after Berlusconi demanded his five Cabinet ministers quit and bring it down, incensed at a vote planned Friday that could strip him of his Senate seat following his tax fraud conviction and four-year prison sentence.

But in a remarkable challenge to Berlusconi's authority, several allies balked and said they would instead support Letta's hybrid right-left coalition. Italy's finances are in a critical state, pressing economic measures must be passed and Italy's president has insisted that a new electoral law be passed to avoid inconclusive results in any future vote.

It wasn't clear though if Berlusconi, a master politician who has outlived many premature political obituaries, would be able to woo them back and fall in line at the last minute. In a speech to the Senate on Wednesday, Letta hailed his 5-month-old government's successes and outlined his agenda to revive Italy's moribund economy and turn around its record unemployment. He warned lawmakers that Italy "runs a risk, a fatal risk" depending on the choices they make.

"Give us your confidence to realize these objectives. Give us your confidence for all that has been accomplished," Letta said to applause. "A confidence vote that isn't against anyone, but a confidence vote for Italy and Italians."

The key vote would be in the Senate, where Berlusconi's allies have a narrow majority. Entering the Senate, Berlusconi appeared less combative than he has in recent days: "We'll see what happens," Italian news agencies quoted him as saying. "We'll listen to Letta's speech and then decide."

Berlusconi's People of Freedom party has been badly divided ever since Italy's high court upheld his tax fraud conviction and sentence in August. But it has been thrown into chaos after several lawmakers and his closest ally and political heir Angelino Alfano openly defied him and said they would support Letta.

Alfano has served as Letta's deputy in the hybrid government and clearly thinks it has accomplished a good deal of the Berlusconi party agenda. A law passed in 2012 says anyone receiving sentences longer than two years cannot hold public office for six years. Berlusconi has challenged the law's constitutionality and has accused judges who handed down the sentence of trying to eliminate him from Italy's political life.

Letta addressed his claims straight on in his speech to the Senate, saying Italy is a country based on the rule of law. "In a democratic state, sentences are respected and applied, always with the right to the defense without treatment in favor or against individuals, whether they be citizens or senators," he said.

The unusual defiance of Berlusconi by his stalwart allies could signal that the three-time former premier's influence is seriously eroding after two decades leading Italy's center-right and being the main point of reference in Italy's political scene.

And the 77-year-old billionaire media mogul has reacted by making seemingly erratic and counterproductive demands that some Italian commentators have likened to the desperate, fitful sparks of a candle going out.

But Berlusconi has endured numerous political setbacks in the past, only to re-emerge strong. "Berlusconi has nine lives and we can't exclude a tenth," leading daily Corriere della Sera wrote on its front page Wednesday. "He knows the art of seducing senators and still has enough wiggle room for a turnabout at the last minute."

Head of far-right party in Greece jailed

October 03, 2013

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The head of Greece's extremist right-wing Golden Dawn party was jailed early Thursday, pending trial on charges of running a criminal organization in an investigation into his party triggered by the killing of a left-wing rapper.

Nikos Michaloliakos, who is a sitting member of Parliament, was ordered remanded in custody in the early hours of Thursday morning, after overnight testimony that lasted for more than six hours. Armed police led him away from the courthouse in handcuffs. His wife and daughter, who are also party members, as well as other Golden Dawn members of Parliament, stood outside the building and shouted words of encouragement to him as he was led away.

"The ridiculous little men, they decided to jail the leader," said party lawmaker Michalis Arvanitis. On Wednesday, the court ordered the release of three party lawmakers and the jailing of a fourth in the same case. All have denied the charges against them.

Michaloliakos and five of his party lawmakers were among 20 people arrested over the weekend in a crackdown against the Nazi-inspired party following the Sept. 17 fatal stabbing of rap singer Pavlos Fyssas. A man arrested at the scene of the attack identified himself as being involved in Golden Dawn.

The court also ordered Giorgos Patelis, the head of Golden Dawn's local office in the area west of Athens where Fyssas was stabbed, to be remanded in custody. A sixth party lawmaker, Christos Pappas, who the prosecution has described as Michaloliakos' second in command, is to appear in court for his preliminary hearing later Thursday morning.

The party has vehemently denied any role in the killing. It is the first time since democracy was restored in Greece in 1974 after a military dictatorship that sitting members of parliament have been arrested and jailed.

The government, which has vowed to eradicate the group, has argued the party has been acting as a criminal organization rather than a political party. Golden Dawn, which the government has described as a "Nazi creation," rose from the margins of Greece's political scene to become the third most popular party in Greece amid the country's severe financial crisis. It won nearly 7 percent of the vote and 18 of Parliament's 300 seats in 2012 general elections.

It has long been blamed for a series of violent attacks, mostly against immigrants. The party denies it is behind any violence. Rights groups and medical charities have long warned of an increase in the viciousness and frequency of attacks attributed to Golden Dawn members or supporters. Two men arrested in January for the fatal stabbing of a Pakistani migrant were believed to be supporters of the group. But Fyssas' death was the most serious crime attributed directly to an alleged party member.

On Wednesday, party lawmaker Yiannis Lagos was also jailed pending trial. Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, also a lawmaker, was released on a 50,000 euro ($67,770) bail, while no bail was set for the other two lawmakers who were released, Ilias Panagiotaros and Nikos Michos. All three were banned from leaving the country.

They stormed out of the court building, with Kasidiaris punching a television cameraman and kicking a photographer as he went. They swore at and threatened journalists as they headed out of the court complex, and later as they left police headquarters after collecting their personal belongings.

The party has argued that the case against them is politically motivated. The government insisted the case against the Nazi-inspired party was still on track despite Wednesday's releases. "This essentially changes nothing. Their charges stand, the investigation is ongoing and the evidence is being gathered," said Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis. "We are at the first stage of this investigation."

A total of 32 arrest warrants were issued in the case, including two for police officers. Authorities have been continuing raids on the homes of police officers with suspected ties to criminal activities allegedly linked to the party.

Greece: 3 far-right lawmakers released, 1 jailed

October 02, 2013

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Three lawmakers from Greece's extremist right-wing Golden Dawn party were released from custody Wednesday pending trial, after they provided initial testimony in criminal investigation triggered by the slaying of a left-wing rapper.

An Athens court released party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris on a 50,000 euro ($67,770) bail and a ban on leaving the country. No bail was set for Ilias Panagiotaros and Nikos Michos, who were also banned from leaving the country.

A fourth lawmaker, Ioannis Lagos, was jailed pending trial. The four had been testifying before an investigative magistrate in a court session that began Tuesday afternoon and lasted through the night, ending mid-morning Wednesday.

"This essentially changes nothing. There charges stand, the investigation is ongoing and the evidence is being gathered," Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis said on Skai television. "We are at the first stage of this investigation."

The head of the party, Nikos Michaloliakos, who is also detained, was to testify later in the day, while a sixth lawmaker is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. The three lawmakers who were released stormed out of the court building, with Kasidiaris punching a television camera as he went. They swore at journalists as they headed out of the court complex and waited on the street outside to flag down a taxi.

Golden Dawn's leadership was arrested over the weekend in a crackdown sparked by last month's stabbing death of 34-year-old leftwing rapper Pavlos Fyssas. All face charges of setting up or participating in a criminal organization.

The man arrested at the scene of the stabbing identified himself to police as a member of Golden Dawn. The party has vehemently denied any role in the killing. "It is clear that the judiciary has refused to follow the orders of a government enslaved to foreigners," the party said in a statement posted on its website after Thursday morning's court decision to free three of the four lawmakers. "The unconstitutional, blatantly illegal government conspiracy is collapsing under the huge weight of truth and common sense."

A total of 32 arrest warrants were issued in the case, including two for police officers. Authorities have been continuing raids on the homes of police officers with suspected ties to criminal activities linked to the party.

Golden Dawn, a Nazi-inspired party which rose from the margins of Greece's political scene to become the third most popular party in Greece amid the country's severe financial crisis, has long been blamed for a series of violent attacks, most against immigrants.

Rights groups and medical charities have long warned of an increase in the viciousness and frequency of attacks attributed to party members or supporters. But the death of Fyssas on Sept. 17 was the most serious crime attributed directly to an alleged party member.

German parties begin preliminary coalition talks

October 04, 2013

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel and members of the center-left party that came a distant second in last month's national election held a first round of preliminary talks Friday on forming the country's next government.

The general secretary of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, Hermann Groehe, said talks with the Social Democratic Party were held in a "good, sober and constructive atmosphere" and a second meeting would take place Oct. 14.

Groehe said the meeting focused on the common ground between the parties, not their differences. During the campaign, the Social Democrats' main candidate, Peer Steinbrueck, had called for a national minimum wage and tax increases for high earners - both of which Merkel's conservatives have rejected.

The two parties that make up Merkel's Union bloc won 41.5 percent of the vote but fell five seats short of a parliamentary majority. Her former coalition partner, the Free Democrats, failed to win any seats.

A coalition with the SPD, which won 25.7 percent of the vote, would have a healthy parliamentary majority and ensure Merkel a third term. But many grassroots Social Democrats and some in the party leadership are wary of again being the junior partner in a "grand coalition" like the one that governed Germany during Merkel's first term from 2005 to 2009.

Last week, SPD leaders said they would consult the party's 470,000 members before agreeing to any deal. If Merkel fails to reach an agreement with the SPD she could cut a deal with the environmentalist Greens, who polled a disappointing 8.4 percent. Exploratory talks with the Greens are set for Oct. 10.

But an agreement with the Greens is believed less likely because the two sides have never had a coalition at the national level and are considered ideologically far apart on many issues. "We want to reach a timely decision because it's clear that coalition talks will also take some time," Groehe said. "We want to be thorough, but at the same time we know this country needs clarity."

Argentina goes for second-hand jets for air force

Buenos Aires (UPI)
Oct 1, 2013

As compromises go, Argentina is buying used French Mirage jets from Spain rather than pour scarce cash into an ambitious but more desirable acquisition of new aircraft.

It's money that Argentina cannot spare, with mounting energy bills that eat up its export earnings, high inflation and slow growth.

The Latin American country's military doesn't have an immediate need to rearm itself, despite frequent rhetoric aimed at Britain over the Falkland Islands, but the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is under pressure from the military to modernize the inventory somewhat.

The 16 Mirage F-1 jets Argentina will buy from Spain have served the Spanish air force for about 22 years. They'll replace Argentine air force's almost obsolete Mirage III fleet.

Fernandez was under mounting pressure from her military aides as neighbor Brazil contemplated buying new generation fighter planes. But the acquisition program in that country is on hold, as Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff fights to reverse slowing growth.

In Argentina the greater surprise is the deal itself. Last year, Argentina angered Spain after seizing control of Spanish major Repsol's majority stake in national oil company YPF. Madrid's various intercessions with Fernandez got to a point where King Juan Carlos was hauled in as an intermediary, to no avail.

Repsol's claims of $10 billion compensation for YPF seizure are still under discussion. Most analysts agree that Argentina will have neither the cash nor the inclination to compensate. But Spain, itself under huge economic strain in the eurozone's continuing crisis, is anxious not to burn bridges with Argentina, however troublesome its government may be.

The details of the Mirage deal were not discussed. Officials would only say the purchase was worth about $230 million. That spending is likely to appear as an expenditure in Argentina's budget next year. Exactly how the purchase will be funded and how the payment will be made remains unclear.

Argentina has hinted on and off that it wants to decommission its own Mirage III fleet. It's not clear how many are still flying. Argentina is known to have an assortment of more than 25 Mirage III jets, a few bought from Israel and Peru.

Analysts said the Mirage deal was of greater benefit to Spain, which would have had difficulty selling off its old jets. For Argentina, the purchase serves another purpose: of assuaging negative Spanish sentiment over Repsol YPF seizure.

Spanish diplomats have gone to great lengths to temper Repsol's occasional outbursts on its loss of YPF. Spain doesn't want to let go of Argentina, one of its former colonies in Latin America and a major springboard for peddling influence in Latin America.

Argentine officials said the Mirages will be refurbished before they are handed over by Spain. A number of avionics and weaponry features were added to the jets before they were formally decommissioned in June, but analysts say those changes too may need further revisions.

Features added to the Mirage-1 jets include airborne refueling capacity, laser-guided autonomous navigation and improved targeting gadgetry.

The Mirage family was one of the more successful fighter bombers produced by Dassault Aviation of France, which is struggling to market its new Rafale jet fighter. Brazil is among countries approached by Dassault as a Rafale potential buyer.

The new jet is well beyond Argentina's reach at present, both financially and in terms of air force human resources, while Fernandez grapples with severe economic problems and constraints on spending of foreign exchange earned through commodity exports.

Source: Space Mart.
Link: http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Argentina_goes_for_second-hand_jets_for_air_force_999.html.

Argentina, Spain join up to pressure Britain on Falklands, Gibraltar

BUENOS AIRES
Thu Sep 26, 2013

(Reuters) - Argentina and Spain agreed on Thursday to team up to pressure Britain to discuss their separate claims on British territories: the Falklands in the south Atlantic and Gibraltar near the southern tip of Spain.

Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, reached the agreement in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said.

"They discussed the common ground regarding sovereignty disputes over the Falklands and Gibraltar," it said in a statement.

"They agreed on joint measures to press Great Britain to comply with the mandate from the United Nations to dialogue," it said.

Argentina and Spain have been at odds since last year after Argentine President Cristina Fernandez nationalized YPF oil company, which was a unit of Spain's Repsol.

But the two countries have a history of solidarity over Gibraltar and the Falklands, known to the Argentines as the Malvinas Islands.

London rejected last month a Spanish proposal for bilateral talks on Gibraltar, a rocky Mediterranean outpost that Spain ceded to Britain 300 years ago.

Britain says it will respect the wishes of Gibraltar's 30,000 people, who have repeatedly stated they want to remain British. Similarly, London has said it will not discuss sovereignty of the Falklands without including the islanders.

Gibraltar and the Falklands are on a U.N. list of non-self-governing territories that are subject to a process of decolonization.

However, the U.N. also recognizes that the United Kingdom and Argentina dispute the sovereignty of the Falklands, which have been under British control since 1833.

Argentina and Britain went to war over the islands in 1982, a conflict that Argentina lost.

Tensions in Spain and Britain over Gibraltar escalated this summer in a spat over fishing rights and border controls.

(Reporting by Guido Nejamkis; Editing by Xavier Briand)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/09/26/uk-argentina-spain-gibraltar-idUKBRE98P11720130926.

Riots in Kenya after cleric, 3 others, killed

October 04, 2013

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Gunmen killed a Muslim cleric and three others in a hail of bullets in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, a year after the imam's predecessor was killed in the same manner and on the same road and nearly the same spot.

The killings triggered street violence by youths on Friday who blamed police for the homicides, and four more people were killed in the mayhem. The cleric's supporters alleged that the shooting death late Thursday of Sheik Ibrahim Ismael was a reprisal by Kenyan security forces for the Sept. 21 attack on Nairobi's Westgate Mall that killed more than 60 people. A Somali Islamic extremist group, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the mall attack.

Ismael's predecessor at the Masjid Musa Mosque, who was gunned down in August 2012, had been accused of aiding al-Shabab, including recruiting youths for the Somali group. "While it's possible the timing is linked, the pattern of targeted killings and disappearances in Mombasa long predates Westgate. What's clear is that a serious independent investigation of yesterday's killing and earlier attacks on Aboud Rogo and others is urgently needed to answer the many questions about these attacks," Leslie Lefkow, an Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch said.

The dark four-door car that Ismael was riding in was riddled by bullets. People gathered around the car, taking photographs and staring at the bodies as weeping relatives of the dead approached. Police spokeswoman Gatiria Mboroki denied that police had any involvement in the killings. "We are investigating who did this and what the motive is because we don't know," she said.

Human rights groups estimate that Kenyan police were responsible for approximately 1,000 extrajudicial killings between 2008 and 2012, according to the U.S. State Department. "Members of the security forces were suspected of being responsible for a number of forced disappearances. At least half dozen prominent Muslim leaders alleged to have terrorist ties were victims of killings or forced disappearances," the State Department said, in its annual report on human rights.

Young men on Friday partly burned the Salvation Army Church and put burning tires on the road. Police carrying assault rifles came to the scene as smoke poured from the compound. Police fired into the air and lobbed tear gas. Kenya's Red Cross said four people were killed in the rioting, including at least one with gunshot wounds.

Supporters who had gathered around the scene of Ismael's assassination Thursday blamed Kenyan police for the deaths, saying the killings were payback for the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi. "If we take up arms we are terrorists, if we don't we get killed ... what are we supposed to do when they are killing us. The police are killing us," said Sheik Abubaker Shariff Ahmed also known as Makaburi, who has been sanctioned by the United Nations and the U.S for alleged links to al-Shabab.

The four deaths and Friday violence come amid fears of worsening relations between Kenya's minority Muslim population — many of whom are of Somali origin — and Kenya's majority Christian population. Ismael preached at Mombasa's Masjid Musa Mosque, where Aboud Rogo Mohammed once preached. Mohammed had been sanctioned by the U.N. and U.S. for supporting al-Shabab. A Kenyan government task force did not establish who killed Mohammed. His supporters and human rights groups blamed the police. The killing led to days of deadly violence in Mombasa, which lies on the Indian Ocean and has a large Muslim population.

In the wake of Friday's violence, the U.S. Embassy restricted travel to Mombasa and said "we strongly encourage all American citizens" to avoid areas in Mombasa where violence has been seen. "There is the potential of further demonstrations and violence," the embassy said.

The U.N. advised its staff in Mombasa to minimize their movements and to follow a 10 p.m. curfew over the weekend. Following the Kenya mall attack, Human Rights Watch researcher Laetitia Bader wrote that many Somalis who have fled to Kenya because of al-Shabab violence inside Somalia have sometimes faced "serious abuses at the hands of the Kenyan security forces who wrongfully accuse them of supporting" al-Shabab.