Somalia: Port Workers Demonstrate in Mogadishu

4 November 2009

Hundreds of port workers in the Somalia's restive capital have staged demonstrations against closure of the port activities over dispute between Somali government and the business community, workers and officials said.

The port's closure came after businessmen refused to adhere to new government-imposed rules that require all incoming items to go through security checks, saying their goods could be destroyed by port bombardment from Islamist insurgents or bad weather.

The furious workers said they were dependent on the work in the port and would impact on their lives.

"We are opposing the decision to close the port. It must be reopened because we are dependent," these are some of the phrases used by the workers to express their resentment.

However, Somalia's Treasury Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman maintained that trader should pay the proper taxes to allow their goods to be proceed, underscoring that these steps are government procedures which business community should comply.

Mogadishu port, which reopened in 2006 after suffering 15 years of neglect, is now operational and guarded by African Union peacekeepers deployed in the war-torn nation as part of international backed peace mission.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200911040932.html.

Somalia: Hisbu Islam Official Claims Victory Over the Fighting in Beledweyn Town

4 November 2009

Beledweyn — Sheik Muse Abdi Arale, the security secretary of defense of Hizbul Islam organization has Wednesday claimed victory over the fighting in Beledweyn town in Hiran region, just after heavy clashes between Islamists and TFG soldiers that left 5 injuring 8 others.

At least 5 people were killed and 8 others were wounded in a fighting between both sides around Janta Kundishe in Hiran region on Wednesday morning.

The secretary said that they had forcibly routed the transitional government soldiers from their bases in Janta Kundishe Mountain in Hiran region adding that they inflicted more casualties to the soldiers during the fighting.

"The fighting started as the Islamist forces attacked the government soldiers in Janta Kundishe. We achieved them. They were planning to fight against the forces in Beledweyn town in Hiran region," Sheik Muse said.

The statement of the Hizbul Islam organization comes as the government officials in Hiran region said that fighting continued out of Beledweyn town in the region in central Somalia.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200911041011.html.

European Firm Details Turkish Copter Program

ANKARA [MENL] -- A European defense major has detailed its participation in Turkey's combat helicopter program.

Italy's Selex Galileo has been contracted to supply the air vehicle monitoring system for Turkey's T-129 helicopter program. Under the deal by prime contractor AgustaWestland, Selex's AVMS would ensure data acquisition, maintenance and video output.

Egypt Suspends LNG Project

CAIRO [MENL] -- Egypt has suspended the expansion of its liquefied natural gas sector.

Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co. has decided not to launch construction of an LNG train at Damietta amid financing and energy difficulties. Officials said the state-owned firm has determined that there was insufficient gas reserves for the facility.

Aides: Abbas says he won't run in January election

By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH, Associated Press Writer

RAMALLAH, West Bank – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told political allies he won't run in January elections because he is frustrated over lack of progress with Israel on peacemaking, aides said Thursday.

Abbas has threatened in the past not to run, and it was not immediately clear whether this was a final decision. The presidents of Egypt and Israel, the king of Jordan and Israel's defense minister all called the Palestinian leader on Thursday, urging him to change his mind, aides said.

The two aides said Abbas would announce his decision in a speech later Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because Abbas has not officially declared his intentions.

Palestinians are demoralized because the Obama administration has not been able to pressure Israel to halt its construction on lands they claim for a future state. They fear that if President Barack Obama isn't able to wrest that concession, he won't be able to prod Israel to make other, more sweeping compromises that would be needed to nail down a final peace deal.

The Palestinians say the settlements are undermining their dream of independence by gobbling up large chunks of territory they claim as part of a future state. Some 500,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967.

Late last month, Abbas told Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that he would not run for re-election, but backed off after Obama called him and expressed his commitment to Mideast peacemaking, Abbas aides have said.

But days later, in a visit to Israel, Clinton had warm praise for Israel's willingness to somewhat limit construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, deepening Palestinian anxiety.

Wednesday night, Abbas informed allies in his Fatah Party that he would not run, and on Thursday, he delivered the same message to the decision-making body of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Abbas' decision aside, it is not clear that elections will be held at all. Islamic Hamas militants who seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 have said they would not participate.

Oman achieves self-sufficiency in crop cultivation

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Unlike many of its neighboring countries, agriculture plays a significant role in Oman's economy with the Gulf state achieving a high level of self-sufficiency in several crops, including fruits and vegetables.

Estimates indicate that some 1.3 million Omanis, more than 60 per cent of the country's population, is employed in the farm sector. Agricultural exports accounted for 37 per cent of the Gulf state's non-oil exports last year, fetching RO13 million in foreign exchange.

However, its financing requirements are virtually entirely met by state institutions despite repeated calls by the authorities for the private sector to contribute more. Government-run Oman Development Bank, or ODB, provides 98 per cent of the agricultural sector's credit requirements, a meager two per cent coming commercial banks.

The issue came up for in-depth discussion during a high-profile national symposium on agriculture that ended in Ibri on Tuesday.

The seminar, held on orders from His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, was attended by several ministers, under-secretaries and key officials from both the public and private sectors. Sultan Qaboos, on his annual 'Meet the People' tour of the country, is currently camping at Saih Al Makarem in Ibri in the Dhahirah region.

"ODB contributed by 98 per cent (of total agricultural financing) during the last four years by providing soft loans with no more than three per cent interest rates," a paper presented by Mohammed bin Salim Al Wadhahi of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Hamad bin Salim al Harthy, Assistant General Manager, ODB, said.

They observed that one of the main challenges faced by the farm sector was the aversion' shown by commercial banks and private finance companies to provide credit to it. This situation, in turn, resulted from the high risks and unavailability of insurance cover for agricultural projects, they said.

In the past ten years, ODB has funded more than 6,300 projects worth RO37 million. It is due to launch a seasonal loan scheme for farmers titled Mawsimi' by the end of the year.

The paper also noted that inadequacies in marketing was another stumbling block, as was the presence of a large number of expatriate workers in the farms.

It called for new efforts to step up agricultural exports, the introduction of agricultural insurance products, encouraging private banks to play an active part in the development of the sector and the setting up of central markets in various regions.

Agriculture and its allied sectors have received special care in sultanate's Seventh Five-Year Plan. The amended allocations will amount to RO53 million by the end of 2009, a growth of 279 per cent compared to the original allocations for the sector which was 
RO14 million.

Together with provisions for irrigation and water resources development, the total outlay in the sector will be RO189 million.

Agriculture Minister Shaikh Salim bin Hilal Al Khalili outlined the ministry's plans to promote research, particularly aimed at increasing productivity, while a paper presented by the Public Authority for Craft Industries (Paci) suggested planting of more trees used as raw materials for traditional industries which, it noted, would benefit both craftsmen and farmers.

By Ravindra Nath

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093280955.

Saudi Education Minister suffered from swine flu

(MENAFN - Arab News) Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah has revealed he had caught swine flu. "I did not know that I had contracted H1N1 virus except after conducting medical tests," the minister said in reports published on Wednesday. He has since recovered.

Prince Faisal said he had received the same medication that the ministry is now offering to schools to combat the disease. "There is no need for this big hue and cry created by the media about swine flu," he added.

He blamed the media for causing a panic about the disease. "There is no need to close schools again," the minister said. But a reporter interrupted him, claiming people were worried about the disease.

Prince Faisal then retorted: "There is no fear. You, the media, are frightening the public. It's true that swine flu is spreading fast but there's no fear about it."

He said it would not be mandatory for students to receive the anti-swine flu vaccine. He acknowledged that the arrangements to fight the disease in schools had been poorly implemented in certain places.

"Some of these schools are located in far-off places and it's difficult to supply the required facilities there," he explained.

Meanwhile, the swine flu related death of a 12-year-old schoolboy in Rass last week has led to a massive increase in absenteeism in schools in Qassim. Raid Naser Al-Otaibi, a pupil at Al-Abbas Intermediate School, died due to the H1N1 virus, something that led to his school's closure for a week. "We were closed for a week after Raid's death last week," said Mohammad Al-Ghufaily, the headmaster of Al-Abbas Intermediate School. "We also experienced a poor attendance on Saturday," he added.

"Raid was fine and was checked by the Ministry of Education's medical unit. His medical report showed he was fit ... his death was a shock to us," said Al-Ghufaily. "We only give students the swine flu medication if their temperature does not go down after one day," said Dr. Munir Ibrahim, a physician at the Ministry of Education's medical unit in Rass.

He added that the medical unit does not conduct tests to verify whether a patient is infected with swine flu or not. "The test is only performed in a laboratory in Riyadh," he added.

Parents are also concerned about sending their children to school fearing they may catch swine flu.

By Khaled Al-Awadh

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093280996.