UN peacekeepers find explosives in South Lebanon

BEIRUT, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Sunday that they discovered a large quantity of explosives in South Lebanon on Saturday night, the country's National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The report quoted a UNIFIL Command statement as saying that a patrol in the southern part of the town of Khiyam found five people carrying out suspicious activities. When the patrol approached them, the five fled and left a large quantity of explosives.

The Lebanese Army was directly notified, and joint effort was made to track the culprits. The UNFIL and Lebanese Army dismantled the explosives and safely handed them to the custody of the Army.

The explosives were found shortly after a car bomb killed at least two Hamas members in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

The UNIFIL viewed the presence of unauthorized explosives in the area as a direct breach of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and prohibits any unauthorized arms in South Lebanon, according to the statement.

The investigation of this case is still underway.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/27/content_12712475.htm.

Turkish premier says new budget prepared as way out of crisis

The Turkish prime minister said on Sunday that the government had prepared the new budget as a way out of global crisis.

Turkey's Premier Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that his government had prepared the budget of 2010 as a budget to come out of the global crisis.

"The parliament passed the budget of 2010 on Friday," Erdoğan said during a regular general assembly of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in Istanbul.

Erdoğan also said the new budget was a socially-strong budget, like the previous seven budgets.

The Turkish Parliament approved the governmental budget for the year 2010 in a session held on Friday.

The budgetary expenses for 2010 were listed as 286.9 billion liras (approx. 190 billion USD) while budgetary income was estimated as 236.7 billion liras (approx. 156.7 billion USD). The budget deficit for 2010 was listed as 50.1 billion liras (approx. 33.1 billion USD).

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-196757-105-turkish-premier-says-new-budget-prepared-as-way-out-of-crisis.html.

Gaza Hamas leaders head for Syria over prisoner swap

GAZA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Hamas delegation left the Gaza Strip on Sunday for Syria to talk with exiled Hamas leaders there about a prisoner swap deal with Israel.

The delegation comprises Mahmoud Zahar, a member of Hamas' politburo, and Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official based in Gaza, said Ayman Taha, a spokesman for the Islamic movement.

The visit to Syria is aimed at penning a response to an Israeli offer on the prisoner exchange, according to Taha.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday green lighted the continuation of talks on the prisoner swap deal with Hamas, saying Israel prefers to expel around 127 West Bank prisoners to Gaza or abroad.

On Wednesday, Hamas received the Israeli offer from the German mediator and requested a respite to respond to it, sources close to Hamas told Xinhua then, adding that Hamas officials need to discuss the offer with their higher leadership in Damascus.

Taha said the delegation, which left for Cairo en route to Syria, will not hold talks in Cairo with the Egyptians, who also mediate the indirect talks between Hamas and Israel.

The German mediator, Ernst Uhrlau, is scheduled to return to the region after the Christmas and New Year holiday to receive Hamas' response.

Hamas and Israel have been holding indirect talks through Germany and Egypt to finalize the prisoner swap deal in which Hamas asked Israel to release around 1,000 prisoners to exchange the Israeli corporal it captured in a cross-border raid near Gaza in 2006.

However, Israel rejected freeing some of the prisoners Hamas demanded whom it considers a threat to Israeli security.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/28/content_12712485.htm.

Palestine: Hamas condemns assassinations of Palestinians by Israel

By Saed Bannoura

IMEMC News:

Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, reported Saturday that the execution of three fighters in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, come as an outcome of the security coordination between the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas and the “Zionist entity”.

The three fighters are members of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh movement led by president Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas said that the assassination came only one day after Fateh security forces in the West Bank arrested several members of the Al Aqsa Brigades.

In a press release, Hamas said that the “Zionist enemy is renewing its aggression against our people in the West Bank amidst ongoing siege, attacks and violations against the Gaza Strip.

The movement demanded the Palestinians, especially all resistance fighters in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; to remain alert as such assassinations are expected to be escalated by Israel.

It added that the assassinations, including the killing of three more Palestinians near the Gaza border on Saturday, are part of the Israeli aggression against the steadfast Palestinians in every part of Palestine.

Source: The Muslim News.
Link: http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=17303.

Haniyeh urges Egypt to end Gaza siege

Hamas Prime Minister has called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to move towards putting an end to the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.

On the first anniversary of Israel's three-week war on the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh said Palestinians expect their "Arab brothers" to reduce the suffering of Gazans, who "live in the largest prison in the history of modern time."

The premier called on Cairo to open the Rafah border crossing and stop the construction of an underground steel wall along the border with the Gaza Strip.

Haniyeh went on to say that the "strategic relations" between Egypt and the movement, makes Cairo responsible to put an end to the Israeli occupation of the territory.

"The [Israeli] occupation is the main reason behind the suffering of our people," he added.

The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli siege sine Hamas took power in the sliver in June 2007.

Egyptian authorities kept Rafah border crossing - Gaza's only crossing that bypasses Israel - closed during the Gaza War.

Cairo is now building an underground wall, which has destroyed many tunnels along the border that have served as a crucial lifeline since Israel sealed off the strip from almost all vital supplies three years ago.

The wall will be 9 to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) long, and will go as deep as 20 to 30 meters into the ground.

Source: Trend.
Link: http://en.trend.az/regions/met/palestine/1608862.html.

Egypt denies entry to Viva Palestina convoy, Turkish MPs

The Egyptian government on Saturday prevented the Viva Palestina convoy, which includes Turkish lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), from entering Egypt. The convoy, comprising at least 450 people from various parts of the world, left London on Dec. 3 and was expected to enter Gaza by Dec. 27, the first anniversary of an Israeli attack that left nearly 1,500 Palestinians dead and another 5,000 injured.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he supports the convoy and urged Egypt to allow the Turkish deputies to enter. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited Turkey twice this year, with his latest visit on Dec. 15. However, analysts say Egypt’s move may raise tension between Turkey and Egypt. In protest, five British citizens went on a hunger strike on Sunday until the convoy is allowed to enter Egypt. Other members of the convoy prayed and lit 1,500 candles symbolizing the 1,500 Palestinians who were killed in last year’s Israeli attack on Gaza.

Around 250 trucks carrying European, Turkish and Arab aid -- both food and medical supplies -- arrived in Jordan from Syria this week and was headed to the Red Sea port of Aqaba for the ferry journey to the Egyptian Sinai port of Nuweiba. The convoy teams from the US and the UK said they would burn their cars if the Egyptian government does not allow them to enter the country. British Member of Parliament George Galloway, who is leading the convoy, issued a statement urging Egypt to facilitate the convoy’s passage.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu asked for diplomatic talks to take place between Turkish and Egyptian officials at the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara and the Turkish Embassy in Egypt. Davutoğlu’s attempts to persuade Egypt to allow the convoy to enter Gaza were unsuccessful. Egypt continues to insist that the convoy should return to Syria and then enter Egypt through the port of al-Arish. Only after that will Egypt consider allowing the convoy in. Bülent Yıldırım, president of the Humanitarian Aid Foundation (İHH), said they have been waiting at the port of Aqaba for almost three days and added that Egypt says it stands by Israel. “The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that they will not allow the convoy to enter Egypt as it is a political convoy. Its name has in it the word ‘freedom’,” Yıldırım said.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-196833-100-egypt-denies-entry-to-viva-palestina-convoy-turkish-mps.html.

Kadyrov's "ministers" are beaten in Turkey by Ichkerian supporters!

As CaucasusNews reports, Kadyrov's and then pro-Russian puppets were beaten up in Turkey. On 25th December, pro-Russian so-called ministers in Chechnya came to Turkey, Istanbul, to give a concert named "Chechen-Turkish friendship".

Pro-Russian so-called "Mayor" of the city of Grozny Muslim Huchiev and pro-Russian so called "minister of culture" Dikalo Muzikaev, came to tribune to give a speech at front of the gathered Ichkerian public in Turkey. They were presenting Russian signers in Chechnya.

At that time, some of the Chechen Ichkerian civilians living in Turkey screamed out: "Ichkeria - Forever!" Then five of the Ichkerian supporters came up to the stage with five Ichkerian flags with the pictures of wolf on them. Kadyrov dogs became angry and even demanded to take Ichkerian flag off the stage. Then one of the five Ichkerian guys who came up to the stage tighten Ichkerian flag over himself and stated: "If you are the men, then take it off my body now!" And then he added: "I will f..k up anyone who will put his hands on my national flag of Ichkeria!"

More than hundred of Kadyrov body guards came to help their so-called "minister" and "mayor". Even though, Kadyrovs were more than Ichkerian proud boys, Ichkerian proud boys were specifically stronger and greater in this fight! All of Kadyrov members got injured along with so-called "minister" and "mayor", Muslim Huchiev and Dikali Muzikaev.

Audience that was watching the happening on the stage rushed to fight and beat Kadyrov people! One of the participants from the audience side said: "I feel proud taking a part in this fight because I broke two Kadirov's noses!" Another one said: "There is no place for Kadyrov people where they will feel safe, Insha Allah! Our brothers explode them in Chechnya and even here we are ready to take actions against them! We will fight with them unless our Motherland become free! Allahu Akbar!"

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The same thing happened in Belgium, where Kadyrov signers came to give a concert. The concert was cut off because few groups of Ichkerian boys came up to the stage and raised big Ichkerian flag. Kadyrov signers felt unsafe after Ichkerian activity on the stage and fled straight home.

Source: Chechen Center.
Link: http://www.chechencenter.info/n/breaking-news/34-breaking-news/245-1.html.