New York Smoking Ban Extended to Parks and Times Square
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lawmakers have voted to extend New York City's smoking ban to parks, beaches – and Times Square.

The ban approved on Wednesday by a vote of 36-12 is one of the most ambitious outdoor anti-tobacco efforts in the U.S.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says the new law will save lives and make New York a healthier place to live. >>> | Thursday, February 03, 2011

Butt Out: New York City Council Bans Smoking on Beaches, in Public Parks in 36 to 12 vote
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: A unusually divided City Council on Wednesday passed a total ban on smoking in parks, beaches and public plazas.

Council members in favor of the bill gave impassioned speeches about loved ones who died of smoking-related cancers and children who suffered from asthma.

Opponents crowed about civil liberties, but came up short in rallying enough votes to strike down the ban.

It passed 36 to 12.

The ban on smoking in parks is the latest proposal from Mayor Bloomberg to curtail New Yorkers' bad habits. >>> Erin Einhorn, Daily News City Hall Bureau | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Smoking Ban for Beaches and Parks Is Approved
THE NEW YORK TIMES: After a bitter debate over individual liberties and the role of government, the City Council on Wednesday handily approved a bill to ban smoking in 1,700 city parks and along 14 miles of city beaches.

By a 36-to-12 vote, the Council passed the most significant expansion of antismoking laws since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg pushed to prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars in 2002.

The Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, said the ban was an affirmation of the rights of nonsmokers. “Their health and their lives should not be negatively impacted because other people have decided to smoke,” Ms. Quinn said at a news conference.
Opponents of the bill spoke strongly against it; several members derided it as an overly broad law that would infringe on individual liberties.

“We’re moving towards a totalitarian society if in fact we’re going to have those kinds of restrictions on New Yorkers,” said Councilman Robert Jackson of Manhattan, who described himself as a marathon runner and nonsmoker.

Others said the ban would set a dangerous precedent. Councilman Daniel J. Halloran III of Queens said, “Once we pass this, we will next be banning smoking on sidewalks, and then in the cars of people who are driving minors and then in the homes.”

A compromise that would establish designated smoking areas outdoors was scuttled by Council leaders in favor of an all-out ban. The bill will become law 90 days after Mr. Bloomberg signs it, which he is expected to do this month. >>> Javier C. Hernandez | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

ANTI-RAUCHER-STADT – NYC: Rauchverbot in allen Parks und Fußgängerzonen
KRONE: Die härteste Anti-Raucher-Stadt der Welt bleibt ihrem Kurs treu: Das Stadtparlament von New York City hat am Mittwoch eine Ausweitung des bereits bestehenden Nichtraucherschutzgesetzes auf öffentliche Plätze beschlossen. In den 1.700 Parks und Fußgängerzonen der Stadt kostet ein Griff zum Glimmstengel 50 Dollar Strafe.

Die Mittagspause mit Kaffee und Tschick im Central Park, die Rauchpause am Times Square und der qualmende Spaziergang am Flussufer werden für die New Yorker Raucher bald der Vergangenheit angehören. Die Abgeordneten des Stadtparlaments votierten am Mittwoch mit 36 zu zwölf Stimmen für das strikte Rauchverbot, das neben Restaurants und Bars künftig auch in den 1.700 Parks der Stadt, an Uferpromenaden und in Fußgängerzonen gelten soll. >>> | Donnerstag, 03. Februar 2011

New York adopte l'interdiction de fumer dans les lieux de plein air
LE MONDE: Il sera désormais interdit de s'en griller une petite sur les pelouses de Central Park. Après les Espagnols, c'est désormais au tour des New-Yorkais de devoir se conformer à une loi antitabac particulièrement restrictive. Le conseil municipal de New York a adopté, mercredi 3 février [sic], l'interdiction de fumer dans ses parcs, sur ses plages et autres lieux de plein air.

L'interdiction, immédiatement salué par le maire de la ville, Michael Bloomberg, s'étend aux 1 700 parcs et aux quelque 22 kilomètres de plages de la ville, ainsi qu'à des quartiers piétonniers comme Times Square ou aux promenades, de Brighton Beach à Brooklyn.

Michael Bloomberg, un ancien fumeur devenu adversaire acharné de la cigarette, s'était heurté à une forte opposition en 2003, lorsqu'il avait interdit de fumer dans les bars et les restaurants. Il était, à cette date, un pionnier de la lutte contre le tabagisme passif mais, depuis, des centaines de villes à travers le pays, dont Chicago et Los Angeles, ont interdit de fumer dans les parcs et sur les plages. >>> LEMONDE.FR avec AFP | Jeudi 03 Février 2011


THE GUARDIAN: Times Square becomes smoke free as New York extends ban outdoors: Smoking prohibited in parks and beaches in biggest anti-smoking push since ban from restaurants and bars in 2002 >>> Ed Pilkington in New York | Thursday, February 03, 2011

New York used to be a fun city to visit. Alas, those days have long gone. I have spent a few great short breaks in the Big Apple; but I doubt that I shall ever return. There are many other, far more tolerant cities to visit. And I speak as an ex-smoker! So the smoking ban would have absolutely no effect on me.

But there is something quite objectionable about the lengths that Michael Bloomberg is going to to stop New Yorkers having any pleasure from life. But let's face it: There is something quite objectionable about Michael Bloomberg himself, anyway. So what else can we expect from this little squirt, this little pip squeak?

At a mere 5' 6" tall, the man displays all the characteristics of a man overcompensating for his physical shortcomings, for his physical handicap. Indeed, it would seem that he suffers from the notorious Napoleon complex. The man is an utter killjoy! A despicable, obsessed killjoy at that! Further, he is clearly neurotic. Check out his profile on Wikipedia. He is so obviously a man with far more money than sense.

Meanwhile, I feel sorry for the poor New Yorkers who have to be subjected to this man's nasty, selfish little ways. He has spoilt the fun of many New Yorkers. Now it’s the parks and beaches. Next it will be the sidewalks. Then it will be smoking in anyone’s home (already a reality in many apartments in the city, I’m told), and then it will be alcohol, etc. He’s already started his battles against salt, and trans fats. Did this man lack his own nanny, or what? Couldn’t his mother afford one for him? Is this why he now wants to nanny everyone else instead?

The sad thing is that these ridiculous laws will soon be enacted this side of the Atlantic too, since our European politicians are incapeable of thinking for themselves. As a result, any crap the Americans come up with is soon copied here. It appears these days to be de rigueur in European politics to copy all things American.

When I gave up smoking, I didn’t expect the rest of the world to give up with me. Not so Michael Bloomberg. He is an ex-smoker – I believe I am right in saying an ex-chain-smoker (has Google expunged this fact for dollars?) – and when he decided to give up, he also decided that everyone else was going to have to give up with him! And as he couldn’t achieve that goal, he decided that he was going to use his money and cocky ways to make life as difficult as possible for those that refused to comply!

Although I have given up, I recognise that I derived many hours of pleasure from the habit; and I have no desire to deprive others of the joy it gave me for many years. And yes, as much as people these days don’t want to hear it, smoking can be cool, smoking can be sexy too. But it all depends on the smoker, of course.

Let all sensible, fair-minded people hope that this kind of health fascism doesn’t reach Europe to the same level of magnitude. America used to be considered the land of the free. Sadly, those days have gone. Everything in Ameerica is so restricted these days. It’s all about what you can’t do, not what you can do! Let us all hope for better, freer times. However, I doubt that we shall see them return in our lifetimes. Things have gone way too far! – © Mark

This comment also appears in The Guardian, here

Arab World Faces Its Uncertain Future
THE NEW YORK TIMES: CAIRO — The future of the Arab world, perched between revolt and the contempt of a crumbling order, was fought for in the streets of downtown Cairo on Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of protesters who have reimagined the very notion of citizenship in a tumultuous week of defiance proclaimed with sticks, home-made bombs and a shower of rocks that they would not surrender their revolution to the full brunt of an authoritarian government that answered their calls for change with violence.

The Arab world watched a moment that suggested it would never be the same again — and waited to see whether protest or crackdown would win the day. Words like “uprising” and “revolution” only hint at the scale of events in Egypt, which have already reverberated across Yemen, Jordan, Syria and even Saudi Arabia, offering a new template for change in a region that long reeled from its own sense of stagnation. “Every Egyptian understands now,” said Magdi al-Sayyid, one of the protesters.

The protesters have spoken for themselves to a government that, like many across the Middle East, treated them as a nuisance. For years, pundits have predicted that Islamists would be the force that toppled governments across the Arab world. But so far, they have been submerged in an outpouring of popular dissent that speaks to a unity of message, however fleeting — itself a sea change in the region’s political landscape. In the vast panorama of Tahrir Square on Wednesday, Egyptians were stationed at makeshift barricades, belying pat dismissals of the power of the Arab street.

“The street is not afraid of governments anymore,” said Shawki al-Qadi, an opposition lawmaker in Yemen, itself roiled by change. “It is the opposite. Governments and their security forces are afraid of the people now. The new generation, the generation of the Internet, is fearless. They want their full rights, and they want life, a dignified life.”
The power of Wednesday’s stand was that it turned those abstractions into reality. >>> Anthony Shadid | Wednesday, February 03, 2011

The Domino Effect: Tunisia Engulfed. Egypt in Flames. Jordan Teetering. As the Arab World Unravels, Should the West Be Worried?
North Africa and the Middle East. Map: Mail Online
MAIL ONLINE: Egypt was still in utter turmoil last night, despite President Hosni Mubarak’s announcement that he will resign in September.

More than one ­million demonstrators were still on the streets - most of them calling for Mubarak to quit now.

More than a thousand miles further south, growing unrest in Yemen caused the country’s veteran president Ali ­Abdullah Saleh to announce he would not be seeking another term.

Clearly unnerved, he abandoned hopes of ­creating a ruling family dynasty, ­promising not to hand power to his son Ahmed.

Leader after leader in the Arab world has been toppled by one of the most astonishing displays of sustained people power ever witnessed.

It was all sparked by the so-called ­Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, where two weeks of spontaneous demon­strations last month resulted in the departure of President Ben Ali.

But if revolution can spread from ­Tunisia to Egypt and then to Yemen in a fortnight, where might it take hold next?

Saudi Arabia - ruled by its dynastical royal family - finds itself completely out of step with these calls for democracy.

The House of Saud is too rich and powerful to be swept away any time soon, but it’s terrified by what is happening.

Such unrest is spreading like wildfire through the region. That’s why King Abdullah of Jordan yesterday dismissed his unpopular government and made a lot of noise about reform. He can sense which way the winds are blowing. Read on and comment >>> John R. Bradley | Thursday, February 03, 2011

Egypt: The Zealots Waiting in the Wings
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Political and economic instability are now the order of the day in Egypt, says Praveen Swami - and the highly motivated Muslim Brotherhood are most likely to be the beneficiaries

On the morning after tens of thousands of protesters first began to gather in the streets of Egypt’s cities to voice their rage against the regime, the state-owned newspaper al-Ahram ran a banner headline on the crisis enveloping the Middle East: “Demonstrations in Lebanon,” it announced.

More than a week later, daily demonstrations have ripped away the veil of denial represented by that farcical front page. It is becoming increasingly clear that continuing protests, and mounting international pressure, will force out Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s president. It is much less clear, though, what will come next: a democratic era that might transform the Middle East or a descent into chaos that could see the rise of an Islamist order that will undo Egypt’s relationship with the West, threaten Israel and give new life to radical movements across the region.

Has a grim sunset been mistaken for a glorious dawn? For days now, articulate, English-speaking members of Egypt’s middle class have been reassuring the world that their protests are not about to be hijacked by Islamists. But the secular middle class, which has thrown its weight behind Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei is disorganised and lacks a wide social base. Egypt’s political future will, instead, likely be decided by the Muslim Brotherhood, which has the assets needed to conduct mass politics effectively: a million-strong membership, deep organisational roots across small-town Egypt, and a nationwide network of schools, hospitals and charities. >>> Praveen Swami | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Egypt's Revolution Turns Ugly as Mubarak Fights Back
THE GUARDIAN: • Extraordinary scenes in central Cairo
• Violent battles in cities across the country
• Foreign journalists deliberately targeted

Egypt's pro-democracy revolution descended into violence and bloodshed as President Hosni Mubarak's regime launched a co-ordinated bid to wrest back control of city streets, crush the popular uprising, and reassert its authority.

There were extraordinary scenes in the centre of Cairo as anti-government demonstrators fought running battles with organised cohorts of Mubarak supporters, exchanging blows with iron bars, sticks and rocks.

At one point pro-Mubarak forces rode camels and horses into central Tahrir Square, scattering opponents. At least three people were killed and up to 1,500 injured according to medical sources.

Clashes continued into the early hours even though the pro-Mubarak supporters had been pushed back to the edge of the square. Gunshots and explosions – possibly from gas canisters – echoed around the area. A palm tree and a building caught alight while fires were burning outside the historic Egyptian museum as petrol bombs were hurled back and forth between the two opposing factions. >>> Peter Beaumont, Jack Shenker in Cairo, Harriet Sherwood in Alexandria, Simon Tisdall | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Blutiger Machtkampf im Zentrum von Kairo: Steinwurf-Salven, Selbstjustiz und Hass: Am Tag nach dem eindrucksvollen "Marsch der Millionen" tobten in Kairo bürgerkriegsähnliche Kämpfe zwischen Mubarak-Gegnern und seinen urplötzlich mobilisierten Anhängern. Ein Protokoll der Stunden, die den Traum einer friedlichen Revolution zunichte machten. >>> Aus Kairo berichtet Matthias Gebauer | Mittwoch, 02. Februar 2011

Al Jazeera English: Live Stream
Watch the broadcast here

Egypt Protests: Mubarak Shows His Dark Side
THE GUARDIAN: The counter-revolutionary message to the people from an unvanquished, still vicious regime is: it's over – go home, or else

Hosni Mubarak launched his counter-revolution today, sending waves of armed thugs to do battle with pro-democracy demonstrators in Cairo and other cities. The attacks, reportedly involving plainclothes police and vigilantes as well as pro-regime citizens, appeared to be carefully co-ordinated and timed. And the army, which only days earlier had sworn to protect "legitimate" rights of protesters, stood back and watched as the blood flowed.

This ugly turn of events should come as no surprise. What is unusual is that the regime tolerated such levels of unrest for nearly a week.

Mubarak was never quite a dictator in the Saddam Hussein or Robert Mugabe mould. His rule was more akin to the semi-enlightened despotism of an 18th-century European monarch. But at bottom, it always depended on coercion and force. Today, the pretence of reasonableness was torn away. His dark side showed for all to see. >>> Simon Tisdall | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

THE TIMES: Hundreds are injured in battle for Cairo: Egypt’s popular uprising was descending into a bloodbath tonight after President Hosni Mubarak, fighting for his political survival, unleashed thousands of violent supporters on to the pro-democracy demonstrators desperately holding on to central Tahrir Square. >>> James Hider, Cairo | Wednesday, February 02, 2011 [£]

Egypt Protests Give Arab Media a Headache
THE GUARDIAN: In their Egypt coverage the Arab media – like the regimes they report on – have failed to move on from the old ways

Faced with an event of Berlin Wall magnitude on its home turf, the Arab media is torn over the uprising in Egypt and how to report it, if at all.

In the old days, the media's role was not so much to report the news as to "guide" the public, shielding them from "harmful" information or anything that might inflame their passions.

That ceased to be a viable option more than 20 years ago with the arrival of satellite television, especially al-Jazeera, and since then the internet has made it less viable still. And yet, large sections of the Arab media still persist in their hidebound ways.

At the weekend, while al-Jazeera was providing minute-by-minute coverage of events in Tahrir Square (and generally doing it better than western news organisations), Egyptian state television was focusing its cameras on quieter parts of Cairo, including a tranquil bridge over the Nile.

In Oman, ruled despotically by Sultan Qaboos for the last 40 years, it is much the same. The Oman Observer seems only interested in reporting government news from Egypt.

On Sunday, its headline was "Mubarak picks vice-president" and on Tuesday it was "Egypt unveils new cabinet". This morning, after yesterday's dramatic events in Cairo, it ignores Egypt completely.

In the same country, meanwhile, the Times of Oman has been playing a slightly straighter bat: "Egyptians seek million-strong march to oust Mubarak". It even quoted a protester saying: "The only thing we will accept from him [Mubarak] is that he gets on a plane and leaves." >>> Brian Whitaker | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Egypt in Flames: 300 Feared Dead and 500 Injured as Revolution Descends into Bloodbath
MAIL ONLINE: • Army turns water cannon on protesters in desperate bid to end violence • Mubarak supports charge Liberation Square on horses and camels • Rocks and concrete blocks hurled at pro-democracy demonstration • World leaders call for calm as situation spirals out of control

Thousands of supporters of President Hosni Mubarak today attacked anti-government protesters as fresh turmoil gripped Egypt.

Backers of the president, who last night agreed to relinquish his grip on power, fought with the crowds in Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square, at least 500 injured.

Some rode into the ranks on horses and camels and wielding whips. In chaotic scenes, they pelted each other with stones, large sticks and machetes.

The death toll since protests began is now believed to have hit 300.

Many of those who demonstrated in support of the regime are believed to be secret police in plain clothes. There were reports that concrete blocks has been hurled on pro-democracy protesters.

The army has stood by and refused to intervene so far. But there are growing fears that there will be a massacre. Opposition leader Mohamed ElBarawi said that Mr Mubarak was using 'scare tactics' to stay in power.

I'm extremely concerned. My fear is that it will turn into a bloodbath,' he said. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Egypt Crisis: Mubarak Supporters on Horseback Attack Anti-government Protesters
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Several thousand supporters of President Hosni Mubarak, including some riding horses and camels and wielding whips, have attacked anti-government protesters as tensions in Egypt escalate.


In chaotic scenes, the two sides pelted each other with stones, and protesters dragged attackers off their horses.

This is the first significant violence between supporters of the two camps in more than a week of anti-government protests.

It erupted after President Mubarak went on national television on Tuesday night and rejected demands he step down immediately and said he would serve out the remaining seven months of his term.

On Wednesday morning, a military spokesman appeared on state television and asked the protesters to disperse so life in Egypt could get back to normal.

The announcement could mark a major turn in the attitude of the army, which for the past two days has allowed protests to swell, reaching their largest size yet on Tuesday when a quarter-million peace packed into Cairo's central Tahrir Square. >>> | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Poland Wants Auschwitz Website to Drop .pl Suffix
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Poland wants to ditch the .pl suffix to the Auschwitz.pl website in an effort to ensure people realise that Nazi Germany’s most infamous death camp was not Polish.

Bogdan Zdrojewski, the Polish culture minister, said he had asked the authorities at the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum, along with their counterparts at the Majdanek and Stutthof concentration camps, to change their domain names to either .com or .eu. >>>

Anti Government Protests in Sudan
Sudan is another country that is now feeling the effect of the protests in Egypt. Students have been rallying for regime change since Sunday. They say that they will not be cowed by arrests and beatings. But as Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall reports, there is a striking difference between Sudan and its neighbour

US Student Bypasses Egypt's Web Blackout
After internet services were disconnected in Egypt, protesters were prevented from speaking to the world. But thanks to John Scott Railton, a Los Angeles based student, who took upon himself the task of uploading messages on micro blogging site twitter. He started making calls and posting messages on a twitter account he created for the Egyptian protests

Egypt Military Calls for End to Protests
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Egyptian military has called for an end to more than a week of demonstrations after Hosni Mubarak, the president, said he would step down in September after nearly 30 years in power.


Ismail Etman, a military spokesman, said: "Your message has arrived, your demands became known. You are capable of bringing normal life to Egypt."

The military statement came as internet service began to return to Egypt, while a night-time curfew was eased, now running from 5pm to 7am instead of 3pm to 8am.

Despite Mr Mubarak's pledge, crowds were building in Cairo for a ninth day of protests to try to force out Mr Mubarak earlier.

The movement built on the work of online activists is fuelled by deep frustration with an autocratic regime blamed for ignoring the needs of the poor and allowing corruption and official abuse to run rampant. >>> | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Ismail Etman, Egypt's Military Spokesman Calls for Restoring Normality
In an emotional plea to bring life back to normal in Egypt, the country's military has called for protesters to leave the streets

WELT ONLINE: Straßenschlachten – Kairo versinkt im Chaos: Die Gewalt auf dem Tahrir-Platz in Kairo eskaliert: Zwischen Anhängern und Gegnern von Präsident Husni Mubarak kam es zu Schlägereien, es flogen Steine und Flaschen. LAGE IN ÄGYPTEN IM LIVE-TICKER >>> | Mittwoch, 02. Februar 2011

Yemen President to Step Down
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has said that he will step down when the current term of his 30-year rule expires in 2013.

Mr Saleh, who has faced calls to resign from crowds of protesters this week, said he will freeze constitutional amendments that could see him re-elected for another term.

Eyeing protests that brought down Tunisia's leader and forced Egypt's president to say he will not seek re-election in September, Mr Saleh also vowed not to pass on the reins of government to his son.

Mr Saleh has become the third Arab leader this year forced to resign due to a wave of street protests calling for democratic reforms across North Africa and the Middle East. >>> | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Barbara Bush Is Latest Republican to Break Ranks on Gay Marriage
THE GUARDIAN – BLOGS – RICHARD ADAMS: George Bush's daughter Barbara is the latest high profile Republican to call for the legalisation of gay marriage

Barbara Bush on gay marriage: "Everyone should have the right to marry"
Barbara Bush, the daughter of George Bush, became the latest high profile Republican recruit to endorse the cause of gay marriage.

"I'm Barbara Bush and I'm a New Yorker for marriage equality," the former First Daughter announces in a video for the Human Right Campaign released today. "Everyone should have the right to marry the person that they love." Read on and comment >>> Richard Adams | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

WikiLeaks: Al-Qaeda 'Is Planning a Dirty Bomb'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Al-Qaeda is actively tr[y]ing to secure nuclear material and [is] recruiting rogue scientists to build a radioactive "dirty" bomb, according to leaked diplomatic documents.

A leading atomic regulator has privately warned that the world stands on the brink of a "nuclear 9/11".

Security briefings suggest that jihadi groups are also close to producing "workable and efficient" biological and chemical weapons that could kill thousands if unleashed in attacks on the West.

Thousands of classified American cables obtained by the WikiLeaks website and passed to The Daily Telegraph detail the international struggle to stop the spread of weapons-grade nuclear, chemical and biological material around the globe.

At a Nato meeting in January 2009, security chiefs briefed member states that al-Qaeda was plotting a programme of "dirty radioactive IEDs", makeshift nuclear roadside bombs that could be used against British troops in Afghanistan.

As well as causing a large explosion, a "dirty bomb" attack would contaminate the area for many years.

The briefings also state that al-Qaeda documents found in Afghanistan in 2007 revealed that "greater advances" had been made in bio-terrorism than was previously realised. >>> Heidi Blake, and Christopher Hope | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

One Last Chance to Leave Homes, Anna Bligh Tells Queenslanders in Cyclone Yasi's Path
THE AUSTRALIAN: FAR-NORTH Queenslanders in low-lying areas have been warned to leave their homes immediately, as Cyclone Yasi bears down on the region.

Premier Anna Bligh told residents there was a closing window of opportunity for people to get out of the coastal, low-lying areas.

"There is still an opportunity for you to move to a place of safety," she said, after a disaster management meeting this morning.

"I cannot say in the strongest possible terms, you have to take this opportunity now. It will close in the next three hours."

Army personnel are door-knocking areas in Queensland's northern capital of Townsville, where the latest modelling shows an increased storm surge from the category five cyclone.

"The next 24 hours is going to be, frankly, a very terrifying 24 hours for many people," she said.

"Now is the time for people to prepare themselves and their families and their children mentally for what they are about to experience."

She urged people to prepare for very loud wind noise, torrential rain and a loss of power and phone access. >>> Roseanne Barrett | Wednesday, February 02, 2011


WA TODAY: Yasi already causing damage in Innisfail >>> Staff reporters | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

LENIN-MAUSOLEUM: Laut Umfrage sind 69 Prozent für Umbettung nach St. Petersburg
In Moskau hat sich in einer Umfrage die Mehrheit der Teilnehmer für eine Umbettung Lenins vom Roten Platz in ein Grab in St. Petersburg ausgesprochen.

Muslim Brotherhood a Threat to Take Power?
Why worst-case scenario in Egypt could mean big problems for the Middle East

POLITICS DAILY: After Egypt's Mubarak: The Muslim Brotherhood – After President Hosni Mubarak leaves office, Egypt plunges into an uncharted future. There is no clear path for new leadership, no political mechanisms to channel the energy of the streets, and no experience of political action in the decades the country has been under emergency rule. >>> David Wood, Chief Military Correspondent | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Tony Blair Describes Mubarak as 'Immensely Courageous and a Force for Good'
THE GUARDIAN: The former British prime minister praised Mubarak over his role in the negotiations and also warned against a rush to elections that could bring the Muslim Brotherhood to power

Tony Blair has described Hosni Mubarak, the beleaguered Egyptian leader, as "immensely courageous and a force for good" and warned against a rush to elections that could bring the Muslim Brotherhood to power.

The former British prime minister, who is now an envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, praised Mubarak over his role in the negotiations and said the west was right to back him despite his authoritarian regime because he had maintained peace with Israel.

But that view is likely to anger many Egyptians who believe they have had to endure decades of dictatorship because the US put Israel's interests ahead of their freedom.

Speaking to Piers Morgan on CNN, Blair defended his backing for Mubarak. >>> Chris McGreal in Washington | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Has Egypt Learned from Iran’s Mistakes?

EU: Baroness Ashton in Political Correctness Row over Word 'Christian'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Baroness Ashton is under fire after the EU failed to agree on a statement condemning attacks on religious minorities in the Islamic world because it is not politically correct to use the word "Christian".

A meeting of EU foreign ministers failed to agree on a condemnation of sectarian attacks over the Christmas period that targeted Christians in Egypt and Iraq.

Talks ended angrily when Italy accused Lady Ashton, the EU's foreign minister, of "excessive" political correctness because she refused to name any specific religious group as a victim of attacks.

Franco Frattini, the Italian foreign minister, demanded an EU response on the persecution of Christians after a New Year suicide bombing at a Coptic church in northern Egypt in which 23 people were killed.

The Egyptian bombing followed attacks in Baghdad and fears, expressed by the Vatican, of persecution leading to a Christian exodus from the Middle East.

Mr Frattini, backed by France, said it [was] pointless to issue statements defending religious tolerance without any references to the specific minority, Christians, that was under attack[.] >>> Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

What a stupid woman Ashton is! – Mark

IMF Raises Spectre of Civil Wars as Global Inequalities Worsen
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that "dangerous" imbalances have emerged that threaten to derail global recovery and stoke tensions that may ultimately set off civil wars in deeply unequal countries.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF's chief, said the economic rebound across the world is built on unstable foundations, with many rich nations still strapped in job slumps while the rising powers of China, India and Brazil already facing the threat of overheating. "It is not the recovery we wanted. It is a recovery beset by tensions and strain, which could even sow the seeds of the next crisis," he said.

"Global unemployment remains at record highs, with widening income inequality adding to social strains," he said, citing turmoil in North Africa as a prelude to what may happen as 400m youths join the workforce over the next decade. "We could see rising social and political instability within nations – even war," he said.

The IMF has published a paper entitled Inequality, Leverage and Crisis arguing that the extreme gap between rich and poor – with echoes of the US in the late 1920s – was an underlying cause of the Great Recession from 2008-2009.

The paper, by the Fund's modelling unit, warned of "disastrous consequences" for the world economy unless workers regain their "bargaining power" against rentiers. It suggests radical changes to the tax system and debt relief for workers. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

This blog has been warning of the possibility of civil war for several years. It has also been warning of a return to socialism because of the deep inequalities that exist today. The future does not look bright; in fact, it looks bleak indeed. – © Mark

ElBaradei Outraged by Mubarak’s Speech

Moussa Reacts to Mubarak’s Announcement

How US Is Perceived in Egypt

Crowd Angry Over Mubarak’s Announcement

THE TIMES: Mubarak announces he will stand down at the next election: President Mubarak announced last night that he would not seek a sixth term in September in a desperate attempt to prevent himself being unceremoniously deposed from power in Egypt in the coming days. >>> Martin Fletcher, James Hider, Cairo | Wednesday, February 02, 2011 [£]

Hosni Mubarak Vows to Stand Down at Next Election – But Not Now
THE GUARDIAN: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's announcement that he will serve out remaining term immediately rejected by angry crowds

Egypt's embattled president Hosni Mubarak has bowed to the pressure of millions of people massing on the streets, pledging to step down at the next election and pave the way for a new leader of the Arab world's largest country.

Mubarak, effectively abandoned by the US in a day of fast moving developments, said he would not be a candidate for a seventh term but would remain in power to oversee reform and guarantee stability — a position that was immediately rejected by angry crowds and promised yet more drama in Egypt's extraordinary crisis.

"In the few months remaining in my current term I will work towards ensuring a peaceful transition of power," Mubarak said. "I have exhausted my life in serving Egypt and my people. I will die on the soil of Egypt and be judged by history" – a clear reference to the fate of Tunisia's president who fled into exile last month.

Looking grave as he spoke on state TV in front of the presidential seal, Mubarak attacked those responsible for protests that had been "manipulated by political forces," caused mayhem and chaos and endangered the "stability of the nation."

In a defiant, finger-wagging performance the 82-year-old said he was always going to quit in September – a position he had never made public until now. >>> Jack Shenker and Peter Beaumont in Cairo and Ian Black | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Die gefährliche Ideologie der Muslimbrüder
WELT ONLINE: Husni Mubarak hat die Muslimbrüder bislang mit aller Macht bekämpft. Stürzt er, könnte die islamistische Organisation an der Regierung beteiligt werden.

Bei dem sich abzeichnenden Umbruch in Ägypten ist die künftige Rolle der Muslimbruderschaft derzeit völlig unklar. Erst spät haben sich die Brüder an den Protesten gegen die Regierung von Präsident Husni Mubarak beteiligt. Wie schon vor den Parlamentswahlen im Herbst vergangenen Jahres unterstützen sie dabei den Hoffnungsträger der Demonstranten, Mohammed al-Baradei.

„Die Revolte jetzt hat die Muslimbrüder von ihrem Sockel geholt“, sagt der stellvertretende Chefredakteur der regierungsnahen Zeitung „Al Ahram“, Abdel Athim Hamad. Bisher habe er sich nur die Islamisten als Aufrührer eines solchen Volksaufstandes vorstellen können.

Anders als er beobachten die koptischen Christen in Ägypten diese Entwicklung mit Sorge. „Die Muslimbrüder verstärken jetzt massiv ihre Propaganda, und sie bereiten sich intensiv auf die Zeit nach Mubarak vor“, sagt die leitende Redakteurin der Kairoer Wochenzeitung „Watani International“, Samia Sidhom. „Wir fürchten, dass die Bruderschaft an die Schalthebel der Macht in Kairo gelangen könnte.“

Ganz offen mahnt die US-Regierung al-Baradei schon jetzt vor einem Bündnis mit den Islamisten. Sie wünsche sich eine Regierung „echter Demokraten“, sagt US-Außenministerin Hillary Clinton.

Seit Jahrzehnten sucht die Bruderschaft den Weg zur Macht. Sie strebt eine islamische Gesellschaft an, die nach dem Recht der Scharia lebt. Erreicht hat Bruderschaft dieses Ziel in ihrer 82-jährigen Geschichte nie. Über Jahrzehnte wurden ihre Mitglieder verfolgt und mussten um ihr Leben bangen. >>> Autor: Günther Lachmann | Dienstag, 01. Februar 2011

Jordan's King Abdullah Appoints New Prime Minister as Egypt Unrest Spreads
THE GUARDIAN: New Jordanian prime minister Marouf Bakhit to preside over 'real political reform', says royal palace

Jordan's prime minister has been replaced as the political shockwaves from Egypt continue to reverberate across the Arab world. King Abdullah asked Marouf Bakhit to form a new government following the resignation of Samir al-Rifai after weeks of protests by Jordanians calling on him to step down.

Bakhit was asked to take "practical, swift and tangible steps to launch a real political reform process, in line with the king's vision of comprehensive reform, modernisation and development", said a statement from the royal palace.

But the opposition Islamic Action Front quickly attacked the appointment as "inappropriate", blaming Bakhit for presiding over corruption, electoral fraud and mismanagement during what spokesman Zaki Bani Rashid described as the "bitter experience" of Bakhit's first term in an interview with the Ammanet website.

Abdullah has dismissed prime ministers in the past but the background of protests at home and the intense focus on Egypt gives added significance to this move, which was immediately seen as an extension of spreading regional unrest. >>> Ian Black, Middle East editor | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Related >>>

Too little, too late to save his kingdom? >>>

Thousands Escape Egypt Prisons
Egypt's anti-government uprising has also seen lawlessness and looting in several cities. As the police abandoned their posts, thousands of prisoners were set free across the country, in a series of mass jailbreaks. More in this report from the Abu Zaabal prison, on the outskirts of Cairo

WikiLeaks Files Reveal 'Cold, Callous and Brutal' Behaviour of Ministers
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A mother who lost her daughter in the Lockerbie attack has condemned the “cold, callous and brutal” behaviour of British ministers after WikiLeaks documents revealed how they secretly advised Libya on securing the successful early release of the bomber.

Documents obtained by the Daily Telegraph show that a Foreign Office minister sent Libyan officials detailed legal advice on how to use Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s cancer diagnosis to ensure he was released from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds.

The Duke of York is also said to have played a behind-the-scenes role in encouraging the terrorist’s release.

Susan Cohen, whose only daughter Theodora, 20, was one of 35 students from Syracuse University who died, said: “I am not surprised by this latest news but I am glad it is out there.

“I almost feel like laughing. This confirms everything that we have been saying, that business and oil deals were being done behind the scenes.”

Mrs Cohen attacked the Scottish Government's request for families of the victims to contribute in the lead-up to the decision, noting that the new documents suggest ministers had already made up their mind to approve Megrahi's return home.

“How cruel that was to put the families through that,” she added. “It shows how cold, callous and brutal this whole affair has been. >>> Auslan Cramb, Christopher Hope and Robert Winnett | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Netanyahu Must Prepare for a New Regional Order
HAARETZ – EDITORIAL: Until now, Israel viewed itself as a Western outpost and displayed no interest in the language, culture and public opinion of its immediate surroundings.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the ongoing events in Egypt by urging that "regional stability and security" be preserved. Israel even asked Western governments to work to save the regime of President Hosni Mubarak.

Netanyahu's concern for his Egyptian friend and ally is touching. It also reflects his fear of what will happen if regime change occurs in Egypt and Mubarak is replaced by opponents of the peace with Israel.

But above all, Netanyahu's stance reflects his clinging to the status quo and his instinctive aversion to any change in the Middle East. Israeli foreign policy views the reigning regional order, one of tyrants who remain in power for years, as the lesser evil. Israeli leaders have always preferred to do business with Mubarak and his ilk, on the assumption that they would "preserve stability" and forcibly repress the radical forces seeking change in the region.

This view led Israel to disregard the citizens of neighboring countries, viewing them as devoid of political influence in the best case and as hostile Israel-haters in the worst case. Israel viewed itself as a Western outpost and displayed no interest in the language, culture and public opinion of its immediate surroundings. Integration into the Middle East seemed like a trivial, if not a downright harmful, fantasy. As a result, Israel never prepared for the changes that were occurring behind the sclerotic facade of these countries' rulers. >>> Haaretz Editorial | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Tunisia Synagogue Set Alight by Arsonists Overnight
HAARETZ: Mainly Muslim Tunisia has one of the largest Jewish communities in North Africa, but attacks are rare.

A synagogue was set on fire by arsonists in the Tunisian city of Ghabes overnight, a spokesman for the Jewish community said on Tuesday.

"I condemn this action and I believe those who did it want to create divisions between Jews and Muslims in Tunisia who have lived for decades in peace," Peres Trabelsi told Reuters. >>> Reuters | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Inside Story - Ready for Change?

Mubarak: A Leader on the Brink
THE INDEPENDENT: The world watches and waits to see how the 30-year reign of Egypt's corrupt, incompetent President will end – whether the man who has reduced his country to a political slum will fight or take flight. Patrick Cockburn studies the lessons of his past

Will he or won't he go? And if he goes in what circumstances will he do so? Never has there been such acute interest in Egypt and the rest of the world about what goes on inside the head of President Hosni Mubarak.

Almost everybody is agreed from street protesters in central Cairo to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington that Mubarak is going to lose power in the short or medium term. His 30-year regime has long been notorious for its corruption, incompetence, authoritarianism and brutality, and it now appears to be losing the monopoly of force which alone guaranteed its survival. The riot police fled the streets at the weekend and the tank commanders who replaced them are pictured fraternising with demonstrators.

But the uncontested transition to a democratically elected government, largely preserving the political status quo, which the US and Britain would like to see, will not happen easily. First of all, Mubarak shows no signs yet of departing, though he is unlikely to advertise his travel plans.

His appointment of a new government led by Omar Suleiman, the chief of intelligence, might open the door for Mubarak to step down, but it might also mean that he believes he is not finished yet.

For all Mubarak's three decades as president of Egypt it is difficult to read his mind or his likely reactions, particularly as he faces an unprecedented crisis. Egyptians have long mocked his bovine appearance and utterances. "La vache qui rit" was the contemptuous phrase used to describe him. But he would not have held power for so long if he did not know how to manipulate political forces inside and outside Egypt. Read on and comment >>> | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Cairo Protesters to March on the Presidential Palace
Anti-government protesters in Egypt say they will stage a march from the focus point of the recent demonstrations, Tahrir Square. They will head to the presidential palace, and some are even threatening to storm it. Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports

Solidarity with Egypt in Tel Aviv

Egypt's 'March of a Million People'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Effigies of President Mubarak have been hung in Cairo's Tahrir Square as tens of thousands of protesters gather for the largest demonstration yet in Egypt.

Watch Telegraph video here, and read on

Jordan's King Sacks Cabinet Amid Street Protests
THE JERUSALEM POST: King Adullah nominates ex-army general Marouf al-Bakhit as prime minister after thousands of Jordanians take to the streets and call for the current PM to resign, due to rise in food, fuel prices.

Jordan's Royal Palace said the king has sacked his government in the wake of street protests and has asked an ex-army general to form a new Cabinet.

King Abdullah's move comes after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets — inspired by the regime ouster in Tunisia and the turmoil in Egypt — and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Samir Rifai who is blamed for a rise in fuel and food prices and slowed political reforms.

The Royal Palace says Rifai's Cabinet resigned on Tuesday.

Abdullah also nominated Marouf al-Bakhit as his prime minister-designate. No other details were immediately available. >>> Associated Press | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Could Syria Be the Next Domino to Fall?
GOBAL POST: Syrians are watching Egypt's popular uprising carefully.

DAMASCUS, Syria -- In one of Old Damascus’ new cafes the text messages buzzed between mobile phones in quick succession, drawing woops of joy and thumbs up from the astonished Syrians.

Suzan Mubarak, wife of the reviled Egyptian president, had flown into exile with her son, so the rumours went, driven out of the country by days of unprecedented protest against the 30-year rule of her husband, President Hosni Mubarak.

The news from Cairo has brought with it a flutter of excitement to this country, founded on principles so similar to Egypt that the two nations were once joined as one.

Like Egypt, Syria has been ruled for decades by a single party, with a security service that maintains an iron grip on its citizens. Both countries have been struggling to reform economies, stifled for generations by central control, in an effort to curb unemployment among a ballooning youth demographic.

Could the domino effect that spread from the streets of Tunis to Cairo soon hit Damascus? >>> Hugh Macleod | Sunday, January 30, 2011

Could US Abandon Israel Too?
YNET NEWS: American response to uprising in Egypt shows Washington has no qualms about 'dropping' long time ally. Is Israel in danger of receiving similar treatment? Experts say 'possibility always exists,' recommend strengthening relations with India, China

The United States sided with protesters over the weekend, threatening to stop aid to Egypt if President Hosni Mubarak does not promote reforms in the country. Washington also added that the Egyptian public's grievances require an immediate response from the government

"The possibility of being abandoned over interests is always possible," says Hebrew University Professor Michal Pomerantz, an expert on international law and US foreign policy.

According to Pomerantz, "The United States is not completely committed to a state, and what happened in Egypt as well as in Iran – with which it had such close relations at one point, that Carter was considering transferring it nuclear technology – proves that it is always possible, especially when there are changes in the administration, as has happened in the United States." >>> Aviel Magnezi | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Scenes from Tahrir Square

Niall Ferguson: Yes, The US Is Screwed
This is an interview conducted by Business Insider Editor in Chief Henry Blodget In Davos

Niall Ferguson Explains Why Egypt Is More Like Iran Than Berlin
BUSINESS INSIDER: This revolution in Egypt is more likely to result in something like Iran, than it is to be like the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, according to Niall Ferguson.

Speaking to the German daily Handesblatt, Ferguson says that because the forces for democracy in Egypt are not well organized, Islamic fundamentalism will have a chance at success.

Ferguson also says there is a real threat that what happens in Egypt will spread to other countries, including Saudi Arabia.

The most important lesson from this crisis though, according to Ferguson, is that state capitalism, like that conducted by Egypt and China, is not perfect. [Source: Business Insider] | Gregory White | Monday, January 31, 2011

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NIALL FERGUSON: Yes, The US Is Screwed >>> Henry Blodget and Mamta Badkar | Friday, January 28, 2011

Egypt Protesters Use Voice Tweets
BBC: Google and Twitter have launched a service which circumvents the ban on net services in Egypt.

The so-called speak-to-tweet system allows people caught up in the unrest to post messages without any need to use an internet connection.

The service, which is already live, allows people to dial an international telephone number and leave a voicemail message.
The message is then sent out as a tweet with the hashtag #egypt.

People can listen to messages by dialling the same phone numbers (+16504194196 , +390662207294, +97316199855) or going to a special Twitter page. >>> | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Turkish PM Calls for Mubarak to Stand Down
Recep Erdoğan, the Turkish prime minister, has called on Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, to listen to the calls for change from Egyptian people. Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught in Istanbul speaks about the Turkish PM's forceful remarks

NZZ ONLINE: «Es ist eine Frage von Tagen, bis Mubarak aufgibt» : Der Fall Ägypten könnte auf weitere arabische Staaten Einfluss haben >>> | Dienstag, 01. Februar 2011

Giant Protest Kicks Off in Egypt
More than hundred thousand assemble in Cairo for the "million-man-march" aimed at forcing president Mubarak to resign

Benjamin Netanyahu Warns of [sic] Iran-style Regime Could Emerge in Egypt
THE AUSTRALIAN: BENJAMIN Netanyahu has warned of the dangers of an Iranian-style regime led by Islamic extremists arising out of the political chaos sweeping through Egypt.

"In a time of chaos, an organised Islamic group can take over the state. It happened in Iran and it also happened in other places," the Israeli leader said at a press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

His remarks were made as the Egyptian regime wrestles with a wave of unprecedented anti-government protests, which have pitted hundreds of thousands of demonstrators against the regime of embattled President Hosni Mubarak.

Although it was not extremist elements that provoked the instability in Tunisia or Egypt, the fear was that they could exploit the political vacuum left by the collapse of the ruling power, Netanyahu added, saying he was being updated about developments "every half hour."

"Every one hopes that this will be resolved peacefully, that stability will return and peace will be maintained," he added.

In Iran, mass protests against the Western-backed shah erupted in January 1978 and he was forced out a year later, leaving a power vacuum that was grasped by the exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who returned to set up the Islamic Republic. >>> AFP | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

NZZ ONLINE: «Ägypten könnte ein Erdbeben auslösen» : Harvard-Professor Niall Ferguson im Interview >>> Interview: Marco Metzler | Dienstag, 01. Februar 2011

Al Jazeera Report from Tahrir Square 8:30am, February 1
An Al Jazeera web producer reports from Tahrir Square in central Cairo where protesters have gathered, calling on Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to step down. The footage is shot on Monday night while the voiced report is from 8:30 local time, on Tuesday morning. Our reporter says protesters have been undeterred by authorities' attempts to completely block internet access and by rumours that the mobile phone network will also be shut down.

Egypt in Crisis: Business Collapse Piles Pressure on Mubarak
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Factories are closed, cash machines running dry, and food and petrol shortages feared, but some say it is a price worth paying

The industrial city of Abu Rawash sits in the desert beyond the pyramids. You reach it down a dusty road that seems to lead to nowhere. Then the factories and warehouses begin: Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda and Jeep deserted save for a handful of security guards sitting in front of a vacant parking lot for absent staff.

Outside the gates of the Toyota warehouse Ayman Ibrahim is talking to the gatekeeper. The factories are closed, the man tells Ibrahim, who owns a window business on the same site. They won't reopen until at least mid-week. Perhaps even Friday. No one really knows.

The closures in places such as Abu Rawash have been accompanied by calls from unions for an indefinite general strike. "I'm losing £10,000 pounds a week," says Ibrahim. "But it's worth it, I've been to the protest in Tahrir Square for the past three days with my kids. Mubarak is costing me money, but he has been costing Egypt money for 30 years." >>> Peter Beaumont in Cairo | Monday, January 31, 2011

Egypt under Israel's Spotlight
Israel hopes its three-decade-old peace treaty with Egypt will survive any change

In Pictures: Egypt in Turmoil
Images of the thousands of Egyptian protesters that defied a curfew in the capital Cairo and other cities taken throughout the day

Mid-East Contagion Fears for Saudi Oil Fields
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Risk analysts and intelligence agencies fear that Egypt's uprising may set off escalating protests in the tense Shia region of Saudi Arabia, home to the world's richest oilfields.

"Yemen, Sudan, Jordan and Syria all look vulnerable. However, the greatest risk in terms of both probability and severity is in Saudi Arabia," said a report by risk consultants Exclusive Analysis.

While markets have focused on possible disruption to the Suez Canal, conduit for 8pc of global shipping, it is unlikely that Egyptian leaders of any stripe would cut off an income stream worth $5bn (£3.1bn) a year to the Egyptian state.

"I don't think the Egyptians will ever dare to touch it," said Opec chief Abdalla El-Badri, adding that the separate Suez oil pipeline is "very well protected". The canal was blockaded after the Six Days War in 1967.

There has been less focus on the risk of instability spreading to Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, headquarters of the Saudi oil giant Aramco. The region boasts the vast Safaniya, Shaybah and Ghawar oilfields. "This is potentially far more dangerous," said Faysal Itani, Mid-East strategist at Exclusive.

"The Shia are 10pc of the Saudi population. They are deeply aggrieved and marginalised, and sit on top of the kingdom's oil reserves. There have been frequent confrontations and street fights with the security forces that are very rarely reported in the media," he said.

The Saudi Shia last rose up in mass civil disobedience in the "Intifada" of 1979, inspired by the Khomeini revolution in Iran. Clashes led to 21 deaths. Mr Itani said it is unclear whether the Saudi military could cope with a serious outbreak of protest in the province.

Saudi King Abdullah is clearly alarmed by fast-moving events in Egypt and the Arab world. In a statement published by the Saudi press agency he said agitators had "infiltrated Egypt to destabilise its security and incite malicious sedition". Read on and comment >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Monday, January 31, 2011