Bahrain Hospitals Under Siege as Soldiers Maintain Manama Crackdown
THE GUARDIAN: Doctors arrested or prevented from working amid martial law in tiny Gulf state

Bahrain's two main hospitals remain surrounded by masked soldiers despite demands from America that the kingdom must ease its violent crackdown on demonstrators and the medical workers treating them.

Soldiers also continue to patrol all main roads in the capital Manama and have cordoned off access to the former hub of the protest movement, Pearl Roundabout, which was destroyed under government orders on Friday, denying the restive demonstrators a focal point.

The tiny Gulf state has the feel of a nation under siege as it approaches a second week of martial law imposed for three months by its besieged rulers. In addition to the troop presence, neighbourhoods remain largely empty; large, glitzy shopping malls have been virtually abandoned and helicopters regularly buzz over the debris-strewn scenes of recent street clashes.

Hospitals, particularly the Salmaniya medical clinic near the centre of town, have received extra attention, largely because of the significance they have taken on since the protests began in January. » | Martin Chulov in Manama | Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bahrain Unrest: UN Rights Chief Criticises Crackdown
BBC: The UN human rights chief has condemned the "shocking" use of force by security forces against protesters in Bahrain.

Navi Pillay said reports of a military takeover of hospitals was a blatant violation of international law.

She urged the authorities to rein in their forces, citing reports of people being beaten and detained or killed.

At least six opposition figures have reportedly been detained in overnight raids in Bahrain, and soldiers are back on the streets of the capital, Manama.

A crackdown on anti-government protesters in the city's centre left at least three civilians and three police officers dead on Wednesday.

Riot police sealed off Manama's main hospital and some smaller health centres, and rights activists said medics were being beaten as they tried to help the wounded in the streets.

"There are reports of arbitrary arrests, killings, beatings of protesters and of medical personnel, and of the takeover of hospitals and medical centres by various security forces," Ms Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, wrote in a statement released on Thursday.

"This is shocking and illegal conduct."

Earlier, the government said it had taken over the hospital because it had become a stronghold of the opposition. (+ video) » | Thursday, March 17, 2011

Bahrain Violence Escalates
Protests in Bahrain have spread from the capital Manama towards other towns, including Sitra and Karrana. Several members of the country's opposition are said to have been arrested, and at least six people were killed after security forces moved in to crush anti-government demonstrations. The recent violence in the Gulf state has brought international condemnation, with countries as far apart as the US and Iran expressing concern. Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports

Police Crackdown against Bahrain

Hundreds Shot and Wounded in Bahrain as King Cracks Down to Quash Protests
THE VANCOUVER SUN: At least 200 people were shot and wounded on Tuesday in a Shiite village south of the Bahraini capital, a medic said, as the king imposed a state of emergency after bringing in Saudi and Emirati troops to help quell anti-regime protests.

As violence escalated, close ally the United States warned that there was "no military solution" to political upheaval in Bahrain and that any violence against peacefully expressed political demands "should be stopped." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Bahrainis must "take steps now" toward a political resolution of the crisis.

"More than 200 people we received today had been shot with buckshot," a hospital medic in the village of Sitra, south of the capital, said by telephone. The medic, who asked not to be identified, said the hospital was under siege by armed gangs and security forces targeting Shiites -the backbone of anti-regime protests that have raged for a month. The medic said villagers "confronted the gangs when they arrived in the village," only to discover that they were carrying guns.

Helicopters were hovering over the area, the medic said, adding that the total number of injured people rises to more than 400 when those admitted for inhaling tear gas are included.

Neighbouring Iran condemned Monday's intervention by Saudi-led Gulf country troops to help put down the protests, prompting Manama to recall its ambassador. » | REUTERS | Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sarkozy’s Crackdown on Gipsies Begins
THE TELEGRAPH: French police forcibly moved more than 100 gipsies from an illegal squatter camp as the authorities launched a campaign ordered by President Nicolas Sarkozy to clear up encampments.

Gipsies, who have just been evicted, talk to a policeman in Saint-Etienne. Photo: The Telegraph
Officers moved in before dawn to seal off the squatter camp, where the local authorities had installed water standpipes and chemical lavatories near the central city of Saint Etienne. The operation took several hours.

The French president announced tough new security measures last month that included plans to dismantle 300 unauthorised camps in three months.

In addition to the destruction of camps, a squad of tax inspectors has been set up to target hidden wealth in the community. Brice Hortefeux, the interior minister, has raised suspicions over the owners of “caravans pulled by certain powerful cars”.

Shortly after launching his measures aimed at gipsies, Mr Sarkozy announced plans to target members of other minority groups, promising to strip French nationality from certain categories of foreign-born criminals. >>> | Friday, August 06, 2010

David Cameron Declares War On Public Sector Pay
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has vowed to crack down on "crazy" bonuses paid to civil servants as the new Government seeks to reduce the costs of the bloated public sector.

Out of control hand-outs, which this year will be paid to three-quarters of senior civil servants, are to be restricted to high performers.

Under the terms of Whitehall contracts signed by Labour ministers at the height of the recession, bonus payments can not be cancelled by the incoming Government.

In future, however, windfalls across the public sector will be restricted to employees who have performed “exceptionally well,” with only the top 25 per cent eligible for the payments. >>> Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Sunday, May 16, 2010

Arizona's Illegal Immigrant Crackdown Inspired by 'America's Toughest Sheriff'
THE TELEGRAPH: A controversial sheriff who inspired Arizona's new immigration rules risked provoking more anger on Thursday as he launched a new sweep on crime and illegal immigrants.

Joe Arpaio, dubbed "America's toughest sheriff'" has risked provoking more anger as he launched a new sweep on crime and illegal immigrants after saying he would concentrate on high-crime areas, targeting immigrant smugglers and the houses where they hide their customers.

The sheriff of Maricopa County, which includes the sprawling city of Phoenix, has already conducted 14 so-called "crime suppression" sweeps since 2008.

Critics have complained that the sweeps invariably take place in Hispanic areas and they have accused his deputies of racially profiling Hispanics while conducting them.

He has countered that people stopped by the patrols were approached simply because officers had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.

Mr Arpaio - who is being investigated by the Justice Department for alleged civil rights abuses - has never seemed concerned by what his critics say and has still been voted back in as sheriff five times.

His popularity is widely believed to have inspired Janet Brewer, Arizona's governor and a politician fighting for re-election, to sign the new state-wide immigration bill which has sparked protests across America. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Thursday, April 29, 2010

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES: Obama administration considers challenges to Arizona immigration law: Federal attorneys are examining legal options to prevent the strict new rules from taking effect this summer. A team of top government lawyers has quietly begun studying legal strategies for the Obama administration to mount a challenge to Arizona's new illegal immigration law, including the filing of a federal lawsuit against the state or joining a suit brought by others who believe the bill unfairly targets Latinos. >>> Richard A. Serrano and Peter Nicholas, Tribune Washington Bureau | Thursday, April 29, 2010

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Not a Whiff of Allah’s Compassion and Mercy in the Islamic Republic of Iran
TIMES ONLINE: Nine more dissidents will be executed soon, a senior member of Iran's judiciary declared today, as the regime stepped up its efforts to deter another huge opposition rally planned for next week.

The regime is sufficiently worried that it has ordered state television not to broadcast the usual historic television footage of insurrection on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the Shah, lest the scenes incite today's opposition to follow suit.

Last Thursday it hanged two men for allegedly plotting against the regime - a move condemned internationally but praised by Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, a hardline cleric, during Friday prayers in Tehran. "May God not have mercy on those who are lenient with the corrupt on earth," he said. "There is no room for clemency. It is time for severity."

On Saturday the regime broadcast the trial of 16 opposition supporters, two of them women, for allegedly plotting against the Islamic Republic and conspiring with its foreign enemies.

Today Ebrahim Raisi, a senior member of the judiciary, announced that nine more alleged members of "anti-revolutionary" groups would be hanged soon. "They had participated in riots with the aim of creating disunity and toppling the system," he said. Nine to be executed as Iran plans crackdown >>> Martin Fletcher | Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Bank Shares Tumble on Obama Crackdown
TIMES ONLINE: Shares in Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) tumbled this morning after sharp falls on Asian markets in the wake of President Barack Obama’s pledge last night to wage war on American banks in the biggest regulatory crackdown on financial institutions since the 1930s.

Barclays’ shares fell a further 6 per cent to 266p this morning and are trading 14.4 per cent lower than at the start of the week. RBS, the state-owned lender, lost a further 4.45 per cent today to 33.75p.

London's FTSE 100 index of leading shares tumbled by 52.40 points to 5,282.81 in mid-afternoon trade, adding to yesterday's 85.70 point decline after the US President made his announcement.

There are fears that Mr Obama's proposals could force a radical restructure of American banks - a move welcomed by George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, who hailed Mr Obama’s intervention.

He said: “I have said consistently that we should look at separating retail banking from activities like large-scale proprietary trading — and that this was best done internationally. Coming on top of growing agreement on a bank levy, it shows that Conservatives are part of an emerging international consensus on these issues.”

The Treasury said that it would study Mr Obama's moves carefully.

The radical proposals would limit the size of institutions and bar them from the most cavalier trading practices. >>> Emily Ford | Friday, January 22, 2010

Iran’s Students Prepare for Battle as Regime Imposes Students’ Day Crackdown
Photo: Times ONline
TIMES ONLINE: December 7 is traditionally the date when the Iranian Government stages rallies to commemorate the deaths of three student demonstrators killed by the Shah’s security forces in 1953. The tables have now turned. Today the security forces will attempt to crush student demonstrations against its own brutality and repression.

On campuses across Iran, students outraged by the regime’s alleged theft of the presidential election in June, and the subsequent suppression of the opposition, will attempt to hijack the state-sponsored Students’ Day rallies — just as they did last month’s commemoration of the US embassy siege and the annual Palestinian solidarity rallies in September. The regime cannot cancel these events without losing face, but it is doing its utmost to stop today’s protests.

Yesterday security forces began to seal off campuses in Tehran and warned nearby householders not to open their doors to protesters or let anyone take pictures from their roofs. The regime has cut internet services to hamper the opposition’s preparations, and banned journalists employed by foreign news organisations from working on the streets. Dozens of student leaders are understood to have been arrested. >>> Martin Fletcher | Monday, December 07, 2009

Clashes in Tehran as Opposition Defies Regime Warnings
TIMES ONLINE: Supporters of the opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi fought running battles with riot police and hardliners on the streets of Tehran today as tens of thousands joined the first protests against President Ahmadinejad for two months.

The demonstrators defied warnings of a "decisive" crackdown from the elite Revolutionary Guard to mount the protest during the annual al-Quds rally, a mass display of solidarity with the Palestinians that is one of the set pieces of the Islamic regime.

Mr Mousavi himself was forced to abandon his own plans to join in the rally after an angry mob shouting "Death to the hypocrite Mousavi" attacked his car.

Another leading reformist, the former president Mohammad Khatami, was also roughed up on the streets of Tehran and had to leave after his robe was ripped and his turban fell to the ground. >>> Philippe Naughton | Friday, September 18, 2009

Iran Opposition Leaders Speak Amid Crackdown
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: BEIRUT -- Iranian opposition figures re-emerged to accuse the government of a virtual coup against its people and plan a new political party, even as the regime hardened its crackdown on opponents and accused them of endangering national security.

The tensions within Iran reignited just as Tehran's diplomatic conflict with the European Union heated up, with the government threatening to cut off relations with EU countries unless they apologize for considering pulling their ambassadors out of Iran.

Increasingly, the government has been seeking to cast its opponents as outlaws. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has been blamed for the blood spilled during the clashes between protestors and security forces over the outcome of the presidential election, in which the government says he came in a distant second to the incumbent, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

On Wednesday a student wing of the Basij -- plainclothes militia responsible for crushing protestors with guns, batons and chains -- asked Tehran's chief prosecutor to investigate Mr. Mousavi's role in "destabilizing national security." If charged and convicted, Mr. Mousavi could face a maximum 10 years in prison.

Mr. Mousavi lashed back, joined by former President Mohammad Khatami, an influential cleric who has supported Mr. Mousavi's campaign but who had become quiet as the regime made clear it wouldn't accept further opposition to the election results.

In a statement posted on his Web site, Mr. Khatami accused Iran's leadership of a "velvet coup against the people and democracy" and criticized what he called "a poisonous security situation" in the wake of violent street protests.

Mr. Mousavi announced that he plans to form a political party with a group of like-minded intellectuals. He said the party would make public all the allegations of vote fraud that he and their candidates have made, and pursue their complaints through the judiciary.

"They keep asking me to forgive and forget. I will not compromise nor negotiate over the vote and the right of the public," Mr. Mousavi said in his statement, his ninth since election unrest began, posted on his personal Web site.

The post-election unrest over the disputed presidential vote has created the worst crisis in the Islamic republic's 30-year history. As security forces crushed street protests, the regime began pursuing the line that the turmoil was conceived by reformers and funded by Westerners -- namely Americans and British. >>> Farnaz Fassihi with contributions from Marc Champion in Brussels | Thursday, July 02, 2009

Police Break Up New Tehran Rally
BBC: Iranian riot police have fired tear gas to break up a new opposition rally in the centre of the capital Tehran, hours after a stern warning to protesters.

Some 1,000 people had gathered on Haft-e Tir Square despite the warning from Iran's Revolutionary Guards against holding unapproved rallies.

Reports say the police were reinforced by Basij militiamen wielding clubs.

The Guards, an elite armed force, vowed to crack down on new street protests over the presidential election results.

On Friday Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned protests, prompting street violence in which at least 10 people died.

Severe reporting restrictions placed on the BBC and other foreign media in Iran mean protest reports cannot be verified independently. >>> | Monday, June 22, 2009

US Crackdown Could Tighten Tax Noose on Multinationals
THE TELEGRAPH: American companies may soon have to adapt to a fiscal regime without frontiers.

President Barack Obama has revealed a protectionist streak. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
THE world is becoming a chillier place for multinationals, and for the owners of capital.

While President Barack Obama's plan to clamp down on the overseas earnings of US corporations has been billed as an attack on offshore havens, it heralds a deeper change in the way the US companies are taxed worldwide.

American citizens must pay US income tax on every dollar, peso, or yuan they earn, whether or not they set foot on US soil that year. Mr Obama is making the first efforts to extend this principle to companies as well.

At the moment, US multinationals can take tax deductions on overseas earnings, but delay tax on profits forever by reinvesting abroad. They can shuffle money from one subsidiary to another through the "check box" loophole. This is why US companies pay just $16bn (£11bn) a year on $700bn of foreign earnings, a tax rate of 2.3pc.

Mr Obama has a fight on his hands trying to stop it. >>> By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Gay Rights Groups Celebrate Victories in Marriage Push
THE NEW YORK TIMES: MONTPELIER, Vt. — Gay-rights groups say that momentum from back-to-back victories on same-sex marriage in Vermont and Iowa could spill into other states, particularly since at least nine other legislatures are considering measures this year to allow marriage between gay couples.

The Vermont Legislature on Tuesday overrode Gov. Jim Douglas’s veto of a bill allowing gay couples to marry, mustering one more vote than needed to preserve the measure.

The step makes Vermont the first state to allow same-sex marriage through legislative action instead of a court ruling, and comes less than a week after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages in that state. >>> By Abby Goodnough | Tuesday, April 7, 2009

THE INDEPENDENT: White House Invites Gay Families to Easter Egg Roll

The White House is allocating tickets for the upcoming Easter Egg Roll to gay and lesbian parents as part of the Obama administration's outreach to diverse communities.

Families say the gesture shows that the new Democratic administration values them as equal to other families. And for many, being included in the annual tradition — dating to 1878 — renews hope that they will have more support in their quest for equal rights in matters such as marriage and adoption than under the previous administration. >>> AP | Wednesday, April 8, 2009

THE NEW YORK TIMES: New Dark Age Alert! Iraq’s Newly Open Gays Face Scorn and Murder

“The people [gay men and lesbians] should be killed in the worst, most severe way of killing.” – most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
BAGHDAD — The relative freedom of a newly democratic Iraq and the recent improvement in security have allowed a gay subculture to flourish here. The response has been swift and deadly.

In the past two months, the bodies of as many as 25 boys and men suspected of being gay have turned up in the huge Shiite enclave of Sadr City, the police and friends of the dead say. Most have been shot, some multiple times. Several have been found with the word “pervert” in Arabic on notes attached to their bodies, the police said.

“Three of my closest friends have been killed during the past two weeks alone,” said Basim, 23, a hairdresser. “They had been planning to go to a cafe away from Sadr City because we don’t feel safe here, but they killed them on the way. I had planned to go with them, but fortunately I didn’t.”

Basim, who preferred to be called “Basima” — the feminine version of his name — wears his hair long for Iraq. It falls to just below the ear. His ears are pierced, uncommon for Iraqi males. White makeup covers his face, a popular look for gay men in Sadr City who say they prefer light skin.

Though risky, his look is one result of the overall calm here that has allowed Iraqis to enjoy freedoms unthinkable two years ago: A growing number of women walk the streets unveiled, a few even daring to wear dresses above the knee. Families gather in parks for cookouts, and more people have begun to venture out at night.

But that has not changed the reality that Iraq remains religious, conservative — and still violent. The killers, the police say, are not just Shiite death squads, but also tribal and family members shamed by their gay relatives. (And the recent spate of violence has seemed aimed at more openly gay men, rather than homosexuality generally.)

Clerics in Sadr City have urged followers to help root out homosexuality in Iraqi society, and the police have begun their own crackdown on gay men. >>> By Timothy Williams and Tareq Maher | Reporting was contributed by Sam Dagher, Rod Nordland, Steven Lee Myers, Anwar J. Ali, Riyadh Mohammed and Campbell Robertson | Tuesday, April 7, 2009