Thursday, April 21, 2011
It was the self-immolation of a young Tunisian man that sparked the uprising that has spread across the Arab world.
However, months after the revolution that brought down 23 years of authoritarian rule, the struggle there in Tunisia is far from over, as Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Sidi Bouzid.
Mohamed Bouazizi's desperate gesture might have ignited the uprising. But it was years of state oppression - poverty and unemployment that really inspired people to protest -- President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is gone - but this remains one of the poorest parts of Tunisia.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The leader of France's far-right National Front party would qualify for the second round of France's presidential elections at the expense of President Nicolas Sarkozy, a poll showed on Wednesday.
The poll results suggest the opposition Socialists would be well-placed to win the May 2012 run-off as the presence of Nation Front leader Marine Le Pen in a second round would likely trigger a massive vote for her opponent.
The survey by pollsters Harris Interactive found that IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a former Socialist finance minister, would comfortably win the first round if he decides to contest the elections.
Mr Strauss-Kahn scored 30 per cent approval, versus 21 per cent for National Front leader Ms Le Pen, while Mr Sarkozy came in third with 19 per cent, the poll showed. » | Thursday, April 21, 2011
TORONTO STAR: TOKYO — Japan said on Thursday it would ban anyone entering a 20-kilometre evacuation zone around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant north of Tokyo, weeks after the tsunami-wrecked facility began leaking radiation.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 hit eastern Japan on Thursday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage.
Tens of thousands of people left the zone after the March 11 quake smashed the Fukushima Dai-ichi power station, operated by Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), but some have gone back to collect belongings as the utility struggles to contain the world’s most serious nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan, already facing criticism for his handling of the crisis, was publicly berated over his government’s slow response when he visited one evacuation centre in the devastated region. » | Reuters | Thursday, April 21, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France's riot police have complained about being "treated like children" following a new ban on drinking alcohol while on duty.The CRS (Republican Security Companies), which made its name quelling student demonstrators during nationwide disturbances in 1968, has always enjoyed a glass of beer or wine with its meals.
However, following photos of riot police drinking bottles of beer during Paris street protest, police chiefs have decided to put an end to the tradition.
They were wearing body armour and carrying weapons as they sipped from beer and wine bottles. Some were also smoking.
Didier Mangione, national secretary of the police union, said bosses were "trying to turn us into priests, but without the altar wine".
"Nobody should object to a small drink on jobs," he said. "CRS officers do not have any more or less alcohol problems than anybody else in society. They should be allowed to drink in moderation." » | Peter Allen in Paris | Thursday, April 21, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Rowan Williams sends Maundy Thursday plea to bankers, politicians and editors to assist communities in needBankers, politicians and newspaper editors should be legally required to spend a couple of hours every year working with the poor and needy to remind them of the purpose of their power and wealth, the archbishop of Canterbury has suggested.
He made the comments on Maundy Thursday, the day of the Last Supper when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and when the British monarch honours deserving subjects.
In his contribution to BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day slot, Dr Rowan Williams asked: "What about having a new law that made all cabinet members and leaders of political parties, editors of national papers and the hundred most successful financiers in the UK spend a couple of hours every year serving dinners in a primary school on a council estate? » | Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent | Thursday, April 21, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury has asked the nation to pray for the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton as he said the pair would need support in coping with the 'full glare' of the public eye.
He said the couple ''knew what the cost of that might be'' and wished them ''courage and the clarity'' to live out their marriage.
With eight days to go until the royal wedding, the Archbishop, who is to marry the couple at Westminster Abbey, described them as ''deeply unpretentious people'' who were clear about what mattered about their wedding day.
In a video message filmed by Lambeth Palace, Rowan Williams said: ''William and Catherine are making this commitment very much in the public eye and they're sensible, realistic young people.
''They know what the cost of that might be. They've thought that through. And because of that they will need the support, the solidarity and the prayers of all those who are watching.''
He added: ''I want to wish William and Catherine every richest blessing in their life together. » | Thursday, April 21, 2011
THE INDEPENDENT: Saudi troops' demolition of mosques stokes religious tensions
Bahraini government forces backed by Saudi Arabian troops are destroying mosques and places of worship of the Shia majority in the island kingdom in a move likely to exacerbate religious hatred across the Muslim world.
"So far they have destroyed seven Shia mosques and about 50 religious meeting houses," said Ali al-Aswad, an MP in the Bahraini parliament.
He said Saudi soldiers, part of the 1,000-strong contingent that entered Bahrain last month, had been seen by witnesses helping demolish Shia mosques and shrines in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
Mohammed Sadiq, of the Justice for Bahrain organisation, said the most famous of the Shia shrines destroyed was that of a revered Bahraini Shia spiritual leader, Sheikh Abdul Amir al-Jamri, who died in 2006. A photograph taken by activists and seen by The Independent shows the golden dome of the shrine lying on the ground and later being taken away on the back of a lorry. On the walls of Shia mosques that have been desecrated, graffiti has been scrawled praising the Sunni King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and insulting the Shia.
The attack on Shia places of worship has provoked a furious reaction among the 250 million Shia community, particularly in Iran and Iraq, where Shia are in a majority, and in Lebanon where they are the largest single community.
The Shia were already angry at the ferocious repression by Bahraini security forces of the pro-democracy movement, which had sought to be non-sectarian. After the monarchy had rejected meaningful reform, the wholly Sunni army and security forces started to crush the largely Shia protests on 15 and 16 March.
The harshness of the government repression is provoking allegations of hypocrisy against Washington, London and Paris. Their mild response to human rights abuses and the Saudi Arabian armed intervention in Bahrain is in stark contrast to their vocal concern for civilians in Libya. » | Patrick Cockburn in Cairo | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE INDEPENDENT – LEADING ARTICLE: Europe is engaged in a repellent exercise in hand-washing over the fate of migrants fleeing North Africa. For six hours on Sunday, the French authorities blocked trains containing Tunisian refugees from crossing the Italian border. This was disgraceful behaviour from France and a blatant breach of the Schengen agreement, which guarantees free movement across continental Europe.
But Italy's conduct has been just as bad. The Italian government, desperate to see the 25,000 or so migrants who have arrived in the country from North Africa in recent months move on, has issued thousands of temporary residency permits, which allow the recipients to travel freely across Europe. They know that many of the refugees from Tunisia have relatives in the former colonial power, France, and will head in that direction given an opportunity. Both nations want to make these migrants someone else's problem.
What makes all this especially reprehensible is that France and Italy each bear a large measure of responsibility for the chaos in North Africa. The Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, got very close to the Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, who has since turned viciously on his own people.
France was similarly friendly with the Tunisian regime of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali before it imploded, setting off a succession of Arab uprisings. If France and Italy had not supported repressive regimes in North Africa for so long, it is possible this crisis would never have reached such proportions. » | Leading article | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Verbunden »
THE INDEPENDENT: Desperate emails speak of 'genocide' as doctors who have treated injured protesters are rounded upThe intimidation and detention of doctors treating dying and injured pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain is revealed today in a series of chilling emails obtained by The Independent.
At least 32 doctors, including surgeons, physicians, paediatricians and obstetricians, have been arrested and detained by Bahrain's police in the last month in a campaign of intimidation that runs directly counter to the Geneva Convention guaranteeing medical care to people wounded in conflict. Doctors around the world have expressed their shock and outrage.
One doctor, an intensive care specialist, was held after she was photographed weeping over a dead protester. Another was arrested in the theatre room while operating on a patient.
Many of the doctors, aged from 33 to 65, have been "disappeared" – held incommunicado or at undisclosed locations. Their families do not know where they are. Nurses, paramedics and ambulance staff have also been detained.
Emails between a Bahraini surgeon and a British colleague, seen by The Independent, describe in vivid detail the threat facing medical staff as they struggle to treat victims of the violence. They provide a glimpse of the terror and exhaustion suffered by the doctors and medical staff.
Bahraini government forces backed by Saudi Arabian troops have cracked down hard on demonstrators since the unrest began on 15 February – and the harshness of their response has now been extended to those treating the injured. » | Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor | Thursday, April 21, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Angry and desperate asylum-seekers have torched an immigration detention centre in Sydney, burning nine buildings to the ground after Australian authorities denied some of their requests for refugee status.During a night of rioting, security guards were attacked with fire extinguishers and pelted with roof tiles and timber in one of the most serious eruptions of violence among asylum-seekers in Australia, where the government's policy of indefinite detention is a sensitive political issue.
Riot police had to be called in to quell the protest after the centre's unarmed guards were forced to retreat in the face of the attacks.
About 100 asylum-seekers at the Villawood immigration detention centre, which houses many people whose requests for refuge have been rejected and are pending deportation, climbed onto roofs late at night and began setting fire to buildings.
By daybreak, the fires had been extinguished and the smouldering remains of buildings housing a laundry, kitchen and medical centre could be seen, but the authorities were still struggling to contain the situation within the centre. Police were trying to coax seven asylum seekers from the roof of one building. The group had erected a sign reading "we need help".
The protestors want a meeting with immigration officials, but a spokesman for the department said that would not happen.
Police have warned that the men who took part in the riot could face charges of criminal damage that could further dent their chances of being granted asylum.
But refugee rights groups have said the violence was an act of desperation by people who had been detained for almost two years. » | Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
LE POINT: Le ministre des Affaires étrangères Alain Juppé est arrivé mercredi à Tunis pour relancer les relations franco-tunisiennes.Le chef de la diplomatie française Alain Juppé est arrivé mercredi en Tunisie, avec en poche une aide de 350 millions d'euros, pour raccommoder une relation bilatérale mise à mal par plusieurs couacs français avant et depuis la chute du régime Ben Ali. "Le voyage que je fais aujourd'hui est très important pour moi. Je sais très bien qu'il a pu y avoir quelques retards ou quelques incompréhensions entre la France et la Tunisie. Je crois que tout cela est derrière nous", a déclaré Alain Juppé, au sortir d'un entretien avec le Premier ministre par intérim Béji Caïd Essebsi. » | Source AFP | Mercredi 20 Avril 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tim Hetherington, a leading British photojournalist, has been killed while covering the fighting in the Libyan city of Misurata, the Foreign Office has confirmed.
Mr Hetherington, who had won a World Press Photo of the Year award for his coverage of Afghanistan and had also made prize-winning film documentaries, was said by friends and colleagues to have died from a mortar round while on the front line.
He was on assignment for the news agency Panos. » | Nick Collins | Wednesday, April 20, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Egypt's ousted leader Hosni Mubarak was complicit in shootings of anti-regime protesters as he tried to face down a popular revolt, a member of an official commission said on Tuesday.Judge Omar Marwan, the commission's secretary general, was speaking at a news conference after the release of its report's summary, which said 846 civilians died in the protests that led to Mr Mubarak's ouster in February.
Twenty-six policemen were also killed in the 18 days of unrest, the report said, adding that police used excessive force against demonstrators and shot at people trying to film the events from balconies and windows.
"What is confirmed is that Mubarak's permission (to use live fire on protesters) must be obtained. The shooting lasted for several days, and he did not hold accountable those who fired live rounds," Judge Marwan said.
"That confirms his involvement in responsibility," he said. » | Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Cables released by Wikileaks have revealed that the US has been financing the Syrian oppsition.
The reports claim the US State Department has given at least $6 million for anti-government programmes in Syria. The money was allegedly given to the Movement for Justice and Development, which is a Syrian opposition group based in London. Reformist satellite channel Barada TV is also said to have also received funding.
This all comes as 20,000 demonstrators gathered in Homs demanding Bashar al-Assad step down - a move his government claimed amounted to "armed insurrection".
Demonstrators claim troops loyal to al-Assad opened fire in an attempt to disperse the crowd forcibly.
Inside Story, with presenter Dareen Abughaida, discusses with guests: Nadim Shehade, from the Middle East Programme at Chatham House; and Malik al-Abdeh, a memeber of the Syrian Movement for Justice and Development, also editor-in-chief of Barada TV.
This episode of Inside Story aired on Tuesday, April 19, 2011.
BBC: Prince Charles has become the longest-serving heir apparent in British history.
The previous record, of 59 years, two months and 13 days, was set by his great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII, Clarence House said.
The Prince of Wales became heir apparent at the age of three when his mother, Princess Elizabeth, acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952.
Charles, now 62, was nine when he was given the title the Prince of Wales.
Edward VII was born the heir apparent on 9 November 1841 as his mother, Queen Victoria, was already on the throne.
He took over as King when she died on 22 January 1901.
The heir apparent, currently the eldest son of a sovereign (unless the monarch's children are all female), is the next in line to the throne and their right to succeed cannot be altered by the birth of another. » | Wednesday, April 20, 2011
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – CON COUGHLIN: I hate to sound a sour note on what otherwise promises to be a truly joyful occasion, but for those responsible for ensuring the Royal Wedding goes off without incident the event is proving to be something of a security nightmare.
The Government’s decision to ban a protest planned by Muslims Against Crusades has highlighted the fact that not everyone in this fair isle wishes the happy couple well.
But what about those of a more violent disposition, such as al-Qaeda and the IRA, that might seek to use the event to launch a “spectacular” terror attack? » | Con Coughlin | Wednesday, April 20, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New EU proposals have steered away from labelling meat from ritually slaughtered animals as Halal or Shechita to avoid causing religious offence, instead opting for the label of "meat from slaughter without stunning".
MEPs on the European Parliament's food safety committee have voted for the clear labels so consumers can see whether meat has been stunned or not before it has been slaughtered.
David Bowles, a spokesman for the RSPCA, welcomed the vote.
"We hope that all the countries in Europe will accept it," he said. "At the moment you can chose whether you want your eggs to be free range or cage-reared, but you don't know how the chickens were killed. We should be told whether our meat has been stunned or not before it has been killed because at the moment we could be eating it without knowing it."
The proposals are expected to be opposed by national governments who are concerned that the issue is too controversial to be included in EU food labelling regulations.
"This is too sensitive a social issue to be dealt with as an add on to food labelling rules," said a European diplomat.
Slaughter without stunning is legal under religious freedom laws in most EU countries despite animal welfare rules that generally ban it as leading to "unacceptable levels of suffering and pain".It has become an issue because a small, but increasing, proportion of Muslim Halal and Jewish Shechita butchers cut the animals' throats while they are still conscious.
Jim Paice, the food and farming minister, has previously signalled that the Government could consider labelling on un-stunned meat as long it is treated as "a welfare issue not a religious one".
However, British officials have indicated that the government will not support the latest call from MEPs. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels and Harry Wallop Consumer Affairs Editor | Wednesday, April 20, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The EU vote on 'no-stun slaughter' meat: Should consumers know whether or not the animals that they’re eating were stunned before slaughter? I’m in no doubt about this: of course they should. Animal welfare is important, and consumers should have access to this fundamental information about the animal on their plates. » | Pete Wedderburn | Friday, April 15, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anti-monarchists from across Europe will descend on Britain on the day of the Prince William's marriage to Kate Middleton and hold anti-Royal street parties.Led by the British group Republic, campaigners from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain are due to come to London on April 29.
The group is planning to protst [sic] against the cost of raxpayers [sic] bankrolling European royal families.
Despite largely positive public reaction for the wedding, Republic campaign manager Graham Smith believes Britons are less excited about the day than the press coverage suggests.
"Most people in this country aren't that bothered about the royal family or the monarchy, they don't really care that much one way or the other," he said.
"When these big stories come up it then makes people think about it. It gives us opportunities to gain publicity and raise our profile." » | Wednesday, April 20, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: This week's warning about US debt is the wake-up call Obama needs – and the world needs him to act, says Martin Vander Weyer.The good news is that America has not suddenly turned into the new Ireland. The bad news is that the Obama administration is only beginning to face up to its debt addiction, in the way that Ireland and other euro delinquents have been forced to do. And Washington's prolonged debt denial is one factor that has made the economic recovery so fragile and uncertain for all of us.
In that context, the announcement on Monday by the ratings agency Standard & Poor's that it had shifted its outlook on US government debt from "stable" to "negative", which sent markets into a tailspin, may actually turn out to be helpful, like the friend who says loudly to a incorrigible drunk at a party: "Another drink, George? Or is that a silly question?" The S&P analysis is not hugely significant – it is a first downward notch on a long scale of potential debt downgrades – but it is a timely warning that the world is aware America has a problem. Uncle Sam has been able to refill his glass time after time for the simple reason that Chinese investors – banks, state agencies and exporters – choose to store the wealth they gain in international trade largely in the form of US government paper. But as iconic as the greenback and the Treasury bill may be, they do not enjoy such a uniquely elevated status as to make them immune from the processes of risk assessment that have been applied so painfully elsewhere.
The IMF says America's fiscal deficit for 2011 will approach 11 per cent – similar to the UK's – and its net debt will exceed 70 per cent of gross domestic product, which is a worse position than ours if we exclude bank bail-outs from the equation. US debt has hitherto been regarded as virtually risk-free, but if the UK and other nations are seen to be making strenuous efforts to cut deficits while America's continues to balloon then, sooner or later, investors must begin to take a more cautious view. » | Martin Vander Weyer | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My comment:
Obama is clueless! From the beginning, it was clear to me that the man was an “empty suit.” But the American electorate would hear none of it, and got carried away with his rhetoric. Nobody even bothered to find out what he meant by “hope and change.” Hope of what? And change to what? And the mantra, “yes, we can.” What was that supposed to mean? Yes, we can what? As a result, Americans became transfixed by a man who could speak (arguably), but nothing else. Words, words, words!
Meanwhile, all Obama has ever wanted to do is spend, spend, spend. The trouble is, he hasn’t learnt one simple lesson of economics: You have to have it to spend it. None of us can go out and spend like a drunken sailor, as if there weren’t a tomorrow. How foolish that is. Profligacy is never a good thing. It will always lead to disaster.
In fairness to Obama, it’s true that he inherited a huge deficit from George W. Bush. Another profligate president. He ruined America by spending vast sums on wars which America could ill-afford, on wars which could achieve nothing to boot. But that was all the more reason why Obama should have got to work on reducing the deficit straightaway upon getting into office. Instead of that, he embarked upon a spending spree.
The Americans, too, must shoulder part of the burden of responsibility. They don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word ‘saving.’ Saving has become an alien concept to Americans. Americans prefer to consume, consume, consume. They also like to be generous with foreign aid. They give foreign aid abroad in billions, trying to buy influence and popularity. We can all see where that has got them.
In addition, the nature of politics in America is far too ideological. The Republicans and Democrats are far away from each other in political terms, so that it is difficult to find any middle ground. As a result, they cannot move forward in a meaningful way.
The future for America is looking very bleak indeed. This is a seminal moment for the US, and a seminal moment for the rest of the West. One can ask oneself but one question: Is this the start of the decline of the West? It might sound melodramatic, but it isn’t. If the US cannot save itself from bankruptcy, its influence in the world will decline. If this happens, it will no longer be the beacon of freedom. This will have serious consequences for us all. One can only fear the consequences of the eclipse of the US. Its loss of influence may have just begun.
It is to be hoped that, somehow, America will wake up before it’s too late. Bernanke’s love of quantitative easing will not solve anything. Quantitative easing is a fancy term for printing money. Turning on the printing press won’t solve anything. In fact, it will make matters worse. – © Mark
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cubans will be allowed to buy and sell homes for the first time since Fidel Castro seized power in 1959 under a package of sweeping reforms.
Since the Communist revolution, inhabitants of the island have only been allowed to swap homes through a complicated system or pass them on to their children.
But a raft of reforms agreed at the first congress of the Communist Party since 1997 includes a plan to legalise property sales.
Under the current system of home swaps, a culture of corruption involving "under-the-table" payments has developed.
However, President Raul Castro, Fidel's brother, said that the concentration of property would not be allowed and no details were given on how sales would operate.
The plan to allow home sales was one of about 300 approved by the party, which also include more self-employment, cutting a million government jobs in the coming years, encouraging foreign investment and reducing state spending. » | Robin Yapp, Sao Paulo | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
AL–MASRY AL–YOUM: An authoritarian leader is forced to resign after protests against his corruption-tainted rule. He is charged with graft and murder, but ill health stalls his interrogation. He dies before he is put on trial.
The fate of Indonesia's President Suharto, who died 10 years after mass demonstrations swept him from power in 1998, could be a scenario the generals now ruling Egypt are considering for deposed President Hosni Mubarak, 82 and ailing, who still wields considerable clout within the army.
Yet significant delays in putting Mubarak on trial risk a return of the mass demonstrations and chaos that swept him from power on February 11 and hammered Egypt's economy, analysts say.
The protests have largely died down, but normality has yet to return to a country central to stability in the Middle East. » | Reuters | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
AL–MASRY AL–YOUM: Investigations into Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, the sons of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, suggest that they exploited their official positions in order to obtain public funds, said judicial sources on Monday. The two sons deny any involvement in acts of corruption.According to official investigations, Gamal used his influence in the National Democratic Party and as son of the president to award contracts to foreign companies in which he was a partner. » | Staff | Monday, April 18, 2011
STERN.DE: Gehen die USA pleite? Möglich, sogar ein Datum für den Bankrott gibt es schon, den 8. Juli. Nun wird um Sparpläne gefeilscht. Aber was scheren uns eigentlich die Miesen der Amerikaner? Eine Analyse von Florian GüßgenEs ist ein Weckruf, ein Warnschuss - eine dringende Aufforderung an die in politischen Schützengräben liegenden US-Demokraten und Republikaner. Einigt euch! Vergesst eure ideologischen Gefechte! Das Wohl des ganzen Landes steht auf dem Spiel. Und, bitte, macht vor allem schnell. Nicht anders ist die Botschaft zu bewerten, die die Rating-Agentur Standard & Poor's am Montag nach Washington und in die Welt geschickt hat. Es ist der Job der Agentur, die Kreditwürdigkeit von Staaten zu beurteilen. Nun sagen die Finanzexperten, es könne sein, dass die USA ihre Top-Bewertung als Kreditnehmer - das dreifache A, das "triple A" - verlören, und zwar schon 2013. Das alles könnte geschehen, wenn die Herren und Damen in Washington jetzt nicht bald einheitlich und schlüssig erklären können, wie sie Amerikas schwindelerregendes Haushaltsloch stopfen wollen. Und zwar subito!
Denn in den USA sieht es haushaltspolitisch derzeit in zweierlei Hinsicht zappenduster aus. Das erste Problem ist die Staatskasse. Die befindet sich in einem dramatischen Zustand. Steuert die Politik hier nicht gegen, können die USA mittel- und langfristig tatsächlich in einen Strudel geraten, der dann auch die Weltwirtschaft herunterziehen könnte. Das zweite Problem ist dummerweise die Politik selbst. In den USA sind Demokraten und Republikaner auch nach mehr als zwei Jahren unter dem als Versöhner angetretenen Präsidenten Barack Obama so tief gespalten, dass es fast unmöglich erscheint, dass sie haushaltspolitisch an einem Strang ziehen. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist der Weckruf von Standard & Poor's zu sehen. » | Eine Analyse von Florian Güßgen | Dienstag, 19. April 2011
LE FIGARO: Ce week-end, le président Assad avait prévenu la population qu'elle n'aurait plus d'excuses pour manifester, une fois levé l'état d'urgence, en vigueur depuis près de 50 ans. Sur le terrain, la répression se poursuit.Le président Bachar al-Assad l'avait promis ce week-end aux manifestants, qui contestent le régime syrien depuis la mi-mars. Mardi, le gouvernement a approuvé un projet de loi pour l'abrogation de la loi d'urgence, en vigueur depuis 1963. Le gouvernement a également aboli la Cour de sûreté de l'Etat, tribunal chargé de juger les prisonniers politiques, et approuvé une loi autorisant les manifestations pacifiques. Selon un haut responsable syrien, le chef de l'État aura encore à ratifier ces textes mais sa signature devrait être une simple formalité.
L'état d'urgence restreignait notamment la liberté de réunion et de déplacement et permettait l'arrestation de «suspects ou de personnes menaçant la sécurité». Samedi, le président avait prévenu que la population n'aurait plus d' «excuses» pour manifester, une fois l'état d'urgence levé. » | Par Thomas Vampouille | Mardi 19 Avril 2011
WELT ONLINE: In Misrata führt Gaddafi einen brutalen Krieg gegen das eigene Volk: Seine Soldaten tarnen sich als Zivilisten und schießen aus dem Hinterhalt auf Bewohner.
Der Oberbefehlshaber über den Nato-Militäreinsatz in Libyen, Generalleutnant Charles Bouchard, hat die Truppen des Machthabers Muammar al-Gaddafi beschuldigt, in Misrata auf Zivilisten zu schießen.
Die Streitkräfte stünden auf den Dächern von Moscheen und feuerten von dort auf Menschen, sagte Bouchard dem kanadischen Fernsehen.
Sie versteckten sich in der Nähe von Krankenhäusern und hätten gepanzerte Wagen in Schulen abgestellt. Manchmal zögen die Gaddafi-Verbündeten auch ihre Uniformen aus, damit niemand sie in der eingekesselten Rebellenbastion erkennen könne. Der Kanadier Bouchard kritisierte dieses Vorgehen als „unmoralisch„ und „hinterhältig“. » | Reuters/dpa/AFP/pku | Dienstag, 19. April 2011
THE GUARDIAN: • Met working with other forces to identify 'black bloc' anarchists
• Muslims Against Crusades group refused permission to protestPolice cannot rule out pre-emptive strikes against anarchists plotting to disrupt the royal wedding, Scotland Yard has said.
In one of the biggest security operations in the history of the Metropolitan police, just under 5,000 police officers - including armed and undercover teams - will be on duty on 29 April in the city of Westminster and around the centre of London.
So far, two groups have indicated that they wish to protest: Muslims against Crusades, who asked to demonstrate outside Westminster Abbey but were refused permission, and the English Defence League. The EDL indicated it would mount a demonstration if Muslims against Crusades did so.
Sixty individuals who have been arrested at past demonstrations, such as the TUC anti-cuts protest and the student demonstration against the introduction of fees, have been banned from the city of Westminster as part of their bail conditions. Action will be taken against them if they enter the city on the day.
In addition, the Met is working with forces across the country and is using "spotters" to identify those within the so-called "black bloc" of anarchists intent on causing trouble.
Should evidence emerge that groups are planning to commit criminal acts, pre-emptive action will be taken, a Scotland Yard spokesman said. This could range from breaking up a squat where individuals are gathered, under breach of the peace legislation, or moving in to break up and arrest individuals if evidence suggests they are conspiring to commit criminal acts. » | Sandra Laville, crime correspondent | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Bahrain's embattled government has pressed ahead with its campaign against middle-class professionals it suspects of taking part in anti-regime protests, announcing the suspension of more than 100 civil servants.A statement said the 111 people at the ministry for education would also be referred for legal action and quoted the education minister, Majid bin Ali al-Nuaimi, as saying it followed an investigation into "flagrant violations" of rules concerning schools.
The education ministry did not give details of how many of the employees suspended were teachers, but made clear the action was a response to a strike call by the Bahraini Teachers' Association.
"The association called for the strike for political reasons in a bid to cripple schools", Mr al-Nuaimi said.
Bahrain, a key western ally, has conducted a wide-ranging campaign against opposition groups and political parties since using the army, along with reinforcements from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to clear protesters from the streets. At least 30 people are thought to have been killed.
Among those detained have been doctors who treated the wounded, while opposition newspaper editors have also been told they will be prosecuted for their coverage of the unrest. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, April 17, 2011
TELEGRAPH BLOGS – BENEDICT BROGAN: The Foreign Office has announced that it is sending 10 ‘mentors’ to beef up the embryonic British presence in eastern Libya. Mentors? That’s the word used by the centre to describe what are in fact military advisers being sent in to help the rebels. The Government says it’s all well within the terms of UN Resolution 1973, and they are not a “fighting force”. They are there to advise on helping civilians, not on military training. The Telegraph reported recently the view inside the MoD that the rebels, while lacking nothing in enthusiasm, coudn’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Without outside help in arms and possibly international back-up they will not be able to accomplish what everyone wants – getting rid of Col Gaddafi. With the Libyan effort bogged down, Gaddafi still in place, and no sign of any momentum to force him out, it is no wonder that those allies still committed to this adventure are looking for ways to help the rebels get on with the job. Italy is talking of sending military help. David Cameron and his ministers have tied themselves in knots to avoid ruling out military help. And now we have it. The Prime Minister will have to face unavoidable charges that this is mission creep, and it will be tempting to recall how John F Kennedy started with military ‘advisers’ in Vietnam. Continue reading and comment » | Benedict Brogan | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My comment:
David Cameron is out of his depth. I will always remember the day that Cameron committed to war in Libya, and Hague chanting at his side, "statesman, statesman." I remember thinking to myself then: I wonder whether people will say silly things like that when it's all over (whenever that will be). It's very easy to enter into war; it's getting out of it that's the difficult thing. Fools rush in, and all that...
Cameron has been raised in a cocoon. He has no idea or understanding of the character and mentality of the man he has entered into war with. Gaddafi is a tough man; he's a Bedouin. And anyone who has ever had a little experience in dealing with Bedouins will know that they are tough, hard-nosed, and very inflexible. I feel sure that David Cameron's upbringing has ill-prepared him for his fight with one of this world's toughest adversaries.
Only all-out war will prepare the way for the Gaddafis' ouster; and even that would be a rough, tough, messy, very bloody conflict. What has Cameron got us into? – © Mark
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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Body of 'dead alien' found in Siberia: A video claiming to show alien remains in Irkutsk, Siberia has become a internet sensation, garnering more than a million hits. » | Andrew Osborn in Moscow | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: For admirers of Nigella Lawson's Rubenesque curves, the prospect of the domestic goddess hitting the beach was one to savour.From corseted Vivienne Westwood gowns to figure-hugging cashmere twinsets, the television chef never fails to make the most of her voluptuous figure.
So her choice of swimwear for a dip off Sydney's Bondi Beach came as something of a surprise. Rather than a revealing swimming costume, Miss Lawson was covered head to toe in a burkini, the modesty-saving outfit designed for Muslim women.
The 51-year-old cut a striking figure as she splashed in the surf with her friend, comedian Maria McErlane. While Miss McErlane wore a skimpy bikini, Miss Lawson was protected from the elements in a black two-piece and peaked cap, leaving only her hands, feet and face showing.
Rather than a sudden conversion to Islam, her choice of outfit was motivated by a desire to shield her creamy complexion from the Australian sun. "Nigella was protecting herself from sunburn, nothing more than that," said her spokesman. » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Kate Middleton's wedding dress? That's one for the women, says BBC's Huw Edwards: As the presenter chosen to lead the BBC's coverage of the Royal Wedding, Huw Edwards will guide viewers through every aspect of the day - except one. » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron will block Gordon Brown's attempts to head up the International Monetary Fund after criticising his handling of the financial crisis.In a direct attack on the former Prime Minister, Mr Cameron said his predecessor was not the "most appropriate person" to lead the IMF because he would not admit the UK had a "debt problem".
Mr Brown is reportedly hoping to take on the £270,000-a-year role but he must first be nominated by the Government.
“If you have someone who didn’t think we had a debt problem (running the IMF) they may not be the best person to decide whether other countries have that problem," he said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He added that the role needed to be filled by “someone who understands the dangers of excessive spending.”
And in a clear signal that Britain would block Mr Brown if stood for the job, Mr Cameron suggested the position should be filled by a candidate from “China, India or south east Asia.” » | Andrew Porter and James Kirkup | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain is attempting to target Col Muammar Gaddafi's wife with UN sanctions, fearing her multi-billion dollar fortune could be used to bolster her husband's rule and attacks on civilians.Mrs Gaddafi, who is known by her maiden name of Safia Farkash, the Libyan leader's wife of 40 years, was not named among the Gaddafi associates and family members who had their assets frozen and were banned from international travel under two UN resolutions in February and March.
Her personal fortune has been put by some of her many enemies at $30 billion (£18 billion), though estimating Gaddafi wealth is difficult due to the regime's failure to distinguish between private family and government money.
Miss Farkash is known to control Buraq Air, a private rival to the Libyan state, and is said to have amassed 20 tons of gold reserves, though she is less of a public figure than some other Arab leaders' wives.
The mother of his daughter and six of his seven sons, she became Col Gaddafi's second wife in 1971, after nursing him through a bout of appendicitis.
She was said by one of the several Ukrainian nurses who have attended him in recent years to be jealous of them, though despite popular rumour there is no evidence that they are his lovers.
The British government, together with France and Germany, has now requested that Miss Farkash be added to the sanctions blacklist, along with 23 other Libyans and several companies. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Tuesday, April 19, 2011
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