World News Post: Feb 23, 2011

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Diplomatic rebellion calling for an end to the slaughter

New York / Kuala Lumpur (Writing / AP) .- The Libyan diplomats at the United Nations and other countries have broken their ties with the country's leader, Muammar Gaddafi, and called on the international community to stop the massacre against AGEs. Security forces have cracked down heavily Gaddafi protests calling for an end 41 years of his regime.

The fighting erupted in the oil-rich east of the country last week, but have spread to the capital, Tripoli. The regime's repression has caused at least 500 deaths, more than three thousand injured and a thousand missing, according to various humanitarian organizations. Human rights groups speak of at least 233 deaths, according to advance the Reuters news agency picked up by Europa Press.

Gaddafi warns that house to house to chase the rats that spread the revolution

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in an unexpected televised address, said he will not resign because he has no position from which to do so. Referring to himself in third person, said that "Gaddafi is the leader of the revolution and that means: sacrifice until the end." Although channel Al Arabiya, quoting Libyan state television, had anticipated that Gadhafi announced a plan to return power to local governments and giving them control over their budgets, his speech was a vivid defense of his revolutionary beliefs little openness.

Around 60 Spanish remain out of Libya

Madrid .- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that 60 Spanish have yet to leave Libya on the advice of the department to leave the country after the bombing ordered by the regime of Muammar Gaddafi to stop the protesters calling for his resignation. About 160 citizens, of the 300 that make up the Spanish colony in Libya, have returned to Madrid.

The 60 who still have not are waiting to catch a flight. Some of them wait in the airport of the capital, where they are assisted by an embassy official. The remaining 80, mostly family members of Hispanic marriages and Libyan, have informed the Embassy of Spain in Tripoli who want to stay in the country, according Affairs.

Libyan Interior Minister resigns to join the revolution

Libyan Interior Minister and army general, Abdul Fatah Yunis announced her resignation to join the Revolution February 17, according to the news channel Al Jazeera. Qatari chain has issued a home video showing a Yunis sitting in his office, reading a statement calling on the Libyan army to join the people in their "legitimate demands." "Now our plan is to support youth in Tripoli," he said, while stressing not have ordered security forces fired on demonstrators.

LIBYA - Qadhafi tributary chieftains

Libyan tribes are they able to implode the country? In his speech broadcast live on air on state television, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi stirred the threat of clan divisions. "Libya is a society of clans and tribes," he said. This could cause civil war. " While the riots were quelled, the son of Colonel Gaddafi gave assurances that the regime would fight to the last man to remain in place.

Representatives from various tribes have reacted violently to the bloody suppression of protests. Al-Warfala tribe, one of the nation's largest with nearly one million members, has urged people to oppose the regime. A call followed by another major clan, the Tuaregs, who have nearly 500 000 people.

A Serbian nationalist leader gets to defer international trial

Brussels .- The Serbian ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj former leader has defended today on charges of contempt for those who are being tried in the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and has obtained the postponement of the trial until it is resolved if the court must pay for their lawyers.

Prosecutors accuse Seselj published in a book he authored the names, occupations and places of residence of eleven witnesses protected, which violates the protective measures ordered by the ICTY. The defendant, on the first day of the second trial of this type that follows the ICTY (based in The Hague) has argued that the witnesses identified in the book appear consent "and even expressed the desire" to notary.

The Libyan regime recognizes 300 killed in demonstrations

The violence that has accompanied the revolt against the Libyan regime has left 300 people (242 civilians and 58 military) as a board presented Tuesday evening during a press conference Seif al Islam, son of Muammar Gaddafi's number one. Almost half the victims died in Benghazi, the second largest city 1,000 km east of Tripoli and the focus of the insurrection.

This is the first official figures about the victims of the popular revolt which began a week ago. Were broadcast before a press conference at the premises of the television channel Al Libiya, launched in 2008 by Seif al Islam. So far, the toll has been confusing, but all figures were talking about hundreds of deaths.

UNITED KINGDOM - Return of the Irish threat

According to exclusive information including The Timesfait echo, several small groups of Irish terrorists were at work in England, posing an increasing threat to the country. On the eve of the royal wedding in late April and a few months before the Olympics in 2012, Cobra, the government's emergency committee, said it is a real risk, a dedicated three meetings per week, some of which chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron.

The Egyptian army strengthens border with Libya

Cairo .- The Egyptian army has intensified in recent hours, your presence on the border with Libya, after the violent suppression of demonstrations calling for the downfall of the regime of Muammar al-Gaddafi, while Affairs confirmed the death of two Egyptian by gunfire Shot in the neighboring country.

The border crossing of Al Salum is open 24 hours to allow the return of the Egyptians to their country and the passage of those who want to leave Libya, told EFE today a source of the press office of the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The Egyptian army has sent two planes to Libya to transport their citizens who are there and installed tents near the border to welcome those who come from this neighboring country.

We have not received any calls from the embassy

At 19 pm on Sunday, when Reuben H. returned to his home in Sabratah, 80 km from Tripoli, he noticed a quiet "very strange." Soon after, he began to see the city "columns of smoke, police and many people in the street, some with machine guns," says this worker Bruesa construction company, which along with several Spanish colleagues was lifting a university in the city , where it decided to leave on Monday.

NICARAGUA - President Ortega answers his critics

In recent weeks, several events have occurred in Nicaragua against President Daniel Ortega, who plans to stand for president in November. A controversial court decision allows him to run for another term. "Some provocateurs seek to sow chaos in the country," said Ortega February 21, by comparison with movements in the Arab revolt.

He also expressed his support for the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Khodorkovsky, 'beatified' in Berlin

German film director Cyril Tuschi, "Khodorkovsky" dedicated to the figure of Russian tycoon jailed since 2003 in Siberia, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has had great impact on the Berlin film festival. Copies of the film were stolen from a hotel room in Bali and in an office in Berlin, says the director, adding tension to the case detective.

The film reflects a very superficial knowledge of recent Russian and, although not without interest, resulting in the usual demonization beatification of Khodorkovsky and Putin, two characters that belong to the same system. Tuschi, which seems not very well targeted on the issue it addresses, it confuses the Moscow Communist youth of the seventies and eighties, which belonged Khodorkovsky, the Stalinist idealism of the thirties reflected on the novel by Nikolai Ostrovsky, "This tempered steel.

At least 65 dead after a strong earthquake in southern New Zealand

At least 65 people have died in Christchurch in southern New Zealand, because of a devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck this city, the second largest in the country, as confirmed by the New Zealand prime minister John Key. The quake also left many injured and extensive damage to many buildings in the city, including the cathedral, partially demolished after the earthquake.

"Christchurch is a total disaster area," said Key to Channel One News. "We are witnessing one of the darkest days of New Zealand," said the head of the Government shortly after coming to the city from Wellington, the capital of the country to supervise the rescue and assistance to the victims.

BENIN - Opposition and unions appear to Cotonou

The Beninese daily dread of "serious incidents". On 22 February for the second consecutive day, trade unions and opposition members have manifested in Cotonou to denounce the conditions in which organized presidential March 6. "They will find the police and the army on their way," the newspaper predicted.

According to the protesters, more than a million Beninese are excluded from the electoral lists. On 21 February, some 200 demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas.

Benin (geolocation) Benin (wikipedia) Cotonou (geolocation) Cotonou (wikipedia)

Gaddafi ordered the planes to bomb protesters

Cairo (Editorial) .- The Libyan Air Force has bombed this morning several areas of Tripoli as part of a crackdown on the protests that are taking place in the Libyan capital against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, said the Qatari chain Al Jazeera television. In these operations, according to witnesses cited by the chain, mercenaries are also involved, according to Al Jazeera, have joined the military and security forces in Libya to crack down on protests.

Catherine Ashton calls upon all Libyans containment

The European diplomat, Catherine Ashton, has called the Libyan "in contention" deploring "all acts of violence" in this country that is suffering for a week protests harshly repressed by the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. "I deplore all acts of violence and I urge everyone to containment," said Lady Ashton during a press conference in Cairo after talks with Egyptian officials.

Without naming directly to Qaddafi, has called on the country's authorities to respect human rights and freedom of expression. He added that the EU will meet in Brussels to discuss measures to be taken. The Europeans seem so far divided on the appropriateness of adopting sanctions against the Libyan regime, some countries fear that the measure will turn against its residents in the African country, or to Malta and Italy, to open the floodgates of illegal immigration.

YEMEN - The protests won Sanaa

The Yemeni news website published pictures of the encampment outside the University of Sanaa, the capital, students are installed from February 20 to demand the departure of President Saleh in power for thirty-two years, it has said that he would not go "through the ballot box." The protest, part of the port cities of the South, gradually spreading north Shiite.

On 21 February, several thousand people demonstrated in Sanaa. In Aden (south), one protester was killed by security forces.

U.S. Gaddafi calls to stop the massacres

Washington .- The U.S. Secretary of State. UU., Hillary Clinton today called on the Libyan government to stop "the unacceptable bloodshed" in the North African country. "We join the international community in the unequivocal condemnation of violence in Libya," Clinton said in a statement today. In addition, it emphasized the "responsibility" of the government of Muammar al-Gaddafi, "to respect the universal rights of people." Finally, Secretary of State added that the administration of U.S.

Spanish, thrown in Tripoli: 24 hours without food or diplomatic help

The situation that exists in Libya has caught dozens of Spanish workers who were in the country when riots broke out and now are virtually impossible to leave, especially because, as told ELMUNDO. is the owner of the company Tolder-one of the companies with a presence in the country, "one of the Spanish Embassy will help them." Tolder workers, Sacyr, Repsol, among others, and to 80 Spanish, remain trapped and without food in the airport in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, where they await the Spanish government sent a plane to repatriate, but for now there is no expectation evacuation plan.

COTE D'IVOIRE - Mediation and clashes continue in Abidjan

"Gbagbo has released its killing machine," as the newspaper in Abidjan, hostile to the president. He puts the figure at 12 people killed in clashes on February 21 in several municipalities in the district of Abidjan, after the police opened fire on supporters of Alassane Ouattara. The same day, four African presidents have tried, on behalf of the African Union to find a political solution to the crisis since the disputed presidential, 28 November 2010.

Abidjan (geolocation) Abidjan (wikipedia)

The speech Gaddafi's wrath

A Power "leader of the revolution", has been named as the president of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, has led to strong population and even threatening phrases in a long speech. Among the pearls of his speech has been his willingness to "die a martyr" in his country and he will not resign because "I am the president of Libya, I am the leader of the revolution" because "power has been Libyan hands for decades.

GERMANY - Agreement with forceps on the minimum social

Minimum wage, social benefits, family allowances: first page, the tabloid promises "a lot of extra money." After two long months of negotiations, the government and the opposition Social Democrats have finally reached a compromise, Feb. 21, on welfare reform and the establishment of a minimum wage for temporary and security personnel.

Angela Merkel said she was "very satisfied" with the agreement, criticized by the Greens and Left Party.

Violence in Libya continues to raise the price of Brent crude to $ 108

London (Writing / AP) .- A barrel of Brent crude for April delivery today opened up in the Intercontinental Exchange Futures (ICE) in London and traded at 108.05 U.S. dollars, 2.31 dollars more than at the end of the day above, EFE reported U.S. crude oil price West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to $ 93.48 after reaching $ 94.49 momentarily, its highest level since October 2008.

The market is very nervous in view of the violent situation in Libya, which pushes up prices, said an analyst in Singapore. A leading Libyan tribal leader had threatened to cut off oil supplies to Western within 24 hours if not end the violent crackdown on protesters demanding the end of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, who has 41 years in power.

Kill Somali pirates who hijacked four U.S.

The four Americans kidnapped on Friday by Somali pirates have been killed last night by his captors, according to the Pentagon just reported. The murder is the biggest crime committed by Somali pirates since it began five years ago his campaign of kidnappings in the Indian Ocean. Despite the existence of cases of kidnappings of Westerners earlier, it is not uncommon for pirates to murder their victims in cold blood, for which figures can get to pocket up to a million dollars for his release.

In Chicago the victory of Emanuel, the mayor heartens Obama

After 22 years, Chicago, a Democratic stronghold, changes the mayor, but remains in the hands of the party of Obama, despite the maintenance of the Tea Party. The newly-elected with 55 percent of the vote against five other candidates has a very direct line to the president as his former chief of staff .

Rahm Emanuel, 51, left the White House in October and picked up $ 13 million for the elections, more than all rivals together: his strongest opponent Gery Chico has received only 24 percent of the vote. Emanuel conducted a widespread campaign shaking hands with voters at various subway stations, and knocking on doors of many homes.

Algeria: a state of emergency is lifted

State of emergency lifted: veruscht Bouteflika in Algeria to save his neighbor Algeria, Libya's power to lift the 1992 state of emergency. The Council of Ministers decided on Tuesday in Algiers, a corresponding decree, however, only become its publication in the Official Journal of the force of law. For fear of losing his power President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the measure was announced earlier this month .

SAUDI ARABIA - Riyadh ready to sign a nuclear pact with Paris

Nicolas Sarkozy had proposed in 2008. This February 22, this should be done: after many delays and hesitations, Riyadh and Paris are expected to sign a "nuclear pact", by which France committed to helping the kingdom to develop its civilian nuclear power, reports the Daily Jeddah. The text should be signed by Eric Besson, Minister of Energy, and Hisham Yamouni, a manager of nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia.

Two Iranian warships reach the Mediterranean and provoke Israel

Cairo (Editorial / Agencies) .- Two Iranian warships have entered today in the Mediterranean Sea, around 4.45 am of Tuesday, after sailing through the Suez Canal. This is historic for two reasons. First, because since 1979 no naval vessel had entered Iranian waters of the Mediterranean. Both ships are now directed to a port in Syria without identifying the purpose of passing a technical review.

The Red and portable devices, the main weapon of the protesters

They connect to Twitter or record the bloody repression against the protesters with their gadgets, the protesters expressed their anger against their leaders in the Middle East and North Africa used the technology to undermine existing regimes. In the same places where you actually perform unprecedented demonstrations, from Tunis to Cairo, and from Sanaa to Manama, the images often show people, mostly young men waving his camera phone.

MOROCCO - The authority reviews the first manifestations

How to report the protests, which are organized in Morocco? Cautiously, the daily Casablanca merely reproduce the speech made by February 21 Taeib Cherqaoui, the interior minister. Speaking as "vandalism", the paper focuses on the degradation observed throughout the kingdom during the events of 20 February ("24 bank branches and 33 public buildings damaged"), leaving the background counts of 5 dead and 128 wounded by advanced Cherqaoui.

The oil majors to evacuate their workers from Libya

Madrid (EFE) .- The main oil companies operating in Libya as BP, Statoil, Eni, Total and Repsol, have begun to evacuate its expatriate workers to the growing tension in the North African country. British oil company BP, which is in the North African country about 140 employees, of which 40 are expatriates and other local workers, announced today that Libya will evacuate all its staff "not essential" as a precaution.

Many women have been killed when they gave water to the protesters

As has happened in Tunisia and Egypt, the role of witnesses and his account of the facts is crucial to understand what is happening, this time in Libya. Few journalists have so far managed to enter the country, where a brutal police crackdown on demonstrators calling for regime change has left over 200 dead.

Medical sources said the Al Jazeera television network, nearly 300 people have died in recent days in the Libyan city of Benghazi by gunfire and shelling against the civilian protests. All witnesses agree on the absence of security forces in the east of Libya, where demonstrators have already taken most of the territory.

NEW ZEALAND - An earthquake killed more than 65 dead in Christchurch

For Prime Minister John Key, on 22 February "will probably remain the darkest day in the history of New Zealand". At midday, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale devastated Christchurch, the second largest city, located on the South Island. The provisional results reported at least 65 people dead and many injured, reported local daily on its website.

Rescuers are working hard to find survivors under the rubble of the many buildings that collapsed.

Christchurch (geolocation) Christchurch (homepage) Christchurch (wikipedia)

Bahrain organizes a march this afternoon against the monarchy

Manama (Writing / AP) .- The small kingdom of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, now live a new day of protests against the monarchy and the Sunni dynasty to claim more rights for the minority Shiite small and rich Arab country . Opponents have called for a march this afternoon to leave the square of the Pearl of Manama, the center of this small capital city, and tour the main arteries of the financial district located in the north of the island and close to the Bahrain International Airport.

The 40-year-Gaddafi abuse

While the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi fight with all his might to stay ahead of power in Libya, the demonstrators continued their protests demanding an end to the abuses that have marked 41 years his Government. Despite the images that people get to get on the Internet, where you can see the harsh repression of the regime against the demonstrators with bombings and indiscriminate attacks, the government denies such attacks and blames the international community and foreign press .

LIBYA - The bloodbath continues

The news made the headlines of the daily La Valette: February 21, the pilots of two Libyan Mirage preferred landing in Malta rather than obey orders and shoot the demonstrators. "Gaddafi is under siege," as the newspaper. "The protesters have taken control of several cities, Tripoli and has suffered a wave of violence that some describe as 'massacre', while the pillars of power Gaddafi began to crumble," he writes.

Libya condemns Iran crackdown on demonstrators

Tehran. .- Iran today condemned the violent crackdown on protesters in Libya, reported state news agency IRNA. The Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast described the violence of the Libyan forces, especially air strikes against suspected opponents, unacceptable and deplorable. The spokesman added that the Libyan people's protests are another sign of the Islamic awakening.

The army resumed its bombardment of the population in Tripoli

Libyan Air Force bombed several areas of Tripoli today as part of a crackdown on the protests that are taking place in the Libyan capital against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, said the Qatari TV station Al Jazeera. In these operations, according to witnesses cited by the chain, mercenaries are also involved, according to Al Jazeera, have joined the military and security forces in Libya to crack down on protests.

POLAND - Roads "Chinese" boycotted

"The Chinese consortium Covec, who built at half price, a stretch of 50 km on the A2 highway between Warsaw and Lodz, unable to find subcontractors in Poland," Gazeta Prawna Dziennik reported. To complete the construction of 1, 3 billion zlotys (330 million) before the Euro 2012 football championship, Asian developers will gain the support of Polish companies who accuse them of dumping.

Covec was indeed charged 26.5 million zloty (6.8 million) per kilometer highway built, a price well below those of its competitors Spanish, Polish and Austrian. According to the Warsaw daily, the problems currently faced by the Chinese company are not necessarily related to accusations of dumping.

The air force bombed Libya in Tripoli 250 protesters

Tripoli. (Writing and Agencies) .- The situation on Monday in Tripoli is of maximum tension, with bodies lying in the streets and gunfire continued to be heard in several neighborhoods of the city, including heavy artillery shells, according to the agency Efe found and noted residents of several areas of the capital.

According to Al Jazeera, the origin of the blasts would be the aerial bombardment that are undergoing the protesters by the country's air force, and it has caused, according to the same chain, 250 dead. At night, the son of Gaddafi, Saif al Islam, has denied on state television that the bombing has been directed at civilians but the target aircraft ammunition dumps have been located in remote areas.

Iranian naval vessels crossing the Suez Canal for the first time since 1979

After weeks of rumors, warnings and contradictory information, two Iranian warships crossed the Suez Canal early and already in the waters of the Mediterranean. Despite protests from Israel, the frigate Alvand (the main anti-ship missile arsenal are the C-802) and the supply ship Kharq (capable of carrying over 30,000 tonnes) become the first Iranian warships crossing the strategic Suez since the Islamic revolution in Iran 32 years ago.