World News Post: Feb 25, 2011

Friday, February 25, 2011

COTE D'IVOIRE - How far will the madness?

"Nearly 600 dead in three months - FAFN-SDS: Stop the killings!" The daily Abidjan, close to the opposition, took part in the Armed Forces of Forces Nouvelles (FAFN pro-Ouattara) and the Defence Forces and Security (SDS pro-Gbagbo). The situation keeps deteriorating since the disputed November 28 presidential election.

February 23, fighting for increased violence, with heavy weapons, erupted in the neighborhood of Abobo, Abidjan, pro-Ouattara. They have caused several deaths.

A liter of gasoline and costs EUR 1.285, new record

London / Madrid (Editorial / Agencies) .- The price of petrol has matched up this week marking the January 20, selling an average of 1.285 euros per liter, while diesel prices increased by 1% in a context of growing political tension in Libya, which has boosted oil prices. At these prices, fill the gas tank of a car (50 liters on average) now costs 64.25 euros, about 9 euros a year ago, reports EFE.

Ireland elects a government hamstrung by bailout conditions

Just over three million Irish are called to the polls Friday to elect a government with little room for maneuver, bound for the next four years to meet the harsh conditions imposed by the EU and the IMF in the bailout of the country. Still in shock after the foreign intervention last November in the national finances, voters go to the appointment with the certainty that the ruling Fianna Fáil (FF) will suffer unprecedented electoral setback that the conservative Fine Gael (FG ) will stay near an absolute majority, according to polls.

LIBYA - Features in the heart of the insurgency and repression

Western journalists, long banished from the territory, began to be able to work in Libya gradually eroded as the Gaddafi regime. The Swiss daily Le Temps and the Guardian, among others, each publish a report from Benghazi, "the first free city of Libya, which fell to insurgents as much of the east. Robert Fisk, the star reporter of The Independent, has meanwhile managed to Tripoli, the capital "in the shadow of death".

Qaddafi remains, but the people 'free' more cities

Cairo / Tripoli (Writing / AP) .- The regime of Libyan dictator Gaddafi Muanmar increasingly lost support within and outside the country and are losing control of large cities in favor of the popular revolt in Libya. According to the Qatari television station Al Jazeera, Gadhafi could address the public through television as his third message to the population.

The same sources indicate that the dictator has no intention of leaving office and will respond to the violence unleashed against him and his revolution. " The last of these could be Zuara, just 120 miles west of Tripoli, where according to Egyptian workers have informed an international agency, the opposition militias have taken control.

Obama, Sarkozy and Cameron call for the immediate cessation of force in Libya

Washington enducere tone against the Libyan regime. U.S. President Barack Obama, has called this afternoon at his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, the 'premier' David Cameron and Silvio Berlusconi to address the crisis in the Arab country, according to Al Arabiya. The leaders have demanded "an immediate cessation of the use of force", as announced the Elysee after the conversation between the president and Obama Gallo.

GREECE - A month to find a solution to the crisis

"A global agreement between members of the EU is imperative March 25 in Brussels, the European Council. Otherwise, things will become very difficult in Europe and Greece," said Prime Minister George Papandreou yesterday by stock of the situation to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, almost a year after the austerity plan.

"Europe has a responsibility," he said, and "we must end this story, turn the page and not find themselves again facing a crisis like we went through for months." For Prime Minister, the challenge is primarily the extension of the repayment of the loan of 110 billion euros granted by the EU and the IMF.

A barrel of Brent continues to rise and stood at $ 114.26

London .- A barrel of Brent crude for April delivery today opened up in the Intercontinental Exchange Futures (ICE) in London and traded at $ 114.26 at 12.07 hours GMT, 3.01 dollars more than at the end of the day above.

Cuba will judge the U.S. contractor Alan Gross on March 4

Authorities in Cuba set for March 4 trial date to U.S. contractor Alan Gross, arrested in Havana since December 2009 and charged with crimes against the independence or territorial integrity of the state, said today the official website Cubadebate. According to a statement released by the digital site, the People's Provincial Tribunal of Havana said by that time the Gross hearing, after "all the evidence presented by the defense in its written provisional conclusions were admitted." "This information was forwarded through diplomatic channels to the United States Government, which is also reported that their consular representatives, the family of Mr.

Kosovo - The Fabulous Destiny of Behgjet Pacolli

It was previously known as the Kosovar the world's richest. Since February 22, Behgjet Pacolli is also the president of Kosovo after an agreement between his party, the Alliance for a New Kosovo (AKR), and the KDP, the political party of Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. The election of this billionaire, who notably made a fortune by winning more contracts in Russia and Kazakhstan, has not been a cakewalk, said the daily Koha Ditore, Pristina.

Israel bombs Gaza after an attack by Palestinian militants to Beer Sheva

Jerusalem. .- The Israeli Air Force bombed numerous targets early this morning in the Gaza Strip in response to an attack by Palestinian militants last night on the town of Beer Sheva, capital of the Negev Desert. Warplanes, helicopters and Israeli tanks shelled Palestinian militant positions in numerous locations, and at least three people were wounded, medical sources in Gaza.

The shelling caused severe damage in the village of Dir el Balah, and military facilities used by various militias and the Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the strip since 2007. The sources reported that the targets were attacked simultaneously, including some in neighborhoods Sayaíe Zeitun and Gaza City, a farming area west of Khan Yunis, and another to the east of Dir el Balah.

Stop in Texas to a Saudi who was going to attack the home of former President Bush

A man from Saudi national was arrested in the United States accused of plotting attacks against Texas residence of former President George W. Bush, among other objectives, said Thursday the Justice Department. Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, was arrested last night in Lubbock Texas by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to a federal agency.

The young man faces a federal charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, as allegedly bought chemicals and equipment necessary to build an improvised explosive device. In addition, Aldawsari be tried for having investigated several targets to attack them, and have collected information about them in emails that are sent itself.

SAUDI ARABIA - Measures to prevent social unrest

"King Abdullah announced Feb. 23 a series of social measures, including granting one year of unemployment assistance," reported Elaph. This announcement came a few hours of his return to Saudi Arabia, where he was expected after three months of absence for medical reasons. "The creation of a fund for housing assistance, raising the salaries of officials, facilities for obtaining credit and the release of prisoners are among those measures." King Abdullah, aged 86, had visited the U.S.

After the Friday prayers, protests in the Arab world

On the Tahrir Square in Baghdad Thousands of Iraqis were killed one month after the protests began in Egypt, which led to the overthrow Hosni Mubarak called on the Tahrir Square, several hundred thousand demonstrators for the resignation of the transitional government to accelerate political reforms and the inclusion a lawsuit against Mubarak.

The High Military Council should set a timetable for next steps. This Saturday will present a constitutional committee proposed a revision of the Constitution. In Tunisia, according to police more than 100,000 demonstrators protesting against the interim government of Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi.

The Spanish repatriated from Libya on his fear and anguish

Madrid (Editorial / Agencies) .- Some of the 61 Spanish who arrived yesterday afternoon at Madrid from Tripoli on a flight with 131 passengers chartered by the oil company Repsol-YPF have reported their experience of "fear, anguish and horror "in a" war ", reports EFE. The president of Repsol, Antonio Brufau, has gone to Madrid's Barajas airport to welcome travelers, among whom were 54 oil workers and 34 relatives.

Antigovernment militias expand their control and are approaching Tripoli

The city of Benghazi was now a municipal council composed of 15 members who will take the lead in the second city of Libya to "to topple the regime (of Muammar Gaddafi)," according to Fathi Low, a member of that group. The town was like during the day began to deploy traffic wardens, reopened banks and troops loyal to the revolution began to collect the countless weapons that have been scattered after the collapse of the forces defending the dictatorship.

Libya: Obama calls for sanctions

The United States have spoken out on the night of Friday for sanctions against Libya. According to government sources, the country also wants to work for a run by the United Nations investigation of the "serious and systematic violations of human rights by the Libyan authorities".

To discuss the way forward, President Barack Obama on the phone with British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. What was discussed in detail was not immediately known. The American President, Obama had said in the Wednesday night for the first time to the carnage wrought by Gaddafi in the Libyan population.

Riots in Syria: The ruler makes on Facebook Youth

Popular with young and old: Bashar al-Assad lively Just as in the past few days it went on the side of the head of state for a long time to stop. "The best president," "the best president of the World" and similar praise visitors leave at present every minute on the Facebook Wall Bashar al-Assad, also a video showing him after visiting the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.

Only with great effort succeeded his bodyguards to keep the cheering crowd from him, the watchdogs are clearly energized. The 45-year-old ruler on the other hand enjoys the attention, waving his followers again and again. The message of the film is eight minutes clear: Syria may ring to overthrow the rulers with the Baathist regime is tottering, but not - thanks to both young and old popular leader.

Libya, the first C-130 arrived with the Italians

Air Force C-130 from Libya landed at Pratica di Mare in the afternoon. The first to arrive, took off from Tripoli was carrying 44 passengers, which had 24 compatriots. Families, children, seniors and children fell from the tailgate military aircraft.

Some of the passengers were greeted by photographers and cameras signs of victory. Shortly before 20, 30, arrived in Italy the second C-130, took off from Sebah. The plane carried 97 people, including Italians, British, French, Germans, Austrians and Slovenians. Some of the Italians landed at Pratica di Mare Tripoli have described as a city' calm ', with no signs of violence.

CIS - not counting military expenditures

Ex-Soviet space countries continue to "surprise the world by increasing their military spending," observes the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta. 2011 will be "a record year for five years," as compared to 2010, the military budget of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Georgia expected to increase by 23% and representing a total of 44.3 billion euros.

This may seem surprising given the poor economic situation of these countries, but it is understandable that "there is still a real danger of recurrence of intra-and interstate conflicts in the post-Soviet space." For example, Azerbaijan will spend 2.27 billion euros for his defense, or 6.2% of GDP (against 3.9% in 2010).

China increases arrests and censorship around the 'protests jasmine'

Beijing. .- The anonymous call to celebrate "protests jasmine" in various cities of China, in imitation of the Arab countries, is being answered by the communist government harassment of activists "rarely seen in previous years" and an increase in censorship, reported two human rights NGOs. According to a statement from the organization Human Rights in China (HRIC), in recent days "the authorities have launched a large-scale, coordinated campaign against human rights activists, who have been subjected to interrogations and arrests." HRIC notes that a day before the first call for protests on 20, Chinese President Hu Jintao delivered a speech in which he called the communist authorities at all levels to minimize "the harmonious elements" and and increase oversight of the Internet.

Berlin honors Gorby

In Russia the figure is associated with Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign, with empty shelves in shops and with the collapse of the USSR. In the West, however, is considered one of the key historical figures of the twentieth century, particularly in Berlin, is revered as a saint of freedom. So his 80 birthday, to be fulfilled, is celebrated in style and with the intention of paying a last great living tribute to his role in the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Germans will not finish and never thank serves as the ideal reference these days in other totalitarian systems are looking to make a transition to democracy from within and in harmony.

OIL - Well the world's longest

With a length of 12,345 meters, the well of the OP-11 Odoptu offshore oil field, located in the Sea of Okhotsk, north-eastern island of Sakhalin in the Russian Far East, is the most large land drilling wells in the world, reports Ogonyok. This project known as Sakhalin-1 is operated by Exxon Neftegas international consortium, which includes among others two Russian companies, one Japanese and one Indian.

Al Qaeda expressed its solidarity with the Libyan protesters

Washington. .- Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) today expressed its solidarity with the Libyan protesters and condemned the repressive actions of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, according to the U.S. portal monitoring Islamist websites (SITE). In a message posted in forums that promote jihad (holy war), the arm of the terrorist network of Al Qaeda in northern Africa described as "tyrant" Qaddafi, according to the Web site, based in Maryland.

Twelve people are killed in a suicide attack on deputy governor of Al Anbar

At least 12 people were killed and 18 wounded in a suicide bombing in the Iraqi city of Ramadi against the deputy governor of the province of Al Anbar, who was seriously injured, police said. The bomber blew up his explosives belt attached to the body in the House of Culture of Ramadi, capital of Al Anbar, where the deputy was involved in a religious celebration.

The sources explained that the Lieutenant Governor Yasem Zaidan Hekmat is in serious condition and was taken to a hospital in Baghdad. Those killed included a bodyguard of Iraqi official and three officials of the Culture House, located in the zone 17 Tamuz in the center of Ramadi, some 110 kilometers from the capital.

CUBA - A taste of Tunisia?

The cemeteries of the village are picturesque and gloomy, with their whitewashed tombs, the sun all day darting its rays on their pottery and dirt trails compacted by the passage of bereaved relatives. They are places where one generally hears that cry. But in the small village of Banes [east of Cuba], there is a cemetery where strange cries were heard in the last twelve months.

And to top it all, in recent days the entrance of the premises is guarded, as if the living could control the space where the dead lie. Dozens of police officers want to keep friends and relatives from Orlando Zapata Tamayo [died February 23, 2010 after 86 days of hunger strike to demand the release of political prisoners] to commemorate the first anniversary of his death.

Wave of 'preventive repression' in Cuba for the anniversary of Zapata's death

In Cuba, most opposition rallies fail. About because the police and security services through arrests abort "preventive" and concentrations occurred yesterday convened to mark the first anniversary of the death of prisoner Orlando Zapata after 85 days on hunger strike. Other protests fail due to connection problems, not only physically, between the various opposition groups and between them and the society is what happened on Monday launched a call from Facebook.

Switzerland blocked the assets of Gadhafi and his environment

Switzerland has decided on Thursday "with immediate effect" block funds that can be Confederate Col. Moammar Gadhafi and his environment, as indicated by the Swiss government. "To prevent the misuse of public funds Libyans, the Federal Council decided today to freeze with immediate effect all the assets of Gadhafi and his environment in Switzerland, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

Vengeance.fr

Two centuries after the occupation of Friesland by the French, Frisian take their revenge on the former occupant. Since the beginning of February, the people of this Dutch province can buy domain names ending in. fr. "There are exactly two hundred years, Napoleon annexed Frisia and the rest of the Netherlands to France.

Today is our turn to make France Frisian ", said the agency ANP the inventors. en Frisian cities parDE Volkskrant. These are now looking to obtain. Lebanese pounds to the inhabitants of Limburg.

"They were lined, we watched"

700 kilometers from Tahrir Square, Luxor, Egypt's tourist pearl has had its own revolution. Here the face of the regime is as much or more than Mubarak, the governor Samir Farag. He has not resigned (yet) but, after several violent demonstrations outside the headquarters of the governorate, some days not be seen in public.

"He is locked in his palace, dared not set foot in the street, we are afraid," said a young man living humorous strolling tourists on felucca. The city is full of posters and graffiti against Samir Farag, which many locals condenses all the evils characteristic of the last years of the regime: a leader who has used his authoritative power to deliver the country's resources to his friends as the people sinking into poverty.

Dogs, microphones and cameras to look for any sign of life

And 102 bodies are recovered, while 228 people remain missing, as reported on Thursday John Carter, New Zealand Minister of Civil Defence. Work is continuing search and rescue of people who have been buried under rubble, 72 hours after the earthquake of 6.3 magnitude on the Richter scale. "The information we are receiving from the police indicate that the death toll could be higher than any of us ever imagined," he lamented pimer minister, John Key, in an interview with local television.

The only inmate of the prison of San Marino

Forget the mattress on the floor, wet towels against the barred windows to filter the hot air during the hot, forget pullovers slipped over each other for lack of blankets to protect against the cold. Forget the anxiety attacks and hospitalizations, the queues at the infirmary and self-mutilation. Forget the Italian prisons and weight of suffering and humiliation.

There is a prison, a few kilometers from Rimini, where breakfast is delivered by the restaurant next door, and when the worst enemy is solitude. It's the prison of the Capuchins in the Republic of San Marino, an inhabitant of most of the time. Currently, the only inmate of the Republic is a man of thirty years in prison Jan.

Gaddafi against all

Not satisfied with the carnage unleashed in the east of Libya, perhaps in Tripoli (250 deaths, according to Al Jezira), Muammar Gaddafi wants the children out of school to march. Today marks one week of the call for youth, specifically dated Thursday 17 February, although the first and there were protests yesterday.

Gaddafi still controls capital, and snatch, when there are already dead by the thousand as the most conservative estimate, and can cost several thousand more blood. The rebellion reached while a dozen cities, and in some the situation is still not clear. The story that has made a French volunteer medical evacuated Benghazi just gives an idea of what kind of individuals are Gaddafi and his acolytes.

Julian Assange appeal the decision to extradite British Justice Sweden

The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, can be extradited to Sweden to face accusations of sexual harassment. The sentence was handed down in Belmarsh, south London, after an extradition hearing which was held two weeks ago. Judge Howard Riddle, who led the hearing, said that there is no reason to suggest that it may cause irregularities in the trial in Sweden, as alleged by the defense.

"In the event of an irregularity in the Swedish process, they must be reviewed in Sweden," concluded the judge Riddle. Julian Assange now has seven days to appeal the decision. If not, will be extradited in 10. His lawyers have already confirmed they will appeal. Julian Assange, 39, is wanted by the Swedish Justice on three counts of sexual abuse of two women, occur which last August during a stay of one week in Stockholm.

Costly prophecies

Bad time for witches and clairvoyants Roumanian. Not content to try to tax their activities, the government now intends to punish these women if their predictions are not realized. The bill passed by the Senate provides for fines or prison sentences of six months to three years for false prophecy, says the news site Ziar.

com.

"The village does not want dictators or radical Islam"

Takes three hours of interviews. Four, but in view of what is happening in the Middle East ... What is the fundamental question we have not done? "In essence we are talking about freedom, hope and suffering, but nobody asked me about it. Go ahead. Freedom is to be what we want to be, and for that we must get rid of the ego.

The hope is, after all, know that anything is possible, and know it is a force. Suffering is the meaning of my humanity. Now sitúeme the three issues raised in the events in the Middle East. We have people under a terrible dictatorship and repression that have expressed a collective suffering.

The international community must intervene, says French diplomacy

The French government, criticized for its apathy towards the Arab revolution, has left aside the principle of nonintervention waiting up Gaddafi and appealing to the crimes against humanity he has committed, subject to trial in the International Criminal Court . Defense Minister Alain Juppe has said to expect "wholeheartedly that Gaddafi is living his last moments as head of state." "When a government is unable to protect its people from their means, when you are hurting, then the international community has a duty to intervene." On Wednesday, Nicolas Zarkozy had hardened their criticism calling for "targeted sanctions" from the European Union.

Marry them!

Half a million old girls is too much, too. Kazakhstan has about 500,000 single women: no question of leaving them on the floor. If elected president in April, the candidate Amanta Kajy plans to create a council of elders - the Aksakal - who choose husbands for the girls, aged 25-45 years. Unions will be at taxpayer expense, said Kazah Express-K.

Obama: the bloodshed and suffering in Libya are unacceptable

Washington. .- The U.S. president, Barack Obama, said the "bloodbath" and "suffering" in Libya "unacceptable" and must end immediately. The president, in a statement in the lobby of the White House the first to do about the situation in Libya, said it has instructed its advisors to prepare all the options to deal with the situation in the North African country.

In this sense, also the Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom has asked the Hague to the international community to increase pressure on the Libyan government. These options, he said, include both unilateral measures as those taken in coordination with other international partners. In this regard, he added, has directed the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who moves to Geneva (Switzerland) on Monday to attend the foreign ministers' talks on violence in Libya.

Gaddafi says that Al Qaeda is the mastermind of the riots in Libya

In a wiretap confused by Libyan state television, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has said that the riots in the country have been fomented by Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden is distributing drugs among young people in Libya. "Pay attention to your children. Are trying to kidnap. We are doing drugs, because they want to kill," said the colonel through a telephone appearance on Libyan television.

"Bin Laden compensate the families of the victims? This is just like what the Italians. You have to expose your children, take them to jail." Gaddafi says Bin Laden has been distributed among the population hallucinogenic drugs, which are being killed without the intervention of the forces of authority.

Escalation in Libya: EU does not rule out military action

Many foreigners flee to neighboring Tunisia To extract the remaining up to 6,000 Europeans from Libya, including the EU a military mission any longer. This was "one of the possibilities" that would consider as part of a contingency plan, it said on Thursday the European External Action Service (EAD).

Currently it is still far away from. give the Member States, there currently is no discussion about a possible military operation, was reported in diplomatic circles. Very concerned, the Commission was also on the situation of indigenous people. About 5,000 people had taken refuge at the Libyan border to Tunisia, even at the border to Egypt endured many people.

Libya: Controls reporters, kicks and slaps

A group of Italian journalists, including the envoy of ANSA, were blocked and controlled by a government militia group on the highway that goes from the airport in Tripoli and one of them, Fabrizio Caccia del Corriere della Sera, was also slapped and kicked when he said that he was Italian. After a sudden inspection were released and were able to reach a hotel in the capital.

Rape allegations: Assange may be extradited to Sweden

Wikileaks-founder Julian Assange may be extradited to Sweden. A London court ruled on Thursday the extradition request of the Swedish authorities, based on a European arrest warrant was lawful, must Assange where they handle the investigation by the Prosecutor. It is based on an EU-wide arrest warrant, which had obtained Sweden.

The Swedish Justice Assange suspected of rape, among other things, but so far no charges brought against him. Assange announced to defend themselves by means of an appeal against the extradition. Then he had to renew his bail so he can continue to remain exempt from arrest in Britain. The Swedish investigation concerning crimes such as sexual assault and rape, and based on the testimony of two women, both of whom were known to Assange during his stay in Stockholm.

Saudi Arabia: good deeds instead of reforms

The 87-year-old Saudi monarch Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has returned to his kingdom after three months of sick leave is the 87-year-old Saudi monarch Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on Wednesday returned to his kingdom. A month earlier than expected, he had set out from Morocco, where he had four weeks recovering from two operations on his spine in the New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Even the king of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa, had a hurry to meet with the powerful colleagues. In Riyadh discussed both the situation in Bahrain, where a strong opposition movement, the future of the Al Khalifa is the first time in question. Abdullah welcomed with the traditional sword dance Ardah at the airport and with waving passers-by along the way to the city could not hide, that Saudi Arabia is under the spell of upheaval in the Arab world.