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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Australia in trouble on opening day

South Africa made a solid start to reach 57 without loss at the close on the first day of the third Test after dismissing Australia for 209.New openers Ashwell Prince and Imraan Khan, who replaced injured captain Graeme Smith and the dropped Neil McKenzie, were not unduly troubled by Australia's attack. They scored at more than four runs per over, mostly due to taking 20 runs off the fifth over, bowled by fast bowler Mitchell Johnson. Prince looked particularly aggressive, scoring 37 not out off 36 balls and hitting five boundaries and a six over long-on, which came off legspinner Bryce McGain's second ball in Test cricket. Khan hit one four to be 15 not out off 50 deliveries at the home ground in Newlands.Earlier on Thursday, South Africa took five wickets for 51 runs after tea to dismiss Australia to a total that could have even been lower had three catches not been dropped. The culprit in two instances was Khan. Australia, who had first-innings totals of 466 in Johannesburg and 352 in Durban in the two earlier Tests, would have been disappointed with their effort after winning the toss. The Proteas would counter that the discipline missing from their attack as they went 2-0 down in the series was back as fast bowler Dale Steyn claimed 4-56 and spinner Paul Harris 3-34. Harris removed an aggressive Brad Haddin lbw four balls after tea for 42, while Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn later each took two wickets in a single over to complete the demolition. Of the lower-order batsmen, only Mitchell Johnson showed any resistance, hitting six fours for 35 in 73 minutes. Before tea, Simon Katich and Haddin added a fighting 71-run stand after the side had lost two wickets in 10 balls after lunch. Katich (55) and Haddin rescued Australia from a precarious 81-4 after Steyn, changing ends, had bowled Michael Hussey (20) and Michael Clarke (0) in successive overs. The pair batted for 84 minutes and 20 overs until Katich, who took 15 minutes to move from 49 to 50, top-edged Harris for Khan to take the catch at midwicket. Khan had earlier dropped Katich on 9 at point off Makhaya Ntini. Katich was at the crease for almost four hours and hit seven fours in 160 deliveries.

Nadal reachs quarters after saving five match points

World number one Rafael Nadal survived a major scare against David Nalbandian with a 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-0 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells tournament. The Spaniard had to save five match points to bag the second set. World number one Rafa Nadal saved five match points before beating David Nalbandian 3-6 7-6 6-0 in a classic fourth-round encounter at the ATP event in Indian Wells on Wednesday. In a match which finished past 0200 (0900 GMT), Argentine Nalbandian had four match points at 5-3 in the second set and another on his own serve at 5-4. But Nadal showed amazing resilience to break back and then snatch the set on a tie-break, before ripping through the decider for his first win over Nalbandian in three attempts. The top seed will now meet another Argentine, Juan Martin Del Potro, for a place in the last four.

Bomb kills anti-Taliban Afghan MP

A key anti-Taliban lawmaker was killed with four other men Thursday when a bomb tore through their vehicle in Afghanistan's flashpoint southern province of Helmand, officials said. The Taliban movement said it carried out the attack that killed Helmand MP Dad Mohammad Khan, who received death threats from the extremist insurgents who control swathes of the volatile opium-producing province. "A remote-controlled roadside bomb struck a Corolla-type vehicle in which esteemed MP from Helmand province, Dad Mohammad, the highway police commander and three of Mohammad's bodyguards were martyred," the interior ministry said. A cousin of the MP confirmed the killing from the scene. "I am here where the bomb blast took place. We are carrying out the bodies now," Akhtar Mohammad told AFP by telephone. The killing took to 10 the number of MPs who have died in attacks since they were elected in Afghanistan's first democratic parliamentary vote in 2005, lower house press officer Haseeb Noori told AFP. Six died in a suicide bombing in the central province of Baghlan in mid-2007 and two were killed in Kabul, including one in an attack on a military parade last April. In July last year, Kandahar MP Habibullah Jan was shot dead by unknown gunmen. Khan, who was in his mid-50s, was known for his long opposition to the Taliban, which dated back to the hardliners' time in government between 1996 and 2001, locals told AFP. He was appointed Helmand provincial intelligence chief after the Taliban were driven from power in the 2001 US-led invasion -- a post he held until the parliamentary elections.

Obama's 'blame me' means 'move on'

President Obama topped a town hall appearance Wednesday by claiming responsibility for the bonuses paid out to executives at the bailed-out insurance giant American International Group, saying, "I'm outraged, too."Cushioned by high approval ratings, analysts said Obama can emerge from this controversy relatively unscathed, but there's only so many times he can get away with saying, "Blame me." AIG accepted more than $170 billion in federal assistance in the past six months. It was revealed this week that since accepting those funds, the company doled out more than $165 million in bonuses. In the stimulus bill passed last month, Congress had an opportunity to put a stop on those mega-bonuses. But, in a last-minute adjustment, the language of the legislation was changed, allowing AIG to go ahead with its controversial bonuses. Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, told CNN on Wednesday that he was partially responsible for adding the loophole after coming under pressure from the Treasury Department. At the time, he said, the changes "seemed like innocent modifications." 

Government appeals ruling against Sharifs’ disqualification

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan The Pakistan government filed appeals on Thursday to overturn a court ruling that banned opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif from contesting elections and sparked a political crisis.The petitions were filed on the order of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who on Monday pledged that the government would reinstate the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and file a petition against the Sharif brothers’ ban. ‘We have filed four review petitions and asked the court to review the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif,’ Attorney General Latif Khosa told reporters outside the supreme court. ‘We have asked the court to start the hearing from tomorrow. If that is not possible, it should be heard as early as possible,’ he said. The supreme court on February 25 disqualified the Sharifs from contesting elections and holding public office, following criminal convictions.

Israel seizes Hamas political leaders

Israeli security forces seized 12 senior Hamas leaders before dawn on Thursday, after the failure to secure the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit during this week's negotiations in Cairo.Israel launched a new crackdown on Hamas on Thursday, rounding up top leaders in the West Bank after the failure of efforts to secure the release of a soldier held by the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip. Security forces seized 12 senior Hamas leaders in pre-dawn raids in the occupied West Bank, including four members of the Palestinian legislative council, Hamas and the army said. The Islamists denounced the action as "blackmail" following the collapse of Egyptian-brokered efforts to reach an agreement on an Israel-Hamas prisoner swap. The Palestinian Authority, headed by Hamas's political foes Fatah, also slammed the arrests and called on the international community to intervene. "These men have been the leaders of the ongoing effort to restore the administrative branch of the Hamas terror organisation in the region, while attempting to strengthen the power and influence of Hamas," an Israeli military spokeswoman said. Thirty-six Hamas MPs have been in jail since a major crackdown in the West Bank that followed the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Gaza militants including Hamas fighters in a deadly cross-border raid in June 2006. On Saturday, Shalit will have been held captive for 1,000 days.

Thousands stage protests in France

Hundreds of thousands of French workers have taken to the streets across the country in an attempt to secure jobs and increase pay.Around one million civil servants staged a nationwide strike on Thursday, with more than 200 protest marches held, officials said, in protest against the government's handling of the economic crisis. Thursday's action, the second in less than two months, is a blunt criticism of the policies of Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, and the latest sign of social unrest due to the global economic downturn. A similar day of action at the end of January saw an estimated 2.5 million people involved.

Gaza deaths dog Israeli military

Reports have surfaced in the Israeli media suggesting that Israeli forces killed Palestinian civilians under what may have been lax rules of engagement during the Gaza offensive.Quoting those who fought, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday that soldiers had also ransacked and destroyed civilian property. The soldiers' testimony, made at a course at Oranim Academic College in Tivon, runs counter to the Israeli army's claims that troops observed a high level of moral behaviour during the operation. The testimonies include a description by an infantry squad leader in which he relates an incident where an Israeli sharpshooter shot a Palestinian mother and her two children, Haaretz reported. If proved, the soldiers' testimonies could lead to war crimes charges against Israel. The Israeli army issued a statement in response to the Haaretz article saying it would look into the veracity of the allegations and investigate them if necessary.

Kidnappers seek $2m to free Canadian journalist

‘Please help me. Please help me … I request my government, human rights organisations and media associations to accept their demands and get me released.’—Image Courtesy CBC
Please help me. Please help me … 
I request my government, human rights organisations
and media associations to accept their 
demands and get me released.’

MIRAMSHAH, Pakistan The kidnappers of a Canadian journalist have demanded $2 million for releasing her. Khadija Al Qahar was kidnapped from Sera Derga in Janikhel of the Bannu Frontier Region on November 20 last year, along with two local guides.A video-tape was delivered to the local press club on Wednesday in which kidnappers threatened to kill her if their demands were not met by March 30.  The woman said in the video that she had been kept in isolation at an undisclosed location near Afghan border. ‘I am very sick and they (kidnappers) will kill me at the end of March.’ A visibly distressed Ms Khadija pointed at a dagger hanging on a wall behind her and said that they (a reference to militants of Darra Adamkhel) had killed the Polish engineer and they would also kill her. ‘Please help me. Please help me … I request my government, human rights organisations and media associations to accept their demands and get me released.’ She specifically urged the Canadian and Pakistani governments to accept the kidnappers’ demands.

Balance of power will shift to Parliament: PM Gilani

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said he would seek to tip the balance of power back toward parliament, a move that could help restore democratic checks and balances in the country.In an interview to US newspaper, Premier Gilani vowed to return to parliament authority that it lost in 2002 when former leader Pervez Musharraf gave sweeping powers to the presidency, including the power to dismiss parliament. "We are committed to changing the system," Gilani said. "My main endeavor is to end the politics of confrontation." "I am sure we can work with Nawaz Sharif in strengthening the democratic process," premier said. "We have to return to parliamentary democracy.” Mr. Gilani said he would offer Mr. Sharif the opportunity to rejoin the governing coalition. Mr. Sharif's party was part of the coalition after the elections but he quit over disagreements with Mr. Zardari."I hope we will go back to our relations," Mr. Gilani said. "I can offer Nawaz Sharif to join the coalition at an appropriate time. That shows our resolve for the reconciliation." "We need to implement the charter of democracy signed by two former prime ministers," prime minister added.

Japan planning to spend 15 billion dollars on jobs

In the grip of its worst recession in decades, Japan is planning to spend over 15 billion dollars to protect jobs and support the unemployed, the Labour Minister has announced. The plan could be financed under an upcoming stimulus package.Japan may spend more than 15 billion dollars to protect jobs and help the unemployed amid its steepest economic downturn in decades, Labour Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said Thursday. The plan could cover vocational training for job-seekers, subsidies to help companies save jobs, and payments to help laid-off migrant workers or help them return to their home countries, said reports quoting unnamed officials. "We need to map out employment measures aggressively to the scale of 1.5 trillion yen (15.6 billion dollars)," Masuzoe told reporters. "People have concerns about what to live off while they are looking for the next job or while they are getting vocational training," he said. "We want to present drastic measures to address this kind of problem." Asia's largest economy is heading for its worst recession since World War II, and major auto, electronics and other companies have slashed tens of thousands of jobs, hitting temporary contract workers the hardest. Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it plans to halve recruitment of full-time workers in the next fiscal year starting in April to around 1,800 employees, while some other companies have cut or frozen new hiring. Japan's jobless rate in January stood at 4.1 percent, still below its record of 5.5 percent in 2002, but is expected to rise as the global downturn bites deeper into Japan's export industries. The Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry said last month that nearly 158,000 contract workers have or will have lost jobs by the end of March.

US economy gets $1.2 trillion boost

The US Federal Reserve has moved to pump $1.2 trillion into the country's financial system, hoping to spur lending to beat the recession.Concluding a two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, the central bank said it would buy up to $300bn in longer-term government bonds called treasuries to bring down borrowing costs. The surprising move to buy its own government's debt for the first time since the 1960s sparked a rally on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones industrial average, which had been down earlier in the day, rising to close 1.2 per cent higher at 7,486.58. "Although the near-term economic outlook is weak, the committee anticipates that policy actions ... will contribute to a gradual resumption of sustainable economic growth," the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday. In addition to purchasing treasury debt, the central bank said it would expand by $850bn an existing programme to buy debt and securities issued by mortgage finance agencies to $1.45 trillion, in an effort to lower mortgage rates.

Bush to write book on important decisions of presidency

Former President George W. Bush is writing a book focusing on defining decisions he's made in his personal and political life, a publishing house announced Thursday.The book, tentatively titled "Decision Points," is to be published in fall 2010, according to the Crown Publishing Group. Financial terms weren't disclosed.The book will focus on about 12 important decisions made by the former president. Topics will include his decision to run for president, his choice of his closest advisers, the September 11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, his response to Hurricane Katrina, the forming of his stem cell research policy, his decision to quit drinking, how he found faith and his relationships with his father, mother, siblings and wife. "I am spending time on the book every day," Bush was quoted saying in a news release. "My goal is to bring the reader inside the Oval Office for the most consequential moments of my personal and political life. "I look forward to painting a vivid picture of the information I had, the principles I followed, and the decisions I made," Bush said.

New Madagascar leader sets agenda

Madagascar's new leader has laid out his priorities after seizing power in an army-backed overthrow of the president.Addressing 15,000 supporters in the capital, Antananarivo, on Wednesday, Andry Rajoelina promised to reverse some of the policies that had fuelled anger against Marc Ravalomanana, the ousted president.  Rajoelina - who is six years too young to be president under the constitution - heads a transitional government which has pledged to hold elections within two years. The former opposition leader promised to bring food prices down on the island, where three-quarters of the population live on less than $2 a day. He also said he would sell a plane that Ravalomanana recently bought for $60m, and use the money "to establish a hospital for the people's health, which is a higher priority". Rajoelina also cancelled an agreement to lease South Korean corporation Daewoo more than a million hectares of land in Madagascar to grow food crops, deal for which Ravalomanana was heavily criticised.

Actress Natasha Richardson dies after ski fall

British actress Natasha Richardson, 45, wife of actor Liam Neeson and a member of the Redgrave acting family, has died following a ski accident. Richardson was injured while skiing at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada.Actress Natasha Richardson has died, a spokesman said Wednesday, two days after the daughter of British theater icon Vanessa Redgrave apparently suffered brain damage in what was initially dismissed as a minor ski accident. Richardson, married to Irish actor Liam Neeson, died in New York, where she had been flown after the accident in Canada. She was 45. "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha," said a statement from spokesman Alan Nierob in Los Angeles. "They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."The actress became gravely ill shortly after a tumble on a beginner's slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada.In the hours after she was injured, Neeson, 56, rushed to her side and flew her on a private jet to New York, where tabloids reported the star was "brain-dead."Redgrave, a film and theater star, was seen arriving overnight at the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, as were Natasha's sister Joely Richardson and her two sons.

Israel Arrests at Least 7 Hamas Political Leaders in West Bank Sweep

JERUSALEM  Israeli soldiers rounded up at least seven of the Islamic militant group's political leaders in the West Bank in a pre-dawn arrest sweep Thursday, Hamas officials and relatives said.The detentions come after the failure of recent efforts to win the release of an Israeli soldier Hamas is holding in Gaza. The Israeli military, which routinely arrests suspected militants in the West Bank, said 20 Palestinians had been detained overnight. But it said it had no information on the arrests of the Hamas politicians. Israel has detained dozens of Hamas politicians in the West Bank on various occasions since the capture of Sgt. Gilad Schalit, 22, in a cross-border raid in June 2006. The detainees in this latest raid include Nasser Shaer, a former Palestinian deputy prime minister, and several Hamas lawmakers, Hamas officials and relatives said. Some of them were detained and released in past raids. Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had hoped to secure the release of Schalit before a new Israeli government is formed. He dispatched two senior envoys to Cairo over the weekend to try to clinch an Egyptian-brokered deal with Hamas, which rules Gaza and has no direct ties with Israel.

Benazir Bhutto clip - very rare

Last 7 Seconds of Benazir Bhutto

Kuwaiti emir dissolves parliament

The emir of Kuwait has dissolved parliament for the second time in a year after a bitter dispute with the government. In a televised speech on Wednesday, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah also called for a snap general election to elect a new 50-seat parliament. Sheikh Sabah did not give a date for new elections, but under the Kuwaiti constitution they must be held within two months. The emir said the MPs had abused democracy and become a threat to stability, pointing out that the people needed to choose another parliament because national unity was in danger. It is the second time in a year the emir has disbanded the confrontational legislature, which has a contentious relationship with the cabinet.

'Rights and responsibilities'

"The decision I took today was not an easy one", he said. "Parliament has rights, but they come with responsibilities. Democracy is a tool, not a goal in itself." The Kuwaiti government resigned on Monday, a day before parliamentarians were due to question Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammed Al Sabah, the prime minister. Nasser is alleged of mismanagement, breach of the constitution and misuse of public funds. Saad al-Anezi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kuwait City, said: "Several MPs launched three tough questions against the prime minister, which is unprecedented in Kuwaiti history and is being described by the emir as an action that has exceeded all boundaries. "Although he dissolved parliament, he called for new elections, and at the same time, is going to appoint a new prime minister, who is the crown prince who will be constitutionally protected from future grillings." Kuwait's political crisis has delayed several bills, such as a stimulus package and a plan to set up a financial regulator. "You have the economic crisis, with many people losing money on the stock market. The government responded by presenting a rescue plan to save some banks and some investment companies. "Many MPs said they wouldn't approve this unless the government would buy the loans of many Kuwaitis, which amount to almost $18bn. The government found this totally unacceptable," al-Anezi said.

Predicted move

The emir's move was largely expected. Many, including some parliamentarians, have said the accusations were actually unfair, overly vague and personal in nature. Parliament has a large contingent of conservative Islamist members that are often at odds with the ruling cabinet. "The Islamists don't have a majority, but are a strong bloc. Between them, and if you add the tribal groups, the current parliament is a very conservative parliament," Al Jazeera's correspondent said. "Many of the issues that come up are social and religious. One of the grillings against the prime minister was in fact about the destruction of a mosque that was illegally built." Parliament was last dismissed in March 2008 in a bid to end clashes between the government and parliament members. Since becoming prime minister in 2006, Nasser has resigned five times due to political disputes with MPs. Kuwaiti leaders have dissolved the legislature five times since 1976, mostly to prevent parliamentarians from interrogating cabinet members or calling no-confidence votes. No head of government has ever faced questioning by legislators.

Review: Apple ReShuffles the Deck

The advent of the new Apple Shuffle proves at least one thing: Apple is not willing to give up the bottom of the digital-music-player market.Facing new competition from the likes of SanDisk with its new Sansa SlotRadio 4GB player, Apple is out with the third generation of the Shuffle, at $79, with a host of changes that not everyone might be happy about. The new Shuffle is tiny — about the size of a house key. Unlike the second generation Shuffle, which is still out there ($49 for 1GB, or about 240 songs) with five vibrant colors, the new model comes in either silver or black aluminum finish. It has 4GB of flash memory, and advertises room for about 1,000 songs. I loaded on 973, but some of my selections are pretty lengthy orchestral works. Apple claims the new Shuffle has a battery life of 10 hours compared with 12 for the 2nd generation. But as I write this, my Shuffle has been going nonstop for 12 hours and 3 minutes. We'll see if lasts out the piece.

Kabul bomb wounds three, 33 rebels killed

US soldiers keep watch near the site of a blast in Kabul. — AFP
US soldiers keep watch near the site of a blast in Kabul. — AFP

KABUL A bomb blast in the Afghan capital Wednesday wounded three people, the government said, as the Nato-led military announced it had killed 33 rebels.The bomb was planted outside a petrol station in a western suburb of the city and wounded three civilian passers-by, the interior ministry said. Many attacks in Afghanistan's Taliban-led insurgency cause little damage but rebels have in recent years been able to pull off several major strikes that officials say points to their growing capability. In a statement late Tuesday, Nato’s International Security Assistance Force said troops clashed with militants on Saturday in Kapisa province, northeast of Kabul, and an assessment of the battle was ongoing. ‘As of March 16, an estimated total of 29 enemy dead and 12 wounded have been reported,’ ISAF said. The French military announced Saturday that one of its soldiers was killed in the same clash. ISAF also said it had killed two ‘prominent’ wanted insurgents and two of their associates in the southern province of Helmand on Monday.One of them, Jamaluddin Hanifi, had been involved in several bombings and ambushes in the Naw Zad district, it said. The Taliban were in government in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001. Their insurgency has picked up intensity in the past three years with 2008 being the deadliest since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to officials.

Nato boosts troops for Afghan poll

Nato has said 4,000 more troops will be needed in Afghanistan to safeguard presidential elections, which are due to be held in August.Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Nato sectretary-general, said in a meeting with Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, in the capital Kabul on Wednesday that elections required extra troops to maintain security."Of course these elections, in a certain way, will be a challenge," Scheffer said. "But we are to meet this challenge because every Afghan citizen should have the right, wherever he is, to go to the polls. "We will bring extra forces before, during and after the elections to make this possible, so I think is's viable." The United Nations has said around 5,000 people, including more than 2,000 civilians, were killed in fighting in Afghanistan last year alone.
US President and his national security advisers are considering expanding the covert US war in Pakistan far beyond the tribal areas. — Reuters
US President and his national security advisers are 
considering expanding the covert US war in Pakistan
 far beyond the tribal areas. — Reuters

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama and his national security advisers are considering expanding the covert US war in Pakistan far beyond the tribal areas near the border with Afghanistan, the New York Times reported on Tuesday .Two high-level reports on Pakistan and Afghanistan that have been forwarded to the White House in recent weeks have called for broadening the target area to reach the Taliban and other insurgent groups to a major sanctuary in and around the city of Quetta, the newspaper said on its website, citing senior administration officials. Missile strikes by Central Intelligence Agency-operated drones have until now been limited to the tribal areas, and never been extended into Balochistan, a sprawling province under the authority of Pakistan’s central government, and which is next to parts of Afghanistan where recent fighting has been fiercest, the newspaper website said. Some American officials say the missile strikes in the tribal areas have forced some leaders of the Taliban and al Qaeda to flee toward Quetta, making them more vulnerable, the Times said. Pakistan objects to the missile strikes, saying they are not only a violation of its sovereignty but complicate its efforts to tackle militants. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said on Wednesday he was aware of the New York Times report.

Sudan urges rebels to lay down arms

The president of Sudan has returned to Darfur for a second time since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes in the region. Omar al-Bashir, who declared that no international court can touch even an "eyelash" on him, called for Darfur rebels to lay down their arms on Wednesday. Vowing to develop the region that has been bedevilled by six years of conflict and decades of neglect, al-Bashir told thousands of jubilant militiamen: "We want to reunify the people of Darfur and we call on all our sons and brothers who bear arms to put them down." "We tell them you have taken up arms to demand development and development has now started and it continues," al-Bashir said, outlining various infrastructure projects already under way.

Rajoelina appointed president by constitutional court

Madagascar's constitutional court has declared Andry Rajoelina the country's new president after his arch rival, now ex-president Marc Ravalomanana, was swept from office by the army at the end of a months-long, deadly power struggle.Madagascar’s Constitutional Court has declared Andry Rajoelina the country's new president after his arch rival, now ex-president Marc Ravalomanana, was swept from office by the army at the end of a months-long, deadly power struggle.

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Kuwaiti Emir dissolves parliament and calls for new elections