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Friday, January 15, 2010

China defiant over Google threat



Internet companies doing business in China must abide by the country's censorship rules, the Chinese government has said. The statement on Thursday is the first official comment on the issue since an announcement by Google earlier this week that it will no longer abide by Chinese filtering regulations and may pull out of China altogether. Although it did not mention the search giant by name, China's State Council Information Office said internet media firms and the government had a responsibility to shape public opinion. In the statement Wang Chen, spokesman for the Chinese cabinet, warned against the spread of online pornography, fraud, cyber-attacks, and what he called "rumours" and "false information". "Our country is at a crucial stage of reform and development," he was quoted as saying, adding: "Internet media must always make nurturing positive, progressive mainstream opinion an important duty.

US must consider drone attacks in Yemen: Carl Levin



The United States should consider using air strikes, such as attacks by unmanned drones, to battle militants in Yemen that threaten American security, a senior US senator said. Addressing a meeting in Washington Senator Carl Levin said that air strikes, clandestine actions, and stepping up US military aid to Yemen are among options that should be considered for dealing with the threat from Al-Qaeda militants in the Gulf Arab state. US officials say that the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bond airliner on December 25 received Al-Qaeda training in Yemen. President Obama has said the United States does not plan to send US troops into Yemen or Somalia as those countries struggle to contain Islamist militants. However an American newspaper claims that there is no chance of carrying out a ground operation in Yemen.

Race to help Haiti quake victims



Aid agencies and the US army are moving to get help to Haiti where thousands of people are feared to be trapped under rubble after an earthquake which is believed to have left tens of thousands dead. Aeroplanes from China, France, Spain and the United States landed at Port-au-Prince's airport on Thursday, carrying rsecue teams and tons of water, food, medicine and other supplies. Up to 3,500 troops from the US army's 82nd Airborne Division will be sent to Haiti to help with the relief effort and to provide security in the wake of Tuesday's quake, a US army official said. The first 100 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne were scheduled to arrive in Haiti on Thursday and would begin preparing for the arrival of other soldiers, Major Brian Fickel told Reuters on Thursday. The United Nations has mobilised 37 search and rescue teams from a global network to the devastated capital Port-au-Prince.  But more than 48 hours after the 7.0 magnitude quake struck, only very limited help was available to those affected by the quake.

Pakistan drone attack 'kills many'



A suspected US drone attack has killed at least 18 people and injured 14 others in Pakistan's northwest tribal belt, near the Afghan border, security officials say. The attack took place in Pasalkot village in North Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked fighters. Two missiles were fired at a compound on Thursday, where Hakimullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban chief, was believed to have been. "We had information that he was around there. We're checking on whether he was killed," a Pakistani security official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters news agency. However, a Taliban spokesman told Pakistan's TV that Mehsud was safe and had left minutes before the assault.

Ahmadinejad says Israel behind killing of nuclear scientistbehind



Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday in the southern city of Ahvaz that the recent killing in Tehran of leading nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi indicates that the Zionists were involved in the bombing. “The method of bombing indicates the point that Zionists did it and that they hate us and don’t want us to progress,” said the Iranian leader regarding the assassination of the university professor earlier this week. He also stressed that "enemies cannot stand against Iran’s progress by assassination of Iranian experts and elites." "He was a Hezbollahi and pious university professor serving his people," Ahmadinejad said.

Blast near Israeli convoy in Jordan



A bomb has exploded near a convoy of cars carrying Israeli diplomats in Jordan, without causing injuries. The incident occurred close to the Allenby Bridge that links Jordan and the Israeli occupied Palestinian West Bank at about 5pm (1500GMT) on Thursday, Israeli army radio said. Danny Nevo, Israel's ambassador to Jordan, was not in any of the vehicles that were travelling from Amman, the Jordanian capital, at the time, Israeli officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. "While cars, including two Israeli Embassy cars, were travelling near the town of Naur on the road between Amman and the Jordan Valley a bomb exploded without causing casualties or damage. The cars were not damaged by the blast," Nabil Sharif, the information minister, said. Jordanian officials said that they were investigating the incident.