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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Egypt unveils new cabinet & “Million Man March”

A new Egyptian cabinet promised by embattled President Hosni Mubarak was unveiled on Monday, comprising a largely unchanged line-up but without widely hated interior minister Habib al-Adly or any businessmen. State television showed images of the new ministers being sworn in and shaking hands with Mubarak. Adly was replaced by Mahmud Wagdi, a general in Egypt's all-powerful army. Adly's axing was one of the demands of protesters who have for a week demanded the ouster of Mubarak and his regime. They have also called for an end to corruption and oppression. Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit retained his job, as did Defence Minister General Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, according to the decree issued by Mubarak and read out on television. But protesters massed in downtown Cairo insisted they would only be satisfied when Mubarak quits. "We will accept no change other than Mubarak's departure," said one protester who asked not to be named. Protester Rifat Ressat said: "We want a complete change of government, with a civilian authority." The departure of Adly, who controls Egypt's notorious security forces who are accused of systematic human rights violations, was however welcomed. "The interior minister is responsible for all the violence, because it's the police that opened fire on demonstrators," he said. Police have been ordered back on to the streets of Cairo, as tens of thousands of people gather in central Cairo for a seventh day of protest. The demonstrators have called for a general strike on Monday, and are holding prayers in honour of those killed in the unrest. Protesters want President Hosni Mubarak to step down after 30 years in power. The president has ordered his new Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq to push through political reforms. Egyptian state television read out a letter he had sent to Mr Shafiq, in which the president speaks of the need to make progress towards constitutional and legislative reform through a dialogue with political parties. He also calls for economic policies that give the highest concern to people's suffering and bring down unemployment by creating new jobs. All the signs continue to suggest that the only change the protesters will settle for is Mr Mubarak's removal from office. As demonstrations enter their seventh day, there are at least 50,000 people on Tahrir Square in the centre of the city. Elsewhere the streets are busy and things appear to be returning to normal. There are plans for a "protest of the millions" march on Tuesday.  Police were noticeable by their absence so the protests were not marked by the sort of clashes which have left at least 100 people dead since rallies began on Tuesday. Protesters of Egypt have planned a “Million Man March” to the residence of President Hosni Mubarak. Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians throughout the country have demonstrated since last Tuesday, January 25th, with one central goal – the departure of Mubarak, who has led Egypt since 1981. Over 150 protesters have been killed as of Monday afternoon. For the fourth day, protesters have defied the government curfew. Despite President Obama calling for Mubarak to restore internet and cell phone services Friday evening, these services remain disconnected for a majority of the country, which were shut off Thursday night.

Jordan appoints new PM after protests


King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday sacked the government of Samir Rifai and named Maruf Bakhit as prime minister. 
A Jordanian official said the monarch officially accepted the resignation of Samir Rifai, a wealthy politician and former court adviser, and asked Marouf Bakhit to form a new cabinet. Demonstrators inspired by mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt had called for Rifai's dismissal. Under fire from an enraged public over high food prices, Rifai announced wage increases two weeks ago to civil servants and the military in an attempt to restore calm. Protests have spread across Jordan in the last few weeks, with demonstrators blaming corruption spawned by free-market reforms for the plight of the country's poor. Many Jordanians hold successive governments responsible for a prolonged recession and rising public debt that hit a record $15 billion this year in one of the Arab world's smallest economies, heavily dependent on foreign aid.

Raymond Davis & US Pakistan relations

US State Department has admitted that Raymond Davis, involved in 2 persons killing in Lahore, is a staff member of US diplomatic office. Addressing a press conference, State Department official said that Davis was a staff member of technical department of US Consulate adding that some US officials have permitted to keep weapons for their defence. He further said that he would not comment on the incident and wait for court’s decision. Relations between Pakistan and the United States are under strain after a Lahore court refused to release an American who shot dead two Pakistanis and led to the death of a third last week. The US embassy in Islamabad says that Raymond Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released immediately. But the court said it would decide whether he has immunity. It set a second hearing in a fortnight's time. Davis, 36, was driving in Lahore on Thursday when, Pakistani police allege, two men on motorbikes, Mohammad Faheem and Faizan Haider, tried to rob him at gunpoint. In court on Friday, he admitted killing them but said it had been self-defence; the US state department endorsed this claim on Monday. Another Pakistani was killed when he was hit by an American car on its way to rescue Davis. The court is attempting to establish Davis's role at the embassy, with unconfirmed reports in US and Pakistan media describing him as with a private security firm or the CIA. The embassy has not said why he was carrying a gun and has refused to specify his job at the embassy, describing him only as part of the "technical or administrative staff". Pakistan does not allow diplomats to carry guns. A group of US members of Congress on a visit asked President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday to release Davis. Zardari replied: "It would be prudent to wait for the legal course to be completed."