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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Libya tense after tribal warfare


The United Nations says the situation in a remote southern part of Libya where more than 100 people were killed in tribal warfare this month remains tense although a cease-fire brokered by local officials is still holding. Monday's statement by the U.N. Support Mission in Libya said that as much as half of the population of Kufra has fled and that around 200 foreign migrants are still waiting to be moved out of the area. The clashes that broke out Feb 11 underscore the struggle facing Libya s new leaders to enforce security, disarm people and unify multiple militias that took part in an eight-month civil war that ended with the capture and killing of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi in October. Dozens were killed this month by rockets, mortars and gunfire that rocked residential areas in the desert town, which is some 500 miles (800 kilometers) away from the more populated coastal city of Derna. The U.N. said it provided people there with food, medicine, mattresses, blankets and hygiene kits to vulnerable communities whose basic services have been interrupted by fighting. The injured packed the city s three-room hospital for days during the clashes. Many had no beds to sleep on. There was one doctor and 15 nurses using empty bottles of water as blood bags. Patients had to share one ventilator. For days, rescuers were unable to get to the bodies of victims who were left on the street. An Associated Press reporter who was in Kufra during the clashes saw at least 160 houses demolished by rockets in one neighborhood. Families gathered inside a school seeking shelter, but even that came under shelling. Shops were closed for days, and no one could walk in the street. If one tribe took over one square, the other tribe opened fire and drove it out. During that time the powerful Arab tribe of al-Zwia clashed with the African Tabu tribe near Kufra, a border area where Libya, Chad and Sudan meet. The region is a hub for the smuggling of African migrants, goods and drugs. The two groups are old rivals and speak different languages. The Tabu have long complained of discrimination under Gadhafi. Abdel-Majed, once an opposition leader who founded a group calling for an autonomous state for the Tabu people, said Gadhafi s regime would expel Tabu students from schools, take their passports and deprive families of bank loans. Gadhafi also tried to change the demography of the city by offering incentives to al-Zwia tribe members to move to Kufra in order to outnumber the Tabu. The clashes, erupted after an al-Zwia smuggler shot and killed six Tabu tribesmen guarding a border crossing, lifting the lid on a long suppressed ethnic conflict. In another sign that the government is struggling to reign in the country s numerous armed factions, the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch called on a Mistrata-based militia Monday to immediately release two British journalists and three Libyans traveling with them. The rights group said that the Saraya Swehli militia detained the British citizens nearly a week ago. They work as freelance journalists for Iran s Press TV. The Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, Sarah Leah Whitson, said in a statement that militias must stop detaining people and called on the Libyan government to take charge of militia detention facilities. The rights group says the militia has denied them access to the journalists.

India has rejected every request over Kashmir


India has been blocking prosecution of Indian soldiers in civilian court in Kashmir for alleged rights abuses including murder and rape, according to documents given Tuesday to the Associated Press. The revelation is likely to spark an outcry by Kashmiri activists who for years have accused Indian troops of abusing wide-ranging powers to search, seize and even shoot suspects. Those powers were given in 1990 when India faced unrest in the Himalayan territory. Under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Kashmir needs federal approval for prosecuting paramilitary or army soldiers in civilian courts. Kashmir has sough permission in 50 such cases in the last two decades, but India has refused every one, the territory s Home Ministry said in a response this week to a Right to Information request filed by The Coalition of Civil Society, a local rights group. The Kashmiri government would not say what other options it could or would follow in seeking justice. "We re taking legal recourse," Home Department Secretary B.R. Sharma said Tuesday, without specifying what that might be. The rights group said the information vindicated what Kashmiri activists have been arguing for years. "It implies there is 100 percent legal impunity for Indian troops operating in Jammu and Kashmir," said Khurram Parvez of the Coalition. Kashmir s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah proposed eliminating the special powers last year, but was rebuffed by the federal government after the army objected. India has long relied on military might to retain control over Kashmir and has fought two territorial wars with Pakistan. The 1990s uprising and subsequent Indian crackdown killed 68,000 people. Nevertheless, the region remains heavily militarized, with hundreds of thousands of Indian troops stationed and maintaining checkpoints throughout Indian-controlled territory. Pakistan and China also control portions of the region. Human rights workers have accused Indian troops of illegally detaining, torturing and killing suspects, sometimes even staging gunbattles as pretexts to kill.

Are you excited about Wikileaks revealed?


WikiLeaks claimed to have 5 million Stratfor emails that it would publishe in collaboration with media outlets. However only 200 were released in the first lot. One of the e-mails included the suggestion that Hugo Chavez, Venezuela s president, may have less than a year to live after his cancer spread to the colon and bone marrow. Russian doctors who had been brought in to "clean up the mess" resulting from Cuban treatments for the Venezuelan leader had given a grim prognosis for his recovery, the e-mails said. Other revelations were statements that Israel had last year carried out a successful covert attack on Iran s secret nuclear facilities. 

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Bus ambush in Pakistan kills 18 Shia Muslims


At least 18 people were killed Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on a bus in Pakistan s mountainous northern district of Kohistan. The bus was carrying passengers from Rawalpindi to the northern city of Gilgit. The motive was unclear as militants are not active in the area, police said. "Armed men hiding on both sides of the road attacked the bus," local police chief Mohammad Ilyas said. "Initial reports said 18 people have died and eight wounded," he added. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had strongly condemned the Kohistan incident. The two leaders directed the concerned authorities to ensure best medical treatment for the injured. The ambush happened near the town of Harban, 130 miles (208 kilometres) north of the capital Islamabad. Kohistan borders the Swat valley, where Pakistan in 2009 managed to put down a two-year Taliban insurgency.

New sanctions against Syria


According to sources, European Union foreign ministers on Monday approved fresh travel bans and asset freezes over the Syrian regime s opposition crackdown, while renewing a push for a United Nations resolution after Damascus rejected an Arab League suggestions. "I think the violence has gone much, much, much, much too far and every day that this agony is prolonged, it gets worse," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,000 people have been killed in clashes between government troops and protesters demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad s regime since mid-March. The Arab League s foreign ministers had proposed easing the unrest by having al-Assad step down, forming an interim administration including opposition leaders and extending the mandate of an observer mission in Syria, among other things. "The Arab League plan ... seems a reasonable one, but unfortunately it has been rejected by the Syrian regime and that s regrettable," Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant Agata told reporters before meeting his EU counterparts in Brussels. The ministers then approved a new round of sanctions, which diplomats had said will target 22 people and eight entities. The individuals and companies will not be identified until the sanctions are published in the EU s official journal. The bloc has been pushing for the United Nations to condemn the violence, but has been hampered in its efforts by Russia and China. British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday called a resolution by the UN Security Council "long overdue." German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: "I hope that this latest decision in the Arab League will convince some partners in the Security Council in New York ... that it is necessary to act." "As the European members of the Security Council, we think it is urgent and it is necessary that the international community will find a common and agreed language," he added.

Oscar 2012 Winners list

Best Picture
The Artist
Thomas Langmann, Producer

Actress in a Leading Role
Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady

Actor in a Leading Role
Jean Dujardin in The Artist

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christopher Plummer in Beginners

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Octavia Spencer in The Help

Best Director
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
The Descendants - Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Midnight in Paris - Written by Woody Allen

Animated Feature Film
Rango - Gore Verbinski

Documentary (Feature)
Undefeated - TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Music (Original Score)
The Artist - Ludovic Bource

Music (Original Song)
Man or Muppet from The Muppets - Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

Film Editing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

Sound Editing 
Hugo - Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

Sound Mixing
Hugo - Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

Art Direction
Hugo - Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

Costume Design
The Artist - Mark Bridges

Cinematography
Hugo - Robert Richardson

Visual Effects 
Hugo - Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

Foreign Language Film
A Separation - Iran

Make-up
The Iron Lady - Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Costume Design
The Artist - Mark Bridges

Short Film (Live Action)
The Shore Terry George and Oorlagh George

Documentary (Short Subject)
Saving Face - Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Short Film (Animated) 
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

England wins T-20 against Pakistan


England had given target of 130 scores to Pakistan in T-20 at Dubai Stadium here on Monday. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took four wickets as a disciplined Pakistan bowling attack restricted England to 129-6 in the third and final Twenty20 international. The 34-year-old finished with 4-23 -- his third four wicket haul in the shortest form of the game -- to keep Pakistan in the hunt for the series-clinching win after Stuart Broad won the toss and elected to bat. Ajmal, who destroyed England in the preceding three-Test series with 24 wickets to help Pakistan to a 3-0 rout, put the brakes on his rival s progress as he bowled with guile and penetration. Opener Kevin Pietersen top scored with 62 not out, keeping one end intact during his 52-ball knock for his seventh T20 fifty. He hit six boundaries and a six off the last ball of the innings. Ajmal provided Pakistan with the breakthrough after England raced to 29 by the fifth over, dismissing Craig Kieswetter (17) off a lofted shot at long-on where Shoaib Malik took the catch. Kieswetter had hit a four and six off paceman Umar Gul in the third over. Pakistan had Ravi Bopara caught behind off paceman Aizaz Cheema for one and Eoin Morgan run out for nine before Ajmal accounted for Jonny Bairstow (three), Jos Butler (seven) and Samit Patel (16). Pakistan won the first match by eight runs while England won the second by 38 runs -- both played in Dubai.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Pakistan wins first ever Oscar

Pakistani documentary Saving Face produced by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has won the Oscar Award. It is the first time in Oscar s 84 years history that Pakistan has won the Oscar award. In her acceptance speech, Sharmeen dedicated the award to the women and those working for women rights in Pakistan. The Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy film follows British plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who returns to his homeland to help victims of acid burns. The film follows one woman as she fights to see that the perpetrators of the crime are imprisoned for life. The documentary competed against “God Is the Bigger Elvis,” a Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson film about a mid-century starlet who chose the church over Hollywood; “The Barber of Birmingham,” a Gail Dolgin and Robin Fryday film that follows the life of 85-year-old barber James Armstrong and the legacy of the civil rights movement; James Spione’s war film “Incident in New Baghdad”; and “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom,” a film by Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen that follows survivors of Japan s 2011 earthquake and their struggle to recover from the wave that crushed their homes and lives. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is an internationally renowned Emmy and Oscar award winning Pakistani journalist and documentarian. She won Emmy for her documentary‚ Pakistan: Children of the Taliban in 2010. She is also the first non-American to win the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. She is the first Pakistani to win an Oscar for her documentary‚ Saving Face. Sharmeen was born in Karachi in 1978. She attended the Karachi Grammar School. She was the first woman in her family to receive a Western education. Sharmeen graduated from Smith College with a bachelor of arts in economics and government and then went to complete two master s degrees from Stanford University in International Policy Studies and Communication.Obaid's career in documentary filmmaking began when she examined the plight of Afghani refugee children in Pakistan for one of her articles. Their situation was so dire‚ and their stories so compelling‚ that Sharmeen decided to return to Pakistan and create a film about them. She petitioned Smith College and New York Times Television production division for the grants that would allow her to accomplish her goals. Intrigued by her story‚ both organizations gave her the funds as well as production equipment and training. She is currently a faculty member at media sciences department in SZABIST (Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and technology‚ Karachi). Known for documentaries dealing with life in the Muslim world‚ Sharmeen became the first non-American to win the Livingston Award. Her films have aired on such networks as Channel 4‚ CNN‚ PBS‚ and Al-Jazeera. She began her career with New York Times Television in 2002 where she produced Terror s Children‚ a film about Afghan refugee children‚ which won her the Overseas Press Club Award‚ the American Women and Radio and Television Award‚ and the South Asian Journalist Association Award. Since then‚ she has produced and reported on more than twelve films around the world. Sharmeen produced and reported on four multi-award winning documentary films for New York Times Television. In 2003‚ Reinventing the Taliban was awarded the Special Jury Award at the BANFF TV festival in Canada‚ the CINE Golden Eagle Award‚ the American Women in Radio and Television award‚ and the Livingston Award. In 2005‚ her film Women of the Holy Kingdom‚ which provided an inside look at the women s movement in Saudi Arabia‚ won the South Asian Journalist Association Award. In 2005‚ Obaid began working with Channel 4 in the United Kingdom reporting on four films for their Unreported World series. Pakistan s Double Game looked at sectarian violence in Pakistan‚ City of Guilt explored the Catholic Church s pro-life movement in the Philippines‚ The New Apartheid looked into growing xenophobia in South Africa‚ and Birth of a Nation delved into the politics of East Timor. In 2007‚ Obaid was named "journalist of the year" by the One World Media awards for her work in the series. In 2007‚ Sharmeen travelled to Afghanistan and reported for Channel 4 and CNN. Her film‚ Afghanistan Unveiled/Lifting the Veil‚ focuses on stalled reconstruction and the repression of women in the country. In 2010‚ she won an Emmy Award for her documentary‚ Pakistan: Children of the Taliban‚ which explores Taliban recruitment strategies‚ their effect on the youth and their methods to radicalize the country s young and often dejected populace.Children of the Taliban premiered FiLums (2011) - the largest film festival in Pakistan held annually at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. In 2012‚ Sharmeen became the first Pakistani to ever be nominated for and to have won an Oscar for her documentary Saving Face ‚ highlighting the plight of women in the Punjab province dealing with acid burns on faces that occur as a result of male domination.

Oscar 2012 turns up the star power for final rehearsal


Hollywood is set for its biggest night of the year Sunday, as two odes to film-making — silent movie “The Artist” and Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” — vie for Oscars glory at the 84th Academy Awards. After months of campaigning and a flurry of lesser prizes, Tinseltown’s annual awards season reaches its high point with the most prestigious honors of them all, the coveted golden statuettes. Hundreds of millions around the globe will tune in for the lavish festivities hosted once again by veteran Billy Crystal, after A-listers strut their stuff down the most-watched red carpet in the world. “Added excitement for #Oscars. One envelope will contain a live scorpion!”Crystal, who has done the job eight times before, joked in a Twitter message ahead of the greatest show in Hollywood. As usual, the annual march to Oscars coronation has not been without a few twists and surprises. British actor Sacha Baron Cohen, who turned in a subdued performance in “Hugo,” has ruffled feathers with his apparent plans to promote his upcoming film “The Dictator” in full faux strongman regalia on the red carpet, flustering the Academy’s top brass. The list of presenters is chock full of heavy-hitters — last year’s best actress and actor Natalie Portman and Colin Firth will join Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez among others. As for the awards themselves, Scorsese’s “Hugo,” a visually rich 3D tribute to a French film pioneer, goes into the show with the most nominations, at 11, with black-and-white Hollywood love letter “The Artist” just behind on 10. Scorsese is not the only legendary director in the mix — Woody Allen is in the running for best picture honors for his comeback hit “Midnight in Paris,”and Steven Spielberg will gun for the top prize with “War Horse.”Buddies George Clooney and Brad Pitt will duke it out for best actor, but “Artist” star Jean Dujardin, who has won critical and public acclaim for his role as a struggling silent-era movie star, could best them both. Pitt is up for his role as coach Billy Beane in baseball movie “Moneyball,” while Clooney has been hailed for playing against type in “The Descendants,” a family drama set in Hawaii that is also in the hunt for best picture glory. Mexico’s Demian Bichir is also on the best actor shortlist for his poignant turn as an undocumented immigrant in “A Better Life,” as is British veteran Gary Oldman for Cold War spy thriller “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.””The Artist” got a boost Saturday at the Spirit Awards honoring independent film, taking home prizes for best picture, best director for Michel Hazanavicius, best male lead actor for Dujardin and best cinematography.
Meryl Streep could take home her first Oscar in three decades for a powerful turn as former British premier Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady,”in a battle against cross-dressing Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs.”Rooney Mara, who plays damaged hacker Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is also in the running for the best actress prize, as is Michelle Williams for her take on Monroe in “My Week with Marilyn.”But Oscar watchers say they could all be beaten by Viola Davis, whose role as a black maid in “The Help” — set in Mississippi against the backdrop of the 1960s civil rights struggle — has earned her an outpouring of praise. Davis’ co-star Octavia Spencer is seen as a top contender in the best supporting actress category. Castmate Jessica Chastain is also nominated along with Berenice Bejo from “The Artist” and Melissa McCarthy for “Bridesmaids.”Janet McTeer rounds out the category with her gender-bending turn opposite Close in “Albert Nobbs.””The Help” is also among the nine movies nominated for best picture, along with “War Horse,” “The Artist,” “Moneyball,” “The Descendants,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Hugo” and powerful 9/11 film “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.”Also up for the top prize is Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life,” which won the coveted Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Supporting actor top tips are Christopher Plummer in “Beginners” and Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud.” Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn,” Jonah Hill in “Moneyball” and Nick Nolte in “Warrior” are also in the race. The easy foreign language frontrunner is Iran’s “A Separation,” which has already won a series of awards season prizes including a Spirit Award on Saturday. The Iranian film is up against Belgium’s “Bullhead,” “Footnote” (Israel), “In Darkness” (Poland) and “Monsieur Lazhar” (Canada).

Mandela, 93, leaves hospital after minor surgery


Spokesman Mac Maharaj says the 93-year-old Nobel peace laureate was released Sunday after undergoing a laparoscopy. During the procedure, surgeons make an incision in the belly to insert a thin, lighted tube to look at abdominal organs. Earlier in the day, South African President Jacob Zuma said "doctors have assured us that there is nothing to worry about" and that Mandela is in good health. Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for fighting racist white rule, became South Africa s first black president in 1994 and served one five-year term. He last appeared in public in July 2010.--AP

7 US troops wounded in protest against Quran burnings


The grenade was thrown into their base in the northern province of Kunduz, police said. "The demonstrators hurled a hand grenade at US special forces base in Imam Sahib city of Kunduz province -- as a result seven US special forces were wounded," Kunduz police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini told AFP.

Bin Laden compound land to grow veggies


Osama bin Laden was killed in an operation at the compound in a covert US raid in May. The demolition, which began late Saturday, continued overnight and bulldozers were busy as dawn broke in Abbottabad s suburban Bilal Town neighbourhood. Witnesses said troops blocked access to the compound, brought in heavy machinery and barred journalists from taking pictures or coming close to the site. A foreign agency reporter however saw empty rooms, cupboards and a chair inside the house. The reporter said over half the compound s buildings had been demolished and four bulldozers were smashing the brick and concrete structures. Around 500 police were deployed, some of them manning an outer cordon while soldiers were positioned at the inner perimeter around the compound. "The demolition work by security forces, including troops, continued overnight," a police official on the spot told AFP, and officials said the work would continue during Sunday. "The structure is very strong as it is made of concrete and steel and that is why it is taking long to demolish it," a security official told AFP. The compound has been under the security forces  control since bin Laden was killed by US Navy SEALs in a covert helicopter operation without Islamabad s knowledge. The Americans buried him at sea, determined there be no grave that could act as a memorial to the mastermind of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. However, soon after bin Laden s death the compound attracted hundreds of visitors each day and at the time officials feared his final hiding place could become a shrine or a tourist spot unless the military destroyed it. But there has been no official comment on why the demolition is being carried out. Residents said they heard the noise of machines and thuds of debris throughout the night, and some perched on surrounding rooftops to watch the process. "We spent the entire night standing in the cold," a policeman told AFP as his colleagues lit a fire to warm themselves. Residents said a school should be built on the site as there were none in the neighbourhood, while a security official said it would be a "good idea to grow vegetables here". "It will take some time before the government takes any decision about the future use of the land on which the compound stood," the official said on condition of anonymity. "The provincial government had requested us to raze this compound as it might create problems for them in the future," the official said.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Nearly 8,000 killed in last year of Sri Lanka’s conflict


Nearly 8,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka s war-torn north during the government s final offensive to crush the Tamil Tiger rebels, Colombo s census department said Saturday. The figure is in stark contrast to estimates by international rights groups, which say up to 40,000 civilians perished in the final months of the civil war and have heavily criticised Sri Lanka s actions at the end of the conflict. The 80-page census report said 11,172 people were reported dead in the former war zone in 2009, at the height of fighting between government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), with only 2,523 due to natural causes. It described 7,934 deaths as being due to "extraordinary circumstances", but did not identify those responsible or whether Tiger combatants were included in the statistics. The cause of death was "not stated" in the balance of 715 deaths, the department said. Colombo has long maintained that its military should not be held culpable for any civilian deaths during the fighting, blaming the Tigers for using non-combatants as human shields. But last week the military appointed a five-member panel of senior army officers to probe allegations of war crimes by its own troops in the final phase of fighting. The census department said the highest concentration of 2009 deaths was in Kilinochchi district, where the rebels had their de facto capital, and adjoining Mullaittivu, where the final battle was fought in May of that year. The findings were based on a census carried out between June and August last year and were dated November 2011, but only released Saturday. Sri Lanka s rights record is expected to be discussed at a UN Human Rights Council meeting opening in Geneva next week where the US has said it will bring a resolution demanding the island probe alleged war crimes by its troops. The United Nations has estimated that up to 100,000 people died in the conflict between 1971 and 2009.

Israel nixes solar energy for Palestinians


Electricity from solar panels and wind turbines has revolutionized life in rural Palestinian herding communities: Machines, instead of hands, churn goat milk into butter, refrigerators store food that used to spoil and children no longer have to hurry to get their homework done before dark. But the German-funded project, initiated by Israeli volunteers, is now in danger. Israeli authorities are threatening to demolish the installations in six of the 16 remote West Bank communities being illuminated by alternative energy, arguing the panels and turbines were installed without permits. The German government has expressed concern and asked for clarifications  a rare show of displeasure from Israel s staunchest defender in Europe.  The dispute is more than just a diplomatic row. It goes to the core of mounting international criticism of Israel s policies in the 62 percent of the West Bank that remain under full Israeli control two decades after Palestinians were granted self-rule in a patchwork of territorial islands in the rest of the land. The division of jurisdictions was meant to be temporary, but has been frozen in place as repeated peace talks deadlocked. The Palestinians claim all the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, for a state. International monitors have warned that Israel is suppressing Palestinian development in the West Bank sector under its full control, known as "Area C," while giving preferential treatment to Israeli settlements. Most of the international community considers Israel s settlements in the West Bank illegal. Israel s more than 300,000 settlers are already double the number of Palestinians in Area C, which would form the heart of any Palestinian state. If Israel s policies are not stopped, "the establishment of a viable Palestinian state ... seems more remote than ever," European Union diplomats warned in an internal report last year. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the division of authorities was agreed to by the Palestinians in the interim deals of the mid-1990s, and that Israel is ready to move forward. "We of course want to continue with the negotiations, to reach further agreements with the Palestinians, but they have not been willing to do so," he said. The Palestinians have said they won t resume talks without a freeze in settlement building, which they argue grabs lands they want for a state. More than 90 percent of the West Bank s Palestinians live in the self-rule areas run by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The economist has won international praise for building institutions of a state like police and courts in the areas he governs. Fayyad has tried to branch out into Area C, but hit a wall of Israeli rejections. Palestinian government spokesman Ghassan Khatib said the donors are increasingly aware of the problem, but that "unfortunately, there isn t yet action, such as holding Israel accountable." Perhaps the most vulnerable Palestinians in Area C are the goat and sheep herding families scraping a living from barren hills of the West Bank. Israel does not recognize their tiny communities, saying the herders are in the area illegally. Residents say their roots go back generations. The hamlet of al-Thala, a community of 80 in the southern West Bank, had no electricity until last August when the German aid group medico and Comet-ME, a group of pro-peace Israeli scientists, set up solar panels there as part of a campaign to provide 30 communities in the area with solar and wind power. In al-Thala, 41-year-old Hakima Elayan used to spend four hours a day churning butter by hand. Now a machine does it for her, leaving her more time for her children and other household chores. "It s as if we are living the city life," she said. "I can t live without it," she added as three of her young daughters watched a soap opera on TV. Her neighbors have also bought refrigerators, washers, TVs and butter churners. But last month, Israel s Civil Administration a branch of the military dealing with Palestinian civilians issued "stop work" orders, a precursor to demolitions, targeting solar panels and wind turbines in al-Thala and five other communities. The installations were set up illegally, without anyone having requested a permit, the Civil Administration said, adding that the cases will be reviewed by a committee. Elad Orian, a physicist at Comet-ME, said the group didn t ask for permits, feeling it would have been futile because Israel considers the communities illegal. He believes demolition is still months away, and hopes political pressure by Germany, which gave more than 400,000 euros ($520,000), will save the projects. Germany s foreign ministry has expressed concern and said it is closely monitoring the situation in Area C. In a similar case, deputy Polish Foreign Minister Jerzy Pomianowski summoned Israel s ambassador to express concern over the demolition of a well in a community near al-Thala that had been rebuilt with Polish funds. Israel said those refurbishing the wells also failed to ask for permits and ignored calls to attend a hearing. The international community has repeatedly urged Israel to halt demolitions in Area C. Instead, the pace has accelerated, according to a new U.N. report. Last year, 622 structures, including 222 homes, were demolished, more than 90 percent of them in Area C, an increase of nearly 50 percent from 2010, the report said. More than 1,100 Palestinians were displaced, half of them children. The Civil Administration said it has formulated master plans for legal Palestinian construction. However, the U.N. said 70 percent of Area C is off limits to Palestinian construction, having been allocated to settlements or the military, and that development in the remainder is heavily restricted. "In reality, it is almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits," the report concluded. In contrast, critics note that Israel has allowed rapid settlement development in Area C. That includes some 100 unauthorized outposts set up since the late 1990s. Instead of tearing them down, the government has linked outposts to the electricity grid, provided roads and infrastructure and is trying to legalize some retroactively. At the same time, Israeli officials argue that the Palestinian herders of the southern West Bank are nomads with no legal claim to the lands they squat on. In al-Thala, Israeli bulldozers last week demolished a well and two corrugated metal shacks of the Elayan family, one serving as a home and the second as an animal shelter. The family has moved into tents, and on Wednesday, Hakima was hanging laundry from a rope strung between tent poles. Her husband, Jamil, who was born in a nearby cave, said he will not leave his ancestral land, even if it means going back to living in the dark. "It s my land, my country, I don t have another," said Elayan, 48.

Nelson Mandela hospitalized with stomach ailment


South Africa's president says 93-year-old anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has been hospitalized with a stomach ailment. President Jacob Zuma issued a brief statement Saturday in which he asked that Mandela s privacy be respected. He did not say at which hospital Mandela was being treated. Mac Maharaj, Zuma s spokesman, said he could not elaborate but that he would be issuing regular updates. Mandela became South Africa s first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. His public appearances have become increasingly rare, and he was hospitalized last year for a few days with an acute respiratory infection. 

Yemen: Suicide attack near presidential palace


A suicide bomber blew up a vehicle outside a presidential palace in southeastern Yemen wounding more than seven people as a new president was sworn in in Sanaa, a military official said. "A pick-up truck driven by a suicide bomber exploded at the entrance of the presidential palace in Mukalla," capital of Hadramawt province, the official said. "Seven of the wounded have already been hospitalised while others are on their way to hospitals." The bombing came as Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi took the oath of office as the first new president in Sanaa since 1978 after a year of turmoil and bloodshed.

England beat Pakistan to level Twenty20 series


England beat Pakistan by 38 runs in the second Twenty20 international at Dubai Stadium on Saturday, levelling the three-match series at 1-1. Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 60 in England’s 150-7 in their allotted 20 overs and also earned Man of the match award while Craig Kieswetter made 31. Umar Gul took two wickets. Pakistan were bowled out for 112 in 18.2 overs with paceman Steven Finn taking 3-30. 
Pakistan Total:    112
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Hafeez), 2-2 (Shafiq), 3-30 (Umar), 4-32 (Zia), 5-50 (Malik), 6-74 (Misbah), 7-98 (Azam), 8-111 (Gul), 9-111 (Ajmal), 10-112 (Afridi)
Bowling: Finn 4-0-30-3, Dernbach 3-0-13-1 (w3), Broad 3.2-0-12-2, Swann 4-0-17-2, Bopara 3-0-23-1, Patel 1-0-17-0
Overs: 18.2

Friday, February 24, 2012

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime will not fall and Iran stands beside it


This was said by top foreign policy adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday. "The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the Syrian government and will oppose those who act against Syria," Ali Akbar Velayati said in remarks reported by the Fars news agency. "The attempt to topple the Syrian government will not become reality and the front line of confrontation with the Zionist regime (Israel) will not disappear," he said. Velayati said Syria -- Iran s principal ally in the Middle East -- would resist what was deemed to be foreign interference by the United States to bring down Assad s regime. "With the help of the Arabs... America has targeted the most sensitive area of the resistance axis, not knowing that Iran, Iraq and Hezbollah are firmly standing by Syria," he said. He added that veto-wielding UN Security Council permanent members China and Russia were backing the Damascus regime. Velayati said, however, that Iran was urging Syria to adopt reforms as it confronts an uprising that erupted in March last year. "There are problems in Syria and with its governing methods," he acknowledged. "Iran has repeatedly advised Syria to implement needed reforms and they have carried out that task reasonably," he said. Human rights groups say the violence in Syria has now killed more than 7,600 people.

Pakistan bounce back, win Ist T20 against England


With the win, Pakistan earned themselves some solace after whitewash of ODI series by England. England won the toss and decided to bowl in their first T20 encounter. Pakistan, defending their target of 145, restricted English side to 136-6. Shoaib Mailk earlier scored the highest 39 for his side. Off-spinner Graeme Swann took 3-13 as England kept Pakistan down to 144-6 in the first of three Twenty20 internationals at Dubai Stadium on Thursday. Swann rocked the middle-order with a burst of three wickets off eight balls to derail Pakistan after skipper Stuart Broad elected to field after winning the toss. England, the reigning Twenty20 world champions, started the match on a high note after sweeping Pakistan 4-0 in the one-day series and once again pegged their opponents back through some disciplined bowling and fielding. Pakistan made a flying start with debutant Awais Zia hitting a four and six during his 12-ball 18 but Pakistan lost four wickets in the space of eight runs as Asad Shafiq (19) fell run out, Mohammad Hafeez (23), Shahid Afridi (seven) and Umar Akmal (nought) followed each other, with Swann taking the last three. It was left to captain Misbah-ul Haq (26 not out) and Shoaib Malik (39) to put on 71 for the sixth wicket to take Pakistan to a respectable total. Malik hit four boundaries and six off 33 balls before he fell to a superb catch by Jonny Bairstow off Jade Dernbach off the last ball of the innings. Misbah gave Malik good support during his run-a-ball innings, hitting one four and a six. Pakistan brought in Zia and allrounder Hammad Azam while Ravi Bopara and Swann returned for England after missing the fourth one-dayer due to fitness problems.

Obama apologises over Quran burnings at Bagram


Obama said the incident was not intentional and pledged a full investigation, a statement from the president s office said. "I wish to express my deep regret for the reported incident," Obama wrote in the letter presented to Karzai by US ambassador Ryan Crocker. "I extend to you and the Afghan people my sincere apologies." "The error was inadvertent; I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible," the letter said. An Afghan soldier joined protests on Thursday against the burning of copies of the holy book at a NATO base and shot dead two foreign troops, western military sources said. The killings came hours after the Taliban urged Afghans to target foreign military bases and kill Westerners in retaliation for the burning of the Quran at Bagram airfield on Tuesday. Eleven people have died in demonstrations across the country since then and 17 people have been wounded. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of several cities, chanting "Death to America!" and smashing cars, buildings and shops. In a demonstration in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday, an Afghan soldier turned his gun on NATO soldiers, local officials and western military sources said. A provincial spokesman said the soldier then escaped. NATO confirmed a man in Afghan army uniform killed two of its troops in the east, but declined to say if the shooting was connected to the protests. The Quran burnings at the vast Bagram base north of Kabul, which the United States has said were unintentional, could make it even more difficult for U.S.-led NATO forces to win the hearts and minds of Afghans and bring the Taliban to the negotiating table ahead of the withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.

Merkel apologises for failure on neo-Nazi murders


She sought forgiveness over the 10 murders of mostly immigrants blamed on a seven-year killing spree by a neo-Nazi gang. Merkel led a memorial ceremony for the eight Turks, a Greek and a policewoman believed to have been killed between 2000 and 2007 by the neo-Nazi cell which managed to operate under the radar for 11 years. Addressing about 1,200 people at Berlin s concert hall, Merkel solemnly read out the names and family details of the 10 people who she said were victims of "cold-blooded murder". She said the killings were "a disgrace for our country" and vowed to do everything possible to shed light on the murders and bring those responsible and their supporters to justice. Shortly afterwards, at noon, businesses, schools, public transport and media observed a minute s silence after employers and trade union organisations called for a halt to remember the victims. Authorities have faced criticism over how the small far-right group could operate with impunity for 11 years and the government has admitted gross errors by the security services. Merkel apologised for the fact that, in some cases, relatives of the victims were themselves suspected of involvement in the crimes. "Some relatives were themselves for years wrongly under suspicion. That is particularly tormenting. For that I ask you for forgiveness," Merkel, dressed in black, said. "How bad it must be, to be at the mercy for years of false suspicions, instead of being able to mourn," she added. The memorial began with students carrying 12 candles to the front of the hall to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. The candles were for each of those killed, plus one for other victims of extremist violence and one representing hope for the future. After Merkel s address, 25-year-old Semiya Simsek, the daughter of the first victim, Enver Simsek, who left Turkey to run a flower business in Germany and was killed in September 2000, spoke. "For 11 years we couldn t say that we were victims," she said adding that members of her family had been suspected of involvement in the killing and her father also suspected of being a drug-dealer. Former president Christian Wulff was due to address the commemoration but was replaced by Merkel after he resigned as head of state last week in the face of a corruption probe. Members of the Turkish parliament s human rights committee as well as diplomats, German federal and state lawmakers and action groups fighting xenophobic violence were among the 1,200 guests. Music by Turkish composer Cemal Resit Rey also featured in the ceremony, as well as a specially-arranged medley of "Fragile" by Sting and John Lennon s "Imagine". The neo-Nazi gang calling itself the National Socialist Underground only came to light in November when two members were found dead in an apparent suicide pact and a 36-year-old woman turned herself in. The extremist cell is also believed to have mounted two bomb attacks in the western city of Cologne in 2001 and 2004 with a total of 23 wounded in addition to a series of armed bank hold-ups. The German justice ministry said last month it had already started paying between 5,000 and 10,000 euros ($6,500 and $13,100) in compensation to victims of the far-right cell. A draft law has also been approved for the creation of a national registry of right-wing extremists with information collected by police and intelligence officials at the federal and state levels. A number of suspects have been detained in connection with the case. Some three million Turks or Germans of Turkish origin are settled among Germany s 82-million-strong population, representing its largest ethnic minority. 

“Ready to get back to business” with Pakistan (spy chiefs met secretly)


Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told her Pakistani counterpart on Thursday. Clinton’s luncheon with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was among the few high-level contacts between the two countries since the November deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a cross-border U.S. air raid from Afghanistan. Both are in London for an international conference on Somalia. The frozen relationship has slowly begun to thaw, including in a secret meeting early this month between CIA Director David H. Petraeus and Pakistan’s intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, that focused on counterterrorism cooperation and ongoing U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan, said a Washington Post report. Pakistan has said it wants to reset its relations with the United States but will not be ready to do so formally until a special parliamentary committee delivers the results of a study of the matter. “We respect parliament’s right to ... take time to do this in a sensible way, but we had to get ready to get back into business with Pakistan” on bilateral counterterrorism issues including Afghanistan, a senior State Department official said Clinton told Khar. The official said Clinton also told Khar that the administration wanted to resume high-level visits to Pakistan by aid officials and Marc Grossman, the top diplomatic envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Congress has indicated it may not approve significant aid for Pakistan this year amid ongoing concerns about its granting of safe havens to the Taliban and other insurgent groups, as well as about its support for Afghanistan peace talks. In a toughly-worded speech Wednesday to Chatham House, a London think tank, Khar said that “contrary to clever word play and cheap headlines, Pakistan’s position could not be more clear.”

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Russia warns Isreal attacking Iran to be catastrophic


It said an attack would have catastrophic consequences both for the region and global diplomacy. "The scenario of military action against Iran would be catastrophic for the region and possibily the whole system of international relations," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told a news conference.

NYPD built secret files on mosques outside NY


It was part of the New York Police Department s effort to build databases of where Muslims work, shop and pray. The operation in Newark was so secretive even the city s mayor says he was kept in the dark. For months in mid-2007, plainclothes officers from the NYPD s Demographics Units fanned out across Newark, taking pictures and eavesdropping on conversations inside businesses owned or frequented by Muslims. The result was a 60-page report, obtained by The Associated Press, containing brief summaries of businesses and their clientele. Police also photographed and mapped 16 mosques, listing them as "Islamic Religious Institutions." The report cited no evidence of terrorism or criminal behavior. It was a guide to Newark s Muslims. According to the report, the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Newark Police Department, which at the time was run by a former high-ranking NYPD official. But Newark s mayor, Cory Booker, said he never authorized the spying and was never told about it. "Wow," he said as the AP laid out the details of the report. "This raises a number of concerns. It s just very, very sobering." Police conducted similar operations outside their jurisdiction in New York s Suffolk and Nassau counties on suburban Long Island, according to police records. Such surveillance has become commonplace in New York City in the decade since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Police have built databases showing where Muslims live, where they buy groceries, even what Internet cafes they use and where they watch sports. Dozens of mosques and student groups have been infiltrated and police have built detailed profiles of ethnic communities, from Moroccans to Egyptians to Albanians. The documents obtained by the AP show, for the first time in any detail, how those efforts stretched outside the NYPD s jurisdiction. New Jersey and Long Island residents had no reason to suspect the NYPD was watching them. And since the NYPD isn t accountable to their votes or tax dollars, those non-New Yorkers had little recourse to stop it. "All of these are innocent people," Nagiba el-Sioufi of Newark, said while her husband, Mohammed, flipped through the NYPD report, looking at photos of mosques and storefronts frequented by their friends. Egyptian immigrants and American citizens, the couple raised two daughters in the United States. Mohammed works as an accountant and is vice president of the Islamic Culture Center, a mosque a few blocks from Newark City Hall. "If you have an accusation on us, then spend the money on doing this to us," Nagiba said. "But you have no accusation." NYPD spokesman Paul Browne did not return a message seeking comment about the report. Former Newark Police Chief Garry McCarthy, who is now in charge of the Chicago Police Department, also did not return messages left on his cellphone and with a press aide. The goal of the report, like others the Demographics Unit compiled, was to give police at-their-fingertips access to information about Muslim neighborhoods. If police got a tip about an Egyptian terrorist in the area, for instance, they wanted to immediately know where he was likely to find a cheap room to rent, where he might buy his lunch and at what mosque he probably would attend Friday prayers. "These locations provide the maximum ability to assess the general opinions and general activity of these communities," the Newark report said. The effect of the program was that hundreds of American citizens were catalogued sometimes by name, sometimes simply by their businesses and their ethnicity in secret police files that spanned hundreds of pages: "A Black Muslim male named Mussa was working in the rear of store," an NYPD detective wrote after a clandestine visit to a dollar store in Shirley, New York, on Long Island. "The manager of this restaurant is an Indian Muslim male named Vicky Amin" was the report back from an Indian restaurant in Lindenhurst, New York, also on Long Island. "Owned and operated by an African Muslim (possibly Sudanese) male named Abdullah Ddita" was the summary from another dollar store in Shirley, New York, just off the highway on the way to the Hamptons, the wealthy Long Island getaway. In one report, an officer describes how he put people at ease by speaking in Punjabi and Urdu, languages commonly spoken in Pakistan. This past summer, when the AP first began reporting about the NYPD s surveillance efforts, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said his police do not consider religion in their policing. On Tuesday, following an AP story that showed the NYPD monitored Muslim student groups around the Northeast, school leaders including Yale University president Richard Levin expressed outrage over the tactics. Bloomberg fired back in what was the most vigorous defense yet of his department. "The police department goes where there are allegations. And they look to see whether those allegations are true," he told reporters. "That s what you d expect them to do. That s what you d want them to do. Remind yourself when you turn out the light tonight." There are no allegations of terrorism in the Demographics Unit reports and the documents make clear that police were only interested in locations frequented by Muslims. The canvas of businesses in Newark mentions Islam and Muslims 27 times. In one section of the report, police wrote that the largest immigrant groups in Newark were from Portugal and Brazil. But they did not photograph businesses or churches for those groups. "No Muslim component within these communities was identified," police wrote, except for one business owned by a Brazilian Muslim of Palestinian descent. Polls show that most New Yorkers strongly support the NYPD s counterterrorism efforts and don t believe police unfairly target Muslims. The Muslim community, however, has called for Police Commissioner Ray Kelly s resignation over the spying and the department s screening of a video that portrays Muslims as wanting to dominate the United States. In Newark, the report was met with a mixture of bemusement and anger. "Come, look at yourself on film," Abdul Kareem Abdullah called to his wife as he flipped through the NYPD files at the lunch counter of their restaurant, Hamidah s Cafe. An American-born citizen who converted to Islam decades ago, Abdullah said he understands why, after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, people are afraid of Muslims. But he said he wishes the police would stop by, say hello, meet him and his customers and get to know them. The documents show police have no interest in that, he said. "They just want to keep tabs on us," he said. "If they really wanted to understand, they d come talk to us." After the AP approached Booker, he said the mayor s office had launched an investigation. "We re going to get to the bottom of this," he said. Booker met with Islamic leaders while campaigning for mayor. Those interviewed by the AP said they wanted to believe he didn t authorize the spying but wanted to hear from him directly. "I have to look in his eyes," Mohammed el-Sioufi said at his mosque. "I know him. I met him. He was here." Ironically, because officers conducted the operation covertly, the reports contains mistakes that could have been easily corrected had the officers talked to store owners or imams. If police ever had to rely on the database during an unfolding terrorism emergency as they had planned, those errors would have hindered their efforts. For instance, locals said several businesses identified as belonging to African-American Muslims actually were owned by Afghans or Pakistanis. El-Sioufi s mosque is listed as an African-American mosque, but he said the imam is from Egypt and the congregation is a roughly even mix of black converts and people of foreign ancestries. "We re not trying to hide anything. We are out in the open," said Abdul A. Muhammad, the imam of the Masjid Ali Muslim mosque in Newark. "You want to come in? We have an open door policy." By choosing instead to conduct such widespread surveillance, Mohammed el-Sioufi said, police send the message that the whole community is suspect. "When you spy on someone, you are kind of accusing them. You are not accepting them for choosing Islam," Nagiba el-Sioufi said. "This doesn t say,  This guy did something wrong.  This says,  Everyone here is a Muslim. " "It makes you feel uncomfortable, like this is not your country," she added. "This is our country."

“Memogate” capable of erupting (Mansoor Ijaz has recorded his testimony)


Recording of Mansoor Ijaz s testimony in Pakistan was carried out at the Islamabad High Court in the infamous memo case from London via video link. Mansoor Ijaz said that Hussain Haqqani assured the US of access to Pakistan s nuclear programme and also to the three widows of Osama bin Laden. He also said Haqqani also assured the US that ISI s Section-S (SS) that reportedly deals with political affairs would be dismantled. Mansoor said that he telephoned Haqqani on this number (00442071060900) from Monaco. He said that he met with Haqqani at Room No. 430 of Pak Land Hotel in London. Mansoor said that contact with Haqqani started on May 3. He handed over pin code of his and Husain Haqqani’s BackBerrys to the secretary commission. The pin cod of Haqqani’s BlackBerry is 2326 A3ID. Mansoor also provided the email address of Hussain Haqqani to the Commission.  Mansoor Ijaz showed his BlackBerry to the commission used for communication. The counsel for Husain Haqqani, Zahid Hussain Bukhari, objected that who would verify the authenticity of the messages while, Attorney General raised the question of originality of the BlackBerry. Ijaz took oath before recording his statement. Mansoor Ijaz, in his statement, admitted that he had met with President Zardari, Pervez Musharraf and former DG ISI. I have been in contact with Pakistani authorities since last 10 years, he said. During the video link recording, Zahid Bukhari raised objections over the procedure of recording Ijaz’s testimony saying “this is not how testimonies are recorded”. He also said each word of Ijaz’s testimony should be written down. Rejecting Bukhari’s statement, the commission said that he should not interfere during the proceedings. Bukhari alleged that while getting his statements recorded, Ijaz started “toying with his BlackBerry phone”. Justice Isa quipped, “You start fighting over everything.” The commission told Ijaz to keep his phones on the table. Ijaz objected over Bukhari’s behaviour and said that his phones were already lying on the table. Two big screens have been installed in the Islamabad High Court to record Ijaz’s statements from the Pakistan High Commission in London via video link. Secretary Memo Commission Raja Jawad Abbas and PML-N lawyer Rashid A Rizvi are at London High Commission while Husain Haqqani s lawyer Zahid Bukhari and Mansor Ijaz s lawyer Akram Sheikh are in Pakistan. The judicial commission investigating the memogate scandal had permitted to record the statement via videoconference after Ijaz refused to appear before the commission in Pakistan due to security concerned expressed by him. All arrangements of recording the statements have already been made in London High Commission and Islamabad High Court building (IHC).