| Fatah claims victory in West Bank poll | |
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' party claims victory in election after Hamas boycotted polls and banned Gaza vote.
| |
The Central Elections Commission said 277,000 of the 505,600 eligible voters took part in the polls [AFP]
| |
| Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement has announced victory of most council seats in local elections in the West Bank boycotted by rival party Hamas. "We consider the victory as a major popular referendum on the movement's political programme and its national performance," a statement from Fatah spokesman Ahmad Assaf said on Sunday. Fatah supporters in the West Bank celebrated the victory after publication of initial results, although preliminary results were only due to be released at 1600 GM. The vote was held in 93 towns and villages. Central Elections Commission (CEC) President Hanna Nasser said that 54.8 per cent of eligible West Bank voters, whose number reached more than 500,000, had turned out to vote. Hamas boycott Fatah's victory was expected as it ran almost uncontested after the Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, boycotted the vote. Hamas banned voting in the Gaza Strip and said it would not recognise the results in the West Bank. It refused to take part following the collapse of unity talks with Fatah. That left Fatah pitted against independents and leftist groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). |
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Disarming Libya's militias
Disarming Libya's militias
The killing of US ambassador
Christopher Stevens two weeks ago, along with three other Americans, has
prompted authorities in Libya to take action against the militias that stand as
the country's most important security threat.
Made up of former rebels who fought against the Gaddafi regime - and many others who joined when the war was finished - these organisations number into the mid to low hundreds.
While many have shown a sincere interest in providing security in the regions they control, others act according to their own rules.
Confronting their presence is therefore vital if the rule of law is to be established in Libya.
But how will this happen?
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End QuoteHundreds of militias... control more than two million handguns, machine guns and assault rifles... They also possess tanks ”
Anxious to promote a violent understanding of jihad and
believed by some to be responsible for Mr Stevens's death, Ansar al-Sharia is
only one example of militia lawlessness.
There are others, driven by a desire for revenge, who have carried out torture against individuals and communities suspected of being loyal to the late Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi.
And then there are the groups seeking to control the flow of petrol, illegal migrants and drugs along the border areas, a struggle fixated on profits and one that has provoked fighting between rival organisations.
The result is that Libya has become a patchwork of factions whose continued presence - one that appears to be empowering warlords over elected officials - makes it difficult to ensure the establishment and maintenance of a single body of law that can apply equally and to all.
Weapon exchange
Continue reading the main story
Eastern-based:
Guide to Libya's main militias
- Martyrs of 17 February Brigade, financed by defence ministry: 1,500-3,500 fighters
- Martyr Rafallah Shahati Battalions: 1,000 fighters
- Al-Zintan Revolutionaries' Military Council - detained Saif Gaddafi, led by defence minister: More than 4,000 fighters
- Sa'dun al-Suwayli Brigade - helped take Tripoli and Misrata
This is why recent news of militias disbanding is
promising, at least at first glance.
Ansar al-Sharia and other Islamist-inspired militias in the east have announced that they will cease operations.
In the face of widespread public opposition - their headquarters were raided amid mass protests in Benghazi last weekend - they had little choice.
In Tripoli, the capital, a special wing of the beleaguered army has taken action against militias occupying parts of the city.
Libyan authorities have announced that this will continue over the course of the next few weeks.
The problem is that they are unlikely to get very far.
There are, after all, hundreds of militias commanding hundreds of thousands of fighters who, in turn, control more than two million handguns, machine guns and assault rifles seized from the Gaddafi regime or obtained from foreign sources - Qatar in particular.
They also possess tanks.
Chasing them out of cities and towns will also prove ineffective for the same reasons - the militias that agreed to disband have not surrendered their arms.
Instead, an approach that breaks the source of militia power - the control of weapons - by giving their members the option of handing in their guns in return for rewards that could secure their future might prove much more promising.
Libya battle: Gaddafi ex-stronghold Bani Walid shelled
Libya battle: Gaddafi ex-stronghold Bani Walid shelled
Militias had surrounded Bani
Walid amid tensions around the death of Omran Ben Shaaban
At least five Libyans have died and
dozens have been wounded in fighting around Bani Walid - a former stronghold of
slain leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Militias allied to Libya's army reportedly shelled the hilltop town from three sides, prompting clashes.
The fighting came after the 50-day kidnap, shooting and torture in the town of one of the men credited with capturing Gaddafi last year.
Omran Ben Shaaban, 22, died from his injuries last month.
Many
Syria's civilians are trapped in a deadly no-man's land
Syria's civilians are trapped in a deadly no-man's land
"We are dead." It was a terrifyingly
simple assessment of the grim reality for Aleppo's residents.
Abu Stayf says he has lost his wife and six children; they were all killed when a rocket landed on his house.
Yet he refuses to leave. He sleeps in an abandoned basement on a street where rotting rubbish piles up and rubble from shelled buildings spills across the pavement.
Caught in a no-man's land between government forces and rebel fighters, he asks: "Where should I go? You'll die wherever you go. Our homes have been destroyed, our children are dead and we have no-one left."
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End Quote Abu Stayf Aleppo residentBashar al-Assad is killing us even though we worshipped him and his family for 42 years”
The bakery just down the road was the target of a
government attack a few weeks ago in which 20 people died, according to
activists.
It was the final straw for many of the residents and most of them have now fled.
But Abu Stayf won't leave. He sits on a vinyl-covered chair with two friends while artillery shells crash in neighbouring streets; the sound and fury of gun battles breaking bouts of pregnant silence.
"We have no food, no water, no electricity. There is shelling every day, bombardment every day," he says.
'Between two fires'
Abu Stayf lives on the edge of the historic old city. With the medieval citadel at its heart, the Unesco World Heritage Site used to draw thousands of tourists to Aleppo every year.
Today, it is one of many neighbourhoods that are being fought over in a vicious civil war that pitches the government of President Bashar al-Assad against the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA).
Some of the residents who have stayed behind are unhappy with both sides. One man who did not want to give his name said: "We are between two fires, wherever the FSA goes they are a target for the regime."
Most like Abu Stayf reserve their harshest criticism for their president.
"The FSA is providing us with food, water and electricity. Bashar al-Assad is killing us; he's destroying our houses even though we worshipped him and his family for 42 years".
Fears and hopes in Turkish town scarred by Syria conflict
Fears and hopes in Turkish town scarred by Syria conflict
Akcakale border crossing
between is now shut
On the road facing the Syrian border,
a single Turkish army tank sits behind a mound of earth.
Its sights point across 100 metres of scrubland towards the border.
The town of Akcakale has felt some of the effects of its neighbour's conflict. It has been hit several times by shells fired from across the border.
Muhittin Kaydi can see Syria from his front garden. He used to work as a money changer at the nearby border post.
Muhittin Kaydi says his
children are now scared to play outside But that post is now closed, and Mr Kaydi has lost his job. He finds it hard to reassure seven children that their home is safe.
"I tell them to calm down," he says, "but every time a door slams, they think it's an explosion - I swear. They are too scared to play outside."
'Up and down'
A single street away from the border, workers have put up a new blue gate at the Timucin family home.
“Start Quote
We should not go to war with Syria. We help wounded Syrians. We're Muslims, they're Muslims”
End Quote Musa Vural Retired civil servant
On 3 October, five members of the family were killed
when a shell landed in their yard. Drivers slow their cars as they go by in
order to have a look at the house.
A few hundred metres away from the border in the centre of town, Mahmut Denli sits behind the counter of his jewellery shop.
Inside his shop, a small TV tuned to Bloomberg News stands on top of a safe.
"If anything happens on the border, we're the first to feel it," Mr Denli says.
"For the last month, things have been up and down. But I live here, I have my life here. How would being afraid help?"
Refugee's fears
For several weeks the sporadic shellfire kept the town's Suleyman Sah primary school closed.
"My three kids were really bored at home," Mr Denli says, "so I talked to the school's director to ask him to re-open it."
On Wednesday, the authorities decided that it was safe enough to do it.
Police and the army have
stepped up security across the town In the main yard in late afternoon, dozens of children line up to be counted by their teachers.
One class takes part in a noisy relay race - children run to touch a wall painted with a character from the Smurfs.
Across the road, two black armoured jeeps are parked outside the police station. A group of female students from a religious school chats at an outdoor tea shop.
A young man called Nuri introduces himself as a Syrian refugee from a village just across the border.
He says that he came to Turkey 10 days ago.
But he chooses not to live in one of the dozen or so refugee camps that Turkey has organised for the more than 100,000 Syrian refugees who have entered this country.
"They have cameras everywhere," Nuri alleges. He fears that the female members of his family would be mistreated inside the nearest camp on the main road outside Akcakale.
Turkey stresses that it provides humane conditions for all Syrian refugees.
A group of older men sits on tiny wooden stools in front of a tobacco stand.
"When the parliament passed its bill last week (to authorise cross-border measures against Syria), the Syrians pulled back from the border," says retired civil servant Musa Vural.
"This gave us breathing space," he says, as he rolls a cigarette from a bag of tobacco at the stand.
"We should not go to war with Syria. We help wounded Syrians. We're Muslims, they're Muslims," he adds.
Syrian opponents consider Brahimi ceasefire proposal
Syrian opponents consider Brahimi ceasefire proposal
Video of a helicopter in flames
was posted on YouTube
The Syrian government has indicated
that it is interested in exploring a temporary ceasefire proposed by the UN and
Arab League envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi.
Spokesman Jihad al-Makdisi told the BBC that the government would listen to any initiative to end the crisis, but that both sides would need to be involved.
The opposition meanwhile said they would match any government ceasefire.
Dramatic video, said to have been shot in Syria, has emerged of a helicopter exploding in mid-air.
The authenticity of the footage could not be independently confirmed.
Syrian rebels told al-Jazeera TV that they had downed a Syrian army helicopter in the north-western province of Idlib.
Meanwhile, Turkey's armed forces returned fire across the border into Syria after a Syrian mortar shell landed just inside Turkey's Hatay province earlier on Wednesday.
No-one was hurt by the Syrian shell, said Turkish officials of the latest in a spate of cross-border incidents that have heightened tensions between the neighbours and prompted each to ban the other's planes from their airspace.
'Microscopic step'
Mr Brahimi wants a truce over the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, which starts on 25 October, to "allow a political process to develop".
Israeli air strike kills leader of Palestinian militant group
Israeli air strike kills leader of Palestinian militant group
An Israeli air strike in Gaza killed the leader of a militant Salafist group as he rode on a motorbike, Palestinian security sources said on Sunday. The Israeli army later confirmed they had successfully targeted a "terrorist squad".
France pledges help for Syrian 'Revolutionary Councils'
France pledges help for Syrian 'Revolutionary Councils'
The French government repeated its commitment to provide humanitarian aid and cash for the provision of basic services in rebel-held areas of Syria, as representatives of elected “Revolutionary Councils” attended a Paris conference.French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Wednesday reiterated France’s support for Syria’s opposition movement at a meeting with elected Syrian Revolutionary Councils to which Paris has been providing direct aid for several months
At the Paris meeting -- attended by representatives of some 20 countries from the EU, the Arab League and the USA -- Fabius repeated the government’s commitment to recognize a provisional Syrian government as soon as one was formed.
“While we are waiting for this to happen, our aid for Syria’s civilians is being channeled through the Revolutionary Councils,” he added, referring to elected bodies that have been springing up in rebel-held towns “liberated” from regime control.
Monday, October 15, 2012
US embassy security chief killed in Yemen
Qassem Aqlani, Yemeni head of security at the US embassy in Sanaa, shot dead on way to work by motorcycle gunman.
The Yemeni chief of security at the US embassy in Sanaa has been assassinated, security officials have said. Qassem Aqlani, who was reportedly in his fifties, was shot dead while on his way to work early on Thursday. A gunman on a motorcycle reportedly opened fire at him and fled the scene. Aqlani had been working for the US embassy in the Yemeni capital for nearly 20 years. A US diplomat said Aqlani was in charge of coordinating a US |
Kenyan inmates find solace in yoga
Female prisoners, many of whom are HIV positive, say practice has brought them peace of mind.
The inmates, many of whom are HIV positive, say it has become a rare source of happiness.
This is the story of one of the prisoners, Hellen Nyokabi David.
Mali rebels threaten France over intervention
Al-Qaeda-linked fighters say they will "open the doors of hell" if France keeps pushing for armed intervention in Mali.
The renewed threats against French hostages and expatriates came on Saturday as French-speaking nations met in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where French President Francois Hollande was expected to urge the rapid deployment of an African-led force to rout the rebels. Hollande said the threat would not deter France's determination to quash the rebels in Mali. "If he continues to throw oil on the fire, we will send him the pictures of dead French hostages in the coming days," said |
Libya renews bid for trial of Gaddafi son
Libya to challenge the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court to try Saif al-Islam in The Hague.
Saif was indicted by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity after reportedly organising a campaign of murder and torture in an attempt to quash last year's uprising against his father.
The 40-year-old was captured by armed fighters in southern Libya in November 2011.
Libyan officials object to the trial being held at the ICC, hosted by the Netherlands in The Hague, and want Saif to face justice on Libyan soil. A two-day hearing in The Hague, beginning on Tuesday, will discuss the objection.
Saif's lawyer has said that he would not
UN urges military action plan for Mali
Security Council gives West African nations 45 days to provide details of plan for international military intervention.
The text approved by the council on Friday also urges authorities in Bamako and representatives of Tuareg rebels and Islamist fighters controlling the north to "engage, as soon as possible, in a credible negotiation process".
The members warned that the process should be undertaken with a view towards "a sustainable political solution, mindful of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Mali".
Mali descended into chaos in March when soldiers
Prisoners escape from Libyan jail
Security forces on high alert after reported escape by 120 "common criminals" from a prison in the capital Tripoli.
About 120 prisoners have escaped from a jail in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Khaled al-Sharif, National Guard chief, has told AFP news agency.
He said security services were on high alert to catch them.
Monday's breakout comes less than a week before the October 20 first anniversary of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's capture and death in his home town, Sirte.
"About 120 common criminals escaped from al-Jadaida prison today. Security services are on high alert to catch them," Sharif said.
"We are trying to hunt them down and some have already been arrested."
Earlier this year Libyan authorities took control of several prisons, including al-Jadaida, which were previously in the hands of former rebels who fought Gaddafi's forces last year's revolt that deposed him and in which he was killed.
The justice ministry controls al-Jadaida prison which is reserved for common criminals. In August there was a mutiny at the facility in which two inmates were hurt.
Rights groups have regularly denounced human-rights violations of leaders from the previous regime who are being held in prisons still under the control of former rebels.
Qatar insists investments in France not driven by 'politics'
Qatar defended its continuing investments in France on Monday, claiming they were not motivated by "political ambitions". The Gulf state has sparked fears in some quarters that its financial ventures are inspired by a desire to promote Islamism.
| Palestinians killed in Israeli air strike |
Two killed and a child wounded in northern town, in what Israel claims was an attack on an al-Qaeda-inspired group.
|
The attack targeted an unidentified man driving a motorcyle, medical sources said [Reuters]
|
| An Israeli air strike has killed one Palestinian and wounded two others, including a child, in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said. Sheikh Hisham al-Saedini, 43, also known as Abu al-Waleed al-Maqdisi, one of the founding members of Salafist group the Mujahedeen Shura Council, was killed in a strike late on Saturday on the north Gaza town of Jabaliya, Palestinian security sources said. Fellow Salafist activist Fayek Abu Jazar, 42, died with him as they rode a motorbike. Two other people, one of them a 12-year-old boy, were wounded. A 12-year-old boy and a man who were near the motorcycle were wounded. The Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the attack, saying the Mujahedeen Shura Council was "responsible for terrorist activities". Following the fatal strike, the air force also hit a training camp in Gaza City of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, which controls the strip, Palestinian sources said. No casualties were reported. Earlier on Saturday, the air force hit three targets in Gaza, hours after a rocket fired from the territory exploded near a house in southern Israel, sources on both sides said. "Aircraft targeted a terror activity site in the northern Gaza Strip, and two terror activity sites in the central Gaza Strip. Direct hits were confirmed," a statement from the Israeli military said. "The sites were targeted in response to the rocket fire towards southern Israel." Palestinian security officials said there were no casualties from the strikes, one of which hit an unmanned training camp of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades south of Gaza City. They said the other two hit open ground near the Nusseirat and Al-Bureij refugee camps in central Gaza, possibly used as rocket launch sites. |
Saturday, October 13, 2012
| Rival protesters clash in Egypt's capital | ||
|
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Hundreds march a year after Egypt Copt killings
09/10/2012 - EGYPT
Hundreds march a year after Egypt Copt killings
Hundreds gathered in Cairo on Tuesday for a peaceful protest that marked the one-year anniversary of the deaths of nearly 30 demonstrators at a Coptic Christian protest that was violently crushed by security forces.
Hundreds of Egyptian protesters marched Tuesday to mark one year since nearly 30 demonstrators were killed in a Coptic Christian demonstration that was violently crushed by security forces.
Demonstrators carrying posters of those who died during the violence walked solemnly down a main Cairo thoroughfare in the working class district of Shubra.
Some waved flags, others held posters of officials they want to see put on trial.
Groups of them chanted against Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the military ruler who took charge of the country following the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, and whose forces are accused of killing the protesters.
"Either we get justice, or we die like them," they sang.
The march was organised by the Maspero Youth Union, a group of Coptic activists formed in the wake of last year's deadly protest that left Egypt's Christian community deeply scarred.
"The only political demand on this day is to seek justice for the martyrs and for the criminals implicated in the massacre be tried," the group said on Facebook.
Tuesday's procession followed the route taken a year ago by the Coptic protesters.
On October 9, 2011, thousands of demonstrators marched from Shubra to Maspero in central Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in the southern province of Aswan.
The protest was attacked and violence flared when the army and riot police charged at the protesters, leaving 26 Coptic Christians, one Muslim man and one policeman dead, says Amnesty International.
Graphic videos that were subsequently posted on the Internet showed army vehicles ramming into protesters at high speed.
In a report published last week, Amnesty said "armed and security forces used excessive, including lethal, force against those not posing a threat to them or others."
"The Egyptian authorities have failed to conduct a full impartial and independent investigation into the circumstances of the violence and to bring those responsible to account," the rights watchdog said.
Christians, who make up six to 10 percent of Egypt's population of 83 million, have regularly complained of discrimination and marginalisation. They have also been the target of numerous sectarian attacks.
Hundreds march a year after Egypt Copt killings
Hundreds gathered in Cairo on Tuesday for a peaceful protest that marked the one-year anniversary of the deaths of nearly 30 demonstrators at a Coptic Christian protest that was violently crushed by security forces.
Hundreds of Egyptian protesters marched Tuesday to mark one year since nearly 30 demonstrators were killed in a Coptic Christian demonstration that was violently crushed by security forces.
Demonstrators carrying posters of those who died during the violence walked solemnly down a main Cairo thoroughfare in the working class district of Shubra.
Some waved flags, others held posters of officials they want to see put on trial.
Groups of them chanted against Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the military ruler who took charge of the country following the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, and whose forces are accused of killing the protesters.
"Either we get justice, or we die like them," they sang.
The march was organised by the Maspero Youth Union, a group of Coptic activists formed in the wake of last year's deadly protest that left Egypt's Christian community deeply scarred.
"The only political demand on this day is to seek justice for the martyrs and for the criminals implicated in the massacre be tried," the group said on Facebook.
Tuesday's procession followed the route taken a year ago by the Coptic protesters.
On October 9, 2011, thousands of demonstrators marched from Shubra to Maspero in central Cairo to denounce the torching of a church in the southern province of Aswan.
The protest was attacked and violence flared when the army and riot police charged at the protesters, leaving 26 Coptic Christians, one Muslim man and one policeman dead, says Amnesty International.
Graphic videos that were subsequently posted on the Internet showed army vehicles ramming into protesters at high speed.
In a report published last week, Amnesty said "armed and security forces used excessive, including lethal, force against those not posing a threat to them or others."
"The Egyptian authorities have failed to conduct a full impartial and independent investigation into the circumstances of the violence and to bring those responsible to account," the rights watchdog said.
Christians, who make up six to 10 percent of Egypt's population of 83 million, have regularly complained of discrimination and marginalisation. They have also been the target of numerous sectarian attacks.
Israel PM calls early elections
09/10/2012
Israel PM calls early elections
By - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called early parliamentary elections after his coalition could not agree on a budget, in a campaign move that will likely win him re-election.
Israel’s prime minister on Tuesday ordered new parliamentary elections in early 2013, roughly eight months ahead of schedule, setting the stage for a lightening quick campaign that will likely win him re-election.
For nearly four years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has presided over a conservative coalition that has proven stable in a country where governments rarely serve out a full term.
Re-election could grant him a fresh mandate to continue his tough stance toward Iran’s suspect nuclear program, put the already deadlocked peace process with the Palestinians further into deep freeze and complicate relations with the U.S. if President Barack Obama is re-elected.
In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu said he was forced to call the snap polls after his coalition could not agree on a budget.
“I have decided that it is in Israel’s better interest to go to elections now and as quickly as possible,” he said. “For Israel, it is preferable to have as short a campaign as possible, one of three months over one that would last in practice an entire year and damage Israel’s economy.”
With no viable alternative on the horizon, Netanyahu is expected to easily be re-elected as prime minister: He is riding a wave of popularity and his opposition is fragmented and leaderless.
The next vote had been scheduled for a full year from now, although speculation had been growing for weeks that the current government’s days were numbered and that Netanyahu would call for an early vote.
The immediate reason for the snap elections was the coalition’s inability to pass a 2013 budget by a Dec. 31 deadline, but Netanyahu has long been rumored to be leaning toward elections, given his high standings in opinion polls, the lack of a clear rival and fears the economy could weaken next year.
A recent poll in the Haaretz daily found that 35 percent of Israelis believe Netanyahu is most suited to being prime minister, more than double that of his closest rival, Labor leader Shelly Yachimovich. The survey questioned 507 people and had a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.
Netanyahu said he spent Tuesday holding talks with his coalition partners and “came to the conclusion that at this time it is not possible to pass a responsible budget.”
He listed his accomplishments, saying his government had boosted security at a time of regional turmoil and improved the economy despite the global economic meltdown.
Parliament reconvenes next week for its winter session without the annual budget in place. At that time, Netanyahu is expected to formally dissolve parliament.
Netanyahu also has little political incentive to wait until October 2013 - and give his opponents a chance to gain ground - when he is well-positioned to win re-election.
Opinion polls put Netanyahu’s Likud Party far ahead of its rivals. But the election results could alter the makeup of his coalition government, which is currently comprised mostly by religious and nationalist parties.
In the 120-seat parliament, no single party controls a majority, resulting in the need for coalition governments usually headed by the leader of the biggest party.
The dovish Labor Party, now a small faction, is running a distant second, having seen its support grow after mass social protests against the country’s high cost of living. Its leader, Yachimovich, who is a former journalist, is running solely on jobs and the economy.
Yachimovich, who has vowed to capitalize on the growing gaps between rich and poor in the coming election, tends to favor a strong government safety net, while Netanyahu favors more conservative, free-market policies.
After Netanyahu’s announcement, Yachimovich said there was a “reasonable probability” of winning.
“The public today understands that security is not just on the borders but is also job and income security and health and education security,” she said.
Perhaps the most viable candidate to replace Netanyahu is former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, but he is entangled in a legal battle that will keep him on the sidelines for the coming months.
Lagging behind Labor in the polls are Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, a new centrist party led by former TV anchorman Yair Lapid and the decimated Kadima Party, which is currently the largest group in parliament but has slipped badly in the polls under new leader Shaul Mofaz.
“I think the decision for early elections is a day of hope for the citizens of Israel,” Mofaz told Chanel 10 TV. “It is an opportunity to replace the bad Netanyahu government that has isolated Israel politically over the past four years, damaged Israel’s deterrence and deteriorated the middle class.”
During the campaign, opponents are likely to seize upon Netanyahu’s rocky relationship with Obama over how to handle Iran. The rift has unsettled relations with Israel’s closest and most important ally.
Netanyahu could also come under fire for his failure to advance peace talks with the Palestinians, massive street protests in Israel last summer against the growing gap between rich and poor, and widespread resentment over attempts by ultra-Orthodox parties to impose their ways on general society.
Despite these shortcomings, Netanyahu remains popular in opinion polls, thanks to a lengthy period of quiet, a resilient economy and his handling of the Iran issue.
Peace talks with the Palestinians could also possibly be renewed after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to drop the main demand that has prevented talks.
Abbas told European diplomats that he would resume talks after the U.N. votes on a Palestinian request for “nonmember state” status, backing down from a previous demand to freeze all Israeli settlement activity before peace talks can resume. A vote is expected in November.
The official Palestinian Wafa news agency quoted Abbas as saying that once the U.N. membership is completed “we will be ready to return to the table of negotiations with the Israeli side to discuss all outstanding issues between us on the final status.”
Abbas previously refused to meet Netanyahu while Israeli settlement construction was taking place in the West Bank, where he hopes to establish a future Palestinian state.
Abbas made no mention of a settlement freeze, and officials said Abbas believes a freeze would no longer be necessary if he receives U.N. recognition of a state that includes all of the West Bank.
Peace talks have been frozen for nearly four years, in part because of Palestinian demands for a settlement freeze and Israel’s refusal to accept it.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
| Israel downs unidentified drone |
Israel has shot down drones entering its airspace in the past but such cases are rare [Reuters]
|
Israeli jets scrambled to intercept a drone that crossed into Israeli airspace from the Mediterranean Sea, bringing it down without incident in the south of the country, a military spokeswoman said. Lieutenant-Colonel Avital Leibovich said Israeli systems on the ground alerted the air force to the drone Saturday morning. She said it flew over the Gaza Strip but did not originate from the Palestinian territory. She said Israel did not know the drone's starting point and an investigation was under way. Nobody was hurt in the incident. Leibovich did not give more details, but Israel media reported that the aircraft was not carrying explosives and could have been a surveillance drone. Leibovich said the operation was successful and the military was in control throughout. "We had monitoring contact from the ground and from the air," she said. |
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Turkey bombs Syrian targets after cross-border attack
Turkey has shelled targets in Syria in retaliation for cross-border mortar fire that killed five Turkish nationals in the southeastern border region of Akcakale earlier in the day, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Car bombs kill scores in central Aleppo
Three car bombs exploded in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo on Wednesday, killing at least 48 people and wounding more than 90 others, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Two blasts were initially reported at Saadallah al-Jabiri Square near a military officers' club and a hotel, the Observatory said.
Shoot-out in Syria's Corleone exposes threat to Assad
© Frederick Deknatel
The probable death of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s cousin in a mafia-style shoot-out has exposed a rift among Alawites, the Muslim religious sect to which the Assad family belongs and relies on as its power base.
A mafia-style shoot-out in the traditional home of Syria’s ruling Assad clan - in which an influential cousin of the country’s dictator Bashar al-Assad is thought to have been killed - has exposed a dangerous rift in the country’s Alawite community.
Qardaha, a small town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, is perched in mountains overlooking the coastal town of Latakia.
Its population is overwhelmingly Alawite, the minority Muslim sect to which the Assad family belongs, and is seen as the heart and soul of the regime.
But according to a local Revolutionary Coordination Committee, local strongman Mohammed al-Assad - known as the “Lord of the Mountain” - was killed in a shoot-out on September 28 with rival Alawite clans, putting the Assad stranglehold under unprecedented pressure.
IKEA 'regrets' cutting women from Saudi advert
IKEA 'regrets' cutting women from Saudi advert
Swedish furniture giant Ikea has come under fire after removing images of women and girls from the Saudi version of its catalogue, a move the company has since said it “regrets”.
Iran police clash with protesters over currency crisis
Iran police clash with protesters over currency crisis
Riot police clashed with demonstrators in the streets of Tehran, firing tear gas, reports say Eyewitnesses told the BBC that scores of people gathered outside the central bank, calling for the governor to stand down, chanting
France and US fund ‘terrorism’, says Syrian envoy
France and US fund ‘terrorism’, says Syrian envoy
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told the UN on Monday that the United States, France and several Arab states support "terrorism" by backing anti-regime rebels with arms and aid in "blatant interference in the domestic affairs of Syria".
Syria accused the United States, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on Monday of hijacking the country’s 18-month conflict between government forces and pro-democracy rebel groups by supporting “terrorism” with arms, money and foreign fighters.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told the U.N. General Assembly that outside calls for President Bashar al-Assad to step down were a “blatant interference in the domestic affairs of Syria, and the unity of its people and its sovereignty.”
Earlier on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Moualem and strongly criticized the Syrian government for killings, rights abuses, aerial and artillery attacks, and expressed frustration that the conflict was worsening.
Speaking on the final day of the annual gathering of the 193-nation assembly, Moualem said that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United States, and France “clearly induce and support terrorism in Syria with money, weapons and foreign fighters.”
“Under the pretext of concepts such as the ‘Responsibility to Protect,’ drums of war are beaten, and sedition and unrest are spreading and damaging the structure of national societies,” Moualem said.
He was referring to a concept about governments’ responsibility to protect civilians that has become increasingly popular in Western diplomatic and academic circles. The concept was used to justify last year’s military intervention in Libya.
“Worst of all is to see permanent members of the Security Council, who launched wars under the pretext of combating terrorism, now support terrorism in my country,” Moualem said.
Russia, backed by China, repeatedly vetoed Western- and Arab-backed council resolutions that criticized the Syrian government and threatened it with sanctions, saying the United States, Europe and Gulf Arabs were seeking regime change.
Ban “raised in the strongest terms the continued killings, massive destruction, human rights abuses, and aerial and artillery attacks committed by the government,” his spokesman said in a statement.
“He stressed that it was the Syrian people who were being killed every day, and appealed to the Government of Syria to show compassion to its own people,” the spokesman said.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told the U.N. General Assembly that outside calls for President Bashar al-Assad to step down were a “blatant interference in the domestic affairs of Syria, and the unity of its people and its sovereignty.”
Earlier on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Moualem and strongly criticized the Syrian government for killings, rights abuses, aerial and artillery attacks, and expressed frustration that the conflict was worsening.
Speaking on the final day of the annual gathering of the 193-nation assembly, Moualem said that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United States, and France “clearly induce and support terrorism in Syria with money, weapons and foreign fighters.”
“Under the pretext of concepts such as the ‘Responsibility to Protect,’ drums of war are beaten, and sedition and unrest are spreading and damaging the structure of national societies,” Moualem said.
He was referring to a concept about governments’ responsibility to protect civilians that has become increasingly popular in Western diplomatic and academic circles. The concept was used to justify last year’s military intervention in Libya.
“Worst of all is to see permanent members of the Security Council, who launched wars under the pretext of combating terrorism, now support terrorism in my country,” Moualem said.
Russia, backed by China, repeatedly vetoed Western- and Arab-backed council resolutions that criticized the Syrian government and threatened it with sanctions, saying the United States, Europe and Gulf Arabs were seeking regime change.
Ban “raised in the strongest terms the continued killings, massive destruction, human rights abuses, and aerial and artillery attacks committed by the government,” his spokesman said in a statement.
“He stressed that it was the Syrian people who were being killed every day, and appealed to the Government of Syria to show compassion to its own people,” the spokesman said.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Anti-Christian graffiti sprayed on Jerusalem monastery
Anti-Christian graffiti sprayed on Jerusalem monastery
An Israeli police spokesman said they were investigating the incident
Vandals have spray-painted anti-Christian graffiti on the main door of a Franciscan monastery outside Jerusalem, Church officials have said.
Photographs published online showed blue graffiti denigrating Jesus at the Convent of Saint Francis on Mount Zion.Monday, October 1, 2012
Iraq suffers deadliest day in nearly a month
updated 8:28 PM EDT, Sun September 30, 2012
Residents look on as they stand at the site of a bomb blast in the town of Taji, north of Baghdad, Sunday.
(CNN) -- At least 30 people were killed Sunday in a wave of bombings in Iraq, making it the country's deadliest day in nearly a month.
The country's majority Shiite Muslim community appeared to be the main target of the attacks, with a Shiite shrine among the targets.
The blasts seem to be part of a new increase in the level of violence in the country after a period of relative stability.
There were seven explosions in and around Baghdad, which killed 20 people, police officials in the capital said. At least 37 other people were wounded in the blasts in the city center, the Baghdad neighborhoods of al-Mashahda and al-Amel, and the nearby city of Taji.
A car bomb later exploded near a Shiite shrine in al-Madaan, killing four people. Nineteen other people were wounded, including four Iranians, police officials told CNN. Iraq is the site of many Shiite holy sites visited by pilgrims from Iran.
The shrine is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
At least 15 killed in Iraq jailbreak
At U.N., Syrian foreign minister expected to defend government role in civil war
updated 8:19 AM EDT, Mon October 1, 2012
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem pictured on March 25, 2009.
(CNN) -- Syria's foreign minister is expected Monday to defend his country's handling of the 18-month civil war before the U.N. General Assembly, just as newly released casualty figures put the conflict's human toll at nearly 28,000.
At least 87 people were killed Monday, including 12 children, according to the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria. The government, on state-run media, said 17 citizens were "martyred in terrorists' shelling" on a village in Homs Sunday.
Here is the latest in the Syrian uprising:
Syria to face a hostile audience at the United Nations
Foreign Minister Walid Moallem is scheduled to speak to the U.N. General Assembly just days after world leaders painted a grim picture of the conflict.
Syria has dominated much of the General Assembly discussion -- on stage and on the sidelines -- as world leaders struggle to find a way to resolve the war that has left the Security Council hopelessly deadlocked.
Moallem is heading up the Syrian delegation at the United Nations, where he has been meeting with foreign ministers to drum up support for President Bashar al-Assad's government.
But Moallem's anticipated defense of the conflict before the general assembly is unlikely to be well received.
"What has the international community done to stop this carnage?" Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said last week. "Literally nothing. We have yet to see a single effective action to save innocent lives."
Germany also slammed the U.N. Security Council for failure to act, and the United States, Britain and France announced they are backing increased support of non-lethal aid to the Syrian opposition.
Analysis: Sympathy but few solutions for Syria
The Security Council has been paralyzed by a division over how to halt the killing in Syria. Russia and China have blocked resolutions calling for al-Assad to transfer power and step down, saying the issue should be settled by Syrians.
Iran's rial hits an all-time-low against the US dollar
The Iranian rial has fallen by 25% in one week
Iran's currency, the rial, fell almost 10% on Monday to a record low against the dollar, leaving it with a loss of 25% in one week.
The rial was trading at 32,250 against the dollar at 12:00BST on Monday.On Sunday, it was worth about 29,720, according to the Iranian currency-tracking website Mazanex.
The fall suggests economic sanctions imposed over its disputed nuclear programme are hitting economic activity ever harder.
The latest slide appears to have been triggered by a government move to supply dollars to importers of certain basic goods at a special rate in an attempt to rein in the currency slide, but the move has had the opposite effect.
A weaker domestic currency makes imports more expensive, raising prices for people inside Iran.
Dramatic currency falls can also lead to uncertain markets as dealers hoard the harder currency in the hope that it will gain even more in value.
Iran is all but frozen out of the global banking system as a result of largely US-led sanctions designed to discourage what it says is Iran's attempts to build a nuclear weapon.
These sanctions, which are backed by the European Union, include a ban on the trade of Iranian oil.
The US has threatened to take action against foreign firms and institutions dealing with the Iranian central bank.
It means it is unable to sell its valuable oil assets to most other countries. Analysts suggest it may also have to accept lower prices from countries still willing to trade with it.
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