Syrian opposition bitterly divided on engagement with Assad regime
July 8th, 20110 WASHINGTON (IPS) — Despite countless attempts by the Bashar al-Assad regime to subdue the sporadic protests that have appeared across Syria since February, the demonstrations have consistently grown in both size and intensity.Last week, a march in the town of Hama may have attracted over 100,000 protesters, quite likely the largest...
Nasrallah: Justice in Hariri case key to sustained stability
July 8th, 20110 BEIRUT — Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Tuesday that serving justice into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was the way to stability in Lebanon, reiterating Hizbullah’s rejection of accusations that some of its members was involved in the killing. “We do not accept abandoning justice for...
Frustrated Egyptians return to Tahrir Square to claim their rights, protect revolution
July 8th, 20110 Egyptian youth to military rulers: we want real cleansing, real trials, real governmentCAIRO — Five months after the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are being asked to return to the streets for new mass protests amid frustration over the military rulers' handling of a promised transition to democracy.Hailed...Deadline for voter registration is July 5
LANSING – The office of new Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is reminding potential voters that the deadline to register is Tuesday, July 5 in order to vote in the upcoming Aug. 2 primary election.Polls on Election Day will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; applicants must be 18 years old by Election Day and be U.S. citizens. They...National dialogue set to begin in Bahrain
MANAMA — Bahrain on Monday announced a high-ranging "national dialogue" opening on July 2, although the largest Shi'a opposition bloc said it has not yet decided whether to take part."The National Dialogue chairmanship has received views and recommendations" on parliament, the cabinet, electoral districts, citizenship, corruption and...
Lebanon: Indictment timing raises questions
July 1st, 20110 Four indictments issued in Hariri killing probe Timing of indictments slap in the face of newly formed government after months of intense discussionBEIRUT — A United Nations-backed court has handed down indictments requesting the arrest of four members of Hizbullah in connection with the 2005 killing of former Lebanese...
Al Jazeera wilts in Arab Spring
July 1st, 20110 Al Jazeera English was recently hailed by no less a person than U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for providing "real news." Viewership of the Los Angeles public television station, KCET-TV, increased by 135 percent after it started broadcasting Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera Arabic, however, seems to have fallen from grace....
Ongoing unrest threatening Syrian economy
July 1st, 20110 DAMASCUS — As protests persist in Syria, the economy is becoming an increasing concern for many, who wonder if it will eventually falter in light of the recent unrest. "The global financial crisis had a moderate affect on Syria," Syrian economist Samir Seifan told IPS. But now, "people are only spending on basic items, which is...Human rights groups cast doubt on Libya war atrocity allegations
Ground troops being considered NEW YORK — The Independent of London reports human rights organizations are beginning to cast doubt on some of the claims of atrocities committed by forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi that were used to justify NATO's war in Libya.Gaddafi's regime was accused of ordering mass rapes, using foreign...
Freedom Flotilla II ready to sail despite threats and sabotage
July 1st, 20110 ATHENS (IPS) — As the 10 ships of the Freedom Flotilla II — Stay Human make their final preparations to set sail for the Gaza Strip, purported acts of sabotage have been added to threats from Israel.The flotilla, which will attempt to break through Israel's blockade of Gaza for the second year in a row, includes two cargo vessels...
Egypt rejects IMF conditions
July 1st, 20110 CAIRO — Egypt has cancelled plans to borrow 3 billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund because of conditions that violated the country's national sovereignty and a public outcry that warned against terms that were blamed for impoverishing many Egyptians.According to several Egyptian newspapers, General Sameh Sadeq, member...Yemen VP says Saleh’s health worse than originally thought
ADEN- Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh was so severely injured in an assassination attempt that it is uncertain when he will return, Yemen Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has said.Saleh was injured in an attack on his palace in early June and is receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Yemen has been shaken by months of...
Egypt: U.S., Israel stoking religious strife inside country
July 1st, 20110 CAIRO — Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister Yahia al-Gamal on Sunday accused the United States and Israel of fomenting religious tensions to weaken his country. "The United States and Israel are behind the religious sedition in Egypt" as "they realize this is the only way to break up the country," the MENA news agency reported. "Israel is...Hundreds hurt in Tahrir Square clashes
CAIRO - Bloody clashes between protesters and anti-riot police that raged overnight in Cairo's famous Tahrir Square, site of the country's recent revolution, erupted in new scuffles on Wednesday amid mounting frustration with Egypt's military rulers over the pace of reform.The health ministry said there were 1,036 injured in the...Jordan information minister quits over ‘restrictive’ laws
AMMAN — Jordan's Information Minister Taher Adwan said on Tuesday he has resigned because of laws he deemed "restrictive for freedom of expression." Jordan's Information Minister Taher Adwan"I submitted my resignation today to Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit in protest at a government decision" to......
Kuwaiti PM survives another confidence vote
KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait's premier on Thursday comfortably survived a parliament vote called by the opposition in a bid to oust him over allegations he boosted ties with Iran rather than Gulf Arab states, the parliament speaker announced. Only 18 MPs voted for the motion, seven votes short of...Saudi women in driving protest
RIYADH — Two Saudi women said they drove their cars on Wednesday in a new protest against a ban on women driving in the conservative Muslim kingdom. Their actions came in response to a call on the Internet for women in Riyadh to get behind the wheel, after a show of defiance on Friday in which......
Rights groups fault Ben Ali trial for not having victims present
TUNIS — Three human rights groups Wednesday welcomed the corruption conviction of Tunisia's ousted president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and his wife, but said conditions for a fair trial were not met. In a joint statement, the International Federation of Human Rights, the Tunisian League of Human...
Sectarianism dominates the movement against Syria’s government
June 24th, 20110 Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad take part in a rally to support him at al-Umawiin square in Damascus June 21, 2011, in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA. Several large government rallies took place across the country to support him. Al-Assad issued a general amnesty on Tuesday, a day...Qatar envoy elected head of UN Assembly
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations on Wednesday elected Nassir Abdulaziz Al Nasser of Qatar as president of the UN General Assembly for 2011-12. Nasser, Qatar's ambassador to the United Nations since 1998, was elected by acclamation by the 192 UN members. The assembly presidency is rotated...
Top U.S. official urges ‘immediate’ power transfer in Yemen
June 24th, 20110 An anti-government protester holds a Yemeni national flag during a demonstration to demand the ouster of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa June 22, 2011. REUTERS/Suhaib SalemSANAA — Top U.S. official Jeffrey Feltman called Thursday for an "immediate" transfer of power in Yemen after he met the Arab nation's Vice......
Four months into uprising, Syria still plagued by unknowns
June 19th, 20110 WASHINGTON (IPS) — Journalists, analysts, and policymakers have struggled to separate truth from fiction as the political situation in Syria steadily deteriorates. The lack of accurate, credible information has mired the Syrian situation beneath a fog of war that has complicated the world's...
No ‘radical’ shift in new Lebanon government
June 19th, 20110 Members of Lebanon's new cabinet pose for an official group photo at the presidential palace in Baabda, near Beirut June 15, 2011. The members are: (front row L-R) Minister of State Mohammad Fneish, Minister of Health Ali Hassan Khalil, Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Aridi, Deputy Prime Minister Samir Moqbel, Parliament......
Palestinian rivals to ‘finalize’ unity government next week
June 19th, 20110 Fayyad says he will not want to be stumbling block in reconciliation deal between Fatah, Hamas. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (left) shakes hands with Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh as Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Mashal looks on.CAIRO — Palestinian...
How long can we go on as we are in Libya?
June 19th, 20110 BENGHAZI, Libya (MEO) — Rebels said they suffered heavy losses in eastern Libya after being "tricked" by Moamar Gaddafi's forces, as the U.S. pressed Africa to take tougher action against the strongman's regime. The rebels meanwhile gained another diplomatic boost when Germany recognized their......