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NEWS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY
5, 2012 NEWS
Bloomberg
Reloads In Push For Gun Control
Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda
during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in Washington will see a far
more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas
Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid
like the plague: gun control. The two mayors, whose local teams face off
in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG),
the organization they co-founded in 2006. Murder has been on the decline
in New York and other major American cities for years, but the mayors say
they still see too many dead cops and teens. On Tuesday night, Bloomberg
was at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan visiting a New York police officer
who had just been shot in the face in Brooklyn. Reuters
VOA VIEW: Gun Control will not stop or
prevent criminal gun use.
C.N.
Security Council Fails To Pass Resolution On Syria
As international anger grows over reports of mass carnage at the hands
of the Syrian regime, a U.N. Security Council draft resolution condemning
Syria failed to be adopted Saturday after veto-wielding members Russia
and China voted against it. Ambassadors from the other permanent members
of the council -- the United States, France, and the United Kingdom --
said they were furious at Russia and China for failing to halt the worsening,
bloody violence that has consumed the Middle Eastern nation. Thirteen Security
Council members voted in favor of the resolution. "Those that have blocked
potentially the last effort to resolve this peacefully ... will have any
future blood spill on their hands," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told CNN
after the vote. "The people of Syria have yet again been abandoned by this
Council and by the international community." CNN
Police
Begin Clearing Occupy DC Protest Site
Police removed bedding and most tents on Saturday at an "Occupy" protest
site just blocks from the White House, enforcing a no-camping rule at a
public square that has housed protesters for months. Dozens of officers
sealed off McPherson Square and moved in before dawn to enforce the no-camping
regulation. Demonstrators have been in the square since early October to
target the growing income gap, corporate greed and what they see as an
unfair tax structure favoring the richest Americans. By early afternoon,
officers had briefly scuffled with chanting protesters as they moved to
clear the square by sections. Police said there had been six arrests and
no injuries. Reuters
Some
Blacks Insist: ‘I’m Not African-American’
The labels used to describe Americans of African descent mark the movement
of a people from the slave house to the White House. Today, many are resisting
this progression by holding on to a name from the past: "black." For this
group _ some descended from U.S. slaves, some immigrants with a separate
history _ "African-American" is not the sign of progress hailed when the
term was popularized in the late 1980s. Instead, it's a misleading connection
to a distant culture. The debate has waxed and waned since African-American
went mainstream, and gained new significance after the son of a black Kenyan
and a white American moved into the White House. Las
Vegas Sun
VOA VIEW: Proud so-called blacks have
no problem with the term "negro" - there is nothing negative about the
word, no more that whites being called Caucasian.
For
Now At Least, Romney Campaign Cruising
For now at least, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign seems to mostly
be going according to plan. A commanding Nevada victory Saturday night
underscored as much. "You have given me your vote of confidence. And this
time, I'm going take it all the way to the White House," an upbeat Romney
told a raucous crowd gathered at the Red Rock Resort a few miles from the
Las Vegas Strip. He ignored his GOP rivals and instead attacked President
Barack Obama, insisting the president doesn't deserve credit for the recent
drop in the unemployment rate to 8.3 percent. Detroit
News
ADHD
Drug Shortage Is Expected To Linger
It’s more frustrating than I can actually articulate,” said Luberda,
48, a Berks County resident. “This should not be happening in America.”
For months, adults with ADHD and parents of children with the disability
have faced a nationwide shortage of common ADHD medications including Adderall
and Ritalin and their generics, which help people focus, perform suc cessfully
in school and at work, moderate impulses, and even drive safely. The scarcity
has sparked a congressional inquiry. Relief is unlikely to come soon, say
patient advocates. And who is to blame depends on whom you ask. Most medicines
used by people with ADHD contain stimulants that are controlled substances
and regulated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The agency’s
goal is to prevent abuse and misuse of the drugs, which have been used
recreationally and as a study aid by people not diagnosed with the disorder.
Philadelphia
Inquirer
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WITH US -- OUR ADVERTISERS.
Car
Bomb Kills Seven Outside Police Headquarters In Kandahar
At least five Afghan police officers and two civilians were killed
Sunday when a car bomb was detonated outside the main police headquarters
in Kandahar, officials said. Another 19 people, six of them police officers,
were wounded in the blast, provincial officials said. Children were also
among the victims. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack,
but a spokesman for the governor blamed Taliban insurgents. The southern
Afghan city has been the scene of such attacks before, as violence grows
in many parts of the country despite an influx of foreign troops. In a
separate incident, Afghan officials announced Sunday that an American soldier
fatally shot an Afghan guard Friday night at a U.S. base in northern Afghanistan.
Washington
Post
A
Look At Key Moments In The NV Caucuses
It was a week Newt Gingrich probably wants to forget. And fast. The
former House speaker was trounced in Florida's primary on Tuesday by Mitt
Romney, only to stumble again in the next stop, Nevada. Gingrich bungled
a meeting with Nevada's governor, then was embarrassed after his advisers
told reporters that Gingrich would score the endorsement of Donald Trump,
only to have the unpredictable real estate tycoon publicly back Romney.
So Gingrich, whose freewheeling campaign is plagued by organizational and
money woes, is struggling to rebound after losing Nevada. That won't be
easy as the race heads to states largely favorable to Romney over the next
few weeks, including Romney's home state of Michigan, as well as Colorado
and Minnesota, which Romney won in 2008. More losses could add to the pressure
on Gingrich to bow out. Houston
Chronicle
Recovery
Is Gathering Speed, Jobs Data Confirm
The U.S. economy is like a flywheel: It takes a lot to get it going.
Once it starts moving, it can pick up speed pretty quickly. To see why,
look no further than Friday’s jobs report, which offered convincing evidence
that the U.S. recovery is finally gaining momentum. After months of subpar
growth in their payrolls, American companies added 243,000 new jobs in
January, considerably more than the 150,000 that forecasters expected.
That drove the unemployment rate down from 8.5 percent in December to 8.3
percent, extending a rapid decline from 9.1 percent last August. Since
last fall, a series of economic reports have pointed to gradual improvement.
But the January employment report tore the cover off the ball. MSNBC
VOA VIEW: No real job recovery.
Santorum,
Paul Look Past Nevada Caucuses
Republican Rick Santorum said Saturday he wants to “endanger” rival
Newt Gingrich while presidential rival Ron Paul claimed “the American people
are waking up,” both campaigning outside Nevada as that state began its
GOP caucuses. Santorum and Paul both looked beyond Nevada’s causes and
eyed contests further down the nominating calendar, signaling the results
were unlikely to change their strategy in a race that seemed to have become
a two-man contest between Mitt Romney and Gingrich. In recent days Santorum
has sharpened his criticism of Gingrich, whose fortunes seemed to be falling
as he headed toward another setback in Nevada with no obvious state coming
up for him to regain his footing. Santorum’s strategy has been to outlast
Gingrich and emerge as the eventual alternative to frontrunner Mitt Romney.
Washington
Times
8
Calif.-Based Sailors Discharged For Hazing
Eight sailors have been discharged from the Navy after a hazing incident
aboard a San Diego-based amphibious assault ship that was captured on video
and included the choking of a fellow sailor, a Navy spokesman said Saturday.
The eight received general discharges following allegations they assaulted
and choked the sailor aboard the ship, the Bonhomme Richard, as part of
a rite to initiate the sailor into a new department, said Lt. Commander
David McKinney. McKinney said the assault, which took place Jan. 17 in
the ship's berthing area, was videotaped, and the victim treated for injuries.
"He was choked out, evidently blacked out and had bruising," said McKinney.
The injuries were not serious, but the sailor sought treatment and reported
the incident to his superiors, leading to the discharges, McKinney said.
The sailors, all from the junior ranks, made statements to investigators
that amounted to confessions, McKinney said. They called the incident just
roughhousing but the Navy considered it hazing, he said. Atlanta
Journal
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Social
Media Muscle Rises Again In Komen Flap
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, the nation's largest breast
cancer charity, did an about-face and decided to keep funding Planned Parenthood
after saying earlier it would yank it. But the change of heart only came
after Komen was barraged with criticism online. It was, says Wired.com's
New York Bureau Chief John Abell, just the latest instance in which the
power of social media strongly impacted events in the real world. "Once
again, score one for the Internet," he remarked to "CBS This Morning: Saturday"
co-host Nancy Cordes. "You had the trajectory of lots of people expressing
scorn." This is similar, he says, to the mass opposition online when Netflix
decided to change its business model; when Bank of America imposed a debit
card fee; when lawmakers were poised to pass rules changing the way the
web operates; and to the outpouring of emotion and organizational information
in social media during the Arab Spring. CBS
Politics
Lurking In Your Cellphone
For years, political campaigns have made millions of automatic, pre-recorded
calls to the home phones of America, imploring people to vote this way
or that. Now, with the campaign for president and Senate topping a full
Nov. 5 ballot, those calls are starting to ring up cellphones, too. Here's
the bad news if you're burning with frustration over the cellular minutes
you just lost listening to a political pitch: The calls aren't going to
stop. Go ahead and sign up on the Do Not Call Registry, but it won't help.
Cellphones are the new frontier for political "robo-calling," and politicians
work the system to make as many of these cheap and easy contacts as they
like. Tampa
Tribune
Defiant
Gingrich Vows To Stay In Republican Race
A defiant Newt Gingrich vowed on Saturday to continue in the 2012 Republican
primary race and predicted that he could pull even with Mitt Romney in
the delegate count within two months. "I am a candidate for president of
the United States. I will be a candidate for president of the United States,"
Gingrich said in Las Vegas. "We will continue to campaign all the way to
Tampa," the party's nominating convention in late August. The former U.S.
House speaker suffered a second straight defeat to Mitt Romney, this time
in the "first of the west" caucus in Nevada. With 43 percent of precincts
reporting, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, had secured 44 percent
of the Nevada vote to Gingrich's 26 percent. Sun
Sentinel
VOA VIEW: The liberal media want a Romney
win because he is less conservative than Gingrich - the race is far from
over.
Clinton
Calls For United Front Against Syrian Regime
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling for "friends of
democratic Syria" to unite and rally against President Bashar Assad's regime.
Speaking Sunday in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, the day after Russia
and China blocked U.N. Security Council action on Syria, Clinton said the
international community had a duty to halt ongoing bloodshed and promote
a political transition that would see Assad step down. Previewing the possible
formation of a group to coordinate assistance to the Syrian opposition,
she said the "friends of Syria" could work together to promote those goals.
Such a group could be similar, but not identical, to the Contact Group
on Libya, which oversaw international help for opponents of the late deposed
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. USA
Today
Dems
Want Their Candidate As Ind. Elections Chief
While Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels held off Saturday on appointing
a permanent replacement for the state elections chief convicted early that
morning of voter fraud, Democrats said they planned to move quickly to
wrest control of the politically powerful office from the GOP. A jury from
Hamilton County, just north of Indianapolis, deliberated for 13 hours before
convicting Republican Secretary of State Charlie White on six felony charges.
Among other things, White was accused of lying about his address on voter
registration forms. Indiana law does not allow felons to hold statewide
office, and Daniels quickly appointed White's chief deputy, Jerry Bonnet,
as interim secretary of state. But the governor said he was holding off
on naming a permanent replacement because a judge could reduce the charge
to a misdemeanor, allowing White to regain the office. ABC
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Romney
Eyes Second Straight Win In Nevada, Rivals Look To Upcoming Contests
After a string of hard-fought elections, Mitt Romney was looking to
sail to a relatively smooth victory Saturday in the Nevada presidential
caucuses -- as Newt Gingrich and the rest of the Republican field turned
their attention to the contests ahead. Nevada offers a modest delegate
haul, but would provide the first back-to-back win of the Republican nomination
battle if Romney's lead in the polls holds through Saturday night. The
state is worth 28 convention delegates. Romney so far is leading the field
with 87, followed by Gingrich with 26, Rick Santorum with 14 and Ron Paul
with four. It takes 1,144 delegates to win. Fox
News
Fidel
Castro Makes Rare Appearance, Presents 2-Volume Memoir
Fidel Castro spent six hours presenting a two-volume memoir to an audience
at a Havana convention center, state media said Saturday. It was a rare
appearance for the retired and increasingly reclusive former Cuban leader.
Images on state television showed a smiling, animated Castro wearing a
dark track suit over a blue plaid button-up shirt. Audio of him speaking
was not broadcast, but Communist Party newspaper Granma said he told attendees
Friday that they would hear about "two books that you haven't had any news
of." Granma said the two-tome memoir, "Guerrilla of Time," fills nearly
1,000 pages and covers Castro's life from childhood until December 1958,
the eve of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. It is based on interviews
with journalist Katiuska Blanco. MSNBC
Ground
Zero Heroes' 9/11 Settlement Payouts Slashed
Ailing Ground Zero responders are finally getting their last checks
from a settlement with the city, but many are crestfallen that the payments
are less than touted when they took the deal. “We didn’t get what they
told us we were going to get,” one put it. One main reason for the lower-than-expected
payouts: The dollar value of each point awarded workers for the type and
severity of their illnesses was just recently set at $7.36, a figure based
on the money to be divvied up. That’s below the $7.50 to $9.19 range first
estimated. “Obviously, it was a big mistake. They miscalculated the total
number of points awarded, so the value dropped significantly, ” said a
lawyer in the case. More than a year ago, 95 percent of 10,000 cops, firefighters,
hard hats and other Ground Zero workers accepted the city’s $680 million
offer. The sickest are now getting the final 60 percent of their payments.
The WTC Captive Insurance Co., which manages the city’s 9/11 settlement
funds, did not immediately comment. NY
Post
VOA VIEW: Many undeserving received payments,
which reduced the amount available for the deserving.
Iran
Vows To Hit Any Country That Stages Attack
A Republican Guard commander warns Iran will target any country where
an attack against it is staged. Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the
elite Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, didn't
elaborate. His comments appeared to be a warning to Iran's neighbors not
to let their territory or airspace be used as a base for an attack. "Any
place where enemy offensive operations against the Islamic Republic of
Iran originate will be the target of a reciprocal attack by the Guard's
fighting units," the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Salami as saying
Sunday. Seattle
Times
Obama
Urges Congress To Fix Housing Problem, Tax Banks
President Obama told underwater homeowners Saturday that their ability
to refinance their mortgages is in the hands of a do-nothing Congress.
“In order to lower mortgage payments for millions of Americans, we need
Congress to act,” Mr. Obama said in his weekly address. “And as anyone
who has followed the news in the last six months can tell you, getting
Congress to do anything these days is not an easy job.” The president is
pushing a plan that will cost up to $10 billion to allow homeowners who
owe more than their homes are worth to refinance their mortgages through
the Federal Housing Administration. It would save the average homeowner
about $3,000 per year, according to administration estimates. About 3.5
million homeowners would qualify. Mr. Obama first detailed the program
Wednesday during a visit to a community center in Falls Church, Va. Washington
Times
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US
Renews Warning To Egypt Over Aid
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday issued a
new warning to Egypt that the failure to resolve a bitter dispute over
the status of non-governmental pro-democracy groups may lead to the loss
of American aid to the country. Clinton met Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed
Amr at an international security conference in Munich and repeated that
message, which had already been transmitted to officials in Cairo. The
U.S. is due to give Egypt $1.3 billion in military assistance and $250
million in economic aid in 2012. "We are very clear that there are problems
that arise from this situation that can impact all the rest of our relationship
with Egypt," Clinton told reporters. ABC
Gingrich
Patron Could Have A Plan B: Romney
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino executive keeping Newt Gingrich’s
presidential hopes alive, has relayed assurances to Mitt Romney that he
will provide even more generous support to his candidacy if he becomes
the Republican nominee, several associates said in interviews here. A one-stop
destination for the latest political news — from The Times and other top
sources. Plus opinion, polls, campaign data and video. The signals from
Mr. Adelson, whose politics are shaped in large part by his support for
Israel, reflect what the associates said was his deep investment in defeating
President Obama and his willingness to play a more prominent role in the
Republican Party and conservative causes. The assurances have been conveyed
in response to a highly delicate campaign by Mr. Romney and his top Jewish
financial supporters to dissuade Mr. Adelson from adding to the $10 million
that he and his wife have given to a pro-Gingrich “super PAC,” Winning
Our Future, that has been tearing into Mr. Romney through television advertising.
NY
Times
Obama
Could Alter Stance Of Federal Appeals Courts
A second term for President Barack Obama would allow him to expand
his replacement of Republican-appointed majorities with Democratic ones
on the nation's appeals courts, the final stop for almost all challenged
federal court rulings. Despite his slow start in nominating judges and
Republican delays in Senate confirmations, Obama has still managed to alter
the balance of power on four of the nation's 13 circuit courts of appeals.
Given a second term, Obama could have the chance to install Democratic
majorities on several others. Fourteen of the 25 appeals court judges nominated
by Obama replaced Republican appointees. Charlotte
Observer
VOA VIEW: GOD help America by insuring
Obama doesn't win.
Zuckerberg
May Sell $1.67B In Facebook Stock
Mark Zuckerberg may sell about $1.67 billion of Facebook Inc. stock
in the company’s initial public offering to pay off taxes he will owe when
he exercises options to buy 120 million shares. The social network’s chief
executive officer will owe taxes on gains related to the award of options,
the Menlo Park, California-based company said this week in its IPO prospectus.
The options were granted to Zuckerberg in 2005 and expire in 2015, and
he’ll sell stock to cover liabilities, Facebook said. “We expect that substantially
all of the net proceeds Mr. Zuckerberg will receive upon such sale will
be used to satisfy taxes that he will incur upon his exercise of an outstanding
stock option to purchase 120,000,000 shares” of common stock, according
to the filing. Bloomberg
US
Confirms Possible Release Of Taliban From Gitmo
U.S. intelligence officials acknowledged Tuesday that the United States
may release several Afghan Taliban prisoners from the military prison at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an incentive to bring the Taliban to peace talks.
Meanwhile, Afghan officials told The Associated Press that a plan to give
Afghanistan a form of legal custody over the men if they are released satisfied
their earlier objection to sending the prisoners to a third country. Director
of National Intelligence Jim Clapper told Congress Tuesday that no decision
had been made on whether to trade the five Taliban prisoners, now held
at Guantanamo Bay as part of nascent peace talks with the Taliban. He and
CIA Director David Petraeus did not dispute that the Obama administration
is considering transferring the five to a third country. Las
Vegas Sun
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Pennsylvania
Officials Roll Out Drug Tests For Welfare Recipients
Pennsylvania officials are wading into the controversial territory
of drug-testing welfare recipients, testing out a new program Republicans
say is meant to prevent beneficiaries from getting a "free ride."
After a federal judge blocked a much broader drug-test rule in Florida,
Pennsylvania is taking a more careful approach. Instead of mandating drug
tests for all welfare recipients, Pennsylvania plans to randomly test only
those with a felony drug conviction within the past five years and those
on probation for such offenses. Officials are taking it slow. A pilot
program has started in Pennsylvania's Schuylkill County, which could pave
the way for a statewide program this summer if it proves cost effective.
Fox
News
GM
Says Most US Dealers Agree To Upgrades
General Motors Co. said Saturday that most of its 4,400 U.S. dealers
have agreed to upgrade their showrooms over the next four years. The upgrades
include new signs, more modern interiors and lounges with free Wi-Fi. In
some cases, dealers might also open cafes or salons. The company announced
its plans at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in
Las Vegas. GM said 3,400 dealers have agreed to upgrades, and 1,000 have
been completed. It says the upgrades are important to enhance the company's
image. GM said it plans to give dealerships more sales and service training
and encourage them to do more online marketing. If they meet the standards,
they'll receive quarterly payments, spokesman Tom Henderson said. Henderson
said 36 percent of GM's current stores were built before 1970. CBS
Bradley
Manning To Face Court-Martial
The U.S. Army has approved a court-martial for Pfc. Bradley Manning,
the soldier accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks. Maj.
Gen. Michael Linnington approved a recommendation from an investigating
officer who presided over a weeklong pre-trial hearing in December and
suggested all the charges against Manning be referred to a court-martial,
ABC News reported Friday. A trial date will be determined after a military
judge has looked over the case, a statement from the Military District
of Washington said. UPI
STDs
In Baby Boomers Increasing
U.S., Canadian and British baby boomers are not practicing safe sex
and as a result are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, researchers
say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found there were 706
diagnoses of infectious syphilis among U.S. adults ages 45-54 and 179 in
those ages 55-64 in 2000, but by 2010 it rose to 2,056 and 493, respectively.
For the STD Chlamydia, there were 5,601 diagnoses in adults ages 45-54,
and 1,110 in adults ages 55-64 in 2000, but by 2010 this had risen to 16,106
and 3,523, respectively, von Simson said. In Canada, from 1997 to 2007,
cases of gonorrhea among adults aged 40-59 increased from 379 to 1,502,
Chlamydia cases increased from 997 to 3,387 and infectious syphilis from
34 to 527 cases. UPI
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Iran
Says Europe Oil Ban Won't Halt Its Nuclear Work
Iran's oil minister said the Islamic state would not retreat from its
nuclear program even if its crude oil exports grind to a halt, the official
IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. But he also called on the European
Union, which accounted for a quarter of Iranian crude oil sales in the
third quarter of 2011, to review its decision last week to bank Iranian
oil imports from July 1. "We will not abandon our just nuclear course,
even if we cannot sell one drop of oil," Rostam Qasemi told reporters,
according to IRNA. Tension with the West rose last month when Washington
and the European Union imposed the toughest sanctions yet on Iran in a
bid to force it to provide more information on its nuclear program. The
measures are aimed at shutting off the second-biggest OPEC oil exporters'
sales of crude. Jerusalem
Post
PA's
Abbas, Hamas's Mashaal To Meet In Qatar
According to Ahmad, the two Palestinian leaders will negotiate potential
"reconciliation measures" with the goal of forming a unity government.
They will also discuss issues resulting from the "failure of talks” with
Israel. Related: Gazans throw shoes, stones at UN convoyIsraeli and Palestinian
negotiators met in Jordan in January on five occasions. The Palestinians
are expected to decide by the middle of the month whether to continue this
channel of talks. Israel and the Quartet are in the process of assembling
a package of economic gestures to keep the Palestinians directly engaged
with Israel in low-level talks in Jordan. Jerusalem
Post
Libyan
Diplomat Omar Brebesh Dies 'Under Torture'
Libya's former ambassador to France has died less than 24 hours after
being arrested by Tripoli-based militia, a US-based human rights group
has said. Human Rights Watch said marks on Omar Brebesh's body suggest
he died as a result of torture under detention. Mr Brebesh served under
former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was toppled after a nine-month
civil war last year. The country's interim government is under mounting
pressure to prevent the abuse of thousands in custody. Mr Brebesh was detained
on 19 January after being called in for questioning by al-Shuhada Ashura
militia in Tripoli, Human Rights Watch quote his son, Ziad, as saying.
BBC
Prince
William Starts Falklands Duty With RAF
Prince William has started work as an RAF search and rescue pilot in
the Falkland Islands. The Duke of Cambridge will be part of a four-man
crew in the territory providing cover for both the civilian and military
population. The six-week deployment will see Flight Lieutenant Wales operate
as a Sea King co-pilot, a post he has held at RAF Valley in Anglesey since
qualifying. His arrival comes amid renewed tensions between the UK and
Argentina. A six-week deployment to the Falklands is routine for search
and rescue pilots at this stage of their career, the Ministry of Defence
(MoD) said. BBC
Afghan
Civilian Death Toll Reaches Record High
The civilian death toll for the war in Afghanistan reached a record
high last year with 3,021 deaths, according to the United Nations. The
number killed rose by 8% last year – the fifth consecutive rise – with
a further 4,507 civilians wounded, the UN report said. Many were killed
by roadside bombs or in suicide attacks, with Taliban-affiliated militants
responsible for three-quarters of the deaths. The number of deaths caused
by suicide bombings jumped to 450, an 80% increase over the previous year,
even though the number of suicide attacks remained about the same. Guardian
Iran
Military Manoeuvres Heighten Middle East Tensions
Iran's Revolutionary Guards are carrying out military exercises amid
rising tensions over the country's nuclear programme and rumours of a possible
strike by Israel or the US. The manoeuvres in southern Iran involve ground
forces and follow threats by the Islamic regime to close the strategic
Strait of Hormuz in retaliation to western sanctions. The show of military
strength also follows a warning by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, that any military strike by the US or Israel would only make
Iran stronger. Khamenei also pledged that Iran will help any nation or
group that confronts the "cancer" Israel, He affirmed that Iran had assisted
militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas – a well-known policy, but one
that Iranian leaders rarely acknowledge explicitly. Guardian
Syria
Releases The 7/7 'Mastermind’
The alleged terrorist mastermind behind the July 7 London bombings
is reported to have been freed from a Syrian jail by President Bashar Assad's
regime. Abu Musab al-Suri had been held in Syria for six years after being
captured by the CIA in 2005 and transported to the country of his birth
under its controversial extraordinary rendition programme. But he is now
said to have been released as a warning to the US and Britain about the
consequences of turning their backs on President al-Assad’s regime as it
tries to contain the uprising in the country. Al-Suri, also known as Mustafa
Setmariam Nasar, was al-Qaeda’s operations chief in Europe and has been
accused of planning the London bombings, in which four British-born terrorists
detonated three bombs on the Underground and another on a bus, killing
52 people and injuring more than 700 others in 2005. Telegraph
Chief
Army Defector Promises Fight To Free Syria
The commander of rebel Syrian soldiers said Sunday there is no choice
but to use military force to drive President Bashar Assad's regime from
power as fears mounted that government troops will escalate their deadly
crackdown on dissent after Russia and China vetoed a U.N. resolution aimed
at resolving the crisis. With Western nations searching for an alternative
strategy after the failed U.N. Security Council resolution, U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called for "friends of democratic Syria"
to unite and rally against Assad's regime. The remark suggested the possible
formation of a formal group of nations to coordinate assistance to the
Syrian opposition. The Syrian opposition has called for such a coalition
to provide it direct political and economic support after the double veto
at the Security Council on Saturday killed a U.N. effort to promote an
Arab plan to end violence in Syria. Indy
Star
Israeli
Military Appoints New Air Force Chief
Israel's military has picked a new air force chief at a time of growing
tension with Iran. The military said Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, 52, was appointed
Sunday and takes over in April. U.S. officials say Israel might be planning
to attack Iran's nuclear facilities in the spring. Israel and other countries
believe Iran is developing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies. Israel
views Iran as a threat because of its nuclear and missile programs, references
to Israel's destruction by it leaders and Tehran's support of violent groups
in Gaza and Lebanon. San
Diego Union
Morocco
Arrests 3 Accused Of Plotting Attacks
Moroccan police have arrested three suspects accused of planning to
carry out attacks on the security of the state. The MAP news agency, citing
a statement from the interior ministry, says one of the suspects is a Moroccan
with Danish nationality who traveled to Morocco from Europe. The suspects
are accused of belonging to an unauthorized organization, the Party for
Moroccan Islamic Liberation. Authorities believe the group receives financial
support from activists resident in Europe. Miami
Herald
Palestinian
Rivals Hold Unity Talks In Qatar
The Palestinian president and the head of rival Hamas resumed talks
Sunday over efforts to move along a reconciliation pact that remains stalled
after nearly a year.
Qatar's emir and other officials joined the meetings in apparent efforts
to push the unity accord forward between Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas of Fatah and Khaled Mashaal, leader of the Islamist Hamas. A senior
Abbas aide, Azzam al-Ahmed, described the dialogue as "positive," but said
further discussions were needed with other Palestinians factions over key
issues such as elections and forming a transitional unity government. SF
Gate
India
Tells Britain: We Don't Want Your Aid
Pranab Mukherjee and other Indian ministers tried to terminate Britain’s
aid to their booming country last year - but relented after the British
begged them to keep taking the money, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
The disclosure will fuel the rising controversy over Britain’s aid to India.
The country is the world’s top recipient of British bilateral aid, even
though its economy has been growing at up to 10 per cent a year and is
projected to become bigger than Britain’s within a decade. Last week India
rejected the British-built Typhoon jet as preferred candidate for a £6.3
billion warplane deal, despite the Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell,
saying that Britain’s aid to Delhi was partly “about seeking to sell Typhoon.”
Telegraph
Civilian
Casualty Numbers In Afghanistan Rise Again, UN Reports
The number of civilian casualties resulting from the conflict in Afghanistan
has risen for a fifth consecutive year, the United Nations reported today,
blaming a change in tactics by the Taliban and other anti-Government forces
for the higher death toll. The annual report on protection of civilians
in armed conflict, prepared by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),
recorded 3,021 civilian deaths last year -- an increase of eight per cent
on the previous year''s total of 2,790. Since 2007, at least 11,864 civilians
have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between the Government, backed
by international forces, and the Taliban and other insurgent groups. UN
News
Syria:
Ban Voices Deep Regret After Security Council Fails To Agree On Resolution
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced deep regret after Security Council
members were today unable to agree on a resolution backing an Arab League
plan to resolve the crisis in Syria, where thousands of people have been
killed over the past year since authorities crackdown on a pro-democracy
uprising. Thirteen of the Council''s 15 members voted in favour of a draft
text submitted by Morocco, but China and Russia exercised their vetoes.
A veto by any one of the Council''s five permanent members means a resolution
cannot be adopted. "This is a great disappointment to the people of Syria
and the Middle East, and to all supporters of democracy and human rights,"
he said in a statement issued by his spokesperson. UN
News
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