Ping your blog, website, or RSS feed for Free

قضايا الدولة" تطالب رشيد وعز وعسل برد 660 مليون جنيه للدولة

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

خالد سعيد رحمة الله عليه

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

الرئيس الأمريكى باراك أوباما

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

الدكتور محمد البرادعى

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

الرئيس السابق حسنى مبارك

Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.

الأحد، مارس 31، 2013

‘No one served us water:’ complains Egyptian satirist during interrogation

Interrogation does not seem to deter Egyptian television comedian Bassem Youssef from his political satire. He tweeted on Sunday that no one at the prosecutor's office had offered him a glass of water – a point authorities appeared to listen to, given the comedian's subsequent message saying they had served him Rani Juice, a leading juice drink brand in the Middle East produced by Aujan Industries.

Youssef arrived earlier Sunday at the prosecutor's office wearing a hat similar to one worn by President Mohammed Mursi early in March when he received an honorary doctorate from a university in Pakistan.

Egypt's state prosecutors ordered the arrest Saturday of Youssef for allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader, in a move that government opponents say is aimed at silencing critics of Islamist President Mursi.

The arrest warrant against Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, followed an order earlier this week by the country's top prosecutor to arrest five prominent pro-democracy activists in what the opposition has characterized as a widening campaign against dissent.

The acceleration in legal action targeting protesters, activists and critics comes against a backdrop of continued unrest in the country. Political compromise between the well-organized Islamists in power and their vocal liberal and largely secular critics remains elusive, while the country's economy is in near free fall, which has increasingly fueled popular frustration.

The opposition charges that Mursi, in office for nine months, and the Brotherhood have failed to tackle any of the nation's most pressing problems and are trying to monopolize power, breaking their promises of inclusiveness. Mursi blames the country's woes on nearly three decades of corruption under his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, and accuses the opposition of stoking unrest for political gain.

The warrant against Youssef is the latest in a series of legal actions against the comedian, whose widely-watched weekly show, "ElBernameg" or "The Program," has become a platform for lampooning the government, opposition, media and clerics. He has also used his program to fact-check politicians.

The fast-paced show has attracted a wide viewership, while at the same time earning itself its fair share of detractors. Youssef has been a frequent target of lawsuits, most of them brought by Islamist lawyers who have accused him of "corrupting morals" or violating "religious principles."

Prosecutor Mohammed el-Sayed Khalifa told Al-Ahram online that he has heard 28 plaintiffs accusing Youssef of insulting Islam, mocking prayers, and "belittling" Mursi in the eyes of the world and his own people.

In one episode of the show, Youssef mocks former militants who are now part of the mainstream political scene in Egypt. At a recent rally, some former radicals who were imprisoned for taking part in the assassination of late President Anwar Sadat in 1981, accused the opposition of using violence at anti-Mursi protests.

In the program, Youssef ridicules an Islamist who said the militants had repented by fasting for three months for mistakenly killing others with Sadat.

"What a message," Youssef says. "Anyone can form a group in the name of religion, assassinate in the name of religion, and then oops! Repent and fast for three months, and it will too pass in the name of religion."

The comedian has faced several court cases in the past accusing him of insulting Mursi. One of Youssef's attorneys, Gamal Eid, said however that this is the first time an arrest warrant has been issued for the comedian.

In a post on his official Twitter account, Youssef said he will hand himself in to the prosecutor's office Sunday. He then added, with his typical sarcasm: "Unless they kindly send a police van today and save me the transportation hassle."

Eid said the warrant fits into a widening campaign against government critics, media personalities, and activists, saying "the prosecution has become a tool to go after the regime's opposition and intimidate it."

A call to a top aide to the country's chief prosecutor, Hassan Yassin, for comment went unanswered.

Egypt's leading pro-democracy advocate and top opposition leader ElBaradei lamented the state of affairs in the country in a message posted on Saturday on his official Twitter account. "Pathetic efforts to smother dissent and intimidate media is a sign of a shaky regime and a bunker mentality," he wrote.

The other recent arrest warrants for five high-profile activists were issued over allegations that they instigated violence last week near the Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo, where nearly 200 people were injured in clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of the Brotherhood, from which Mursi hails.

Mursi responded by harshly criticizing his opponents, calling them hired thugs out to derail Egypt's democracy. The Brotherhood also blamed privately-owned media for fanning the violence.

The criticism was followed by a two-day protest by dozens of Islamists outside the studios of TV networks critical of Mursi. The protesters pelted police and prevented some talk show hosts and guests from entering or leaving the complex.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called the escalation of anti-press "rhetoric" by Morsi and his supporters and the sit-in outside the media city were "deeply troubling."

The series of prosecutions and arrest warrants come amid a legal challenge to the chief prosecutor, Talaat Abdullah, whose appointment by Mursi last year was declared void by a court ruling earlier this week.

On Saturday, Abdullah said he will appeal the court ruling, saying it is "in violation of the constitution and the law," Egypt's state news agency reported. The decision signals a protracted legal battle is likely to ensue, further confusing the legal scene in Egypt.

In the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, an Egyptian rights group said Saturday that police detained 13 people, including five lawyers, and accused them of assaulting police. The arrests inside the police station mark a rare instance in which lawyers face potential criminal charges.

The Haqanya Center for Rights said the 13 are accused of insulting security officials, attempting to free other detainees at the police station and illegal assembly.

The arrests prompted an angry response from lawyers at Cairo's Bar Association, who demanded an apology from the police.

Those detained include prominent lawyer and pro-democracy activist Mahienour el-Masry. Several dozen Cairo protesters held a rally outside the chief prosecutor's office, dismissing his orders as void, locking up the gates to his office with chains and demanding the release of the lawyers and activists.

Mohammed Abdel-Aziz, an attorney, said the lawyers and activists were beaten and assaulted at the station, where they had been since Friday to represent three opposition members reportedly detained and taken to the police by members of a political party affiliated with the Brotherhood.


 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/03/31/-No-one-served-water-Egyptian-satirist-complains-in-detention.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Karzai meets Qatar emir during visit on Taliban office

Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks Sunday with the emir of Qatar during a visit to discuss opening a Taliban office in the Gulf state. (AFP)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks Sunday with the emir of Qatar during a visit to discuss opening a Taliban office in the Gulf state, as a prelude to a possible peace deal with the militants.

Karzai discussed "issues of mutual interest" with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, state news agency QNA said, without giving details of the low-profile meeting in Doha city.

The Afghan president previously opposed a Taliban office in Qatar since he feared that his government would be frozen out of any future peace deal involving the Islamic extremists and the United States.

The militants refuse to have direct contact with Karzai, saying he is a puppet of the United States, which supported his rise to power after the military operation to oust the Taliban from Kabul in 2001.

But with US-led NATO combat troops due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, Karzai recently backed the proposed office in Doha and his office said he would raise the plan on Sunday.

Any future peace talks still face numerous hurdles before they begin, including confusion over who would represent the Taliban and Karzai's insistence that his appointees should be at the center of negotiations.

"We will discuss the peace process, of course, and the opening of an office for the Taliban in Qatar," presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi told AFP before Karzai's visit, which ended on Sunday evening.

"If we want to have talks to bring peace to Afghanistan, the main side must be the Afghan government's representatives -- the High Peace Council, which has members from all the country's ethnic and political backgrounds," Faizi added.

Negotiating with the hardline Taliban regime that harbored Al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks was for many years anathema to countries in the UN-backed coalition against the militants.

But the search for a political settlement became a priority as the insurgency raged on, with Taliban leaders able to fuel violence from safe havens across the border in Pakistan.

Kabul has repeatedly stressed that it will only start talks if the militants break all links with Al-Qaeda and give up violence, and Faizi said any Taliban office in Qatar must be subject to strict conditions.

"It can only be an address where the armed opposition sit and talk to the Afghanistan government," he said. "This office cannot be used for any other purposes."

Karzai met Qatari investors on Saturday evening and encouraged them to invest in the country as it works to secure stability before NATO-led combat forces withdraw next year.

"The future of Afghanistan is guaranteed because our relations have expanded with America and other countries such as China, India and Russia," he said according to an emailed statement.

The United Nations last week welcomed news that Karzai would visit Qatar, and issued another call for the Taliban to come to the negotiating table.

But a Qatar office could mean little if the Taliban continue to refuse to negotiate with Karzai or with the government-appointed High Peace Council.

"The opening of the Taliban office in Qatar is not related to Karzai, it is a matter between the Taliban and the Qatar government," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP.

"Our representatives who are already in Qatar won't see or talk to him."

The Islamist militants broke off tentative contacts with the US in Qatar a year ago after the failure of attempts to agree on a prisoner exchange as a confidence-building measure.

Neighboring Pakistan, which backed the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule over Afghanistan and is seen as key to any workable peace deal, has expressed support for a Taliban office in Doha.

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/03/31/Karzai-meets-Qatar-emir-during-visit-on-Taliban-office-.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Syria says rebels set fire to three eastern oil wells

Syria says rebels have set three oil wells in the east of the country ablaze, causing a daily loss of nearly 5,000 barrels of oil and 52,000 cubic meters of gas. (Reuters)

Syrian rebels have set three oil wells in the east of the country ablaze, causing a daily loss of nearly 5,000 barrels of oil and 52,000 cubic meters of gas, state media quoted an oil ministry official as saying on Sunday.

SANA news agency said the damage to the oil wells in Deiral-Zor province, much of which is in rebel hands, followed disputes among the fighters over "sharing out the stolen oil" from fields in areas they control.

It said Syria's Furat Petroleum Corporation was working to extinguish the three fires. A total of nine wells had been set on fire by the rebels, the agency added, without saying when the other six had been set ablaze.

Furat was not immediately able to comment on the report.

European Union sanctions imposed on Syria two years ago over President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on protests - which have since developed into armed conflict - effectively halted Syria's modest oil exports.

Assad's government has also struggled to meet domestic energy requirements after losing control of large parts of the east of the country, where most of the oil wells are located.

But despite the fighting residents say oil production has continued in some fields, with rebels trading with local authorities and allowing oil to be shipped to government-controlled areas.

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/03/31/Syria-says-rebels-set-fire-to-three-eastern-oil-wells.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Thousands march in Rabat to protest govt policies

Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration to claim for "rights and liberties" denouncing the government's policy on March 31, 2013 in Rabat, Morocco. (Reuters)

Thousands of people marched through the Moroccan capital on Sunday to protest against unemployment and the cost of living, ahead of plans by the Islamist-led government to push for social and economic reforms.

Protesters marched for "our rights and freedoms" in an action called by two trade unions, chanting slogans against government policies, corruption and the high cost of living, an AFP photographer said.

"Morocco is witnessing social regression," chanted protesters, including activists from the February 20 pro-reform movement, which was born of the Arab Spring protests sweeping the region in 2011.

They also accused Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane of pushing the country into a "ravine."

Police said 3,000 marchers took part in the peaceful protest that wound its way to the parliament building in central Rabat. Other estimates said they numbered between 5,000 and 10,000.

The MAP news agency said members of opposition parties as well a human rights activists and civil society figures were also on the streets, alongside activists of the February 20 movement.

The agency quoted unidentified union leaders as saying the march was "a sort of warning" to Benkirane's government, which is expected in the coming months to implement sweeping reforms as Morocco grapples with economic hardships.

Morocco is facing slower growth and the budget deficit reached over six percent of GDP in 2011, against a backdrop of 30 percent youth unemployment.
 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/03/31/Thousands-march-in-Rabat-to-protest-govt-policies-.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Jordan’s king, Palestinian leader ink deal to ‘defend’ Jerusalem

Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (R) signed an agreement confirming their "common goal to defending" Jerusalem. (AFP)

Jordan's King Abdullah II and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas signed on Sunday an agreement confirming their "common goal to defending" Jerusalem and its sacred sites against attempts to Judaise the Holy City.

A statement by the palace said the deal confirms Jordan's historic role as custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, particularly the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, and outlines coordination between the two sides.

"In this historic agreement, Abbas reiterated that the king is the custodian of holy sites in Jerusalem and that he has the right to exert all legal efforts to preserve them, especially Al-Aqsa mosque," the statement said.

"It is also emphasizing the historical principles agreed by Jordan and Palestine to exert joint efforts to protect the city and holy sites from Israeli judaization attempts."

"It also reaffirms the historic principles upon which Jordan and Palestine are in agreement as regards Jerusalem and their common goal of defending Jerusalem together, especially at such critical time, when the city is facing dramatic challenges and daily illegal changes to its authenticity and original identity."

Al-Aqsa compound, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, is Islam's third holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, and houses the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosques.

But it is also Judaism's most sacred place of worship, venerated by Jews as Temple Mount, the site where King Herod's temple stood before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

It is one of the most sensitive sites in Jerusalem, and clashes frequently break out between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

"Jerusalem is currently facing major challenges and attempts to change its Arab, Muslim and Christian identity," the palace said.

Israel captured the eastern half of the city during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized internationally, but the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as capital of their future state.

Jordan, which has a 1994 peace treaty with Israeli, administers the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem through its ministry of Awqaf and religious affairs.

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/2013/03/31/Jordan-king-Palestinian-leader-ink-deal-to-defend-Jerusalem-.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Fighting erupts after car bombing in Mali

Malian soldiers ride in a Malian army pickup truck in Diabaly January 26, 2013. (Reuters)

Malian soldiers backed by French fighter jets battled Islamist rebels in Timbuktu on Sunday after insurgents used a car bomb as cover to infiltrate the northern desert town overnight, sources said.

The French-led offensive in Mali has pushed a mix of Islamists out of their northern strongholds and remote mountain bases but the militants have hit back with several suicide attacks.

At least three Malian soldiers were injured in Sunday's fighting in the ancient Saharan trading hub 1,000 km (600 miles) north of the capital Bamako, and residents were forced to take shelter indoors, Mali army Captain Modibo Naman Traore said.

"It started after a suicide car bombing around 2200 (2200GMT), that served to distract the military and allow a group of jihadists to infiltrate the city by night," he said.

"The fighting is heavy and it is ongoing. We are in the process of encircling them."

Bilal Toure, a member of Timbuktu's crisis committee set up after the town was recaptured from Islamist control in January, said he saw a French plane firing on the rebel positions.

Officials did not say how many rebels were in the town.

The attack reflected the challenge of securing Mali as France prepares to reduce its troop presence and hand over to the ill-equipped Malian army and a more-than 7,000-strongregional African force.

Mali's defense ministry said on Saturday that two Nigerian soldiers in the regional African force were killed when their convoy struck a mine outside Ansongo, near the Niger border.

France launched its intervention in Mali in January to halt an advance by northern al Qaeda-linked rebels towards Bamako.

President Francois Hollande said on Thursday that France will reduce its troop numbers in Mali to 2,000 by July and to1,000 by the end of the year, down from 4,000 at present.

The West African former colony is to hold presidential and legislative elections in July - vital steps to stabilizing the gold- and cotton-producer after a military coup a year ago paved the way for the northern rebel takeover.
 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2013/03/31/Fighting-erupts-after-car-bombing-in-Mali.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Judges urge Egypt prosecutor to respect court ruling and leave office

Prosecutor Taalat Abdallah said he will appeal the court order to reinstate his predecessor. (AFP)

Egypt's Judges Club Sunday called on the public prosecutor to respect the law and abandon his post following a court order to reinstate his predecessor, Al Arabiya television reported.

The club said the Prosecutor Taalat Abdallah's insistence to remain in office constitutes an offense that is punishable by law.

Abdallah on Saturday said he will appeal the court order to reinstate his predecessor, who was controversially sacked by President Mohamed Mursi, state media reported.

Mursi fired Abdel Meguid Mahmud in November in a decree, ultimately rescinded, that granted the president sweeping powers and placed his decisions beyond judicial review.

Abdallah, who was appointed in December, said the Wednesday ruling did "not have to be implemented, and he would take the legal steps to appeal it," state news agency MENA reported.

Mahmud was appointed by former president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a popular 2011 uprising, and was blamed for bungling subsequent trials of former regime officials.

His sacking fuelled protests by the opposition and judiciary, which accused the Islamist president of flouting the legal system.

Following the court ruling, Mahmud said he had not yet decided on what action to take but was "happy with the ruling, which stresses the independence of the judiciary."

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/03/31/Judges-urge-Egypt-prosecutor-to-respect-court-ruling-and-leave-office.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Christian worshippers celebrate Easter Sunday in Jerusalem, Gaza and Bethlehem

Young worshippers light candles during Easter Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City March 31, 2013. (Reuters)

Christian worshippers gathered on Sunday in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for Easter Sunday services.

In Jerusalem, hundreds of Christians attended the Easter mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Songs and prayer filled the church to commemorate the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as recounted in the Bible. The mass was led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal.

Christians traditionally believe Jesus was crucified and buried at the site where the church now stands. Although some also claim the site of the nearby Garden Tomb as the site of his burial.

An Easter service was held at the Garden Tomb on Sunday morning.

The Catholic Church in Gaza City also held an Easter Sunday service.

The Christian community of Gaza has 300 Catholics and more than three thousand Orthodox Christians, compared to about 1.4 million Muslims that are living in the Gaza strip.

In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Catholics celebrated Easter Sunday in the Church of the Nativity.

The Church of Nativity in Bethlehem is traditionally believed to be birthplace of Jesus.
 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/03/31/Christian-worshippers-celebrate-Easter-Sunday-in-Jerusalem-Gaza-and-Bethlehem.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Egypt’s famed satirist Bassem Yousef freed on bail

Bassem Youssef (C), the country's best-known satirist, gestures to journalists and activists as he arrives at the high court to appear at the prosecutor's office in Cairo March 31, 2013. (Reuters)

Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef was released on bail on Sunday after nearly five hours of questioning over alleged insults to President Mohamed Mursi and to religion.

Youssef was ordered to pay 15,000 Egyptian pounds (around $2,200) pending investigation into the complaints, judicial sources told AFP.

On Sunday, Egyptian prosecutors questioned Yousef over allegations he insulted the president and Islam, a case that has increased opposition fears of a crackdown on dissent.

Youssef rose to fame after the uprising that swept Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011, with a satirical online show. His program, that has been compared to the Daily Show of U.S. satirist Jon Stewart, is now broadcast on Egyptian TV.

The comedian is accused, among other things, of undermining the standing of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. The prosecutor general issued an arrest warrant for him on Saturday after at least four legal complaints filed by Mursi supporters.

In his recent show aired on Friday, Yousef harshly criticized Islamists.

He pretended to be a grandfather telling a tale. He was dressed in a red-checkered robe and seated on a wooden chair with music playing in the background. His story was of how reprisal has ensued between "good" Islamists and the rest of the "non-believers" in the country.

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/2013/03/31/Egypt-s-famed-satirist-Bassem-Yousef-freed-on-bail.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Iraq attacks on security forces kill four

Sunni Islamists linked to al Qaeda's Iraqi wing have stepped up attacks this year and often target Shi'ite sites in a growing sectarian confrontation a decade after the U.S.-led invasion. (Reuters)

Attacks mostly targeting security forces in and around Baghdad and in northern Iraq, one of them a suicide bombing, killed four people on Sunday, the latest in a spike in unrest ahead of elections.

The suicide bomber blew up a car at a military checkpoint in Abu Ghraib, just west of the capital, killing one person and wounding seven, including at least three soldiers, a security official and a medical source said.

And on the capital's northern outskirts, a magnetic "sticky bomb" attached to a car detonated near a checkpoint, killing the vehicle's driver.

Five shootings and bombings in Kirkuk and Mosul, both northern cities, killed one person and wounded six. All of the injured were policemen or soldiers.

The attacks come ahead of provincial elections scheduled for April 20, due to be held in 12 of Iraq's 18 provinces, the country's first polls since a parliamentary vote in March 2010.

But questions have been raised over the credibility of the polls as they have been postponed in two provinces roiled by months of protests, and 11 candidates have been killed, according to an AFP tally.

Although markedly lower than its peak in 2006 and 2007, levels of violence remain high in Iraq -- at least 266 people have been killed in attacks this month, the highest figure since August 2012.
 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/03/31/Iraq-attacks-on-security-forces-kill-three-.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Nigerian Easter day military raid leaves 15 dead

Nigeria has in the past seen major attacks on Christian holidays blamed on the Islamist radical group, Boko Haram. (AFP)

Soldiers raided a suspected hideout for Islamist extremist group Boko Haram in northern Nigeria's largest city of Kano on Sunday, sparking a clash that left 15 people dead, the military said.

The military claimed that those killed included 14 Islamists and one soldier, while alleging the extremists were planning an Easter day attack in the city.

Residents reported hearing gunfire and explosions early on Sunday as soldiers battled the Islamists.

"In the raid, 14 terrorists were killed and their commander was arrested," Army Brigadier-General Ilyasu Abba told reporters.

"We lost one soldier in the encounter and one other was badly injured."

There was however no independent confirmation of those details. Casualty information from Nigeria's military has often been unreliable, with the army under pressure to show progress in the fight against Boko Haram.

The military claimed to have recovered weapons, including a car loaded with explosives which Abba said was "primed for attack against Easter here in Kano."

The hideout, which comprised two attached flats, was destroyed by a bulldozer on the orders of Abba, as with previous hideouts.

Nigeria has in the past seen major attacks on Christian holidays blamed on Boko Haram.

A bombing in the northern city of Kaduna on Easter last year killed 41 people.

Violence linked to Boko Haram's insurgency has left some 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.

The group's deadliest attack yet occurred in Kano in January 2012, when coordinated bombings and shootings killed at least 185 people.
 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2013/03/31/Nigerian-Easter-day-military-raid-leaves-15-dead-.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Wounded Syrian taken to Israeli hospital, rebels gain more ground

A newly built military field hospital in Israeli army base 105 is pictured from the Israeli side of the occupied Golan Heights on March 27, 2013. In the past month, 11 Syrian fighters have been treated in Israel. (AFP)

Israeli medics transferred a wounded Syrian to hospital in Israel after he crossed the armistice line on the Golan Heights in a serious condition, an army spokeswoman said on Saturday.

This came as Syrian opposition made advances against regime troops in several parts of the country, seizing a strategic neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo.

"In light of his medical state, and based on humanitarian considerations, chief of staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz approved the injured Syrian's transfer to hospital in Israel for further medical treatment," she said.

"On his release from hospital, he will be returned to Syria."

The spokeswoman would not say whether the wounded man was a civilian or rebel fighter. She also stressed that the incident did not indicate a change in Israel's policy, which discourages Syrian refugees from entering Israel but affords medical treatment in serious cases.

On Wednesday, a rebel fighter who had been taken to a hospital in Israel died of his wounds, while five other Syrians seeking medical aid at the border were treated on the spot by Israeli medics and sent back.

On the front lines, opposition forces seizing control of at least part of the hilltop district of Aleppo in northern Syria, following heavy battles.

There were conflicting reports about the scale of the advance into the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood by rebel forces battling to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But the gains marked the biggest shift in the front lines in the embattled city in months.

Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a former commercial hub, has been a key battleground in the country's civil war since rebels launched an offensive there in July, seizing several districts before the fighting largely settled into a bloody stalemate.

The Aleppo Media Center opposition group and Aleppo-based activist Mohammed Saeed said rebels seized full control of Sheikh Maqsoud late Friday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said rebels took only the eastern part of the neighborhood, and reported heavy fighting there Saturday.

Syria's state news agency SANA said government troops "eliminated scores of terrorists" in other parts of Aleppo mainly in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Said, Masaken Hanano and Bustan al-Bacha. SANA did not mention the fighting in Sheikh Maqsoud.

Sheikh Maqsoud, which is predominantly inhabited by minority Kurds, is located on a hill on the northern edge of the city. The neighborhood used to be known as "Our Lady's Mountain" and is considered one of the most strategic locations in the city because it overlooks much of Aleppo.

Activists predicted that regime forces would launch counterattacks to try to retake the area because if rebels keep holding Sheikh Maqsoud it will be easy for them to target regime-held areas with mortar shells.

The media center and the Observatory both reported that residents were fleeing the neighborhood to safer areas. The media center said regime tanks around the neighborhood were shelling the area.

The Observatory also said rebels were fighting a fierce battle around an army post known as the Camp in the oil-rich eastern province of Deir el-Zour, which borders Iraq.

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/03/31/Wounded-Syrian-taken-to-Israeli-hospital-rebels-gain-more-ground.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat

The Eiffel Tower was evacuated in the evening on March 30 after an anonymous phone call announced an attack, said a police source. (AFP)

The Eiffel Tower was evacuated Saturday night after an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat, police said.

Nearly 1,400 people were sent away from the tourist attraction following a request from tower operators after the warning, a Paris police official said. Police then searched the monument with sniffer dogs, and set up a security perimeter.

No explosives were found and the site was to be reopened, the official said on condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

French authorities have stepped up counterterrorism measures in recent weeks amid heightened concern about threats to France over its military campaign against al-Qaeda-linked fighters in Mali which began more than two months ago.

The tower is occasionally evacuated because of such warnings - at least once last year and twice in 2011. The 324-meter (1,063-foot) tower is one of the world's top tourist attractions, with millions of visitors a year.

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/03/31/Eiffel-Tower-evacuated-after-bomb-threat.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Saudi Arabia sends tons of aids to Syrian refugees

Saudi Arabia sent about 80 thousand of aids to Syrian refugees near the Turkish borders. (Al Arabiya)

Saudi Arabia has sent 80 thousand tons of aid to Syrian refugees near the Turkish borders in a new campaign it called "To meet the needs," Al Arabiya reported Saturday.

The offered aid included a variety of food items, electricity generators given the summer season is coming, and other necessary kitchen equipment.

The aid cargo made its way first from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and later from the port city of Jeddah near the Red Sea. It then headed to Turkey through the Mediterranean.

"It is not our first campaign to help Syrian refugees. We are continuously working on projects to assist Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon," Buraima Al-Tuaifi, field coordinator of the campaign, told Al Arabiya.

The campaign itself was supervised and headed by Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz.

Organizers of the campaign, who also worked in cooperation with aid groups inside Syria, said the assistance was received by refugees in the Atmeh camp near the Turkish border.

Meanwhile, U.N. Refugee Agency chief Antonio Guterres warned that the current level of Syrian refugees could go up to two or three times the current level by the end of 2013 if the present flow continues.

An estimated 70,000 people have been killed since the start of the two-year conflict.

The U.N. refugee body, UNHCR, says more than 400,000 Syrian refugees - nearly half the total - have fled Syria since Jan. 1, 2013.

Around half the refugees are children, most of them under 11.

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/03/31/Saudi-Arabia-sends-tons-of-aids-to-Syrian-refugees-.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

The ‘liberated’ Syrian city of Raqqa avoids chaos, gains visitors

After declaring that the northern city of Raqqa was "liberated" and taken from the Syrian regime's control, opposition fighters said they have been successful in keeping chaos at bay, by deploying heavily in the city, while looking to bring in new visitors.

"The opposition has succeeded in avoiding any chaos and protected all government institutions and private properties, but it still needs to succeed in establishing a civilian authority," reported Al Arabiya's correspondent, currently in the city.

The fighters have control over all the roads leading into Raqqa, which is located 160 kilometers from the city of Aleppo that still sees raging battles between rebels and the Syrian regime forces.

Shifting power from military fighters to civilians is an ongoing process, according to Mohamad Nabil Fawaz, the head of the local council in Raqqa.

"This is subject to consultations with all the military groups that played a role in liberating the city, and we are working on normalizing the security situation as well as the services," Fawaz said.

Visitors looking to enter Raqqa city are strip searched, an attempt the opposition forces say is to foil any efforts by the embattled Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's to infiltrate and regain control of the city.

In March, Syrian opposition forces brought down the statue of the late President, Hafez al-Assad.

"There is a far more sense of freedom in the city after the downing of Assad statute," Al Arabiya's, Joumaa Accache, said.

While some areas are still deserted, in certain residential areas and markets, citizens started to rebuild the city.

The opposition estimates that more than half of Raqqa residents and those who migrated to it before it was seized have fled, amounting to more than a million.

Clashes between opposition fighters and the regime forces, however, continue to reoccur as Assad regime forces are still present in three military locations in Raqqa governorate.

Raqqa plays an important economic role in Syria.

The city together with other northern governorates, al-Hasaka and Deir El-Zour, are the main agricultural areas in Syria, in addition to 70 percent of Syria's oil.


 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/2013/03/31/The-liberated-Syrian-city-of-Raqqa-avoids-chaos-gains-visitors.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

Karzai to hold talks on Taliban office in Qatar

Afghan President Hamid Karzai travelled to Qatar on March 30, 2013, to discuss Taliban militants opening an office in the Gulf state. (AFP)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was set to hold discussions in Qatar Sunday on the possible opening of a Taliban office in the Gulf state that could facilitate peace talks to end more than a decade of war.

Karzai was previously opposed to the Islamist extremists having a meeting venue in Qatar as he feared that his government would be frozen out of any negotiations.

The militants refuse to have direct contact with the Afghan president, saying he is a puppet of the United States, which supported his rise to power after the military operation to oust the Taliban in 2001.

But with NATO-led combat troops due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, Karzai agreed to the proposed Taliban office in the Qatari capital Doha and is expected to raise the plan in talks with the emir of Qatar on Sunday.

Any future peace talks still face numerous hurdles before they begin, including confusion over who would represent the Taliban and Karzai's insistence that his appointees are at the center of negotiations.

"We will discuss the peace process, of course, and the opening of an office for the Taliban in Qatar," presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi told AFP before Karzai left Kabul on Saturday.

"If we want to have talks to bring peace to Afghanistan, the main side must be the Afghan government's representatives -- the High Peace Council, which has members from all the country's ethnic and political backgrounds," Faizi added.

A statement from Karzai's office said he was accompanied on the two-day state visit by foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul and Salahuddin Rabbani, chairman of the High Peace Council.

Negotiating with the hardline Taliban regime that had harbored Al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks was for many years anathema to countries fighting in the UN-backed coalition against the militants.

But the search for a political settlement became a priority as the insurgency raged on with Taliban leaders able to fuel violence from safe havens across the border in Pakistan.

The Qatar office could mean little if the Taliban continue to refuse to negotiate with Karzai or the government-appointed High Peace Council.

"The opening of the Taliban office in Qatar is not related to Karzai, it is a matter between the Taliban and the Qatar government," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP.

"Our representatives who are already in Qatar won't see or talk to him."

The Islamist militants broke off tentative contacts with the US in Qatar a year ago after the failure of attempts to agree on a prisoner exchange as a confidence-building measure.


 

31 Mar, 2013


-
Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/03/31/Karzai-to-hold-talks-on-Taliban-office-in-Qatar-.html
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com

عداد الزوار


المتواجدين بالموقع الان

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More