Friday, 14 January 2011
Brazil floods: More than 500 dead
More than 500 people are now known to have died in floods in south-eastern Brazil, the country's worst natural disaster for several decades.
Heavy rain has led to massive mudslides hitting several towns, resulting in thousands being made homeless.
Police say the number of dead is likely to rise further.
The death toll has now surpassed the devastating 1967 mudslides in Caraguatatuba, Sao Paulo state, in which up to 430 people perished.
'Thousands trapped'Rescue workers will resume searching for survivors in the mountainous Serrana region, north of Rio de Janeiro, later on Friday.
Many spent Thursday scrabbling with their bare hands through debris.
On her visit to the area, President Dilma Rousseff promised a shipment of seven tonnes of medicines.
In the Campo Grande area of Teresopolis, which was earlier cut off, rescuers found people pulling bodies from the mud.
In the neighbouring town of Petropolis, local resident Nelson Toledo told the BBC that some areas "had been completely devastated" by the floods and mudslides.
He said "thousands" of people remained trapped in their homes.
At The Scene
In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, dwellers often argue that they have no choice but to live in high-risk areas built on hillsides.
But that's not at all the case in Teresopolis.
Many of the devastated houses were nice holiday properties kept by Rio residents, who come to the mountains to escape the oppressive heat of summer in the city.
The waterfalls, steep slopes and fantastic views from this mountain range are a magnet for visitors but also provide for a rather dangerous and unstable terrain.
The Brazilian military have brought in a field hospital and hundreds of people have taken refuge in the gymnasium in Teresopolis.
But the number of injured was threatening to overwhelm the medical services.
Jorge Mario, mayor of Teresopolis, said: "There are three or four neighbourhoods that were totally destroyed in rural areas. There are hardly any houses standing there and all the roads and bridges are destroyed."
In one dramatic rescue which was filmned, 53-year-old Ilair Pereira de Souza was pulled by rope from a destroyed house surrounded by raging water.
"I thought I was going to die," she said.
Ms Pereira de Souza had jumped with her dog Beethoven but was forced to let him go to survive.
"If I had tried to save him, I would have died. The poor thing. He stayed for a moment looking me in the eyes, and then he was swept away."
"It's very overwhelming. The scenes are very shocking," President Rousseff said on her visit to the area on Thursday.
The day before, she signed a decree authorising 780m reais ($480m; £296m) in emergency funding for the affected areas.
Ms Rousseff described the destruction as an act of God but she also expressed anger at illegal construction.
"We saw areas in which mountains untouched by men dissolved. But we also saw areas in which illegal occupation caused damage to the health and lives of people."
Saying that building houses in risky areas was "the rule rather than the exception" in Brazil, she added: "When there are no housing policies in place, where will a person with an income of up to two minimum wages live? He will live where he is not allowed to."
'Humble people'Ms Rousseff said the state would care for the victims but said stopping future tragedies would be a priority.
- The towns, which lie in a region called the Serrana, are popular holiday destinations for city dwellers keen to enjoy fresh mountain air and verdant surroundings
- They also attract mountain climbers from around the country and elsewhere
- In the 19th Century they were a popular summer destination for emperors and aristocrats. Petropolis was named after Emperor Pedro II, and is known as the Imperial City of Brazil
- The area also has historical links with German and Swiss settlers
- Tourism has replaced agriculture as the region's principal economic activity
- The towns' populations have quadrupled over the last 30 years, according to the local governor
"We are here to guarantee that this moment of reconstruction will also be a moment of prevention."
Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral blamed local governments for allowing poor building and illegal occupations.
"Unfortunately, what we saw in Petropolis, Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo, since the 1980s, was a problem similar to what happened in the city of Rio - letting the poorer people occupy risk areas."
He said some rich mansions had been damaged but most of the victims were "humble people".
Mr Cabral ended the news conference by asking people in risk areas to leave their houses and seek public shelter or in other homes.
"The weather forecast is not reassuring, and new mudslides could occur," he said.
About 200 people are so far known to died in Nova Friburgo, some 175 in Teresopolis and dozens more in Petropolis, media report.
Silvio Berlusconi in probe over teenage dancer Ruby
"Ruby" apparently attended parties held by Silvio Berlusconi Mr Berlusconi is suspected of abusing his power by trying to have the Moroccan girl - known as Ruby - released from a police cell.
Some reports say the probe includes allegations of underage prostitution. The girl was 17 at the time.
Supporters of Mr Berlusconi, 74, say the claims are unfounded.
The prime minister has admitted calling the police on her behalf, but says he did nothing wrong.
His office has not yet commented on the prosecutors' latest move.
The dancer, who reportedly attended parties held by Mr Berlusconi last year, has denied suggestions that she had sex with him.
Prosecutors have not given details of the underage prostitution allegations.
Tunisian protests: Tunis marchers test Ben Ali's words
The BBC's Adam Mynott, in Tunis, says the army and police are not intervening
Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in the centre of the Tunisian capital, Tunis, calling for President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to leave office immediately.
On Thursday night, Mr Ben Ali - who has governed Tunisia since 1987 - announced he would stand down in 2014.
His speech came after weeks of protests that have left at least 23 dead.
A BBC correspondent in Tunis says security forces are surrounding the protesters but have not yet intervened.
Tunisia has not seen such protests in the 23 years since Mr Ben Ali came to power, says the BBC's Adam Mynott in Tunisia.
Trade unions have called on people to observe a general strike on Friday.
Our correspondent, who is outside the interior ministry in Tunis, says between 6,000 and 7,000 people have gathered, testing the president's promises of greater freedom of expression.
They are saying Mr Ben Ali must go and that Tunisia cannot have true democracy while he remains in charge.
This is in reaction to the president's speech, our correspondent says, but probably not the reaction he was expecting.
Human rights groups say more than 60 people have died in weeks of unrest across the country, as security forces responded to people protesting over corruption, unemployment levels and high food prices.
Tourists going homeMeanwhile, UK tour operator Thomas Cook is pulling out all its customers currently on holiday in Tunisia. A spokesperson for the company said six special flights had been laid on to repatriate its tour groups.
Thomas Cook says it currently has about 1,800 holidaymakers in Tunisia.
"Although there has been no specific problems for our holidaymakers, their well-being is our primary concern so, as a precaution, we've taken the decision to bring them back to the UK as soon as we can, using our fleet of aircraft today," said a Thomas Cook spokesperson.
Tourism is key to Tunisia's economy and an important source of jobs.
The UK, the US and France are all advising against non-essential travel to Tunisia.
In his speech on Thursday night, Mr Ben Ali said there was "no presidency for life" in Tunisia.
Mr Ben Ali pledged to take action on food prices and end internet censorshipHowever, our correspondent says there is a degree of scepticism as to whether deeds will follow on from words.
Tunisian commentator Intissar Kherigi told the BBC Mr Ben Ali's time in office had been marked by continued infringements of human rights.
"During this time, there's been sustained human rights violations; torture, disappearance of journalists, of political opposition, all banning of all independent organisations, trade unions," he asserted.
"Not a single human rights organisation is allowed to operate freely in the country... So unfortunately the record does not really give us much hope."
Mr Ben Ali, 74, is only Tunisia's second president since independence from France in 1956. He was last re-elected in 2009 with 89.62% of the vote.
In his speech, he said he did not intend to amend the constitution to remove the upper age limit for presidential candidates, which would have allowed him to stand for a further term in 2014.
The president, who earlier this week had blamed the unrest on "terrorists", also said he felt "very, very deep and massive regret" over the deaths of civilians in the protests.
He said he had ordered troops to stop firing on protesters except in self defence, and pledged to take action on food prices, which have gone up fourfold in recent weeks.
Afterwards, Mr Ben Ali's supporters took to the streets of Tunis, cheering and sounding car horns.
In a further overture, foreign minister Kamel Mourjane said it would be possible to form a government of national unity involving the opposition.
Speaking to France's Europe 1 radio on Friday, he also held out the possibility of early parliamentary elections.
Tunisia's main opposition leader, Najib Chebbi, called the president's announcement "very good", but said he was awaiting "concrete details".
Mustapha Ben Jaafar, head of the Democratic Forum for Work and Liberties, said the speech "opens up possibilities".
But human rights activist Mohamed Abbou said he believed President Ben Ali was "fooling the Tunisians with promises that have no tomorrow".
'Educate workforce'On Thursday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Arab leaders they would face growing unrest unless they enacted real economic and political reform.
Mrs Clinton was speaking in Doha at the end of a four-nation visit to the Gulf.
"It is hard to have the kind of economic climate that is needed without making some of the social reforms that are required," she said.
"Put aside the critical issue of political freedoms, human rights and democracy that we have been discussing, focus on social conditions.
If you do not have an educated workforce, it is very hard to grow the economy to the extent that it should grow."
The protests in Tunisia began in mid-December in the southern town of Sidi Bouzid, after an unemployed graduate set himself on fire when police tried to prevent him from selling vegetables without a permit. He died a few weeks later.
Earlier this week, Mr Ben Ali sacked his interior minister and promised to create 300,000 new jobs.
Lib Dems suffer UK by-poll setback
Coalition partner's popularity drop evident as Labour widens margin of victory in contest for empty parliamentary seat. Last Modified: 14 Jan 2011 05:04 GMT | ||
Britain's Labour party has comfortably won a contest for an empty parliamentary seat in a result that reflected the Liberal Democrats' fall from favour since joining a Conservative-led government in May. Opposition Labour's Debbie Abrahams won 14,718 votes on Friday in the marginal Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency - 3,558 more than closest rival, Lib Dem Elwyn Watkins. In May's election, Labour beat the Lib Dems to the seat by just 103 votes. The Lib Dems have had a tough time since signing up to Britain's first coalition government since the second world war, freefalling in opinion polls and facing stern criticism for backing austerity cuts they had once passionately opposed. While one defeat will not cripple the centre-left Lib Dems nor the coalition, it is a boost for Labour's new leader Ed Miliband and will spur critics of Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, whose popularity has fallen since he entered office. Many Lib Dem voters worry that government spending cuts and tax rises are unfairly targeting the poor. Some feel betrayed by Clegg who, up until forming a coalition government, had opposed the Conservative approach of cutting the budget deficit swiftly. The by-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth - the first ballot-box test for the coalition - was called after a Labour politician was ousted after being found guilty of smearing his Lib Dem rival in the 2010 election. With the contest pitting the two governing parties against each other, there were reports that David Cameron, the Conservative prime minister, had scaled back his own party's campaign to help out his Lib Dem allies and take pressure off Clegg. Kashif Ali, the Conservative candidate, secured just 4,481 votes, more than 7,000 less than his 2010 election score. With Europe embroiled in a sovereign debt crisis, financial markets are on alert for signs of instability within Britain's coalition, as a secure government is seen as crucial to executing a plan to effectively wipe out a record budget deficit by 2015. | ||
Source: Agencies |
During trip to South Korea, US defence secretary says North must first halt "dangerous provocations".
| Guarded backing for Korea talks | ||
Last Modified: 14 Jan 2011 08:02 GMT | ||
The US defence chief has held out the possibility that six-party talks involving North Korea could resume, but only if the reclusive dictatorship ceases its "dangerous provocations" and takes "concrete steps" to show it is serious about negotiations. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been high since late November, when the South staged military drills near the countries' sea border, firing artillery into the coastal waters, and North Korea responding by shelling the small island of Yeonpyeong. Two South Korean marines died, while 15 troops and three civilians were injured. In remarks on Friday at the South Korean defence ministry in Seoul, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, said: "With regards to next steps on North Korea, diplomatic engagement is possible, starting with direct engagement between the [North Korea] and the South. But the North must first meet its "international obligations", he said. Kim Kwan-jin, the South Korean defence minister, told Gates that his country feels under attack and that "many expect North Korea to conduct more provocation this year". Earlier on Friday, in Tokyo, Gates sought to dampen fears that North Korean aggression is on the rise. He said North Korea's ability to launch a ground invasion of South Korea is "much degraded from even a decade ago". But efforts by Kim Jong-il, the leader of the government, to procure nuclear weapons "threaten not just the peninsula, but the Pacific Rim and international stability", Gates said. Competition with China Gates also struck an ambivalent tone on China. He said that the US military presence in the Pacific is essential to restrain China, one of the world's biggest economic powerhouses, but also spoke of improving military relationships between the two countries. China and the US still disagree about "freedom of navigation", Gates said, referring to the US view that it has a right to sail through waters that China views as restricted. The relationship between China's military and political establishments can also be worrying, Gates said. Sometimes, as when China this week tested its J-20 Stealth fighter, it seems the military does not inform the country's senior political leadership. President Hu Jintao did not seem to know the test had taken place until Gates asked about it, Gates said. "[But] in the larger sense of who controls the Chinese military and who has the ultimate authority there is no doubt in my mind that it is President Hu Jintao and the senior civilian leadership of that country," he said. | ||
Source: Agencies |
Jonathan wins Nigeria party primary
Ruling party nominates incumbent for president amid allegations of vote rigging and intimidation. Last Modified: 14 Jan 2011 08:41 GMT | ||
Nigeria's ruling Peoples Democratic Party has nominated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate after fending off a primary challenge in the country's mainly Muslim north. Jonathan's nomination on Friday allows him to stand in the April presidential elections, which are viewed as one of the most important in the history of Africa's most populous country. The primary win for Jonathan means he has upended an arrangement within the PDP that rotates candidates between the north and south every two terms. The incumbent had been expected to win the party primary, despite the challenge from Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president who had the backing of a group of elite politicians from northern Nigeria. In the end, Jonathan won handily with 2,736 votes compared to Abubakar's 805. A spokesman for Abubakar, however, alleged rigging and intimidation. The PDP has won every presidential vote since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999. Potent force Since Nigeria's independence from Britain in 1960, the country's history has been dominated by military leaders hailing mainly from the country's Muslim north until democracy took hold in 1999. As is the case with the the campaign of Abubakar, Jonathan remains light on policy and relies heavily on personality. Jonathan, a Christian from the nation's oil-rich southern delta, came into the presidency after the death of elected leader Umaru Yar'Adua, a northern Muslim, in May. Abubakar, a former customs officer who created an oil and gas empire, faulted Jonathan for being a candidate weak on experience who rose to power on "all accidental positions". "He has not prepared himself to govern. He found himself accidentally as a president, and power being what it is, insists on continuing to govern," Abubakar said on Wednesday. Jonathan first became governor of Bayelsa state only after the impeachment of the elected leader, then rose to the vice-presidency after being picked by Olusegun Obasanjo, the outgoing president. Abubakar has also criticised Jonathan for not stopping the religious violence that killed hundreds in the north over the last year and the recent bombings targeting Abuja, the capital. He blamed the violence on weakness Jonathan's weaknesses and the nation's endemic poverty. | ||
Source: Agencies |
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