Tunisian FM leaves Sharm el-Sheikh before summit

DPA

Wed, 19/01/2011 - 12:01

Photographed by AFP

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Tunisian Foreign Minister Kamal Morjane left Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday, hours before the start of the Arab Economic Summit.

Morjane flew from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo early in the morning. Airport staff were surprised to discover him among the travellers on a Tunisia-bound flight. He was seen off by an official from his country's embassy in Cairo.

Morjane finished his travel procedures away from the VIP lounge. He declined to comment on why he was leaving prior to representing Tunisia at the summit.

Last week, Tunisia's President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country after a month of popular protests against the government.

Violence and riots continue as the country struggles to maintain peace.

Sewage workers find 3 pharaonic coffins

Arabic Edition

Wed, 19/01/2011 - 12:12

Photographed by other

Archived

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Workers in Abu Yasseen village in Sharqiya Governorate found three pharaonic coffins and other artefacts while digging as part of a sewage project in the village.

Eye witnesses said two of the coffins were smashed. The antiquities were transferred to the governorate capital Zagazig, where they will be examined by experts. Guards imposed security around the coffins and the area where they were found.

Clashes erupted when workers demanded a share of their discovery while antiquities authority employees were transferring the artefacts.

“I found a huge stone less than one meter away from the earth’s surface, while digging for the project,” said Osama Mohamed Hammad, one of the laborers. “I informed the supervisor. People then gathered and said it was a pharaonic coffin.”

Hammad said representatives of the antiquities authority, which is part of the Ministry of Culture, took some of the artefacts that were found beside the coffins.

Antiquities official Ibrahim Soliman said Abu Yasseen village is known for the presence of antiquities and the Culture Ministry is aware of this, adding that he will inspect the area and announce any new antiquities found.

Arab soul is broken, says Moussa

AP

Wed, 19/01/2011 - 14:18

Photographed by Reuters

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The secretary general of the Arab League on Wednesday linked the upheaval in Tunisia to deteriorating economic conditions throughout the Arab world, warning Middle East leaders that their people's anger has reached unprecedented heights.

In impassioned remarks, Amr Moussa told an Arab economic summit in Egypt that "the Arab soul is broken by poverty, unemployment and general recession."

"This is in the mind of all of us," Moussa said in his opening address to the 20 Arab leaders and other representatives of Arab League members gathered in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Weeks of protests fueled by joblessness and other economic woes in Tunisia forced its president to flee the country Friday after 23 years of iron-fisted rule.

The unrest has helped inspire similar protests around the Arab world and calls for political change, though activists face the reality of vast security forces heavily vested in the status quo backing hard-line regimes ready to crack down on dissent.

"The Tunisian revolution is not far from us," Moussa, who has not ruled out the possibility that he might run for Egyptian presidency, warned. "The Arab citizen entered an unprecedented state of anger and frustration." He called for an Arab renaissance to lift people from their frustration.

The meeting in Egypt had been intended as a platform to discuss trade, business and investment, but was overshadowed by the events in Tunisia and their reverberation around the region.

Mindful of those events, Arab leaders at the summit committed to a proposed US$2 billion program to boost faltering economies that have propelled crowds into the streets to protest high unemployment, rising prices and rampant corruption.

Thousands have demonstrated in Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Libya and Yemen recently over the economic situation, some explicitly in solidarity with the Tunisians.

Kuwaiti ruler Sheik Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah said the fund will "contribute to creating new job opportunities for young Arabs" at a time when the Arab world is witnessing "unprecedented historical crisis."

The idea of the fund was first suggested by Kuwait during the economic summit in the Gulf emirate in 2009 but has been slow to get off the ground like many Arab League initiatives requiring members to pledge money.

Arab diplomats said oil-rich Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have promised to pay US$500 million each and, after the economic-related unrest in Tunisia, additional pledges are pouring in.

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak stressed the importance of economic co-operation, tagging it "a national security" requirement.

The 82-year-old president, who is widely believed that he will run for a sixth term in September’s presidential election, also said investment in the Arab youth will bring future rewards.

"The most precious of all our resources and wealth," Mubarak called them. "The issue of employment will remain at the top of all challenges."

Saudi commentator Turki al-Dakhail, writing in the al-Watan daily, called for the Arab regimes to end the "starvation" of their nations.

"The systematic starvation against people in Tunisia led to an uprising and anger of the people," al-Dakhail wrote. "Starving your dog, will force him to eat you up."

WikiLeaks-linked banker on trial

Rudolf Elmer says he was trying to expose a widespread system of tax evasion by rich businesspeople and politicians. Last Modified: 19 Jan 2011 11:27 GMT

Rudolf Elmer, right, seen here with Julian Assange, faces charges for breaking Swiss banking secrecy laws [AFP] A Swiss banker, who claims to have handed WikiLeaks details of rich tax evaders, has appeared before a Swiss court to face charges for breaking Switzerland's strict banking secrecy laws. Rudolf Elmer's trial on Wednesday comes two days after he handed more client data to WikiLeaks that prosecutors allege he stole after being fired from his job at Julius Baer Bank. The data which was given to Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, included two data CDs that Elmer said contained names of 2,000 wealthy account holders, but refused to give details of the companies or individuals involved. Elmer said he was trying to expose a widespread system of tax evasion by rich businesspeople and politicians. Prosecutors allege that Elmer tried to extort money from Julius Baer and its senior executives and also sent bomb threats to his ex-employer. According to a prosecution statement, Elmer denied issuing a bomb threat against the bank, but admitted threatening to send details of the bank's exclusive offshore clients to tax authorities in Switzerland, Britain and the United States. He also said he did not breach Swiss bank secrecy, since the documents he leaked referred to accounts in Cayman, where Swiss courts have no jurisdiction. Prosecutors are asking for Elmer, who headed Baer's office in the Cayman Islands until he was fired by the bank in 2002, to be sentenced to an eight-month jail term and a $2,083 fine. The hearing is expected to last just one day. Interest abroad The trial in Zurich has drawn broad media attention and about a dozen protesters gathered in front of the court building. Members from the left-wing Alternative Liste party held up a banner, saying: "They want to hang Rudi, they let Kaspar off the hook", in a reference to UBS chairman Kaspar Villiger. Last year, UBS handed over thousands of client details to end a damaging US tax probe, but none of its bankers were prosecuted in Switzerland. "We think those who expose the distasteful side of Swiss finance need our support," said Walter Angst, one of the protesters. Several Swiss banks including UBS, AG and Credit Suisse Group have suffered embarrassing data leaks in recent years, some at the hands of disgruntled employees. Elmer's actions had caused a US judge to shut down WikiLeaks for two weeks in early 2008, marking the only time that the secrecy-spilling website has been forced offline for a significant amount of time. Since then, WikiLeaks has shot into public consciousness for publishing thousands of secret US military and diplomatic files.

Source: Agencies

Vietnam wraps up party convention

Prime minister reappointed to elite politburo on last day of five-yearly convention. Last Modified: 19 Jan 2011 05:40 GMT

The Communist Party congress ended with a pledge to maintain one-party rule [AFP] Nguyen Tan Dung, the prime minister of Vietnam, has been reappointed to the ruling Communist Party's elite politburo, paving the way for him to serve for a second term. Nguyen Phu Trong, the head of parliament, was also named as the party's secretary-general on Wednesday while prominent figure Truong Tan Sang and Nguyen Sinh Hung, the deputy prime minister, said to be rivals of Dung, were also in the politburo. The announcements come as Communist Party wrapped up its five-yearly convention. The country's last National Congress was held during the economic boom in 2006, when Vietnam was experiencing an annual growth of seven per cent. But since 2009, Vietnam has had to devalue its currency, the dong, three times, while its neighbouring countries have strengthened their currencies. Continuity However, analysts expect broad policy continuity as the party founded 81-years-ago by leader Ho Chi Minh seeks fast but stable economic growth and gropes its way towards the reform of state-owned businesses. "The government should give more space for the market to decide the operation of the economy; it should not tell enterprises in detail what to do, such as make this investment or not," Le Dang Doanh, a former government advisor, now an independent economist, told Reuters news agency. "Prime Minister Dung's top priority, if he is selected for a second term, should be, first, stabilising the macro economy, curbing inflation; second, he should continue to innovate in the state-owned enterprises system and improve their accountability." Inefficiencies in state firms came to the fore with the near-bankruptcy last year of shipbuilder Vinashin, a company that had large political and financial support over the years. Its problems played a part in the downgrading of Vietnam's sovereign debt by Standard & Poor's in December.

Source: Agencies

Indonesian tax man jailed for graft

Gayus Tambunan's exploits while supposedly in detention have caused the most uproar apart from the corruption. Last Modified: 19 Jan 2011 09:03 GMT

Tambunan was sentenced to seven years for gaining millions from companies to help them avoid taxes [EPA] The man at the centre of Indonesia's most closely watched corruption scandal has been sentenced to seven years in jail for gaining millions of dollars from big companies to help them avoid paying taxes. Albertine Hoe, a judge at a district court in the capital Jakarta, said on Wednesday that Gayus Tambunan, a former tax official, was guilty of corruption. She also fined him $30,000. Tambunan's case had made headlines and dominated social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook for months. Tambunan also allegedly embezzling at least $2.7 million, a relatively small sum in a nation considered one of the world's most corrupt. The web of his involvement allegedly extended to senior police, immigration officials and judges. Among Gayus's more daring exploits was to attend a tennis tournament on the island of Bali - while supposedly in detention awaiting sentencing - disguised in a wig. Gayus was a junior official in Indonesia's vast bureaucracy until 2009 when he was charged with accepting millions to wipe vast chunks off the tax books of individuals and companies. After initially being found not guilty, Gayus was re-arrested and charged with corrupting court and law enforcement officials. In subsequent testimony he admitted giving and taking bribes and implicated prominent companies and officials -- including tycoon Aburizal Bakrie, chairman of Golkar, the country's second biggest political party. 'Sand castle' Bakrie and his firms have denied any wrongdoing. But it has been Gayus's exploits while supposedly in detention that have caused the most uproar. Photographed in the wig at the Bali tournament, he also made trips to Singapore, Guangzhou and Macau on fake passports - among 60 excursions he apparently made while in detention. Corruption remains a major impediment to Indonesia's growing economy, adding millions of dollars to start-up and operating costs and frequently slows down infrastructure projects. The country ranked 110 last year on Transparency International's corruption perception index. "Gayus has succeeded to rebut all claims about any bureaucratic reform and corruption eradication commitment," Febri Diansyah, researcher at Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), told Reuters news agency. "Like a sand castle, it was all torn down by a flick of Gayus' fingers." Details of Gayus's testimony and exploits while under investigation have become so outrageous that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the president, issued a decree on Monday ordering officials to investigate all aspects of the case. Corruption has become a significant issue for Yudhoyono, re-elected in a landslide in April 2009 on a campaign promise to clean up graft and reform the civil service.

Source: Agencies

Arab summit to 'boost economies'

Move comes in the wake of protests across the region against high unemployment, rising prices and corruption. Last Modified: 19 Jan 2011 10:40 GMT

Fund's spending priority will be given to the less developed countries such as Sudan and Yemen [GALLO/GETTY] In the wake of the economy-related unrest in Tunisia, Arab leaders are expected to commit to a proposed $2bn programme to boost faltering Arab economies. The pledge was made in a document obtained by The Associated Press news agency that is to be adopted by the economic summit opening on Wednesday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. This is "a commitment to provide job opportunities for young Arab people in order to empower them to participate fully in their societies," stated the the summit's final statement document. The idea of the fund was first suggested by Kuwait during the economic summit in the Gulf emirate in 2009. But it has been slow to get off the ground like many Arab League initiatives requiring members to pledge money. However, the economic aspect of the Tunisian revolt, which is mirrored in other countries in the region, may add to the urgency of taking measures to alleviate poverty in the region. Arab diplomats said oil-rich Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have promised to pay $500mn each and additional pledges are pouring in. Thamer al-Anni, an Arab League official, said some $298mn in additional pledges were made by 11 other member states on Tuesday. He said a special fund would be set up within weeks, after a two-year wait to operate as a bank that provides short and medium-term loans to young Arabs who want to start small businesses. "This will be for businesses with a small capital around $20,000-$50,000," he told AP. He said priority will be given to the less developed countries such as Djibouti, Sudan and Yemen. "All these projects will increase employment and achieve stability in the Arab societies," said Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egyptian Foreign Minister, responding to a question about the impact of the Tunisian situation on the region. Wake-up call The unrest started after a 26-year-old unemployed man in Tunisia set himself on fire last month in protest. The incident sparked a tidal wave of protests that eventually toppled Ben Ali. The death has sparked a rash of copycat attempted suicides in Algeria and Egypt, where two men set themselves on fire on Monday as foreign ministers met to prepare for the summit. One of the seven Algerians died from his burns on Saturday and one Egyptian also succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. Thousands have also demonstrated in Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Libya and Yemen recently over the economic situation, some explicitly in solidarity with the Tunisians. Al Jazeera's correspondent, Rawya Rageh reported from Sharm el-Sheikh that Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president convened the second Arab Economic Summit. In his speech, he did not mention Tunisia even once and focused purely on economic development and cooperation with a mention of the peace process, saying 'peace is coming despite the maneuvers of the occupation.' Emir of Kuwait, the outgoing chair, said that his country was following what is happening in Tunisia closely and wished the Tunisians well in overcoming "this critical stage." "The strongest words came from General Amr Moussa, Arab League Secretary, who told Arab leaders that what happened in Tunisia was a result of the region's faltering economies," our correspondent added. He told the gathering that Arabs have been "crushed by poverty and unemployment" and warned that what happened in Tunisia is "not far from the rest of us." Oil-rich nations in the Gulf are taking precautions. Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, Kuwait's ruler decreed on Monday that free food rations be given to all Kuwaitis at a cost of $818 million. He also ordered the government to give every Kuwaiti citizen a grant of some $4,000. Saudi King Abdullah also promised to increase government spending in the coming years. He told a Kuwaiti newspaper Monday that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil supplier, plans to spend $68bn next year on projects to reduce unemployment and spur growth.

Source: Al Jazeera and Agencies