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| Navy commandos overcome Somali pirates on board a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden, rescuing 23 crew members. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 06:15 GMT | ||
Malaysian Navy commandos have rescued a chemical tanker hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden just hours after the ship was seized. The commandos injured three pirates, captured seven, and rescued 23 crew members on board the MT Bunga Laurel on Friday morning. The armed pirates stormed the ship on Thursday night, and the crew responded by locking themselves in a safe room and activating a distress signal, which was picked up by the navy. The commandos exchanged gunfire with the pirates before overcoming them, the navy said in a statement on Friday. According to the New Straits Times newspaper, the Bunga Laurel was carrying oil worth $10m. Najib Razak, the prime minister, said he was informed of the situation and that the authorities were considering whether the pirates should be brought to Malaysia to face trial. The Bunga Laurel rescue came on the same day that South Korea staged a similar effort, freeing 21 crew members and killing eight pirates from a freighter in the Arabian Sea that had been hijacked last week. | ||
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| Source: Agencies |
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Malaysia navy frees hijacked tanker
Afghan MPs in showdown with Karzai
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| Newly elected politicians to open parliament despite president's call for more time to probe fraud claims. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 05:39 GMT | ||
Hundreds of newly elected Afghan members of parliament appear to be headed for a political confrontation with the country's president, having decided to hold the first session of the parliament on Sunday against his wishes. More than 200 MPs said they would defy President Hamid Karzai by going ahead with the planned opening session of the new parliament on Sunday. Karzai had suggested that the session be postponed for a month so that a tribunal can contine investigating allegations of election fraud. "If the police don't let us in the parliament, we can meet in the street, the road, there are open fields," Mohammad Akbari, a parliamentarian from Bamiyan province, said. "We are against tension and protests, but we are the representatives of the Afghan people. The president cannot postpone parliament. We are in the right." The decision by the MPs comes despite a call from the head of a special tribunal, set up in December, to look into more than 400 cases of alleged electoral fraud in September's parliamentary polls, for a delay of at least a month. Sidiqullah Haqiq, the tribunal head, warned that his body could still rule in favour of recounts. It is unclear if the tribunal, deemed unconstitutional by both the international community and the electoral bodies who organised and oversaw the election, has the authority to alter the result of any races. International concern The United Nation's mission in Afghanistan expressed its "deep concern and surprise" at the president's order for a delay. In a statement released on Friday, the UN, the EU, the US, Canada and other nations said they continued to support a "reasonable, enduring and peaceful resolution to this issue" so that the Afghan parliament can convene "as soon as possible". The parliament was set to start work on Sunday after an earlier investigation by an anti-fraud watchdog into the charges of irregularities. That group discarded 1.3 million ballots, nearly a quarter of the total, and disqualified 19 winning candidates before final results were issued on November 24. But Afghanistan's attorney general said the investigation had not been thorough enough and launched a new round of inquiries, which led the Supreme Court to create the special tribunal in late December. As well as being hit by fraud and violence, the original parliamentary election resulted in a weak showing for the Pashtuns, Karzai's traditional power base and Afghanistan's biggest single ethnic group. A free and fair election would have shown Karzai's commitment to fight cronyism and corruption a year after international criticism over a fraud-tainted presidential poll that led to his own re-election. However, the parliamentary ballot, in which 2,500 contenders ran for 249 seats, was marred by allegations of fraud and voter intimidation. | ||
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| Source: Agencies |
Duvalier regrets 'Haiti abuses'
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| Haiti's ousted ruler Jean Claude Duvalier apologises and expresses sadness for victims of his rule. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 01:33 GMT | ||
Jean-Claude Duvalier, the former Haitian dictator, has apologised to the victims of his 15-year regime and said he had returned back to Haiti to work for national reconciliation. In a brief speech at a rented guest house on Friday, Duvalier said he wanted to help with his country's reconstruction following last year's deadly quake. "I am here to show my solidarity at this difficult moment," he said in his first full public statement since ending two decades in exile and arriving back in Haiti without warning on Sunday. "Baby Doc" Duvalier - the 59-year-old former leader, who ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986 through terror after inheriting power from his father - added he also wanted "to express deep sorrow for all those who say they were victims of my government". His comments came amid debate and speculation that his sudden return have triggered. Human rights abuses Sebastian Walker, Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from Haiti, said Duvalier acknowledged that human rights abuses may have taken place during his rule but left it to his lawyers to answer questions about whether his return could have been motivated by financial gain. "According to his lawyer, one of the reasons Duvalier decided to come back was to free up funds currently frozen in his Swiss bank accounts" Walker said. "There is a new law coming into effect in Switzerland in February that could see him losing out on more than $6m. "His lawyer said it would be used to help Haiti get back on its feet again ... exactly what role he intends to play now he's here remains unclear." Speaking in a weak voice to a room packed with journalists, he called for "national reconciliation" in Haiti and said he had hoped for a "rapid resolution to the political crisis." But his words are unlikely to calm tensions, with many unanswered questions about his sudden return for people with long memories of his brutal rule. Many fear he is seeking a return to power by capitalising on the current political chaos stalking the quake-ravaged Caribbean country. Political turmoil Haiti, already struggling to recover from the devastating January 2010 earthquake, is also caught up in deepening political turmoil due to disputed presidential elections. "The electoral system is broken," said popular singer Michel Martelly, who came in third place in November's presidential elections according to initial results released by Haiti's election commission (CEP). Martelly says he believes he will be pushed out of the second round run-off despite the recommendations of international monitors from the Organization of American States. "We'll take to the streets peacefully, if the CEP doesn't accept the OAS recommendations," Martelly told journalists. The OAS said many of the tally sheets it reviewed had been tampered with or altered in favor of President Rene Preval's chosen candidate, Jude Celestin. It has recommended that Martelly, not Celestin, should square off against former first lady Mirlande Manigat in the run-off. The United States, backed by Britain and France, has already warned Haiti's leaders that they should follow the OAS recommendations to ensure a credible government is in place or risk losing international support. Stepping up the pressure on Preval, the US State Department said on Friday it had revoked visas for an unspecified number of Haitian government officials. "Our focus at the present time is in ensuring a free, fair, credible election process in Haiti," spokesman Philip Crowley said. "To the extent that there are individuals connected with episodes of violence or corruption, we will not hesitate to take appropriate actions." | ||
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| Source: Al Jazeera and agencies |
Iran talks continue despite rifts
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| Tehran and world powers have made little progress as nuclear talks continue for second and final day in Istanbul. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 09:44 GMT | ||
World powers have made little progress in persuading Iran to halt its nuclear programme, as talks over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme entered the second and final day in the Turkish city of Istanbul. However, there was some relief that Iran was ready to continue with discussions; diplomats were concerned talks could have collapsed after the first day as both sides reiterated previous positions on the issue. Iran refuses discuss the issue of its uranium enrichment, Vall said, while the Western powers represented at the talks see it as a core concern. Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy chief, is the lead negotiator for the big powers - the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. "She seems to have had some success in trying narrow the gaps and the Iranians seem to be responding positively to her," a Western diplomat told Reuters news agency. However, Al Jazeera's Vall said comments made by former UK prime minister Tony Blair on Friday, that it was time for the West to take action against Iran, could affect the mood at the talks. Blair was speaking at a London inquiry into the Iraq war where he said the time had come to "get our heads out of the sand" and take action against Iran. Saeed Jalili, Iran's nuclear negotiator, met with Russian and Chinese delegations on Friday evening on the sidelines of the talks. Jalili was also expected to meet Bill Burns, his US counterpart, but he excused himself at the last moment, saying he had a "headache," sources said. "We are fully prepared to have a conversation with Iran, but whether it will happen remains to be seen," PJ Crowley. the US state department spokesman, had previously said in Washington. Al Jazeera's Alireza Ronaghi, reporting from Tehran, called Iran's responses to the world powers "bravado on full throttle". The Iranian delegation feels they are taking the high road in offering to co-operate with these world powers, Ronaghi said, but they won't be seen to compromise. "[Iran is] suggesting that if anyone wants these talks to work, these world powers should compromise. They should backtrack from what they have approved in the UN Security Council before." "Iran is asking the world to put aside their concerns and their worries about Iran's nuclear programme," Ronaghi said, adding that the probability of that happening was "very, very unlikely". Uranium enrichment Early on during Friday's sessions, an Iranian delegate said Iran refused to discuss any suspension of its uranium enrichment activities during the Istanbul talks. | ||
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| Source: Al Jazeera and agencies |
AU envoy fails in Ivorian mission
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| The political crisis deepens in Cote d'Ivoire as military intervention is considered to solve the crisis. Last Modified: 22 Jan 2011 01:16 GMT | ||
Kenyan Prime Minister has said that force was a "last resort" to solve Cote d’Ivoire's crisis, but warned that time was running out for a peaceful settlement. "The window for a peaceful negotiation is closing very fast," Raila Odinga told reporters on returning to Kenya on Friday after leading a failed African Union mediation bid. "We will continue to walk the extra mile to find a peaceful resolution... The use of legitimate force is there and we will say that it is the ultimate resort, the very last resort if everything else has failed," he added. Ivorian incumbent Laurent Gbagbo has defied calls to quit after UN-certified results showed him the loser of a November 28 election, prolonging a stand-off with rival Alassane Ouattara. AU disunity There is little appetite among African nations for armed intervention that could cause more bloodshed in a country where 260 have already died in violence linked to the deadlock. Nations such as Ghana say they will not offer troops. Leaders of the 53-state African Union will discuss next steps at a summit at the end of the month, and signs are emerging of cracks in an official AU line insisting that Gbagbo immediately make way for Ouattara to take power. Odinga made a detour to Angola and South Africa on the way back to Kenya, holding talks with the leadership of two states seen as potential weak points in AU unity. South African President Jacob Zuma said there were "some discrepancies" in the election result and dismissed a proposal by diplomats for Gbagbo to go into exile. Odinga said a recount, suggested by Gbagbo, would be pointless. "I told Gbagbo and the two presidents that it is an exercise in futility. Even if you are to open the ballot boxes and do a recount, no one would believe you," he said. UN complains Meanwhile, the United Nations denounced as unacceptable on Friday an order to Cote d’Ivoire’s armed forces loyal to Gbagbo to stop and search UN peacekeeping vehicles in the West African country. Ivorian army spokesman Colonel Babri Gohourou said earlier on state television that the country's armed forces were "under instruction to stop and search vehicles marked with a 'UN' in circulation." "I want to make clear that the call of the Ivorian defense and security forces loyal to Mr. Gbagbo to stop and search United Nations vehicles is a serious violation of the status of forces agreement and Security Council Resolution 1962," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said. "It is therefore unacceptable," Nesirky told a regular news briefing. Nesirky also condemned what he said was continuing use of Ivorian state broadcaster RTI to spread false information about the United Nations and UNOCI, as well as continued obstruction of "legitimate actions" by the peacekeeping mission. UN patrols trying to reach areas where clashes have been reported have repeatedly been blocked by pro-Gbagbo forces and have also been prevented from going to reported sites of mass graves, UN officials say. Nesirky repeated previous UN warnings that attacks on civilians or international peacekeepers were crimes under international law, and those who carried them out "will be held responsible." He did not elaborate. | ||
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| Source: Agencies |
Almost 99 percent choose south Sudan split
Photographed by أ.ف.ب Juba--Almost 99 percent of south Sudanese who voted in an independence referendum chose to split away from the north, the first official but incomplete figures published by the vote's organizing commission showed Friday.
The results were the latest indication of a landslide vote for southern independence in last week's referendum, promised in a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of north-south civil war. The final official figures are expected in February.
The website for the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission showed a 98.6 percent vote for secession, with more than 80 percent of the votes from the south counted, and 100 percent counted in other areas.
The commission earlier confirmed the turnout had passed the 60 percent mark needed to make the result binding.
Officials from the oil-producing south have so far given a measured response to the early results and warned voters not to stage early celebrations to avoid antagonizing the north.
The calm, controlled mood in the southern capital Juba has been in sharp contrast to the jubilant scenes that greeted the start of voting, when campaign posters described independence as a liberation from war and northern oppression.
"This is the outcome we expected ... the results won't change much," the commission's deputy chairman Chan Reek Madut, a southerner, told Reuters.
The only area to show a majority for unity was a small pocket of voters in the northern Sudanese state of South Darfur. According to the figures, 63.2 percent of voters wanted to keep the country together and only 36.8 percent went for secession.
"It is not surprising because of the way they conducted their registration. Some people passed as southerners who were actually northerners from Darfur," said Madut.
"They took advantage of the lack of security in the area. It won't impact seriously on the result." Darfur is the scene of a seven-year conflict pitting rebels against the government.
A senior official from north Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said he would wait until the final announcement before giving an official reaction.
"But the expectation is that the result will be for secession," said Rabie Abdelati. "The party is working for the post referendum period now -- the demarcation of the borders and the resolution of the Abyei problem. We are doing our best to prepare for the consequences of secession on the north."
Northern and southern officials still have to agree how they would divide oil revenues after a split and sort out the ownership of the contested border region of Abyei.
Overall, 57.65 percent of southerners voting in the north of the country chose independence, according to the figures. In countries outside Sudan, 98.55 percent chose independence.
Commission staff confirmed the authenticity of the website and the figures. "These are incomplete and provisional pending the declaration of preliminary and final results. They may be subject to change," a statement on its homepage warned.
Sudan's north-south war -- Africa's longest civil conflict -- was fueled by differences over religion, ethnicity, oil and ideology. It killed an estimated 2 million people, forced 4 million to flee and destabilized the region.
Coptic Church rejects US congressional hearing on Alex bombing
A congressional hearing held by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom to discuss the New Year’s Eve Alexandria church bombing was rejected by Archbishop Salib Matta Sawiris, a member of the Confessional Council.
Sawiris said that the Coptic Orthodox Church rejects foreign intervention in internal Egyptian affairs, adding that the attack has received the attention of parliament and President Hosni Mubarak.
In a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Sawiris said that calls for foreign intervention tend to harm Copts by giving the impression that they draw on the power of other countries. This tends to reflect on Copts generally, he added.
Coptic Pope Shenouda III opposes any form of foreign intervention in church affairs, he said, pointing out that all problems related to Copts are debated in Egypt and receive the attention of both Muslims and Copts.
The head of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and Dina Guirguis, a Coptic activist and researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, had called for the congressional session which was held on Thursday. The attack in Alexandria church left 23 dead and scores injured.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
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