Australian treasurer: economic toll from flooding 'will be enormous'

By the CNN Wire Staff

January 23, 2011 -- Updated 1011 GMT (1811 HKT)

Recent floods have devastated crops, tourism, retail and manufacturing and disrupted major urban areas like Brisbane.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Swan: More than 3.1 million people have been affected by recent floods
• He says Australia's coal exports are likely to be "one of the biggest casualties"
• Treasurer: The government will be investing billions of dollars to help Queensland

(CNN) -- Flooding in Australia has affected more than 3 million people, making it one of the most costly disasters in the nation, the federal treasurer said Sunday.

The cost of the damage surpasses past tragedies like major bushfires two years ago and floods in the 1970s, Treasurer Wayne Swan said.

The cost of the recent flooding is much higher because of a spike in population in the state of Queensland, Swan said.

"While the state's whole population in 1974 was just 2 million, more than 3.1 million people have been affected by the latest floods," Swan said.

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In his first economic note of 2011, Swan said "it's still too early to quantify the impact with any certainty at this stage." But he said there's "no question that the economic impact of these floods will be enormous."

Swan said the floods have devastated crops, tourism, retail and manufacturing and have disrupted major urban areas like Brisbane.

"One of the biggest casualties is likely to be our coal exports, with many mines shut down in big coal mining regions like the Bowen Basin, and supply chains severely hampered," Swan said.

"While this will be partly offset by higher prices, the loss of production will be hit much harder."

Swan said the government has already made about $227 million in disaster recovery payments to people who have been affected by the floods.

"Over the coming weeks, months and years, the Commonwealth Government will be investing billions of dollars to get Queensland back on its feet," Swan said.

Baghdad hit by fresh car bombings

A series of car bombings across Baghdad has killed at least four people and wounded a number of others, Iraqi officials say.

One attack targeted a police patrol, another bomb went off near a hotel and a third is reported to have been aimed at a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims.

Last week, more than 150 people were killed in a wave of bombings in several Iraqi cities.

The targets of those attacks were security forces and Shia pilgrims.

Overall, violence in Iraq has fallen sharply since the height of the sectarian killings of 2006-07.

But shootings and bombings remain a daily occurrence.

US forces formally ended their combat operations last August, ahead of a planned full withdrawal from Iraq later this year.

Tunisians mourn protest victims as small demonstrations continue

By the CNN Wire Staff

January 23, 2011 -- Updated 1114 GMT (1914 HKT)

President Ben Ali was ousted in a rebellion a week ago after ruling the north African nation for 23 years.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• A three-day mourning period ends Sunday
• Interim PM Mohammed Ghannouchi says he will leave politics after elections
• Small protests break out in the Tunisian capital

Tunis, Tunisia (CNN) -- Tunisia on Sunday ended a three-day mourning period for dozens of people killed in protests that ousted the country's long-term president.

As the mourning period came to a close, small protests broke out in the capital, Tunis.

Protesters have decried a new government formed in the wake of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's ouster.

They have called it a sham, and demanded that officials with connections to the old guard be fired.

The nation's interim prime minister said that his country would hold its first free democratic elections since gaining independence and vowed to leave politics after the ballot.

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"We want to make the next elections the first transparent and legitimate elections since independence," Tunisian Interim Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi said Friday.

Ghannouchi said he will retire from politics after the elections are held.

Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956.

Ghannouchi said upcoming political reforms would "scrap all undemocratic laws including laws involving political parties, the elections and the anti-terrorism law that was abused by the former regime."

"I lived like all Tunisians, in pain and fear" under the former president, Ghannouchi said.

Ben Ali was ousted in a rebellion a week ago after ruling the north African nation for 23 years.

Ghannouchi resigned from his ruling party this week and was appointed interim Prime Minister by the interim President Fouad Mebazaa.

Ben Ali's Constitutional Democratic Rally's central committee was dissolved last week. All Cabinet members who belonged to the party have quit it.

The party, known as the RCD, suffered a major blow earlier this week when Ghannouchi and Mebazaa submitted their resignations from the party, though they remained in the government, Tunis TV reported.

His ouster followed weeks of protests over what discontented Tunisians said were poor living conditions, high unemployment, government corruption and repression.

More than 100 people were killed in protests that followed over the past five weeks, the United Nations said.

Australia floods: 'Inland sea' moves across Victoria

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Matthew Vitagliano, from Victoria, says his house was swamped in water

Australia floods

• Brisbane calls on 'Blitz spirit'
• Bryant: Floods fall-out
• Queensland's soggy soils revealed
• Barrier reef braces for flood impact

A giant inland sea of floodwater, 55 miles (90km) long, will spread across the Australian state of Victoria over the next 10 days, officials say.

Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan said the floods would rank as one of the most costly natural disasters in the country's history.

More than 30 people have been killed since flooding began last month.

In Queensland, nine people are still missing after floods tore through the towns of Toowomba and Grantham.

The Victoria State Emergency Service has issued evacuation warnings for communities east of the city of Kerang, which remains cut off.

In all, more than 70 communities have been affected. In the city of Swan Hill, people have been building makeshift levees to hold back the Murray River, which is expected to carry the bulk of the floodwaters as they run off over the next 10 days.

These are the worst floods in northern parts of Victoria since records began 130 years ago.

Sandbags and misery

"There is no doubt the recent floods will rank as one of the most costly natural disasters in our history," said Mr Swan, who is also Australia's treasurer.

The impact of the floods was worse than a series of natural disasters in the 1970s and wildfires in 2009 in which 173 people died, he said in his first economic note of the year.

Further north, in Queensland, residents of the state capital, Brisbane, have again been putting out sandbags as high tides threaten to inflict more misery on low-lying suburbs.

The city is still clearing up after floodwaters two weeks ago reached a peak of 4.46m (14.6ft).

The search for the bodies of flood victims is continuing.

The Australian navy has been trying to clear the Brisbane River of tonnes of debris including cars, parts of buildings and boats, says the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney.

The floods are expected to pose a threat for another week, our correspondent says.

Economists estimate that the flooding in Queensland and Victoria will cost at least 3bn Australian dollars (£1.8bn) in lost coal exports and agricultural production.

Reconstruction could cost an additional 20bn Australian dollars, the ANZ Bank says.

The Queensland Premier's Flood Relief Appeal has so far raised 135m Australian dollars.

Israel findings on Gaza flotilla raid due

By Jon Donnison BBC News, Jerusalem

The Mavi Marmara and other vessels were intercepted last May by Israeli navy commandos

An Israeli inquiry into a military raid on aid ships trying to reach Gaza last May is due to publish its first findings.

The raid, in which nine Turkish activists were killed, attracted widespread international condemnation.

The report is expected to broadly exonerate the actions of the Israeli navy.

A separate UN enquiry earlier this year said the navy had shown an "unacceptable level of brutality".

The Free Gaza Flotilla, which had over 600 pro-Palestinian activists on board, was trying to break Israel's blockade of the territory when it was intercepted by Israeli navy commandos.

Those on board the flotilla said they were savagely attacked.

Israel says its forces acted in self-defence, and set up its own enquiry.

The initial panel, with an average age of over 85, has been sitting for seven months - although one 93-year-old member died mid-way through.

According to leaks in the Israeli press, its initial findings will largely clear the navy of wrong doing.

If that happens, Israel's critics, for whom the internal investigation has little credibility, will likely call it a whitewash.

Caravan rally reaches Tunisia's capital

Protesters have not been satisfied by the prime minister's pledge to quit after elections

A protest march against Tunisia's interim government has reached the capital, adding to pressure on Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi.

Some 1,000 demonstrators from the rural area where protests against Tunisia's authoritarian rule began had joined the "Caravan of Liberation" to Tunis.

They want the resignation of Mr Ghannouchi, who served under ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, and has pledged to quit after elections.

A vote is expected within six months.

The main trade union, the General Tunisian Workers' Union (UGTT), has backed the caravan protest, which set off on Saturday from Menzel Bouzaiane - the town where the first victim of the uprising was killed by security forces in December.

"The aim of this caravan is to make the government fall," said Rabia Slimane, a teacher taking part in the caravan protest.

A final day of mourning is being observed on Sunday for those killed in the unrest that led to last week's toppling of Mr Ben Ali, amid speculation as to whether Tunisian unrest could spread to other countries.

In Algeria, police broke up an anti-government demonstration on Saturday by about 300 protesters calling for greater freedoms. There were also protests in Yemen against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Perceived corruption

Mr Ghannouchi has left Mr Ben Ali's ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) party and insisted that figures from the previous regime who have remained in positions of power - including the ministers of defence, interior, finance and foreign affairs - have "clean hands".

But this has failed to satisfy many opposition figures and protesters.

Continue reading the main story

Fall from power

• 17 Dec: Man sets himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid over lack of jobs, sparking protests
• 24 Dec: Protester shot dead in central Tunisia
• 28 Dec: Protests spread to Tunis
• 8-10 Jan: Dozens of deaths reported in crackdown on protests
• 12 Jan: Interior minister sacked
• 13 Jan: President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali promises to step down in 2014
• 14 Jan: Mr Ben Ali dissolves parliament after new mass rally, then steps down and flees
• 15 Jan: Parliamentary Speaker Foued Mebazaa sworn in as interim president

On Saturday, policemen - who had defended the regime of the ousted president - were among those protesting, which the BBC's Magdi Abdelhadi in the Tunisian capital says marked a very dramatic development.

The official death toll during the unrest leading to Mr Ben Ali's flight was 78, though the UN says more than 100 people died. Authorities have promised to investigate the deaths of protesters.

Primary school teachers were reported to be planning a strike against the current government, which could hamper plans to reopen schools and universities this week. They have been closed since the final days of the unrest.

Protests against Mr Ben Ali's government began in December, driven by economic grievances and resentment about political repression.

Particular anger was directed at the former president's family, widely despised for its conspicuous consumption and perceived corruption.

As the protests continued to escalate, Mr Ben Ali and his wife fled to Saudi Arabia on 14 January.

Tunisian officials say they have arrested 33 members of Mr Ben Ali's family. On Saturday, AFP quoted a Canadian officials as saying that one of the ex-president's brothers-in-law had fled to Montreal.

Honduras policemen arrested for robbing bank

Police in Honduras say six of their own officers have been arrested for allegedly trying to rob a bank.

Prosecutors say the policemen forced their way into the bank in the capital, Tegucigalpa and tied up the security guards at gunpoint.

A passer-by raised the alarm and police fought a gun battle with the alleged robbers, injuring one of them.

A police spokesman said the six were "bad apples" who had sullied the name of the force.

He said the agents had already been suspended, and would face the full force of the law.

Security Minister Oscar Alvarez said he would ensure the fight against corruption within the police force was sped up.