International
Russia: sinking of a ship in the Volga River, 97 missing, one dead
MOSCOW - A cruise ship with 182 people on board sank Sunday while sailing on the Volga, in Tatarstan republic, killing at least one while 97 are missing, according to a new preliminary assessment of the Russian authorities.
Egypt: protesters remain despite promises by Prime Minister
CAIRO - Protesters occupying “Tahrir Square” in Cairo vowed Sunday to continue their movement toward more reform and justice, despite calming measures announced Saturday by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf. ...
Five killed in clash in south Yemen
(Reuters) - Four militants and one soldier were killed in a clash in southern Yemen Sunday....
Gaddafi forces shell rebels south of Libyan capital
(Reuters) - Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi let loose a heavy artillery bombardment on Sunday to try to push back rebel fighters who had taken a village about 100 km (60 miles) south of Tripoli....
Morocco: the Movement February 20th faces the presence of Islamists
RABAT - The strong presence of Islamists in the demonstrations for democracy in Morocco gives them a high political profile but may demobilize young protesters of the 20 February Movement, who wants said to be secular, analysts say....
Salva Kiir sworn in as first president of Southern Sudan
JUBA - Salva Kiir sworn in Saturday as the first president of South Sudan soon after the proclamation of independence of this country which has become the youngest nation in the world....
Panetta: "The strategic defeat of al Qaeda is in range"
KABUL - The "strategic defeat" of al-Qaeda is "within reach", said Saturday the U.S. Secretary of Defence, Leon Panetta, who arrived in Afghanistan for a surprise visit....Tunisian Harraga’s families accuse the government
TUNIS - Several Tunisian families of Harraga (illegal immigrants) missing since March, when attempting to join Europe by sea have accused the government Saturday to neglect and ignore their requests for information on the fate of their relatives....
South Sudan: "A day of joy and hope" for Merkel
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel recognized Saturday the Republic of Southern Sudan which declared its independence, and felt that it was "a day of joy and hope for the people in southern Sudan."...
NATO destroyed a Libyan missile battery
BRUSSELS - NATO announced Saturday the destruction of a missile battery hidden by the forces of Muammar Gaddafi in civilian buildings and used to bombard the port of Misrata....
Fifty-three feared dead in DR Congo plane crash
(Reuters) - Fifty-three people were feared dead on Friday after a plane crashed as it tried to land in bad weather at Kisangani airport in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congolese airline operating the flight said....
Egyptians rally to demand swifter reforms, justice
(Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Egyptians packed city centers across the country on Friday, demanding faster reforms and voicing frustration at what they see as foot-dragging by military rulers and government officials....
Saleh speech underscores Yemen's political divide
(Reuters) - The reappearance of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh following an assassination attempt sent supporters into the streets to celebrate and led opponents to conclude he had no intention of transferring power....
URGENT Libya: airdrops of weapons to the rebels no longer needed
PARIS - The airdrops of weapons to the Libyan rebels "are no longer needed," said Tuesday the French Minister of Defense Gerard Longuet saying that "impatience" of insurgents to melt on Tripoli was facing a "reality principle"....
Tunisia: fire in Kasserine Prison, one dead and 24 injured
TUNIS - A fire set by inmates who tried to escape from the prison of Kasserine (west central Tunisia) killed one person and injured 24, said Tuesday a government source....
Syria: Tall Kalakh repression is like a crime against humanity
LONDON - The brutality of the repression of pro-democracy demonstrations in May in Tall Kalakh, in western Syria, was similar to a crime against humanity, Amnesty International said Tuesday....
Libya dramatic food situation in the Western Mountains
GENEVA - Tens of thousands of people in western Libya lack food and are totally dependent on food aid to survive, warned Tuesday the World Food Programme (WFP)....
Libya: the rebellion is preparing to launch an offensive south of Tripoli
Benghazi (Libya) – the Libyan Rebellion said Sunday it was preparing a major offensive within 48 hours to recover areas south of Tripoli lost to the forces of the regime, with the aim to get closer to the capital stronghold of Muammar Gaddafi....
Expulsion from Italy of an Algerian convicted for links with al-Qaeda
ROME - An Algerian Yamine Bouhrama, who had set up in the 90s in Italy "a terrorist cell aimed at supporting" the Algerian Salafist movement linked to Al Qaeda, was deported to his country, said Sunday the Italian Ministry of Interior....
Yemen: Two civilians killed in raids targeting Al-Qaeda
ADEN (Yemen) - Two civilians were killed and three injured in night raids on positions controlled by suspected members of Al Qaeda in southern Yemen, a local official said Sunday....
Five thousand Syrian refugees in Turkey have returned home
ANKARA - The number of Syrian refugees in Turkey who have returned to their country has reached 5,000, said Sunday the emergency management agency of Prime Minister, adding that about 10,000 refugees are still hosted by Turkey....
Tunisia: Ben Ali’s trial on July 4 for possession of weapons and drugs
TUNIS- former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is tried in absentia on Monday for possession of weapons and drug, "irrational" charges for his lawyer who wants a postponement of the trial in order to defend his client....
Italy: a boat from Libya with 214 African refugees rescued at sea
ROME - The Italian coast guard rescued the night from Friday to Saturday a boat from Libya, carrying 214 African refugees, which was in distress 30 nautical miles from the Italian island of Lampedusa, they announced Saturday....
Afghanistan: 11 members of the same family killed by a bomb in the south
KANDAHAR (Afghanistan) - Eleven members of one Afghan family were killed Saturday by a roadside bomb on a road in southern Afghanistan, officials said from a local official....
Syria: Huge demonstration, 28 civilians killed
DAMASCUS- The Governor of Hama was fired Saturday after a huge demonstration in this city in northern Syria, where 28 civilians were killed by security forces Friday, according to an organization of human rights....
Kadhafi threatens to attack Europe, the AU will not execute the arrest warrant
TRIPOLI - The United States and Spain Saturday ignored the threats of attack made against Europe by Muammar Gaddafi, promising instead that NATO will maintain "pressure" if the Libyan leader does not leave the office....
Sit-in against "fundamentalism and violence" in the center of Tunis
TUNIS- Dozens of people par0ticipated Saturday in a sit-in in the center of Tunis to warn against "fundamentalism, extremism and violence", AFP noted....
Gaddafi's Departure at the Centre of the AU Summit
Muammar Gaddafi's departure was Thursday the centre of the 17th summit of the African Union (AU), known to be divided on the NATO war in Libya, while Moscow call out on Paris deliveries of weapons to the Libyan rebels. ...
A former French hostage in Afghanistan refers to the payment of a ransom
LONDON - A former French hostages, Hervé Ghesquière, evoked Thursday night on the BBC the payment of a ransom to their Taliban captors, as part of the agreement which led to their release Wednesday after 18 months of captivity in Afghanistan. ...
French weapons to Libya: Paris has informed the Security Council and NATO
France has informed NATO and the Security Council of the UN of its arms shipments to the rebels in Libya said on Friday French Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, during a visit to Moscow. ...
Morocco: King Mohammed VI voted in Rabat
RABAT - King Mohammed VI of Morocco voted in Rabat Friday in the referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that he himself proposed and which gives more powers to the Prime Minister, noted a photographer of the AFP. ...
"Nothing Changes" to Charges Against DSK
WASHINGTON - "Nothing changes" to the allegations against Strauss-Kahn, said on Friday to the New York Times a lawyer for the alleged victim, whose testimony would be on the verge of collapse according to the U.S. daily. ...
URGENT Syria: six protesters killed by security forces
NICOSIA - Six protesters were killed Friday in Syria, including three in Homs (center) and two in Damascus, by shooting of the police, according to an activist for human rights. ...
Ben Ali retrial: Defence asks for a postponement
TUNIS-The defence of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali said Friday that it would request the postponement of the second trial of former Tunisian president expected next week and was ready to go to Saudi Arabia where he fled. ...
Paris parachute weapons to the rebels near the Algerian-Libyan borders
French planes have dropped south of Tripoli small arms for the rebellion to help them in their battles against the pro-Gaddafi forces, the conflict got bogged down despite more than three months of international air strikes....
Moroccans to vote in a backdrop of turmoil in the Arab world
RABAT - The Moroccan is asked to approve a new constitution Friday that aims to rebalance the powers to the Prime Minister; King Mohammed VI has taken the measure of both the "Arab Spring" and the Moroccans’ desire for reforms. ...
Paris confirms the drop of arms to the Libyan rebels
PARIS - The staff of the French army confirmed Wednesday that French planes had dropped arms to the rebels and Libyan population in early June in the mountains of Jebel Nefousa, southeast of Tripoli. ...
Afghanistan: release of two French hostages
PARIS - Two French journalists, Stéphane Taponier and Hervé Ghesquière held hostage in Afghanistan since December 30, 2009, were released, said Wednesday the French president Nicolas Sarkozy. ...
Yemen: 30 soldiers killed in the fighting army / Qaida
ADEN (Yemen) - Thirty soldiers were killed Wednesday in fighting around Zinjibar, capital city of the Abyan province, a stronghold of Al Qaeda, said a military a source. ...
