Palestine’s ‘last village’ faces the bulldozers
Lifta will belatedly suffer same fate as hundreds of villages destroyed by Israel decades ago, make way for Jewish vacation homes.LIFTA — On a rocky slope dropping steeply away from the busy main road at the entrance to West Jerusalem is to be found a scattering of ancient stone houses, empty and clinging precariously to...Independents mull ‘third way’ for solving Syrian crisis
DAMASCUS - Some 100 Syrian independent figures met in the capital last Sunday to discuss a "third way" for the country, which has been rocked by anti-regime and pro Assad protests for three months, as newswire services reported from there.It was the second such meeting of its kind in a week, after critics of Syria's President Bashar...Ben Ali gets 15 years in jail over drugs, weapons charges
TUNIS - A Tunis court on Monday sentenced ousted Tunisian president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali in his absence to 15 years in jail for possession of arms, drugs and archaeological artifacts.In his second trial since fleeing to Saudi Arabia following a popular uprising in January, Ben Ali was also given a fine of 54,000 euros (78,500...
Skepticism clouds national dialogue in Bahrain
July 8th, 20110 WASHINGTON — As Bahrain's government launches its much-touted "national dialogue" with members of civil society, experts here are expressing skepticism that it will defuse growing tensions in the strategically located Gulf kingdom, let alone promote genuine reform.Strongly supported by the administration of President Barack Obama,...Iraqi children bear brunt of wars, international sanctions
BAGHDAD — Decades of war and international sanctions have turned Iraq into one of the worst places for children in the Middle East and North Africa, with around 3.5 million living in poverty, 1.5 million under the age of five undernourished and 100 infants dying every day, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warns.The government can and...
Syrian opposition bitterly divided on engagement with Assad regime
July 8th, 20110 WASHINGTON (IPS) — Despite countless attempts by the Bashar al-Assad regime to subdue the sporadic protests that have appeared across Syria since February, the demonstrations have consistently grown in both size and intensity.Last week, a march in the town of Hama may have attracted over 100,000 protesters, quite likely the largest...
Nasrallah: Justice in Hariri case key to sustained stability
July 8th, 20110 BEIRUT — Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Tuesday that serving justice into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was the way to stability in Lebanon, reiterating Hizbullah’s rejection of accusations that some of its members was involved in the killing. “We do not accept abandoning justice for...
Frustrated Egyptians return to Tahrir Square to claim their rights, protect revolution
July 8th, 20110 Egyptian youth to military rulers: we want real cleansing, real trials, real governmentCAIRO — Five months after the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are being asked to return to the streets for new mass protests amid frustration over the military rulers' handling of a promised transition to democracy.Hailed...Deadline for voter registration is July 5
LANSING – The office of new Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is reminding potential voters that the deadline to register is Tuesday, July 5 in order to vote in the upcoming Aug. 2 primary election.Polls on Election Day will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; applicants must be 18 years old by Election Day and be U.S. citizens. They...National dialogue set to begin in Bahrain
MANAMA — Bahrain on Monday announced a high-ranging "national dialogue" opening on July 2, although the largest Shi'a opposition bloc said it has not yet decided whether to take part."The National Dialogue chairmanship has received views and recommendations" on parliament, the cabinet, electoral districts, citizenship, corruption and...
Lebanon: Indictment timing raises questions
July 1st, 20110 Four indictments issued in Hariri killing probe Timing of indictments slap in the face of newly formed government after months of intense discussionBEIRUT — A United Nations-backed court has handed down indictments requesting the arrest of four members of Hizbullah in connection with the 2005 killing of former Lebanese...
Al Jazeera wilts in Arab Spring
July 1st, 20110 Al Jazeera English was recently hailed by no less a person than U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for providing "real news." Viewership of the Los Angeles public television station, KCET-TV, increased by 135 percent after it started broadcasting Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera Arabic, however, seems to have fallen from grace....
Ongoing unrest threatening Syrian economy
July 1st, 20110 DAMASCUS — As protests persist in Syria, the economy is becoming an increasing concern for many, who wonder if it will eventually falter in light of the recent unrest. "The global financial crisis had a moderate affect on Syria," Syrian economist Samir Seifan told IPS. But now, "people are only spending on basic items, which is...Human rights groups cast doubt on Libya war atrocity allegations
Ground troops being considered NEW YORK — The Independent of London reports human rights organizations are beginning to cast doubt on some of the claims of atrocities committed by forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi that were used to justify NATO's war in Libya.Gaddafi's regime was accused of ordering mass rapes, using foreign...
Freedom Flotilla II ready to sail despite threats and sabotage
July 1st, 20110 ATHENS (IPS) — As the 10 ships of the Freedom Flotilla II — Stay Human make their final preparations to set sail for the Gaza Strip, purported acts of sabotage have been added to threats from Israel.The flotilla, which will attempt to break through Israel's blockade of Gaza for the second year in a row, includes two cargo vessels......
Egypt rejects IMF conditions
July 1st, 20110 CAIRO — Egypt has cancelled plans to borrow 3 billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund because of conditions that violated the country's national sovereignty and a public outcry that warned against terms that were blamed for impoverishing many Egyptians.According to several Egyptian newspapers, General Sameh Sadeq, member...Yemen VP says Saleh’s health worse than originally thought
ADEN- Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh was so severely injured in an assassination attempt that it is uncertain when he will return, Yemen Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has said.Saleh was injured in an attack on his palace in early June and is receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Yemen has been shaken by months of...
Egypt: U.S., Israel stoking religious strife inside country
July 1st, 20110 CAIRO — Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister Yahia al-Gamal on Sunday accused the United States and Israel of fomenting religious tensions to weaken his country. "The United States and Israel are behind the religious sedition in Egypt" as "they realize this is the only way to break up the country," the MENA news agency reported. "Israel is...Hundreds hurt in Tahrir Square clashes
CAIRO - Bloody clashes between protesters and anti-riot police that raged overnight in Cairo's famous Tahrir Square, site of the country's recent revolution, erupted in new scuffles on Wednesday amid mounting frustration with Egypt's military rulers over the pace of reform.The health ministry said there were 1,036 injured in the......
Jordan information minister quits over ‘restrictive’ laws
AMMAN — Jordan's Information Minister Taher Adwan said on Tuesday he has resigned because of laws he deemed "restrictive for freedom of expression." Jordan's Information Minister Taher Adwan"I submitted my resignation today to Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit in protest at a government decision" to...Kuwaiti PM survives another confidence vote
KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait's premier on Thursday comfortably survived a parliament vote called by the opposition in a bid to oust him over allegations he boosted ties with Iran rather than Gulf Arab states, the parliament speaker announced. Only 18 MPs voted for the motion, seven votes short of......
Saudi women in driving protest
RIYADH — Two Saudi women said they drove their cars on Wednesday in a new protest against a ban on women driving in the conservative Muslim kingdom. Their actions came in response to a call on the Internet for women in Riyadh to get behind the wheel, after a show of defiance on Friday in which...Rights groups fault Ben Ali trial for not having victims present
TUNIS — Three human rights groups Wednesday welcomed the corruption conviction of Tunisia's ousted president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and his wife, but said conditions for a fair trial were not met. In a joint statement, the International Federation of Human Rights, the Tunisian League of Human......
