Philippine quake kills 43, dozens missing
February 7, 2012
DPA Rescuers in the Philippines are digging through rubble with shovels and their bare hands after a powerful earthquake triggered landslides, collapsed homes and killed dozens of people. The 6.8-magnitude quake hit a narrow strait between the heavily populated islands of Negros and Cebu around lunchtime on Monday with more than 200 aftershocks, some nearly as strong, causing further panic throughout the day. Local military chiefs said 43 people were confirmed killed but officials…
Deeper Iran sanctions; US targets its central bank
February 7, 2012
Targeting Iran’s economy, the U.S. ordered tough new penalties Monday to further pinch the country’s financial system and encourage Israel to give sanctions more time before any military action against Iran’s nuclear program. The new, stricter sanctions, authorized in legislation that President Barack Obama signed in December, will be enforced under an order he signed only now. They give U.S. banks new powers to freeze assets linked to the Iranian government and close loopholes that officials say Iran has used to move money despite earlier restrictions imposed by the U.S. and Europe. The action against the Central Bank of Iran is more significant for its timing than its immediate effect. It…
Fatah and Hamas agree that Abbas will lead Palestinian unity cabinet
February 7, 2012
The accord signed by Mr Abbas and Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshal in Qatar cleared one important obstacle standing in the way of the two factions working together and ending more than four years of enmity. By providing for Mahmoud Abbas to take on the premiership of a…
Syria crisis: Homs army assault enters fourth day
February 7, 2012
An assault by the Syrian army on the restive city of Homs has entered its fourth day. Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed since government troops began pounding known strongholds of opposition groups. The BBC’s Paul Wood, in Homs, says residents fear troops are about to launch a ground…
Iran parliament summons President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
February 7, 2012
Iran’s parliament has summoned the president for questioning for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces a long list of questions about the state of the economy, as well as his foreign and domestic policy decisions. MPs have threatened similar action before, but failed…
Conservatives don’t like Romney
February 7, 2012
Mitt Romney has been driving conservatives crazy since he began running for the White House, but after winning the Florida primary last week, he elevated that insanity to impressive new heights. In an interview with CNN, Romney illustrated his total concern for America’s struggling middle class by illustrating his total lack of concern for America’s most vulnerable. “… I care about Americans. I’m not concerned about the very poor; we have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America… ” Liberals were naturally outraged. This is a modern-day Scrooge, they said, who can’t…
Homs Attack: Is This Syria’s Benghazi Moment?
February 7, 2012
A damaged armoured military vehicle is pictured after clashes in Homs Tim Marshall, foreign affairs editor Much analysis has been written comparing the Syrian town of Homs to Benghazi in Libya. “Is this Syria’s Benghazi moment?” is the question, referring to how, just hours before a probable massacre, Nato flew to the rescue of the besieged town and turned the tide of the Libyan uprising. The answer to the question may be “No – it’s more like Syria’s Sarajevo”. A house destroyed by Serbian shelling in Sarajevo in 1992 The parallels are not exact. In Sarajevo, in 1992, there was a three-sided civil war with one side, the Bosnian Serbs, armed and supported by a neighbouring state – Serbia….
Greek workers strike over public job cuts
February 7, 2012
Workers in Greece are staging a 24-hour general strike in protest over new government austerity measures which would see 15,000 civil service employees lose their jobs this year. Tuesday’s strike comes with Greece under mounting pressure to agree to a package of tough economic reforms that would give it access to a $170bn bailout payment to avoid a March default on its bond repayments. Party leaders within Greece’s coalition government are due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the proposed measures, demanded by its financial backers – the so-called ‘troika’ of the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank – after talks continued into the early hours….
Maldives president quits after weeks of protest
February 7, 2012
MALE, Maldives (AP) — The president of the island nation of Maldives, who became the country’s first democratically elected leader in three decades, resigned Tuesday following weeks of sometimes violent public protests over his controversial order to arrest a senior judge. President Mohamed Nasheed presented his resignation in a nationally televised address Tuesday afternoon after police joined the protesters and then clashed with soldiers in the streets. “I don’t want to hurt any Maldivian. I feel my staying on in power will only increase the problems, and it will hurt our citizens,” Nasheed said. “So the best option available to me is to step down.” Nasheed was expected to hand over power…
NGO worker cases sent to Egypt court in funding row
February 7, 2012
CAIRO (Reuters) – The cases of 40 foreign and Egyptian activists, including 19 Americans subject to travel bans over their work for pro-democracy and other groups, have been referred to court, judicial sources said Sunday, deepening a row with the United States. Washington, which provides $1.3 billion in military aid annually toEgypt, has strongly criticized the crackdown on the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which has taken place under the army-backed government. An unspecified number of U.S. citizens involved have sheltered in the U.S. embassy. The latest step in the judicial process will further strain ties with the United States, which counted Egypt under ousted President Hosni…
