Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Syria threatens Qatari investments

Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly threatened Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim with the loss of his country?s investment in Syria which amounts to US$ 6 billion.

The threat was made during a recent meeting in Damascus when the embattled Syrian leader protested the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV?s coverage of the ongoing popular unrest in Syria.

Al-Assad blames Qatar for a "bad" media coverage of the ongoing popular unrest in Syria
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/syria-threatens-qatari-investments

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Nine injured in bus accident

At least nine persons were injured when a passenger bus collided with an oncoming van in�Unawatuna today morning, Police said.

The bus was plying from Galle and had made an attempt to overtake another vehicle when the accident took place.

Four among those injured were children.

Source: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php/latest/7812-nine-injured-in-bus-accident

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Mercosur and EU admit internal problems are delaying trade negotiations

The European Union and Mercosur admit they have internal problems that are delaying discussions, and results, for a broad association and cooperation accord that contemplates a trade agreement questioned by strong interests from both sides.

Source: http://en.mercopress.com/2011/05/31/mercosur-and-eu-admit-internal-problems-are-delaying-trade-negotiations?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=rss

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Gibraltar takes self determination case to Spain?s toughest audience

Gibraltar Government has taken the argument for Gibraltar and its finance centre to the toughest audience in Spain - the ABC newspaper readers.

Source: http://en.mercopress.com/2011/05/31/gibraltar-takes-self-determination-case-to-spain-s-toughest-audience?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=rss

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Al Qaeda gunmen take control of Yemeni city

Al-Qaeda gunmen have taken control of the south Yemen city of Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, after clashes with Yemeni security forces that left at least 18 dead, an official said on Sunday. According to AFP, two other security officials said that fighting raged in the city on Friday and Saturday.

Five troops and a civilian died on Friday, they conveyed. According to locals, they found the bodies of at least 10 troops.

Yemen
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/al-qaeda-gunmen-take-control-yemeni-city

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Hospital conducts first pacemaker implantation

Page3C010~Setting up Cardiology department~

CAY HILL--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) made a major stride on Wednesday when it conducted its first permanent pacemaker implantation surgery on a 65-year-old woman.

Visiting cardiologist Meredith Sedney from Bronovo Hospital in the Netherlands, who had been in St. Maarten for several months as part of efforts to set up a cardiology department here, said the procedure was a huge success with the help of local professionals.

The patient, who left SMMC on Friday, had been fainting unexpectedly "every now and then," which Sedney said is a typical sign of Adams-Stokes disease (sudden collapse into unconsciousness due to a disorder of heart rhythm in which there is a slow or absent pulse). Adams-stokes can be fatal.

Sedney said there was an urgent need to help the patient. When the patient was admitted to SMMC, a decision was made to carry out the procedure.

"The patient needed a pacemaker. While she was admitted to SMMC we made sure to get the pacemaker and the necessary items to connect it to the heart. It took us about five days to get the items."

The procedure was conducted on Wednesday after all the items had been received.

Sedney highly praised the SMMC staff that assisted her during the operation. She said they had been competent and enthusiastic professionals. "This makes me happy to continue with this work because such a procedure can be [risky] because you never know what will happen during the procedure because the heart can come to a standstill. I found out minutes into the procedure that the workers were professionals."

Operating Room Supervisor Christina Jacobs-Berkel said a lot of the preparation was done prior to the operation. "It was something new for us, but we had a lot of discussion before and we were prepared. We enjoyed the challenge. The [support staff] were all local professionals at SMMC and everyone was enthusiastic.

"Living here on a small island even we as professionals in health care are confronted with the situation where our family members have to travel for medical treatment and professionally it is a challenge."

She said it's always a plus when patients can have their procedures done right here where they can get the support of families and friends.

Cardiology department

Sedney and Cardiologist Dr. Miriam Haverkamp (Bronovo Hospital) are among the team of specialists who are visiting St. Maarten as part of efforts to set up a cardiology department here. The initiative began sometime ago. SMMC is currently in discussions with the government to have tariffs set so that the department can be set up. Once a tariff structure has been set, the opening of the cardiology department can be accelerated.

It has been determined, based on St. Maarten's population, that at least one full functioning cardiologist is needed.

Sedney said it is believed that there are many persons in St. Maarten suffering from heart disease as is the case in other parts of the world. "Our intention is to evaluate them and try to give the medication or other treatments that they would need."

SMMC is expecting an echocardiography machine in about two weeks' time, which will significantly help in the diagnosis of heart ailments. "This is what we really need and it looks like we will have one in two months."

SMMC Communications Officer Juliette Hassell said it will be more cost-effective if cardiology patients can be treated in St. Maarten instead of having to fly abroad.

Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/17253--hospital-conducts-first-pacemaker-implantation-.html

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Lebanon: Crisis between president and police chief over secret telecoms network

The Lebanese police chief is facing legal action over an alleged secret telecoms network after the country's president referred the case to the justice ministry on Monday. According to AFP, President Michel Sleiman asked the justice minister to take the needed steps against General Ashraf Rifi after the latter turned down a request to pull his men from a state-controlled building where the network is based.

Ashraf Rifi
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/lebanon-crisis-between-president-and-police-chief-over-secret-telecoms-network-375937

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Malu Malu resort opens in Pasikudah

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The Tourist Hotel Malu Malu Resort and Spa in Pasikudah was declared open by the Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa recently.
The resort� is the first star class�hotel to be constructed on the bay of Pasikudah, since regaining peace in the country. The resort was built at a cost of Rs.�three billion.
The Malu Malu Resort consists of 40 chalets designed with a typical Sri Lankan touch.�� All chalets and public areas are designed in a tropical backdrop to blend with the natural environment, amidst the elegance and luxury of the resort.

alt

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Source: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php/latest/7827-malu-malu-resort-opens-in-pasikuda

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St. Maarten, Anguilla look to ?functional cooperation?

page3a001~ Agree to meet quarterly ~

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten and Anguilla have agreed to what Anguilla's Chief Minister Hubert Hughes calls a "functional cooperation" between the two territories, similar to the kind of cooperation that exists among the Scandinavian countries.

Hughes stressed the long-standing relationship between the two islands and the strong family ties that bind them together during a meeting in Anguilla on May 13, with a high-powered St. Maarten delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger, which included Justice Minister Roland Duncan.

"These are indeed reasons for us to have a stronger and more structural relationship," Heyliger said. "There are many areas in which we can make our cooperation more functional and meaningful," he added, pointing to Princess Juliana International Airport as a sub-regional hub. Other areas include the possibility of joint marketing activities and the Tourism Statistical Information System (TSIS).

The St. Maarten delegation, which also comprised Angelique Roumou who represented Tourism Minister Franklyn Meyers, Director of Tourism Regina LaBega, and officials of St. Maarten Tourist Bureau as well as Peter Mazereeuw, gave a presentation on TSIS to the Anguillan authorities who were reportedly "very excited" about it.

"TSIS offers the opportunity to obtain psychographic information about visitors, which means not just their profiles, but also their behaviour patterns," explained LaBega. "There is an opportunity to build on the system and add Anguilla's inventory to it, thus being able to provide valuable information about visitors going to Anguilla from St. Maarten, information that would be important in attracting visitors by air as well as strengthening the hub facilities."

Providing residents and visitors of Anguilla "smoother entry" into St. Maarten was another major point of discussion at the talks. It was agreed that the process for visitors to Anguilla via St. Maarten needs to be simplified, and service needs to be improved.

St. Maarten needs to facilitate the immigration processing of in-transit visitors to Anguilla, which, according to the authorities of that island, sometimes takes visitors up to five hours waiting time. It was suggested that an in-transit line and an information desk could hasten the process.

Duncan mentioned the strategy of the immigration office at the Simpson Bay bridge staying open late to accommodate visitors heading to Anguilla via St. Maarten. The Justice Minister also revealed that the immigration process is already being worked on to allow, for example, Guyanese legal residents of Anguilla to travel to St. Maarten to shop, since St. Maarten is viewed as a shopping mall for Anguilla residents.

Another area of cooperation that was discussed was cooperative marketing, in particular, a US$ 90,000 joint venture with St. Maarten and COPA airlines to attract visitors from South America.

Furthermore, Anguilla demonstrated initial interest in cooperating with WestJet and Jet Blue from Puerto Rico in view of the loss of the American Eagle flight from the said market. However, it was noted that the increase of flights by Jet Blue should take the transfer in and out of Anguilla into consideration.

Also, the Anguilla government and private sector indicated their commitment to attending the 10th anniversary of St. Maarten Annual Regional Trade Show, SMART. This would be an opportunity for Anguilla to learn first-hand about the TSIS system and how it can enhance their individual products, Anguilla, and the sub-region, in general.

"I am very happy at the outcome of the meeting," Heyliger said. "Although we met on Friday the 13th, there was nothing scary or superstitious about the talks," he mused, adding that these were overdue and would be structured into a periodic consultation between the governments of these islands.

Heyliger had led a St. Maarten delegation to St. Barths on a similar mission a week earlier and explained that these meetings formed part of the government policy to establish a closer working relationship with our immediate neighbours, which would be beneficial to all parties. The Anguillan authorities applauded the initiative taken by St. Maarten and expressed confidence that it would yield concrete, positive results for both parties.

Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/16935-st-maarten-anguilla-look-to-functional-cooperation.html

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Oil prices boost Algerian exports

A new report has shown that Algeria?s trade surplus during the first four months of the year 2011 amounted to about US$8.6 billion, compared to US$6.8 billion during the same period last year, 2010.

According to the report, Algeria?s exports amounted to US$23.63 billion during the first months of this year, say an increase of 16.45%.

View over the Kasbah of Algiers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/oil-prices-boost-algerian-exports

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Germany plans to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022 and double renewable energy to 35%

A change of policy or a political announcement from the German Chancellor Germany plans to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022, Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition announced Monday, in a policy reversal drawn up in a rush after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.

Source: http://en.mercopress.com/2011/05/31/germany-plans-to-shut-all-nuclear-reactors-by-2022-and-double-renewable-energy-to-35?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=rss

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Prince Majid Society for Development and Social Services to hold 2nd Social Development Forum

The 2nd Social Development Forum organized by The Society of Majid bin Abdulaziz for Development and Social Services will take place June 4 to 6, 2011(Rajab 2 to 4,1432H) under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalid al-Faisal, Prince of the Makkah region. The theme of this year?s forum is ?From charitable to sustainable activating partnerships.?

Prince Mishal bin Majid bin Abdulaziz, President of the Governing Council of the Assembly and the President of the Forum
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/prince-majid-society-development-and-social-services-hold-2nd-social-development-forum-375960

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Monday, May 30, 2011

Several killed and wounded in ongoing Syrian protests

Syrian forces backed by tanks attacked two central towns Sunday in a bid curb protests there against President Bashar Assad's regime, killing at least two people and injuring several others, activists and a rights group said. According to the AP, security forces in several other parts of the country fired on crowds holding overnight demonstrations, causing casualties.

Syria protest
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/several-killed-and-wounded-ongoing-syrian-protests

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Welcome to Gaza: Revolution and Change at the Rafah Border

By Ramzy Baroud

The Palestinian security officer at the Rafah border was overly polite. He wore a black uniform and walked around self-assuredly, as he instructed weary travelers on their next moves before being allowed back into Gaza. On the other side of the border, in Egypt, there was much anxiety, fear and anticipation.

‘Things will get better,’ said a Palestinian engineer from Gaza, who once studied and now works in a Swedish town south of Stockholm. What he meant was that things will get better at the border crossing, in terms of the relationship between Gaza and Egypt. Without a decisive Egyptian decision to reopen the crossing – completely – Gaza will continue to reel under the Israeli siege. Others agree, but Gazans have learned not to become too confident about political statements promising positive changes.

However, the Egypt of today belongs to an entirely different political category to the Egypt of Hosni Mubarak’s leadership. Palestinians, especially those trapped behind the shut borders in Gaza, are well aware of this. Still they are cautious. ‘Inshallah’ – God willing, they say, ‘May Allah bring good things.’

For now, things remain difficult at the border. When Egyptian border officials collect passports for examination, and return a few hours later to read aloud the names of those allowed in, a large crowd gathers around them. Tensions soon escalate to yelling, and occasional tears.

‘Go back or I will not give any his passport back,’ shouted a large Egyptian officer with some disdain. The veins on the side of his face suddenly bulked up. The crowd disbanded, only to return seconds later. The officer looked exhausted and clearly fed up. The Gaza travelers had already moved beyond the point of humiliation. They simply wanted to get from here to there, and back.

A young woman with a contorted back trotted behind her mother. Her pain was apparent on her face. ‘Yallah yamma,’ – hurry, daughter - urged the mother. ‘They might close the gate any minute.’ The girl, in her twenties, paused, closed her eyes tight, as if summoning whatever strength remained in her frail body to carry on for a few seconds longer.

The gate of the Egyptian border point was very wide, but only a small gap of a few feet was open. When it opened, early Thursday, May 19, hundreds tried to rush in at once. Large bags were tossed over people’s heads, children cried in panic, officers yelled, and a few dared to yell back. ‘Just open the gate, the big one,’ someone said. A white-haired little man, in an oversize, ancient suit, stood back and shock his head. ‘It’s a tragedy,’ he said. Soon, he too was forced to lose his civility and push against the mass of desperate humanity. Later, I saw him inside the border point, circling around nervously and intently puffing on a cigarette.

Here at the border, everyone is nervous, even those who have no reason to be. The Egyptian officers are edgy, as if their fate too is being determined somehow. Both sides know that the Gaza-Egypt border is undergoing an important transition. Egypt’s new foreign minister, Nabil al-Arabi, had already promised a breakup with the past, thus an opening of the border between his country and Gaza. There is much trust among Palestinians that the new Egypt is genuine, but also a fear that a politically vulnerable Egypt might be forced to compromise on its early stances.

But the Egyptian people seem determined to keep their government in check. Palestine is a major theme now in large protests. Hundreds of Egyptian activists were arrested, and many were wounded as they rallied near the Israeli embassy in Cairo, which was closed for few days before re-opening again. An Egyptian call to march to Gaza, in commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba of 1948 – the Day of Catastrophe – was aborted after the Egyptian army sealed much of Sinai. Tanks still dot the highway leading from Cairo to Gaza via the Sinai desert. The soldiers are very polite, though. The Egyptian driver who took me to Rafah in a very late hour seemed happiest with the revolution in his country, simply because he is now treated with respect by men in uniform. ‘Officers used to treat us with so much disrespect,’ he said with a retrospective sense of grief. ‘Now, we are like brothers.’ The driver extended his hand for an unnecessary handshake with a noticeably short solider, wearing a pair of slippers.

The sense of joy, however, hasn’t made it to the Gaza border yet. The hope and anticipation that Gazans feel towards the changes underway in Egypt can only be understood after a degree of investigation. The distance between Cairo and Rafah is long and arduous. It will be no easy task to translate political will in the former into meaningful policy in the latter. Still, the Egyptian people are keeping up the pressure, and Palestinians in Gaza remain hopeful.

At the end, no one was turned back. Everyone made it into Gaza. The man with the very old suit was still smoking and cursing for no apparent reason. The girl with the hurt back was still in terrible pain, but also happy to be home. The Gaza-Swedish engineer had a crowd of young cousins waiting for him. In Rafah, I found myself invited to a lunch followed by Arabic coffee with many men I didn’t know, most of whom were called Mohammed. They all seemed happy.

‘So, Egypt has changed, right?’ asked one Mohammed with a knowing smile and a nod. Everyone seemed to agree, although they didn’t pinpoint exactly how that change has affected Gaza so far. Palestinians in Gaza survive largely because of the 500 or so tunnels that connect the impoverished, besieged Strip to Egypt. Now, they feed on hope and cheap cigarettes, much of it also coming from Egypt.

‘Ramzy Baroud,’ called out an older officer loudly. ‘Welcome home, son,’ he said, as he handed me my passport and waved me in. No words could possibly have been sweeter at that moment.

After seventeen years of constant attempts to visit Gaza again, I am finally here.

I am in Gaza. I am home.

- Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an internationally-syndicated columnist and the editor of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story (Pluto Press, London), available on Amazon.com.

Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16887

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Netanyahu: Egypt losing security control over Sinai

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned that Egypt's military government was having a "hard time" controlling the rise of international "terror" organizations in the Sinai Peninsula. "Egypt is having a hard time realizing its sovereignty in Sinai," Netanyahu said during a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, local media reported.

Netanyahu
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/netanyahu-egypt-losing-security-control-over-sinai-375919

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Yemen tourism growth chances dashed by political turmoil

A government report in Yemen has indicated an increase in tourist income during 2010 by about US$ 347 million to hit US$ 1,161 million, an increase of 28%.

The report, issued by the Yemeni Ministry of Tourism, showed that the number of foreign tourists coming to Yemen increased in the same period by about 102 thousand tourists, an increase of 24%, while the number of Yemeni expatriates coming to their homeland in this period rose by about 105 thousand, say a decline of 18%.

The total tourist arrivals to Yemen in 2010, reached 1,247,062 compared to 948,118 tourists in 2007.

Yemeni protesters
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/yemen-tourism-growth-chances-dashed-political-turmoil

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Motorola expands regional operations in Egypt

Motorola Solutions has today opened a key office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in Cairo, Egypt. This strategic expansion in Egypt will not only see Motorola continue to deliver its leading mission-critical communication products and services directly to Egyptian customers, but also enable Motorola to enhance the Cairo base of operations to be the newest Regional Engineering Centre supporting many other customers outside of Egypt.

Samer Bedair, Motorola Country Manager; Magued Osman, Egyptian ICT Minister; Margaret Scobey, the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt; and Graeme Hobbs, Chairman of Motorola
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/motorola-expands-regional-operations-egypt-375907

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Israel bulldozes farmlands in Bethlehem

altWest Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli bulldozers started Monday razing operations to agricultural lands belonging to Palestinian citizens in the south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

Source: http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/9306-israel-bulldozes-farmlands-in-bethlehem.html

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Despite Israeli criticism: Egypt opens Gaza crossing

The Egyptian authorities on Saturday reopened the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip, allowing people to cross freely for the first time in four years, AFP reported.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi declared on April 29, after the reconciliation of Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, that the crossing would reopen permanently in order to ease the blockade imposed by Israel.

The Rafah crossing will be open to people for eight hours daily except Fridays and public holidays. It will remain closed to goods.

Rafah
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/despite-israeli-criticism-egypt-opens-gaza-crossing

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Abu Dhabi International Airport grows by 15% in passenger traffic for the month of April 2011

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) today announced that Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA) saw a 15% year on year increase in passenger traffic during the month of April, with a total of 996,000 passengers travelling through the Capital?s airport last month. 

Last month also showed a significant rise in cargo volumes reaching 38,137 tonnes, a 13% increase over the same month last year, mainly driven by the airlines? new cargo aircrafts and destinations at Abu Dhabi International Airport. 

Abu Dhabi International Airport
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/abu-dhabi-international-airport-grows-15-passenger-traffic-month-april-2011-375865

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Miami Herald sells HQ in downtown to a hotels and cruise line group

The Malaysian group owns 50% of Norwegian Cruise Lines The publishing company of the Miami Herald, McClatchy Co. (MNI) sold a 14-acre parcel of Miami prime land for 236 million US dollars to Genting Malaysia, a sale begun six years ago by then- independent Knight Ridder Inc.

Source: http://en.mercopress.com/2011/05/30/miami-herald-sells-hq-in-downtown-to-a-hotels-and-cruise-line-group?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=main&utm_campaign=rss

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Israel demolishes 8 water wells, arrests Palestinians near Jenin

altWest Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished yesterday eight water wells owned by Palestinians in the villageof Kafer Dan located in the northwest of the city of Jenin, arresting a number of citizens.

Source: http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/9300-israel-demolishes-8-water-wells-arrests-palestinians-near-jenin.html

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Over 124,000 GCC women now aware of the Silent Disease

More than 124,000 women across the GCC have been assessed to see if they are at risk of developing the devastating disease osteoporosis, thanks to the free Bone Health Check programme offered by Anlene, the brand of dairy products specially formulated for adults to help build healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis.

A lady enjoying relaxation while being given information about health
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/over-124000-gcc-women-now-aware-silent-disease

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Netanyahu and the One-state Solution

By Neve Gordon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address US legislators on Tuesday. He will, no doubt, tell members of Congress that he supports a two-state solution, but his support will be predicated on four negative principles: no to Israel's full withdrawal to the 1967 borders; no to the division of Jerusalem; no to the right of return for Palestinian refugees; and no to a Palestinian military presence in the new state.

The problem with Netanyahu's approach is not so much that it is informed by a rejectionist worldview. The problem is not even Netanyahu's distorted conception of Palestine's future sovereignty, which Meron Benvenisti aptly described as "scattered, lacking any cohesive physical infrastructure, with no direct connection to the outside world, and limited to the height of its residential buildings and the depth of its graves. The airspace and the water resources will remain under Israeli control..."

Rather, the real problem is that Netanyahu's outlook is totally detached from current political developments, particularly the changing power relations both in the Middle East and around the world. Indeed, his approach is totally anachronistic.

Netanyahu's not-so-implicit threat that Israel will continue its colonial project if the Palestinians do not accept some kind of "Bantustan solution" no longer carries any weight. The two peoples have already passed this juncture.

The Palestinians have clearly declared that they will not bow down to such intimidations, and it is now clear that the conflict has reached an entirely new intersection.

At this new intersection, there are two signs. The first points towards the west and reads "viable and just two-state solution", while the second one points eastward and reads "power sharing".

The first sign is informed by years of political negotiations (from the Madrid conference in 1991, through Oslo, Camp David, Taba, and Annapolis) alongside the publication of different initiatives (from the Geneva Initiative and the Saudi Plan to the Nussaiba and Ayalon Plan), all of which have clarified what it would take to reach a peace settlement based on the two-state solution. It entails three central components:

1. Israel's full withdrawal to the 1967 border, with possible one-for-one land swaps so that ultimately the total amount of land that was occupied will be returned.

2. Jerusalem's division according to the 1967 borders, with certain land swaps to guarantee that each side has control over its own religious sites and large neighbourhoods. Both these clauses entail the dismantlement of Israeli settlements and the return of the Jewish settlers to Israel.

3. The acknowledgement of the right of return of all Palestinians, but with the following stipulation: while all Palestinians will be able to return to the fledgling Palestinian state, only a limited number agreed upon by the two sides will be allowed to return to Israel; those who cannot exercise this right or, alternatively, choose not to, will receive full compensation.

Israel's continued unwillingness to fully support these three components is rapidly leading to the annulment of the two-state option and, as a result, is leaving open only one possible future direction: power sharing.

The notion of power sharing would entail the preservation of the existing borders, from the Jordan valley to the Mediterranean Sea, and an agreed upon form of a power sharing government led by Israeli Jews and Palestinians, and based on the liberal democracy model of the separation of powers. It also entails a parity of esteem - namely, the idea that each side respects the other side's identity and ethos, including language, culture and religion. This, to put it simply, is the bi-national one-state solution.

Many Palestinians have come to realise that even though they are currently under occupation, Israel's rejectionist stance will unwittingly lead to the bi-national solution. And while Netanyahu is still miles behind the current juncture, it is high time for a Jewish Israeli and Jewish American Awakening, one that will force their respective leaders to support a viable democratic future for the Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. One that will bring an end to the violent conflict.

- Neve Gordon is the author of Israel's Occupation. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Visit: www.israelsoccupation.info.

Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16881

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Sunday, May 29, 2011

High number of Saudis apply for unemployment benefits

An official at the Saudi Ministry of Labor said today that nearly 3.5 million Saudis applied for unemployment benefits under the recently announced national program to help job seekers. Media sources quoted the general supervisor of the Information Technology, Ministry of Labour Abdullah Hagbani as saying, during a news conference, said that ?3.5 million Saudis applied for unemployment benefits,? asserting that ?this number is not final because some of these presented more than one application, or misunderstood the nature of the government program.? 

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz declared last March the allocation of US$ 93 billion to increase wages, create jobs and allocate benefits for unemployed Saudis
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/high-number-saudis-apply-unemployment-benefits

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Hunt on for man in motel slaying

Police were today hunting for a man after he is alleged to have killed a young woman inside a motel room in Nuwara Eliya early yesterday.

According to police the unidentified suspect is alleged to have booked into the room along with the victim and later allegedly severed her neck with a sharp instrument.

The suspect had told the hotel employees that he was going out to purchase some snacks but never returned.

Hotel employees later summoned the police after there was no response from the room that had been locked.

The victim- identified as Karumani Shirani from Payagala in the south was found in a pool of blood by police who had to force their way into the room.

The Nuwara Eliya Police is conducting further investigations.

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Source: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php/latest/7761-hunt-on-for-man-in-motel-slaying

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Israel arrests 5 Palestinian farmers near Hebron

altWest Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces detained yesterday evening five Palestinian farmers from their fields in the town of Bait Ummer in the north of Hebron.

Source: http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/9292-israel-arrests-5-palestinian-farmers-near-hebron.html

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Syria threatens Qatari investments

Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly threatened Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim with the loss of his country?s investment in Syria which amounts to US$ 6 billion.

The threat was made during a recent meeting in Damascus when the embattled Syrian leader protested the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV?s coverage of the ongoing popular unrest in Syria.

Al-Assad blames Qatar for a "bad" media coverage of the ongoing popular unrest in Syria
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/syria-threatens-qatari-investments

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GCC suspends initiative to Yemen as President Saleh clings to power

The GCC foreign ministers decided to suspend their initiative to address the political conflict in Yemen because of the lack of suitable circumstances to sign it by all parties.

They also regretted the siege that was imposed on the UAE's Embassy in Sanaa. Armed with guns, knives and swords, supporters of Yemen's leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh, trapped U.S., European and Arab ambassadors at a diplomatic mission in new turmoil that swept across the capital Sunday as the president refused to sign an agreement calling for him to step down in 30 days.

Ali Abdullah Saleh
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/gcc-suspends-initiative-yemen-president-saleh-clings-power

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Bin Sulayem visits Dubai Trade new Head Office in Jebel Ali

Dubai Trade, the innovative trade facilitating entity of Dubai World, represents the original vision of Dubai as a leading hub for e-business and unrivalled trade competitiveness, said HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World. 

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World during his visit
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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/bin-sulayem-visits-dubai-trade-new-head-office-jebel-ali

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New financial measures in Syria

The Central Bank of Syria has decided to raise the rate of credit interest, paid by the banks for deposits, by two percentage points from 7 per cent to 9 per cent. In addition, it allowed banks operating in the domestic market to deal with foreign currencies; banks are now able to sell to Syrian clients foreign currencies, such as Euro and Dollar. However, this sale is limited to 120 thousand dollars per client.

Syrians are being encouraged by Central Bank to keep their savings in foreign currency inside Syria
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/new-financial-measures-syria

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Netanyahu and the One-state Solution

By Neve Gordon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address US legislators on Tuesday. He will, no doubt, tell members of Congress that he supports a two-state solution, but his support will be predicated on four negative principles: no to Israel's full withdrawal to the 1967 borders; no to the division of Jerusalem; no to the right of return for Palestinian refugees; and no to a Palestinian military presence in the new state.

The problem with Netanyahu's approach is not so much that it is informed by a rejectionist worldview. The problem is not even Netanyahu's distorted conception of Palestine's future sovereignty, which Meron Benvenisti aptly described as "scattered, lacking any cohesive physical infrastructure, with no direct connection to the outside world, and limited to the height of its residential buildings and the depth of its graves. The airspace and the water resources will remain under Israeli control..."

Rather, the real problem is that Netanyahu's outlook is totally detached from current political developments, particularly the changing power relations both in the Middle East and around the world. Indeed, his approach is totally anachronistic.

Netanyahu's not-so-implicit threat that Israel will continue its colonial project if the Palestinians do not accept some kind of "Bantustan solution" no longer carries any weight. The two peoples have already passed this juncture.

The Palestinians have clearly declared that they will not bow down to such intimidations, and it is now clear that the conflict has reached an entirely new intersection.

At this new intersection, there are two signs. The first points towards the west and reads "viable and just two-state solution", while the second one points eastward and reads "power sharing".

The first sign is informed by years of political negotiations (from the Madrid conference in 1991, through Oslo, Camp David, Taba, and Annapolis) alongside the publication of different initiatives (from the Geneva Initiative and the Saudi Plan to the Nussaiba and Ayalon Plan), all of which have clarified what it would take to reach a peace settlement based on the two-state solution. It entails three central components:

1. Israel's full withdrawal to the 1967 border, with possible one-for-one land swaps so that ultimately the total amount of land that was occupied will be returned.

2. Jerusalem's division according to the 1967 borders, with certain land swaps to guarantee that each side has control over its own religious sites and large neighbourhoods. Both these clauses entail the dismantlement of Israeli settlements and the return of the Jewish settlers to Israel.

3. The acknowledgement of the right of return of all Palestinians, but with the following stipulation: while all Palestinians will be able to return to the fledgling Palestinian state, only a limited number agreed upon by the two sides will be allowed to return to Israel; those who cannot exercise this right or, alternatively, choose not to, will receive full compensation.

Israel's continued unwillingness to fully support these three components is rapidly leading to the annulment of the two-state option and, as a result, is leaving open only one possible future direction: power sharing.

The notion of power sharing would entail the preservation of the existing borders, from the Jordan valley to the Mediterranean Sea, and an agreed upon form of a power sharing government led by Israeli Jews and Palestinians, and based on the liberal democracy model of the separation of powers. It also entails a parity of esteem - namely, the idea that each side respects the other side's identity and ethos, including language, culture and religion. This, to put it simply, is the bi-national one-state solution.

Many Palestinians have come to realise that even though they are currently under occupation, Israel's rejectionist stance will unwittingly lead to the bi-national solution. And while Netanyahu is still miles behind the current juncture, it is high time for a Jewish Israeli and Jewish American Awakening, one that will force their respective leaders to support a viable democratic future for the Jews and Palestinians living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. One that will bring an end to the violent conflict.

- Neve Gordon is the author of Israel's Occupation. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Visit: www.israelsoccupation.info.

Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16881

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Journalist attacked by thugs in Jaffna

A Jaffna-based journalist attached with the local newspaper Udayan was assaulted by a group of thugs while on his way to work earlier this morning, his newspaper said.

At least four persons had set upon the journalists who had been critical on the activities of certain thugs in the area, a spokesperson for the newspaper said.

The journalist, S. Kavitharan, 32 �had later sought medical treatment at the local hospital before making a complaint to the police.

The Jaffna police are conducting further investigations.

Source: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php/latest/7779-journalist-attacked-by-thugs-in-jaffna

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Abu Dhabi Festival and Mubadala partner to showcase multimedia exhibition

An exhibition featuring the very best of Emirati art was held as part of the long-standing and fruitful partnership between Abu Dhabi Festival (ADF) and Mubadala Development Company. The multi-media exhibition, entitled ?Unconventional?, was created to foster a culture of art appreciation among Mubadala?s employees and the broader Abu Dhabi community. The exhibition presented work by a selection of the UAE?s leading contemporary artists.

Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo, Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/abu-dhabi-festival-and-mubadala-partner-showcase-unconventional-emirati-art

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Saudi Arabia daily fighting of oil smugglers

The Saudi Customs revealed that its members arrest on a daily basis smugglers of petroleum products outside the country. Smugglers have been taking advantage of the lower prices for domestic consumers, and selling abroad at higher prices.

Saudi Arabia is banning the installation of additional tanks in trucks used by smugglers to sell Saudi oil in neighboring countries at higher prices
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/main-headlines/saudi-arabia-fighting-oil-smugglers

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Let Obama Be Clear, But Can He?

By Lina Sawan

When Hillary Clinton introduced Barack Obama's long-awaited speech on Middle East policy to the State Department on Thursday May 19, her introduction pinpointed the purpose of the highly-anticipated speech, or what may come to be regarded as Obama’s flattest public offering yet.

Clinton stressed the “sophisticated understanding” that the US has of its role in the world and managed to present it as a feature of the current administration. This claim was made for both international and local consumption in spite of, or maybe due to, the historical fact that the US administration was seen to be surprised and confused by both the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions. It was, after all, Clinton who had declared on the eve of the Egyptian revolution on January 25th that the Government of Egypt was “stable”, thus becoming a shining example of American gaffes in MENA policy.

Mrs Clinton’s short introduction failed to heighten excitement for the President’s speech; instead it highlighted what the speech lacked. As Obama spoke, there was no evidence that the US has grasped any new truths about the region and its people. Even the lengthy recounting by Obama of Tunisian events starting from Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-sacrifice neither revealed further insight into the reasons of discontent in the Arab world; nor added anything of value to the examination of the tsunami that brought down Obama’s friends.

Some US journalists had anticipated the speech to be the one that would define shifts in US foreign policy. The Christian Monitor had said on May 13, 2011:“Considering America’s ad hoc response to the Arab Spring so far – and the historic opportunity to support democracy in the region – he needs to put a coherent strategy before the public and Congress”. It could be argued that Obama chose to read out a poor version of his 2009 speech in Cairo, adding certain mentions only because they were forced upon him by current events, and leaving out large commitments so as not to remind the world that he had not delivered on his promises of two years ago.

The references to the Middle East as the cradle of civilisation echoed his praise of Islam in Cairo, so did the emphasis that the US was born through revolution and on principles such as “all men are created equal”. The themes of partnerships, common interests, withdrawal from Afghanistan, democracy in Iraq, religious freedom, sectarianism, women’s rights, American involvement in economic development ,education and networking amongst the youth recurred. Yet, this time around, Obama was offering less of the same.

No more was there a need for a lengthy call to denounce violence and terrorism. In fact, terrorism was mentioned only when Obama turned to Iran, and later to denounce Hamas as Fatah’s partner in peace negotiations. Instead, he affirmed that the US killed Osama Bin Laden whose influence, he suggested, had dwindled well before his death. This, according to Obama, was evident in the peoples’ successful choice of peaceful revolutions instead of violence. “By the time we found bin Laden, al Qaeda’s agenda had come to be seen by the vast majority of the region as a dead end,” he said, “and the people of the Middle East and North Africa had taken their future into their own hands”. This unfortunate coercion of Al Qaeda’s agenda and the people’s liberation movements into a common time capsule pointed to the timeworn and illusory understanding in America that Al Qaeda had a real and equal opportunity to depose and replace Arab dictators.

There was a fleeting mention of nuclear weapons in connection to Iran. But the President of the United States preferred to attack Iran with the timelier theme of democracy. It was interesting to hear Obama accuse Iran of hypocrisy while the world expected him to explain, if not right-out apologise for the contradictions between US ideals and US endorsement of autocratic regimes.

In 2009, the Palestinian issue was the second item on his agenda and Obama chose stronger rhetoric including saying that there ought to be “no doubt (that) the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable… (that) America will not turn (its) backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own … (and that) the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements”.

This time Obama’s speech carried no such detail fleeting over crucial matters such as the right of a Palestinian state to protect itself equal to that of Israel’s. Also, there was no gesture towards the continued human suffering in Gaza in contrast to the focus put on it when he spoke in Cairo. Even though Obama approached the Palestinian-Israeli issue by describing it as a “cornerstone” of Middle East policy, he did place it at the end of the speech possibly hoping to separate it from the call for freedom in the rest of the Arab countries as well as to strip it of its immense influence on the region’s new power-map.

The difficulty Obama encountered when talking about a Palestinian state went beyond an accidental stutter at its first mention. He presented the legal land of Palestinians as if it were a recent development saying: “The fact is, a growing number of Palestinians live west of the Jordan River.”  While he mourned the image of a woman who died in Iranian demonstrations as “seared” in American memory, he failed to refer to the most recent Israeli shooting and killing of unarmed Palestinians during the demonstrations at the Israeli borders on May 15th -Nakba Day. Obama talked about Israelis living in fear of having their children blown up on buses and did not explain that the “Jewish state” that he supports means the continuation of an extreme racist apartheid regime in the heart of the region. He also discounted the matters of Jerusalem and the refugees’ right to return from what he regarded as an important first step of agreement on “territory and security”.

The tenacity by which Obama expressed dedication to an unbreakable bond with Israel, no matter what acts Israel commits, erodes what might be the remaining little of  America’s dignity and influence in the region. Also, as Obama disregards the value of announcing a Palestinian state in a by-the-by attitude referring to it as “symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September”, he moves the USA against the majority opinion of the international community, which includes Arab oil-rich regimes which are beginning to feel the pressures of their own street anger.

The one point of interest in Obama’s treatment of the Palestinian issue was that he endorsed a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, thus becoming the first American president to explicitly do so and the instant target of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wrath. Shortly after the speech and before he headed to Washington D.C., Netanyahu objected that a full retreat to the 1967 borders would be unrealistic as had been agreed in 2004 with George W Bush. The Republicans are also using this point to attack Obama as someone who “threw Israel under the bus”.

Obama mentioned trouble in Yemen, Libya and Bahrain, but not Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the latter. He also called for reforms in Syria stopping short of demanding accountability of its President for civilian deaths.

If the world expected to hear a coherent strategy for the Middle East, what it got was Obama’s reiterated demands for democracy that excluded friendly dictators. This selectivity used to infuriate the Arab peoples. After the revolutions, it simply reconfirms their suspicion that the US is “a crude stereotype of a self-interested empire”, a description Obama used and rejected in 2009.

Overall Obama conveyed, at least to his Arab listeners, American sagacity whereby the know-all American shows himself to be ready to teach the rest of the world the ways of democracy. He is also willing to roll up his sleeves and work side-by-side with every young and old, man and woman towards a strong economy that would put “food on the table”. The scenario that the revolutionaries would be interested in food , undoubtedly a legitimate concern, without being concerned about where the food came from and at what price, points towards further misunderstanding of the core issues behind the Arab Awakening.

It could be said that the only clear strategy that was announced was the willingness of the US to win over new governments by cancelling their debts.  Obama announced debt relief for both Tunisia and Egypt who welcomed the offer. But US aid is a different matter. Egypt had already and officially rejected US aid worth USD 150 million saying that it included too many conditions. On May 30th, it was reported that the US embassy in Cairo received a formal letter from the Egyptian Foreign Minister declaring that the Egyptian government rejects US conditions on aid and unilateral coercive economic measures by the US Agency for International Development.

President Obama is in the unenviable place between Israel and his re-election. His choices are limited to his rhetoric and do not include making or announcing new policies in the volatile MENA region. He may be of the habit of starting his sentences with idioms such as “Let there be no doubt” and “Let me be clear”. Yet, at the end of his speech on May 19, he left his strategy regarding the new Middle East and North Africa still in doubt and quite unclear.

- Lina Sawan is a London-based television journalist, producer and talk-show host, known for her programmes on controversial social issues in the MENA region. She contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16876

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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Etihad to fly to the Seychelles

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced it will commence operations to Mah� in the Republic of Seychelles on November 1, subject to government approval. 

Etihad will operate four return services per week from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Seychelles International Airport in Mah�, operating Airbus A320 aircraft on the route, configured with two cabins ? Pearl Business and Coral Economy ? and offering 1,088 seats each week. 

Etihad will operate four return services per week from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Seychelles
� 2011 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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Source: http://www1.albawaba.com/etihad-fly-seychelles

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