President calls for talks as thousands stage sit-ins across Yemen
The leader of Yemen’s secessionist Southern Movement has been arrested in Aden as unrest continues for a ninth consecutive day.
Hasan Baoum was reportedly detained in the southern port city by an “armed military group” in a hospital where he was receiving treatment and was taken to an unknown location, his youngest son Fadi Hasan Baoum told Reuters. Baoum was also arrested in November last year, accused of planning illegal demonstrations.
In the capital, Sanaa, as many as 50 government supporters tried to break up a protest outside the city’s university by more than 1,000 demonstrators.
Thousands of people also staged sit-ins in the cities of Ibb and Taiz, demanding the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
For the moment, there is little sign that Saleh is willing to listen. At a rally in the capital he blamed the violence on “infiltrators” while reaffirming his position as Yemeni leader. He also called on all parties to come together for talks: “We are willing to meet their demands, if they are legitimate,” he said.
With the government stepping up security across main cities, the political stalemate seems set to continue.
Foreigners flee Libya: ‘they’re shooting people randomly’
Thousands of foreigners from Libya’s neighbouring countries have been trying to flee across the borders.
Cairo’s military rulers reinforced Egypt’s frontier but opened the main crossing 24 hours a day, especially to allow those needing medical treatment to cross.
One group of Egyptians who made it back to home soil seemed more than relieved as they cheered and chanted.
Some of their accounts describe a highly volatile situation – with mercenaries on the loose.
“Everyone carries guns, weapons,” said one man, speaking in English. “Turmoil, no security. We can’t stay here, whatever it is, we can’t stay here so we come to our country because the situation there is very, very critical and very serious.”
“We don’t know where they’re coming from,” said another man animatedly, referring to foreign mercenaries. “They’re not Libyans, they’re Africans… they’re shooting people randomly. The Libyans are trying to protect themselves from these mercenaries in several towns in the east: Tobruk, Benghazi, Al-Bayda and Darnah. These people have been flown in to shoot them.”
Several countries are seeking to evacuate their citizens.
In the east of the country Libyan guards have reportedly disappeared from the Egyptian border, replaced by armed men opposed to Colonel Gaddafi. To the west thousands of Tunisians have been flooding across the frontier.
One man had to leave his car and finish the journey across the desert on foot to escape. He kissed the ground upon his arrival on the Tunisian side of the border.
“People over there in that country, they risk death,” he said, pointing back over the frontier towards Libya.
Tunisia – fresh from its own revolution – has some 30,000 nationals in Libya. Many have been threatened by the authorities in Tripoli, accused of taking part in the revolt.
Egypt opposition leader escapes assassination attempt
One of Egypt’s leading opposition figures appears to have had a lucky escape after surviving a suspected assassination attempt. Speaking to euronews Ayman Nour said a police officer tried to stab him.
‘‘It happened in Luxor. We were heading by car to the main police headquarters in the city. Suddenly, three security service personnel came out, one of them came towards me very quickly with a knife and tried to stab me with it. The people who were in the street stopped them and a minute later a military car arrived to break up the scuffle between those who were protecting me from the attackers. I think they were members of what we call the fifth column, pro-Mubarak supporters, who were active from the 28th January. The ones who were responsible for attacking protesters, looting, and theft, etc. This is not just me who thinks this. This attack is strange. What happened is strange, significant, unjustified and cannot be understood.’‘
Libya’s rebels call for no-fly zone
Anti-Gaddafi forces have called on the international community to impose a no-fly zone across Libya.
The national Libyan council set up by the rebels now controls large swathes of the country, especially in the east.
But, fears have been expressed Gaddafi warplanes will be used to target civilians and key sites.
Speaking on behalf of the rebels Colonel Abd Alah El Mahdy El Zayde said: “Entry into the east of Libya will be impossible for Gaddafi’s forces. Because everyone here is ready to die for the liberation of our cities and regions from Gaddafi’s forces. The international community must impose a no-fly zone, not because we’re afraid for our city (Benghazi) but we fear he may attack other cities and all oil refineries, so they must immediately impose a no-fly zone to weaken him.”
The opposition insists that it is becoming more organised. Large numbers of Libyans are reportedly joining up to fight the rebel cause.
Italy calls for EU to share migrant burden
Italy is urging other European countries to take a greater share of the immigrants pouring across from North Africa.
The tiny island of Lampedusa is just south of Sicily. It is only 150 kilometres from the Tunisian coast and has borne the brunt of the flood of refugees.
The government says 15 thousand have entered Italy since the start of the year and numbers have surged as the turmoil in North Africa grows.
Locals complain bitterly of being abandoned by Rome.
One women told reporters that locals are not angry with the refugees as it is not their fault, but they are angry with the government who do nothing.
That anger has spilled over into protest, as inhabitants fathered on the dock to prevent the unloading of a ship carrying equipment to build a tent city to house the refugees.
It is now estimated migrants outnumber the Italian inhabitants of Lampedusa.
Bahrain police break up protest camp
Bahrain police have attempted to clear demonstrators over night who have been camped out in a square in the capital Manama.
Witnesses say at least three people have been killed and many more injured as riot squads broke up the camp while most of the protesters were asleep. Prior to the operation about 40 police trucks positioned themselves round the square.
Although earlier in the day relations were tense, the move does suggest a change in tactics by the security forces against the anti-government demonstrators.
Bahrain’s Shia Muslims – 70 percent of its population – have been ruled by a Sunni minority for the past three centuries.
Two people have already died in clashes in the last few days.
The mainly Shia protesters want greater political freedom, more jobs and a new constitution.
They had been hoping, by taking to the streets to emulate the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
Honda recalls cars worldwide
Honda is recalling nearly 700,000 cars, the Freed, Fit and City models as they are known in Japan.
It has to fix a faulty engine spring which have been found to bend or break over time meaning the car cannot be started.
Honda said it had received over 100 complaints worldwide, mostly from its home market of Japan.
No accidents have been reported from the defect and fixing it will cost Honda 39 million euros in Japan alone, where about a fifth of the affected vehicles were sold.
About the same number are in the US and Canada and the rest throughout Asia.
This is the latest in a series of recalls by Japanese carmakers to correct minor problems.
In the last 12 months Honda alone has recalled more than four million vehicles for various problems including headlights, ignition systems and airbags.
King’s Speech steals the show
The film The King’s Speech has won seven prizes at the BAFTA awards ceremony in London. Colin Firth, who plays the stammering King George VI in the film, took the award for Best?�Actor. The movie also took the prizes for Best Film, Best Supporting Actress (Helena Bonham Carter), and Best Supporting Actor ( Geoffrey Rush).?�This year’s BAFTA award for Best Actress went to Natalie Portman for her role in Black Swan, while Best Director went to David Fincher for the film about Facebook, The Social Network.
Troy mclean & garfield hamilton 2004 i m not getting crazy
Anti-government protests spread in Syria
After a weekend of demonstrations in Syria demanding democracy, unrest looks to be spreading.
Residents said security forces blocked entrances to the southern city of Deraa, as mourners marched at the funeral of the latest protester to be killed.
For days, Deraa has been the focus of calls for more freedom in one of the Arab world’s most authoritarian states. At least five civilians are reported dead in a crackdown as anti-government anger rages.
Symbols of Syria’s ruling elite have been burned in Deraa, like the main courts complex and, it seems, a headquarters of the ruling Baath Party. Elsewhere in the country, more protests are being reported in the strongest challenge yet to President Bashar al-Assad.
General Mills wins Yoplait bidding
US food company General Mills is set to pay 800 million euros for half of the Yoplait yoghurt brand – the second-biggest after Danone.
The sellers – private equity fund PAI Partners and French dairy co-operative Sodiaal – chose General Mills from bidders including Mexico’s Groupo Lala, Nestle and Europe’s largest dairy group Lactalis.
The deal should help grow Yoplait’s sales in emerging markets.
The news that General Mills has won the bidding for Yoplait ends months of tense and highly political negotiations.
The deal would give Yoplait, the world’s second-largest yogurt maker after Danone, a total value of 1.6 billion euros, some four times the value of the business when PAI invested in 2002.
French dairy cooperative Sodiaal will retain the remaining 50 percent of the business.
