Ben Ali reportedly in a coma in hospital
The former Tunisian president Ben Ali is reported to be seriously ill in a hospital in Saudi Arabia.
The French news agency AFP reports that the 74-year-old has been in a coma for the past two days after suffering a stroke.
The Reuters news agency quotes a Saudi source who says the ex-leader is in a “grave condition”.
Ben Ali fled to the Red Sea city of Jeddah after being ousted in a popular revolt last month.
Air-strikes offer Libya’s rebels reprieve
Only a few days ago Libyan rebels were on the verge of being crushed by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. However, the heavy bombardment by the Western led coalition appears to have swung the momentum in Libya’s civil war.
The main road out of the eastern city of Benghazi is now littered with the regime’s vehicles scorched by attacks from the air.
READ – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy – International forces in operations in Libya
That’s allowed the opposition to push towards Ajdabiya, though for the time being the town remains under Gaddafi’s control.
Rebel units also appear severely disorganised, underscoring US warnings that a long stalemate could emerge.
In addition, the forces loyal to the Libyan leader appear determined to fight on, with reports of offensives on Tuesday morning on the western cities of Misrata and Zintan.
International community weighs up Libya options
The United States is moving warships and aircraft carriers closer to Libya, although military analysts say intervention through force is unlikely.
The British government meanwhile says it will work towards a no-fly zone over Libya.
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On Monday the US met with NATO partners and other foreign governments to discuss military options.
President Barack Obama also met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who expressed frustration with Gaddafi.
“He, (referring to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi), has lost his legitimacy when he declared war on his people. This is again a totally unacceptable situation. I hope, I sincerely hope and urge him to listen to the people’s call,” said Ban.
Colonel Gaddafi has come under increasing pressure from the international community since a unanimous resolution imposing sanctions on he and his closest aides, was passed by the United Nations last week.
Gaddafi: ‘mad dog of the Middle East’
The late US President Ronald Reagan once described Colonel Muammar Gaddafi as “the mad dog of the Middle East.” Gaddafi’s theatrical and rambling speech on Tuesday, in the minds of many, carried echoes of the nickname Reagan gave him.
Gaddafi’s address may have been intended to instill fear among his opponents, but the Libyan people show no sign of stopping their protests.
In the speech, Gaddafi declared he would die a martyr in Libya, and he threatened to purge opponents “house by house” and “inch by inch.”
“The Libyan people are with me,” he said, exhorting his supporters to “Capture these rats, these terrorists [anti-government demonstrators]!”
French journalist Christian Mallard claims to have to inside information on the state of the Libyan leader’s health. He says Gaddafi is seriously ill but warns that the West should not underestimate him.
The journalist for France 3 television said: “I think we should take his threats seriously. Gaddafi is unpredictable.” Mallard said a Libyan diplomat had told him that Gaddafi “takes a number of chemical products, and is lucid for only a few hours a day.”
Despite relatively recently having appeared to make peace with the West, Gaddafi’s latest televised performance have been broadly construed to indicate that he remains as dangerous as ever.
He said on Tuesday he had “not yet ordered the use of force”, and he warned: “When I do, everything will burn!”
A number of high-profile ministers and diplomats have already defected from Gaddafi’s side, and there are reports that members of the armed forces are disobeying orders.
Many analysts believe it is only a matter of time before Gaddafi leaves power, either by force or of his own accord, though there is also his own reference to becoming “a martyr”.
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Deutsche Telekom dials up a deal for T-Mobile
Deutsche Telekom seems to have dialled up a good deal with an agreement to sell its US mobile phone division T-Mobile for the equivalent of 27.5 billion euros. That money will be used to buy back shares and pay down debt.
The buyer is AT&T, which will pick up around 34 million customers and become the largest mobile phone operator in the states.
Its shares rose as did those of Deutsche Telekom in Frankfurt. The German company’s stock was up 11.3 percent, hitting a two-year high:
Oliver Roth, a market strategist with Close Brothers Seydler Bank gave his assessment: “The financial markets welcome the decision of the Deutsche Telekom to get rid of the American branch simply because now they can concentrate on their first goal to get bigger in the multimedia-internet market and they get also a lot of money for their American branch and that is definitively a success.”
Deutsche Telekom said that it now plans to focus on organic growth but the reduced debt will give it an advantage in bidding for European assets, for example in Poland and Serbia.
As part of the deal, which now needs to approved by regulators, Deutsche Telekom will become an eight percent shareholder in AT&T.
Syrian forces attack and kill six protesters
At least six people are believed killed after Syrian forces fired on protesters near a mosque in the southern city of Deraa.
One of those killed is said to have been a doctor who went to help the victims in the attack.
Protesters had erected tents in the grounds of the Omari mosque saying they would remain there until their demands for reform were met.
Syria has seen six days of unprecedented unrest in which a total of ten civilians have now died at the hands of the country’s military.
President Bashar al-Assad is facing his biggest ever challenge to his 11-year rule.
As head of the ruling Baath Party, activists have targeted the organisation’s buildings as symbols of oppression and corruption.
Despite promises of reform, Assad refuses to end 48 years of emergency rule or allow political opposition.
Oil prices slip on Libyan peace efforts
Oil prices came off their recent highs on Thursday after Venezuela said its proposal for a negotiated solution to the Libyan conflict was accepted by the North African government the Arab League said it was under consideration.
But a leader of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi’s rule said he would reject any plan for talks with Gaddafi and analysts and traders remained sceptical over the prospect of any immediate end to fighting.
Industry officials have estimated the anti-Gaddafi uprising has reduced Libya’s oil production by around half as most foreign oil workers had fled.
In the key oil port of Brega, euronews correspondent Francesca Cicardi said attacks continue: “This morning (Thursday) Gaddafi’s people bombed around the oil terminal, but not the installations themselves as that could cause major explosions which would be very dangerous. That’s why it is safe in this area. We’re told that the terminal is not operating at the moment.”
Analysts said they were worried about damage to Libya’s oil infrastructure as a result of the fighting and they remain focused on the possibility of the unrest spreading to places like Algeria or even Saudi Arabia.
Irish leaders clash on economy in TV debate
Ireland’s shaky economy dominated the first TV debate between party leaders ahead of a general election next week.
The poll was called after the country was forced to accept a multi-billion euro bailout from the EU and the IMF last year.
Opinion polls suggest the opposition Fine Gael and Labour parties are likely to form the next government.
Labour’s leader Eamon Gilmore attacked his rivals over the rescue of Anglo Irish bank in 2008, which he said had tied the banks to the state, making the financial crisis far worse.
“All of the other parties on this platform – Fianna Fail and the Greens who brought it in, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein – supported that bailout on that night. It was the biggest bank robbery in the history of this country, and it was the banks that robbed the people,” he said.
Deeply unpopular over his government’s handling of the crisis, Prime Minister Brian Cowen of Fianna Fail is standing down.
Criticism intensified last month with revelations he had played golf with the chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, months before it was bailed out.
The election was called early after the Greens pulled out of the governing coalition.
The polls suggest about a fifth of voters are undecided. But many blame Fianna Fail for the collapse of Ireland’s economy.
The outcome will affect the rest of Europe. Fine Gael has pledged that if elected, it will seek to renegotiate the international bailout.
‘The King’s Speech’ is king of the Oscars
There were no clean sweeps at the 83rd Academy Awards, but as expected the British period drama about a wartime king and his vocal coach came out top.
Nominated in 12 categories, ‘The King’s Speech’ won four Oscars, including Best Film.
Tom Hooper was named Best Director, while Colin Firth was Best Actor for his portrayal of the struggling George VI. The film also won Best Original Screenplay.
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UN steps up pressure on Gaddafi
A rare show of unanimity by the UN Security Council on Saturday imposed arms, travel and asset sanctions on Libya’s Colonel Gadaffi and his closest aides.
The passing of the resolution provoked an emotional response from the Libyan delegates to the United Nations, who embraced tearfully. The sanctions increase the pressure on Gaddafi to quit before any more deaths occur.
“The Tripoli regime no longer has any credibility”, said Libya’s Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Ibrahim Dabbashi. “It goes without saying that this resolution represents moral support for our people who are resisting”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the text “sends a strong message that gross violations of basic human rights will not be tolerated, and that those responsible for grave crimes will be held responsible.”
In the Libyan city of Benghazi, where opposition demonstrators control the streets, there was support for the UN decision
“This is the people’s decision, the decision of our republic and the decision of the Security Council and we support it,” said one man.
But there was also some scepticism.
“This is a popular revolution. We do not want foreign interference. Obama is only looking after his own interests and the interests of Europe. We are looking after our own national interest, which is to topple Gaddafi”.
The UN also agreed to refer the Gaddafi regime’s deadly crackdown on protesters to the permanent war crimes tribunal.
