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.
Read our news file
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”.
Tula ni jose rizal tungkol sa pangangalaga sa kalikasan
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.
Deaths from New Zealand quake likely to rise
Rescue teams in New Zealand worked late into Wednesday night to search for survivors of the Christchurch earthquake.
The number of confirmed dead remained at 75 but is expected to rise as more than 300 people are still missing.
The operation was disrupted in some areas by fears that badly damaged buildings could collapse.
Engineers have told police there is a significant risk that the city’s tallest building, a 26-storey hotel, could fall down, creating a disastrous domino effect.
A national state of emergency has been declared after the disaster in New Zealand’s second largest city.
Aftershocks are still being felt frequently. A curfew has been imposed in one area, with the army deployed to keep people away from danger.
Rescue specialists from Japan are on their way to New Zealand, as are others from several countries including Britain and the US.
The first Australian experts are already on the streets in Christchurch.
Libyan rebel towns react with joy to UN vote
The UN Security Council vote authorising a no-fly zone, and “all necessary measures” to protect civilians, prompted thousands of Gaddafi opponents in Benghazi to take to the streets in celebration.
There was little sign of fear of an imminent attack from government forces in the rebel stronghold. Crowds reportedly shouted “1-2-3, thank you Sarkozy” in recognition of the French president’s drive to impose a no-fly zone.
Some waved Egyptian flags. The Libyan leader has accused rebels of having foreign backing.
Read also – Pick of the Clicks: Libya looks to the skies for help
His son Saif has suggested that only a minority of people in Benghazi are against his father.
There was more joy in the eastern city of Tobruk, where fireworks lit the sky in response to the UN’s move.
READ – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy
Army and police join Bahrain protesters
The centre of the Bahraini capital Manama has been filled with thousands of demonstrators calling for the government’s downfall – and to remember the victims of the past week’s violence.
Many majority Shi’ite Muslims claim they are the victims of long-term discrimination by the ruling Sunni elite.
Joining the protest was a small group of army and police officers, conscious that the military firing on protesters had contributed to the death toll of seven.
“We decided that our job is to protect people and not to beat them up,” said policeman Abu Noah. “The weapons that have been used against the people are weapons of shame, these weapons should be used to protect the people, and not be used against them. That’s why we’ve decided to be with the people.”
A key test will be the impact of the return from exile of a leading opposition figure, Hassan Mushaimaa of the Haq movement, one of a group of 25 on trial over an alleged coup plot.
“These peaceful Muslim people are coming today to raise the flag of the homeland,” said Sheikh Hussein Al-Deehi, deputy head of another opposition group, the Shi’ite Al-Wefaq Society. “We’ve been asking for freedom for decades and we’ve been denied it. We’ve lost blood but we’ll keep struggling, God willing.”
The royal family has offered concessions – announcing the release of some convicted prisoners for example – but it is not clear whether such moves will be enough to get opposition groups to agree to talks.
They have repeated demands for a constitutional monarchy to replace Bahrain’s ruling dynasty.
Bluegrass’s Krauss and Union Station reunite
Alison Krauss and Union Station are back together after seven years, on her new bluegrass album Paper Airplane.
Egyptians celebrate a week without Mubarak
Celebrations have gone on through the night in Cairo, as hundreds of thousands turned out for what has been dubbed a victory march.
The event came exactly a week after the popular revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
One man said: “All we want is for Egypt to be Egypt again … a president that is aware, a country that’s aware, and a good government that takes the people into consideration and takes the poor into consideration.”
A woman said: “I’m very proud to be Egyptian. And when I travel abroad I can now tell people that I’m Egyptian and not be embarrassed. All of them will respect me because I’m Egyptian and I took part in this revolution.”
Amid the celebration, however, Egypt’s ruling military council has warned it will not allow any further strikes that harm the economy and what it calls national security.
Portugal warns of debt crisis critical moment
With the amount of interest that Portugal is having to offer to get investors to buy its bonds rising to unsustainable levels, Lisbon is appealing for urgent and effective support from the European Union – but not a bailout.
At conference in Lisbon Prime Minister Jose Socrates said the sovereign debt crisis is the EU’s biggest challenge.
Finance Minister Fernando Teixeira dos Santos said Europe must take swift tough action to protect peripheral economies against attacks from the investment markets. If not, he said, Portugal’s efforts to cut its budget deficit and implement painful reforms would count for nothing.
The Portuguese want action at an EU summit in three weeks time to convince investors of European resolve.
If that does not happen they fear the markets may launch another sell-off of euro zone sovereign debt hitting Portugal hard and forcing it to take a bailout, as Greece and Ireland already have.
Portugal’s pleas may fall on deaf ears, there are growing doubts about Germany’s willingness to support expanding or reconfiguring the bloc’s rescue fund enough to calm investors and reduce the pressure.
Ricardo Espirito Santo Salgado, who heads Portugal’s second largest listed bank, BES, criticised European indecision over how to combat the debt crisis.
He said lack of clarity over decisions to be taken at coming European meetings were behind the recent jump in the euro zone periphery’s bond yields, including Portugal’s.
“After a correction in sovereign spreads and credit at the start of the year, especially on expectations of a reform of financial stabilisation and budget coordination mechanisms, the uncertainty over the decisions by the European Council in March has contributed to a new rise in risk premiums,” he said.
Portugal’s borrowing costs have risen sharply over the last year and are now hovering near Euro-lifetime highs. The benchmark 10-year bond was at almost 7.6 percent on Monday.
NATO divided over no-fly zone
NATO has failed to agree on a plan for its possible involvement in enforcing the UN no-fly zone over Libya. Alliance member Turkey, which is against the military intervention, blocked a proposal.
The Arab League has also expressed reservations over the extent of military action being taken by France, Britain and the US.
As other countries began sending their military hardware to the region, Arab countries claimed they only backed the UN’s no-fly zone in order to protect civilians, not to knock out Gaddafi’s forces.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates believes there is a way to get the League on board. “I think there is a sensitivity on the part of the Arab League to being seen to be operating under a NATO umbrella, and so the question is if there is a way we can work out of NATO’s command and control machinery without it being a NATO mission.”
France also has its reservations. As it sent its Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier The Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean, the government warned about treading too heavily on Arab feelings.
After NATO involvement in other theatres of war such as Afghanistan, the alliance’s reputation has been tarnished in the Arab world.
TO READ – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy
Libya condemns ‘aggression’ but hints at ceasefire
Libya has brushed off the UN resolution. At a news conference in Tripoli, the deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim said the country would deal positively with it, and he thanked nations who abstained from the vote.
He said Libya had offered a ceasefire, saying it could happen immediately – although the “technicalities” he said would need to be worked out with the UN.
The government’s intention, and that of the police and armed forces, was the protection of civilians everywhere in the country, he insisted.
Read also – Pick of the Clicks: Libya looks to the skies for help
If the international community armed the rebels, he said, countries would be “inviting Libyans to kill each other”.
But with the resolution passed; those in favour of action have the momentum and the backing they need.
Afterwards, Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy spoke on the phone about implementing the no-fly zone.
After the news conference in Tripoli, a small but boisterous crowd of Gaddafi supporters draped in green flags stormed the hotel where it took place, which is also where most foreign media are staying.
“You can’t take our oil,” one said, “first you have to take our blood”.
Do you agree with the UN resolution authorising military action in Libya?
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Syrias Assad faces major challenge as unrest grows
In the Syrian city of Deraa crowds have set fire to a building housing the local headquarters of the ruling Baath party.
They also torched the main courts complex and two phone company branches, one of them, Syriatel is owned by President Bashar al-Assads cousin.
The protests have left four people dead and dozens more have been arrested.
President Assad is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since he succeeded his father as leader 11 years ago.
He has sent officials to try to placate the people of Deraa but thousands rallied to demand an end to emergency law in the southern city.
