Daily International News 02.04.11

Daily International News
February 4, 2011

Egypt/Algeria/Jordan
Finally, Obama will take questions on Egypt [POLITICO]
‘Day of departure’ rally in Egypt [BBC]
The Muslim Brotherhood After Mubarak [Foreign Affairs]
White House and Egypt Discuss Plan for Mubarak’s Exit [NYT] and U.S. Lawmakers Split on Whether to End Aid to Prod Mubarak Aside [Bloomberg]
Egypt Turmoil Heartens U.S. Foes [WSJ]
Europe’s leaders warn Egypt against violence [AFP via Hindustan Times]
Iran’s Khamenei: Mubarak betrayed his people [AP] and Khamenei hails “Islamic” uprising in Arab world [Reuters]
Algeria opposition bent on protest despite government move [Reuters]
Report: Algerian president says he’ll lift state of emergency [CNN]
Jordanian Islamists meet king but say protests will continue [CNN]

Northeast Asia
Russia defense chief visits disputed islands with Japan [AP]
Ministry may order next sumo tournament cancelled over bout fixing [Mainichi]
N.Korea Proposes Parliamentary Talks with South [Chosun]

Southeast Asia/Pacific
2 die as Thai, Cambodian troops battle at border [AP]
Thailand Prachatai website editor Premchaiporn on trial [BBC]
Philippine president bans logging after deadly floods [BBC]
New Zealand scientists record ‘biodiversity breakdown’ [BBC]

South/Central Asia
Pakistanis flee army offensive near Afghan border [BBC]
Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev calls early election [BBC]
Corruption a stain on India’s global image: PM [AFP]

Africa
Sudanese Soldiers Clash in Upper Nile State, Killing Six, Spokesman Says [Bloomberg]
Niger election: Issoufou to face Oumarou in run-off [BBC]
Police: Gardener admits killing gay rights activist in Uganda [CNN]
Residents report attack on Congolese airport [AP]

Europe
Assange’s Swedish sex crimes file is leaked online [AP]
Italian lawmakers rule against search of prime minister’s house [CNN]
Somali ax man gets 9 years for Danish cartoonist attack [AP]
London embassies’ unpaid congestion charges ‘set to top £50m’ [Guardian]
Wider powers for eurozone bail-out fund [FT]

Americas
Church: Cuba to free 2 prominent prisoners [AP]
Haiti’s presidential run-off candidates announced [BBC]

Domestic
Obama’s Magic Reelection Number [Hamilton Place Strategies]
‘Forcible rape’ cut from antiabortion bill after backlash from women’s groups [WaPo]
Unemployment rate drops to 9% but only 36k jobs added [WaPo]
Pentagon: Guantanamo prisoner dies after exercising [USA Today]
Rumsfeld Comes Out Jabbing, Has No Regrets for Abu Ghraib, WMDs [Bloomberg]
Gabrielle Giffords’s husband Mark Kelly will command final shuttle flight [POLITICO]
Census shows New Orleans shrank by a third after Katrina [BBC]
UN: Global food prices hit record high [Al Jazeera]

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Daily International News 08.13.10

Happy Friday the 13th!

AP: In this photo released by the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), the reactor building of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is seen. Russia's nuclear agency spokesman Sergei Novikov said Friday Aug. 13, 2010 it will load fuel into Iran's first nuclear power plant next week, marking the start of its launch.

Daily International News
August 13, 2010

Northeast Asia
Gates says Kim Jong-il’s son seeks military “stripes” [Reuters]
N. Korea enacts new laws on economy [Yonhap]
S. Korea to allow rare civilian visit to N. Korea amid tension [Yonhap]
N.Korea ‘Plotting Biochemical Attack’ [Chosun Ilbo]
N.Korean Football Coach ‘Given 2nd Chance’ [Chosun Ilbo]
Beijing suspicious of Japan’s war crime apology [The National]
Japan’s Renho Shakes Up Tokyo Politics [WSJ]

Southeast Asia
Myanmar junta sets election date of Nov. 7 [AP]
Malaysia men guilty in ‘Allah’ row church attack [BBC]

South/Central Asia
Pakistan Fight Stalls for U.S. [WSJ]
2-3% of Pakistan’s GDP wiped out in floods [Xinhua]
Relief activities will not impact fight against militants: army [Dawn]
BlackBerry ‘optimistic’ it can avert India ban [AFP]
Sri Lankan military court convicts ex-army chief [AP]
U.S., British troops to train with Kazakh forces [Reuters]

Middle East
Russia: Iran’s nuclear plant to get fuel next week [AP]
Lose in 2011 and I’ll quit as party chief: Erdogan [Reuters]
Clinton prods Netanyahu on Mideast peace talks [Reuters]
Ambassador Leaves Iraq With Much Still Unsettled [NYT]
Saudi king limits fatwa authority [The National]

Africa
Goodluck Jonathan ‘has right to contest Nigerian election’ [Telegraph]
Group bans Marange diamonds [The Zimbabwean]

Europe/UK
EU budget plans for 2011 cut by ministers [BBC]
EU attempts to repair relations with Pakistan [Guardian]
Liam Fox unveils plans for ‘leaner’ UK Ministry of Defence [BBC]
Danish PM hopes troops to leave Afghanistan by 2015 [Reuters]
Greatest Economic Boom Since German Reunification [Der Spiegel]
Zero Tolerance in the Fight against ETA [Der Spiegel]
BP agrees to pay record $50.6m fine for Texas explosion [BBC]

Americas/Domestic
Bolivia protesters demand talks with Evo Morales [BBC]
Obama to sign bill approving $600 million for border security [CNN]
Pentagon push to phase out top brass causing much consternation [WaPo]
Gates Gives Frank Assessments of World Trouble Spots [AFPS]
Gates Orders Marine Corps Force Structure Review [AFPS]
California gay marriage can resume next week [Reuters]
WikiLeaks Comes Under Fire from Rights Groups [TIME]
Investigators Question Flight Attendant Slater’s Tale [WSJ]

Daily International News 07.30.10

Daily International News
July 30, 2010

Koreas
North Korea UN talks go ahead after US military drill [BBC]
U.N. Command, DPRK to meet again next month [Xinhua]
New details point to sinking by N. Korean torpedo [Wash Times]
North Korean diplomats seize books on Kim in Myanmar [Reuters]
US ‘carefully watching’ Myanmar-NKorea talks [AP]
S. Korean PM offers to resign a second time [CNN]

China/HK
U.S. takes a tougher tone with China [WaPo]
China reiterates “indisputable” sovereignty over South China Sea islands [Xinhua]
US to press China, others on Iran sanctions [AP]
China disagrees with EU’s unilateral sanctions on Iran [Xinhua]
China ‘jails three Uighurs’ for website work [BBC]
China to crack down on pro-Cantonese protesters [Reuters]
US expert: China oil spill far bigger than stated [AP]
EDF agrees £5.8bn sale of UK networks to Li Ka-Shing [BBC]

SE Asia/Pacific
Sri Lanka TV station firebombed [BBC]

WikiLeaks
Taliban furious, says we’ll punish WikiLeaks informers [Hindustan Times]
Computer Evidence Ties Leaks to Soldier [WSJ]
Afghan war spending faces new scrutiny [WaPo]
Al-Qaida ‘planned 9/11 style attack on Kabul’ [Guardian]

AfPak [non-WikiLeaks related]
Dutch Troops To Leave Afghanistan [AFP]
July becomes deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan [CNN]
Officials: Floods kill at least 430 in Pakistan [AP]

Middle East
Mahmoud Abbas preparing to hold direct talks with Israel, say diplomats [Telegraph]
Rocket from Gaza hits Israeli city, no injuries [AP]
Is Peres trying to convince Palestinians to refuse direct talks? [Haaretz]
Hariri hit suspect is Hizbullah bigwig [J-Post]
Syrian and Saudi leaders visit Beirut to defuse tension [BBC]
Opponents of Gamal Mubarak ridicule posters [The National]

Africa
Central African Republic election delayed to Jan. [AP]
Scores die of cholera in Cameroon [CNN]
Robert Mugabe loses political ally as younger sister Sabina dies [Telegraph]

Europe
Italy in political turmoil as Berlusconi party implodes [Reuters]
New START: Too modest to merit partisan bickering [WaPo]
US Embassy workers in France tested after suspicious letter [AP]
Truck Drivers in Greece Defy an Order to End Their Strike [NYT]
20 dead as forest fires rage across Russia [AP]

Domestic
Lockerbie senator considers sending investigators to Britain [Telegraph]
Arizona Seeks September Appeal Hearing on Immigration Ruling [Bloomberg]
Obama Immigration Victory Adds to Pressure for Federal Action [Bloomberg]
Rangel Case Poses Test for Democrats as Elections Near [NYT]
SEC charges billionaire Texas brothers who donate to GOP with fraud [WaPo]
U.S. Economic Growth Slowed to 2.4% Rate in 2nd Quarter [NYT]
Disney Sells Miramax for $660 Million [NYT]

Americas
Wyclef Jean steps toward Haitian presidential race [Reuters]
Neighbors fail to end Venezuela-Colombia rift [Reuters]
The ‘Dangerous’ Border: Actually One of America’s Safest Places [Time]
U.S. closes consulate in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez [Reuters]
Troops kill senior ‘capo’ of mighty Mexico cartel [AP]
62 cops linked to drug cartels arrested in Mexico [CNN]

Daily International News 07.28.10

Daily International News
July 28, 2010

Northeast Asia
Japan hangs two death row inmates [BBC]
“Freak wave” damages Japan supertanker off Oman [Reuters]
Strict immigration rules may threaten Japan’s future [WaPo]
China to send 2 pandas to Japan in diplomatic move [AP]
China’s government news chief ‘missing’ in Britain [Telegraph]
Deadly explosion hits Chinese plastics factory [Reuters]
Worst floods in a decade in China, 30,000 trapped [AP]
China Pushes to End Public Shaming [NYT]
Escaped South Korean prisoner of war ‘sent back to North after fleeing to China’ [Guardian]

AfPak
Central Command pick backs Afghan strategy [Wash Times]
Blast kills 25 on bus in southern Afghanistan [LAT]
Pakistan plane crashes, all 152 on board dead [Reuters]
David Cameron: Pakistan is promoting the ‘export of terror’ [Telegraph]

Middle East
Hans Blix: Blair government became ‘prisoner’ of US before war in Iraq [Guardian]
Pentagon can’t account for how it spent $2.6 billion in Iraqi funds, audit finds [WaPo]
Iran to pay for new babies to boost population [AP]
Israel rejects Abbas terms for direct talks [AFP]
Alleged al Qaeda message mourns comrade, mentions flotilla raid [CNN]
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Israeli PM Netanyahu meet [CNN]

Africa
We can build United States of Africa, Gaddafi says [Reuters]
Egyptian policemen go on trial in torture case [Reuters]
11 Somalis killed in gunbattle in Mogadishu [AP]

Europe
Report finds Russians may not be in compliance, could sink new START pact [WaPo]
Catalonia bans bullfighting in landmark Spain vote [BBC]
German aid workers kidnapped in Darfur are freed [BBC]
Iceland defies EU fishing rules as bid talks open [BBC]

Domestic
BP-Lockerbie hearing postponed [Politico]
House approves $37 billion war-funding bill [WaPo]
GOP senators leaning toward yes on New START [FP]
WikiLeaks Founder Defends Afghan War-Data Release [Bloomberg]
Holder Says U.S. Probing Afghanistan Document Leaks [Bloomberg]
Incoming BP CEO thinks, but ‘can’t guarantee,’ oil flow has ended [CNN]
Gingrich defines Mosque Exclusion Zone for New York [Salon]
Former Arlington superintendent, deputy subpoenaed [Salon]

Americas
Venezuela nabs 6 Colombian paramilitary suspects [AP]
Mexico police find human heads dumped near Durango [BBC]
4 journalists reported missing in northern Mexico [AP]
Climate change set to boost Mexican immigration to the US, says study [CSM]

Daily International News 12.11.09

Daily International News
December 11, 2009

DPRK
N.K., U.S. positive about recent talks: KCNA [Yonhap]
“North Korea said Friday that direct talks with the U.S. got off to a good start and that the two sides would continue efforts to narrow their differences over the resumption of the stalled six-party nuclear talks.” 

Japan
Futenma issue on hold at COP15 [Asahi]
“Prospects are dim for a summit meeting between Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the relocation of a Marine Corps airstrip in Okinawa’s Ginowan city anytime soon, government officials said.”

China
Nation rolls out steel tax on US [China Daily]
“The Ministry of Commerce said Thursday on its website that US and Russian steelmakers must pay anti-dumping duties as high as 25 percent beginning today.”

China Indicts Prominent Dissident [NYT]
“Liu Xiaobo, one of China’s best-known dissidents and a principal author of a pro-democracy manifesto that has attracted more than 10,000 signatures from Chinese supporters, was indicted Thursday on charges of trying to subvert the state.”

Hundreds of China workers clash over factory site [Reuters]
“Twenty-six people were wounded when more than 300 Chinese workers battling for control of a factory site in Guangdong province clashed with explosives, rocks and steel pipes.”

Security on alert for island talks [China Daily]
“Chen Yunlin, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), will hold their discussions from Dec 21-25 in the island city of Taichung.”

International Institutions
U.N. Afghan Mission Chief to Resign [NYT]
“A United Nations spokesman, Dan McNorton, said in a statement that Mr. Eide’s “intention not to renew his contract” was in keeping with his plan when he took the job to stay for about two years.”

EU agrees climate pledge that may boost Copenhagen [BBC]
“EU leaders have agreed to pay 7.2bn euros (£6.5bn; $10.6bn) over the next three years to help developing nations adapt to climate change.” [WSJ Coverage – U.N. Draft Agreement Seeks to Halve CO2 Emissions By 2050]

Chinese official calls US negotiator irresponsible [AP]
“In unusually blunt language, He said…”I don’t want to say the gentleman is ignorant…I think he lacks common sense where he made such a comment vis-a-vis funds for China. Either lack of common sense or extremely irresponsible.” [And China Daily – China refuted the idea of G2 in climate change]

AfPaK
US official: Pakistan expected to deport US youths [AP]
“The official confirmed that U.S. diplomats in Pakistan visited the detainees on Friday for a second time…There was no immediate indication when the five might be returned to the United States.”

Middle East
Gates Expects New Sanctions on Iran [NYT]
“I think you’re going to see some significant additional sanctions imposed by the international community,” Mr. Gates said during a question-and-answer session with American troops in Kirkuk.”

Fire attack on West Bank mosque [BBC]
“Attackers set fire to bookshelves and a large area of carpet in the mosque, and sprayed graffiti in Hebrew on a wall.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah appoints former aide as new PM [BBC]
“Samir al-Rifai will form a new cabinet in order to push through reforms that the king says are vital for Jordan’s economy before elections due next year. In November King Abdullah dissolved the parliament halfway through its four-year term.”

Europe
Romania’s court orders void votes re-examined [WP]
“Losing candidate Mircea Geoana says his Social Democratic Party has evidence of ballot stuffing, multiple voting and widespread vote-buying, and has asked for new elections to be held.”

Russian policeman gets 2 years for killing reporter [Reuters]
“A policeman in Russia’s turbulent Ingushetia region was sentenced on Friday to two years in a low-security prison settlement for “unintentionally” shooting dead a prominent opposition reporter while in custody.”

Mafia boss denies link to Berlusconi associate [Reuters]
“A jailed Mafia boss told an Italian court on Friday he had never had ties with a close associate of Silvio Berlusconi, casting doubt on evidence from another mobster linking the prime minister to Cosa Nostra.”

Americas
Mercosur Refuses to Recognize Honduras Elections [Latin American Herald Tribune]
“The presidents of the Mercosur trade bloc nations expressed their…“full non-recognition” of the new government that emerged from the Nov. 29 elections that Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and the US are supporting.”

Zelaya will leave Brazil Embassy by Jan. 27 [AP]
“Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya says he will leave the Brazilian Embassy in Honduras by Jan. 27, when his presidential term ends, according to an interview broadcast Friday.”

Domestic
Goldman scraps cash bonuses for 30 top executives [FT]
“The 30 members of Goldman’s management committee will receive their entire 2009 bonus in stock awards that must be held for five years.”