by hutu extremists years ago
un backed international court was set up in tanzania to try the masterminds
but around million people have been tried by the local gacaca courts
ibuka says genocide survivors were killed in
japan shrugs off jal tumble as asia shares mixed
hong kong jan afp
asian markets were mixed tuesday with tokyo clawing its way into the black after
shrugging off wave of selling orders that engulfed crisis hit japan airlines
shares in asia biggest airline plummeted almost percent as reports pointed
to looming bankruptcy and delisting that would destroy investors stakes under
court ordered restructuring
delisting now looks almost certain so selling won stop smbc friend
research center analyst mitsuru miyazaki told dow jones newswires as jal dived
by the daily limit of yen to yen
despite the wave of selling tokyo nikkei closed up percent or
points to its highest since october analysts said overall
upbeat market sentiment outmuscled the impact of jal troubles
investors were also boosted by american airlines and its partners increasing
their investment offer to jal to billion dollars as it seeks tie up with
the japanese carrier in bid to get foot in the asian market
the new offer up from previous billion dollars sees american raise the
stakes in its battle with rival delta air lines for jal
with speculation over the japan carrier reaching fever pitch transport minister
seiji maehara reportedly met the heads of the airline creditor banks tuesday
sydney ended down percent or points at and hong kong ended
percent or points lower at
in sydney minerals firm alumina lost percent to dollars after us firm
alcoa the first blue chip to report quarterly earnings on wall street
posted lower than forecast profit monday alumina and alcoa are joint venture
partners
the big news of the day came from the us in terms of alcoa fourth quarter
earnings report cmc markets analyst david taylor said
despite strong revenues earnings fell short of expectations and the resources
sector took bit of hit
however bargain hunting in banks and property firms as well as strong interest
in telecoms helped shanghai surge percent or points to end at
singapore was percent higher ahead of the corporate earnings season
the dollar was stable in late asian trade as investors eyed upcoming corporate
earnings reports following disappointment over weak us jobs data on friday
the greenback was at yen in tokyo afternoon trade against in new
york late on monday when japanese markets were closed the euro was little
changed at dollars after and to yen from
oil fell in asia on forecasts the severe cold snap in the united states will
ease and quell demand for heating fuel analysts said
new york main futures contract light sweet crude for february delivery stood
at dollars in the afternoon down cents from new york close
it had hit an intraday peak of dollars monday its highest since october
brent north sea crude for february was down cents at
hong kong gold closed higher at us dollars an ounce up from
monday dollars
in other markets
seoul closed up percent or points at
taipei lost percent or points to close at
investors moved to take profits on previous gains
wellington fell percent or points to
manila added percent or points to
top traded philippine long distance telephone co rose percent to
pesos
ukraine orange villain seeks last laugh
kiev jan afp
when ukraine ousted its old order in the orange revolution viktor
yanukovich was cast in the west as the villain of the piece scheming servant
of russia whose allies had rigged an election
yanukovich pipped pro western viktor yushchenko in the run off of presidential
polls and had been congratulated by russia vladimir putin only to find the
result overturned by the supreme court after popular uprising
the supreme court found mass vote rigging and ordered re run which was won by
yushchenko
now yanukovich for many far more complex figure than his western image
suggested smells revenge
the trained mechanic and pigeon fancier is well ahead in opinion polls for the
first round of sunday presidential elections and is predicted to beat his
nearest contender prime minister yulia tymoshenko in february run off
analysts caution that much can change in the next month but yanukovich
remains the favourite to become ukraine fourth president since independence
after the orange revolution debacle image makers set to work with yanukovich
hitherto monochrome regions party receiving an injection of colour and its
leader appearing in sharp suits with smoother rhetoric
he sought to bury his image as stooge of moscow targeting eu membership as
strategic goal for ukraine and vehemently criticising the deal agreed between
putin and tymoshenko ending the january gas crisis
yanukovich still draws the bulk of his support from around his home donbass
region ukraine smoke stacked eastern industrial heartland where russian
rather than ukrainian is the language of daily life
but he has also sought to enhance his appeal in the more nationalist western
ukraine and analysts say yanukovich performance here will be crucial in
determining the course of the election
think he has not just changed on the surface but also in his ideas said
yuriy yakymenko director of political research at the razumkov centre think
tank in kiev
political street fighter who twice served as prime minister yanukovich claims
his durability stems from childhood of abject misery on the streets of
yenakiyevo town outside the east industrial capital of donetsk
my childhood was difficult and hungry grew up without my mother who died
when was two went around bare footed on the streets had to fight for
myself every day he wrote in his campaign literature
the tough childhood had another dark side in the late he fell in with
street gang and received two convictions for robbery and assault serving time
in prison the convictions were then quashed in the late
yanukovich worked for two decades as regional transport executive in donetsk
before moving into local politics in the late and rising to prime minister
under president leonid kuchma in
in building the regions party into major political force he enjoyed the
financial support of one of ukraine richest oligarchs the metals and mining
magnate rinat akhmetov who also owns uefa cup winner shakhtar donetsk
he toyed with an election alliance with tymoshenko but attempts to reach an
agreement ended in acrimony with the prime minister supporters seeking to rake
up dirt from his past
ukrainian president bows out with whimper
kiev jan afp
his face pock marked from poisoning ukraine new president five years ago
stood in front of tens of thousands of supporters in central kiev as the
embodiment of their hopes for better future
just inaugurated as ukraine third president after the orange revolution
reversed the results of rigged presidential polls viktor yushchenko promised
ukrainians eu membership and economic prosperity
but yushchenko now enters sunday presidential elections seemingly without
hope his poll ratings in the low single digits and destined for humiliating
elimination before the second round run off
what went wrong for the former central bank chief just five years ago hailed as
the hero of the orange revolution
rather than concentrating on ukrainians desires for improving day to day
government efficiency and ending corruption yushchenko saw his presidency as
grandiose historical mission to place the country at the heart of europe
as he set out goal for the ex soviet state to join nato relations with russia
plunged to their worst level post independence
he spent much energy on historical issues close to his heart insisting that the
deaths from starvation of several million ukrainians in the under soviet
dictator josef stalin should be recognized as genocide
such focus was hardly surprising from man who shows an interest bordering on
an obsession in ukraine heritage and makes point of climbing its highest
mountain hoverla every year in traditional nationalist rite
and as the economy faltered badly in the global slowdown yushchenko attention
appeared more concentrated on bitter personal row with his one time orange
revolution ally turned nemesis prime minister yulia tymoshenko
it should not be forgotten that ukraine has become more democratic society
since the orange revolution under yushchenko said yuriy yakymenko director of
political research at the razumkov centre think tank
but there was also no progress in many reforms that needed implementing and
what society wanted to see fight against corruption did not take place
he said
the president wife is kateryna yushchenko us ukrainian who only became
ukrainian citizen in but has long been active in drawing attention to
stalin excesses
yushchenko main interests outside work are said to be bee keeping and
collecting ukrainian folk art
in the topsy turvy world of ukrainian politics nothing can be taken for granted
and rumours have swirled that yushchenko could become prime minister under
presidency of viktor yanukovich his defeated rival in the poll
however both sides have in public at least poured scorn on the idea
meanwhile the controversy over the poisoning that ravaged yushchenko
face has never been resolved his supporters and several medical experts have
blamed deliberate dioxin poisoning others insist on natural explanation
his face has now largely recovered
ukraine tigress sinks teeth into presidency
kiev jan afp
ukraine iron lady the gas princess lady yu tigriulia
as befits pragmatic politician known for readily shifting allegiances
ukraine charismatic prime minister yulia tymoshenko has seen variety of
incarnations over the last years
in campaign posters for sunday first round of presidential elections
tymoshenko has been shown in new pose fondling bengal white tigress cub she
received as gift last year the name of the animal tigriulia
if she is to pull back an apparently growing deficit to her main rival viktor
yanukovich in time for the expected run off vote on february tymoshenko will
need to call on all her feline snarl and cunning
thanks to witty campaign that at one stage took to styling tymoshenko simply
as vona she analysts believe the prime minister has just enough time and
skill to have chance of catching up
tymoshenko presidency would be just the latest chapter in an extraordinary
career that has seen her briefly held in jail reportedly make fortune as an
oligarch and emerge as champion of ukrainian nationalism
should she win tymoshenko is expected to try to create strongwoman
presidency with loyal parliament and her sidekick oleksander turchynov as
prime minister in bid to end ukraine enduring political chaos
tymoshenko has traditionally been seen as pro western figure compared with
the pro russian lilt of yanukovich in may she published an article in
foreign affairs magazine denouncing moscow imperial ambitions
but she has repeatedly shown capacity to change her political skin when the
need arises and in the last two years struck more pro russian tone
she signed the deal with russian prime minister vladimir putin that ended the
new year gas standoff and held conspicuously warm summit meeting with him
in november
some commentators have suggested that tymoshenko rather than yanukovich could be
moscow preferred candidate suggestion that putin new year greetings
wishing his counterpart new successes did little to dispel
tymoshenko will continue to preserve good relations with putin and seek
compromises with russia on strategic issues said volodymyr fesenko director
of penta centre for political studies in kiev
while tymoshenko still styles her hair with long golden braid wrapped round
her head in the traditional ukrainian style she has sought to expand her
support from the nationalist west of the country to the more pro russian east
born in the central industrial city of dnipropetrovsk tymoshenko won prominence
and allegedly huge wealth in the chaotic as chief executive of united
energy systems of ukraine which imported russian gas
she was briefly arrested and detained in february but the charges of
forgery and gas smuggling were annulled her supporters insist the affair was
linked to her opposition to then president leonid kuchma
tymoshenko was the chief comrade in arms of president viktor yushchenko in the
orange revolution that swept the old pro kuchma order from power and has
served twice as prime minister under his presidency
but despite chronic financial crisis the pair relationship descended into
sometimes comical bickering
tymoshenko even mulled pre election deal with yanukovich party but the talks
collapsed and she now speaks of both men with undisguised disdain as better
suited for wax museum than politics
crisis stricken ukraine to choose new president
kiev jan afp
in the first round of bruising fight to control strategic nation bridging
the eu and russia ukraine on sunday starts electing new president to bring it
out of economic and political crisis
polls show veteran politician viktor yanukovich dour ex mechanic who favours
closer ties with russia and the more pro eu prime minister yulia tymoshenko are
on course to reap the most votes in the january election
with bewildering array of candidates standing neither of the two old
rivals is expected to win an overall majority forcing run off between the
pair scheduled for february
yanukovich leads the polls for the run off but analysts say tymoshenko still has
time to close the gap in an election which will determine who will take crucial
decisions about ukraine future years after its independence
yanukovich now has the advantage said volodymyr fesenko chairman of penta
centre for political studies in kiev but would not rush to draw
conclusions
if tymoshenko manages to mobilize most of the electorate which does not want to
see yanukovich as president then she could have chance of victory he said
despite the new year holidays the campaign has already hit top gear with snow
blanketed kiev plastered with billboards with the slogans of the main candidates
and bitter insults exchanged between the leading protagonists
with population of around million ukraine boasts soil that counted for
percent of the soviet union agriculture output huge industrial assets and
pipeline network that transits russian energy to europe
yet five years after the peaceful orange revolution swept its old post soviet
order from power and inspired hopes of new era the country is far from
realizing its potential to be political and economic powerhouse
ukraine was worse hit by the economic crisis than any other major european
economy punished for failing to diversify its industrial base its currency
fell percent and industrial output plunged more than percent in
the problems were compounded by farcical bickering between tymoshenko and her
erstwhile orange revolution ally president viktor yushchenko who is now given
almost zero chance of making the run off after his ratings slumped to single
digits
under yushchenko who regarded his presidency as historic mission to bring
an independent ukraine towards eu and nato membership relations with russia
plummeted to post soviet low
feud over gas prices between moscow and kiev in january deprived dozen
european countries of russian gas for two weeks and raised questions in brussels
about europe dependence on the ukrainian transit network
the nadir was reached in august when russia president dmitry medvedev fired
off an angry letter to yushchenko blasting him as anti russian and bluntly
stating moscow hoped for better ties under new leadership
whoever wins between tymoshenko and yanukovich analysts expect the new
president to take more nuanced approach to the game of weighing ukraine need
for good ties with moscow against integration with the european union
yanukovich draws the bulk of his support from the heavily industrial east of
ukraine and the south which were long part of the russian empire and where most
use russian as their first language
the heartland of tymoshenko support is the west of the country which has
changed hands repeatedly in the course of history and where use of ukrainian is
matter of pride
both tymoshenko and yanukovich will seek balance of interests between the
west and russia said fesenko
but yanukovich will place greater emphasis on russia while tymoshenko would
give greater priority to european integration
yet the picture is complex tymoshenko has boasted of her warm relationship with
russian prime minister vladimir putin laughing enthusiastically at his jokes at
recent meeting
yanukovich criticised as stooge of russia in the last polls when he was
defeated by yushchenko has sought to broaden his appeal and notably criticised
vehemently gas agreements inked by putin and tymoshenko
indeed both candidates are re embracing the multi vector foreign policy of
maintaining neutral balance between russia and europe implemented by the wily
leonid kuchma in his presidency said report by the international
centre for policy studies
according to the latest poll by the kiev international institute of sociology
kiis yanukovich will win percent of the vote in the first round compared
with percent for tymoshenko
he would then win the second round with percent with tymoshenko polling
percent
most polls now show that third place in the first round will go to sergiy
tigipko former finance minister and banking executive seen as possible
prime minister in yanukovich presidency
fourth place should go to ex parliament speaker arseniy yatseniuk aged just
who few months ago looked as though he could break into the second round
thanks to snazzy campaign but saw his support nosedive in recent weeks
more gurkhas to go to uk after court defeat veterans group
london jan afp
former gurkha soldiers from nepal could feel under pressure to settle in britain
instead of staying in their homeland after losing test case on pension rights
veterans group has said
the gurkhas who last year won the right to settle in britain following high
profile campaign led by actress joanna lumley lost the case monday in london
against the ministry of defence over pensions
the legal action was launched by the british gurkha welfare society which says
around gurkha veterans who served before and their dependents
receive only third of what their british counterparts get in pensions
the test case focused on two claimants surbarna adhikari and tikendra dewan
they served and years in the army respectively
gurkhas injustice continues said the society after the judgement adding an
appeal was planned
general secretary chhatra rai warned the ruling could lead to impoverished
gurkhas heading for britain which would cost authorities here huge sums through
increased welfare payments
the case concerned veterans retired before july most of whom continue
to live in nepal the high court in london was told
the approach of the mod makes no sense since it is clear that considerable cost
savings could be made if gurkhas would feel less pressure to settle in the uk
said rai
this would also put less pressure on the british welfare system he said
the government has estimated that the settlement policy will cost between
million and million pounds year in welfare and healthcare provision for
veterans and dependants moving to the uk rai added
military charity the army benevolent fund already warned earlier this month that
thousands of gurkha veterans could arrive in britain with almost nothing
putting huge strain on welfare groups
but rai insisted improving the gurkhas pensions was above all moral issue
as most of the gurkha veterans in the affected group were now old and fragile
and could not speak good enough english to find work
ruling on the test case justice ian burnett spoke of the high regard british
people had for gurkhas but rejected their challenge on the grounds the ministry
of defence had not acted unlawfully
the ministry had argued that because gurkha pensions are payable over longer
time than regular armed forces pensions gurkhas end up receiving the same
amount as british veterans
about gurkhas fought for britain in world war and world war ii and
more than have died in british uniform
around now serve in the british army including in afghanistan gurkhas
have won victoria crosses the top military award for valour
in may last year the british government did turn to allow all gurkha
veterans with minimum of four years service to settle in britain
lumley the daughter of british major who fought with the gurkha rifles in
world war ii figured prominently in that campaign she subsequently visited
nepal and was hailed as heroine
european stocks edge higher at open
london jan afp
europe main stock markets inched upwards at the start of trading on tuesday
with london benchmark ftse index rising percent to reach
points
frankfurt dax gained just point to and in paris the cac won
percent to stand at points
afp gmt news advisory
paris jan afp
duty editor chris otton
tel
top stories
iranian nuclear scientist killed in tehran bomb attack
nigeria president breaks sick bed silence
woman who saved anne frank diary dead at
iran unrest nuclear wrap
tehran
an iranian nuclear scientist is killed in rare bomb attack in tehran as the
islamic republic faces an ongoing political crisis and standoff with the west
over its controversial atomic programme
words gmt by hiedeh farmani
nigeria politics president ndlead
lagos
nigerian president umaru yar adua breaks long silence he has kept since going
into hospital in saudi arabia for heart treatment in november telling the bbc
he hopes to resume his duties despite rumours of his death
words gmt
netherlands jews wwii frank gies ndlead obit
the hague
the woman who saved anne frank diary from the nazis miep gies has died after
brief illness at the age of
words gmt file picture
filing plans by region
europe
nireland britain politics lead
belfast
northern ireland government tries to head off crisis threatening its
existence after first minister peter robinson stepped aside for six weeks over
scandal linked to his wife affair with year old
words gmt
britain iraq military politics inquiry newseries
london
tony blair controversial former chief spin doctor alastair campbell gives
evidence to britain public inquiry into the iraq war days before his one time
boss takes the stand
words gmt
britain military nepal politics pensions
london
former gurkha soldiers from nepal could feel under pressure to settle in britain
instead of staying in their homeland after losing test case on pension rights
veterans group says
words gmt by sam reeves
ukraine vote advancer
kiev
in the first round of bruising fight to control strategic nation bridging
the eu and russia ukraine on sunday starts electing new president to bring it
out of economic and political crisis
words gmt by stuart williams picture
we will also move ukraine vote yanukovich profile
ukraine vote tymoshenko profile
ukraine vote yushchenko profile
americas
us diplomacy asia thlead
honolulu hawaii
us secretary of state hillary clinton seeks to defuse dispute over us air
base in japan as she arrives in hawaii for talks with her japanese counterpart
katsuya okada
words moved by lachlan carmichael picture
us auto show thlead
detroit michigan
new sense of optimism fills the detroit auto show as the industry looks
forward to recovery from one of its worst years on record
words gmt by mira oberman picture
we have also moved us auto show politics lead
us japan auto company honda hybrid
us japan company nissan interview
venezuela economy finance forex thlead
caracas
the venezuelan military shutters firms including european backed
supermarket apparently fulfilling pledge to close businesses that raise
prices after massive currency devaluation
words gmt by beatriz lecumberri picture
africa
violence angola togo fbl afr wrap
luanda
second separatist group claims it was behind last week deadly attack on the
togolese football team in an oil rich angolan enclave heightening security
concerns at africa premier football tournament
words gmt picture graphic
asia
japan airline company distress jal ndlead
tokyo
american airlines ups an offer for japan airlines to billion dollars
intensifying bidding war with delta as shares in asia biggest carrier crash
on fears that bankruptcy is imminent
words gmt by kyoko hasegawa
we will also move japan airline company distress jal profile profile
japan airline company distress jal chrono chrono
china military missile test rdlead
beijing
china has said it successfully tested missile intercept system in what
analysts say was show of its advanced air defence capabilities amid tensions
over us arms sales to taiwan
words moved by robert saiget picture
malaysia religion catholic church attack focus
kuala lumpur
malaysia image as moderate muslim nation has suffered blow with spate of
church fire bombings that has widened ethnic divisions and posed serious
challenge for prime minister najib razak
words moved by beh lih yi graphic picture
myanmar boosts civil service salaries
yangon jan afp
military ruled myanmar has increased basic salaries for low paid civil servants
government order said tuesday in an apparent attempt to stave off the effect
of rising prices
government workers earning between the lowest monthly wage of kyats
dollars and kyats will receive fixed increase of kyats said
the order from the ministry of finance and revenue
the new rate will apply to the first month salary of which will be paid
at the end of january said the order which was dated december but has only
just emerged
the government has decided to increase the salaries of government staff for the
sake of their living standards the order said
myanmar one of the world poorest countries has seen prices of commodities
and consumer items rise sharply in recent months
massive and unannounced hike in fuel prices in august unleashed protests
led by buddhist monks that snowballed into the biggest threat to the ruling
junta in nearly years
subsequent crackdown by the military left at least people dead
under the new government order the day rate for casual labourers for government
departments would also be increased from kyats per eight hour day to
kyats
civil servants paid in foreign currency abroad such as foreign ministry staff
would not have their salary increased the order said
we have to be happy about the increased salaries government worker said on
condition of anonymity
but the cost of living and daily expenses are also increasing now and that
why there is so much corruption still it the pay rise is relief for the
lowest paid staff the official said
myanmar has an estimated government staff working at ministries
taliban storm pakistan army post kill soldier official
khar pakistan jan afp
dozens of taliban insurgents stormed pakistani military post in tribal town
near the afghan border on tuesday killing one paramilitary soldier and wounding
three others officials said
more than militants attacked the checkpost in the mountainous town of ghanan
shah in northwest mohmand district before dawn
they came from three sides and attacked the post with automatic weapons and
rocket launchers local administration official zabit khan told afp one
soldier was killed and three were wounded
military official confirmed the casualties and said security forces
retaliated killing four taliban attackers
the post is located about kilometres miles southwest of khar the main
town in the troubled tribal region of bajaur
pakistan military launched major operation against insurgents in bajaur in
august in february they said the area had been cleared but unrest
still rocks the region and army operations have continued
pakistan tribal belt has become stronghold for islamist extremists who fled
afghanistan after us led invasion toppled the hardline taliban regime in late
and islamabad had launched multiple offensives in the region
hong kong gold closes higher
hong kong jan afp
hong kong gold closed higher on tuesday at us dollars an
ounce up from dollars on monday
it opened at dollars
tennis serena warning for open rivals after easy win
sydney jan afp
world number one serena williams has warned her australian open rivals she will
