our building of the country into an economic giant is aimed to all intents and
purposes at radically improving the people standard of living the editorial
quoted north korea all powerful leader kim jong il as saying
professor kim yong hyun said the north was now whipping up its people to
increase production after the country last month carried out surprise currency
revaluation aimed at reasserting government control of the economy
the editorial warned neighbouring south korea against committing acts that may
aggravate the confrontation and tension and take the road of respecting the
inter korean declarations promoting north south dialogue and improving the
relations between both sides
the focus on the standard of living shows that the regime is trying to solicit
legitimacy for its power succession from the people jang yong suk
researcher at the private institute for peace affairs told the south yonhap
news agency
afp gmt news advisory
paris jan afp
duty editor martin bennitt
tel
top stories
iran mousavi ready to die for opposition cause
korea urges end to hostile relations with us
parties massive security usher in new year
iran politics unrest opposition thlead wrap
tehran
iranian opposition leader mir hossein mousavi says he is ready to sacrifice his
life in his campaign to have the disputed june re election of president mahmoud
ahmadinejad overturned
words gmt file picture
nkorea us diplomacy thlead
seoul
north korea calls for an end to hostile relations with the united states vowing
to work towards nuclear free peninsula seven months after its last atomic test
angered the world community
words gmt by park chan kyong
new year
newyear world lead
new york
new yorkers greet the new year under the protection of snipers in times square
and millions worldwide shrug off security fears to usher in fresh decade with
massive celebrations
words gmt picture
europe
britain iraq hostage iran lead
london
briton freed earlier this week after being kidnapped in iraq in is
expected to fly home to an emotional reunion with friends and family
words gmt by katherine haddon
finland crime shooting lead
espoo finland
finland is in mourning after lone gunman shoots dead his former girlfriend and
then guns down four of her work colleagues in rampage at finnish shopping
mall before turning his weapon on himself
words gmt by rebecca liebermann picture graphic
asia
afghanistan unrest lead wrap
kabul
afghan authorities distance themselves from investigations into the suicide bomb
attack that killed seven cia agents the us spy agency biggest single loss of
life in almost years
words gmt by lynne donnell
we have also moved afghanistan unrest security focus
pakistan unrest wrap
miranshah pakistan
missiles from us drone slam into car killing three militants the second
such strike in two days in pakistan tribal region of north waziristan
security officials say
words gmt by hasbanullah khan graphic
hongkong china politics democracy lead
hong kong
thousands of hong kong pro democracy campaigners take to the streets on the
first day of the new year to call for universal suffrage and the release of
jailed chinese dissident liu xiaobo
words gmt by polly hui picture
americas
iraq us justice security blackwater thlead
washington
in rebuke to government prosecutors federal judge dismisses criminal
charges against five blackwater security guards accused of fatally shooting
people in baghdad in september
words moved
africa
somalia unrest rebels islam yemen lead
mogadishu
somalia hardline shebab insurgents say they will send fighters to yemen to
help an al qaeda affiliate behind the failed christmas day jetliner bombing in
their fight against government forces
words gmt
mousavi website denies he fled tehran
tehran jan afp
the website of mir hossein mousavi on friday denied state media reports that the
iranian opposition leader had fled the capital tehran for the northern province
of mazandaran
mir hossein mousavi is at his own home in one of the side alleys of pasteur
avenue in south tehran like before and has not left tehran at all in the past
few days his kaleme org website said
despite the very recent arrest of his senior advisers mir hossein mousavi is
seriously following up political developments and news it added
on thursday iran official irna news agency reiterated its report that mousavi
had fled the capital in the face of the government crackdown on his
supporters
thousands march for democracy in hong kong
hong kong jan afp
thousands of hong kong democracy campaigners took to the streets on the first
day of the new year friday to call for universal suffrage and the release of
jailed chinese dissident liu xiaobo
chanting slogans and holding placards protesters marched through the city
centre to the central government liaison office responsible for ties with
beijing watched over by hundreds of police officers and attracting the
attention of big crowds of pedestrians
police estimated there were about protesters but organisers put the
number higher
don want fake democracy want genuine universal suffrage lee cheuk yan
lawmaker and general secretary of the confederation of trade unions chanted
through loudspeaker
the hong kong government last month unveiled proposal to increase the sizes of
both the legislature and the committee responsible for electing the city chief
executive
but the plan fell short of the expectations of pro democracy politicians who
have urged the government to introduce universal suffrage in
beijing has indicated that universal suffrage may be implemented for the chief
executive in and the legislative council in
the large turnout today has sent the strongest signal to beijing that we need
clear road map for universal suffrage wong yuk man another lawmaker and
leader of the league of social democrats told afp
protesters also urged chinese authorities to release liu xiaobo who was
sentenced by beijing court last friday to years in prison for subversion
prompting strong condemnation from the international community including the
united states the european union and canada
the year old writer previously jailed over the tiananmen protests was
detained year ago after co authoring charter bold manifesto calling for
reform of china one party communist system and protection of human rights
olivia hu mainland student studying journalism in hong kong said she felt it
was her duty to join the march after learning about the ordeal of liu from hong
kong media
people on the mainland do not know what is happening had they gained access to
the information we have in hong kong believe they would have felt the same as
we do here she said
chinese dairy closed again over tainted milk state media
beijing jan afp
chinese dairy shut down during the tainted milk scandal has been closed
again after tests found some of its products contained the same toxic chemical
state media reported friday
shanghai panda dairy was shuttered and three executives arrested thursday after
an investigation found eight batches of its powdered milk and condensed milk had
illegally high levels of melamine the shanghai daily said
panda dairy was put on black list during the scandal after its products
were found to have the second highest levels of melamine in the nation the
report said the now bankrupt sanlu group had the highest
authorities allowed panda dairy to resume production after it promised to lift
its game
but the latest investigation revealed the dairy had reused contaminated
condensed milk that was recalled from the market and also used suspect raw
material for its milk powder the report said
melamine an industrial chemical is added to milk products to give the
appearance of higher protein content
in at least six infants died and nearly were made sick by milk
powder contaminated by melamine
altogether people have been convicted for their roles in that scandal two
have been executed and former sanlu boss tian wenhua was given life in prison
one other person was given suspended death sentence punishment that is
routinely commuted to life imprisonment while others were jailed for two to
years
sanlu once one of china largest dairy manufacturers was declared bankrupt in
february after having amassed billion yuan million dollars of
debt xinhua reported at the time
philippine shares seen rallying next week
manila jan afp
philippine share prices are expected to sustain rally into the first trading
week of amid renewed bullishness about the economy dealers said friday
the philippine stock exchange composite index gained percent or
points over the week to close at points on tuesday the last trading
day of
there was no trading from wednesday to friday because of public holidays
average daily volume for the week amounted to million shares worth
billion pesos million dollars
we could see tuesday strong performance carry over to the first trading
sessions of said ab capital securities inc in an advisory to clients
there are various indications are giving bullish signs which are indicating
possible test of the level early next year the advisory said
central bank governor amando tetangco has forecast that the philippines will
easily hit its growth target of to percent in citing increased
remittances from millions of filipinos working overseas and the government
continued spending on infrastructure
we have internal strength in the economy we still have robust personal
consumption that is being assisted by increased government expenditures he was
quoted as saying in the philippine daily inquirer newspaper
marita limlingan of regina capital development corp said that in the past two
years the market has performed better in january than in december
it is seasonal people come back from vacation willing to buy she told afp
leading egypt clerics back gaza tunnel barrier report
cairo jan afp
council of leading muslim clerics has supported the egyptian government
construction of an underground barrier along the border with gaza to impede
tunnelling by smugglers report said on friday
the islamic research council of al azhar university sunni islam highest seat
of learning said that the tunnels were used to smuggle drugs and threatened
egypt security the al masri al yawm newspaper reported
it is one of egypt legitimate rights to place barrier that prevents the
harm from the tunnels under rafah which are used to smuggle drugs and other
contraband that threaten egypt stability the paper quoted the clerics as
saying
those who oppose building this wall are violating the commands of islamic law
they added after meeting attended by egypt top cleric sheikh mohammed said
tantawi who is government appointee
construction of the underground barrier has drawn angry condemnation from the
hamas rulers of the gaza strip which relies on the tunnels for food and fuel
as well as the weapons and other contraband the barrier is designed to stop
israel has sealed the territory off to all but very limited supplies of basic
goods ever since the islamist group seized control in ousting forces to
western backed palestinian president mahmud abbas
afghan authorities distance themselves from cia black ops
kabul dec afp
afghan authorities were distancing themselves friday from investigations into
suicide bomb attack that killed seven cia agents the us spy agency biggest
single loss of life in almost years
as questions swirled about how the attacker managed to penetrate security at the
base in khost province near the pakistani border the afghan defence ministry
again denied reports that any ministry personnel were involved
the government had no comment and spokesman for president hamid karzai said
there would be no official involvement in any investigation
the cia agents were killed on wednesday when suicide bomber breached the
forward operating base fob camp chapman and detonated an explosives filled
vest in basement gymnasium
the taliban claimed responsibility for the attack
zahir azimi defence ministry spokesman again denied reports that the bomber
was an ana officer or posed as one
this is the taliban talking and nothing the taliban says should be believed
he said
the cia uses fobs to collect intelligence and conduct direct drone attacks along
the border between pakistan and afghanistan said western diplomat who
referred to the activities as cia black ops
it should come as no surprise that the afghan government wants nothing to do
with this he said on condition of anonymity
karzai is not interested in the security of these places he has zero control
over the fobs that are located along the border as far as the afghan state is
concerned it black hole and whatever happens is the cia lookout
the cia lowered the flag to half mast at its tightly guarded headquarters in the
washington suburbs but did not release the names of the casualties who died
cloaked in the same anonymity in which they lived
your triumphs and even your names may be unknown to your fellow americans but
your service is deeply appreciated president barack obama wrote in letter to
cia employees
obama said that since the september attacks on the united states the
cia has been tested as never before
because of your service plots have been disrupted american lives have been
saved and our allies and partners have been more secure obama said
while more than us and coalition forces have died in afghanistan this year
wednesday suicide attack showed new level of sophistication for the taliban
infiltrating the agency in charge of finding them
the new york times said cia officers at the base recently had begun an
aggressive campaign against militant group run by sirajuddin haqqani
citing current and former intelligence officials it said the early indications
were that the bomber was brought onto the base as possible informer and might
not have been subjected to rigorous screening
by all accounts it was devastating blow for the spy agency the deadliest
since us embassy bombing in beirut that killed eight cia officers and
decimated the agency operations there
this one took the lives of war hardened operators who will be difficult to
replace and could undermine confidence at time when the agency faces rising
dangers in the field
us press reports said the seven dead included the base chief mother of three
six others were wounded their lives saved by us military doctors and nurses
cia director leon panetta said
the attack comes as the united states increasingly relies on the cia and other
covert forces to pursue strategic goals
recently and controversially the cia has been operating unmanned drones
that target extremists in lawless areas of pakistan
intelligence operatives are seen as crucial in laying out the groundwork as
obama and nato allies send in another troops as part of surge expected
to last until late
suspected taliban meanwhile have kidnapped two french journalists working for
france public television broadcaster and three afghan companions
gunmen snatched the group as they were traveling around kilometres miles
from the afghan capital on wednesday french journalist working with them told
afp
austrian unemployment rises sharply
vienna jan afp
austrian unemployment rose sharply in december to percent from percent
in november official data showed friday
in december the number of jobless was compared to the previous
month the labour ministry said in statement
on month comparison unemployment was up percent from december
according to eurostat data austria jobless rate stood at percent in
october the last month for which the figures are available making it the
second lowest unemployment rate in the european union
al qaeda threat looms into new decade warns british pm
london dec afp
the failed detroit plane bombing showed that terrorism remains very real
global threat as the world enters new decade eight years after british
prime minister gordon brown warned friday
world leaders needed to cooperate urgently to tighten security at airports and
on aircraft following the december attack in which year old nigerian
nearly downed us jet as it prepared to land he said
brown added that britain had ordered review of airport security arrangements
and promised action as quickly as possible
the new decade is starting as the last began with al qaeda creating
climate of fear he wrote saying the failed bombing had exposed an evolving
terrorist threat and highlighted major new base for terrorism
the failed attack in detroit on christmas day reminds us of deeper reality
that almost years after september th international terrorism is still
very real threat he added
the detroit attack which has led to major review of security procedures and
the coordination of airline and other watch lists had thrown the spotlight onto
the threat posed by militants based in yemen he said
umar farouk abdulmutallab is believed to have been trained in yemen before
embarking on the failed bombing with explosives concealed in his underwear
which remained undetected as he passed through nigerian and dutch airports
enemies of democracy and freedom now trying to mastermind death and
destruction from yemen as well as other better known homes of international
terror such as pakistan and afghanistan are concealing explosives in ways
which are more difficult to detect said brown
al qaeda and their associates continue in their ambition to indoctrinate
thousands of young people around the world with deadly desire to kill and
maim he wrote in an article on his downing street office website
and he said our response in security intelligence policing and military
action is not just an act of choice but an act of necessity
brown said britain has one of the toughest borders in the world and had
screened million passengers in and out of the country against watchlists
including the detroit attempted bomber who was refused visa in may
but in light of the detroit incident we all urgently need to work together on
how we might further tighten these arrangements he said
that is why on monday ordered immediate reviews into existing measures
including for transit passengers and asked for ways we can urgently tighten
procedures
will be receiving the preliminary findings in the next few days and we will
act on them as quickly as possible
he stressed that britain cannot rely only on fortress britain strategy but
must take the fight to where extremists are based in afghanistan pakistan and
all around the world
the detroit plot thankfully failed but it has been another wake up call for
the ongoing battles we must wage not just for security against terror but for
the hearts and minds of generation
briton in iraq kidnap ordeal to fly home official
london jan afp
briton freed earlier this week after being kidnapped in iraq in is
expected to fly home friday officials said
peter moore computer expert was released unharmed wednesday after two
and half year ordeal in which all four of his bodyguards also britons are
thought to have been killed
it is likely that peter moore will return home today spokeswoman for the
foreign office in london said there were no further details and it was thought
his family had requested privacy
meanwhile relatives of moore and others caught up in the hostage ordeal have
spoken of their anger at the british government over its handling of the
situation
the bodies of three bodyguards alec maclachlan jason swindlehurst
and jason creswell were given to british officials last year fourth
alan mcmenemy is also believed to have died
mcmenemy father dennis accused the foreign office of deceit lies and cover
up while avril sweeney peter moore mother said the government had never
told the truth the guardian reported
the paper reported thursday that iran revolutionary guard led the kidnap
operation and took the five to iran within day of their abduction
there is speculation denied by britain that deal was done to secure their
release after it emerged the leader of the group which took moore from
government building in baghdad was being transferred from us to iraqi custody
britain and iran have also played down reports of link to iran
france reports car burnings arrests at new year
paris jan afp
scores of cars were burned in france on new year eve and hundreds of people
arrested authorities said on friday
interior minister brice hortefeux said in statement that arrests were made
across the country and police officers injured but no major incidents were
reported the official toll of burned cars was due later he said
the interior ministry had mobilised police in the capital and
nationally for the night after authorities counted cars set on fire
year ago toll that appeared to have fallen this time round
glass bottles were prohibited at the celebrations in central paris and customers
banned from filling portable containers at petrol pumps
in the eastern city of strasbourg known as hotspot for car burning at new
year media said about vehicles had been set on fire police in the hauts de
seine district near paris reported cars burned
early on friday police in paris said arrests were made in the capital
mainly for burning cars and throwing objects at officers but no major clashes
with police were reported
it is quiet for new year eve no clashes with the police and no city
violence said one police source in the seine et marne district just outside
paris
there were fewer cars burned than normal said another in val de marne also
near the capital
meanwhile an apparently accidental fire in an apartment in the southern french
city of nimes killed five people and left others injured police said
in separate incident people were harmed six of them seriously by carbon
monoxyde fumes at party in suburb of paris in circumstances that were not
yet clear on friday morning police said
turnout for the celebrations in paris was only half that of last year
hortefeux statement said with people crowding the capital compared to
on new year eve
medvedev putin dance new year cartoon duet
moscow jan afp
russia president dmitry medvedev plays an accordion and turns pirouettes while
strongman prime minister vladimir putin performs traditional dances while
thwacking tambourine on his bottom
it may only have been cartoon but two and half minute segment broadcast
on state television friday gently mocking russia ruling tandem was major
surprise for russians used to stern faced messages from their leaders
the cartoon on state owned channel one television was broadcast just after
medvedev own official new year address and showed cartoon figures of the
ruling tandem performing jovial duet commenting on the year
it shows the two standing on cartoon red square with the kremlin in the
background dressed in suits and dancing with their voices dubbed by eerily good
impersonators
the accordion playing medvedev started the skit with neat jump and shout of
hopa to which putin replied well done now your turn said medvedev
the cartoon putin gamely hit the tambourine against his backside great said
medvedev admiringly
using rhyming couplets and the elaborate wordplays beloved of russians the
sketch gently poked fun at the situation created by the sharing of power by
medvedev and his kremlin predecessor and mentor putin
for the second time congratulate the people on the new year declaimed
medvedev who took over from putin in may after meteoric ascendancy
know but someone here has congratulated them nine times pointed out the
cartoon putin yes remember conceded medvedev
the putin figure then gleefully tapped his tambourine and hands on his heels in
an imitation of traditional russian dance
putin became president on december when then president boris yeltsin
resigned despite ceding the kremlin to medvedev and becoming prime minister
putin is still believed to be russia de facto number one
television cartoons of russian leaders have been virtual taboo over the last
half decade
the wildly popular puppet show kukli dolls which wickedly satirized yeltsin
and then putin was taken off air in allegedly after official pressure
after several channels showed they were unafraid to critize the kremlin under
yeltsin the last years have seen tight state control return and national
television now rarely departs from the official line
took measures and all was fine in pikalevo sang putin referring to his
famous trip to an industrial town outside saint petersburg where he publicly
berated oligarch oleg deripaska over the condition of the factories
even deripaska now goes there without danger crooned the cartoon medvedev in
turn
referring to the state crackdown on corruption medvedev sang once upon time
bureaucrats lived off kickbacks putin rather menacingly replied now more
modest they will live somewhere else alluding to prison
tough said medvedev but in the end fair added putin
finally medvedev and putin sing in unison we would sing more couplets for you
but alas we cannot forget our duties friends happy new year
in the official kremlin address given just before the stroke of new year the
real life medvedev also appeared to promote softer image smiling broadly at
the start and then addressing russians with undisguised affection
we want everything to work out for you we want you to be happy dear
friends let your most precious dreams come true he said
for all its gentle mockery the cartoon promotes an image of putin and medvedev
working in perfect harmony some analysts have claimed to detect splits but they
have never been explicitly aired in public
afp news calendar
paris dec afp
the afp news calendar
monday january
dubai inauguration of burj dubai the world tallest tower
dushanbe iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad visits tajikistan and
sargodha pakistan five us militant suspects in pakistani custody expected to
appear in court as their remand expires
yangon myanmar marks the nd anniversary of its independence
tuesday january
cairo foreign ministers of egypt france jordan spain and tunisia meet in
bid to relaunch the mediterranean union
manila trial of accused in election linked massacre of people due to begin
thursday january
jerusalem orthodox christians celebrate christmas
kathmandu nepal begins discharge of maoist child soldiers from un monitored
camps
phnom penh cambodia marks st anniversary of fall of khmer rouge
the hague trial resumes before international criminal court of former militia
leader thomas lubanga for conscription of child soldiers in eastern democratic
republic of congo
friday january
karachi pakistan interior minister rehman malik due to appear in court on
corruption charges
lisbon parliament to vote on legalisation of gay marriage
sunday january
abu dhabi verdict expected in trial of brother of the uae president accused
of torturing an afghan
tripoli appeal hearing of swiss businessman rachid hamdani sentenced to
months in jail for residence permit offences
zagreb second round of croatian presidential elections
monday january
brussels members of the european parliament quiz new eu commissioners
seoul robert king new us special envoy for north korean human rights to visit
south korea
the hague special court for sierra leone resumes trial of former liberian
president charles taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity
tuesday january
harare treason trial begins of former white farmer roy bennett an aide to
zimbabwe prime minister morgan tsvangirai
the hague war crimes trial of ultra nationalist serb leader vojislav seselj
adjourned indefinitely to february because of witness safety concerns to resume
wednesday january
danang vietnam asean foreign ministers meeting and
thursday january
abuja court of justice of the economic community of west african states
ecowas rules on whether it can hear complaint against senegal by former
chadian president hissene habre of rights abuses
strasbourg european court of human rights conducts hearings into the case of
former russian oil company yukos which is claiming nearly billion dollars
from the russian state
tripoli appeal hearing of swiss businessman max goldi sentenced to months
in jail for residence permit offences
friday january
beijing mr gay china pageant the first such event staged in the asian nation
kathmandu indian foreign minister krishna arrives in nepal for three day
