spanish government does not pay ransoms this position is clear and firm
among the prisoners who aqim or the al qaeda in the islamic maghreb wants to
see released in exchange for freeing the hostages is tayeb ould also known as
said serhib who allegedly headed jihadist cell in northeastern spain el
mundo reported last week
ould left spain in and was arrested in mauritania two years later
gm axes belgian auto plant
brussels jan afp
general motors europe announced on thursday it is to close an entire car
production plant in belgium making workers redundant and ramping up an
already tense climate of social unrest
our intention today is to stop production in matter of few months new
chief executive nick reilly told brussels press conference suggesting june or
july as the likeliest date
new line of small sports utility vehicles will now be built in south korea
instead he said
it is the second major factory closure announced by carmakers in europe this
month after italy fiat acted to shut plant in sicily
europe wide restructuring at gm opel unit is expected to shed jobs from
total of almost half of which are located in germany
reilly said that about of the jobs going would be german positions
the belgian factory in northern antwerp home to the world biggest diamond
market and one of the world five largest ports is the only gm plant so far to
face being locked up
reilly said there was no alternative and rejected ideas that the plant could be
adapted for components manufacturing as discussed during the us parent
company earlier plan to sell its european arm
it not gm intention to get into the components business he said
joeri who has worked for opel for years said we are seen as antiquated
objects
it an absolute catastrophe for belgian workers and manufacturing added
walter cnop of the csc union metalworkers branch
slamming management arrogance and decision he said was based on political
considerations in no way assessed on economic grounds cnop immediately
announced an open ended blockade
cnop said that from tuesday of next week the factory will remain blocked until
such time as we decide to let finished cars out
belgian industry federation agoria warned that at least jobs could be lost
due to knock on effects
an emergency meeting with the office of belgium devolved flemish government
leader kris peeters later on thursday will precede redundancy and resettlement
talks
reilly said he understood workers disappointment and anger but underlined we
have cars for them to build and we like to continue normal work until the
gates close for the last time
opel needs billion euros billion dollars to finance its new business
plan and hopes to get billion euros from countries where opel and its
british sister brand vauxhall have operations
germany originally offered the bulk of the sums magna wanted but faced
political backlash based on european union state aid rules as rival plants
sensed they would be tossed on the scrapheap in order to keep germans in work
antwerp unions have consistently maintained that plant in bochum western
germany had weaker economic case and called for european labour solidarity
employee and union representatives accused management of breaching contract
with the company european works council on the suv line saying antwerp
employees had already been engaged on the project since
our projection of how many of those we will manufacture has gone down said
reilly of slump in demand globally for cars adding that it would be more
economic to build them in korea
the antwerp closure comes at time of sensitive industrial relations in
belgium as elsewhere
the world biggest brewer ab inbev maker of famed belgian beer brands such as
stella artois leffe or hoegaarden risks being unable to meet distribution
requirements in its home or surrounding countries owing to blockade action in
protest at job cuts
belgian firefighters also mounted spectacular protest over career prospects on
thursday spraying government buildings and main traffic arteries with foam
while prison guards are themselves out on strike amid complaints over working
conditions
ex elf boss faces more jail in france
paris jan afp
an ex head of the french oil giant elf faces return to jail in ongoing fallout
from corruption scandal at the hugely powerful firm now part of the total
group court source said thursday
the paris appeal court said loik le floch prigent who has already served two
jail terms for corruption while head of elf from to had failed to pay
adequate compensation to total as ordered when he was freed in
elf was major power in french interests abroad after striking oil in africa in
the and was later implicated in the controversial sale of french built
warships to taiwan
several of its senior managers were jailed in the corruption scandal that broke
in the it was taken over by total in
le floch prigent who was first jailed for five months in for misuse of
company assets claimed at the time that the company had been considered as an
arm of the state foreign policy
he was jailed again in on other charges and freed on probation in on
health grounds on condition that he pay compensation at rate based on his
own revenues to total for the case involving elf
one of his lawyers francis chouraqui said on thursday that it was
unthinkable that le floch prigent who is and suffering from cancer should
go back to jail he planned to take the case to europe human rights court
fhockey former pakistan players demand world cup boycott
karachi jan afp
former pakistan sports captains demanded on thursday boycott of the hockey
world cup in india next month to protest at pakistani cricketers being snubbed
by the indian premier league
none of pakistan players included in the ipl auction in mumbai on tuesday
were sold despite their national team being the reigning world twenty
champions ending hopes of pakistani cricketers featuring in the third edition
pakistani cricketers were treated badly by india so to keep our national pride
we must not send our hockey team to the world cup said former pakistan hockey
captain and coach islahuddin siddiqui
the international hockey federation event is due to be played in new delhi from
february to march arch rivals india and pakistan will face off on the
opening day of the nation tournament
pakistan national assembly also cancelled parliamentary delegation trip to
india as protest against the ipl move while the pakistan hockey federation
phf said it will follow the government advice
we have to follow government policy and will seek the government permission
to send the national team to india said phf spokesman
former cricket captain zaheer abbas also called for boycott
we should adopt clear policy on sports with india and if they have not
allowed our players in the ipl then we must not send our hockey team to the
world cup abbas told private television channel
india stalled bilateral cricket with pakistan after blaming attacks in november
on its commercial hub mumbai on pakistan based militant group
but they still contest other sports
an indian boxing team participated in an international event in karachi earlier
this month while pakistan has sent its snooker tennis wrestling and badminton
teams to india in the last two years
pakistan also thursday cancelled tour of india by its kabaddi team kabaddi is
team sport similar to game of tag and is popular in south asia pakistan
was due to play in five matches across india starting later this month
we have decided to cancel our tour to india in protest over our cricketers
being insulted in the indian premier league auction rana mohammad sarwar
secretary of the pakistan kabaddi federation told afp
attacks avaiation security eu us talks ndlead
paris jan afp
attn eds this story has been delayed by the late start of press conference
new filing time will be announced on the gmt news advisory
us tech firms should refuse to support censorship clinton
washington jan afp
us secretary of state hillary clinton urged us technology companies on thursday
to refuse to support censorship
hope that refusal to support politically motivated censorship will become
trademark characteristic of american technology companies clinton said in
speech on internet freedom at the newseum journalism museum here it should be
part of our national brand
clinton did not specifically mention internet giant google refusal to no
longer censor web search results in china but said the private sector has
shared responsibility to help safeguard free expression
and when their business dealings threaten to undermine this freedom they need
to consider what right not simply the prospect of quick profits she said
the us secretary of state also said the state department would hold high level
meeting next month with companies that provide network services for talks on
internet freedom
passenger arrested after airline bomb threat fbi
new york jan afp
passenger was arrested thursday in philadelphia airport after reported
bomb threat on plane from new york the federal bureau of investigation fbi
said
there an individual in custody an fbi spokesman in philadelphia told afp
us television reported that us airways flight from laguardia in new york to
louisville in kentucky was diverted to philadelphia for security reasons
according to cbs male passenger strapped wire for his fingers to his
head
we don have any information now the fbi spokesman said there plane on
the ground in philadelphia we ve got all our units there
clinton urges chinese probe into google attacks
washington jan afp
us secretary of state hillary clinton called on china on thursday to conduct
thorough and transparent investigation into the recent cyberattacks on google
and other us companies
we look to chinese authorities to conduct thorough investigation of the cyber
intrusions clinton said in remarks on internet freedom at the newseum
journalism museum here we also look for that investigation and its results to
be transparent
the internet has already been source of tremendous progress in china and
it great that so many people there are now online clinton said
but countries that restrict free access to information or violate the basic
rights of internet users risk walling themselves off from the progress of the
next century she said
urgent us tech firms should refuse to support censorship clinton
washington jan afp
us secretary of state hillary clinton urged us technology companies on thursday
to refuse to support politically motivated censorship
urgent clinton urges chinese probe into google attacks
washington jan afp
us secretary of state hillary clinton called on china on thursday to conduct
thorough and transparent investigation into the recent cyberattacks on google
and other us companies
alert
clinton urges us tech firms not to support censorship
alert
us wants thorough probe from china into google attacks clinton
un death toll in haiti quake now at spokesman
united nations jan afp
the number of un staffers confirmed dead in the devastating haiti quake has
risen from to with nearly others mostly haitians unaccounted for
un spokesman said thursday
we have now confirmed dead farhan haq told afp
he said some of the nearly unaccounted for were haitian staff who may
have been at home when the january quake struck and have yet to be located
the magnitude quake which marks the worst disaster in the un history
killed at least and left million homeless
more than eight days after the temblor devastated the haitian capital port au
prince and leveled the main headquarters of the un mission in haiti minustah
rescuers said they could not rule out the possibility of some victims still
being alive under the debris
afp world economic news summary
paris jan afp
the top world economic stories on thursday
us banking company earnings goldman
new york us banking giant goldman sachs posted net profit that soared past wall
street forecasts for the fourth quarter and the full year despite slip
in revenues
eu software competition company takeover oracle sun
brussels brussels regulators approved us business software giant oracle bid
for hardware and software vendor sun microsystems saying the deal would not
skew the market in europe
china economy
beijing china economy expanded by percent in but inflation surged
towards the end of the year new data showed as authorities intervened to avert
the risk of overheating
greece economy bonds stocks
athens greece said its priority is to regain credibility on financial markets
as greek bonds and stocks fell and the euro also retreated on factors linked to
greek debt and eurozone strains
britain economy budget deficit
london british state borrowing worsened to record deficit in december
official data showed as the recession hammered taxation revenues and ramped up
spending on benefits and stimulus measures
belgium us auto structure cuts company opel gm
brussels general motors europe announced that it is to close its opel auto
production plant in antwerp in blow that belgian industry said would cost
jobs overall
eu telecom mobile regulate consumer sector price
london an eu drive against high cross border mobile telephone charges has
halved prices but operators are still making rich pickings and have raised
charges in other regions survey finds
eu puts off reply to us request for airport body scanners
toledo spain jan afp
the eu will decide on us request that europe install body scanners at its
airports after studies into their effects on health and privacy are completed
eu officials said thursday in spain
spanish interior minister alfredo perez rubalcaba whose country holds the
rotating presidency of the european union said the european commission was
carrying out studies into the devices effectiveness and possible impacts on
health and privacy
once we have these studies on the table we will make decision he told
news conference with us homeland security secretary janet napolitano following
talks with interior ministers from across the nation bloc in toledo
the united states has accelerated the installation of body scanners at its
airports since the attempted attack on christmas day on jet bound for detroit
from amsterdam and it would like the eu to follow its lead to monitor
passengers crossing the atlantic
napolitano said the united states currently employs body scanners at its
airports and intends to have at least within the next year
al qaeda has used and will use its best minds against aviation security and we
must do no less she added
spain wants the eu to develop common policy on the use of the scanners which
can see through clothing to reveal concealed liquids explosives or weapons
britain and the netherlands have already said they will employ the scanners
while france and italy plan to try out the expensive devices
scandinavian nations germany and spain have been more cautious
german interior thomas de maiziere said there had been some very promising
tests in the netherlands with the scanners and berlin could reach decision
regarding their use by the middle of the year
they have to be effective not harm health and not violate privacy he said
adding it would be better to have joint eu decision in the long term
it is not question of acting under pressure it is question of national and
european security
the outgoing european commission dropped plans to introduce the scanners europe
wide in after the european parliament opposed the move calling for more
studies on the possible radiation dangers and privacy issues involved
privacy campaigners say the technology violates european law by producing
sexually explicit images of the passengers
they have raised the possibility that images taken by the scanners could be
leaked online and want the scanners to be used only if it can be shown that they
definitely improve security do not pose health hazard and do to not infringe
upon privacy rights
german population slumps for seventh year running
berlin jan afp
germany population shrank for the seventh year in row in figures
showed thursday in blow to chancellor angela merkel bid to boost the
country birth rate
the population was to million at the end of the national
statistics office said compared to million in the number of births
also dropped
germany has one of the lowest birth rates in europe children per woman
and data released in november suggested that at current rates the country
population could shrink by up to million in the next years
like other advanced economies germany is facing snowballing population
crisis leaving the country short of workers and adding to the strain on already
stretched public coffers
in an effort to turn the tide merkel has launched host of initiatives to
encourage germans to have bigger families including creating more creche places
and offering generous parental leave policies
belgrade zagreb row over bosnian serb independence talk
belgrade jan afp
the row between serbia and croatia over bosnian serb threats to call
referendum on independence from bosnia intensified thursday stirring up
uncertainty in the fragile region
serbian president boris tadic branded his croatian counterpart stipe mesic
warmonger over mesic comments that he would send in the army if bosnian serbs
tried to break away from bosnia
the war of words stirred up painful memories of the bloody balkans wars
which left hundreds of thousands dead and saw the former yugoslav federation
fall apart
mesic statement published tuesday is direct warmongering and threat to
regional security tadic told rts serbian state television
earlier this week mesic who is due to step down on february commented on
recent calls by bosnian serb prime minister milorad dodik for referendum on
the independence of the serb dominated republika srpska rs section of bosnia
if were president at the time when milorad dodik called referendum on
separation from the rest of bosnia would send in the army to block the
posavina corridor mesic was quoted as saying
the posavina corridor runs along croatia border with bosnia and is the main
link between the bosnian serb capital banja luka with the eastern part of the
rs
mesic did not deny he made the comments but his office quickly sought to down
play them saying zagreb is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the
dayton peace agreement which ended the war in bosnia
the comments of the president should be interpreted as warning formulated in
radical way to say that the world should not close its eyes to the politics
of the bosnian serb prime minister dodik and the possible consequences of
these politics mesic office said thursday
since the end of the war bosnia has been divided into two entities the rs and
the muslim croat federation they are united by central government institutions
but have wide ranging federal powers and autonomy
dodik has often warned that he would call referendum on independence for the
area if its autonomy were threatened
in belgrade the daily danas dodik stressed thursday that vote on rs
secession from bosnia is not on the agenda
however he said he remains committed to the idea of calling referendum to ask
bosnian serbs if they support the dayton agreement
observers in the region say dodik tough talking can be seen as an attempt to
stir up popular support ahead of the bosnian elections due to be held this
autumn
while his continuing comments on possible break away from bosnia touch raw
nerve in the region analysts agree that zagreb and belgrade will not allow the
situation to get to that point
belgrade has stressed that it will not support any independence referendum by
bosnian serbs stance that dodik understands in light of belgrade anger over
kosovo independence
both croatia and serbia have aspirations to join the european union which could
be severely hampered if they were seen as stirring up regional instability
exclude the possibility of referendum on the secession of the rs and
exclude croatian military action because they want to enter the eu bosnian
serb political analyst tanja topic told afp
the croatian president elect ivo josipovic said in an interview with
television thursday that zagreb and belgrade should work together to resolve the
problems with bosnia adding that the countries should have decent and correct
relations towards sarajevo
interference is out of the question history has taught us this is wrong he
said
haiti relocates thousands of homeless minister
port au prince jan afp
haiti officials said thursday they were relocating thousands of homeless
earthquake victims to hastily set up villages designed to each hold at least
people
the government has made available to people free transportation large
operation is taking place we re in the process of relocating homeless people
said haitian interior minister paul antoine bien aime
officials said the government was paying for at least buses to take victims
to the south and north of the country from the capital port au prince which was
largely destroyed in an magnitude earthquake earlier this month
it is not clear where the internally displaced people will end up but officials
said they had begun the process of identifying sites for the villages
kenya in fresh bid to deport radical jamaican imam
nairobi jan afp
kenya on thursday made fresh attempt to deport radical jamaican imam abdulla
al faisal on private jet scheduled to fly him back to his country officials
said
have been told by the anti terrorism police unit officers that the subject is
no longer within the court jurisdiction his destination is jamaica state
counsel edwin okello told high court judge in nairobi
the cleric checked through immigration at nairobi international airport but it
was not clear whether his jet had taken off an immigration official told afp on
condition of anonymity
there was no immediate confirmation of al faisal deportation from the police
or the government
al faisal who was jailed for four years in britain for inciting racial hatred
was arrested in the port city of mombasa on december by kenyan police who
had since twice tried and failed to deport him
the year old firebrand cleric arrest without charge sparked an outcry among
kenya muslim community and protests which left five dead following friday
prayers on january
the unprecedented riots outside nairobi main mosque had led to massive sweep
in which police arrested somalis and drew renewed threats from somalia al
qaeda linked shebab group
al faisal immigration card copy of which was obtained by afp shows he was
to leave kenya from nairobi main international airport on private flight
gulfstream zsjgc
the high court had been due to decide whether or not to keep abdulla al faisal
who is on several international terror watchlists in detention
earlier thursday the police filed several security documents accusing the
jamaican cleric of engaging in preaching activities that violated the terms of
his tourist visa and of being national security threat
kenyan foreign minister moses wetangula had said earlier this week that the
cleric would be out of the country by thursday
it was unclear where al faisal jet was scheduled to stop for re fuelling
he is persona non grata in most western countries and was denied transit in
several african countries
kenya two previous efforts to deport him earlier this month failed when
tanzania and later nigerian airline refused to take him
al faisal lawyer reacted with dismay at his client deportation even as his
fate was being discussed in court
we want to be furnished with documents to show which atpu anti terrorism
police unit officers followed him who is the pilot which plane and such
other documents harun ndubi told the judge
news of the controversial cleric exit from kenya comes on the eve of fresh
demonstration in mombasa which some muslim groups planned to hold after friday
prayers despite police ban
amid simmering confessional tension in kenya members of somalia hardline
shebab group on wednesday posted on website song in swahili threatening
attacks in nairobi
the islamist armed movement has repeatedly threatened to retaliate for kenya
support for the internationally backed transitional federal government
urgent passenger arrested after airline bomb threat fbi
new york jan afp
passenger was arrested thursday in philadelphia airport after reported
bomb threat on plane that left earlier from new york the federal bureau of
investigation fbi said
olympics cash crisis could stop brits going to vancouver
london jan afp
british olympic chiefs are involved in race against time to prevent the
national ski and snowboard federation going bust before next month winter
games in vancouver
the british ski and snowboard federation which trades as snowsport gb needs
pounds dollars cash injection to keep operating
their financial problems have led to fears that snowboarder zoe gillings and
skier chemmy alcott two of britain leading medal hopes in country that has
had rarely enjoyed sporting success on the slopes won be able to compete in
canada if the federation were to enter administration
however british olympic association chief executive andy hunt said thursday
we are fully aware of the situation and have been briefed on the steps being
taken by snowsport gb to remedy the financial shortfall
the boa absolute priority is to do everything possible to ensure that the
athletes are able to compete in the vancouver games as members of team gb
we have developed contingency plan and should it become necessary to do so
will submit it to our board for consideration
we are in communication with the relevant team leaders and officials to
reassure them that we are monitoring the situation closely and are doing
everything we can to support them
federation chairman oliver jones told thursday edition of the times that the
global economic crisis had hit his organisation hard
administration is only one of number of outcomes which may come out of this
he said the federation has had particularly difficult year made worse by
the economic background
as winter sports federation we have seen our funding substantially curtailed
in recent years and we have become increasingly dependent on more private
funding
he added know we are living through extremely tough times but find it
extraordinary that we have not been able to raise the pounds we need it
is not too late for someone in the british government to think again
un death toll in haiti quake now at spokesman
united nations jan afp
the number of un staffers confirmed dead in the devastating haiti quake has
risen from to with nearly others mostly haitians unaccounted for
un spokesman said thursday
we have now confirmed dead farhan haq told afp
he said some of the nearly unaccounted for were haitian staff who may
have been at home when the january quake struck and have yet to be located
iraq president queries legality of candidate vetting body
baghdad jan afp
iraqi president jalal talabani cast doubt on thursday on the legality of
controversial committee that has barred more than candidates linked to
saddam hussein from standing for election
we asked in an official letter to judge madhat al mahmud president of the
iraqi supreme court that he rule on the legality of the integrity and
accountability committee talabani told reporters in baghdad
our question is is the organisation that took this decision legal
talabani was referring to the committee that has banned candidates from
standing in may general election accusing them of being members or
sympathisers of the executed dictator outlawed baath party fedayeen militia
or mukhabarat intelligence network
prominent sunni arab mps have argued that the committee has no legal basis as it
has not been approved by parliament
the blacklist has sparked pre election tensions between the country shiite
majority and its sunni arab former elite alarming the white house and the
united nations
talabani who is himself kurd urged people to draw distinction between
hardcore saddam loyalists and the many more iraqis who had no choice but to join
the baath party
we should not be unjust with them talabani said
asked whether the timing of the ban was wise just six weeks before the election
he replied wish this decision had been taken another time
thousands of shiites took to the streets in southern iraq on thursday urging
that the ban be upheld sunnis however many of whom lost their jobs in purge
of iraq dominant public sector institutions after the us led invasion of
have said they are being marginalised ahead of the vote
the integrity and accountability committee is headed by shiite politician ahmed
chalabi who served as deputy prime mininster after the invasion and whose
current job is to vet would be candidates and purge those deemed unsuitable
chalabi was key us ally when he spearheaded the case for war against saddam
which was launched on the grounds that the dictator had stockpiled weapons of
mass destruction
however intelligence that chalabi provided in support of those claims in the
run up to the invasion later turned out to be flawed and he subsequently fell
out of favour with washington
urgent haiti relocates thousands of homeless minister
port au prince jan afp
haiti officials said thursday they were relocating thousands of homeless
earthquake victims to hastily set up villages designed to each hold at least
people
alert
passenger arrested after reported bomb threat on plane fbi
urgent un death toll in haiti quake now at spokesman
united nations jan afp
