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Iraq troops arrest Sunni MP, kill five people -police

Iraqi security forces arrested a Sunni Muslim member of parliament in the western city of Ramadi and clashed with his bodyguards on Saturday, killing at least five people, police sources said. The dead included three bodyguards, a sister and a brother of the lawmaker, Ahmed al-Alwani, a member of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc who has been critical of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the sources said. "Army troops with police special forces were trying to arrest Alwani from his house, but fierce fighting erupted. Five bodies, including one woman, were taken to Falluja hospital," one police source said. Police said a two-hour firefight broke out when bodyguards and members of Alwani’s tribe resisted police and army forces who went to arrest Alwani on charges of "terrorism" from his house in the center of Ramadi. Alwani has been an influential figure in a Sunni protest movement centered […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Maliki targets protesters as Anbar security crisis deepens

Maliki targets protesters as Anbar security crisis deepens Tensions are rising in Anbar province between Sunni protesters and Iraq’s Shia-dominated central government, as pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to push back against a rising tide of violence.Protesters in Anbar have rejected renewed threats from Maliki, who claims the demonstrations have been infiltrated by terrorists and has warned of imminent crackdowns. It has been a full year since protesters in Sunni-majority provinces across Iraq took to the streets to decry the… This content is for registered users. Please login to continue. If you are not a registered user, you may purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial .

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Muslim Brotherhood Supporters Defy Egyptian Crackdown

Defying the widening crackdown against them, supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood marched in cities across Egypt on Friday, protesting the government’s decision to declare the group a terrorist organization and clashing with security forces in several places. At least three people were killed in Cairo, Damietta and Minya on Friday, as officers fired tear gas and birdshot at protesters who threw rocks, burned tires and set fire to police vehicles. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, said it had arrested 265 people across the country, illustrating the government’s resolve to move forcefully against the Brotherhood, the government’s principal political opponent. Most of the group’s leadership and thousands of its members are already in prison, having been rounded up during a sustained assault on the movement after the military ousted President Mohamed Morsi, a Brotherhood leader, in July. The state’s security services have killed hundreds of Mr. […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Leaders Say South Sudan May Be Closer to Peace Pact

Regional leaders in East Africa announced Friday that they had made progress on a peace deal to help end the crisis in South Sudan, but there was no indication that either side in the conflict was abiding by a cease-fire. Clashes between the rebels and the military continued as government forces launched a major offensive to retake a city in an oil-producing region. Soon after, the military announced that it had seized control of the city, Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile State and the scene of intense fighting in recent days. “The push against Malakal began at 6:30 a.m. and was done by noon,” said Col. Philip Aguer, a spokesman for the military. Having recaptured the strategic city of Bor this week, the government seemed to have the upper hand, however fleetingly, in the seesaw battle for control of this two-year-old country. Clashes began […]

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South Sudan Violence Hits Oil Industry

Days of clashes in South Sudan have hit the country’s largest source of revenue as oil production was halted in Unity state after foreign workers fled the oil fields over fears of more fighting in the region. "Unfortunately, the workers have closed the oil. Nobody closed it from us here," said former army General James Koang Chuol, who defected last week and took control of Bentiu, the capital of Unity state. "It is those technicians, fearing what is going on in South Sudan… yesterday they evacuated the area," he said, adding that production has been declining all week. A spokesman for the South Sudanese army said Wednesday that government forces are preparing to launch an imminent offensive to recapture the town. Foreign workers are key to the functioning of South Sudan’s oil industry, which provides the country with its only significant export and is the main source […]

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Israeli fuel strategy leans on gas

Israeli fuel strategy leans on gas Israel plans to cut oil use in transportation by 60 percent by 2025, an aggressive target by world standards, and will tap into its newfound natural gas deposits to make it happen. It is also investing heavily to help start-ups developing battery and biofuel technologies, and is offering an annual $1 million (R10.34 million) prize to innovators in the field, almost on par with winning a Nobel. Eyal Rosner, spokesman for the project in prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, said: “The intent is to make Israel a power centre that has knowledge and industry in the field, and from there to serve as a catalyst for the rest of the world in making the switch. The Fuel Choices Initiative programme has a 10-year budget of 1.5 billion shekels (R4.44 billion). Rosner switching from oil would bring consumer […]

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China formally eases one-child policy, abolishes labor camps

China formally approved on Saturday easing its decades-long one-child policy and the abolition of a controversial labor camp system, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Both were among a sweeping raft of reforms announced last month after a meeting of the ruling Communist Party that mapped out policy for the next decade. Under the new policy, couples will be allowed to have two children if one of the parents is an only child. Previously, a couple could generally only have a second child if both parents were only children. The plan was envisioned by the government about five years ago, with officials worried that the strict controls were undermining economic growth and contributing to a rapidly ageing population China had no hope of supporting financially. The resolution, formally approved by China’s largely rubber- stamp parliament on Saturday, will allow local legislatures to decide when to implement […]

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Markets on Edge as China Moves to Curb Risky Lending

HONG KONG — China’s financial system is in danger of becoming too big to bail out. Official bank lending has more than doubled since the global financial crisis, growing nearly twice as fast as the overall economy. The even bigger problem, however, appears to come from the rise of a shadow banking system that has allowed a number of companies and individuals, often with political connections, to borrow from state-controlled banks at low interest rates and relend the money at much higher rates to private businesses desperate for credit at almost any price. Now, in an effort to wean the banks and the economy off their addiction to such risky practices, Beijing has pledged to deliver what amounts to the country’s most sweeping financial overhaul in decades. Markets will play the “decisive” role in directing the economy, policy makers promised last month after a key plenum meeting of the […]

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China’s Dependency on natural gas imports rises

China’s Dependency on natural gas imports rises Nation seeks to reduce use of fossil fuels in move to improve air quality     China’s Dependency on natural gas imports rises A vessel, loaded with more than 60,000 tons of imported LNG, docks at a port in Putian, Fujian province. China imports a growing amount of natural gas to meet domestic demand. In the first 10 months of 2013, the country’s natural gas use was at 134.3 billion cubic meters. Provided to China Daily   China’s dependency on natural gas imports will continue to increase as the country is trying to reduce its fossil fuel consumption and improve air quality, experts said. Up to 32 percent of China’s natural gas use this year will depend on imports, Wang Xiaokun, an analyst at domestic commodities consultancy Sublime China Information Group Co Ltd, said on Tuesday. […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple