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Iraqi Government Allies See Gains in Unofficial Election Indicators
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Unofficial projections Sunday show allies of Iraq's US-backed prime minister,
Nouri al-Maliki, made gains in the provincial elections, rewarding those
credited with reining in insurgents
Election officials count ballots after the polls closed in the country's
provincial elections in central Baghdad, IraqIraqi officials are tallying votes
after millions of Iraqis cast their ballots in Saturday's provincial
elections.Unofficial projections Sunday show allies of Iraq's U.S.-backed prime
minister, Nouri al-Maliki, made gains in the provincial elections, rewarding
those credited with reining in insurgents. The election commission chief Faraj
al-Haidari says 51 percent of eligible voters cast ballots throughout the
country, although complete figures and results are not expected for several
days. The polls were hailed as peaceful by Iraqi and U.S. leaders.U.S.
President Barack Obama called the elections an important step forward as Iraqis
continue taking responsibility for their future.Saturday's elections were the
first since 2005 and seen as a crucial test of Iraq's stability. Security was
tight as voters picked representatives for 14 of the country's 18 local
councils. More than 14,000 candidates sought 440 seats in Iraq's first
provincial elections since 2005. Mr. Maliki said "the purple fingers have
returned to build Iraq," in a reference to the ink on index fingers that show
voters have cast their ballots.While the election took place without major
violence, some voters complained that their names were not on voter
registration lists.The vote was expected to draw many Sunni Arabs who boycotted
the last provincial elections. The larger Sunni turnout could shift the
balance of power in some provinces.U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and
U.S. General Ray Odierno congratulated Iraqi authorities for successfully
protecting millions of Iraqis and enabling them to express their opinions
freely by voting.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.
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Israeli PM Threatens 'Disproportionate Response' to Palestinian Rockets
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Hamas spokesman says Israel wants cease-fire for free, but it would have to
open border crossings and lift the crippling blockade on Gaza
Fresh Palestinian attacks on Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip have
brought threats of renewed warfare. Palestinian militants fired rockets and
mortars at Israel from Gaza, testing a shaky cease-fire. One rocket slammed
into a kibbutz collective farm near a kindergarten but failed to explode. Ehud
Olmert The attacks topped the agenda at Israel's weekly Cabinet meeting in
Jerusalem. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said at the end of fighting in Gaza two
weeks ago Israel had warned that if Palestinian shooting resumes there would be
"disproportionate" retaliation. "We will not reveal when, where or how we will
respond," he said, "but we will respond." Sporadic Palestinian rocket, mortar
and shooting attacks have violated the Gaza cease-fire during the past week and
Israel has responded with air strikes. Palestinians present their
identification as they wait to receive food aid at a United Nations
distribution center in the Shati refugee camp, in Gaza City, Sunday 01 Feb.
2009The Islamic militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, has not claimed
responsibility for the attacks but has not condemned them either. Hamas
spokesman Ayman Taha said Israel wants a cease-fire for free, but it would have
to pay a price: namely, opening border crossings and lifting the crippling
blockade on Gaza. Israel says that will not happen until Hamas releases a
captive Israeli soldier held in Gaza for two and a half years.Egypt is trying
to hammer out a long-term cease-fire acceptable to both sides.
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US Republican Senators Threaten to Block Economic Bill
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Jon Kyl and other Republicans say $820- billion bill wastes money on programs
that will not stimulate the economy
Opposition Republican Party senators are warning they likely will vote against
U.S. President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan unless it is revised to
create more jobs.Senate Finance Committee member Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona,
during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington (File)The party's second-ranking
Senate member, Jon Kyl of Arizona, told U.S. television Fox News Sunday the
legislation needs to be reconstructed. Kyl and other Republicans say the
estimated $820-billion bill wastes money on programs that will not stimulate
the economy. They are calling for more tax cuts and infrastructure
building.Another influential Republican senator, Jim DeMint of South Carolina,
called the legislation a "spending plan," not a "stimulus plan." He said on
ABC's This Week it is "temporary" and "wasteful." The other chamber of
Congress, the House of Representatives, already has approved the plan. The
Senate is to begin debating the legislation this week. President Obama says the
stimulus plan is necessary to save or create three million jobs.Democratic
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois expressed support for Mr. Obama's plan in a
television interview on Fox News. He said lawmakers need to pull together and
avoid delaying the rescue plan further, because the United States is facing one
of the most serious economic crises in its history. Representative Barney
Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, also defended the bill he voted for last
week. Frank said the package includes necessary spending on infrastructure,
like bridges. He said sarcastically that he never saw a "tax cut fix a
bridge."The U.S. economy - the world's biggest - is in a recession. The
country lost 2.6 million jobs last year and already has seen tens of thousands
more layoffs this year.Some information for this report was provided by AFP and
Reuters.
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At Least 111 Dead in Oil Fire in Kenya
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Officials say the oil spilled from a truck that had crashed in the central town
of Molo Saturday
At least 111 people have died in a fire in Kenya, after a truck carrying fuel
overturned on the highway between the cities of Nakuru and Eldoret. Hundreds of
people had gathered to collect the spilled gasoline when the truck burst into
flames on late Saturday. A fire victim, injured in an explosion after a
gasoline tanker overturned, is transported into Kenyatta national hospital,
Kenya, Sunday, 01 Feb. 2009As many as 200 people were wounded in the blaze near
the town of Molo, northwest of Nairobi, in Kenya's Rift Valley Province. The
Kenya Red Cross says the victims include a number of women and children, as
well as several police officers who responded to the crash. Officials say the
death toll may rise. The cause of the fire remains unclear. There have been
several reports that a dropped cigarette ignited the blaze, though witness have
also said that someone started the fire intentionally after being blocked from
accessing the fuel.Prime Minister Raila Odinga and several cabinet ministers
visited the site of the fire on Sunday. Mr. Odinga expressed sympathy for the
victims, but also warned of the dangers of collecting spilled fuel, noting that
similar accidents have happened before in Kenya. "We need to carry out a
massive public education, awareness needs to be created among our people that
it doesn't pay to get a few buckets of fuel and then put yourself in such a
serious risk of losing your life," Mr. Odinga said. "But we don't want to play
the blame game at the time of a disaster like this. There is going to be time
for us to deal with those issues later. At the moment we must try to save the
lives of those who survived." Three days earlier, a fire at a supermarket in
downtown Nairobi killed at least 25 people. Since then, Kenyan media have
criticized the government for its slow response and poor disaster
planning.There have also been accusations that the government's response to
Saturday's fire was too slow. According to Kenya's Nation newspaper, a fire
engine arrived from the town of Nakuru an hour after the blaze began.
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AU Leaders Discuss Continental Unity
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African Union leaders have opened their semi-annual summit with a discussion on
creating a pan-African government, similar to the European Union
African Union leaders have opened their semi-annual summit with a discussion on
creating a pan-African government, similar to the European Union.African Union
flagLibyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has pushed such a plan for years, saying it
would help Africa meet economic and political challenges without Western
interference.The summit in Addis Ababa is officially devoted to improving
Africa's infrastructure but so far has been dominated by the continent's urgent
crises.Late on Saturday, AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping called for calm in
Madagascar, where an opposition leader says he has taken control of the
government from President Marc Ravalomanana.Ping said the AU would not
recognize any unconstitutional transfer of power. The AU this week has refused
to admit delegates from Guinea and Mauritania, both of which experienced coup
d'etats last year. AU leaders are also expected to discuss the crises in
Zimbabwe, Sudan's Darfur region and Somalia.Among the heads of state attending
the meeting is Somalia's new president, moderate Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif
Sheikh Ahmed. In his inaugural address Saturday, Sheikh Sharif told Somali
lawmakers that he will work to end decades of conflict in Somalia. More than
half of the continent's 50-plus heads of state and government are expected to
attend, along with a host of dignitaries led by U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon. The United States is playing an usually low-key role at the summit, in
part because the Obama administration has not yet named its Africa team. The
U.S. delegation will be led by a career diplomat, acting Assistant Secretary of
State for African Affairs Philip Carter. Some information for this report was
provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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Zimbabwe to Amend Constitution for Unity Government
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New bill to create the post of prime minister for opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai
Zimbabwean lawmakers are expected to pass constitutional amendments that clear
the way for a unity government between President Robert Mugabe and the
opposition.Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, left, and new Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai (File)State media Sunday quote Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa as saying a bill containing the amendments will be introduced in
parliament Wednesday. He said lawmakers are working on a timetable that calls
for the bill to be passed by Thursday, so that the new government can be put in
place within two weeks.The bill creates the post of prime minister for
opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The opposition Movement for Democratic
Change agreed to join the new government last week, after months of
negotiations. Observers hope the new government can end the state of crisis in
Zimbabwe. The country is suffering from food shortages, 94 percent
unemployment, and a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 3,000 people.Mr.
Tsvangirai and Mr. Mugabe reached a power-sharing agreement last September, but
progress was delayed because of a dispute over cabinet positions.Some
information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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Afghan Police: Suicide Car Bomber Targets Foreign Troops
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Sunday's attack on the western edge of Kabul wounded three people
A soldier of Afghan National Army takes picture of the wreckage of a vehicle
used by a suicide bomber in the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, 01 Feb
2009Police in the Afghan capital, Kabul, say a suicide car bomber has attacked
a convoy of foreign troops.Officials say Sunday's attack on the western edge of
the city wounded three people.Violence has increased in Afghanistan in recent
months, with more insurgent attacks. Militants rely heavily on roadside bombs
in their campaign against foreign forces.A roadside bomb killed a Canadian
soldier Saturday in Zhari district west of Kandahar city, bringing to 108 the
total number of Canadian troops killed in Afghanistan since 2002.The United
States plans to intensify its fight against the Taliban this year by sending an
extra 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.Afghanistan's interior minister says plans
are under way to form a U.S.-funded community program that will provide
security in areas threatened by Taliban fighters.Mohammad Hanif Atmar said
Saturday the paramilitary-style force will use the same weapons as Afghan
police, and will be assigned to protect schools, highways and government
institutions. He refused to say where the unit will operate, citing security
concerns.Atmar also said the security force will be under the command of the
Interior Ministry, and that the U.S. military in Afghanistan is supportive of
the program.Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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Group Arrives in Colombia to Receive FARC Hostages
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Special delegation arrives in Colombia to pick up six hostages the leftist FARC
rebels have agreed to release
Officials say a special delegation has arrived in Colombia to pick up six
hostages the leftist FARC rebels have agreed to release.Officials say the
delegation traveled from Brazil in at least two helicopters and landed in the
Colombian city of Florencia Saturday.A Colombian lawmaker, Senator Pieidad
Cordoba, and members of the International Red Cross are part of the group that
will receive three policemen, two politicians and a soldier from the FARC.The
rebels say they will set the captives free in three separate operations,
starting Sunday. It is not yet known where the operations will take place.One
of the captive politicians, Alan Jara, was the governor of Meta province when
he was kidnapped in 2001. The other, Sigifredo Lopez, was a provincial lawmaker
when he was kidnapped a year later.The FARC, or the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia, is Colombia's most powerful rebel group. It has been designated a
terrorist organization by the U.S., Colombia and the European Union.The group
is believed to be holding hundreds of hostages in jungle hideouts for ransom or
political leverage.Last July, the FARC suffered a blow when Colombian
government soldiers posing as members of a humanitarian group freed 15
prominent hostages. French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three
Americans were among those freed.Some information for this report was provided
by AP and Reuters.
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British Leader Condemns Strikes Against Foreign Workers
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Prime Minister Brown says while the strikes in his view are wrong, he
acknowledges that job security is big concern for many right now
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has condemned the strikes spreading across Britain
protesting the employment of foreign European workers, while unemployment soars
in the country. Britain's PM Gordon Brown speaks on Britain and the Global
economy (File)What began as a protest last week against legal foreign European
construction workers at an oil refinery on the east coast of England quickly
spread to at least a dozens different locations at energy plants throughout
Britain.The wildcat strikes have come under the backdrop of rapidly rising
unemployment.The question is will those strikes be escalating in the coming
days.Interviewed on BBC Television Sunday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged
calm."That is not the right thing to do and it is not defensible. What we have
set up is a process to deal with the questions people have been asking about
what has happened in this particular instance," said Mr. Brown.The independent
mediation service has been asked to step in to investigate and help resolve the
matter. Prime Minister Brown says while the strikes in his view are wrong, he
acknowledges that job security is big concern for many right now.
"The worries that they have about what is happening to the international
economy are real. I mean, people are worried about what is happening to jobs
in every part of our country. I am determined that we take action early so
that jobs that can be saved, can be saved and we have made some arrangements to
do so," he said. "Where people lose their jobs, we help them back into jobs as
quickly as possible."Under E.U. law, European workers are generally free to
work in other member states and they can accept lower pay than local employees
if they wish.In this case, British protesters say the Italian and Portuguese
construction workers at a refinery in Lincolnshire are taking jobs that Britons
should have been offered, but were not.Tensions have been rising rapidly as
Britain's economy shrinks and jobs go away. According to the International
Monetary Fund, the British economy will contract by about 2.8 percent this
year. That would make it the worst-hit country among the Group of Seven
leading industrialized nations.
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Russian Orthodox Church Enthrones New Leader
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Patriarch Kirill, first such leader to be installed since the fall of the
Soviet Union, received his vestments today
Russian Orthodox Church New Patriarch Kirill conducts the enthronement service
in Moscow, 01 Feb 2009A new patriarch has taken charge of the Russian Orthodox
Church, becoming the church's first leader to be installed since the fall of
the Soviet Union.Patriarch Kirill received his vestments in a ceremony Sunday
attended by hundreds of worshippers, including dozens of top clerics, as well
as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.The
president said Kirill's enthronement creates conditions for "a dialogue of
solidarity" between the church and the state.Ties between the Russian
government and the church have grown stronger since the end of the Soviet era
in 1991.Russian Orthodox leaders overwhelmingly chose Kirill, 62, as the
church's new patriarch last week. Kirill is the church's 16th leader,
overseeing a congregation of more than 100 million followers.Kirill succeeds
Patriarch Alexei, who died in December at the age of 79.Some information for
this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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