Egyptian and Tunisian People vs US Dominance.

TheRealNews | January 29, 2011 - Phyllis Bennis: US supported states and regional domination shaken by people's uprisings.

For Washington Mubarak is 'out of the equation'

france24english | January 31, 2011 - France 24 Washington correspondent Guillaume Meyer says that based on Washington's careful use of language one can tell most people consider President Mubarak to be out of the political equation.

Israel express support for Egypt.

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 31, 2011 - Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's ties with Egypt must be preserved

Egypt protesters increase pressure.

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 31, 2011 - Al Jazeera web producer reports that the army presence has decreased since Sunday. Thousands of protesters continue to demand the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, after 30 years of ruling the country.

The leader of al-Nahda, back in Tunisia

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 31, 2011 - The leader of al-Nahda, a previosuly banned party in Tunisia, is back in the country after 22 years in exile.Hundreds of people were at the main airport in Tunis to welcome Rachid Ghannouchi as he arrived from London on Sunday.

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Tunis.






Wiki on al-Nahda

George Galloway - on Sky News about Egypt & the Middle East.

weegiebam | January 30, 2011 - George Galloway talks about the situation in Egypt and how it may affect other similar governments in the Arab world.

ElBaradei on CNN : Mubarak must leave

January 30, 2011 - ElBaradei the blue-eyed boy of Western Media on CNN.

Egypt spy chief made vice-president

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 29, 2011 - Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has for the first time during his three decades in power appointed a vice-president. The move came after days of violent protests in which tens of thousands have called for Mubarak's resignation.

But the appointment has done little to quell the unrest. The man now second-in-command is Omar Suleiman, the country's former spy chief, who has been working closely with Mubarak during most of his reign. The 75-year-old has been mediating in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and won the respect of both Washington and Israel.

Al Jazeera's Hoda Hamid portrays the military veteran whose nomination is seen is an attempt by Mubarak to retain international support.

Human Rights Calls for the Dismissal of the Minister of Interior and Senior Leadership of the Police

The Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights demands the dismissal of the Minister of Interior and leaders of the police who issued and implemented decisions to fire on the demonstrators.

The Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights demands the dismissal of the Minister of Interior and leaders of the police who issued and implemented decisions to fire on the demonstrators. They also called for bringing them to justice on charges of killing three people and injuring thousands.

The centre stressed that the use of force and killing demonstrators will not weaken their will, but will push them to continue their demands for justice, freedom and to prosecute the killers.

Tunisia Coup Inspires Unrest in Jordan

VOAvideo | January 27, 2011 - The popular uprising in Tunisia has also sent reverberations through the kingdom of Jordan, long seen as a model of stability in the Middle East. Demonstrations recently drew thousands to the streets and organizers say they are ready to keep up their protests if the government dominated by King Abdullah does not do enough to alleviate poverty, inflation, unemployment and corruption. VOA Correspondent Luis Ramirez has this report from the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Israeli's left Egypt in a hurry!

Special flight brings home diplomats' families from Cairo

photo by: Ariel Jero

Unrest in Egypt spurs Foreign Ministry to commission plane to evacuate some Israelis; No other country has moved to evacuate diplomats.

The Foreign Ministry on Saturday commissioned a special flight to bring home the families of diplomats stationed in Cairo amidst the anti-government protests taking place in Egypt.

In addition to the family members of the diplomats, some forty other Israelis who had been residing in Egypt were brought home on the flight for fear of their safety.

read more 

Audio Report From Cairo: Egyptian Protesters Renew Call For Mubarak to Resign.

Democracy Now | January 29, 2011

RUSH TRANSCRIPT

AHMAD SHOKR: After a day of unprecedented mass rallies that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets across Egypt the protestors on Saturday morning are renewing their calls for President Hosni Mubarak to step down. The government imposed a curfew just after sunset which was largely ignored of course Cairo is a big city of almost 20 million people so it is virtually impossible to enforce the curfew in the state of upheaval that the city was in last night. Battles with riot police continued late into the night. But it now seems that the police have retreated atleast in Cairo and there are still reports of violence and clashes with security in Ismailia further east. But in Cairo they seem to have retreated after being defeated by the protestors yesterday.

26 people were killed and more than 1,100 hurt during a "Day of Wrath" across Egypt :

Water cannon ... protesters are soaked by police

AT least 26 people were killed and more than 1,100 hurt during a "Day of Wrath" across Egypt as protesters and security forces clashed in an anti-government uprising.

In shocking scenes, armoured troop-carriers sped into huge crowds in the capital Cairo - while officers also unleashed teargas, rubber bullets and water cannon.

The clashes brought the total killed according to Egyptian medical officials to 38 and more than 2,000 wounded since the start of Friday as the country's president Hosni Mubarak refused to stand aside as demonstrations against his regime entered a FIFTH day today.

Some reports put the total death toll after a week of chaos at up to 74, including 10 policemen.

Protesters returned to the streets, pouring into Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square where they clashed with riot cops and threw stones while shouting "go away, go away".

The Sun UK | Read full story 

AJE : Anti-government rallies hit Yemen

Tens of thousands of people, inspired by events in Tunisia, protest in Sanaa to demand President Saleh's resignation.

Opposition supporters, inspired by recent events in Tunisia and Egypt, 

stage anti-government protests in Sanaa

Tens of thousands of people in Yemen have taken to the streets in the country's capital, calling for an end to the government of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president.

AJE REPORTING : Fresh protests erupt in Egypt

Thousands stream out of mosques to protest against President Mubarak's 30-year rule, defying a government crackdown.

Protests have erupted in cities across Egypt following Friday midday prayers, with angry demonstrators demanding an end to Hosni Mubarak's 30-year presidency. Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across the country, witnesses have said. Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh, reporting from the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, said protesters streamed out of mosques shortly after prayers to chant slogans against Mubarak. Police responded immediately, firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. Alexandria is a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's technically banned but largest political opposition group, but Rageh said the crowds in the city predominantly consisted of "ordinary citizens". "This is the same mosque where protests were held against police brutality in June after a 20-year-old man was beaten to death by police," she said. "It’s very symbolic that the current protests are taking place at the same place all over again." Protests were also reported in Suez, a port on the Red Sea east of Cairo, and in the Nile Delta cities of Mansoura and Sharqiya, witnesses said. Clashes between protesters and police erupted outside a mosque in Cairo. Protesters reportedly threw stones and dirt at the police after security forces confronted them. They held up posters saying "No to dictatorship" and stamped on posters of Mubarak. Friday marked the fourth consecutive day of protests in the Middle East's most populous nation coming on the heels of a social uprising in nearby Tunisia that ousted that country's president of 23 years. Mohamed ElBaradei (pic above), the former head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog and an opposition leader in Egypt, returned to the country on Thursday night after telling reporters he was ready to lead a "transition" if asked. On Friday, he prayed with thousands of worshippers at a mosque in Cairo and had reportedly been prevented from moving freely by security forces.

Inside Story - Is Mubarak's rule threatened?

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 27, 2011 - After a day of mass protests in Egypt, the government has banned any futher demonstrations. It's also warning protesters they will be prosecuted if rallies continue.

The clamp-down comes after a wave of protests swept through Egypt leaving at least four dead. Protesters are demanding an end to president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

But how different are these demonstrations from previous ones? How worried should Mubarak be? And is it that easy to unsettle him?

Hisham: Cops probing Anwar's 'terror links'

malaysiakini | January 28, 2011 - Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that he has issued an order for the police to investigate PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's alleged links with international terrorists.

He claims that a report by CNN had implicated Anwar in having links with terrorist groups. He however admits that he had yet to read the report.

Twitter and web video site face clampdown in Egypt

Riot police used water cannons to disperse demonstrators

Continue reading the main story

Egypt appears to have clamped down on web services, such as Twitter, that have been used to help organise anti-government protests in Cairo.

Twitter confirmed that its service has been blocked in Egypt on Tuesday from around 1600GMT.

A Swedish mobile video site called Bambuser also reported that it had been blocked around the same time.

However, the Facebook page used to co-ordinate many of the protests has remained online.

Facebook has not said whether it has implemented any technical measures to keep the site up and running but a spokesperson said that it was "seeing consistent levels of traffic".

BBC News - 26 January 2011 | Read Full Report 

Ben Ali: Tunisia issues arrest warrant for ex-leader

Protesters accuse Mr Ben Ali of enriching himself and his family during his years in power

Continue reading the main story

Tunisia has issued an international arrest warrant for ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his family, the nation's justice minister has said.

Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said Tunisia had asked Interpol to detain Mr Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia earlier this month amid mass street protests.

Mr Chebbi said Mr Ben Ali should be tried for property theft and transferring foreign currency.

He was speaking as anti-government protests continued in the country.

In the capital Tunis, some of the protesters reportedly tried to breach barricades around the main government compound, and police responded by firing tear gas.

Mr Chebbi said Mr Ben Ali, his wife Leila, and other family members were being being sought for "illegal acquisition" of assets and "illicit transfers of funds abroad.

BBC news - 26 January 2011 | Read Full Post

Berri: Mikati to form National Salvation, not Unity government.

JANUARY 25, 2011  | Ya Libnan

(SUNNI) Mikati & (MARONITE) SULEIMAN

Sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri said that Amal Movement and Hezbollah held urgent contacts and agreed to leave things to the Army and not to confront supporters of the Future Movement.

Berri reportedly questioned all the fuss over nominating former PM Najib Mikati and wondered what would have happened if former PM Omar Karami was nominated instead.

Berri revealed that Mikati once officially designated will form a national salvation government instead of a national unity government, after the announcement of the Future Movement and the March 14 that they will refuse to join any government that is not headed by Hariri .

HEZBOLLAH - will face the wrath of America & Saudi?

PREVIOUS NEWS :

Consultations will be held Monday and Tuesday at the Baabda Presidential Palace as March 14 MPs are set to nominate caretaker PM Saad Hariri for the post, while the opposition will nominate another Muslim Sunni figure. Opposition MPs will agree on one of the three strong candidates: Former PM Omar Karameh, Former PM Najib Mikati, and former Minister Mohamad Safadi.

RussiaToday | January 25, 2011 - A Hezbollah backed Sunni candidate Najib Mikati has amassed the necessary support to become Lebanon's next Prime Minister. The news was met with fierce opposition in the mainly Sunni north, where demonstrators burned tires and attacked vehicles belonging to media outlets. The protesters accuse Hezbollah, which Israel & America view as an Iranian proxy, of staging a coup. The U.S. has voiced its displeasure with the events, and threatened to withdraw its support for the country.

Egypt police fire tear gas as rioting erupts in Cairo.

RussiaToday | January 25, 2011 - Thousands of anti-government protesters, some hurling rocks and climbing on top of an armoured police truck, clashed with riot police on Tuesday in the centre of Cairo in a Tunisia-inspired demonstration to demand the end of Hosni Mubarak's nearly 30 years in power. Police responded with blasts from a water cannon and set upon crowds with batons and acrid clouds of tear gas to clear demonstrators who chanted "Down with Mubarak", and as they demanded an end to the country's grinding poverty.

Egypt:The Tunisian domino effect?

france24english | January 25, 2011 - As Tunisians witnesses the rebirth of their country, there are fears among their North African neighbours that their discontentment, and eventual uprising, could spread. Protests are being held in Egypt on Tuesday, in a stand against 82 year old President Hosni Mubarak, who's been in power for nearly 29 years. Egyptians say they want change, and are looking towards Tunisia for inspiration.

News from PressTV

January 21, 2011 - Iran nuclear energy initiatives, Palestine & the Jewish settlements, Lebanon & the Unity government, US Lower House to overhaul Obama's healthcare system.

News Analysis-Tunisia Revolution

PressTVGlobalNews | January 19, 2011 - Tunisia's revolution, the first in the Arab world not caused by a coup, their army, or another country, but by the people. Tunisians want a government for the people, not one that mirrors their ex-president, and for there to be elections that are free and fair.

Kaveh Taghvai's guests for this edition of Press TV's News Analysis are Monjia Abidi, Kusai Kedri and Muhammad al-Asi.

PressTVGlobalNews | January 25, 2011 - Tunisian protesters continued to camp out in front of the office of ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's right-hand man, demanding him to step down. The protesters demanded interim Premier Mohammed Ghannouchi and other members of the former ruling party of Constitutional Democratic Rally to resign.

In this edition of News Analysis, the Tunisian revolution and its growing effects on the other Middle Eastern and North African countries are reviewed.

Hezbollah Secretary General: The Gov't We Want Does Not Cancel Anyone

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyes Hasan Nasrallah delivers a televised discourse on Al-Manar TV to tackle the latest developments pertaining to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and address the latest political situation on the eve of binding parliamentary consultations with President Michel Sleiman to choose a new prime minister to for the government.

Consultations will be held Monday and Tuesday at the Baabda Presidential Palace as March 14 MPs are set to nominate caretaker PM Saad Hariri for the post, while the opposition will nominate another Muslim Sunni figure.  Opposition MPs will agree on one of the three strong candidates: Former PM Omar Karameh, Former PM Najib Mikati, and former Minister Mohamad Safadi.

On the STL (Special Tribunal for Lebanon), Sayyed Nasrallah lashed out at prosecutor Daniel Bellemare for deciding to threaten to prosecute any side that will leak any information about the indictment, which he submitted to pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen last week. “What is really strange is that years have passed since the details of the international investigation were leaked to the press and Bellemare remained silent; because all the leaks were serving the purpose of targeting Hezbollah and Syria. Bellemare submitted his indictment last Monday at a time when binding consultations were scheduled; this was part of the politicization of the STL, however, consultations were postponed. We used to hear that Fransen would need between six to ten weeks to look into the details of the indictment, but we have come to notice that the steps have been hastened and a February 7 date was set for a public hearing; it is clear that the indictment is being employed for political reasons.”

Read full report :

A former Tunisian political prisoner - On Tunisia.

adycousins - Coalition of Resistance on 20 Jan 2011
The speaker Mohamed Ali is CEO of the Islam Channel [ http://www.islamchannel.tv ]




January 21, 2011

Regional & Foreign Power pulling strings - uncertainty in Lebanon.

AJE reports : On Monday, talks will begin on forming a caretaker government in Lebanon. But Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and other opposition groups, say they won't accept Saad Hariri as its prime minister. Meanwhile, international investigators are expected to hand down indictments soon, linking Hezbollah to the 2005 assassination of Hairi's father, Rafik Hariri.

- Al Jazeera's Rula Amin reports from Beirut. on 16 Jan 2010

Saudi Arabia has abandoned its position as mediator in Lebanon, making it less likely that a speedy resolution to the crisis will emerge.Last week, Hezbollah and other opposition parties withdrew their support from Saad Hariri's coalition government, forcing it to collapse.

Political and sectarian divisions have also resurfaced following the UN draft indictment into the assasination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, that is widely believed to implicate Hezbollah.There are fears that this tension may spill onto the streets.

- Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut. 19January 2010




Is MSM playing up to the American by selling the idea of proxy wars? Let the regional powers play their role & Foreign power like USA should just stay out!

WikiLeaks - Tunisia & The Middle East

TheRealNews | January 19, 2011 - Shehata: Cables reveal US knew extent of Ben Ali's corruption and rights violations but still treated him as an ally

What Sparked Tunisian Revolution?

TheRealNews | January 18, 2011 - Samer Shehata: A police state exercising total suppression of freedoms is more brittle and open to falling than a semi-authoritarian regime.

THE RECENT TUNISIA EXPERIENCE : they were able to overthrown the dictator but will they be able to end the DICTATORSHIP?

Unity Government Announced in Tunisia as Demonstrations Continue

VOAvideo | January 17, 2011 - Tunisia's prime minister Mohammed Ghannouchi announced a national unity government on Monday, as security forces used tear gas against protesters demanding that the ruling RCD party be excluded from government. The prime minister also promised new presidential elections in 60 days. On Friday, President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country. VOA's Ravi Khanna has more on the situation and the implications for other countries in the region.

Tunisian anger at 'unity govt'

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 17, 2011 - A new national unity government has been announced in Tunisia, but protesters are angry at how many members of the previous government have been allowed to keep key posts, including the ministers of defence, finance, the interior and foreign affairs.Tear gas and water cannons were used by police to disperse demonstrators, who have demanded, along with opposition parties, a government consisting of more members not belonging to the ruling RCD party.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from the Tunisian capital, Tunis.

Tunisia : the revolution vs presidential guards!

Gun Battles in Tunisia: Chaos Threatens the Revolution

Tunisia appeared to tip towards all-out chaos on Sunday evening as fierce gun battles exploded in the heart of the capital, with the military attempting to root out thousands of well-armed militia loyal to the ousted dictator Zine Abidine Ben Ali. Two days after Ben Ali abandoned his 23-year rule and fled the country, forced out by an extraordinary month-long popular revolt, the street battles topped a tautly tense weekend, in which the country seemed perched between armed conflict and near-normality.

As sun set on downtown Tunis, machine-gun fire exploded on the streets outside my hotel, amid office and apartment buildings, cafes and train stations. Shortly before, soldiers had ordered hotel guests inside and cordoned off several blocks of the city center, before unleashing a no-holds-barred battle with the armed militia prowling the streets. The battle began with small arms fire and was then followed with the sound of heavy automatic fire. One hour into it, police aligned with the military burst into the rooms of hotel guests, ordering us to close curtains, for fear of attracting the attention of military snipers hanging from the open doors of two helicopters circling overhead. Masoud Ramdhani of Tunisia's League of Human Rights said by telephone that the military was attempting to corner about 3,000 of the 6,200 of Ben Alis well-armed Presidential Guard still not arrested. The gunfire around the hotel only began to die down towards 8 p.m., two-and-a-half hours after it had begun. Meanwhile, wire reports had a fierce battle taking place in front of the presidential palace in Carthage, about 10 miles away.

TIME | 16 Jan 2010 - read full report

AJE counting or promoting uncertainty? says Tunisia in turmoil after uprising.

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 16, 2011 - Tunisia's military is on the streets of Tunisia's major cities following the ousting of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the country's long-time president.

But the departure of Ben Ali has brought with it a measure of uncertainty.

Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Tunisia.

The French darling, Ben Ali a benevolent dictator? my foot!

Paris - The French says : Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution might not install a democracy. Iran in 1979 bring bring extremists into power. A question - Who will frustrate or even invade the Tunisian revolution? The French?

Violent street demonstrations, followed by the toppling of a dictator, are an exhilarating way to bring democracy to an authoritarian society. They are not, however, the best way to bring democracy to an authoritarian society.

While watching Tunisia's "Jasmine Revolution" unfold, remember this: Street demonstrations can unexpectedly bring extremists into power, as they did in Iran in 1979. They can create unrealistic expectations and then unravel, as did the Orange Revolution that began in Ukraine in 2004. And they can end badly, with reactionary violence, like the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square.

By contrast, the most successful transitions to democracy are often undramatic. Consider Spain, after the death of Franco; Chile, after the resignation of Pinochet; Poland, which negotiated its way out of communism; all of these democratic transitions dragged on, created few spectacular photographs - and ultimately led to stable political systems.

But all of those transitions were made possible by authoritarian leaders who recognized that the game was up or who, like Franco, had the good sense to die. Tunisia's president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali - as of Saturday, a resident of Saudi Arabia - didn't have that kind of foresight. Instead, he created fake opposition parties and a phony parliament, set up a draconian regime that controlled the Internet and beat up the occasional dissident to keep everybody else frightened. A French friend who was in Tunis a few weeks ago told me that the newspapers were so favorable to the president that stories read as if they had been written by Ben Ali's mother.

The Washington Post, 17 January 2010 - read full post :

Inside Story - The future of Tunisia

AlJazeeraEnglish | January 16, 2011 - The Tunisian uprising has forced President Ben Ali to step down and flee the country, leaving other Arab leaders wary about their future if their people follow Tunisia's footsteps.

What is the future of Tunisia, and could it have an impact on other states in the region?

Gunmen torch 14 NATO oil tankers in south Pakistan

RussiaToday | January 15, 2011 - A driver was wounded in Pakistan's south-west on Saturday when gunmen set ablaze 14 tankers carrying fuel for US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, officials said. The latest attack occurred in the Dera Murad Jamali area in Baluchistan province. Islamist militants and criminals in Pakistan frequently attack trucks carrying supplies for US and NATO troops. The attacks in Pakistan have led the US to rely more on other supply routes, including through countries north of Afghanistan.

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Associated Press – Sat Jan 2010

CHAMAN, Pakistan – Gunmen attacked tankers carrying fuel for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan as they sat parked at a roadsiderestaurant in southwest Pakistan on Saturday, setting 14 of the vehicles ablaze, officials said.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which also left one driver wounded.

Islamist militants and criminals in Pakistan frequently attack trucks carrying supplies for U.S. and NATO troops. The supplies typically arrive in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi and travel overland to neighboring Afghanistan.

The latest attack occurred in the Dera Murad Jamali area of Baluchistan province, said Fatteh Mohammed, a local government official. The trucks were likely headed to the border crossing in the town of Chaman, the smaller of two such crossings into Afghanistan.

The home secretary of Baluchistan, Akbar Hussain Durani, said 136 NATO tankers were destroyed in 56 such attacks last year in the province. Some 34 people died and 23 were wounded in the attacks, he said.

Read Full Report :

Tunisian President Flees Following Protests.

VOAvideo | January 14, 2011 - Month-long protests against the authoritarian government of Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben-Ali culminated on Friday with Mr. Ben Ali's departure from the country and a state of emergency. Mr. Ben Ali ruled Tunisia for more than two decades. During the weeks of protests, dozens of people were killed in clashes with police. His apparent overthrow is the first time in recent memory that mass protests have forced out an Arab leader. VOA's Ravi Khanna reports.

Lebanese Unity Government Collapse - When PM pays homage to America.

A rather quick statement from America's MSM "Unity Government felled because Hezbollah prefers Iran to Lebanon!" ....hmmm.

Is WikiLeaks a "manufactured dissent"?

Is WikiLeaks A CIA Operation?

Webster Tarpley points to the possibility that Wikileaks is a CIA operation.More evidence that wikileaks is an intelligence operation. The lesson from Watergate, FOLLOW THE MONEY. The money leads to George Sorros and his shady circles of influence. Sorros has always been connected to CIA and its front companies.Webster Tarpley attempts to expose Julian Assange and Wikipedia as a CIA operation.

Wake up America, your President sends more US troops to Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON: The United States has ordered an additional 1,400 Marines to southern Afghanistan to preempt a Taliban spring offensive, despite a planned troop drawdown starting in July, the Pentagon said Thursday.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday "approved additional Marine forces to southern Afghanistan to exploit and consolidate gains already achieved and apply pressure on the enemy during the winter campaign," spokesman Colonel David Lapan told AFP.

The Marine contingent could start arriving within weeks and would only be on the ground for a short mission of less than 90 days, defence officials said.

The move was designed to cement tentative gains against the mostly Pashtun insurgency, with the hope of bolstering recently cleared areas between Kandahar city and Helmand province, officials said.

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently based on a ship in the Indian Ocean, would be heading to Afghanistan for the "winter campaign," the head of US Central Command, General James Mattis, said later in a statement.

There are currently about 97,000 American troops in Afghanistan, along with 45,000 forces from other countries, and officials said the new Marines would not put the total number of US forces above the limit of 100,000 authorised by US President Barack Obama.

Channelnewsasia 7 Jan 2011  : Read Full Report.

Malaysia : Constitutional Crisis - Selangor State Vs Federal

Selangor MB wants state constitution amended

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government wants the state constitution amended to return the power of appointing the state secretary to the Sultan and the Mentri Besar.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said he had asked Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim to call for an emergency state legislative assembly meeting to discuss making amendments to the state constitution.

Khalid told reporters that the amendments must return the power to the Selangor palace and the Mentri Besar in all matters concerning the appointments of the state secretary, financial officer and legal adviser.

Khalid, who met Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah earlier in the day, said the Sultan had told him he had no power to either reject or accept appointments made by the Public Service Commission (PSC).

This was because the laws, including the Selangor constitution, was amended in this area during the 1993 constitutional crisis, he added.

Monday January 3, 2011 |  Staronline - Read full report ::

Obama's new year present to Pakistanis! Killer Drones ..

Pakistan drone raid kills at least 11 in N. Waziristan. 

Drones have killed hundreds of people in 2010

Continue reading the main story

Two US drone attacks have killed at least 11 people in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region, local officials say.

The missiles fired from unmanned planes on Saturday targeted militants in an area just north of Miranshah town, reports say.

The death toll cannot be independently confirmed and it is not clear whether all those killed were militants.

The area, near Afghanistan, is seen as a haven for Taliban and al-Qaeda.

1 January 2010 | BBC News : read full report 

'Blocking Press TV accounts illegal'.

Sat Jan 1, 2011 | PressTV.ir


A top official at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting organization has slammed blocking of Press TV bank accounts in Britain as illegal.

"Banks cannot block the accounts of the media which operate within the regulations of the host country, without a reason," Head of IRIB World Service Mohammad Sarafraz told IRNA (pic).

Sarafraz, who also heads Press TV news channel, said the Press TV in London is a company, which is registered according to Britain's law and keeps its media operations within that framework.

Sarafraz said the London-based Press TV company "is not directly affiliated with" Press TV channel based in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

"Western countries, especially Britain, advance their illegal aims through economic and banking levers and they have so far closed some of the [Press TV] channel's accounts in different banks," he further explained.

PressTV : Read full report :