Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Guyana has become the sixth Latin American country to recognise an independent Palestinian state.
“It is Guyana’s hope that the increasing recognition of the state of Palestine will contribute to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the creation of lasting peace and stability in the region,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Guyana’s decision, the statement said, “is in keeping with Guyana’s long-standing and unwavering solidarity with, and commitment to, the just and legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine for the exercise of their right to self-determination and to achieve a homeland of their own, independent, free, prosperous and at peace.”
Guyana joins Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Ecuador in recognising Palestine as an independent state within the borders that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war.
The News:
http://english.aljaz … 111415632686804.html
A 10 member group of armed insurgents joined to government in surrounding areas of Faryab province.
National security Dept. press office said to this news agency (Bakhtar News Agency), a 10 member group of armed insurgents led by Mullah Sayed Amirshai Agha were joined to government.
This group had activity against the government in surrounding areas of Pashtoonkot district of Faryab province. With the efforts of national army personnel, they joined peace process.
The News:
http://bakhtarnews.c … /index.php?news=4001
Monday, January 17, 2011
Both the UN and international election observers hail last week’s referendum on independence in South Sudan as a success. Meanwhile, the counting of the ballots has already started in Juba.
The UN panel tasked with monitoring the referendum on the future status of South Sudan already yesterday said it was “satisfied” with the polling, which had lasted for a week and ended on Saturday. The UN panel concluded the process had been well organised and enabled the people of the region to express their will freely.
The panel, headed by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, again confirmed that the 60 percent voter turnout threshold for the referendum to be valid had been met. The presence of over 22,000 Sudanese and international observers helped make the process transparent, the members of the panel said, adding that staff at referendum centres “coped admirably with the very high turnout.”
The News:
http://www.afrol.com/articles/37099
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Tunisian forces are exchanging fire near the presidential palace with members of deposed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s guard, reports say.
Witnesses reported heavy gunfire in Carthage, north of the capital Tunis, where the palace is located.
It comes after the ex-head of presidential security, Ali Seriati, was arrested and accused of threatening state security by fomenting violence.
Meanwhile, political leaders are holding talks about a new government.
Interim leader Foued Mebazaa, who until Saturday was the speaker of parliament, has asked Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi to form a government of national unity.
The News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk … orld-africa-12202283
The Iraq Kurdistan Region’s security agency, or asayesh, seized a large arms cache belonging to the Ansar al-Islam group in the outskirts of Arbil province and arrested a member of the group, according to a statement by the agency.
“The asayesh anti-terrorism department seized a cache containing weapons belonging to terrorists of the Ansar al-Islam (Supporters of Islam) group and arrested one of its members,” read the statement received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The explosives had been brought from outside the Iraq Kurdistan Region and were carried gradually into Arbil, it added.
The News:
http://en.aswatalira … ticle_page&id=140545