Resignations Hit Tunisia's Coalition as Thousands Protest

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi insisted in a radio interview with the French Europe 1 broadcaster that ministers in the new government remaining from the former regime have "clean hands" and great competence. He suggested that experienced officials are needed in a caretaker government to guide the country before free elections are held.

In an attempt to mollify protesters and distance themselves from Mr. Ben Ali, the prime minister and interim President Fouad Mebazza resigned from the ruling RCD on Tuesday. State media reported the party also expelled Mr. Ben Ali, its founder.

Officials with the country's main labor union, the UGTT, said its three newly appointed ministers had withdrawn because the movement will not recognize the new government. Tunisia's health minister, who is from the opposition FDLT party, also resigned.

The United States welcomed reforms announced by the new government, including media freedoms and the liberation of all political prisoners, but said political change in the Arab state must broaden and deepen.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also urged "broad-based consultations" to establish an inclusive interim government.

On Monday, Mr. Ghannouchi announced a coalition Cabinet that includes the current ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs and finance. He announced lower-level Cabinet positions for several opposition figures.

The announcement came after former president Ben Ali fled the country Friday after a month of protests and rioting sparked by widespread unemployment and high food prices. His departure ended more than two decades of authoritarian rule.

The capital remains occupied by tanks and heavily armed riot police, while many stores and businesses are closed. A ban on public assemblies is in place, as well as a strict nighttime curfew.

Tunisia's Interior Ministry said Monday that 78 people have died in the month-long violence. The government previously put the number of fatalities at 23. Unofficial estimates put the death toll at around 100.

Separately, supporters of formerly exiled opposition leader Moncek Marzouki greeted him Tuesday as he arrived in the country from Paris. The head of the Congress for the Republic party says he is considering running for president.

Prime Minister Ghannouchi said Tunisia will work toward transparent, fair elections under the supervision of international observers.  A presidential poll is to be held within 60 days. (From VOA)

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Hundreds Demonstrate in Tunisian Capital

Hundreds of anti-government protesters marched in the Tunisian capital calling for allies of the ousted president to leave the government.

The demonstrators walked down the streets of Tunis Wednesday chanting songs and calling for former RCD ruling party members to step down.

On Monday, Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announced a coalition government that included the current ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs and finance.  He announced lower-level cabinet positions for several opposition figures.   At least four opposition ministers have quit the unity government, aligning themselves with the anti-government protestesrs.

A spokesman for the interim prime minister says the ministers are deciding whether to hold  their first cabinet meeting on Wednesday or Thursday.

Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled the country Friday after a month of protests and rioting sparked by widespread unemployment and high food prices.  His departure ended more than two decades of authoritarian rule.

Tunisia's interior ministry said Monday that 78 people have died in the month-long violence. The government previously put the number of fatalities at 23. Unofficial estimates put the death toll at around 100.

Separately Wednesday, the international credit Ratings agency Moody's Investors Service lowered Tunisia's rating from Baa2 to Baa3. The ratings agency said the downgrade was due to instability and current changes to the political regime.

The lower rating means it will cost Tunisia more to borrow money. (From VOA)

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Mediator Leaves Ivory Coast with No Breakthrough

The African Union mediator to Ivory Coast's political crisis has left the country with no apparent breakthrough in the electoral dispute, saying the standoff between rival

governments may not end peacefully.

Kenyan Prime Minister Ralia Odinga left Abidjan after what he says were extensive discussions with both incumbent President Laurent Gbabgo and the internationally-recognized winner of November's vote, former prime minister Alassane Ouattara.
Odinga says the breakthrough needed to resolve Ivory Coast's political crisis did not happen.
"One of the principle goals of my mission was to convince Mr. Gbagbo to accept that he needed to put his presidency on the agenda for discussions," said Odinga.  "In addition, it was imperative that a blockade at the Golf Hotel be lifted.  Mr. Gbagbo gave me an assurance that this blockade would be lifted yesterday at midday but he broke that promise for the second time in two weeks."
Troops loyal to Mr. Gbabgo are blocking access to the Golf Hotel, where Mr. Ouattara has been living since the United Nations certified electoral commission results that say he won the vote.
Mr. Gbagbo claims he was re-elected when his political allies on the constitutional counsel annulled enough Ouattara votes to put Mr. Gbagbo ahead.
The African Union, the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States recognize Ouattara's victory and say Gbagbo must leave.
The Economic Community of West African States says it is considering military action to remove Gbagbo.
Odinga says if the crisis is not resolved, there will be additional economic and financial sanctions and possibly the use of force.
"Time is running out for an amicably negotiated settlement," added Odinga.  "In addition, the window of opportunity for any amnesty will continue to close if Mr. Gbagbo's supporters continue to commit crimes against civilians and peacekeepers."
U.N. Secretary General Bank Ki-moon says U.N. staffers are being attacked by Gbagbo security forces and allied militia.
Mr. Odinga's African Union mission left Ivory Coast for further talks with heads of state in Ghana, Angola and Burkina Faso. (From VOA)

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Obama, Hu Urged to Hold Substantive Human Rights Talks

Veteran Chinese dissident Bao Tong’s phone was cut off last October, shortly after the Nobel Peace Prize committee named jailed Chinese writer Liu Xiaobo its 2010 laureate. Bao’s phone service was only recently restored.

Bao is the highest ranking person to have been jailed for supporting protesting students in Beijing in 1989.

He, along with other activists are hoping Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao will hold substantive talks about Beijing's human rights record during Mr. Hu's state visit to Washington, which began on Tuesday. The Chinese leader is scheduled to hold extensive talks with Mr. Obama, meetings with congressional leaders and take a trip to Chicago.

Bao says human rights is too important of an issue for the two leaders not to talk about. The discussions should not just be superficial, Bao adds, but should be in depth and have results.

Another activist, Ding Zilin, is one of the main organizers of a group called "Tiananmen Mothers," made up of people whose family members were killed when Chinese troops crushed the demonstrations in 1989. Her son was killed.

She says she thinks Sino-American differences in human rights have been overshadowed by economic disputes and security issues. Therefore, she says she would like to see how Mr. Obama and Mr. Hu discuss human rights. Ding says she does not want their talks to be like before, when, in her opinion, talk about human rights was just a show.

She is especially angered by the Chinese government’s response to Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel Prize. The reaction included putting Liu’s wife, Liu Xia, under house arrest, and cutting off her communication with the outside world, even though she has committed no crime.

Ding is one of scores of activists in China who were put under house arrest after Liu won the prize. Like Bao Tong, her phone was only recently restored.

Authorities also harassed Chinese lawyers who were active in defending civil society cases.

Martin Flaherty is a law professor at Fordham University. He works with the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers, made up of lawyers from outside China who seek to promote the independence of Chinese lawyers.

"You know the larger story, as I am sure you know, is that in the last two years or so, maybe two and a half years, there has been what appears to be a concerted crackdown on the small number of civil rights and human rights lawyers in China," Flahery said. "You know, we've had some fairly high profile ones."

One example of this crackdown is Gao Zhisheng, a human rights lawyer who disappeared into police detention in 2009. He briefly resurfaced last April, but then disappeared again.

Gao was jailed on subversion charges in 2006, but his sentence was suspended and he was released early. He has been described as a galvanizing force for China’s rights movement, and has argued cases to defend property rights, as well as political and religious dissenters.

Gao’s wife Geng He, who fled to the United States, has appealed to President Obama to raise her husband’s case with President Hu.

Critics of China’s human rights record on Capitol Hill urged President Obama to call on the Chinese government to also release Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo.

China denies abusing human rights and says Liu Xiaobo is a convicted criminal. China also points to its economic growth, which has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty, as proof of its concern for human rights.

Although China still makes clear it does not tolerate much dissent, Chinese citizens in the past 30 years have gotten increased freedom to travel domestically and aboard, while people also have access to a greater range of publications and television programming than they did a few decades ago. (From VOA)

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No Major Damage Reported After Powerful Pakistan Quake

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, jolting residents of cities as far away as the country's largest city of Karachi and the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered 55 kilometers west of the town of Dalbandin in Baluchistan province, which is the country's most sparsely populated area.

Local officials said the earthquake damaged some homes in Dalbandin, but there were no reports of any injuries or casualties. 

The Pentagon said U.S. troops in southwestern Afghanistan felt the tremor, but there were no injuries or impact on U.S. military operations in Afghanistan or Pakistan. 

U.S. officials also said Pakistan has not asked for assistance with quake relief.

Earthquakes are common in the region. A magnitude 7.6 quake on October 8, 2005 killed more than 70,000 people in northwestern Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, and left more than 3 million people homeless. (From VOA)

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World Bank Preparing $485 Million in Brazil Flood Aid

The World Bank says it is preparing to lend Brazil $485 million in emergency relief after flooding and mudslides devastated parts of the country.

The World Bank's Brazil director, Makhtar Diop, said Tuesday the bank hopes to approve the first portion of the loan "in the coming weeks."  He said the initial piece would be worth $290 million.

The Brazilian government last week allocated $460 million in aid.

Ffficials said Tuesday the disaster's death toll is now more than 700.

Rescue crews, including military helicopters, continue to try to reach residents after heavy rains sent an avalanche of mud, water and rocks plowing through towns and villages.

On Monday, authorities sent hundreds of emergency personnel to neighborhoods that have been cut off from help by smashed roads and bridges.

The affected areas received the equivalent of a month's worth of rain in just a few hours.

The hardest hit towns have been Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo, and flooding has also affected Petropolis and Sumidouro.

Landslides and floods are common in Brazil, often affecting poor communities with shacks built on steep, unstable hills.

In January of last year, more than 50 people died in mudslides in the beach town of Angra dos Reis, and at least 180 people died in landslides last April that devastated slum communities in Rio. (From VOA)

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Saudi Arabia Abandons Mediation Efforts in Lebanon

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says his country has abandoned efforts to mediate Lebanon's political crisis. 

In an interview with Saudi-owned  Al Arabiya TV Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had been in contact to help "end the whole Lebanon problem."

He said however that the Saudi king has decided to withdraw from those efforts. 

The foreign minister said if the situation reaches full separation and regional partition, then it could mean the end of Lebanon as a state that has been a model of peaceful cohabitation between different religions and ethnicities.

Lebanon has been embroiled in a political crisis for months over efforts by the United Nations to indict several prominent members of Hezbollah over  the 2005 assassination of the late Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

Last week, Hezbollah and its allies quit Lebanon's Western-backed government because of tensions regarding the impending indictment.

A draft was handed Monday to the pre-trial judge.

The contents, however, have not been revealed and may not become public for weeks, as the judge decides whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

(From VOA)

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Peacekeeping Officials: ECOWAS Invasion of Ivory Coast Unlikely

Officials at former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's Peacekeeping Training Center say the threat of a West-Africa-led invasion of Ivory Coast is unlikely to materialize and would mostly aggravate the power crisis that has seized the country since the November 28 elections.

"The use of legitimate force," to quote the agreement signed by 15 West African leaders, was supposed to be the last resort the West African bloc would turn to if Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo did not concede the elections that the African Union says he lost.
But 10 days shy of two months of failed negotiations to pry Gabgbo from power, the threat of a West African invasion of its second-largest economy appears unlikely or, at best, a controversial prospect between the leaders who agreed to it.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan chairs the Economic Community of West African States and has led the bloc's efforts to oust President Gbagbo from power.
If mediation doesn't work, the bloc says it has 6,500 troops on standby, ready to invade and capture Gbagbo. On January 7, though, Ghanaian President John Atta Mills said Ghana would not participate in such an effort.
Ghana has 500 peacekeepers in Ivory Coast. Mills told reporters that sending in a military force would not bring peace to Ivory Coast, and Research Head Kweis Anning at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Center agrees.
"I think that possibility is fairly weak," said Anning. "If ECOWAS does not use a strike action to extract Gbagbo alone and his henchmen, which even then has very dangerous repercussions later from his supporters, a full-blown intervention force, as we saw in Liberia and Sierra Leone, is at best very far fetched."
Ghana's opposition, regional leaders, and supporters of Ivory Coast's internationally recognized president, Alassane Outtara, have criticized Mills for the decision.
A Burkinabé paper alleged that Mills received campaign contributions from Gbagbo during his own run for office, while an Ivorian newspaper claimed Ghana's main airport is allowing Ivory Coast to park military jets on its tarmac.
A spokesman for Mills' party denied both charges, and Anning said the Ghana president's refusal to participate is consistent with the country's long-standing foreign policy.
"The military intervention option, for me, it is supposed to be used as a stick, to elicit compliance from the Gbagbo camp that, 'Look, if you do not go by the rules and regulations to which you are a signatory to, this option is available,'" said Anning.
If the threat of military intervention is a stick, however, then Senegal's president said the economic community ought to be willing to use it.
In an interview with Bloomberg News last week, President Abdoulaye Wade's spokesman, Pape Dieng, said he is pushing leaders to remove Gbagbo "by any means necessary, even military means." If he does not leave, Dieng said African leaders will think there is never any need to concede an election. (From VOA)

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7.2 Quake Hits SW Pakistan

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, jolting residents of cities as far apart as the country's largest city of Karachi and the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck at 1:23 a.m. local time (2023 UTC Tuesday) at a depth of 84 kilometers, with the epicenter some 55 kilometers west of the town of Dalbandin in Baluchistan province, the country's most sparsely populated area. 

Reuters  news agency quoted Pakistani officials as saying several people were injured in Dalbandin when the roofs of their houses collapsed. 

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake had not triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

The Pentagon said U.S. troops in southwestern Afghanistan felt the tremor, but there were no injuries or an impact on U.S. military operations in Afghanistan or on the small contingent in Pakistan.  U.S. officials also said that so far, there was no request from Pakistan for assistance with quake relief.

Earthquakes are common in the region. A magnitude 7.6 quake on October 8, 2005 killed more than 70,000 people in northwestern Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir and left more than 3 million people homeless. (From VOA)

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Suicide Bomber Kills In Iraq at Least 50, Wounds 150

A suicide-bomber blew himself up Tuesday in the midst of a crowd of aspiring police recruits in the Sunni-Arab town of Tikrit, north of Baghdad. The bloody bombing left at least 50 people dead and wounded at least 150 others. The attack appears to mark a strategy by insurgents of targeting Iraq’s fledgling security forces, as
The bombing resembled many other similar attacks on Iraqi security forces in recent months. Dozens of aspiring, mostly young police recruits were killed or wounded by the blast in front of the police station in Saddam Hussein’s hometown.
Baghdad TV reports that the casualties were numerous and that many had to be taken to hospitals in other area towns and cities. Local mosques also broadcast appeals for blood donations over loudspeakers.
One wounded young man, his face covered with blood and soot from the explosion, described the blast from his hospital bed:
He says that he felt what had to have been an extremely strong explosion around him.
Peter Harling of the Crisis Group in Damascus says that insurgents continue to try to change the political equation or dynamics in Iraq by hitting the country’s security forces, but without much success:
"I think what's left of the insurgency has refocused on two types of targets, the security apparatus on the one hand, and on the other hand we've had a string of attacks along the Arab-Kurdish fault line (and on) former Mehdi Army strongholds in Baghdad. I think these attacks are designed to try and change the dynamics in Iraq. They've failed to do so. It's quite striking that although 2010 was marked by protracted negotiations over the formation of a government over a period of 8 months, these attacks completely failed in their objective of changing the dynamics," he said.
Harling argues that the insurgency would ultimately need to change its strategy of blowing people up in order to have more impact on the political process. "They've been successful only in causing massive bloodshed, but haven't had a decisive impact in terms of the dynamics of this conflict, and that I think leaves the insurgency very much in disarray. So, whatever operations they are mounting have no concrete impact and in no way can garner wide-ranging popular support in Iraq," he said.
Several Iraqi officials accused al-Qaida of responsibility for the blast. Peter Harling, however, says it is not clear who is behind the bombing, or Iraq’s insurgency, but that they are using techniques inspired by al-Qaida, notably in Afghanistan. What’s left of the insurgency, he adds, is mostly composed of small cells, but not backed up by any significant popular support. (From VOA)

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Chinese President Arrives in US for State Visit

China’s President Hu Jintao has arrived in Washington for a state visit.  Obama administration officials say they will not avoid difficult issues in meetings with Mr. Hu. 

President Hu’s two-day visit includes two dinners with President Barack Obama.  Wednesday’s state dinner is the first for a Chinese leader at the White House in 13 years and only the third in Mr. Obama’s two years in office.

A private working dinner, shortly after Mr. Hu’s arrival on Tuesday, was expected to include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and Chinese aides.

After a formal arrival ceremony Wednesday morning, the two presidents will continue their talks, with a one-on-one meeting and an expanded meeting that includes advisers.

Both sides are emphasizing their desire for cooperation.  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs calls the relationship between the two countries "cooperative but competitive."

Hu Jintao's Schedule in Washington
Tuesday, Jan. 18
4 p.m.: Chinese President Hu Jintao lands at Andrews Air Force Base, outside Washington.
Wednesday, Jan. 19
9 a.m.: U.S. President Barack Obama hosts an arrival ceremony for Hu on the South Lawn of the White House.
10 a.m.: Obama holds a small meeting with Hu in the Oval Office. Obama later holds an expanded meeting with Hu in the Cabinet Room.
TBA: Obama, Hu meet for about 45 minutes with U.S. and Chinese business leaders at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
TBA: Obama, Hu hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House.
1:30 p.m.: Biden hosts a lunch in honor of Hu's delegation at the State Department.
6 p.m.: Obama welcomes Hu at the North Portico of the White House for a state dinner.
Thursday, Jan. 20
Morning: Hu visits Capitol Hill, meets Republican and Democratic congressional leaders, including heads and ranking members of key committees.
Midday: Hu delivers the main public policy address of his visit at a U.S.-China Business Council forum at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel.
Afternoon: Hu departs for Chicago.
Evening: Hu attends a dinner hosted by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
Friday, Jan. 21
TBA: Hu participates in several Chicago events, before returning to Beijing.

He told reporters Tuesday the leaders will discuss both areas of agreement and more contentious issues. "We have a relationship, as I said, that yields substantial benefits.  At the same time, we have some direct and difficult challenges.  Most of those will be discussed [Wednesday]," he said.
Many of the issues to be discussed are economic.  The United States and China are the world’s two largest economies, and Gibbs says the U.S. will sell $100 billion in goods and services to China this year.
However, the U.S. has an enormous trade deficit with China, and some senators are threatening higher export tariffs against Beijing.
Also, U.S. officials say China’s currency is vastly undervalued, which contributes to the trade imbalance.
Gibbs said the Chinese have taken some limited steps to revalue the yuan, but the Obama administration does not believe those efforts have been adequate. "We believe that more must be done.  That is an opinion that is held not just by this country but by many countries around the world," he said.
Steven Dunaway, an adjunct senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, says the Obama administration is starting to take a harder line on the currency issue.  "I think there is increasing frustration, particularly on the exchange rate issue, with the pace at which the Chinese have advanced.  And that has been reflected, I think, in a toughening of the stance of the administration," he said.
Differences over human rights are also expected to be on the meeting agenda.
Gibbs said Mr. Obama would continue to press his Chinese counterpart to release human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo from prison, as he has since the award was given last October.
The White House spokesman said the president has discussed human rights concerns with Mr. Hu in each of their previous seven meetings.
Chinese and American human rights activists plan to protest outside the White House on Wednesday.
At Tuesday’s White House briefing, reporters repeatedly pressed Gibbs on whether an invitation to a prestigious state dinner amounts to condoning China’s human rights policies.
The president’s spokesman responded that the invitation is simply a reflection of the growing importance of the Asian economies. "This is a dynamic region of the world, one that is growing faster than any other, and one that needs to have the full engagement of the United States of America.  That has not always been the case," he said.
Mr. Obama’s other two state dinners were held for the leaders of India and Mexico.
John Boehner, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has turned down an invitation to Wednesday’s state dinner.  A Boehner spokesman said the top Republican lawmaker would have a chance to meet with Mr. Hu when he visits Capitol Hill on Thursday.
From Washington, the Chinese president goes to Chicago to meet with business leaders. (From VOA)

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African Union Mediator Returns to Ivory Coast

The African Union mediator to Ivory Coast's political crisis is heading back to the nation's commercial capital, Abidjan, after meeting with the head of the West African alliance that is threatening military force to remove the incumbent president. The internationally-recognized winner of Ivory Coast's vote says the incumbent president is stalling for time to re-arm.
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga's return to Abidjan follows talks in Nigeria with President Goodluck Jonathan, who chairs the Economic Community of West African States.
That alliance, which is known as ECOWAS, is threatening to use military force to remove Ivory Coast's incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, if he does not hand over power to the internationally-recognized winner of November's vote, former prime minister Alassane Ouattara.
Mr. Odinga says he returns to Abidjan with an open mind as both the African Union and ECOWAS want a peaceful resolution to the crisis. He says military force is the last resort because it will likely cost the lives of innocent people and disrupt the Ivorian economy.
Mediation by both ECOWAS and the African Union has so far produced no concrete results as Mr. Gbagbo and Mr. Ouattara both lead competing governments in Abidjan.
African leaders have ruled out a power-sharing agreement because they say Mr. Ouattara is the country's duly-elected president in a vote certified by the United Nations. Mr. Gbagbo says he won re-election when his allies on the constitutional counsel annulled enough Ouattara votes to make Mr. Gbagbo the winner.
Mr. Ouattara told VOA that he believes Mr. Gbagbo is not serious about international mediation and is stalling for time.
"Stalling allows him to import arms, ammunition, and to recruit mercenaries and militia so that he can continue to kill the Ivorian people. I think he thinks it is good for him, but it is very bad for Cote d'Ivoire and the Ivorians," he said.
Mr. Gbagbo's foreign minister, Alcide Djedje, says it is former rebels backing Mr. Ouattara who pose a threat to national security. He says the Gbagbo government will continue its blockade of a resort hotel where Mr. Ouattara is living because 300 heavily-armed rebels can not be allowed to move freely in a neighborhood so close to Mr. Gbagbo's residence.
ECOWAS defense chiefs meet in Mali Wednesday to discuss how best to deal with the crisis in Ivory Coast. (From VOA)

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South Korean Official Foresees North's Collapse

A senior South Korean official says North Korea could bring about its own collapse if it keeps pouring scarce resources into its nuclear program and military.
Presidential security adviser Chun Yung-woo says in an interview with U.S. public broadcaster PBS that the "obsession" of North Korean leaders with weapons of mass destruction may become "a short-cut to their demise."
Chun said he sees North Korea's recent aggressive behavior followed by peace overtures as an indication of Pyongyang's desperation over an economic crisis that is getting worse daily.
When asked to predict how long the Stalinist regime could sustain its existence under current policies, Chun said the energy for change in the North was reaching critical mass, but he could not say when the collapse could come. (From VOA)

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Ouattara Says Gbagbo Stalling for Time to Arm Himself

Ivory Coast President-elect Alassane Ouattara says President Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to give up power and acknowledge losing the November election, is stalling for time to arm himself.

Mr. Ouattara told VOA that Mr. Gbagbo is looking to buy weapons and ammunition and recruit mercenaries and militias. He rejected a Gbagbo appeal for negotiations, saying there is nothing to talk about.

The president-elect said the will of the Ivorian people cannot be negotiated, adding that Mr. Gbagbo lost the election and must go.
Mr. Ouattara said if pressure does not work, Mr. Gbagbo should be removed by force.
A Gbagbo spokesman said Sunday that new European Union sanctions do not intimidate his government. The spokesman said the world relies on Ivory Coast for cocoa and that the country can get what it needs from some other place besides the EU.
The United States already has frozen Mr. Gbagbo's U.S. assets and barred Americans from doing business with his government.
Mr. Gbagbo insists he won the November 28 presidential election. The international community recognizes Mr. Ouattara as the winner.
West Africa's central bank says it is blocking Mr. Gbagbo's access to Ivory Coast's assets and is giving that power instead to Mr. Ouattara.
African Union leaders have been meeting to discuss a solution to the standoff. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS threatens military action if Mr. Gbagbo does not step down.
The United Nations says at least 247 people have died in violence since the November 28 election. (From VOA)

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Hezbollah Chief Calls for New Leadership in Lebanon

People watch the speech of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on a screen at a cafe in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011. The leader of Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hezbollah says Saad Hariri should not return as prime minister. Nasrallah made his first public comments Sunday since ministers from his movement and their allies resigned from the Cabinet on Wednesday, toppling Hariri's Western-backed government. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

For the first time since the Lebanese government collapsed on Wednesday, Hezbollah’s leader spoke today, accusing the U.S., Israel, and the international tribunal investigating the 2005 murder of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri of trying to destabilize Lebanon. 

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, which is allied with nearly half of the Lebanese parliament, did not say who he wants as the country’s new prime minister. But he was clear about who he does not want:  Sa’ad Hariri, the son of the slain prime minister, who was unseated as prime minister last week.

Nasrallah said he will not support any government that cooperates with The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a UN-backed court set up to investigate the 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.  In the coming days, the tribunal prosecutor is expected to hand indictments of Hezbollah members to judges for review.  Hezbollah maintains these indictments are political attacks on the organization, based on lying witnesses.

This comes as the Lebanese parliament prepares for what is expected to be a bitter fight over who will be the next prime minister.  Sa’ad Hariri’s government fell Wednesday when 11 ministers, most from Hezbollah, resigned.  Parties are expected to announce their preferred candidates Monday. 

Lebanon’s two major political coalitions, March 8 and March 14, are deadlocked over the issue of The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which sparked Wednesday’s walk-out.

March 14, which is the ruling party of Sa’ad Hariri, supports the court. 

March 8, the opposition coalition that includes Hezbollah, does not.  Hezbollah, a Shi’ite political party and militia backed by Iran and Syria, says the court’s goal is to discredit the organization, not to find the killers.

Both sides say they will only accept a new government that agrees with them on this issue.  March 14 says Sa’ad Hariri is the only man for prime minister.  March 8 says he is not. 

March 14’s General Secretary Fares Souaid says his coalition does not intend to compromise. "We support three main points.  First, we support the international tribunal.  Second, we support Sa’ad al-Hariri as prime minister.  Third, we support stability and peaceful democracy in Lebanon," he said.

But peace and stability in Lebanon is becoming harder to maintain.  Lebanese journalist and political analyst Hazem Saghieh says even though Hezbollah has called for peaceful change that falls within legal boundaries, it may not be able to contain growing sectarian tensions. "A spontaneous clash might take place in any of Beirut’s streets and might lead to a bigger conflict which is unpredictable now," he said.

Political leaders from all political parties have called for peace on the streets.  Saghieh says that if the parliament decides on Sa’ad Hariri, and government continues to recognize the court, Hezbollah might be forced into a corner.  In 2008, Hezbollah took over West Beirut in a matter of days. 

Volatility in Lebanon has also worried leaders in the region and all over the world.  Leaders from Qatar, Syria and Turkey are expected to meet in Damascus on Monday.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed concern about the increasing chaos in the region, saying that any new peace treaty with Palestine would have to include stronger security measures. (From VOA)

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US, Israeli Computer Program Slows Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

A published report says a joint U.S.-Israeli project designed to sabotage Iran's nuclear program has apparently shut down a fifth of that country's nuclear centrifuges.
The report in The New York Times quotes unidentified intelligence and military experts as saying the project has helped delay, though not destroy, Iran's ability to make nuclear weapons.
According to the newspaper, the experts from both the United States and Israel have been able over the past two years to develop a destructive computer worm that has attacked computers in Iran.   
The newspaper says Israel first tested the Stuxnet computer worm at its own Dimona nuclear site on uranium enrichment centrifuges nearly identical to those in Iran.  
The report coincides with a two-day tour of Iran's nuclear facilities by a group of international envoys.  Iranian officials say the tour is designed to show the country's nuclear program is peaceful.
But the six nations involved in nuclear talks with Iran are not participating in the rare tour.  Those talks are scheduled to resume in Istanbul on Thursday.
Last week U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said "technological problems," along with international sanctions, have made it much more difficult for Iran to pursue its nuclear ambitions.  But she said Iran's nuclear program remains a serious concern. (From VOA)

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Israel Considering Major Settlement Project in East Jerusalem

A new Israeli construction project could harm international efforts to revive Middle East peace talks.

Israel is considering a plan to build 1,400 new apartments in the Jewish neighborhood of Gilo in disputed East Jerusalem.  But the United States and the Palestinians consider Gilo an illegal settlement because it was built on territory Israel captured from Jordan during the Six Day War in 1967.
Jerusalem Councilman Elisha Peleg supports the plan, which could be approved next week.  He says Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel, and the city will not be divided.
"The Jews have the right to build in all parts of Jerusalem including East Jerusalem," said Peleg. "It is part of the city."
The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and they say building there is illegal under international law.
Hagit Ofran of Israel's left-wing Peace Now movement agrees.  She says unilateral steps by Israel are destroying the peace process.
"If Israel wants to build in East Jerusalem, we need to sign an agreement with the Palestinians and then it will be legitimate that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel," she said.  "If we get to a two-state solution, then it is possible.  Until then, it will always cause us problems, so it is against the Israeli interests."
The Palestinians say they will not return to peace talks until Israel halts all settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  Palestinian officials are drafting a proposal for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would condemn Israel for the settlements. (From VOA)

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Former Dictator Returns to Haiti

Haiti's former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby-Doc" Duvalier, center, waves to the media upon his arrival at the Toussaint Louverture international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 16 Jan. 2011.

Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier has returned to his homeland for the first time since he was ousted in a coup in 1986.
Until the coup, Duvalier, known as "Baby Doc," had ruled Haiti since the 1971 death of his father, Francois "Papa Doc'' Duvalier.  It is not clear why the younger Duvalier returned.
His return comes at a time of political crisis in Haiti following Nov. 28 presidential and legislative elections, whose preliminary results have triggered fraud allegations and protests.
The elections were followed by a cholera epidemic in the Caribbean island nation, which is still recovering from a devastating earthquake a year ago that killed more than 300,000 people.
Duvalier was living in exile in France. (From VOA)

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Australian Treasurer: Floods Will Damage Economy

This general view shows vehicles damaged by recent flooding in the Australian town of Grantham on January 16, 2011.

Australia's Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says the floods that have devastated huge areas of the country will inflict significant damage to the economy, and that rebuilding will take many years.
Swan said Monday the scale of this natural disaster could prove to be the costliest in the Australia's economic history. He said that in order to bring the budget to a planned surplus by 2013, the government will have to make some tough decisions, including spending cuts.
Swan also acknowledged that the extent of the damage could have an effect on the future of the insurance industry.  
Floods have affected three-quarters of Queensland state, where they submerged more than 40 communities and caused billions of dollars in damage from destroyed homes and crops, broken infrastructure and lost commodity exports.
After receding in Queensland, floods hit the state of Victoria, where they swamped more than 1,400 homes in 43 towns.
Weeks of flooding in the northeastern state of Queensland have caused nearly 30 deaths, at least 17 just this month. The state capital, Brisbane, was hit by a devastating flash flood on January 10.  Officials say 14 people are still missing.  
In the capital alone, floods completely destroyed close to 20,000 homes and partially flooded at least another 15,000.  A huge clean-up effort is underway.   
In the state of Victoria, the area that was devastated by deadly wildfires two years ago is now facing what could be its worst flooding in 100 years. Thousands of people have fled.
Experts have linked Australia's downpours to a weather pattern called La Nina, which has brought in cooler temperatures that have strengthened the normal tropical cyclone season. (From VOA)

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US House Resumes Work After Arizona Shooting

The U.S. House of Representatives resumes work this week after a one-week suspension following the near-fatal shooting of an Arizona congresswoman.  Contentious legislation in the House will test President Barack Obama’s call for greater civility in the nation’s discourse.
The new House Republican majority top priority is repealing President Obama’s signature health-care reform initiative.  Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake expects rhetoric will be toned down following the Arizona tragedy.
"I think you will see a more civil debate than you would have had otherwise," he said.  "I am not sure the substance of the debate will change that much.  I think Republicans are committed to repealing the [health-care] law in the House.  But I do think the tone will change, and that is a good thing."
Flake spoke on CBS’ Face The Nation.  Also appearing on the program was Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, who opposes any wholesale abandonment of the health-care law.
"I do not plan to debate my values and the principles of my constituents any less vigorously," she said.  "But I think it [tone of debate] starts with us, and we have to lead by example.  I think all of us need to be more careful about the words that we choose to use."
Americans could see a brief erasing of partisan divides next week when President Obama delivers his State of the Union address at the Capitol.  Democratic Senator Kirsten is one of several lawmakers urging Democrats and Republicans to sit together, rather than dividing the House chamber by party.
"It is a symbol, and a symbol is a very good place to start," said Gillibrand.  "What you are going to create is an image of the Congress deciding that we are going to work as a body, not as two separate sides."
The senator is a friend of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head earlier this month.  Giffords survived, but six people died in a spray of bullets from a lone gunman.  
Senator Gillibrand visited Giffords in the hospital twice in the past week.  She says Giffords has yet to speak, but appears to be on the road to a miraculous recovery.
"She can move both sides of her body.  She can breathe.  She is showing people she can communicate by holding our hands and moving her arms and her legs and looking at us," Gillibrand said.  So, she is making great progress."
With more details emerging about the disturbed mental state of alleged gunman Jared Lee Loughner, some Democrats and Republicans are urging greater attention to mental health issues in the United States. (From  VOA)

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