sexta-feira, 10 de fevereiro de 2012
sexta-feira, 13 de janeiro de 2012
Protesting Nigerian workers vow to shut down oil production
Nigerian oil
workers vowed Thursday to start shutting down production in Africa's top
crude exporter this weekend as a national strike headed for a fifth
day, but high-level talks made progress toward a deal.
The strike and mass protests over high fuel prices have paralysed Nigeria this week, while President Goodluck Jonathan's government has also had to deal with a spate of bloody attacks blamed on Islamist militants.
Labour leaders held their first meeting with Jonathan since the strike began, and progress was reported after the talks ended late Thursday night, though not enough for unions to call off the action.
The two sides were due to meet again on Saturday -- with oil workers planning to begin shutting down production hours later, at midnight of that day, if no resolution is reached.
Nigeria produces more than two million barrels per day and is a key supplier of crude to the United States and the European Union.
While the strike this week has paralysed Africa's most populous country and brought tens of thousands onto the streets, oil workers have so far not moved to halt output of crude, the country's economic lifeblood.
Union officials and analysts say this would be a desperate step, given the damage it would cause to a country that derives some two-thirds of government revenue and more than 90 percent of export earnings from the industry.
Babatunde Ogun, president of the PENGASSAN oil workers union, nonetheless warned that "from Sunday, we are shutting down".
He said the union was demanding that the government return petrol prices to 65 naira per litre ($0.40, 0.30 euros) -- the level before January 1, when fuel subsidies were abruptly halted. They are now at 140 or more.
The strike and protests have put the government under mounting pressure as it also seeks to stop spiralling attacks blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram, which have raised tensions and led to warnings of civil war.
Huge crowds have gathered across cities for protests against the removal of fuel subsidies that doubled the price of petrol overnight.
More than a dozen labour leaders entered talks with Jonathan and other officials on Thursday.
Progress was reported afterward, with Senate President David Mark saying both sides had shifted their positions. One of the country's main union leaders seemed upbeat after the talks.
"Until we conclude the discussions, we maintain the status quo," said Nigeria Labour Congress president Abdulwahed Omar.
A labour source said the government had offered to reduce petrol prices to 120 naira per litre, but unions have not yet accepted it.
The petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, earlier signaled to journalists that there was room for negotiations while at the same time defending the government's position.
"No government would stand up and put itself through (the) sort of onslaught that we have been put through if they did not believe that what was to come is far better for the country than what has already passed," she added.
Government officials and economists say removing subsidies was essential and will allow much of the $8 billion per year in savings to be plowed into projects to improve the country's woefully inadequate infrastructure.
But protests across Nigeria pressed ahead. In Lagos, the largest city, over 10,000 packed a park which has become the city's main protest site.
Seun Kuti - son of late legendary musician and harsh government critic Fela Kuti -- performed for a raucous crowd that screamed in anger at the government and yelled threats against the president.
In northern Nigeria's largest city of Kano, hundreds of thousands gathered at an open air ground for what organisers labelled a "sit-in" rally.
Violence again hit parts of Nigeria, with two police officers killed on Wednesday when a mob rampaged in the central city of Minna, burning political offices and prompting an all-day curfew.
Gunmen also attacked a police station in the northeastern city of Yola.
In another attack, four Christians were gunned down on the outskirts of the city of Potiskum by suspected Boko Haram members.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay warned on Thursday that members of Boko Haram could be guilty of crimes against humanity if their attacks are found to have systematically targeted civilians.
The strike and mass protests over high fuel prices have paralysed Nigeria this week, while President Goodluck Jonathan's government has also had to deal with a spate of bloody attacks blamed on Islamist militants.
Labour leaders held their first meeting with Jonathan since the strike began, and progress was reported after the talks ended late Thursday night, though not enough for unions to call off the action.
The two sides were due to meet again on Saturday -- with oil workers planning to begin shutting down production hours later, at midnight of that day, if no resolution is reached.
Nigeria produces more than two million barrels per day and is a key supplier of crude to the United States and the European Union.
While the strike this week has paralysed Africa's most populous country and brought tens of thousands onto the streets, oil workers have so far not moved to halt output of crude, the country's economic lifeblood.
Union officials and analysts say this would be a desperate step, given the damage it would cause to a country that derives some two-thirds of government revenue and more than 90 percent of export earnings from the industry.
Babatunde Ogun, president of the PENGASSAN oil workers union, nonetheless warned that "from Sunday, we are shutting down".
He said the union was demanding that the government return petrol prices to 65 naira per litre ($0.40, 0.30 euros) -- the level before January 1, when fuel subsidies were abruptly halted. They are now at 140 or more.
The strike and protests have put the government under mounting pressure as it also seeks to stop spiralling attacks blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram, which have raised tensions and led to warnings of civil war.
Huge crowds have gathered across cities for protests against the removal of fuel subsidies that doubled the price of petrol overnight.
More than a dozen labour leaders entered talks with Jonathan and other officials on Thursday.
Progress was reported afterward, with Senate President David Mark saying both sides had shifted their positions. One of the country's main union leaders seemed upbeat after the talks.
"Until we conclude the discussions, we maintain the status quo," said Nigeria Labour Congress president Abdulwahed Omar.
A labour source said the government had offered to reduce petrol prices to 120 naira per litre, but unions have not yet accepted it.
The petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, earlier signaled to journalists that there was room for negotiations while at the same time defending the government's position.
"No government would stand up and put itself through (the) sort of onslaught that we have been put through if they did not believe that what was to come is far better for the country than what has already passed," she added.
Government officials and economists say removing subsidies was essential and will allow much of the $8 billion per year in savings to be plowed into projects to improve the country's woefully inadequate infrastructure.
But protests across Nigeria pressed ahead. In Lagos, the largest city, over 10,000 packed a park which has become the city's main protest site.
Seun Kuti - son of late legendary musician and harsh government critic Fela Kuti -- performed for a raucous crowd that screamed in anger at the government and yelled threats against the president.
In northern Nigeria's largest city of Kano, hundreds of thousands gathered at an open air ground for what organisers labelled a "sit-in" rally.
Violence again hit parts of Nigeria, with two police officers killed on Wednesday when a mob rampaged in the central city of Minna, burning political offices and prompting an all-day curfew.
Gunmen also attacked a police station in the northeastern city of Yola.
In another attack, four Christians were gunned down on the outskirts of the city of Potiskum by suspected Boko Haram members.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay warned on Thursday that members of Boko Haram could be guilty of crimes against humanity if their attacks are found to have systematically targeted civilians.
US condemns abuse video but Taliban talks survive
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| Add caption |
Another crucial element would be a renunciation of violence by the
Taliban and a break with Al-Qaeda and other "terrorist" groups, the US
says.
A video
purportedly showing US Marines urinating on dead insurgents in
Afghanistan prompted American condemnation and a Pentagon probe
Thursday, but the Taliban said peace efforts would continue.A senior US military official said the Marines believed they had identified the unit at the center of the allegations, which evoked memories of previous abuses committed by US troops in Iraq and during the decade-long Afghan war.
"We cannot release the name of the unit at this time since the incident is being investigated," a spokesman from the Marines said, referring to images that could spark outrage and unrest in Afghanistan and the wider Muslim world.
US cable network CNN quoted an unnamed US Marine official as saying the military branch was "confident" the troops in the inflammatory video were from the 3rd Battalion 2nd Marine Regiment, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The unit deployed to Afghanistan, mainly in Helmand province, in early 2011 and returned in September or October, CNN reported.
The video appeared to show four servicemen urinating on three bloodied corpses, and one of the men, apparently aware he was being filmed, saying: "Have a great day, buddy," referring to one of the dead.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pledged that "those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent," and a Pentagon spokesman confirmed a probe into the alleged abuse was under way.
"This conduct is entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military and does not reflect the standards or values our armed forces are sworn to uphold," Panetta said in a statement.
"I have seen the footage, and I find the behavior depicted in it utterly deplorable. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters of her "total dismay at the story concerning our Marines," and joined Panetta in condemning "the deplorable behavior that is reflected in this video."
"It is absolutely inconsistent with American values, with the standards of behavior that we expect from our military personnel," Clinton said.
The Taliban, who have made recent moves toward talks to end 10 years of US-led war in the impoverished country, described the apparent abuse as "an inhumane and savage act by the American soldiers in Afghanistan."
But spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said he did not think it would destroy tentative peace negotiations with the United States, "which at this stage are mainly about prisoner exchange".
Earlier in the day, the insurgents issued another statement supporting talks to end the war against US-led forces, while warning that this did not mean surrender.
The Pentagon says it has not yet verified the footage, which has been broadcast by leading Afghan television station Tolo News and posted on the Live Leak website.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement that the government of Afghanistan was "deeply disturbed" at the desecration.
"This act by American soldiers is simply inhuman and condemnable in the strongest possible terms," he said, requesting that the US urgently investigate and "apply the most severe punishment" to anyone found guilty.
On the subject of peace talks, the Taliban, who have announced their readiness to open a political office in Qatar, said they had increased their "political efforts to come to mutual understanding with the world."
"But this understanding does not mean a surrender from jihad and neither is it connected to an acceptance of the constitution of the stooge Kabul administration," the hardline Islamists said in a statement received by AFP.
"But rather the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban) is utilizing its political wing alongside its military presence and jihad in order to realize the national and Islamic aspirations of the nation and its martyrs."
The United States earlier announced that it would send a senior official to meet Karzai next week to see if he will agree to a resumption of preliminary talks with the Taliban. A US official said the talks could open within weeks.
A key Washington demand for any progress in negotiations is that the Taliban accept the Afghan constitution, which mandates protection for the rights of women and minorities, which were stifled during Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001.
quarta-feira, 4 de janeiro de 2012
Back in the Day: Dubai’s Burj becomes the world’s biggest building
January 4, 2010 Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building, is officially opened. Standing at 829.84 metres (2,723 feet) tall is rises around 183 metres (602 feet) higher than the world’s second highest man-made structure, the Warsaw radio mast. Among many other records it holds are the building with the most number of floors (160), the world’s highest mosque (on the 158th floor) and the world’s fastest elevators (64 km/h or 40 mph). Costing around 1.15 billion euros, it was originally to be called the Burj Dubai (literally the Dubai Tower). However its construction coincided with the global financial crisis, and after Dubai was bailed out of money worries by Emirati neighbour Abu Dhabi, it was renamed after the head of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The tower has proven controversial for several reasons: the property slump left many of the tower’s apartments uninhabited, and many questions have been raisedabout unsafe and exploitative conditions for construction workers, most of whom were drafted in from South Asia.
UK: racist murderers sentenced after 18 years
Two men have been jailed in the UK for the killing of black teenager Stephen Lawrence more than 18 years ago.
Lawrence, aged 18, was stabbed to death at a bus stop in an unprovoked attack in 1993.
Gary Dobson will have to serve a minimum of 15 years and two months while David Norris was sentenced to at least 14 years and three months.
They were convicted after a second trial that hinged on new scientific evidence.
After a long search for justice, Lawrence’s mother said she felt relieved by the verdict but angry at the way the original investigation was carried out.
It became a landmark case after a judicial inquiry exposed institutional racism in London’s police and deep-rooted failings in the initial investigation.
The Metropolitan Police has since reformed its policies.
The families of Dobson and Morris have said they will prove their innocence.
Lawrence, aged 18, was stabbed to death at a bus stop in an unprovoked attack in 1993.
Gary Dobson will have to serve a minimum of 15 years and two months while David Norris was sentenced to at least 14 years and three months.
They were convicted after a second trial that hinged on new scientific evidence.
After a long search for justice, Lawrence’s mother said she felt relieved by the verdict but angry at the way the original investigation was carried out.
It became a landmark case after a judicial inquiry exposed institutional racism in London’s police and deep-rooted failings in the initial investigation.
The Metropolitan Police has since reformed its policies.
The families of Dobson and Morris have said they will prove their innocence.
Merkel and Sarkozy’s “Dinner” becomes cult net hit
A German reworking of a 1960s British comedy sketch has become an internet hit.
The original Dinner for One is already cult viewing on New Year’s Eve in Germany and many Scandinavian countries.
In the new version, renamed “the 90th Euro Rescue Summit or Euros for No-one,” the heads of Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel have been superimposed on the 18-minute film’s two characters.
Merkel plays the original 90-year-old Miss Sophie in assuming her friends are there but talks of the former Greek and Spanish prime ministers. She also reprimands an absent British prime minister saying that German would be spoken at the table.
And true to the original, Sarkozy the butler ends up worse for wear having drunk for all his mistress’ guests, and then he is warned by Merkel to think about his credit rating!
The original Dinner for One is already cult viewing on New Year’s Eve in Germany and many Scandinavian countries.
In the new version, renamed “the 90th Euro Rescue Summit or Euros for No-one,” the heads of Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel have been superimposed on the 18-minute film’s two characters.
Merkel plays the original 90-year-old Miss Sophie in assuming her friends are there but talks of the former Greek and Spanish prime ministers. She also reprimands an absent British prime minister saying that German would be spoken at the table.
And true to the original, Sarkozy the butler ends up worse for wear having drunk for all his mistress’ guests, and then he is warned by Merkel to think about his credit rating!
High winds kill two in UK, storms hit Denmark & Germany
There was transport chaos in many parts of Britain with two people killed as fierce storms swept across Scotland and the north of England, heading east.
One man was died in the English channel as his tanker was hit by huge waves, another died in Kent when his car was hit by a tree. Others had narrow escapes.
“Out of the corner of my eye I just saw the tree coming down and I tried to duck and move out of the way, but obviously not enough,” said one motorist who escaped without a scratch when his car was wrecked.
Winds of over 160 kilometres per hour were reported in several places, closing ports and torturing ships that had yet to reach harbours. Flights were cancelled and roads blocked with debris.
The storm then raked Denmark, with north Jutland reporting it was the worst weather since 2005. It then made its way across Germany’s north sea coast and the port of Hamburg.
Forecasters predict even stronger winds for southern Germany tomorrow, and heavy snow, which will no doubt come as good news for some, enjoying the wild weather on icy pavements being pushed along by the gale force winds.
One man was died in the English channel as his tanker was hit by huge waves, another died in Kent when his car was hit by a tree. Others had narrow escapes.
“Out of the corner of my eye I just saw the tree coming down and I tried to duck and move out of the way, but obviously not enough,” said one motorist who escaped without a scratch when his car was wrecked.
Winds of over 160 kilometres per hour were reported in several places, closing ports and torturing ships that had yet to reach harbours. Flights were cancelled and roads blocked with debris.
The storm then raked Denmark, with north Jutland reporting it was the worst weather since 2005. It then made its way across Germany’s north sea coast and the port of Hamburg.
Forecasters predict even stronger winds for southern Germany tomorrow, and heavy snow, which will no doubt come as good news for some, enjoying the wild weather on icy pavements being pushed along by the gale force winds.
Japan and China still at odds over islands
A short walk on a forbidden island disputed by China and Japan has brought a formal diplomatic protest from Beijing.Japanese local officials made a two-hour visit to one of the uninhabited islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
The territory in the East China Sea is claimed by both countries, for traditional reasons, fishing and potential rich hydrocarbon deposits.
In late 2010, Japan arrested a Chinese fishing boat captain near the disputed islands; the Japanese visitors’ vessel returned unhindered to port.
A representative from the Okinawa region said he wanted to draw attention to unresolved problems in the new year.
The Chinese foreign ministry objected strongly. A spokesman said Beijing had lodged a stern protest with Tokyo, reiterating his government’s claim of sovereignty over the islands, ever since ancient times.
Around a dozen activists put out from Hong Kong bound for the cluster of eight barren islets, to press their cause.
terça-feira, 3 de janeiro de 2012
Iran raises the stakes in the Gulf
Tension is rising in the Persian Gulf after Iran once again tested long-range missiles and a senior army officer warned the US to keep its aircraft carriers out of the region.
The warning, reported by the semi-official Fars news agency, did not name the American vessel but claimed it had left the area due to Iranian naval exercises taking place in the Gulf over the past ten days.
The officer did not specify what action Iran would take should the carrier return, but he claimed the military drills proved Iran was completely in control of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians have threatened to close down the channel if any sanctions affect its oil exports.
Opinion was divided on the streets of the capital Tehran. One man said, “the youth of Iran will not allow oppressors to violate the borders of our country.”
However others were more conciliatory, like one Tehranian who said:
“Iranians don’t like war. We’ve already had eight years of war against Iraq and we can’t withstand another one. Iran should have talks with other countries to try to avoid a war.”
Iran has indicated that it is willing to enter into new talks over its nuclear programme which it claims is for purely peaceful purposes. But the West thinks they could be trying to develop nuclear weapons.
The warning, reported by the semi-official Fars news agency, did not name the American vessel but claimed it had left the area due to Iranian naval exercises taking place in the Gulf over the past ten days.
The officer did not specify what action Iran would take should the carrier return, but he claimed the military drills proved Iran was completely in control of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians have threatened to close down the channel if any sanctions affect its oil exports.
Opinion was divided on the streets of the capital Tehran. One man said, “the youth of Iran will not allow oppressors to violate the borders of our country.”
However others were more conciliatory, like one Tehranian who said:
“Iranians don’t like war. We’ve already had eight years of war against Iraq and we can’t withstand another one. Iran should have talks with other countries to try to avoid a war.”
Iran has indicated that it is willing to enter into new talks over its nuclear programme which it claims is for purely peaceful purposes. But the West thinks they could be trying to develop nuclear weapons.
UK ratings scare hits pound and gilts
Ratings agency Moody’s has confirmed that Britain’s triple-A credit rating remains stable but that could change if its economic growth slips.
The pound and UK government bonds were hit by a media report that Moody’s was raising new doubts about the outlook for the triple-A rating which apparently is not the case.
The pound fell for the seventh straight day against the euro and slipped versus the dollar.
“Moody’s has the UK at a triple-A rating with a stable outlook,” a Moody’s spokesman said. “However, as we’ve been saying for a while, in a situation of lower growth combined with weaker than expected fiscal consolidation, we would reconsider our stance,” he added.
Andy Chaytor, a strategist at RBS, said: “I’m not sure there’s much new information in there. But it does remind the market that the UK might have a good path, but you can’t altogether ignore the vulnerability of that path.”
The British government aims to virtually eliminate a budget deficit of around 10 percent of GDP over the next four years, but lacklustre growth has caused some people to doubt whether it will meet this target.
The European Union said this week that the UK faces “a challenge” in implementing its budget cutting programme and that some of its growth forecasts are too optimistic.
The pound and UK government bonds were hit by a media report that Moody’s was raising new doubts about the outlook for the triple-A rating which apparently is not the case.
The pound fell for the seventh straight day against the euro and slipped versus the dollar.
“Moody’s has the UK at a triple-A rating with a stable outlook,” a Moody’s spokesman said. “However, as we’ve been saying for a while, in a situation of lower growth combined with weaker than expected fiscal consolidation, we would reconsider our stance,” he added.
Andy Chaytor, a strategist at RBS, said: “I’m not sure there’s much new information in there. But it does remind the market that the UK might have a good path, but you can’t altogether ignore the vulnerability of that path.”
The British government aims to virtually eliminate a budget deficit of around 10 percent of GDP over the next four years, but lacklustre growth has caused some people to doubt whether it will meet this target.
The European Union said this week that the UK faces “a challenge” in implementing its budget cutting programme and that some of its growth forecasts are too optimistic.
Brazil overtakes UK in economic league table
Brazil has topped the United Kingdom in the World Economic League Table. The British based Centre for Economics and Business Research – the CEBR – said Rio is now the world’s sixth largest economy with the UK slipping to seventh.
The South American nation has a population of about 200 million, more than three times that of the UK.
The country’s economy grew by 7.5 percent last year though the government has cut its growth forecast for 2011 to 3.5 percent.
The league table for 2011 produced by the CEBR shows Asian countries moving up and European countries falling back. Its forecast for 2020 sees huge changes in the top five with Russia and India, currently ninth and tenth moving into the top five.
Analysts believe the shift in economic wealth from the established economies to developing nations, is due to those countries producing vital commodities such as food and energy.
While Brazil currently sell more to China than it imports, Brazilian manufacturers have complained their industries are being affected by cheap mass-produced goods from the Asian giant
The South American nation has a population of about 200 million, more than three times that of the UK.
The country’s economy grew by 7.5 percent last year though the government has cut its growth forecast for 2011 to 3.5 percent.
The league table for 2011 produced by the CEBR shows Asian countries moving up and European countries falling back. Its forecast for 2020 sees huge changes in the top five with Russia and India, currently ninth and tenth moving into the top five.
Analysts believe the shift in economic wealth from the established economies to developing nations, is due to those countries producing vital commodities such as food and energy.
While Brazil currently sell more to China than it imports, Brazilian manufacturers have complained their industries are being affected by cheap mass-produced goods from the Asian giant
Firms sold ‘industrial product’ to breast implant company
At least two companies have admitted supplying products meant for industrial not medical use to the French firm at the centre of a health scare over breast implants.
PIP, which was shut down in 2010, has denied the allegations. Its lawyer insisted the substances used were not dangerous and said the firm’s boss, who is wanted by Interpol, would break his silence.
But the German firm Brenntag, the world’s largest chemicals distributor, said it supplied PIP with industrial-grade silicone. It is in contact with French health authorities.
Another supplier, Bluestar International, claimed it also sold industrial products to PIP.
The company’s spokesman said its Rhodorsil range was meant for making tyres, for the oil industry or for treating waste water.
In France a lawyer for four women threatening legal action against surgeons is calling for samples to be taken directly from his clients for examination by European health authorities.
French authorities have advised 30,000 women to have PIP breast implants removed because of the danger of rupture.
In Britain a medical advisor to the government is now also recommending removal.
But in other countries where women are being told only to have a check-up, there is increasing concern.
Experts in Spain are pointing the finger at lax controls, amid suggestions that watchdogs have been .
PIP, which was shut down in 2010, has denied the allegations. Its lawyer insisted the substances used were not dangerous and said the firm’s boss, who is wanted by Interpol, would break his silence.
But the German firm Brenntag, the world’s largest chemicals distributor, said it supplied PIP with industrial-grade silicone. It is in contact with French health authorities.
Another supplier, Bluestar International, claimed it also sold industrial products to PIP.
The company’s spokesman said its Rhodorsil range was meant for making tyres, for the oil industry or for treating waste water.
In France a lawyer for four women threatening legal action against surgeons is calling for samples to be taken directly from his clients for examination by European health authorities.
French authorities have advised 30,000 women to have PIP breast implants removed because of the danger of rupture.
In Britain a medical advisor to the government is now also recommending removal.
But in other countries where women are being told only to have a check-up, there is increasing concern.
Experts in Spain are pointing the finger at lax controls, amid suggestions that watchdogs have been .
N’Dour claims popular demand for Senegal presidency
World famous singer Youssou N’Dour is contemplating swapping the stage for the campaign rostrum after saying he will run for president in his native Senegal.
“I am a candidate. It’s true, I did no higher education studies. But the presidency is a duty not a job,” he declared on television.
The singer has strongly criticised what he calls astronomic state spending under President Abdoulaye Wade, in a country where formal employment is scarce and average income per head is around 2.3 euros a day.
Tension has risen in the otherwise stable West African country since the constitution was changed, allowing Wade to seek a controversial third term at the age of 85.
But can N’dour do better? There was broad support on the streets of Dakar, the capital.
“I give my full support to his candidature. Because he’s a serious man, he loves Senegal, and he works hard. He’s contributed a lot to the country’s development,” said one young man, Bakary Niassy.
But another doubted the presidency was appropriate for the international star:
“I think he’s trying to take advantage of his popularity a bit to become a candidate. But in reality I don’t think he’s a hardened politician to be able to set his sights on the approval of the Senegalese,” he said.
N’dour is expected to be one of around 12 candidates in the election on February 26 – and a very different one in a country where politicians are far more often academics or intellectuals than musicians
“I am a candidate. It’s true, I did no higher education studies. But the presidency is a duty not a job,” he declared on television.
The singer has strongly criticised what he calls astronomic state spending under President Abdoulaye Wade, in a country where formal employment is scarce and average income per head is around 2.3 euros a day.
Tension has risen in the otherwise stable West African country since the constitution was changed, allowing Wade to seek a controversial third term at the age of 85.
But can N’dour do better? There was broad support on the streets of Dakar, the capital.
“I give my full support to his candidature. Because he’s a serious man, he loves Senegal, and he works hard. He’s contributed a lot to the country’s development,” said one young man, Bakary Niassy.
But another doubted the presidency was appropriate for the international star:
“I think he’s trying to take advantage of his popularity a bit to become a candidate. But in reality I don’t think he’s a hardened politician to be able to set his sights on the approval of the Senegalese,” he said.
N’dour is expected to be one of around 12 candidates in the election on February 26 – and a very different one in a country where politicians are far more often academics or intellectuals than musicians
Nigerian Islamists issue ultimatum
Minority Christians in the northern Nigerian town of Damatura are fleeing to the south of the country after being told to get out by militant Islamists.
The Christians have been given three days to leave by the Islamist Boko Haram group after Nigeria’s president said he was sending in government troops to root out the insurgents.
Damatura, which has been a flashpoint of recent Boko Haram attacks, has become deserted as people stayed away to avoid being caught up in the military build-up.
Nigeria is divided by the mainly Christian community in the south and the Muslim north.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in some northern regions as Boko Haram attacks spread southwards. In a series of Christmas Day bombings more than forty people were killed including 37 worshippers at a church near the capital Abuja.
Jonathan has told his chief of staff to take appropriate anti-terrorist measures.
The Christians have been given three days to leave by the Islamist Boko Haram group after Nigeria’s president said he was sending in government troops to root out the insurgents.
Damatura, which has been a flashpoint of recent Boko Haram attacks, has become deserted as people stayed away to avoid being caught up in the military build-up.
Nigeria is divided by the mainly Christian community in the south and the Muslim north.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in some northern regions as Boko Haram attacks spread southwards. In a series of Christmas Day bombings more than forty people were killed including 37 worshippers at a church near the capital Abuja.Jonathan has told his chief of staff to take appropriate anti-terrorist measures.
Madrid tightens belt for 2012
Spaniards rang in the new year with traditional gusto in spite of the economic forecasts getting worse. On each of the 12 strokes of midnight they struggle to down a grape; many can expect harder months ahead.
A celebrant in Puerta del Sol square, asked how the country was going to get out of the crisis, said: “By working, struggling and fighting.”
On the second last day of 2011, the new centre-right government unveiled its vision of austerity to try to shrink the holes in Spain’s public finances. Four ministers together put on a determined face.
Soraya Saenz de Santamaría, the deputy prime minister, said: “These measures are the beginning of the beginning of a package of structural reforms whose intention is to correct the public deficit and make our economy dynamic again.”
The main action is to raise income and property taxes in an attempt to boost national revenues by six billion euros.
The state hopes to spend nearly nine billion euros less by freezing public sector salaries and hiring.
Ordinary Spaniards received the announcement with either resignation or a sense of injustice.
A middle-aged male resident in the capital said: “We will just have to bear it. It will affect some people more than others but there is no alternative.”
A younger woman said: “I completely reject the plan, because they always squeeze those who need help the most. They’re scrapping rental assistance; they’re going to freeze the minimum wage, and I think they should think more about other wages — those that are higher and not needed so badly.”
The minimum wage in Spain is already among the lowest in the EU — a little over 600 euros per month. The Spaniards introduced it more than 30 years ago, and this is the first time it has been frozen.
The government is not ruling out a possible increase in VAT when it presents the next budget in March. The current 18 percent sales tax, higher only than in fellow EU member Cyprus, is nearly the lowest in the bloc.
A celebrant in Puerta del Sol square, asked how the country was going to get out of the crisis, said: “By working, struggling and fighting.”
On the second last day of 2011, the new centre-right government unveiled its vision of austerity to try to shrink the holes in Spain’s public finances. Four ministers together put on a determined face.
Soraya Saenz de Santamaría, the deputy prime minister, said: “These measures are the beginning of the beginning of a package of structural reforms whose intention is to correct the public deficit and make our economy dynamic again.”
The main action is to raise income and property taxes in an attempt to boost national revenues by six billion euros.
The state hopes to spend nearly nine billion euros less by freezing public sector salaries and hiring.
Ordinary Spaniards received the announcement with either resignation or a sense of injustice.
A middle-aged male resident in the capital said: “We will just have to bear it. It will affect some people more than others but there is no alternative.”
A younger woman said: “I completely reject the plan, because they always squeeze those who need help the most. They’re scrapping rental assistance; they’re going to freeze the minimum wage, and I think they should think more about other wages — those that are higher and not needed so badly.”
The minimum wage in Spain is already among the lowest in the EU — a little over 600 euros per month. The Spaniards introduced it more than 30 years ago, and this is the first time it has been frozen.
The government is not ruling out a possible increase in VAT when it presents the next budget in March. The current 18 percent sales tax, higher only than in fellow EU member Cyprus, is nearly the lowest in the bloc.
EU warns Hungary on aid study visit
The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s new constitution, only three days old, has EU officials in Brussels scrambling for a response.
Critics say the new Basic Law weakens democratic institutions and checks and balances, and cements the ruling Fidesz party’s grip on power. The EU and IMF is especially concerned that it strips the Central Bank of its independence. Last month a trip to Budapest to study a 15 to 20 billion euro aid package was called off.
“For the time being there is no planning on our side to come back to Budapest. One key element of our assessment is of course not only the financial element that we need to discuss with the Hungarian authorities but also the legal environment that is necessary to ensure the financial stability in Hungary,” said EU Commission spokeman Olivier Bailly.
Last night tens of thousands of people packed the capital’s streets to protest against the law, which is also accused of clamping down on media freedoms, rewriting the electoral law to favour Fidesz, and allowing Fidesz to make key public appointments that will long outlive any removal of the party from power at the ballot box.
Critics say the new Basic Law weakens democratic institutions and checks and balances, and cements the ruling Fidesz party’s grip on power. The EU and IMF is especially concerned that it strips the Central Bank of its independence. Last month a trip to Budapest to study a 15 to 20 billion euro aid package was called off.
“For the time being there is no planning on our side to come back to Budapest. One key element of our assessment is of course not only the financial element that we need to discuss with the Hungarian authorities but also the legal environment that is necessary to ensure the financial stability in Hungary,” said EU Commission spokeman Olivier Bailly.
Last night tens of thousands of people packed the capital’s streets to protest against the law, which is also accused of clamping down on media freedoms, rewriting the electoral law to favour Fidesz, and allowing Fidesz to make key public appointments that will long outlive any removal of the party from power at the ballot box.
Grande vencedor da casa dos segredos, João Mota
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