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Car bomb hits centre of Beirut

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 20:48:44 GMT

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Lebanon

Other stories from Lebanon

21 October 2012: Car bomb hits centre of Beirut
4 April 2011: Female boxer shot before fight by stepfather in Berlin
8 August 2010: Poll: Arabs discouraged by US policies, back nuclear-armed Iran
6 August 2010: Wikinews Shorts: August 5, 2010
9 July 2010: CNN journalist fired for controversial Twitter message

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Location of Lebanon

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View of Sassine Square
Image: Sassinemichel.

On Friday, an explosion in Sassine Square, in the mainly Christian part of Ashrafiya, killed three and injured more than eighty in a car bomb attack in the Lebanese capital Beirut, including senior Lebanese intelligence official Wissam al-Hassan.

The bomb also destroyed several cars and badly damaged a multistory building. Witnesses said it could be heard several kilometers away. The area is home to the headquarters of the Maronite Christian group Kataeb.

	We have been warning for a year. Enough.
—Sami al-Gemayel

Although the target of the attack is unclear, it comes at a time of heightened tensions in Lebanon because of the Syrian civil war. The leader of Kataeb, which is also known as the Phalange, Sami al-Gemayel is a strong opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He said: "Let the state protect the citizens. We will not accept any procrastination in this matter, we cannot continue like that. We have been warning for a year. Enough."

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Sister links [edit]

2012 Beirut bombing

Sources [edit]

"Anger erupts as Lebanon mourns Beirut bomb victims" — BBC News Online, October 20, 2012
"Deadly bomb blast rocks Beirut" — Channel 4 News, October 19, 2012
"Beirut blast kills intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan" — BBC News Online, October 19, 2012

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Female boxer shot before fight by stepfather in Berlin

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:07:10 GMT

Monday, April 4, 2011

Germany

Sources [edit]

"Shooting set to end top female boxer's career" — AFP, April 3, 2011
"Female boxer shot before fight in Germany" — Dawn.com, April 2, 2011

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Poll: Arabs discouraged by US policies, back nuclear-armed Iran

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 10:42:32 GMT

Middle East

Sources [edit]

Michael Winter. "Poll: Arabs sour on Obama, back nuclear-armed Iran" — USA Today, August 6 2010
Deborah Block. "Arabs Discouraged by U.S. Policies, Opinion Poll Says" — Voice of America, August 6 2010
Shibley Telhami. "2010 Arab Public Opinion Poll" — Al Jazeera, August 6 2010

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Wikinews Shorts: August 5, 2010

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:47:22 GMT

A compilation of brief news reports for Thursday, August 5, 2010 .

1 Four dead in Chinese kindergarten school attack
2 Cutting down of tree flares up Lebanese violence
3 Music star Wyclef Jean to seek Haitian presidency
4 Pakistani president criticized over European tour
5 Boeing 787 orders go negative for 2010
6 Alex Rodriguez hits 600th home run

Contribute to Wikinews by expanding these briefs or add a new one.

The city of Zibo is in Shangdong province in eastern China
Image: Immanuel Giel.

Four dead in Chinese kindergarten school attack [edit]

A man armed with a 2-foot long knife killed three children and a teacher in a brutal attack in Zibo in eastern China. The Chinese government has been mostly silent on the incident.

The man who killed the people was identified as 26 year-old Fang Jiantang, and he later turned himself in to police. His motive for killing the children and the teacher is unknown.

Sources

Lily Kuo. "Four killed in attack on kindergarteners in China" — Los Angeles Times, August 5, 2010

Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press. "China mostly silent on latest school attack; 4 die" — Yahoo! News, August 4, 2010

The disputed border between Israel and Lebanon is known as the Blue Line (click to enlarge)
Image: Thomas Blomberg and other Wikimedia Commons users.

Cutting down of tree flares up Lebanese violence [edit]

After a rare clash between Israeli and Lebanese forces over the cutting down of a tree near the border of the two countries, it appears that all sides are attempting to restore peace.

The skirmish started after an Israeli soldier started cutting down a tree that has the capability to provide cover for Lebanese infiltrators. Israel has stated that they clear the border of underbrush weekly. After the tree was cut down, the Lebanese army started firing. The Lebanese were allegedly aiming at a base nearby, and the resulting skirmish killed a senior Israeli military officer, a Lebanese journalist, and two Lebanese army soldiers.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon has stated that Israel was operating in their own territory. However, Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri said that the area of land which had the tree "[was] Lebanese territory," and also stated that though Lebanon respects the border, the country still contests part of it.

Sources

Yara Bayoumy. "U.N. supports Israeli assertion on Lebanon clash" — Reuters, August 4, 2010

Mark Lavie. "Flare-up over tree accents Israel-Lebanon tension" — Associated Press, August 4, 2010

Musician and presidential candidate Wyclef Jean pictured in 2006
Image: Ali Dan-Bouzoua / Flickr.

Music star Wyclef Jean to seek Haitian presidency [edit]

According to TIME magazine, Haitian-American music star Wyclef Jean is to seek Haiti's presidency this Thursday. Last week Jean, who is a former member of the Fugees music group, took legal steps to run for the presidency, and Jean said in an interview that "if I can't take five years out to serve my country as President, then everything I've been singing about, like equal rights, doesn't mean anything." His younger brother also said that his candidacy was "very serious."

On January 12 of this year, Haiti was rocked by a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that killed 300,000 and displaced millions. Whoever wins the presidency will face the task of rebuilding the crippled country. The presidential elections are scheduled for November 28.

Related news

"Wyclef Jean considering standing for president of Haiti" — Wikinews, July 28, 2010

Sources

Associated Press. "Wyclef's brother: Haiti presidential bid 'very serious'" — USA Today, August 4, 2010

"Wyclef Jean to seek Haitian presidency - TIME" — Reuters, August 4, 2010

Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's president, has been criticized for continuing a tour of Europe while Pakistan suffers some of the worst flooding in living memory.
Image: Lawrence Jackson.

Pakistani president criticized over European tour [edit]

The president of Pakistan, Asif Zardari, is facing criticism for continuing a tour of Europe while his homeland is facing the worst flooding in 80 years.

Opposition politician Imran Khan called for the president "to head home immediately." Khan citicized Zardari for "[going] on this lavish tour — this money could be used on the victims. Remember, Pakistan is bankrupt right now so the government doesn't have enough money, so he should be mobilizing people to help these victims of the floods." Zardari is scheduled to meet UK Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday.

The flooding has killed over 1,500 people and has left over three million others in need of assistance. According to Islamabad's National Weather Forecasting Center, rain has been falling at a rate of 25-30% higher than average.

Sources

Theunis Bates. "Anger Swells in Pakistan Over President's Trip" — AOL News, August 4, 2010

Associated Press. "Floods kill dozens more in Pakistan; death toll surpasses 1,500" — USA Today, August 4, 2010

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner's first flight.
Image: Dave Sizer and Altair78.

Boeing 787 orders go negative for 2010 [edit]

Aircraft company Boeing lost orders for 26 jets over the past week, according to the company's website. Boeing lost 15 orders for their new and long-delayed 787 Dreamliner, 10 for their Boeing 777 and one for their smaller 737 jet. The company also gained two orders for the 737, which makes for a net loss of 25 orders. Boeing hasn't identified the customers that cancelled their orders.

With the 15 dropped 787 orders, Boeing has lost four more orders than it gained for the aircraft this year. Boeing has gained 28 orders for the 787 and lost 32 in 2010. Boeing has gained 255 orders for its lineup this year, which consists of the 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787. 229 of those orders are for the 737 jet.

Sources

Ben Mutzabaugh. "Cancellations: Boeing's Dreamliner orders go negative for 2010" — USA Today, August 6, 2010

"Boeing Dreamliner orders go negative for the year" — Seattle Times, August 5, 2010

"Orders and Deliveries" — Boeing, August 3, 2010

File photo of Alex Rodriguez
Image: Keith Allison.

Alex Rodriguez hits 600th home run [edit]

Alex Rodriguez, baseball player for the New York Yankees, hit his 600th career home run on Wednesday. His 600th home run was hit in Yankee Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees currently lead 5–1 against the Blue Jays in the game. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that the homer was "an amazing feat — quite an accomplishment."

With the home run, Rodriguez, also known as A-Rod, became the seventh player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 600 milestone.

Sources

Seth Livingstone. "Alex Rodriguez Hits 600th Home Run" — Shreveport Times, August 4, 2010

Fanhouse staff. "Alex Rodriguez Hits 600th Home Run" — Fanhouse, August 4, 2010

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CNN journalist fired for controversial Twitter message

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:15:46 GMT

Lebanon

Other stories from Lebanon

21 October 2012: Car bomb hits centre of Beirut
4 April 2011: Female boxer shot before fight by stepfather in Berlin
8 August 2010: Poll: Arabs discouraged by US policies, back nuclear-armed Iran
6 August 2010: Wikinews Shorts: August 5, 2010
9 July 2010: CNN journalist fired for controversial Twitter message

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Friday, July 9, 2010

Octavia Nasr in a publicity photo

Atlanta-based CNN journalist Octavia Nasr, 20-year veteran of the network and senior editor for Middle East affairs, was reprimanded for a Twitter comment published on Sunday in which she expressed sadness at the death of Iraqi-born Lebanese Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. In the post, the journalist stated that she was "Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.. One of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot..".

According to a New York Times blog, after Parisa Khosravi, the CNN senior vice president, "had a conversation" with Ms. Nasr she was formally asked to step down. She left the network on Wednesday.

Brian Stelter of the Times reports that the issue was originally brought to the public's attention by online supporters of Israel, who republished the comment widely. They criticised her for being a "Hezbollah sympathizer" for a man who was "committed to the destruction of Israel." Critics point to comments Fadlallah has made in the past about the Holocaust, in which he questions the veracity of the agreed-upon figures of Jewish deaths in concentration camps.

"Is this the sort of extremist figure that CNN's Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs should be professing her respect for?" asked HonestReporting, the media watchdog group which purports to defend Israel "against prejudice in the media."

Salon reporter Glenn Greenwald has responded to these allegations of "prejudice" by pointing to similar cases in which no controversy arose: "The Washington Post lavished editorial praise on the brutal, right-wing tyrant Augusto Pinochet, and that caused no controversy...Benjamin Netanyahu formally celebrates the Terrorist bombing of the King David Hotel that killed...78 civilians and nobody is stigmatized for supporting him. Erick Erickson sent around the most rancid and arguably racist tweets, only to thereafter be hired as a CNN contributor."

Lebanese author and academic Dr. As'ad Abu-Khalil has also argued that commentators have not properly placed Fadlallah in context, and pointed to the schools and orphanages he founded in Beirut and southern Lebanon. Amira Al Hussaini of Global Voices quotes Abu-Khalil's post, saying "His [Fadlallah's] relationship with Hizbullah is always misunderstood...he broke from Wilayat Al-Faqih...and developed a new liberal thinking especially on issues of personal status laws." He also "urged for a closer relationship between science and religion", which drew the ire of both Iran and Hizbullah.

Nasr herself clarified her comment the day before her dismissal on a post to her CNN blog, saying that she used the words "respect" and "sad" because "to me as a Middle Eastern woman, Fadlallah took a contrarian and pioneering stand among Shia clerics on woman's rights. He called for the abolition of the tribal system of 'honor killing.' He called the practice primitive and non-productive. He warned Muslim men that abuse of women was against Islam."

The cleric has been a controversial figure in the West and has been blacklisted by the United States as a terrorist for several years, along with Hizbullah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. He is thought to have been the target of a 1985 car bombing in Beirut, which killed 80 people but not the Ayatollah himself. The BBC reports it may have been "the work of the CIA, possibly in conjunction with regional intelligence agencies friendly to the US", while David Kenner of Foreign Policy writes that the plot was all but confirmed by Bob Woodward through interviews with then-CIA Director William Casey.

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Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has related articles:

Octavia Nasr
Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah

Glenn Greenwald. "Octavia Nasr's firing and what The Liberal Media allows" — Salon, July 8, 2010
Brian Stelter. "Media Decoder blog: CNN Drops Editor After Hezbollah Comments" — New York Times, July 7, 2010
Octavia Nasr. "Nasr explains controversial tweet on Lebanese cleric" — CNN, July 6, 2010
David Kenner. "The Sheikh Who Got Away" — Foreign Policy, July 6, 2010
"CNN's Cheerleader for Hezbollah" — HonestReporting.com, 5 July 2010
Jim Muir. "Analysis: Mixed legacy of Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah" — Ya Libnan, July 5, 2010
Amira Al Hussaini. "Arab World: Remembering Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah" — Global Voices, July 5, 2010
Octavia Nasr. "OctavianasrCNN's Tweet" — Twitter, July 4, 2010
"Hezbollah 'mentor' Fadlallah dies in Lebanon" — BBC News Online, July 4, 2010
Mohammad Ali Harissi. "Shiite cleric Fadlallah on U.S. ’terror’ list dies in Lebanon" — The National Post, July 4, 2010
"Lebanon's Shia Muslim leader dies" — Al Jazeerah English, July 4, 2010

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"Black box" found near crash site of Ethiopian Airlines flight

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:54:48 GMT

Monday, February 8, 2010

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Depsite the nickname, black boxes are usually painted orange to aid in their recovery after a crash.
Image: Olli-Jukka Paloneva.

The black box cockpit voice recorder from an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed into the Mediterranean several weeks ago, killing all on board, has been found by search crews. The flight data recorder had been recovered earlier in the day. The bodies of eight victims were recovered from what is believed to be fuselage.

"We found it and retrieved it about an hour ago today," Lebanese army Brigadier Saleh Haj Suleiman said, as quoted by BusinessWeek. According to reports, the plane made a sharp turn and disappeared from the radar upon departure; Lebanese officials, however, say it's too early to conclude the crash was due to pilot error.

The black box records communication data, technical information such as speed, altitude, etc., as well as conversation in the airplane cockpit, which could help investigators determine why the jet crashed.

The boxes will be transported to France to be analysed, according to officials.

Flight ET409, which had departed from Beirut, Lebanon, was bound for Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on January 25 when it crashed into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea several minutes after takeoff, in inclement weather. All ninety people aboard were killed.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Aridi told Reuters, "The priority now is searching for the rest of the bodies of victims." So far, the bodies of 23 victims have been recovered.

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Sources [edit]

"Lebanon recovers crashed Ethiopian jet's black box" — Reuters, February 7, 2010
Massoud A. Derhally. "Ethiopian Airlines ‘Black Box’ Found Near Crash Site (Update1)" — BusinessWeek, February 7, 2010

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Officials say crashed Ethiopian plane didn't follow suggested tower directions

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:04:41 GMT

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

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23 January 2013: Briton sentenced to death for drug smuggling in Indonesia
16 January 2013: Helicopter collides with crane in central London
13 January 2013: FAA orders review of Boeing 787 Dreamliners following week of incidents

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Lebanon's transportation minster said that the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Monday didn't follow the directions suggested by the air traffic control tower after departing from Beirut in a thunderstorm. He said that the aircraft turned opposite the heading indicated by controllers.

All ninety people aboard Flight ET409, which was headed to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, were feared dead. The jet reportedly went down in fire at around 02.30 local time, disappearing from radar screens after leaving the airport.

"They asked him to correct his path but he did a very fast and strange turn before disappearing completely from the radar," commented Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi. He added: "Nobody is saying the pilot is to blame for not heeding orders. There could have been many reasons for what happened. [...] Only the black box can tell."

Defence Minister Elias Murr also commented that the plane didn't follow instructions upon takeoff. "A command tower recording shows the tower told the pilot to turn to avoid the storm, but the plane went in the opposite direction. We do not know what happened or whether it was beyond the pilot's control."

Ethiopian Airlines' CEO, Girma Wake, however, countered Aridi's comments, saying that it is too soon to draw any conclusions. "Rushing remarks, I don't think that helps anybody," he said in the Ethiopian capital.

Lebanese officials, meanwhile, have ruled out foul play as being the cause of the aircraft's crashing. The Associated Press quoted Ethiopian Airlines as saying that the pilot in control of the downed plane had twenty years of experience, although it did not disclose his name.

According to an unnamed aviation analyst, Lebanon controllers were directing the Ethiopian flight for the first two to three minutes of the flight due to the thunderstorms, and noted that this was standard procedure during inclement weather.

US-based airline pilot Patrick Smith remarked that the plane could have crashed for many reasons. "Had the plane encountered extreme turbulence, or had it suffered a powerful lightning strike that knocked out instruments while penetrating strong turbulence, then structural failure or loss of control, followed by an in-flight breakup, are possible causes."

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Sources [edit]

Associated Press. "Crashed Ethiopia plane 'flew into Beirut storm'" — independent.co.uk, January 26, 2010
"Beirut pilot 'failed to follow tower advice'" — BBC News Online, January 26, 2010

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Ethiopian airliner crashes into Mediterranean Sea

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:57:42 GMT

Monday, January 25, 2010

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23 January 2013: Briton sentenced to death for drug smuggling in Indonesia
16 January 2013: Helicopter collides with crane in central London
13 January 2013: FAA orders review of Boeing 787 Dreamliners following week of incidents

Collaborate!

An Ethiopian Airlines 737 similar to the aircraft involved in the crash
Image: Hansueli Krapf.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, scheduled to fly from Beirut, Lebanon, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after taking off Monday morning. Ethiopian Airlines report 83 people on board.

Flight ET409, a Boeing 737, was set to leave at 2:10 am local time, but was delayed until 2:35. The passenger plane took off in stormy conditions, and it disappeared from radar five minutes later.

Eyewitnesses reported a ball of fire as the plane went down. Debris has already been seen off the Lebanese coast.

Rescue efforts are underway amid continuing heavy rains. However, it is unknown if there are any survivors. Among the passengers are 23 Ethiopian, 51 Lebanese, 1 Turkish, 1 French, 2 British, 1 Russian, 1 Canadian, 1 Syrian, 1 Iraqi nationals. The French embassy also stated that the wife of the French ambassador to Lebanon was on board.

Lebanon's Transport Minister Ghazi al-Aridi said that the crash site "has been identified three-and-a-half km west of the village of Na'ameh".

Have an opinion on this story? Post it!

Sources [edit]

"Ethiopian Airlines jet crashes into sea off Beirut" — BBC News Online, January 25, 2010
"Ethiopian jet crashes off Beirut" — Al Jazeera, January 25, 2010
Nadim Ladki and Robin Pomeroy. "Lebanon says Ethiopian plane crash site located" — Thomson Reuters, January 25, 2010
Derrick Henry and Michelle Maynard. "Robin Pomeroy" — The New York Times, January 25, 2010
Ethiopian airlines. "Ethiopian airlines press release" — Ethiopian airlines, January 25, 2010
Thomson Reuters. "French ambassador's wife on crashed Ethiopian plane" — Thomson Reuters, January 25, 2010

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Beirut car bomb targets Hamas official

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:05:19 GMT

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Lebanon

Other stories from Lebanon

21 October 2012: Car bomb hits centre of Beirut
4 April 2011: Female boxer shot before fight by stepfather in Berlin
8 August 2010: Poll: Arabs discouraged by US policies, back nuclear-armed Iran
6 August 2010: Wikinews Shorts: August 5, 2010
9 July 2010: CNN journalist fired for controversial Twitter message

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Location of Lebanon

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File:Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque Beirut.jpg

File photo of Mosque in Beirut.
Image: Vladanr.

A car bomb went off in the Lebanese capital of Beirut Saturday. Two people were killed and three injured when device detonated in the southern suburbs of the city, an area where Hezbollah support is strong. The neighborhood of Haret Hreik was cordoned off by Hezbollah, preventing journalists from entering.

According to one source, Ali Barkah, Hamas' Southern Lebanon Chief was killed. He is rumored to be the target of the bomb, according to Arab media. Lebanon's State News Agency claim "three bombs tied to each other were placed under the vehicle".

The bomb was detonated about 700 meters from a building in which Shiite supporters of Hezbollah were holding a ceremony for Ashoura on the eve of the event, Shiite Islam's most important religious holiday.

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Sources [edit]

"Beirut car bomb explosion 'targets Hamas official'" — BBC News Online, December 26, 2009
"Beirut bomb targets Hamas car, one wounded" — Israel News, December 26, 2009
"Hamas Lebanon Chief Said Killed" — Israel National News, December 27, 2009
Zeina karam. "Blast rocks Hezbollah stronghold south of Beirut, killing 1 on eve of Shiite mourning day" — metronews.ca, December 26, 2009

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Opposition agrees to join Lebanese government

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:40:10 GMT

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Lebanon

Other stories from Lebanon

21 October 2012: Car bomb hits centre of Beirut
4 April 2011: Female boxer shot before fight by stepfather in Berlin
8 August 2010: Poll: Arabs discouraged by US policies, back nuclear-armed Iran
6 August 2010: Wikinews Shorts: August 5, 2010
9 July 2010: CNN journalist fired for controversial Twitter message

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Saad al-Hariri
Image: Maximus0970.

Lebanese opposition parties, including Hezbollah, have agreed to form a government under designated Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. "The Lebanese opposition has approved the proposed unity government," said a senior source, after oppositions leaders met late last night. According to the source the new government should be formed within two days.

Saad Hariri, backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, led his allegedly anti-Syrian coalition to victory in June. Since the parliamentary elections he has sought to bring together a deal to form a cabinet, but has encountered many problems appointing ministers.

In July, the parties broadly agreed on the split of portfolios but not on the details. The new cabinet will feature thirty ministers, of which fifteen from al-Hariri's coalition and ten from opposition parties, including two from Hezbollah. The remaining five, which includes the posts for the ministries of the interior and for defence, will be appointed by President Michel Suleiman.

Ziad Baroud and Michel Murr, ministers for the interior and defence respectively, are expected to remain. New foreign and finance portfolios are set to be announced; al-Hariri proposed Raya Hassan as minister for finance, but opposition parties rejected him. Sources expect Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri, Hezbollah's main Shia Islamic ally, to name the new foreign minister.

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Sources [edit]

"Lebanon government accord reached" — BBC News Online, November 7, 2009
Reuters. "Opposition agree to join Hariri's national unity government" — France 24, November 7, 2009
"Lebanon’s Opposition Said to Agree to Government" — New York Times, November 6, 2009

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Former Lebanese Prime Minister Amin al-Hafez dies at age 83

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:11:44 GMT

Monday, July 13, 2009

Lebanon

Other stories from Lebanon

21 October 2012: Car bomb hits centre of Beirut
4 April 2011: Female boxer shot before fight by stepfather in Berlin
8 August 2010: Poll: Arabs discouraged by US policies, back nuclear-armed Iran
6 August 2010: Wikinews Shorts: August 5, 2010
9 July 2010: CNN journalist fired for controversial Twitter message

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Amin al-Hafez, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, has died at the age of 83. Al-Hafez was sworn in as Prime Minister on April 25, 1973 by President Suleiman Franjieh. Al-Hafez was forced to resign after less than two months on June 21.

The Sunni Muslim al-Hafez faced a hard time as Prime Minister as opposing religious leaders and fellow Sunnis refused to recognise him as Prime Minister. Two years after he resigned, Lebanon, which was already in conflict with Palestinian troops, entered a 15-year civil war. He continued to serve as a member of parliament for Tripoli until 1996.

A three-day mourning has been declared by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The flags at the government institutions will be flown at half mast during this period. Al-Hafez’s body will be buried in Tripoli.

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Sources [edit]

"Former Lebanese PM Amin al-Hafez dies at 83" — Associated Press, July 13, 2009
"Three day official mourning period for al-Hafez' death" — Iloubnan, July 13, 2009

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Swine flu: recent developments worldwide

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:57:57 GMT

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Swine Flu

Australia [edit]

Australian health minister Nicola Roxon said that there are currently 878 confirmed cases of the influenza in Australia. The bulk of the cases have been in the state of Victoria, which has 752 infected persons. New South Wales is the second, with 74 infections.

Roxon predicted that the swine flu will be a problem in the next two winters, despite efforts to curb its spread.

"I would have thought we're not at the halfway point, given that we still don't have an extensive spread in Australia," Roxon said. "We are only part way, but closer, to having a vaccine and we are still prepared to put all our efforts into containing the disease as much as possible."

Roxon said that Australia's hospitals will start taking samples from people infected with the flu to monitor its spread. She said that "it gives us the tools to monitor how much of the flu in the coming weeks is seasonal flu, how much is actually this H1N1 strain, and we will simply have to keep monitoring that over the coming months." Roxon added that "this is a time to be cautious, where the combination of the flus might turn it into something much less virulent or something more virulent."

Meanwhile, Singapore has urged its residents not to travel to Victoria. A warning at the government website said that Melbourne and Victoria were affected by the disease, and advised any Singapore residents returning from those areas to keep an eye on their health for swine flu symptoms.

Brazil [edit]

The health ministry of Brazil announced on Tuesday that the number of infected people in the country has been increased to 23 after two new cases were confirmed. 25 people are also suspected to be infected.

The ministry said that both new patients are in stable condition, and had both been infected after traveling to the U.S.

Of Brazil's H1N1 cases, nine are in São Paulo, seven in Rio de Janeiro, four in Santa Catarina, and one apiece in Rio Grande do Sul, Tocantins, and Minas Gerais. Seven of the cases had been transmitted domestically.

Canada [edit]

A map showing the spread of the swine flu worldwide.

██ Confirmed cases followed by death

██ Confirmed cases

██ Unconfirmed or suspected cases

Chile [edit]

Almost four hundred swine flu cases in the South American country of Chile have been reported, local health officials say.

The Institute of Public Health in Santiago reported that 393 cases were confirmed in the country in a statement on its website. The institute said that while 98% of cases were only "mild", about two percent of all infections were fatal.

Swine flu cases in Chile have increased twofold within the last seven days.

New Zealand [edit]

New Zealand now has eleven confirmed cases of the swine flu. A further 63 are in quarantine and have been prescribed the antiviral drug oseltamivir (which goes by the trade name of Tamiflu).

Philippines [edit]

Health officials from the Philippines said that seven more people tested positive for the influenza on Thursday, increasing the number of confirmed infections from the disease in the country to 29. There are a further 47 laboratory results pending confirmation.

Francisco Duque, the Philippine's health secretary, said six of the cases were in Filipinos who had returned from visits to the U.S.

"With further characterization of the virus in our local cases, if we see that A/H1N1 poses no severe threat and is self-limited in most cases, we may be seeing a shift in our control strategy to outpatient and home management of patients showing only mild symptoms," Duque said.

Russia [edit]

Russia has reported its first case of the flu, in an unidentified 28-year-old man who had recently been in New York. The man had initially passed a medical check when he arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport last Monday, but began to feel ill two days later and was hospitalised the same day. It is currently uncertain how he obtained the virus.

Russian officials are currently screening flights that have departed from "countries of concern", including all countries in the Americas, as well as Japan and Spain. People arriving on flights from such countries have their temperatures checked by remote sensors, and those with high temperatures are hospitalised and tested for the H1N1 virus. Over a score of people so far have been identified as having symptoms of the disease, but all of them were cleared after later tests.

Turkey [edit]

Turkey's first case happened on May 16 when a passenger flying from United States to Iraq through a connected flight over Turkey entered to İstanbul Atatürk International Airport. With the latest arrival of 2 Turkish passengers from New York and Toronto on June 3, the number of confirmed cases increased to 10.

The Turkish Ministry of Health reported that no infections related for human-to-human transfer of the virus are observed until now and the hospitalized cases are treated in a dedicated hospital in Istanbul.

United Kingdom [edit]

486 people have been confirmed as infected with the H1N1 virus in the United Kingdom. 27 new cases in England were confirmed recently. Five people in the Glasgow area have been hospitalised. Three of them are in intensive care, although one man recently improved and was moved into to high dependency. A 44-year-old woman, who is said to have had underlying health conditions, is also in high dependency, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley.

Scotland is the part of the UK with the highest ratio of affected people to population.

United States [edit]

The U.S. is the country with the highest number of confirmed swine flu infections. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 27 people have died from the virus, and a further 13,271 cases have been reported throughout the country. All fifty states, as well as two territories, have reported cases.

The state of Wisconsin has been the worst hit, with 2,217 infections, as well as three additional suspected cases.

"What is unusual today is not that there has been a death from influenza. Over 37,000 people die in the United States each year of seasonal influenza, and the rates of death and illness from this novel H1N1 strain does not appear to be radically different," said Seth Foldy, a Wisconsin health official. "What is unusual this year is that influenza continues to be widely circulating in Wisconsin and many, many other states this late in the year."

Vietnam [edit]

Vietnam's fourth swine flu infection was confirmed on Thursday, in a six-year-old girl in Vietnam's capital of Ho Chi Minh City, a local media report said. The child is currently receiving treatment. All of the infected patients had recently traveled to the United States.

Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

2009 swine flu outbreak

Alexandra Odynova. "First Case of Swine Flu Confirmed in Russia" — The Moscow Times, June 6, 2009
"Swine flu kills 27 across US" — Brisbane Times, June 6, 2009
"UK swine flu cases approach 500" — The Press Association, June 5, 2009
"Swine flu tally nears 900" — ABC News (Australia), June 5, 2009
"Wisconsin endures first swine flu death" — United Press International, June 5, 2009
"Canada's health minister announces $10.8M to fight swine flu" — CBC News, June 5, 2009
Jason Gale. "Swine Flu Causes Serious Complications in 2% of Chilean Cases" — Bloomberg L.P., June 5, 2009
"Flu A/H1N1 cases keep rising in Asia-Pacific region Thursday" — Xinhua News Agency, June 4, 2009
"Swine flu cases infect 19,273 across world: WHO" — Agence France-Presse, June 3, 2009
"Brazil reports new A/H1N1 flu case" — Xinhua News Agency, June 3, 2009
"Swine Flu cases in Turkey reach 10" — NTVMSNBC, June 5, 2009

External links [edit]

Current WHO phase of pandemic alert

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Egyptian billionaire MP, former policeman to hang for Lebanese pop star's murder

Fri, 22 May 2009 21:07:37 GMT

Friday, May 22, 2009

Egypt

Sources [edit]

"Egypt: Billionaire sentenced to death for slaying singer Suzan Tamim" — Al Bawaba, May 21, 2009
Raja Razek and Housam Ahmed. "Tycoon, ex-cop guilty of pop star's murder" — CNN, May 21, 2009

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Rockets fired into Israel from Lebanon

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:03:36 GMT

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Israel

Sources [edit]

"Israel: Will Retaliate Against Attacks From Southern Lebanon" — Stratfor, January 8, 2009
"Hamas denies firing rockets" — Straits Times, January 8, 2009
Hanan Greenberg. "IDF shells rocket launching sites in Lebanon" — Ynetnews, January 8, 2009
"Israel fires missiles at Lebanon" — PressTV, January 8, 2009
"Four rockets hit northern Israel from Lebanon: military" — The Age, January 8, 2009
"Lebanon: Israel hits back" — News24, January 8, 2009
"Rockets from Lebanon strike Israel; 2 hurt" — CNN, January 8, 2009
"'Israel no match for Hezbollah'" — PressTV, January 7, 2009

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Lebanon forms unity government with Hezbollah-led opposition

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:45:26 GMT

Friday, July 11, 2008

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora heads the new cabinet.

Lebanese political leaders have agreed to the formation of a 30-member national unity government, in which paramilitary group Hezbollah and its political allies hold effective veto power in the new cabinet. The announcement came seven weeks after the Doha Agreement, which ended an 18-month-long political crisis in Lebanon.

A decree announcing the cabinet was signed by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and President Michel Suleiman. Of the 30 member cabinet, 11 seats were given to the pro-Syria, Hezbollah-led opposition, fulfilling a promise of at least one third of the cabinet and giving them the power to veto legislation. The ruling coalition appointed 16 cabinet members, and President Suleiman chose the remaining three.

Only one of the 11 opposition ministers, Labor Minister Mohammad Fneish, is from Hezbollah. The rest are from the organization's Shi'a, Druze and Christian allies. The opposition also secured the coveted posts of Foreign Minister, Telecommunications Minister, and Deputy Premier.

	Our differences will not be resolved overnight, but we have decided to resolve them through institutions and dialogue rather than in the streets.
—Prime Minister Fouad Siniora

Elias Murr kept his post as Defense Minister, and the position of Finance Minister was given to Mohammed Shatah, who served as Siniori's senior adviser in the previous cabinet. Education Minister Bahia Hariri, sister of slain Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, is the only woman in the new cabinet.

"Our differences will not be resolved overnight," Prime Minister Siniori said, "but we have decided to resolve them through institutions and dialogue rather than in the streets." He says the two main tasks of the new government will be "regaining confidence in the Lebanese political system" and "securing the holding of a transparent parliamentary election".

Under the Doha Agreement signed on May 21, Michel Suleiman became president, and the opposition and the parliamentary majority agreed to form a unity government. However, the formation of the new government was hampered by political squabbles. Parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri said the final breakthrough came when Siniora conceded to the opposition by accepting into the cabinet Ali Kanso, former head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

The two factions arrived at the Doha Agreement after a long series of Hezbollah-led protests against Siniora's government led to fears of a new civil war. In May, 65 people were killed in sectarian clashes initiated by Hezbollah following a government attempt to outlaw their telecommunications systems. The forces of Syrian-backed Hezbollah were largely unopposed by the Lebanese military while taking over Sunni neighborhoods in Beirut but encountered heavy losses attacking Druze controlled areas.

One of the issues expected to be discussed among the new government is the fate of Hezbollah's weapons, which the group claims it needs for defense against a possible Israeli attack. Hezbollah has yet to disarm and even boasted on enhancing it's weaponry status despite it's signing of U.N. resolution 1701, calling for it's disarmament.

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Sources [edit]

"Lebanon announces unity government" — Al Jazeera, July 11, 2008
Laila Bassam. "Lebanon forms unity government with Hezbollah" — Reuters, July 11, 2008
"Lebanon announces new govt to end political crisis" — Agence France-Presse, July 11, 2008
"Lebanon: National unity cabinet formed; PM: Differences behind us" — Al Bawaba, July 11, 2008
Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "Lebanon announces new national unity cabinet" — Monsters and Critics, July 11, 2008
"Lebanon announces new unity government" — Gulf News, July 11, 2008

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Swine flu: recent developments worldwide

Australia [edit]

Brazil [edit]

Canada [edit]

Chile [edit]

New Zealand [edit]

Philippines [edit]

Russia [edit]

Turkey [edit]

United Kingdom [edit]

United States [edit]

Vietnam [edit]

Related news [edit]

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External links [edit]

Egyptian billionaire MP, former policeman to hang for Lebanese pop star's murder

Sources [edit]

Rockets fired into Israel from Lebanon

Related news [edit]

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Lebanon forms unity government with Hezbollah-led opposition

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