Sep 28, 2012
Coptic Christian families flee Egyptian Sinai
Coptic Christian families flee Egyptian Sinai: Series of death threats from suspected Islamist fighters prompt several families to leave the peninsula.
Daily Number: 100% - Muslims in Egypt, Tunisia Unanimous in Profession of Faith
Daily Number: 100% - Muslims in Egypt, Tunisia Unanimous in Profession of Faith: Muslims in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia are unanimous in their belief in only one God and the Prophet Muhammad
Analysis: Where will Yemen’s aid money go?
Analysis: Where will Yemen’s aid money go?:
 | DUBAI, 28 September 2012 (IRIN) - Donors are pledging billions of dollars in aid for Yemen, but there are still many questions about where that aid will go, whether there is a capacity to spend it, and how it should be channeled. IRIN takes a look at the unfolding debate. |
SOMALIA: Dangers for journalists grow as new government takes hold
SOMALIA: Dangers for journalists grow as new government takes hold:
 | MOGADISHU, 28 September 2012 (IRIN) - The situation of journalists in Somalia is becoming increasingly precarious as the country struggles to put behind it years of lawlessness following the recent successful election of a new president. |
VIETNAM: Migrants and malaria
VIETNAM: Migrants and malaria:
 | HANOI, 28 September 2012 (IRIN) - Lack of funding to monitor migrant patterns in Vietnam risks worsening the spread of drug-resistant malaria, health experts said on the sidelines of a World Health Organization (WHO) annual regional meeting in Hanoi, which closed on 28 September. |
Obama Approval, Vote Support Both Reach 50% or Better
Obama Approval, Vote Support Both Reach 50% or Better: President Obama's job approval rating has been 50% or higher in each of the last four Gallup Daily tracking figures, and now 50% of registered voters prefer him in the election, giving him a six-percentage-point lead over Mitt Romney.
Americans' Preference Shifts Toward One-Party Government
Americans' Preference Shifts Toward One-Party Government: A record-high 38% of Americans prefer a government in which the same political party controls the presidency and Congress, while a record-low 23% prefer a government in which different parties control the two branches.
National Journal. Friday, September 28, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012 | Last Updated: 06:17 AM:
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Friday, September 28, 2012 | Last Updated: 06:17 AM
It's Now a 2-Woman Race for Top Dem Post on House Approps
Michael Catalini18 minutes ago
Our colleagues report for National Journal subscribers the latest on the race for top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee: Rep. Jim...
Our colleagues report for National Journal subscribers the latest on the race for top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee: Rep. Jim...
10:21 p.m.
Influence Alley
It's Now a 2-Woman Race for Top Dem Post on House Approps
18 minutes agoOur colleagues report for National Journal subscribers the latest on the race for top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee: Rep. Jim Moran is out, leaving Reps. Nita Lowey of New York...
September 27, 2012
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Hanoi Journal: Hanoi Traffic Daunts Tourists
Hanoi Journal: Hanoi Traffic Daunts Tourists: A decade or so of capitalist fervor has transformed Hanoi’s once-quiet tree-lined boulevards and side streets into roaring rivers of rubber and steel.
Bo Xilai Expelled From Party
Bo Xilai Expelled From Party:
The ruling Chinese Communist Party on Friday expelled former rising political star Bo Xilai from its ranks, saying criminal proceedings against him would follow and that Bo was "responsible" for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
The Party Central Committee said Bo's case would now be handed over to law enforcement agencies after he was stripped of his Party membership and formally removed from his public posts at a meeting in Beijing on Friday, official media reported.
Bo "seriously violated" Party discipline during his tenure as Commerce Minister, as Party secretary of the northeastern port city of Dalian, and, most recently, in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing, Xinhua news agency said.
"Bo abused his power, made severe mistakes and bore major responsibility in the Wang Lijun incident and the intentional homicide case of [his wife, Gu] Kailai," it said.
"He took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family."
The Committee had heard how Bo's powerful position was also abused by Gu, the agency said.
"The Bo family accepted a huge amount of money and property from others," it said, adding that "Bo had or maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women."
The evidence also suggested his involvement in dubious personnel decisions and in "other crimes," Xinhua reported.
"Bo's behaviors have yielded serious consequences, badly undermined the reputation of the Party and the country, created very negative impacts at home and abroad and significantly damaged the cause of the Party and the people," the Central Committee concluded.
Political scandal
Analysts said the Party would likely come down heavily on the charismatic Bo, the "princeling" son of revolutionary veteran Bo Yibo, who has rocked the highest echelons of leadership with the biggest political scandal in two decades.
On Monday, a court in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu handed a 15-year jail term to Bo's former right-hand man and police chief Wang Lijun, after he was found guilty of "bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power, and bribe-taking."
Seven years of the sentence was for the charge of "bending the law for selfish ends" and a further two years was for "abuse of power," with both linked to charges that Wang knew that Bo's wife Gu Kailai was connected to the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood last November and did not pursue the investigation further.
Gu was handed a suspended death sentence last month for Heywood's murder.
The Bo scandal has exposed to public view rifts within the secretive Communist Party, highlighting tensions between Bo's populist, left-wing policies and the supporters of Hu and Xi, ahead of a crucial leadership transition in November.
Bo's detractors say he and Wang waged a campaign of terror in Chongqing, using their "strike black" anti-crime campaigns to target innocent businessmen and confiscate their assets. Lawyers linked to the campaigns have described torture and forced confessions as commonplace during Bo's tenure there.
Bo was removed from his post in Chongqing, where he had been regarded as a top contender for a seat on the all-powerful standing committee of the Politburo, on March 15, shortly after a strongly worded warning from premier Wen Jiabao that a failure to enact political reform in China could see a return to the turmoil and violence of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
'No evidence' of poisoning
In a new twist to the drama, a prominent Chinese government forensic scientist cast doubt on the official version of the scandal on Thursday, saying there was "no evidence" to support the claim that Heywood died from cyanide poisoning.
In a post to her blog that has since been removed, Wang Xuemei, a forensic expert with the top prosecutors' agency, said the official accounts lack sufficient evidence that Heywood died from cyanide poisoning, which she describes as leaving the body obviously discolored, the Associated Press reported.
Wang confirmed in a phone interview Thursday that she is the author of the blog entry posted late Wednesday detailing her suspicions about the case. She said she has had no access to the evidence, but points out discrepancies in details that have been made public.
Rights activists and lawyers have also condemned the lack of transparency surrounding Bo's case, as well as Wang and Gu's trials, saying the Party has kept a tight lid on crucial details of the scandal.
Reported by Luisetta Mudie.
The ruling Chinese Communist Party on Friday expelled former rising political star Bo Xilai from its ranks, saying criminal proceedings against him would follow and that Bo was "responsible" for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.
The Party Central Committee said Bo's case would now be handed over to law enforcement agencies after he was stripped of his Party membership and formally removed from his public posts at a meeting in Beijing on Friday, official media reported.
Bo "seriously violated" Party discipline during his tenure as Commerce Minister, as Party secretary of the northeastern port city of Dalian, and, most recently, in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing, Xinhua news agency said.
"Bo abused his power, made severe mistakes and bore major responsibility in the Wang Lijun incident and the intentional homicide case of [his wife, Gu] Kailai," it said.
"He took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family."
The Committee had heard how Bo's powerful position was also abused by Gu, the agency said.
"The Bo family accepted a huge amount of money and property from others," it said, adding that "Bo had or maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women."
The evidence also suggested his involvement in dubious personnel decisions and in "other crimes," Xinhua reported.
"Bo's behaviors have yielded serious consequences, badly undermined the reputation of the Party and the country, created very negative impacts at home and abroad and significantly damaged the cause of the Party and the people," the Central Committee concluded.
Political scandal
Analysts said the Party would likely come down heavily on the charismatic Bo, the "princeling" son of revolutionary veteran Bo Yibo, who has rocked the highest echelons of leadership with the biggest political scandal in two decades.
On Monday, a court in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu handed a 15-year jail term to Bo's former right-hand man and police chief Wang Lijun, after he was found guilty of "bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power, and bribe-taking."
Seven years of the sentence was for the charge of "bending the law for selfish ends" and a further two years was for "abuse of power," with both linked to charges that Wang knew that Bo's wife Gu Kailai was connected to the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood last November and did not pursue the investigation further.
Gu was handed a suspended death sentence last month for Heywood's murder.
The Bo scandal has exposed to public view rifts within the secretive Communist Party, highlighting tensions between Bo's populist, left-wing policies and the supporters of Hu and Xi, ahead of a crucial leadership transition in November.
Bo's detractors say he and Wang waged a campaign of terror in Chongqing, using their "strike black" anti-crime campaigns to target innocent businessmen and confiscate their assets. Lawyers linked to the campaigns have described torture and forced confessions as commonplace during Bo's tenure there.
Bo was removed from his post in Chongqing, where he had been regarded as a top contender for a seat on the all-powerful standing committee of the Politburo, on March 15, shortly after a strongly worded warning from premier Wen Jiabao that a failure to enact political reform in China could see a return to the turmoil and violence of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
'No evidence' of poisoning
In a new twist to the drama, a prominent Chinese government forensic scientist cast doubt on the official version of the scandal on Thursday, saying there was "no evidence" to support the claim that Heywood died from cyanide poisoning.
In a post to her blog that has since been removed, Wang Xuemei, a forensic expert with the top prosecutors' agency, said the official accounts lack sufficient evidence that Heywood died from cyanide poisoning, which she describes as leaving the body obviously discolored, the Associated Press reported.
Wang confirmed in a phone interview Thursday that she is the author of the blog entry posted late Wednesday detailing her suspicions about the case. She said she has had no access to the evidence, but points out discrepancies in details that have been made public.
Rights activists and lawyers have also condemned the lack of transparency surrounding Bo's case, as well as Wang and Gu's trials, saying the Party has kept a tight lid on crucial details of the scandal.
Reported by Luisetta Mudie.
Sep 27, 2012
Quakes point to seafloor break-up
Quakes point to seafloor break-up: The sequence of huge earthquakes that struck off the coast of Sumatra in April may signal the creation of a new tectonic plate boundary, say scientists.
Indonesian cartoonists keep up with competition
Indonesian cartoonists keep up with competition: Young artists are injecting new life into Indonesia's comic book scene
SBY’s legacy: An ever more corrupt police force
SBY’s legacy: An ever more corrupt police force: For most police generals, reservations about public outcry over their blatant display of excessive wealth, which is suspiciously derived from illicit sources, are no longer sufficiently ingrained to ...
Vote count says Jokowi wins in all municipalities
Vote count says Jokowi wins in all municipalities: An ongoing poll count at the Jakarta Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) shows challenger Joko “Jokowi” Widodo leads the Jakarta gubernatorial race in five municipalities, while incumbent Governor ...
Greater Jakarta residents face ‘unprecedented’ water crisis
Greater Jakarta residents face ‘unprecedented’ water crisis: The dry season affecting the capital city and its surrounding areas has forced Greater Jakarta’s residents into a crisis of clean water from both ground and purification plant sources, as well as ...
Obama and SBY differ on freedom of speech, Syria
Obama and SBY differ on freedom of speech, Syria: Global disagreements on defamation of religion are set to continue after US President Barack Obama said the Innocence of Muslims video was a form of “freedom of speech”, a statement that ...
Parties gang up on Prabowo
Parties gang up on Prabowo: Another stumbling block has been placed in the path of Prabowo Subianto’s presidential ambitions by rival political parties, with their factions at the House of Representatives agreeing to maintain ...
AirAsia to fly twice daily from Jakarta to Bangkok
AirAsia to fly twice daily from Jakarta to Bangkok: Low cost carrier AirAsia Indonesia has increased their flight frequency on one of its busiest routes, Jakarta-Bangkok, to twice daily. "AirAsia is committed to providing better service on all of our ...
Asia's budget airline boom bypasses China
Asia's budget airline boom bypasses China: When businesswoman Ren Hong flew home after a recent trip to Beijing on state-owned Air China, she was hoping for a decent inflight meal to tide her over until she got back to the spicy cuisine of ...
ZAMBIA: Minimum wage leads to steep food price rises
ZAMBIA: Minimum wage leads to steep food price rises:
 | LUSAKA, 27 September 2012 (IRIN) - The euphoria that greeted the government's imposition of minimum wage increases has quickly soured, with prices of food and other essential commodities escalating as higher wage costs are passed onto consumers. |
KENYA: Government launches new guidelines to contain black fever
KENYA: Government launches new guidelines to contain black fever:
 | NAIROBI, 27 September 2012 (IRIN) - The Kenyan government has launched guidelines for the treatment and prevention of visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala azar or black fever, in a move government officials say is meant to contain the parasitic disease, which is endemic in the northern region of the country. |
Tunisia rape victim accused of 'indecency'
Tunisia rape victim accused of 'indecency': Civil society groups express outrage after woman was accused of "immoral behaviour" by policemen jailed for raping her.
Mexico says drug leader 'El Taliban' captured
Mexico says drug leader 'El Taliban' captured: Ivan Velazquez, also known as "Z-50", was key leader of Zetas drug cartel, and had a reward of up to $2.3m on his head.
Mali's PM calls for foreign intervention
Mali's PM calls for foreign intervention: Cheick Modibo Diarra calls for military help to defeat Islamist rebels, who control vast swathes of territory in north.
Sudan and South Sudan sign landmark deal
Sudan and South Sudan sign landmark deal: Agreements covering border and oil issues will pave way for South to resume sale of its oil using North's pipeline.
Israeli PM sets 'red line' on Iran at UN
Israeli PM sets 'red line' on Iran at UN: Netanyahu says ultimatum is the only way to peacefully prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Kenyan minister suspended for hate speech
Kenyan minister suspended for hate speech: Ferdinand Waititu has been charged with incitement and hatred for speech against Maasai tribe in residential area.
UK and Ecuador fail to agree on Assange fate
UK and Ecuador fail to agree on Assange fate: Officials fail to end deadlock over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that has lasted 100 days.
Sep 26, 2012
Gambling back in Indonesia's Batam to lure neighbouring tourists
Gambling back in Indonesia's Batam to lure neighbouring tourists: More Singaporeans and Malaysians have been spending their weekends in Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia, over the last few months after the reemergence of gambling-related recreation and gaming centres o .....
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