'Red Shirt' trial delayed in Thailand

Lawyer of Arisman Pongreungrong, one of 24 defendants, says client suffered food poisoning; trial to resume in a month.

At their height, the 2010 Bangkok protests drew over 100,000 supporters to the streets of the capital [Al Jazeera]

A Thai court has postponed the start of the terrorism trial of 24 "Red Shirt" protest leaders by one month. Thursday's delay comes in reaction to the illness of one of the defendants in the case, which followed 2010 demonstrations in Bangkok that drew up to 100,000 protesters. "The court will only allow this one postponement," the judge said, as hundreds of police stood guard outside the court. Among the accused are five lawmakers. All 24 defendants could face the death penalty for their roles in the rallies, which largely drew the support of Thais loyal to Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted prime minister. At least 90 people were killed and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between demonstrators and security forces. The clashes culminated in a military crackdown and the arrests of the movement's leaders. 'Situation was already very heated' At the time, the Red Shirts wanted immediate elections, and accused the government at the time of being undemocratic because it took office in 2008 through a parliamentary vote after a court stripped Thaksin's allies of power. The judge postponed the first hearing until December 13 because a lawyer for Arisman Pongreungrong, a Red Shirt leader, said his client could not attend the trial due to food poisoning. Arisman first came to international prominence when he avoided capture by police by climbing out of a third-floor window in a Bangkok hotel in April 2010, an escape that was captured by the media. After nearly 20 years on the run, Arisman turned himself in last year. The leaders pleaded not guilty in August 2010 to terrorism charges. Hearings can only be held when parliament is not in session as sitting lawmakers have immunity. The Red Shirt leaders, most of whom surrendered to police after the government sent in armoured vehicles and troops firing live rounds, deny they incited their followers to cause violence. "I'm certain that the protesters did not need any speeches to provoke them. They saw more and more people injured and dying. The situation was already very heated," Nattawut Saikuar, a Red Shirt leader and now the deputy commerce minister, told the AFP news agency before the hearing. After the crackdown, protest leaders asked their supporters to disperse, but authorities accused some demonstrators of setting fire to dozens of buildings, including a shopping mall and the stock exchange. No government or military officials who oversaw the army operation have been charged over the deaths of protesters, prompting accusations by the Red Shirts of double standards. Thaksin, adored by many poor Thais for his populist policies while in power, was toppled by royalist generals in a 2006 coup that unleashed years of street protests by the Reds and the rival royalist Yellow Shirts. Elections in 2011 brought Thaksin's Red Shirt-backed Puea Thai party to power and swept his sister Yingluck into office.

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US approaches the fiscal cliff

Economists say if they do not pass legislation by the end of the year it could lead to a recession.

Americans are waiting, watching, and wondering what their politicians are doing right now.

Economists say if they do not pass legislation by the end of the year – taxes go up, federal spending is cut and it will lead to a recession.

So where are they in trying to figure out a solution to what is now called a fiscal cliff? Patty Culhane,

Al Jazeera's White House Correspondent, takes a look at how close they are to the edge.

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UK to decide on press regulation

A judge has been deciding whether the press in the UK can be trusted any more.

Britain's Prime Minister says the country's newspaper regulation system is unacceptable.

David Cameron made the comment just a day before a judge is due to publish findings from a year-long inquiry into press ethics.

Eight people are facing charges related to allegedly hacking phones to get stories.

Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports from London. 

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Egypt speeds vote on draft constitution

A divisive panel boycotted by liberals and Christians was set to rush out a draft new Egyptian constitution as protests mounted over the political future nearly two years after Hosni Mubarak's overthrow.

President Mohamed Morsi had just last week given the constituent assembly an additional two months until February to complete its work. But as protests mounted over his decision to grant himself sweeping powers until the text is ratified in a referendum, the panel wrapped up its deliberations on Wednesday and readied for a vote on Thursday.

"The discussions over the draft of the constitution will be finished today, to be followed by voting," Amr Darrag, the panel chief, said in remarks carried by the official MENA news agency.

The vote will come amidst ongoing unrest in downtown Cairo. Egyptian police fired tear gas into Tahrir Square on Wednesday morning, where several hundred protesters spent the night after a mass rally to denounce Morsi's assumption of expanded powers.

Clashes erupting on streets near the square spilled into the square, with canisters falling into the crowd forcing protesters to run and sending clouds of tear gas over the tents housing the demonstrators. 

The Muslim Brotherhood and allied groups plan to hold nationwide protests in support of Morsi on Saturday. Mahmoud Ghozlan, a senior Brotherhood member and spokesperson, said the rally would be held in Cairo, but did not specify an exact location. This comes after the movement cancelled a rival rally meant to be held in Cairo on Tuesday to "avoid potential unrest".

The outskirts of the square have seen sporadic clashes now entering their ninth day, in what started as an anniversary protest to mark one year since deadly confrontations with police in the same area.

Masked protesters grabbed tear gas canisters and threw them back at police in a street close to the US embassy, near Tahrir Square.

On Tuesday, one person was killed and about a hundred people injured when an estimated 200,000 protesterspacked the square, protesting against a decree issued by the new president granting himself sweeping powers.

At least 100 people were injured in Tuesday's nationwide demonstrations, including 21 in Cairo, the health ministry said.

Rallies were staged in most of Egypt's 27 provinces. In the Mediterranean city of Alexandria protesters attacked the local office of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement, while in Mahalla, north of Cairo, anti-Morsi protesters held a large rally.

At least three people have died in one week of protests and clashes against Morsi's decree.

Judges critical

The Egyptian protesters are angry at the decree that Morsi announced last Thursday allowing him to "issue any decision or law that is final and not subject to appeal", which in effect placed him beyond judicial scrutiny.

The decree put him on a collision course with the judiciary and consolidated the long-divided opposition which accuses him of taking on dictatorial powers.

The demonstrations come a day after Morsi stuck by his decree after a meeting with the country's top judges aimed at defusing the crisis.

The head of the assembly drafting Egypt's new constitution said the final draft would be finished on Wednesday, and three other members of the assembly told Reuters the document would be put to a vote on Thursday.

"We will start now and finish today, God willing," Hossam el-Gheriyani, the assembly speaker, said at the start of a
meeting of the constitutional assembly in Cairo. He said Thursday would be a "great day", without elaborating, and
called on the members who had withdrawn from the body to return.

The draft has been wildly unpopular with liberals, human rights activists and others for a range of provisions dealing with the role of religion in the state, the status of women, and the privileges accorded to the country's powerful army. Senior officials said on Thursday that the constitution would include a provision allowing civilians to face military trials, and shielding the military budget from parliamentary scrutiny.

There has been "no change to the constitutional declaration", presidential spokesman Yasser Ali told reporters at the end of the meeting.

But he added Morsi sought to clarify that any irrevocable decisions apply only to issues related "to his sovereign powers" and stressed the temporary nature of the decree.

The head of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) - the Brotherhood's political arm - said the meeting between Morsi and the judges had been "fruitful". But judges said the crisis was not over.

"The meeting failed," Judge Abdel Rahman Bahlul, who attended the talks, told the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm.

"We cannot say this is the end of the crisis between the judiciary and the presidency," another judge who attended the talks, Judge Ahmed Abdel Rahman, told the paper.

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Palestinians to renew UN statehood bid

Simple majority vote in 193-member General Assembly would be enough to bestow non-member observer status.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered across the West Bank and Gaza to demonstrate their support for a fresh attempt by president Mahmoud Abbas to secure upgraded UN status in New York.

Abbas is to address the General Assembly later on Thursday ahead of a vote that is expected to grant the Palestinians the status of a non-member observer state.

The bid comes a year after the Palestinian leader first approached the UN to seek full state membership but the request stalled at the Security Council due to opposition from the veto-wielding US.

"This time it's different because now we are sure that most of the states of the world support us and the US can't raise the veto," 30-year-old Bothaina Hamdan said.

"It won't be easy to change anything on the ground, the occupation won't end tomorrow, we know that," she added.

"But here today we are telling the world that we want peace, and we support peaceful methods to achieve our state."

Ahead of Thursday's vote, thousands of Palestinians from rival factions celebrated in the streets of the West Bank. In a departure from previous opposition, Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, said it would not interfere with the bid, and its supporters joined some of the celebrations. 

Palestinians are listed as a UN observer "entity" with no voting rights. They will ask to be made a non-member observer state at the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

"It is only with negotiations between the two sides that we demand immediately without any preconditions that a Palestinian state can become a reality" - Laurent Fabius, French foreign minister

Such status would be an indirect recognition of their claims on statehood in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. It would allow them to join a number of UN agencies, as well as the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Palestinians say Israeli settlement-building on occupied West Bank land has hampered prospects for a bilateral statehood deal. Disagreement over the issue led to negotiations stalling in 2010.

Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee member, described the bid as a "last-ditch effort".

"We believe the two-state solution is in jeopardy because of [Israeli] actions. We want to ensure that the world is still committed to the establishment of a sovereign viable democratic free Palestinian state to interact as an equal," she said on Wednesday.

A simple majority vote in the 193-member General Assembly would be enough to bestow non-member observer status, bypassing the Security Council - where the US, Israel's ally, has a veto.

A similar campaign by the Palestinians last year proved short-lived amid opposition from Israel and the US, which said a Palestinian state should be founded in agreement with Israel.

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator in talks with Israel, told Al Jazeera on Thursday that "Israel needs to [be held] accountable".

"As much we have a strategy, the strategy of the [Israeli] government is three-fold. One, is to keep their occupation cost-free. Number two is to keep the Palestinian Authority without any authority, and number three is to push [the responsibility for] Gaza towards Egypt," he said. "And by the vote tonight, this strategy of Israel will be no more."

European support divided

France and Italy have both said that they would vote in favour of Palestinian non-member status, an important boost in Palestinian efforts to secure greater international recognition.

The Palestinians have lobbied for support from European countries for their bid. While Israel has lobbied against them, the Palestinians are set for a sure victory in the 193-member world body made up mostly of developing countries long sympathetic to their cause.

"This Thursday or Friday, when the question is asked, France will vote yes," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced in the French National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, on Tuesday.

Thousands rally in Ramallah to support bid

"It is only with negotiations between the two sides that we demand immediately without any preconditions that a Palestinian state can become a reality," he said.

On Thursday, Mario Monti, the Italian prime minister, phoned Abbas to inform him of his country's decision to the bid at the UN, according to a statement. Monti also spoke with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, assuring him that the decision did not signal a weakening of the traditionally strong Israel-Italy relationship.

Palestinian officials, keen on solidifying as much European favour as they can in the hours before the vote, have indicated they will not immediately seek to accede to the ICC, addressing a last international concern.

Israeli, British and US diplomats, apparently realising that they can no longer sway the Palestinians' in their whole bid, are now seeking guarantees that Palestinians would forego filing complaints against Israel in the court.

Palestinian officials have refused. But, appearing to balance their tone, they said the timing and strategy of their eventual ICC accession is a matter for later internal discussion.

"It is our right, and we will not abandon it. We will decide on the proper timing, given our priorities and best interests," Ashrawi said.

"It's not for any country to get the Palestinians to relinquish their rights. And if Israel is innocent, it has nothing to fear from the court," she told the Reuters news agency.

Britain, which in recent weeks had pushed European countries to abstain on the statehood vote, has requested that Palestinians renounce applying to the ICC in return for changing the British vote to a "yes".

The ICC is not an official organ of the United Nations, but generally accepts applications from its members.

Israel has at times cancelled visits by officials to Britain out of fear of war crimes litigation there. It is concerned that future Palestinian claims at the court could focus on its leaders and undermine its standing abroad.

One envoy from a European country as yet undecided how it will vote said Palestinian hints were "unlikely to be sufficient" to win broad European backing.

"A vague promise not to go to the ICC won't cut it," he said.

'Two-state solution'

Israel and the US condemn the UN bid, saying the only genuine route to statehood for the Palestinians is via a peace agreement made in direct talks with Israel.

Peace talks, however, have been stalled for two years over the issue of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which have expanded despite being deemed illegal by most of the world.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu downplayed the Palestinian's attempt to achieve their long-promised state.

"The decision at the UN today won't change anything on the ground," Netanyahu said. "It won't promote the establishment of a Palestinian state, it will distance it."

"Israel's hand is always extended in peace, but a Palestinian state will not be established without [a Palestinian] recognition of the State of Israel as the Jewish people's state. A Palestinian state will not be established without a declaration of the end of the conflict... without real security arrangements that protect the State of Israel and its citizens," the prime minister said.

"We support Palestinians' right to self-determination, without prejudicing good relations between Israel and the Palestinians and talks to ultimately solve the conflict" - European diplomat

Israel and the US have discussed withholding aid and tax revenue that the Palestinian government in the West Bank needs to survive. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has also viewed options that include bringing down Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas said he was ready for an unconditional resumption of peace talks with Israel after a successful bid.

On Tuesday, a senior Israeli official told reporters that Israel would act cautiously, just as Palestinian negotiators said the number of countries indicating their decisions to vote "yes" was on the rise.

France has indicated its support, while Palestinian envoys say Ireland, Malta, Portugal and Luxembourg have conveyed their intention to vote "Yes", leaving Germany and the Czech Republic among the few possible "No" votes.

European countries were split in voting for a successful Palestinian bid to join the UN cultural agency UNESCO in October 2011. They appear to be leaning more closely towards supporting the Palestinian statehood bid in recent days.

"We support Palestinians' right to self-determination, without prejudicing good relations between Israel and the Palestinians and talks to ultimately solve the conflict," a European diplomat whose country supports the bid told Reuters.

"European countries have made an investment, politically and economically, in a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living in security with each other. We have an interest in moving that vision forward," the diplomat said.

European countries are eager to empower moderates, analysts say, after a bloody eight-day conflict this month between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"If you add up the political calculations, nobody's willing to cut off their money and undermine Abu Mazen [Abbas] or his government," said Ramallah-based political commentator and former government spokesperson Diana Buttu.

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Deadly blasts in Iraq wound more than 150

Shia worshipers and security services targeted in bombings that killed 45 and left 155 wounded across four provinces.

Thursday's attacks marked the second wave of bombings against Shia this week [Reuters]

A string of bombings in Iraq have killed 45 and left another 155 people wounded. A restaurant said to be full of labourers was the target of two attacks in the central city of Hilla on Thursday. A roadside bomb followed by a car bomb killed 35 and injured 80 people, according to security and hospital sources. The eatery in the Shia-majority city was said to be full of labourers and municipal workers having breakfast at the time of the explosions. In the shrine city of Karbala, a car bomb killed four and left another 16 people wounded. The bomber parked the vehicle near the entrance of the Imam Abbas shrine. Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf, reporting from Baghad, said the holy site made for a "very daring" attack in Karbala. Millions of pilgrims flock to Karbala each year for Ashura commemorations marking Hussein's death in 680 AD, which peaked on November 25 this year. Pilgrims also walk from across Iraq to Karbala during the 40-day mourning period that follows Ashura. Thursday's attacks marked the second wave of bombings against Shia this week after three car bombs exploded near their places of worship in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 12 people and wounding 50. Elsewhere in the country, two bombs targeted security forces in Fallujah and Mosul. East of Mosul city, a car bomb killed two, including a police officer, near a police checkpoint. Another two civilians were wounded in the blast. In central Fallujah, a suicide bomber walked up to a bank and killed three army soldiers when he detonated his explosive vest. Another eight were wounded in the line of soldiers queued up to receive their monthly salaries at the time of the attack. An off-duty police officer was killed in Diyala province when a bomb attached to his car exploded Thursday morning. Having dismantled a car bomb in the region, police have sealed off the green zone and areas leading to it, said Al Jazeera's Arraf. The "wide variety of targets", said our correspondent, were meant to be a sign "to show that Iraqi security cannot keep their people safe".

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Leveson recommends independent UK press body

Press inquiry report calls for tougher form of self-regulation backed by legislation in wake of phone-hacking scandal

The inquiry, headed by Leveson, ran for eight months from November 2011 [EPA]

The Leveson inquiry into Britain's newspaper industry has recommended a scrutinised form of self-regulation backed by legislation to uphold UK press standards. Judge Brian Leveson said a new regulatory body should be established in law to prevent more people being hurt by "press behaviour that, at times, can only be described as outrageous". Leveson reported on Thursday at the end of a year-long ethics investigation triggered by revelations of tabloid phone hacking. His proposals are likely to be welcomed by victims of press intrusion and some politicians who want to see the country's press reined in. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he supported the findings of a far-reaching inquiry into the British media, but said he was not in favour of new legislation to regulate the press. "For the first time we would have crossed the rubicon of writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land. We should I believe be wary of any legislation," Cameron told parliament. ignored conduct Leveson said he wanted to see a major new self-regulatory body, independent of serving editors, to uphold press standards and the right of victims of intrusion to seek redress. Leveson said legislation would provide "an independent process to recognise the new self-regulatory body and reassure the public that the basic requirements of independence and effectiveness were met". He said the press had "wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people" on far too many occasions in the last ten years as the industry had ignored its own code of conduct for over a number of years. There had been a "recklessness in prioritising sensational stories", irrespective of the harm that may be caused, said Leveson. The judge criticised politicians of all parties who had developed "too close a relationship with the press in a way which has not been in the public interest". Leveson however acknowledged that all of the press served the country "very well for the vast majority of the time," holding a privileged and powerful place as defender of democracy and the public interest. Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reporting from London said: "The great fear in this report was that Lord Leveson would come out and say the government should regulate the press, but he came out that the press should be free, and there should be a new and independent body to regulate the British press." Cameron set up the inquiry in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid, which was closed as a result of the scandal. The hacking scandal has rocked Britain's press, political and police establishments, who were seen enjoying an often-cozy relationship in which drinks, dinners and sometimes money were traded for influence and information. Several senior police officers resigned over the failure to aggressivelypursue an earlier investigation of phone hacking at the News of the World in 2007. But Leveson said "the inquiry has not unearthed extensive evidence of police corruption.''

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UN court acquits former Kosovo prime minister

Ex-PM Ramush Haradinaj and two aides were acquitted in retrial on charges of murder and torture during the 1990s war.

Judges ruled there was no evidence that Haradinaj took part in a criminal plan to drive out Serbs [Reuters]

The UN Yugoslav war crimes court acquitted Kosovo's ex-Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and two aides in a retrial on charges of murder and torture during the 1990s war of independence from Belgrade. "The chamber finds you not guilty on all counts in the indictment," Judge Bakone Justice Moloto told the Hague-based court, ordering the men released. Judges in the retrial ruled on Thursday that there was no evidence that Haradinaj and two accomplices had taken part in such a plan. The court's public gallery erupted in cries of joy as the acquittals were announced. The proceedings were broadcast live on a giant screen in the Kosovo capital Pristina, where Haradinaj is considered a hero by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority who had high hopes of an acquittal. Prosecutors had said Haridinaj participated as a commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army in a criminal plan to drive Serbs out of the province, which at the time was ruled from Belgrade, and had demanded at least 20 years in prison for all three men. 'Miscarriage of justice' Thursday's verdicts came in the UN court's first retrial so far, which was ordered after appeals judges branded the 2008 acquittal of Haradinaj and Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighter Idriz Balaj and the conviction of a third KLA commander, Lahi Brahimaj, a "miscarriage of justice" because of widespread intimidation of prosecution witnesses. Moloto said that one witness may not have been in the Jablanica detention camp where alleged abuses took place and "may have told what he heard from others." After one incident of abuse "a KLA solider apologised for the incident and blamed it on extremist groups within the KLA," the judge said. "There is no credible evidence that Haradinaj was even aware of the crimes committed at Jablanica," Moloto said. The acquittal clears the way for a possible return to the political scene for Haradinaj, seen before his 2005 indictment as a unifying force in deeply divided Kosovo. He is now likely to continue his political career in Kosovo and is expected to run again for prime minister. Haradinaj had quit his job as prime minister after 100 days in office to hand himself over to the tribunal. He established the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo party after the conflict, and has been on provisional release since May 10 and living at home in Pristina. A slap in the face The ruling is almost certain to be perceived by Serbia as a new slap in the face after the court earlier this month acquitted Croatian General Ante Gotovina of war crimes against the Serbs. Senior Serbian officials had said that should Haradinaj walk, EU-sponsored talks between Pristina and Belgrade - which still considers Kosovo to be its southern province - could be jeopardised. The most senior KLA commanders to be tried, Haradinaj as well as Balaj, his lieutenant and commander of the feared "Black Eagles" unit, were acquitted in April 2008 on 37 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Haradinaj is still considered a war criminal by Belgrade and an arrest warrant has been issued against him by Serbia's war crimes prosecutor for his alleged crimes. Oliver Antic, legal adviser to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, had said that should Haradinaj be acquitted "it will surely jeopardise negotiations". "Haradinaj's acquittal will distance us from reconciliation," he added. The conflict in Kosovo ended when NATO forces intervened to stop a crackdown on ethnic Albanians by the troops loyal to Milosevic. In one of the most brutal episodes of the Balkans conflicts in the 1990s, more than 10,000 people died in the fighting. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade opposes its international recognition.

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Court clears US airline over Concorde crash

French appeals court clears Continental Airlines of blame over July 2000 accident that saw jet crash after take-off.

The 2000 Concorde crash killed 113 people, an incident that helped spell the end of the supersonic airliner [Reuters]

A French appeals court has absolved Continental Airlines of responsibility for a 2000 Concorde crash which killed 113 people and cleared a mechanic at the US airline of the charge of involuntary manslaughter. The verdict comes more than a decade after the incident that helped to spell the end of the supersonic airliner. A previous court found that a small metal strip, which fell onto the runway from a Continental aircraft just before the Concorde took off from Paris, caused the crash. Continental was originally fined $260,000 and ordered to pay Air France, Concorde's operator, $1.3m in damages. "The lawyer said the original trial had been subjected to political meddling," Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Paris, said following a news conference by the airline's lawyer. Continental appealed against the verdict which it described as unfair and absurd.

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Fighting rages along Damascus airport road

Activists say road closed following heavy clashes, as internet and phone connections in Syrian capital are disrupted.

Fighting in Damascus and its suburbs has intensified in recent months [Reuters]

Battles between Syrian rebels and government troops have reportedly forced the closure of the main road leading to Damascus International Airport. The news came as the Dubai-based Emirates airline suspended flights to the Syrian capital on Thursday. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said there was heavy fighting "along all the areas along the road" to the airport, southeast of the city. The activist group said clashes were particularly intense in Babbila, a suburb bordering the rebel stronghold of Tadamoun. Communications disrupted Internet connections in the capital went down in the early afternoon and mobile and land telephone lines were only working intermittently in parts of the city. The government has previously cut phone lines and internet access in areas where regime forces are conducting major military operations. Emirates said it was suspending daily flights to Damascus "until further notice", but other airlines continued operations. Airport sources in Cairo said an Egypt Air flight that left at 1:30pm (11:30 GMT) had landed in Damascus as scheduled. "The Egypt Air plane has arrived ... and passengers are all safe but the pilot was instructed to take off back to Cairo without passengers if he felt that the situation there is not good to stay for longer," an official at Cairo airport said. Elsewhere in the capital, warplanes bombed the neighbourhoods of Kafr Souseh and Daraya, opposition activists said. Rebels who control large swathes of territory in northern Syria have made military gains in past days, including for the first time shooting down one of the regime's attack aircraft using a surface-to-air missile. Several rebel brigades attacked the Wadi Daif base in Idlib province on Thursday, opposition sources said, while the army responded with shelling. Fighting was also reported outside the nearby rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan. In the country's commercial capital, Aleppo, an air strike on Thursday killed at least 15 civilians, according to the SOHR. "At least 15 people, among them five children and two women, were killed when a warplane dropped two bombs on the Ansari district of Aleppo," the group's head Rami Abdelrahman told the AFP news agency.

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Eurozone and IMF agree Greek bailout deal

Loans will be released to Greece in order to keep the near-bankrupt economy afloat and reduce debt by $51bn.   Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said that Athens had done its part and now the lenders must act [Reuters] Greece will receive urgently needed loans to rescue its stricken economy after Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund agreed a deal on reducing the country's debt. The agreement was reached on Monday after 12 hours of talks at the third meeting of the finance ministers and the IMF in as many weeks. Lenders agreed on a package of measures to reduce Greek debt by $50bn, cutting it to 124 per cent of gross domestic product by 2020. In a significant new pledge, ministers committed themselves to take further steps to lower Greece's debt to "significantly below 110 percent" in 2022. This is the most explicit recognition so far that some write-off of loans may be necessary from 2016, the point when Greece is forecast to reach a primary budget surplus, according to Reuters. "When Greece has achieved, or is about to achieve, a primary surplus and fulfilled all of its conditions, we will, if need be, consider further measures for the reduction of the total debt," Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's finance minister, said. Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said ministers would formally approve the release of a major aid instalment needed to recapitalise Greece's ailing banks and enable the government to pay wages, pensions and suppliers on December 13. Greece will receive up $55bn in stages as it fulfills the conditions. The December instalment will comprise $29bn for banks and $10.2bn in budget assistance. The IMF's share, less than a third of the total, will only be paid out once a buy-back of Greek debt is completed in the coming weeks. But Christine Lagarde, the IMF chief, said the Fund had no intention of pulling out of the programme. Follow our comprehensive Euro Crisis spotlight coverage To reduce Greece's debt pile, ministers agreed to cut the interest rate on official loans, extend their maturity by 15 years to 30 years, and grant Athens a 10-year interest repayment deferral. They promised to hand back $14bn in profits accruing to their national central banks from European Central Bank purchases of discounted Greek government bonds in the secondary market. They also agreed to finance Greece to buy back its own bonds from private investors at what officials said was a target cost of around 35 cents in the euro. Decision welcomed Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank, said on leaving the talks: "I very much welcome the decisions taken by the minsters of finance. They will certainly reduce the uncertainty and strengthen confidence in Europe and in Greece." The euro strengthened against the dollar after news of the deal was first reported by Reuters. Juncker said the accord opened new hope for Greeks. I"This is not just about money. This is the promise of a better future for the Greek people and for the euro area as a whole, a break from the era of missed targets and loose implementation towards a new paradigm of steadfast reform momentum, declining debt ratios and a return to growth," he told a 2am news conference. Yannis Stournaras, Greece's finance minister, said earlier that Athens had fulfilled its part of the deal by enacting tough austerity measures and economic reforms, and it was now up to the lenders to do their part. Greece, where the euro zone's debt crisis erupted in late 2009, is the currency area's most heavily indebted country, despite a big "haircut" this year on privately-held bonds. Its economy has shrunk by nearly 25 perc ent in five years. Negotiations had been stalled over how Greece's debt, forecast to peak at 190-200 per cent of GDP in the coming two years, could be cut to a more sustainable 120 per cent by 2020. The agreed figure fell slightly short of that goal, and the IMF was still insisting that euro zone ministers should make a firm commitment to further steps to reduce the debt stock if Athens implements its adjustment programme faithfully. The key question remains whether Greek debt can become sustainable without euro zone governments having to write off some of the loans they have made to Athens, the Reuters news agency reported. Germany and its northern European allies have hitherto rejected any idea of forgiving official loans to Athens, but EU officials believe that line may soften after next year's German general election.

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Day of mourning for Bangladesh fire victims

Police launch manhunt for fugitive boss of garment factory where at least 110 workers died in a blaze over the weekend.     The American retailer has said it will continue to work with the apparel industry in Bangladesh [EPA] Bangladesh has declared a national day of mourning following the Tazreen garment factory fire that led to the deaths of at least 110 workers in a blaze in capital city, Dhaka, over the weekend. Green and red national flags flew at half-mast on Tuesday alongside black flags over government offices and the country's 4,500 garment factories. Shortly before the first mass burials for the victims, police declared a manhunt to find Delwar Hossain, the fugitive boss of the factory. Habibur Rahman, Dhaka police chief, told the AFP news agency that Hossain would be interrogated about alleged violations of building rules after inspectors found the nine-storey factory only had permission for three floors. "We shall also quiz him about allegations from survivors that his managers did not allow the workers to leave the factory when the fire broke out," Rahman said of the tragedy at the 12-storey Tazreen factory housing 1,000 employees, without access to emergency exits. "As the smoke spread, the managers even told the workers that it was a fire drill, nothing to be afraid of." Rahman confirmed that a murder investigation was under way due to criminal negligence at Hossain's Tazreen Fashion plant. Walmart announcement The developments came the day after US retail giant Walmart said it had ended its relationship with the unnamed supplier who sourced garments from the factory. The multinational company severed ties with its supplier as anger over safety standards in Bangladesh's clothes manufacturing industry mounts. In a statement issued on Monday, Walmart expressed its condolences to the victims' families and said: "The fact that this occurred is extremely troubling to us, and we will continue to work across the apparel industry to improve fire safety education and training in Bangladesh. "A supplier subcontracted work to this factory without authorisation and in direct violation of our policies, "The Tazreen factory was no longer authorised to produce merchandise for Walmart. "Today, we have terminated the relationship with that supplier." Bangladesh offers cheap labour to many Western apparel brands for manufacturing. European high street name C&A and the Hong Kong-based Li & Fung, which also procured orders at the Tazreen factory, have expressed condolence. Prominent fashion brands are likely to distance themselves from the scandal which could spell an imminent PR disaster.

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Susan Rice to meet McCain over Libya row

Rice, widely considered Obama's top pick to replace Clinton, will seek to defuse Libya attack row with the Republicans.   Rice has emerged as a clear front-runner to replace Clinton during Obama's second four-year term [AFP] President Barack Obama's top UN diplomat appears to have a clearer path to succeeding Hillary Clinton, the outgoing secretary of state, after two top Republicans moderated their accusations that Ambassador Susan Rice was part of a government cover-up of what happened in the September 11 attack on the US Consulate in Libya. Rice, who has emerged as a clear front-runner to replace Clinton during Obama's second four-year term, is due to meet Senator John McCain on Tuesday in an apparent bid to defuse the bitter row over Libya. McCain has led Republican attacks against Rice, accusing her of misleading the public over the September 11 assault on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya that left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead. "My concerns are obviously that she told the American people things that were patently false, that were not true," McCain said, confirming Tuesday's meeting, which stoked speculation Rice is the frontrunner for the nomination. US media reported that the closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, arranged at Rice's request, would take place at 9:30am (1430 GMT) and that Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte would also attend, along with acting CIA director Mike Morell. Toning down Several leading Republicans have vowed to oppose Rice's elevation to become America's top diplomat at all costs if she is nominated for the position, but McCain, the party's 2008 presidential nominee, has softened his criticism in recent days. Asked on Fox News if Rice could change his mind, McCain said: "Sure. She can. I'd give everyone the benefit of explaining their position and the actions that they took. I'd be glad to have the opportunity." Republicans singled out Rice because she appeared on Sunday political talk shows five days after the Benghazi attack and said it was the "best assessment" of the US government that the strike was not pre-planned. Rice said the assault appeared to have started from a "spontaneous" reaction by protesters angry at an amateur anti-Muslim video made on American soil, as had been the case in an earlier assault on the US embassy in Cairo. President Barack Obama's administration subsequently admitted the attack had been carried out by fighters linked to al-Qaeda, and State Department and FBI probes are currently under way to find out what happened. Rice appeared to be largely absolved of blame when the office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed the terms "Al-Qaeda" and "terrorism" had been removed from the "talking points" brief she was given. 'Outrageous campaign' In his first press conference after being re-elected, Obama rushed to Rice's defence, accusing the Republicans of an "outrageous" attempt to "besmirch her reputation" and challenging them to go after him instead. Rice broke her silence on the row last week, saying she had been the victim of "unfounded" Republican attacks. "Let me be very clear. I have great respect for Senator McCain and his service to our country. I always have, and I always will," Rice told reporters. "I do think that some of the statements he made about me have been unfounded, but I look forward to having the opportunity at the appropriate time to discuss all of this with him," she added. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to leave office early in the New Year but Obama has kept everyone waiting to see whether he is willing to name Rice and risk a potentially tricky Senate confirmation process if Republicans dig in. The other main contender for the role is thought to be Democratic Senator John Kerry, the influential chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who lost the 2004 presidential election to George W. Bush.

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Qatar hosts 'critical' climate talks

About 17,000 delegates expected to attend the latest round of the climate talks, with carbon permits high on the agenda.     COP President Bin Hamad al-Attiyah said the 'phenomenon' of climate change was a common challenge [EPA] The 18th United Nations climate change conference, known as COP18 , has opened in Doha, the Qatari capital. Over the next two weeks, up to 17,000 people will attend the conference. Delegates will be negotiating a new global deal on climate, but there are ongoing tensions between rich and poor countries. The meeting elected the former Qatari energy minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, as president of the Conference of the Parties. Asad Rahman, senior campaigner for Friends of the Earth, speaks to Al Jazeera In his opening remarks he said the meeting was "critical" and a "golden opportunity" to make progress on a new global climate deal. "This is an historic conference," said Attiyah, "it is of vital importance considering the items on its agenda. It is a turning point in the negotiations on climate change." Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South African foreign minister, officially handed over the COP presidency to Attiyah, Qatar's deputy prime minister, at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha. After brief speeches by both, Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC executive secretary, pointed out the "unique" location of this year's COP. "Each COP is unique - and this is no exception," she said. "This is the first time the COP is being held in the Gulf region. On this historic occasion, the region has an unequaled world stage to showcase the contributions being made to reduce the Gulf's food and water vulnerabilities, to put regional energy growth on a more sustainable path and to build a safer, stronger and more resilient energy future for all countries." Carbon permits A central issue at the summit is the problem of "hot air" carbon permits.   The term refers to attempts by some wealthy countries to carry over unused carbon permits so they can be offset against future cuts. Developing nations say this is unfair and reduces the value of any commitment to reduce carbon dioxide. In one of the summit's first announcements, Australia said it will aim to cut its emissions by 0.5 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 in a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. Maxwell Smith of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition told Al Jazeera he thought Australia's decision to participate in a second period of the Kyoto Protocol was a "positive step". But, he added, a 0.5 per cent reduction was "nothing. That is completely unacceptable". At the opening session of a working group on the Kyoto Protocol on Monday afternoon, New Zealand said that, although it would not join the second commitment period, it would continue to "play by the Kyoto rules" and work to combat climate change. New Zealand noted that, under a second commitment period, the countries that would be required to make emissions cuts only make up about 15 per cent of worldwide emissions. A Nauru delegate, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States - a group representing 44 mostly low-lying countries particularly vulnerable to climate change - called for greater ambition for a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which binds many developed countries to make emissions cuts. "This conference is about nothing less than preserving the fundamental integrity of the climate change regime," she said, "and that must begin with a strong second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. "If developed countries cannot live up to their current obligations, how can we have any confidence in a future agreement?" Nauru also called for stronger commitments from developed countries to help developing countries finance ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, developed countries have pledged to provide $100bn a year for adaptation and mitigation measures for developing countries by 2020. As Qatar welcomes world leaders to the conference, its own environmental record has come under criticism as a major contributor to greenhouse gases. Spotlight on polluters The climate talks have placed a spotlight on Qatar, which produces nearly 50 tonnes a year of carbon dioxide for each of its 1.6 million residents. Follow our in-depth coverage of Doha COP18 negotiations Jamie Henn, co-founder of the environment group 350.org, pointed out that Qatar had set some goals, including the plan to use 20 per cent renewable energy by 2024. Still, he said, the host country could do more. “We are fully aware of the perils the world is facing as a result of climate change," Attiyah, who is also a former Qatari petroleum minister, said. "We hope the conference will produce tangible results and reinforce international co-operation." Qatar "is also one of the 10 developing countries predicted to be most affected by rising sea levels", Attiyah said. "Environmental sustainability is a key pillar of our national vision," he said. In terms of volume, China remains the top emitter with more than eight billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year - an increase of 171 per cent since 2000. China is followed by the US, which produces over five billion tonnes annually, although its emissions have fallen since 2007. In third place is India. Its economic boom has made it the third worst polluter, pumping out nearly two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. And then there is Russia, producing around 1.6bn tonnes of emissions every year.

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Cuomo: Sandy Cost N.Y., NYC $42B in Damage and Loss

(ALBANY, N.Y.) — Superstorm Sandy ran up a $42 billion bill on New York and the state and New York City congressional leaders are preparing big requests for federal disaster aid.

The cost includes $32 billion for repairs and restoration, but also includes an additional accounting of $9 billion for mitigation of damage and for preventive measures for the next disastrous storm. “It’s common sense; it’s intelligent,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of the effort to seek preventive work for the next storm. That would include protecting the electrical power grid and cellphone network. “Why don’t you spend some money now to save money in the future? And that’s what prevention and mitigation is.”

Cuomo said that Sandy caused more costly damage than Hurricane Katrina that slammed the Gulf Coast in 2005, although Katrina had a far higher death told than Sandy.

He said New York taxpayers can’t foot the bill: “It would incapacitate the state. … Tax increases are always a last, last, last resort.”

The most basic recovery costs for roads, water systems, schools, parks, individual assistance and more total $15 billion in New York City; $7 billion for state agencies; $6.6 billion in Nassau County and $1.7 billion in Suffolk County, both on suburban Long Island; and $527 million in Westchester County and $143 million in Rockland County, both north of New York City; according to a state document used in the private briefing of the delegation and obtained by The Associated Press.

Cuomo met with New York’s congressional delegation Monday to discuss the new figures that he said is “less than a wish list.” The delegation, Cuomo and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will now draw up a request for federal disaster aid.

Sen. Charles Schumer said the unprecedented damage “demands a strong and equally serious response from the federal government.”

“Make no mistake, this will not be an easy task, particularly given the impending fiscal cliff, and a Congress that has been much less friendly to disaster relief than in the past,” Schumer said. “We will work with the (Obama) administration on supplemental legislation, to be introduced in the upcoming December session of Congress, that will set us on the road to meeting New York’s needs. This will be an effort that lasts not weeks, but many months, and we will not rest until the federal response meets New York’s deep and extensive needs.”

“It really is survival,” said Rep. Peter King, R-New York. “This is an emergency. This should be separate of all the debate about the fiscal cliff and everything else.”

King said he spoke with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who pledges to be cooperative in the finding enough disaster aid. He confirmed the new total provided by the Cuomo administration official.

King, who represents hard-hit Long Island, said combined effort involving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is needed to extract enough federal disaster aid to rebuild and recover the Eastern Seaboard. “I am certainly going to do all I can to fight for this,” King said in an interview after a meeting with Cuomo and congressional delegation from New York.

“The governor is showing leadership here,” the Republican said. “He was emphasizing bipartisanship. We’re not Republicans and Democrats, we’re all New Yorkers and this is the worst financial hit New York has ever had.”

Schumer and King are both veteran and powerful members of their house.

Hard times were already facing the state and city governments which were staring at deficits of over $1 billion before Sandy hit on Oct. 28. State tax receipts have also missed projections, showing a continued slow recovery from recession that could hit taxpayers in the governments’ 2013-14 budgets this spring.

Bloomberg announced earlier Monday that Sandy caused $19 billion in losses in New York City, which is part of the $30 billion estimate Cuomo used. “I’m always optimistic. I always believe that we’re going to win,” Bloomberg said, then wryly cited the city’s failed bid for the last Summer Olympics, which centered on a proposed stadium in Manhattan that would have been eventually used for the NFL’s Jets before the project was shelved. “I still think we’re going get that stadium on the West Side. I still think we’re going to get the 2012 Olympics. I’m always an optimist and never give in.”

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SEC Official Elisse Walter Chosen to Lead Agency Read more: http://business.time.com/2012/11/26/mary-schapiro-stepping-down-as-sec-chair/#ixzz2DPiThdGk

(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama has chosen Elisse Walter, one of five members of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to become chairman of the agency. Chairman Mary Schapiro will leave next month after a tumultuous tenure in which she helped lead the government’s regulatory response to the 2008 financial crisis.

Walter will take over at a critical time for the SEC, which is finalizing new rules in response to the 2008 financial crisis. She can serve through 2013 without Senate approval because she’s already been confirmed to the commission.

Obama will need to nominate a permanent successor before Walter’s term ends. News reports have suggested that Mary John Miller, a top Treasury Department official, is among those mentioned as a potential candidate.

Walter, who is a Democrat, was appointed to the SEC in 2008 by President George W. Bush. Earlier, she was a senior official at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the securities industry’s self-policing organization. She served under Schapiro at FINRA, who led the organization before becoming SEC chairman in January 2009. “I’m confident that Elisse’s years of experience will serve her well in her new position, and I’m grateful she has agreed to help lead the agency,” Obama said in a statement.

Schapiro will leave the SEC on Dec. 14. She was appointed by Obama in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. She also took over after the agency failed to detect the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.

Schapiro, 57, is credited with helping reshape the SEC after it was accused of failing to detect reckless investments by many of Wall Street’s largest financial institutions before the crisis. And she led an agency that brought civil charges against the nation’s largest banks.

In a statement Monday, Obama said, “The SEC is stronger and our financial system is safer and better able to serve the American people — thanks in large part to Mary’s hard work.”

But critics argued that Schapiro failed to act aggressively to charge leading individuals at those banks who may have contributed to the crisis. Consumer advocates questioned Schapiro’s appointment because she had led FINRA.

Under Schapiro, the SEC reached its largest settlement ever with a financial institution. Goldman Sachs & Co. agreed in July 2010 to pay $550 million to settle civil fraud charges that it misled investors about mortgage securities before the housing market collapsed in 2007. Similar settlements followed with Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and others.

(MORE: Mary Schapiro Moves Quickly to Shake Up the SEC)

The Goldman case came to symbolize a lingering critique of Schapiro’s tenure: No senior executives were singled out. The penalty amounted to roughly two weeks of earnings at Goldman. And Goldman was allowed to settle the charges without admitting or denying any wrongdoing, as were other large banks that faced similar charges.

Among the leading critics was U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff, who questioned how the SEC could allow an institution to settle serious securities fraud without any admission or denial of guilt. Rakoff later threw out a $285 million deal with Citigroup because of that aspect of the deal.

Lawmakers and experts say Schapiro made the SEC more efficient, and they note that she fought for increased funding needed to enforce new rules enacted after the crisis. She often clashed with Republican lawmakers who had opposed the 2010 financial overhaul law and wanted to cut the SEC’s budget.

Schapiro also faced criticism over a key decision she made in response to the Madoff Ponzi scheme. Madoff had been arrested a month before Schapiro took over at the SEC in January 2009.

Schapiro allowed her general counsel at the time, David Becker, to help craft the SEC’s policy for compensating victims. It was later discovered that Becker had inherited money his mother had made as a Madoff investor. Schapiro acknowledged in 2011 that she was wrong to have allowed Becker to play a key role in setting the policy.

The SEC’s inspector general concluded in a report that Becker participated “personally and substantially” in an issue in which he had had a financial interest. Some lawmakers complained that the affair further eroded the public’s trust in the SEC.

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Egyptian Minister Says End of Crisis ‘Imminent’

(CAIRO) — Egypt‘s justice minister said Monday that a resolution was “imminent” to the political crisis over President Mohammed Morsi’s decision to grant himself sweeping new powers, a move that has touched off days of violent street protests.

Ahmed Mekki spoke to reporters shortly before Morsy was due to meet members of the Supreme Judiciary Council to discuss the decrees the Islamist president announced last week that put him above any kind of oversight, including that of the courts. The judiciary council is in charge of the courts.

Mekki has been mediating between the judiciary and the presidency to try to defuse the crisis, although he did not say on what he based his prediction for its impending resolution.

Opposition activists have denounced Morsy’s decrees as a blatant power grab, and refused to enter a dialogue with the presidency before the edicts are rescinded. The president has vigorously defended the new powers, saying they are necessary to implement badly needed reforms and protect Egypt’s transition to democracy.

The dispute, the latest in the country’s bumpy transition to democracy, has also taken a toll on the nation’s already ailing economy — Egypt’s benchmark stock index dropped more than 9.5 percentage points on Sunday, the first day of trading since Morsy issued his decrees. It fell by nearly 2 percentage points on Monday.

The crisis has also played out in street protests in cities across the country, including the capital Cairo and the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.

The Health Ministry said Monday that a total of 444 people have been wounded nationwide since the clashes erupted on Friday. Forty-nine of these remain hospitalized, said the ministry in a statement carried by Egypt’s official MENA news agency.

In the Nile Delta city of Damanhoor, a teenager was killed late Sunday and at least 40 people were wounded when a group of anti-Morsy protesters tried to storm the local offices of the political arm of the president’s fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, the most powerful political force in Egypt.

It was the first reported death from the street battles over the decrees, officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

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