Yemen’s Injured President Arrives in Saudi Arabia

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 11:25 pm (UTC-5)
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Saudi officials say Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is in Saudi Arabia for treatment of injuries he received in a rocket attack Friday.

Yemeni state media said Saturday the country's prime minister and at least four other high-ranking officials had traveled to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after they were wounded in the attack on the presidential compound in Sana'a. It is not clear how badly the Yemeni leaders were hurt.

U.S. officials say President Barack Obama's national security adviser, John Brennan, spoke with Yemen's vice president Saturday. The White House did not offer any details about the conversation between Brennan and Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Earlier Saturday, Yemeni government officials and rebel tribesmen agreed to a new cease-fire brokered by Saudi Arabia.

Representatives of both sides said they will accept the plan. Just a week ago, a similar truce quickly collapsed in renewed fighting between President Saleh's forces and loyalists to an opposition tribal leader, Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar.

Clashes continued Saturday in Sana'a, where Mr. Saleh's forces have been shelling the homes of anti-government leaders. The home base of al-Ahmar was among those targeted.

Tribal officials said 10 people were killed and 35 wounded in the government's shelling of al-Ahmar's neighborhood.

Separately, government and opposition leaders say security forces have withdrawn from the southern city of Taiz, a flashpoint of anti-government protests. The Reuters news agency quotes an opposition leader as saying looting and other unrest have been spreading in the city since the forces pulled out.

The ongoing conflict between forces loyal to Mr. Saleh and anti-government rebels has led to to fears the country may be on the brink of civil war. Mr. Saleh has three times during the past several weeks defied an accord negotiated by the Gulf Cooperation Council to end his 33-year reign.

Nearly 400 people have been killed since the popular uprising against Mr. Saleh began in January.

UN Investigates Peacekeepers in Sudan

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 10:05 pm (UTC-5)
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The United Nations says it is investigating reports that U.N. peacekeepers in Sudan stayed in their barracks during recent fighting between forces from the north and south.

A spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping department says the agency has sent its top military advisor to Sudan's disputed Abyei region to assess the performance of U.N. troops deployed there.

Several U.N. diplomats are criticizing the U.N. peacekeepers from Zambia for failing to carry out their mandate, which includes protecting civilians in Abyei.

North Sudanese forces seized control of the contested, oil-rich Abyei region in May. Sudan has rejected calls from the United States, United Nations and south Sudan to remove its troops. The fighting has caused tens of thousands of people to flee the region and raised fears of renewed civil war only weeks before south Sudan secedes from the north on July 9.

The U.N. Security Council Friday strongly condemned the takeover of Abyei. It called on Sudanese forces to immediately ensure an end to all looting, burning and illegal resettlement in the region.

The council described Sudan's military operations in Abyei a “serious violation” of the 2005 peace agreement between north and south Sudan.

The two sides fought a 21-year civil war that ended in 2005.

South Sudan is set to declare independence next month after voting to split from the north in a January referendum. Abyei was scheduled to decide at the same time on whether to join the north or the south, but that referendum failed to happen because the sides could not agree on who was eligible to vote.

Sudan's government in Khartoum recently informed the United Nations that it wants the U.N. peacekeeping force on its southern border to leave its territory when south Sudan becomes independent.

Volcano Erupts in Southern Chile

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
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The Puyehue volcano in southern Chile has erupted for the first time in a half century, sending a column of gas about 10 kilometers into the air.

Authorities say they plan to evacuate 3,500 people from areas around the mountain, which is nearly 1,000 kilometers south of the Chilean capital, Santiago. The eruption also prompted authorities to shut a border crossing into Argentina.

Emergency officials recorded many small earthquakes in the region Saturday.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Chile has the second largest volcanic chain in the world after Indonesia. Of some 2,000 volcanoes in Chile, about 500 are active. Other Chilean volcanos, Llaima and Chaiten, have erupted in recent years.

Yemen’s Injured President Arrives in Saudi Arabia

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 7:10 pm (UTC-5)
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Saudi officials said Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has arrived in Saudi Arabia for treatment of injuries he received in a rocket attack on Friday.

Yemeni state media said Saturday the country's prime minister and at least four other high-ranking officials had traveled to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after they too were wounded in the attack on the presidential compound in Sana'a. It is unclear how badly the Yemeni leaders were hurt.

Earlier Saturday, Yemeni government officials and rebel tribesmen agreed to a new cease-fire brokered by Saudi Arabia.

Representatives of both sides said they will accept the plan. Just a week ago, a similar truce quickly collapsed in renewed fighting between President Saleh's forces and loyalists to an opposition tribal leader, Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar.

Clashes continued Saturday in Sana'a, where Mr. Saleh's forces have been shelling the homes of anti-government leaders. The home base of al-Ahmar was among those targeted.

Tribal officials said 10 people were killed and 35 wounded in the government's shelling of al-Ahmar's neighborhood.

Separately, government and opposition leaders say security forces have withdrawn from the southern city of Taiz, a flashpoint of anti-government protests. The Reuters news agency quotes an opposition leader as saying looting and other unrest have been spreading in the city since the forces pulled out.

The ongoing conflict between forces loyal to Mr. Saleh and anti-government rebels has led to to fears the country may be on the brink of civil war. Mr. Saleh has three times over the past several weeks defied an accord negotiated by the Gulf Cooperation Council to would end his 33-year reign.

Nearly 400 people have been killed since the popular uprising against Mr. Saleh began in January.

Portugal Holds Early General Elections

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
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Portuguese voters go to the polls Sunday to choose a new government.

Latest opinion polls indicate that the opposition Social Democrats have the backing of about 36 percent of voters, while the ruling center-left Socialist Party would collect about 31 percent of the vote in early elections.

If the poll numbers are correct, the Social Democrats will fall short of an absolute majority in the 230-seat Parliament.

The elections are taking place following the resignation of Prime Minister Jose Socrates in March after parliament rejected his economic austerity measures.

Portugal later asked the European Union and International Monetary Fund for a $110 billion bailout. EU finance ministers approved the measure on May 16.

Portugal became the third troubled EU economy after Greece and Ireland to need a bailout.

In advance of the financial assistance, Portugal has raised taxes and imposed the deepest spending cuts in three decades.

In addition, the government has suspended its funding of a new airport and a high-speed rail link in the capital, Lisbon.

Peru to Vote Sunday in Presidential Run-Off

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
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Peruvians will cast ballots Sunday in a presidential run-off pitting the daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori against leftist former army officer Ollanta Humala.

In the first round of balloting in April, Humala won 32 percent of the vote, falling short of the 50 percent margin needed for an outright win. Keiko Fujimori, a conservative candidate, took 24 percent.

Opinion polls in Peru have showed both candidates holding small leads.

There has been much concern that Keiko Fujimori, if elected, would try to free her father, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence for his role in death squad killings in the 1990s. Keiko Fujimori has apologized for mistakes and crimes committed while her father was president from 1990 to 2000.

Humala, who led an uprising against Alberto Fujimori in 2000, lost a run-off election to current President Alan Garcia in 2006. Humala was outspoken during that campaign about his admiration for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, but has since distanced himself from the leftist leader.

Much of the current presidential campaign has focused on continuing Peru's rapid economic growth of recent years, while ensuring that the poor also see some of the increased prosperity.

Palestinians Accept French Peace Talks Plan

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
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The Palestinians have accepted France's proposal to try to revive Middle East peace talks with a meeting in Paris.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday he has agreed to the offer made by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Thursday. However, there is no indication that Israel has agreed.

On Thursday, Juppe said France wants to host talks between Israel and the Palestinians before the end of July. The peace talks stalled last September after Israel's partial freeze on settlement construction expired. Palestinians oppose construction on land they want as part of a future state.

France says it wants to revive negotiations before September, when the Palestinians are expected to submit a petition to the United Nations for statehood recognition.

Juppe has been meeting separately with Palestinian and Israeli officials over the past week. He said the current stalemate between the two sides is no longer tolerable.

Also Saturday, thousands of Israelis marched in Tel Aviv calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change course and allow the creation of a Palestinian state.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat has urged the international community to support statehood and the admission of Palestine as a U.N. member. The Palestinian news agency WAFA says Erekat commented on Saturday in a statement marking the 44th anniversary of Israel's seizure of control of East Jerusalem.

Volcano Erupts in Southern Chile

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
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The Puyehue volcano has erupted in southern Chile, sending a column of smoke billowing several kilometers into the air.

Authorities say they have evacuated about 600 people from areas surrounding the mountain, which is nearly 1,000 kilometers south of the Chilean capital, Santiago.

Emergency officials also recorded many small earthquakes in the region Saturday.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Chile has the second largest volcanic chain in the world after Indonesia. Other Chilean volcanos, Llaima and the Chaiten, have erupted in recent years.

Yemen: From Jasmine Revolution to Widespread Unrest

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
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A timeline of how Yemen has plunged from protests to near full-fledged civil war:

January 22: Hundreds of students and other protesters gather at Sana'a University, calling for an end to the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The demonstrators were apparently inspired by the protests that led to the ouster of Tunisia's President.

March 1: Tens of thousands of opposition activists demand the ouster of Mr. Saleh. President Saleh fires five of 22 provincial governors, some for criticizing the crackdown on the protests.

March 8: The government deploys military vehicles and extra troops in Sana'a, the capital, as police open fire on protesters, reportedly for the first time, killing at least one person and wounding 80 others.

March 18: As protest crowds swell, security forces fire on protesters in Sana'a, killing at least 52 people and wounding more than 100. President Saleh declares a state of emergency. World leaders criticize the crackdown.

March 20-21: President Saleh dismisses his entire Cabinet. Some senior military commanders join the protesters calling for the president's ouster.

April 2-3: Yemen's opposition leaders urge President Saleh to hand over power to Vice President Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi. He refuses. Rival demonstrators clash throughout the country.

April 5-8: President Saleh accepts an invitation from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to hold talks in Saudi Arabia with opposition representatives.

April 10-11: GCC foreign ministers urge President Saleh to transfer his powers to his vice president. Mr. Saleh welcomes the proposal, but does not specify a timeline for stepping down.

April 14-15: Opposition leaders give Mr. Saleh a two-week deadline to resign. More religious and tribal leaders side with the protesters.

April 17-18: Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrate across Yemen, despite facing live ammunition from government forces. An opposition delegation headed by former foreign minister Mohammed Basindwa meets with Gulf Arab mediators in Saudi Arabia to lay out conditions for entering formal talks. The effort is unsuccessful.

April 19: The U.N. Security Council meets on Yemen for the first time since the protests erupted in January. Russia and China reportedly prevent the council from publicly endorsing a draft statement calling on the parties in Yemen to “exercise restraint and enter a dialogue.”

April 21-25: The GCC presents President Saleh with a plan for ending the political impasse and unrest. The plan calls for Mr. Saleh to resign within a month and for a presidential election two months later.

April 30-May 1: Yemen's main opposition coalition accuses President Saleh of refusing to sign the Gulf agreement. Mr. Saleh says he will sign as the leader of the ruling General People's Congress party but not in his capacity as president, as required by the plan.

May 15: Yemen's main opposition coalition says the GCC plan to end the country's political crisis is “dead.”

May 21-22: Yemen's opposition says it has signed a Gulf-brokered deal that would see President Saleh's transfer of power within a month. Mr. Saleh denounces the proposed deal as a “coup.”

May 23-26: Deadly gun battles break out in Sana'a between Yemeni security forces and forces loyal to tribal leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar. The opposition tribesmen take control of several government buildings.

May 27: Opposition tribal leaders say they are talking with the government and that a cease-fire is in effect, temporarily halting most of the fighting with security forces. International calls continue from several world powers calling for Mr. Saleh to leave office soon.

June 3: President Saleh and five other Yemeni officials are wounded in a rocket attack on the presidential compound in Sana'a.

June 4: President Saleh's forces and forces loyal to tribal leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar accept a Saudi-brokered cease-fire. A truce negotiated a week earlier quickly deteriorated.

New Truce in Yemen to End Unrest

Posted June 4th, 2011 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
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Separately, government and opposition leaders say security forces have withdrawn from the southern city of Taiz, a flashpoint of anti-government protests. The Reuters news agency quotes an opposition leader as saying looting and other unrest have been spreading in the city since the forces pulled out.

The ongoing conflict between forces loyal to Mr. Saleh and anti-government rebels has led to to fears the country may be on the brink of civil war. Mr. Saleh has three times over the past several weeks defied an accord negotiated by the Gulf Cooperation Council to would end his 33-year reign.

Nearly 400 people have been killed since the popular uprising against Mr. Saleh began in January.

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