Residents carry the coffin of a victim of Friday’s bombing in Baghdad’s Zaafaraniya neighbourhood [Reuters] At least 32 people have been killed, half of them police officers, after a suicide bomber detonated a car packed with explosives at a funeral procession in southeastern Baghdad. Police officials said the blast occurred on Friday morning in the [...]

More than 350,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes in three states in Sudan and South Sudan, according to the UN refugee agency. Two of the states – South Kordofan and Blue Nile – are in Sudan, while the third – Jonglei – is in the world’s newest nation. In Blue Nile and South [...]

Private bond holders are being asked to forgive half their Greek debt, and in return accept cash payments [AFP] Greece and its private creditors have made progress in talks to try and overcome obstacles to a major debt-relief deal needed to avoid bankruptcy, sources from both sides say. Lucas Papademos, the Greek prime minister, held a [...]

The Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, has challenged Boko Haram to identify itself and state clearly its demands as a basis for talks. The radical Islamist group killed more than 500 people last year and another 250 in the first weeks of 2012 in gun and bomb attacks in the West African country, according to Human Rights Watch. “If [...]

UN Security Council to discuss Syria crisis

January 27, 2012

The United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss the violent turmoil in Syria during a closed-door session, the French mission to the UN has said. Diplomats will discuss possible next-steps to be taken during the session on Friday, and will probably debate a draft resolution to be presented by Morocco, UN diplomats said on condition of anonymity. [...]

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[uruknet.info] How the National Defense Authorization Act Allows the President to Release Prisoners from Guantnamo

January 27, 2012

While I was in the US two weeks ago, for the 10th anniversary of the opening of the “war on terror” prison at Guantnamo Bay, there was great deal of understandable outrage amongst activists both those on the left, and libertarians because of outrageous provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (PDF), which [...]

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[uruknet.info] Ahmadinejad says Iran ready for nuclear talks

January 27, 2012

January 26, 2012 TEHRAN Iran is ready to revive talks with the world powers, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday, as toughening sanctions aim at forcing Tehran to sharply scale back its nuclear program. Even so, he insisted that the pressures will not force Iran to give up its demands, including to continue enriching uranium, that [...]

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[uruknet.info] Illegality of Administrative Detention

January 27, 2012

January 26, 2012 Palestinian Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, and a delegation from the ministry visited the house of the prisoner Ahmad Nabhan Da’san Saqer, 47, in Askar refugee camp in Nablus, who was arrested in 2008, and sentenced to administrative prison. The prisoner Ahmad Saker is considered to be the oldest prisoner in [...]

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