monday, may 11, 2015
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Around the world
Yemen’s Saleh declares Russian soldiers alliance with Houthis quit over Ukraine
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ormer Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has formally announced an alliance with Houthi fighters for the first time, after the Arab coalition launched two air strikes on his home in the capital, Sanaa. Saleh, who was forced to step aside in 2012 following a year of deadly nationwide protests against his three-decade rule, escaped unharmed after the attacks early on Sunday. He was not at home during the bombing, which killed three guards and destroyed three buildings. Saleh, who was accused of siding with Houthi fighters who toppled United Nations-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in February, was later defiant against the Arab coalition.
Rebels in the war-torn country say they will respond “positively” to a ceasefire offer by the Saudi-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes
“You should continue carrying your arms, ready to sacrifice your lives in defence against these belligerent attacks,” Saleh said, addressing Houthis after the
EU officials mull military action to stop migrants
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efence Ministers from five European Union countries are meeting for talks on a military campaign to stop human trafficking and reinforce the region’s defences against the flow of migrants from North Africa. Officials from France, Germany, Poland, Italy and Spain on Sunday will use events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Lorient, western France, to discuss how to battle the influx of migrants to Europe, which has already cost thousands of
lives. The Ministers are also expected to discuss Europe’s common defence strategy, including “possible options for European [military] action” after some of the most deadly migrant shipwrecks ever seen in the Mediterranean this year, according to the French Defence Ministry. The meeting comes as key European governments said they would resist a separate EU plan to force the bloc’s 28 member states to share the burden of hosting refugees. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
attack. “I can describe this aggression as an act of cowardice. “If you are brave enough, come and face us on the bat-
tlefield, come and we will be at your reception. Shelling by rockets and jet fighters cannot enable you to achieve any of your goals.” Saleh’s comments came after Houthi fighters released a statement that they would deal “positively” with any efforts to lift the suffering of the Yemeni people. The declaration was seen as a sign that they could accept a five-day humanitarian ceasefire proposed by Saudi Arabia, which is leading the coalition. The Houthis’ political council said on Sunday that they would like to see humanitarian aid delivered to the Yemeni people as soon as possible. The statement added that the Houthis want talks between political factions to be held under the umbrella of the UN. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Deadly bombings shake Iraq
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eparate bombings in and around Baghdad have killed at least 14 people, officials say, as authorities tighten security measures in the capital before a major Shia religious event that draws thousands of pilgrims. The deadliest attack took place in the town of Tarmiyah on Sunday when a car bomber struck a Police and Army checkpoint, killing five security force members and wounding 10, a Police Officer said. The town is about 50 kil-
ometres north of Baghdad. Another car bomb killed three civilians and wounded eight at an outdoor market in Taji, about 20km north of Baghdad, the officer said. In the capital’s southern Abu Disher neighbourhood, a bomb targeted Shia pilgrims, killing two and wounding seven. Another civilian was killed and five wounded in a bomb attack in an outdoor market in the northern Baghdad district of Shaab, Police said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
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ome Russian soldiers are quitting the army because of the conflict in Ukraine, several soldiers and human rights activists have told Reuters. Their accounts call into question the Kremlin’s continued assertions that no Russian soldiers have been sent to Ukraine, and that any Russians fighting alongside rebels there are volunteers. Evidence for Russians fighting in Ukraine – Russian army equipment found in the country, testimony from soldiers’ families and from Ukrainians who say they were captured by Russian paratroopers – is abundant. Associates of Boris Nemtsov, a prominent Kremlin critic killed in February, will soon publish a report which they say will contain new evidence of the Russian military presence in Ukraine. Until now, however, it has been extremely rare to find Russian soldiers who have fought there and are willing to talk. It is even rarer to find soldiers who have
Poland votes in presidential election
South Africa Opposition party gets first black leader S P
outh Africa’s main Opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has elected Mmusi Maimane as its new leader to succeed Helen Zille. Maimane, 34, who became the first black leader of the party, began his victory speech in his native Xhosa language. He told delegates at the party conference that his priorities would be fighting for a fairer society with equal opportunities for all. “We can transcend racial inequality, but this can only happen if every South African acknowledges the injustices of apartheid and if we all recognise that racial inequality of the past still remains with us today,” Maimane, who was born in the previouslyblack township of Soweto in Johannesburg, said. The part-time pastor is expected to the chal-
quit the army. Five soldiers who recently quit, including two who said they left rather than serve in Ukraine, have told Reuters of their experiences. One of the five, from Moscow, said he was sent on exercises in southern Russia last year, but ended up going into Ukraine in an armoured convoy. “After we crossed the border, a Lieutenant Colonel said we could be sent to jail if we didn’t fulfil orders. Some soldiers refused to stay there,” said the soldier, who served with the elite Russian Kantemirovskaya tank division. He gave Reuters his full name but spoke on condition of anonymity, saying he feared reprisals. He said he knew two soldiers who refused to stay. “They were taken somewhere. The Lieutenant Colonel said criminal cases were opened against them, but in reality – we called them afterwards – they were at home. They just quit.” (Excerpt from Reuters)
Bronislaw Komorowski first took on the presidency in 2010
Mmusi Maimane succeeds Helen Zille
lenge the African Nation Congress (ANC) which has governed the country since the end of apartheid in 1994. Zille, a white woman, announced last month she was leaving after leading the party for the last eight
years. She led the party to win 22 per cent of the vote in the 2014 national election, its best performance. South Africa remains deeply divided racially, with most black people preferring to vote for the ANC. “Black South African
people are scared of being led by a white person. But I don’t think it will actually make a difference,” Zintle Mabongo, a resident of Port Elizabeth where party delegates elected the new leader, told Al Jazeera. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
oland is voting for a new head of state, with President Bronislaw Komorowski hoping to win a second term in office. Opinion polls put him in the lead, but if no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote, there will be a second round. Komorowski took office five years ago after his predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash. The President has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws. Komorowski, 62, is an independent allied with the centre-right Civic Platform, which has been in Government since 2007. His main challenger is Andrzej Duda, from the right-wing Opposition Law and Justice Party, which is led by former President Kaczynski’s twin brother,
Jaroslaw. Rock musician Pawel Kukiz looks likely to gather protest votes, but has trailed the leading pair in opinion polls. Another eight candidates are standing. During a period of tension with Russia over the unrest in Ukraine, President Komorowski says he has promoted stability. “Poles have a need for normality, for peace, for security and for order,” he said at his final rally on Friday. “I hope that accord and security will win.” The presidential vote comes ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn, and may give pointers to Civic Platform’s chances of retaining power. If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent, a second round will be held on May 24. (BBC News)