Govt cancels Thai road loan

Monday, 30 November 2009 15:01 Cheang Sokha and James O'toole

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

The mother of a Thai national being held on spying charges arrives Friday to visit him in prison.

CAMBODIA annulled a US$41 million loan from Thailand on Friday, as family members visited the jailed Thai engineer who has become embroiled in the diplomatic spat between the two countries.

The loan, which had been finalised in August, was to have funded renovations of National Road 68, connecting Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey provinces with Thailand.

“We have sent the diplomatic note for the cancellation of the loan agreement because Cambodia has its own ability to build this road,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said, adding that Prime Minister Hun Sen will preside over a groundbreaking ceremony for the project on December 5.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called the loan cancellation the result of “confusion”, downplaying the move’s political significance.

“On one hand, they wanted us to confirm we would lend them the money, and on the other hand, they were afraid we would not extend the loan to them. So they opted to cancel the loan first,” Abhisit told Bangkok’s The Nation newspaper.

Also on Friday, Sivarak Chutipong met with his mother and brother, Simarak Na Nakornphnom and Pongsuree Chutipong, at Prey Sar prison.

Sivarak was arrested on November 12 after leaking the flight schedule of Thai former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the Thai embassy during the fugitive billionaire’s visit to Cambodia earlier this month.

Sivarak, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of spying, is scheduled to stand trial on December 8.

Civil society groups urge for complete investigation of Bank Century scandal

Irawaty Wardany , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 11/30/2009 7:34 PM

The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Civic Community declared their joint statements Monday to encourage the government to complete its investigation of the Bank Century bailout.

“We have a deep moral and political concern for the state of political ethics in this country regarding the investigation of the Bank Century scandal,” Ray Rangkuti from Lima read the joint statements at the Muhammadiyah headquarters at Cikini, Central Jakarta.

The civic community comprises of among others, Lima, Muhammadiyah and the Anti-Corruption Civil Societies (Kompak).

The joint statement declaration was attended by the Muhammadiyah chairman, Din Syamsuddin, and the former coordinating minister for the economy Kwik Kian Gie as well as several other national figures.

They said the Bank Century scandal was a crime against the state and the decision to provide a Rp 6.7 trillion (US$ 710 million) bailout was a systemic robbery facilitated by a corrupt state policy.

The takeover of Century by the government, via the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS), led to an Rp 6.76 trillion bailout - much more the preliminary estimates of fewer than one trillion and three times the later calculation of Rp 2.27 trillion - figures that have drawn severe criticism for their lack of transparency.

The community urged all levels of society to monitor the investigation of the Bank Century scandal.

Arroyo bid sparks outrage - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Arroyo bid sparks outrage - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

By Inquirer Staff, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 01:22:00 12/01/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Within hours of her declaration that she was running for Congress in May, a firestorm of criticism swirled around President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, with one critic accusing her of being drunk with power and others saying her aim was to shield herself from “a landslide of lawsuits.”

The criticisms, as well as concerns, came both from her well-known political enemies and from some Church leaders.

The biggest worry of Ms Arroyo’s political foes appeared to be that she might use a seat in Congress as a launching pad to become prime minister, in case of a shift to a parliamentary government.

Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, for so long a vocal critic of Ms Arroyo, said the framers of the Constitution did not think of imposing a ban on an outgoing president running for a lower office simply because it was unthinkable.

“There appears to be no reasonable cause for such a constitutional prohibition as really there is no person in his or her sound mind who will do such a funny and demeaning political circus,” Cruz said.

Cruz denounced Ms Arroyo’s “addiction to power.”

Temptation of power

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), wasn’t caustic but his message was also clear—he said it was time for Ms Arroyo to retire.

“I wholeheartedly suggest she give others a chance to serve and not give in to the temptation of power,” Lagdameo said.

Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, running mate of Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, claimed Ms Arroyo’s bid for a seat in the House of Representatives was meant to reduce her successor into a mere transition president.

“Her ultimate goal is to become House Speaker and ram through her burning desire to change the Constitution,” Roxas said.

“Since she cannot hope to beat Noynoy, her next best option is to render his victory useless and lead the change in the form of government,” he added.

Protect her back

Running for Congress would also allow her to use her House seat to defend herself from a “landslide of lawsuits” that would be filed against her after she leaves the presidency, Roxas said.

Sen. Francis Escudero said that while it was well within Ms Arroyo’s right to run for a lower post, “it surely leaves a bad taste in the mouth.”

“What else does she need to prove and accomplish?” Escudero asked.

It’s her desire to hang on to power and “protect her back” that pushed Ms Arroyo into deciding to run for the House of Representatives, other senators said.

“She still wants to be in power,” Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said in a phone interview.

Estrada, whose father Joseph Estrada was jailed for plunder and later pardoned by Ms Arroyo, said she probably wanted to have control of the House so she could be installed as prime minister if a change in the form of government ensued.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said on the phone that Ms Arroyo’s decision was designed to “protect her back from the innumerable charges that are bound to come her way.”

This “sets a horrible example for politicians to follow,” he said.

United Opposition president and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay voiced the same fears.

“The real agenda is to ... shift to a parliamentary form of government and snatch power from whoever is elected president in 2010 by becoming prime minister and head of government,” Binay said in a statement.

In a spot

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo said Ms Arroyo’s decision would put Pampanga voters in a spot. Ocampo is a resident of Pampanga’s second district and thus may end up being one of Ms Arroyo’s constituents if she wins.

“The main burden there would be on the voters,” Ocampo said. “It may be a bit hard to explain if they will vote for her and put her in Congress considering the nationally consistent rejection of her as shown by the surveys.”

Ocampo said he suspected Ms Arroyo would fund the candidacies of many administration allies so that she could control majority of the House if she won.

“She is drunk with power and can’t get enough. I think she needs professional help,” said Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño.

The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said in a statement: “This is a dark day for the Philippines.”

Arroyo son’s sacrifice

Sen. Edgardo Angara, an ally of Ms Arroyo, would rather accept at “face value” her explanation that she was running for Congress so she could continue to serve the people.

Still, Angara said there were “many more meaningful ways” that Ms Arroyo could do other “than stepping down to a lower position.” He said she could do philanthropy or charity work or go into teaching.

Ms Arroyo’s elder son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo said that he “sacrificed” another term in Congress to yield to the clamor of his constituents who wanted his mother to take his place.

“I was the one who insisted she run for Congress as we believe she is more [able] to serve better given her political expertise and technological know how,” Mikey said in a text message to reporters.

Administration standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro Jr. distanced himself from the uproar.

“I am focused on my own candidacy... her plan doesn’t mean anything to me because it’s a decision made by the President,” Teodoro told the Inquirer.

More Church comments

Other Catholic Church leaders also spoke out against Ms Arroyo’s plan to run for a congressional seat. The prelates’ comments were posted in the news website of the CBCP.

Catarman Bishop Emmanuel Trance said that while there was no legal prohibition against her seeking a lower office, “she would have shown some statesmanship or political delicadeza if she does not run.”

Laoag Bishop Sergio Utleg said Ms Arroyo “should retire.” Basilan Martin Jumoad said: “It’s not proper for a former president to seek a lower position.”

Virac Bishop Manolo Delos Santos said that since there was no legal impediment for her to run as congressman, “let her constituents decide.”

Legazpi Bishop Emeritus Lucilo Quiambao said Ms Arroyo’s “self-demotion” as a congressional candidate “might be interpreted (as an act) to cover up for something.” Reports from Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Dona Pazzibugan, Christine O. Avendaño, Leila B. Salaverria, Allison W. Lopez, Jocelyn Uy and Nikko Dizon

Blair may have ‘signed in blood’ to topple Saddam a year before war

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6933284.ece

Tony Blair and President Bush might have secretly “signed in blood” a deal to overthrow Saddam Hussein a year before ordering the Iraq war, according to a former senior diplomat.

Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain’s Ambassador to Washington in the run-up to the war, said an agreement to aim for “regime change” may have been reached during a private meeting at the President’s Crawford ranch in April 2002.

He also said that, in his view, Baroness Thatcher would have had a clearer grip on Britain’s policy towards Iraq. Giving evidence on the third day of the Chilcot inquiry into the war yesterday, he criticised Mr Blair’s failure to defend Britain’s national interest and to insist on much tougher conditions for his support for the US-led invasion in March 2003.

Sir Christopher said the decision to overthrow Saddam had been taken in the absence of advisers by Mr Blair and President Bush during a meeting at the Texas ranch. Afterwards, Mr Blair referred to “regime change” in Iraq for the first time.

“To this day I am not entirely clear what degree of convergence was, if you like, signed in blood at the Crawford ranch.” he said. “They weren’t there to talk about containment or strengthening sanctions.”

Sir Christopher said that Mr Blair would have been more influential if he had attached more conditions to British support. “I think that would have changed the nature of American planning,” he said. “By the time you get to the end of the year it’s too late. I did say to London that we were being taken for granted.”

Once the US miliary had started planning its strategy for an invasion in the spring of 2003, it was impossible to delay, even though the diplomatic work for a possible peaceful solution had not finished, he told the inquiry.

Sir Christopher said that he was “not making a party political point”, but Lady Thatcher had been much tougher on the “special relationship” with the Americans. He expressed frustration over the failure of the allies to agree a diplomatic strategy to overthrow Saddam or to prepare properly for victory, which would have prevented the country’s descent into chaos.

“Quite often I think what would Margaret Thatcher have done,” Sir Christopher told the inquiry. “I think she would have insisted on a clear, coherent political-diplomatic strategy. I think she would have demanded the greatest clarity about what the heck happened if, and when, we removed Saddam Hussein.”

Even though refusing to send troops to Iraq would not have damaged British interests in America, said Sir Christopher, he could not envisage Mr Blair following the example of Harold Wilson, who refused to send British forces to Vietnam.

“I couldn’t conceive that Prime Minister Blair . . . would have done a Harold Wilson,” he said, “I can’t image in period post 9/11 that Tony Blair, like Harold Wilson, would put distance between himself and the White House.” Sir Christopher, Ambassador to Washington from 1997 to 2003, also compared John Prescott unfavourably with Dick Cheney, the American Vice-President.

“I remember saying to London ‘This may be the most powerful Vice-President ever’. I mean, his institutional opposite number was the Deputy Prime Minister,” said Sir Christopher. “This was an unbalanced relationship and probably didn’t reap the dividends that we might have expected.”

Sir Christopher said that the political strategy should have delayed the invasion until the autumn of 2003. But the “contingency military timetable” had been decided even before the UN inspectors went into Iraq to search for weapons of mass destruction.

His words will draw comparisons to suggestions by some historians that the start of the First World War was decided partly as a result of Germany’s need to prepare its railway timetables for troop movements.

Although President Bush agreed to wait for the UN to pass resolution 1441 on Iraqi disarmament and send Hans Blix to make inspections, there was no time to come up with the evidence required before the scheduled start of the invasion, said Sir Christopher.

“You found yourself in a situation in the autumn of 2002 where you could not synchronise the military timetable with the inspection timetable,” he said.

“We found ourselves scrabbling around for the smoking gun. And we — the Americans, the British — have never really recovered from that because, of course, there was no smoking gun. The key problem was to let the military strategy wag the political and diplomatic strategy. It should have been the other way round.”

Sir Christopher expressed frustration that Britain was unable to gain much diplomatic leverage from its position as America’s chief ally.

“I said to London the key thing now, quite apart from Iraq, is to translate this popularity into real achievement, which benefits the national interest.”

But Britain failed to persuade America to liberalise transatlantic air travel and, almost on the day when British commandos joined the fighting in Afghanistan, the US imposed tariffs on imports of specialised British steel.

The inquiry will continue today with evidence from Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Britain’s Ambassador to the UN at the time of the invasion.

Cambodia: NGO law is on the horizon

Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Sebastian Strangio and Khouth Sophak Chakrya

PRIME Minister Hun Sen announced Tuesday that the government has moved ahead with drafting a law to regulate the activities of NGOs, prompting fresh concerns that the proposed legislation will be used to clamp down on the activities of advocacy groups.

At a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the cooperation between NGOs and the government, Hun Sen said the presence of 3,000 NGOs in Cambodia requires new rules to weed out groups engaged in “opposition” politics.

“NGOs demand that the government shows transparency, but they can’t show the same to us,” he said.

“We respect the local and international NGOs whose activities serve humanity and help the government of Cambodia.... They will not be threatened by this draft law. But we believe that some NGOs whose activities seem to serve the opposition party will be afraid of it.”

Hun Sen also said that after the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, very few NGOs came to Cambodia’s assistance due to an aid embargo among Western nations, but that now there were thousands of groups, some of which used their NGO status as a cloak to “play politics and support the opposition party”.

The premier’s comments echoed statements made at a cabinet meeting in September last year, in which he expressed concerns that NGO funding could come from “terrorist groups”.

Despite Hun Sen’s assurances that the new law will not restrict the scope of NGO activities, some civil society activists are concerned it could conflate advocacy with political affiliation.

“Some associations and NGOs are mandated to do national and international advocacy on human rights and other issues, but it should not be concluded that these groups are affiliated with any political parties,” said Naly Pilorge, director of rights group Licadho. “NGOs are by nature nongovernmental and non-political.”

She said that from communications with the ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, Licadho had learned that the draft law will cover both international and local associations.

“I do not understand why a law for associations and NGOs needs to be drafted to combat terrorism and other crimes when existing laws already cover such crimes,” she added.

Sin Somuny, executive director of Medicam, a national umbrella organisation for health-sector NGOs, said it was fair to ask that NGOs practice what they preach in terms of transparency, but that the potentially broad definition of “political interference” made the new law a hazard for advocacy groups.

“In America, NGOs advocate for policy change – are these kinds of things considered ‘politics’? If they are, what kind of role can civil society play?” he said.

Sin Somuny, a speaker at Tuesday’s ceremony, said that though NGO activists and opposition politicians often fall on the same side of arguments, their relationship is “ambiguous” and did not indicate any allegiance.

Chith Sam Ath, executive director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia, said he “welcomed” the premier’s comments that the law would not restrict the NGO activities but could not comment further, as he had not read the draft law.

Suspects in Maguindanao slays arrested—PNP chief - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Suspects in Maguindanao slays arrested—PNP chief - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Several gunmen linked to a powerful Philippine politician were arrested Thursday over the election-related massacre of at least 57 people, the country's police chief said.

"We don't have an exact number [of those arrested], but our policemen in the area have arrested several," national police Director General Jesus Verzosa said on dzBB radio.

He identified the suspects as militiamen under the control of Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is accused of masterminding Monday's killings in the southern province of Maguindanao.

"Andal Ampatuan Jr. is a suspect. He has sent feelers and Secretary Dureza will accompany him to submit to an investigation," Verzosa said, referring to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's adviser on the southern island of Mindanao.

The massacre occurred after about 100 Ampatuan gunmen allegedly abducted a convoy of aides and relatives of a rival politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, plus a group of journalists.

The victims were snatched as they were traveling in a six-vehicle convoy to nominate Mangudadatu as the opposition candidate for provincial governor in next year's elections.

They were shot at close range, some with their hands tied behind their backs, and dumped or buried in shallow graves on a remote farming road close to a town bearing the Ampatuan name.

Fifty-seven bodies have been recovered so far, and police are still searching for more potential victims.

Ampatuan Sr. had been grooming his son, currently a local mayor, to take over as governor of Maguindanao.

The victims' relatives alleged the Ampatuans organized the murders so that Mangudadatu would not run for that post.

Thursday's actions by the police were the first arrests in relation to the massacre.

Maguindanao death toll rises to 22—military - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Maguindanao death toll rises to 22—military - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 08:16:00 11/24/2009

MANILA, Philippines – The death toll from an attack on a group of journalists and politicians in the lawless southern Philippines has risen to 22 with the recovery of one more body, the military said Tuesday.

The victims were among a group of more than 40 people abducted by gunmen linked to a powerful politician on the southern island of Mindanao on Monday.

"We have recovered 22 bodies," military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Romeo Brawner told Agence France-Presse. "Most of the bodies bore gunshot wounds."

Brawner said the group had been abducted by gunmen linked to Andal Ampatuan, leader of a powerful political clan in the area, and that the kidnap victims included the wife of his rival, Esmael Mangudadatu.

He said the military was searching for the other people still missing, as well as hunt down the gunmen.

Gas prices start going up - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Gas prices start going up - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — Two days after Malacañang lifted the price caps on fuel, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Petron Corp. and three small oil companies began raising their prices—diesel by P2 a liter, gasoline by P1.25 to P1.50 a liter and kerosene by P1.50 a liter.

The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) of Pilipinas Shell and Petron will go up by P2 a kilogram.

Pilipinas Shell, Petron, Eastern Petroleum Corp. and Flying V Philippines Tuesday said the price increases would take effect at their gas stations at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

US+mosque+seizures+attacked+-+The+National+Newspaper

US mosque seizures attacked - The National Newspaper

WASHINGTON // Already facing a potential backlash from the recent shooting rampage in Texas by a Muslim military psychatrist, Islamic leaders say they are concerned that tensions could escalate further after federal prosecutors took steps to seize assets – including mosques and Islamic schools – owned by a non-profit group with alleged ties to the Iranian government.

A New York district attorney filed papers last week seeking the forfeiture of properties belonging to the Alavi Foundation, claiming the group was secretly working for the Iranian regime and illegally transferring funds to Iranian banks. The properties include the Piaget building, a 36-storey skyscraper in New York, and Islamic centres and mosques in Maryland, Texas and California.

The justice department stressed in a statement that prosecutors were not targeting mosques or those who pray in them.

“There are no allegations of any wrongdoing on the part of any of these tenants or occupants,” the statement said.

Still, Ibrahim Hooper, the spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said the probe could further inflame anti-Muslim sentiment at a time when it was already heightened because of the shootings at Fort Hood, where Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a man of Palestinian descent who was reported to have referred to himself as a “soldier of Allah”, killed 13 people this month.

“The timing of the government move really couldn’t be worse,” Mr Hooper said, noting that although CAIR often received threats of violence, the number of such threats had increased substantially since the Fort Hood killings.

“There’s a feeling that every day something negative is happening that is related to Islam and Muslims,” added Salam al Marayti, the executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, who nevertheless praised US government officials for frequently emphasising that no one is targeting Islam. Mr al Marayati said his group has also seen a spike in death threats.

Calls to the Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland, which is among the sites targeted by prosecutors, were not returned. The Islamic Education Center of Houston, Texas, another targeted site, said in a recorded statement on its phone lines that the centre, including its private Islamic school, would continue to operate as normal.

If there is a major backlash, for now, it is not occurring on the same scale that it did after the September 11 attacks, when hate crimes against Muslims surged to record highs and some, including a Sikh man who was mistaken for a Muslim, were killed. But the string of unflattering headlines tied to Islam and stepped-up anti-Islamic rhetoric, particularly from right-wing conservative talk-show hosts and bloggers, has at the very least raised the spectre that such an atmosphere could return.

On a programme last week, Rush Limbaugh, the controversial radio personality known for his inflammatory remarks, criticised Barack Obama, the US president, for referring to Major Hasan and other Muslims who turn to violence as “extremists”. “They are not extremists. They are mainstream in their sect of Islam,” Mr Limbaugh said. “There are hundreds of millions of them.”

Bryan Fischer, the director of issues analysis at the American Family Association, an ultra-conservative Christian group that usually targets gays and lesbians, wrote this month on the group’s blog that all Muslims should be barred from joining the US military.

“The more devout a Muslim is, the more of a threat he is to national security,” Mr Fischer wrote. “As soon as Muslims give us a foolproof way to identify their jihadis from their moderates, we’ll go back to allowing them to serve.”

For Muslim-Americans, such rhetoric stings even more now that Mr Obama, the son of a Muslim man, occupies the White House. Many hoped that Mr Obama, who has sought new ways to engage Muslims abroad, would also usher in a new era of tolerance at home.

“Unfortunately,” Mr Hooper of CAIR said, “a lot of that hope has gone by the wayside.”

sstanek@thenational.ae

US pushes RP on MILF - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

US pushes RP on MILF - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines – Strike while the iron is hot.

Urging quick action, visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the government and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front should not waste the opportunity to strike a peace deal before President Macapagal-Arroyo steps down next June.

Saying that the negotiating environment could change under a new administration, she said “the conditions for peace are ripe” and Ms Arroyo was “very committed” and “fully prepared” to make the difficult decisions needed to achieve peace with the MILF.

Thaksin Shinawatra attacks enemies as Cambodia-Thailand row worsens - Times Online

Thaksin Shinawatra attacks enemies as Cambodia-Thailand row worsens - Times Online

Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted Thai Prime Minister, accused his enemies of “false patriotism” yesterday as the fierce dispute over his visit to Cambodia led to a further deterioration in relations between the countries.

The neighbouring states expelled each other’s diplomats, and Thailand moved to cancel a road project involving loans to Cambodia of some 1.4 billion baht (£25 million).

The Thai stock market fell by 3 per cent, with fears of further political instability in the country.

US Moves to Seize Four Mosques, Claiming Secret Iranian Control -- News from Antiwar.com

US Moves to Seize Four Mosques, Claiming Secret Iranian Control -- News from Antiwar.com

In a move being touted as “a sharp blow against Iran,” the United States government is attempted to seize four Shi’ite mosques across the United States, calling it the largest ‘anti-terror’ seizure ever and claiming the non-profit which operates them is secretly a front for the Iranian government.

Report: Obama Wants ‘Revised’ Afghan Options -- News from Antiwar.com

Report: Obama Wants ‘Revised’ Afghan Options -- News from Antiwar.com

In a hint that the several month long administration debate on just how large the Afghan escalation should be isn’t quite over, officials are now saying that President Obama has rejected all four options he was given and has called for “revised” options.

Freed Irish priest clears MILF rebels - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Freed Irish priest clears MILF rebels - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — Irish missionary Fr. Michael Sinnott Thursday cleared the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of involvement in his abduction, saying a “lost command” and the “original lumad” (indigenous people) of Mindanao were responsible.

“[My abductors] are not the MILF … They want it to be known that they are the original lumad of Mindanao who lost their homeland and everything else when the merchants came in,” said Sinnott, who was freed early Thursday after 31 days as a captive.

Richard Lloyd Parry and Thaksin Shinawatra accused of lèse-majesté - Times Online

Richard Lloyd Parry and Thaksin Shinawatra accused of lèse-majesté - Times Online

Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent

A group of Thai politicians and generals have accused a Times journalist of insulting the country’s monarchy by reporting comments by Thaksin Shinawatra — an offence that carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.

The complaint against Richard Lloyd Parry, the Asia editor of The Times, derives from an interview with Thaksin that was published in Monday’s newspaper and on Times Online the day before.

Cambodia refuses Thai request to arrest Thaksin Shinawatra - Times Online

Cambodia refuses Thai request to arrest Thaksin Shinawatra - Times Online

Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor

Generals from Thailand and Cambodia met yesterday in an effort to prevent the tension between their two countries escalating into military conflict, as the political spat surrounding the controversial figure of Thaksin Shinawatra gathered pace.

Thailand demanded that the Cambodian authorities arrest the ousted former Thai Prime Minister, but the extradition request was immediately refused.

Tension grows between China and India as Asia slips into cold war - Times Online

Tension grows between China and India as Asia slips into cold war - Times Online

Jeremy Page in Delhi

You have to go to a tropical paradise to find the latest front in the brewing cold war between China and India.

On the southernmost tip of the Maldives lies the island of Gan, a tiny patch of coconut palms and powdery white beaches. It was here that Britain set up a secret naval base in 1941, building airstrips and vast fuel tanks to support its fleet in the Indian Ocean during the Second World War.

Irish priest Sinnott freed - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Irish priest Sinnott freed - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

ZAMBOANGA CITY – (UPDATE 2) Irish missionary Michael Sinnott has been freed by his kidnappers on Thursday morning, according to officials from the military, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Irish government.

Lieutenant General Ben Dolorfino, Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief, said Moro Islamic Liberation Front members, who were tasked to help free Sinnot, turned over the priest to Ambassador Rafael Seguis, chairman of the government peace panel, and Major General Reynaldo Sealana, head of the government's Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities.

Thai tensions rise over Thaksin Shinawatra’s Cambodian role - Times Online

Thai tensions rise over Thaksin Shinawatra’s Cambodian role - Times Online

Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand were inflamed yesterday after Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted Thai Prime Minister, was welcomed in Phnom Penh.

Relations between the neighbours — engaged in a border dispute — deteriorated further after Thaksin accepted a new role as economic adviser to the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen.

The move was seen in Bangkok as a provocation and Thai opponents of Thaksin threatened to demonstrate against his return to the region.

State Department: Direct Talks with North Korea by Year’s End -- News from Antiwar.com

State Department: Direct Talks with North Korea by Year’s End -- News from Antiwar.com

The US State Department has announced today that special envoy Stephen Bosworth will travel to North Korea at some point in the next two months to hold direct talks with the nation regarding its nuclear weapons program.

At Least 34 Killed in Pakistan Market Blast -- News from Antiwar.com

At Least 34 Killed in Pakistan Market Blast -- News from Antiwar.com

A car bomb struck a crowded marketplace in Charsadda, just north of Peshawar, today killing at least 34 people and wounding over 100 others, many of them women and children.

The attack tore through the produce market, tearing off roofs and shattering windows,. So far no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials assume it was the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

France fears Israel does not want peace deal

France fears Israel does not want peace deal

PARIS (Reuters) - France fears that Israel no longer wants a Middle East peace deal, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Tuesday, and that Paris remained deeply opposed to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank.

Later, French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has said he does not want to run for re-election in January.

Senate says Arroyo must be impeached - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Senate says Arroyo must be impeached - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is “answerable” for the “stinking” $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp., according to a report by a Senate investigating panel led by the blue ribbon committee.

In the report that was made public Tuesday at a press conference by blue ribbon chair Sen. Richard Gordon, the joint committee sought the impeachment of Ms Arroyo and the prosecution by the Ombudsman of 11 others, including her husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, for allegedly conspiring to defraud the government in exchange for “kickbacks” from the since scrapped contract.

DOE: Oil supply falling - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

DOE: Oil supply falling - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines—The country’s inventory of finished petroleum products has dropped to less than two weeks from the usual three as oil firms that do not refine crude have halted importation of gasoline and diesel due to government-imposed fuel price caps in Luzon.

“Don’t panic. Government will not allow shortages. We don’t even have to talk about contingencies because we’re not in a problem situation yet,” Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes Monday assured the public.

Oil firms, Palace in standoff - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Oil firms, Palace in standoff - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

The black gold empire has struck with merciless retaliation in a face-off with Malacañang over Executive Order No. 839 that puts a lid on spiraling prices of petroleum products, which are critical to the rehabilitation of areas in Luzon devastated by storms.

Shell sues Palace over price freeze - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Shell sues Palace over price freeze - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines – The oil industry is taking its fight against the oil price freeze to the courts.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. has filed an urgent petition with the Makati Regional Trial Court to order Malacañang to lift Executive Order No. 839 freezing the prices of petroleum products in Luzon.

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Italian Judge Convicts 23 CIA Officers for Kidnapping -- News from Antiwar.com

Italian Judge Convicts 23 CIA Officers for Kidnapping -- News from Antiwar.com

Italian Officials Complicit in 2003 'Rendition' of Cleric

by Jason Ditz, November 04, 2009

Completing one of Europe’s most high profile terror related trials, an Italian judge today convicted 23 Americans, 22 of them confirmed by the prosecutor as CIA agents, to sentences of between five and eight years in prison related to the 2003 kidnapping of a cleric from the streets of Milan.

Fugitive Renditioner Robert Seldon Lady

The longest sentence went to Robert Lady, America’s former Milan CIA chief. All the Americans were tried in absentia and are now considered fugitives from justice by the Italian government. The CIA declined comment.

The incident, dubbed the “imam rapito affair” by the Italian press, involves the abduction of Milan’s imam, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, an Egyptian cleric who was in Italy on an asylum passport. The CIA agents kidnapped Nasr off the streets of Milan and shipped him to Egypt.

Once in Egypt, Nasr spent the next several years in and out of prison, where he was tortured repeatedly. An Egyptian judge finally ordered his release in 2007. His only charge during the whole time was membership in a banned organization, though even this was eventually dropped.

Lady has insisted he was acting on the orders of his superiors with respect to the “rendition.” Two Italian officials were also convicted today as accomplices to kidnapping, though the Italian government’s declaration of “state secrecy” prevented more serious charges and pointed to official complicity in the incident.

Angry MILF slams Puno - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Angry MILF slams Puno - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

PAGADIAN CITY—The claim of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had a hand in the abduction of Fr. Michael Sinnott is “cheap propaganda” and an affront to the peace process, the separatist group said Wednesday.

In a statement posted on its website, the MILF accused Puno and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro of constantly “stabbing us in the back.” It said this was frustrating its effort to recover the Irish missionary “for the sake of justice, humanity, goodwill and friendship.”

Sabak Bernam MP and five others charged with graft

Sabak Bernam MP and five others charged with graft

SHAH ALAM: Six people were charged in various Sessions Courts here for misappropriation of funds, criminal breach of trust, false claims and misrepresentation.

Puno: MILF behind kidnap of Sinnott - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Puno: MILF behind kidnap of Sinnott - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines—Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno Tuesday claimed that members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were behind the abduction of Fr. Michael Sinnott, thus slamming the door on the separatist group’s offer to help free the Irish missionary.

Puno: MILF behind kidnap of Sinnott - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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Maoists stage strikes against government throughout Nepal - Monsters and Critics

Maoists stage strikes against government throughout Nepal - Monsters and Critics

Kathmandu - Nepal's seven-month political crisis appeared set to intensify Monday after Maoists resumed their protests against the government.

Iraqi Civilian Deaths Spike in October -- News from Antiwar.com

Iraqi Civilian Deaths Spike in October -- News from Antiwar.com

Official data showed that the number of Iraqi civilians slain in violence in October was 343, nearly triple the number who died in a relatively quiet September, but still well short of August’s toll.