Worldcrunch
A R A B I C A ارابيكا LIBYA instant analysis …forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi barraged the western city of Misurata as allied airstrikes entered their fourth day. An item on the BBC’s Arabic page warns that “the specter of Iraq looms over Libya crisis.” Foreign military intervention in both countries is […]
Bank of Italy governor Mario Draghi is in pole position to replace Jean-Claude Trichet as president of the European Central Bank. But Germany, which was widely expected to provide the next ECB head, remains ambiguous on Draghi’s chances. Mario Draghi (INSM) By Gianluca Paolucci Bank of Italy Governor Mario Draghi would be a “first-rate candidate” […]
The Libyan leader has turned for additional firepower to the Tuareg berber people, who have a history of relations with Tripoli — and their own longstanding conflict with the Niger government.
PORTRAIT – Egypt’s last monarch, Ahmed Fouad II was forced out of his native country before his first birthday. Today, he lives a quiet life in Switzerland, bankrolled by the Saudis, and rejoicing over the democratization of his country.
Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam looks so much like his older cousin Muammar Gaddafi that people can’t tell them apart. Did he defect to Egypt? Or was it just a cover to run a secret mission to Syria?
Editorial: Germany’s abstention in the UN Security Council vote on Libya was a mistake. The French are wondering what’s behind our Merkel’s hesitation. Angela Merkel (wef) One of the disadvantages of political decisions is that we only learn after the fact if they were farsighted or foolish. Whether history will deem our decisions right or […]
The Japanese nuclear plant, which continues to burn and emit radioactivity, was the lifeblood for people like Yutaka Takano, who was on the afternoon shift when disaster struck.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا ON THE GROUND *Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi barraged the western city of Misurata as allied airstrikes entered their fourth day. An item on the BBC’s Arabic page warns that “the specter of Iraq looms over Libya crisis.” Foreign military intervention in both countries is […]
It is unlikely European oil companies ENI, Repsol and Total will be able to return to their operations in Libya if Muammar Gaddafi’s regime remains intact. (Rul) The future of Western oil companies in Libya appears increasingly linked to the outcome of the rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi. Spanish Repsol, French Total and Italian ENI all […]
The Libyan leader’s lifelong grudge with Italy, and the Italian attempts to appease him, may help explain how Gaddafi sees the current conflict. (AbodeOfChaos) It all began with a scar, a sign left on the arm of a child who’d been playing with his cousins along a stretch of desert. That scar sealed the fate […]
What pushed Libyans to rise up against Gaddafi’s regime? It may have all begun with the Feb. 15 arrest of Fathi Tirbil, a young Benghazi attorney known for his probes into earlier massacres.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا YEMEN IMPLODING *The respected opposition news website YemenPortal, run by a Yemeni dissident based in Sweden, is monitoring blow-by-blow the rapidly breaking news of mass defections from the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. *Meanwhile, the official Saba news agency features an announcement by the military, which […]
Rebel fighters in Benghazi thank France and allies for their military intervention, say bombing barrage arrived just in time.
ITALY GERMANY BRAZIL SOUTH AFRICA FRANCE CANADA JAPAN (Asahi Shimbun) ISRAEL (Maariv) UK/Arabic (Al Quds)
Japanese fascination for epic disasters – both natural and man-made – has long been expressed in film, as a way to exorcize very real dangers. And when the movie comes to life?
Human shields and Shakira beats. The view from one of the foreign journalists accredited by the regime to report from Tripoli, as the Western-led missile attacks begin.
The full-moon view from one of the foreign journalists accredited by the regime to report from Tripoli.
The tiny Italian island of Lampedusa is on Europe’s front line after Western strikes against Libya begin. Gaddafi could set off a massive migrant influx from his coastline toward Lampedusa, or try to fire missiles at the island like he did in 1986. Remains of immigrant boat on Lampedusa (pv canale) LAMPEDUSA – More than […]
Much like Japanese workers brought in to fight the Fukushima nuclear emergency, the so-called liquidators were called on to put out the fires after the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. Despite subsequent health consequences, many say they’d do it again. Chernobyl monument to firefighters (Andrzej Karon) Like thousands of other Soviet citizens, Lew Falkowsky risked his […]
A R A B I C A ارابيكا CONFLICTING REPORTS #1 *A tweet from Ahmad Humeid on Libya: “God is great, thankfully in Benghazi after the news of the vote on the no-fly zone.” *But Al Jazeera reports that Gaddafi’s forces continued to bomb rebels after declaring the ceasefire. *In Mitsurata, “witnesses said Gaddafi’s troops […]
Analysis: The crises in Japan and the Arab world have both shaken the global energy status quo to its core. What will re-emerge from the chaos is anyone’s guess. Before the quake: Protestors in Tokyo rally against Libya’s Gadaffi (Jet Alone) What if Gaddafi holds onto power? It’s a possibility that can’t be excluded, even […]
Even as the French authorities discard comparisons with Chernobyl, fear of the radioactive plume travelling from Japan sparks a run on iodine pills. Similar worries also found in Russia, the U.S. (Goin) PARIS – The question might seem out of place at a time when Japanese relief workers continue to drop water over the spent […]
From simply jamming radar systems to a direct strike on Muammar Gaddafi’s bunker, UN-backed military intervention to protect civilians could take many forms.
The Japanese city that has become a symbol of atomic devastation is shocked at its country’s current earthquake-triggered nuclear disaster. Hiroshima memorial (Senior Baron) HIROSHIMA – This city knows about nuclear power. On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima became the first city to be hit by the atomic bomb, and ever since has become the symbol […]
A R A B I C A ارابيكا LIBYAN WAR * CNN Arabic reports Libyan state television declaring east Ajdabiya under control of Muammar Gaddafi’s forces, and broadcasting a warning to residents in Benghazi that the armed forces are “coming to liberate them and cleanse the city of gangs.” *Gaddafi’s forces appear to be encroaching […]
While the events in Japan have captured the world’s attention, Muammar Gaddafi is regaining the upper hand in Libya. And authorities in other Arab countries are also taking advantage. “We’re looking death in the face,” says Ali M., from the Libyan town of Zawiyah. “There was another explosion just now at an oil well.” Muammar […]
Sounding ever more confident, the Libyan leader vows to dismantle rebel forces, and already makes plans to forgive turncoat ministers who were “taken hostage.”
A group of leading French intellectuals and politicians make the case for immediate Western intervention in Libya, including possible military strikes against Gaddafi’s forces.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا FROM THE BATTLEFIELD *Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi continued to advance on outgunned rebels, as a possible showdown in Benghazi loomed. Still the anti-regime forces claim to have captured dozens of Gaddafi’s forces along with seven tanks still in working condition during Tuesday’s battles, showing off video […]
Editorial: In the aftermath of Japan’s earthquake, we see that human progress may be hardwired to turn nature’s potential for catastrophe into something so much worse.
A La Stampa journalist sets off from the Tunisian coast with 112 immigrants, risking their lives to arrive on European shores. They all nearly died together in a 10-meter boat that kept breaking down. Here’s their story. Lampedusa (noborder) Over the past decade, the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa has become one of the main […]
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie EGYPT PROGRESS *Egypt announced it will dissolve the loathed state-security intelligence services, long accused of torture and other grave human-rights abuses. It is hard to overstate the role these intelligence services have played – and continue to play — in Arab countries, helping to […]
French industry conglomerate Areva, world leader in the atomic energy industry, faces an uncertain future following the nuclear accident in Japan. (Kimdovhac) PARIS – Areva, the world’s No. 1 atomic energy conglomerate, has seen its share price plummet in the midst of the ever-worsening nuclear disaster in Japan, where it derives roughly seven percent of […]
Nuclear accident fallout and the risk of a massive aftershock have left people — foreigners and the Japanese alike — wondering whether they should leave.
A 26-hour journey across the decimated region between Tokyo and Sendai finds villages drowned in mud, message boards to search for loved ones and the earth still moving.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا EGYPT: PAST & FUTURE *This survey polled more than 22,000 Egyptians to discover public attitudes about the upcoming March 19th referendum on constitutional amendments, which would loosen the grip of the longtime ruling National Democratic Party over the entire political process (from presidential down to municipal elections). […]
Train company project delivers abandoned articles to needy recipients. (Toasty Ken) By Egle Santolini In Naples, they found a complete doctor’s bag, the type used for home visits, with a blood pressure gauge, a stethoscope and all the trimmings. In Verona, a complete set of clinical records that “took who knows how long to put […]
After years of muzzling critics and hiding accidents, Japan discovers the damage of keeping under wraps all things nuclear. And fear is now reaching the rest of the world.
Editorial: Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to cede power sets dangerous African precedent.
Editorial: The Japanese earthquake sparks danger at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, but not panic. A European Viewpoint. French nuclear power plant (Ylegrand) Until the situation is stabilized at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the threat of a major atomic catastrophe continues to hang over Japan, and the entire world. Is it best […]