 | | Lone female
CMC member
against quota
for women |
 SHEIKHA
AL JUFAIRI, who made history in 2003 when she won election to
the Central Municipal Council (CMC) from the Airport constituency,
the first woman in the GCC ever to win a municipal election,
is against reservation of seats for women in the CMC as demanded
by many. In an exclusive interview with Qatar Tribune, Sheikha
al Jufairi answered a number of... |
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|  |  | | Yemen´s ´Aborted´ Revolution |
 TOYemenis,
violence in the streets and threats of state collapse are nothing
new. Despite reports portraying the protests in Yemen as something
of a revolution, democratic change has little possibility of
success. President Ali Abdullah Saleh is essentially a figurehead;
whether he stays or goes, the regime of technocrats and thugs
he represents is unlikely. |
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| |  | | SOMERSAULT ON
GAZA WAR REPORT |
| WE have a new verb, "to Goldstone."
Its meaning: To make a finding, and then partially retract it
for uncertain motive. Etymology: the strange actions of a respected
South African Jewish jurist under intense pressure from Israel,
the US Congress and world Jewish groups. Richard Goldstone is
an author of the "Goldstone Report," an investigation
of Israel´s military campaign in Gaza... |
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Qadhafi forces recapture strategic rebel town
REUTERS
AJDABIYAH MOAMER Qadhafi’s artillery heavily bombarded Ajdabiyah and his forces forced their way inside on Sunday in their most determined assault on the strategic eastern town for at least a week.
Rebels cowered in alleyways from sustained artillery, rocket and small-arms fire and appeared to be losing control of the town, which is gateway to their stronghold of Benghazi 150 km (90 miles) up the Mediterranean coast to the north.
Ajdabiyah had been the launch point for insurgents during a week-long fight for the oil port of Brega further west and its fall would be a serious loss.
Rebels said Qadhafi’s forces killed at least four fighters in the second day of fighting for Ajdabiyah.
“I saw the four this morning.
Their throats were slit and they were all shot through the chest and dumped on the road.
Their car was also riddled with bullets,” said a rebel, Mohammed Saad, at a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Ajdabiyah.
Insurgent Hassan Bosayna said eight Qadhafi fighters and four rebels were killed in fighting on Saturday, with one of the rebels shot in the forehead by a sniper.
Another rebel, Muftah, said: “There are Qadhafi forces inside Ajdabiyah in sand-colored Land Cruisers and we know there are snipers in civilian clothing in the city as well.” Qadhafi’s artillery shelled the western approaches all morning and two rockets landed in the centre in the middle of the day.
There were long exchanges of small arms fire.
The streets were deserted as insurgents guarded various crossroads and dashed around in pick-ups.
The mostly untrained rebels have tried to reorganise and re-equip but were unable to hold ground last week against Qadhafi’s better- armed forces in the fight for Brega.
A high-level African Union delegation led by South African President Jacob Zuma was due in Tripoli on Sunday to try to kindle peace talks between the two sides.
South African officials said the delegation, which also included the leaders of Mauritania, Congo, Mali and Uganda, would meet rebel leaders in Benghazi after talking to Qadhafi.
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