EGYPT
Morsi grants police powers to Egyptian military
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has granted the army powers of arrest in the run-up to the referendum on the country's controversial new constitution. The move comes one day ahead of planned mass opposition protests.
Morsi's latest decree, published Monday in the government gazette, grants the military police powers, including the authority to arrest civilians in the days before the December 15 referendum.
It orders the military to cooperate with police "to preserve security and protect vital state institutions for a temporary period, up to the announcement of the results from the referendum," according to the gazette.
It also warned it "will not allow" the situation to deteriorate, and urged dialogue from both sides.
Return of the UndeadBerlusconi Revival Puts EU Leaders in Tight Spot
By Carsten Volkery and Philipp Wittrock
Chancellor Angela was by all accounts relieved to see the back of Silvio Berlusconi when he stepped down in 2011. Now, however, she and other European leaders are horrified at the prospect of his return to the pinnacle of Italian politics.
Not again! Just 13 months ago, European heads of state and government joined forces to usher Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi into retirement. Chancellor Angela Merkel and then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy marshalled all of their persuasive powers to clear they way for a reform government in Rome under the leadership of Mario Monti.
Mali's Prime Minister Diarra resigns after arrest
Mali's Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra has resigned hours after being arrested by soldiers while trying to leave the West African nation.
Diarra's arrest and subsequent resignation on Tuesday will complicate efforts to stabilise Mali, where soldiers and politicians remain divided since a coup in March and where the north of the country is occupied by al Qaeda-linked radical fighters.
"I, Cheick Modibo Diarra, hereby resign with my entire government on Tuesday, December 11 2012," a nervous-looking Diarra said in a statement broadcast on state television early on Tuesday morning.
News of Diarra's resignation came hours after he was arrested as he tried to leave the country for France.
11 December 2012 Last updated at 06:15 GMT
'Long way to go' on justice for Afghan women - UN
Afghan women victims of violence are still being failed by the justice system, according to a new UN report.
Although there had been some progress in implementing a 2009 anti-violence law, overall use of the law "remained low", the report says.
Cultural pressures and inconsistent police practices are hampering implementation of the law, it added.
The report comes after a spate of high-profile cases of violence against Afghan women.
Last month, two men were arrested in Kunduz province for allegedly beheading a girl after her father rejected a marriage proposal for her.
Middle East
Dec 11, 2012
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COMMENTHamas at 25: Beyond the tired language
By Ramzy Baroud
"In a moment of high theatre he dropped to his knees, placed his lips on the ground and kissed the land he has commanded by proxy".
That's how Robert Tait of the British Telegraph worded the moment Khaled Meshaal arrived in Gaza on December 7. Tait's report on what many in Gaza and elsewhere consider a watershed event in the history of the Islamic movement, was mostly consistent with mainstream reporting on any event concerning the impoverished
and besieged Strip: often biased, selective, and devoid of real understanding or empathy.
That's how Robert Tait of the British Telegraph worded the moment Khaled Meshaal arrived in Gaza on December 7. Tait's report on what many in Gaza and elsewhere consider a watershed event in the history of the Islamic movement, was mostly consistent with mainstream reporting on any event concerning the impoverished
and besieged Strip: often biased, selective, and devoid of real understanding or empathy.
Media reporting on Hamas is doubly provocative, controversial and similar to political stances towards Hamas. However, in the eyes of Israel, through the prism of its media and among Israel's Western supporters, Hamas is an unequaled terrorist organization, sworn to destroy Israel and unlike the other "moderate" Palestinians - for example, Western-backed Palestinian Authority - it refuses to recognize Israel's "right to exist". The latter point was faithfully emphasized by Tait. He, like many others, unthinkingly or deliberately fails to question the incredulous condition placed on a relatively small movement as it faces a powerful and habitually brutal military.
HSBC to Pay $1.92 Billion Fine to Settle Charges Over Laundering
2:07 a.m. | Updated
State and federal authorities decided against indicting HSBC in a money-laundering case over concerns that criminal charges could jeopardize one of the world’s largest banks and ultimately destabilize the global financial system.
Instead, authorities on Tuesday announced a record $1.92 billion settlement with HSBC. The bank, which is based in Britain, faces accusations that it transferred billions of dollars for nations like Iran and enabled Mexican drug cartels to move money illegally through its American subsidiaries.
HSBC said on Tuesday that it had “reached agreement with United States authorities in relation to investigations regarding inadequate compliance with anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.” The bank also expected to reach an agreement “shortly” with the Financial Services Authority, the British regulator.
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