Wednesday 14 August 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

3 journalists killed in Egypt turmoil

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CAIRO (AP) - Three journalists, including a cameraman for British broadcaster Sky News and a Dubai-based newspaper reporter, were killed and several were injured in the violence that erupted in Egypt on Wednesday.Media watchdogs urged Egypt to investigate all attacks on journalists and to hold those responsible to account, condemning the casualties that occurred after riot police backed by armored vehicles, bulldozers and helicopters swept away two encampments of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.Scores of people were killed in the violence nationwide.Sky news said Mick Deane, 61, was shot and wounded while covering the violent breakup of protest camps in the capital, Cairo. It said he was treated for his injuries but died soon after. The rest of the Sky crew was unhurt.The Gulf News, a state-backed newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, reported on its website that journalist Habiba Ahmed Abd Elaziz, 26, was shot dead near the Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo as security forces moved in on a sit-in by Morsi supporters.The newspaper said she had been on annual leave and was not on assignment at the protest for the XPRESS, a sister publication that she worked for.Egyptian journalist Ahmed Abdel Gawad, who wrote for the state-run newspaper Al Akhbar, was killed while covering the crackdown at Rabaah al-Adawiya. The Egyptian Press Syndicate, a journalist union, confirmed Gawad's death, though it had no other information about how he was killed.Sky said Deane had worked for the broadcaster for 15 years in the United States and the Middle East. He was married with two sons.The broadcaster's news chief, John Ryley, said Deane was the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many at Sky, while British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was saddened to hear of the death.The Gulf News said it spoke to the UAE journalist's younger sister Arwa Ramadan, who confirmed her death.My mom spoke to her close to (early morning prayers), but when she called again at 12 noon, there was no response, the sister said. She called again, and somebody picked up the phone and told her Habiba was dead. My dad, who is in Egypt right now, confirmed it later.The Gulf News quoted deputy editor Mazhar Farooqui as saying the publication was in shock.It's hard to believe she's gone, Farooqui said. She was passionate about her work and had a promising career ahead. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was investigating several attacks on journalists and urged Egyptian authorities to show restraint and allow the media to do their job.We call on Egyptian authorities to issue clear orders to security forces to respect the right of journalists to work freely and safely while covering events in Cairo and the rest of the country, said Robert Mahoney, deputy director of the media watchdog.The International Press Institute said it had received reports that journalists were being targeted by both sides in the clashes.Journalists are neutral parties in conflicts and should not be the target of violence, regardless of who is perpetrating it, IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said. The Egyptian government must also be held accountable by the international community for any deaths or attacks that deliberately targeted media workers.Reuters news agency confirmed that photographer Asmaa Waguih had been shot in the foot and is receiving treatment for her bullet wound.An Associated Press photographer working near the Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque during the melee was hit in the back of the neck by two birdshot pellets, said Manoocher Deghati, the AP's Middle East photo editor. The photographer received medical care and later returned to work, Deghati added.Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera said its cameraman Mohammed al-Zaki were shot in the arm and that two of its correspondents were arrested during the day.Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said it had learned of several other injured Egyptian journalists, including Tarek Abbas, a reporter for the Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan who was sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and eye, and photographer Ahmad Najjar who was shot in the arm and had his camera seized.

Hundreds reported killed as Egypt smashes protests

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CAIRO (AP) - In Egypt's bloodiest day since the Arab Spring began, riot police Wednesday smashed two protest camps of supporters of the deposed Islamist president, touching off street violence that officials said killed nearly 300 people and forced the military-backed interim leaders to impose a state of emergency and curfew.The crackdown drew widespread condemnation from the Muslim world and the West, including the U.S., and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei resigned as the interim vice president in protest, a blow to the new leadership's credibility with the pro-reform movement.Today was a difficult day, interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said in a televised address to the nation. While he regretted the bloodshed, he offered no apologies for moving against the supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, saying they were given ample warnings to leave and he had tried foreign mediation efforts.The leaders of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood called it a massacre. Several of them were detained as police swept through the two sit-in sites, scores of other Islamists were taken into custody, and the future of the once-banned movement was uncertain.Backed by helicopters, police fired tear gas and used armored bulldozers to plow into the barricades at the two protest camps in different sections of Cairo where the Morsi supporters had been camped since before he was ousted by the military July 3.Army troops did not take part in the two operations.The smaller camp, near Cairo University in Giza, was cleared of protesters relatively quickly, most taking refuge in the nearby Orman botanical gardens, on the campus of Cairo University and the zoo.But it took about 12 hours for police to take control of the main sit-in site near the Rabaah al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City that has served as the epicenter of the pro-Morsi campaign and had drawn chanting throngs of men, women and children only days earlier.After the police moved on the camps, street battles broke out in Cairo and other cities across Egypt. Government buildings and police stations were attacked, roads were blocked, and Christian churches were torched, Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said.At one point, protesters trapped a police Humvee on an overpass near the Nasr City camp and pushed it off, according to images posted on social networking sites that showed an injured policeman on the ground below, near a pool of blood and the overturned vehicle.The Health Ministry said 235 civilians were killed and more than 2,000 injured, while Ibrahim said 43 policemen died in the violence. The death toll was expected to rise.Three journalists were among the dead: Mick Deane, 61, a cameraman for British broadcaster Sky News; Habiba Ahmed Abd Elaziz, 26, a reporter for the Gulf News, a state-backed newspaper in the United Arab Emirates; and Ahmed Abdel Gawad, who wrote for Egypt's state-run newspaper Al Akhbar. Deane and Elaziz were shot to death, their employers said, while the Egyptian Press Syndicate, a journalists' union, said it had no information on how Gawad was killed.For much of the afternoon, thousands of Morsi supporters chanting God is great tried to join those besieged by the security forces inside the Nasr City camp. They were driven away when police fired tear gas.Smoke clogged the sky above Cairo and fires smoldered on the streets, which were lined with charred poles and tarps after several tents were burned.The Great Pyramids just west of Cairo were closed to visitors for the day together with the Egyptian museum in the heart of the city. The Central Bank instructed commercial banks to close branches in areas affected by the chaos.Egypt has never witnessed such genocide, Brotherhood spokesman Ahmed Aref told The Associated Press from the larger of the two protest camps before it was cleared.The pro-Morsi Anti-Coup alliance alleged security forces used live ammunition, but the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police, said its forces only used tear gas and that they came under fire from the camp.Police dismantled the main stage near the mosque in the eastern Cairo district of Nasr City, the official MENA news agency said. An AP reporter saw hundreds of protesters leaving the sit-in site carrying their personal belongings.I already wrote my will and gave my wife the number of my bank account and told her who owes us money and who we owe money to, said 28-year-old chemist Ahmed Shaker during a brief break in fighting with security forces at the Nasr City camp.If I have to die, I will die, said the father of one child carrying several bottles of beer he said he intended to use as firebombs.Security officials said train services between northern and southern Egypt were suspended to prevent Morsi supporters from traveling to Cairo. Clashes erupted on two roads in the capital's upscale Mohandiseen district when Morsi supporters opened fire on passing cars and pedestrians. Police used tear gas to chase them away.The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.The government declared a monthlong nationwide state of emergency and imposed a nighttime curfew on Cairo, Alexandria on the Mediterranean and 12 other provinces where violence broke out following the simultaneous raids.It also ordered the armed forces to support the police in restoring law and order and protect state facilities. Egypt was under emergency law for most of Mubarak's 29 years in power.Despite the curfew, sporadic clashes continued in Cairo through the evening.In the city of Assiut, south of Cairo, a police station was hit by two mortar shells Wednesday night fired by suspected Morsi supporters, according to officers there who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.Anger over Morsi's ouster already has led to an increase in Islamic militant violence in the northern half of the Sinai Peninsula that borders Israel and Gaza, and many fear growing anger over the crackdown and deaths of civilians could be exploited by extremists.The turmoil was the latest chapter in a bitter standoff between Morsi's supporters and the interim leadership that took over the Arab world's most populous country. The military ousted Morsi after millions of Egyptians massed in the streets at the end of June to call for him to step down, accusing him of giving the Brotherhood undue influence and failing to implement vital reforms or bolster the ailing economy.Several senior leaders of the Brotherhood who were wanted by police were detained after the camps were stormed, according to security officials and state television. Among those seized were Brotherhood leaders Mohammed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian, and hard-line cleric Safwat Hegazy, all wanted by prosecutors to answer allegations of inciting violence and conspiring to kill anti-Morsi protesters.Morsi himself has been held at an undisclosed location. Other Brotherhood leaders have been charged with inciting violence or conspiring in the killing of protesters.A security official said 200 protesters were arrested at both camps. Several men could be seen walking with their hands up as they were led away by black-clad police.Islam Tawfiq, a Brotherhood member at the Nasr City sit-in, said the camp's medical center was filled with dead and that the injured included children.No one can leave and those who do are either arrested or beaten up, he told AP. The Muslim Brotherhood's political arm claimed that more than 500 protesters were killed and some 9,000 wounded in the two camps, but those figures could not be confirmed and nothing in the video from AP or local TV networks suggested such a high death toll.The Brotherhood has spent most of the 85 years since its creation as an outlawed group or enduring crackdowns by successive governments. The latest developments could provide authorities with the grounds to once again declare it an illegal group and consign it to the political wilderness.In his televised address, el-Beblawi said the government could not indefinitely tolerate a challenge to authority that the 6-week-old protests represented. We want to see a civilian state in Egypt, not a military state and not a religious state, he said.But the resignation of ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear agency and a figure widely respected by Western governments, was the first crack to emerge in the government as a result of the violence.ElBaradei had made it clear in recent weeks that he was against the use of force to end the protests. At least 250 people have died in previous clashes since the coup that ousted Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president.On Wednesday, his letter of resignation to interim President Adly Mansour carried an ominous message to a nation already torn by more than two years of turmoil.It has become difficult for me to continue to take responsibility for decisions I disapprove of, and I fear their consequences, he said in the letter that was emailed to the AP. I cannot take responsibility before God, my conscience and country for a single drop of blood, especially because I know it was possible to spare it.I regret that those who benefited today are the proponents of violence, terror and the more extreme groups, and you will remember my words to you, ElBaradei added.The National Salvation front, the main opposition grouping that he headed during Morsi's year in office, said it regretted his departure and complained that it was not consulted beforehand.Tamarod, the youth group behind the mass anti-Morsi protests that preceded the coup, said ElBaradei was dodging his responsibility at a time when his services were needed.Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, the powerful head of Al-Azhar mosque, Sunni Islam's main seat of learning, also sought to distance himself from the violence. He said in a statement he had no prior knowledge of the action.The violence drew condemnation from other predominantly Muslim countries, but also from the West, with Secretary of State John Kerry saying it had dealt a serious blow to Egypt's political reconciliation efforts.Kerry gave a stern warning to Egypt's leaders.This is a pivotal moment for all Egyptians, said Kerry, who spoke by phone with the foreign minister. The path toward violence leads only to greater instability, economic disaster and suffering.Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office called it a serious blow to the hopes of a return to democracy, while Iran warned that the violence strengthens the possibility of civil war. Erdogan, an Islamist, was one of Morsi's main foreign backers.British Prime Minister David Cameron, who also condemned the violence, called for a genuine transition to a genuine democracy. That means compromise from all sides. the President Morsi supporters but also the military.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all Egyptians to focus on reconciliation, while European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said dialogue should be encouraged through peaceful protest, protecting all citizens and enabling full political participation.

UN chemical weapons team departing soon for Syria

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - After months of negotiations, the United Nations announced Wednesday that U.N. experts will depart imminently for Syria to investigate alleged chemical weapons use.Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave the green light after the Syrian government accepted arrangements for the investigation.The team is expected to visit three sites where chemical weapons attacks allegedly occurred, but diplomats and chemical weapons experts have raised doubts about whether they will find anything since the alleged incidents took place months ago.The mandate for the investigation is also limited: The team will report on whether chemical weapons were used, and if so which ones, but it will not determine the responsibility for an attack. This has led some commentators to question the value of the investigation.President Bashar Assad's government initially asked the U.N. to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack on March 19 on the village of Khan al Assal outside the embattled city of Aleppo, which was captured by the rebels last month. The government and rebels blame each other for the purported attack which killed at least 30 people.Britain, France and the U.S. followed with allegations of chemical weapons use in Homs, Damascus and elsewhere. U.N. Mideast envoy Robert Serry told the Security Council last month that the U.N. has received 13 reports of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria.On June 13, the United States said it had conclusive evidence that Assad's regime had used chemical weapons against opposition forces. That crossed what President Barack Obama had called a red line and prompted a U.S. decision to send arms and ammunition to the opposition.But agreement on a U.N. investigation was delayed for months because Syria wanted to limit the probe to Khan al-Assal and the secretary-general, backed by the U.S., Britain and France, insisted on a broader investigation.The U.N. gave approval for the probe on July 31 following an understanding reached with Syria during a visit to Damascus by U.N. disarmament chief Angela Kane and Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, the team's leader, that three sites where chemical weapons were allegedly used would be investigated.One site is Khan al Assal, but the locations of the other two incidents are being kept secret for safety reasons.For the past two weeks, the Syrian government and the U.N. have been trying to agree on arrangements for the investigation. The U.N. team completed preparations for the visit over the weekend in The Hague, Netherlands, but its departure was delayed because of differences over details of the investigation.Following Wednesday's agreement, U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said the departure of the team is now imminent, but he provided no specific date.Under the agreement with Syria, the team will remain in the country for up to 14 days, extendable upon mutual consent to conduct activities, including on-site visits, del Buey said.He said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is pleased that agreement has been reached to ensure the proper, safe and efficient conduct of the mission.The secretary-general believes an effective investigation of allegations can serve as an important deterrent against the use of chemical weapons, del Buey said.Our goal remains a fully independent and impartial inquiry, he said.Del Buey said the overwhelming support of the international community for this investigation makes clear that the use of chemical weapons by any side under any circumstances would constitute an outrageous crime.The investigation team includes about 10 experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is based in The Hague, and the World Health Organization, based in Geneva.Del Buey said Ban expressed appreciation to the Syrian government for its cooperation and to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for its support of the mission.

15 killed in torrential rains, Met office predicts more rains

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – The death toll from torrential rains and floods in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir has risen to about 15 on Thursday.According to the National Disaster Management Authority, about 84‚272 people have been marooned by floods while standing crops over 354‚982 acres of land have been destroyed.Similarly‚ 1‚798 houses have been damaged partially and 2‚308 completely in the flash flooding. Flood Forecasting Division Lahore has warned of high to very high flood in River Chenab. Chenab at Marala is likely to attain Very High Flood level and at Khanki and Qadirabad is likely to attain High to Very High Flood level on Thursday.The authority says ninety three persons have so far lost their lives and ninety four others sustained injuries in various parts of the country due to flash floods.In its fresh data‚ the authority said eighteen people have died in Punjab‚ 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa‚ 22 in Sindh‚ 16 in Balochistan‚ 12 in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and four in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.Likewise‚ 65 persons have sustained injuries in Punjab‚ 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa‚ 10 in Sindh‚ two in Balochistan and four in AJK due to flash flooding.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed that the people be kept informed about the latest situation so that they are not caught unaware. He said all necessary measures should be in place to help the people in distress.Nawaz also directed the National Disaster Management Authority to pro-actively coordinate with the provincial and district authorities and extend them maximum assistance‚ wherever it is needed.

Road mishap claims six lives in Khanewal

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KHANEWAL (Dunya News) - At least six people including a woman were killed in a collision between a passenger bus and a trailer truck.The ill-fated bus was going Faisalabad from Sadiqabad.The dead and injured were rushed to DHQ hospital Khanewal. Hospital sources said six people were killed and 18 others injured in the accident.

Ibad urges nation to follow Quaid's footsteps

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KARACHI (Online): Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad has said that whole nation has to move forward following the same steps and rules of Quaid-e-Azam by which he gained this country for us.“Country is facing a lot of issues, but despite that people celebrated Independence Day with full passion and patriotism”, he said this while talking to media after flag hoisting ceremony held on Mizar-e-Qaid on the occasion of Independence Day.Along with governor Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Sindh Qaim Ali Shah including ministers of Sindh Cabinet, Commissioner Karachi and diplomats of different countries were also present on this occasion.Governor said that people proved today that no matter how much situation is worst they love their country a lot.On this occasion CM Sindh also greeted the nation on Independence Day and said that nation gave great sacrifices for this country struggling under the great leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah that Muslims of sub continents could get their rights freely.He stated “Putting the rules of Quaid under eye we have to resolve all matters and problems with consensus, politicians have the solutions of problems so all of us have to work together for country”.Qaim Ali Shah said that by moving forward keeping consensus and coalition, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will strengthen the people, because if people will be empowered Pakistan will be strengthened.CM Sindh concluded that the mandate given to PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Sindh should be respected like we respect the mandate of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and other parties in other provinces.Governor and CM Sindh also marked their views in visitors book after the ceremony.

Electioneering gets momentum for bye-polls in Mardan

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MARDAN (Online): Political and religious party’s has accelerated campaign in Mardan for the upcoming by-polls scheduled to be held on August 22.All the parties including government and opposition have speeded up their activities after celebrating Eid-ul- Fitr in the provincial constituency PK-23 Mardan-1.Tough contest is expected among ANP candidate Haji Ahmed Khan Bahadur and PTI candidate Umar Farooq Kakahel.However former deputy speaker of the provincial assembly Ikramullah Shahid is the candidate of Muttahida Deeni Mahaz and other independent candidates are also in the run.Haji Ahmed Khan Bahadur is still considered strong candidate on this seat. Ahmed Khan Bahadur is overall enjoying an edge over his opponent candidates for a few reasons. He would cash the popularity of his family.The remaining candidates are yet to launch major campaign. On the other side Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, office bearers and workers have also started gathering and meeting in the constituency for the joint ANP, JUI-F and PPP.P candidate for the by-elections. PPP has also made alliance with ANP on by-polls.

Attack on Ziarat Residency misconstrue as success: Qazi Isa

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QUETTA (Online): Chief Justice Balochistan High Court, Qazi Fayez Isa has scoffed at miscreants who misconstrued their attacks on Ziarat Residency in dark of night as ‘mark of success’.Addressing judiciary on the occasion of flag-raising ceremony at Balochistan High Court on Independence Day in presence of judges, higher level bureaucrats, High Court personnel and their families, he berated elements who had not accepted the existence of Pakistan within deep of their hearts.He reminded the Nation that leaders of Independence did not wear masks and never attacked in darkness of nights, since “only (disgraceful, notorious) criminal elements wear such masks, and attack in darkness”.“If one’s beliefs are strong enough, one might as well be bold enough to proclaim them bravely and openly” he deliberated, adding that “only elements lacking convictions hide behind the façade of darkness and anonymity”.“Understand that Nations are not based on buildings (residencies etc), but on mutual harmonies and love for each other “he reasoned, adding that “those resorting to violence, killings and sabotage were rather fostering hate and enmities against themselves”.

KP Health Minister for unity to eliminate terrorism

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PESHAWAR (Online): Like other parts of the country, 66th Independence Day of Pakistan was also celebrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with national zeal and spirit with a renewal of pledge to eradicate the menace of terrorism.The main function of the Independence Day was held in Police Line of Provincial Metropolis Peshawar .Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health Shaukat Ali Yousafzai was the chief guest. He along with the Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, Commissioner Peshawar Sahibzada Muhammad Anees, IGP Ihsan Ghani and other high ups of civil and police force hoisted the national flag in a simple but impressive ceremony.Addressing on the occasion, Yousafzai maintained, despite celebrating the 66th Independence Day, this region was facing severe threat of terrorism, extremism and militancy.He added that the police force was giving matchless sacrifices for this land and it was due to its sacrifices, that this land was safe. He while encouraging the police, extended whole hearted support to it on behalf of the provincial government and the entire nation. He said that we all were with it on all odd hours. He hoped that the day was not far, when this region would become a land of peace with the sacrifices of the nations and the security forces.In FATA the day began with special prayers for stability and development of the country and with a note of hope and promise.In Mohmand Agency, main flag raising ceremony was held at PA Compound Ghalanai, Upper Mohmand in which Political Agent Khushal Kan was the guest of honor.The ceremony was attended by officials, tribal elders, representatives of civil society and students in large numbers.

NDMA starts relief activities in flood-hit areas

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ISLAMABAD (Online): National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has setup seventeen relief camps in Punjab while one in Sindh where effectees are being provided shelter and food.According to NDMA‚ twenty-six thousand tents‚ twenty-nine thousand five hundred food packs‚ five hundred blankets and nineteen thousand four hundred mosquito nets have been distributed among flood affected people so far.At least one thousand and two hundred people are being provided shelter and food in these relief camps.The Authority confirmed 93 deaths so far besides 94 injuries, adding 333 villages and over eighty-four thousand people have been affected by the downpour.

Reactions to Egyptian crackdown on pro-Morsi camps

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UNITED NATIONS/BERLIN/ROME/ANKARA/OMAN (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon strongly condemned violence used by Egyptian security forces on Wednesday to clear Cairo of protesters demanding the reinstatement of deposed President Mohamed Mursi.While the United Nations was still gathering information, it appears that hundreds of people were killed or wounded in clashes between security forces and demonstrators, Bans spokesperson said in a statement.Troops opened fire on demonstrators in clashes that brought chaos to areas of Cairo and appeared sure to further polarize Egypts 84 million people between backers of Mursi and those who opposed his brief rule.The Secretary-General regrets that Egyptian authorities chose instead to use force to respond to the ongoing demonstrations, Bans spokesperson said.While recognizing that political clocks do not run backwards, the Secretary-General also believes firmly that violence and incitement from any side are not the answers to the challenges Egypt faces, the statement said.Mursi became Egypts first freely elected leader in June 2012, but failed to tackle deep economic malaise and worried many Egyptians with apparent efforts to tighten Islamist rule.Liberals and young Egyptians staged huge rallies demanding that he resign, and the army said it removed him last month in response to the will of the people.More than 300 people have already died in political violence since Mursis overthrow, including dozens of supporters killed by security forces in two separate earlier incidents in Cairo.The unrest has extended political and economic turmoil since a 2011 uprising that ended 30 years of autocratic rule by U.S.-backed President Hosni Mubarak, and the country is now more deeply divided than any time for many years.With Egypts rich history and diversity of views and experiences, it is not unusual for Egyptians to disagree on the best approach forward, Bans spokesperson said, adding that Ban felt what was important was that differing views be expressed respectfully and peacefully.Apart from this, Turkey, Germany, Italy and Jordan also have denounced undue crackdown against pro-Morsi Ikhwan activists in the name of law and order.___TURKEYTurkeys government, which has been consistently critical of the military-backed ouster of Morsi, harshly criticized the crackdown. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogans office called the crackdown a serious blow to the hopes of a return to democracy. It also blamed other unnamed countries for encouraging the government after Morsis ouster on July 3.Turkish President Abdullah Gul warned that Egypt could descend into chaos, comparing the clashes to the crackdown in Syria that precipitated a civil war.Turkey itself has been criticized in recent months for heavy-handed police tactics in clamping down on protests against Erdogans government that included firing tear gas canisters directly at protesters. Hundreds of Turks in Ankara and Istanbul protested against the crackdown.___GERMANYGerman Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the government was extremely worried about the very dangerous escalation of violence in Egypt, indirectly criticizing the leadership for its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood while at the same time urging an end to violence.We expect from the transitional government and the Egyptian authorities that they allow peaceful demonstrations just as we expect from the other political forces that they distance themselves clearly from violence, that they dont demand violence and dont act violently.Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said the decisive principle must be that the human rights of all Egyptians, independent of their political direction and conviction, have to be respected and protected.___JORDANJordans Muslim Brotherhood has urged its Egyptian peers to continue protests, saying their victory will help the fundamentalist group rise to power elsewhere in the Arab world.A harshly-worded statement by the Brotherhoods political arm, the Islamic Action Front, also warns Egypts military rulers that they have fallen into a conspiracy hatched by the United States and Israel to weaken Muslims.Today is your day, and upon its outcome, the future of Egypt, Arabs and Muslims will be determined, according to a statement issued before 200 Brotherhood activists staged a protest outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman.The protesters rebuked Egypts military rulers as a tool for corrupt and tyrant military regimes.Jordans police sealed off the area around the embassy saying they expect the numbers to swell later.___ITALYItalian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino appealed to all sides in Egypt to do what they can to immediately stop the explosion of violence and avoid a bloodbath.Bonino expressed deep sorrow for the loss of human lives.I had expressed the hope that the squares with the sit-ins be emptied through an agreement among all sides, and not with the intervention of police forces, which doesnt help the search for a solution to the political crisis, Bonino said.She added that it was essential that security forces exercise maximum self-control; likewise, everyone must avoid every incitement to violence. Bonino renewed an appeal for the resumption of a process of national dialogue.

Egypt declares month long state of emergency

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CAIRO (AP) Egypt's interim president has declared a monthlong state of emergency to combat worsening violence after riot police moved to clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.A statement by the office of President Adly Mansour said Wednesday that the state of emergency takes effect at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT, 10 a.m. EDT). It didn't provide details but says Mansour also ordered the armed forces to support the police in their efforts to restore law and order and protect state facilities.The Health Ministry, meanwhile, has raised the casualty toll from nationwide clashes to 95 killed and 874 injured.

Syrian president exempts army reservists from fines

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has exempted thousands of army reservists called up during the civil war from paying debt instalments and late fines during their service, the state news agency SANA said on Wednesday.The decree was likely meant to boost soldier morale and discourage defections at a time of great strain almost two and half years into a shattering civil war that has seen Islamist-led rebels seize large tracts of Syria.The law postpones financial instalments for (reservists) with public banks who joined the military reserve service until the end of the service ... (and all late payment) fines due overthe period of service will be exempted, SANA said.Assads forces are stretched thin across the country as the opposition has taken further ground. Fleeing reservists say morale is low among troops and that men are virtually imprisoned in their barracks by officers who fear they will defect or flee.The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) says the Syrian armys strength has been cut roughly in half to around 110,000 men due to a combination of defections,desertions and battlefield losses.In March 2012, authorities tightened restrictions on men of military age leaving the country to prevent reservists from fleeing.Since then, Assad has relied on fighters from the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah and pro-government Syrian militia to back up army operations.The revolt started in 2011 with peaceful protests demanding democratic reforms from a family-based leadership that has ruled since Assads father, Hafez, took power in 1970.Since then, the rebellion has grown into a full-scale civil war with sectarian overtones. Most rebels are drawn from the Sunni Muslim majority, while Assad commands the loyalty of many in his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, and other minorities, who fear retribution if he falls.According to the United Nations, 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict - by far the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings - and 1.9 million refugees have fled to neighbouring countries such as Turkey and Jordan.

US: UPS cargo jet crashes in Birmingham, Alabama

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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) A U.S. aviation official says a large UPS cargo plane has crashed near an airport in Birmingham, Alabama.Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen tells The Associated Press that the A300 plane crashed on approach to the airport before dawn Wednesday.There is no information yet on injuries.Bergen says the plane was en route from Louisville, Kentucky, as UPS Flight 1354.Toni Bast, a spokeswoman for Birminghams airport authority, says the plane crashed on the outskirts of Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.Bast says the area is outside the airports perimeter fence. She says the crash hasnt affected airport operations.

Eurozone's longest-ever recession comes to an end

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LONDON (AP) The longest-ever recession to afflict the eurozone came to an end in the second quarter of the year, official figures confirmed Wednesday.Eurostat, the European Unions statistics office, said the 17 European Union countries that use the euro saw their collective economic output grow by 0.3 percent in the April to June period from the previous quarter.Thats the first quarterly growth since the eurozone slipped into recession in the last three months of 2011. The ensuing recession of six quarters was the longest since the euro currency was launched in 1999.The improvement made up for the previous quarters equivalent decline and was moderately better than the 0.2 percent anticipated in the markets. Growth, however anemic, had been predicted by many economists following an easing in market concerns over Europes debt crisis over the past year and record low interest rates from the European Central Bank.The figures will be greeted with a sigh of relief by Europes policymakers, who have spent nearly four years grappling with a debt crisis that has threatened the very future of the euro. But they were not ready to declare victory, aware that this is only the start of what is expected to be a slow and uneven recovery.This slightly more positive data is welcome but there is no room for any complacency whatsoever, Olli Rehn, the EUs top monetary official, said in his blog after the release of the figures. I hope there will be no premature, self-congratulatory statements suggesting the crisis is over.The improvement was largely due to solid growth of 0.7 percent in Germany and a surprisingly strong 0.5 percent bounce-back in France following two quarters of negative growth.Aside from Europes top two economies, there were signs of stabilization elsewhere, notably in Portugal, which expanded by a surprising 1.1 percent. Spain and Italy saw the pace of their economic contractions slow.There was even evidence that the recession in Greece, the country at the heart of Europes debt crisis, is easing, too. Eurostat doesnt publish quarterly figures for Greece. It only has annual comparisons and they showed that the year-on-year contraction eased to 4.6 percent in the second quarter from 5.6 percent in the first.Despite the brighter or less gloomy picture that has emerged from the figures, the eurozone still has a long way to go before it can say it has proved the skeptics wrong. Europes indebted governments still face years of spending cuts and tax increases and many, notably Greece and Spain, are weighed down by record-high unemployment of over 25 percent.While the return to economic growth in the eurozone is a welcome development, it would be wrong to think that it will bring an end to the travails of the highly indebted and uncompetitive countries of the periphery, said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics. The recession may be over, but the debt crisis is decidedly not.And while the eurozone has been struggling, its major competitors have largely continued to grow. The eurozones second-quarter growth, which translates to an annualized rate of around 1.3 percent, still compares badly with the 1.8 percent recorded in the U.S. during the second quarter.
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