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Ugandans vote after bitter presidential campaign
Ugandans are voting in an election that is widely expected to see President Yoweri Museveni win a fourth term.?�The ruling party has been widely accused of paying people to support the president who has been in power for three decades.?�?�It has sparked fears of violence in Africa’s third largest economy with the opposition threatening street protests if the poll is?�deemed to be rigged.?�The front-running opposition candidate, Kizza Besigye, has lost twice before to his former ally?�Museveni, and has repeatedly?�warned of an Egyptian-style?�revolt if the election is unfair.?�Many analysts, however, say a public uprising is not likely to succeed in Uganda, where a population less educated and less Internet-savvy than that of Egypt is afraid of an army with a history of violently suppressing dissent.?�?� Copyright © 2011 euronews

Nations scramble to get nationals out of chaotic Libya
Hundreds of foreign nationals are camped out at a frantic Tripoli Airport as governments from around the world scramble boats and planes to get their people out of Libya, as the chaos in country deepens. Russia, France, Greece and the United Kingdom along with many other nations are laying on transport to repatriate nationals. Turkey, with 25,000 citizens in Libya is mounting the biggest evacuation in its history with more than 2,000 already back home. The shooting dead of a Turkish worker at a building site close to Tripoli has increased the urgency of the operation as fear begins to grip those stranded in the country. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country will do all it can to help other nationals escape Libya: “There are several demands from different friendly countries for us to help their citizens. For us this is a humanitarian issue and we will do everything possible to consider these demands positively and help those who need such an evacuation.” A French military aircraft arrived in Tripoli much to the relief of those lucky enough to get a seat: “Phew, given the state of the airport, everything cancelled, the chances of getting a scheduled flight were pretty slim, yeah it’s a huge relief.” As the situation continues to deteriorate and Libyan officials break ranks with the regime more and more aircraft are finding it difficult to get a landing or take-off slot. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Egyptian PM steps down
Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq resigned from his post on Thursday to be replaced by Essam Sharraf, the former transport minister. Shafiq was appointed by deposed president Hosni Mubarak as a concession to opposition protesters in the final days before he stepped down in mid-February. But the move was insufficient for the Muslim Brotherhood and other political groups who wanted a clean break from the Mubarak regime, with which Shafiq had been closely associated. His departure came on the same day as Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul visited Egypt. He is in the country to talk to military leaders and political groups. President Gul told reporters: “The transition must be transparent and open. If it doesn’t meet the expectations of the people it will fail.” Turkey is often held up in the West as a model for democracy in Muslim nations. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Yemen opposition reject unity govt with Saleh
Yemen’s opposition parties have said they will reject any offer from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to form a unity government. Read our news file The offer is expected to be made within the next 24 hours but Yemen’s opposition coalition insisted they would not compromise over their key demand that Saleh must resign. Mass rallies against the president’s 32-year rule began over a month ago. Saleh has already said he will not seek re-election at the end of his current seven-year term in 2013 but that promise has failed to quell the unrest. Copyright © 2011 euronews

G20 seeks deal on imbalances, unsure of success
French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has said that it will not be a drama if finance ministers and central bankers from the world’s 20 biggest developed and developing economies fail to reach an agreement this week on guidelines to measure global economic imbalances. Under discussion is an EU plan to identify those imbalances using an agreed set of economic indicators and then analyse their causes and possibly make policy recommendations on how to deal with them. G20 finance ministers and central bankers are due to hold a summit in Paris at the end of the week. Such imbalances, reflected in the current account balance, private and public savings, debt and capital flows, can trigger or augment crises, destabilising the world economy. G20 leaders agreed in November to find a way to tackle them. Lagarde added that there was also “a long debate on whether to include the trade balance with its flows of products and whether to include flows of services.” Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer said that the debate was not intended to be an exercise in point fingers at countries with large deficits. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libyans count the cost of their revolt
The violence which has accompanied Libya’s bloody revolt against the Gaddafi regime has left 300 dead, including over 100 soldiers. That is according to the Libyan authorities but as families buried their dead at a cemetery in Tripoli, residents believing their own eyes put the toll far higher. Human Rights Watch and opposition groups say more than twice that number have died. In towns where Gaddafi’s grip has been challenged, locals have been tearing down symbols of the regime. But overnight, in the town of Sabratah, large numbers of the Libyan army are said to have been deployed following the destruction of government buildings. In the east of the country, earlier fierce battles that accounted for many of the dead were caught on mobile phone cameras. But now Benghazi and Tobruk are reported calm and under the control of the protesters while Libya’s interior minister became the latest senior official to defect. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Egyptian shares tumble as bourse reopens
Shares on Egypt’s stock exchange plunged as the market reopened on Wednesday. It had been shut for seven weeks because of the mass protests that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. After ringing the opening bell, Egypt’s finance minister Samir Radwan said the dip in share prices was normal given the circumstances but added: “What I advise is to stick to your papers [shares], don’t rush to sell, you may regret it. Go on buying, go on buying, this is the time to buy, it’s a buyers market.” The benchmark index ended the session down 8.9 percent. From the start of the political turmoil on 25 January to when the market closed two days later Egyptian shares slumped, losing the equivalent of 8.5 billion euros in value Investor uncertainty was in evidence right from the start of trading on Wednesday and the index immediately fell 10 percent, triggering market circuit breakers so that the bourse had to be closed for half an hour. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Ben Ali reportedly in a coma in hospital
The former Tunisian president Ben Ali is reported to be seriously ill in a hospital in Saudi Arabia. The French news agency AFP reports that the 74-year-old has been in a coma for the past two days after suffering a stroke. The Reuters news agency quotes a Saudi source who says the ex-leader is in a “grave condition”. Ben Ali fled to the Red Sea city of Jeddah after being ousted in a popular revolt last month. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libya clashes continue despite no-fly zone
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have clashed with rebels despite a UN-backed no-fly zone aimed at stopping the violence. Gaddafi loyalists have repelled rebel advances in the oil-producing town of Ajdabiyah, just south of the insurgents’ stronghold of Benghazi. Anti aircraft fire has continued to ring out in Tripoli, while residents of Yafran said at least nine people had been killed in clashes between the two sides. His forces have also struck the rebel-held enclave of Misrata, east of the capital, where four children were killed on Tuesday. A rebel spokesman told AFP that Gaddafi’s men opened fire with tanks and set up sniper positions to gun down people in the streets. Security analysts say the rebels are disorganised and unable to match the Libyan leader’s military might, explaining why they have struggled to makes further advances, including the taking of Tripoli. Copyright © 2011 euronews

NATO deny Gaddafi assassination attempt
The Libyan government has accused NATO of deliberately targeting Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after the alliance launched a number of night strikes in the capital Tripoli. NATO war planes conducted several bombing runs on government buildings. Libyan officials escorted journalists to the offices of the country’s High Commission for Children, which suffered extensive damage. A hospital was also partially hit after a nearby telecommunications tower was felled by a missile. NATO has denied any moves to kill Gaddafi. Brigadier General Claudio Gabellini gave the media details of the night’s mission: “NATO is not targeting individuals. No individual is a target for NATO. We only look after command and control centres. The target is to stop Mr Gaddafi ordering his troops to slaughter civilians and block humanitarian aid from coming into the country.So we are not interested in individuals, in Mr Gaddafi’s life.” The raids came as Western powers planned their next move as the conflict to oust the Libyan leader appears to have reached stalemate. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Two GIs shot dead in Frankfurt
Two American soldiers have been killed by a gunman on a bus at Frankfurt airport. The victims were from a American military base near the German city. Police said the gunman, a Kosovo national, also seriously injured two others in the attack. So far, the motive behind the shooting remains unclear, though authorities are not ruling out a possible terrorist link. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libyan protesters prepare for “day of anger”
Protesters in Libya have once again taken to the streets on Thursday for what is called a “day of anger” against the government. But in the wake of reported clashes with security forces in the city of Benghazi on Wednesday, there are fears of a possible crackdown by the authorities. A video posted on YouTube purports to show demonstrators in Al Bayda. People could be heard shouting: “down with the regime.” Opposition groups say several people were killed during demonstrations in Libya yesterday. More than 100 members of a banned Islamist militant group were freed from a jail near Tripoli. It is not clear whether there is a connection with the unrest. The authorities have played down the importance of the protests. Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi did not mention the troubles in a speech last night, but he did say that “revolutionaries” would prevail. State TV broadcast pictures of pro-government demonstrations, said to have taken place in several Libyan cities. Revolutionary committees – described as the backbone of the regime – have warned that they will not allow the people’s gains to be “pillaged”, threatening security and the country’s stability. Will the protests cause another Arab regime to fall? A Javascript enabled browser that accepts cookies is required in order to participate in the poll. yes (88%)  no (8%)  i don't know (4%)  // pollTS[0]) { pollTS = cookie; cValid = true; }; }; warning.parentNode.removeChild(warning); if(cookie && cValid) { for(var i = 1; i < pollTS.length; i++) { votes += parseInt(pollTS[i], 10) || 0; }; var total = 0; for(var i = 1; i < pollTS.length; i++) { per = pollTS[i] > 0 ? Math.round(pollTS[i] / (votes / 100)) : 0; if(total + per > 100) { per = 100 - total; total = 100; } else { total += per; }; output[output.length] = '' + questions[i - 1] + ' (' + per + '%) '; }; pollHTML += "" + output.join("") + ""; }; if(!cookie) { pollHTML = ' yes no i don’t know'; }; if(pollHTML) { content.innerHTML = pollHTML; }; })();// ]]> Copyright © 2011 euronews

Clashes continue in Yemen
As unrest in Arab countries continues to spread there are reports in Yemen of one teenager being killed and four other people being wounded in clashes with soldiers in the southern port of Aden. If confirmed it will bring the total of known deaths in the Yemeni uprising to 12. The demonstrators are calling for the overthrow of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power for 32 years, but so far he is refusing to step down. The president said: “When there is goodwill from all sides there will be no problem. Even if the opposition want the presidency we will give it to them, but I don’t think they will be able to run it even for one week.” Though most of the demonstrations have been in the capital Sanaa, there are also reports of protests in Sa’dah in the north and the southern port of Aden. Despite the clashes and call from the president for dialogue, protesters appear to be using the same tactics as the Egyptians – staying on the streets and bedding down for what could turn out be a lengthy clash of wills. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Saleh’s carrots and sticks fail to stop Yemen protests
Tens of thousands of people have again marched in cities across Yemen calling for an end to the president’s three-decade rule, in a clear rejection of his offer of a unity government. They also remembered the victims of previous demonstrations; at least two dozen dead during the first two weeks of protests. Read our news file “We swear that we won’t be scared no matter how many the president kills, how many he jails, how many he tortures. We will die as martyrs and go to paradise, and he will go to hell. Down with the president and this corrupt regime!” shouted Kamal, one of the protesters. In a speech at Sanaa University, President Ali Abdullah Saleh turned more vehemently on his supposed ally the US, accusing it and Israel of being behind the unrest. “The control room is in Tel Aviv which is plotting to destabilise the Arab world. The protesters are only copying what’s happened elsewhere. The control room is in Tel Aviv and it’s run by the White House,” he said. Washington quickly dismissed the accusation. Saleh said he would safeguard the nation’s security whatever the cost, as thousands of his supporters took to the capital’s streets. But neither his warnings nor his concessions seem to be deterring his opponents. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Egyptians vote ‘yes’ for constitutional change
Egyptians have strongly backed constitutional changes in a vote that paves the way for elections that may come as early as September. While turnout was only just over 40 percent the weekend’s referendum came as little surprise with more than 77 percent of participants voting ‘yes’. Under former president Hosni Mubarak, vote rigging was widely seen as endemic and the head of committee overseeing the poll promised to examine any irregularities. Mohamemed Ahmed Attiya, the head of the Judicial Oversight committee said: “All complaints have been filed. We’ve been informed about them and legal procedures have been taken against the wrong-doers. They’ve been referred for general prosecution.” The referendum result will see a number of changes, including a maximum eight year cap on the presidency. But critics say the reforms don’t go far enough. They also claim the amendments have been rushed through in a bid to hold early elections, something they insist favours Egypt’s established political parties. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Another view on Mideast domino effect
For insight into events in Middle East we spoke to Nabil Al Khatib, the Executive Editor of the Al-Arabiya TV channel. Riad Muasses, euronews: Nabil Al Khatib, we’ve seen big demonstrations in Cairo, deaths in Libya, Yemen and Bahrain. Is this a contagious revolution where all cases are similar? Nabil Al Khatib, Executive Editor, Al-Arabiya I don’t think all the situations in the Arab world are similar, but the common denominator in all these countries is corruption and stagnant politics, and the youth are looking for their future horizons. All these are common factors, and they spur the population to demand change. euronews: Is what you’ve said applicable in Bahrain? Nabil Al Khatib: Bahrain is different because the demonstrators belong to a religious group, and that gives the impression it’s a religious problem. And that adds grist to the mill for the authorities to aggravate the religious question because the protesters are, in the main, shi-ites. The sunnis are shying away from being implicated in a wider plan controlled by Iran. Whether or not that’s true, it gives that impression, and that’s what the sunni population think. euronews: Do you think that this could extend to other Gulf states, like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Oman? Nabil Al Khatib: I think the question remains open in all of those countries, but the problems are quite different when we talk about Gulf states. That’s down to the comfortable lives these populations have compared with the other countries, because they’re oil producers, and they’re rich. But that doesn’t stop these kinds of movements. euronews: The United States has expressed its concern about the events in Bahrain, and everything of course, that affects its interests in the Gulf. Can you see any threat to US interests, bearing in mind what’s happening in Bahrain? Nabil Al Khatib: I’m inclined to say that the American position is very ambiguous. We all thought that the US position on the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes would have been to support them. Because the general impression was that the US always defends its allies in the region and maintains the status quo. But its position has completely changed Tunisia its ally in the fight against terrorism, or Egypt, trying to maintain stability in the region and good relations with Israel. But the US backed the changes in these countries. The big question is how far can it go in supporting these changes, particularly in the Gulf states where the situation is much more sensitive because what’s at stake is terrorism, oil, and relations with Iran. But from here it looks like the Americans are being hesitant, lacking clarity and in the end, being superficial — not sure that the decisions being taken are good ones. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Russian suicide attack
A suicide bomber has killed a police officer in the capital of Russia’s troubled Dagestan region. The attacker blew himself up when he was stopped by police at a road intersection so his papers could be checked. Violent incidents are commonplace in the North Caucasus where rebels want to establish an Islamic state. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libya: battles rage for control of coastal cities
Some two thousand people are estimated to have been died during ten days of violence in Libya. Misrata, the country’s third largest city, is a cargo port with a population of several hundred thousand people. Residents say they are in control of the city and have successfully beaten back a recent counter-attack by pro-Gaddafi forces. Other reports, however, say suspected African mercenaries are regrouping in some parts of the city and providing fierce resistance. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Bahrain protesters return to Pearl Square
Bahrain’s government says it has begun talks with opposition groups demanding reform. The statement released via Twitter came several hours after thousands of people streamed back into Pearl Square following the withdrawal of the army and then riot police. Many of those gathered hailed the day’s events as a victory and vowed to continue the protest. One unnamed demonstrator said: “We’ll stay until we achieve our demands. This is our country, but we’ll stay here if they hit us, we will stay.” Emboldened protesters, cheering and waving national flags, retook the symbolic square even before all police had left. Tents, removed two days ago by the army, were set up again along with makeshift medical stations to treat any wounded. Hundreds of women also joined the celebrations. “Most Bahraini women are educated, and they’re fighting for their rights. So they’re taking part, they’re taking an active part in the demonstration,” said one protester. At least six people are said to have been killed since the protests started on Monday with up to 60 others injured. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Assange criticises ‘rubber-stamp’ extradition
A British court has agreed to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden where the Wikileaks founder is accused of sex offences. The judge rejected arguments that the Australian wouldn’t get a fair trial after the Swedish prime minister called him ‘public enemy number one’. Afterwards, Assange again claimed the case against him was politically motivated, and criticised what he called a ‘rubber-stamp’ EU extradition procedure. He asked: “Why is it that I am kept under electronic house arrest when I have not even been charged in any country? This case is not just about me, it is not just about the pressure the United States brings to bear on the United Kingdom and on Sweden and on the media, it offers a hope for reform of the EU arrest warrant system.” His supporters fear he may end up being extradited from Sweden to the US and could even face the death penalty over Wikileaks’ disclosures. But the judge said he believed Assange was wanted in Sweden purely on sex charges. Assange, who denies the allegations, has 40 days to appeal. Is Britain right to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden? A Javascript enabled browser that accepts cookies is required in order to participate in the poll. yes (15%)  no (79%)  i don't know (6%)  // pollTS[0]) { pollTS = cookie; cValid = true; }; }; warning.parentNode.removeChild(warning); if(cookie && cValid) { for(var i = 1; i < pollTS.length; i++) { votes += parseInt(pollTS[i], 10) || 0; }; var total = 0; for(var i = 1; i < pollTS.length; i++) { per = pollTS[i] > 0 ? Math.round(pollTS[i] / (votes / 100)) : 0; if(total + per > 100) { per = 100 - total; total = 100; } else { total += per; }; output[output.length] = '' + questions[i - 1] + ' (' + per + '%) '; }; pollHTML += "" + output.join("") + ""; }; if(!cookie) { pollHTML = ' yes no i don’t know'; }; if(pollHTML) { content.innerHTML = pollHTML; }; })();// ]]> Copyright © 2011 euronews