Friday, January 20, 2012

AFGHANISTAN: France suspends Afghan mission after attack on troops

AFGHANISTAN: France suspends Afghan mission after attack on troops

AFGHANISTAN: France suspends Afghan mission after attack on troops

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 02:16 PM PST

France will temporarily suspend all training and combat operations in Afghanistan following a fatal attack on its troops, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced after four French soldiers died Friday in an attack by an Afghan army soldier.

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USA: Senate delays online piracy vote in wake of protests

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 07:54 AM PST

US Senate leader Harry Reid has postponed next week's vote on a bill to fight online piracy amid fierce resistance by Internet companies including Wikipedia and Google, who fear overregulation and censorship.

NIGERIA: Multiple bomb blasts hit northern Nigerian city

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 01:23 PM PST

Police in the restive city of Kano in northern Nigeria say at least six people have been killed in a series of bomb attacks, some targeting police stations and local government buildings. The authorities have imposed a curfew across the city.

FOOTBALL: 2012 Africa Cup of Nations preview - winners and losers

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 08:49 AM PST

There may be no Pharaohs, Super Eagles or Indomitable Lions at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, but some Elephants, Nile Crocodiles and several underdogs will be there. FRANCE 24 takes a look at what this year's event means in both Africa and beyond.

CULTURE: Blues singer Etta James dies aged 73

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 09:47 AM PST

Etta James, the pioneering US blues and soul singer, has died in Los Angeles aged 73. James, best known for her 1960 hit "At Last," had been battling leukaemia.

On The Observers: Syrian rebel fighter: 'How we pushed back Assad’s army'

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 12:38 PM PST

  After more than a week of intense fighting, Syrian army tanks have retreated from the small town of Zabadani, near the border with Lebanon. Our Observer there tells us that a group of deserters armed with a handful of rifles managed to force the tanks to retreat. But, he warns, they may not be able to hold their ground much longer. Read more…

ITALY: Rough seas suspend Concordia operations

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 04:40 AM PST

Inclement weather and rough seas on Friday suspended rescue operations due to fears the listing ship could endanger rescue crews. Plans to pump 2,300 tonnes of oil from the Costa Concordia to avert an ecological disaster were also delayed.

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MALI: Clashes between Malian army, Tuareg rebels leave scores dead

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 07:57 AM PST

Two days of battles between Malian army forces and Tuareg rebels left 45 rebels and two soldiers dead, the defence ministry said Thursday. Tuaregs want independence for their vast desert region, stretching from the west to the north of Mali.

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SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudan prepares to shut down oil production

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 07:51 AM PST

South Sudan has said it will shut down oil production within two weeks in a row over sharing oil revenues with its northern neighbour Sudan, which has begun seizing southern oil as compensation for unpaid transit fees.

CANNES 2012: Italy's Nanni Moretti to head Cannes 2012 jury

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 11:11 PM PST

Filmmaker Nanni Moretti will lead the jury at the Cannes Film Festival from May 16-27. Moretti's "Habemus Papam" (We Have a Pope) was shown at Cannes last year while his "La Stanza del Figlio" (The Son's Room) won the Palme d'Or in 2001.

HAMAS: Hamas calls for end to Israel talks in wake of arrests

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 08:22 AM PST

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas has urged the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to suspend exploratory peace talks with Israel following the arrest of two Hamas legislators, including parliamentary speaker Aziz Dweik (pictured).

INTERNET: US authorities shut down file-sharing site Megaupload

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 10:42 PM PST

US authorities shut down file-sharing site Megaupload on Thursday and charged several of its officials with copyright infringement for allowing millions of illegal downloads. The site had 150 million registered users and some 50 million hits per day.

USA: Romney loses steam ahead of South Carolina primary

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 01:01 AM PST

Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney (left) is losing steam ahead of the South Carolina primary Saturday, with his poll numbers in the state dropping and his conservative credentials under fire by rival Newt Gingrich (right) in a Thursday debate.

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On The Observers: 'Unemployed graduates' set themselves on fire

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 03:08 AM PST

For the past two weeks, nearly 200 members of the "unemployed graduates" movement have camped out in front of the Ministry of Education in the Moroccan capital Rabat to protest their situation. After a clash with police Wednesday, several young men carried out a threat to set themselves on fire.

THE INTERVIEW: Zoya Phan, campaign manager for Burma Campaign UK

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 05:19 AM PST

As ceasefire negotiations and the release of political prisoners add to faith in Burma's reforms, Douglas Herbert meets Zoya Phan, an exiled Burmese political activist. She still distrusts the Burmese government as it has broken many ceasefire agreements in the past. She also points out that the army is still attacking civilians in other parts of the country.

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POLITICS: Jobs summit: Sarkozy's last hurrah?

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 03:24 AM PST

It was the fifth and now probably the last time the French unions were invited by President Nicolas Sarkozy to a so-called "crisis summit", instead of a social summit. The result was some small decisions and some big disagreements, against the backdrop of presidential elections less than 100 days away.

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ITALY: Italy unveils secret weapon against tax fraud

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 06:52 AM PST

In 1970's New York, 'Serpico' was the cop who fought against police corruption. Today in Italy, it's the name of a computer system tackling tax evasion. With the country on the brink of recession, Rome misses out on over 100 bn € a year in unpaid tax. Yet for some Italians the system is less like a crime-busting policeman than Orwell's 'Big Brother;' a dangerous intrusion into their privacy.

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