. Earth Science News .
DEMOCRACY
Asian nations raise alarm on Egypt travellers

Iran MPs endorse atomic chief as foreign minister
Tehran (AFP) Jan 30, 2011 - Iran's parliament on Sunday officially endorsed atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi as the Islamic republic's foreign minister, who told lawmakers the nuclear issue was a key part of foreign policy. Salehi's candidacy was endorsed by 146 of the 241 lawmakers who voted in the conservative-dominated parliament on Sunday, state television reported on its website. "The nuclear issue is one of the important agendas of the foreign policy," Salehi said in his address to the parliament prior to the vote. Iran is at loggerheads with the West over its controversial nuclear programme and the latest round of talks between the two groups broke down in Istanbul earlier this month. Western powers led by the United States suspect Iran is masking a weapons drive under the guise of a civilian atomic programme, a charge strongly denied by the Islamic republic.

Salehi, 61, who is also a vice president, oversees Iran's nuclear programme and during his tenure the country's first nuclear power plant has come on line. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad introduced Salehi to the parliament prior to the vote and in his address said Iran needed a "foreign policy which is utterly transparent, active, powerful and influential." Iran's nuclear programme has steadfastly grown under the presidency of Ahmadinejad who appointed Salehi on December 13 as the caretaker foreign minister after sacking Manouchehr Mottaki who headed the ministry for more than five years. Salehi has been Iran's atomic energy chief since July 2009. Before taking up the post, he was deputy chief of the Jeddah-based Organisation of the Islamic Conference. He is a PhD graduate of the prestigious MIT in the United States and previously served as Tehran's representative in the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency during the presidency of the reformist Mohammad Khatami.

France envoy likens New Tunisia to post-Saddam Iraq
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 30, 2011 - France must act quickly to show its support for the Tunisian people following a series of misjudgements, the country's new envoy to Tunis said on Sunday. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's administration has been accused of moving slowly to condemn the violent repression of protests earlier this month that led to the downfall of Tunisia's longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. "We must very quickly show France's solidarity with the Tunisian people -- and show we stand beside them -- as they take this new step," Boris Boillon, the outgoing ambassador to Baghdad, told AFP after a news conference.

"Tunisia is a new challenge because of the new situation ... They are our brothers who have decided to take their destinies into their own hands," said Boillon, who has been named to take over as France's ambassador to Tunis. "For a new era in relations between Tunisia and France, we need new men," he said, drawing a parallel between the "New Tunisia" and the "New Iraq" following the US-led invasion of 2003 that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein. "In the two countries, a wind of change has blown through the regime and, as Iraq has had to do, Tunisia must find the path to democracy."
by Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) Jan 30, 2011
Australia and China told their citizens not to travel to Egypt Sunday, as Tokyo appealed for help for 500 Japanese stranded at Cairo airport and Asian nations voiced concern about the country's turmoil.

The Philippines is setting up shelters in case thousands of migrant workers need to be evacuated, and the Hyundai-Kia car group was reported to have temporarily closed its African headquarters in Cairo.

The rising concern came as Egypt faced another day of angry revolt against Hosni Mubarak's regime Sunday, with more than 100 already dead in protests demanding the veteran president quit.

Australia called for calm and restraint, and the foreign office upgraded its travel warning from "reconsider your need to travel" to "do not travel".

It advised Australians against journeying to Egypt and counselled those currently in the troubled country to get out if possible.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said 870 Australians were registered as staying in Egypt but given its popularity as a tourist destination said the real number was "likely to be in the thousands".

She told anyone who could safely leave to strongly consider doing so, condemning violence on both sides.

"The Australian government certainly understands the desire of the people of Egypt for reform, for democracy, we understand that," the prime minister said.

"But we are monitoring the situation closely and calling on everybody to exercise calm and restraint, to make sure that the security forces are being restrained, and also to make sure that demonstrations are peaceful."

Australia's foreign office said the situation "remains unpredictable and may deteriorate quickly" and urged travellers to avoid demonstrations.

"The army is on the streets of the main towns and there are widespread reports of arson and looting. The civil police are not present to maintain law and order," Australia's foreign office said, adding that travellers should respect a curfew.

China's embassy in Cairo said on its website that the foreign ministry in Beijing had issued a "red" warning on Sunday, "requiring all Chinese citizens not to travel to Egypt".

It urged Chinese nationals in Egypt to be careful of their safety and not to not to go outside unless necessary, adding that 300 Chinese nationals had been stranded due to cancelled flights.

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara expressed his concern at a meeting with Cairo's ambassador and called on Egypt's government and people to "establish a stable government through dialogue and solve the problem in a peaceful manner," the foreign ministry said.

The minister highlighted the plight of Japanese tourists whose flights home with flag carrier EgyptAir had been cancelled, asking the airline to restore services and lay on extra aircraft for those who were stranded.

The Philippines said it had set up four "relocation sites" for its citizens -- mostly migrant workers -- in case they seek to flee violence in Egypt.

Presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said none of the estimated 6,500 Filipinos in Egypt were reported hurt.

"In case there is a real need to evacuate them, we have already prepared four relocation sites -- three in Cairo and one in Alexandria," Valte said over government radio.

"We are looking at what we can do, and our contingency measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of our citizens."

South Korea's Hyundai-Kia car group temporarily closed its African headquarters in Cairo, Yonhap news agency reported, adding that its employees had been moved to Dubai while their families would return home.

Seoul's foreign ministry suspended classes at a Korean school in Egypt attended by some 40 elementary students, and said the South Korean embassy was putting together an emergency plan to evacuate Korean nationals if needed.

Flag carrier Korean Air said it had rescheduled its flights to Egypt to avoid landing during curfew hours.

Warnings against travel to Egypt were also issued by Taiwan and Hong Kong, with Taipei's tourism bureau saying 410 Taiwanese tourists were currently touring Egypt.

Hong Kong issued a "black" alert, the territory's highest, saying residents were "urged to avoid all travel to the country".



Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


DEMOCRACY
Iraqis: Egypt, Tunisia inspired by Saddam's fall
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 29, 2011
Iraqis on Saturday welcomed the revolt in Egypt that threatens to topple President Hosni Mubarak, with some claiming the tremors shaking Arab rulers had begun with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. "Saddam was their teacher, and all of these dictators are his little pupils," declared Hussein Mohammed, taking a break from loading boxes of imported toys into a truck. "The dictator (Mubarak) ... read more







DEMOCRACY
Clinton visits quake-hit Haiti as new vote looms

Australia flags taxpayer levy for floods

No 'magic pot of money' for Australia floods: PM

UN says Pakistan still in emergency after floods

DEMOCRACY
Mobile 'apps' to be $58 billion market: study

News Corp. to launch iPad newspaper Wednesday

China's Lenovo, NEC form PC joint venture in Japan

Touchscreens Made Of Carbon

DEMOCRACY
Warming North Atlantic Water Tied To Heating Arctic

Precise Way To Monitor Ocean Wave Behavior And Shore Impacts

Study Finds Common Ground For Ecosystems And Fishing In Northwest Mexico

Fish consumption at all time high, says UN agency

DEMOCRACY
'Hidden Plumbing' Helps Slow Greenland Ice Flow

VIMS Team Glides Into Polar Research

Study alters Greenland glacier melt view

Scientists Find That Debris On Certain Himalayan Glaciers May Prevent Melting

DEMOCRACY
Fishy Consequences Of Transplanting Trout, Salmon, Whitefishes

China goes rabbit-crazy for Lunar New Year

Notre Dame Biologists Call For Regulation Of Rare Plant Sales

Smaller Rows Contribute To More Soybean Yields In Colder Climates

DEMOCRACY
Hundreds evacuate as Japan volcano erupts

Australia dodges cyclone 'bullet', but worse feared

Airlines resume Bali flights as volcano slows

Cyclones to hit flood-weary Australia

DEMOCRACY
Sudan recognises landslide vote for indepedent south

Nigeria religious war boosts poll tensions

French defence minister spells out Ivory Coast position

Commentary: Explosive kaleidoscope

DEMOCRACY
Modern Humans Reached Arabia Earlier Than Thought

Mathematical Model Explains How Complex Societies Emerge And Collapse

Date of humans out of Africa pushed back

Indonesia arrests suspect in asylum deaths


The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement