No end in sight for Canada student protests as tuition talks collapse

Students protesting tuition fee increases on May 30, 2012 in Montreal

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/06/01/244072/talks-to-end-quebec-protests-collapsed/

Canada’s eastern province of Quebec is bracing for more mass demonstrations as talks between students and the provincial authorities aimed at ending months of anti-tuition hikes protests were deadlocked.

Four days of talks over the proposed tuition fee rises reached an impasse on Thursday after Premier Jean Charest’s government walked away from the negotiating table and refused to change its plan to increase university fees.

The talks were considered as the provincial government’s last chance for an immediate resolution to end the mass demonstrations that has swept across the country for about four months.

Student unions have asked for a tuition freeze but the government has ruled it out and passed an anti-protest law to limit student demonstrations across the province.

Student union leaders believed that the government had no intention to compromise with students to end the conflict, and that Minister of Education Michelle Courchesne only used the students as pawns in a political game.

“The Minister of Education said that for political reasons she could not accept a freeze on tuition fees,” spokesman for the student group CLASSE, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, said.

“The government is using the youth to make political gains. They only wanted to sit us down for a public relations move, for a political move, not to negotiate,” said Martine Desjardins, president of the Quebec federation of university students.

The student groups then called on students to pour into the streets of Montreal again on Saturday to voice their opposition to the government’s plans.

Over 2,500 people have been arrested since student protests began in February at over a dozen colleges and universities in Quebec.

The protests against tuition hikes spread throughout the country.

Thousands of people marched in Toronto On Wednesday in solidarity with protesters in Quebec.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International called on Quebec authorities to rescind the emergency law, which outlines strict regulations for demonstrations and conditions of heavy fines for students and their federations.

Two United Nations special reporters also voiced concerns on Wednesday, urging “federal and provincial governments of Canada and Quebec to fully respect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, expression and association of students affected by two new legislations.”

Spanish protesters hold demo against new austerity cuts

People march during a demonstration against health and education cuts recently announced by the Spanish government, Madrid, Spain, Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/236470.html

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the Spanish capital of Madrid to protest the government’s planned spending cuts in the health and education sectors.

The protesters carried banners with anti-government slogans and chanted, “Mariano, Mariano you won’t make it to the summer,” referring to the country’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

”I’m here to protect my son’s health and education, it’s basic for any society to cover those needs,” Reuters quoted one of the protesters as saying on Sunday.

The demonstration comes following the government’s announcement to make new cuts in the health and education sector worth 10 billion euros.

“For the working classes, this means the destruction of all the rights acquired over the last 40 to 50 years. It’s going to come in chapters, one day one thing, the next another and the next another,” said Manuel Fernandez, one of the protesters.

Meanwhile, a recent poll in Spain’s daily El Pais showed that support for Rajoy had witnessed a dramatic drop in April, due to the planned spending cuts.

Battered by the global financial downturn, the Spanish economy dipped into recession in the second half of 2008, taking millions of jobs with it. Many believe that Spain has entered its second recession.

Yemenis hold demo, demand dismissal of Saleh loyalists

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/229986.html

Yemenis have staged massive protest rallies across the country, demanding the expulsion of the deposed dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh’s loyalists from the Army, Press TV reports.

The huge demonstrations were held in the capital Sana’a and southern cities of Taizz and Ibb on Sunday.

Members of the military joined the protest rallies, calling on the new President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to purge the military of the associates of Saleh's regime.

The protesters also condemned the government's decision to cut salaries of the military personnel.

Last week, Saleh formally stepped down following months of anti-regime protests in the country, and was replaced by Hadi, his vice president, in a single-candidate election backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Hadi was sworn in following the election on February 21, which pundits described as a mockery of democracy.

Yemenis have been protesting against the United States and Saudi Arabia since then, blaming them for keeping the former regime remnants in power.

Many powerful military units still remain under the control of Saleh's relatives.

Yemeni people have also been calling for the prosecution of the former ruler and his aides over the killing of protesters in a deadly crackdown against popular anti-regime protests that emerged early in 2011.

Yemeni soldiers want corrupted military chiefs out

Yemeni air force soldiers demand the ouster of corrupted military chiefs during a protest rally in Sana’a, March 1, 2012.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/229487.html

Yemeni soldiers have staged protests in the capital, Sana’a, demanding the departure of the country’s military chiefs whom they accuse of corruption, Press TV reports.

The soldiers took to the streets of Sana’a on Thursday to call for the ouster of Brigadier General Hussein Khairan and Air Force Commander Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar-- a half brother of former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Meanwhile, people held demonstrations in the southern cities of Taizz and al-Bayda, demanding the immediate restructuring of the army and the ouster of Saleh's relatives from power.

The protesters also chanted slogans against the United States and Saudi Arabia and blamed them for keeping the former regime remnants in power.

Washington and Riyadh pushed for a deal that transferred power from Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansur al-Hadi, in a US and Saudi-backed single-candidate election.

The deal also granted immunity from prosecution to Saleh and his close affiliates.

Yemeni people have been calling for the prosecution of the former ruler and his aides over the killing of protesters in a deadly crackdown against popular anti-regime protests that erupted in early 2011.

Polls open in Yemen with sole US-backed pres. candidate

Members of the Yemeni election committee prepare ballot boxes on the eve of Yemen’s presidential election at a polling station, Sana’a, February 20, 2012

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/227790.html

Voting has begun in Yemen’s presidential election with only one candidate on the ballot amid the opposition’s call for the downfall of the entire regime.

The polls opened Tuesday, with 12 million eligible voters, and the sole candidate Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The election is to put an end to Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year rule and formally transfer power to his assistant, Hadi.

However, the country’s major opposition groups, including the Southern Movement and the Southern Shia group have boycotted the election, demanding the removal of the regime that abounds with Saleh-era officials.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has thrown Washington’s weight behind Yemen’s election, offering his support to Hadi.

In a letter to the Yemeni vice president, Obama said Yemen could be an example of the peaceful transition of power in the Middle East.

This is while demonstrations are expected to continue in Yemen as protesters say their revolution will not end until Saleh and all corrupt government officials are put behind bars.

On Monday, several polling stations were the target of bomb attacks prior to the beginning of the polls in the southern province of Aden and the southern port city of al-Makla, with no reports of casualties. The protesters also blocked roads leading to five villages in Daleh province, making it impossible for poll organizers to send ballot boxes there.

Saleh is currently in the US for medical treatment. He left Yemen in mid-January, shortly after the country’s parliament passed a law which grants him full immunity from prosecution.

'Saleh leaves Yemen for US'

File photo of Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222499.html

Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh has left the capital, Sana'a, for the United States to receive medical treatment, an official says.

The official from Saleh's office said the Yemeni dictator left the capital on Sunday but did not specify Saleh's destination.

This comes while authorities in Sana'a said on Sunday that Saleh's son, who runs the Republican Guard, was “already in Oman” to prepare for his father's visit to the Arab country en route to the United States.

In a farewell speech earlier on Sunday, Saleh said, “I will go to the United States for treatment and will then return as the head of the General People's Congress (GPC) party,” Yemeni state media reported.

Last week, a senior official of Saleh's GPC party said Saleh will visit “Oman and then Ethiopia before travelling to New York for [the] treatment” of the wounds he sustained in an attack on the presidential palace in June 2011.

Saleh's departure from Sana'a comes one day after Yemen's parliament approved a law that grants complete immunity from prosecution to the dictator for the crimes committed during his 33-year-long rule.

The immunity law is part of a power transfer deal brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council and supported by the United States. The legislation gives immunity to Saleh's aides only on “politically motivated” criminal acts and not on corruption charges.

“I ask for forgiveness from all my people, men and women, for any shortcomings during my 33-year-long rule,” Saleh said during his speech on Sunday.

However, Yemeni anti-regime protesters reject the immunity law and say that Saleh and his aides must face prosecution for the killing of hundreds of demonstrators during the popular uprising that began in January 2011.

The Yemeni parliament has also adopted a law that approves Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi as the “consensus candidate” in the upcoming presidential election of February 21.

Interim govt throws Saleh immunity

Yemen's outgoing dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/220041.html

Yemen's interim government has endorsed a US-backed draft law granting the country's outgoing dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from prosecution.

The draft, which was approved by the Yemeni cabinet on Sunday, also applies to anyone, who has worked with Saleh, saving them from prosecution for any crimes they have committed during his 33-year-long rule.

According to the government, Saleh and his associates "including in civilian, military and security institutions during the period of his presidency” are thereby awarded 'legal and judicial immunity.'

Yemen's parliament will now have to ratify the draft, which paves the way for Saleh's departure.

The decision is in line with a power transfer deal brokered by the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), which Saleh signed in the Saudi capital Riyadh on November 23.

The Saudi-backed deal grants him immunity from prosecution in return for his handing over the power to acting ruler Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The United States, which regarded Saleh as a pillar of its 'counter-terrorism' strategy for years, pushed through with the power transition deal, while Saudi Arabia has been supporting him by donating diesel and crude oil to the country.

The prospect of the immunity law comes as thousands of anti-regime demonstrators, calling their protest action the 'March of Dignity,' arrived from the western port city of Hudaydah to the capital Sana'a on Sunday to demand Saleh's prosecution.

The march, led by members of the north-based Yemeni Shia minority, known as Houthis, was welcomed in Sana'a by other anti-regime protesters, who also called for the trial of the outgoing Yemeni dictator.

Also, in late December 2011, tens of thousands of anti-regime protesters marched towards Sana'a from the southern city of Taizz, about 322 kilometers (200 miles) from the capital.

Yemeni demonstrators hold Saleh responsible for the killing of hundreds of protesters during the popular uprising against the regime that began in January 2011.

Protesters say the country's Republican Guards, led by Saleh's son Ahmed, are responsible for most of the deadly attacks on the anti-regime activists.

'Yemen amnesty against intl. law'

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/219716.html

The United Nations human rights chief says any amnesty granted to those responsible for human rights abuses under Yemen's power transition deal would be a violation of international law.

"I have been closely following the events in Yemen, particularly the very contentious debate about an amnesty law to be presented to parliament shortly," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement issued on Friday.

The UNHCHR said anyone who had committed human rights violations during Yemen's mass protests must not be allowed to evade justice and should be prosecuted.

"International law and the UN policy are clear on the matter: amnesties are not permissible if they prevent the prosecution of individuals who may be criminally responsible for international crimes including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and gross violations of human rights," she added

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has censured Yemen's security forces for using live ammunition against unarmed protesters and has said that outgoing ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh should not get amnesty in a deal to persuade him to leave power.

In November, Saleh signed a deal in Riyadh, brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), which granted him immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down from power after 33 years of iron-fisted rule in the impoverished state.

The United States, which regarded Saleh as a pillar of its "counter-terrorism" strategy for years, pushed the power transition deal through, while Saudi Arabia has supported Saleh by donating diesel and crude oil to the country.

Meanwhile, mass anti-regime demonstrations continue in the major cities, with protesters calling for the release of prisoners detained over the past year during the uprising.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more have been injured in Yemen since the beginning of the uprising against the Saleh regime in January 2011.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia orders arrest of 23 protesters

Saudi protesters rally to demand freedom and equality in the country. (File photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/219079.html

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry has ordered the arrest of 23 anti-regime Shia protesters in the kingdom's oil-reach Eastern Province over accusations of sparking an uprising in the Persian Gulf monarchy.

Saudi Interior Ministry declared the arrest order in a statement read on state television on Monday, accusing the 23 men of serving the agenda of a foreign power.

"We do have evidence of a relationship with somebody else abroad," Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour Turki told a news conference. "Now how much, or what kind of relationship and how strong that relationship, this still has to be investigated and that is what we want these people for," he added.

He further called on the Saudi people to inform the authorities of any other protesters, offering rewards.

Several villages and towns in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province have been the scene of protest rallies, with demonstrators calling for freedom and equality as well as the release of thousands of political prisoners.

Earlier in November, Saudi forces attacked thousands of demonstrators, killing five people and injured many others in the Eastern Province. The funerals for the victims usually turned to demonstrations, with protesters chanting slogans against the Al Saud regime.

Saudi activists say there are thousands of political prisoners in jails across the kingdom. According to human rights campaigners, most of the detained are being held without trial or legitimate charges and have been arrested on the grounds of mere suspicion.

Yemeni troops demand Saleh trial

Defected Yemeni soldiers supporting anti-government protesters (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218707.html

Yemeni soldiers have rallied in the southern city of Taizz, calling for the trial of the outgoing dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The soldiers condemned Saleh and his regime for killing peaceful and unarmed protesters during the country's uprising.

“These people must leave their positions because they represent injustice and terror instead of security and peace,” one soldier said on Saturday, referring to the injustices committed by Saleh and his loyalists.

“They will have no upper hand on us anymore,” the soldier added.

A similar rally was also held in the port city of Aden.

Meanwhile, a military official said that Ahmad, the son of the outgoing ruler, is now in charge of leading the crackdown within the country's army to stop more officers from joining the mass protests.

The demonstrators also denounced a recent deal, brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), which granted Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down from power after 33 years of iron-fist rule in the impoverished state.

According to the (P)GCC agreement, newly appointed Prime Minister Mohamed Basindwa has been tasked with forming a unity government.

Under the new unity government, the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, and oil will be controlled by Saleh loyalists, while the ministries of information, the interior, and finance will be in the hands of the opposition.

Opponents of the deal have now formed a new organization called the Revolutionary Front of Salvation, uniting members of various political parties and groups.

The founders of the group say they want to recover the real goal of the revolution to achieve what they call real democracy.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more have been injured in Yemen since the beginning of the uprising against the Saleh regime in January 2011.

Yemenis hold demos, demand Saleh trial

Anti-government protesters perform Friday prayers during a rally in Sana'a on December 30, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218585.html

Anti-regime protesters have taken to the streets of Yemen for “Friday of together to achieve our goals” demonstrations and demanded that outgoing ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh be put on trial.

Demonstrations were held in the capital Sana'a and the flashpoint city of Taizz on Friday.

The protesters carried placards criticizing the US ambassador to Yemen, Gerald Feierstein, who sparked controversy by describing last week's anti-regime march from Taizz to Sana'a as a provocative act.

The protesters say the US is trying to save Saleh's regime.

The demonstrators also denounced a recent deal, brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), which granted Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down from power after 33 years of iron-fist rule in the impoverished state.

According to the (P)GCC agreement, newly appointed Prime Minister Mohamed Basindwa has been tasked with forming a unity government.

Under the new unity government, the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, and oil will be controlled by Saleh loyalists, while the ministries of information, the interior, and finance will be in the hands of the opposition.

Opponents of the deal have now formed a new organization called the Revolutionary Front of Salvation, uniting members of various political parties and groups.

The founders of the group say they want to recover the real goal of the revolution to achieve what they call real democracy.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more have been injured in Yemen since the beginning of the uprising against the Saleh regime in January 2011.

Clashes, US airstrikes kill 30 Yemenis

A US Predator drone firing a missile (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197137.html

At least 30 people identified as al-Qaeda suspects by the Yemeni regime have been killed in the latest US airstrikes and clashes with Yemeni soldiers in the southern province of Abyan, Press TV reports.

The Yemeni military says 30 “al-Qaeda suspects” were killed in the US airstrikes and clashes with Yemeni soldiers on Wednesday and Thursday, but observers say most of the dead were civilians, the Press TV correspondent in Sana'a reported on Friday.

The Yemeni military claims that the airstrikes helped rescue a Yemeni military unit that had been besieged by al-Qaeda militants in Abyan province for several weeks.

Yemeni officials deny that the US is carrying out operations in the war against al-Qaeda in the country, but the United States has confirmed that its forces have been conducting anti-terrorism operations in Yemen since June 2010.

Militants linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist organization were believed to have been in control of Zinjibar, the largest city in Abyan province, until recently.

The Yemeni opposition says the government handed the city over to al-Qaeda militants in order to gain military and political support from the West, which would help the regime stay in power.

Hundreds of thousands of people have turned out for regular demonstrations in Yemen's major cities since January, calling for an end to corruption and unemployment and demanding the ouster of Ali Abdullah Saleh, who took office in 1978.

Yemenis march favoring National Council

Yemeni army soldiers participate with anti-regime protestors calling for the resignation of Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, August 18, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/194632.html

Thousands of Yemenis across the country have marched in celebration of the recently formed National Council that will lead toward the removal of Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime.

People in the city of Taizz and the Yemeni capital of Sana'a on Thursday chanted slogans in support of the revolution and the 143-member National Council, Press TV reported.

The formation of the Council was announced late Wednesday, a day after Saleh claimed he would soon return to Yemen.

Some 800 representatives of different opposition groups had elected the members of the Council.

The Council includes members of the parliamentary opposition umbrella of the Common Forum, young protesters, and the north-based Shia minority, which has for long been repressed by Saleh's regime and Saudi Arabian forces.

Saleh is currently in Saudi Arabia, were he has been receiving medical treatment for injuries inflicted on him in a June 3 rocket attack against Yemen's presidential palace.

Moreover, the formation of the council serves as a notable blow to Saleh's unpopular 33-year-old regime, which has been facing regular nationwide protests since January.

It also signals an end to the power transition deal proposed by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC).

The leaders of the (P)GCC in late April proposed a power transfer plan that would grant Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from prosecution in exchange for his departure from the country and handover of power to his vice president in thirty days.

The Yemeni opposition, however, has repeatedly rejected the power transition deal.

Yemen opposition forms national council

File photo shows anti-government protesters saluting as they chant Yemen's national anthem during a rally to demand the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/194379.html

The Yemeni opposition has formed a broad coalition tasked with leading the country's popular revolution towards the removal of Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime from power.

The 800 representatives of different opposition groups elected the 143-member National Council for the Forces of the Peaceful Revolution on Wednesday, AFP reported.

The move marked a notable blow to the unpopular 33-year-old government, which has been facing countrywide protests since January.

The development comes only one day after Saleh vowed to return to Yemen soon. He is currently being treated for injuries he received in a June 3 RPG attack on the presidential palace in Saudi Arabia.

"The National Council will lead the forces of the revolution, determined to stand strong until Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure," said a key opposition leader, Sultan al-Atwani.

The council includes members of the parliamentary opposition umbrella of the Common Forum, the young protesters, and the north-based Shia minority, which has for long been repressed by the government and Saudi Arabia.

The members will now vote for a 20-member executive committee.

Unemployment ticking time-bomb in UK

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/194122.html

A new survey has revealed that more jobs will be lost in the third quarter across the UK amid a sharp fall in confidence in the country's manufacturing sector.

The quarterly survey of more than 1,000 employers from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and accountants KPMG showed that Britain's economy would shed more jobs in the third quarter as companies' hiring is unlikely to counterbalance public sector cuts, British media reported.

"Increasing uncertainty about growth prospects in both the UK and global economies is now affecting hiring intentions; particularly in those industries such as manufacturing that stand to lose most in the event of a global slowdown," said Gerwyn Davies, public policy adviser at the CIPD.

"This will concern the government as it attempts to rebalance the economy towards exports and investment," he added.

The CIPD/KPMG net employment index turned negative again, falling to -1 from +3 recorded for the past three months.

"Long-term prospects are even worse, with the twelve-month employment index falling to -6 from +2 last quarter," the CIPD said.

However, the near- and long-term index are both still above levels hit in the survey published in February.

Official unemployment numbers are due on Wednesday and economists expect a rise of 20,000 in claimant numbers for July and a stable unemployment rate of 7.7 percent in the three months to June.

Meanwhile, fears are growing that the North-South jobs divide will widen in the next year as it was revealed confidence in the manufacturing sector has fallen sharply.

Research reveals that more private sector employers in the North of the UK now intend to shed staff, while those in the South are still recruiting.

Analysis suggests that businesses in the North will look to get rid of jobs both over the next three months and 12 months - a reversal from earlier this year.

Fears have been raised that an unemployment time-bomb is ticking in Britain.

British lose confidence in premier: poll

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/193861.html

A new survey shows more than half the British public believed the Prime Minister can no longer be trusted to lead the country in the aftermath of recent unrest.

The survey commissioned by ComRes for the daily the Independent found that over half the public have lost confidence in David Cameron's capability to lead the country after the worst unrest in decades rocked some major cities and towns including the capital London.

The poll also found that more than two-thirds of the public are opposed to the government's plans to slash the number of police forces as part of the spending review program to reduce the country's record budget deficit.

Meanwhile, half of those questioned said that they have less confidence in London's ability to host next year's Olympic Games safely.

The poll for The Independent, which was the first comprehensive gauge of public reaction to the unrests, also suggested that as many people blame the government's austerity drive as the cause of the violence as those who blame police tactics.

According to the poll 54 percent of the public believe Cameron has failed to provide the necessary political leadership early enough in response to the mayhem.

The results also showed almost 80 percent of the public believed those found guilty of taking part in the damage on property or looting should face an automatic jail sentence no matter how small their involvement.

A separate poll of business strongmen in London has found that the Mayor of London's popularity among his supporters has been damaged significantly with 29 percent saying they have a less favourable view of the Mayor as a result of the unrest.

Adding to Boris Johnson's concerns, almost 9 percent of the business leaders have said they would reduce investment in London because of the unrest and the police response.

UK government, police clash over US cop pick

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/193849.html

British police unions have deplored the appointment of a US former top cop as the UK government's advisor on combating gang crime as an “insulting stunt”.

The veteran American police commander William Bratton, former commander of the police forces in Los Angeles, New York and Boston, was installed by Prime Minister David Cameron as an advisor on how to combat gangs and prevent a repeat of the past week's unrest and violence across Britain.

The Prime Minister and senior police officers have engaged in a visible row over the response to widespread mayhem that crippled several British cities and towns after violence erupted by the death of a black man at the hands of police officers in the London suburbs of Tottenham.

"America polices by force. We don't want to do that in this country," said Paul Deller of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents more than 30,000 officers in London.

Deller, a 25-year Met officer, accused the government of not being serious about following Bratton's recipe for reducing crime.

"When Mr. Bratton was in New York and Los Angeles, the first thing he did was to increase the number of police on the street, whereas we've got a government that wants to do exactly the opposite," he said.

Deller was referring to the government's plan to cut the number of police forces and to slash law enforcement spending as part of its efforts to reduce budget deficit.

Ian Hanson, chairman of the federation's Manchester branch, said local officers knew better how to police their own communities than "someone who lives 5,000 miles away."

Five people were killed during England's unrest, including a 26-year-old man shot to death in his car and a 68-year-old man beaten to death by a gang of looters.

In England's second-largest city of Birmingham, police said Saturday they had arrested two more men on suspicion of murdering three Pakistani men during street clashes there Wednesday.

The arrests rose to five the number of men, aged 16 to 27, being interrogated over the killing of Haroon Jahan, 20, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31.

The trio were fatally struck by a speeding car that appeared to be driven deliberately into a crowd of South Asian vigilantes protecting a strip of family-owned shops in west Birmingham.

Scotland Yard said that, as of Saturday night, 1,276 protesters and looters have been arrested, of whom 748 have been charged with various crimes.

More than 2,100 people have been arrested across the country. Courts in London, Birmingham and Manchester have stayed open around the clock since Wednesday to process the cases.

Yemeni opposition groups reach accord

Yemen's Houthi fighters

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/193848.html

Yemen's major opposition group, the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, has reached a consensus with Shia Houthis following months of armed clashes in the Middle Eastern country.

The Yemeni Congregation for Reform, also known as the Islamic Party of Reforms, signed a tribes-mediated deal with the Houthis and appointed Al-Hussein Al-Dhameen as the new governor of northeast Al-Jouf Province as part of an effort to put an end to armed struggle with the local Shia group, IRNA quoted Aljazeera news network as reporting on Saturday night.

The Islamic party is a member of Yemen's opposition coalition which plans to declare the formation of a national council in the coming days. The council is meant to rule Yemen during the transitional period once Ali Abdullah Saleh is ousted.

Al-Jouf Province is Yemen's second province, after northern province of Sa'ada, that has been out of the control and supervision of Saleh.

The armed clashes between the Houthi group and forces loyal to Yemeni Congregation for Reform in Al-Jouf region ended after tribesmen and opposition figures' mediation.

Europe can do without Britain: experts

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/193860.html

European experts believe the EU should not wait for Britain to leave the bloc; rather they should kick the UK out, as it has done more damage to Europe than Greece.

Britain's performance vis-à-vis the European Union (EU) as far as issues like the Iraq war, the financial crisis, human rights issues and etc. are concerned clearly makes the case for the EU not to wait for the UK to leave.

Moreover, a recent poll showed that 50 percent of the British public favors disintegration as well, according to the experts.

The UK government under former Prime Minister Tony Blair led Europe into the disaster of the Iraq war, which itself has been contributing to the loss of integrity and the shattering of European unity.

The UK's banks and collapsed housing market led the world to the brink of global Armageddon. Along with their American counterparts, British hedge funds and banks unleashed financial cluster bombs known as derivatives, credit default swaps and other exotic investment vehicles that blew up in the world's face.

The UK has been one of the worst foot-draggers when it comes to reforming the financial sector to ensure that disaster does not strike a second time.

The UK's economy remains in a nosedive as it struggles under the heels of the coalition government's austerity drive; and its growth is more sluggish than any other EU member state.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron's policies have not only failed to revive the economy but also resulted in widespread looting and arson by a distressed population of young people.

Steve Hilton, Cameron's strategy director, has suggested that the UK should ignore EU labour rules on the length of the working week and temporary workers.

Thus, Britain is becoming the type of partner that Europe can do without - a long-faded empire with a failing track record, experts believe.

UK threatens to ban social networks

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/193517.html

The UK has threatened to kill access to social networking websites following the outbreak of, what the authorities have described as, the country's worst unrest in a generation.

Prime Minister David Cameron addressed a statement to the parliament on Thursday, warning to unleash a clampdown on the web-based social outfits, including Facebook, Twitter and Research in Motion, the producer of BlackBerry devices, AFP reported.

He said the government would consider applying the ban against the people, who are suspected of 'inciting violence online.'

The premier cautioned the websites to take more responsibility for their contents.

Unrest has rocked Britain in a scale unprecedented in 30 years following the police's killing of black male Mark Duggan in a shooting spree in the London suburb of Tottenham last Thursday.

The security forces fatally shot the 26-year-old after stopping his minicab to make an arrest as part of a preplanned operation.

Tension erupted on Saturday, when a few hundred people gathered outside a police station in Tottenham to protest the killing.

The protests have spread to major cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, and Bristol.

They came while the pressure on the Britons from economic stagnation has been compounded by deep public spending cuts and tax increases aimed at eliminating a budget deficit that has peaked at more than 10 percent of the GDP.

Scotland Yard has said at least 1,200 people have been arrested for taking part in the public show of outrage.

Cameron's threat, meanwhile, defied the White Hall's claim to being an advocate of human rights and freedom of expression.