NATO strikes Tripoli, rebels refuse polls

  NATO planes resumed bombardments of Tripoli after Muammar Gaddafi's son said the Libyan leader was willing to hold elections and step aside if he lost, an offer rejected by rebels and the United States.


Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam told an Italian newspaper that the elections could be held within three months and transparency could be guaranteed through international observers.

He said his father would be ready to cede power if he lost the election, though he would not go into exile.

But Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi appeared to throw the potential concession into question, saying on Thursday that the leader of the revolution was not concerned by "any referendum."

A visiting Russian envoy said the Libyan leadership had reiterated that Gaddafi's departure was a "red line."

The rebel leadership in the eastern stronghold of Benghazi rejected Gaddafi's son's election offer.

"We tell him (Saif al-Islam) that the time has passed because our rebels are at the outskirts of Tripoli, and they will join our people and rebels there to uproot the symbol of corruption and tyranny in Libya," rebel spokesman Abdel Hafiz Ghoga told .

A U.S. State Department official also dismissed the election idea, saying it was "a little late for that."

The proposal -- which follows a series of moves the Libyan leader's officials portray as concessions but Western powers dismiss as ploys -- comes at a time when frustration is mounting in some NATO states at slow military progress.

Rebel advances towards Tripoli have been slow, while weeks of NATO strikes pounding Gaddafi's compound and other targets have failed to end his 41-year-old rule.

In the latest raids, eight loud explosions were heard in southeast and southwest Tripoli late on Thursday and planes could be heard overhead. Libyan state television said NATO had hit targets in the Al-Ferjan district of the city.

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NATO strike kills civilians: Libya govt

  Libyan officials said some seven civilians were killed in a NATO air strike in eastern Tripoli in the early hours of Sunday morning.



"There was intentional and deliberate targeting of the civilian houses," deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told reporters at the site. "This is another sign of the brutality of the West."

There were heaps of rubble and chunks of shattered concrete at the scene, which a large crowd of what appeared to be local residents were helping to clear.

On previous occasions when reporters have been taken to see fresh air strikes, the ruins of shattered buildings would typically still be smoking so soon after being hit. There did not appear to be any smoke at the site the Libyan said was targeted by NATO on Sunday morning.

If confirmed, the incident would be a blow to NATO's campaign which is aiding rebels fighting the government of Muammar Gaddafi at a time when the Western alliance is debating how to sustain its mission.

At a local hospital, reporters were shown three bodies, including a child, which government officials said were people killed in the air strike.

One of the bodies was covered with debris and dust. Reporters were also shown a wounded child.

"Basically, this is another night of murder, terror and horror in Tripoli caused by NATO," government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told  at the hospital. Five families were living in the building which was hit, he said.

It could not be immediately verified whether the three bodies had come from the destroyed building in the Arada district. Arada is a neighbourhood in the Souq al-Juma district, which is known for anti-Gaddafi sentiment.

Two weeks ago, Libyan government officials were accused by a staff member at the same hospital in a note passed to journalists of falsely labelling a child hurt in a car crash as the victim of a NATO attack.

The incident occurred just over 24 hours after the Libyan government accused NATO of specifically targeting civilians.

After four months of civil war, rebels control much of the east of Libya, the area around the western port city of Misrata and much of the Western Mountain region stretching to the border with Tunisia.

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Forest Europe summit 'to shape' policy

 Forests cover almost one half of Europe's land area.

 

 

 

Forestry ministers from across Europe are attending a summit to shape future policy on how woodlands are managed.


Delegates from 46 nations are expected to decide whether they will go ahead and establish a legally binding agreement on forest management.


Yesterday, the conference is being officially opened by Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, and the State of Europe's Forest 2011 report is set to be published.


Ministers at the three-day gathering in Oslo are also set to adopt resolutions that will help shape European forest policy for the next decade.


It is estimated that forests cover more than half of Europe's land area.
"Forest Europe is a unique process for sharing information and experience between different countries," said host minister Lars Peder Brekk.


"It is a very important conference, and I hope we can get good results," he told.



Brekk explained that there were two main goals for the sixth meeting of ministers.


"One is to consider the goals, targets and actions for Forest Europe for the coming years.


"And for me, as the minister that is leading this work, it is also very important to make progress and launch the proceedings for the legally binding agreement."


He added that launching the process towards such an agreement would be a "huge success" for the sixth ministerial gathering since Forest Europe was established in 1990.


Brekk said: "It is very important for the future - it can be a model for such legislation and work in other parts of the world."

However, he was keen to stress that management of forest resources remained under the sovereignty of individual nations, and any agreement through the Forest Europe process would be more about sharing information and experiences.
 

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Late Welbeck goal gives England draw with Spain

 
A late Danny Welbeck equaliser gave England a share of the points in their opening Group B qualifying clash against Spain at the European under-21 soccer championship on Sunday.

Spain had the upper hand in the first half and took the lead with an Ander Herrera header in the 14th minute, though television replays suggested the ball might have struck him on the arm.

England clawed their way back into the game in the second half and both sides created several chances before Manchester United's Welbeck fired an 88th-minute equaliser past David De Gea, a transfer target for Welbeck's club.

Earlier, the Czech Republic beat Ukraine thanks to two second-half goals from Boreck Dockel.

The Slovan Liberec midfielder fired home an exquisite first-time shot to give the Czechs the lead in the 49th minute before slotting home a second goal seven minutes later.

Ukraine pulled one back through substitute Biliy late in the game but the Czechs held on to take the three points and top Group B after the first round of matches. 

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Britain, Bill Gates boost child vaccine funding

 

 

 

Britain and Bill Gates joined forces yesterday to pledge more than half of the $3.7 billion sought to vaccinate nearly 250 million children against preventable diseases.


Prime Minister David Cameron told a donors' conference in London that Britain would contribute a further £814 million ($1.3 billion, 920 million euros) to GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation), an aid group backed by the Microsoft tycoon.


Cameron said the extra funds would help treat 80 million children against pneumonia and diarrhoea, and save 1.4 million lives.


Gates followed Cameron's pledge by saying his charitable foundation would commit an additional one billion dollars over five years.


It is expected that by the end of the one-day summit donations should exceed the $3.7 billion target.
Cameron said: "Today we come together because we have the chance to save another four million lives in four years.


"Frankly, the idea of children dying from pneumonia and diarrhoea should be absolutely unthinkable in 2011.
"But for many parents in the developing world it is a devastating reality."


The pledges have gone a long way towards making up the $3.7-billion funding shortfall as GAVI aims to immunise 243 million more children and avert four million deaths by 2015.

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India secure series win

A superb unbeaten 86 from Rohit Sharma led India to a three wicket victory over West Indies Saturday to secure the five-match one day series for the tourists who now have an unassailable 3-0 lead. Sharma led India's recovery from 92 for six as they chased down 226 at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium. An 88-run partnership with Harbhajan Singh (41) put India back in contention and then Praveen Kumar (25 not out) saw the tourists through to a comfortable victory with 22 balls to spare. It was a day for lower order contributions with West Indies only managing to set a decent target thanks to an outstanding 92 not out from 84 balls by Jamaican Andre Russell. Russell's score is the highest made by a number nine batsman in one-day internationals and included a 78-run partnership with wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh as the Caribbean side recovered from 85-6. The big hitting innings included eight fours and five sixes as the success-starved home crowd were finally treated to some entertainment. Once again West Indies struggled against spin with leg-spinner Amit Mishra taking 3-28 from his ten allotted overs. Opener Lendl Simmons again was the pick of the West Indies batsmen with 45 before Mishra had him caught by Virat Kohli at slip but the middle order again failed. India's innings had a similar structure with opener Parthiv Patel hitting 46 but no-one else making a major contribution until Sharma's big knock turned the game. "That was a game that got away from us," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy. "Russell and Baugh got us back into it and the guys were confident but we lacked the killer instinct after taking early wickets. "We have not been getting runs at the top and we lacked the finishing touch," he said. With the series in the bag, India skipper Suresh Raina said he would rotate the squad in the final two games before the test series begins.

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IMF latest target in string of cyber attacks

The International Monetary Fund says it was targeted by a sophisticated cyber attack earlier this year.

 IMF officials say the attack was a very major breach of its systems.
Cyber security officials say the hack was designed to install software to create a digital insider presence.

The headquarters of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC.

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The IMF says its operations are fully functional. The agency holds sensitive economic data about many countries.
The attack took place over several months.

IMF staff were told of the intrusion on Wednesday by e-mail.

 the incident is the latest in a string of high profile cyber security breaches.

In April, the Sony Playstation network was shut down after hackers stole the personal data of about 100 million accounts.
US defence firm Lockheed Martin said in May that it had come under a significant cyber-attack.

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UN summit sets plan to stop HIV child infections

World leaders at a U.N. AIDS summit launched a plan on Thursday to try to eliminate by 2015 most new HIV infections among children, who inherit the condition from already infected mothers.
The campaign was launched as the leaders also agreed on a target of reaching 15 million people with HIV treatment, more than double the number who currently get it, also by 2015.
Both goals were announced just weeks after groundbreaking new data showed that early treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, which causes AIDS, can cut its transmission to a sexual partner by 96 percent.
In 2009, some 370,000 children were born with HIV, or one nearly every minute -- the vast majority of them in 22 countries, almost all in Africa. But providing HIV-positive pregnant women with treatment can reduce the risk of a child being born with the virus to less than 5 percent.
The UNAIDS organization and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which are jointly managing the campaign launched on Thursday, said it would aim to reduce the number of child infections by 90 percent by 2015.
"We believe that by 2015 children everywhere can be born free of HIV and that their mothers can remain healthy," UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe told the launch event, describing the plan as realistic and achievable.
UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Paul De Lay told Reuters the plan was based on providing pregnant women with more information and on more effective use of anti-AIDS drugs.
"BEGINNING OF THE END"
UNAIDS officials said funding from all sources for prevention of mother-child transmission of HIV was currently running at some $500 million a year. They said a total of $2.5 billion more would be needed by 2015 to achieve the campaign's target of eliminating mother-to-child HIV infections.
"Developed countries already do this," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the meeting. "But we cannot rest until this is true for our whole world."
U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby said the United States was contributing an extra $75 million to the campaign. Several private companies and foundations also announced contributions.
Achieving the goal could be "the beginning of the end of the story, because that opens the prospect for an AIDS-free generation," Michel Kazatchkine, head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, told Reuters.
Meanwhile, a declaration agreed by the 140-nation U.N. summit commits governments to "the target of working toward 15 million people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment by 2015."
The declaration is expected to be adopted on Friday at the end of the three-day summit, which was held close to the 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS.
Some 6.6 million were receiving antiretroviral treatment in low- and middle-income countries at the end of 2010, according to U.N. figures.
Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) called the pledge a "critical step," but said governments needed to take "immediate concrete action" to make the target a reality.
"There are 9 million people waiting for HIV treatment today," Tido von Schoen-Angerer of MSF said in a statement. "This whole AIDS summit will have been a farce if we don't see real plans to ramp up treatment so we can get ahead of the wave of new infections."

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South Sudan accuses north of air attack, clashes flare

 South Sudan's army accused the north on Friday of bombing a southern border village and said southern forces were getting ready to defend against a possible ground attack.
The south is preparing to secede on July 9 and fears of fresh fighting between the two long-standing rivals grew after the north seized the contested Abyei region on May 21.
The United Nations said fighting between northern forces and southern-aligned armed groups in the north-run oil state of Southern Kordofan had spread to the tip of the southern Unity state and that tens of thousands may have fled the clashes.
Philip Aguer, spokesman for the south's Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army, said the northern military was trying to occupy areas near the border -- whose exact position is yet to be decided -- in an attempt to control the country's oil fields.
"There has been an air bombardment by northern forces in Unity state, in the morning yesterday and again in the afternoon. Three people were killed in the morning," Aguer said. The three dead were civilians, he said.
"We are expecting not only air attacks but also ground forces. We know their forces are moving from Abyei towards Unity state. ... We are getting ready to defend ourselves. Our forces near the border are on maximum alert and are expecting an attack any time," he added.
A spokesman for the northern army was not immediately available to comment. In previous statements, it blamed southern or southern-aligned forces for provoking fighting in Abyei, Southern Kordofan and elsewhere.
The White House said on Friday night it was "deeply concerned" by the developments in southern Sudan.
"The United States condemns reported acts of violence in Southern Kordofan that target individuals based on their ethnicity and political affiliation," the Obama administration statement said. "We call on the UN to fully investigate these incidents, and we demand that the perpetrators immediately halt these actions and be held accountable for their crimes."
South Sudan voted to secede in a January referendum promised by a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of brutal civil war between the north and south.
That vote went more smoothly and peacefully than many analysts and humanitarian groups predicted, but a lack of agreement between the two sides on questions such as how to share debt and oil revenues has complicated the split.
The secession could see the north lose some 75 percent of Sudan's current 500,000 barrels a day of oil output, the lifeblood of both the northern and southern economies.fighting,area,un,

VOLATILE BORDER

Northern forces have been fighting armed groups in the volatile Southern Kordofan border state since a police station was attacked on Saturday.
Between 30,000 and 40,000 people may have fled fighting in the state capital, Kadugli, alone, the United Nations said on Friday. The town's normal population is estimated at 60,000.
"The fighting has spread to the disputed border area of the northernmost tip of Unity state in southern Sudan," Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, told reporters in Geneva.
Armed checkpoints were set up on the main roads inside and around Kadugli and there had been reports of "large-scale" looting as late as Thursday, she added.
Kouider Zerrouk, spokesman for UNMIS, the local U.N. Mission in Sudan, said separately that MiG and Antonov aircraft bombardments were reported in the state's Umm Dorain, Umm Serdiba, Heiban and Saraf el-Gamos on Thursday, and artillery fire could be heard near Kadugli on Friday.
"The security situation in Kadugli and its environs remains volatile," he said. "Military build-up is continuing in various locations."
Analysts have seen Southern Kordofan as a flashpoint because it is home to thousands of northerners who sided with the south against Khartoum during the last civil war. Northern officials have called last week's clashes an "armed rebellion."
The region also holds the most productive oil fields that will be left in the north after the split.
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki met with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Thursday to discuss Southern Kordofan and Abyei and was scheduled to travel to Juba to meet officials there on Friday, state news agency SUNA said.
Abyei, long a centerpiece of the north-south divide, has been one of the most contentious issues before southern secession. It is used all year by the south-linked Dinka Ngok people and part of the year by northern Misseriya nomads.
Khartoum took control of the area with tanks and troops nearly three weeks ago, following an attack on a convoy of northern soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers that was blamed on southern forces. The move drew an international outcry.
Abyei was "calm but unpredictable" with sporadic shooting in the region's main town, OCHA said on Friday. Some 101,800 people may have fled the fighting there, it added, up from a previous estimate of 96,000.

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