World leaders attend Friends of Libya summit to recognise NTC as new government Nato will remain on a war footing in the skies over Libya until the last remnants of the Gaddafi regime have been defeated, European diplomats have said. World leaders are converging on Paris on Thursday for a Friends of Libya summit intended to acclaim the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the country’s new interim government, and mark a pivot point in the international community’s efforts in Libya from war to reconstruction. The leaders will discuss a new UN security council resolution which will endorse the new status quo, lifting the sanctions regime on Libya to allow the NTC to get access to over $100bn (£62bn) in state assets frozen abroad since the start of the conflict, while handing the United Nations the lead international role in rebuilding the country. However, the NTC’s western backers, led by France, Britain and the US, want to continue Nato’s legal mandate to conduct military operations in Libya laid down in UN resolution 1973. The resolution, agreed in March, allows the alliance to use “all necessary measures”, short of deploying ground troops, to protect civilians. “We want to keep open the possibility of Nato operating legally as long as Gaddafi and his supporters may pose a threat, so we want to keep those elements of 1973,” a European diplomat said. Gaddafi loyalists are still holding out in Sirte on the coast , in Bani Walid – about 150 miles south of Tripoli, and in the desert city of Sebha. Gaddafi forces have rejected an ultimatum set by the NTC for troops in Sirte to surrender by tomorrow. . The Nato mandate expires at the end of September. The North Atlantic Council, Nato’s governing body, had the option of extending it when it held a regular meeting on Wednesday, but was advised by military commanders to wait until there was more clarity about what the UN planned to do. Nato’s secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will tell the Paris summit that the alliance is ready to support UN operations, but that it will maintain its military role for the time being, conducting air strikes against pro-Gaddafi armour and artillery. “What we have seen in the last month and a half is that every time they withdraw from a town, the Gaddafi forces shell the town, targeting not just opposing forces but the people of those towns,” a Nato official said. “We cannot afford to have them withdraw from Sirte and then shell it. We will not hesitate to hit his tanks and guns, no matter what they are doing, for that reason.” European capitals were caught by surprise by the speed of the Gaddafi regime’s collapse, and the fall of Tripoli on 21 August. In the days before diplomats from Britain, France and the US had been working on a UN resolution that would have endorsed a ceasefire between the rebels and the regime and deployed UN observers to monitor the truce. “None of that is needed any more. This went much better than even the most optimistic of us expected,” the European diplomat said. “There are no longer two parties to monitor, just one Libya. There is no need for a ceasefire and no need for any observers.” The US, France, Britain and Qatar, which has provided the movement with critical financial and military support, wanted a new UN resolution to have been passed before Thursday’s Paris meeting. However, there was resistance from countries to writing off the Gaddafi government and giving immediate recognition to the NTC. Russia recognised the NTC only on the eve of the summit, leaving China as the last permanent security council member yet to do so. China is attending the summit but at a low level with a vice-minister from the foreign ministry, but western capitals are hopeful that Beijing will grant recognition in the next few days. The NTC leadership will be asked to come up with a list of requirement for international aid, which it is supposed to present to a Friends of Libya ministerial meeting in the margins of the annual UN general assembly in New York at the end of this month. Libya Middle East Arab and Middle East unrest Nato United Nations Muammar Gaddafi US foreign policy Julian Borger guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Carbuncle Cup 2011: MediaCityUK is crowned Britain’s ugliest new building
September 1, 2011 No Comment
The controversial annual award for the country’s worst new building goes to the BBC’s new Salford home, with the Museum of Liverpool in hot pursuit There were other strong contenders, but the 2011 Carbuncle Cup for Britain’s “ugliest new building” has been awarded to the £600m MediaCityUK . This concatenation of anaemic buildings is the controversial new regional headquarters of the BBC, and home to the media studies faculty of Salford University. Granada TV also moves in next year, bringing the space a newly reconstructed Coronation Street and the Rovers Return . From a distance, MediaCityUK looks like one of those sprawling faceless office blocks, shunted alongside bleak city squares, that were common in eastern Europe 50 years ago. Close up, it proves to have less charm than Berlin’s Alexanderplatz and, sited at Salford Quays , it also lacks the sunny climate of Dubai, the place whose Media City inspired this Lancashire build by the property company Peel Holdings and its architects, Wilkinson Eyre , Chapman Taylor and Fairhurst Design Group . The controversial annual award loathed by architects and their clients is compiled by Building Design magazine , a weekly media fix for architects. This year’s shortlist, drawn from suggestions by members of the public, included the opulent blocks of flats designed for international multi-millionaires by Richard Rogers for the Candy Brothers at One Hyde Park in London, the Museum of Liverpool by 3XN and AEW , and Newport railway station in South Wales by Nicholas Grimshaw and Atkins . Several of the schemes, including MediaCityUK, Newport station and the Museum of Liverpool, have been designed by firms of well-known “signature” architects, then executed by much bigger commercial practices that produced the buildings on time and on budget, but without soul and a spirit of place. MediaCityUK might be anywhere from Salford to Shanghai, and the Carbuncle Cup nomination for MediaCityUK reads: “For an organisation with high cultural aspirations, it is hard to see how the BBC could have sunk much lower.” “If you’re going to spend £600m on a complete city district that is also the home of one of the nation’s leading cultural institutions as well as other high-profile media and university tenants”, says Hugh Pearman, editor of the RIBA Journal and one of the Carbuncle Cup judges, “then it’s a bit of a shame not to pay more attention to the quality of the architecture. It would have cost very little more to make this place really special.” In today’s issue of Building Design, editor Ellis Woodman writes: “Whatever urban aspiration may be indicated by its name, a city is the last thing one would mistake this development for. There is no urban idea to speak of whatsoever – no space that one might recognise as a street; no common architectural language; no difference between the fronts and backs of buildings. There is no distinction made between civic and private buildings either. Visiting MediaCityUK, it is hard to see how the corporation could set their aspirations any lower. How uncreative can a ‘Creative Quarter’ be?” The undoubted runner-up this year is the new Museum of Liverpool. “Liverpool secured the Carbuncle Cup two years ago for Hamilton Architects’ ferry terminal “, says Woodman. “This ridiculous building won in considerable part because of the damage it did to the view of the Three Graces – the trio of early 20th-century buildings that have long provided Liverpool’s defining architectural image. Sadly, this vandalism to the city’s waterfront was only the start.” With its ski-slope roof, glaring white walls and bizarre ramps making access awkward, the museum defaces the city’s famous Pier Head and cocks a snook at its magnificent neighbours. “Our first reaction”, Kim Nielsen, director of 3XN, the Danish practice responsible for the original design (and since fired from the job) has said, “was that you shouldn’t build here.” A lesson, perhaps, for all potential Carbuncle Cup winners, whether this year or next. Architecture BBC Jonathan Glancey guardian.co.uk
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Former NHS chief Lord Crisp hints that too many hospital building projects were carried out under Labour Hospitals should be closed so the NHS in England can switch resources to the long-term care of the burgeoning numbers of older people in the community, the former chief executive of the health service Lord Crisp has said. He would not put a figure on closures, but implied that too many new hospital building projects might have been carried out when Labour was in office and he was the NHS head. Crisp, who was chief executive from 2000 to 2006, told the BBC news website : “In the late 1990s waiting lists, A&E and standards in cardiac care were the big issues and we dealt with them. “But the challenge now is dealing with the numbers of older people and those with long-term conditions. They need supporting in the community. “That means a shift away from hospitals. There will be less need for large hospital outpatient departments and some services and whole hospitals will need to close or be merged with others.” Crisp, who made similar remarks later on the BBC’s Today programme, added: “By 2005 there was no hospital that was not thinking it was going to grow. We had major problems with very bad facilities, [but] perhaps we could have built smaller or consolidated on fewer sites. “We missed that opportunity and this government needs to grasp that. We can’t keep services going just because there is a nice building.” Crisp’s book on his time leading the NHS during the Tony Blair years, 24 Hours to Save the NHS, will be published this month. The Department of Health told the BBC that ministers agreed with the principle that more care should be moved into the community, but added that changes must be made for the right reasons. Labour said patients had benefited from its investment and reforms during its time in office. Crisp’s successor, Sir David Nicholson, has already said the NHS should reduce the number of acute beds and that politicians would have to sell such changes to the public. NHS Health Health policy Public services policy James Meikle guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Syrian city’s attorney general resigns in protest at government crackdown
September 1, 2011 No Comment
Muhammad al-Bakkour says he was asked to report that ‘armed gangs’ killed hundreds who were buried in mass graves in Hama The attorney general of the embattled Syrian city of Hama has resigned in protest against crimes against the local population committed by security forces. In an online video posted by activists , a man who identifies himself as Adnan Muhammad al-Bakkour said he was standing down because of the continued suppression of peaceful protest against the regime of the president, Bashar al-Assad. According to Bakkour, 72 prisoners were killed in Hama’s central prison on 31 July at the start of a three-day assault on the city on the eve of Ramadan. Bakkour said a further 420 people had been buried in mass graves in public parks by security forces and loyalists, which he was then asked to report as having been killed by “armed gangs”. He said that around 320 people had died under torture. “I, Judge Adnan Muhammad al-Bakkour, Hama province attorney general, declare that I have resigned in protest at the savage regime’s practices against peaceful demonstrators,” he said. Bakkour also alleged that the army had demolished houses with people still inside them in the al-Hadima area of Hama. He named a series of officials he claimed were linked to the crimes including the interior minister, Mohammed al-Shaar, who he said personally directed the military campaign against Hama. If verified, Bakkour’s resignation would be one of the highest level defections in a regime that has remained remarkably cohesive in the face of rising domestic and international pressure. On Monday the Syrian state news agency, Sana, said Bakkour had been kidnapped by armed men on his way to work and forced to “present false information”. But a resident of Hama who knows Bakkour denied that he had been abducted, and confirmed to the Guardian that he had resigned: “It was a surprise that he did this but I have spoken to people and it is true. We are now worried the regime will attack his family.” The government assault on Hama – whose residents had been protesting in their thousands – left more than 100 dead, according to human rights groups. But Bakkour’s statement suggests the human toll may be far higher than previously reported. In a report released on Tuesday Amnesty International said 88 people had died in custody and the UN says more than 2,200 people have been killed since Syria’s uprising began in mid-March. The release of the video came as troops backed by tanks launched fresh raids searching for activists behind the protests, local residents said. Dozens of people were arrested in a series of operations in the city. So far there have been low-level defections from the army and security forces but no officials have publicly stepped down. During the campaign against Hama the defence minister Ali Habib was replaced, leading to rumours that he was unhappy with the brutal crackdown which escalated at the start of Ramadan. The government said his retirement was due to illness. • Nour Ali is the pseudonym for a journalist based in Damascus Syria Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Protest Nour Ali guardian.co.uk
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• UK manufacturing sector shrinks as exports plunge • German manufacturing almost grinds to halt • France, Italy and Spain’s PMIs all contract • US ISM data out later today Factory activity in the UK and the rest of Europe worsened sharply last month, triggering fresh fears of a double-dip recession. In Britain, manufacturing shrank at its fastest pace in more than two years as export orders plummeted. Germany’s manufacturing sector – until now the star performer in the western world and the engine of growth in the eurozone – has almost ground to a halt while factory output in France, Italy and Spain is contracting. A closely watched monthly survey from Markit/CIPS showed the UK manufacturing headline index dipping to 49 in August from 49.4 in July. Export orders plunged, with the measure falling to 46.6 from 53.8. A number below 50 signals contraction. “The second half of 2011 has so far seen the UK manufacturing sector, once the pivotal cog in the economic recovery, switch into reverse gear,” said Rob Dobson, senior economist at Markit. August saw production fall for the first time since May 2009 on the back of the sharpest deterioration in new orders for two-and-a-half years. There was also a slight drop in employment levels as manufacturers seek to cut costs. “The sudden and substantial drop in new export orders is particularly worrisome, with UK manufacturers hit by rising global economic uncertainty, just as austerity measures are ramping up at home. As consumer and business confidence are slumping both at home and abroad, it is hard to see where any near-term improvement in demand will spring from.” Alan Clarke at Scotia Capital agreed. “The much hoped for revival of manufacturing as an engine of growth for the wider economy has run out of juice.” German manufacturing grew at the slowest pace in almost two years due to a sharp drop in new orders last month. Markit’s purchasing managers’ index fell for the fourth money in a row to 50.9 for August, the weakest level since September 2009 and compared with 52 in July. It is now near the 50 mark which divides expansion from contraction. “Slower manufacturing growth mainly reflected the sharpest fall in new export orders since mid-2009,” said Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit. “Heightened uncertainty about the global economic outlook and the escalating euro area debt crisis were cited as the main reasons why export clients put the brakes on spending in August.” The German economy grew by just 0.1% in the second quarter, even less than the UK at 0.2%. In France, the eurozone’s second-largest economy, the picture was even worse – the manufacturing sector contracted for the first time since July 2009. The PMI dropped to 49.1 in August from 50.5 in July, casting another shadow over France which is already struggling with high unemployment, stagnant wages and weak consumer spending. Manufacturing in Italy, the eurozone’s third-largest economy, shrank at its fastest rate in two years, with its PMI falling to 47 from 50.1. Spain’s factory activity contracted for the fourth month in a row in August. Its PMI slipped to 45.3 from 45.6. “The eurozone manufacturing PMIs for August make bleak reading, with deterioration across virtually all countries and also across most components of the surveys,” said Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight. “Not only are the southern periphery eurozone countries and Ireland continuing to struggle markedly but there is also a sharp slowdown in manufacturing activity in the previously healthily performing core northern eurozone economies.” On the other side of the Atlantic, US manufacturing is expected to have shrunk in August for the first time in two years. The Institute for Supply Management will release its monthly survey at 3pm BST London time. While China’s manufacturing industry bounced back last month, a decline in export orders – the first since April 2009 – raised concerns. Manufacturing data Economics Manufacturing sector Economic growth (GDP) Europe Germany Europe Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• UK manufacturing sector shrinks as exports plunge • German manufacturing almost grinds to halt • France, Italy and Spain’s PMIs all contract • US ISM data out later today Factory activity in the UK and the rest of Europe worsened sharply last month, triggering fresh fears of a double-dip recession. In Britain, manufacturing shrank at its fastest pace in more than two years as export orders plummeted. Germany’s manufacturing sector – until now the star performer in the western world and the engine of growth in the eurozone – has almost ground to a halt while factory output in France, Italy and Spain is contracting. A closely watched monthly survey from Markit/CIPS showed the UK manufacturing headline index dipping to 49 in August from 49.4 in July. Export orders plunged, with the measure falling to 46.6 from 53.8. A number below 50 signals contraction. “The second half of 2011 has so far seen the UK manufacturing sector, once the pivotal cog in the economic recovery, switch into reverse gear,” said Rob Dobson, senior economist at Markit. August saw production fall for the first time since May 2009 on the back of the sharpest deterioration in new orders for two-and-a-half years. There was also a slight drop in employment levels as manufacturers seek to cut costs. “The sudden and substantial drop in new export orders is particularly worrisome, with UK manufacturers hit by rising global economic uncertainty, just as austerity measures are ramping up at home. As consumer and business confidence are slumping both at home and abroad, it is hard to see where any near-term improvement in demand will spring from.” Alan Clarke at Scotia Capital agreed. “The much hoped for revival of manufacturing as an engine of growth for the wider economy has run out of juice.” German manufacturing grew at the slowest pace in almost two years due to a sharp drop in new orders last month. Markit’s purchasing managers’ index fell for the fourth money in a row to 50.9 for August, the weakest level since September 2009 and compared with 52 in July. It is now near the 50 mark which divides expansion from contraction. “Slower manufacturing growth mainly reflected the sharpest fall in new export orders since mid-2009,” said Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit. “Heightened uncertainty about the global economic outlook and the escalating euro area debt crisis were cited as the main reasons why export clients put the brakes on spending in August.” The German economy grew by just 0.1% in the second quarter, even less than the UK at 0.2%. In France, the eurozone’s second-largest economy, the picture was even worse – the manufacturing sector contracted for the first time since July 2009. The PMI dropped to 49.1 in August from 50.5 in July, casting another shadow over France which is already struggling with high unemployment, stagnant wages and weak consumer spending. Manufacturing in Italy, the eurozone’s third-largest economy, shrank at its fastest rate in two years, with its PMI falling to 47 from 50.1. Spain’s factory activity contracted for the fourth month in a row in August. Its PMI slipped to 45.3 from 45.6. “The eurozone manufacturing PMIs for August make bleak reading, with deterioration across virtually all countries and also across most components of the surveys,” said Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight. “Not only are the southern periphery eurozone countries and Ireland continuing to struggle markedly but there is also a sharp slowdown in manufacturing activity in the previously healthily performing core northern eurozone economies.” On the other side of the Atlantic, US manufacturing is expected to have shrunk in August for the first time in two years. The Institute for Supply Management will release its monthly survey at 3pm BST London time. While China’s manufacturing industry bounced back last month, a decline in export orders – the first since April 2009 – raised concerns. Manufacturing data Economics Manufacturing sector Economic growth (GDP) Europe Germany Europe Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
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Police in Crawley are tracing the girl’s mother, who is thought to have gone on holiday A four-year-old girl was found home alone by police after her mother reportedly went on holiday. Police found the girl after two 16-year-old boys, one of whom is believed to be her brother, were arrested on suspicion of driving offences in Crawley, West Sussex, at about 1am on Tuesday. The mother is understood to have gone abroad over the weekend leaving the little girl’s brother in charge, according to local reports. The discovery was made after the two teenagers were stopped by police in the Maidenbower area. The driver was arrested on suspicion of taking a car without the owner’s consent, Sussex police said as inquiries continued to trace the mother. The second boy was held on suspicion of being carried in a stolen vehicle and child neglect. Both have been freed on police bail until 27 September. Police said: “As a result of inquiries following the arrest of one of the boys, West Sussex social services have been informed by police that a four-year-old girl, known to one of the boys, was home alone at an address nearby. “This matter is now being dealt with by West Sussex county council.” A county council spokesman said the authority had no comment to make because police inquiries were continuing. Child protection Children Social care Crime guardian.co.uk
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Nationwide survey shows a 0.6% monthly fall and a 0.4% year-on-year fall, despite a slight three-month rise House prices fell by 0.6% in August, according to Nationwide’s latest survey, more than reversing July’s rise and surprising economists who had expected them to stay flat. The building society’s monthly snapshot of the housing market showed the average price of a home in the UK fell by £2,817 over the month to £165,914. This is 0.4% lower than in August 2010. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast that prices would remain flat in August, giving a 0.4% rise year-on-year. Nationwide said house prices had actually increased by 0.1% over the less volatile three-month measure, though this was lower than the 0.3% rise seen in the previous three months. Its chief economist, Robert Gardner, said a “picture of relative stability” had characterised the market over the past 12 months, and that this was expected to remain the case for the rest of 2011. However, he warned that any increase in unemployment could lead to sharper falls. “For some time now the residential property market has been moving sideways, as weak demand for homes coexisted with a situation where relatively few homes were coming on to the market,” he said. “A further fall in employment would be likely to upset the relatively delicate demand-supply balance and put downward pressure on prices.” Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight, said the latest figures were consistent with his expectation that house prices would continue to fall. “The fall in August ties in with our belief that house prices are likely to trend down gradually over the coming months in the face of persistently weak economic activity, rising unemployment and low consumer confidence. Specifically, we forecast house prices to fall by around 5% by mid-2012. “We suspect that squeezed household purchasing power, tightening fiscal policy, a weakening labour market and persistent serious consumer concern over the economic outlook will limit potential buyers and weigh down on house prices. On top of that, there are still significant difficulties in getting a mortgage, particularly for first-time buyers.” Nationwide’s index is based on mortgages it has approved in the previous month, so does not reflect the whole market. Figures from the Land Registry, which are based on completed sales in England and Wales, have tended to show larger annual price falls than Nationwide in recent months. The figures for July , published on 26 August, showed house prices down by 2.1% year on year. House prices Property First-time buyers Housing market Hilary Osborne guardian.co.uk
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• Saif al-Islam Gaddafi defiantly vows to fight on • Saadi Gaddafi offers to surrender • Russia gives recognition to NTC at start of Paris talks • Hama attorney general defects over Syrian crackdown 9.16am: While rebels observe a temporary truce around Sirte, the town continues to bear the brunt of Nato’s continuing bombardment of positions held by Gaddafi loyalists. Thirteen targets were hit in the town on Wednesday, according to Nato’s latest update. I make that 147 targets hit in the town in the last week alone. Bani Walid, the town south-east of Tripoli near to where Gaddafi was last sighted, was also hit in the latest raids. Here are the details [pdf] : Key Hits 31 August In the vicinity of Sirte: 1 Command and Control Node, 5 Surface to Air Missile Transloaders, 1 Armed Vehicle, 1 Tank, 4 Surface to Air Missile Launchers, 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher. In the vicinity of Bani Walid: 1 Ammo Storage Facility, 1 Command and Control Node. In the vicinity of Hun: 1 Radar, 1 Military Support Vehicle. 9.07am: Algeria’s foreign minister Mourad Medelci claimed Muammar Gaddafi has not followed members of his family to Algeria , according to CNN. Earlier this week an Algerian newspaper claimed that Gaddafi would be handed over to the international criminal court if he appeared in the country . His wife Safia, daughter Aisha and two sons Hannibal and Muhammed were given sanctuary in Algeria on Monday. 8.58am: In message to Al-Rai TV Saif Gaddafi alsio claimed 20,000 soldiers are ready to defend Sirte , the birthplace of his father, according to the Daily Telegraph. The town has been given until Saturday to surrender. The BBC’s Ian Pannell, who has been tweeting on the road to Sirte, claims residents of the town have offered to surrender but were turned back. Families from #Sirte waving white flag turned back on the road to #Misrata by rebels under orders. Wont b allowed thru ’til Sat. 8.21am: Welcome to Middle East Live. Are splits emerging in the Gaddafi clan? One of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons Saadi has offered to surrender while another, Saif al-Islam, has vowed to fight to the death. Here’s a run down of the main developments. Libya • Gaddafi’s son and former heir apparent, Saif al-Islam, said loyalists would never surrender to the rebels. Claiming to be speaking from the suburbs of Tripoli, he said he and his father were fine. He told Syria’ al-Rai televison: “We are going to die in our land. No one is going to surrender. We must wage a campaign of attrition day and night until these lands are cleansed from these gangs and traitors. We assure people that we are standing fast and the commander is in good condition.” • His brother Saadi, a former footballer, gave a very different interview on al-Arabiya television saying he was ready to negotiate with rebels. “If surrendering myself will end the bloodshed, I am ready to do so, but I do not represent only myself, and in order to reach a peaceful resolution to the crisis we should sit down with each other and negotiate. The most important thing is to stop the bloodshed.” • As world leaders gather for a Friends of Libya conference in Paris, Russia, an ally of the Gaddafi regime, has announced that it has officially recognised the National Transitional Council as Libya’s legitimate authority. David Cameron and the French president Nicolas Sarkozy will co-host the Paris talks which are expected to set out plans for lifting international sanctions against Libya’s ports and companies. • Cameron has been operating a secret unit in Whitehall charged with undertaking covert economic operations to choke the Gaddafi regime of oil supplies. The “Libyan oil cell” was run by the international development minister Alan Duncan and helped to strengthen sanctions against the oil-rich country, blocking supplies of crude oil to the dictator’s side while allowing petrol and diesel to flow to the rebels. The unit was involved in linking the rebels to a Swiss oil firm, Vitol, which has been credited with keeping the revolutionary engine running through the war. Duncan was previously a consultant with the firm. • Troops loyal to Gaddafi are holding children as human shields on the frontline as they prepare to make a desperate stand in the deposed leader’s hometown, rebel fighters have claimed. “They put the families between our guys and theirs so we can’t fire,” said Mohammed Abobaker. • Muammar Gaddafi was last sighted near Bani Walid a town south east of Tripoli and close to his son Khamis was reported to have been killed . Martin Chulov has been speaking to bodyguards who saw him and witnessed the death of Khamis. Abdul Salam Tahrar, a 17-year-old from Sabha, said: “I was assigned to be [Khamis's] main guard that day. I was in the truck behind him on the [heavy weapon] when his car was hit. He was burned.” He also saw Gaddafi senior leave the area last Friday. He was there for around 15 minutes. He was wearing civilian clothes and a headscarf, but his face was open and very clear. His wife and daughter were with him and so was Saadi. They left in a convoy of around 25 cars and he was in a Toyota pick-up. They all left together and they went south. Syria Hama’s attorney general, Adnan Bakkour, has defected to the opposition in protest at the killing and torture of anti-government activists in the city, according to video statement. Syrian state media claimed Bakkour had been kidnapped by protesters and forced to make the statement . It accused the international TV stations of being “partners in the crime” by broadcasting the video. Al-Jazeera has this translated version of Bakkour’s video statement . Libya Muammar Gaddafi Nato US foreign policy Middle East Arab and Middle East unrest Syria Bashar Al-Assad Bahrain Matthew Weaver guardian.co.uk
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George Clooney takes his political thriller to Venice, along with its cast including some of the most glamorous stars of Hollywood
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