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Police officers killed in attack on Iraqi prison
Police officers killed during attack on Iraqi prison
October 1, 2012
Iraqi officials said Friday that at least 12 police officers were killed in an overnight attack on a prison in Tikrit, during which 90 inmates escaped.MP Hakim Zamili called the escapees "members of Al-Qaeda," adding that before escaping, the inmates destroyed their own files, making it almost impossible to identify them and track them down.
The unknown attackers reportedly detonated a car bomb outside the prison then seized control of the facility's entrances and the guards' weapons.
News licenses in Jordan
The fallout continues after Jordan's King Abdullah signed into law measures requiring news websites run by Jordanians to be licensed by the government. Authorities can block the sites at any time, and are now holding publishers and editors responsible for all comments posted.
Number of Syrian refugees higher than expected
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Thursday that the number of Syrian refugees will reach 700,000 people at the current rate. The figure far surpasses the UNHCR's initial projection just last month that 185,000 Syrians would flee violence in their country by the end of the year.
A UNHCR spokesman said that between 2,000 and 3,000 Syrians are leaving the country on a daily basis.
Some comments posted to Al Jazeera's website on the UNHCR report:
"Is this catastrophe in Syria not at the hands of Bashar [al-Assad], son of his father? May God's wrath curse them both."
"Do you think that those displaced and the refugees will soon return to their homes? I believe they will not – and how can they return to destroyed homes?"
"There are 4 million Syrian Sunnis who have been barred from entering the country since the 1980s under the pretext of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood."
"The Syrians bear the consequences of what they have done; acts against the regime. They bear the greatest responsibility for calling themselves revolutionaries and then wreaking havoc on Syria, slaughtering people for Islamic principles."
Ultimatum for Libyan Prime Minister
Libya's National Congress has issued an ultimatum for October 8th for Prime Minister-elect Mustafa Abu Shukur to submit his list of candidates to fill his cabinet. "If [Abu Shukur] fails to submit his proposed cabinet by that date, he will be considered as having resigned and a vote will take place for a new Prime Minister," said the Congress' spokesman Omar Hamadeen.
BBC Arabic reports that Abu Shukur said in a statement that he intended to make the deadline, adding that he is working on forming a coalition government that represents "a geographical balance" in the country. Libya is generally divided into the eastern and western regions, with the desert separating the two in the middle.
Assad regime accused of selling out Qadafi
Libyan sources are claiming that the Assad regime sold out former Libyan leader Muammar Qadafi by handing over his secure satellite phone number to French intelligence, Al Jazeera reported.
The sources say that French spies working in Sirte, while Qadafi was on the run last October, trapped the Libyan leader after acquiring his phone number. In exchange for the information, Assad was reportedly promised by the French that political pressure on his regime would be reduced.
Court upholds ruling on doctors
Bahrain's highest court has upheld a ruling against nine doctors sentenced to up to five years in prison for treating protestors injured during clashes with the regime's security forces last year.
The Court of Cassation upheld the verdicts on Monday, which convicted the doctors of "inciting hatred" and "calling for the overthrow" of the ruling Al Khalifa family.
"We did not get a fair trial," Dr. Ali al-Akri, told Reuters Arabic.
News licenses in Jordan
The fallout continues after Jordan's King Abdullah signed into law measures requiring news websites run by Jordanians to be licensed by the government. Authorities can block the sites at any time, and are now holding publishers and editors responsible for all comments posted.
Number of Syrian refugees higher than expected
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Thursday that the number of Syrian refugees will reach 700,000 people at the current rate. The figure far surpasses the UNHCR's initial projection just last month that 185,000 Syrians would flee violence in their country by the end of the year.
A UNHCR spokesman said that between 2,000 and 3,000 Syrians are leaving the country on a daily basis.
Some comments posted to Al Jazeera's website on the UNHCR report:
"Is this catastrophe in Syria not at the hands of Bashar [al-Assad], son of his father? May God's wrath curse them both."
"Do you think that those displaced and the refugees will soon return to their homes? I believe they will not – and how can they return to destroyed homes?"
"There are 4 million Syrian Sunnis who have been barred from entering the country since the 1980s under the pretext of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood."
"The Syrians bear the consequences of what they have done; acts against the regime. They bear the greatest responsibility for calling themselves revolutionaries and then wreaking havoc on Syria, slaughtering people for Islamic principles."
Ultimatum for Libyan Prime Minister
Libya's National Congress has issued an ultimatum for October 8th for Prime Minister-elect Mustafa Abu Shukur to submit his list of candidates to fill his cabinet. "If [Abu Shukur] fails to submit his proposed cabinet by that date, he will be considered as having resigned and a vote will take place for a new Prime Minister," said the Congress' spokesman Omar Hamadeen.
BBC Arabic reports that Abu Shukur said in a statement that he intended to make the deadline, adding that he is working on forming a coalition government that represents "a geographical balance" in the country. Libya is generally divided into the eastern and western regions, with the desert separating the two in the middle.
Assad regime accused of selling out Qadafi
Libyan sources are claiming that the Assad regime sold out former Libyan leader Muammar Qadafi by handing over his secure satellite phone number to French intelligence, Al Jazeera reported.
The sources say that French spies working in Sirte, while Qadafi was on the run last October, trapped the Libyan leader after acquiring his phone number. In exchange for the information, Assad was reportedly promised by the French that political pressure on his regime would be reduced.
Court upholds ruling on doctors
Bahrain's highest court has upheld a ruling against nine doctors sentenced to up to five years in prison for treating protestors injured during clashes with the regime's security forces last year.
The Court of Cassation upheld the verdicts on Monday, which convicted the doctors of "inciting hatred" and "calling for the overthrow" of the ruling Al Khalifa family.
"We did not get a fair trial," Dr. Ali al-Akri, told Reuters Arabic.