Politics

According to the United Nations, forces loyal to disputed Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo have resumed fighting in the city of Abidjan. According to reports, the troops regained control of parts of the city. After a brief lull in fighting, while it was reported that Gbagbo officials were negotiating a surrender, violence resumed. A U.N. official said that Gbagbo forces "clearly used the lull of Tuesday as a trick to reinforce their position," and now control the Plateau and Cocody regions of Abidjan. Gbagbo forces are reportedly using he

The newly-installed leader of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has come in for harsh criticism on the structure of his government and cabinet. Coalition Premier Barry O'Farell swore in his cabinet on Sunday, but it has already been criticised for not including Ministers for Youth, Climate Change, or Volunteering. O'Farrell was also attacked by NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann for dismembering the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. Ms Feahrmann told the Sydney Morning Herald the cuts were "laughable", and warned of "drastic cuts

Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon has announced plans to introduce legislation requiring cigarette packaging to be plain, and unbranded. The opposition coalition may oppose this move, and will examine the detail of the legislation before deciding. "We do support sensible measures that are proven to lead to reduced levels of smoking but we want to wait and see the full legislation, and what evidence they are relying on that plain packaging does reduce smoking rates," stated a spokesman for opposition leader Tony Abbott. Intended to decr

__NOTOC__ Late last month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed objections to the United States Government's 'secret' attempts to obtain Twitter account information relating to WikiLeaks. The ACLU and EFF cite First and Fourth amendment issues as overriding reasons to overturn government attempts to keep their investigation secret; and, that with Birgitta Jonsdottir being an Icelandic Parliamentarian, the issue has serious international implications. The case, titled "In the Matter of the 27

At least fourteen people have died after eating toxic sardines in Madagascar. The deaths occurred in the town of Toliara, with another similar situation happening 130 km (80.8 mi) away in Sakaraha. The sardines the victims ate belong to the Clupeidae family. As well as the dead, around 120 people have been taken ill after eating the fish according to officials. Dr Hery Raharisaina, Madagascar's fishing and aquatic resources minister, offered condolence to the families of the victims on behalf of the government. He added in his statement that t

The United Nations has announced that three Ivory Coast military leaders are in the process of negotiating a potential surrender for disputed president Laurent Gbagbo. After several days of fighting, during which forces loyal to internationally-recognized president Alassane Ouattara moved south towards the city of Abidjan, Gbagbo is reported to have taken shelter in a bunker underneath the presidential palace in Abidjan. Pro-Ouattara forces are reported to have surrounded the palace. According to the UN and French officials, an agreement tha

US President Barack Obama has released details on his plan to run for re-election next year. A video was released on Obama's official website and e-mails sent to supporters. The announced plan to run for a second term was widely expected; the campaign team are expected to file for election papers later this week. In his e-mail to supporters Obama says, "[w]e're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you — with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-w

The divorce of Guatemalan president Álvaro Colom and first lady Sandra Torres has been halted by a court after Torres said that she was divorcing her husband so she can run for president in the next election. The Guatemalan constitution bans the president's close relatives standing for office. A petition was taken to the court by a group of students, claiming the divorce is a "farce" that would bypass the constitution. Otto Perez Molina, the main opposition candidate, called the divorce electoral fraud. As first lady Torres has played a big ro

A number of new reports suggest that more of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle have deserted him. Al Jazeera reports that a group of top officials who "headed to Tunisia for talks have decided to stay there". Among the defectors reported are the head of Libya's Popular Commitee, Mohammad Abu Al Qassim Al Zawi, and Abu Zayed Dordah, Libya's prime minister from 1990 to 1994. Gaddafi's Europe minister and head of intelligence have also defected according to reports. Security sources suggest that the total number of defectors could be u

United States President Barack Obama revealed Tuesday that he is considering supplying arms to Libyan rebels, among other things. Obama was quoted as saying, "if we [USA] wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could." During an interview with NBC News, Obama disclosed he is, "not ruling it out. But I'm also not ruling it in. We're still making an assessment partly about what Gaddafi's forces are going to be doing." Obama also informed that he would be willing to negotiate a deal with Gaddafi; however, one clause would involve Gadaffi re

Libyan foreign minister Mussa Kussa has fled to the United Kingdom and has announced that he is no longer willing to work for Muammar Gaddafi's regime. A spokesman for the UK government said Kussa "arrived at Farnborough Airport on 30 March from Tunisia. He travelled here under his own free will." He added: "Moussa Kussa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally—something that he is no longer willing to do. We encourage those around Gaddafi to abandon him and embrace a be

After a battle for the Ivory Coast town of Duekoue, armed forces loyal to president-elect Alassane Ouattara have announced an effort to seal the border between the Ivory Coast and Liberia. On Monday, Ouattara forces, dubbed New Forces, and those loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who claims to be the winner of a disputed election last fall, began fighting in Duekoue, a western town of strategic importance due to its position at a crossroads, with access to both Liberia and Guinea. According to a spokesperson for Ouattara, Seydou Ouattara, the New Force