Mohamed ElBaradei

CAIRO: Egypt’s popular political figure Mohamed ElBaradei, the former president of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the co-founder of the al-Dostor Party, criticized the course of the current political transition phase in Egypt on Tuesday.

He reiterated his warning that the election of a president according to the current constitutional declaration issued by the ruling military junta, “will lead to constitutional disputes between the authorities.”

ElBaradei said on his Twitter account that “again, the election of the president under the current premature constitutional declaration, would lead to conflicts of authorities,” calling for drafting a new democratic constitution first, which is “the key to Egypt’s future.”

ElBaradei had proposed early this month a plan of three points aiming at taking Egypt out of the current political impasse, including the election of an interim president holding the powers to form a consensus Constituent Assembly “of thinkers representing all spectra to write a constitution for all Egyptians, followed by parliamentary elections and presidential elections.”

ElBaradei also called for subjecting the army to “accountability and oversight in the constitution, as the military institution is a part of the executive power in a democratic state.”

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UCC funding rural ICT programs in Uganda.

NAIROBI: The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has funded a rural ICT program that was aimed at impacting the local community with ICT skills for self- sustainability and economic progress in Arua secondary.

Armando Angulibo, Training Coordinator commented on the exercise saying it was projected towards community empowering through the use of ICT.

The training took 10 days where a total of 200 people in Arua municipality acquired skills in ICT such as networking, internet, hardware and management of ICT amenities.

Ibrahim Abiriga, District Commissioner of Arua assured that he would negotiate with the Ministry of ICT in Uganda so that they can get more aid in computers as this would benefit the residents.

Raymond Ombere, Arua municipality inspector of schools added that the beneficiaries should use the skills gained to improve themselves and other communities at large.

The use of ICTs in Uganda has progressively risen as people are more engaged in the use of mobile phones, smart-phones, internet connections and so on.

In a forum conducted last year in Uganda based on Internet Governance standards, Gloria Katuuku, an official of the ICT Ministry confirmed that the Ugandan Government identified ICT as a major lead in socioeconomic development.

Thus drives such as Rural ICT projects are better geared at promoting socioeconomic development in Uganda.

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Rwanda hopes ICT can assist in disaster response.

NAIROBI: In a bid to make its citizens more ICT versatile, the Rwanda’s Ministry of Disaster and Refugee Management have launched an ICT driven approach where they are giving sectors interned based cell phones to be used to communicate better upon the strike of a disaster.

Darla Rudakubana, the ministry’s communications specialist commented that the cost of the entire project amounted to $164,000.

She further explained that the scheme would seek to distribute handsets at sector level and smart phones at district level and this action will lead to better reporting and response from the authorities.

With support from World Food Programme and the UN Agency for Refugees (UNCHR), the Rwandan Ministry hopes to develop a system that will store the data collected via text messages or voice calls from selected people at the related levels and this will be used for disaster preparedness.

Rwanda is stepping up the use of ICT in all forms. The government is also aiming at getting people to access ICT infrastructure in the country.

Recently, Ignace Gatare, Director General for the Commission for Science and Technology in the President’s office handed over the ICT portfolio to Jean Nsengimana.

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UAE stock market.

CAIRO: Data coming from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday has posted inflation to its highest rate in 9 months on an annual basis in April, despite an ongoing price decline in its trade and business hub Dubai.

Annual consumer price growth in the $360 billion economy, the second largest among Arab countries, picked up again in December after two consecutive months of mild declines.

Inflation stood at 0.6 percent in March.

“Tough Overall, consumer prices in Dubai fell at a 1.5 percent annual rate in April and 0.2 percent from March, we seen inflation in a very dangerous level, I think this level will dips as we pose more censorship on the market,” a macro-economic analyst told Bikyamasr.com.

Annual consumer price growth in the $360 billion economy, the second largest among Arab countries, picked up again in December after two consecutive months of mild declines. Inflation stood at 0.6 percent in March.

Food prices dropped by 0.5 percent in April, while transport costs were 0.3 percent up from the previous month.

In Dubai, housing costs fell for the fifth month in a row, by 0.1 percent on the month, but the rate was the smallest so far this year, separate data released by Dubai Statistics Center showed earlier on Wednesday.

UAE’S economy sees a slower growth of 3.1 percent this year after an IMF estimated 4.9 percent in 2011 due to a global slowdown and weak domestic bank lending, but a newer report praised UAE steps to enhance its economy’s quality.

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World Bank says e-health key to Kenya.

NAIROBI: The advancement of health care technology would better place Kenya by bridging the existing gap in health care services, the World Bank said.

Khama Rogo, World Bank Lead Health Specialist commented stating that better technological advancements would reduce doctor and patient contact.

“Technology has now made it possible for people to interact without seeing each other or being in the same room. The health sector offers some opportunities where that can happen and technology now makes it possible for us to get the best possible advice or even treatment for somebody who is not in the same room with you or information.”

He further explained that e-health would bridge distance as people would get health care services even when experts are not around.

“E-health is a way of trying to bridge that distance so that even people who are not in the presence of a doctor or any other technically competent person can access and benefit from that information without necessarily having to travel the distance.”

Jorge Coarasa, World Bank Health in Africa Initiative Policy Officer commented saying that technology can help improve access to health care services for example mobile phones can be used to remind patients to take their medicines, thus taking health care services to scales it could not reach.

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Rwanda is to crackdown on tax evasion through e-services.

NAIROBI: The Rwanda Revenue Authority will launch an Electronic Sales Device (ESD) to counter fraudulent transactions and tax evasion by individuals. The device is set to be launched in June and it will cost $300 and $600.

Ben Kagarama, Commissioner General commented that people are undertaking practices such as falsifying invoices so as not to pay taxes.

He stated that the ESD would curb against this practice and it would help entrepreneurs keep accurate books of accounts.

“With this devise, the figures you enter in your books of accounts are automatically transferred to our own database and any attempts to change the data afterwards will be noted and blocked.”

According to Drocelle Mukashyaka, the director for taxpayer services, the E-tax system will enable tax payers pay up from anywhere thus saving time and costs though at one point the tax payer will actually have to go to the actual branch and pay from there.

It is noted that the Electronic Sales Device is aimed at maximizing tax compliance. With that in hand, there is an upcoming electronic cargo system that will help to curb the receiving or sending of untaxed cargo in and out of the country.

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Elephant in Manila Zoo receives government promise.

MANILA: The Philippine’s government has said it will ensure the welfare of an elephant currently held at the Manila Zoo. The Palace made the statement after UK rockstar Morissey called on President Benigno Aquino III to allow the elephant to go into retirement.

Animal rights groups have also called for the animal’s release, after documentation of poor treatment has been published.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Palace said it has ordered the Bureau of Animal Industry to evaluate the condition of “Mali,” which Morrissey described as Manila Zoo’s long-suffering elephant.

“We share the concerns expressed by animal advocates who have brought up the condition of the resident pachyderm. Rest assured, the responsible agencies will be swiftly implementing the order to ensure the welfare of Mali,” the Palace’s statement said.

Last week, Morrissey sent a letter to President Aquino, saying that Mali deserves a reprieve from confinement.

Echoing allegations made by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the artist said Mali had been unable to roam and socialize like other elephants in the wild.

PETA, which Morrissey supports, wants Mali shipped to a US sanctuary for old, sick or needy elephants that have been retired from zoos and circuses.

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Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson currently in German jail.

Iconic French film star and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has asked German authorities to allow her to switch places with jailed Sea Shepherd Conservation Society chief Paul Watson, who was arrested and jailed in Germany.

“I have always supported Paul Watson, my brother in arms,” she said in a statement.

Watson, the Canadian national and founder of Sea Shepherd, which fights in international water for marine conservation, is accused by the German government of endangering the crew of a shark-fining ship in the waters of Costa Rica in 2002.

The conservation group has made headlines for its ardent attempts to curtail illegal international whaling, namely Japan’s hunt annually in Antarctic waters, and have tirelessly fought for the rights of marine animals.

He was arrested on an international warrant in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, and on Monday, German officials remanded him in custody.

Bardot, 77, is “appalled by the news” and insists she is willing to trade places with Watson, who has been battling hunters on the high seas for years, her statement read.

It continued to say, “being outraged by the fact that he’s been put in prison, I offer to take his place because I am his accomplice.”

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ICRC flag

The International Red Cross (ICHR) has said that thousands of people in South Sudan have been displaced as a result of the ongoing violence between the country and its northern neighbor Sudan.

Since the beginning of the year, the ICRC has stepped up its efforts to respond to mounting humanitarian needs in South Sudan. In early April, needs increased further when hostilities erupted along the border with Sudan. The ICRC is striving to help people affected by armed violence in South Sudan.

“Many people left their homes in a hurry because of the violence, often leaving everything behind and finding some sort of shelter in makeshift camps,” said Melker Mabeck, the ICRC’s head of delegation in South Sudan.

“Hospitals, particularly in Bentiu in Unity state, saw an influx of wounded patients and have struggled to cope,” he added. On several occasions, the ICRC donated surgical consumables, drugs and other essential items to Bentiu Civil Hospital and Bentiu Military Hospital. In neighboring Upper Nile state, where the ICRC is providing support for Malakal Teaching Hospital, ICRC doctors performed over 80 operations on patients in April. Most were weapon-related injuries.

Since hostilities intensified just over a month ago, the ICRC has focused on visiting conflict-related detainees including prisoners of war, providing emergency relief to the newly displaced and helping hospitals treat the wounded. It has also sought to ensure that communities affected by fighting have access to safe water.

ICRC maintains a strong presence in northern regions of South Sudan where communities are suffering from the violence. “A key task is to remind parties to the conflict of their obligation to respect civilians, the wounded and prisoners,” said Mabeck.

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Investigation underway in Kashmir hospital.

NEW DELHI: At least 35 children have died in a fortnight at a top hospital in Jammu and Kashmir, forcing the provincial government to order an inquiry.

The children died at the GP Pant Hospital reportedly of encephalitis and R S Chib, Kashmir’s Minister for Medical Education said, blaming doctors at this stage would be premature.

Chib said, experts from another medical institution of the state – Srinagar Medical College – will conduct the probe and submit their report in a week’s time.

Chib however admitted that the hospital needed better co-ordination between its administration and medical staff.

Meanwhile Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah had sought a report on the infant deaths on Monday. The G B Pant hospital in Kashmir is a premier hospital for children.

Local media had reported last week that as many as 20 children died of neglect in a ward of the hospital. Government sources confirmed that most of the deaths involved children below the age of one.

Doctors in the hospital have admitted that the situation is alarming.

One doctor, who did not want to be named, reportedly said the hospital does not have enough infrastructure to treat so many patients at one time, leading to chaotic scenes there.

Insufficient ventilators, non-availability of senior doctors among others were some of the problems cited by the doctor, who has been quoted extensively in media reports emanating from the region.

There have been instances in the past one month where even three or four babies occupied a single bed at the hospital.

GB Pant hospital is a 170-bedded hospital but at times occupancy touches 400, making doctors’ task complicated.

A similar situation had cropped up last year as well and people had launched protests after infant deaths in the hospital.

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Indian goddess Kali.

NEW DELHI: ‘Kali Ma’ a beer launched by an American company has begun fizzing even before being sold in India.

The Indian Parliament on Wednesday heard an animated discussion by its parliamentarians who now want the government ask the United States Ambassador to apologize for using the name of a Hindu goddess ‘Kali Ma’ or ‘Mother Kali’ for the beverage.

The issue was first raised by right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party member Ravi Shankar Prasad, who lampooned the Portland-based Burnside Brewing for hurting sentiments of Indians by naming its beer after the fiery Indian female deity.

That the company hopes to cash in on the popularity of the goddess to market its beer in India is evident in its ad which says: ‘Come worship the black one Kali as the ultimate reality or Brahman’ … and bears a picture of the goddess.

Prasad was furious over the ad in Parliament and asked that India take the issue up with the United States.

He also demanded that the US Ambassador be summoned and asked to say sorry for it.

India’s Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Rajeev Shukla, intervened when the chorus against the beer named after the revered goddess grew louder in Parliament. He promised to take up the matter with the External Affairs Ministry.

In India, religious sentiments run high and any effort to use religious symbols and titles to market products often lead to controversies.

Kali is the goddess of enlightenment or liberation and is both revered and feared by Hindus and is often shown with an outstretched tongue, a bloodied scimitar and a string of human heads dangling across her neck.

The Western Indian state of Maharashtra.

New Delhi: A police officer in the western Indian state of Maharashtra is in the dock after a woman he allegedly assaulted and locked up on charges of soliciting for sex, was pregnant and suffered a miscarriage.

Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh has been petitioned by a global human rights organization to launch an impartial criminal probe into the incident and some other such cases in India.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), authorities in India must protect the victim from police threats and also ensure no interference in the probe by the police.

According to the detailed account mentioned by HRW in a press release, two sex workers were headed to a hospital to see a friend when the police officer called one over and began to beat her. The officer from the Satara district police, in Maharashtra, latched on to the other woman when she tried to intervene.

According to the first-hand account of the second woman, the officer kicked her when she held his leg pleading him not to assault her as she was pregnant.

After the incident, both women were put in jail on the false charge that they were soliciting for sex, the press release by HRW said.

She was taken to the local civil hospital but not allowed to buy medicines prescribed by the doctor there. The two women were produced before a court which slapped a Rs 1,200 fine and released them.

The pregnant woman again went to the civil hospital where documents reveal she suffered a ‘contusion’. But a few days later, she suffered a miscarriage, the HRW press release said..

No case has been booked as yet against the concerned policeman.

In its appeal to Dr Manmohan Singh, the NGO has also recalled the assault on a school teacher by the police in another state – Chhattisgarh. The police assaulted and tortured Soni Sori, a tribal woman, accusing her of supporting the Maoist rebels.

AUC's Ayman Ismail wins Young Global Leader award by WEF.

CAIRO: The Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGLs) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has selected The American University in Cairo (AUC) alumnus and assistant professor Ayman Ismail, as one of two of Egypt’s most influential and inspirational figures in 2012.

This recognition is granted annually by the WEF to honor the world’s most distinguished young leaders under 40. Ismail shares this honor in Egypt with fellow AUC alumnus Wael Ghonim, an activist.

Ismail, the Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair for Entrepreneurship at AUC, is actively involved in a number of initiatives at the University. He leads the School of Business’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (EIP) that supports the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt through a number of activities and partnerships.

These include Flat6Labs and Sawari Ventures which provide incubation services for startup companies. Ismail also supervises “Fekrety,” a national business idea competition organized by EIP that serves as a platform for individuals and teams to pitch their innovative business ideas. The competition provides training and mentoring opportunities on how to develop these ideas into successful business ventures.

“With Fekrety, we seek to engage and mobilize youth and have them come up with innovative business ideas that can create jobs, enhance wealth and solve issues in society,” said Ismail.

In addition, Ismail served as faculty mentor for the two AUC students who are the first in Egypt to be selected as Dalai Lama fellows this year for their project Kaab Dayer. The initiative empowers underprivileged people by developing their interpersonal skills and preparing them to start their own small business ventures.

Ismail’s selection as a Young Global Leader coincides with times of critical transformation in Egypt when youth across the nation are playing critical roles in the development and advancement of their country.

“I’m extremely optimistic about the future here in Egypt,” said Ismail.

“We are now witnessing a change in centers of power and leadership, and with that comes a lot of turbulence. I feel confident that, although this phase might persist for a while, we will ultimately emerge and thrive as a better nation.”

As co-founder and board member of Nahdet El Mahrousa, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to have a positive impact on Egypt’s development through engaging its youth, Ismail contributes to supporting social entrepreneurs in Egypt who aspire to build successful and innovative social enterprises by providing incubation services and seed funding. Ismail also is co-founder and managing partner in Enovio, a management and strategy consulting firm operating in the United States and the Middle East. Prior to that, he was a consultant in McKinsey & Company’s Business Technology Office, based in New York, for several years. He has also consulted and conducted research for international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, as well as multiple U.S. government agencies. In addition, Ismail is a former research fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He received his PhD in international economic development and his master’s in city planning and geographic information systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also holds a bachelor’s in engineering and an MBA from AUC.

“Having a wide global reach and being active in the local community, is essential to what is now an Egyptian transitioning phase to democracy. We are now at a critical and historical time, I never imagined to live and be a part of this, and to win such an award”, Ismail said.

The Forum of YGLs operates as an independent, not-for-profit foundation under the supervision of the Swiss government and under the umbrella of the WEF. It works as an integral part of the WEF platform to engage young leaders into deep interaction with other stakeholders of global society. Ismail was chosen by the forum’s selection committee, chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan. Thousands of other candidates from countless disciplines and sectors all over the world were screened in the process.

YGLs are fully involved in meetings, initiatives and research activities of the WEF, representing the views and interests of their generation.

To be selected for the award, a Young Global Leader must be under 40 years of age, possess a track record of extraordinary achievements and a clear indication of continuing to play a substantial leadership role, as well as demonstrate a commitment to serve the community at large.

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Green mountains like this one in the Western Ghat region are pulverized for iron ore.

Goa (INDIA) A ruling parliamentarian from the Western Indian state of Goa has accused his own party’s government in the neighboring state of Maharashtra of allowing iron ore mining to run riot and pollute water-bodies in Goa.

Speaking in the House of Elders on Wednesday Shantaram Naik said that “environment experts in Goa have expressed fear that increasing mining activities in Maharashtra’s Dodamarg and Sawantwadi areas”, border Goa was “causing pollution of the waters of two rivers in Goa” namely the Tiracol and the Colvale.

Congress MP Naik has now urged the Congress-led alliance government-ruled Maharashtra government, to take steps under the Environment Protection Act, Water Pollution Act and laws dealing with mining activities to curb the menace.

“Both the Tiracol and the Colvale rivers originated in Maharashtra and are a lifeline of northern Goan areas by damaging farm land as well as causing permanent damage to wildlife habitat,” Naik told Bikyamasr.com.

Green experts have cautioned against the large scale of mining in Western India’s prime tropical forest area and global biodiversity hotspot, the ‘Western Ghats’, from where more than 60 per cent of India’s iron ore is extracted by felling of forests and leveling mountains in the hunt for iron ore.

Indian underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim.

NEW DELHI: Two lieutenants of India’s most dreaded and wanted fugitive, Dawood Ibrahim, were on Tuesday issued sanctions by the United States in connection with their drug trafficking activities.

The United States Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) served the sanctions on Chhota Shakeel and Tiger Memon, two of Dawood’s most trusted aides.

The action freezes any asset held by them in the jurisdiction of the United States. It also forbids US citizens from having any financial dealing with them.

Both, Shakeel and Memon, like their boss Dawood, are Indian nationals and had fled the country in 1993 after planning and executing one of the most deadly terror attacks in Mumbai.

Dawood, who still runs an underworld network in India and other parts of the world fashionably called the ‘D Company’, was himself listed by the US as a ‘Special Designated Global Terrorist’ soon after the Mumbai terror attack in 1993, one of the first major act of terror which targeted civilians in India’s commercial capital.

Again in 2006, he was listed as ‘Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker’ after US intelligence agencies gathered enough evidence that his ‘D Company’ network was involved in trafficking drugs in America.

Dawood’s drug trafficking activities are said to have commenced in 1983 and attained global proportions in 2000 onwards. His operations involve smuggling hashish and heroin from Thailand and Afghanistan to Western Europe, United States, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

With an Interpol ‘red notice’ issued way back in 1993, Dawood is said to be based in one of the terrorist havens of eastern Pakistan from where he manages his global underworld network.

The 57-year-old Chhota Shakeel, is Dawood’s trusted aide who manages for the D Company its co-ordination with other global terror and underworld networks. Tiger Memon, who is 52, manages his businesses in South Asia,

Both, Chhota Shakeel and Tiger Memon too have ‘red notices’ issued for them by the Interpol.

Cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Genelia D'Souza in a sexy Fast Track accessories commercial.

New Delhi: In a typical illustration of the long winding patriarchal Indian political discourse, the country’s parliamentarians want to stop the “indecent portrayal of women”.

Cut down to basics, Indian MPs now want sexy, pouting women off television, especially in advertisements which they believe reduces woman to a commodity.

Ad film makers and broadcasters in India might just have to scurry and hunt down their chastity belts, what with the entire spectrum of the Indian political establishment geared to clamp down on them.

The Indian Parliament was on Tuesday engaged on the issue of indecent portrayal of women in ads and several MPs were rooting for a complete ban on such ads.

One MP even demanded that some sort of Censor Board be set up to scrutinize and certify all ad-films before they are allowed to be aired.

India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ambika Soni told the agitated MPs that ‘self-regulation’ was being given a chance to work. She however warned, that the government had powers and will not shy away from acting against rogue broadcasting companies, whenever the need arises.

The minister also poked fun at some of the agitated MPs for their hypocrisy in raising the issue of indecent content in the media and sending strong protest letters to her whenever her ministry took action against errant media companies.

According to Soni, India has as many as 15 laws dealing with content in the electronic and print media. Broadcasting companies had either dropped or changed ads in at least 85 of the 105 cases that the ministry had sent notices for in the last one year. In 15 cases, the government is engaged in court with the companies, she informed the MPs.

Opposition MPs, particularly women members had closed ranks to criticize the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and demanded stricter codes for advertisements on television.

Leader of the Opposition, Sushma Swaraj also suggested having a meeting of all political parties to discuss the issue, but Soni shot that down. The Minister said there was no need for such a conclave because she and the government had the matter within its grip.

She said, the government had a ‘group of ministers’ (GoM) in place to oversee different media issues and only after it completes its deliberations would it be prudent to bring the matter before all political parties for discussion.

Wonder how senior Congress leader and union minister for science and technology Vilasrao Deshmukh will have to convince his daughter in law, the vivacious and sexy Genelia D’Souza, against acting in raunchy commercials.

A couple of years back before she married Deshmukh’s son and Bollywood actor Rietesh, Genelia, played a flirty and sexy character in a series of ‘Fast Track’ accessories ads, where she seems to want everything from attention to making out with an in-flight pilot.

Mohamed Morsy (center) speaks at a press conference.

CAIRO: Egypt’s Free Front for Peaceful Change Movement accused in a statement on Tuesday the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) of attempts to “disrupt the drafting of the constitution, and the selection of the members of the Constituent Assembly, so as to ensure controlling the powers of the next president depending on the outcome of the presidential elections.

The movement continued, noting that the outline of the plan of the Muslim Brotherhood group in case its presidential candidate, Mohamed Morsi, won in the presidential race, “will be to outline a presidential system or semi-parliamentary of the republic, in the constitution mixed system.” but in case any other candidate won, “their choice will be a parliamentary system and the weakening of the powers of the president and the parliament would have more power.”

The Front said that there have been attempts and “clear steps carried out by the Muslim Brotherhood since the beginning of the revolution and after the referendum on March 19, to take over power in Egypt,” which it said could be seen in “seeking to obtain a majority of the parliament, and the nomination of Khairat El Shater and then Mohammed Morsi for presidential elections president,” as well as their attempts to “monopolize the new constitution,” which was suspended by a court ruling.

The statement added: “Today, they [MB] began a new and more grave plot against Egypt, which revealed their attempts to gain more political privileges, beyond what we expected and the Muslim Brotherhood plot is summarized in deliberately to disrupt the formation of the Constitution and suspending it in order to control the public order of the state in accordance with the outcome of the election results so that if their candidate wins and that they outline the system of the republic according to a presidential or a mixed system.”

“And if their candidate fails, they would resort to the parliamentary system, merely to take over the powers of the presidency.”

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Air India reporting massive daily losses, but is going international.

NEW DELHI: India’s struggling flagship airline Air India began its international operations Wednesday. Operations to Europe and the United States were started as a part of its contingency plan to reinstate normalcy.

Hundreds of Air India pilots were staying away from work and had called in sick as an attempt to make the management accept their demands in a dispute over training.

As the stir by the pilots entered its second week Air India clubbed many of its flights to stabilize its international operations.

“We have put in force our contingency plan and started operating our international flights, which were affected for the past eight days causing great inconvenience to our customers. Slowly, we hope that our operations would normalize,” an Air India official said.

Air India was compelled to stop its International operations on Monday after 16 pilots called in sick. The pilots are protesting against former Indian Airlines pilots who were moved to Air India after the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India in 2007.

The pilots think this move threatens their career prospects.

“We have deployed Airbus 320 aircraft for our short haul flights to Bangkok, Singapore and other destinations,” he said.

After the protest Air India was forced to cancel its flights from Paris, Riyadh, Toronto and Tokyo.

The airline operates a fleet of Boeings and Airbus aircrafts that serve Asia, Europe and North America.

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Obama while giving speech at the UN.

SANA’A: As announced by the Washington Post, this Wednesday American President Barak Obama is to sign an executive order, which would give the Treasury Department the ability to freeze the assets of whoever, American or foreign, would impede Yemen’s transition process or help another party hinder its progress.

The move came after several Yemeni officials complained to the White House that remnants of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime were refusing to obey President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s decrees and new nominations plan for the armed forces.

This order is one of the first to not directly relate to Yemen’s terror problem.

Politicians in Washington revealed that President Obama had felt political instability and al-Qaeda were much entwined as one was feeding the other, hence putting Americans at risk of further terrorist attacks.

Ahmed al-Sofi, a political analyst based in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital told Bikyamasr.com that amidst heightened tribal tensions in Yemen, especially in the capital as Sheikhs loyal to former President Saleh ordered their men to block streets and return bearing arm, this decision could very well be the last straw.

“There are no many avenues left for the former regime at this point. Either President Saleh admits defeat or he makes a last stand hoping to sway the balance back in his favor and Yemen will burn.”

Lawlessness in Sana’a is spreading fast with more car-jacking and looting being reported every day without the authorities being able to reign down on the phenomena as armed militias are challenging them.

“We received strict order not to engage armed men… everything is very complicated now we don’t know what kind of people are standing behind those gangs so we stay away. The Interior Ministry needs to be clear in its orders, otherwise it will continue.

“We don’t have the means to combat those criminals. It’s sad to see our city fall into chaos like that,” said Majib Annam, a police officer.

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Egypt demonstrators paint Star of David outside Saudi embassy – photo by Amanda Mustard for Bikyamasr.com.

Cairo – Saudi Arabia has announced it will re-open its embassy in Egypt, after closing it in late April due to massive protests. The conflict began when Ahmed al-Gizawi, an Egyptian human rights lawyer, was arrested in April by Saudi security forces upon arriving in the country to take part in the umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage. He was later accused of smuggling drugs into the country, a claim that Egyptians rejected. His arrest struck a sensitive chord with Egyptians, sparked mass protests that led to the closing of the Saudi embassy and resulted in bitter online arguments between Egyptian and Saudi human rights activists.

What I think that both Egyptian and Saudi activists missed in the ensuing debate, however, is that ultimately we, as activists, are on the same side in trying to foster support for human rights in the Middle East.

Over the course of the online attacks, both sides employed angry, frustrated and emotional language. As an Egyptian, I understood the fury from my fellow citizens. I found myself angered by Saudi activists’ response, as well as al-Gizawi’s claims about mistreatment in custody.

The war of words between the two sides, both online and in print publications, was inflamed by focusing on perceived problems with the other side. Saudi writers criticised the “chaos” and political turmoil in Egypt. Egyptians responded by highlighting human rights violations against Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia, where the Egypt State Information Service estimates there at least 900,000 Egyptian workers.

Despite such bitter disagreements, I believe that we – as human rights activists in both countries – have the potential to change our approach. If we can begin to use respectful language and be tolerant with those who are natural allies, we can do more to fight injustice in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Some activists attempted to calm the situation by posting positive things about the other side, which is a significant step. On Twitter, some Saudis used the hashtag “an Egyptian who influenced me” and mentioned Egyptians who had left a positive mark on a Saudi’s life. Unfortunately, few Egyptians responded with the same warmth.

Those Saudis who began this hashtag campaign should be praised, and supported, by their fellow human rights defenders in Egypt. They can be powerful allies in the struggle for justice.

Ultimately, both countries are in the same boat. Voices opposing the government’s human rights violations are suppressed in Saudi Arabia, just as in Egypt. Even though we Egyptians feel frustrated, we should be mindful of individual efforts to promote tolerance on both sides during the battle of words – such as the brave activists who put forward a hashtag talking about which Egyptians had inspired them. This sort of action can help develop and push dialogue and understanding forward.

The quest for justice is global, yet we – in the Middle East and elsewhere – are often blinded by anger, and have trouble seeing beyond our borders. Human rights defenders in Egypt and Saudi Arabia both face grave dangers, including attacks on personal freedoms and speech, and the possibility of being arrested and charged for what they write on Twitter. Unifying both sides is critical to nurturing a region-wide culture that respects human rights. We should reach out to similar civil society activists and youth movements in Saudi Arabia and ask them to join with us in supporting human rights, instead of making generalisations and alienating them.

On-going dialogue, even when there is no crisis, can help to bring Saudi and Egyptian activists to the table on an on-going basis to understand each side’s struggle and point of view and learn how we might work together. And by choosing tolerant and peaceful language as they relate to each other, both sides can help to foster inclusion rather than embolden the emotional responses that often create a sense of hate.

The human rights communities in both countries need to step up and speak in a unified tone. Al-Gizawi’s case should be an opportunity to reject injustice and a chance for activists on both sides to claim him as their own. Such actions are key to creating a better, more just Middle East and a better world, one based on tolerance, understanding and respect for human rights.

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* Manar Ammar is a co-founder of Bikyamasr.com. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

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