China Telecom studying Mexico investment - spokesman

Jan 17 (AsiaTimes.ga) - China's third-largest carrier China Telecom is studying a possible investment in Mexico, a company spokesman said on Saturday, a day after Reuters reported that it is preparing a possible bid for Mexico's new $10 billion mobile broadband network.

The spokesman for subsidiary China Telecom Corporation Ltd. did not comment directly on the Reuters story but said in an emailed statement that China Telecom was doing a preliminary study on an investment opportunity in Mexico.

Reuters, citing sources, reported on Friday that China Telecom is looking for Mexican partners to join it in a consortium for the mobile broadband project, with up to several billion dollars of financing already secured from Chinese state-controlled banks.

The proposed network is part of a wider reform designed to break billionaire Carlos Slim's hold on the Mexican telecoms business and to improve poor broadband penetration levels. (Reporting by Christine Murray in Mexico City and Gerry Shih in Beijing; Editing by Frances Kerry)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

UPDATE 3-Channel Tunnel set to reopen after "smouldering load" closure

(Adds Eurotunnel comment)

Jan 17 (AsiaTimes.ga) - The Channel Tunnel operator said services could restart later on Saturday after it evacuated a shuttle train and closed the undersea crossing earlier in the day due to smoke from a lorry. Eurotunnel said that the incident, which shut the tunnel for several hours, had not caused significant damage.

Smoke detectors were set off by a "smouldering load" in the trailer of a lorry, it said, clarifying an earlier statement in which it had said the source of the smoke was unknown.

"The smouldering has now been dealt with by the fire and rescue services, and we are now working to remove that shuttle and to get services restarted again in the other tunnel this evening," a spokesman for Eurotunnel told Reuters.

A full service in both tunnels was likely to begin again on Sunday, he added, with no information on what the smouldering load was at this stage.

British police had earlier said the tunnel closure was due to a lorry fire and the Calais-Dover shuttle train had been evacuated due to the smoke. There were no injuries.

"Rail passengers are advised to expect significant delays whilst the vehicle is being recovered and fumes are cleared from the tunnels," Kent police said in an emailed statement.

Eurostar, the operator of passenger train services through the tunnel between Paris, London and Brussels, said on Twitter its passenger trains would not be running on Saturday and that all trains halted en route would return to their original stations.

It advised passengers to postpone journeys and not come to stations.

France has been on high alert since Islamist militants killed 17 people in three days of violence in Paris that began on Jan. 7 with an attack on the offices of a satirical newspaper. (Reporting by Gregory Blachier, Leigh Thomas and Sarah Young; Editing by Andrew Roche)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Italy's Padoan urges ECB bond buying "without constraints"

Jan 17 (AsiaTimes.ga) - Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan has called for the European Central Bank (ECB) to launch its expected bond-buying programme "without constraints", saying he hoped its impact was not watered down and fragmented along national lines.

The ECB is expected next week to announce it will issue newly printed money to buy government bonds and flood cash into the euro zone economy, aiming to ward off deflation in a step known as quantitative easing (QE).

"QE is an essential contribution against deflation, it should absolutely not be diluted," Padoan was quoted saying in business daily Il Sole 24 Ore on Saturday.

"I hope that national fragmentation doesn't exert an influence," he said. "What counts is to turn around expectations and for that, there needs to be a decisive intervention without constraints."

Details of the programme, which ECB President Mario Draghi is widely expected to unveil after a meeting on Jan. 22, are still unclear.

The size of any programme and conditions such as whether risks will be distributed across the whole euro zone, or whether national central banks will buy the bonds of their own country only, have been under discussion since late last year.

The plan has faced stiff resistance from Germany, the bloc's biggest economy, which fears unlimited bond purchases would risk loading too much risk from weaker countries onto the Eurosystem as a whole.

However some analysts say a system under which national central banks buy their own country's debt would risk undermining the basic principle on which the single currency is built.

QE has already been deployed in the United States, Britain and Japan, but would be an unprecedented experiment in a bloc made up of different countries with no common fiscal system.

Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco told a German newspaper last week he favoured a programme under which risks were borne jointly by the euro zone as a whole, in line with other policy measures which the ECB sets for the whole bloc.

Separately Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem signalled in a newspaper interview he would not object to the ECB purchasing national bonds of member states.

Policy makers in Italy, which is struggling to emerge from three years of on-off recession, have warned repeatedly that their economy faces a growing risk that chronic low inflation will tip into full deflation. (Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by David Holmes)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Japan's Abe pledges support for Mideast countries battling IS

(AsiaTimes.ga) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned on Saturday that the world would suffer an "immeasurable loss" if terrorism spreads in the Middle East and pledged about $200 million in non-military assistance for countries battling Islamic State.

The threat of Islamist militancy has come into sharp focus outside the Middle East after gunmen killed 17 people in three days of violence in Paris that began on Jan. 7 with an attack on the offices of a newspaper that had published satirical images of the Prophet Mohammad.

Islamic State controls large parts of OPEC oil producer Iraq and neighboring Syria, has declared a caliphate and wants to redraw the map of a region vital for Japan's energy needs.

"It goes without saying that the stability of the Middle East is the foundation for peace and prosperity for the world, and of course for Japan," Abe said in Cairo in the first leg of a regional tour.

"Should we leave terrorism or weapons of mass destruction to spread in this region, the loss imparted upon the international community would be immeasurable."

Highlighting his concern, Abe told a meeting of the Japan-Egypt Business Committee that Tokyo would provide non-military financial backing for countries fighting the al-Qaeda breakaway group, also known as ISIL.

"I will pledge assistance of a total of about 200 million U.S. dollars for those countries contending with ISIL, to help build their human capacities, infrastructure, and so on," said Abe.

Stability has remained elusive in the Middle East since the Arab Spring uprisings toppled veteran autocrats and raised hopes of democracy and economic prosperity.

"There is no shortcut to nipping violence in the bud. There is no way other than bringing stability to people's livelihoods and fostering a middle class, even if it takes time," Abe said.

'GREAT POSSIBILITIES'
In addition to the $2.2 billion in assistance Japan pledged for the Middle East two years ago, Abe said his government would provide another $2.5 billion in non-military assistance in fields such as humanitarian assistance and infrastructure.

"The Middle East ... that's the region endowed with great possibilities," said Abe, whose tour will also include Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Turkey.

"And yet now it appears to be no exaggeration to say that the region is exposed to a challenge that is among the most serious in its modern history."

The Japanese leader stressed the need for economic growth in the Middle East, where militants often try to exploit frustrations with issues such as unemployment and neglected schools to gain recruits.

Security crackdowns alone have failed to defeat militancy in Egypt, the most populous Arab country, and other states as well.

Japan will provide Egypt with $360 million in loans for projects including an airport and a power grid in a country suffering from an energy crisis, Abe said.

"These are intended to contribute to Egypt's development, and by extension, to widening the foundation for stability across the entire region," he added.

Aside from tackling Islamic State, the region and Western leaders also face the daunting task of securing serious progress on the Israeli and Palestinian front.

"Japan believes that the day will come in the near future when we can recognize Palestine as a state," said Abe.

"In order for that day to arrive sooner, we will appeal to both Israel and Palestine to resume negotiations to advance the so-called two-state solution."

(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Pravin Char)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

CBS says suspends CBS Sports analyst Greg Anthony after his arrest

(AsiaTimes.ga) - CBS Sports basketball analyst Greg Anthony has been suspended indefinitely by the network, a CBS spokesperson said on Saturday, a day after he was arrested in Washington, D.C., on a charge of soliciting prostitution.

"Greg Anthony will not be working again for CBS this season," the spokesperson said in an email.

Anthony, 47, was arrested Friday evening after making an agreement for sexual favors, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

His agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his arrest.

Anthony played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association before joining CBS in 2008 as lead studio analyst for the network's college basketball coverage, according to his network biography.

He had been scheduled to work CBS' broadcast of the Michigan State-Maryland basketball game in College Park, Maryland, on Saturday.

(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Shooting at Florida mall leaves one dead, two hurt: police

(AsiaTimes.ga) - One person is dead and two are injured after gunfire erupted early on Saturday at a mall in Melbourne, Florida, police said.

"At this time, we believe the situation is contained," said Melbourne police commander Vince Pryce.

Police did not say whether the shooter was dead. Earlier, they had said the shooter was contained after gunfire prompted authorities to evacuate Melbourne Square mall on Florida's east coast.

Pryce said all three people involved in the shooting were found in the same part of the mall. The relationship between them was not immediately clear.

Television station WESH reported the shooting happened in the shopping center's food court after 9 a.m., citing a witness who said two people were injured before the gunman shot himself.

Pryce said the mall would remain closed for the day, as police continued to search stores to make sure everyone had gotten out safely.

(Reporting by Irene Klotz; Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Alison Williams)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Obama invites presidential letter writers to big address

(Asia Times) - President Barack Obama has invited a handful of average Americans who wrote him letters about their lives to his annual State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

"Every day, we get thousands of letters and emails at the White House from Americans across the country, and every night, I read 10 of them," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address, broadcast on Saturday.

"They tell me about their hopes and their worries, their hardships and successes. They’re the Americans I’m working for every day, and this year, several of these letter writers will join me at the Capitol."

The president said he had invited a woman from Colorado, Carolyn Reed, who expanded her business with a loan from the Small Business Administration.

Victor Fugate of Missouri would also be among his guests. Fugate wrote to say he had been unemployed but was now working, able to afford student loans, and benefiting from Obamacare.

Jason Gibson, who lost both his legs during the war in Afghanistan and who Obama first met at a hospital, would also be attending.

The White House often uses guests, who traditionally sit with first lady Michelle Obama during the speech, to represent some of the themes and ideas highlighted in the address.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by David Gregorio)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Exclusive; China Telecom plans bid to build Mexico broadband network - sources

(Asia Times) - China's third-largest carrier China Telecom is preparing a possible bid for a contract to build and run a new mobile broadband network in Mexico and is seeking local partners to join it in a consortium, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

It has already secured up to several billion dollars of financing from Chinese state-controlled banks, including the China Development Bank, for the project, which Mexico estimates will cost $10 billion over 10 years, one of the people said.

The proposed network is part of a sweeping reform designed to break billionaire Carlos Slim's hold on the Mexican telecoms business, but the Chinese involvement could prove controversial and trigger concerns from the U.S., some Mexican officials say.

Mexico's government is trying to ease its economic dependence on the United States and ramp up Chinese investment. A Chinese-led consortium looks poised to win a $3.75 billion contract to build a high-speed train system, sources with knowledge of the plan say. This is despite the group's previous winning bid being revoked late last year amid a political scandal.

Representatives for China Telecom did not return requests for comment, and representatives for China Development Bank could not be reached for comment.  A spokesman for Mexico's Communications and Transport Ministry (SCT) declined to comment.

On a trip to China in November to reduce tensions caused by the train contract cancellation, Communications and Transport Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza also discussed the mobile network plan with the Chinese government, according to a ministry press release.

State-owned China Telecom's international subsidiary China Telecom Global wants to be an operating partner in the network and not just an investor, said the people, who requested anonymity.

It is still looking for Mexican partners, the people said. It was unclear who had been approached.

GOVERNMENT ASSETS
The people did not say how big a stake the Chinese would take in the consortium that would make the bid. Under a government timeline published last year, the tender should have begun last month, with a winner due to be chosen in August this year.  

Creation of the wholesale network was written into Mexico's constitution as part of telecom market reforms in 2013. It aims to allow Slim's mobile competitors better coverage without using the network of his company America Movil, or bearing the cost of building their own.

Under current plans, Mexico's government will not take a stake in the company that runs the network, according to two of the sources.

Instead, the winning group will have a public-private partnership contract with the government which will allow it use of some state infrastructure, such as sites to build towers on and a fiber optic network owned by the state electricity firm.

It will also have a concession for use of 90 MHz of the valuable 700 MHz spectrum.

In exchange the network will have to cover large parts of the country with the exact coverage to be decided in the tender. The winning company would then subcontract telecoms equipment makers to build and maintain the network.

If the Chinese bid wins, it would mean the Chinese government indirectly owning part of a telecoms network that would cover most of Mexico right up to the U.S. border. Many large U.S. companies also have operations in Mexico.

Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei [HWT.UL] has expressed interest in the project and would be more likely to supply parts to the network if it is Chinese-led and financed, as has happened in other deals outside China.

Huawei has been largely locked out of supplying network equipment to the U.S. because of opposition from U.S. lawmakers who allege the company maintains ties to the Chinese authorities and could use its equipment to spy on U.S. communications.

Huawei has consistently rejected the allegations.

Representatives for Huawei did not respond to a request for comment.

The SCT already received an unsolicited bid proposal from a group of ex-telecoms executives, lawyers and bankers supported by equipment makers Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent.

The ministry chose not to accept it in order to keep the competition level, one person said. Accepting it would have meant giving the team an edge in the bidding process.

Finland's Nokia and U.S. equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. have also had meetings with the Mexican government about a possible bid, one person said. Spokesmen for the both companies declined comment.

(Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Simon Gardner and Martin Howell)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

NATO, EU set diverging tones on approach to Russia

(Asia Times) - A top NATO official said on Friday it was the wrong time to talk about mending relations with Russia, but EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker sounded more conciliatory, saying the bloc must begin to engage with Moscow again in areas of common interest.

The comments indicated diverging approaches by two key Western organizations on how to deal with Russia 10 months after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region, provoking the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War.

NATO's Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow, said the situation in Ukraine appeared to be deteriorating and Russians and pro-Russian separatists did not seem ready to fully implement the Minsk ceasefire agreement.

Speaking to Reuters in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Vershbow, an American, said the "general view among allies" was that NATO should stand by its decision last year to suspend all practical cooperation with Russia in protest at Moscow's seizure of Crimea.

"We want to see full implementation of the Minsk agreement, and that, I think, is the prerequisite of any forward steps with Russia. Right now it's probably not the right time to even speculate about such steps," he said.

Six Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in attacks by separatists in the past 24 hours, the Kiev military said on Friday, as fighting raged at the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk.

European Commission President Juncker, however, was more conciliatory towards Moscow in comments made at an event in Paris, saying he did not take part in "Russia-bashing".

"Today it (Russia) is a strategic problem but I want it to become a strategic partner again. We must find points of common interest that we need to cultivate with Russia without having to talk all the time about Crimea," he said.

"It won’t work if we stay on the sole issue of Crimea, however important it is, however unacceptable the violation of international law by the Russians is, we must find something else to talk about," he said.

The 28-nation EU, together with the United States, has imposed tough economic sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in eastern Ukraine.

U.S. President Barack Obama said after a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday that the two had agreed that sanctions on Russia should remain until Moscow stops aggression in Ukraine.

EU foreign ministers are set on Monday to discuss a paper by foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini which tests their readiness to re-engage with Russia in some policy areas if Moscow fulfils a Ukraine truce accord.

The paper has raised concerns among more hawkish EU countries. One EU diplomat said now was "not the time to be enhancing the relationship" with Russia as that would send the wrong message to President Vladimir Putin.

(Writing by Adrian Croft; Editing by Susan Fenton)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

China's Xi congratulates new chairman of Taiwan's ruling party

(ATimes) - China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday welcomed the election of Eric Chu as chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party, the Xinhua news agency reported, which quoted Xi saying he hoped Taiwan-China relations would continue to move forward.

Taiwan and China have been at odds since the end of China's civil war when the Kuomintang fled to the island leaving the Communists running the mainland. But business ties across the Taiwan Straits have increased since China-friendly Ma Ying-jeou took power in 2008.

Xi hoped the two sides could work together to create a favorable situation for peaceful cross-strait relations and work against the common political basis for Taiwan independence, Xinhua quoted him as saying.

The two sides have always agreed upon "one China," which refers to the idea that there is only one state called China, even though there are two governments, one on the mainland and one in Taiwan. And Beijing would rather see the Kuomintang ruling the U.S-allied island than the pro-independence opposition party.

Chu, the only candidate, won almost all the 196,830 votes cast in the chairmanship vote, the Kuomintang said in a statement, without elaborating.

He inherits an unpopular party seen as favoring big business and the mainland at a time of growing scepticism about ties with Beijing. He will have to win back domestic support but also avoid alarming Beijing's leaders and damage burgeoning commercial ties.

He needs to improve the Kuomintang's image and convince young and middle-class voters in Taiwan that cross-strait ties do not just benefit the wealthy. If not, the party's candidate for the presidency, which could be Chu, could face defeat in an election next year when President Ma Ying-jeou steps down.

Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party urged Chu to push for reform of his party, the DPP said in a statement.

Chu, quoted by Xinhua, said he looked forward to creating a favorable climate for the future development of cross-strait relations.

(Additional reporting by John Ruwitch in Shanghai. Editing by Jane Merriman)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

China central bank scholar sees GDP growth up to 7.3 percent in 2015: Xinhua

(ATimes) - China's economic growth may be as high as 7.3 percent this year, partly due to falling commodity prices, the official Xinhua news agency quoted an academic advisor to the central bank's monetary policy committee as saying on Saturday.

Song Guoqing was also quoted telling a forum that China's consumer price index may rise in 2015 by about 1.6 percent, saying the sharp decline in prices of commodities including crude oil, iron ore and copper presented "a large bonus" for the economy.

Xinhua said Song's views were echoed by Ma Jun, chief economist of the People's Bank of China's (PBOC) research bureau.

The central bank had said in a report seen by Reuters in mid-December China's economic growth could slow to 7.1 percent in 2015 from an expected 7.4 percent last year.

China's annual economic growth likely slowed to 7.2 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, the weakest since the depths of the global crisis, a Reuters poll in early January showed, which would keep pressure on policymakers to head off a sharper slowdown this year.

The expected slowdown in growth of the world's second-largest economy, from 7.3 percent in the June-September quarter, means the full-year figure would undershoot the government's 7.5 percent target and mark the weakest expansion in 24 years.

China's reform-minded leaders have shown greater tolerance of slower growth, but a further slowdown could fuel job losses and undermine public support for changes.

The PBOC unexpectedly cut interest rates in November for the first time in more than two years, aiming to lower borrowing costs and support growth. Later, it loosened loan restrictions to encourage banks to step up lending.

At the forum, Ma estimated annual gross domestic output growth would increase by 0.12 percentage point if the price of crude oil drops by 10 percent year on year, Xinhua said.

The government is expected to announce fourth-quarter GDP on Jan. 20.

(Reporting by John Ruwitch; Editing by David Holmes)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Blast outside Algeria embassy in Libya wounds two guards

(ATimes) - An explosion outside the Algerian embassy in Libya's capital Tripoli on Saturday slightly wounded two guards and damaged nearby vehicles, officials and residents said.

Algeria and most other countries evacuated their diplomats in the summer during fighting between rival factions who are battling for control of the oil-producing North African state three years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Two guards suffered minor wounds by the blast, officials in Tripoli and Algeria's state news agency said.

Libya's recognized government, which has been forced to work out of a rump state in the east, denounced the explosion in a statement as "cheap attempt" to undermine U.N.-sponsored peace talks which started this week in Geneva.

Tripoli is now controlled by a faction called Libya Dawn, which has set up a rival government.

The eastern-based government is recognized by the United Nations and Western powers. The Tripoli administration is not, but still controls ministries, airports and some oil facilities.

The U.N. talks are aimed at forming a unity government, ending hostilities and putting a transition to democracy on track. But the Tripoli-based forces say the process had been rushed, and plan to vote on Sunday on whether to attend.

Fighting over the country's oil infrastructure has closed two major oil ports in the east and slashed Libya's oil output to around 300,000 barrels per day from the 1.6 million bpd produced before the civil war toppled Gaddafi in 2011.

Bombs exploded in November near the Egyptian and United Arab Emirates embassies.

(Reporting by Tripoli staff; Writing by Patrick Markey and Ulf Laessing; Editing by Alison Williams)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Lost Beagle2 probe found on Mars

(AsiaTimes) The missing Mars robot Beagle2 has been found on the surface of the Red Planet, apparently intact. High-resolution images taken from orbit have identified its landing location, and it looks to be in one piece.

The UK-led probe tried to make a soft touchdown on the dusty world on Christmas Day, 2003, using parachutes and airbags - but no radio contact was ever made with the probe.

Many scientists assumed it had been destroyed in a high-velocity impact.

The new pictures, acquired by Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, give the lie to that notion, and hint at what really happened to the European mission.

Beagle's design incorporated a series of deployable "petals", on which were mounted its solar panels.

From the images, it seems that this system did not unfurl fully.

"Without full deployment, there is no way we could have communicated with it as the radio frequency antenna was under the solar panels," explained Prof Mark Sims, Beagle's mission manager from Leicester University.

"The failure cause is pure speculation, but it could have been, and probably was, down to sheer bad luck - a heavy bounce perhaps distorting the structure as clearances on solar panel deployment weren't big; or a punctured and slowly leaking airbag not separating sufficiently from the lander, causing a hang-up in deployment," he told BBC News.

The discovery of Beagle comes less than a year after the death of the probe's principal investigator, Colin Pillinger. The Royal Society scientific institution announced an award in commemoration of Prof Pillinger on Friday.

The Open University scientist was the driving force behind the project, and although his mission never got to explore Mars, he is credited with sparking a huge enthusiasm among the public for space research.

His wife and fellow Beagle team-member, Dr Judith Pillinger, said: "Colin was always fond of a football analogy. No doubt he would have compared Beagle2 landing on Mars, but being unable to communicate, to having 'hit the crossbar' rather than missing the goal completely.

"Beagle2 was born out of Colin's quest for scientific knowledge. Had he known the team came so close to scoring he would certainly have been campaigning to 'tap in the rebound' with Beagle3 and continue experiments to answer questions about life on Mars."

The outcome will be deeply frustrating to the science and engineering teams behind the project, because they will now realise just how close they came to success.

Indeed, MRO's data confirms that Beagle landed just 5km from the centre of its targeted touchdown zone.

This was an ellipse, 500km by 100km, on a flat, near-equatorial plain known as Isidis. To be off-centre by such a small margin amounts to a bulls-eye.
Mars Express

Beagle2 was carried to the Red Planet by the European Space Agency's Mars Express (MEx) orbiter, which remains in working order today.

MEx released the little robot on to its landing trajectory on 19 December 2003. It even snapped a picture of Beagle, in its entry capsule, receding into the distance. What followed was a mystery.

Various theories were posited for the failure of the probe to make contact after the expected landing time of 02:45 GMT on 25 December.

The Beagle team itself suspected the robot was caught out by a Martian atmosphere that was thinner than the one for which it had planned.

This would have meant it was travelling too fast as it approached the surface.

But the pictures suggest that all elements of the entry, descent and landing (EDL) system did a job.

The entry capsule clearly protected the probe from the heat of rubbing up against the Martian atmosphere, and the parachutes and bouncing bags must have come out to soften the final approach to the surface.

In the MRO images, it is even possible to identify some of the EDL elements on the ground close to Beagle.
Official inquiry

The Commission of Inquiry - jointly set up by the European Space Agency (Esa) and the forerunner of what is now the UK Space Agency - blamed the failure on a mix of poor management and inadequate testing of systems and components. It also conceded that too little money had been allocated to the Beagle project at its outset.

With a total budget of near £50m, it remains one of the cheapest interplanetary missions ever devised.

The report's 19 recommendations included the demand that communications with future probes be maintained through the various descent phases.

This has become standard practice in recent years, but with Beagle its last contact was essentially that black and white photo of it moving away from the MEx orbiter six days prior to landing.

When Esa's ExoMars rover tries to land on the surface of the Red Planet in 2019, it will be relaying information all the way down.

The landing hardware for this mission is being built by the Russians, but its key sensor technologies, such as the descent radar, are being developed in Europe and will be tested on a demonstration landing in late 2016.

Esa director general Jean-Jacques Dordain told BBC News: "We have already taken a lot of lessons from the 'failure' of Beagle, and especially on the need to be connected, because if we had been connected in terms of communications we would have known we were on Planet Mars."

And reflecting on Colin Pillinger's role in the project he added: "It's a pity that he is not with us anymore, because this was his baby. And I'm really glad - really glad - [it's been found] for him." (BBC News, MSN)

Hackers announce 'World War III' on Twitter

(AsiaTimes) Hackers took over the Twitter accounts of the New York Post and United Press International on Friday, writing bogus messages, including about hostilities breaking out between the United States and China.

One tweet posted under the UPI account quoted Pope Francis as saying, "World War III has begun."

Another message delivered on the Post account said the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier, was "engaged in active combat" against Chinese warships in the South China Sea.

The tweets were subsequently deleted.

A Post tweet later noted that "Our Twitter account was briefly hacked and we are investigating."

The fake tweets were not just about war. One posted on UPI said "Just in: Bank of America CEO calls for calm: Savings accounts will not be affected by federal reserve decision.

The Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Several media organizations have had their Twitter feeds hacked over the past two years including Agence France-Presse, the BBC and others.

A Pentagon official said the tweet about hostilities with China was "not true." (AFP, MSN)

President, Prime Minister meet business people #pmln

(ATimes) President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that every possible facility will be provided to the business community to bolster trade activities in the country. The President and Prime Minister expressed these views in a meeting with a delegation of businessmen and industrialists here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

The Prime Minister earlier held a one-on-one meeting with the President. President Mamnoon said the importance of strong economy has increased manifold in the era of globalisation and termed liberal trade policies a vital factor in this regard.

He said the government is sincerely taking steps in the right direction for the improvement of national economy and promotion of business activities. He urged the business community to benefit from the trade policies of the government and mentioned the flexible business policies of the country.

The President said that law and order situation and energy crisis are major impediments towards smooth continuation of business activities in the country, however expressed hope that these issues would be overcome soon.

Prime Minister Sharif said the government is taking steps towards facilitating businesspeople. He mentioned that the country was facing big challenges of terrorism and energy shortages, and added that efforts were afoot to meet these challenges and increase electricity generation. Besides, he said the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet energy demand.

He said infrastructure development was the government’s major priority and said a motorway would be constructed from Lahore to Karachi.

Sharif said, “We have discouraged lethargy in the government’s decision-making and are bringing an economic turnaround in the country.” He said economic indicators are improving, foreign currency reserves and stock market are high and rupee was stable against dollar. The Prime Minister said a 20-point agenda has been prepared for rooting out terrorism and extremism from the country. He said the 21st Amendment and the amendment to the Army Act are important steps “to clear this mess.”

He said swift justice is key to eradicating terrorism and the people spreading hatred and sectarianism would be tried in military courts. He said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb has played an important role in dismantling terror infrastructure and those terrorising society in the name of religion will be brought to justice.

Under the National Action Plan, another operation was being launched to make the country peaceful, he added. “These decisions have been taken in national interest and should have been taken earlier,” he said. The PM said the government will give incentives to the business community and said steps will be taken to woo overseas Pakistanis to invest in Pakistan.

He asked the Federal Board of Revenue to consider decreasing tax rates to encourage more people pay taxes resulting in larger revenue collection. He directed the Chairman FBR to hold a meeting with members of the business community to sort out their issues and apprise him personally on the outcome.

The Prime Minister also directed the Ministry of Water and Power and Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) to expedite approvals of pending cases of power plants and immediately remove all hurdles. The businesspeople gave relevant suggestions to the President and the Prime Minister. They regarded the unity displayed by all parties on the issue of terrorism as a good omen.

The meeting was informed that overseas Pakistanis are sending 25 billion dollars annually through different channels, and also Free Trade Agreement 2 is being negotiated with China. It will be independent of FTA 1, signed nine years ago. Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Minister for Water and Power Khwaja Asif, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Chairman FBR and Secretary Water and Power were present.

APP, Asia Times

PM expresses sorrow over loss of lives in Orakzai mines blast #PMLN

(ATimes) ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday expressed grief over the death of labourers working in a coal mine in Lower Orakzai.

The Prime Minister extended condolences to the bereaved families, a PM’s Office statement said issued here.

He directed the concerned authorities for provision of best medical facilities to the injured.
At least six labourers were killed and six others injured in a blast caused by gas accumulation inside a coal mine in Lower Orakzai Agency on Thursday morning.

APP

PM Nawaz condemns blasphemous sketches by French journal

(ATimes) ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday strongly condemned the publication of blasphemous sketches in a French journal and said international community should discourage it.

Freedom of speech should not be used to hurt religious sentiments of any community, the Prime Minister said in a statement issued by his office.

He said publication of provocative material should be discouraged by the international community.

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Shahbaz Bhatti’s murder trial transferred to military court

(ATimes) Police on Thursday said they have asked that the high-profile trial for the murder of a former minority minister be moved to a newly formed military court. Catholic Shahbaz Bhatti was gunned down in Islamabad in March 2011 for demanding that controversial blasphemy law be reformed.

The murder trial has, however, been hampered by threats from extremists. Police hope that hearing the case in a closed military court will speed up the process and reduce interference from radicals.

“We have sent an official request to the Interior ministry to carry out the murder trial of Shahbaz Bhatti in a military court,” a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another police official confirmed the move, adding that the police have been directed to send all terror-related cases to be heard by military courts.

Interior ministry will now have to give approval before the case can be transferred.

Paul Bhatti, brother of the former minority minister, was forced to flee the country last year after receiving threats from extremists for pursuing the case.

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) said threatening pamphlets were also found in the office of a key witness.

AFP

Dudr Gamifies Group Photo Sharing

(AsiaTimes.ga) While smartphone users continue to be obsessed with snapping photos of everything around them/every angle of their person, developers will continue to come up with new ways to share those photos. And so the photo-sharing apps keep on coming.

A new app called Dudr, created by a German startup, launched last week on iOS with the idea of mimicking the effect of giving a group of friends a bunch of disposable cameras to snap photos at the same event.

Dudr’s gamification element is amped up by a requirement that these conjoined digital photo shoots are time-limited to 24 hours and that participants can only take 24 shots apiece.

The team behind the app previously created another photo-focused service, called picjerry, which is a photo agency for smartphone users to try to sell the photos they take on their phones. Dudr is being funded by that other business, but is a spin-off — and potentially a startup in its own right — if the concept takes off, says CEO Bernd Schmekel.

The team has patented a location-based trigger system to simplify setting up a time-limited group photo shoot on Dudr. It works by users simultaneously pressing and holding a button in the app when they are in the same location (the app uses GPS for this).

Once all participants have appeared on screen, the button can be released and the shared photo channel is created. Dudr then starts tracking the time remaining till the end of a photo session, counting down till the 24 hours are up. After the time’s up everyone in the photo shoot gets a link to view all the shots — their own and everyone else’s.

If a group of friends wants to add people who are not in their immediate vicinity to a Dudr, this can be done in a more typical way — by sending an invite link to a specific Dudr via SMS, email, social media, etc.

At this bootstrapped stage, it’s safe to say Dudr is skeletal in terms of features and pretty rough round the edges, design wise. (It was apparently hacked together by the team in just 24 hours.) But if the core concept resonates, they could be onto something sticky.

Last month another group-sharing app, called Stichy, launched — also looking to make it easier for groups to quasi-privately share media around events they all attended. Bottom line: not everyone wants to post everything on Facebook/Instagram et al. all the time. And partial sharing to specific groups of people on Facebook still sucks.

The idea for Dudr came to Schmekel after his best friend returned from a holiday to the World Cup in Brazil last year.

“He stayed there with his 3 DUDES in an apartment near Ipanema-Beach. They bought 10 quicksnaps (disposable cameras) — one for every day with 24 shots. After their vacation nobody could remember what actually happened. A week after, I was invited to their photo-show evening! All the DUDES were so excited, there were pictures… OMG…..!” is how Schmekel explains the Dudr origin story, via email.

“I saw the potential for an app that provided a way to \”time-delay\” the viewing of photos from an event or place, and together with my coding team developed the DUDR app — 24 SHOTS in 24 HOURS!” he adds.

Despite the dude-ish name and ‘bro-focused’ feel of the app right now, Schmekel says he sees potential for it to appeal outside lads’ holidays/outings — for other types of events such as gigs and weddings. So Dudr is not just intended for bros, even if it sounds like it might be.

The app is free to download. Future monetization ideas might include getting brands to pay to start world channels. “Like Budweiser starts a world channel and is looking for the best beer drinker — or Nike looks for your sports activity!” says Schmekel.

There may also be potential for premium in-app services for users, if they — for instance — want to find others to add on the app outside their own friend circle, he adds.

It’s worth noting that photos taken with Dudr are not ephemeral. On the contrary they are permanently stored on the company’s servers. “In the future we give the users the possibility to get a download link — especially for weddings this is useful,” adds Schmekel.

Indeed, the current v1 of the app does not even allow dudes to delete any of the photos they take, although Schmekel says that feature might well be added in future.

In the meanwhile, dudes, be careful what you Dudr.

Google Glass Exits X Labs As Explorer Program Shuts Down, Team Now Reports To Tony Fadell

(AsiaTimes.ga) The Google Glass project is entering a new phase today as the company is moving it out of its Google X skunkworks and turning it into a standalone project within the company, a Google spokesperson confirmed to us today.

As part of this change, Glass will now be overseen by former Apple executive and Nest founder Tony Fadell. Just like before, the day-to-day operation will be run by Ivy Ross while Fadell continues to run Nest inside of Google. It’s worth stressing that Glass will not become part of Nest.

If you still want to buy Google’s current version of Glass for $1,500 — and chances are you don’t — you will have to hurry: Google will put a halt to its Explorer program next Monday. A new version of Glass will likely be released later this year, most likely around Google’s annual I/O developer conference.

As a Google spokesperson told us, the idea behind the Explorer program was always to see how people would use the technology. Now that Google has received quite a bit of feedback — both good and bad — it decided to close the program in order to focus on future versions of Glass. The company will, however, continue to invest in Glass at Work for enterprise developers and companies.

Things have gotten rather quiet around Glass lately and software updates have been few and far between since last summer. Google also shifted its marketing away from consumers and toward business use cases. With Fadell in charge, we will likely see another shift in strategy around Glass, especially if he brings some of Apple’s secrecy to this project, which was, until now, mostly developed in public. (tc)

Fiksu Finds More Evidence Of iOS 9 Testing Underway

(AsiaTimes.ga) This afternoon, mobile app marketing platform Fiksu unveiled new data indicating that iOS 9, the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system, is now being publicly tested. According to the company’s research, Fiksu says it has now seen 145 distinct IDFAs (Identifier for Advertisers) in 2015 which hail from iOS 9 devices.

The IDFA, a marker used by mobile advertisers, is a way to uniquely identify a device until the point that the user chooses to reset the identifier – something then serves as the mobile equivalent to clearing a web browser’s cookies. Because it’s possible to reset the IDFA, Fiksu can’t be sure that it spotted 145 distinct devices. However, it’s likely, because resetting the IDFA is not really a common activity.

92% of these iOS 9 devices (or 134 devices) have been spotted in the U.S. Meanwhile, 2 others were seen in China, 2 more in the Czech Republic, and 1 each in several more countries. The tiny numbers of devices in other places could indicate that Apple has only begun to look at how the new OS behaves in different international settings.

63% of the devices are iPhone 6 or 6 Plus’s, 12% are iPad Air 2’s, 12% are iPhone 5s devices, and 13% are “everything else,” including the iPhone 4s, 5 and 5c and the iPad 4, Air, mini 2 and mini 3.

It’s worth noting that Fiksu’s findings back up that of another recent report of iOS 9 devices appearing in several websites’ analytics software.

Just a few days ago, a tech writer named Roman Zavrel contacted the blog Macworld after seeing that versions of the iOS 9 operating system were showing up in his web analytics. He had seen three visits from iOS 9 devices during the month of January, he told them. Macworld then looked into its own analytics and found something similar – it had recorded 10 pageviews from devices running iOS 9.x over the past few months, they said.

Shortly after, however, AppleInsider also confirmed seeing iOS 9 traffic growing on its site for over a month.

However, Macworld pointed out that it may be possible to spoof the OS version on jailbroken devices, or suggested that its data could be due to an error with Google Analytics.

Additionally, it’s pretty trivial to change the “user-agent” string on a desktop browser to report something different. On mobile, it’s not as easy, which means Fiksu’s data is more believable.

Fiksu’s data offers a little bit more insight into what these reported testers are doing on their devices, noting that 71% of app events recorded came from Social Networking applications, while 16% were games, 5% were Lifestyle apps, 3% were Fitness apps and the remaining 5% were “other” applications that didn’t fall into any of the preceding categories.

Also of interest, the first iOS 9 event Fiksu found in its database came in on September 20th – only three days after iOS 8 was released, the company said. That lines up with Macworld’s analytics data – it, too, was recording iOS 9 visits fairly early on. The blog site said its first iOS 9 visit came back in October 2014, in fact.

Apple typically announces new versions of its iOS software at its WWDC conference in June, so if it sticks to this schedule, we could be hearing more about the new OS later this summer.

Apple’s R&D Department Conjures A Pop-Up iPhone Home Button Joystick

(AsiaTimes.ga) Apple has a new patent application that describes a pop-up home button which can work as an analog joystick. The patent, uncovered by Patently Apple, describes how the button goes from recessed standard mode to extended gameplay-readiness based on specific types of pressure input.

The patent acknowledges that touch screens may not be optimal for all gaming situations, and also stipulates that use of a hardware controller like the convertible home button will prevent a user’s fingers from obscuring visible screen area.

The patent includes drawings of an iPhone 6-style smartphone, which features the standard home button configuration.

But when a user puts enough force on the home button (more than just a standard click) it can extend to just a bit beyond the surface of the display, giving it leeway to move left, right, up and down and accept input on the x- and y- axis, as well as the z-axis (a downward press from above, the only directional input supported by the current home button design). Switching back is as simple as pressing down on the home button hard enough to lock it back into place.

Other patent details include the possibility of adding additional sensors to the home button mechanism, including a force sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a contact sensor, and optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and more.

That could make it a very comprehensive input device, which can detect more than a standard analog stick you might find on, say, a PlayStation controller.

It’s a brilliant design if executed correctly, but I suspect there’s a lot standing in the way of this being introduced in any imminent products, if only because the Home button is also sacred territory these days because of the Touch ID sensor, and building both into a chassis so thin seems like a big mechanical challenge. Still, it’s good to know Apple is thinking about unique ways to better serve gamers, even if only in theory.

Timeline Launches News App To Give You The Context Behind The Day’s Headlines

(AsiaTimes.ga)One big complaint about current news coverage is that there’s not enough context — an article or TV report might tell you what happened today, but it gives you no understanding about the history that led up to today’s news. Now a startup called Timeline is aiming to change that.

When you open the Timeline app, it might look at first like just another news aggregator. There’s a feed with the day’s big news — but the headlines have a slightly different spin on them. For example, one of Timeline’s front page stories as I write this is “The White House v. Journalists,” which notes that the Justice Department is ending its efforts to get New York Times reporter James Risen to testify and identify confidential sources.

But while Timeline summarizes and links to the Risen news, its focus is broader than that — as the headline indicates, the real story it presents is about the often tense relationship between US presidents and the press.

So underneath a brief news summary, you get to the meat of what Timeline does — which is, yes, a timeline, starting with President Grover Cleveland complaining about journalists at his wedding way back in 1886, then jumping through things like the Monica Lewinsky scandal and how the press covered the Bush administration’s claims about Iraq, then finally ending on Risen and, more generally, Obama’s not-particularly-open relationship with the press.

As I explored some of the other sections of the app (US, World, Technology, Business, and so on), I noticed that their reliance on the day’s news can vary. For example, the tech stories are about broad themes linked to last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (“Gadgets That Make You Look Rich”, “Where’s My Flying Car?”) rather than specific news, and indeed don’t link any outside news at all.

The app was developed by Axiom Zen, an incubator and consulting firm. Axiom Zen’s Head of Marketing and Growth Spencer Chen (a longtime frenemy, so I’m not being entirely objective here) told me that while Timeline has built a custom content management system for its stories, the timelines themselves are created by a 10-person editorial team. (Timeline’s editor in chief is journalist Jonathan Kalan.)

I asked Chen (via email) where Timeline saw a gap in all the existing news apps out there, and he said:

The news that we read today is only the tail-end of many important events in history that shaped the events of today. Timeline enables readers to discover all these key facets of a news story and offers readers much richer context and understanding of the news. And in some ways, the team’s vision is less about seeing a big gap in the news app category but more about seeing a bigger (and natural) evolution with the best ways news and information is to be consumed by everyday consumers.

It’s a cool idea and a good-looking app. My initial quibble is that Timeline doesn’t actually do a great job of presenting stories from elsewhere — you have to search for the links, then tap multiple times, then it opens a browser window that may or may not be particularly readable on your phone.

But hey, if you just want to see slick-looking news stories from multiple sources, there’s always Flipboard. The bigger question is whether consumers are actually interested in this format — talking about historical context can sound an awful lot like the news equivalent of eating your vegetables, the opposite of pet slideshows and clickbait headlines. I suppose it’s both good and bad that the Timelines are pretty long. I don’t know that I’d have the patience to read more a couple in their entirety, but at least they allow you to jump around, so you can focus on the parts of the history that interest you.

And maybe it’s more appealing to think about Timeline as a history-driven approach to “explainer journalism,” which seems to be on the rise.

Anyway, if you can go here to download the app for yourself. (The initial release is for iOS and mobile web.)

UPDATE 1-Oil price plunge could leave helicopters sputtering

(Adds AgustaWestland comment in paragraph 27)

By: Lewis Krauskopf

Jan 15 (ATimes) - Tumbling oil prices are starting to ripple through the helicopter industry, which depends on oil companies that shuttle their crews to off-shore sites for a big chunk of its business.

Off-shore oil drilling and production in regions such as the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico have been a key source of demand for helicopter makers including United Technologies' Sikorsky unit, Finmeccanica's AgustaWestland and Airbus Helicopters. Textron's Bell Helicopter could soon become a bigger player with a new helicopter.

The oil and gas industry now accounts for as much as 40 percent of the roughly $6 billion annual sales of helicopters for civil use, making it the biggest non-military segment, according to aerospace research firm Teal Group.

While manufacturers have not indicated that the plunging price of crude has led to canceled orders or reduced production, some warning signs are emerging.

During United Technologies' annual outlook meeting last month, Sikorsky president Mick Maurer said falling oil prices would "put some short-term pressure on our commercial business." Oil and gas represents two-thirds of Sikorsky's non-military business, Maurer said last March.

The oil slide has already taken its toll on shares of helicopter transport firms, which along with leasing companies are major customers of the manufacturers. With their own fleets, these companies fly crews and material to offshore sites for oil companies. Their helicopters are also used for search-and-rescue missions and other purposes.

Since oil turned south in mid-2014, shares in the big transport firms have followed. CHC Group has dropped 70 percent, Era Group has slumped 29 percent and Bristow Group is down 24 percent. By contrast, the S&P 500 index has gained about 3 percent over that time.

"It's a pretty unsettled time in our industry right now," said CHC spokesman T.R. Reid, adding that CHC remained optimistic about long-term demand. "The industry is moving further and further offshore," Reid said.

Bristow, in an emailed statement, said: "While our growth rate may be impacted by the current market environment, Bristow is in good position to weather the downturn in oil prices."

An Era Group spokeswoman declined to comment, citing "quiet period" rules.

While oil transport firms are more likely to be hit initially if exploration projects get cancelled, leasing companies could also suffer.

Leasing companies include Waypoint Leasing, Macquarie Rotorcraft Leasing and Milestone Aviation Group, which in October agreed to be bought by General Electric Co for $1.78 billion. All declined to comment.

OIL-RICH MARKET
Sales of rotorcraft for the oil and gas industry have more than doubled since 2006, outpacing growth in the broader non-military market, according to the Teal Group. Military helicopter sales are worth about $16 billion a year.

To be sure, helicopters are only part of the business for diversified aerospace and industrial manufacturers, and other product lines, including United Tech's aerospace parts unit and Textron's Cessna jet business, stand to benefit from cheaper fuel.

But the oil industry has been by far the biggest growth market for non-military helicopter sales and many new products have been developed for this market, said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group. "If (oil) prices stay around $50, there could be some real damage to these programs," he said.

Brent crude traded at $48.69 a barrel on Wednesday, near six-year lows, despite a rare 4.5 percent spike.

Between 20 to 30 percent of the demand for off-shore helicopter crew transport is tied to drilling for exploration, while the rest covers traffic to already-producing facilities, said Amy Groeschel, an analyst at IHS Energy.

Exploration and development are more vulnerable to cuts, Groeschel said, because they are tied to projects that could be canceled.

Helicopters that service oil and gas companies are generally larger and more expensive than those used for search-and-rescue missions or executive travel because they carry large crews and may need to make long trips out to sea.

"What we may see is a pause in new orders being placed," said Chris Seymour, head of market analysis for consulting firm Ascend Flightglobal.

Newly developed helicopters expected to serve the oil industry include Airbus' EC175, and Bell's 525 Relentless, which is due to make its first flight early this year.

Mike Suldo, oil and gas market specialist for Bell Helicopter, said in an email the company was not seeing any slowdown or expecting a marked dent in its business.

"We do not anticipate a significant letup, as many energy companies, operators and national governments are seeking more innovative and modern helicopters."

But analysts are more cautious. "Since a component of sales is to the oil and gas industry, it's unfortunate for the timing of the roll-out," said Brian Foley, an independent aviation consultant.

A United Technologies spokesman declined to comment when asked this week about the impact from low oil prices, citing the "quiet period" close to an earnings release.

Finmeccanica's AgustaWestland said in a statement it "has not experienced any specific negative impact" as oil prices have plunged. While it carefully monitors oil prices, "no impacts exist on our long term plans in producing helicopters, including those for the Oil & Gas market," the company said.

Airbus, which says its helicopters represent about a fourth of the estimated 2,300 rotorcraft used today for oil and gas missions, is not seeing any cancellations as a result of falling oil prices, said Christopher Grainger, vice president for oil and gas sales at Airbus Helicopters.

Grainger said in an email that Airbus expected "things to remain relatively stable" in 2015, but remained in close contact with its customers and the oil companies. "We all have to adapt accordingly." (Editing by Eric Effron and Tomasz Janowski)(GA,Reuters, Asia Times)

TREASURIES-U.S. 30-year yield hits record low for second day

Jan 15 (ATimes) - Yields on U.S. 30-year Treasuries bonds struck a record low on Thursday for a second straight session after a surprise interest rate cut by the Swiss National Bank spurred buying of higher-yielding U.S. government debt.

The yield on the longest U.S. government securities touched 2.3940 percent, below the previous record low of 2.3950 percent set on Wednesday, according to Tradeweb and Reuters data.

The 30-year bond yield last traded at 2.398 percent, down 5.5 basis points from late on Wednesday. This brought its decline so far in January to 35 basis points, putting it on track for its steepest monthly decline since May 2012.

(Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by James Dalgleish)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Canadian minister hopes for Jazeera reporter's release after Cairo talks

(ATimes) - Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said after "constructive" talks in Cairo on Thursday he hoped that a Canadian journalist working for Al Jazeera television could be released before long from an Egyptian prison.

Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy, Egyptian Baher Mohamed and Australian Peter Greste were sentenced last June to between seven and 10 years for spreading lies to help a "terrorist organization", a reference to Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in November the issue of a presidential pardon was under discussion. Egypt's High Court ordered a retrial of the men on Jan. 1.

Baird sounded cautiously optimistic after talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri.

"I would characterize the meeting as constructive and worthwhile, and we look forward to resolving that issue. It's still not resolved today, but that’s why I came," he told a news conference.

"This is a complex case ... The minister understands how important this is to me, to all Canadians. I thought today’s meeting was a very constructive step on the road to a successful resolution."

Rights groups and Western governments have criticized the detentions. Al Jazeera says the trial was flawed and has demanded their release.

Baird seemed hopeful that Fahmy could be released soon.

"We’re working toward a constructive resolution on that sooner rather than later," he said.

Fahmy's fiancee, Marwa Omara, said he had signed documents required for his deportation to Canada and that she was told the process was in its final stages.

"I had high expectations that Mohamed might be released during Mr. Baird's visit, but I understand it's a big case and it's going to take some time," she said after a 15-minute meeting with Baird.

Qatar was one of the main supporters of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood during their year in power before his government was ousted by Sisi, then army chief, in July 2013.

Egypt has accused Al Jazeera of being a mouthpiece for the now-banned Brotherhood, which the channel denies.

Sisi met a Qatari envoy last month, the latest step in diplomatic efforts led by Saudi Arabia to help patch up ties.

Shukri told Reuters this week a decision by the Doha-based channel to halt broadcasts last month of its Egypt-focused operation Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, whose content angered Cairo, would help improve strained ties with Qatar.

(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

UN rights chief urges Saudi king to halt flogging of blogger

(ATimes) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Saudi Arabia on Thursday to stop the serial flogging of an atheist and civil rights blogger sentenced to receive 1,000 lashes over an extended period.

Raif Badawi, who set up a website called "Free Saudi Liberals", received 50 lashes after Friday prayers last week and global rights groups say he is expected to be submitted to a second round on Friday.

"Flogging is in my view at very least a form of cruel and inhuman punishment," High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement from his Geneva office. As such, it was banned under international rights law, he added.

"I appeal to the King of Saudi Arabia to exercise his power to halt the public flogging by pardoning Mr Badawi, and to urgently review this type of extraordinary harsh penalty," said Zeid, a former Jordanian diplomat.

Badawi was arrested in June 2012 and prosecutors originally asked that he be tried for apostasy <ID:nL6N0UO2A1> - or leaving his religion, an offense which carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam.

But a judge dismissed that charge and he was given 10 years jail and a fine of 1 million Saudi rials ($267,666), as well as the lashes, on charges including cybercrime after an earlier sentence of seven years and 600 lashes was found too lenient.

The U.N. statement said Badawi was "convicted for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of opinion and expression" in a series of prosecutions of civil society activists, including his lawyer and brother-in-law, Waleed Abu al-Khair.

On Monday, the statement added, an original sentence of 10 years against al-Khair - on charges of offending the judiciary and founding an unauthorized organization - was extended on prosecution appeal from 10 to 15 years in jail.

In the past year Saudi authorities have been criticized by international rights groups for jailing several prominent activists on charges ranging from setting up an illegal organization to damaging the reputation of the country.

The world's top oil exporter, an absolute monarchy whose legal code adheres to sharia (Islamic law), regularly dismisses Western-based criticism of its rights record.

(Reported by Robert Evans; Editing by Mark Heinrich)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

UN alarmed by Israeli, Palestinian 'downward spiral'

(ATimes) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is alarmed that Israelis and Palestinians are engaged in a downward spiral of actions and counter actions and calls on both sides not to exacerbate existing divisions, a senior U.N. official said on Thursday.

Israel is withholding critical tax revenue and seeking ways to prosecute Palestinian leaders for war crimes in retaliation for Palestinian moves to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"We call on Israel to immediately resume the transfer of tax revenues," U.N. deputy political affairs chief Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen told the Security Council. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now entering unchartered territory, which, lamentably, seems to have dashed any immediate hope for a return to peace talks."

The council's monthly meeting on the Middle East was the first on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the failure last month of a Palestinian statehood bid at the United Nations Security Council.

Chief Palestinian delegate Riyad Mansour said his government was undeterred.

"In spite of this setback, we will continue to approach the Security Council," he said without elaborating. The Palestinians will become full ICC members on April 1.

Mansour called the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues a "blatant act of reprisal and theft of Palestinian funds" and condemned Israel's "rabid settlement colonization."

Israel has condemned Palestinian moves, with Ambassador Ron Prosor accusing Palestinians of "running away from negotiations" and obstructing the peace process.

The ICC move paves the way for the court to take jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in Palestinian lands and investigate the conduct of Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Neither Israel nor the United States is an ICC member.

The United States has suggested some $400 million in aid could now be in jeopardy.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said the United States, an Israel ally, had been reaching out to both parties to try to reduce tensions and find a path forward.

"We continue to oppose unilateral actions by both sides that we view as detrimental to the cause of peace," Power told the Security Council, describing Palestinian moves to join the ICC and other treaties as "counter-productive."

Palestinians seek a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem - lands Israel captured in the 1967 War.

Momentum has built since President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded in a bid for de facto recognition of Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly in 2012, making Palestinians eligible for the ICC.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau; editing by Gunna Dickson)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Turkish premier equates Israel's Netanyahu to Paris attackers

(ATimes) - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday compared Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to the Islamist militants who killed 17 people in Paris last week, saying both had committed crimes against humanity.

Davutoglu said Israel's bombardments of Gaza and its storming in 2010 of a Turkish-led aid convoy headed there, in which 10 Turks were killed, were on a par with the Paris attacks, whose dead included shoppers at a Jewish supermarket.

The comments at a news conference escalated a war of words between the former allies: Israel's far-right foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, called President Tayyip Erdogan an "anti-Semitic bully" on Wednesday for criticizing Netanyahu's attendance, with other world leaders, at a Paris solidarity march for the attack victims on Sunday.

Separately on Thursday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman issued a statement saying it was Islamophobic and unacceptable for Netanyahu to link the Paris bloodshed to Islam.

"The Israeli government must halt its aggressive and racist policies instead of attacking others and sheltering behind anti-Semitism," spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on the presidential website.

Turkey condemned the Jan. 7 attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, in which Islamist gunmen killed 12 people, but has also warned that rising Islamophobia in Europe risks inflaming unrest by Muslims.

Davutoglu also attended the Paris memorial rally, which he said was a march against terrorism.

"Just as the massacre in Paris committed by terrorists is a crime against humanity, Netanyahu, as the head of the government that kills children playing on the beach with the bombardment of Gaza, destroys thousands of homes ... and that massacred our citizens on an aid ship in international waters, has committed crimes against humanity," the Turkish premier said.

RUPTURED RELATIONS
The assault on the aid convoy ruptured relations between Turkey and Israel, which previously enjoyed close diplomatic and military ties. Trade links remain close.

Israel fought a 50-day war with the Islamist Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip last year, with Israeli shelling and air strikes causing widespread devastation in the tiny territory and Hamas firing thousands of rockets into Israel. More than 2,100 Palestinians died, mostly civilians, Gaza medical officials said, while the Israeli death toll was 73, mostly soldiers.

"If Israel is looking for a bully, it needs to look in the mirror," said Davutoglu, whose Islamist-rooted AK Party has held power in Turkey for over a decade.

Last October, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon pointed to what he said was a Hamas base of operations in Turkey, accusing Ankara of sponsoring terrorism and arguing that this was incompatible with its membership in NATO.

Tensions are running high in Turkey over the Charlie Hebdo's cartoons mocking Islam, the reason cited for the shooting attack on the weekly in a claim of responsibility by al Qaeda in Yemen.

Davutoglu also criticized the Turkish secular newspaper Cumhuriyet for publishing excerpts of Charlie Hebdo's latest edition, saying freedom of the press did not extend to insulting religious values, a crime punishable by jail in Turkey.

Cumhuriyet's was one of five international versions of the "survivors' edition" of Charlie Hebdo, which bore an image of Mohammed on its cover, which is prohibited by Islamic convention. A Turkish court subsequently ordered four websites that featured the image to be blocked.

"Freedom of press does not include insulting the Prophet," Davutoglu said. "People who may tolerate insulting an individual will clearly not respond with the same degree when it is against the Prophet. Since Turkey has such a sensitivity, publishing a cartoon that aims to insult the Prophet is a clear incitement."

Police secured the premises of Cumhuriyet after threats were made against the newspaper.

Violence erupted at an Islamist paper, Yeni Akit, late on Wednesday after it published negative images of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who toppled the Ottoman sultan and founded the secular republic in 1923. Ataturk is a national hero for most Turks.

Yeni Akit said about 200 nationalists threw eggs and rocks, then tried to storm its offices before police stopped them.

(Additional reporting by Daren Butler in Istanbul and Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Mark Heinrich)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Libya warplane attacked trawler carrying gasoline to Benghazi

(ATimes) - A Libyan warplane attacked a fishing trawler carrying gasoline to the port of Benghazi this week after the internationally recognized government suspected it of supplying Islamist militants, a military official said on Thursday.

Libya's recognized government, which has been driven out of the capital, is locked in escalating conflict with a self-declared government of a faction known as Libya Dawn that seized Tripoli last summer.

There were no details about the ownership or origin of the vessel which military official Mohamed Hejazi said was attacked on Tuesday off the coast of the eastern city of Benghazi, which has seen heavy fighting for months between pro-government forces and Islamist militants.

Forces from the recognized government carried out an air strike on a Greek-operated oil tanker on Jan. 4, killing two crewmen. after claiming it was acting suspiciously.

The United Nations on Thursday held a second day of talks aimed at ending Libya's crisis, forming a unity government and halting hostilities. But representatives of the Tripoli government have postponed a decision to join talks.

"Discussions during the first session on Wednesday were constructive and were conducted in a positive atmosphere. There was a clear sense of determination among the participants to ensure that this dialogue succeeds," the U.N. said in a statement.

Each rival government is backed by heavily armed factions of former rebels who once battled side by side to oust Gaddafi, but have since turned against each other in a scramble for power and control over Libya's oil wealth.

Fighting over oil assets has closed two major oil ports in the east and slashed Libya's oil output to around 300,000 barrels per day from the 1.6 million bpd produced before the NATO-backed civil war toppled Gaddafi in 2011.

(Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli; writing by Patrick Markey; editing by Jason Neely and William Hardy)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Kerry says may meet Iran's Zarif again this week

(ATimes) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday he may meet Iran's foreign minister again this week to discuss Tehran's nuclear program following their roughly six hours of talks on Wednesday.

Iran and six world powers have renewed their quest for an elusive nuclear deal -- seen as crucial to reducing the risk of a wider Middle East war -- after negotiators failed for the second time in November to meet a self-imposed deadline.

The major powers hope to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program, which the West suspects may seek to develop atomic weapons, in exchange for a gradual easing of economic sanctions. Iran says its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif met for about six hours in Geneva on Wednesday.

"There is no final decision as to whether or not we will meet in Paris," Kerry told reporters in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, noting he and Zarif would both be in the French capital on Friday.

"It is possible, but nothing has been decided. It may also not happen," he added.

Kerry sidestepped a question on whether it was possible for the United States to strike a nuclear deal while Iran continues to detain a number of U.S. citizens, saying only that Washington was making great efforts to secure their release.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed Tsvetelia Tsolova; writing by Matthias Williams and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Gareth Jones)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)

Islamic State beheads militiaman as opposition attacks mount

(ATimes) - Islamic State has executed a Syrian it accused of belonging to a militant cell that ambushed its fighters and blew up its vehicles in the town of al-Mayadin near the border with Iraq, a monitoring group that tracks the conflict said on Thursday.

Islamic State is fighting both the Syrian army and rival insurgents along the edges of the territory it controls. But there has also been a spike in guerrilla-style attacks by groups of Syrians against Islamic State fighters inside their strongholds in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor provinces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which uses a network of sources across the country to report on the war, said the man was beheaded and his body crucified in a public park in the town with his head left displayed for three days.

He was accused of "setting up a cell to fight Islamic State" by staging ambushes and detonating vehicles of fighters of the militant group, it said.

The Observatory, which is based in Britain, said four other men, one a student, were executed in Deir al-Zor for alleged ties with the Syrian authorities.

"One was arrested for smoking a cigarette. Only later did Islamic State accuse him of being an informer for the regime," Observatory head Rami Abdulrahman said. Islamic State bans smoking in areas under its control in line with its strict interpretation of Islam.

Syria's state news agency SANA said Islamic State executed three civilians and displayed their bodies in al-Mayadin. It did not say what their crimes were.

Small groups of Syrians who are hunting down Islamic State fighters say it is part of a guerrilla campaign that has emerged as a response to the group's growing brutality.

Islamic State controls nearly all of Deir al-Zor province, which stretches from Raqqa to the border with Iraq and links together its self-declared caliphate in the two countries.

The leader of one such guerrilla group, "White Shroud", says his group has killed more than 100 Islamic State fighters in attacks in Deir al-Zor province in recent months.

On Saturday, three activists who promote Islamic State were killed in or around the town of Al-Boleel in Deir al-Zor, not far from al-Mayadin, where an Egyptian Islamic State executioner who carried out beheadings was earlier found with his head cut off.

As with other areas under its rule, Islamic State crushes dissent in Deir al-Zor, where its control expanded rapidly after it seized the Iraqi city of Mosul in June. Islamic State executed 700 members of one rebellious tribe, the Sheitaat, the Observatory reported in August.

(Additional reporting by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Janet Lawrence)(GA, Reuters, Asia Times)