New Year’s Eve 2012: Celebrations start

Fireworks in Auckland were followed by spectacular displays in Sydney, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Revellers around the world are celebrating the end of 2011 and starting to see in 2012.

Sydney heralded the new year with a 15-minute multi-million dollar firework display at midnight (13:00 GMT). (more…)

Who is the real Kim Jong-un?

North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong-un, is a frightening unknown quantity in charge of a dangerously militarised state. Even his top officials fear a savage purge of their ranks.

Officially aged 29, but probably only 26 or 27, Kim Jong-un is the youngest man in history with the power to launch a nuclear weapon. (more…)

Maliki credits Iraqis with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein

Iraq’s prime minister hailed the end of the American military presence in Iraq as a new dawn for his country and urged Iraqis to preserve the unity of a nation still under attack by insurgents and beset by sectarian divisions.

At a televised celebration in Baghdad on Saturday, Nouri al-Maliki declared Dec. 31 a national holiday (more…)

Iran Proposes New Nuclear Talks With World Powers

Iran said Saturday it has proposed a new round of talks on its nuclear program with six world powers that have been trying for years to persuade Tehran to freeze aspects of its atomic work that could provide a possible pathway to weapons production.

The country’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said he has formally called on the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany to return to negotiations. (more…)

U.S. in $3.5 billion arms sale to UAE amid Iran tensions

The United States has signed a $3.5 billion sale of an advanced antimissile interception system to the United Arab Emirates, part of an accelerating military buildup of its friends and allies near Iran.

The deal, signed on December 25 and announced on Friday night by the U.S. Defense Department, “is an important step in improving the region’s security through a regional missile defense architecture,” (more…)

Syria reneges on pledge to release 700 prisoners; human rights

Syria’s government has gone back on a pledge to release hundreds of political prisoners from its jails, according to a human rights group.

The government had promised to release more than 700 detainees from jails last week as part of a peace plan drawn up by the Arab League. (more…)

A. L. observers to ask Syria to remove snipers immediately

An Arab League observer has said he saw snipers in the Syrian city of Deraa, as protests against President Bashar al-Assad erupted across the country on Friday.

“We saw snipers in the town, we saw them with our own eyes,” the observer told residents in a conversation filmed and posted online. (more…)

Rifi: ‘No Information on al-Qaeda in Lebanon

Internal Security Forces chief Major General Ashraf Rifi told al-Joumhouria daily in a report published on Saturday that he has “no information” about the presence of al-Qaeda in Lebanon, an issue that has stirred controversy in the past week.

“The Intelligence Branch has no info about the infiltration of al-Qaeda to Lebanon,” Rifif stressed, (more…)

March 14: US Zionist lobby is Assad’s biggest supporter

March 14 MP Ahmad Fatfat told New TV on Saturday that, “The largest support which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is receiving from the heart of US is coming from the Zionist lobby, which is trying to prevent the Syrian regime from collapsing.”

“These are not conclusions, but information obtained from the heart of the US,” Fatfat said.

Syrian rebels suspend armed actions

The rebel Free Syrian Army is suspending operations against regime forces during the mission of monitors deployed in Syria to implement an Arab League peace plan, its chief told AFP on Saturday.

“We have decided to stop all the operations, except those for self-defence,” dissident Colonel Riyadh al-Asaad told AFP in a telephone interview from his base in Turkey. (more…)