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Frattini denies Italian support for Libyan rebels
As the L?�byan crisis intensifies Europe is watching developments nervously. There are concerns over energy supplies and an influx of refugees from the conflict zone. Italy, the former colonial power in Libya, has a complex relationship with the country. The Italian foreign affairs minister, Franco Frattini, spoke to euronews about his concerns over the unfolding conflict. euronews: “Minister Frattini, Gaddafi says he will resist to the death, while over 1,000 Libyans are reported to have been killed by his mercenaries. Prime Minister Berlusconi has assumed an attitude of non-interference towards Gaddafi, but the Libyan dictator says that Italy has interfered by providing weapons to the demonstrators.” Frattini: “That is not true, we have not given weapons to the demonstrators or the rebels. We did not give weapons to anyone in Libya. It is also not true that Italy has not taken a position against Libya. We have take the same position as the EU and the rest of the international community, which is strong condemnation of the bloodshed and a demand for the immediate cessation of violence.” euronews: “Do you thing Gaddafi is trying to hold on to power by using the rhetoric of the past to get his people angry, calling for revenge for Italian colonialism, or even worse using blackmail, threatening a devastating invasion of migration to Italy and Europe? Frattini: “We reject any legacy of a colonial past that has hurt the Libyan people, but to once again accuse Italy and the United States of interfering in Libya’s affairs is false, not true. We will continue to work with the international community to ensure that the violence ceases immediately.” euronews: “No one wants to lose the profitable business Italian firms get from Libya, but at this point would be it not be better to tear up the friendship pact between Italy and Gaddafi?” Frattini: “The signature of this friendship is an agreement that has resulted in a treaty, overwhelmingly approved by the Italian parliament and concerns the Italian national interest. We will see what happens in the future. I hope we can finally start a national dialogue and that the demands of the Libyan people are heard, that the violence will stop. This is what the international community calls for and Italy is working on it.” euronews: “How is it possible that nobody anticipated this great revolution that, from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya and most likely also tomorrow to Algeria and Morocco, has inflamed the whole Mediterranean?” Frattini: “Until two months ago the Western world had settled for partnerships of convenience, stability and economic interests. Perhaps we underestimated the partnerships of coexistence, those based on common social visions. No-one could have predicted the rapidity of events. Events were so fast that no government could make provisions, not even the Italian one. Above all it was absolutely not expected by the analysts who have written rivers of ink about the Arab world. And this was just between the end of December and early January. They did not understand anything!” euronews: “Now what will happen over the next five years?” Frattini: “I do not know what to say, but it’s our duty to help this transition process without dictating policy to any of these countries. Only those unfamiliar with the Arab world could be so irresponsible as to believe that they would passively follow the directives coming from Rome or Brussels or Washington. They never follow that sort of lead! All the Mediterranean leaders, whom I know very well, recognise one Italian virtue: that of teaching others, by listening and then helping. This is the right way!” euronews: “It is now certain that there will quickly be an exodus of biblical proportions from North Africa. Northern League leader Umberto Bossi says that Italy must tell France and Germany to take the refugees: it’s clearly a provocation but if Italy and Lampedusa island are the frontline, where is the EU?” Frattini: “Unfortunately, there were vague and inconsistent answers from Brussels. We strongly urge Europe to intervene quickly because the matter is not Italian or Sicilian, but it concerns the entire European Union. If there are 200,000 or 300,000 desperate people who head north, Italy alone could never take them. All EU countries should take on this issue. Otherwise it is simple: the crisis could undermine the principle of solidarity which is one of the pillars upon which Europe was founded in 1957. It would be a pickaxe blow into a fundamental requirement of Europe. We Italians are working to avoid this, and ensure there is a global European response to this emergency.” euronews: “You have been vice president of the European Commission. Do you think that Brussels’ attitude towards Italy is the result of a strong reluctance by the European Commission to deal with a government whose prime minister will be on trial next April?” Frattini: “The European Union doesn’t usually take this sort of thing into consideration. These are the considerations of Italian domestic politics. We think and believe that the Italian government has every right, is legitimate, and has a parliamentary majority that allows us to move forward.” euronews: “Honestly, haven’t you been embarrassed to read for months, on the front pages of the world’s newspapers, transcripts of Berlusconi’s sexual shenanigans?” Frattini: “I have told many of my fellow ministers who read that this is probably the result of massive leaks, which in other countries are punished harshly. In Italy the invasion of privacy is permitted, tolerated and substantially encouraged. In most Western countries all this is punished. And that’s what I explained to my European colleagues.” Copyright © 2011 euronews

Yemen opposition reject unity govt with Saleh
Yemen’s opposition parties have said they will reject any offer from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to form a unity government. Read our news file The offer is expected to be made within the next 24 hours but Yemen’s opposition coalition insisted they would not compromise over their key demand that Saleh must resign. Mass rallies against the president’s 32-year rule began over a month ago. Saleh has already said he will not seek re-election at the end of his current seven-year term in 2013 but that promise has failed to quell the unrest. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Teachers strike in Bahrain’s revolution
Anti-government demonstrators camped in the centre of Bahrain’s capital Manama have been joined by 1,500 striking teachers, all calling for the downfall of the regime. There is little sign of the revolt letting up, but the atmosphere has eased considerably after the deaths of seven people in the past week. One of the teachers, Yasser Abd Hussein, said: “We have left the schools and declared a general strike. We’ll stay here until the departure of this regime.” Another protester, Madeen Ali Ahmed, said: “The massacre led us to increase our demands, from reshuffling the government to its complete removal.” Bahrain’s King has asked his son the Crown Prince to start talks with all parties but the opposition are reluctant to enter into dialogue after the bloodshed of recent days. Their demands include a true constitutional monarchy that would give Bahrainis a greater role in a directly elected government. Seventy per cent of the population are Shi-ite Muslims but they are a minority in the parliament. The Sunni Muslim Al-Khalifa royal family, who have ruled Bahrain for 200 years, dominate the cabinet. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libya witness: ‘It’s time for revolt. We are free’
With foreign journalists banned form Libya, information on what is happening on the ground is hard to come by and difficult to verify but euronews was able to speak to Mohamed Nabous of Radio Free Libya to ask his perspective. He told us: “We’ve managed to get rid of all government representation here. It’s time for revolt. We are free. We have completely liberated ourselves from the Gaddafi government.“?� Amid reports of mercenaries in Libya, particularly in Benghazi, who are terrorising and killing people inside the city, we asked if he could confirm this.?�“Yes it’s 100 percent true,” he said. “I have photos and videos to confirm it. We are now holding four foreign mercenaries but we can’t talk with them because we don’t speak their language.?�“Popular committees have been set up following the chaos of the last three days. These committees are in charge of ensuring security within the city. It’s the committee which rules here now. It has taken up office in the court building. I should add that the committee has decided to collect all the weapons in the hands of young people to avoid any kind of crime. We’ve done this despite the fact that the people here are united and the young are very well organised. They themselves took this initiative to collect the arms before the committee did.”?� Copyright © 2011 euronews

Diplomacy with muscle for Libya?
Two American amphibious assault ships passed through the Suez Canal on their way to waters off Libya. The visual build up of force is not a green light for military intervention. There is little consensus on that among western powers, at the moment they are watching and talking. British Prime Minister, David Cameron said: “I do think it is the job of the leaders in the Western world in particular to prepare for all eventualities, and all the things that might happen, particularly if Colonel Gaddafi unleashes more things on his own people. And on those grounds, yes I think we should, and we are, looking at plans for a no-fly zone, and I was particularly heartened by what Secretary of State Clinton said. She said ‘a no fly zone is an option we are actively considering’, these issues are being discussed in the North Atlantic Council.” The Arab League has said it could impose a “no fly” zone. Secretary-General Amr Moussa confirmed it was one of the steps they could take in cooperation with the African Union. “The Arab League will not stand with its hands tied while the blood of our brothers in Libza is spilt,” he said. The Arab League has suspended the membership of Muammar Gaddafi’s government. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Palestinian government resigns to seek new start
The Palestinian government – under pressure after internal scandals and events elsewhere in the Arab world – has resigned, say officials in Ramallah. President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to ask Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to form a new team ahead of planned elections later this year. The government has been weakened by revelations that major concessions were offered to Israel during peace talks. On Saturday the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, stood down. The latest move is also being seen as an attempt to show the government’s responding to events in Tunisia and Egypt. For Abbas, the fall of his ally Hosni Mubarak was a bitter blow. But the planned elections face one major obstacle. Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza strip, says it will not take part, arguing that Abbas has no legitimacy. The Palestinian leader’s mandate ran out in January 2009 but was extended until new polls could be held. Elections set for last year were put back because of disputes between Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah movement. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Chinese consumers more pessimistic
Consumer confidence in China dropped in the final three months of last year hurt by expectations for rising prices. China’s National Bureau of Statistics released the data based on surveys. It was the second consecutive quarterly decline. Concerns about quickening inflation, especially surging property prices, and rising interest rates all had a negative effect on consumer confidence, the survey showed. Of those consumers polled, 84 percent thought food prices would climb further over the next 12 months, up from 78 percent in the third quarter. About 67 percent of those questioned believed property prices were on the ascent, up from 62 percent in the previous quarter. China’s inflation is running close to two-year highs, and many analysts believe it could accelerate in coming months as global food prices soar. Copyright © 2011 euronews

British MPs back Libya mission
British forces may have already engaged in military action over Libya, but back in Westminster a relieved government now has the full backing of parliament. A debate which lasted six hours saw MPs vote overwhelmingly to support UK forces’ involvement in enforcing the no-fly zone. But it was not an easy ride for Prime Minister David Cameron who had to respond to several uncomfortable questions. “Many people would ask the question I am sure today about regime change and Gaddafi and the rest, I have been clear: I think Libya needs to get rid of Gaddafi. But in the end, we are responsible for trying to enforce the Security Council resolution. The Libyans must choose their own future,” said the prime minister. READ – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy But if Cameron has his political mandate there is less support from a sceptical British public. Only one in three people agrees with the action while two thirds are either against or don’t know. Britain’s government has been at pains to stress the legality of the intervention in order to distance itself from the Iraq campaign which divided the country. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Pro-Gaddafi forces ‘close in on Benghazi’
There have been some dramatic developments in Libya in fighting between rebels and troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.?�France’s AFP news agency says pro-Gaddafi forces have?�proposed a ceasefire until Sunday to give the opposition time to surrender.?�It comes amid fresh reports that the rebel held city of Ajdabiyah is surrounded, leaving open only the road north to the larger rebel stronghold of Benghazi.?�A senior hospital official in Adjabiyah says at least 30 people have been killed, with 80 others wounded in the fighting.?�Gaddafi soldiers are also now said to have recaptured the major oil terminal of Zueitina on the outskirts of the rebel capital. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Saudis up output as Libyan oil exports disrupted
Oil prices retreated from their recent highs on Friday as a senior industry official said top exporter Saudi Arabia has increased output following disruptions to supplies from Libya. Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said this week that the producers’ cartel OPEC is prepared to meet any shortage if needed and has enough spare capacity to do that. OPEC has resisted calls for a formal increase in output and does not plan to meet until June. But sources say Saudi Arabia – the only country able to pump large amounts of extra oil at short notice – has raised output about eight percent to above nine million barrels per day. Some European oil firms said they plan to buy crude from Iran as well as Russia and other Caspian countries. The West’s energy watchdog, the International Energy Agency, said on Friday there was no need for an immediate strategic stock release. Copyright © 2011 euronews

G20 seeks deal on imbalances, unsure of success
French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has said that it will not be a drama if finance ministers and central bankers from the world’s 20 biggest developed and developing economies fail to reach an agreement this week on guidelines to measure global economic imbalances. Under discussion is an EU plan to identify those imbalances using an agreed set of economic indicators and then analyse their causes and possibly make policy recommendations on how to deal with them. G20 finance ministers and central bankers are due to hold a summit in Paris at the end of the week. Such imbalances, reflected in the current account balance, private and public savings, debt and capital flows, can trigger or augment crises, destabilising the world economy. G20 leaders agreed in November to find a way to tackle them. Lagarde added that there was also “a long debate on whether to include the trade balance with its flows of products and whether to include flows of services.” Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer said that the debate was not intended to be an exercise in point fingers at countries with large deficits. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Brazil great Ronaldo hangs up his boots
Brazilian star Ronaldo has announced he is retiring from football at the age of 34. He is one of only two players – the other being Zinedine Zidane – to be named FIFA world player of the year three times. In a glittering goal-filled career, Ronaldo Lu?�s Naz??rio de Lima was a member of two World Cup-winning sides in 1994 and 2002. He told a packed press conference in Sao Paulo that injuries had forced him to put an end to his career. “I came here to say today that I’m ending my career as a professional player…Four years ago at Milan I discovered I was suffering from a complaint called hypothyroidism, which slows down your metabolism and to control it I would have to take some hormones that are not permitted in football because of anti-doping.” He added that “it has been a beautiful, emotional, marvellous career.”?� He had been expected to retire at the end of this season but with his club, Corinthians, making an early exit from the Copa Libertadores, he decided that now was the time to call it a day. Ronaldo’s glittering career began at Cruzeiro in his native Brazil where a dazzling goalscoring streak brought the teenager to the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.?�Later that season, he was named as non-playing member of his country’s 1994 World Cup squad.?�Ronaldo joined PSV Eindhoven after the competition. In two seasons in Dutch football, he hit 54 goals in just 57 games. ?�That rich vein of form alerted Spanish giants Barcelona, who were coached by Englishman Bobby Robson at the time.?�Robson only coached Ronaldo for one season but he once referred to him as “the best player I have ever worked with.”?�Robson said: “Ronaldo was lean, mean, as quick as an Olympic sprinter and some of the goals he scored had me shaking my head in disbelief.”?�Ronaldo stayed just one season at the Camp Nou where he netted 47 goals in 49 matches ??� a return which saw him named the youngest ever winner of the FIFA World Player of The Year at the age of just 20.?�After one season with Barca, Inter Milan snapped him up for a world record fee and Ronaldo went on to score 59 goals in 99 appearances for the Italian giants.?�But it was with the Nerazzuri that injuries began to hamper Ronaldo’s career. He damaged his knee in 1999 and then again during his comeback in February 2000, which kept him out of the game for another two years.?�Nevertheless, Real Madrid were willing to part with 39 million euros in 2002 to secure Ronaldo’s signature. He paid them back with 98 goals in 164 games and a record number of replica shirts sold with his name. Four seasons later, he was back at the San Siro, this time with AC Milan. He played just 20 matches there, scoring nine goals, before moving back to Brazil to play with Corinthians. He also made a huge impact on the international stage and holds the record for the number of goals scored in World Cups, with 15. In 97 international matches, he scored 62 times for Brazil. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Bribes probe sears EU Parliament
Three European Parliament members are under investigation on corruption allegations. The Sunday Times says journalists posing as lobbyists offered 60 MEPs bribes to propose law amendments. The British paper said Austrian Ernst Strasser, of the European People’s Party, Slovenian Zoran Thaler and Romanian Adrian Severin — both in the parliament’s Socialists & Democrats group, took the bait, all three of them former government ministers. The first two have quit their MEP seats. The third has not. Former Romanian deputy prime minister Adrian Severin in Bucharest denied the allegations. So did the others, saying they had stepped down to give probes into the matter free rein. Severin said: “I have informed my colleagues about the whole situation and about my hope that an inquiry in the European Parliament will be started as soon as possible, so that everything will be clarified.” An alliance of transparency campaigners has urged a thorough overhaul of ethics rules for MEPs. Olivier Hoedeman, with ALTER-EU, said: “I am afraid it is not an isolated case. The fact that these three MEPs were so eagerly accepting the deal that was made I think is a very bad sign. It shows that there are MEPs who are corruptible, and I will be surprised that this is only those three.” Institutional reform group ALTER-EU said: “This scandal could be the tip of the iceberg.” Critics say many MEPs hold second jobs that lead to conflicts of interest and that current ethics rules are inadequate. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Foreigners flee Libya: ‘they’re shooting people randomly’
Thousands of foreigners from Libya’s neighbouring countries have been trying to flee across the borders. Cairo’s military rulers reinforced Egypt’s frontier but opened the main crossing 24 hours a day, especially to allow those needing medical treatment to cross. One group of Egyptians who made it back to home soil seemed more than relieved as they cheered and chanted. Some of their accounts describe a highly volatile situation – with mercenaries on the loose. “Everyone carries guns, weapons,” said one man, speaking in English. “Turmoil, no security. We can’t stay here, whatever it is, we can’t stay here so we come to our country because the situation there is very, very critical and very serious.” “We don’t know where they’re coming from,” said another man animatedly, referring to foreign mercenaries. “They’re not Libyans, they’re Africans… they’re shooting people randomly. The Libyans are trying to protect themselves from these mercenaries in several towns in the east: Tobruk, Benghazi, Al-Bayda and Darnah. These people have been flown in to shoot them.” Several countries are seeking to evacuate their citizens. In the east of the country Libyan guards have reportedly disappeared from the Egyptian border, replaced by armed men opposed to Colonel Gaddafi. To the west thousands of Tunisians have been flooding across the frontier. One man had to leave his car and finish the journey across the desert on foot to escape. He kissed the ground upon his arrival on the Tunisian side of the border. “People over there in that country, they risk death,” he said, pointing back over the frontier towards Libya. Tunisia – fresh from its own revolution – has some 30,000 nationals in Libya. Many have been threatened by the authorities in Tripoli, accused of taking part in the revolt. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Anger in Bahrain over further police crackdown
There has been panic on the streets of Bahrain, as soldiers used live rounds to break up?�anti-government demonstrations.?�At least 50 people are reported to have been injured in clashes with police, some with gunshot wounds.?�As night fell, security forces boosted their presence on the streets.?�The fresh violence came just hours after the country’s crown prince appealed for calm and dialogue.?�A young woman spoke to euronews from a hospital where the wounded are being treated.?�“We are in Salmaniyah hospital,” she said.?�“We’re away from the place where the clashes are happening. But we can hear the clashes, the explosions. A witness just came from there and said the ground was red. The ground is red, painted with blood.”?�Angry protesters gathered outside the hospital.?�The?�violence came on the same day that funerals were held for the four people killed when police broke up a protest camp on Thursday.More than 230 others were wounded in the raid. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Julian Assange to be extradited to Sweden
A British judge has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face sexual offense charges. Assange denies the sexual assault and rape allegations against him and claims they are politically motivated. He has infuriated the United States government by publishing embarrassing secret diplomatic documents online. His lawyers had argued that he would not face a fair trial that is open to the public in Sweden and that he then risks being extradited to the US to face charges related to his whistle-blowing activities and could face the death penalty. A lawyer representing Swedish prosecutors said that the evidence in the sex offense trial would be heard behind closed doors but that the arguments would be then made public. Assange was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant in December before being released on bail nine days later. His lawyer says he will appeal the Swedish extradition ruling. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Berlusconi’s party takes poll dive
Despite the hundreds of thousands of women who marched all over Italy calling for him to quit, Silvio Berlusconi again refused to budge today, again insisting it is all just a left wing plot to slander him, as the opposition cannot beat him in elections. However his former ally and co-founder of his party, Gianfranco Fini, has now formed a party of his own, ‘Future & Liberty’. He insists Berlusconi faces a revolt within his ‘People of Freedom’ party, and that criticism of the leader is now not confined to just the usual suspects on the left. He wants his immediate resignation and fresh elections. At the party’s launch Fini’s attacks were his most outspoken yet, and they have been picked up in today’s papers. In the latest opinion poll Berlusconi’s party has slumped to just 27.2 percent support, and tomorrow a court in Milan should rule on whether or not to indict Berlusconi on charges of paying for sex with a minor, and lying to police to obtain her release from custody. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Three more top London fashion tickets
In this fashion edition of ‘Le Mag’ Julien Macdonald, Burberry and Giles Deacon unveil their autumn/winter 2011 collections during London Fashion Week. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libya: euronews reports from Brega
Although rebels are still in control of Brega, the situation in the town remains tense. Euronews has been hearing from journalist Francesca Cicardi, who is in Brega. She says: ‘‘The rebels in Brega are optimistic and confident after having fought off the forces of Gaddafi yesterday. They’re prepared to repel more attacks today. The rebels are not scared, they’re ready, they’re well-armed, and patrolling the streets of the city. Other men have joined them, mostly from Adjabiya which is the nearest city situated less than a hundred kilometres away, but also from Benghazi some 250 kilometres away. Like a young man who we spoke to this morning, who told us that he arrived yesterday from Banghazi to take part in the battle. This young man is an engineer who’s never fought before but in spite of that he said he’s ready to fight even if he only fired a gun for the first time two days ago.’‘ Copyright © 2011 euronews

Ex French army chief: “the Libyans must find a solution”
NATO members have been holding talks about taking command of the no-fly zone over Libya. Washington, London and Paris agreed on Tuesday that the alliance should play a key operational role, although a deal still has to be reached, largely due to Turkish reservations. To evaluate the situation, euronews interviewed Admiral Jacques Lanxade, former chief of defence of the French armed forces, and former ambassador to Tunisia. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Paris talks of a technical role for NATO. Why has (agreement) taken so much time? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: I believe that the French position, but equally that of several other countries, was that NATO has an image in the Arab world which is an aggressive image – one of western nations against developing countries – which is a great exaggeration. So the idea was that this coalition was needed: that is a coalition of the international community comprising not only western forces but also Arab countries. So NATO didn’t seem to France to be very appropriate. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Admiral, it’s very easy to start a war, it’s harder to end one. And it seems hard to imagine the Libyan regime collapsing from within. In your view what strategy is the international coalition going to pursue? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: My personal feeling is that we have two scenarios before us. The first being that Gaddafi, pushed by his entourage perhaps, leaves power – and today we hear about negotiations which are already underway for the “guide to the Libyan revolution” – as he calls himself – to go. I am not sure that things will happen like that. The other scenario unfortunately is that of the status quo, which means a partition of the country. Between on one side Cyrenaica under the control of the opposition – and Tripolitania under the control of the Gaddafi clan. I fear that the second scenario is the more probable. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Now that the exclusion zone is in place, should (the coalition) launch a ground offensive? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: There should certainly not be a ground offensive, besides the United Nations resolution did not authorise one and I think that it would be extremely dangerous to do it. I think that it’s now up to the Libyans to find a solution, in other words for the opposition to see whether it’s in a position to shove events along and make sure that Gaddafi leaves, because there’ll be no definitive solution with Gaddafi in power. Pierre Ass?�mat, euronews: Can we envisage an indirect attack by the international community against Colonel Gaddafi, since a direct one is not allowed under the United Nations mandate? Admiral Jacques Lanxade: I don’t believe that Gaddafi can be hit, he is extremely careful, he has underground bunkers. It’s possible to get rid of certain things around him, and make his situation more difficult, but physically I think that barring an accident, it’s very difficult to hit him. Copyright © 2011 euronews