Iraq official warns of abuse of security forces

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki speaks to his supporters in Baghdad, Iraq. Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. Iraq's prime minister says the end of the American military presence in Iraq is a new dawn for his country. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki speaks to his supporters in Baghdad, Iraq. Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. Iraq's prime minister says the end of the American military presence in Iraq is a new dawn for his country. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq's parliament speaker warned Monday that human rights violations are putting the country's fragile democracy at risk, the latest pronouncement in a rapidly developing sectarian spat that threatens to destabilize the country after U.S. troops pulled out.

The televised comments by Osama al-Nujaifi, one of the country's top Sunni officials, are yet another salvo in a growing political crisis sparked when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government issued an arrest warrant for the country's top Sunni politician last month.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, controls the ministries that oversee Iraq's police and military. Some of Iraq's minority Sunnis, who fear being marginalized, accuse the prime minister of using the security forces to try to consolidate power.

"The armed forces should not be a tool to repress people and the armed forces should not interfere in political matters," al-Nujaifi said, citing concerns about "serious violations" including the use of excessive force, detainee abuse and faulty legal procedures.

"Human rights will not become a reality in a situation where the political process is snarled. ... Losing these rights will destroy democracy," he added.

The parliament speaker, a member of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, al-Maliki's main political rivals, spoke a day before parliament was scheduled to hold its first session of the new year.

Iraqiya suspended its participation in parliament last month to protest al-Maliki's control of key posts, particularly those overseeing security forces.

U.S. troops completed their pullout from Iraq two weeks ago after a nine-year war.

Also Monday, a group that tracks casualties in Iraq said the number of civilians killed in the country's violence increased slightly in 2011.

In its annual report posted online, Iraq Body Count recorded 4,063 civilians killed last year, up from 4,045 in 2010.

On Sunday evening, a convoy carrying Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi was struck by a roadside bomb in Ishaki area, 70 kilometers north of Baghdad, according to Zayed Majid, an adviser to the minister.

He said the minister was not hurt, but two bodyguards were wounded.

Al-Issawi is a Sunni member of Iraqiya. It was not clear whether he was the intended target of the blast.

The head of the provincial health directorate where the blast occurred, Dr. Raed Ibrahim, confirmed the account.

___

Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub and Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-02-ML-Iraq/id-b845dd6cd3034b739c3950111fb9b29e

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Perry supports English as official language in US (AP)

MASON CITY, Iowa ? Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry said Friday he would like English to be made the national language of the United States, agreeing with a frustrated voter who railed over the presence of multiple languages in everyday American life.

Perry, whose campaign needs a boost before Tuesday's lead-off Iowa caucuses, spoke at a Cerro Gordo County GOP fundraiser and took questions from the audience at the Mason County Country Club.

The voter who told the Texas governor he was tired of multilingual directions for products drew applause when he said he'd like to see English become the official language of the U.S. government.

"I don't know how the rest of the conservatives in the room feel, but personally, I'm fed up with seeing the directions on every single product on every single shelf of every single store written in four languages," said the man, who didn't give his name.

Perry replied, "That is a statement, that's not a question, and I can agree with it."

Perry, whose state is home to millions of Spanish speakers, is struggling to regain momentum in Iowa. He joined the presidential race in August to great fanfare and then crashed after campaign missteps and lackluster debates.

Trying to connect with conservatives, Perry has seemed willing to embrace more conservative positions as time runs short.

Earlier this week, Perry strengthened his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape and incest. He previously had said he would allow abortion in those instances, as well as when the woman's life was in jeopardy.

A pastor asked Perry about the cases when he'd allow abortion and Perry surprised the audience when he said he had undergone a "transformation" on the subject. He seemed to say he opposed abortion in all cases.

A day later, the governor told reporters that he would still allow abortion when a woman's life was at stake. He did not elaborate.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111231/ap_on_el_pr/us_perry

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Troops, tanks patrol in northeast Nigeria (Reuters)

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) ? Heavily armed troops and tanks patrolled the streets of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria Sunday, witnesses said, after the president declared a state of emergency in parts of the north affected by an Islamist insurgency.

President Goodluck Jonathan imposed the state of emergency on the northeast, the conflict-prone central city of Jos, and part of Niger state near Abuja Saturday, and closed the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger in the northeast.

Nearly a week after the radical sect Boko Haram set off a series of bombs across Nigeria on Christmas Day, including one at a church that killed at least 37 people and wounded 57, Jonathan told state television his aim was to restore security in troubled parts of the north.

A Reuters reporter in Maiduguri, a remote city in the northeast and the center of the Boko Haram insurgency, saw several tanks patrolling the city and groups of a dozen or more soldiers at a time out on foot patrol.

"We woke up this morning only to see armed soldiers all over the place and some tanks patrolling. We fear what may happen next," said Maiduguri resident Buba Guduf.

Jonathan said he had told his chief of defense staff to take other "appropriate" measures, including setting up a special counter-terrorism force.

The blasts at churches have raised fears that Boko Haram, a movement styled on the Taliban, is trying to ignite sectarian strife in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and top oil producer.

Jonathan has been criticized by the opposition and Christian groups for what they said was a slow response to the bombings.

CLASHES FEARED

Residents of Maiduguri, located on the threshold of the Sahara Desert, have borne the brunt of previous clashes between Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden," and security forces.

Friday three explosions struck Maiduguri shortly after Muslim prayers but caused no casualties, and gunmen shot dead three members of a Muslim cleric's family.

Gun battles between security forces and Boko Haram killed at least 68 people in two days of fighting in the nearby city of Damaturu on December 22 and 23.

"The soldiers have intensified their patrol in our area and most people prefer to remain indoors for fear of the unknown," Ibrahim Usman, from the Gwange ward of Maiduguri, told Reuters by telephone.

"We are just doing our normal duty," said an officer for the Joint Military Taskforce for Maiduguri, who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak.

The bomb attacks by Boko Haram have strained Nigeria's already fractious north-south divide.

Jonathan, a Christian from the south, upset many northerners by running for and winning the presidency in April, tearing up what many saw as a tacit deal to rotate the top job between a northerner and a southerner every two terms.

More than 500 people were killed in post-election violence in the north after Jonathan's victory, reflecting long-standing northern grievances about perceived alienation and exclusion by the government from the fruits of the oil wealth that is concentrated in the south.

Saturday, Jonathan visited the scene of the deadliest Christmas attack, on St. Theresa's Catholic church in Madalla, on the outskirts of Abuja.

"We will crush the terrorists," he told weeping relatives of the victims gathered in the church for a vigil.

In a separate, unrelated incident, clashes between rival ethnic groups in southeastern Ebonyi state Saturday killed at least 50 people, and police said mobile units had been sent there to quell the violence.

Those clashes are likely to add to Jonathan's woes at a time when his forces are already stretched.

(Reporting by a Maiduguri correspondent; Additional reporting by Anamesere Igboeroteonwu in Onitsha; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120101/wl_nm/us_nigeria_security

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Google could be counting Android devices by Google services activations

Every once in a while, we?re hearing an update from Android chief Andy Rubin about Android activations. Recently, the number zipped past the staggering 700,000 Android devices activated each day and over the Christmas weekend that number soared to 3.7 million. But what exactly is an ?Android device? and how does Rubin and Google count it?

A vague explanation came from the man running the Android project earlier when he posted on Google+:

?...and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and "activations" means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service.?

But what about the tablets that are sold with Wi-Fi only, so they don?t require activations, are they included as well? TheVerge got some inside information from an allegedly reliable source who finally sheds some light on the matter.

Turns out, Google is counting devices based on Google services. Most mainstream Android products do have the Android Market, Gmail and the rest of the Google suite of applications. Whenever someone activates a Google services account on a new device, Google?s activations counter goes up. Simple as that, if we are to believe that source.

This is also pretty convenient as it allows other manufacturers like Amazon with the Kindle Fire, not to include the Google suite of apps and thus those devices without the full Google experience are not included. All the rest however are and that seems like a close enough approximation of all Android devices out there.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/phonearena/ySoL/~3/a2IBGZ-I4SU/Google-could-be-counting-Android-devices-by-Google-services-activations_id25221

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APNewsBreak: Russell Brand, Katy Perry to divorce (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Russell Brand and Katy Perry are getting a divorce, the British comedian told The Associated Press Friday.

"Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends," said Brand, 36, offering no other details.

He and the 27-year-old pop singer were married in October 2010 at a resort inside a tiger reserve in India.

Brand's recent film credits include "Arthur," "Hop" and "Get Him to the Greek." He is among the ensemble starring alongside Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages," set for release next year.

Perry's run of No. 1 singles earned her the distinction of becoming MTV's first artist of the year earlier this month. She hosted "Saturday Night Live" on Dec. 10 and gave no indication the couple was in trouble.

The couple got engaged in January 2010 after meeting at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where he hosted and she performed.

He was effusive about his bride while promoting projects earlier this year, saying marrying Perry has "given me much more strength in what I do."

"For a long while, what I do professionally was all that mattered to me really," he said in March. "Now I think, well, whatever I do, I'll just go back to her, and that's incredibly comforting."

He cited irreconcilable differences in papers filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A representative for Perry did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_en_mo/us_people_brand_perry

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PSU AD hopes to give next coach time for recruits

DALLAS ? Penn State's search to replace fired coach Joe Paterno could be wrapped up in the next few weeks.

Acting athletic director David Joyner said Thursday he'd like the next coach to have time to interact with recruits before high school seniors can announce their college choices starting February 1.

A four-day contact period for coaches begins Wednesday - two days after the 24th-ranked Nittany Lions face No. 20 Houston in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas. Another 16-day contact window starts Jan. 13.

"I'd like to get this finished so that whoever the head coach is, be it (interim coach Tom) Bradley or somebody else, has enough time to really interact with recruits and to do the best they can do," Joyner said before a team dinner in Dallas.

"There's a three-week open period (before national signing day). That would be nice. I'm not going to let that dictate if there are a couple days one way or the other. But I think it would be very good for recruits."

Bradley took over Nov. 9 after Paterno was fired in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Paterno, who testified before a grand jury investigating Sandusky, is not a target of the probe, the state attorney general's office has said. Sandusky is awaiting trial after pleading not guilty.

Joyner said the search is down to a "handful of people" though interviews were not over. He also said the school was still being contacted by potential applicants.

Joyner didn't name potential candidates, nor did he reveal how many people have interviewed.

"No, I have not made a final decision yet. I haven't chosen to do that because we're evaluating them and I'm still looking at candidates right now," Joyner said.

Bradley and defensive line coach Larry Johnson are among those who have had interviews.

Among other rumored names, Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak on Wednesday denied he was interested in the job at his alma mater for the third time since his former coach Paterno was fired.

"They have not contacted me in any way or talked to me about the possibility of working there," the first-year Titans coach said. "I have not reached out to them. I have a job that I enjoy quite a bit."

Also, Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements declined comment last week on whether he was interested in the job and would not confirm a report that he had interviewed.

Joyner and school president Rodney Erickson had initially indicated they had hoped to have Paterno's replacement selected by the bowl game.

Paterno won a Division I record 409 victories in a head coaching career that began in 1966 - 16 seasons after starting at Penn State as an assistant. He is recovering from a broken pelvis while also being treated for lung cancer.

"We're being purposeful and deliberate," Joyner said. "This is the first coaching search with football that maybe we've ever done. I'm not sure how things worked in 1950 and 1966, but I imagine it was a lot different than we're doing now."

Also Thursday, backup quarterback Rob Bolden worked with the starters again with first-stringer Matt McGloin still being held out of practice. He hasn't taken the field since suffering a concussion and seizure Dec. 17 following a locker room altercation with receiver Curtis Drake.

Bolden began the season sharing time with McGloin, but hasn't started since Oct. 15.

"There's no doubt in my mind that I can go out there and do what I need to do," Bolden said.

The Associated Press

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/30/psu-ad-hopes-to-give-next-coach-time-for-recruits/

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Egypt's Tahrir clashes rage on, army unrepentant (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? Egyptian police and soldiers using batons and teargas have fought opponents of army rule in Cairo for a fourth day, taking the death toll since Friday to 13, according to medical sources.

Hundreds more have been wounded and scores detained in attempts to disperse protests in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square, hub of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the use of "excessive" force against the protests, which have widened a rift among Egyptians over the role of the army and cast a shadow over the country's first free election in decades.

An army general told a news conference that "evil forces" wanted to sow chaos and said soldiers had shown "self-restraint" despite provocation by those trying to burn down buildings and create discord between the army and the people.

The human rights watchdog Amnesty International called on arms suppliers to stop sending small arms and ammunition to Egypt's military and security forces in the wake of the violent crackdown on protesters.

Reporters Without Borders said the army's "systematic use of violence against media personnel," was blocking access to information in and around the square.

Soldiers have been filmed using batons to beat protesters, many of whom have been hurling stones, even after they have fallen to the ground.

"HITLER'S INCINERATORS"

In one incident, a government building housing historic books has been set on fire.

"What is your feeling when you see Egypt and its history burn in front of you?" retired general Abdel Moneim Kato, an adviser to the military, told a local paper, Al-Shorouk.

"Yet you worry about a vagrant who should be burnt in Hitler's incinerators."

The latest round of violence broke out just after the second stage of a six-week election for Egypt's new parliament that starts a slow countdown to the army's return to barracks. The military has pledged to hand power to an elected president by July.

An army source said 164 people had been detained. A security source said a 26-year-old man had died in custody, although the cause of death was not immediately clear.

The state news agency MENA said the public prosecutor had detained 123 people accused of resisting the authorities, throwing rocks at the army and police, and setting fire to government buildings. The prosecutor had released 53 others.

"From the start of the revolution, the evil forces have wanted to drag Egypt into chaos, putting the army into confrontation with the people," General Adel Emara said.

"What is happening does not belong with the revolution and its pure youth, who never wanted to bring down this nation."

He said troops had faced people wielding knives, petrol bombs and other weapons, and that those guarding state buildings had a right to self-defense.

Many Egyptians want to focus on building democratic institutions, not street activism, but have nevertheless been shocked by the tactics of security forces in and around Tahrir.

Video footage showed two soldiers dragging a woman lying on the ground by her shirt, exposing her underwear, then clubbing and kicking her.

General Emara described it as an isolated incident that was being investigated. He also said the army had not given orders to clear Tahrir Square by force.

ELECTION OVERSHADOWED

Ban Ki-moon's office said he was "highly alarmed by the excessive use of force employed by the security forces against protesters, and calls for the transitional authorities to act with restraint and uphold human rights, including the right to peaceful protest."

The violence has overshadowed the election, which is set to give Islamists the biggest bloc in parliament.

Western powers, long friendly with Mubarak and other Arab strongmen who kept a lid on Islamists, have watched warily as Islamist parties have swept elections in Morocco, Tunisia and now Egypt following this year's Arab uprisings.

Hard-core activists have camped in Tahrir since a protest against army rule on November 18, which was sparked by the army-backed cabinet's proposals to permanently shield the military from civilian oversight in the new constitution.

Tough security tactics against angry youths also sparked a flare-up last month in which 42 people were killed.

Some activists asked protesters to stop hurling stones on Sunday, but they refused. Other activists handed over to the army people they said were making petrol bombs.

The violence has deepened the frustration of many Egyptians tired of months of unrest that has left the economy in tatters.

"There are people who wait for any problem and seek to amplify it ... The clashes won't stop. There are street children who found shelter in Tahrir," said Ali el-Nubi, a postal worker.

(Additional reporting by JoAnne Allen in Washington, John O'Callaghan, Tamim Elyan, Shaimaa Fayed and Dina Zayed; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111220/wl_nm/us_egypt

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