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Deadly street clashes break out in Iraqi city
At least three people are reported to have been killed and dozens wounded in clashes between police and demonstrators in southern Iraq. The violence in the city of Kut comes after protesters took to the streets demanding better public services and living conditions. Echoing the unrest in other parts of the Arab world, demonstrators were heard shouting “down, down with Maliki’s government”. Government buildings, including the residence of the regional governor, were reportedly set on fire. News agencies report that police managed to disperse protesters by firing shots into the air. A curfew was also declared, with roadblocks set up around the city. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Students take to the streets in Yemen
Hundreds of people have taken to the streets across Yemen, part of an ongoing show of anger against the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. A crowd of several hundreds mostly students defied the police to march through the streets of the capital, Sanaa. Hundreds also gathered in the cities of Taiz and Aden. For some, these gatherings pose a real threat, as by nature they are spontaneous and youth-led. Youth unemployment in Yemen is at least 35 percent. These are people frustrated with the opposition, which has called for reform but not for the President’s resignation. Earlier, the police stepped in to block hundreds of armed pro-government supporters from chasing the protesters away from Sanaa’s university. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libyan rebels celebrate victory in Brega
Libyan rebels claim to have repulsed Gaddafi forces and won the battle for Brega. The eastern oil port was the first counter offensive by the Libyan leader, but it did not go all the rebels way. Government troops briefly captured the oil terminal but despite their greater fire power they were apparently forced to retreat. Read our news file The assault on the town, which is a gateway to the east for Gaddafi, has been the most significant military operation by him since the uprising erupted in mid-February. The US has warned it could set off a confrontation which has a chance of descending into a long civil war. As night fell Brega was full of jubilant people. There is a belief that Gaddafi’s men do not have the stomach for the job. But despite the relief there is concern the attack was backed by air strikes and Gaddafi has vowed to fight until the last man and woman. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Germany’s Schaeuble optimistic on trade imbalance plans
Germany’s finance minister says he remains confident the G20 can reach a deal to reduce global trade imbalances. Wolfgang Schaeuble’s optimistic assessment came on the second and final day of a summit in Paris between the world’s top economic powers. Yesterday, China rejected plans on how to measure exchange rates and currency reserves. “I spoke to my Chinese colleagues for a long time last night, and I am under the impression that China is aware of its responsibility as one of the big players in the world, and knows that it is in its interests that this cooperation goes forward. China is also strongly affected by the development of the global markets and the global economy,” the German finance minister said. Beijing has been accused, especially by the US, of keeping its currency artificially cheap to give it an unfair trade advantage. The summit in the French capital aims to agree a range of economic guidelines designed to avoid a repeat of the 2008 global financial crisis. Copyright © 2011 euronews

William and Kate go back to where they met
With just under two months to go until the big day, Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton have made a sentimental journey back to where they first met. The couple travelled to St Andrews in Scotland to mark the University’s 600th anniversary. They met there in 2001 as undergraduates studying art history. Copyright © 2011 euronews

European Citizens’ Initiative
The functioning of the European Citizens’ Initiative, introduced in the Lisbon Treaty, has now been defined. How will it work? Copyright © 2011 euronews

Indian hikes interest rates again
Indian shares fell after the central bank raised interest rates again to battle the country’s stubborn inflation. The Reserve Bank of India put up the cost of borrowing for the eighth time in a year. It also warned both of inflationary pressures and emerging risks to growth, leading to fears of further rate hikes. The Bank’s main lending rate was increased by 0.25 percent to 6.75 percent Copyright © 2011 euronews

Geneva Motor Show opens amid oil spike
The Geneva Motor Show is traditionally slanted towards higher-end models and as it opened this week there were certainly plenty of supercars for the super rich on show, but manufacturers warned that spiking oil prices threaten the industry’s recovery. However they could give a boost to demand for low-emission electric and hybrid vehicles. European carmakers plan to make up for stagnant sales at home by accelerating into those markets that are growing – like Asia, Latin America and Russia. Worldwide there could be sales from the retro cuteness factor like Volkwagen’s electric powered Bulli, a scaled-down and updated version of the VW Microbus so beloved by hippies. Jacques Rivoal, who heads Volkswagen France, said: “With this kind of vehicle, we actually created the mini-van segment back in 1947. And now we would like to revive that spirit of freedom and style.” For the moment the Bulli is a concept car, but VW said it could go into production depending on public reaction. As for the luxury market, analysts said it is recovering but the growth in demand for those kinds of vehicles is not coming from places like the US, where ironically Fiat is about to start selling its rival to the Mini, the 500. Instead sales of high-end models are set to rise in Brazil, Russia, India and China – now the world’s largest car market. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Nasdaq considers NYSE bid
The Nasdaq exchange is reportedly looking at launching a rival bid for NYSE Euronext rather than see it merge with Germany’s Deutsche Boerse. Sources have told the Wall Street Journal and Reuters that Nasdaq is exploring options that include teaming up with a partner perhaps the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or commodities trader IntercontinentalExchange (ICE). Nasdaq may also consider putting itself up for sale or buying another competitor. Nasdaq has found itself to be the odd-man out in a series of exchange-operator deals in recent months. Pressure is mounting on global bourses to seek partnerships to counter the threat from bigger rivals and alternative trading platforms as well as to cut costs. In recent weeks, Deutsche Boerse agreed to buy NYSE, the London Stock Exchange Group announced a deal to take over Canadian stock market operator TMX Group, and BATS Global Markets said it will buy peer Chi-X Europe. Last October, Singapore Exchange agreed to buy Australia’s ASX. It is not clear where Nasdaq’s efforts will lead, one source told Reuters. Indeed, officials at both ICE and CME have been cautious about potential deals. Copyright © 2011 euronews

China inflation likely means more tightening
Chinese inflation hit 4.9 percent in January, up from 4.6 percent in December, though economists had expected it to be higher. Even so price pressures – excluding the cost of food which is more volatile – were at their strongest in at least a decade. That will force the China’s central bank to keep tightening monetary policy by raising interest rates again and restricting lending further. Core inflation, not including food prices, jumped to 2.6 percent year-on-year, the highest in at least a decade, from 2.1 percent a month earlier. There was some indication that previous tightening has started to have an effect. Money growth eased to its slowest pace in six months in January at 17.2 percent year on year. The Chinese central bank raised interest rates last week for the second time in just over six weeks. It has also raised the amount of money banks have to hold in reserve seven times since the start of last year to try to mop up the excess cash in the economy that has fuelled inflation. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Business Weekly: world markets react to the Japan tragedy
In this edition of Business Weekly, we look at how world markets have been affected by the devastating earthquake in Japan, and also by the continued popular unrest in Bahrain. We speak to an expert on Asian markets to get his view. In the corporate world, Renault has been making headlines, after apologising to senior employees it had accused of industrial espionage. And we will also be looking ahead to what we might expect in the business headlines this week. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Black smoke belches out of Fukushima reactor
Emergency crews have once more been evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear plant, after black smoke began belching out of one of the stricken reactors. Engineers have been working to cool the reactors and spent fuel rods to avoid a catastrophic release of radiation. Contamination levels were reported to be unusually high before the smoke was spotted. They have since fallen back but remain higher than in recent days. Power cables have been connected to all reactors. But engineers were forced to halt tests of the system at reactor 2 after radiation levels spiked. There is also concern about rising temperatures at reactor 1. Experts warn powering up all the reactors could take weeks or even months. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Egypt opposition leader escapes assassination attempt
One of Egypt’s leading opposition figures appears to have had a lucky escape after surviving a suspected assassination attempt. Speaking to euronews Ayman Nour said a police officer tried to stab him. ‘‘It happened in Luxor. We were heading by car to the main police headquarters in the city. Suddenly, three security service personnel came out, one of them came towards me very quickly with a knife and tried to stab me with it. The people who were in the street stopped them and a minute later a military car arrived to break up the scuffle between those who were protecting me from the attackers. I think they were members of what we call the fifth column, pro-Mubarak supporters, who were active from the 28th January. The ones who were responsible for attacking protesters, looting, and theft, etc. This is not just me who thinks this. This attack is strange. What happened is strange, significant, unjustified and cannot be understood.’‘ Copyright © 2011 euronews

Daewoo gets big order for bigger ship
South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding has received an order for 10 vessels from Maersk, the world’s biggest container shipping company, with an option for another 20 similar ships. The entire deal is worth 4.1 billion euros and involves the South Koreans constructing ships that are larger than anything that has ever been built before – 400 metres long and almost 60 metres wide. Maersk – which is part of the Danish shipping and oil group A P Moller-Maersk – wants to add the ships to its fleet which already exceeds 500. They would ply the routes between Asia and Europe, which Maersk see as enjoying major expansion. Each would carry 18,000 containers, almost a third more than the largest ships currently afloat. “You build ships for 25 years, so you need to take a long-term view, but even in the shorter term we are actually quite comfortable, and we will see growth of five to eight percent also in the Asia-Europe trade,” Maersk Line Chief Executive Eivind Kolding said. Maersk put the price of each vessel at almost 140 million euros and said they would be delivered from 2013 to 2015. The deal would be the biggest-ever order for Daewoo and its shares leapt 4.8 percent in Seoul. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Saleh’s carrots and sticks fail to stop Yemen protests
Tens of thousands of people have again marched in cities across Yemen calling for an end to the president’s three-decade rule, in a clear rejection of his offer of a unity government. They also remembered the victims of previous demonstrations; at least two dozen dead during the first two weeks of protests. Read our news file “We swear that we won’t be scared no matter how many the president kills, how many he jails, how many he tortures. We will die as martyrs and go to paradise, and he will go to hell. Down with the president and this corrupt regime!” shouted Kamal, one of the protesters. In a speech at Sanaa University, President Ali Abdullah Saleh turned more vehemently on his supposed ally the US, accusing it and Israel of being behind the unrest. “The control room is in Tel Aviv which is plotting to destabilise the Arab world. The protesters are only copying what’s happened elsewhere. The control room is in Tel Aviv and it’s run by the White House,” he said. Washington quickly dismissed the accusation. Saleh said he would safeguard the nation’s security whatever the cost, as thousands of his supporters took to the capital’s streets. But neither his warnings nor his concessions seem to be deterring his opponents. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Gaddafi plays hardball with his people
As the violence spreads across Libya, strongman Colonel Muammar Gaddafi??�s has vowed that he will not bow to pressure from the street to step down The unprecedented challenge to his four-decade rule of the oil rich North african nation has been inspired by pro-democracy movements elsewhere in the region. But while neighbouring governments in Egypt and Tunisia appeared to offer some concessions to protesters calling for greater freedoms, Gaddafi has refused to negotiate, denouncing them as “terrorists.” Human Rights Watch says at least 233 people have been killed since last Thursday, while the Paris-based International federation for Human Rights puts the death toll closer to 400. The military has been deployed to crackdown on the unrest although there are some reports of regiments defecting to join the protests. The Gaddafi regime has said the violence could out the country’s vast oil wealth at risk Libya’s vast oil and gas reserves account for up to 90 percent of its revenues, giving the country some of the highest living standards on the African continent. The unrest has pushed the price of crude up to its highest price since 2008. International oil firms, such as Italy’s ENI, are now preparing to pull their staff out of the country. Italy is a key foreign investor in Libya after the two countries signed a friendship treaty to deepen their economic ties over two years ago. But PM Silvio Berlusconi has refused to use that leverage to seek concessions from Gaddafi. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Libyan city of Ajdabiya a ‘free city’
The main focus of the protests sweeping Libya remains in the east of the country, far from the capital Tripoli. The city of Ajdabiya has seen some of the heaviest violence with reports suggesting government security forces have lost control. Located some 160 kilometres south of Libya’s second city Benghazi, euronews spoke to Abdel Bari Zouay, an eyewitness, who said Ajdabiya was now a free city. ‘‘On Thursday, February 17, there was a demonstration in Ajdabiya. The protesters burned the local headquarters of the revolutionary committee. The Revolutionary Guard have fired upon us killing four demonstrators. Since Friday the city has been completely controlled by the protesters, who have burned 14 buildings belonging to the government. They have also burned portraits of Gaddafi and have formed groups who are now running the city,” he said. “We call on the United Nations and all those who have a conscience to help the city Ajdabiya. The regime has sent African forces into the city but we are here waiting in the square of the martyrs. Everyone here is ready to defend the city against the mercenaries. We’ve discovered that these African mercenaries are going to land at Zouitina airport. I can assure you that everybody here is ready to fight against these traitors and African mercenaries,” he added.’ Copyright © 2011 euronews

Army tells Egyptians: ‘Get back to work’
Egypt’s military rulers on Monday called upon disgruntled workers to stop striking and return to their jobs. Employees in a number of key sectors want better pay and conditions. The country’s economy ground to a halt during demonstrations that toppled former president, Hosni Mubarak. In a statement on state television, military spokesman General Mohsen el-Fangari said strikes and disputes would threaten Egypt’s security and damage its economy. He called on all citizens, professionals and labour unions to be responsible at this crucial time. Egypt’s stock exchange has been shut since January 27 because of the political unrest. Banks are not expected to reopen until Wednesday. The tourism sector, which accounts for six percent of GDP, has also been hit by a drop in revenues. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Protests in Tunisia continue to have an effect
Ongoing protests in Tunisia are continuing to wield an effect. The interim government has legalised a moderate Islamist group which was banned under former President Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali. Legalisation was one of the protesters’ key demands, and paves the way for the group, Ennahda, to form a political party to take part in elections. Meanwhile, new Prime Minister Beji Caid Sebsi is to announce the creation of a new council responsible for rewriting the constitution ahead of the next elections. Many who helped oust Ben Ali have continued to protest, angry that some of his former allies were included in the interim administration. Two more ministers quit on Tuesday, meaning five senior figures including the former Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi have left so far this week. Copyright © 2011 euronews

Pick of the Clicks: words and music feed the revolution
It’s one thing starting a revolution, it’s another thing?�completing one. Or, as Che Guevara put it more poetically: “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.”?�And Che Guevara knew a thing or two about revolutions.?�Repression and a craving for change brought the people into the streets of Tunisia and Egypt.?�It is now doing the same in Libya, Yemen and Bahrain.?�Yet?�if a revolution is going to succeed it needs to be sustained. ?�Fidel Castro, another man with considerable experience in the matter, claimed that what a successful revolution requires is “faith and a plan of action.“?�The Egyptians’ and the Tunisians’ plan of action was quite simple: WE stay until YOU go. They also had faith.?�If Bahrainis, Libyans and Yemenis are to replicate their neighbours’ triumph, they will need to keep the faith. They will need to maintain morale and two things that will help make this happen are slogans and music.?�Slogans are powerful weapons in the armoury of a revolutionary. They are chanted in unison; they unite. ?�Many of the most memorable and effective revolutionary slogans?�have been?�coined using?�Hendiatris or Triad, a figure of speech?�using three words or ideas to express a single demand.?�And it works well.?�The Mexicans and later the Spanish cried for “Tierra Y Libertad” (Land And Freedom). The French marched on Paris calling for “Libert?�, Egalit?�, Fraternit?�” (Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood). Portugal’s Carnation Revolution demanded “Descoloniza?�??o, Democratiza?�??o, Desenvolvimento” (decolonisation, democratisation, development). When Iranians ousted the Shah in 1979, they wanted him replaced with “God, Quran, Khomeini.”?�Hitler, as he whipped up a nationalist fervour in Nazi Germany, had the crowds shouting “Ein Reich! Ein Volk! Ein F??hrer!”?�Barack Obama got the message as he ran for election: Yes (the first lesson of marketing), We (are united), Can (let’s be positive).?�And so it was in Tunisia and Egypt. In Tunis, just like in Cairo, demonstrators chanted “El Shaab (the people) Yurid (demand) Isqat el Nizam (the fall of the regime).”?�A popular slogan in Tunisia was “Al Khoubz, Al Maa, Ben Ali la” which is to be interpreted as “We are ready to live with just water and bread but not with Ben Ali” although admittedly it does sound much better in Arabic.?�In Egypt in particular, the crowds used humour in their written slogans to keep their spirits up while a stubborn Mubarak exhausted all his options to stay in power. “Go now! I want to go home, have a shower and sleep,” read one homemade banner in Tahrir Square.?�Egyptians began writing their slogans in English, knowing that the world was watching. They kept it simple: “Game Over”.?� Music is another motivator. Spending weeks camping out and shouting at an apparently deaf dictator to fall on the sword that’s kept him in power for decades is a physically arduous task. A singalong?�helps keep a?�crowd merry and focused, as it did in Tahrir Square It did too in 18th Century France. When soldiers made the long march from Marseille to Paris to support the revolution, they sang what is still the national anthem more than two centuries later.?�American soldiers still march to songs, or cadences, that were coined during the American Revolution.?�Music is being used by today’s?�activists to inspire revolution in a way that was inaccesible to the French revolutionaries, the American Patriots or the Bolsheviks.?� MideastTUNES describes itself as a site promoting music for social change. Its creator – young, female and Bahraini – is quoted in a TIME article as saying: “Sure, people like Gandhi give me hope, but what makes me want to go out and make change is people’s stories, and that comes through their music.”?�Give the?�events of Tahrir Square a soundtrack and a powerful music videoand it is not hard to imagine the youth of Bahrain or Libya being moved to?�join their?�peers in the streets.?�?�Two Arab?�dictators have fallen in as many months and the shoots of further?�regime change?�have?�sprouted in several countries?�across?�the region.?�?�With catchy slogans and catchy tunes, the revolution could well catch on.?� By Mark Davis Copyright © 2011 euronews