Qatar, Morocco Enhancing Energy, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani commended the Qatar- Morocco ties and said it is an embodiment of political will expressed by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and HM King Mohammed VI, of the Kingdom of Morocco to work towards enhancing and deepening the ties of fraternity between the two countries in order to achieve the common goals and a desire to strengthen bilateral ties existing between them in all fields. In remarks, following the fourth session of the Qatari-Moroccan Higher Joint Committee this evening, HE the Premier also welcomed the visit by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco Abbas El Fassi and his accompanying delegation, stressing the importance of the agreements which have been signed by the two sides. HE the Premier and Foreign Minister referred to the establishment of a Qatari- Moroccan partnership for the investment projects in the fields of economy, energy and industry. U.S. lauds end to Algerian emergency law Word that 19 years of emergency law is ending in Algeria was welcomed by the United States Wednesday.State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley called Tuesday's announcement by the Algerian government a “positive” step toward the expansion of democratic freedoms. “We reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, including the freedom of assembly and expression,” Crowley said in a statement. TUNISIA: More than 6,000 Tunisians have fled to Italian island More than a month after massive protests led to the ouster of Tunisia's longtime president, waves of Tunisians are fleeing the country's political limbo by climbing into rickety boats and sailing across the Mediterranean to Europe. More than 6,000 illegal immigrants have recently arrived on the small Italian island of Lampedusa, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, an unintended consequence of the people's revolution that ousted autocrat Zine el Abidine ben Ali and inspired the uprisings in Egypt and beyond. Read more here. Oil Rises on Libya Tensions Oil advanced for a sixth day in New York after reaching $100 a barrel as Libya's uprising reduced shipments from Africa's third-biggest producer. Crude for April delivery rose 1.3 percent in New York to $99.33 a barrel at 4 p.m. in Tokyo. Loyalists of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi sought to crush dissent in the capital, Tripoli, as his opponents tightened control of eastern cities, with Barclays Capital estimating that about 1 million barrels of daily production may have been shut. A $20 increase in oil prices may cut global gross domestic product growth estimates by 1 percent, Societe Generale said. Sudan Rebel Group Denies Role in Anti-Protest Violence in Libya The spokesman for the Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has denied accusations that members of his group are acting as mercenaries for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to suppress anti-government protesters. Ahmed Hussein Adam described the accusation as malicious and a calculated attempt by the Khartoum government to, in his words, create anger among Libyan anti-government protesters to attack and eliminate “Darfuris” in Libya. Read more here. South Sudan Works to Rebuild Higher Education On July ninth, South Sudan becomes the world's one hundred ninety-third nation. Almost ninety-nine percent of voters last month chose independence from the north. South Sudan will also be one of the world's least developed nations. This follows years of war and neglect by the Sudanese government in Khartoum. South Sudan is about the size of France. Yet it has only fifty kilometers of good roads and almost no public electrical power or other basic systems.Illiteracy rates are high. There are estimates that more than eighty percent of the population cannot read or write.There are five universities. Three of them moved their operations to the north during the war. The southern government has brought most of the students back. Read more here.
