Up to 1 million foreign workers and others trapped in Libya are expected to need emergency aid because of fighting in the North African nation, officials said Monday as they sought $160 million to deal with the crisis.
U.N. officials say that amount is for three months — and they expect the crisis to go on longer than that. The U.N. is also effectively frozen out of sections controlled by leader Moammar Khadafy’s forces and is seeking humanitarian aid only for opposition- controlled areas.
TUNISIA: New interim government named.
Tunisia’s prime minister named a new interim government on Monday. Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi kept the heads of the key defense, interior, justice and foreign affairs ministries, but named new figures to six posts vacated last week. Some ministers who left were seen as too close to the regime of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Others who resigned hope to run for office and were forced out.
The Interior Ministry announced it has abolished the dreaded State Security Department, whose so-called political police spied on and harassed citizens under Ben Ali.
SYRIA: 13 political prisoners launch hunger strike.
Thirteen political prisoners have begun a hunger strike to demand their release and the lifting of emergency laws that give authorities a free hand to jail political and human rights activists, a rights group said Monday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the activists launched the hunger strike in Damascus’ Adra prison.
JORDAN: Journalists demand more freedom, removal of editor.
In the first protest of its kind here, journalists from state-controlled media demonstrated Monday for press freedom and demanded the ouster of the editor of the main government-controlled newspaper.
“We’re fed up. We’ve reached the point where there’s no turning back,” said Amer Smadi, a broadcaster with state radio and formerly a TV news anchor. “We have nothing to fear now. I’ve been waiting to say this all my life.”
YEMEN: Embattled president sets talks with opposition.
Embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh called for national dialogue in an attempt to quell escalating protests against his 32-year rule, as thousands of demonstrators again took to the streets to demand his ouster. The state news agency said the conference will be held Thursday.
BAHRAIN: Shiite minority urges U.S. to back calls for political freedom.
Hundreds of members of the Persian Gulf country’s Shiite Muslim majority protested outside the U.S. Embassy to appeal for Washington to back their campaign for greater political freedom. The opposition supporters claim Washington is showing less support for their revolt than it did for the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Denver Post wire services
