Yemen: Government rebels exchanged against Militrfahrzeuge

Sanaa - The Yemeni government has released more than 400 captured Shiite rebels. She received ten of the rebels captured back military vehicles. This confirmed the Houthi rebels in the north of the country on Thursday in a statement. A spokesman for the Houthi rebels, Mohammed Abdel Salam, said the release was mediated by Qatar.

Qatar had reached a truce last February between the government of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the rebel group. The rebels of the Shiite Houthi clan had fought six years against the central government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. It had been hundreds of rebels and government soldiers killed.

Israel uncovers a vast deposit of natural gas

It is with Tamar, one of two very promising offshore fields discovered in recent years off from Israel. It is probably the most important discovery in energy since the establishment of the State of Israel. The U.S. group Noble Energy, the main operator of an offshore natural gas field off the coast of Israel, called Leviathan, said Wednesday, December 29 that its reserves were estimated at 450 billion m3, which will enable Israel to become an exporter.

Reassuring set of indicators for the U.S. economy

The unemployment claims fell in the week before Christmas to their lowest level in nearly two and a half years. On indicators published Thursday, December 30, the U.S. economy ended the year in better shape than expected, boosting optimism among analysts for 2011 despite persistent obstacles to stronger growth.

According to the department of labor, unemployment claims fell in the week before Christmas to their lowest level in nearly two and a half years, falling 8% in one week. The housing market also appears on the mend. For the National Association of Realtors, the promise of increased sales in November and the increase in this indicator "advanced" in four of five months portend an increase of 8% of sales in the former in 2011.

Lukashenko's opponents threatened years in prison

Minsk - The opponents of president Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus should expect a long stay in prison. The Justice brought charges against seven opposition presidential candidates. Overall, is investigating 22 people who had organized the massive protest on election night, said the interior ministry in the capital Minsk.

The Belarusian Criminal Law provides for the "organization of violence" against up to 15 years in prison. The lawyers of the accused fear for even long prison sentences. Lukashenko dismissed international calls for the release of government opponents back sharply. The authorities would not accept any demands or ultimatums from the West, the dictator said, according to Belarusian media.

At least four dead and 22 wounded in several attacks against Christians in Iraq

At least four people were killed and 22 others wounded in several attacks in Iraq, six of which were aimed at houses of Christians. At least two Christian citizens were killed and three wounded by the explosion of a device near his home in the neighborhood of al-Gadir, southeast of Baghdad, which also caused extensive damage materials.

In a similar attack at least three Christians were injured in the central area of Al-Karrada, in the capital. Moreover, at least eight Christians were injured in four attacks with explosives which exploded in the gardens of their homes in western and southern Baghdad. Iraqi churches have decided to cancel this year's Christmas celebrations because of the security situation following the recent attacks against Christians in the capital.

Turkey, Kurdish journalist sentenced to 138 years in prison

Turkey does not seem to accept, to say the least, the newspaper that gives voice to the Kurdish minority. Emine Demir, former editor of the newspaper Azadiya Welat Kurdistan (in Kurdish, which means 'independence from the motherland'), was in fact condemned today by a court in Diyarbakir, the main town in southeastern Turkey, a Kurdish majority, to well 138 years in prison for 'propaganda in favor of Kurdish rebels'.

Trkei: 138 years in prison Fri Kurdish journalist

A series of newspaper articles that proved fateful: A court in Turkey has sentenced a Kurdish journalist to 138 years in prison. The texts had been classified as propaganda for the terrorist group PKK. Diyarbakir - Journalist Emine Demir was sentenced for a series of newspaper articles that were considered by the court in Diyarbakir as "pro-terrorist propaganda" on the banned Kurdish terrorist group PKK.