W O R L D

Mubarak survived 6 bids on life
lSeemed insurmountable as President until the outbreak of the uprising
l Kept Egypt under emergency law, with sweeping powers to curb basic freedom
l Argued that draconian laws were necessary to combat Islamist terrorism
Rania Cairo, February 11
Hosni Mubarak survived six assassination attempts during his 30-year rule of Egypt with an iron hand but could not survive the deluge of unprecedented street protests and was brought down by his own people.

Anti-Mubarak protesters hold candles and (left-below) wave flags to welcome his decision to quit as President in Cairo on Friday. — Reuters

The rise & fall of a tyrant
Switzerland freezes Mubarak 'assets' 

Fresh clashes kill 105 in South Sudan
Juba (Sudan), February 11
A spate of attacks by rebels against the south Sudanese Army in the region's troubled Jonglei state killed 105 persons, 39 of them civilians, an Army spokesman said today, leaving a hard-won truce in tatters.

Assange boasted of fathering kids across the world: Book
Boston, February 11
Embattled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, fighting an extradition case over sexual misconduct, has at least “four love children” with mistresses across the world, according to leaked excerpts of a tell-all book by a WikiLeaks defector.

World Press Photo Contest & the Kolkata Connect

The prize-winning entries of the World Press Photo Contest 2010, the world's largest annual press photography contest, were announced on Friday. Martin Roemers, a Panos Pictures photographer, based in the Netherlands, has won the 1st Prize Daily Life Stories category with the series "Metropolis". The picture shows an urban scene in Kolkata. — Reuters

3 Iran gas pipelines explode
Tehran, February 11
Up to three gas pipelines exploded today in central Iran near the Shiite holy city of Qom without causing casualties or disruption of fuel supply, media reports said.The Mehr news agency said three pipelines were struck by the blast, the cause of which is unknown, while a report published by the ISNA news agency said it was a single pipeline which exploded this morning.

Feb 14 Divorce Day?
London : No more romance! Now Valentine's Day could soon be observed as the day of divorce as a study suggests more number of couples part ways on February 14. Instead of chocolates, roses and gifts, the most romantic day could be more about lawyers, papers and hatred as the number of couples filing for divorce Feb 14 has increased by around 40 percent in the last two years, the Daily Mail reported. — IANS

Mubarak survived 6 bids on life
lSeemed insurmountable as President until the outbreak of the uprising
l Kept Egypt under emergency law, with sweeping powers to curb basic freedom
l Argued that draconian laws were necessary to combat Islamist terrorism

Rania Cairo, February 11
Hosni Mubarak survived six assassination attempts during his 30-year rule of Egypt with an iron hand but could not survive the deluge of unprecedented street protests and was brought down by his own people.

Until the outbreak of the grassroots uprising on January 25, 82-year-old Mubarak seemed insurmountable as the President of the most populous nation in the Arab world. When he was elevated to the presidency in the wake of Anwar Sadat's assassination in 1981, few had expected that the little-known Vice-President would hold on to the country's top job for so long.

Mubarak, who was lucky to escape when Sadat was assassinated by Islamic radicals at a military parade in Cairo, has survived at least six assassination attempts since then. The narrowest being in 1995 shortly after his arrival in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to attend an African summit. In the end, he was consumed by people's anger and fury that lasted 18 days.

Mubarak was sworn-in on 14 October 1981, eight days after Sadat’s assassination. The former Egyptian Air Force commander, despite having little popular appeal, had managed to hold on to power for three decades by positioning himself as a trusted Western ally to keep peace with Israel. Throughout his years in power, Mubarak maintained the unpopular policy of peace with Israel and accomodation with the West that cost Sadat his life.

Mubarak, who ruled as a quasi-military leader since he took power, kept the country under emergency law, with sweeping powers to curb basic freedoms in the county. He argued that draconian laws were necessary to combat Islamist terrorism, that he said would target the country's lucrative tourism sector. Amid pressure from his powerful ally the US, Mubarak had come under pressure for the first time to encourage democracy in the country.

Mubarak, who won three elections unopposed since 1981, had to change the system to allow rival candidates in his fourth contest in 2005. Never a smoker or a drinker, he has built himself a reputation as a fit man who leads a healthy life. In his younger days, close associates often complained of the President's schedule, which began with a workout in the gym or a game of squash. He had groomed his 40-year-old former investment banker son Gamal Mubarak to become the next leader as he moved steadily up the ranks of the NDP. But the street protests derailed that ambitious plans. Born in 1928 in a small village at Menofya province near Cairo, Mubarak is married to a half-British graduate of the American University in Cairo, Suzanne Mubarak. They have two sons.

Despite having little popular appeal or international profile at the time, the burly military man has used his sponsorship of the issue behind Sadat's killing, peace with Israel, to build up his reputation as an international statesman.

In effect, Mubarak, one of the world's longest-serving presidents, has ruled as a quasi-military leader since he took power. For his entire period in office, he has kept the country under emergency law, giving the state sweeping powers of arrest and curbing basic freedoms. The government argues the draconian regime has been necessary to combat Islamist terrorism, which has come in waves during the decades of Mubarak's rule - often targeting Egypt's lucrative tourism sector.

He has presided over a period of domestic stability and development that means most of his fellow countrymen have accepted his monopolisation of power in Egypt. — PTI 

The rise & fall of a tyrant

Oct 6, 1981: Vice-President Hosni Mubarak is thrust into office when Islamists gun down President Anwar Sadat at a military parade. He is re-elected in Oct 1987 and Oct 1993.

Oct 5, 1999: Mubarak is sworn in as President for his fourth term and names Atef Obeid as the PM.

March 2005: Street protests by the Kefaya (Enough) Movement draw hundreds across Egypt to oppose a fifth term for Mubarak or any attempt to install his son Gamal in his place.

May 11: Parliament votes to change the constitution to allow contested presidential elections, dismissing Opposition complaints that strict rules would prevent genuine competition.

Sept 27: Mubarak sworn in for a fifth consecutive term after winning the first contested presidential election.

A scene of protest a day earlier at Tahrir Square in Cairo. — AP/PTI

Dec 8: The Muslim Brotherhood increase their seats in Parliament after an election marred by violence, but Mubarak's party retains a big majority.

Nov 19, 2006: Mubarak says he will retain his responsibilities for the rest of his life.

March 26, 2010: Former UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei returns to Egypt, says he would consider a presidential bid.

Nov 29: The Muslim Brotherhood says a rigged election has all but wiped out its presence in Parliament, virtually eliminating opposition to Mubarak’s ruling party.

Jan 25, 2011: Anti-government protests across Egypt begin as demonstrators voice anger.

Jan 28: Mubarak orders troops and tanks into cities overnight to quell demonstrations.

Jan 31: Egypt swears in a new government. New Vice-President Suleiman says Mubarak has asked him to start dialogue with all political forces.

Feb 1: More than one million people around Egypt call for an end to Mubarak’s rule.

Feb 6: Opposition groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, hold talks with the government

Feb 11: Mubarak steps down. Military council takes over 

Switzerland freezes Mubarak 'assets' 

Zurich: Switzerland has frozen assets that may belong to Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down as President of Egypt on Friday after 30 years of rule, the foreign ministry said. "I can confirm that Switzerland has frozen possible assets of the former Egyptian President with immediate effect," spokesman Lars Knuchel said soon after Mubarak bowed to 18 days of mass protests. — Reuters

Fresh clashes kill 105 in South Sudan

ssange boasted of fathering kids across the world: Book

Boston, February 11
Embattled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, fighting an extradition case over sexual misconduct, has at least “four love children” with mistresses across the world, according to leaked excerpts of a tell-all book by a WikiLeaks defector.

Former WikiLeaks spokesman Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who left the organisation amid tensions with Assange, has revealed in his forthcoming book that the 39-year old Assange used to “boast” about how many children he had fathered across the world.

“Often I sat in large groups and listened to Julian boast about how many children he had fathered in various parts of the world. He seemed to enjoy the idea of lots and lots of Julians, one on every continent. Whether he took care of any of these alleged children, or whether they existed at all, was another question,” Domscheit-Berg writes in his book, an excerpt of which was leaked to gossip website Gawker. Last month, Domscheit-Berg launched a rival site OpenLeaks.

“From his bombastic OKCupid profile to his creepy love letters to a 19-year-old girl, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has some strange romantic proclivities. Strangest of all is his apparent obsession with littering the world with offspring,” the report in Gawker said. — PTI

3 Iran gas pipelines explode