Ireland delays abortion bill vote after all-night debate 
London, July 11
Ireland's Parliament was forced to adjourn the debate on a bill that would legalise abortion for the first time in the predominantly Catholic country after an all-night debate on the issue moved into a second day today. Ireland was forced to review its abortion law in cases where the mother's life is at risk, following the death of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital last October after she was denied an abortion.

Savita Halappanavar

Cairo, July 11
Egypt's new Prime Minister was faced with road blocks in forming a new Cabinet and steering the deeply polarised nation through a transition phase, as the Muslim Brotherhood today vowed to continue protests against the ouster of President Mohamed Mursi by the army.

"We will continue our peaceful resistance to the bloody military coup against constitutional legitimacy," the Brotherhood said in a statement. "We trust that the peaceful and popular will of the people shall triumph over force and oppression." Mursi's overthrow last week after nationwide protests demanding his resignation has plunged Egypt into violent turmoil.

Media reports have said that some political figures have declined to take up positions in the new Cabinet, even as Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy today said that there are no problems facing the process of appointing leaders to governmental positions.

"I have a general idea concerning the formation of a harmonious Cabinet that has competencies, technical expertise and credibility, regardless of any other factors," Beblawy said, in a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Media reports quoted Beblawy as saying that he does not rule out posts for the Muslim Brotherhood in his Cabinet if candidates are qualified. But the Brotherhood rejected the offer, demanding Mursi's reinstatement and calling for fresh rallies against what it called "a bloody military coup". — PTI

Washington, July 11
The US is moving ahead with plans to deliver four F-16s to Egypt despite the ongoing debate about the military's overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi and whether it legally constitutes a coup that could shut off aid to the country.

Defence officials say senior administration leaders discussed the delivery and decided to let it continue. The fighters are part of a $1.3 billion package approved in 2010 that included 20 F-16s and some M1A1 Abrams tank kits. About half of the aid package has been dispersed, officials said. Eight of the F-16s were delivered in January, the next four are expected to be delivered in the coming weeks and the final eight will be sent later this year.

News of the impending weapons delivery to the Egyptian military came as the administration continued to make the case that it is staying neutral in the crisis.

The White House and State Department reiterated the view yesterday that it would not be in the United States' national security interests to interrupt US aid to Egypt, including to the armed forces, as would be required by law if Mursi's ouster is determined to have been a coup.

"We do not believe it is in the best interests of the US to make immediate changes to our assistance programmes," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters, adding that the administration is going to take its time to make any determinations about Mursi’s removal.— AP

Mexico City, July 11
From its neighbour Mexico down to Argentina, Latin American nations are demanding answers from the United States after a report of vast US spying on close allies and leftist critics alike.

Governments voiced a mix of outrage and concern after the Brazilian daily O Globo, citing documents leaked by fugitive former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, said several nations were targets of US electronic surveillance.

The snooping included lifting data on leftist Venezuela's oil and military purchases and Mexico's drug war and energy sector as well as mapping the movements of a Marxist guerrilla group in Colombia, the newspaper said.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto yesterday said his government had asked for "an explanation to clear up" the spying claims and that if they turn out to be true, "it would be completely unacceptable". Pena Nieto, however, said the two allies still maintained relations of "respect and cordiality".

The Mexican daily Excelsior yesterday reported that Pena Nieto's predecessor had allowed the United States to install a system to intercept phone calls and Internet chatter. The Mexican attorney general's office opened an investigation to determine whether a crime was committed. — AFP

London, July 11
Ireland's Parliament was forced to adjourn the debate on a bill that would legalise abortion for the first time in the predominantly Catholic country after an all-night debate on the issue moved into a second day today.

Ireland was forced to review its abortion law in cases where the mother's life is at risk, following the death of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital last October after she was denied an abortion.

The government-drafted Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill has strongly divided the Catholic country.

An inquest into 31-year-old Savita's death earlier this year was told that a timely abortion may have saved her life.

After a marathon sitting of the Dail Parliament yesterday that ended at dawn, over 100 of the 165 amendments to the bill were yet to be debated and a vote on the landmark laws to clarify a woman's right to a termination if her life is at risk is unlikely to go through even today. — PTI