The U.S. at risk without majority border accord: Harper

Canada needs a strong conservative majority to protect trade relations with the United States, Stephen Harper said Thursday, adding that an agreement of border security with the neighbour to the South of the country is also at risk.

The Conservative leader said that without a Conservative Government: "the vision of the border would be dead."

The border agreement signed earlier this year by Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama was intended to support security at the border while foster trade and economic growth between the two countries.

"One in five jobs in the Canada is tied to trade with the United States," said Harper, who was in Niagara Falls, to talk about the importance of international trade with the United States and its commitment to the signing of new trade agreements.

The deal "will help to reinforce and strengthen our trade relations to complement the economic recovery and create jobs."

But the Union representing customs and immigration officers breakdown Harper Thursday, saying that it has closed the local centres of intelligence, points border land of entry and reduced opening hours.

"The Harper Government has previously prioritized effective border security in the course of the bureaucratic indifference, that is why their counterproductive acceptance of these decisions is so disturbing," Customs and Immigration Union said in a statement.

"I hope that this leadership will be once more demonstrated in concrete actions and not words;" This is what Canadians deserve.

The Conservative leader has also used his liberal message distance once more his party from the NDP, saying that his opposition to foreign trade agreements is "ideological" and his point of view "have not changed since the cold war."

"The NDP opposed every trade agreement that we signed" said Harper.

Harper moves his message of the campaign to focus the attack on "a coalition of opposition led by the NDP."

Until now, Harper has spent the campaign pitching its curators as an alternative to a coalition of the opposition Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff-led parties.

Harper continues to highlight the message that the Canada is in need of a strong majority, but surge to campaign for the end of the NDP in the polls apparently forced Harper to change its main target.

Harper said the choice is between a conservative majority government and a Parliament led to the minority, which he said would raise taxes and spending.

"It would be this huge step backwards, and Canadians must understand how radically different choices are really when you are looking to two parliaments, with a conservative majority, the other a minority Parliament with a rickety coalition, led by the NDP which will not last."", but that will do many things of destruction" said harper.

Harper also criticized plan of the NDP for a system of limits and Exchange, stating that their proposal would hike to the rising prices at the gas pump

"The NDP proposes 20 billion dollars in carbon taxes," he said. "It is at least 10 cents per litre gasoline and many other big increases in consumption".

Harper appeared to be referring to the figures cited by the economist Jack Mintz, who tweeted Thursday a ""NDP CAP and Exchange at $40 per tonne of carbon will be a 10 cents go hiking in the gasoline tax. ""

Mintz is found by his calculations after a history of Globe and Mail said later that his characters were based on the erroneous assumption that the NDP would include fossil fuels using consumers.

"Cap- and -Exchange on the refining will certainly increase the price of gas." Let's get realistic, "tweeted Mintz."

During this time, Layton shot back that gas companies are undue Canadian and that Harper has done nothing to stop it.

It suggested to toughen up laws on competition and establishing a special mediator to put pressure on oil companies.

"We want to start with competition law," said Layton. "It is what we first of all because it is not used correctly." Mr. Harper has clearly no desire to go after the oil companies. "He is too busy giving them subsidies."

NDP leader, Jack Layton poses with Jacq Brewer at a stop of the campaign in Yellowknife Thursday (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

Recent public opinion polls have shown that the Conservatives and the Liberals are all two losing support to the NDP.

The NDP has moved into second place in most national polls behind the conservatives.

That change also caused the Liberals aim their criticism more marked in the NDP.

Even former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien used his speech on Wednesday to take a jab at the NDP.

"And I checked the program of the NDP," said the former Prime Minister.

"Nobody had read until a few days ago.". Apparently this is not adding up. ?

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Libya: Tunisia indignant over border clashes - BBC News

April 29, 2011, last updated at 02: 06 GMT thousands fled fighting near the border between the Libya and the Tunisia Tunisia sentenced a violation of its territory after fighting between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel Libyan spill across the border.

Tunisia said that he advised the Libya of its "extreme indignation".

Rebels and pro-Gaddafi troops are fighting for control of the border post between Dahiba and Wazzan, which rebels captured a week ago.

Shells fired by the pro-Gaddafi forces are supposed to have landed in the Tunisia.

Government troops apologized to their Tunisian counterparts after briefly crossing the border, the Reuters news agency reported.

But the Tunisian authorities warned of a "dangerous military escalation."

"Shots fired in an area populated the Tunisian territory (are) a violation of the territorial integrity of the Tunisia and a violation of the security of the inhabitants of this region", said a statement by the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Considering the gravity of what is arrived... the Tunisian authorities informed the Libyans of their extreme outrage and measures of the request to put an end immediately to these violations."

Bombing of Misrata

Fighting in the West of the Libya, near the border with the Tunisia, have intensified these last days.

Rebels seized the border post, a week ago, and pro-Government forces have attempted to resume.

Thousands of people have fled from Libya across the border to flee the violence.

In addition, there are reports that Government troops had resumed the town of Kufra South after violent clashes.

In the capital, Tripoli, at least two loud explosions were heard late Thursday, as NATO planes flew above.

And in the town of Misrata reported rebel West continues bombardments by the forces of pro-Gaddafi.

The town held the rebels has been besieged by forces loyal to Col. Gaddafi for several weeks.

These forces have retreated from the centre of Misrata, but the rebels say they are shelling of residential areas of the periphery.

Earlier, rebel a commander and witnesses told journalists one than an air strike by NATO in Misrata on Wednesday killed at least 11 rebels.

A NATO official confirmed alliance aircraft struck "a number of combat vehicles 10 miles southeast of port Misrata", adding that NATO could not "to verify the reports that these vehicles have been exploited by the opposition forces."

He said that no there was no NATO attack on any building around Misrata.

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Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue - The Guardian

A Thai soldier is based in a hospital in the border between the Thailand and Cambodia where clashes are continuing. Photo: Sukree Sukplang/Reuters.

A Thai soldier was killed and four wounded in further clashes in a disputed portion of the border between the Thailand and Cambodia, a Thai army spokesman said, as a newly agreed ceasefire does not have to take.

At least 16 people died in the fighting over the past week, centred on the ancient temples at two points on the border.

Commander of the Thai regional army that thawatchat Samutsakorn said Reuters four soldiers were wounded in two clashes involving firearms and grenades, which said, had been launched by the Cambodian side.

"We are now in close contact with Cambodia and while gunfights broke out, he was not a major confrontation as before, so I consider that it is an improvement," he said.

"But it also shows the tension is still there and we must monitor closely the situation still two or three days.".

The ceasefire agreed on Thursday was supposed to put an end to seven days of sporadic and petit-rocket artillery has inflamed nationalist passions in both countries.

The defence of the Cambodia Ministry said both parties had agreed to keep troops in the region, to hold regular meetings between commanders on the ground and leave their territorial disputes to a joint commission of demarcation.

They also agreed to open border checkpoints near two challenged the Hindu temples of the 12th century in the heart of the fighting, although it was not clear when the villagers would be allowed to their remote towns, ravaged.

More than 60,000 people have been evacuated during the fighting.

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Thai military denies using toxic gas in the battle of Cambodian border

April 23, 2011, 11: 38 am EDT by Daniel Ten Kate

April 24 (Bloomberg) - Thailand, denied the accusations that his soldiers have used toxic gas against Cambodian troops in the bloodiest fighting along the disputed border since tensions broke out three years ago.

Battles which began April 22 killed five Thai and six Cambodian, according to army officials of, and reports, ending two months of peace since the United Nations Security Council urged a permanent ceasefire on February 14 of press. Used Thai soldiers "guns heavy loading of the toxic gas" fighting yesterday, Ministry of defence of Cambodia said in a statement. "Cambodians are really incredible for a story like that," Veerachon Sukondhadhpatipak, Deputy spokesman of the Thai army, said by telephone from Bangkok. "" " They still make stories publish us poorly. "The resumption of the fighting at the time when the Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva is preparing to call an election in early May. The Thailand member is causing clashes raise his popularity in the event where he stages an another coup, the Cambodian Government Phay Siphan said by telephone from Phnom Penh, the capital. "The Thai military to move against us so they can say they are protecting Thai land and earn the credibility of their people,"he says. "We are a small country and we cannot afford to take Thai land." We need peace to build our country. "Southeast Asian neighbors have blamed each other for cause the battles which took place several hundred kilometres west of border clashes in February near the temple of Preah Vihear a world heritage site. Ministry of defence of Cambodia, said Thai troops were aimed to support the temples in dispute, while said Abhisit Thailand would not invade its neighbours and reprisal of the Cambodian attack. "International rules"our movements are consistent with international rules", Abhisit said today in a weekly televised speech. "In our retaliation, we attack military points only.". Our retaliation will be appropriate with Cambodian attacks. "Five Thai soldiers died in the two days of fighting, said Veerachon. Fighting also killed six Cambodian soldiers, Xinhua Chinese news agency reported, citing Suos Sothea, a commander of a unit of artillery on the border.Clashes resume tensions along the border escalated in 2008 after the Thailand opposed efforts in Cambodia to list temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site. Fighting in February was at least 10 dead and 30 000 people travel.The Thailand refused to accept observers from the border of the Indonesia, which holds the rotating Presidency of the 10 Association members of Southeast Asia Nations.International Arena "the shock of the latter is another attempt by Cambodia to raise bilateral dispute on the international scene."said today accused Abhisit.Cambodge Thailand of the use of cluster bombs during the fighting in February, a charge confirmed by established the United Kingdom Cluster Munition Coalition, which grows to an international ban on the weapons these munitions scatter over a large area to the detonation. Cambodia and the Thailand are not among the 108 countries which have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions.In 1962, the International Court of Justice decided in a vote of 9-3 that Cambodia had the sovereignty of Preah Vihear. He did not rule on the lands surrounding the temple, and the two countries have not yet reconciled 10,422 miles square (26,993 square kilometres) waters contested in the Gulf of Thailand which can contain oil and gas reserves.264 Billion in the Thailand economy is more than 26 times the size of Cambodia. The Cambodian army spent $ 191 million in 2009, compared with 4.9 billion for the military in Thailand, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

-With the help of Suttinee Yuvejwattana in Bangkok. Editors: Paul Tighe, Anand Krishnamoorthy

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok to dtenkate@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Tighe at the ptighe@bloomberg.net

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Die 4 smuggling Tunnel under the Gaza Strip and the border Egypt - New York Times

Adam Serwer of The American Prospect and Eli Lake of The Washington Times debate on the progressive movement. Any business or brand can claim to be socially responsible, but now, there is a way to prove it.

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