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“Gaddafi is smart” but his days are numbered says Moniquet
Francois Chignac, euronews: Claude Moniquet, you are co-founder of the Brussels-based European Strategic Intelligence and Security Centre. So, as an expert in international relations, who would you say has caught whom by the ceasefire? Is it the nations which backed the resolution? Or is it Gaddafi who has come out on top? CM: I think today it is Mr Gaddafi who has been smart, as he has already been several times in the past. He tried to trap the international community. Things are certainly going to get more complicated, especially with the Arab League. But, fundamentally I don’t think it is going to make a massive difference. FC, euronews: There is still a feeling that he has caught everyone out… CM: Mr Gaddafi is an extremely interesting and complex character. When you hear him speak, when you listen to the words, it is like one step forward, one step back. He has been like that since the start of the crisis. I think that we are, once again, in the same pattern. Someone complex, surrounded by other interested complex characters such as his sons and certain advisers like Mr Moussa Koussa. FC, euronews: Could this lead to a split within Gaddafi’s regime? CM: Perhaps, in relation to his sons. They are all his deputies and advisers. But there are also rivalities between them. They don’t like each other and they fight. That said, it is also possible that all this is calculated, because Colonel Gaddafi has very bad memories of the US bombardments and sanctions during the 1980s and he surely won’t want to repeat the experience. He knows his country paid a very heavy price. FC, euronews: So you think he might be bluffing? CM: He is intelligent and effectively capable of anything. But I think he has gone too far in this crisis and it is going to be very difficult for him to remain in power. FC, euronews: But do you think we are heading towards a Somali-like conflict? CM: I think he has been trying to buy time, and to do that, to buy lots of time, he has had to make the situation a lot worse. Perhaps he thought this would then give him an extra card to play. Perhaps for a few months, or years. FC, euronews: So, in the hours or days to come, how do you think the countries that support the resolution will react? CM: I think they will look for proof of the ceasefire and once that is received, there will be an intervention. Despite everything, I believe the no-fly zone will be implemented.

Israeli FM warns Iran over warship moves
Two Iranian warships have passed the Suez Canal en route to Syria with Israel’s foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman hinting the Jewish State may respond. Lieberman said in a speech: “Israel cannot forever ignore these provocations.” Israel has long accused Iran and Syria of providing weapons to Islamist groups seeking its elimination. Iran’s state news agency said the two ships had been dispatched on a year-long training mission in the Mediterranean Sea. It was not immediately clear why the ships were planning to train in the Mediterranean. The Suez Canal Authority said no Iranian request to send its ships through the canal had yet been made. In a statement, it said “ships from any country can cross as long as the country is not in a state war with Egypt.”

Bahrain opposition considers talks but sets demands
Thousands of demonstrators including some 1500 striking teachers have rallied in the centre of Manama’s Pearl Square, the symbolic focal point of Bahrain’s anti-government protests. The opposition are also preparing for what they hope will be a large demonstration tomorrow. Meanwhile they have been considering an offer of talks from the Crown Prince. Many protesters want certain fundamental demands met first. Mostly Shias, they are calling for the Sunni royal dynasty to be replaced by a constitutional monarchy. Some are calling for King Hamad who has ruled for 12 years to step down. Seven people are known to have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces over the past week. Force was used to clear Pearl square last week but protesters flocked back at the weekend after security forces withdrew. Mobile clinics have been set up in tents to treat demonstrators who have been injured – and be ready for any more violence. “They fired at our camp, they shot at our camp and they attacked it and took all our equipment, the police and the army,” said medical volunteer Dr Hassan Abu Mahdi. “So we started again… we’ll make this tent again and again.” “I am a volunteer, doing volunteer work, I like to help people and in our situation in Bahrain now we have to be together,” said a nurse, Shafiqa Hassan. The Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled because of the civil unrest in the country. The race would have kicked off the new season in March. Amid concern over the effect on the economy, the credit ratings agency Standard and Poor’s has downgraded Bahrain’s rating from A to A-.

State of emergency in Yemen after protest bloodbath
Yemen has declared a state of emergency after a massacre at an anti-government rally. More than 40 people were killed and at least 300 others injured when plainclothes police reportedly opened fire on protesters after Friday prayers. President Ali Abdullah Saleh described it as a tragedy and blamed the violence on people within the crowd who were carrying weapons. “I express my extreme sorrow for what happened today after Friday prayers in the university district,” Saleh told a news conference in Sanaa. Yemen is the second country in the region to declare emergency rule this week after Bahrain introduced martial law – a move immediately followed by a massive crackdown on demonstrators. But it is unclear whether Yemen’s president has the military power to enforce such an order, with the country deeply divided and racked by weeks of protests in which more than 70 people have been killed.

British court to rule on Assange case
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out today whether he is to be extradited to Sweden on alleged sex crimes A British judge is expected to give his ruling after considering Assange’s legal defence against the move. The 39-year-old former computer hacker is wanted for questioning and is not, as yet, to stand trial. His lawyer maintains that is not enough reason to send him to Stockholm. Assange is resisting the Swedish authorities as he believes their real intention is eventually to send him to the US where he says he could face execution for leaking sensitive secrets. Last year Assange and his controversial website infuriated Washington by publishing top level diplomatic cables – something the US claims threatened its national security.

China overtakes Japan as world no.2 economy
China has overtaken Japan as the world’s second biggest economy. Figures released by the Japanese government confirmed that its gross domestic product shrank in the last three months of 2010 compared with the previous quarter. The root cause is a drop in exports and consumer demand. Japan’s economy for 2010 was worth $5.47 trillion, while China’s was closer to $5.8 trillion. The United States remains by some way the world’s biggest economy. This latest data reinforces China’s rapid ascent as an economic superpower as the country surpassed Japan last summer. Just five years ago, China’s GDP was put at around half of Japan’s. But while China is expanding Japan is set to benefit from the fast-growing neighbour as Chinese demand grows for Japanese exports.

New Egypt – old peace deal
As the visible vestiges of Hosni Mubarak’s rule were removed from Egypt’s cabinet building, there lingered a worry in the Middle East that stability in the region might also be heading out of the door. One of the principal concerns was the 1979 peace agreement with Israel. The High Military Council that had taken the reins made a formal declaration on th 13th of February saying: “The Egyptian republic is committed to the regional and international agreements.” It was a reassuring announcement aimed particularly at Egypt’s neighbours in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasted no time in responding. “The Israeli government welcomes the announcement by Egypt’s military (saying) that Egypt will continue to respect its peace treaty with Israel,” Netanyahu said. All through the 18 days of protests in Egypt, the Israelis held their collective breath, fearful that the departure of Mubarak would see the end of a reliable partner on their southern border. Some in Israel still see the possibility of strained relations in the future. Efraim Inbar the director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies said: “I don’t think that democracy in Egypt, if the elections are won by the Islamic Brothers, will bring about peace and stability.” In Cairo, at the headquarters of the Arab League, euronews asked the Secretary General, Amr Moussa about those fears. Moussa, himself an Egyptian, said the army declaration made it clear the peace accord would be maintained, and added that the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood should not be a cause for alarm. “In reality, the fears expressed are scaremongering. As you clearly saw in all of the demonstrations and big gatherings over the past weeks, the Muslim Brotherhood were a part of it, but not all of it,” he said. “They will not end up in leading positions. They were not leading it, they were not behind it, but they were one element among many others.” Yesterday the Muslim Brotherhood announced it would form a political party as soon as conditions allow. Formed in the 1920s it was banned but tolerated under Mubarak. And its roots in the conservative and predominantly Muslim Egyptian society run deep.

Ecuadorian school where ecology is key
Be keen on green is the message being taught in homes and schools around the world as the health of the planet becomes an ever greater concern. Schools and universities are on the frontline in the battle against climate change. None more so than Balandra Del Sur school in Ecuador. From their first day, the pupils learn about recycling and sustainable development, as it aims for the international certification of Eco-School. Looking at Dutch history helps environmental future In the Netherlands, where a quarter of the country lies below sea level, the management of wetlands is a very important skill. Trips to the swamps are used to show children the richness of their environment, and how their ancestors managed to build a nation on the marshes. The fight to save wildlife in Cambodia Angkor in Cambodia is not just one of the world’s most important heritage sites, it is also home to an initiative to spread the word about biodiversity. At the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), hundreds of endangered species are cared for.

Libya in chaos
The situation in Libya remains confused, chaotic and dangerous. The latest amateur video has shown just how intense the fighting was in some parts of the capital Tripoli on Monday. Tens of thousands of people are reportedly trying to flee the violence, foreigners are being evacuated and international oil companies have suspended operations in the country. The situation on the ground is hard to report because of the regime’s hostility towards the foreign media. Many of the most telling images have so far come from amateur video. Although the military has attacked demonstrators, some soldiers are defecting and supporting the people. The uprising goes beyond Tripoli, with reports that the opposition demonstrators are in control of Tobruk and Libya’s second largest city Benghazi in the north east of the country. The Libyan side of the border with Egypt is also reportedly in the hands of armed anti-Gadaffi rebels. Although impossible to verify at present, one Libyan student has told the news agency Reuters that he witnessed mercenaries from other parts of Africa opening fire on demonstrators. If you are in Libya, contact us and tell us what you see and witness. witness@euronews.net, twitter@euronews or facebook

RIM puts PlayBook into tablet fray
Just before posting its results for the last financial year, Canada’s Research In Motion’s announced that its PlayBook tablet computer will go on sale in the US on 19 April. That will heat up the tablet battle against Apple and devices powered by Google’s Android operating system. The maker of the BlackBerry mobile phone plans to sell in 20,000 US outlets and said it will match the price of Apple’s iPad. The PlayBook will face a tough sell against the iPad which dominates the tablet market. RIM has little room for error and a small window to impress with its tablet. It was once the undisputed king of mobile communications, but slicker Google Android and Apple products have become must-haves for young consumers while also threatening RIM’s standing in the corporate world. On Tuesday, Apple confirmed it would start selling the iPad 2 in 25 more countries from Friday. That eased concerns that the crisis in Japan might squeeze the supply of crucial components for electronic devices.