Syrian activists call for mass rally amid observers visit

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DAMASCUS, Dec 30 (agencies) Syrian activists have called for massive street demonstrations Friday against President Bashar al-Assad, as Arab observers continue their mission.
Correspondents say the presence of the monitors has emboldened the protesters, despite further killings.
Up to 40 died Thursday, activists said, mostly after security forces shot at crowds gathered in areas expecting a visit from the Arab team. At least 5,000 are believed to have died since the revolt began in March.
And the Local Coordination Committees, a Syrian activist group that documents and organises protests, said that 130 people had been killed since the Arab League monitors arrived in the country.
The Arab League peace plan calls for a complete halt to the violence, the withdrawal of all armed forces and the release of all detainees.
The presence of Arab League observers has not stopped the violence. If anything it may in fact have increased the violence. Although some protestors have criticised the mission for being too small, biased and ineffective, many demonstarators seem emboldened and keen to be out on the streets to show the strength of their movement.
S. Arabia says US jet deal aims
to maximise defence
Saudi Arabia said Friday it has signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets to maximise its defence capabilities in order to protect the oil-rich kingdom.
The deal the United States said is worth $30 billion "ensures the kingdom receives the highest possible defence capabilities to protect its people and land," state news agency SPA quoted a defence ministry spokesman as saying.The United States said Thursday the arms deal sent a "strong message" to the Gulf region.
The announcement came with tensions between Iran and the United States on the rise after Tehran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers if Washington implements a new raft of sanctions over its nuclear programme.
Israel air raid kills Salafi militant
An Israeli air strike east of Gaza City on Friday killed one man and injured at least another, Palestinian medical officials told AFP. The Israeli military said that the target was a group of men preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. Palestinian eyewitness said they saw militants in the area immediately before the strike.
Britain thought Mubarak dim but corruption-free
Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was assessed by British Foreign Office officials as dim but "free of any taint of corruption" before he took power in 1981, files released Friday showed.
British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was told by officials that Mubarak was "the coming man" but "no intellectual", according to The Daily Telegraph newspaper, citing files released after 30 years held in Britain's National Archives.