Violence between protesters and riot police continued into a fifth day in Port Said, despite the declaration of a state of emergency in three provinces. At least 56 people are believed to have been killed in this latest round of violence. Meanwhile, the main opposition coalition has rejected calls for talks by President Morsi, demanding that he curtails the Islamists control on power as a confidence building measure prior to talks.
Burma has received nearly $1bn worth of credit from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. The World Bank granted Burma a $440m credit while the ADB issued £512m, to aid social and economic development in the country. "Myanmar has come a long way in its economic transformation, undertaking unprecedented reforms to improve people's lives, especially the poor and vulnerable," said Annette Dixon, country director for Myanmar at the World Bank. "Much work remains to be done. We are committed to helping the government accelerate poverty reduction and build shared prosperity. "The Bank's...
U.N Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, will recommend the U.N Security Council that a peace 'enforcement' unit will be deployed to combat the M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a senior U.N official announced . T he official, who declined to be named , said, "It is not simply peacekeeping, this is peace enforcement. It's a much more robust stance". The peace enforcement missions allow the use of lethal force, where as peacekeeping missions are intended to support and monitor an already existing ceasefire. The change in stance on Congo comes after MONUSCO, the UN stabilising...
The British Foreign Office has listed the Israeli regime's human rights record as one "of particular concern" in its quarterly report on human rights. Despite being one of Israel's staunch allies, Britain's change in stance on the Israeli regime suggests that Israel is set to lose its international allies. The listing, which puts Israeli amongst the likes of human rights violators, such as Bahrain, Zimbabwe and Iran, comes after the British government warned that Israel's settlement plans will alienate its international allies. The British Foreign Office report, reiterated an earlier warning...
Russia's Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, warned that President Bashar al-Assad's chances of staying in power were growing "smaller and smaller". Speaking to CNN, Medvedev said : "I think that with every day, every week and every month, the chances of his preservation are getting smaller and smaller," "But I repeat again, this must be decided by the Syrian people. Not Russia, not the United States, nor any other country," "The task for the United States, the Europeans and regional powers ... is to sit the parties down for negotiations, and not just demand that Assad go and then be executed...
Malian troops are continuing their advance, with the support of the French army, against rebels in the north of the country. Northern Mali's most populous city, Gao, was captured by Malian and French soldiers on Saturday. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Malian and French troops would arrive "near Timbuktu soon". There has not been string resistance by the rebels, with locals in Timbuktu reporting that militants had already fled in anticipation of the French advance. Chad and Niger have also sent forces to assist the Malian army. The US has pledged it would provide mid-air...
Israel's Vice Premier has threatened of military action in Syria, if chemical weapons fall into the hands of Syrian rebels, warning of a "red line" leading to Israeli strikes. Confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting of security chiefs last week, Silvan Shalom warned that chemical weapons falling into rebel hands, or into Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas would warrant Israeli force. Speaking to Army Radio, Shalom said, “If there will be a need, we will take action to prevent chemical weapons from being transferred to Islamic terror organizations” “We are...
Kachin rebels have lost a strategic base on a hill top in northern Burma after clashes with the Burmese army. The Kachin Independence Army's base on Hka Ya hilltop is the last line of defence before Laiza, the capital of Kachin state, which has been under rebel control for 50 years. According to the BBC , Burma's President Thein Sein had previously promised that the army will not capture Laiza, but Kachin people are sceptical. The rebel leadership has said that they will withdraw into the jungles and fight a guerilla war, should their capital fall.
A South African court has halted the delivery of helicopters to the Zimbabwean military, over human rights concerns. High Court judge N B Tuchten placed a temporary halt on the delivery, saying it would be irresponsible to provide equipment to a force that was not neutral, ahead of elections later this year. A full hearing will be held on February 19. A lawyer for AfriForum, a South African lobby group, told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that he was confident the court order would then be upheld. "We know that Zimbabwe has got a record of human rights abuses," lawyer Willie Spies...
The military have confirmed that at least nine people were killed during sectarian violence that flared up on Friday. The violence broke out between the Muslim Fulani and mainly Christian Tarok groups who are at loggerheads over fertile lands in the Plateau. Local residents claim that 22 bodies have been discovered since the violence first began on Tuesday.