Morsi’s appointed public prosecutor resigns

Egypt’s public prosecutor, appointed by President Mohamed Morsi, resigned from his post on Monday, in a move that was seen by Morsi’s opponents as a victory for the independence of the judiciary. The public prosecutor, Talaat Ibrahim, stepped down after unrest among the judges, who described President Morsi’s decision to sack the former public prosecutor and appoint Ibrahim as an assault on the independence of the judiciary. The former public prosecutor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, who is susceptible to stand trial for violence against protestors during the uprising, was initially sacked by...

France criticised for sheltering Rwandan genocide suspects

The French government has come under fire for being a haven for Rwandan genocide suspects after a controversial court ruling earlier this week. A French court decided to grant residence to Agathe Habyarimana (also known as Agathe Kanziga), widow of former Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, who is wanted in Rwanda under charges of genocide. The decision by the Versailles Court of Appeal followed a long legal battle that saw Kanziga arrested by French authorities and extradition requests by the Rwandan government turned down. Sharon Courtoux cofounder of Survie said , "For France to be home...

The end is nigh, Assad

French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius said on Sunday that he believes Assad’s regime is on the brink of collapse and that the new opposition coalition must be supported to keep power out of the hands of extremists. France was the first Western country to recognise the Syrian National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Talking to RFI radio, Fabius said: "I think that the end is nearing for Bashar al-Assad ... even the Russians are considering it," "The best defence against extremists is the Syrian coalition," "The coalition is uniting the opposition. The problem...

Libya closes southern borders

The Libyan government has closed its borders with its southern neighbours, over fears of an influx of illegal immigrants and goods. A parliamentary decree declared that the southern regions of Ghadames, Ghat, Obari, Al-Shati, Sebha, Murzuq and Kufra would be "considered as closed military zones to be ruled under emergency law". Since the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi, the country’s southern regions have suffered from lawlessness. Suad Ganur, a member of parliament, said to the AFP that there was an "upsurge in violence and drug trafficking, and the presence of armed groups that act with...

Syrian airstrikes hit Palestinian camp

A Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital of Damascus was reportedly struck by airstrikes from Syrian government forces, killing at least 8 people. The strike on Yarmouk camp, the largest refugee camp in Damascus, reportedly struck the Abdel Qader Husseini Mosque, where more than 600 people had been sheltering. The EU's humanitarian aid commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva was quoted in the Guardian as saying, "The Palestinians have been on the move for some time now… Their situation is especially sensitive because they do not have too many places to go." "We are looking at finding...

France to host Afghan officials-Taliban talks

Officials from the Afghan government are to hold talks with the Taliban and other groups, in Paris at the end of this week, aimed at discussing the pullout of NATO troops in 2014. Speaking on RFI radio, France's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said: "Discreet talks have been taking place between different factions for three years," Fabius said. "If you want peace, it's usually between people who don't agree, and over there they don't talk to each other. So there will be discussions, but it won't be negotiations."

Riot police arrest opposition leaders in Moscow

Riot police arrested four opposition leaders at an anti-Putin rally in Moscow on Saturday. The rally, techinically illegal, took place at the former KGB security police's headquarters, and were intended to mark one year from the first anti-Putin demonstrations. Protesters marched shouting, "Free political prisoners!", and "Down with the police state". Alexei Navalny, Sergei Udaltsov, IIya Yashin and Ksenia Sobchak were detained. Navalny, an anti-corruption blogger, shouted as he was being taken away, "the bloody regime has got to Sobchak".

ICC head slams UN Security Council over genocide suspects

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, has slammed the UN Security Council for its lack of action against Sudanese war criminals. She said the ICC had uncovered "ongoing pattern of crimes committed pursuant to the government-avowed goal of stopping the rebellion in Darfur," but the Security Council had not taken sufficient action. She slammed the UN Security Councils inaction, asking "how many more civilians must be killed, injured and displaced for this council to be spurred into doing its part?" The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President...

Hamas holds West Bank rally

Hamas supporters took to the streets earlier today, in the first pro-Hamas rally in the Fatah-led west bank, in five years. Yielding the green flags of Hamas, supporters marched from the Nasser Mosque in Nablus and rallied in the central square, where they eventually called for a return to armed resistance against Israel. The rally indicated the rising popularity of Hamas in the West Bank, following Israel’s eight day assault last month. Fatah controls West Bank’s Palestinian Authority and, as a result of Hamas’s recent resilience, are facing pressure to offer Hamas concessions, such as more public rallies. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) president, criticised Hamas’ leader-in-exile, Khaled Meshaal, for a fierce anti-Israeli speech in Gaza. Marking Hamas’s 25th anniversary on Saturday, Meshaal vowed never to recognise Israel’s right to exist, reaffirming that Hamas "does not accept the two state solution” to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Rebuking the Hamas leader’s remarks, Abbas said , “We recognised Israel in 1993. There is an agreement between Fatah and Hamas that recognises the two-state solution. Meshaal approved this agreement.”

Egypt referendum looking hopeful for constitution

Egyptian leaders hold high hopes of a win for the new constitution, as voters turned out in large numbers, in what have been described as peaceful polls, on a referendum on the draft constitution. With a higher turnout than expected, Mr Morsi predicted a win for the ratification of the constitution, shortly after polls closed at 11pm on Saturday. The Muslim Brotherhood said that so far ballots were running 59% in favour of the constitution in about 86% of polling stations. However main opposition strongholds of Cairo and Alexandria are yet to be counted. The proposed constitution has caused...

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