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...
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...
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 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".
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 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.”
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...
The Russian foreign ministry has denied that its position on Syria has changed after comments by deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov were interpreted as such. "The well-known claim of the Syrian opposition and its external sponsors predicting 'a quick victory over the authorities in Damascus' was quoted," said a ministry spokesperson. "In this context, Mr Bogdanov reiterated Russia's principal position - that there is no alternative to a political resolution in Syria based on the Action Group for Syria, agreed in Geneva on 30 June."
Ukraine's parliament broke out in a brawl for the second day running, after voting was held to decide whether to reinstate the country's Prime Minister. Scuffles between government and opposition law makers broke out, after parliamentarians darted around the chamber pressing voting buttons for absent coleagues. Lawmakers then clambered pver desks as fisticuffs ensued, with world boxing champion and newly-elected parliamentarian Vitali Klitschko, staying well out of the fighting. See a video from the Telegraph below. The raucus comes after the October polls in the country were widley criticsed...
British Prime Minister David Cameron has pushed EU leaders to discuss a commitment to arming or providing logistical military support to Syrian rebels at a European foreign ministers meeting on 31st January. In what has been described as a major diplomatic victory for Cameron, the EU has instructed its foreign ministers "to work on all options to support and help the opposition and to enable greater support for the protection of civilians" and that the EU should work for "political transition... towards a future without President Assad and his illegitimate regime".