"The Sudanese government is literally getting away with murder and trying to keep the outside world from finding out. The international community, and particularly the UN Security Council, must stop looking the other way and act to address the situation."

“South Africa’s position is especially troubling. As a leading African state, it should not turn its back on African victims in Southern Kordofan. Instead of blocking action, it should lead the charge in the Security Council.”

“The United States is deeply concerned about reports of continued Sudanese Air Force bombings of civilian areas in Southern Kordofan, despite President Bashir's announcement of a unilateral two-week ceasefire last Tuesday.”

An estimated 50,000 people have been killed since the beginning of Libya's uprising to oust Muammar Gaddafi six months ago, a military commander with the country's interim ruling council told Reuters.

See Reuters’ report here.

The figures included those killed in the fighting between Gaddafi's troops and rebels, and those who have gone missing.

US Vice Consul to Chennai, Maureen Chao, who caused outrage after referring to Tamils as "dirty and dark", has decided to leave her posting 'in the near future'.

The decision was announced by the US consulate spokesperson in Chennai on Saturday.

The incident occurred during a speech at SRM University in Chennai on 12 August when Chao shared her memories of a train journey she had taken over 20 years ago in India.

"I was on a 24-hour train trip from Delhi to Orissa. But, after 72 hours, the train still did not reach the destination.. and my skin became dirty and dark like the Tamilians."

Ms. Chao's comments have been described as a poorly worded attempt at joviality and not racist - her audience was, after all, largely Tamil.

But once reported in the press, her remarks stirred outrage in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa demanded an apology for what she deemed blatant racism.

Syria's closest ally, Iran, has called on the government in Damascus to listen to the people's "legitimate demands" as pro-democracy protestors across the country continued to defy a violent crackdown.

See the New York Times’ report here.

Iran’s foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying:

The charred remains of 53 bodies were discovered in a warehouse in Tripoli on Sunday.

Local residents accused Gaddafi's most feared military unit, the Khamis Brigade, loyal to Gaddafi's youngest son, of the massacre. The residents reported hearing shooting several days prior. However, when they demanded answers, Gaddafi's forces threatened to kill them if they did not retreat.

The Libyan rebels' military commander was previously an Islamist terror suspect interrogated by the CIA, according to a claim made in the Independent today. 

Abdelhain Belhadj, responsible for the military success in Tripoli, had reportedly fought alongside the Taliban and was a former member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) - listed in the UK and US as a terrorist organisation.

Whilst South Africa came into unexpected and ungainly confrontation with Western states over Libya this week, the other African power, Nigeria, has deftly come off the sidelines and joined the international action.

Whilst South Africa is baulking at recognising the rebels’ National Transitional Council (NTC) as Libya’s authority, Nigeria moved swiftly to do so on Tuesday – just as the rebels overran Gaddafi’s base-complex in Tripoli.

The UN Security Council on Thursday released frozen Libyan assets so they could be used for emergency aid after the United States and South Africa ended a dispute.

See AFP’s report here.

“[I]t clearly can be in the US and the west’s strategic interest to help social revolutions fighting for the values we espouse and proclaim. The strategic interest in helping the Libyan opposition came from supporting democracy and human rights, but also being seen to live up to those values.

“This value-based argument was inextricable from the interest-based argument. So enough with the accusations of bleeding heart liberals seeking to intervene for strictly moral reasons.”