Fears of an al-Qaeda linked attack have placed Yemen's security forces on high alert, with tanks and tropps surrounding foreign missions, government offices and the airport in the capital city of Sanaa.

Both the US and the UK have withdrawn diplomatic staff from Yemen and urged their citizens to leave.

Members of a tribe in north-east India have begun a 100-hour strike to demand the creation of a separate state in Assam.

The Dimasa tribe want to turn Dima Hasao into their homeland, following on from protests by the neighbouring Karbi tribes people who also demand a separate state.

The calls follow the creation of the new state of Telengana after protests in Andhra Pradesh.

Human Rights Watch expressed concern over a bill, proposed by the Thai government, which will grant amnesty to soldiers and officials responsible for deaths in the 2010 upheavals.

On 7^th August parliament will discuss a bill that provides amnesty for all protestors charged with causing disturbance with no mention of its stance on military officials involved in violence against protestors.

Several US embassies will remain closed over an extended period, after the state department issued a global travel alert warning of an al-Qaeda threat, which will stay in place until the end of August.

A spokesperson for the department said in a press statement:

Given that a number of our embassies and consulates were going to be closed in accordance with local custom and practice for the bulk of the week for the Eid celebration at the end of Ramadan, and out of an abundance of caution, we've decided to extend the closure of several embassies and consulates including a small number of additional posts.

The White House has offered Iran a “willing partnership” after the inauguration of the new president Hassan Rouhani.

Jay Carney, the White House spokesperson, said Rouhani's inauguration "presents an opportunity for Iran to act quickly to resolve the international community's deep concerns over Iran's nuclear programme".

Supporters of the main opposition party in Zimbabwe have claimed to have been attacked after President Mugabe's election victory.

Zanu-PF supporters are alleged to have attacked members of the MDC, whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai is disputing the results of the election.

Read more here.

India's decision to create a new state of Telangana has sparked protests in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Protests resulting in the closing of schools, colleges and business are in their third day, whilst a total of 36 legislators have resigned outraged at the state's splitting into two. In Kurnool, anti-Telangana protesters attacked a statue of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. See here.

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president of over thirty years, has been re-elected on a landslide victory on Saturday.

While international commentators voiced concern over the fairness of the election, defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa told AFP:

"The West will now have to climb down, they must find a ladder and climb down... A democratic election has taken place in Zimbabwe,"

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has called for investigations into atrocities alleged to have been committed by Syrian rebels.

The call comes after footage emerged of executions of captured Syrian soldiers in Khan al-Assal in July.
Pillay said the images were shocking and those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law on all sides have to be held accountable.