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| Syria crisis, Libya unrest – live updates | Syria crisis, Libya unrest – live updates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 10.53am: Syria: Some 250 members of the Syrian opposition, including the Syrian National Council, are meeting in Cairo for two days of talks on a political transition plan backed by the United Nations, Russia, and the US. The conference is sponsored by the Arab League. | |
| However, the Free Syrian Army and some other activists are boycotting the meeting, describing it as a "conspiracy" that serves the policy goals of the Syrian regime's allies, Russia and Iran. Ahram Online reports: | |
| "We refuse all kinds of dialogue and negotiation with the killer gangs ... and we will not allow anyone to impose on Syria and its people the Russian and Iranian agendas," said a statement signed by the rebel Free Syrian Army and "independent" activists. | |
| The signatories criticised the agenda of the Cairo talks for "rejecting the idea of a foreign military intervention to save the people... and ignoring the question of buffer zones protected by the international community, humanitarian corridors, an air embargo and the arming of rebel fighters." | |
| The Cairo talks come after world powers meeting in Geneva on Saturday agreed a transition plan that was branded a failure by both the opposition and the Syrian state media. | |
| The boycotters said the talks follow the "dangerous decisions of the Geneva conference, which aim to safeguard the regime, to create a dialogue with it and to form a unity government with the assassins of our children." | |
| "The Cairo conference aims to give a new chance to (UN-Arab League) envoy Kofi Annan to try again to convince Assad to implement his six-point plan... while forgetting that thousands have been martyred since the plan came into force," they said. | |
| 10.34am: Syria: AP is reporting that Russia has agreed to hold talks with the Syrian opposition later this month. | |
| 10.31am: Syria: Relief workers have evacuated 26 Syrian civilians from the besieged Damascus suburb of Douma, AP reports citing a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). | |
| Syrian troops flushed out rebels from the suburb on Saturday after a 10-day assault that left dozens dead, hundreds wounded and caused a major humanitarian crisis. | |
| Rabab Rifai said on Monday that a team from the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent entered Douma Sunday to assess humanitarian conditions and evacuated the 26, mostly children and elderly people. She said a team will go in again soon. | |
| The state-run news agency SANA said maintenance workers have started to repair damaged electricity networks and other infrastructure destroyed by "terrorists" in Douma. | |
| 10.25am: Syria: There are reports of an explosion at the central prison in Homs, followed by a power cut. It's unclear whether this was caused by a bomb. Activist Dima Moussa suggests there was an electrical fault. | |
| UPDATE Re: #Homs Central Prison: a power unit exploded, causing power outage & commotion among prisoners. No shooting, no massacres. #Syria | |
| — Dima Moussa (@dimam78) July 2, 2012 | |
| 10.19am: Syria/Lebanon: A rocket fired from Lebanon wounded two Syrian border police early today, NOW Lebanon reports. It quotes a statment from Lebanon's General Security department: | |
| On Monday at dawn, gunmen fired a rocket from Bqaiaa, in Lebanese territory, towards Syria, hitting a Syrian immigration post and wounding two border police. | |
| During the operation, a Syrian force arrived at the General Security office in Bqaiaa and took two of its members to Syria and [later] released them. | |
| 10.09am: Syria: Addressing police in Aleppo, interior minister Lieut-Gen Mohammad al-Shaar urged them "to confront the armed terrorist groups which commit murders and sabotage acts", the government news agency reports. | 10.09am: Syria: Addressing police in Aleppo, interior minister Lieut-Gen Mohammad al-Shaar urged them "to confront the armed terrorist groups which commit murders and sabotage acts", the government news agency reports. |
| Al-Shaar stressed that law-enforcement personnel should be brave and wise during implementing their missions with the aim of foiling the conspiracy against the country. | Al-Shaar stressed that law-enforcement personnel should be brave and wise during implementing their missions with the aim of foiling the conspiracy against the country. |
| He added that people should feel safe and secure in the presence of the policemen as they preserve the stability of the country and security of the citizens. | He added that people should feel safe and secure in the presence of the policemen as they preserve the stability of the country and security of the citizens. |
| He underlined the need to promote the work up to face the plot that is targeting the country, adding that the misleading media campaign against Syria aims at escalating the situation and affecting the international opinion. | He underlined the need to promote the work up to face the plot that is targeting the country, adding that the misleading media campaign against Syria aims at escalating the situation and affecting the international opinion. |
| 10.00am: Egypt: "There is a fox in Tahrir Square. Bushy tailed and thickly furred, he claims to hear everything," Robert Fisk writes in The Independent. Fisk appears to have met the fox, and interviewed it. | 10.00am: Egypt: "There is a fox in Tahrir Square. Bushy tailed and thickly furred, he claims to hear everything," Robert Fisk writes in The Independent. Fisk appears to have met the fox, and interviewed it. |
| When he wanted to show that he was a revolutionary animal, the fox held out his back paw. And there was a very severe year-old bullet wound in it. | When he wanted to show that he was a revolutionary animal, the fox held out his back paw. And there was a very severe year-old bullet wound in it. |
| 9.46am: Bahrain: A team of British police from Scotland Yard is "located in Bahrain to give advice" to local police hunting explosives, al-Watan reports (in Arabic), citing unnamed official sources. | 9.46am: Bahrain: A team of British police from Scotland Yard is "located in Bahrain to give advice" to local police hunting explosives, al-Watan reports (in Arabic), citing unnamed official sources. |
| John Yates, a former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police, has also been in Bahrain for several months, advising the government on police reform. | John Yates, a former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police, has also been in Bahrain for several months, advising the government on police reform. |
| Referring to recently-reported discoveries of explosives in the kingdom, al-Watan quotes sources as saying that those involved in the manufacture of explosives had been trained in "Hezbollah camps" in Lebanon. | Referring to recently-reported discoveries of explosives in the kingdom, al-Watan quotes sources as saying that those involved in the manufacture of explosives had been trained in "Hezbollah camps" in Lebanon. |
| 9.33am: Egypt: Since the Muslim Brotherhood decided to contest the presidential election, al-Jazeera has spared no effort in promoting the candidate through its various TV channels, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi writes in an article for Al-Monitor. | 9.33am: Egypt: Since the Muslim Brotherhood decided to contest the presidential election, al-Jazeera has spared no effort in promoting the candidate through its various TV channels, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi writes in an article for Al-Monitor. |
| "When it comes to the coverage of the Muslim Brotherhood, the once-great channel's famous slogan, 'The Opinion and the Other Opinion', no longer holds true, he says, arguing that al-Jazeera is engaged in "a dangerous romance". | "When it comes to the coverage of the Muslim Brotherhood, the once-great channel's famous slogan, 'The Opinion and the Other Opinion', no longer holds true, he says, arguing that al-Jazeera is engaged in "a dangerous romance". |
| Al-Jazeera is compromising the opportunity that Arabs may have today to finally witness a human president instead of the infallible deities that dot the Arab world. Al-Jazeera's endless praise of President Morsi, reminiscent of the discredited Abdul Nasser propaganda outlet Sawt al-Arab, may in fact backfire one day ... | Al-Jazeera is compromising the opportunity that Arabs may have today to finally witness a human president instead of the infallible deities that dot the Arab world. Al-Jazeera's endless praise of President Morsi, reminiscent of the discredited Abdul Nasser propaganda outlet Sawt al-Arab, may in fact backfire one day ... |
| Al-Jazeera Arabic's pro-Brotherhood methodology is two-pronged. First, it predominantly hosts guests that it can be fairly certain would be gentle in their criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood, and second, its anchors refrain from asking Muslim Brotherhood members and spokesmen embarrassing questions ... | Al-Jazeera Arabic's pro-Brotherhood methodology is two-pronged. First, it predominantly hosts guests that it can be fairly certain would be gentle in their criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood, and second, its anchors refrain from asking Muslim Brotherhood members and spokesmen embarrassing questions ... |
| In fact, al-Jazeera Arabic's love affair with the Muslim Brotherhood has done damage to more than one country's revolutionary cause. In Syria, al-Jazeera Arabic's championing of the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated and highly ineffective opposition Syrian National Council has cost the channel much credibility. | In fact, al-Jazeera Arabic's love affair with the Muslim Brotherhood has done damage to more than one country's revolutionary cause. In Syria, al-Jazeera Arabic's championing of the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated and highly ineffective opposition Syrian National Council has cost the channel much credibility. |
| 9.09am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. Here's a roundup on the latest developments and analysis: | 9.09am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. Here's a roundup on the latest developments and analysis: |
| Syria | Syria |
| • Britain and France say a UN communique drawn up in Geneva on Saturday with the inclusion of Russia and China means President Assad will have to step down. | • Britain and France say a UN communique drawn up in Geneva on Saturday with the inclusion of Russia and China means President Assad will have to step down. |
| The communique, which agreed terms for a transitional authority in Syria, said members of the present Syrian government could be included in the new body by "mutual consent". A Foreign Office spokesperson said later that the "mutual consent" phrase is important because there is no chance of opposition members agreeing to Assad or his closest allies joining a unity government. | The communique, which agreed terms for a transitional authority in Syria, said members of the present Syrian government could be included in the new body by "mutual consent". A Foreign Office spokesperson said later that the "mutual consent" phrase is important because there is no chance of opposition members agreeing to Assad or his closest allies joining a unity government. |
| The Syrian opposition quickly dismissed the proposal as a waste of time and with "no value on the ground", AP reports. | The Syrian opposition quickly dismissed the proposal as a waste of time and with "no value on the ground", AP reports. |
| • Turkey says it scrambled F-16 warplanes on Saturday after Syrian helicopters flew close as close as four miles from its border at least three occasions. | • Turkey says it scrambled F-16 warplanes on Saturday after Syrian helicopters flew close as close as four miles from its border at least three occasions. |
| Libya | Libya |
| • Protesters and militiamen calling for more autonomy for Libya's eastern region stormed the headquarters of the election commission in Benghazi on Sunday, burning materials and breaking computer equipment outside, less than a week before the country is due to go to the polls. | • Protesters and militiamen calling for more autonomy for Libya's eastern region stormed the headquarters of the election commission in Benghazi on Sunday, burning materials and breaking computer equipment outside, less than a week before the country is due to go to the polls. |
| • Four staff of the International Criminal Court detained in Libya since early June are expected to be released on today, the ICC said. | • Four staff of the International Criminal Court detained in Libya since early June are expected to be released on today, the ICC said. |
| The four were detained in the western mountain city of Zintan after local officials levelled accusations of spying at one of them, Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor, who was sent by the ICC to represent the son of the late dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. | The four were detained in the western mountain city of Zintan after local officials levelled accusations of spying at one of them, Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor, who was sent by the ICC to represent the son of the late dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. |
| Egypt | Egypt |
| • Mohamed Morsi was sworn in as president of Egypt before the constitutional court on Saturday. | • Mohamed Morsi was sworn in as president of Egypt before the constitutional court on Saturday. |