Egyptian protesters rally against President Morsi. And a Congolese rebel group may withdraw from Goma. I’m David Deforest reporting from Washington.
Protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square are holding a rally against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. The protesters are demonstrating against the president’s recent power grab. Earlier protesters fought with police throwing Molotov (cocktails) and hurling stones at police. On Monday, Mr. Morsi promised the supreme judicial council that he will restrict his newly self-granted powers to, what he calls, sovereign matters, although he didn’t say what those were. Mr. Morsi issued a decree last week that bars the judiciary from challenging his decisions. Opposition groups are (accusing) him of trying to assume dictatorial powers. VOA’s Elizabeth Arrott says Egyptian public opinion is divided about Mr. Morsi’s action.
“They really have become two sides now. It’s from some on one side and just not everybody else on the other. People are feeling this polarization as a new and more dangerous (development). We will see how much reconciliation can be found among other people, but certainly here on the square people are angry.”
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Palestinian officials say international experts have reburied the remains of the former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. They say they exhumed the body in order to search for (clues) to the causes of his death. Samples of his body were handed over to French, Swiss, Russian and Palestinian experts. French officials ordered an investigation into Arafat’s death earlier this year after the discovery of polonium, a lethal radioactive substance, on Arafat’s clothing. Arafat died in France in 2004 after falling ill.
Syrian activists say war planes have bombed a factory in the country’s north, killing at least (20) people and wounding dozens. Activists say today’s attack targeted an olive press factory near the city of Idlib.
The political chief of the Congolese rebel group, M23, says his forces will leave the (captured) city of Goma quickly if the government meets the group’s demands. Jean-Marie Runiga spoke to reporters today in Goma. The rebels seized the city last week and have since taken the town of Sake to the west. The African Union is demanding that aid groups receive access to the conflict zone in Congo and it is considering the deployment of international forces to the region as we hear from Marthe Van Der Wolf.
The African Union Peace and Security Council convened an emergency meeting to reaffirm its rejection of the armed rebellion in the DRC that has created a (humanitarian) crisis in the region. Since the uprising of the M23 rebels and their capture of the city of Goma last week, thousands of people have fled the fighting between the rebels and the government. The African Union is considering deploying an international force from Tanzania to oversee the withdrawal of M23. But AU commissioner Lamamra says that for now, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC, or MONUSCO, will monitor the withdrawal. Marthe Van Der Wolf, for VOA news, Addis Ababa.
A satellite imagery company is reporting increased activity at a North Korean launch sites, suggesting a long-range (missile) test could take place in weeks. The image released Monday by DigitalGlobe shows an increased level of personnel, trucks and other equipment at North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launch Station. DigitalGlobe says the new launch site activity is similar to preparations taken before North Korea’s failed rocket launch in April.
Human Rights Watch is urging judges in Pakistan to stop using their power to try to prevent the media from airing criticism of the judiciary. The group says that in the past few months, high courts in Islamabad and Lahore have issued orders directing the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to ensure anti-judiciary programming is not broadcast on television.
Garment workers in Bangladesh have held a second day of demonstrations. The country is observing a day of mourning for at least 110 people killed in a Saturday factory fire. About 1,000 workers in Dhaka, many carrying black flags, demanded (justice) for the victims.
Asia Development Bank is urging, says urgent efforts are needed to help improve access to electricity in Burma. It says only a (quarter) of the population in Burma has electric power.
From the VOA News Center in Washington, I’m David Deforest, more news on the Internet at voanews.com.