Egyptian police arrest 14 protesters near Syrian embassy
Egyptian police fired tear gas at demonstrators who attempted to storm the Syrian embassy in Cairo. At least 14 people were detained, according to police. Witnesses say clashes began after protesters threw rocks at police and tried to remove the embassy’s flag. Earlier in February, Syrian protesters stormed the embassy, vandalizing it and setting its first floor on fire.
US can defeat any Iranian attempt to block Hormuz - Panetta
The United States has the military capacity to defeat any Iranian attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Wednesday. "We've invested in capabilities to ensure that the Iranian attempt to close down shipping in the Gulf is something that we are going to be able to defeat, if they make a decision to do that," he said. The statement comes after a US Navy ship opened fire at a small boat in the Gulf, killing one civilian on Monday. Tehran has recently renewed threats to block the Strait in retaliation for tighter international sanctions over its controversial nuclear program. The US has pledged to keep the strategic oil lane open, and recently boosted its naval presence in the Gulf, dispatching additional minesweepers, another aircraft carrier and other warships to the area.
Obama condemns 'barbaric terrorist attack' on Israelis in Bulgaria
US President Barack Obama has condemned a deadly terrorist attack on an airport shuttle bus in Burgas, Bulgaria. At least six people have been killed, and 32 hospitalized; some of them in critical condition as a result of the blast. “These attacks against innocent civilians, including children, are completely outrageous,” he said. Obama has promised that the US will stand with its allies and provide “whatever assistance is necessary” to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of the
At least 24 dead as ferry sinks off Tanzania coast
A ferry carrying 280 people sank in rough waters near the island of Zanzibar. 24 bodies have been recovered, but more than 140 people are still unaccounted for. There are two Europeans among the dead.
Israeli Defense Chief calls top officials to discuss Syria
Israel’s Defense minister has summoned his top military and intelligence officers to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in neighboring Syria. Ehud Barak held an hours-long closed meeting and afterwards told journalists that “Israel is closely monitoring all the developments in Syria.”
Annan wants UN Syria vote to be delayed – Britain
International envoy Kofi Annan has asked the UN Security Council to delay a vote on a Western-backed resolution that threatens Syrian authorities with sanctions, the British UN mission said. The vote was scheduled for later on Wednesday in a bid to end the Syria conflict. “Joint Special Envoy Annan has asked to delay today's draft Syria resolution vote,” the mission said on Twitter. “With fellow co-sponsors (of the resolution) we're considering that request,” it added.
Turkey, Russia support Syria’s territorial integrity - Erdogan
Ankara and Moscow are “categorically opposed to violating Syria’s territorial integrity,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. He met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss bilateral relations and the Syrian conflict. Erdogan also condemned the actions of the Syrian government against the opposition. However, speaking about Bashar al-Assad, Erdogan stressed that the Syrian people should determine the fate of their president. Putin welcomed Ankara’s support for decisions taken by the Geneva international meeting on Syria, saying they could become a basis for future agreements on the conflict.
Two Al-Qaeda militants, army officer killed in Yemen attacks
Two Al-Qaeda militants and an army officer have been killed in separate incidents, a Yemeni military official says. In southern Yemen, armed tribesmen ambushed a group of Al-Qaeda militants, killing two and wounding three, AP reports. The army and tribesmen last month seized the area where the clash took place. In the capital Sanaa, an army officer supporting former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed on Wednesday. He was reportedly leading an attack on the house of a general who defected to the opposition last year during the uprising against Saleh.
Syrian militants hinder peace settlement – Russian Foreign Ministry
Moscow has accused the West of inciting the Syrian opposition after a blast killed the defense minister and President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that “instead of calming the opposition down, some of our partners are inciting it to go on,” RIA Novosti cites him as saying. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov described as a “dangerous trend” the rise in militant activity in Syria. “While the UN Security Council is discussing the settlement of the Syrian crisis, militants are intensifying terror attacks, disrupting all attempts," the diplomat wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
Two Algerian Islamist suspects killed in army ambush
Two suspected Islamists were killed in an army ambush overnight east of Algiers, a security source said on Wednesday. One of them was a local head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Zoheir Tadjer was reportedly in charge of a planning for an AQIM group in the Boumerdes area, 50 kilometers from the capital, AFP said. Tadjer, a 24-year-old native of Legata, was involved in several AQIM attack in the area, and was sentenced in absentia to life in prison. AQIM also operates in Niger, Mali and Mauritania but its leadership is dominated by Algerians.
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