Morsi orders return of dissolved parliament
Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi has ordered the parliament to return a month after it was dissolved by court order. The Supreme Court had ruled parliament unconstitutional because two voting systems had been used in the election. The dissolution was forced by the military council running the country. Morsi belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood-backed party which won the majority of seats during the elections.
Flood-devastated Krasnodar Region to be hit with more heavy rain
An emergency warning has been issued in Russia’s southern Krasnodar Region - recently hit by a severe flood - as heavy rains and squally wind are to reach the area shortly. The bad weather is to hold till Monday morning, and minor flooding may follow. The storm is not expected, however, to reach the town of Krymsk, which saw the heaviest loss of life and destruction following the flood. Over 150 people have died and 12,000 have been affected by a massive flood that hit the region of Russia bordered by the Black Sea early Saturday.
Annan to visit Damascus for peace plan talks
UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan is to visit Damascus to hold talks with Syrian authorities, the country`s Foreign Ministry confirmed. Earlier Annan himself admitted that s his six-point peace plan has thus far failed to stop the bloodshed in the country. His trip comes as the West continues to increase its pressure on Damascus by urging more sanctions. Meanwhile Syria is conducting a large-scale military exercise to demonstrate its fighting prowess.
Russian day of mourning for victims of Krasnodar flood and Ukrainian bus crash
Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared July 9 a day of mourning to commemorate the victims of the Krasnodar flood and a fatal bus crash in Ukraine. At least 152 people died in Russia’s black sea coastal region following a flash flood that decimated the region. On Saturday, a bus carrying Russian Orthodox pilgrims went off the road, killing 14 people. In accordance with the decree, flags will be flown at half-mast across the Russian Federation and TV stations will refrain from showing entertainment programs.
African leaders urge military intervention in Mali
West African leaders at an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit have called for an interim government in Mali. Mali has been torn apart by a military coup and civil war, as separatists have overrun the northern half of the country. ECOWAS has requested that Mali President Dioncounda Traore ask the UN and ECOWAS to allow an armed intervention to restore stability. Islamist fighters have gradually taken control of the separatist region, recently destroying several ancient shrines which they consider sacrilegious. Fears are growing that northern Mali could turn into a haven for Islamic militants if order is not restored.
Roadside bomb kills 5 Afghan policemen
Five Afghan policemen were killed by a roadside bomb while responding to a gun battle in Southern Afghanistan, AP reports. Sources say that a group of Taliban fighters attacked a police checkpoint in the Musa Qala district at around 3 a.m. on Sunday. Afghan police sent reinforcements, and on the way one of the vehicles was destroyed by a roadside bomb. Five policemen were killed in the blast, while three were wounded in the gun battle against the Taliban fighters. Twenty insurgents were killed in the battle.
Tens of thousands march to protest election results in Mexico
Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Mexico City to protest against the election of Enrique Pena Nieto as the country’s new president. Mexico City officials put the number of those present on the central Zocalo Plaza at 50,000. Demonstrators accused the president-elect and his Institutional Revolutionary Party of trying to win votes by handing out pre-paid gift cards and bags of groceries, and said Mexico “pawned” its future for “500 pesos.” The final vote count gave Pena Nieto 38.21 per cent of the vote, while his leftist rival Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador received 31.59 per cent. Lopez Obrador also accused his adversary of bribing millions of voters with pre-paid cards, cash, groceries, construction materials and appliances, and said he will challenge the election results in court.
Oil spill found in flooded areas in southern Russia
An oil spill has been discovered near the southern Russian port of Novorossiysk, the port’s press service reports. The spill is believed to have originated from outside the port, and was washed into the city by heavy rain waters. Earlier Transneft, an oil company operating in Novorossiysk, said it had halted stocking oil products onto its tankers. Flooding in coastal southern Russia has killed 141 people, and left thousands homeless. It mostly affected the inland town of Krymsk, as well as the Black Sea cities of Novorossiysk and Gelendzik. All three settlements are located in the Krasnodar Region
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