BBC News:埃及军队支持塞西为总统候选人
Egypt's top military council says the army chief anddefense minister Abdul Fattah al-Sisi should listento what it said were the calls of the people and standfor president. The statement said field marshal al-Sisi had thanked the military leadership for allowinghim to respond to the call of duty. He's nowexpected to announce his candidacy within days.Orla Guerin reports from Cairo.
The softly spoken former intelligence chief has noexperience of war, but has shown himself to be a skilled political tactician. He became a nationalhero for many after he ousted the Islamist President Mohamad Morsi in a popularly backed couplast July. On Saturday, huge crowds gathered in Tahrir Square, urging him to stand in a state-sponsored display of support. But his critics were driven off the streets by the security forcesand about 60 people were shot dead in clashes.
The UN mediator at the Syrian peace conference Lakhdar Brahimi, says there has been nobreakthrough in attempts to arrange aid convoys to the besieged city of Homs. A jointnegotiating session on establishing a transitional government also made scant progress. TheBBC's Bridget Kendall heard what Lakhdar Brahimi had to say about the attempts to get aid toHoms.
He said he thought the Syrian government was willing, but the danger of snipers and otherproblems meant it wasn't easy. He noted Homs was only one of many parts of the countrywhere people found themselves under siege either from Syrian government forces or armedgroups. The good news though is that the two rival delegations from Syria are still talking eventhough they clearly had a tense standoff this morning over the question of Syria's politicalfuture. One delegate called it a dialogue of the death.
Dozens of people have been reported killed in 2 attacks by suspected Islamist militants innortheastern Nigeria. Here's Will Ross.
The gunmen targeted a busy market in Borno state's Kawuri village. They also killed civilians intheir homes. The police commander for Borno state gave little away, simply saying many liveswere lost. He said he suspected the Islamist militant group Boko Haram was behind the attack.The military spokesman said he had no details. Eyewitnesses say they counted 52 bodies. Inneighboring Adamawa state, men carrying guns and explosives burst into a Catholic church,killing at least 22 members of the congregation.
Fresh attempts are underway to end the political crisis in Ukraine. President Viktor Yanukovychis holding talks with the 3 main opposition leaders on the eve of a special session ofparliament. The anti-government protests are continuing, although demonstrators earlier endedtheir occupation of the justice ministry.
World News from the BBC.
The Prime Minister of the Central African Republic Andre Nzapayeke has formed a newtransitional government which includes 7 women. The prime minister was appointed onSaturday by the new interim President, Catherine Samba Panza who's pledged to end sectarianviolence in the country.
The operators of 2 exchanges for the virtual currency bitcoin in the United States have beenarrested and charged with money laundering. Robert Faiella and Charlie Shrem are accused oftrying to sell more than 1 million dollars worth of bitcoins to users of the notorious Silkroadwebsite, an online market for drugs and illegal services. Samira Hussain has more.
Charlie Shrem actively promoted the use of digital currencies as co-chairman of the Bitcoinfoundation. But a CEO of a bitcoin exchanger, the US Department of Justice says, Shrem is anaccomplice knowingly conspired to launder money. Shrem is believed to have allowed hisaccomplice to use his exchange to buy large quantities of bitcoins. Those were then be soldto users of the Silkroad website where people can purchase drugs anonymously.
The International Olympic Committee has again warned athletes not to stage protests duringmedal ceremonies at the Sochi Winter Games in Russia. The IOC chief Thomas Bach said thosemaking political statements on the podium would be punished as Alex Capstick reports.
Less than 2 weeks before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the head ofthe IOC, Thomas Bach has drawn attention to the relevant clause contained in the Olympiccharter. Athletes who make statements of a political nature at sporting venues could bepunished. But he said they would have freedom of speech in the more sterilized environmentof a news conference. Some athletes heading to the Games opposed to a Russian law whichbans the promotion of gay propaganda have promised to make their views known.
BBC News.
