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NEWS ABOUT: North Africa unrest

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1.5M Syrians Need Food, Shelter: Red Cross

Fighting has turned local as many lack basics

(Newser) - As the crisis in Syria shows no signs of abating, the Red Cross warns that 1.5 million people lack the very essentials: food, water, shelter, power, and sanitation. Tens of thousands in the country have either moved in with other people or are living in public buildings, and about... More »

Syria Heads to the Polls

But opposition decries elections as sham

(Newser) - Even as violence continues in Syria despite last month’s ceasefire, voters today headed for the polls for a parliamentary election that the government insists is a sign of political reform. But the opposition calls it a sham: "All of this is a theater show,” one man tells... More »

UN: Syria Ceasefire in Place by April 12

Syrian troops have reportedly started withdrawing

(Newser) - Fierce clashes continue to erupt in Syria, even as the UN's deadline for a ceasefire looms a week from today. Kofi Annan's peace plan requires Syrian troops to withdraw from towns and cities by April 10 , and the UN expects both sides to stop fighting within two days... More »

Intervening in Syria Riskier Than Libya: US Officials

Military intervention would likely require long, dangerous mission

(Newser) - Using the US military to intervene in Syria would be much more complicated and dangerous than the military intervention in Libya was, senior Pentagon officials say. President Obama asked the Pentagon for preliminary military options following increasing pressure from Republicans including John McCain , the New York Times notes. However, the... More »

Syria: 89% Approved New Constitution

West not convinced, though much of opposition may have boycotted

(Newser) - Syria's new constitution was backed by more than 89% of voters, the nation's Interior Ministry announced today, even as violence continues to rage across the country and the West decries the referendum as a sham . The Interior Ministry claims that more than 57% of Syria's 14 million... More »

Yemen Votes to Oust Saleh

Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi voted in as new president

(Newser) - Yemen came together after a year of unrest today, voting out President Ali Abdullah Saleh in favor of his former vice president, Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi. The New York Times reports that turnout in the capital, Sanaa, appeared high and spirits were similarly high, despite the fact that the election... More »

Syrian Troops Step Up Homs Bombardment

Activists say 50 people have been killed so far today

(Newser) - Syrian troops resumed their shelling of Homs this morning, with the BBC reporting near-constant explosions in the restive city. Some rebels are reportedly returning fire (though a BBC correspondent describes their efforts as a "futile gesture"), and Reuters reports that 50 people have been killed today. According to... More »

Egypt Kidnappers Release 2 American Tourists

Bedouin tribesmen free hostages after negotiations

(AP) - Two female American tourists and their Egyptian guide were freed today, hours after they were abducted at gunpoint near St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula. Local police chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Naguib says the three were released after negotiations with Bedouin tribesmen. The three were seized from a... More »

There Were 2 Crazy Plots to Smuggle Out Gadhafi's Son

Plans to get al-Saadi Gadhafi out of Libya were 'Indiana Jones-style'

(Newser) - The strange story of the plot to smuggle al-Saadi Gadhafi into Mexico gets stranger: Prosecutors now say they actually broke up two plots to get Moammar Gadhafi's playboy son out of Libya and into Mexico, plots that the AP calls "Indiana Jones-style." A Canadian woman, Danish man,... More »

Syria Nixes Arab League Peace Plan

Calls for Assad to leave power are a 'flagrant interference'

(Newser) - Syria has quickly rejected a peace plan floated by the Arab League, today calling it a "flagrant interference" in the country's internal affairs. The plan, proposed as the Arab League's observer mission flounders , called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down within two weeks, transfer power... More »

Tourism Spikes Worldwide

Europe sees boost as Middle East, North Africa lose travelers

(Newser) - The economic crisis, Japanese disasters, and the Arab Spring couldn't stop tourists from globetrotting last year, AFP reports. European tourism surged the most—6% higher than in 2010—helping to fuel an international rise of 4.4% that clocked 980 million travelers, according to a UN report. But tourists... More »

Syria's Assad Makes Rare Public Appearance

Bashar al-Assad tells supporters he wants to 'draw strength' from them

(Newser) - President Bashar al-Assad hasn't exactly been a man of the people since the Syrian uprising began, but today he joined thousands of supporters at a Damascus rally, the AP reports. "I wanted to be with you so I can draw strength from you in the face of everything... More »

Arab League Sending 135 New Monitors to Syria

League hopes more observers will lead to decreased violence

(Newser) - Amid concerns that its monitors are not making much of a difference in Syria, Arab League officials have decided to almost double the number of observers in the country in an effort to put more pressure on the regime. At a meeting yesterday, League members decided to bring the total... More »

Egyptians Head to Polls for Final Round of Voting

Plus: Hosni Mubarak's trial resumes

(Newser) - The final round of voting began in Egypt today, and it looks like the Muslim Brotherhood could walk off with a controlling majority of seats in Parliament's lower house. The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, the country's mainstream Islamist party, had already won a high percentage... More »

10 Killed, Thousands Protest in Syria

But Arab League monitors fuel activists' hope

(Newser) - Tens of thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of protesters rallied across Syria today in an effort to show Arab League monitors the extent of opposition anger. At least 10 were reported killed in ensuing clashes with security forces, the BBC reports; the deaths follow up to 40 others yesterday. But... More »

Syrian Activists Lambaste Arab League Observers

Say violence rages despite their presence

(Newser) - Arab League observers are scheduled to visit Daraa today, but activists are quickly losing faith that their presence will make much difference. Human rights activists had criticized the Arab League’s choice to lead the mission—former Sudanese military intelligence head Mohammed al-Dabi—from the start, the New York Times... More »

Syrian Army Leaving Homs

Arrival of Arab League observers leads to withdrawal

(Newser) - Soldiers and tanks began pulling out of Homs this morning, in response to the arrival of Arab League observers in Syria yesterday. Prior to the army’s retreat, fighting in Homs had been on the rise , with 34 civilians reportedly killed there yesterday. “The government’s goals haven’t... More »

Gadhafi Son in 'Good Physical Condition'

But he has no access to lawyer, says Human Rights Watch

(Newser) - Saif al-Islam Gadhafi is imprisoned in isolation and has not been given access to a lawyer, but the son of Moammar Gadhafi is in “good physical condition,” according to Human Rights Watch. In a 30-minute meeting with the group, Gadhafi called his treatment “OK” and said he... More »

Syria Death Toll Tops 5K

20 more killed yesterday

(Newser) - The death toll in the Syria protests now tops 5,000, according to the UN human rights chief, who wants the situation referred to the International Criminal Court. That number, which does not include soldiers or security personnel killed by the opposition, is up by 1,000 from the one... More »

Assad: I Didn't Order Crackdown

He feels no guilt, says he tried to protect his people

(Newser) - A defiant Bashar al-Assad sat down with Barbara Walters and denied ordering a brutal crackdown against Syrian protesters, saying that he feels no guilt because "I did my best to protect the people." In fact, most of the dead are his own supporters and troops, Assad insisted, blaming... More »

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