Europe
Pakistani girl shot by Taliban travels to UK for treatment
Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban last week for her pro-education campaigning, is being flown to the UK for medical treatment, the Pakistani army has said. Ms Yousafzai has been at a military hospital in Rawalpindi, but is being transferred following an offer from the British Government to help her “in any way we could”. She was flown to London on an air ambulance provided by the United Arab Emirates, and is expected to need treatment to repair or replace damaged bones in her skull, as well as neurological treatment. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the attack on Ms Malala and her friends “shocked Pakistan and the world” and that her bravery was “an example to us all”. Ms Malala wrote a diary exposing the Taliban regime’s ban on girls’ education and suffering under their rule. The Taliban accused her of “promoting secularism”.
Lithuanian voters throw out conservative austerity government
Lithuanians have voted out their conservative government after one of the world’s deepest recessions, early results suggest. Two leftist parties – Labour and the Social Democrats – are currently placed first and second, and have hinted they would be prepared to form a coalition together. Analysts have said Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius’s government has been punished for cutting pensions in public wages. Mr Kubilius came to power in 2008 just as the financial crisis brought an abrupt end to an extended boom in Lithuania, fuelled by cheap credit from Scandinavia. Mr Kubilius enforced a drastic austerity programme. Economic output dropped by 15% and unemployment climbed, prompting thousands of young people to emigrate in search of work. However, the budget deficit has now been tamed and GDP recently reached growth of 5.8%.
Latin America
Police surge into north Rio slums in drug raids
Hundreds of Brazilian police officers, backed by armoured cars and helicopters, have moved to seize control of two favelas in Rio de Janeiro, each known as centres for the trafficking of crack cocaine. Some 1,500 police and commandos participated in the operation, targeting the northern favelas of Jacarezinho and Manguinhos, which began at 0500 local time yesterday morning (0800 GMT) and represents the latest phase of Brazil’s efforts to clean up its more dangerous regions ahead of the 2014 football World Cup and 2016 Olympics. The raids are part of the “pacification” policy, which was recently adopted to help the state establish a more permanent presence in shanty towns. The drug gangs’ soldiers apparently retreated ahead of the raids, ceding ground with little resistance.
Africa and Middle East
Syrian bans Turkish civilian flights over its territory
Turkish civilian planes are no longer permitted to fly in Syrian airspace, Damascus has said, as tensions grow between the two neighbouring countries. The ban took effect at midnight (2100 GMT) on Saturday, and comes just days after Turkey intercepted a plane bound for Syria, claiming it carried Russian-made munitions for the Syrian army. Syria has described the claim as a lie and challenged Ankara to put the seized goods on public display. Syria’s foreign ministry has said its ban on Turkish flights was a retaliation for a similar move from Ankara. Turkey has not announced such a measure, but has said it will continue to ground Syrian civilian planes if it suspects they carry military cargo. Tensions have been growing between the two countries after a series of cross-border incidents, such as artillery bombardments by Syria against refugees fleeing into Turkey. Last week, fire was exchanged across the border for several days after five Turkish civilians were killed by Syrian shelling.
Ali Zidan elected Libya’s new prime minister
Ali Zidan, an independent candidate, won 93 votes in Libya’s national congress, beating a candidate favoured by the Justice and Construction party – which is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood – to the job of Prime Minister of Libya. The president of the assembly asked Mr Zidan to name a cabinet within two weeks – Mr Zidan’s predecessor, Mustafa Abu Shagur, was dismissed last week after failing to form a government. Mr Zidan was a career diplomat for Colonel Gaddafi before defecting in 1980 and joining the opposition in exile. He was key in convincing former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to support the uprising against Col Gaddafi.
Asia and Russia
Pakistan police dead in attack by militants
Dozens of heavily-armed militants have attacked a police station in north-west Pakistan, killing at least five policemen including a senior officer. Officials say the attack happened late last night in the Mattani area, outside the city of Peshawar, close to the semi-autonomous tribal belt, with gun battles lasting several hours. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by militants from a branch of the Pakistani Taliban.
Australasia
Philippines and Muslim rebels agree peace plan
Following lengthy negotiations intended to end a 40-year conflict that has cost an estimated 120,000 lives, a framework peace plan has been signed between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – the Philippines’ largest group of Muslim rebels. The agreement was reached earlier this month after talks in Malaysia, and provides for a new autonomous region in part of the south of the Philippines, where Muslims are a majority in a mainly Catholic nation. More details still need to be added to what is only a framework deal, but a more comprehensive arrangement is sought by the end of the year: “after four decades, peace is within reach”, said Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who helped to broker the deal.
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