BBC在线收听下载:埃及军方领导人称不会容忍暴力行为

BBC news 2013-08-19

BBC News with Iain Purdon

The Egyptian army leader Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has issued a stark warning to supporters of the deposed President Mohammed Morsi that violence will not be tolerated. But Gen al-Sisi said there was room for everyone in Egypt. "Egyptian people are free to choose whom they want to rule them, and we are the protectors of this free will, the army and police are now the defenders of people's free will to choose their rulers. This is the truth." These were Gen al-Sisi's first comments since the security forces were deployed last week against supporters of Mr. Morsi's party, the Muslim Brotherhood, which left hundreds of people dead. The Muslim Brotherhood called off one of its protest rallies in Cairo, but others went ahead.

Meanwhile more than 30 Muslim Brotherhood prisoners have died in Egypt while attempting to escape during their transfer to a prison on the outskirts of the capital Cairo. Youssef Taha has the details. "During the transfer, some inmates took one of the officers securing the convoy as hostage. These security services fired tear gas to release him, he was seriously injured in the process, but the security services manage to release him alive. But shortly afterwards, a group of unknown gunmen attacked the convoy and the security services responded with gunfire as well. And in the process, those 30 out inmates, 36, 38, we are not sure the exact figure yet, have been killed."

A well-known Kuwaiti preacher Tareq al-Suwaidan has been sacked from his job as director of a religious television channel in Saudi Arabia because of his links to the Muslim Brotherhood. The channel's owner, prince Alwaleed bin Talal said there was no place for Muslim Brotherhood members in his business. The preacher has been a vociferous critic of Egypt's military-backed government for deposing President Morsi.

The United Nations refugee agency says there has been a massive increase in refugees from northern Syria into Iraq with more than 20,000 crossing into the Kurdish autonomous region in the last few days. They say charities and regional authorities are struggling to cope. Jim Muir reports from neighbouring Beirut. "The sudden movements started on Thursday with around 7,000 people crossing and even a larger number followed on Saturday. Recent weeks have seen violent clashes in northern Syria between Kurdish fighters and Islamist militants from groups linked to al-Qaeda. Many Kurds have fled their homes. The latest wave of refugees adds to the already alarming statistics. Nearly two million Syrians have crossed borders and applied for registration as refugees, the real figures are probably much higher."

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The rebel leader who seized control of the Central African Republic earlier this year Michel Djotodia has been sworn in as President. Mr. Djotodia has said that he plans to hold elections by the end of next year. Since his rebel Seleka alliance took over in March, the country has sunk further into poverty and lawlessness. The United Nations estimates that a third of the population need humanitarian assistance.

Libya's Interior Minister Mohammed Khalifa al-Sheikh has resigned just three months after he was appointed to the post. Mr. Al-Sheikh said he lacked support from the Prime Minister, he also complained of interference by some members of the national congress. Mr. Al-Sheikh is the second cabinet minister to quit following the resignation earlier this month of the deputy Prime Minister, who cited the government's inability to contain the unrest in the country.

On the final day of the World Athletics Championships in Moscow, the sprinter Usain Bolt has added a third gold medal to his collection. Running the final leg of the 4x100 men's relay for Jamaica. Here is Alex Capstick. "With more gold medals than any other nation, there was plenty for the home fans to shout about. This is a country where athletics has not been a popular spectator sport, maybe this event has helped change that. This has also been a championship without a major drug scandal. Doping controversy has marked the build-up. No sport does more to test its athletes but, it's a surprise those who govern athletics are prepared to accept. At least here, attention was mostly focused on the exploits of superstar athletes, like Usain Bolt and Mo Farah."

The Mayor of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes says he's prepared to do whatever it takes to persuade the American film director Woody Allen to shoot film in the city. In an interview to Rio's O Globo newspaper, Mr. Paes said he would be willing to pay the full costs of Woody Allen production.

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