BBC在线收听下载:胡塞武装缺席 也门和谈无果而终

Hello, I'm Debbie Russ with the BBC News.

An Egyptian court has confirmed death sentences for more than seventy in connection with a violent protest at which the security forces killed hundreds of demonstrators five years ago in Cairo. Those condemned included prominent figures in the Muslim Brotherhood organization as Ranyah Sabry reports from Cairo. Cairo Criminal Court today confirmed death sentences for 75 and life imprisonment sentences for 47 leading figures of the Muslim Brotherhood. The hundreds were arrested when Egyptian army and police were dispersing a sit-in in support of former President Mohamed Morsi who had been deposed of by the current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who was then the head of the military. Amnesty International says more than 800 protesters were killed in the dispersal, while the government has said many protesters were armed and that 43 police were killed.

A United Nation's effort to bring the warring parties in Yemen together for talks has ended without managing to get the Houthi rebel delegation to attend. The UN's envoy Martin Griffiths refused to say exactly why the Houthi, also called Ansar Allah, hadn't come to the meeting in Geneva, but insisted a start had been made on the journey to peace. There was every effort made on the part of Ansar Allah themselves to come here. They wanted to come here; they want to come here; they will come here. This is also absolutely true of efforts by the United Nation's other governments to get them here. We just didn't make it. There were issues of how to get here and we just weren't able to resolve that the time available. This is not the first time we've had difficulties of logistics in the Yemen context, and once we get through the gate, we'll get some progress.

The Afghan government has announced measures to increase security for the Shia minority in the capital Kabul who are being increasingly targeted in sectarian violence. It comes at the start of the religious month of Muharram when Shias traditionally gather in public and are vulnerable to attack. Here is Jill McGivering. Sectarian violence is relatively new in Afghanistan, but increasingly the country is seeing mass attacks on the Shia minority with mosques and shrines and now also community centres being targeted. Last month's assault on a tuition centre which killed 34 students was particularly shocking. President Carney is under pressure to do something. He says he'll create a special security zone in Western Kabul with extra security personnel and checkpoints and give guns and training to guards of Shia religious and other centers.

BBC News.