Top stories from DAWNS Digest
Egyptian Security Forces Violently Clear Protests
Security Forces have signaled for several days that they would no longer tolerate protest encampments by pro-Morsi supporters. Several people are reportedly been killed, but the Muslim Brotherhood puts the number of its supporters killed in the hundreds. Latest on this violent turn: (BBC http://bbc.in/17MPT2b)
CAR Troubles: Now, a Massive Measles Outbreak
Civil unrest has virtually eliminated an already weak public health infrastructure. An outbreak of vaccine preventable diseases was always a foreseen consequence. “A severe measles epidemic has affected the whole territory of the Central African Republic, which lacks any strong health infrastructure, Health Minister Aguid Sounouk announced Tuesday…Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF – Doctors Without Borders) warned in early July that the country was on the verge of a public health catastrophe, since widespread unrest and the coming to power of the rebels had been accompanied by the systematic plundering of health facilities.” (AFP http://bit.ly/1bsCdxn)
Israel-Palestine Negotiations Talks Kick Off in Jerusalem
This will be the first face-to-face negotiations in five years. “When the new round of Middle East peace talks begins in Jerusalem on August 14 they will differ markedly from some of the intense face-to-face negotiations that Israeli and Palestinian leaders have conducted in the past in the hope of finally reaching a final agreement between the two peoples. Instead, the process this time – which is meant to result in a deal after nine months – will begin with a meeting between two appointed negotiators from each side, with an American emissary refereeing. None of them will have the power to cut a deal.” (TIME http://ti.me/1bt96Kr)