Egypt

Morsi to stand trial

Deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and 132 others will stand trial for a prison break and the murder of officers during the 2011 uprising. The other defendants include leaders of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, who also escaped from the Wadi al-Natrun prison during the revolt against Hosni Mubarak. Members of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah were also named in the indictment. Morsi, who was ousted in July by the military, is already on trial for allegedly inciting the killings of opposition activists during his year in power.

Iraq

14 dead in bombings

The latest spate of violence in Iraq has left at least 14 people dead. Police said it was not immediately clear who was behind the bombings and shootings in northern Iraq on Saturday, but Sunni Islamist militants including al-Qaida have been regaining ground in Iraq, seeking to undermine the Shiite-led government. Police and medics reported that nine people were killed and another 24 wounded when two roadside bombs went off in a yard used for selling cattle in the disputed northern town of Tuz Khurmato, 170 kilometers north of Baghdad.

South Sudan

China calls for peace

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Friday called on all parties in South Sudan to take effective measures to stop violence, protect civilians and ensure the safety of personnel. The UN Security Council has been closely watching the developments of the situation in South Sudan and has supported the efforts of the UN and the African Union, which seek dialogue among all parties to realize a peaceful resolution, Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, said after the council's closed-door consultation on South Sudan. "The council strongly condemns the attacks on oil installations, which resulted in heavy losses of life for oil workers, and calls upon all parties to ensure the security of economic infrastructure and the safety of the employees," a news statement issued after the consultation said.

Uganda

Anti-gay bill passed

The Ugandan parliament has passed a bill that punishes certain acts of homosexuality with life in prison. The bill, first introduced by a Ugandan lawmaker in 2009, was initially shelved after sparking worldwide condemnation for tough measures that included the death penalty and incited European nations to threaten the withdrawal of aid to Uganda. Before its passage on Friday, parliament adjusted the death penalty clause to life in prison for "aggravated homosexuality". It includes acts where one person is infected with HIV, "serial offenders" and sex with minors, Amnesty International said. In cases where the offender has HIV, the punishment applies even when the sex is consensual or protected.

Australia

Man falls off ship, dies

A rescue team recovered the body of a man believed to have fallen overboard from the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship in Australian waters on Saturday morning. An Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokesman said the man was seen falling from the ship about 300 nautical miles east of Brisbane at about 2 am on Saturday. A body was fished out of the water shortly before 9:30 am. The ship had left Sydney bound for Noumea on Thursday night as part of a nine-night tour of the South Pacific. A spokeswoman for the ship's owner, Royal Caribbean International, said in a written statement another passenger had witnessed the man go overboard. The incident was also captured on the ship's CCTV system, she said.

Reuters - Xinhua

(China Daily 12/22/2013 page2)