The death toll from a series of clashes among supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and the country's military has hit over 80.

Dozens of others have been hurt in the clashes.

At the same time, interim President Adli Mansour has handed emergency powers to Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi.

Among the new powers Beblawi has includes allowing the military to arrest civilians.

This is being seen as a prelude to a wide-ranging sweep against supports of Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

The move by Mansour follows a series of attacks against security forces in the Egyptian Sinai region.

 

U.S. says Israeli-Palestinians peace talks to resume on Monday

The U.S. State Department says Israeli and the Palestinian negotiators are set to resume their peace talks in Washington later on this Monday.

Kerry has managed to get the two sides back talking after a 5-year stalemate over Israeli settlement construction.

Meantime, the Israeli cabinet has grudgingly approved the release of 104 long-held Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement to have the Palestinian prisoners released has also been brokered by Kerry.

 

Cambodian ruling party gets 68 seats, opposition 55 in polls: gov't spokesman

Cambodia's ruling party has taken the country's parliamentary elections.

Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party has garnered 68 seats in the national elections.

The main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has taken 55 seats.

While still holding a majority, Hun Sen's ruluing CPP has lost a significant amount of seats.

The party had held a 90-seat majority coming into the vote.

The victory ensures Hun Sen will remain Prime Minister for another 5-years.

He's been in power for 28-years in Cambodia.

 

Mali's presidential elections end in calm

Voting has concluded in the presidental elections in Mali.

A total of 27 candidates are contesting the vote.

Despite the recent civil war in the country, the voting in the West African country has gone off without any major incidents.

Among the expected frontrunners is former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Unless someone takes a majority of the votes, a runoff will be held on August 11th.

Mali was torn in half last year by ethnic Toureg's, who took advantage of a military coup and took control of the Sahara region of the country.

They were eventually overrun by international forces, led by former colonial power France.

 

Zimbabwe's Mugabe stresses black ownership of minerals at last rally before polls

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has used his last weeeknd election rally to take issue with the ownership of the country's mineral resources.

Mugabe, who is pushing to extend his 33-year old rule of the country, has told a group of supporters that black Zimbabweans should control the country's mineral resources.

He has told his supporters the mining resources are more valuable than the capital foreigners bring into the mining sector.

Under the current rules, 51-percent of any mining operation in Zimbabwe has to be controlled by a local.

The 89-year old Mugabe is vying for another 5-year term in office.

He's being challenged by his main opposition rival and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangari.

 

25 killed in Nigeria gunmen attacks: military

Authorities in northern Nigeria say at least 25 people are dead following a pair of attacks.

At least 20 have been killed after gunmen opened fire on civilians and security personell in Nigeria's northern border region with Chad.

Another 5 have been killed in a separate attack in the same region.

The Maidiguri region of northeastern Nigeria is home to the Boko Harem rebel group.

The hardline Islamist group, which picked up arms in 2009, has been systematically attacking Christians and government installations in the religiously-divided country.

 

Courthouse in Libyan city of Benghazi bombed: security sources

A courthouse the restive city of Benghazi in Libya has come under attack.

This comes just a day after some 12-hundred prisioners escaped as part of a prison break in Benghazi.

Benghazi was the hub of the revolution which eventually toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

However, the city has become a beacon for militants and radical Islamists.

12 missing in SW China landslide

12 people are listed as missing after a landslide over the weekend in Yunnan.

The slide hit Saturday in Yongshan County, which is located in the extreme northeast of the province near the border with Sichuan.

Meanwhile, the 6 people buried after another landslide in the city of Dalian in Liaoning have been confirmed dead.

Geological disasters are common in China during the summer rainy season.

 

China to start nationwide audit of government debt

National Audit Office here in China has announced a nationwide audit of government debt.

The national auditor says the move comes as a request of the State Council.

There has been no timetable set out for the audit. 

The NAO has already conducted two audits of local government debt. 

The first one found the local government debt here in China totaled 10.7 trillion yuan as of the end of 2010. 

And earlier this year the NAO revealed a follow-up audit has found local government's owed 3.85-trillion more than they did in 2010.