Author: xaurav

Turkey PM ‘will build consensus’

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife greet supporters in Ankara (12 June 2011)Mr Erdogan said the new constitution would “embrace all parties”
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Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to build consensus with opposition parties, after securing a third term in office.

Preliminary results show Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) won about 50% of seats in Sunday’s vote.

But the party failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed to make unilateral changes to the constitution.

Mr Erdogan had widely been expected to win despite criticism from some of his authoritarian style of leadership.

With 99% of ballots counted the AKP had 50% of the vote, which local media said translated to 326 seats in parliament.

That is short of the 330-seat “super majority”, which would have enabled the party to make constitutional changes without putting it to a public referendum.

The party won 341 seats in 2007.

Accepting his victory in Ankara, Mr Erdogan said his party “will be humble”.

“The people gave us a message to build the new constitution through consensus and negotiation,” said the prime minister.

“We will be seeking consensus with the main opposition, the opposition, parties outside of parliament, the media, NGOs, with academics, with anyone who has something to say.”

Analysis

It did not take long for the count to show what everyone here had expected – another decisive victory for the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP). The result is a powerful endorsement of the blend of economic liberalism and religious conservatism offered by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With this win, he is now the most powerful political figure in Turkey since the days of the country’s founding father, Kemal Ataturk.

The main opposition party, the CHP, under its new leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, did offer a more appealing alternative for secular Turks than in previous elections. But it still got less than a quarter of the votes cast.

And in the south-east, there was a strong vote for Kurdish candidates, which will put pressure on Mr Erdogan to make a more convincing effort to resolve the long-running conflict between the state and the large Kurdish minority.

Turkish voters have given Mr Erdogan an impressive mandate. The question now is, what will he do with it? After his last election victory, he promised to be a bridge-builder, a prime minister for Turks from all walks of life. But in practice he proved to be an abrasive and divisive leader. His opponents will now be hoping he adopts a less confrontational style.

Mr Erdogan said the AKP and others would write a “civilian, free constitution which embraces all parties of the society together”.

He also alluded to Turkey’s aspiration to be a voice in the West for the Middle Eastern region and Muslims, saying Bosnians, Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians also benefited from his victory.

“Believe me, Sarajevo won today as much as Istanbul, Beirut won as much as Izmir, Damascus won as much as Ankara, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, the West Bank, Jerusalem won as much as Diyarbakir.”

More than 50 million people, about two-thirds of Turkey’s population of 73 million, were eligible to vote in Sunday’s election. NTV television said turnout was 84.5%.

AKP supporters were celebrating on the streets of the capital on Sunday night.

“I am truly happy. I hope the outcome will be in favour of our country and nation. I cannot find words to express my happiness,” said one man.

The BBC’s Jonathan Head in Istanbul says Turkey now faces another four years with Mr Erdogan the dominant figure, and his AKP pretty much able to do what it likes in parliament.

Early results indicated that the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP) had 26% of vote with 135 seats – 23 more than last time, and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) with 13% has 54 seat, down 17.

Independent candidates fielded by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) also did well in the south-east, winning 5.8% of the vote and 35 seats.

“This is a huge success for us,” prospective Kurdish MP Serafettin Elci told Reuters.

“We expect the PM to signal a strong hope for the solution of the Kurdish problem for Turkey’s future.”

Our correspondent says this will increase pressure on the government to address its long standing demands for greater autonomy and official recognition of Kurdish identity.

The AKP, which has Islamist roots, has presided over strong economic growth and a more assertive foreign policy since taking power in 2003.

It has also seen unemployment fall – down to 11.5% in March from 14.4% in the same period last year. The country is a member of Nato as well as a candidate for membership of the European

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

New Peru head may pardon Fujimori

Peru's President-elect, Ollanta Humala, 10 June 2011Ollanta Humala will be inaugurated at the end of July
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Peru’s President-elect Ollanta Humala says he would pardon former President Alberto Fujimori on humanitarian grounds if his health worsens.

Mr Humala told Peru’s El Comercio newspaper that “nobody should die in prison, except people serving life sentences for abusing children”.

Fujimori is serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and ordering killings by the security forces.

He been taken to hospital, suffering bleeding in his mouth.

Doctors fear this might be linked to a recurrence of his tongue cancer.

Mr Fujimori’s doctor says he has also lost a lot of weight – some 15kg (33lb) – recently.

The contentious issue of whether Mr Fujimori should be granted a pardon was raised during the closely-fought presidential run-off between Mr Humala and Alberto Fujimori’s daughter, Keiko.

Critics accused Keiko Fujimori of standing so that she could grant her father a pardon if she won.

During the election campaign, she denied that she would.

Former Peruvian president, Alberto Fujimori, 13 April 2000Former president, Alberto Fujimori, was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2009

Under Peruvian law, he could only be pardoned on health grounds.

Some analysts have also speculated that the current President, Alan Garcia, could grant Mr Fujimori a pardon before he leaves office at the end of July.

Last week, a member of Mr Garcia’s party called publicly for him to do so.

But earlier this year, Mr Garcia said it was not something he was considering.

Mr Garcia and Mr Fujimori have a history of disputes.

In the 1990s, when Alberto Fujimori was in power, his government supported attempts to extradite Mr Garcia from Colombia, where he was in exile.

The government wanted to prosecute him for alleged corruption during Mr Garcia’s first period in government in the 1980s – charges Mr Garcia denied.

The attempts to prosecute Mr Garcia ultimately failed.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Libya rebels fight back in Zawiya

Rebel forces near Misrata, Libya - 11 June 2011Rebel forces near Misrata in western Libya have gained ground in recent days

Fighting has resumed in the western Libyan city of Zawiya between rebels and forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The town was seized by rebels in March, but government forces recaptured it in less than two weeks of heavy fighting.

The port city, about 30km (18 miles) west of Tripoli is the site of an important oil terminal.

Col Gaddafi’s forces are also struggling against rebels in the western port city of Misrata.

With Nato increasing its bombing attacks on Col Gaddafi’s troops, rebel forces appear to be gaining momentum, says the BBC’s Wyre Davies in Tripoli.

Nato now says it has carried out more than 4,000 air strikes on Libyan government forces.

Map of Libya

The renewed fighting in Zawiya means government commanders are faced with the problem of where to position their troops and tanks.

Moving heavy weapons risks bringing down Nato air strikes, says our correspondent.

If the rebels retake Zawiya, they will cut the government’s supply line from the capital Tripoli to the Tunisian border.

In other fighting, government troops shelled rebel forces near Misrata again on Sunday, reports said.

They have the rebels surrounded on three sides, but the port remains open to resupply the anti-government forces.

There have also been clashes to the south of Tripoli in and around the rebel-held town of Yefran, our correspondent says.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Review to recommend NHS changes

DoctorThe government has indicated it is willing to make changes to its overhaul of the NHS

An independent review of the planned NHS shake-up in England is expected to recommend significant changes.

The NHS Future Forum, which has carried out a two-month consultation, will make proposals on controversial issues such as competition and the speed of change.

The publication is expected to be followed by a detailed response from the government on Tuesday.

Labour said claims the bill would be substantially changed were “heavy with Lib Dem spin”.

However, ministers hope that by acting quickly they will be able to get their NHS reform programme back on track in weeks.

In April the government took the unprecedented move of halting the parliamentary progress of the Health and Social Care Bill underpinning the changes amid mounting criticism from academics, health unions and MPs.

Ministers had originally wanted to hand GPs control of much of the NHS budget, while opening up the health service to greater competition.

But Prime Minister David Cameron has already indicated he is willing to make concessions by allowing other health professionals a say in the spending of funds, while promising competition will be balanced against encouraging co-operation among NHS trusts, charities and private firms.

The full details of how the government aims to proceed will now be set out over the next two days.

“The government must now give the NHS some clarity and enable it to focus on the major problems it faces”

Mike Farrar NHS Confederation

The NHS Future Forum, led by former Royal College of GPs chief Professor Steve Field, has carried out more than 200 listening events with doctors, nurses and patients.

Its report – to be unveiled on Monday afternoon – is expected to largely chime with what Mr Cameron said last week.

However, the details of how the changes will work are being eagerly anticipated to see if the government can garner more support.

Concerns about the plans, which some had claimed could lead to the privatisation of the health service, had opened up divisions within the coalition.

There have also been fears raised about the risks of overhauling a system already under huge financial pressure.

Influential health groups such as the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of GPs and think tank the King’s Fund have been vocal about their fears.

On Monday Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is expected to claim the Lib Dems have got their way in coalition battles over the bill.

At a meeting of his parliamentary party, the Lib Dem leader will present a scorecard of changes to the Health and Social Care Bill demanded by his party’s spring conference in March.

Eleven of the 13 demands – including improving democratic accountability and preventing private firms “cherry picking” profitable services – have been secured, he will say, while alternative solutions have been found to meet the remaining two concerns.

“I think the test will be not whether the Lib Dems back Cameron but whether his own Tory backbenchers back Cameron on the bill in the future”

Jon Healey Shadow health secretary

The key demands included allowing hospital doctors and nurses to take control of commissioning services as well as GPs, and scrapping the 2013 deadline for consortia to start work.

Mr Clegg’s chief political adviser, Norman Lamb, who had threatened to quit if he was not happy with the changes to the bill, said on Sunday: “I am satisfied. I think the concerns raised have been met. It’s been a very constructive process.”

But he denied the Lib Dems were in danger of making too much of the policy concessions they had achieved. “This is not a case of triumphalism. This is a case of improving the policy,” he told BBC One’s Politics Show.

The BBC understands that ministers are hopeful the NHS Future Forum report and the government response will allow them to press ahead almost immediately with the programme.

Officials are working on the basis that amendments could be made to the bill within weeks, allowing the government to kick-start the parliamentary process before the summer.

Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health managers, said: “The government must now give the NHS some clarity and enable it to focus on the major problems it faces such as financial pressure and the variability of care.

“It is essential that those responsible for taking key decisions are able to do so with confidence and certainty.”

Jennifer Dixon, of the Nuffield Trust health think tank, agreed.

“The fundamentals of their plan remain but there will be more cautiousness in implementation, a slower pace. That is absolutely healthy for the NHS when we have the other big task at hand – to make savings,” she said.

Labour has indicated it will be voting against the bill, whatever the changes are.

Shadow Health Secretary Jon Healey told the Politics Show that claims the bill would be substantially changed were “heavy with Lib Dem spin”.

“My fear is that we’ll hear the prime minister claim these are substantial and significant changes, but the long-term ideological plan to turn the NHS into a market, to open up all parts of the NHS to private companies, will remain.

“And I think the test will be not whether the Lib Dems back Cameron but whether his own Tory backbenchers back Cameron on the bill in the future.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

‘Pharmageddon’

Paul AdamsBy Paul Adams

Sarah ShaySarah Shay died of a prescription drug overdose five years ago at the age of 19
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In the green, wooded hills of eastern Kentucky, two mothers pore over photographs of daughters lost to prescription pills.

Sarah Shay and Savannah Kissick were school friends in Morehead, both addicted to an array of perfectly legal drugs.

Sarah died in 2006, at the age of 19. Savannah followed three years later, aged 22. Both victims of an epidemic of prescription pill abuse sweeping parts of America.

When their mothers reel off the names together, they make them sound like weapons.

“Xanax. Klonopin. Oxycodone. Hydrocodone.”

Earlier this year, the White House described the epidemic as the country’s fastest growing drug problem, accounting for more accidental overdoses than the combined total from heroin and crack cocaine in the 1970s and 80s.

Karen Shay and Lynn Kissick have become reluctant experts in the medicines which killed their daughters and which are eating away at rural communities throughout the area.

Savannah KissickSavannah Kissick, Sarah’s best friend died in 2009 as a result of her own prescription drug abuse

Both have lent their passionate voices to an education campaign being led by Kentucky’s Attorney General Jack Conway.

Mr Conway has few illusions about the scale of the drug use ravaging his state.

“Kentucky has a peculiar problem with prescription pill abuse,” Mr Conway says of an issue which first emerged more than a decade ago but has grown steadily. He says Kentucky may have the worst problem in the country.

And he says it’s hard to meet a family in the state which hasn’t been affected in one way or another. Including his own.

Prescription pills’ deadly tollIn Kentucky 978 people died from prescription drug overdose in 2009.The average age drug addicts in Kentucky start using is 11.Abuse of prescribed medications kills more Americans every year than anything except automobile crashes.Seven people in Florida, four people in Ohio, and three people in Kentucky die every day from unintentional overdoses.In 2007, one American every 19 minutes died from an unintentional drug overdose.

Sources: Kentucky Govt, CDC

“We’ve had someone who’s had to deal with it,” he says, reluctant to go into details. It caused a great deal of pain and opened some eyes within my family.”

Across the state, a number of treatment and rehabilitation centres are trying to deal with the huge numbers of addicts.

At Shepherd’s Shelter, located on the tranquil outskirts of Mount Sterling, east of Lexington, residents go through a programme that includes recovery dynamics, criminal thinking and relapse prevention.

There’s a wall of fame featuring pictures of men and women who’ve successfully completed the programme and stayed clean. Director Wayne Ross, himself a former alcohol and drug abuser, admits that there are plenty who don’t.

Lorraine, 26, isn’t quite out of the woods. For years, she couldn’t do anything without pills and resorted to criminality to feed her addiction.

But the photos of four children which adorn the small room she shares with a fellow resident represent the four reasons why she’s desperate to complete the programme.

“I’m just ready to get ’em back,” she insists.

Adam, who’s completed the programme but is now volunteering at Shepherd’s Shelter in an attempt to stay on the straight and narrow, described how medicines designed as slow release pain-killers, like oxycodone, are ground up, mixed with water and injected for a powerful, instant high.

And he gives one simple reason why prescription drugs are so popular.

“We could all have found a better high,” he says, “it’s just the prescription drug is so easy accessed.”

Inevitably, the tidal wave of addiction has triggered a parallel crime wave that threatens to swamp the police, courts and jails of Appalachia.

‘Pharmageddon’

In Pikeville, among the coal mining hills and valleys close to the Virginia border, police officers recently rounded up dozens of dealers at the end of a six month undercover operation.

Most of those arrested were suspected of dealing in oxycodone from so-called “pill mills”, barely regulated, cash only dispensaries, mostly located in southern Florida.

Kentucky’s jails are overflowing.

“I believe I can safely say that over 80% of the inmates in the Pike County regional detention centre are in there for something dealing with their addiction to prescription drugs,” said Dan Smoot, director of law enforcement with Unite, an innovative Kentucky counter narcotics programme which brings together police investigations, treatment and education.

Karen Shay and Lynn Kissick lost their daughters to prescription drugsLynn Kissick (right), who lost her daughter to prescription drugs, says some doctors give out prescriptions too easily

Responses to questions asked on Unite’s treatment line, he says, have revealed that the average age at which users first abuse prescription pills is 11.

It’s a statistic that makes him angry.

“We have basically robbed our children of a childhood.”

The pill crisis, which some are calling pharmageddon, is only now receiving national attention.

As part of an initiative announced in April, the White House demanded that the makers of one class of drugs, known as “extended release and long-acting opioids”, make more concerted efforts to educate doctors and patients.

But back in Morehead, Lynn Kissick wonders if any of this will work.

“I don’t know how to get a grip on something so large.” she says.

Some doctors, she says, are too busy making money.

“There’s a lot of them that just write it out and say ‘here you go’. And it doesn’t matter if my daughter dies from it. Or your child. They don’t care. They don’t know them. It doesn’t matter.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

‘Benefit risk’ to cancer patients

Woman with head in handsMacmillan says financial suppot is “crucial” for cancer patients
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Thousands of cancer patients could lose benefits under government proposals, a charity has warned.

Macmillan Cancer Support is attacking plans in the Welfare Reform Bill to remove the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) after a year.

It estimates 7,000 people could be affected – and could lose up to £94 a week, even if they are not ready to return to work.

The government said people receiving treatment would not be affected.

The Welfare Reform Bill enters the report stage in the House of Commons on Monday.

ESA claimants are divided into two categories – those undergoing treatment are in the “support group” and there is no time-limit.

But those who are deemed able to perform “work-related activities” which might help them eventually return to work face means-testing after 12 months.

Anyone with savings of over £16,000, or whose partner either works more than 24 hours or earns more than £149 a week would lose all their ESA.

Macmillan wants the bill amended so everyone who is eligible for ESA will receive it for as long as they need it, regardless of their financial circumstances.

“It is crucial that patients are not forced to return to work before they are ready”

Professor Jane Maher Macmillan Cancer Support

Ciaran Devane, chief executive of the charity, said: “Many cancer patients will lose this crucial benefit simply because they have not recovered quickly enough.

“The majority want to return to work as it can represent a milestone in their recovery and a return to normality, in addition to the obvious financial benefits.”

He added: “This proposal in the Welfare Reform Bill will have a devastating impact on many cancer patients.”

Professor Jane Maher, Macmillan’s chief medical officer added: “In my experience one year is simply not long enough for many people to recover from cancer.

“The serious physical and psychological side-effects of cancer can last for many months, even years, after treatment has finished.

“It is crucial that patients are not forced to return to work before they are ready.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “We are working closely with Macmillan to ensure that people with cancer get all the support from us they need.

“Those who are severely ill and are in the support group of ESA will see no change to their benefit entitlement. Nor will there be any change for those on income-related ESA.”

She added: “We have recently amended legislation so that individuals awaiting or between courses of certain types of chemotherapy will automatically be placed in the support group.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Jordan king announces key reforms

King Abdullah waves to crowds in Amman, Jordan (11 June 2011)Few protesters have called for King Abdullah to become only a figurehead ruler
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King Abdullah of Jordan has bowed to demands for reform, saying future cabinets will be formed according to an elected parliamentary majority.

In a televised speech marking his 12th year as Jordan’s ruler, King Abdullah promised to relinquish his right to appoint prime ministers and cabinets.

It is the first time he has made such a concession publicly to his citizens, and follows six months of protests.

But he did not say when exactly this would take place.

It is believed the king first wants to see Jordan’s splintered 33 political parties merge into three main political blocs from which cabinets can be formed.

Jordanians taking part in the mainly peaceful protests have been demanding more political say and that the monarch loosen his absolute grip on power, which includes appointing prime ministers and cabinets.

Although they have demanded new parliamentary elections and some changes to the constitution to give them more democratic rights, most say they do not want the king to become a figurehead ruler, such as the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II.

King Abdullah added that more reforms would be announced, including new election and political party laws, but warned that sudden change could lead to “chaos and unrest” like in other Arab countries.

Jordan has averted the turmoil seen in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain.

At the outset of the protests in February, the king sacked his prime minister who protesters accused of being insensitive to their economic hardships and quickly set up a national dialogue committee to discuss much needed political and economic reforms.

Protests in the country, an ally of the United States, have been relatively small and generally peaceful, although one person has died and tens were wounded in the occasional unrest.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Syrian army regains restive town

Syrian troops in village near Jisr al-Shughour - 11 JuneTroops have been in the area of Jisr al-Shughour for several days

Syrian government forces have advanced into the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour, as part of a widespread government crackdown, reports say.

Witnesses reported gunfire and and houses alight, as troops moved in after a 24-hour bombardment.

The government says it is trying to restore order after it claimed 120 security personnel had been killed.

But residents say the dead were killed after a mutiny and fighting between the security forces.

The government advance sent more people fleeing towards the Turkish border, to join more than 4,000 who have already crossed.

US officials say Syria’s crackdown has created a humanitarian crisis, and called for the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) to be given access to the north.

On the Turkish side two camps are already full of refugees and a third is filling up rapidly.

There is a need for food, tents, blankets and mattresses, but medical supplies are in particularly in demand to cope with large numbers of wounded.

Activists and residents say troops bombarded Jisr al-Shughour for 24 hours then began to move in.

Analysis

This is the latest camp to be constructed by the Turkish authorities. They’ve got two camps already which were overflowing. Three days ago the governor of this province came through this area, saw these fields here which he thought were very suitable for a potential camp and just ordered it to be done.

And within a couple of days they’ve put it together. It’s the Red Crescent that’s done this. They’ve got the capacity here, they reckon, with this camp and a few other sites they’ve identified, to get 5,000 people homed here if they need to.

It’s been a rapid effort – sewage lines have gone in, water, gravel has gone down so they can drive vehicles between the tents. It’s a big logistical exercise, and already this one’s beginning to fill up.

“Tanks came from the south after shelling randomly and sending volleys of machinegun fire all over the town,” one resident told Reuters news agency.

There are reports that the troops are part of an elite unit commanded by President Bashar al-Assad’s younger brother Maher.

The BBC’s Jim Muir, in neighbouring Beirut, says there are reports of members of the feared Shabiha militia group fighting alongside the soldiers.

It is not clear how much resistance the army is facing in the town, our correspondent adds, with so many people having fled.

“There are only a few people left. I escaped on my motorcycle through dirt tracks in the hills,” one man told Reuters.

Syria has prevented most foreign journalists, including those from the BBC, from entering the country, making it difficult to independently verify reports from there.

State media said two command groups of armed organisations had been detained, and others killed or wounded.

One account said some of those who tried to flee towards Turkey were intercepted, while others were shot and killed.

On Saturday witnesses described homes being bulldozed in nearby villages and crops and fields burnt and uprooted.

Violence has also been reported in the nearby town of Maarat al-Numan, with armed men attacking the courthouse, police station and strategic fuel depot.

Meanwhile there are continuing but unverifiable reports of army defections, with the latest saying that an officer and 50 men had changed sides rather than fire on civilians in Jisr al-Shughour.

Protests against President Bashar al-Assad began in March and have spread across the country.

Rights groups say hundreds of people have been killed and there are reports the army has been using aircraft to open fire on people.

Map of Jisr al-Shughour

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

‘Heavy fighting’ over Syrian town

Syrian troops in village near Jisr al-Shughour - 11 JuneTroops have been in the area of Jisr al-Shughour for several days

Syrian government forces have advanced into the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour, as part of a widespread government crackdown, reports say.

Witnesses reported gunfire and and houses alight, as troops moved in after a 24-hour bombardment.

The government says it is trying to restore order after it claimed 120 security personnel had been killed.

But residents say the dead were killed after a mutiny and fighting between the security forces.

The government advance sent more people fleeing towards the Turkish border, to join more than 4,000 who have already crossed.

US officials say Syria’s crackdown has created a humanitarian crisis, and called for the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) to be given access to the north.

On the Turkish side two camps are already full of refugees and a third is filling up rapidly.

There is a need for food, tents, blankets and mattresses, but medical supplies are in particularly in demand to cope with large numbers of wounded.

Activists and residents say troops bombarded Jisr al-Shughour for 24 hours then began to move in.

Analysis

This is the latest camp to be constructed by the Turkish authorities. They’ve got two camps already which were overflowing. Three days ago the governor of this province came through this area, saw these fields here which he thought were very suitable for a potential camp and just ordered it to be done.

And within a couple of days they’ve put it together. It’s the Red Crescent that’s done this. They’ve got the capacity here, they reckon, with this camp and a few other sites they’ve identified, to get 5,000 people homed here if they need to.

It’s been a rapid effort – sewage lines have gone in, water, gravel has gone down so they can drive vehicles between the tents. It’s a big logistical exercise, and already this one’s beginning to fill up.

“Tanks came from the south after shelling randomly and sending volleys of machinegun fire all over the town,” one resident told Reuters news agency.

There are reports that the troops are part of an elite unit commanded by President Bashar al-Assad’s younger brother Maher.

The BBC’s Jim Muir, in neighbouring Beirut, says there are reports of members of the feared Shabiha militia group fighting alongside the soldiers.

It is not clear how much resistance the army is facing in the town, our correspondent adds, with so many people having fled.

“There are only a few people left. I escaped on my motorcycle through dirt tracks in the hills,” one man told Reuters.

Syria has prevented most foreign journalists, including those from the BBC, from entering the country, making it difficult to independently verify reports from there.

State media said two command groups of armed organisations had been detained, and others killed or wounded.

One account said some of those who tried to flee towards Turkey were intercepted, while others were shot and killed.

On Saturday witnesses described homes being bulldozed in nearby villages and crops and fields burnt and uprooted.

Violence has also been reported in the nearby town of Maarat al-Numan, with armed men attacking the courthouse, police station and strategic fuel depot.

Meanwhile there are continuing but unverifiable reports of army defections, with the latest saying that an officer and 50 men had changed sides rather than fire on civilians in Jisr al-Shughour.

Protests against President Bashar al-Assad began in March and have spread across the country.

Rights groups say hundreds of people have been killed and there are reports the army has been using aircraft to open fire on people.

Map of Jisr al-Shughour

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

UK Eritrea ‘spies’ are released

Map of EritreaThe firm the men work for has said the incident was a misunderstanding
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Four Britons held in Eritrea on spying and terrorism charges since December have been released, the Foreign Office (FCO) has said.

The four men – who all worked for the same security firm – are believed to be on their way back to the UK.

The FCO said it was very grateful to the government of Qatar “for helping facilitate their return”.

But it said it remained concerned that the Eritreans had not responded to requests for consular access.

The four men had been on board a merchant vessel that stopped at a port in the east African country to pick up supplies when they were detained in December 2010.

The Eritrean government said the men were detained as they tried to leave Eritrean waters without permission and searches then uncovered a weapons cache.

But private security firm Protection Vessels International (PVI) said they were en route to provide security for ships in the region.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are pleased that the four British nationals have now been able to leave Eritrea and can be reunited with family and friends. We are very grateful to the Government of the State of Qatar for helping facilitate their return.

“We remain concerned however that at no time did the Eritreans respond to our requests for consular access and will continue to raise this matter with them.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.