Top news: Five bombs exploded in the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Monday, killing two foreign workers and injuring another. The Interior Ministry called the blasts "terrorist acts," but opposition activists have already suggested that they could be an attempt by the government to justify its recent ban on opposition gatherings.
Bahrain's monarchy has consistently blamed terrorists and foreign elements for the largely Shiite protests which began in February 2011, but the bombing represents a significant development in the standoff. Members of the opposition have been agitating for expanded political liberties and an end to official discrimination against the country's Shiite majority, but so far the government has done little to meet their demands. After the bombings, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland condemned the attack and called for dialogue between the government and members of the opposition.
Syria: A suicide bomb killed at least 50 members of the Syrian security forces in Hama province Monday, as the government escalated airstrikes and artillery fire against rebel-held positions in Damascus. In remarks published on Tuesday, U.N. and Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi described the situation as a "big catastrophe." Also on Tuesday, rebel fighters killed the brother of Syria's parliamentary speaker in Damascus.
Middle East
- Saudi Arabia appointed Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz as its new interior minister.
- Fighting between rival Libyan militias left five people wounded in the western city of al-Khoms.
- A suicide bomber killed 31 people outside an army base north of Baghdad.
Africa
- Malawi's justice minister announced that laws against same-sex relationships have been suspended while the parliament considers repealing them permanently.
- Sudanese rebels said they shelled the military headquarters in Kadugli, the capital of Sudan's South Kordofan state.
- Lawyers in South Africa accused police of planting weapons near the bodies of workers killed during strikes earlier this year.
Asia
- The U.N. Security Council's Taliban sanctions committee added the Haqqani network to its blacklist.
- The Sri Lankan parliament accepted a motion to impeach the country's chief justice.
- Flooding in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has displaced almost 100,000 people.
Europe
- The Netherlands swore in a new coalition government led by the country's center-left Labour party.
- President Francois Hollande is expected to announce new measures to make France's economy more competitive on Tuesday.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin sacked his defense minister over a corruption scandal.
Americas
- The Haitian government called for international help in dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Sandy.
- Nicaragua's governing Sandinista party won 134 of 153 mayoral posts in Sunday's elections amid allegations of fraud.
- Chilean President Sebastian Pinera reshuffled his cabinet after Defence Minister Andres Allamand and Public Works Minister Laurence Golborne resigned to start their presidential campaigns.
AFP/Getty Images
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