Top news: President Mohamed Morsy declared a state of emergency and a curfew in three major Egyptian cities, deploying one of the most hated tools of the Mubarak regime in order to quell rising unrest on Egyptian streets.
Clashes between police and protesters over the weekend left at least 50 dead and hundreds injured as critics of Morsy's government launched nationwide protests to mark the anniversary of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak from power and to protest what they view as an increasingly authoritarian government. With the situation already tense, a ruling issued by a court in Port Said that sentenced 21 defendants to death for a deadly soccer riot in February, 2012, caused protesters to take to the streets there, resulting in pitched street battles in which police opened fire on protesters. Taken together, the violence is some of the worst the country has seen in the two since Mubarak's downfall.
In a televised address Sunday, Morsy said that street-violence represented a potential counter-revolution and that he was acting in order to stop a blood bath. “There is no room for hesitation, so that everybody knows the institution of the state is capable of protecting the citizens,” he said. “If I see that the homeland and its children are in danger, I will be forced to do more than that. For the sake of Egypt, I will.”
Morsy's government, which has struggled to jump-start the languishing Egyptian economy and heal the social and political rifts exposed by the revolution, sent a bill to the Egyptian parliament on Monday that would give the military a greater role in maintaining law on order on the streets. The slow pace of reforms and the government's unwillingness to hold accountable individuals, particularly within the armed forces, have been key in sowing dissent and fueling explosive street protests.
Brazil: At least 233 people were killed in a fire at a Brazilian night club in the city of Santa Maria. Sparked by the band's pyrotechnics, the fire quickly swept through the club, leaving a panicked crowd composed mostly of local students little time to escape. Many of the doors to club had been locked, resulting in a mad scramble to the exit.
Middle East
- Israeli officials said they would consider launching a pre-emptive strike to prevent Syrian chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.
- Iran denied foreign media reports that a major explosion had occurred at its underground uranium enrichment site at Fordo.
- A brain scan carried out on former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has spent the last seven years in a coma, indicated significant brain activity.
Africa
- French and Malian forces seized control of the Timbuktu airport and roads leading to the city.
- Islamist extremists set fire to a library in Timbuktu containing troves of ancient and historic manuscripts.
- Though the effort has not yet received Security Council approval, U.N. officials are planning for an intervention force to combat rebels in Congo.
Asia
- In the latest of a series of belligerent statements in response to tightening U.N. sanctions, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un instructed top military and party officials to carry out “substantial and high-profile important state measures.”
- The Philippine legislature approved a measure to award compensation to victims of abuses carried out by Ferdinand Marcos.
- Toyota reclaimed its title as the world's largest automaker.
Europe
- Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi praised the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini as a good leader, drawing outrage and calls for Berlusconi's prosecution.
- Around 100,000 people demonstrated in the streets of Paris to demonstrate in support of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, which French lawmakers will take up for debate on Tuesday.
- Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats and the junior partner in the governing coalition, slammed British Prime Minister David Cameron's proposal for a referendum on continued UK membership in the European Union.
Americas
- A group of U.S. Senators have agreed on the framework of a deal to overhaul the country's immigration system.
- In one of the deadliest prison uprisings in Venezuela's history, at least 58 people were killed and another 46 were wounded.
- Argentina and Iran agreed to establish a truth commission to investigate a bombing at a Jewish center nearly two decades ago in which several Iranians are believed to have been involved.
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