Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: World Powers Agree to Disagree

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1635 GMT: Sudan. A Presidential assistant has set out the cause of protests that revived in the country two weeks ago. While others have cited the Government's austerity measures, Nafie Ali Nafie said, "Zionist institutions inside the United States and elsewhere... are exploiting the latest economic decisions to destabilize the security and political situation."

Nafie said the government had evidence of collusion between rebel groups in Darfur, politicians in the newly-independent South Sudan, and Zionist institutions in the US to sabotage Sudan. He did not present the evidence.

1435 GMT: Mali. Members of the Salafist Ansar Dine group, armed with guns and pick-axes, have continued to destroy ancient mausoleums in Timbuktu, the second day of attacks on the UNESCO heritage sites.

Ansar Dine group backs strict Islamic law and considers the shrines of the local Sufi version of Islam to be idolatrous.

Residents say the group has threatened to destroy all of the 16 main mausoleums of saints in Timbuktu.

"We are subject to religion and not to international opinion. Building on graves is contrary to Islam. We are destroying the mausoleums because it is ordained by our religion," Oumar Ould Hamaha said.

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