In a televised speech on state media last week, al-Bashir urged citizens to understand the new harsh austerity measures, which lifted fuel subsidies and cut the Cabinet by half to reduce expenses.

CNN: Sudanese protest government cutbacks

Iraqi security forces tightened their security measures Saturday in and around Baghdad to protect pilgrims flocking to Imam Moussa al-Kadhim's shrine.

CNN: Baghdad car bombs target Shiite pilgrims, kill 32

The United States, which anyway needs the help of men like Mr Akaev to prosecute its war against al-Qaeda, is often disinclined to criticise, partly because some of the measures are directly modelled on American ones.

ECONOMIST: Civil liberties

The resolution creates a working group to study measures and take action against terrorists and terrorist groups that are not affiliated with al Qaeda or the Taliban.

CNN: U.N. council unites on terror

The case that bin Laden was living there was entirely circumstantial and was based on the fact that residing at the Abbottabad compound was a longtime al Qaeda insider and that he and the other people living in the compound were taking elaborate measures to deceive their neighbors about their identities.

CNN: John Brennan, Obama's counterterrorist

Ashraf al-Araby, the planning minister, played down the idea on Sunday, adding that broad structural measures were needed.

CNN: Egypt hits problems over IMF loan