follow suit
. But it is clearly good news for the opposition whose hopes of persuading the Russians to take a tougher line of the Assad regime have drawn blank. After talks in Moscow, Abdulbaset Sayda, the leader of the main opposition umbrella group-the Syrian National Council, was especially critical of Russia's position, saying it was allowing the violence to continue.
Rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have threatened to march on the town of Goma if the Congolese government fails to protect the population. Rebels of the M23 said Rwandans living in Goma, the members of the Tutsi ethnic group had been
harassed
. Here is Mark Doyle.
The threat to possibly take Goma came during a press conference held by leaders of the rebel group which has military positions just north of the city. A Congolese bishop, Jean-Marie Runiga, presented himself at the press conference as one of the rebel leaders. He said members of particular ethnic groups including ethnic Tutsis were being beaten and killed by government's supporters in Goma because of their perceived links to the rebels. It's not clear whether the threat to attack Goma will be followed a coup.
The BBC has learned that the British army is putting an extra 3,500 soldiers on standby to provide security for the Olympic Games due to start in just over two weeks. The original contractor G4S, which has been paid almost half a billon dollars, is understood to be struggling to supply the 10,000 guards needed.