Egypt's public prosecutor has issued a travel ban on former President Hosni Mubarak and his family.

Mr Mubarak stepped down on 11 February, after almost 30 years in power, in the wake of mounting public protests.

Since then he has been living in his villa in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Mr Mubarak handed power to the military which has appointed an interim government to rule until a new constitution can be approved and elections held.

As the death toll from the Christchurch earthquake climbs, New Zealand's prime minister John Key has announced a relief package of wage subsidies for those hit hard by the disaster.

Reports from Libya indicate thousands may have been killed or injured as the government crackdown escalates "alarmingly", UN human rights head Navi Pillay has said.

For the past week, fighting has raged between anti-government forces and troops loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, in power for 42 years.

The UN Security Council has condemned the Libyan authorities for using force against protesters, calling for those responsible to be held to account.

In a statement, the council demanded an immediate end to the violence and said Libya's rulers had to "address the legitimate demands of the population".

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has refused to stand down amid widespread anti-government protests which he said had tarnished the image of the country.

In his first major speech since unrest began last week, Col Gaddafi said the whole world looked up to Libya and that protests were "serving the devil".

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, has warned that civil war could hit the country.

He offered significant political reforms, and admitted that the police and army had made "mistakes", but said the death toll was lower than reported.

Human Rights Watch says at least 233 people have died since last Thursday.

After more than two weeks of mass demonstrations in Egypt calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down, Vice-President Oman Suleiman announced the president had handed over power to military. The BBC's World Affairs Editor John Simpson looks at how it happened.

Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down as president of Egypt.

Vice-President Omar Suleiman made the announcement in a brief statement on state TV.

Years of conflict in Iraq have left the country with more than one million war widows and a shortage of young unmarried men - pressures that may be bringing about the return of polygamy.

A new Turkish action movie based on last year's Israeli commando raid on a Gaza aid ship could further strain Ankara's already frosty relations with Israel.

The film, Valley of the Wolves: Palestine, opens this weekend. It has already stirred controversy for its simplistic portrayal of Israelis as brutal oppressors of the Palestinians.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis have demonstrated in the capital Sanaa, calling on Ali Abdullah Saleh, president for 30 years, to step down.

This comes after mass protests in Egypt and a popular uprising in Tunisia that ousted its long-time leader.

President Hosni Mubarak has defended the role of Egypt's security forces in suppressing anti-government protests which have rocked the country.

Mr Mubarak also dismissed his government and said a new cabinet would be announced on Saturday.

Anti-government demonstrations have been continuing in Egypt despite efforts by the government to close them down. But so far they have not risen to a level to threaten President Hosni Mubarak.

On Wednesday, the interior ministry declared all demonstrations illegal and the police moved in quickly to break up any gatherings.

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