WORLD/ STATE OF EMERGENCY IN TUNISIA: Tunisia's president has stepped down after 23 years in power amid unprecedented protests on the streets of the capital Tunis. Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi said he would be taking over from President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. A state of emergency has been declared amid protests over corruption, unemployment and rising prices. Reports say Mr Ben Ali has left the country, but this has yet to be confirmed by officials. Earlier, police fired tear gas as thousands of protesters gathered outside the interior ministry. Doctors say that 13 people were killed in overnight clashes in Tunis, and there are unconfirmed reports that 5 people have been killed in protests on today outside the capital. Troops have surrounded the country's main International Airport, Tunis Carthage, and the country's air space has been closed. Human rights groups say dozens of people have died in recent weeks as unrest has swept the country and security forces have cracked down on the protests. The protests started after an unemployed graduate set himself on fire when police tried to prevent him from selling vegetables without a permit. He died a few weeks later.
An estimated 325,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Sri Lanka because of flooding. More than a million people have been affected by the floods and mudslides after heavy rain. 23 people are confirmed dead, with 1 person reported missing and another 36 people injured. The worst-hit area appears to be the island's Eastern Province, where many residents have been cut off from supplies and sewage lines and tanks have overflowed. The United Nations and other aid agencies have also offered assistance, supplying food, sleeping mats, hygiene kits, purification tablets and water tanks. An image has emerged from Sri Lanka of a dead elephant calf stuck high in a tree after getting caught up in the country's fast-flowing floods. The animal was found near the Kaloya river in northern Sri Lanka, which rose 18ft above its normal height. Many Sri Lankan's believe the photo will be a defining image of the country's recent heavy flooding. The elephant is one of thousands of animals confirmed dead in the disaster.
Emergency crews in Brazil are struggling to reach areas affected by deadly mudslides and floods because of renewed rainfall. Officials say more than 500 people are known to have died in the floods, the country's worst in decades. Local media reported rescuers had to reach worst-hit areas on foot because vehicles cannot cross blocked roads. Mountainous areas north of Rio de Janeiro have been hit by the heaviest downpours in 44 years. The rain caused rivers of mud to rush down the mountains and tear through towns, levelling houses and throwing cars over buildings. More than 5000 people have been left homeless, and officials said at least 511 people had died. Forecasters have warned that the steady rainfall in the area will continue into next week.
People in Brisbane are clearning up the swathes of sludge and debris as floodwaters recede from Australia's 3rd largest city. At least 30,000 properties in the Queensland city have been swamped and many areas remain without power. Tens of thousands more homes in outlying areas of Queensland have also been destroyed or damaged. Meteorologists have warned that there could be more heavy rain to come in the flood-hit state, in which at least 16 people have lost their lives this week. More than 60 are missing and police say some of the missing may never be found, despite intensive searches. Many of those who perished were swept away when flash floods hit Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley area, west of Brisbane, on Monday. Floods have surged through southern Queensland since December, causing widespread devastation.
A couple have offered to name their first-born child after anyone who finds their Bernese mountain dog. The couple, from Ottawa, Canada, have handed out 3000 flyers as they search for Molly Jane who is thought to have been stolen. But desperate to get the animal back the couple, who are expecting a child in just 3 weeks time, have made the unusual offer. The 16 month old black and white dog disappeared when Sara let her go outside to go to the toilet 8 days ago, and there has been no sign of her since. Police believe the dog was abducted from the family home in Richmond, Ottawa, because there was a failed attempt to abduct a dog of the same breed just a few miles away on the same breed. The couple do not yet know if their first child is a going to be a girl or a boy, but said they will ‘seriously consider’ naming him or her after whoever finds their mountain dog. "There are some strange names out there, but Molly's that important to us so we'll consider what we have to consider." they told a local reporter. The couple have framed collages of their dog. and they created a 2011 calendar with Molly on every page.
US/ RUSH BILLBOARD TAKEN DOWN: In the wake of last Saturday's shooting, a billboard was taken down in Tucson, Arizona, yesterday. The billboard was created by a local Tucson talk radio station to promote its broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated radio program. Clear Channel in Tucson reportedly quickly elected to take down this ad believing that "discussion of its interpretation would not contribute to the desire for healing in the Tucson community". Conservative icon Limbaugh has hit out at any suggestions that conservative rhetoric may have influenced the man who killed 6 and wounded 14.
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