SAO PAULO – UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned that humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region requires immediate attention. “This is a humanitarian emergency of catastrophic proportions that must be addressed, not tomorrow, but now,” Annan said on the sidelines of the 11th UN Conference on Trade and Development. “The world must insist that the Sudanese authorities neutralize and disarm the militia, who continue to terrorize the population. They must also allow humanitarian supplies.” King Muhammad EMBARKS ON AFRICAN TOUR

RABAT – King Muhammad VI of Morocco began a five-nation tour on Tuesday, aimed at boosting Morocco’s presence in sub-Saharan Africa and reducing tension over Western Sahara, the territory it has occupied for nearly three decades. The two-week tour will include Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Niger, and Senegal. Morocco is a strong advocate of South-South economic and technological cooperation, and has forged links with several countries in the region, notably in infrastructure and housing, funding a number of projects. AFRICAN STATES LAUNCH JOINT BORDER PATROLS

ABUJA – Nigerian police have set up a committee to oversee joint border patrols with the force’s counterparts in the neighbouring states of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The move follows the success of a similar exercise on Nigeria’s western frontier with Benin, credited with cutting cross-border crime. Cooperation there led to the arrest of suspected international crime kingpin Hammani Tidjani, a Niger national based in Benin who was arrested in Mali and handed over to the Nigerian authorities in September. QADHAFI ACCUSED OF SAUDI MURDER PLOT

CAIRO – A jailed Muslim American activist has insisted that Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi planned to assassinate Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz, but stressed that he was not involved in the plot. The activist, Abdel Rahman Al Amudi, made the accusation in response to questions put to him by the Cairo-based Islamic website, IslamOnline.net. US officials said the accusation was slowing a thaw in relations with Libya. Amudi is in jail in Virginia for flouting a United States ban on travel to Libya and accepting funds from Libyan officials. ISLAMIST GROUP RELEASES VIDEO OF LEBANESE HOSTAGE IN IRAQ

DUBAI – An armed group calling itself “the battalion of Islamic anger” has released footage of what it says is a Lebanese hostage being held in Iraq. The footage, aired on the Dubai-based Al Arabi ya satellite television channel, showed the hostage, named as Habib Khalil Samur, stating that he had entered Iraq after the US-led forces took over Baghdad in April 2003. “I came to carry out studies on the mentality and opinions of Iraqis,” said Samur, adding that he worked for a market research company that furnished information to the Americans. JORDAN DENIES CAPTURE OF ISLAMIST MILITANTS

AMMAN – The Jordanian government has denied reports this week that police had launched a series of raids, arresting suspects believed to be Islamist militants. “These reports are not true,” said government spokeswoman Asma Khodr. Police reportedly arrested two suspects, believed to be Islamist militants, in Wasfi Al Tall Street, a commercial district of fast-food restaurants and electronics shops.

   ISRAELI COURT SPARKS CONTROVERSY OVER PORK

JERUSALEM – Israel’s high court has cleared the way for the sale of pork in city centers across the country, after striking down by-laws that had been used to limit or ban sales in three municipalities. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party described the decision as a nail in the coffin of the Jewish identity of the state, while the Yahad-Meretz party said it hoped similar achievements would be reached over other contentious religious-secular issues, such as civil marriage. SYRIA MAY CHANGE CHARTER ON ISRAEL

MUSCAT – Syria is considering removing from its national charter a clause that forbids the recognition of Israel, Oman’s Al Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday. The convention would be changed to call for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions for peace in the region. Another change would allow students who are not members of the ruling Baath Party to take part in university events. IRAN ALCOHOL TOLL CLIMBS

TEHRAN – At least 19 people have died after drinking adulterated alcohol bought on the black market in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, a provincial justice official said on Monday. A total of 60 people were admitted to hospital after drinking locally made alcohol that doctors suspect was laced with methanol. The production and consumption of alcohol has been banned in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, carrying a prison term of up to two years, heavy fines, or lashes.