New cabinet in Sudan

Sudanese state television is reporting that President Omar el-Bashir has announced a new cabinet, a day after the arrest of the main opposition leader, Hassan al-Turabi.

Key members of the outgoing government -- including the ministers of defence and foreign affairs -- retain their portfolios, while the presidential affairs minister, Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, takes over at the interior ministry.

The new cabinet also includes six ministers from the south of the country where rebels have been waging a civil war since 1983.

Mr Turabi and a number of his supporters were arrested after it emerged that his party had signed a document with the main southern rebel group. Sudan's Information Minister, Ghazi Salah Eddin, said Mr Turabi had been arrested for cooperating with what he called a terrorist organisation to fight the state.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service