Syrian rebels free 21 UN peacekeepers

Syrian rebels free 21 UN peacekeepers






Syrian rebels freed 21 U.N. peacekeepers on Saturday after holding them hostage for four days, ending a sudden entanglement with the world body that earned fighters trying to oust President Bashar Assad a flood of negative publicity.The development marked the end of one of the most dramatic U.N. hostage crises in years, and it followed days of intense U.N. negotiations to secure the release of the Filipino blue helmets against a backdrop of intensive fighting between Syrian forces and rebel fighters.

Activists associated with the group, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, gave different reasons for seizing the 21 men.First they demanded that all government forces leave the area, then they suggested the peacekeepers were human shields against government attacks.They subsequently declared them "honoured guests" held for their own safety.They also released videos online, including one on Saturday of a bearded rebel commander with his arms around two peacekeepers' shoulders, flashing a V for victory sign.

“They asked us to wait for an hour as they negotiated between themselves. Then we were surprised to hear the news from a satellite channel that they had reached Jordan,” he said. “Praise God in the end that all of them were released safely.”
For its part, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a letter to the United Nations that was shared with the media that the Syrian army had held its fire in the area “out of concern for the security and safety of the U.N. forces."On Friday, the United Nations’ top peacekeeping official, Herve Ladsous, had expressed concern about the fate of the village, citing evidence that Syrian forces had been shelling the town. Syria’s U.N. envoy, Bashar al-Jaafari, denied his government was shelling the town.

Syrian rebels detain UN peacekeepers on Golan Heights

Syrian rebels detain UN peacekeepers on Golan Heights






UN officials said negotiations were under way Thursday with Syrian rebels who seized 21 UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights ceasefire zone between Syria and Israel, as rebels took total control of the key northern city of Raqa.A young fighter saying he was from the "Martyrs of Yarmouk" said the peacekeepers would not be set free until Syrian government forces withdrew from the village of Jamlah, a mile east of the ceasefire link with the Israeli-occupied Golan, Reuters reports."If no withdrawal is made within 24 hours we will treat them as prisoners," he said, claiming the UN forces had collaborated with Syrian government troops to drive the fighters out of the village.The UNDOF force was established in 1974 following the 1973 Yom Kippur war to monitor the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces and maintain a ceasefire.Vitaly Churkin, Russia's UN ambassador andthe current Security Council president, said talks were under way between UN officials from the peacekeeping force and the captors.

In December, Mr. Ban accused the Syrian government of serious violations of the 1974 separation agreement and called on both countries to halt firing across the ceasefire line. He cited numerous clashes between Syrian security forces and opposition fighters in the disengagement zone.In response, he said, UNDOF has adopted a number of security measures.

Hugo Chávez lies in state with open casket

Hugo Chávez lies in state with open casket





The body of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lies in state at the Caracas military academy, after huge crowds watch a procession carrying his coffin.The body of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lay in state in a half-open casket Wednesday at a military academy in Caracas, after throngs of weeping supporters lined the streets to bid farewell.Latin American leaders joined hundreds of thousands of grieving Venezuelans in paying tribute at the open casket of Hugo Chávez as the firebrand leftist president lay in state in Caracas overnight.
The 58-year-old leader died Tuesday, weakened by a respiratory infection after a fourth round of cancer surgery.Maduro, who on Tuesday tearfully broke the news to the nation that his mentor had died, has taken over as interim president and will campaign for the presidency proper. (Even after death, Hugo Chavez gets choice of successor)

The wooden casket was surrounded by four tall candelabras as his children, senior aides and three Latin American leaders looked on, according to images broadcast on state television.
Mr Maduro is expected to face the opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, who stood for the presidency in October but was beaten by Mr Chávez. The opposition has yet to confirm Mr Capriles as its official candidate.

But for now, the election is the last thing on the minds of the Chávez supporters, who are simply trying to come to terms with their loss and are calling for him to be interred inside the National Pantheon alongside Venezuela's liberator, Simon Bolivar, our correspondent adds.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dead after battle with cancer

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dead after battle with cancer





Venezuelan officials called for peace and unity after President Hugo Chavez's death on Tuesday, emphasizing in state television broadcasts that all branches of the government and the military were standing together. The 58-year-old died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer that was first detected in his pelvis. He had suffered multiple complications following his latest operation on December 11 and had not been seen in public since then.Mr Maduro called on Venezualans to be 'dignified inheritors of the giant man', adding: 'Let there be no weakness, no violence. Let there be no hate. In our hearts there should only be one sentiment: Love. Love, peace and discipline.His opponents seethed at the larger-than-life character who demonized them on television and ordered the expropriation of farms and businesses. Many in the middle class cringed at his bombast and complained about rising crime, soaring inflation and government economic controls.


A victory by Capriles would bring deep changes to Venezuela and would be welcomed by business groups and foreign investors, although he would probably move cautiously in order to lower the risk of political instability and violence.State TV broadcast Chavez’s emotional last speech to the nation in December, shops in Caracas closed their doors for fear of looting, and condolences poured in from around the world, including messages from film maker Oliver Stone and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.



A self-described "subversive," Chavez fashioned himself after the 19th Century independence leader Simon Bolivar and renamed his country the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world but the nationalizations and strict currency controls under Chavez frightened off investors. Even some of his followers complained that he focused too much on ideological issues at the expense of day-to-day problems such as power cuts, high inflation, food shortages and violent crime.On the other side of Venezuela's political divide was Carlos Quijada, a 38-year-old economist who said he was sad that death rather than an election defeat had written Chavez's political obituary.He was one of the key players in the progressive movement that has swept across Latin America over the past few years."Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics. "A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

Manchester United v Real Madrid: home fans plan for special night in Old Trafford stands live stream 19 : 45 MANCHESTER, England — The white scarves of Real Madrid were everywhere Monday as Spanish fans buzzed around St. Peter’s Square. Latecomers looking for lodging, though, were out of luck; there was nary a room to be had in the city. And out near Old Trafford, a pair of drivers idling at a red light on Sir Matt Busby Way waved over two ticket scalpers before sending them back almost immediately after hearing the asking prices for tickets to the game everyone is talking about.While one of Manchester United's former stars — Cristiano Ronaldo — returns, the club's longest-serving player — Ryan Giggs — is expected to play the 1,000th match of a glittering career. The first match at the Bernabeu ended 1-1 to hand Sir Alex Ferguson's side a priceless away goal, and ensured that the Premier League leaders need only a win or a goalless draw on home soil to progress to the quarter-finals at the expense of Jose Mourinho's outfit. the bad news for United is they don’t have anyone else of his ilk to compete against Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ferguson must hope, then, that Tom Cleverley or Anderson can step forward to answer this most important of calls, especially when Real Madrid swarm forward on the counter-attack. Because if the visitors start dominating that vital area in front of United’s back four, trouble won’t be far away.

Manchester United v Real Madrid: home fans plan for special night in Old Trafford stands live stream 19 : 45    

MANCHESTER, England — The white scarves of Real Madrid were everywhere Monday as Spanish fans buzzed around St. Peter’s Square. Latecomers looking for lodging, though, were out of luck; there was nary a room to be had in the city. And out near Old Trafford, a pair of drivers idling at a red light on Sir Matt Busby Way waved over two ticket scalpers before sending them back almost immediately after hearing the asking prices for tickets to the game everyone is talking about.While one of Manchester United's former stars — Cristiano Ronaldo — returns, the club's longest-serving player — Ryan Giggs — is expected to play the 1,000th match of a glittering career.

The first match at the Bernabeu ended 1-1 to hand Sir Alex Ferguson's side a priceless away goal, and ensured that the Premier League leaders need only a win or a goalless draw on home soil to progress to the quarter-finals at the expense of Jose Mourinho's outfit.
the bad news for United is they don’t have anyone else of his ilk to compete against Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ferguson must hope, then, that Tom Cleverley or Anderson can step forward to answer this most important of calls, especially when Real Madrid swarm forward on the counter-attack. Because if the visitors start dominating that vital area in front of United’s back four, trouble won’t be far away.

48 Syrian, 9 Iraqi soldiers killed in western Iraq ambush

48 Syrian, 9 Iraqi soldiers killed in western Iraq ambush







Armed men from Syria carried out an ambush in western Iraq on Monday killing 48 unarmed Syrian soldiers being transferred to the border and nine Iraqi guards, the defence ministry said.The ambush in Anbar province, a day after a key Syrian opposition group accused Iraq of interfering in Syria, threatens to entangle Baghdad in its neighbour's civil war -- something it has tried hard to avoid.From the beginning, we have warned that some militant groups want to move the conflict in Syria to Iraq," said Ali al-Mussawi, adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki."Militant groups are very active on the border areas between Iraq and Syria. Some of these groups affiliate with al Qaeda in Iraq," he added.

Al-Mussawi said that many of the Syrians killed in the ambush had earlier received medical treatment in Iraq. They were wounded during a battle at the Yaarabiya-Rabia border crossing a few days ago. The point is called Rabia in Iraq; Yaarabiya in Syria.
Ali Mussawi, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's spokesman, said the ambush "confirms our fears of the attempt of some to move the conflict to Iraq, but we will face these attempts by all sides with all of our power".The defence ministry said in an online statement that the ambush was carried out "by a terrorist group that infiltrated into Iraqi territory coming from Syria," and put the death toll at 48 Syrian soldiers and nine Iraqi guards.

It said a number of unarmed Syrian soldiers wounded in fighting had fled to Iraq for medical treatment and were being transferred to Al-Walid border crossing to be returned to Syria through "official channels".The United Nations has estimated that about 70,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war, which began roughly two years ago.Just on Monday, at least 149 people were killed, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition group. The deaths include 40 in and around Damascus, 35 in Raqqa province and 25 in Aleppo."After the Iraqi government headed by Nuri al-Maliki gave political and intelligence support to the Syrian regime... the Baghdad regime has moved on to a new level of intervention in Syrian affairs," the National Council charged.
It said Baghdad was "attacking the Syrian people, their basic rights and their territorial sovereignty."

Kenyans Await Aftermath, Tally of Tense Election

Kenyans Await Aftermath, Tally of Tense Election






Kenyans are awaiting the result of their country's presidential election, with Uhuru Kenyatta leading Raila Odinga according to early tallies.After a long day at the polls where Kenyans lined up en masse to cast their ballots in 47 counties, 290 constituencies and 1,450 county assembly wards, the country eagerly awaits the results with ballot counting continuing throughout the night.Election results are being tracked and updated by all major media houses, including the Nation.

Preliminary results were trickling in on Monday evening, and counting was expected to continue through the night. Mr. Kenyatta had 690,211 votes and Mr. Odinga had 488,208 votes with about 13% of polling stations reporting.By early Tuesday, Mr Kenyatta of the Jubilee alliance had established a lead over Mr Odinga, who heads the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD).
Continue reading the main story,“Start QuoteThese [irregularities] we find to be placing in jeopardy the credibility of this process”Frank Bett Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) Kenya: Vote around the country'We've been waiting for five years'.With 25.03% of polling stations reporting, the 51-year-old deputy prime minister had 1.53m votes, or 55.09%, while the 68-year-old prime minister had 1.12m, or 40.33%, local media reported.

The head of the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC) said turnout among the 14.3 million voters was more than 70% - marginally higher than in 2007 - but did not give a precise total because many polling stations stayed open late into the night.
The IEBC said some delays were caused by difficulties with newly instituted biometric voting kits intended to reduce fraud.
Toronto StarKenya election draws millions to voteToronto StarShare via Email Print Report an Error. Save to mystar. Voters waited their turn at a polling station in Kibera, Kenya's largest slum on Monday. MICHELLE SHEPHARD / THE TORONTO STAR. Voters waited their turn at a polling station in Kibera, Kenya's largest ...Kenyans Flood Polls for Presidential VoteNew York TimesKenyans Await Aftermath, Tally of Tense ElectionWall Street JournalTurnout in landmark Kenya poll tops 70 per centNDTVMyjoyonline.com -BBC News -Voice of Americaall 534 news articles

Votes counted in key Kenyan election

Votes counted in key Kenyan election







We commend the Kenyan people, many of whom have patiently waited in long lines to vote, for their active and peaceful participation in the election and we urge all candidates and their supporters to maintain peace as the results are tabulated and announced. The election is widely viewed as a test of Kenya's democracy. It is the first presidential poll under a new constitution designed to prevent the ethnic violence that marred the previous poll.The voting got off to a bloody start Monday when a group of 200 separatists set a trap for police in the coastal city of Mombasa in the pre-dawn hours, Inspector General David Kimaiyo said. Four police were hacked to death with machetes, coast police boss Aggrey Adoli said,The country's top two presidential candidates condemned the Mombasa attacks. Prime Minister Raila Odinga called it a "heinous act of aggression" during a historic exercise. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said he was discouraged by the news but he was sure the security situation would be brought under control. Reports from around the country suggested long queues of voters had formed even before polling stations opened - and some voters, such as those in Eldoret, were waiting up to 10 hours to cast their ballots.Six police officers died in pre-election violence, authorities reported. The big turnout and problems with electronic systems caused voting delays, officials said.

Peter Alingo of the Elections Observation Group said voting results would be sent from local counting centers to the national elections center in Nairobi on a mobile-phone system. Presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, who faces trial at the International Criminal Court on charges of helping to orchestrate the 2007 violence, said this year's election is about peace. Any issues that one may have, there is due process, there are the courts and everything else, which we should follow as opposed to inciting our supporters one way or the other," Kenyatta said. "Kenya will have a leader and that leader will be the leader of 40 million Kenyans,Kenyatta is an ethnic Kikuyu who is the son of Kenya's founding president. Odinga is an ethnic Luo whose father was the country's first vice president. Polls show the two in a close race, with support for each in the mid-40-percent range.

Al-Qaeda leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed in Mali' as Chadian armed forces destroy terrorist base

Al-Qaeda leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed in Mali' as Chadian armed forces destroy terrorist base

A senior commander for al-Qaeda's north African wing has been killed by Chadian soldiers in Mali. Mokhtar Belmokhtar allegedly masterminded the raid on the gas plant in southern Algeria that left 37 hostages dead. Mokhtar Belmokhtar is said to have led the assault on the In Amenas gas facility in eastern Algeria in January where 37 hostages were killed in the course of a military operation to retake the plant.Belmokhtar's death, if confirmed, would be a major blow to Islamist rebels in northern Mali who have been pushed into their mountain strongholds by French and African forces.The purported killing of Belmoktar comes a day after Chad's president announced that another senior regional commander of al-Qaeda, Abou Zeid, had been eliminated by French and Chadian forces.

French officials so far have not confirmed the killing of either Abou Zeid or Belmokhtar. On Friday, French president Francois Hollande said that terrorist groups in Mali have taken refuge “in an especially difficult zone” but refused to confirm progress until “the end of the operation” is reached.On Saturday, March 2, at noon, Chadian armed forces operating in northern Mali completely destroyed a terrorist base. ... The toll included several dead terrorists, including their leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar," Chad's armed forces said in a statement read on national television.Anne Giudicelli, managing director of security consultancy Terrorisc, said the al Qaeda commanders' deaths - if confirmed - would temporarily disrupt the Islamist rebel network but would also raise concern over the fate of seven French hostages believed to be held by Islamists in northern Mali.


Mr Marlboro because of his involvement in cigarette smuggling, was born in Algeria in 1972 and claimed he gained combat experience in Afghanistan before returning to his home nation. The one-eyed gangster had also been dubbed "The Uncatchable" by French intelligence after being linked to a series of kidnappings of foreigners in north Africa over the past decade. Belmokhtar then became a commander in the Mali-based Islamist Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb before heading his own Islamist organisation, dubbed the Al-Mulathameen or Masked Brigade.It was this group that claimed responsibility for the Algeria gas plant attack.He is a pirate king of the Sahara," Jon Marks, a specialist in the region at the Chatham House thinktank, said after the gas plant attack. "But like most of these Algerian groups he mixes criminality with ideology, with the balance on either aspect depending on the circumstances.

Obama signs sweeping US budget cuts into effect

Obama signs sweeping US budget cuts into effect





The BBC's Mark Mardell in Washington says the cuts were designed to be so brutally painful that politicians would be forced to agree on a better way of balancing the books. However, as the deadline loomed on Friday, Mr Obama and Republican congressional leaders still failed to agree on a way to avoid them. Obama has insisted on replacing the cuts, known as a "sequester" in government budget language, with tax increases and cuts spread out over time. Republicans have rejected any plan that included tax revenue. Let's make it clear that the president got his tax hikes on 1 January, he said as he left the White House.The discussion about revenue, in my view, is over. It's about taking on the spending problem.

Correspondents say attention will now turn to the next congressional challenge - a possible shutdown of the US government if no funding bill is passed in the next month. After the White House talks broke up, Mr Obama had earlier blamed the austerity time bomb on Republicans, who refused to close tax loopholes for the rich and corporations combined with more targeted spending cuts, in his "balanced" approach to deficit reduction. At the same time they clashed, Obama and Republicans appeared determined to contain their disagreement. Boehner said the House will pass legislation next week to extend routine funding for government agencies beyond the current March 27 expiration. "I'm hopeful that we won't have to deal with the threat of a government shutdown while we're dealing with the sequester at the same time," he said, referring to the new cuts by their Washington-speak name,

He warned the cuts - if fully realised - would slow US economic growth by half of 1% and cost 750,000 jobs.In the coming days and the coming weeks, I'm going to keeping on reaching out to them -- both individually and as groups of senators or members of the House -- and say to them, 'Let's fix this, not just for a month or two, but for years to come,' because the greatest nation on Earth does not conduct its business in month-to-month increments or by careening from crisis to crisis," Obama said.



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