TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Well Everyone is looking at the Ukraine.
5 March 2014 Last updated at 20:47 ET
Venezuela's Maduro breaks diplomatic links with Panama
Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, has broken diplomatic relations and frozen economic ties with Panama.
The decision comes after the Central American nation requested a meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) to discuss Venezuela's crisis.
Mr Maduro was speaking to other Latin American heads of state at events to mark the first anniversary of the death of the leader Hugo Chavez.
At least 18 people have died in street protests in the last three weeks.
"I've decided to break political and diplomatic ties with the current government of Panama and freeze all trade and economic relations from this moment on," Mr Maduro told the presidents of Cuba, Raul Castro, Uruguay, Jose Mujica, and Bolivia, Evo Morales, among other leaders gathered around the tomb of Mr Chavez.
'Conspiracy'
Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli expressed surprise at Venezuela's decision.
"Panama only hopes that this brother nation finds peace and strengthens its democracy," Mr Martinelli wrote on Twitter.
Panama's official statement said the country was "astonished" and called Mr Maduro's words "unacceptable".
"The measure announced by President Maduro should not become a smoke screen intended to hide reality," it read.
Earlier, thousands of government supporters and troops took part in a huge parade through central Caracas, commemorating the first anniversary of Chavez's death.
In other parts of the capital, anti-government protesters kept up their barricades, despite an appeal made by opposition leaders to "respect" the date.
Last week, the government of Panama requested an urgent meeting of OAS member-states to discuss the unrest in Venezuela.
Venezuelans have long been complaining about high levels of crime, record inflation and shortages of staple items.
But in the last three weeks marches initially started by disgruntled students in the western states of Tachira and Merida spread to other areas and gained support.
On Wednesday, the OAS said a meeting would take place the next day behind closed doors to decide whether or not to convene the region's Foreign ministers over the issue.
Mr Maduro accused the Panamanian government of conspiring to bring down his government.
"There are moves by the United States government in accord with a lackey government of a right-wing president which has been creating the conditions for the OAS and other bodies to step towards an intervention in our country," Mr Maduro said.
The Venezuelan president also criticised OAS President Jose Miguel Insulza, who had suggested earlier that a group of observers could be sent to Venezuela – if its government and the opposition found it useful.
"Don't intervene in Venezuelan home affairs," was Mr Maduro's message to Mr Insulza.
Earlier, thousands of government supporters and troops marched through Venezuela's capital, Caracas, in a celebratory parade.
Some opposition demonstrators staged more protests around Caracas and some other cities despite appeals by their leaders to respect the date.
The Venezuelan government has been accusing the United States of being behind the recent wave of protests.
Last month, it expelled three diplomats under allegations of orchestrating student protests.
5 March 2014 Last updated at 11:02 ET
South Sudan soldiers die in 'pay battle' at army HQ
Five soldiers have been killed in a shooting in the main military barracks in South Sudan's capital, Juba, an army spokesman has said.
Fighting broke out following a dispute over pay, Brig Malaak Ayuen said
But Juba-based journalist Mading Ngor told the BBC many soldiers at the barracks told him that up to 100 may have been killed in the battle.
Many people living near the barracks have fled to schools and churches, seeking safety.
The shooting erupted in the same barracks where fighting between rival army units sparked off a wider conflict in South Sudan in December.
There were no indications that the fighting had spread to other areas, Brig Ayuen said.
Presidential guards and other elite forces are based at the compound, near the city's university.
"We're fighting over money," a soldier shouted from the entrance of the Jebel barracks as gunshots rang out, Reuters news agency reports.
'Ghost employees'
BBC Africa security correspondent Moses Rono says the shooting ended after about an hour.
While the army says the fighting was limited, it had engulfed the entire barracks and heavy artillery was used, Mr Ngor told the BBC Focus on Africa radio programme.
Many people are scared that the conflict could erupt again, and Juba remains tense, he says.
Troops loyal to the government have been deployed in heavy numbers in surrounding streets, and roadblocks have been set up, Reuters reports.
The US embassy in Juba has issued a statement, advising its nationals to stay indoors, the AFP news agency reports.
Brig Ayuen said on state television that the five dead soldiers were "martyrs".
The fighting erupted after soldiers argued with a military pay panel over delayed salaries, Brig Ayuen said.
The government has introduced a new payment system to curb corruption, following concerns raised by donors, Reuters reports.
It requires soldiers and civil servants to receive their wages in person so that money is not paid into the accounts of "ghost employees" or to those who do not turn up for work, it says.
South Sudan, the world's newest nation, became independent in 2011.
In December, fighting broke out between troops loyal to President Salvar Kiir and his sacked deputy Riek Machar, forcing some 860,000 people people to flee their homes.
A ceasefire was agreed between the two sides towards the end of January, but they have accused each other of violating it.
Peace talks hosted by Ethiopia are currently suspended and are expected to resume on 20 March.
4 March 2014 Last updated at 13:37 ET
Nigeria Boko Haram: 'Militants' kill villagers in raid
Suspected Islamist militants have torched a village in north-eastern Nigeria's Borno state, killing at least 11 people, a lawmaker told the BBC.
They raided Jakana overnight, destroying about a third of homes, Senator Khalifa Zannah said.
A local person told the BBC that as many as 40 people had been killed but this could not be confirmed.
The Islamist group Boko Haram intensified its insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria in recent weeks.
It has been blamed for about 130 killings in Borno alone since Friday.
The group has not commented on the attacks.
'Disabled left behind'
It launched its insurgency to create an Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria about six years ago.
Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict.
Mr Zannah told BBC Hausa the suspected militants had withdrawn from Jakana, 33km (20 miles) from the state capital, Maiduguri, after government forces arrived.
Most people had fled after rumours spread that Boko Haram was planning an attack but some elderly and disabled people were unable to get away, Mr Zannah added.
It was the third consecutive night that Boko Haram had been blamed for attacks in areas around Maiduguri:
On Sunday night, militants reportedly killed 11 people in a raid on Mfaka town, about 45km from Maiduguri
On Saturday night, Boko Haram fighters reportedly destroyed the entire village of Mainok, about 50km from Maiduguri, leaving 47 people dead.
The militants travel in a convoy of pick-up trucks, and are armed with assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and explosives.
The attacks have led to many people fleeing villages in Borno.
A resident of Magumeri village told BBC Hausa that about 75% of residents had left the settlement out of fear that it would be Boko Haram's next target.
He added that he had stayed behind because of a lack of transport, but he and his family, along with the other remaining residents, would spend the night in the bush.
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno and two other states last May, giving the military extra powers to defeat Boko Haram.
His critics say the state of emergency has been ineffectual, and government forces are poorly armed and often lack the numbers to fight the militants.
4 March 2014 Last updated at 11:45 ET
Syria submits new plan to ship chemicals arms by April
Syria has submitted a new plan for the removal of its chemical weapons, months after the expiry of the deadline set by the international community.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Damascus hoped to ship its most dangerous chemicals abroad by the end of April.
About a third of them will have been removed by the end of this week.
Despite the delays, the head of the joint OPCW-UN mission insisted that there had been "good progress".
Dutch diplomat Sigrid Kaag said the end of June deadline for the total destruction or removal of Syria's chemical arsenal was still achievable.
Elsewhere, government forces backed by fighters from the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah reportedly stepped up their bombardment of Yabroud, the last rebel stronghold in the Qalamoun mountains.
'New momentum'
Six more consignments of chemicals will leave Syria's Mediterranean port of Latakia by the end of the week, the OPCW said, as part of a US- and Russian-brokered deal agreed last year after a deadly chemical attack outside Damascus.
A quantity of the blister agent sulphur mustard was shipped on Wednesday, it said. A significant consignment of other "Priority 1" chemicals was scheduled to arrive in Latakia this week, it added.
The six consignments represent more than 35% of all chemicals that must be removed from Syria for destruction, including 23% of Priority 1 chemicals and 63% of less hazardous Priority 2 chemicals.
The removal of Priority 1 chemicals was due by 31 December, while the deadline for the shipment of Priority 2 material was 5 February.
The OPCW has also verified that Syria destroyed more than 93% of its stock of isopropanol, a dual-use chemical that is one of two key ingredients for sarin, a nerve agent used in the attack on several suburbs of Damascus on 21 August that left hundreds dead.
The international watchdog's director general said all materials and equipment required by Syria were now in place for the "expeditious removal" of its remaining chemicals, including armoured jackets for the protection of containers.
"Given delays since the lapse of the two target dates for removal, it will be important to maintain this newly created momentum," Ahmet Uzumcu said.
Ms Kaag, the special co-ordinator for the OPCW-UN joint mission, said: "This is good progress and I expect further acceleration and intensification of effort."
In a separate interview with the Associated Press, Ms Kaag said she had agreed with the Syrian government a 60-day timetable for shipments and anticipated "a lot of action" in March.
'Barrel bombs'
Fighting in and around Yabroud, about 60km (37 miles) north of Damascus, left dozens of people dead on Monday, including some 17 rebels and 19 soldiers, pro-government militiamen and Hezbollah fighters, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Thousands have fled the Yabroud area and crossed into northern Lebanon since the government air strikes began last month.
An army officer told journalists during a tour of government-held areas around Yabroud that civilians were still leaving, meaning the fighting was still light. He declined to say when a ground assault might begin.
The government launched an offensive in mid-November to oust rebel fighters from the Qalamoun mountains, cut off their cross-border supply routes and establish firm control over the motorway linking Damascus with the city of Homs.
In the capital, activists reported fresh fighting on the edge of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, with military helicopters dropping barrel bombs.
Thousands of civilians are trapped in Yarmouk, which has been under siege for eight months and has seen severe food shortages.
A fragile truce between rebels and Palestinian militants loyal to President Bashar al-Assad inside the camp broke down on Sunday, leading aid workers to stop distributing food parcels there.
Syrian chemical weapons: How the plan will unfold
1. The Syrian authorities are responsible for packing and safely transporting the chemical weapons from 12 sites across the country to the port of Latakia. Russia has supplied large-capacity and armoured lorries, while the US has sent container drums and GPS locators.
2. Russia is providing security for loading operations at Latakia, for which the US has supplied loading, transportation and decontamination equipment. China has sent 10 ambulances and surveillance cameras, and Finland an emergency response team in case of accidents.
3. Denmark and Norway are providing cargo ships and military escorts to take the chemicals to the container port of Gioia Tauro in Italy. Russia and China are also providing naval escorts and the first consignment of 16 tonnes left Latakia on 7 January.
4. In Italy, the "most critical" chemical agents will be loaded onto the US Maritime Administration cargo ship, MV Cape Ray, to be destroyed by hydrolysis in international waters. Less-toxic chemicals will be shipped by Norwegian and Danish vessels for disposal at commercial facilities.
5 March 2014 Last updated at 08:43 ET
India names general election dates
India's general election will take place in nine phases in April and May, the Election Commission has announced.
Polling to elect a new Lok Sabha, or lower house, will be held from 7 April to 12 May. Votes will be counted on 16 May.
With some 814 million eligible voters, India's election will be the largest the world has seen.
The ruling Congress party and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party will be battling a host of smaller parties.
Leaders of 11 regional parties have formed a Third Front against the Congress and the BJP.
A new anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man's) Party (AAP), which made a spectacular debut in recent polls in the capital Delhi, will also contest the elections.
If no single party wins a clear majority, smaller parties could play a crucial role.it one of the most exciting elections India has seen for years
India's lower house has 543 elected seats and any party or a coalition needs a minimum of 272 MPs to form a government.
New option
The dates on which polling will be held are 7 April, 9 April, 10 April, 12 April, 17 April, 24 April, 30 April, 7 May and 12 May.
Some states will hold polls in several phases. The new parliament has to be constituted by 31 May.
Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said school examination schedules, weather and crop harvesting seasons had been taken into account in deciding the polling dates.
Some 814 million voters - 100 million more than the last elections in 2009 - are eligible to vote at 930,000 polling stations, up from 830,000 polling stations in 2009.
Electronic voting machines will be used and will contain a None of the Above (Nota) button, an option for voters who do not want to cast their ballot for any of the candidates.
Elections in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will take place in six phases. Kashmir and West Bengal will vote in five phases each.
Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous states and one of its largest. Elections in the capital, Delhi, will be held on 10 April.
The election pits the governing Congress party-led coalition against the opposition BJP and its allies.
The BJP is being led by the charismatic and controversial Hindu nationalist leader, Narendra Modi.
Mr Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-poll surveys, is the leader of Gujarat state which witnessed one of India's worst anti-Muslim riots in 2002.
The incumbent Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is stepping down and Congress is being led by Rahul Gandhi, the latest member of India's influential Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
Correspondents say a number of smaller regional parties are also in the running and some of them could play important roles if neither of the main party coalitions secures a majority in the elections.
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