KEY STORYLINES
- AFRICA: Senegalese President Wade admitted defeat in the presidential run-off election.
- AMERICAS: The Dominican Republic’s anti-drug service seized 1.5 tons of cocaine.
- ASIA: A man in an Afghan army uniform killed two NATO soldiers at Lashkar Gah in Helmand.
- EUROPE: South Ossetia’s presidential election will go to a run-off after neither candidate garnered 50% of the vote.
- MIDDLE EAST: Iranian President Ahmadinejad said relations between NATO and Pakistan would further deteriorate.
- TECHNOLOGY: A ten month study found that many single sign-on services supplied by Google, Facebook, and PayPal were all vulnerable to snoops and security breaches
TOP STORY
- Syria: Annan gathers international support for UN mediation.
- China said it supports Annan’s efforts to solve the Syrian crisis ahead of his visit.
- Russian President Medvedev told Annan he backed his efforts to end the crisis in Syria.
- A Syrian court released two activists after two months in detention for participating in anti-regime demonstrations.
- Government forces increased the intensity of attacks in Hama and across the country.
- The Turkish government closed its embassy in Damascus because of deteriorating security conditions in Syria.
- Coverage: AFP, AFP-2, DPA, Reuters, AFP-3
AFRICA
- Mali: Government and diplomatic sources reported Tuareg rebels are negotiating with soldiers in Kidal. (AP)
- Nigeria: An attack in Maiduguri left a former police officer, two civilian associates, and three suspected members of Boko Haram dead. (AFP)
- Senegal: President Wade admitted defeat in the presidential run-off election. (Xinhua)
- Somalia: A mortar attack targeting the presidential palace killed two civilians in an adjacent refugee camp. (AP)
AMERICAS
- Region: Colombia’s government criticized a public event held in Venezuela’s capital honoring the late leader of FARC. (AP)
- Colombia: Authorities said the FARC wanted to rescue guerrilla boss “Misael” from custody after he was captured in a battle last week. (Xinhua)
- Cuba: Opposition groups said dozens of dissidents were arrested ahead of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Havana. (DPA)
- Dominican Republic: The anti-drug service, supported by US agents, seized 1.5 tons of cocaine. (RIA Novosti)
ASIA
- Afghanistan: A man in an Afghan army uniform killed two NATO soldiers at Lashkar Gah in Helmand. (AP)
- Afghanistan: A suicide bomber targeted a NATO convoy in Uruzgan, injuring four people including three foreign soldiers. (Xinhua)
- China: President Obama met President Hu for talks expected to focus on an upcoming rocket launch by the DPRK. (AFP)
- India: A Tibetan protester lit himself on fire at a demonstration in New Delhi ahead of a visit by China’s president. (AP)
- Japan: The government will deploy surface-to-air missiles in central Tokyo in readiness for the DPRK’s planned rocket launch. (AFP)
EUROPE
- France: President Sarkozy said influential Qatar-based Sunni Muslim cleric Yusuf al Qaradawi was not welcome in France. (AFP)
- Georgia: A run-off leadership vote in South Ossetia will be implemented after Tibilov did not reach the 50 percent needed to win outright. (AFP)
- Russia: President Obama will commit to raising the possibility of fresh nuclear arms cuts with President Putin when they hold their first meeting in May. (AFP)
MIDDLE EAST
- Iran: President Ahmadinejad said relations between NATO and Pakistan would further deteriorate. (Reuters)
- Israel: Haaretz reported nearly two-thirds of Israeli Jews believe that the consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran would be worse than a preemptive strike. (AFP)
- Israel: The Israeli Supreme Court rejected the state’s request to postpone dismantling a large, unsanctioned West Bank settler enclave until late 2015. (AP)
- Yemen: The Defense Ministry said army forces arrested six Somali gunmen allegedly planning attacks on army bases and military officials in Zinjibar. (Xinhua)
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Cybersecurity: A ten month study found many single sign-on services supplied by Google, Facebook, and PayPal were all vulnerable to snoops and security breaches. (Ars Technica)
WORLD
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Maule, Chile
- Magnitude: 7.1
- Depth: 34.8 km
- Map
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (27MAR)
- Middle East: UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan visits China to discuss Syrian crisis.
- Japan: Italian PM Monti holds talks with PM Noda.
- Serbia: General Mladic’s trial held in The Hague for war crimes.
END
