Syrian government 'agrees to Eid al-Adha ceasefire'

 

Lakhdar Brahimi did not give a precise time period for the ceasefire

The UN's envoy to Syria says President Bashar al-Assad's government has agreed to abide by a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Cairo that most opposition factions had also said they would observe any ceasefire.
The government said it would make its final decision on Thursday.
Mr Brahimi said he hoped to use the lull in fighting over Eid al-Adha, which starts on Friday, to "discuss a longer and more effective ceasefire".
Eid al-Adha, the Festival of the Sacrifice, is celebrated by Muslims to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as proof of obedience to God.
'Modest agreement' Mr Brahimi has travelled across the Middle East over the past two weeks in an effort to persuade the Syrian government and opposition, as well as their respective backers, to agree to his proposal for a ceasefire to "allow a political process to develop".
After holding talks on Wednesday with the Arab League's Secretary General, Nabil al-Arabi, Mr Brahimi announced that the Syrian government had expressed its support.
"After the visit I made to Damascus, there is agreement from the Syrian government for a ceasefire during the Eid," he told a news conference.
"Other factions in Syria that we were able to contact - heads of fighting groups - most of them also agree on the principle of the ceasefire."
Mr Brahimi did not give a precise time period for the truce.

The BBC's Tim Whewell reports from Marea, where the threat of helicopters distract funeral-goers

"If this modest agreement is successful we hope to build on it, so that we can talk a longer and more effective ceasefire. This ceasefire should be part of the political operation," the Algerian diplomat added.
The Syrian foreign ministry subsequently announced that the government would make a final decision on Thursday about the truce.
"The army command is studying the cessation of military operations during the Eid holiday, and the final decision will be taken tomorrow," a statement said.
A ceasefire negotiated in April by Mr Brahimi's predecessor, Kofi Annan, broke down within days and was followed by an escalation in the conflict.
Human rights and opposition activists estimate that more than 30,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.

Presidential Candidates spar on foreign policy

• Key moments
• World reacti

President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney argued over foreign policy in their final head-to-head before the election. What did the pundits make of it?

Toronto Star

Romney had a few powerful moments in Boca Raton - each one delivered by pivoting away from the topic at hand to domestic issues, pounding the Obama administration's dismal record on jobs, debt and economic growth.
The former Massachusetts governor has made the same points time and again. And this being their last direct encounter, small wonder he chose to pound that home-front drum.
But on the vast breadth of foreign questions, Romney's decision to dial down his previous bluster and shift to the moderate middle simply didn't work.

The Australian

Obama and Romney were happy to talk about education, healthcare, employment and deficits while spending as little time as possible on issues like Afghanistan or North Korea. Interestingly, both men agreed that the US deficit itself constituted a profound national security risk.
It reflected the state of play with the election now just a fortnight away. The polls show a deadlock with Romney having the momentum; a force he found came his way after Obama's insipid performance in the first debate on October 3 in Denver, Colorado.
Obama has been keen to make up lost ground since but he has struggled. There was general agreement in the media that Obama won the second debate, albeit narrowly, after a more feisty aggressive performance.
He may have won today's debate too, again by a slender margin. And so he should. A debate on foreign policy is going to favour the incumbent.
The fact that Obama was the first to veer away from one of his strengths and work the domestic angles is proof that he knows how close this contest is going to be.

The Times, London

One word emerged from Mitt Romney's performance during the third and final Presidential debate: Peace.
President Obama won the debate on points, delivering numerous memorable lines and witty put-downs. His remarks, dripping with sarcasm, that America now had "fewer horses and bayonets" than in 1916 "because the nature of our military's changed" allowed him to paint Mr Romney's foreign policy approach as dated and out of touch and was one of several successful swipes at his Republican challenger.
But the debate was by no means a defeat for Mr Romney and both camps probably came away from the event in Boca Raton, Florida happy.

The Atlantic, US

Mitt Romney wins. That's not to say he won Monday night's debate or the presidential campaign, but it's safe to say he won an important chapter: The debate season.
With an acceptable, though far from exceptional, performance in his third and final face-off with President Obama, the former Massachusetts governor became one of the few presidential candidates to make debates matter.
Bottom line: Obama won Monday night's debate on points, benefiting from the blessings of incumbency and hard-world experience. But the challenger held his own, and thus the state of the race is likely unchanged.

Politico, US

President Barack Obama tore into Mitt Romney as a vacillating foreign policy novice during the final presidential debate Monday, as the former Massachusetts governor sought to close Obama's long-standing advantage on international affairs and national security.
Both candidates lobbed sharp accusations at each other throughout the forum at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., but it was Obama who set the caustic tone at the outset and dialed it up from there.

Okinawa assembly passes protest resolution over rape

 

 The arrests have deepened resentment over the US military presence on Okinawa

Okinawa has passed a protest resolution after the arrest of two US troops over the alleged rape of a Japanese woman.

Its legislature called for proper punishment, compensation for the victim and for the US to prevent crimes against island residents.
The US bases some 26,000 troops on Okinawa, where there is opposition to the ongoing military presence.
On Friday the US military imposed a night-time curfew on all its personnel in Japan in response to the incident.
The Okinawa legislative assembly unanimously passed the resolution against the US and Japanese governments to express ''burning resentment'' over the case, a Kyodo news agency report said.
''Preventive measures and instructions to servicemen have become dysfunctional," the legislative assembly said in the resolution, calling for the US to better educate its military personnel.
The assembly also noted that more than 5,700 crimes had been committed by US military personnel since 1972, when Okinawa returned to Japanese control.
The two men, identified as 23-year-old sailors, were detained by police after the alleged rape on 16 October.
The arrests have exacerbated resentment over the US military presence on the southern island.
The gang-rape in 1995 of a 12-year-old girl by three US service personnel sparked outrage in Okinawa and led to moves to reduce the US military footprint there.
The US says it is planning to relocate several thousand marines off Okinawa, but has linked their departure to progress on a new base in the north of the island - which many residents oppose.
There had also been strong opposition to the deployment of Osprey aircraft to Okinawa earlier this month, with resident citing safety concerns.
On Sunday, Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima left for Washington DC to lodge a protest with US officials there.
"I will talk about the Osprey transport aircraft and the latest case," he told reporters at the airport.

Rodgers defends wayward SuarezBy Richard Jolly

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Luis Suarez despite the striker's failure to convert one of his myriad chances against Reading.

PA PhotosLuis Suarez was guilty of missing a glut of chances against Reading

Suarez, 25, provided the assist for Raheem Sterling's winning goal in the 1-0 victory at Anfield but was guilty of missing several opportunities, with nine of his ten attempts on goal not even hitting the target.
However, Rodgers refused to criticise his forward, insisting that there is nothing wrong with Suarez's strike rate.
"He's not perfect but he has got a great return if you look at his stats, when he was at Ajax and since he has come into here," Rodgers said.
"But there is no doubt he will want to be more clinical. But going forward we will want to get more players who take the load off him."
Rodgers praised Suarez for his determination to play, four days after appearing at altitude in Bolivia for Uruguay, and despite sustaining a dead leg in a challenge by Reading's Kaspars Gorkss on the stroke of half-time.
"He didn't want to come off," Rodgers said. "He is an incredible character. He created opportunities for himself. A terrific performance from him. He kept going, kept getting into good positions and will be disappointed he didn't score."
The Northern Irish boss also praised Sterling, who opened his account for the club at the age of 17 years, 317 days. Only Michael Owen, in 1997, has scored for Liverpool at a younger age.
"It was a wonderful finish and he is a terrific talent," Rodgers added. "He has a good head on young shoulders."

Lebanon sees sectarian clashes after Hassan killing

 

A nine-year-old girl was among three people killed in the northern city of Tripoli

Clashes have broken out in several areas of Lebanon following Sunday's funeral of the senior intelligence official, Wissam al-Hassan.

The most serious confrontations were in the northern city of Tripoli, where at least three people were killed as Sunni and Shia gunmen exchanged fire.
In Beirut, there were clashes between soldiers and armed men in the Sunni Tariq al-Jadida district.
Gen Hassan, a Sunni, was killed by a car bomb in the capital on Friday.
He was the head of the intelligence branch of the Internal Security Forces and an outspoken critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the Shia-based Alawite sect.
Opposition figures have blamed the Syrian government for the attack.
They have called on Prime Minister Najib Mikati to resign, saying he has failed to protect the country from violence perpetrated by Syria.
Mr Mikati did offer to stand down on Saturday, but President Michel Suleiman asked him to stay on in the national interest.
Children killed Thousands of people attended Gen Hassan's state funeral in Beirut, which rapidly became a political rally against both Mr Mikati and Syria.
Friday's blast occurred in the mainly Christian district of Ashrafiya, in a busy street close to the headquarters of Mr Hariri's 14 March coalition
Addressing the funeral, former Prime Minister Fouad al-Siniora, a prominent member of the Western-backed 14 March opposition alliance, blamed the government for his death, and said it must stand down, insisting: "No dialogue over the blood of our martyrs."

Wissam al-Hassan

• Head of the intelligence branch of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces
• Sunni Muslim born in the northern city of Tripoli in 1965
• Responsible for the security of former PM Rafik Hariri
• Viewed as being close to the Hariris and the opposition 14 March coalition
• Responsible for the August arrest of pro-Syrian politician and ex-information minister Michel Samaha

A group of angry protesters broke away from the funeral, held at the Rafik Hariri mosque, and attempted to storm the prime minister's office. Police fired into the air and used tear gas to break up the crowds.

Further clashes were reported overnight and again on Monday morning in the Tariq al-Jadida, a Sunni areas neighbouring a Shia district.
More serious clashes were reported in Tripoli on Sunday evening, where two children were among at least three people killed. Reports say one of the children, a nine-year-old girl, was hit by sniper fire.
Mr Siniora has called for calm and condemned the violence as no way to try to replace a government.
Dozens of people have set up camp outside Mr Mikati's office building, calling for Mr Mikati's cabinet - which is dominated by the pro-Syrian Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah and its allies - to stand down.
One of the protesters, Ahmad Jardali, said they were peaceful but wanted the government to go "in order not to have more assassinations and to have security in the country".
The US has said it will help the Lebanese government with its investigation into the bombing.
Gen Hassan, 47, was close to the 14 March alliance and the family of its leader, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
The intelligence chief led an investigation into the 2005 assassination of Mr Hariri's father, Rafik - for which four Hezbollah members have been indicted by a UN-led tribunal - and had recently organised the arrest of Michel Samaha, a former minister accused of planning a Syrian-sponsored bombing campaign in Lebanon.
Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon in the wake of Rafik Hariri's murder, ending a 29-year military presence.
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Beirut says there are concerns that Damascus is able to reach into Lebanese society both directly and through its allies.

Nigeria army arrests 'Boko Haram commander'

 

Violence in Potiskum has reached an unprecedented level in recent days

The Nigerian army says it has arrested a senior commander of Boko Haram, as attacks by suspected members of the Islamist group continue.

Shuaibu Muhammed Bama was detained at the home of a serving senator in the city of Maiduguri, the army said.
The senator - who has not been named - denies the army's claim, which has fuelled suspicions that some politicians are helping the militants.
It comes as several people were killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack.
Gunmen stormed the home of a retired head of customs in the town of Potiskum, taking him away with his son and then shooting them both.
Potiskum has witnessed days of gunfire and bombings and several targeted killings in recent days.
'Discrediting government' Shuaibu Muhammed Bama was arrested in Maiduguri earlier this week, the army said.

A military spokesman said that he was suspected of organising recent attacks in the region.
The army's claim that Mr Bama was held in a senator's house has once again fuelled the debate on whether politicians are helping the Islamist group, the BBC's Nigeria correspondent Will Ross reports.
Last year, another senator, also from Borno state, was arrested and charged over links to Boko Haram.
The senator denied any wrongdoing and was later released on bail.
However, analysts suggest that some politicians in northern Nigeria are prepared to side with the militants in order to discredit the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, who is from the south of the country, our correspondent adds.
Nigeria is roughly divided between a largely Muslim north, and the south, where Christianity and traditional religions dominate.
Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and impose Sharia law across Nigeria.
Attacks in central and northern Nigeria blamed on the group have killed some 1,400 people since 2010.

Gaddafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim 'captured in Libya'

 

 Moussa Ibrahim was the international face of the Gaddafi government

The office of Libya's prime minister says that Moussa Ibrahim, the spokesman for late leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been captured.

The office said he had been arrested by government forces in Tarhouna, 65km (40 miles) south of Tripoli.
Other Libyan officials say they are sceptical, as such reports have proved false in the past.
The prime minister's office did not provide any photographic or video evidence of the reported capture.
"Moussa Ibrahim has been arrested by forces belonging to the Libyan government in the town of Tarhouna and he is being transferred to Tripoli to begin interrogation," a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Ali Zidan said.
Tarhouna is located between Tripoli and Bani Walid - one of the last strongholds of pro-Gaddafi forces in the closing stages of last year's conflicts.
During the war in Libya last year, Mr Ibrahim held regular press conferences in Tripoli at the Rixos hotel, which was used by many international journalists.

He was last seen there shortly before the fall of Tripoli in August 2011.
The reported taking of Mr Ibrahim comes on the first anniversary of Col Gaddafi's capture. The latter was seized and killed near his hometown of Sirte.
Interim leader Mohammed Magarief said that one year on, the country has not yet been fully liberated.
Militia groups which helped to defeat pro-Gaddafi forces remain powerful in many parts of the country. There have been clashes between militias in Bani Walid in recent days.