Togos main opposition party says it will contest results announced by the electoral commission that indicate the countrys president has won re-election.
According to provisional results announced late Saturday by the electoral commission, President Faure Gnassingbe won more than 60 percent of Thursdays ballots, securing his re-election with more than 1.2 million votes.
A presidential supporter in the capital, Lome, says they are celebrating the re-election of Mr. Gnassingbe, who he says is their king and their leader. He says there will be no more need for elections in Togo.
But not everyone in Togo is celebrating
The opposition says it will challenge the provisional election results within the next week when they are transmitted to Togos constitutional court.
An opposition supporter says they disagree with the released results, which he says were false. He says they cannot be sure as to where or who those results came from. He says the opposition is demanding the real results of the election.
Main opposition candidate, Jean-Pierre Fabre of the Union of Forces for Change Party, led several-hundred opposition demonstrators into the capitals main square Saturday. Riot police broke up that protest, and one on Sunday, with tear-gas and set up barricades at strategic positions.
Fabre, who had also claimed victory in the poll Friday, says there were voting irregularities, including stuffed ballot boxes.
Fabre says he does not at all recognize Mr. Gnassingbes claims to victory. He says, of course the opposition is going to protest, but those protests will be peaceful. He says he has not asked for government permission to protest because he says the constitution guarantees him the right to demonstrate
Results announced by the electoral commission Saturday indicate Fabre came in second with nearly 700,000 votes or just more than a third of the ballots. Former prime minister Yawovi Agboyibo finished third with less than three percent of the vote.
The poll was widely seen as a test of the democratic process in the West African country. Its last presidential election in 2005 was marked by violence and accusations of fraud. President Gnassingbe won that 2005 vote following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for more than 38 years.
Union of Forces for Change Party (UFC) vice president Patrick Lawson told VOA Sunday the opposition would continue to fight to reclaim what it says is its victory.
Lawson says we cannot let our victory be stolen again and that is why people have urged us to protest. He said Sunday that you can still hear tear gas being launched at the UFC headquarters in Lome, but he says we are still here and we will continue to resist.
An opposition member of the electoral commission resigned Saturday to protest what he called fraud, saying the results had not been verified and should not have been released
Observers from the Economic Community of West African States say they believe the vote was fair, but they are expressing concern about the reliability of totals reported to the electoral commission after a breakdown in the satellite system that was to transmit returns from polling stations.
European Union observers said they did not find evidence of vote tampering.
But the EU team cited certain concerns, such as a lack of permanent ink in some polling places to mark voters fingers after they had cast their ballots and the possibility that military members may have voted in both the military poll March 1 and the general poll March 4.
Regional military observers and several-thousand special Togolese forces were deployed to maintain calm during this vote, but there were no reports of violence. According to U.N. estimates, post-electoral violence in 2005 killed more than 400 people and sent thousands of refugees into Ghana and Benin.
Though the opposition has planned continued demonstrations outside the UFC headquarters in Lome, witnesses say the headquarters is surrounded by security forces and inaccessible to protesters.
Pakistani intelligence agents say they have captured an American al-Qaida operative, but they have reversed their initial assertion that he is Adam Gadahn, who is wanted in the United States on a treason charge
Pakistani officials said Monday the man they arrested recently in the southern port city of Karachi appears to be another American with the alias Abu Yahya Majadin al-Adam.
They said the similarity of the name with those sometimes used by Adam Gadahn initially caused some confusion.
The Gadahn, 31, is a California-born spokesman for al-Qaida. He has often appeared in al-Qaida videos calling for attacks against the United States and other Western countries
The United States has offered up to $1 million in reward money for information leading to his arrest.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
Turkeys southeastern region has been struck by a powerful earthquake. According to officials, at least 57 have been killed and scores injured. The 6.0 magnitude quake struck a mainly rural part of the country.
Local people assisted by soldiers frantically dig through the rubble of what was once a home, looking for survivors
The earthquake occurred before dawn, which meant most people were asleep in their homes. The quakes epicenter was in southeast Turkey, one of the poorest parts of the country, with small villages constructed mostly with buildings made of mud bricks
There are reports that one of the areas largest villages, Okcular, has been completely destroyed. Rescuers say more than dozen bodies have been recovered there
Rescue efforts are being hampered by continuing aftershocks. The number of dead is expected to rise throughout the day as rescuers continue to dig through the rubble of the collapsed houses
Experts say the quake was more destructive because it struck near the earths surface. With the region heavily militarized due to an ongoing conflict with Kurdish rebels, soldiers were quickly on the scene to assist
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised as much support as needed.
He said ambulance helicopters have been sent to the region and the Turkish Red Crescent will be sending first-aid, 230 tents and 1,000 blankets, along with 20 prefabricated houses. The prime minister also said doctors are being sent, and ministers are visiting the region
The region is in the grip of cold weather with sub-zero temperatures, not unusual at this time of the year
Thousands of people are expected to be made homeless by the quake. There is widespread concern in Turkey about the quality of housing and its ability to withstand earthquakes
In 1999 a powerful quake hit just east of Turkeys largest city, Istanbul, killing at least 17,000 people. Many of those deaths were blamed on poor quality housing.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is visiting the Middle East this week as Washington steps up efforts to get the Israeli-Palestinian peace process going again.
Bidens visit culminates an intense effort by Washington to restart stalled peace negotiations. That effort is led by special Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who has been in Israel since Saturday
We look forward to what we hope will be a credible, serious, constructive process that will accomplish the objective which we all share: comprehensive peace in the Middle East, Mitchell said.
That process has begun to move forward in the past few days. On Sunday, the Palestinians agreed to begin indirect negotiations, according to a plan that was endorsed last week by the Arab League. Israel also approved holding indirect talks.
Mitchell met Sunday and Monday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Israel wanted direct talks, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said what matters most is that negotiations, even indirect ones, get under way
If there is a desire to get to direct talks through a corridor, then I think the sooner the better we cross that corridor and get to substantive negotiations, indirect negotiations, Mr. Netanyahu said.
The U.S. push for a restart of the talks, and the apparent progress in resuming the negotiations, is occurring despite a flare-up of violence during the past few weeks
Clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Hebron were triggered by Israels recent decision to include two West Bank sites, holy to both Jews and Muslims, on the Israeli list of national heritage sites.
The Palestinians broke off negotiations last year in response to Israels assault on Gaza. They said they would not continue talks until Israel stopped construction on Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state
Palestinian officials say although they will engage in indirect talks, they will not give up their demands
Senior Palestinian official Yasser Abed Rabbo told Palestinian radio the success of the talks will depend on whether Washington is able to pressure Israel into stopping settlement expansion
He said it will be a surprise if the United States deals with Israel and its long-held position. The aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said this could be the biggest disappointment and perhaps the death of the peace process.
Israel again angered the Palestinians by announcing the construction of more than 100 new apartments inside the West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit. Israeli leaders declared a partial, temporary freeze on new construction last year. Officials said their decision Monday was an exception, due to what they described as safety and infrastructure issues.
Israeli commentators are calling Bidens visit significant. He is perceived here as a powerful figure within the Obama administration, one who is well-acquainted with Middle East politics, having known every Israeli prime minister for the past four decades.
Aside from the peace process, the agenda for Vice President Bidens visit includes discussions on Irans nuclear program. Israel has been lobbying the international community for tougher action on Iran and what Israeli leaders believe is Tehrans intention to develop nuclear weapons for use against the Jewish State.
Biden is due to meet Tuesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to meet with Tony Blair, the envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, and will travel to the West Bank town of Ramallah to see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad
Thursday, Biden is to travel to Amman to meet with Jordans King Abdullah.
In an event at the White House on Monday, President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle marked International Womens Day. The president and first lady were joined by Madeleine Albright, the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State, as they noted the progress women have made in the United States and around the world as well as the obstacles that continue to stand in their way.
Addressing students from several Washington area schools as well as dignitaries such as African-American activist and social educator Dorothy Height, the Obamas referred to the progress women in America have made over the decades in securing their rights.
Michelle Obama said the purpose of the gathering was not only to pay tribute to luminaries in the struggle for equality, but also to what she called the quiet heroes who, in the process of shaping America, achieved extraordinary things. We honor the women who traveled those lonely roads to be the first ones in those court rooms, to be the first ones in those board rooms, to be the first ones on those playing fields, and to be the first ones on those battlefields. We honor women who refused to listen to those who would say that you couldnt or shouldnt pursue your dreams, she said.
President Obama told those gathered in the White House East Room that the story of Americas women, like that of the United States itself, has peaks and valleys, but that ultimately it has been one of progress against hardships that women continue to confront. Even as we reflect on the hope of our history, we must also face squarely the reality of the present -- a reality marked by unfairness, marked by hardship for too many women in America, he said.
The president pointed to some of what he called the statistics of inequality -- women earning 77 percent of what men earn; one in four women becoming victims of domestic violence; women making up more than half of the U.S. population while occupying only 17 percent of the seats in Congress, and constituting less than three percent of Fortune 500 company chief executive officers.
Madeleine Albright, who served as Secretary of State during the Clinton administration, pointed to the challenges women still face globally in achieving the same basic rights and dignity as men. Although women have made great strides in gaining legal recognition of their rights, Albright said, they run up against crushing realities.
Appalling abuses that are still being committed against women. And these include domestic violence, dowry murders, coerced abortions, honor crimes and the killing of infants simply because they are born female. Some say all this is cultural and there is nothing anybody can do about it. I say it is criminal and we each have an obligation to stop it, she said.
Singer and song writer Mozhdah Jamalzadeh explained why she wrote a song for young girls in Afghanistan, who were attacked by men throwing acid. I came here from Kabul, Afghanistan and I am trying to do everything I can for the women of Afghanistan. I wrote this son, my father and I wrote this song, for the acid victims of Kandahar City -- a few young girls who were trying to make their way home from school when they got attacked by acid. And I thought I had to do something for them, she said.
In his remarks, President Obama referred to women serving in high leadership positions in his administration, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, and others.
And he referred to his daughters, Sasha and Malia. I think about the world that they, and all of Americas daughters, will inherit. And I think about all of the opportunities that are still beyond reach for too many young women, and too many of our brothers and sisters, too many of our sisters and mothers and aunts -- all of the glass ceilings that have yet to be shattered, he said.
Mr. Obama said he ran for president to put the American Dream within the reach of everyone in the United States, regardless of their gender, race, faith or station in life.
At one point, the president added that the story of America over the centuries has been one in which many accomplished women like his wife Michelle have probably looked across the dinner table at their husbands and thought, Im smarter than that guy.
Nigerias acting President Goodluck Jonathan is due to meet with security chiefs to discuss the recent clashes involving Muslim herders and Christian villagers that killed hundreds of people near the central city of Jos.
A security meeting in Abuja is begging held as authorities in Jos bury hundreds of hacked bodies of victims, mostly women and children, in mass graves.
A spokesman for the state government, Gregory Nianlong, says at least 500 people were slaughtered in a night raid on three villages near Jos, capital of Plateau state. There was no independent confirmation of the figure.
Several more victims are being treated while about 100 suspects have been arrested.
Security forces have been ordered to hunt down those behind the clashes. Lagos-based political analyst, George Eke, says the lack of opportunities, and the extreme poverty it breeds, is responsible for the unending crises in Jos.
A lot of these problems are caused by politicians, he said. Nigeria has been classified, particularly the north, has been classified as a place where al-Qaida could go and pick people to do their operations. Why? Because there is lack of education there. Governments in-out, in-out, each administration, is doing nothing to lift these children up.
Clashes between rival ethnic and religious groups in January left 320 dead in Jos, according to the police. Religious and human-rights activists put the overall toll at more than 500.
Soldiers have been deployed to the affected area, but some residents have criticized the authorities for doing nothing to prevent the bloodshed.
Sectarian violence in central Nigeria has left thousands dead over the past decade.
U.S. President Barack Obamas point man in the Middle East is making rare progress on his latest peace mission.
U.S. envoy George Mitchell has won Israeli and Palestinian approval for indirect peace talks, breaking a stalemate of more than a year. Mitchell met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who gave a green light for the talks which will last for a period of four months
Government spokesman Mark Regev says Israel prefers direct talks, but indirect, or proximity talks, are a step forward. It is good for the process. Obviously, proximity talks are not direct talks, it is less good, but we see it as a corridor to moving forward and we are hopeful that this process will gain momentum, he said.
The Palestinians had made a complete freeze on Jewish settlement construction a precondition for resuming negotiations, and when Israel refused, the peace process deadlocked. But the United States proposal of indirect talks provided a way out of the impasse
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority also endorsed the new talks. Palestinian official Yasser Abed Rabbo said the negotiations will focus on security issues and the future borders of a Palestinian state
Mitchell will discuss the issue Monday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is also due in the region Monday to build support for the peace talks and to discuss another festering problem-Irans nuclear program.
Iraqi officials are counting votes from Sundays parliamentary election. Despite a series of attacks that left more than 30 people dead, the vote is being hailed as a general success.
Officials started the task of tallying the ballots shortly after the polls closed Sunday. The job is complicated by a large number of overseas voters, as well as people displaced from their homes during years of sectarian violence.
Abbas Kadhim, who is with the Independent High Electoral Commission in Baghdad, says there is still a lot to do.
We have had received the ballots boxes of the absentee and the movement of people so we are now waiting for the matching stage when we match the forms of the ballot boxes with the forms we have, he said.
Preliminary, unofficial results indicated a strong showing by the centrist coalition led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But no matter who wins, it is likely they will have to reach out to other groups to form a government.
While Iraq still has a long way to go before it reaches stability, there is a certain sense of satisfaction in how the elections were conducted. Despite a string of attacks early Sunday, mainly in Baghdad, insurgents were not able to carry out the massive strikes they had threatened.
If anything, voters seemed to embrace the election as a show of defiance against insurgent violence.
Baghdad voter Yahya Karim said the elections were like a big wedding. Iraqis were able to express their opinions, he said, adding, this represents a wonderful democracy.
Whether the results solidify a trend of more nationalist, secular politics over sectarian divisions, the new government will have the challenge of taking full responsibility for the countrys security.
U.S. Army Sergeant Jeremy Tormala, on his second tour of duty in Iraq, thought the elections gave a good indication that Iraqi forces will be up to the task.
The way they were blocking off all the streets with their security forces were pretty outstanding. So especially with the elections results, how that turned out, I was pretty impressed by it, he said. I think they will be able to stand on their own. They have made a lot of improvements especially since my last time over here. They have made big jumps, said Tomala.
Fifty-thousand U.S. troops will leave the country at the end of August, with the remaining 50,000 withdrawing by the end of next year.
A powerful suicide car bomb attack in eastern Pakistan has left at least 13 people dead and more than 70 wounded. Women and children are among the victims. Authorities blamed the attack on al-Qaida-linked Taliban militants.
Local police say the bomb blast took place during the morning rush hour in Pakistans second largest city, Lahore. It targeted the office of an intelligence agency in the posh Model Town residential area where reportedly high-value suspected militants are brought for interrogation
Ambulances rushed to the scene and transported those wounded to nearby hospitals. Jawed Akram, a senior doctor at the citys Jinnah Hospital, says a large number of people are critically wounded. He says the death toll could rise.
The doctor says people brought to his hospital have received multiple wounds, many with head injuries and broken limbs. He says that women are also among those killed or wounded.
An explosive expert, Allah Yar, told reporters on the scene the explosive device weighing at least 500-kilogram was mounted on a vehicle.
He says the powerful blast left a four meter wide and two meter deep crater in the road outside the office of the security agency, and caused major damages to the surrounding residential buildings
Provincial and federal ministers blamed al-Qaida-linked militants for Mondays deadly blast, which broke what had been a relative lull in major violence in Pakistan
Suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks have killed more than three-thousand people across the country since mid 2007
A dramatic increase in violence in the beginning of last year provoked the government to order major military offensives against militant hideouts in northwestern parts of the country, which border Afghanistan
The move had significantly brought down the violence so far this year and led to the capture or killing of high-profile commanders of both Pakistani and Afghan Taliban.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Monday of hard fighting ahead in Afghanistan -- despite recent progress.
Speaking to reporters during his unannounced visit to Kabul, Gates acknowledged bits and pieces of good news with the capture of senior Taliban commanders in Pakistan and the takeover of the former Afghan Taliban stronghold of Marjah in Helmand province.
But he also cautioned against overconfidence, saying it is too soon to suggests that the war is at a turning point.
Gates said that the situation in Afghanistan remains serious, but it has stopped deteriorating.
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, said the next goal is to retake Kandahar, the Talibans traditional stronghold.
McChrystal said that, unlike Marjah, the operation to secure Kandahar will be more gradual as more U.S. troops arrive in the region. He declined to give a timetable for the offensive.
Gates also warned Iran about offering help to the Taliban. He accused Tehran of playing a double game in Afghanistan -- being friendly to the Afghan government while at the same time trying to undermine the U.S.
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell later said Gates was referring only to actions the U.S. might take inside Afghanistan and not to a wider confrontation with Iran.
Also Monday, Afghan police backed by U.S. troops killed two would-be suicide bombers in eastern Khost province bordering Pakistan.
Police say the gunmen set off a bomb and then fled to a building next to a police station, where they were surrounded and killed in a shootout.