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| North Korea military |
The United States and South Korea "should immediately stop all their provocative acts against the DPRK and apologize for all of them," the North's National Defense Commission said in a statement carried by state-run media, using the shortened version of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The commission listed a number of "practical measures" it said the United States and South Korea should take if they want to avoid "sledge-hammer retaliatory blows of the army and people" of North Korea and if "they truly stand for dialogue and negotiations."
But the nature of the demands, such as the lifting of the U.N. sanctions imposed after the North's latest nuclear test, appeared to offer almost no chance of negotiations between the two sides amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea: Lifting of U.N. sanctions if a condition for talks with U.S.
"It is hard to understand North Korea's claims," Cho Tai-young, a spokesman for the South Korean foreign ministry, said at a news briefing. "They are preposterous."
A torrent of unnerving threats from Pyongyang in recent weeks has strained already fragile relations in the region. The North's rhetoric intensified when the U.N. Security Council voted last month to slap the tougher sanctions on the regime and amid the U.S.-South Korean military drills under way in South Korea at the moment.
The United States said this month that for it to enter talks, North Korea would have to show a serious commitment to moving away from its nuclear program, something the regime of Kim Jong Un insists it won't do.
On Thursday, the North suggested that the United States would have to make the first move on the nuclear issue.
"They should bear in mind that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can begin with the pullout of the nuclear war means introduced by the U.S. and this may lead to the global denuclearization," the defense commission said.
North Korea has repeatedly described the annual military exercises taking place in South Korea as threats of nuclear war, singling out aspects of the drills like the practice mission flown by U.S. stealth bombers as evidence. The stealth bombers can carry conventional or nuclear weapons, but they used inert munitions in their training flight.
North Korea's missile capabilities
The United States says such displays of military strength during the drills were aimed at reassuring it allies in the region, not antagonizing the regime in Pyongyang.
President Barack Obama warned Kim Jong Un this week that the North's threats against the United States and South Korea had only served to isolate the regime further.
"This is the same kind of pattern that we saw his father engage in and his grandfather before that," Obama said in an interview with NBC News broadcast Tuesday, referring to the two previous North Korean leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung.
"Since I came into office, the one thing I was clear about was, we're not going to reward this kind of provocative behavior. You don't get to bang your spoon on the table and somehow you get your way," he said.
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| Syrian President Bashar al-Assad |
In an hourlong interview with Syria state TV network al-Ikhbariya, al-Assad claimed the West is supporting al Qaeda sympathizers in Syria as he says they did during the Libyan uprising.
He compared the support of rebels in Syria now to the backing of fighters in Afghanistan during their war with Soviet troops in the 1980s.
"The West has paid heavily for funding al Qaeda in its early stages. Today it is doing the same in Syria, Libya and other places, and will pay a heavy price in the heart of Europe and the United States," he said, according to a CNN translation.
Al-Assad also spoke harshly of Jordan, saying thousands of fighters were crossing the border to take part in the civil war in Syria.
It called it "illogical" for Jordanian officials to deny this was happening.
He guaranteed victory in the conflict, which began two years ago and which has led to the deaths of more than 70,000 people. according to the United Nations.
"There is no option but victory, otherwise it will be the end of Syria, and I don't think that any Syrian citizen will accept such an option," he said.
He referred to the rebels as "thieves" and "mercenaries" who are being paid by Western nations.
"There is an attempt to invade Syria, the forces are coming from outside, from different nationalities, they are using different tactics from what the colonization powers have used," he said.
On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered up to 200 troops to Jordan.
The new deployment will include communications and intelligence specialists who will assist the Jordanians and "be ready for military action" if President Barack Obama were to order it, a Defense Department official told CNN.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was going to meet with envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Syria.
"The prospects may seem dim, but I remain convinced that a political solution is possible. This is the only way to end the bloodshed and bring about a new and democratic Syria. The United Nations will continue to push in that direction," Ban said.
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| Christine Lagarde, IMF managing director |
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, chairman of the International Monetary Fund's governing body, said: "We're not fully past the crisis, but by comparison to the meetings a year ago, there was a much stronger focus on growth and jobs".
After a week of informal and formal meetings, the big questions hanging over the still sickly global economy remained, with little meeting of minds on the blame for a weak recovery, optimal fiscal policies, the effectiveness of monetary stimulus and the spillovers from one country's policies to another.
Reflecting the lack of consensus, Mr Tharman added: "There is no single bullet that will get us to normal growth and some normality in jobs".
Japan came to the meetings fearful that it would be criticised for doubling the money it plans to have in circulation, a move that has sent the yen tumbling, but its action brought few brickbats.
Dropping his language that loose monetary policy was part of a "currency war" against emerging economies, Guido Mantega, Brazil's finance minister, described Tokyo's revitalised policy as "a new and bold program of economic growth, based on fiscal and monetary stimulus and structural reforms".
But the relatively warm reception given to Japan was a notable exception to more usual sniping from finance ministers that others are to blame to their woes and those of the global community.
The US blamed Europe for the fragile demand with Jack Lew, US Treasury secretary, saying that "stronger demand in Europe is critical to global growth" in his submission to the IMF's governing body.
Aiming his fire at China and Germany, he also argued that countries with large trade surpluses needed to more to aid global rebalancing in a stronger growth environment. "Much more needs to be done to promote effective global rebalancing, which requires stronger demand in surplus countries and continued progress toward greater exchange rate flexibility," Mr Lew said.
Rejecting the US criticism, Wolfgang Schäuble, German finance minister, said that the risks to growth stemmed from large fiscal deficits in advanced economies such as the US. "Delaying necessary adjustments would further aggravate risks for the prospects of a lasting and fundamentally sound global recovery," he added. China believes that its economic strategy to reorientate its growth towards domestic consumption already meets US demands.
As part of the battle over who is to blame for the weak global economic recovery, the US claimed a victory in removing hard commitments to stabilise debt from the G20 communique. A senior Treasury official, who declined to be named, said that the statement had put much less emphasis on debt targets and this reflected the change of mood. .
But this interpretation was immediately challenged from European delegations, one of whom said there had been an acrimonious stand-off between the US and Germany which could not be resolved at the G20 meeting.
Anders Borg, Sweden's finance minister, highlighted the European concern that it was the US and Japanese inability to sort out its budgets that represented the problem. "The unsustainable fiscal situation in the US and Japan is a source of concern and uncertainty. Credible medium-term fiscal plans should be promptly developed," he said.
Mr Schäuble said: "The commitment by advanced economies to a clear and credible downward path of general government debt levels could be strengthened by an agreement on an ambitious common debt reduction anchor".
Disagreements over the best strategy were not limited to fiscal policy and growth. Arguments also raged all weekend on the appropriate role of monetary policy and exchange rates.
The US insisted the appreciation of the renminbi had not gone far enough, with Mr Lew, saying "the process of exchange rate adjustment in China remains incomplete and more progress is needed".
Even though Japan met little resistance to its new policy, not everyone was happy. Hyun Oh Seok, South Korean finance minister insisted the plunging yen remained a "concern" and urged an orderly exit from extraordinarily loose monetary policy.
To reflect the concerns of South Korea among others, the IMF agreed to establish a new work stream on how advanced countries can exit from extraordinarily loose monetary policy.
Christine Lagarde, IMF managing director said: "You have this double concern: first there is more [monetary stimulus] and what will be the consequences, what will be the spillover effects, for all economies not only emerging market economies . . . And a second fear which is exactly the opposite of that one is what happens when it stops and what is the exit route and how smoothly does it happen.
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| President Pervez Musharraf |
His appearance had been ordered by Pakistan's High Court, which on Thursday ruled that his alleged actions amounted to an act of terrorism.
After a 20-minute hearing, the anti-terrorism court in Islamabad placed Musharraf on judicial remand for 14 days. His next court appearance in the case is set for May 4.
As the former president left the court, there were clashes between anti-Musharraf lawyers and a small pro-Musharraf crowd.
Authorities decided Musharraf will be held under house arrest at his farmhouse compound in Chak Shazad, outside the Pakistani capital.
He will be moved from police headquarters, where he was whisked after his court appearance, to the farmhouse, police officials said.
The farmhouse has been converted into a "sub jail," Musharraf's lawyer, Ahmed Raza Qasoori, said Friday.
Musharraf spent Friday night at police headquarters following his appearance before a magistrate earlier in the day, after which he was initially allowed to return to the farmhouse.
Musharraf will continue to seek bail in the case, his lawyer said. An attempt on Thursday to appeal the High Court's decision at the Supreme Court appeared to have so far been unsuccessful.
The former president denies the charges against him and never gave any order to detain or abduct the judges in 2007, said Mohammad Amjad, a spokesman for his political party.
The development is the latest setback for Musharraf since the former military ruler returned to Pakistan last month to fight a series of court cases against him and re-enter the country's turbulent political scene by seeking to run in upcoming elections.
His arrest highlights the increased willingness of Pakistan's judiciary, which clashed with Musharraf during his time in power, to pursue cases against high-profile figures previously considered to be untouchable. No former Pakistani army chief has previously been arrested and detained.
Amid a long-running fight with the judiciary, Musharraf resigned as president of Pakistan in 2008 after nine years in power and went into exile the following year, living in London and Dubai. He came back to Pakistan last month under heavy security.
But so far, his return does not seem to be going according to plan.
Last week, Pakistani election officials barred him from running for a seat in parliament in elections next month, a decision his lawyer has said he will challenge.
The ex-military strongman still has to face two separate other cases dating from his time in power. The first relates to claims he did not do enough to protect the life of Benazir Bhutto -- the first woman to be elected prime minister of Pakistan -- after she was assassinated in 2007, weeks before an election in which she hoped to return to office.
Musharraf is also accused of ordering his troops to kill Nawab Akbar Bugti, a popular tribal leader, in the volatile province of Balochistan, in 2006.
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| John Kerry |
Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement the United States would funnel another $123 million in aid to the Syrian Opposition Coalition, including an expansion of direct aid to armed rebels battling forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
"We want to see the coalition lead the way by ramping up its ability in order to be able to provide assistance, deliver services and respond to the needs of the Syrian people," Kerry told reporters after a meeting of 11 nations from the Friends of Syria group and Syrian opposition leaders.
Kerry did not offer specifics, but administration officials said President Obama has signed off on items such as body armor, night vision goggles, advanced communications equipment and other military equipment that is defensive in nature, but could be used to in combat to aid Syrian rebels battling regime forces. The package falls short of the heavy weapons and high-tech equipment sought by the rebels, however.
Still, the move by Washington to expand assistance to the armed rebels reflects a growing international effort to change the military balance on the battlefield in Syria and increase pressure on al-Assad to step down.
Britain and France are leading efforts to lift a European Union arms embargo on Syria, which expires in May. Both nations have suggested they could join nations such as Qatar in providing the rebels with weapons, arguing such a step would strengthen the hand of moderate members of the opposition and make them less reliant on well-armed extremist elements within their ranks.
In a statement after the talks, the 11 ministers recognized the "need to change the balance of power on the ground" and pledged to "enhance and expand their support to all coalition institutions," including increased support to the coalition's military council.
They also urged the United Nations to immediately investigate allegations chemical weapons had been used in Syria, promising "severe consequences" if the claims proved to be true.
Before the gathering, Kerry held a private meeting with coalition president Moaz al-Khatib. One diplomat said Kerry has been very vocal about pushing the opposition to become more unified and inclusive in order to present itself to Syria's minority communities as an alternative to the regime.
The benefactors also sought commitments from the opposition that recipients of international aid are fully vetted so the aid does not end up in the hands of extremist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, which has links to al Qaeda.
Gen. Salim Idriss, the head of the opposition's military council, provided a military briefing to the ministers. In a statement after the meeting, the Syrian National Coalition said it firmly rejected "all forms of terrorism" and vowed to guarantee that any weapons it receives will not "fall into wrong hands."
The opposition presented its own list of demands at the talks, which are likely to remain unmet. In addition to more military and civilian aid, the opposition wants a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the regime's air attacks and possible use of chemical weapons and a no-fly zone to protect civilians from further air and missile attacks.
The United States and other nations have repeatedly said they will not intervene militarily and Russia has repeatedly blocked U.N. resolutions on Syria.
After the talks, al-Khatib said the international support, while appreciated, was not enough.
"We call on the international community to be more forthcoming and unreserved to fulfill its responsibilities in extending support that is needed by the Syrian people," he said.
Syria's allies are struggling to overcome their divisions about which rebel groups to aid, the scope of the assistance and what commitments to seek from the opposition in return. Saturday's talks ran more than five hours, as nations argued over what one diplomat called "competing agendas" among the donors.
Some European nations remain skeptical about arming the rebels. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in Istanbul on Saturday that his government was concerned the weapons would fall into the hands of radicals.
"We expect from the opposition that they clearly distance themselves in Syria from terrorist and extremist forces," he told reporters.
Moreover, Western governments and many Middle East nations believe some nations that are arming the rebels, particularly Qatar, are allowing some of the weapons to flow to extremist groups like Jabhat al-Nusra. Diplomats said Turkey and Qatar have thrown their support behind Syria's Muslim Brotherhood, a move that has concerned Saudi Arabia.
Kerry said after the meeting the donors and the Syrian opposition reached agreement that all future military aid to the rebels would be channeled through the coalition's supreme military command.
After Istanbul, Kerry will travel to Brussels, where he will discuss the Syria crisis with NATO and EU foreign ministers. He will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Obama administration sees Moscow as one of Syria's most important backers, along with Iran. Kerry said earlier this week he had not abandoned hope Russia could end its support for al-Assad.
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| Iraq Voters |
Elections were held in most of Iraq's 18 governorates to replace local councils elected in 2009. Some provinces -- such as Anbar, Kirkuk and Nineveh -- did not hold elections because of insecurity.
Bombs were detonated in the days preceding and up to the election, sometimes killing and injuring candidates. On Saturday, six people were wounded at election centers, four from bombs in Latafiya south of Baghdad and two from mortars in Tikrit north of the capital.
But no major violence occurred, and the United States praised the the exercise as a brave democratic process. Security was so tight in Baghdad that some people couldn't make it to the polls because of curfew.
"In the face of security threats, millions of Iraqi citizens exercised their democratic right to cast their ballots at polls in twelve provinces across the country to choose new provincial councils," the U.S. Embassy said.
"This is a clear step forward for Iraqi democracy and a strong rejection of the violent extremists who have sought to derail democratic progress and sow discord among Iraqis. "
Martin Kobler, the U.N. special representative for Iraq, praised the "peaceful conduct" and commended election officials and security forces.
"Credible elections are critical to the country's stability," he said.
The elections are the first Iraq has held since parliamentary elections in 2010.
Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki was shown casting his ballot on state-run TV channel Iraqiya. He was among at least 15.5 million Iraqis were eligible to vote in Saturday's polls, the United Nations said, citing official estimates. Election officials estimated that around 50% percent of the voters turned out Saturday.
More than 8,000 candidates were reportedly vying for 378 seats on provincial councils.
CNN spoke to many people streaming to the polls.
They said they wanted change, stability and improvement in basic services. People of all ages voted, but in Baghdad at least, there was a clearly strong turnout of the younger generation.
"Inshallah," God willing, people said, as they expressed their hope for a better future.
Sectarianism a dark cloud over elections
The Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife in the region as well as Iraq was seen to be a major factor in the election and intimidation of voters.
Ramzy Mardini, adjunct fellow at the Beirut-based Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies, noted the detrimental attacks in the run-up to the election and said the divide is "widening, not closing."
"Today, al-Qaeda in Iraq appears to seek to influence the vote, rather than preventing the electoral process from occurring. The attacks appear targeted to keep Shiites at home and instill fear in Sunnis who are backing candidates that are cooperating with Maliki," he said, citing the Sunni militant group.
The rise of Sunni Islamists during the Arab Spring and the sectarian civil war in Syria represent "strategic drivers of instability in Iraq leading to Shiite fear and Sunni hubris. That's a dangerous combination, and it will sectarianize those fault lines even further as Iraqis undergo their first election cycle since the departure of U.S. forces," Mardini said.
As a result, there isn't "much political space for Sunnis and Shiites to cooperate. Those that do are likely to get punished at the ballot box."
The elections are a run-up to next year's general elections, shaping how politicians think about "political alignments going into next year's general election."
"It's a practice run. Everybody's got several political cards in their hands; how they perform locally can influence which card they choose to play or not play on the national stage," Mardini said.
But "national reconciliation" has been neglected.
"Iraqis will fall back on sectarian preferences when faced with fear and uncertainty, and there's plenty of fear and uncertainty for politicians to exploit to their sectarian advantage this election cycle," he said.
