"A presidential election to replace late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez will be held on 14 April, the country's electoral commission has said. The announcement follows the appointment of Mr Chavez's favoured successor, Nicolas Maduro, as acting president. Hugo Chavez died on 5 March after a long battle with cancer. Mr Maduro will run as the governing party candidate with Henrique Capriles expected to stand for the opposition. Mr Chavez - who led Venezuela for 14 years - won last October's election against Mr Capriles, polling 54% of the vote to Mr Capriles's 44%. As Mr Chavez's health worsened, he announced that his vice-president, Mr Maduro, should succeed him. Mr Maduro, 50, has pledged to carry on the former president's leftist policies and opinion polls have shown him as the favourite to win the next election." info@als-alexander.orgor interalex1@yahoo.com
"President Hamid Karzai has issued a stinging rebuke to the US and the Taliban, saying they are both guilty of sowing fears for post-2014 Afghanistan.
He said Taliban suicide attacks on Saturday were aimed at intimidation that would prolong the presence of international troops in Afghanistan.
The troops are scheduled to end combat missions in 2014.
Mr Karzai has cancelled a scheduled press conference with visiting US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel.
A senior Afghan presidential aide told the BBC this was because of tensions over civilian casualties, the handover of control of Bagram prison and the actions of US Special Forces in Wardak province.
US officials said it was because of security concerns and not the president's recent comments." info@als-alexander.orgor interalex1@yahoo.com
"A Nigerian Islamist militant group's claims to have killed seven foreign hostages it seized last month are credible, Western governments say.
The hostages - from Italy, Britain, Greece and Lebanon - were captured in a raid on a construction site in the northern state of Bauchi.
In an online statement posted on Saturday, the militant group Ansaru said it had killed the captives.
Ansaru is suspected of being an offshoot of the Boko Haram network.
On Sunday, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said a British construction worker, named as Brendan Vaughan, was "likely to have been killed at the hands of his captors, along with six other foreign nationals"." info@als-alexander.orgor interalex1@yahoo.com
Region Buzz - Australia 17.11.2012 Inhabiting the deep waters off the coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania, ...Australia and New Zealand. ... is on 3rd Week-end of March 2013 Australia ...regionbuzz.com/Australia_and_Oceania/Australia/---17112012 - Cached - More from this site
Ã…land Official Travel Guide
The town of Mariehamn is the capital of the Aland Islands . ... It's also quick and convenient to travel to the island world from Sweden and Finland.www.visitaland.com/en - Cached - More from this site