PENTAGON WANTS TO TRY AGAIN WITH SYRIAN PROGRAM THAT TRAINED 150 FIGHTERS FOR $384 MILLION

The U.S. military has requested permission from the administration to restart a halted program to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels, the top commander in the Middle East said Tuesday.

“I’ve asked for permission to restart the effort by using a different approach,” Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command (Centcom), told the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing.

The $500 million..

80 PERCENT COAL PLANTS IN 2015’S ELECTRICITY RETIREMENTS

In the US, electricity demand is growing very slowly, which means that capacity additions don’t have to exceed retirements by much in order to keep the grid functioning. Tracking the comings and goings from the electric grid can help provide a picture of the country’s changing energy mix.

PRIZNO AGREEMENT: ALL-PARTY AGREEMENT STILL NEEDED, SAY EP MEDIATORS

Members of the European Parliament Ivo Vajgl (ALDE, SI), Richard Howitt (S&D, UK) and Eduard Kukan (EPP, SK), EP mediators for the 15 July 2015 Przino Agreement, after talks with all parties in Skopje, take note of the vote of the Macedonian parliament to set a new date to hold parliamentary elections on 5 June 2016 but insist all-party agreement remains essential to fulfil all elements of the agreement which can put the country back on track towards the Euro-Atlantic perspective.

Mr Vajgl, Howitt and Kukan issued the following statement today:

Obama to make ‘historic’ Cuba visit

US President Barack Obama will pay a landmark visit to Cuba next month to enhance ties with the former Cold War adversary, the White House says.

 The White House, making the announcement on Thursday, said Obama is set to visit Cuba on March 21 and 22 to be the first US president stepping foot on the Island to peruse a historic thaw after nearly a century. The last sitting US president to visit Cuba was Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

Galatasaray draws 1-1 with Lazio in Europa League

Turkish football heavyweight Galatasaray drew 1-1 with Italian club Lazio late Thursday in Istanbul in UEFA Europa League.

Sabri Sarioglu scored for Galatasaray at the 12th minute and just nine minutes after Lazio replied with Savic's goal for the Italian side.

Turkey continues to shell PYD positions in Syria's Azaz

Turkish military is continuing to shell PYD positions in Syria’s Azaz district located in the northern countryside of Aleppo, Turkish security sources confirmed to Anadolu Agency Thursday.

PYD is the Syrian affiliate of the terrorist PKK organization, which has targeted security forces as well as civilians in Turkey since 1984.

The latest round of shelling comes a day after a deadly bomb attack killed 28 people and injured dozens others in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Juncker ‘confident’ of deal to avoid British EU exit

British Prime Minister David Cameron has declared he is “battling for Britain” as he arrived at a crucial Brussels summit to discuss his country’s future in the European Union.

Cameron is hoping to secure an agreement from 27 other European heads of state and government on his renegotiation of Britain’s membership terms.

“We have got some important work to do today and tomorrow and it’s going to be hard.

Joint statement of the EU Heads of State or Government and the leaders of the EU institutions on the terrorist attack in Ankara

We, the leaders of the European Union, strongly condemn yesterday’s terrorist attack in Ankara.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims and express our solidarity with the people of Turkey.

Meeting between HR/VP Federica Mogherini and Secretary General of the Organisation of the American States, Luis Almagro

Federica Mogherini met with the Secretary General of the Organisation of the American States, Luis Almagro, on the occasion of his visit to Brussels to hold the third EU-OAS Political Consultations. They had a productive exchange of views on Latin America and the Caribbean region. Special emphasis was given to the peace process in Colombia, the recent positive developments in EU-Cuba relations, the political and economic situation in Venezuela, the electoral process in Haiti, as well as other matters of common interest in the Central American region.

Lykketoft meets EU High Representative

UN General Assembly President Mr. Mogens Lykketoft today had a meeting with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Federica Mogherini.

On the agenda were several important global topics such as Syria, Libya, the refugee crisis, migration, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, upcoming thematic debates at the General Assembly, UN reform and the election of the next Secretary-General.

PKK terrorists attack oil pipeline in northern Iraq

The PKK terrorist group attacked the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik oil pipeline inside the Turkish province of Sanliurfa, the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government said in a statement late Wednesday.

The KRG Natural Resources Ministry strongly condemned the attack, stating that the Kurdish region is suffering from an economic crisis and selling oil is an important source for the Peshmerga forces’ salaries.

KOSOVO CELEBRATES TODAY THE EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE

Kosovo’s declaration of independence on February 17, 2008, was the culmination of a journey of painful tears of blood for the Albanian population. For years, until June 1999, Albanians suffered the consequences of ethnic cleansing by Milosevic’s army. After the war and international deployments in Kosovo, in November 2005 officially launched the final status process.

From 13 June 1999, when Serbian forces were forced to leave Kosovo, the country was administered by the mission of the United Nations UNMIK and Kosovo’s democratic institutions: Parliament, the President and the government.