BBC news, I'm Marian Marshall.
The Liberal and pro-western president of Serbia Boris Tadic has been reelected, narrowly beating his Nationalist challenger Tomislav Nikolic. Mr. Tadic, addressing cheering supporters, said Serbia had shown it was a great European democracy. Mr. Nikolic conceded victory and has congratulated his rival. The result has been welcomed by the European Union, which said it confirmed that Serbia was set on a European course. From Belgrade, Nick Thorpe sent this report.
The sound of fireworks in the center of Belgrade as Democratic Party supporters celebrated the victory of their candidate Boris Tadic. This was a narrow victory and not an easy one for the president. He had to beat off a strong challenge from his rival Tomislav Nikolic of the Serbia Radical Party. Mr. Nikolic drew support from an electorate weary of poverty and the perceived corruption of those in power. But in the end, the Democrats have more reserves to call on. A final surge among voters in the capital in the last hours of voting may well have helped Mr. Tadic clinch victory.
The Chadian army says it's driven rebel forces trying to oust President Idriss Deby out of the capital. But the rebels say they've made a strategic withdrawal to the eastern edge of the city and are poised to begin a new offensive. Here's our African editor David Bamford.
As dusk fell in N'Djamena, eyewitnesses said that unlike Saturday evening, government troops were now back in control of the city center. The pressure on President Idriss Deby, who had been besieged in his palace, has eased. And President Sarkozy phoned him to assure him of France's continuing support. The rebels say they've made a tactical short-term retreat. They are threatening renewed attacks, possibly including on the airport zone from where the evacuation of foreigners continues.
The European Union has decided to delay the deployment of its peace-keeping force in the east of the country until the situation on the ground becomes clearer. The EU is committed to providing some three and a half thousand troops to protect refugees who fled to Chad from neighboring Darfur.
The Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for peace-keepers to be deployed to quell violence in the country following the disputed presidential election. Clashes have continued in spite of an agreement between negotiators from the two sides to bring the violence to an end. Mr. Odinga told reporters that it would be better to deploy soldiers from the African Union or the United Nations rather than a national army. "The Kenyan army is not neutral. They are answerable to one person, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Illegally as it is, being Kibaki, they can not be neutral. That is why we want to have some neutral force. It can either be AU or the UN." President Mwai Kibaki once again accused the opposition of instigating the violence.
World news from the BBC.
The Colombian government has said it would give its full cooperation to the left wing rebel group the FARC to secure the release of another three hostages the group is holding. The move comes a day after the FARC announced its plans to release three politicians for health reasons. The Colombian Justice Minister Carlos Holguin said securing the release was of the utmost importance.
We have always said that all unilateral action from the FARC to free hostages without conditions is welcome. We receive that announcement gladly. Let's wait and see. Let's hope it's true. But let's wait for it to be confirmed.
The FARC wants the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba to facilitate the releases.
Campaigning for the US presidential election continues ahead of Super Tuesday when 24 states will choose their nominees. The Democrat candidate Barack Obama has received another high-profile endorsement. Maria Shriver, the niece of the former President John F. Kennedy, announced her support at a rally for Mr. Obama in California. Ms. Shriver is married to the governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, who last week backed the Republican front-runner John McCain.
An Airbus 380, the world's biggest passenger jet, has become the first commercial plane to fly using an alternative fuel that the company says marks a key stage in the development of bio-fuels. The aircraft used a liquid fuel processed from gas, known as GTL, on a three-hour test fly between southern England and Toulouse in France. Airbus says the fuel has potential air quality benefits.
American football the New England Patriots is one step away from a perfect season. They are playing the New York Giants in an eagerly awaited Super Bowl in Arizona. The Patriots could become the first team for 35 years to go unbeaten through the whole season.
BBC news.