BBC News with Jerry Smit
One of the most senior figures from Israel's founding generation, the former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has died at the age of 85 after 8 years in a coma. Mr.Sharon played a major and controversial role, first as a guerilla fighter and soldier, later as a politician. Outside the hospital in Tel Aviv where he died, Yolande Knell has details of the next steps.
Ariel Sharon's body has been taken away from the hospital. Attention shifts to a ministerial committee which is meeting this evening to put all of the final arrangements in place with the security forces for Ariel Sharon's lying in state, that's expected to be at the Israeli parliament on Sunday. And Israeli media say that there will be a memorial service attended by likes of the US Vice President Joe Biden also former leaders expected to come for that before Arial Sharon is buried at his ranch in the Negev in southern Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the memory of Mr.Sharon would forever remain in the nation's heart. President Shimon Peres described him as one of Israel's greatest leaders and called him a brave soldier. President Obama said Mr.Sharon had dedicated his life to Israel while Bill Clinton said it had been an honour to work with him. Paul Adams has the assessment.
Controversy followed Ariel Sharon wherever he went. In 1982, as a Defence Minister, he ordered the invasion of Lebanon. When hundreds of Palestinian refugees were massacred by Israel's Christian allies, he was found responsible and stripped his post. But he bounded back, elected prime minister in 2001 at the height of a Palestinian uprising. Having fought enemies all his life, one of his final acts was to build a war to keep them out. But he also withdraw from the Gaza Strip in the face of great hostility from his old allies,the settlers. He left the right-wing Likud party in 2005, saying he needed to pursue peace with the Palestinians.
However Palestinians in the Gaza Strip celebrated by handing out Sweets. The Islamist movement Hamas which controls the territory said his death marked the disappearance of a criminal,his hands were covered with Palestinian blood. Isra al-Modallal is their spokeswoman.
“We can not forgive what he did and we can not believe and be happy for what's the kindly and warm of what's that from the Israeli leader today. And we can not delete our history.”
In other news,state media in Egypt, reporting that the head of the army General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has said he will run for president this year if that's what the people want. Intensifying speculation that he'll stand. Correspondents say a personality cult has been building around General Sisi, the key force in removing the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi last year.
World News from the BBC
Local officials in Libya say that at least 15 people have been killed and 20 wounded in clashes between rival tribes in the south of the country. The fighting in the city of Sabha was sparked by the killing of a bodyguard protecting the city's militia leader, a member of the Awlad Suleiman tribe. Fellow tribesmen accused the rival Toubou tribe of murdering him.
The former President of the Central African Republic Michel Djotodia has gone into exile in Benin. Mr.Djotodia who resigned on Friday came under intense international pressure for failing to control sectarian violence. He was the country's first Muslim president. Clashes between rival militias have continued since his departure. Paul Wood is in Bangui.
Fighters who're the mainly Muslim Seleka force were standing around on a street corner,“We are not an army any more.”one shouted,“We are lost.” The Seleka looked defeated and demoralized following the resignation of the president they brought to power. There's been sporadic gunfire around the capital Bangui during the day, probably nervous Seleka gunmen. Their enemies, the Christian vigilantes called anti-Balaka are jubilant and some intend on taking revenge. There has been looting of Muslim homes and businesses.
Thousands of people are taking part in a march in the Basque city of Bilbao in northern Spain to call for the release of members of the banned separatist organization Eta,despite organizers promising a silent march to meet legal restrictions,some demonstrators shouted support for Eta whose victims said the protest made a mockery of their suffering.
The authorities in Russia say they've arrested 5 members of what they called an international terrorist group in the North Caucusus just weeks before the Winter Olympics begin. They were detained in Nalchik 300km from the Olympic Resort of Sochi. A spokesman said a home-made bomb had been defused.