Meant to pay for and how it was really spent. Cash. Venezuela has declared seven days of mourning following the death of president hugo chavez. He rose from the ranks of the military to be the leader of one of the largest economies in latin america. A sharp critic of the u. S. , the. Elfproclaimed revolutionary after two years of illness and weeks of uncertainty, the official announcement came that the venezuelan president is dead. After a battle against a heart illness, during the course of almost two years, with the love of the country and blessings of the country, and loyalty of his colleagues, and love of his family, we transmit our pain and solidarity. Hugo chavez had been in power 14 years of. During that time he became more than a president to many venezuelans. Supporters gathered on the streets of iraq as trying to adore the news, many of them shocked. Many in morning. The minister and pledged his support and that of the military for vicepresident maduro, who chavez had named as his successor. We ask for unity from the whole nation. The armed forces guarantees the constitution will guarantee the sovereignty and security of all the people in venezuela. Chavez, a hero for some and a tyrant for others, led an anti capitalist, antiu. S. Movement during his time in charge, supporting poor venezuelans and reclaiming power for them. The Opposition Leader has offered condolences to the family and supporters and urged unity among the people. Chavez has been very sick for more than three months now. There has been a time for venezuelans to understand the gravity of his health situation. But they likely will need even more time to come to grips with his . A man cast such a long shadow over this country for so long. Gabriel is joining us now from the main square in the venezuelan capital caracas. It is the morning after the news of his death. Is the mood like incorrect yesterday what is the mood today . Acas it is a little after 6 30 in the morning in venezuela. The sun is rising. This is a historic day because it is the first day of the post postchavez boulevard. This is one of the most famous plazas in the country. People are beginning to gather. It is still very early and its quiet. These people are some of chavezs most ardent supporters. They are here every day, not just because of his death yesterday. Are watching tv behind me of some of his speeches. They are here every morning, not just today. It shows how passionate his supporters are. I want to show you a couple headlines in the local papers to give you a sense of how venezuelans are waking up to the news today. This is one of the papers with a big picture of chavez. Another one as the main headline of the erainning without chavez. And another paper has a huge picture of him as well. This is very much a country that is really trying to come to grips with what is going on, what happened yesterday, and it a is a very somber mood as people are coming out to show their passion for their president that so many people here loved so much. Venezuelans are mourning the death of hugo chavez. Thank you very much. Theres been reaction around the world to news of his debts. Barack obama says the u. S. Is interested in starting a new relationship with venezuela. President obama said, this challenging time of the passing of president chavez, the u. S. Reaffirms its support for the venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the venezuelan government. Committedates remains to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. Iran has declared a day of mourning in honor of the death of hugo chavez. The rena president ahmadinejad pays tribute, saying, day venezuela lost its brakes, strong sun. I have no doubt that he will return. Braveezuela has lost its son. The Lebanese Foreign minister has asked for syria to be readmitted into the arab league at a meeting in cairo. But he was met with a Quick Response from the Prime Minister of qatar. Let us bring back syria to the arab league, lets lift the ban on its participation in our region. We need communication with syria to save six. It is a necessity for a political solution. I would like to respond on syria and the resolution aimed at resolving the dispute peacefully and not to create a sea of blood. The one who has created the blood shed is a star saw. Were following this story from the lebanese capital beirut. It appears that divisions are appearing within the arab league as far as the serious crisis. Syria prices. Crisis. Usually his remarks sparked a lot of controversy. People are preparing a response that for him. They say the government in lebanon still wants to distance itself from the syrian crisis. The arab League Suspended syrias membership in the arab league and at that time lebanon did not take a position on that. The country is too rise stand any position by the government will only bring more problems, it says. The prime ago minister was criticized for his position on syria, saying that positionrees and says p is stated only by the foreign minister. In kenya, under the Elections Officials from across the country have been flown into the capital nairobi to help count the votes. More than 300,000 ballots from mondays election were ejected for failing to follow strict voting guidelines. That is delaying the announcement of the results. Lets go to our correspondent in nairobi where young kenyans are using technology to monitor what is happening around the country. What is the latest . When do we expect results . We just heard from the iebc with a statement saying 53 of those returning officers are now in nairobi. The rest of them are still to arrive. We are expecting them hereby road and by air. Once they arrive, they will give their results, which will be verified and made public as soon as possible. But it is an extremely slow process. Let me tell you where i am. I am at the Innovation Hub where young kenyans have formed an organization that means kenya. On in what they are doing is getting information via text message, twitter, email, and bringing it all into the system here and mapping various incidents going on around the country. The response indicates serious incidents. Most of what they have gotten in have tosuch reports do with the voting process. Yarrabin small incidents of violence, but mainly it has been a peaceful election. What they are doing here is an extremely important job. It is really giving kenyans a voice, voicewho possibly may not be watching the proceedings on television kenyans who may not be watching the proceedings on television, they can still get the results through this group. Potentially damning information from the Jubilee Coalition coming out. We have to be careful with this. In this time, there will be speculation flying around. Jubilees party, coalition, has accused the british high commissioner of what they call suspicious and shatter we behavior relating to what they say is him trying to influence the process in terms of hundreds of thousands of spo ilt ballot papers and try to get them to include them in the final tally. The jubilee also mention the presence of british troops on polling day, calling that suspicious as well. We have put this to the british high commissioner. Were waiting for a response from him. We will get a lot of this as we wait welcome back. The top stories venezuela has declared seven days of mourning following the death of president hugo chavez. The 58yearold lost his battle with cancer. He was in office 14 years and leaves a void in latin america as elected leadership. Webinars foreign minister has asked for syria to be readmitted into the arab league. But the action of other members suggest he has a tough job ahead. Hundreds of elected officials from across kenya have been flown to nairobi to begin counting votes manually. Hundreds of thousands of ballots were rejected following mondays election for failing to follow strict election rules. There were tears and the nyse listed tuesday. York stockt the new exchange. Investor confidence raised by government efforts to stimulate the economy. Voice their needies anger at a well corporation. Those that rely on government assistance are increasingly worried about looming federal budget cuts and are beginning to speak out, but only in small numbers. How dare they feel we should give them money when they should be giving us money . Are they say they need Government Support now more than ever. I am terrified, because i receive rental assistance from section 8 thelma gray for my rent. Help me pay myo rent. , where about losing my home and my medical benefits. Abouti am concerned losing my home and medical benefits. Activists say the middleclass is shrinking as well as social safety nets. We would have money to pay for this if corporations like verizon would pay their spare share of taxes. If politicians in d. C. Would close corporate loopholes. The budget cuts are coming at a time when wages in the u. S. Are stagnating. If most americans have yet to recover from the recession while corporate profits are soaring. Wall street reached a record high on tuesday. Financial alice a. Companies are under little pressure to raise salaries thanks to gains in productivity and millions still out of work. What we see happening is that the wealthiest individuals are getting much wealthier, but theyre not bringing along the middle class like we have seen in past expansions. Some americans believe government overspending is the problem. The notion that the government can cut spending is a pink ribboneffects have been widely overstated by those in the media and those on various sides of various issues, including the administration. The opposing views cannot be further apart. With more jobs expected to be lost as a result of budget cuts, corporate profits expected to keep rising, and the gap between rich and poor is only expected to increase. Al jazeera reporting from new york. Malaysian soldiers have increased their search for a group of armed filipinos in an eastern state. 13 gunman were killed when the military launched a ground and air offensive on tuesday. But much of the group appears to have escaped the air strike. They landed on a coastal village nearly a month ago, claiming the state in their ancestral land. New accusations of brutality are being leveled at postilion police. This time it has been triggered by an online video showing a policeman throwing a handcuffed man to the ground at a gay pride event. Andrew thomas has more. Its the biggest parade of its kind anywhere in the world. ,000 spectators watching a thousands of performance at a martha kropf festival. Mardi gras festival. We just saw it. The Police Officer is videotaped throwing a handcuffed man to the ground. This was not the only incident last saturday night. This person says he was thrust to the ground and kicked by five Police Officers when he ignored their requests for him not to cross the road. But i dont believe in had anything to do with a sexuality issue. It was a sign of an Aggressive Police force engaging in a manner that could happen to any person. I think they feel they are in vulnerable. Inhonorable. Police have charged both men with assaulting their officers. But now they have promised an internal investigation. X. I think the community and police are mature enough and have confidence to know that we will treat the matter seriously and we will do it in accordance with the evidence. These are not isolated incidents. Brazilian student died last year after being tased four time and after by Police Officers he stole a single package of biscuits. Been heavythere have handed arrests of aboriginal man. In one case, a lack of care of Police Officers was found to have been responsible for a mans death. Austrian police stressed that the video only shows one part of what was a complex incident. But the incident itself seems to be part of a pattern leaving some australians to question their faith in their police. Andrew thomas, al jazeera, sydney. A Memorial Service is being held in south africa for taxi driver killed while in police custody. He was handcuffed to a police van and drag a few hundred meters after a traffic violation. He was dead later. A bail hearing for the eight Police Officers charged will begin on friday. A career and has warned north korea that any attack across the border would mean war. Pyongyang is threatening to scrap the ceasefire deal which ended the korean war if the u. N. Imposes new sanctions. Although a piece 60 years, the two koreas are still at war because the only sign a truce and not an actual peacekeeping. The Un Security Council is expected to adopt a new set of sanctions this week in response to abandon nuclear test. China has joined the u. S. In backing the resolution. About turn, hamid karzai has warned Afghan Security forces against torturing or using their own peoplehe iously named lak blamed the natoled troops for such abuses. There have been reports of widespread abuse in prisons. The investigation says that during the arrest by the Foreign Forces and their local partners, people been abused. This is a serious problem and this should be stopped and cameras should be set up during interrogation to stop the abuse. The u. S. Government is still counting the cost of rebuilding iraq after the invasion 10 years ago. The man in charge of the construction has given final details to congress. He says the u. S. T has he money for t0 says that the u. S. Has spent too much money for too few results. Washington was overspending in iraq. At least 8 billion in u. S. Money was wasted. In wasted for nine years, he and his team tracked the project and the calls wellintentioned but poorly designed and managed. The u. S. And budgeted 61 billion for reconstruction and spent 53 billion by last september. That is 15 million per day every day for nine years. Some of the money was given to the u. S. Agency for International Development or usaid. Usaid personnel began working with local leaders to rebuild iraq. But the inspector says it was the pentagon and defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld who patrolled the the check of. 45 billion had been spent on security related projects in 2011 or by 2011. The supervision was not so much in place. Eyepopping waste, fraud, and abuse were the results. Convicted felons skimming the attachment to pay construction workers. 40 million prison never wanted and never finished. And a former army major now in prison for stealing millions from government accounts. Some of those had access to these large duffel bags of cash and were unable to resist the temptation to steal. 220 avenal. 104 criminal indictments. 82 convictions. 191 million in fines and penalties. He says some of the money will never be found. But there is a next time, he hopes the u. S. Will never learned the very costly lesson of iraq. It has been costly to iraq and to the United States and to Coalition Partners in ways that no one anticipated 10 years ago. Al jazeera. John brennan is one step closer to becoming the head of the cia. The u. S. Senate Intelligence Committee has approved his nomination. It had been held up after senators insisted on review classified documents on the Drone Program previously headed by john brennan. His nomination now goes to a vote in the senate. Airline passengers in the United States will soon be allowed to carry small knives, mace, or golf clubs as part of their hand luggage. Airline unions reacted angrily, saying Sports Equipment can be dangerous in the wrong hands. The items were originally banned after 9 11, a u. S. Transport Authorities Say the changes allow them to focus on more serious safety threats. A top russian ballet dancer has admitted he was behind an acid attack on the bolshois district director. Pavel dmitrichenko is one of three suspects being held. Sergei filin was badly damaged when a masked driver threw acid in his face. Dmitrichenko explains why he was arrested. An attack against the artistic director, masterminded the attack, but not to the extent it eventually happened. The czech president says Treason Charges against him are politically motivated. The upper house of parliament, dominated by the leftwing opposition, had told it to prosecute the rightwing leader because he had ordered an amnesty halting several high profile fraud cases. He will end his tenure as president on display. Train drivers and portugal have gone on strike. They claim the government is not willing to talk. The strike has jammed traffic in the capital lisbon. The foreign minister in bulgaria has granted british politicians who claim the u. K. Is flooded with foreign nationals to be a dangerous statement. He said that some british members of parliament are living in a fantasy world. Now this report. The stereotypes about bulgarian workers. Both rising young business executives, they studied and worked in britain and they may return when restrictions are abolished. But bulgaria will always be home. The negative propaganda that went through the media in england, its not the right way to do it. Guy that said when we open the gates, millions of bulgarian people and romanian people are getting your jobs and youll be struggling to get by. This is not the case. Myi really hope most of peers and friends and fellow bulgarian students in the u. K. And elsewhere in the world come back here so we get a better home for us. The outgoing Bulgarian Foreign minister has told al jazeera that some british politicians are playing a dangerous nationalist game by using bulgarians as a scapegoat in the immigration debate. And suppose astonishment a feeling that this is a big oke, because they have mathematics terribly wrong. Do you think bo derek is being picked upon the you think that bulgaria is being picked upon . Of course. They are where you need to be careful in how you handle populism and nationalism, etc. A rightwing u. K. Immigration Pressure Group says its 50,000 bulgarians and romanians will move to britain every year when temporary controls expire in the u. K. And eight other European Union countries in 2014. It will give bulgarian migrants the same right to live and work in the uk as those of other European Union countries, including access to benefits and the National Health service. According to the people here, this argument about who works where not only exposes narrow nationalist views but also how far the European Union has to go in establishing a truly open market with the Free Movement of labor. Many bulgarians scoffed at the idea of alleged benefit tourism. They have their own attractions and home. The latest poll here shows a tiny proportion plan to travel to the u. K. In the next 12 months and most of those