Reuters: Progress raises Kenyan hopes 16 February

Protests over President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election on December 27 have degenerated into cycles of killing between rival tribes. Evidence points to well-organised gangs on both sides. Diplomatic efforts continue to resolve the crisis, with UN envoy Kofi Annan getting small teams of government and opposition negotiators together to hammer out a political deal that should help stop the killing. At least 850 people have died in the violence sparked by the election the opposition contends was stolen by Kibaki.

Kenyans vote in presidential elections, choosing between Raila Odinga, an opposition leader who is ahead in the pre-vote polls, and Mwai Kibaki, the ageing incumbent, in what is the tightest race in Kenya 's history. Rigging allegations dominated the last days of the campaign, making for a tense atmosphere as several polling stations failed to open on time and reports of names missing from the lists emerged. Images and soundbites.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki faced increasing international pressure on Thursday to agree to a power-sharing deal to end Kenya's post-election turmoil. Former UN chief Kofi Annan, who has been mediating crisis talks, is pushing for a "grand coalition" government to resolve a dispute over December elections that unleashed violence in which more than 1,000 people have died. As political and diplomatic attempts to find a solution to the crisis continue, ethnic tensions remain rife in several parts of the country. In Nairobi's Mathare slum, a youth association won a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2003 for its success in fostering community development through sports and particularly soccer. It now finds itself faced with a new challenge. An AFPTV report.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has appealed to the world community to "please help" resolve the crisis in his homeland that has been rocked by deadly anti-Chinese protests during a press conference today held in the Indian capital. "We have no power except justice, truth, sincerity... that is why I appeal to the world community to please help," the Buddhist icon told a news conference in the Indian capital where he was conducting meditation sessions. "I am here helpless, I just pray," said the exiled spiritual leader two weeks after anti-Chinese protests in the Himalayan region turned bloody, leading to calls for a boycott of the August Beijing Olympic Games.

Former United Nations chief Kofi Annan has persuaded the rival political parties to agree to take swift steps to end the violence that erupted over disputed elections but the row appears to have unleashed tribal tensions that have taken on a life of their own.

The head of the Electoral Commission of Kenya announced President Mwai Kibaki had beaten opposition rival Raila Odinga by a narrow margin to win re-election in Kenya's closest ever vote. Kenya's opposition rejected the result and plans an alternative inauguration for Monday in Nairobi Park. Amid protests from his party opposition leader, Raila Odinga has called for a recount saying the government has lost its legitimacy due to fraud. The Kenyan Government has suspended all live broadcasts.

Kenyans on the streets of Nairobi had a positive reaction to Barack Obama's victory as US Democratic Party presidential nominee.

Brutal unrest across Kenya over President Mwai Kibaki's reelection left about 150 people dead on Monday -- some hacked to death -- taking the overall toll to at least 185 killed in four days. Police opened fire on some protesters and looters and many people were killed with machetes as ethnic tensions mounted. Images.

A planned opposition rally faltered on Friday, giving Kenya some respite from post-election turmoil and allowing residents to measure the impact of the destruction. In Kibera, the Toi market, which used to be the slum's backbone, has been burnt to the ground. Just outside of the slum, thousands of residents waited hours for a food distribution by the Red Cross, which had to be postponed because of insufficient supplied. Images and soundbites.