Syria rebel aid

Rome, Feb. 28 (AP): The Obama administration today said it would for the first time provide non-lethal aid directly to rebels who are battling to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. It announced an additional $60 million in assistance to Syria’s political opposition.

The modest package of aid will consist of an as yet undetermined amount of food rations and medical supplies for members of the Free Syrian Army who will be carefully screened to ensure they do not have links to extremists.

China target

Beijing (AP): China’s military says overseas computer hackers targeted two of its websites an average of 144,000 times per month last year, with almost two thirds of the attacks originating in the US.

SA police Italy govt

Berlin (AP): Italian President Napolitano said on Thursday that the formation of a new government could not be rushed because of unfounded fears that Italy was a threat to Europe.