stand down
after many months of mass protests demanding he leave. But those protests haven't stopped, with tens of thousands back on the streets on Friday expressing their concern that Mr Saleh's
inner circle
might still hold on to power. The unexpected announcement by the vice-president that elections will be held in just three months may go some way towards answering those fears. It will also reinforce the sense that Mr Saleh, who's now in Saudi Arabia, is finally gone after three decades and despite a seemingly
inexhaustible
capacity for staying in power.
The security forces in Colombia say left-wing Farc rebels have shot dead four hostages">hostages. The captives - all members of the security forces - were killed during a rescue attempt. All had been held for more than 10 years after being captured in rebel attacks. Here's Arturo Wallace.
The Colombian Minister of Defence Juan Carlos Pinzon described it as cold-blooded murder. The Colombian military had been closing in on the Farc rebels that were guarding the
hostages
in the southern region of Caqueta. After a brief clash, the soldiers found the chained bodies of four men wearing hostage uniforms. The minister said three had been shot in the head from very close range and the other one had been shot in the back.
World News from the BBC
The leader of the moderate Islamist party which has won the most seats in Morocco's parliamentary election says that he is open to everyone when it comes to forming a coalition government. Abdelilah Benkirane said that the Justice and Development Party's programme for government would focus on democracy and good governance. Under a new constitution introduced after protests inspired by the Arab Spring, King Mohammed is obliged to choose a prime minister from the largest party in parliament.