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The senior UN envoy removed from his post in Afghanistan has told the BBC his dismissal sent “a terrible signal” to the world about the organisation. Peter Galbraith said he believed he had been removed because of a dispute with his superior over how to handle fraud allegations in the country’s elections. He said that in not addressing the “extensive” evidence of fraud, the UN had failed its Afghan mandate. The UN said his dismissal had been “in the best interest of the mission”. Mr Galbraith told BBC’s World Tonight that he had great respect for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, but that he disagreed with his decision to remove him from his post. “Not just on personal ground, but because I think it sends a terrible signal when the UN removes an official because he was concerned about fraud in a UN-sponsored and funded election,” he said. Mr Galbraith said he had seen “very extensive evidence of fraud” in August’s president elections and had had “a sharp disagreement” with his superior, Kai Eide, about how to address it. PETER GALBRAITH: KEY DATES 1979-1993: Senior adviser to US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1993-1998: First US Ambassador to Croatia, and co-author of Erdut Agreement that ended the war in Croatia 2000-2001: Director of Political, Constitutional and Electoral Affairs for the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor 2003: Resigns from the US government to write The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End Profile: Peter Galbraith UN mission split over Afghan poll He wanted to present the evidence to the Afghan Election Complaints Commission for further investigation, he said, but Mr Eide “did not want this information disseminated”. Mr Galbraith said that when he intervened, President Hamid Karzai complained and Mr Eide “decided he would support Karzai, who would be the beneficiary of the fraudulent ballots”. He said Mr Eide had initially “tended to dismiss the fraud”. “He didn’t want the UN staff to talk about it, he didn’t want us to discuss issues, for example of turnout, with the ambassadors in Kabul because we knew the turnout was very low in the southern provinces although a very large number of votes were in fact being reported from those areas. “Later, when the evidence of the fraud was inescapable he did talk about it but he’s consistently minimised it,” he said. Obligations EU election observers have said that about 1.5m votes – about a quarter of all ballots – cast in August’s presidential vote could be fraudulent. AFGHAN POLL FRAUD 15 Sep: Election Complaints Commission +chief says 10% of votes need to be recounted 8 Sep: Poll complaints body orders some recounts nationwide 8 Sep: IEC says votes from 600 polling stations “quarantined” 3 Sep: Claims 30,000 fraudulent votes cast for Karzai in Kandahar 30 Aug: 2,000 fraud allegations are probed; 600 deemed serious 20 Aug: Election day and claims 80,000 ballots were filled out fraudulently for Karzai in Ghazni 18 Aug: Ballot cards sold openly and voter bribes offered Election: Main fraud allegations They say that 1.1 million votes cast for President Karzai are suspicious. Mr Galbraith’s questioning of the election commission had angered Mr Karzai and several cabinet members, some of whom had said they no longer wanted to work with him. But Mr Galbraith said the UN had “the mandate to support free, fair and transparent elections”. “That unfortunately imposed on us an obligation to raise the question of fraud in elections which were funded by the international community and supported by the United Nations,” he said. In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Ban’s office in New York thanked Mr Galbraith “for his hard work and professional dedication”. “The secretary general has made this decision in the best interest of the mission. He reaffirms his full support for his special representative, Kai Eide,” it added. It is understood that Mr Galbraith would have been kept in his post until after a final ruling on the disputed presidential election – a process that is in its final stages, the BBC’s Lyse Doucet says. But leaks emerged in Kabul before Mr Galbraith himself had been informed of the secretary general’s decision.

Guinea’s military leader has called for a government of national unity days after dozens of opposition supporters died when protests turned violent. The rally was triggered by rumours that Moussa Dadis Camara, who seized power in a coup, would run for president. Capt Camara has called for “a commission of inquiry backed by the UN” to investigate the deaths. Meanwhile, the ruling National Council for Democracy and Development said it sought a transition government. “The CNDD asks for the formation of a government of national unity integrating members of different political parties and tasked with transition,” presidency official Mandjou Deoubate said on state television. Sanctions threat The African Union has given Capt Camara until mid-October to confirm he will not stand in presidential elections planned for 31 January. The military rulers – who have held power in the country since last December – also called for an African leader to be appointed as a mediator between the political parties. CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA Seized power in December 2008 as a little known army captain Promised democracy, but now shows signs of holding onto power Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials Guinea’s erratic military ruler Guinea under Camara: Story so far Eyewitness: ‘Bodies were falling’ Local activists say at least 157 people were killed when soldiers fired directly at protesters, though government officials put the death toll at 57. The interior ministry said most of those who died were not shot dead but were trampled to death. The UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay, on Wednesday condemned the crackdown, during which soldiers were reported to have raped women in the streets. “Monday’s bloodbath must not become part of the fabric of impunity that has enveloped Guinea for decades,” she said. Capt Camara has pledged to investigate why troops opened fire and announced two days of mourning beginning on Wednesday. There has been worldwide condemnation of the violence, with the UN urging the authorities to show restraint, and regional economic bloc Ecowas reportedly threatening sanctions. France has said it has suspended military co-operation with its former colony and it is considering freezing aid to the country. But analysts say international bodies have little leverage as Guinea is a resource-rich, wealthy nation enjoying heavy investment from foreign mining firms. Africa analyst Paul Melly told the BBC that Guinea’s former ruler, Lansana Conte, survived years of aid suspension from the EU without caving in to demands for political reform.

China is preparing to stage mass celebrations marking 60 years since the Communist party came to power. Security forces have been deployed in force across Beijing, ahead of a military parade expected to showcase previously unseen missile technology. A pageant featuring ordinary people will also be held in Tiananmen Square. Some 30,000 people have been invited to watch the events, but others are being encouraged to stay at home and watch it on TV to “avoid complications”. Armed police in body armour have taken up positions at major road junctions in the capital, with snipers spotted on buildings along the parade route on Chang’an Avenue. The BBC’s Michael Bristow in Beijing says roads have been blocked off, the international airport will be closed and the subway disrupted. China: 60 years in facts and figures Many shops and businesses have been closed along the route and a new portrait of Mao Zedong has been installed in Tiananmen Square, he adds. Some reports say the extravaganza will use twice as many fireworks as featured in the opening ceremony to last year’s Olympic Games. National Day is an annual highlight for the Chinese government, but extra effort has been made to mark the 60th anniversary of what China sees as the start of its transformation from an impoverished country to a global contender. On the eve of the festivities, the country’s leaders held a dinner for 4,000 people in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Premier Wen Jiabao praised China’s development and said was looking forward to celebrating “the centenary of New China” in 40 years’ time.

Ex-Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has been sentenced to six years in jail for corruption by a court in Lima. Fujimori, who is already serving prison sentences for crimes including ordering killings by security forces, was in court for a fourth and final trial. The charges relate to a scandal which brought down his government in 2000. During the trial, Fujimori, 71, admitted that he had illegally tapped the phones of journalists, businessmen and opposition politicians. Fujimori, who led Peru from 1990 to 2000, returned from exile in late 2007 to face a number of charges. Abuse of power In April this year, he was sentenced to 25 years in jail for ordering the security forces to carry out killings and kidnappings. In July he was sentenced to a further seven-and-a-half years for embezzlement after being convicted by Peru’s Supreme Court of giving $15m (?9.3m) in state funds to his spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos. He was already serving a six-year term after being found guilty in 2007 on separate charges of abuse of power. In the latest case, Fujimori admitted to charges that through Montesinos he bugged and bribed opposition politicians, journalists and businessmen. A series of videos leaked in 2000, showing Montesinos handing over piles of cash to prominent opposition leaders and media figures, prompted him and Fujimori to flee the country. Fujimori escaped to Japan, where his parents were born, and lived in exile there for seven years. Montesinos is currently in jail, convicted on dozens of charges including drug-trafficking and selling guns to Colombian rebels.

At least 75 people are dead and thousands are trapped under rubble after a strong earthquake shook western Indonesia, officials say. Buildings, including at least two hospitals, were brought down by the 7.6 magnitude quake, centred about 50km (30 miles) off the coast of Sumatra. Officials say the death toll is expected to rise. It comes hours after a tsunami from a separate quake killed more than 100 people in the South Pacific. A tsunami watch issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in the wake of the Indonesian quake has been lifted. Aid ‘on the way’ The coastal city of Padang, capital of West Sumatra province, is among the areas hardest hit. ANALYSIS Karishma Vaswani, BBC News, Jakarta We’ve heard that some of the roads to these areas have been cut off and there are concerns about communications – phone lines and electricity have also been cut off. Indonesia is no stranger to disasters of this sort – the ability to reach people is often criticised and one of the hospitals nearest the epicentre has also collapsed, so there are real concerns about how to get to the places most affected. At least six disaster management teams are on their way to the city of Padang. We’ve been told it will take up to 10 hours to get to the areas most affected. Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said the death toll was likely to continue to rise sharply, as so many buildings including schools, shops and hotels had collapsed. “We don’t know the identity of the victims yet, it’s night-time now so it’s dark. People are trapped, hotels have collapsed, schools have collapsed, houses have collapsed and electricity has been cut off,” he said, quoted by AFP news agency. Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said the quake was one of the biggest in Indonesia in recent years. “This is a high-scale disaster, more powerful than the earthquake in Yogyakarta in 2006 when more than 3,000 people died,” he said. Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry’s crisis centre, said a major city hospital was among the collapsed buildings. At least six rescue teams were on their way to Padang from neighbouring provinces, he said, but would not arrive for at least 10 hours. Local media reported the roof of the city’s airport had also collapsed. Mukhlis Rahman, mayor of the Pariaman District, one of the worst hit areas, said the weather was hindering efforts to clear up after the disaster. ”The quake was followed by a very heavy rain. Many houses and some building are flattened in my area. But I cannot yet verify too much. We will try to compile the data and distribute aid once the rain subsides,” he told the BBC. ‘Extreme panic’ MAJOR INDONESIAN QUAKES 26 Dec 2004: Asian tsunami kills 170,000 in Indonesia alone 28 March 2005: About 1,300 killed after a magnitude 8.7 quake hits the coast of Sumatra 27 May 2006: Quake hits ancient city of Yogyakarta, killing 5,000 17 July 2006: A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills 550 people Animated guide: Earthquakes Witnesses said residents ran out of buildings in Padang – which has a population of 900,000 – and surrounding cities. “A number of hotels in Padang have been destroyed,” Rahmat Triyono, from the Indonesian geophysics and meteorology agency, told AFP news agency. “Up to now we haven’t been able to reach Padang, communications have been cut,” Mr Triyono added. An unnamed witness told Reuters there was “extreme panic” in the city, with bridges down and flooding caused by broken water pipes. The earthquake struck at 1716 local time (1016 GMT) some 85km under the sea, north-west of Padang, the US Geological Survey said. Reports said the shaking could be felt in high buildings in the capital, Jakarta, and was also felt in Singapore and Malaysia. The quake was along the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries. That much more powerful earthquake struck roughly 600km north-west of Padang. Geologists have long warned that Padang could one day be completely destroyed by an earthquake because of its location. Western Sumatra is a mainly rural area with dense tropical forest. It has several national parks and many of its beaches are popular with surfers. Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the earthquake? Send us your experiences using the form below: Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Comments The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions

The US government has relaxed its control over how the internet is run. It has signed a four-page “affirmation of commitments” with the net regulator Icann, giving the body autonomy for the first time. Previous agreements gave the US close oversight of Icann – drawing criticism from other countries and groups. The new agreement comes into effect on 1 October, exactly 40 years since the first two computers were connected on the prototype of the net. “It’s a beautifully historic day,” Rod Beckstrom, Icann’s head, told BBC News. The European Commission, which has long been critical of Icann’s alliance with the US government, welcomed the new deal. “Internet users worldwide can now anticipate that Icann’s decisions…will be more independent and more accountable, taking into account everyone’s interests,” said Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for information society and media. ‘Global system’ The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) is a not-for-profit private sector corporation – set up by the US government – to oversee critical parts of the internet, such as the top-level domain (TLD) name system. Top level domains include .com and .uk. Since its inception in 1998, it has periodically signed accords – known collectively as the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) – with the US Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. we endorse this Affirmation and applaud the maturing of Icann’s role in the provision of internet stability Eric Schmidt CEO, Google These papers meant that the US government was responsible for reviewing the work of the body. These have now been abandoned in favour of the new “affirmation of commitments”, a brief document which turns the review process over to the global “internet community”. “Under the JPA, Icann staff would conduct reviews and hand them over to the US government,” explained Mr Beckstrom. “Now we submit those reviews to the world and post them publically for all to comment.” In addition, independent review panels – including representatives of foreign governments – would specifically oversee Icann’s work in three specific areas: security, competition and accountability. The US will retain a permanent seat on the accountability panel. Mr Beckstrom said the decision to break away from the US government in all other areas had been made “over the last year and a half”. “Stakeholders told us that the JPA should not be renewed and that it wasn’t appropriate for it to be renewed,” he told BBC News. “It is also recognition by the US government that the internet is a global system.” The internet began as a research project by the US military, known as Arpanet. On 1 October 1969, the second computer was connected to the network, said Mr Beckstrom. Ever since, the US has played close attention to the workings and growth of the net. “Today’s announcement bolsters the long-term viability of the internet as a force for innovation, economic growth, and freedom of expression,” said US Assistant Secretary for communications and information Lawrence Strickling. “This framework puts the public interest front and centre.” Businesses have also welcomed the change of direction by the US. “Google and its users depend every day on a vibrant and expanding internet; we endorse this affirmation and applaud the maturing of Icann’s role in the provision of internet stability,” said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. However, the new agreement does not totally sever the links between the US government and Icann entirely. In addition, Icann also has a separate agreement with the US – to run the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) – that expires in 2011. The IANA oversees the net’s addressing system.

Adapting to impacts of climate change will cost $75-100bn (?47-63bn) per year in the developing world from 2010, a World Bank study concludes. The bank released preliminary findings from its new global study at the latest round of UN climate talks in Bangkok. The figures assume that temperatures rise by 2C (3.6F) in the next 40 years. How to finance adaptation, and how much money will be available, is a major theme in the talks that are supposed to produce a new global treaty this year. The major costs would come from improving coastal protection and protecting transport links, the bank says. Taking action in favour of adaptation now can result in future savings and reduce unacceptable risks Bert Koenders, Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation The figures are more precise than previous estimates by UN agencies and development charities. “One of the ways our analysis differs is that it’s the first to establish a baseline that includes economic growth,” Warren Evans, director of the bank’s environment department, told BBC News. “Most of the previous studies assumed that Bangladesh in 2050, for example, would be the same as it is today, and obviously it’s not going to be like that – hopefully there’ll be less poverty and more growth and so on – and that has major impacts on the costs of adaptation.” The bank found that costs would differ according to rainfall in a world that has warmed 2C from pre-industrial times, with wetter conditions implying a higher overall pricetag. Development goals Developing countries say that as western nations grew prosperous largely through burning fossil fuels, they have a duty to finance protection around the world. The principle is accepted by some developed countries, and a number of proposals are on the table. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed setting up a $100bn fund for adaptation money, and last month the European Commission published suggestions on how the burden might be shared between funding nations, and between the public and private sectors. The costs of staple foods such as rice are projected to rise But consensus has yet to be reached between governments trying to negotiate the new UN climate treaty. The World Bank notes that the $75-100bn sum is roughly equivalent to existing levels of overseas aid. “This study makes plain that taking action in favour of adaptation now can result in future savings and reduce unacceptable risks,” said Bert Koenders, the Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation. “For poor countries, [the costs] are unacceptably high. International public financial support for adaptation in the poorest developing countries should be new and additional, so as not to jeopardise the Millennium Development Goals.” The Dutch government is co-funding the World Bank study, along with Switzerland and the UK. Left out One analysis that departed dramatically from the $100bn per year ballpark emerged last month from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Grantham Institute. It suggested the true costs would be double or even treble that amount. It cited examples such as a Chinese study showing that the cost of adapting a single watershed would come in at $1bn per year. Professor Martin Parry, who led the IIED report, said the World Bank appeared to have omitted some significant elements from its analysis. “The biggest of these is the cost of adapting ecosystems, which could cost as much again, even if it were possible,” he said. “And then there are other sectors that are not included, such as manufacturing, mining, energy and tourism, each of which would have an adaptation cost.” The overall cost would also be higher if temperatures rose by more than 2C. Earlier this week, a new UK projection suggested that if the world’s energy use continued along its current trajectory, a rise of 4C was likely by 2070. The World Bank will release further details before December’s UN climate summit in Copenhagen, with the full report due out in March. Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

An independent report into who started last year’s Russia-Georgia conflict is set to be published by the European Union. At the time both countries blamed each other for the outbreak of fighting. The report is expected to say that while the Georgians fired the first shots, the Russians created and exploited conditions that led to war. The death toll from the conflict is generally put in the hundreds. Tens of thousands fled their homes. At the time, the Russians accused Georgia of shelling civilians and attacking their peacekeepers in the breakaway region of South Ossetia. For their part the Georgians say they were targeting separatist forces – and repelling a Russian invasion that was already under way. Given the European Union’s relations with Russia have improved compared to a year ago, reaction in Brussels may be muted – welcoming the report itself, but distancing the EU from its content.

Space tourist and circus entrepreneur Guy Laliberte is all set to begin his journey to orbit. The Canadian billionaire will sit in the right-hand seat of the Soyuz craft which blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS). Mr Laliberte has described his flight as a “poetic social mission”. He says he will make the ISS astronauts laugh during his 12-day stay, and produce a web event that highlights the issue of clean water for all. He is accompanied in the Soyuz TM-16 spacecraft by Russian cosmonaut Maksim Surayev and US astronaut Jeffrey Williams. I’m an artistic person and a creator. I’m not a scientific. I’m not an engineer Guy Laliberte Cirque du Soleil show in space Lift-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is timed for 0714 GMT. The three-man crew is expected to arrive at the ISS on Friday. Mr Laliberte was a street performer when he founded the Cirque du Soleil theatrical company in 1984. The enterprise has since become an international brand. The success has brought Mr Laliberte immense wealth, enabling him to buy the reported $35m ticket to go to the orbiting platform. The Canadian will be the seventh private individual to make the trip. While previous tourists have emphasised science as a motivator, Mr Laliberte says his inspiration lies elsewhere. “I’m an artistic person and a creator. I’m not a scientific. I’m not an engineer,” he told the BBC this month. “Life has given me some qualities, some assets and I have built up a team of very creative people around the world. “With those people I think we’ll present something that is originally creative and hopefully will have the result of sensitising people toward the situation of water in the world.” Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Guy Laliberte and his crew making final preparations for their launch On 9 October he intends to lead a “poetical social” performance from orbit. The two-hour show will link up with contributions from 14 cities worldwide. The whole endeavour will be streamed on the web. “I start with the simple idea of reading a poem, which will involve characters like the Sun, the Moon and a drop of water,” he explained to the Associated Press this week. “Those characters will then engage in a discussion, which will take the form of a little poetic story that we will read to the population of Earth.” Celebrities, including former US Vice President Al Gore and Irish rock band U2, are set to make appearances. The purpose of the poem, written by Yann Martel, author of the Man-Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi, is intended to emphasise the need for all the world’s population to have access to clean water. Opportunities for tourists to visit the ISS are likely to become extremely limited in future. The expected retirement of the US space shuttles in 2010/11 will mean all Soyuz seats are needed to maintain the resident station crews, which now number six individuals. All the tourists have bought their tickets from the Russian Federal Space Agency through the marketing company Space Adventures.

A senior UN official in Afghanistan has been removed from his post following a row about how to handle the country’s disputed election, the BBC has learned. Peter Galbraith had angered Afghan President Hamid Karzai by criticising the country’s election commission. Mr Galbraith, from the US, was said to have called for a complete recount. Last week the top UN Afghan envoy, Kai Eide, said Mr Galbraith had left the country after a row between them, but he denied he had ordered him to go. UN sources say Secretary General Ban Ki-moon decided to end Mr Galbraith’s mission after it became clear he was no longer able to carry out his work in Afghanistan, says the BBC’s Lyse Doucet. Some Afghan cabinet ministers had said they no longer wanted to work with him. AFGHAN POLL FRAUD 15 Sep: Election Complaints Commission +chief says 10% of votes need to be recounted 8 Sep: Poll complaints body orders some recounts nationwide 8 Sep: IEC says votes from 600 polling stations “quarantined” 3 Sep: Claims 30,000 fraudulent votes cast for Karzai in Kandahar 30 Aug: 2,000 fraud allegations are probed; 600 deemed serious 20 Aug: Election day and claims 80,000 ballots were filled out fraudulently for Karzai in Ghazni 18 Aug: Ballot cards sold openly and voter bribes offered Election: Main fraud allegations Last week, Mr Eide told the BBC the dispute had been resolved by Mr Galbraith agreeing to leave the country for a while. He described Mr Galbraith as “a valuable deputy” and said he hoped they could “re-establish a good team and work together”. Mr Eide declined to talk about details of his disagreement with Mr Galbraith, but said the UN should respect the constitutional bodies in charge of the presidential election “to avoid any impression that there is foreign interference”. The row is between two men who have known each other for a long time but have very different styles, but a UN source said that had not been the only factor in Mr Galbraith’s removal, says our correspondent. It is understood that Mr Ban would not have dismissed Mr Galbraith – who came to the post with US support – without backing from the Washington, she adds. The US, along with other foreign missions in Afghanistan, appears to want to move on from the election dispute to deal with the country’s other considerable problems, she says, but this will anger observers who believe a more robust response is needed to the allegations. EU election observers have said that about 1.5m votes – about a quarter of all ballots – cast in August’s presidential vote could be fraudulent. They say that 1.1 million votes cast for President Karzai are suspicious.