A leading contender for president of Sudan has withdrawn his candidacy, casting more doubt over the country’s first fully-contested poll since 1986. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) said Yassir Arman would not stand against President Omar al-Bashir. The SPLM – former rebels from the south – blamed the continuing conflict in the Darfur region and “electoral irregularities” for his withdrawal. Sudan is due to vote in local, national and presidential polls next month. The elections, scheduled for 11-13 April, have been delayed several times and observers and opposition parties have lobbied to have them delayed again amid fears of fraud and security concerns. But President Bashir, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1989, is determined the vote will go ahead as planned. While announcing Mr Arman’s withdrawal, the SPLM made it clear that the party would field candidates in the other elections “across Sudan, except for Darfur”. The party said it could not put up candidates in Darfur because the region was still at war and under a state of emergency. Not free, not fair Meanwhile, northern opposition parties have already threatened to boycott the ballot box amid allegations of widespread fraud. BBC’s James Copnall, in Khartoum, says they will decide on Thursday whether to take part. Omar al-Bashir has ruled out any election delays or cancellations Both the opposition parties and the SPLM – who serve in a coalition with Mr Bashir – believe the electoral process has been rigged in favour of Mr Bashir’s National Congress Party. The opposition claims the registration process has been flawed and says its access to state media and rights to hold rallies were restricted. US-based rights group Human Rights Watch has also criticised the government, saying the repression of the media and its opponents threatened a “free, fair, and credible” election. The SPLM joined the unity government in 2005 as part of a peace deal ending a two-decade civil war. Some 1.5 million people died in the conflict between the mainly Muslim north and the south, where most people are Christian or follow traditional beliefs. The south, which is already semi-autonomous, is due to vote a referendum next year which would see it gain independence from the north.
A leading contender for president of Sudan has withdrawn his candidacy, casting more doubt over the country’s first fully-contested poll since 1986. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) said Yassir Arman would not stand against President Omar al-Bashir. The SPLM – former rebels from the south – blamed the continuing conflict in the Darfur region and “electoral irregularities” for his withdrawal. Sudan is due to vote in local, national and presidential polls next month. The elections, scheduled for 11-13 April, have been delayed several times and observers and opposition parties have lobbied to have them delayed again amid fears of fraud and security concerns. But President Bashir, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1989, is determined the vote will go ahead as planned. While announcing Mr Arman’s withdrawal, the SPLM made it clear that the party would field candidates in the other elections “across Sudan, except for Darfur”. The party said it could not put up candidates in Darfur because the region was still at war and under a state of emergency. Not free, not fair Meanwhile, northern opposition parties have already threatened to boycott the ballot box amid allegations of widespread fraud. BBC’s James Copnall, in Khartoum, says they will decide on Thursday whether to take part. Omar al-Bashir has ruled out any election delays or cancellations Both the opposition parties and the SPLM – who serve in a coalition with Mr Bashir – believe the electoral process has been rigged in favour of Mr Bashir’s National Congress Party. The opposition claims the registration process has been flawed and says its access to state media and rights to hold rallies were restricted. US-based rights group Human Rights Watch has also criticised the government, saying the repression of the media and its opponents threatened a “free, fair, and credible” election. The SPLM joined the unity government in 2005 as part of a peace deal ending a two-decade civil war. Some 1.5 million people died in the conflict between the mainly Muslim north and the south, where most people are Christian or follow traditional beliefs. The south, which is already semi-autonomous, is due to vote a referendum next year which would see it gain independence from the north.
At least 25 people have been killed in a series of suspected suicide bomb attacks in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, hospital officials say. The first blast was heard at about 1530 GMT and was followed by three other attacks across the city. Reuters said one blast hit near the police chief’s compound. A second was reported near the home of President Hamid Karzai’s half-brother. Kandahar, a former Taliban stronghold, is one of Afghanistan’s largest cities. Previous attacks in Kandahar province have been blamed on Taliban insurgents, who have regularly launched suicide car bomb attacks. President Karzai’s half-brother Ahmad Wali Karzai, who is the head of Kandahar’s provincial council, was quoted as saying that the main attack was on Kandahar’s prison. “The prison is very well guarded. We don’t know about the casualties. It was a very big explosion,” he told Reuters. Deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Shad Farooqi was quoted by AP as saying that the explosions occurred near a hotel, a prison, a mosque and at a road junction intersection in the centre of Kandahar. News of the blasts comes as Nato and Afghan forces are involved in a major joint operation against Taliban militants in neighbouring Helmand province, named Operation Moshtarak. The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, has hinted in recent weeks that the volatile Kandahar area could be one of the next targets for operations against the Taliban.
The Vatican has denounced attempts to link Pope Benedict to a child abuse scandal in his native Germany. A Vatican spokesman said there had been “aggressive” efforts to involve the Pope, but added: “It’s clear that these attempts have failed.” The Holy See’s prosecutor told Avvenire newspaper that “to accuse the current pope of hiding (abuse cases) is false”. The Pope’s former diocese earlier said he once unwittingly approved housing for a priest accused of child abuse. The episode dates back to 1980 when he was archbishop of Germany’s Munich and Freising diocese, and known as Joseph Ratzinger. However a former deputy said he – not the future pope – made the decision to re-house the priest, who later abused other children and was convicted. ‘Defamation’ The Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, told Vatican Radio: “There have been those who have tried, with a certain aggressive persistence, in Regensburg and Munich, to look for elements to personally involve the Holy Father in the matter of abuses.” The repeated employment of H in priestly spiritual duties was a bad mistake Gerhard Gruber Former vicar-general in Munich and Freising Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican’s prosecutor, told Avvenire – a newspaper affiliated with the Church – that accusations that the pontiff had helped cover up abuse were “defamatory”. He added that the future Pope “showed wisdom and firmness in handling these cases”. Following a report in the Munich-based Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the diocese of Munich and Freising confirmed earlier this week that then-Archbishop Ratzinger had let the priest, known only as H, stay at a vicarage in Munich for “therapy”. H had been suspected of forcing an 11-year-old boy to perform a sex act upon him in the northern city of Essen. While he was in Munich, between February 1980 and August 1982, no wrongdoing was reported. He was then transferred to the town of Grafing, where he was relieved of his duties in 1985 after allegations of child sex abuse, the diocese said. In 1986, he was given an 18-month suspended jail sentence and a fine for sexually abusing minors, details of which were not given by the diocese. Archbishop Ratzinger’s former deputy, Gerhard Gruber, has taken responsibility for initially allowing H to remain within the Church, saying this had been “a bad mistake”. Speaking to the Associated Press news agency, he added that there had been about 1,000 priests in the diocese at the time and that the archbishop “could not deal with everything”.
Partial results for Iraq’s elections show Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s coalition ahead in the crucial area of Baghdad, election officials say. Results from across the country suggest a tight contest may be developing between Mr Maliki and his main rival, former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Baghdad has 70 seats in the 325-member parliament, making results there key. There have been complaints about the slow pace of the count for the 7 March polls, and some claims of fraud. Final results for all 18 provinces are not expected for a fortnight, after which there is expected to be a long process of coalition-building. Major prize The election commission released its preliminary figures for Baghdad on Saturday, saying about 18% of the vote had been counted. Some 6,200 candidates campaigned for parliamentary seats The results showed that Mr Maliki’s State of Law, a coalition which purportedly cuts across religious and tribal lines, was leading the mainly-Shia Iraqi National Alliance by some 50,000 votes. Former PM Iyad Allawi’s secular Iraqiya bloc was in third place. Winning Baghdad – which provides more seats to the Iraqi parliament than any other constituency – could give a major boost to Mr Maliki’s chances to retain the prime minister’s office. On Friday, the commission said Mr Maliki’s bloc was leading in two Shia provinces south of Baghdad. It said Mr Maliki’s main rival, Iyad Allawi, was ahead in two provinces to the north of the capital. About 6,200 candidates from 86 factions campaigned for seats in the 325-member parliament. Analysts say it is unlikely one party will form a government alone and there may be months of negotiations on a coalition. Voter turnout was 62%, officials said, despite attacks that killed 38 people on Sunday. It was down on the 75% turnout figure for the 2005 general election.
At least 10 people have been killed by a suicide bomber in a rickshaw at a security checkpoint in north-west Pakistan, police say. At least 34 people were wounded by the explosion near Mingora, the main city in Swat Valley. It comes a day after twin suicide attacks in the eastern city of Lahore killed 45 people and injured about 100. It follow threats by Taliban militants to deploy thousands of suicide bombers in retaliation for an army offensive. The bomber in Saturday morning’s attack was trying to get into a government facility used by police and security forces in the town of Saidu Sharif, a police official said. “He was trying to enter the building and blew himself up after being stopped by police,” Qazi Jamil told AFP news agency. The Pakistani army launched a major offensive in Swat last year after peace agreements with local militants collapsed. The area has been largely peaceful since then. Friday’s bombings in Lahore targeted military vehicles as they drove through a crowded area. On Monday, Taliban militants destroyed a building used by intelligence services in Lahore, killing 13 people. In the last six months, hundreds of civilians have been killed in militant attacks across the country.
The EU is poised to reach agreement on a multi-billion euro bail-out for Greece after weeks of crisis, senior officials have told the BBC. The rescue package would provide loans and guarantees for Greece if it asked for help financing its deficit, says the BBC’s Gavin Hewitt in Brussels. Eurozone finance ministers are expected to have a proposal finalised as early as Monday, our correspondent says. Greece has so far not asked for help solving its financial crisis. Its deficit is more than four times higher than eurozone rules allow, and it is trying to reduce it with austerity measures that have provoked public anger. The crisis over Greece’s huge debts has also hurt the euro. German opposition The hope is that the deal will be there as a last resort, but that the funding will not actually be needed, says our correspondent in Brussels. Greece’s PM has been trying to drum up support for austerity measures Germany and France would be the main backers, with no contribution from Britain and other non-euro countries, he adds. The deal would have to be constructed to get around rules governing the euro currency which prohibit a bail-out for a country on the brink of insolvency. And any potential rescue package will be hugely controversial in Germany, where there is strong opposition to helping Greece. It would also have to avoid the possibility of a challenge from Germany’s supreme court. News of the possible deal leaked out late on Friday and officials were expected to haggle over the weekend on the proposal’s finer details, our correspondent adds. Greece’s austerity measures have sparked protests and nationwide strikes. European Union rules state that no nation in the euro bloc should have an annual budget deficit which is higher than 3% of its gross domestic product. Greece has pledged to reduce its deficit from 12.7% to 8.7% during 2010. Its long-term deficit-cutting plan aims to cut the budget shortfall drastically, to less than 3% by 2012. Concerns about its giant debts currently make it more expensive for Greece to borrow money compared to most other European nations.
Sales of ivory and a possible ban on trading bluefin tuna top the agenda for the two-week CITES meeting that opens this weekend in Doha, Qatar. CITES – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species – will set a precedent if it votes to ban trading in a lucrative fish such as bluefin. The US and EU back the proposal, but Japan is set against. Conservation groups are also hoping for increased protection on sharks, coral, polar bears, lizards and amphibians. African disunity The ivory and tuna issues are both potentially controversial. This is a key conservation moment – whether the governments here will vote for the conservation of bluefin tuna Dr Sue Lieberman Pew Environment Group International ivory trading was banned in 1989. But countries considered to have well-managed stocks of elephants and reliable systems for tracking tusks have three times been allowed to sell consignments from government stockpiles. Zambia and Tanzania are now seeking permission for a further sale. But other African nations led by Kenya and Mali want a 20-year ban on all ivory exports. They argue that the legal trade stimulates poaching, which has been on the rise in recent years. “To permit any step towards further trade in ivory makes no sense whatsoever – it flies in the face of every basic conservation principle and is contrary to the agreement made at the last meeting,” said Jason Bell-Leask from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw). However, the organisation Traffic – which is charged with collecting data on illegal elephant killings and ivory smuggling – maintains there is no proof of a link. The endangered Luristan newt Enlarge Image Data from its Elephant Trade Information System (Etis) shows that the rate of seizures of illegal ivory began rising well in 2004, well before the last one-off legal ivory sale was authorised in 2007. And the previous one-off sale, in 1999, co-incided with a fall in seizures. Etis manager Tom Milliken argues that African governments wanting to stem the rising ivory tide would be better advised to step up enforcement efforts against poachers and traders. And China, the principal market for illegal ivory, should live up to its promises to act against smuggling gangs, he says. Otherwise, he says: “Arguments over the impacts of one-off sales will continue to divert attention away from the real problem: finding ways to stop the flow of illicit ivory at source.” Tuna battles The chances of CITES voting to ban the international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna increased markedly during the week when – after months of wrangling – the EU decided to give its support. The bloc includes several nations with tuna fleets in the Mediterranean, the main fishing ground. CITES EXPLAINED Threatened organisms listed on three appendices depending on level of risk Appendix 1 – all international trade banned Appendix 2 – international trade monitored and regulated Appendix 3 – trade bans by individual governments, others asked to assist “Uplisting” – moving organism to a more protective appendix; “downlisting” – the reverse Conferences of the Parties (COPs) held every three years CITES administered by UN Environment Programme (Unep) Conservation groups argue that the ban is needed because governments involved in the industry have allowed overfishing to such an extent that the species’ survival is in some doubt. They also argue that a pause in fishing will eventually lead to higher catches. “The goal is not to ban trade indefinitely, but to suspend international trade until the species recovers sufficiently to enable international trade to resume,” said Sue Lieberman, director of international policy with the Pew Environment Group. “This is a key conservation moment – whether the governments here will vote for the conservation of bluefin tuna, or will allow commercial fishery interests to prevail, further causing over-fishing and continued decline of this iconic species,” she told BBC News from Doha. Japan has indicated that it would opt out of a trade ban, as it is entitled to do under CITES rules. But if all other tuna fishing countries went along with it, there would be no supply of tuna to import. Conservation groups are urging the EU and US to make sure that other tuna fishing countries, particularly North African states bordering the Mediterranean, do not opt out. Skin and teeth The CITES meeting will also consider a US proposal to ban international trade in items originating from polar bears. Rapid melting of Arctic sea ice in recent decades has placed the polar bear on the Red List of Threatened Species. The delicate red and pink corals are highly prized by jewellers About 2,000 items are traded internationally each year, including skin, skulls, teeth and claws. Although this is not considered to be the major threat to the species’ survival, the US feels that the trade ban would be a help, and would not intrude on the rights of Arctic indigenous peoples with a history of hunting polar bears for meat and skin. Other proposals would see trade banned in a number of reptiles and amphibians, including three iguanas from Mexico and the critically endangered Luristan newt of Iran. Four species of shark are also up for consideration, as are the red and pink Corallium corals from the Mediterranean that are used in the jewellery trade. Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
Former Nasa astronauts who went to the Moon have told the BBC of their dismay at President Barack Obama’s decision to push back further Moon missions. Jim Lovell, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, said Mr Obama’s decision would have “catastrophic consequences” for US space exploration. The last man on the Moon, Eugene Cernan, said it was “disappointing”. Last month Mr Obama cancelled Nasa’s Constellation Moon landings programme, approved by ex-President George W Bush. Nasa still aims to send astronauts back to the Moon, but it is likely to take decades and some believe that it will never happen again. ‘Moral leadership’ The astronauts spoke to the BBC at a private event at the Royal Society in London on Friday organised by the Foundation for Science and Technology. It will have catastrophic consequences in our ability to explore space and the spin-offs we get from space technology Jim Lovell Apollo 13 commander Obama cancels Moon return project They were joined there by the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong. As the last astronaut to return to the Apollo 17 lunar module in 1972, Cernan was the last man to set foot on the Moon. “I’m quite disappointed that I’m still the last man on the Moon,” he said. “I thought we’d have gone back long before now.” So why does he believe Americans should go back to the Moon? The proposed Ares-1 rocket has been cancelled by Mr Obama “I think America has a responsibility to maintain its leadership in technology and its moral leadership… to seek knowledge. Curiosity’s the essence of human existence.” It is a view shared by fellow Apollo Astronaut Jim Lovell, the heroic commander of Apollo 13. “Personally I think it will have catastrophic consequences in our ability to explore space and the spin-offs we get from space technology,” he said. “They haven’t thought through the consequences.” Lunar dream alive Although Cernan and Lovell expressed their dismay with President Obama’s decision, Mr Armstrong tactfully avoided the subject. When he set foot on the Moon in July 1969, it seemed as if humanity would soon colonise other worlds. By 1994, when I interviewed him for the first time, he said: “The reality may have faded. But the dream is still there and it will come back in time.” But with the cancellation of Nasa’s Constellation programme to return Americans to the moon by 2020, who is to inspire the next generation? Nasa still aims to send astronauts back to the Moon, using Nasa to provide incentives and oversight to the private sector for launch services. It is likely to take some time, however. Until then we will have the epic tales of Armstrong, Lovell, Cernan and the rest of the Apollo astronaut corps to remind us that all things are possible – and despite the current pause in human spaceflight to other worlds, the dream is still there.
Police have released three of the seven Muslims arrested in the Irish Republic over an alleged plot to murder a Swedish cartoonist. They were freed without charge after three-and-a-half days of questioning. The trio were held on suspicion of plotting to kill Lars Vilks over a cartoon he drew depicting the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog. The cartoon was used in a Swedish newspaper in 2007 to illustrate an editorial on freedom of expression. Two women and one man, who were among those arrested in Waterford and Cork, were released on Friday night. ‘Jihad Jane’ The group included nationals from Algeria, Libya, the Palestinian territories, Croatia and the US. Three men and one woman remain in custody. The arrests on Tuesday were part of an international investigation into alleged death threats against Mr Vilks. It came hours after an American woman was charged by US authorities with plotting to kill the cartoonist. Colleen LaRose – who described herself online as “Jihad Jane” – was detained last October in Philadelphia. Unconfirmed reports say she travelled to Ireland in September and met several of the suspects who were arrested there. In 2007, a group linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq offered a $100,000 (?66,000)reward for killing Mr Vilks, and a 50% bonus if he was “slaughtered like a lamb” by having his throat cut. The Vilks cartoon was published about a year-and-a-half after a series of depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten paper caused protests by Muslims around the world.
