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World in brief

Mexicans can't campaign north of border

By wire services
Published September 24, 2005

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute has ruled that presidential candidates cannot campaign outside the country, even though Mexicans living in the United States will be able to vote absentee for the first time in next year's elections.

Mexicans abroad also will not be able to contribute money directly to the campaigns, the institute said in a statement Wednesday.

The 2006 presidential candidate leading the polls, former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, canceled a trip to Los Angeles last week for fear it could violate election laws.

Candidates can't spend a peso abroad, or receive a peso, from any of the potential 4-million voters in the United States, the institute said. Rather, the institute will distribute information on the candidates' campaign platforms.

VIENNA - The European Union submitted a motion on Friday that sets Iran up for referral to the U.N. Security Council, and pushed for a decision today when the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency reconvenes.

The EU motion - a draft resolution to the IAEA's board of governors - calls on the 35-nation board to consider reporting Iran to the council. As grounds, it mentions noncompliance with provisions of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and suspicions that Iran's nuclear activities could threaten international peace and security, according to a draft copy obtained by the Associated Press.

PARIS - The United States is under growing pressure to make difficult concessions on farm subsidies after a Friday meeting with three other trade powers failed to break a deadlock that threatens global trade talks.

Washington so far has resisted demands that it come up with an offer to cut market-distorting farm aid, saying it first wants to see moves by trade partners to reduce agricultural import tariffs.

The European Union took a step in that direction Friday, presenting a tentative tariff-cutting offer at talks with U.S. trade representative Rob Portman and ministers from India and Brazil.

Just three months remain before a Hong Kong summit at which 148 governments are supposed to agree on a framework global trade treaty.

UNITED NATIONS - North Korea's food crisis has eased - but not enough for the United Nations and other aid groups to end their humanitarian work in the country as Pyongyang has requested, the U.N. humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, warned Friday.

North Korea announced Thursday that it wanted all emergency humanitarian assistance from international organizations to stop by the year's end, partly because of what it called political interference from the United States.

U.N. agencies are in talks with North Korea on how to overcome their differences over emergency food, U.N officials said Friday. North Korea will still allow development assistance, and the U.N. World Food Program said it is negotiating to change its food aid.

AFGHANISTAN: U.S. and Afghan forces backed by helicopter gunships killed 14 suspected Taliban in the heaviest clashes since Sunday elections, officials said Friday.

GERMAN ELECTIONS: Germany's Greens rejected coalition talks with opposition leader Angela Merkel on Friday, leaving conservatives with only Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's party as a partner for a new government.

[Last modified September 24, 2005, 01:01:06]