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Parties join forces against 'Sham Elections'

By TIMES WIRES
Published April 18, 2007

ABUJA, NIGERIA

The main opposition parties joined forces today to demand the annulment of results from Nigerian state balloting they branded "sham elections" and called for a postponement of a weekend presidential vote. A communique signed by 18 parties called on Nigerians to "protest in a nonviolent manner" against election results that showed the governing party rolling up huge victories in state governor and legislator races. The parties, including those of the main opposition candidates Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Atiku Abubakar, demanded a "level playing field" for all candidates and threatened to boycott Saturday's vote setting up Nigeria's first transfer of power from one civilian leader to another.

Police overreacted, Kremlin concedes

A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that some police overreacted during weekend opposition demonstrations, in which some participants were beat by club-wielding officers and hundreds were detained. The harsh response in Moscow and St. Petersburg drew wide criticism from human rights groups and reinforced opposition contentions that Russia under Putin is strangling democracy ahead of elections within the next year. "I think that some overreaction really took place ... but the main goal was to ensure law and order in the streets during those actions," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

PORLAMAR, VENEZUELA

Chavez shifts ethanol stance

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez appeared to soften his opposition to a U.S.-Brazil ethanol deal Tuesday after running up against a staunchly defiant Brazil. Chavez insisted that he doesn't object to ethanol, which the United States and Brazil have agreed to promote jointly, but that he does oppose U.S. plans to step up production of ethanol made from corn. He called it "taking corn away from people and the food chain to feed automobiles - a terrible thing." He said he has no objection to Brazilian ethanol produced with sugar cane.

Elsewhere

Philippines: Authorities found the body of a missing American Peace Corps volunteer today in a northern mountain town where she disappeared during a hike more than a week ago, an army general said. The body of Julia Campbell, 40, from Fairfax, Va., was found buried with one foot protruding from the ground near the village of Batad.

Indonesia: The United States warned Americans Tuesday against flying on Indonesian airlines after a string of accidents, saying the country's civil aviation authority does not meet international safety standards. The Indonesian government reviewed its 20 carriers and concluded that none met all safety requirements.

Germany: The German Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it has dismissed an instructor who told a soldier to imagine hostile blacks in New York's Bronx while firing a machine gun. The incident, captured in footage posted on the Internet, led the Bronx borough president to call for discipline against those responsible.

United Nations: The U.N. Security Council held a groundbreaking debate Tuesday on the impact of climate change on conflicts, brushing aside objections from developing countries that global warming is not an issue of international peace and security.

[Last modified April 18, 2007, 02:28:18]