Zimbabwe opposition retains gains

Zimbabwe's electoral commission has released seven more results from a partial recount of last month's parliamentary elections.
None of the original results were overturned, making it difficult for the ruling Zanu-PF party to overturn an opposition majority in the lower house.
Mr Tsvangirai says he won presidential and parliamentary polls

Results have still not been released from the parallel presidential poll.
The failure to do so, four weeks on from the vote, is causing mounting concern internationally.
US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer said the level of government intimidation in Zimbabwe was now so high that a fair run-off would not be possible.
She said the only solution was an inclusive government, led by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
Recount unfinished
The state-run Zimbabwe Herald newspaper said Zanu-PF had retained two seats and the opposition MDC four seats, while a breakaway MDC group held the seventh.
LOWER HOUSE SEATS
MDC and allies - 110 seats before recount
Zanu-PF - 97 seats before recount
23 seats subject to recount
13 of these unchanged
10 seats still being recounted
Zanu-PF needs to gain nine of these 10 to be sure of a majority
Another six have already been declared, but in 10 the recount is still unfinished a week after it was announced.
The BBC's Will Ross in Johannesburg, South Africa says the electoral commission is not making the process easy to follow, and results are being issued in a haphazard fashion.
There is still no word on the presidential election, although there are reports that results will be released when the parliamentary recount ends.
The MDC says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the election outright, while independent monitors say he fell just short of the 50% threshold to avoid a run-off.
Zanu-PF also says there is likely to be a run-off, as no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote.
The results come a day after the MDC's main Harare office and the headquarters of an independent monitoring network were raided by police.
Police said they had arrested 215 people suspected of involvement in political violence.
The opposition said those detained had been taking refuge from attacks by ruling party activists in other parts of the country, and told the Associated Press news agency they included pregnant women and men with broken bones.
Computers and documents were also seized in the raid.
The police say they were looking for those behind political violence
The MDC says its activists have been attacked around the country - with at least 10 killed - since the elections.
But the police and Zanu-PF say that no-one has died in political violence.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has fled Zimbabwe, fearing for his safety and is touring African countries, trying to persuade them to press President Robert Mugabe to step down.

Girl killed in fresh Gaza clashes

Israeli forces have clashed with Palestinian militants during a raid on northern Gaza, hours after rejecting a truce offered by Hamas.
Palestinian doctors say a 14-year-old girl died and eight other people were injured in the raid, in Beit Lahiya.
They say the casualties included the girl's mother, but were mostly gunmen involved in clashes with the Israelis.
Reports say the target of the raid was local Hamas leader Hassan Marouf, but the Israeli army refused to comment.
The Associated Press news agency quotes witnesses as saying the Israelis seized him from his home amid heavy fighting.
The Israeli army said none of its troops were injured.
The raid began before dawn, with an Israeli undercover force entering northern Gaza backed by tanks and aircraft.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants fired at them with machine guns, mortars and homemade bombs.
On Friday Hamas proposed a six-month "period of quiet" in Gaza, which it said could then be extended to the West Bank.
Israel dismissed the proposal as a ruse to allow Hamas to "re-arm and re-group".

Scuffles in Japan at torch relay

and ground footage of the latest Olympic torch scuffles in Japan.
The Olympic torch has met with more protests and scuffles on the latest leg of its troubled relay in the Japanese city of Nagano.
With security tight along the route, two demonstrators tried to seize the torch and a third threw eggs at the flame. All were arrested.
But correspondents say the relay passed off without serious disruption.
The streets were lined with thousands of Chinese supporters, as well as dozens of protesters.
A sea of wellwishers greeted the torch as the final runner completed the relay at a city park.
Officials said four people were slightly injured in separate incidents, and a smoke-emitting tube was thrown at the relay without effect, according to reports.
More than 3,000 police officers were brought in to guard the event after demonstrations had plagued the flame in some other cities on its route.
In a last-minute change, the Nagano leg of the relay began in a parking lot rather than a 1,400-year-old Buddhist temple.
The temple was withdrawn as the starting point after objections over China's crackdown in Tibet.
The start of the relay, with the torch first carried by the manager of Japan's national baseball team, was closed to the public, as were rest stops on the route.
Riot police
Protests elsewhere on the torch's progress - and the huge security operations they have spawned - have turned the celebratory tour of 20 countries into what analysts describe as a public-relations disaster for Beijing.

In pictures: Japan relay
Earlier, Japan told Chinese Olympics organisers that the large team of security officers who have accompanied the flame elsewhere would not be welcome here, says BBC Japan correspondent Chris Hogg.
Instead riot police in running gear surrounded the athletes carrying the torch along each stage of the four-hour relay.
Two columns of 40 police officers each flanked the torch, making it hard for spectators to see much, the organisers admit.
In advance of the torch's arrival, buses full of riot police patrolled the streets and police helicopters hovered overhead.
Vietnam expulsion
Japan, which has had a troubled relationship with China, took extensive steps to ensure that any disruption was kept to a minimum.
Over the following few days, the torch will stop in South Korea, North Korea, and Vietnam.
In Hanoi, Vietnam, authorities expelled a US citizen of Vietnamese origin who they say was planning protests against the torch, reported state media.
Protests in Athens, London, Paris and San Francisco - where demonstrators angry at the Chinese occupation of Tibet tried to disrupt processions - have dominated media coverage of the torch relay.
However, the flame has made relatively peaceful progress through other cities, including Bangkok in Thailand and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

UN probes US Syria reactor claim

The UN's nuclear watchdog has said it will investigate US claims that Syria was building a secret nuclear reactor with North Korean help.
The International Atomic Energy Agency criticised the US for withholding its intelligence until seven months after Israel bombed the site
The US said the alleged Syrian reactor "was not for peaceful purposes".
Syria has said the US claim is "ridiculous" and has denied any nuclear links to North Korea.
The site of the alleged reactor, said to be like one in North Korea, was bombed by Israel in 2007.
'Unused military site'
The director general of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, has now been briefed by the US on their claims but "deplores" the delay, a statement from the agency said.
"The agency will treat this information with the seriousness it deserves and will investigate the veracity of the information," the statement said.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
6 Sept 2007: Israel bombs site in Syria
1 Oct: Syria's President Assad tells BBC site was military
24 Oct: New satellite images taken show site bulldozed clear
24 April 2008: US claims Syrian site was nuclear reactor
US claims raise wider doubts
Full text: US allegations
Send us your comments
The agency was critical of both the US delay in releasing the information and of Israel's bombing of the site before the IAEA could inspect it.
"The director general views the unilateral use of force by Israel as undermining the due process of verification that is at the heart of the non-proliferation regime," the statement said.
The statement is a clear indication that Mr ElBaradei is not accepting the US claims at face value and wants his own first-hand information, says BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall.
Syrian officials have said the site that was bombed by Israel on 6 September 2007 was an unused military facility under construction. Building on the site had stopped some time before the air strike, the Syrians said.
On Thursday, American security officials showed members of Congress evidence they said proved Syria was building a nuclear reactor with North Korean assistance.
Among the evidence they displayed were pictures - said to have been obtained by Israel - allegedly taken inside the facility showing the reactor core being built.
The images showed striking similarities between the Syrian facility and the North Korean reactor at Yongbyon, the US said.
However, the facility was not yet operational and there was no fuel for the reactor, officials said.
US concern
The White House said Syria's "cover-up" operation after the Israeli air strike reinforced its belief that the alleged reactor "was not intended for peaceful activities".
Images released by the CIA- footage courtesy of US Government video
In late October 2007, an independent American research organisation, the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), released pre- and post-strike satellite images of the site which indicated it had been bulldozed flat after the bombing.
"Until 6 September, 2007, the Syrian regime was building a covert nuclear reactor in its eastern desert capable of producing plutonium," the White House statement said.
"The Syrian regime must come clean before the world regarding its illicit nuclear activities."
The statement added that the US had long been "seriously concerned about North Korea's nuclear weapons programme and its proliferation activities".
'Ridiculous allegations'
Syrian officials have denied any North Korean involvement in their country.
"These allegations are ridiculous," Syria's ambassador to the UK, Sami Khiyami, told the BBC.
"We are used to such allegations now, since the day the United States has invaded Iraq - you remember all the theatrical presentations concerning the WMDs [weapons of mass destruction] in Iraq."
Mr Khiyami said the facility was a deserted military building that had "nothing to do with a reactor".
Syria is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which gives it the right to enrich its own fuel for civil nuclear power, under inspection from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
North Korea has previously denied transferring nuclear technology to Syria.
Ulterior motive?
The White House insists it is committed to the ongoing six-nation diplomacy, between North Korea and the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia that led to a landmark deal with Pyongyang, in February 2007.
North Korea agreed to give up its nuclear weapons in return for aid and its removal from a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism. But the US has accused Pyongyang of missing the deadline to make a full nuclear declaration as promised.
The CIA briefing and statement coincided with the end of a two-day meeting between US and North Korean officials on Pyongyang's nuclear programme, which both sides say went well - fuelling speculation that a deal may be imminent.
But questions are being asked whether the reactor claim is designed to reinforce those diplomatic efforts or an attempt by some in the administration to undermine them.

Clinton 'wins key Democrat vote'

Hillary Clinton has beaten Democratic rival Barack Obama in a critical vote in the US state of Pennsylvania, according to early results.
However, it is not yet clear how large her margin of victory will be. Analysts say she needs a big win to keep her campaign alive, but she disputes that.

Hillary Clinton has tried to play down the need to win by a large margin

Mr Obama had predicted he would lose but said he had made big progress in reducing Mrs Clinton's initial lead.
Based on 10% of returns counted, Mrs Clinton led Mr Obama by 55% to 45%.
Preliminary exit polls for the Associated Press and US television networks suggested a high turnout among voters over 60 and that six in 10 voters were women - both groups which have favoured Mrs Clinton.

Hillary Clinton's threat to Iran
About a quarter of those surveyed said they had a postgraduate education and about the same said they had a household income of more than $100,000 last year. Such groups have tended to prefer Mr Obama.
In the final hours of campaigning, Mrs Clinton tried to play down the idea she needed a large margin of victory, saying: "I think a win under any circumstances is a terrific achievement."
And she highlighted Mr Obama's significant edge in terms of spending, asking: "Maybe the question ought to be, why can't he close the deal with his extraordinary financial advantage, why can't he win in a state like this, if that is the way it turns out to be?"
Mrs Clinton earlier emphasised what she says is a strength - her leadership ability and foreign affairs credentials.
As the candidates appeared on the US morning talk show circuit, Mrs Clinton was asked how she would respond if Iran launched a nuclear attack on Israel, and replied with a stark warning.
DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES
Barack Obama:
Pledged delegates: 1,415
Super-delegates: 233
Total: 1,648
Hillary Clinton:
Pledged delegates: 1,251
Super-delegates: 258
Total: 1,509
Source: AP estimates on 22 April
In pictures: Pennsylvania primary
Justin Webb's blog
Wagnerian drama
Pennsylvania voters' views
"If I'm the president, we will attack Iran... we would be able to totally obliterate them," she told TV network ABC.
"That's a terrible thing to say, but those people who run Iran need to understand that, because that perhaps will deter them from doing something that would be reckless, foolish and tragic."
In response, Mr Obama said: "Using words like 'obliterate' - it doesn't actually produce good results, and so I'm not interested in sabre-rattling."
He said only that Iran should know he would respond "forcefully" to an attack on any US ally.
The US fears Iran is trying to acquire nuclear weapons, and could use them against Israel. Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for power generation.
Last big state
With four million registered Democrats, and 158 pledged delegates to the Democratic Party's nominating convention in August, Pennsylvania is the last of the big states to hold a primary.

Philadelphia residents discuss the Democratic presidential hopefuls

Although Mrs Clinton is behind in the delegate count and in the total votes cast, she has won most of the big state contests.
And the white working class voters who have formed the backbone of her support so far are a significant constituency in the state.
With the delegates split in proportion to the vote, neither candidate is expected to win sufficient pledged delegates to seal the nomination in the remaining primaries, and the two are courting 800 or so unelected "super-delegates".
Pennsylvania provides a key test for Mrs Clinton's argument - which she hopes will sway the super-delegates - that only she will be able to secure wins in critical large states come November's presidential election.
Clinton 'favourite'
Ahead of the vote, the BBC's North America editor Justin Webb said the state's voters had the power to keep Mrs Clinton's White House dream alive by giving her a substantial victory, to do it further damage by delivering a close result, or to destroy it by handing a win to Mr Obama.

Mr Obama said he had made progress against the favourite, Mrs Clinton

On TV on Tuesday, Mrs Clinton predicted victory, by whatever margin, and said if Mr Obama failed to win it would call into question "his ability to win the big states".
Mr Obama conceded that his rival "has to be heavily favoured to win" in Pennsylvania, but dismissed the big-state argument, saying there was "no chance" of the Democrats losing New York or California in the presidential election, no matter who the candidate was.
The Republican Party also held a primary in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, with presumptive nominee John McCain set to take all the delegates on offer.
Senator McCain spent the day in Ohio - expected to be a key battleground state in November - where he spoke of the need to create new opportunities to replace lost blue-collar jobs.

Darfur deaths 'could be 300,000'

An estimated 300,000 people may have died as a result of the Darfur conflict, the UN head of humanitarian affairs John Holmes says.
That is an increase of 50% from the previous figure of 200,000 killed in the five years of fighting in the region in western Sudan.
More than two million have been displaced by the conflict

Mr Holmes gave the revised total to a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York.
Sudan disputes the figure, saying 10,000 are now known to have died.
The previous figure of 200,000 came from a 2006 study by the World Health Organisation.
It included those killed in the fighting itself as well as people who died from disease and malnutrition because of the conflict.
The 2006 figure "must be much higher now - perhaps as much as half again," Mr Holmes said.
He said the new total was an extrapolation from the previous figure and was not based on a new study.
Disputed figure
Speaking later to reporters, Mr Holmes added: "I am not trying to suggest this is a very scientifically-based figure. It is not a very scientifically-based figure, except on the basis of extrapolation."

Mr Holmes' comments were hotly disputed by the Sudanese ambassador to the UN, Abdul Mahmoud Abdel-Halim, who accused him of exaggerating the figure.

"These remarks by Holmes are not helpful, are not correct, are not credible," Mr Abdel-Halim told the Reuters news agency.
"He should tell us who made that study, who commissioned it and how was it done."
Mr Abdel-Halim put the number who died at 10,000, which is 1,000 higher than the Khartoum government's previous estimated.
The Sudanese number only comprises those who have died in combat, he said.
Peacekeeping force
The Security Council was also told that the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur is unlikely to be up to full strength this year.
The joint UN-AU special representative for Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, said troop levels in the UNAMID mission he leads "is at less than 40% of its mandated level of 19,555 and it is very unlikely to achieve full-operating capability before 2009".
After the meeting, he suggested the force could reach 80% of its strength at the end of this year as attempts were made to accelerate deployment.
The conflict in Darfur in western Sudan began in 2003 after rebel groups began attacking government targets, saying their communities were being discriminated against in favour of Arabs.
In retaliation, the government launched a military and police campaign in Darfur, prompting 2m people to leave their homes.
Arab Janjaweed militia are accused of following up on government raids on villages with a campaign of murder and rape.
The Sudanese government denies links to the Janjaweed, but admits establishing "self-defence militias". It says the problems have been exaggerated.

Colombia orders Uribe ally arrest

Colombian prosecutors have ordered the arrest of a cousin and key ally of President Alvaro Uribe over alleged ties to paramilitary groups.
Mario Uribe Escobar, who stepped down as a senator last October, is accused of criminal conspiracy.
He went to the Costa Rican embassy in Bogota seeking asylum, but his request has been turned down.
Mario Uribe was an influential political figure

Mario Uribe, one of the most prominent figures arrested over alleged paramilitary links, denies wrongdoing.
A jailed former paramilitary leader, Salvatore Mancuso, has alleged that he met Mario Uribe several times and was asked by him to support his senate campaign in 2002.
Former paramilitary commanders have also testified that militias reached agreement with him to help him take over farmland.
A statement from the prosecutor's office accused Mario Uribe of entering into "agreements to promote illegal armed groups," the Associated Press news agency said.
'Inappropriate'
Mr Uribe went to the Costa Rican embassy shortly after the arrest warrant was issued.
But the Costa Rican foreign ministry said it would be "inappropriate to grant asylum to Mario Uribe."

To date, inquiries have been opened into dozens of current or former members of congress over their alleged ties to the United Self-defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitaries in what has been dubbed the "parapolitics" scandal.
The scandal is inching closer to President Alvaro Uribe

Most of those being investigated are allies of President Uribe. The president remains popular, however, for overseeing aggressive military action against leftist rebels.
He also negotiated the 2003 peace deal that saw paramilitary leaders surrender and demobilise 31,000 of their men in exchange for reduced jail terms and protection from extradition.
The right-wing militias were created by landowners and drug-traffickers to combat left-wing rebels and anyone suspected of being a sympathiser.
The paramilitary groups, including the AUC, and the leftist rebels are listed by the US and the European Union as terrorist organisations.

Leaders warn on biofuels and food

Two Latin American leaders have issued warnings about the effects of biofuel production on food supplies.
Speaking at the UN in New York, Bolivian President Evo Morales said the development of biofuels harmed the world's most impoverished people.
Countries like China are limiting the use of crops for biofuel

And President Alan Garcia of Peru said using land for biofuels was putting food out of reach for the poor.
Meanwhile UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is hosting a meeting to discuss European policy encouraging biofuels.
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Brown said that the UK should be "more selective in our support" for biofuels, which convert cereals into fuel.
Campaigners say providing a renewable alternative for conventional fuels could help stop global warming.
Tackling hunger is a moral challenge to each of us and it is also a threat to the political and economic stability of nations
Gordon Brown
PM urges food price action
Send us your comments
But as food prices climb worldwide, there is a fear that development of biofuels could reduce the production of badly-needed basic foodstuffs.
Ethanol production is on course to account for some 30% of the US maize crop by 2010, dramatically curtailing the amount of land available for food crops.
The EU has meanwhile come under criticism for its target of getting 10% of road transport fuel from crops by 2020.
The head of the UN World Food Programme and the chief of the African Development Bank chief are among those attending the London meeting.
Bio-ethanol project
Opening a UN forum on the global impact of climate change on indigenous peoples, Mr Morales said that capitalism should be scrapped if the planet is to be saved from the effects of climate change.
"If we want to save our planet earth, we have a duty to put an end to the capitalist system," he said.

South Americans warn over biofuels
Bolivia's left-wing president said unbridled industrial development was responsible for the pillaging of natural resources.
But, he said, "some South American presidents who were talking about biofuels but did not understand what they were talking about".
The BBC's Daniel Schweimler says this is a clear reference to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who says his country has enough land to grow food crops as well as plants to produce biofuels.
Last week, he rejected allegations that biofuels were responsible for the recent rise in global food prices.
And on Monday, Brazil announced a major joint venture in Ghana to grow sugar cane for bio-ethanol.
"In Ghana we are developing a project that will result in growing 27,000 hectares (of sugar cane) for the production of 150 million litres of ethanol per year that are destined for the Swedish market," said President Lula, who was in Accra for the occasion.
For his part, Peru's President Garcia said the demand for biofuels was putting world food production under threat.
Just over 40% of Peruvians - some 12 million people - live below the poverty line and have been hit hard by the soaring cost of basic foodstuffs.
Industrialised countries want to use a higher percentage of biofuels

The global prices of wheat, rice and maize have nearly doubled in the past year, while milk and meat have more than doubled in price in some countries.
Such rises, combined with high oil prices, are causing increasing political instability in less developed countries across the world.
Food riots earlier this month in Haiti, which is highly reliant on imports of food and fuel, led to the deaths of at least six people, including a UN peacekeeper.
There has also been unrest in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Mozambique and Senegal.

China may recall Zimbabwe weapons

The ship carrying weapons to Zimbabwe may return to China after being prevented from unloading in South Africa, a Chinese official has said.
Zambia's president has called on other African countries not to let the ship enter their waters, in case the arms escalate post-election tensions.
Reports say the ship is carrying millions of rounds of ammunition

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the weapons were ordered last year and were "perfectly normal".
But she said the ship's owners were considering bringing the ship back.
Ms Jiang said this was because it was proving impossible for Zimbabwe to receive the arms but this has not been confirmed by the Chinese shipping company.
The Chinese vessel was said to be bound for Angola but the US is reported to be pressuring port authorities there and in Namibia not to allow them to dock.
Zambia's President Levy Mwanawasa said: "I hope this will be the case with all the countries because we don't want a situation which will escalate the [tension] in Zimbabwe more than what it is."
I don't understand all this hullabaloo about a lone ship
Patrick ChinamasaZimbabwe justice minister
The International Transport Workers Federation says it has asked its members across Africa not to help unload the An Yue Jiang, which is reportedly carrying three million rounds of ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and 2,500 mortar rounds.
The opposition says the weapons could be used to "wage war" on its supporters ahead of a possible run-off in the presidential vote.
This is strongly denied by the government, which has accused the opposition of exaggerating claims of recent political violence.
'Not authorised'
The ship, which had been anchored off the port of Durban for four days, was forced to move on Friday after a South African court refused to allow the weapons on board to be transported across the country to landlocked Zimbabwe.
Despite reports the ship was heading for Angola, an ally of Zimbabwe's government, the director of the Institute of Angolan Ports said the vessel had not asked for permission to dock in Angola.

"This ship has not sought request to enter Angolan territorial waters and it's not authorised to enter Angolan ports," Filomeno Mendonca told local radio.
But the agent handling the ship said its next port of call would be the Angolan capital, Luanda, AFP news agency reports.
A South African military spokesman said the ship was no longer in South African waters.
Themba Gadebe was speaking in response to a claim that the ship remained in the country's jurisdiction despite last week's court order.
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (Salc), which took the matter to court, had asked the South African navy to intervene.
Mr Gadebe said the ship was being monitored but declined to say where it was, except that it was off South Africa's west coast.
Zimbabwe's Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said it was their right to defend themselves and buy weapons from any legitimate source.
"I don't understand all this hullabaloo about a lone ship," he told reporters.
The country has yet to publish the results of its 29 March presidential election, which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says was won outright by its candidate Morgan Tsvangirai.
'Torture camps'
Meanwhile, the southern African regional body, SADC, rejected Mr Tsvangirai's calls for South Africa's Thabo Mbeki to be replaced as the chief mediator for Zimbabwe.
"We have complete faith in President Mbeki," AFP quoted Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam as saying.
Mr Tsvangirai wants President Mwanawasa to take over, with some opposition supporters saying Mr Mbeki was close to Mr Mugabe.
A recount in 23 out of 210 parliamentary seats, which had been due to end on Monday, has been delayed for an unknown period.
The MDC rejected the recount as illegal and insisted it beat President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party outright in presidential and parliamentary polls.

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Secretly filmed footage of alleged attack victims in Zimbabwe
Post-election violence has displaced 3,000 people, injured 500 and left 10 dead, according to MDC secretary general Tendai Biti.
Human rights groups say they have found camps where people are being tortured for having voted "the wrong way".
But Mr Chinamasa denied that anyone had died in political violence.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said that of the 10 people reported dead, only four names had been supplied and "of these three no basis whatsoever while the fourth is still under investigation and will be concluded soon", he was reported as saying by the state-owned Herald newspaper.

Key Indonesian militants jailed

Two senior leaders of Indonesia's most notorious militant group, Jemaah Islamiah (JI), have received 15-year jail terms for terror-related offences.
Abu Dujana and Zarkasih were each convicted of harbouring terrorists as well as possessing, storing and moving firearms and ammunition.
Zarkasih (L) and Abu Dujana (R) were convicted of helping other militants

They both told the Jakarta court they would consider launching appeals.
JI is accused of carrying out a string of attacks in South East Asia, including the 2002 Bali bombings.
Abu Dujana and Zarkasih were arrested within a week of each other last summer in what was seen as a huge victory for Indonesia's fight against Islamic militants.
Although Zarkasih is a more senior leader in JI, analysts have said that Abu Dujana probably had more influence on rank and file JI members.
At the time of the arrests, police described Zarkasih as the "amir of Jemaah Islamiah" and claimed Abu Dujana had played a role in almost all bomb attacks in the country.
'Leadership vacuum'
Abu Dujana is thought to have trained in Afghanistan and to have close links to al-Qaeda.
On sentencing him, Judge Wahjono, at the South Jakarta District Court, said he had been "proven legally and convincingly of having engaged in the crime of terrorism".
JI LEADERS
Noordin Mohamed Top, bombmaker and head of splinter group, still on the run
Alleged leader Zarkasih, in police custody
Alleged military leader Abu Dujana, jailed for 15 years
Bomb expert Azahari Husin, shot dead by police in 2005
Abu Bakar Ba'ashir, alleged JI spiritual leader released from jail in 2006
Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Ghufron, on death row for 2002 Bali bombings
Hambali, alleged JI operations chief, held in Guantanamo Bay
Profile: Zarkasih
Profile: Abu Dujana
The judge also ruled that JI was a terrorist organisation - the first such ruling by an Indonesian court.
Prosecutors had asked for life sentences for both men, but the judge said they had co-operated with investigators and spoken out against violence, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Jakarta.
Indonesia has a policy of using former militants to help persuade those still within radical networks to defect, our correspondent adds.
The 35-page indictment against Abu Dujana accused him of authorising shipments of explosives to attack Christians in Poso in central Sulawesi, an area fraught by inter-religious tensions.
At the start of the trial, prosecutors told the court that Abu Dujana had sheltered and aided senior militants including Malaysians Noordin Mohamed Top and Azahari Husin.
Azahari was killed in a police raid in 2005 but Noordin is still on the run.
Abu Dujana was not charged with any specific bomb attacks, but the court heard that he had been made head of JI's military wing in May 2004.
Zarkasih told the authorities he had been made caretaker leader of JI after a "leadership vacuum" emerged in 2004.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7358165.stm

Mugabe trying to 'steal election'

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is trying "to steal the election", over three weeks after the disputed poll, UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband says.
In a strongly-worded House of Commons statement, he said: "No-one can have any faith in this recount."

David Miliband has been outspoken about the 29 March elections


He accused Mr Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party of having "unleashed a campaign of violence" against Zimbabweans who voted against him.
The outcome of a partial recount of the disputed elections has been delayed.
Electoral officials began the recount in 23 out of 210 seats on Saturday and said it would take three days.
The MDC opposition, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, says the recount is illegal and claims it beat Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF outright in the 29 March polls.
And Mr Miliband has cast doubt on the security of the ballot boxes held by the authorities since polling day, noting that election officials have been arrested.
"The constitutional crisis in Zimbabwe continues as President Mugabe persists in his ambition to steal the election," he said in a written statement.
"Most worryingly, President Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party have unleashed a campaign of violence against those ordinary Zimbabweans, 60% of them, who in spite of everything, voted against him."

Taunts fly ahead of key US vote

White House hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have traded jibes in a surge of negative campaigning ahead of a key Democratic vote in Pennsylvania.


Opinion polls suggest Mrs Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania has narrowed


During weekend rallies, she accused him of cheering on Republican rival John McCain, while he attacked her for "slash and burn" politics.
Tuesday's primary may prove vital in the drawn-out fight for the nomination.
Mrs Clinton needs a strong victory to stay in the race, but polls suggest Mr Obama has cut into her lead.
War chest
As the two criss-crossed the state in a final battle for votes, campaign finance figures were released showing that Mr Obama had raised $41m in March, compared to Mrs Clinton's $20m, and Mr McCain's $15m - his best monthly total so far.
Mr Obama, who has been spending heavily in Pennsylvania, had a $42m war chest for April, while Mrs Clinton had $9m, the candidates' reports showed.
DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES
Barack Obama:
Pledged delegates: 1,414
Super-delegates: 231
Total: 1,645
Hillary Clinton:
Pledged delegates: 1,250
Super-delegates: 257
Total: 1,507
Source: AP estimates on 21 April
Q&A: US election delegates
Mrs Clinton also reported a debt of $10.3m - although her campaign pointed to victories in three of the last four primaries despite Mr Obama's superior spending power.
The New York senator hit out at Mr Obama after he said Mr McCain would make a better president than George W Bush.
"We need a nominee who will take on John McCain, not cheer on John McCain, and I will be that nominee," Mrs Clinton said.
She also struck out at a new Obama advertisement that criticises her health care plan, telling a rally in York, Pennsylvania: "Instead of attacking the problem, he chooses to attack my solution."
Super-delegates
Mr Obama, who is on a railway tour of the state, lashed out at Mrs Clinton's approach to politics.
"Her basic argument is that the slash-and-burn, say-anything, do-anything special interest-driven politics is how it works... Senator Clinton has internalised a lot of the strategies, the tactics, that have made Washington such a miserable place," he said.

"Trying to score cheap political points may make good headlines and good television but it doesn't make for good government," Reuters news agency quoted Mr Obama as saying.
Mr Obama says Mrs Clinton is trying to score cheap political points

Mrs Clinton said her opponent had been "so negative" in recent days because "a big difference" had become apparent between them.
After a long and gruelling battle, the candidates are so close that neither is expected to win sufficient delegates to the party's national convention in August to seal the nomination.
They are therefore battling for the support of about 800 so-called super-delegates - Democratic party officials who can choose for themselves which candidate to back, rather than reflecting the will of party voters.
Mr Obama has the most pledged delegates, with 1,414 to Mrs Clinton 1,250.
And while Mrs Clinton is leading in terms of the super-delegates, with 257 to 231, many have swung behind Mr Obama in recent weeks.
Criticism
Analysts say Pennsylvania will be a key test in her argument that despite Mr Obama's overall lead, only she will be able to secure wins in critical large states - such as Ohio and Texas - in November's presidential poll.
A poll released on Sunday by MSNBC/McClatchy, showed Mrs Clinton holding a five-point lead over Mr Obama in Pennsylvania - 48% to 43% -down from her once double-digit advantage.
There has been increasing pressure from senior Democrats for a swift resolution to the deadlock, fearing the prolonged battle will damage the eventual candidate's success against Mr McCain.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7358234.stm

Canada reactor slows cancer tests

Canada reactor slows cancer tests
Nuclear isotopes are used to diagnose cancer and other diseasesThousands of cancer patients around the world face long delays in tests because a nuclear reactor in Canada supplying radioisotopes has been shut down.Doctors have described the shortage of medical nuclear material as "potentially catastrophic".The Chalk River reactor, in Ontario, was closed two weeks ago for scheduled maintenance which has now been prolonged until early or mid-January.The reactor supplies two-thirds of the world's medical isotopes to hospitals.Safety standardsThe isotopes are injected as a radioactive dye into patients with cancer or other diseases to allow doctors to take detailed scans.Thousands of patients in Canada, the United States and other countries have had vital tests postponed because of the shortage."Last week, I guess you could describe it as struggling," said Dr Chris O'Brien, president of the Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine."This week it's devastating, and next week potentially catastrophic."The head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission said the government-run reactor was violating safety standards.The sudden shutdown has created problems for MDS Nordion, the medical supply company which sells much of Chalk River's output.The company said it anticipates a return to full production in early to mid-January.In the meantime, company officials said it was looking for other sources of supply for the radioisotopes.The isotopes cannot be stockpiled because they have a short shelf life.

CIA destroyed interrogation tapes

The CIA has confirmed that it destroyed at least two video tapes showing the interrogation of terror suspects.According to the intelligence agency, the tapes were destroyed to protect the identity of CIA agents and because they no longer had intelligence value.But civil liberties lawyers have refused to accept this, saying the CIA previously denied such tapes existed.They say the move appears to be an attempt to destroy evidence that could have brought CIA agents to account.The New York Times, which broke the story, quotes current and former government officials as saying the CIA destroyed the tapes in 2005 as it faced Congressional and legal scrutiny about its secret detention program.Officials feared the tapes could have raised doubts about the legality of the CIA's techniques, the newspaper says.The tapes are thought to have shown the interrogation in 2002 of a number of terror suspects, including Abu Zubaydah, who had been a chief recruiter for the al-Qaeda network.TORTURE TECHNIQUESWater boarding: prisoner bound to a board with feet raised, and cellophane wrapped round his head. Water is poured onto his face and is said to produce a fear of drowningCold cell: prisoner made to stand naked in a cold, though not freezing, cell and doused with waterStanding: Prisoners stand for 40 hours and more, shackled to the floorBelly slap: a hard slap to the stomach with an open hand. This is designed to be painful but not to cause injurySource: ABC NewsThe videos were, according to the New York Times, wiped in 2005, at the time the agency was being scrutinised about its secret detention programme.The Associated Press news agency on Thursday obtained a letter sent to all CIA employees by the agency's current director, Michael Hayden, explaining why the footage was destroyed.In the internal memo, Mr Hayden told staff that the CIA had begun taping interrogations as an internal check in 2002 and decided to delete the videos because they lacked any "legal or internal reason" to keep them.According to AP, the CIA chief wrote to employees: "The tapes posed a serious security risk."Were they ever to leak, they would permit identification of your CIA colleagues who had served in the program, exposing them and their families to retaliation from al-Qaeda and its sympathizers."'Troubling'The CIA acknowledges that these early interrogations were harsh, but Mr Hayden says that the CIA's internal watchdogs saw the tapes in 2003 and verified that the techniques used were legal.But Senate judiciary committee chairman Patrick Leahy said the tapes' destruction was troubling.The damage is compounded when such actions are hidden away from accountabilitySenator Patrick LeahySenate Judiciary Committee Chairman"The damage is compounded when such actions are hidden away from accountability," he said.The American Civil Liberties Union has accused the agency of showing an utter disregard for the law."The destruction of these tapes appears to be a part of an extensive, long-term pattern of misusing executive authority to insulate individuals from criminal prosecution for torture and abuse," an ACLU statement said.The BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington says the news is likely to trigger more questions about the interrogation techniques used by the CIA and whether they amounted to torture.There are also questions over whether CIA agents withheld information from the courts and a presidential commission.The CIA's failure to make the tapes available to a federal court hearing the case of the terror suspect Zacarias Moussaoui or to the 9/11 Commission could amount to obstruction of justice, according to the New York Times.Lawyers in the Moussaoui trial and officials from the 9/11 Commission had both requested from the CIA details of any relevant interrogations of al-Qaeda suspects.Michael Hayden wrote to all CIA employees about the tapesAfter the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US, President George W Bush authorised the use of "harsh techniques" in the interrogation of suspected terrorists.According to our correspondent, those techniques are alleged to have included water-boarding, a method in which a suspect is held down and gagged while water is poured into his mouth in order to simulate drowning.Human rights groups say that water-boarding - and other techniques allegedly used by the CIA - can be defined as torture under various international treaties to which the US is a signatory.The Bush administration has always maintained that it does not allow the use of torture.

Bush details housing rescue plan

President George W Bush has outlined plans to freeze rates on sub-prime mortgages for five years to help people hit by the US housing market crisis.The move aims to shield homeowners most vulnerable to the impact of rising mortgage payments which it is feared could lead to a fresh wave of defaults.This and other measures could help more than a million people, Mr Bush said.He described the housing downturn as a "serious challenge" but insisted that the economy remained "resilient".US stock markets rallied on the news of the White House plan, the benchmark Dow Jones index closing up more than 1%.'Terrible burden'The crisis in the sub-prime mortgage sector - where loans were offered to people on low incomes and with poor credit histories - has put the brakes on the entire housing market.Thousands of sub-prime mortgage holders have already defaulted on their payments because of the burden of higher interest rates and have lost their homes as a result.The steps I have outlined today are a sensible response to a serious challengePresident BushForeclosure wave sweeps across AmericaWith an estimated 1.8 million homeowners who took out loans with discount "teaser" rates facing higher payments next year, it is feared that many others could suffer a similar fate.Announcing a package of measures, Mr Bush said the threat of foreclosure was a "terrible burden for hard-working families and communities across the country".Homeowners seeking assistance have three options.They can either have their payments frozen at an introductory rate for five years, refinance their mortgage at a lower rate or refinance through the Federal Housing Administration.The government estimates that 1.2 million homeowners facing "preventable foreclosures" would qualify for such help, although they will have to request assistance themselves.He said efforts to make it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages, announced in August, were beginning to work and announced a new telephone advice hotline for people worried about their mortgage situation.He also urged Congress to provide more money for mortgage counselling and to take decisive action to reform the tax code and the regulation of mortgage financiers.KEY POINTS OF BUSH PLANVulnerable homeowners can either freeze interest payments or refinance mortgages at a lower rateNew national hotline for mortgage adviceBorrowers with good credit histories given extra flexibility to refinanceCongress urged to increase funding for mortgage counsellingFederal Reserve to announce reforms to mortgage regulations soonMr Bush said his plans did not signal a "bail-out" for mortgage lenders, property speculators or those "who made reckless decisions to buy a home they knew they couldn't afford"."There is no perfect solution," Mr Bush said of the malaise in the housing market."But the steps I have outlined today are a sensible response to a serious challenge."The administration's plans drew a mixed response from Wall Street, with analysts saying the success of the measures would depend on how they were applied."Something other than lower interest rates is needed to fix the sub-prime crisis and a freeze on mortgage interest payments is a big step in the right direction, if it works," said Cary Leahey, managing director of Decision Economics.But leading Democrats criticised the plan as belated and insubstantial, Senator Christopher Dodd describing it as "little more than financial wallpaper".'Weathering the storm'Falling house prices have severely dented consumer confidence in the US, leading the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates twice in recent months to underpin the economy.Mr Bush said the underlying prospects for the US economy were positive."The economy is strong, flexible and dynamic enough to weather this storm," he argued.The US property downturn sparked the crisis in global financial markets which has seen top banks in the US, Europe and Asia lose billions of dollars on mortgage-related investments.Several countries, including the UK and Canada, have cut interest rates in recent days in an effort to boost faltering consumer confidence.

Neighbour 'met Darwin in Panama'

"Missing" canoeist John Darwin arrived in Panama in July, a neighbour who says she met him has told the BBC.Patricia Centella de Lopez said he told her that he and his wife Anne planned to live in her apartment block for a year while they looked for a farm.Mr Darwin is being held on suspicion of fraud following his reappearance after apparently dying at sea in 2002.Press agency reports say Anne Darwin flew out of Panama on Wednesday night, but her destination is not yet known.'No doubt'Mr Darwin was arrested by Cleveland Police on suspicion of fraud after walking into a London police station at the weekend.On Thursday night, police were granted a 12-hour extension to question Mr Darwin, who is being held at Kirkleatham Police Station in Teesside.Mrs de Lopez told the BBC she had "no doubt" the man who lived in her building was John Darwin."Last July I met a new neighbour in the building. When I speak with him, he told me he was new in the building. He told me his name was John," she said.
Statement of Darwin's sonsThe lure of Panama
Mrs de Lopez said he told her he was from Europe and his wife was there doing some business and would join him later.The last time she said she saw them together was the final weekend of November.She said they lived on the fourth floor of the building in Panama City while she lived on the second.Mrs Darwin, 55, has admitted to newspapers that a photo of her and her husband taken last year in Panama is genuine.She sold the family home on Teesside and moved to Panama six weeks ago.In a statement released through Cleveland Police, the couple's sons asked how their mother could have let them believe their father was dead for five years.They said they had been through a "rollercoaster of emotion" since their father's reappearance.'Rollercoaster of emotion'They said: "Having seen the recent media speculation surrounding our parents ever since our dad was arrested, we are very much in an angry and confused state of mind."In the short space of time following our dad's appearance in London on Saturday, we have gone through a rollercoaster of emotion."From the height of elation at finding him to be alive to the depths of despair at the recent stories of fraud and these latest pictures. And the shock of being thrust into the media spotlight."If the papers' allegations of a confession from our mam are true then we very much feel that we have been the victims in a large scam."How could our mam continue to let us believe our dad had died when he was very much alive?"Mrs de Lopez said John Darwin moved into her apartment blockMr and Mrs Darwin's sons said that they had not spoken to either of their parents since their father's arrest.It has also emerged that both sons have recently left their jobs - one in property and one in insurance.Cleveland Police said detectives had been given the go-ahead to interview Mr Darwin.A police spokeswoman said: "John Darwin has been medically examined and has been declared fit for interview."The spokeswoman said that officers had until just before midnight on Thursday to question him, after which time a superintendent's extension could be granted for a further 12 hours.Mr Darwin, 57, was arrested on suspicion of fraud at his son Anthony's home early on Wednesday morning. He is currently at Kirkleatham Police Station.

Iran a threat, say Europe allies

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have said Iran continues to pose a threat.The comments came as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began talks with European and Russian officials in Brussels on Iran's nuclear programme.A US intelligence report published on Monday said Iran had suspended a nuclear weapons programme in 2003.But the report also said that Iran was continuing to enrich uranium, which can be used to make nuclear weapons.Iran says the aims of its nuclear programme are peaceful."Iran continues to represent a threat," Mrs Merkel said during a joint news conference with Mr Sarkozy in Paris.She did not specifically express support for a new UN sanctions resolution against Iran, which the US is calling for.'Dialogue'"We and our partners would like to continue with the UN process," Mrs Merkel said."I think we and our partners need to continue to seek dialogue with Iran," she said.Mr Sarkozy said he agreed with his German counterpart that Iran still posed a danger, and that he supported the push for more sanctions."Notwithstanding the latest elements, everyone is fully conscious of the fact that there is a will of the Iranian leaders to obtain nuclear weapons."What made Iran move up to now, it was sanctions and firmness," he said.The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released on Monday reversed earlier statements on Iran by the Bush administration.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the US report a "great victory" for Iran.Ms Rice, who was in Brussels to urge more international pressure on the Iranians to halt uranium enrichment, said they still needed explain a covert programme up to 2003."I don't see that the NIE changes the course that we're on," Ms Rice said while travelling to Brussels, AP reported.

Iranian hanged after verdict stay

An Iranian man has been hanged for rape despite his alleged victims withdrawing their accusations and a judicial review being ordered into the sentence.Makwan Mouloudzadeh, 20, had been found guilty of raping three teenage boys when he was 13 years old.The hanging took place on Wednesday morning at a prison in Kermanshah province in western Iran.Human rights groups say international law strictly forbids execution of child offenders, even after they become 18."On 11 November the head of the justice administration of Kermanshah received an order from the judiciary head, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, to stop the verdict being carried out," the lawyer, Saeed Eqbali, was quoted as saying."But the case, which was supposed to be reviewed in Tehran, was sent back from there to Kermanshah, and the execution was carried out quickly," the lawyer said.Public executionClarisa Bencomo, of the US-based Human Rights Watch, told Reuters news agency she had received information that Mouloudzadeh's family had been to come and pick up his body.Her organisation had spoken to people who had seen the body, she said.As a state that is party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has undertaken not to execute child offenders.But Amnesty International says Iran has executed five minors so far in 2007 and 27 minors since 1990.The latest execution brings to at least 280 the number of people hanged in Iran this year, according to the AFP news agency. Many are public hangings.Capital offences in Iran include murder, rape, armed robbery, serious drug trafficking, apostasy, adultery and homosexual acts between men.