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Iraq PM's bloc gaining strength: early results
03/16 | 02:57 GMT
©AFP / Ahmad al-Rubaye
Ballot papers are stacked up at the electoral counting and sorting centre in Baghdad on March 15. The country's Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, looks set to form the parliament's single largest grouping as his bloc strengthened its hold on the key Baghdad province.
©AFP / Ahmad al-Rubaye
Ballot papers are stacked up at the electoral counting and sorting centre in Baghdad
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's bloc looked likely to form parliament's single largest grouping Tuesday, after results showed the incumbent had strengthened his hold on key Baghdad province.
His success in the capital, which accounts for more than twice as many seats as any other province, builds on his lead in seven provinces overall, and is a major boost for his bid to retain the top job.
Maliki's main rival, secular ex-prime minister Iyad Allawi, leads in five provinces, with two-thirds of votes having been counted nationwide.
A suicide bombing west of Baghdad on Monday morning, the first such attack since the March 7 polls, killed eight people and highlighted security concerns still plaguing the country.
The results from the election -- the second since Saddam Hussein was ousted in the US-led invasion of 2003 -- come less than six months before the United States is set to withdraw all of its combat troops from Iraq.
©AFP / Ahmad al-Rubaye
An Iraqi staffer at the electoral counting and sorting centre counts votes in Baghdad
Preliminary results, based on 60 percent of ballots counted in Baghdad, showed Maliki's State of Law Alliance held a 65,000-vote lead over Allawi's Iraqiya bloc with the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a coalition of Shiite religious groups, a distant third.
Earlier results on Saturday for Baghdad put Maliki's lead at 50,000 votes over the two blocs, which were neck-and-neck at the time.
Maliki, a Shiite who has sought to portray himself as the man who restored Iraq's security, also holds comfortable leads in the southern oil-rich province of Basra, the third biggest in Iraq, and the central province of Karbala.
State of Law is also ahead in Babil, Najaf, Wasit and Muthanna, four other southern Shiite provinces.
Despite State of Law's success, however, analysts have cautioned that rival political groupings could still manoeuvre to form a coalition government without it.
©AFPTV
VIDEO: Iraq PM in tight contest with ex-premier for poll lead Duration: 00:23
While State of Law has said it has established a committee to enter talks with blocs to form a government, Intisar Allawi, a senior Iraqiya candidate, said on Monday it had held its own talks with the INA and the main Kurdish bloc, which she described as "very good and positive."
Iraq's proportional representation system makes it unlikely that any single group will clinch the 163 seats needed to form a government on its own, and protracted coalition building is likely.
Opposition groups have alleged fraud in the election and the count, but Maliki dismissed the claims in televised remarks to Iraq's National Security Council broadcast late on Sunday, his first public appearance since his office announced on Thursday that he had undergone surgery for an unspecified ailment.
Election officials have also downplayed allegations of fraud.
Faraj al-Haidari, head of the national election commission, told reporters the number of complaints in the general election was less than half those filed during provincial polls in January 2009.
Related article: Protracted vote count sparks fraud claims
©AFP/Graphic
The March 7 election was the second since Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003
Figures released on Monday showed Allawi, a Shiite Arab like Maliki, was narrowly ahead in the northern oil province of Kirkuk, defying predictions of a win for the Kurdish bloc which wants to incorporate Kirkuk into autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan in the north.
Iraqiya is also leading in Nineveh, Iraq's second-largest province around the main northern city of Mosul, as well as western Anbar province and Diyala and Salaheddin in central Iraq. All are predominantly Sunni.
The INA is ahead in the Shiite southern provinces of Maysan, Diwaniyah and Dhi Qar, and Kurdistania, an alliance of the two main Kurdish former rebel factions, was ahead in all three of Kurdistan's provinces.
Complete election results are expected on March 18 and the final tally -- after any appeals are decided -- is likely at the end of the month.
Security officials have expressed concern a lengthy period of coalition building could give insurgent groups and Al-Qaeda an opportunity to further destabilise Iraq.
Their worries were illustrated when a double-blast suicide bomber targeting a military checkpoint and labourers killed eight people and wounded 28 other civilians on Monday, in Fallujah in Anbar province.
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Beckham injury not World Cup blow-out for England
03/16 | 04:48 GMT
©AFP / Damien Meyer
AC Milan's David Beckham lays on the pitch during the Italian Serie A football match AC Milan against Chievo, on March 14, at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Beckham's ruptured Achilles may mean the 'end of the world' for him but it is by no means the end of England's dreams of World Cup triumph in South Africa later this year.
©AFP / Damien Meyer
David Beckham's ruptured Achilles may mean the 'end of the world' for him
LONDON (AFP) - David Beckham's ruptured Achilles may mean the 'end of the world' for him but it is by no means the end of England's dreams of World Cup triumph in South Africa later this year.
When Beckham was at Manchester United and at the peak of his football powers, Old Trafford great George Best delivered a damning assessment of the midfielder's ability.
"He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn't score many goals," the late Best said. "Apart from that he's all right."
Best's comments were widely dismissed as the words of an embittered former player yet they highlighted how the hype surrounding Beckham has often exceeded his deeds on the pitch.
No-one can dispute the 34-year-old Beckham's efforts in trying to become the first England player to appear in four World Cups.
He joined Italian giants AC Milan on loan from MLS side LA Galaxy in a bid to maintain match fitness in the run-up to the June start of the tournament.
©AFP/File / Odd Andersen
George Best's comments about Backham were widely dismissed as the words of an embittered former player
Indeed it was while playing for Milan on Sunday that Beckham suffered the injury that ended his hopes of playing in South Africa.
But it is not as if Beckham's three previous appearances did much to end England's wait for a second World Cup title, which has been going on since the late Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley back in 1966.
In 1998, Beckham was sent-off for a petulant kick at Diego Simeone during England's quarter-final loss to Argentina, with many fans blaming his reckless act for the defeat.
Four years later there were those who highlighted the way he jumped out of a tackle in the build-up to a goal scored by Brazil as being a key moment in another England quarter-final loss, this time against a 10-man Brazil side.
The 2006 World Cup in Germany saw Beckham turn in some solid displays yet nowhere near the calibre of those produced by France's Zinedine Zidane or Italy's Fabio Cannavaro in inspiring their sides to World Cup glory.
For all that England manager Fabio Capello has spoken warmly about Beckham's ability and positive influence on the rest of the squad, the former captain has largely been reduced to a substitute role during the Italian's time in charge.
©AFP/File / Ian Kington
Beckham's ruptured Achilles may mean the 'end of the world' for him
His free-kick ability remains intact but it is a long time since Beckham had a major influence upon a major match.
It may seem harsh on Beckham, but few sides have won Word Cups on the basis of an ageing (he will be 35 when the World Cup starts) dead ball specialist.
On the other hand, were England to lose star striker Wayne Rooney in the run-up, that would all but scupper their World Cup hopes.
Much of the publicity that surrounds Beckham is not of the player's making.
But his global celebrity, which seems to be something his wife, the former pop star Victoria Adams, enjoys more than her husband, has frequently proved an unwanted distraction to England, notably at the 2006 World Cup where the antics of the WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) of players captivated the press.
Beckham's absence may also embolden his rivals for the right hand side midfield berth, with the likes of the much quicker Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips no longer having to look over their shoulder.
England have not won a World Cup with Beckham, a player who has given loyal service during a 115 cap career, 58 as captain, that has yielded 17 goals.
They may win one without him but, either way, the days when England's fortunes were dependent upon Beckham have passed.
Sports
Beckham injury not World Cup blow-out for ...Ashton: Settlement expansion 'endangers' Mideast talks
03/15 | 19:33 GMT
©AFPTV
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday that Israel's decision to build new settler homes in east Jerusalem "endangers" indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Duration: 00:44
©AFPTV
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday that Israel's decision to build new settler homes in east Jerusalem "endangers" indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Video Gallery
Ashton: Settlement expansion 'endangers' Mideast ...China star Zhang takes blame in 'Donationgate'
03/16 | 04:40 GMT
©AFP/File / Anne-Christine Poujoulat
Chinese film starlet Zhang Ziyi has taken the blame for an earthquake donation scandal in her first comments on a flap that sparked a firestorm of Internet criticism and questions about her honesty. "Donationgate," as China's state media dubbed the row, surfaced in January when a popular Chinese website said Zhang had given only 840,000 yuan ($124,000) of a promised one million yuan.
©AFP/File / Anne-Christine Poujoulat
"Donationgate" is not the first time when Zhang Ziyi has come under attack in China
BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese film starlet Zhang Ziyi has taken the blame for an earthquake donation scandal in her first comments on a flap that sparked a firestorm of Internet criticism and questions about her honesty.
Fighting back tears, Zhang told the China Daily in an interview published Tuesday that she failed to follow up with her staff after telling them to transfer money she had promised to victims of China's huge May 2008 earthquake.
"I take the main responsibility for the lapse and causing my staff to mix it up," said the 31-year-old Zhang, the star of films such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Memoirs of a Geisha".
"Donationgate," as China's state media dubbed the row, surfaced in January when a popular Chinese website said Zhang had given only 840,000 yuan (124,000 dollars) of a promised one million yuan. The donations were eventually made.
The 8.0-magnitude quake devastated parts of southwestern China, leaving at least 87,000 people dead or missing.
Zhang has long been a lightning rod for criticism in her home country, but came under intense fire on the Chinese Internet and media over the donations.
Even normally staid state television, whose typical fare consists of reports praising government leadership, ran a talk-show segment implying Zhang had not come clean.
In the interview, Zhang also denied widespread allegations of missing funds in a foundation she set up for quake victims, saying: "We have never done anything illegal."
Zhang said she had remained mum on the issue up until now on the advice of lawyers, but admitted the attacks on her character had taken a toll.
"Of course there were moments when I felt bad," she said.
"I wanted to do something good, but we had our problems, such as my lack of experience, my failure to disclose to the public, my limited knowledge about philanthropy and other reasons."
Zhang has come under attack before in China, where fans often savage entertainment stars online for actions deemed shameful to the country.
She has been criticised for having a foreign boyfriend -- Israeli billionaire Vivi Nevo -- and for playing a Japanese woman in "Geisha".
In 2008, actress Gong Li's decision to become a Singapore citizen sparked a similar outcry, with many branding her a traitor.
People
China star Zhang takes blame in ...Blasts rock Nigerian 'oil war' amnesty ceremony
03/15 | 20:07 GMT
©AFP/File / Pius Utomi Ekpei
Fighters with the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) prepare for an operation against the Nigerian army in Niger Delta in 2008. Two explosions on Monday rocked the Nigerian southern oil city of Warri during talks on an amnesty for former rebel fighters in an attack claimed by the main armed militant group, MEND.
©AFP/File / Pius Utomi Ekpei
Fighters with the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND)
WARRI, Nigeria (AFP) - Two explosions on Monday rocked the Nigerian southern oil city of Warri during talks on an amnesty for former rebel fighters in an attack claimed by the main armed militant group, MEND.
At least four state governors were among several hundred senior officials gathered in the Delta State government house in Warri when the blasts went off, officials said.
A government official said on condition of anonymity that the explosions killed one man, believed to be a driver, inside his car outside the venue of the talks and injured several other people.
However, the spokesman for the joint military task force in the region, Colonel Timothy Antigha, said he had no knowledge of any casualties.
The blasts shattered windows, sent people running, and the governors were rushed out of the conference room to their cars, an AFP reporter said.
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan swiftly vowed to pursue the government's post-amnesty programme, aimed at developing the volatile Niger Delta region.
Jonathan urged the Delta population and major companies in the region to have faith in government, insisting that he was "determined to reinvigorate post-amnesty plans and programmes for the region."
Initially suspecting car bombs, Delta State governor's spokesman Linus Chima told AFP that a first explosion went off "as the governors came in and the second one was about 30 minutes later."
"Our investigations showed that it was not a car bomb, but a device planted somewhere near some cars. Three cars were damaged," he said.
The federal minister in charge of the region, Ufot Ekaette, was also at the ceremony organised by the independent newspaper Vanguard.
"I think the intention is obvious, just to scuttle the talks and make it seem as if Warri in Delta State is not safe," Chima said.
Delta State Information Commissioner Oma Djebah slammed the attack as a "cowardly act" of people opposed to a peaceful resolution of the region's crisis.
"The peoples of the Niger Delta will not be intimidated nor deterred by the cowardly act of a few opposed to a peaceful and non-violent approach of resolving the historic grievances of the region," Djebah said in a statement.
A spokeswoman of the amnesty programme, Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, said: "Today's disruption was really unfortunate, even MEND missed a golden opportunity. They should have been here to give voice to their demands peacefully."
The blasts took place after the main armed group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), threatened to detonate three devices near the venue.
The group later claimed responsibility for the blasts, saying it had "successfully breached the security at the Delta state government house in Warri and planted three explosive devices in and around this compound."
The group later said that it was "preserving" the third device for future use, having decided that its detonation would cause "great loss of life."
"It was unnecessary to detonate the third and most powerful bomb as our operatives noticed the participants at this jamboree fled towards the direction of the last bomb," MEND said in a statement.
In January the group called off a unilateral truce it announced in October following a government amnesty for former rebels in the "oil war" zone, lamenting a lack of progress on rehabilitating and retraining former fighters.
In June, President Umaru Yar'Adua offered an amnesty which saw thousands surrender their arms.
MEND also threatened to resume attacks on the installations of oil companies in the Niger Delta, where the group has campaigned for a greater share of the oil wealth for the local population.
Troops were quickly deployed and security heightened in Warri following the attacks.
The oil-rich region has been rocked by more than three years of fighting by armed militants demanding a greater share of oil wealth for local communities.
Attacks on oil facilities have slashed Nigeria's crude production by about one million barrels a day and saw Angola overtake the west African giant as Africa's top oil producer. Nigeria is the world's eighth largest crude exporter.
