[One-Minute World News] from [BBC NEWS]
[Middle East]
Page last updated at 11:31 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 12:31 UK
Iraq shoe thrower 'was tortured'
The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US President George W Bush says he was tortured by senior government officials while in jail.
Shortly after his release from nine months in a Baghdad prison, Muntadar al-Zaidi demanded an apology - and said he would name the officials later.
Iraqi officials told the BBC his claims should be investigated.
His protest last December made him a hero for many Arabs, but some Iraqis still regard it as unforgivably rude.
He was convicted of assaulting a foreign leader and initially sentenced to three years in jail.
But he had the term reduced to 12 months on appeal and was released three months early for good behaviour.
'Insurgent revolutionary'
After his release on Tuesday he told journalists: "I am free again, but my homeland is still a prison."
Reuters news agency reported he was slurring his speech because of a missing tooth.
He went on to say he had suffered beatings, whippings, electric shocks and simulated drowning at the hands of officials and guards.
{ MUNTADAR AL-ZAIDI
Worked for Egypt-based broadcaster since 2005
Was kidnapped by gunmen while reporting in Baghdad in 2007
Detained by US troops for a night in 2008, his brother says, before they freed him and apologised}
"At the time that Prime Minister Nouri Maliki said on television that he could not sleep without being reassured on my fate... I was being tortured in the worst ways, beaten with electric cables and iron bars," he said.
He demanded an apology from Mr Maliki and said he would name the officials who tortured him in due course.
He also said he feared US intelligence services regarded him as an "insurgent revolutionary" and would "spare no effort" in a bid to kill him.
"I want to warn all my relatives and people close to me that these services will use all means to trap and try to kill and liquidate me either physically, socially or professionally," he said.
His allegations of abuse mirror claims made earlier by his family, who said he had been beaten, suffering a broken arm, broken ribs and internal bleeding.
The Iraqi military earlier denied the allegations, but following Zaidi's news conference Sami Al Askari, an adviser to Mr Maliki, said his torture claims should be investigated.
'Goodbye kiss'
Zaidi's family has been preparing to throw a party for him.
He has reportedly received offers of money, jobs and even marriage from across the Arab world.
His relatives also claim he was even offered a golden horse by the Emir of Qatar.
{I've seen a lot of weird things during my presidency, and this may rank up there as one of the weirdest
George W Bush}
When news of his release filtered through to his family's home in Baghdad, there was an eruption of celebration with women dancing and singing.
The shoe-throwing incident came during a joint news conference between Mr Bush and Mr Maliki.
As he threw the shoes, Zaidi shouted: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog.
"This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."
In an interview afterwards, Mr Bush insisted he did not harbour any ill feeling about it.
"It was amusing - I've seen a lot of weird things during my presidency, and this may rank up there as one of the weirdest," he said.
[South Asia]
Page last updated at 09:12 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:12 UK
Afghan votes 'need 10% recount'
Ballots from 10% of polling stations in Afghanistan's presidential vote need to be recounted because of indications of fraud, a top election official says.
ECC officials have already invalidated ballots from three provinces
About 2,500 polling stations across the country were affected, Grant Kippen of the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) said.
His comments come amid reports of serious tensions within the UN mission over the issue of electoral fraud.
A substantive vote recount could force incumbent Hamid Karzai into a run-off.
With 95% of the vote counted, Mr Karzai had a 54% share, electoral officials said on Saturday.
But if fraud investigations cause this figure to drop below 50%, he and closest challenger Abdullah Abdullah, who has 28% of the vote, would have to go to a second-round vote.
UN 'divisions'
Afghanistan's second direct presidential election on 20 August was marred by widespread claims of vote-rigging and intimidation.
The ECC last week ordered Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission to identify stations reporting 100% turn-out or where one candidate received more than 95% of the vote in order for recounts to be carried out.
{ AFGHAN POLL FRAUD
15 Sep: ECC chief says 10% of votes need to be recounted
8 Sep: Poll complaints body orders some recounts nationwide
8 Sep: IEC says votes from 600 polling stations "quarantined"
3 Sep: Claims 30,000 fraudulent votes cast for Karzai in Kandahar
30 Aug: 2,000 fraud allegations are probed; 600 deemed serious
20 Aug: Election day and claims 80,000 ballots were filled out fraudulently for Karzai in Ghazni
18 Aug: Ballot cards sold openly and voter bribes offered}
"About 2,500 plus polling stations are affected by the order and all provinces are affected," ECC Chairman Grant Kippen told AFP news agency.
Last week the ECC invalidated ballots from dozens of polling stations in the three provinces of Paktika, Kandahar and Ghazni.
Correspondents say that investigations into possible fraud could take weeks, if not months.
No official announcement on who has won the election can be made until those investigations are complete.
Mr Kippen's remarks come amid reports of deep divisions among UN diplomats in Kabul over how to proceed in the wake of the election.
The Times reports that the head of the UN mission, Kai Eide, ordered US representative Peter Galbraith out of Afghanistan after the two reportedly disagreed over the extent to which vote recounts were necessary.
A wholesale recount as advocated by Mr Galbraith would be likely to ensure a second round run-off was held, the newspaper reported.
But Mr Eide feared such a run-off could be delayed until May, potentially leaving Afghanistan in political limbo, The Times said.
There has been no formal comment from the UN mission.
[Africa]
Page last updated at 10:53 GMT, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 11:53 UK
Al-Qaeda Somalia suspect 'killed'
US forces are "likely" to have killed a top al-Qaeda suspect during a military raid in Somalia, US officials say.
They flew helicopters into Somalia and attacked a car they say was carrying Kenyan-born Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan.
US agents have been hunting Nabhan for years over attacks on a hotel and an Israeli airliner in Kenya in 2002.
It is believed he fled to Somalia after the attacks and was working with the al-Shabab group, which the Americans see as al-Qaeda's proxy in Somalia.
The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan, in the capital Mogadishu, says the raid has raised concern among Somalis.
They fear such attacks by foreign forces may help to fuel the extremism they are designed to combat, our correspondent says.
The US last launched a major strike in Somalia in May 2008, killing al-Shabab's military leader and at least 10 others.
The raid led to protests by villagers and critics say it had little effect on al-Shabab's capabilities.
French connection?
Analysts say Nabhan is one of the most senior leaders of al-Qaeda's East Africa cell.
{ANALYSIS
Frank Gardner, BBC News
This latest US raid into Somalia, carried out by Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), would have had several aims.
Firstly, it would be about "settling scores" - killing or capturing a man the FBI believes was instrumental in al-Qaeda's attacks in East Africa.
A second aim would be to show al-Qaeda's senior operatives that there is no safe hiding place, even in a country whose militants effectively drove out US forces 15 years ago.
Thirdly, the raid's planners would be hoping to throw both al-Qaeda and al-Shabab off-balance, disrupting their plans. Although Nabhan's loss will be felt, reports of his death at US hands are almost certain to trigger revenge attacks in the region.}
US-based Somalia expert Andre le Sage told the BBC's Network Africa programme that his death, if confirmed, would severely hamper the network's ability to operate in the region.
But he said new leaders would probably emerge to take Nabhan's place.
Various media outlets have carried quotes from unnamed US officials confirming that the raid, on Monday afternoon, was carried out by US special forces targeting Nabhan.
BBC Defence correspondent Nick Childs says the raid seems to be something of a departure from recent US tactics in Somalia, which have tended to use long-range missile strikes and aircraft to try to get at militant suspects.
A Somali minister told the BBC he also believed Nabhan had been killed.
Earlier reports had quoted witnesses as saying the troops wore uniforms with French insignia and had flown from a ship bearing a French flag.
But the French military strongly denied their forces were involved.
'Helicopter strike'
Somali sources told the BBC that six helicopters were involved in the attack on two vehicles in the southern coastal town of Barawe, which is controlled by al-Shabab.
