Football Associations ask Fifa to delay election

The Football Association and the Scottish Football Association have called for Fifa to postpone its presidential election.

Current president Sepp Blatter is the only candidate for the 1 June election after Mohamed Bin Hammam's withdrawal.
The FA now wants the vote delayed and an independent body to recommend "improved governance" of Fifa.
An SFA statement added: "The election should be rescheduled to facilitate a period of consultation."
The United Kingdom Home Nations are due to have discussions on Tuesday to discuss a joint stance.

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David Bond,
BBC sports editor

The FA's last-minute move is likely to end up as nothing more than an empty gesture

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''Discussions are going to happen in the next 24 hours and that [calling for the election to be postponed] will be a topic of conversation,'' Jonathan Ford, the FA of Wales chief executive, told BBC Wales.
The English FA recently chose to abstain from voting following allegations of corruption against world football's governing body.
FA chairman David Bernstein said in a statement: "On 19 May, 2011 the Football Association announced it would be abstaining in the forthcoming election for the Fifa presidency.
"There were two main reasons for this decision. First, a concern, that a series of allegations relating to Fifa ExCo Members made it difficult to support either candidate.

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Regan confident Fifa election boycott has support

"Secondly, a concern about the lack of transparency and accountability within the organisation, contributing to the current unsatisfactory situation.
"Events of the last few days have reinforced our views, and we call on Fifa and ask other national associations to support us with two initiatives.
"First, to postpone the election and give credibility to this process, so any alternative reforming candidate could have the opportunity to stand for president.
"Secondly, to appoint a genuinely independent external party to make recommendations regarding improved governance and compliance procedures and structures throughout the Fifa decision-making processes for consideration by the full membership.

FIFA ROW IN FIGURES

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• 35 - Number of nations controlled by Concacaf, from whose presidency Jack Warner has been suspended
• 75 - Age of Sepp Blatter, current Fifa president and only candidate for election to the post on Wednesday
• 107 - Years Fifa has been in existence. It celebrated its birthday on 21 May. Blatter has worked at Fifa for 36 years and held the presidency since 1998
• 208 - Number of nations represented in the Fifa congress, which will vote to elect a new president on Wednesday
• 40,000 - Amount, in dollars, Caribbean Football Union (CFU) leaders are alleged to have been offered to back Mohamed bin Hammam's presidential bid
• 360,000 - Cost, in dollars, borne by Bin Hammam to provide travel and accommodation to 25 CFU members, as detailed in Bin Hammam's submission to Fifa's ethics committee
• 1,000,000 - Cash gift, in dollars, Warner claims Blatter gave to Concacaf "to spend as it sees fit"
• 2,500,000 - Amount, in pounds, Lord Triesman claimed Warner wanted from England's 2018 bid team for an educational project in Trinidad and Tobago. An inquiry has since cleared Warner
• 29,600,000 - Outlay, in pounds, from Australia on its unsuccessful bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Australian senator Nick Xenophon has demanded Fifa refund it in full

"This has been a very damaging time for the reputation of Fifa and therefore the whole of football.
"To improve confidence in the way the game is governed at the very top, we believe these requests would be a positive step forward and the minimum that should take place."
The SFA later added to the growing concern over the running of football's world governing body.
"The events of the last two days, in particular, have made any election unworkable," added its statement. "The integrity and reputation of the game across the world is paramount and the Scottish FA urges Fifa to reconsider its intentions, and calls on other member associations to consider the long-term implications for the game's image.
"We also propose the following actions: Fifa should appoint a wholly independent ethics committee; a significant comprehensive plan should be formulated and presented by Fifa to its members regarding essential changes to its governance, decision-making processes and transparency; a new date is set for the presidential election, giving suitable candidates time to prepare and present their plans for a more transparent and accountable Fifa."
Whether the two FAs will receive the support of their counterparts remains to be seen but Blatter, speaking defiantly at a news conference on Monday, seemed set on making sure the presidential election went ahead unless three quarters of Fifa's congress of 208 voted otherwise.
Blatter, 75, is vying to be re-elected for a fourth term and, despite insisting Fifa was not in crisis, the FA's latest move comes amid world football's governing body being undermined by a series of corruption allegations.

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Uncomfortable moments as Fifa president Sepp Blatter answers questions from the media on Monday

Following question marks being raised over the legitimacy of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes, the Fifa presidential election race has been tarnished by further claims of wrongdoings.
Bin Hammam, president of the Asian Football Federation (AFC), and Fifa vice-president Jack Warner have been provisionally suspended by Fifa's ethics committee over allegations that financial incentives were offered to Caribbean Football Union members.
Blatter was also investigated following a charge against him by Bin Hammam, although Fifa's ethics committee did not find the president had a case to answer.
Bin Hammam has appealed against his ban, while Warner revealed an e-mail in which Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke suggested Bin Hammam "bought" the 2022 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar.
Valcke responded by saying his remarks were taken out of context before the latest twist to the turmoil surrounding Fifa resulted in major sponsors Coca-Cola, Adidas, Emirates and Visa expressing their concern at the damage being done to Fifa by the alleged claims of corruption.
Meanwhile, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International backed calls for an independent body to delve into the goings on within Fifa.
"Free and fair elections cannot take place when there is a suspicion that voters may have been swayed," Sylvia Schenk, senior advisor on sport to TI, said in a statement.
"Fifa delegates know that they must clean house if their vote is to have legitimacy."

Indonesia ends Malaysia maids row

Indonesia is allowing maids to apply for work in Malaysia for the first time in two years, after ending a long-running row over abuse of workers.

The countries signed a deal aimed at improving working conditions for maids, guaranteeing them one day off a week.
They will also be allowed to keep their passports, rather than having to give them to their employers.
Indonesia banned its citizens from working as maids in June 2009, after allegations of abuse emerged.
Last year, a Malaysian woman was jailed for inflicting injuries on her maid using hot water, scissors and a hammer.
Indonesian migration minister Muhaimin Iskandar said the deal was part of a long-term plan to protect the rights of workers.
"After going through a long negotiation process, we have eventually reached an agreement that is a 'win-win solution', with a number of improvements for the Indonesian worker," he said in a statement.
More than one million Indonesians work in Malaysia, most as maids or labourers.

Indonesia defiant in Australia cattle cruelty row

Indonesian officials have rebuffed claims of widespread animal cruelty in their abattoirs, after Australia halted cattle exports to some facilities.

Agriculture official Iswantoro told the BBC that Australia was concentrating only on the bad abattoirs.
An Australian TV documentary showed cattle being flogged, kicked, slashed with knives and banging their heads against concrete floors.
Some Australian MPs called for a total ban on the trade with Indonesia.
The country is Australia's largest live-cattle market, with exports worth more than AU$300m (£200m; $320m) a year.
'Shocking images' Australia announced that it would stop exporting to 11 abattoirs featured in ABC's Four Corners programme while it conducted a wider investigation.
Australia's Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said he had found the images "shocking in the extreme".
Iswantoro, Indonesia's director of animal farming, told the BBC's Indonesian service he would look into the claims in the documentary.
"If there is a video showing abattoirs that are not fulfilling our standards, it is our responsibility to look into it," he said.
But he insisted that the country was committed to producing meat that was safe, secure, healthy and halal.
According to Muslim tradition, animals must be killed by having their throats cut, and all the blood must be allowed to drain out.
"There are lots of good abattoirs in Indonesia. The problem is [the Australians] only went to the bad abattoirs," he said.
The lobby group Animals Australia first uncovered cruel treatment in the abattoirs in March.
The group's director Lyn White said very few Indonesian facilities would meet international standards because they did not sedate the cattle before killing them.
"There are about 770 [abattoirs] in Indonesia and only five stun, so only five would have remotely acceptable standards," she said.
Ms White, several independent MPs and the Australian Greens are all calling for a complete ban on live-cattle exports to Indonesia.
Australia has shipped more than 6.5 million head of cattle to Indonesia for slaughter over the last 20 years.
Experts estimate 40% of beef eaten in Indonesia comes from Australian cattle.

Missing Ayrshire sex offender William Cunningham found

Police had earlier appealed to 44-year-old to give himself up

A registered sex offender who has been missing for two weeks has been found.

William Cunningham, from the Newmilns area of Ayrshire, failed to turn up for a court appearance on Monday and was last seen at his home on Friday 13 May.
The 44-year-old was discovered on Holy Isle, a small island inside the bay of Lamlash, on the Isle of Arran.
Strathclyde Police said he had been "compliantly detained" by officers on the island, which is owned by Tibetan monks.
The force had earlier issued a public appeal for information on his whereabouts and asked him to "give himself up to police".
Officers had thought that Mr Cunningham may have travelled to Northern Ireland.

Tornado death toll in Joplin, Missouri, rises to 142

The number of people killed by last Sunday's massive tornado that struck the city of Joplin, Missouri, has risen to 142, officials say.

The toll, released by city manager Mark Rohr, is an increase of three from the previous total.
Also on Saturday, a list of 156 people missing dropped to 105 after more were accounted for.
President Barack Obama will visit Joplin on Sunday to take part in a memorial service.
Among the newly confirmed victims was teenager Will Norton, who was sucked from his father's car as they drove home from his high school graduation.
More than 600 volunteers and 50 dog teams are still scouring the shattered remains of homes and offices for survivors or victims.
"We're going to be in a search and rescue mode until we remove the last piece of debris," Mr Rohr said earlier.
Joplin police say they have made 17 arrests for looting.
The tornado, with winds of 200mph (322km/h), was one of the most destructive in US history. It injured more than 900 people and carved a swathe of destruction through the city.
Day of prayer Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared Sunday an official State Day of Prayer and Remembrance.
US and Missouri flags will fly at half-mast over all government buildings in the state throughout the day.
The memorial service will be held at the Taylor Performing Arts Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.

Joplin officials have vowed to rebuild the city

Gov Nixon said in a statement: "During this day of prayer and this memorial service, I invite all Missourians to pause and remember their neighbours and draw upon the resources of their faith in support of their fellow Missourians."
On Saturday the US National Weather Service said 2011 was already the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950, when precise figures were first kept.
The death toll so far this year stands at 520. The previous highest recorded death toll in a single year was 519 in 1953.
The first funeral of a confirmed victim from the Joplin tornado was held on Friday.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at a church in Galena, just over the Kansas border, for the funeral of Adam Dewayne Darnaby, 27.
So far at least 19 bodies have been released to families, but many are yet to be formally identified.
Officials say that, wherever possible, they prefer to base identifications on DNA, medical records and also distinguishing features such as tattoos and piercings.
However, some families of victims say the delays are adding to their distress.

Qatar's Mohamed Bin Hammam pulls out of Fifa race

Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar says he has pulled out of the race to head football's world governing body, Fifa.

The move came a day before the 62-year-old Asian Football Confederation chief was due to face an ethics committee hearing into bribery claims.
He said he did not want to see Fifa's name "dragged more in the mud".

Mr Bin Hammam had been due to stand against incumbent Fifa chief Sepp Blatter, who is also facing the inquiry. Both deny corruption claims.
Mr Bin Hammam stressed his withdrawal must not "be tied to the investigation held by the Fifa ethics committee", pledging that he would appear before the panel to clear his name.
The election of the new Fifa president is scheduled for Wednesday.
'Great price' In a statement, Mr Bin Hammam said he "was and remains committed to change within Fifa" in a order to "further the cause of democracy" within the organisation.
But he added that "recent events have left me hurt and disappointed - on a professional and personal level".
"It saddens me that standing up for the causes that I believed in has come at a great price - the degradation of Fifa's reputation. This is not what I had in mind for Fifa and this is unacceptable.
"I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals. The game itself and the people who love it around the world must come first."
The Fifa's ethics committee hearing is due to start in Zurich, Switzerland, later on Sunday.
Mr Bin Hammam and Fifa Vice President Jack Warner face allegations from executive committee member Chuck Blazer that they offered bribes at a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) on 10 and 11 May.
A file of evidence claims bundles of cash of up to $40,000 (£24,200) were handed over to members of the CFU at the meeting in Trinidad.
Both Mr Bin Hammam and Mr Warner deny the allegations.
In turn, Mr Bin Hammam has effectively claimed that Mr Blatter - who is bidding for a fourth term in office - failed to report the payment of alleged bribes, in itself a breach of Fifa's ethics code.
Mr Blatter, 75, denies any wrongdoing.
The latest twist in the bitter fight for Fifa presidency follows weeks of damaging headlines and allegations in the wake of the vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

French nationals 'missing in Yemen'

Three French nationals have been reported missing in southern Yemen, officials say.

One Yemeni official said they were aid workers and had been kidnapped, but that has not been confirmed.
The three are reported to have gone missing in Hadramawt in the country's south-east.

There have been dozens of kidnappings of foreigners in Yemen over recent years, and most have been freed unharmed.
Yemen's powerful tribes frequently kidnap people in order to bargain with the government in disputes.
A Yemeni security official told the French news agency AFP that the three men, described as workers, were reported missing on Saturday afternoon when they failed to return to their residence in Seyun.
He added that their mobile phones "were suddenly switched off".
"Units of the security forces were immediately deployed to search for them," he added.
He could not rule out that the three had been kidnapped.
However, another official, quoted by Reuters, said those missing were two women and a man. He said they were aid workers and were abducted after leaving a restaurant.

Egypt: Hosni Mubarak fined for cutting internet

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been fined $34m (£20m) for cutting off communications services during the uprising that ousted him.

The fine of 200m Egyptian pounds is the first clear ruling against Mr Mubarak since he left office in February. Two other senior officials were also fined.
The 83-year-old is currently under arrest in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh after being taken ill in detention.
He has been charged over the deaths of anti-government protesters.
Officials probed Mr Mubarak is also being questioned over charges that he and his family made huge profits during the three decades he spent as Egyptian president.
More than 20 Mubarak-era ministers and businessmen linked to the regime have been detained since his departure.
Last week, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly was sentenced to 12 years in jail on charges of money-laundering and profiteering.
On Saturday, he was also fined over the disruption to telephone and internet services during the Egyptian revolution, along with Mr Mubarak and his former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif.
Adly also faces separate charges of ordering troops to fire on demonstrators. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
Mr Mubarak and his sons Alaa and Gamal have been charged with "premeditated murder" of some participants in the protests, the country's state news agency reported.

Obama reaffirms US-Poland ties as Europe tour ends

US President Barack Obama has reaffirmed relations between the US and Poland, as his six-day tour of Europe drew to a close.

He praised Poland's economic growth and its support of pro-democracy movements in North Africa and the Middle East.
Mr Obama also said the shelving of his predecessor's plan to build a missile defence shield in Poland did not put the country or region at risk.
Poland PM Donald Tusk said 0he had been reassured by Mr Obama's words.
In a brief press conference with Mr Tusk, Mr Obama said Poland was "one of our strongest and closest allies and a leader in Europe" and "a living example of what is possible when countries take reform seriously".
He praised efforts by members of Poland's Soviet-era pro-democracy Solidarity movement to offer support to Egypt's post-revolution government.
The BBC's Stephen Evans in Warsaw says Polish leaders had been hoping Mr Obama would rectify what many saw as a slight, when he cancelled President George W Bush's missile shield plan as part of efforts to "reset" US relations with Russia.
Many in Poland were disappointed when the US decided not to go ahead with the shield on Polish soil, says our correspondent, reading is as deference to Russia and as a sign of a lack of commitment to Poland.

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“Start Quote

The breadth of the US-Polish agenda speaks volumes as to the increasing significance of Poland as a European actor, both within Nato, and the European Union”

End Quote

Jonathan Marcus BBC diplomatic correspondent

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• Obama's fence-mending with Poland

Mr Obama repeated his insistence that the strategy was about reaffirming the Nato principles of mutual defence, saying it allowed their two countries to deal with shared threats.

"Nato is the strongest alliance in history primarily because it has a very simple principle - that we defend each other," he said.
"What we want to do is create an environment in this region in which peace and security are a given - that's not just good for this region, it's good for United States of America. We will always be there for Poland."
Air training Mr Tusk said Mr Obama's words "give us the sense that together we work for the purpose of Polish security" and that the US strategy was "the best way to guarantee security for Poland".
The two countries also announced plans to hold high-level bilateral business meetings to promote ways of boosting economic growth.
Mr Obama said they had discussed co-operation on "a range of clean energy initiatives" including natural gas projects and nuclear power.
Poland has reserves of shale which hold natural gas.
Our correspondent says Germany and Russia do not want those reserves opened up, Germany for environmental reasons and Russia perhaps because it currently exports much gas to the whole region.
He says the hope in Warsaw was that Mr Obama would support the opening of the shale reserves, ideally with the help of American energy companies.
The US had already announced one new initiative on security - to set up a US air detachment in Poland to train Polish personnel.
However, Mr Obama has not granted Poland's desire for a visa waiver for its citizens travelling to the US.

Ratko Mladic 'resigned to extradition' on war crimes

Ratko Mladic was in his garden when police pounced, officials say

Former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic knows he will be transferred to a UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, his lawyer says.

Milos Saljic said his client was "in some confusion" and wanted to recover. He is to appeal against the transfer.
Gen Mladic urged calm as ultra-nationalists prepare to protest against his arrest, Mr Saljic said.
He was indicted in 1995 for the killing of about 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica and other crimes.
Mr Saljic said Gen Mladic had appealed to his supporters not to cause trouble.
"He knows he will go to The Hague," said Mr Saljic.
"He does not know when but he would like to recover a little bit first."
Gen Mladic was declared fit to be extradited from Serbia to face trial, although his family and legal team say he is in poor health.
Mr Saljic said his client "is still in some confusion but is satisfied with the treatment in detention".
He has expressed a desire to visit the grave of his daughter who committed suicide some years ago, he added.
Serbian police chief Ivica Dacic said security had been tightened across the country ahead of a rally by the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party scheduled for Sunday in Belgrade.
Extreme right-wing groups have called for their supporters - many of them said to be known football hooligans - to join the rally outside parliament.
"Additional attention has been focused on the extremist groups. We are taking measures to prevent the escalation of extremist behaviour," Mr Dacic said.

"Security has been increased, but the situation in Serbia is stable," he added.

Mr Saljic said Gen Mladic had issued "a public appeal" to his supporters not to resort to violence.
"He is calling for there to be no bloodshed," said the lawyer after meeting Gen Mladic in his cell in Belgrade.
"He does not want to be the cause of unrest."
No resistance Gen Mladic was seized in the village of Lazarevo, about 80km (50 miles) north of Belgrade, in the early hours of Thursday, reportedly as he walked in his garden shortly before dawn.
Although he had two guns with him, he put up no resistance, officials said.
When told to confirm his identity he simply replied "I am Ratko Mladic" and congratulated the authorities for finding their target.
Serbian President Boris Tadic said anyone thought to have helped Gen Mladic avoid arrest for 16 years would face prosecution.

Egypt eases blockade at Gaza's Rafah border

Gazans will want to see how much change the open crossing will bring

Egypt has relaxed restrictions at its border with the Gaza Strip, allowing many Palestinians to cross freely for the first time in four years.

Women, children and men over 40 are now allowed to pass freely. Men aged between 18 and 40 will still require a permit, and trade is prohibited.
The move - strongly opposed by Israel - comes some three months after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak lost power.
Egypt and Israel closed borders with Gaza when Hamas seized power in 2007.
Israel retains concerns that weapons will be imported into Gaza through the Egyptian frontier, but Egypt insists it will conduct thorough searches of all those crossing. People leaving Gaza will also need to be carrying Palestinian ID cards, which are issued by Israel.
The BBC's Jon Donnison, in Gaza, says the decision to ease the border controls is symbolically important.
It is another sign that the new leadership in Egypt is shifting the dynamics of the Middle East.
Israel has criticised the border move, saying it raised security concerns.
But with elections coming up in Egypt, our correspondent says the change in policy is likely to be popular with a public sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
New hopes Egypt says the crossing will now be open from 0900 to 2100 every day except Fridays and holidays.
Although the border will still be closed for trade, the opening of the Rafah crossing is expected to provide a major economic boost to Gaza.

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At the scene

Jon Donnison BBC News, Rafah

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In the departure hall of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side hundreds of Palestinians gathered from early morning. Many carried huge suitcases, as if they might be going for some time.
"This makes us feel a little bit less trapped," one man told me. He was planning to visit his son in Cairo. He has not left the tiny Gaza strip for four years.
Up until today only 300 Palestinians have been allowed to cross into Egypt each day. Egypt's easing should see that number rise considerably. Palestinians will wait to see how much real change it makes but most here seemed genuinely happy that getting out of Gaza has become at least a little bit easier.

Up to 400 Palestinians were estimated to have gathered at the crossing as it opened on Saturday. By contrast, only about 300 Palestinians were previously allowed out of Gaza every day.

One of the first people to cross was Ward Labaa, a 27-year-old woman leaving Gaza for the first time to seek medical treatment in Cairo, the Associated Press reported.
Gaza resident Ali Nahallah, who has not left the Strip for four years, told the BBC the changes would be welcome.
"Of course this is our only entry point from Gaza to the external world," he said.
"We feel that we live in a big jail in Gaza so now we feel a little bit more comfortable and life is easier now. My kids are willing to travel to see other places other than Gaza."
The latest move comes a month after Egypt pushed through a unity deal between the two main Palestinian factions - Fatah and Hamas - something Israel also opposed.
Fatah runs the West Bank, while Hamas governs Gaza.
Analysts say that with elections looming in Egypt the new policy is likely be popular with a public largely sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
Egypt's co-operation in blockading Gaza was one of President Mubarak's most unpopular policies.
Last year, Israel eased restrictions on goods entering Gaza, but severe shortages in the territory remain.
In 2010, the International Committee of the Red Cross said the blockade was a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Hundreds of smuggling tunnels run under the Egyptian border with Gaza.

Afghanistan: Suicide blast kills top police commander

The police commander for northern Afghanistan has been killed in a suicide bomb attack on Takhar province governor's office.

Gen Mohammad Daud Daud is one of at least seven people killed in the attack, claimed by the Taliban.
Western and Afghan troops are among "a significant number of casualties", a Nato spokesman said.
Gen Daud was former military commander of the Northern Alliance, the Afghan forces who fought the Taliban.
Afghanistan has seen a series of attacks in recent months by militants on police and military targets.
High-level meeting
The latest attack will be seen as significant because it has struck an area of the country's north which has been seen as relatively secure.
The BBC's Paul Wood in Kabul says the attack is a propaganda victory for the Taliban and a blow to wider, counter-insurgency efforts.
Gen Daud was in charge of all interior ministry forces in northern Afghanistan and is the most senior figure to be killed so far in a Taliban "spring offensive".

Analysis

Lyse Doucet BBC News

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Powerful, charismatic, controversial - General Daud played a critical role as Afghan forces prepare to take over from Isaf in key cities this year.
When I last saw him in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif in March, he was calm and confident as he organised a major security operation during Nawroz (New Year) celebrations.
Despite reports of suicide bombers in the city, there were no attacks. But he came under criticism weeks later when the UN compound was stormed by a violent mob.
There were persistent allegations he played a key role in the drugs trade he was meant to stop. But his charm and capabilities won him allies among foreign forces - although some expressed suspicion there was an "agenda" of greater autonomy for the North.
The attack will heighten concerns over the Taliban's campaign to assassinate key Afghan figures.

He was highly thought of by Nato because he got the job done, our correspondent adds.

Gen Daud was a former deputy interior minister for narcotics.
He also served as the bodyguard to Ahmad Shah Massoud, who commanded the Northern Alliance.
The attack occurred at the compound of Takhar provincial governor Abdul Jabar Taqwa, in Taloqan, where officials were having a meeting.
The bomber, wearing a police uniform, was waiting in the corridor when the officials came out, our correspondent says.
Seven people were killed in the explosion, including Gen Daud and the provincial police chief Shah Jahan Nuri, a spokesman for the governor's office said.
At least 10 Afghans were injured, including the provincial governor, he added.
The Taliban has claimed it carried out the attack.
The governor's spokesman said three German troops were killed in the bombing, but this has not been confirmed by Nato.

A spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said there were reports of "a number of casualties" but did not give details.
Among those who survived the blast was General Markus Kneip, the top commander of foreign troops in north Afghanistan.
An Isaf spokesman confirmed that Gen Kneip was in the compound at the time but "was not killed".
German media reported that the general was wounded, along with three of his soldiers, while two German troops were killed.
German troops are based in neighbouring Kunduz province, and have oversight of Takhar.

Lt Gen Mohammad Daud Daud

• Fought for mujahideen against Soviet invasion
• Friend and deputy of famed mujahideen leader Ahmed Shah Masood
• Led Northern Alliance troops in 2001 Western-backed campaign against the Taliban
• Served as governor of Takhar province and deputy interior minister for counter-narcotics
• Head of police in northern Afghanistan when killed

The province was until recently a relatively quiet area of Afghanistan, but tensions rose in May after a Nato-led night raid in Taloqan which killed four people.

A crowd of 2,000 people took to the streets to protest against the attack, claiming the victims were civilians.
Nato said the group were insurgents.
Police opened fire on the demonstrators, killing 12 people and wounding 80.
A smaller protest the following day saw the provincial police chief's compound attacked.

Fears in Arctic over rigged energy choices

The pristine waters off Greenland are targets for a new oil and gas drive

 

There's something of a new sunrise in the Arctic this year.

And I'm not just talking about the spectacularly beautiful event that begins every spring day.
The Arctic Sunrise is a ship belonging to Greenpeace, which has done battle in many corners of the world against most things that the organisation detests.
Now, it is steaming close to the Greenland coast, engaged in opposition to a relatively new issue: deepwater drilling for oil and gas in these remote, chilled waters.
Confrontations here are likely to be a regular feature in the coming months; this is a major new frontier.
Together with its sister ship Esperanza, the Arctic Sunrise has just made contact with the Leiv Eiriksson, a rig that will shortly begin its scheduled exploration programme for the summer.
The rig is being escorted by a 120-metre Danish warship.
As a quasi-colonial power, Denmark is responsible still for policing Greenlandic waters, and was presumably called up because Greenpeace activists have already boarded exploration rigs once this year, and wouldn't have ventured into the Arctic unless they had something more planned.

According to the US Geological Survey, almost a quarter of the world's undiscovered but potentially exploitable oil and gas reserves may lie beneath the Arctic seabed.
And as summer ice cover shrinks, opportunities to exploit these fields are opening up.
Greenpeace - and other environmental groups - are calling for a halt to these projects, essentially for two reasons.
Firstly, last year's Gulf of Mexico disaster illustrated just how badly wrong things can go on a deepwater rig - and the social and environmental costs will be counted for many years to come.
Basic science tells you that in colder water, oil products are going to remain intact for much longer before being broken down. Rescue and clean-up operations will be more difficult in the roiling Arctic than in the relative calm of the gulf.
The second reason is that in an era when virtually all governments say they're committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, how is it sensible to be investing money in finding new stocks of fossil fuels to exploit?
The most important governments in the new Arctic oil race - Canada, Russia and the US - are, co-incidentally or otherwise, among the least keen to see a new global treaty limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
As Wikileaks revealed earlier this month, far from trying to restrain exploration, leaders have actively been discussing how to "carve up" the region's resources between them.
Greenland raises a particular issue, with its recent successful bid for greater independence from Denmark being partially driven by the huge revenues oil and gas exploitation could bring.
Greenpeace has been doing a little revealing, too.

Actions against Arctic rigs are set to be a regular occurrence in the coming months

It's publishing UK government documents, obtained via Freedom of Information (FoI) requests, that indicate a level of alarm about the damage that could result from a spill.
"It is difficult to get assistance in case of pollution problems in such areas, and near impossible to make good damage caused," reads a message sent from one official to another - their identities redacted.
The UK doesn't have any territorial claims north of the Arctic Circle; but UK-based companies such as Cairn Energy, which is contracted to do the Greenland exploration this summer, are active players.
"The rapid pace of both global warming and extraction technological advance means that the world's last frontier for petroleum may be open for exploration much sooner than expected just a few years ahead," another of the internal UK documents notes.
The writer ponders: "Can the UK risk losing business opportunities for the sake of environmental protection?"
The memo implies that different arms of the UK government are not having the most constructive of conversations with each other.
Its writer asks: "If in the Arctic High North we do not seek the resources to satisfy growing global energy demand, it is unclear where else these resources might be found."
Yet the UK's official line on this is that the resources can and should be found in the wind, in waves and tides, in sunlight, and the power of the atom.
Which of those assessments is the more honest is a question to mull.
Whatever the concerns, Arctic oil and gas exploration looks set for a big expansion.
Canada is forging ahead; so are Russia and Norway. Greenland clearly wants to join the race, while the US is likely to grant new exploration rights once operators have satisfied authorities that they have learned lessons from the gulf leak.
Can environmental groups do enough to stop it - especially when governments appear to have decided already that the environmental risks are worth taking in return for a continuing supply of black gold?