Spain is to detail deep cuts in public spending amid EU concerns that economic problems afflicting Greece may spread. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

A Pakistani man is being questioned after he tested positive for explosives while entering the US embassy in Chile. Police said Mohammed Saif Ur Rehman, 28, who holds a US visa, was stopped at the embassy in the capital Santiago on Monday. Prosecutors said he had traces of explosives on his hands, mobile phone, bag and ID. The arrest came days after a Pakistani-born American was charged with an attempted bombing in New York. Mr Rehman was taken into custody while police searched his student lodgings. Local media said he arrived in Chile in January to study tourism. Letter bomb US ambassador Paul Simon told Chilean radio he did not think the man had been tying to attack the embassy, as only traces of explosives were detected on him. US state department spokesman PJ Crowley said the US had had information about Mr Rehman and he had been called into the embassy to clarify it. Mr Crowley said he was not aware of any connection with the attempt to plot Times Square in New York. Although Mr Rehman has been handed over to the Chilean authorities Mr Crowley said this did not mean US was no longer interested in him. The US embassy in Santiago has been targeted before. It was sent a letter bomb in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks. The bomb was defused and a Chilean man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the attack. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Conservative leader David Cameron is the new UK prime minister after the resignation of Gordon Brown. Mr Cameron, 43, is in Downing Street after travelling to Buckingham Palace to formally accept the Queen’s request to form the next government. He said he aimed to form a “proper and full coalition” with the Lib Dems to provide “strong, stable government”. His party won the most seats in the UK general election last week, but not an overall majority. In a speech at Downing Street, Mr Cameron said he and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg would “put aside party differences and work hard for the common good and the national interest”. He paid tribute to outgoing PM Gordon Brown for his long years of public service and said he would tackle Britain’s “pressing problems” – the deficit, social problems and reforming the political system. Mr Cameron stressed there would be “difficult decisions” but said he wanted to take people through them to reach “better times ahead”. The Conservatives have been in days of negotiations with the Lib Dems – who were also negotiating with Labour – after the UK election resulted in a hung parliament. But the Lib Dems said talks with Labour failed because “the Labour Party never took seriously the prospects of forming a progressive, reforming government”. Formal agreement A spokesman said key members of the Labour team “gave every impression of wanting the process to fail” and the party had made “no attempt at all” to agree a common approach on issues like schools funding and tax reform. “Certain key Labour cabinet ministers were determined to undermine any agreement by holding out on policy issues and suggesting that Labour would not deliver on proportional representation and might not marshal the votes to secure even the most modest form of electoral reform,” he said. However Labour’s Lord Mandelson told the BBC they had been “up for” a deal with the Lib Dems, but they had “created so many barriers and obstacles that perhaps they thought their interests lay on the Tory side, on the Conservative side, rather than the progressive side”. After it became clear the talks had failed, Mr Brown tendered his resignation and said he wished the next prime minister well. In an emotional resignation statement outside Number Ten, Mr Brown thanked his staff, his wife Sarah and their children, who joined the couple as they left for Buckingham Palace. Mr Brown said it had been “a privilege to serve” adding: “I loved the job not for its prestige, its titles and its ceremony – which I do not love at all. No, I loved the job for its potential to make this country I love fairer, more tolerant, more green, more democratic, more prosperous and more just – truly a greater Britain.” ‘My fault’ He also paid tribute to the courage of the armed forces, adding: “I will never forget all those who have died in honour and whose families today live in grief.” Later he thanked Labour activists and MPs for all their efforts and told them Labour’s general election performance was “my fault, and my fault alone”. The Lib Dem and Conservative teams met for hours of negotiations at the Cabinet Office on Tuesday – four days after the UK general election resulted in a hung parliament. The talks resumed after Lib Dem negotiators met a Labour team, which followed Mr Brown’s announcement on Monday that he would step down as Labour leader by September. But there were signs throughout the afternoon that the two parties – who together would still not command an overall majority in the House of Commons – would not reach a deal. Several senior Labour figures, including John Reid and David Blunkett, warned against a coalition with the Lib Dems, particularly if the price involved offering them a referendum on changing the voting system to proportional representation. After Mr Brown announced he would be stepping down and would see if Labour could do a deal with the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives upped their offer to a promise of a referendum on changing the voting system from existing first past the post system to AV. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Relatives of many victims of the quake in China’s Sichuan province are now able to start registering loved ones as dead, two years after the disaster. Some 18,000 people remain officially designated as “missing” from the quake, which killed a further 69,000. Chinese law says families must wait two years after an accident before starting to register missing relatives as dead. Some people are still angry because many of the dead were children, killed when their schools collapsed. According to officials, some 5,335 schoolchildren were killed, leading to speculation that school buildings were poorly constructed. No public inquiry has been held, despite repeated demands from bereaved parents and activists. And critics say Beijing has sought to silence public criticism on the issue. Despite this, prominent artist Ai Weiwei has said he intends to use the second anniversary of the quake to launch a protest. He has been collecting the names of all the children who died, and intends to have them read out. The BBC’s Michael Bristow in Beijing says the process to register the dead from the quake takes a year. But he says it is not clear how many will choose to complete the legal formalities. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Oil executives have traded blame in Congress over the Gulf Coast oil spill, as the battle to contain it continues. British oil giant BP told a Senate hearing a crucial safety device made by drilling contractor Transocean failed. Senators heard Transocean argue in turn that BP had been in charge and that a third firm, a BP contractor, did not plug the exploratory well properly. President Barack Obama was said by the White House to be “deeply frustrated” the oil leak had yet to be stopped. The Obama administration has announced a break-up of the federal oil industry watchdog amid fears of a conflict of interest. Golf balls Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told reporters the administration would “establish independence and separation” for the Minerals Management Service, which both inspects rigs and collects oil royalties. Eleven people died when an explosion destroyed the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on 20 April. Some 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) of oil a day have been gushing into the sea since then, threatening the delicate ecosystem of the US Gulf coast. Soldiers using helicopters and bulldozers, helped by prison inmates, are battling to contain the slick. BP’s efforts to cap the well were set back at the weekend when a giant metal funnel lowered over the site suffered a build-up of ice-like crystals and had to be put aside. BP hopes to make a second attempt this week to seal the well. The oil giant’s latest plan is to ram rubbish such as golf balls and shredded tyres into the leak to block the hole, says BBC North America editor Mark Mardell. The broken pipe is almost a mile (1.6km) below the ocean’s surface, with little visibility for remote-controlled vehicles. A relief well is being drilled but may take up to three months to complete. ‘Cascade of errors’ In Washington, BP, Transocean and a third firm, Halliburton, gave senators technical explanations of what went wrong. But in simple language it was a blame game, our North America editor says. Deepwater Horizon was owned and operated by Swiss-based Transocean, but was working on behalf of BP. Lamar McKay, head of BP America, focused on a critical safety device, the 450-tonne blowout protector (BOP). It was supposed to shut off oil flow on the ocean floor in the event of a well blowout, but he said it had “failed to operate”. He noted that BP had not owned the rig and so “responsibility for the safety of drilling operations” belonged to Transocean. But Transocean chief executive Steven Newman said there was no reason to believe its BOP had been at fault. “Offshore oil and gas production projects begin and end with the operator, in this case BP,” he said. He also pinned blame on the failure of a cement oil-well casing built by BP contractor Halliburton. However, Halliburton executive Tim Probert argued his firm had followed all requirements set out by BP and industry practices. Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman said the oil rig explosion had probably been due to a “cascade of errors, technical, human and regulatory”. The BBC’s North America editor says the details of the engineering may be obscure, but the motivation is clear enough: no-one wants to say the loss of lives, the environmental impact or the economic effect was their fault. Accepting blame will have huge financial consequences. And President Obama wants new laws to lift the cap on how much firms are liable to pay for such disasters from millions to billions of dollars – and that would apply to this accident, our North America editor adds. Sex and drugs Announcing a shake-up at the Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior Secretary Salazar said it was important to build “a strong and independent organisation holding energy companies accountable”. “The tragedy aboard the Deepwater Horizon and the massive spill for which BP is responsible has made the importance and urgency of our reform agenda even clearer,” he added. Critics say the MMS – a branch of Mr Salazar’s Department of the Interior – has been riddled with conflicts of interest. They argue that the two core responsibilities of the MMS are diametrically opposed – making money off the industry by collecting royalties, while cracking down on it in ways that may affect the industry’s bottom line. A 2008 internal investigation found some MMS employees had taken drugs and had sex with energy company representatives. Some staff had also accepted gifts and free holidays amid “a culture of ethical failure”, according to the investigation. The interior secretary has been conducting a 30-day review of offshore drilling at the request of President Obama. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

India’s Gujarat state is home to one of the world’s largest collections of dinosaur remains. The BBC’s Soutik Biswas finds out how this is fuelling dinosaur tourism. About an hour’s drive from busy Ahmedabad city in India’s western Gujarat state is what many call the “Jurassic Park of India” – a nod to Steven Spielberg’s spell-binding dinosaur film. Balasinor has seen better times: in the days before Independence it was one of a handful of Muslim-dominated princely states in Gujarat. More than 100 villages made up a cosmopolitan state ruled by a Pathan regent. Now it is a nondescript district town ringed by farming villages. The elegant royal palace is still intact, and the family runs luxury accomodation from its premises. But Balasinor is better known around the world as the site of one of the largest dinosaur egg hatcheries and a host of other fossilised dinosaur remains. Rush of tourists A sprawling 72-acre swathe of hills and flatlands studded with fossilised dinosaur remains has begun triggering off what tourism officials in the state call “dinosaur tourism”. “This place is a gold mine,” says Salauddin Khan Babi, second generation scion of the royal family and a dinosaur enthusiast. “I get lots of foreign tourist groups who come here to see the dinosaur remains,” says Mr Babi. Scientists say that the dinosaur site at Balasinor was accidentally discovered when palaeontologists stumbled upon dinosaur bones and fossils during a regular geological survey of this mineral-rich area in the early 1980s. The find sent ripples of excitement through neighbouring villages and many residents picked up fossilised eggs, brought them home and worshipped them. Since then excavations have thrown up a veritable trove of dinosaur remains – eggs, bones, a skeleton which is now kept in a Calcutta (Kolkata) museum – bringing hordes of scientists and tourists to the place. The crowning find was the remains of what is the only “Indian” dinosaur in the world, fossils of which have been found only in Gujarat along the Narmada river and in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh state. Researchers aptly named this squat, thick-legged, heavy bodied carnivorous dinosaur with a crested horn, Rajasaurus narmandensis or the regal reptile from Narmada. They say it belongs to the genus – subfamily – of the ferocious carnivore Tyrannosaurus Rex. Balasinor has also thrown up what scientists say is the fossilised remains of a snake that dined on dinosaur eggs – the 67 million-year-old skeleton was found in a dinosaur nest. The 3.5 metre fossilised snake is believed to have fed on the hatchlings of sauropods It was found wrapped around a baby titanosaur. This is the first evidence of feeding behaviour in a fossilised primitive snake. Researchers believe that the snake was attacking a hatchling that had just emerged from the egg. The event was then overcome by a natural disaster, possibly a storm, and the whole scene was frozen in time. Commercial potential Sensing the commercial potential of the place, the state-run tourism department has declared the site a “dinosaur park” and is building facilities around it to draw visitors. “The frenzy is just picking up. The potential to turn around this place with dinosaur remains as the biggest attraction is enormous,” says Mr Babi. Piecing together the evidence in Balasinor, researchers now believe that Gujarat is home to one of the largest clutch of dinosaur hatcheries in the world. At least 13 species of dinosaurs lived here, possibly for more than 100 million years until their extinction some 65 million years ago. They say the dinosaurs lived and thrived on the luxurious vegetation on the flatlands close to the Narmada river in what then was the single landmass of the super-continent Pangaea. The soft soil made hatching and protecting eggs easier for the animals. So well-protected are the fossilised eggs found here that many researchers call them the best-preserved eggs in the world after the ones found in Aix-en-Provence in France. Fossilised remains of dinosaurs have been found in a number of districts in Gujarat, including Panchmahal, Godhra, Sabarkantha and the sprawling Kutch region. In the Kuar island and the Chapri areas of Kutch, researchers have found dinosaur bones which date back to “roughly 170 to 180 million years,” says geologist and dinosaur researcher Dr ZG Ghevaria. Fossilisation could have been helped by tectonic upheavals, drifting of sand and silt, movements of rivers and even possible tsunamis, researchers believe. That is not all. The remains in Gujarat also offer tantalising clues to the extinction of dinosaurs. Meteorite? Evidence of radioactive iridium, a white radioactive metal commonly found in meteorites, has been found in the Anjar area of Kutch lending weight to a theory that a meteorite crash doomed the animal to extinction. “This is the only place in the world where you find evidence of the life and death of the dinosaur. You find their bones and then you find traces of iridium in separate geological layers,” says Dr Ghevaria. Outside China, Gujarat is home to most of Asia’s dinosaur hatcheries. Another dinosaur park, a six-acre leafy facility in the state capital, Gandhinagar is proof of this. It is home to one of the largest stored collections of dinosaur remains, including a dinosaur bone marrow – which has become choked with crystals over time. There are also rocks studded with eggs and foot impressions. There are realistic fibre-glass models of the various species of dinosaur. Park chief MK Pandey is optimistic. “This is not the end, if we excavate more in Gujarat we will get more dinosaur remains. Dino tourism could become the tourism of the future here. Easily! ” This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has arrived in the US for four days of talks aimed at repairing rocky relations between Kabul and Washington. US envoy to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry said he believed the visit would leave the two nations “well aligned”. While the Afghan leader is expected to focus on civilians being killed by foreign troops, US officials are likely to tackle Mr Karzai on corruption. He is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama on Wednesday. ‘Candid relationship’ Relations between Kabul and Washington nose-dived last year after Mr Karzai won an election widely condemned for corruption. But the BBC’s state department correspondent Kim Ghattas says the US has rolled out the red carpet for Mr Karzai’s visit. Mr Eikenberry said every relationship experienced “ups and downs” and insisted Mr Obama had full confidence in Mr Karzai. “What measures true partnership is the ability, when the stakes are as high as they are for Afghanistan and the US, to be able to work our way through difficulties,” he said. Gen Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, insisted he had a good relationship with Mr Karzai. “I think it’s important that I have an effective, candid, responsible relationship. And I’ve been real happy with it thus far,” he told reporters. As well as holding three hours of talks with Mr Obama, the Afghan leader is also scheduled to meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates. The trip comes at a crucial time for Afghanistan. Nato is preparing for an assault in southern Kandahar province, and Afghan officials are set for a forthcoming meeting of tribal leaders who will discuss how to promote peace. The US hopes to start pulling out troops from July 2011, but the country has seen a marked increase in violence over the past year. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Outspoken South African politician Julius Malema has been forced to make a public apology and been told to undergo anger management by the ruling ANC. Officials found Mr Malema had brought the party into disrepute by criticising President Jacob Zuma, the ANC’s leader. Mr Malema, the ANC’s youth leader, had criticised Mr Zuma for rebuking him over comments he had made publicly backing Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe. In a statement, Mr Malema apologised “unconditionally” for dividing the ANC. “I accept that as a leader of the ANC and of the ANC Youth League my conduct and public utterances should at all times reflect respect and restraint,” he said in his statement of apology. Mr Malema was also fined 10,000 rand ($1,300), to be given to a youth project, and warned he would be suspended from the ANC if he transgressed again in the next two years. The 29-year-old has repeatedly courted controversy by singing apartheid-era song Shoot the Boer, making a series of uncomplimentary references to political rivals, and most recently by praising Mr Mugabe. Mr Zuma, who heads regional mediation efforts in Zimbabwe, was forced to apologise on national TV over Mr Malema’s comments on the country. The youth leader was initially cited by ANC officials on three charges – his public support of Mr Mugabe, abusing a BBC journalist, and singing Shoot the Boer after it had been banned. But South African news agency Sapa reported that the charges were dropped in return for him admitting guilt over his criticism of Mr Zuma. In March, Mr Malema was found guilty of hate speech for suggesting that a woman who had accused Mr Zuma of rape may have had a “nice time”. The president was acquitted of the charges in 2006. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

US shares close lower as global stock markets stall on persistent worries over European debt problems. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Pope Benedict XVI has warned that the greatest threat to the Catholic Church comes from “sin within”, rather than persecution from outside. He made his comments in response to a question on the clerical child abuse scandal, while en route to Portugal. Critics have previously accused the Vatican of attempting to blame the media and the Church’s opponents for the escalation of the scandal. But the Pope made clear its origin came from within the Church itself. “Today we see in a truly terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from outside enemies, but is born of sin within the Church,” the pontiff told reporters on a plane bound for Portugal. He later landed at Lisbon, the capital, despite fears that the volcanic ash cloud affecting flights in Iberia would disrupt his plans. ‘Spiritual crisis’ During the four-day trip he is due to celebrate open-air Masses in Lisbon, as well as at the Catholic shrine of Fatima, and in Oporto. Church officials say he will address Europe’s spiritual and economic crisis. Although nearly 90% of people in Portugal are reported to be Catholics, only about 20% attend Mass regularly, the BBC’s Vatican correspondent, David Willey, reports from Lisbon. Pope Benedict intends to tell the Portuguese to seek solace in their faith to relieve the gloom of financial hardship, he says. Carlos Azevedo, the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon and the co-ordinator of the papal visit, said on Monday that the pontiff will speak about “the joy of faith and hope”. “The moral values guiding the economy and politics show that there is a spiritual crisis,” he said. Portugal has been one of the countries worst affected by the economic problems troubling many European states. Tens of thousands of people are expected at the Mass in Lisbon on Tuesday. But the highlight of the trip is a visit to Fatima on Wednesday and Thursday, where a giant outdoor Mass has been planned for as many as 500,000 people. Fatima is one of the main sites of Christian pilgrimage in Europe. The Pope will be marking the anniversary of the day in 1917 when three Portuguese shepherd children reported having visions of the Virgin Mary in Fatima. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Son of former president Corazon Aquino vows to fight corruption as count puts him ahead in presidential poll Benigno Aquino III, the son of former Philippine president Corazon Aquino, promised today to fulfil his campaign promise to fight corruption as he headed for a landslide victory in the country’s presidential elections. “I will not only not steal, but I’ll have the corrupt arrested,” Aquino, 50, said in his first comments since yesterday’s poll. Massive corruption has long dogged the Philippines, tainting electoral politics and skimming billions of public funds in a country where a third of the population lives on $1 a day. Aquino, whose father was assassinated while opposing Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship and whose mother led the 1986 “people power” revolt that restored democracy, was leading the nine-candidate presidential race with 40.2% of the votes from about 78% of the precincts, while his closest rival, ousted President Joseph Estrada, had 25.5%. There is no runoff in the Philippines, home to 90 million people, and whoever has the most votes is declared winner. Despite glitches with new computerised counting machines and violence that has claimed at least 12 lives, election officials hailed yesterday’s vote as a success in a country where poll fraud allegations have marred previous contests. Turnout was 75% among about 50 million eligible voters, the elections commission said. Philippines guardian.co.uk

More than 50 million Filipinos have gone to the polls to elect a president and nearly 18,000 other national and local positions

Son of country’s two democratic heroes takes lead in poll marred by technical glitches and deadly violence Filipino inmates inside a jail in Makati city, Manila, show ink-stained fingers to confirm they have voted as the son of two heroes of democracy in the Philippines took the lead in the vote count for the presidency after the country’s first automated elections today, which were marred by technical glitches and violence that claimed at least nine lives. Senator Benigno Aquino III had 40.4% of the vote from about 38% of the precincts, while his closest rival, ousted president Joseph Estrada, had 25.8%, according to early results released by the commission on elections. The sudden political rise of Aquino – whose father was assassinated while opposing a dictatorship and whose late mother led the “people power” revolt that restored freedoms – bolstered hopes among his supporters for a clean leadership after nine years of a scandal-tainted administration that was rocked by coup attempts and protests. Aquino had promised to start prosecuting corrupt officials within weeks of his election. Turnout was 75% among about 50 million registered voters, to elect politicians for posts from the presidency to municipal councils, the poll body said. There is no runoff in the Philippines and whoever has the most votes is declared winner. In a country where celebrities commonly seek office, the jewel-studded former first lady Imelda Marcos also ran for a house seat, as did boxing star Manny Pacquiao in his second congressional bid. Like many others, Aquino was unable to immediately cast his ballot because a vote-counting machine broke down in his precinct. After Corazon Aquino died of cancer last August her son, a 50-year-old senator, decided to run, spurred by the outpouring of national grief for the leader who succeeded dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and restored democracy to the Philippines. Philippines guardian.co.uk

Benigno Aquino, son of former president Corazon Aquino, tipped to become president, as voting is extended after glitches Scattered violence and glitches with vote-counting machines being used for the first time failed to dissuade millions of Filipinos from voting in today’s elections, seeking a clean start following a decade of corruption-tainted politics. Senator Benigno Aquino III – whose father was assassinated while opposing a dictatorship and whose late mother led the “people power” revolt that restored democracy – commanded a large lead in the last pre-election polls. But even Aquino was unable to immediately cast his ballot, because a vote-counting machine broke down in his precinct. The elections commission extended voting for another hour to make up for delays. Computer problems and campaign-related violence, which has killed more than 30 people in the past three months, were the main concerns in elections that officials hope will set a new standard for the Philippines’ fragile democracy. For the first time, optical scanning machines will count votes in 76,000 precincts. A software glitch discovered a week ago nearly derailed the vote, but was fixed at the last minute. Still, some machines malfunctioned in the tropical humidity, including in Aquino’s hometown of Tarlac, north of Manila. “This is a new system of voting. We have a longer ballot, so I hope all the people can vote and not be delayed and I hope there will be no long lines of people outside when the voting ends,” Aquino told reporters while waiting for the machine to be fixed. In the past, manual counts in the country delayed results for weeks and were prone to fraud. Officials are now expecting early tallies just hours after polls close. About 50 million registered voters in this country of 90m will elect politicians for posts from the presidency to municipal councils. Election commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said about 300 out of 76,000 machines had problems but that most already were replaced, adding that the problems were “not as widespread as it’s made to appear”. “And what’s important is that if a machine breaks down, there is a replacement and there is a back-up procedure,” he said. Mario Barreto, 52, said it took him two hours to vote in an elementary school in Manila. “The most difficult thing was to look for your name and lining up,” he said. Troops and gunmen exchanged fire in southern Maguindanao province, where 57 people were massacred in the country’s worst election-related attack last year, said army Lt Gen Raymundo Ferrer. There were no casualties in Datu Salibo town but in the nearby north Kabuntalan township, two civilians were killed in a clash between armed followers of rival candidates for vice-mayor, Ferrer said. Even with the more than 30 election-related deaths in the past three months, including three on Sunday, election attacks appear to be down: 130 deaths preceded the 2007 vote. A restive and politicised military, weak central government, private armies and political dynasties have stymied democratic institutions for generations. The next leader also will face multiple insurgencies. Muslim and communist rebels and militants linked to al-Qaida have long staged terrorist attacks and hostage raids from jungle hideouts in the south, where US troops have been training Filipino soldiers. The next leader also faces entrenched corruption – outgoing president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been accused of vote-rigging in 2004 and implicated in several scandals that led to coup attempts and moves to impeach her. Calls for her prosecution have been an important campaign issue. She denies any wrongdoing and is in running for a seat in the house of representatives. In an indication that Filipinos are looking for a fresh face to combat this old problem, Aquino has surged ahead of his two main rivals, according to recent independent presidential surveys. Despite lacking their experience, Aquino rode on a family name that has revived poignant memories of the 1986 “people power” revolt his late mother led to oust dictator Ferdinand Marcos and restore democracy. Former president Corazon Aquino had inherited the mantle of her husband, an opposition senator gunned down by soldiers at Manila’s airport in 1983 upon his return from exile in the US to challenge Marcos. It was only after she died of cancer last August that her son, a quiet 50-year-old lawmaker and bachelor, decided to run, spurred by the massive outpouring of national grief and yearning for a kind of inspirational leadership his mother had provided despite her shortcomings. In an Associated Press interview last week, Aquino said he would start prosecuting corrupt officials within weeks if he is elected, sending a signal to investors and the public. He said he would create a commission to investigate Arroyo. Aquino’s two rivals carry the taint of scandal, all too common in the Philippines. The ratings of real estate tycoon Manny Villar, who was neck-and-neck with Aquino in early surveys, took a plunge after rivals accused him of using his position to enrich himself and avoid a Senate ethics probe. Meanwhile, ousted president Joseph Estrada, who largely draws support from poorer Filipinos, has jumped to overtake Villar. The former action movie star was removed from office in 2001 and subsequently convicted on corruption charges. He was later pardoned by Arroyo. In a country where celebrities commonly seek office, the former first lady Imelda Marcos is running for a house seat, as is boxer Manny Pacquiao in his second congressional bid. Philippines guardian.co.uk

A political saga played out on TV and star-studded cast including Imelda Marcos’s return can’t gloss over corruption allegations If America’s tagline is “the land of opportunity”, maybe the Philippines’s should be “the land of celebrities”. The Philippines, where 45% of people live on under $2 a day , has imported a few American obsessions: malls and movies . This cultural trait has pulled the electorate into an absorbing real-life political saga with all manner of characters, so much so that their influence fuels the political establishment to the point of electing the next president. The result of next week’s presidential race could have been predicated by even the most casual of political observers at the funeral of Cory Aquino , whose son Noynoy is now a shoe-in to take over the presidency from the rapidly resented Gloria Arroyo . Last year, the enduring images that accompanied the funeral and the thousands who flocked to parade past Aquino’s coffin became the latest episode in the nation’s favourite soap opera. TV channels dedicated live streams to her wake, accompanied by a loop of montage images celebrating her family’s dramatic life. Aquino was the self-proclaimed ” plain housewife ” who became the reluctant leader of the opposition after the assassination of her husband, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr on his return from exile at Manila Airport. This sensational story all played out on TV for the 91 million population strewn the over the 7,000 islands. It was their JFK moment . In a presidential race with such a celebrity name like Noynoy, few are willing to compete. Credible candidates with solid political pedigrees, such as Gilberto Teodoro and Manny Villar , will keep the contest honest – except maybe for Joseph Estrada , the disgraced former president who regularly tops the leagues in corruption. Estrada is a walking soap opera: a former actor from one of the poorest districts of Manila who during his presidency adopted a popular policy of ” all out war ” against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front . Despite his criminal convictions, a large percentage of the electorate are willing to support the villain (a role he is famous for playing in his acting career); polls show that his support stalled at around 18% . Various senate candidates are also ex-celebrities known by their obligatory nickname, most notably pound-for-pound best boxer in the world Manny Pacquiao . “Pac-Man” is the world’s most famous Filipino, and has based his career in America earning $10m-plus per fight – a truly authentic rags to riches tale. He now resides in the city of General Santos , home to a long-running, violent Islamic insurgency where he remains an army reservist with a rank of sergeant major and has starred in films, most recently a glossy big-budget superhero movie, Wapakman , in which he plays himself. To complete the star studded roundup, we have the return of Imelda Marcos , former wife of Ferdinand Marcos , best known for her collection of shoes and extravagant lifestyle. Her return to the lower house would mean another episode in the never-ending soap opera of Philippines politics. Next Monday the country will go to the polls to choose a president and elect many of these characters to public office. However, with possible fraud in vote-counting machines potentially delaying the election climax, the reliance on the three Gs of old-school Filipino politics – guns, goons and gold – will come ever more into focus. This election was already in danger of becoming tarnished with corruption when charges were laid at the feet of incumbent politicians offering bribes to soldiers to rig results. Last November’s Maguindanao massacre of 43 political campaigners and journalists continues to leave a dark shadow over the election. • This article was commissioned after the author contacted us via the You tell us page Philippines Manny Pacquiao Tom Smith guardian.co.uk

The boxer wants a seat in the Philippines congress, but great sportsmen tend to make mediocre statesmen Manny beware. The man generally considered to be the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in the world is hoping to make the leap from pugilist to politician , with a run for the Philippines congress. But sportsmen generally don’t make good statesmen. Yes, they have plenty of natural advantages: a large support base, widespread recognition, sometimes money, presence, and an undeniable will to win. But of the scores who have tried to reinvent themselves, you could count the genuine successes on the finger of one hand. Perhaps it’s the subtleties, the policy nuances, the shifting allegiances that stump them. Perhaps it’s that most are used to simple win-or-lose formula that rarely apply in politics. Or perhaps it’s simply that the public prefers its heroes to be raising cups and trophies, not issues. Imran Khan, Pakistan Pakistan’s foremost sporting hero through the 1970s and 1980s, Khan led his country to its only World Cup triumph in 1992 . He swapped a playboy lifestyle for politics, but pace and swing on the field failed to convert into momentum and electoral swing off it, and he became a marginal figure , notable chiefly for criticising everyone but himself. George Weah, Liberia Another poor boy made good, Weah was in his day Africa’s most exciting footballer, a World Footballer of the Year, who again struggled to dazzle off the pitch. His 2005 run for president promised a fairytale ending when he won the first round, but he lost a run-off to Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. A second bid for the presidency has not been ruled out. Menzies Campbell One of the few whose political career eclipsed his sprinting achievements, he stopped running for Britain after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and started running for the Liberals, later the Lib Dems. Sebastian (Lord) Coe, UK The Olympic double-gold medallist was elected to parliament in 1992, became a life peer in 2000 and helped London win the 2012 games. Bernard Laporte, France Rugby union scrum half who served Nicolas Sarkozy as sports secretary . Bill Bradley, US An NBA star in the 1970s , he rapidly reinvented himself as a Democrat politician, winning a Senate race within a year of retiring in 1977. After three terms he tried, and failed, to secure the Democrat nomination for the 2000 presidential election. Colin (Lord) Moynihan An Olympic silver medallist in Moscow in 1980 who swapped a cox’s seat in the men’s rowing eight for a safe Conservative seat in parliament . Manny Pacquiao Philippines Boxing Sebastian Coe Sir Menzies Campbell Imran Khan guardian.co.uk

He has seen off all comers. Now the great Filipino fighter is trying to make the rare leap from sportsman to statesman Manny Pacquiao is used to the frenzy. Tens of thousands of fans bob and throng feverishly in front of the stage in the heavy, sticky heat of a tropical night. Young and old, rural and urban, devout and secular: all are eager for a glimpse of the man who is undeniably the Philippines’ most famous sporting hero. For a man who is a boxing phenomenon, it is a familiar scene. Pacquiao is used to punishing opponents in front of crowds like this. Only on this occasion, he is turned out not in his trademark red flame-emblazoned white shorts and robe but in jeans and an orange shirt. A natural entertainer, he cradles a guitar and shows off another string to his bow: a singsong-like baritone that belts out a campaign tune. “I would not be where I am today without you, and now I want to help the Philippines,” he declares, warming to his theme. “What is important is my relationship to God and to the Filipino people.” Pacquiao’s rise from extreme poverty to sporting superstardom is a narrative that resonates with many Filipinos. But as the campaign for the crucial 10 May general elections intensifies here, the man considered the best pound-for-pound fighter the world has ever seen, with 51 wins out of 56 bouts in a 17-year career, is facing a far greater challenge than just another welterweight slugger in the ring. In running for Congress in a rural province of Mindanao, Pacquiao joins a rare group of athletes who have sought to make the leap from sportsman to statesman. “Boxing is about honour,” he tells the Guardian in an interview during some rare downtime in a pool bar that he owns in General Santos City. “Now I want to be known as a good public servant. I want to be known as a generous person.” Politically, it is a seductive message. Forty per cent of Filipinos live on less than $2 (£1.30) a day. Pacquiao has already been drawing on a personal fortune estimated at upwards of $40m to support projects in his province such as one that provides drinking water for impoverished areas. Sometimes he opts for instant charity: guards at his mansion say he rarely leaves home without giving cash to the crowds of destitute people who gather there each day. His electoral pitch is that he would lobby for the most basic needs of the 600,000 people in his district: livelihood programmes, free education, healthcare and medical assistance. “That’s the major problem right now,” he says after shooting a few frames of pool with some friends. “Do they need money? No. They need livelihood, to feed their family. They will not ask the government to help them if they have work.” The fever surrounding “Pacman”, as he is known, is heady. But some sceptics note that sports stars do not always fare well in politics. The economist Winnie Monsod, a professor at the University of the Philippines, says she does not doubt his sincerity. But she warns: “I am not ready to translate that sincerity into actual deeds, because the other politicians he associates with do not exactly have the highest reputation for integrity.” Pacquiao has aligned himself with the presidential candidate Manny Villar, who is taking on a colourful slate of candidates. Among these are Benigno Aquino, the son of the former president Corazon Aquino, and the disgraced ex-president Joseph Estrada. Imelda Marcos, the widow of the former dictator, is also running for Congress. Pacquiao’s failed attempts at an acting and singing career may also indicate people’s lack of readiness to accept him in a new role. “They love him as a boxer but may not be ready to take him in any other capacity,” Monsod says, adding that he failed to get elected three years ago for that very reason. Pacquiao’s politics are informed by early years that millions here can relate to. The eldest of six children living with a single mother, he became the provider at a young age, spending his days finding food, water and shelter. He has said: “We were so poor I tried to sleep outside in a cardboard box when I was 10 years old. And some days, I didn’t eat. “I feel what the people feel right now because I have been there. We need a leader who has experienced this and who will never forget it.” For a merciless pugilist, Pacquiao is surprisingly eloquent, communicating with a simplicity as powerful as his jabs. He prays at least three times a day, and has a priest come to the dressing room for prayer before each fight. His bodyguard, Ernesto Madidis, says Pacquiao’s faith is a core value. “He really doesn’t change. He never turned his back on where he comes from. He still plays with the friends he had when he would sell doughnuts at 4am, and still knows the name of everyone in the area he grew up in.” Other supporters, such as Zed Protactio, are taken by his generosity: “He is not thinking of himself but of the people,” Protactio says. “Most politicians are not like this. Even before he entered politics, he had a track record of helping people. He is not materialistic. He has enough, so gives the rest.” The majority of Filipino voters are tired of a deeply corrupt political system in which candidates make promises during their campaigns only to forget them later. Pacquiao’s team says the boxer intends to lead by example. But even if he wins – and his team admits he has a fight on his hands, against a candidate from a dominant local family – he may find it hard to punch his weight. As a legislator in a parliament renowned for balking at passing bills to help disenfranchised and marginalised sectors of society, Pacquiao’s influence may be limited. He refuses to be drawn on whether he sees Congress as just a first step towards higher political office. Monsod said: “He needs to be able to sell his ideas. What he is saying about not being corrupt is not enough to make him an effective politician.” Pacquiao’s ability to transform ideas into action will also depend on how well the Nacionalista party, led by Villar, does at the polls, Monsod said – and on whether, if his political career does take off, he acts as a member of the club that holds power. Manny Pacquiao Philippines Boxing guardian.co.uk

A selection of the best images from around the world

The first direct flight between Iraq and the UK for 20 years has taken off from Baghdad airport, bound for London. The Iraqi Airways flight had been due to take off nine days ago, but was grounded by the volcanic ash cloud drifting over Europe. The flight, nearly a year behind schedule, was the first since the UN imposed sanctions after Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait. It was stopping in Sweden for security checks en route to Gatwick airport. Security concerns “A Boeing 737-400 Iraqi Airways flight left at 3pm (1200 GMT) for the first time in 20 years from Baghdad to London via Malmo,” Iraq’s civil aviation director, Adnan Blebil, told the AFP news agency. Thirty foreign and Iraqi passengers were on board Flight 237, including transport minister Amer Abduljabbar Ismail and Iraqi Airways chief Kifah Hassan. Their trip was delayed for many months, mainly because of security concerns in the UK and other EU countries. Even then, events kept the plane grounded a little longer. It should have taken off on April 16. But Iceland’s Eyjafjoell volcano erupted two days earlier, causing thousands of flights across Europe to be cancelled. “There will be two flights a week now,” Mr Blebil added. “They will fly via Malmo on the way out but the return flight will be direct.” This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Salomon Kalou’s hat-trick helped a rampant Chelsea thrash Stoke and return to the top of the Premier League. Kalou headed home Didier Drogba’s cross before Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen sustained a suspected broken elbow as Kalou slid in to score his second goal. Lampard made it 3-0 from the spot after Robert Huth fouled Kalou, who then ran clear to complete his hat-trick. Lampard hooked home a fifth and Daniel Sturridge’s cool finish and a Florent Malouda tap-in completed the rout. More follows. Stoke29