■ Somalia
Officer elected president
Members of Somalia's transitional parliament on Sunday elected former army officer Abdullahi Yusuf as interim president for the war-torn Horn of Africa nation, the parliament speaker said. The vote was the final stage in a peace plan to end 13 years of civil war and restore a government to Somalia, which has been divided into fiefs ruled by rival warlords since 1991 when dictator Siad Barre was ousted. Yusuf won with 189 votes in a third round of voting, Speaker Shariif Hassan Sheikh Aden told the 275-member transitional parliament and regional foreign affairs ministers who observed the vote. In total, five candidates withdrew from the race, held in Kenya because of insecurity in Somalia, where many of the country's militia are undisciplined.
■ Spain
Lost Goya painting found
A previously unknown work by the painter often considered the father of modern art, Francisco de Goya, has been discovered in Malaga by a local art restorer. Paulino Gimenez was cleaning a painting that he believed was by a little known contemporary of Goya's when he uncovered hidden features bearing the unmistakable mark of the Spanish master. After scientific tests confirmed Gimenez's theory, experts say the painting may now be worth as much as £2 million. At the beginning of this year, Gimenez was asked to arrange the sale of the 1.7m high oil painting, which shows an angelic virgin resting on a cloud with her arms open.
■ United Kingdom
Soldier faces court martial
A part-time British soldier was to face a court martial yesterday in connection with fake pictures published in the Daily Mirror newspaper which appeared to show UK troops abusing Iraqi prisoners. The photos made worldwide headlines in May when they were published just days after similar images appeared in the US showing American soldiers abusing prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail. The photos sparked outrage across the world. The soldier is identified by defense sources as Private Stuart Mackenzie.
■ Cameroon
Fair vote in doubt
The people of Cameroon were to vote yesterday in elections to decide whether President Paul Biya will serve another seven-year term, but critics doubted the longtime leader was willing to hold a fair vote that would give him anything other than victory. Opposition candidates accuse Biya's government of working to steal the vote -- by issuing Biya supporters multiple voting cards. "We're out for transparent, free and fair elections, but something tricky is certainly going on," said Charley Gabriel Mbock, a spokesman for Adamou Ndam Njoya, a leading candidate.
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