BBC News.
Campaigning has ended before Tuesday's presidential election in Sri Lanka, the first since the end of the civil war last year. The two main candidates, Preisdent Mahinda Rajapaksa and the former Head of the Army Gen Sarath Fonseka are both closely associated with the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Charles Haviland was at the president's final rally in Colombo.
Looking tired after a heavy campaign schedule, Mr. Rajapaksa well the large, but somewhat regimented crowd of supporters who cheered politely but not wildly. As always he spoke of last year's war victory against the Tamil Tigers and the need to fight corruption. With music and fireworks, the president's team say they are already celebrating certain victory. His rival Sarath Fonseka has other ideas. At the end of this bitter and personalized campaign, he accused the president's team of planning violence and vote rigging on election day.
Former militias in Somalia from the Union of Islamic Courts have been officially integrated into the national police and army. The Islamic Courts used to oppose the government but are now working with it against more hard-line Islamist factions, such as Al Shabab which broke away from the UIC.
Brazil has extradited to Argentina a former Army Colonel charged there with human rights abuses, dating back to his military rule during the 1970s. Colonel Manuel Cordero Piacentini is accused of taking part in operation Condor, a plan supported by military rulers to liquidate their opponents.