Nigeria: Presidential election set

Nigeria will have presidential elections in April, officials announced Friday in Abuja, a vote many hope will lead to the first civilian transfer of power in Africa’s most populous nation.

President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose 1999 victory in a military-run election ended 15 years of often-brutal junta rule, has said he will run again.

The presidential vote will be April 19.

A nation of 120 million people, Nigeria has seen ethnic, political and religious violence kill 10,000 since Obasanjo’s election. Previously, oppressive military rule had helped clamp down on clashes.

South Korea: U.S. relations smoothed

Conversation between President Bush and South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun on Friday eased concerns that Roh’s blunt criticism of the United States could damage ties with Washington.

Roh, whose election victory Thursday was helped by growing anti-Americanism among South Korean youth, spoke to Bush by phone. They agreed to boost bilateral ties and work for a peaceful resolution of North Korea’s nuclear threat, Roh’s office said.

During his campaign, Roh complained that what he called Bush’s overbearing approach to North Korea was hurting South Korea’s efforts to reconcile with the communist state. He said he wouldn’t “kowtow” to American leaders.

Roh, who has never visited the United States, also accepted an invitation from Bush to visit the White House soon after his inauguration in late February.

Belgium: EU fish deal reached

In an unprecedented reform of its fishing industry, the European Union agreed Friday to cuts in its fleet and cod catch quotas.

But it ignored scientific advice to ban cod fishing altogether to save stocks from near extinction in EU waters.

The agreement calls for cutting cod quotas by up to 45 percent, far less than environmentalists had sought. Only Germany and Sweden voted against the plan, saying the cuts were too small.

The fishing industry argued Friday’s agreement went too far and would hurt an embattled industry already losing 8,000 jobs a year. Scottish Fishermen’s Federation President Alex Smith said the result was “devastating,” adding “It is immoral to treat people like this.”