int'l in brief

Sudan leader flees Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP):

Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir has left Nigeria, the spokesman at his embassy said Tuesday, following demands from human rights activists for his arrest over charges of genocide and war crimes in Darfur.

Spokesman Mohammed Moiz said al-Bashir left to fulfill another engagement. Moiz said he left Abuja, Nigeria's capital, at 3 p.m. Monday, less than 24 hours after he arrived and in the middle of a two-day summit ending Tuesday.

Pakistan election Aug 6

ISLAMABAD (AP):

Pakistan says it will hold an election for the country's president on August 6.

The country's election commission said in a statement Tuesday that candidates can submit their nomination papers until July 24.

Pakistan's president is elected by members of the Senate, National Assembly, and the assemblies of the four provinces.

The current president, Asif Ali Zardari, has said he does not plan to run for a second term. His term ends in early September. His party, the Pakistan People's Party, suffered a heavy defeat in parliamentary elections held in May.

The big winner in the election was the Pakistan Muslim League-N, led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The position of president in Pakistan became largely ceremonial after a constitutional amendment in 2010 transferred significant power to the prime minister.

Italian politician apologises for racial slur

ROME (AP):

The vice-president of Italy's Senate rejected calls for his resignation Tuesday for making a racist slur against Italy's first black Cabinet minister but said he was sorry and would send her flowers to make amends.

Roberto Calderoli, a leader of the anti-immigrant Northern League, has been criticised by Italy's president, premier, and a host of ministers and lawmakers for comparing the Congolese-born integration minister, Cecile Kyenge, to an orangutan.

Premier Enrico Letta's Democratic Party called for his resignation, and the premier himself warned the League to put an end to such racist attacks or risk a political confrontation.

Kyenge has been targeted by racist slurs from the Northern League ever since she was named integration minister in Letta's government in April. One Northern League politician has called her a Congolese "monkey," while another has said she deserved to be raped.