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Top U.N. official in Afghanistan to leave

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The top U.N. official in Afghanistan is stepping down and has asked that a search for his replacement begin, the international organization said.

Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide had a large hand in organizing Afghanistan's controversial presidential election in August, and was accused of favoring President Hamid Karzai and failing prevent widespread ballot-stuffing, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Eide has denied the bias accusation and said his decision to leave wasn't related to the disputed election. His departure occurs just a few months before his term was due to expire.

Dan McNorton, a United Nations spokesman in Kabul, said in a statement Eide never planned to serve more than two years.

"This is not a question of resignation. Kai Eide is sticking to the timetable that he outlined when he took the job in March 2008," McNorton said.

Concerning development efforts in Afghanistan, Eide said coalition partners must be coordinated in their approach.

"There is no other choice," Eide said. "We all have to change our mindset and be more geared toward a coordinated approach," he added, referring to assistance provided by the United Nations, NATO's International Security Assistance Force, the European Union and other partners.

A U.N. news release said Eide, in meetings with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Afghanistan, stressed a focus on long-term, sustainable solutions instead of seeking quick fixes.

"This applies in particular to the building of civilian institutions and Afghanistan's economic growth," Eide said.

Pentagon held in contempt in Gitmo case

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A federal judge held the U.S. Defense Department in contempt for not taping a Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison detainee's testimony as ordered.

Attorneys for Mohammed al-Adahi, a Yemeni citizen at the prison, filed the motion seeking sanctions after al-Adahi's testimony was not videotaped during a four-day hearing in June, CNN reported Friday.

Al-Adahi had challenged his detention and asked for a court review, which was granted in August, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in the order issued Thursday.

The June hearing was closed to the public, but the government was ordered to videotape al-Adahi's testimony, then redact and maintain a copy of it to "afford the public and the press an opportunity to observe the greatest possible portion," U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler wrote in the order.

The court document indicated the government notified the court in July the testimony wasn't taped, saying "oversight and miscommunication" led to the error.

"There is no question that there is clear and convincing evidence that the government has violated a clear and unambiguous court order," Kessler wrote.

The Pentagon also was ordered to post a transcript on the federal court system's' Web page for Guantanamo Bay cases. The judge gave the Defense Department 30 days to report the steps being taken "to ensure that such errors not occur in the future."

Kessler ordered al-Adahi released in August, CNN reported. The government has appealed that ruling and he remains at Guantanamo Bay. The military prison houses 210 detainees.

Obamas returning from Norway

OSLO, Norway, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama departed Oslo, Norway, for Washington Friday morning after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize the night before.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, are returning to the United States aboard Air Force One following Thursday night's awards ceremony that the president used to defend the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: we will not eradicate violent conflicts in our lifetimes," Obama said in accepting his Nobel Peace Prize Thursday. "There will be times when nations -- acting individually or in concert -- will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified."

Norwegian officials said Obama was only the second U.S. president to visit Oslo while in office. Prior to Obama's visit, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton visited the Norwegian capital in 1999 to hold talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

The Times said Obama visited the U.S. embassy in Oslo prior to heading back to Washington. The president took part in an informal meeting with embassy staffers during his visit.

Protesters descend on Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Danish law enforcement personnel blanketed Copenhagen Friday, in what officials said was anticipation of protests aimed at global corporate giants.

Police said several arrests have been made as protesters fan out to several locations in the Danish capital where the U.N.-sponsored climate change summit is meeting, The New York Times reported.

About 250 protesters met in Nytorv Square near the Copenhagen city courthouse, many apparently responding to online instructions posted earlier this month at notyourbusiness.hacklab.dk, police said. Potential targets include McDonald's, a Danish industry association, and global shipper Maersk.

"The goal is not to hold a street demonstration, but to make it to the targets and disrupt them," a copy of the instructions read.

Per Larsen, a police chief coordinator, said law enforcement officials arrested about 50 protesters Friday morning.

"It appears to be a very well-planned operation," Larsen said of the protests, adding, "You have never seen such a police presence in this city before. I think we will have things under control."

On Wednesday, police seized makeshift shields, paint bombs and other equipment, including nine platforms with staircases, during a raid on a building officials said provided free housing for activists visiting Copenhagen during the climate talks, the Times reported. The police said they thought protesters intended to use the stairs to launch themselves over barricades outside the conference center and the shields as protection.

Snow traps hunters in northern Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Rescuers said they likely would resume searches in Conconio County, Ariz., Friday, to find any remaining hunters who hadn't been contacted after a blizzard.

By Thursday, the sheriff's office had located nearly 50 elk hunters across the county's 18,000-plus square miles of rugged terrain, The Arizona Republic reported. The rescue effort included several agencies that mobilized 40 rescuers, helicopters, fixed-wing airplanes and a fleet of snowmobiles.

Officials said they had two open rescue missions Thursday night. They had contacted both hunting parties, and were told they could wait until morning to be rescued.

One firefighter died when a tree snapped in the storm, the newspaper said.

The hunters were socked in by a blizzard that dumped nearly 3 feet of snow in and around Flagstaff, Ariz., Conconio County's county seat.

"It came in pretty quick. We thought we would be able to get out," said Colin Piburn, 59, one of the rescued hunters.

Weather forecasters indicated a second storm would move into the area, possibly by early Friday afternoon, making more urgent the need to ensure people are accounted for, officials said.

The areas saw an uptick of hunters because of a week-long elk hunt that ended Thursday, the Republic said. The state Game and Fish Department said elk hunting licenses are issued once a decade.

S.C. Gov. Sanford's wife seeking divorce

COLUMBIA, S.C., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Jenny Sanford, wife of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, said Friday she is filing for divorce from the state official in the wake of his extramarital affair.

Jenny Sanford confirmed in a released statement she is seeking a divorce from the South Carolina governor months after his admitted extramarital affair with an Argentinean woman this summer, The State (Columbia, S.C.) said.

Jenny Sanford said in her statement she chose to announce her divorce filing before the information became known to the public in another way.

"This came after many unsuccessful efforts at reconciliation, yet I am still dedicated to keeping the process that lies ahead peaceful for our family," she said of her divorce filing.

The State reported Jenny Sanford relocated with her four sons from the South Carolina Governor's Mansion to a home in Charleston, S.C., in August.

"I remain thankful to so many across this state and nation for their words of encouragement and prayers during this difficult time. Please know the boys and I are doing well and are blessed with the incredible support of friends and family and bolstered by our faith and the unfailing love of our God above," she said.