In brief: Nigeria election still too close to call

ABUJA, Nigeria – In a cliffhanger of an election, early returns Monday night from half the states showed Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari almost even. The U.S. and Britain warned of “disturbing indications” that the tally could be subject to political interference.

Counting stopped just before midnight Monday with Jonathan winning nine states and the tiny Federal Capital Territory to Buhari’s nine states. But Buhari won many more votes – 8.5 million to Jonathan’s 6.48 million.

Another 18 states – including Lagos, which has the biggest number of voters of any state – still have to send results to the counting center in Abuja, electoral commissioner Attahiru Jega announced. He said the count resumes at 10 a.m. today.

Ex-Israeli premier convicted of fraud

JERUSALEM – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was convicted Monday of fraud and breach of trust in the retrial of a 7-year-old corruption case accusing him of accepting dollar-stuffed envelopes for years from an American businessman in return for favors, as well as double-billing and falsifying travel expenses.

A panel of three judges at a Jerusalem district court reversed a previous court ruling that had cleared the former leader of most charges in the case. The retrial was ordered last year after a lifelong confidant of Olmert became a state witness and turned over recordings that seemed to offer new evidence.

Olmert was convicted separately last year of accepting bribes and sentenced to six years in prison. That prison term was delayed as the Supreme Court is debating his attorneys’ appeal of his conviction.

Sentencing in the latest case is scheduled for May.