Iran gets new president, vows ‘constructive’ foreign relations
DUBAI (Reuters) – Hassan Rouhani took office as Iran’s president on Saturday promising “constructive interaction with the world” after eight years under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad marked by diplomatic confrontation and damaging sanctions.
Zimbabwe’s Mugabe declared winner, rival challenges poll result
HARARE (Reuters) – Africa’s oldest president, Robert Mugabe, was declared winner of Zimbabwe’s election on Saturday, but his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, said he would challenge in court a result he called a fraud that would push the nation back into cris…
Conciliatory tones in Egypt as envoys seek to avert bloodbath
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s army-backed rulers and allies of its deposed Islamist president gave the first signs on Saturday of a readiness to compromise, pressed by Western envoys trying to head off more bloodshed.
Turkish police fire water cannon, teargas at Istanbul protesters
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish police fired teargas and water cannon to disperse small groups of anti-government protesters in central Istanbul on Saturday evening, television footage showed.
Car bomb explodes west of Bahraini capital Manama
MANAMA (Reuters) – A car bomb exploded near a recreational area in Budaiya, west of the Bahraini capital Manama, on Saturday but no casualties were reported, the Interior Ministry said.
Mali’s Dembele breaks ranks, backs former PM Keita in run-off
Bamako (Reuters) – The candidate of Mali’s largest political party, who came third in the first round of the country’s presidential election, broke ranks with his own party on Saturday and said he will back former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita …
Exclusive: Egypt pro-Mursi alliance signals flexibility in talks
CAIRO (Reuters) – Allies of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi told mediators on Saturday they respected the popular will expressed in mass protests that led to his downfall, suggesting they might be backing away from a demand he be reinstated.
Iranians may have abducted Briton in Dubai: UK government source
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain is taking seriously allegations that a British-Iranian citizen who went missing in Dubai in June may have been kidnapped by “elements in Iran”, a government source in London said on Saturday.
Italy’s fragile coalition bickers over Berlusconi conviction
ROME (Reuters) – Politicians in Italy’s fragile coalition government traded increasingly heated barbs on Saturday over a tax conviction that threatens the political future of center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi.
Brazil court sentences 25 police officers for prison massacre
BRASILIA (Reuters) – A Brazilian court sentenced 25 police officers to 624 years in jail on Saturday for the killing of dozens of inmates in the country’s bloodiest prison riot in which 111 people died two decades ago.
