 | Provincial elections pass successfully in Iraq
Voting has ended in Iraq's provincial elections without any reports of major incidents. Polls were held in 14 of the country's 18 provinces. It's the war-torn nation's first major ballot since 2005 and Sunni groups that boycotted polls four years ago took part this time around. Iraq's police and military deployed in strength to prevent attacks by al-Qaeda and other insurgents. Authorities also sealed borders, shut down airports and imposed transport bans as part of a massive security lockdown. The polls were seen as a test of recent security gains and the country's fledgling democracy. |  | | Obama pledges mortgage help with new plan
US President Barack Obama has promised to help reduce mortgage costs with a new plan to revive the financial system. Obama, who has made fighting the country's economic and financial crises the top priority of his new administration, called on the US Senate to approve an economic stimulus bill that the House of Representatives passed this week. In his weekly radio and Internet address, however, Obama warned that no single bill could provide the solution to America's economic problems. | | | Germany ''drafting'' law to nationalise troubled banks
The German government is preparing changes to the law to allow it to nationalise private banks hit by the financial crisis. Current law does not permit the government to take majority stakes in banks, but a new finance ministry proposal would allow nationalisation in cases where financial market stability is at risk. That would also clear the way for the state to take over the stricken property lender Hypo Real Estate. The Munich-based bank, Germany's biggest victim of the global banking crisis, is already a beneficiary of a government rescue plan. Media reports say the government may now break up the mortgage lender and set up a so-called "bad bank" to hold its problem loans. This would make Germany the first country in the eurozone to establish such a state-backed shell for toxic assets. | | | German authorities warn of terror attacks ahead of polls
Germany's top security officials have warned that the country faces an increased risk of Islamist terror attacks ahead of national elections in September. The Chief of the Federal Police, Jörg Ziercke, said there was a danger that terrorists might try to launch an attack to influence the poll, and pointed to the train-bombings on the eve of Spain's 2004 elections. The head of the domestic intelligence agency, Heinz Fromm, told one German newspaper that the likelihood of a terrorist attack was extraordinarily high in the wake of a number of threatening videos warning Germany to pull its troops out of Afghanistan. | | | Anti-government protesters hold rallies in Russia
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Moscow and Russia's far east to protest the Kremlin's economic policies in the midst of a worsening economic climate. Demonstrators in Vladivostock and Khabarovsk in particular protested higher import tariffs on foreign cars. The trade in vehicles made in Japan and South Korea is one of the region's key industries. Meanwhile, several thousand supporters of the United Russia party, which is headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, responded to the party's call to hold counter demonstrations. Russia has been hit by rising prices, a falling ruble and growing unemployment. The government has warned that the fall in oil prices and the economic downturn will result in a 40 percent fall in state revenues this year. | | | US Republicans pick first African-American party leader
US Republicans have elected their party's first-ever African-American leader. After being voted in as chairman of the Republican National Committee, 50-year-old Michael Steele vowed to revitalize the party in the wake of losing the presidency to Democrat Barack Obama. The former lieutenant governor of the state of Maryland and candidate for US Senate in 2006 beat his nearest rival Katon Dawson by 91-77 votes. Steele's victory puts minority African-Americans at the pinnacle of the country's two major parties.
| | | Moderate Islamist sworn in Somali president
Somalia's parliament has sworn in the moderate Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed as the country's president following a secret ballot. Sheikh Sharif, the leader of the Islamist-dominated Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia party, won a majority of the votes in a second-round run-off. The vote was held in neighbouring Djibouti as the situation in Somalia remains unstable amid Islamist militancy. | | | Blair calls for Hamas to be included in peace process
Middle East Quartet envoy and former British prime minister Tony Blair has said that Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, must be brought into the peace process. However, he told The Times of London that Hamas would have to be prepared to do it ''on the right terms". The remarks come amid a shaky ceasefire after the war in Gaza in which over 1,300 Palestinians were killed, and amid efforts to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Blair, who is the envoy for the Middle East Quartet comprising the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union, suggested that US President George W. Bush's administration focused too much on the West Bank. The West supports the administration of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank and says it will not talk to Hamas unless it renounces violence and recognises Israel's right to exist. | | | BuLiga results for Saturday
In German soccer's Bundesliga action this Saturday, newcomers Hoffenheim returned to the top of the table after defeating Cottbus 2:0. In other results, Hanover beat Schalke 1:0; Dortmund tied with Leverkusen 1:1; Berlin defeated Frankfurt 2:1 and Stuttgart beat Mönchengladbach 2:0. Berlin and Hamburg are now trailing Hoffenheim by two points in the standings. | | | Serena thrashes Safina to win Australian Open
Serena Williams has won the Australian Open title and reclaimed the world number one ranking in women's tennis after beating Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 in Melbourne. The American raced to victory in just 59 minutes to capture her fourth singles title at Melbourne Park and her 10th grand slam overall. Williams will replace Serbia's Jelena Jankovic as the world number one when the new standings are released on Monday. | | | | |
Dozens Arrested at Anti-Putin Rallies in Moscow
