Top story: The options for Iran's opposition continued to narrow as Iran's Guardian Council declared this month's election "the healthiest since the revolution." The regime also appears to have succeeded in neutralizing some opposition leaders. Presidential candidate and cleric Mehdi Karrubi says he still believes the election results were fraudulent but would continue his protests only through the legal system.
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has nonetheless vowed to continue fighting, despite "recent pressures" aimed at making him reverse his position. Several of his top campaign aides have been arrested in recent days.
At Friday prayers in Tehran, leading cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami (pictured) issued a statement calling for the leaders of protests to be punished "strongly and with cruelty so it will be a lesson for everyone."
Meeting in Trieste, the G8 foreign ministers issued a statement condemning the violence in Iran.
King of Pop: Spontaneous mourning for pop star Michael Jackson broke out across the world yesterday. A number of current and former world leaders including Nelson Mandela and Hugo Chavez made statements.
Middle East
- Another bombing killed 15 people in a Baghdad market. Four days until U.S. withdrawal.
- American-backed Saad al-Hariri appears set to become Lebanon's Prime Minister.
- Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal says he welcomes "new language" from U.S. President Barack Obama.
Europe
- Russia and NATO hold their first talks since last's summer's Georgian war this weekend.
- Albania is gearing up for national elections this weekend.
- Ireland is considering taking in two detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
Asia
- Pakistan's terrorist violence has spread to Pakistani Kashmir.
- The U.S. and South Korea are holding defense talks in Seoul aimed at countering North Korea.
- Foreign trade and business associations are urging China to reconsider requiring all PCs to be sold with censorship software.
Africa
- Despite an amnesty offer from the government, Nigerian rebels attacked a shell facility in the Niger Delta.
- Russia's Gazprom has inked a $2.5 billion deal with Nigeria's state oil company.
- Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe attacked Western countries for refusing to lift sanctions on his government.
Americas
- Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya fired his top general for refusing to support a referendum that could lead to suspending presidential term limits.
- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made a thinly veiled threat to shut down opposition TV station Globovision once and for all.
- Air Force General Douglas Frasier will take over the U.S. Southern Command, where he will face a number of challenges including Guantanamo, and drug trafficking.
AFP/Getty Images
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