Around the World: Iran

Parliament speaker named

Iran's newly elected parliament picked one of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's potential rivals in next year's presidential election for the influential post of speaker yesterday, official media reported.

Ali Larijani, who quit as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator last year citing differences with Ahmadinejad over how to handle the country's atomic dispute with the West, received a clear majority of 237 votes in the 290-member legislature.

He was beaten in the 2005 presidential race but analysts expect him to run again in 2009.

(China Daily 06/02/2008 page6)