IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Zimbabwe

Mnangagwa takes oath as president

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday took the oath of office before thousands of people following an election victory that was disputed by his main rival. Mnangagwa took the oath before Chief Justice Luke Malaba, who, together with eight other Constitutional Court judges last Friday dismissed main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa's petition against Mnangagwa's July 30 win. Mnangagwa reaffirmed pre-election pledges to revive Zimbabwe's crippled economy and settle outstanding debts with foreign lenders. "Now is the time for us all to unite as a nation and grow our economy," he said.

Iran

Submarine to be launched by 2019

Iran's navy commander said that the country's homegrown submarine will come on stream by March 2019, Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday. The manufacturing process of Fateh (Conqueror) has already finished and the submarine is now undergoing laboratory and field tests, Navy Commander Hossein Khanzadi told Tasnim. Iran is also planning to manufacture the second upgraded version of the military watercraft, said Khanzadi.

Middle East

Aid cut part of US 'pressure'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman said on Saturday that the US decision to cut more than $200 million in aid is meant to force the Palestinians to abandon their claim to Jerusalem. Nabil Abu Rdeneh said the move is part of continuing political and financial pressure on the Palestinian leadership. The Trump administration says it's cutting bilateral aid to the Palestinians after a review of funding for projects in the West Bank and Gaza and will redirect the money to "high priority projects elsewhere".

Ethiopia

New PM vows to continue reforms

Ethiopia's prime minister in his first news conference since taking power vowed on Saturday to continue with dramatic reforms "at any cost" and said the longtime ruling coalition soon will prepare for a "free and fair election" in 2020. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, 42, took office in April and shocked the country with a wave of reforms including restoring diplomatic ties with neighboring Eritrea after two decades, pledging to open up state-owned companies to outside investment and releasing thousands of prisoners.

Bulgaria

16 killed as tourist bus slides off road

Authorities say a tourist bus flipped over on a highway near the capital Sofia, killing at least 16 people and leaving 26 others injured. Police said the bus overturned on Saturday afternoon and fell down a side road 20 meters below the highway. Ambulances rushed to the scene and took the injured to Sofia hospitals. Doctors said some of them were in critical condition. Health Minister Kiril Ananiev gave an initial death toll of 15, but doctors from Sofia's emergency hospital said another victim died on Saturday night.

Xinhua - Reuters - Ap

(China Daily 08/27/2018 page11)