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Alexander Lukashenko, dubbed "Europe's last dictator" in the West, cast Sunday's vote as a big step toward democracy.
Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said it fell short of democratic standards -- an assessment echoed by the United States. Russia praised the elections.
CANADA
Harper Speech Scandal
A senior campaign aide for the governing Conservative Party resigned Tuesday after admitting he wrote a speech for Prime Minister Stephen Harper that plagiarized another leader's address urging support for the war in Iraq.
The opposition Liberals released transcripts and video of speeches delivered by then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard on March 18, 2003, and one by Harper two days later in the Canadian Parliament when Harper was the opposition leader.
Liberal foreign affairs spokesman Bob Rae said nearly half of Harper's speech was a word-for-word recitation of Howard's comments. Lines from Howard's speech also appeared under Harper's byline in the Wall Street Journal and three Canadian newspapers, Rae said.
VIETNAM
Two Reporters Charged
Two journalists will go on trial after being charged with reporting false information about a well-known corruption case, state news media reported Tuesday.
Reporters Nguyen Van Hai and Nguyen Viet Chien were formally charged with "abusing freedom and democracy," an offense that carries a maximum jail sentence of seven years.
The two were jailed in May after they reported on a major scandal at Vietnam's Transportation Ministry in 2005. Nine people were subsequently convicted of illegally betting millions of dollars on European football matches with money embezzled from the ministry.
From News Services
