Mugabe turns 93, will run again in 2018

B matopo hills, zimbabwe» Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe celebrated his 93rd birthday Saturday amid granite hills where ancient spirits are said to dwell, defying calls to resign after nearly four decades in power in a region known for opposing the man who says he’ll run again in 2018 elections.

Thousands of government supporters, some wearing clothing adorned with Mugabe’s image, converged in Matabeleland for a birthday bash and show of strength for the ruling ZANU-PF party, beset by squabbling in the past year as the elderly president weakened and factions, one including his wife, Grace, sparred ahead of an expected power vacuum.

sarajevo, bosnia-herzegovina» Flooding from a new lake created by a landslide of mine waste shut down one of Bosnia’s main highways Saturday and raised fears of further flooding.

Earlier this week, a massive landslide of mine waste from an open pit coal mine had blocked a river near the central Bosnia town of Kakanj, creating the lake.

The lake overflowed Saturday morning after heavy rain overnight, forcing the closure of a busy highway connecting the capital of Sarajevo with the central town of Zenica. The town of Kakanj is 31 miles north of Sarajevo.

Fahrudin Solak, a Civil Protection official, said emergency crews have redirected drivers to alternative roads and were struggling to defuse the lake’s flooding threat by channeling its water into drainage ducts.

bucharest, romania » Thousands of people turned out for a pro-government rally Saturday in southern Romania, hoping to boost the popularity of the centerleft government after massive anti-corruption protests.

Braving the pouring rain, supporters of the ruling Social Democratic Party gathered in the town of Targoviste, a party stronghold, and sang patriotic songs to voice their support for Premier Sorin Grindeanu’s 2-month-old government.