Romanian Prez wins

BUCHAREST: Centre-right Romanian President Traian Basescu was declared the winner of weekend elections on Monday but his rival’s party immediately challenged the result with allegations of fraud. Despite many observers having described Social-Democrat candidate Mircea Geoana as the favourite and exit polls showing him ahead, official results gave the incumbent Basescu a slim lead in the EU country deeply mired in recession. Basescu, an ex-sea captain, was credited with 50.33 per cent of the vote while Geoana had 49.66 per cent, the Central Election Office announced. The Social Democrat party has challenged the verdict.

Unrest in Athens

ATHENS: Riot police clashed with stone-throwing youths in Athens on Monday as violence marred a second day of demonstrations held to mark the fatal shooting of a teenager by police a year ago. Police charged the crowd with tear gas and made nine arrests after several hundred youths, some as young as 12, hurled stones at store windows and the security forces as some 5,000 demonstrators set off towards parliament. Another two youths were arrested for pelting a police station with stones as thousands of students rallied to pay tribute to Alexis Grigoropoulos, who was shot dead at age 15 during mass youth riots last year, a police source said.

Some 6,000 officers were deployed to prevent further trouble in the Greek capital after demonstrations around the country turned violent at the weekend, with 30 people injured and dozens arrested in Athens and other cities.