World Briefs January 16, 2011

New Tunisian leader is sworn in

TUNIS, Tunisia - Looting, deadly prison riots and street chaos engulfed Tunisia on Saturday, a day after mass protests forced its strongman to flee. A new interim president was sworn in, promising to create a unity government that could include the long-ignored opposition.

It was the second change of power in this North African nation in less than 24 hours.

Saturday night appeared calmer than the previous night, which saw looters empty shops and torch the capital's main train station as well as some shops. As military helicopters patrolled overhead, residents in some neighborhoods armed themselves with sticks and clubs, forming impromptu militias to protect their homes.

Saturday also saw soldiers trade fire with assailants in front of the Interior Ministry, while thousands of European tourists scrambled to find flights home.

The death toll mounted. At least 42 people were killed Saturday in a prison fire in one resort town and the director of another prison in another tourist haven let 1,000 inmates flee after soldiers shot five dead amid a rebellion.

Envoys tour key Iranian nuclear site

TEHRAN, Iran - Several international envoys - but crucially none from the world powers - got a look inside an Iranian nuclear site Saturday as part of a tour the Islamic Republic hopes will build support before a new round of talks on its disputed atomic activities.

Iran is trying to sell the tour as a gesture of transparency ahead of the Jan. 20-22 talks in Istanbul, Turkey. In a blow to the effort, however, major powers Russia, China and the European Union refused the Iranian invitation. The EU said it should be up to inspectors from the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency to verify whether Iran's program is entirely peaceful.

- The Associated Press