BREAKING NEWS

Mali junta says will hand power to civilian leader

BAMAKO - Mali's two-week-old military government has agreed to hand over power to the West African nation's parliament speaker as part of a transition to civilian rule, a joint statement by the junta and regional mediators declared on Friday.
The statement, signed by coup leader Captain Amadou Sanogo and three mediators, said parliament speaker Diouncounda Traore would be sworn in as interim president with a mission to organize elections in 40 days.