Ivory Coast leader elected

Ivory Coast MPs elected a new speaker, Charles Donwahi, 68, in place of Henri Konan Bedie, who became head of state after Felix Houphouet-Boigny died in December, AFP reports from Abidjan. Mr Donwahi, candidate of the majority Democratic Party and deputy speaker of parliament since 1991, won an overwhelming majority among MPs. A former company boss and a member of his party's central committee, Mr Donwahi began his political career in 1959 as secretary of state for agriculture.