Assembly supports new prime minister

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani on Saturday won a unanimous vote of confidence from the national assembly and pledged to begin rolling back some of the authoritarian measures imposed in late 2007 by President Pervez Musharraf during six weeks of de-facto martial law.

Gillani, who took office Tuesday, legally was required to win a vote of confidence before his government embarks on its work. No Pakistani prime minister had ever won such a vote unanimously.

Saturday’s impassioned parliamentary session brought the latest indications that the new government, made up of the former political opposition, might make it impossible for Musharraf to remain in office, even in a much-diminished role.

Musharraf’s far-outnumbered party, however, said the vote in favor of Gillani on Saturday was merely a signal of willingness to work with the new government.

ATHENS, Greece

Security surrounds Olympic flame

Torchbearers carried the Olympic flame through the crowded streets of Athens to the Acropolis Saturday amid heavy security and demonstrations by small groups of protesters.

At the foot of the Acropolis, a pro-Tibet group unfurled a banner reading “Free Tibet 2008” and lit candles to protest China’s deadly crackdown there.

“We don’t want the torch relay to pass through Tibet,” said one protester who identified herself only as Klara.

Earlier, police briefly scuffled with a group of anti-globalization demonstrators shortly after the torch relay entered the city.

The relay was not disrupted by either protest and no arrests were reported.

More than 2,000 police officers were deployed in Athens for the relay. A helicopter flew overhead and about a dozen plainclothes officers on motorcycles flanked the torchbearers.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina

Farmers continue to block highways

Farmers seething at export taxes on their crops resumed their blockades of rural highways on Saturday after talks failed to end a 17-day-old strike that has halted grain exports and emptied supermarket shelves of meat.

Eduardo Buzzi, a leader of one of four striking farm groups, said a failure to reach a breakthrough in talks that ended early Saturday has jeopardized their attendance at a second round called by the government for Monday.

“We went to negotiate, and it turned out that the dialogue consisted of talking in vague generalities,” Buzzi told Argentine Radio 10. “As such we doubt there will be a meeting on Monday.”

Small farmers say they have been unfairly hit by a March 11 presidential decree that hiked export taxes on soybeans from 35 percent to as much as 45 percent and slapped new duties on other farm exports. President Cristina Fernandez says the measure is intended to help stem rising inflation.