World Scene

UNITED NATIONS

IAEA’s ElBaradei to get third term

VIENNA, Austria — Mohamed ElBaradei will run unchallenged for a third term as head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog despite Washington’s campaign to oust him, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

Mr. ElBaradei recently announced he would seek re-election as director-general of the agency he has headed since 1997. No other candidates came forward before the deadline for nominations at the turn of the year, the IAEA said.

U.S. and other officials have complained privately that Mr. ElBaradei was soft on Iraq and Iran, and had withheld information from the IAEA board of governors that could boost the U.S. campaign to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for economic sanctions.

CROATIA

Incumbent president faces Jan. 16 runoff

ZAGREB — President Stipe Mesic failed to win an outright first-round victory in a re-election bid yesterday and will face a runoff vote in two weeks, according to nearly complete official results.

Mr. Mesic had 49.03 percent of the votes — less than 1 percent short of a majority that would have given him a second term. Nevertheless, he declared it a “brilliant victory” and voiced confidence that he would win the runoff on Jan. 16.

His opponent, Jadranka Kosor, a minister of families and war veterans in the ruling Croatian Democratic Union-led Cabinet, was trailing far behind with 20.18 percent. Mr. Kosor is a close ally of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.

GERMANY

Protests expected as jobless take hit

BERLIN — Labor offices were bracing for protests and violence today when jobless benefit cuts are enacted as part of a sweeping reform designed to force people back to work.

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