WORLD BRIEFS

VENEZUELA: Chávez confronts economy

President Hugo Chávez promised to deepen the "21st century socialism" that has meant an ever-greater state role in the economy, a message that won him a surprising 11 percentage-point win in what many had thought would be a tight race. Still, he's set to start a fourth presidential term under challenging economic circumstances. Chávez faces immediate economic time bombs beginning with a rapidly expanding public debt, high inflation rates and a weakening currency. With 97 percent of the vote tallied, Chávez had won 7.963 million votes, or 55 percent. Former Miranda Gov. Henrique Capriles, won 6.426 million votes, or 44 percent.

NIGERIA: Soldiers kill 30 civilians

Soldiers angry about the killing of an officer shot dead more than 30 civilians Monday in Maiduguri, the spiritual home of the radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram. The attack came from soldiers attached to a special military unit on guard in Maiduguri in an effort to supposedly protect its citizens from the violence gripping the city. The killings are likely to further antagonize a population alienated by checkpoints, security force harassment and the threat of being killed by soldiers who are targets for the sect's increasingly bloody guerrilla attacks.

EGYPT: Morsi pardons protesters

President Mohammed Morsi issued a decree Monday pardoning all those charged with or convicted of acts "in support of the revolution" since the beginning of the popular uprising that forced his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, from power. The move, long demanded by youth groups behind the uprising, could potentially benefit more than 1,000 protesters currently on trial following their arrests during demonstrations since the uprising against Mubarak erupted on Jan. 25, 2011 and until Morsi was sworn in on June 30. Most of those on trial or convicted were detained during the rule of the generals who took over after Mubarak stepped down in February 2011.