"I, Uhuru Kenyatta, swear that I will truly…”

His right hand was resting on the very same bible his father had used half a century ago when he became Kenya’s first post-independence leader. Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to govern for all Kenyans. He also said he’d abide by his international obligations “for attending his trial at The Hague”.

The BBC has learned that Saudi Arabia is building a

giant

fence nearly 2,000km long to seal off its border with Yemen. The BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner has been to the border area.

Its aim is simple—to keep out the thousands of illegal immigrants, drug smugglers, gun runners and occasional al-Qaeda operative, all trying to slip from impoverished Yemen into Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s richest countries. According to Lt Col Hamed al-Ahmari of the Saudi border force, five of their guards have recently been shot dead along this border in shootouts with well-armed drug smugglers. He says security has deteriorated dramatically on the Yemeni side of the border since a popular uprising drove out the strongman President Saleh last year.

The Russian parliament has given its initial approval to a controversial anti-blasphemy law drafted last year after the punk band Pussy Riot performed a protest song against President Putin in Moscow’s main cathedral. Observers say the measures appear to have strong backing from Mr Putin.