Vladimir Putin (allegedly) steals a Superbowl Ring, the US is leaving some serious military hardware right next to Syria (the kind that could enforce a “No Fly Zone”), Morsi picks a side in the Syrian question, and lot more awaits you in the CareerSpot World News Round Up:

A reformist cleric has won Iran’s presidential election. Hassan Rowhani has pledged more dialogue with Western powers, and says, “This victory is a victory for wisdom, moderation and maturity.. over extremism.”  Rowhani is believed to favor Iran’s nuclear program, but not the belligerence of his soon to be predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  Rowhani won with a majority of just over 50 percent in a crowded field.  The second place candidate got less than 17 percent of the vote. 

Moscow is not happy with the US decision to keep Patriot Missiles and F-16 fighter jets in Jordan after a joint military exercise.  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that any attempt to use the F-16s to impose a no-fly zone over Syria would violate international law.  This follows the Obama administration’s accusing Syria’s government of using banned chemical weapons against western-backed rebels, and will send unspecified aid to the rebels.  Russia and Syria deny the chemical weapon claims.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi cut all of his nation’s diplomatic ties with Damascus and backed a no-fly zone over Syria.  The move places the most populous Arab state more firmly against President Bashar al-Assad, and Syria’s allies in Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah.  It is worth noting that the latter two are Shi’a Muslim, and that Morsi is a rival Sunni who made these comments at a meeting of Sunni clerics.

Riot police rolled out the tear gas and water cannons to clear Istanbul’s Gezi Park, ground zero of the popular unrest against Turkish Prime Minister Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  Cops already cleared Taksim Square lat week, but groups of anti-Erdogan protesters keep coming back.  Residents around the park banged pots and pans from their balconies in support of the protesters, many of whom just regrouped in different areas of Istanbul.

A new South China Morning Post poll shows most of those Hong Kongers ask do not want US whistleblower Edward Snowden handed over to American authorities.  About half say “no”, less than 20 percent say “yes” to extradition, and almost a third are undecided.  Snowden revealed the existence of a massive Internet and telecom surveillance program run by the NSA, although there’s plenty of debate over whether “PRISM” is as intrusive as he claims, or if the terrorists it allegedly tracks didn’t already assume something like that was happening anyway.  He fled to Hong Kong, although he claims he’s not hiding.

Brazil is investing more than A$1.2 billion into to making the Favelas better places to live.  President Dilma Rousseff announced the second phase of the favela improvement program.  It means water, sewer systems, utilities, and better access to transportation to the shanties that surround Rio de Janeiro.  Rio is hosting the World Cup next year and the Olympics the year after that.

Nelson Mandela’s grandson says the 94-year old former president and anti-apartheid leader is improving after being hospitalized with a lung infection.  Mandla Mandela thanked churches in South Africa and around the world for holding special prayers for the founder of “The Rainbow Nation” in SA after the fall of apartheid.

Vladimir Putin:  Thief.  The owner of the New England Patriots American Football team says he met the Russian President in 2005, and as a courtesy, showed Putin a Superbowl ring.  Robert Kraft says Putin declared, “I can kill someone with this ring,” stuck it in his pocket and left, surrounded by bodyguards.  The Bush administration told Kraft to issue a press release saying it was a gift.