VOA News: Africa: ECOWAS Hopeful Of UN Backing Over Guinea-Bissau

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

ECOWAS Hopeful Of UN Backing Over Guinea-Bissau May 7th 2012, 00:12 A senior official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for United Nations support as the Security Council deliberates on the situation in Guinea-Bissau Monday. ECOWAS political director Abdel-Fatau Musah said U.N. support is crucial because it will show a united international effort to restore constitutional rule in the West African nation. "We need the Security Council to support us, we need the African Union to support the ECOWAS position, so that the stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau will realize that the international community is united around the desire to get that country back to normalcy, as quickly as possible," said Musah. ECOWAS has said it wants to expedite the restoration of constitutional rule in Guinea-Bissau and to implement plans for security sector reform there. The sub-regional bloc imposed financial, economic and diplomatic sanctions on Guinea-Bissau after the military junta refused to allow interim President Raimundo Pereira to resume power and manage the return to civilian rule. "The sanctions are meant to make the parties … see that the only chance for them is a rapid restoration of constitutional order in the country. ECOWAS would definitely like the Security Council to support the sanctions," said Musah. The ECOWAS official added, "today's Security Council meeting will hinge around the political aspect of the situation. That is, what kind of transition are we looking at here, after the release of the prime minister and the interim president…The Security Council will seek to put more pressure on the stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau." He said another important issue is the deployment of an ECOWAS standby force to help the political transition. "[Guinea-Bissau's] military has accepted the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force," Musah said, "to help secure the transition, to start work on the security sector reform that has been on ice for several months now, and also to ensure that the Angolan military contingent in that country leaves peacefully." Some observers have expressed concern that the presence of Angolan troops has increased tension between Guinea-Bissau's military and Angola. At the May 3rd heads of state and government summit in Senegal, leaders called for the deployment of a regional military force in Guinea-Bissau to oversee the withdrawal of an Angolan technical assistance mission, to ensure the security of the transition and help with security sector reform. "The ECOWAS standby force elements are also talking with the military in Guinea-Bissau on the modalities for the deployment of ECOWAS forces… The deployment of the ECOWAS standby force is very critical to secure the environment for the transition," said Musah. The grouping proposed a 12-month transition period after holding talks with the junta. But leaders of the coup rejected the proposal, which also called for the interim president to lead the transition. "What ECOWAS has done is to try to remain as much as possible within the constitution of Guinea-Bissau. And so we don't understand why the majority party PAIGC [African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde], for example, will be opposing the proposal by ECOWAS." Musah said ECOWAS expects the Security Council to back the sub- regional bloc's plans. Last week, the sub-regional bloc welcomed the release of Carlos Gomes Junior, Guinea-Bissau's former prime minister and presidential election front-runner, and ousted interim President Raimundo Pereira.  The two had been arrested by soldiers during last month's coup. But the group also demanded the release of all other people still detained illegally in the country.

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VOA News: Europe: Francois Hollande - New French President

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

Francois Hollande - New French President May 6th 2012, 21:15 Francois Hollande, the former leader of France's Socialist Party, has been elected president of France, defeating incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. Despite being one of France's best known politicians, the 57-year-old Hollande has never held a position in the national government. Dominique Moisi, senior adviser to the French Institute of International Affairs in Paris, notes that Mr. Hollande has been on the French political scene for more than 30 years, climbing up through the ranks under the last Socialist president, Francois Mitterrand. "He went to the elite school, the National School of Administration [ENA]," Moisi points out. "Then he served in the Élysée (presidential) Palace under Mitterrand as a junior cabinet member. Then he became the secretary-general of the Socialist Party [for 11 years] and then he declared himself candidate to the presidential election." Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn had been favored to win the Socialist Party nomination, but a sex scandal knocked him out of the race, opening the way for Mr. Hollande to defeat his remaining rival, Martine Aubry, in a primary election. Mr. Hollande's economic policies include raising taxes on the very rich, freezing fuel prices, increasing welfare payments and hiring 60,000 new teachers. During the presidential campaign, Mr. Hollande's slogan of "my enemy is the world of finance" raised eyebrows, especially in some European capitals, including London. Bruno Cautres, an expert on the French election process at the Center for Political Research [Sciences Po] in Paris, says Mr. Hollande made a point of travelling to London to calm fears that he was a radical. "He wanted to say that 'I am not going to be a Marxist. I am not going to be a crypto [secret] communist.  I am not someone who will make nationalization and things like that,'" Cautres said. "So obviously, when he said so, he just wanted to reassure the international financial milieu and markets that you could be a socialist and a pragmatic person, and that France is not going to change." Charles Kupchan, a Europe expert at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, says Mr. Hollande has another controversial policy. "He's called for renegotiating the fiscal pact," says Kupchan, referring to the economic agreement forged by the European Union to stabilize the euro currency. "Hollande's call to reopen that pact, and to focus more on stimulus than austerity, will certainly win him some support in France and in other European countries - notably Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal - but it could spell trouble with Berlin," Kupchan adds. And Kupchan says there are other foreign-policy differences between Mr. Hollande and Mr. Sarkozy: the timing of French troops' withdrawal from from Afghanistan, and Mr. Sarkozy's decision to bring France back into NATO's integrated military structure. "Hollande says, 'I want French troops out in 2012.' Sarkozy has said 2013. NATO and Washington are saying 2014," notes Kupchan. The analyst expects that Mr. Hollande will not try to undo Mr. Sarkozy's NATO policy, but predicts he will give it a fresh look. "And that would suggest that there might be a return to a French foreign policy that is somewhat less Atlanticist than it has been under Sarkozy," Kupchan says. "And Sarkozy is, I would say, the most Atlanticist, pro-American president since World War Two in France." Dominique Moisi agrees, saying President Hollande "will look and sound less pro-American than Nicolas Sarkozy. He will look and sound less pro-Israeli than Nicolas Sarkozy." "But the margin of maneuvering is so slim,," Moisi adds, "that I don't think there will be major differences between the foreign policy of Hollande and the foreign policy of Nicolas Sarkozy." And that also means no great change in relations between Washington and Paris. Media files: AP-Hollande_mn.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) France Presidential Election_05_05_12_300x300.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: Israeli PM Calls for Early Parliamentary Elections

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

Israeli PM Calls for Early Parliamentary Elections May 6th 2012, 21:11 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called for early parliamentary elections, indicating that he would like them to be held in four months.  Mr. Netanyahu's right-wing coalition has been one of the most stable in recent times. But there were growing divisions, primarily over domestic issues. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the dissolution of his coalition government more than a year before scheduled elections and told cheering members of his Likud party that he would like elections to be held in September. Mr. Netanyahu said he did not want a year and a-half of instability and that a short campaign period of four months would ensure political stability.  He added that political instability always brings "extortion" and "populism," which harm security, the economy and society. Recent public opinion surveys indicate that the prime minister remains popular and that his center-right Likud party likely would win enough votes to allow him to form the next government. Mr. Netanyahu's political coalition, formed three-and-a-half years ago, has split over a controversial law that exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arab Israelis from military or civilian service.  Nationalist-secular parties in the ruling coalition say all Israelis should serve.  Highly religious parties reject this. Jerusalem businessman Eli Tal says the government is stable, but indecisive. "Probably the hard decisions they should make, they don't feel enough in-power to make the really serious decisions," he said. For many Israelis, the economy is the main issue.  Demonstrations over the high cost of living and lack of social services rocked the Netanyahu government last year. Adi Botshvalb says the rent for a small apartment today costs 3,000 shekels or nearly $1,000. "The prices here are crazy.  You need to pay around 3,000 shekels for a good place, and apartment.  We pay 2,600 [shekels] and we live in, like, a little basement," he said. In addition, the Israeli military wants more funds to face what it says is rising antagonism in the region, following last year's popular uprisings known as the Arab Spring.  There are also fears of a conflict if Israel carries out its threat to attack Iran's suspected nuclear weapons facilities.  Iran denies it is building nuclear weapons.  As a result, the Netanyahu government was facing a major battle over next year's budget. Hebrew University political scientist Abraham Diskin says the divisions in Mr. Netanyahu's ruling coalition are typical of Israeli politics. "What really matters in Israeli elections is the balance between the two blocks, the right-wing parties and the left-wing parties.  And the balance is very fragile," he said. Analysts say that during the election campaign, the Israeli government will be less likely to launch a military strike against Iran, fearing an electoral backlash if the operation fails.  They also say the campaign period will likely further delay the stalled Middle East peace talks as Palestinian leaders wait, hoping for a more flexible negotiating partner. The proposed elections must be approved by the Israeli parliament, which is scheduled to meet on Monday.  Leaders across the political spectrum have said they support an early vote. Media files: ap_neanyahu_israel_likud_480_eng_06may12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) ap_neanyahu_israel_likud_230_eng_06may12.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: Airstrike Kills Senior al-Qaida Leader in Yemen

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

Airstrike Kills Senior al-Qaida Leader in Yemen May 6th 2012, 21:02 Yemeni officials say a senior al-Qaida leader in the Arabian Peninsula, wanted in connection with the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole warship in the Yemeni port city of Aden, was killed in an airstrike Sunday. The officials said Fahd al-Quso was hit by a missile in Rafth, in the southern Shabwa province, along with another al-Qaida operative. The Yemeni Embassy in Washington confirmed al-Quso's death in the airstrike, as did the al-Qaida terror group in a statement Sunday. Al-Quso was on the FBI's most wanted list with a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. He was charged in a U.S. court with involvement in the October 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors. Media files: ap_Fahd_al_Quso_yemen_terrorist_230_eng_06may12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) Yemen_Curious_Map.jpg

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VOA News: Europe: Exit Poll: Armenia's Ruling Party Won Election

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

Exit Poll: Armenia's Ruling Party Won Election May 6th 2012, 19:15 An exit poll shows that Armenia's ruling Republican Party won parliamentary elections held on Sunday. The survey by Gallup International Association shows President Serzh Sarkisian's party won roughly 44 percent of the vote. The exit poll shows the Prosperous Armenia Party in second place with nearly 29 percent of the vote. The two parties were partners in Armenia's previous coalition government.   President Sarkisian's ruling party was hoping to win more than half of the 131 seat in the national assembly and avoid having to enter another power-sharing deal. Armenians voted Sunday in the country's first elections since 2008, when a presidential poll sparked deadly clashes between police and protesters. The parliamentary campaigns centered on unemployment, poverty and Armenia's long-running disputes with neighbors Turkey and Azerbaijan. Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. Media files: ap_armenia_elections_480_6may12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) ap_armenia_elections_230_6may12.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Biden: US Ready to Give Visa to Chinese Activist

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Biden: US Ready to Give Visa to Chinese Activist May 6th 2012, 17:41 U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says the United States is ready to give Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng a visa right away. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, Biden said Washington expects China to stick it its commitment to allow Chen to take up a fellowship offer at New York University. He said the blind dissident's future is in the United States. Chen, his wife and children are currently at a Beijing hospital where he is being treated for injuries sustained during his escape from house arrest two weeks ago. China's Foreign Ministry on Friday said that Chen can apply to leave the country to study, "just like any other Chinese citizen." The announcement followed a series of appeals by Chen, who says he is worried about his safety and wants to travel to the U.S. "for a time."    Chen originally agreed to a deal reached by U.S. and Chinese authorities that would allow him to stay in a "safe" place in China and study law. But he changed his mind hours after leaving U.S. protection, saying his family had been threatened. Chen is a self-taught lawyer and human rights activist who has been blind since childhood. He was given a four-year prison sentence in 2006 for exposing abuses under China's forced abortion policy aimed at population control.  He had been under house arrest since 2010, before fleeing on April 22 to the U.S. Embassy. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: ap_us_biden_15Mar12-resized.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_us_biden_230_15Mar12-resized.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Biden: US Ready to Give Visa to Chinese Activist

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Biden: US Ready to Give Visa to Chinese Activist May 6th 2012, 17:41 U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says the United States is ready to give Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng a visa right away. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, Biden said Washington expects China to stick it its commitment to allow Chen to take up a fellowship offer at New York University. He said the blind dissident's future is in the United States. Chen, his wife and children are currently at a Beijing hospital where he is being treated for injuries sustained during his escape from house arrest two weeks ago. China's Foreign Ministry on Friday said that Chen can apply to leave the country to study, "just like any other Chinese citizen." The announcement followed a series of appeals by Chen, who says he is worried about his safety and wants to travel to the U.S. "for a time."    Chen originally agreed to a deal reached by U.S. and Chinese authorities that would allow him to stay in a "safe" place in China and study law. But he changed his mind hours after leaving U.S. protection, saying his family had been threatened. Chen is a self-taught lawyer and human rights activist who has been blind since childhood. He was given a four-year prison sentence in 2006 for exposing abuses under China's forced abortion policy aimed at population control.  He had been under house arrest since 2010, before fleeing on April 22 to the U.S. Embassy. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: ap_us_biden_15Mar12-resized.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_us_biden_230_15Mar12-resized.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: Syria Prepares for Election

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

Syria Prepares for Election May 6th 2012, 16:35 Syria is making final preparations for a parliamentary election on Monday, with authorities praising it as a major reform, while opposition activists dismiss it as a farce for coinciding with a violent government crackdown on an opposition uprising. Syrian election officials have said at least seven new political parties will participate in Monday's vote for the 250-seat assembly, dominated for decades by the ruling Baath party of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A new constitution approved in a February referendum allowed the creation of opposition parties to compete with the Baath-led National Progressive Front. Members of Syria's main opposition groups said Sunday the election has no credibility at a time when government forces are killing people in centers of the 14-month-long rebellion against Assad's autocratic rule. With most opposition factions boycotting the vote, they predicted pro-government lawmakers will continue dominating the parliament. Assad's government has made a series of reform gestures since the start of the uprising while pressing ahead with the crackdown on what it sees as armed terrorists backed by a foreign conspiracy.  On the eve of the election, Syrian state television showed the president participating in a martyrs' day ceremony for troops in a mountainous region overlooking Damascus. Syrian government and rebel forces have continued daily attacks on each other despite a U.N.-backed truce agreement that took effect last month. A U.N. team deployed in Syria to monitor the truce said Sunday the number of observer personnel has risen to 70, with the contingent set to reach 300 by the end of May. U.N. observers toured several towns around Damascus on Sunday, meeting Syrian troops, inspecting military vehicles and talking to residents in Zabadani and Madaya. The U.N. mission has said it is having a calming effect on the unrest in areas where observers have taken up residence. The truce agreement mediated by international envoy Kofi Annan calls for Syrian troops and heavy weapons to be pulled out of civilian areas. The Syrian government has said it reserves the right to use those forces to defend against rebel attacks. Both sides in the conflict accuse the other of repeatedly violating the cease-fire. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. Media files: reuters_syria_un_observers_06May12-resized.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_syria_un_observers_230_06May12-resized.jpg

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VOA News: Europe: Russian Police, Protesters Clash at Anti-Putin Rally

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

Russian Police, Protesters Clash at Anti-Putin Rally May 6th 2012, 16:48 Russian riot police clashed with demonstrators Sunday as an estimated 20,000 people protested on the eve of Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a third presidential term. Helmeted officers beat protesters with batons and hauled away dozens after skirmishes broke out between the two sides near a bridge leading across the Moscow river to the Kremlin. Those detained include three key leaders in the protest movement against Putin - Alexei Navalny, Boris Nemtsov and Sergei Udaltsov.  Officials say at least four officers were injured. Putin has been Russia's prime minister since relinquishing the presidency in 2008.  He won the country's March 4 presidential election by a landslide, but the opposition disputes the victory, calling it a stolen election. World leaders acknowledged Putin's victory with reservations, and international observers say the election was clearly skewed in the former president's favor. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: reuters_russia_protestb_6may2012_480_large.jpg (image/jpeg, 1.6 MB) reuters_russia_protest_6may2012_eng_230.jpg

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VOA News: Europe: Voter Anger Bodes Change in France

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

Voter Anger Bodes Change in France May 6th 2012, 14:34 Sunday's national elections in Greece and France, along with local elections in Italy, are expected to be shaped by voter anger over Europe's high unemployment, sluggish growth and harsh government austerity measures.  In France, that anger could see President Nicolas Sarkozy lose to Socialist rival Francois Hollande in the runoff presidential election. Voters trickle out of a municipal building on a chilly morning, heading home - or to a street market just around the corner to do their Sunday shopping. Cyril Blanchard is one of them. A manager at Thompson-Reuters financial company, he says France's economic problems have helped shape his vote. Blanchard's choice: conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "I think we really need to do something to fight against the crisis and to reduce our deficits and to work on the wealth of the country, so that's what decided my vote," he said. During his campaign, Sarkozy tried to convince voters he has the experience and stamina to make the tough choices that France needs at a time of high unemployment and almost zero growth. The French president also talked tough on curbing immigration. Socialist candidate Francois Hollande says France needs measures to boost growth as well as cut spending.  He wants to renegotiate a European fiscal pact in this direction.  While Mr. Hollande also wants less immigration, his rhetoric and platform are less harsh than Sarkozy's. Hollande's arguments have convinced teacher Delphine Barnier Schilot, who cast her ballot for the Socialist candidate. Schilot believes Sarkozy's five years in office have been negative in every way. She says Hollande is fair and has integrity. She believes he will be able to tackle France's difficult economic problems. Sunday's vote caps a bitter runoff campaign between the two candidates, who traded barbs and accusations of lying. At the market near the polling station, some French, like fish seller Abdel Chili, are turned off by both men. He's cast an empty ballot in this runoff. Chili sees little difference between Sarkozy and Hollande. But he's particularly angry at the French president, whom he calls a liar. But he says all politicians are just actors. Chili's angry words are reflected across Europe, where people are bitter and tired after several years of tough economic times. They have vented their anger with their ballots, casting out more than half a dozen governments to date.    Media files: ap_france_hollande_6may12_eng_480.jpg (image/jpeg, 1.2 MB) ap_france_hollande_6may12_eng_230.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: Calm Returns to Cairo Following Deadly Clashes

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

Calm Returns to Cairo Following Deadly Clashes May 6th 2012, 13:32 Calm returned to Cairo on Saturday after Egypt's military rulers imposed an overnight curfew following clashes Friday that left a soldier dead and about 300 people injured. On Friday, troops clashed with protesters demanding an immediate end to military rule, just three weeks before Egypt's landmark presidential election. Soldiers fired tear gas and water cannons at thousands of demonstrators who massed near the Defense Ministry in Cairo's Abbassiya district.   More clashes erupted in the city late Friday. Islamist protesters had been camping around the Defense Ministry for days. More than 300 people were arrested. The violence took place two days after fighting in Cairo left at least 11 people dead and prompted the top two Islamist candidates for the presidency to suspend their campaigns. Egypt's presidential election is scheduled for May 23 and 24.  The military rulers have vowed the elections will be fair. The election will be the first since a popular uprising ousted longtime autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak more than a year ago. The military council that took over from Mubarak has promised a democratic transition and transfer of power to an elected president by July 1.  But Egypt's generals have faced strong domestic criticism for their handling of that process, which has been plagued by periodic eruptions of deadly violence, often surrounding anti-government protests in major cities. Islamists are angered by the ruling military's decision to bar ultraconservative Islamist cleric Hazem Abu Ismail from standing in the presidential contest.  Egypt's election commission disqualified Abu Ismail because his mother had taken joint U.S. citizenship. Media files: APEgyptProtests5May20120-resizedpx480q100shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB) APEgyptProtests5May20120-resizedpx480q100shp8Tease.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: NATO Soldier Killed by Attacker in Afghan Army Uniform

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

NATO Soldier Killed by Attacker in Afghan Army Uniform May 6th 2012, 13:48 NATO says a man dressed in an Afghan National Army uniform opened fire on coalition soldiers, leaving one dead. The NATO statement says coalition forces returned fire killing the shooter Sunday in southern Afghanistan. The shooting is the latest in a series of deadly attacks on international troops by gunmen wearing Afghan uniforms. In other violence, NATO says one of its service members died in a bomb explosion in eastern Afghanistan Sunday. No details on the attack were released. Elsewhere in the country, two Taliban commanders and three insurgents were killed in fighting Friday with security forces. A NATO statement says one of the men was a senior Taliban commander who planned and organized roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Faryab province. The other, a subordinate commander, was a Taliban judge who attempted to impose Taliban law and punishment on civilians in the area. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: Afghanistan-Curious-Map.jpg

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VOA News: Americas: Peru Rehabilitation Center Fire Kills 14 People

VOA News: Americas Americas Voice of America

Peru Rehabilitation Center Fire Kills 14 People May 6th 2012, 12:30 Firefighters in Peru say fire swept through a substance abuse rehabilitation center near the capital, Lima, killing at least 14 people Saturday. Local Peruvian media report that a patient set a mattress on fire at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Clinic in Chosica.  The report has not been confirmed. Authorities investigating the cause of the blaze say some doors were locked, not allowing people to get out. The facility treats and provides housing for people with drug and alcohol addictions. The fire is the second deadly blaze at a Peruvian rehabilitation facility for substance abusers this year. A January fire at another facility killed 27 people. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Media files: reuters_peru_fire_05May12-resized.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_peru_fire_230_05May12-resized.jpg

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VOA News: Europe: Greece Votes in General Elections

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

Greece Votes in General Elections May 6th 2012, 11:37 Greeks are voting Sunday in the first general election since the start of the country's debt crisis. Angered by economic difficulties, voters are expected to punish the country's two main parties: the socialist PASOK party and the conservative New Democracy party.  Many Greeks blame the parties for leading the nation into its current bind through mismanagement. In just two years, Greece has received two huge international bailouts to keep from defaulting on its financial obligations.  But in order to secure the aid from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, the government had to bow to demands to impose sharp spending cuts and tax increases, which have generated widespread protests. The two main parties are expected to lose votes Sunday to a field of smaller parties opposed to the austerity measures, bringing fears of new political instability. If no party wins enough votes to form a government, building a new coalition could prove difficult and create even more problems for the nation's financial standing and its latest bailout.  Many Greeks want the terms of the bailout to be renegotiated. Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. Media files: reuters_greece_election_6may12_eng_480.jpg (image/jpeg, 2.1 MB) reuters_greece_election_6may12_eng_300.jpg

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VOA News: Europe: France Votes in Presidential Runoff

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

France Votes in Presidential Runoff May 6th 2012, 11:07 French citizens are casting their ballots in a presidential runoff election Sunday. The latest opinion polls indicate President Nicolas Sarkozy has narrowed the gap behind his Socialist rival, but Francois Hollande is still expected to emerge victorious. Hollande cast his vote Sunday in the central town of Tulle, where he was once the mayor. Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, voted in Paris. President Sarkozy has faced criticism for his handling of the economy and his brash style during his five years in office. Hollande is a veteran politician who headed the Socialist Party for several years, but he has never held a top government post.   Voting in France started at 8:00 a.m. local time (0500 UTC) and will close 10 hours later.  Preliminary results are expected Sunday evening. Some information for this report was provided by AP. Media files: reutersa_france_election_runoff_06May12-resized.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reutersa_france_election_runoff_230_06May12-resized.jpg

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VOA News: USA: Clinton Arrives in India For Talks

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Clinton Arrives in India For Talks May 6th 2012, 10:42 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in India where she will urge New Delhi to reduce the oil it imports from sanctions-hit Iran. Clinton arrived in Kolkata Sunday after visits to Bangladesh and China. She will head to New Delhi Monday to meet with top government officials. India has made some reductions in its dependence on Iranian oil, but the South Asian nation has enormous energy needs stemming from its rapid growth. India is strongly critical of a U.S. law to impose sanctions on banks from countries that buy oil from Iran.  The U.S. and Western countries are penalizing Iran for its nuclear ambitions. Clinton's Indian visit coincides with a visit from a large Iranian trade delegation. Earlier Sunday in Bangladesh, Clinton told an audience at a public question-and-answer session in Dhaka that she supports the work of Grameen Bank and its founder, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.  Clinton said she does not want to see Yunus' work undermined by the Bangladeshi government.    Clinton held a private meeting Sunday with Yunus, who was ousted as managing director of the pioneering micro-lender Grameen Bank last year in a retirement-age dispute.  Yunus is 71.   On Saturday, the top U.S. diplomat met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia.   Bangladeshi officials have said they want to encourage more investment from the United States and would like to gain greater access to U.S. markets.  Clinton said for that to happen, Bangladesh must set aside its internal bickering, and end the related violence. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: ap_clinton_india_arrival_6may12_eng_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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VOA News: Asia: Clinton Arrives in India For Talks

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Clinton Arrives in India For Talks May 6th 2012, 10:42 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in India where she will urge New Delhi to reduce the oil it imports from sanctions-hit Iran. Clinton arrived in Kolkata Sunday after visits to Bangladesh and China. She will head to New Delhi Monday to meet with top government officials. India has made some reductions in its dependence on Iranian oil, but the South Asian nation has enormous energy needs stemming from its rapid growth. India is strongly critical of a U.S. law to impose sanctions on banks from countries that buy oil from Iran.  The U.S. and Western countries are penalizing Iran for its nuclear ambitions. Clinton's Indian visit coincides with a visit from a large Iranian trade delegation. Earlier Sunday in Bangladesh, Clinton told an audience at a public question-and-answer session in Dhaka that she supports the work of Grameen Bank and its founder, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.  Clinton said she does not want to see Yunus' work undermined by the Bangladeshi government.    Clinton held a private meeting Sunday with Yunus, who was ousted as managing director of the pioneering micro-lender Grameen Bank last year in a retirement-age dispute.  Yunus is 71.   On Saturday, the top U.S. diplomat met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia.   Bangladeshi officials have said they want to encourage more investment from the United States and would like to gain greater access to U.S. markets.  Clinton said for that to happen, Bangladesh must set aside its internal bickering, and end the related violence. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Media files: ap_clinton_india_arrival_6may12_eng_300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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