government – Page 57 – 4VF News

Woods wins at U.S. Open warm up

Woods broke away from a four-way tie for the lead Sunday at the Memorial with birdies on his final two holes, the last one a 7-iron that stopped a foot away from the cup for a 7-under 65 and a one-shot victory over Jim Furyk. The “March 14” coalition won 71 seats in Lebanon’s parliament, while the Hezbollah-dominated “March 8” alliance won the remaining 57 seats, Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud announced. Saad Hariri, the leader of the Sunni-dominated March 14 bloc, gave a victory speech Monday after the polls closed but hours before the official results were released

Pro-West bloc retains control in Lebanon

Lebanon’s pro-Western bloc will retain its control of the country’s government despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance, according to official election results released Monday. The “March 14” coalition won 71 seats in Lebanon’s parliament, while the Hezbollah-dominated “March 8” alliance won the remaining 57 seats, Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud announced

Bongo not dead, Gabon’s PM says

Gabon’s President Omar Bongo, Africa’s longest-serving ruler, is not dead, the country’s prime minister said Monday, contradicting reports from Gabonese and French media. Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong “deplored” French media reports that Bongo had died, saying he had met the president Monday morning.

Center-right make gains amid EU vote apathy

Voters endorsed parties of the center-right in elections for the 736 seats of the European Parliament in the midst of a record low turnout, officials figures showed on Monday. Only 43 percent of the 375 million people eligible to vote in 27 countries visited the polls, according to European Parliament figures, continuing a fall in interest since elections for MEPs were first held 30 years ago

Rio Tinto to China: Thanks, But No Thanks

Xiong Weiping, the chief executive officer of China’s largest aluminum company, Chinalco, spent the better part of the last four months doing something no other CEO of a state-owned Chinese company had ever done.

Under-fire PM Brown braces for EU vote blow

Beleaguered British Prime Minsiter Gordon Brown, under pressure to quit from members of his own party, was bracing himself for a potential new wave of troubles Sunday as counting began in European Elections. Voting in the UK is expected to be dominated by dissatisfaction with Brown’s Labour government and its handling of the economic crisis and a recent scandal over politicians’ expenses. Brown’s authority suffered heavy blows last week as he was forced to reshuffle his Cabinet following the resignation of several key Cabinet ministers, some of whom urged him to step down.

Sudan’s president defies arrest warrant, visits Zimbabwe

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who faces charges of crimes against humanity, visited Zimbabwe on Sunday for a regional trade meeting. Al-Bashir landed Saturday in the capital, Harare, for the two-day African leaders’ summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on March 4, accusing him of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government’s campaign against rebels in Darfur in western Sudan.

Fears Escalate Over Violence in Islamabad

Militant violence returned to the Pakistani capital on Saturday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the courtyard of a police rapid response center, killing two people and injuring six others.

Hezbollah choice at center of Lebanon vote

Lebanon goes to the polls on Sunday with the main choices a Hezbollah-backed alliance or the U.S-backed coalition to lead their government. U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday came at a critical time for Lebanon as it sits amid a power struggle between a weakened pro-Western government and a stronger pro-Syrian Hezbollah political bloc that has gained political momentum in recent years.

Iran’s Election: Rallies Reveal a Stark Contrast

Tehran’s main squares and streets have been crowded until the wee hours over this past week, as supporters of the upcoming election’s two leading contestants roam the streets on foot and in cars, chanting, honking their horns, waving posters. On Tuesday night, a group of about 100 young men gathered on one side of Parkway Square, waving pictures of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and shouting slogans like, “Ahmadi, you’re my life! You’re my future president!” Facing them — separated by a line of police and plainclothes security officials — stood a crowd of young men at least twice the size