|
From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting. A big election in Myanmar.
Vote counting is underway following the nation's first free election in a quarter of a century. Voters were seen walking about with ink-stained fingers indicating they had cast their ballots, many for the first time in their lives. The National League for Democracy is expected to gain a majority. Steve Herman is following the election. "The question is not whether the NLD is able to be the largest vote getter among the 90 or more parties that are contesting in this parliamentary election. The question is whether they can capture two-thirds of the parliamentary seats to overcome this distinctive advantage that the military and the government have because a [fifth] fourth of these seats are reserved for them. So they need this two-third majority to really get through parliament that they want and more critically be able to select who will be the next President of Myanmar." :VOA's Steve Herman. Moving to another part of the world, Europeans are leaving the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh by the thousands. The exodus follows the recent airline crash that killed hundreds of Russian tourists. Basel Khedr is the manager of a hotel at the resort: "I can tell you that before the incident, we are at about 92 percent occupancy of guests in house, doing quite well. Now here we are a weak later, we are at 60 percent occupancy." Militants claiming affiliation with the Islamic State group claimed the attack. Gunmen stormed into a bar in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, late Saturday. At least nine people were killed. Witnesses said the attackers ordered people sitting outside to come inside the building and then opened fire on them. Witnesses told the French news agency the gunmen wore police uniforms. This is VOA news. Pope Francis says the leaking of sensitive Vatican documents is a "crime" and "a deplorable act" but he says the leaks will not stop him from moving forward with church reforms. Two people, a high-ranking Holy See official and an Italian woman who is a public relations expert, were arrested last week on suspicion of leaking church documents. Authorities say a Palestinian rammed his car into a group of Israelis in the West Bank Sunday, injuring at least three people before Israeli police opened fire and killed the assailant. The incident is the latest in a wave of violence to hit Israel and the Palestinian territories since the start of October. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conceded defeat, suffering a major setback politically Sunday when his party was trounced in parliamentary elections in one of India's biggest states. In still incomplete, unofficial returns aired by television, voting in Bihar state showed Mr. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, leading in the contests for only 61 seats in Bihar's 243-seat assembly while a coalition of rival parties was leading in the races for 176 seats. Croatian votes went to the polls Sunday to elect a new parliament. A key exit poll showed the opposition Croatian Democratic Union and the ruling Social Democratic party in a virtual tie. Campaigning for Uganda's presidential election officially begins Monday. Candidates include incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, former Prime Minister Patrick Amama Mbabazi and main opposition leader Kizza Besigye. The presidential campaign is due to end February 16. The nation's electoral commission is warning all of the eight presidential candidates to desist from using ethnic, religious or divisive language that could create tension and possible violence during their campaigns. A Russian media magnate and former aide to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has been found dead at a hotel in Washington DC. American and Russian authorities are trying to determine the cause of death for 57-year-old Mikhail Lesin. He was a former Russian cabinet minister and a founder of the international media company RT, originally known as Russia Today. An acoustic guitar once owned by John Lennon has been sold for $2.4 million. The J-160E Gibson was sold Saturday by Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles to an undisclosed buyer. The auction house described the instrument as "the most historically important guitar associated with the 60s rock group, The Beatles." From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David DeForest. That's the latest world news from VOA. |