Politics

The Turkish Cypriot's right-wing National Unity Party (UBP), has won the republic's elections on Sunday in a landslide, according to provisional results released by officials. With all votes having been counted, the UBP won 44.06% of all votes, garnering it a majority in Northern Cyprus' 50-seat parliament by provisional accounts. Incumbent Republican Turkish Party (CTP), an ally of the Turkish Cypriot's leader Mehmet Ali Talat, received the second most votes, taking 29% of the ballot. Election authorities estimated that voter turnout at the

The mayor of San Francisco, California, Gavin Newsom, has announced via Twitter that he will be running for the state's governor in the 2010 elections. He will be in the running to replace California's current governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. "It's official- running for Gov of CA. Wanted you to be the first to know. Need your help," said Newsom on his official Twitter profile. Newsom also posted a video on his campaign website which was launched earlier this morning. "I hope that you will join our campaign that has set out to change Californi

Final polls show the African National Congress holding a commanding lead going into Wednesday's general election. A Plus 94 poll of 7000 voters showed the ruling ANC with 60% support, with the Democratic Alliance and Congress of the People neck-in-neck on 16% and 15% respectively. An Ipsos Markinor poll of 3,531 voters showed the ANC with 64.7%, Democratic Alliance with 10.8%, and Congress of the People with 8.9%. 4.2% were undecided, while 3.9% refused to state a preference. Meanwhile, the main political parties have held their final ralli

The government has announced 13 June as the date for the upcoming Mount Albert by-election. The by-election has been caused by former Prime Minister Helen Clark's departure to head the United Nations Development Program. While it is considered to be a safe Labour seat, the by-election is expected to be heavily contested. Candidates must be nominated by 19 May. Nominations for the Labour Party close on Wednesday. So far four candidates have put their names forward: Auckland city councillor Glenda Fryer, former candidate Hamish McCracken, U

Violence in India has left at least 18 people dead as Maoist guerrillas attacked voting stations during the first day of elections in the country. At least four other people, reported to be election officials, were kidnapped. The guerrillas made fourteen attacks on polling stations and vehicles transporting election officials in central and eastern regions of India. The insurgents were armed with rocket launchers and landmines. They were calling for the polls to be boycotted, and had pledged to disrupt the elections. The violence was aimed at

Interim minister for Indigenous Affairs Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has been appointed vice-president by Fiji's military regime. Nailatikau, a former military commander, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Minister in the military regime, was sworn in at Government House this morning. He will continue to hold his portfolios in the interim Cabinet. The appointment follows the promulgation of a decree establishing the office of vice-president and permitting them to perform the functions of the President of Fiji if the President is unable to.

Toke Talagi, the Pacific Islands Forum chairman and Premier of Niue, has condemned the Fijian president's decision to abrogate the constitution. "I condemn the actions of the military regime in Fiji to date, the abrogation of the Constitution and reappointment of members of the previous Interim Government in direct contravention of Fiji law as determined by the Court of Appeal on 9th April 2009," Mr Talagi said. "The hopes and aspirations of many in Fiji and the wider region, just briefly raised by the Court of Appeal decision on 9 April, hav

The panel of three judges overseeing the legal proceedings surrounding Minnesota's 2008 Senate election has declared DFL candidate Al Franken the winner over Republican Norm Coleman, by a margin of 312 votes. Coleman has ten days to appeal the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and has said he intends to do so, but has not yet filed a notice of appeal. Minnesota has been without a second senator since Coleman's term expired in January. A close result narrowly favoring Coleman in the initial election result in November triggered an autom

Members of the Tamil community in Oslo, Norway are demonstrating in protest of the Sinhalese-dominated government of Sri Lanka. The protests are taking place peacefully on the grounds in front of the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament. The demonstrators are supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), popularly known as the Tamil Tigers. They criticised the Sri Lankan governments handling of Tamil civilians in the war zone in northern Sri Lanka and are attempting to get the Norwegian government to intervene diplomatically in the

According to the defence minister of Peru, Flores Araoz, Shining Path rebels have killed thirteen soldiers in two ambushes in the southeast region of the country. The attacks were the deadliest by guerrillas in the past ten years. The minister stated that rebels attacked a military patrol with explosives, killing eleven soldiers and a captain. Both attacks occurred from Peru's capital of Lima, in the Ayacucho region. Two other soldiers have been injured, and one is missing. "The attack with dynamite and grenades took place Thursday, and vict

Fiji's military regime has deported two foreign journalists. 3 News political reporter Sia Aston and her camera operator were detained by police and taken to Government House this afternoon where she was expected to be told to leave the country. All her footage of events in Fiji has been confiscated. ABC journalist Sean Dorney, the only other foreign journalist in the country, has reportedly also been ordered to leave. This is not the first time Fiji's military regime has deported journalists. In December 2008 ONE News Pacific Correspondent

Troops are being deployed throughout Thailand as the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in reaction to protesters supporting ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Armoured vehicles and bands of protesters are reportedly roving the streets of Bangkok and the prime minister has threatened to use force against the protesters. The protesters are supporters of the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). They demand the immediate resignation of the prime minister and fresh elections. A group of