Supporters of comedian Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment movement have hailed a new era for Italian politics as the country's general election ends in stalemate.
Italy looked set for a deadlock Tuesday after a leftist coalition led by Pier Luigi Bersani eked out a marginal lead in the lower house, securing 29.55% to 29.18% for former premier Silvio Berlusconi, but failed to win a majority in the upper house.
Voting has ended in Italy's general election, with wildly conflicting projections pointing to a far closer race than initially thought, after a lacklustre campaign overshadowed by a spate of corruption scandals involving all the major parties.
INTERNATIONAL PAPERS, Mon. 25/02/13: Italian papers react to the first day of voting for the general election. Turnout is lower than the last time in 2008. Le Figaro focuses on one category of disenfranchised voters: young people. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal takes a closer look at Silvio Berlusconi. According to the paper, his media empire is struggling just as he’s trying to stage a political comeback.
Voting resumes in Italy's general election on Monday, with low turnout expected to underscore a palpable sense of gloom stemming from anger over austerity measures and waning patience with a political elite plagued by scandal.
Conservative leader Nicos Anastasiades won the presidency of Cyprus on Sunday, beating his left-wing rival by a comfortable 15-point margin, and immediately pledged to secure a bailout deal for the crisis-stricken island.
From restive towns near the Somalia border to delta villages wracked by deadly ethnic strife, Kenya’s Tana River flows through hotspots that are threatening to explode with the March 4 polls.
Italians went to the polls on Sunday in a crucial general election, as financial markets held their breath amid fears of an uncertain outcome for the country stuck in deep recession. Voting ends on Monday with official results expected Tuesday.
Lombardy's alpine foothills have long been considered impregnable for the left. But with its Northern League rulers crippled by scandals, Italy's richest and most populous region is on the verge of becoming a "swing state".
