Benoit Hamon delivers a speech in Paris on Sunday.- Phôt EPA Viet Nam News PARIS — France’s divided Socialists have picked leftwinger Benoit Hamon as their presidential nominee, in the latest twist of a roller-coaster election race that has seen conservative frontrunner Francois Fillon engulfed in scandal. Results from a Socialist primary runoff vote on Sunday showed Hamon beating his centrist rival Manuel Valls, a former prime minister, with 58.88 per cent of the vote in a clear victory for the left-wing of the party. "Our country needs the left but a modern, innovative left turned towards the future," the 49-year-old Hamon told cheering supporters in a victory speech. His triumph is another upset in the French poll race, with the former education minister and son of a dockworker viewed as an outsider only three weeks ago. His nomination completes the list of major candidates for the two-round election in April and May after five years of unpopular Socialist … [Read more...] about French Socialists nominate leftwinger Hamon for president
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A divided Republican party: Donald or Ivanka for president?
At times, the speech was drowned out by the cheering crowds in the arena of the Republican National Convention. Social media crowned a new political star. Some Republicans said they were seeing the U.S. president they longed for. It was Ivanka Trump’s night. The eldest daughter of New York businessman-turned-presidential nominee Donald Trump almost stole the show on Thursday night with a speech about her father that roused a packed Cleveland convention hall, broadcast to millions. On Google, there were more searches for Ivanka Trump than for her father. The 34-year old businesswoman and former model talked about her father's yearning to improve America, childcare, equal pay for women and other issues close to her heart, with a poise some found befitting of the White House. "Okay, why isn't @IvankaTrump running for President?" television actor Anson Mount said in a Twitter post. "One of the best speeches - if not the best speech - tonight," said Chris Herrod, a 50-year-old … [Read more...] about A divided Republican party: Donald or Ivanka for president?
Syrians vote for parliament as diplomacy struggles
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (C) casts his vote next to his wife Asma (centre left) inside a polling station during parliamentary elections in Damascus, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on April 13, 2016. Photo: Reuters/SANA/Handout via Reuters Syrians voted in a parliamentary election in government-held areas of the country on Wednesday in what voters called a show of support for President Bashar al-Assad, who is holding the poll in defiance of opponents seeking to oust him. The election is going ahead independently of a U.N.-led peace process aimed at finding a political solution to the five-year-long war. The government says it is being held on time in line with the constitution. The opposition says the vote is illegitimate, while Britain and France dismissed it as "flimsy facade" and a "sham". "We are voting for the sake of the Syrian people and for the sake of Assad. Assad is already strong but these elections show that the people support him and bolster … [Read more...] about Syrians vote for parliament as diplomacy struggles
Vietnam’s 12th National Congress voting for members of Party Central Committee
Vietnam’s 12th National Party Congress has begun conducting an election for the members of the Party Central Committee for the next five-year term. th Party Central Committee, including 180 official members and 20 alternative ones. The Party Central Committee is a powerful panel within the Communist Party of Vietnam chosen by the National Party Congress. Members of the committee will then elect the Politburo, the ultimate body of the Party. The 11th Party Central Committee had 175 official members and 25 alternate seats. The candidate list for the membership comprises 246 people, which was approved by the congress on Monday. Candidate names are arranged in alphabetical order, along with dates of birth, positions, working institutions, and other information. The election is chaired by Nguyen Phu Trong, incumbent General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and monitored by a ballot counting committee led by Nguyen The Trung, member of the 11th Party Central … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s 12th National Congress voting for members of Party Central Committee
Hillary Clinton officially announces 2016 run for President
On April 12th, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton officially announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the Presidencial office in the 2016 election. In a video released on her new campaign website, Clinton said "I'm running for president. Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times, but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion." "So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote. Because it's your time and I hope you'll join me on this journey." The announcement launches Clinton on a second campaign to make history by becoming the first woman to be president of the United States. Hillary Clinton is an American attorney, politician and member of the Democratic Party. She was the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013. She previously represented New York in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2009 and in the … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton officially announces 2016 run for President