Moscow, May 7 (RHC)-- Vladimir Putin has been inaugurated as president of Russia, returning to the presidency after an absence of four years in which he served as prime minister.  Putin won a third term as president in elections held in March.

Paris, May 7 (RHC)-- Francois Hollande has won the French presidential elections against the Nicolas Sarkozy in the final polling, garnering 51.62 percent over Sarkozy's 48.38 percent.

Cochabamba, May 7 (RHC) -- Social organizations in Bolivia have called a march for Wednesday, May 9th, in defense of democracy and the process of change led by President Evo Morales.

Caracas, May 7 (NNN-AGENCIES-RHC) -- Despite ongoing cancer treatment, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is more than likely to win the October 7th general elections, according to a new opinion poll.

Caracas, May 7 (PL-RHC) -- Director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service Miguel Rodriguez denounced that Venezuelan opposition groups are planning violent actions before the upcoming presidential elections, aimed at ousting President Hugo Chavez.

Mexico City, May 7 (PL-RHC) -- The four Mexican presidential candidates put their cards on the table on Monday during the first public debate, organized by the Electoral Federal Institute (IFE) ahead of the July 1st elections.

Athens, May 7 (RHC)-- The Greek conservative New Democracy party came in first place in the country's parliamentary elections with only 19 percent of the votes, but failed to secure a clear majority.

Damascus, May 7 (RHC)-- Some 15 million eligible votes are going to the polls Monday to elect a new parliament.  Just ahead of the voting, Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Sha'ar told reporters on Sunday that all necessary measures have been taken to protect the parliamentary election from any security threat.

Cairo, May 7 (RHC)-- The Arab League on Sunday called on the United Nations General Assembly to hold an emergency session to discuss the plight of thousands of Palestinians prisoners currently being held in Israeli jails.  The League also urged the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to take up the issue of some 2,000 prisoners who are on an open-ended hunger strike to protest administrative detentions and solitary confinement.

Washington, May 7 (RHC)-- The United States carried out drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan over the weekend.  In Yemen, a drone reportedly killed Fahd al-Qasaa, who escaped from prison in 2005 after being convicted of a role in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole warship in Yemen’s port of Aden.

Brasilia, May 7 (RHC)-- Financial market experts in Brazil estimate that the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow 3.23 percent this year, according to the Focus news bulletin, a weekly publication of Brazil’s Central Bank.  Such a percentage represents a slight increase compared to the previous week forecast, when experts predicted a 3.22-percent growth for the Brazilian economy in 2012.

Buenos Aires, May 7 (RHC)-- Nine decades after its founding, the re-nationalized YPF oil company will begin a new work stage that, according to Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez, will allow it to become a thoroughly modern and competitive firm.

Asuncion, May 7 (RHC)-- The Paraguayan Ministry of Health has confirmed that there are 10,827 cases of dengue in the country and 30 deaths due to the disease.

ATHENS, May 7 (Xinhua) – The Greek conservative New Democracy (ND) party won Sunday's critical general elections that could decide the debt-laden country's economic fate, but fell far short of a parliamentary majority, according to the final official results released Monday.

Kabul, May 7, (RHC), -- At least 11 civilians have lost their lives in a recent spate of NATO airstrikes in war-torn Afghanistan.