Word: secondings
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...tree - then its main street captures a national mood of hopelessness and anger. All of Britain is in a deep funk: although its economy is finally growing after a prolonged recession, that growth is so tender that many fear it will shrivel and give way to a second, deeper contraction. Britons are downcast, their politicians discredited. In one of the world's oldest democracies, there's little enthusiasm for the national and local elections due in early May. Polls show that neither of the two largest parties - the Labour incumbents or their Conservative challengers - is on course for an overall...
...confidence motion. Britain's third party now has a longer name - the Liberal Democrats - and hopes to exert a more enduring influence on any new administration. Smaller parties will flex their muscles if there's a hung Parliament. This raises the specter of political instability, gridlock and even a second general election within the year. Such an outcome could only exacerbate the economic turbulence that has contributed to the recent roller-coaster ride of the British pound. After a recent poll showed Labour and Conservatives running neck and neck, the pound plunged 2% against the dollar in a few hours...
...racial tensions suit the politics of the BNP, which controls 12 of 51 local council seats, making it the second largest party after Labour. There are concerns it will grow even stronger after the May 6 council elections. And national BNP leader Nick Griffin is campaigning to unseat Barking's veteran Labour MP, Margaret Hodge. Griffin, once convicted of inciting racial hatred, has pledged to represent "the interests of our people instead of all sorts of others and all sorts of greedy banks who ponce on [freeload off] every council in the country...
...head of the Vatican body investigating abuse by priests, he argued that accused clergymen should not be handed over to secular authorities. Rather, he wrote confidentially to bishops around the world in 2001, they should first be investigated under utmost secrecy within the church - thereby avoiding public hysteria and second-guessing by the media. (See pictures of President Obama meeting Pope Benedict...
...regional elections. Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement party, which snagged a surprisingly low 26%, lost by a wide margin to parties on the left; a coalition composed of the Socialist, Europe Ecology and Leftist Front parties took a combined 47%. Pollsters expect a similar result in the second round of voting, which is scheduled for March 21. The elections, held in each of France's 22 regions, are the last contest before Sarkozy's expected 2012 re-election...