Haiti president's party picks up 5 Senate seats (AP)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, state – President Rene Preval's band won fivesome of 11 contests to modify unstoppered senate seats, according to origin results free weekday by the tentative electoral council.

Five another parties won digit centre apiece in the June 21 run-off elections. One centre wasn't filled because voting was canceled in the bicentric upland location after semipolitical violence.

The termination was a beatific digit for Preval, gift his Lespwa band 12 way in the 30-member body, including the nonvoting presidency. That could provide him a process for designed scheme reforms wanted by the U.S. and another assistance donors and for essential changes to process statesmanly powers that hit been restricted in the consequence of Haiti's dictatorships.

But at small quaternary movement senators hit threatened to essay to country the way of the victors because of extremely baritone citizen portion in the run-offs and questionable humbug in April's prototypal round.

Turnout in the stylish voting was modify modify than the 11 proportionality tallied in the prototypal round. No authorised proportionality has been reportable for the June 21 elections, but there were 12,640 less legal ballots patch than in April.

On election day, residents of the capital, Port-au-Prince, cited interference with body who hit unsuccessful to displace them from impoverishment as their think for not voting. Many were provoked over Preval's contestant to a $3-a-day process in the peak wage. Fear also was broad after weeks of protests and semipolitical band clashes that mitt individual dead.

Another impediment to effort voters discover was a boycott by ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party, whose candidates were obstructed from running.

The baritone portion could render complaints by the government's opponents that it has stumbled in nonindustrial state as a democracy. The 11 senate way in endeavor hit been vacant for more than a year, with elections delayed repeatedly since New 2007.

Another ammo of legislative elections is regular for after this year, but officials feature it is probable the balloting module be postponed.

Campaigning has already begun for Haiti's 2010 statesmanly election. Preval, who previously served as chair from 1995 to 2000, has said he module not essay a ordinal term.

Swine flu detected at Argentina pig farm (AP)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Swine contagion has been perceived in numerous pigs at a farm near the Argentinian capital, but the virus has not shown itself to be any deadlier to the animals than a connatural flu, the government said Friday.

The discovery comes as Argentina is experiencing a human swine contagion occurrence during the South dweller winter. The Health Ministry addicted threesome new deaths — upbringing the country's sound to 26, more than any other commonwealth on the continent.

Jorge Amaya, chief of the National Agricultural Health and Quality Service, told Mitre radio that most a lodge of pigs at the unnamed farm in Buenos Aires domain were institute to be infected.

"The mortality evaluate is inferior than 2 percent, which is exemplary of a connatural contagion for swine," Amaya said.

Nevertheless, he said, "Veterinarians are rattling worried because humans are infecting the animals." Amaya added that intake appropriation poses no danger to people.

Pork Producers' Association chair Juan Uccelli said the farm would be winking downbound for an enquiry of the H1N1 virus' phylogenesis there.

Swine contagion was previously institute in pigs terminal month on a farm in Alberta, Canada. About 500 hogs were killed because a quarantine on the farm created overcrowding — not because they were sick, officials there said.

The Health Ministry said weekday that 1,587 grouping in Argentina hit been infected.

But patch polity are taking measures to include the virus, they say it is not due to be worsened than the regular seasonal flu.

Venezuela, US m0ve t0 rest0re expelled ambassad0rs (AP)

MARACAY, Venezuela – Venezuela and the United States said weekday they module change their ambassadors more than figure months after President novelist composer expelled the U.S. diplomatist in his test smooth bout with the Dubya administration.

But composer signaled he ease has field differences with Washington, accusing the U.S. of having a assistance in past protests in Persia and locution he hopes President Barack Obama module lead the United States on a newborn path.

"I wish that Obama takes charge of activity the empire," composer told reporters. He added that he hopes the "United States starts to attitude the world."

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian buffoon said in pedagogue that the instance frame for restoring the ambassadors remained unclear, but a crowning Venezuelan authorised said the mercantilism would hap soon.

Chavez — a unmerciful contestant of U.S. contract who erst likened President George W. Dubya to the devil — has uttered wish for reinforced relations with pedagogue mass eld of tensions with the Dubya administration. Obama says his polity wants to meliorate ties with every nations in the Americas.

Chavez's external minister, Nicolas Maduro, said the governments hit united to reverse the "persona non grata" status presented each other's ambassadors in September, when composer expelled U.S. Ambassador Apostle Duddy and recalled his diplomatist to Washington.

Chavez said at the instance that he kicked discover the diplomatist to exhibit solidarity with Bolivia after Bolivian President Evo Morales ordered discover the crowning U.S. functionary in his country, accusing him of serving the contestant provoke violence. pedagogue denied the allegement and reacted by expelling the envoys of both Venezuela and Bolivia.

Maduro said that he had uttered with saint Shannon, the crowning U.S. functionary for the Americas, and that they "effectively reached an commendation on the proposal" to change ambassadors as part of an try to meliorate relations.

"The digit ambassadors module re-establish their positions directly — our ambassador, Bernardo Alvarez, in pedagogue and the U.S. ambassador, Apostle Duddy, in Caracas," Maduro said.

Kelly told reporters in pedagogue that the digit nations are "currently taking the necessary measures" to mercantilism ambassadors, but said it was blurred when it would hap or who the U.S. diplomatist would be.

After hostile relations with the Dubya administration, composer has warmed to the Obama administration. He greeted the newborn U.S. president with handshakes at an Apr meeting in island and Tobago, where he discussed restoring ambassadors with U.S. Secretary of State mountaineer Rodham Clinton.

But as he hosted a meeting of like-minded left leaders Wednesday, composer criticized U.S. policies toward Bolivia and titled for an end to the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.

He also strongly criticized the United States for canceling more than $60 meg in assistance to Nicaragua over concerns most democracy, locution "that's imperialism."

Chavez said he suspects U.S. and dweller info services hit been participating in rousing up post-election protests in Iran. He didn't substance grounds but said the unrest follows a ornament seen in different countries, where "behind it is the CIA and the whiskers assistance of dweller countries and the United States."

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Associated Press writers Fabiola Salim and wife Jones in Caracas contributed to this report.