NPR 2012-05-07

 Socialist Francois Hollande swept to power in France today. He beat incumbent 1 President Nicola Sarkozy in a run-off presidential election. Hollande’s supporters took to the streets in Paris to celebrate. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley says it's like Mardi Gras.

 
As people cheering out their windows from upstairs apartments and as the crowd makes its way down, we're en route to [inaudible], and the crowd makes its way down. People cheer up as the people hanging up on windows cheering. So it's just a lot festival for how far along. 
 
NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reporting from Paris. 
 
The new president will inherit economy with high unemployment and a huge debt. 
 
The economy was also a major issue in parliamentary elections in Greece today, following two years of strict austerity measures. Preliminary results show voters are rejecting the two main political parties on the right and the left. The conservative New Democracy party has won the most seats - 109, far fewer than needed to form a government. If no party can form a coalition 2, Greece may have to hold another election. 
 
Tomorrow, Vladimir Putin becomes president of Russia again. An estimated 20,000 people turned out in Moscow to protest. NPR's Mike Shuster reports police arrested several protest leaders. 
 
The demonstration 3 was peaceful until some of the protesters attempted to march across a bridge near the Kremlin that police had blocked off. Some scuffles broke out, and the police started arresting the demonstrators. Among those detained were three well-known opposition 4 figures. Most of the protesters were young, students in their teens and 20s. The focus of the protest was Putin, who will begin the third term as president on Monday. One large banner summed up their protest. It declared for Russia, for a clean government without Putin. Riot police were deployed 5 in force, ringing the plaza 6 where the protesters were permitted to gather. They also blocked all access reached to Red Square and to the Kremlin, where Putin's inauguration 8 ceremony will be held. Mike Shuster, NPR News, Moscow.
 
Officials say two NATO soldiers were killed today in separate incidents in Afghanistan. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports one died in a bombing, the other was killed by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform. 
 
Roadside bombs and improvised 9 land mines remain the preferred weapon of the insurgents 10 in Afghanistan. But American commanders are increasingly worried about the raid of so-called green-on-blue attacks. That's when a member of the allied 11 Afghan police or army turns his weapon on NATO soldiers meant to be training and assisting him. A NATO statement said a man wearing an Afghan army uniform opened fire on coalition soldiers in southern Afghanistan. The attacker was then killed in a shootout. This is at least the 12th similar incident so far this year, accounting 12 for around 15% of NATO casualties. Although the Taliban insurgents often claim responsibility, most of the cases seem to spring from arguments or perceived insults between Afghan and foreign troops. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Kabul.
 
This is NPR News from Washington.
 
Superheros are smashing the box office this weekend. NPR's Alison Keyes reports “The Avengers” had a record-breaking 200.3-million-dollar opening weekend in the US and Canada. 
 
If you are a superhero fan, this movie puts you in hulk heaven from Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, director of the secret agency Shield “You threaten my world with war. You might not be glad that you did.” to Robert Downey Jr. sneering 13 at demigod villain 14 Loki. 
 
“I have an army. We have a hulk.”
 
“The Avengers” single weekend take war to pass the previous record of 169.2 million set by last year's Harry 15 Potter series ender. The superhero mashup's worldwide total so far is a whopping 641.8 million. Alison Keyes, NPR News. 
 
Ron Paul continues to seek the Republican presidential nomination 16. Today in Maine, the Texas congressman 17 won a majority of that state's delegates - 15 out of 24. Heading into the party's national nominee 18 convention in Tampa this summer, Paul is the last Republican candidate still challenging Mitt 7 Romney.
 
Vice 19 President Joe Biden said today he is absolutely comfortable with gay-married couples having the same civil rights and liberties as heterosexual couples. 
 
“…when things really began to change, is when the social culture changes. I think Will and Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody's ever done so far.”
 
Biden was interviewed this morning on CBS's “Face the Nation.” He said marriage should be about being loyal to someone you love. Biden stressed this was his personal opinion. President Obama had said his views on same sex marriage are evolving, but he opposes it now. 
 
I'm Nora Raum, NPR New in Washington.