The Wall Street Journal reports, weekend elections in France and Greece led to a flight of money out of assets perceived to be risky into those seen as havens. The euro, European stocks, bank shares and "peripheral" euro-zone sovereign bonds, all suffered, as funds moved into the safety of the dollar, and assets like German bunds. Investors were reacting to the outcome of the Greek and French votes. In a stinging rebuke to Greece's two mainstream parties and the austerity policies they backed, the conservative New Democracy party and the Socialist Pasok party garnered less than a third of the vote combined. And in France voters elected Socialist Party candidate François Hollande as president, who has pledged to shift the economic hardship onto the rich and soften austerity measures. Reuters reports, Vladimir Putin took the oath as Russia's president today, with a ringing appeal for unity at the start of a six-year term in which he faces growing dissent, economic problems and bitter political rivalries. Outside the Kremlin's high red walls, riot police prevented protests by rounding up 120 people, including men and women in cafes, wearing the white ribbons, symbolizing opposition to Putin, a day after detaining more than 400 people during clashes. Parliament is expected to approve Medvedev, as prime minister on Tuesday, completing a job swap, that has left many Russians feeling disenfranchised. Many of the protesters are angry that Putin is extending his 12-year domination ...

A video showing various pictures of the British Army's new Multi - Terrain Pattern Camouflage. Also there are pictures of the British Army's new and improved SA80 assault rifle and Mk. 7 Combat Helmet. Found this article about SUSAT being replaced by ACOG. "The UK armed forces' L85A2 (SA80A2) assault rifle is to undergo another transformation as the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) starts negotiations to replace the L9A1 weapon sight. The UK MoD's Future Infantry Soldier Technology (FIST) programme office wants an "improved and lighter" system to replace the United Scientific Instruments L9A1 Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux (SUSAT), currently in use with the SA80A2. Industry sources said the UK MoD favours the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) TA31RCO 4 x 32 sight, produced by US aiming systems specialist Trijicon. The deal could have a potential value of up to GBP200 million (USD357.8 million). In 2000, the SUSAT was exempt from arms specialist Heckler & Koch's (H&K's) GBP92 million revamp of the SA80. The UK MoD contracted H&K to modify some 200000 SA80 assault rifles and L86 Light Support weapons, with improvements including a new hammer, cocking handle, gas plug and firing pin. Monthly deliveries to the UK MoD of 4000 SA80A2s started in December 2001 and the contract is due for completion 2006. Trijicon's Military Division manager, Shaun Rategan, said: "We cannot comment on quantities or type. The FIST programme has tested and evaluated our ACOG and conveyed an ...

The economy regularly gets in the way of climate change action as green initiatives give way to budget restraints. In the UK, environmentalists say the future for the Britain should include hundreds of wind turbines - creating free and clean energy well into the future as well as stimulating the economy. But its government has suggested that cutting carbon emissions would threaten jobs instead. Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports from northeastern England.

The riots which have rocked Britain for the past four days are estimated to cost the country's retailers up to 100 million pounds. As well as major chain stores, many small independent shops have also been ransacked. It comes as Britain continues to feel the effects of the economic crisis and recent recession. On Wednesday, the Bank of England revised its growth forecasts for the UK economy down to to little over 1 percent.Duration: 01:50