ELECTIONS

Politics make strange bedfellows indeed -- especially in France. Francois Hollande, the newly elected Socialist president of the republic, has formed his cabinet and is planning to scale back the austerity programs imposed by his predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, of the center-right UMP party.

Asian markets fell this week as they succumbed to the pressures of the euro zone debt crisis and the economic data about the U.S. missing estimates. The Chinese Shanghai Index dropped 2.1 percent and the Japanese Nikkei fell 3.8 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index plunged 5.1 percent and India's BSE Sensex slumped 0.86 percent.

Florida election supervisors are reacting warily to a statewide effort to cleanse the rolls of non-citizens, warning that inaccurate or obsolete data could lead them to disenfranchise eligible voters.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has proposed that Greece hold a referendum on its membership in the euro zone in tandem with the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for June 17.

Tsipras' comments are set to raise the stakes in an already tense standoff between Greek politicians and their European benefactors.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a slightly higher opening Friday ahead of the commencement of public trading of Facebook.

The Indian rupee fell to a record low Friday as it succumbed to pressures of the debt crisis looming over the euro zone and the weak domestic indicators.

On Thursday, the country of Myanmar saw its first-ever gay pride celebrations to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

A lack of new data or news saw markets run with previously established trends overnight.

On Thursday, 70 troops arrived in Guinea-Bissau as part of a peacekeeping initiative by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The troops are meant to stabilize the country as it prepares for national elections in 12 months, following a military coup that deposed the civilian government.

Burhan Ghalioun is quitting the Syrian National Council amid criticism of his leadership.

Greece's center-right New Democracy party has a slight edge among voters over the Coalition of the Radical Left, or Syriza, party ahead of the June 17th parliamentary elections, according to a new opinion poll.

In bilateral discussions on Friday, British Prime Minster David Cameron is expected to urge newly elected French President François Hollande to renege on campaign promises to withdraw French troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo won a major boost this week after suburban and upstate voters approved 99 percent of their school budgets, most of which adhered to the Democratic governor?s new property tax cap.

Fears are escalating across Europe that Greece will have to exit the euro zone.

India?s rupee recovered slightly Thursday following the rebound seen in Asian markets led by positive data from Japan and the US.

The Spanish government sold ?2.4 billion of debt on Thursday morning, with bonds due in 2015 carrying an average yield of 4.375 percent - a huge rise from an average yield of 2.89 percent in April.

Asian markets rose Thursday as the economic growth reported by Japan and possible additional monetary stimulus from Federal Reserve to spur growth of the US economy offset the increasing concern of Greece leaving the euro zone.

The euro wallowed near a four-month trough versus the dollar Thursday after some banks in Athens faced emergency funding needs, compounding fears that a potential Greek exit from the euro could put more pressure on other struggling euro zone nations.

Graffiti, some containing themes from the Anonymous movement, against Egypt's military rule has littered the streets of Cairo as its citizens' disillusion with the current regime continues to fester.

The financial markets appear to have already priced in Greece?s departure from the euro bloc.