News Headlines - 23 May 2012

▽Egyptians vote for Mubarak successor in historic poll - Egyptian Gazette
http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.php?action=news&id=25324&title=Egyptians%20vote%20for%20Mubarak%20successor%20in%20historic%20poll
Egyptians were voting Wednesday in historic presidential elections contested by Islamists and secularists promising different futures for the country after the overthrow of veteran dictator Hosni Mubarak.

▽Nuclear talks begin in Baghdad, a day after U.N. watchdog says deal with Iran is near - Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/nuclear-talks-begin-in-baghdad-a-day-after-un-watchdog-says-deal-with-iran-is-near/2012/05/23/gJQABp73jU_story.html
World powers began a fresh round of talks with Iran on Wednesday amid hopes of progress toward a deal on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program that could help lift the threat of war hanging over the Middle East.

▽France Seeks New Euro-Zone Architecture - Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304840904577421820758256702.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
France will use an informal summit of European leaders in Brussels Wednesday to propose that members of the euro zone start working on a new architecture of the currency bloc that would eventually allow for joint-debt issuance--the so-called euro-zone bonds.

▽UK retail sales drop after April rains wash away shoppers - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/may/23/uk-retail-sales-drop-april-rain?newsfeed=true
April was a washout for the high street as heavy rain contributed to the biggest monthly plunge in retail sales volumes in more than two years.

▽Japan's economy downgraded by Fitch on debt concerns - BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18161895
Japan's credit rating has been downgraded by two levels by rating agency Fitch on concerns about the country's high levels of debt.