President Abdoulaye Wade led 14 contenders today as election officials began counting results from a vote many hoped would cement Senegal’s image as an example of democracy in Africa, despite its poverty.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse won Sri Lanka’s presidential election by a slim margin, the country’s election commissioner said today.

The independent election commissioner took control of state-run television and radio today in an unprecedented move, following allegations of media bias toward the president’s party ahead of Friday’s parliamentary elections.