Monday, June 11, 2012

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Syrian children used as human shields, says UN report


Destroyed tank in northern town of Ariha, Idlib provinceThe Syrian government is accused of using heavy weapons in residential areas
Children in Syria have accused troops of using them as human shields, a UN report has revealed.
Some children said they had been forced to ride on tanks to stop attacks by opposition fighters, the report said.
The UN's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict said children were being tortured in detention and slaughtered in massacres.
Radhika Coomaraswamy told the BBC that her team had returned from Syria with "horrific" reports.
She said she had never seen a similar situation where children were not spared - and even targeted - in a conflict.
"Many former soldiers spoke about shooting into civilian areas, seeing children, young children being killed, and maimed," she said.
"We also had testimonies and saw children who had been tortured, and who carried the torture marks with them. We also heard of children being used - this was recounted to us by some children - of being put on tanks and being used as human shields so that the tanks would not be fired upon."
However, she also criticised the opposition Free Syrian Army for endangering children.
"For the first time we heard of children being recruited by the Free Syrian Army mainly in medical and service orientated jobs but still on the front line," she said.
'Shocked'
Ms Coomaraswamy said the suffering inflicted on children in Syria was unusual even for combat situations.
"We are really quite shocked. Killing and maiming of children in cross-fire is something we come across in many conflicts but this torture of children in detention, children as young as 10, is something quite extraordinary, which we don't really see in other places."
She said that in recent massacres children under the age of 10 had been summarily killed, adding: "Those kinds of things we don't see elsewhere."
The UN's annual report on children and armed conflict cited one attack on the village of Ayn l'Arouz in Idlib province on 9 March 2012.
It quoted a witness saying how several young children were forcibly taken from their homes and "used by soldiers and militia members as human shields, placing them in front of the windows of buses carrying military personnel into the raid on the village".
Smoke above the city of HomsUN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned government attacks in the city of Homs
Other children described being beaten, blindfolded, subjected to stress positions, whipped with heavy electrical cables, scarred by cigarette burns and in one case subjected to electrical shock during interrogations, the report said.
A team of UN military observers is currently inside Syria as part of a six-point peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.
Despite all international diplomatic efforts, bloodshed is continuing on a daily basis. Activists say the regime of President Bashar al-Assad is deliberately targeting civilian populations, while the government blames the violence on "armed gangs".
The US has expressed fears that the Syrian government "may be organising another massacre" in the town of Haffa in Latakia province, where UN military observers have been denied access.
Earlier this month, activists said Syrian government forces killed 108 people in the region of Houla, in Homs province, and 78 people in the village of Qubair, in Hama province.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon joined Kofi Annan in demanding that UN observers be admitted to the area.
Witnesses reported tanks parked along the edge of the town and said there was a lack of medical facilities to treat the wounded.
Mr Ban also released a statement condemning "intensive military operations" by government forces in the city of Homs as well as firing from helicopters on other towns. He said the actions had caused heavy civilian casualties.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 100 people were killed in violence across Syria on Monday. The figures cannot be verified.

Apple ditches Google Maps software in latest iOS


WWDC buildingThe new software, which has been shown to developers, will be available in the autumn
Apple has unveiled its latest mobile operating system, iOS6, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.
The operating system, which runs on its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, will no longer include Google Maps software.
Apple will instead run its own mapping app, which has a high-quality 3D mode, on the platform.
Google announced its own 3D mapping software last week on its competing mobile platform, Android.
Both companies have used fleets of planes to capture the imagery, drawing concerns from some privacy campaigners.
Apple's updated iOS software is being released in beta on Tuesday, and will be available for general consumers by the autumn, chief executive Tim Cook said.
It will be a free update for owners of either an iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS - as well as users of the latest iPad, the iPad 2 and fourth generation iPod touch.
'Biggest cheer'
Additional features include "eyes free", a feature on which Apple said it had worked with car manufacturers to integrate a "Siri button" to activate the iPhone's voice-operated assistant.
For the first time on Apple's devices, video calls will be able to be made over a cellular connection, rather than relying on wi-fi.
The switch to its own mapping platform will provide Apple with even more opportunities to monetise its users, said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst for Gartner, who attended the event in San Francisco.
Google hand demoGoogle last week revealed its own mapping software, which also has 3D capabilities
"Maps got the biggest cheer [from the audience]," she said.
"The opportunity that controlling maps gives to Apple for learning more about what their users are doing, keeping that information, and then being able to leverage that for advertising purposes is huge."
Ms Milanesi said the announcements appeared to be warmly received by the developers in attendance.
"iOS6 is a continued evolution," she told the BBC.
"I think the whole operating system is getting more clever. It's learning from what consumers are doing and improving the experience."
Macbook revamp
The company also announced revamped models in its Macbook Pro and Macbook Air ranges.
Its new Macbook Pro is 0.71 inches thick, with a high-resolution Retina display. It utilises Intel's Ivy Bridge processor.
Its slimline Macbook Air range has also been upgraded with enhanced graphics and processing capabilities.
Both will offer a free upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion, the latest version of the Mac operating system which is set for release in July.
Among its features is enhanced synchronisation between desktop, laptop and mobile, thanks to iCloud, the company's cloud-based storage service.
Once again, predictions that Apple was set to announce a long-rumoured television failed to materialise.

Father of Toulouse killer Mohamed Merah sues for murde


Mohamed Merah in a grab from an undated piece of video made before his attacksMohamed Merah's gun attacks shocked France
The father of Mohamed Merah, the Islamist gunman killed by French police after shooting seven people, has formally sued over his son's "murder".
A lawyer for Mohamed Benalel Merah, who lives in Algeria, said the suit was against those "who gave the orders at the top of the police".
The gunman was shot dead at his flat in Toulouse after a 32-hour siege.
He had confessed to killing seven people, including Jewish children, in a rampage which shocked France.
Mohamed Benalel Merah said soon after his son's death on 22 March he intended to sue the French government.
'Questions'
On Monday, French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, who is assisting Algerian lawyer Zahia Mokhtari, filed the suit in Paris.
"This is a suit against unnamed persons for murder with aggravating circumstances concerning those who gave the orders at the top of the police," said Ms Coutant-Peyre.
In all, Merah, 23, shot dead three soldiers, three children and a teacher, filming his attacks.
He was dubbed the "scooter killer" because of the stolen vehicle he used in the three separate shootings in Toulouse and the nearby town of Montauban.
Ms Coutant-Peyre was quoted by AFP news agency as saying: "You've got 300 to 400 heavily armed people and a guy shut up all alone in his apartment. That alone is enough to raise questions."
The father's suggestion in March that the French authorities had deliberately chosen to kill his son rather than capture him caused indignation in Paris.
"If I were the father of such a monster, I would shut my mouth in shame," said Alain Juppe, who was then French foreign minister.

Nigeria gang in deadly 'revenge' attack on village


MapA gang of around 80 armed robbers are thought to have attacked the two villages
A gang of armed robbers has killed 27 people in remote villages in northern Nigeria, witnesses and police say.
An eyewitness told the BBC that about 80 people on motorbikes had attacked the villages of Dan-Gulbi and Guru in Zamfara state.
Some victims had their throat cut, according to reports.
The attack is believed to be in revenge for the killing of a suspected group of armed robbers by villagers and vigilante groups last year.
A policeman was said to be among the dead, who were primarily from the village of Dan-Gulbi.
Villagers had been preparing for a local market day when the killers struck, the Associated Press news agency reports.
'Door to door'
According to a police officer who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, at least 19 people died in Dan-Gulbi and four were killed in Guru.
Attacks were also reported in the villages of Diya and Sabo Kasuwa.
"They went door to door shooting villagers and in some cases slitting their throats with knives," a police source told AFP news agency.
Talatu Mai Tasshi, a woman who escaped the violence, was quoted by AP as saying she had hidden in empty sacks as the gunmen stalked other people preparing to sell their goods.
Islamist group Boko Haram has previously been responsible for a number of attacks in northern Nigeria, but there has been no suggestion that that it was connected to these murders.
Nigeria has one of the highest crime rates in Africa and is notorious for gun-related violence, including kidnapping and robbery

US exempts seven states from sanctions over Iran oil


Iranian oil production platform at Soroush oil fieldsThe US hopes that hitting Iran's oil revenue will force Tehran to change its nuclear programme
The US has exempted seven countries from economic sanctions in return for cutting imports of Iranian oil.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said waivers were granted to India, South Korea, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Turkey.
Under a US law signed in December, countries have until 28 June to greatly reduce oil imports from Iran or be cut off from the US financial system.
The aim is to pile pressure on Iran to stop its uranium enrichment programme.
Washington and its allies believe Tehran is secretly trying to make nuclear weapons, a claim strongly denied by the Iranians.
Mrs Clinton said the latest exemptions proved that sanctions were working.
"By reducing Iran's oil sales, we are sending a decisive message to Iran's leaders: Until they take concrete actions to satisfy the concerns of the international community, they will continue to face increasing isolation and pressure," she said in a statement.
Pressure on China
In March the US granted exceptions to Japan and 10 EU countries for cutting their imports of Iranian petroleum.
Correspondents say the latest move puts pressure on China, which is Iran's biggest oil customer, to also cut its imports.
US officials have said that Washington remains in talks with Beijing over the issue, AFP news agency reports.
The US says Iranian oil exports have fallen from about 2.5 million barrels a day last year to between 1.2 and 1.8 million barrels a day.
Last week, the UN's nuclear watchdog said talks in Vienna aimed at getting greater access to Iran's nuclear sites had ended without progress.
Further talks between Iran and six powers - Britain, the US, China, Russia, France and Germany - are due to be held in Moscow next week.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful means.
Graphic image showing Iran's top oil export destinations

US puts supply route talks with Pakistan on hold


A Pakistani man, right, paints an oil tanker, which was used to transport NATO fuel supplies to AfghanistanThe talks had been aimed at re-opening routes which oil tankers used to supply Nato troops
The US has temporarily pulled out of talks with Pakistan over re-opening vital supply routes to the Nato-led forces in Afghanistan.
"The decision was reached to bring the team home for a short period of time," Pentagon spokesman George Little said.
Pakistan said the talks had not broken down - they were "still on".
Islamabad shut a Nato supply route in November after a Nato air strike near the Afghan-Pakistani border which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Part of the US team left Islamabad over the weekend, and the rest will return to the US shortly, Mr Little said.
Mr Little told reporters the team were prepared to return at short notice.
Washington has stopped short of an official apology for the deaths of the Pakistani soldiers.
Pakistan's demand for $5,000 for each truck has also been a sticking point.
The closure of the route left thousands of tankers bound for Afghanistan stranded in Pakistan.
Strained friendship
Pakistani foreign office spokesman Mumazam Khan told the BBC Urdu Service the talks were still on and it was "wrong to say that they have been broken down".
Mumazam Khan said that some members of the US team were involved in the technical aspects of the negotiations and they have been called back after they had given their input.
He said that the negotiation were going on at various levels and at some level these were still on.
Nato has been forced to switch to alternative supply routes to Afghanistan through Central Asia, the Caucasus and Russia.
Last week Nato signed deals with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to use their territory for evacuating vehicles and military equipment from Afghanistan ahead of the drawdown of operations there.
Nato has signalled its intention to complete its mission in Afghanistan before the end of 2014.
The US is hoping the use of these routes will force Islamabad to agree to a deal.
However, the alternative routes known as the "northern distribution network" cost even more and Pakistani officials are convinced the US will eventually agree to Pakistan's terms, the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington reports.
The talks started seven weeks ago but have taken place against the background of increased tensions between the two countries in recent months.
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta warned last week that the US was "reaching the limits of our patience" with Pakistan.
US officials accuse Pakistan of providing safe havens for militants active in Afghanistan, which Islamabad denies.
Relations were also strained by the killing by US forces of Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in May last year, which many Pakistanis viewed as a violation of sovereignty.

European Extremely Large Telescope given go-ahead


E-ELT artist impressionThe E-ELT would take advantage of the very arid conditions in Chile's Atacama desert
Construction of world's biggest optical telescope has been approved.
The European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) will have a primary mirror some 40m in diameter, and will be built on top of a mountain in Chile.
Member states of the European Southern Observatory (Eso) organisation declared their support for the project on Monday at a meeting in Garching, Germany.
They have not yet, however, put all of the 1bn euros (£0.8bn) of financing in place.
That may be possible by December, at the organisation's next council meeting.
By then, Brazil should also have become the 15th full member of Eso, further spreading the E-ELT's cost and making it more affordable for all nations.
The telescope should be ready for use by about 2022, and will be one of the key astronomical facilities of 21st Century, complementing other huge observatories that will view the sky at different wavelengths of light.
Voting positions
The E-ELT will detect objects in the visible and near-infrared. Its 39.3m main mirror will be more than four times the width of today's best optical telescopes (antennas for radio telescopes are still very much bigger).
Its sensitivity and resolution should make it possible to image directly rocky planets beyond our Solar System.
The observatory should also be able to provide major insights into the nature of black holes, galaxy formation, the mysterious "dark matter" that pervades the Universe, and the even more mysterious "dark energy" which appears to be pushing the cosmos apart at an accelerating rate.
At the Garching meeting, six nations (Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland) were in a position to declare their full support to proceed with the project; four nations (Belgium, Finland, Italy, and the United Kingdom) declared their support pending approval from their governments; and the remaining four (Denmark, France, Portugal, Spain) said they continued to work towards full approval.
The commitments from two-thirds of the members are sufficient at this stage to permit Eso to proceed with the project.
Prof Isobel Hook is the UK E-ELT project scientist from the University of Oxford. She said Monday's decision was hugely exciting.
"We've all been working towards this moment for a long time, and this decision means we're now just a few years away from using this telescope," she told BBC News.
"The E-ELT's great size will give us much sharper images, provided we can correct for atmospheric turbulence [which makes stars twinkle], and that will be part of the telescope's design. The E-ELT will also have a much larger collecting area than any telescope we have now. That combination of sharpness and collecting area is what will make it so powerful."
Eso CouncilEso member states took the historic decision at their council meeting in Garching, Germany
The telescope will be sited on Cerro Armazones, a mountain that is just 20km from Cerro Paranal where Eso currently operates its Very Large Telescope (VLT) facility - a suite of interconnected optical telescopes that includes four units with primary mirrors measuring 8.2m.
Like Paranal, Armazones will enjoy near-perfect observing conditions - at least 320 nights a year when the sky is cloudless.
The famous aridity found in Chile's Atacama desert means the amount of water vapour in the skies above the observatory will be very limited, reducing further the perturbation starlight experiences as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere.
One of the first tasks will be to remove the top of the mountain to make a flat base for the telescope and its housing, which will be the size of a football stadium.
Even before that work is undertaken, a road will need to be constructed on the slopes of Cerro Armazones to get heavy earth-moving equipment on site.
The funding for the road and some design work on the E-ELT's Number Four mirror was approved at last December's council meeting.
Europe at the front
Eso's principles require 90% of the funding to be in place before spending goes beyond the initial civil works.
The total cost of the venture is currently projected to be 1,083 million euros (at 2012 prices).
Prof Gerry Gilmore at Cambridge University played a key role in the early definition phases of the E-ELT, bringing together various competing ideas into a single project.
He told the BBC: "We all know the grand questions we want to ask - 'What is time? What is existence? What is reality? Is there life out there?'. And we know that we need technology to answer those questions. So, to see this technology being brought together in the E-ELT, with European leadership, is simply wonderful."

Colorado wildfire not contained and 'moving fast'


A fast-moving wildfire near Fort Collins in the US state of Colorado has scorched nearly 37,000 acres (14,973 hectares) of land, officials say.
The fire has not been contained and sheriff's officials described conditions as "concerning".
Hundreds of residents have been evacuated and 18 structures have been burned or damaged in the blaze.
Meanwhile, a wildfire in New Mexico has covered 25,600 acres and damaged or destroyed up to 35 structures.
In Colorado, more than 400 firefighters are on the scene, Nick Christensen, executive officer of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, told reporters.
Five heavy air tankers, helicopters and military aircraft are now combating the fire, he added.
The fire is moving rapidly at a pace of 1mph (1.6km/h) and homes have been damaged in the neighbourhoods of Rist Canyon, Stove Prairie, Paradise Park, Poudre Canyon and Poudre Park, he added.
Map of Colorado for wildfires
One person has been reported missing and is still unaccounted for, Mr Christensen said, adding that authorities were investigating the person's whereabouts.
The wildfires have generated dense smoke, which has spread as far as Nebraska, Texas and western Kansas, the Associated Press reported.
Officials in New Mexico also confirmed that hundreds of residents had been evacuated from the town of Ruidoso and have said the nearby town of Capitan could also face evacuation.
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez deployed 100 National Guard troops on both Saturday and Sunday to help with the evacuation effort.
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Barack Obama congratulates Republican rival Romney


Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada, 29 May 2012
President Barack Obama has called Mitt Romney, his challenger in November's election, to congratulate him on winning the Republican nomination.
The rival campaigns exchanged well wishes, a day after Mr Romney's easy victory in the Texas primary.
But his appearance alongside Donald Trump, who has been reviving long-discredited doubts about Mr Obama's US citizenship, stirred controversy.
Mr Romney is the first Mormon candidate to contest a presidential election.
'Brief and cordial'
On Tuesday, he amassed the majority of 1,144 delegates which is needed to be anointed as the Republican nominee at the party convention in Tampa, Florida in late August.
Picture of the White House taken with "With Mitt" app in Washington DC 30 May 2012
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said on Wednesday that the president had called Mr Romney to congratulate him on securing the Republican nomination.
"President Obama said that he looked forward to an important and healthy debate about America's future, and wished Governor Romney and his family well throughout the upcoming campaign," said Mr LaBolt.
A Romney campaign spokesman said that the call had been "brief and cordial".
"Governor Romney thanked the president for his congratulations and wished him and his family well," the official said.
Mr Romney, who has been the presumptive nominee for several weeks as his rivals withdrew, said in a statement on Tuesday that he was "honoured" and "humbled" to have wrapped up the Republican race.
As the Texas primary results came in, the former Massachusetts governor was attending a Las Vegas fundraiser with reality television personality Mr Trump, whose popularity among conservative Republicans prompted him to briefly flirt with a presidential run himself this year.
Although Mr Trump did not mention the "birther" conspiracy theory at Tuesday evening's event, he told CNBC hours earlier: "A lot of people are questioning [Mr Obama's Hawaiian] birth certificate. They're questioning the authenticity of his birth certificate."
Romney poll boost
Mr Romney has not repudiated Mr Trump's comments, though his aides have said the GOP nominee believes the president was born in the US.

Delegate totals

07501500
  • Mitt Romney
  • Rick Santorum
  • Newt Gingrich
  • Ron Paul
  • 1480
  • 267
  • 138
  • 137
A candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win
The swing voters who are expected to hold the key to victory in November's presidential election are likely to look askance at Mr Trump's rhetoric, correspondents say.
With opinion polls suggesting an extremely close race between Mr Romney and the Democratic president, the Republican candidate is holding a major fundraising event every day this week in the state of California.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Wednesday suggested that Mr Romney's appeal is rising, with 41% of respondents saying they had a positive impression of him, while 52% said the same of Mr Obama.
An earlier poll showed Mr Obama had a 52% rating against 35% for Mr Romney.
The Obama and Romney campaigns are expected to raise huge sums - perhaps as much as $1bn (£643m) each - in what may be the most lavish spending ever in a US presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, a spelling error embarrassed the Romney campaign as it released a photographic app that said "A Better Amercia".
The "With Mitt" application allows users to show their support by personalising a photo with an overlaid Romney slogan, but the typographic howler went viral on social networking websites.
As Mr Romney achieved his delegate majority, the Democratic National Committee released a video titled Mitt Romney: Little to Like.
The video highlights the Republican candidate's association with Mr Trump and also suggests that Mr Romney favours the wealthy.
This is Mr Romney's second bid for the White House, after he ran unsuccessfully in 2008.
His father, George Romney, a former Michigan governor, also ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in 1968.
Political pundits are now speculating who Mr Romney will pick as his vice-presidential running mate.

ICC staff 'moved to Libya jail'


Head of Zintan brigade Ajami Al-AteriAjami al-Ateri heads the Zintan brigade, which is holding Saif al-Islam Gaddafi
Four people from an International Criminal Court (ICC) delegation to Libya have been moved to jail, a militia brigade chief has told the BBC.
The four were detained on Thursday and will be held for 45 days pending investigation, Ajami al-Ateri said.
One of the delegation, lawyer Melinda Taylor, is accused of trying to pass documents to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
Saif al-Islam, son of deposed leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, has been held by the Zintan brigade since November.
The four had been moved to jail under orders from the attorney general's office and the defence ministry, Mr Ateri said.
He also told the BBC that protests would be held in Zintan calling for the delegation to be prosecuted.
The Libyan foreign ministry confirmed the 45-day detention period but said that the four were still being in a guest-house, the BBC's Rana Jawad reports from Tripoli.
Secret code
The Australian authorities say they are seeking consular access to Ms Taylor, an Australian citizen, as well as clarification on the circumstances of her detention.
"We are calling on the Libyan government to expedite the end of Ms Taylor's detention," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard told reporters.
Another ICC team arrived in Libya on Sunday to try to secure the delegation's release. Libyan officials say they are holding meetings with the team in Tripoli today and are hoping to visit the detainees in Zintan by tomorrow.
"I call on the Libyan authorities to immediately take all necessary measures to ensure their safety and security and to liberate them," ICC President Song Sang-hyun said.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi sitting in a plane in Zintan after his capture (November 19, 2011)Both the ICC and Libya want to put Saif al-Islam Gaddafi on trial for crimes under the former regime
Members of the brigade holding Saif al-Islam say the ICC team were carrying documents including a letter from a former confidante of his who is now in Egypt.
The letter contained drawings and symbols, a "code" that would only be understood by the sender and by Saif al-Islam himself, Ahmed al-Jehani, Libya's envoy to the ICC, told AFP news agency.
Saif al-Islam, who was captured last November by militiamen as he tried to flee the country, has been indicted by the ICC for crimes against humanity.
Libya's interim government has so far refused to hand him over for trial in the Netherlands - the seat of the ICC. Libya has insisted he should be tried by a Libyan court.
The stalemate appears to be getting more complicated by the minute for The Hague, our correspondent says.
Public opinion in Libya has been very critical of the ICC and this latest incident involving their staff, she adds.

French election: Socialists and allies win first round


The BBC's Christian Fraser: Mr Hollande is consolidating his grip on power

French President Francois Hollande's Socialists and their allies look set to emerge with a majority after first round voting in parliamentary elections, final results show.
Left-wing and green parties won more than 46% of the vote compared with 34% for the centre-right UMP party, interior ministry figures showed.
The outcome of the polls is expected to determine the extent and pace of reform under the newly elected French leader.
Run-offs are to be held next week.
The turnout nationwide was a modest 57%.
France's 46 million eligible voters have been picking representatives for 577 seats in the National Assembly.
After the first round, 36 seats out of 577 have been declared, according to figures published by the French interior ministry.
TNS Sofres, Ipsos and OpinonWay pollsters agreed the Socialists and their Green allies might win as few as 283 seats or potentially as many as 347. However, potential allies in the anti-capitalist Left Front would take 13-20 seats and ensure a majority.
Pacts
The Socialists have concluded electoral pacts with the smaller Europe Ecology, The Greens and the Radical Left Party.
Another potential coalition partner is the more radical Left Front, which brings together the Communist Party and the Left Party, and has fielded candidates in nearly all constituencies.
The Left Front, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon, won 6.9% of the vote.
Correspondents say the parties hope left-wing voters will unite around a single local candidate; and that afterwards the parties will be able to combine to form a majority in parliament.

Analysis

When you look at the left bloc as a whole, they have more support than the right, they will have a majority in the new parliament and that will ensure that Mr Hollande can force through the ambitious tax and spend policies that he has set out.
There is certainly a downturn in support for the conservative UMP. It is a symbolic win for the left, they hold the Senate, key regional administrations and now also the lower assembly so he has considerable power to push through these reforms.
It is a win for Mr Hollande, but not perhaps as big a win - symbolically - as he might have wanted. He is only neck and neck with the UMP - and will need the support of allies on the left and, perhaps, even the support of the Left Front, the far-left party.
They are eurosceptic and anti-globalisation and could cause problems for him, particularly when it comes to spending cuts that he will have to enact if he is to meet the promises he set out to Brussels and to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
On the right, the UMP - the party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy - has concluded an electoral agreement with its centrist Radical Party and New Centre allies.
But the far-right National Front has ruled out any pact with the UMP.
The election saw a surge in support for Marine Le Pen's National Front, which won almost 14% of votes - way beyond the 4% it achieved in the last parliamentary election of 2007.
However, under France's first-past-the-post system, that would give the party only three parliamentary seats at best and possibly none at all.
The BBC's Christian Fraser, in Paris, says it is hard to predict accurately what the final tallies will be before next week's decisive round of voting. In many constituencies, there will be a three way run-off.
But with the Senate already under the control of the Socialists, it appears that Mr Hollande will also have a majority in the lower house - even if only with the support of allies - which would give him unprecedented power to force through his reform programme.
Mr Hollande's government is due to present a revised budget plan to parliament next month.
The result of the parliamentary election will determine the pace of reform and how radical it becomes, our correspondent says.
"It's a good result tonight... but we have to remain mobilised for the second round," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, an influential Socialist, was quoted by news agency AP as saying.
It was a big night for Ms Le Pen on a personal level, our correspondent says.
The firebrand leader of the hard left Mr Melenchon had challenged Ms Le Pen for the seat in the northern town of Henin Beaumont. In the end, he finished third and last night withdrew from the second round race.
"It is normal to be disappointed but we must not be defeated," Mr Melenchon said as he bowed out.
The far right has not held any seats in parliament since the 1980s. The electoral system may yet deny them a seat - but, adds our correspondent, the National Front is now by some margin the third biggest party in French politics.