Radical left party Syriza swept to power in Greece on Sunday promising to end years of painful austerity policies, in an election victory that puts the country on a collision course with the EU and international creditors. In a result that exceeded analysts' expectations, Syriza and its 40-year-old leader Alexis Tsipras won 149 seats in the 300-seat Greek parliament, just two short of an absolute majority, with most of the votes counted. The New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the former party of government, was routed and reduced to around 76 seats. Syriza will become the first anti-austerity party to take power in Europe and Tsipras will be Greece's youngest prime minister in 150 years.

By Costas Pitas and James Mackenzie ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek leftwing leader Alexis Tsipras will move on Monday to build a stable government that can take on international lenders and reverse years of painful austerity following a crushing election victory by his Syriza party. Fresh from his defeat of conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the 40-year-old Tsipras will meet the head of the small Independent Greeks party which, like Syriza, opposes Greece's bailout deal. Syriza won 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament in Sunday's election, two short of an absolute majority, but the result marked a comprehensive rejection of the years of austerity demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund in return for the 240 billion-euro bailout.

NEW DELHI (AP) — President Barack Obama is presiding over a grand display of Indian military hardware, marching bands and elaborately dressed camels as chief guest at India's annual Republic Day festivities.