Guinea-Bissau president dies

Guinea-Bissau's President Malam Bacai Sanha, who took office in September 2009, has passed away in Paris after a lengthy hospitalization. Guinea-Bissau authorities did not reveal the cause of Sanha's death but the 64-year-old was known to have had diabetes, and had undergone medical treatment in France and neighboring Senegal. The country's National radio broadcasted the news of president Sanha's death on Monday afternoon. An official at Guinea-Bissau's embassy in Paris said Sanha died Monday morning at the Val de Grace hospital where he was under treatment for an unspecified ailment for about a month. The chief of the National Assembly, Raimundo Pereira, is likely to head the transitional government until new elections can be held. Pereira served as interim head of state after the 2009 assassination of ex-President Joao Bernardo "Nino" Vieira. The country has declared seven days of mourning for the deceased president.