Polls open in Benin presidential election

Polls opened in Benin on Sunday in an election to replace President Thomas Boni Yayi who is stepping down after two terms, leaving 33 candidates to vie for power in the small West African nation. Leading the field is Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, a former economist and investment banker backed by the president and the main opposition Democratic Renewal Party. Benin produces cotton but its economy is flagging, in part because a fall in oil prices has hit its giant neighbour Nigeria.