France began voting on Sunday in a presidential run-off ballot pitting the right-wing son of an Hungarian immigrant against a Socialist bidding to become France’s first woman president. Combative former interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy was favourite to win after opinion surveys conducted on the eve of polling gave him a commanding 10-point lead over Ségolène Royal
In a hangar in the south of France, a burst of violins and dramatic drum rolls marked the arrival of France’s most charismatic political showman. At his final gathering before Sunday’s presidential election, the right-wing Nicolas Sarkozy stood surveying his thousands of supporters draped in French football shirts, flags, or face-paint.
Carlos the Jackal, one of the most notorious armed militants of the 1970s and 1980s, will be tried in France for four attacks that killed 11 people and injured almost 200 others in the 1980s, a justice official said on Friday. Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere granted prosecutors’ request that Carlos, a Venezuelan whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, be tried for the attacks.
France risks violence and brutality if right-wing front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy wins Sunday’s presidential election, Socialist opponent Ségolène Royal said on Friday. On the last day of official campaigning, opinion polls showed Sarkozy enjoyed a commanding lead over Royal.
The Eastern Cape African National Congress’s call for President Thabo Mbeki to retain the party’s presidency for a third term moved to the national stage this week when all ANC provincial secretaries gathered for a one-day meeting on Thursday in Bloemfontein to discuss the party’s presidential succession battle.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Vusi Pikoli has warned against ongoing ”attacks” on the NPA by the African National Congress (ANC) and its affiliates. NPA spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said in a statement on Thursday that Pikoli had issued his warning during a briefing to the National Assembly’s justice committee on Wednesday.
South Africa’s Sasol, the world’s top coal-to-liquids maker, will hedge 45 000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) or 30% of its synthetic fuels production for its 2008 financial year. Under the hedge, Sasol has a floor price of ,40 per barrel, based on monthly average dated Brent crude oil prices.
It’s triple play Telkom. South Africa’s telecoms operator may have become synonymous with excessive pricing for broadband and voice services, but the fixed-line monoÂpoly has plans to become a one-stop news, communication and entertainment shop. Soon you will be able to turn to Telkom for all your sporting, movie, music, news, communication and entertainment needs.
His name doesn’t appear on any ballots, but when Britain’s voters go to the polls on Thursday, Prime Minister Tony Blair will be facing the electorate for the last time. Many see the local elections as a final popular verdict on Blair’s premiership, which is expected to end in the coming weeks.
While South Africa’s trade deficit widened further in March, there are continuing signs of improved export performance, analysts said on Monday. According to the South African Revenue Service on Monday, South Africa’s trade deficit widened by a further R2,75-billion in March, similar to February’s deficit of R2,66-billion.