
Paris: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made the Paris spectators happy when he recovered from a first-set loss to move into the second round of the French Open on Sunday's first day. Minutes later, Nicolas Mahut doubled the home fans' delight when he joined his fellow Frenchman in the next round after a four-set defeat of American Andy Roddick. World number five Tsonga, the highest seed in action on the opening day, beat...

12:00 AM, May 28, 2012

London/Mumbai: Vodafone Chief Executive Vittorio Colao ramped up the rhetoric in his fight with the Indian government on Tuesday, accusing the country of deterring foreign investment but warning that he would not walk away. The result, the company said, was that it was now unlikely to float shares in the business this year. "There has been widespread concern in India and in the world about this," Colao said. "It is...

12:51 AM, May 23, 2012

Paris: Socialist Francois Hollande took over as France's President on Tuesday and jetted off to Berlin hours later for talks on Europe's debt crisis - only to have his plane struck by lightning. No one was hurt. It was a startling beginning for a man who promised to be a more "normal" President, and less flashy than his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, who was ousted by voters after a single term...

01:02 AM, May 16, 2012

Paris: Francois Hollande became the President of France after a ceremony on Tuesday at the Elysee Palace in central Paris - the country's first Socialist leader since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995. Hollande, 57, was elected to a five-year term earlier this month after voters ousted incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy after only one term. Voters were disappointed over Sarkozy's handling of France's economy - which has high unemployment and low...

03:25 PM, May 15, 2012

London: Parents at a children's party in an Australian school were left stunned to discover the treats on offer were shaped like bums and breasts. The X-rated chocolates -- which also came in the form of men's privates and a couple having sex -- were handed out to youngsters at a Mother's Day event at the school, The Sun reported. Cassandra Lacey, a mother of two kids, said: "Every single...

12:49 AM, May 15, 2012

Francois Hollande swept to victory in France's presidential election on Sunday in a swing to the left at the heart of Europe and promised to start a pushback against German-led austerity policies. ...

09:21 PM, May 07, 2012

Paris: Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande who defeated incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy in Sunday's decisive presidential runoff in France, has never held a government post at the national level. The bespectacled Hollande will be the second left-wing president, after Francois Mitterrand, founder of the French Socialist Party, served two seven-year terms as president from 1981. He is regarded by many as an affable moderate whose quiet -- some even say...

11:47 AM, May 07, 2012

US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron have congratulated Francois Hollande on his win. ...

08:39 AM, May 07, 2012

Paris: France handed the presidency on Sunday to leftist Francois Hollande, a champion of government stimulus programs who says the state should protect the downtrodden - a victory that could deal a death blow to the drive for austerity that has been the hallmark of Europe in recent years. Mild and affable, the president-elect inherits a country deep in debt and divided over how to integrate immigrants while preserving its...

05:38 AM, May 07, 2012

Paris: Polling agency projections suggest Socialist Francois Hollande has won France's presidential election against conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. A Hollande victory could change how Europe tackles its debt crisis - with more stimulus and less austerity. Partial official results also showed Hollande ahead. More details awaited. ...

11:49 PM, May 06, 2012

New Delhi: Tata Group is the only Indian entity which has managed to find a place in the list of ten best companies for leadership in Asia, according to a study by management consultancy giant Hay Group. The Tata Group is at the fifth position among ten best companies for leadership in Asia list, which has been topped by Samsung Group followed by Toyota Motors and Unilever at the second...

05:18 PM, May 06, 2012

Paris: Overseas voters cast early ballots on the eve of an election expected to make Francois Hollande France's first Socialist leader in two decades, despite polls showing President Nicolas Sarkozy clawing back some ground. Sunday's election, which coincides with parliamentary polls in Greece, may prove decisive for Europe as Hollande has pledged to temper a German-led austerity drive and reorient the recession-stricken euro zone towards growth. A limited number of...

04:58 AM, May 06, 2012

Paris: Conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy made an impassioned final appeal to voters on Friday, saying that a Socialist victory could send France spiralling the way of Greece, as polls showed him narrowing his challenger's lead two days before the vote. Final opinion polls put Francois Hollande's advantage at as little as four points. But Sarkozy faced an uphill battle after Hollande turned in a polished performance in their only television...

03:04 AM, May 05, 2012

Paris: French President Nicolas Sarkozy appealed directly to far right voters on Monday with pledges to get tough on immigration and security, after a record showing in a first round election by the National Front made them potential kingmakers. Polls show centre-right leader Sarkozy on course to become the first French president to lose a bid for re-election in more than 30 years, trailing Socialist challenger Francois Hollande ahead of...

05:32 AM, Apr 24, 2012

Paris: President Nicolas Sarkozy has challenged socialist Francois Hollande, who won the first round of France's presidential poll, to hold three public debates with him before the second round of the vote. "I propose that three debates be organised. The French have the right to truth and clarity," Sarkozy said Sunday, challenging Hollande. Hollande won the first round of France's presidential poll, setting up a run-off with Sarkozy who came...

01:44 PM, Apr 23, 2012