Latest update: 24/04/2009 

Press Review
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FRANCE 24 journalists present some highlights from the world's daily papers.
By Clovis CASALI (text)

 

Mail and Guardian (South Africa)
“It’s Z Time”
 
 It’s time for ANC leader Jacob Zuma to take power. The South African newspaper wonders why the opposition failed to seriously challenge the ANC, especially the COPE party.
 
 
One main reason was their inability to win new voters. The party was invisible in townships and villages where most South Africans live. Their campaign only focused on the rich and educated, a huge mistake since elections are not won by preaching to the converted.
 
The rise of the opposition vote was just enough to prevent a landslide victory for Zuma. Here again, the COPE party is criticised for having been over-confident. In contrast, the Democratic Alliance Party led by white liberal Helen Zille now appears as the main opposition party, solidly increasing its percentage of the votes. They attracted significant numbers of disenchanted black voters. Only an alliance between the COPE and the DA could present the ANC with serious opposition in the future.
 
A University professor from Perpignan told the French newspaper he witnessed several cases of corruption involving Chinese students. One actually put 500 euros on his desk in an attempt to get the extra few points he needed to obtain his diploma. The teacher refused the money but he says some of his colleagues probably accepted. With a series of cartoons, Le Parisien explains how some Chinese students managed to make their way into the French university system without the required qualifications. Back in China they give around 2,000 euros to an agency, then they take a French oral or written exam: with fraud possible in both cases. According to the newspaper some also fake visa papers. Finally they arrive in France without knowing much of the language, making it virtually impossibly to pass the exams.
 
Yesterday brought the annoucement of  the official line-up for this year’s Canne's Film Festival and “it reads like a festival hall of fame” . Ken Loach’s fairytale 'Looking for Eric' is nominated for the Palme d’Or and no doubt in May all eyes will be on former Manchester United player Eric Antona, who appears in the film. Some former winners of the Palme d’Or are hoping for a sequel, especially Quentin Tarantino. Fifteen years after 'Pulp Fiction', he’s back with a spaghetti western, 'Inglourious Basterds'.
 
Michelle Obama’s love for organic food has infuriated the Mid America CropLife Association. It has sent her the First Lady an angry letter asking her to reconsider her views on pesticides. It seems very unlikely it will have any effect on her position.

 
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