SUPPORTERS OF defeated socialist presidential candidate Ségolène Royal are shattered after election results show that right-wing Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidential poll by a convincing 53% of the votes.
AT HOME
Spur continues with plans to open restaurants in the UK despite being embroiled in a legal wrangle with former partner Trinity Leisure over who holds the master franchise to the brand in the UK and Ireland.
Anglo American sells its remaining 29,2% interest in Highveld Steel & Vanadium to Russian steel group Evraz for R1,65bn.
Figures released last week by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA show new car sales dropped by almost 16% from a year earlier to 25 912 units.
The Reserve Bank says the country's net gold and foreign exchange reserves have risen to US$24,59bn at the end of April from $23,97bn at the end of March.
SA's energy regulator, Nersa, says Eskom has been granted a licence to build the country's first coal-fired power station in over 20 years. The station, in Limpopo, consists of six units with a 4 500 MW installed capacity.
ABROAD
ABN Amro rejects a US$24,5bn offer from a Royal Bank of Scotland-led consortium for the Dutch bank's US operation LaSalle. The rejection appears to have crippled the consortium's plan to scupper ABN's planned merger with Barclays.
Reuters, the UK-listed news and data provider, acknowledges receiv ing an offer from Thomson Corporation, the Canadian owner of Thomson Financial - a smaller rival to Reuters.
A UN panel of top climate scientists warns that the world has until 2020 to reverse the trend of rising greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the most dangerous effects of climate change.
An investigation by law firm Debevoise & Plimpton reveals a "general practice" of paying bribes across much of Siemens. The company has been thrown into turmoil by bribery allegations which forced group chairman Heinrich von Pierer and CE Klaus Kleinfeld to resign.
SPORT
The Sharks beat the Stormers and the Bulls thrash the Queensland Reds to set up two Super 14 home semifinals for SA teams. The Sharks finish at the head of the round-robin league with wing J P Pietersen the competition's top try scorer.
Mamelodi Sundowns are on course for a league-cup double after defeating Silver Stars in the Absa Cup semifinal. They will face Ajax in the final.
Manchester United win the UK's Premier League Championship - their 16th national title - after closest rivals and defending champions Chelsea fail to defeat Arsenal.
J P Pietersen
