PARIS: France's right-wing parties,
led by former president Nicolas
Sarkozy, edged out the far-right
National Front to take first place in
local elections, in a crucial test
ahead of 2017 presidential elections.
The conservative alliance, including
Sarkozy's opposition UMP, took 32.5
per cent of the vote according to the
latest polls, ahead of the governing
Socialist Party led by much maligned
President Francois Hollande.
TOKYO: Indonesian President Joko
Widodo says China's claims to the
majority of the South China Sea have
"no legal foundation in international
law," Japan's Yomiuri newspaper
reported.
The comments, in an interview
published on Sunday ahead of visits
to Japan and China this week, were
the first time Widodo, who took
office in October, has taken a
position on the South China Sea
dispute.
LONDON: Iran's top leader voiced
mistrust on Saturday of U.S. efforts
to reach a nuclear deal, even as
Washington and its allies spoke of
real progress and urged Tehran to
take "difficult decisions".