This and that

Arafat : Mahmoud Abbas is likely to be Fatah's candidate for president of the PA (FT, 13 Nov).

Sarkozy is opposed to the headscarf ban. Dominique de Villepin, who Chirac is grooming as a rival, is in favour, according to The Times, Thursday. Alain Madelin spoke after the US election of excessive anti-Americanism in France. He is sympathetic towards Sarkozy. 'Most liberals do not recognize themselves in Chirac's policies. ...Because of its anti-liberalism, the French right is more and more isolated in Europe. He cites as examples of this anti-liberalism, the 35-hour week, an unprecedented rise in the minimum wage, the use of subsidies to combat délocalisation (the loss of jobs to foreign competition). He also opposes the entry of Turkey into the EU (Le Figaro, 14 Sep).

Afghanistan, then and now : elections to the Wolesi Jirgah (House of the People) in 1965 were by universal suffrage of all Afghans over the age of 20. Women were allowed to vote. 6 women candiadates stood and 4 were elected (Griffiths, P148 , 2001 ed.)