General Politics

Gamblers get Australian election outcome right

AustraliaSydney - Yet again, opinion polls got the result of an Australian state election wrong and gamblers got it right.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh was Sunday celebrating an historic fifth electoral victory for her underdog Labor Party, as the favoured the Liberal National Party was left wondering how the pollsters could get it so wrong.

Centrebet spokesman Neil Evans said the "smartest" money had been on Labor all along and 16 of the 20 biggest wagers had been for the incumbent to win - despite the pundits predicting their removal from power in Saturday's vote.

1ST LEAD: Slovak premier backs incumbent on election day

 Slovak premier backs incumbent on election dayPrague  - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico Saturday threw his support behind presidential election front-runner President Ivan Gasparovic as Slovaks voted for their new head of state.

Campaigning has been banned in Slovakia since Thursday morning, but Fico made the remarks in the neighbouring Czech Republic capital Prague.

Speaking to a congress of the opposition Czech Social Democratic Party, Fico said that any elections - be they for a party leader or a president - call for continuity at a time of the economic crisis.

AIG bonuses higher than previously reported, reports official

AIG bonuses higher than previously reported, reports official Washington - Bonuses paid to top officials at ailing insurer American International Group Inc (AIG) were higher than previously reported, a Connecticut state prosecutor told CNN Saturday.

AIG employees received 218 million dollars in bonuses in recent months, higher than the 165 million dollars previously reported, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal told the broadcaster, citing information he'd gathered from subpoenaed documents.

2ND ROUNDUP: Hungarian premier resigns, says new government needed

Hungarian premier resigns, says new government neededBudapest  - Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany announced his resignation on Saturday, saying a new government with a new leader was needed to tackle his country's economic meltdown.

Hungary's main opposition party, Fidesz, promptly repeated its call for early elections, announcing that it plans to present a motion to dissolve parliament on Monday. If that motion is carried, it would complicate Gyurcsany's goal of passing his position on to another member of his party.

ROUNDUP: Slovaks head to polls in presidential election

Slovaks head to polls in presidential election Bratislava/Prague - Slovaks are voting for their new head of state on Saturday, in an election that is likely to turn into a duel between the centre-left government and the right-wing opposition.

The race is led by incumbent President Ivan Gasparovic, 67, who is supported by the very popular prime minister, Robert Fico. Gasparovic's campaign has made heavy use of the association during the race.

Fico voiced his support for the incumbent as polls opened.

ROUNDUP: Hungarian premier resigns over economic crisis

Hungarian premier resigns over economic crisisBudapest  - Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany announced his resignation on Saturday, saying a new government with a new leader was needed to tackle his country's economic meltdown.

Hungary has been particularly hard hit by the global recession and Gyurcsany has seen his personal popularity hit a rock bottom of 18 per cent - the lowest for any Hungarian premier since the fall of communism.

At a congress of his Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) in Budapest, the deeply unpopular premier spoke of the need for a wider social consensus to tackle the crisis.

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