Paris - A poll released on Monday showed that French President Nicolas Sarkozy's forceful handling of the financial crisis and his calls to reform capitalism have given his popularity a substantial boost.

According to the survey, which was conducted by the Viavoice institute for the daily Liberation, 48 per cent of respondents said they had a "positive opinion" of Sarkozy, a jump of 8 percentage points over one month ago and his best showing since January.

Sarkozy's popularity surge was due in large part to left-wing voters, among whom he gained 10 points, to a positive rating of 29 per cent.

London, November 10 : Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who is dating ‘Pussycat Doll’s Nicole Scherzinger, is scared of his girlfriend’s driving – because she drives too fast.

The ace racer, who has been dating the 23-year-old since they met at last year’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Germany, was branded a “speed angel” by Scherzinger who revealed her beau’s fright when she drove.

“I have a Bentley but Lewis isn’t keen to be alongside me. Lewis is a speed angel, but I’m a speed demon,” the Sun quoted her as saying.

Gorleben, Germany - Accompanied by a huge police escort, a convoy of trucks was to carry 100 tons of glass-encased nuclear waste Monday 20 kilometres across German countryside to a secure storage warehouse.

On Saturday and Sunday there had been mayhem in the district as violent protesters invaded tracks in a bid to stop a train bringing the waste from La Hague, France. Near the border, three protesters had chained themselves to concrete blocks under a track.

The train reached the railhead in the town of Dannenberg early Monday, 14 hours late, and cranes began carefully shifting the 11 containers onto the trucks.

London, November 10 : Mariah Carey, who recently met up with ‘X-Factor’ contestants to boost their confidence, had the staff sighing hands in frustration with her “diva” tantrums, according to sources.

The singer apparently arrived six hours behind schedule, followed by 25 flunkies, and complained that her dressing room was not of sufficient standards.

“I’d heard that Mariah was bad, but thought it was just rumours. Boy, was I wrong,” the Sun quoted a source as saying.

London, November 10 : Ex ‘Atomic Kitten’ singer Kerry Katona has confessed for the first time that she is an ‘alcoholic’, and that she was constantly battling her booze addiction.

The pop artist, who won ITV1''s “I''m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!” in 2004, admitted that she had been struggling with her condition for some time.

Washington, Nov 10 : Veteran actor Jon Voight has expressed his desire to work with his daughter, Angelina Jolie, and son, James Haven, in a movie before he dies.