International News
South Africa’s Top Court Hears Critical Zuma’s Election Case
South Africa’s top court was hearing an appeal on Friday to have former president Jacob Zuma declared ineligible to stand for office in a politically charged legal showdown set to raise tensions before the tightest election in decades.
Zuma, 82, is fronting uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new opposition party that has become a potential disrupter in the May 29 general ballot.
But electoral authorities have argued the graft-tainted politician should be barred from the race because of a 2021 contempt of court conviction.
The Constitutional Court in Johannesburg is called to decide on the matter after a lower court sided with Zuma in April.
Coming only weeks before what is expected to be the most competitive vote since the advent of democracy in 1994, the case has made some observers nervous.
Zuma’s jailing in 2021 triggered a wave of unrest, riots and looting that left more than 350 people dead.
There are fears of a repeat.
“Zuma’s supporters have threatened violence again this year should things not go their way,” said Zakhele Ndlovu, a politics lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
A few dozen MK activists, wearing the party’s green and black colours, chanted and danced outside the court in a show of support for Zuma.
Some held signs reading “Vote MK party”.
Inside, wearing a blue suit and tie, the spectacled politician sat behind his lawyers as they made their case.
Much of the morning was spent debating a request by Zuma’s legal team that six judges recuse themselves as “tainted by bias”.
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The court eventually dismissed the application, providing no motivation.
Many in the former president’s camp see the Constitutional Court as partisan.
It is the same court that in 2021 sentenced Zuma to 15 months in prison after he refused to testify to a panel investigating financial corruption and cronyism during his presidency.
And the head of that panel is now the court’s chief justice.
The case revolves around the interpretation of a constitutional norm barring anyone sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment from serving in parliament.
The ban lapses five years after the sentence is completed.
The electoral commission (IEC) argued the provision applies to Zuma.
But the political veteran’s lawyers successfully contended before the electoral court that it does not, for his sentence did not allow for an appeal and was shortened by a remission.
Legal experts said it might take a few days to reach a final verdict.
‘Clarity’ needed
Ben Winks, a lawyer specialising in constitutional law said the IEC had a strong case on appeal.
“The wording of the constitution… does not talk about how long you served,” he noted.
Zuma was freed on medical parole just two months into his term.
His new party came out of nowhere to become one of the main contenders in the election.
Banking on Zuma’s popularity, MK is expected to cut into the vote share of the embattled ruling African National Congress (ANC) — the ex-president’s former political home.
This could push the ANC towards a return of below 50 percent for the first time in a national vote.
Short of a parliamentary majority, it would be forced to seek coalition partners to remain in power.
The ANC is struggling in opinion polls in the context of a weak economy and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
An Ipsos poll last month put it at 40.2 percent, with the liberal Democratic Alliance on 21.9 percent and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters 11.5 percent.
MK followed on 8.4 percent.
Announcing the appeal last month, the IEC said it did not intend to “involve itself in the political field of play” but sought “clarity” to “ensure free and fair elections”.
South Africans are called to elect a new parliament, which then appoints the president.
AFP
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Premier League is the top league in terms of player contributions to the 2026 World Cup, sending 162 players to the 48-team tournament.
With the World Cup squad lists finalized, and despite last-minute withdrawals due to injury, such as Belardi from Argentina and Kahr from Germany, it can be concluded that the Premier League is once again leading the world’s major leagues. England’s top flight has solidified its position as the largest source of players for the 48 World Cup teams.
As of June 7th, out of the 1244 confirmed selected players, 13% play in the Premier League, totaling 162 individuals, with 5 clubs contributing at least 10 players each.
Manchester City leads the clubs contributing national team players to the World Cup with 19 players. Following closely among English teams are Arsenal with 16, Manchester United with 12, Crystal Palace with 12, and Liverpool with 11. The English top flight has once again proven its representation in football, and this advantage is now reflected on the World Cup stage.
Although there is a gap with the Premier League, the Bundesliga is still the second-highest contributor of players to the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Specifically, 100 participating players currently play in the Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich being the largest contributor from the Bundesliga, with 17 players selected. Borussia Dortmund contributed 11 players. In recent years, the Bundesliga’s global influence has continuously increased, with Hoffenheim having 9 World Cup players and Eintracht Frankfurt having 8.
Without Barcelona, La Liga’s presence would be much smaller. Including Gündoğan, Barcelona will have 16 players participating in the World Cup, making it one of the clubs contributing the most players to this World Cup. La Liga has a total of 81 players selected, only half that of the Premier League. After Barcelona, Atlético Madrid is the Spanish club with the most players contributed, with 12, surpassing Real Madrid’s 10, as Real Madrid also suffers from the impact of a poor season performance.
Ligue 1 has a total of 78 players participating in the World Cup, with Paris Saint-Germain accounting for a large proportion. Among these 78 players, nearly 20% come from this newly crowned European champion, specifically 15 players. Following Paris Saint-Germain among Ligue 1 clubs are Lille and Nice, both with 8 players selected.
Italy once had the best league in the world, and now Serie A contributes 66 players to this most important football event, which is also related to the Italian team missing the World Cup for the third consecutive time. AC Milan, which finished fifth in Serie A, is the Italian club with the most World Cup players, with 10.
Another data point that demonstrates the strength of English football is that the EFL Championship, England’s second-tier league after the Premier League, has 36 players participating in the World Cup, which is more than the total of other major European second-tier leagues, such as the 2. Bundesliga with 6, Ligue 2 with 6, Serie B with 5, and Segunda División with 5. In fact, the Championship is among the top ten leagues contributing the most World Cup players, even higher than the Brazilian and Dutch leagues.
June 5th, Transfermarkt updated. The new market values of Barcelona players. Three players increased and nine decreased, with Raphinha dropping by 10 million to 70 million euros.
Increase (Euros)
Joan-Garcia increased by 5 million to 45 million
Eric-Garcia increased by 5 million to 40 million
Gerard-Martin increased by 10 million to 35 million
Decrease (Euros)
Raphinha decreased by 10 million to 70 million
Kounde decreased by 5 million to 60 million
Balde decreased by 5 million to 50 million
De Jong decreased by 10 million to 35 million
Casado decreased by 2 million to 18 million
Christensen decreased by 1 million to 8 million
Cancelo decreased by 1 million to 8 million
Lewandowski decreased by 1 million to 7 million
Szczesny decreased by 100,000 to 800,000
Unchanged (Euros)
Yamal 200 million
Pedri 150 million
Fermin 100 million
Cubarsi 80 million
Olmo 60 million
Ferran Torres 50 million
Rashford 40 million
Gavi 30 million
Bernal 30 million
Araujo 20 million
Bardghji 15 million
Bitcoin dropped below $60,000 on Friday, its lowest level since October 2024, just before Donald Trump’s election which propelled it to a record high.
The currency fell by about 6 percent around 1615 GMT, to $59.7709, before paring its losses slightly.
The election of Trump, a staunch advocate of cryptocurrencies, to the White House in November 2024 for a second term sparked a wave of enthusiasm in the sector, sending the price of bitcoin soaring to nearly $110,000.
AFP
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