Two a penny

.Battling Rafael Nadal has moved into the Paris Masters quarter-finals with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over Tommy Robredo, underlining his threat to unseat Roger Federer as world number one by the end of the season.
With Federer a shock loser to Frenchman Julien Benneteau, a win for Nadal in the final would leave him just 305 points adrift of his arch rival with the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals to come in London later this month.
Nadal ended Federer’s long reign as world number one after winning the Beijing Olympics last year, but Federer bounced back to regain the top spot in July after winning both the French Open and Wimbledon titles.
Robredo even served for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set, but once again Nadal produced his best with his back to the wall to pull through by winning the final three games of the match.
Nadal needed to save five match points to get past Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro in a second round marathon of over three hours, and he wobbled again against Robredo, another countryman and a player he had beaten in straight sets in all five of their previous encounters.
The Scot, who won a season-best sixth title in Valencia last weekend, was taken to 1:45am (local time) the night before in defeating James Blake 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-4).
Joining Federer on the sidelines though was fourth seed Andy Murray, who found two matches in one day too much to handle as he lost 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.
“I said last night it was going to be difficult to come back and feel 100 per cent.
“But you still come out and you try to give it your best shot. It’s obviously limited recovery after a long match,” he said.”
Nikolay Davydenko meanwhile became the seventh player to qualify for the eight-man London Tour Finals, despite losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to Sweden’s Robin Soderling in another third round match. [I] wasn’t good enough.
But then Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, who was holding on to the eighth and final slot, lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Marin Cilic of Croatia.
Placed seventh in the standings coming into Paris, the loss briefly left the Russian at the mercy of the four other players in with a chance of playing in London from November 22-29.
His defeat meant that Davydenko was assured of finishing the week no lower than eighth, which stamped his ticket for London.
His defeat meant that Davydenko was assured of finishing the week no lower than eighth, which stamped his ticket for London.
The match was evenly poised, with Gonzalez having taken the first set 7-6 (8-6), before Del Potro hit back with an identical scoreline in the second set.
Chilean Fernando Gonzalez dropped out of the race when he pulled out injured in his third-round match against Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.
Next up for him, with a place in the semi-finals at stake, will be third seed Novak Djokovic, who cruised past French qualifier Arnaud Clement 6-2, 6-2 in 75 minutes.
Soderling, who reached the French Open final the last time he was in Paris in June, will still have to at least reach the final at Bercy to have any chance of making it through to London.
He is also eager to win his first Masters Series title of the year, having lost in four finals.
The 2008 Australian Open champion from Serbia, last year’s Tour Finals winner, is seeking to lift back-to-back titles following his win in Basel last week, where he beat Federer in the final.
“He is a big server and is having the best year of his career.
“Robin has a chance to qualify for the Masters Cup so he will give his best in the quarter-finals,” Djokovic said.”
Benneteau, who said his win over the world number one Federer was the best moment of his career, failed to carry his form through, losing 6-4, 6-3 to compatriot Gael Monfils. .
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.Kangaroos stalwart Petero Civoniceva admits the Australian pack needs to step up if it is to walk away with the silverware from the Four Nations final on November 14.
While the Kangaroos still need to beat winless France in Paris this weekend to confirm a spot in the Elland Road decider, Civoniceva says the tournament favourites have failed to impose themselves up front against either New Zealand or England.
New Zealand intimidated the Australian forwards with some brutal defence in their drawn tournament opener, while the Kangaroos struggled to contain the much bigger English pack when they started to get a bit of ball in the second half of Saturday’s 26-16 win in Wigan.
Those two sides will battle it out on Saturday for the other final berth.
“They had all the momentum and probably if the game went a little bit longer it could have got a bit scary.
“Those latter stages it started to get a bit hairy, but full credit to the boys for hanging in,” he said of the England game, when the hosts came back from 26-0 down at half-time.
“To a man we all knew we probably let ourselves down with what happened against the Kiwis. .”
The match was only the second Civoniceva has played since late June after damaging his toe in Queensland’s Origin II win in Sydney.
“We weren’t too far off the mark, but physically they certainly set the standard and we had to come out and match England up front where they’re very strong.
The France game would normally be one where the elder statesman of the Kangaroos pack would be expected to get the night off.
The 33-year-old admitted to struggling with his fitness late in the game, a factor which will probably see him get another run against France in Toulouse before the final.
“I’ll definitely put my hand up [to play against France] – if the results were a bit more dominant I might have got a rest,” he said.
But the need for match fitness is likely to be the deciding factor – plus the fact the 38-Test veteran needs to play to be able to break Johnny Raper’s record for most appearances in the green and gold by a forward.
“We were on the back foot, we were defending back to back sets but overall I was pretty happy.
“I probably hit the wall a little bit [against England].”
– AAP

.French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of spending $400,000 of taxpayers’ money on a luxury shower that was never used. .
A spokesman for the French government said the $400,000 was spent on renovating more than just the shower.
It was custom-built for Mr Sarkozy, with power and massage jet buttons and surround-sound radio.
The French Court of Accounts put the total cost at $280 million.
The French European Union presidency, which ran from July to December 2008, was one of the most expensive in history.

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Kiwis heading into Labour Weekend have been warned to expect mixed weather, and told to take care on the roads.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce issued a statement today calling formotorists to take care on the roads over the long weekend.

”Please act responsibly to ensure your own safety as well as that of your passengers and other road users.

More people were choosing to holiday in New Zealand this year and the roads will be unusually busy, he said.”

In the lower North Island, the New Zealand Transport Agencyclosednorthbound passing lanes on State Highway 1 at Waikanae and Te Horo from midday todaybecause of expected heavy traffic.

”Enjoy the weekend break but please use commonsense and patience on the road. The delays were due to a minor crash close to Waikanae.

However, police said shortly after 4pm that traffic was already extremely heavy between Paraparaumu and Waikanae and, at times, not moving at all. But the southbound passing lane north of Otaki will be closed on Monday for the same reason.

The Waikanae and Te Horo passing lanes willbe reopened late on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Sergeant Kris Burbery of the Central District Highway Patrol said additional units would be drafted in for the weekend.

Police are also planning a heavier presence north of Wellington.

Meanwhile, Metservice forecaster Ian Gall said the remnants of a cold southerly wind were easing over the country and were expected to give way to temperatures from 16 to 20 degrees across the country for the start of Labour weekend.Police will betargeting speed and alcohol related offences, as well as the behaviour of drivers around passing lanes and intersections.

“We’re getting rid of cool times so generally speaking we’re going to see maximums in the top half of the tens.

“Nationwide we’re talking about mostly fine weather, possibly a few afternoon showers in a few places and quite a lot of clear patches with some morning frosts,” he said.

However, showers were possible around the central North Island and eastern parts of the South Island.”

Mr Gall said they expected temperatures to be consistently luke-warm across the country.

It was expected to remain “pretty good” over the North Island, he said.

Mr Gall said the sun was expected to give way to cloudy patches later in the weekend, in particular over the South Island on Sunday with the wind expected to slowly turn into a north-easterly.

“We’re still in unsettled spring conditions so any good spells we’re getting have been fairly brief and are likely to be fairly brief for a while yet,” he said. .

.Somali pirates attempted to storm the French navy’s 18,000 tonne Indian Ocean fleet flagship after mistaking it for a cargo vessel, the military have said.
The crew of La Somme, a 160-metre command vessel and fuel tanker, easily saw off the brazen night-time assault by lightly armed fighters on two open-topped motorboats and captured five pirates, a spokesman said.
La Somme is the French command vessel in the Indian Ocean, overseeing French air, sea and land forces fighting Somali pirates and hunting terrorists under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom.
“The pirates, who as a result of the darkness took the French ship for a commercial vessel, were on board two vessels and opened fire with Kalashnikovs,” Admiral Christophe Prazuck said.
The pirates tried to flee when they realised their mistake but were pursued by French forces who, after an hour-long chase, caught one of the skiffs, Admiral Prazuck said.
Officers on the ship have directed commando operations to free French hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.
The world’s naval powers have deployed dozens of warships to the lawless waters off Somalia over the past year to curb attacks by pirates in one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
On it they found five men but no weapons, water or food as the pirates had apparently thrown all of the boat’s contents overboard, the spokesman said.
This was not the first time that Somali pirates have mistakenly attacked a French naval vessel.
La Somme was operating 460 kilometres off the Somali coast, on its way to resupply fuel to frigates patrolling shipping lanes as part of the European Union’s Operation Atalanta anti-piracy mission.
Somalia has had no proper government since it plunged into lawlessness after President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Several pirates were captured in May when they attempted to board a frigate in the area. .
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.The little white dog belonging to former French president Jacques Chirac underwent treatment for depression after leaving the Elysee palace and bit his master three times before being sent off to a farm.
Mr Chirac’s wife, Bernadette, has told Le Parisien newspaper that Sumo, a maltese bichon, apparently could not cope with life in a spacious Paris apartment.
Sumo was sent to a farm owned by a family friend outside Paris and since has never showed any aggression.
The dog bit Mr Chirac’s leg twice and despite undergoing treatment with anti-depressants, Sumo made a third attempt a few months ago, this time attacking the 76-year-old ex-president in the chest.

.French politicians want to stamp a “health warning” on photographs of models that are altered in order to make them more appealing – part of a campaign against eating disorders.
French parliamentarian Valerie Boyer, a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP party, and some 50 other politicians have proposed the law to fight what they see as a warped image of women’s bodies in the media.
Under the proposed law, all enhanced photos would be accompanied by a line saying: “Photograph retouched to modify the physical appearance of a person.
“These images can make people believe in a reality that often does not exist,” Ms Boyer said in a statement, adding that the law should apply to press photographs, political campaigns, art photography and images on packaging as well as advertisements.
Luxury brands and fashion magazines have also been accused of digitally making models look thinner, enhancing their breasts, whitening teeth, lengthening legs and erasing wrinkles.”
Digitally enhanced photographs have been at the centre of a string of scandals in France – most recently Paris Match was caught out after having altered a photo of Mr Sarkozy to remove chubby love handles.
Breaking the law would be punished with a fine of 37,500 euros ($63,700), or up to 50 per cent of the cost of the advertisement.
Ms Boyer says being confronted with unrealistic standards of female beauty could lead to various kinds of psychological problems, in particular eating disorders.

.France’s ex-prime minister Dominique de Villepin assailed President Nicolas Sarkozy as he went on trial for charges of plotting to smear his arch-rival and torpedo his bid for the presidency.
“I am here as a result of one man’s will.
“I will come out of this a free man and exonerated,” Mr de Villepin told reporters before entering the courtroom where in 1793 Marie Antoinette was sentenced to the guillotine. I am here as a result of the dogged determination of one man, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is also President of the French republic,” he said as he arrived at the Paris court with his wife and children.”
The ex-prime minister and foreign minister faces charges of conspiring to defame Mr Sarkozy in 2004 when the pair were in a fierce battle to win their right-wing party’s nomination and succeed President Jacques Chirac. “I know that truth will prevail.
One name on the bogus list was that of Mr Sarkozy, then France’s ambitious finance minister who suspected Mr de Villepin, Mr Chirac’s chosen heir, of planning to use the fake document to wreck his presidential bid.
The case centres on a list – later found to have been fabricated – of account holders at the Clearstream financial clearing house in Luxembourg who allegedly took bribes from the sale of French warships to Taiwan.
The suave career diplomat whose stirring speech against the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 drew applause at the United Nations is accused of complicity in defamation and using forgeries, dealing in stolen property and breach of trust.
The 55-year-old Mr de Villepin, who denies any wrongdoing, faces up to five years in jail and a 45,000-euro fine if convicted.
Mr de Villepin’s lawyers went on the offensive at the outset of the hearings, asking the court to strip Mr Sarkozy of his status as a civil plaintiff to ensure their client gets a fair trial.
Dubbed France’s political trial of the decade, the judicial drama features a who’s who of big names in French politics, industry and intelligence circles, beginning with Mr Sarkozy, who is a civil plaintiff in the case.
Mr Sarkozy registered as a plaintiff in 2006 to gain access to the case files and secure his right to seek damages, as have 39 others including Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the International Monetary Fund.
“We want to be tried through a fair procedure,” said defence lawyer Henri Leclerc.
“We’ll see in light of the testimony and hearings whether or not Nicolas Sarkozy has hijacked this case,” Mr Herzog told reporters.
Representing Mr Sarkozy, who was not present at the trial, lawyer Thierry Herzog argued that the president had a constitutional right to launch legal action and that he had done so openly.
The Clearstream trial has become a new clash between Mr de Villepin and Mr Sarkozy, whose mutual hatred is legendary in French political circles. .
Judges are expected to take several months to reach a verdict after the trial ends on October 23.
Mr de Villepin is scheduled to take the stand next week.
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AFP – Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin goes on trial Monday for allegedly plotting a smear campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy in France’s most politically-charged case in years.

Dubbed the trial of the decade, the judicial drama features a cast of powerful players in politics, industry and intelligence circles, beginning with Sarkozy, who is a civil plaintiff in the case.

More on Clearstream

&raquo Special Report on France&#039s trial of the decade
&raquo Who&#039s who in the trial
&raquo How a finance trial turned into a major political scandal
&raquo A glossary of terms in the Clearstream saga

A suave diplomat best remembered for leading the charge against the Iraq war at the United Nations, Villepin is accused of conspiring to slander Sarkozy at a time when the pair were waging a vicious battle to succeed Jacques Chirac as president.

One name on the bogus list was that of Sarkozy, then Chirac’s ambitious finance and interior minister, who suspects the president’s chosen heir Villepin of using the list to try to torpedo his bid for the presidency.

The case dates back to 2004 and centres on a list — later proved to have been fabricated — of account holders at the Clearstream financial clearing house who allegedly received kickbacks from the sale of French frigates to Taiwan.

The trial is shaping up as a showdown between the two men, whose mutual hatred is legendary in French political circles.

Villepin, 55, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and maintains that the case would have never gone to trial had it not been for Sarkozy’s meddling in the judicial process.

But it will also cast light on the murky dealings of French intelligence and of one of the world’s top aerospace companies, EADS.

Also on trial are management consultant Florian Bourges, accused of stealing Clearstream documents, and journalist Denis Robert, who broke the story.

A former EADS vice president and Villepin ally, Jean-Louis Gergorin is also on trial as is the former head of an EADS research center, Imad Lahoud, who has reportedly confessed to falsifying the list.

In the weeks leading up to the trial, Villepin has waged a media offensive, accusing Sarkozy of being a bit twisted for insisting that the Clearstream affair was a plot to sabotage his bid for the presidency.

Villepin faces up to five years in jail and a 45,000-euro (66,000-dollar) fine if convicted of complicity in slander, complicity in the use of forgeries, dealing in stolen property and breach of trust.

Some day, he will have to explain his relentlessness, Villepin said last week.

Sarkozy reportedly vowed to hang up whoever did this on a butcher’s hook. This is not without consequences for the office of president, on the human and political level. This is not without consequences for the office of president, on the human and political level. .

General Philippe Rondot, a former intelligence official whose notes — seized by investigators — detail secret meetings that appear to incriminate Villepin, is to testify in early October.

This is the trial of an era, said Robert, the investigative journalist among the five defendants.

Villepin himself is expected to take the stand next week, defending himself in the exact Paris courtroom where Marie Antoinette was sentenced to the guillotine in 1793.

We see that inside domestic intelligence circles there was a rift between those who were loyal to Villepin and those who were close to Sarkozy, he told AFP.

It is the trial of a kind of French political practice, where spooks and the powers that be use the legal system as a political tool.

The hearings at the Paris criminal court are scheduled to run until October 23.

Villepin’s trial comes five years after another prime minister, Alain Juppe, was convicted of corruption in an illegal party financing scheme and given a 14-month suspended sentence and a one-year ban on holding public office.

Clearstream trial – Dominique de Villepin – France – Nicolas Sarkozy

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&raquo Hosni is opposed to the barbaric acts perpetrated by Israel, not to the Israeli people who want to live in peace with their neighbours – Ahmed Gamal el-Din Mohammed, communications worker, Cairo
Reuters – Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, who said last year he would burn Israeli books, won a comfortable lead in the first round of voting in UNESCO election of a new director-general on Thursday.

Hosni bid for the United Nations culture agency top post has stirred a political storm, with accusations of anti-Semitism and press censorship in Egypt.

With 22 votes out of 57 expressed, he did not carry the majority needed to win in the first round so voting will go to a second round on Friday.

The Bulgarian candidate Irina Gueorguieva Bokova finished second with eight votes. There was one abstention.

All nine candidates are allowed to run in the second, third and fourth rounds but if it goes to a fifth round there must only be two. Austrian EU Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the Russian and Ecuadorean candidates got seven votes each.

There is no clear cut candidate tonight so there will be a second round tomorrow, said UNESCO spokeswoman Sue Williams.

Apology

If we don&rsquot bring in the Muslim world, it will be understood as a signal against them, and that will be difficult for us, Sishir Das, a member of the Malaysian delegation, told Reuters in the UNESCO foyer.

Earlier on Thursday at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, backers hailed Hosni as a man of peace who would improve ties with Muslim countries.

Asked last year about Israeli books in Egyptian libraries, Hosni was quoted as telling a member of parliament: Let burn these books if there are any, I will burn them myself before you. He has never been controversial, he has always been considered a man of peace.

Other activists have since piled into the row, accusing Hosni of colluding in censorship and violation of press freedom in Egypt, and pressuring UNESCO members not to vote for him.

Hosni this year apologised for the comment and some prominent activists such as French Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld have accepted his regrets and supported him.

Hosni is culture minister in a country that doesn&rsquot respect freedom of speech, Jean-Francois Julliard, secretary-general of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, told Reuters.

Hosni is culture minister in a country that doesn&rsquot respect freedom of speech, Jean-Francois Julliard, secretary-general of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, told Reuters. UNESCO declined to comment on the case.

Egypt delegation at UNESCO said Hosni would not comment until after the vote.N.

Horse-trading

The outcry creates a difficult situation for governments who like to use top U.

France is backing Egypt, a key ally in its drive for a Mediterranean Union. posts in diplomatic horse-trading.

The United States is reportedly working behind the scenes to prevent Hosni from winning the vote. Other European countries such as Germany have refrained from taking sides. .

A painter who has served as culture minister for two decades, Hosni was long viewed as a front-runner.

In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, but it has resisted warmer relations.

In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, but it has resisted warmer relations.

anti-Semitism – Egypt – elections – UNESCO