Two a penny

.French commandos have stormed aboard a Somali pirate ‘mothership’ and arrested 12 gunmen, the military announced, adding that the gangs are increasingly operating in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean. .
A helicopter from the warship fired a warning shot across the vessel’s bows as its crew began to throw incriminating material over the side.
On board they found grappling hooks, GPS navigation devices and assault rifles, French military spokesman Admiral Christophe Prazuck said.
French troops boarded the ship and arrested the pirates without violence.
“The European team in place has significantly reduced the number of boats taken hostage.
“Last year or at the start of this one the centre of gravity was in the Gulf of Aden,” Admiral Prazuck said, referring to the straits between Arabia and the Horn of Africa that have become notorious for pirate attacks. Though they still threaten the Gulf of Aden, the pirates have switched their activity further offshore into the Indian Ocean.
Several naval task forces now carry out anti-piracy patrols, including flotillas commanded by the European Union, NATO and the United States.”
Admiral Prazuck said pirates were now striking in areas up to 800 nautical miles from their bases on the coast of Somalia, a lawless and largely ungoverned African state plagued by faction-fighting.
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Floreal is fighting under EU colours as part of Operation Atalante

.French world number 12 Gilles Simon has been confirmed as a starter in the Brisbane International event in January.
Simon, 24, will join compatriot Gael Monfils, former world number one Andy Roddick and American James Blake in the men’s draw.
The Brisbane International will take place at the Queensland Tennis Centre from January 3 to 10.
Simon has won six career titles and was a quarter-finalist at this year’s Australian Open.
Baghdatis, on the comeback trail from injury, pulled out of the Kooyong Classic for the Sydney event because it carries tour points.
Meanwhile, former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis has joined the field for January’s Sydney International tennis tournament. .
As a result, US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro has been added to the line-up for the Kooyong event in Melbourne from January 13-16.
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Former All Black Byron Kelleher has received a two-month suspended jail term and been fined NZ$8700 for driving under the influence of alcohol and violent behaviour from an ensuing fight.

Kelleher appeared at court in Toulouse last night (NZ time) and pleaded guilty to both charges. People close to the scene then joined in the brawl.Last month, Kelleher was briefly held in custody after hitting a car and getting into a fight with its driver after attempting to escape.Kelleher released a statement to news agency AFP after the hearing.Kelleher picked up a minor shoulder injury and facial bruises in the scuffle.”I would like to reiterate my sincere apologies to those who would have found my behaviour shocking and now wish to draw a close to the matter, turn the page and to go back to my career.”The punishment delivered appears to me to be justified and corresponds to the seriousness with which I took this incident,” AFP quoted the halfback as saying.”When you make a mistake you have to own up to it, to have the courage to square up to it and say sorry,” he said. . It should never have escalated like it did.”Our cars collided. I was mixing with the wrong types. I got stupidly angry, due for sure to drink.”

.”I don’t want people in Toulouse to believe I’m proud of what happened, I have different values than that

.Activists fighting for victims of French nuclear testing in the Pacific are stunned by conditions imposed in a compensation bill by France’s upper house.
There was praise in July when the National Assembly approved a bill for compensating the victims of tests carried out in French Polynesia and Algeria over more than three decades.
Roland Oldham, president of the Mororua e Tatou Association representing French Pacific nuclear test workers, told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat the actions of the French Senate reflected arrogance in metropolitan France towards its territories.
About 150,000 civilian and military personnel took part and many later developed serious health problems.
“For our Polynesian people it’s going to be hard.
He said the Senate has imposed strict requirements on applicants to prove their case on various grounds.
“A lot of us people don’t keep a document. A lot of our people won’t be part of compensation,” he said. So it’s going to be very difficult for them. We don’t have the same conception of things.
“It’s the same people that have done the nuclear testing in our place, in our island,” Mr Oldham said.”
He said the Senate had further rejected a bid by his organisation to be part of a compensation committee, which will now be made up of only people nominated by the French Ministry of Defence.”
Mr Oldham says the geographic zone from which claims would be considered has been greatly limited.
“They’ve been saying for many years that the tests are clean and today they’re going to decide about compensation on their own.
“And finally, there’s only one person decides if the case is going to be taken into account, [if a victim] is going to have compensation or not – and that’s the Ministry of Defence,” he said.
He says the views of Polynesians have not been taken into account. I mean, to me it’s very restricted.
“And they call that democracy. .”
He says Mororua e Tatou will now think about other strategies, including strong political action and seeking Pacific-wide support, to win their battle

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AFP – French soldiers providing protection on board French fishing ships in the Indian Ocean early Saturday fired on pirates to repel an attack, sources said.

Three small launches…

The soldiers at first fired warning shots, then they fired at the target, he added. (which were) close toly invisible and that we had on the radar at the last moment, chased us, a member of the crew of the Drennac, one of two fishing French vessels approached by the pirates, told by telephone. There were no casualties on the French side.

The incident took place 195 nautical miles (350 kilometres) north of the Seychelles. He said that the pirate skiffs that came under fire returned to a mother ship some 30 metres (90 feet) long.

The report was confirmed by a western source in the same area.

It proves that this measure (having soldiers on board) works, the western source said.

It is the first time that the French soldiers, who have been providing protection since July 1 on board about 10 French fishing ships off the Somalian coast, have opened fire on pirates.

A Spanish vessel, the giant tuna hauler the Alakrana, was captured September 2 on the high seas between Somalia and the Seychelles with 36 crew on board.

Spanish fishing vessels operating in the same region have called for the same protection measures but Madrid has so far refused. It is under surveillance from two frigates that are part of the European anti-piracy initiative Atalanta.

The pirates brought the vessel in towards the coast and it is currently anchored off Harardere, a central Somlia port.

Several warships involved in the Atalanta operation headed into that zone following the attempted attack on the cargo vessel.

The latest attack on the Glenan and the Drennec took place some 20 nautical miles (36 kilometres) from the place where pirates last week attacked a cargo vessel.

Five pirates were captured.

On Wednesday Somali pirates operating at night attacked a French military command ship and petrol tanker La Somme after mistaking it for a cargo vessel.

France – piracy – Seychelles

.The French resort of St Tropez hosts the Antipodes Film Festival this week, featuring about 50 movies from Australia and New Zealand.
The 11th edition of the festival opens today with New Zealand film Dean Spanley, directed by Toa Fraser and with a cast including Peter O’Toole and Sam Neill.
Anthony LaPaglia – the Australian actor who stars in the US television series Without A Trace – serves as head of the jury, which will hand out the Grand Prix des Antipodes award to one of the six full length films in competition.
Set in Edwardian England, the story centres on a father and son reconciling.
A dozen documentaries will also be featured at the festival, which runs to October 18. .
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AFP – French soldiers providing protection on board French fishing ships in the Indian Ocean early Saturday fired on pirates to repel an attack, sources said.

Three small launches.. (which were) nearly invisible and that we had on the radar at the last moment, chased us, a member of the crew of the Drennac, one of two fishing French vessels approached by the pirates, told by telephone..

The incident took place 195 nautical miles (350 kilometres) north of the Seychelles.

The soldiers at first fired warning shots, then they fired at the target, he added. There were no casualties on the French side. He said that the pirate skiffs that came under fire returned to a mother ship some 30 metres (90 feet) long.

The report was confirmed by a western source in the same area.

It proves that this measure (having soldiers on board) works, the western source said.

It is the first time that the French soldiers, who have been providing protection since July 1 on board about 10 French fishing ships off the Somalian coast, have opened fire on pirates.

A Spanish vessel, the giant tuna hauler the Alakrana, was captured September 2 on the high seas between Somalia and the Seychelles with 36 crew on board.

Spanish fishing vessels operating in the same region have called for the same protection measures but Madrid has so far refused.

The pirates brought the vessel in towards the coast and it is currently anchored off Harardere, a central Somlia port.

The pirates brought the vessel in towards the coast and it is currently anchored off Harardere, a central Somlia port.

Several warships involved in the Atalanta operation headed into that zone following the attempted attack on the cargo vessel.

The latest attack on the Glenan and the Drennec took place some 20 nautical miles (36 kilometres) from the place where pirates last week attacked a cargo vessel.

Five pirates were captured.

On Wednesday Somali pirates operating at night attacked a French military command ship and petrol tanker La Somme after mistaking it for a cargo vessel.

France – piracy – Seychelles

.

A missing Indian student’s family say Auckland police diverted resources to search for two-year-old Aisling Symes, leaving them to look for Srikanth Rayadurgam on their own.

Mr Rayadurgam, 23, disappeared on his way to class at the Auckland University of Technology eight days ago. Aisling went missing in West Auckland on Monday evening.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Joe Aumua of Avondale police told One News the two cases did not have the same officers working on them.

The Kakanoor family told 3News they have been left to search for Mr Rayadurgam on their own, and questioned whether it was because of the colour of their skin. This inquiry is being dealt with by the Avondale police station and I’m happy with the resources that we have,” he said.

“The inquiry out west is a separate inquiry.

Mr Rayadurgam’s brother-in-law Nageesh Kakanoor found his backpack, mobile phone and his left shoe scattered along the waterfront.

They said when police divers were finally called to search the harbour they were suddenly pulled off the case to join the search for Aisling.

Mr Kakanoor and his wife Padam said Mr Rayadurgam had no enemies and was not suicidal, but police acted far too slowly.

“I honestly don’t know, to tell you.

Mr Kakanoor and his wife questioned why one missing person’s case was more important than another.

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REUTERS –

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The revelations were made in a 2005 autobiography The Bad Life and have surfaced after Mitterrand passionately defended film-maker Roman Polanski, who faces deportation from Switzerland were he was arrested to the United States for having had sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.0pt
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A senior aide to French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday defended Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand who is facing calls for his resignation for having written about paying boys for sex.

Politicians from all parties have criticised Mitterrand for his attack on the United States.

French political debate sometimes takes on a pathetic form. The far-right National Front party has called for him to step down.

Asked whether Mitterrand should resign, he said: When there is a controversy as pathetic as this, with so much delay, I don&rsquot think there should be such drastic consequences. It excessive and quite undignified, Sarkozy adviser Henri Guaino said on France 2 television.

The experiences in the book are presented as a mixture of straight autobiography and more dreamlike reflection.

Guaino said there were no facts to back up the accusations and Mitterrand had not been subject to any legal complaints.

I got into the habit of paying for boys, Mitterrand wrote, adding that his attraction to young male prostitutes continued even though he knew the sordid details of this traffic.

I got into the habit of paying for boys, Mitterrand wrote, adding that his attraction to young male prostitutes continued even though he knew the sordid details of this traffic…

Mitterrand is the nephew of former Socialist President Francois Mitterrand and was drafted into Sarkozy centre-right cabinet in June. the abundance of very attractive and immediately available young boys put me in a state of desire. Sarkozy was delighted to have brought him on board, but now faces unease within his own UMP party over his choice of minister.

Although he was not a Socialist, his surname still reverberates in France and carries a lot of clout. .

France considers itself to be at the forefront of the fight against sex tourism but Guaino said Mitterrand would not compromise this position.

Although still openly siding with Polanski, Mitterrand has toned down his language, saying his emotions overtook him the day he heard that Switzerland had arrested the film director.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said Mitterrand was respected for his competence in the role of culture minister.

Frédéric Mitterrand – French politics

.The leaders of the United States, Britain and France have threatened tough new sanctions against Iran after it was publicly revealed last night that Tehran is building a second nuclear enrichment plant.
The plant’s size and structure according to US intelligence is consistent with enriching fuel to make nuclear weapons.
The three leaders threatened to hold Iran accountable if it failed to disclose all of its nuclear program.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the Iranian Government has been lying to the international community.
Iranian officials confirmed the country was building another enrichment plant, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied it was hiding anything from nuclear inspectors. .
“Confronted by the serial deception of many years, the international community has no choice but to draw a line in the sand,” he said.
“The level of deception by the Iranian Government will shock and anger the whole international community and it will harden out resolve.
Mr Sarkozy says Iran has just two months to comply with the international demands.”
In a clear show of transatlantic unity, US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Mr Brown appeared jointly to disclose Iran’s secret enrichment plant.
“We cannot let the Iranian leaders gain time while the motors are running.
“Everything must be on the table now,” he said.”
The US has been monitoring the secret nuclear site for years, but Iran found out, forcing Mr Obama to go public with the explosive new intelligence.
“If by December there is not an in depth change by the Iranian leaders, sanctions will have to be taken.
“Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people, but the size and configuration of the facility is inconsistent with a peaceful program,” he said.
“Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people, but the size and configuration of the facility is inconsistent with a peaceful program,” he said.
China, also with a veto on the council, is reported to be still digesting the news.
Russia with a veto on the UN Security Council has financial and military trade ties with Iran and has been reluctant to impose economic sanctions on Iran, but Mr Medvedev agreed that IAEA must now be allowed to inspect the site.
He confirmed the existence of the facility but said it would not be operational for 18 months, and so Iran had not violated any international requirements.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, still in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting said Iran was keeping nothing from inspectors.
Mr Obama says he will pursue dialogue with any leader, including Iran’s, but director of the Heritage Foundation Dr Nile Gardiner says that is now going to be difficult.
Next week the five veto-wielding powers on the Security Council, plus Germany, are scheduled to hold talks with the Iranians, but today’s disclosure of the enrichment plant sounds more like the end of negotiations rather than a beginning.
The Obama administration is pessimistic about next week’s talks with the Iranians, and with a short timeline the UN is likely to be considering a resolution in November.
“There will now be calls I think on Capitol Hill for a far tougher approach be taken towards Iran, including potentially the use of force as a last resort against Iran’s nuclear facilities,” he said.