Two a penny

.Hurricane-force winds, surging seas and driving rain have lashed western Europe, leaving at least 13 people dead and more than a million households without power.
Dubbed “Xynthia”, the Atlantic storm crashed against the western coasts of France and Spain, bringing with it a band of foul weather stretching from Portugal to the Netherlands.
Britain, already suffering localised flooding from a previous weather system, braced for more weather misery.
“We have confirmed five deaths in the area of La-Faute-sue-Mer and l’Aiguillon-sur-Mer,” Herve Rose, a government spokesperson in the low-lying Vendee region, where flood waters in some coastal towns reached 1.
Gusts of up to 150 kilometres per hour and eight metre waves battered the northern and western coasts of France, flooding inland and sending residents scurrying onto rooftops.
Separately, an 88-year-old woman was found drowned in her home on the island of Oleron in Charentes-Maritime further south, police said.5 metres, said.
Two more bodies, that of a 10-year-old boy and of a pensioner, were found in Charentes-Maritime, a regional official said.
In Spain, regional authorities said that two men aged 51 and 41 died when the car they were travelling in was hit by a falling tree.
French authorities had said on Saturday that a man was killed by a falling tree in the Pyrenees mountains.
Portugal said on Saturday that a 10-year-old boy was killed by a falling branch in the north-west of the country. An 82-year-old woman was killed on Saturday when a wall collapsed in the Galicia region.
– Flights cancelled –
Air France announced that 70 flights out of 700 were cancelled from its hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle, as chaos gripped transport networks across western Europe at the end of French school’s half-term break.
In France, fallen powerlines caused blackouts for around a million homes across a 500 kilometre swathe of the country from the Brittany peninsula to the highlands of the Massif Central.
A major road crossing between France and Spain was closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing a 1,200-vehicle tail back of seven-tonne trucks on the French side of the Pyrenees.
A major road crossing between France and Spain was closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing a 1,200-vehicle tail back of seven-tonne trucks on the French side of the Pyrenees.
The storm developed in the Atlantic off the Portuguese island of Madeira, still reeling from the flash floods sparked by heavy rains that wrecked the centre of the capital Funchal and killed 42 people a week ago.
A hurricane is defined as a storm with winds consistently above 118 kilometres per hour.
The storm swept north-east into north-western Spain late on Saturday afternoon, where wind gusts reached 147 kph and some 27,000 households were without electricity, regional authorities said.
Powerful winds and heavy rain hit Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago late on Friday, with gusts of up to 128 kilometres per hour reported. .
Rail services were cancelled in Galicia as well as in the northern regions of Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country and parts of Castilla y Leon, where the storm left some 63,000 households without power.
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“This is a very deep, very intense and very fast-moving storm,” Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said, warning people to avoid using their cars and taking mountain or sea walks

.Stade Francais prop David Attoub has appealed against his 70-week ban for gouging in a Heineken Cup match against Ulster the previous month, competition organisers said overnight.
“David Attoub has today lodged an appeal against both the finding of foul play and level of sanction imposed by an independent disciplinary hearing last Tuesday,” said a statement posted on the ERC website.”
The 28-year-old, who played for France in 2006, was suspended for gouging flanker Stephen Ferris’s eyes in an ill-tempered game won 23-13 by Ulster in Belfast.
“The independent appeal committee will be appointed as soon as practicable.
“This is the worst act of contact with the eyes I have had to deal with,” judge Jeff Blackett said in a statement posted on the ERC website at the time. .
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.An Imam in Paris has given his support for a law against full-face veils and burqas in France. .
The report will be handed to the national assembly on Tuesday after which the French Government is likely to pass a law banning clothing that covers the face while they are in public.
Hassen Chalghoumi, who heads a mosque in a northern suburb of Paris, said women who wanted to cover their faces should move to Saudi Arabia or other Muslim countries where that was a tradition.

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President Nicolas Sarkozy supports a ban calling the veils an affront to women’s dignity

.Extremely cold weather across northern Europe has left scores of people dead and caused widespread transport chaos.
Temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Celsius have led to the deaths of 122 people in Poland, with the main river, the Vistula, now frozen over and resulting in fears of flooding.
In the Swiss Alps, avalanches have killed at least seven people, while in western France, 14 regions have been hit by heavy snow.
In the past two days Britain’s national grid issued only its second warning in history about supplies.
Severe weather warnings are still in place across the UK, which is in the grip of its longest cold snap in 30 years.
The military was called in after around 1,000 vehicles were stranded when more than 40 centimetres of snow blocked the A3 highway in southern England.
More snow was expected in London and the forecast for Scotland was for an overnight low of minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Authorities in southern Britain have warned motorists to only use their vehicles if absolutely necessary.
“If you do have to go out take some warm clothes etc,” he said.
Richard Westman, from the special response team at the roads authority, says people need to listen more carefully to the warnings. .
“But people don’t.
Around 5,000 homes in Sussex are still without power as the country suffers through the cold snap, which is expected to last at least another week.”
Thousands of schools have been closed and around half the UK workforce stayed home, which is said to have cost the economy $1 billion in lost output.

.Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has taken a break from the rough and tumble of Italian politics, shopping for nudes on the French riviera. .
Art gallery spokesman Loic Deltour described the works as “sensual nudes” worth “several tens of thousands of euros”.
Witnesses said security was visibly tight around Mr Berlusconi during his shopping trip.
The billionaire media magnate, 73, has been mostly out of the public eye since December 13, when a man, said to have a long history of psychiatric troubles, hit him in the face with a miniature model of Milan cathedral.
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.New York has become the latest of the world’s major cities to ring in the New Year with spectacular fireworks displays and massive parties against a backdrop of tightened security.
Snow, freezing temperatures and a terrorism threat did not stop more than a million people gathering in New York’s Times Square to celebrate the arrival of 2010 with the traditional dropping of the crystal ball at midnight.
Security in the city had been ramped up since last week’s attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound passenger jet. .
Revellers were checked with metal detectors and were not allowed to carry backpacks into Times Square.
Earlier, more than 120,000 Russians crowded into Moscow’s Red Square to toast 2010 as President Dmitry Medvedev thanked his nation for bearing with the economic crisis.
Up to 80,000 people also turned out in Edinburgh for the annual Hogmanay outdoor street party, some sporting furry horned tartan helmets against the bitter cold as they gathered to watch fireworks by Edinburgh Castle.
“The past year was not a very easy one for our country, and I want to thank you all for bearing up together,” he said in his traditional New Year address.
In Australia, about 1.
Party-goers in the South Pacific were the first to raise their glasses to 2010, leading the world into a new decade after one scarred by war, terror attacks, natural disaster and financial turmoil.
Thousands of people also crammed into Hong Kong’s harbour, where 9,000 fireworks were unleashed from the city’s tallest skyscraper as well as other buildings in a display that lasted nearly five minutes.5 million people crowded the Sydney Harbour foreshore to watch a vast array of fireworks burst into the night sky at midnight, launched from the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and four barges on the water.
In Paris, about 70,000 people gathered near the Eiffel Tower for a multicoloured light show, while more than 8,000 police were deployed across the city and suburbs where 1,100 cars were burned last New Year’s Eve.
Such spectacles were banned in Thailand after fireworks caused a New Year’s Eve blaze at a Bangkok nightclub a year ago, killing 65 people.
The filling of portable containers at petrol pumps was banned, as were glass bottles and fireworks on the Champs Elysees, the Parisian avenue where another 200,000 people gathered to see in the New Year.
The filling of portable containers at petrol pumps was banned, as were glass bottles and fireworks on the Champs Elysees, the Parisian avenue where another 200,000 people gathered to see in the New Year.
In Spain, which took over the rotating presidency of the EU at midnight, thousands of people attended a light and sound show at the central Puerta del Sol square where a giant image of the EU flag was projected onto a building.
In Berlin, more than 1 million revellers gathered on the boulevard leading to the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German unity, with live bands and DJs cranking up the party. Now I am going to work on my first hangover of 2010,” said Gerry Shalloe, a 32-year-old English teacher from Ireland who lives in Madrid and who attended the countdown with friends.
“This is the best street party in the world.
Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko, seeking re-election on January 17, assured his countrymen in a New Year’s message that they would become part of the European Union and NATO.
In Poland, around 90,000 people brought in the New Year at a concert in Warsaw in memory of Michael Jackson attended by the late singer’s sister La Toya.
– Increased security –
In New York, a downpour of confetti at midnight marked the traditional mass celebration in Times Square in the heart of Manhattan.
But the fiercely pro-Western leader looked unlikely to be in charge for much longer with opinion polls putting him far behind pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich and Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko.
“It will be a full-fledged deployment of resources,” city police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.
But after security jitters rekindled by the Christmas Day bomb plot, undercover police, surveillance cameras and radiation and biological detection equipment monitored the crowds.”
The US embassy in Indonesia, meanwhile, said it had received a warning of a possible attack on the resort island of Bali, the scene of multiple bombings targeting Westerners, but local authorities denied knowledge of any alert.”
The US embassy in Indonesia, meanwhile, said it had received a warning of a possible attack on the resort island of Bali, the scene of multiple bombings targeting Westerners, but local authorities denied knowledge of any alert.
In Pakistan, where the Taliban’s bloody campaign rebounded in 2009, spirits were dampened in the city of Karachi by a deadly suicide attack during a holy Shiite Muslim ceremony on Monday that killed 43 people.
In neighbouring Afghanistan, soldiers maintained their alert after two deadly militant attacks claimed the lives of eight Americans and five Canadians, while two French journalists were reported kidnapped by Taliban.
For Cyprus, New Year’s Eve was the last chance to smoke in pubs, clubs and cafes with a new anti-smoking law in force from January 1.
And in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma used his New Year message to rally for unity for the 2010 football World Cup– the first to be held in Africa.
New Year’s Eve also presented the world with a Blue Moon, the name for a second full moon in one single month, for only the second time in nearly 20 years.
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.France has warmed up for their clash against New Zealand by crushing Samoa 43-5 in a one-sided rugby international at Stade de France.
Coach Marc Lievremont largely revamped the side that upset world champion South Africa 20-13 last week in Toulouse, but that did not stop France from running in seven tries, four of which were converted by scrum half Morgan Parra. I’am also happy to be spoilt for choice before naming the 23-man squad that will face the All Blacks,” he said.
“I’m very happy with our performance tonight.
“This France team will become a great team when it reaches the status of favourite against the best teams in the world and vindicates it by a series of wins. .”
Samoa, which came close to upsetting Wales last week, losing 17-13 at the Millennium Stadium, was never in contention this time, although it resisted bravely in the second half.
“I hope it will come very quickly, but we are not there yet and we know the All Blacks will put forward a very strong challenge next Saturday in Marseille.
France: 43 (F Trinh-Duc 2, D Szarzewski, V Clerc, Y Jauzion, T Dusautoir, B Fall tries; M Parra 4 conversions.
France, which was far too fast, powerful and clever for the visitors, will face a tougher task against the All Blacks next weekend in Marseille.
Samoa: 5 (I Tekori try)
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.France has closed in on the World Cup finals, while fellow star-studded giant Portugal struggled for a 1-0 home victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on a night of tense, first-leg play-off ties. .
Chelsea striker Anelka struck the vital away goal with 18 minutes left at Croke Park, with his shot taking a wicked deflection off Sean St Ledger and past Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given.
In Lisbon, Portugal, the 2006 semi-finalist but playing without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, struggled to a win over Bosnia Herzegovina.
Ireland had wasted a golden opportunity in the first half when Liam Lawrence missed the target from just eight yards.
Porto defender Bruno Alves was on target with a powerful backpost header after 31 minutes for the game’s only goal.
It could have been a black night for the Portuguese, who were saved by the woodwork on three occasions, including twice in the last minute.
But Senijad Ibricic crashed a header against the crossbar, before a dramatic final minute which saw Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko’s far-post header come off the crossbar while Zlatan Muslimovic’s follow-up volley came off the post.
Despite losing 2-1 to Russia in Moscow, Nejc Pecnik’s goal two minutes from time gave Slovenia hope it they can make sure of a second World Cup appearance in the return leg.
Meanwhile, unheralded Slovenia and Ukraine took tentative steps closer to finals.
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Ukraine, a quarter-finalist in 2006, will also be confident of achieving back-to-back World Cup spots, after holding 2004 European champions Greece to a scoreless draw in Athens

.World road cycling champion Cadel Evans is confident a combination of his rainbow jersey and several high-profile team-mates will be enough to earn his new BMC Racing Team a wildcard to next year’s Tour de France.
Evans, who today confirmed he will compete at next January’s Tour Down Under, shocked the racing fraternity earlier this week when he quit powerhouse Belgian outfit Silence-Lotto to join second-tier US team BMC.
But the 32-year-old says the move will better his chances of future success on the Tour and says Tour de France organisers should give his team a wildcard to next year’s race.

.Sydney Roosters wing Sam Perrett bagged a hat-trick to help New Zealand ultimately thrash France 62-12 overnight as the Kiwis record their first Four Nations win.
New Zealand raced into a 10-point lead through skipper Benji Marshall and Perrett before France hit back thanks to Sebastien Martins’s maiden try.
But Perrett, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Frank-Paul Nuuausala led a succession of second-half tries to eventually put the underdogs to the sword as the world champions, held 20-20 by Australia last week, proved too strong.
World Cup hero Lance Hohaia and France’s Australian-born James Wynne exchanged scores either side of the break as the hosts kept their hopes alive.
Yet they started the brighter and when former Newcastle Knights man Wynne broke the tackle and fed the ball wide, Nicolas Piquemal came within inches of touching down. .
Within three minutes of the re-start Marshall was probing again and after Frank Pritchard and Fuifui Moimoi were denied, Nathan Fien chipped the ball into the corner for Perrett to collect and score.
But French hopes looked dashed in the first New Zealand attack when hooker Thomas Leuluai burst clear to lay-off for skipper Marshall to wander over and put the first points on the board.
Undeterred, Wynne, a former understudy to Australia half-back Andrew Johns, combined with New Zealand-born Kane Bentley to send Martins over for his first French try in the 23rd minute.
Bryson Goodwin dragged his first conversion attempt wide but managed to curl his second inside the posts to put the Kiwis 10-0 up.
The hosts produced three consecutive sets of six inside the New Zealand 22 but after Wynne was halted five-yards short of the line, Isaac Luke scampered clear and World Cup hero Hohaia grabbed his eighth Kiwi try.
Thomas Bosc converted to reduce the score further and after Perrett knocked-on over the line the French could smell an upset.
Yet any hopes they had of pulling away in the final 40 minutes appeared to be dashed when Bosc’s kick was fumbled in defence and Wynne downed the ball.
Goodwin made no mistake with the conversion to send the world champions in 16-6 up at the break.
New Zealand eventually turned up the heat and after a sustained period of pressure Hohaia and Fien combined to send Perrett in at the corner in the 53rd minute.
Bosc slotted over the extras from in front of the posts to peg the Kiwis back at 12-16.
With its hopes of a famous win snuffed out, France began to cave in and Nuuausala drove over before Hohaia sprinted the full length of the field to score on the hour.
Goodwin converted and after collecting the kick-off Perrett dug the ball out just short of the line to allow Waerea-Hargreaves to cross within two minutes.
Perrett did then grab his third try of the night before Goodwin and Waerea-Hargreaves rounded off the scoring.
Goodwin converted both tries before Perrett flicked the ball unselfishly out the back of his hand for Junior Sa’u to extend the lead.
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