Two a penny

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French Minister of the Interior Brice Hortefeux heads to Poitiers on Monday following violent anti-prison demonstrations that erupted on Saturday near a street performance festival.

Hortefeux will meet with local shopkeepers whose properties were harmed in the incidents, which resulted in no injuries.

17 people were placed in custody in the wake of the violence, three of whom are accused of armed assault against policemen.

Several blogs report that the demonstration had been organised to protest the transfer of prisoners from the city old prison to a new one. According to the police, approximately 250 protestors — many of them masked and hooded — descended on the Poitiers town centre Saturday afternoon, breaking about 20 storefront windows and damaging bus stations and telephone booths.

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AFP – Egypt announced on Wednesday that it has cut all cooperation with France’s Louvre Museum until it secures the return of stolen Pharaonic relics in the latest row involving the exhibits of a major European institution.

We made the decision to end any cooperation with the Louvre until they return the works, antiquities chief Zahi Hawass told AFP.

He alleged that the renowned Paris museum bought the antiquities in 1980 even though its curators knew they were stolen.

French sources said that the antiquities Egypt was demanding are decorative fragments from a tomb in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor.

The purchase of stolen steles is a sign that some museums are prepared to encourage the destruction and theft of Egyptian antiquities, he said.

Mitterrand said he has convened a meeting for Friday of a special commission that is empowered to rule on restitution, according to a culture ministry statement on Wednesday.

French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand pledged that France is ready to return the relics to Egypt if the Pharaonic antiquities at the Louvre Museum are indeed stolen.

The minister is ready, if the commission were to issue a favourable ruling, to implement provisions of the UNESCO convention and restitute the relics to the Egyptian authorities without delay, the statement said.

In order to return the works, we would need the agreement of the National Scientific Commission for the Museum Collections of France, he told on condition of anonymity.

A member of the Louvre’s executive said it is open to the idea of returning the works, which are on display in its galleries, but that the decision is not the museum’s alone.

Hawass said it had been taken two months ago, implying that it had nothing to do with Egyptian unhappiness over the defeat of Culture Minister Faruq Hosni in the race to become the new director of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) the previous month.

Egypt’s decision to suspend cooperation will affect conferences organised with the museum, as well as work carried out by the Louvre on the Pharaonic necropolis of Saqqara, south of the capital Cairo.

A number of the world’s most famous museums have collections of Egyptian antiquities, many of them acquired during British colonial rule.

A French source said the atmosphere created by Hosni’s defeat doesn’t help, but insisted that there is no real obstacle and a solution should be found soon.

But in recent years the Egyptian authorities have been increasingly vociferous in campaigning for the return of important works.

But in recent years the Egyptian authorities have been increasingly vociferous in campaigning for the return of important works.

Egypt has also long demanded the return from Berlin of a bust of the legendary Queen Nefertiti that was discovered on the banks of the Nile by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt in December 1912. .

archaeology – Egypt – France – Frédéric Mitterrand – Louvre
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The case mirrors that of the so-called Elgin Marbles, the decorative frieze that used to adorn the Parthenon in Athens whose return by the British Museum in London Greece has long demanded

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An actor has blamed his battle with depression for an incident in which he ended up being shot by police after allegedly ringing to notify them of an armed, agitated man and then dressed up as the man.

Rob Mokaraka, 36, denied reports that the incident in Auckland in July resulted from a custody battle over his child or a perceived lack of work as an actor.

“My depression takes me to dark places,” he told the Herald on Sunday.”

Mokaraka, who is on bail and recuperating in Northland after leaving hospital about two weeks ago, is due back in court on Wednesday.

“I agree depression should be talked about to give others an understanding.

Mokaraka was charged after police said he rang 111 to notify them of an armed, agitated man in the Pt Chevalier area, and then dressed up as the man. .

When police arrived at the scene, he allegedly advanced on them carrying a meat cleaver and two knives, before he was shot once in the chest.

“I am not saying it has stopped, but it’s an ongoing process.

Mokaraka said he was dealing quickly with the emotional scars, “quicker than the physical wounds”.

“There is so much love coming from all over the place,” he said.”

He said he had had plenty of support from family and friends since the incident.”

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“I cannot help but be buoyed by that

.The French military fired on pirates in the Indian Ocean on Saturday to protect two tuna fishing vessels, a spokesman for France’s armed forces said.
The operation at dawn some 350 kilometres from the Seychelles was the first time the French had repelled an attack since a plan was put in place in July for the military to protect boats in the region from Somali pirates.
French soldiers opened fire on two small launches that were trying to approach the vessels bearing the French ensign.
“There were shots .
No one was injured on the tuna ships, which are based at Concarneau, in southern Brittany, the spokesman said… it lasted half an hour and at one point they turned around,” the captain of one of the tuna vessels, Christophe Guyader, told France Bleu Breizh Izel radio.
European fleets have said Somali pirates, which have made millions of dollars from ransoms, are threatening an industry worth up to $US6 billion annually across the Indian Ocean region.
France and Spain base fleets in the Seychelles and haul nearly two thirds of the year’s catch off Somalia between August and November, experts say.
The French military said on Wednesday that one of its naval vessels had repelled a night assault by Somali pirates who apparently believed it was a cargo ship.
Pirates from the lawless Horn of Africa state hijacked a Spanish tuna fishing boat in the Indian Ocean earlier this month.
“It is still too soon to say whether this reduction is due to the actions of the international community .
French armed forces spokesman Christophe Prazuck said pirate attacks had been decreasing, with between 10 and 15 boats on average being held last year compared with four currently.. . We are coming out of the monsoon season, which is not favourable towards the pirates’ small boats,” he added. or the weather.
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AFP – France’s Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand appeared to have saved his job Friday after an emotional television appearance in which he admitted paying for sex with men but angrily rejected paedophilia charges.

Mitterrand faced calls for his resignation this week over his autobiographical novel The Bad Life which describes paying for boys in brothels in Thailand and Indonesia.

He appeared on French television on Thursday, and denied the book was a defence of paedophilia, insisting the men he met in Asia were consenting adults.

Justice Minister French Michele Alliot-Marie said she found her colleague’s appearance moving and called him a very good minister.

Mitterrand said President Nicolas Sarkozy had given him full support, and the two men were due to make a public appearance together on Friday, suggesting that his job is safe for now. The minister is also a friend of Sarkozy’s supermodel wife, Carla Bruni.

Sarkozy hired Mitterrand in June, delighted to bring the nephew of late Socialist president Francois Mitterrand into his right-wing government.

The controversy over his 2005 book erupted this week after Mitterrand’s staunch defence of fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski, who is being held in Switzerland on a US warrant for an outstanding conviction for sex with a 13-year-old girl.

I absolutely condemn sexual tourism.

Mitterrand was forced to make the television appearance after left and right wing politicians demanded he respond to the allegations that his own memoir endorses sex tourism.

Mitterrand has previously explained that in his book, which was marketed as a memoir but which he now says its not entirely autobiographical, he had used the term boys to describe all males. I condemn paedophilia, in which I have never in any way participated, and all the people who accuse me of that type of thing should be ashamed, the 62-year-old told TF1 television.

Because I was each time with people who were my age and who were consenting, he said.

Asked if he regretted paying for sex with boys in Thailand, and if he had made a mistake by so doing, he replied that he had committed a mistake, without doubt, a crime, no.

Mitterrand acknowledged that had committed an offence against the idea of dignity, human dignity.

Mitterrand acknowledged that had committed an offence against the idea of dignity, human dignity.

He also warned that one must not confuse homosexuality with paedophilia.

Among all the people who are watching tonight, where is the one who has not at least once in his life made this sort of mistake? said the visibly angry minister.

But now, as a minister in a government that has prosecuted sex tourists, his position is more difficult.

Mitterrand’s defence of his book back in 2005 was broadly accepted and the book was praised for its shocking honesty and literary quality.

The hero describes the mixture of feverish excitement and guilt he feels as he hands over money for sex with boys whose age he does not state.

The passages in The Bad Life that have sparked controversy deal with the hero’s visits to brothels and boy bars in Thailand and Indonesia.

The profusion of attractive and immediately available boys puts me into a state of desire that I no longer need to hide or check.

All the rituals of this market of youths, this slave market, excite me enormously, the book says.

When Polanski, who lives in Paris, was detained in Switzerland last month, Mitterrand called the arrest absolutely horrifying. Money and sex, I am at the heart of my system, he wrote. .

Polanski, 76, fled the United States in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.

Frédéric Mitterrand – French politics – homosexuality – paedophilia – scandal

.Barely three years after saying “au revoir” to the Brisbane Broncos, Casey McGuire has been named in the French squad for the Four Nations rugby league tournament.
Qualifying under the residency clause, the ex-Broncos utility joins fellow Australian-born player Clint Greenshields in the 23-man squad.
McGuire – whose six-year, 115-game Broncos stint concluded with the 2006 NRL premiership – and ex-St George Illawarra full-back Greenshields both play for France-based Catalans Dragons in the Super League.
They would have missed out by one month if the international federation had decided they could only play for France if they had been in the country for three years.
They were recently cleared by the international federation to play for France, after meeting the criteria of playing three seasons in France.
France’s Australian contingent could have been boosted to three if not for ex-Queensland Origin flyer Adam Mogg’s decision to pull out because his partner is expecting a baby. .
France – to be captained by Catalans Dragons forward Olivier Elima – kicks off its tournament against England at Doncaster on October 23.
McGuire is set to face former Broncos team-mates Darren Lockyer, Justin Hodges and Sam Thaiday when France lines up against Australia on November 7.
It then hosts New Zealand in Toulouse and Australia in Paris.
France squad: Jean-Philippe Baile, Kane Bentley, Thomas Bosc, Remi Casty, Vincent Duport, Olivier Elima (c), Jamal Fakir, David Ferriol, Mathieu Griffi, Romain Gagliazzo, Cyril Gossard, Clint Greenshields, Maxime Greseque, Casey McGuire, Sebastien Martins, Christophe Moly, Dimitri Pelo, Sebastien Raguin, Teddy Saddaoui, Cyril Stacul, Julien Touxagas, Frederic Vaccari, Constant Villegas.
France has been looking to bolster its ranks with Australian-bred players after being thrashed 66-12 by England at Paris in June in a worrying sign ahead of the Four Nations.
– AAP

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The Clearstream trial that has held France in its grip the past few weeks came to a head Wednesday as former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and General Philippe Rondot, a former top intelligence official, faced off in the courtroom. Details of the exchange are not expected until later in the evening.

&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
&raquo From Ben Barka to Elf, justice turns a blind eye to political elites
De Villepin, who served as France’s interior minister between March 2004 and May 2005, stands accused of seeking to derail Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidential campaign by linking him to a corruption scandal.

On Monday, key witness General Rondot appeared in court to discuss his notes , which claim that de Villepin clearly mentioned Sarkozy — then vying for the Elys&eacutee — in connection to Clearstream at a meeting held on January 7, 2004. The trial, which began September 21, has been marked by contradictory testimony.

them correspondent Catherine Norris Trent reported that the two men were expected to stand side by side before judges aiming to iron these inconsistencies out. This, however, contradicts de Villepin statements last week, when he took the stand and flatly denied the notes were an accurate reflection of the conversation. Questions likely to be explored include when exactly de Villepin first heard Sarkozy name in connection with the affair and whether or not he said he was passing on orders from Chirac. .

The legal confrontation was called for by de Villepin lawyers, who Norris Trent says want to make sure that their client doesn&rsquot come out of this examining embarrassed because of these discrepancies between his evidence and that of General Rondot.

Clearstream trial – Dominique de Villepin – Nicolas Sarkozy
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The trial is scheduled to end on October 23 and judges are expected to take several months to render a verdict

.Swiss authorities have denied a request to release film director Roman Polanski on bail, following his arrest in September after fleeing sentencing for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
“In our view, there is still a very high risk that he will flee and that a release on bail or other measures after a release cannot guarantee Polanski’s presence in the extradition procedure,” Justice Ministry spokesman Folco Galli said.
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Rescue services evacuated 668 travellers who were trapped on the Napier-Taupo Rd by snow that reached up to a metre high overnight.

A state of emergency was declared in Taupo after heavy snow left trapped dozens of people in their vehicles on State Highway 5 through the night.Police said 368 travellers were rescued from the Napier side of the highway with another 300 evacuated to Taupo.Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper drove one of the evacuation buses and was now visiting the welfare centres.The last busload of cold and tired travellers were rescued by 9am from the Taupo side of the road and were resting at the Taupo Events Centre before being sent to a local marae.Napier Area commander Inspector Kevin Kalff said the priority was the welfare of those stranded.Efforts were now being turned towards feeding the rescued people.”We are working to get drivers back to their vehicles as soon as practicable.There were no concerns for the welfare of anyone stranded or rescued. But a lot will depend on weather conditions and the state of the road,” he said. Some motorists had been picked up by family and friends. .Mr Kalff said there had been great support from the businesses along the Napier-Taupo Rd who had taken the evacuees and from organisations such as four-wheel drive clubs.Hukarere Girls College at Eskdale, north of Napier, was also acting as a centre for those evacuated.Hastings District Council had established a public inquiry number through its main number phone number 06 871 5000 for people wanting to find out if their family members were safe.Hastings District Council had established a public inquiry number through its main number phone number 06 871 5000 for people wanting to find out if their family members were safe.Meanwhile, State Highway 1 at the Desert Road has been closed since yesterday afternoon and snow continued to fall in the area this morning.Police were asking all drivers who had to abandon their cars last night and went to Napier to report back to Hukerere Girls College at 10am so the road could be cleared of vehicles.

.A heavy rain warning also remained in place for the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay

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AFP – An Air France pilots’ union will present a report to investigators this week blaming defective air speed probes for the crash of Air France Flight 447 over the Atlantic, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The pilots’ report contradicts the findings of the French agency leading the investigation, the BEA, which has said that the speed monitors were a factor, but not the leading cause of the crash that left 228 people dead on June 1. .

The union points the guilty finger to the plane’s manufacturer Airbus, Air France, civil aviation authorities and the European Aviation Safety Agency among others for under-estimating the problems with the sensors.

Just before dropping off radar screens it had emitted a series of automatic warning signals indicating systems failures.

Air France Flight 447 was flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris during stormy weather when it crashed into a remote area of the Atlantic, about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) off Brazil’s coast.

Such an event cannot be reduced to a single cause, said Gerard Arnoux, president of the Spaf pilots’ union.

The Airbus A330′s black box flight recorders have not been found, but French investigators said in a report that the faulty speed sensors were not the only explanation for the accident.

The crash was the worst in Air France’s 75-year history.

But there is an unchallengeable truth that we must insist on: without the breakdown of the pitot tubes, the accident wouldn’t have happened, Arnoux told the newspaper.

Both the European air safety agency and Airbus advised airlines after the disaster to replace the type of pitot tubes used on the doomed jet with a more reliable model made by a US firm.

AF 447 crash – airplane crash – aviation – Brazil – France – investigation