Images are two-a-penny right now. Everybody is performing it, so the odds of making a job out of it are slim to vanishing
See the rest here:
What do you call a career involving creative photo editing? | 4u-2 …
.French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the US warrant issued for Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski on a 32-year-old sex charge was “not a good administration of justice”. .
“But I add that it is not a good administration of justice to do this 32 years after the facts when the person concerned is today 76 years old.
The Polish-French national was arrested on September 26 in Zurich, where he had gone to collect an award at the Swiss city’s film festival.”
Polanksi has been regarded as a fugitive by US authorities since he fled the country in 1978 after admitting to having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
But Mr Sarkozy says his comments were a mistake.
French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand labelled Polanski’s arrest “absolutely horrifying”.
“Frederic Mitterrand has recognised that his declaration was an error and that he regretted it.
Mr Mitterrand’s remarks turned the spotlight on himself and his 2005 autobiographical novel. I couldn’t say it any better,” Mr Sarkozy said.
–
.
He was forced to appear on national television last week to deny having ever engaged in paedophile acts
.
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.
.
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
.
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
.
AFP – French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand was in the spotlight Saturday for standing as character reference for two rapists after a row over his admission of paying boys for sex.
Mitterrand, an urbane television personality and a nephew of former Socialist president Francois Mitterrand adopted a pugnacious tone and threatened legal action over what he said was a new orchestrated campaign of insensitive calumny.
The latest scandal emerged just after Mitterrand managed to retain his job following a fresh furore over his 2005 autobiographical novel La Mauvaise Vie (The Bad Life) in which the hero describes paying Asian boys for sex.
The minister will launch legal action against those who are complicit in the latest ignominy he has suffered, a statement read out at a news conference in the southwestern town of Bordeaux quoted Mitterrand as saying.
I absolutely condemn sexual tourism (and) 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.
Mitterrand had angrily denied having ever engaged in paedophile acts or condoning sex tourism.
The minister on Saturday said he was godfather to one of the youths, whose mother is a former make-up artist, and underlined that his letter attesting to their good moral character was a gesture of compassion and generosity to a modest family in great distress.
The latest controversy emerged after a French newspaper said Mitterrand had testified to the good character of two youths in the French overseas territory of La Reunion charged with the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl.
Is it not a shame that this letter has found its way in all the Internet networks? he said, calling it an ignominy, a shame, and manipulation.
He underlined that he had met one of the youths three times in (my) life.
The three youths were charged with rape and sentenced to between eight and 15 years in prison.
Le Quotidien de la Reunion newspaper on Friday published a letter that Mitterrand, who was then director of the Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome, had written to the court.
The controversy over Mitterrand’s book erupted this week after his staunch defence of fugitive film-maker Roman Polanski, arrested in Switzerland on a US warrant on child sex charges. .
Frédéric Mitterrand – French politics – homosexuality – paedophilia – scandal
.
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
.
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.
» Special Report on France's trial of the decade
» Who's who in the trial
» How a finance trial turned into a major political scandal
» A glossary of terms in the Clearstream saga
» 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 Elysée — 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
.
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.
–
.
.
AFP – France served notice Sunday that it no longer supported Guinea leader Moussa Dadis Camara after scores of people were killed in an opposition rally in the capital Conakry last week.
Something terrible and savage happened.
It seems to me that we can no longer work with Dadis Camara and that there has to be an international intervention, he said, adding that France was pressing West African leaders from regional bloc ECOWAS to engage. We cannot accept it, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in an interview to RTL radio.
We can no longer work with Dadis Camara, international intervention is needed.
Dadis Camara said Sunday he bears no responsibility for the September 28 massacre in which the United Nations said more than 150 people were killed…
The junta says 56 civilians were killed, but the Guinean Human Rights Organisation has claimed that at least 157 people were killed and 1,253 wounded in the crackdown.French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
The violence erupted after thousands of people had gathered at Conakry’s main stadium to protest against the prospect of Camara becoming a candidate in presidential elections set for January 31.
Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, tasked by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to act as a facilitator to ease tensions in Guinea, is to arrive in Conakry on Monday, his foreign minister Alain Bedouma Yoda told AFP. The United Nations has put the toll at more than 150. .
Kouchner said France was pressing for a role in Guinea for ECOWAS, whose current chairman is Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Bernard Kouchner – France – Guinea Conakry – Moussa Dadis Camara