Two a penny

.Angry Irish football chiefs have called on FIFA to order the World Cup play-off with France to be replayed, after France’s Thierry Henry helped knock out Ireland with a clear handball.
Video replays showed Henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time of Thursday’s (AEDT) play-off in Paris, before passing to William Gallas to head the goal which gave France a 2-1 win on aggregate.
“The blatantly incorrect decision by the referee to award the goal has damaged the integrity of the sport,” the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said in a statement.”
The Irish football body pointed to a precedent – a FIFA decision in 2005 to invalidate the result of a World Cup qualification match between Uzbekistan and Bahrain on the basis of “a technical error by the referee of the match”.
“We now call on FIFA, as the world governing body for our sport, to organise for this match to be replayed.
A FIFA spokesperson said the body had yet to receive a request from the FAI.
The FAI said it hoped FIFA would “act in a similar fashion so that the standards of fair play and integrity can be protected”. It had only just received the official match reports and were in the process of reading them, he added.
“It is impossible to repeat the game,” the experienced Italian said.
Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni told a press conference minutes before the statement was released by his employers that he did not believe FIFA would grant a replay.”
Trapattoni also called for extra-time to be scrapped at the end of the two-leg World Cup play-offs, with the second match instead going straight to a penalty shootout in the event of a draw in regulation time.
He urged FIFA to explain how Swedish referee Martin Hansson, who failed to spot the incident, had been chosen for such a high-profile match, saying: “For this important game we needed a stronger referee, an important referee. The player himself admitted handling, but said the responsibility for seeing the incident fell to the match official.
Hansson, who works as a firefighter, failed to spot the Henry handball.
Trapattoni refused to blame the player, saying: “It wasn’t up to Henry to say ‘I touched it with my hand’.
Trapattoni refused to blame the player, saying: “It wasn’t up to Henry to say ‘I touched it with my hand’.
– Outrage –
Questions were asked in the Irish parliament after the Henry incident, with Justice Minister Dermot Ahern also suggesting Ireland appeal to FIFA for a replay.
The draw for the finals is due to be made in Cape Town on December 4, leaving little barely two weeks for a replay to be scheduled in a calendar already crowded by club matches.
“It’s the least we owe the thousands of devastated young fans around the country.
“They probably won’t grant it as we are minnows in world football but let’s put them on the spot,” he told RTE state radio.”
The Irish press were unanimous in their condemnation. Otherwise, if that result remains, it reinforces the view that if you cheat, you will win.
A Facebook page entitled “We Irish hate Thierry Henry (the cheat)” also drew hundreds of comments – some of them unprintable – including a call for an Irish boycott of French goods.
“We were robbed” said the Irish Star, “Le Cheat” added the Irish Mirror, while the Irish Sun splashed with the “Hand of the Frog” – a play on Diego Maradona’s 1986 “Hand of God” goal against England.
One financial expert said Ireland’s failure to make next year’s World Cup finals will cost the already recession-bound Irish economy millions of euros.
“I would say croissant sales will slump today,” said one contributor to the social networking site page.
Reacting to the growing row, shaving company Gillette said it had no plans to axe star striker Henry from its advertising.
Reacting to the growing row, shaving company Gillette said it had no plans to axe star striker Henry from its advertising.
“Thierry Henry has publicly acknowledged that it was a handball… This is not going to affect our relationship with Thierry Henry,” said a spokesperson for Gillette, part of US consumer products giant Procter and Gamble.

.A 13-year-old French boy set out on Tuesday to mow down his teachers with a shotgun, but abandoned the plan when he arrived at the school and found it surrounded by police, officials say. .
The teenager was in custody on suspicion of attempted murder and admitted his homicidal intentions during an interview, Beauvais prosecutor James Juan said in a statement.
The boy had on Monday left a message on his blog stating that “this is the last day of my life”.
He wanted “to attack his teachers who quarrelled with him even though he had done nothing (wrong),” Mr Juan said. “He went in the direction of the school where, according to his declarations, he intended to kill his teachers.
“He left his home with a loaded hunting rifle and 25 cartridges,” said senior local official Raymond Yeddou.”
But when he saw a major police presence in front of and inside the school, he abandoned his plan and instead headed to a cyber cafe in Beauvais town centre where his parents later found him.
Mr Yeddou stressed that the boy never managed to get into the school and students were not in danger at any point.
Police warned the head of the 2,000-pupil Saint Esprit school to keep his students confined to their classrooms as the drama unfolded.
“His parents were worried when they saw him leave the house very early, around 7:00am.
The alarm was raised at 8:15am local time by the boy’s parents, who had become concerned by his unusual behaviour and searched their house, finding the gun and ammunition gone.
Though generally a good student, the source said, the boy has recently had problems at school and was worried about a parent-teacher meeting due on Tuesday. He did not seem to be his usual self,” a source close to the investigation said.
The Beauvais prosecutor said the boy wanted to stop the meeting at the academically high-achieving school from going ahead.
The Beauvais prosecutor said the boy wanted to stop the meeting at the academically high-achieving school from going ahead.
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.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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.Australian rugby league coach Tim Sheens has rubbished suggestions he is fielding a second-string side in the Four Nations match against France this weekend.
Sheens has opted to resting star Melbourne trio Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater for the Paris clash.
The Kangaroos coach stuck to his pre-tour vow to give every member of the touring party a run during the tournament, with Michael Jennings, Josh Morris and Cooper Cronk all named to play.
Sheens claimed the inclusion of his number one halves pairing proved the Australians meant business in Paris, where a win will book a berth in the November 14 final in Leeds.
Jennings and Morris will start in the centres – the latter lining up alongside twin Brett on the left edge – while Cronk will come off the bench as back-up to starting halves Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston, as well as new hooker Robbie Farah.
“If I’m resting anyone it’s because they’ve had a couple of hard hit-outs and they’ve finished with a long season and I think that’s indicative of Thurston and Lockyer starting.
“It might come across to some back in Australia as ‘oh, he’s resting people’ – it’s not the case,” Sheens said.
“The side I put out, that’s a very good side.
“I’ve changed both sides and I’m going into the third game just keeping the structure.
“For anyone to say that’s a second-string side – I don’t think we have a first-string side.
Most open are the spots on the bench, with Farah, Kurt Gidley and Cronk all battling it out for the back-up playmaker’s spot.”
While the likes of Inglis, Smith and Slater will no doubt come straight back into the side, Sheens has indicated that the squad for the November 14 final is far from decided.
Sheens also said his decision to leave Hayne on the wing and not give him a run at full-back – where he starred for Parramatta this season – was made with one eye on the final.
It is just as tight in the back row, with Ryan Hoffman and Trent Waterhouse given another chance to push for selection after being named to play France in place of injured duo Anthony Watmough (concussion/groin) and Paul Gallen (neck).
“Jarryd’s coming to terms with the wing again,” Sheens said.
“Jarryd’s coming to terms with the wing again,” Sheens said.”
Two players going nowhere are Lockyer and Thurston, though Sheens did admit the pair had been given another run just to iron out a few kinks.
“If I had a problem at the back (during the game) Jarryd would move.
“I’m concerned about getting Darren and Thurston on the same page – that hasn’t been as comfortable as I thought or as slick as it should be,” Sheens said.
It had been assumed Cronk would get the number seven jumper for the clash with France, with Australia all-but assured a finals berth.
“Game two was better. .”
Australia: Kurt Gidley, Brett Morris, Josh Morris, Michael Jennings, Jarryd Hayne, Darren Lockyer (c), Johnathan Thurston, Petero Civoniceva, Robbie Farah, Ben Hannant, Trent Waterhouse, Ryan Hoffman, Nathan Hindmarsh. I’d like to improve it, I’d like things to be working better and Darren getting good ball when he wants it.
– AAP

. Interchange: Cooper Cronk, Luke Lewis, David Shillington, Sam Thaiday

.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

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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

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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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.Two-time grand slam winner Amelie Mauresmo has announced that she will skip her final two tournaments of the season. . I don’t want to rush or force things,” she said on her website.
“I’m giving myself time to think before making a decision on the rest of my career,” she added.
The 30-year-old Frenchwoman will not compete as planned in tournaments in Linz and Luxembourg, and has not made any decisions yet on next season.
The former world number one, winner of the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, is now ranked 20th in the world.
Mauresmo got off to a good start early in the season, winning the Paris Indoor Open, but struggled to maintain her form.
She was dumped out of the second round of the US Open by Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak.
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