France Telecom replaces deputy chief amid suicide storm

France Telecom, which faces a political storm over a spate of employee suicides, on Monday appointed Stephane Richard, a former top aide of France’s economy minister, as deputy chief executive of the telecoms group. “Louis-Piere Wenes, the current deputy chief executive in charge of operations in France, has asked Didier Lombard, chairman and chief executive of France Telecom, to relieve him from his responsibilities,” the statement said

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Polanski promised $500K to rape victim in ’93 settlement

Roman Polanski in 1993 agreed to pay his sexual assault victim $500,000 to settle a damage claim she filed against the fugitive film director, according to court papers released Friday. Polanski still owed the money — plus another $100,000 in interest — three years after the settlement, according to the documents.

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UK set for three-way iPhone price war

Vodafone on Tuesday announced it would start selling Apple’s popular iPhone in the UK from early next year, in a move that should bolster efforts to turnround the mobile operator’s ailing British business. It means there will be three UK mobile operators selling the US technology company’s iPhone from next year: Vodafone, Orange and O2.

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European air safety agency orders Airbus part checked

A small part that tells computers on some highly-automated Airbus aircraft how fast the plane is flying became a concern again Wednesday. European aviation authorities ordered airlines to check “pitot tubes” that have come under suspicion since the crash of Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean in June

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Venus through as Mauresmo exits U.S. Open

Third seed Venus Williams stepped up her bid for her third U.S. Open title with a convincing 6-4 6-2 win over fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Wednesday. Williams was on the brink of defeat against her first round opponent Vera Dushevina of Russia, but cut out the unforced errors in her second match at Flushing Meadows

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Ivanovic crashes out in U.S. Open thriller

World number one Dinara Safina and most of the top women’s seeds at the U.S. Open coasted through to the second round, but Ana Ivanovic was knocked out by Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko in a playoff thriller that was decided by the last point. Safina, who crashed out of the second round of the Rogers Cup in Canada in late August, survived a scare from Australian teen Olivia Rogowska, winning 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4.

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