Germany and France secure qualifying wins

Germany took a decisive step nearer the 2010 World Cup finals with a 2-0 win in Azerbaijan to open up a four-point gap at the top of European qualifying group four. Goals early in each half from Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose sealed victory for Joachim Loew’s side, who have played a game more than closest rivals Russia. Germany’s trip to face Russia in Moscow on October 10 is likely to decide who tops the group, but Wednesday’s win gives the Germans breathing space as they retained their unbeaten record in qualifying

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Mel Gibson’s girlfriend talks love, luck

In her first television interview since Mel Gibson went public with their relationship in April, his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, made it clear to CNN: "I’d like to be known for my music." Still, the 39-year-old singer was willing to talk about her beau and her pregnancy, as well as her new album, “Beautiful Heartache.” “Beautiful Heartache” was released to iTunes on July 23 by Icon Distribution, Gibson’s company, which up until now has handled only soundtracks for his movies. “He’s an incredible artist,” Grigorieva said

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Tennis: Nadal returns with doubles victory

Rafael Nadal made his return to competitive tennis after a two-and-a-half month layoff with a doubles victory at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. Nadal teamed up with fellow Spaniard Francisco Roig to beat the Serbian pairing of Novak Djokovic and Dusan Vemic 7-5 6-4 in a first round match. World number two Nadal has not played since losing in the fourth round of the French Open to Robin Soderling, troubled by tendinitis in both knees which caused him to skip his defense of the Wimbledon title.

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Putting Burma’s Junta on Trial

Last month two famous defendants — one adored, the other despised — appeared in courts nearly 10,000 km apart. Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia, is being tried by a special tribunal in The Hague for murder, rape, torture and other war crimes allegedly committed during the decade-long conflict in neighboring Sierra Leone

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Pro-Georgia blogger ‘George’ target of Twitter attack

A blogger believed to be the target of the attack that brought down Twitter Thursday has told CNN the cyber assault was politically motivated and timed to coincide with the one year anniversary of the Russia-Georgia conflict. “Cyxymu” has identified himself to CNN as “George,” and the owner of the Twitter, Facebook and LiveJournal accounts named by Facebook’s security officer as being the target of a co-ordinated online attack. George told CNN in an e-mail his username is “the name of my home town, the capital of Apkhazia (Sokhumi) written in Russian and typed in Latin letters.” He confirmed he is 34 years old and based in Tblisi, Georgia, but declined to give further information which may reveal his identity.

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New trial opens for murdered Russian journalist

Three men went on trial Wednesday in connection with the killing of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, Russia’s RIA-Novosti news agency reported. Ibragim and Djabrail Makhmudov, who are brothers, and former interior ministry officer Sergei Khadjikurbanov, are not accused of killing Politkovskaya themselves, but being accomplices. It is the second time the three are being tried in connection with the 2006 murder.

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Georgia, South Ossetia trade jabs

The former Soviet republic of Georgia and one of its breakaway territories, Russia-backed South Ossetia, accused each other of violating the cease-fire that ended last year’s Russian-Georgian war, days before the conflict’s anniversary. The European Union, which monitors the boundary in place since the 2008 conflict, said on Tuesday it had not seen any evidence to confirm either side’s claims but expressed concern about the allegations. “The EU urges all sides to refrain from any statement or action that may lead to increased tensions at this particularly sensitive time,” the union said in a statement issued Tuesday

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