A new book puts Cécilia Sarkozy's side of the collapse of her marriage to France's head of state. John Lichfield introduces the first extracts to be published in Britain Published: 13 January 2008 The private lives of French presidents used to be a matter for secrecy, speculation and gossip. The private life of President Nicolas Sarkozy has become a daily public soap opera. The President was described last week, by the woman who lived with him for 18 years, as a "sauteur" (a vulgar word for philanderer). She also described him as "stingy". Earlier, the right-wing President had confirmed that he plans to marry Carla Bruni, a left-wing pop singer, whom he met two months ago: a woman who boasts that she does not believe in monogamy. Yet last week it was also claimed that, since meeting Ms Bruni, he had been nursing an affection for the actress Eva Green. All of this in a country that has been taught to believe, or at least to say, that the private lives of politicians should remain private. All of this after a presidential campaign in which M Sarkozy appealed stridently for a return to "traditional" values. Cécilia Sarkozy, 50, made the attacks on her husband to a friend, who she knew was writing a book about her. Later she changed her mind, and tried to block publication of the book. On Friday, a French court agreed to allow publication. Extracts are published here in English for the first time.
The private lives of French presidents used to be a matter for secrecy, speculation and gossip. The private life of President Nicolas Sarkozy has become a daily public soap opera.
The President was described last week, by the woman who lived with him for 18 years, as a "sauteur" (a vulgar word for philanderer). She also described him as "stingy".
Earlier, the right-wing President had confirmed that he plans to marry Carla Bruni, a left-wing pop singer, whom he met two months ago: a woman who boasts that she does not believe in monogamy. Yet last week it was also claimed that, since meeting Ms Bruni, he had been nursing an affection for the actress Eva Green.
All of this in a country that has been taught to believe, or at least to say, that the private lives of politicians should remain private. All of this after a presidential campaign in which M Sarkozy appealed stridently for a return to "traditional" values.
Cécilia Sarkozy, 50, made the attacks on her husband to a friend, who she knew was writing a book about her. Later she changed her mind, and tried to block publication of the book. On Friday, a French court agreed to allow publication. Extracts are published here in English for the first time.
So Valeriya wants to show them how it's done. With 100m sales and Putin as a fan, she may have a chance By Jonathan Owen Published: 13 January 2008 With record sales of 100 million and countless awards for her music, she is probably the best-selling star never to have topped the British charts. But now Valeriya - Russia's answer to Madonna, who counts President Vladimir Putin among her army of fans - plans to change all that by trying to conquer London this week. She brings with her an extraordinary soap-opera life story that, if filmed, would have critics pointing out that reality is not like that. But hers is. Born the daughter of two classical musicians, she achieved fame at the age of 23 with victory at international song contests. That set her on a fast track to becoming one of Russia's leading pop stars, and three years later she was voted Person of the Year by the country's journalists. More awards and many more hits followed, and then in 2001, at the height of her renown, she broke with her manager Alexander Shulgin (who was also her husband and father of her three children), announced she was leaving showbusiness, and returned to her native Atkarsk in the country's south-west. Allegations that Shulgin was abusive speedily surfaced. "My ex-husband was a tyrant, a real tyrant," she said, "and I had a very messy divorce. It was a very hard time for me and for my kids."
With record sales of 100 million and countless awards for her music, she is probably the best-selling star never to have topped the British charts. But now Valeriya - Russia's answer to Madonna, who counts President Vladimir Putin among her army of fans - plans to change all that by trying to conquer London this week.
She brings with her an extraordinary soap-opera life story that, if filmed, would have critics pointing out that reality is not like that. But hers is. Born the daughter of two classical musicians, she achieved fame at the age of 23 with victory at international song contests. That set her on a fast track to becoming one of Russia's leading pop stars, and three years later she was voted Person of the Year by the country's journalists.
More awards and many more hits followed, and then in 2001, at the height of her renown, she broke with her manager Alexander Shulgin (who was also her husband and father of her three children), announced she was leaving showbusiness, and returned to her native Atkarsk in the country's south-west. Allegations that Shulgin was abusive speedily surfaced. "My ex-husband was a tyrant, a real tyrant," she said, "and I had a very messy divorce. It was a very hard time for me and for my kids."
A fraudster walked into a branch of Barclays Bank posing as its chairman Marcus Agius and managed to walk out with £10,000. The conman is believed to have found Mr Agius' details online and persuaded call centre staff into issuing a Barclaycard in his name. "It was down to human error, procedures were not followed fully and we have learned from it," Barclaycard said. It added that like any other customer, Mr Agius had been fully refunded.
The conman is believed to have found Mr Agius' details online and persuaded call centre staff into issuing a Barclaycard in his name.
"It was down to human error, procedures were not followed fully and we have learned from it," Barclaycard said.
It added that like any other customer, Mr Agius had been fully refunded.
In order to truly appreciate this, Clarkson is a smug right wing git given to ranting against political correctness, global warming and Peak oil
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has admitted he was wrong to brand the scandal of lost CDs containing the personal data of millions of Britons a "storm in a teacup" after falling victim to an internet scam. The outspoken star printed his bank details in a newspaper to try and make the point that his money would be safe and that the spectre of identity theft was a sham. He also gave instructions on how to find his address on the electoral roll and details about the car he drives.
The outspoken star printed his bank details in a newspaper to try and make the point that his money would be safe and that the spectre of identity theft was a sham.
He also gave instructions on how to find his address on the electoral roll and details about the car he drives.
Ah, I love the smell of schaudenfreude inb the morning, don't you ? keep to the Fen Causeway
