Beeb brings Mitterand back from dead

Pity le pauvre BBC. After years of Birt-led cut-backs and the transfer of journo talent to the attrocious CNN-wannabe, BBC News 24, it's clear the Corporation doesn't have sufficient good news staff left over for its online news operation. At least that's the only explanation for the site's latest gaffe. In a news item covering the recent Nantes vs Calais footie match, eagled-eyed Register reader Simon Nash spotted a pull-quote attributed to France's President Mitterand. Not bad, since said Pres. has been propping up the daisies - or 'les fleurs de ma tante dans la derriere', if our O-level French is anything to go by - for the last four years. The correct quotee, President Chirac, was unavailable for comment, but we note that in a wonderfully Blair-like way he declared the 2-1 match to have been won by both teams. Evidently, la troixieme way...