Diamonds are a thieve's best friends (Franck Muller watch)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Times of India reports that police in Mumbai have recovered 20 diamond-studded Franck Muller watches worth several million dollars and six less expensive timepieces as well as “chemicals”, stuffed into the cavity of a toilet on an Air India flight that landed in Mumbai Monday night 10 January.
They were alerted to the possibility of smuggled goods on the plane, which had flown from Abu Dhabi, but they arrived after passengers left the plane. Maintenance staff are being investigated as the most likely suspects, officials told the Times, because a smuggler would have to be certain the person on the receiving end could carry the goods out of the airport.
International sports, tennis
Abu Dhabi, UAE (GenevaLunch) - Rafa Nadal defeated Roger Federer 7-6(4) 7-6(3) 1 January in a tightly fought match. The two played each other for the third time in two weeks when they met in the final of the Mubadala tournament in Abu Dhabi. All three were exhibition games but the first two were for the two players’ charitable foundations while the Abu Dhabi match is a prestigious and well-rewarded exhibition tournament with a prize of $250,000 for the winner. Federer reached the final with a three set win over Robin Soderling, 6-7 6-3 6-3 while Nadal had an easier time beating Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4.
Links to other sites: CNN, Mubadala WTC, Eurosport
Abu Dhabi (GenevaLunch) – Sebastian Vettel, 23-year-old German Formula 1 driver, made history Sunday 14 November by being the youngest ever winner of the F1 driver’s title. He ended the season with 10 wins for Red Bull to his name. Fernando Alonso and Ferrari went into the race needing to finish in the top four for Alonzo to take the title, but he finished in seventh place. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton finished second and Jenson Button third.
Red Bull also took the constructor’s title, earlier in the season in Brazil.
Links to other sites: BBC, F1, post-race interview with Vettel, rankings on F1
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (GenevaLunch) - Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber grabbed the top two places in the final Grand Prix of the 2009 season in Abu Dhabi. It was the first race to take place on the track, and the first day-night Grand Prix race. Jenson Button, who had captured the championship in the previous Grand Prix, took third place after an unsuccessful fight to pass Webber in the final laps.
