From the London Times’ Vladimir Putin ‘wanted to hang Georgian President Saakashvili by the balls’: “Nicolas Sarkozy saved the President of Georgia from being hanged ‘by the balls’ — a threat made last summer by Vladimir Putin, according to an account that emerged yesterday from the Élysée Palace. “I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls,” Mr Putin declared. Mr Sarkozy thought he had misheard. “Hang him?” — he asked. “Why not?” Mr Putin replied. “The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein.” Mr Sarkozy, using the familiar tu, tried to reason with him: “Yes but do you want to end up like [President] Bush?” Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: “Ah — you have scored a point there.” [Hat tip to Eliot for the link]