Watchmaker removes Tiger Woods placards from stores

Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer is removing placards of Tiger Woods from jewellery stores across Australia, but says the timing is unrelated to the champion golfer's recent transgressions.
Tag Heuer is one of Woods's major sponsors, and its move this week follows Woods' spectacular fall from grace after revelations of alleged extramarital affairs.
Woods endorses the company's "Link" range of watches, and was involved in the design of the high-end titanium "Professional Golf" watch.
Smales Swiss Watch Centre manager Pino Martello said the controversy over Woods's personal life might actually increase sales.
"[The watches] are still good sellers and I believe they will continue to be good sellers," he said.
"I believe that, when things like this happen, circumstances like this can actually boost sales.
"I have seen it before."
Mr Martello said Woods's private life was irrelevant to his golfing reputation, but acknowledged the golfer's transgressions had affected people's attitudes to Tag Heuer's advertising.
"We're getting people walking past and they're looking at the range in the wrong way," he said.
"They're looking, smirking and grinning."
Meanwhile, a Californian lawmaker has shelved plans to award Tiger Woods a Congressional Medal.
"In the light of the recent developments surrounding Tiger Woods and his family, I will not pursue legislation awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal this session," Joe Baca said in a statement.
The Democratic representative introduced legislation in March 2009 seeking to award Woods the prestigious honour for "service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people".
The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the highest civilian honours available in the United States.