Ad astra per aspera
Vladimir Putin has given his clearest hint yet that he is preparing to get his old job back as president during a masterful performance at his annual question and answer session with the Russian public.Putin, currently prime minister, spent more than four hours answering carefully screened questions from across Russia on subjects including the Lada car and whether the Iranians have built a nuclear bomb yet.Asked by a mining student whether he wants to be president again, Putin replied: "I will think about it," adding "There's still plenty of time."
Vladimir Putin has given his clearest hint yet that he is preparing to get his old job back as president during a masterful performance at his annual question and answer session with the Russian public.
Putin, currently prime minister, spent more than four hours answering carefully screened questions from across Russia on subjects including the Lada car and whether the Iranians have built a nuclear bomb yet.
Asked by a mining student whether he wants to be president again, Putin replied: "I will think about it," adding "There's still plenty of time."
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has held a question-and-answer session with the public, commenting on issues ranging from his political career and terrorism, to the financial crisis and Iran. The prime minister's annual televised question-and-answer session on Thursday was accompanied by intense speculation that he may be planning to return to the country's top job after the term of President Dmitry Medvedev expires in 2012. Putin was president from 2000 to 2008 before switching roles due to constitutional restraints prohibiting a third consecutive term. Putin said he would consider running for president again. "I will think about it, but there is plenty of time," the prime minister said. "I think now, however, whatever your position, you must do your duty. My decision to take part in the 2012 presidential election depends on the social and economic situation. It is only 2009," he said. Asked whether he would consider leaving politics altogether, he responded: "Don't hold your breath."
The prime minister's annual televised question-and-answer session on Thursday was accompanied by intense speculation that he may be planning to return to the country's top job after the term of President Dmitry Medvedev expires in 2012.
Putin was president from 2000 to 2008 before switching roles due to constitutional restraints prohibiting a third consecutive term.
Putin said he would consider running for president again.
"I will think about it, but there is plenty of time," the prime minister said. "I think now, however, whatever your position, you must do your duty. My decision to take part in the 2012 presidential election depends on the social and economic situation. It is only 2009," he said.
Asked whether he would consider leaving politics altogether, he responded: "Don't hold your breath."
Gordon Brown has been accused of "muzzling" the Iraq inquiry after refusing to alter rules that allow Government departments to withhold crucial documents from the public. Concerns over the agreement were raised by the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, during Prime Minister's Questions last week. But in a letter written to Mr Clegg, seen by The Independent, Mr Brown has ruled out any changes to an agreement that effectively gives Whitehall the final say over which documents it will release.
Gordon Brown has been accused of "muzzling" the Iraq inquiry after refusing to alter rules that allow Government departments to withhold crucial documents from the public.
Concerns over the agreement were raised by the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, during Prime Minister's Questions last week. But in a letter written to Mr Clegg, seen by The Independent, Mr Brown has ruled out any changes to an agreement that effectively gives Whitehall the final say over which documents it will release.
Local authorities that fail to protect disabled people from persistent harassment or anti-social behaviour will face legal action if they are found to be ignoring disability hate crimes, the Equality and Human Rights Commission will announce today. The EHRC is to launch a nationwide survey early next year to investigate the level of discrimination faced by disabled people across the country. It will be the first time any authority has tried to assess exactly how prevalent violence and anti-social harassment towards disabled people is. It will also assess which local authorities are adequately tackling discrimination.
Local authorities that fail to protect disabled people from persistent harassment or anti-social behaviour will face legal action if they are found to be ignoring disability hate crimes, the Equality and Human Rights Commission will announce today.
The EHRC is to launch a nationwide survey early next year to investigate the level of discrimination faced by disabled people across the country. It will be the first time any authority has tried to assess exactly how prevalent violence and anti-social harassment towards disabled people is. It will also assess which local authorities are adequately tackling discrimination.
The German supreme court made it easier to prosecute alleged neo-Nazi groups Thursday, after overturning a decision made by the state court in Dresden. The ruling clarifies the definition of a criminal organization. German state prosecutors will find it much easier to define suspected neo-Nazis as members of a criminal organisation, rather than just a gang, thanks to a new ruling by the Federal Court of Justice. From now on, prosecutors do not need to provide formal evidence such as member lists, evidence of membership fees or guidelines, in order to be able to classify a far-right wing group as a criminal organisation. Instead, a group can be classified as criminal if the crimes it has committed can be proved to be part of a "superior group intention".
German state prosecutors will find it much easier to define suspected neo-Nazis as members of a criminal organisation, rather than just a gang, thanks to a new ruling by the Federal Court of Justice.
From now on, prosecutors do not need to provide formal evidence such as member lists, evidence of membership fees or guidelines, in order to be able to classify a far-right wing group as a criminal organisation. Instead, a group can be classified as criminal if the crimes it has committed can be proved to be part of a "superior group intention".
The fate of thousands of asylum-seekers in Germany is being decided at a meeting in Bremen. Although some have lived here for over a decade, their residency permits expire this month, leaving them open to deportation. If the current rules run their course, up to 30,000 foreigners seeking asylum in Germany face the prospect of living illegally in the country, or being deported, as of January 2010. Refugee and human rights advocates are calling for an overhaul of Germany's residency rules. Temporary rules agreed upon in 2006 give thousands of rejected refugee applicants a deadline of December 2009 to find enough work to support themselves, and their dependents, without state assistance, or face the loss of their residency permits.
If the current rules run their course, up to 30,000 foreigners seeking asylum in Germany face the prospect of living illegally in the country, or being deported, as of January 2010.
Refugee and human rights advocates are calling for an overhaul of Germany's residency rules.
Temporary rules agreed upon in 2006 give thousands of rejected refugee applicants a deadline of December 2009 to find enough work to support themselves, and their dependents, without state assistance, or face the loss of their residency permits.
The European Court of Human Rights has upheld a German father's right to joint custody of his daughter. The ruling spells trouble for German law, which denies single fathers joint custody. The court in Strasbourg ruled that German courts had discriminated against a single father when they denied him joint custody of his 14-year-old daughter. According to German law, single fathers are only entitled to joint custody of their children if they have the mother's consent. The situation is different for married couples. Husbands are automatically entitled to joint custody, and the European court found this violated European conventions against discrimination.
The court in Strasbourg ruled that German courts had discriminated against a single father when they denied him joint custody of his 14-year-old daughter.
According to German law, single fathers are only entitled to joint custody of their children if they have the mother's consent.
The situation is different for married couples. Husbands are automatically entitled to joint custody, and the European court found this violated European conventions against discrimination.
LONDON (Reuters) - Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said on Thursday he would have liked to have been the European Union's new foreign policy chief, but added that the circumstances were not right. Catherine Ashton, who was little known even in Britain, was selected last month to fill the new post of high representative for foreign affairs. "In other circumstances I would of course have liked to have done that job as it combines my interest in Europe and foreign affairs," Mandelson told BBC radio.
LONDON (Reuters) - Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said on Thursday he would have liked to have been the European Union's new foreign policy chief, but added that the circumstances were not right.
Catherine Ashton, who was little known even in Britain, was selected last month to fill the new post of high representative for foreign affairs.
"In other circumstances I would of course have liked to have done that job as it combines my interest in Europe and foreign affairs," Mandelson told BBC radio.
* Proposal would turn Paris stockmarket 50% female * Scepticism but also seen as 'necessary evil'Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right party has put forward legislation that would see women make up half the figures in France's leading boardrooms by 2015, under a bold plan to impose gender equality on the male-dominated business world.In a bill submitted to the French parliament this week, all companies listed on the Paris stock exchange would have to ensure female employees made up 50% of their board members by 2015. If passed, a gradual implementation of the law would see businesses obliged to have women in 20% of board seats within 18 months, and 40% within four years.Jean-François Copé, president of the majority UMP party, said it could give a "much-needed electro-shock" to the French corporate world, long considered a bastion reserved for the male elite in which only 10.5% of board members in CAC 40 (French stock market index) companies are female.Referring to France's move in 2000 to encourage gender equality in politics, he said: "We must do to companies what we did in the public domain a few years ago and impose parity."
* Scepticism but also seen as 'necessary evil'
Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right party has put forward legislation that would see women make up half the figures in France's leading boardrooms by 2015, under a bold plan to impose gender equality on the male-dominated business world.
In a bill submitted to the French parliament this week, all companies listed on the Paris stock exchange would have to ensure female employees made up 50% of their board members by 2015. If passed, a gradual implementation of the law would see businesses obliged to have women in 20% of board seats within 18 months, and 40% within four years.
Jean-François Copé, president of the majority UMP party, said it could give a "much-needed electro-shock" to the French corporate world, long considered a bastion reserved for the male elite in which only 10.5% of board members in CAC 40 (French stock market index) companies are female.
Referring to France's move in 2000 to encourage gender equality in politics, he said: "We must do to companies what we did in the public domain a few years ago and impose parity."
Senator Dell'Utri was condemned to nine years imprisonment for external association with the mafia. He is best known for having created Berlusconi's political machine, Forza Italia, as of 1992- two years before it was publicly announced.
Since Gasparri Spatuzza began talking one year ago his testimony before judges in Palermo, Caltanissetta and Florence has caused the reopening of investigations into the obscure, unsolved aspects of the mafia terror season. Spatuzza has asserted that both Dell'Utri and Berlusconi were the individuals who negotiated with the mafia at the time. He has gone so far as to assert that the two actually indicated the historical monuments that were then bombed by the mafia causing numerous deaths.
Another key witness who is currently giving evidence against Dell'Utri and Berlusconi is Massimo Ciancimino, the son of the historical mafia-state go-between, Vito Ciancimino.
While abroad the accusations would appear to be outright wingnut conspiration- a prime minister that murdered his own citizens in the past- it appears within the norm of republican Italian history, characterized by state-covered massacres and mutually profitable collusion with the mafia since the birth of the republic.
President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party was left red-faced after it emerged last night that its promotional video showing the joys of the French way of life was shot in America. The film, "La France change, ma région doit changer" (France is changing, my region should change) shows an eco-friendly house with solar panels on the roof, smiling schoolchildren and a mother hugging a little girl in a sunny garden. A voice-over boasts about Mr Sarkozy's achievements since 2007, and the benefits of living in France. But the French TV channel Canal+ has discovered most of the footage was bought from Getty Images, and shot thousands of miles away in the US.
The film, "La France change, ma région doit changer" (France is changing, my region should change) shows an eco-friendly house with solar panels on the roof, smiling schoolchildren and a mother hugging a little girl in a sunny garden.
A voice-over boasts about Mr Sarkozy's achievements since 2007, and the benefits of living in France.
But the French TV channel Canal+ has discovered most of the footage was bought from Getty Images, and shot thousands of miles away in the US.
The MOD has no opinion on the existence or otherwise of extra-terrestrial life. However, in over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom. The MOD has no specific capability for identifying the nature of such sightings. There is no Defence benefit in such investigation and it would be an inappropriate use of defence resources. Furthermore, responding to reported UFO sightings diverts MOD resources from tasks that are relevant to Defence. Accordingly, and in order to make best use of Defence resources, we have decided that from the 1 December 2009 the dedicated UFO hotline answer-phone service and e-mail address will be withdrawn. MOD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them.
The MOD has no specific capability for identifying the nature of such sightings. There is no Defence benefit in such investigation and it would be an inappropriate use of defence resources. Furthermore, responding to reported UFO sightings diverts MOD resources from tasks that are relevant to Defence.
Accordingly, and in order to make best use of Defence resources, we have decided that from the 1 December 2009 the dedicated UFO hotline answer-phone service and e-mail address will be withdrawn. MOD will no longer respond to reported UFO sightings or investigate them.
