Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children, the Guardian has learned.Privacy campaigners claim the images created by the machines are so graphic they amount to "virtual strip-searching" and have called for safeguards to protect the privacy of passengers involved.Ministers now face having to exempt under 18s from the scans or face the delays of introducing new legislation to ensure airport security staff do not commit offences under child pornography laws.
The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children, the Guardian has learned.
Privacy campaigners claim the images created by the machines are so graphic they amount to "virtual strip-searching" and have called for safeguards to protect the privacy of passengers involved.
Ministers now face having to exempt under 18s from the scans or face the delays of introducing new legislation to ensure airport security staff do not commit offences under child pornography laws.
Is there actual discussion whether more and more rigorous security checks (and increasingly racist profiling) is effective?
Haw: why I won't ballot to see BlairBrian Haw is Britain's most indefatigable anti-war campaigner. For eight and a half years he has lived in a tent in Parliament Square. Soon the man who responsible for taking the country to war will appear in front of the Iraq Inquiry. But Haw is not interested in seeing Tony Blair. "I think ad nauseum the world and the country has seen enough of Blair. The problem is he speaks to a certain script. He won't be asked anything he feels too uncomfortable with. It's a joke. I want to ask him questions, real questions." Mr Haw, 60, is a divorced father of seven who has been camped outside Westminster since June 2002. He remains unmoved the former prime minister will soon be questioned about the war just across the road from his protest. "The Inquiry is a farce, it is an exercise for the British establishment's ego" he says. "He should be at the Hague."
Haw: why I won't ballot to see BlairBrian Haw is Britain's most indefatigable anti-war campaigner. For eight and a half years he has lived in a tent in Parliament Square.
Soon the man who responsible for taking the country to war will appear in front of the Iraq Inquiry. But Haw is not interested in seeing Tony Blair.
"I think ad nauseum the world and the country has seen enough of Blair. The problem is he speaks to a certain script. He won't be asked anything he feels too uncomfortable with. It's a joke. I want to ask him questions, real questions."
Mr Haw, 60, is a divorced father of seven who has been camped outside Westminster since June 2002. He remains unmoved the former prime minister will soon be questioned about the war just across the road from his protest.
"The Inquiry is a farce, it is an exercise for the British establishment's ego" he says. "He should be at the Hague."
Irish police have released a man held over an explosives find, after Slovakian authorities admitted planting them in his luggage.The explosive was one of eight pieces of contraband placed with unsuspecting passengers at Bratislava Airport last weekend, broadcaster RTE reported. The 49-year-old unwittingly brought the material into Dublin when he returned from his Christmas holidays.
Irish police have released a man held over an explosives find, after Slovakian authorities admitted planting them in his luggage.
The explosive was one of eight pieces of contraband placed with unsuspecting passengers at Bratislava Airport last weekend, broadcaster RTE reported.
The 49-year-old unwittingly brought the material into Dublin when he returned from his Christmas holidays.
Iceland's president has refused to sign a controversial bill to repay $5bn (£3.1bn) to the UK and the Netherlands.President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said he would instead hold a referendum on the bill, following public protests. The legislation was designed to compensate governments forced to bail out their savers with Icesave accounts following Iceland's banking collapse. Opponents argue the terms of the payments will unfairly hurt Iceland and its recovery from economic crisis.
Iceland's president has refused to sign a controversial bill to repay $5bn (£3.1bn) to the UK and the Netherlands.
President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said he would instead hold a referendum on the bill, following public protests.
The legislation was designed to compensate governments forced to bail out their savers with Icesave accounts following Iceland's banking collapse.
Opponents argue the terms of the payments will unfairly hurt Iceland and its recovery from economic crisis.
Boris "Bobbie" Tsankov, a prominent crime journalist who reported on the mafia in Bulgaria, has been killed by gunmen in the capital, Sofia.The 30-year-old, who was also a popular radio host, was attacked on a crowded street in the city centre, police said. Two men who were with him were also shot and critically wounded, before the gunmen escaped on foot. In 2008, Georgi Stoev, the author of several books on Bulgarian organised crime, was killed in a similar attack. Months later, Bulgaria lost access to more than 500m euros (£430m) of EU funding for failing to deal with corruption and organised crime
Boris "Bobbie" Tsankov, a prominent crime journalist who reported on the mafia in Bulgaria, has been killed by gunmen in the capital, Sofia.
The 30-year-old, who was also a popular radio host, was attacked on a crowded street in the city centre, police said.
Two men who were with him were also shot and critically wounded, before the gunmen escaped on foot.
In 2008, Georgi Stoev, the author of several books on Bulgarian organised crime, was killed in a similar attack.
Months later, Bulgaria lost access to more than 500m euros (£430m) of EU funding for failing to deal with corruption and organised crime
The EU will host talks on Thursday on the use of body scanners at airports, in response to the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a US-bound jet.The European Commission will host the Brussels talks with aviation security experts from the EU member states. The Commission says the 27 member states are free to use body scanners, provided the security checks do not contradict national or EU legislation. The Netherlands and UK are introducing them for US-bound flights. The Commission withdrew a draft EU regulation on body scanners in 2008, following objections from the European Parliament. MEPs raised concerns about passengers' privacy and health, so the Commission decided that further technical analysis was required before EU-wide rules could be adopted.
The EU will host talks on Thursday on the use of body scanners at airports, in response to the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a US-bound jet.
The European Commission will host the Brussels talks with aviation security experts from the EU member states.
The Commission says the 27 member states are free to use body scanners, provided the security checks do not contradict national or EU legislation.
The Netherlands and UK are introducing them for US-bound flights.
The Commission withdrew a draft EU regulation on body scanners in 2008, following objections from the European Parliament.
MEPs raised concerns about passengers' privacy and health, so the Commission decided that further technical analysis was required before EU-wide rules could be adopted.
The TSA senior official said the list of 14 countries was developed by the Homeland Security and State departments. The countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism are Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. The countries of interest are Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.
Not profiling, though. No sir.
Spain has complained to Cuba about its refusal to let a Spanish Euro MP visit the island - but Madrid says this will not obstruct efforts to improve ties.Socialist MEP Luis Yanez was denied entry at the weekend. He said it was a private trip, but admitted he had plans to meet pro-democracy activists. Spain summoned Cuba's ambassador on Tuesday and expressed its dismay. But Spain - currently holding the EU presidency - said it would still try to get the EU to ease its stance on Cuba
Spain has complained to Cuba about its refusal to let a Spanish Euro MP visit the island - but Madrid says this will not obstruct efforts to improve ties.
Socialist MEP Luis Yanez was denied entry at the weekend. He said it was a private trip, but admitted he had plans to meet pro-democracy activists.
Spain summoned Cuba's ambassador on Tuesday and expressed its dismay.
But Spain - currently holding the EU presidency - said it would still try to get the EU to ease its stance on Cuba
Visitors to Spain's EU presidency website have been greeted by an image of hapless fictional character Mr Bean instead of Spain's Socialist leader.An unidentified hacker briefly hijacked the site on Monday, replacing Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero with that of a bumbling comedy buffoon. In Spain, the similarity between Mr Zapatero and the Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson, is a long-standing joke. The government said the site itself, www.eu2010.es, had not been attacked.
Visitors to Spain's EU presidency website have been greeted by an image of hapless fictional character Mr Bean instead of Spain's Socialist leader.
An unidentified hacker briefly hijacked the site on Monday, replacing Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero with that of a bumbling comedy buffoon.
In Spain, the similarity between Mr Zapatero and the Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson, is a long-standing joke.
The government said the site itself, www.eu2010.es, had not been attacked.
At the time of writing, this story is the second most read story on El Mundo - Spain's second biggest newspaper. It was also covered by El Pais, the biggest newspaper in Spain. The Financial Times covered it. Der Spiegel covered it. Le Monde, The Guardian, Reuters, AFP, Fox News, Sky News, The Huffington Post and ABC all covered it. This morning it was the second `most shared' and the seventh `most read' story on the BBC. There was even a (not very funny) spoof version of the story published. Still, it's a fairly minor story in the mainstream media. Not exactly the Watergate scandal, is it? For the EU blogosphere, however, this story was Beangate. Julien Frisch, the blogger El Mundo linked to when the story went mainstream, admitted on Twitter that the "hard truth for EU politics [is that] today's the day with the most visitors/hits on my blog ever due to [the Spanish Presidency] web issue." It's easy to see why. The story was perfect fodder for any mainstream journalist: In the very first week of the Spanish EU Council Presidency hackers broke into the eu2010.es website and uploaded pictures of Mr. Bean (who looks a bit like Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero - see here, here and here). Oh, and the website was reported to have cost 12 million euros (despite being based on Open Source software) whilst Spain is stuck in economic stagnation. It's the perfect combination of humour, outrage and anarchist hacker cool.
Still, it's a fairly minor story in the mainstream media. Not exactly the Watergate scandal, is it? For the EU blogosphere, however, this story was Beangate. Julien Frisch, the blogger El Mundo linked to when the story went mainstream, admitted on Twitter that the "hard truth for EU politics [is that] today's the day with the most visitors/hits on my blog ever due to [the Spanish Presidency] web issue."
It's easy to see why. The story was perfect fodder for any mainstream journalist: In the very first week of the Spanish EU Council Presidency hackers broke into the eu2010.es website and uploaded pictures of Mr. Bean (who looks a bit like Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero - see here, here and here). Oh, and the website was reported to have cost 12 million euros (despite being based on Open Source software) whilst Spain is stuck in economic stagnation. It's the perfect combination of humour, outrage and anarchist hacker cool.
Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, today ruled out doing any "backroom deals" with Labour or the Tories about a coalition before the general election.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he and the other party leaders ought to let the voters say what they wanted at the election."I'm not a kingmaker ... The people are the kingmakers," he said.
Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, today ruled out doing any "backroom deals" with Labour or the Tories about a coalition before the general election.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he and the other party leaders ought to let the voters say what they wanted at the election.
"I'm not a kingmaker ... The people are the kingmakers," he said.
A group of Israeli military officers have delayed an official visit to Britain over fears they could be arrested on war crimes charges. Danny Ayalon, Israel's deputy foreign minister, said on Tuesday that four officers invited to the UK by the British army would not be travelling "as we do not have a 100 per cent guarantee that they will not become objects of criminal lawsuits". The officers, who hold ranks from major to colonel, are the latest in a string of Israeli politicians and military officials to call off travel to Britain due to fears over possible legal action.
A group of Israeli military officers have delayed an official visit to Britain over fears they could be arrested on war crimes charges.
Danny Ayalon, Israel's deputy foreign minister, said on Tuesday that four officers invited to the UK by the British army would not be travelling "as we do not have a 100 per cent guarantee that they will not become objects of criminal lawsuits".
The officers, who hold ranks from major to colonel, are the latest in a string of Israeli politicians and military officials to call off travel to Britain due to fears over possible legal action.
Several European governments are trying to resell millions of doses of swine flu vaccine. So was the threat exaggerated after all? The press takes the authorities to task.After the panic, the polemics. Now that the H1N1 flu looks to be less serious - and Europeans less keen on vaccination - than expected, several governments are looking for a way to unload surplus stocks of vaccine. On 7 January, the health ministers of the German Länder will begin negotiating with GlaxoSmithKline labs to cancel half the German government's order for 50 million doses all told. To date only 10% of the country's population has been vaccinated. According to the Tagesspiegel, Berlin is thinking of unloading surplus stocks on countries like Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Ukraine and Turkey.
After the panic, the polemics. Now that the H1N1 flu looks to be less serious - and Europeans less keen on vaccination - than expected, several governments are looking for a way to unload surplus stocks of vaccine. On 7 January, the health ministers of the German Länder will begin negotiating with GlaxoSmithKline labs to cancel half the German government's order for 50 million doses all told. To date only 10% of the country's population has been vaccinated. According to the Tagesspiegel, Berlin is thinking of unloading surplus stocks on countries like Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Ukraine and Turkey.
Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot believes France will be able to avoid paying for the flu vaccine orders it cancelled. France has cancelled some 50 of the 94 million doses it ordered. The French government came in for some severe criticism this week, for an apparent case of over-preparedness for swine flu which may yet result in financial losses.
France has cancelled some 50 of the 94 million doses it ordered. The French government came in for some severe criticism this week, for an apparent case of over-preparedness for swine flu which may yet result in financial losses.
But then there's this:
Le Figaro: Grippe A : des millions de cas sans symptômes
Spain has launched a series of ambitious goals for its six-month leadership of the European Union, but faces hurdles at home and in Brussels if it is to make its mark on the first presidency of post-Lisbon treaty era. There has already been private dismay in Madrid that it will be the first rotating presidency to play second fiddle to the new permanent EU president set up by Lisbon, Herman Van Rompuy, and to the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Lady Ashton. These two will chair EU summits rather than José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister, or Miguel Angel Moratinos, the foreign minister. Nonetheless, Madrid is attempting to seize the agenda from the fledging eurocrats. It wants to re-start the Middle East peace process with a push for a Palestinian state, and is promoting a renewed dialogue between the EU and Cuba, as well as a strengthened Mediterranean Union, the partnership that France launched during its presidency last year. There will also be a summit with Morocco.
Spain has launched a series of ambitious goals for its six-month leadership of the European Union, but faces hurdles at home and in Brussels if it is to make its mark on the first presidency of post-Lisbon treaty era.
There has already been private dismay in Madrid that it will be the first rotating presidency to play second fiddle to the new permanent EU president set up by Lisbon, Herman Van Rompuy, and to the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Lady Ashton.
These two will chair EU summits rather than José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister, or Miguel Angel Moratinos, the foreign minister. Nonetheless, Madrid is attempting to seize the agenda from the fledging eurocrats.
It wants to re-start the Middle East peace process with a push for a Palestinian state, and is promoting a renewed dialogue between the EU and Cuba, as well as a strengthened Mediterranean Union, the partnership that France launched during its presidency last year. There will also be a summit with Morocco.
Europe suddenly has a new leadership - how will the new post of President of the European Council, held by Belgian Herman Van Rompuy (pictured), square itself alongside José Luis Zapatero's Spanish presidency of the EU?Spanish president José Luis Zapatero's European presidency has barely begun, but he already has a rival in the the brand new post of President of the European Council, held by Belgian Herman Van Rompuy. Zapatero held a meeting in Madrid on Tuesday to discuss the financial crisis with what has been dubbed a "council of wise men" including Jacques Delors, a former French finance minister who held the post of European Commission president from 1985-1995. The meeting, which also included former Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez, was aimed at discussing a project for "European economic governance". It is not out of the ordinary that Zapatero would hold such a meeting, given that Spain now holds the rotating EU presidency until June 2010. However, some experts wonder at the timing of the meeting, coming as it does one day after Van Rompuy called an emergency economic meeting for Feb. 11 in Brussels, with a similar agenda.
Spanish president José Luis Zapatero's European presidency has barely begun, but he already has a rival in the the brand new post of President of the European Council, held by Belgian Herman Van Rompuy.
Zapatero held a meeting in Madrid on Tuesday to discuss the financial crisis with what has been dubbed a "council of wise men" including Jacques Delors, a former French finance minister who held the post of European Commission president from 1985-1995. The meeting, which also included former Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez, was aimed at discussing a project for "European economic governance".
It is not out of the ordinary that Zapatero would hold such a meeting, given that Spain now holds the rotating EU presidency until June 2010. However, some experts wonder at the timing of the meeting, coming as it does one day after Van Rompuy called an emergency economic meeting for Feb. 11 in Brussels, with a similar agenda.
Rumours abound this evening that another Cabinet minister is set to resign over Gordon Brown's leadership. That minister is Tessa Jowell.But the anti-Brown plotters will be disappointed to learn that she has been on the phone tonight reassuring Downing Street that she is now staying, after all. "Tessa is in a good place with Gordon right now," a well-placed source tells me.
Rumours abound this evening that another Cabinet minister is set to resign over Gordon Brown's leadership. That minister is Tessa Jowell.
But the anti-Brown plotters will be disappointed to learn that she has been on the phone tonight reassuring Downing Street that she is now staying, after all. "Tessa is in a good place with Gordon right now," a well-placed source tells me.
So now a real comedian, Alan Davies, has hit out at a part-time aspirant comedian, Boris Johnson, over the London Mayor's extraordinary transport fare hikes, first reported here a few weeks ago. The eagle-eyed Paul Waugh of the London Evening Standard has highlighted Davies's outraged online messages, in which he calls Johnson a "fraud".Could the tide be turning against this most populist of politicians? Certainly, the Government hopes so. As I exclusively reported on NS.com last month (and you can see full details of the Tube fare increases there), Labour party strategists are determined to step up scrutiny of the Mayor and portray his actions in London as a blue-print for Tory priorities.
So now a real comedian, Alan Davies, has hit out at a part-time aspirant comedian, Boris Johnson, over the London Mayor's extraordinary transport fare hikes, first reported here a few weeks ago. The eagle-eyed Paul Waugh of the London Evening Standard has highlighted Davies's outraged online messages, in which he calls Johnson a "fraud".
Could the tide be turning against this most populist of politicians? Certainly, the Government hopes so. As I exclusively reported on NS.com last month (and you can see full details of the Tube fare increases there), Labour party strategists are determined to step up scrutiny of the Mayor and portray his actions in London as a blue-print for Tory priorities.
Minister Celso de Mello, of the Supreme Court, confirmed the decision that authorized federal courts to deliver justice to Russia which are documents and equipment of Boris Abramovich Berezovsky seized in Brazil in 2006. A partner of Media Sports Investment (MSI) in the Sport Club Corinthians Paulista 2004 to 2007, Boris Berezovsky is accused of the crimes of money laundering and conspiracy in Brazil which is also being investigated in Russia. Boris Berezovsky's defense attorney filed a Habeas Corpus in the Supreme Court to try to prevent the delivery of the documents and computers seized from the businessman to Russian authorities. The order to deliver the documents and equipment came from Judge Fausto de Sanctis, of the 6th Federal Vara of São Paulo, at the behest of the Prosecutor of the Russian Federation.
A partner of Media Sports Investment (MSI) in the Sport Club Corinthians Paulista 2004 to 2007, Boris Berezovsky is accused of the crimes of money laundering and conspiracy in Brazil which is also being investigated in Russia.
Boris Berezovsky's defense attorney filed a Habeas Corpus in the Supreme Court to try to prevent the delivery of the documents and computers seized from the businessman to Russian authorities. The order to deliver the documents and equipment came from Judge Fausto de Sanctis, of the 6th Federal Vara of São Paulo, at the behest of the Prosecutor of the Russian Federation.
The laptop and documents were seized in 2005 in San Paolo by Brazilian authorities. Berezovsky was detained briefly and then released at the time. Two years later in July 2007, Berezovsky was indicted for money laundering in Brazil.
Two ex-cabinet ministers are calling for a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership, the BBC understands.Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt and former defence secretary Geoff Hoon have texted MPs urging a ballot, it is understood. It follows rumours that critics of Mr Brown were trying to persuade ministers to resign in a bid to force him out
Two ex-cabinet ministers are calling for a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership, the BBC understands.
Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt and former defence secretary Geoff Hoon have texted MPs urging a ballot, it is understood.
It follows rumours that critics of Mr Brown were trying to persuade ministers to resign in a bid to force him out
