Ad astra per aspera
The leader of a Paris gang has been sentenced to life in prison in France for the torture and murder of a Jewish man, Ilam Halimi, in 2006.Youssouf Fofana, 28, the only member of the Barbarians gang facing a murder charge, will serve at least 22 years. Mr Halimi was held by the gang for more than three weeks before being found by a railway line. He was handcuffed to a tree, naked and severely burned. His death prompted mass protests in France against anti-Semitism. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence for Fofana - the life sentence means he must serve a minimum of 22 years.
The leader of a Paris gang has been sentenced to life in prison in France for the torture and murder of a Jewish man, Ilam Halimi, in 2006.
Youssouf Fofana, 28, the only member of the Barbarians gang facing a murder charge, will serve at least 22 years.
Mr Halimi was held by the gang for more than three weeks before being found by a railway line. He was handcuffed to a tree, naked and severely burned.
His death prompted mass protests in France against anti-Semitism.
Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence for Fofana - the life sentence means he must serve a minimum of 22 years.
Ministers agree reductions but budget will still be higher than in 2009. EU governments agreed today (10 July) to cut the proposed budget for 2010 by €613 million compared to the initial draft budget presented by the European Commission in April. Budget ministers agreed at a meeting in Brussels to set the budget for 2010 at €137.944 billion in commitments. In terms of payments, the reduction compared to the Commission's proposal is even larger. EU governments agreed to reduce the amount in payments by €1.794bn to €120.520bn. The payments budget is the amount of money that the Commission expects to pay out in the budget year, while the commitments budget, which is a higher figure, includes money earmarked for multi-annual programmes but not necessarily paid out in that budget year. Even with these reductions, the budget for 2010 will be 3.06% higher than the 2009 budget in terms of commitments and 3.81% higher in terms of payments. The Commission had proposed a 3.52% increase in commitments and 5.36% in payments.
EU governments agreed today (10 July) to cut the proposed budget for 2010 by €613 million compared to the initial draft budget presented by the European Commission in April.
Budget ministers agreed at a meeting in Brussels to set the budget for 2010 at €137.944 billion in commitments. In terms of payments, the reduction compared to the Commission's proposal is even larger. EU governments agreed to reduce the amount in payments by €1.794bn to €120.520bn.
The payments budget is the amount of money that the Commission expects to pay out in the budget year, while the commitments budget, which is a higher figure, includes money earmarked for multi-annual programmes but not necessarily paid out in that budget year.
Even with these reductions, the budget for 2010 will be 3.06% higher than the 2009 budget in terms of commitments and 3.81% higher in terms of payments. The Commission had proposed a 3.52% increase in commitments and 5.36% in payments.
The murder of an Egyptian woman in a German courtroom at the beginning of July is causing outrage among Muslims in Germany, Egypt and Iran. Muslims accuse the German government of playing down the matter. (...) Since the murder small protests have taken place in Cairo and within the German domestic population. Further demonstrations are planned for Sunday. What has surprised and angered Muslims in Germany and elsewhere is the slow response made by the German government to the incident and the apparent indifference of the German press. The Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel asked on Thursday: "Why was the death of a veiled woman, who was not the victim of an 'honor crime', only news in brief for a whole week?" The German press buried the report of the murder on the back pages and have since focused on the issue of security in German courts rather than the racist aspect of the killing. German government takes one week to issue response The incident occurred on July 1 but the German government took until July 8 to issue a statement of condolence.
What has surprised and angered Muslims in Germany and elsewhere is the slow response made by the German government to the incident and the apparent indifference of the German press.
The Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel asked on Thursday: "Why was the death of a veiled woman, who was not the victim of an 'honor crime', only news in brief for a whole week?"
The German press buried the report of the murder on the back pages and have since focused on the issue of security in German courts rather than the racist aspect of the killing.
German government takes one week to issue response
The incident occurred on July 1 but the German government took until July 8 to issue a statement of condolence.
Why was the death of a veiled woman, who was not the victim of an 'honor crime', only news in brief for a whole week?
Wrong veil? Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
Recent crises have discredited political institutions. The economic crisis has raised doubts about the capacity of governments to manage the markets. The crisis in political representation - from British MPs' expenses scandal to the fuss over Berlusconi's relationship with minors - has left many people disaffected and disenchanted with their elected representatives. But these sentiments have not given birth to anything new. Anti-establishment figures will continue to emerge but only as charismatic individuals, not as embodiments of new political ideas. This was the lesson of Declan Ganley's European crusade. There is no European lurch to the right. There is an entrenchment of populism as the new political opposition in Europe - but one that remains devoid of political ideas, unable to transform people's anger and mistrust of the establishment into a new political vision or programme.
Recent crises have discredited political institutions. The economic crisis has raised doubts about the capacity of governments to manage the markets. The crisis in political representation - from British MPs' expenses scandal to the fuss over Berlusconi's relationship with minors - has left many people disaffected and disenchanted with their elected representatives. But these sentiments have not given birth to anything new. Anti-establishment figures will continue to emerge but only as charismatic individuals, not as embodiments of new political ideas. This was the lesson of Declan Ganley's European crusade.
There is no European lurch to the right. There is an entrenchment of populism as the new political opposition in Europe - but one that remains devoid of political ideas, unable to transform people's anger and mistrust of the establishment into a new political vision or programme.
