Ad astra per aspera
Talks on forming a new government in Belgium collapsed over the weekend leading a series of French-speaking politicians to raise the normally-taboo subject of a possible break-up of the country. King Albert on Saturday (4 September) accepted the resignation of French-speaking Socialist leader Elio Di Rupo as lead negotiator after he failed to bring the seven-party talks to an agreement on reforming the state, a precondition for establishing a coalition government.
Talks on forming a new government in Belgium collapsed over the weekend leading a series of French-speaking politicians to raise the normally-taboo subject of a possible break-up of the country.
King Albert on Saturday (4 September) accepted the resignation of French-speaking Socialist leader Elio Di Rupo as lead negotiator after he failed to bring the seven-party talks to an agreement on reforming the state, a precondition for establishing a coalition government.
It is hard to imagine more alarming rhetoric for supporters of a unified Belgium. Throughout the weekend, the Belgian media was dominated by one dramatic statement after another from francophone politicians who now openly discuss the prospect of dividing the country in two. "We must start preparing for the end of Belgium," warned senior Socialist leader Laurette Onkelinx in an interview with La Derniere Heure newspaper. That sentiment was echoed by Rudy Demotte, the leader of the French-speaking Wallonia region, who said that the time had come to consider "all options."
EUOBSERVER /BRUSSELS - Belarus opposition leader Jaroslav Romanchuk has called for EU support in the run-up to presidential elections following the death of a reporter in suspicious circumstances. Mr Romanchuk, who is to run for president in the upcoming vote, told EUobserver by phone from Minsk on Sunday (5 September) that the death of internet journalist Aleh Byabenin, who was found hanged on Friday, looks like foul play.
EUOBSERVER /BRUSSELS - Belarus opposition leader Jaroslav Romanchuk has called for EU support in the run-up to presidential elections following the death of a reporter in suspicious circumstances.
Mr Romanchuk, who is to run for president in the upcoming vote, told EUobserver by phone from Minsk on Sunday (5 September) that the death of internet journalist Aleh Byabenin, who was found hanged on Friday, looks like foul play.
Nearly a year after Dominik Brunner died after being beaten at train station, a Munich court sentenced 19-year-old Markus S. to nine years and 10 months for murder, just below the maximum sentence of 10 years for youth offenders. His friend Sebastian L., who is now 18 years of age, got seven years for assault resulting in death.
Spain has dismissed as insufficient a ceasefire offer by the Basque separatist organization ETA, insisting that ETA had to "renounce violence completely, forever," according to Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba "We are not going to change a dot or a comma in our antiterrorist policy," he said on Monday. What we want is for ETA to renounce violence, so long as it does not break with violence it will not be admitted into institutions," he added.
Spain has dismissed as insufficient a ceasefire offer by the Basque separatist organization ETA, insisting that ETA had to "renounce violence completely, forever," according to Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba
"We are not going to change a dot or a comma in our antiterrorist policy," he said on Monday. What we want is for ETA to renounce violence, so long as it does not break with violence it will not be admitted into institutions," he added.
AFP - A ceasefire declaration by Basque separatist fighters ETA is insufficient and the group must renounce violence forever, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Monday. "ETA has to renounce violence completely, forever," said Rubalcaba, the most senior member of the government yet to react to Sunday's video declaration by three hooded ETA members. The ETA statement was very far from meeting the demands of the Spanish government and even ETA's own outlawed political wing Batasuna: "a definitive and unconditional abandonment of armed struggle," he told the Spanish public television station TVE. ETA declared in a video statement Sunday that it had decided several months ago to halt violent attacks but it did not say whether the ceasefire was permanent or temporary.
AFP - A ceasefire declaration by Basque separatist fighters ETA is insufficient and the group must renounce violence forever, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Monday.
"ETA has to renounce violence completely, forever," said Rubalcaba, the most senior member of the government yet to react to Sunday's video declaration by three hooded ETA members.
The ETA statement was very far from meeting the demands of the Spanish government and even ETA's own outlawed political wing Batasuna: "a definitive and unconditional abandonment of armed struggle," he told the Spanish public television station TVE.
ETA declared in a video statement Sunday that it had decided several months ago to halt violent attacks but it did not say whether the ceasefire was permanent or temporary.
Spain's socialist government today ruled out negotations with the armed Basque separatist group Eta, claiming the organisation had announced a ceasefire purely because it was too weak to carry out terrorist attacks."Eta kills in order to impose itself, so that means one cannot dialogue," said the interior minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba. "Eta has stopped because it cannot do anything ... and also in order to rebuild itself."
Spain's socialist government today ruled out negotations with the armed Basque separatist group Eta, claiming the organisation had announced a ceasefire purely because it was too weak to carry out terrorist attacks.
"Eta kills in order to impose itself, so that means one cannot dialogue," said the interior minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba. "Eta has stopped because it cannot do anything ... and also in order to rebuild itself."
The Moldovan government's hopes of breaking political the deadlock with legislation to directly elect the country's president have been dealt a terminal blow. Low voter turnout in a referendum on the matter means that the government could not obtain a mandate for the change to be enacted. Just over 29 percent of the electorate voted in the poll. The figure falls short of the 33 percent required for it to be binding, according to Central Election Commission head Yuri Cocan.
The Moldovan government's hopes of breaking political the deadlock with legislation to directly elect the country's president have been dealt a terminal blow.
Low voter turnout in a referendum on the matter means that the government could not obtain a mandate for the change to be enacted.
Just over 29 percent of the electorate voted in the poll. The figure falls short of the 33 percent required for it to be binding, according to Central Election Commission head Yuri Cocan.
France will forge ahead with legislation to strip immigrants of their French citizenship if they are convicted of killing or attempting to kill police officers or public officials. A statement from President Nicolas Sarkozy's office on Monday said the government would draft a law "as soon as possible". The legislation would apply to immigrants who have been French for less than 10 years, and signals Sarkozy's determination to continue his widely criticised crackdown on criminals of foreign origin. Sarkozy has been accused of pandering to the far-right with hard line policies ahead of the 2012 presidential elections. During August, security forces dismantled hundreds of Roma (gypsy) camps across France and "repatriated" their inhabitants, mostly to Romania and Bulgaria.
Sarkozy has been accused of pandering to the far-right with hard line policies ahead of the 2012 presidential elections.
During August, security forces dismantled hundreds of Roma (gypsy) camps across France and "repatriated" their inhabitants, mostly to Romania and Bulgaria.
One week after the opening of the school year, college and high school teachers across France stayed at home on Monday as part of a one-day strike to protest against working conditions. The move by the country's two largest teachers' unions opens what is expected to be a volatile week ahead of Tuesday's national strike organised by French labour unions. Union organisers hope to mobilize millions of people at rallies across the country to protest against the government's proposed pension reforms. The new plan is to be submitted to Parliament on Tuesday by embattled Labour Minister Eric Woerth, who has been tarnished by his involvement with the L'Oreal heiress scandal.
REUTERS - Gianfranco Fini, the former ally of Silvio Berlusconi turned bitter rival, made a fierce attack on the Italian prime minister on Sunday but said he would avoid steps that could trigger an early election. Fini, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, was expelled in July from the People of Freedom (PDL) party he set up with Berlusconi, leaving the government without a secure majority after months of increasing friction between the two. Denouncing his expulsion as an act of "Stalinism" by the prime minister's allies, he called for constitutional reform and urged the government to focus on economic issues and social justice, but rejected charges of disloyalty.
(Reuters) - Immigration Minister Damian Green is calling for tougher rules for non-EU students seeking to enrol on courses in Britain, after research found a fifth were still in the country five years after being granted visas. In a major speech on immigration, which the coalition government has vowed to reduce, Green will say current foreign student numbers are "unsustainable."He is expected to outline plans for new measures that ensure only the "brightest and best" migrants enter the country to study and work.The stricter controls are part of a strategy to slash net migration figures which ballooned under Labour.
(Reuters) - Immigration Minister Damian Green is calling for tougher rules for non-EU students seeking to enrol on courses in Britain, after research found a fifth were still in the country five years after being granted visas.
In a major speech on immigration, which the coalition government has vowed to reduce, Green will say current foreign student numbers are "unsustainable."
He is expected to outline plans for new measures that ensure only the "brightest and best" migrants enter the country to study and work.
The stricter controls are part of a strategy to slash net migration figures which ballooned under Labour.
As for the 20% still here - how many are doing PhDs?
(On the other hand having met academics, there are a lot who apart from their specialist subject would be pushed mentally to tie their shoes) Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
According to police sources, he was an engineer pursuing a Ph.D. in computational fluid dynamics at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, in the UK, on the topic of "Computational Approach to Ink-jet Printing of Tactile Maps." He would have earned a bachelor of mechanical engineering from India, and an M.Phil. degree in aeronautical engineering from Queen's University Belfast.[10] He might have been in the UK as early as September 2003. He is believed to have organized a Chechnya Day Meeting in his native city of Bangalore, back in February 2006.[11] As an aeronautics engineer, Ahmed was able to secure employment, from December 2005, to August 2006, with Infotech, an Indian outsourcing company servicing clients such as Airbus and Boeing, before resigning abruptly.[12] It could be possible that he had access to sensitive design information about various aviation companies.[13]
According to police sources, he was an engineer pursuing a Ph.D. in computational fluid dynamics at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, in the UK, on the topic of "Computational Approach to Ink-jet Printing of Tactile Maps." He would have earned a bachelor of mechanical engineering from India, and an M.Phil. degree in aeronautical engineering from Queen's University Belfast.[10] He might have been in the UK as early as September 2003. He is believed to have organized a Chechnya Day Meeting in his native city of Bangalore, back in February 2006.[11]
As an aeronautics engineer, Ahmed was able to secure employment, from December 2005, to August 2006, with Infotech, an Indian outsourcing company servicing clients such as Airbus and Boeing, before resigning abruptly.[12] It could be possible that he had access to sensitive design information about various aviation companies.[13]
The Downing Street communications chief, Andy Coulson, told police today that he would be happy to meet them voluntarily to discuss fresh phone-hacking allegations, as Scotland Yard said it was considering whether to reopen the investigation.John Yates, the assistant Metropolitan police commissioner, said detectives were studying new allegations published by the New York Times last week.Coulson, who is David Cameron's PR chief, has denied claims in the New York Times that he freely discussed the use of unlawful news-gathering techniques when he was editor of the News of the World. He responded today by saying he was willing to meet police to discuss the allegations.
The Downing Street communications chief, Andy Coulson, told police today that he would be happy to meet them voluntarily to discuss fresh phone-hacking allegations, as Scotland Yard said it was considering whether to reopen the investigation.
John Yates, the assistant Metropolitan police commissioner, said detectives were studying new allegations published by the New York Times last week.
Coulson, who is David Cameron's PR chief, has denied claims in the New York Times that he freely discussed the use of unlawful news-gathering techniques when he was editor of the News of the World. He responded today by saying he was willing to meet police to discuss the allegations.
The Home Office abandoned plans to establish an independent inquiry into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal last year after a senior official warned that the Metropolitan police would "deeply resent" any interference in their investigation, according to a leaked government document.As Alan Johnson came close today to accusing Scotland Yard of having misled him over the scandal, a leaked Home Office memo shows that the last government decided against calling in Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary after intense internal lobbying.Stephen Rimmer, the Home Office director general for crime and policing, warned that Scotland Yard would "deeply resent" a review of its investigation by the inspectorate and that it would send a message that "we do not have full confidence" in the Met.
The Home Office abandoned plans to establish an independent inquiry into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal last year after a senior official warned that the Metropolitan police would "deeply resent" any interference in their investigation, according to a leaked government document.
As Alan Johnson came close today to accusing Scotland Yard of having misled him over the scandal, a leaked Home Office memo shows that the last government decided against calling in Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary after intense internal lobbying.
Stephen Rimmer, the Home Office director general for crime and policing, warned that Scotland Yard would "deeply resent" a review of its investigation by the inspectorate and that it would send a message that "we do not have full confidence" in the Met.
Now - hypothetically - if the same hacking stunt works in the US, wouldn't it be interesting if it were used by a major news organisation.
I wonder what a major news organisation might find if it had access to the voicemail accounts of senators, congress people, aides, pages, and candidates.
You know, hypothetically.
Russia's next presidential election is not until 2012, but speculation is already rife about whether Dmitry Medvedev will try for a second term or whether his predecessor, Vladimir Putin, will want to reclaim his old job. The one thing almost everyone can agree on is that they will not stand against each other. But there might just be a third way, and that third way could give Russia its very own Margaret Thatcher or Angela Merkel.
