The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favor of tightening rules regulating the 15,000 lobbyists that gravitate around the EU institutions.

By an overwhelming majority, EU lawmakers adopted a report recommending a mandatory public register for lobbyists that seek to influence decisions at the European Union's institutions.

The decision on Thursday ratifies the proposal made by the European Parliament's constitutional affairs committee on Tuesday, April 1, in favor of the compulsory register for the lobbyists working to influence EU policies via the EU assembly, states and the bloc's executive European Commission.

The report, drafted by Finnish conservative MEP Alexander Stubb before he became Finland's foreign minister, also calls for a code of conduct and sanctions for those who flaunt it.

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - MEPs on Thursday rejected attempts by some sporting associations to establish new intellectual property rights specific to sporting events, and affirmed that governments must assure wide TV access to major events such as the Olympic Games and football's World Cup, which should be on free-to-air television.

The European Parliament passed a report adopted by a large majority (518 in favour and 49 against, with nine abstentions) that calls for the European Commission - Europe's executive body - to develop clearer guidelines on how to apply EU rules in the area of sport.

Sporting federations had been pushing for new copyright protections for football matches and other such events, while journalists' groups and media organisations had argued that such moves would threaten the freedom of the press to report on sport.

"Governing bodies [have been] lobbying MEPs for newly invented 'IP rights', including the protection of the event as a whole, information and spin-offs arising from the event, none of which exists under existing intellectual property rights regimes," said Francisco Pinto Balsemao, chair of the European Publishers Council ahead of the vote. "This is unjustified protectionism and injurious to press freedom".

EUOBSERVER / COPENHAGEN - The Danish centre-right government has launched negotiations with opposition parties to agree on a strategy for scrapping opt-outs from the EU treaties, with the government hoping to abolish the derogations in two steps, according to Danish media reports.

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is set to call for a referendum in September to remove the derogation from judicial and defence co-operation and at the same time announce a subsequent referendum on the euro.

Denmark is not bound by first-pillar legislation on justice and home affairs and EU citizenship and does not take part in EU defence co-operation.

Denmark is also not obliged to take part in the single currency and refused to abolish its national currency, the Krone, in a referendum in 2000.

The liberal-conservative coalition government is eager to scrap the opt-outs and have the country participating fully in the EU.

BERLIN: Earlier this week, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats published a paper calling for a security strategy for Germany. This short document touched on all the challenges facing the country, including terrorism, energy security, nuclear proliferation and climate change. It also called for the establishment of a national security council that would oversee the domestic and counterintelligence security services, the Foreign and Development Aid ministries and other agencies that represent Germany's interests.

With this document, a German political party for the first time initiated a debate over national interests and why Berlin, which oversees Europe's largest economy, needs a security strategy. But Merkel's coalition partners, the Social Democrats, and the opposition parties lambasted the document. They said that the chancellery would become like the White House and use the national security council to undermine Parliament and the Foreign Ministry.

None of the critics talked about the real weaknesses of the document. The paper did not deal with the issue of hard power. It did not spell out under what circumstances the German Army, or for that matter, the European Union, should intervene in order to stop civilians being killed - like in Darfur, Sudan.

What this shows is that neither Germany nor most of the 26 other EU member states are ready for a serious discussion about why the bloc needs a security doctrine: It would mean dealing with the issue of power.

n his latest column for the New Statesman, John Pilger describes how the New Labour government is destroying one of the the venerable features of "communal decency" in Britain - the local post office. Economies need to be made, though not in the pursuit of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

When I first came to live in Britain, much of ordinary life was premised on a sense of community. It was mostly undeclared; occasionally, it would become vivid, even heroic. Watching Durham miners, defeated but unbowed by hunger and debt, march back to the pit in 1985, led by their women, was a glimpse of Britain at its best. In spite of Thatcher and Blair, that communal decency survives, though you may have to look for it. A good place to look is a local post office.

Local post offices, from the Highlands to the Pennines to the inner cities, are where precious parcels begin their epic journey to the other side of the world, and pensions, income support, child benefit and Incapacity Benefit are drawn, and Freedom Passes are issued, along with Lottery tickets and Mars Bars. I often walk down to my local post office just to browse, watching the kindness that Shailesh and Smita Patel hand out to the elderly, the awkward, the inarticulate, the harried. If an elderly person has failed to turn up on pension day, he or she will get a visit from Smita, with groceries. Smita has been doing this for most of 20 years.

Their post office, in Abbeville Road, Clapham, is one of 169 London branches due to close in May. That is a fifth of all post offices in the capital. Some 2,500 post offices are expected to be shut in Britain by the end of 2009. This includes rural and remote areas, where the post office is quite literally the heart of a community. The Patels in Abbeville Road have had just six weeks to mount a campaign. They have collected 4,500 signatures and packed a local church hall. My neighbours have little doubt about what will happen to "Abbeville Village" if the post office's shutters come down. A proposed betting shop is Lambeth Council's idea of community - or yet another estate agent.

The whole wilful destruction is a new Labour classic and shows why, in a nutshell, even the ever faithful have turned on them. Having already closed 6,000 post offices since it came to power in 1997, more than any other government, it issues press releases saying it wants to "help the Post Office modernise, restore profitability... invest in new products and look at innovative ways to deliver services". We know what this means. It was left to a member of the Scottish Parliament, Fergus Ewing, to say it: "Senior management are preparing the ground for a huge sell-off of the postal service."

Serbia goes to the polls on Sunday. Serbs in Kosovo have also been called on to vote in their electoral districts. But those districts are now located in a different country -- Kosovo -- under UN administration.

If Belgrade gets its wish, Kosovo's Serbs will be able to vote in Serbian parliamentary and local elections on Sunday, May 11. Serbian citizens who live in Kosovo -- or anywhere else for that matter -- have the right to vote just as those who live in the country do. But there's a catch: Serbia wants to hold elections in Kosovo.

 

The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which oversees the former Serbian administration, rejects the idea, as do Kosovar Albanians, who see Belgrade as undermining their institutions.

 

Serbian state local elections in Kosovo would not be recognized and would even be counterproductive if they weren't organized by UNMIK, according to Oliver Ivanovic, head of the Serb List for Kosovo and Metohija, one of the main parliamentary parties in Kosovo.

Tanks and nuclear missile launchers rumbled through Moscow's Red Square yesterday for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, as Russia put on a display of power for its annual Victory Day parade.

President Dmitri Medvedev, its new commander-in-chief, issued a warning against efforts to change international borders, saying that "irresponsible ambitions" risked war across whole continents. In an apparent swipe at the West over support for an independent Kosovo, Mr Medvedev said that Russia objected to attempts to "interfere in other states' affairs, not to mention attempts to revise borders".

With his mentor Vladimir Putin, the new Prime Minister, standing behind him, Mr Medvedev went on: "We cannot tolerate disrespect for international law - the law that has been hard won by the entire international community, without which no safe life and fair world order is possible."

May 9 is a public holiday in Russia marking the anniversary of the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany after a war that killed 26 million people in the Soviet Union. Mr Putin's parents survived the 900-day siege of Leningrad, but an elder brother did not.

BRUSSELS: Prime Minister Yves Leterme of Belgium survived a showdown in Parliament on Friday, winning time to avert a fresh crisis for the linguistically divided nation and to forge a deal to give more powers to the regions.

Flemish lawmakers, including Leterme's Christian Democrats, carried out their threat to advance a bill to redraw the electoral boundaries around Brussels after Leterme failed to persuade French-speaking parties to accept the demands of the Flemish.

The Dutch-speaking Flemish majority pushed the bill onto the agenda in a vote in the early hours of Friday, but the session was suspended before debate could begin after French-speaking parties introduced stalling amendments.

The legislation would strip tens of thousands of French-speakers of their right to vote for francophone parties, which had threatened to bring down the five-party government if the bill were passed.

Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva wants to get his country into OPEC -- a move that could lower the price of oil worldwide. With a booming biofuel business alongside new oil reserves, Brazil is poised to become a global energy leader.

 Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Brazil next week. In 2007, a huge oil reserve was discovered off the coast of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro. The find boosted Brazil's oil reserves by 40 percent and could catapult the South American nation into the top rank of global producers. In an interview with SPIEGEL President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva said that Brazil wants to join the OPEC oil cartel -- a move that could lower petroleum prices worldwide.

Brazil is banking on more than just oil. In the interview, the president emphasizes the country's economic successes. Of particular note are the huge gains Brazil has made in the production of biofuel (more...), especially environmentally friendly ethanol from sugar cane. By 2025, Brazil hopes to supply its own energy needs entirely with ethanol and produce enough of a surplus to fuel 5 percent of the world. "Our production costs are unbeatable," Lula said.

HONG KONG: After months of startling increases, the prices of rice, wheat, soybeans and several other foods have come down recently, a development that could ease some of the panic in global food markets.

Prices remain volatile and remarkably high by historical standards, and few agricultural experts expect the days of inexpensive food to return soon. There is no sign of a drop steep enough to make food affordable again for the hundreds of millions of people in poor countries who are struggling to maintain adequate diets.

Still, any price decline is welcome news for many countries, particularly those heavily dependent on imported rice.

The spot price of rice from Thailand has dropped by close to 20 percent in the last two weeks after nearly tripling in the first four months of this year. Rice prices on American markets have been rising this week, including a sharp increase on Thursday, but are still down 10 percent from their high on April 23.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group took control of the Muslim half of Beirut on Friday in what the U.S.-backed governing coalition described as "an armed and bloody coup".

Hezbollah and Amal group gunmen take position during clashes in the Mazra'a area in Beirut May 9, 2008. (REUTERS/Fadi Ghalioum)

At least 13 people have been killed and 30 wounded in three days of battles between pro-government gunmen and fighters loyal to Hezbollah, a Shi'ite political movement with a powerful guerrilla army which is also an ally of Syria.

The fighting, the worst internal strife since the 1975-90 civil war, was triggered this week after the government tried to dismantle Hezbollah's military communications network. The group said the government had declared war.

In scenes reminiscent of the darkest days of the civil war, young men armed with assault rifles roamed the streets amid smashed cars and smouldering buildings.

Fighting died down as outgunned government supporters handed over their weapons and offices to the army, which has mainly been seen as neutral during 17 months of political conflict between the Hezbollah-led opposition and government.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Export restrictions and higher taxes in neighbouring countries are worsening an already dire food crisis in Afghanistan.

Rick Corsino, the World Food Program's director in Afghanistan, said international response to a recent appeal for aid was impressive, but in a global food emergency, donations don't go as far as they usually do.

The branch of the program strives to buy food at reasonable prices in the region, but other nations in south-central Asia have their own food issues to deal with.
Pakistan is expected to see its own wheat production drop this year.
"In a way, it's understandable. They are reluctant to export when they already expect to have their own shortfall," Corsino said from Kabul. "This means it's taking more time to get the food here, which is a worry."

One of Barack Obama's Middle East policy advisers disclosed yesterday that he had held meetings with the militant Palestinian group Hamas - prompting the likely Democratic nominee to sever all links with him.

Robert Malley told The Times that he had been in regular contact with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organisation. Such talks, he stressed, were related to his work for a conflict resolution think-tank and had no connection with his position on Mr Obama's Middle East advisory council.

"I've never hidden the fact that in my job with the International Crisis Group I meet all kinds of people," he added.

Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Mr Obama, responded swiftly: "Rob Malley has, like hundreds of other experts, provided informal advice to the campaign in the past. He has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future." The rapid departure of Mr Malley followed 48 hours of heated clashes between John McCain, the Republican nominee-elect, and Mr Obama over Middle East policy.

Ehud Olmert faced pressure from colleagues and political rivals to resign yesterday after police released details of a corruption investigation into the Israeli prime minister, the fifth such inquiry since he replaced Ariel Sharon in 2006.

Olmert is suspected of illegally receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the US financier and political donor Morris Moshe Talansky, and possibly other foreigners, beginning in 1993 when he first ran to be Jerusalem's mayor and later when appointed as minister of industry, trade and labour in Sharon's government.

While Sharon also weathered bribery allegations as prime minister, only to be forced from the helm by a massive stroke, Olmert's colleagues and rivals are growing increasingly nervous about the number of scandals that now dog him.

Ronit Tirosh, a member of Olmert's centrist Kadima party, said she wanted "very much to believe him" but was uncomfortable about the investigation.

China is undertaking a dramatic overhaul of its nuclear weapons in an effort to modernise and expand its arsenal.

One of the world's leading arms control experts has said that the Chinese have realised that their nuclear weaponry has fallen behind those of other major powers and might not survive a first strike.

Presidential candidate John McCain's pastor problems are bubbling up again, with Reverend John Hagee, whose support and endorsement McCain has actively sought, reversing last week's retraction of remarks he made in 2006 blaming the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina on a planned gay pride parade.

But for a mindblowing read - this long extract from a book by Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone...

An Atheist Goes Undercover to Join the Flock of Mad Pastor John Hagee

You can't be me, I'm taken

Gail Iles dips a spatula into a jar and smears its contents across a piece of tissue. "Just wait," she says, "this is cool."

It starts as an isolated twinkle and then rapidly becomes a cascade of flashes as the black powder dries and reacts with air.

Titanium aluminide is one of the materials being assessed

This is raney nickel, a material so riddled with holes they sometimes call it "spongy nickel". It has a colossal surface area. Just one gramme of the stuff may have an effective surface of tens of square metres.

It's what makes the powder so reactive, and the perfect candidate for a catalyst.

It is being used to coat the electrodes of hydrogen fuel cells; and being a very common element, nickel is a lot cheaper than the platinum-based coatings that have traditionally been used for the same job.

But Dr Iles, a research fellow with the European Space Agency (Esa), and colleagues would like to improve the nickel's performance.

From Cold War to cold meats... sailors from the US and Russian navies have tested their culinary skills in a sandwich-making competition.

The contest was held during a visit by the US destroyer Stethem to the eastern Russian port of Vladivostok to mark Victory Day. Officers also joined in.

A Russian cook took the prize for best-tasting sandwich while an American came top for most original presentation.

Sandwiches topped with cucumber sails were among the Russian offerings.

The ingredients included peppers, smoked ham, lettuce, cheese, mayonnaise, olives, cherry tomatoes and gherkins.

An unusual weather pattern has whipped up powerful and destructive tornadoes in two of America's Southern States.

CCTV footage caught the moment one tornado hit a car park in Alabama.

In North Carolina planes were thrown off the tarmac at an airport, and homes were flattened. One person is reported to have been killed.

A train in Canada with about 280 people on board has been put under quarantine, after one passenger died and several others reported flu-like symptoms.

The authorities say they do not believe there is a connection between the death and the illnesses.

The train was travelling from Vancouver to Toronto when a woman in her 60s fell ill and died on Friday morning.

The authorities say they are keeping passengers and crew on the train while they await the results of tests.

Spanish health authorities launched a virtual portal through the Second Life website yesterday designed to help young people too embarrassed to speak to a doctor about sexually transmitted disease or a drug problem.

Real doctors will log on and offer advice to their anonymous patients. What both will see is an image of a consulting room with a doctor and a typical patient.

Dr Rosario Jimènez, of the Adolescent Attention Working Group, is one of the doctors who will spend up to four hours a week answering their virtual patients' questions.

She said: "Teenagers do not often go to see the doctor but this is an efficient and amusing tool to reach them because we can both use the same route. Even though they do not often suffer serious illnesses, they often expose themselves to risks which can develop into problems in the future.

"This is a way to talk about their doubts about taking drugs or sexual relations which they cannot do in a traditional consultation."

Seven activists arrested last year on their way to a banner-drop against the proposed M1 widening (See SchNEWS 575) had their cases thrown out of court on 1st May. When they were originally busted on their way to the M1 they were held on public order charges, while doors were booted in and phones and computers seized. They were later charged with `conspiracy to cause a public nuisance'.

The judge didn't even wait to hear the defence before kicking the prosecution out at half time saying "there was not one jot of evidence to infer an endangerment of any member of the public". When the prosecution produced climbing gear seized from people's homes as evidence Judge Robinson told them that they'd better not be relying on it as he had similar equipment in his own gaff! He resoundingly rejected their argument that the hanging of banners over the motorway would constitute a public nuisance, and went on to say: "all of the available material (presented to the court) is consistent only with peaceful protest."

The Times interview with Cherie Blair | Speaking for Myself: book extract (part 1)

Tony Blair is advising Gordon Brown during his current turmoil and has told him how he can win the next general election, Cherie Blair reveals in The Times today.

She says that Mr Blair would have stood down before the 2005 election if only Mr Brown had been prepared to implement her husband's public service reforms.

Mr Blair suffered a "crisis of confidence" over Iraq and feared that he had become an electoral liability. But with Mr Brown "rattling the keys above his head" he decided he had to stay and fight for his domestic legacy.