No ‘Bunga Bunga’ as Italy marks its birthday
It is supposed to be party time in Italy,?�but apart from the fact the country shares its 150 years of unification?�with?�St Patrick’s Day,?�that’s where the similarities seem to end.?�?�?�That is because there appears?�little thirst among Italians to toast the nation’s special day with a pint of Guinness let alone pop open the champagne.?�?�?�?�Leaving aside?�Italy’s?�long-standing?�economic and geographical divisions, the country remains dogged by?�political scandal and infighting.?�Much of it is focused on Italy’s colourful prime minister,?�Silvio Berlusconi.?�He?�finds himself facing trials over corruption and allegations of having paid for sex with an under-age prostitute?�- a crime in Italy. ?�The defiant 74-year-old billionaire, who has vowed to appear in court in person in the next few weeks to answer the charges,?�has ridiculed the?�accusations against him, claiming the cases are politically motivated.?�?�In an interview with?�left leaning daily La Repubblica this week, Berlusconi said his alleged sexual appetite would be too much even for a man half his age, declaring: ‘‘I’m 75 years old. Even if I am a rascal, 33 girls in two months seems to me to be too many, even for a 30-year-old. It’s too many for anyone.’‘?�What does all this have to do with celebrating Italy’s 150th anniversary? Well, the recent large-scale protests would appear to suggest many in Italy are fed up with Il Cavalieri’s supposed shenanigans – more popularly?�branded as ‘bunga bunga’ parties.?�Many?�accuse him of tarnishing Italy’s image abroad and making the country a global laughing stock. ?�But it is not just the prime minister who is dividing opinion. Even the government’s decision to declare March 17 a public holiday?�caused a bust up. Critics,?�notably the right-wing Northern?�League party, slammed the event for being a complete waste of money. It?�argued that the national day off would harm Italy’s?�already fragile economy.?�?�?�?�Berlusconi’s own political survival and the?�Northern League’s own policy agenda also seem increasingly intertwined. The south-bashing party continues to prop up the Italian premier in parliament and without its support he would surely be finished. Likewise, despite now saying it is not seeking outright independence, the?�NL is still piling the pressure on Berlusconi to give the north greater autonomy from the south of the country.?�Since its birth in 1861 – following the overthrow of the Kingdom of Naples by a nationalist movement led by the revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi – Italy has struggled?�to live with itself. Strong regional identities remain,?�particularly the marked divide between the richer north and poorer south. However, one has the impression that the on-going sleaze scandals surrounding the premier are fuelling Italy’s divisions rather than healing them. Critics say they are distractions from more serious problems: high unemployment,?�a lack of graduate opportunities and fears of mass immigration.?�Reading the above one would think it is all doom and gloom. So a century and a half on, is there anything that unites this seemingly divided country?
Well yes! Its?�heritage, art and culture, architecture, food and, of course,?�Ferrari?�and football are enough to unite this most beautiful of divided nations. Perhaps, it is worth celebrating after all. ?�?�?�By Paul Hackett
Thousands flock to airport to leave Libya
Busloads of people continue to arrive at Libya’s Djerba Airport, in the hope of catching a flight out of the violence-stricken country.
Officials think 15,000 people will leave Djerba during the course of today.
The EU has organised emergency airlifts. Ships are also waiting offshore.
“We are planning to have six planes today, each with 250 seats, leaving Djerba for Cairo, and this will be the case for the next five days.” said Boris Boillon, France’s ambassador to Tunisia.
Aid from the EU now tops 10 million euros, and will pay for food, tents and medical supplies for those displaced by the conflict.
The UN estimates around 180 thousand people have been affected in total.
More than 77 thousand have already crossed east into Egypt, while a similar number have fled west into Tunisia.
Thirty thousand are still waiting at the Tunisian border.
A popcorn seller protests in Bahrain
“This man’s popcorn machine was taken away from him, preventing him from selling his popcorn, during an attack on Pearl Square in Bahrain’s capital. As local TV said that security forces were armed with guns and swords, he stuck a toy sword and gun on his board sign and wrote: ‘Khalifa [the King’s name] this is what your army used; they even stole my popcorn machine. Why?’This video shows the nation of Bahrain and how peaceful the demonstrators are and how they keep on staying pleasant even after the massacre in Pearl square.”
February 21. Video by Hussain
Honda recalls cars worldwide
Honda is recalling nearly 700,000 cars, the Freed, Fit and City models as they are known in Japan.
It has to fix a faulty engine spring which have been found to bend or break over time meaning the car cannot be started.
Honda said it had received over 100 complaints worldwide, mostly from its home market of Japan.
No accidents have been reported from the defect and fixing it will cost Honda 39 million euros in Japan alone, where about a fifth of the affected vehicles were sold.
About the same number are in the US and Canada and the rest throughout Asia.
This is the latest in a series of recalls by Japanese carmakers to correct minor problems.
In the last 12 months Honda alone has recalled more than four million vehicles for various problems including headlights, ignition systems and airbags.
Army tells Egyptians: ‘Get back to work’
Egypt’s military rulers on Monday called upon disgruntled workers to stop striking and return to their jobs.
Employees in a number of key sectors want better pay and conditions.
The country’s economy ground to a halt during demonstrations that toppled former president, Hosni Mubarak.
In a statement on state television, military spokesman General Mohsen el-Fangari said strikes and disputes would threaten Egypt’s security and damage its economy.
He called on all citizens, professionals and labour unions to be responsible at this crucial time.
Egypt’s stock exchange has been shut since January 27 because of the political unrest.
Banks are not expected to reopen until Wednesday.
The tourism sector, which accounts for six percent of GDP, has also been hit by a drop in revenues.
Algeria
Army backed President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been in power since 1999. In recent weeks he has promised to open up state media to opposition parties, create new jobs and lift the state of emergency imposed on the country since 1992. His concessions have failed to prevent protests however. Demonstrators have defied a ban on public gatherings in the capital Algiers although widespread bloodshed has not been reported despite a massive turn out of protesters and a significant police presence on the streets. Pro-democracy demonstrations are planned for Saturdays, last week riot police intervened with batons at one such rally in the capital.
Population (2008 census): 34.4 millionHuman Development Index1: 84thUnemployment: 10.2% (governement statistics)
1 HDI is calculated according to factors such as schooling, life expectancy and gross national income and is used by the UN’s Development Programme for its Human development reports.
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Portugal warns of debt crisis critical moment
With the amount of interest that Portugal is having to offer to get investors to buy its bonds rising to unsustainable levels, Lisbon is appealing for urgent and effective support from the European Union – but not a bailout.
At conference in Lisbon Prime Minister Jose Socrates said the sovereign debt crisis is the EU’s biggest challenge.
Finance Minister Fernando Teixeira dos Santos said Europe must take swift tough action to protect peripheral economies against attacks from the investment markets. If not, he said, Portugal’s efforts to cut its budget deficit and implement painful reforms would count for nothing.
The Portuguese want action at an EU summit in three weeks time to convince investors of European resolve.
If that does not happen they fear the markets may launch another sell-off of euro zone sovereign debt hitting Portugal hard and forcing it to take a bailout, as Greece and Ireland already have.
Portugal’s pleas may fall on deaf ears, there are growing doubts about Germany’s willingness to support expanding or reconfiguring the bloc’s rescue fund enough to calm investors and reduce the pressure.
Ricardo Espirito Santo Salgado, who heads Portugal’s second largest listed bank, BES, criticised European indecision over how to combat the debt crisis.
He said lack of clarity over decisions to be taken at coming European meetings were behind the recent jump in the euro zone periphery’s bond yields, including Portugal’s.
“After a correction in sovereign spreads and credit at the start of the year, especially on expectations of a reform of financial stabilisation and budget coordination mechanisms, the uncertainty over the decisions by the European Council in March has contributed to a new rise in risk premiums,” he said.
Portugal’s borrowing costs have risen sharply over the last year and are now hovering near Euro-lifetime highs. The benchmark 10-year bond was at almost 7.6 percent on Monday.
Residents killed in Tanzania munitions blasts
At least 20 people are reported killed in Tanzania after a series of explosions at a military munitions dump.
Almost 150 people are known to have been injured in the blasts, in the country’s commercial capital Dar Es Salaam.
Most of the victims lived in nearby residential areas. The explosions caused panic, hurling debris across a wide area.
More than 20 depots housing weapons and ammunition were destroyed, along with a school and two houses.
The explosions happened a few kilometres from the city’s international airport, which was closed as a precaution.
It is not known what caused the blasts.
The prime minister has told parliament that the death toll could rise. Some 4,000 people have sought shelter at the national stadium.
In 2009, another explosion at a military base in Dar Es Salaam killed 26 people and injured more than 700.
Wife of Belgian paedophile could be freed
The ex-wife of Marc Dutroux, the Belgian paedophile who was sentenced to life in prison for a shocking string of murders, rapes and kidnappings in the 1990s, could be free on Tuesday.
Michel Martin received 30 years for her part as an accomplice in the crimes.
Three previous attempts to have her paroled were unsuccessful.
Seeing is believing: DIY glasses bring sight to thousands
These people in Malawi are queuing up to try on glasses that they can adjust themselves to suit their own eyesight. This means there is no need to see an optician.
Army urges Egypt back to work
For 18 days, Tahrir Square was the focus of Egypt’s discontent.
It came to embody the spirit of the revolt which led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak.
Now, it is once again a roundabout, albeit one surrounded by tanks.
The US, UK and Saudi Arabia have been asked to boost Egypt’s economy, hard-hit by the unrest. And they are not the only ones.
The Arab League’s Amr Moussa says Arab governments have also agreed to offer to help with development.
After the revolution, Egypt is now trying to re-group. Facing a wave of strikes, the governing military council has urged people to get back to work and avoid more damage being done to the economy.
NATO involement in Libya is agreed but questions remain
Western nations backing the UN no-fly zone over Libya have agreed a role for NATO in the campaign but they will have to clarify the mission’s aims before winning wider support.
President Obama, who wants the US to take a back seat, has persuaded a reluctant France to accept the involvement of the alliance.
“I would expect that over the next several days we will have clarity and a meeting of the minds of all of those who are participating in the process. We are already seeing a significant reduction in the number of US planes that are involved in operations over Libya,” said Obama.
READ : – Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy – International forces in operations in Libya
The UK is willing to accept a NATO command but wants to broaden out the international support for the resolution including more Arab involvement .
But at a meeting with the Saudi leadership, Britain’s Prime Minister failed to make a convincing argument.
In fact the Arab League and NATO member Turkey are looking to Thursday’s meeting of the UN Security Council to re-establish the perimeters of the mission, placing the emphasis more on the humanitarian rather than the military.
Meanwhile US intelligence has disclosed that people near to the Libyan leader are exploring exile options although it is unclear if Gaddafi would seriously contemplate stepping down
Oman unrest enters third day
Protesters in Oman have clashed with security forces during a third consecutive day of unrest.
The demonstrators want higher salaries and a greater say in the running of the country’s affairs.
Oman has been ruled by a family dynasty since 1932.
Read our news file
Amateur footage shows violent clashes from Sunday.
The government says one person died, although doctors told the Reuters news agency that at least six people lost their lives and twenty people were wounded.
Protests have been taking place in Sohar, an industrial port town 200 kilometres northwest of the capital of Muscat.
Police used tear gas to disperse the hundreds of demonstrators, who say they used live ammunition.
The government denies that charge, saying officers fired rubber bullets.
Mikhail Gorbachev speaks out on his birthday
He is the man so?�often credited with changing the course of history in the Soviet Union and on Wednesday Mikhail Gorbachev celebrated his 80th birthday. Russian President Dimitry Medvedev awarded him?�the?�country’s highest honour?�- the Order of St Andrew.?�?�It is nearly 20 years since the Soviet Union collapsed under Gorbachev’s leadership and?�during that time he has kept a low profile. On his birthday he spoke out about politics, advising Vladimir Putin not to return to the presidency next year.?�?�“He probably won’t stand again. He served two terms and this is enough, and it’s true that he left after completing the two terms, he did the right thing,“?�Gorbachev said.?�He?�also commented on the wave?�of uprisings in the Middle East:?�“People must be?�given the chance to be allowed to influence and be given some control over?�politics and governance.?�I would like very much for Arabs and Muslims?�to get involved in the global process of creating a better world,in cooperation and to?�become a part of the fight against terrorism.”?�?�Mikhail Gorbachev’s?�rise through the party started at an early age. He received a state award from Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev at the age of just 23.?�?�It was 31 years later that he took the helm of the Communist Party laying the course for?�democracy and the fall of the Berlin Wall.?�Yet?�many Russians blame him?�for the economic meltdown and a recent opinion poll suggested that 52 percent?�believe he did?�the country?�more harm than good.?�?�
Milan fashion targets trendy party girls
Gucci opened Milan’s autumn/winter womenswear shows in Milan in a flurry of skin, fur and sheer organza dresses for both day and nightwear.
And, sticking to his classic rock style, British designer John Richmond presented a graphic, sexy silhouette at his fall-winter collection, aimed at the trendy, young woman-about-town.
World food prices hit record – again
Global food prices hit a record high in February – not helped by fresh oil price spikes and stockpiling in some countries.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Food Price Index hit its second straight record and is now well past the peaks seen in 2008 when prices sparked riots in several
countries.
Cereals, dairy and meat are all rising – US wheat prices have surged 60 percent in the past year.
FAO economist Abdolreza Abbassian said global food prices are likely to remain close to record highs until the condition of the latest harvest is known.
He added that jumps in the oil price – now at a two and a half year high – could have a bigger impact on grain markets.
“Until we know about new crops, that means waiting at least until April, our view is don’t expect any major corrections in these high prices, expect even more volatility now that oil has joined the crowd,” Abbassian said.
He warned that stockpiling by some major grain importers “beyond country’s normal needs” seeking to head off political unrest and secure supplies on domestic markets, has been adding uncertainty and volatility to the markets.
The FAO index, which measures monthly price changes for a food basket composed of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 236 points in February, the record in real and nominal terms, up 2.2 percent from January’s record and rising for the eighth month in a row.
Irish leaders clash on economy in TV debate
Ireland’s shaky economy dominated the first TV debate between party leaders ahead of a general election next week.
The poll was called after the country was forced to accept a multi-billion euro bailout from the EU and the IMF last year.
Opinion polls suggest the opposition Fine Gael and Labour parties are likely to form the next government.
Labour’s leader Eamon Gilmore attacked his rivals over the rescue of Anglo Irish bank in 2008, which he said had tied the banks to the state, making the financial crisis far worse.
“All of the other parties on this platform – Fianna Fail and the Greens who brought it in, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein – supported that bailout on that night. It was the biggest bank robbery in the history of this country, and it was the banks that robbed the people,” he said.
Deeply unpopular over his government’s handling of the crisis, Prime Minister Brian Cowen of Fianna Fail is standing down.
Criticism intensified last month with revelations he had played golf with the chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, months before it was bailed out.
The election was called early after the Greens pulled out of the governing coalition.
The polls suggest about a fifth of voters are undecided. But many blame Fianna Fail for the collapse of Ireland’s economy.
The outcome will affect the rest of Europe. Fine Gael has pledged that if elected, it will seek to renegotiate the international bailout.
Allies tighten hold over Libyan airspace
Western powers appear to have tightened their grip on Libyan airspace following the latest wave of air strikes.
The on-going bombardment comes as more forces arrive to take part in operation Odyssey Dawn. The US, France and UK remain the principle participants among the allies, with Canada, Italy and Spain also contributing forces.
Norway is also taking part in the operation, with Denmark, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar also sending military hardware, notably fighter jets.
READ: Libya: a timeline of international diplomacy
The contribution from the two Middle Eastern states is seen as vital with concern growing in the region over the heavy nature of the bombardment.
The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who supported the UN mandated intervention, criticised its severity saying the air attacks had killed many civilians.
Do you think the air strikes in Libya should actively target Muammar Gaddafi?
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