Latest strikes on Tripoli come just hours after international criminal court seeks arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi Nato air strikes have hit two Libyan government buildings in the capital of Tripoli, including the interior ministry, setting them on fire. The attack prompted a government spokesman to suggest the ministry, which is responsible for internal security, was targeted because it contained files on corruption cases against senior members of the Benghazi-based rebel leadership. The latest strikes on Gaddafi’s stronghold came just hours after the international criminal court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants for the Libyan leader, his son and the country’s intelligence chief for authorising the killing of civilians in a crackdown on anti-government rebels. Gaddafi’s government has denied the allegations. The move by the Netherlands-based court was its first one linked to the Arab uprisings. It opened another potential front against Gaddafi’s regime even as the autocratic leader stands firm against widening Nato air strikes and rebels with growing international backing. A Libyan government spokesman appealed for a ceasefire and said authorities were likely to release four foreign reporters after they faced trial in an administrative court, expected later on Tuesday. Nato has increased strikes on the capital in an apparent attempt to weaken Gaddafi’s main stronghold and potentially target the leader himself. Government escorts took reporters to the site of the air strikes. Smoke and flames engulfed the top floors of the interior ministry building as dozens of young men, many armed with assault rifles, milled outside the shuttered gate. Some carried a life-sized portrait of Gaddafi, danced before the burning building and chanted: “The revolution will continue!” Nearby, black smoke poured out of a complex that officials said included offices used by authorities overseeing corruption cases. Soldiers collected half-burnt papers strewn amid the glass and metal as firefighters doused the flames. Moussa Ibrahim, the Libyan spokesman, suggested the ministry was targeted because it contained files on rebel leaders in Benghazi, the de-facto capital of the eastern half of the country, which is under opposition control. “If they [Nato] are really interested in protecting civilians … then we call upon them to stop, and start talking to us,” Ibrahim said. After the air strikes, sporadic gunfire could be heard near the Tripoli hotel where foreign reporters are staying. Police closed off a road nearby but the reason for the gunfire wasn’t clear. Libyan TV said Nato air strikes also hit Tajoura, a neighbourhood in Tripoli, and Zawiya, about 30 miles (50km) west of the capital. State TV said a number of people were killed and wounded. It did not elaborate. At least three explosions believed to be caused by Nato strikes shook windows around the Libyan capital late on Monday. It was not immediately clear what was targeted, but Ibrahim said he believed the jets were aiming for Gaddafi’s compound. The international warrants could further isolate Gaddafi and his inner circle and potentially complicate the options for a negotiated settlement. But they could also harden Gaddafi’s resolve to fight, since the legal action has been seen in Libya as giving Nato more justification to target him. Because the UN security council ordered the ICC investigation, UN member states would be obliged to arrest him if he entered their territory. In the Netherlands, prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he was seeking warrants against Gaddafi, his son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and intelligence chief Abdullah Sanoussi for ordering, planning and participating in illegal attacks. The younger Gaddafi has become one of the public faces of the regime through frequent interviews with the media. Moreno-Ocampo said he had evidence that Gaddafi’s forces attacked civilians in their homes, shot at demonstrators with live ammunition, shelled funeral processions and deployed snipers to kill people leaving mosques. Judges must now evaluate the evidence before deciding whether to confirm the charges and issue international arrest warrants. In Benghazi, rebel spokesman Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga said that while the rebels welcomed the case they would like to see Gaddafi tried first in Libya, then before the ICC. Under Gaddafi’s more than four decades in power, the regime “has committed many crimes against the Libyan people, and the Libyan people want to see him punished for that”, Ghoga said. Libya Nato Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest International criminal court Africa Middle East guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Latest strikes on Tripoli come just hours after international criminal court seeks arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi Nato air strikes have hit two Libyan government buildings in the capital of Tripoli, including the interior ministry, setting them on fire. The attack prompted a government spokesman to suggest the ministry, which is responsible for internal security, was targeted because it contained files on corruption cases against senior members of the Benghazi-based rebel leadership. The latest strikes on Gaddafi’s stronghold came just hours after the international criminal court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants for the Libyan leader, his son and the country’s intelligence chief for authorising the killing of civilians in a crackdown on anti-government rebels. Gaddafi’s government has denied the allegations. The move by the Netherlands-based court was its first one linked to the Arab uprisings. It opened another potential front against Gaddafi’s regime even as the autocratic leader stands firm against widening Nato air strikes and rebels with growing international backing. A Libyan government spokesman appealed for a ceasefire and said authorities were likely to release four foreign reporters after they faced trial in an administrative court, expected later on Tuesday. Nato has increased strikes on the capital in an apparent attempt to weaken Gaddafi’s main stronghold and potentially target the leader himself. Government escorts took reporters to the site of the air strikes. Smoke and flames engulfed the top floors of the interior ministry building as dozens of young men, many armed with assault rifles, milled outside the shuttered gate. Some carried a life-sized portrait of Gaddafi, danced before the burning building and chanted: “The revolution will continue!” Nearby, black smoke poured out of a complex that officials said included offices used by authorities overseeing corruption cases. Soldiers collected half-burnt papers strewn amid the glass and metal as firefighters doused the flames. Moussa Ibrahim, the Libyan spokesman, suggested the ministry was targeted because it contained files on rebel leaders in Benghazi, the de-facto capital of the eastern half of the country, which is under opposition control. “If they [Nato] are really interested in protecting civilians … then we call upon them to stop, and start talking to us,” Ibrahim said. After the air strikes, sporadic gunfire could be heard near the Tripoli hotel where foreign reporters are staying. Police closed off a road nearby but the reason for the gunfire wasn’t clear. Libyan TV said Nato air strikes also hit Tajoura, a neighbourhood in Tripoli, and Zawiya, about 30 miles (50km) west of the capital. State TV said a number of people were killed and wounded. It did not elaborate. At least three explosions believed to be caused by Nato strikes shook windows around the Libyan capital late on Monday. It was not immediately clear what was targeted, but Ibrahim said he believed the jets were aiming for Gaddafi’s compound. The international warrants could further isolate Gaddafi and his inner circle and potentially complicate the options for a negotiated settlement. But they could also harden Gaddafi’s resolve to fight, since the legal action has been seen in Libya as giving Nato more justification to target him. Because the UN security council ordered the ICC investigation, UN member states would be obliged to arrest him if he entered their territory. In the Netherlands, prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he was seeking warrants against Gaddafi, his son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and intelligence chief Abdullah Sanoussi for ordering, planning and participating in illegal attacks. The younger Gaddafi has become one of the public faces of the regime through frequent interviews with the media. Moreno-Ocampo said he had evidence that Gaddafi’s forces attacked civilians in their homes, shot at demonstrators with live ammunition, shelled funeral processions and deployed snipers to kill people leaving mosques. Judges must now evaluate the evidence before deciding whether to confirm the charges and issue international arrest warrants. In Benghazi, rebel spokesman Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga said that while the rebels welcomed the case they would like to see Gaddafi tried first in Libya, then before the ICC. Under Gaddafi’s more than four decades in power, the regime “has committed many crimes against the Libyan people, and the Libyan people want to see him punished for that”, Ghoga said. Libya Nato Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest International criminal court Africa Middle East guardian.co.uk
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The annual inflation rate is at its highest since October 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics Inflation in Britain jumped to its highest level in two-and-a-half years last month, owing to soaring travel costs around Easter and higher duty on alcohol and tobacco. The annual increase in the consumer prices index to 4.5%, from 4% in March, wrongfooted the City and intensifies the dilemma for the Bank of England over how much longer it can keep interest rates low to support the flagging economy. It means governor Mervyn King will have to write another letter to the chancellor, George Osborne, to explain why inflation is so far above the Bank’s 2% target. Consumer prices rose 1% in April from March, taking the annual inflation rate to the highest since October 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics. City economists had only expected a small rise to 4.2%. “Although inflation was expected to jump back up, the magnitude of the increase is surprising. However, the ONS has said the timing of Easter had a significant impact on the data, so we would interpret them with an element of caution,” said Hetal Mehta, UK economist at Daiwa Capital Markets. However, Mehta does not expect the Bank to raise rates in response to high inflation until early next year. “While inflation still remains well over the Bank’s target – and is likely to rise even further in the next couple of months as higher commodity prices feed through – the current inflationary forces are largely temporary in nature, and a marked fall in January next year is expected once the VAT increase falls out of the calculations. As such, we still think the Bank will look through the short-term spike.” “Core” inflation, which strips out volatile items such as food and fuel, rose to 3.7%, the highest on record. Inflation has been above the Bank’s target since the end of 2009 and the central bank warned in its latest projections last week that it could hit 5% later this year, although it believes that most of the factors pushing up prices are temporary. The ONS travel costs rose because of the unusually late timing of Easter this year. In previous years, some of this was reversed the following month. The annual retail prices inflation (RPI) rate, which includes more housing costs and is the benchmark for pensions and many wage deals, eased to 5.2% from 5.3% in March. Inflation Economics Bank of England Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The annual inflation rate is at its highest since October 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics Inflation in Britain jumped to its highest level in two-and-a-half years last month, owing to soaring travel costs around Easter and higher duty on alcohol and tobacco. The annual increase in the consumer prices index to 4.5%, from 4% in March, wrongfooted the City and intensifies the dilemma for the Bank of England over how much longer it can keep interest rates low to support the flagging economy. It means governor Mervyn King will have to write another letter to the chancellor, George Osborne, to explain why inflation is so far above the Bank’s 2% target. Consumer prices rose 1% in April from March, taking the annual inflation rate to the highest since October 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics. City economists had only expected a small rise to 4.2%. “Although inflation was expected to jump back up, the magnitude of the increase is surprising. However, the ONS has said the timing of Easter had a significant impact on the data, so we would interpret them with an element of caution,” said Hetal Mehta, UK economist at Daiwa Capital Markets. However, Mehta does not expect the Bank to raise rates in response to high inflation until early next year. “While inflation still remains well over the Bank’s target – and is likely to rise even further in the next couple of months as higher commodity prices feed through – the current inflationary forces are largely temporary in nature, and a marked fall in January next year is expected once the VAT increase falls out of the calculations. As such, we still think the Bank will look through the short-term spike.” “Core” inflation, which strips out volatile items such as food and fuel, rose to 3.7%, the highest on record. Inflation has been above the Bank’s target since the end of 2009 and the central bank warned in its latest projections last week that it could hit 5% later this year, although it believes that most of the factors pushing up prices are temporary. The ONS travel costs rose because of the unusually late timing of Easter this year. In previous years, some of this was reversed the following month. The annual retail prices inflation (RPI) rate, which includes more housing costs and is the benchmark for pensions and many wage deals, eased to 5.2% from 5.3% in March. Inflation Economics Bank of England Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
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IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn swaps luxury hotel suites for spell in tough prison often featured in crime dramas The IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a man accustomed to luxury hotel suites and first-class travel, will make his home for now at New York City’s notorious Rikers Island jail. Strauss-Kahn was transferred from a detention centre attached to the Manhattan criminal court to Rikers Island on Monday, and held in protective custody in a 3 metre by 4 metre (11ft by 13ft) cell, a spokesman for the New York City department of correction said. A judge earlier on Monday denied Strauss-Kahn bail on charges he attempted to rape a hotel maid and set his next court date for Friday. Both Rikers and the courthouse detention centre, known as “the tombs,” are harsh, loud and dangerous. “It’s crowded and the food is terrible. And one of the dangerous things is famous people are preyed upon,” said Gerald Lefcourt, a well-known defence lawyer, referring to both places. “There are really heavy-duty prison bars and gates that make a lot of clanging sounds every time they are open and closed,” Lefcourt said. Defence lawyers said they were considering whether to appeal the bail ruling. Should the judge reaffirm the denial of bail, Strauss-Kahn could be held at Rikers throughout any trial. Strauss-Kahn checked into Rikers Island’s west facility, the smallest of the 10 jails in the complex and designed to care for inmates with communicable diseases, the spokesman said. Although Strauss-Kahn is healthy, the design allows him to be separated from any inmates who might seek fame by attacking someone famous. He is one of 25 to 30 inmates in the facility but will be kept from other inmates when he leaves his cell to stretch his legs, watch television in the common room or exercise. “This is not about isolating the inmate from any human contact, this is about preventing the inmate from being victimised or harmed in some way as a result of his high profile,” said the spokesman. Lights go out at 11pm. He is allowed three visitors a week aside from his lawyer and he will be given one hour a day for exercise. Strauss-Kahn was issued bedding and a standard toiletry kit of a drinking cup, soap, shampoo and toothpaste, the spokesman said. The Rikers complex, which is on an island in the East River near LaGuardia airport, is well-known to viewers of television and film crime dramas as the place where criminal suspects are sent pending trial or to serve short jail sentences. The island can be reached via a bridge from the borough of Queens. Dating to the 1930s, Rikers holds about 11,000 inmates on any given day. Dominique Strauss-Kahn IMF France New York United States Europe guardian.co.uk
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Huge Arctic exploration agreement is called off after the companies failed to finalise a deal to buy out BP’s current Russian partners in TNK-BP BP’s transformational deal in the Arctic has collapsed after it failed to reach agreement with its various Russian partners before a key deadline expired at midnight on Monday. The deal under which the British oil company and Russia’s Rosneft would jointly explore for oil in the Arctic will not now proceed, after the two parties could not reach a deal with BP’s existing partners in Russia, the oligarchs of Alfa Access Renova (AAR). BP sought to put a brave face on the situation, telling the City that “talks will continue”, which suggests that the deal could be revived in a new form. Rosneft, though, can now look for a new partner to explore and develop the South Kara Sea, where up to 40bn barrels of oil may be trapped below the surface. BP has been locked in three-way talks with Rosneft and AAR – the consortium of Russian billionaires controlling half of TNK-BP, BP’s Russian 50/50 venture – trying to hammer out a deal that would satisfy AAR while allowing BP to pursue the Rosneft alliance. The oligarchs, led by Mikhail Fridman, had blocked the alliance in the courts on the basis it breached an agreement BP had struck with TNK-BP giving the joint venture exclusive rights to pursue opportunities for BP in Russia. AAR’s refusal to back down left BP and Rosneft with little option but to try to buy AAR’s 50% stake in the joint venture, but the midnight deadline passed without the three parties being able to agree on price and the structure of the deal. Having tried to buy AAR out of TNK-BP, BP chief executive Bob Dudley now says that the two companies will “intensify their efforts” to ensure the joint venture’s success. “BP remains committed to Russia, to working constructively with AAR in TNK-BP and to our existing good relationship with Rosneft,” said Dudley. “All parties have worked hard to reach an acceptable resolution, as we believe it could offer significant benefits to BP shareholders, to Rosneft, AAR and Russia. “TNK-BP has been an excellent investment for all parties since 2003 and it is gratifying that both BP and AAR have agreed to look beyond the disagreements of the past few months and to fully focus on this important and successful business we have built together. At the same time, we look forward to continuing our work with Rosneft in our Sakhalin joint venture, running our new joint German refining business, and considering other future projects.” Fridman, chairman of Alfa Group, said: “AAR remains dedicated to the success of TNK-BP, one of the most dynamic and successful oil companies in the world. As we have always stated, AAR is a long-term strategic investor, and we look forward to working with BP on delivering the next phase of TNK-BP’s growth, both in Russia and internationally. AAR also sees significant benefit to developing co-operation with Rosneft within the framework of the TNK-BP shareholder agreement, and we plan to continue discussions about potential collaboration among BP, Rosneft and AAR.” BP Oil Oil and gas companies Energy industry Russia Julia Kollewe Tom Bawden guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Huge Arctic exploration agreement is called off after the companies failed to finalise a deal to buy out BP’s current Russian partners in TNK-BP BP’s transformational deal in the Arctic has collapsed after it failed to reach agreement with its various Russian partners before a key deadline expired at midnight on Monday. The deal under which the British oil company and Russia’s Rosneft would jointly explore for oil in the Arctic will not now proceed, after the two parties could not reach a deal with BP’s existing partners in Russia, the oligarchs of Alfa Access Renova (AAR). BP sought to put a brave face on the situation, telling the City that “talks will continue”, which suggests that the deal could be revived in a new form. Rosneft, though, can now look for a new partner to explore and develop the South Kara Sea, where up to 40bn barrels of oil may be trapped below the surface. BP has been locked in three-way talks with Rosneft and AAR – the consortium of Russian billionaires controlling half of TNK-BP, BP’s Russian 50/50 venture – trying to hammer out a deal that would satisfy AAR while allowing BP to pursue the Rosneft alliance. The oligarchs, led by Mikhail Fridman, had blocked the alliance in the courts on the basis it breached an agreement BP had struck with TNK-BP giving the joint venture exclusive rights to pursue opportunities for BP in Russia. AAR’s refusal to back down left BP and Rosneft with little option but to try to buy AAR’s 50% stake in the joint venture, but the midnight deadline passed without the three parties being able to agree on price and the structure of the deal. Having tried to buy AAR out of TNK-BP, BP chief executive Bob Dudley now says that the two companies will “intensify their efforts” to ensure the joint venture’s success. “BP remains committed to Russia, to working constructively with AAR in TNK-BP and to our existing good relationship with Rosneft,” said Dudley. “All parties have worked hard to reach an acceptable resolution, as we believe it could offer significant benefits to BP shareholders, to Rosneft, AAR and Russia. “TNK-BP has been an excellent investment for all parties since 2003 and it is gratifying that both BP and AAR have agreed to look beyond the disagreements of the past few months and to fully focus on this important and successful business we have built together. At the same time, we look forward to continuing our work with Rosneft in our Sakhalin joint venture, running our new joint German refining business, and considering other future projects.” Fridman, chairman of Alfa Group, said: “AAR remains dedicated to the success of TNK-BP, one of the most dynamic and successful oil companies in the world. As we have always stated, AAR is a long-term strategic investor, and we look forward to working with BP on delivering the next phase of TNK-BP’s growth, both in Russia and internationally. AAR also sees significant benefit to developing co-operation with Rosneft within the framework of the TNK-BP shareholder agreement, and we plan to continue discussions about potential collaboration among BP, Rosneft and AAR.” BP Oil Oil and gas companies Energy industry Russia Julia Kollewe Tom Bawden guardian.co.uk
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Irish army forced to make safe a viable bomb found on bus near Dublin on eve of historic royal visit A bomb has been found near Dublin as the Queen is due to arrive in Ireland for a historic visit that has been hailed as an “extraordinary moment” in the country’s history. The Irish army was forced to make safe a viable improvised explosive device found on a bus in County Kildare late on Monday night. The discovery threatens to overshadow the Queen’s four-day visit, the first by a British monarch to the Republic of Ireland, although the Foreign Office has said she will still travel to Dublin on Tuesday. An unprecedented security operation, costing about €30m (£26.2m), is in place to safeguard the Queen and Prince Phillip. It includes land, air and sea patrols and a “ring of steel” around the centre of the Irish capital, where the main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street, has been closed to traffic. The bomb was discovered in the luggage compartment of the vehicle at a bus stop on the outskirts of Maynooth. An engineering unit from the Irish Defence Forces arrived at 11.10pm after receiving a request from the Garda Siochana. An Irish military spokesman said a controlled explosion was carried out close to a hotel and the scene was declared safe at 1.55am. The remains of the device were handed over to the Gardai for investigation. The army is currently dealing with a bus alert on the LUAS tram line in Dublin. The bomb discovery comes after a dissident republican terror alert brought parts of London to a standstill on Monday. Some opposition to the royal visit has been voiced as dissident republican violence rises. But both the British and Irish governments say they hope the official trip will hasten a new and better relationship between the people of Ireland and Britain, built on equality and mutual respect. The prime minister, David Cameron, will join the Queen on Wednesday for part of her trip, highlighting the importance of the visit, and the foreign secretary, William Hague, will accompany the royals throughout their stay, as part of normal practice. The Irish president, Mary McAleese, interviewed by state broadcaster RTÉ for a documentary to be screened on Tuesday night, said: “I think it is an extraordinary moment in Irish history. A phenomenal sign and signal of the success of the peace process and absolutely the right moment for us to welcome on to Irish soil Her Majesty the Queen, the head of state of our immediate next-door neighbours, the people with whom we are forging a new future, a future very, very different from the past, on very different terms from the past and I think that visit will send the message that we are, both jurisdictions, determined to make the future a much, much better place.” The Irish taoiseach, Enda Kenny, has said the Queen will receive a warm welcome from the Irish people, who would have opportunities to meet her. The royal tour will take in Dublin and the counties of Cork, Kildare and Tipperary. In Dublin, the Queen will visit several politically and historically significant sites, such as Croke Park, the scene of a massacre by British troops, and the Garden of Remembrance, which honours those who fought for Irish freedom. She will also be guest of honour at events at Trinity College, the National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge, and the Guinness storehouse. Cork and Cashel are also on the agenda, along with a private visit to Coolmore, an international thoroughbred racehorse stud in Tipperary. The Queen’s grandfather George V was the last reigning monarch to visit the republic in 1911 when it was still part of Britain. The bitterness caused by the partition of the island a decade later and the use of the British army in Northern Ireland strained relations for much of the 20th century. But the success of the peace process has eased tensions and a visit by the monarch is seen by many as cementing a closer relationship. The Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, stressed his party was still against the royal visit and would host celebrations of republicanism in each city the Queen visits. He described the tour as premature and insensitive. Anti-war campaigners and left-wing republican group Éirígí, which has one council seat, are planning a series of protests. The start of the visit falls on the anniversary of atrocities which claimed the greatest loss of life in a single day of the Troubles. Thirty-four men, women and children, including an unborn baby, were killed in no-warning explosions in Dublin and Monaghan on 17 May 1974. The victims’ families and survivors of a series of bombs have written an open letter to the Queen to mark her arrival in Ireland and will hold their annual wreath-laying ceremony a few hundred metres from where the Queen will commemorate Irish rebels in the Garden of Remembrance. Justice for the Forgotten has appealed to the monarch to urge Cameron to open secret files which were withheld by the British government during an inquiry. Ireland The Queen Global terrorism UK security and terrorism Monarchy Europe Adam Gabbatt Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
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As the Queen, joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, arrives in Dublin she will become the first British monarch to travel to the Republic in 100 years The Queen sets foot on Irish soil today for the start of a historic state visit which will herald a new era in relations between Britain and the Republic. Politicians on both sides of the Irish Sea have described the four-day event as momentous. When the Queen, joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, arrives in Dublin she will become the first British monarch to travel to the Republic in 100 years and the first since the nation gained independence from Britain. An unprecedented security operation, costing an estimated 30 million euro (£26.2m), is in place to safeguard the royal couple, which includes land, air and sea patrols and a ring of steel around the centre of the Irish capital. Some opposition to the royal visit has been voiced, which comes against a rise in dissident republican violence. But both the British and Irish governments say they hope the official trip will hasten a new and better relationship between the people of Ireland and Britain, built on equality and mutual respect. Prime Minister David Cameron will join the Queen on Wednesday for part of her trip, highlighting the importance of the visit, and Foreign Secretary William Hague will accompany the royals throughout their stay, as part of normal practice. Irish president Mary McAleese, interviewed by state broadcaster RTE for a documentary to be screened on Tuesday night, said: “I think it is an extraordinary moment in Irish history. A phenomenal sign and signal of the success of the peace process and absolutely the right moment for us to welcome onto Irish soil, Her Majesty the Queen, the head of state of our immediate next-door neighbours, the people with whom we are forging a new future, a future very, very different from the past, on very different terms from the past and I think that visit will send the message that we are, both jurisdictions, determined to make the future a much, much better place.” Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the Queen will receive a “warm welcome” from the people of Ireland and that the public would have opportunities to meet her. The royal tour will take in Dublin and the counties of Cork, Kildare and Tipperary. In Dublin, the Queen will visit several politically and historically significant sites laden with symbolism such as Croke Park, the scene of a massacre by British troops, and the Garden of Remembrance, which honours those who fought for Irish freedom. The Queen will also be guest of honour at events at Trinity College, the National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge, and the Guinness Storehouse. Cork and Cashel are also on the agenda, along with a private visit to Coolmore, an international thoroughbred racehorse stud in Tipperary. The Queen’s grandfather George V was the last reigning monarch to visit the Republic in 1911 when it was still part of Britain. The bitterness caused by the partition of the island a decade later and the use of the British Army in Northern Ireland strained relations between the UK and the Irish Republic for much of the 20th century. But the success of the peace process has greatly eased tensions and a visit by the monarch is seen by many as cementing a closer relationship. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams stressed his party was still against the royal visit and would host celebrations of republicanism in each city the Queen visits. He described the visit as premature and insensitive. Anti-war campaigners and left-wing republican group Eirigi, which has one council seat, are planning a series of protests. The start of the visit falls on the anniversary of atrocities which claimed the greatest loss of life in a single day of the Troubles. Thirty-four men, women and children, including an unborn baby, were killed in no-warning explosions in Dublin and Monaghan on May 17, 1974. The victims’ families and survivors of a series of bombs have written an open letter to the Queen to mark her arrival in Ireland and will hold their annual wreath-laying ceremony a few hundred yards from where the Queen will commemorate Irish rebels in the Garden of Remembrance. Justice For The Forgotten has appealed to the monarch to urge Prime Minister Cameron to open secret files which were withheld by the British Government during an inquiry. The Queen Monarchy Ireland guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Ed Schultz: ‘Gingrich Wants to Cut Food Stamps to Give Tax Breaks to Old White Millionaires’
May 16, 2011 No Comment
Ed Schultz re-introduced his “Psycho Talk” segment on Monday after deciding in January to shelve the feature following the tragic shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in Tucson. This ended up being quite fitting, for earlier in the program, Schultz engaged in some psycho talk of his own accusing Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich of wanting to end the food stamp program “to give tax breaks to old white millionaires” (video follows with transcript and commentary): ED SCHULTZ: Now as far as food stamps go, President Obama inherited, may we point out, an economic mess from President Bush that has led to a record number of Americans needing help just to put food on the table. Gingrich of course is hell-bent on election. He just wants to cut these 42, 44.2 million Americans who currently use food stamps to give tax breaks to old white millionaires. That’s his priority. If Gingrich has his way on food stamps, you know who it’s going to hurt? African-Americans, women and children, and millions of low-income families. The Republican Party still can’t win on issues so their only chance is to play the race card again. Honestly, why are liberal media members so racist and so ignorant? As NewsBusters reported Sunday, there are more white people in America receiving food stamps than blacks. As such, how can food stamps be some kind of racist code? As this is preposterous, isn't it Schultz and his ilk that are playing the race card again? And is it really too difficult for folks like NBC's David Gregory , Salon's Joan Walsh , and Schultz to do some research to better understand the demographic breakdown of food stamp usage? It took me just seconds on Google to find a 2005 study by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire which found that in rural areas, 53 percent of food stamp recipients were white as compared to 27 percent black. In urban areas, this breakdown was 34 percent white to 35 percent black. Is asking too much for major news organizations to do a little fact-checking before they make totally unqualified statements that falsely impugn the character of our nation's political leaders? Yeah, I know – these aren't news organizations. They're left-wing advocates posing as news organizations. And they should all be ashamed of themselves.
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