Home » Archives by category » News » Politics (Page 1514)
‘Agent’ conman lived on £4 a day

Robin Price gets six years for spinning his own tall tales to his clients about Hollywood contacts A literary agent who duped budding authors and investors into handing over more than £500,000 for non-existent film and book deals has been jailed for six years. Robin Price, a former cinema manager from north Devon, claimed he had contacts in Hollywood including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Johnny Depp. Judge John Neligan told Price, who admitted six counts of theft: “You lived a Walter Mitty lifestyle to persuade decent folk to part with a lot of money on your wild and extravagant schemes which were bogus from the start. I am satisfied that this was fraud from the outset which became more serious and more intricate, to deceive people outlandishly as time went on.” Prosecuting, Andrew Oldland told Exeter crown court that Price, 51, was a confidence trickster: “He targeted would-be writers who wanted their works to be converted into film and TV programmes, or would-be investors interested in putting money into film projects.” But he said Price, of Ilfracombe, lied about his background and his career in the film industry and literary world. “He maintained he knew well-known names in the film industry both on the production and direction side and acting side in the US and UK. He would drop big names such as Spielberg and Scorsese and actors like Sam Neill and Tom Cruise and many others.” But Price, who used to work at a cinema in Leicester Square, central London, grossly exaggerated the extent of his contacts and claimed to his victims that he was on the verge of signing multimillion-dollar production deals. The main loser was an elderly man so keen to have his work published he handed over almost £300,000 to Price, remortgaging his home and borrowing money to do so. Another victim gave him almost £100,000 because he told her he was on the verge of sealing a multimillion-pound deal for her. Another woman, who gave up her teaching career to work with Price, said she wanted to kill herself when she found out he had lied to her. In police interviews Price claimed his efforts were a “genuine attempt to get production deals” and he hadn’t misled anyone because they had been aware of the risks of their investments. Defending, Stephen Mooney said Price was “a broken, destitute, rather sad individual” who lived on £4 a day in a bedsit with his pet cat and dog. He said he had not spent the money on trappings of a successful high life. Steven Morris guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …
What is French for a vegan?

The trial of the vegan couple in France whose baby died highlights how difficult it is not to eat meat there The trial in France of two vegan parents charged with “neglect or food deprivation” after the death of their baby daughter has raised hackles on both sides of the Channel from those who feel their dietary choices are being questioned. The fact that Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou fed the child only breast milk during her short 11-month life, and treated her bronchitis with cabbage and clay poultices, would suggest their parenting skills were more to blame than their eating habits. But evidence presented to the court made a direct link between baby Louise’s death and her parents’ diet. The child was underweight and suffering severe vitamin deficiencies, making her susceptible to the bronchial infection that killed her – deficiencies possibly linked to the mother’s diet, according to the deputy state prosecutor. Even without the opprobrium a case such as this provokes, it is not easy being vegetarian in France, the land of steak-frites, foie gras and other solidly carnivorous fare. Studies suggest four million Britons may be vegetarians, though others claim 10% of the population are “meat avoiders”. In France there are an estimated one million vegetarians. A non-scientific survey of Facebook reveals that the British-based Vegan society has 60,978 fans, while the French Vegetarian Association has 1,518 and the Vegetarian and Vegan page 1,173. (By comparison the French “Slap a Vegetarian with an Escalope” page has 168,294 fans.) If it is hard work being a Gallic vegetarian, it is nigh on impossible being a vegan. The Le Moaligous were forced to educate their elder daughter Elodie, now 13, at home. French school canteens are largely run on the premise that a child should eat everything on their plate. In her blog , food writer Rosa Jackson recounts how when her son Sam became a vegetarian, a member of the school staff explained to her: “Vegetarianism is not a recognised diet in France. We’ll have to put everything on the plate even if he doesn’t eat it.” One poster responding to the blog recounted how a chef in Normandy insisted the omelette he had served was still vegetarian even though it was covered in “just a foie gras sauce”. France Europe Vegetarianism Kim Willsher guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …

Victims of the January 8 mass shooting stood with civic leaders on Monday to call for critical reforms to our nation’s guns laws. Watch highlights from the event in Tucson. Show your support by sharing the video with your friends and family! As you may recall, I wrote before about how just about anyone can buy a gun in Arizona. Mayors Against Illegal Guns is calling on members of Congress to take two important steps to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Get the names of all the people who should be prohibited from buying guns into the background check system. Require a background check for every gun sale in America. You can sign the petition here.

Continue reading …
Troops could run strike-hit prisons

As justice secretary Ken Clarke prepares to announce winning bids to run jails, prison officers consider industrial action Up to 3,000 troops have been put on standby to run any prison hit by industrial action as a result of an imminent decision on whether to privatise some of Britain’s biggest jails . The justice secretary, Ken Clarke, is pressing Downing Street for approval to announce the winning bidders to run HMP Birmingham, HMP Buckley Hall in Rochdale, and a new “super-sized jail” on a site next to HMP Featherstone in Wolverhampton. The announcement is due before the end of the week. The Prison Officers Association, which has a two-year-old mandate to take industrial action, up to and including strike action, in the event of any prison being privatised, is urging prison staff to hold gate meetings at the start of their shift the day after any such announcement, to discuss a strict work to rule. Feelings are particularly strong at the 1,450-capacity Birmingham prison, which Jack Straw ordered to be market-tested when he was justice secretary after it was branded a “failing jail”. Staff say they feel they worked hard to bring it up to a higher standard and don’t want to see a private company profit from their hard work. Colin Moses, POA chairman, said more than 500 prison officers went on the weekend’s TUC anti-cuts march in London: “That is a massive contingent for us. It was the first time that we have marched alongside other trade unions.” Ministers got the agreement of the Ministry of Defence to train 2,000 to 3,000 regular soldiers in formal jailcraft earlier this year after studying the first national strike by the POA in 2007 when 90% of prison officers walked out for 12 hours. A reserve power to ban prison strikes was reintroduced the next year. The army used to train its soldiers in staffing a jail as a matter of routine during the 1980s and 1990s but withdrew from the agreement 10 years ago in the face of the pressures of Iraq and other campaigns. The prisons minister, Crispin Blunt, a former army captain, got MoD approval a few months ago for up to 3,000 servicemen and women to be trained in prison craft such as how to lock down a wing, moving inmates around the prison safely, and understanding fire risks. The numbers of soldiers who have been trained means that they could not provide cover for walkouts at more than a handful of prisons. It is understood those involved are drawn mainly from the army’s only prison, the military corrective training centre at Colchester, and elements of the RAF Regiment, which guards air force bases. Although the prison service has also been talking to the police about contingency plans it is reluctant to get involved. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our aim is to avoid any form of industrial action and we will continue to talk to the unions to do everything possible to achieve this. However, given the risks and complexities involved in running prisons it is sensible and appropriate to review our contingency plans for dealing with widespread industrial action.” She added that they were to ensure their contingency plans were “as strong as possible”. Bids from the public and private sectors were invited for the three prisons. It is believed that Serco and G4S, the largest UK private security companies, are involved in the bids. Buckley Hall was one of the first jails to be privatised in 1994 but was taken back into the public sector in 2000. Featherstone 2 was initially earmarked as a Titan prison holding 2,500 inmates but has been scaled back to a “super-sized” 1,600 capacity. Prisons and probation Military Kenneth Clarke Jack Straw Alan Travis Eric Allison guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …
Assad blames foreigners for protests

Observers predict further trouble after Friday prayers as Assad’s TV broadcast, which detailed no reforms, angers the nation Syrians reacted with anger and disappointment after their president, Bashar al-Assad, failed to deliver any decisive reforms in his first public appearance since the street uprising that has threatened his regime. In homes and cafes around Damascus Assad was castigated for a speech which seemed tailored to send a message of strength to protesters demanding an overhaul of the Baathist old guard which has ruled Syria for 40 years. However, demonstrators had demanded much more and are unlikely to be appeased by Assad’s main message that foreign conspirators were largely responsible for the unprecedented scenes across the country during the past fortnight. “This is what happened in Egypt and Tunisia on repeat,” said one young pro-change Syrian. “Excuses and arrogance.” Assad has the reputation of being a crowd-pleaser and many had anticipated a surprise announcement. His key adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, had foreshadowed decisive reforms, including lifting an emergency law that bans public dissent. However, Assad’s speech offered no substantive concessions. He said satellite television and propaganda had incited demonstrators, although he also said that “not all demonstrators were conspirators”. He added that the chaos in Syria had an Israeli agenda, but did not elaborate. “This is the end of Syria,” said one young engineer from the capital, Damascus. “There was no apology and no promise of reform. This only makes us angrier. He could have at least expressed sorrow for those who have died.” Residents of the southern city of Deraa, where at least 55 people have been killed during clashes with security forces, told the Guardian that the speech had been met with significant anger. Assad expressed grief for the deaths of “fathers and brothers” in Deraa and acknowledged that security forces had “made mistakes” during the clashes. However, he also said residents had a responsibility to stop the protests themselves. “The speech was nonsense and has given security forces the green light to continue its oppression of our people,” said a man who declined to be named, speaking by telephone from Deraa . Even Assad’s supporters seemed at a loss after the address, which was regularly interrupted by choreographed bursts of poetry from the floor. “Many Baathists were congratulating me today on the removal of emergency law,” said one Christian businessman. “But now they are empty-handed as they face the Syrian people.” For a core of supporters, however, the speech may have made little difference. Some said he was received as honest for admitting to the need to fight corruption, and interpreted the speech as reiterating that reforms were needed. Before the address one Syrian diplomat had said Assad was intent on striking a dignified tone. “The west needs to know that we are not their valet, their entry point to the region,” the diplomat said. “And he will not be seen as capitulating to the protesters.” Analysts in Damascus said Assad had been strengthened by external support in recent days. In giving little by way of concession, he managed to adopt a more consistent narrative absolving the regime of blame. “Reform was placed within the context of ongoing plans, meaning he can downplay the idea that he is reacting to discontent while at the same time saying it doesn’t exist,” said one. Syria is of key strategic significance in the Middle East and a full-blown revolution would have widespread effects. Assad is aligned to an anti-western orbit, headed by Iran. However, he has attempted to broker improved relations with the United States over the past year and also to reach out to Europe. Assad’s regime is led by members of the minority Alawite sect, loosely aligned with Shia Islam. He has been a strong backer of Palestinian militant groups and Hezbollah and has so far resisted US attempts to prise him free from them. The US did not immediately react to the speech. However, across the Syrian border in Lebanon there was celebratory gunfire in the Shia heartland areas of the Bekaa Valley and the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, which is a Hezbollah heartland. Some observers in Damascus said the speech would add weight to calls for further protests across the country on Friday. The scenes of recent clashes were quiet amid a large security presence, which is expected to be reinforced on Friday — a day of prayers that has seen a rise in violence for the past two weeks. Katherine Marsh is a pseudonym for a journalist living in Damascus Syria Middle East Bashar Al-Assad Protest Arab and Middle East unrest Martin Chulov guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …
Call to Save Social Security!

enlarge Credit: Strengthen Social Security Hands Off Social Security Today is National Social Security Call-In Day. Call your Senators today to tell them not to touch it, please. Via Campaign for America’s Future : The following is from the Strengthen Social Security coalition, of which Campaign for America’s Future is part: We need you to call your Senators and demand that they vote for the Sanders/Reid Social Security Protection Amendment. Senator Sanders and Majority Leader Reid are leading the fight in the Senate to protect Social Security from drastic cuts. Their amendment simply says: Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries should not be cut and Social Security should not be privatized as part of any legislation to reduce the Federal deficit. Call your Senators RIGHT NOW at 1-866-251-4044. You’ll be given a choice of which of your state’s two senators to be connected with. Call BOTH of your senators if you have the time. It only takes a minute each. Tell the person who answers the phone: I am a voter/constituent living in [your state]. I am calling to tell the Senator: I oppose all cuts to Social Security and I urge them to vote yes on the Sanders/Reid Social Security Protection Amendment. Please take the time for this very important effort today. This is for all of us who depend on Social Security. Call Today: 1-866-251-4044. AFTER YOU CALL: Stay involved, the threat to Social Security continues. Please click to stay involved in the fight. Thank you! With the Tea Party right and Boehner pushing for more budget cuts and are in talks with Daley, how safe do you think Social Security is going to be?

Continue reading …
Given the FBI’s record of fallibility – and without genuine safeguards for citizens – this $1bn biometrics project is alarming

Given the FBI’s record of fallibility – and without genuine safeguards for citizens – this $1bn biometrics project is alarming The FBI recently announced that its Next Generation Identification System (NGIS) has “reached its initial operating capacity”. This vast new biometrics project, for which Lockheed Martin won a $1bn contract in 2008 , encompasses not only fingerprints but also, possibly, such biometrics as iris scans, face recognition, bodily scars, marks and tattoos. Such a system raises a number of concerns from a civil liberties perspective. Many types of biometrics are of particular concern because they allow individuals to be tracked secretly and at a distance. For instance, facial recognition may allow a person to be tracked by various CCTV cameras across a city. Worse, in the future, this may be automated and done by computers. The FBI is rushing ahead with this system in a larger context that is very troubling. Since 9/11, we’ve repeatedly seen the government throw together new identity and tracking systems without building in the necessary protections to make sure innocent people aren’t caught up in them. A good example is aviation watchlists. Countless travelers have found themselves trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare – improperly listed as suspected terrorists, hassled, arrested or worse, and with no way to clear their names in the eyes of the government’s secretive security bureaucracies. The problem is not just errors and mistaken identification, or the lack of due process or rigorous procedures for keeping the lists accurate, but also the possibility that government bureaucrats have used a “when in doubt, thrown a name on the list” approach. We don’t want to see the NGIS operate that way. Unfortunately, the FBI’s record does not inspire confidence. In 2003, the bureau exempted its main criminal database , the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), from a requirement under the Privacy Act that agencies maintain records with “such accuracy, relevance, timeliness and completeness as is reasonably necessary to assure fairness to the individual”. Some people have experienced the reality of this, such as a Maryland woman named Amy Studnitz who was fired from her job after an NCIC background check erroneously reported that she had a criminal record (even after the error was discovered, she was not rehired). The experience of Oregon attorney Brandon Mayfield is also a cautionary tale. Considered a suspect in the 2004 bombing of a Madrid train due to a faulty fingerprint match, the FBI spied on Mayfield without a warrant, broke into his home several times and arrested him under the “material witness” statute. The FBI also investigated 19 other individuals whose fingerprints, like Mayfield’s, were deemed similar to those found on evidence in Madrid. Finally, the FBI’s giant biometric project is taking place in a context where the United States – almost alone in the industrialised world – has no strong, overarching privacy laws, and no robust, independent institutions to enforce such laws. In another country where such institutions existed to protect people from error and abuse, this kind of programme might be cause for less concern. But rather than building such institutions, the US government has instead been granting sweeping new powers to our security agencies, and dismantling the checks and balances that are needed to ensure those powers are not misused. Most technologies have good and bad uses, and limited uses of biometrics can be fine. But these databases need strict oversight, and now is the time to make sure the proper safeguards are in place. As the use of biometrics expands and our law enforcement moves into the future, so too should our privacy rights. FBI Civil liberties – international US constitution and civil liberties United States Surveillance Biometrics Jay Stanley guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …
Madonna’s folly in Malawi

A western charity fails in a top-down development project. But the spotlight shines more on the star than on the unbuilt school In Malawi, about $3.8m (£2.4m) has disappeared and a school has been left unbuilt. Alone, that story would never make international headlines. But because the money and the project belonged to Madonna’s charity Raising Malawi, the scandal has quickly made its way into media outlets worldwide. Celebrities are, of course, not newcomers to the game of getting unprecedented media coverage for otherwise unpopular issues. The celebrity campaigner has become so prolific that there is now a website whose sole purpose is to keep a record of celebrities and their charitable causes . By today’s count, it registers 1,676 charities and 2,493 celebrities. In 2008, the development economist William Easterly said that part of the new millennium’s explosion of interest in “saving Africa” could be explained by the mass advocacy celebrity campaigns spearheaded by the Bonos and the Geldofs of the world. But aside from the Malawi project’s star-studded cast – Tom Cruise and Gwyneth Paltrow were also among Madonna’s backers – there is nothing truly earth-shattering in this story of a development project that failed to break ground. We’ve been here before. Indeed, from what’s emerged so far, the story of Madonna and the unbuilt school has all the elements of a modern parable about the failure of top-down development projects. There’s a wealthy western donor. There’s the well-intentioned charity, Raising Malawi, whose name paints Malawi not as a country with a complex history, but as weak and infantile, in need of guidance and support from those who know better. A heated land dispute pits villagers against the wealthy western donor and the Malawian government, which takes her side: “Don’t you know better? You need a school. You should be grateful.” Not long after, allegations follow of private jets being flown into the country, laden with luxuries (exercise machines and expensive wines). But the project only truly begins to falter after auditors uncover “outlandish expenses” – salaries, private cars and golf memberships – and the charity’s executive director bows out. Amid the brewing controversy, the project is pulled by the wealthy donor, who hopes to cut her loses. In the aftermath, staff members are suddenly left without jobs , and file suit for lost wages, unfair dismissal and non-payment of benefits. As the “mismanagement of funds” is said to have happened overseas, those among the general public who answered the charity’s call for donations can do little to hold it to account. Though Madonna had chosen education as her cause, she has now been forced to share her spotlight with the much more complex development challenges of corruption, accountability and disenfranchisement. In one sense, the message from the failed project appears simple: good intentions are not enough, and money in the wrong hands can be worse than no money at all. But the unbuilt school also points to much deeper debates about how development happens: can it come from outside and above? Or must it come from inside and below? Celebrity engagement with development issues has, as one might expect, evolved over time. Today, celebrities are much more than pretty faces for charity appeals. They’re also out and about, lobbying politicians and setting up their own foundations. But, according to William Easterly , celebrities have been too quick to rub shoulders and hobnob with the powerful. And they overstep the line, he says, by claiming expertise on the basis of their stardom. What the world needs, he argues, is not the “celebrity wonk” who follows fads and promotes top-down technocratic solutions (Build more schools! Throw in some toilets!), but the “celebrity activist” who challenges power dynamics and questions the status quo. All too often, star-studded projects oversimplify complex issues and promote patronising messages of how the west can save the rest. And besides, how can you focus on a complex issue when there’s a celebrity in the room? When Time magazine published an Angelina Jolie op-ed on Darfur in 2009 , it wasn’t illustrated with an image of refugees or of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, but with a close-up of cat eyes and Angelina’s famous pout. In the process, say critics, attention is diverted away from the tougher, more nuanced issues in development. Madonna now has under two weeks to respond to the complaints lodged by her former staff members. There are bound to be follow-up reports. Let’s hope the spotlight shines less on the star and more on the unbuilt school, less on the diva and more on the deeper challenges of development: transparency, accountability and engagement from below. Madonna Malawi Charities Claire Provost guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …
Israel may build island off Gaza coast

Environmentalists says plans, which also include hotels and a marina, are ‘complete madness’ and warn public to be sceptical Israel is considering plans to build an artificial island off the coast of the Gaza Strip to house a sea and airport, and encourage tourism in the area. Yisrael Katz, the Israeli minister for transport, said the plan had been under consideration for many months and had been encouraged by Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. He said it would also relieve Israel of the obligation to be the transit point for goods into the enclave. The Gaza Strip has no sea port and its airport was destroyed. The area is the sixth most crowded place in the world. Since 2007, Israel, which controls the majority of Gaza’s borders has only allowed limited kinds of goods into Gaza and allowed very few exports out. Gazans have got round restrictions by smuggling goods from Egypt through tunnels. Katz said he expected the island would be under international control for at least 100 years to ensure Israel’s security. “We have built models and there are many entrepreneurs who are interested and prepared to invest billions and make money,” he told Israel Army Radio A spokesman for the Israeli ministry of transport said the main aim of the plan was to improve the quality of life for Palestinians in Gaza while ensuring Israel’s security. “The island would be three square miles and it would be linked to Gaza with a three mile-long bridge which could take vehicles, trains and pipes for oil and gas. The island would have hotels, tourist areas, a marina with yachts and an airport and a seaport.” He estimated that the project would cost up to $10bn (£6.2bn), create 100,000 jobs and take up to 10 years to complete. Environmentalists and Palestinian officials, however, described the venture as “fantasy” and “madness”, and accused the minister of political opportunism. A spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection said they had not been consulted about the project. Previous plans for a deepwater port in the Gaza Strip have stalled, partly because of Israel’s security concerns, but also because any developments could cause massive damage to the whole coast of Israel. Gidon Bromberg, director of Friends of the Earth Middle East, described the project as “complete madness”. “This sort of thing makes no sense whatsoever,” he said. “The environmental implications would be felt along the coast of Gaza and Israel. Even the building of a marina caused a two-mile scar of beach erosion in Israel which the developer’s planning had not predicted. The public should be very sceptical.” Ghassan Khatib, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, said that if Israel wanted to improve the lives of Palestinians there were lots of simpler measures they could take. “This is pure fantasy and it is not the concern of Israel. If they want to help Palestinians, they must end the siege on Gaza, and allow the reintegration of the West Bank and Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Then they are welcome to make proposals.” Israel Gaza Palestinian territories Middle East Binyamin Netanyahu Conal Urquhart guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …
Berlusconi vows to evict migrants

Embattled Italian PM also offers tax breaks to island’s residents as critics accuse him of using diversionary tactics Facing fierce criticism over his handling of a wave of north Africans landing on the Italian island of Lampedusa, Silvio Berlusconi has put on a vintage display of showmanship, claiming he would empty the island of immigrants within 60 hours, nominate locals for a Nobel peace prize and buy a holiday home there. So far this year 18,000 north African migrants have sailed to the island, which has only 5,000 native inhabitants. During a lightning visit to Lampedusa, which is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland, Berlusconi told cheering locals that six chartered ferries were arriving to pick up the remaining 6,000 migrants, mainly young Tunisian men, who have made the sea crossing since the collapse of the Tunisian government in January and the suspension of coastal patrols. The migrants will join other north Africans who have already been transferred to centres and camps on the mainland after paying out thousands of euros to make the often perilous crossing. “In 48 to 60 hours, Lampedusa will be inhabited only by Lampedusans,” said Berlusconi. Locals have protested against the nightly arrivals by using fishing boats to block the harbour entrance as the island’s immigrant centre was overwhelmed, food supplies ran short and migrants bivouacked on a rubbish-strewn hill overlooking the port. To frequent applause, Berlusconi told residents he would give them tax breaks and propose they receive the Nobel peace prize for their patience, later telling a press conference he would push for the construction of a casino and a golf course. “We are buying up the fishing boats so that they cannot be used for the crossings,” he said. “That way when I am out of politics I will use them to set up a fresh fish business.” The prime minister also said he would use his private TV channels to promote the relaunch of tourism in Lampedusa. While surfing the internet before his visit, he added, he had purchased a beach house on Lampedusa, which he visited before leaving the island. A local couple living next door to the €2m house said they had been woken on Tuesday night by noises from the house. “I thought it was the Tunisians,” said Rosina Licciardi, “but it was the gardener and his wife cleaning things up.” Berlusconi said he would also ask the mayor to plant a few more trees on the island and paint the houses brighter colours. Opposition members alleged Berlusconi’s appearance was a diversionary tactic as his supporters in parliament worked on a measure trimming the statute of limitations for first-time offenders, a measure they claimed is designed to cancel the prime minister’s ongoing trial for bribing British lawyer David Mills. “Over there he bought a house, while here he bought himself safe conduct,” said Pier Luigi Bersani, the head of the opposition Democratic Party. Berlusconi is now seeking to convince Italy’s regional governors to put up the migrants brought ashore. Over 3,000 who have already escaped from makeshift camps have travelled to Ventimiglia seeking to cross into France, where many have relatives. Interior minister Roberto Maroni has told parliament that a deal was underway with the Tunisian government to take the migrants back. “If they are economic migrants, and most of them are, then Italy can repatriate,” said Laura Boldrini, a UN spokeswoman, “Many come from villages on the coast and worked in the tourism industry but now fear job cuts.” Italy will need to identify each migrant and serve an expulsion order, which can be appealed against, added Boldrini. Maroni has warned that the Tunisians may be just a warm up for 50,000 migrants fleeing the war in Libya. Boldrini said 1,500 people had crossed to Italy so far from Libya, mainly Eritreans, Ethiopians and Somalis. Silvio Berlusconi Italy David Mills Europe Tom Kington guardian.co.uk

Continue reading …