TheFrenchfinanceministersaysthecountryhaslostitsAAAcreditrating.FrancoisBaroinsaidthatStandard&Poor'shadloweredtheratingtoAA+,buthesaidthatFrancewouldnotallowtheagenciestodictateitspolicies.FromParis,HughSchofield.
ThisnewsdoesnotcomeasasurpriseforFrance-therehadbeenwarningsforweeksthatthedowngradewascoming-butit'sstillabigblow.Economically,itmeansthatthecostofborrowingtocoverthecountry'shugedebtwillprobablybecomemoreexpensive.Politically,it'sverybadnewsforPresidentSarkozy,whosetsuchstoreonkeepingtheAAA.Andfortheeurozone,it'salsoasetback.CombinedwithbadnewsfromGreeceaboutthedebttalksgoingonthere,itshowsthattheeurocrisisiswellandtrulybackontheagenda.
TheUnitedStateshasdescribedthereleaseofpoliticalprisonersinBurmaasasubstantialsteptowardsdemocraticreform.PresidentObamasaidthegrantingofamnestytosome600prisoners,includingleadingdissidents,wascrucialforBurma'snationalreconciliation.TheSecretaryofStateHillaryClintonsaidtheUSwouldnowstrengthenties.
"WewillstarttheprocessofexchangingambassadorswithBurma.WewillidentifyacandidatetoserveasUSambassadortorepresenttheUnitedStatesgovernmentandourbroadereffortstostrengthenanddeepenourtieswithboththepeopleandthegovernment.Thisisalengthyprocess,anditwillofcoursedependoncontinuingprogressandreform."
Earlier,largecrowdsgatheredoutsidejailsacrossBurmatogreetleadersofthedemocracymovementanddissidentmonksastheywalkedfree.
Turkishpolicehaveraidedmorethan100homesandofficesin17citiesaspartofanoperationagainsttheKurdishnationalistmovement.Atleast32peoplehavebeendetained.FromIstanbul,here'sJonathanHead.
TherearenowtwoparalleloperationsunderwaybytheTurkishstateagainsttheKurdishnationalistmovement.Inthemountainsofthesoutheast,theTurkisharmedforcescontinuetofightarmedinsurgentsoftheKurdishWorkers'Party,thePKK.Butinurbanareas,manyhundreds,perhapsthousandsofcivilianshavealsobeenroundedupinsuccessivepoliceraids.Therehavebeensomanynooneissureofthetotalnumberdetained.Theyincludelawyers,humanrightsactivistsandjournalists.Turkeynowhasmorejournalistsinjailthananyothercountry.
AcourtinNorwayhasorderedanewpsychiatricevaluationofAndersBehringBreivik,whowasfoundtohavebeenlegallyinsanewhenhecarriedoutabombattackandmassshootinglastJuly.ThecourtsaidthespecialandextremelyseriousnatureofthecasemeantthattheissueofMrBreivik'scriminalresponsibilityhadtobestudiedmoreclosely.TheearlierassessmentfoundthatMrBreivikwaspsychotic,butthatassessmenthasbeenwidelycriticised.
Thelong-timeleaderoftheTurkishCypriots,RaufDenktash,hasdied.Hewas87andhadsufferedfromillhealthforalongtime.MrDenktashwasastaunchdefenderoftheinterestsofTurkishCypriotsandbecamethefirstpresidentoftheself-declaredTurkishRepublicofNorthernCyprusin1983.Herefusedtostandagainin2005afterTurkishCypriotsagainsthisadvicevotedinfavourofaplantoreunifythedividedisland.TheplanwasrejectedbyGreekCypriots.
TheUSStateDepartmentsaysit'sraisedconcernswithMoscowandCyprusaboutaRussian-operatedshipcarryingwhat'sbeendescribedasadangerouscargotoSyria.MediareportsinCyprustheboat'slastportofcallsuggestedthatthevesselwascarryingammunition.
AcourtinLondonhasruledthataBritishstudent,RichardO'Dwyer,canbeextraditedtotheUnitedStates,wherehefacesallegationsofUScopyrightinfringement.He'saccusedofcreatingawebsitethatallowedpeopletoviewfilmsandtelevisionshowsforfree.Lawyershavearguedthatthewebsitesimplydirecteduserstoothersites,andtheysaythey'llappeal.RichardO'DwyerandhismotherJuliaspokeoutsidethecourt.
"I'mobviouslydisappointedwiththejudge'sdecisiontoday.IthinkI'vegotfaithintheHighCourtinmakingtherightdecision.Itjustseemedlikeabitofaguineapigactivity."
"Disgusted.I'dhopedforbetterfromthejudge.DisappointedwiththisgovernmentforsigningusuptothistreatywhichhasopenedthefloodgatestoAmericatocomeandseizeBritishcitizenswithoutevenhavingsetfootoutofthiscountry."
TheWorldBoxingAssociationhasorderedarematchbetweentheBritishboxerAmirKhanandtheAmericanLamontPetersonafteracontroversialfightlastmonth.TheWBAsaiditwasconcernedaboutanumberofquestionabledecisionsbytherefereeandthepresenceofanunauthorisedmanapparentlydistractingthejudgesduringthescoringprocess.KhanwasdefeatedonpointsandlosthisWBAandIBFtitles.
U245265618
U237990653
