By the far the best way to arrive into Stockholm is by water, through the thousands of small islands of the Stockholm Archipelago.  Sailing through the islands is stunning, and is a great way to begin to get a feel for ‘the Venice of the north’.

A view across the harbour

It is a great city to explore on foot; compact enough that it is easy to do so (and necessary to do so in the old part) but big enough that there is plenty to explore.  The main focal point for tourists is the Royal Palace, which is the official workplace and residence of the monarch.

The front of the Royal Palace

I didn’t have the chance to go inside or take a tour, though I did have a glimpse into the inner courtyard and it looked pretty impressive.  Opening times change dependent on the season and there are restricitions around ceremonial times such as the King’s birthday.

The palace and courtyard are to the right, with the Old City straight ahead

I skipped the palace to head on into the old part of the city, which is full of cobbled streets and tall buildings, many of which have now been converted into touristic shops and coffee chains but there is still something of the ambience of antiquity about it, particularly during the colourful changing of the guard ceremony.

Marching band during changing of the guard

Again there are most probably seasonal variations on the timing of these ceremonies, but this was around lunchtime and in the searing heat of an August day.  Walk through the streets and you get a good view all around the city, and you can see right across to the National Museum (which, disappointingly, was closed when I was there).

The outside of the Swedish Parliament

I took a tour of the Riksdag, the super-modern home of the Swedish Parliament and only a stone’s throw from Stockholm’s equivalent of Downing Street.  They do tours in a range of languages and you get fantastic access around the building with a really knowledgeable guide.  If you do go there, make sure you have the 10 Swedish Krona to stow your bag in a locker – I didn’t and had to beg it from a curmudgeonly German.  I took great pleasure in not giving it back.

The chamber of the Riksdag

Good luck finding him!

WOW !!!!!!

Was Iraqi cabbie the source of the dodgy dossier? MP’s report claims ‘intelligence’ on Saddam’s WMDs came from back of a taxi

A report by a respected MP claims that the unlikely secret agent was one of MI6’s top sources when it was building a case to justify the invasion.He provided the information that Saddam Hussein could fire chemical weapons at British targets within 45 minutes.The revelation comes as the death toll of British troops in Afghanistan reaches 100 this year alone following the shooting of a member of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment in a gun battle with the Taliban.Senior intelligence officials have told the MP that the cabbie falsely claimed Saddam Hussein had acquired long-range missiles after listening to Iraqi commanders chatting in his taxi two years before the invasion.The driver, who worked near Iraq’s border with Jordan, was allegedly the ’sub-source’ of a senior Iraqi military officer who told MI6 that Saddam had battlefield chemical weapons ready to deploy at 45 minutes’ notice.The revelations come in a report on the Iraq War by Tory MP Adam Holloway, due to be published by the think-tank First Defence.Mr Holloway, a former Grenadier Guardsman, has close links to intelligence officials.He was told about the cab driver by a former member of one of Britain’s intelligence agencies who was serving at the time of the build-up to war.

Intelligence from the cab driver allegedly bolstered the suggestion that weapons of mass destruction could be fired at British targets in Cyprus – a central plank of the dodgy dossier.Mr Holloway’s report says that analysts at the Secret Intelligence Service quickly decided the cab driver’s information about missiles was ‘verifiably’ false and warned that the agent was not reliable.But a carefully-worded footnote in an MI6 report was apparently brushed aside by Downing Street officials when the dodgy dossier was put together in September 2002.Mr Holloway says a security official in the U.S. with knowledge of the pre-war MI6 reports confirmed to him that ‘the footnote was ignored’.

Sir John Scarlett, the former MI6 chief who was chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee before the war, is expected to be quizzed about the dossier when he gives evidence to the Chilcot committee today – though he is not expected to go into details about MI6 sources in public.The claim that the rush to war was based – in part – on false information from a gossipy taxi driver is perhaps the most embarrassing revelation yet about the desperate lengths to which the Government went to justify the invasion.Mr Holloway says that huge pressure was put on SIS to come up with intelligence after Tony Blair met President George W. Bush at his Texas ranch in April 2002, which the Chilcot Inquiry has heard was the meeting that fired the starting gun for the invasion 11 months later.

In his report, The Failure of British Political and Military Leadership in Iraq, Mr Holloway writes: ‘Under pressure from Downing Street to find anything to back up the WMD case, SIS were squeezing their agents in Iraq for anything at all.‘One agent did come up with something – the “45 minutes”, allegedly discussed in a high-level Iraqi political meeting.’The MP told the Mail: ‘SIS were running a senior Iraqi army officer who had a source of his own, a cab driver on the Iraqi-Jordanian border.‘He apparently overheard two Iraqi army officers two years before who had spoken about weapons with the range to hit targets elsewhere in the Middle East.’Mr Holloway’s report reveals: ‘In the SIS analysts’ footnote to their report, it flagged up that part of the report describing some missiles that the Iraqi government allegedly possessed was demonstrably untrue. The missiles verifiably did not exist.’The footnote said it in black and white. Despite this the report was treated as reliable and went on to become one of the central planks of the dodgy dossier.’

The report concludes: ‘We will never know who chose to ignore the footnote – it certainly was not SIS, whose footnote it was.‘It seems that someone, perhaps in Downing Street, found it rather inconvenient and ignored it lest it interfere with our reasons for going to war.’While officials drawing up the dossier knew that the taxi driver’s evidence was unreliable, they did not know he was a cabbie since they believed all the information was coming direct from the military officer.

That fact was not ascertained until after the war when MI6 did a wholesale audit of the pre-war intelligence failure.

An Iraqi colonel named al-Dabbagh, who commanded an air defence unit before the war, stepped forward in December 2003 to claim that he was the main source of the 45-minute claim.The colonel, whose unit was in the Western Desert, the same part of Iraq where the taxi driver plied his trade, claimed that before the conflict chemical warheads were delivered to front-line units – though they were never found after the invasion.It is possible that he was the main British agent who used information from the taxi driver to bolster his credentials with SIS.Mr Holloway’s allegations are borne out by the Butler Report on the pre-war intelligence, which details how ‘over four fifths’ of human intelligence used in the dodgy dossier ‘came from two main sources’.Lord Butler, who reported in July 2004, also records how several sub-sources were found to be unreliable after the war.The spy writer Nigel West, who has close contacts in SIS, told the Mail that Mr Holloway’s claims are ‘absolutely consistent’ with what he knows about the intelligence debacle. He said: ‘After the war when they looked at the sub-sources, they found that some didn’t exist, some denied ever saying what was attributed to them and others had simply supplied unreliable information.’

A whole wild salmon on sale for £3… so what’s the catch?

If someone offered you a wild salmon for £3, your immediate suspicion would be that it had been poached.Yet that is the astonishing price of a whole frozen fish at Asda as the supermarkets’ battle for Christmas customers gathers pace.The company says it has been able to achieve the record low price for the 2.6lb Alaskan pink salmon by dramatically cutting shipping costs which previously would have left customers paying £7 for the same product.

To put the price in perspective, the average price of a 1lb can of salmon was £1.75 in 1979 – meaning the £3 Asda fish costs less than the same weight in tinned salmon did 30 years ago. An Asda spokesman said: ‘It is the lowest-priced salmon on the market.

‘It is sustainably sourced from Alaska where the fish are caught in the wild and frozen immediately to ensure the best quality and flavour.’The spokesman said that the fish used to be shipped from Alaska via Seattle and the Netherlands, but this year the firm has found a way to miss out Seattle ‘which has cut the costs a lot’.He claimed that the fish would be enough to feed eight, making the cost of a portion less than 39p.The pink salmon is also known as the ‘humpback’ or ‘humpy’ because of the shape it develops before spawning. It grows to a maximum 4lb and 25in.

Tens of millions are netted from the Pacific seas around Alaska each year. Salmon is called the ‘bread and butter’ fish in many Alaskan coastal fishing communities because of its importance to the local economy.As well as being sold whole and frozen, Alaskan pink salmon is also tinned. Connoisseurs might be sniffy about the quality compared with the finest wild salmon from Scotland.But Asda insists it is trying to offer the best value it can, and points to the cost of whole fresh salmon on sale at other retailers.Last night a Sainsbury’s spokesman said: ‘We do not sell an equivalent product. We will be selling a whole Atlantic salmon from next week but cannot give the price yet.’ A Tesco spokesman was unable to give a price for an equivalent product. This is the latest salvo in the luxury food price war, with Lidl selling cooked lobsters for £4.99 and Woolworths offering champagne at £5 a bottle – before it went bust.

Scientists develop pill that could spell an end to straighteners after identifying ‘curly hair gene’

Scientists are to develop a treatment that could spell the end of hair straighteners after identifying the gene which is responsible for making hair curly.The groundbreaking research identified the trichohyalin gene as the one that is mainly responsible for creating curls.It is hoped that the breakthrough could lead to the development of a pill that would make hair straighter or curlier, rendering appliances such as hair straighteners and curling tongs redundant.

The researchers say the discovery will also make it possible to predict whether a baby will have straight or curly hair, while detectives will be able to use DNA to reveal how wavy a suspect’s locks are.Although the gene was already known to play some role in the development of hair follicles, scientists at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) have now found its role in making hair curly.Researchers at the laboratory analysed data collected from a study of 5,000 twins in Australia over a 30 year period.

Comparing maps of the twins’ genomes showed the same sorts of variations in the trichohyalin gene among those with curly hair and again among those with straight hair.Professor Nick Martin, who lead the research, says it is variations in this gene that determines straightness or curliness of hair.’We studied large amounts of information on a diverse range of traits,’ he said.’This gene has been known for well over twenty years as being involved in hair production and it’s a gene that sits in the sheath that’s around hair roots.’

He explained that a variation in this gene could create an amino acid change, which in turn influences the straightness or curliness of the hair.’Potentially we can now develop new treatments to make hair curlier or straighter, rather than treating the hair directly,’ he continued.’That is one angle we will be working on and which I will be discussing with a major cosmetic company in Paris in January.’Also, we could certainly predict whether it was more probable that a baby would have curly or straight hair. We plan to keep working on this to improve the prediction.’The most immediate application is likely to be in forensics. We might be able to refine identikit pictures from DNA samples left at a crime scene to say whether the suspect had straight or curly hair.’We can already predict their hair and eye and skin colour, so this would be another trait to refine the picture.’The study appears in the latest edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics.Past research has shown that 45 per cent of European people have straight hair, 40 per cent have wavy hair and 15 per cent have curly hair.Studies also show that the chance of inheriting curly hair is around 90 per cent.

Fox pictured taking escalator on London Underground

You’ve heard about foxes taking chickens… but here’s one who took the escalator.This animal displayed all of its characteristic cunning as he coolly explored the London Underground.The fantastic Mr Fox was spotted by amazed Kate Arkless Gray, 29, at midnight on Saturday as she returned home from a wedding.  She said: “As I got off the train and headed towards the up escalator I saw this daring creature dashing full speed down the down escalator, which was taped off for maintenance workers at the bottom.“I was wishing I’d been able to film it and then the workers at the bottom of the escalator shooed him back up again.“He paused near the top for a moment so I scrabbled around in my bag and took some pictures. We were all stunned.” After getting bored of being the centre of attention at Walthamstow Central station in North-East London, the fox casually made his way out.Kate, who lives in Walthamstow, said: “He calmly left under the ticket barrier and went towards the bus station exit. Maybe he was trying to catch the last bus home.”

Lady Gaga stuns locals by popping into pub for drink in fishnets and big knickers after bizarre X Factor show

Regulars spluttered into their pints in a pub in west London last night when a very unlikely customer popped in. Not many drinkers at the Castle, in North Acton, arrive in a matching white leotard, minidress and boots with ripped fishnet tights and sunglasses.But that’s precisely the outlandish outfit Lady GaGa was wearing after her performance on X Factor – and with her group of burly minders, she made quite an impression on the locals.

Lady Gaga heads to a pub in London’s North Acton to pick up some fish and chips – but made quite an impression on locals in her short dress and ripped tights

The sunglasses are still on as the singer sips her drink with a straw in the pub Onlookers said she was there to pick up fish and chips from the pub, which is part of the Fuller’s brewery chain. But for once Lady Gaga seemed almost shy and covered her face as she left The Castle with a minder. Bemused drinkers watched in amazement as she breezed in and out. It was the second time she visited a British drinking hole in almost as many days – she was spotted at lounging in a booth at a Blackpool on Friday between rehearsals for her upcoming performance for the Royal Variety show.

Most of the locals at The Castle pub were dressed more conservatively on a Sunday evening than Lady Gaga

The Castle pub in North Acton, where Gaga was drinking last night

Her latest pub visit came after a bizarre performance on The X Factor results show where she asked for a giant bathroom to be built onstage.The production team duly complied – with one condition. The singer was not allowed to centre her performance around the toilet.It was an understandable concern, given that at the last major performance by the eccentric U.S. star – at the MTV Awards in New York in September – she had hung from the ceiling covered in fake blood after pretending to stab herself while performing her hit Paparazzi.

The singer was also spotted at a pub in Blackpool on Friday while rehearsing her performance for the Royal Variety show

Eight minutes and 22 seconds
… the time it takes us to snap

From being kept on hold by call centres to waiting for a meal, impatient Britons last an average of just eight minutes and 22 seconds before they snap.Research out yesterday revealed that the internet had increased people’s expectations in the offline world.We have become so used to the speed and convenience of the internet that 70 per cent of us see red if forced to wait longer than a minute for a web page to download.

One in two Britons admit to reaching boiling point quicker than ever before.The top offender is being kept on hold, with the average Briton reaching a ‘point of impatience’ after just five minutes and four seconds – just two seconds less than they are prepared to wait for a kettle to boil.In today’s fast-food culture, restaurant rage kicks in after eight minutes and 38 seconds, while people meeting a friend should not be more than ten minutes late.

And tradesmen arriving more than ten min 43 seconds late will more than likely face an angry householder. When receiving a text or voicemail message, be warned that the clock is ticking.The average Brit expects a response within 13 minutes and 16 seconds.Mark Schmid, of telecom giant TalkTalk, which commissioned the research among 2,050 people, said: ‘The speed of the online world is making us less prepared to wait.’And with 37 per cent of people saying they have cancelled a service after being forced to wait, it poses some real problems for companies.’The research found that those brought up with the internet are much less patient than older folk, with a third of 18 to 24-year-olds expecting to wait only ten seconds for an internet page to load.

Women have a staggering 36 negative thoughts each day about their bodies… here are mine

Research has shown that the average woman has 36 negative thoughts about her body every day. To see if it was true, we asked writer LUCY CAVENDISH, who should feel good about herself having lost three stone in the past year, to keep a diary…

7am: The first thing I do when I wake up is sleepily feel my hips with my hands. For years I was fat and after four pregnancies I found it almost impossible to lose weight. Yet over the past year, I have lost more than three stone with WeightWatchers. But I find it hard to get used to the new me. Every night, I dream I have put the weight back on. I have nightmares about it, so every morning I have to check. Can I feel my hips? Or have I eaten 20 cream teas unwittingly in my sleep and piled it all back on? Oh God, how much would I love to eat a cream tea.

7.15am: I get up and wander to the bathroom. I catch sight of myself in the mirror. I haven’t eaten that cream tea, but God, when did I start to look so old? I stare at myself blearily. I have bags under my eyes and my skin looks saggy. I pull my skin back. This is how I looked in my 20s – taut and lean. Now, I look like a sack of potatoes. It’s all downhill from here, I think.

7.30am: I put on my usual country uniform of jeans (baggy, ancient) and jumper (moth-eaten). Scrag my hair up in to a tight bunch. Is my hair getting thinner? Start worrying about my age even more. 8am: The night before, I read an article about how having your teeth whitened can make you look years younger. Wonder if I should get it done.

8.20am: Take the kids to school. Try to hide in the car. Why does every other mother look amazing and I don’t? Most of them have make-up on. How on earth do they find the time to do that at this time in the morning? I barely have time, when getting four children out of the house, to brush my hair. In fact, it occurs to me I haven’t brushed my hair for ages. It is all sticking out all over the place. At the school gates, a particularly nice and attractive, young school mother stops to talk to me. I notice how white her teeth are. Has she had them done?

8.25am: Get back in the car and grimace at myself in the mirror. My teeth are nowhere near as white as hers. Decide then and there to get my teeth bleached. I don’t even care that my best friend Bridget told me it was horribly painful.

8.40am: Get home and brush hair. It is drizzling outside and my hair has gone like a bog brush – it is now out at wild angles. I try to tame it with some hair serum, but it looks as if I have stood under an oil slick.

8.45am: Man comes round to sort out my septic tank. I answer the door with the serum in my hair and he looks horrified. Trim older woman from next door walks past. How can anyone over 60 look that good?

9.15am: Look at all the clothes in my wardrobe. Sixty-plus lady was in jeans, shirt and a gilet. She looked effortlessly stylish. I try to find a shirt. I decide my boobs are too big to carry off a shirt. Why do I have such big boobs?

9.20am: Start wondering why I have such big thighs as well as boobs. Now I’m obsessively thinking about my size. What did I have for breakfast? Finished off the children’s cereals. Ate two slices of toast. Start panicking that I’m getting fat again.

10am: Go to my weekly yoga class. I don’t know why I do this. I am not at all bendy despite doing yoga once a week for the past year. I can’t decide whether or not to wear my tight yoga pants – I have a pang of ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ worry – or my looser ones.

10.30am: Am standing in ‘tree’ – well, my version of tree – watching the very thin and beautiful girl opposite me close her eyes while balancing on one leg.

10.45am: Fall out of my tree pose while trying not to look at myself in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the yoga studio that are relatively unavoidable. I think I must suffer from some sort of body dysmorphia. Every time I see myself in a mirror I think: ‘Who is that old, ugly, large woman?’

11.30am: Decide to look at the shops on my way back from yoga. Bad idea. Why do shops have such terrible lighting in them? Noon: The first shop I go into is a disaster. I take a skirt to the changing room and then have to see myself in the mirror. I look terrible. I run out of the shop and decide to avoid everyone. 1pm: Have a problem deciding what to eat for lunch. I should have a grilled-chicken salad, but what I really want is the packet of Minstrels that I hid in the back of the grocery cupboard yesterday. Minstrels. Salad. Minstrels. Salad. The chocolate is calling me. I give in.

1.30pm: Resist the temptation to weigh myself. I am convinced those Minstrels will have made me put on half a stone. Lie on bed, close eyes and will myself to stop feeling guilty about the chocolate-eating thing.

1.45pm: Remember I have to go to the physiotherapist. I took up running a year ago, but have had painful knees, hips and pretty much everything else since I started.

1.50pm: As I drive there, it occurs to me that I don’t like going to see the physio. He works out of a health club, which is full of preposterously fit and pretty yummy mummies. I am not one of them. It worries me.

1.55pm: I then also remember that the physio keeps telling me I am physically very ‘weak’, as he puts it. This makes me feel depressed and angry at the same time.

2pm: I get to the health club. It sends me off into a spiral of negativity. Who are these women with their neat figures and equally neat gym gear? How do they look so good?

2.10pm: Physio tells me that part of my problem is to do with the fact that I am ‘ageing’. Ageing? Of course I’m ageing. We’re all ageing.

2.11pm: I ask him what he means exactly. He goes into a long explanation of what happens to our gluteus maximus, or more specifically what’s happened to my gluteus maximus. ‘In short,’ he says, ‘your muscles are not strong enough and your bottom has drooped.’ I have a droopy bottom. It’s official.

3pm: Pull up outside the school gates worrying about my bottom. Start looking at all the other women’s bottoms. No one else’s seems to be that droopy.

3.15pm: Outside the school, I notice one woman who always looks amazing. She doesn’t work, but she is always immaculately dressed and made up. I resolve to sharpen up my act.

3.30pm: Get home and decide to count the calories I have eaten today in my head. This is probably not a great thing to do, but it is a habit that is hard to get out of.

3.45pm: Wonder if anyone else on the planet is calorie counting right now. It’s amazing how many supposedly ‘innocent’ foods have hidden calories in them. Soup, for example. I buy a tub of soup and then find out it’s stuffed full of cream and is high in calories and, more importantly, I can’t eat it.

4pm: A beauteous friend of mine brings her children over for tea. They are lovely and polite and scatter ‘pleases’ and ‘thankyous’ as if they are confetti at a wedding. My children are surly and sullen and intent on being rude to everyone. My friend is as nice as she can be about this. She looks effortlessly glamorous.

4.10pm: As I think about this, it reminds me of something important. It has always been this way for me. Even when I was a teenager and as skinny as a rake, I wasn’t cool. I never got the uniform right – I was either too punk or not punk enough.

4.15pm: I ask my friend how she does it. Why does her blonde hair just fall in skeins down her back, whereas my brown hair frizzes appallingly as soon as I even move? Don’t even ask me about going out in the rain.

4.30pm: Stand in front of the mirror, now my friend has gone, and take a good, long look at myself. Would I benefit from a facelift or maybe some Botox?

4.35pm: I ask my eldest son, 13, how old he thinks I look. He says 36. I obviously look relieved because then he says, in a worried tone: ‘Was that the right answer?’

5pm: Watch TV and realise with a stunning sense of increasing desperation that everyone is about half my age and they are all blonde. Maybe I should go blonde.

7.30pm: Finally collapse in front of the TV having put the children to bed. I resolve not to eat any more bread or chocolate today. I shall have a salad and maybe a glass of white wine. I feel exhausted.

7.35pm: It occurs to me that no one can look that good if they are constantly tired. Maybe sleep would help.

9pm: Wander upstairs to start my nightly beauty routine of cleansers and face creams. Stare at myself in the mirror. I do look tired, but tomorrow is another day. Maybe it will be a better one.

Todays WTF !!

Families who can’t get by on £100,000 a year

About 2.5million families enjoy a household income of nearly £100,000 – but do not consider themselves rich, a report has revealed.Despite their above-average pay packages, they complain of feeling broke and say they will need to earn more than £150,000 before they feel wealthy.The survey of 1,100 professionals by the specialist insurance firm Hiscox also reveals it is not just a hefty pay rise that would make them feel better.

Only other trophies, such as a second home, a work of art or a luxury car, would make them feel they are genuinely wealthy.Despite their complaints, a quarter enjoy at least two foreign holidays a year and have at least £25,000 in savings.The survey asked professionals what income level would make them feel rich. On average, they said they would need a household income of £152,865, compared to their average household income of £93,000 at the moment.

Household income is either the salary of the only breadwinner in a family, or two salaries if both parents work.The findings may surprise the majority of families in Britain who are getting by on the national average household income of about £35,000.Income desires varied across the country. The most modest was from professionals in the South West, who said they would need £128,912 to feel really comfortable.Those living in the North-East wanted the most, saying they would need £178,238 to feel rich.

Around a third said they would also need to own more than one property to feel rich.Others said they would not feel rich unless they had paid off their mortgage, bought a Ferrari or had more than £20,000 a year in disposable income.But the report also revealed that the ‘working wealthy’ are also feeling the pinch and making cutbacks.Many said they have slashed their spending on socialising, restaurants and holidays.Steve Langan, managing director of Hiscox UK, said: ‘Many of the working wealthy have suffered a crisis of confidence and have scaled back their spending and exposure to risk.Despite their desires for a big pay rise, the working wealthy say that money is not everything.Nearly 70 per cent told researchers it was very important to be happy with what they have, citing family, health and well-being and new life experiences as top priorities.

Gambler who lost £77m sues Las Vegas casino

After losing £77million in one year, you would have thought gambler Terrance Watanabe would have steered well clear of long shots…But he has now decided to take on Las Vegas casinos in a court case he is unlikely to win.The 52-year-old billionaire is claiming he was allowed to play while drunk and out of control, in violation of gaming rules. However, his lawsuit, announced yesterday, comes as he faces criminal charges for allegedly failing to honour 30 IOU markers for amounts ranging from £120,000 to £550,000. Hopeless Watanabe’s losses were so legendary he became a tourist attraction at the blackjack table in Caesars Palace. He spent so much during his run of bad luck his losses once accounted for 5% of the US city’s total revenue. At his lowest point, Watanabe lost more than £3million in 24 hours – and during 2007, while living permanently at the Caesars Palace hotel, he spent £504million.

One Las Vegas casino regular said: “People would go just to watch. There are a lot of things that make you cringe in Vegas – but I’ve never seen anything like that.”Watanabe would place bets on games with some of the worst odds in the house – roulette and multi-line slot machines. At blackjack, he would play three hands at a time – each with a £30,000 limit.Kristian Kunder, one of Watanabe’s personal handlers at Caesars Palace, said: “He made such bad decisions.” Watanabe, of Omaha, Nebraska, is accused of intent to defraud Harrah’s, the firm that owns Caesars and the Rio, over the IOUs. He allegedly owes almost £9million and could face 16 years in prison if convicted.But Watanabe’s former attorney, David Chesnoff, has said casino staff will testify that he was regularly drunk – and should therefore have been barred from betting.Jan Jones of Harrah’s said: “Mr Watanabe is a criminal defendant who faces imprisonment. All of his statements need to be seen in that light. We will not get into a public debate with a criminal defendant trying to avoid imprisonment.”Watanabe sold his stake in the Oriental Trading Company 10 years ago. The firm, a wholesaler of toys and party gear, grew from a shop opened by father Harry in 1932.

Now Sarah Jessica Parker encounters Hugh Grant’s wandering hands at premiere

His over-familiar ways left a blonde comedienne cringing when he pulled her in for a hug on a German TV show.But it seems Hugh Grant has yet to learn his lesson.Sarah Jessica Parker is the latest beauty to be the object of his attentions, after he placed a friendly hand upon her behind as they posed together on the red carpet.

Lovely to meet you: Hugh Grant gets close to co-star Sarah Jessica Parker at the London premiere of Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Luckily for bachelor Hugh, Sarah was left unperturbed by the incident, which came at the London premiere of their new movie Did You Hear About the Morgans?The actress seemed more concerned about her bright pink strapless dress.As SJP rearranged the dress, pulling it up, she nearly exposed herself to the photographers.She was then pictured smoothing the back of the dress.

Grant, who is nearing 50, was accompanied by his close friend and former girlfriend Liz Hurley, who like SJP wore a pink minidress.The new film sees Grant reunited with SJP for the first time since they starred in 1996 movie Extreme Measures.

The actors play a couple on the verge of divorce, who are forced into setting up a new life after they witness a murder and a contract is put on their lives.They move from the hustle and bustle of New York, to the relative calm and tranquility of a small town in Wyoming.SJP, 44, is currently dividing her time between caring for her newly-born surrogate twins and filming scenes for the second Sex And The City movie.

SJP arrived wearing a long black coat, but removed it to pose

But she managed to fit in the trip to London on top of her commitments. SJP recently expressed regrets about her huge workload. She said: ‘It’s been very different than when James (her son) arrived, since our family expanded in an untraditional way. We didn’t plan on having two, but were doubly blessed, and it’s been just wonderful.

Is it still there? SJP checks her dress is behaving

‘One would prefer to be held 24 hours a day, and the other is already suffering from type A issues.’It’s been amazing but complicated because of my current work schedule, which I have enormous regrets about.’

Stealing the limelight? Grant’s ex-girlfriend Liz Hurley also wore a pink minidress

Susan Boyle marks her rise to fame by performing with Elaine Paige

As if a hit album and worldwide adoration weren’t enough – Susan Boyle has achieved her dream of singing with her musical idol.The Scottish singer, 48, looked overcome with joy as she teamed up with Elaine Paige to sing the latter’s hit duet I Know Him So Well.The pairing was kept secret from Miss Boyle until shortly before the performance, which was for a TV special that charts her rise to fame this year.

She dreamed a dream: Susan Boyle with her idol Elaine Paige in the ITV special I Dreamed A Dream: The Susan Boyle Story

Afterwards, the Britain’s Got Talent winner said: ‘I never thought I would see myself standing on the same stage with such an icon from West End theatre, let alone singing with her as an equal.’

Miss Boyle has sold three million copies of her debut album worldwide and could top 4.5million in the next week.

How far she’s come: Susan Boyle in April, left, at her Britain’s Got Talent audition, and yesterday, right, looking polished on her TV special

Emotional: With the programme host Piers Morgan and the cast of Les Mis

The TV special, called I Dreamed A Dream: The Susan Boyle Story, is likely to cement the album in the No.1 slot for the Christmas chart.It will be broadcast on Sunday night after The X Factor final.

Susan’s album looks set to top the seasonal charts

Big moment: Piers will present Susan with a gold disc during the show

Feeling a little ropey, Robbie? Williams looks distinctly unwell as he leaves radio show

He has been on a non-stop mission in recent months to restart his career.Judging by this picture, it’s time Robbie Williams took a break.The singer’s haggard appearance shocked fans outside the BBC radio theatre in Central London yesterday morning.

Robbie Williams signs autographs yesterday outside the BBC radio theatre in London

Williams, 35, looked distinctly unwell as he signed autographs after a live concert broadcast on Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 show.Despite the presence of his long-term girlfriend Ayda Field close by, Mr Williams – who has battled depression and drug addiction in the past – had a worryingly sick demeanour.

Robbie performed live for BBC Radio 2 at broadcasting House

One onlooker said: ‘Robbie didn’t appear well at all. He was almost green as he signed autographs. It really was most concerning.’Two months ago, Williams caused similar concern after a tense comeback appearance on The X Factor, following his spell in rehab for an addiction to prescription drugs.The singer’s appearance on the night, wide-eyed and sweating, left many of the 13 million viewers wondering if he was quite ready for the challenge.Nevertheless, it emerged earlier this week that Mr Williams had decided to return for another appearance on the X Factor this weekend.

He will perform with X Factor finalist Olly Murs on the show on Saturday night.Yesterday, he told the audience: ‘I’ll be spending Christmas in LA – with turkey, with the missus, with the sunshine, with my dad, with the poker, with the quizzes and with the weight as everyone puts on a bit of weight at Christmas.’Mr Williams also insisted he was not engaged to actress Ms Field, saying it was just a joke.He had apparently proposed to 30-year-old Ms Field during a radio interview in Australia last month – but then denied it afterwards.Explaining why even his mother Jan then apparently confirmed the engagement on BBC Radio 5 Live afterwards, Mr Williams said: ‘My mum wants grandchildren – she was just speeding up the process.’

Tomorrow I’ll be one of six speakers at The Sheltered Housing UK Rally and National Petition hand-in on 7 December. Whilst I’d normally ‘blog’ here I thought you might instead be interested in what I’m saying tomorrow!

“First of all, an enormous thank you to all for being here today. The message to the government and to local authorities across the country could not be clearer – to those authorities who have removed wardens already, we will continue to fight your decision every step of the way, to those authorities debating, discussing or even considering warden removal, get ready for one hell of a fight.

I had the pleasure last week of meeting with a group of local residents that still currently enjoy a permanent warden. Their situation though is under review and it is likely that their permanent warden will soon be a thing of the past.

They explained to me some of the ways that replacing a permanent warden with a floating warden would impact on their lives.

From the most serious issue of a resident falling and unable to contact anyone through to the seemingly mundane issue of who organises the rota of the spare accommodation on site, removing a permanent warden will have such a major impact on residents quality of life that it staggers me how any elected official with the shred of a conscience could willingly make this decision.

A society is judged by the way that it treats the most vulnerable in that society – the situation that we find ourselves in is a disgrace and we must fight it at all costs!”

Guido is a bit put out that Kevin Maguire has got an invite to Sarah Brown’s Downing Tweet Christmas Party. Why does he get to go and not Westminster’s most influential tweeter? Guido was looking forward to mingling with the cream of the Twitterati on the Number 10 mulled wine, so he called his old friend Konrad Caulkett, Sarah Brown’s SpAd, to chase up his invitation.

Guido Fawkes : I see Sarah’s having a Tweet-Up tomorrow and Kevin Maguire is there so obviously media are invited.  Could you sort out an invitation for me?
Konrad Caulkett : Sorry, who is it?
GF : Guido Fawkes
KC : I don’t think so…
GF : Why not?
KC : You know why.
GF : No I don’t, why [duhhhh  phone goes dead]

Co-conspirators will remember* that Konrad got his former employers, the Smith Institute, into a bit of bother for organising partisan events at the taxpayers’ expense in Downing Street.  Is it wise of him to go here again?

*Comrade Konrad, the Sith Apprentice, Sarah Who?

I had the privilege of being taken out by Oli from smallcarBIGCITY last week for a tour in one of their mini coopers. It is a tour company set up this year by three young graduates who do tours of London in the original mini coopers.

My tour mini

I was given the Royal Tour which lasted approximately 30minutes (traffic permitting). This included such sights as Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and Downing Street. Oli was a very knowledgeable guide, describing all the usual things as well as throwing in a few never heard before anecdotes. He certainly knew his stuff and was most affable.

If you love minis (which are quintisentially British) then this could be the tour for you. They will pick you up from your hotel and drop you off where you wish. There are about 7 different tours to choose from but they will also tailor to your interests – with prices starting at £54 for the mini.

They also do a tour of two cities. First you get a tour of London and then they drop you off at St Pancras where you catch the Eurostar to Paris. When you arrive you are met by a guide who drives Citroen 2CVs and then taken on a tour of Paris. So if you want a flying visit to both of these great cities this could be the one for you.

Sad or ironic?

World Aids Day: A time to remember the lost and for the world to take action to ensure a preventable disease ravaging many developing countries doesn’t blight future generations.

I started working on HIV and Aids with the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in South Africa in 2005. The country was in the midst of a health disaster – rates of new infections were soaring, treatment wasn’t reaching those in need and the South African government had taken dangerous steps by entertaining denialists and publicly recommending garlic and olive oil in place of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).

World Aids Day in 2005 went by in a flurry, with Zackie Achmat – TAC’s then Chairperson and a founding member– declaring staff to continue working on as usual as ‘every day is World Aids Day here’.  There was much to do, and Zackie’s drive helped to push forward a major treatment material, ‘ARVs In Our Lives’.

Things look very different in 2009. I was buoyed with news reaching me in London of South Africa’s current President, Jacob Zuma, showing real leadership in his country’s fight against HIV and Aids, declaring he’ll take a HIV test and commit to providing all HIV-positive children under a year with anti-retroviral drugs. His words signal an end to denialism and a new start for South Africa.

And so I proudly wore my TAC t-shirt today to Number 10, where Gordon and Sarah Brown attended a special performance from the African Children’s Choir to mark the day. The Prime Minister reiterated his words from his official address and with 5 million people still seeking treatment, he provided words of determination in tackling the fight still ahead.

The UK government is the second biggest bilateral Aids donor, and is looking to secure this position by legally committing to 0.7% spending on international aid. I hope this commitment materialises and call on all to back the campaign to secure this so the UK’s sterling work to ensure HIV and Aids becomes history can continue with force.

Serena O’Sullivan

The African Children’s Choir today made a stop off at Number 10 today to mark World AIDS Day…and were really really cool!! You can hear them by visiting http://africanchildrenschoir.com/

The event was hosted by Gordon Brown & Glenys Kinnock. Please have a look at the PM’s message for World AIDS Day below.

“Over the last ten years, we have invested nearly three million pounds in targeted domestic prevention work and Britain has some of the best treatment and care services in the world.

“But there is no room for complacency. More than a quarter of people with HIV don’t know they have it because they haven’t been tested. And people living with HIV still often face prejudice.”

More from The Telegraph UK.

By Gordon Rayner and James Kirkup

…The inquiry was set up by Gordon Brown in response to overwhelming public demand for an independent investigation into the reasons for going to war. It will be the first such inquiry to be streamed live over the internet to bring it to the widest possible audience.

Sir John, a retired civil servant, is sitting with Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Professor Sir Martin Gilbert, Sir Roderic Lyne and Baroness Usha Prashar, who will act as the sole inquisitors during the hearings. There will be no questions from any legal representatives for the witnesses.

________________________________________________________

How do we get an inquiry on this side of the pond?  That’s crazy talk, you can’t go around having inquiries as to why thousands of people were killed looking for non-existant weapons.  And then there was always that memo…

Downing Street Memo

SECRET AND STRICTLY PERSONAL - UK EYES ONLY

 

DAVID MANNING
From: Matthew Rycroft
Date: 23 July 2002
S 195 /02 

cc: Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Attorney-General, Sir Richard Wilson, John Scarlett, Francis Richards, CDS, C, Jonathan Powell, Sally Morgan, Alastair Campbell 

IRAQ: PRIME MINISTER’S MEETING, 23 JULY 

Copy addressees and you met the Prime Minister on 23 July to discuss Iraq. 

This record is extremely sensitive. No further copies should be made. It should be shown only to those with a genuine need to know its contents. 

John Scarlett summarised the intelligence and latest JIC assessment. Saddam’s regime was tough and based on extreme fear. The only way to overthrow it was likely to be by massive military action. Saddam was worried and expected an attack, probably by air and land, but he was not convinced that it would be immediate or overwhelming. His regime expected their neighbours to line up with the US. Saddam knew that regular army morale was poor. Real support for Saddam among the public was probably narrowly based. 

C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime’s record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action. (Emphasis added)

___________________________________________________________

Intel and facts being arranged so that we could say that Iraq was a threat, yep, nothing weird there.

On Social Enterprise Day (19 November) Charlotte Hollins from Fordhall Community Land Initiative was invited to No. 10 Downing Street… 

 

Yes that’s right, Shropshire farmers have been invited to Downing Street! Now, it’s not often that happens…

Gordon Brown organised a lovely reception at No. 10 last week to celebrate National Social Enterprise Day and as a Flagship Social Enterprise (and if you don’t know, that is a business which does NOT work for ‘private profit’ but reinvests its profit for environmental or social benefit) for the West Midlands the FCLI (Fordhall Farm Community Land Initiative) was invited.

So off I went, into the big city of London. There were almost 200 other social enterprises squeezed into the main reception room and the fantastic food was also supplied by a Social Enterprise.

The PM said: “Whatever job an individual is doing for whatever social enterprise in the country, you are doing something very much bigger than simply the task that you are carrying out. You are actually making our country a better, fairer and more successful country.

“You are building communities in this country that, without your help, would not be strong at all. You are making a younger generation see the importance of community solidarity and people working together for the common good.”

It was a great honour to be invited to Downing Street. Whatever your political view, everyone in the room felt as though they were being truly thanked for the work that they do It was a very interesting day, as we even got to have a little nosey around the house! It was a real celebration for Social Enterprise and has inspired me to work even harder. Role on 2010.

Charlotte Hollins

Early on a Tuesday morning I was flicking between BBC News and Sky News awaiting Gordon Brown to pop up on the television as he was scheduled to give a press conference at Downing Street that very morning. It was to be a crucial occasion as Mr. Brown who only on Monday afternoon had been criticized by Jacqui Janes, the mother of a soldier, Jamie Janes, killed in Helmand five weeks ago, for sending her a condolence letter misspelling her name and apparently littered with numerous other spelling mistakes.

It was yet another unfortunate test for the Labour party, as the nation has been witnessing all too frequently these past few months, and the PM was being scrutinized not only by his public, but his circling political opponents also. This latest story, I thought, could potentially be another knock to the Brown administration, especially with the widespread criticism the PM has already had to answer to. 

Before the conference I began recalling the previous evening’s news concerning Mrs. Janes. After the fallible letter, the mother of the fallen soldier had been further enraged and unimpressed during a subsequent phone conversation she had recorded between herself and the PM (published by The Sun also) where the PM seemingly refused to admit that he had made any errors in his letter – but did however accept and apoligise, that his handwriting was difficult to read and expressed his commiseration for her loss. But according to the news broadcast, she was still unconvinced.

Gordon Brown’s speech therefore was eagerly awaited not only by myself but many journalists sitting expectantly in the oak paneled hall perhaps expecting to see a familiarly constrained PM, vague in his responses to criticisms. But this was not to be the case. Out came Mr. Brown and he began with extraordinary compassion. Beginning his answers to many questions, many of which unsurprisingly surrounded this latest ordeal, Gordon Brown was sincere and patient. He took many questions, and handled them all extremely well; he alluded to the loss of his daughter and admitted to being “shy” and appeared to redeem himself not only in the media’s eye (many of the shrewdest journalists offered their appreciation before they quizzed him) but also to Mrs. Janes who said “Today he looked sincere. He looked humbled”.

The questions then were directed towards the NATO-led war efforts in Afghanistan, where Gordon Brown shared with us a detailed explanation, one which he emphasized was his duty to regularly offer, of the aims, successes and losses of the war, and a strategical plan for the next year.

The war itself is a hotly debated subject; Queen Mary’s Stop the War Coalition, supported by the Student Union and the Amnesty International Society understandably demand that all troops are brought back home, as do many other activists and faith groups. But we must recognize that there have been reports which have suggested that there are a proportion of the global public, including Afghan citizens who have admitted their wish to live in a politically cleaned-up society – free from Taliban presence – whether war was the way to have gone is an another, albeit important question however.

In light of this I do think the PM in the vey least did us all service by being honest and enlightening us on how he plans to salvage what has been an infinitely costly war (as all wars effectively are), with the death toll of soldiers rising continuously – a very grim fact indeed.

But although the critics may have been quietened for now, there is still much to do if we are to find a flower of hope in this bleak field of gloom and decide if we want our soldiers, amongst the soldiers from all of the 43 nations participating, to be brought back home immediately, or finish what was started, by helping to establish a peaceful, non-threatening state? However if this is to be successful, and the lives of the hundreds who have died not to have been in vain, then this will have to be done with the help of the controversial President Karzai as well.

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Protect Christians From Working Sundays.”

Current legislation does not protect Christians from having to work on Sunday so please sign this petition on the Downing Street website.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11

La semana pasada adelanté, con bombos y platillos, la realización del Zombie Mob en Londres. El movimiento Vote for change, coordinador de este flash mob, lanzó una convocatoria abierta a toda la gente para conformar un simpático ejército de zombies en un afán por expresar su malestar ante el actual el sistema político británico. Cuando leí las bases y lo contrasté con otras dinámicas generadas por Vote for a change, en realidad creí que sería una bomba. No fue así. Les dejo el (pobre) video que documenta la tibia respuesta, muy a pesar del entusiasmo de los presentes.

The following are the scripts of the (Daw) Aung San Suu Kyi’s dictum used for the video, Aung San Suu Kyi (On the road to Mandalay).

Aung San Suu Kyi on “A peaceful settlement”

We do not want revenge, we do not think there is anything particularly honourable or admirable about seeking revenge, we want to find a peaceful settlement …we remain committed to dialogue. It may be difficult to get there, but we’re determined to get that. And we’re absolutely confident that we shall get that.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Why junta should do the Dialogue”

They (junta) should think of exchange of views and dialogue as an honourable and dignified way of bringing about change. Sometimes I think that this regime thinks that if they accept idea of dialogue with the opposition of negotiations they will be losing face, that this would be a disgraceful road to take. In fact, (it is) not.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “NLD’s stands on a Dialogue”

We (NLD) have done everything we can to try to bring about a dialogue that will help us find solutions to the problems of our country. It is the military regime that is opposed to dialogue. We would like the world to look clearly at what is happening and to see where the inflexibility really lies. The National League for Democracy represents the people of Burma and their desire for a fair, just, democratic government.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Dialogue”

If they (junta) really want dialogue they would be ready at any time. As long as they don’t want dialogue they will come up with some excuse and this is just one of the many. Aung San Suu Kyi on “”There has to be a revolution of the spirit”

Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration. It is not enough merely to call for freedom, democracy and human rights. There has to be a united determination to persevere in the struggle, to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influences of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Hope for the Best and Prepare for the worst”

“Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Dream & Hope”

There is a difference between having hope and dreaming. It is not wrong to have hope but you have to work towards achieving that hope. Just sitting down and dreaming will not do. Have one vision and struggle to achieve it. Our vision is that we will have genuine and a full measure of democracy and the full measure of human rights for which we will struggle on. A fantasy world is not what we want and that is not what we are building.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “The results of the 1990 parliamentary elections”

The junta continues to frustrate the will of the people by refusing to honour the results of the 1990 parliamentary elections, which the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide (obtaining 392 of the 485 parliamentary seats).

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Instability can spread”

Please do not forget that instability in one part of the world could spread very rapidly these days.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Good governance”

At this time we would like our friends from all over the world to support us firmly. Everything that is done with regard to Burma should be done with a view to helping us to achieve good governance. Good governance means transparency, accountability, and respect for the people. Good governance means democratic government.

Aung San Suu Kyi said “There is no way that we can resolve our economic problems without a political situation”

“In this day and age we cannot isolate any country. We cannot say that we are not going to interfere in the internal affairs of a country because it’s got nothing to do with us. It has something to do with everybody. Those who claim that they will not interfere in the internal affairs of Burma do not hesitate to be involved economically in Burma. As long as they are involved economically, how can they say that they are not interfering in the internal affairs of our country ? If they are prepared to engage economically with our country, then they must also be prepared to do what they can to help us resolve our political problems. There is no way that we can resolve our economic problems without a political situation.”

Aung San Suu Kyi on “People all over the world need to be informed”

“People all over the world need to be alerted to what is happening in Burma…unless they are informed of what is going on it will be difficult for them to voice their support for what we are doing. I think keeping lines of communications open is very, very important.”

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Burma & Peoples of the World”

The case for Burma is not just for one country. It is the case for all those who are suffering under authoritarian regimes. The sufferings of our people are the sufferings of all those whose human dignity is not protected by the law. I hope that in arguing the case for Burma, I shall be arguing the case for all peoples in the world who are suffering from the violation of human rights.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Right to shape our own destiny”

The people bravely expressed their will in 1990, but still their will has not been recognized. The people of Burma want something very simple. They want the opportunity to be able to shape their own lives. When we fought for independence from the British before 1947, the Burmese people asked for the right to shape their own destiny. Now that we are fighting for democracy, we are asking for the same thing. We are asking for the right to shape our own destiny.

Aung San Suu Kyi On “Younger Generation of BURMA”

I would especially like to see our younger people stride confidently into the future, their richness of spirit soaring to meet all challenges. I would like to be able to say: “This is a nation worthy of all those who loved it and lived and died for it–that we might be proud of our heritage.”

Aung San Suu Kyi on “We are in need of support to speed up democratisation process”

In the name of peace, in the name of human rights and in the name of common decency we would like to call upon all our allies to give us the strongest support at this time when we are in need of support to speed up the process of democratisation.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “We shall achieve democracy”

We are confident that the time is not long before democracy comes to Burma. We are confident that we shall achieve democracy primarily because of the strong desire of the people of Burma for democracy. However, we do not in any way, underestimate the importance of the help of our allies all over the world.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Global Village”

This military regime understands, like all governments in all countries understand today, that no country can remain separate from the rest of the world.

Aung San Suu Kyi on “Freedom From Fear”

Want and fear go together where there are no human rights and where there is no justice. We would like justice, human rights, and peace to spread all over the world, so that everywhere might live free from fear and from want.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s View on “lives under the military regime”

Want and fear are two of the greatest enemies we have to contend with from day to day. In the country like Burma, where we have been crushed under a military regime for many, many years, want and fear stalk us all the time.

Aung San Suu Kyi On “The Support Of People From All Over The World”

Our movement has been helped greatly by the support of people all over the world who understand our need for basic human rights. We are extremely grateful to those who have given us support. And we are fully confident that with this support we will be able to make Burma the kind of country that will be of benefit to its people and to the rest of the world.

We would like to call for international community to help us practically and realistically. Please support our movement for democracy and freedom with the collective actions focused on peaceful transition of transfer of power to legitimate leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

If the regime truly wanted to see national reconciliation in Burma, they must release all political prisoners and come to discussion table and do genuine dialogue with 1990 Elections wining party NLD led by peoples leader. We are defending the human-rights and democracy with non-violent way and we have been paying the price very dearly.

Burma is not only Burmese people crisis but also international crisis as everyone is bond in humanity. If we cannot eliminate military dictatorship in Burma today, there will be possibility of another dictator emerging from another corner of the world in the future. It could spread like the virus and the world will be at risk of prevailing injustice and aggressors. We have to stop it sensibly and it is our duty to do the right thing.

United Nations Security Council must take serious precedence action on Burma, especially United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moons more personal engagement. We must have United Nations Security Councils binding resolution on Burma in order to take action on Burma.

Burma crisis has been happening for nearly half the century and it has been a forgotten crisis. We must have more vigorous and bolder intervention of United Nations role in Burma more than ever. Military government is trying everything they can to entrench military dictatorship in Burma and the question is what will UN do, given that people of Burma expressed their will already overwhelmingly by voting for Aung San Suu Kyi as their leader in 1990 elections.

United Nations got the obligation to implement the result of 1990 election accordingly. This is totally unacceptable that elections were held and without honouring them. We should not let it happen not only in Burma but also in the world at large. Knowing that United Nations organisation is standing to promote peace, security, social justice, human rights protection, good governance, and the democratic process and we are very encouraged about that.

We wanted to see more actions rather than words.

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) is the global campaigning and lobbying organisation to restore democracy, human rights and rule of law in Burma where everyone can enjoy freedom of speech, press, beliefs, assembly and rule of law that emphasizes the protection of individual rights.

For more information please visit

1. http://www.bdcburma.org
2. http://bdc-burma.blogspot.com/
3. http://www.gcast.com/u/bdcburma/main
4. http://www.youtube.com/user/bdcburma
5. http://birmanie-dmocratique-concern.b… (French)
6. http://birma-demokratischen-konzern.b…(German)
7. http://bdcburma.wordpress.com
8. http://russiasupports-burmademocracy….(Russian)
9. http://burmademokratiskbekymring.blog…(Norwegian)
10. http://birmaniademocraticaconsidera.b…(Spanish)
11. http://burmademocraticconcern.blogspo… (Hindi/ India)
12. http://birmnia-democrtica-preocupao.b…(Portuguese)
13. http://birmania-democratica-preoccupa… (Italian)
14. http://bdcburmadeutsch.wordpress.com/ (Dutch)
15. http://burmademokratiskbetydelse.blog…(Swedish)
16. http://bdcburma-japanese.blogspot.com/(Japanese)
17. http://buffalohair.wordpress.com/ (News and Entertainment Portal)
18. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdcburma/
19. http://www.pheonixradio.net/listen.html

This is a Diary of my day at the bring the troop’s home protest in London, arranged by the Stop the War Coalition and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The protest started in Hyde Park and moved down to Trafalgar Square, and later on to Downing street.

Saturday 24th October 2009

10.00 am – Left my house and meet my friend on the train.

11.00 – Got to Hyde Park and start to look at the stalls there, having a chance to talk to them and see why different people are there.

12.00 – lots of people now, up to around 2000. The King Blues set up their portable PA system and start to play.

12.15 – we move over to the start of the rally and line up with everyone else ready for the march.

1.00 – The march gets going. By this time there is up to 5000 (according to BBC) of us on the streets and we start our walk towards Trafalgar.

2.30 – Get to the square. When everyone got there speakers took the stage. Some very moving speeches, including Tony Been, different MP’s, Lance Cpl Joe Glenton (Currently facing court martial for refusing to go back to Afghanistan) and family members of troops who have died due to the war.

4.15 – After the talks and a final song and poem from the King Blues we are invited to walk down to downing street where a petition with 3000 names on will be given to Mr Brown. Around 300 of us walk down and after some chanting and being moved to the other side the road they let someone in to deliver the petition to the front door.

Below are a selection of my pics of the day. Click on them and have a look, all comments always welcome at the bottom of the page.

Sites

http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

http://www.cnduk.org/

Il primo ministro inglese renderà nota la proposta finanziaria offerta ai leaders di governo nordirlandesi

Il primo ministro britannico sta per pubblicare la proposta finanziaria per il trasferimento di poteri in materia di polizia e giustizia a Stormont.
Ciò fa seguito ai colloqui di ieri tenutisi a Downing Street.
Il piano finanziario, che dovrebbe aggirarsi intorno a  800 milioni di sterline, è stato da subito accettato dal Sinn Fein, mentre Peter Robinson non si esprimerà in merito fino a quando non sarà sicuro della piena fiducia degli unionisti e soprattutto fino a quando Gordon Brown non avrà fornito una risposta ad un paio di questioni tutt’ora in sospeso.

Traduci l’articolo…

PM to publish justice budget (NewsLetter)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to publish the budget for the devolution of policing and justice.
The move follows talks with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on Tuesday night.
First Minister Peter Robinson has said he will discuss the budget with his political colleagues.
He said he hoped Mr Brown would clarify two outstanding issues relating to the finances.
Last week, Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness briefed other parties on outline proposals for the transfer.
Sinn Fein has accepted the financial settlement, believed to be about £800m, but the DUP is insisting on further clarification on some aspects of the package.

Nei prossimi giorni colloqui sulla devolution dei poteri di polizia e giustizia tra i leaders nordirlandesi e i governi irlandese e britannico

Martin McGuinness, vice primo ministro dell’Irlanda del Nord, incontrerà a breve i rappresentanti dei governi irlandese e britannico, con l’intento di accorciare i tempi che porteranno al trasferimento dei poteri in materia di polizia e giustizia all’Irlanda del Nord.
Il numero due del Sinn Fein terrà prima i colloqui a Dublino con il ministro degli esteri Michael Martin, per poi recarsi a Downing Street per incontrare Gordon Brown.
Il DUP continua a sostenere di non voler giungere ad una decisione sulla proposta avanzata dal primo ministro inglese, finchè non otterrà la piena fiducia unionista.
Intanto Gerry Adams riferirà martedi a Swansea, alla Parliamentary Assembly irlandese e britannica.
Sosterrà che “La visione Sinn Fein di una nuova Irlanda è di un’Irlanda condivisa, un’Irlanda integrata, un’Irlanda in cui gli unionisti hanno pari proprietà, un’Irlanda in cui ci sarà il rispetto della diversità culturali e un luogo in cui ci sia uguaglianza politica, sociale, economica e culturale “.
“Non vi è alcuna volontà da parte dei repubblicani irlandesi di conquistare o umiliare gli unionisti. Non ci può essere posto per la vendetta nel pensiero o nel vocabolario del repubblicanesimo irlandese.”
Dirà al confine con la Repubblica d’Irlanda è più che solo un inconveniente.
“La realtà è che l’economia del Nord è troppo piccola per esistere in isolamento. Le economie delle due parti dell’isola sono interconnesse e interdipendenti. La fornitura di servizi pubblici è limitata e inefficiente”.

Traduci l’articolo…

Talks on devolution of policing and justice (U TV)
More talks held on the devolution of policing powers to Stormont.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is to meet the Irish and British governments to try to speed up the process.
Mr McGuinness wants responsibilities to be passed from London to Belfast as soon as possible.
He and power-sharing partners, the Democratic Unionist Party, have received a financial offer from Prime Minister Gordon Brown to kick-start the process.
Mr McGuinness will hold talks with Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin before meeting Mr Brown in Downing Street.
The DUP wants to ensure there is sufficient unionist confidence before giving the go-ahead.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams will address the British/Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Swansea on Tuesday.
“Sinn Fein’s vision of a new Ireland is of a shared Ireland, an integrated Ireland, an Ireland in which unionists have equal ownership, an Ireland in which there will be respect for cultural diversity and a place in which there is political, social, economic and cultural equality,” he will say.
“There is no desire on the part of Irish republicans to conquer or humiliate unionists. There can be no place for revenge in the thinking or vocabulary of Irish republicanism.”
He will say the border with the Irish Republic is more than just an inconvenience.
“The reality is that the economy of the North is too small to exist in isolation. The economies of both parts of the island are interlinked and interdependent. The delivery of public services is restricted and inefficient.”

Why don’t they:

Keep spare buff folders behind the door of 10 Downing Street to avoid the fiasco of Ministers and visitors leaving with top secret papers tucked under their arm and landing into the zoom lenses of the press?

Advise MP’s: “this job comes with a good salary and like 99% of the population you have to pay for a flat near the job or you can travel to work each day like those 99%”

Remember that Free Speech is a right, no matter how it offends. Its only a physical assault that used to get you arrested and the system kind of worked.

Bring back water fountains in high streets to break the nonsense that is the bottled water industry.

Wonder why Simon Cowell is the ego maniac he is and come to the conclusion that its because he doesn’t have children and hold it up as a warning for all middle-aged men: this is what can happen to you if you continue calling women “chicks”; not being able to distinguish giving feedback from humiliating someone; believing your own publicity. Beware – have children! This will help you from becoming “Cowelled” when you reach your 40s.

I partiti dell’Ulster si uniranno oggi a Stormont per discutere del trasferimento dei poteri in materia di polizia e giustizia

Peter Robinson e Martin McGuinness si riuniscono oggi a Stormont insieme ai rappresentanti dell’Ulster Unionist Party, SDLP e Alliance Party per discutere del decentramento dei poteri.
I colloqui odierni seguiranno quelli a Downing Street dove Gordon Brown  ha cercato di venire incontro alle richieste avanzate da Peter Robinson.
Il DUP ha recentemente dichiarato di voler contare sul sostegno dell’UUP prima di procedere.
In risposta alle speculazioni apparse sulla stampa in relazione alla pubblicazione della proposta stilata dal Primo Ministro inglese, Peter Robinson ha dichiarato: “Gradirei la pubblicazione della proposta del Primo Ministro per informare l’opinione pubblica su questa importante questione”.
“Credo anche che sarebbe più utile se la proposta del Primo Ministro venisse condivisa con l’Assembly e l’Executive Review Committee”.
Nei prossimi giorni seguiranno ulteriori colloqui con Matt Baggott, Chief Constable della PSNI, il capo del Northern Ireland Court Service ed altri rappresentanti di partiti dell’Assembly.
“Ci sono ancora due questioni che richiedono ulteriori chiarimenti e e continuerò a perseguirli. Continuiamo a lavorare costantemente sulle varie questioni che richiedono un accordo come indicato nel nostro documento precedente”, ha dichiarato Robinson ed ha aggiunto: “Oltre alle modalità di finanaziamento, resta ancora del lavoro da fare su altre soluzioni istituzionali, nonché sulle misure che sono necessarie al fine di ottenere la fiducia della comunità”.

Traduci l’articolo…

Parties to meet for policing talks (NewsLetter)
Ulster’s political parties are to meet at Stormont for talks on the devolution of justice powers.
First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will meet representatives from the UUP, SDLP and Alliance parties.
The meeting come after a series of high-profile discussions with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The DUP has previously stated it wishes to secure the support of the Ulster Unionists before moving forward.
Meanwhile, Mr Robinson said last night that he would welcome the publication of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s proposals on the financing of policing and justice powers.
He also restated his party’s commitment to resolving the outstanding issues.
Mr Robinson said: “There has been some speculation regarding the publication of proposals put forward by the Prime Minister on policing and justice.
“I would welcome the publication of the Prime Minister’s proposals to inform the public on this important issue.
“I also believe it would be most useful for the Prime Minister’s proposals to be shared with the Assembly and Executive Review Committee.”
The First Minister said he would be bringing Mr Brown’s proposals up for discussion with the other main agencies involved.
He said: “Over the coming days I will be discussing the Government’s proposals with the Chief Constable, the head of the Northern Ireland Court Service and the other party leaders in the Assembly.”
Mr Robinson said there was still some work to be done.
“There are still two issues which require further clarification and I will continue to pursue these. We continue to work steadily through the various issues that require agreement as set out in our previous process paper.
“In addition to finance arrangements, work remains to be done on other institutional arrangements as well as measures that are needed in order to achieve community confidence.”

Peter Robinson chiede chiarimenti su alcuni aspetti della proposta di pacchetto finanziario offerta da Gordon Brown

Dopo l’accettazione da parte di Martin McGuinness della proposta del pacchetto finanziario offerto dal primo ministro inglese, per procedere al trasferimento dei poteri in materia di polizia e giustizia, Peter Robinson chiede maggiore trasparenza.
Il Primo Ministro nordirlandese ha reso noto di aver stilato un elenco di questioni che necessitano di chiarimenti da parte di Gordon Brown.
Alcune molto semplici, altre più complicate, ma “Ma credo si possa giungere ad una soluzione di tutte”, ha dichiarato Robinson.
Nel frattempo l’Assembly e l’Executive Review Committee hanno invitato Martin McGuinness e Peter Robinson a rendere nota la proposta senza ulteriori indugi.
Alex Attwood, rappresentante del SDLP, ha dichiarato: “Non penso che sia un modo equilibrato e corretto dif are affari”.
“Non dovrebbero essere autorizzati a portarli avanti senza il nostro coinvolgimento”.

Traduci l’articolo…

Robinson demands details on policing package (Belfast Telegraph)
Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson was last night looking for further clarification from the Prime Minister about funding for the devolution of responsibility for policing and justice to the Stormont Executive.
The Democratic Unionist party leader and Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness emerged from another round of talks with Gordon Brown in Downing Street to announce they were going back for more talks this morning.
Mr Robinson said they would consider publishing the letter from Mr Brown in which he set out just what the Government would provide to complete the final stage of the devolution process.
He said the letter would be “better in the public arena” adding: “There needs to be some transparency about what we are doing.”
Confirming he still had questions to be answered by Mr Brown about the proposed deal, he said: “We have provided a list of issues to the Prime Minister for clarification and we are working through those issues.”
Some were “easy” and some more difficult, he said. But he added: “All of them I believe are capable of resolution.”
Earlier the Sinn Fein officer board met in Dublin and agreed to accept Mr Brown’s offer. Mr McGuinness carried the message to No 10 but told Mr Brown there would still need to be “further discussions”.
Speaking after the longer-than-expected Downing Street meeting Mr McGuinness said: “The issue of funding has now been conclusively dealt with in my view and I think it’s now a matter of urgency that we move and with all speed to ensure that the transfer of power of policing and justice takes place.”
He added: “What has to happen is all the participants to this process have to now deal with the logistical arrangements of how we carry that out.
“We intend to have discussions, Peter Robinson and I, with other party leaders back home about the funding arrangements.”
He described agreement on the funding package as a “tremendous achievement” and “momentous”.
Mr McGuinness added: “I think the challenge now is to press on, to make this happen as soon as possible.”
Earlier in Belfast members of the Stormont committee examining the devolution of policing powers demanded sight of the financial deal offered by Mr Brown.
The Assembly and Executive Review Committee called on Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness to release details without delay.
The SDLP representative on the committee, Alex Attwood, MLA, said it was unacceptable that Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness had briefed their own parties but had not yet informed the Assembly committee whose responsibility it was to look at the transfer of powers.
“I just don’t think that is a balanced and proper way to do business,” he said.
He added: “They should not be allowed to take this forward without our involvement.”

Il Sinn Fein ha accetta il pacchetto finanziaro proposto da Gordon Brown

Sembrano esserci reali spiragli sul trasferimento dei poteri in materia di polizia e giustizia a Stormont.
Il Sinn Fein ha accettato il pacchetto finanziario proposto dal Primo Ministro inglese Gordon Brown.
Martin McGuinness ne darà conferma personalmente in occasione dei colloqui fissati a Downing Street.
A tirare il freno a mano è il Democrati Unionist Party, che afferma di necessitare di alcuni chiarimenti inerenti alla proposta e di non voler essere sottoposto a pressioni.
Si ipotizza che l’accordo proposto dal capo di governo inglese, si aggiri intorno agli 800 milioni di sterline. L’offerta dovrebbe comprendere un impegno a completare al scuola di formazione di polizia di Cookstown e il trasferimento di ulteriori basi militari all’Esecutivo dell’Irlanda del Nord, compresa quella di Lisanelly a Omagh.
Il presidente del Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, ha dichiarato che ora il processo di trasferimento dei poteri dovrà avvenire rapidamente.

Traduci l’articolo…


Sinn Fein accepts policing offer (BBC News Northern Ireland)
Sinn Fein has accepted the prime minister’s financial offer on the devolution of policing and justice powers.
The news comes as Gordon Brown prepares to resume talks on policing and justice with Northern Ireland’s first and deputy first ministers today.
Martin McGuinness will inform Mr Brown of the decision in Downing Street.
The DUP said it wanted the government to clarify some parts of the offer and would not be pressurised into a deal.
It is thought the overall funding package is worth in the region of £800m.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the process to transfer the powers to the assembly should now be completed quickly.
A party source said the chief constable and the NI Court Service director were both impressed with the offer.
However, the PSNI said the chief constable had not seen the details of the offer.
PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie said: “We can state that we are encouraged by the progress to date and we look forward to working with the Northern Ireland Policing Board on taking the proposal forward.”
DUP leader Peter Robinson said his party would not be spooked by pressure to agree a deal.
Mr Robinson’s party wants clarification on some aspects of the package. He said he would discuss it with both the police and the court service.
“The funding offer from the prime minister which we received goes beyond anything on offer previously,” Mr Robinson said.
“By holding our nerve we have a package today which is hundreds of millions of pounds higher than it was only a week ago.”
Addressing a dinner for the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust in Belfast on Monday evening, he said it was vital to get the terms for devolving policing right.
“The issues affect every home in Northern Ireland and I do not exaggerate when I say the difference between an effective and properly funded police service and one starved of resources is, in some cases, the difference between life and death,” he said.
‘Too important’
“That is why my approach to devolution has been focused on obtaining the best possible settlement from the Treasury.”
Mr Robinson said it was “too important an issue to be determined by the calendar”.
In a statement, DUP officers said they were encouraged that issues they had raised were being addressed.
They said: “The party is now involved in a process of meeting various stakeholders to discuss the package.
“We will want to have discussions with the Conservative Party to gauge their intentions should they form the next government.”
It is understood the offer includes a commitment to complete the police training college in Cookstown and to transfer additional military bases to the Northern Ireland Executive, including the Lisanelly base in Omagh, which has been earmarked for an educational campus.