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Not So Special Relationship?
In today's Daily Telegraph, Jeff Randall wonders if Britain is getting a poor deal from its special relationship with the US - in legal terms, at least.
The Boundary Commission
Fiddling the constitution and setting the EU's borders are Finland's priorities for its presidency.
Finland takes over the presidency of the EU tomorrow. The Finnish foreign minister, Erkki Tuomioja, has declared that there is "no chance" that the EU constitution in its current form will come into use. But his country's parliament is planning to approve the treaty, and is expected to do so by a huge margin. What gives?
The Rights Stuff
The Independent is being brave today, republishing an article from Vanity Fair which, it warns, "could get you arrested" if you read it.
Apparently, earlier this month police arrested a man for protesting too close to parliament. When searched, he had a few photocopies of the Vanity Fair article in his pocket. The article, written by London editor Henry Porter, attacks the British government for its recent crackdown on human rights - such as its determination to go ahead with the introduction of ID cards.
The police, apparently, judged the photocopies "politically motivated material" - itself a worrying illustration of the realities of protest in Britain in 2006.
Tubbies Say "Death To America"
The Sun reports that Iran is buying 65 episodes of the BBC's top children's show, Tellytubbies. It illustrates the story with a mock-up of how the Tehran Tubbies might look, right, complete with Kalashnikovs, radiation warnings and nuclear missiles looming in the background.
But the newspaper misses one important fact: As far as EURSOC can remember, at least two Tubbies are female, and look: They're shamelessly flaunting their nakedness, not a burkha in sight! The religious police would crack a few Tubbie skulls to put that right if it happened in Tehran.
Spy In The Sky
Geoportail, France's much-heralded challenger to Google Maps, crashed on take-off on Friday as its server was overloaded by eager viewers.
The Hand Of Plod
One of the least attractive aspects of the World Cup Finals has been the sight of toad-like Argentinian legend Diego Maradona in the terraces, cheering on his nation's team.
Maradona's support for his team is only matched for his adoration for leftist hard-man Latin American leaders: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and latterly, Hugo Chavez. Indeed, the retired football player joined Chavez in an anti-Bush conference in November last year, and has hinted that he is mulling a career in politics himself.
So what are we to make of the news that, on arriving in Italy earlier this month, Maradona had his collar felt by tax police, who relieved him of two Rolex watches - one worn on each wrist - worth €20,000? The watches were seized as part payment on the €31 million tax bill the star still owes Italian authorities from his days as Napoli's star attraction.
A would-be populist socialist who looks forward to screwing the rich but doesn't pay his taxes? Fancy that!
Seggy Stardust
The race for the left's nomination for France's presidential election next year is hotting up. Most of the main extreme-left parties have declared candidates, despite a challenge from anti-globalisation activist José Bové to join forces. Closer to the mainstream, Socialist Party hopeful Laurent Fabius has attacked front-runner Ségolène Royal for betraying socialist principles.
English Affairs
Conservative blogger Iain Dale enters enemy territory with a column on the Guardian's Comment is Free pages. Dale's subject? How to solve the ancient West Lothian Question on Scottish devolution.
The Big Opt-Out?
Have British Conservatives voted to make "parliamentary sovereignty" a manifesto promise? That's how some Eurosceptic MPs are taking last month's vote on regulatory reform, and an statement slipped into the amendment by veteran Euro-warrior Bill Cash.
Turning On The Charm
The Guardian carries a breathless briefing from Simon Tisdall on how Washington has been wrongfooted by Iran's "charm offensive."
The "Peasant" President
From Paris comes news that McDonald's-smashing former "peasants' confederation" leader José Bové is running for president.
The Twilight Zone
In what will almost certainly be their last official face-to-face meeting, the leaders of France and Britain held a summit in Paris. In contrast to their previous meetings, Friday's tete-a-tete was (apparently) a good-natured affair, where they shared their "passion for Africa."
Backbench Bloggers
The BBC reports that conservative bloggers may be given a reservation at the next Conservative Party conference.
Balancing The Books
France is having so much trouble balancing its budget that it has taken to asking computer gamers to help it out. This week, just as French taxpayers are wondering which allowances to include in their annual income tax forms, the finance ministry launched an online game which challenges players to balance the state budget of 300 billion Euros.
Inside The EPP
Should Conservatives care about their party's links with the EPP? The glorious leadership, is trying to convince them to look the other way. Tories who voted for leader David Cameron on the basis of his promise to withdraw from the ultra-federalist grouping think otherwise. Trouble is, the European Parliament is so inconsequential that few Brits really know what the EPP is, who it represents and what its values are.
So a big thanks to blogger Iain Dale, who has published an email from a "Brussels insider" with a few thoughts on the EPP. The Tories' links to this group - whether under fiercely Eurosceptic previous leaderships or the current lovin' liberal bunch - look more bizarre every day.
Here's One I Made Earlier
That EU scheme to create a foreign diplomatic service just won't go away. While we've reported previously on how the absence of a constitution has not prevented Eurocrats from creating an EU diplomatic corps, the strategy was given a greater boost yesterday when the European Commission called on governments to share its diplomatic and consular services.
We Have Ways Of Helping You Do Business
Tsk, sexist
Guess: What's Europe's best country to do business in? Wrong - according to accountancy group Ernst & Young, it's Germany. Germany comes out top because of its infrastructure, educated workforce, political stability and dedication to research and development. The new government under centre-right leader Angela Merkel is said to figure in the ranking, too, while this week's papers are full of renewed consumer and business confidence in the nation, possibly linked to the forthcoming World Cup Finals.
Zarqawi Killed In US Air Raid
Al-Qaeda's top man in Iraq, Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has been killed in an air raid, according to Iraq's prime minister.
Swinging Votes
France's Socialist Party's new agenda is a mixed bag. Along with a controversial set of measures designed to appease the hard left, it includes a series of authoritarian anti-crime proposals which demonstrate that Ségolène Royal's populist rhetoric is having an effect on the party's mainstream.
Talk To The Hand
Former journalist Yvonne Ridley has told Muslims in east London to "withdraw cooperation" from the police to protest against last week's anti-terror raids. "I don't think the Muslim community should communicate with the police any more until they start showing some respect," said Ridley, who converted to Islam in 2001 shortly after she was kidnapped by the Taliban while covering Afghanistan.
Another New Agenda
How quickly ravenous wolves become cuddly puppies. Britain's Conservative Party, which briefly tantalised Eurorealists with the promise of a break from the swivel-eyed federalists in the EU's EPP party, has reverted to type with a "New Agenda." Outlined in a speech by shadow foreign secretary William Hague, the Tories' new approach seems designed to assuage Europhile fears that the party wants a deeper split with Europe.
Closed Shop
More on the fraught world of "economic nationalism" - or protectionism, if you speak English. The Times warns that the planned merger of Suez and Gaz de France, engineered by the French prime minister, might be blocked. Also in France, President Jacques Chirac is considering whether a Paris stock exchange should be bought by the Germans - who might diminish its influence - or the dreaded Americans.
Dear Leader
A theme song. Cake-baking competitions. "Commissioner's Day." A continent-wide song and dance celebration. The state-sponsored festivities ordered to commemorate another glorious decade of dictatorship in some communist hellhole? No: Just proposals to celebrate the EU's fiftieth birthday next year.
Overtime Out
Funny how issues bubble up from the cauldron of EU politics, only to sink down into the mire again. This week, the issue of working hours for EU members has surfaced once again, with the Austrian presidency of the EU finally declaring that differences over working times were "irreconcilable."
The Reds Go Marching On
Italy's new president, 80-year-old former communist Giorgio Napolitano, still knows how to kick up a storm.
Royal's French Lesson
Ségolène Royal learned this weekend just how little the Socialist Party has taken her presidential candidacy to its heart. Following Royal's proposals to take a tougher line on violent hoodlums, party chiefs have quickly seized the chance to paint her as a right-winger posing as a leftist.
Up to now, it's been mostly plain sailing. Royal's still undeclared candidacy has been warmly welcomed by France's citizens - who are beginning to rate her above centre-right challenger Nicolas Sarkozy in the polls - while the Socialist Party hierarchy limited its disapproval to sexist snickering. Interviews where she professed an admiration for Tony Blair - in leftist French life, a confession on a level with worshipping Satan - were dismissed, or perhaps filed away for future attacks. Her ever-so-mildly liberal views on reform of the French economy went the same way, as did her conservative views on homosexual marriage.
Get Out Clause
Will David Cameron ever carry out his pledge to pull the UK Conservatives out of the federalist EPP grouping in the EU parliament?
Here's a new group that hopes to hold him to his promise - and gives plenty of good reasons why the Tories are better off outside a bloc that plots a federal Europe as its final destination.
The Royal Pardon
Jacques Chirac has been accused of granting a presidential amnesty to his crony, former athelete Guy Drut.
Voters Oppose Stealth Tactics
Over at the Times and the uplifting sight of 77-year old William Rees-Mogg blogging.
Good stuff from the former Times editor, too: Reporting on German plans to reintroduce the EU constitution by stealth, Rees-Mogg picks up on some interesting figures.
"French and Dutch voters are still opposed to the Constitution, which they rejected in their national referendums. Indeed the “no” vote has increased its majority by 2 per cent in France and 7 per cent in the Netherlands. A large majority, 63 per cent of French voters and 68 per cent of Dutch, actually want to take back powers from the E.U. Only 18 per cent of French and 15 per cent of Dutch voters want to increase the powers of the E.U."
The Daily Moan
What a thankless task it must be to be a reader of the Independent - the Chicken Licken of British newspapers. Since the Indie became "a viewspaper, not a newspaper" (cringe), it has dedicated its front page to an endless list of "sky's falling down" issues: The environment. Bush. Global warming. Guantanamo Bay. Bush. Blair. American oilmen. Water shortages. Bush again. Bush and the environment. Guantanamo Bay again.
The change has given the paper the dismal, haranguing appearance of a 1980s Socialist Workers canvasser hanging around outside his student union. Imagine taking that morning dose of outrage with your coffee and croissants every day. Few humans - even the Indie's dwindling band of 250,000 readers - can survive remaining in that state of permanently outraged arousal for that long. With ABC figures showing a year-on-year decline of almost 3.5 percent for the weekday edition, it'll be interesting to see how long the Independent's owners will tolerate it.
