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Malaysian leader quits to avoid humiliation.
Prime minister Abdullah Badawi he will hand post to deputy Najib Razak. Najib has been caught up in a torrid sex and murder scandal and two of his bodyguards are currently standing trial for the murder of the mistress of one of Najib's senior policy advisers. Prime minister Abdullah Badawi he will hand post to deputy Najib Razak. Najib has been caught up in a torrid sex and murder scandal ... more
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Riot police battle thousands of anti-government demonstrators in Bangkok.
Thailand's five-month political stand-off boiled over today as police
battled thousands of anti-government protesters who attempted to storm the
parliament buildings in Bangkok. Thailand's five-month political stand-off boiled over today as police ... more -
British Prime Minister makes shocking cabinet shuffle.
British prime minister Gordon Brown, Labour Party, British government, British, fortunes, finance, economy, resignation, cabinet shuffle, political,controversial, Peter Mandelson, Tony Blair, resign, scandalous. American, melt down, trade commissioner, European Union, business, trade and industry, Blairite faction, foreign minister, David Miliband, Conservative Party British prime minister Gordon Brown, Labour Party, British government, British, fortunes, finance, economy, resignation, cabinet shuf... more
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David Cameron delivers speech to Tory Conference
Eight days ago, Gordon Brown addressed the Labour conference and said "it's no time for a novice" referring to David Cameron. Today, Cameron has a chance to answer that charge. Follow his speech here, live update by the Guardian. He'll be speaking about policy, politics, the economic downturn, and other issues. Eight days ago, Gordon Brown addressed the Labour conference and said "it's no time for a novice" referring to David Ca... more
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Gordon Brown launches new internet watchdog to censor the Internet in the UK!
Gordon Brown hailed the internet as a world of "entertainment, opportunity and knowledge" as he launched a new watchdog to protect children online.
The Prime Minister said that the UK Council for Child Internet Safety was an "important landmark" in efforts to keep young people safe on the web.
The council was set up by the Government in response to recommendations by Dr Tanya Byron, a psychologist, in a report about internet safety published in March.
It will monitor the web for offensive content and have the power to order sites that illegally encourage suicide or harmful behaviour to be taken down.
Mr Brown, speaking at the Science Museum in London, said that the key was to strike a balance between safety and freedoms on the web.
"Some people call the internet a slanging match without an umpire. The challenge for us is to make sure young people can use the internet safely and do so with the minimum of restrictions but the maximum of opportunities," he said.
"The internet provides our children with a world of entertainment, of opportunity and knowledge, a world that is quite literally at their fingertips, just the click of a mouse away. But just as we would not allow them to go out unsupervised in playgrounds or in youth clubs or in swimming pools, so we must put in place the measures we need to keep our children safe online." Gordon Brown hailed the internet as a world of "entertainment, opportunity and knowledge" as he launched a new watchdog to p... more -
Canadian guilty in plot to behead prime minister
BRAMPTON, Ontario - A Canadian man accused of participating in military exercises and firearms training as part of a group authorities say plotted to storm Parliament and behead the prime minister was found guilty Thursday.
The man's attorney says the plot was a "jihadi fantasy" and that his client knew nothing about it.
A judge ruled Thursday that evidence of a terrorist group was "overwhelming." The man is the first person to be found guilty of a terrorist offense in Canada since the country enacted anti-terrorism laws in 2001.
The arrests of the 18 group members, known as the "Toronto 18," made headlines around the world and heightened fears in Canada, where people believe they are relatively immune from terrorist strikes.
Prosecutors said there were plans to truck-bomb nuclear power plants and a building housing Canada's spy service.
Seven of those arrested have since had their charges either withdrawn, or stayed. The trials of 10 adults, including the alleged ringleaders, have yet to begin.
Superior Court Justice John Sproat found the man guilty of knowingly participating in a terrorist group. As the 94-page judgment was handed down, the defendant's mother wept quietly in the back of the court.
The man has not been identified because he was 17, a legal minor, when he was arrested in 2006. He is now 20.
Prosecutors argued he attended a training camp where he participated in military exercises and firearms training and that he knowingly participated in a potentially deadly conspiracy. He had pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges.
Sproat rejected the defense argument that the plot was a "jihadi fantasy" that the defendant knew nothing about.
"He clearly understood the camp was for terrorist purposes," he said.
The defense, with the help of the prosecution's star witness, had cast the plot as "musings and fantasies" with no possibility of being carried out.
Sproat however said few would have believed the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. were a possibility before they happened.
"I'm satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that a terrorist group existed," Sproat said.
Sproat rejected defense arguments that two camps organized by the alleged ringleaders were simply a religious retreat or recreational in nature. "Apparently benign activities may be used to identify and indoctrinate recruits," he said.
Sproat noted that participants marched, played paintball games, shot a handgun and heard lectures on waging war against the West. He also called the young man an "acolyte" of the "charismatic" ringleader.
Evidence was clear the youth listened carefully to his mentor, the plot's ringleader, and wanted to please him, and therefore understood what the camps were about, the judge said.
"He had a full appreciation of the nature of the terrorist group," Sproat said.
The prosecution's star witness, Mubin Shaikh, infiltrated and spied on the alleged terror cell members before their arrests. Shaikh is a former Canadian army cadet and Islamic activist.
Defense lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky had noted that even Shaikh testified that his client was unaware of a plot. Shaikh said outside court that the youth should not have been found guilty. BRAMPTON, Ontario - A Canadian man accused of participating in military exercises and firearms training as part of a group authorities... more -
Taro Aso becomes prime minister of an economically troubled Japan this week.
Podcast analysis from international correspondent Jonathan Manthorpe
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Brown's big day out - keynote speech announces free internet for Britain'...
UK PM Gordon Brown had a pretty important day as he sought to silence his haters with him taking to the stage at today's Labour Party conference for what has been labelled as a 'pivotal speech.'
According to reports, Mr Brown, who has received much criticism for his leadership abilities over the last 12 months, is to pledge to help Britain's poor families get connected to the internet.
The announcement of a £300m scheme to help over a million kids get online at home will apparently be paid for with 'efficiency savings' from Whitehall.
Brown's speech is expected to be on a more 'personal' level and will no doubt see him not only quash any remaining resignation rumours, but also give him a chance to explain to his party why he's still the right man for the job. UK PM Gordon Brown had a pretty important day as he sought to silence his haters with him taking to the stage at today's Labour P... more -
The Pain in Spain Falls Mainly on John McCain
Putin the leader of Germany, Czechoslovakia still a country, Sunnis and Shiites the same, Al Qaeda and Iran the same, Iraq shares a border with Pakistan, "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Iran", and now when asked if elected, would he receive Spain's Prime Minister Zapatero in the White House, he replied "Honestly, I have to analyze our relationships, situations and priorities." OUCH!
Not a good future for foreign relations if this incompetent buffoon gets into power... Putin the leader of Germany, Czechoslovakia still a country, Sunnis and Shiites the same, Al Qaeda and Iran the same, Iraq shares a bo... more -
Democracy threatened in Thailand
Thailand's political crisis is growing. The Constitutional Court has forced Prime Minister Samak Simdaravej to resign and no obvious replacement is in sight. Thailand's political crisis is growing. The Constitutional Court has forced Prime Minister Samak Simdaravej to resign and no obvi... more
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Taro Aso. Japan's next Prime Minister?
Taro Aso, a member of Japan's aristocratic elite, is tipped to become the country's next prime minister following the resignation from that post by Yasuo Fukuda. But monetary and political uncertainties loom for what is still the world's second biggest economy. Taro Aso, a member of Japan's aristocratic elite, is tipped to become the country's next prime minister following the resign... more
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Japanese Prime Minister Resigns
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda resigned after less than a year in office amid political deadlock, throwing the world's second-largest economy into political confusion.
By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Today, I have decided to resign. We need a new line-up to cope with a new session of parliament.
Mr Fukuda vented his frustration at the political deadlock that has afflicted the country since the opposition Democratic Party of Japan won control of the upper house of Japan's parliament in July, 2007.
In a hastily arranged press conference announcing his resignation, the 72-year-old leader avoided questions before snapping at a reporter: "I can see myself objectively, as opposed to you."
Mr Fukuda said he had decided to step down late last week in order to avoid creating "a political vacuum" at the head of the Japanese economy.
His critics, however, say that by announcing his resignation just 11 days before the opening of an extraordinary session of the Diet he has himself created a political crisis.
"It is deeply irresponsible to resign at this moment," said Noriko Hama, a professor of economics at Kyoto's Doshisha University. On Friday, Fukuda announced an 11.7 trillion yen (£59.4 billion) stimulus package designed to breathe new life into Japan's moribund economy. Even that has been unable to reverse a steep decline in his personal popularity and that of his Liberal Democratic Party.
Newspaper polls earlier on Monday indicated that the government's approval rating had fallen nine points in the last month to a mere 29 per cent.
Mr Fukuda's popularity rose briefly after he shuffled his cabinet in the summer, but ongoing scandals over political funding, missing pension funds and kickbacks in the Defence Ministry refused to go away.
Coupled with the political deadlock, rising prices and a lacklustre economy, the writing was on the wall for the third Japanese prime minister in less than three years.
Mr Fukuda's reign was the shortest for a Japanese leader since 1994 and comes after his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, similarly lasted less than a year in office.
"I feel it's best to hand over the reins of power to a new leader," Mr Fukuda said, taking a swipe at the opposition. "The DPJ has tried to stall every bill, so it has taken a long time to implement any policies. For the sake of the Japanese people, this should not be happen again."
The LDP has been in power for all but 10 months since it was first set up in 1955, and the new leader of the party will have to call elections before September of next year.
The immediate front runner for the new leader of Japan is Taro Aso, a more charismatic politician that the last two prime ministers, but also a man with a reputation for ill-considered comments.
Last month, Mr Aso was taken to task by the DPJ after he likened them to Nazis for failing to work with the LDP to overcome the political stalemate. A former Olympic marksman, he was also forced to apologise last year for making a joke about people with Alzheimer's disease.
Mr Aso has also refused to distance himself from the use of Allied POWs as forced labour in his family's coal mines during World War II. Around 100 British prisoners, alongside Dutch and Australian POWs, worked at the Aso Yoshikuma mine, none of whom have received an apology or payment for their labour.
An election for the new leader of the LDP will be held within the next week, but already the opposition is calling for a general election. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda resigned after less than a year in office amid political deadlock, throwing the world's seco... more -
Resignation: Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's PM
Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has announced his resignation during a news conference at his official residence.
The surprise announcement means the 72-year-old is resigning less than a year after he took office. His government has suffered chronic unpopularity. Lost pension records, a controversial healthcare scheme and a sliding economy have added to his woes. Mr Fukuda has also been frustrated by the upper house of parliament, which is controlled by the opposition. "If we are to prioritise the people's livelihoods, there cannot be a political vacuum from political bargaining, or a lapse in policies," said Mr Fukuda. He told the hastily convened news conference that a new team was needed to implement his party's policies.
Mr Fukuda did not say when his resignation would take effect, adding that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party would hold an internal election to choose his successor. "I believe there will be an election for the party leader," he said. "The leader will be appointed as the prime minister." Japan's next general election must be held no later than September 2009.
Last month, Mr Fukuda instigated a major cabinet reshuffle in which one of his main political rivals, Taro Aso, assumed the key role of secretary general. The move was seen as a last-ditch attempt to shore up Mr Fukuda's government and boost its flagging popularity, but it failed to impact low cabinet approval ratings, which had been below 30% for several months.
Mr Aso, 67, went from being foreign minister to becoming party secretary general under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in August 2007. However, following Mr Abe's resignation, he left the post and lost the LDP leadership contest to Mr Fukuda soon afterwards. Known for his conservative views, he has advocated a tough line towards North Korea and rejects changing the law to allow women to ascend the throne. He is also seen as a charismatic figure who is known to love Japanese manga cartoons. Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has announced his resignation during a news conference at his official residence. ... more -
Three Charged in Britain Over Brown Death Threats
British police charged three men with terrorism offences on Thursday over threats to kill Prime Minister Gordon Brown posted on a militant Islamic website.
Lancashire police said they had charged Ishaq Kanmi, 22, with soliciting murder and belonging to a banned group—al-Qaeda. Abbas Iqbal, 23, and 21-year-old Ilyas Iqbal were charged with disseminating banned publications.
Two others remained in custody, police said.
The three men who were charged, all from Blackburn in northern England, were arrested at Manchester airport earlier this month.
They were held after an investigation into threats posted on an Islamic militant website in January by a group calling itself al-Qaeda in Britain.
Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair were suggested as targets of suicide attacks unless Britain withdrew its troops from Iraq and released Muslims imprisoned in Britain.
British police have been on high alert after co-ordinated suicide attacks on London's transport system in July 2005 killed 52 people.
Several other plots have been uncovered or have failed, including attempted car bombings in Glasgow and London last year. British police charged three men with terrorism offences on Thursday over threats to kill Prime Minister Gordon Brown posted on a mili... more -
British Government Caught Pirating On Prime Minister’s Website
While the British government puts huge amounts of pressure on ISPs to clamp down on file-sharers, it is doing some pirating of its very own. It seems that Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s own website is in serious breach of copyright, as it is based on a ripped-off Wordpress theme.
The issue of copyright is a hot one in the UK right now and the government isn’t scared of getting involved. It has been putting huge amounts of pressure on ISPs to take action against alleged music file-sharers, so imagine, if you will, the beautiful crimson color Prime Minister Brown’s face will turn today when he is declared a pirate too.
Amongst other things, Anthony from antbag.com makes WordPress themes - he gives them away for free but if someone wants to donate, they can. His work is released under Creative Commons 3.0 license, which means that if someone wants to use a theme ‘as is’ or modified in some way, they are required to credit him. A link in the footer of every theme he creates points back to Anthony’s site - this is the minimum attribution he expects, which is pretty damn reasonable.
So imagine Anthony’s surprise when he discovered that his NetWorker theme for WordPress had been used by the British government without honoring the Creative Commons license. The theme has been heavily modified, including the removal of all links back to his site, but Anthony has been able to verify from the source files that Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s own website is in fact built on NetWorker.
It is clear that Brown’s site indeed uses the Anthony’s theme - violating the Creative Commons license. Not only was the link to the the original removed, Brown’s site should have also made their version available under a similar license - share alike.
Still, the site even claims it is protected by Crown Copyright - a quick look at the CSS for the theme should dispel that myth.
Anthony sent an email to the company who developed the site who claimed that although they did some testing on the NetWorker theme, they then rebuilt it from scratch. Unfortunately, according to Anthony “they failed to remove the credits in the CSS file that named the theme ‘NetWorker’ or to change the theme folder which is named ‘NetWorker-10′ (Networker version 1.0).”
There is a campaign running in the UK right now featuring “Knock-Off Nigel” along with cringe-worthy videos depicting this fictitious character as some kind of social outcast.
One would think that Mr Brown would avoid the sort of behavior that could easily make him the star of the next campaign but if it’s good enough for the MPAA, it must be good enough for him.
Update: We were contacted by Dave Smith, Managing Director of New Media Maze, the creators of the Number 10 site. He has a full statement on this issue which is available here, but in summary, here is his explanation, in his own words:
1. The only file that was drawn upon from Ants theme was the CSS file, a fact that we have never denied.
2. Under Ants theme license (CCL), there was no requirement to attribute the work to him in the footer.
3. Under the CCL, he was correctly attributed in the CSS file that was used.
4. Therefore we have abided by the license of Ants work and are not guilty of ‘ripping off’ anyone’s work.
For his part, Anthony doesn’t wish to prolong the conflict. Click here for an update from him.
http://antbag.com/my-regrets-about-the-copyright-disput... While the British government puts huge amounts of pressure on ISPs to clamp down on file-sharers, it is doing some pirating of its ver... more -
Prachanda Elected Prime Minister of Republic Nepal
Kathmandu, August 15 - Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has been elected as the prime minister of the federal democratic republic of Nepal.The constituent assembly this evening announced that Prachanda has been choosen as the prime minister after majority of the lawmakers voted against NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba. Prachanda has secured majority votes in the CA, chairman Subash Chandra Nembang announced. According to him, Prachanda got 464 votes.NC leader Deuba lost the election as he failed to garner majority votes in the constituent assembly. According to election officials, Deuba got only 113 votes in the 594-member CA. 551 members took part in today’s voting.Prachanda have enough support in the CA to be handed the reins of government after the CPN-UML and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum among other fringe parties supported Prachanda in the race.Born into a poor farming family, Prachanda was driven to politics by the extreme poverty he witnessed in rural Nepal. The school teacher-turned-revolutionary Prachanda whose party is still blacklisted by the United States, led the Maoists in a decade-long insurgency before signing the peace deal with mainstream political parties in 2006. Kathmandu, August 15 - Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has been elected as the prime minister of the federal... more
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Australian prime minister descended from underwear and sugar thieves
Why did the British send their convicted criminals to the land of eternal sunshine and stunning beaches that we now know as Australia? So they could rise above their naughty criminal ancestry and become Prime Ministers, it appears today.
Researchers looking into Australian PM Kevin Rudd's family history discovered that his fourth great-grandfather, Thomas Rudd, was transported to Australia in 1801 to serve a seven-year sentence for "unlawfully acquiring a bag of sugar", according to the Telegraph.
His paternal fifth great-grandmother Mary Wade, was transported to the colonies after, aged 12, she and an older girl coaxed an eight-year-old girl into a toilet where they relieved her of "her dress, petticoats, a linen tippet, and a cap and absconded".
Hi paternal fifth great-grandmother Catherine Lahey arrived in Sydney in 1800 after forging one shilling and sixpence to pay her rent.
Mr Rudd was presented with two leather bound volumes of his family history by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - or Mormons - at a private ceremony in Sydney.
Far from being the embarrassment it might have been just a couple of decades ago, the discovery is likely to give Mr Rudd's image a significant boost. Convict ancestry has recently lost its aura of shame and become a badge of honour in modern Australia.
An estimated 22 per cent of the Australian population have a distant relative with a criminal past. Why did the British send their convicted criminals to the land of eternal sunshine and stunning beaches that we now know as Australia?... more -
Olmert will resign as Israel's Prime Minister after Kadima primary
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intends to hand his resignation letter to President Shimon Peres the day after the September 17 Kadima primary and ask him to entrust the new party leader with forming a new government, Olmert's associates said Wednesday night.
Olmert leaves the podium upon concluding his statement, Wednesday.
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
Slideshow: Pictures of the week They spoke soon after the prime minister had made a somber speech at his official residence in Jerusalem in which he announced that he would not seek to retain the leadership.
By law, Olmert will remain prime minister until a new government is formed. If the new Kadima leader forms a government soon after the primary, Olmert will then leave office. But if no new government is established, Olmert, despite having formally tendered his resignation, could remain prime minister until after a general election that would likely be held in spring 2009.
Olmert decided 10 days ago to announce his imminent departure on Wednesday - to coincide with the last day of the Knesset's summer session and the Kadima election committee's formal decision to set the September 17 date for the primary.
"He didn't want to humiliate himself by waiting until the last minute as some people thought he would," an Olmert associate said. "He is the most realistic person in the world. He didn't want to look like he cared only about himself by staying as long as possible. He decided he wanted to play the responsible adult."
The Jerusalem Post reported exclusively in its lead story Wednesday that Olmert would decide his political future "very soon."
In his 8 p.m. speech, broadcast live here and abroad, a defiant and almost tearful Olmert lashed out at Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and other adversaries without naming them and vowed to keep the peace process with the Palestinians and Syria moving forward until he left office. He referred bitterly to his opponents as "self-styled fighters for justice."
"As a citizen in a democratic state, I have always believed that when a person is elected prime minister in Israel, even those who opposed him in the ballot box would want him to succeed," Olmert said. "But instead of enjoying this basic level of faith, I found myself, immediately upon being elected, subjected to a wave of investigations, probes and criticism. Almost from my first day in the Prime Minister's Office, I was forced to repel personal attacks, even as I was busy making fateful decisions regarding Israel's security and existence."
Olmert recounted the successes of his premiership and insisted that his personal work had not been harmed by the investigations against him, but lamented that his adversaries had gotten in his way.
"At the same time, I was forced to defend myself against relentless attacks by self-styled fighters for justice who sought to oust me from my job and saw all means as justifying of that end," he said.
"Things have gone out of all reasonable proportion. Have I made mistakes over the many years of my activities? I certainly have! And I regret them, and I am sorry," he said. "But does the picture presented to the public fairly reflect the reality? Absolutely not!"
Olmert said he was proud to be a part of a nation in which a prime minister could be investigated like any other citizen. He agreed that the prime minister was not above the law, but said he was also not below it.
"To my profound sorrow... correct procedure does not take place in [our country]." he said. "Maybe I today, in my personal decision, have opened a portal to a more appropriate reality." Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intends to hand his resignation letter to President Shimon Peres the day after the September 17 Kadima prim... more -
Harriet Harman the next PM? Harman steps in at No.10
Harriet Harman will stand in for Gordon Brown in Whitehall while he's on holiday, it emerged today, despite officials previously being briefed that Chancellor Alistair Darling and Justice Secretary Jack Straw would stand in for the PM while he's having his little (oh, sorry, enormous) summer rest.
As Ms Harman began issuing demands at No. 10 for her residency, mystery surrounds why she had not previously been mentioned for the stand-in job.
The news sparked suggestions that she would be the first woman to run the country since Margaret Thatcher. But the PM's official spokesman played down this idea, saying: "The Prime Minister is the Prime Minister and remains in charge whether he is on holiday or not."
Could Harriet Harman be the UK's next Prime Minister? Is she quietly plotting to move in while Gordon Brown's out of the picture? And would she be an apt replacement for the dour, wobbly-jawed Scot (you know what I mean - that gross, tongue-y, jaw-y 'mneuh' thing he does) now that he faces more troubling times than ever before? Harriet Harman will stand in for Gordon Brown in Whitehall while he's on holiday, it emerged today, despite officials previously ... more
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