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Letter From London

Barack A Long Awaited Breath Of Fresh Air 20//01/ 09

For nearly six decades ever since the attack on Pearl Harbour successive American Leaders have nominated their country as 'stewards of for the maintenance and promotion of democracy'.

The American economic investment in post war Europe through the Marshall plan ensured that the conditions that facilitated the rise of Nazis power were never repeated. The military shield against the 'perceived' threat of Stalin and Krushev underpinned the security of Western Europe though the stand of in Berlin may not have been so clever. Never the less Europe has much to thank America for even though the states reaped economic benefits and political power from its adventures.

Somewhere along the line though the new found status of America inflated its ego - many would argue that Vietnam War was a symptom of this - though if one is very kind that could be explained as paranoia rising from mccarthyism.

What is not disputable is that American ruling classes used this power for its own gratification, as in the words of the English historian Lord Acton 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. Richard Nixon was a prime example but he was not only the one. Successive US Governments financed coups and subversive activities in South America, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Far East. At some point Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden were 'okay' guys to do business with in the eyes of Washington as were the Taliban.

The American support of Israel though credible in some respects did the US no favours and their CV was blighted further by the stance that America adopted polItically towards Iran and indirectly through Iraq. From an Arab perspective America was an imperialist nation interfering in Arab affairs, pitting arab against with the sole objective of ensuring its could access the oil which its economy depended on.

Even after the wickedness of 9/11, the US administration did not stop to ask why 19 men did what they did. Instead it chose to seek revenge supported by Britain by declaring war on Afghanistan and then on after falsifying intelligence on Iraq. The war in Iraq may have rid the country of Saddam but it kllled more people than he would have done had he remained in power. The only people that benefited from this exercise where the oil companies in Bush's home state.

Throughout these troubled times Bush has lectured the world s including China and Russia on the moral need for democracy and freedom of speech. . At the same time he has justified the imprisonment of detainees without charge at Guantanamo Bay and supported the death penalty in those states who want to keep it. He has presided over the failure of the US authorities to help the predominantly working class victims of Hurricane Katrina and ignored the plight of American Citizens unable to afford healthcare.

He has shamed America, so much so the many Americans have felt uncomfortable and embarrassed particularly when they abroad.

Barack Obama has committed himself to restoring the dignity of America, withdrawing US troops from Iraq, closing Guantanamo Bay and providing basic healthcare for those who cannot afford it.

He has indicated that he wants to work with the Chinese and Russians rather than lecture them. He has a track record of consensus politics both in the American Senate and his own party. His confirmation that Bush Defence Secretary Robert Gates will remain in his post and that Ms Clinton as Secretary of State are testaments to this.

It is his humanistic and intellectual qualities that have made him President. For America and the rest of the world he is simply a breath of fresh air even though he smokes. If succeeds in realizing half of his objectives his tenure will be remembered for what he has achieved and the fact that he is black will be irrelevant - and then the American dream will really be set in stone. ED

RELATED ARTICLE - OBAMA PROFILE - OBAMA REALISES DR MARTIN LUTHER'S DREAM

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4th August. A domestic airliner owned by Bangkok Airways, reportedly with 70 passengers on board has hit the airport air traffic control tower on a Thai resort island resort island of Koh Samui. Official reports suggest that the plane skidded on the runway at touchdown and one of the wings 'clipped' the control tower at around 08.00 GMT (14.00 local time).

The passengers on the plane, which took off from the Krabi in western Thailand, were mostty tourists. The pilot is understood to have died diring the incident. None of the passengers were seriously injured though several were taken to hospital with minor injuries. A police official said as the plane landed it was raining heavily. The island of Koh Samui is around 300 miles (480km) to the south of Bangkok.

 

Northern Europe's Sad Summer Set To Continue

Apart from the Wimbledon fortnight the weather in UK Belgium Northern France and Northern Europe generally has been pretty dire unless you like luke warm sunshine broken up by heavy showers. In London and many other parts of Northern Europe you could have been forgiven for thinking that August 1st was the first day of Autumn and there is little in the forecasts for for the next two weeks to convince you otherwise.

The present week up to the 7th August is best summed up as sunshine and showers with temperatures on latitudes aligned to northern Britain struggling to reach 20c. Latitudes south of Manchester may reach the low 20's briefly towards the end of the week, possibly even in the mid 20's on Friday but these temperatures are likely to spark off heavy thundery showers in the afternoons and early evening.

At present more of the same seems to be on the menu for the second week of August with temperatures generally 2 - 3 degrees lower than the present week as sunshine levels fall away. Towards the end of the week the wind will increase and short periods of rain will add to an increasing autumnal feel to things. Current weather forecast models for the second half of August vary but on the law of averages its just possible things may improve.

 

Flight Searches Increase As Holidaymaker's Search For Sun

Since the beginning of July, the flight search engine Skyscanner has seen a 26% rise in flight searches from the UK to Spain, France and other hot destinations for travel in August, perhaps indicating that many Brit's started making up their own minds about the quality of the UK summer before the Met Office changed their infamous prediction which said the odds of a scorching summer were 65% - now seemingly unlikely. Barry Smith, Skyscanner co-founder and director commented: “More people were expected to be holidaying in the UK this year because of the recession and the predicted warm weather, however, with the Met Office now forecasting a wet August, we expect many Brit's wanting to guarantee their fix of sun will head abroad before the summer is over.”

According to Skyscanner the average temperatures for Europe’s Hotspots in August will be UK – 16C France – 21C Spain – 24C Italy – 24C Croatia – 25C Portugal – 25C Greece –26C Turkey – 26C. Enough said - click here to search Skyscanner for flights or go to their interactive map on our low cost flights page.

Holiday Couple Go 650km Off Course After GPS Error.

A Swedish searching for of the famously romantic southern Italian isle of Capri mi spelt the islands name as Carpi when programming their GPS navigation and found themselves in an industrial town in northern Italy.

The lost couple went into the town's tourist office when they could not find the Capri's famous Blue Grotto and discovered they were 650km (400 miles) from Capri. A spokesperson for the tourist office commented that it was surprising that had not wondered why they had not crossed a bridge or taken a ferry bearing in mind Capri is and island. Realizing their mistake the couple went back to their car to continue their journey.

 

Car Bomb Kills Two On Spanish Holiday Island

Majorca 30th July. Two people have been killed and several people are reported to have suffered injuries when a reported car bomb exploded outside the Palmanova civil guard barracks in Majorca, on Friday afternoon. The explosion just before 2pm local time killed two police officers as they began their afternoon shift.

 

The Last Survivor Of Titanic Disaster Dies

1st June Miss Millvina Dean who was just was nine weeks old when the Titanic passenger liner sank after hitting an iceberg on 15 April 1912, whilst on its maiden voyage from England to America died on Sunday at the age of 97. 1517 people persisted in the disaster.

Ms Deans family were travelling third class to America, where they intended to settle in Kansas to open a tobacconist's shop. when the ship sank. Her father died in the disaster but her mother and two year old brother survived but the American dream for them did not happen and they returned to Southampton where Ms Dean lived for most of her life.

Miss Dean's became a celebrity when in 1985 the the wreck ship was discovered and she to her surprise found herself in the public limelight on both sides of the Atlantic. "I think sometimes they look on me as if I am the Titanic!" she said after a visit to a Titanic convention in America. "Honestly, some of them are quite weird about it." Though she new nothing of the tragedy she often said it had shaped her life as it meant that prevented her from growing up as an American.

 

Berlin List Will Reveal What The Nazis Did With 600,000 German Jews

A German federal archive ' the Remembrance, Responsibility and Future Foundation 'has nearly completed listing the names and fate of approximately 600,000 German Jews living in the country under the Nazis Rule.

The list, which has taken the Berlin based organization four years to compile has established that at the end of WW2 the Jewish population in Germany had fallen to around 20,000. Many of these survivors had been confined to camps for displaced persons.

The list will not be publically available due to German privacy laws but it will available to available to Holocaust organizations and museums assisting people to discover the fate of their relatives. It will also be given to Israel's national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. The Remembrance, Responsibility and Future Foundation was established by former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder 2005 to assist the victims and relatives of Nazi persecution.

Related Feature: Auschwitz Birkenau

For years the cannabis cafes of Amsterdam have extended a warm welcome to locals and tourists who want to buy some cannabis and roll a joint without fear of being arrested. New laws introduced across Holland in July mean that smoking tobacco in all public places - including the Cannabis Cafes is now illegal. Under Dutch law the smoking of marijuana is illegal but it is tolerated at the cafes - though the number of licence's for these establishments has been rationed this year. Now visitors to the cafes risk being arrested if they roll a joint using standard tobacco - not the marijuana. The new law apparently is encouraging people to roll pure ' joints' which is not what the city authorities had intended when they started to reduced the number of cafes licensed to sell the cannabis.

Learn Judo With Vladmir

Vladmir Putin, 56, has released a video in which he promotes the philosophy of Judo and demonstrates some moves of the martial art.

Mr Putin, now reportedly a 6th Dan black-belt has practised Judo since his youth when he became the Junior Champion of St Petersburg.

In the past Mr Putin has suggested that the philosophy of judo has influenced his approach to his life and politics. In the video he argues that “The practice of struggle permits compromises and concessions, but they are possible only if they are on the road to victory".

The 74 minute video, which he co produced with Yashuhiro Yamashita, a former Japanese world and Olympic Judo champion, according to Mr Putin is aimed at encouraging Russia's youth to take up the sport. His political critics view this motive more sceptically saying that it is intended to further enhance his growing international image as a macho world leader.

Whilst 'Learn Judo with Vladmir Putin' might not be every ones idea of a cosy evening in the demand for it in Russia will be high where he is regarded as Russias most popular leader since the October Revolution 91 years ago.

 

				Next Sat Game 8th August
				Result Sat Aug 1st
02	06	27	28	40	49	Bonus	14
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				Next Fri Game 07 Aug
				Result Fri Jul 31
05	09	20	21	26	Stars	03	06
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				Next Wed Game 05 August
				Result Wed Jul 29
03	13	19	20	23	26	Bonus	01