Western politicians are all calling for an end of violence and “restraint on both sides” after a bloody showdown in Tibet. On a practical level, however, nothing is done to pressure the Red China government to end its oppressive policies, not only in occupied and annexed Tibet but also towards other minority nations in China, dozens of which comprise over one million people. This is in stark contrast with the Western leaders’ behaviour in Kosovo.

The French website 5 Years Later has posted maps that illustrate the advance of Islam in France. I’ve taken the latest one from 2008 showing through shades of green the areas of implantation of the religion of peace and tolerance. The numbers on the map are those of the departments and have nothing to do with numbers of Muslims. The chart at the bottom runs from fewer than 5 to more than 30 mosques, prayer rooms or meeting houses. So we see that, in the southwest, department 33 has more than 30 while department 40 has fewer than 5.

The collapse of two major banks in Britain and America (Bear Stearns and Northern Rock) should make us pause to reflect on the fundamentals of the world financial system.
 
When currencies around the world were nationalised at the outbreak of the First World War, the reason was obvious. In order to fight the war, states needed to be able to print their own bank notes without actually having the money to do so. The relevant law in France, passed in August 1914, stated baldly “The Bank of France will no longer reimburse its banks notes in cash.”

Nicolas Sarkozy is about to monitor everything said about him on the Internet. One of the few innovations of his renovated government is the appointment of Nicolas Princen as chief spy in charge of surveillance of the Internet for President Sarkozy. Le Figaro reports that Princen is 24 years old, a graduate of Normal School and the HEC (Advanced School of Business). His mission: to be a sort of watchdog on the Internet, monitoring all the buzz about the president of the Republic, in order to alert the presidential advisers as quickly as possible and to prepare a response.

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Reported via the Dutch blog Klein Verzet is the story of Professor Hans Jansen who seems to have put the cat amongst the pigeons by renaming his forthcoming book “Reading the Koran for Unbelievers.” In the light of the Dutch Government's panic about Fitna, the film made by Geert Wilders, it appears that he has changed the name to, “Islam for Pigs, Apes, Mules and Other Beasts: 250 Questions about Islam.”

Now Professor Jansen seems to be pretty serious about his work, and currently holds his tenure at Utrecht University, his CV seems kosher,

A quote from the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, in The Daily Mail, 17 March 2008

Over the years we’ve had murders, we’ve had assaults on clergy. Therefore we have over the past few years been beefing up our security and operations. But of course if you go out into the streets, if you belong to the community, if you’re a part of it, then you are vulnerable.

A quote from Aftenposten, 17 March 2008

The Norwegian government put forth a long-expected gay marriage bill on Friday, clearing the way for homosexual couples to secure the same marriage rights as heterosexuals. […] The new government minister in charge of children's and family issues, Anniken Huitfeldt of the Labour Party, called the proposed law "an historic step towards equality." […] Two of her colleagues in Norway's left-centre government coalition, however, exercised their right to dissent, and refused to endorse all portions of the controversial measure. Transport Minister Liv Signe Navarsete and the minister in charge of local government, Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa, wouldn't support the measure's proposal to also allow gay couples access to state-funded programs that help couples conceive children. They also refused to support proposed changes in biotechnology laws.

A quote from The Irish Times, 15 March 2008

Poland’s prime minister vowed yesterday to do his utmost to avoid a referendum in his country on the European Union’s reform treaty after being grilled by anxious EU leaders at a summit. […] Any referendum in Poland could trigger calls for similar plebiscites in other EU nations, notably Britain, and delay ratification across the bloc. Only Ireland is bound by its Constitution to hold a vote.