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Saturday, June 11, 2011
Savills, the estate agent, says £3.7bn of foreign money is pouring into the prime London housing market every year and especially into areas such as Mayfair, Kensington, Notting Hill and Chelsea.
The demand is leading to UK owners selling their homes and moving to outer London, creating a "champagne tower effect" with the distribution of wealth in the capital.
Savills' report, called World in London and published on Friday, says British sellers of homes in central London have outnumbered British buyers by 30pc this year, compared with 5pc in 2008. Meanwhile, foreign buyers have outnumbered foreign sellers by 58pc in 2011, up from 23pc in 2008.
The market is being boosted by the weakness of sterling and the perception of London as a safe haven amid political and economic uncertainty.
Yolande Barnes, head of residential research at Savills, said: "We anticipate that London will continue to attract overseas buyers in the foreseeable future, especially with the eyes of the world on the London Olympics next year. "The diversity of economies from which these buyers originate and of their motivations for purchase, mean that there will nearly always be an overseas market for London property for as long as London remains a major global city." » | Graham Ruddick | Saturday, June 11, 2011
My comment;
Successive British governments have been absolutely stupid to allow this to happen. This is the United Kingdom; London is our capital. Therefore, the indigenous population should be able to buy a home in these prime locations if they have the means. But by allowing all these super-rich oligarchs—many of whom are rich through ill-gotten gains—to come to London to buy upscale properties means that British people cannot compete. And this in our capital where so many British people need to live to conduct their affairs.
Why are our politicians so stupid? Why are they so craven? Why do they go weak at the knees as soon as billions are mentioned, losing all rational thought?
I have lived in Switzerland, and I know how that superior political system works. I can tell you this: The Swiss look after their own, first and foremost. Rich foreigners are welcome to buy property in Switzerland, but only in certain designated areas. All properties are not open to foreign ownership. In particular, in cities such as Zürich, where commerce is of great importance, and Swiss people have to be able to afford to live within commutable distance of their places of work, foreigners are generally disallowed from purchasing homes at all.
Why are the Swiss so sensible and considerate of their people's needs, whereas our politicians, regardless of the hue of the party, are so greedy, inconsiderate, and idiotic? – © Mark
This comment also appears here
White House spokesman Jay Carney issued a statement after Syrian forces killed at least 25 people in nationwide democracy protests and helicopters, tanks and troops opened fire on protesters in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.
"The United States strongly condemns the Syrian government's outrageous use of violence across Syria today and particularly in the northwestern region," he said.
"There must be an immediate end to the brutality and violence."
The statement contained a clear sign of Washington's growing impatience over Syria after top officials had repeatedly called for Assad to embrace reform or get out of the way – but stopped short of demanding his departure.
"Earlier this week, we urged the Syrian government to exercise maximum restraint and not to respond to its own reported losses through additional civilian casualties," Mr Carney added. "The Syrian government is leading Syria on a dangerous path. » | Alastair Jamieson | Saturday, June 11, 2011
Authorities at Moscow’s Matrosskaya Tishina prison informed the jailed oligarch’s wife of the forthcoming transfer yesterday morning, Vadim Klyugvant told Russian media.
Neither Khodorkovsky’s wife nor his lawyers have been able to seen [sic] him, even though prisoners are entitled to a family visit before being transferred, Mr Klyugvant said.
“Right now the spouse intends to exercise this right,” he told the Interfax news agency. » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow | Friday, June 10, 2011
The situation is very difficult. They came and started to destroy our houses - all the houses where we were living are destroyed. They used tanks.
We are now at the Turkish border, in the mountains, near the border town of Güvecci. There are 3,000 families on the border now.
We, our children and families, we are all together. I am 20 years old and I have three children.
If they attack here, we will cross the border. They are in the city (Jisr al-Shughour) now, and they didn’t come after us.
We don’t have milk for the babies. From the Turkish jandarma (gendarmerie, the Turkish forces guarding the border) we will get milk. Everybody is sick, there is no milk for the babies.
Trouble started a long time ago, but today is the worst. » | As told to Piotr Zalewski, Antakya | Saturday, June 11, 2011
Margaret Forrester discussed the booklet with family planning staff at the health centre where she worked because she felt that the NHS was failing to give patients information about the risks and other options to terminating a pregnancy.
But after a six-month disciplinary process, during which Ms Forrester had to fight her own case and became ill, she was found guilty of “gross professional misconduct” and fired.
She has spoken out over the “scandal” of the pro-abortion culture in the medical profession and claimed that Christians were “an easy target” for “politically correct” bureaucrats in the NHS.
“The NHS has a pro-abortion stance which comes from a secular religion. It is a belief system which is aggressively anti-Christian,” she said. » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, June 10, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
The life of a hotel maid is not an easy one, with naked men flaunting their wares, verbal abuse, lecherous suggestions and personal hygiene standards that would shame a chimp. But thanks to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, things may be about to improve.
There are more than 10,000 hotel maids – or room attendants as they prefer to be called – in New York City. An invisible army of cleaners working for $24 (£15) an hour (if they have a union job), they rarely hit the headlines.
But their work was thrust into the spotlight after the alleged attack by theformer head of the International Monetary Fund on one of their number in room 2806 of the Times Square Sofitel last month.
Politicians are calling for security checks, more cases of abuse are coming out into the open and the voices of the maids themselves are being heard.
This week, as Strauss-Kahn, hand in hand with his millionaire wife, made his way to court to plead not guilty to the charges against him, a group of maids chanted "shame, shame" to make the news around the world.
They intend to be there again when the trial begins but, in the meantime, they hope their employers and customers are learning something about what it means to be a maid in Manhattan. » | Dominic Rushe in New York | Friday, June 10, 2011
Dieses Video ist zum Teil in Schweizerdeutsch (Schwyzertüütsch).
BBC: At least 28 people have been killed in fresh clashes in Syria between security forces and protesters, activists say.
They say tanks and helicopter gunships opened fire on crowds in the northern town of Maarat al-Numan, leaving several protesters dead.
The violence came as government forces moved on the nearby town of Jisr al-Shughour where the government said 120 security personnel had been killed.
Hundreds of civilians have fled north into Turkey to escape the assault.
Opposition activists told the BBC that the army was adopting a "scorched earth policy" around Jisr al-Shughour, with helicopter gunships and tanks firing into the town as advancing troops bulldozed homes and torched crops and fields.
The Syrian government has not commented on the claim.
Anti-government activists said about 15 people died in the northern province of Idlib, most of them in in Maarat al-Numan where tanks and helicopters fired on protesters.
Correspondents say it is the first reported use of air power to quell protests in Syria's three-month uprising. (+video) » | Friday, June 10, 2011
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ZEIT ONLINE: Das Regime demonstriert Stärke: An der Grenze zur Türkei schoss syrisches Militär auf Wehrlose. Landesweit trotzten Zehntausende Demonstranten dem Druck der Regierung.
Die syrische Armee ist in der Stadt Dschisrasch Schugur, an der Grenze zur Türkei, mit Gewalt gegen Regimegegner vorgegangen. Laut Augenzeugen fuhren Dutzende Militärfahrzeuge durch umliegende Dörfer und schossen auf Demonstranten. Dabei sei ein Mann getötet worden, der sich dem Konvoi in den Weg gestellt habe.
Der Einsatz in der Stadt ziele darauf ab, "bewaffnete Banden" festzunehmen und sei "auf Wunsch der Bevölkerung" begonnen worden, berichtete das Fernsehen. Die Bewohner der Stadt befürchteten seit Tagen eine Vergeltungsaktion der Armee, nachdem vor einer Woche angeblich 120 Polizisten durch Rebellen ermordet worden waren. Aktivisten und Oppositionelle hatten das zurückgewiesen und gesagt, es habe eine Meuterei bei der Polizei gegeben, weil Sicherheitskräfte nicht auf Demonstranten hätten schießen wollen.
Eindeutige Informationen aus dem Land sind kaum zu bekommen, die wesentlichsten Quellen sind Augenzeugen, online veröffentlichte Videos wie eine nicht verifizierte Aufnahme von Misshandlungen oder Vertreter von Menschenrechtsgruppen. Für ausländische Journalisten ist das Land offiziell gesperrt. » | ZEIT ONLINE, dpa, AFP, Reuters | Freitag 10. Juni 2011
Syrians in a refugee camp on the Syria-Turkey border celebrated, after a rumour circulated that President Bashar al-Assad had stepped down.
People waved and gathered in a victory lap around the camp, before finding out the rumour was false.
Turkey has since covered the fence seperating the two countries with blue plastic sheets to block visibility of the goings-on in the camp.
Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Yayladagi, in Turkey - on the perimeter of the Syrian refugee camp.
Âgé de 75 ans, l'ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères de Saddam Hussein souhaite que le gouvernement irakien mette fin à son calvaire. «Mon père ne peut plus bouger ni parler et éprouve de sérieuses difficultés à s'alimenter», explique Ziad, le fils de Tarek Aziz, joint par téléphone à Amman. La famille, qui fait part de ses préoccupations, s'indigne du silence des autorités irakiennes. «Il y a deux semaines, ma mère et ma sœur sont venues à Bagdad pour lui rendre visite, sans succès. Le vice-ministre de la Justice ne répond d'ailleurs plus à nos appels téléphoniques», poursuit l'homme à la voix inquiète.
Plus de trois mois après la confirmation en appel de la peine de mort par pendaison, l'ancien chef de la diplomatie irakienne lance une supplique à la hauteur de son désespoir. L'homme dont l'état de santé se serait sérieusement dégradé ces dernières semaines demande désormais son exécution immédiate, ou sa libération afin d'avoir accès aux soins nécessaires. Une requête maintes fois présentée par les proches de Tarek Aziz. Victime de deux crises cardiaques l'année dernière, il a fait part de son refus de mourir en prison. La demande a cependant toujours été rejetée par le gouvernement chiite de Nouri al-Maliki, bien décidé à effacer toute trace du régime dictatorial. » | Par Fatma Kizilboga | Jeudi 09 Juin 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Queen sprang a 90th birthday surprise on the Duke of Edinburgh yesterday by making him Lord High Admiral, the titular head of the Royal Navy.
Her Majesty has held the title herself since a re-organisation of the Navy in 1964, but decided to bestow it on her husband as a gift to mark his landmark birthday and to show her gratitude for his unstinting support during 59 years as her consort.
A royal insider said the Duke was “really, really touched” by the honour, which the Queen told him about during a private birthday lunch for two at Buckingham Palace.
“The Duke’s great passion in life was the Royal Navy,” said the insider, “so this it’s just the most amazing gift for the Queen to have given him. It was a complete surprise and he only found out about it when the Queen told him during their lunch.”
The title is a particularly fitting gift for the Duke, who served with the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets during the Second World War, and will be seen as a recognition by the Queen of the sacrifice her husband made by giving up his Naval career to be her full-time consort when she became monarch in 1952. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Friday, June 10, 2011
VANCOUVER SUN: OTTAWA — To commemorate Prince Philip's 90th birthday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Friday that the Duke of Edinburgh had been appointed to the top ranks of the Canadian Forces.
Prince Philip was appointed as an honorary admiral and general, marking the first time the high ranks have been granted on an honorary basis.
"I am delighted that His Royal Highness has accepted this honour from Canada in recognition of his significant contribution to our national life," Harper said in a statement. "His unwavering support of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and his commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as to many other fields of endeavour in this country, are worthy of our highest recognition and deepest gratitude."
With the most recent appointments, Prince Philip becomes an admiral in maritime command and a general in land forces and air command. He is allowed to wear the ranks on all three uniforms of the Canadian Forces. » | POSTMEDIA NEWS | Friday, June 10, 2011
Related »
Facts about Philip »
WIKI: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh »
THE GUARDIAN: Liberal, hedonistic and secular Israeli metropolis has ambitions to be world's most gay-friendly place
Rainbows were everywhere – on faces, belts, garlands, T-shirts, paper fans, tattoos and hats. One man had a python draped around his neck, a soldier in uniform carried a rainbow flag, and a young woman, almost naked, danced to the throbbing music, oblivious to the crowds and the searing heat.
On Friday, thousands of people poured on to Tel Aviv's Gordon beach at the end of the annual Gay Pride parade in celebration of sexual freedom, tolerance and their city's ambition to be the most gay-friendly place on Earth.
"The weather is hot, the guys are hot, it's a hot city," said 28-year-old Amit Margalit, wearing turquoise shades and matching beads over his bare chest.
The parade's organisers estimated that more than 100,000 Israelis, plus another 5,000 tourists, took part. Every square metre of shade was crammed, friends greeted one another with sweaty kisses and hugs, stalls selling ice-cold beer were doing brisk trade and traffic jams backed up around closed streets.
Tel Aviv, in sharp contrast to Jerusalem, is a liberal, hedonistic and secular city, where leisure life revolves around beaches, cafes and nightclubs.
Lonely Planet named it one of its top three cities in the world for 2011, describing it as "the flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on the sea rather than an ancient Holy City on a hill" and adding: "There are more bars than synagogues, God is a DJ and everyone's body is a temple." The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rarely on the radar. » | Harriet Sherwood in Tel Aviv | Friday, June 10, 2011
The long and passionate kiss between the two young men continued for several seconds, as onlookers gawped and photographers snapped incessantly. Their lips finally parted when police officers yanked one man away and shoved him into a waiting police car.
Uninhibited public shows of affection between men are seldom seen in Italy. But these two weren't lovers. And the show they put on outside Naples police headquarters on Wednesday evening was something rarer still – a full kiss on the lips between Camorra mobsters as a powerful sign, made very public, that the bonds of the crime syndicate would remain strong and the arrested man would remain silent. Experts say that this particular mob tradition has never previously been filmed or photographed.
The young mobster under arrest, Daniele D'Agnese, 27, a senior figure in the notorious Scissionisti clan of the Camorra, locked lips with not one but two younger male associates in front of press cameras and crowds. La Stampa newspaper said the kisses were a message telling the pair that they would not be left to fend for themselves.
"It was a sign to the weaker members of the group telling them, 'We'll continue to be a group; we'll command the same territory and whatever happens, you won't be abandoned'," it said. The kiss may also have been a sign to rival clans that Scissionisti bonds remained strong. (+video) » | Michael Day | Friday, June 10, 2011
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