General Politics

What talks? Zimbabwe's MDC says "total deadlock" on ministries

What talks? Zimbabwe's MDC says "total deadlock" on ministries Harare/Johannesburg - Hopes for an end to Zimbabwe's drawn- out political crisis were dashed again Monday when the pro-democracy Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) dismissed reports that talks to settle the details of a power-sharing agreement signed with President Robert Mugabe three weeks ago were to resume immediately.

Brown Government drops `unworkable'' 42-day detention proposal

London, Oct. 6 : The British Government has decided to abandon its proposal to hold terrorist suspects for 42 days after being told that it will be defeated in the House of Lords.

Ministers have privately admitted that there is not “a cat in Hell’s chance” of the legislation being passed into law when it returns to the House of Lords this week.

The Government has decided against using the Parliament Act to force the measure through after peers reject it, The Times has learnt.

That decision will effectively confine the controversial proposal — which the Prime Minister fought tooth and nail to get through a Commons vote in June — to the legislative dustbin.

Chinese dissident in Taiwan asks to go home

Chinese dissident in Taiwan asks to go home Taipei - A Chinese dissident attempting to claim asylum in Taiwan since last year asked to be repatriated on Saturday, following an unsuccessful bid for refugee status.

Cai Lujun, 40, made the request in a letter emailed to the Taiwan government. Taiwan officials have said that they would respect Cai's wish.

Cai, a former businessman in Hebei Province in China, was a jailed for three years in 2003 for criticizing the Chinese government on the internet.

On July 26, 2007, he fled to Taiwan on a fishing boat to seek asylum.

Peter Mandelson says return to UK Cabinet is ''third time lucky''

Peter MandelsonLondon, Oct.4: Peter Mandelson has described his return to the British Cabinet "great challenge and a great opportunity".

Speaking outside Downing Street, Mandelson said his comeback was "third time lucky", in apparent reference to his two previous spells as a Minister. He was forced out of Government under controversial circumstances in 1998 and 2001.

He added that while he and Gordon Brown had had their "ups and downs" in the past, they now "worked very well together".

Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are setting French catwalks on fire!

Barack Obama and Sarah PalinWashington, October 4: U. S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin have emerged as new fashion icons, with models at Paris Fashion Week sporting their styles.

Yves Saint Laurent''s spring-summer show on Thursday saw designer Stefano Pilati send models down the runway with a variation of Palin''s signature beehive-with-bangs hairdo.

Obama also inspired a line of dresses, reports Fox News.

A model even wore a short frock featuring a portrait of the Democratic presidential candidate.

Sarah Palin disagrees with John McCain’s Michigan pull out

Sarah Palin disagrees with John McCain’s Michigan pull outNew York, Oct. 4: Alaska Governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has said that she disagreed with the McCain Campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan.

In an interview with FOX News on Friday, Palin said that she and her husband Todd would "be happy" to campaign in the economically distraught battleground state.

Palin said the decision to pull out of Michigan, which was announced Thursday, was "not a surprise" to her since polls showed McCain slipping in the state.

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