In the papers
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
By Marie-Noelle BAUER/ FRANCE 24
Libération (France)
‘George W. Bush buries Annapolis during farewell tour’
‘En Tournée d’Adieu, George W. Bush signe l’acte de décès d’Annapolis’
This by exerting no pressure on Israelis to make concessions. Even the Israeli daily the‘Jerusalem Post’ stresses the fact that during his speech in the Knesset Bush struck a ‘strikingly tougher tone with Arab nations than he did with the Hebrew state’.
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
'Bush pushes Arab world on political reforms'
So what now? Well the British Times seems to think that we need to sit tight and wait for the next US prez to be elected…and they advise them to hit the ground running and visit the region as soon after the inauguration as possible. So roll on January 2009!
The Times (UK)
’After Bush’
Advice that ties in well with an opinion piece in today’s edition of the ‘New York Times’ focusing on presidential candidate Barack Obama’s relationship with the Jews. There’s been a big whispering campaign among American Jews about Obama supposedly backing the Palestinian cause. Cause for concern as US Jews traditionally vote Democrat. But the writer who himself is Jewish says that what really matters is ‘what kind of America Obama wants to build’. And whether as a president he’d have ‘the smarts to seize a historic opportunity’ to bring about peace in the Middle East should it arise.
The New York Times (US)
‘Obama and the Jews’
Meanwhile don’t bother to adjust your eyes if you’re reading the Chinese newspapers today. They’re all being published in black and white. This how dailies like the Beijing Times have decided to commemorate the 3 national days of mourning for the victims of last Monday’s earthquake.
The Beijing Times (China)
And today’s edition of the ‘International Herald’ features an incredible tale of survival among the rubble from the quake.
Now I know there have been a lot of survivor stories published. But this one differs from the others because it’s also ‘a tale of rekindled love between two people who might have died had they been trapped alone’.
Wang Zhijan and his wife, who were barely on speaking terms when the quake collapsed their dormitory…kept each other alive ‘by whispering to each other. Talking about their daughter and recalling their life together, and what changes’ they’d make if they ever got out alive. It's so romantic and unbelievable it sounds like something out of a TV movie right?
Internaional Herlad Tribune (France)
'In rubble, Chinese couple clung to each other, and to life'
Le Parisien (France)
‘Ten Days Without a Screen’
‘ Dix jours sans écran !’
And speaking of the devil’s box television French daily ‘Le Parisien’ tells us about a rather daring new initiative being undertaken today in the Eastern city Strasbourg. Believe it or not 250 schoolchildren will be banned from using everything from computers, television to video games for 10 whole days. I’ m just thinking that if you tried this on with my kid he would absolutely die from TV withdrawal, the box is like his second mother.
And all I’m hoping is that the little whipper snapper never comes begging to me for a little plastic surgery…because of course he’s the most beautiful boy in the world if I do say so myself. There’s this absolutely terrifying piece in Libération about teen plastic surgery…which is apparently becoming so rife in Germany that the government is trying to step in to stem it.
I mean really would you let one of your girlies get a tummy tuck or a boob job?
Libération (France)
‘ Lifting des ados, Achtung !’
‘Teen Plastic Surgery, Achtung!
