Liberation (France)

Rétrospective W. Bush

Starting off today’s press review with a retrospective of US president George W. Bush, published in French left-wing daily Liberation. The cartoons are laid out like paintings in an art exhibition. The style is a parody of a painting of a pipe by the artist Matisse, which carries the caption “this is not a pipe”.  

Each of the subsequent cartoons represents key events which have marked his eight years in office, with accompanying captions. For example, there’s one of a famous image showing an Iraqi prisoner apparently being tortured with the caption “this is not torture.” Perhaps most topical is a picture of Barack Obama with the caption “this is not possible”.

La Libre Belgique (Belguim) 

 « Un intérêt inédit en Afrique »

Staying with the US political theme and Belgium newspaper La Libre has an article about the unprecedented interest the forthcoming elections have had in Africa. The article says that the prospect of having a black president at the head of one of the most powerful nations on earth has boosted self-esteem on the African continent.

Barack Obama’s roots are embedded in Africa – his father was Kenyan and he has a hardcore of proud supporters there. But his influence has spread much further….inspiring people across the continent that change is on its way.

The New York Times (US)

“Fears on animal feed widen china’s food inquiry"

The New York Times says that Chinese regulators are widening their investigation into contaminated food amid mounting evidence that the toxic industrial chemical melamine has leaked into animal feed supplies.

This could pose health risks to consumers around the globe and is a serious blow to China’s agriculture industry.

Melamine traces have been found in eggs across China, although in much lower levels than found in the powdered milk at the start of the scandal. The New York Times says that if eggs, milk and animal feed are contaminated, a much wider array of foods are likely to come under scrutiny including meat, bread; cakes, seafood and sweets.

In the US, there were fears that melamine – which can cause renal failure in children - had found its way into Halloween treats.

The Age (Australia)

“Bursting of bubble hits Chinese middle class”

Australian newspaper “The Age” reports that the first housing boom of modern China has collapsed spectacularly. The Chinese have increasingly hopped on the housing ladder in recent years…sending house prices soaring across the country.

But cities have grown too big, too fast, leaving a dearth of empty properties. This combined with the credit crunch have sent prices plummeting by as much as 40 percent in some areas.

The Telegraph (UK)

“Exclusive: SAS chief quits over ‘negligence that killed his troops’”

Moving on to the British press now and the Telegraph has an exclusive article about why the commander of Britain’s SAS troops in Afghanistan has quit the post. The Telegraph says Major Sebastian Morley has accused the government of gross negligence for failing to properly equip soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

He says a lack of adequate protection led to the “needless” deaths of several of his troops including Cpl Sarah Bryant, the first female soldier to die in Afghanistan. Major Morley is reportedly furious that his repeated requests for Snatch Land Rovers to be replaced with more sturdy vehicles were continually ignored.