The Guardian (UK)
“In a man’s world, is Iraqi politics ready to embrace women?”

It’s a big day in Iraq as voting in the provincial elections begins. The Guardian is exploring the challenges for Iraq’s female candidates. Election rules say that 30% of candidates have to be women. The paper talks to one candidate who says she can’t campaign publically — she says women are threatened and shunned for the role they take. In a male-dominated arena, it’s tough to campaign. And if a woman were elected, what role could she play in a society with such traditional gender roles?


The Times (UK)
“New power-sharing deal will not end the agony in Mugabe's Zimbabwe”

The deal on a unity government in Zimbabwe has been a long time in the making, but there could still be trouble ahead. The Times says the main weakness in the deal is that the agreement doesn’t sort out any of the underlying problems, like the division of power and the control of armed forces and police.

Another headline reads: “Tsvangirai risks all as he does deal with Mugabe on sharing power.” This deal could mark the beginning of the end of Mugabe’s 28-year-rule but could equally well hand him a much-needed lifeline.


The Guardian (UK)
“We want fairness, we want jobs, say workers on the picket lines”

Now it’s Britain’s turn to strike. Unions are calling for British jobs for British workers as the French oil company Total gives a 200-million-pound contract to an Italian firm for work in a UK refinery. Strikes have spread across the country. Up to 3,000 workers from 11 oil refineries across the country have walked out.


The Independent (UK)
“Backlash”

Recalling Gordon Brown's call for "a British job for every British worker" at the Trades Union Conference in September 2007, the Independent's front-page headline was "Backlash".

As people worry about the recession, they don’t want to lose jobs to people from other countries. But the paper points out that Total isn’t breaking any rules. These are EU workers, entitled to EU jobs.


The Independent (UK)
“Smart traffic lights rigged to trap drivers”

In another Italian scandal, this time back home, one million Italians have reportedly being scammed by dodgy traffic-light fines. The engineer who designed the cameras to catch people skipping the lights is being investigated.

It its claimed that he set up the cameras to turn from amber to red twice as quickly as normal in order trap the innocent jumping a red light. His system was loathed by motorists but loved by local governments, who raked in up to 300% more revenues from  fines.