Al shark al awsat (Saudi Arabia)

Sudan air raid

There are two completely different stories on the mystery air raid in Sudan that took place last month where a convoy of suspected arms smugglers was targeted.

In the Arabic publication Al shark al awsat, Sudan accuses the USA and France of carrying out the attacks, despite denials from both countries of any involvement. Sudan also says that in the convoy were 800 clandestine Eritreans and Ethiopians on their way to Egypt, despite other reports at the time saying around 39 were dead.


Jerusalem Post (Israel)

Olmert boasts of global reach after Hamas arms convoy hit in Sudan

But over in Israel, look at the cover of the Jerusalem Post and it’s a whole new story: ‘Olmert boasts of global reach after Hamas arms convoy hit in Sudan’. The outgoing prime minister has not officially claimed the attack but has, unofficially, as far as the Israeli and international press are concerned. His comments in regard to the attack that ‘there is nowhere in the world Israel cannot reach’ have been taken as an admission but Israel’s story is that the convoy was carrying arms from Iran for Hamas use.


Le Figaro (France)

French Pentagon by 2014

Lots in the press about France’s 'le Pentagone'... France has decided to copy the States with their new defence ministry 'le Pentagone' and will be moving 10,000 civil and military service people to a new site. It should be built by 2014 and is expected to cost 600 million euros. It's too early to say whether the future ministry will be built along the lines of the US Pentagon with its five sides as the architect has yet to be chosen.

Telegraph (UK)

France gets 'Pentagon à la française' bunker in Paris

Well, if you live in the Parisian district of Balard you might be fairly unimpressed to read the UK Telegraph calling it ‘characterless’ after France’s defence ministry chose the area for the new Pentagon. The ministry will be relocating there from the posh seventh arrondissement. According to the Telegraph, it will be a major architectural gesture complete with a bunker.


Daily Mail (UK)
Sarkozy: I have 'no plans' to replace Dati with glamorous TV presenter

Staying with France, and despite President Sarkozy’s denial that he is replacing Rachida Dati with glamorous TV presenter Christine Kelly, the UK press just won’t let it go. Let's take a look at the Daily Mail.. any excuse to print a photo of a woman in a bikini! The tabloid picked up on the non-story after France’s Le Figaro published comments by Sarkozy syaing that  ‘Christine is a great girl.. we’ll have to bear her in mind…’  - comments that might slightly embarrass the president, known to have a penchant for beautiful women. It's been a big story in the UK for three days now - broadsheet The Telegraph also covered it. Only in Britain eh?! Christine Kelly, according to the Daily Mail, is best known for presenting on a little-known TV channel and wearing a bikini on her outdoor adventure show. But bizarrely, she has also written the biography of France's Prime Minister Francois Fillon, bizarrely!


Times (UK)
Indian scientists told to create a curry fit for an astronaut

On to an interesting development in the space race between India, China and Japan, all of whom are trying to send a man into space by 2015. Indian scientists have been asked to develop a special curry suitable for consumption in space, just in case their astronauts get peckish and a little homesick. It’s giving the scientists lots of problems.. spicy food is difficult to digest in space apparently! But it's important to India to keep their astronauts happy. Adapting fried bhajis is apparently posing the trickiest problem for the scientists.