The front page of the International Herald Tribune features a photo of a New York City fireman adjusting flowers on a memorial for comrades who died in 9/11. In the New York Times, there’s an article on the 12th September, the “forgotten date” the day the terrorist attacks when the city thought everything had changed for good. Many thought New York would become a fortress city, forever patrolled by soldiers and marines. As for tourists, many asked if they’d ever come again. Business was slow for months. New York souvenirs wouldn’t sell – they didn’t seem to mean the same thing any more. On the other hand flag sales sky rocketed. Workers in high rise buildings stuffed parachutes under their desks.

The Russian papers Kommersant and the Moscow Times cover Venezuela’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abhkazia as independent countries. This follows in the footsteps of Nicaragua and Russia itself. The Moscow Times says the Kremlin denies any quid pro quo in the recognition however, Medvedev promised that Russia would deliver arms to Venezuela. Oksana Antonenko, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, told the paper that Venezuela’s move won’t make these two small republics full members of the international community. Chavez has nothing to lose. He has very bad relations with the United States and he wants nothing from the Europeans.

In the Lebanese press, the French language daily L’Orient le Jour carries an interview with the outgoing French ambassador in Beirut, André Parant. A government still has not been formed, 73 days after Harari was nominated as Prime Minister. Parant says he can’t understand why there is such a delay. All the conditions are in place to finalise the process an agreement has already been reached over how to divide the cabinet between the different factions. While the current situation certainly amounts to a political crisis in the country, Parant says it doesn’t compare to the problems two years ago when the country didn’t even have credible political institutions. That is no longer the case and the security situation is also vastly improved, he notes.

The Guardian reports on the Prince of Wales’s organic food line, Duchy Originals. It has been handed a lifeline by the supermarket chain, Waitrose. The brand is now to become the supermarket’s luxury range. The line involves 200 quintessentially British products which could now be expanded to 500. I’m not sure if 500 quintessentially British food products exist… Amongst its current offerings are chutney, cheddar cheese flavoured biscuits and herbal tinctures.