Madeleine files handed over
It was reported in several British newspapers yesterday that large numbers of pages of information was passed to the McCanns by Portuguese police.

It is alleged that files containing previously unseen information, which was being held by the police, was released to the McCann family after an application was made to a Portuguese court. Madeleine’s parents were said to be shocked by the lack of follow-up work since the case was put on hold pending a new breakthrough.

Investigators employed by the charity set up in Madeleine’s name are still engaged in looking for the missing child. Several sightings of girls fitting her description have not been pursued by police including reports of children in Portugal, Spain, France, the US and Australia.

Civil Service Strike
Today many civil service workers are on strike in protest against wage freezes imposed by the government under pressure to reduce debt. Secretary of State for Public Administration, Gonçalo Castilho dos Santos, said that while he regretted the call for action he was frustrated that the union called a protest in the middle of the negotiation process. The government recognises the constitutional right of the workers but Mr Santos said that there were at least three more meetings that are planned to discuss matters.

Fishing boat disaster
A fishing boat with five on board capsized yesterday off the coast of Caminha in the north of Portugal next to the border of Spain. An alarm was raised at around 5.30 Wednesday morning when the vessel sank due to a strong tide at the mouth of the River Minho. Two men, clinging to buoys, were rescued at around 10.30 and taken to hospital suffering hypothermia and minor injuries. A third was found dead during the huge search involving naval boats, the coastguard, police and four helicopters, including one from nearby Spain.

Two men are still missing, one being the brother of the deceased man found yesterday. The fisherman were said to be experienced hands all aged between 40 and 50 years but it was said in reports released yesterday that they were not wearing life vests. The Maritime Police of Caminha issued a statement saying that by law boats must carry life jackets but there is no compulsion to use them.

Search for child in river
The search to find a missing child believed to have been playing near to the River Tua in Mirandela on Tuesday is still ongoing. Hundreds of men have looked for the twelve year old student of the Luciano Cordeiro school along the river bank. The boy disappeared on Tuesday at lunchtime and was thought to have gone to a park next to the river, some distance from the educational establishment. An enquiry is also underway at the school to ascertain what happened.

Algarve cup won by US
The women’s football tournament, the Algarve cup, was won yesterday by the United States team, beating Germany in the final 3-2. The US team won all three of their group games as did Germany which resulted in an exciting final made difficult by terrible weather conditions and a sodden pitch underfoot. The Americans have won the competition now seven times. Sweden came third following a semi-final against China which they won 2-0.

UK
Michael Foot dies at 96
The former Labour Party leader, Michael Foot, died on Wednesday.
 
Michael Foot started out as a journalist and by 28 he was editing the London Evening Standard.  At 31 in 1945 he was first elected to Parliament in Clement Attlee’s landslide Labour victory following the war.  His parliamentary career encompassed 47 years including spells in the Callaghan and Wilson governments as Minister for Employment and Commons leader.

In 1980 he was elected leader of the Labour Party following the leadership of Jim Callaghan and held this position for three years, standing down in 1983 following his defeat to Margaret Thatcher when she was elected to a second term as prime minister.  It was Labour’s worst electoral defeat in 60 years, with the party’s manifesto called ‘the longest suicide letter in history’.

During his leadership, the break-away Social Democrat party was formed.

He was a life-long campaigner for social justice and was a founding member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He is considered one of the finest orators of his day.

Mr Foot had been in ill health for some time and needed 24-hour care.  His death was recorded just before 7.00 am.

UK
Zuma visits the UK
South African President Jacob Zuma has begun a three-day state visit to the UK where he was formally received by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The welcoming ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Brown who missed Prime Minister’s Questions in order to attend.  Mr Zuma and Prince Philip reviewed a guard of honour before proceeding by carriage to Buckingham Palace.  The day was capped by a state banquet at the palace.

Mr Brown and Mr Zuma are in talks today, Thursday, where it is expected the agenda will address the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, the global economy and climate change, as well as the football World Cup in South Africa this summer.

During his stay, Mr Zuma plans to visit the Muswell Hill, north London, house where anti-apartheid politician Oliver Tambo used to live and the building site for the Olympics in Stratford, east London.  Meetings are also arranged with Conservative leader David Cameron and Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg.

European Parliament
UKIP leader fined
MEP Nigel Farage of UKIP has been fined €3,000 after he refused to apologise for his torrent of abuse targetted primarily at European Council President Herman van Rompuy.

Last week Mr Farage told the president that no one in Europe had ever heard of him, that he had the “charisma of a damp rag,” that he had the appearance of a “low-grade bank clerk” from a nation (Belgium) which he described as “pretty much a non-country”.

UKIP, which has 13 MEPs in the parliament, seeks British withdrawal from the European Union.  Mr Farage pledged to continue criticising the powers held by Mr van Rompuy and other senior officials who had not been elected.

When asked to apologise for his “insulting” comments, Mr Farage refused saying his voice was the legitimate “voice of opposition” to EU policies.  He did not feel his comments had been insulting or that he had used “unparliamentary language”.

Mr van Rompuy had not been elected but chosen unanimously by the leaders of the EU’s 27 member states.

Greece
Euro rises slightly
The government has announced a third round of measures designed to save €4.8bn.  New tax rises and expense cuts are a response to wider European fears on that Greece’s economic woes could undermine the euro.

Further rises on alcohol and tobacco taxes are planned, raising VAT from 19 to 21 per cent, in addition to a 30 per cent cut in holiday “bonuses” for civil servants.  The Greek system calls for workers to be paid annual salaries in 14 segments and it is one or more of these segments targetted amidst fears that it may not ever be reinstituted.

Trades unions have called for further strikes against the government’s plans, having already declared that removal of the bonus system would be a “declaration of war”.  Businesses fear that higher taxes will discourage consumer spending.

As a result of the announcement, the euro rose against the dollar by 0.3 per cent to $1.3637 but was slightly lower against sterling at 90.60 pence.  This bucks the trend of the euro falling on Tuesday to its lowest level against the dollar in ten months.

The famed Greek singer, Nana Mouskouri, has offered to give her European Parliament pension to the government.  She was a Euro MP from 1994 to 1999 for the conservative New Democracy party.

Ms Mouskouri has recorded 1,500 songs in seven languages during her long career and sold more than 300 million records, making her one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.

Ukraine
New cabinet to be formed
A parliamentary vote of no-confidence has ushered Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her cabinet into forced resignations.

Last month Mrs Tymoshenko lost the national election but refused to step down.  Yesterday’s no-confidence vote was agreed by 243 out of 450 MPs.

The new president, Victor Yanukovych, now must create a new coalition in parliament.  If his efforts do not succeed, snap parliamentary elections will be held.

Israel
Tourist area to replace homes
Part of the Arab area of East Jerusalem is to be demolished in order to create an upmarket tourist district of hotels and gardens, according to plans announced by Jerusalem’s mayor.

Prime Minister Netanyahu called upon the mayor to delay the plan until the mayor conducted more public consultation.

The area is believed to be the location of a garden where the biblical King David wrote his psalms and is near the Temple Mount, which the Palestinians call al-Bustan.

The plan allows for the demolition of 22 houses from which the residents will be moved elsewhere while another 66 houses to be legalised with their residents obtaining a legal right to remain.  The mayor’s office claims that Palestinian houses in the area are illegal and the neighbourhood has been turned into a slum.

Palestinians counter that it is their homes and their land. "It's our forefathers' land, Arab land, Muslim land, I refuse to give up this land," said Abu Mohammad, who has lived in the area for 17 years.

There are fears that the initiative will provoke more violence in what is already a volatile area.