According to an investigative report published Monday by a state-owned newspaper, public security officials in Xintai city have been INSTITUTIONALIZING RESIDENTS WHO PERSIST IN THEIR PERSONAL CAMPAIGNS TO EXPOSE CORRUPTION OR TO PROTEST THE UNFAIR SEIZURE OF THEIR PROPERTY. Some people said they were committed up to two years, and several of those interviewed said they had been forced to consume psychiatric medication. The article, in The Beijing News, said MOST INMATES HAD BEEN RELEASED AFTER THEY AGREED TO GIVE UP THEIR CAUSES.

Sun Fawu, 57, a farmer seeking compensation for land spoiled by a coal mining operation, said he was seized by the local authorities on his way to petition the central government in Beijing and brought to the Xintai Mental Health Center in October. During a 20-day stay, he said he was tied to a bed, forced to take pills and given injections that made him numb and woozy. When he told the doctor he was a petitioner, not mentally ill, the doctor reportedly said, "I don't care if you're sick or not. As long as you are sent by the township government, I'll treat you as a mental patient."

In an interview with the paper, the hospital's director, Wu Yuzhu, acknowledged that some of the 18 patients brought there by the police in recent years were not deranged, but he had no choice but to take them in. "THE HOSPITAL ALSO HAD ITS MISGIVINGS," he said. Reached by phone on Monday, a hospital employee said Wu, THE HOSPITAL DIRECTOR WHO VOICED HIS MISGIVINGS TO THE BEIJING NEWS, WAS UNAVAILABLE. The employee, Hu Peng, said local government officials had taken him away FOR "A MEETING" earlier in the day and had also looked through patient records.

Organizers of "DAY WITHOUT A GAY" - scheduled to coincide with International Human Rights Day and modelled after similar work stoppages by Latino immigrants - also are encouraging people to perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money. "WE ARE ALL FOR A BOYCOTT IF THAT IS WHAT BRINGS ABOUT A SENSE OF COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE," said Hetherington, 30, who plans to spend Wednesday volunteering at an inner-city school. "You can take away from the economy and give back in other ways."

Scott Craig, a fifth-grade teacher at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, had no problem requesting and being granted the day off. So many of the school's 60 teachers were eager to show support for gay rights they had to make sure enough stayed behind to staff classrooms.

About 25 teachers plan to take Wednesday off and to have their work covered by substitutes while they discuss ways to introduce gay issues to their students and volunteer at the local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Craig said. A letter telling parents why so many teachers would be out went home Monday. "WE WANT TO GET THE CONVERSATION GOING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT GAY IS NOT BAD," Craig said. "FOR KIDS TO HEAR THAT IN A POSITIVE LIGHT CAN BE LIFE-CHANGING."

The company said the jobs would be cut by April 2010 but did not say in which countries the staff would go. Sony said it had been trying to reduce production because of the downturn but warned it still had to do more. The news came as Japan drastically raised its estimate of the amount its economy shrank from July to September. The cuts are also risky because they mean Sony will be investing less in future growth.

The Cabinet Office said the economy had shrunk at an annual rate of 1.8% in the quarter, down from its previous estimate of 0.4%. Sony aims to generate cost savings of about 100bn yen ($1.1bn; £730m) by the end of the next financial year. It will cut its investment in electronic operations by 30% and shut down about 10% of its 57 production facilities.

"THE NUMBER SOUNDS BIG, BUT THIS STAFF REDUCTION WON'T BE ENOUGH," said Katsuhiko Mori, a fund manager at Daiwa SB Investments. "Sony doesn't have any core businesses that generate stable profits - the next thing we want to see is what is going to be the business that will drive the company." There has been an almost constant stream of bad news from Japanese companies over the past few weeks, so it does not come as a great surprise that the recession in Japan is deepening. WHAT IS ALARMING IS HOW QUICKLY THE SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE.

Riots broke out in several Greek cities after police shot dead a teenager in the capital Athens. It is premature to see the troubles as Greece's reprise of the Paris uprising of 1968. One of the wisest observations has come from Nikos Konstandaras, the managing editor of Kathimerini, one of Greece's more sober and respected newspapers.

In an editorial entitled "Anger's teen martyr", Mr Konstandaras wrote that Mr Grioropoulos' blood would be "used to bind together every disparate protest and complaint into a platform of righteous rage against all the ills of our society. It will quickly become a flag of convenience for anyone who has a grudge against the state, the government, the economic system, foreign powers, capitalism and so on. If Greece had already appeared difficult to govern, it will now be out of control."

Police issued a statement after the shooting, saying a patrol car with two officers inside was attacked by about 30 youths throwing stones. They were attacked again and responded, with one firing a stun grenade and the other shooting and fatally wounding the boy, AP quoted the statement as saying.

A "world government" would involve much more than co-operation between nations. IT WOULD BE AN ENTITY WITH STATE-LIKE CHARACTERISTICS, BACKED BY A BODY OF LAWS. The European Union has already set up a continental government for 27 countries, which could be a model. The EU has a supreme court, a currency, thousands of pages of law, a large civil service and the ability to deploy military force. So could the European model go global? There are three reasons for thinking that it might.

FIRST, it is increasingly clear that the most difficult issues facing national governments are international in nature: there is GLOBAL WARMING, a GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS and a "GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR".

SECOND, it could be done. The transport and communications revolutions have shrunk the world so that, as Geoffrey Blainey, an eminent Australian historian, has written: "For the first time in human history, world government of some sort is now possible." MR BLAINEY FORESEES AN ATTEMPT TO FORM A WORLD GOVERNMENT AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT TWO CENTURIES, which is an unusually long time horizon for the average newspaper column.

But – THE THIRD POINT – A CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE suggests that "global governance" could come much sooner than that. The financial crisis and climate change are pushing national governments towards global solutions, even in countries such as China and the US that are fierce guardians of national sovereignty.

Some European thinkers think that they recognise what is going on. Jacques Attali, an adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, argues that: "GLOBAL GOVERNANCE IS JUST A EUPHEMISM FOR GLOBAL GOVERNMENT." As far as he is concerned, some form of global government cannot come too soon. Mr Attali believes that the "CORE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS IS THAT WE HAVE GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKETS AND NO GLOBAL RULE OF LAW".

The world's most pressing political problems may indeed be international in nature, but THE AVERAGE CITIZEN'S POLITICAL IDENTITY REMAINS STUBBORNLY LOCAL. Until somebody cracks this problem, that plan for world government may have to stay locked away in a safe at the UN.

"WITHOUT SEEKING TO BECOME A POLITICAL PLAYER she aspires, with THE INDEPENDENCE OF HER MORAL AUTHORITY, to co-operate faithfully and openly with all leaders of the temporal world in the noble goal of achieving a civilization of justice, peace, reconciliation, solidarity, and of those other ideals that can never be rescinded or left at the mercy of party consensus, as they are engraved in the human heart and correspond to truth."

The current century, the Pope said, continually shows us the need "to forge personal, family and social life in keeping with these elemental values, which exalt the individual and the entire community."

"Among these we must highlight support for the family based on marriage between a man and a woman, ... defense of human life from conception to natural end, eradication of poverty, ... the struggle against corruption, adopting means to assist parents in their inalienable right to educate their children in their own ethical and religious convictions, and promoting young people THAT THEY MAY BECOME MEN AND WOMEN OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION."

The Pope said this today upon receiving members of the International Theological Commission in audience, who in their assembly this week took definitive steps toward elaborating a document on the topic.

In his address, Benedict XVI insisted on "the need and urgency, in the present context, to create in culture and in civil and political society the indispensable conditions for full awareness of the inalienable value of the NATURAL MORAL LAW. Thanks also to the study you have undertaken on this fundamental argument, it will be clear that the NATURAL LAW constitutes the true guarantee offered each one to live freely and in respect of his dignity of person, and to feel PROTECTED FROM ANY IDEOLOGICAL MANIPULATION and from all abuse perpetrated in virtue of the law of the strongest," said the [Pontiff].

According to the Pontiff, "in a world shaped by the natural sciences, the metaphysical concept of the natural law is almost absent, incomprehensible. Seeing this fundamental importance for our societies, for human life," he added, "it is necessary to pose again and to understand this concept in the context of our thought: Being itself bears in itself a moral message and an indication for the paths of law."

She is quoted as saying: "THE EU SUMMIT WILL NOT TAKE DECISIONS ON CLIMATE PROTECTION THAT WILL ENDANGER JOBS OR INVESTMENTS IN GERMANY. I WILL PROVIDE FOR THAT".

The IHT notes that Germany is concerned that the provision requiring steel, paper, cement, glass and chemical makers to buy their pollution permits at auction will put local industry at a disadvantage and cause them to move their factories overseas. Berlin is proposing that heavy industry continue to get 80% of its permits for free. "It would be a miracle if we got an agreement at this point," a French diplomat told the paper.

Italy is also resisting the package in its current form. "Some people claim environmental measures are a way to re-launch industry, but let's be realistic," said Stefania Prestigiacomo, Italy's Environment Minister, according to the IHT. "Resources are limited, and they will be even more so because of the economic crisis." She added, "We have to set priorities. It's useless to lay down objectives that won't be respected."

The Palestinians oppose any EU effort to widen relations with Israel in political, economic, scientific, security, health and other spheres. They say Israel should do more to ease the humanitarian crisis in their areas. Schwarzenberg says increasing relations were "not only in the interest of Israel but also very much in the interest of the Palestinian people." The Czechs hold the EU presidency in the first half of 2009.

The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J., to intervene in the presidential election. Donofrio says that since Obama had dual nationality at birth — his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject — he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen," one of the requirements the Constitution lists for eligibility to be president. Donofrio also contends that two other candidates, Republican John McCain and Socialist Workers candidate Roger Calero, also are not natural-born citizens and thus ineligible to be president.

At least one other appeal over Obama's citizenship remains at the court. Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii as Obama says and the Hawaii secretary of state has confirmed. Berg says Obama also may be a citizen of Indonesia, where he lived as a boy. Federal courts in Pennsylvania have dismissed Berg's lawsuit. Federal courts in Ohio and Washington state have rejected similar lawsuits. Allegations raised on the Internet say the birth certificate, showing that Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961, is a fake.

The publisher claims the changes have been made to reflect the fact that BRITAIN IS A MODERN, MULTICULTURAL, MULTIFAITH SOCIETY. But academics and head teachers said that the changes to the 10,000 word Junior Dictionary could mean that children lose touch with Britain's heritage.

"We have a certain Christian narrative which has given meaning to us over the last 2,000 years. To say it is all relative and replaceable is questionable," said Professor Alan Smithers, the director of the centre for education and employment at Buckingham University. "The word selections are a very interesting reflection of the way childhood is going, MOVING AWAY FROM OUR SPIRITUAL BACKGROUND and the natural world and towards the world that information technology creates for us."

VINEETA GUPTA, the head of children's dictionaries at Oxford University Press, said: "When you look back at older versions of dictionaries, there were lots of examples of flowers for instance. That was because many children lived in semi-rural environments and saw the seasons. Nowadays, the environment has changed. WE ARE ALSO MUCH MORE MULTICULTURAL. PEOPLE DON'T GO TO CHURCH AS OFTEN AS BEFORE. Our understanding of religion is within multiculturalism, which is why some words such as "Pentecost" or "Whitsun" would have been in 20 years ago but not now."

WE ARE BEYOND THE EXTREMES OF THE 1930S. The frontiers of monetary policy are being pushed to limits that MAY NOW TEST VIABILITY OF PAPER CURRENCIES and modern central banking. You cannot drop below zero. THIS TIME WE ARE ALL GOING DOWN TOGETHER. There is no deus ex machina to lift us out. Certainly not China, which is the most vulnerable of all.

As a scholar of the Great Depression, Bernanke does not think that sliding prices can safely be allowed to run their course. "Sustained deflation can be highly destructive to a modern economy," he said.

Once the killer virus becomes lodged in the system, it leads to a self-reinforcing debt trap – the real burden of mortgages rises, year after year, house prices falling, year after year. The noose tightens until you choke. Subtly, it shifts wealth from workers to bondholders. It is reactionary poison. ULTIMATELY, IT LEADS TO CIVIC REVOLT. DEMOCRACIES DO NOT TOLERATE SUCH SOCIAL UPHEAVAL FOR LONG. THEY CHANGE THE RULES.

New figures show that the economic crisis has pushed Britain well down the international league table. The UK is now the sixth largest economy in the world, behind America, Japan, China, Germany and France. ECONOMISTS SAID THE FALL REFLECTED THE POUND'S SLUMP TO RECORD LOWS AGAINST THE EURO. A year ago the UK economy was 8 per cent bigger than that of France, measured by gross domestic product (GDP).

Now it is 14 per cent smaller, according to figures from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). "An overvalued sterling has inflated the UK's claims to be among the top five world economies," said Ben Read, an economist with the CEBR. "The drastic reduction in sterling's value has accelerated the inevitable process of the UK falling down the league table of world economies, AS INDIA AND BRAZIL CATCH UP AND OVERTAKE THE UK'S NATIONAL OUTPUT.

At present Britain's GDP is 6 per cent bigger than that of Italy. But according to CEBR, IT WILL DROP BELOW ITALY'S NEXT YEAR.

Obama also said in an interview broadcast Sunday that the survival of the domestic car-making capacity is important, yet any bailout must be "conditioned on an auto industry emerging at the end of the process that actually works." Less than six weeks before he takes office, Obama said that help for homeowners facing foreclosure is an option as part of his plan. He sidestepped a question about when he plans to raise taxes on wealthy Americans.

In the intervening weeks, the economy has showed clear signs of worsening. EMPLOYERS SAID THEY ELIMINATED MORE THAN 500,000 JOBS IN NOVEMBER ALONE and retailers reported disappointing holiday-season sales. "THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER," he said twice in the early moments of the interview, taped Saturday in Chicago.

Mr Cogman, 50, ACCUSED THE POLICE SERVICE OF BECOMING SO SENSITIVE TO THE RIGHTS OF GAYS THAT CHRISTIANS COULD NO LONGER SAFELY EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. Speaking at his home in Sea Palling, Norfolk, which he shares with his wife Elaine, 46, and his two children, Mr Cogman said: "In the service in general there is a feeling of fear. THERE IS A DEFINITE BIAS AGAINST FAITH – ANY FAITH – IF IT TAKES A CRITICAL VIEW OF HOMOSEXUAL SEX."

Mr Cogman, backed by the Police Federation, is appealing against his sacking and is planning to take his force to an employment tribunal next year, funded by the Christian Legal Centre. He said he had received a huge amount of support both from within and outside the force. He claimed a small group of pro-gay officers had been determined to oust him. "They have their own agenda and now they have my scalp."

Last week the Rev Martin Young, vicar of St Andrew's church in Norwich, wrote an open letter to Norfolk Police protesting that it had "manifestly failed to uphold PC Cogman's right to express his Christian faith". The vicar added: "HIS VIEWS ARE NOT EXTREME OR UNUSUAL. They are consistent with the published understanding of the Church of England, of which he is a member." Mr Cogman said he had no problems with colleagues until gay liaison officers circulated an email to officers in early 2005 encouraging staff to wear a pink ribbon on their uniforms during Gay History Month.