Many are angry at the disqualification of popular presidential candidates. The first presidential poll since Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power last year is due to be held next month. When the military took power it promised only to hold power until the election results were announced in June.

Jon Leyne, BBC News, Cairo, reports: This is probably the biggest demonstration here since last November, but what is even more significant is the range of opposition forces gathered. They are united by a range of issues, but particularly the disqualification of a number of presidential candidates. They are trying to put maximum pressure on the military to ensure a free and fair election next month, and also that the handover of power to civilian rule goes ahead as planned at the end of June.

The gathering is yet another warning to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) that if there is not seen to be a proper transition to democracy then Egypt could be in for a second revolution. The well-organised demonstration is peaceful, but takes Egypt into a new, tense phase that could last for several months.

Germany and France are serious this time. During next week's meeting of European Union interior ministers, the two countries plan to start a discussion about reintroducing national border controls within the Schengen zone. According to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich and his French counterpart, Claude Guéant, have formulated a letter to their colleagues in which they call for governments to once again be allowed to control their borders as "an ultima ratio" - that is, measure of last resort - "and for a limited period of time." They reportedly go on to recommend 30-days for the period.

Of course, using catchphrases like "ultima ratio" and "limited period of time" is supposed to make such policies sound reasonable and proportionate. After all, the reasoning goes, it's just a few occasional border controls for up to 30 days. What's the big deal, right? But the proposal is far from harmless and would throw Europe back decades. Since 1995, the citizens of Schengen-zone countries have gotten used to freely traveling within Continental Europe. Next to the euro common currency, free movement is probably the strongest symbol of European unity. Indeed, for many people, it's what makes this abstract idea tangible in the first place.

To throw this achievement into doubt now is a vote of no confidence in Europe. The fact that this proposal is coming in the middle of the French election campaign makes it even more suspicious. With his back to the wall, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pretending to take a tough-guy stance toward immigrants. And the fact that Germany's interior minister is allowing himself to get caught up in this charade is regrettable.

But this symbolic act could have drastic consequences. It is a relapse into the type of nationalist thinking that many viewed as part of the past. And it brings to mind a country that continental Europeans like to make fun of for its obsession with its own borders: Great Britain.

Conservative circles of the Paris establishment, according to this publication, feel impelled to imitate in France, the austerity measures ("Hartz IV"), imposed on Germany under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, to safeguard the French economy from the overwhelming German competition – at the expense of growing impoverishment of the French population. The DGAP hardly sees any alternatives, once the struggle for a demand-oriented solution to the crisis in the EU was lost to Germany.

The president’s party, the UMP, which wrote its electoral platform with the collaboration of the German CDU, is promoting the austerity policy as a "German model." Following initial protests, the opposing Parti Socialist (PS) is warning against "anti-German sentiments." Analyzing the EU's development over the past few years under the German austerity dictate, a Swiss research institute has concluded that France has become the "junior partner" of the "undisputed EU leader, Germany."

According to the analysis, the German government has completely prevailed in the dispute over the crisis management. Since then, it is clear: Germany has risen "to the position of the EU’s indisputable leader," while France "has been downgraded to a junior status." The Center for Security Studies concludes: "Never before in the history of European unification has there been a similar degree of preeminence of any single country."

As Europe continues to integrate both economically and politically, the outcomes of national elections have grown in importance to reach beyond their own borders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel knows that, and it's why she will travel on Sunday to Paris, where voters will be heading to the polls in the first round of the French presidential elections.

Conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy is fighting for a second term, but he has a strong opponent. The Socialist candidate, François Hollande, has a good chance of moving into the Élysée Palace. The latest polls show Hollande leading in the first round of voting, as well as in the possible run-off vote on May 6.

For Merkel, this is an election like no other, and one that is even more important to her than many German state elections. Whoever wins in France will help drive European policy by her side. If the victor proves to be Hollande, who differs with Merkel's closely allied partner Sarkozy on many issues, not the least of which involve rescuing of the euro, things could become uncomfortable for her, both in Brussels and at home in Berlin.

The election in France could even alter the political landscape ahead of Germany's upcoming federal election in 2013. The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who are trailing the chancellor in recent polls, desperately need a boost. If Hollande were to win, it would send a signal that social democracy in Europe, and in Germany, is still a force to be reckoned with. That's how party members see it, at least.

It was less than one year ago that Denmark decided to reintroduce controls on its borders with Germany and Sweden, a move, Copenhagen said, that was necessary to put a stop to illegal immigration and organized crime. The reactions from Berlin and other European capitals were immediate and unequivocal. The step taken by Copenhagen marked a "bad day for Europe," said German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Europe's border-free travel regime, said the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, "cannot be infringed upon."

Now, just nine months later, it is Germany itself that is looking to weaken the Schengen Agreement, the treaty signed in 1985 to remove inner-European border controls. According to a report in the Friday edition of daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany and France are seeking to change the treaty to allow for the temporary reintroduction of border controls.

The paper reports that German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich and his French counterpart Claude Guéant have formulated a letter to the European Union demanding the change. The reintroduction of controls, they wrote according to Süddeutsche, should be possible as "an ultima ratio and for a limited period of time" should border controls in southern and eastern Europe prove unable to prevent illegal immigration. Later in the letter, the two write that controls could be re-established for periods of 30 days.

An archbishop has been appointed to oversee its reform to ensure that it conforms to Catholic prayer and ritual. The Leadership Conference, which is based in Maryland, represents about 57,000 nuns and offers a wide range of services, from leadership training for women's religious orders to advocacy on social justice issues.

But its activities have clearly worried the Roman Catholic hierarchy. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said the nuns' organisation faced a "grave" doctrinal crisis. It said issues of "crucial importance" to the church, such as abortion and euthanasia, had been ignored. Vatican officials also castigated the group for making some public statements that "disagree with or challenge positions taken by the bishops", who are the church's "authentic teachers of faith and morals." The review will include an examination of ties between the Leadership Conference and Network, a Catholic social justice lobby.

It is therefore quite apparent why Monsanto bought one of the largest bee research firms on the planet. It can be found in public company reports hosted on mainstream media that Monsanto scooped up the Beeologics firm back in September 2011. During this time the correlation between Monsanto’s GM crops and the bee decline was not explored in the mainstream, and in fact it was hardly touched upon until Polish officials addressed the serious concern amid the monumental ban. Owning a major organization that focuses heavily on the bee collapse and is recognized by the USDA for their mission statement of “restoring bee health and protecting the future of insect pollination” could be very advantageous for Monsanto.

Steve Censky, chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association, states it quite plainly. It was a move to help Monsanto and other biotechnology giants squash competition and make profits. After all, who cares about public health? “It is a concern from a competition standpoint,” Censky said in a telephone interview. It appears that when Monsanto cannot answer for their environmental devastation, they buy up a company that may potentially be their ‘experts’ in denying any such link between their crops and the bee decline.

In an interview with French newspaper, Le Monde, Mr Soros said: “The euro threatens to destroy the European Union and, with the best of intentions, the leaders are leading Europe to its ruin by trying to impose inappropriate rules. The introduction of the euro has led to divergence instead of bringing about convergence.” The damning verdict on the eurozone follows a long list of criticism over European leaders actions to deal with the crisis.

The news follows the announcement by the IMF that the crisis-hit euro is teetering on the brink of collapse. In a significant vote of no-confidence, a report from the global financial organisation admitted the troubled European single currency had “flaws” and was at risk of a “disorderly default and exit by a euro area member”. Soros in an all-out war on the Bundesbank - the German central bank - claimed that the eurozone countries had entered a third world situation.

He added: “The most fragile countries of the eurozone have discovered that they are in a Third World situation, as if they were indebted in a foreign currency, with a crucial effect that there is a real risk of default. Trying to make them respect rules that don’t work just makes matters worse. Sadly, the authorities don’t understand this.” Meanwhile, the British pound against the euro increased and shares rose with banks recovering from the Spanish and French bond sale.

Russia said that G20 advanced and emerging countries were ready at a meeting on Friday to commit enough new funds to fulfill IMF chief Christine Lagarde's request for at least $400 billion to draw a line under the euro-zone crisis. Russia itself, he said, would offer $10 billion. "Trust me that the G20 will announce the final amount. This will be an amount that will satisfy the management of the International Monetary Fund," said Sergei Storchak, Russia's deputy finance minister.

Support from Russia, China and Brazil is crucial to achieve the doubling of the IMF's war chest the global lender is seeking. Europe and Japan already have pledged $320 billion. An international diplomat said that in all, emerging nations have lined up at least $100 billion. The IMF has warned that the euro zone's debt crisis presents the gravest risk to the global economic expansion, and financial markets worry that Spain and Italy may next require bailouts, following Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Canada, meanwhile, is pushing against Europe's dominance on the IMF's 24-member board. It wants to hold two votes when the IMF decides on how to use its new resources - one by euro zone countries and another by others. The idea would be to dilute Europe's power on euro-zone-related issues. This drive reflects growing concern among non-European countries over the fairness in the global lender's dealings with Europe. The region has the largest single bloc on the IMF board and the Fund is headed by a French woman.

Across Africa more than 300 million people are said not to have access to safe drinking water. Demand for water is set to grow markedly in coming decades due to population growth and the need for irrigation to grow crops. Freshwater rivers and lakes are subject to seasonal floods and droughts that can limit their availability for people and for agriculture. At present only 5% of arable land is irrigated.

Helen Bonsor is from the BGS is one of the authors of the paper. She says that up until now groundwater was out of sight and out of mind. She hopes the new maps will open people's eyes to the potential. "Where there's greatest ground water storage is in northern Africa, in the large sedimentary basins, in Libya, Algeria and Chad," she said. "The amount of storage in those basins is equivalent to 75 metres thickness of water across that area - it's a huge amount."

The researchers say their new maps indicate that many countries currently designated as "water scarce" have substantial groundwater reserves.

Polls show the two men neck-and-neck, but Socialist candidate Mr Hollande is expected to win a run-off vote. The far-right candidate Marine le Pen could take around 17% of the vote, while left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has come from behind to see poll ratings at 14-15%. Centrist Francois Bayrou is likely to come in fifth place.

With only one day of campaigning to go, polls suggest nearly one in four voters have yet to make up their minds in what is being called the closest-run French election for decades. The first round of the French elections will be held on Sunday and - provided no candidate gets an absolute majority - a run-off between the two top candidates will be take place on 6 May. If Mr Hollande does win, he will become the country's first socialist president for 17 years.

"If there is one country that has benefited from the huge amounts Greece spends on defence it is Germany," said Dimitris Papadimoulis, an MP with the Coalition of the Radical Left party. "As a proportion of GDP, Greece spends twice as much as any other EU member on defence," said Papadimoulis, who is also a former MEP. "Well after the economic crisis had begun, Germany and France were trying to seal lucrative weapons deals even as they were pushing us to make deep cuts in areas like health."

Under the latest EU-IMF-sponsored rescue programme – which is propping up the near-bankrupt Greek economy with an extra €130 billion in emergency loans until 2015 – Athens has agreed to cut defence expenditure by €400 million. Even so, its military budget accounts for nearly 4% of national economic output, compared with the eurozone average of around 2%. The country has cited perceived security risks from Turkey and, in addition to state-of-the-art submarines, has bought hundreds of Leopard tanks, howitzers, Mirage fighter planes and F-16 jets from Germany, France and the US since the late 1990s.

Speculation is rife that international aid was dependent on Greece following through on agreements to buy military hardware from Germany and France. Given Greece's financial predicament – illustrated last week by IMF managing director Christine Lagarde's refusal to rule out a default – growing numbers have begun to question the probity of the nation's defence expenditure. Deputy prime minister Theodore Pangalos publicly rued the fact that Athens was spending so much money on arms, exclaiming during a visit by the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Greece was being "forced to buy weapons we do not need".

The evidence is nowhere near conclusive. But if those suspicions prove correct, it could mean that the environmental damage to the Gulf from the BP disaster is still unfolding and the picture isn't as rosy as it might have seemed just a year ago. And the damage may extend well beyond fish. In the past year, research has emerged showing deep-water coral, seaweed beds, dolphins, mangroves and other species of plants and animals are suffering.

'There is lots of circumstantial evidence that something is still awry,' said Christopher D'Elia, dean of Louisiana State University's School of the Coast and Environment. 'On the whole, it is not as much environmental damage as originally projected. Doesn't mean there is none.' Reports of strange things with fish began emerging when fishermen returned to the Gulf weeks after BP's gushing oil well was capped during the summer of 2010. They started catching grouper and red snapper with large open sores and strange black streaks, lesions they said they had never seen. They promptly blamed the spill.

The illnesses are not believed to pose any health threat to humans. But the problems could be devastating to some prized types of fish and to the people who make their living catching them. There's no saying for sure what's causing the diseases in what is still a relatively small percentage of the fish. The Gulf is assaulted with all kinds of contaminants every day. Moreover, scientists have no baseline data on sick fish in the Gulf from before the spill. The first comprehensive research may be years from publication.

"The military council does not have the serious intention to transfer power," Khairat al-Shater, a millionaire businessman and top Brotherhood official, said after he was pushed out of the race by the election committee because of a criminal conviction during Mubarak's rule when the group was banned. In his place, the Brotherhood will field Mohamed Mursi, head of its political party who had filed the official paperwork to run just in case Shater was disqualified.

The electoral commission confirmed on Tuesday that 10 candidates have been barred, rejecting challenges by Shater, another Islamist and the old regime's spy chief. The commission had held a day-long meeting Tuesday to hear appeals from disqualified candidates, including former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and popular Salafist politician Hazem Abu Ismail.

Among the candidates still able to run are former Arab League chief Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, a one-time member of the powerful Brotherhood. "It's a very important decision because it eliminates the most controversial candidates," said Mustafa Kamel al-Sayyed, professor of political science at Cairo University. The election is scheduled for May 23 and 24, raising fears among many of having to elect a president whose powers have not been defined.

Holdings of Spanish government debt by lenders based in the country jumped 26 percent in two months, to 220 billion euros ($289 billion) at the end of January, data from Spain’s treasury show. Italian banks increased ownership of their nation’s sovereign bonds by 31 percent to 267 billion euros in the three months ended in February, according to Bank of Italy data.

German and French banks, meanwhile, have cut holdings of those countries’ bonds, as well as Irish and Greek debt, by as much as 50 percent since 2010 in some cases. That leaves domestic firms on the hook for a restructuring such as Greece’s last month and their main financier, the European Central Bank, facing losses. Like Greece, governments would have to rescue their lenders with funds borrowed from the European Union.

“The more banks stop cross-border lending, the more the ECB steps in to do the financing,” said Guntram Wolff, deputy director of Bruegel, a Brussels-based research institute. “So the exposure of the core countries to the periphery is shifting from the private to the public sector.” The jump in sovereign-debt holdings by Spanish and Italian banks has been fueled by the ECB’s 1 trillion-euro long-term refinancing operation, or LTRO, initiated in December, to provide liquidity to the region’s lenders. Encouraged by their governments to take the money and buy bonds, banks borrowed 489 billion euros on December 21 and 530 billion euros on February 29.

For lenders in so-called peripheral countries - Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Italy - profit also was an inducement: They could borrow at 1 percent to buy government bonds yielding between 6 percent and 13 percent.