Trade union organisers of the march said WORKERS DID NOT CAUSE THE ECONOMIC CRISIS BUT WERE HAVING TO PAY FOR IT. In a statement, the Irish government said it recognised that the measures it was taking were "difficult and in some cases painful". The pension levy was "reasonable", the government said.

It reflected "the reality that we are not in a position to continue to meet the public service pay bill in the circumstances of declining revenue", it added. Reports say the plan could cost the 350,000 public sector workers between 1,500 euros and 2,800 euros (£2,500) a year.

Ireland, which was once one of Europe's fastest-growing economies, has fallen into recession faster than many other members of the European Union. The country officially fell into recession in September 2008, and unemployment has risen sharply in the following months.

"Firms will be able to benefit from low-interest loans and, in some cases, direct capital injections," according to China Petroleum Daily. This state money would be used to fund takeovers or mergers with resource companies abroad. Which foreign firms, if any, have been identified for takeover has not been disclosed. But the dramatic fall in oil prices since last summer, and the strains caused by recession, have driven down the share prices of many energy companies, making them more affordable targets for predatory competitors.

Jiang Jemin, the chairman of Petrochina, recently remarked that the "low share prices of some global resource companies provide us with fresh opportunities". The possibility of a Chinese state subsidy for overseas acquisitions MAY RING ALARM BELLS IN WESTERN ECONOMIES. Four years ago, CNOOC tried to buy an American oil company, Unocal, and succeeded in outbidding its main US rival. But the Chinese firm eventually withdrew its offer amid opposition from American Congressmen. They opposed the idea of a private US firm falling into the lap of a state-owned company, bankrolled by the Chinese Communist Party.

This time, CHINA MAY CALCULATE THAT WESTERN GOVERNMENTS ARE IN A WEAKER POSITION TO OBJECT. They are, after all, spending billions on taking over their own companies, notably the banking sector.

The human rights group said it found evidence that Israel and Hamas had both used weapons supplied from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians, ACCUSING BOTH SIDES OF COMMITTING WAR CRIMES during the three-week conflict at the start of the year.

It accused Israel of using white phosphorous and other weapons from the US and said Barack Obama had a "particular obligation" to suspend military aid over their use. Amnesty called for the UN Security Council to enact an arms embargo until mechanisms were put in place to ensure that equipment was not used to commit violations of international law.

The report also said Hamas and other Palestinian groups should be subject to the embargo because they had committed war crimes by attacking Israeli towns with rockets. "Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths," Ms Rovera said. Both sides have dismissed the report.

The Prime Minister is to unveil a series of key measures that will see the Government insure the 'toxic assets' of major lenders and pump around £14 billion into the mortgage market through Northern Rock. Five months after Mr Brown's first bank bail-out, there is a growing acceptance in Downing Street THAT IT HAS NOT WORKED - BEYOND STOPPING THE TOTAL COLLAPSE OF THE BANKS.

Businesses are continuing to go bust and workers are losing their jobs as the financial crisis continues to deepen and banks refuse to start lending. The Government has drawn up a new rescue package that will start today with an announcement that Northern Rock, which was nationalised last year, will increase mortgage lending by up to £14 billion over the next two years.

Ministers will this week also pave the way for "QUANTITATIVE EASING" – THE SO-CALLED PRINTING MONEY OPTION – with £150 billion being spent on buying bonds and gilts from banks. On Thursday, the Treasury is expected to announce plans to form a "toxic bank", using taxpayers' money to insure £500 billion of bad debt. In addition, Mr Brown has signalled that he wants a return to more 'sober' banking practices, with a possible ban on 100 per cent mortgages to ensure people must save a deposit before buying a house.

Britain's most senior police officer with responsibility for public order raised the spectre of A RETURN OF THE RIOTS OF THE 1980S, with people who have lost their jobs, homes or savings becoming "footsoldiers" in a wave of potentially violent mass protests. Superintendent David Hartshorn, who heads the Metropolitan police's public order branch, told the Guardian that middle-class individuals who would never have considered joining demonstrations may now seek to vent their anger through protests this year.

He said that banks, particularly those that still pay large bonuses despite receiving billions in taxpayer money, had become "viable targets". So too had the headquarters of multinational companies and other financial institutions in the City which are being blamed for the financial crisis. Hartshorn, who receives regular intelligence briefings on potential causes of civil unrest, said the mood at some demonstrations had changed recently, with activists increasingly "intent on coming on to the streets to create public disorder".

The warning comes in the wake of often violent protests against the handling of the economy across Europe. In recent weeks Greek farmers have blocked roads over falling agricultural prices, a million workers in France joined demonstrations to demand greater protection for jobs and wages and Icelandic demonstrators have clashed with police in Reykjavik. In the UK hundreds of oil refinery workers mounted wildcat strikes last month over the use of foreign workers.

The government in Riga, faced with forecasts of a severe drop in the economy this year, WAS THE FIRST IN EASTERN EUROPE TO SUCCUMB TO TURMOIL CAUSED BY THE CRISIS. Its collapse rounded out a week that saw worries about feeble investment, banks and output in Central and Eastern Europe coursing through international markets.

Latvia has had a history of revolving-door politics and complex coalitions since pulling free of the Soviet Union in 1991. Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis, who presented his resignation to President Valdis Zatlers on Friday, had been in power only since December 2007. But the precipitous plunge of Latvia's economy, which helped provoke the worst riot since 1991 last month, played a major part in the government's downfall.

Latvia has been among the countries hardest hit in Eastern Europe, but it is by no means the only one. UKRAINE, SUFFERING FROM AN EVEN WORSE POLITICAL DEADLOCK, saw industrial output shrink by one third last month - the worst drop in over a decade - because of a slump in steel production, the country's economic mainstay. Moody's Investors Service warned this week that some of Europe's biggest banks might face a downgrade because of overexposure in the East.

"OBAMA IS A RADICAL COMMUNIST, and I think it is becoming clear. That is what I told people in Illinois and now everybody realizes it's true," said Keyes, who ran unsuccessfully against Obama for the state's open Senate seat in 2004. "HE IS GOING TO DESTROY THIS COUNTRY, AND WE ARE EITHER GOING TO STOP HIM OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS GOING TO CEASE TO EXIST."

Keyes also reasserted his belief that unless the question of Obama's eligibility to serve as president is answered definitively, America may face the startling crisis of an executive branch run by a usurper. "Is he president of the United States?" Keyes asked the reporter of Obama. "According to the Constitution, in order to be eligible for president you have to be a natural born citizen. He has refused to provide proof."

"I'm not sure he's even president of the United States," Keyes continued, "neither are many of our military people now who are now going to court to ask the question, 'DO WE HAVE TO OBEY A MAN WHO IS NOT QUALIFIED UNDER THE CONSTITUTION?' We are in the midst of the greatest crisis this nation has ever seen, and if we don't stop laughing about it and deal with it, WE'RE GOING TO FIND OURSELVES IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS, CONFUSION AND CIVIL WAR."

"ABOLISHING THE FEDERAL RESERVE will allow Congress to reassert its CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY over monetary policy," Paul said in a statement at the time the proposal was introduced. "The United States Constitution grants to Congress the authority to coin money and regulate the value of the currency," Paul said. "THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT GIVE CONGRESS THE AUTHORITY TO DELEGATE CONTROL OVER MONETARY POLICY TO A CENTRAL BANK. Furthermore, the Constitution certainly does not empower the federal government to erode the American standard of living via an inflationary monetary policy."

The Texas lawmaker said the constitutional mandate to Congress actually provides only for CURRENCY BACKED BY STABLE COMMODITIES SUCH AS SILVER AND GOLD. "Abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to a constitutional system will enable America to return to the type of monetary system envisioned by our nation's founders: ONE WHERE THE VALUE OF MONEY IS CONSISTENT BECAUSE IT IS TIED TO A COMMODITY SUCH AS GOLD," he said.

"Support for abolishing the Federal Reserve System is mounting every day," the report said. "The fact that people are beginning to wake up to the problems caused by the Federal Reserve System is a hopeful sign. The only question is: is it too late? Can the dollar be saved by the political action of the president and the Congress, OR MUST WE WAIT FOR THE ENTIRE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM TO COMPLETELY MELT DOWN SO WE CAN START OVER?"

Across the valley, towns are already seeing some of the worst unemployment in the country, with rates three and four times the national average, as well as reported increases in all manner of social ills: drug use, excessive drinking and rises in hunger and domestic violence. With fewer checks to cash, even check-cashing businesses have failed, as have thrift stores, ice cream parlors and hardware shops.

The state has put the 2008 drought losses at more than $300 million, and economists predict that THIS YEAR'S LOSSES COULD SWELL PAST $2 BILLION, with as many as 80,000 jobs lost. "People are saying, 'Are you a Third World country?'" said Robert Silva, the mayor of Mendota, which has a 35 percent unemployment rate, up from the more typical seasonal average of about 20 percent. "My community is dying on the vine."

The situation is particularly acute in towns along the valley's western side, where farmers learned Friday that U.S. government officials anticipated a "ZERO ALLOCATION" of water from the Central Valley Project, the massive New Deal system of canals and reservoirs that irrigates three million acres of farmland. "Farmers are very resilient, we make things happen, but we've never had a zero allocation," said Stephen Patricio, president of Westside Produce, a melon handler and harvester. "And I might not be very good at math, but zero means zero."

The populist SVP, the country's biggest party, said Switzerland should not take in any detainees from the U.S. prison for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, which the Swiss government said last month it could consider to help shut the camp down. SWITZERLAND SHOULD ALSO RECONSIDER ITS POLICY OF REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES in countries where it has no diplomatic presence, the parliamentary SVP said in a statement.

The SVP said GOLD STORED BY THE SWISS NATIONAL BANK IN THE UNITED STATES SHOULD BE REPATRIATED AND SWITZERLAND should ban the sale of U.S. funds in the country to protect Swiss investors after the failure of U.S. regulators. The SVP also said it would call for an urgent debate in parliament on ways TO PROTECT SWISS BANKING SECRECY from "further foreign blackmail".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel highlighted that leaders faced an "EXTRAORDINARY INTERNATIONAL CRISIS". But leaders including UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned against reverting to protectionism in such a difficult economic climate. The Berlin gathering is a precursor to the next meeting of the G20 group of major developed and developing countries in London on 2 April, WHICH AIMS TO REWRITE THE RULES OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM.

"There is a need for A GLOBAL NEW deal so that the world economy can recover" said Mr Brown to ensure an economy that is based on the "soundest principles". Leaders said there was a need for international institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, to play a greater role not just to help countries in financial trouble but to prevent countries from getting into such difficulties.

The BBC's Rob Cameron in Berlin says Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek - who is also in Berlin - will have a private meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, following a very public row between the two countries. Mr Sarkozy has suggested that in order to secure government aid, French carmakers should move production out of their East European factories and back to France. Such disagreements are threatening to prevent Europe speaking with one voice, our correspondent adds.

"We will sit together with all member states to see how this can be done technically and legally," Joannes Thuy, Eurojust spokesman told this website. Mr Thuy stressed that the wiretapping would not affect "normal users", but would have to be carried out only as part of a criminal investigation. Eurojust's talks with prosecutors and police officials from member states, as well as legal experts would be led by Italian prosecutor Carmen Manfreda.

"There are 30 different legal systems all across the EU, so we expect the talks to take several months before first results are presented," Mr Thuy added. Skype, an Danish-Swedish business developed by Estonian programmers that was sold to E-Bay in 2005 and has over 350 million customers worldwide, IS SAID TO BE UN-SPYABLE BY INTELLIGENCE SERVICES.

In its press release, Eurojust says that "Skype has so far refused to share its encryption system with national authorities." However, Skype claims that it has "extensively debriefed Eurojust on our law enforcement programme and capabilities."

HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan is believed to be in line for a bonus of more than £1m, in spite of plans by the bank to raise as much as £10 billion from its investors. Britain's biggest bank is due to report profits of about £14 billion next week despite the global financial chaos. It is expected to confirm it will be paying bonuses running to hundreds of millions of pounds to staff around the world, including investment bankers with "guaranteed" pay deals.

Royal Bank of Scotland struck a controversial deal with the Treasury last week under which the bank will pay out almost £1 billion, although a large portion will be deferred and paid in the bank's own debt rather than cash. Lloyds is in talks with the Treasury about deferring £120m of cash bonuses. The deal is a condition of the bank's participation in the government's controversial asset-protection scheme – an insurance designed to protect banks against further losses.

Barclays, which may yet join the government's insurance scheme, is also expected to pay out more than £1 billion in bonuses to its staff in the next few days, in a mixture of cash and shares. The bank has already said its bonus pool has dropped by 48%. The Treasury is expected to impose restrictions on future pay at Barclays if it joins the scheme.

'Talking to Your Teenager About Sex and Relationships' will be distributed in pharmacies from next month as part of an initiative led by Beverley Hughes, the children's minister. The leaflet comes in the wake of the case of Alfie Patten, the 13-year-old boy from East Sussex who fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl and sparked a debate about how to cut rates of teenage parenthood.

It advises: "Discussing your values with your teenagers will help them to form their own. REMEMBER, THOUGH, THAT TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM OF WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG MAY DISCOURAGE THEM FROM BEING OPEN." The leaflet provides technical information on different forms of contraception, from condoms to implants, and will reignite the row over the government's "value-free" approach to sex education.

Simon Calvert, deputy director of the Christian Institute, attacked the leaflet, saying: "THE IDEA THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS TELLING FAMILIES NOT TO PASS ON THEIR VALUES IS OUTRAGEOUS. Preserving children's innocence is a worthy goal. We would like to see more of that kind of language rather than this amoral approach where parents are encouraged to present their children with a smorgasbord of sexual activities and leave them to make up their own minds."

Stranger yet, Uncle Milton's Force Trainer wasn't the only levitational gadget at this year's American International Toy Fair, the four-day trade show that brings a gazillion manufacturers and retailers together every February in New York City. Also on display was Mattel's new Mindflex, which has players move a tiny foam ball through a mini–obstacle course with their thoughts. Or, more precisely, with their brain waves.

Both toys employ EEG, or electroencephalogram, technology. EEGs measure electrical activity in the brain and have been used to diagnose seizures, assess head injuries and explore sleep disorders, among other functions. In other words, the science behind these toys is legitimate; there's no magic trick involved. "The fact that you can use EEG, that you can modulate it, that you can control it — it's well known, it's true," says Dr. Ronald Emerson, a neurology professor at Columbia University.

The Force Trainer — which is limited to moving a ball up and down in a tube — may not be as complicated as Mindflex. But it does have Star Wars branding, which possesses a magical retail power all its own. The toy features 15 levels of training: increasingly difficult challenges involving how high to raise the ball and how long to hold it steady before changing its height. Along the way, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi offer words of encouragement as hopefuls try to attain Jedi Master status. MAY YOUR LIMITED DISCRETIONARY-SPENDING POWER BE WITH YOU.