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GENEVA

STRASBOURG

THE European Parliament on July 2 lifted immunity for French National Front leader Marine Le Pen, opening the way for her to face charges for likening the sight of Muslims praying in the street to Nazi occupation during World War II.

The far-right leader, who was present for the vote in the parliament’ s chamber in Strasbourg along with her father and National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, told France’ s BFMTV that the vote was a violation of her freedom of expression.

She said the lifting of her immunity“ dishonours the European Parliament”.

“ I am a political adversary who is more dangerous than the others because of my results in the polls,” she said.

“ I will now defend myself in court and I am absolutely convinced that it will rule in my favour and defend my right to tell the French the truth about the situation.”

Ms Le Pen said that her views were shared by“ a majority of French people” and that the lawmakers’ vote“ will bring to the fore the issue of daily violations against secularism in France”.

Prosecutors in Lyon in central France are investigating Ms Le Pen for alleged incitement to racial hatred over

‘ I am a political adversary who is more dangerous than the others because of my results in the polls.’

Marine Le Pen French National Front leader

WELLINGTON

THE Red Cross has launched a light-hearted education campaign aimed at those it describes as most vulnerable to climate change: Pacific islanders living on low-lying atolls threatened by rising seas.

Red Cross disaster management specialist Tom Bamforth said the Pacific’ s complex weather patterns were well understood by scientists, but the knowledge was not filtering down to local decision-makers.

To address the situation, the organisation has completed an

Marine Le Pen, the president of France’ s far-right National Front party, sits in European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on July 2. Photo: AFP

the remarks she made in a speech to National Front supporters in 2010.

In the speech she denounced the holding of Muslim prayers in the streets of France – where a dearth of mosques has forced many to pray outside.

“ For those who like to talk about World War II, to talk about occupation, we could talk about, for once, the occupation of our territory,” she said during the speech.

“ There are no armoured vehicles, no soldiers, but it is an occupation all the same and it weighs on people.”

First elected to the European Parliament in 2004, Ms Le Pen won 18 percent of the vote in the first round of France’ s presidential election in 2012, the party’ s highest-ever score.

The parliament’ s judicial committee last month voted with an overwhelming majority in favour of lifting her

animated feature entitled The Pacific Adventures of Climate Crab, which uses humour to explain the science behind climate change in simple terms.

“ If you talk about the South Pacific Convergent Zone, the Southern Oscillation or even El Niño and La Niña, very few people know what they actually mean,” Mr Bamforth said.

“ This animation is part of an attempt to interpret between what scientists are saying and what it actually means for local communities.”

Some Pacific island nations are only 1 metre( 3 feet) above sea level and their long-term survival is threatened by waters rising due to global warming.

Mr Bamforth said regional weather was becoming more extreme, and a better understanding of climate science would help islanders plan for disasters such as cyclones.

“ There have been recent droughts in places like Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands where they have run out of potable water,” he said. immunity – a vote French lawmakers abstained from to avoid any accusation of a political settling of scores.

As with many national parliaments, members of the European Parliament enjoy immunity from criminal and civil liability for opinions expressed as part of their duties.

That immunity has been revoked dozens of times in the past.

Her father Jean-Marie Le Pen had his European Parliament immunity revoked in 1998 when he said that Nazi gas chambers were“ a detail” in the history of World War II.

He has several convictions for racism and anti-Semitism.

The National Front’ s third European Parliament member, Bruno Gollnisch, was also in the chamber in Strasbourg on July 2.

He complained that Marine Le Pen had not been able to address lawmakers, but was quickly rebuffed by European Parliament vice president Gianni Pittella who said that the rules stipulated she could have spoken to the judicial committee. Ms Le Pen was asked to appear three times but did not do so.

“ The person concerned has not been able to express herself. This procedure is like the old Soviet Union rather than one fitting with the rules of this house,” Mr Gollnisch said.

The independent watchdog site VoteWatch Europe called Ms Le Pen one of the least active European lawmakers.

She has never authored any report or resolution and her public speeches in the chamber are extremely rare.

With a year to go before the next European elections, the National Front is neck and neck with the French Socialist party and the centre-right UMP with 21pc of voting intentions, according to a survey by the Ifop polling agency. – AFP

“ If we know there’ s going to be an El Niño weather event then we can start putting out messages about water conservation and water harvesting and these sort of things.”

The video at www. pacificclimatechangescience. org / climatecrab was launched in Fiji on July 2.

A second short film called“ Cloud Nasara”, focusing on Vanuatu, will be launched later this month. It features a reggae parrot and dancing cloud parties. – AFP

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Anheuser-Busch InBev S. A., a company incorporated under the law of Belgium, and having its principle place of business at Grand-Place 1, 1000 BRUSSELS, Belgium, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademarks:-

Reg. Nos. 4 / 4002 / 1997, 4 / 8361 / 2006, 4 / 5388 / 2010 in respect of“ Class 32: Beers.”

Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law.

U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited, Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59 247-8, 951 375754, Fax: 951 254321, Email: info @ untlaw. com For Anheuser-Busch InBev S. A. Dated: 8 July, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

DIAGEO SINGAPORE PTE LTD, a company incorporated under the laws of Singapore and having its principal place of business at 112 Robinson Road, # 15- 01, Singapore, 068902, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:-

Reg. Nos. 4 / 487 / 2004

in respect of“ Class 33: Arak( arrack); beverages( Distilled); Spirits( beverages); Alcoholic extracts; Alcoholic beverages( except beer); Distilled beverages; Wine; Fruit extracts( alcoholic) Yellow wine; Alcohol( Rice); Beverages containing fruit( Alcoholic).”

Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law.

U Chit Swe, Advocate U Kyaw Moe Htet, Attorney at Law U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited, Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59 247-8, Email: info @ untlaw. com Partnership in practice with Ms. Saowaluck Lamlert, Attorney at Law Siam Premier International Law Office Limited Email: saowalck @ siamlaw. co. th For DIAGEO SINGAPORE PTE LTD Dated: 8 July, 2013