- Making News: British Prime Minister Tony Blair Calls for Elections
Britain-s Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for an election on the fifth of next month, with four new opinion polls showing the gap has narrowed between his Labour Party and the conservative Tories. Toby Helm, chief political correspondent for London-s Daily Telegraph, has more on the likely motive and timing for the early election. - Reporter-s Notebook: Pope's Death Sparks French Debate over Church-State Separation
In France, the government has ordered that flags be lowered to commemorate the late John Paul II, but a Deputy Mayor of Paris is among many who call that -an abuse of power.- France may be a majority Catholic country, but the legal separation of church and state is a fiercely guarded tradition that-s 100 years old. Patrick Sabatier, Assistant Editor and Columnist for the left-leading daily Liberation, explains.
British Government schedules General Election for May 5
US Commission on Civil Rights on
Reuters article on debate over flag lowering in secular France
To the Point program on the banning of religious symbols in secular France
Lib-ration article (in French) on Pope's death and flag lowering