Is Turkey facing a military coup? No way, says a journalist whom I met in Istanbul, Turkey's most populous city which reminds visitors and citizens of the country's glorious Islamic past. During my conversation with journalists, academics, political activists and businessmen, I was shocked to hear them criticise Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey.

Sarah Palin, who sought the US vice presidency in 2008, has announced she is stepping down as Alaska governor, fueling swift speculation of a possible 2012 White House bid.