Bilderberg: The Uber Powerful Global Elite Meet Behind Closed Doors In St. Moritz (Time.com)

This post is in partnership with Worldcrunch, a new global-news site that translates stories of note in foreign languages into English. The article below was originally published in Le Temps.

(ST. MORITZ) - Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not be stepping out of a limousine this year. That much is sure about this year's Bilderberg conference, which the former IMF chief, awaiting trial for alleged sexual assault of a hotel maid in New York, is said to have attended several times in the past. But little else is known about this secretly organized, unofficial meeting of some 100 powerful figures, slated to take place June 9-12 in a luxury hotel in the Grison station. Indeed, not even the dates of the gathering are confirmed.

The canton is to ensure the tranquility of its guests with the help of the Federal security service. Two of its ministers will take part in some of the discussions. But the canton is not commenting on the measures in place or the cost of the operation. (See pictures from Dominique Strauss-Kahn's legal battle.)

The Bilderberg group is one of the world's most famous clubs, it gathers bankers, politicians, industrialists, media moves and shakers, scholars and billionaires in a different location each year, usually in Europe. All the attendees share one condition of membership: discretion.

Created in 1954 by Prince Bernhard of Holland in order to bring together European and American elites, this annual meeting is named after the hotel of the Dutch village Oosterbeek where it took place for the first time. Henry Kissinger, Helmut Schmidt, Gerhard SchrOder, Daniek Vasella, the heads of Coca-Cola, Shell, Fiat and even the Queen of Holland are among the participants regularly mentioned. What do they do there? What do they want?

Decade after decade, the Bilderberg group has fueled all kinds of speculation. Multiplied on online forums, these hypotheses, sometimes denounced as "conspiracy theories", spread the idea that a powerful minority is carrying out its plan for a new world order. The idea is that important political and economic decisions are being made behind closed doors, with no democratic control. With the Bilderberg conference bringing together important politicians from left and right, some rumors say the group recommends future heads of state. Bill Clinton, Lionel Jospin, and even JosE Manuel Barroso, were invited to join shortly before they came to power.

"The conspiracy theory is absurd," said the former federal counselor Pascal Couchepin, one of the Swiss politicians to have participated in these conferences. "We spend three days trying to better understand the world thanks to meetings that I would describe more as intellectual than political. We are away from any pressure." (See pictures of world leaders on vacation.)

Le Valaisan, invited "four or five times", mainly remembers fascinating discussions about French history, or encounters with people like Olivier Roy, an expert on Islam. Another Swiss politician, Christoph Blocher, is usually skeptical about international collaboration, but shares the same opinion. Invited to a meeting in Athens where he rubbed shoulders with the head of Coca-Cola, the King of Morocco's daughter and the Swedish Secretary of State Carl Bildt, he appreciated "the excellence of the orators and the frankness of the debate". A vestige of the Cold War, the only drawback of the meeting could be that the Chinese and the Russians are still missing.

But the St. Moritz conference does disturb certain representatives of the Swiss political party UDC. In March, the national counselor Dominique Baettig filed an interpellation cosigned by Oskar Freysinger and Yves Nidegger, among others, denouncing "sopra-national and non-transparent governance." The politician justifies his action: "this kind of gathering of powerful people of the globalized world goes against our principles of sovereignty.

See the world's most influential people in the 2011 TIME 100

Criticisms about circumventing democracy are especially sharp this year, in the context of the Arab revolutions. Moreover, the cost for the Swiss taxpayer is kept secret. The Federal Council answered that it was not part of its role "to pass judgment on information policy carried out in relation to private manifestations."

Much more exclusive than Davos

This exclusive version of the Davos World Economic Forum has already been held twice in Switzerland. It is organized by a steering committee of about 20 people, which now includes Josef Ackermann, CEO of Deutsche Bank, and Daniel Vasella, CEO of Novartis. Experts are invited along with the guests. Each participant has a limited speaking time and the debates are graded to guarantee their quality. Another tacit condition is a command of the English language. (See 50 remarkable years of Europe.)

In the past few years, the mystery surrounding the Bilderberg group has faded slightly because of interest from journalists. Despite the confidentiality protecting it, the group publishes its discussion themes and participants after the meeting online at www.bilderbergmeetings.org. But the defenders of the "conspiracy theory" who keep denouncing the "Illuminati" are still active.

"This conspiracy spirit is also due to an official authority crisis. It is no longer confined to the myth of the Jewish conspiracy, but it now touches all population categories", says Bruno Fay, journalist and author of a book on the "plot-cracy" who met the current Bilderberg director, the Belgian Etienne Davignon. Rather than making decisions, the Bilderberg meetings are a way to sound out opinions on current affairs, some say. "And the members are also asked to identify rising personalities in their country." (See TIME's report on the World Economic Forum: Davos 2010.)

Another custom evoked is the invitation of the president of the host country. The communication services of the President of the Confederation say that "Micheline Calmy-Rey will not participate in the Bilderberg meeting which will take place next week in St. Moritz." For their part, the young socialists will be present behind the scenes of the meeting. For several weeks, they have called for a demonstration on June 11, on the main square of St. Moritz, to sign a manifesto in favor of greater democracy. Lukas Horrer, president of the Social Democratic Party's youth organization Grison Jusos explains: "We don't agree with the conspiracy theory. We just want to remind people that democracy has to prevail in the economic world."

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Japan wants 3 reactors closed while seawall built

TOKYO (AP) — Officials at a Japanese power company were finalizing a decision Saturday following a government request that it suspend all three reactors at a coastal nuclear plant while steps are taken to prevent a major earthquake or tsunami from causing another radiation crisis.

A woman strolls in a deserted street in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan on Friday.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Friday that he had asked Chubu Electric Power Co. to halt its three reactors at Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan until the operator can improve safety measures.Though not legally binding, the request is a virtual order.

The government is wrapping up a safety review of Japan's 54 atomic reactors after a March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The disaster left more than 25,000 people dead or missing on the northeast coast.

The Hamaoka nuclear plant just off the Pacific coast in central Japan is the only one so far where the government has asked that operations be halted over safety reasons.

Chubu Electric president Akihisa Mizuno said in a statement that the company would "swiftly consider" the government's request.

He was expected to hold a news conference later Saturday to announce a decision.

"It was a decision made after thoroughly considering people's safety," Kan said Friday, citing experts' forecast of a 90 percent probability of a quake with magnitude of 8.0 or higher striking central Japan within 30 years.

The government asked Chubu Electric to suspend two running reactors and a third currently shut for a regular inspection at the plant in Shizuoka, which is around 124 miles (200 kilometers) west of Tokyo. Two other reactors are currently being decommissioned.

"If an accident occurs at Hamaoka, it could create serious consequences," Kan said.

Since the March 11 disasters, Chubu Electric has drawn up safety measures that include building a 40-foot-high (12-meter-high) seawall nearly a mile (1.5 kilometers) long over the next two to three years, company official Takanobu Yamada said. The company also promised to install additional emergency backup generators and other equipment and improve water-tightness of the reactor building.

Chubu also plans to erect concrete walls along 18 water pumps at the plant, to protect them from tsunami or quake damage. It will also install additional backup generators and other emergency equipment to secure cooling capacity, and improve water-tightness of reactor buildings. It will take two to three years to complete the sea wall, Yamada said.

The plant does not have a concrete sea barrier now. Sandhills between the ocean and the plant are about 32 to 50 feet (10 to 15 meters) high, the company said.

Chubu Electric has estimated a tsunami reaching around 26 feet (8 meters).

The company recently said it was considering restarting the third reactor in July, triggering harsh local opposition.

Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said Chubu's safety measures were insufficient. "Until the company completes safety steps, it is inevitable that it should stop operating nuclear reactors," he said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the stricken Fukushima plant, has said the waves that wrecked critical power and cooling systems there were at least 46 feet (14 meters) high.

Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu called the government's request "a wise decision" and vowed to secure alternative sources of energy.

Residents in Shizuoka have long demanded suspension of the Hamaoka reactors. About 79,800 people live within a 6-mile (10-kilometer) radius of the plant. Some residents have filed a request to a regional court to suspend the Hamaoka plant.

The Hamaoka plant provides power to around 16 million people in central Japan, including Aichi, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters and an auto plant. Faced with a possible power crunch due to the shutdown, Kan sought public understanding.

Automakers and other industries have had troubles with interrupted supply lines, parts shortages and damage to manufacturing plants since the March 11 disasters.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi plant lost its power and cooling systems in the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, triggering fires, explosions and radiation leaks in the world's second-worst nuclear accident.

Radiation leaks have forced 80,000 people living within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius of the plant to leave their homes.

Since the Fukushima crisis unfolded, nuclear safety officials have acknowledged that tsunami safety measures at Japanese nuclear power plants were insufficient.

In 2001, TEPCO told Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency that waves would not exceed 18 feet (5.7 meters) at the Dai-ichi plant, based on an anticipation of a magnitude-8.6 quake. It assumed the backup power generators, which were stored in basement areas, would stay dry in a tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9.0 quake.

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St. Louis airport closed indefinitely after severe storm

Tornado hits St. Louis airportSTORY HIGHLIGHTSThe airport's director says operations will not resume "until we know it's safe""The airport looks like a war zone," one witness saysFour people are transported to hospitals with apparently minor injuriesWitnesses say winds twist metal, break windows and blow off doorsIf severe weather happens near you, we want to hear your story. Share your photos and videos with CNN iReport, but please be careful.
See more about this story from CNN affiliates KSDK, KPLR.

(CNN) -- Thankful that only a few people were injured, officials at the closed airport in St. Louis awaited daylight to get a better look at significant damage spawned by a possible tornado.

A severe storm and reported tornado touchdown Friday evening shattered windows and sent debris raining down on passengers at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

A van was left hanging precariously off the edge of a parking garage. A video posted on YouTube showed strong winds pushing a Southwest Airlines plane away from a walkway and passengers moving quickly away from tall windows.

The airport remained closed Saturday morning.

"It may be an hour by hour situation," said airport spokesman Jeff Lea, as crews survey the runways and terminal.

Five people were taken to hospitals for minor injuries and about a dozen others were treated at the airport for cuts and scrapes after the storm struck around 8:15 p.m. Friday, said Lea.

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