La tempête Xynthia fait au moins 45 morts
Dans plusieurs localités, comme à La-Faute-sur-Mer, les toits de certaines maisons émergeaient à peine de l'eau et des familles en larmes attendaient des nouvelles de leurs proches portés disparus. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: VIDEO - François Fillon évoque un désastre «national» et annonce que les arrêtés de catastrophe naturelle seront publiés «dans les 48 heures». Le littoral atlantique est le plus touché.

«C'est une catastrophe nationale» a déploré le premier ministre François Fillon. Xynthia laisse en France un sillage de destruction et un lourd bilan humain. La tempête, l'une des plus violentes depuis celle de 1999, a fait au moins 45 morts. On déplore une trentaine de disparus et une dizaine de blessés. Le littoral atlantique est la zone la plus lourdement touchée. La plupart des victimes se sont noyées, suprises par la montée brusque des eaux dans les terres. «Le bilan est susceptible de s'alourdir avec nos reconnaissances plus en avant à l'intérieur des terres dans les maisons, dans les parkings», a prévenu le porte-parole de la Sécurité civile. En 1999, la tempête avait provoqué la mort de 92 personnes.

Nicolas Sarkozy, qui se rendra lundi en Vendée et en Charente-Maritime, a demandé «au gouvernement d'agir sans attendre». Une réunion s'est tenue dimanche après-midi à Matignon au terme de laquelle François Fillon a promis que les arrêtés de catastrophe naturelle seraient publiés «dans les 48 heures». Il a également annoncé «un plan exceptionnel de construction et renforcement des digues», en accord avec les collectivités locales. Le ministère de l'Intérieur va débloquer 1 million d'euros de crédit d'urgence qui seront mis à disposition des préfets pour venir en aide aux régions sinistrées. >>> Par lefigaro.fr | Dimanche 28 Février 2010

British Dhimmitude! Contracts! Contracts! Contracts! Just Keep on Sucking Up to the Saudis, Why Don't You? UK Embassy Rules Out Foul Play in Cyclist’s Death
This is the sort of nonsense that makes people NOT proud to be British! Staff at the UK embassy should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. But they’re not; they are just raking in the money. For such people, money and contracts are clearly more important than principle. – © Mark

ARAB NEWS: RIYADH: Sources at the British Embassy in Riyadh say the death of a British cyclist in a road accident last week is believed to be nothing more than a “tragic accident”. >>> Walaa Hawari, Arab News | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Related:

British Cyclist Was 'Deliberately Run Down' in Saudi Arabia >>> Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Canadians Going Tribal
What is so clear to me is that so many converts to Islam seem to come from broken homes, or homes which have not given correct guidance during the formative years to the children.

It is also very clear to me that so many converts to Islam are one-time alcoholics, drug-addicts, or have been in some other way lost. They certainly had no grasp of their former religion, Christianity.

We Westerners are failing our young; and the more we fail our young, the more they will turn to this backward religion. Islam is not the solution; rather, it is a problem that we are shoring up for ourselves. Wake up! – © Mark

Pink-shorts Senator Has Presidential Bulge
TIMES ONLINE: HE was supposed to be the he-man of the US Senate, a truck-driving triathlon-completing [sic] former male model who sends female colleagues into a swoon. But America’s newest senator showed a more feminine side this weekend with the revelation that he wore pink leather shorts on his first date with his future wife.

Scott Brown is the most prominent senator in America, his victory last month in the seat long held by the Kennedys having given Republicans a crucial vote to block President Barack Obama’s agenda.

With attention already turning to the 2012 presidential race, Brown is the surprise name on the list of Republican contenders. In the most recent poll he ranked fourth above party stalwarts such as Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee.

There was fury among supporters last week after he was one of five Republicans unexpectedly to vote in support of Obama’s jobs bill. “You let me down like Tiger Woods,” was typical of the messages posted on his Facebook page, where he was castigated as a Rino (Republican in name only).

The revelation about the pink leather shorts came from his daughter Arianna, 19, who may have been getting her own back for his embarrassing remark about her and her sister on election night when he announced that they were “available”.

According to a profile in today’s New York Times magazine, Brown went pale when asked about the shorts. He said they had been given to him in part payment for a modelling assignment and he wore them because they looked good with his tanned legs. “If I wore these now,” he said, “I’d get shot. But it was the 1980s. Pastels were in. It was all pastely.” >>> Christina Lamb in Washington | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Merkel sorgt sich um Euro-Stabilität: Sorgen wegen der Krise in Griechenland
NZZ ONLINE: Die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Merkel macht sich wegen der Krise in Griechenland Sorgen um die Stabilität des Euro. Zugleich verneinte sie, dass Deutschland mit Milliardenbeiträgen helfen werden.

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel sorgt sich wegen der griechischen Finanzkrise um die Stabilität des Euros. «Der Euro ist sicherlich in seiner schwierigsten Phase seit seinem Bestehen», sagte die CDU-Chefin am Sonntag in der ARD. Die Schwierigkeiten müssten nun an den Wurzeln angepackt werden, und diese seien das hohe Staatsdefizit und die verloren gegangene Glaubwürdigkeit Griechenlands. Keine deutschen Milliardenhilfen >>> ddp | Sonntag, 28. Februar 2010

Maroc : Une mosquée s'effondre: un mort et trois blessés
20MINUTES.ch: Une personne a été tuée et trois autres blessées dans l'effrondrement samedi de la coupole d'une mosquée près de Nador, dans le nord du Maroc.

L'accident a lieu une semaine après la chute du minaret d'une mosquée de Meknès (centre), qui avait fait 41 morts le 19 février. >>> afp | Dimanche 28 Février 2010

Bittere Armut: Die EU kämpft gegen Migrationsstrom
20MINUTEN.ch: Eine unvorhergesehene Welle Asylsuchender vom Balkan macht nach Angaben aus Belgrad der Europäischen Union zu schaffen. Seit der Aufhebung des Visazwangs vor zwei Monaten beantragten allein aus Südserbien bis zu 10 000 Albaner in EU-Ländern Asyl. Jetzt handelt die EU.

Die Armut zwingt sie zur Auswanderung. Die EU kämpft mit vielen Asylbewerbern. Das sagte der Albaner-Vertreter im serbischen Parlament, Riza Haljimi, am Samstag. Nicht nur aus Südserbien reisen sie ins übrige Europa. Tausende weitere Albaner aus Mazedonien und dem Kosovo versuchten, in EU-Ländern politisches Asyl zu erhalten, berichteten die örtlichen Medien. Besonders [be]troffen sei Belgien. >>> sda | Samstag, 27. Februar 2010

Affaire Khadhafi : L'ambassade de Suisse sous haute protection
NAME: Des forces de sécurité libyennes ont été déployées ce week-end dans les environs l'ambassade de Suisse à Tripoli.

Selon le Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE), cette mesure a été prise en prévision d'une manifestation qui devait avoir lieu près de la représentation diplomatique.

L'agence de presse italienne a indiqué que des dizaines de policiers avaient été déployés devant l'ambassade ainsi que deux ambulances. La manifestation, dont le but était d'exprimer l'hostilité à l'égard de la Suisse, a finalement été annulée, selon la même source. >>> ats | Dimanche 28 Février 2010

In Polyglot Lebanon, Arabic Falls Behind
MIDDLE EAST ONLINE: Many university students are not able to recite Arabic alphabet as youths consider language not very ‘cool’.

Lebanon, a tiny, vibrant Mediterranean country, prides itself on its polyglot society but for the country's youths native Arabic is not very "cool."

"Hi, kifak? Ca Va?" -- or "Hi, how are you doing? Okay?" -- is a typical multi-linguistic Lebanese greeting so popular it now appears on bumper stickers and teeshirts sold around the world.

English and French often replace the local dialect in conversation, especially among the urban youth, and one organisation has launched a campaign to preserve Arabic in Lebanon.

"Arabic is still very much alive as a language, but young people are moving farther and farther away from it," said Suzanne Talhouk, who heads the organisation "Fael Ummer" (Imperative) which is running the campaign.

"Some of our youngsters are incapable of writing correctly in Arabic, and many university students we interviewed were not even able to recite the alphabet," Talhouk said.

Urban youths are often unable to hold a conversation in one language, causing amusement but also irking those around them with such home-grown expressions as the popular farewell: "Yalla, bye."

"At my school it's more cool to speak French. Arabic is looked down upon," said high school student Nathalie. >>> Rana Moussaoui, Beirut | Sunday, February 28, 2010

CIA Suicide Bomber Calls for Jihad Against Jordan
MIDDLE EAST ONLINE: Jordanian double-agent Balawi accuses Amman of being behind death of two top militant leaders, including Zarqawi.

A Jordanian double-agent who blew himself up in Afghanistan, killing seven CIA officers, called for jihad against his homeland in a video made before his death in the suicide attack, monitors said Sunday.

Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi accused Jordan of being behind the death of two top militant leaders, according to the report by IntelCenter, a US group that monitors Islamist websites.

"There is no solution to the situation in Jordan other than mobilising to the land of jihad to learn the arts of war and train in them, then return to Jordan and begin operations," Balawi was quoted as saying.

"Kill them with knives and swords. Lure them, trick them, use their own methods against them -- use counter-intelligence," he said. >>> W. G. Dunlop, Dubai | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Israeli Police Clash with Palestinians in Jerusalem's Old City
THE TELEGRAPH: Violence erupted at Jerusalem's holiest site on Sunday when Israeli riot police clashed with stone-throwing Palestinian protestors.

The most serious unrest in Jerusalem's sacred Old City in five months came after days of disturbances in the West Bank triggered by a declaration that two Jewish shrines on Palestinian territory would be declared Israeli heritage sites.

At least 14 protestors and four policemen were hurt during the clashes as battles raged both in the winding alleyways of Jerusalem's walled Old City and at the hilltop compound of the al-Aqsa mosque where the trouble first started.

According to Israeli police, Palestinian protesters inside the al-Aqsa mosque, held by Muslims to mark the spot that the Prophet Mohammed ascended into Heaven, threw stones at a group of tourists visiting the compound.

The youths believed the tourists to be Jewish radicals intent on reclaiming the compound, which also houses the Dome of the Rock, for Israel.

Marking the spot where the two Hebrew temples of antiquity once stood, the compound is venerated by both the Jews, who call it the Temple Mount, and by Muslims, for whom it is the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary.

The clashes erupted on the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from the Persian vizier Haman. >>> Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Ayaan Hirsi Ali on Death Threats and Islamic Doctrine

Ayaan Hirsi Ali on death threats and Islamic doctrine from The Badger Herald on Vimeo

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Slaps Down Tariq ‘Taqiyya’ Ramadan

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Slapsdown Tariq 'Taqiyya' Ramadan from Tundra Tabloids on Vimeo

Griechenland: Verbraucher rufen zum Boykott deutscher Produkte auf
ZEIT ONLINE: In Griechenland wächst die Wut auf Deutschland: Auf Flugblättern wird zum Boykott deutscher Produkte aufgerufen, Abgeordnete fordern gar Kriegsreparationen.

In Griechenland herrscht Wut auf Deutschland: Die Tageszeitung Eleftheros Typos veröffentlichte gar eine Fotomontage mit einem Hakenkreuz auf der Berliner Siegessäule. Eine Reaktion auf ein Titelbild des Focus, das die "Venus von Milo" mit einem Stinkefinger zeigt. Bild: Zeit Online
In Griechenland breiten sich anti-deutsche Emotionen aus. Im Parlament in Athen forderten Abgeordnete der kommunistischen und der ultra-konservativen Opposition, die griechische Regierung müsse Deutschland zu Reparationszahlungen für den Zweiten Weltkrieg auffordern. Vize-Regierungschef Theodoros Pangalos hatte Deutschland bereits vor einigen Tagen vorgeworfen, im Zweiten Weltkrieg griechisches Gold gestohlen und damit die Wirtschaft ruiniert zu haben.

Sein Chef, Ministerpräsident Giorgios Papandreou, versuchte zu beruhigen. Auf die Frage von Oppositionspolitikern, ob er bei seinem Besuch in Berlin das Thema Reparationszahlungen ansprechen werde, sagte Papandreou im Parlament, das werde er nicht tun. "Wir haben unsere Forderungen nie aufgegeben", fügte er hinzu. Aber die Gelegenheit, dies anzusprechen, sei angesichts der augenblicklich schwachen Position Griechenlands nicht opportun. "Wenn wir dies (die Reparationen) heute auf die Tagesordnung setzen würden, dann würden viele es als eine neue Ausrede, einen neuen Versuch interpretieren, von unseren Problemen abzulenken." Griechenland müsse seine Probleme mit Hilfe seiner Partner in der EU lösen. Die Bundesregierung wies die Vorwürfe zurück, die Entschädigungszahlungen Deutschlands seien nicht vollständig geklärt. >>> Zeit Online, dpa, Reuters | Freitag, 26. Februar 2010

Teacher Barack Obama Could Be a One-term President
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama's health care summit was a sham and a failure, argues Toby Harnden in Washington, and the President could be heading for defeat in 2012

Barack Obama was in his element as he addressed the bipartisan health-care summit he had convened for the principal purpose of shaming the recalcitrant Republicans.

His preferred lectern had been taken away and he had been forced to agree to remain seated but it was nevertheless a cherished opportunity for him to scold, patronise and peevishly disdain his opponents – and to pontificate for nearly six hours.

To be fair, Obama spoke for a mere 119 minutes, as opposed to the 110 minutes he deigned to allocate to the Republicans and the 114 minutes he gave to his fellow Democrats. When challenged about the two-to-one imbalance between the parties, Mr Obama shot back: "I'm the President."

Again and again, he put Republicans down with sarcastic asides, berating them like naughty schoolboys for bringing in a copy of the 2,400-page Senate health bill as a "prop" and informing them of the need to "get our facts straight".

The televised event, dreamt up by the White House to create the desired "atmospherics" for an attempt to push his health-care bill through Congress by Easter, underlined the reality that Obama is not a leader or even really a politician – he is a professor.

Professor Obama is convinced of his own intellectual superiority. When his pupils fail to realise that he knows what is good for them, he simply repeats himself in the expectation that the simpletons will eventually understand. >>> Toby Harnden's American Way | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Obama Whistles Dixie
BBC: Two days after the White House hosted an inconclusive summit on healthcare reform, President Barack Obama has urged Americans to find common ground.

In his weekly radio address, Mr Obama said tens of millions of Americans could not afford to wait another generation for change.

He said it was time to move past the bickering and game-playing which was blocking progress on reform.

The White House said he would announce "the way forward" next week. President Obama urges US healthcare action >>> | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Barack Obama, the One-Termer
Obama is fixated on health reforms but voters' chief worry is jobs. Photograph: The Sunday Times
THE SUNDAY TIMES: WHEN Barack Obama took office last year he was compared to Superman, even joking at a dinner that he had been “born on Krypton and sent here ... to save the planet Earth”. Last January he appeared on the cover of Spider-Man.

Now, with his legislative agenda in tatters, the president has moved from comic-strip hero to comparisons to one of the great flawed figures of American literature. Ten days ago Charlie Cook, a leading election analyst, compared Obama and his battle to push through healthcare reform to Captain Ahab and his suicidal hunt for the great white whale.

Despite poll after poll showing that Americans’ main priority is jobs, the president has focused on reforming the US healthcare system and extending coverage to the 40m citizens with no insurance.

“I think choosing to take a Captain Ahab-like approach to healthcare — I’m going to push for this even in the worst downturn since the Great Depression — is roughly comparable to Bush’s decision to go to war [in Iraq],” Cook told Politico. “It basically destroyed the first year of a presidency.” Barack Obama ‘destroys first year in office’ >>> Christina Lamb in Washington | Sunday, February 28, 2010

New Dark Age Alert! Islamic Radicals 'Infiltrate' the Labour Party
This is all happening because NO POLITICIAN has the BALLS to deal with the issues at hand; and worse things will get! It is a disgrace that we have allowed this group of TRIBAL SAVAGES to infiltrate our once civilized government! – © Mark
THE TELEGRAPH: A Labour minister says his party has been infiltrated by a fundamentalist Muslim group that wants to create an “Islamic social and political order” in Britain.

Jim Fitzpatrick, the Environment Minister. Photo: The Telegraph
The Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) — which believes in jihad and sharia law, and wants to turn Britain and Europe into an Islamic state — has placed sympathisers in elected office and claims, correctly, to be able to achieve “mass mobilisation” of voters.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Jim Fitzpatrick, the Environment Minister, said the IFE had become, in effect, a secret party within Labour and other political parties.

“They are acting almost as an entryist organisation, placing people within the political parties, recruiting members to those political parties, trying to get individuals selected and elected so they can exercise political influence and power, whether it’s at local government level or national level,” he said.

“They are completely at odds with Labour’s programme, with our support for secularism.”

Mr Fitzpatrick, the MP for Poplar and Canning Town, said the IFE had infiltrated and “corrupted” his party in east London in the same way that the far-Left Militant Tendency did in the 1980s. Leaked Labour lists show a 110 per cent rise in party membership in one constituency in two years.

In a six-month investigation by this newspaper and Channel 4’s Dispatches, involving weeks of covert filming by the programme’s reporters:

IFE activists boasted to the undercover reporters that they had already “consolidated … a lot of influence and power” over Tower Hamlets, a London borough council with a £1 billion budget. >>> Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Zwischen den Religionen: Islamisierung – das Ringen um die türkische Seele
WELT ONLINE: Die Massenverhaftungen hoher Militärs zeigen, dass die Türkei weiter nach einer gesellschaftlichen Balance sucht. Einer der wichtigsten Gründe für das Ringen um die türkische Seele ist, dass sich die strategische Bedeutung des Landes für die USA im Kampf gegen Terror geändert hat.

Seit Jahren ringen die neuen und die alten Eliten der Türkei um die Macht. Ein langsamer Regimewechsel findet statt: An die Stelle der säkularen, antiklerikalen Republik des Staatsgründers Mustafa Kemal Atatürk – formal demokratisch, aber orientiert an autoritären und militaristischen Mustern – tritt etwas Neues, dessen Umrisse erst klar hervortreten müssen.

Optimisten dürfen hoffen, dass es ein nach Europa strebendes, demokratisches, modernes, pluralistisches Regime sein wird, dessen offen islamische Sympathien nicht stören, sondern beweisen werden, dass Islam, Toleranz und Demokratie kompatibel sind. Pessimisten fürchten, dass es genauso autoritär sein wird wie das vorangegangene, nur unter religiösem Vorzeichen und mit einer offensiveren Außenpolitik, die jenseits von EU und Nato nach einer Vormachtstellung in der islamischen Welt strebt und sich als Gegengewicht zu Europa versteht. Der Wert der Türkei für die USA >>> Von Boris Kálnoky | Samstag, 27. Februar 2010

Décryptage – Turquie : l'inexorable déclin de l'une des meilleures armées au monde
LE POINT: Un mois de perquisitions, des dizaines de militaires arrêtés, un vaste complot révélé... L'armée turque vient de subir l'un des pires revers de son histoire en ce début d'année 2010. La police a mis à jour un gigantesque projet de conspiration visant à renverser, en 2003, le gouvernement du Parti de la justice et du développement (AKP), au pouvoir depuis 2002. Piqué au vif, l'état-major s'est défendu de toute "action illégale" le 22 janvier dernier. Les faits sont pourtant avérés et le Premier ministre turc n'a pas caché sa colère : "Ceux qui préparent des plans en secret pour écraser la volonté du peuple doivent se rendre compte qu'à partir de maintenant, ils devront affronter la justice. (...) Personne n'est au-dessus des lois", a prévenu Recep Tayyip Erdogan vendredi. Des positions tranchées qui témoignent de l'acidité des relations entre les militaires turcs et les membres de l'AKP. >>> Par Cyriel Martin | Vendredi 26 Février 2010

Does “Daughters of Allah” Insult Islam?

Pastor Sees Pure Evil in Obama

Sharia Courts Conquer UK

Austria Plagued with Islamic Controversy

Polish Jews Want Compensation for Nationalized Property

Danish Muslims Strive to Build First Mosque in the Country

Russian Orthodox Church “Accepts” Homosexuality

Iran: Royal Jewels


The Pahlavi Crown (التاج الپهلوی) >>> | Monday, February 23, 2009

WIKIPEDIA: Pahlavi Crown >>>

Russian Treasure

British Cyclist Was 'Deliberately Run Down' in Saudi Arabia
THE TELEGRAPH: A Briton has been killed after youths allegedly rammed a car into a group of friends who were cycling in Saudi Arabia.

John Currie, who worked for BAE Systems (formerly British Aerospace), is believed to have been one four cyclists who were being "cut up" by local youths in two cars on a main road on the outskirts of Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Initially, it is understood that one of the cars clipped a cyclist, causing him to fall off his bike. Then, however, one of the drivers is alleged to have turned around and deliberately ploughed his car into the cyclists.

Mr Currie, 54, a human resources worker with BAE, is said to have been smashed against the vehicle's windscreen and later died from his serious injuries. His widow, Pauline, is returning to Britain this weekend.

The couple, from Chester, Cheshire, are believed to have two grown-up children. Mr Currie's body will be flown home for a funeral service.

In the past 15 years, there have been a number of terrorist attacks on British and other western nationals in Saudi Arabia by Muslim extremists. Several westerners have been killed - and even more injured - in a series of bombs and gun attacks. Radicals are angry that US and British oil companies and their staff are operating on Saudi soil. >>> Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Tsunami Alert for Hawaii and Other Pacific Islands


Australia's East Coast on Tsunami Alert
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN: People on Australia's east coast are being warned to stay away from beaches on Sunday morning after warnings of a possible tsunami.

The alert follows a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake which struck off the coast of Chile, toppling buildings, cutting power and killing at least 76 people.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) issued a tsunami watch at 7:45pm (AEDT) on Saturday declaring a "potential tsunami threat" to New South Wales, Queensland, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said tsunami waves could start affecting Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands after 8:30am (AEDT) on Sunday.

NSW could be hit after 8:45am (AEDT) on Sunday, while Queensland could be hit after 8:15am (AEST). >>> AAP | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Chile Earthquake: Tsunami Hits New Zealand
THE TELEGRAPH: The first waves of the tsunami triggered by the earthquake in Chile have hit New Zealand's eastern Chatham Islands and officials have warned bigger waves are to follow.

New Zealand's entire east coast is at risk with waves up to three metres (10 feet) expected to hit the Chatham Islands and Banks Peninsula, near the main South Island city of Christchurch.

"It is expected that the greatest wave heights will occur between six and 12 hours after the initial arrivals," the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said in a statement.

Residents on the Chatham Islands were moved to higher ground several hours before the first wave struck and residents in low-lying areas of Banks Peninsula had been told to be prepared to evacuate.

The biggest tsunami warning in history was marked by alarm sirens, panic buying and mass evacuations across the Pacific, eastern Asia, Australia and New Zealand. >>> Philip Sherwell in New York | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Aftermath in Chile

At Least 122 People Dead in Chile Earthquake

8.8-Magnitute Earthquake Hits Chile

Chile Earthquake: Coastal Areas of Hawaii Evacuated as Tsunami Approaches
THE TELEGRAPH: Residents in coastal areas of Hawaii are being evacuated as the Pacific island chain braces for a tsunami following a powerful earthquake off the coast of Chile.

Tsunami sirens sounded at 6am local time (1600 GMT) to alert residents to the risk posed by the waves.

Warnings were triggered on islands all across the Pacific following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake 70 miles from Chile's second largest city Concepcíon.

Tsunami waves radiated out from the epicentre and have already hit land at the southern Juan Fernandez Islands, about 400 miles off the coast of Chile, where it was reported to have caused "serious damage".

Easter Island has also been evacuated ahead of the waves hitting.

Residents in Hawaii were warned that the potentially destructive waves were forecast to reach the islands by 11.19am local time.

Experts at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said they were expecting a tsunami of more than three feet in the central Pacific.

It is the first time Hawaii has experienced voluntary tsunami evacuation since 1994.

Emergency services were laying on fleets of public buses to provide free transport for anyone needing to leave evacuation zones.

"If you live anywhere in the evacuation zone, you have to evacuate," said John Cummings, Oahu Emergency Management Department spokesman. "We're going to treat this as a destructive-type tsunami." >>> Richard Gray | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Hawaii Braces for Tsunami
HONOLULU ADVERTISER: An 8.8 earthquake in Chile triggered a tsunami warning in the Hawaiian Islands this morning, prompting residents and tourists to clog gas stations and supermarkets as they stocked up on food, water and toilet paper.

Tsunami warning signals began blaring across all islands just after 6 a.m. today and tourists in Waikiki were told to head to higher floors inside their hotels.

Officials at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center say this morning's tsunami wave should arrive at a height of 2.5 meters — or just over 8 feet — when it hits the Big Island at 11:19 a.m.

By the time it reaches Oahu 40 minutes later, the waves should only be a meter or less.

A meter is equivalent to 39 inches. But officials urged people not to be lulled by the relatively small wave heights in a state accustomed to monster waves.

"You're going to have some run-up and you're probably going to see some damage in the inundation zone area," said Victor Sardina, a geophysicist for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. "I would hope people don't stay around the coastal area. Just go inward; stay away from the shore."

The center warned that tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and that the first wave may not be the biggest.

Because tsunami waves wrap around the islands, all shores are at risk no matter which direction they face, officials said. >>> Advertiser Staff | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Massive Earthquake Hits Chile
THE TELEGRAPH: At least 47 people were reported dead today and large parts of South America put on tsunami alert after one of the biggest earthquakes in modern times struck southern Chile.

The quake, registered at magnitude 8.8 on the Richter scale, caused buildings and bridges to collapse and led to power-black [sic] outs in parts of the Chilean capital, Santiago, 200 miles from the epicentre.

Chile's President Michele Bachelet declares "state of catastrophe" following earthquake.

Eyewitnesses spoke of panicking crowds pouring onto the streets of the city, hugging each other and crying. Telephone and power lines were down, making a quick assessment of the damage difficult in the early morning darkness. The death toll figure was broadcast by Chilean radio, citing reporters on the ground.

Meanwhile the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued an official tsunami warning notice to Chile and Peru, and a less severe tsunami "watch" notice to Ecuador.

"Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated," the centre said on its website. "It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicentre and could also be a threat to more distant coasts." It was not yet clear how big the tsunami was. Chilean radio stations later reported that the tsunami warning had been lifted. >>> Colin Freeman | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Séisme au Chili : une vague s'abat sur une ville côtière
Une Eglise effondrée à Santiago, la capitale chilienne. La présidentr Michelle Bachelet a déclaré l'état de catastrophe naturelle dans le centre du Chili et appelé la population au calme. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le tremblement de terre de magnitude 8,8 a fait au moins 82 morts dans le centre du pays. Une alerte tsunami a été lancée dans le Pacifique. Une vague de deux mètres a touché Talcahuano. Une autre vague a atteint l'île Robinson Crusoë où se trouvent plusieurs Français.

Un séisme d'une ampleur exceptionnelle, 50 fois plus fort en énergie que la secousse qui a frappé Haïti en janvier dernier. Un tremblement de terre de magnitude 8,8 frappé samedi matin le Chili, provoquant la mort d'au moins 82 personnes. Selon les services de secours, les victimes ont été piégées par des murs qui se sont effondrés, mais un nombre important a également succombé à des crises cardiaques. Une alerte au tsunami a été lancée pour l'ensemble des pays de l'océan Pacifique. Une vague de tsunami de deux mètres a atteint la ville côtière de Talcahuano 20 minutes après le séisme. On ignore pour le moment l'étendue des dégâts. Par précaution, les autorités ont également évacué les côtes de l'île de Pâques, située à 3.500 kilomètres à l'ouest des côtes chiliennes.

Une grande vague a aussi frappé dans la matinée l'île Robinson Crusoé, à 660km du continent dans l'archipel des îles Juan Fernandez. La présidente chilienne Michelle Bachelet a immédiatement envoyé deux navires, deux hélicoptères et un avion chargés d'aide pour secourir les 650 habitants. Les autorités ne sont pas en mesure pour l'instant de savoir s'il y a eu des victimes. Une dizaine de Français se trouvent sur l'île Robinson Crusoë. Ces archéologues mènaieent conjointement avec un groupe homologue chilien, des recherches dans la baie Cumberland pour retrouver des vestiges d'un trois mâts espagnol du XVIIe siècle, le San Martin. Toutes les tentatives faites par l'AFP samedi pour les joindre sont demeurées vaines.

L'alerte au raz-de-marrée a été élargie par les autorités américaines, à l'ensemble des pays de l'océan Pacifique. Le Japon, l'Australie, la Nouvelle-Zélande, la Polynésie française et Hawaï ont émis des alertes au tsunami. En Polynésie, la circulation a été interdite à moins de 500 m des côtes. >>> Par lefigaro.fr | Samedi 27 Février 2010

Erdbeben: Tsunami-Alarm für gesamte Pazifikregion ausgelöst
WELT ONLINE: Durch das Erdbeben der Stärke 8,8 sind in Chile mehr als 80 Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Viele Opfer werden noch unter den Trümmern vermutet. Für weite Teile der Pazifikregion wurde eine Tsunami-Warnung ausgelöst, so auch in Japan, Australien, Neuseeland und auf den Philippinen. Viele Küsten wurden evakuiert.

Eines der schwersten jemals gemessenen Erdbeben hat Chile erschüttert und mehr als 80 Menschen in den Tod gerissen. Das Jahrhundertbeben am frühen Samstag erreichte die Stärke 8,8 und löste einen Tsunami aus. Für nahezu die gesamte Pazifik-Region wurde eine Warnung vor der Flutwelle ausgerufen – von Südamerika, über Hawaii bis Japan und Neuseeland. Chiles Staatspräsidentin Michelle Bachelet rief Katastrophenalarm aus.

Die mächtigen Erdstöße um 3.34 Uhr Ortszeit hatten die Menschen im Schlaf überrascht. Viele rannten in Panik aus ihren Häusern und kampierten aus Angst vor Nachbeben im Freien. Das Epizentrum lag nach Angaben der US-Erdbebenwarte etwa 92 Kilometer nordwestlich der Küstenstadt Concepción. Die Erde bebte in fast 60 Kilometern Tiefe. In schneller Folge gab es mehr als 20 Nachbeben mit Stärken von bis zu 6,9. Hunderte unter Trümmern vermutet >>> dpa/AFP/kami | Samstag, 27. Februar 2010

Don’t Do It! Cardinal Tells Women Who Want to Marry Muslims

Dearborn: US Muslim Capital

Has Gay Culture Gone Mainstream in the US?

Politiken Apologises for Muhammad Cartoons

Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons

Islam vs Islamists: The Film PBS Wanted to Axe

War in the EU as Herman Van Rompuy Makes 'Power Grab'
THE TELEGRAPH: Open warfare has broken out at the top of the European Union with governments accusing the new president, Herman Van Rompuy, of making a power grab.

National leaders are concerned Mr Van Rompuy, who had been expected to take a back seat role, is attempting to expand his position.

Germany and France backed his candidature on the understanding he would act as an EU "chairman" rather than a high-profile leader.

But the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty has triggered bitter in-fighting between Mr Van Rompuy, Baroness Ashton, the foreign minister, and the Commission over who is in charge of representing Europe on the global stage.

Diplomats are increasingly worried that amid the turf wars there is a danger of Brussels "mission creep" as squabbling EU chiefs try to enlarge their empires at the expense of each other and national sovereignty. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Friday, February 26, 2010

Türkei nimmt weitere hochrangige Armeeangehörige fest: Verhaftungen in 13 Städten
NZZ ONLINE: In der Türkei hat es wegen angeblicher Umsturzpläne aus dem Jahr 2003 weitere Verhaftungen gegeben. Die Polizei verhaftete in 13 Städten hochrangige Mitglieder der Armee. Ministerpräsident Erdogan wehrte sich gegen den Vorwurf, er wolle die Armee in Misskredit bringen.

Vor dem Hintergrund von Putschgerüchten sind in der Türkei laut Medienberichten weitere hochrangige Militärs festgenommen worden. Es seien 17 aktive Offiziere sowie einer im Ruhestand festgesetzt worden, berichtete «CNN Türk» am Freitag. Pläne aus dem Jahr 2003 >>> sda/afp/Reuters | Freitag, 26. Februar 2010

Gaddafi-Aufruf: EU findet Dschihad gegen Schweiz "ungewöhnlich"
Catherine Ashton muß wirklich eine dumme Frau sein! Wie kann eine intelligente Person so ‘was Dummes sagen? Sie sagt, daß der Machthaber von Libyen zum Heiligen Krieg zu einem “unglückichen Zeitpunkt” aufgerufen hat. Was? Sollte man, in dem Fall, zum Schluß kommen, daß nächstes Jahr eine günstigere Zeit für so einen Aufruf wäre? – © Mark

WELT ONLINE: In bemerkenswerter Wortwahl reagiert die EU-Spitze auf den Dschihad-Aufruf von Libyens Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi gegen die Schweiz. Gaddafi habe zu einem "unglücklichen Zeitpunkt" zum Heiligen Krieg aufgerufen. Seine Äußerungen seien "ungewöhnlich". Die UN sprechen von einem inakzeptablen Verhalten.

Die Vereinten Nationen haben den Dschihad-Aufruf des libyschen Machthabers Muammar al-Gaddafi gegen die Schweiz scharf kritisiert.

Derartige Erklärungen eines Staatschefs seien "im Rahmen der internationalen Beziehungen inakzeptabel“, sagte der UN-Generaldirektor Sergej Ordzhonikidze. Die UN-Vertretung in Genf sieht Ordzhonikidse auch nach dem Appell Gaddafis ausreichend durch Sicherheitskräfte geschützt.

Al-Gaddafi hatte im Zusammenhang mit dem Bau-Verbot für Minarette in der Schweiz zum Heiligen Krieg gegen die Alpenrepublik aufgerufen. "Der ungläubigen und abtrünnigen Schweiz, die die Häuser Allahs zerstört, muss mit allen Mitteln der Dschihad erklärt werden“, sagte Gaddafi anlässlich eines Mohammed-Gedenktages in der ostlibyschen Stadt Benghasi.

Auch die EU-Außenbeauftragte Catherine Ashton bedauert es, dass al-Gaddafi zu einem "unglücklichen Zeitpunkt“ zum Heiligen Krieg gegen die Schweiz aufgerufen hat. Ein Sprecher Ashtons sagte in Brüssel, es handele sich um „in diplomatischem Sprachgebrauch ziemlich ungewöhnliche Äußerungen“ Gaddafis.

"Wenn die Berichte darüber zutreffen, dann kommen diese Äußerungen zu einem unglücklichen Zeitpunkt, zu dem sich die EU gemeinsam mit der Schweiz bemüht, eine diplomatische Lösung im laufenden Streit zu finden“, sagte der Sprecher. >>> AFP/jm | Freitag, 26. Februar 2010

Al hamdu lillah! Women Barred from Cairo Clubs as Backlash Stirs Against the Hijab
Many Egyptians feel alarmed and besieged by the tilt towards religion. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Yasmine al-Mehairy did not even really want to be there. She had been invited to a friend’s birthday party at an upmarket nightclub called 35, in the Four Seasons hotel. She was parked illegally but only planned to hand over a bouquet and spend ten minutes inside. But when the bouncer pointed at her headscarf as the reason she could not enter, Ms al-Mehairy decided to fight.

“I ended up arguing with the guy for longer than I would have stayed in the first place if he just let me in,” said the 29-year-old IT professional, who eventually gave up and called her friend to meet her at the door and accept her birthday flowers.

Egypt’s steady drift towards religion has been well documented. But now there are signs of a backlash. In trendy clubs and cafés across Cairo, the hair and neck-covering scarf known as the hijab is increasingly being shunned as unacceptable dress.

Several bars and restaurants where alcohol is served now essentially ban veiled women from entering. The policy is more open in some places than others but seems to apply to at least half a dozen Cairo venues.

“They always give you the ‘there’s going to be alcohol’ reason,” said a Western-raised veiled Arab woman who has lived in Cairo since 2006. “In Egypt it’s mostly that they don’t like the look of it. They want to maintain some sort of prestige,” the woman, who did not want her name to be published, told The Times.

Club and restaurant managers refused to comment on the record about the ban, but several questioned why a devout veiled woman would even want to attend venues that served alcohol. One manager of a Cairo club, however, said that the restrictions were less about protecting the veiled women from “sinful” environments than about shielding the club’s core clients from having to look at veiled women. “It causes a lot of discomfort and doesn’t create the atmosphere I need to make money,” the manager said. “I can either make my regulars comfortable or I make the other 1 per cent comfortable.” >>> Ashraf Khalil in Cairo | Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Editor of Politiken,Tøger Seidenfaden, Has Found It Necessary to Apologise for the Printing of Muhammad Cartoons. The Editor of This Blog, Does Not. So Here They Are, In All Their Glory!

THE GUARDIAN – An extract: The leader of the rightwing Danish People's party, Pia Kjærsgaard, called the situation absurd, and said that Politiken had sold out. She urged Danish newspapers to reprint the cartoons as a protest against Politiken's settlement. "It is deeply, deeply embarrassing that [Politiken's editor] Tøger Seidenfaden has sold out of Denmark's and the west's freedom of speech. I cannot distance myself enough from this total sellout to this doctrine," Kjærsgaard said. [Source: The Guardian] Lars Eriksen in Copenhagen | Friday, February 26, 2010

JYLLANDS POSTEN: Danish newspaper enters deal with organisations and offers apology for offending them with images of the Prophet Mohammed Politiken newspaper, one of 11 Danish newspapers that reprinted the Mohammed cartoons, has issued an apology to eight Muslim organisations for offending...

Opposition leaders Helle-Thorning Schmidt of the Social Democrats and Villy Søvndal of the Socialist People’s Party called the move ‘outrageous’ and said deals should not be done involving freedom of speech. Paper apologises for Mohammed cartoons [JP] | Friday, February 26, 2010

Dhimmitude! Danish Newspaper Provokes Uproar with Apology Over Muhammad Cartoon
There’s a fool born every minute! Shame on you, Mr Seidenfaden! Shame on your newspaper, too! It is to be hoped that the Danes will, from now on, boycott your newspaper. – Mark
TIMES ONLINE: A leading Danish newspaper was today accused of betraying the freedom of the press after breaking ranks with its rivals to offer an apology to Muslims for publishing a cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad with a bomb-shaped turban.

Politiken issued the apology after settling with a Saudi lawyer representing eight Muslim groups that complained after the cartoon was reprinted by 11 Danish papers in solidarity with the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who received death threats last year.

Outrage at the move was led by Denmark’s Prime Minister and by Mr Westergaard, 74, who survived an alleged assassination attempt by an Islamic axeman at his home last month.

Politiken responded that it was apologising for the offence caused, not the decision to publish, in an attempt to reduce tensions with the Muslim world.

Lars Loekke Rasmussen, the Prime Minister, expressed surprise at Politiken's move, saying he was worried that the Danish media were no longer “standing shoulder to shoulder” on the issue.

Mr Westergaard, who has round-the-clock security, added: “I fear this is a setback for the freedom of speech.” >>> David Charter, Europe Correspondent | Friday, February 26, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Danish newspaper apologises in Muhammad cartoons row: Politiken widely condemned for agreeing to publish apology in return for Muslim organisations dropping legal action

A Danish newspaper apologised today to eight Muslim organisations for the offence it caused by reprinting controversial cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, in exchange for their dropping legal action against the newspaper. >>> Lars Eriksen in Copenhagen | Friday, February 26, 2010

World Condemns Gaddafi's Call for Jihad Against Switzerland
THE TELEGRAPH: World powers have reacted with outrage to a call by Colonel Gaddafi of Libya for holy war on the "obscene, infidel" state of Switzerland.

Col Gaddafi took a long-running and personal feud with the historically neutral European country to new heights with a speech in which he attacked the ban on new minarets on mosques approved by a Swiss referendum last year.

"Those who destroy God's mosques deserve to be attacked through jihad, and if Switzerland was on our borders, we would fight it," he said. "Jihad against Switzerland, against Zionism, against foreign aggression is not terrorism."

He called for a boycott of Switzerland by the Islamic world. "Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against Mohammad, God and the Koran," he said.

"The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbours and prevent any Swiss ships docking, inspect all shops and markets to stop any Swiss goods being sold."

Col Gaddafi's typically eccentric row with Switzerland, which began when one of his sons was arrested along with his wife because of allegations of abuse by two members of his domestic staff, has come as a blow to western powers.

They thought that they had managed to tame the Libyan leader after he voluntarily gave up a basic nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and agreed a compensation deal over the Lockerbie bombing.

Yesterday, both the European Union and the United Nations hit out at his speech. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Friday, February 26, 2010

Conversion au christianisme en Algérie

Conversion au christianisme en Algérie "Djam's"
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Ex-Muslim Barino über Islam und Gewalt – Violence in Islam

Ex-Muslim Barino über Islam und Gewalt - Violence in Islam
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Koran im Kopf / The Quran on My Mind
Teil / Part 1:



Teil / Part 2:



Teil / Part 3:



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«Il ne faut pas sous-estimer l'appel de Kadhafi»
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: DJIHAD CONTRE LA SUISSE | Selon l'expert en droit international Marcelo Kohen, les propos de Mouammar Kadhafi n'ont aucun écho auprès des gouvernements arabes, mais pourraient être entendus par des groupes terroristes.

Les propos agressifs du leader libyen ne sont pas une nouveauté. Interrogé par l'ATS, le professeur de droit international Marcelo Kohen rappelle qu'en septembre dernier, le colonel Kadhafi avait demandé aux Nations unies de mettre à l'ordre du jour de l'Asssemblée générale la dissolution de la Suisse.

"Ces actes sont graves. Il existe une menace contre la Suisse. Elle peut effectivement saisir le Conseil de sécurité et lui demander de prendre les mesures nécessaires dans le contexte de ses compétences pour le maintien de la paix et de la sécurité internationales", affirme M. Kohen.

"Mais dans cette affaire, la Suisse n'est pas totalement blanche et ne peut se poser uniquement en victime", ajoute ce professeur à l'Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID) à Genève. >>> ATS | Vendredi 26 Février 2010

Kadhafi appelle à la guerre sainte contre la Suisse
Mouammar Kadhafi a multiplié les provocations à l'encontre de la Suisse depuis 2008. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Jeudi, le dirigeant libyen a également demandé aux musulmans du monde entier de boycotter les produits helvétiques. En cause : l'interdiction des minarets, décidée en novembre. Une provocation qui attise la tension entre Berne et Tripoli.

Mouammar Kadhafi a encore frappé. Le guide de la révolution libyenne, adepte des déclarations provocatrices, a appelé jeudi à la guerre sainte contre la Suisse. Il a également demandé aux pays musulmans du monde entier de boycotter les produits suisses d'interdire les avions et navires helvètes dans leurs ports et aéroports.

La raison de cette nouvelle diatribe ? L'interdiction de la construction de nouveaux minarets en Suisse, décidée par référendum en novembre dernier. «Ceux qui détruisent les mosquées de Dieu méritent d'être attaqués par le djihad et si la Suisse était à nos frontières, nous la combattrions», a déclaré Kadhafi qui s'exprimait avant un rassemblement marquant l'anniversaire de la naissance du prophète Mahomet. Avant de reprendre: «Boycottez la Suisse. Boycottez ses marchandises, boycottez ses avions, ses navires, ses ambassades, boycottez cette race mécréante, apostate, qui agresse des maisons d'Allah». Une tirade d'une violence rare chez un chef d'Etat, généralement réservée aux réseaux terroristes islamistes.

Vendredi, l'ONU a répondu aux menaces de Kadhafi par la voix de son directeur général, basé au siège européen de Genève. Serguei Ordzhonikidze a déclaré que «de telles déclarations de la part d'un chef d'Etat sont inadmissibles dans le cadre des relations internationales». Paris juge de son côté «inacceptable» l'appel du dirigeant libyen. Côté suisse, la réaction officielle se fait toujours attendre. Jeudi, le porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères Lars Knuchel n'a pas voulu commenter ces déclarations. Sur cette affaire, Berne semble vouloir faire preuve de prudence et de diplomatie. >>> Par Jim Jarrassé | Vendredi 26 Février 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Colonel Gaddafi calls for jihad against Switzerland: Colonel Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has called for a jihad or armed struggle against Switzerland branding it an "infidel state". >>> Martin Evans | Friday, February 26, 2010

Related / Liens en relation avec les articles:

Gaddafi Calls for Holy War on Switzerland >>> | Thursday, February 25, 2010

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Hat tip: Islamization Watch

The Falklands Betrayal: U.S. Fails to Back British Oil Claims After Row Over American Torture Secrets
MAIL ONLINE: Hillary Clinton 'prepared to mediate' in Falklands row / Spanish oil company to drill near Falklands

U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton is due to meet with Argentina's president amid accusations of a snub to Britain over America's refusal to support the UK in the Falklands oil drilling row.

Mrs Clinton is to meet Cristina Ferndandez de Kirchner in Uruguay on March 1, Argentina's ambassador to the U.S. has announced.

Hopes are high in Argentina that Mrs Clinton will intervene on the country's behalf in the row with Britain over the disputed territory.

Respected Argentine newspaper La Nacion quoted State Department sources that claimed Mrs Clinton was 'prepared to mediate' in the row.

America's lack of support for Britain was last night blamed on the UK's decision to release sensitive U.S. intelligence on a terror suspect.

President Barack Obama was accused of being 'feeble' by failing to back London in the stand-off with Argentina over the disputed islands, despite the 'special relationship'.

Mrs Clinton and Mrs Kirchner are meeting in Uruguay as they attend the presidential inauguration there of José Mujica.

Argentina already has the support of Latin America and the Caribbean in the row with Britain, and regional leaders are expected to press the case with Mrs Clinton.

London and Buenos Aires are at odds over UK firm Desire Petroleum's decision to drill for oil 60 miles north of the Falklands.

Geologists estimate there are up to 60billion barrels of oil in the seabed.

The Argentine government has tabled a UN resolution condemning the plan. It has also secured backing from 32 South American nations supporting its claim that Britain has occupied the islands illegally since 1833.

But despite Argentina's sabrerattling, senior U.S. officials insist Washington's position on the oil drilling is neutral.

It is also 'taking no position' on the issue of sovereignty of the islands in the South Atlantic. >>> Ian Drury | Friday, February 26, 2010

'Racist' School Bus Drivers 'Refusing to Stop for Young Muslim Girls Who Are Wearing the Hijab'
MAIL ONLINE: School bus drivers have been accused of racism after failing to stop for pupils wearing Muslim hijabs.

Young girls have claimed they are being bullied on board for dressing in the traditional veil which covers the head.

To avoid trouble, ‘cowardly’ drivers are allegedly ignoring pupils who wait at bus stops wearing the headscarf.

Following a police investigation, officers will now be drafted on to board the buses to protect the students from ‘racist’ taunts of other passengers.

The problems centre on Merseytravel and pupils attending West Derby's Holly Lodge Girls' College in Merseyside, where 10 per cent of the 11,274 11 to 18-year-old students are from ethnic minorities.

Members of the Muslim community said the issue was a long-running one. >>> Carol Driver | Friday, February 26, 2010

Eine deutsche Apostatin aus einer türkischen Familie spricht / A German Apostate of Islam from a Turkish Family Speaks

Farage Facing Punishment
EUROPEAN VOICE: Personal attack on Belgian leader of the EU's highest body lands UK Eurosceptic in hot water.

The leader of the UK Independence Party's group in the European Parliament may be punished for attacking the president of the European Council in highly personal terms in a debate yesterday.

Aides to the Parliament's president, Jerzy Buzek, said he was “exploring appropriate measures” against Nigel Farage, who said Herman Van Rompuy had “the charisma of a damp rag”.

He continued in a similar vein by comparing the head of the EU's top institution to a “low-grade bank clerk” and labelled the ex-Belgian premier's country “pretty much a non-country”.

Buzek also intends to summon Farage for private discussions. Buzek has already described Farage's “character assassinations” as “inadmissible.” >>> Constant Brand | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Swiss Irrationality Drags EU into Dispute with Friendly Libya
THE TRIPOLI POST: Last week Libya announced it would cease issuing visas to citizens of European countries in the Schengen zone.

Even citizens currently in possession of visas would be denied entry. The reason was some irrational decisions made by the Swiss government starting in the summer of 2008.

In doing so, Libya was merely retaliating to rather unjustified Swiss government's decision to blacklist 186 Libyans.

The Swiss action means that no Schengen country, can issue full Schengen visas to the Libyans on the blacklist.

By doing so, the government of Switzerland dragged the whole of the EU countries into unnecessary dispute with an ever friendly Libya where these Europeans are finding ample business opportunities.

Knowing that Bern was acting irresponsibly and continuously failing to solve a problem that should have been solved long ago, Italy, Spain and Malta moved to help mediate between Tripoli and Bern.

On Thursday, Libyan Secretary of Foreign Liaison Mr. Mousa Kousa held talks in Madrid with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline-Calmy Rey days after Tripoli blocked visas to citizens of the 25-nation Schengen Area. The talks were mediated by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos whose country holds the presidency of the Council of the EU.

"There has been progress and overall a will to find a solution, but I cannot hide the difficulty, the difficult situation which Libyan and Swiss authorities are in at the moment," Moratinos told a news conference on Thursday.

"There are advances and the will to find a solution, but it is a difficult situation at the moment," said Moratinos, who met with the two ministers both separately and jointly.

Kousa did not comment on the talks and Calmy-Rey only said the three countries would "keep working" in the search for a solution.

There is a possibility that the negotiations to solve the dispute that entangled the rest of Europe will continue in Berlin on Friday.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has said Switzerland, which earlier this year operationally joined the Schengen zone of free movement for people in Europe, was abusing the agreement.

Frattini told Italian media that Swiss tensions with Libya were holding "hostage" the 25 member Schengen zone and that the Alpine country could have avoided the current troubles. >>> | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Egyptian Priests Ate Like Gods – and Paid by Dying Young
A wealthy couple bring gifts to Osiris. After rituals, priests and their families ate the rich food offered to the gods. Image: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: The banquets offered by high priests to appease the gods of Ancient Egypt may have been welcomed as a perk of the job but they also increased their chances of cardiovascular disease and early death, research suggests.

The priests, a powerful bureaucracy under the pharaohs, would place vast plates of roast fowl and copious quantities of wine and beer before a god’s statue in a rite repeated three times each day. Then the food was divided up among the priesthood and taken home from the temple to be shared with their families.

Egyptologists and scientists at the University of Manchester have disclosed in The Lancet the cost of keeping the gods happy. By combining translations of hieroglyphic inscriptions on temple walls showing details of food offered to the gods with analysis of mummified remains, they have assessed their atherosclerosis, the build-up of fat and calcium in the arteries.

The findings show that cardiovascular disease affected the privileged of Ancient Egypt long before fried food and a sedentary life made heart attacks and strokes a modern killer. Rosalie David, of the university’s KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology, said that it was a telling message: “Live like a god and you will pay with your health.” >>> Russell Jenkins | Friday, February 26, 2010

North Dakota’s Oil Boom

Violent French Husbands 'May Be Tagged'
BBC: Men seen as likely to be violent towards their wives could be forced to wear an electronic tag under a law being debated by the French parliament.

The tag would have to be worn by men who have received a court order to stay away from their partner.

The proposal is part of a draft law on conjugal violence. It has cross-party support and is expected to pass easily.

According to the government, around 160 women in France are murdered by their husbands or partners every year.

Parliament is also considering outlawing psychological violence in the home, because it is seen by many as a precursor to physical violence.

It is rare for the left and the right in France to agree on anything, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield, so the near unanimity in parliament behind this law comes as something of a novelty.

Everyone agrees that domestic violence is bad and getting worse. >>> | Thursday, February 25, 2010