Greece to Hold Referendum on EU Debt Deal

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Greece is to hold a referendum on whether to accept the rescue package from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund troika.

Responding to the riots that followed last week’s proposal, as well as dissent from within his own Socialist party, Prime Minister George Papandreou said: “The command of the Greek people will bind us. Do they want to adopt the new deal, or reject it? If the Greek people do not want it, it will not be adopted.”

Staging a referendum, reportedly to be held in January, threatens to throw the eurozone further into crisis as the majority of Greeks object to the bail-out, according to a survey published last week.

If Greece were to reject the plan, which requires deep spending cuts, it would risk a full-scale default and possible ejection from the euro. The country could even run out of money to pay civil servants or state pensions if the troika decided to pull the plug.

The decision by the embattled Mr Papandreou has the potential to be a major blow to efforts by German chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to tame a crisis that most economists expect to push Europe back into recession in coming months. Read on and comment » | Philip Aldrick, and Richard Blackden | Monday, October 31, 2011

The Homecoming – Libya
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Fjordman’s Latest Essay: What is Wrong With Western Elites?

GATES OF VIENNA: Libya’s autocratic ruler Muammar Qaddafi was brutally tortured and killed on 20 October 2011 after France, Britain, the USA and NATO had actively given military support to rebel troops that were known to include groups with ties to terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda.

As writer Diana West said, “Qaddafi was not killed in retaliation for his attacks on American servicemen in Berlin in 1986, or the downing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie in 1989. He was not killed for his central role in the USSR’s terror networks going back to the 1960s and 1970s. He was killed after coming over to our side of George Bush’s ‘war on terror’ in the final phase of a civil war in Libya in which his regime fought al Qaeda affiliates. Horrific as it sounds, Qaddafi was killed because we and our NATO allies joined the other side.”

In February 2011, a day before he quit as Egypt’s president after popular uprisings, Hosni Mubarak had harsh words for his former allies in the United States and their misguided quest for democracy in the Middle East. “They may be talking about democracy but they don’t know what they’re talking about and the result will be extremism and radical Islam.” » | Posted by Baron Bodissey | Monday, October 31, 2011

Tunesien: Justiz erlässt Haftbefehl gegen Witwe Arafats

DIE PRESSE: Die Witwe des ehemaligen Palästinenser-Präsidenten Yasser Arafat sieht sich mit Korruptionsvorwürfen konfrontiert. Sie zeigt sich "verwundert".

Angesichts von Korruptionsvorwürfen hat die tunesische Justiz einen internationalen Haftbefehl gegen die Witwe des ehemaligen Palästinenser-Präsidenten Yasser Arafat, Suha Arafat, erlassen. Ein Sprecher des Justizministeriums in Tunis bestätigte am Montag entsprechende Presseberichte. Die Beschuldigte wies die Vorwürfe im Gespräch mit der Nachrichtenagentur AFP zurück.

In der Korruptionsaffäre geht es laut Justizkreisen um die Internationale Schule von Karthago, die Suha Arafat im Jahr 2006 zusammen mit der früheren First Lady Tunesiens, Leila Trabelsi, gegründet hatte. Beide Frauen überwarfen sich später. Im Jahr 2007 entzog der damalige tunesische Präsident Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali Suha Arafat die ihr im Jahr zuvor verliehene Staatsbürgerschaft Tunesiens und verwies sie des Landes. Daraufhin ließ sie sich in Malta nieder. » | Ag. | Montag 31. Oktober 2011

USA stoppen Unesco-Zahlung nach Palästina-Votum
WELT ONLINE: Nach der Aufnahme der Palästinenser verweigern die USA der Unesco den November-Beitrag in Höhe von 60 Millionen Dollar. Ein Horrorszenario für die Organistation.

Nach der Aufnahme der Palästinenser als Vollmitglied in die Unesco haben die USA ihre Zahlungen an die UN-Kulturorganisation vorerst gestoppt. Der November-Beitrag in Höhe von 60 Millionen Dollar (43 Millionen Euro) werde nicht gezahlt, erklärte US-Außenamtssprecherin Victoria Nuland am Montag in Washington.

Die USA hatten vor der am Montag erfolgten Aufnahme der Palästinenser in die Unesco mit dem Zahlungsstopp gedroht.

In der Generalkonferenz in Paris stimmten am Montag 107 Mitgliedstaaten für den umstrittenen Antrag. Von den drei größten Geldgebern votierten die USA und Deutschland dagegen. Japan enthielt sich der Stimme. Die Palästinenser reagierten begeistert. Israel drohte mit Konsequenzen. » | AFP/dapd/dpa/sara | Montag 31. Oktober 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US withdraws Unesco funding after it accepts Palestinian membership: The United States severed funding to Unesco, the UN's cultural arm, after it defied the White House by voting overwhelmingly to accept the Palestinian Authority as a full member. » | Adrian Blomfield, Jerusalem | Monday, October 31, 2011

White Supremacist Who Changed His Life – and Face
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One of America's most violent and well known white supremacists, Bryon Widner, has undergone months of surgery to remove the hate tattoos that once covered his face.

Bryon Widner rejected the racist beliefs that had made him a notorious figure amongst the American extreme Right, but was struggling to readapt to society because of the web of tattoos that covered his face and neck.

Widner, known as an "enforcer" for US racist groups, was unable to find a job after leaving his past behind.

The former racist, a founder of the Vinlanders gang of skinheads in Ohio, embarked on a painful series of 25 surgeries that took 16 months and cost $32,400 (£20,233). » | Monday, October 31, 2011

US Election 2012: Herman Cain Denounces Sexual Harassment Allegations as 'Totally False'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Herman Cain, the unlikely Republican front-runner in the 2012 presidential race, has been forced to deny claims he sexually harassed two women when he was head of America's leading restaurant lobbying group.

Mr Cain, who has been married to his wife Gloria for 43 years and is an ordained minister, acknowledged that he was accused of sexual harassment in the 1990s but said the allegations were "totally false."

"I have never sexually harassed anyone. Yes, I was falsely accused while I was at the National Restaurant Association. And I say falsely because it turned out, after the investigation, to be baseless," he said.

The Washington-based association, which represents 380,000 restaurants, reportedly made five-figure out-of-court settlements with the women under which they left the organisation and agreed not to speak publicly about their cases.

Mr Cain said he had no knowledge of any financial settlements with his accusers.

"If the restaurant association did a settlement I wasn't even aware of it. And I hope wasn't for much because nothing happened," Mr Cain said. » | Nick Allen, Los Angeles | Monday, October 31, 2011

Related »

Roman Abramovich Describes Background in Welding and Plastic Toys
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea Football club owner, today told the High Court how he created a multi billion pound fortune despite leaving school at 16 and originally starting his business career selling plastic toys.

The Chelsea Football club owner is giving evidence in a High Court battle with exiled Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky.

Fighting off a legal battle for £6.5bn, almost half his fortune, the Chelsea FC owner, gave short answers in Russian as he was probed about his background.

He faces accusations by Boris Berezovsky, his former “mentor” that he blackmailed him into selling his shares in the oil conglomerate the founded together after Mr Berezovsky fell out with Vladimir Putin, then the newly-elected president of Russia.

Mr Abramovich claims that Mr Berezovsky never had any interest in his companies and was paid $2.5bn for “Krysha” – his protection from criminal gangs and his political patronage.

The two men have ignored each other across the court room in central London for the last month but today came as close as at any time since Mr Berezovsky served a writ on Mr Abramovich at a Hermes store in central London four years ago. » | Duncan Gardham and Gordon Rayner | Monday, October 31, 2011

Rowan Williams Warns of 'Urgent Issues' Raised by Protests as Third St Paul's Clergyman Resigns
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has warned that "urgent" issues raised by the protesters at St Paul's Cathedral must be properly addressed as the Dean, the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles, resigned.

He said the resignation, which followed that of Rev Dr Giles Fraser, the Canon Chancellor, was "very sad news" and that the events of the past fortnight had shown "how decisions made in good faith by good people under unusual pressure can have utterly unforeseen and unwelcome consequences".

Speaking publicly about the crisis for the first time, Dr Williams added: "The urgent larger issues raised by the protesters at St Paul's remain very much on the table and we need – as a Church and as society as a whole – to work to make sure that they are properly addressed."

Dean Knowles, the most senior dean in the country, said the cathedral clergy had been put “under a great deal of strain” as they faced what he described as “insurmountable issues” and that his position had become “untenable”.

The announcement comes just days after Dr Fraser stepped down from his post, warning that to evict the anti-capitalist activists would constitute “violence in the name of the Church”.

A part time chaplain, Rev Fraser Dyer, has also resigned citing similar concerns. » | Victoria Ward | Monday, October 31, 2011

Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy On Stroll with Baby Giulia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Giulia Sarkozy, France's 'First Baby' enjoyed a stroll with her famous parents on Monday morning.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, her husband Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, and Giulia went for a stroll on the grounds of the presidential residence – 'La Lanterne' park in Versailles.

French photographers caught a brief glimpse of Giulia in October when her former-supermodel mother whisked her away from the Muette Clinic in Paris where she gave birth.

This was the first time however that she had been pictured with both mother and her father, 56, who kept a protective arm round his wife.

Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy made sure to cover up her baby, after announcing earlier this year: "I will never show photos of this child. I will never expose this child".

The French first lady, 43, who is seen as somewhat of a limelight chaser, added: "I will do everything to protect this infant, and I'll be absolutely rigorous." » | Monday, October 31, 2011

GALA.fr: Nicolas Sarkozy et Carla Bruni: première sortie avec bébé – Une semaine après la naissance de la petite Giulia, Nicolas Sarkozy et Carla Bruni ont effectué leur première sortie à l’extérieur sous l’œil des photographes. » | par Laure Costey | lundi 31 octobre 2011

Pilger strömen nach Mekka
Schon 1,5 Millionen Ausländer in Saudiarabien eingetroffen
NZZ ONLINE: Über 2,5 Millionen Pilger werden auch dieses Jahr zur grossen Pilgerfahrt der Muslime in Mekka erwartet. 1,5 Millionen Ausländer sind schon in Saudiarabien eingetroffen. Die eigentlichen Feierlichkeiten beginnen am Freitag.

Zur diesjährigen Wallfahrt nach Mekka sind bereits mehr als eineinhalb Millionen Pilger in Saudiarabien eingetroffen. Wie die saudiarabische Nachrichtenagentur SPA am Montag berichtete, zählten die Behörden bis zum Samstagabend 1'575'000 Menschen aus dem Ausland.

Der für die Wallfahrt zuständige Minister Fuad al-Farsi erwartet laut jüngsten Angaben insgesamt etwa 1,8 Millionen ausländische Gäste. Zudem rechnet er mit bis zu 800'000 Teilnehmern aus Saudiarabien. Die Hajj beginnt eigentlich am Freitag in Mekka; doch viele Pilger versammeln sich schon früher. » | afp | Montag 31. Oktober 2011

Bruno Metsu Famous French Footballer Converts to Islam
ABNA: Metsu is preparing the UAE for their Asia Cup qualifier against Jordan at Al Shabab’s ground tonight. But the man who coached Senegal at the World Cup in 2002 and then led Al Ain to the AFC Champions League in 2003, admitted he and his wife had converted to Islam.

He recently visited the Department of Awqaf in Dubai and formally announced he converted before the religious scholar Ismael Tojo. He said: “This will make me feel comfortable, peaceful and stable. But for many years in my coaching career, I was known as Bruno Metsu.

“So, I am keen to keep my image good in the minds of people who made friends with me and called me by the name that has been famous in different countries.” Sameera Al Fuhaimi, the acting director of family guidance of the Dubai Islamic affairs department, added: “The department received the French coach and wife following their conversion.

“We gave them books and tapes in French and which explain teachings of our religion. Metsu and wife were highly delighted and were keen to have Islamic books”. Metsu is also believed to be preparing for a Haj pilgrimage. [Source: Ahl ul Bayt News Agency] | Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Palestine Secures Seat in UNESCO Despite US Threats

Oliver Callan Reveals He Is Gay on The Saturday Night Show

Boris Johnson: Daylight Saving Time: Don't Let the Scots Steal This Hour Because They Want a Lie-in
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain would be better off and lives would be saved if we had summer time all year round, writes Boris Johnson.

No, no, that can't be right. They can't trifle with our hopes like that. It is now more than two years since the Greater London Authority renewed its campaigning for lighter winter evenings – and last week we thought we had a stunning breakthrough.

The Government said it was "minded to support" a Bill put forward by a heroic Tory MP called Rebecca Harris, calling for British Summer Time to be in force all year. We all had the strong impression that the Cabinet had abandoned the inertia and spinelessness of the last 40 years, and was going to support Mrs Harris in her bid to save lives, expand the economy and cheer everyone up. Then I pick up my paper yesterday and I find that there has apparently been a U-turn.

It now turns out that the support of the Government entirely depends on the Scots. Unless Alex Salmond and his team agree that there should be another look at daylight saving, the whole thing is once again going to be slammed back into the bulging filing cabinet of projects that are commonsensical (like repatriating some powers from the EU) but just too politically difficult to pull off. According to a Downing Street source, the whole thing is now "dead in the water". Come on, folks. This isn't good enough. » | Boris Johnson | Monday, October 31, 2011

My comment:

Boris, I wish you'd stop harping on about this! I, for one, love dark winter evenings. I'd hate it if they were light. Light, drab, British winter evenings: ugh!

You have a bee in your bonnet – or is it that smoking hat? – about this. It will save no lives at all. It will mean children will have to go to school in the dark instead of coming home in the dark. In any case, it's only for about four months of the year. So what?

Stop being so meddlesome! Please leave our clocks alone. Putting London on the same time as Berlin is like putting Boston on the same time as St. Louis. It just doesn't make any sense. None whatsoever.

And imagine Christmas shopping in London with all the lights on in daylight! How much fun would that be?

Let the bee fly away and leave us (and the clocks) alone! You're a pain in the butt. – © Mark

This comment appears here, too.

The Two Faces of Tony Blair

THE INDEPENDENT: The former PM's Faith Foundation champions religious freedom. So why is he doing deals with a despot who persecutes believers?

In the centre of Kazakhstan's new capital, Astana, jostling for attention amid gleaming skyscrapers built on profits from the country's vast oil and gas fields, a glass pyramid stands on a hill overlooking the Presidential Palace.

Designed by the British architect Norman Foster, the £36m "Palace of Peace and Reconciliation" is the brainchild of Kazakhstan's autocrat president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who commissioned a building where religious leaders from around the world could meet and find common ground.

The irony of the building's construction was not lost on local human rights activists who have documented an increasingly hostile attitude towards religious groups in Kazakhstan – and raised serious questions about the recruitment by Mr Nazarbayev of Tony Blair as an adviser to the nation.

The most serious assault on religion was unveiled this month, just days before it was revealed that the former British prime minister, who runs a faith foundation, had been taken on by the Kazakh government in a role he has not yet fully explained.

A new law, rushed through the country's parliament and announced by Mr Nazarbayev, forbids prayer rooms inside state buildings, orders all religious groups to re-register or face liquidation through the courts, bans foreigners from setting up faith groups, and severely limits where religious literature can be bought.

For Mr Blair – who set up his eponymous foundation after leaving Downing Street to promote religion as "a powerful force for good in the modern world" – the timing of the law is embarrassing and piles on the pressure to explain the exact nature of his business dealings with the regime. » | JEROME TAYLOR | Monday, October 31, 2011

'I Am Part of the Most Selfish Generation in History and We Should Be Ashamed of Our Legacy,' Says Jeremy Paxman
MAIL ONLINE: As it’s revealed today’s young will be 25 per cent worse off than their parents, the Newsnight presenter says he and his fellow Baby-Boomers have bequeathed little worth celebrating...

A few years ago, an American author wrote a book about the men and women who endured the Depression and then fought in World War II. He testified to their courage, vision and resilience by calling his book The Greatest Generation.

If anyone attempted to name their children — those born between about 1945 and 1965 — the so-called Baby-Boomers, they might consider calling them The Worst Generation.

It is now received wisdom that today’s young people may be the first generation in modern history to expect to be poorer than their parents.

Earlier this month, a report suggested the young will be 25 per cent worse off than their parents when they reach the age of 65 — the so-called ‘baby bust’ generation, having accumulated £400,000 less by the time they retire.

This may not be entirely their parents’ fault. But we should certainly take a good share of the blame. Read on and comment » | Jeremy Paxman | Monday, October 31, 2011

Telegraph View: Nick Clegg Is Out of Step with Britain over Europe
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Telegraph View: The Deputy Prime Minister's latest intervention not only undermines the Government but sets him profoundly at odds with public opinion.

Nick Clegg has in the past been accused of being a politician with one foot in Westminster and one in Brussels. Never has that charge seemed more justified than this weekend, when the Deputy Prime Minister went out of his way to pick a fight with both his coalition partners and British public opinion over the future of the European Union.

Writing in a Sunday newspaper, he warned Britain against running "headfirst towards treaty change" and "tampering with the EU's founding texts". He added: "We spent years fighting to bring down the walls that divided Europe – it would be damaging to let new ones spring up now." And he asked: "Why would we seek to head up a smaller club [of non-euro members] with a fast diminishing membership?" If Britain were to be leader of countries outside the eurozone, that would be "an extraordinary own goal". » | Telegraph View | Monday, October 31, 2011

My comment:

I've come to the conclusion that this newspaper is at war with all things European, especially the EU. It appears to me to have lost all sense of reason and balance. Furthermore, it has become the home not so much of Conservative voters, but of UKIP voters instead. UKIP voters and turncoats. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Rush Mocks Obama

Read the article here

Politico Exclusive: 2 Women Accused Herman Cain of Inappropriate Behavior

POLITICO: During Herman Cain’s tenure as the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, at least two female employees complained to colleagues and senior association officials about inappropriate behavior by Cain, ultimately leaving their jobs at the trade group, multiple sources confirm to POLITICO.

The women complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that made them angry and uncomfortable, the sources said, and they signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them financial payouts to leave the association. The agreements also included language that bars the women from talking about their departures.
In a series of comments over the past 10 days, Cain and his campaign repeatedly declined to respond directly about whether he ever faced allegations of sexual harassment at the restaurant association. They have also declined to address questions about specific reporting confirming that there were financial settlements in two cases in which women leveled complaints. » | JONATHAN MARTIN & MAGGIE HABERMAN & ANNA PALMER & KENNETH P. VOGEL | Monday, October 31, 2011

Occupy Protesters Clash with Police in Denver and Portland

THE GUARDIAN: Twenty people detained in Denver and 30 in Portland as snowstorms result in quieter weekends for New York demonstrators

Violent clashes between Occupy protesters and police broke out in Denver, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon, over the weekend.

Police arrested 20 people and fired pepper spray and pepper balls as they moved to tear down tents set up by Occupy Denver demonstrators on Saturday. Amid angry scenes, two protesters were held on felony charges after police said an officer was knocked off his motorcycle and other officers were kicked.

Patricia Hughes, 38, a nurse who was at the Denver demonstration described the police behaviour as "brutal and outlandish."

She said that police were putting on their riot gear before the demonstration began and that more than 100 officers charged into the crowd after one officer fell while dismantling a tent.

"It's an extraordinary decision that the police in Denver think rubber bullets are an acceptable response to a peaceful protest," she said. » | Dominic Rushe in New York | Sunday, October 30, 2011

Countries that Ban Homosexuality Risk Losing Aid, Warns David Cameron

THE GUARDIAN: Prime minister concedes 'deep prejudices' in some countries mean the problem will persist for years

Britain has threatened countries that ban homosexuality with losing aidpayments unless they reform, David Cameron has said.

But he conceded that "deep prejudices" in some countries meant the problem would persist for years.

The prime minister said he had raised the issue with leaders of some of the states involved when he attended the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Australia.

Britain was "putting the pressure on", he said. But it was not a problem that would be solved by the time Commonwealth leaders are next due to meet, in Sri Lanka in 2013.

Cameron warned Sri Lanka to improve its human rights record or face boycotts of the 2013 summit. He declined to discuss whether the UK could stay away but said he shared a "similar view" to that of the Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, who has said he will not attend.

Ending bans on homosexuality was one of the recommendations of a highly critical internal report on the future relevance of the Commonwealth, written by experts from across the member nations.

"We are not just talking about it. We are also saying that British aid should have more strings attached," Cameron said on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show in an interview recorded at the summit in Perth.

"This is an issue where we are pushing for movement, we are prepared to put some money behind what we believe. But I'm afraid that you can't expect countries to change overnight. » | Press Association | Sunday, October 30, 2011

I have sometimes been critical of David Cameron in the past for not showing enough courage. This decision, however, is a courageous one; and he should be respected for it. Homosexuals have had to suffer throughout the ages. It is high time that people put their prejudices to the side, it is high time that homosexuals were recognised for the human beings that they are, for the people who should be respected for the nature they were born with and can do nothing about. Countries which punish and harass homosexuals do not deserve our aid. Let them go sing for it elsewhere. – © Mark

Nick Clegg Issues Fierce Rebuke to Tory Right over Europe

THE OBSERVER: Deputy prime minister says coalition will not take back powers from Brussels and calls EU debate a 'dangerous distraction'

Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, has launched a full-frontal attack on Conservative Eurosceptics within the coalition, describing their aims as "economic suicide" and ruling out a "headfirst" charge towards a repatriation of powers from Europe.

In a direct challenge to Tories calling for a redrawing of the UK's relationship with Europe, the Liberal Democrat leader dismisses calls for a raid on Brussels' powers as a futile distraction. Writing for the Observer, Clegg mocks those who believe this country would survive outside of Europe based on the so-called "special relationship" with America. "Eurosceptics tend to gaze longingly across the Atlantic, but the Americans are interested in us, in large part, because of our sway with our neighbours," he writes. "We stand tall in Washington because we stand tall in Brussels, Paris and Berlin."

Sources close to Clegg also dismissed claims by David Cameron over the weekend that the Foreign Office was reviewing every aspect of Britain's membership of the European Union in preparation for a potential treaty change coming out of the eurozone crisis.

The official told the Observer: "This would be to misunderstand what the coalition agreement says." Instead Clegg writes that Britain would avoid opening the "Pandora's box" that comes with "tampering with the EU's founding texts", and describes talk of such moves as "dangerous distractions".

The deputy prime minister's forthright intervention makes it clear that Britain's relationship with Europe could yet prove to be the most dangerous faultline within the coalition. It comes after a torrid week in parliament in which the eurozone crisis has led to renewed calls from the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative party for a partial or total withdrawal from the European Union. Last Monday, 81 Conservative MPs defied a three-line whip to vote against the government and for a referendum on EU membership. » | Daniel Boffey | Saturday, October 29, 2011

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Nick Clegg warns David Cameron of 'economic suicide' over EU policy: Nick Clegg has set himself on a collision course with David Cameron over EU policy after warning that it would be "economic suicide" for Britain to "retreat to the margins" of Europe. » | Josie Ensor and Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor | Sunday, October 30, 2011

Syria: Bashar al-Assad Accused of 'Scare Mongering'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Opposition groups and activists on Sunday accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of 'scare mongering' to dissuade Western action against the regime.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Telegraph, President Assad had warned that foreign intervention in his country would cause an "earthquake" that would "burn the whole region".

"He is trying to make the uprising seem threatening to the West and the Middle East," said Walat Afimeh, a member of the Sawa (Together) Youth opposition movement.

"After eight months of uprisings, why do you think this will suddenly descend to civil and then regional war?" said Nasser Ahme, a Kurdish activist member of Sawa Youth speaking from a hiding place in Turkey.

Activists renewed the call for a Nato imposed 'no fly zone', and the equipping of the 'Syrian Free Army' (SFA) – an opposition military group composed of defecting soldiers.

Syria's social patchwork of ethnic diversities makes the country sensitive to civil war acquiesced activists. But intervention will only help prevent civil war. » | Ruth Sherlock in Antakya, Turkey | Sunday, October 30, 2011

CNN - Spreading Islam in Britain

Sharia-zone in Denmark

Todesursache Gaddafi starb an Lähmung des Atemzentrums
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Todesursache von Libyens Diktator steht fest: Nach SPIEGEL-Informationen ist Gaddafi gestorben, weil Gehirnteile eingeklemmt wurden. Dadurch kam es zur Lähmung der Atmung. Die Obduktion zeigte einen sonst erstaunlich gut erhaltenen Körper.

Hamburg - Libyens gestürzter Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi ist nach SPIEGEL-Informationen an den Folgen einer sogenannten Herniation gestorben, einer Einklemmung von Gehirnteilen mit einer anschließenden Lähmung des Atemzentrums. » | Sonntag 30. Oktober 2011

Muslim Fanatics Abuse MP at Mosque

SUNDAY EXPRESS: COUNTER terrorism police are investigating a Muslim group after supporters called an MP a “Jewish homo pig”.

Conservative MP Mike Freer was holding an advice surgery in the mosque in Margaret Thatcher’s former constituency of Finchely, north London, when the radicals hurled abuse on Friday afternoon.

They screamed at him that as someone who is gay he was “not welcome in a house of Allah”.

Mr Freer, who is not Jewish but who is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia, said the protesters were “aggressive” and that he had been forced to call Finchley’s Met Police borough commander to complain.

It is now understood that Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorist unit is investigating the Muslims Against Crusades group, which has also issued a chilling warning to any MP representing Muslims in Britain.

In a statement on its website, they have told every MP to remember what happened to Stephen Timms, the former Labour minister who was stabbed while holding an advice surgery in east London last year.

His Al Qaeda-inspired attacker, Roshonara Choudhry, 22, was sentenced to life imprisonment and a number of other MPs who were on her target list were offered extra police protection.

The Muslims Against Crusades statement reads: “We warn Mike Freer and every other MP in Britain that their presence is no longer welcomed in any Muslim area and that examples such as Stephen Timms should serve as a piercing reminder of this.

“Muslims have had enough of freedom and democracy and are fervently working for the implementation of the Shariah.” » | Ted Jeory | Sunday, October 30, 2011

Le procès de Moubarak reporté au 28 décembre
20 MINUTES ONLINE: Le procès d'Hosni Moubarak pour corruption et meurtre de manifestants a été reporté dimanche au 28 décembre, en attendant une décision sur un éventuel remplacement du juge.

«Le tribunal pénal du Caire, présidé par le juge Ahmed Refaat, a décidé d'ajourner le procès de l'ancien président Hosni Moubarak, de ses fils Alaa et Gamal, de l'homme d'affaires Hussein Salem et de l'ancien ministre de l'Intérieur Habib el-Adli et six de ses collaborateurs au 28 décembre», a affirmé l'agence. » | afp | dimanche 30 octobre 2011

Syrie: Intervention internationale pas exclue
20 MINUTES ONLINE: La Ligue arabe a averti le président syrien Bachar al-Assad qu'une intervention internationale serait inévitable si sa médiation visant à arrêter la violence échouait.

Une réunion est prévue dimanche à Doha entre une délégation ministérielle de la Ligue arabe et des responsables syriens, venus apporter la réponse de Damas à des demandes formulées par cette délégation lors d'une réunion mercredi à Damas avec M. Assad.

Citant des sources arabes bien informées, le quotidien koweïtien «Al-Qabas» affirme que «la délégation arabe a été franche et claire au cours de sa réunion avec la direction syrienne. Elle l'a avertie que si une solution arabe échouait, cela aboutirait à une internationalisation de la crise».

«Cela voulait dire que la Syrie devrait s'attendre à une intervention étrangère et à un embargo économique», ont ajouté ces sources citées par le journal. » | afp | dimanche 30 octobre 2011

Assad Whitewashed! Syria's President Assad: 'I Live a Normal Life - It's Why I'm Popular'

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Three thousand demonstrators have died fighting his rule, but - in an exclusive interview - Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria, tells Andrew Gilligan he will not go the way of Gaddafi

When you go to see an Arab ruler, you expect vast, over-the-top palaces, battalions of guards, ring after ring of security checks and massive, deadening protocol. You expect to wait hours in return for a few stilted minutes in a gilded reception room, surrounded by officials, flunkies and state TV cameras. You expect a monologue, not a conversation. Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, was quite different.

The young woman who arranged the meeting picked me up in her own car. We drove for 10 minutes, then turned along what looked like a little-used side road through the bushes. There was no visible security, not even a gate, just a man dressed like a janitor, standing by a hut. We drove straight up to a single-storey building the size of a largeish suburban bungalow. The president was waiting in the hall to meet us.

We sat, just the three of us, on leather sofas in Assad’s small study. The president was wearing jeans. It was Friday, the main protest day in Syria: the first Friday since the death of Colonel Gaddafi had sunk in. But the man at the centre of it all, the man they wanted to destroy, looked pretty relaxed. Read on and comment » | Andrew Gilligan | Sunday, October 30, 2011

Snow Storm Hits Many Parts of North-Eastern United States
THE GUARDIAN: Unseasonal Halloween weather has dumped up to 30cm of snow and affected 60 million people from Virginia to Maine

Huge swathes of the north-eastern United States have been hit by a rare October snow storm that struck across the region from Virginia all the way to Maine.

Dubbed "Snowtober" by news organisations covering the unusually early winter storm, the massive weather formation dumped up to 30cm (one foot) of snow in parts of the country that rarely see it this early in the year. Some estimates put the number of people affected by the unseasonal weather at around 60 million.

In a few parts of the country the storm was an almost once-in-a-lifetime event. New York City has seen measurable October snow just three times since 1869, when America was still recovering from the civil war. But 2011 has been an unusual year for New York weather, as the city was also directly hit by Hurricane Irene just a few months ago. Over New York and other areas the storm was also accompanied by thunder and lightning, another fairly rare event known as "thundersnow". » | Paul Harris in New York | Saturday, October 29, 2011

20 MINUTES ONLINE: Des vols suspendus à cause de la neige : Les aéroports de New York et de Philadelphie en Pennsylvanie enregistraient samedi des retards et des suspensions de vols. » | ats | samedi 29 octobre 2011

BILD: Wintereinbruch legt Osten der USA lahm: New York – Am Freitag wärmte noch die Sonne die New Yorker, am Wochenende verschwand die US-Metropole im Schneegestöber. Völlig überraschend ist eine Schneefront über die komplette nördliche Hälfte der US-Ostküste hereingebrochen. Millionen sind ohne Strom – und bleiben es tagelang. » | Sonntag 30. Oktober 2011

Libya Insists Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Should Be Tried at Home

THE GUARDIAN: NTC says that the International Criminal Court should not be allowed to try Saif Gaddafi for his role in Libya's civil war

Libyan officials are determined to resist attempts to bring Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, before the international criminal court [sic], claiming he should instead face justice at home.

Colonel Ahmed Bani, the military spokesman for Libya's interim rulers, said they were insistent that the international body should not win custody of its most wanted man. "We will not accept that our sovereignty be violated like that," he said. "We will put him on trial here. This is where he must face the consequences of what he has done. We will prove to the world that we are a civilised people with a fair justice system. Libya has its rights and its sovereignty and we will exercise them."

The gruesome scenes of his father's death give Gaddafi, 39, little incentive to surrender to the new rulers, or the rebel forces searching for him in the Sahara.

It is understood that Gaddafi has acknowledged to the ICC and the National Transitional Council that he is aware of his father's brutal demise in his hometown of Sirte. Officials in Tripoli fear that the former heir apparent does not intend to surrender to The Hague, and is playing for time in an attempt to escape into a nearby African state. » | Martin Chulov in Tripoli | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Muslime protestieren gegen Islamfeindlichkeit
Kundgebung auf dem Bundesplatz in Bern
NZZ ONLINE: Auf dem Bundesplatz in Bern haben Muslime gegen islamfeindliche Tendenzen in der Gesellschaft protestiert. Viele Blicke zog ein grosses, aufblasbares Minarett auf sich, das die Organisatoren gleich neben der Bühne aufgestellt hatten.

Rund 2000 Menschen haben auf dem Bundesplatz in Bern gegen Islamophobie protestiert. Redner aus dem In- und Ausland kritisierten die Diskriminierung von Muslimen im Alltag.

Zum «Tag gegen Islamophobie und Rassismus» hatte der Islamische Zentralrat Schweiz (IZRS) aufgerufen. Als einer der ersten Redner betrat am Nachmittag IZRS-Präsident Nicolas Blancho die Bühne. Hinter ihm waren grosse gelbe Buchstaben aufgestellt, die das Wort Islamophobie bildeten. » | sda | Samstag 29. Oktober 2011

Documentary: The Russian Revolution

Assad: Challenge Syria At Your Peril

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, has warned that Western action against his country would cause an "earthquake" that would "burn the whole region".

In his first interview with a Western journalist since Syria's seven-month uprising began, President Assad told The Sunday Telegraph that intervention against his regime could cause "another Afghanistan".

Western countries "are going to ratchet up the pressure, definitely," he said. "But Syria is different in every respect from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen. The history is different. The politics is different.

"Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the fault line, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake … Do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?

"Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region. If the plan is to divide Syria, that is to divide the whole region." » | Andrew Gilligan, in Damascus | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Norwegen: Massenmörder Breivik will „mildernde Umstände“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die Anwälte von Anders Breivik, der bei einem Massaker auf der norwegischen Insel Utøya 69 Teilnehmer eines Jugendlagers ermordete, plädieren für „mildernde Umstände“. Ihr Mandant sei geständig und habe Kinder verschont.

Die Anwälte des norwegischen Massenmörders Anders Behring Breivik wollen beim bevorstehenden Prozess „mildernde Umstände“ geltend machen und ein geringeres Strafmaß durchsetzen. Der32-jährige Rechtsradikale und Islamhasser hatte am 22. Juli beieinem Massaker auf der Insel Utøya 69 Teilnehmer eines Jugendlagers ermordet. Kurz zuvor starben acht Menschen durch eine von ihm im
Osloer Regierungsviertel platzierte Autobombe. Breivik sei geständig und habe Kinder verschont, argumentieren die Anwälte. » | Quelle: dpa | Freitag 28. Oktober 2011

Manifestation contre la christianophobie
LE FIGARO: Plus d'un millier de fondamentalistes chrétiens ont manifesté ce samedi à Paris contre la "christianophobie" incarnée selon eux par la pièce de théâtre italienne jouée dans la capitale "Sur le concept du visage du fils de Dieu" qu'ils jugent blasphématoire.

"Nous sommes là pour dénoncer la christianophobie au sens large et nous allons mettre un accent particulier sur le spectacle blasphématoire qui se joue en ce moment", a dit Alain Escada, secrétaire général de l'institut Civitas, proche du mouvement de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X fondée par l'intégriste Mgr Lefebvre.

Derrière une banderole proclamant "La France est chrétienne et doit le rester", le cortège de plus d'un millier de personnes - 5.000 selon Civitas - a défilé dans le centre de la capitale aux cris de "christianophobie, ça suffit!". Parmi les manifestants, des prêtres en soutane et des croyants de tous âges exhibant crucifix et drapeaux du Sacré coeur, chantant et priant. » | AFP | samedi 29 octobre 2011

Islam Invades the Philippines- More Filipinos Convert to Islam

Blair Defends Opening the Door to Mass Migration and Says It Had a Very Positive Impact on Britain

MAIL ONLINE: Former PM said it was 'right’ that the country was made up of different cultures and faiths mixing together

Tony Blair has defended Labour’s controversial mass immigration policy by claiming that Britain cannot succeed unless it opens its borders to more people from different backgrounds.

The former prime minister said it was 'right’ that the country was made up of different cultures and faiths mixing together.

Mr Blair added that migrants had made Britain 'stronger’ and said those calling for greater curbs on foreigners entering the country were wrong.

His comments come just days after official figures revealed that the population is expected to soar by the equivalent of a city the size of Leeds every year for the next decade.

A defiant Mr Blair insisted his party’s policy on immigration was the right one. He said: 'It’s been a very positive thing and there is no way for a country like Britain to succeed in the future unless it is open to people of different colours, faiths and cultures.’ Read on and comment » | Kirsty Walker | Saturday, October 29, 2011

My comment:

That man is arrogant! He's full of his own importance, and wrong! He should hang his head in shame because of the wrongs he has done to this country. He deliberately set out to make the country multi-cultural against the people's wishes. He should be hanged, drawn, and quartered for the destruction he has wrought. The man is a disgrace! And stupid, to boot! – © Mark

Royal Tour of Australia: The Queen Ends Visit with Traditional 'Aussie Barbie'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The last engagement in the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's tour of Australia was a traditional barbecue, where the Prince even flipped a steak.


The Duke of Edinburgh entered into the spirit of the occasion and flipped a steak sizzling on a grill as he joined cooks attempting to hold a record-breaking barbecue.

The event was the last engagement in the Queen and Duke's 11-day tour of Australia, and the monarch told the crowds: "We have been overwhelmed by your kindness and support.

"Once again we will return to the United Kingdom with fond memories of our time here and the warm Australian welcome we have received on our 16th visit to this beautiful country."

The Queen has received a rapturous welcome during her tour, and Perth residents followed the national mood and turned out in their tens of thousands for a final glimpse of the Royal couple. » | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Interview With Abdur-Raheem Green

Young Man from London Converts to Islam

Obama Congratulates New Saudi Crown Prince
LOS ANGELES TIMES: President Obama congratulated King Abdullah and the people of Saudi Arabia on Friday on the selection of Prince Nayif ibn Abdulaziz as the heir to the Saudi throne, and expressed his intent to continue America's partnership with Nayif as the two countries strengthen their "deep and long-standing friendship." » | Ann M. Simmons in Los Angeles | Friday, October 28, 2011

Gaddafis Have 'Slim to No Chance' of Hague Justice

'Satan in a Skirt' Confesses to 17 Murders
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Russian woman dubbed 'satan in a skirt' has confessed to murdering seventeen female pensioners for cash in a brutal eight-year murder spree.

Irina Gaidamachuk, a 40-year-old mother of two, said she had murdered the female OAPs in the Sverdlov region south-east of Moscow for money, robbing them of sums as little as the equivalent of £20.

"The detainee has confessed to the murders," Alexander Shulga, a spokesman for the investigators working on the case told the daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper. » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Afghanistan: 13 American Troops Killed in Kabul Suicide Car Bomb Attack
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A suicide car bomber has killed at least 13 American troops in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday in the deadliest single ground attack on foreign troops in 10 years of war in Afghanistan.

"We can confirm that 13 International Security Assistance Force members have died," said a spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

A US official confirmed that all 13 Nato service members were American troops.
Excluding helicopter crashes, it was the deadliest single incident for foreign troops since the war began in 2001.

It is the largest single-day US loss in Afghanistan since the August crash in Wardak province that killed 38 people, including 22 Navy Seals. » | Saturday, October 29, 2011

King Carl XVI Gustaf's 'annus horribilis'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: King Carl XVI Gustaf's 'annus horribilis' started last November with the publication of The Reluctant Monarch, a[n] exposé of his playboy past detailing the sex parties hosted for him and his friends by Mille Markovic, a Serbian gangster.

The book also brought into the open a steamy affair with Camilla Henemark, a Swedish-Nigerian pop singer, who the King was involved with for a year in the late 1990s, with the full knowledge of Queen Silvia, who was powerless to stop it.

"The King sometimes looked like a love-crazed schoolboy, and on one occasion they talked about running away together to an isolated exotic island," Thomas Sjöberg wrote in his book.

Then, on November 24, a documentary aired on Swedish television that claimed that Walter Sommerlath, the German father of Queen Silvia had grown rich on returning to Germany in 1939 by producing armaments in a factory stolen from the Jews, and that he had joined the Nazi Party in the 1930s when the family still lived in Brazil.

These claims conflicted with the account given by Queen Silvia in another documentary, aired at the start of the year. She had claimed that he had not been "politically active", that the factory he owned had produced mainly trains and hair dryers, and that he had joined the Nazi party to save his career. » | Richard Orange | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Related »

Swedish King Braced for Further Allegations about Sex Parties

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Police are investigating the origins of a data stick filled with material from a forthcoming documentary investigating allegations Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf attended sex parties allegedly hosted by a Serbian gangster.

The data stick, which contains material stolen from the hard drive of Nuri Kino, an investigative journalist, was mailed on Monday to Anders Lettström, a childhood friend of the king, with a message saying it came from "some friends", according to Sweden's Expressen newspaper.

Mr Lettström handed the material to Swedish Police on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old King Carl Gustav's reputation was shattered last year following the publication of The Reluctant Monarch, a biography by Swedish journalist Thomas Sjöberg, which alleged that the King had attended sex parties hosted by Serbian gangster Mille Markovic at his underground club in Stockholm almost 40 years ago[.[

The King has never fully denied all of the allegations. » | Richard Orange, Malmö | Saturday, October 29, 2011

Related »

Schüsse auf US-Botschaft in Sarajevo
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Sarajevo - Ein mit einem Schnellfeuergewehr bewaffneter Mann hat am Freitag die US-Botschaft in Sarajevo beschossen und mindestens einen Wachmann verletzt. » | Reuters | Freitag 28. Oktober 2011

Krawalle in Geburtsstadt tunesischer Revolution
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Tunis - Wenige Stunden nach Bekanntgabe des Wahlergebnisses ist es in der Geburtsstadt der tunesischen Revolution zu Ausschreitungen gekommen.

Wahlsieger Rachid Ghannouchi von der der gemäßigt-islamistischen Ennahda machte für die Krawalle in Sidi Bouzid Parteigänger des im Januar gestürzten Präsidenten Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali verantwortlich. Anhänger einer nachträglich von der Wahl ausgeschlossenen Partei hatten Augenzeugen zufolge versucht, den Sitz der Regionalregierung zu stürmen. Ghannouchi bemühte sich am Freitag, die Wogen zu glätten und versprach, die Rechte der Frauen zu achten.

Ennahda-Chef Ghannouchi erklärte, seine Partei werde die Frauen nicht verpflichten, einen Schleier zu tragen. Solche Versuche seien in anderen arabischen Ländern gescheitert. In der von der Ennahda geführten Regierung könnten Frauen Posten übernehmen, ob sie nun eine Schleier trügen oder nicht, sagte Ghannouchi. Das starke Abschneiden seiner Partei hat die Sorge geweckt, die Bevölkerung in dem vergleichsweise offenen Land könne strengeren islamischen Regeln unterworfen werden. Ghannouchi hat dies wiederholt zurückgewiesen. Er orientiert sich an der gemäßigt-religiösen Politik des türkischen Ministerpräsidenten Tayyip Erdogan. » | Reuters | Freitag 28. Oktober 2011

La Ligue arabe demande à Assad de mettre fin aux violences
REUTERS – FRANCE: LE CAIRE - Les ministres de la Ligue arabe ont adressé vendredi soir un message urgent au président syrien Bachar al Assad pour lui demander de mettre fin à sept mois de violences dans son pays.

Cet appel fait suite à la mort de 40 manifestants en faveur de la démocratie, abattus par les forces syriennes de sécurité. » | Marwa Awad; Pierre Sérisier pour le service français | samedi 29 octobre 2011

Nationalist Shadow Looms Over Germany’s Rainbow Cities

Le suspect principal de l'attentat de Marrakech condamné à mort
REUTERS – FRANCE: SALE, Maroc - Un juge marocain a condamné vendredi à la peine de mort Adel Osmani pour avoir organisé et perpétré un attentat à bombe qui avait fait 17 morts, dont huit Français, le 28 avril dernier dans un café de Marrakech.

Cette action était la plus meurtrière commise au Maroc depuis les attentats suicides coordonnés qu'avaient perpétrés des extrémistes islamistes en 2003 à Casablanca.

A l'énoncé du verdict, des parentes d'Osmani et de ceux qui ont été reconnus coupables de complicité avec lui se sont mises à crier et à éclater en sanglots, a rapporté un journaliste de Reuters présent dans la salle d'audience.

L'accusation avait réclamé la peine "la plus sévère possible" contre Osmani et huit hommes accusés d'être ses complices. La peine capitale, autorisée par le code pénal marocain, n'a cependant pas été appliquée depuis 1992. » | par Souhail Karam | vendredi 28 octobre 2011

Gaddafi’s Son – New Nightmare for Western Leaders

ICC Warns Libya's Saif al-Islam Against Fleeing

REUTERS.COM: The International Criminal Court said on Saturday Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was in contact through intermediaries about surrendering for trial, but it also had information mercenaries were trying to spirit him to a friendly African nation.

The ICC has warned the 39-year-old, apparently anxious not to be captured by Libyan interim government forces in whose hands his father Muammar Gaddafi was killed last week, that it could order a mid-air interception if he tried to flee by plane from his Sahara desert hideout for a safe haven. » | Aaron Gray-Block | THE HAGUE | Saturday, October 29, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Gaddafi's son says he is innocent: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has told the International Criminal Court he is innocent of alleged crimes against humanity » | Reuters | Saturday, October 29, 2011