THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Despite widespread crackdown on opponents and the media, the former prime minister controversially says interim leadership supports 'open-minded society'
Tony Blair has thrown his weight firmly behind Egypt's new military leadership and urged the international community to do the same, after meetings with the country's interim rulers.
During a flying visit to Cairo on Thursday, the former British prime minister told a Gulf-based television channel that the Muslim Brotherhood, rulers of Egypt until a military coup in July, had "tried to take the country away from its basic values of hope and progress".
"The army have intervened, at the will of the people," he told Sky News Arabia. "In order to take the country to the next stage of its development, which should be democratic, we should be supporting the new government in doing that."
Mr Blair met interim president Adly Mansour and military chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el Sisi. The field marshall is widely seen as the power behind the presidency, and enjoys widespread public and institutional backing for a run in Egypt's forthcoming presidential elections.
"We should support those people in the region who want the open-minded society and the modern economy. That means we support the government here in Egypt," said Mr Blair. » | Louisa Loveluck, Cairo | Friday, January 31, 2014
Friday, January 31, 2014
Judaism: Inside the Torah – National Geographic
Inside Story: Who Decides When It Is Time to Die?
Labels:
Canada,
euthanasia,
Inside Story,
Montréal,
québec
Hong Kong Tycoon Rescinds £80 Million Dowry for Lesbian Daughter
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hong Kong businessman withdraws £80 million 'marriage bounty' for gay daughter after her heartfelt open letter – but refuses to accept partner
A Hong Kong tycoon has withdrawn his £80 million "marriage bounty" to find his lesbian daughter a male suitor after she defended her sexuality in a heartfelt open letter, but emphatically refused to accept her partner into the family.
Gigi Chao asked her father, flamboyant property developer Cecil Chao, in an open letter on Wednesday to treat her partner of nine years as a "normal, dignified human being".
Her plea came after Chao, who refuses to recognise her as a lesbian, last week doubled the "marriage bounty" on his daughter to HK$1 billion (£80 million).
The initial offer of HK$500 million two years ago attracted 20,000 candidates after the outlandish declaration made international headlines.
"If this is what she wants to be for the time being, it's all over," the elder Chao, wearing a bright orange textured coat and dark-tinted sunglasses, told CNN in an interview on Thursday. » | AFP | Friday, January 31, 2014
Related »
A Hong Kong tycoon has withdrawn his £80 million "marriage bounty" to find his lesbian daughter a male suitor after she defended her sexuality in a heartfelt open letter, but emphatically refused to accept her partner into the family.
Gigi Chao asked her father, flamboyant property developer Cecil Chao, in an open letter on Wednesday to treat her partner of nine years as a "normal, dignified human being".
Her plea came after Chao, who refuses to recognise her as a lesbian, last week doubled the "marriage bounty" on his daughter to HK$1 billion (£80 million).
The initial offer of HK$500 million two years ago attracted 20,000 candidates after the outlandish declaration made international headlines.
"If this is what she wants to be for the time being, it's all over," the elder Chao, wearing a bright orange textured coat and dark-tinted sunglasses, told CNN in an interview on Thursday. » | AFP | Friday, January 31, 2014
Related »
The Big Prize on N. Korea’s Black Market
Labels:
black market,
North Korea
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Arabie Saoudite : le coronavirus tue à nouveau
Il s’agit du 59e décès en Arabie Saoudite liés à ce virus. D'autres cas ont été enregistrés dans le pays, a ajouté le ministère sans préciser leur nombre. Dans le monde, le royaume est le foyer le plus touché par ce virus nommé Syndrome respiratoire du Moyen-Orient (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, MERS), qui a fait son apparition dans la région en avril 2012. » | Rédigé par La Rédaction | mercredi 29 janvier 2014
Labels:
Arabie Saoudite,
Coronavirus,
MERS
ZDF: Die Weimarer Republik
Hong Kong Tycoon's Daughter Defends Lesbian Relationship
BBC: Gigi Chao, the daughter of a Hong Kong tycoon has urged her father to accept she is a lesbian, after he offered millions to find her a husband.
In a open letter Ms Chao says Cecil Chao should accept her partner and "treat her like a normal, dignified human being".
Ms Chao, 33, who married her long-term partner Sean Eav in France in 2012, also emphasised: "There are plenty of good men, they are just not for me."
Mr Chao last week reportedly offered to double his 2012 offer of $65m (£40m).
She told the BBC she wrote the letter to set the record straight. (+ BBC audio) » | Thursday, January 30, 2014
In a open letter Ms Chao says Cecil Chao should accept her partner and "treat her like a normal, dignified human being".
Ms Chao, 33, who married her long-term partner Sean Eav in France in 2012, also emphasised: "There are plenty of good men, they are just not for me."
Mr Chao last week reportedly offered to double his 2012 offer of $65m (£40m).
She told the BBC she wrote the letter to set the record straight. (+ BBC audio) » | Thursday, January 30, 2014
Archbishops Criticise Nigerian and Ugandan Anti-gay Laws
BBC: The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written to the presidents of Nigeria and Uganda, after being asked about laws there penalising gay people.
The letter said homosexual people were loved and valued by God and should not be victimised or diminished.
Nigeria and Uganda have both passed legislation targeting people with same-sex attraction.
The letter is also addressed to all primates (heads of national Churches) in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Archbishops Justin Welby of Canterbury and John Sentamu of York said the letter was a result of "questions about the Church of England's attitude to new legislation in several countries that penalises people with same-sex attraction".
The letter comes as Archbishop Welby starts a five-day tour of four African countries. » | Thursday, January 30, 2014
The letter said homosexual people were loved and valued by God and should not be victimised or diminished.
Nigeria and Uganda have both passed legislation targeting people with same-sex attraction.
The letter is also addressed to all primates (heads of national Churches) in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Archbishops Justin Welby of Canterbury and John Sentamu of York said the letter was a result of "questions about the Church of England's attitude to new legislation in several countries that penalises people with same-sex attraction".
The letter comes as Archbishop Welby starts a five-day tour of four African countries. » | Thursday, January 30, 2014
'Apocalyptic': Storm Brigid Rages towards UK Bringing 150MPH Killer Winds, Rain and Snow
DAILY EXPRESS: A VIOLENT and destructive storm is hurtling across the Atlantic and will smash into Britain tomorrow.
The entire country faces at least three days of torrential downpours, savage 150mph gales and weeks of relentless flood misery.
Storm Brigid is expected to hit UK shores in the early hours of tomorrow before the full force of the onslaught rips into the country on Saturday. Experts say it threatens to cause destruction on a par with the ferocious October St Jude’s Day Storm and subsequent Storm Emily which hit in December.
It came as figures show some areas of England have already had their wettest January since records began. The Met Office said much of the south and Midlands already had twice the average rainfall for January by midnight on Tuesday - with three days still left in the month.
Several inches of rain are likely to fall in a matter of hours through the next few days, sealing the record for England’s wettest winter in history. » | Nathan Rao | Thursday, January 30, 2014
The entire country faces at least three days of torrential downpours, savage 150mph gales and weeks of relentless flood misery.
Storm Brigid is expected to hit UK shores in the early hours of tomorrow before the full force of the onslaught rips into the country on Saturday. Experts say it threatens to cause destruction on a par with the ferocious October St Jude’s Day Storm and subsequent Storm Emily which hit in December.
It came as figures show some areas of England have already had their wettest January since records began. The Met Office said much of the south and Midlands already had twice the average rainfall for January by midnight on Tuesday - with three days still left in the month.
Several inches of rain are likely to fall in a matter of hours through the next few days, sealing the record for England’s wettest winter in history. » | Nathan Rao | Thursday, January 30, 2014
Labels:
extreme weather,
UK
Double Your Dole, Eurocrats Tell UK: Ministers Told Current Handouts Are 'Manifestly Inadequate'
The Council of Europe claims the handouts given to Britain’s jobless are ‘manifestly inadequate’.
Ministers have been told they are in violation of the European Social Charter – potentially opening the door for claimants to take the Government to court to get more money.
But ministers say obeying the diktat from the Council, which oversees the controversial European Court of Human Rights, would cost the UK billions of pounds and plunge efforts to reduce the deficit into chaos.
To comply, Jobseeker’s Allow- ance (JSA) would have to be hiked by £71, from £67 to £138 a week.
Last night Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith accused the Council of Europe of ‘lunacy’.
He told the Mail: ‘This Government has made great strides in fixing the bloated welfare system we inherited from Labour. It’s lunacy for the Council of Europe to suggest welfare payments need to increase when we paid out £204billion in benefits and pensions last year.’
The Council said Britain had signed up to the Social Charter, which is ‘a legally binding economic and social counterpart to the European Convention on Human Rights’. » | James Slack and Daniel Martin | Wednesday, January 29, 2014
German Muslims Outraged at Archbishop's Comments
Cardinal Joachim Meisner told members of the conservative Catholic group Neocatechumenal Way that "I always say one of your families replaces three Muslim families."
The lay group, founded in Spain in the 1960s, celebrates unique liturgies and emphasizes missionary evangelization. » | AP | Berlin | Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Intel Chief Warns Syria's Militants Want To Attack US
Labels:
biological weapons,
Syria,
USA
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Empire: America and Al-Qaeda 3.0
Obama's State Of The Union: Blah-blah Again or Real Promises?
Angela Merkel Rebukes US and Britain over NSA Surveillance
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Chancellor says Germany and US still 'far apart' on sweeping surveillance and spying activities revealed by Edward Snowden
German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a strong rebuke to the United States and Britain on Wednesday over sweeping surveillance and spying activities reported by fugitive IT contractor Edward Snowden.
In a major speech to parliament ahead of talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday, Merkel said that Western powers sacrificing freedom in the quest for security were sending the wrong signal to "billions of people living in undemocratic states".
"Actions in which the ends justify the means, in which everything that is technically possible is done, violate trust, they sow distrust," she said. "The end result is not more security but less." » | AFP | Wednesday, January 29, 2014
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Regierungserklärung der Kanzlerin: Merkel beklagt Vertrauensbruch durch US-Geheimdienste: Angela Merkel hat die Ausspähung durch ausländische Geheimdienste scharf kritisiert. "Das zerstört Vertrauen", sagte die Kanzlerin in ihrer Regierungserklärung im Bundestag. Gleichwohl gestalteten sich die Verhandlungen über ein No-Spy-Abkommen mit den USA schwierig. » | syd | Mittwoch, 29. Januar 2014
German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a strong rebuke to the United States and Britain on Wednesday over sweeping surveillance and spying activities reported by fugitive IT contractor Edward Snowden.
In a major speech to parliament ahead of talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday, Merkel said that Western powers sacrificing freedom in the quest for security were sending the wrong signal to "billions of people living in undemocratic states".
"Actions in which the ends justify the means, in which everything that is technically possible is done, violate trust, they sow distrust," she said. "The end result is not more security but less." » | AFP | Wednesday, January 29, 2014
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Regierungserklärung der Kanzlerin: Merkel beklagt Vertrauensbruch durch US-Geheimdienste: Angela Merkel hat die Ausspähung durch ausländische Geheimdienste scharf kritisiert. "Das zerstört Vertrauen", sagte die Kanzlerin in ihrer Regierungserklärung im Bundestag. Gleichwohl gestalteten sich die Verhandlungen über ein No-Spy-Abkommen mit den USA schwierig. » | syd | Mittwoch, 29. Januar 2014
Labels:
Angela Merkel,
Edward Snowden,
Germany,
NSA surveillance,
UK,
USA
State of the Union: Is Anyone Listening to President Obama?
BBC: On 28 January, President Obama will go before the nation to deliver his annual State of the Union address.
It is a speech that allows the Commander in Chief to outline his priorities for the year ahead and to focus the country's attention.
But this year he faces an uphill battle. With low approval ratings and a divided Congress, what can he actually get done?
The BBC's Katty Kay assesses the mood in Washington. (+ BBC vido) » | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
It is a speech that allows the Commander in Chief to outline his priorities for the year ahead and to focus the country's attention.
But this year he faces an uphill battle. With low approval ratings and a divided Congress, what can he actually get done?
The BBC's Katty Kay assesses the mood in Washington. (+ BBC vido) » | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Exclusive: Mitt Romney Previews the State of the Union
Netanyahu Blasted For Son’s Non-Jewish Girlfriend
ABC NEWS: Conservative Israeli groups and politicians are taking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to task over his son’s alleged romance with a Norwegian who is not Jewish.
Netanyahu’s son Yair, 23, is reportedly dating Sandra Leikanger, 25, a student at the Interdisciplinary Center outside Tel Aviv.
“It’s a big problem,” member of parliament Nissim Ze’ev from the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party told the Jerusalem Post. “As the prime minister of Israel and the Jewish people, he must display national responsibility via the values he presents inside his own household.”
“Any Jew who wants to maintain his roots wants to see his son marry a Jewish girl,” Ze’ev continued. “There is no shortage of beautiful, successful girls without sowing in the fields of others.” » | Alexander Marquardt | Monday, January 27, 2014
Maajid Nawaz Must Be Free to Offend Muslims – and Christians Must Be Free to Offend Gays
TELEGRAPH BLOGS – BRENDAN O’NEILL: Yesterday, two very striking things happened on the freedom-of-speech front. First, the campaign in defence of Maajid Nawaz, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate who has been harassed by an online mob of Islamists for saying he did not think the Jesus and Mo cartoons were offensive, stepped up a gear. Numerous newspaper columnists, bloggers and tweeters have rallied to Mr Nawaz’s defence, and a petition calling for the Lib Dems to offer him their full support now has close to 7,000 signatures. And second, the High Court in London ordered an investigation into the banning of an allegedly homophobic advert from British buses by Transport for London (TfL) in 2012. The Court said the ban might have been unjust and said it is now time to “re-examine whether… the poster could be used”.
Let me guess: you’ve heard a lot more about the first case, about Mr Nawaz’s travails, than you have about the second – right? Certainly there’s been far more coverage of the liberal online uprising in defence of Mr Nawaz’s right to tweet the secularist, mickey-taking Jesus and Mo cartoons than there has been of the High Court’s green light for an investigation into the banning of an anti-gay poster by TfL. Which is weird, because these cases are actually very similar. In both, an army of offence-takers sought to scrub from public view something they found repulsive – whether a tweet about Jesus and Mo or a poster putting forward a Christian take on homosexuality – and in both it was casually assumed that the rights of the offended should take precedence over the freedom of everyone else to tweet, read, see and hear certain risqué (allegedly) ideas. But only one case – Mr Nawaz’s – has become a cause celebre [sic] among liberals who profess an attachment to freedom of speech. Why? » | Brendan O’Neill | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Let me guess: you’ve heard a lot more about the first case, about Mr Nawaz’s travails, than you have about the second – right? Certainly there’s been far more coverage of the liberal online uprising in defence of Mr Nawaz’s right to tweet the secularist, mickey-taking Jesus and Mo cartoons than there has been of the High Court’s green light for an investigation into the banning of an anti-gay poster by TfL. Which is weird, because these cases are actually very similar. In both, an army of offence-takers sought to scrub from public view something they found repulsive – whether a tweet about Jesus and Mo or a poster putting forward a Christian take on homosexuality – and in both it was casually assumed that the rights of the offended should take precedence over the freedom of everyone else to tweet, read, see and hear certain risqué (allegedly) ideas. But only one case – Mr Nawaz’s – has become a cause celebre [sic] among liberals who profess an attachment to freedom of speech. Why? » | Brendan O’Neill | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Britain's Royal Family Should Cut Costs and Staff, Lawmakers Say
LOS ANGELES TIMES: LONDON – Time was when being queen (or king) meant having the power to make your enemies’ heads roll. Now it means being told by upstart lawmakers to cut your expenses and chop the number of people on staff. And could Your Majesty please do a better job of keeping your home in decent condition?
In a report released Tuesday on the finances of Britain’s royal household, members of Parliament criticized the state of disrepair of much of Queen Elizabeth II’s considerable estate, saying that nearly 40% of it was in subpar condition. The boiler in Buckingham Palace hasn’t been overhauled in 60 years and buckets catch water leaking from the roof inside a gallery where priceless artworks are kept, one lawmaker said.
Yet even as urgent home repairs were needed, the world’s most famous extended family spent $74.5 million in 2012-13, going over budget by $3.8 million. The number of people serving them remains unchanged from several years ago. And the household’s rainy-day reserve fund has dwindled to a decidedly less-than-princely sum of $1.7 million. » | Henry Chu | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Wanted: an enthusiastic and proactive individual to run the Queen’s bath: A new housekeeper is wanted at Buckingham Palace to look after royal guests, furnishings and art » | Gordon Raynor, Chief Reporter | Friday, January 24, 2014
DAILY EXPRESS: Boomtime Britain as Buckingham Palace goes on a recruiting spree: FOR those who have ever wondered what it would be like to work in Buckingham Palace, they no longer need to dream about such a job as the royal residence is opening it's doors to new employees. » | Kirsty McCormack | Saturday, January 25, 2014
In a report released Tuesday on the finances of Britain’s royal household, members of Parliament criticized the state of disrepair of much of Queen Elizabeth II’s considerable estate, saying that nearly 40% of it was in subpar condition. The boiler in Buckingham Palace hasn’t been overhauled in 60 years and buckets catch water leaking from the roof inside a gallery where priceless artworks are kept, one lawmaker said.
Yet even as urgent home repairs were needed, the world’s most famous extended family spent $74.5 million in 2012-13, going over budget by $3.8 million. The number of people serving them remains unchanged from several years ago. And the household’s rainy-day reserve fund has dwindled to a decidedly less-than-princely sum of $1.7 million. » | Henry Chu | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Wanted: an enthusiastic and proactive individual to run the Queen’s bath: A new housekeeper is wanted at Buckingham Palace to look after royal guests, furnishings and art » | Gordon Raynor, Chief Reporter | Friday, January 24, 2014
DAILY EXPRESS: Boomtime Britain as Buckingham Palace goes on a recruiting spree: FOR those who have ever wondered what it would be like to work in Buckingham Palace, they no longer need to dream about such a job as the royal residence is opening it's doors to new employees. » | Kirsty McCormack | Saturday, January 25, 2014
Iraq and Iran Plot Oil Revolution in Challenge to Saudi Arabia
Iraq is poised to flood the oil market by tripling its capacity to pump crude by 2020 and is collaborating with Iran on strategy in a move that will challenge Saudi Arabia's grip on the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
"We feel the world needs to be assured of fuel for economic growth," Hussain al-Shahristani, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy in Iraq told oil industry delegates attending a Chatham House Middle East energy conference.
Al Shahristani said on Tuesday that Iraq plans to boost its capacity to produce oil to 9m barrels a day (bpd) by the end of the decade as Baghdad rushes to bolster its economy, which is still shattered by war and internal conflict. Iraq was producing 3m bpd in December, according to the International Energy Agency.
Iraq's intention to challenge Saudi Arabia's status as the "swing producer" in the OPEC cartel could see a dramatic fall in oil prices if Baghdad decides to break the group's quotas and sell more of its crude on the open market. » | Andrew Critchlow | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Labels:
Iran,
Iraq,
oil prices,
Saudi Arabia
The Return of the Firing Squad? US States Reconsider Execution Methods
With lethal-injection drugs in short supply and new questions looming about their effectiveness, lawmakers in some states with the death penalty are considering bringing back relics of a more gruesome past: firing squads, electrocutions and gas chambers.
Most states abandoned those execution methods more than a generation ago, in the hope of making capital punishment more palatable to the public and to a judicial system worried about inflicting cruel and unusual punishments that violate the constitution.
But to some elected officials, the shortages of lethal drugs and the recent legal challenges around them are beginning to make lethal injection seem too vulnerable to complications.
"This isn't an attempt to time warp back into the 1850s or the wild, wild west or anything like that," said the Missouri state Republican representative, Rick Brattin, who this month proposed making firing squads an option for executions. "It's just that I foresee a problem, and I'm trying to come up with a solution that will be the most humane yet most economical for our state." » | Associated Press | Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Labels:
executions,
USA
Monday, January 27, 2014
Jewish Documentary
Is Anti-semitism Rising in Germany?
Six million Jews, two million Roma and thousands of other people were killed in Nazi death camps.
Now there are fears that anti-semitism is on the rise - a recent survey of 6,000 Jewish people found that a third have faced physical or verbal abuse.
Stephen Evans reports from Berlin. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, January 27, 2014
Labels:
anti-Semitism,
Germany
Forgive or Forget: Survivors of Genocide in the Holocaust, Rwanda and Cambodia Describe Their Experiences
Holocaust Survivor Miriam Reitzenstein’s Testimony
Holocaust Survivor And Her Amazing Story
Please Meet is a short video documentary series. The concept of this series is to interview unique individuals that inspire thought, creativity, action, etc. The influencers who are interviewed range from celebrities to a guy selling Streetwise in the freezing cold in Chicago. Everyone has a story, a dream and I want to share their stories with you through my lens.
Remembering the Six Million: Jews around World Mark International Holocaust Memorial Day
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Holocaust Survivor Recalls Horrors of Nazi Camp Ordeal
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Himmler Letters: 'I Am Travelling to Auschwitz. Kisses. Your Heini'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Newly discovered collection of letters, notes and photographs from Heinrich Himmler shed light on private life of man who organised the Holocaust
A collection of letters, notes and photographs from Heinrich Himmler are to be published in full on Sunday, shedding light on the private life of the man who orchestrated the Holocaust.
Spanning from Himmler’s courtship of his future wife in 1927 to just a few weeks before he committed suicide in 1945, the archive published by Die Welt promises to be an unprecedented insight to the domestic relationship of the Nazi high command.
Personal archives relating to Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goerring and Joseph Goebbels have all been destroyed either by close aides or in the final onslaught on Berlin.
In excerpts released by the German newspaper on Saturday night, some exchanges between Himmler and his wife Marga contain a chilling informality.
In a July 1942 note to his wife, he wrote: “I am travelling to Auschwitz. Kisses. Your Heini.” » | Damien McElroy and Inna Lazareva | Sunday, January 26, 2014
DIE WELT: Kapitel 1: Himmler: Die Handschrift des Massenmörders » | Sonntag, 26. Januar 2014
YNET NEWS: Himmler's letters revealed: 'I'm going to Auschwitz. Kisses': Private correspondence of architect of Final Solution shows how top Nazi was willing to shoot his own mother if Hitler asked, but despite mass murder surrounding him family life was indispensable » | Yehuda Shohat and Elad Zeret | Sunday, January 26, 2014
Related »
A collection of letters, notes and photographs from Heinrich Himmler are to be published in full on Sunday, shedding light on the private life of the man who orchestrated the Holocaust.
Spanning from Himmler’s courtship of his future wife in 1927 to just a few weeks before he committed suicide in 1945, the archive published by Die Welt promises to be an unprecedented insight to the domestic relationship of the Nazi high command.
Personal archives relating to Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goerring and Joseph Goebbels have all been destroyed either by close aides or in the final onslaught on Berlin.
In excerpts released by the German newspaper on Saturday night, some exchanges between Himmler and his wife Marga contain a chilling informality.
In a July 1942 note to his wife, he wrote: “I am travelling to Auschwitz. Kisses. Your Heini.” » | Damien McElroy and Inna Lazareva | Sunday, January 26, 2014
DIE WELT: Kapitel 1: Himmler: Die Handschrift des Massenmörders » | Sonntag, 26. Januar 2014
YNET NEWS: Himmler's letters revealed: 'I'm going to Auschwitz. Kisses': Private correspondence of architect of Final Solution shows how top Nazi was willing to shoot his own mother if Hitler asked, but despite mass murder surrounding him family life was indispensable » | Yehuda Shohat and Elad Zeret | Sunday, January 26, 2014
Related »
Religious Difference, Not Ideology, Will Fuel This Century's Epic Battles
THE OBSERVER: We must encourage education and tolerance if we are to bring about peace in the Middle East and the rest of the world
The last weeks have seen a ghastly roll call of terror attacks in the obvious places: Syria, Libya, Iraq and Lebanon, as well as Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Pakistan. Also suffering are places where we have only in recent years seen such violence: Nigeria, and in many parts of central Africa, in Russia and across central Asia, and in Burma, Thailand and the Philippines. We can either see all of these acts of killing as separate – produced by various political contexts – or we can start to see the clear common theme and start to produce a genuine global strategy to deal with it.
The fact is that, though of course there are individual grievances or reasons for the violence in each country, there is one thing self-evidently in common: the acts of terrorism are perpetrated by people motivated by an abuse of religion. It is a perversion of faith. But there is no doubt that those who commit the violence often do so by reference to their faith and the sectarian nature of the conflict is a sectarianism based on religion. There is no doubt either that this phenomenon is growing, not abating.
We have to be prepared to take the security measures necessary for our immediate protection. Since 9/11, the cost of those measures, and their burden, has been huge. However, security action alone, even military action, will not deal with the root cause. This extremism comes from a source. It is not innate. It is taught. It is taught sometimes in the formal education system; sometimes in the informal religious schools; sometimes in places of worship and it is promoted by a vast network of internet communications.
Technology, so much the harbinger of opportunity, can also be used by those who want to disseminate lessons of hate and division. Today's world is connected as never before. This has seen enormous advances. It means there is a kind of global conversation being conducted. This is exciting and often liberating. But it comes with the inevitable ability for those who want to get across a message that is extreme to do so. This has to be countered. » | Tony Blair | Saturday, January 25, 2014
Related »
The last weeks have seen a ghastly roll call of terror attacks in the obvious places: Syria, Libya, Iraq and Lebanon, as well as Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Pakistan. Also suffering are places where we have only in recent years seen such violence: Nigeria, and in many parts of central Africa, in Russia and across central Asia, and in Burma, Thailand and the Philippines. We can either see all of these acts of killing as separate – produced by various political contexts – or we can start to see the clear common theme and start to produce a genuine global strategy to deal with it.
The fact is that, though of course there are individual grievances or reasons for the violence in each country, there is one thing self-evidently in common: the acts of terrorism are perpetrated by people motivated by an abuse of religion. It is a perversion of faith. But there is no doubt that those who commit the violence often do so by reference to their faith and the sectarian nature of the conflict is a sectarianism based on religion. There is no doubt either that this phenomenon is growing, not abating.
We have to be prepared to take the security measures necessary for our immediate protection. Since 9/11, the cost of those measures, and their burden, has been huge. However, security action alone, even military action, will not deal with the root cause. This extremism comes from a source. It is not innate. It is taught. It is taught sometimes in the formal education system; sometimes in the informal religious schools; sometimes in places of worship and it is promoted by a vast network of internet communications.
Technology, so much the harbinger of opportunity, can also be used by those who want to disseminate lessons of hate and division. Today's world is connected as never before. This has seen enormous advances. It means there is a kind of global conversation being conducted. This is exciting and often liberating. But it comes with the inevitable ability for those who want to get across a message that is extreme to do so. This has to be countered. » | Tony Blair | Saturday, January 25, 2014
Related »
Extremist Religion Is at Root of 21st-century Wars, Says Tony Blair
THE OBSERVER: Former prime minister will reignite debate on Iraq as he calls on governments to switch tactics
Tony Blair has reignited debate about the west's response to terrorism with a call on governments to recognise that religious extremism has become the biggest source of conflict around the world.
Referring to wars and violent confrontations from Syria to Nigeria and the Philippines, Blair, writing in the Observer, argues that "there is one thing self-evidently in common: the acts of terrorism are perpetrated by people motivated by an abuse of religion. It is a perversion of faith."
Identifying religious extremism as an ever more dangerous phenomenon, the spread of which is easier in an online age, he says: "The battles of this century are less likely to be the product of extreme political ideology, like those of the 20th century – but they could easily be fought around the questions of cultural or religious difference."
The former prime minister, who led the country into the Iraq conflict in 2003, appears to acknowledge that previous aspirations to export liberal democracy focused too much on political objectives.
But sources close to Blair insist that he is not in any way indulging in a mea culpa over past interventions by the west, including in Iraq. In the future, he writes, "the purpose should be to change the policy of governments; to start to treat this issue of religious extremism as an issue that is about religion as well as politics, to go to the roots of where a false view of religion is being promulgated and to make it a major item on the agenda of world leaders to combine effectively to combat it. This is a struggle that is only just beginning." » | Toby Helm, political editor | Saturday, January 25, 2014
Tony Blair has reignited debate about the west's response to terrorism with a call on governments to recognise that religious extremism has become the biggest source of conflict around the world.
Referring to wars and violent confrontations from Syria to Nigeria and the Philippines, Blair, writing in the Observer, argues that "there is one thing self-evidently in common: the acts of terrorism are perpetrated by people motivated by an abuse of religion. It is a perversion of faith."
Identifying religious extremism as an ever more dangerous phenomenon, the spread of which is easier in an online age, he says: "The battles of this century are less likely to be the product of extreme political ideology, like those of the 20th century – but they could easily be fought around the questions of cultural or religious difference."
The former prime minister, who led the country into the Iraq conflict in 2003, appears to acknowledge that previous aspirations to export liberal democracy focused too much on political objectives.
But sources close to Blair insist that he is not in any way indulging in a mea culpa over past interventions by the west, including in Iraq. In the future, he writes, "the purpose should be to change the policy of governments; to start to treat this issue of religious extremism as an issue that is about religion as well as politics, to go to the roots of where a false view of religion is being promulgated and to make it a major item on the agenda of world leaders to combine effectively to combat it. This is a struggle that is only just beginning." » | Toby Helm, political editor | Saturday, January 25, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
François Hollande officialise sa rupture avec Valérie Trierweiler
LE PARISIEN: Voilà, c'est fini. François Hollande et Valérie Trierweiler ont acté leur séparation. Le chef de l'Etat a annoncé ce samedi soir «la fin de sa vie commune» avec sa compagne, dans une déclaration à l'AFP. Précisant qu'il s'exprimait à titre personnel et non en tant que président, car il s'agit de «(sa) vie privée», il a déclaré : «Je fais savoir que j'ai mis fin à la vie commune que je partageais avec Valérie Trierweiler.»
Selon nos informations, la première dame ne voulait pas signer de communiqué commun. «Il l'a consultée et mise au courant, elle accepte la situation de fait, mais elle lui laisse l'inititative de son acte», explique son entourage au «Parisien».
Valérie Trierweiler a quitté la Lanterne, la résidence de Versailles où elle se reposait depuis une semaine après son hospitalisation, pour réintégrer l'appartement du couple, rue Cauchy dans le XVe arrondissement de Paris. La journaliste s'y est rendu ce samedi après-midi, selon nos informations. C'est donc en simple citoyenne qu'elle va effectuer son voyage à Bombay (Inde) où elle s'envolera dimanche, en faveur de l'association Action contre la faim (ACF). » | Par Frédéric Gerschel | samedi 25 janvier 2014
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It’s official: François Hollande and Valérie Trierweiler announce separation: President François Hollande tells French news agency he has separated from Valérie Trierweiler on eve of her planned charity trip to India » | David Cjazan, Paris | Saturday, January 25, 2014
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Hollande-Liebesaffäre: Au revoir, mon amour: Frankreichs Staatschef François Hollande und seine Lebensgefährtin trennen sich. Mit der offiziellen Ankündigung geht die mediale Telenovela um die mutmaßliche Präsidentenaffäre zu Ende. Zumindest vorläufig. » | Von Stefan Simons, Paris | Samstag, 25. Januar 2014
Selon nos informations, la première dame ne voulait pas signer de communiqué commun. «Il l'a consultée et mise au courant, elle accepte la situation de fait, mais elle lui laisse l'inititative de son acte», explique son entourage au «Parisien».
Valérie Trierweiler a quitté la Lanterne, la résidence de Versailles où elle se reposait depuis une semaine après son hospitalisation, pour réintégrer l'appartement du couple, rue Cauchy dans le XVe arrondissement de Paris. La journaliste s'y est rendu ce samedi après-midi, selon nos informations. C'est donc en simple citoyenne qu'elle va effectuer son voyage à Bombay (Inde) où elle s'envolera dimanche, en faveur de l'association Action contre la faim (ACF). » | Par Frédéric Gerschel | samedi 25 janvier 2014
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It’s official: François Hollande and Valérie Trierweiler announce separation: President François Hollande tells French news agency he has separated from Valérie Trierweiler on eve of her planned charity trip to India » | David Cjazan, Paris | Saturday, January 25, 2014
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Hollande-Liebesaffäre: Au revoir, mon amour: Frankreichs Staatschef François Hollande und seine Lebensgefährtin trennen sich. Mit der offiziellen Ankündigung geht die mediale Telenovela um die mutmaßliche Präsidentenaffäre zu Ende. Zumindest vorläufig. » | Von Stefan Simons, Paris | Samstag, 25. Januar 2014
Who Is the Real Barack Obama?
Labels:
Barack Obama,
Glenn Beck
UAE President Stable after Stroke
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al—Nahyan “suffered a stroke on Friday morning. He immediately underwent a surgical operation. » | DPA | Saturday, January 25, 2014
Labels:
UAE
State of the Union: Barack Obama Will Have Little Concrete to Offer Disillusioned Middle Classes
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As public disaffection with politics deepens after another corruption scandal and Mr Obama's own star-power wanes, this year's State of the Union promises to be a down-beat affair
For all the numbers that will be bandied around by Barack Obama during his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, one of the most revealing – the television ratings - will be published the morning after the event.
Mr Obama's fifth State of the Union will focus on inequality and the cost of living crisis that is uppermost in the minds of millions of those ordinary Americans, but if the trend of recent years continues, fewer of them than ever will bother to tune in to listen.
The increasingly flaccid viewing figures – from a high of 52.3 million in 2009 down to 33.3 million last year – reflect the ebbing of Mr Obama's personal star power and the reality of his political impotence since losing control of Congress in 2010.
With presidential prospects for 2016 already exerting magnetic pull over the political conversation and Congress fixated on the upcoming mid-term elections, this year's speech will be much more a wish-list than a "to-do" list.
Mr Obama will expound on America's great predicament: over the last 20 years the cost of maintaining the four pillars of a middle class life – housing, education, healthcare and retirement – have increased far more sharply than wages, and it will be a long haul back. » | Peter Foster | Saturday, January 25, 2014
For all the numbers that will be bandied around by Barack Obama during his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, one of the most revealing – the television ratings - will be published the morning after the event.
Mr Obama's fifth State of the Union will focus on inequality and the cost of living crisis that is uppermost in the minds of millions of those ordinary Americans, but if the trend of recent years continues, fewer of them than ever will bother to tune in to listen.
The increasingly flaccid viewing figures – from a high of 52.3 million in 2009 down to 33.3 million last year – reflect the ebbing of Mr Obama's personal star power and the reality of his political impotence since losing control of Congress in 2010.
With presidential prospects for 2016 already exerting magnetic pull over the political conversation and Congress fixated on the upcoming mid-term elections, this year's speech will be much more a wish-list than a "to-do" list.
Mr Obama will expound on America's great predicament: over the last 20 years the cost of maintaining the four pillars of a middle class life – housing, education, healthcare and retirement – have increased far more sharply than wages, and it will be a long haul back. » | Peter Foster | Saturday, January 25, 2014
François Hollande 'To Announce Separation from Valérie Trierweiler'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: French president expected to make statement revealing the end of their relationship ahead of a charity trip to India by Trierweiler
French President François Hollande is expected to announce his separation from partner Valerie Trierweiler on Saturday following a media storm over allegations he is having an affair with an actress, according to the Journal du Dimanche.
Trierweiler, 48, the first lady and Mr Hollande's partner since 2006, plans to travel to India on Sunday for a charity trip and the president wants to settle the issue of their future before her departure, the newspaper said.
"The press release from the Elysee Palace should be released sometime today," the respected national weekly said on its website, without citing its sources.
A spokesman for the president declined to comment on the report, and Trierweiler's spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment. » | Reuters | Saturday, January 25, 2014
French President François Hollande is expected to announce his separation from partner Valerie Trierweiler on Saturday following a media storm over allegations he is having an affair with an actress, according to the Journal du Dimanche.
Trierweiler, 48, the first lady and Mr Hollande's partner since 2006, plans to travel to India on Sunday for a charity trip and the president wants to settle the issue of their future before her departure, the newspaper said.
"The press release from the Elysee Palace should be released sometime today," the respected national weekly said on its website, without citing its sources.
A spokesman for the president declined to comment on the report, and Trierweiler's spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment. » | Reuters | Saturday, January 25, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Dennis Rodman 'Investigated for Violating Sanctions' against North Korea
THE INDEPENDENT: Former NBA star's lavish birthday gifts for 'friend for life' Kim Jong-un may have violated international sanctions imposed on North Korea
Dennis Rodman is reportedly being investigated by the US Treasury on suspicions that he violated sanctions against North Korea by splashing thousands of dollars in luxury gifts for Kim Jong-un.
On his fourth trip to Pyongyang, the former NBA player allegedly showered "friend for life" Kim with expensive gifts to celebrate his 31st birthday; these reportedly included Irish Jameson whiskey, a fur coat, an Italian suit, several bottles of his "Bad Ass Premium Vodka" brand and a Mulberry handbag for his wife, Ri Sol-ju.
A US official told the Daily Beast the Treasury Department is investigating whether Rodman violated US sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, which makes it illegal for US citizens to "import, export, or reexport" luxury goods to or into North Korea.
Rodman's gifts also appear to violate UN sanctions imposed on North Korea prohibiting "the provision of luxury goods" adopted in 2007. These were reinforced last year after the country conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013. » | Maria Tadeo | Friday, January 24, 2014
Dennis Rodman is reportedly being investigated by the US Treasury on suspicions that he violated sanctions against North Korea by splashing thousands of dollars in luxury gifts for Kim Jong-un.
On his fourth trip to Pyongyang, the former NBA player allegedly showered "friend for life" Kim with expensive gifts to celebrate his 31st birthday; these reportedly included Irish Jameson whiskey, a fur coat, an Italian suit, several bottles of his "Bad Ass Premium Vodka" brand and a Mulberry handbag for his wife, Ri Sol-ju.
A US official told the Daily Beast the Treasury Department is investigating whether Rodman violated US sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, which makes it illegal for US citizens to "import, export, or reexport" luxury goods to or into North Korea.
Rodman's gifts also appear to violate UN sanctions imposed on North Korea prohibiting "the provision of luxury goods" adopted in 2007. These were reinforced last year after the country conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013. » | Maria Tadeo | Friday, January 24, 2014
North Korea Proposes Family Reunions with South
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Kim Jong-un's regime sends surprise letter to South Korea calling for reconciliation
North Korea has made a sudden proposal for the resumption of reunions for families separated since the Korean War, saying the programme could help improve cross-border ties.
South Korea immediately welcomed the offer, which followed a recent series of trust-building gestures from the nuclear-armed communist country.
The North's Red Cross faxed a message to its South Korean counterpart, calling for a family reunion event after the Lunar New Year on January 31, according to its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The North suggested that the South could choose a date for the event "at its convenience" after the Lunar New Year when the weather thaws. » | AFP | Friday, January 24, 2014
North Korea has made a sudden proposal for the resumption of reunions for families separated since the Korean War, saying the programme could help improve cross-border ties.
South Korea immediately welcomed the offer, which followed a recent series of trust-building gestures from the nuclear-armed communist country.
The North's Red Cross faxed a message to its South Korean counterpart, calling for a family reunion event after the Lunar New Year on January 31, according to its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The North suggested that the South could choose a date for the event "at its convenience" after the Lunar New Year when the weather thaws. » | AFP | Friday, January 24, 2014
Heinrich Himmler's Letters to Be Published
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler's letters are to be published by Germany's Die Welt
Heinrich Himmler’s love letters to his wife that also document the rise and fall of the Nazi regime are to be made public for the first time, it has been claimed.
Hundreds of the SS commander’s private letters, notes and photographs from 1927 to five weeks before his suicide in 1945 will be published by Die Welt newspaper on Sunday.
The architect of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of six million Jews, met his future wife Marga, who ran a nursing home in Berlin, in 1927. The letters apparently detail the early months of their relationship, with Himmler signing them “Dein Heini” (“Your Heini”).
But the correspondence between the couple apparently confirms the “not-so-glamorous private life of the Himmler family”.
The relationship started to break down from 1938 onwards, as Himmler had an affair with his private secretary, but contrary to biographers of the Reichsführer SS, he remained in touch with his wife and also wrote several times to his daughter, signing them off with “Euer Pappi” (“Your Daddy”). » | Barney Henderson | Friday, January 24, 2014
DIE WELT: Verschollene Briefe Heinrich Himmlers aufgetaucht: "Welt" exklusiv: 69 Jahre nach dem Suizid Heinrich Himmlers sind in Israel Briefe und Fotos aus seinem Privatbesitz aufgetaucht. Sie geben Einblick in das Leben eines der schlimmsten Nazi-Verbrecher. » | sfk/J.S./sim | Freitag, 24. Januar 2014
DIE WELT: Heinrich Himmler's missing letters surface: "Die Welt" exclusive: 69 years after Heinrich Himmler's suicide his private letters and photographs have surfaced in Israel. They provide insight into the life of one of the main orchestrators of the Holocaust. » | sfk/J.S./sim | Translated by Thilo Maluch | Friday, January 24, 2014
Heinrich Himmler’s love letters to his wife that also document the rise and fall of the Nazi regime are to be made public for the first time, it has been claimed.
Hundreds of the SS commander’s private letters, notes and photographs from 1927 to five weeks before his suicide in 1945 will be published by Die Welt newspaper on Sunday.
The architect of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of six million Jews, met his future wife Marga, who ran a nursing home in Berlin, in 1927. The letters apparently detail the early months of their relationship, with Himmler signing them “Dein Heini” (“Your Heini”).
But the correspondence between the couple apparently confirms the “not-so-glamorous private life of the Himmler family”.
The relationship started to break down from 1938 onwards, as Himmler had an affair with his private secretary, but contrary to biographers of the Reichsführer SS, he remained in touch with his wife and also wrote several times to his daughter, signing them off with “Euer Pappi” (“Your Daddy”). » | Barney Henderson | Friday, January 24, 2014
DIE WELT: Verschollene Briefe Heinrich Himmlers aufgetaucht: "Welt" exklusiv: 69 Jahre nach dem Suizid Heinrich Himmlers sind in Israel Briefe und Fotos aus seinem Privatbesitz aufgetaucht. Sie geben Einblick in das Leben eines der schlimmsten Nazi-Verbrecher. » | sfk/J.S./sim | Freitag, 24. Januar 2014
DIE WELT: Heinrich Himmler's missing letters surface: "Die Welt" exclusive: 69 years after Heinrich Himmler's suicide his private letters and photographs have surfaced in Israel. They provide insight into the life of one of the main orchestrators of the Holocaust. » | sfk/J.S./sim | Translated by Thilo Maluch | Friday, January 24, 2014
Four Bombs Strike Central Cairo
Labels:
Egypt
Hand Guns Should Be Legalised and Licensed, Nigel Farage Has Said
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Ukip leader says the ban on the guns, which were made illegal in the wake of the Dunblane shooting, was a "kneejerk" reaction and should be lifted
The Ukip leader has said it is party policy for hand guns to be legalised and licensed in the UK despite being banned in the UK for the last 18 years.
Mr Farage said the current ban on the guns, which were made illegal following the school shooting at Dunblane in 1996, was “ludicrous.”
Speaking on LBC Radio Mr Farage said that it was Ukip policy to create a “proper licensing policy” and that people who kept hand guns responsibility locked up and had were willing to get an official license should “absolutely” be allowed them.
Experts have said his comments were “stupid” and encourage an American-style idea that you and your home are only safe if you are armed.
Peter Squires, professor of criminology at Brighton University and a member of Association of Police Officer’s advisory group on the criminal use of fire arms said that Mr Farage’s comments were "irresponsible". » | Georgia Graham, Political Correspondent | Friday, January 24, 2014
The Ukip leader has said it is party policy for hand guns to be legalised and licensed in the UK despite being banned in the UK for the last 18 years.
Mr Farage said the current ban on the guns, which were made illegal following the school shooting at Dunblane in 1996, was “ludicrous.”
Speaking on LBC Radio Mr Farage said that it was Ukip policy to create a “proper licensing policy” and that people who kept hand guns responsibility locked up and had were willing to get an official license should “absolutely” be allowed them.
Experts have said his comments were “stupid” and encourage an American-style idea that you and your home are only safe if you are armed.
Peter Squires, professor of criminology at Brighton University and a member of Association of Police Officer’s advisory group on the criminal use of fire arms said that Mr Farage’s comments were "irresponsible". » | Georgia Graham, Political Correspondent | Friday, January 24, 2014
Labels:
hand guns,
Nigel Farage,
UKIP
John Boehner: Wine and Cigarettes More Important Than Running in 2016
US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner says he has no interest in running for the White House because he doesn't want to give up smoking, drinking – and cutting his lawn.
Boehner, who has fought a bitter battle with President Barack Obama over health reforms and spending, said on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that he was not about to give up red wine and cigarettes to be president.
Asked by Leno whether he ever thought of running for president, Boehner replied, "No.
"I like to play golf. I like to cut my own grass," said Boehner, the top Republican in Congress.
"I do drink red wine. I smoke cigarettes. And I'm not giving that up to be president of the United States." Read on and comment » | Friday, January 24, 2014
Labels:
John Boehner
Pope Francis Tells François Hollande: 'We Share a Patron Saint'
Ukraine Government Ready to Resign, Protests Spread across Country
British Man Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy in Pakistan
A court in Pakistan has sentenced a British man to death for blasphemy for claiming to be a prophet of Islam, a prosecutor and police said Friday.
Mohammad Asghar, a British national of Pakistani origin, was arrested in 2010 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, for writing letters claiming to be a prophet, police said.
The special court inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where Asghar is being held, rejected defence claims that the 65-year-old has mental health problems.
"Asghar claimed to be a prophet even inside the court. He confessed it in front of the judge," Javed Gul, a government prosecutor, told AFP.
"Asghar used to write it even on his visiting card." » | AFP | Friday, January 24, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Mark Carney: No Need for an Immediate Rate Rise
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bank of England governor seeks to reassure markets that interest rate rise is not imminent, saying he doesn't want to focus on one indicator
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has pledged there will be no “immediate” increase in interest rates as unemployment nudges closer to the 7pc threshold in an apparent softening of his forward guidance policy.
He said Bank of England policymakers look at “overall conditions in the whole labour market”, rather than just one indicator, and that any change, when it comes, would be “very gradual”.
The governor, who said that the UK economy was "in a different place" to when he introduced the guidance, added: “We don’t see an immediate need to change monetary policy."
Asked if he would consider lowering the 7pc threshold, Mr Carney added: “There are a broad range of things we could do, I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion … we’re trying to get across is that it’s all about overall conditions in the labour market.
“We wouldn’t want to detract from that focus by unnecessarily focusing on one indicator.” » | Denise Roland | Thursday, January 23, 2014
My comment:
"No need for an immediate rise [in interest rates]" – Mark Carney
No, there is no need for him. He's sitting pretty with his huge salary and exorbitant expenses. The rest of us have to make ends meet from our savings. What a thoughtless, unreasonable man Carney is!
Never in my lifetime can I remember not being able to get interest on my capital that at least equates to the rate of inflation, and then some. Does this man have no sense of true capitalism? Does this man have no sense of economic history?
What an utter disappointment this Governor is! – © Mark
This comment appears here too.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has pledged there will be no “immediate” increase in interest rates as unemployment nudges closer to the 7pc threshold in an apparent softening of his forward guidance policy.
He said Bank of England policymakers look at “overall conditions in the whole labour market”, rather than just one indicator, and that any change, when it comes, would be “very gradual”.
The governor, who said that the UK economy was "in a different place" to when he introduced the guidance, added: “We don’t see an immediate need to change monetary policy."
Asked if he would consider lowering the 7pc threshold, Mr Carney added: “There are a broad range of things we could do, I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion … we’re trying to get across is that it’s all about overall conditions in the labour market.
“We wouldn’t want to detract from that focus by unnecessarily focusing on one indicator.” » | Denise Roland | Thursday, January 23, 2014
My comment:
"No need for an immediate rise [in interest rates]" – Mark Carney
No, there is no need for him. He's sitting pretty with his huge salary and exorbitant expenses. The rest of us have to make ends meet from our savings. What a thoughtless, unreasonable man Carney is!
Never in my lifetime can I remember not being able to get interest on my capital that at least equates to the rate of inflation, and then some. Does this man have no sense of true capitalism? Does this man have no sense of economic history?
What an utter disappointment this Governor is! – © Mark
This comment appears here too.
French Holiday Home Alert after Burglaries Rocket by 18 Per Cent
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: French police launch 'Operation Holiday Tranquility' to crack down on thefts from second homes
Burglaries in rural holiday homes in France, where tens of thousands of Britons own properties, rocketed by almost 18 per cent in a year, according to new figures released yesterday, with the government blaming the sharp rise on an influx of Eastern European criminals.
Figures by The French National Supervisory Body on Crime and Punishment , ONDRP, showed burglary and theft were up in 2013 across France but that second homes — both foreign and French-owned - were by far the hardest hit, despite increasing efforts by police and the gendarmerie to step up protection.
Approximately 200,000 Britons own second homes in areas such as the Dordogne and other parts of France, particularly those serviced by budget airlines. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Burglaries in rural holiday homes in France, where tens of thousands of Britons own properties, rocketed by almost 18 per cent in a year, according to new figures released yesterday, with the government blaming the sharp rise on an influx of Eastern European criminals.
Figures by The French National Supervisory Body on Crime and Punishment , ONDRP, showed burglary and theft were up in 2013 across France but that second homes — both foreign and French-owned - were by far the hardest hit, despite increasing efforts by police and the gendarmerie to step up protection.
Approximately 200,000 Britons own second homes in areas such as the Dordogne and other parts of France, particularly those serviced by budget airlines. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Labels:
burglaries,
France,
holiday homes
Ukraine Protests Spread beyond Kiev amid Crisis Talks
BBC: Violent protests in Ukraine have spread beyond the capital, Kiev, ahead of a crisis meeting between President Viktor Yanukovych and three key opposition leaders.
The governor of Lviv, in the west, was forced to sign his resignation as protesters stormed his offices.
Other reports spoke of protests in at least five more western cities.
Two people died in clashes in Kiev on Wednesday, the first deaths in two months of protests over EU links.
The anti-government protests flared in late November over Mr Yanukovych's decision to pull out of a landmark treaty with the European Union.
A fragile truce is currently being observed in Kiev.
However, an opposition ultimatum is set to expire after the talks with Mr Yanukovych, which have now begun and are set to go into the evening.
Ahead of the talks, Mr Yanukovych asked the speaker of parliament to hold an emergency session next week to discuss the crisis.
But he told the head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, that he would not introduce a state of emergency.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who is in Davos in Switzerland, echoed this, but added: "People should not think that the government lacks available resources to put an end to this. It is our constitutional right and obligation to restore order in the country." (+ BBC videos) » | Thursday, January 23, 2014
The governor of Lviv, in the west, was forced to sign his resignation as protesters stormed his offices.
Other reports spoke of protests in at least five more western cities.
Two people died in clashes in Kiev on Wednesday, the first deaths in two months of protests over EU links.
The anti-government protests flared in late November over Mr Yanukovych's decision to pull out of a landmark treaty with the European Union.
A fragile truce is currently being observed in Kiev.
However, an opposition ultimatum is set to expire after the talks with Mr Yanukovych, which have now begun and are set to go into the evening.
Ahead of the talks, Mr Yanukovych asked the speaker of parliament to hold an emergency session next week to discuss the crisis.
But he told the head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, that he would not introduce a state of emergency.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who is in Davos in Switzerland, echoed this, but added: "People should not think that the government lacks available resources to put an end to this. It is our constitutional right and obligation to restore order in the country." (+ BBC videos) » | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Protest greift auf weitere ukrainische Städte über
TAGES ANZEIGER: Ukrainische Medien vermelden, dass in mehreren Städten Verwaltungsgebäude gestürmt worden sind. Präsident Janukowitsch versucht mit einem politischen Manöver Zeit zu gewinnen.
Wie die «Kyivpost» schreibt, haben heute in den Städten Lemberg und Riwne im Westen der Ukraine Demonstranten das Gebäude der regionalen Verwaltung gestürmt. In Lemberg zwangen sie den von Präsident Viktor Janukowitsch eingesetzten Gouverneur Oleg Salo, ein Rücktrittsgesuch zu unterzeichnen. Salo widerrief die Unterschrift später. Am Abend wurden dann auch Proteste aus der Stadt Tscherkassy südlich von Kiew gemeldet. Tausende Menschen hätten das Gebäude der Provinzverwaltung gestürmt. » | ldc/mw/sda | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014
Wie die «Kyivpost» schreibt, haben heute in den Städten Lemberg und Riwne im Westen der Ukraine Demonstranten das Gebäude der regionalen Verwaltung gestürmt. In Lemberg zwangen sie den von Präsident Viktor Janukowitsch eingesetzten Gouverneur Oleg Salo, ein Rücktrittsgesuch zu unterzeichnen. Salo widerrief die Unterschrift später. Am Abend wurden dann auch Proteste aus der Stadt Tscherkassy südlich von Kiew gemeldet. Tausende Menschen hätten das Gebäude der Provinzverwaltung gestürmt. » | ldc/mw/sda | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014
Labels:
Ukraine
So viele Gotteskrieger stellt die Schweiz
Der Nachrichtendienst des Bundes geht davon aus, dass rund zehn Schweizer Kämpfer in Syrien sind oder dorthin aufgebrochen sind. Das bestätigte Sprecher Felix Endrich heute in der Sendung «Echo der Zeit» von Schweizer Radio SRF.
Bei den Kämpfern könne es sich um Dschihadisten oder um Abenteurer handeln, sagte Endrich. Der Nachrichtendienst beobachte die Jihad-Reisenden aufmerksam. Sie könnten im Ausland in einem Lager ausgebildet und radikalisiert werden. «Sehr gefährlich sind die Rückkehrer und jene, die in der Schweiz rekrutieren. Und diese Szene überwachen wir», erklärte Endrich. » | mrs/sda | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014
Labels:
Dschihadisten,
Gotteskrieger,
Schweiz,
Syrien
West's 30-year Vendetta with Iran Is Finally Buried in Davos
TELEGRAPH BLOGS – AMBROSE EVANS-PRITCHARD: The Iranian nuclear deal is on. Hassan Rouhani's charm offensive in Davos has been a tour de force, the moment of rehabilitation for the Islamic Republic. His words were emollient.
"The world hasn't seen a speech like that from an Iranian leader since the Revolution," tweeted Ian Bremmer from the Eurasia Group.
Anybody betting on oil futures in the belief that Iran's nuclear deal with great powers is a negotiating ploy – to gain time – should be careful. There is a very high likelihood that the sanctions against Iran will be lifted in stages, leading to an extra 1.2 barrels a day on the global market just as Libya, Iraq, and the US all crank up output.
“One of the theoretical and practical pillars of my government is constructive engagement with the world. Without international engagement, objectives such as growth, creativity and quality are unattainable," said Rouhani.
"I strongly and clearly state that nuclear weapons have no place in our security strategy,” he said. Read on and comment » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Thursday, January 23, 2014
"The world hasn't seen a speech like that from an Iranian leader since the Revolution," tweeted Ian Bremmer from the Eurasia Group.
Anybody betting on oil futures in the belief that Iran's nuclear deal with great powers is a negotiating ploy – to gain time – should be careful. There is a very high likelihood that the sanctions against Iran will be lifted in stages, leading to an extra 1.2 barrels a day on the global market just as Libya, Iraq, and the US all crank up output.
“One of the theoretical and practical pillars of my government is constructive engagement with the world. Without international engagement, objectives such as growth, creativity and quality are unattainable," said Rouhani.
"I strongly and clearly state that nuclear weapons have no place in our security strategy,” he said. Read on and comment » | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Labels:
Davos,
Hassan Rouhani,
Iran,
Switzerland,
WEP
Almost Two Sydney Women a Week Are Converting to Islam
Such radicalism was highlighted by the death last week in Syria of former Queensland Anglican schoolgirl turned Muslim jihadist Amira Karroum, 22, who is believed to have been killed by rebel fighters in Aleppo alongside her US-born husband Yusuf Ali.
Ms Karroum had adopted an extremist form of the faith, praising terrorist Osama bin Laden and supporting the violent Muslim riots in Sydney in 2012.
The pair were based in Granville before travelling to Syria to fight in December.
Another Granville man, Caner Temel, 22, has been named as the latest Australian victim of the civil war in Syria.
The Australian New Muslim Association estimates two-thirds of the converts they see each year are female, with more than 60 per cent converting because of their husbands or partners.
Julia Moukhallalati was just 18 when she swapped her Orthodox Christian upbringing for the mosques of western Sydney. » | Ben McClellan | Saturday, January 18, 2014
Yard's Plea to Muslims: Help Stop Children Turning to Terror
LONDON EVENING STANDARD: Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism chief today appealed to Muslims across the country to help stem the flow of young Britons heading for the fighting in Syria.
Commander Richard Walton warned that a “shocking” number of children are being lured into terrorism.
He said officers were already receiving increasing support from Islamic organisations and families in their struggle to combat radicalisation. But police were “desperate” to obtain further help to prevent vulnerable teenagers and other young Britons becoming involved in the Syrian war.
It was “almost inevitable” that some Britons fighting in Syria would seek to carry out attacks here on their return, he added, and the conflict had “all the ingredients for making terrorists”. » | Martin Bentham | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Commander Richard Walton warned that a “shocking” number of children are being lured into terrorism.
He said officers were already receiving increasing support from Islamic organisations and families in their struggle to combat radicalisation. But police were “desperate” to obtain further help to prevent vulnerable teenagers and other young Britons becoming involved in the Syrian war.
It was “almost inevitable” that some Britons fighting in Syria would seek to carry out attacks here on their return, he added, and the conflict had “all the ingredients for making terrorists”. » | Martin Bentham | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Islamic Economics - The Solution for World Crisis
Erdogan will totale Kontrolle über das Internet
DIE WELT: Zeitungen werden in der Türkei schon lange zensiert. Mit einer Änderung im Internet-Gesetz will Erdogan nun auch Online-Inhalte beeinflussen und so das Verhalten seiner Bürger im Netz kontrollieren.
Erst Gewalt gegen die Gezi-Park-Proteste, dann die Korruptionsskandale der türkischen Regierung und schwerwiegende Eingriffe in die Justiz – jetzt erhitzt die Regierung des türkischen Premiers Recep Tayyip Erdogan mit einem neuen Aufreger die Gemüter.
Er möchte per Gesetz Internetseiten sperren, Inhalte im Netz kontrollieren, das Internetverhalten der Bürger beobachten und Daten für zwei Jahre speichern. Kritiker fürchten staatliche Internetzensur, der türkische Unternehmerverband bewertet das Vorhaben als "besorgniserregend".
Die türkische Regierung möchte mit den neuen gesetzlichen Eingriffen erreichen, dass der Staat ohne jeglichen Gerichtsbeschluss die freie Nutzung des Internets kontrollieren und steuern kann. So soll er Zugriff auf Daten haben, die zeigen, welche Seiten besucht worden sind, welche Begriffe die Bürger in Suchmaschinen eingegeben haben und welche sozialen Medien sie nutzen. » | Von Cigdem Toprak, Istanbul | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014
Erst Gewalt gegen die Gezi-Park-Proteste, dann die Korruptionsskandale der türkischen Regierung und schwerwiegende Eingriffe in die Justiz – jetzt erhitzt die Regierung des türkischen Premiers Recep Tayyip Erdogan mit einem neuen Aufreger die Gemüter.
Er möchte per Gesetz Internetseiten sperren, Inhalte im Netz kontrollieren, das Internetverhalten der Bürger beobachten und Daten für zwei Jahre speichern. Kritiker fürchten staatliche Internetzensur, der türkische Unternehmerverband bewertet das Vorhaben als "besorgniserregend".
Die türkische Regierung möchte mit den neuen gesetzlichen Eingriffen erreichen, dass der Staat ohne jeglichen Gerichtsbeschluss die freie Nutzung des Internets kontrollieren und steuern kann. So soll er Zugriff auf Daten haben, die zeigen, welche Seiten besucht worden sind, welche Begriffe die Bürger in Suchmaschinen eingegeben haben und welche sozialen Medien sie nutzen. » | Von Cigdem Toprak, Istanbul | Donnerstag, 23. Januar 2014
Snowden Requests Extra Security After Receiving Death Threats
Malaysia King Says ‘Allah’ Is Only for Muslims
RUSSIA TODAY: Only Muslims can use the word Allah to refer to God, the Malaysian King has declared adding fuel to the long-running dispute and raising questions over rights of religious minorities in the country where Islam is followed by about 60 % of the population.
Intervening in the dispute for the first time, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah urged Sunday representatives of all other communities to respect Muslims’ exclusive right in order to maintain stability and harmony in Malaysia.
“In the context of a pluralistic society, religious sensitivities especially related to Islam as the religion of the federation should be respected,” the King said in a speech, cited by Malaysian state news agency Bernama.
“Confusion and controversy can be averted if there is adherence to the provisions of the law and judicial decisions,” he added.
The term ‘Allah’ came to the language used by the nation’s dominant Malay ethnic group from Arabic and is used to describe ‘God’ by people of all faiths.
Sultan Abdul Halim, 86, is one of the nine sultans who take turns every five years to serve as head of state.
The king’s role in Malaysia is largely ceremonial and his powers are limited. However, he is considered a defender of Islam and enjoys the respect of the Muslim population. » | Published: Sunday, January 19, 2014 | Edited: Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Intervening in the dispute for the first time, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah urged Sunday representatives of all other communities to respect Muslims’ exclusive right in order to maintain stability and harmony in Malaysia.
“In the context of a pluralistic society, religious sensitivities especially related to Islam as the religion of the federation should be respected,” the King said in a speech, cited by Malaysian state news agency Bernama.
“Confusion and controversy can be averted if there is adherence to the provisions of the law and judicial decisions,” he added.
The term ‘Allah’ came to the language used by the nation’s dominant Malay ethnic group from Arabic and is used to describe ‘God’ by people of all faiths.
Sultan Abdul Halim, 86, is one of the nine sultans who take turns every five years to serve as head of state.
The king’s role in Malaysia is largely ceremonial and his powers are limited. However, he is considered a defender of Islam and enjoys the respect of the Muslim population. » | Published: Sunday, January 19, 2014 | Edited: Tuesday, January 21, 2014
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