Syrie : la rue appelle à l'aide internationale

LE FIGARO: Face à la répression, qui a encore fait trente tués vendredi, les insurgés demandent «une zone d'exclusion aérienne».

Trente civils, au moins, ont été tués vendredi par les forces de sécurité à Homs et Hama, deux des principaux foyers de la contestation du régime de Bachar el-Assad, qui va bientôt entrer dans son huitième mois.

À Homs, 20.000 manifestants s'étaient réunis en plusieurs endroits de la ville après la prière du vendredi. Ils répondaient à un appel lancé sur Facebook pour que «la communauté internationale impose une zone d'exclusion aérienne, afin de permettre à l'Armée syrienne libre (ASL) d'œuvrer avec plus de liberté». » | Par Georges Malbrunot | vendredi 28 octobre 2011

Islam Is Not a Religion of Peace Says Anjem Choudary
Anjem Promotes overthrowing all world governments that are not Islamic - he believes all non believers are guilty of a crime punishable by death. From the mouths of those most schooled in the ways of Islam - Choudary is an Attorney!

Islam Soft-sell Has Got Legs, But Note the Fine Print

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: 'Bringing Islam to the masses" is the goal of the new TV campaign from MyPeace, the organisation that recently gave us the "Jesus: a prophet of Islam" poster. Clearly deciding it had generated enough controversy for one year, MyPeace has taken a softer approach; slo-mo visuals, mood music and a warm Australian voice inviting us to "explore the real values of Islam".

"Saving one life is as if you have saved all of humanity" we learn, as a bronzed Aussie lifeguard rescues a boy from the surf. You can't quibble with that, particularly if you're a parent.

From an advertising point of view, the approach is similar to the current "Jesus-All About Life" campaign, also featuring visuals of sunburnt Aussies; along with a creme brulee, a dead pet goldfish, and questions about the meaning of life. Jesus himself even gets a chocolate-bar style logo.

Both ads, Muslim and Christian, offer a panacea to the "crisis of the soul" that supposedly afflicts modern Australia. Who could disagree with an ad that asks you to look after your parents in old age, reminding you that they looked after you as a child? Or who could not be moved by sentiments such as "How come the more you have, the more you want?" or the Facebook-ish conundrum that ''we've got more friends, but less friendship''? » | Rowan Dean* | Saturday, October 29, 2011

* Rowan Dean is a freelance writer and advertising creative director.

Centuries-old Rule of Primogeniture in Royal Family Scrapped
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Female members of the Royal Family are to be given equality with men in the rules of succession to the throne, meaning if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child is a girl, she can become Queen even if subsequent children are sons.


The historic constitutional changes were agreed unanimously today by the 16 nations of which Queen Elizabeth II is monarch.

The 16 "realms", including the UK, Canada and Australia, also agreed to scrap outdated laws which ban the spouse of a Roman Catholic from taking the throne.

The changes were announced by David Cameron, the Prime Minister, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, attended by the Queen, in Perth, Australia.

Mr Cameron said the historic rules were "at odds with the modern countries that we have become".

Announcing the proposed changes, he said: "Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen." » | Andy Bloxham, and James Kirkup in Perth | Friday, October 28, 2011

The Queen Opens Commonwealth Meeting with Aboriginal Proverb
Quoting an Aborigine proverb, the Queen told Commonwealth leaders "we are here to learn, to grow, to love" as she opens the 21st Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth.

Libya: Col Gaddafi Son Saif Opens ICC Talks on Surrender
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi's fugitive son, who is wanted for crimes against humanity has established indirect contacts with the International Criminal Court on his surrender, the court's chief prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said that his office was in "informal contact" with Muammar Gaddafi's son through intermediaries regarding his surrender to the war crimes court.

"Through intermediaries, we have informal contact with Saif. The office of the prosecutor has made it clear that if he surrenders to the ICC, he has the right to be heard in court, he is innocent until proven guilty. The judges will decide," prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in a statement.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo would not say with whom the court is talking. He also said the court does not know al-Islam's whereabouts.

If Saif is brought before the court, Mr Moreno-Ocampo said, he will "have all the rights and be protected," and will be allowed to present his defence.

"We believe we have a strong case," the prosecutor told CNN. "We believe he should be convicted." » | Telegraph Foreign Staff | Friday, October 28, 2011

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La construction de la Grande Mosquée de Marseille encore retardée

LE POINT: Le tribunal a annulé le permis de construire pour cause d'insuffisance de stationnement et de difficultés de circulation.

Le tribunal administratif de Marseille a annulé, jeudi, le permis de construire de la Grande Mosquée de la ville dont la première pierre a été symboliquement posée en mai 2010. Le tribunal a suivi les recommandations du rapporteur public et a justifié sa décision par l'insuffisance de stationnement et les difficultés de circulation autour de ce qui est annoncé comme l'un des plus importants édifices musulmans de France. "La ville de Marseille prend acte de la décision du tribunal", a expliqué la municipalité phocéenne dans un communiqué, ajoutant qu'elle étudierait plus précisément les conclusions de l'arrêt "afin que le nouveau permis puisse être validé définitivement". » | LE POINT.FR | vendredi 28 octobre 2011

Omar Sharif Slaps Woman at Qatar Film Festival

Margaret Thatcher's £500,000 Expenses Claim Revealed

THE GUARDIAN: The Iron Lady heads the list of former prime ministers who have claimed £1.7m for public duties in the past five years

Lady Thatcher has claimed more than half a million pounds from a taxpayer-funded allowance for former British prime ministers, official figures reveal.

Thatcher heads a list of former prime ministers who have claimed £1.7m in the past five years from the public duties cost allowance, set up to cover office and secretarial costs incurred for public duties.

Figures revealed by the Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, in response to a written parliamentary question by the Conservative MP Philip Hollobone, show that Thatcher has received £535,000 from the state since 2006, and John Major, who set up the allowance in 1991, has received £490,000. Tony Blair has claimed since 2007 and received £273,000. The figures reveal he received £169,076 in 2008-9, more than his salary in office. » | Jo Adetunji and Rajeev Syal | Friday, October 28, 2011

Seïf al-Islam Kadhafi en route vers le Mali

LE FIGARO: Le fils de l'ex-dictateur libyen et le chef des services secrets militaires ont trouvé refuge dans le Sahara auprès de rebelles touaregs.

Seïf al-Islam Kadhafi a quitté la Libye. Son convoi qui était placé sous une forte escorte de combattants touaregs aurait pénétré jeudi au Niger dans le secteur des trois frontières (Libye, Niger, Algérie). L'opération d'exfiltration du fils de Mouammar Kadhafi été organisée, selon nos informations, grâce à l'appui d'Agaly Alambo, l'ancien chef rebelle du Mouvement nigérien pour la justice (MNJ) et de ses hommes.

Seïf al-Islam Kadhafi serait décidé à ne pas subir le sort de son père tué il y a une semaine dans sa ville natale de Syrte. Résolu à sauver sa peau, il se serait caché dans le sud libyen avant de s'engager dans des couloirs qui l'ont conduit hors de portée de ses poursuivants libyens du Conseil national de transition. » | Par Thierry Oberlé | jeudi 27 octobre 2011

Saudi Arabia: Prince Nayef Named Heir to the Throne

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz Al Saud as heir to the Saudi throne following the death of the previous second in line, Crown Prince Sultan, last week.

The tough-talking interior minister is known for cracking down on Islamic militants and resisting moves toward greater openness in the ultraconservative kingdom.

Prince Nayef will assume the throne upon the death of King Abdullah, 87, who is recovering from his third operation to treat back problems in less than a year.

Prince Sultan died in New York Saturday at the age of 80 after an unspecified illness.

Traditionally, the king chooses his heir. But Prince Nayef was chosen by Allegiance Council, a 37-member body composed of his brothers and cousins. King Abdullah created the council as part of his reforms and gave it a mandate to choose the heir.

Prince Nayef, 78, was also named vice prime minister and will also keep his job as interior minister. » | Friday, October 28, 2011

Related links here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Comment:

Traditionally, the king chooses his heir. But Prince Nayef was chosen by Allegiance Council, a 37-member body composed of his brothers and cousins.

Did the Allegiance Council really choose the heir independently, or did they choose Prince Nayef knowing that he was the King's preference? – © Mark

This comment also appears here

NZZ ONLINE: Ein streng Konservativer wird saudischer Thronfolger: Mit Nayif könnte Öffnung des Landes ein Ende haben » | Reuters | Freitag 28. Oktober 2011

FRANCE 2: Le nouveau prince héritier a été nommé : Nayef ben Abdel Aziz, 78 ans, a été nommé pour succéder à son frère Sultan, décédé il y a une semaine. ¶ La nomination du nouveau prince héritier d'Arabie saoudite souligne la rigidité du système de succession maintenant des octogénaires à la tête du royaume et suscite des inquiétudes. Le prince Nayef ben Abdel Aziz est connu pour sa fermeté. » | Par FTV avec agencies | vendredi 28 octobre 2011

Eurozone Crisis: Sarkozy Says Greece Was Not Ready to Join Euro

THE GUARDIAN: French president's remarks highlight the challege European leaders have in trying to hold the currency together

Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to take the shine off a day of jubilation in financial markets at a deal to rescue the eurozone, when he said it had been an "error" to allow Greece to join the euro a decade ago.

Amid more protest on the streets in Athens, the French president tried to convince the public to back reforms intended to maintain Greece's membership of the single currency. "It was an error because Greece entered with false [economic] figures … it was not ready," he said.

Sarkozy told French TV: "We had to face up to all this. If the euro had exploded on Wednesday night, all of Europe would have exploded. If Greece had defaulted, there would have been a domino effect carrying everyone away ... we took important decisions that avoided catastrophe."

His remarks underline the continuing frailities of the eurozone, and illustrates the task Europe's leaders have in trying to hold the currency together. » | Larry Elliott, Jill Treanor and Helena Smith | Thursday, October 27, 2011

Gaddafi Killer Faces Prosecution, Says Libyan Interim Government

THE GUARDIAN: NTC backs down from insistence Gaddafi died in crossfire and pledges justice for anyone proven to have fired lethal shot

Libya's interim government says it will prosecute anyone found responsible for the death of Muammar Gaddafi after his capture, in a retreat from its earlier insistence that the dictator had been killed by crossfire.

The change in position comes after a week of sustained criticism of the Libyan leader's captors, who used their camera phones to chronicle his death. The footage, including images of a wounded Gaddafi being sodomised with what looked like a bayonet, caused widespread revulsion outside the country.

Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, deputy chief of the National Transitional Council, said it would try to bring to justice anyone proven to have fired the shot to the head that killed Gaddafi.

"With regards to Gaddafi, we do not wait for anybody to tell us," he told the al-Arabiya satellite channel. "We had already launched an investigation. We have issued a code of ethics in handling of prisoners of war. I am sure that was an individual act and not an act of revolutionaries or the national army. Whoever is responsible for that [Gaddafi's killing] will be judged and given a fair trial." » | Martin Chulov and agencies | Thursday, October 27, 2011

Geert Wilders on Islam – London, Ontario

Sharia Law: Battlefield London
There's Islamic leadership tension in Britain - with hardline Muslims trying to enforce Sharia law in London. From abstention to amputation, RT's Laura Emmett's been hearing how they want to instill their tough code on the capital.

Ghannouchi: „Ich bin kein Khomeini“

DIE PRESSE: Der neue starke Mann in Tunis, Rachid Ghannouchi ist den einen Galionsfigur einer religiös-konservativen Partei, den anderen ein Wolf im Schafspelz. Der Mann ist Gegenwind gewöhnt.

Madrid/Tunis. Nett, gut erzogen, freundlich lächelnd. Der Sieger der ersten freien Wahl in Tunesien nach der Revolution entspricht nicht unbedingt dem finsteren Bild, das viele Europäer von einem Islamistenführer haben. Mit staatsmännischer Gelassenheit winkt Rachid Ghannouchi, Chef der islamischen Bewegung Ennahda (Wiedergeburt), vor seinem Hauptquartier in der Hauptstadt Tunis dem jubelnden Volk zu.

Auch seine Reden klingen nicht radikal, sondern sind durchsetzt mit Bekenntnissen zu Demokratie und Reformen. „Mein Traum ist es, Tunesien in ein Modell zu verwandeln, in dem Islam und Modernität zusammenspielen“, sagt der 70-jährige Geistliche und Philosophielehrer, Sohn eines Imams. „Wir leben nicht abgeschnitten von unserer Umwelt.“ Die Grundsätze der Demokratie „werden von Ennahda respektiert“. Auch wenn „islamische Werte“ der Politik als „Orientierungspunkte“ dienen sollen.

„Unsere Religion wird immer wieder als antidemokratisch bezeichnet, mit Gewalt und Terrorismus gleichgesetzt. Wir werden als Feinde der Kunst, der Schönheit, der Frauenrechte bezeichnet. Das ist falsch“, empört sich Ghannouchi. Es werde in Tunesien auch „keinen Kopftuchzwang“ oder sonstige Kleidungsvorschriften geben. „Wir sind gegen den Extremismus.“ » | Ralph Schulze | Mittwoch 26. Oktober 2011

WW2 Play Cancelled Over 'Censorship' Claims

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A playwright has cancelled a play set during the Second World War after claiming he was asked to remove references to Nazis, Jews and the invasion of Poland over fears of "offending" the audience.

Rod Tinson, whose Halloween play was due to be staged at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth, has accused English Heritage of trying to create a "Disneyfied" version of history by insisting on changes to his script.

The play featured scenes from different periods in the Tudor castle's history, including its role during the Second World War as a key coastal defence against German invasion of Britain.

Mr Tinson says the quango asked him to tone down parts of the script, including a young Jewish character expressing fears about his family in occupied Poland, over concerns that visitors would be "offended" by the material.

The playwright cancelled the play after refusing to make the requested changes. He said he could not understand why his script would be deemed offensive.

"They said it was inappropriate for an English Heritage audience. What version of history are they trying to illustrate at this place?" Mr Tinson added. Read on and comment » | Sarah Rainey | Thursday, October 27, 2011

Griechischer Krimi
Petros Markaris beschreibt den Niedergang seines Landes

Far-right Party 'Loses Ground' in Swiss Poll
Downturn in support for Swiss People's Party, which campaigned to stop influx of immigrants, partial results show.

'Black Gold' Stars at Doha Film Festival
The Oscar-winning director Jean Jacques Annaud is one of dozens of filmmakers attending this year's Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Doha. Much of his latest movie, Black Gold, was filmed in the south of Qatar, a first for the country and hopefully the beginning of more such ventures in the Gulf region. Al Jazeera's Matt Moore reports from Qatar's capital Doha.