Israel's 32nd Government Sworn In
THE JERUSALEM POST: Israel seeks peace with the entire Arab and Muslim world but continues to be threatened by the forces of Islamic extremists, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said several hours before he was sworn in Tuesday evening.

He took the oath of office just before midnight, after the Knesset voted 69-45 to approve the new government.

"These are irregular times," Netanyahu told the Knesset plenum. "Today Israel is faced with two tests - an economic crisis and a security crisis. The source of these crises are neither our past actions nor past mistakes.... Our [current] actions, however, will determine the results of these crises."

Netanyahu was interrupted numerous times by critics of his extra-large government as he presented it and its guidelines to the Knesset. In the past, Netanyahu himself expressed opposition to large governments due to the expense involved.

"It is not with a victor's joy that I stand here today in front of you, but with a great sense of responsibility," Netanyahu began. "I ask for your trust at this time of worldwide crisis of a kind we haven't known before, and it is with a sense of worry, but also with hope and faith, that the State of Israel confronts two major challenges: the economic challenge and the security challenge.

I am certain that the people of Israel will cope successfully with the challenges that lie ahead of it."

Regarding Iranian threats to "erase Israel from the map," Netanyahu criticized the international community for its lack of response.

"The Jewish people has experience with dictators and it cannot overestimate megalomaniac dictators who threaten to destroy it," he said.

The new prime minister added that the worst thing for the State of Israel and the world would be "that a radical regime obtains nuclear weapons."

The threat to Israel came from the spread of extremist Islam in the region and in the world, Netanyahu said.

"I separate extremist Islam from the general Muslim world, which is also threatened by extremist Islam," he told the plenum.

"The Muslim culture is a rich culture that knew times of prosperity, of Arabs and Jews who lived together and created things together." >>> By Shelly Paz and Tovah Lazaroff | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Inside Iran's Secret Gay World
Part 1:


Part 2
Part 3

Iran Denies US Claims of Meeting
BBC: Iran has denied that a meeting took place between their main representative at an international conference on Afghanistan and a senior US official.

Iran said Mr Akhoondzadeh did not meet US officials in The Hague. Photo courtesy of the BBC
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had said that Richard Holbrooke and Mohammad Mehdi Akhoondzadeh had an informal but "cordial exchange".

She said the US had given the Iranian delegates a letter, but Iran's foreign ministry "categorically" denied this.

The US had welcomed Iran's presence at the meeting as a "promising sign".

On Tuesday, Mrs Clinton said that Mr Holbrooke and Mr Akhoondzadeh had had a brief meeting on the sidelines of the conference in the Hague.

She said the meeting had been unplanned but that the men had agreed to "stay in touch". >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

G20 Protests: Rioters Loot RBS as Demonstrations Turn Violent
THE TELEGRAPH: G20 summit protesters looted a City office of Royal Bank of Scotland this afternoon, as a largely peaceful demonstration spilled over into bloody violence in the centre of London.

G20 violence. RBS windows smashed.
A small number of demonstrators forced their way into the building on Threadneedle Street near the Bank of England after smashing windows and throwing smoke grenades.

Hundreds of protesters cheered as office equipment including a printer was carried out of the building – which is believed to have been empty – before riot police wielding batons managed to force the crowds back.

The rampage inside RBS will raise questions about the effectiveness of the £7.2 million security operation. The bailed-out bank was known to be a target of anti-capitalist groups in advance of the protests, but police efforts had concentrated on defending its headquarters on Bishopsgate in Liverpool Street, around half a mile away.

Twenty-three people were arrested as protesters clashed with police around the Bank of England, which was the focus of today's anti-capitalist and anarchist demonstrations. >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

TELEGRAPH picture gallery: G20: Protests turn violent >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

A Little Classic Light Relief – Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers: Dancing Cheek to Cheek

Speaker, Students Battle over Islam
DAILY ITEM: LEWISBURG — An advocate for women’s rights in Muslim society was called the “bin Laden of the opposing view of Islam” and accused by students of exploiting American ignorance on the religion during her lecture Tuesday at Bucknell University.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia and raised in a traditional Muslim family. In 1992, she fled an arranged marriage and sought asylum in Netherlands, where she was later elected as a member of Dutch parliament.

During her time there, she crusaded for the rights of Dutch and all Muslim women, a campaign she continues today.

Ali eventually turned her back on Islam, which she describes as an intolerant religion that subjugates women and encourages hatred and distrust for other cultures.

During her speech Tuesday night, Ali explained to a crowd of about 400 students and members of the community that the tenets of Islam — those written in the Koran — are the fundamental problem.

The Muslim belief system, she said, inspires bigotry against Western culture, suppresses women and serves as the justification for the acts of radical Islamic terrorists.

Ali’s comments riled up a few Muslim audience members, who accused her of painting an overwhelmingly negative picture of Islam. >>> By Rob Scott | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Geert Wilders Sued in France for Racial Hatred
EXPATICA.COM: The anti-Islamic politician is being sued by a French rights group for a speech in which he said Paris was encircled by Muslim districts.

PARIS – A French rights group said Tuesday it was suing Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders for inciting racial hatred for a speech in which he said that Paris was "encircled by Muslim districts". 



The Association for the Defence of Human Rights said its lawsuit centred on a speech made in New York last year by Wilders, who is facing trial in the Netherlands for inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.



It says Wilders also said in his address there that "numerous areas (in France) were no-go zones for women not wearing headscarves." 



Wilders added that "in France, teachers are asked to avoid authors considered offensive towards Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot". 

The rights group's lawyer Yassine Bouzrou told AFP that "the remarks made by Mr. Wilders target a specific community, Muslims, and that comes within the context of inciting racial hatred." >>> AFP/Expatica | Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Kiosk - To Kojaee

Subculture: Sexes, Hairdos and Jeans in Iran
Lavasan, Tehran. Photo courtesy of CaféBabel
1 April is Islamic Republic Day, a national holiday in Iran. Thirty years after the Islamic revolution, an unpopular government is once again struggling with a dissatisfied young population. However, the Iranian resistance against its own regime has no strategy behind it, only tactics. A portrait of the mood in the land of the red squares
CAFÉ BABEL: The drawing that Schirin Germez* pushes quickly across the small table of a smoky café in Esfahan barely fills a napkin. Its shows a naked woman surrounded by threatening blots of ink, looking anxiously at the observer. The surrounding blackness has already taken over the woman’s body. Only a bright, red square in the centre of her body, protected by folded arms, still resists the gloom. 'You can’t take this from me,' says the young actress, as she taps the square with one hand and puts out her cigarette with the other. 'But I can’t ever show it in this country either.'

Fear of the government, which Schirin Germez only shakes off briefly in the company of a foreign traveller, is palpable in cities across the country. The time in office of the reform-oriented former state president Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) was shaped by hopes of change, but since the victory of Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s conservative elite, disappointment has spread among Iran’s urbane young population, who often harbour sympathy towards the west. Some of them are fighting, as in the past, for a liberal society: for instance, the budding doctors at Schiraz University, who are taking a stand against the planned segregation of the sexes in their lecture theatres. However, most have resigned themselves to the belief that they will not be able to change this republic.

So, the younger members of Iran’s middle classes have entered into a risky game of cat-and-mouse with the regime, by trying to fill public areas with signs of their disapproval. The women’s veils fall back, until the police step in to carry out their strict controls. Extravagant hairstyles and clothes are so widespread in some Tehran suburbs that for a short moment it’s possible to imagine oneself in Tokyo or London. But here, too, the powers that be quickly intervene to enforce their self-styled Islamic clothing regulations.

Hairdos ahoy at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran | (Image: ©kamshots/ Flickr)
Hairdressers are even advised, when in doubt, to side with the government’s ideas rather than the customers’ wishes. Many shop owners put up the obligatory photos of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khameini, not over the door or next to the till, but above shelves which – 'oh, what bad luck!' – are piled high and therefore block the view of the leaders of the eternal islamic revolution. On top of all this come drugs, western music and the youth sub-culture’s undermining of the country’s strict sexual morals. All of which is risky – and therefore all the more exciting. >>> By Jan Aengenvoort, Isfahan | Translation: Andrew Christie | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

YOUTUBE: Kiosk : Eshgh e Sorat


CAFÉ BABEL:
Das Land der roten Quadrate - Jugendkultur im Iran >>> (Original-Version des Artikels)

Haaretz Editorial Excoriates Israel’s New Government!
HAARETZ: Israel's 32nd government, which was sworn in last night, is destined to fail. In putting this government together, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demonstrated sophisticated political skills and impressive tricks of wheeling and dealing, along with a total lack of vision, courage and practical judgment.

The fate of the State of Israel was not on the agenda in forming this government, but rather the lust for power of a handful of politicians and the creation of power for their boss. Israel has received the largest government in its history and one of its most meager. Its makeup bodes ill.

When coalition considerations are the only criterion for forming a government, the outcome is a finance minister with no qualifications in economics, a foreign minister liable to be shunned abroad, a defense minister who has failed at the job, an education minister with no experience in education, a Health Ministry without a minister and a long list of ridiculous ministers and useless ministries. There is also a batch of ministers without portfolio and without a role to play, apart from filling a seat at the cabinet table. Such a giant government sends a message of scandalous wastefulness, with the economy on the brink of a grave financial crisis. A Failure Foretold >>> Editorial | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Protesters Take to London’s Streets
FINANCIAL TIMES: Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters have gathered around the capital on Wednesday morning for a day of action ahead of the G20 summit.

By 11am four marches, led by representations of the horsemen of the apocalypse, were preparing to depart to advance on the Bank of England.

Amid a huge police operation, the mood was largely good natured as protest groups assembled, shouting slogans and carrying banners.

But there were early signs of friction as police contained demonstrators within barricades outside Liverpool Street station, who started screaming ”let us go”.

About 100 cyclists sped down Bishopsgate ”pedalling for the planet”. One cyclist was asked why he was taking part. ”It’s a day out of the office,” he said.

Olivier Dale, a 28 year old attending the demonstration said: ”I am sick of these bankers and this greed. It has got to stop. We have to make a stand. But we want it to be peaceful.”

One protester wearing a balaclava and carrying a sign saying ”welcome to pig city” and who declined to be named said: ”I am an anti-capitalist, I am an anarchist. It’s a rich man’s club. I believe in class war. It is poor versus rich, as simple as that. ” >>> By FT Reporters | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Quand la Maison-Blanche voyage
Photo grâce au Figaro
LE FIGARO: C'est une formidable armada qui est mobilisée pour accompagner le couple présidentiel dans ses déplacements.

«Sommes-nous Rome ?» se demandait l'écrivain américain à succès Cullen Murphy, dans un livre récent sur l'Amérique contemporaine, se livrant à une comparaison aussi brillante qu'osée sur les États-Unis des années 2000 et l'Empire romain finissant.

En ouverture de ce livre, il évoquait un voyage officiel en Irlande de dix-huit heures qu'il avait effectué avec l'ancien président George W. Bush. Il y décrivait les légions d'hommes des services et de l'armée déployés sur l'aéroport pour accueillir et protéger l'homme le plus puissant du monde, véritable empereur des temps modernes. Le déploiement des ­avions de surveillance tournant dans le ciel. Les rangées de ministres et de conseillers sherpas. Mais aussi l'intendance, les cuisiniers et les journalistes qui l'accompagnaient.

De ce point de vue, l'Amérique d'Obama ressemblera beaucoup à celle de son prédécesseur, La tournée d'un président américain est un événement qui mobilise une organisation gigantesque. Et des semaines de préparation. « Ce n'est pas le président qui voyage, c'est la Maison-Blanche » , résume l'un de ses conseillers. >>> Laure Mandeville, envoyée spéciale du Figaro à Londres | Mercredi 01 Avril 2009

Indiens Premier: "Pakistan Epizentrum des Terrorismus"
DIE PRESSE: Manmohan Singh wirft Pakistan vor, keine effektiven Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen. Die Regierung sei entweder "unfähig" oder "unwillig".

Manmohan Singh. Bild dank der Presse
Der indische Regierungschef Manmohan Singh hat Pakistan vorgeworfen, das "Epizentrum" des weltweiten Terrorismus zu sein. Das Nachbarland habe es nicht geschafft, effektive Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen, sagte Singh der "Financial Times" (Mittwochsausgabe*). "Wir alle wissen, dass das Epizentrum des Terrorismus in der Welt heute Pakistan ist." >>> Ag | Mittwoch, 1. April 2009

FINANCIAL TIMES: *India’s Economy ‘More Durable’ than China['s]

Democracies have a far better chance of sustaining economic reform than one party states Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, has told the Financial Times in a rare top-level assertion of his country’s stance over neighbouring China.

The architect of India’s market liberalisations and a well-respected economist, Mr Singh has placed the long-term success of the world’s largest democracy over the potential fragility of the fastest growing large economy under Communist party rule.

“The Chinese have certain advantages: the fact that it’s a single party government,” Mr Singh said in an interview with the Financial Times before travelling to the G20 meeting in London on Thursday.

“But I do believe in the long run in the fact that India is a functioning democracy, committed to the rule of law. Our system is slow to move but I’m confident that once decisions are taken they are going to be far more durable.”

Mr Singh’s comments come as China is asserting its leadership among emerging markets of the global economic policy debate.

His remarks come as a tacit reminder to China that it lacks one of the key credentials to contribute to the global policy debate – democracy. >>> By James Lamont, Alec Russell and Amy Kazmin in New Delhi | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Obama in London eingetroffen: Erster Besuch als amerikanischer Präsident in Europa
NZZ Online: Barack Obama ist am Dienstagabend in London gelandet, um seine erste Europareise als amerikanischer Präsident anzutreten. Obama wird von seiner Frau Michelle begleitet.

Michelle und Barack Obama treffen in London ein. (Bild: Reuters)
Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama ist am Dienstagabend zum Auftakt seiner ersten grossen Europareise in London eingetroffen. Begleitet von seiner Frau Michelle, wird er in den kommenden acht Tagen fünf Länder besuchen und an den Gipfeln von G-20, Nato und EU teilnehmen.

Erste Station ist London, wo die Staats- und Regierungschefs der 20 wichtigsten Industrie- und Schwellenländer nach Auswegen aus der von den USA ausgegangenen globalen Finanzkrise suchen. In London trifft Obama mit dem britischen Premierminister Brown, dem chinesischen Präsidenten Hu Jintao und dem russischen Präsidenten Medwedew zusammen. Auch Termine mit der britischen Königin Elizabeth II., dem saudischen König Abdullah, dem indischen Ministerpräsidenten Manmohan Singh und dem südkoreanischen Präsidenten Lee Myung Bak sind hier geplant. >>> ap/sda | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

BBC: Obama Arrives in UK ahead of G20


THE TELEGRAPH: G20 Summit: Barack Obama Lands in Britain for G20 Summit

Barack Obama, the US president, has landed in Britain ahead of the G20 summit, at the start of his first overseas trip since taking office.

The president's plane, Air Force One, landed in Stansted Airport's VIP area at 7.51pm, where he was met on the tarmac by Chancellor Alistair Darling and his wife Margaret.

In stark contrast to the grandeur surrounding Mr Obama's arrival in the UK, Mr Darling travelled to Stansted Airport on the Stansted Express from London Liverpool Street, accompanied by police officers and security staff.

Around ten minutes after landing, Mr Obama and his wife Michelle descended the steps hand in hand, waving at onlookers. The pair shook hands with assembled dignitaries including Mr Darling before the Obamas boarded a Marine One helicopter for the short flight to the US ambassador's residence in London. Several decoy helicopters will also take to the air to ensure maximum security. >>> By Aislinn Simpson and Matthew Moore | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

lePARISIEN.fr: Un périple européen chargé pour Obama

La première grande tournée européenne de Barack Obama s'annonce comme un périple dense, non exempt d'embûches, singulièrement au début de celui-ci, alors que le G20 s'ouvre jeudi à Londres. L'Union européenne voudrait obtenir des engagements forts davantage de régulation financière, Washington a fait connaître ses espérances de plans de relance européens plus ambitieux. Le jeune couple présidentiel a quitté le sol américain mardi en début d'après-mid à bord de l'Air Force One et atterri dans la capitale britannique en début de soirée. Déjà présent à Londres, Mike Froman, un haut responsable de la Maison Blanche, a tenté de gommer toute aspérité avant leur arrivée, pariant sur un large accord des pays du G20 sur les moyens de relancer la croissance comme sur la supervision des institutions financiers. >>> leparisien.fr | Mardi 31 Mars 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch und Gebundene Ausgabe) – Versandkostenfrei innerhalb der Schweiz >>>

Let Them Smoke Cigarettes!
DAILY EXPRESS: She’s unlikely to please the anti-smoking health lobby but actress Maureen Lipman has bizarrely suggested that the problems of Britain’s youth binge drinking culture could be solved by encouraging youngsters to smoke instead.

Maureen Lipman thinks that the youth binge drinking cuture could be solved by encouraging youth to smoke. Photo courtesy of the Daily Express
While the rest of the country is trying to curb smoking, Maureen claims it’s a lesser evil than alcohol and should become ­acceptable in public again.

She is particularly concerned, she says, by the way young women are now becoming drunkenly boorish in a manner that used to be confined to men.

“We fought for equal rights but we have just inherited the worst traits of men,” says Maureen, 62. “This is a bad thing.

“Girls go out drinking and wearing virtually nothing. They are like highly coloured insects looking not just for a drink but a good seeing-to.

“I think we should let them smoke. It was very calming to smoke. There was the whole ritual with the little Zippo lighter. I know it’s the worst thing to say these days but you can go out and drink yourself stupid and kill someone in your car or beat up your wife but you are not allowed to smoke.” Why Lipman Has Got Them Fuming >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Airheads Anonymous! Miss Universe Had a 'Lot of Fun' in Guantanamo
Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza. Photo courtesy of The Independent
THE INDEPENDENT: A "relaxing, calm, beautiful place" may not be everyone's description of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States holds about 240 prisoners in a detention centre that has drawn condemnation from around the world.

But this was the opinion of reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, who visited the US naval facility in eastern Cuba this month on a trip organised by the United Service Organisations (USO) which supports US troops.

The Guantanamo Bay base, whose presence Cuba's government has contested as illegal for years, is used by US authorities as a prison camp for foreign terrorism suspects. Critics have condemned it as a symbol of abuses in Washington's war on terrorism launched after the 11 September, 2001 attacks.

Caracas-born Mendoza, 22, who visited the facility between 20-25 March along with Miss USA Crystle Stewart, 27, enthused about her Guantanamo trip as an "incredible experience" in a blog entry posted on the Miss Universe website dated 27 March 27, 2009 (www.missuniverse.com/missuniverse/blog.php).

"It was a loooot of fun!," Mendoza wrote, describing how she and Stewart met US military personnel and took rides around the camp, which is encircled by a barbed-wire fenced, minefields and watchtowers. She said they also visited a bar on the base and the "unbelievable" beach there. >>> Reuters | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Filthy Rich and Enjoying Every Minute of It
Filthy rich and proud of it. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMESONLINE: Stock markets across the world may have tanked last year but that didn’t stop the top performing hedge fund managers from making themselves a huge pile of cash.

In fact, the top 25 made £8.275 billion or an average of $464 million (£331m) each in 2008, according to research by Alpha Magazine. That is enough money to pay for 30 hospitals, employ more than 300,000 nurses for a year, or vaccinate every child in poverty from five preventable diseases.

Anyway, here is the list of the top 10, and how they made their millions (billions). Filthy Rich: The 10 Highest Paid Hedge Fund Managers of 2008 >>> | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

USA-Iran: Erster diplomatischer Kontakt
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der US-Sondergesandte für Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, ist in Den Haag mit dem iranischen Vize-Aussenminister Mehdi Achundsadeh zusammengekommen.

Sucht Wege für eine Zusammenarbeit mit dem Iran: US-Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton. Bild dank dem Tages Anzeiger
Die Aussichten auf eine Entspannung zwischen den USA und dem Iran sind gestiegen: Der amerikanische Spitzendiplomat Richard Holbrooke und der iranische Vize-Aussenminister Mehdi Achundsadeh kamen am Rande einer Afghanistan-Konferenz in Den Haag zu einem bilateralen Treffen zusammen, wie US-Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton mitteilte. Holbrooke und Achundsadeh hätten nach dem «kurzen und freundlichen Gespräch vereinbart, in Kontakt zu bleiben», sagte Clinton.

Die beiden Länder unterhalten keine diplomatischen Beziehungen mehr, seit während der Islamischen Revolution im Iran 1979 das gesamte Personal der US-Botschaft in Teheran in Geiselhaft genommen wurde. Informelle Kontakte zwischen amerikanischen und iranischen Politikern gab es seither aber mehrfach, so kamen die früheren US-Aussenminister Condoleezza Rice und Colin Powell informell mit ihren iranischen Kollegen zusammen. >>> bru/ap | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch und Gebundene Ausgabe) – Versandkostenfrei innerhalb der Schweiz >>>

Nétanyahou prêt à la paix avec les Palestiniens
«Le gouvernement sous ma direction agira pour arriver à la paix sur trois volets : économique, sécuritaire et politique», a déclaré Benyamin Nétanyahou. Photo grâce au Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le nouveau chef du gouvernement israélien qui présente ce soir son équipe à la Knesset s'est en revanche gardé de parler d'un Etat palestinien indépendant. L'Autorité palestinienne se dit déçue.

Benyamin Nétanyahou dit vouloir la paix. Le nouveau premier ministre israélien qui présente mardi son gouvernement à l'investiture du Parlement s'est dit prêt à négocier avec les Palestiniens dans cet objectif. «Je le dis aux dirigeants de l'Autorité palestinienne : si vous voulez vraiment la paix, il est possible d'arriver à la paix. Le gouvernement sous ma direction agira pour arriver à la paix sur trois volets : économique, sécuritaire et politique», a déclaré Nétanyahou. «Nous mènerons des négociations de paix permanentes avec l'Autorité palestinienne en vue de parvenir à un accord final et nous ne voulons pas gouverner un autre peuple. Nous ne voulons pas contrôler le destin des Palestiniens», a-t-il ajouté. Il a affirmé que dans le cadre d'un «accord définitif», les Palestiniens «disposeront de tous les droits pour se gouverner eux-mêmes, sauf ceux susceptibles de constituer un danger pour la sécurité et l'existence de l'Etat d'Israël». >>> J.B. (lefigaro.fr) Avec AFP | Mardi 31 Mars 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
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A Canadian Converts to Islam – Look What Happens...

New Dark Age Alert! Anjem Choudary, Britain’s Cocky Muslim Big Mouth, Calls British Troops "War Criminals" and Muslim Leaders "Hypocrites"
Part 1:


Part 2
Part 3
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Visions of Sharia: Vengeance Allowed But No Less Barbaric
ORLANDO SENTINEL: Although the principle that "the personal is political" was first popularized by the American Women's Movement of the 1970s, the same wisdom may have much to teach us about relations between the West and Islam. The widely-publicized and ongoing tragedy of Ameneh Bahrami and Majid Movahedi offers a glaring example of precisely how.



At first glance, Bahrami's story seems like a tale of medieval injustice. After the Iranian electronics student resisted the persistent and unwanted advances of Movehedi for more than two years, he blinded and disfigured her in a 2004 acid attack.

Such attacks are still all too common in much of Asia -- most notably in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. They are often orchestrated against women who refuse to don the hajib or who resist unwanted proposals of marriage.

Such attacks are barbaric. However, Iranian law provides for an equally barbaric remedy. Under the Islamic rule of qias -- roughly translated as equivalence -- the victims of such attacks may demand identical treatment for their assailants. Bahrami, now receiving free medical care in Spain, has demanded that Movehedi be blinded too.



At her request, an Iranian court recently ordered that sulfuric acid be dropped into one of his eyes. (Apparently, since Iranian law does not view men's eyes and women's eyes as having equal value, Bahrami must pay 20,000 Euros if her spurned suitor is to lose both eyes.) >>> Jacob M. Appel | Special to the Sentinel | Monday, March 30, 2009

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Is There a War on the Term 'War on Terror'
abcNEWS – Blogs: Is there a war on the term "War on Terror"?

Apparently not.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing to the story.

After days of confusion and denial about whether the Obama administration was officially no longer using the term "War on Terror," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the Obama administration is no longer speaking of a "War on Terror."

"I haven't gotten any directive about using it or not using it. It's just not being used," said Clinton during a briefing with reporters aboard her plane to the Hague to attend an international conference on Afghanistan.

"The administration has stopped using the phrase and I think that speaks for itself," she said at a different point during her trip. "Obviously."

The discontinuation of the term "War on Terror" marks a departure from the practice of the Bush administration which began using the phrase in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. >>> Jake Tapper, Teddy Davis, and Kirit Radia | Monday, March 30, 2009

Canada's Tolerance Misplaced
CALGARY HERALD: Canada's Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is getting flak from the usual suspects, but he deserves praise instead.

Recently, Kenney pointed out that while at a meeting in Toronto, members of Canada's Pakistani community called on him to make Punjabi one of Canada's official languages. It makes me angry that such an idea would enter the minds of my fellow and former countrymen, let alone express them to a Minister of the Crown.

A few months ago, I was dismayed to learn that Erik Millett, the principal of Belleisle School in Springfield, N. B., limited playing our national anthem because the families of a couple of his students objected to it.

As a social scientist, I oppose this kind of political correctness, lack of assimilation of new immigrants to mainstream Canada, hyphenated-Canadian identity, and the lack of patriotism in our great nation.

Increasingly, Canadians feel restricted in doing things the Canadian way lest we offend minorities. We cannot even say Merry Christmas without fear of causing offence. It is amazing that 77 per cent of the Canadian majority are scared of offending 23 per cent of minorities. We have become so timid that the majority cannot assert its own freedom of expression. We cannot publicly question certain foreign social customs, traditions and values that do not fit into the Canadian ethos of equality. Rather than encouraging new immigrants to adjust to Canada, we tolerate peculiar ways of doing things. We do not remind them that they are in Canada, not in their original homelands.

In a multicultural society, it is the responsibility of minorities to adjust to the majority. It does not mean that minorities have to totally amalgamate with the majority. They can practise some of their cultural traditions within their homes -- their backstage behaviour. However, when outside of their homes, their front stage behaviour should resemble mainstream Canadian behaviour. Whoever comes to Canada must learn the limits of our system. We do not kill our daughters or other female members of our families who refuse to wear hijab, niqab or burka which are not mandated by the Qur'an anyway. We do not kill our daughters if they date the "wrong" men. A 17-year-old Sikh girl should not have been killed in British Columbia by her father because she was caught dating a Caucasian man. >>> By Mahfooz Kanwar*, for the Calgary Herald, © Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald | Monday, March 30, 3009

* Mahfooz Kanwar, PHD, Is A Sociologist And An Instructor Emeritus At Mount Royal College.

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback/Broché – Canada) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback/Relié – Canada) >>>

Obama's Aunt Becomes Symbol in Immigration Debate
ASSOCIATED PRESS: BOSTON — Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt lost her bid for asylum more than four years ago, and a judge ordered her deported. Instead, Zeituni Onyango stayed, living for years in public housing.

Now, in a case that puts the president in a tough position both personally and politically, Onyango's request is being reconsidered under a little-used provision in U.S. immigration rules that allows denied asylum claims to be reheard if applicants can show that something has changed to make them eligible.

Such as the ascension of her nephew to the presidency of the world's most powerful country.

"If she goes back to Kenya, she is going to be much more in the limelight, and that, in and of itself, could put her at a greater risk. The chances of her going back and keeping a low profile are gone at this point," said Boston immigration attorney Ilana Greenstein.

Onyango, 56, the half-sister of Obama's late father, moved to the United States in 2000. Her first bid for asylum was rejected, and an immigration judge ordered her deported in 2004; she continues to live in public housing in Boston.

In December, a judge agreed to suspend the deportation order and reopen her case. An initial hearing is scheduled Wednesday in U.S. Immigration Court in Boston.

Obama has said repeatedly that he didn't know his aunt was living in the United States illegally and believes that laws covering the situation should be followed. If she wins asylum, he could look soft on immigration enforcement. If she loses, he could face criticism from immigrant advocacy groups.

The White House says Obama is staying out of it. >>> By Denise Lavoie | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Is Financial Crisis Fueling Europe’s Far Right?
BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES: In early March, a captain of the far-right Magyar Garda, or Hungarian Guard, addressed his followers about the worsening worldwide financial crisis that had brought Hungary to the brink of bankruptcy.

“Jews run the world,” Draskovics Andras said in remarks that were recorded by a camera crew from Hungarian state TV. Jews “need only 2 billion people for their tricks, and the rest of the mankind will be executed,” he said, according to a Hungarian news Web site, Hvg.hu.

Soon after, on a national holiday in mid-March, the Hungarian Guard inducted 600 new members, who marched with insignias resembling those of its Nazi-era predecessors in Budapest’s largest square.

As the global financial crisis deepens, hitting some Eastern European countries particularly hard, Jews in Europe are watching closely to see whether far-right movements will rekindle old stereotypes about Jews and money, and fuel antipathy toward Jews.

The concern comes as Jews in Europe continue to reel from a sharp spike in anti-Semitic attacks during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, including several arson attempts on synagogues.

“The German neo-Nazis never fail to mention that Jews are to blame for the economic downturn at demonstrations when they think the authorities are not monitoring them,” said Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. “Over the last six months their supporters have used slanders like ‘greedy Jews.’

“There is constant talk of Bernard Madoff and how he is Jewish,” he said. “We are worried about this trend of connecting Jews to the crisis within the whole society.” >>> Dinah Spritzer, JTA Wire Service, Prague | Monday, March 30, 2009

Témoignage du Docteur Minoo Mohraz sur l’épidémie de sida en Iran. Cette femme a créé centre de recherche iranien de lutte contre le Sida (IRCHA) en 1985
Après:

2. Portrait d’un famille au bazar de Téhéran.
3. Souvenirs d’un infirmier.

New Dark Age Alert! 'Worse than the Taliban' - New Law Rolls Back Rights for Afghan Women
A burqa-clad Afghan woman walks in an old bazaar in Kabul. Photograph courtesy of The Guardian.
THE GUARDIAN: Hamid Karzai has been accused of trying to win votes in Afghanistan's presidential election by backing a law the UN says legalises rape within marriage and bans wives from stepping outside their homes without their husbands' permission.

The Afghan president signed the law earlier this month, despite condemnation by human rights activists and some MPs that it flouts the constitution's equal rights provisions.

The final document has not been published, but the law is believed to contain articles that rule women cannot leave the house without their husbands' permission, that they can only seek work, education or visit the doctor with their husbands' permission, and that they cannot refuse their husband sex.

A briefing document prepared by the United Nations Development Fund for Women also warns that the law grants custody of children to fathers and grandfathers only.

Senator Humaira Namati, a member of the upper house of the Afghan parliament, said the law was "worse than during the Taliban". "Anyone who spoke out was accused of being against Islam," she said. >>> Jon Boone in Kabul | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

"Men and women have equal rights under Islam but there are differences in the way men and women are created. Men are stronger and women are a little bit weaker; even in the west you do not see women working as firefighters." – Ustad Mohammad Akbari, MP and leader of a Hazara political party, Afghanistan

Guardian audio: Afghan women: 'A wife will not be allowed to refuse sex': Jon Boone reveals Afghanistan's new law denying women's rights >>> | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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The Dhimmi British Do It Again! Hijabs for Muslims in the Fire Service
The new, ‘practical’, uniform for Muslim women for the fire service! It is redolent of the Victorian era. What did Emmeline (aka Emily) Pankhurst fight for? Of course, as you would expect, another act of dhimmitude from the craven British authorities.
MAIL Online: Pop into the firestation and the chances are there'd be a group of reassuringly burly men in there waiting for the call out, with uniforms and firefighting suits tailored for their use alone.

The one or two women among them would have to make do with ill-fitting adaptations of the men's outfits while the handful of Muslim women in the service would be wearing their own head scarfs.

But, with the fire service anxious to attract recruits of all sexes and backgrounds, it was decided that something had to be done.

So yesterday the results were uneveiled, including full-length skirts, hijab headscarfs and long- sleeved shirts for Muslim women recruits.

The hope is that the uniforms, designed for wearing round the station and for outings such as school trips, will be smarter and better fitting for every firefighter - even the men.

For the first time also, women will get their own mustard yellow fire-fighting suit designed to protect their breasts and upper body.

This outfit was tried on yesterday by Lincolnshire firefighter Julie Smith.

'It is right that male firefighters and female firefighters to need protection in different areas,' she said. 'It is very comfortable, very new and very yellow.'

Her boss Mike Thomas, Chief Fire Officer for Lincolnshire, declared the uniforms would help 'bust' the ' traditional image of the hunky, British, white, male, firefighter' - even though a great many of his staff probably fit this description. Now Fire Service Introduces Hijab Headscarves for Muslim Workers >>> By Jaya Narain | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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Die EU spricht jetzt geschlechtsgerecht
NAME: Putzkraft statt Putzfrau, fahrendes Personal statt Fahrer: Die Parlamentsverwaltung der Europäischen Union hat eine Broschüre für "geschlechtsgerechten Sprachgebrauch" herausgegeben. Ziel der Maßnahme ist es, sexistische Wörter und Formulierungen in offiziellen Papieren zu vermeiden.

In Europa tobt die Krise, aber das EU-Parlament hat andere Sorgen: "Sexistische Formulierungen" in den Veröffentlichungen des Hohen Hauses sollen verschwinden. Dazu hat die Parlamentsverwaltung jetzt eine 16-seitige Broschüre vorgelegt: "Geschlechtergerechter Sprachgebrauch beim Europäischen Parlament". Sie soll Dolmetschern und Politikern als Leitfaden dienen für eine "geschlechtergerechte Ausdrucksweise". Der CDU-Europaabgeordnete Markus Pieper ist empört: "Wir brauchen diese Bevormundung nicht. Hört auf mit dem Schwachsinn!" >>> Von Christoph B. Schilz | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

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Germany Bans Far-right Youth Group
THE INDEPENDENT: German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble banned right-wing organisation "Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend" today, saying the group was spreading Nazi propaganda to young people.

The organisation, Patriotic German Youth in English, has several hundred members, the ministry said. It called it a cornerstone of the far-right movement with ties to the National Democratic Party (NPD).

"With today's ban we're putting an end to the nauseating activities of the HDJ," Schaeuble said in a statement. "We're going to do everything possible to protect our children and our youths from these rat catchers." >>> Reuters | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Obama, Europa und der Weg in die Hölle
DIE PRESSE: Der Europa-Besuch Barack Obamas steht im Zeichen der Ernüchterung. Die Beziehungen haben sich spürbar abgekühlt. Über die Krisenbewältigung bestehen krasse Auffassungs-Unterschiede.

Vor der Siegessäule in Berlin hatte er noch leicht reden. Umjubelt und umschwärmt, war der Kandidat im Sommer 2008 der Liebling der Massen, der Wunschpräsident der Europäer – kurzum: Barack Obama war der Anti-Bush, auf den alle so lange gewartet hatten. Seine Stippvisite in Europas Metropolen glich einem Triumphzug. Daheim verhöhnte ihn das McCain-Lager zwar als zweifelhafte Berühmtheit vom Rang einer Paris Hilton. Doch die Häme machte nur deutlich, wie sehr die Republikaner in die Defensive geraten waren.

Ein Dreivierteljahr später hat sich die Botschaft Barack Obamas nicht verändert. Doch steht sein erster Europa-Besuch als US-Präsident in dieser Woche unter völlig anderen Vorzeichen. Die globale Wirtschaftskrise hat die grundsätzlichen Differenzen zwischen den USA und dem Rest der Welt stärker akzentuiert. „Das ist geradezu eine Einladung zur Desillusionierung“, sagte John Kerry, als Vorsitzender des Auswärtigen Ausschusses im Senat einer der einflussreichsten Außenpolitiker.

War George W. Bush mit Demonstrationen gegen den Irak-Krieg konfrontiert, so steht beim G20-Gipfel in London der ungezügelte Wall-Street-Kapitalismus im Visier, der das Finanzsystem beinahe zum Einsturz gebracht hätte. Die Proteste am Wochenende zeugen von tief sitzenden Ressentiments.

Über die Krisenbewältigung bestehen krasse Auffassungsunterschiede. Während die Notenbank in Washington die Geldpresse angeworfen hat, halten viele Europäer das „Big Government“, das staatliche Konjunkturprogramm Washingtons, für einen „Weg in die Hölle“, wie Tschechiens Noch-Premier und Hardrock-Fan Mirek Topolánek formulierte. Sie fürchten einen Anstieg der Inflation. >>> Von Thomas Vieregge, Washington | Montag, 30. März 2009

Extremisten setzen in Athen Banken und Autos in Flammen: Brandanschläge auf Büros griechischer Politiker in Saloniki
NZZ Online: Griechische Anarchisten haben in den zwei grössten Städten des Landes Brandanschläge auf Banken und Büros von Politikern verübt. In Athen wurden in der Nacht zum Dienstag innerhalb einer Viertelstunde fünf Banken, das Geschäft eines Mercedes-Händlers und mehrere Autos in Brand gesetzt.

Nach einer Attacke mit Gaskanistern brannte dieses Postbüro in Athen aus. Bild (Reuters) dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
Die Feuerwehr brachte die Brände in Athen rasch unter Kontrolle. Verletzt wurde niemand. Auch Festnahmen gab es keine, wie die Polizei mitteilte. Die Höhe des Sachschadens war zunächst unbekannt. Bereits am Montagabend wurden in Saloniki Brandsätze auf Büros von sechs Politikern geworfen. >>> ap | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

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Nicolas Sarkozy’s Threat to Walk Out of Global Summit
TIMESONLINE: Anglo-Saxon gibe strains relations with Obama


President Sarkozy yesterday threatened to wreck the London summit if France’s demands for tougher financial regulation are not met.

France will not accept a G20 that produces a “false success with language that sounds good but contains no commitments”, his advisers said.

Asked if this meant a possible walk-out, Xavier Musca, Mr Sarkozy’s deputy chief of staff for economic affairs, said: “A basic rule with nuclear deterrence is that you do not say at what point you will use the weapon.”

The French threat dramatically raised the temperature hours before President Obama arrives in London today. If carried through, it would ruin a summit for which Mr Brown and Mr Obama have high ambitions, believing it vital to international recovery.

Mr Sarkozy, who blames the “Anglo-Saxons” for causing the economic crisis, told his ministers last week that he would leave Mr Brown’s summit “if it does not work out”. >>> Charles Bremner in Paris and Philip Webster | Tuesday, March 31, 2009


THE GUARDIAN:
Those key G20 questions answered: The big issue is: can they agree a plan to rebuild the world economy? But there are other pressing questions: Who should we be watching? What's in the Downing St goodie bag? And who's the new Carla Bruni? >>> Words by Jon Henley, Aditya Chakrabortty, Oliver Burkeman, Stuart Jeffries, Jonathan Glancey, Amy Fleming, John Vidal, John Crace, Paula Cocozza | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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Winston Churchill Had Whisky and a Cigar with Breakfast
THE TELEGRAPH: Winston Churchill wrote his own breakfast menu which included whisky and a cigar while on his last flight to the USA as Prime Minister.

Photo of Winston Churchill being Winston courtesy of The Telegraph
While on the BOAC flight in June 1954 the plane's menu was not good enough for the Prime Minister so he wrote one out himself.

He requested his meal be brought on two trays.

He lists in his own hand: "1st Tray. Poached egg, Toast, Jam, Butter, Coffee and milk, Jug of cold milk, Cold Chicken or Meat.

"2nd Tray. Grapefruit, Sugar Bowl, Glass orange squash (ice), Whisky soda." He then adds: "Wash hands, cigar."

At first he had tried to amend the printed menu, but in the end wrote out his own on the other side.

With his Foreign Secretary Sir Anthony Eden at his side, the visit to the US was made at the height of the Cold War and his last to the US as Prime Minister.

The menu was kept by the air steward and the item is being sold along with press cuttings from the trip.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, who is selling it, said: "This is one of the most remarkable pieces of Churchill memorabilia we have seen.

"It shows what a hearty breakfast he ate and it was all washed down with a whisky, after which he smoked a cigar. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009

The Latest Idiotic Governmental Move: Cash for Mosques and Direct Access to Government Ministers! This Government Is Just Disgusting!
TIMESONLINE: Mosques and local Muslim community groups are to be given money and direct access to government ministers under a radical plan to isolate Britain’s largest Islamic organisation, which the Government accuses of endorsing violent extremism.

The move follows criticism of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which claims to represent half of the country’s Muslims, by Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary. Ms Blears attacked the group for refusing to sack its deputy leader, Daud Abdullah, after he endorsed a pro-Hamas declaration that appeared to call for violence against Jews and Israel and condone attacks on British troops.

The Government is planning to deny the organisation’s representatives ministerial briefings across all departments in a move designed to undermine its standing among British Muslims.

Sadiq Khan, the Minister for Community Cohesion, told The Times: “The days of lazy politicians just speaking to one or two powerful community groups or leaders are gone. You need to speak to individuals and local community groups, even though there will still be a role for umbrella groups to play.”

It is understood that even some of the MCB’s supporters within Government, including David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, and Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, have now turned their backs on the organisation, which has had a difficult relationship with Labour ever since it refused to attend Holocaust Memorial Day in 2006.

A Government source told The Times: “The Government is already talking about different ways to engage with the Muslim community instead of just through large organisations. It will deal with regions or trusted individuals. Why do you need to deal with national umbrella bodies?” Government Moves to Isolate Muslim Council of Britain with Cash for Mosques >>> Richard Kerbaj | Monday, March 30, 2009

Jacqui Smith [Jackboot Jacky] Expenses Claims Total £157,631
This is the woman who denied entry to the United Kingdom to our friend Geert Wilders! Since that ridiculous, undemocratic decision, she’s got herself into a fine kettle of fish! Porn films paid for by the taxpayer, all manner of sleaze, and denying parliamentarians the right to speak freely – how can she sleep at night? – ©Mark


THE TELEGRAPH: Home Secretary Jacqui Smith claimed £22,948 in 2007/08 in taxpayer-funded allowances for her second home, official figures have shown.

Miss Smith, whose claims are already under investigation by a sleaze watchdog, was battling fresh embarrassment today after it emerged that public money paid for two adult films watched by her husband.

Figures released by the House of Commons showed she was paid the sum in additional costs allowance (ACA), which is designed to cover the cost of working in both London and a constituency.

Miss Smith is being investigated because of complaints about her decision to designate her sister's house in south London, where she stays, as her "main" home, allowing her to claim back the costs of running her family house in her Redditch constituency.

Her overall expenses claim, including travel, office and staffing costs, was £157,631.

That sum included 25 journeys for her husband, Richard Timney, who is employed as her Parliamentary assistant, at a cost to the public purse of £2,531.

The figures released by the House of Commons authorities showed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed £124,454 in expenses and allowances in 2007/08, while Conservative leader David Cameron claimed £148,829.

The details are published annually and were initially due for release last October but were delayed amid a legal row over whether full receipts and invoices should be disclosed.

MPs are permitted to claim a range of expenses, including a maximum of £23,083 for the additional costs allowance (ACA), which covers the cost of staying away from their main residence to carry out their parliamentary duties.

ACA is used to cover the cost of running and furnishing a property, as well as rent or mortgage interest payments. Most MPs use it to pay for a base in central London to use while they are working in Westminster, though some – like Miss Smith – treat their London address as their main home and claim allowances on their constituency property. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009

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Schon wieder ist eine Frau irregeführt! Diesmal eine Ärztin!

Another Reason to Visit Switzerland: Hiking in the Nude
This would be a great pastime for Anjem Choudary, and other narrow-minded, fundamentalist Muslims! Photo of nude hiker in Switzerland courtesy of Time
TIME: Baby, it's cold outside. But the early-spring chill doesn't deter Thomas B. from taking a brisk walk along Appenzell's hilly trails to enjoy the green landscape of this rural canton in northeast Switzerland.

There's a good reason why Thomas, 24, doesn't give out his last name: he is concerned that his bosses at a nearby bank may not like his unconventional hiking attire, consisting of shoes, socks, a backpack — and nothing else. Thomas isn't just some nature nut in a birthday suit — he's one of a growing number of hikers who make the pilgrimage to Appenzell specifically so they can trek in the nude. (See pictures of skiing.)

Hiking in the buff might shock Thomas' bosses, as well as some of Appenzell's 15,000 inhabitants, but it's no skin off his back. "Hiking in clothes is too constrictive," he says, adding that he has never had any negative reactions from the fully clothed hikers he meets on the trails. "I like to feel comfortable. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" >>> By Helena Bachman, Geneva | Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Gaddafi Storms Out of Arab League
Gaddafi has angered leaders with sharp words at previous summits. Photo courtesy of Tribune de Genève.
BBC: Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi has stormed out of the Arab League summit in Qatar having denounced the Saudi king for his ties with the West.

He disrupted the opening session by criticising King Abdullah, calling him a British product and an American ally.

Col Gaddafi has angered Arab leaders in the past with sharp remarks at summits.

Meanwhile, leaders have been urged to reject an international arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur.

Arrest first "those who have committed massacres and atrocities in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon", Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said.

The summit is also expected to discuss Iran's influence in the Middle East.

A number of countries are particularly concerned about Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. >>> | Monday, March 30, 2009

World Bank Warns of Social Discontent in Russia
THE TELEGRAPH: The World Bank has given warning of serious social discontent in Russia after delivering a bleak assessment of the country's economy.

World Bank warns of social discontent in Russia. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Scotching optimism that the world's largest country may already be in recovery, the bank predicted that Russia's economy is contracting far more sharply than the Kremlin has acknowledged.

According to revised government forecasts, the Russian economy will shrink by 2.2pc this year. But it its latest economic report on Russia, the World Bank predicts that Gross Domestic Product will actually contract by 4.5pc.

The assessment comes as foreign investors focussed on emerging markets again start to flirt with Russia after months of record capital flight in the wake of last August's war with Georgia and a collapse in the price of oil.

The Russian stock exchange's benchmark RTS index has gained over 30pc this year alone, outpacing most emerging markets, after a modest recovery in oil and metal prices.

But Zeljko Bogetic, the World Bank's lead Russia economist, cautioned against such optimism.

"As the crisis continues to spread to the real economy around the world, initial expectations that Russia and other countries will recover fast are no longer likely," he said. >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow | Monday, March 30, 2009

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Berlusconi will mehr Macht: Abschluss des Gründungskongresses der Partei Popolo della Libertà
NZZ Online: Italiens Ministerpräsident Berlusconi ist am Sonntag per Akklamation zum Chef der neuen Sammelpartei Popolo della Libertà ernannt worden. Zum Abschluss des Gründungskongresses der neuen Formation forderte Berlusconi mehr Machtbefugnisse für den Regierungschef.

Am Sonntag ist der italienische Ministerpräsident Berlusconi per Akklamation zum Chef der weitgehend von ihm selber geschaffenen konservativen Sammelpartei Popolo della Libertà (Volk der Freiheit) ernannt worden. Die «Krönung» wurde von den 6000 Parteidelegierten mit tosendem Beifall und mit dem Ruf «Zum Glück gibt es Silvio» begleitet. Darauf hielt Berlusconi zum Abschluss des dreitägigen Gründungskongresses seiner Partei eine weitere Rede, in der er mehr Macht für den Ministerpräsidenten forderte und Italien ein «neues Wunder, einen dritten Wiederaufbau» in Aussicht stellte. Und in unbescheidener Anlehnung an den grossen Humanisten Erasmus von Rotterdam erklärte Berlusconi, dass er schon bisher von «visionärer Verrücktheit» angetrieben worden sei. >>> Tz. Rom | Sonntag, 29. März 2009

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Mayotte, le 101e département
leJDD.fr: A Mayotte, 95,2% des électeurs ont dit "oui" dimanche à la départementalisation. A l'horizon 2011, la France comptera donc un cinquième DOM. Mais plusieurs associations ont dénoncé cette semaine le caractère illégal de la présence française sur l'île au regard du droit international et les "fausses promesses" faites aux Mahorais, notamment sur le transfert des minima sociaux.

La France s'est enrichie dimanche d'un nouveau département. A la question "Approuvez-vous la transformation de Mayotte en collectivité unique, appelée département, régie par l'article 73 de la Constitution, exerçant les compétences dévolues aux départements et régions?", 95,2% des électeurs ont répondu par l'affirmative, d'après les résultats définitif diffusés par le ministère de l'Intérieur dimanche soir. Quelque 72 000 électeurs étaient appelés aux urnes à l'occasion de ce scrutin qui fera de Mayotte le 101e département français et le cinquième département d'outre-mer (DOM) à l'horizon 2011. La participation s'est établie à 61, 02% et le "non" a recueilli 4,8% des voix.

"Les Mahorais ont confirmé à une très forte majorité leur volonté, exprimée depuis cinquante ans, de voir leur île se doter du statut de département", s'est félicité Nicolas Sarkozy, avant d'évoquer un "moment historique pour Mayotte et pour les Mahorais". "C'est un rêve porté par plusieurs générations qui se réalise ce 29 mars 2009", peut-on encore lire dans un communiqué envoyé par l'Elysée. La large victoire du "oui" n'a surpris personne. Depuis près de dix ans, le processus de départementalisation est en cours. Plusieurs accords ont été signés en ce sens entre Paris et les élus locaux. >>> Par Marianne ENAULT, leJDD.fr | Dimanche 29 Mars 2009

NZZ Online: Afrikanische Insel kommt in die EU: Bürger von Mayotte stimmen für Zugehörigkeit zu Frankreich

In der Hoffnung auf bessere Lebensbedingungen haben die Bürger der Insel Mayotte vor der Ostküste Afrikas bei einer Volksabstimmung für eine Zugehörigkeit zu Frankreich gestimmt. 95,2 Prozent der Wahlberechtigten stimmten beim Urnengang am Sonntag dafür. >>> sda/afp | Montag, 30. März 2009

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Les hantises et les défis 
du roi Abdallah
Souverain depuis 2005, le roi Abdallah, réputé pour sa piété et sa passion pour la poésie, s'efforce de réformer en douceur la très conservatrice Arabie saoudite. Crédits photo: Google Images
LE FIGARO: Pour le souverain saoudien, le sommet de la Ligue arabe qui s'ouvre lundi au Qatar est un peu celui de la dernière chance dans la recherche d'une solution dans le conflit israélo-palestinien. Avec la modernisation du régime, ce sont les deux obsessions du roi Abdallah.

À 85 ans, le roi Abdallah est hanté par l'impasse du conflit israélo-palestinien, le risque de désintégration du monde arabe et la montée en puissance de l'Iran. Le monarque saoudien voit avec tristesse Téhéran étendre son influence dans le monde arabe grâce à ses relais en Irak, en Syrie, en Palestine avec le Hamas, au Liban avec le Hezbollah. L'ambition du roi de faire taire les divisions de la famille arabe pour relancer la proposition de paix avec Israël dont il est l'auteur risque de se heurter une fois de plus aux réalités. Malgré tous ses efforts, le président égyptien Hosni Moubarak, l'autre pilier régional, devrait bouder le sommet. L'Égypte entend ainsi protester contre le soutien total du Qatar au Hamas palestinien, que Moubarak essaie en vain de persuader de participer à un gouvernement d'union nationale avec le Fatah de Mahmoud Abbas. Un crève-cœur pour le roi d'Arabie. >>> Pierre Prier | Lundi 30 Mars 2009

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L'Afghanistan salue la nouvelle stratégie américaine
Le président afghan Hamid Karzai, ce samedi à Kaboul. Crédits photo: REUTERS/Ahmad Masood
L’EXPRESS: Le président afghan Hamid Karzaï a applaudi ce samedi que la nouvelle stratégie américaine vis-à-vis de son pays. Il salue en particulier la volonté de Washington "de renforcer les institutions civiles et militaires afghanes" et la dimension régionale du plan d'Obama.

Le président afghan Hamid Karzaï a affirmé samedi que la nouvelle stratégie américaine dans la région correspondait exactement aux demandes de son peuple, au cours d'une conférence de presse.

"La révision de la stratégie correspond exactement à ce que le peuple afghan souhaitait et à ce que nous avions demandé. Nous lui apportons donc notre soutien entier", a déclaré le président afghan.

"Nous apprécions tout particulièrement la volonté de renforcer les institutions civiles et militaires afghanes. Nous confirmons sans réserves notre volonté de lutter contre la corruption", a-t-il ajouté.

"C'est encore mieux que ce que nous espérions. Nous allons travailler en très étroite coopération avec le gouvernement américain pour mettre en application tous les points énumérés dans cette nouvelle stratégie", a souligné Hamid Karzaï.

D'après lui, la nouvelle stratégie a parfaitement identifié les problèmes de l'Afghanistan, en particulier le danger des sanctuaires d'insurgés opérant au Pakistan voisin, ainsi que le besoin d'une coopération régionale et l'amélioration de l'efficacité de l'aide. Une stratégie qui inclut le Pakistan >>> Par LEXPRESS.fr | Samedi 28 Mars 2009

Melanie Phillips: When a Bishop Has to Leave the Church of England to Stand Up for Christians, What Hope Is Left for Britain?
NAME: The resignation of Michael Nazir-Ali as Bishop of Rochester is a terrible blow, not just for the Church of England but for Britain.

The bishop says he is resigning so that he can work for endangered or beleaguered Christian minorities both abroad and in the UK.

What a shocking rebuke to the church, that he has to leave his post of influence and authority as a bishop in order to carry out the church's core duty to defend its own against attack.

Shocking - but hardly surprising. Across the world, in countries such as Nigeria and Sudan, millions of Christians are being persecuted at the hands of militant Islam, with forced conversions, the burning of churches and widespread violence.

Yet in the face of this global onslaught, the Church of England makes scarcely a peep of protest.

Worse still, when Dr Nazir-Ali warned last year that Islamic extremists had created 'no-go areas' across Britain where non-Muslims faced intimidation, he was disowned by his fellow churchmen who all but declared that he was a liar - even though he was telling the truth.

Courage

For this act of moral courage, he and his family had to be put under police protection, while his own church left him to swing in the wind of bigotry and intimidation.

Dr Nazir-Ali is one of the very few inside the church to make explicit the link between Christian and British values, and to warn publicly that they are being destroyed through the prevailing doctrine of multiculturalism.

That strong voice of protest has never been needed more than it is now. For Christianity in Britain is under attack from all sides.

Last month, the bishop protested that the arrival in Britain of so many from other faiths had led to the closure of chapels, the retrenchment of Christian chaplaincy and the advent of a 'doctrinaire multi-faithism' - not through pressure from the incoming minorities, but from British secularists who wanted to destroy Christianity.

That agenda is becoming ever more oppressive. Yesterday, it was revealed that a Christian council worker was suspended for encouraging a terminally ill woman to turn to God. He says he was also told it was inappropriate to 'talk about God' with a client and that he should not even say 'God bless'. >>> By Melanie Phillips | Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Disgusting, Greedy SOBs!
Ugliness, it seems, is no bar to making pots of money. Photos courtesy of the Mail Online
MAIL Online: Dozens of BBC personalities face investigation after it emerged that they are earning thousands of pounds a time through public speaking engagements.

This is in spite of the corporation's attempts to restrict such activity.

Newsreaders Fiona Bruce and Huw Edwards, Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis and Today programme hosts John Humphreys, Evan Davis and Edward Stourton are among the stars on the books of JLA, Britain's largest after-dinner speaking agency.

Business editor Robert Peston, royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, and newsreaders George Alagiah and Kate Silverton are also available for hire.

The agency classes Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman, who costs 'over £25,000 to hire', as 'double A'.

Mr Edwards, Andrew Marr and BBC world affair's editor John Simpson all cost between £10,000 and £25,000 and are in category A.

Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Don Foster told the Sunday Telegraph that he would refer the matter to the BBC Trust, and said it should be viewed 'as a matter of urgency'.

Editorial guidelines for BBC staff state: 'It is unlikely to be acceptable for any BBC staff member or BBC correspondent to be included on an agency list of those for hire for public speeches.

'Under no circumstances should they sign up with an external agency for public speaking without the written permission of the relevant Head of Department.'

Under the guidelines, BBC reporters and presenters, including freelance staff, are forbidden from appearing in public to promote external commercial organisations. BBC Stars 'in Breach of Rules by Earning Thousands of Pounds on the Public-speaking Circuit' >>> By Daily Mail Reporter | Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

A Troublesome Priest in a Timid Church
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Whatever your views about Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, he is hard to ignore. After his announcement this weekend that he is to retire early, the Church of England will be the poorer for it. The inference is that he felt stifled and decided that he could do more worthwhile work elsewhere, mostly outside Britain. Sadly, he is probably right.

Born in Karachi to parents who converted to Christianity from Islam, the first non-white diocesan bishop in Britain emerged as an outspoken critic of multiculturalism. Nobody, given his background and race, was better placed to do so. More than his Anglican colleagues, he knew about fighting for your faith. His criticisms were well made. Immigrants, he said, needed to do more to integrate into British life. He warned last year that Islamic extremism had turned “already separate communities into ‘no-go’ areas”. For this he received death threats and required police protection.

He has lamented “the long withdrawing roar of the sea of faith . . . nurses cannot pray, the creed cannot be recited at Christian services for fear of offending non-believers”. He warned of “the advent of a doctrinaire multi-faithism”, in which the established church was in retreat and in which radical Islam had filled the void. His views on Muslims were said to have ruled him out of succeeding George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop Nazir-Ali spoke out against the soggy “anything goes” political correctness that characterises the modern Church of England. Sometimes his conservative views got him into trouble. Nine years ago he caused a flurry by saying that having children was “not an optional extra” for married couples. >>> | Sunday, March 29, 2009

Muslim Scholar Says Islam Will Conquer Europe and the World

One Mad Muslim! Obama Must Convert To Islam, Or Else...