Kommt jetzt die grosse Islam-Debatte?
BLICK.ch: Minarett? Nein danke! Klare Abstimmung, unklare Folgen. Polit-Bern reibt sich die Augen.

Die beiden Väter der siegreichen Initiative: Die SVP-Nationalräte Ulrich Schlüer und Walter Wobmann schütteln sich die Hand. Bild: Blick.ch
Paukenschlag zum ersten Advent: Mit unerwartet deutlichen 57,5 Prozent haben die Schweizer der Initiative «Gegen den Bau von Minaretten» zugestimmt – gegen die Empfehlung von Parlament, Bundesrat, aller Parteien ausser der SVP und den Kirchen.

«Das Verbot ist direkt anwendbar und tritt ab sofort in Kraft», erklärte Justizministerin Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. Alle Minarette, die heute noch keine rechtskräftige Bewilligung hätten, dürften nicht mehr gebaut werden.

«Das Verbot widerspricht der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention», warnt aber Widmer-Schlumpf. Ein Bauverbot könne deshalb an den Europäischen Menschenrechtshof weitergezogen werden. Erhält die Beschwerde recht, gibt es laut Widmer-Schlumpf nur zwei Möglichkeiten: «Das Verbot müsste erneut vors Volk, oder wir müssten aus dem Europarat austreten.»

Die Väter der Initiative beeindruckt Widmer-Schlumpf damit wenig: «Wir erwarten, dass die Regierung jetzt nicht via ausländische Gerichte das Resultat hintertreibt.» Sie freuen sich über das «fantastische Resultat» >>> Von Nicole Freudiger, Simon Spengler und Hannes Heldstab | Montag, 30. November 2009

BLICK.ch: Kommentar von Blick-Politik-Chef Clemens Studer: Minarette waren nicht das Problem >>> | Montag, 30. November 2009

Walter Wobmann: Ihr Volksvertreter im Bundeshaus >>>

TIMES ONLINE: Balderdash from The Times >>>

My COMMENT on The Times leader, which, of course, will not be printed!

Rarely have I ever read an article, still less a leader, which is based on such woeful ignorance. The writer misunderstands the nature of Islam and equally disturbingly misunderstands the nature of democracy too.

The Swiss enjoy democratic rights that other Europeans could only dream of, and that is because of their direct democracy. Their direct democracy allows the Swiss to call for a referendum on any issue if enough signatures can be collected from Swiss citizens. (200,000?).

In this case, enough signatures could be collected; and the referendum was held. The Swiss voted on it, and this is the result. The people have spoken. Basta!

It's no use talking up democracy then decrying it when the people give you an answer which you don't want to hear.

I know Switzerland very well indeed. I have lived there for many years. I also know Schwyzertüütsch and German (and French), so I know something about the mentality of the people. Let me assure you that minarets do not sit comfortably in Switzerland, no more than Islam does. Yet, in fairness to the Swiss, Muslims have been welcomed. But clearly there are limits. The minaret is one such limit.

If Muslims continue to live in Switzerland in peace and tranquility, I feel sure there will be no problems. But the Swiss have done what all other Western politicians should have done long ago: They have said you are welcome to work here, as long as you abide by our rules. How can sensible people argue with that? – © Mark

TIMES ONLINE: More Balderdash from The Times >>>

Here’s my comment which probably won’t get printed:

This article is nothing but balderdash. Hatred of the Swiss. Contempt for democracy. Shame on the 'The Times' for printing such rubbish! – © Mark

VOA: Kouchner Talks Krap on Swiss Referendum >>>

THE TELEGRAPH: Tosh! This Time from The Telegraph: What can Muslims teach the Swiss about tolerance? Churches are totally banned in Saudi Arabia! The Swiss haven’t banned mosques, just minarets. As for the Vatican… it had better remain silent, for there will be no Vatican if Islam gets too strong in Europe >>> | Monday, November 30, 2009

Nick Griffin to Attend Copenhagen Summit

La droite dure jubile : Au tour des Autrichiens de vouloir interdire les minarets
20MINUTES.ch: Plusieurs partis européens de droite ou d'extrême-droite ont salué dimanche l'acceptation en Suisse de l'initiative contre les minarets.

Ils y voient une victoire contre «l'islamisme radical» et contre les «élites» qui éludent le problème, ainsi qu'un exemple pour leurs propres pays.

L'extrême-droite autrichienne est satisfaite. Le chef du Parti de la liberté (FPÖ), Heinz-Christian Strache, a salué «un signal clair contre l'islamisme radical».

Un avis partagé par le BZÖ, le parti de feu Jörg Haider. Le vote des Suisses «confirme» une décision similaire prise il y a deux ans par la Carinthie, s'est félicité le gouverneur de ce Land alpestre, Gerhard Dörfler (BZÖ). La liberté de religion ne doit pas permettre «que des édifices non chrétiens (...) soient bâtis», a-t-il dit.

Le secrétaire général du BZÖ, Martin Strulz, veut désormais que la loi sur l'aménagement du territoire soit adaptée pour interdire la construction de minarets dans toute l'Autriche. A ses yeux, l'acceptation de l'initiative helvétique montre «très clairement» que la population ne veut pas des minarets.

De nombreuses réactions positives sont également provenues d'Italie. «Même la patiente Suisse s'est fatiguée de l'expansion de l'immigration et de l'islam», a dit Maurizio Gasparri, président du groupe du Peuple de la Liberté (PDL, le parti de Silvio Berlusconi) au Sénat italien.

«En Italie aussi, nous devons continuer la politique de rigueur. Nous en avons pleinement le droit», a ajouté M. Gasparri, issu du parti post-fasciste Alliance nationale.

La croix comme étendard

Même son de cloche chez le ministre italien de la simplification administrative, Roberto Calderoli, membre du parti populiste et xénophobe de la Ligue du Nord. «De la Suisse nous parvient un signal clair: oui aux clochers, non aux minarets», a-t-il déclaré à l'agence ANSA.

Selon lui, ce choix montre «d'une part le respect de la liberté religieuse et d'autre part la nécessité aux aspects politiques et à la propagande liés à l'islam». «C'est une chose à laquelle nous devrions réfléchir nous aussi», a ajouté M. Calderoli, qui s'était signalé lors de la crise des caricatures de Mahomet en arborant des T-shirts reproduisant un de ces dessins.

Son collègue de parti Roberto Castelli, sénateur et vice-ministre des infrastructures, va plus loin, en demandant que la croix soit désormais ajoutée sur le drapeau italien. L'UMP s'interroge >>> ats | Dimanche 29 Novembre 2009

Anti-Dhimmitude in Switzerland! Swiss Voters Back Ban on Minarets
With this one referendum, the Swiss have shown more spunk than the rest of the West put together! Bravo! – © Mark
BBC: Swiss voters have supported a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, official results show.

More than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban.

The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which says minarets are a sign of Islamisation.

The government opposed the ban, saying it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the surprise result is very bad news for the Swiss government which also fears unrest among the Muslim community.

Our correspondent says voters worried about rising immigration - and with it the rise of Islam - have ignored the government's advice.

"The Federal Council (government) respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," said the government in a statement, quoted by the AFP news agency.

Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the result reflected fear of Islamic fundamentalism.

"These concerns have to be taken seriously. However, the Federal Council takes the view that a ban on the construction of new minarets is not a feasible means of countering extremist tendencies," she said.

She sought to reassure Swiss Muslims, saying the decision was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture".

Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims and has just four minarets.

After Christianity, Islam is the most widespread religion in Switzerland, but it remains relatively hidden.

There are unofficial Muslim prayer rooms, and planning applications for new minarets are almost always refused.

Supporters of a ban claimed that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system - Sharia law - which are incompatible with Swiss democracy. >>> | Sunday, November 29, 2009

Votations Fédérales : La construction de minarets interdite en Suisse
20MINUTES.ch: Des minarets ne pourront plus être érigés en Suisse. L'initiative populaire «contre la construction de minarets» a été clairement acceptée dimanche, ce qui constitue une surprise.

«On faisait confiance à la lucidité du peuple suisse, c'est une énorme déception», a déclaré Youssef Ibram, imam du centre culturel islamique du Petit-Saconnex (GE). Photo : 20Minutes.ch
Près de six votants sur dix et ont appuyé le texte. Celui-ci était perçu par les opposants comme une menace pour la paix religieuse en Suisse.


L'initiative antiminarets était donnée perdante par les sondages. Elle a pourtant clairement passé la rampe: une majorité de 57,5% des votants (1.534.054 personnes) ont dit «oui» et seuls quatre cantons s'y sont opposés, à savoir Genève (59,7% de «non»), Vaud (53,1%), Bâle-Ville (51,6%) et Neuchâtel (50,8%). En Suisse romande, les cantons du Valais, de Fribourg et du Jura ont approuvé l'initiative par respectivement 58,0%, 55,9% et 51,2%. Le Tessin a dit «oui» à 68,1%, Berne à 60,7% et Zurich à 51,8%. La participation s'est élevée à 53,4%.

Lancée par des membres de l'Union démocratique du centre (UDC) et de l'Union démocratique fédérale (UDF), l'initiative «contre la construction de minarets» avait été déposée en juillet 2008 avec plus de 113.000 signatures valables. Demandant d'inscrire dans la Constitution fédérale la phrase «la construction de minarets est interdite», elle requerrait la double majorité du peuple et des cantons. L'UDC était le seul parti gouvernemental à recommander le «oui». «Islamisation sournoise» >>> ap | Dimanche 29 Novembre 2009

Die Schweiz verbietet den Bau von Minaretten: Deutliche Zustimmung zur Volksinitiative
NZZ ONLINE: In der Schweiz wird der Bau von Minaretten künftig per Verfassungsartikel verboten. Das Stimmvolk hat eine entsprechende Volksinitiative angenommen. Die Zustimmung fiel überraschend hoch aus und beträgt 57,5 Prozent.

In der Schweiz wird der Bau von Minaretten verboten. Das Stimmvolk hat der Anti-Minarett-Initiative aus Kreisen der SVP und der EDU wider Erwarten zugestimmt, und zwar deutlich: 57 Prozent der Stimmenden sagten Ja. Bei der letzten Umfrage von Mitte November hatten sich lediglich 37 Prozent der Befragten für die Initiative ausgesprochen. Mit ihrer umstrittenen Kampagne gelang es den Befürwortern offenbar, in der letzten Phase des Abstimmungskampfes viele Unentschlossene für sich zu gewinnen. >>> sda | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

Referendum in Svizzera, sì a proposta stop minareti
REUTERS ITALIA: GINEVRA - Gli elettori svizzeri hanno approvato oggi la proposta della destra di vietare la costruzione di nuovi minareti, in un risultato sorprendente destinato a creare imbarazzo al governo neutrale della Svizzera.

L'agenzia di stampa elvetica Ats e altri media hanno detto che nel referendum circa il 57,5% degli elettori e 22 dei 26 cantoni hanno detto sì alla proposta avanzata dal partito di destra Swiss People Party (Svp).

In Svizzera sia il parlamento che il governo hanno respinto la proposta dicendo che viola la costituzione del Paese, la libertà di religione e la nota tradizione di tolleranza svizzera. Secondo il governo elvetico una modifica della costituzione per proibire la costruzione dei minareti potrebbe "fare il gioco dei gruppi estremisti". >>> | domenica 29 novembre 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: «Eine grosse Peinlichkeit»: Reaktionen auf das Minarett-Verbot >>> | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: Minarett-Verbot liefert Ghadhafi neue Argumente gegen die Schweiz: Das Verbot von Minaretten in der Schweiz hat die islamische Welt überrascht und schockiert. Der Volksentscheid könnte politisch instrumentalisiert werden, wie ein Experte meint. >>> vin/sda/ap | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

NZZ ONLINE: «Gegen Minarette, nicht gegen eine Glaubensgemeinschaft» : Der Bundesrat zum Ausgang der drei eidgenössischen Volksabstimmungen >>> wab. Bern | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

NZZ ONLINE: Applaus vom rechten Rand Europas: Rechtsgerichtete Parteien feiern Ja zur Anti-Minarett-Initiative >>> sda | Sonntag, 29. Novembre 2009

NZZ ONLINE: Spontane Demonstrationen in Bern und Zürich: Einige hundert Personen äussern Unmut gegen Anti-Minarett-Initiative >>> sda | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

LE TEMPS: Votation Minarets : Les Suisses refusent massivement les minarets >>> Le Temps avec ATS | Dimanche 29 Novembre 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Switzerland risks Muslim backlash after minarets vote: Switzerland risked a Muslim backlash on Sunday after its citizens voted overwhelmingly to ban minarets on mosques. >>> Alexandra Williams in Geneva | Sunday, November 29, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Swiss voters 'back ban on building of minarets' >>> Charles Bremner in Paris | Sunday, November 29, 2009

Across U.S., Food Stamp Use Soars and Stigma Fades
A GROWING NEED FOR A PROGRAM ONCE SCORNED Greg Dawson and his wife, Sheila, of Martinsville, Ohio, help feed their family of seven with a $300 monthly food stamp benefit. Center and right, the food pantry in Lebanon, Ohio, where residents can also enroll in what is formally called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Photograph: The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: MARTINSVILLE, Ohio — With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children.

It has grown so rapidly in places so diverse that it is becoming nearly as ordinary as the groceries it buys. More than 36 million people use inconspicuous plastic cards for staples like milk, bread and cheese, swiping them at counters in blighted cities and in suburbs pocked with foreclosure signs.

Virtually all have incomes near or below the federal poverty line, but their eclectic ranks testify to the range of people struggling with basic needs. They include single mothers and married couples, the newly jobless and the chronically poor, longtime recipients of welfare checks and workers whose reduced hours or slender wages leave pantries bare. >>> Jason DeParle and Robert Gebeloff | Saturday, November 28, 2009

THE NEW YORK TIMES PHOTOGALLERY: Once Scorned, a Federal Program Grows to Feed the Struggling >>>

THE INDEPENDENT: Britain faces return to Victorian levels of poverty >>> Andrew Grice, Political Editor | Monday, November 30, 2009

Lockerbie Bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed alMegrahi Linked to Libya’s Chemical Weapons
THE SUNDAY TIMES: THE man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing was implicated in the purchase and development of chemical weapons by Libya, according to documents produced by the American government.

The papers also claim that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed alMegrahi sought to buy 1,000 letter bombs from Greek arms dealers while working as a Libyan intelligence officer.

The documents, prepared by the US State Department, raise further questions about the wisdom of the Scottish government in releasing the convicted bomber on compassionate grounds in August.

The documents, written in 1992, were based on information gathered by the Central Intelligence Agency to bolster the case against Libya for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 which killed 270 people.

They claim that Megrahi’s “deep involvement in Libya’s most sensitive, high-priority procurement operations indicates that he enjoyed the fullest confidence of Libya’s leadership”. >>> Mark Macaskill | Sunday, November 29, 2009

Nicolas Sarkozy Hails EU Shake-up a Victory for France
THE TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy has reignited the row over the appointment of European Union commissioners by branding Britain “the big losers”.

The French President said the appointment of Baroness Ashton of Upholland as the EU’s new foreign policy chief was far less important than the elevation of Michel Barnier, France’s former agriculture minister, to the key financial post of commissioner for the internal market, which puts him in charge of supervising the City of London.

In provocative remarks which are certain to inflame tensions, Mr Sarkozy told Le Monde newspaper that the negotiations which resulted in Tony Blair being jettisoned and Herman Van Rompuy, the Belgian Prime Minister, being appointed the new EU president, were a “French victory”.

He said that Britain was against Mr Barnier’s appointment to the financial post, but that he got it through after persuading José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, to back the idea.

Mr Sarkozy said: “It’s the first time in 50 years that France has had this role. The English are the big losers in this business.”

The remarks, on the fringes of the Commonwealth Summit in Trinidad and Tobago, are particularly surprising because the French President had been expected to “reassure” the British about the intentions of Mr Barnier, who will play a big role in financial reform and regulation, an issue on which the British and the French have starkly differing views.

Mr Sarkozy has said he will visit London soon to calm worries in the City about a more regulatory French regime orchestrated by Paris.

But his comments to Le Monde will do little to put British minds at rest. >>> Melissa Kite and Kim Wilsher, in Paris | Saturday, November 28, 2009

LE MONDE: A la Commission, Michel Barnier défendra une économie plus régulée >>> Arnaud Leparmentier et Philippe Ricard | Samedi 28 Novembre 2009

Fumer tue votre garantie Apple
LE MONDE: Le tabagisme passif fait des ravages insoupçonnés. Le site Internet The Consumerist fait état de deux plaintes provenant d'utilisateurs de Mac qui se sont vus refuser des réparations pour cause de "contamination" à la nicotine de leur ordinateur. Les machines étaient bien sous garantie, mais celle-ci s'est révélée inopérante lorsque les clients se sont tournés vers le service après-vente d'Apple.

"J'ai acheté un iMac pour mon fils avec la garantie étendue Applecare. Il y a un mois, il a arrêté de fonctionner. Mon fils l'a apporté au centre de services Apple. Le technicien l'a informé que ça prendrait entre 48 et 72 heures. Cinq jours plus tard, toujours sans nouvelles, j'ai appelé. Ils m'ont informé que cet ordinateur ne pouvait pas être réparé car il était contaminé. Quand j'ai demandé une explication, on m'a dit que mon fils était un fumeur et que l'ordinateur était contaminé à cause de la fumée de cigarette, ce qui constitue un 'danger biologique potentiel'", raconte dans une lettre envoyée à The Consumerist l'un de ces consommateurs. >>> LeMonde.fr | Samedi 28 Novembre 2009

Women Lead Swiss in Vote to Ban Minarets
Photograph: The Sunday Times
THE SUNDAY TIMES: A right-wing campaign to outlaw minarets on mosques in a referendum being held in Switzerland today has received an unlikely boost from radical feminists arguing that the tower-like structures are “male power symbols” and reminders of Islam’s oppression of women.

A “stop the minarets” campaign has provoked ferment in the land of Heidi, where women are more likely than men to vote for the ban after warnings from prominent feminists that Islam threatens their rights.

Forget about tranquil Alpine scenery and cowbells: one of the most startling features of the referendum campaign has been a poster showing a menacing woman in a burqa beside minarets rising from the Swiss flag.

It seems to have struck a nerve in Langenthal, a small town near Bern where Muslims plan to put up a minaret next to their prayer room in a bleak former paint factory.

“If we give them a minaret, they’ll have us all wearing burqas,” said Julia Werner, a local housewife. “Before you know it, we’ll have sharia law and women being stoned to death in our streets. We won’t be Swiss any more.”

A spoof video game on the internet called Minaret Attack shows minarets popping up all over the idyllic Swiss countryside, after which a message proclaims: “Game over! Switzerland is covered in minarets. Vote to ban them on November 29.”

“It’s a dirty campaign,” said Mutalip Karaademi, an Albanian who leads Langenthal’s small Muslim community. “They’re trying to provoke us.”

A poll suggested the Swiss would narrowly reject a ban but the feminist involvement is having an effect: according to one poll, 39% of women were in favour of a ban, but only 31% of men.

Tatiana, a teacher who had previously voted for the left, was quoted in a newspaper as saying she would vote for the minaret ban as she could “no longer bear being mistreated and terrorised by boys who believe women are worthless”. >>> Matthew Campbell | Sunday, November 29, 2009

Russie : Déraillement: l’attentat confirmé

LE TEMPS: Les enquêteurs russes ont confirmé samedi la thèse de l’attentat terroriste suite au déraillement dans la nuit du train de passagers Nevski Express reliant Moscou à Saint-Pétersbourg, qui a causé la mort d’au moins 26 personnes et peut-être 39 selon un autre bilan, toujours provisoire

«Il est bien question d’un attentat», a déclaré le porte-parole des enquêteurs du parquet fédéral à l’agence Interfax, Vladimir Markine. Cette thèse était déjà privilégiée par les autorités russes. »Le groupe d’enquêteurs du comité d’enquête du procureur de Russie a découvert et saisi les restes d’un engin explosif», a indiqué le comité d’enquête du parquet dans un communiqué.

«Selon les estimations des enquêteurs, les données préliminaires font état de l’explosion d’un engin artisanal d’une puissance équivalente à sept kilos de TNT», a déclaré, selon les agences russes, le chef du FSB Alexandre Bortnikov.

«Selon un bilan préliminaire, pas moins de 26 personnes ont été tuées et plus de 100 blessées», a indiqué le communiqué du parquet, précisant qu’«une hausse du nombre de victimes ne pouvait pas être exclue». Les précédents bilans, tous provisoires, oscillaient entre 25 et 39 morts, selon les sources.

Le PDG des chemins de fer russes, Vladimir Iakounine a remarqué que les circonstances du drame rappelaient un événement similaire trois ans plus tôt. «Le schéma de l’explosion ressemble beaucoup à l’incident qui s’est produit il y a trois ans», a-t-il dit en une apparente allusion à l’attentat à la bombe qui avait fait dérailler le même Nevski Express en août 2007, faisant 60 blessés.

Une enquête criminelle pour terrorisme a été ouverte, selon le parquet. >>> AFP | Samedi 28 Novembre 2009

Terroranschlag auf russischen Nachtexpress: Rettungskräfte gehen von rund 30 Todesopfern aus
NZZ ONLINE: Bei einem Anschlag auf einen voll besetzten Schnellzug im Nordwesten Russlands sind rund 30 Personen in den Tod gerissen worden. Der mit mehr als 600 Reisenden besetzte Zug von Moskau nach St. Petersburg entgleiste nach der Explosion einer Bombe auf den Schienen.

Das Zugunglück im Nordwesten Russlands mit mindestens 26 Toten geht nach Einschätzung der Ermittler auf einen Anschlag mit Sprengstoff zurück. Das meldete die Nachrichtenagentur Interfax am Samstag unter Berufung auf die Generalstaatsanwaltschaft. Der voll besetzte Newski Express war am Freitagabend zwischen Moskau und St. Petersburg unterwegs, als er nach Angaben des Inlandgeheimdienstes FSB durch die Explosion eines Sprengssatzes zum Entgleisen gebracht wurde.

Der selbst gebaute Sprengkörper habe eine Wucht von sieben Kilogramm TNT gehabt. Weitere Details nannte FSB-Chef Alexander Bortnikow bei einem Treffen mit Präsident Dmitri Medwedew nicht. Der Ermittlungsausschuss der Generalstaatsanwaltschaft erklärte, am Tatort in der Nähe der Ortschaft Uglowka seien «Teile eines Sprengsatzes gefunden und entfernt» worden. Nahe der Gleise am Tatort wurde laut Interfax auch ein Krater mit einem Meter Durchmesser entdeckt.

Augenzeugen hätten kurz vor dem Entgleisen der Waggons einen Knall gehört. Die Nachrichtenagentur RIA Nowosti zitierte eine andere Quelle, wonach möglicherweise ein Sprengsatz unter einem der Waggons angebracht war. Vier Wagen entgleist >>> sda/afp/dpa | Samstag, 28. November 2009

Terrorist Bomb Blast Is Blamed for Causing Russian Train Crash That Killed 26
THE TELEGRAPH: Russia's FSB intelligence service said a homemade terrorist bomb caused a packed Moscow-St Petersburg train travelling at 125 mph to derail, killing at least 26 people.

The statement ended speculation that the crash, which also injured nearly 100, may have been a tragic accident. It also raised the spectre of a fresh terror campaign in Russia's major towns and cities after five years of relative calm.

Alexander Bortnikov, the FSB chief, told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that a bomb equivalent to 15 lb of TNT had been planted beneath the busy route. But he did not say who may have been responsible or why anyone would have wanted to carry out such an attack.

Investigators said they had opened a large-scale terrorism investigation as detectives with sniffer dogs combed through wreckage strewn with charred personal effects looking for clues.

Suspicion will inevitably fall on Islamist radicals from Chechnya and Russia's volatile North Caucasus region. They have carried out spectacular attacks in the past which have killed hundreds of people, although nobody had claimed responsibility by late on Saturday.

The attack also will evoke memories of a deadly series of bombings earlier this decade that targeted the Moscow metro, public buses, and passenger airliners. >>> Andrew Osborn in Moscow | Saturday, November 28, 2009

Aliens 'Already Exist on Earth', Bulgarian Scientists Claim
THE TELEGRAPH: Aliens from outer space are already among us on earth, say Bulgarian government scientists who claim they are already in contact with extraterrestrial life.

"Aliens are currently all around us, and are watching us all the time," Mr Filipov told Bulgarian media. Image: The Telegraph
Work on deciphering a complex set of symbols sent to them is underway, scientists from the country's Space Research Institute said.

They claim aliens are currently answering 30 questions posed to them.

Lachezar Filipov, deputy director of the Space Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, confirmed the research.

He said the centre's researchers were analysing 150 crop circles from around the world, which they believe answer the questions.

"Aliens are currently all around us, and are watching us all the time," Mr Filipov told Bulgarian media.

"They are not hostile towards us, rather, they want to help us but we have not grown enough in order to establish direct contact with them."

Mr Filipov said that even the seat of the Catholic church, the Vatican, had agreed that aliens existed. >>> | Thursday, November 26, 2009

Wishing Happy Christmas 'Could Be an Obscenity' Warns Bishop
THE TELEGRAPH: Wishing people a Happy Christmas could be seen as an "insult" or even an "obscenity" as not everyone is in a position to celebrate, a bishop has warned.

The Right Reverend Humphrey Southern, the Bishop of Repton, said it was a "hollow" greeting to make to those who were suffering.

People should not "simply make a cocoon of happiness for ourselves and our loved ones" at Christmas, he said.

Writing in the monthly Derby diocese newsletter, he said: "This is the 'Happy Christmas' month. Yet to many that greeting will be hollow, coming as an insult, or even an obscenity."

The bishop, 49, went on to ask: "What can 'Happy Christmas' mean in a family whose father has been killed in a military operation in Afghanistan that fewer and fewer people understand (still less support)?

"How do you wish 'Happy Christmas' to a community in the Indian Ocean who can probably count on the fingers of a couple of hands the number of Christmases they will see before their home disappears under water, victim to global warming?

"What could it possibly mean to the victim of bullying, ostracism or racial intimidation in your workplace or neighbourhoods or community?" >>> Stephen Adams | ay, November 27, 2009

Church of England Set to Lose a Tenth of Its Clergy in Five Years
TIMES ONLINE: The Church of England is facing the loss of as many as one in ten paid clergy in the next five years and internal documents seen by The Times admit that the traditional model of a vicar in every parish is over.

The credit crunch and a pension funding crisis have left dioceses facing massive restructuring programmes. Church statistics show that between 2000 and 2013 stipendiary or paid clergy numbers will have fallen by nearly a quarter.

According to figures on the Church of England website, there will be an 8.3 per cent decrease in paid clergy in the next four years, from 8,400 this year to 7,700 in to 2013. This represents a 22.5 per cent decrease since 2000. If this trend continues in just over 50 years there will be no full-time paid clergy left in Britain’s 13,000 parishes serving 16,000 churches.

Jobs will instead be filled by unpaid part-timers, giving rise to fears about the quality of parish ministry. Combined with a big reduction in churchgoing, the figures will add weight to the campaign for disestablishment. >>> Ruth Gledhill and Tim Glanfield | Saturday, November 28, 2009

The Sudan: Knee-length Skirts Are ‘Indecent’
MAIL ONLINE: A girl of 16 was given 50 lashes after a judge ruled her knee length skirt was indecent.

Silva Kashif was punished without her family being told after she was arrested while walking alone near her home in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Her mother, Jenty Doro, said: ‘I only heard about it after she was lashed. Later we all sat and cried.

‘She is just a young girl but the policeman pulled her along like she was a criminal. It was wrong.’

She said she would sue the police and the judge because her daughter is a Christian and underage.

The law states that under-18s should not be given lashes.

Doro said Khashif was taken to Kalatla court where she was convicted and punished by a female police officer in front of the judge.

'I only heard about it after she was lashed. Later we all sat and cried ... People have different religions and that should be taken into account' she said.

Khartoum is governed by Islamic sharia law. But although Miss Kashif is living there she is originally from the south of the country, which is not. Fifty lashes for the teenage girl who wore an 'indecent' knee length skirt in Sudan >>> | Saturday, November 28, 2009

La coupole islamique venue du ciel alsacien
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: REPORTAGE | Au moment où les Suisses votent pour ou contre les minarets, Strasbourg met sa Grande Mosquée sous toit. Et sans… minaret ! >>> Jean-Noël Cuénod à Strasbourg | Vendredi 27 Novembre 2009

L'AIEA condamne l'Iran pour son programme clandestin
LE FIGARO: La résolution adoptée vendredi reproche à Téhéran d'avoir dissimulé l'existence d'un autre site d'enrichissement d'uranium.

Les grandes puissances ont réussi à obtenir une condamnation sans nuances de l'Iran, vendredi à Vienne, au siège de l'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA). Présentée par la France et les États-Unis, une résolution en huit points dénonçant les activités nucléaires clandestines de Téhéran sur le site de Fordo et demandant à l'agence d'en informer le Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies a été adoptée par 25 voix sur les 35 que compte le Conseil des gouverneurs, l'organe exécutif de l'AIEA. Cuba, la Malaisie et le Venezuela, soutiens traditionnels de l'Iran, ont voté contre, tandis que le Brésil a préféré s'abstenir.

Cette résolution, qui traduit les «inquiétudes sérieuses» de l'AIEA à l'égard du site clandestin d'enrichissement d'uranium de Fordo, dont l'existence avait été révélée le 25 septembre, n'implique pas l'adoption de nouvelles sanctions internationales contre Téhéran.

Il faudra pour cela que le nouveau directeur général de l'AIEA, le Japonais Yukiya Amano, qui prendra ses fonctions mardi prochain, évoque cette impasse auprès du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies, comme le lui enjoint la résolution. Il s'agirait alors de dégager un nouveau consensus à New York en faveur d'une telle mesure punitive à l'égard de Téhéran, qui toucherait cette fois à ses activités énergétiques et pourrait conduire à un blocus partiel de ses exportations de gaz et de pétrole non raffiné.

L'ambassadeur iranien auprès de l'AIEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, a aussitôt évoqué des «conséquences», tout en assurant que l'Iran «ne sortirait pas du traité de non-prolifération» (TNP). Moment charnière >>> De correspondant du Figaro à Vienne, Maurin Picard | Vendredi 27 Novembre 2009

The former St Nicholas Cathedral in Famagusta, Cyprus, was converted into a mosque. It is now the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque. Photograph: Google Images
Vatican Condemns 'Immoral' Church Conversions
THE TELEGRAPH: The Vatican has expressed alarm over the "immoral" trend for churches to be converted into bars and nightclubs.

The head of the culture department, Archbishop Gianfranco Ravisi, cited a church in Hungary which was deconsecrated and sold off to become a strip club.

"It has now become a nightclub and a stripper performs her finale on the altar each evening," he said.

The archbishop, who is president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said dwindling numbers of worshippers meant some churches had to be sold or even demolished.

"Faced with falling number of worshippers, a phenomenon which we are also unfortunately witnessing in the centre of Rome, churches without any artistic value and which need significant work can be sold or destroyed," he said.

But he said dioceses should exercise "great caution" in ensuring that the buildings were not used for immoral purposes.

The Roman Catholic Church was offering no specific guidelines and each case should be carefully assessed on its own merits, he said. >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Friday, November 27, 2009

Mein Kampf a Hit on Dhaka Streets
BBC: Booksellers touting their wares amid the heavy traffic in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, have discovered an unusual best-seller.

Adolf Hitler's autobiography manifesto Mein Kampf is selling as well as Dan Brown's latest novel, The Lost Symbol.

The street vendors in Dhaka are found at every major road junction and intersection.

Most of the sellers are young boys and many compete with beggars to attract the attention of motorists.

Last week, Mein Kampf did unusually well because many bought the book to give it away as an Eid present. >>> Alastair Lawson, BBC News, Dhaka | Friday, November 27, 2009

Eid Al-Adha: Pilger steinigen den Teufel
20MINUTEN.ch: Rund drei Millionen muslimische Pilger aus aller Welt haben mit der symbolischen Steinigung des Teufels begonnen.

Tausende Pilger steinigen symbolisch den Teufel in Mekka. Bild: 20Minuten.ch
Dazu zogen sie in einem Wüstental vor den Toren Mekkas an drei Mauern vorbei, die sie mit Steinen bewarfen. Der erste Tag der Steinigung markiert auch den Beginn des Opferfestes, an dem Muslime in aller Welt Schafe und andere Tiere schlachten - in Erinnerung an Abrahams beinahe vollbrachtes Opfer seines Sohns. >>> ap | Freitag, 27. November 2009

HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT – FOTOGALERIE: >>>

Attention à tous les musulmans! Le zoo de Varsovie installe une cage à homme préhistorique
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: POLOGNE | Le jardin zoologique de Varsovie a inauguré une "cage à homme des cavernes" abritant un couple déguisé en humains préhistoriques, pour rappeler que "l'homme est aussi un animal".

Enfermés dans une ancienne cage à singes, vêtus de peaux d'animaux, un homme et une femme passent leurs journées à s'épouiller mutuellement, à veiller sur le feu et à observer attentivement les gens qui passent devant leur enclos.

Pour jouer ces rôles, la direction a fait appel à des volontaires, une jeune femme de 18 ans et un homme de 24 ans.

"Nos hommes des cavernes sont très calmes et gentils. Ils ne mordent pas. Ils sont anxieux de voir autant d'inconnus passer devant leur habitation", a expliqué à l'AFP Ewa Zbornikowska, vice-directrice du zoo de Varsovie. >>> AFP | Vendredi 27 Novembre 2009

Islamkritiker: Geert Wilders – Der fluchende Holländer
WELT ONLINE: Im Januar nächsten Jahres will der niederländische Abgeordnete, Parteichef und radikale Islamkritiker Geert Wilders die Türkei besuchen. Das ist eine wunderbare Gelegenheit für ihn und die islamisch geprägte türkische Regierungspartei AKP, ihre Popularitätswerte zu steigern, indem sie wüst übereinander herfallen.

Schimpft sich seinen Weg in die Türkei: Der Islamkritiker Geert Wilders. Bild: Welt Online
Anfang 2010 will der niederländische Islamkritiker Geert Wilders die Türkei besuchen. Für ihn und die islamisch geprägte türkische Regierungspartei AKP ist das eine wunderbare Gelegenheit, mühelos ihre Popularitätswerte zu steigern, indem sie wüst übereinander herfallen.

Die türkische Regierung betrachte „die Gedanken dieses Individuums“ als „rassistisch und inakzeptabel“, sagte Außenamtssprecher Burak Özügergin während einer Pressekonferenz. Obwohl noch keine Entscheidung gefallen sei, denn über eine derart politische Angelegenheit könne schließlich „nicht im Außenministerium entschieden“ werden. Darum erwäge man, Wilders die Einreise zu verweigern.

Er will als Mitglied einer Parlamentarierdelegation kommen, aber wer wird schon auf die Abgeordneten und ihre gemessenen Worte achten, wenn man über den provokativen Wilders berichten kann? Es sei „unfair für die guten Beziehungen beider Länder“, wenn Wilders’ Anwesenheit den Zweck des ganzen Besuchs verzerre. >>> Boris Kalnoky | Donnerstag, 26. November 2009

Liebesfest von zwei Brüdern in der Politik: Chávez und Ahmadinedschad!

Why do Arab Men Hold Hands?

Nose Jobs in Iran

Swiss to Vote on Mosque Minarets Ban
THE GUARDIAN: Minarets on mosques are 'symbol of political power' claims rightwing campaign denounced by opponents as racist

A minaret on the roof of a Turkish cultural centre in Wangen bei Olten, north-western Switzerland. Photograph: The Guardian
The Swiss are to decide this weekend whether to ban minarets on mosques, in what is in effect the first direct vote in a European country on Islam and the practices of Muslims.

The controversial referendum on Sunday, accompanied by a prohibition campaign denounced as racist and in violation of human rights, is the latest tussle in Europe over the limits of multiculturalism and immigrant lifestyles.

Pushed by anti-immigrant rightwing populists, it has triggered months of debate in a country that uses direct democracy for single-issue politics. The referendum has turned into much more than a vote on architecture and urban planning.

"The minaret has got nothing to do with religion. It's a symbol of political power, a prelude to the introduction of sharia law," argued Ulrich Schlüer, of the rightwing Swiss People's party, an architect of the campaign.

Two years ago the SPP became the strongest party in Switzerland, with an anti-immigrant election campaign that featured posters of three white sheep kicking a black sheep off a red and white Swiss flag. UN experts and human rights activists condemned the campaign as overtly racist.

This time the SPP has plastered the country with posters showing the same flag as a base for several black minarets, portrayed as missiles, alongside a woman clad in a black burqa. Church leaders, the Jewish community and Muslim leaders have all opposed the campaign. The foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, warned that a vote in favour risked turning Switzerland into "a target for Islamic terrorism". The city of Basel and other towns have proscribed the incendiary posters.

Amnesty International said: "Freedom of religious belief is a basic human right and changing the Swiss constitution to ban the construction of minarets would clearly breach the rights of the country's Muslims."

UN human rights experts have said the proposed ban violates freedom of religion and liberty. The Swiss justice minister, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, has agreed, declaring that it would breach anti-discrimination laws and rights to free religious observance, raising the question of why the campaign has been allowed. >>> Ian Traynor, Europe editor | Thursday, November 26, 2009

Mandelson Shows Labour Is a Party Rotten with Decadence
MAIL ONLINE: The sumptuous home of financier Jacob Rothschild, Waddesdon Manor, has long been famed as one of Britain's most magnificent country houses.

But for all its splendour and beauty, the estate has this week been associated with an extraordinary weekend shooting party which symbolises the decadence, corruption and moral collapse of modern British socialism.

No novelist would have dared to invent such an occasion. The host was a leading member of the world's richest and most famous banking dynasty. The guests included the son of a bloodthirsty and oil-rich Arab dictator, and the discredited wife of a former British prime minister.

And totally at home in all this gilded opulence was the remarkable figure of Lord Mandelson, former Young Communist, far Left activist, major player in three successive Labour election victories and right-hand man to Gordon Brown.

One might have expected such a figure to have been repelled by so much opulence and wealth. Instead, Mandelson clearly revels in it. The drab lives of the hard-working men and women who placed their faith in Labour at three consecutive general elections hold no appeal to him.

Mandelson now only seems truly at home in grand country houses or on the yachts of billionaires such as his Russian oligarch friend Oleg Deripaska, whose guest he was during the summer of 2008.

The truth is that his attendance at a shooting party with Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi's son is a perfect parable of the decadent Left's embrace of everything it claims to despise.

Nor is Mandelson an exception. Practically every member of Tony Blair's Cabinet which took office in 1997 has since sold out to wealth and power.

Blair himself is a perfect example. Since leaving office, he has become a popular member of the international plutocracy; a consultant to an investment bank who has earned an estimated £15 million since leaving Downing Street.

While at No 10, Blair was shamefully attracted to extremely rich men. On one occasion, government policy was even changed after the tycoon Bernie Ecclestone donated £1 million to the Labour Party.

Peerages were for sale under his government, while his wife Cherie blatantly profiteered from her status of First Lady by accepting free gifts and discounts from retailers. >>> Peter Oborne | Friday, November 27, 2009

Dubai Tries to Stem Panic as Financial Crisis Shakes Investors Around World
THE GUARDIAN: FTSE 100 opens down 70 points before regaining ground / Japan's Nikkei closes down 3.2%; Hang Seng falls 5.3%

The Dubai financial crisis continued to send shares and commodities falling around the world this morning, despite efforts by the emirate's ruling family to calm the panic.

In London, the FTSE 100 tumbled by 70 points, or nearly 1.4%, to 5123 when trading began – but by 9.15am had erased nearly all of its losses. HSBC and Barclays were among the biggest fallers, along with mining companies.

There was also a bout of heavy selling in Asia. The Nikkei 225 closed 3.2% lower, with Japan's biggest banks leading the fallers. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell by 5.3%.

Major building firms in Asia also fell sharply, as traders anticipated that the Dubai building boom was over.

Predictions that Dubai could drag the world economy downwards again knocked $5.50 off the price of a barrel of oil, to $72.49.

Yesterday the FTSE 100 suffered its worst day's trading since March, falling by 170 points. This followed the news that Dubai World – the government-owned conglomerate that has led the dramatic growth in the Emirate – has asked to defer repaying some debts for six months.

It is still unclear whether Dubai World will default on its $80bn debts, which would be a major blow to the banking sector, or be bailed out by the United Arab Emirates.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, the uncle of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, attempted to calm the situation last night. >>> Graeme Wearden | Friday, November 27, 2009

Pupils Suspended for 'Kick a Jew Day'
THE TELEGRAPH: Pupils at a school in Florida have been suspended after taking part in a "Kick a Jew Day".

Ten students at North Naples Middle School were sent home for a day after a girl told the head teacher that she believed she had been kicked for being Jewish, prompting further instances to come to light.

Florida passed strict anti-bullying laws last year and schools that do not do enough to stop it risk losing their state funding.

Margaret Jackson, the school's head teacher, has responded to the kicking incident by setting aside the first 20 minutes of each day to teaching students – aged 12 to 15 – about kindness, respect and ways of preventing bullying.

David Barkey of the Florida Anti-Defamation League said the organisation had been consulted over the incident. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Thursday, November 26, 2009

Ed Balls Comes Out Fighting - for 'Racist' Islamic Schools
THE TELEGRAPH: A trustee of one of the schools which Ed Balls is defending has written in a Hizb ut Tahrir journal condemning the "corrupt western concepts of materialism and freedom," observes Andrew Gilligan.

We connoisseurs of Ed Balls, a small but happy band, know from experience that the moment he gets that complacent little smile playing round his lips is the time to set the video; the moment when Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is once more about to walk, unknowingly, into an open manhole.

Mr Balls has been having good sport with the Tories this week. On Newsnight on Wednesday, the little smile was in full operation as he expressed mock sympathy with their communities spokesman, Paul Goodman, for having to defend the "factual errors" and "irresponsible politics" of his leader, David Cameron, in the row over Islamic schools.

The Tories should have "checked their facts", he chided. Ofsted, he told Radio 4, "have satisfied themselves that there were not problems in these schools". The whole episode "casts real doubt on David Cameron's judgment", he said, sorrowfully.

Cameron had said that two schools run by members or activists of a thoroughly nasty extremist organisation, Hizb ut Tahrir, had been paid £113,000 of public money. The allegationcame from a story of mine in the Telegraph four weeks ago.

The central charge is perfectly true, thoroughly documented – and a scandal. But Cameron made some mistakes in the detail, sending the Westminster media chasing down one of their classic "process issue" cul-de-sacs (whether the schools were registered, and which particular part of the Whitehall cake this slice of cash had come from) and allowing Balls to launch his attack on Cameron. He clearly thought he'd scored a bullseye: one-nil to the forces of Gordon. >>> Andrew Gilligan | Friday, November 27, 2009

Though Liberals Moan and Lefties Sneer, We’ll Stop the Red Flag Flying Here
Che Guevara and red flags at a May Day parade by the Polish Communist Party in Warsaw six years ago. The proposed law will ban any display of communist symbols appearing ever again. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Down come the cheesy Che Guevara posters in student bedsits across the land. Off come the T-shirts wittily emblazoned with a hammer and sickle.

Twenty years after Eastern Europe toppled statues of Lenin, the Polish Government is about to finish the job by making it all but impossible to wave the red flag — even in jest.

Up to two years in jail await anyone glorifying communism according to an amendment to Article 256 of the Polish criminal code — the race-hate article — which is likely to come into force next year. The ban outlaws “the production, distribution, sale or possession ... in print, recordings or other means of fascist, communist or other symbols of totalitarianism”. So if you planned to sing the Internationale while marching down the centre of Warsaw to the old communist headquarters — now housing financial services companies — forget it.

The revised Bill has already passed the Polish Senate. President Kaczynski has to sign it into law by Monday and no one in Warsaw seriously believes that he will hesitate.

His twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of the opposition Law and Justice party, has made his view clear: “No symbol of communism has a right to exist in Poland because these are symbols of a genocidal system that should be compared to Nazism.” >>> Roger Boyes | Friday, November 27, 2009

Roman Polanski to Be Freed on Bail, Swiss Government Says
THE TELEGRAPH: Roman Polanski will be released on bail and placed under house arrest at his chalet in the Alps, the Swiss government has said.

The justice ministry said in a statement released on Thursday that Polanski will be transferred as soon as possible.

A Swiss court granted the film director his wish to be released on a bail of $4.5 million (£2.6m) and the government has decided not to challenge that decision.

"Polanski will be released from custody as soon as bail has been transferred, ID and travel documents have been lodged, and the electronic monitoring system has been installed and tested," the ministry said.

The bail, however, does not affect the justice ministry's pending decision on whether to extradite the 76-year-old director to the United States for having sex in Los Angeles in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.

He pleaded guilty to having sex with the girl but fled the United States in 1978 before he was sentenced because he believed a judge might overrule a plea bargain and sentence him to 50 years in prison.

Acting on a US warrant, Swiss police detained Polanski on when he arrived at Zurich airport on September 26 to attend a film festival where he was to receive a special award. >>> | Thursday, November 26, 2009

Climat : Barack Obama ira à Copenhague
Obama avec un air d'arrogance. Crédits photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: La Maison-Blanche présente des objectifs chiffrés de réduction de leurs émissions polluantes. Mais des éléments relativisent cet engagement du plus grand pollueur par habitant de la planète

Barack Obama pouvait difficilement faire autrement. Mercredi, la Maison-Blanche a confirmé que le président se rendrait bien aux discussions de Copenhague sur le climat qui, à partir du 7 décembre, doivent réunir la planète entière en vue de négocier un traité qui fera suite au Protocole de Kyoto de 1997. Barack Obama y sera le 9 décembre, y apportera des engagements américains, mais devrait déjà être reparti lorsque les délégations entreront dans le vif de la négociation.

La Maison-Blanche explique que le président est prêt «à mettre sur la table» des propositions chiffrées de réduction des émissions américaines de gaz à effet de serre: 17% en 2020, par rapport aux niveaux de 2005, 30% en 2025 et 42% en 2030. Cet engagement, note le communiqué, est conforme à la volonté des Etats-Unis de réduire le niveau d’émissions de 83% d’ici à 2050. Il démontre leur souhait de contribuer à résoudre ce problème «que les Etats-Unis ont trop longtemps négligé». Engagement hypothétique >>> Luis Lema | Jeudi 26 Novembre 2009

NZZ ONLINE: China will Anstieg von Treibhausgasen bremsen: Peking nennt erstmals konkrete Ziele vor Weltklimagipfel in Kopenhagen >>> sda/dpa | Donnerstag, 26. November 2009

Leterme wieder belgischer Regierungschef: Reibungslose Ablösung Van Rompuys – «Sprachenstreit» ausgelagert
NZZ ONLINE: In Belgien wurde der frühere Regierungschef Leterme wieder Ministerpräsident, nachdem sein Vorgänger Van Rompuy zum Präsidenten des Europäischen Rats ernannt worden war. Das Kabinett wurde kaum verändert.

Erstaunlich rasch haben sich die fünf belgischen Regierungsparteien nach der Ernennung von Ministerpräsident Van Rompuy zum ersten Präsidenten der Staats- und Regierungschefs der EU am letzten Donnerstag auf einen Modus zur Stabübergabe im belgischen Kabinett geeinigt. Erstaunlich ist dies darum, weil auch die Regierungsneubildung – wie fast alles in der belgischen Politik – vom Streit zwischen Flamen und Frankophonen überlagert wird. An diesem Streit beisst sich die Classe politique seit Jahrzehnten die Zähne aus. >>> Peter Winkler, Brüssel | Mittwoch, 25. November 2009

Gesundheit: Brüssel sagt Rauchern den Kampf an
WELT ONLINE: Das Europäische Parlament fordert einen verschärften Nichtraucherschutz. Die EU-Mitgliedstaaten sollen gemäß einer Empfehlung aus Brüssel die Rauchverbote weiterentwickeln. Deutschland müsse das Rauchen auch in Eckkneipen verbieten. Die strengeren Rauchverbote kommen einer Umfrage zufolge gut an. >>> Von Christoph B. Schilz | Donnerstag, 26. November 2009

WELT ONLINE: Strengere Rauchverbote in Europa? Diskutieren Sie mit… >>>

Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to One and All

Blair Lied and Lied Again: Mandarins Reveal that 10 Days Before Iraq Invasion PM Knew Saddam Couldn't Use WMDs
MAIL ONLINE: The full extent of how Tony Blair misled the public about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction before and after the Iraq War was laid bare yesterday.

The Chilcot Inquiry heard that just ten days before the invasion of Iraq Mr Blair was told Saddam had no way of using weapons of mass destruction.

And weapons experts revealed that the former Prime Minister took Britain to war based on intelligence that his own spies rated just 'four out of ten' for accuracy.

On the eve of the conflict, intelligence chiefs told Mr Blair that the Iraqi dictator had no warheads capable of delivering chemical weapons, dramatically undermining the Prime Minister's case for war.

Yet Mr Blair gave the go-ahead for the invasion despite strong evidence that Iraq was no threat to Britain.

Then, after the war, officials had to tell Mr Blair not to 'declare success too rapidly' in the quest to find WMD in Iraq as he continued to make misleading statements claiming that 'massive evidence' had been found.

The revelations reinforce the case that intelligence evidence that Saddam was no threat was ignored by Mr Blair to take Britain to war on a false prospectus. >>> Tim Shipman | Thursday, November 26, 2009

Female? Black? Gay? All Three? Then You're More Likely to Become an MP Under Controversial New Plans
MAIL ONLINE: Controversial plans were unveiled yesterday to force political parties to make Parliament less white, male, middle-class and heterosexual.

Under proposals backed by Commons Speaker John Bercow, but labelled as 'insulting' by former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe, parties will be made to declare publicly how many women, ethnic minority, gay and disabled applicants they reject as potential Parliamentary candidates.

Parties also face demands to ensure at least half the MPs leaving Parliament at the next election - in what is expected to be the biggest exodus since 1945 - are replaced by women.

The proposals have emerged from a crossparty review set up by former Commons Speaker Michael Martin - and taken forward by his successor, Mr Bercow - on how to make the chamber more representative.

In an interim report published yesterday, the panel said parties must be made to be more transparent about the people putting themselves forward as would-be MPs.

The report said: 'The fact remains that, at present, the House of Commons continues to be largely white, male, middle-aged and middle-class: people from under-represented groups who are putting themselves forward for selection are still proportionately less likely to be selected.' >>> | Wednesday, November 25, 2009

David Cameron Accused of 'Divisive Smears' Over Islamic Schools Claim
Most people tend to live up to their names. Ed Balls appears to be no exception. – © Mark
TIMES ONLINE: David Cameron was accused of using "divisive smears" by the Schools Secretary after alleging that a radical Muslim group had set up two schools with the help of public cash meant to tackle extremism.

The Tory leader claimed that the Government had been warned that the independent schools in London were being run by a “front organisation for Hizb ut Tahrir”.

Demanding an investigation from Gordon Brown, Mr Cameron said schools run by the ISF (Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation) in Slough and Haringey, London, had received £113,000 of Government money, some of which was from the Pathfinder scheme, the objective of which is meant to be preventing violent extremism. >>> Francis Elliott and Times Online | Thursday, November 26, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: Brown denies Tory claim that £100,000 of public money was given to 'Muslim extremist schools' >>> Kirsty Walker | Thursday, November 26, 2009

Attention! Achtung! Now It’s Catholics. Next It Will Be Muslims! Brown Is Just Plain Stupid – and Treasonous! Gordon Brown Opens Way for End to Ban on Monarchs Marrying Catholics
THE TELEGRAPH: Gordon Brown has paved the way for sweeping changes to the 300-year-old law which prevents Roman Catholics ascending to the throne.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Photograph: The Telegraph
Offensive, offensive, all these days is offensive! – © Mark
Mr Brown has made it clear he also wants to change the rule of primogeniture, which prevents women taking their place ahead of men in the line to the throne.

The Prime Minister will travel to a Commonwealth summit in Trinidad today and will raise the controversial issue fellow heads of government.

Last night he was urged to move now to stop discrimination against women and Catholics from becoming the monarch.

Evan Harris, a Liberal Democrat MP, said: “All parties in the House had agreed that discrimination against princesses and Catholic spouses is not justified, and that the language in the Act of Settlement is offensive. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Les musulmans entament le pèlerinage de La Mecque
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ARABIE SAOUDITE | Des centaines de milliers de pèlerins affluaient ce mercredi à la vallée de Mina, près de La Mecque, pour entamer les rites d’un pèlerinage placé sous haute surveillance, en raison de la grippe H1N1.

A pied ou en bus, au milieu d’inextricables embouteillages, les pèlerins en tunique immaculée parcouraient la dizaine de kilomètres séparant la première ville sainte de l’islam de la vallée rocailleuse de Mina, où ils doivent passer la nuit.

Les autorités saoudiennes n’ont pas précisé le nombre total de pèlerins cette année mais selon une source officielle, le royaume a délivré des visas à 1,6 million de pèlerins étrangers, auxquels s’ajoutent des centaines de milliers de fidèles du royaume.

Près de 100.000 agents des forces de l’ordre assurent la sécurité du pèlerinage. Le personnel médical affecté au hajj est constitué de 20.000 personnes, face aux craintes d’une propagation de la grippe H1N1.

Peu de pèlerins portaient mercredi des masques en se rendant à Mina, malgré les injonctions des autorités. La route était sillonnée de cliniques mobiles et d’ambulances.

Des caméras thermiques ont également été placées aux entrées de la vallée de Mina pour détecter les pèlerins ayant une température élevée.

Ryad a toutefois écarté le risque d’une propagation de la grippe H1N1 durant le hajj, marqué jusqu’ici par l’annonce de quatre cas mortels parmi les fidèles. >>> AFP | Mercredi 25 Novembre 2009

Rain Soaks Hajj Pilgrims in Mecca
THE TELEGRAPH: Muslim pilgrims were forced to take shelter in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday as the opening of the annual hajj was hit by the heaviest rains in years and fears of swine flu.

Pilgrims seeking shelter from the heavy rain in Mina, Saudi Arabia. Photograph: The Telegraph
Muslims circled Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, wearing traditional white robes, but they also bore new additions - umbrellas and face masks.

Saudi authorities had already geared up for months with precautions for fear that the pilgrimage could become a perfect incubator for the H1N1 swine flu virus. The event is one of the most crowded in the world, with more than 3 million people from every corner of the globe packed together shoulder to shoulder in prayers and rites for four days.

The unexpected downpours could worsen the perennial dangers of the gathering, particularly deadly stampedes.

Just a slip on a wet pavement at the hajj rites could be deadly.

In 2006, a dropped piece of luggage amid a moving crowd tripped people, causing a pile-up that killed more than 360 people at one of the holy sites.

This year's rains have brought fears of flash floods or mudslides in the desert mountains where the rites take place. >>> | Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Even the Christmas Cracker Bows to Political Correctness
A Christmas cracker. Photograph: Google Images
THE TELEGRAPH: Christmas cracker firm Swantex has dropped dozens of jokes, including mother-in-law gags and references to animal cruelty, in favour of more ‘politically correct’ alternatives.

The company, Britain’s biggest manufacturer of crackers, said the overhaul was needed to make sure its humour was in keeping with “changing attitudes”.

Among jokes to be dropped is: “What does a transvestite do for Christmas? Eat, drink and be Mary.”

They are being replaced by one-liners such as: “What athlete is warmest in winter? A long jumper.”

A spokesman for Swantex, which is owned by the Byk family, said: “Jokes are tested by an experienced Swantex panel, including members of the Byk family in laboratory conditions, i.e. over lunch with optional wine. Jokes that fail to register a smile or a groan are not included in crackers.” Christmas cracker jokes go 'politically correct' >>> Alastair Jamieson | Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Are Artificial Christmas Trees Ever Acceptable?
THE TELEGRAPH: With the weak pound contributing to a shortage of fir trees, Judith Woods wonders whether it's time to go fake this Christmas.

As the festive season looms, Europe is yet again giving with one hand (Lebkuchen, Panettone) and taking with the other (commandeering our Christmas trees). The dismal euro rate means that foreign tree exporters are reluctant to export to Britain, and our growers are sending their spruces to the likes of Spain and the Soviet Union, where they can earn up to 30 per cent more than previously.

Short of closing all the ports – which would be a shame, as how else would we get our Stollen and Belgian chocolate Santas? – we must counter this vile fir trade the only way we know how: by raising our chins, stiffening our upper lips and Faking It.

However, being British means agonising over etiquette, so the subtle nuances that separate U from Non-U are guaranteed to keep even the most insouciant of hostesses awake at night. Are plastic needles tacky? Can a pre-lit tabletop tree ever pass as stylish? At what point does faux turn into a faux pas? >>> Judith Woods | Tuesday, November 24, 2009

États-Unis : Barack Obama offre à l’Inde la reconnaissance qu’elle attendait
Le premier ministre indien, Manmohan Singh, et le président Barack Obama. Crédits photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Le président démocrate a reçu à la Maison-Blanche le premier ministre indien, Manmohan Singh, en visite d’Etat. Il a insisté sur le fait que l’Inde était «une démocratie multiethnique comme les Etats-Unis»

L’Inde ou la Chine? Entre ces deux grandes puissances émergentes, en partie rivales, les Etats-Unis donnaient l’impression d’avoir choisi. C’est en Chine que vient de se rendre Barack Obama, multipliant les révérences et évitant de hausser le ton sur les sujets qui fâchent. «Je vous présente Barack Obama, l’administrateur de nos compagnies de l’Ouest», disait un responsable chinois devant un Obama courbé jusqu’au sol, dans un dessin paru dans un journal de Pittsburgh et aussitôt reproduit dans la presse nationale.

Ce ne sont pas seulement les Américains qui ont pris ombrage de la «servilité» de leur président à l’égard d’une Chine qui tient les Etats-Unis par les cordons de la bourse. A travers toutes sortes de canaux, les Indiens, eux aussi, ont fait connaître leur embarras. L’Inde a vécu une lune de miel avec le prédécesseur d’Obama, George Bush, qui a atteint son apogée peu avant la passation de pouvoir, avec la signature d’un accord entre les deux pays en matière de technologie nucléaire. >>> Luis Lema | Mercredi 25 Novembre 2009

A Place at the State Dinner Table
ADVOCATE.COM: Several prominent gay men and lesbians were among those at the White House Tuesday night for President and Mrs. Obama’s first state dinner, held in honor of India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur. Among those on the 338-person guest list were movie producer David Geffen and his partner, Jeremy Lingvall; longtime activist Urvashi Vaid and her partner, comedian Kate Clinton; Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and his partner, Sean Eldridge; and chair of the U.S. Export-Import Bank Fred Hochberg and his partner, Thomas Healy.
 


State dinners are traditionally held in the state White House’s State Dining Room, but this one was held in a tent outside the White House, complete with chandeliers and views of both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Because Manmohan Singh and his wife are vegetarians, the menu was completely meat free. >>> Advocate.com Editors | Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Obama State Dinner: A Sampling of Guests


President Obama Toasts the Future at White House State Dinner

Sarkozy erteilt illegalen Einwanderern eine Absage
Nicolas Sarkozy im Gespräch mit Behörden in der Pariser Vorstadt Le Perreux-sur-Marne. Bild: Die Presse
DIE PRESSE: Der französische Präsident lehnt eine pauschale Aufenthalts-Genehmigung für illegale Immigranten ab. Denn dies habe zuvor jedes Mal eine "Sogwirkung" erzeugt.

Der französische Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy hat eine massenhafte Vergabe von Aufenthalts-Genehmigungen an illegale Einwanderer abgelehnt. "Solange ich Präsident der Republik bin, werde ich nicht akzeptieren, dass die, die keine Papiere haben, pauschal Aufenthaltsgenehmigungen bekommen", sagte Sarkozy am Dienstag bei einem Besuch in der Pariser Vorstadt Le Perreux-sur-Marne.

Frankreich habe sich in der Vergangenheit schon drei Mal zu so einem Schritt entschlossen. Dies habe jedes Mal eine "Sogwirkung" erzeugt, wodurch über "die Netze krimineller Schleuser" noch mehr Menschen aus armen Ländern illegal nach Frankreich gekommen seien. >>> AFP | Dienstag, 24. November 2009

Bob Ainsworth criticises Barack Obama over Afghanistan
THE TELEGRAPH: Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, has blamed Barack Obama and the United States for the decline in British public support for the war in Afghanistan.

He took the unprecedented step of publicly criticising the US President and his delays in sending more troops to bolster the mission against the Taliban.

A “period of hiatus” in Washington - and a lack of clear direction - had made it harder for ministers to persuade the British public to go on backing the Afghan mission in the face of a rising death toll, he said.

Senior British Government sources have become increasingly frustrated with Mr Obama’s “dithering” on Afghanistan.

However, Mr Ainsworth is the first minister to express in public what amounts to personal criticism of the President’s leadership. >>> James Kirkup, Thomas Harding and Toby Harnden | Wednesday, November 25, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Iraq war files: British colonel's scathing attack on 'arrogant, bureaucratic' Americans >>> | Monday, November 23, 2009

DIE PRESSE: Auf Bush-Kurs: Obama lehnt Landminen-Verbot ab: US-Präsident Obama behält die Politik seines Vorgängers Bush bei: Die USA schließen sich als einziges Nato-Land nicht der Konvention zum Verbot von Landminen an. >>> Ag. | Mittwoch, 25. November 2009

Another Stitch-up That'll Let Off Blair Once Again
MAIL ONLINE: As the great and the good of the Chilcot inquiry began their earnest deliberations yesterday, one conclusion could be drawn before a single person had said a single word: Tony Blair will get away with it. Again.

The man who led Britain into five wars in his first six years in Downing Street, the man who manipulated and massaged the evidence to suit the needs of a simpleton friend in George W. Bush has emerged completely unscathed from the Iraq conflict.

Since the war in 2003, every new revelation, every new accusation, has met the same the slithery response - 'I did what I thought was right at the time.'

Rather than feeling chastened, he has strutted the world stage, pretending to bring peace to the Middle East (which remains as elusive as it has ever been) and portraying himself as the saviour of the European Union.

When he is not preening himself across the globe, he is spending the millions he has made from his consultancies and showbusiness lectures on grand country estates and fine furniture.

This latest inquiry, established with great reluctance by Gordon Brown, comes far too late in the day to make any political difference. And the sad truth is that Blair has all the impunity he needs.

We have, after all, been here before. >>> John Kampfner | Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Retrobites: Margaret Thatcher (1983)