L'Inde et le Pakistan tentent de renouer le dialogue
La secrétaire indienne aux Affaires étrangères, Nirupama Rao, a serré la main de son homologue pakistanais, Salman Bashir, jeudi à New Dehli. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Les deux frères ennemis essayent jeudi de remettre sur les rails leurs discussions bilatérales, interrompues après les attentats de Bombay, en novembre 2008. Mais le terrorisme et le dossier du Cachemire continuent de miner leurs relations.

Voilà plus d'un an que l'Inde et le Pakistan ne s'étaient pas officiellement assis à la même table. La faute aux attentats de Bombay de novembre 2008, qui avaient fait 166 morts et avaient été attribués par l'Inde au groupe islamiste pakistanais Lashkar-e-Taiba. Depuis, les relations indo-pakistanaises s'étaient réduites au strict minimum diplomatique. La rencontre, jeudi à New Delhi, entre la secrétaire indienne aux Affaires étrangères Nirupama Rao et son homologue pakistanais Salman Bashir avait donc valeur de symbole.

Dans les gestes, d'abord : les deux diplomates se sont serrés la main devant un ancien palais royal, Hyderabad House, dans le centre de la capitale fédérale. Dans les mots, ensuite : «J'accueille le secrétaire aux Affaires Etrangères du Pakistan, M. Salman Bashir, ce matin et j'attends les discussions avec impatience», a déclaré Nirupama Rao. Les deux hauts fonctionnaires se sont entretenus durant une vingtaine de minutes avant d'être rejoints par leurs délégations respectives. L'Inde veut endiguer le terrorisme >>> Jim Jarrassé | Jeudi 25 Février 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: India-Pakistan talks end in acrimony: India and Pakistan's first talks since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks ended in acrimony as each accused the other of harbouring terrorists and tolerating human rights abuses. >>> Dean Nelson in New Delhi | Thursday, February 25, 2010

MPs Blast 'Ridiculous' Pay in RBS Bonus Row
TIMES ONLINE: Politicians rounded today on Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the state-owned lender, over its decision to pay up to £1.7 billion in bonuses to bankers despite making a £3.6 billion loss during 2009.

The bank announced today that it would pay investments bankers from a £1.3 billion bonus pool while other staff would share in a £400 million reward.

George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, said that bankers’ pay had reached “ridiculous levels”, adding: “We have just got to look at the whole banking sector and try to bring this pay down.”

RBS’s loss for the 12 months to December 31 is less than the £5 billion expected and far below the £24.3 billion loss that RBS reported for 2008, a record for any British company.

But Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, said: “RBS rewarding individual bankers is like a football team paying their striker for scoring when they’ve just been relegated."

RBS is 84 per cent owned by the British taxpayer after receiving billions of pounds of rescue funds from the state during the recession to save it from collapse.

The UKFI, the body set up by the Government to manage the state’s investment in British banks, yesterday granted RBS permission to pay the bonuses. >>> Francesca Steele | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Armeeführung unter Terrorverdacht: Ideologische Schlacht um die Zukunft der Türkei
WELT ONLINE: Plante das Militär einen Putsch, oder sind die Vorwürfe gegen die verhafteten Generäle haltlos? Derzeit wird die gesamte türkische Armeeführung von 2004 unter Terrorverdacht verhört. Details der Verfahren werden gezielt über islamische Medien verbreitet, die der Regierung von Recip Tayyip Erdogan nahestehen.

Die Generäle und Admirale der türkischen Streitkräfte betrachten sich als Diener der Republik und der türkischen Armee, die ihrer eigenen seltsamen Ideologie zufolge mehr ist als eine gewöhnlich Armee: Sie ist die Hand, die das Land führt. Regierungen kommen, und sie gehen , wenn sie der Armee widersprechen. So war es immer – bis jetzt.
Neuerdings ist es wohl so, dass Generäle kommen und dann gehen, wenn sie der Regierung von Ministerpräsident Recip Tayyip Erdogan widersprechen. Die gesamte Führung der Streitkräfte aus den Jahren 2003 und 2004 wurde in dieser Woche festgenommen und verhört; viele von ihnen kamen gleich darauf in Untersuchungshaft.

Türkischen Staatsanwälten zufolge sind die Herren in Uniform Mitglieder einer bewaffneten terroristischen Vereinigung. Und der Verdacht ist so allgemein, die Zahl der Verhafteten so groß, dass es nur einen Namen für diese Terrorgruppe geben kann, wenn die Staatsanwälte denn Recht haben. Sie heißt „TSK“ – das ist das Kürzel der türkischen Armee. >>> Von Boris Kálnoky | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

DIE PRESSE: Erdogan will Armee unter seine Kontrolle bringen: Nach der Verhaftung von mutmaßlichen Putschoffizieren nützt der Premier die politische Gelegenheit. >>> | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Niederlande: Balkenende flirtet mit Islam-Kritiker Geert Wilders
WELT ONLINE: Nach dem Koalitionsbruch bereiten sich die Niederlande auf vorgezogene Neuwahlen vor. Schon jetzt zeichnet sich ab, dass die Partei des Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders den amtierenden Ministerpräsidenten Jan Peter Balkenende in eine weitere Amtszeit befördern könnte. Und der schließt eine Zusammenarbeit nicht aus.

Der Christdemokrat Jan Peter Balkenende könnte nach den vorgezogenen Neuwahlen in den Niederlanden mit dem Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders zusammenarbeiten. Bilder: Welt Online
Nach dem Bruch der christlich-sozialen Koalition in Den Haag rückt in den Niederlanden eine Regierung unter Beteiligung des islamfeindlichen Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders näher. Der amtierende Ministerpräsident Jan Peter Balkenende schließe ein Zusammengehen seiner Partei Christdemokratischer Appell (CDA) mit Wilders' Partei für die Freiheit (PVV) nicht aus, hieß es am Dienstag in Medienberichten.

Einen Aufruf der Sozialdemokraten an den CDA, auf keinen Fall mit Wilders zusammenzuarbeiten, wies Balkenende zurück. „Wir schließen niemanden von vornherein aus“, sagte er im Fernsehen. Nachdem am Wochenende die Regierungskoalition im Streit um den niederländischen Militäreinsatz in Afghanistan geplatzt war, haben sich inzwischen fast alle Parteien gegenüber Staatsoberhaupt Königin Beatrix für Neuwahlen ausgesprochen. In den Umfragen liegen CDA und PVV weit vorn.

Für den Fall von Koalitionsverhandlungen mit dem CDA signalisierte Wilders bereits ein Einlenken bei seinen umstrittensten Forderungen - darunter ein Einwanderungsverbot für Muslime und staatliche Maßnahmen gegen die „Islamisierung“ der Niederlande. „Ich verstehe, dass wir nicht in jeder Beziehung unseren Willen bekommen können“, sagte er der konservativen Zeitung „De Telegraaf“. >>> dpa/ks | Dienstag, 23. Februar 2010

Nordkorea droht mit Atom-Angriff
DIE PRESSE: Wegen eines militärischen Großmanövers der USA und Südkorea droht das nordkoreanische Regime mit nuklearer Abschreckung. Das Manöver ist laut USA "verteidigungsorientiert".

Vor dem jährlichen Großmanöver der US-Streitkräfte mit Südkorea hat Nordkorea den Ton gegenüber beiden Ländern verschärft und mit einem möglichen Angriff mit Atomwaffen gedroht. Ein nordkoreanischer Armeesprecher unterstellte am Donnerstag den USA und Südkorea, "Übungen für einen Atomkrieg" durchführen und einen Überraschungsangriff auf Nordkorea vorbereiten zu wollen. "Nukleare Abschreckung" >>> Ag. | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Iran und Syrien gemeinsam gegen USA
DIE PRESSE: Der iranische Staatschef Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ist zu Besuch in Syriens Hauptstadt Damaskus. Dabei trifft er den syrischen Präsidenten Bashar al-Assad und schließt Vereinbarungen gegen US-Interessen.

"Wir müssen (US-Außenministerin Hillary) Clinton wegen der schlechten Übersetzung und wegen unseren begrenzten Verstandes missverstanden haben. Deshalb unterzeichneten wir den Vertrag über die Visafreiheit", witzelte Assad. Es sei befremdlich, dass Clinton über Stabilität und Frieden im Nahen Osten rede und zwei Länder der Region auffordere, auf Distanz zueinander zu gehen. "Dieselben Ziele, dieselben Feinde" >>> Ag. | Donnerstag, 25. Februar 2010

Stay Out of Middle East Affairs, Ahmadinejad Tells Washington
Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) attend celebrations of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) birthday in Damascus on Thursday. Photo: Arab news
ARAB NEWS: DAMASCUS: The United States should pack up and leave the Middle East and stay out of regional affairs, Iran’s president said on Thursday during a visit to Damascus that follows a string of US efforts to break up Syria’s 30-year alliance with Tehran.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, reaffirmed their ties by canceling visa restrictions between the two countries and vowing cooperation.

“(The Americans) want to dominate the region but they feel Iran and Syria are preventing that,” Ahmadinejad said during a news conference with Assad.

“We tell them that instead of interfering in the region’s affairs, to pack their things and leave.”

The US has reached out to Syria in recent months by nominating the first US ambassador to Damascus since 2005 and sending top diplomats to meet with President Bashar Assad. Washington is hoping to draw Syria away from Iran and the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.

But with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by his side in Damascus, Assad said Thursday that America should not dictate relationships in the Middle East.

“I find it strange how they talk about Middle East stability and at the same time talk about dividing two countries,” Assad told reporters when asked about Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's call Wednesday for Syria to move away from Iran.

Assad took a swipe at Clinton for making such a suggestion, saying he and Ahmadinejad “misunderstood, maybe because of translation error or limited understanding.” In a show of unity, the two signed an agreement canceling travel visas between the their countries. >>> Agencies | Friday, February 26, 2010

Greek Rescue in Danger as Deputy Prime Minister Attacks 'Nazi' Germany
THE TELEGRAPH: Greece has greatly damaged its chances of an EU bail-out by lashing out at Germany over war-time atrocities and accusing Italy of cooking its books to hide public debt.

The escalating dispute came as a general strike in Greece spilled over into violent clashes between hooded youths and riot police in Athens. Chants of "burn the banks" are a foretaste of tensions once austerity measures bite in earnest later this year.

Public and private sector unions joined forces to bring the country to a standstill for 24 hours, halting flights, trains, and shipping, and shutting schools and hospitals.

Theodoros Pangalos, deputy prime minister, said Germany had no right to reproach Greece for anything after it devastated the country under the Nazi occupation, which left 300,000 dead. "They took away the gold that was in the Bank of Greece, and they never gave it back. They shouldn't complain so much about stealing and not being very specific about economic dealings," he told the BBC.

Twisting the knife further, he said the current crop of EU leaders were of "very poor quality" and had botched this month's crisis summit in Brussels. "The people who are managing the fortunes of Europe were not up to the task," he said.

One banker said the situation was surreal. "How can they call the Germans incompetent Nazis and still expect a bail-out?"

Mr Panagalos has gone even further than premier George Papandreou, who said Greece had become a "guinea pig" for squabbling eurocracts playing power games.

Athenian rhetoric has confirmed fears in North Europe that the ruling PASOK party is still in denial about the crisis and will not deliver on promises. The insults have caused bitterness in Germany, increasing the possibility that Europe's paymaster will lose patience and leave Greece to its fate after all. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, International Business Editor | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Related:

Greece Grinds to a Halt Amid Strikes (Video) / Scharfe Attacke aus Griechenland gegen Deutschland / In Krise wollen Griechen deutsches Geld wegen Nazi-Besatzung / La Grèce paralysée par la grève générale >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Spanish Priest Offered Sexual Services and Spent Church Funds on Pornography
THE TELEGRAPH: A Spanish priest has been sacked after it emerged he advertised himself as a male prostitute on the internet and spent church funds on telephone sex and internet pornography.

Samuel Martin Martin, 27, the priest of two small parishes in the central province of Toledo, posted images of himself posing in grey underpants and said he was available for sex sessions with women and couples for 120 euros an hour.

Calling himself Hector, the priest described himself in an online advertisement as: "Heterosexual man for women and couples. Real photos. Well hung (15cm) to give you pleasure and happiness."

The scandal has made headlines across Catholic Spain where newspapers reprinted the photo and text from the advertisement. "I am open to everything except sadism. Hotels and private addresses. 24 hours. You won't regret it, I will give you pleasure like never before," it said. >>> Fiona Govan in Madrid | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Rushdie: It's Time to Tell the Story of My Fatwa
THE INDEPENDENT: Author of 'The Satanic Verses' ready to describe his years under police protection

Salman Rushdie is to write a book about the decade he spent in hiding while living under a fatwa issued by the then-Supreme Leader of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Khomeini.

Rushdie, who is in the middle of a five-year stint as a lecturer at the Emory University in Atlanta, said: "It's my story, and at some point it needs to be told."

Rushdie was speaking at the opening of an exhibition of his manuscripts, letters and photographs that he donated to the university in 2006, and which have finally been catalogued and transferred into digital format.

"That point is getting closer, I think," added Rushdie. "When it was in cardboard boxes and dead computers, it would have been very, very difficult, but now it's all organised."

Rushdie, 62, was forced into hiding in 1989 when Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill the author, claiming that his book The Satanic Verses insulted Islam. >>> Tom Peck | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Such a ‘Special Relationship’! With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies?
TIMES ONLINE: Washington refused to endorse British claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands yesterday as the diplomatic row over oil drilling in the South Atlantic intensified in London, Buenos Aires and at the UN.

Despite Britain’s close alliance with the US, the Obama Administration is determined not to be drawn into the issue. It has also declined to back Britain’s claim that oil exploration near the islands is sanctioned by international law, saying that the dispute is strictly a bilateral issue. US refuses to endorse British sovereignty in Falklands oil dispute >>> Giles Whittell, Washington and James Bone, New York | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Et tu, Barack? America Betrays Britain in Her Hour of Need
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: It was a headline I never expected to read: “US refuses to endorse British sovereignty in Falklands oil dispute.” Washington has declined to back Britain in its dispute with Argentina over drilling rights in the waters surrounding the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands. President Obama’s position is one of strict neutrality, refusing to take sides. According to the State Department:

We are aware not only of the current situation but also of the history, but our position remains one of neutrality. The US recognises de facto UK administration of the islands but takes no position on the sovereignty claims of either party.

Has it come to this? Tony Blair sacrificed his political career and jeopardised Britain’s international standing by making common cause with America in the War on Terror. No matter how often he claims it was because he believed it was “the right thing to do”, we all know what was really going on in his head. He simply didn’t want to break ranks with the United States. The Atlantic alliance has been the cornerstone of British foreign policy since 1941, when Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt joined forces against the Axis powers. Dean Acheson may have declared that Britain had lost an empire and yet to find a role, but successive British Prime Ministers have know[n] what their role is and, by and large, it has been to stand shoulder to shoulder with America, presenting a united front in a series of global conflicts, from the Cold War to the Gulf.

It is not just cynical realpolitik. Our two nations have more in common with each other than they do with anyone else. We share a belief in liberal democracy, in freedom, and it is largely thanks to our willingness to commit ourselves to the defence of those ideals that the world has not been engulfed by fascism, communism or Islamofascism.

For this alliance to survive, both countries must recognise their obligations and, from time to time, that involves one of us setting aside more localised concerns for the sake of the cause. Tony Blair would have preferred it if President Bush had been prepared to wait for a second UN resolution before launching the invasion of Iraq, but he decided that Britain should follow America into battle nevertheless. He recognised that the preservation of the Atlantic alliance had to be prioritised above all else, both for our sake and the sake of the world. Read on and comment >>> Toby Young | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Turkish Court Charges 12 Officers in Coup Plot
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Struggle between secular Turkish military and Islamic-oriented government reaches new heights as senior officers jailed

The struggle between the secular Turkish military and the Islamic-oriented government reached new heights Wednesday as a court jailed 12 senior officers — including five admirals, an army general and six other officers.

The officers are charged with plotting several years ago to topple the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, news reports said Wednesday. More officers could be charged later this week.

Former chiefs of Air Force, Navy and Special Forces were also among about 50 officers detained by police in a sweep Monday.

Turkey, a predominantly Muslim but officially secular country, is witnessing an unprecedented showdown between the country's rising political Islamic movement and its fiercely secular founders, the military officers. >>> Selcan Hacaoglu, Ankara, The Associated Press | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Bosses at Scandal-hit Stafford Hospital Escape Scot-free
THE TELEGRAPH: The senior managers who presided over one of Britain’s worst hospital scandals, in which up to 1,200 patients died, have all escaped being disciplined, it has emerged.

Photo: The Telegraph
No one on the board at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust has faced censure and all of them were either paid off, walked into another job or allowed to remain in post. The man who ran the hospital trust received a large pay-off despite his part in the scandal.

Martin Yeates, the former chief executive, left the trust “by mutual agreement” with a pay-off of £400,000 and a pension worth £1.27 million, it has been alleged.

The lack of disciplinary action emerged after the publication of a damning report into the treatment of patients between 2005 and 2008.

An independent report commissioned by the Government found that patients were abused and neglected by hostile staff and were left in humiliating and undignified conditions. The impact on them was “unimaginable”, the report said.

Patients, most of whom were treated at the trust’s main hospital in Stafford, were “robbed of their dignity”, left in soiled bedclothes, unwashed and in states of undress in full view of others, it found.

Families of patients had to clean lavatories and public areas themselves, while food and drinks were left out of reach and, it was alleged, patients drank out of vases.

Attitudes of staff were at times “uncaring”. Managers were “in denial” about the problems and were concentrating on cutting costs and hitting targets to achieve foundation trust status, the report said.

There was said to be a culture of fear and bullying with staff concerned they would lose their jobs if targets were not hit. >>> Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Union Européenne: Herman van Rompuy insulté devant les eurodéputés à Bruxelles
LE POINT: Le chef de file des europhobes britanniques, Nigel Farage, a créé le scandale mercredi au Parlement européen en insultant le président de l'UE Herman van Rompuy à l'occasion de sa première apparition devant les eurodéputés.

"Je ne veux pas être impoli, mais vraiment, vous avez le charisme d'une serpillière humide et l'apparence d'un petit employé de banque", s'est écrié Nigel Farage, sous les huées de ses pairs, lors d'une session à Bruxelles. "Qui êtes-vous ? >>> AFP | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

Tirade Against ‘Damp Rag’ EU President Shocks MEPs
"You have all the charisma of a damp rag.” – Nigel Farage
BBC: A British Eurosceptic MEP has unleashed a volley of insults against the President of the European Council.

Nigel Farage, who leads UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEPS in the European parliament, said Herman van Rompuy had "the charisma of a damp rag".

He compared the former Belgian prime minister to a "low-grade bank clerk" and said he came from a "non-country".

The attack, which stunned the chamber, came as Mr Von Rompuy made his maiden appearance in parliament in Brussels.

"I don't want to be rude," Mr Farage began, before launching into a personal attack lasting several minutes.

"Who are you? I'd never heard of you, nobody in Europe had ever heard of you," Mr Farage thundered, as noisy disapproval at his intervention in the chamber rose.

'Competent and dangerous'

"Oh, I know democracy is not popular with you lot," he said, addressing the members of parliament as they voiced their surprise.

Mr Farage - known for his outspoken interventions - did, however, admit that he thought Mr Van Rompuy was "competent and capable", adding that this made him "dangerous".

"I have no doubt that your intention is to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of European nation states," he said.

Mr Farage's party, UKIP, campaigns for the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union. It has 13 representatives in the European parliament.

"You seem to have a loathing for the very concept of the existence of nation states," Mr Farage continued, adding: "Perhaps that's because you come from Belgium, which is pretty much a non-country." Read further (with video) >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Nigel Farage Harangues EU President Herman van Rompuy


Nigel Farage Reprimanded for Criticising New EU President & Foreign Minister


THE TELEGRAPH: Ukip's Nigel Farage faces reprimand after calling Herman Van Rompuy 'wet rag': Nigel Farage faces an official reprimand next week after he described Herman Van Rompuy as a "damp rag" during the European Union President's maiden appearance before MEPs. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Thursday, February 25, 2010

Bringing Poison to the People! Prophet Muhammad: 'A Prophet Loved'

Maryland Can Recognize Out-of-State Gay Marriages
ADVOCATE.COM: Effective immediately, Maryland attorney general Douglas F. Gansler has announced, the state can recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. >>> Advocate.com Editors | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Would-be Miss California Says God Wants Gays Dead
I wonder what God thinks about women who flaunt their bodies? About immodest women? – © Mark
PINK NEWS: A contestant for the 2010 Miss California pageant has given her views on same-sex marriage, saying that the Bible is "pretty black and white" on what should happen to gays.

Miss Beverly Hills 2010 Lauren Ashley, who evidently hopes to follow in the footsteps of last year's Miss California Carrie Prejean, was speaking to Fox News.

Ms Ashley said: "The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, 'If man lies with mankind [sic] as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.' The Bible is pretty black and white. >>> Jessica Green | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Margot Käßmann, Landesbischöfin der größten evangelischen Kirche Deutschlands, auf der Pressekonferenz. Foto: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Nach Alkoholfahrt: Käßmann tritt von allen Ämtern zurück
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die EKD-Ratsvorsitzende, Margot Käßmann, tritt mit sofortiger Wirkung von allen ihren Ämtern zurück, bleibt aber Pastorin der Landeskirche. „Mein Herz sagt mir ganz klar: Ich kann nicht mit der notwendigen Autorität im Amt bleiben“, sagte sie am Nachmittag auf einer Pressekonferenz in Hannover. Die 51 Jahre alte Käßmann, seit 1999 Landesbischöfin der größten evangelischen Landeskirche und seit Oktober vorigen Jahres als Ratsvorsitzende Sprecherin der deutschen Protestanten, bezeichnete ihre Fahrt als erheblichen Fehler, aus dem sie nun die Konsequenzen ziehe.

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) hat den Rücktritt „mit Respekt und Bedauern aufgenommen“. Nach Angaben von Regierungssprecher Ulrich Wilhelm sagte Merkel: „Ich habe die Zusammenarbeit mit Bischöfin Käßmann sehr geschätzt.“ Die EKD-Synodenpräsidentin Katrin Göring-Eckardt und der stellvertretende EKD-Ratsvorsitzende, Nikolaus Schneider, erklärten: „Ihr Rücktritt ist ein schwerer Verlust für den deutschen Protestantismus. Die Gradlinigkeit und Klarheit in ihren theologischen, soziopolitischen und gesellschaftlichen Positionen werden der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland fehlen.“ >>> Faz.net | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

German Drink-driving Bishop Quits
BBC: The head of Germany's Protestant Church has resigned, four days after being caught drink-driving.

"My heart tells me quite clearly that I cannot stay," Bishop Margot Kaessmann was quoted as saying.

Arrested in Hanover at the weekend, she was charged with passing a red light while three times over the legal limit.

The 51-year-old became Germany's youngest bishop in 1999. She was appointed last year to lead the 25 million-strong Lutheran Church.

"Last Saturday, I made a big mistake," Bishop Kaessmann was quoted as telling reporters on Wednesday. 'Popstar of Protestantism' >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Verbunden / Related:

THE TELEGRAPH: Germany's Protestant Head Arrested for Drink Driving >>> Allan Hall in Berlin | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

L’Eglise veut des indemnités pour la destruction du Christ dans «2012»
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RIO DE JANEIRO | L’archidiocèse de Rio a demandé des dommages et intérêts à Columbia Pictures pour avoir utilisé sans son autorisation des images de la célèbre statue du Christ qui surplombe la ville dans le film catastrophe «2012 la fin du monde».

"Les négociations ont commencé en décembre, un mois après le lancement du film. L’archidiocèse avait refusé l’utilisation de ce symbole religieux lors de la pré-production du film mais Columbia Pictures n’a pas respecté l’interdiction", a déclaré l’avocate de l’archidiocèse Claudine Dutra.

La bande annonce et l’affiche du film "2012", du réalisateur allemand Roland Emmerich, montrent la statue du Christ aux bras ouverts en train d’être détruite par un raz de marée.

"Beaucoup de fidèles se sont dits choqués et offensés par les images de destruction de ce sanctuaire que l’archidiocèse veut préserver. Nous voulons que Columbia Pictures déclare publiquement qu’elle n’avait pas l’intention d’offenser" les fidèles, a ajouté l’avocate. >>> AFP | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

2012 Trailer

Liliane Bettencourt refuse toujours de se soumettre à une expertise médicale
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: HÉRITAGE | L'héritière et actionnaire principale de L'Oréal, Liliane Bettencourt, a de nouveau refusé de se soumettre à une expertise médicale dans l'affaire des dons qu'elle a consentis à l'artiste François-Marie Banier.

Selon ce dernier, Mme Bettencourt a adressé un courrier personnel en ce sens aux trois experts judiciaires chargés de l'examiner.

Liliane Bettencourt avait déjà refusé cette expertise après que le tribunal de Nanterre l'eut ordonnée le 11 décembre 2009 en missionnant trois experts, dont le docteur Philippe Azouvi.

Ce dernier avait relancé l'héritière de L'Oréal en lui précisant qu'il ne s'agissait pas d'une expertise psychiatrique mais neurologique, a-t-on indiqué de source proche du dossier.

"Liliane Bettencourt se demande pourquoi il faut trois éminents spécialistes pour une simple expertise dans le domaine de la médecine générale. Elle estime que le professeur Azouvi a déjà tranché sur pièces", a déclaré Me Georges Kiejmann. >>> AFP | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

When Palestinians Keep Israelis Safe
HAARETZ: The damage felt by the Mossad over the release of footage of the hit on Mahmoud al-Mabhouh is now likely to be suffered by the Shin Bet security service with next week's publication of Mosab Hassan Yousef's memoir.

"The Green Prince" was apparently among the highest ranking agents the security service operated among Hamas' military wing in the West Bank, the most murderous terror network ever known in the Palestinian territories.

In his book, and in his interview with Avi Issacharoff (to be published in full Friday), Yousef exposes the methods by which the Shin Bet almost entirely obliterated the network by which hundreds of Israelis were murdered in terrorist attacks between 2000 and 2005. >>> Amos Harel | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Google Italy Ruling 'Threat to Internet Freedom'
THE TELEGRAPH: Three Google executives were convicted on Wednesday of violating privacy laws by allowing disturbing footage of a disabled Italian boy being bullied to be posted on the internet.

The ruling was the first of its kind in history and was condemned by critics as "the biggest threat to internet freedom we have seen".

The trial centred on footage posted on Google Videos, of a teenager suffering from Down's syndrome and who was being bullied by four other boys, at a Turin school.

The footage was posted in September 2006 and became the most viewed where it remained for two months before finally being removed.

Prosecutors in Milan brought the case after being contacted by the charity Viva Down and argued that the boys privacy had been violated and that Google should have removed the footage quicker than it eventually did.

In the footage the boy was seen cowering as he was punched and kicked before one of the youths attacking him made a mocking call to the Viva Down charity.

The three executives found guilty by judge Oscar Magi were David Carl Drummond, former Google Italy and now senior vice president, George De Los Reyes, a retired financial executive and privacy director Peter Fleischer.

The three were found guilty of violating privacy laws and given six month suspended sentences, while they were cleared of defamation. A fourth executive Arvind Desikan, an executive with Google video Europe was cleared. >>> Nick Pisa in Rome | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

«Der Islam ist jetzt auch eine Schweizer Religion»
TAGES ANZEIGER: Für den Schweizer Islamwissenschaftler Tariq Ramadan existiert ein europäischer Islam. Das Zusammenleben funktioniere auf lokaler Ebene schon gut, national brauche es aber noch Zeit.

«Indem ich mich integriere, verändere ich die Kultur, in die ich mich integriere»: Tariq Ramadan. Bild: Tages Anzeiger
Weiter lesen >>> Von Luciano Ferrari und Benedikt Rüttimann | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

Islam : «En m’intégrant, je change la culture dans laquelle je m’intègre»
LE TEMPS: Dans une interview publiée sur le site internet du quotidien alémanique Tages Anzeiger, Tariq Ramadan s’exprime sur le vote anti-minarets et l’intégration des musulmans. Il se prononce contre la création d’un parti islamique démocratique en Suisse

Trois mois après le vote par lequel les Suisses ont refusé la construction de nouveaux minarets, l’intellectuel Tariq Ramadan dédramatise les conséquences de ce scrutin dans une longue interview publiée sur le site internet du Tages Anzeiger. Il s’exprime aussi sur les défis posés par la présence des musulmans en Suisse et en Europe, ainsi que par la construction d’une société pluriculturelle.

Après le vote du 29 novembre, certains avaient prophétisé qu’une tempête de protestations se lèverait dans le monde islamique. Or il ne s’est rien passé. Cela n’étonne pas Tariq Ramadan: «Tous les érudits musulmans du monde savent que les minarets ne sont pas prescrits par les Ecritures. Il s’agit d’une question architecturale». L’intellectuel suisse dénonce néanmoins l’attitude de l’UDC, qui a cherché à attiser le conflit, sans y parvenir. «Les musulmans ont réagi de manière réfléchie. Ils se nont pas tombés dans le piège de l’UDC.» >>> Patricia Briel | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

Zürcher Vortrag bringt Westerwelle in Erklärungsnot
TAGES ANZEIGER: Die früheren Nebeneinkünfte von Guido Westerwelle sorgen für Wirbel in Deutschland. Die SPD äussert den Verdacht, dass der heutige Aussenminister unter anderem von Banken «angefüttert» worden sei.

Referate sind für Spitzenpolitiker lukrativ. Guido Westerwelle zum Beispiel kassierte während Jahren mindestens 7000 Euro pro Auftritt als Redner. Nach offiziellen Angaben des deutschen Bundestags nahm der damalige Oppositionspolitiker in den Jahren 2005 bis 2009 Honorare in der Höhe von rund 250'000 Euro ein. Der genaue Betrag geht aus der Aufstellung des Parlaments nicht hervor.

Gemäss einem Bericht der Nachrichtenagentur ddp verlangt nun die SPD im Bundestag genaue Auskünfte über dessen «mindestens 36 üppig honorierte Vorträge» in der vergangenen Legislaturperiode. Westerwelle müsse nun zügig offenlegen, wie viel Honorar er für die Vorträge unter anderem bei Firmen der Finanzindustrie sowie der Hotel- und Versicherungsbranche bekommen habe. Es bestehe der Verdacht, dass Westerwelle unter anderem von Banken und Hotelketten «angefüttert» worden sei. Auch die Linke äusserte Käuflichkeitsvorwürfe. >>> Von Vincenzo Capodici | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

Einreisewelle aus dem Balkan schwappt in die Schweiz
TAGES ANZEIGER: Nach der Aufhebung der Visumspflicht kehren Zehntausende Mazedonier ihrer Heimat den Rücken, um der dortigen Armut zu entkommen. Bereits spüren erste Kantone die Auswirkungen der kleinen Völkerwanderung.

Seit Dezember letzten Jahres dürfen die Bürger Serbiens, Montenegros und Mazedoniens ohne Visum nach Westeuropa reisen. Wer über einen biometrischen Pass verfügt, kann sich ab dann bis zu 90 Tage im Ausland aufhalten - und das im gesamten Schengenraum, also auch in der Schweiz[.]

Diese Aufhebung der Visumspflicht hat nun vor allem in Mazedonien eine kleine Völkerwanderung ausgelöst. In nur sieben Wochen haben nach Angaben des Innenministeriums in Skopje fast 150'000 Personen die neue Reisefreiheit genutzt, wie der «Tages-Anzeiger» berichtet. Es dürfte sich dabei nicht nur um Touristen handeln: Laut Schätzungen dürften mehr als zwei Drittel der ausgereisten Mazedonier die Heimreise nicht angetreten haben. Hochburg der Auswanderungsbewegung ist der albanisch dominierte Westen Mazedoniens: Dort starten in einigen Dörfern täglich bis zu fünf Busse nach Westeuropa. Aber auch im südserbischen Presevo-Tal, ebenfalls ein mehrheitlich von Albanern bewohntes Gebiet, sind nach inoffiziellen Angaben bereits etwa 10'000 Personen ausgereist. >>> Von David Vonplon | Dienstag, 23. Februar 2010

Greece Grinds to Halt Amid Strikes


Scharfe Attacke aus Griechenland gegen Deutschland: Streit über EU-Finanzhilfen droht zu eskalieren
NZZ ONLINE: Im Streit über EU-Finanzhilfen für das hochverschuldete Griechenland hat Vize-Ministerpräsident Theodoros Pangalos die deutsche Regierung scharf angegriffen und dabei auf Verbrechen während der NS-Zeit verwiesen.

Griechenland und Deutschland liegen sich in den Haaren: Der griechische Vize-Ministerpräsident Theodoros Pangalos sagte der BBC laut einem Bericht des britischen Senders, Deutschland stehe Kritik an Griechenland nicht zu, weil die Nationalsozialisten die Wirtschaft Griechenlands ruiniert und überdies tausende Menschen ermordet hätten.

Pangalos sagte laut BBC weiter: «Sie haben das Gold aus der Bank von Griechenland und auch griechisches Geld weggeschafft, und es nie zurückgegeben.» Dieses Thema müsse in baldiger Zukunft behandelt werden. >>> ddp | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

In Krise wollen Griechen deutsches Geld wegen Nazi-Besatzung
TAGES ANZEIGER: Mit einem Generalstreik haben die Griechen gegen die drastischen Sparpläne der Regierung protestiert. Gleichzeitig überrascht der griechische Vize-Premier mit seltsamen Forderungen an Deutschland.

Im Streit über EU-Finanzhilfen für das hochverschuldete Griechenland hat Vize-Ministerpräsident Theodoros Pangalos am Mittwoch die deutsche Regierung scharf angegriffen. Griechenland sei nie für die Folgen der nationalsozialistischen Besatzung im Zweiten Weltkrieg entschädigt worden, erklärte Pangalos am Tag des Generalstreiks gemäss Meldungen von Nachrichtenagenturen. >>> vin | Mittwoch, 24. Februar 2010

La Grèce paralysée par la grève générale
Mercredi à Athènes, les forces de l'ordre ont dû charger certains groupes de manifestants en marge de la manifestation contre le plan d'austérité du gouvernement. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Les syndicats se dressent contre le plan d'austérité imposé par l'UE.

Armés de banderoles, de haut-parleurs et de lunettes de soleil, les Grecs ont déclaré la guerre au plan d'austérité annoncé par le gouvernement socialiste. «Ce sont les riches qui doivent payer, et les spéculateurs», scandaient plus de 30 000 personnes dans les trois cortèges qui ont défilé mercredi à Athènes sous un soleil printanier.

L'appel à la grève générale avait été lancé par la Confédération générale des travailleurs et la Fédération des fonctionnaires. Le pays s'est retrouvé presque totalement paralysé : blocage des transports maritimes et aériens, écoles et administrations fermées, hôpitaux et tribunaux en service minimum. Des échauffourées ont éclaté entre la police et quelques centaines de jeunes, provoquant la dispersion des cortèges devant le Parlement sous des nuages de gaz lacrymogènes.

Malgré ces incidents, les syndicats parlent de «succès dans la mobilisation», pour une grève qui se veut «une mise en bouche» avant de prochains mouvements. «Il n'y a pas de justice sociale dans ce pays, s'insurge Makis Karkavela, un fonctionnaire gréviste. Nous ne laisserons pas Bruxelles nous imposer ces mesures.» Le plan d'austérité du gouvernement grec, validé par la Commission européenne en janvier, n'a qu'un seul objectif : réduire le déficit public au plus vite. Celui-ci atteint 12,7 % du PIB, un record en Europe, et doit être réduit de quatre points d'ici à la fin de l'année. Pour rassurer les marchés financiers et les partenaires européens, Bruxelles a mis la Grèce sous tutelle et exige les premiers résultats des réformes d'ici au 16 mars, date du prochain Conseil des ministres de l'Économie de l'UE. Tension avec Berlin >>> Alexia Kefalas , à Athènes | Mercredi 24 Février 2010

ITV Presenter Quits After Withdrawing Discrimination Allegations
THE TELEGRAPH: Presenter Lisa Aziz is leaving ITV for ''personal reasons'', it has been announced.

The news host has also withdrawn and apologised for a series of allegations she made against ITV colleagues.

Aziz was reported to have made claims of race, sex and age discrimination which were due to be heard at a forthcoming industrial tribunal. >>> | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Sunni-Shiite Split and the Iranian Threat

The Battle Against the Islamization of Europe

For Pakistani Women, Dupattas Are More Than a Fashion Statement
LOS ANGELES TIMES: The long scarves that many wear with traditional shalwar kameez outfits are laden with religious and cultural significance. For some it's a sign of Islamic modesty, for others a cumbersome relic.

A Pakistani woman in Islamabad adjusts her dupatta. The scarf has served as protest symbol, political must-have and, for some, a burden imposed by Islamic fundamentalists. Photograph: Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Karachi, Pakistan - Seeking a competitive edge, fabric designer Vaneeza Ahmad spent hours on the phone to China but couldn't find anyone to make her new line of dupattas, the omnipresent scarves that Pakistani women drape over their arms, head, chest.

China may be the world's factory floor, but its scarf makers aren't equipped for something that can be more than 8 feet long. Ahmad fretted, until, after much wrangling, she found a solution.

"I've located a curtain maker who could do it," she said triumphantly. "They've got the only machines big enough to handle our dupattas."

Essence of femininity, grist for film and literature, political statement, cultural icon, albatross, these few ounces of cotton or silk fabric have woven their way across Pakistan's shoulders, history and fashion runways, morphing from protest symbol to political must-have to sometimes-burdensome accessory demanded by Islamic fundamentalists.

The South Asian dupatta, which lies somewhere between its religious cousins -- the shorter head scarf popular in Turkey and Indonesia and the take-no-prisoners niqab and abaya worn in Saudi Arabia -- is such a fixture of Pakistani culture that many women here say they feel naked without one.

And while it may grow longer or shorter, wider or narrower, plainer or more extravagant with fashion's whims, it's a long-standing fixture in this conservative Islamic country, with a role in bolstering izzat, or modesty and respect. Nearly all Pakistani women wear a dupatta, at least occasionally. >>> Mark Magnier | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Celebrity Klatsch: Paparazzi Force George Clooney to Sell Lake Como Villa

TIMES INLINE: The actor George Clooney is reported to be selling his villa on Lake Como because of harrassment by paparazzi, a move which highlights the growing row over the invasion of celebrities' private lives.

Potential buyers of the Villa Oleandra at Laglio on Lake Como, which Clooney bought in 2002 for a reported $10 million (£6.5 million), include the footballer David Beckham, who is currently playing for AC Milan, and the Russian vodka and banking tycoon Tariko Roustam.

Beckham and his wife Victoria are said to have "fallen in love" with the villa while staying with Clooney last Spring, with the football star later telling team mates it was "quiet and peaceful and not far from Milan". The villa complex includes a botanical garden, tennis courts and an annex.

Corriere della Sera said lawyers from Milan had approached the Swiss property company dealing with the sale on the Beckhams' behalf. However Mr Roustam had raised his offer to €30 million, vowing "The villa will be mine". >>> Richard Owen in Rome | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Fearing Obama Agenda, States Push to Loosen Gun Laws
THE NEW YORK TIMES: When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition.

And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past.

In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last week that allows people to carry concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, and the House of Delegates voted to repeal a 17-year-old ban on buying more than one handgun a month. The actions came less than three years after the shootings at Virginia Tech that claimed 33 lives and prompted a major national push for increased gun control.

Arizona and Wyoming lawmakers are considering nearly a half dozen pro-gun measures, including one that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit. And lawmakers in Montana and Tennessee passed measures last year — the first of their kind — to exempt their states from federal regulation of firearms and ammunition that are made, sold and used in state. Similar bills have been proposed in at least three other states.

In the meantime, gun control advocates say, Mr. Obama has failed to deliver on campaign promises to close a loophole that allows unlicensed dealers at gun shows to sell firearms without background checks; to revive the assault weapons ban; and to push states to release data about guns used in crimes.

He also signed bills last year allowing guns to be carried in national parks and in luggage on Amtrak trains. >>> Ian Urbina | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

2 Teens Shot at School in Colorado
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Littleton, Colo. - A teacher tackled a man armed with a high-powered rifle after two teenage students were shot at a suburban Denver middle school Tuesday.

The students, one male and one female, were wounded about 3:30 p.m. outside Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said.

Both victims were expected to survive.

Student Steven Seagraves said he was about 10 feet away when an adult approached students and asked them: "Do you guys go to this school?"

When the students said they did, he shot them, Seagraves said. >>> Associated Press | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Palestinians: Israeli Plan for Disputed Shrines Could Plunge Region into 'Religious War'
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: JERUSALEM — The Palestinian president warned Tuesday that the region could plunge into a "religious war" over Israel's plans to recognize a disputed West Bank shrine as one of its own national heritage sites.

Mahmoud Abbas spoke during a visit in Belgium, following an announcement by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Cave of Patriarchs in Hebron earlier this week. >>> Associated Press | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Related: RIA NOVOSTI: Senior Hamas Leader Calls for New Intifada >>> Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Generation Zero: Official Teaser

Maverick Hero Scott Brown Branded Turncoat for Backing Obama Jobs Bill
TIMES ONLINE: After months of political paralysis, Washington’s showdown between Democrats and Republicans has given way to an unexpected truce called by the very senator who was hailed by radical conservatives as their new hero barely a month ago.

In a dramatic demonstration of independence, Scott Brown, the new Republican senator for Massachusetts, defied party whips to support President Obama’s latest job creation initiative — and was swiftly condemned by activists of the libertarian Tea Party movement as a traitor, a sell-out and a coward.

Mr Brown wasted little time endearing himself to readers of glossy magazines at the start of his career, posing naked in Cosmopolitan as the “Sexiest Man in America” when he was 22. He has been as quick to set pulses racing since his arrival in Washington, promising to bury health reform as the Republicans’ 41st senator, then stunning his supporters with a “yes” vote on Monday night when Democrats expected solid Republican opposition. >>> Giles Whittell, Washington | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Scott Brown’s Big Gaff

Oil in Falklands
ARAB NEWS – Editorial: From a geographical point of view, it is absurd that the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic are British.

They are 8,000 miles from Britain but only 300 miles from the South American coast, far closer to Argentina and Chile. However from a political standpoint, the Falkland archipelago has been a British possession since 1833 and against the odds, in 1982 Margaret Thatcher’s government fought a war to oust Argentinean forces that had invaded the islands.

The argument has been that the inhabitants should have the right to determine their own nationality. And since the majority is British and for years survived on subventions from London, they chose then — and still choose — to remain under UK governance. Even as long ago as 1982 there was a well-grounded belief the islands contained substantial deposits of oil and gas. Despite the chauvinism of the Thatcher government, this may well have been what really motivated London to seize back control.

Now a serious exploration effort is beginning and the Argentineans who, despite their humiliating defeat have never renounced their claim to what the islands they call the Malvinas, are furious. Their assertion of sovereignty was yesterday backed by other Latin American states meeting in Mexico. Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez even offered Argentina military assistance to invade the islands again. It may indeed be calculated that with the British armed forces now heavily deployed in Afghanistan, this time the islands could be held. The last thing London would want, even if still capable of it, would be to mount another long-distance assault. >>> Editor | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Maid Sentenced for Mixing Urine in Food
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: A Jeddah court sentenced an Asian maid to 200 lashes and a year in prison after being found guilty of mixing her urine into the food of the family she works for. The maid’s sponsor complained and accused her of performing black magic. The maid reportedly claimed she was getting back at the family for bad treatment. The woman did not appeal the verdict. [Source: Arab News] | Monday, February 22, 2010

Swiss Tourism Website Goes Arabic
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: Switzerland Tourism on Tuesday launched an Arabic version of its website for the benefit of the large number of people from the Middle East who wish to visit the country.

"This has been done to meet the requirement of our growing number of tourists from the Middle East and Arab world," Jorg P. Krebs, Switzerland Tourism's director markets for Gulf, India, Russia, Nordic countries, the Czech Republic and Poland, told a press conference at the Jeddah Hilton.

The country has been receiving a great number of inquiries about education and health care facilities, aside of course from tourism. "It is against this background that Swiss Tourism now provides all information in Arabic," Krebs said, adding that the website already provides information in 30 other world languages.

Krebs added that the country's "comprehensive, elaborate and excellent" facilities for education and health care in particular have been attracting a large number of Saudis and expatriates from the Kingdom. Demand for Switzerland's language schools, high schools and universities is growing from this part of the world. Also, the GCC visitors favor our destinations because of the country's solid tourism infrastructure and facilities that suit the Muslim world, he said. "We have tailor-made facilities for Ramadan with chalets, holiday apartments and starred hotels," he said, adding that the country today boasts 45,000 holiday apartments and 3,500 starred hotels for tourists. >>> K. S. Ramkumar, Arab News | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

London Sharia Bank Targets Well-off Gulf Clients
REUTERS: LONDON - Sharia-compliant Bank of London and the Middle East (BLME) is targeting the thousands of rich Gulf residents who spend part of the year in London, to boost its private banking arm, its head told Reuters.

Britain's largest stand-alone sharia bank aims for deposits in the wealth management unit -- launched a year ago -- to make up 20-25 percent of its total, from 5-10 percent currently, Chief Executive Humphrey Percy said on Tuesday.

"This is what we are targeting and it will take three to five years to achieve that," he told the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit in London.

The bank does not disclose how much it holds in client assets. It is targeting clients with a net worth more than 1 million pounds ($1.57 million), who can commit at least 250,000 pounds.

Percy also said the bank is about to launch an Internet banking service aimed at less wealthy clients who can deposit around 50,000 pounds or more, targeting deposits of 50 million pounds within a year.

The bank, which fully complies with Islamic principles, was founded in 2006 with the backing of Kuwaiti investors, including Boubyan Bank (BOUK.KW). >>> Cecilia Valente and Chris Vellacott, additional reporting by Claire Milhench, editing by Rupert Winchester | Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Aston School to Step Up Research on Islamic Finance
FINANCIAL TIMES: Dubai-based trading company Surgi-Tech has awarded Aston Business School £1.5m to set up an Islamic Finance and Business Centre at its campus in Birmingham.

The centre will allow Aston to increase teaching and research into Islamic finance, which has been expanding as Muslims seek alternatives to Western finance that are compliant with sharia law. >>> Jonathan Guthrie | Monday, February 15, 2010

Saudi Cleric Backs Gender Segregation with Fatwa
REUTERS: RIYADH - A prominent Saudi cleric has issued an edict calling for opponents of the kingdom's strict segregation of men and women to be put to death if they refuse to abandon their ideas.

Shaikh Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak said in a fatwa the mixing of genders at the workplace or in education "as advocated by modernisers" is prohibited because it allows "sight of what is forbidden, and forbidden talk between men and women".

"All of this leads to whatever ensues," he said in the text of the fatwa published on his website (albarrak.islamlight.net).

"Whoever allows this mixing ... allows forbidden things, and whoever allows them is an infidel and this means defection from Islam ... Either he retracts or he must be killed ... because he disavows and does not observe the Sharia," Barrak said.

"Anyone who accepts that his daughter, sister or wife works with men or attend mixed-gender schooling cares little about his honour and this is a type of pimping," Barrak said. >>> Reporting by Souhail Karam; Editing by Dominic Evans | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Wafa Sultan: Islam Is Incompatible with Western Law


MY ESSAY ON THIS TOPIC:

Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom >>> Mark Alexander | Friday, April 20, 2007

Senior Hamas Leader Calls for New Intifada
RIA NOVOSTI: A senior Hamas leader called on Tuesday for a popular uprising by Palestinians over Israel's decision to include West Bank religious shrines in a list of national heritage sites.

Ismail Haniyeh was reacting to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement on Sunday that Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron would be added to the Jewish state's heritage list.

Palestinians believe the move will limit their access to the holy sites. Israeli officials deny this. A three-day strike began by Palestinian workers began in Bethlehem on Tuesday in protest at the decision.

Rachel, a biblical matriarch sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, is believed to be buried near the entrance to Bethlehem. The Tomb of the Patriarchs, where according to the Bible Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were laid to rest, is known to Muslims as the al-Ibrahimi mosque.

"Let the people rise up against the Israeli occupation...in response to this decision," Haniyeh told journalists. >>> | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Latin America Backs Argentina in Falklands Row with Britain
TIMES ONLINE: Argentina was celebrating a diplomatic coup today after winning the backing of Latin American countries in an escalating dispute with Britain over oil drilling in the Falklands.

Thirty-two heads of state and government from Latin America and the Caribbean agreed at a summit in Mexico to support "the legitimate rights of the republic of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute with Great Britain".

That represented a victory for President Kirchner and her bid to halt what it says is "illegal" oil and gas exploration in the South Atlantic archipelago it claims as its own.

Almost three decades on from the short but bloody 1982 conflict which saw Britain repel an Argentine invasion of the islands, tensions between the two former adversaries are once again on the rise with the installation of a British oil rig, the Ocean Guardian, 100 miles from the Falklands coastline.

The rig, contracted to Britain's Desire Petroleum, yesterday began drilling beneath the seabed amid hopes of a black gold rush that could transform the economic prospects of the isolated, barren islands.

In Argentina, where Mrs Kirchner has made the recovery of the islands a key theme of her presidency, the drilling has revived long-simmering resentments at what is perceived as a foreign "occupation".

Last week, Mrs Kirchner moved to obstruct supplies to the oil operations, imposing shipping controls requiring all maritime traffic through Argentine-claimed waters to the Falklands to seek authorisation from Buenos Aires.

Amid an intensifying transatlantic war of words, Mrs Kirchner moved to dispel speculation over possible conflict, however, insisting after the meeting that Argentina would not blockade the islands but instead pursue "legal" options to halt the exploration.

Speaking after securing the declaration at the summit in Playa del Carmen, Ms Kirchner said that winning such strong backing in the territorial dispute was an important development. >>> Hannah Strange | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Robert Mnookin: Bargaining with the Devil

British Woman Who Converted to Islam Among Eight Killed by Suicide Bomber in Pakistan
MAIL ONLINE: A British woman was among at least eight people killed by a suicide bomber at a busy market in Pakistan yesterday.

Belinda Khan, 44, from Cardiff, was shopping with her husband when the explosion happened in the war-torn Swat Valley region. He survived the blast.

Mrs Khan – also known by her Muslim name Aamna – had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month to get married.

Her husband Saeed told the Guardian she was in a car when the bomb exploded. He rushed to her side to find her conscious, but silent.

'She looked at me and we just saw each other for three or four seconds,' he said. Then, the gas canister in the car blew up in a second explosion.

Saeed pulled his wife's body from the car and rushed her to hospital but it was too late.

Saeed was Mrs Khan's second husband. They had wanted to marry in the UK, but he was denied a visa. She flew to Pakistan on February 8, and they were married the next day, the Guardian reported.

Mrs Khan had converted to Islam in 2005, while she was married to her current husband's brother, Yahya. He was killed by the Taliban in 2008 while she was in the UK. >>> Luke Salkeld | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

One Muslim Who Will Surely Incur the Wrath of Allah! Brother of George Osborne Had Relationship with Escort Girl
THE TELEGRAPH: The doctor brother of shadow chancellor George Osborne was having a relationship with a cocaine-addicted escort girl when he prescribed drugs to her, a disciplinary hearing has found.

A General Medical Council (GMC) panel declared Dr Adam Osborne guilty of serious misconduct after concluding that he acted in a ''misleading'' and ''dishonest'' manner when he falsified the name of a cocaine-addicted friend on a prescription.

The 33-year-old had admitted ''inappropriate'' behaviour in relation to obtaining the contraceptive pill for his then-girlfriend and antismoking drug Zyban for a family member.

The failings constitute misconduct that impairs his fitness to practise, the panel ruled today.

The psychiatrist could now be struck off the medical register when sanctions are announced later this week. >>> | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

George Osborne's Brother Becomes a Muslim to Marry His Love of 14 Years
MAIL ONLINE: The younger brother of Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has converted to Islam to allow him to marry a beautiful Bangladeshi-born plastic surgeon he met at university.

Adam Osborne, 33, who was temporarily banned from working as a junior doctor last year following allegations that he prescribed drugs to a friend, 'quietly married' Rahala Noor, 31, in two ceremonies held during the past six weeks. One was a civil ceremony, the other a traditional Asian Muslim celebration.

Dr Osborne's religious conversion is said to have been a condition put forward by Dr Noor's devoutly Muslim family for the marriage to take place.

He spent several months learning the teachings of the Koran at a mosque in Withington, in Manchester, before being formally welcomed into the faith at a simple ceremony last month.

Dr Osborne has adopted the name Mohammed, plans to attend mosque regularly and now prays five times a day.

But the newlyweds have been forced to live apart because of work pressures. Dr Osborne is a specialist in psychiatric care at the John Howard Centre - a mental health unit in Hackney, East London. His new wife recently took up a post at the plastic surgery unit of Royal Preston Hospital in Lancashire.

The couple have been going out for 14 years after falling in love as undergraduates at St Andrews University in Scotland. They went on to study medicine together at Manchester University, but they kept their relationship hidden from Dr Noor's family, who live in Manchester, for several years. >>> Angella Johnson | Sunday, December 06, 2009

Masters of the World: The Arrogance of China's Leadership
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The West hopes that China's growing prosperity will also lead to political liberalization. But the reverse is likely to be true. The Communist Party's increasing confidence means China is set to become more of a troublemaker on the international stage, and more brutal in its crackdown on dissidents.

China's Communist Party is omnipotent. It can move mountains, as it did when it built the world's largest hydroelectric plant on the Yangtze River. It can build the world's highest railway line, as it proved when it constructed the rail link to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

It can even organize reincarnations, something it achieved when it anointed a man who is loyal to Beijing as Tibet's second-highest spiritual leader, or Panchen Lama -- a particularly impressive feat for an atheistic party which regards religion as a corrupting opium of the people. The Communist Party bosses briefly turned spiritual in order to get their man in place as successor to the Dalai Lama, 74. But the Dalai Lama has chosen his own spiritual deputy. And he's also thinking about selecting a woman to be his reincarnation, he told SPIEGEL. Besides, he doesn't want to do Beijing the favour of dying anytime soon.

Last Thursday, US President Barack Obama shook hands with the Tibetan Nobel Peace Prize winner in the White House. It's something his predecessors had also done, as had the French and German government leaders. Usually Beijing just responded to such meetings by uttering the usual protests. The Communist Party's complaints against US arms shipments to Taiwan have been similarly muted in the past because it was well aware that US presidents are bound by law to help Taiwan.

But it's different this time. Beijing reacted with uncommonly vocal fury to the latest Dalai Lama meeting and Washington's new Taiwan arms deal, and has threatened consequences. Companies like Boeing might be excluded from Chinese deals, and bilateral talks among military officials have been cancelled. Self-Confidence Bordering on Arrogance >>> A commentary by Erich Follath | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Extremismus: Iran verhaftet sunnitischen Rebellenführer
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Iran ist ein Schlag gegen sunnitische Aufständische gelungen. Sicherheitsbehörden fassten den Anführer einer Rebellengruppe, die sich zu mehreren Bombenanschlägen bekannt hatte. Den USA warf Teheran vor, dem Rebellenchef einen Pass besorgt zu haben.

Teheran - Als einer der bekanntesten Anführer der sunnitischen Rebellengruppe Dschundallah (Armee Gottes) stand Abdulmalik Rigi bei den iranischen Behörden seit Jahren ganz oben auf der Fahndungsliste: Jetzt haben ihn Sicherheitskräfte gefasst, wie das Innenministerium in Teheran am Dienstag bekanntgab. Die Gruppe Dschundallah hatte sich zu mehreren Bombenanschlägen mit vielen Toten im Südosten des Landes bekannt. >>> mmq/AFP/dpa/apn/Reuters | Dienstag, 23. Februar 2010

SPIEGEL ONLINE – Fotostrecke:

Iran: Vom Königreich zur Islamischen Republik >>> Dienstag, 06. Juni 2009

No Exceptions to the Dutch Smoking Ban, High Court Rules
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: The Dutch high court has upheld the smoking ban, overturning two rulings by lower courts that allowed one-man cafes to let their patrons smoke inside on Tuesday.

The owners of smaller bars had taken their cases to court because, they said, they were not breaking the Dutch anti-smoking law, introduced in 2008. Unlike other countries, the Netherlands’ smoking ban is based on the right of employees to work in a smoke free environment. Owners of small bars who don’t employ staff argued this made them exempt from the ban. >>> NRC Handelsblad News Staff | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Why only the Dutch resist the smoking ban: Smoking bans have been well accepted in almost all countries that introduced them. Except in the Netherlands, where resistance has been high and public support is waning. Three experts try to explain why. >>> Onno van Schayck, Hein de Vries and Marc Willemsen | Friday, May 29, 2009

Dutch Parties Tussle Over Approach to Far Right: Labour Figure Calls On Others to Keep Wilders Out of Govt
REUTERS: Wilders, other politicians blast move as undemocratic / Blocking approach could push more voters towards far right

AMSTERDAM - A Dutch Labour politician's call to keep far-right leader Geert Wilders out of a new government has stirred anger among other parties who consider the move undemocratic and likely to drive voters towards him.

Wilders and his Freedom Party have been a focus of debate since the Dutch cabinet collapsed on Saturday, as the election on June 9 will be a key opportunity for the anti-immigration group to increase its influence after a stunning success at European elections last year.

Frans Timmermans, a Labour party member and minister for European affairs, said on Monday that Labour would refuse to govern in coalition with Wilders' party, and called on other parties to consider a similar approach.

"The Labour party stands for a completely different Holland than the party of Wilders, and for that reason we cannot be in a government with him," a Labour spokeswoman said.

"He (Timmermans) dared other parties to think the same thing. Do they want to be in a government that segregates people by race and religion?"

Wilders has described the call as an "arrogant" attempt to ringfence his Freedom Party (PVV) and said it was an insult to the democratic system, telling Dutch media "the voter will seek punishment for this". >>> Catherine Hornby | Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Bitter Election Campaign Looms
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIOBAL: Cleaning up the economy is the issue for the upcoming parliamentary election. How many seats will Wilders get? And what possible coalition could rule? These are the main questions now.

The election campaign kicked off just minutes after the Dutch cabinet collapsed at 4 am Saturday morning. Geert Wilders’ populist PVV party was the first to send out a press release, entitled “PVV is ready for new elections”. The Socialist Party issued one an hour later and left wing liberal D66 followed quickly.

The fall of the latest cabinet led by Jan Peter Balkenende brings some interesting political times, fraught with uncertainty and excitement. New parliamentary elections will be held in three months or so. A definitive date should be set this week.

The campaign is gearing up to be a repeat performance of the 2002 election, marked by the rise and fall of the populist right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn. Fortuyn was assassinated just one week before the election, but his threat to the traditional balance of power had made political leaders from all sides lash out in an unusually bitter election campaign.

This time, populist politician Geert Wilders seems set to play the part of Fortuyn. While he may lack the charisma of the late politician, he is very proficient at generating publicity and dominating public debate.

The main question is: how will the centre-right CDA deal with him? Will the Christian democrats seek cooperation with a party that agitates so loudly against Islam? Wilders has already created a possible deal breaker: he wants to maintain the age for state pensions at 65. Raising the age of eligibility to 67 was the only major cutback decision the fallen cabinet had taken. >>> Herman Staal | Monday, February 22, 2010