Boy Develops Fish Scales at 14 Months Old
THE TELEGRAPH: This 14-month-old boy born without pores in his skin has baffled medics by developing fish scales.

Doctors believe Song Sheng, of Jinhu, eastern China, may be suffering from a rare genetic condition that means his body cannot cool itself.

Song Sheng - called fish boy by locals - began developing scales within days of his birth caused by his lack of pores. >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

To make a donation to help Song Sheng click here.

Muslim Americans Arrested in Pakistan

Greece on the Brink: Anatomy of a Debt Crisis

Europe's Original Sin: National Leaders Ignored Greece's Soaring Debt for Years
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Europeans are blaming financial transactions arranged by Wall Street for bringing Greece to the brink of needing a bailout. But a close look at the country's finances over the nearly 10 years since it adopted the euro shows not only that Greece was the principal author of its debt problems, but also that fellow European governments repeatedly turned a blind eye to its flouting of rules.

Though the European Commission and the U.S. Federal Reserve are examining a controversial 2001 swap arranged with Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Greece's own budget moves, in clear breach of European Union rules, dwarfed the effect of such deals.

Predicaments of the sort Greece is facing—years of overspending, leaving bond investors worried the country can't pay back its debts—weren't supposed to happen in the euro zone. Early on, countries made a pact aimed at preventing a free-spending state from undermining the common currency. The pact required countries adopting the euro to limit annual budget deficits to 3% of gross domestic product, and total government debt to 60% of GDP.

But an examination of budget reports to the EU shows Greece hasn't met the deficit rule in any year except 2006. It has never been within 30 percentage points of the debt ceiling. >>> Charles Forelle and Stephen Fiddler | Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Obituary: Winston Churchill
THE TELEGRAPH: Winston Churchill, who died today aged 69, never quite managed in 27 years as a Conservative MP to shrug off the burdens of having had the wartime leader as his grandfather and the ebullient, self-destructive Randolph Churchill for a father.

Winston Churchill in front of a portrait of his grandfather. Photograph: The Telegraph
Faced with the choice of emulating Sir Winston or pursuing a career outside politics, he opted for the former, proved competent if mercurial, but lacked the exceptional flair to establish himself in his own right.

Churchill was at a disadvantage not only through his legacy but because his preoccupation with it led some to consider him bumptious; alone of more than 650 MPs, he insisted on signing Commons motions without using his Christian name.

He caused a furore in 1995 when he negotiated the payment to the Churchill family of £12.5 million in National Lottery funds for his grandfather’s personal papers to remain at Churchill College, Cambridge, rather than be sold abroad, himself retaining the copyright for 20 years. It had not been widely appreciated, even among historians, that the papers were eligible for sale as the family had already received £393,000 for them in 1946.

There were suggestions that Churchill needed the cash to offset his losses as a “name” at Lloyds, to finance his divorce from his first wife or even to bail out his mother, Pamela Harriman, who had almost exhausted the £100 million railroad fortune of her final husband. The Churchill trustees insisted first that he would only receive some of the investment income, then said they would consider a request to fund the divorce.

Randolph Churchill had observed of his son: “His name is such a disadvantage”, but young Winston saw both sides: “A famous name can be terrible if you are lousy, but if you are any good, it helps.” It may have seen him bullied at school, but later it did secure him the best tables at restaurants. It did not always carry weight, however; when after the Gulf War he introduced himself to a squaddie in the desert, he received the reply: “Yes, and I’m Rommel.” >>> | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Kiddoms!
Excuse me, but shouldn’t boys of twelve be playing with their friend Willy instead of playing with their own willy? – © Mark

MAIL ONLINE: Extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 are going on sale in Switzerland after a sexual health group campaign.

Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to 14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.

The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged between 10 and 20.

It found more 12 to 14-year-old were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s.

Nancy Bodmer, who led the research at the Centre for Development and Personality Psychology at Basel University, said: 'The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behaviour.

'They have more of a tendency not to protect themselves. They do not have a very developed sexual knowledge. Swiss government produces extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 >>> Alexandra Williams | Wesnesday, March 03, 2010

Suisse – Affaire Kadhafi : Le dénouement serait proche
20MINUTES.ch: Le dénouement est proche dans la crise qui oppose la Libye et la Suisse, a assuré mardi le chef de la diplomatie libyenne Moussa Koussa.

«Nous sommes proches d'une solution en ce qui concerne la crise avec la Suisse, même si cette dernière a la grande responsabilité de ne pas avoir mis en oeuvre jusqu'à présent ce qui a été convenu entre nos deux pays afin de résoudre» notre différend, a déclaré Moussa Koussa en marge d'une réunion du Congrès général du peuple (le pouvoir législatif libyen), à Syrte.

Cette rencontre a eu lieu mardi à l'occasion du 33e anniversaire de la proclamation de la Grande Jamahiriyya, le régime populaire et socialiste mis en place par Mouammar Kadhafi en 1977, huit ans après son accession au pouvoir. >>> ats | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Affaire Kadhafi : La famille de Max Göldi lance un appel à Kadhafi
20MINUTES.ch: La famille du Suisse emprisonné en Libye Max Göldi a lancé un appel pressant au chef de l'Etat libyen Mouamar Kadhafi.

Une demande de grâce doit être déposée en fin de semaine par l'avocat libyen de l'otage helvétique.

Moritz, le frère de Max Göldi, a déclaré mardi soir lors de l'émission «10vor10» de la télévision alémanique SF, qu'au nom de sa mère et de toute la famille, il avait appelé la famille Kadhafi «à faire tout ce qui était en leur pouvoir pour que la demande de recours en grâce soit entendue». >>> ats | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Chodorkowski: «Russland schaufelt sich sein eigenes Grab»
20MINUTEN.ch: Der russische Strafvollzug «legitimiert Gewalt» und sei von «Schweinehunden» durchsetzt, schreibt der inhaftierte Ex-Ölmanager Michail Chodorkowski in einem Zeitungsartikel.

Ungeachtet der Reformversprechen von Kremlchef Dmitri Medwedew herrschen in Russlands Justiz aus Sicht Chodorkowskis weiter Gewalt und Willkür. «Das verbrecherische Fliessband der Justiz zerstört jedes Jahr die Würde und das Schicksal tausender Menschen und produziert damit eine gewaltige Menge, die es hasst», schrieb der Kremlkritiker und einstige Chef des zerschlagenen Ölkonzerns Yukos in einem Beitrag für die Zeitung «Nesawissimaja Gaseta» vom Mittwoch. >>> sda | Mittwoch, 03. März 2010

Liechtenstein sieht braun: Neonazis mit Schafsköpfen und Brandbomben
20MINUTEN.ch: Im Fürstentum Liechtenstein ist die heile Welt aus den Fugen geraten. Rechstextreme Kreise gehen immer offener auf Ausländer los. Regierungsvertreter sehen «rechtsextreme Einstellungen bis tief in die Mitte der Gesellschaft in Liechtenstein».

Am letzten Freitag wurde ein Kebap-Bistro in Nendeln kurz vor der Eröffnung durch Molotow-Cocktails verwüstet. Es handelt sich um den zweiten Anschlag mit einfach herstellbaren Brandsätzen im gleichen Ort innert dreier Monate.

Ende November 2009 hatten Unbekannte Molotow-Cocktails gegen zwei Wohnhäuser in Nendeln geworfen. Hausbewohner konnten die Flammen löschen, bevor grösserer Schaden entstand.

Ein weiterer Anschlag ereignete sich vergangenen September in Triesen: Unbekannte sprengten den Briefkasten einer liechtensteinischen Familie und deponierten vor den Trümmern einen abgeschnittenen Schafskopf.

In allen Fällen fand die Polizei keine Hinweise auf die Täterschaft, wie Sprecherin Tina Enz der Nachrichtenagentur SDA sagte. Daher könne man weder eine Verbindung zwischen den drei Fällen noch eine zu rechtsextremen Kreisen bestätigen. Unverkennbare rassistische Tendenz >>> sda | Mittwoch 03 März 2010

Anti-dhimmitude! Muslim Woman Barred from Flight After Refusing Body Scan
THE TELEGRAPH: A Muslim woman is thought to have become the first passenger to be stopped from boarding a flight after refusing to go through a full body scanner for religious reasons.

The passenger was at Manchester Airport for a flight to Islamabad when she was selected at random to pass through the security screen.

She was warned she would not be allowed to board the Pakistan International Airlines flight if she did not comply with the request but she decided to forfeit her ticket.

Her female travelling companion also left the airport after she cited ''medical reasons'' for not wanting to go through the scanner.

More than 15,000 people have already passed through the £80,000 Rapiscan machine at the airport's Terminal 2. The Government introduced the scanner at Heathrow and Manchester airports last month.

Security staff use the X-ray machine to check for any concealed weapons or explosives but it has attracted criticism for also showing clear outlines of passengers' genitals. Civil liberties campaigners have criticised the scanners as an invasion of privacy.

Sources at Manchester Airport said the flight to Pakistan about two weeks ago was busy and that no other passengers objected when chosen to go through the full body scanner after check-in. >>> | Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Poppycock from The Times in the Best Neville Chamberlain Tradition! Blond bombshell Geert Wilders Returns to Britain, Looking for a Fight
Geert Wilders. Photo: Times Online
My oh my, Geert Wilders really does seem to have got you rattled, Mr Macintyre.

But let’s get some facts straight. Geert Wilders is not “far-right” just because he states truths that you, Mr Macintyre, don’t want to hear. This is clearly a case of shooting the messenger, and one of trying to shoot him down with ad hominem attacks. Geert Wilders is merely pointing out the dangers of the growth of Islam in his country. The Channel 4 documentary, Dispatches, entitled 'Britain's Islamic Republic', testifies to the validity of what Mr Wilders says.

In a free society, we should be allowed to hear and say things which may not be popular. It’s called ‘free speech’, remember? It’s what our ancestors died for.

So if Muslims don’t want to hear what Mr Wilders has to say, then it’s just too bad. We so-called infidels don’t want to hear half the nonsense and abuse that Muslims come out with either, but nobody has the courage to shut them up. By the way, Mr Macintyre, it’s Muslims who are trying to kill us, not the other way round. Your logic seems to be warped and twisted. – © Mark

TIMES ONLINE: Boyish, topped with a bouffant mane of bleached blond hair, cheerful and cherubic, Geert Wilders is the unlikely new face of the far Right in Europe. But appearances are deceptive. The leader of the Dutch anti-immigration Freedom Party has emerged as one of the most divisive politicians in Europe, the purveyor of a virulent brand of anti-Islamic rhetoric that calls for a tax on Islamic headscarves and a ban on the Koran, which he likens to Mein Kampf.

Mr Wilders is facing trial in a Dutch court for “inciting hatred”. Last year he was banned from Britain and turned away at Heathrow when he arrived here planning to show his short film, an incendiary anti-Islamic diatribe that the Dutch Prime Minister described as serving “no purpose other than to offend”.

On Friday, after successfully appealing against the Home Office ban, Mr Wilders will return to Britain at the invitation of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) to show his controversial film to an invited audience at the House of Lords. The English Defence League is expected to demonstrate in his support and Muslim groups are all but certain to mount protests.

To his enemies, the 46-year-old Dutchman is an old-fashioned racist demagogue in a new suit; a bottle-blond bigot. To his growing ranks of supporters he is a champion of free speech, a bulwark against what he calls “the Islamic invasion of Holland”. He may be dismissed by some as a crank but he is an increasingly powerful and popular one. On February 20 the Dutch centrist coalition Government collapsed, deeply divided over keeping troops in Afghanistan, paving the way for a general election in June in which the Freedom Party is expected to do extremely well. Polls suggest that the party will triple its tally of seats, becoming at least the second-biggest parliamentary party and quite possibly the overall winner. Mr Wilders is likely to be a key player in any coalition, with a profound impact on the political agenda. >>> Ben Macintyre | Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Sur la cigarette, Obama n'a pas tenu ses promesses
LE FIGARO: Le président américain a subi dimanche son premier «check-up» depuis son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche. Malgré un bilan satisfaisant, Barack Obama peine à arrêter de fumer et possède un taux de cholestérol trop élevé.

Finies les cigarettes et les sucreries concoctées par les grands chefs. Barack Obama va devoir se serrer un peu la ceinture. Le président américain a subi dimanche son premier «check-up» depuis son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche. Et, à 48 ans, bien qu'il soit en «excellente santé » et «bon pour le service», le chef de l'Etat a toujours du mal à abandonner la cigarette.

Il doit «poursuivre ses efforts pour arrêter de fumer», a ainsi expliqué son médecin, le capitaine Jeffrey Kuhlman, après une heure et demi d'auscultation. Plus de trois ans après avoir décidé d'arrêter - sur demande express de sa femme Michelle - le président éprouverait encore des difficultés à ne pas succomber de temps à autre à une blonde. En l'occurrence à des Marlboros, sa marque préférée. >>> Par Flore Galaud | Mardi 02 Mars 2010

Elton John: You Gotta Love Someone

The Late Luciano Pavarotti & Celine Dion: I Hate You Then I Love You

Greece's budget crisis is like wartime situation - PM
BBC: Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has likened the country's budget crisis to a "wartime situation".

He said Greece was at risk of bankruptcy if it did not take radical extra measures to cut its debts.

The comments come as Mr Papandreou is due to announce further big budget cuts following the pressure from the EU.

The government in Athens has pledged to reduce its deficit from 12.7% - more than four times eurozone rules - to 8.7% during 2010.

It also also seeking to reduce its 300bn euros ($419bn; £259bn) debt.

'Blow to wallets'

"We find ourselves in a wartime situation, faced with the negative scenarios affecting our country," Mr Papandreou told the parliamentary group of his Socialist Party (Pasok).

He said that Greece had to avoid "a nightmare of bankruptcy" in which the state would not be able to pay salaries or pensions.

Mr Papandreou has used some dramatic phrases to describe Greece's fiscal problems over the past few months, but this was his most alarmist to date, the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens says.

The prime minister was effectively telling Greeks to prepare themselves for another blow to their wallets, our correspondent adds. >>> | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Nigel Farage Fined After Herman Van Rompuy Slur
THE TELEGRAPH: Ukip's European leader Nigel Farage has been fined £2,700 after refusing to say sorry for a colourful outburst against the new European president.

Mr Farage used Herman Van Rompuy's maiden speech to the European Parliament last week to describe him as having the "charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low grade bank clerk".

He was summoned in by EU officials to explain his comments but said his only apology would be to bank clerks.

Yves Leterme, Belgium's Prime Minister, has demanded a public apology for the "slander" and Mr Farage's added "insult" that Mr Van Rompuy was a "quiet assassin" hostile to the sovereignty of nation states because he came from the "non-country" of Belgium.

Mr Farage was called to the office of Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European Parliament, and told to publicly apologise to Mr Van Rompuy and Belgium "or else".

"I said he had the charisma of a damp rag and I challenge you to find anyone who would say any different to that," he said, "The only people I am going to apologise to are bank clerks the world over. If I have offended them I am very sorry indeed."

Following the meeting, Mr Farage was informed by Mr Buzek that he would be fined EUR3,000, to be deducted from his MEP allowances, for the comments. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

3000 euros d’amende : Il compare le président de l'UE à une «serpillière humide»
20MINUTES.ch: Le Parlement européen a infligé une amende de 3000 euros à l'eurodéputé britannique Nigel Farage, qui a comparé le 24 février le nouveau président de l'Union européenne, le Belge Herman van Rompuy, à une «serpillière humide».

Nigel Farage, chef du parti UK Independence Party qui demande le retrait de la Grande-Bretagne de l'Union européenne, a refusé de s'excuser pour ces propos. La présidence du Parlement européen a condamné mardi le comportement «incorrect et irrespectueux» de l'eurodéputé, qui va perdre dix jours d'indemnités parlementaires journalières, à 298 euros par jour. >>> ap | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Greek Singer Nana Mouskouri Offers Her Pension to Help End Debt Crisis
THE TELEGRAPH: Greece's crippling economic crisis has prompted its best-known singer, Nana Mouskouri, to offer the country her pension in a bid to tackle its massive debt.

Mouskouri, whose best known songs include Greece, Land of Dreams and The White Rose of Athens, served as a member of the European parliament for five years in the 1990s and draws a pension of around £14,700 from Brussels each year.

The diva, who recorded 1,500 songs during a career spanning half a century, said she would donate her pension "until the country emerges from the economic crisis." >>> Nick Squires, in Rome | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Crise en Grèce : Nana Mouskouri renonce à sa retraite d'eurodéputée
20MINUTES.ch: Nana Mouskouri a décidé de faire don de sa retraite d'eurodéputée à l'Etat grec, face à la crise financière qu'il traverse.

Selon les journaux, Nan Mouskouri a invoqué dans un courrier au ministère son «devoir envers la patrie». Elle indique vouloir renoncer à sa retraite «pour ne pas alourdir le budget public, jusqu'à ce que le pays sorte de la crise économique». >>> ats | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Parisians Really Are Rude, French Poll Finds
THE TELEGRAPH: Parisians are traditionally viewed as rude, arrogant and unwelcoming in the popular British imagination.

Now the stereotype has been confirmed - by a French poll that completed the character assassination by labelling the capital's inhabitants "snobbish" and "self-regarding".

"We find them to be hard working and cultivated," the political magazine Marianne said of Parisians in an editorial published alongside the survey.

"But we consider them to be above all way too arrogant, aggressive, flirtatious, stressed, chauvinistic, snobbish, and self-regarding than other French people. >>> Peter Allen in Paris | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Hillary Clinton Slaps Britain in the Face Over the Falklands
THE TELEGRAPH: The transcript of Hillary Clinton’s press conference in Buenos Aires with Argentine President Kristina Kirchner last night, has just been released by the State Department, and it is a real eye-opener. Her remarks represent an astonishing propaganda coup for the Peronist regime in its dispute with Britain over the Falklands, with Washington brazenly backing its position. >>> Nile Gardiner | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

The Iranian Connection

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow – India
Journeyman Pictures: Watch video here >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

Un érudit musulman publie une fatwa contre le terrorisme
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: LONDRES | Cet homme d'origine pakistanaise estime qu'il les martyrs et leurs actes ne peuvent être considérés comme le djihad.

Un éminent érudit musulman d’origine pakistanaise, Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a condamné mardi les terroristes comme des ennemis de l’islam, dans une fatwa rendue publique à Londres. Il a souligné que les actes de terrorisme ne pouvaient avoir aucune justification au nom de l’islam, condamnant notamment les attentats d’Al Qaïda, dans cette fatwa de quelque 600 pages, présentée au cours d’une conférence de presse à Londres en présence notamment de députés et de représentants d’associations caritatives. >>> AFP | Mardi 02 Mars 2010

Sex in the Army – USA
JOURNEYMAN NEWS: Watch video here* >>> | Tuesday, November 24, 2009
*Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

Grèce : Athènes va annoncer de nouvelles économies
LE TEMPS: Le gouvernement de George Papandréou viserait 4,8 milliards d’économies supplémentaires, pour rassurer les marchés obligataires, Bruxelles et surtout l’Allemagne, encore réticente à lui accorder son aide

Face aux pressions de l’Union européenne et des investisseurs, le gouvernement grec s’apprête à annoncer quelque 4,8 milliards d’euros de réduction budgétaire en plus des engagements d’austérité qu’il a déjà pris.

Les nouvelles mesures d’économie influeraient notamment des taxes plus élevées sur le tabac, l’alcool, une augmentation de la TVA, et de nouvelles coupes dans les primes variables des fonctionnaires, a indiqué mardi une source gouvernementale. >>> Le Temps | Mardi 02 Mars 2010

Muslim Council of Britain Rejects Allegations of a TV Documentary
ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN: LONDON - The UK’s largest Muslim organization-Muslim Council of Britain- has rejected all allegations leveled in a TV documentary claiming that the association was attempting to turn Britain into an Islamic Republic. “We reject entirely the allegation that the MCB is “dominated” by any organisation/s. The MCB, with over 500 affiliates, has a rigorous election process with elected officials from a wide range of Islamic backgrounds.

Simply put, there is no scope whatsoever, real or perceived, for any affiliate/s or group of affiliates to dominate the decision-making process. The Dispatches programme has failed to provide even a single shred of evidence of how “undue influence” by any affiliate or group of affiliates has actually been exercised,” The MCB said in a statement in response to the programme screened on Monday evening by the UK domestic TV Channel 4.

The media spokesman Tufael Ahmed said: “Last night’s Dispatches fronted by Andrew Gilligan has once again resurrected stereotypes. Using out of context quotations, he echoes the rhetoric of far-right extremists, that British Muslims are somehow foreign, alien, extremist and imposing their way of life on the others.”

“The core of the programme accuses the Islamic Forum Europe (IFE) and the East London Mosque of fostering ‘Islamist’ extremism and that the IFE has an undue and pernicious influence over the politics of our country.” >>> APP | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

This Secretive Agenda Must Be Taken Seriously
THE TELEGRAPH: Telegraph View: Developments in Tower Hamlets are worrying news for British democracy

Radical Muslims, in their unguarded moments, are unrepentant about what they believe to be their religious duty: the replacement of secular, tolerant and liberal democracy in Britain by a rigid theocracy, in which the country is governed by Islamic law. Those who aspire to that goal are usually, and correctly, dismissed as a tiny minority who are unrepresentative of the moderate majority of British Muslims. But it would be wrong to dismiss the extremists as insignificant. The evidence we publish today [Saturday, February 27, 2010] suggests that at least one such group has infiltrated parts of the Labour Party, and has taken over important aspects of the running of the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

If the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) was open and frank about its aims, voters would be able to make up their own minds about whether they wanted to see its members in any form of government in Britain. It is part of any democratic system worthy of the name that those who abide by the rule of law are entitled to campaign in elections, even if we find their beliefs objectionable. But some members of the IFE demonstrate in private that they have an agenda that they are not willing to share with the electorate. They have also demonstrated that they are unwilling to abide by the procedures which are essential if elections are to be free and fair. As we report today, Jim Fitzpatrick, the MP for Tower Hamlets, believes that the party has been infiltrated by radical Muslims – just as it was infiltrated in the 1980s by the Militant Tendency. The IFE denies any such campaign. But its denials would be more credible if, in public, the IFE was not presented as simply a "social welfare organisation" committed to "community cohesion" and "tolerance" – while in private, it shows itself to be committed to replacing democracy by a theocracy based on Islamic law. >>> Telegraph View | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Related:

Dispatches: Britain’s Islamic Republic >>> Channel 4 | Monday, March 01, 2010

Britain's Islamic Republic >>> Channel 4 | Monday, March 01, 2010

Islamic Radicals 'Infiltrate' the Labour Party >>> Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, February 27, 2010

The EU’s Foreign Service Apparatus: Berlin Concerned about British Dominance
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The European Union's new diplomatic service is still months from completion. But already, Germany is worried that the bloc's new foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, is handing over too many top slots to Britons.

At least the European Union's new diplomatic service has a name: The European External Action Service. Beyond that, however, just what the service might look like remains a matter of conjecture. There is no clear leadership framework, nor is there a budget. Nevertheless, the service has become the subject of intense debate in capital cities throughout the 27-member bloc.

Diplomats from Germany and France are displeased with the personnel preferences being shown by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, according to an article in the Guardian. Citing anonymous sources, the paper says there is concern that four of the 12 positions in her Brussels office have been given to Britons and that several important jobs in the new EU diplomatic service have gone to UK diplomats.

Ashton has occupied her new position, created when the Lisbon Treaty entered into force last December, for three months. More time will pass before she submits her official proposal for how the EU's new foreign policy apparatus should look. Ultimately, it will likely include some 130 European Union ambassadors and 7,000 diplomats -- and discussions on how those positions might be divvied up are underway among Europe's 27 foreign ministers. Already, though, the first governments are sounding the alarm. >>> Matthias Gebauer and Carsten Volkery | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Beitrittsbemühungen: Türkei will Verfassung den EU-Normen anpassen
WELT ONLINE: Seit 2005 verhandelt die Türkei mit Brüssel über einen EU-Beitritt. Um das stockende Projekt voranzubringen, soll nun die türkische Verfassung verändert werden. Die Regierung will etwa das Justizsystem europäischen Standards anpassen. Das letzte Wort darüber hat aber vermutlich das türkische Volk.

Die türkische Regierung hat eine Überarbeitung der Verfassung des Landes angekündigt. Damit soll das türkische Grundgesetz an die Normen der europäischen Demokratie angepasst werden, wie Ministerpräsident RecepTayyip Erdogan sagte.

„Es geht nicht darum, die Verfassung von Grund auf zu ändern, sondern wir wollen einige Artikel abändern“, sagte Erdogan vor Journalisten.
Bei der geplanten Reform gehe es vor allem um Artikel zum Verbot politischer Parteien und zur Funktionsweise der Justiz. Erdogans Regierungspartei AKP will dem Parlament seinen Angaben zufolge bis Ende März einen Änderungsentwurf vorlegen.

Da die AKP im Parlament nicht über die erforderliche Mehrheit für eine Verfassungsänderung verfügt, muss er das geplante Reformpaket möglicherweise per Volksabstimmung verabschieden lassen. >>> AFP/jm | Montag, 01. März 2010

Korruption in Griechenland nimmt deutlich zu
ZEIT ONLINE: Den Führerschein machen? Einen Anwalt finden? In Griechenland kostet vieles extra, mit steigender Tendenz. Im Durchschnitt bestach jeder Bürger 2009 mit bis zu 1671 Euro.

Griechenlands Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft sind laut Transparency International (TI) fest im Griff der Korruption. Die Griechen zahlten laut einer von Die Welt veröffentlichten TI-Studie im vergangenen Jahr durchschnittlich 1355 Euro Bestechungsgeld, wenn sie die Ausstellung eines Führer- oder Fahrzeugscheins beschleunigen, eine Baugenehmigung kaufen, schneller in ein öffentliches Krankenhaus aufgenommen oder die Ergebnisse einer Steuerprüfung manipulieren wollten. 2008 lag das durchschnittliche Bestechungsgeld in diesem Bereich bei 1374 Euro. >>> Zeit Online, AFP, Reuters | Dienstag, 02. März 2010

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Corruption is widely regarded as one of the triggers of the Greek debt crisis threatening the euro common currency. A new study by Transparency International suggests that corruption is part of everyday life in Greece, and claims private households paid more than 780 million euros in bribes in 2009.

The Greeks paid an average of €1,355 ($1,830) in bribes last year for public services such as speeding up the issue of driver's licenses and construction permits, getting admitted to public hospitals or manipulating tax returns, according to a new study by Transparency International, the Berlin-based global corruption watchdog.

In 2008, average bribes were even higher, at €1,374, the study said, according to a report in the German daily Die Welt on Tuesday. European Debt Crisis: Greek Corruption Booming, Says Transparency International >>> cro -- with wire reports | Tuesday, March 03, 2010

Don’t Let Politicians Bully You, Lord Carey Warns Christians
MAIL ONLINE: Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey today accused politicians of trying to bully Christianity out of public life.

He complained of a 'strident and bullying campaign' to marginalise Christianity in the name of political correctness.

Lord Carey said: 'We have reached the point where politicians are mocked for merely expressing their faith.

'I cannot imagine any politician expressing concern that Britain should remain a Christian country. That reticence is a scandal and a disgrace to our history.'

The powerful intervention from the retired Archbishop, who stepped down from Lambeth Palace in 2002, comes in the wake of strongly-expressed criticism of state attempts to sideline Christianity from other senior prelates.

Last month Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said that Christianity was being pushed out of public life in a 'ferocious and insidious' manner.

Lord Carey has spoken out strongly on a number of controversial matters since his retirement in a way he avoided while serving as the Anglican primate. In particular, he has backed limits to immigration, criticised Islamic theology, and attacked the 'anything goes' philosophy that has led judges to constrain public debate about the bad behaviour of celebrities for the sake of their privacy.

He told a meeting in the House of Lords: 'Christianity, which has given so much to our country, is now being sidelined as never before as though it is a stranger to our nation.'

Lord Carey told Christians to stand up for their faith and to be more assertive when their heritage is attacked.

'If we behave like doormats, don't be surprised if we are treated as though we are,' he said. 'It is time to return to the public square.' >>> Steve Doughty | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Dispatches: Britain’s Islamic Republic

Link:

HSBC Hands Top Banker £9 million Bonus
TIMES ONLINE: One of the biggest bonuses seen this year for any London-based banker was revealed today as HSBC announced it had given Stuart Gulliver, its head of investment banking, a £9.8 million package.

Mr Gulliver was awarded a £9 million bonus on top of his £800,000 base pay for his "exceptional performance" in trebling the profits of his division to $10.5 billion, HSBC said.

The payment came as Michael Geoghegan, HSBC chief executive, confirmed that he will give his £4 million bonus to charity.

HSBC disappointed investors after full-year profits fell by 24 per cent to $7.1 billion (£4.7 billion) following a big write down of the value of its own bonds. Its shares lost more than 5 per cent, down 37.1p, to 682.46p. >>> Patrick Hosking and Catherine Boyle | Monday, March 01, 2010

Iran Launches Fierce Attack on West in UN Rights Forum
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki speaks during the 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva on Monday. Photo: Arab News
ARAB NEWS: GENEVA: Iran launched a fierce verbal assault on the West on Monday, charging some European countries of subjecting Muslim communities to insult and violence and suggesting the United States and Europe aided terrorism.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told the United Nations Human Rights Council, to which it is bidding for election in May, that some Western states are gross violators of rights and are promoting lewdness to undermine family life.

"There is a growing trend in applying double standards by the Western countries with regard to the freedom of expression and opinion," Mottaki told the 47-member forum at the start of its main annual four-week session.

"Muslims throughout the world in general and the Muslim communities in Western countries in particular, have been the target not only of massive propaganda campaigns but outright social castigation and open violence, all under the pretext of freedom of expression," he declared. >>> Robert Evans, Reuters | Monday, March 01, 2010

Caricatures: un saoudien envisage un procès contre des journaux danois
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: POLÉMIQUE | Ahmad Zaki Yamani avait réclamé ces excuses à 16 journaux danois depuis août 2009.

Un avocat saoudien s’est déclaré prêt à engager un procès contre quinze journaux danois s’ils n’acceptaient pas de présenter des excuses aux musulmans pour avoir reproduit les caricatures de Mahomet en 2008, a-t-il indiqué lundi sur le site du quotidien danois B.T. Ahmad Zaki Yamani, agissant au nom de huit associations représentant près de 95 000 descendants du prophète, avait réclamé ces excuses à 16 journaux danois depuis août 2009.

Mais seul le grand quotidien Politiken a répondu à cette exigence, acceptant de conclure un compromis annoncé vendredi dernier et qui a soulevé un tollé au Danemark. "Nous sommes prêts à un long et très coûteux procès contre les autres journaux qui refusent un accord" semblable à celui de Politiken, a déclaré Me Ahmad Zaki Yamani à bt.dk.

L’avocat a indiqué avoir reçu une lettre du directeur de Niqabat al-Ashraf, l’une des huit organisations plaignantes, forte de près de 70.000 membres, qui se dit "très satisfait" par le compromis obtenu avec Politiken et qui lui accorde "un soutien financier pour des poursuites devant les tribunaux contre les 15 autres quotidiens" réfractaires. >>> AFP | Lundi 03 Mars 2010

Turkey Generals Accused of Links to 2003 Istanbul Bombing
THE TELEGRAPH: Three retired Turkish military leaders have been accused of helping to plan the 2003 Istanbul bombing which claimed 60 lives including three Britons.

Three of Turkey's most senior former military leaders have been accused of plotting a coup. Photo: The Telegraph
The men are alleged to have plotted with al-Qaeda to carry out the attack in the hope of destabilising the government and paving the way for a military coup.

Prosecutors suspect the former heads of the air force, navy and Turkish 1st army were linked to attacks on the British consulate, HSBC headquarters and synagogues.

Roger Short, the consul general in Istanbul, was killed in the attack on the Charles Barry-designed Italianate Palace in the heart of Istanbul in November 2003. Lisa Hallworth, from Denton, Greater Manchester, and former airline worker Nanette Elizabeth Kurma, from Drongan, Ayrshire, were also killed in the blast.

Although an al-Qaeda linked group claimed responsibility for the attack at the time, there have always been questions over its ability to source bomb making materials and evade security controls in a country with a powerful security force.

Investigators claim the bombings were part of "Operation Sledgehammer" which had been formulated by senior military figures eight months earlier to destabilise Turkey and trigger a military intervention to overthrow the government.

Prosecutors have arrested 35 ex-military figures in recent weeks on suspicion of being part of the plot which is also said to have involved plans to provoke Greece into shooting down a Turkish fighter jet. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Monday, March 01, 2010

Islamic Scholar Says Suicide Bombers Will 'Go to Hell'
Shaikh ul-Qadri is explicit in his condemnation of suicide bombings, kidnappings and the killing of innocents which he describes as absolutely against the teachings of Islam?
THE INDEPENDENT: A respected Islamic scholar will publish a seminal fatwa tomorrow that unequivocally condemns terrorism and warns suicide bombers that they will “go to hell” for their attacks.

Pakistani-born Shaikh Dr Tahir ul-Qadri is launching his fatwa in London as part of a drive to combat the power of jihadist rhetoric on the web and provide English-speaking Muslims with an authoritative theological explanation detailing why terrorism is not permitted.

Although numerous fatwas condemning terrorism have been released by scholars around the world since 9/11, Shaikh Dr Qadri’s 600-page ruling is both significant and unusual because it is one of the few available in English and online. >>> Jerome Taylor, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Monday, March 01, 2010

Naked Art: 5,200 Sydneysiders Strip for Spencer Tunick
THE GUARDIAN: Lie down, heads up, stop smiling' ... photographer Spencer Tunick directs one of his largest ever groups of volunteers for a nude shot on the steps of Sydney Opera House Watch Guardian video >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

Should Have Stuck with ‘Community Organizing’. The World Would Have Been a Safer Place! Barack Obama Plans 'Dramatic Cuts' in Nuclear Stockpile
Surely this should not be done unilaterally; this should be done only in a tit-for-tat manner.

With Iran building the bomb, and with other countries in the Middle East probably intending to follow suit, it is unbelievable that Obama finds it necessary to divest America of its strength. – © Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama is planning "dramatic reductions" in the US nuclear weapon stockpile as part of a sweeping review designed to prove his commitment to the goal of global nuclear disarmament.

Officials said hundreds of nuclear weapons could be cut, in many cases by retiring weapons that are now kept in storage, from the current level of 2,200 warheads.

A senior administration official said the new strategy would point to a greater role for conventional weapons, while "maintaining a strong and reliable" nuclear deterrent.

The president yesterday met Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary, to discuss the "Nuclear Posture Review" which was supposed to be published in December but was delayed reportedly because Mr Obama did not consider it radical enough.

The policy review "will be an important step forward in pursuing the goal of reversing the spread of nuclear weapons and seeking a world without them," said the official. He said it could also rule out the need to develop the nuclear version of "bunker-buster" weapons for penetrating underground targets. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Monday, March 01, 2010

Pound Slumps to Nine-month Low Over Fears of a Hung Parliament
MAIL ONLINE: The pound slumped to a nine-month low against the dollar today as fears over a hung Parliament sparked a sterling sell-off.

The currency fell sharply to as low as 1.478 against the dollar, as well as dropping below 1.10 against the euro.

Pressure on the pound comes as the Conservative lead against Labour in the polls narrows - threatening an indecisive General Election result at the same time markets want firm action to sort out the UK's dire public finances.

Mark O'Sullivan, director of dealing at foreign exchange firm Currencies Direct, said: 'Until the political situation in the UK becomes clearer, sterling will remain very, very vulnerable.'

The sudden drop from 1.52 to below 1.48 is the pound's biggest one-day fall since January last year, according to Chris Turner, head of FX Strategy at ING Commercial Banking.

He warned: 'While UK policymakers may have quietly welcomed the pound's recent weakness, they will not appreciate the kind of fast markets that can see a "sell UK" mentality developing.'

Sterling has lost nearly 10 cents against the dollar in little more than a week - hitting holidaymakers in the pocket, increasing pressure on petrol pump prices and adding to import costs for businesses. Read on and comment >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

Polen: Die Wandlung eines Neonazis zum gläubigen Juden
WELT ONLINE: Pawel war ein polnischer Skinhead. Bis er und seine Frau ihre jüdischen Wurzeln entdeckten. Erst waren sie schockiert, dann konvertierten sie. "Ich kämpfe jeden Tag, um meine alten Ideen loszuwerden", sagt der 33-Jährige heute. Sein Weg zeigt auch die erstaunliche Renaissance des Judentums in Polen.

Pawels Transformation vom katholischen Skinhead zum Juden begann in den 1980er-Jahren. Bild: Welt Online
Wenn Pawel in den Spiegel schaut, sieht er manchmal immer noch einen Neonazi-Skinhead zurückstarren. Den Mann, der Pawel war, bevor er seinen rasierten Kopf mit einer Kippa bedeckte, seine faschistische Ideologie für die Thora über Bord warf und Gewalt und Hass gegen die Gnade Gottes tauschte.

„Ich kämpfe immer noch jeden Tag, um meine alten Ideen loszuwerden“, sagt Pawel, ein 33-jähriger ultraorthodoxer Jude und ehemaliger Lkw-Fahrer. Und er merkt ein wenig ironisch an, dass er aufhören musste, Juden zu hassen, um einer zu werden. „Wenn ich ein altes Bild von mir als Skinhead sehe, schäme ich mich“ sagt er. „Jeden Tag, jede Minute. Es gibt eine Menge nachzuholen.“

Pawel, der sich hebräisch Pinchas nennt, hat darum gebeten, seinen Nachnamen nicht zu veröffentlichen. Aus Angst davor, dass seine alten Neonazi-Freunde ihn oder seine Familie ausfindig machen könnten. Unglaubliche Rückbesinnung zum Judentum >>> Von Dan Bilefsky | Montag, 01. März 2010

Changing Face in Poland: Skinhead Puts on Skullcap
THE NEW YORK TIMES: WARSAW — When Pawel looks into the mirror, he can still sometimes see a neo-Nazi skinhead staring back, the man he was before he covered his shaved head with a skullcap, traded his fascist ideology for the Torah and renounced violence and hatred in favor of God.

“I still struggle every day to discard my past ideas,” said Pawel, a 33-year-old ultra-Orthodox Jew and former truck driver, noting with little irony that he had to stop hating Jews in order to become one. “When I look at an old picture of myself as a skinhead, I feel ashamed. Every day I try and do teshuvah,” he said, using the Hebrew word for repentance. “Every minute of every day. There is a lot to make up for.”

Pawel, who also uses his Hebrew name Pinchas, asked that his last name not be used for fear that his old neo-Nazi friends could harm him or his family.

Twenty years after the fall of Communism, Pawel is perhaps the most unlikely example of the Jewish revival under way in Poland, of a moment in which Jewish leaders here say the country is finally showing solid signs of shedding the rabid anti-Semitism of the past.

Before 1939, Poland was home to more than three million Jews, more than 90 percent of whom were killed by the Nazis. Most who survived emigrated. Of the fewer than 50,000 who remained in Poland, many abandoned or hid their Judaism during decades of Communist oppression in which political pogroms against Jews persisted.

Today, though, Michael Schudrich, the chief rabbi of Poland, said he considered Poland the most pro-Israel country in the European Union. He said the attitude of Pope John Paul II, a Pole, who called Jews “our elder brothers,” had finally entered the public consciousness.

Ten years after the revelation that 1,600 Jews of the town of Jedwabne were burned alive by their Polish neighbors in July 1941, he said the national myth that all Poles were victims of World War II had finally been shattered.

“Before 1989 there was a feeling that it was not safe to say, ‘I am a Jew,’ ” Rabbi Schudrich said. “But two decades later, there is a growing feeling that Jews are a missing limb in Poland. The level of anti-Semitism remains unacceptable, but the image of the murderous Pole seared in the consciousness of many Jews after the war doesn’t correspond to the Poland of 2010.”

The small Jewish revival has been under way for several years around eastern Europe. Hundreds of Poles, a majority of them raised as Catholics, are either converting to Judaism or discovering Jewish roots submerged for decades in the aftermath of World War II. >>> Dan Bilefsky | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Medvedev mise sur l'axe franco-russe
Nicolas Sarkozy et Dmitri Medvedev en septembre 2008, à Moscou. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le chef du Kremlin entame ce lundi à Paris une visite officielle à forte dimension économique.

Nicolas Sarkozy ne devrait pas être avare de démonstrations d'amitiés à l'égard de Dmitri Medvedev, qui effectue à partir de ce lundi une visite officielle de trois jours en France, la première pour le président russe depuis son accession à la tête du Kremlin, en mai 2008. Après un entretien à l'Élysée le premier jour, les deux hommes participeront mardi à une cérémonie sur la tombe du soldat inconnu. Ils inaugureront au Louvre une exposition consacrée à la «Sainte Russie», point d'orgue de l'année croisée entre les deux pays, avant de se retrouver pour un dîner officiel.

Après les tensions apparues lors de la guerre russo-géorgienne d'août 2008 (alors que la France était aux commandes de l'Union européenne), les relations de coopération entre Paris et Moscou ont repris de plus belle. En décembre 2009, le premier ministre Vladimir Poutine était déjà à Paris pour un séminaire gouvernemental franco-russe. Pour sa part, le président de la République est attendu le 9 mai à Moscou pour la célébration du soixante-cinquième anniversaire de la Libération, avant sa participation, à la mi-juin, au forum économique de Saint-Pétersbourg.

Il y a encore une semaine, Paris et Moscou plaçaient les questions internationales au centre de la visite du président russe. «Nos positions coïncident ou sont proches», explique le Kremlin. Au sein du régime russe, Medvedev n'est pas l'interlocuteur le plus difficile à convaincre de l'utilité des nouvelles sanctions contre l'Iran, prônées par Paris. >>> Par Pierre Avril | Dimanche 28 Février 2010

Merci! Medvedev gives candid interview to Parisian press
RUSSIA TODAY: In anticipation of Dmitry Medvedev’s upcoming trip to France, Paris Match magazine met the president at his Moscow residence to talk about everything from NATO to his relations with Vladimir Putin.

The interview kicked off with questions concerning Russia’s relationship with France, which this year is hosting “Year of Russia” celebrations.

Medvedev’s answer provided a penetrating insight not just into the present state of affairs between the two countries, but their lengthy mutual history as well, which has oftentimes been quite colorful.

Relations with France

“Indeed, the relations between our countries have been developing for many centuries,” the Russian president began. “There have been many historical events when the ways of Russia and France crossed. The history of our states has witnessed both bright moments and sometimes problems, which also brought us together, but in the end the scope of cooperation has been tremendous. A classic example is the life of Queen Anna, daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, who got married to Henry I, King of France. However, it was long ago, though this fact is quite remarkable.”

After making passing references to other remarkable aspects of the French-Russian relationship – including Russia’s interest in the French language, bilateral cooperation during World War II and mutual respect during the Soviet period of Russian history, notably under the leadership of General Charles de Gaulle – Medvedev stressed that “the new Russia enjoys a very good partnership, a strategic partnership with France.”

“We are no longer divided by ideological differences,” the Russian president said. “This does not mean we have no disputes at all, but we actually maintain very good and positive relationships with the French administration, including my personal contacts with President Sarkozy. When we reach an agreement, President Sarkozy always keeps his promises, which is something every politician should be able to do.” On buying foreign-made armaments >>> | Thursday, February 25, 2010 / Monday, March 01, 2010

Exclusiv : Dmitri Medvedev nous reçoit dans sa datcha
Dmitri Medvedev pose pour notre photographe dans les allées enneigées de la résidence présidentielle de Gorki, à une vingtaine de kilomètres de Moscou, où il habite avec sa famille. Photo: Paris Match
PARIS MATCH: A la veille de son voyage à Paris, le président russe nous parle de son ami Sarkozy, de la modernisation de son pays et de l’Otan qu’il vit comme une menace. Retrouvez les coulisses de cette entrevue sur notre Podcast.

Un entretien avec Olivier Royant et Pierre Delannoy - Paris Match >>> Jeudi 25 Février 2010

Britain's Islamic Republic
CHANNEL 4 – Dispatches: Dispatches investigates a fundamentalist Islamic group headquartered in Britain, and its claims to have placed its 'brothers' in positions of political power here.

Using undercover recordings, investigative journalist Andrew Gilligan reveals the group's ambitions to create a worldwide 'Islamic social and political order,' and the concerns of a mainstream party that they are being 'infiltrated'; and talks to the Muslims who want to stop it. [Source: Channel 4] | Monday, March 01, 2010

This hour-long documentary will be broadcast on Channel 4 at 8pm this evening. If you miss it, it will be brought to you on this website as soon as it becomes available in suitable format. Please keep checking back. – Mark

Destruction Along Chile's Coast

Sorgen um Griechenland: Der geheime deutsche Rettungsplan
BASLER ZEITUNG: Offiziell bestreiten die Deutschen noch immer, dass sie für die Griechen Geld springen lassen werden. Doch vieles spricht dafür, dass sie bereits an einem Trick arbeiten, um trotzdem einzugreifen.

Basteln sie im Hintergrund bereits an einer Rettungsaktion? Deutsche Bank-Chef Joe Ackermann (links), Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (rechts). Bild: Basler Zeitung
Wegen der Griechenlandkrise kommen die europäischen Staaten Deutschland und Frankreich zunehmend unter Druck. An den internationalen Kapitalmärkten wird von ihnen rasch ein stützendes Eingreifen erwartet. Doch in Deutschland wäre ein solcher Schritt äusserst unpopulär, laut Umfragen lehnt das eine deutliche Mehrheit der Bevölkerung ab. Ausserdem gälte es als verheerendes Signal, wenn ein Land wie Griechenland, das sich um die Regeln der Währungsunion bisher derart foutiert hat, durch Steuergelder der anderen gerettet werden würde.

Deshalb betont besonders die deutsche Regierung nach wie vor, dass von ihr keine Hilfe erfolgen werde. Die Franzosen wiederum sagen, ohne Beteiligung der Deutschen würden auch sie nichts bezahlen. Auch die Griechen dementieren weiterhin, Hilfe zu beantragen. Die offizielle Sprachregelung ist noch immer, dass die Griechen erst einmal glaubhaft damit beginnen sollten, das eigene Haus in Ordnung zu bringen. Erst am 16. März soll die nächste Prüfung der Lage vorgenommen werden. >>> Von Markus Diem Meier | Montag, 01. März 2010

«Es ist mir eine Ehre, dass Hannibal Ghadhafi mich besucht»
Hannibal Ghadhafi trifft Max Göldi im Gefängnis. Bild: Berner Zeitung
BASLER ZEITUNG: Hannibal Ghadhafi hat in Tripolis überraschend Max Göldi im Gefängnis besucht. Der Sohn des libyschen Machthabers hat dem Schweizer erlaubt, seine Mutter anzurufen.

«Es ist mir eine Ehre, dass Hannibal Ghadhafi mich besucht und ich hoffe, dass er seinen Einfluss nutzen kann, um mir in meiner Situation zu helfen», sagte Göldi bei dem Treffen gegenüber Journalisten. Er hoffe auch, dass die Justiz ihre Arbeit machen werde und dass sich einige Dinge verbesserten.

«Ich bin seit 19 Monaten von meiner Familie getrennt und möchte so schnell wie möglich nach Hause zurück», sagte Göldi weiter. Laut einem Journalisten der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters wirkte der inhaftierte Schweizer entspannt und lächelte während des Treffens.

Auf die Frage, welche Forderungen er an die Schweizer Regierung stelle, sagte Göldi: «Die Schweiz muss Hannibal Ghadhafi das Recht zugestehen, von seinem Recht Gebrauch zu machen.» Die Veröffentlichung von Hannibals Polizeifotos in der «Tribune de Genève» sei «unakzeptabel» und «gegen das Gesetz».

Anschliessend setzten die beiden ihr Gespräch unter vier Augen fort. Göldis Anwalt Salah Zahaf ergänzte, Hannibal Ghadhafi habe seinem Mandanten erlaubt, seine Mutter in der Schweiz anzurufen, die am Montag Geburtstag hatte. Wichtige Geste >>> sam/sda | Montag, 01. März 2010

High Noon in Turkey
TIMES ONLINE – Leading Article: The confrontation between Ankara and the army could prove catastrophic

Turkey, a pillar of Nato, a potential member of the European Union and a strategic Western ally in the Middle East, is today poised on the brink of disaster. If the current confrontation between the moderate Islamist Government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the military establishment provokes a coup, or spurs political and religious violence, the loss to the West, to regional stability and to the hopes for this emerging economic power would be incalculable. What is at stake is of critical importance not just to Turkey but to countries across the Muslim world: is political Islam, even in moderate guise, compatible with democracy, state authority and secular institutions?

Tensions have eased slightly since the release of three top military commanders, taken in for questioning over an alleged coup plot. But despite the Prime Minister’s crisis talks with General Ilker Basbug, the head of the armed forces, and their joint promise to resolve tensions “within the constitutional order”, fears and rumours are still sweeping the country. The stock market has fallen. Social and political divisions are hardening. A further 14 people have been questioned, bringing military arrests to almost 40. And Turks have been amazed to see serving officers, until now virtually untouchable by civilian authorities, being charged with plots to bomb mosques, provoke violence and stage a confrontation with Greece — plots that seem as cynical as they are bizarre. >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

Obama Warned by Nation of Islam Leader That ‘White Right’ Will Make Him One-term President
MAIL ONLINE: Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan has predicted trouble ahead in Barack Obama's presidency.

The 76-year-old leader said the 'white right' was conspiring to make Obama a one-term president, and pointed to his stalled efforts to introduce health care legislation as proof.

He said those opponents and lobbyists were trapping him into a future war with Iran that could lead to mass destruction.

'The word "prophet" is too cheap a word. I am a light in the midst of darkness,' Farrakhan said at the annual convention of the movement that embraces black nationalism. 'It ain't ego, it's my love for you.'

An estimated 20,000 people attended the heavily guarded Saviours' Day event at the United Centre in Chicago.

Followers - men dressed in navy uniforms and women in white skirt suits with matching hijabs - cheered on Farrakhan with shouts of 'Allahu Akbar,' Arabic for 'God is great.' >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

Neutral Swiss Hurt by Libyan Row
If anyone has been hurt by the Libyan row, it is Libya itself, because it has shown itself to be just what it truly is: a rogue state. – © Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Neutral Switzerland has had its reputation as a global mediator dented as weaknesses in its foreign policy are exposed by its escalating row with Libya, analysts said.

Relations between Bern and Tripoli have been strained since July 2008, when one of the sons of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Hannibal and his wife were arrested in Geneva after two domestic workers complained they had mistreated them.

Libyan [sic] retaliated by blocking two Swiss businessmen from leaving its territory while Switzerland imposed visa restrictions on some Libyans, effectively blocking them from entering Europe's Schengen 25 nation travel zone.

But the row reached new heights this week when Gaddafi called for jihad against the alpine state over a recent Swiss ban on the construction of minarets.

Hasni Abidi, the director of the Geneva-based Study and Research Centre for the Arab and Mediterranean World, said the tussle with Libya was "bad publicity for the Swiss in the Arab and Muslim world," where Switzerland had traditionally played a role in mediation.

Bern was a middleman in ending decades of hostility stemming from World-War I-era massacres between Turkey and Armenia, leading them to sign historic protocols estabilishing diplomatic ties.

Switzerland also represents US interests in Iran and Tehran's interests in Egypt.

However, "this speciality is very certainly weakening given the situation linked to the Libyan crisis," added another analyst, Frederic Esposito, from the European Institute of the University of Geneva.

Abidi added that this was amplified by a Swiss referendum vote last year to ban the construction of new minarets, a move that drew worldwide criticism and which Kadhafi seized on to call for jihad.

Gaddafi knew that Switzerland's role as a mediator is "based on its image of neutrality and impartiality and openness," said Abidi, and therefore he has attacked this image.

Swiss handling of the Libyan crisis has exposed broader weaknesses in its foreign policy, said analysts. >>> Hui Min Neo and Alix Rijckaert, in Geneva for AFP | Monday, March 01, 2010

Dhimmitude and Grovelling! Sir Ian Blair's Deal with Islamic Radical
THE TELEGRAPH: Sir Ian Blair signed a formal agreement with an Islamic extremist to treat him as the Metropolitan Police’s "principal" representative of the Muslim community, it can be disclosed.


The activist, Azad Ali, was accepted by the Met as a trusted interlocutor. The force also agreed to give him information on forthcoming anti-terror raids. – Mr Ali has previously justified the killing of British troops in Iraq, believes al Qaeda is a "myth," and has praised a key mentor of Osama bin Laden.

Mr Ali signed the deal, a copy of which has been seen by the Daily Telegraph, in his capacity as the then chairman of the Muslim Safety Forum – a body closely linked to the fundamentalist Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE).

In yesterday's Sunday Telegraph a Labour minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, accused the IFE of infiltrating the Labour Party and British politics along the lines of the far-Left Militant Tendency in the 1980s. The IFE believes in jihad, sharia law and the transformation of Britain into an Islamic state. It will be the subject of a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary tonight.

The Muslim Safety Forum was set up, in its own words, to challenge the "unfair focus on the Muslim community when it came to policing activities and enforcement of anti- terror policing legislation."

It was accepted by the police as a legitimate body. The agreement, dated December 2006 and personally signed by Mr Ali and Sir Ian, who was Commissioner of the Mat at the time, states: "The Commissioner will recognise the MSF as the principal body in relation to Muslim community safety and security."

Sir Ian or his deputy committed to meet Mr Ali and the MSF at least twice a year and to hold monthly meetings with the MSF at "New Scotland Yard or other suitable premises."

Met chiefs, including counter-terrorist commanders, also committed to attending the MSF's own meetings "whenever possible”. Both the current head of the antiterrorist command, Commander Shaun Sawyer, and his predecessor, Commander Bob Quick, who the MSF described as a "close partner”, have had regular meetings.

The agreement says that the Met and MSF will "use the MSF as a consultation body to help formulate policy or practice." and "progress an annual plan of work through agreed priority workstreams," jointly led by Met and MSF representatives.

The workstreams included counter-terrorism and "Islamophobia." Mr Ali was the MSF lead on counter-terrorism. >>> Andrew Gilligan | Monday, March 01, 2010

Unglaublich! Deutschland: Eine 72 jährige schwäbische Dame nimmt den Islam an

Storm in Europe Kills At Least 50


THE TELEGRAPH: France seeking emergency aid from EU after storms leave 47 dead: France is seeking emergency aid from the European Union after the fiercest storms in a decade which left 47 people dead. >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

Violent Clashes in Jerusalem

At Least 700 People Dead After Earthquake in Chile

Pope Prays For Chile Quake Victims

Netherlands Gay Protest Over Catholic Communion Snub
BBC: Hundreds of Dutch activists have walked out of a Mass in protest at a Roman Catholic policy of denying communion to practising homosexuals.

On this occasion, the church, in 's-Hertogenbosch, had already decided not to serve communion, so the protesters left, shouting and singing.

The dispute began earlier this month when a priest in a nearby town refused communion to an openly gay man.

The Netherlands was the first country to introduce gay marriage in 2001.

Most Dutch people support gay rights, but the Roman Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is sinful. >>> | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Britische Tories in Bedrängnis: Unerwartete Erosion der Zustimmung laut den jüngsten Wählerumfragen
NZZ ONLINE: Die britischen Konservativen kämpfen mit einem rasch schwindenden Vorsprung vor Labour. Die Wahlstrategie der Personalisierung und Polarisierung bei inhaltlicher Unschärfe hat bisher nicht verfangen.

Gut zwei Monate vor dem voraussichtlichen Wahltermin spitzt sich der Kampf um die Macht im britischen Unterhaus zu. Just am Tag der letzten grossen Konferenz der Konservativen in Brighton zeigte die sonntägliche Wählerumfrage ein drastisches Abschmelzen des Vorsprungs vor der regierenden Labourpartei auf bloss noch 2 Prozentpunkte. Damit scheint den Konservativen ausgerechnet in derselben südenglischen Küstenstadt, in der Labour noch am Parteikongress im vergangenen September mit wehenden Fahnen unterzugehen schien, die Hoffnung auf den sicher geglaubten Wahlsieg davonzuschwimmen. Im letzten Herbst hatten die Tories in Umfragen noch um bis zu 15 Prozentpunkte vor Labour gestanden, Anfang Jahr waren es noch rund 10, vor einer Woche 6 Punkte. Fragwürdige Personalisierung >>> Peter Rásonyi, Brighton | Sonntag, 28. Februar 2010

«Eine Katastrophe unvorstellbaren Ausmasses» : Die Opferzahl nach dem Erdbeben in Chile steigt auf über 700
NZZ ONLINE: Nach dem schweren Erdbeben in Chile wird das Ausmass der Schäden allmählich sichtbar. Staatspräsidentin Bachelet spricht von einer grossen Katastrophe, die Behörden haben bis anhin über 700 Tote gezählt.

Nach dem verheerenden Erdbeben in Chile mit mehreren hundert Toten haben Rettungsteams am Sonntag nach Verschütteten und Überlebenden gesucht. Zwei Millionen Menschen seien von der Katastrophe betroffen, sagte Chiles Präsidentin Michelle Bachelet in einer Fernsehansprache. Das südamerikanische Land sehe sich mit «einer Katastrophe unvorstellbaren Ausmasses» konfrontiert, so Bachelet. Zahl der Toten dürfte noch steigen >>> sda/afp/Reuters/dpa | Sonntag, 28. Februar 2010

This Preacher Is Something Else! Watch This! You'll Be in Stitches! White House Not a Smoke Free Zone

Whitehouse Not a Smoke Free Zone from ATLAHWorldwide on Vimeo

Doctors Tell Barack Obama to Quit Smoking
Barack Obama has had his first medical examination since becoming president. Photo: The Guardian
THE GUARDIAN: The american president has been trying to kick the habit for sometime, apart from the smoking he is in excellent health

Barack Obama is still struggling to kick smoking, according to his first medical examination since becoming president.

Obama is sensitive about his cigarette habit and tetchy with reporters who raise it. But after his 90-minute medical at the Navy hospital outside Washington yesterday morning, his doctors confirmed he had not yet managed to conquer the habit and suggested he "continue smoking cessation efforts".

The doctors said the president used medication to try to ease the pangs, they described it as "nicotine replacement therapy, self-use".

Obama promised Michelle when he embarked on his campaign to become president he would quit, at the time he said he was smoking about eight a day.

He told reporters last year he had quit but still had an occasional cigarette, without specifying how many. >>> Ewen MacAskill, Washington | Monday, March 01, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama's first medical: president smokes too much and should improve diet: President Barack Obama hasn't kicked his smoking habit, takes anti-inflammatory medication to relieve chronic tendonitis in his left knee and should improve his diet to lower his cholesterol, his team of doctors said after the 48-year-old's first medical checkup as commander in chief. >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010