Fancy That! Breast Milk Cheese on the Menu in New York
THE GUARDIAN – Blog: Breast really is best, according to New York chef Daniel Angerer, who has turned his wife's 'liquid gold' into cheese

Breast milk: the new cheese course? Photograph: The Guardian
Take four cups of breast milk, add rennet, salt and yoghurt – yes, four cups of breast milk, according to a recipe created by New York chef and restaurateur Daniel Angerer, who posted his formula for maple caramelized pumpkin encrusted cheese on his blog, and offered "whoever wants to try it is welcome to try it as long as supply lasts". Read on and comment >>> Richard Adams | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Brown-nosing! Arschleckerei! US Apologises Over Gaddafi Comments
BBC: The US State Department has apologised for comments made about Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's call for jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland.

Department spokesman PJ Crowley*, who made the dismissive comments, said they did not reflect US policy and were not intended to offend.

Col Gaddafi had criticised a Swiss vote against the building of minarets and urged Muslims to boycott the country.

Mr Crowley described it as "lots of words, not necessarily a lot of sense."

Libya and Switzerland are embroiled in a long-running diplomatic row.

Clarification

"I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relationship," Mr Crowley said.

Last week, Libya's National Oil Corporation warned US oil firms of possible "repercussions" over Mr Crowley's reaction. >>> | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

*Who is this sniveler? America has lost ALL of its dignity!

20MINUTEN.ch: USA macht sich die Nase braun! Affäre Gaddafi : USA entschuldigen sich bei Libyen >>> sda/ddp | Mittwoch, 09. März 2010

US 'Jihad Jane' Charged With Planning Terror Attacks in Europe
THE TELEGRAPH: An American woman known as "Jihad Jane" was charged by US prosecutors on Tuesday with recruiting jihadist fighters to plan terror attacks in Europe and South Asia.

Colleen LaRose, a woman from suburban Philadelphia who was "desperate to do something" to help suffering Muslims, is also accused of agreeing to kill a Swedish citizen on orders from unnamed terrorists.

Miss LaRose, who is believed to be 47, is alleged to have travelled to Sweden to carry out the killing, but it is understood she was stopped by the authorities before she could do it.

A Justice Department statement said she was recruited over the internet by a contact who ordered her to kill the target in a way that would frighten "the whole Kufar [non-believer] world".

US prosecutors say Miss LaRose, who is also known as Fatima Rose, and five collaborators believed that her appearance and American citizenship would help her "blend in" while carrying out her plans.

They also allegedly recruited men online "to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe, and recruited women on the internet who has who had passports and the ability to travel to and around Europe in support of violent jihad", said the statement.

The suspect, who faces a possible life sentence and a $1 million (£670,000) fine if convicted, is also accused of stealing a US passport in order to "facilitate an act of international terrorism". >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Thursday, March 09, 2010

Festnahme in Irland: Mordplan gegen Mohammed-Zeichner vermutet
WELT ONLINE: Der schwedische Karikaturist Lars Vilks sei "wie ein Lamm zu schlachten". Dies forderte Al-Qaida nach dem Erscheinen seiner Zeichnung in einer schwedischen Zeitung 2007, in der er Mohammed als Hund darstellte. In Irland wurden nun Verdächtige festgenommen, die Mordpläne gegen ihn geplant haben sollen.

Wegen des Verdachts auf Mordpläne gegen einen schwedischen Mohammed-Karikaturisten sind in Irland vier Männer und drei Frauen festgenommen worden. Sie seien nach Ermittlungen europäischer Sicherheitsbehörden und des US-Geheimdienstes CIA gefasst worden, teilte die irische Polizei mit.

Das Terrornetz Al-Qaida hatte 100.000 Dollar Kopfgeld auf den Künstler Lars Vilks ausgesetzt. Vilks' Zeichnung des Propheten Mohammed als Hund hatte 2007 Proteste aus der islamischen Welt ausgelöst. Die Verdächtigen im Alter zwischen 20 und 40 Jahren wurden im Süden Irlands festgenommen und sind nach Medienangaben Muslime aus arabischen Ländern. Sie seien aber legal in Irland. >>> dpa/jm | Dienstag, 09. März 2010

La mosquée de Drancy fermée
lePARISIEN.fr: La mosquée de Drancy, théâtre de tensions depuis les prises de position anti-burqa de son imam, Hassen Chalghoumi, est fermée depuis aujourd'hui 16 heures et jusqu’à jeudi soir. Les cours d’arabe qui devaient se tenir demain mercredi avec plus de cinq cents enfants sont annulés.

Dans un communiqué rédigé en début d’après-midi, Hassen Chalghoumi et les responsables du lieu de culte, expliquent avoir pris cette décision car «il n’est pas possible de garantir la sécurité des fidèles».

Ils appellent également les fidèles à manifester jeudi à 18 heures devant la préfecture de Seine-Saint-Denis pour «demander la protection de leur lieu de prière, garantie de leur liberté de culte».

Selon le bureau de l'association culturelle des musulmans de Drancy, une nouvelle agression s'est produite lundi soir à la mosquée. Le muezzin de la mosquée aurait été bousculé, jeté à terre et frappé à coups de pied après la dernière prière par des membres du collectif Cheikh Yassine, un groupuscule propalestinien qui manifeste chaque vendredi depuis un mois et demi pour réclamer le départ d'Hassen Chalghoumi, voire la fermeture de ce lieu qu'il qualifie d' «impur». L'homme, âgé de 54 ans et décrit de «santé fragile», était encore hospitalisé aujourd’hui «en état de choc». Mais selon le parquet de Bobigny, le muezzin aurait fait une crise de diabète et ne souhaite pas déposer plainte. >>> Eric Bureau | Mardi 09 Mars 2010

Un Quick halal attaqué par des porcs

This Cleric, Dr ul-Qadri, Is Living in Cloud-Cuckoo-Land! The Name 'Polyanna' Comes to Mind! “Koran Says – You're Free in Your Religion” – Muslim Cleric

Read further >>>

Bracing for America's Anger

'Naked' Rahm Emanuel Adds Twist to President Obama's Health Reforms
TIMES ONLINE: President Obama’s troubled and marathon effort to reform the US health industry took a bizarre twist today after a Democratic congressman said he was lambasted over the issue by a naked White House chief of staff in a men’s locker room.

The image of a naked Rahm Emanuel angrily poking the congressman in the chest because of his failure to support Mr Obama's health care bill was becoming a major distraction for the White House and a boon for conservative talk radio hosts.

The congressman, Eric Massa, announced on Friday he was resigning because, he said at the time, his cancer had returned. By Sunday however, he had changed his story, claiming he was forced out of office – the House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that he sexually harassed a male staffer – through a conspiracy hatched by top Democrats. >>> Tim Reid, Washington | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Marlboro Man Philip Morris Sues Norway Over Cigarette Ban
THE TELEGRAPH: Philip Morris, the tobacco giant, is planning to take the Norwegian state to court in an attempt to overturn a law in the Scandinavian country banning the display of cigarettes in stores.

Following in the footsteps of several other Western countries like Ireland and Iceland, Norway on January 1 this year banned the display of cigarettes in stores in an attempt to cut impulse buys of tobacco products. In Norway, cigarettes have been banished to closed cases, while cigarette dispensers may no longer display brand labels.

The company, which manufactures Marlboro, said in a statement on Tuesday: "Philip Morris Norway (PMN) will today start legal proceedings to overturn the ban on displaying tobacco products in retail stores."

A spokesman for the group said: "Display bans have had no impact on reducing smoking in the countries that have implemented them, a fact acknowledged by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services."

"These regulations prevent adult consumers from seeing the available product range and overly restrict competition," she said, adding that "we have raised these issues with the government to no avail, which has regrettably left us with no choice but to litigate." >>> | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Iranische Doppelmoral : Sexkomplex im Gottesstaat
20MINUTEN.ch: Im Iran verbirgt sich hinter der Fassade streng islamischer Sittengesetze eine hochgradig sexualisierte Gesellschaft. Immer wieder entlädt sich dieser Widerspruch in bizarren Skandalen – etwa um ein Zeitungslogo.

Eine Frau wird 2007 in Teheran von der Polizei angehalten, weil «unsittlich» gekleidet ist, sprich zu viel Haar zeigt. Bild: 20Minutes.ch
Eine Realsatire der besonderen Art ereignete sich neulich in der iranischen Medienlandschaft. Wie das Nachrichtenportal «Mianeh» berichtete, hat das iranische Kulturministerium die Tageszeitung «Tehran Emruz» angewiesen, ihr Logo zu ändern, weil es Ähnlichkeit mit einer nackten Ballerina habe. Das Logo besteht aus zwei Schriftzügen in persischer Kalligraphie, wobei die Behörden im Wort «emruz» (heute) den anstössigen Akt entdeckten.

Der Chefredaktor der regimekritischen Zeitung hat inzwischen reagiert und das Logo geringfügig abgeändert. Doch auf der Website verwendet er trotzig die ursprüngliche Version – pikanterweise direkt neben der «entschärften» auf der eingebetteten Druckausgabe, als wolle er seine Leser mit der absurden Verfügung des Kulturministeriums belustigen. Die skurrile, aber eigentlich harmlose Anekdote verweist auf ein ernsthaftes Problem: Den Konflikt zwischen dem prüden, repressiven Establishment und der liberaleren, nach sozialer und sexueller Freiheit dürstenden Jugend. Masturbieren schädigt die Nieren >>> Von Omid Marivani | Dienstag, 09. März 2010

Élysée Palace: Affaires d’amour
THE SUN: RUMOURS that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruni are BOTH having affairs are gaining momentum in France.

The suggestion that France's First couple were both committing adultery first emerged on networking site Twitter.

And it has now even been reported by prestigious Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

The first 'tweet' revealed that Bruni had allegedly become romantically involved with Benjamin Biolay, a musician and a winner at France's recent Victoires de la Musique' awards.

It went on the say that jilted President Sarkozy had swiftly found solace in the arms of his 40-year-old ecology minister Chantal Jouanno, also a French karate champion.

French web magazine suchablog.com then reported that Bruni had been a close friend of Biolay for many years and was now unofficially living with him at his flat in Paris.

The rumours were given extra weight after being reported in an blog on Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche's official website.

The paper wrote: "It's the gossip of the moment that could become the story of the year. Sarkozy and Carla’s ‘affairs’ >>> Staff Reporter | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

SUCHABLOG: Carla Bruni avec Benjamin Biolay – Nicolas Sarkozy avec Chantal Jouanno ?? >>> | Lundo 08 Mars 2010


Adultery at the Élysée?
MAIL ONLINE: Nicolas Sarkozy has refused to comment on claims that he and First Lady Carla Bruni are both having extra-marital affairs.

The suggestion that France's first couple are both committing adultery - she with a musician, he with a karate champion - has appeared in a prestigious Sunday newspaper.

Le Journal du Dimanche reported in a blog on its official website rumours that Ms Bruni has become romantically involved with Bejamin Biolay, a musician and a winner at France's recent Victoires de la Musique' awards. Are Sarkozy and Bruni BOTH having affairs? Elysee Palace refuses to comment on claims of adultery >>> Ian Sparks | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni 'Both Having Affairs'
THE TELEGRAPH: Rumours that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are both having affairs are gaining momentum in France.

(L) French Junior Minister for Ecology Chantal Jouanno (R) French singer Benjamin Biolay. Photos: The Telegraph
The suggestion that the couple were both committing adultery first emerged on Twitter, the microblogging website. It was followed by a report in the Sunday newspaper le Journal du Dimanche.

The first 'tweet' claimed that Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy had become romantically involved with Benjamin Biolay, a musician and a winner at France's recent Victoires de la Musique awards.

It then claimed that the jilted Mr Sarkozy had swiftly found solace in the arms of his 40-year-old ecology minister Chantal Jouanno, also a French karate champion. >>> | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

NEWS.COM.AU: Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni 'both having affairs' >>> | Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Bruni-Biolay, Sarko-Jouanno : l’incroyable rumeur

Sarkozy-Jouanno, Bruni-Biolay: I-Télé arbitre les amabilités
by LePostfr

Konservative Christen: US-Asyl für deutsche Schulverweigerer in Gefahr
WELT ONLINE: Weil sie ihre Kinder nicht dem unchristlichen deutschen Schulsystem aussetzen wollte, zog die strenggläubige Familie Romeike von Bissingen in die USA. Dort gewährte ein Richter wegen religiöser Verfolgung Asyl. Doch die US-Einwanderungsbehörde legte Berufung ein. Der Familie droht die Ausweisung.

Die US-Einwanderungsbehörde geht in Berufung gegen ein Urteil, mit dem deutschen Schulpflichtverweigerern Asyl in den Vereinigten Staaten gewährt wurde. Das Berufungsverfahren werde sich wohl mehrere Monate hinziehen, sagte Rechtsanwalt Michael Donnelly. Donnelly ist Mitarbeiter der „Home School Legal Defense Association“, eines Rechtshilfeverbandes für Heimschülerfamilien. Außerdem vertritt er als Anwalt die aus Baden-Württemberg stammende Familie.

Das strenggläubige Ehepaar Hannelore und Uwe Romeike war im Sommer 2008 mit seinen fünf Kindern in die USA gekommen. Dort wollten sie ihre Kinder selber unterrichten, was in Deutschland untersagt ist. Die Romeikes stellten Antrag auf politisches Asyl. >>> EPD/ks | Dienstag, 09. März 2010

Religion und Sucht: Islamische Rechtsgelehrte streiten übers Rauchen
WELT ONLINE: Beim Barte des Propheten: In den muslimischen Ländern suchen Juristen in den prophetischen Textquellen des Koran nach Hinweisen auf ein Tabakverbot. In den Teestuben und Cafés verfolgen rauchende Muslime diesen Disput eher amüsiert. Niemand käme auf die Idee, die Wasserpfeife wegzulegen.

Beduine raucht Shisha: Einge Rechtsgelehrte halten Rauchen für Teufelszeug. Bild: Welt Online
Im gesamten Koran, dem heiligen Buch der Muslime, lässt sich kein Vers finden, der dem Propheten Mohammed zugeschrieben wird und der da hieße: „Rauchen ist verboten!“ Das mag daran liegen, dass der Genuss von Tabak zu Lebzeiten des Propheten, zu Anfang des 7. Jahrhunderts nach Christus also, auf der Arabischen Halbinsel unbekannt war.

Es gibt nicht wenige islamische Rechtsgelehrte, die das in muslimischen Ländern sehr stark verbreitete Rauchen für Teufelszeug halten und es per Fatwa (religiöses Rechtsgutachten) untersagen wollen. Sie suchen in Koran und überlieferten Sammlungen der Sprüche und Handlungen Mohammeds (Hadithe) nach Hinweisen, der Prophet könne in Sorge um das Wohl seiner Anhänger einen Satz gesagt haben, der es durch juristische Interpretation oder Analogieschluss rechtfertige, den Rauch aus den Teestuben und Cafés zu verbannen.

Ihr Erfolg ist bisher überschaubar. Die Gelehrten bemühen gern Sure 7, Verse 156/157 im Koran: „Allah sagt, meine Barmherzigkeit kennt keine Grenzen. Ich werde sie denen zukommen lassen, die dem Propheten folgen, der ihnen gebietet, was Recht ist, und verbietet, was verwerflich ist, der die guten Dinge für erlaubt und die schlechten für verboten erklärt.“ Die Textstelle lässt viel Raum für Deutung und Interpretation, aber da Rauchen schädlich sei, könne man mit dieser Sure ein Rauchverbot rechtfertigen, meinen die Autoren weit über 400 einschlägiger Fatwas. >>> Von Dietrich Alexander | Sonntag, 07. März 2010

Schutz für Oppositionelle: Iran hält deutsche Asyl-Politik für rechtswidrig
WELT ONLINE: Der Iran hat die deutschen Asylpläne für iranische Oppositionelle deutlich kritisiert. Der Vorstoß sei rechtswidrig und politisch motiviert, sagte ein Sprecher des Außenministeriums. Die Bundesrepublik hatte angekündigt, iranische Staatsangehörige aus dem Ausland aufzunehmen, die in Teheran als Dissidenten betrachtet würden.

Das Außenministerium von Mahmud Ahmadinedschad hat die deutsche Asylpolitik scharf angegriffen. Bild: Welt Online
Die deutschen Asylpläne für iranische Oppositionelle hat der Sprecher des iranischen Außenministeriums als rechtswidrig und politisch motiviert bezeichnet.

„Einige Menschen, die ohne Probleme in den Iran zurückkehren könnten, stellen die Situation so dar, als bestehe für sie Lebensgefahr und die europäischen Länder nutzen diese Tatsache, um zu sagen, dass Iraner massiv in westliche Länder strömen.“ Jene, die solche Geschichten erzählten, wollten einfach nur vom Asyl im Ausland profitieren. Deutschland hatte am Montag mitgeteilt, es sei bereit, iranische Staatsangehörige aus dem Ausland aufzunehmen, die vom Iran als Dissidenten betrachtet würden. >>> Reuters/AFP/fas | Dienstag, 09. März 2010

Taliban 'Ready to Unleash 3,000 Suicide Bombers in Pakistan'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Taliban has claimed it is ready to unleash 3,000 suicide bombers in Pakistan in protest at military operations and American drone attacks in its tribal areas.

In the last few weeks the Taliban's overall military commander for Afghanistan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is Mullah Omar's deputy, was captured in a joint intelligence raid in Karachi by Pakistani and American agents.

Several members of the 'Quetta Shura', the movement's ruling council were later captured in the city, while the group's Pakistani leader Hakimullah Mehsud was believed to have been killed in a missile strike by an unmanned Predator drone. Earlier this week, Mullah Omar's son-in-law, a former minister in the last Taliban government was also arrested.

The threat was issued after one of its leaders claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb which killed 13 people outside an interrogation centre in Lahore where militant suspects are questioned. >>> Dean Nelson in New Delhi | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Al-Qaeda Came Within Days of Terror Attack on Britain Last Year, Court Hears
THE TELEGRAPH: An alleged al-Qaeda terrorist cell arrested in the North West was within days of launching an attack on Britain a senior officer in MI5 has told a tribunal.

The men, who were arrested in Manchester and Liverpool in April last year, were said to be in direct contact with al-Qaeda in Pakistan, using coded email messages that talked about cars and girls.

They were said to be “operating in a similar manner” to those planning the mass casualty attacks of July 7 2005 and the trans-Atlantic airline plot of 2006.

Sources at the time said the gang was targeting Easter shoppers but police found no sign of bomb-making equipment and they were never charged.

The operation had to be brought forward after Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, then Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, was photographed entering Downing Street with details of the operation visible.

Four of the men, who had all arrived from Pakistan on student visas, are now appealing against a government decision to deport them on national security grounds.

An MI5 officer, referred to only as “ZR” gave evidence behind a curtain at the beginning of a three-week hearing at the Special Immigration and Appeals Commission.

The officer, who refused to answer a large number of questions in open court, told the commission that the plot centred on a man called Abid Naseer, 23, and his associates.

He said they were “planning a terrorist attack on the UK, directed and orchestrated by al-Qaeda and part of that direction was by coded email passages and the attack was most likely to take place between 15 and 20 April 2009 on which basis the arrests came days before the attacks were due to take place. >>> Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Mosab Hassan Yousef ['The Green Prince']: Islam Is a Lie


Hat tips: Pastorius and Always On Watch

Wilders to Take Council Seat in the Hague
DUTCHNEWS.nl: Geert Wilders is to take a seat on the Hague city council after winning 13,000 preference votes in last week's local elections.

Earlier Wilders, who is a sitting MP, said he would not take up a seat if he won. His anti-Islam party PVV emerged as the second biggest party in the political capital, with 17% of the vote.

'I am going to see if I can combine it. I will give it a go for a while,' Wilders was reported as saying.

The news means two of the eight PVV councillors in the Hague's new city council will combine their work with being members of parliament. [Source: DutchNews.nl] | Monday, March 08, 2010

Niederlande: Rechtspopulist Wilders wird Stadtrat
DIE PRESSE: Der niederländische Rechtspopulist und Parlamentarier Geert Wilders nimmt nun auch ein Mandat als Stadtrat in Den Haag an. "Ich werde es auf jeden Fall eine Zeit lang versuchen", kündigt Wilders an.

Nach dem Erfolg seiner Partei für die Freiheit (PVV) bei den niederländischen Kommunalwahlen wird der Rechtspopulist Geert Wilders künftig im Stadtrat von Den Haag sitzen. Eine Sprecherin der Stadt bestätigte am Montag, dass Wilders sein Mandat wahrnehmen werde. Der umstrittene Politiker sagte der niederländischen Nachrichtenagentur ANP, er habe sich nach anfänglichem Zögern für das Amt des Stadtrats entschieden. "Ich werde es auf jeden Fall eine Zeit lang versuchen", sagte er. Wilders ist auch Abgeordneter des niederländischen Parlaments. Platz zwei für Wilders in Den Haag >>> Ag. | Montag, 08. März 2010

Just for a Laugh: When Insults Had Class
These glorious insults are from a bygone era:

The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison." He said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."


A Member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."


"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr


"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill


"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow


"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the
 dictionary." – William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas


"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.." – Oscar Wilde

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill "Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second.... if there is one." - Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." -
 Irvin S. Cobb

"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." -Samuel Johnson

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyran

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" Mark Twain

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.." Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." – Groucho Marx

The End of the Road for Barack Obama?
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama seems unable to face up to America's problems, writes Simon Heffer in New York.

The once mighty Detroit seems on the verge of being abandoned. Photo: The Telegraph
It is a universal political truth that administrations do not begin to fragment when things are going well: it only happens when they go badly, and those who think they know better begin to attack those who manifestly do not. The descent of Barack Obama's regime, characterised now by factionalism in the Democratic Party and talk of his being set to emulate Jimmy Carter as a one-term president, has been swift and precipitate. It was just 16 months ago that weeping men and women celebrated his victory over John McCain in the American presidential election. If they weep now, a year and six weeks into his rule, it is for different reasons.

Despite the efforts of some sections of opinion to talk the place up, America is mired in unhappiness, all the worse for the height from which Obamania has fallen. The economy remains troublesome. There is growth – a good last quarter suggested an annual rate of as high as six per cent, but that figure is probably not reliable – and the latest unemployment figures, last Friday, showed a levelling off. Yet 15 million Americans, or 9.7 per cent of the workforce, have no job. Many millions more are reduced to working part-time. Whole areas of the country, notably in the north and on the eastern seaboard, are industrial wastelands. The once mighty motor city of Detroit appears slowly to be being abandoned, becoming a Jurassic Park of the mid-20th century; unemployment among black people in Mr Obama's own city of Chicago is estimated at between 20 and 25 per cent. One senior black politician – a Democrat and a supporter of the President – told me of the wrath in his community that a black president appeared to be unable to solve the economic problem among his own people. Cities in the east such as Newark and Baltimore now have drug-dealing as their principal commercial activity: The Wire is only just fictional.

Last Thursday the House of Representatives passed a jobs Bill, costing $15 billion, which would give tax breaks to firms hiring new staff and, through state sponsorship of construction projects, create thousands of jobs too. The Senate is trying to approve a Bill that would provide a further $150 billion of tax incentives to employers. Yet there is a sense of desperation in the Administration, a sense that nothing can be as efficacious at the moment as a sticking plaster. Edward B Montgomery, deputy labour secretary in the Clinton administration, now spends his time on day trips to decaying towns that used to have a car industry, not so much advising them on how to do something else as facilitating those communities' access to federal funds. For a land without a welfare state, America starts to do an effective impersonation of a country with one. This massive state spending gives rise to accusations by Republicans, and people too angry even to be Republicans, that America is now controlled by "Leftists" and being turned into a socialist state. "Obama's big problem," a senior Democrat told me, "is that four times as many people watch Fox News as watch CNN." >>> Simon Heffer | Monday, March 08, 2010

California State Senator Who Opposed Gay Rights Announces He Is Homosexual
THE TELEGRAPH: Roy Ashburn, a California state senator who has staunchly opposed gay rights has announced that he is homosexual.

Senator Roy Ashburn has announced that he is homosexual. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Ashburn, a conservative Republican, came out in an interview with KERN radio.

His pronouncement ends days of speculation following his arrest last week for driving under the influence of alchohol.

Mr Ashburn said he felt compelled to address rumours that he had visited a gay nightclub near the Capitol before his arrest.

"I am gay ... those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long," Ashburn told conservative talk show host Inga Barks.

The 55-year-old father of four said he had tried to keep his personal life separate from his professional life until his March 3 arrest.

"When I crossed the line and broke the law and put people at risk, that's different, and I do owe people an explanation," he said.

Ashburn was arrested after he was spotted driving erratically near the Capitol, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The next day, reports surfaced that he had left Faces, a gay nightclub, with an unidentified man in the passenger seat of his Senate-owned vehicle.

"The best way to handle that is to be truthful and to say to my constituents and all who care that I am gay," he said. "But I don't think it's something that has affected, nor will it affect, how I do my job."

Over 14 years in office, Ashburn has voted against a number of gay rights measures, including efforts to expand anti-discrimination laws and recognise out-of-state gay marriages. >>> | Monday, March 08, 2010

Activist Calls Obama a Fraudster

Father Hans Kung [sic] Blames Catholic Views on Sex for Clerical Child Abuse
TIMES ONLINE: A leading Roman Catholic theologian has linked clerical sex abuse with priestly celibacy, blaming the Church’s “uptight” views on sex for child abuse scandals in Germany, Ireland and the US.

Father Hans Kung [sic], President of the Global Ethic Foundation and professor emeritus at the University of Tübingen in Germany, said that the Church’s attitude was also revealed in its opposition to birth control.

The German church rejected any suggestion that abuse was linked to celibacy, homosexuality or church teaching.

Last week the Regensburg Diocese in Germany revealed that a former chorister claimed he was abused while a member of its choir, which was led for three decades by Father Georg Ratzinger, brother of Pope Benedict XVI. The Holy See said that it backed the diocese’s attempts to investigate the scandal by analysing “the painful question in a decisive and open way”. Also last week, in the Holy See, an adult chorister was sacked for allegedly procuring male prostitutes for a Papal usher.

Robert Zollitsch, Archbishop of Freiburg and head of the German bishops’ conference, branded clerical abuse “outrageous” and begged forgiveness from the victims but denied any link between abuse and celibacy.

Writing in The Tablet, Father Kung, who in 1979 was stripped of his licence to teach Catholic theology after he rejected the doctrine of Papal infallibility, welcomed the apology but described the denials of any link between abuse, celibacy and other teaching as “erroneous”. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Monday, March 08, 2010

Iraqi Baathist Resentment Simmers in Syria
BBC: Saddam Hussein's Baath party is banned in Iraq, but the doors of its office in the heart of the Syrian capital, Damascus, are wide open.

"That's our hero," says Khudeir Rashidi, the party spokesman, pointing at Saddam Hussein who looks down from portraits on the walls.

Iraq's dictator may be dead, but his supporters in Damascus insist that his party lives on.

"We have millions of members in Iraq who are working for the cause," Mr Rashidi says.

The cause, he says, is the liberation of Iraq from the American occupiers through military resistance.

"We have many weapons, we manufacture bombs, we are working very effectively underground," he says.

Baath 'threat'

The true extent of the involvement of the Baath party in the armed insurgency back in Iraq is very difficult to measure.

There is little doubt that the party has a wide and powerful network of former members, if only because virtually everyone had to join its ranks under Saddam Hussein.

Sceptics argue that despite its outreach, the Baath party is politically decapitated, morally bankrupt and ideologically irrelevant - in other words very much a thing of the past.

But the Iraqi government says Baathists pose a real threat. >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010

Iranian Poet Simin Behbahani Handed 'Travel Ban'
BBC: Iran's leading female poet has told the BBC she has been barred from leaving the country by the government.

Simin Behbahani, 82, said she was about to fly to France when her passport was confiscated at Tehran airport.

The human rights activist has written poems in support of the opposition campaign against disputed elections in June last year.

Last week Iran detained international award winning film director Jafar Panahi and members of his family.

"The moment I was due to get on the plane, a man came and took my passport away from me and said that I was banned from going abroad," she told the BBC's Persian service.

They questioned her for hours asking questions and then ordered her to appear before a court, she said.

She was on her way to Paris to present a paper on feminism and read a poem at conference. Election challenge >>> | Monday, March 08, 2010

Colonel Tells of Lavish Shopping for N Korea Dictators
BBC: A former North Korean colonel, Kim Jong-ryul, has described how he spent two decades shopping in Europe for the dictatorship in Pyongyang.

His story is the subject of a new book published in Austria, where the colonel says he has lived under cover since his defection in 1994.

Colonel Kim Jong-ryul says he spent 20 years doing business in Europe for the North Korean regime.

His story is told in a new book, At the Dictator's Service. >>> Bethany Bell, BBC News, Vienna | Monday, March 08, 2010

The Mystery of Hitler's 'Spyclists'
Photo: BBC
BBC – Today Programme: Summer 1937. What could be more fitting in the cool afternoon of an English country lane than a group of cycling tourists steadily pedalling their way from one historic site to another, stopping to camp overnight in fields along the way.

The only problem was, that summer, some of those groups of teenage boys were Hitler Youth.

In an era without satellite photography, when detailed ordnance survey maps could be hard to come by and when tension in Europe was rising, MI5 were worried that this innocent cyclo-tourism was a cover for spying.

MI5 had been told that Hitler Youth groups visiting abroad were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire, including questions on terrain, population, and political views of the population.

They were asked to take photographs, especially of industry, and to get lists of names of all those taking part in anti-German movements. Read on (with audio) >>> Sanchia Berg | Monday, March 08, 2010

US Eases Cuba, Iran, Sudan Sanctions to Allow Freer Web
BBC: The US treasury department has eased sanctions on Iran, Cuba and Sudan to help further the use of web services and support opposition groups.

US technology firms will now be allowed to export online services such as instant messaging and social networks.

Companies had not offered such services for fear of violating sanctions.

Opposition supporters in Iran used social networking sites and services to organise protests after the country's disputed presidential poll last year.

The US Treasury said exports would be allowed of services related to web browsing, blogging, e-mail, instant messaging, chat, social networking and photo- and movie-sharing.

Low impact?

The move was intended to "ensure that individuals in these countries can exercise their universal right to free speech and information to the greatest extent possible", it said. >>> | Monday, March 08, 2010

Le chef de la diplomatie espagnole reçu par le colonel Kadhafi
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE KADHAFI | Selon une source proche du dossier, le différend entre Berne et Tripoli a été évoqué.

Le ministre espagnol des Affaires étrangères Miguel Angel Moratinos a été reçu lundi par le numéro un libyen Mouammar Kadhafi, a rapporté l'agence libyenne Jana. Selon une source proche du dossier, les discussions ont porté sur la crise diplomatique entre Berne et Tripoli.

M. Moratinos a remis au colonel Kadhafi un message du roi Juan Carlos d'Espagne, portant sur «la coopération fructueuse et les relations d'amitié entre la Libye et l'Espagne, et entre l'Union européenne et la Grande Jamahiriya» libyenne, a indiqué l'agence.
Dans son message, le roi d'Espagne a «exprimé sa grande satisfaction pour le développement des relations de coopération entre les deux pays», a ajouté l'agence sans autre précision sur l'objet de la visite de M. Moritanos.

Selon une source diplomatique occidentale à Tripoli, le déplacement du chef de la diplomatie espagnole en Libye s'inscrit dans le cadre des négociations entre l'UE et la Libye au sujet de la crise diplomatique entre Tripoli et Berne, dans laquelle les capitales européennes s'étaient impliquées. >>> AFP | Lundi 08 Mars 2010

Milan et Paris, figures de style*
So this is what the decadent West calls fashion today, is it? Photo: Le Temps
One can only wonder how many years in fashion school designers must be spending – wasted years, one must add – to come up with crap like this. Designers like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior must be turning in their graves!

This would be laughable if it weren’t so sad. It is surely indicative of the West in decline. When a civilization dresses its women as scrubbers rather than ladies, then it can’t be long before it will fall.

For God’s sake, let’s get back to elegance. One could have dressed better from Woolworth’s than this! – © Mark

LE TEMPS: To the gallery (if you can bear it). Warning: Your eyes might be sore after viewing it! >>>

*That’s very questionable!

Le ténor Placido Domingo opéré d’un cancer du côlon
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: OPÉRA | Agé de 69 ans, le ténor espagnol est sorti dimanche de l'hôpital, où il a été opéré d'une tumeur maligne. Il devrait être de retour sur scène le 16 avril, à la Scala de Milan.

Le ténor Placido Domingo a subi une opération chirurgicale visant à ôter un polype cancéreux de son côlon. Il devrait se remettre totalement de l’intervention, a déclaré lundi sa porte-parole.

Agé de 69 ans, le ténor espagnol est sorti dimanche de l’hôpital Mount Sinai à New York où il a été opéré la semaine dernière d’une tumeur maligne que les médecins ont réussi à localiser, a précisé Nancy Seltszer. >>> AP | Lundi 08 Mars 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Placido Domingo has colon cancer surgery: Plácido Domingo has undergone surgery for colon cancer, a spokesman for the opera singer has said. >>> Stephen Adams, Arts Correspondent | Monday, March 08, 2010

Die Niederlande als Vorbild für Libyen: Ghadhafis Sohn Saif al-Islam distanziert sich rhetorisch von seinem Vater
NZZ ONLINE: Ghadhafis zweiter Sohn Saif al-Islam hat sich in einem Interview von den radikalen Elementen innerhalb des libyschen Regimes distanziert, ohne seinen Vater direkt zu kritisieren. Er behauptet, für Libyen politische Freiheiten «wie in den Niederlanden» anzustreben.

Die Libyen-Affäre schwelt weiter und Max Göldi sitzt noch immer in einem libyschen Gefängnis. Jetzt hat Saif al-Islam («Schwert des Islams»), Sohn von Revolutionsführer Ghadhafi, in einem Interview mit dem amerikanischen Nachrichtenmagazin «Time» aber erstaunliche Töne angeschlagen. In einer offenen Herausforderung der radikalen Elemente innerhalb des libyschen Regimes forderte er einen «demokratischen Wandel».

Der Streit mit der Schweiz sei nur der Beleg für umfassenderes Problem Libyens, sagte Saif. Es ginge darum, wie sein Land mit dem Westen nach Jahrzehnten der Isolation umgehen soll. «Wenn wir mit dem Westen tanzen wollen, dann müssen wir das zum gleichen Rhythmus und zur gleichen Musik tun».

Ohne seinen Vater direkt zu kritisieren, bezeichnete er die beharrenden Kräfte in Libyen rundweg als «Idioten». Auf die Frage, welche Freiheiten er gerne in Libyen etablieren möchte, antwortete er: «Alle - Ziel ist ein Mass an Freiheit wie etwa in Holland». Das wäre allerdings eine radikale Abkehr von der diktatorischen Herrschaft, wie sie sein Vater nun schon mehr als vierzig Jahre in Libyen ausübt. Bekannt für Offenheit >>> bbu. | Montag, 08. März 2010

Verbunden mit diesem Artikel / Related to this article:

TIME: Gaddafi vs. Switzerland: The Leader's Son on What's Behind the Feud >>> Vivienne Walt, Tripoli | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Westerwelle darf Lebenspartner mit auf Reisen nehmen: Auswärtiges Amt sieht keinen Interesssenkonflikt
NZZ ONLINE: Der Lebenspartner des deutschen Aussenministers Westerwelle nutzt laut dem Auswärtigen Amt die Reisen mit dem Minister nicht zur Geschäftsanbahnung. Das Aussenministerium sieht es deshalb als normal an, dass der Partner den Minister auf Dienstreisen begleitet.

Michael Mronz habe Westerwelle sowohl nach Japan und China als auch nach Cordoba und derzeit nach Lateinamerika privat begleitet, sagte der Sprecher des Auswärtigen Amts in Berlin, am Montag in Berlin. «Herr Mronz ist nicht Teil der Wirtschaftsdelegation.»

Der Sprecher erklärte, auch vor Westerwelle hätten Aussenminister ihre Partner auf Dienstreisen mitgenommen. So habe die Frau von Franz-Walter Steinmeier ihren Mann zu informellen EU-Aussenministertreffen begleitet. Die Regularien sähen es als ganz normale Möglichkeit vor, dass Partner mit auf Reisen kommen. >>> ddp | Montag, 08. März 2010

Verbunden mit diesem Artikel:

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Guido Westerwelle: Reisebegleiter und mehr >>> Von Wulf Schmiese | Sonntag, 07. März 2010

Les jeunes Saoudiennes se jouent de la police religieuse
Un couple se promène sur les bords de la mer Rouge à Djedda. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Conscient des aspirations des moins de 25 ans, majoritaires, le roi Abdallah desserre le carcan.

Au premier jour des vacances d'hiver à Riyad, des bandes d'adolescentes fêtent les congés dans le centre commercial de la tour Faisaliyah, l'un des symboles de la capitale saoudienne avec sa tour de verre en forme de cône. Les jeunes filles rient fort en se tenant par les coudes. Maquillées, les sourcils épilés et redessinés, et surtout tête nue, les cheveux libres sur les épaules, elles représentent un défi aux règles strictes de l'islam officiel, qui ordonne aux femmes de se couvrir la tête de noir et de cacher leur corps sous un manteau informe de la même couleur, l'abaya. Celles des lycéennes sont largement ouvertes, dévoilant jeans et t-shirts à paillettes. Une brise de révolte souffle sur le royaume. Une partie de la jeunesse urbaine supporte de moins en moins les contraintes vestimentaires. Les filles inventent des subterfuges pour éviter l'abaya au quotidien. Dernière astuce en date, la blouse blanche de médecin, tolérée en public, portée par des adolescentes qui n'ont jamais mis les pieds dans un hôpital. Normalement, les mutawas, les barbus de la «Commission pour la promotion de la vertu et la prévention du vice», la police religieuse, doivent veiller au grain. >>> Par Pierre Prier | Lundi 08 Mars 2010

Ahmadinejad Calls 9/11 ‘A Big Fabrication’
THE NEW YORK TIMES – The Lede: Perhaps concerned that his repeated suggestions that the Holocaust might not have happened have become less shocking over time, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad upped the ante on Saturday, telling intelligence officials in Tehran that the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 was staged.

In remarks reported by IRNA, an official Iranian news agency, and translated by Reuters, Mr. Ahmadinejad said, “The September 11 incident was a big fabrication as a pretext for the campaign against terrorism and a prelude for staging an invasion against Afghanistan.” Mr. Ahmadinejad also reportedly described the attacks in New York as a “complicated intelligence scenario and act.” Conspiracy theorists in the Middle East have suggested that the attacks were not the work of Al Qaeda, but carried out by Israeli or American intelligence operatives.

In a speech during Iran’s annual anti-Israel day in September, Mr. Ahmadinejad said of the Holocaust, “The pretext for the creation of the Zionist regime is false.” He added: “It is a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim.” >>> Robert Mackey | Saturday, March 06, 2010

Lien en relation avec l’article :

leJDD.fr: "11 septembre": Ahmadinejad n'y croit pas >>> Samedi 06 Mars 2010

Deadly Blast in Lahore

Strong Earthquake Hits Turkey

Euro Will Still Fall Despite Sarkozy


Greece Will Come Through Crisis Without Bailout, IMF Head Says
THE GUARDIAN: Dominique Strauss-Kahn remains confident that Europe's leaders can resolve the Greek crisis

The head of the International Monetary Fund believes Greece will resolve its debt crisis without an IMF bailout, and today dismissed fears that other European nations will be engulfed by the crisis.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn insisted this morning that other eurozone countries with large public deficits would not be forced into the same predicament as Greece. Speaking to Reuters in Nairobi, Strauss-Kahn said the wider European economy was still strong - despite fears that Greece might default on its debts. While the IMF is poised to assist Greece if needed, Strauss-Kahn remains confident that Europe's leaders could resolve the issue.

"The eurozone wants to deal with the problem itself, and I can understand that," he said. "I think they can do it … and we're just here to help."

Strauss-Kahn also argued that those who claim that Spain or Ireland could suffer a debt default are simply trying to "scare" the financial markets.

"We have a problem with Greece. We don't have a problem with Spain to date. The eurozone has to deal with the Greek problem. They are doing this," said Strauss-Kahn.

"No one knows what's going to happen tomorrow morning but there's no reason why the spillover to Portugal or to Spain will take place," he added. >>> Graeme Wearden | Monday, March 08, 2010

Schools' New Math: the Four-Day Week
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: A small but growing number of school districts across the country are moving to a four-day week, in a shift they hope will help close gaping budget holes and stave off teacher layoffs, but that critics fear could hurt students' education.

State legislators and local school boards are giving administrators greater flexibility to set their academic calendars, making the four-day slate possible. But education experts say little research exists to show the impact of shortened weeks on learning. The missed hours are typically made up by lengthening remaining school days.

Of the nearly 15,000-plus districts nationwide, more than 100 in at least 17 states currently use the four-day system, according to data culled from the Education Commission of the States. Dozens of other districts are contemplating making the change in the next year—a shift that is apt to create new challenges for working parents as well as thousands of school employees.

The heightened interest in an abbreviated school week comes as the Obama administration prepares to plow $4.35 billion in extra federal funds into underperforming schools. The administration has been advocating for a stronger school system in a bid to make the U.S. more academically competitive on a global basis.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education said in an email that she couldn't comment on four-day weeks in specific districts. But "generally, we are concerned about financial constraints leading to a reduction in learning time." >>> Chris Herring | Monday, March 08, 2010

Screwy Is as Screwy Does! Now Vegans Are Covered by Harman’s Equality Law
MAIL ONLINE: Vegans, teetotallers and atheists are to be given the same protection against discrimination as religious groups, under Harriet Harman's controversial new equality laws.

People who do not eat products and refuse to wear leather have been singled out for inclusion under the new legislation by Labour's super-quango - the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

Official guidance issued by the body points out that the 'ethical commitment' of vegan's to animal welfare is 'central to who they are'.

The code of practice explains the legal implications of the equality bill states that religions need not be mainstream or well known for their adherents to gain protection.

The Equality Bill, masterminded by Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman*, is due to come into force this Autumn.

It makes it a legal requirement for public authorities, including schools, to consider the impact of all their policies on minority groups.

But the guidance explains: “A belief need not include faith or worship of a god or gods, but must affect how a person lives their life or perceives the world.” >>> Kirsty Walker | Monday, March 08, 2010

*Harman appears to be a card-carrying member of the SEG. (SEG = Social Engineering Gestapo)

Nigerian Security Forces on Alert After New Burst of Sectarian Violence*
TIMES ONLINE: Nigeria's security forces have been put on high alert after a new burst of sectarian violence left over 500 people dead, most of them women and children hacked to death by machete wielding gangs.

The attack happened before dawn on Sunday morning when gangs of men descended on several mainly Christian villages near the central city of Jos, firing guns as they approached. Witnesses of the attack, which centred on the village of Dogo-Nahawa, described how victims were caught in animal traps and fishing nets as they tried to flee their attackers. >>> Anne Barrowclough | Monday, March 08, 2010

*Would this be Muslim violence against Christians, by any chance?

Ethnic Violence in Nigeria Has Killed 500, Officials Say
THE NEW YORK TIMES: DAKAR, Senegal — Officials and human rights groups in Nigeria said Monday that about 500 people had died in weekend ethnic violence near the central city of Jos, considerably more than what had initially been reported.

A government spokesman said Sunday that the dead numbered more than 300. The victims were Christians killed by rampaging Muslim herdsmen, officials and human rights workers said, apparently in reprisal for similar attacks on Muslims in January.

The head of a leading Nigerian rights group, Shehu Sani of the Civil Rights Congress, said in a telephone interview on Monday that his organization had counted 492 bodies, mainly in the village of Dogo Nahawa. >>> Adam Nossiter | Monday, March 08, 2010

'Closet-Nazi' in Running for Austrian Presidency
THE TELEGRAPH: A far-Right candidate for Austria's presidential election has brought the country's dark past to the surface again, by denouncing a law banning Nazi groups and Holocaust denial.

Barbara Rosenkranz, a far-Right candidate for the upcoming Austrian presidential election. Photo: The Telegraph
Barbara Rosenkranz, 51, a regional leader of the Freedom Party (FPOe), looks likely to be the only candidate to run against the incumbent, President Heinz Fischer, on April 25.

But her comments supporting the scrapping of the tough prohibition law have renewed the debate about a heritage with which the country, which was under Nazi rule from 1938 to 1945, has never fully come to terms.

Austrian leaders and the press already fear for the country's image abroad.

Under the 1947 Verbotsgesetz law, anyone who seeks to set up a Nazi organisation, propagates Nazi ideology or denies Nazi crimes can be jailed for up to 20 years.

But Rosenkranz, a mother of 10 and the wife of an outspoken figure in Austria's far-Right scene, insists the law constitutes "an unnecessary restriction" and that, on the contrary, people should be allowed freedom of opinion.

In 2003, the European Court of Human Rights already allowed a journalist's description of her as a "closet-Nazi", noting that her attitude towards Nazism was ambiguous.

Such comments from a woman running for the country's highest office prompted scorching criticism from politicians of all colours, civil groups and the Catholic church.

Rosenkranz's own supporters did what they could to limit the damage.
"Somebody like this is not eligible for election," said Vienna's Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, while the Jewish community described her as "an embarrassment for Austria".

"Rosenkranz challenges the Republic's anti-Fascist foundation. That is unacceptable," added Norbert Darabos, the social democratic defence minister.

Meanwhile, Hans Dichand, publisher of the influential tabloid Kronen Zeitung, reversed his earlier position and urged Rosenkranz to "distance herself from all national socialist ideas", just days after he had called on voters to support her.

On Monday, Rosenkranz issued an affidavit saying, "I condemn outright the crimes of national socialism and categorically distance myself from the ideology of national socialism."

Nevertheless, she refused to answer journalists' questions on statements she had made last week in which she affirmed that denying the Holocaust came under "freedom of expression".

Last week, the leader of the FPOe, Heinz-Christian Strache, also attempted some damage control.

"Nobody in our party is talking about scrapping the prohibition law", he said. >>> Sim Sim Wissgott in Vienna for AFP | Monday, March 08, 2010

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Video anschauen – Barbara Rosenkranz distanziert sich von NS-Ideologie >>>

Barbara Rosenkranz distanziert sich von NS-Ideologie
KRONEN ZEITUNG: Präsidentschaftskandidatin Barbara Rosenkranz hat sich am Montagvormittag nach ihren umstrittenen Aussagen zum Verbotsgesetz öffentlich von der NS-Ideologie distanziert. In einer eidesstattlichen Erklärung beteuerte sie, "zu keinem Zeitpunkt die Grundwerte unserer Republik infrage gestellt" zu haben.

"So habe ich auch das Verbotsgesetz als Symbol für die Abgrenzung vom Nationalsozialismus niemals infrage gestellt und werde es auch nicht infrage stellen", sagte Rosenkranz in der eidesstattlichen Erklärung, zu der sie in der vergangenen Woche in einem "Krone"-Kommentar (siehe Infobox) aufgefordert worden war, weiter.

Die FPÖ-Kandidatin wies in ihrer Erklärung "jede Interpretation, dass ich dieses Gesetz abschaffen wolle, mit aller Entschiedenheit zurück. Für mich sind Demokratie, Freiheit und Menschenwürde die Fundamente meines Welt- und Menschenbildes und meiner politischen Arbeit. Ich verurteile daher aus Überzeugung die Verbrechen des Nationalsozialismus und distanziere mich entschieden von der Ideologie des Nationalsozialismus." "Sehr betroffen" über Wirbel über ihre Kandidatur >>> | Montag, 08. März 2010

Reaktionen: Rosenkranz-Erklärung "wertlos"
DIE PRESSE: Als "wertlos" und "Nicht-Erklärung" werten die anderen Parteien die eidesstattliche Erklärung der freiheitlichen Hofburg-Kandidatin, in der diese sich von der NS-Ideologie distanziert.

Die freiheitliche Kandidatin für die Hofburg-Wahl, Barbara Rosenkranz, hat sich am Montag mit einer eidesstattlichen Erklärung von der NS-Ideologie distanziert. Bei den anderen Parteien stößt ihre Erklärung durchwegs auf Ablehnung.

Klubchef Josef Cap vermisst im Gespräch mit Ö1 zwei Punkte: Erstens, Rosenkranz müsse ganz klar festhalten, dass sie nichts am Verbotsgesetz ändern will, auch nicht einzelne Paragraphen. Und zweitens, sie müsse eindeutig sagen, dass es während der Nazi-Zeit Gaskammern gegeben habe und dass sie dies verurteile. >>> APA/Red. | Montag, 08. März 2010

Gaddafi vs. Switzerland: The Leader's Son on What's Behind the Feud
TIME: It's tempting to dismiss Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi's call this week for a jihad against Switzerland as just another round in the feud between the two countries. But it would be a mistake to treat Gaddafi's rhetoric as mere theater. Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the Libyan leader's second-eldest son, who many suspect is Gaddafi's likely successor, tells TIME that Libya's row with Switzerland is evidence of a far more serious and urgent issue within Libya, which is grappling with how democratic and Westernized the country should become after decades of isolation. "If we are going to dance with them [the West], we need to dance with the same rhythm to the same music," Saif Gaddafi said in a candid interview as he relaxed on his farm outside Tripoli, on the public holiday marking the Prophet Mohammed's birthday. "The best example is the Swiss crisis. It shows there is a big gap between our way of thinking and our mentality, and the Western mentality and the way of doing business."

That's an understatement. The senior Gaddafi's call on Friday for holy war against Switzerland has injected a new, more menacing tone into a dispute that has dragged on for the past 18 months. Gaddafi told an audience of diplomats and officials in the city of Benghazi that Muslims should bar Swiss planes and ships from their countries, and embargo Swiss goods. "Let us wage jihad against Switzerland, Zionism and foreign aggression," he told the crowd. "Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against Muhammad, God and the Koran."

The rift, which threatens multi-billion-dollar investments in Libya, began when Swiss police arrested Gaddafi's youngest son Hannibal and his wife in July 2008, for allegedly assaulting two of their servants in a Geneva hotel. The couple denied the charges, which were quickly dropped, but the row continued. Offended by Swiss newspaper portrayals of his son, Gaddafi withdrew billions in Libyan funds from Swiss banks in July of last year, prompting the Swiss president to fly to Tripoli to apologize for the arrest.

Gaddafi was still not mollified. Last August, two Swiss businessmen were arrested in Tripoli for overstaying their visas. After a five-month standoff, one was allowed to leave Libya last week, while the second began a four-month prison term. >>> Vivienne Walt, Tripoli | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Inside the World of Obama's Secret-service Bodyguards
THE GUARDIAN: Protecting the US president has presented the secret service with the greatest challenge in its history. But who wants to kill him? And how likely are they to succeed?

Barack Obama surrounded by bodyguards in 2008. Photograph: The Guardian
The Southern Poverty Law Center began life in 1971 as a tiny law firm specialising in civil rights cases. It took on the might of the Ku Klux Klan, and was duly rewarded by having its offices razed and its senior lawyers targeted for assassination. But it kept on going and grew to be one of the most respected monitoring groups of rightwing extremism in America today.

Recently it brought out a report called Terror From the Right, which identifies, in chronological order, the serious home-grown plots, conspiracies and racist rampages that have been cooked up in America since the Oklahoma City bomb in 1995. The list runs to 10 pages of closely printed type and itemises 75 domestic terrorism events, from plans to bomb government buildings to attempts to kill judges and politicians.

Each of the incidents aimed to change the political face of America through violence, courtesy of groups with such titles as Aryan People's Republic, The New Order and The Hated. But in the summer of 2008 the chronology takes on a sharp change of tack. Entries, which had been running at one or two per year, start coming faster. And instead of a variety of different targets, one name crops up time and time again: Barack Obama.

The first such entry is for 8 June 2008. Six people, linked to a militia group in rural Pennsylvania, are arrested with stockpiles of assault rifles and homemade bombs. One of the six allegedly tells the authorities that he intended to shoot black people from a rooftop and predicts civil war should Obama, who five days previously had cleared the Democratic nomination for president, be elected to the White House.

Next entry: 24 August 2008. The day before the opening of the Democratic convention in Denver at which Obama was nominated, three white supremacists are arrested in possession of high-powered rifles and camouflage clothing. They are talking about assassinating Obama.

24 October 2008: Less than two weeks before the election, two white supremacists are arrested in Tennessee over a bizarre plan to kill more than 100 black people, including Obama.

21 January 2009: The day after Obama's inauguration, a white man is arrested in Massachusetts, having allegedly killed two black immigrants and injured a third. He says he was "fighting for a dying race".

10 June 2009: James von Brunn, aged 88, walks into the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington and shoots dead a security guard. Von Brunn, who died last month in jail awaiting trial, left a note that read: "Obama was created by Jews."

In the 13 months that Barack Obama has been the occupant of the Oval Office he has been the subject of an extraordinary outpouring of emotion from the American electorate. At the start it was largely adulatory, though more recently the adoration has been drowned out by a cacophony of criticism from tea party activists, birthers, global-warming deniers and viewers of Fox News. At the same time, largely hidden from view, there has been a layer of antagonism towards Obama that lies well beyond the boundaries of reasonable political debate.

That has been a fact of life for Obama and his family since long before they took the keys to the White House. On 2 May 2007, fully 18 months before election day, he was assigned a secret service detail – much earlier than any other presidential candidate in American history. The precise reasons for the move have never been disclosed, but there was certainly a mood in the air sufficiently palpable to disconcert Michelle Obama. A senior US official in the State Department has told the Guardian that before he decided to run for the presidency, Obama had actively to win Michelle over to the idea by assuaging her fears about the potential of an attack on him, her and/or their two daughters. >>> Ed Pilkington | Monday, March 08, 2010

Male Hairdressers Banned from Women's Salons in Gaza
BBC: The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas has said it is to ban male hairdressers from working in salons where women get their hair styled.

The announcement is part of a campaign by Hamas to introduce more Islamic customs to the Gaza Strip.

The Interior Ministry have said there will be legal consequences for anyone who disobeys the new rule, but they have not specified what they might be.

In Islamic tradition women cannot show their hair to men not in their family.

Since the Islamist movement took over the Gaza Strip in 2007, they have introduced a number of rules that move toward tightening customary Islamic restrictions on the way men and women interact.

But they have been patchily enforced and are not statutory laws.

Pressure

Women's underwear has been banned from display, and men must dress modestly when swimming in the sea.

Girls in school also have to wear long dresses.

The BBC's Jon Donnison in the Gaza Strip reports that human rights groups there are complaining that people's freedom is being restricted.

Hamas is coming under internal pressure to show their commitment to Islamic customs, it has been reported. [Source: BBC] | Thursday, March 04, 2010

White House Seeks to Block Turkish ‘Genocide’ Bill
MAIL ONLINE: The White House is seeking to block a controversial US bill branding the mass slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in World War One as genocide.

A congressional committee caused a major diplomatic row last week by voting in favour of the legislation.

Turkey recalled its ambassador from Washington and said the move would damage relations with America’s key NATO ally.

But State Secretary Hillary Clinton tried to defuse the row by claiming the Obama administration would ‘work very hard’ to prevent the genocide bill going to a full vote on Capitol Hill.

'We are against this. Now we believe that the US Congress will not take any decision on this subject,’ she said.

Mrs Clinton is hoping her reassurance will help defuse the rumpus over the dark, century-old chapter in Turkish history. >>> David Gardner | Sunday, March 07, 2010

Oh, Christ! I Hope Not! David Miliband: 'We Can Win the Election'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Foreign Secretary tells Mary Riddell he believes the Tory party lacks purpose and that he doesn’t do sleepless nights.

By the look of him, “he does” a hell of a lot of “sleepless nights”, judging by the wrinkles on his face! Photograph: The Telegraph
In a sparsely-filled town hall, David Miliband is rallying the party faithful. Crawley in Sussex is not the normal beat of a globe-trotting Foreign Secretary, and the issues raised by activists are not his specialist topics.

With a majority of only 37, the most marginal Labour seat in Britain needs all the big guns it can muster. So Mr Miliband gamely tackles doorstep subjects ranging from immigration to free swimming for the over-sixties.

The meeting over, he turns to the subject of Lord Ashcroft, who hopes to swing this vulnerable constituency and many others to the Tories. Mr Miliband was on a radio show with William Hague when the shadow foreign secretary finally admitted that he had known for months about the arrangement under which the peer pays no British tax on his overseas earnings.

In the strongest condemnation by any government minister, Mr Miliband declares his opposite number unfit to serve as Foreign Secretary. “You can’t be an effective Foreign Secretary if you spend 10 years avoiding the hard questions,” he says. “Either Lord Ashcroft was lying to David Cameron and William Hague, or they were lying to themselves.” >>> Mary Riddell | Sunday, March 07, 2010

Pfund im Sinkflug: Treiben Spekulanten England in den Ruin?
20MINUTEN.ch: Zuerst wetteten die Zocker gegen den Euro. Nun gerät das britische Pfund unter Druck. Spekulanten glauben, dass die Regierung in London ihre Schulden bald nicht mehr unter Kontrolle hat. Londons Schuldenwirtschaft hat griechische Verhältnisse erreicht.

Mit einem müden Lächeln blickten die Briten in den vergangenen Monaten zum europäischen Festland herüber. Die griechische Schuldenwirtschaft ging London nichts an, denn die Briten waren 1999 der europäischen Währungsunion nicht beigetreten. Statt in Euro zahlt das Vereinigte Königreich weiterhin mit «Pound Sterling».

Nun gerät das Pfund jedoch stark unter Druck, denn die Spekulanten haben nach dem Euro die britische Währung ins Visier genommen. Die Zahl der Short-Positionen an der Terminbörse von Chicago, mit denen Händler auf ein sinkendes Pfund wetten, sind stark gestiegen. Kürzlich ist das britische Pfund gegenüber dem Dollar auf ein 10-Monatstief gefallen.

Die «Euro-Verwandten» leiden

Der Ökonom David Meier von der Bank Julius Bär begründet den Kurssturz so: «Die meisten europäischen Währungen, die dem Euro nahestehen, haben sich in den letzten zwei Monaten gegenüber dem Dollar abgeschwächt. So auch das britische Pfund, die norwegische Krone und der Schweizer Franken.» Grund dafür ist der Vertrauensverlust in den Euro, der wegen Griechenlands Schuldenwirtschaft in eine tiefe Krise gestürzt sei, so Meier, der täglich die Währungsentwicklungen analysiert.

Der jüngste Schwächeanfall von anfangs Woche erklärt der Ökonom mit der politischen Entwicklung. «Das hängt mit dem ungewissen Ausgang der britischen Unterhauswahlen zusammen. Umfragen zeigten, dass die konservative Partei wahrscheinlich keine absolute Mehrheit im Parlament holen wird», so Meier. Dies sei insofern von Bedeutung, da der Markt den Labour-Kräften nicht zutraue, die während der Wirtschaftskrise angehäuften Schulden zu reduzieren und die Ausgaben in den Griff zu bekommen.» Briten als Schuldenkönige >>> Von Sandro Spaeth | Donnerstag, 04. März 2010

Adam Gadahn, Al Qaeda Agent from Southern California, Is Arrested in Pakistan
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Gadahn is wanted by the U.S. on charges of treason. In his apparent primary role as propagandist for the terrorist network, Gadahn appeared in videos. The latest praised the accused Fort Hood shooter.

Gadahn appears at left in an undated handout photo, and at right in a video released by Al Qaeda in 2006. Photograph: Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan - Security forces in the southern port city of Karachi have arrested Adam Gadahn, a Southern California native who became a top propagandist for Al Qaeda and is wanted by the U.S. on treason charges, Pakistani intelligence sources in Karachi said Sunday.

The capture of Gadahn becomes the starkest signal yet that Pakistan has decided to ratchet up its cooperation with the U.S. in hunting down Islamic militants. In the last two months, Pakistani security forces have seized several top Afghan Taliban commanders, including the insurgency's second in command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Baradar's arrest and the capture of other Taliban leaders also have occurred in Karachi, which increasingly has become a favored sanctuary for Pakistani and Afghan Taliban leaders and militants. Gadahn's arrest took place on the city's outskirts, intelligence sources said, on a highway near where Baradar was believed to have been arrested.

Gadahn, whose most recent video, posted Sunday, praised the U.S. Army major charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, was arrested in a pickup truck with a driver Saturday night, the sources said. The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on such issues. >>> Alex Rodriguez | Sunday, March 07, 2010

Pakistan: Al-Kaida rächt ihren Sprecher mit Video
20MINUTEN.ch: Der in den USA geborene Al-Kaida-Sprecher Adam Gadahn ist in der pakistanischen Hafenstadt Karachi vom Geheimdienst gefasst worden. Die Kaida veröffentlichte darauf ein Video, in dem Gedahn die Muslime aufruft, den Amoklauf auf der US-Militärbasis in Fort Hood zum Vorbild zu nehmen.

Al-Kaida-Sprecher Adam Gadahn in einem Video, das am 7. März 2010, dem Tag seiner Verhaftung, von Al-Kaida versandt wurde. Bild: 20Minuten.ch
Die Gefangennahme des 31-jährigen Al-Kaida-Sprechers Gadahn erfolgte bereits vor einigen Tagen, wie am Sonntag aus pakistanischen Geheimdienst- und Regierungskreisen verlautete. Die Verhaftung gilt als ein grosser Erfolg des von den USA geführten Kampfs gegen Al Kaida. >>> ddp | Sonntag, 07. März 2010