L'Iran prône le désarmement
Comme Obama, le président iranien s'est prononcé pour un [monde] sans arme nucléaire. Photo : leJDD.fr
leJDD.fr: A l'occasion d'une conférence internationale organisée à Téhéran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a plaidé en faveur du désarmement nucléaire. Le président iranien a par ailleurs appelé à la création d'un "organe international indépendant" pour "empêcher la prolifération". Sa réponse à la conférence organisée par Barack Obama en début de semaine à Washington.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad n'était pas invité à la conférence internationale sur le nucléaire organisée à l'initiative des Etats-Unis, en début de semaine, à Washington. Qu'à cela ne tienne, le président iranien a décidé d'organiser son propre sommet. Celui-ci s'est ouvert samedi à Téhéran. En petit comité, toutefois. Quand Barack Obama réunissait 47 pays dans la capitale fédérale, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, lui, est simplement entouré de huit ministres des Affaires étrangères - Irak, Syrie, Liban, Oman, Arménie, Turkménistan, Centrafrique et Swaziland -, des vice-ministres de Russie, du Qatar et des Emirats arabes unis et d'un "assistant spécial du ministre chinois des Affaires étrangères", dit-on à Pékin. Le président de l'Organisation de la conférence islamique (OCI) et des représentants de l'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA) et de l'ONU sont également présents dans la capitale iranienne.

Dans son discours d'ouverture, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a lancé le mot d'ordre de la conférence: "L'énergie nucléaire pour tous, l'arme nucléaire pour personne". Le président iranien s'est ensuite prononcé pour le désarmement nucléaire, appelant de ses vœux la création d'un "organe international indépendant" chargé de lutter contre la prolifération nucléaire. Le dirigeant de la République islamique entend ainsi prendre à contrepied ceux qui le soupçonnent de vouloir se doter de la bombe atomique. Dans ce dossier, il n'a jamais changé de ligne: le programme nucléaire iranien a des visées exclusivement civiles. C'est pourquoi il est, a-t-il une nouvelle fois rappelé, "irréversible". Pour une suspension des Etats-Unis de l'AIEA >>> M.E - leJDD.fr, Samedi 17 Avril 2010

Gates Says U.S. Lacks Policy to Curb Iran’s Nuclear Drive
THE HEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has warned in a secret three-page memorandum to top White House officials that the United States does not have an effective long-range policy for dealing with Iran’s steady progress toward nuclear capability, according to government officials familiar with the document.

Several officials said the highly classified analysis, written in January to President Obama’s national security adviser, Gen. James L. Jones, came in the midst of an intensifying effort inside the Pentagon, the White House and the intelligence agencies to develop new options for Mr. Obama. They include a set of military alternatives, still under development, to be considered should diplomacy and sanctions fail to force Iran to change course.

Officials familiar with the memo’s contents would describe only portions dealing with strategy and policy, and not sections that apparently dealt with secret operations against Iran, or how to deal with Persian Gulf allies.

One senior official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the memo, described the document as “a wake-up call.” But White House officials dispute that view, insisting that for 15 months they had been conducting detailed planning for many possible outcomes regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

In an interview on Friday, General Jones declined to speak about the memorandum. But he said: “On Iran, we are doing what we said we were going to do. The fact that we don’t announce publicly our entire strategy for the world to see doesn’t mean we don’t have a strategy that anticipates the full range of contingencies — we do.” >>> David E. Sanger and Tom Shanker | Saturday, April 17, 2010

Media Hype? Nick Clegg Nearly as Popular as Winston Churchill
THE SUNDAY TIMES: NICK CLEGG, the Liberal Democrat leader who until a few days ago was little known to voters, is now the most popular party leader since Winston Churchill, a new Sunday Times poll reveals.

Following his decisive victory in last week’s television debate, Clegg has surged to a higher approval rating than Tony Blair at the peak of new Labour’s popularity.

Last night, as the YouGov survey showed that the three parties are almost neck and neck, Labour and the Tories desperately tried to respond to the Clegg phenomenon.

The general election has become a genuine three-way contest with the Lib Dems, on 29%, enjoying their strongest support in almost 30 years. >>> Jonathan Oliver and David Smith | Sunday, April 18, 2010

MAIL ON SUNDAY: Lib Dems in Front for First Time in 104 Years >>> | Sunday, April 18, 2010

Home Office Security Breach at Terror Court
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Secret documents containing intelligence reports and details of highly sensitive diplomatic negotiations have been mistakenly released by the Home Office to a suspected terrorist’s solicitor, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

In a grave error which could undermine one of the government’s key counter-terrorism policies, more than 100 pages of secret documents were handed to Gareth Peirce, the human rights lawyer, who is representing an Ethiopian terror suspect who can only be identified by the letters ‘XX’.

The pages were accidentally left in a censored version of the Home Office’s case against XX, and should only have been disclosed to a special category of barrister who has been security vetted by MI5.

It can also be revealed that a similar mistake was made by Home Office lawyers last month in the deportation cases of two Pakistani students who were arrested during a terror raid in north-west England last year, but who were released without charge.

The latest error came during the Home Office’s preparations for a case at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) where the Ethiopian was opposing a bid by Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, to deport him from Britain.

Robin Tam QC, for the Home Secretary, told last week’s court hearing that “inadvertent disclosures have been made by the Secretary of State” and that the mistake had been “disappointing”.

Mr Justice Mitting, the SIAC chairman, told Mr Tam: “This is becoming a habit.” >>> David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent | Sunday, April 18, 2010

French Villagers Hit by Floods Fight Demolition of Hundreds of 'Black Zone' Homes
THE TELEGRAPH: Storm Xynthia battered the French coast in February, but the residents are fighting the government's plan to force them out.

Georgette and Jacques Voyer lovingly constructed their home brick by brick, building a pretty bungalow perched on a sandy ridge among pine trees overlooking a vineyard.

Now the French government intends to flatten it. The property lies in a "black zone" damaged by terrible flooding in storm Xynthia in February, France's worst natural disaster for decades. Some 53 people died as 100mph winds whipped up huge waves that battered the coast.

Yet Mrs Voyer, 61, is adamant that her beloved home was untouched by the floodwater, and insists that she will not let demolition begin.

"If they come to bulldoze my house, then they will have to bulldoze me first," she said defiantly as her husband, a retired mechanical engineer, nodded in agreement. "There was no water inside our house at all. We are not flood victims. Yet they say it is now unsafe and must be destroyed."

The Voyers are not the only ones whose home is under threat despite having been spared the floodwater. It is one of a list of 1,510 properties scheduled for destruction in "black zones", affected areas in which everything will be levelled. The planned demolition will be one of the largest France has ever known.

The government has insisted that the drastic order must be carried out to ensure residents' safety because some properties have been badly damaged, and others have been shown to be vulnerable to future flooding.

"The state and the local authorities do not have the right to risk letting people return to areas where they could be in mortal danger," said the French prime minister, François Fillon, on Tuesday.

Residents beg to differ. Families who have made their homes in some of the most picturesque parts of unspoiled south-west France insist that many of their properties were in fact untouched by the floods. They accuse the government of over-reaction, amidst confusion over how compensation will be paid and claims that "black zones" have been drawn arbitrarily.

A mood of anger is spreading along the small coastal communities in the Charente-Maritime and Vendée regions, along the coast from La Rochelle. Law-abiding middle-class families like the Voyers insist they will not go. "You could put a million euros on the table, and we would not leave," said Mrs Voyer. >>> Harriet Alexander in La Faute-Sur-Mer | Saturday, April 17, 2010

Open Letter to US Jewry
YNET NEWS: Obama has potential of being known as president who betrayed Jews

It's true that I've left the American Jewish community and immigrated to Israel, but Jewish life in America provided me with countless opportunities to realize my dream of becoming a more informed, involved Jew. This community laid the foundation for a Jewish identity that now serves as my 'rock' - the one piece of myself to which I will always remain true. That is precisely why I write this letter in both desperation and disbelief.

I was admittedly frustrated by Jewish support for soon-to-be President Obama during election time in 2008, but ultimately, I understood. I understand that American Jewry is true to the term itself; we are Jews who are American. We are American in the sense that we are patriots, and we identify with America's noble pursuit of freedom, liberty, and justice. We're only a generation or two removed from one of history's darkest examples of oppression and complete absence of justice, and thus we identify with the oppressed among us.

We want healthcare and equality for all. We want a system of education that does not discriminate and that cultivates a productive, thoughtful, forward-thinking generation of young people. No argument here. I sincerely hope that in the near future, American Jewry will only have to concern itself with these issues; I sincerely hope that we will live in a world marked by peace, in which domestic affairs in our respective countries are legitimate, primary concerns.

The issue at hand, however, is that we do not live in that world. We live in a world at war, and though your average American does not 'feel it' - the American Jew should feel it. Currently, the fundamentalist Iranian regime is building a nuclear arsenal and has simultaneously called for the complete obliteration of the State of Israel. >>> Cori Chascione | Saturday, April 17, 2010

Barack Obama. Photo : leJDD.fr
Pologne: Obama et Merkel absents
leJDD.fr: Barack Obama et Angela Merkel ont été contraints d'annuler leur participation aux obsèques, dimanche, du couple présidentiel polonais. Raison de leur absence: le nuage de cendres volcaniques qui empêchent les avions de traverser le ciel européen depuis jeudi.

Alors que les Polonais ont débuté, samedi, l'hommage de deux jours aux 96 victimes de la catastrophe aérienne du 10 avril en Russie, dont le président Lech Kaczynski et son épouse, Maria, quelques grands dirigeants ne pourront assister aux funérailles, prévues dimanche. La cause de ces absences: le nuage de cendres crachées par un volcan islandais qui paralyse le trafic aérien au-dessus de l'Europe. Merkel, lost in translation >>> V.V. (avec Reuters), leJDD.fr, Samedi 17 Avril 2010

Nicolas Blancho: de l’ennui à l’islam
Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Le jeune président du Conseil central islamique de Suisse parle de sa conversion à l’islam. Il se distancie de l’idéologie radicale des mouvements salafistes. Mais il inquiète les associations musulmanes

Il n’y a pas eu de poignée de main. Ni au début, ni à la fin de l’entretien. Son interprétation rigoriste de l’islam lui interdit d’avoir ce genre de contact avec une femme. On ne s’en offusquera pas. Le président du Conseil central islamique suisse (CCIS) est du reste un jeune homme fort aimable. Son association, créée en janvier pour défendre les intérêts des musulmans sunnites, compte déjà 1000 membres passifs et suscite la curiosité des médias. Non sans exagération, Nicolas Blancho est décrit par la Weltwoche comme «l’islamiste le plus dangereux du pays», le «Ben Laden» de Bienne. Mais on ne va pas trembler devant un sourire aussi juvénile et affable.

La rencontre a lieu à l’Université Tobler de Berne. Le président du CCIS, vêtu d’un kamis noir (une tunique) et coiffé d’une chachia blanche (bonnet islamique), arbore une barbe rousse broussailleuse. Il s’exprime dans un excellent français. Qu’est-ce qui a bien pu pousser ce Suisse né à Bienne à se convertir à l’islam à l’âge de 16 ans? Sa mère, d’origine bernoise, est enseignante. Son père, un Français établi de longue date à Bienne, chef concierge d’un gymnase. Nicolas Blancho n’a pas été baptisé. Ses parents voulaient lui laisser le choix d’adopter ou non une religion plus tard. Ils ont été pour le moins surpris du résultat de cette option éducative. «Ils ne sont pas d’accord avec ce que je fais aujourd’hui, dit le jeune musulman. Mais ils me respectent parce que je suis leur fils.» Le président du CCIS, qui étudie l’islamologie et le droit suisse à l’Université de Berne, est entretenu par ses parents.

A la maison, la famille parlait de temps en temps de religion. Avec l’adolescence sont venues les grandes questions existentielles. Et la conviction croissante de l’existence d’un être supérieur. «J’ai lu la Bible. Je me suis intéressé au bouddhisme et à d’autres religions», dit Nicolas Blancho. A l’école, il s’ennuie. «J’y allais sans être présent. Je ne faisais rien pour évoluer. Je perdais mon temps avec les copains.» Parmi ses amis, il y a des musulmans, pas vraiment attachés à l’islam. Mais ces derniers le mettent en contact avec un imam qui cherche à faire traduire un texte du français vers l’allemand. A son invitation, Nicolas Blancho se rend dans une mosquée. Il est ému par le prêche de l’imam. Il commence à lire des livres sur l’islam. Il lit également le Coran. Et puis, un jour, il a la certitude qu’un Dieu unique existe. L’imam qu’il fréquente lui demande s’il veut se convertir. «J’ai dit oui. C’était une conversion du cœur.» >>> Patricia Briel | Samedi 17 Avril 2010

Volcanic Ash Cloud Leaves Shops Facing Shortages of Fruit, Vegetables and Medicine
THE TELEGRAPH: UK retailers face significant disruption to their supply chains due to a ban on air freight following the volcanic ash crisis.

Store groups face potential shortages of medicine, cut flowers and exotic fruit and vegetables due to the closure of British airspace, that was expected to have ended in England and Wales by 7am on Saturday.

Clothing retailers also face a backlog as their stock sits in holding pens around the world waiting to be flown from manufacturing hubs to the UK.

The ban on air freight has meant that fruits such as figs, papaya and coconuts, fresh flowers and pharmaceutical products – all of which are delivered by air – are not reaching their destinations in the UK. Air freight accounts for 25pc of the UK's international goods movements by value.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) said yesterday that it fears the cost to business – and consumers – will escalate as the volcanic cloud casts its shadow further. >>> James Hall Retail Editor | Friday, April 16, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Volcanic ash cloud: dust falls across Britain – Volcanic ash from the Icelandic eruption has begun to fall across the country, coating surfaces with a fine layer of dust and raising fears over the danger posed to people with breathing difficulties. >>> Patrick Sawer | Saturday, April 17, 2010

Aktivität des Vulkans Eyjafjalla verstärkt: Aschewolke dringt weiter nach Süden – Herausforderung für Meteorologen
Bild: NZZ Online
NZZ ONLINE: Der Eyjafjalla spuckt weiter grosse Mengen von Asche aus. Regen – und damit ein «Auswaschen» der Luft – ist nicht in Sicht. Die Meteorologen stehen vor einem Problem: Es gibt nur wenige Messdaten zur Beurteilung der Lage.

Die Aktivität des isländischen Vulkans Eyjafjallajökull hat nach Angaben eines Geologen an Intensität zugenommen. Eine Aschewolke stieg nach Angaben von Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson von der Universität von Island 8,5 Kilometer weit in die Höhe. Der Wind habe die Sicht am Vulkan verbessert, so dass sich Wissenschaftler am Samstag erstmals aus der Luft ein Bild von der aktuellen Lage machen könnten.

Wenn festgestellt werden könne, wie viel Eis geschmolzen sei, könnten bessere Prognosen darüber erstellt werden, wie lange der Ausbruch anhalten werde, sagte Gudmundsson. So lange noch ausreichend Eis vorhanden sei, könnten sich weitere Aschewolken bilden. Der Flugverkehr würde damit noch längere Zeit behindert. >>> ddp/afp/Reuters/sda | Samstag, 17. April 2010

NZZ ONLINE: Vulkan auf Island soll noch tagelang spucken: Klebrige Aschewolke gefährdet Flugzeuge in ganz Nordeuropa >>> Alois Feusi | Donnerstag, 15. April 2010

NZZ ONLINE: Aschewolke über Europa wird nicht so schnell verschwinden: Isländischer Vulkan vermutlich noch mehrere Tage aktiv >>> sda/Reuters | Freitag, 16. April 2010

Deux jours de funérailles grandioses en Pologne
Des milliers de bougies ont été déposées devant le château du Wawel à Cracovie, où seront inhumés, dimanche, le président Lech Kaczynski et son épouse Maria. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: L'enterrement du très russophobe Lech Kaczynski pourrait mettre fin à des siècles d'incompréhension avec la Russie.

Des funérailles grandioses telles que la Pologne n'en avait pas connu depuis la mort de Jean-Paul II. Et un casse-tête inouï pour l'ambassadeur de Pologne à Paris, Tomasz Orlowski, chargé de remplacer au pied levé le chef du protocole, Mariusz Kazana, victime du crash de Smolensk.

Quatre-vingts délégations étrangères, de nombreux rois et chefs d'État, l'élite de l'État polonais, les plus hauts dignitaires de l'Église sont attendus dimanche à Cracovie pour les obsèques du président Lech Kaczynski et de son épouse, Maria. Si toutefois le nuage de cendres islandaises, qui a entraîné hier la fermeture de l'aéroport, daigne s'éloigner du ciel polonais. Un défi de plus en plus cauchemardesque pour l'ambassadeur Orlowski. Dans quel ordre placer les délégations ? Passe encore pour les têtes couronnées, Juan Carlos d'Espagne, le prince Charles ou Harald de Norvège. Mais pour les présidents ? La règle donne la priorité à l'ancienneté. Mais alors, quel affront pour Barack Obama ! À moins de se retrancher sur l'ordre alphabétique. Mais comment imaginer que le représentant de la Russie, Dmitri Medvedev, soit précédé par celui de la Géorgie, Mikhaïl Saakachvili ? D'autant, souligne un diplomate, que «depuis une semaine, les Russes se comportent de manière exemplaire». >>> Par Arielle Thedrel | Vendredi 16 Avril 2010

Williamson condamné pour «incitation à la haine raciale»
Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le tribunal de Ratisbonne a jugé que l'évêque britannique devait s'acquitter d'une amende de 10.000 euros pour ses propos négationnistes tenus lors d'une interview à la télévision suédoise en janvier 2009.

Il aurait pu éviter son procès et la mauvaise publicité. Mais Mgr Williamson a refusé de s'acquitter de l'amende de 12.000 euros proposée par le tribunal de Ratisbonne (Bavière) dans le cadre d'une procédure simplifiée, comme le permet la justice allemande. Depuis le début de l'audience la semaine dernière, l'Allemagne attend avec impatience le jugement, tombé vendredi après-midi : l'évêque britannique est condamné à 10.000 euros d'amende pour «incitation à la haine raciale». Un jugement prononcé en son absence, car sa fraternité lui avait interdit d'y assister.

Dans une interview réalisée à Ratisbonne et diffusée par la télévision suédoise SVT1 le 21 janvier 2009, l'évêque catholique Williamson, membre de l'organisation intégriste de la Fraternité Saint Pie X, avait notamment déclaré : «Je crois qu'il n'y a jamais eu de chambres à gaz (…) Je pense que 200.000 à 300.000 Juifs sont bien morts dans les camps de concentration nazis mais qu'aucun d'entre eux n'est mort en raison de gazage ». Si Williamson a justifié ses dires par le « rapport Fred Leuchter », du nom d'un illustre négationniste américain qui prétend expliquer scientifiquement que les chambres à gaz nazies n'auraient en fait jamais servi au gazage des Juifs, les propos négationnistes de l'évêque avaient immédiatement provoqué l'ire de l'Allemagne et du monde entier. >>> Par Hélène Imatte | Vendredi 16 Avril 2010

Related / Lien en relation avec l’article:

DEUTSCHE WELLE: Holocaust: British Bishop Fined 10,000 Euros for Partial Holocaust Denial >>> msh/dl/AP/AFP, Editor: Chuck Penfold | Friday, April 16, 2010

Pope’s Visit to Malta Overshadowed by Paedophile Priest Scandal
TIMES ONLINE: The damage done by the child abuse scandal has been compounded by a lack of coherent response from those at the top

Graffiti. Photo: Times Online
A papal trip to Malta would not normally attract world attention, but these are not normal times in the Vatican. The Pope’s first overseas engagement since the sex abuse scandal embroiled the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy will take place in the full glare of the media — the same media that some of his supporters accuse of waging a campaign against him and their religion.

The blame game — the Vatican has also attributed its woes to homosexuals, the Holocaust, the Irish, and even the Devil — speaks to a wider problem in the Church’s handling of accusations that it conspired to cover up paedophilia committed by its clergy. Only in the past few days have Vatican officials scrambled to find a coherent strategy to try to control a scandal that has inflicted immeasurable damage on the institution.

“The problem is not that the Vatican line over the crisis has had unfortunate consequences,” said Andrea Tornielli, the biographer of Pope Benedict XVI and other modern pontiffs. “The problem is that there is no line.”

Even as the Pope faced accusations that he had covered up instances of clerical abuse while Archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982, and later as head of doctrine at the Vatican for 24 years, there was no co-ordinated rebuttal. In the corporate world, the response to such a public relations disaster would be crisis management, but the Vatican’s ancient bureaucracy, and a centuries-old culture of secrecy is ill equipped to meet the demands of communications strategies.

“We are not a multinational,” Father Federico Lombardi, the Pope’s spokesman, said recently. The Holy See, he said, “does not believe it is necessary to respond to every single document taken out of context”.

Asked during a rare briefing for reporters whether there had been urgent meetings in the Vatican over the abuse scandal, he looked baffled. Didn’t he feel that the Vatican was under siege? “No. We issue clarifications when necessary,” he replied, pointing to the publication on the Vatican website of church rules on abuse, making it clear for the first time that bishops must go to the police.

The reality, however, is that new abuse stories have appeared almost daily, and Father Lombardi, 68, a genial and mild-mannered Jesuit from Piedmont, northern Italy, has struggled without any apparent strategy or guidance from higher up in the Church.

Instead, stories involving abuse at the hands of priests have been dismissed as “petty gossip” or “idle chatter”. Contentious remarks by cardinals and bishops — blaming the stories on a Jewish conspiracy, for instance — have added to the furore. >>> Richard Owen in Rome | Saturday, April 17, 2010

David Cameron Gets Churlish
THE TELEGRAPH: General Election 2010: David Cameron dismisses Nick Clegg threat: David Cameron has insisted that the election campaign is still a two-horse race between himself and Gordon Brown as he dismissed the challenge of Nick Clegg. >>> Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor | Friday, April 16, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: Clegg victory hits pound on hung parliament fears: Sterling retreated against major currencies overnight after Nick Clegg’s winning performance in the televised campaign debate between party leaders fanned fears of a hung Parliament. >>> Gary Parkinson | Friday, April 16, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: General Election 2010: If you feel strangely drawn to the Lib Dems, think again: Labour is the only party that will benefit from Nick Clegg's performance on television, says Charles Moore. >>> Charles Moore | Friday, April 16, 2010

Vandals Spray Paint Rio's Christ Statue
THE TELEGRAPH: Vandals have covered Rio de Janeiro's towering Christ the Redeemer statue with spray-painted graffiti, marring the world-famous monument in an act Rio's mayor called a "crime against the nation."

The vandalized Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Photograph: The Telegraph
The vandals covered the head, arms and chest of the 130-foot statue, which looks out over Rio's dramatic vista of beaches and mountains, using scaffolding that had been erected to carry out maintenance work.

"Those criminals will pay for what they've done. They will go to jail," Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes was quoted as saying in Friday's O Globo newspaper. "Rio de Janeiro and Brazil do not deserve this." >>> | Friday, April 16, 2010

When Pictures Paint a Thousand Words
What’s permissible in the States these days >>> Always On Watch | Friday, April 16, 2010
ATLAS SHRUGS: Update: Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer to Sue Miami-Dade Transport >>> | Friday, April 16, 2010

HT: Always On Watch

THE FREETHINKER: You can promote Islam on the side of US buses, but you can’t oppose it >>> Posted by Barry Duke | Saturday, April 17, 2010

Editorial: Catholic Church Must Confess Its Sins
THE DOMINION POST – OPINION: Former prime minister Helen Clark had a simple piece of advice for colleagues in difficulty: "If you're in a hole, stop digging." It is advice the Vatican would do well to heed.

Watching assorted cardinals and bishops attempt to dodge blame for the church's horrific record of child abuse is akin to watching fish flap about in the bottom of a boat. The more the prelates wriggle, the more deeply the hooks sink.

The Vatican has blamed the media and the permissive values of the 60s and 70s, it has compared offending rates within the church with rates in other institutions, it has preached the virtues of forgiveness and, just to demonstrate how completely it has lost touch with notions of right and wrong, it has attempted to draw distinctions between paedophilia (sexual relations with children) and ephebophilia (relations with mid-to-late adolescents).

Instead of recognising that it is getting deeper and deeper into a hole, it keeps digging. While the Pope apologises and urges Christians to repent for sins, senior church figures keep looking for scapegoats. >>> | Saturday, April 17, 2010

HT: Judah's Journal

Girl, 16, Banned from School for Wearing Hijab in Spain
THE TELEGRAPH: A 16-year-old schoolgirl has been banned from classes in Spain after refusing to remove her Islamic headscarf, re-igniting the national debate over the hijab.

Najwa Malha, who was born is Spain to Moroccan immigrants, has been excluded from classes at the state-run Camilo Jose Cela School in the Madrid suburb of Pozuelo after being told that her hijab was in violation of school dress code.

The decision has sparked debate in Spain where there are no clear guidelines over the wearing of Islamic headdress in state schools. >>> Fiona Govan in Madrid | Friday, April 16, 2010

How Israel Screens for Terrorists

Should Turkey Join the EU?
TELEGRAPH - DEBATE: Europeans are divided over Turkey's proposed membership of the EU. It is a largely Muslim nation, while the 27 other states are not. And while Turkey's huge economic potential is attractive, its human rights record falls well short of EU standards. Should this record bar it from joining the EU? Join the debate >>>

Israel Bans iPad Imports
THE TELEGRAPH: Israel has banned imports of Apple iPad, citing concerns the powerful gadget consumes too much capacity on wireless networks and could disrupt other devices.

Customs officials said they have already confiscated about 10 of the lightweight tablet computers since Israel announced the new regulations this week. The ban prevents anyone from bringing iPads into Israel until officials certify that they comply with local transmitter standards. >>> | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Hillary Clinton Tells Israel to Stop 'Settlement Activity' and Provoking Palestine
THE TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton has said Israel must stop 'settlement activity' and steer clear of comments that will provoke Palestinians.

The US Secretary of State urged "bold leadership" from all sides to resolve one of the world's most intractable disputes.

Speaking at a dinner attended by the ambassadors of Israel and several Arab states, Mrs Clinton urged Israel to "refrain from unilateral statements and actions" that could undermine peace.

"Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu has embraced the vision of the two-state solution," she said.

"But easing up on access and movement in the West Bank, in response to credible Palestinian security performance, is not sufficient to prove to the Palestinians that this embrace is sincere.

"We encourage Israel to continue building momentum toward a comprehensive peace by demonstrating respect for the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, stopping settlement activity and addressing the humanitarian needs in Gaza." >>> Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Friday, April 16, 2010

SEC Charges Goldman Sachs with Fraud in Subprime Mortgage Meltdown
LOS ANGELES TIMES: The civil charges relate to Goldman Sachs' creation of collateralized debt obligations -- a complex, mortgage-backed security. 'The product was new and complex but the deception and conflicts are old and simple,' a Securities and Exchange Commission official says in a statement.

Reporting from New York
Goldman Sachs is being charged with fraud by federal regulators for its work in creating subprime mortgage bonds before the financial crisis.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced on Friday morning that it was bringing civil charges against Goldman and one of the bank's vice presidents in Manhattan federal court. >>> Nathaniel Popper | Friday, April 16, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Goldman Sachs charged with $1bn fraud over toxic sub-prime securities: Securities and exchange commission charges Goldman Sachs with conflict of interest in sub-prime mortgage asset sales >>> Andrew Clark | Friday, April 16, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Dow hit by Goldman fraud charges: The Dow Jones ended a six-day rally on Friday, hit by civil fraud charges against Goldman Sachs and investor disappointed over trading at Google. >>> AP | Friday, April 16, 2010

Präsident zu sein ist Nebenjob für Obama: Es bringt ihm einfach Trinkgeld ein. Der “Moonlighting” Präsident
WELT ONLINE: Finanziell gesehen, ist Barack Obama nur im Nebenjob US-Präsident. Denn das Präsidentengehalt von 374.460 Dollar macht nur einen Bruchteil seines Einkommens aus. Die nun vom Weißen Haus veröffentlichte Steuererklärung verrät, dass er mit seinen Bestseller-Büchern knapp 5,2 Millionen Dollar einnahm. Obamas verdienten 5,5 Millionen Dollar >>> dpa | Freitag, 16. April 2010

Verbunden / Related:

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack and Michelle Obama Double Income in 2009 to $5.5m >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Mordplan gegen Obama: Zehn Jahre Haft für Neonazi
DIE PRESSE: Ein 19-Jähriger US-Bürger ist zu zehn Jahren Haft verurteilt worden, weil er Barack Obama und Dutzende weitere Afro-Amerikaner ermorden wollte. Sein Mitangeklagter wartet noch auf sein Urteil. >>> Ag. | Freitag, 16. April 2010

Holocaust: British Bishop Fined 10,000 Euros for Partial Holocaust Denial
DEUTSCHE WELLE: Ultra-conservative bishop Richard Williamson has been fined 10,000 euros for denying aspects of the Holocaust in an interview for Swedish television. He made the comments while on German soil.

A court in the Bavarian city of Regensburg has fined a conservative British bishop 10,000 euros ($13,500) for partial Holocaust denial in a television interview.

Bishop Richard Williamson did not attend the hearing, and his lawyer said he was instructed not to by his ultra-conservative order, the Saint Pius X Society.

"Bishop Williamson would gladly have come," defense lawyer Matthias Lossmann told the court in Regensburg, "but the Saint Pius X Society suggested he did not. To be precise, they forbade him from coming."

While the maximum sentence for Holocaust denial - a criminal offence in Germany - is five years in prison, the court in Regensburg had said in the run-up to the trial that a fine would be the most likely outcome in the case of a guilty verdict.

The clergyman had already incurred a 12,000-euro fine for a 2008 Swedish television interview he gave from the Saint Pius X seminary near Regensburg. Because Williamson refused to pay this, the Regensburg court elected to open criminal proceedings against him.

In the interview he argued that only "200,000 to 300,000 Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps," and further argued that gas chambers had not been used as a method of mass-execution. The German issue >>> msh/dl/AP/AFP, Editor: Chuck Penfold | Friday, April 16, 2010

Likud: Our Path Has Won

Arabs Fighting for Israel

Obama Orders Hospital Visitation Rights
ADVOCATE.COM: President Barack Obama signed a memorandum Thursday requiring hospitals to allow gays and lesbians to have nonfamily visitors and allowing their partners medical power of attorney.

The memorandum orders the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation. The memo was posted on the White House website Thursday afternoon. Reads the memorandum: >>> Advocate.com Editors | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Morgan Stanley Fears German Exit from EMU
THE TELEGRAPH: Morgan Stanley has warned that the Greek debt crisis is setting off a chain of events that may prompt German withdrawal from the eurozone, with grim implications for investors caught off-guard.

"The backstop package for Greece and the ECB's climb-down on its collateral rules set a bad precedent for other euro area states and make it more likely that the euro area degenerates into a zone of fiscal profligacy, currency weakness, and higher inflationary pressures over time," said Joachim Fels, head of research, in a note to clients.

The US bank said a bail-out for Greece may be necessary to avoid a crisis for Europe's financial system, but warned that it also "sows the seeds for potentially even bigger problems further down the road".

Mr Fels said weak states cannot easily leave EMU because they would pay a stiff penalty in higher rates, would be stuck with euro debt contracts, and might need controls to stem capital flight. It is a different calculus for Germany, which would see lower rates and might view EMU exit as the only way to ensure monetary stability. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Thursday, April 15, 2010

General Election 2010: Liberal Democrats Surge After Nick Clegg's TV Debate Performance
THE TELEGRAPH: The Liberal Democrats have overtaken Labour in a new poll after enjoying a 14 per cent surge on the back of Nick Clegg's performance in last night's TV election debate.



A unweighted poll of 4,000 people's voting intentions has dramatically propelled the Liberal Democrats into second place in the election campaign.

The poll by ITV/ComRes put Liberal Democrat support at 35 per cent, up 14 per cent. However it has not been adjusted to ensure it is representative of the electorate as a whole.

The Conservatives were at 36 per cent, down 3 per cent compared to before the head-to-head studio debate.

Labour was at 24 per cent, down 3 per cent, and others were at 5 per cent, down 8 per cent.

The poll increases the likelihood of a hung Parliament. >>> | Friday, April 16, 2010

Tweedledee Tweedledum Debate Ignores All Important Issues
BNP: Last night’s Tweedledee Tweedledum TV debate between the leaders of the three old-gang parties ignored every single issue vital to Britain’s future, including the EU, multi-culturalism and the erosion of British identity through mass immigration, said British National Party leader Nick Griffin.

Reacting to the debate, which drew only slightly more TV viewers than the BNP’s appearance on Question Time, Mr Griffin said all three participants went out of their way to avoid discussing any of the real issues.

“Although the very first question was on immigration, all the public were given was more meaningless platitudes about points-based systems and yet more immigration,” Mr Griffin said.

“No-one discussed the figures, which show that given current immigration levels and birth rates, British people are destined to become a minority in Britain within the next 50 years, and most likely within 30,” he said. >>> | Friday, April 16, 2010

Turquie: 12 ans pour une Française
LE FIGARO: Une mère de famille française de 42 ans a été définitivement condamnée aujourd'hui en Turquie à 12 ans et 6 mois de prison pour trafic de drogue, la cour de cassation d'Ankara ayant rejeté son pourvoi, a indiqué Laurent Bruneau, son avocat agenais. >>> AFP | Vendredi 16 Avril 2010

Terroristes «Made in USA» aussi dangereux qu'Al-Qaïda, selon le FBI
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: MENACES | Les terroristes agissant seuls ("loups solitaires") et ceux ayant grandi sur le sol américain font désormais peser sur les Etats-Unis une "menace aussi grande" qu'Al-Qaïda, affirme le patron du FBI Robert Mueller.

Le patron du FBI s'exprimait devant des parlementaires américains. "Al-Qaïda et ses branches cherchent toujours à nous frapper aux Etats-Unis", a déclaré M. Mueller, rappelant l'attentat manqué contre un avion américain le jour de Noël, revendiqué par le chef d'Al-Qaïda Oussama ben Laden, et des complots visant le métro de New York.

Mais les extrémistes ayant grandi aux Etats-Unis et "les loups solitaires sont une menace aussi grande", a ajouté le patron du FBI (police fédérale), qui s'exprimait devant la commission du Sénat chargée de la répartition des fonds fédéraux. >>> ATS/AFP | Vendredi 16 Avril 2010

Die Königskinder: Frederik & Mary

Dänemark: Königin Margrethe wird 70
Schon zehn Tage dauern die Festlichkeiten. Bild: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die dänische Königin, so heißt es, sei die am besten ausgebildete Königin der Welt. Und: Sie sei der Idealtyp eines Monarchen. Und: Sie sei die kunstsinnigste Königin. Zwei Superlative jedenfalls stehen fest: Margrethe II. von Dänemark ist die erste Frau seit sechs Jahrhunderten an der Spitze der ältesten Monarchie Europas. Und Umfragen bescheinigen ihr, das populärste Staatsoberhaupt der Welt zu sein. Über mehr als 30 Jahre hinweg erhielt sie Zustimmungsraten von mehr als 90 Prozent. Erst neuerdings mischen sich kritische Töne in die Begeisterung. Angeblich hoffen sogar schon die meisten Dänen, dass sie zugunsten ihres Sohnes auf den Thron verzichtet. Sie selbst gibt sich da nüchtern: Sie erfülle einen Beruf, eine Stellung für das ganze Leben.

So wird die dänische Nation an diesem Freitag zusammen mit ihr, dem Prinzgemahl Henrik und ihren beiden Söhnen Frederik und Joachim ihren siebzigsten Geburtstag feiern. Schon seit zehn Tagen läuft sich das Land dafür warm, mit Ausstellungseröffnungen, Galaabenden und Fernsehgesprächen. Die zierliche und dennoch robuste Königin wird sich nach einer Aufführung im Königlichen Theater am Vorabend mit ihrer Familie auf dem Balkon von Amalienborg und später des Rathauses zeigen, mit ihrer Kutsche durch Kopenhagen fahren und Schulkinder mit Pantomime und Chorgesang erfreuen. Bei den Auftritten wird sich die Zustimmung an der Lautstärke des neunfachen Geburtstags-“Hurra“ bemessen.

Wegen der umfassenden Flugverbote infolge der Vulkanasche konnte gestern allerdings weder das norwegische noch das schwedische Königspaar wie geplant in das „Hurra“ miteinstimmen. König Harald von Norwegen und das schwedische Königspaar Carl Gustav und Silvia stiegen auf den Zug um, damit sie wenigstens heute zur Geburtstagsfeier da sein können. Margarete war nicht zur Thronfolge bestimmt >>> Von Robert von Lucius | Freitag, 16. April 2010

Tragic Flaw: Graft Feeds Greek Crisis
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: ATHENS—Behind the budget crisis roiling Greece lies a riddle: Why does the state spend so lavishly but collect taxes so poorly? Many Greeks say the answer needs only two words: fakelaki and rousfeti.

Fakelaki is the Greek for "little envelopes," the bribes that affect everyone from hospital patients to fishmongers. Rousfeti means expensive political favors, which pervade everything from hiring teachers to property deals with Greek Orthodox monks. Together, these traditions of corruption and cronyism have produced a state that is both bloated and malnourished, and a crisis of confidence that is shaking all of Europe.

A study to be published in coming weeks by the Washington-based Brookings Institution finds that bribery, patronage and other public corruption are major contributors to the country's ballooning debt, depriving the Greek state each year of the equivalent of at least 8% of its gross domestic product, or more than €20 billion (about $27 billion).

"Our basic problem is systemic corruption," Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou said after he took office late last year, vowing to change a mentality that views the republic as a resource to plunder. He later berated the chief of public prosecutions, saying Greeks believe "there is impunity in this country." The chief prosecutor said that wasn't so.

Greece moved closer to a bailout Thursday, requesting aid talks with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. Many investors and economists say aid would buy Greece time, but wouldn't solve its underlying problems. >>> Marcus Walker | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Highlights From U.K.'s Great Debate

Analyzing the UK Political Debate

Travel Plans Go Up in Smoke

Snuffing Out Smokers in Japan

Sarah Palin's Flexible Straw Demand Makes Her a Classic Diva
THE TELEGRAPH: The ex-governor of Alaska has joined the exalted ranks of famous people who makes ridiculous demands to look important, says David Quantick.

When Pink Floyd sang, in Money, "I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling set, and I think I need a Learjet," they were thinking of themselves and their fellow rock stars. They were certainly not thinking of future ex-governors of Alaska. Yet Sarah Palin's leaked demands (including three deluxe hotel rooms, a private aircraft that "must be a Lear 60 or larger", and a "bendable" straw) have made her not only the envy of our former expense-claiming MPs, for whom a simple moat is now an unattainable dream, but also the peer of many rock stars.

Palin is already the butt of much mockery (when it was learned that she receives £162,000 an episode for an eight-part show on The Learning Channel, some critics wondered if she was being paid to watch it). Now, with her absurd demands – she also, rather quaintly, requested "a wooden lectern" – the former Housewife Super Governor has crossed the velvet rope into the land of diva-ishness. >>> David Quantick | Thursday, April 15, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Sarah Palin’s speaking demands: ‘bendable’ straws, three hotle rooms and a private jet >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Robert Spencer: Separating Islam From Terrorism
Photo: FrontPage Magazine
FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE: Barack Obama has removed all mention of Islam from the National Security Strategy document, which during the Bush Administration said: “The struggle against militant Islamic radicalism is the great ideological conflict of the early years of the 21st century.” Obama apparently agrees with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said Monday: “Islam and terrorism cannot be mentioned together, because they are contradictory to each other.”

Erdogan, incidentally, also famously said this about “moderate Islam”: “These descriptions are very ugly, it is offensive and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that’s it.” And that statement itself demonstrates one of the key fallacies of the Obama Administration’s stance that Islam has nothing to do with, uh, Islamic terrorism.

Now that the idea that Islam and terrorism have anything to do with one another has been relegated to the dustbin of history, it’s worth asking why anyone got this idea in the first place. Was it sheer bigotry? Racism? Let’s see. Could it have been from Osama bin Laden, who once praised Allah for the Qur’an’s “Verse of the Sword” (9:5), which instructs Muslims to “slay the unbelievers wherever you find them”? Or maybe it was from Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, who once thundered: “Islam says: Kill in the service of Allah those who may want to kill you!…There are hundreds of other [Koranic] psalms and hadiths [sayings of the prophet] urging Muslims to value war and to fight. Does all that mean that Islam is a religion that prevents men from waging war? I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a claim.”

Maybe it was from the British Muslim Omar Brooks, who said in 2005 that it was imperative for Muslims to “instill terror into the hearts of the kuffar” and added: “I am a terrorist. As a Muslim of course I am a terrorist.” Or maybe it was from the Qur’an itself, which tells Muslims to “strike terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah” (8:60). Maybe it was from the perpetrators of the 15,000-plus terror attacks committed in the name of Islam since 9/11. >>> Robert Spencer | Thursday, April 15, 2010

War Between Israel and Hizbollah 'Imminent', US Warned
THE TELEGRAPH: A war between Israel and Hizbollah that could spread across the Middle East is "imminent", King Abdullah of Jordan has warned the US.

Jordan's King Abdullah II in Washington. Photograph: The Telegraph
The king, in Washington for President Barack Obama's nuclear summit, gave his warning after Israel claimed that Syria had handed over Scud missiles in its armoury to the Lebanon-based Hizbollah.

His comments, which were made to private meeting of the US Congressional Friends of Jordan caucus were said to be "sobering".

Syria yesterday denied the allegation that it has provided Hizbollah with long-range Scud missiles, which would allowing [sic] them to target Israel's cities. The country's foreign ministry said the claims would be used as a pretext by Israel to raise tension prior to a possible attack on Hizbollah.

"For some time now, Israel has been running a campaign claiming that Syria has been supplying Hizbollah with Scud missiles in Lebanon ," a foreign ministry statement released yesterday said.

"Syria strongly denies these allegations which are an attempt by Israel to raise tensions in the region."

However, the statement did not appear to rule out an alternative possibility being raised by defence sources, that Damascus has allowed Hizbollah control of or access to Scud missiles still currently in Syria. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington, Richard Spencer and Adrian Blomfield | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Nazi Fairy Tales Paint Hitler as Little Red Riding Hood's Saviour
THE TELEGRAPH: Few children would identify Adolf Hitler as the saviour of Little Red Riding Hood - or recall that Snow White's father wanted to invade Poland.

A man with a knife arrives as the saviour of Little Red Riding Hood. Photograph: The Telegraph
But these were the allegorical twists injected into classic fairy tales re-fashioned by Nazi propaganda chiefs to recruit German children to support the Third Reich.

In the Nazi film version of "Little Red Riding Hood", the child wears a swastika-emblazoned cloak as she skips through the woods and is saved from the Big Bad Wolf by a man wearing an SS uniform in a style favoured by the Führer.

Snow White's father, a minor character in the Brothers Grimm tale, is portrayed in the Nazi film as the leader of a mighty army advancing on the "eastern" enemy. The film's premier, in October 1939, came one month after Germany launched its attack on Poland.

Josef Goebbels, the propaganda genius of the regime, was quick to seize on the potential to promote Hitler to a hero and plant the seeds of racial superiority in the minds of German children, according to a new study "Red Riding Hood in the Third Reich: German fairy tale movies between 1933 and 1945".

"Every fairy tale is politically alignable without raping the poetry within," Hubert Schonger, a Nazi film producer, said in an interview in the 1930s.

But his boss, Goebbels, warned Mr Schonger and his colleagues not be too heavy handed. "Children will see through propaganda quicker than their parents ever could," he said. >>> Allan Hall in Berlin | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Barack and Michelle Obama Double Income in 2009 to $5.5m
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle earned $5.5 million (£3.5 million) in 2009, more than twice their income in 2008, despite the economic recession.

According to the White House, the increase in earnings was due to the sales of Mr Obama's books. Photograph: The Telegraph
Mr Obama has managed to develop a political career far more lucrative than those of his predecessors.

After the first year of his first term, President George W. Bush earned $894,800 and in his last year $936,111.

In his final year in office, President Bill Clinton netted just $417,467.
The Obamas' tax return, released by the White House on Thursday - the day all Americans have to file their tax returns - showed that the Obamas earned $5.5 million last year and paid nearly $1.8 million (£1.16 million) in federal income tax.

In 2008, the Obamas made just under $2.5 million. The White House said that the increase was due to increased sales of Mr Obama's books. >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Couch Wars Erupt in France Over Sigmund Freud Claims
THE TELEGRAPH: Couch wars have broken out among France's leading psychiatrists after a top philosopher branded Sigmund Freud a perverse, anti-Semitic fraud who failed to cure a single patient.

It is stepping on hallowed ground to criticise Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, in a country where top analysts and philosophers are still treated as stars.

But Michel Onfray has accused the champion of the unconscious mind of lying about the success of his treatment and being a misogynist homophobe obsessed with sexual abuse.

He goes on to attack the whole exercise of psychoanalysis as the last untouchable religion revered by "stars and footballers."

"Who else would still have the time to pay in cash to lie on a couch twice a week before some guy who's half-asleep?," Mr Onfray said as his controversial book Twilight of an Idol, the Freudian Fabrication was published.

French psychoanalysts' response was immediate and fierce.

Leading the charge was Elisabeth Roudinesco, who blasted his book as "a rag stuffed full of errors and shot through with rumours".

Mr Onfray claims that Freud claims to have cured 18 patients as proof that his theories could be successfully applied. On closer inspection, however, documents prove this to be a total fallacy, he contends. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Wende in Kirgistan nach Bakijews Abreise: Die Kollektiv-Führung steht vor weiteren Zerreissproben
NZZ ONLINE: Die Ausreise des entmachteten kirgisischen Präsidenten Bakijew nimmt der Übergangsregierung vorerst die grösste Sorge. Sie muss nun die Erwartungen des Volkes und der ausländischen Mächte sowie die Ambitionen ihrer Mitglieder ausbalancieren.

Das Vorspiel zum Abschied hatte Kurmanbek Bakijew, Kirgistans entmachteter Präsident, am Dienstag an der Demonstration in Dschalalabad gegeben. Ein weiterer Akt hätte am Donnerstag in Osch, der «Hauptstadt» Südkirgistans, stattfinden sollen. Doch gegnerische Demonstranten liessen ihn nicht auftreten; Schüsse in die Luft zur Abschreckung fielen, Bakijew kehrte an seinen Familiensitz zurück.

Am Abend Lokalzeit hat er den vorerst letzten Akt gespielt. In einem kasachischen Flugzeug verliess er das Land. Kurze Zeit später meldete die Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE), die derzeit von Kasachstan präsidiert wird, dank den gemeinsamen Anstrengungen der Präsidenten Kasachstans, Russlands und Amerikas und unter Vermittlung der OSZE hätten sich die Übergangsregierung und Bakijew auf die Ausreise geeinigt. Weiterhin Gesetzlosigkeit >>> Markus Ackeret | Donnerstag, 15. April 2010

«Hinrichtungen» im Gazastreifen: Hamas beschuldigt zwei Männer als Informanten Israels
NZZ ONLINE: Die radikal-islamische Hamas hat zwei Palästinenser «hingerichtet», die als Informanten Israels galten. Sie wurden in undurchsichtigen Prozessen von Militärtribunalen «verurteilt». Menschenrechtsgruppen protestieren.

Die radikale palästinensische Organisation Hamas hat am Donnerstag erstmals seit ihrer Machtübernahme im Gazastreifen vor drei Jahre zwei Männer «hingerichtet», die als Informanten für Israel tätig gewesen sein sollen. Beide wurden 2008 und 2009 von Militärtribunalen für schuldig befunden und als Verräter zum Tode verurteilt. Die von Kugeln durchsiebten Leichen wurden am Donnerstagmorgen zum wichtigsten Spital von Gaza gebracht, wie ein Klinikmitarbeiter erklärte. >>> (ddp)/awy. | Donnerstag, 15. April 2010

Rights Groups Slam Hamas Executions
YNET NEWS: Hours after execution of two Gaza Strip residents convicted of collaborating with Israel, rights groups criticize Islamist organization in joint statement

Human rights organizations in the Palestinian Authority issued a condemnation of Hamas on Thursday following the execution of two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip convicted of collaborating with Israel.

The groups protested the fact that the two did not receive a fair legal process and noted that the act "was against Palestinian law which prohibits the execution of a death sentence without the authorization of the Palestinian president." >>> Ali Waked | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Heilige Stadt – auf Korruptionssumpf gebaut: Ex-Bürgermeister von Jerusalem verhaftet
NZZ ONLINE: Israel hat einen neuen Korruptionsskandal. Für die Genehmigung eines Bauprojekts in Jerusalem sollen Bestechungsgelder bis zu 15 Millionen Dollar an Entscheidungsträger in der Stadtverwaltung gezahlt worden sein.

Die israelische Nachrichtenseite «ynet» beschrieb den Fall am Donnerstag als «grössten Korruptionsskandal in der Geschichte des Landes». Der ehemalige Jerusalemer Bürgermeister Uri Lupolianski wurde am Mittwochabend unter dem Verdacht verhaftet, mehr als drei Millionen Schekel (umgerechnet etwa 850'000 Franken) angenommen zu haben.

Er beschuldigte dann laut israelischen Medienberichten vom Donnerstag seinen Amtsvorgänger, den ehemaligen Ministerpräsidenten Ehud Olmert, die Verantwortung zu tragen. Die Polizei will Olmert zu den Vorwürfen befragen. Er steht bereits wegen Korruptionsvorwürfen in anderen Fällen vor Gericht. >>> sda/dpa | Donnerstag, 15. April 2010

Verbunden mit diesem Artikel / Related:

LE FIGARO: Scandale immobilier: Olmert suspect n°1 >>> AFP | Jeudi 15 Avril 2010

YNET NEWS: Olmert denies involvement in Holyland scandal: Real estate project at center of corruption affair modified after his term as Jerusalem mayor, Olmert says; former PM slams 'character assassination' attempts against him, says he was never offered or took bribe >>> Aviad Glickman | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Jews Ruining Jerusalem
YNET NEWS: Eyal Megged wants to entrust Jerusalem in Arab hands in wake of Holyland scandal

A liquidator should be appointed for Jerusalem. The city is tainted by corruption, and this corruption creates a stench all over the capital.

As is the case in other areas, every phenomenon that becomes typical to our model state is taken to the extreme in the eternal city of Jerusalem. Only the people who live here and see how it’s being constantly sold to contractors who constantly change its face can grasp the extent of this phenomenon.

Anyone with eyes in their head realizes that without big money changing hands it wouldn’t have been possible to make the city so ugly in such manner. Only dirty money can do it.

In Rehavia, for example, the old and beautiful neighborhood is being eliminated. Every second home is being demolished, to make room for larger and more glittering homes. We should be stopping the bulldozers and cranes today, and find out whether the abysses created in place of the historic homes do not hide tomorrow’s scandals. I’m sure that’s the case. Nation of greedy contractors >>> Eyal Megged | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Les drapeaux grâce aux Google Images.
Rencontre Israël – Paris : Sarkozy et Peres créent une nouvelle maison de l'amitié Europe-Israël
LE POINT: Le président Nicolas Sarkozy et son homologue israélien Shimon Peres ont lancé jeudi à l'Élysée une "maison commune Europe-Israël" qui réunit des fondations et associations d'amitié de l'État hébreu et dix pays européens afin de "rapprocher leurs sociétés civiles". Lancée à l'initiative de la fondation France-Israël, cette "maison commune" a pour vocation de "rapprocher nos envies, nos moyens, nos ressources et de réaliser ensemble un certain nombre de projets", selon la présidente de la fondation, l'ex-ministre Nicole Guedj. >>> AFP | Jeudi 15 Avril 2010

YNET NEWS: Sarkozy to Peres: What's your secret? : Israeli president meets French counterpart; two leaders discuss Iran, peace process >>> Gilad Halpern | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Église : Scandales de pédophilie : Benoît XVI appelle les chrétiens à "faire pénitence"
Benoît XVI affiche une nouvelle fois sa fermeté contre la pédophilie des prêtres. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Le pape Benoît XVI a appelé jeudi les chrétiens à "faire pénitence" et "donc à reconnaître les erreurs commises dans (leur) vie" en faisant référence à la tourmente des scandales de pédophilie au sein du clergé. "Face aux attaques du monde qui nous parlent de nos péchés, nous voyons (...) qu'il est nécessaire de faire pénitence et donc de reconnaître les erreurs commises dans notre vie", a déclaré le pape lors d'une messe au Vatican. "La douleur de la pénitence, c'est-à-dire de la purification et de la transformation, cette douleur est une grâce parce que c'est un renouvellement", a poursuivi le pape. >>> AFP | Jeudi 15 Avril 2010

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Threatens US Over Mid East Peace Plans
THE TELEGRAPH: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has warned he could scupper American policy across the Middle East if the Washington continues to confront his government over its nuclear ambitions.

Mr Ahmadinejad used a television interview on Tuesday night to draw a direct link between pressure on Iran's nuclear programme and its support for "resistance" - a codeword for Islamic militant groups such as Hizbollah and Hamas, and anti-American Shia forces in Iraq.

"They (the US) have security problems in the world and their influence in Iraq and Afghanistan is vanishing," he said. "They see that waves of hope, justice-seeking and resistance are rising all over the world inspired by Iran. They want to dominate the world, but Iran doesn't let them."

Mr Ahmadinejad's interview with state media was his first personal response to President Barack Obama's nuclear summit in Washington earlier this week. Iran has already issued a formal complaint to the United Nations over Mr Obama's assertion that his promise not to use nuclear weapons on non-nuclear states did not apply to Iran.

Mr Ahmadinejad said that Iran's nuclear programme was past the point of no return.

"We have progressed in nuclear technology so much that we are at an irreversible point," he said. "The US has two options. Either to continue this wrong policy, or to cooperate with Iran."

He added the real issue was not Iran's nuclear programme but its ability to stand in the way of American policy in the Middle East.

As well as being the main financial and military backer of Hamas and Hizbollah, Iran has strong links to anti-American Shia groups in Iraq, and has also been accused of supplying the Taliban in Afghanistan with weapons.

It has been attempting to put together a pro-Iran coalition in Iraq since elections last month which produced no clear winner. Even Ayad Allawi, the pro-American leader of the biggest single group in the election has sent a delegation to Tehran for talks.

"US policies in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan have come to a dead end," Mr Ahmadinejad said in the interview. "Obama has only one way to remain in power and be successful. This way is Iran." >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Video Of Cops Beating Student Shocks America
YAHOO! NEWS: Footage of police beating an innocent basketball fan unconscious as he was celebrating a win by his college team has sent shockwaves through America.

University of Maryland student John McKenna was attacked after their victory over arch rivals Duke.

CCTV pictures show him skipping down the street waving his arms in joy.

He is then approached by police on horseback who stand over him before other cops in riot gear swoop and start hitting him with their batons.

Police initially claimed Mr McKenna had attacked their officers and horses, causing them "minor injuries", as they responded to reports of trouble after the game.

But the footage clearly shows he never struck out - and even tried to back away when confronted.

The FBI is now investigating the incident which left the 21-year-old needing eight staples to repair a head wound.

He was also allegedly told by officers in Maryland not to make a fuss about his injuries because they would have to fill out more paperwork. Read on (with video) >>> Sky News | Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Right-Wing Revolutionaries: Tea Party Movement Mirrors a Deeply Divided America
Photograph: Spiegel Online International
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: US President Barack Obama came to power promising to unite the nation. Now he has divided it even more than his predecessor George W. Bush. The burgeoning conservative Tea Party movement is calling for Obama to be removed from office.

The auditorium in Tulsa, Oklahoma is silent for a moment, as the Walkers, a happy couple in their mid-50s, walk onto the stage. They manage an electronics store in the area, and they say that after being married for decades, they still love each other just as much as they did on the first day. They are here to demonstrate that love to the audience -- with a passionate kiss.

It's meant to be an homage to the old, forgotten America, the land of high-school sweethearts and beauty queens, where honesty, decency and loyalty still meant something. A land where the promise of the American dream -- that anyone could make it to the top -- still reigned supreme. There are 5,000 people -- ordinary people -- in the audience, including Democrats, Republicans and independents.

The Walkers are seated on two folding chairs, placed a respectable distance apart -- the old America was a chaste place, after all. They kiss a few times to the sound of country music. Then, suddenly, it gets very loud in the room.

Radio and TV talk-show host Glenn Beck is standing on the stage. He has just arrived from the Doom Room, which is what he calls the studio where he records his broadcasts. From there, he spreads a message of fear and dread of a new America, a place that no longer has anything in common with the land that the Walkers know and love. It is a country of poverty, deprivation and an omnipotent government, a cross between the Soviet Union and Hitler's Nazi Germany.

'I'm a Guy Just Like You'

People believe what Beck says. Beck is their hero, savior and guru. He has made millions by capitalizing on people's fears of the future. "Tulsa," he shouts into the cheering, grateful crowd, "I'm a guy just like you."

He now has two shows, a weekly radio show that airs on more than 300 stations nationwide, and a television show on Fox News, "Glenn Beck," which has 3 million viewers. He weeps, raves and yells on these shows. Every day, he warns his listeners and viewers that America has moved yet another step along the road to becoming a socialist dictatorship. His enemies are the "progressives," or the American left, who see Europe as their role model, says Beck.

The Europe he means is currently celebrating the reinvigorated US president, who achieved two historic victories in the space of a few days. After the controversial healthcare reform bill, which President Barack Obama recently managed to push through Congress, he signed a treaty to reduce strategic nuclear weapons in Prague last Thursday, a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed in 1991. It was a step that its signatories pledged would make the world a safer place.

It is a double triumph for Obama, in both domestic and foreign policy, and yet he has met with more hostility in his own country than almost any other president in history. According to a Gallup poll conducted in late March, Obama's Democrats have dropped to their lowest approval rating in almost two decades. Some 60 percent of Americans believe that America is on the wrong path and is headed for decline. What unites the world is dividing the country. America's Choice >>> Marc Hujer and Thomas Schulz | Wednesday, April 14, 2010