Obama's Mosque Remarks Reverberate
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: President Barack Obama's weekend remarks supporting the right to build a mosque near Ground Zero reverberated across the country, nationalizing a debate over the New York City project.

A number of Republicans on Sunday folded the president's remarks into their election-year narrative that Mr. Obama, a former constitutional scholar, is out of touch with the American citizenry.

The dispute over the mosque is just the most prominent in a series of debates around the country where Muslim groups have sought to build mosques. In the community of Temecula, Calif., where a proposed mosque has sparked an intense dispute, Mr. Obama's comments spurred a surge of letters to local newspapers decrying his statements. Pastor William Rench of Calvary Baptist Church, next door to the proposed mosque site, said he now expected opposition to the mosque plan to harden.

"It will galvanize their desire for resistance to the mosque," he said. "It confirms in their minds the idea that Mr. Obama seems to be more accommodating to the Islamic world than he is for the Christian representation in America." Mr. Rench said former President George W. Bush, who also spoke of Islam as a peaceful religion, might have made similar statements, but Mr. Rench said he disagreed with those views.

Mr. Rench said initially he opposed the new mosque next door because he thought such a large structure on two acres would tower over the church. But since he has begun reading more commentary from American Islamic leaders, he said, he has grown concerned about extremist statements such as one imam declaring Islam the "dominant" religion. He said he now worried that a large mosque could attract an extremist crowd in contrast to the current local Muslim community. Continue reading and comment >>> Victoria McGrane and Siobhan Gorman | Monday, August 16, 2010

MAIL ONLINE: Obama ‘insensitive and uncaring’, say furious 9/11 families >>>

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Call to prayer as “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset” >>>

THE GUARDIAN: Go some place else to build your mosque! >>>

Obama the Islamic Ballerina


PROJECT SHINING CITY: The Islamic Ballerina >>>

Project Shining City >>>

Rosa Leonetti – A 9/11 Family Member

Hamas Leader: Ground Zero Mosque Must Be Built
FOX NEWS: NEW YORK -- A Hamas leader says Muslims "have to build" a mosque near ground zero.Mahmoud al-Zahar said Muslims "have to build everywhere" so that followers can pray, just like Christians and Jews build their places of worship.

Al-Zahar spoke Sunday on "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on WABC-AM. He is a co-founder of Hamas and its chief on the Gaza Strip. >>> | Monday, August 16, 2010

Observing Ramadan from Inside a Food Cart
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Muslim Street Food Vendors Observe Ramadan Fast As the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins, the daily fast will be a special challenge to street food vendors, who spend their days selling lamb and chicken.

'PM' Clegg Faces Voting Revolt
MAIL ONLINE: Nick Clegg faced a Coalition backlash last night as he prepared to become the first Liberal leader to run the country in more than 80 years.

The Deputy Prime Minister takes the reins of power today from David Cameron, who is on holiday in Cornwall.

But Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes immediately cast a shadow over the Coalition by categorically ruling out the prospect of any electoral pact with the Tories at the next election.

With the Government marking its first 100 days in power on Wednesday, Mr Hughes torpedoed the growing prospect of closer ties, publicly lecturing Mr Clegg about a non-aggression deal at the next election, which would see both parties tactically backing each other.

Mr Hughes denounced a deal as ‘a nonsense’ and said: ‘We will be standing in every seat in the next election, there will be no deals, there will be no pacts.

‘Nick knows that that’s the party’s position, and Nick knows that that’s the party’s constitution.’ Read on and comment >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Monday, August 16, 2010

L'intelligentsia française se mobilise pour l'Iranienne qui risque la lapidation
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: CONDAMNATION | De grands noms du cinéma et de la littérature, ainsi que plusieurs femmes politiques françaises, ont publié dimanche soir une tribune de soutien à Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, suite à ses "aveux" forcés.

Le texte a été publié sur le site de la revue du philosophe Bernard-Henri Lévy "La règle du jeu".

"Il est urgent d'intervenir pour empêcher une mise à mort dont les observateurs de la scène iranienne ont tout lieu de redouter l'imminence", affirment notamment l'écrivain tchèque Milan Kundera et le prix Nobel nigérian Wole Soyinka, la créatrice franco-iranienne de BD Marjane Satrapi ("Persépolis"), les comédiennes Juliette Binoche et Mia Farrow.

Dix-sept personnalités ont signé le texte intitulé "Il faut empêcher la lapidation de Sakineh", qui devait également figurer à la Une du journal Libération lundi.

L'organisation de défense des droits de l'Homme Human Rights Watch a dit samedi qu'elle craignait que l'exécution ne se déroule "bientôt". >>> AFP | Lundi 16 Août 2010

Das erstaunlich lange Leben des Lockerbie-Attentäters: Die britischen Gutachter machten Rechnung offenbar ohne die Pharmazie
NZZ ONLINE: Abdelbasset al-Megrahi will und will nicht sterben. Der verurteilte Lockerbie-Attentäter war vor einem Jahr aus schottischer Haft entlassen worden, weil er todgeweiht sei. Dank eines gängigen Medikaments lebt er immer noch und bringt die Verantwortlichen in Verlegenheit.

Aus humanitären Gründen war der im Jahr 2001 wegen des Lockerbie-Attentats zu lebenslanger Haft verurteilte libysche Geheimagent Abdelbasset al-Megrahi von der schottischen Regierung begnadigt worden. Er habe wegen eines fortgeschrittenen Prostatakrebses nur noch maximal drei Monate zu leben, lautete die ärztliche Diagnose. Dies erlaubte es der schottischen Regierung, den 59-Jährigen in seine Heimat ausreisen zu lassen. Dort wurde er als Held gefeiert und Oberst Ghadhafi kostete den Triumph vor laufenden Kameras aus.

Deal zugunsten BPs

Inzwischen ist ein Jahr vergangen und Megrahi lebt immer noch. Und damit bringt er die damaligen Entscheidungsträger in arge Verlegenheit. Inzwischen ist nämlich klar geworden, dass die Freilassung Teil eines langen diplomatischen Ränkespiels zwischen der britischen und der libyschen Regierung war, welche schliesslich dem Energiekonzern BP den Zugang zu grosse Ölvorkommen vor der libyschen Küste sicherte. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> spi. | Montag, 16. August 2010

Obama korrigiert Rede über Moschee-Bau: Nach schwerer Kritik relativiert der Präsident seine Aussage
NZZ ONLINE: Nur einen Tag nachdem er den Bau einer Moschee in der Nähe des zerstörten New Yorker World Trade Center anscheinend unterstützt hatte, hat Präsident Obama seine Worte korrigiert.

Der Bau eines islamischen Zentrums und einer Moschee im Süden New Yorks, nur wenige hundert Meter von dem am 11. September 2001 in Terrorattacken zerstörten World Trade Center entfernt, ist heftig umstritten. Obwohl das Vorhaben von Bürgermeister Bloomberg und den zuständigen Behörden der Stadt unterstützt wird, hat sich das Weisse Haus lange aus der delikaten Kontroverse herausgehalten.

Das änderte sich am Freitagabend, als Präsident Obama in einer Rede das Recht von Muslimen verteidigte, die Moschee zu bauen. Seine Worte erweckten den Eindruck, dass er den Platz in der Nähe des ehemaligen World Trade Center billige. Er löste damit eine Welle der Kritik aus. So sagte John Boehner, der Fraktionsführer der Republikaner im Repräsentantenhaus, der Präsident stelle sich mit seiner Unterstützung auf die falsche Seite. Bei dem Bauvorhaben handle es sich nicht um eine Frage des Rechtes oder der religiösen Freiheit. Es gehe vielmehr um «Respekt vor einem tragischen Ereignis in unserer Geschichte». Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> Gerd Brüggemann, Washington | Montag, 16. August 2010

Turkey Told to Change Stance on Israel for US Arms Deals
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has warned the Turkish prime minister that Ankara's position on Israel and Iran could lessen its chances of obtaining US weapons.

Erdogan: The United States voiced disappointment after Turkey voted against fresh UN sanctions on Iran, which the United Nations Security Council adopted in June. Photo: The Telegraph
The Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wants to buy American drone aircraft to attack separatist Kurdish rebels after the US military withdraws from Iraq at the end of 2011.

The rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has bases in the mountains in the north of Iraq, near the Turkish border.

"The president has said to Erdogan that some of the actions that Turkey has taken have caused questions to be raised on the Hill (Congress)," a senior administration official told the Financial Times newspaper.

These questions centred on "whether we can have confidence in Turkey as an ally," said the official. >>> The Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Monday, August 16, 2010

Gadaffi's Son to Throw Party to Celebrate Release of Al Megrahi One Year Ago
MAIL ONLINE: The son of Libyan dictator Colonel Gadaffi is to celebrate the first anniversary of the Lockerbie bomber's release by giving a party for him.

Saif Gadaffi, whose friends include Tony Blair and Lord Mandelson, will attend the revelry for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi in his two-storey house in Tripoli.

He will foot the bill for food and drink, following a day's fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

When Megrahi, 58, was released on August 20 last year, Scottish authorities said he had only three months to live and was 'going home to die'.

Frank Duggan, a lawyer and spokesman for the families of the 270 victims of the Lockerbie bombing, said: 'Megrahi is obviously still deemed a hero in Libya.

'Saif Gadaffi was instrumental in pulling off a public relations masterstroke to get him released on the 40th anniversary of the Libyan revolution. >>> Gerri Peev | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Abdur Raheem Green: Growing the Beard [in Islam]

Mosquée à Ground Zero: les républicains s'en prennent à Obama
«Je pense qu'il n'est pas judicieux de construire une mosquée à l'endroit où 3000 Américains ont perdu la vie après un attentat. Pour moi, cela montre que Washington, la Maison Blanche, l'administration et le président lui-même sont déconnectés» de la population, a ajouté le sénateur républicain du Texas, John Cornyn. Photo : Cyberpresse.ca
CYBERPRESSE: Plusieurs élus républicains sont revenus à la charge dimanche pour dénoncer les propos de Barack Obama défendant le droit de bâtir une mosquée près de Ground Zero, le présentant notamment comme «déconnecté» de la population.

«Il ne s'agit pas de liberté de culte, parce que nous respectons tous le droit que chacun a de prier selon sa conscience», a dit le sénateur républicain du Texas, John Cornyn, sur la chaîne Fox News Sunday.

«Mais je pense qu'il n'est pas judicieux de construire une mosquée à l'endroit où 3000 Américains ont perdu la vie après un attentat. Pour moi, cela montre que Washington, la Maison Blanche, l'administration et le président lui-même sont déconnectés» de la population, a ajouté l'élu.

À moins de trois mois des élections législatives de mi-mandat, et alors qu'une majorité d'Américains voient ce projet d'un mauvais oeil, M. Obama a défendu vendredi le droit de mener à bien ce projet controversé à proximité des lieux des attentats qui avaient fait quelque 3000 morts en 2001. >>> Agence France-Presse,
Washington | Dimanche 15 Août 2010

Palin Mocks Obama Over Ground Zero Mosque
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: 'This is not above your pay grade,' ex-Alaska governor tweets

WASHINGTON - Republicans pounced Sunday on U.S. President Barack Obama's comments supporting the right to build a mosque near Ground Zero, painting him as out of touch less than three months before key mid-term elections.

Democrats and Republicans squared off on whether it was appropriate for Obama to wade into the fray over the Islamic centre, which would include a mosque and would be built two city blocks away from the site of the former World Trade Center.

At a Friday Iftar dinner at the White House to mark Ramadan, Obama said Muslims "have the same right to practise their religion as anyone else in this country," including by building a mosque in lower Manhattan.

But the next day Obama appeared to dial back from his support, clarifying that he was commenting on rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and not on "the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there," a location he acknowledged as "hallowed ground."

Conservatives swiftly seized on Obama's comments, which came after the White House had for weeks declined comment on the controversy and deemed it local issue, and several prominent Republicans hammered home the message on Sunday political talk shows.

"This is not about freedom of religion, because we all respect the right of anyone to worship according to the dictates of their conscience," U.S. Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said on Fox News Sunday. "But I do think it's unwise ... to build a mosque at the site where 3,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of a terrorist attack. And I think to me it demonstrates that Washington, the White House, the administration, the president himself seems to be disconnected from the mainstream of America." >>> Michael Mathes, Agence France-Presse | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Cameron and Royals Attend 65th VJ Commemoration
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Veterans, politicians and royalty gathered today to remember the bravery, dedication and sacrifices of those who fought for their country during the Second World War.



Veterans, politicians and royalty gathered today to remember the bravery, dedication and sacrifices of those who fought for their country during the Second World War.

Prime Minister David Cameron, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall joined representatives of the three military Services and veterans of the conflict to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day).

The servicemen, many wearing their campaign medals, came together in Whitehall to reunite with long-lost comrades and acknowledge the thousands who did not make it back. >>> | Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Obama Deception

Le Hamas contre tout dialogue Abbas-Israël
leJDD.fr: Le Hamas et d'autres mouvements palestiniens ont exhorté dimanche Mahmoud Abbas à ne pas reprendre les négociations de paix directes avec Israël. Pour les organisations palestiniennes, réunies à Damas, la capitale syrienne, "insister sur la tenue de pourparlers directs revient à lancer une bouée de sauvetage à Israël au moment où son isolement s'accroît". Le Front démocratique de libération de la Palestine, partisan de longue date de négociations avec Israël et détenteur d'un portefeuille au gouvernement de l'Autorité palestinienne, a également signé le communiqué commun. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 15 Août 2010

Barack Obama und die Moschee-Zwickmühle
WELT ONLINE: Erst war er für die Moschee an Ground Zero, dann doch nicht: Obamas Hin und Her ist symptomatisch für die verfahrene Debatte.

Barack Obama hat seine Unterstützung für den umstrittenen Bau einer Moschee nahe Ground Zero in Manhattan eingeschränkt. Er habe nicht kommentiert, ob es „klug“ sei, ein 13 Stockwerke hohes islamisches Zentrum mit einer Moschee nahe dem „geweihten Boden“ der Anschläge vom 11.September zu errichten – und werde dies auch künftig nicht tun, sagte der US-Präsident.

Zuvor hatte Obama anlässlich einer Feier zum Fastmonat Ramadan im Weißen Haus die seit der Gründung der USA verbürgten Rechte auf Gleichbehandlung und freie Religionsausübung verteidigt. Diese schlössen den Bau einer Moschee in New York auf privatem Grund ein. Das Bekenntnis zur Religionsfreiheit müsse „unerschütterlich“ sein.

An seinem Urlaubsort in Panama City an der Golfküste zeigte sich Obama von der sogleich aufbrandenden Kritik von Angehörigen der 9/11-Opfer und prominenten Republikanern erschüttert genug, sein Bekenntnis zu der Rechtmäßigkeit einer Moschee auch nahe Ground Zero nachzubessern. Newt Gingrich, früher Sprecher des Republikantenhauses mit Ambitionen im Präsidentschaftswahlkampf 2012, nannte die geplante Moschee in dem 100 Millionen Dollar teuren „Cordoba Haus“ ein „Symbol muslimischen Triumphalismus“. Ebenso gut könne man Hakenkreuze neben dem Holocaust-Museum aufstellen.

Krude Nazi-Vergleiche sind in dem Streit beliebt. Der rechtskonservative Kolumnist Charles Krauthammer schrieb, eine Moschee nahe von Ground Zero sei wie „ein Wagner-Konzert in Auschwitz“. Oder ein deutsches Kulturzentrum in Treblinka. Eine Opferangehörige, Debra Burlingame, beklagte bitter: „Der Präsident hat sich entschieden, unsere Erinnerungen an 9/11 für obsolet und die Heiligkeit von Ground Zero für beendet zu erklären.“ Laut einer CNN-Umfrage sind 68 Prozent der Amerikaner gegen den Bau einer Moschee zwei Häuserblocks von Ground Zero. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> Uwe Schmitt | Sonntag, 15. August 2010

Saudi Arabia's Labour Minister Ghazi Algosaibi Dies
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Saudi Arabia's labour minister Ghazi Algosaibi has died, two weeks after a ban on his books was lifted in the kingdom

Mr Algosaibi, 70, was a former ambassador to London and a confidant of King Abdullah, whose push for reform in Saudi Arabia fostered divisions among reformists and the most conservative clerics.

He was also a writer and poet whose liberal tone provoked the ire of both the official clerical establishment and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who singled him out in a taped message in 2006.

"He is a man to be missed ... as a moderniser, government official, poet and commentator," said political analyst Jamal Khashoggi. >>> | Sunday, August 15, 2010

ARAB NEWS: Saudi labor minister, author dies of cancer: JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's labor minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi died of cancer in Riyadh on Sunday, two weeks after a ban on his books was lifted in the kingdom, Al Arabiya television reported. >>> Reuters | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Barack Obama Backtracks Over Ground Zero Mosque Support
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has backtracked over his enthusiastic support for the building of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York, saying he was "not commenting on the wisdom of making the decision".

President Barack Obama. Photo: The Telegraph
The decision to build an [sic] 15-storey Islamic centre in Manhattan, including a mosque, two blocks from the Ground Zero site of the September 11th terrorist attacks has incensed many Americans, with polls indicating that more than two-thirds oppose it.

Speaking at an iftar dinner held at the White House on Friday to mark the breaking of the Ramadan fast, Mr Obama abandoned his administration's previous stance that there would be no comment on the "local" issue.

"As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," he said. "And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community centre on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances." >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Sunday, August 15, 2010

GOP Takes Harsher Stance Toward Islam
The Republican response to Obama's speech marks a shift in the party's posture toward Islam. Photographs: Politico
POLITICO: The harsh Republican response to President Barack Obama's defense of a mosque near ground zero marks a dramatic shift in the party's posture toward Islam — from a once active courtship of Muslim voters to a very public tolerance after Sept. 11 to an openly aired sense of mistrust.

Republican leaders have largely abandoned former President George W. Bush's post-Sept. 11 rhetorical embrace of American Muslims and his insistence — always controversial inside the party — that Islam is a religion of peace. This weekend, former Bush aides were among the very few Republicans siding with Obama, as many of the party's leaders have moved toward more vocal denunciations of Islam's role in violence abroad and suspicion of its place at home.

The shift plays to a hostility toward Islam among many Republican voters, and it fits with traditional Republican attacks on Democratic weakness on security policy.

"Bush went against the grain of his own constituency," said Allen Roth, a political aide to conservative billionaire Ron Lauder and, independently, a key organizer of the fight against the mosque. "This is part of an underlying set of security issues that could play a significant role in the elections this November."

Obama's remarks provide a clear, national focus for the simmering question of Islam in American life, and Republicans showed every sign Saturday of beginning to capitalize on it, with Republican candidates in New York and Florida seeking to inject the issue into local races as Democrats largely held their silence.

That stance in the GOP — both in terms of political strategy and policy views — appears to be carrying the day. Most of the potential Republican presidential hopefuls, led by Sarah Palin, came out sharply against the mosque.

And while most of its opponents note that they aren't opposing Islam, just this project, Republican attempts to build bridges with Muslims are few and far between — although some say that's because early post-Sept. 11 efforts were met with deep resistance. Republicans have stopped winning the Muslim votes they once split with Democrats, and largely stopped seeking them.

The spectrum ranges from silence on the issue to politicians and groups, like Keep America Safe, led by Liz Cheney and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, gearing up to engage the battle over the mosque and the basket of other issues involving the Obama administration's relationship with Muslims at home and abroad.

"The president supports a mosque at ground zero led by a man who blamed America for 9/11, his top intelligence official preaches the true meaning of jihad, and his attorney general can't even say the words 'radical Islam,'" said Michael Goldfarb, an adviser to Keep America Safe. "You start to worry they don't understand who the enemy is, and so Republicans might understandably feel like they have to spell it out for them." Continue reading and comment >>> Ben Smith & Maggie Haberman | Sunday, August 15, 2010

It is heartening to read that Republicans are now starting to take a harsher line on Islam. So they should. Islam has been given a pass for far too long. It's high time that Westerners woke up.

The fact is that this should not be a left v. right issue. The harsh reality is this: Islam is not compatible with democracy. The separation of church and state, mosque and state in the case of Islam, is the sine qua non of a democracy. Without that separation, no democracy can function. Islam categorically does not recognise such a separation. In Islam, religion and politics are ONE, and utterly inseparable.

If we in the West wish for our civilisation to survive, then we shall have to take a harsher stance on Islam, for Islam has snuffed out all the cultures of the countries it has been allowed to enter.

As for this cultural center / mosque so close to Ground Zero... It is an outrage to build such an edifice so close to where all those poor people perished.

Faisal Rauf, the imam behind this project, says he wants to build bridges between the faiths. He'll never build bridges this way; on the contrary, building this cultural center / mosque in that location will only fan the flames of Islamophobia in America. It will have the opposite effect.

Muslims should show some sensitivity towards the people that suffered directly as a result of 9/11. The fact that they can build this center doesn't mean that they should. They should back off. That way they will gain in acceptance. The fact is that by far the majority of New Yorkers do not want this center to be built. Muslims should respect their wishes. To build this structure is nothing short of an act of provocation. – © Mark

This comment also appeared on Politico

BBC Radio: Ground Zero Debate Geller vs Shahed Amanullah

Obama Under Fire Over Support For Mosque Near Ground Zero
THE OBSERVER: After a barrage of criticism, president appears to backtrack, saying: 'I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there'

Barack Obama has come under attack from American conservatives for supporting plans to build a mosque two blocks from the site of one of the terror attacks of 11 September 2001. The proposal for a mosque and community centre near the site of the World Trade Centre has attracted a large opposition movement in a fierce argument over religious freedom.

At a White House dinner marking Ramadan, Obama said: "As a citizen, and as president, I believe Muslims have the same right to practise their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community centre on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable."

But New York Republican congressman Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker, condemned the proposed mosque and the president's comments. He said the mosque would be a symbol of Muslim "triumphalism" and that building it near the site of the 9/11 attacks "would be like putting a Nazi sign next to the Holocaust museum". >>> Paul Harris in New York | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Related articles and videos here and here

Jobless Millions Signal Death of the American Dream for Many
THE OBSERVER: Even the criminals have fallen on hard times in America's poorest city as the long-term unemployed struggle to keep a grasp on normality

Union members hold up "I want to work" placards as they join a protest of several thousand people demanding jobs outside City Hall in Los Angeles on August 13, 2010. Photograph: The Observer
Richard Gaines is one of the best-known faces on Camden's Haddon Avenue. It is a rough-and-tumble street, lined with cheap businesses and boarded-up houses, and is prey to drug gangs. Gaines, 50, runs a barbershop, a hair salon and a fitness business. He works hard and is committed to his community. But Haddon Avenue is not an easy place to make a living in the best of times. And these are far from the best of times.

Just how badly the great recession has struck this fragile New Jersey city, which is currently the poorest in America, was recently spelled out to Gaines. In happier times – whatever that might mean for a city as destitute as Camden – local businesses on Haddon Avenue could at least rely on a bit of trade from those who made their money on the street.

Young men bought flashy clothes and got sharp haircuts and always paid in cash. But no longer. The economy is now so bad in Camden that even the criminals are struggling and going short. "Even the guys who got money from illegal means really don't want to spend it," Gaines said.

Such a development, though, is just a snapshot of the deep problems still hitting the wider American economy. Growth rates are stuttering and a recovery is struggling to take hold. It may even now be showing signs of going backwards again, as countries such as Germany start to power forward. Joblessness has taken hold in America, with the numbers of long-term unemployed reaching levels not seen since the Depression of the 1930s. The figures are frightening and illustrate a society that remains in deep trouble.

The headline jobless figure of 9.5% is bad enough but does not begin to convey the problem as it fails to measure those who have stopped looking for work. Over the past three months alone more than a million Americans have fallen into that category: effectively giving up hope of finding a job and dropping out of the official statistics. Such cases now number some 5.9 million and their ranks are likely to grow as millions more find their jobless status becoming a permanent state of hopelessness. Surveys show that with each passing week on the dole their chances of finding a job get slimmer.

Though corporations, especially in the banking sector, are posting healthy profits, they are not hiring new workers. At the same time, government cuts are sweeping through city and state governments alike, threatening tens of thousands of jobs and slicing away at services once thought vital. Schools, street lighting, libraries, refuse collection, the police, fire services and public transport networks are all being scaled back. >>> Paul Harris | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Newt Gingrich: We Will Build a Mosque When You Open a Church and Synagogue in Mecca

Newt Gingrich: We Are Where Paul Was

With Remarks on Mosque, Obama Enters Risky Debate
Guests at a White House dinner on Friday, where the president commented on the proposed mosque in Lower Manhattan. Photograph: The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Faced with withering Republican criticism of his defense of the right of Muslims to build a community center and mosque near ground zero, President Obama quickly recalibrated his remarks on Saturday, a sign that he has waded into even more treacherous political waters than the White House had at first realized.

In brief comments during a family trip to the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Obama said he was not endorsing the New York project, but simply trying to uphold the broader principle that government should “treat everybody equally,” regardless of religion.

“I was not commenting, and I will not comment, on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,” Mr. Obama said. “I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country is about.”

But Mr. Obama’s attempt to clarify his remarks, less than 24 hours after his initial comments at a White House iftar, a Ramadan sunset dinner, pushed the president even deeper into the thorny debate about Islam, national identity and what it means to be an American — a move that is riskier for him than for his predecessors.

From the moment he took the oath of office, using his entire name, Barack Hussein Obama, as he swore to protect and defend the Constitution, Mr. Obama has personified the hopes of many Americans about tolerance and inclusion. He has devoted himself to reaching out to the Muslim world, vowing, as he did in Cairo last year, “a new beginning.”

But his “new beginning” has aroused nervousness in some, especially those who disagree with his counterterrorism policies, or those more comfortable with a vision of America as a white and largely Christian nation, and not the pluralistic melting pot Mr. Obama represents.

The debate over the proposed Islamic center in Manhattan only intensified on Saturday, as the conservative blogosphere lighted up with criticism of Mr. Obama, and leading Republicans — including Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker; Representative John A. Boehner, the House minority leader; and Representative Peter T. King of New York — forcefully rejected the president’s stance.

Mr. Gingrich accused the president of “pandering to radical Islam.” Mr. Boehner said the decision to build a mosque so close to ground zero was “deeply troubling, as is the president’s decision to endorse it.” And Mr. King flatly said the president “is wrong,” adding that Mr. Obama had “caved in to political correctness.”

Indeed, the criticism was so intense that the White House ultimately issued an elaboration on the president’s clarification, insisting that the president was “not backing off in any way” from the comments he made Friday night. >>> Sheryl Gay Stolberg | Saturday, August 14, 2010

Floods Turn Pakistan Into Disaster
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Monsoon downpours have created one of Pakistan's worst disasters, affecting around 20 million people. Video Courtesy of Reuters.

Fires Rage in Portugal and Russia
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Fires persist in Portugal and Russia, destroying villages and forests as authorities continue to battle the flames. Deborah Lutterbeck reports for Reuters.

Polygamy Promotes Positive Social Morals*
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Polygamy is a good way to combat social ills such as marital infidelity and prostitution, at least that's the view of Malaysia's Ikhwan Polygamy Club. Video courtesy of AFP.



*If you believe that, you'll believe anything!

Will Australia's First Woman Prime Minister Julia Gillard Have the Briefest Reign?
THE TELEGRAPH: She is the Welsh-born Australian prime minister who is fighting in a neck and neck race for every last vote, including those cast by Australians in Britain.

It was only in June that Julia Gillard, 48, seized the job from her former boss, in a ruthless internal Labour Party coup that she said was essential to keeping the Left in power – but which critics saw as a treacherous stab in the back for Kevin Rudd, her hapless predecessor.

Now, with less than a week left until the election she promised she could win, Australia's first woman prime minister is engaged in a frantic nationwide tour after opinion polls showed her neck and neck with the opposition leader, Tony Abbott, 52.

From a 10 point lead before the campaign began, Labour slipped to being just two points ahead of the rival Liberal-National Coalition, and some recent polls have even put the party behind.

The harsh reality for Ms Gillard is that, despite having strong support among women voters, she is in danger of becoming one of the shortest tenures of any Australian prime minister – because so many Australian men do not warm to her.

Talking to The Sunday Telegraph on her campaign plane, she refused to speculate on the reasons – and whether, as some suggest, her own lack of a family as an unmarried career politician makes her even more intimidating to already apprehensive Australian men.

"At this stage I will leave it in the hands of the Australian people, both men and women, to make their decisions on election day, but I believe it will come down to choices about what's better for people's futures for them and their families," she said.

But she defended her decision to oust Mr Rudd, whose popularity had plummeted since he led Labour to a landslide election victory in 2007, making clear she had no regrets about having moved in for the kill. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Tasmania | Saturday, August 14, 2010

You Said It, Hussein! It’s You Who Endorsed the Ground Zero Mosque. You Can’t Worm Out of It


THE OBSERVER: Obama under fire over support for mosque near Ground Zero: After a barrage of criticism, president appears to backtrack, saying: 'I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there' >>> Paul Harris in New York | Sunday, August 15, 2010

Media Over First Lady? : Press take note of Michelle Obama's lavish vacation in Spain

Lest We Forget! Obama Nixes 'Jesus' at Georgetown
CATHOLIC ONLINE: NEW YORK (Catholic League) - When President Barack Obama spoke at Georgetown University on April 14, the White House requested that all religious symbols and signage that might appear as a backdrop to where the president was to speak be covered up. Georgetown acceded to the request and made sure that the symbol “IHS,” a monogram of the name Jesus Christ, was not in sight.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue spoke to this issue today:

“The cowardice of Georgetown to stand fast on principle tells us more than we need to know about what is going on there, but the bigger story is the audacity of the Obama administration to ask a religious school to neuter itself before the president speaks there.

"No bishop who might speak at the White House would ever request that a crucifix be displayed behind him. Moreover, the same church and state fanatics who go nuts every time a polling place is set up in the basement of a Catholic school have been noticeably silent over this incident. >>> | Friday, April 17, 2009

SIOA Condemns Obama's Blessing of Ground Zero Mega-Mosque; Bolton, Wilders, Gingrich to Speak At 9/11 Rally
PR NEWSWIRE: NEW YORK -- The human rights organization Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) strongly condemns Barack Obama's blessing of the Islamic supremacist mega-mosque to be built at the hallowed ground of the September 11, 2001 jihad terror attack.

SIOA founder and executive director Pamela Geller said in a statement that Obama "has, in effect, sided with the Islamic jihadists and told the ummah (at an Iftar dinner on the third night of Ramadan) that he believes in and supports what will be understood in the Islamic world as a triumphal mosque on a site of Islamic conquest."

Geller noted that in coming out in favor of the mosque, Obama confused the issue by framing it as one of religious liberty, when no opponent of the mosque is calling for restrictions on anyone's religious freedom; ignored the historical record showing that thousands of mosques have been built over the cherished sites of conquered peoples (notably the Dome of the Rock on the site of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem); and also ignored the clear evidence of the mosque backers' duplicity and refusal to condemn the jihad terrorist group Hamas.

"Obama must know," said Geller, "that this is not about religious liberty. No one has suggested abridging the First Amendment to stop the mosque, and to oppose the Ground Zero mosque is not to oppose the First Amendment. There are hundreds of mosques in New York, thousands in America. This is not a religious issue. This is an issue of national dignity and respect for those who were murdered at that site in the name of Islam. Mutual respect is a two way street."

"We, in the West," Geller continued, "are constantly being told to be sensitive to Islamic sensibilities regarding images of Muhammad and so-called 'blasphemy.' We are told that criticism of jihad violence is 'hate speech.' But where is the reciprocity? Where is the Muslim compassion for the grief and the pain of not just the 9/11 families but of all Americans? Every American was a target that day; the 9/11 families took the hit for us."

The Freedom Defense Initiative (FDI) and SIOA will be hosting a rally against the Ground Zero mega-mosque on September 11 at 2pm at Park Place, between Church Street and West Broadway. >>> PRNewswire-USNewswire | Saturday, August 14, 2010

Islamic Cemetery Undergoes Demolition
CNN: Jerusalem's oldest Islamic cemetery is the site of a contemporary struggle as developers move forward with a new construction.

Exiled Iranian Lawyer Under Threat
CNN: He fled Iran on horseback over mountains into Turkey where he was imprisoned then released to the relative safety of Oslo, Norway. There, CNN's Ivan Watson met Mohammad Mostafaei, a human rights lawyer under threat.

Gay Rights Around the World
CNN: CNN takes a look at how gay rights is being handled around the world.

Obama 'Ignoring the Will of the American People' on Ground Zero Mosque? : Rick Santorum sounds off on Pres. Obama's support of Ground Zero mosque

Obama Speaks Before Ramadan Celebration Dinner (2009)


HT: Always On Watch >>>

Anthony Tolda: Mosque at Ground Zero

Pastor Sees Pure Evil in Obama

RUSSIA TODAY: Pastor sees pure evil in Obama: A New York pastor claims Barack Obama is pure evil, not an American citizen, and therefore has no right to run the country. >>> Published Wednesday, November 25, 2009; Edited, Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Österreich: Ein Sittenbild der Republik
ZEIT ONLINE: Dubiose Geschäfte, Geldverschwendung, Missachtung des Rechtsstaats – das System Haider wurde von der politischen Klasse hofiert

Jörg Haider mit dem libyschen Präsidentensohn Saif al-Islam al-Gadhafi auf einer Pressekonferenz in Wien im Jahr 2004. Bild: Zeit Online
Die Methode ist seit Langem bekannt: Das System Haider bestand aus einer Mischung von schlechtem Entertainment, inhaltlicher Beliebigkeit, trotzigem Postnazismus und schamlos frechem Umgang mit Geld. Wer hinsah, wusste schon vor Jahren, dass mit Jörg Haider »kein Staat zu machen« war, wie Erhard Busek meinte. Wer jetzt noch von den neuen Enthüllungen über Millionenkonten überrascht ist, sollte sich fragen, warum die Ausflüge des tödlich verunglückten Politik-Desperados zu Diktatoren zu keinen Konsequenzen führten. Warum die provokante Geldverschwendung, die zum Markenzeichen dieses Systems wurde, nicht verstärkt kritische Fragen nach sich zog. Warum die fortgesetzte Verachtung des Rechtsstaates (Stichwort: Ortstafel verschieben) nicht dazu führte, dass die »staatstragenden Parteien« diesem Mann die Rolle eines politischen Paria zuwiesen. >>> Von Anton Pelinka | Samstag, 14. August 2010

Geständnis unter Folter
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Sakineh Ashtani gestand gestern im Iranischen Fernsehen öffentlich ihren Ehebruch. Sie habe zu spät festgestellt, dass ihr neuer Partner ein Berufskiller sei. Für Amnesty International ist die Erpressung öffentlicher Geständnisse nichts Neues. Ashtanis Situation hat sich dadurch arg verschlechtert.



Verbunden hier und hier

Democrats Wishing Death Upon Sarah Palin?: Two New Hampshire politicians in hot water over comments made about former Alaska governor

Ben Quayle Defends Obama Attacks: Arizona congressional candidate stands by controversial campaign ad

Ground Zero Mosque Sponsors Open to Talk About Moving: Developers of controversial Muslim cultural center willing to hear N.Y. governor's proposal

Obama as 'Vacationer-in-Chief': First family plans fifth vacation since July to Martha's Vineyard

Barack Obama Backs Ground Zero Mosque
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has offered strong support for plans to build a mosque and Muslim community centre near the Ground Zero site in New York where Islamic terrorists destroyed the World Trade Centre.



Mr Obama made his first public remarks on the proposals on Friday night after weeks avoiding comment on a controversial issue that has dominated headlines.

At a dinner celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, he declared "as a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country".

In remarks prepared for the annual White House sunset meal breaking the fast, he said: "I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground."

But, he continued, "this is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are."

Robert Gibbs, his press secretary, said last week that the president did not want to "get involved in local decision-making" as controversy grew when New York city authorities removed the last planning hurdle to the project. >>> Philip Sherwell in New York | Saturday, August 14, 2010

NOTHING and NO-ONE will EVER convince me that this man isn't a MUSLIM. He got to the White House by deceiving the people, isn't qualified for the high, prestigious office he now holds, and he thereby endangers not only the existence of Judeo-Christian America, but also the existence of the West as well.

The sooner that Americans rid themselves of this loser, the better it will be for us all. He is a traitor to the cause. He should be upholding Western values, not Islamic ones. Shouldn't this be an impeachable offence? – © Mark [This comment can also be viewed on The DailyTelegraph’s website]

Barack Hussein Obama: Muslim's Right To Build A Manhattan Mosque


ATLAS SHRUGS: Pamela Geller >>>

I observe from afar, from across the Pond, how this Muslim president is unmaking America. My heart weeps. How Americans could have been gulled by this phoney upstart, I'll never know. I guess it is testimony to the good nature of Americans – their desire to think only the best of others.

Alas, they have been deceived. Their president has had a hidden agenda; but the truth is coming out with each passing day.
It is unimaginable to me that Americans will be fooled a second time. So, as you say, Pamela, B. Hussein Obama has sealed his fate.

The sooner that Americans rid themselves of this loser, the better it will be for all concerned, Europeans too. Western values need to be upheld. Islam doesn't need someone like this foolish president to fight its corner for it; they - and history - have shown pretty clearly that Muslims are quite capable of fighting their own. But the West does need someone to bat for it. It is, and has been since 9/11, under attack. This president is helping the process of the Islamization of your wonderful country. Surely this should be an impeachable offence. – © Mark

This comment also appears on Atlas Shrugs.

LE POINT: NEW YORK - Obama favorable à la mosquée de Ground Zero: Il a finalement tranché. Dans un plaidoyer passionné pour la liberté de culte, le président américain Barack Obama a défendu vendredi le droit d'installer une mosquée près du site des attentats du 11-Septembre à New York, intervenant pour la première fois dans ce dossier potentiellement explosif. >>> AFP | Samedi 14 Août 2010

Von Steinigung bedrohte Frau darf nicht ausreisen
WELT ONLINE: Brasiliens Präsident Lula da Silva hatte der wegen angeblichen Ehebruchs zur Steinigung verurteilten Iranerin Sakine Ashtiani Asyl angeboten.

Ein Demonstrant in London hält ein Flugblatt in der Hand, auf dem er die Rettung Sakine Ashtianis vor der Steinigung fordert. Foto: Welt Online
Der Iran will die zum Tod durch Steinigung verurteilte Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani nicht nach Brasilien ausreisen lassen. Der Iran habe keine offizielle schriftliche Anfrage aus Brasilien erhalten, sagte der iranische Botschafter in dem südamerikanischen Land, Moschen Schatersadeh, der Nachrichtenagentur Agencia Brasil. „Der Prozess betrifft Iraner, warum sollten andere Länder daran beteiligt sein?“

Das Steinigungsurteil wegen Ehebruchs gegen die 43-jährige Mohammadi Aschtiani hatte weltweit Proteste ausgelöst. Brasiliens Präsident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hatte Ende Juli angeboten, die Frau in seinem Land aufzunehmen. >>> AFP/ks | Freitag, 13. August 2010

Um Himmels willen, kann niemand diese arme Frau helfen? Sicherlich könnte etwas gemacht werden, um diese Frau aus der Gefahr zu bringen. Für die verurteilte Frau und ihre Kinder muß doch etwas gemacht werden. – © Mark

Statement by the President on the Occasion of Ramadan
THE WHITE HOUSE: On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I want to extend our best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan Kareem.

Ramadan is a time when Muslims around the world reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God. This is a time when families gather, friends host iftars, and meals are shared. But Ramadan is also a time of intense devotion and reflection – a time when Muslims fast during the day and pray during the night; when Muslims provide support to others to advance opportunity and prosperity for people everywhere. For all of us must remember that the world we want to build – and the changes that we want to make – must begin in our own hearts, and our own communities.

These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings. Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country. And today, I want to extend my best wishes to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world – and your families and friends – as you welcome the beginning of Ramadan.

I look forward to hosting an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan here at the White House later this week, and wish you a blessed month.

May God’s peace be upon you. [Source: The White House] Wednesday, August 11, 2010

This Ramadan message from Barack Hussein Obama is enough to make any decent Westerner want to vomit! The sooner that Americans decide to rid themselves of this president, the better it will be for America and for the free world. This man is a danger to its very existence. – © Mark

Obama's Ramadan Message 2009


We shall await Obama’s message for 2010. I dread to think of the nonsense, the snivelling drivel, he will come out with! – © Mark

Le centre culturel islamique de Manhattan fait ressurgir certains sentiments islamophobes
"Ne glorifiez pas les meurtriers de 3 000 personnes – Non à la mosquée de la victoire du 11-Septembre" proteste une opposante au projet de construction. Photo : Le Monde
LE MONDE: “Ne glorifiez pas les meurtriers de 3 000 personnes. Non à la mosquée de la victoire du 11-Septembre." Sur la pancarte brandie devant la Commission de préservation du paysage, qui arbitrait sur le statut du terrain prévu pour accueillir un centre culturel islamique près du site des attentats de 2001, le message est révélateur de la violence du débat qui secoue les Etats-Unis. Manifestations publiques, batailles dans la presse par chroniqueurs interposés, engagement personnel du maire de New York : les tensions autour du projet de construction ont pris de l'ampleur.

L'implantation d'une mosquée tout près de Ground Zero a provoqué chez certains un malaise immédiat. Comme le montre cette infographie du New York Times, le centre se situerait dans une rue très proche de l'emplacement des tours détruites par les attentats. Certains parlent de "terre sacrée" pour ce carré désert du sud de Manhattan, qui a vu périr près de 3 000 personnes en quelques heures.

Dans une tribune intitulée "Sacrilège à Ground Zero" publiée par le Washington Post, le chroniqueur politique Charles Krauthammer explique ainsi : "[Par sacré], on entend ici que ce lieu appartient à ceux qui ont souffert et sont morts ici, et que cette appartenance nous oblige, nous les vivants, à préserver la dignité et la mémoire de ce lieu." "Personne n'a rien contre les centres culturels japonais, ajoute le chroniqueur, mais en construire un à Pearl Harbor serait une offense." En bref, "le lieu choisi a son importance". >>> Marion Solletty | Vendredi 13 Août 2010

Savings Accounts Will Become 'Obsolete'
THE TELEGRAPH: Savings accounts will become “totally obsolete” if inflation rises next week, experts have warned.

Latest figures suggested that not a single saver in Briton would make a real return on their cash if the cost of living continues to rise.

Historically low interest rates and the government’s preferred measure of inflation, the Consumer Prices Index, at 3.2 per cent means savers are already struggling to get an income.

There are currently no accounts available to higher rate taxpayers that provide a real rate of return after tax and inflation, and just a handful available to basic rate taxpayers. But even these could be nudged off the savings landscape, financial experts warned.

They suggested that if CPI rises to above 3.8 per cent, there will be no point any taxpayer using a savings account to produce an income.

In this situation, savers would actually end up losing money and could end up being more than £300 out of pocket in a year on a £10,000 investment.

Darren Cook, of personal finance website Moneyfacts, said: “If inflation rises to 3.8 per cent, all savings accounts will effectively be totally obsolete. >>> Myra Butterworth, Personal Finance Correspondent | Friday, August 13, 2010

Cairo to Use Computerised Call to Prayer After Complaints Over Tuneless Muezzin
THE TELEGRAPH: Cairo is to synchronise the call to prayer across the city's 4,500 mosques using computers to put an end to out of tune and out of time muezzin.

Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo. Photo: The Telegraph
For more than a millennium, the competing calls to prayer intoned from Cairo's thousands of minarets have been one of the city's most distinctive features.

The government this weekend begins a long-heralded project to synchronise the five daily calls to prayer across the city.

Neighbourhood by neighbourhood, the ministry of religious endowments is linking all of the mosques in the city, the largest in the Arab world, to a central computerised feed.

"Egyptians have a problem with timing," said Sheikh Salem Abdel-Galil, the ministry official behind the proposal. >>> Richard Spencer | Friday, August 13, 2010

Emma Thompson Criticised for Gay-stoning Joke on Isle of Wight
THE TELEGRAPH: Emma Thompson has upset residents of the Isle of Wight by claiming that they stone and flog homosexuals.

The Oscar-winning actress also told US television viewers that Irish and Scottish visitors to the island are tortured and shot.

Appearing on The Late Late Show, Thompson engaged in a conversation about holiday destinations. Craig Ferguson, the presenter, said he was visiting Catalina, an island off the California coast.

"It's kind of like the Isle of Wight," Ferguson explained, to which Thompson replied: "Oh, so they stone homosexuals there? Nice."

To roars of laughter from the audience, she went on: "I think they are still allowed to flog them, which of course some of them enjoy. I think they are allowed to shoot Irish or Scottish people if they arrive on the island - it is still in the rules. They are allowed to torture people. It's lovely, you should go." >>> Anita Singh, Showbusiness editor | Friday, August 13, 2010

Andy Sullivan on Fox and Friends about the Ground Zero Mosque


HT: Always On Watch >>>

Andrew Sullivan's website is Blue Collar Corner >>>

Rauchmöglichkeit für Österreicher weiter wichtig
KLEINE ZEITUNG: Die Möglichkeit, in einem Lokal rauchen zu können, ist für die Österreicher nach wie vor ein Anziehungspunkt. Das ergab eine Umfrage des Meinungsforschungsinstitutes "market". Noch wichtiger waren den Befragten nur die Freundlichkeit der Bedienung, dass es sich um heimisches Servicepersonal handelt und die Speisen frisch gekocht sind.

Für die Umfrage wurden Online-Interviews mit 500 repräsentativ für die Gesamtbevölkerung ab 15 Jahren ausgewählten Personen geführt. Dabei nannten zwei Drittel - konkret: 67 Prozent - dass sie Wert auf die Möglichkeit legen, rauchen oder in einem Raucherbereich sitzen zu können. Allerdings ist auch für 44 Prozent wichtig, dass das besuchte Lokal rauchfrei beziehungsweise kein Zigarettenrauch zu bemerken ist. >>> APA | Freitag, 13. August 2010

Brigitte Bardot started the trend for topless sunbathing in the sixties. Photo: The Telegraph
There's Nothing Wrong with Topless Sunbathing
THE TELEGRAPH: What’s so wrong with being topless on the beach, asks Bryony Gordon.

Readers of a nervous disposition should look away now. Right. Have you turned the page, moved on to the obituaries, or perhaps the weather? Then I shall begin. When I go on holiday, I like to sunbathe topless. The beach towel goes down, the book comes out, and the bikini top flies off, often in the direction of a startled looking friend who has clearly never seen a pair of breasts before. Seeing as I won’t be using the top to cover my chest, I suggest that instead they use it cover their prudish eyes.

Topless sunbathing is a wonderful thing, a holiday in itself from underwired bras. But people are turning their backs on bare bosoms. In France, where the whole thing kicked off in the sixties thanks to Brigitte Bardot, a poll revealed that the majority of women would never go topless on the beach.

It gets worse: Riviera resident Joan Collins, cementing her position as feminist icon, announced that only Wags, chavs and hookers took their tops off on the beach. A group of Australian politicians tried to ban it in 2008, with one Labour MP, Paul Gibson posing the searching question: “if you’re on the beach, do you want somebody with big knockers next to you when you’re there with the kids?” Well I don’t know Paul - if you positioned yourself right, they might just keep the wind off.

And now - mamma mia! - we learn that they’ve gone all funny about it in Italy. It was reported this week that a 26-year-old topless sunbather was being investigated for “committing an obscene act”: applying suntan lotion in a manner that “troubled” two boys aged 12 and 14. Their mother complained, the lady refused to put her top back on, and police were called to the beach, just south of Rome. The sunbather’s lawyer argued that “my client... has an ample breast and is therefore naturally going to be sensuous when she applies cream to her chest.” >>> Bryony Gordon | Friday, August 13, 2010

German Economy Surges Ahead at Record Pace
THE GUARDIAN: Germany's 2.2% growth helps eurozone to outpace US / Every eurozone country except Greece now out of recession / Euro strengthens, with potential threat to Europe's competitiveness

Germany has seen strong demand for exports along with a recovery in construction drive growth higher than market expectations. Photograph: The Guardian
The German economy grew at its fastest pace in the second quarter since the country was reunified two decades ago, fuelling the strongest growth in the eurozone in more than two years.

Europe's largest economy powered ahead between April and June, growing by 2.2%, thanks to a recovery in construction and strong foreign demand for German goods, the federal statistical office, Destatis, reported today. This was well above market expectations of 1.4% growth. Growth in the first quarter was revised higher to 0.5% from 0.2%.

Germany's stellar performance helped the 16-member eurozone grow by 1% in the second quarter, the strongest growth rate since the first quarter of 2008 and a strong improvement on the 0.2% recorded for the first three months of this year. No detail is available yet, but exports, investments and a backlog of work in the construction sector after a harsh winter are expected to have been the main factors driving growth.

"After three difficult months of eurozone battering, today's numbers will help to heal the eurozone's wounds. For the first time since the second quarter of 2009, the eurozone outpaced the US economy," said Carsten Brzeski at ING.

America grew by around 0.6% in the second quarter of 2010, slower than earlier in the year.

Every eurozone country except Greece has now come out of recession. Only Greece experienced a sharp drop of 1.5%. The best performers were led by Germany, the Netherlands (0.9%), Austria (0.9%), Belgium (0.7%) and France (0.6%), while Spain (0.2%) and Portugal (0.2%) are still lagging behind. >>> Julia Kollewe | Friday, August 13, 2010

Eurozone GDP: What the Economists Say
THE GUARDIAN: Germany reported an impressive 2.2% growth in the second quarter today, the strongest since the country was reunified two decades ago. This helped fuel growth in the 16-member eurozone, which expanded by 1%, compared with just 0.2% in the first three months of the year. France expanded by 0.6% while Spain recorded lacklustre growth of 0.2%. Here is what economists made of today's figures. >>> | Friday, August 13, 2010