The Buck Stops Here
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: This week's warning about US debt is the wake-up call Obama needs – and the world needs him to act, says Martin Vander Weyer.

The good news is that America has not suddenly turned into the new Ireland. The bad news is that the Obama administration is only beginning to face up to its debt addiction, in the way that Ireland and other euro delinquents have been forced to do. And Washington's prolonged debt denial is one factor that has made the economic recovery so fragile and uncertain for all of us.

In that context, the announcement on Monday by the ratings agency Standard & Poor's that it had shifted its outlook on US government debt from "stable" to "negative", which sent markets into a tailspin, may actually turn out to be helpful, like the friend who says loudly to a incorrigible drunk at a party: "Another drink, George? Or is that a silly question?" The S&P analysis is not hugely significant – it is a first downward notch on a long scale of potential debt downgrades – but it is a timely warning that the world is aware America has a problem. Uncle Sam has been able to refill his glass time after time for the simple reason that Chinese investors – banks, state agencies and exporters – choose to store the wealth they gain in international trade largely in the form of US government paper. But as iconic as the greenback and the Treasury bill may be, they do not enjoy such a uniquely elevated status as to make them immune from the processes of risk assessment that have been applied so painfully elsewhere.

The IMF says America's fiscal deficit for 2011 will approach 11 per cent – similar to the UK's – and its net debt will exceed 70 per cent of gross domestic product, which is a worse position than ours if we exclude bank bail-outs from the equation. US debt has hitherto been regarded as virtually risk-free, but if the UK and other nations are seen to be making strenuous efforts to cut deficits while America's continues to balloon then, sooner or later, investors must begin to take a more cautious view. » | Martin Vander Weyer | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My comment:

Obama is clueless! From the beginning, it was clear to me that the man was an “empty suit.” But the American electorate would hear none of it, and got carried away with his rhetoric. Nobody even bothered to find out what he meant by “hope and change.” Hope of what? And change to what? And the mantra, “yes, we can.” What was that supposed to mean? Yes, we can what? As a result, Americans became transfixed by a man who could speak (arguably), but nothing else. Words, words, words!

Meanwhile, all Obama has ever wanted to do is spend, spend, spend. The trouble is, he hasn’t learnt one simple lesson of economics: You have to have it to spend it. None of us can go out and spend like a drunken sailor, as if there weren’t a tomorrow. How foolish that is. Profligacy is never a good thing. It will always lead to disaster.

In fairness to Obama, it’s true that he inherited a huge deficit from George W. Bush. Another profligate president. He ruined America by spending vast sums on wars which America could ill-afford, on wars which could achieve nothing to boot. But that was all the more reason why Obama should have got to work on reducing the deficit straightaway upon getting into office. Instead of that, he embarked upon a spending spree.

The Americans, too, must shoulder part of the burden of responsibility. They don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word ‘saving.’ Saving has become an alien concept to Americans. Americans prefer to consume, consume, consume. They also like to be generous with foreign aid. They give foreign aid abroad in billions, trying to buy influence and popularity. We can all see where that has got them.

In addition, the nature of politics in America is far too ideological. The Republicans and Democrats are far away from each other in political terms, so that it is difficult to find any middle ground. As a result, they cannot move forward in a meaningful way.

The future for America is looking very bleak indeed. This is a seminal moment for the US, and a seminal moment for the rest of the West. One can ask oneself but one question: Is this the start of the decline of the West? It might sound melodramatic, but it isn’t. If the US cannot save itself from bankruptcy, its influence in the world will decline. If this happens, it will no longer be the beacon of freedom. This will have serious consequences for us all. One can only fear the consequences of the eclipse of the US. Its loss of influence may have just begun.

It is to be hoped that, somehow, America will wake up before it’s too late. Bernanke’s love of quantitative easing will not solve anything. Quantitative easing is a fancy term for printing money. Turning on the printing press won’t solve anything. In fact, it will make matters worse. – © Mark

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Cuba to Allow Homes to Be Bought and Sold for First Time under Communist Rule
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cubans will be allowed to buy and sell homes for the first time since Fidel Castro seized power in 1959 under a package of sweeping reforms.

Since the Communist revolution, inhabitants of the island have only been allowed to swap homes through a complicated system or pass them on to their children.

But a raft of reforms agreed at the first congress of the Communist Party since 1997 includes a plan to legalise property sales.

Under the current system of home swaps, a culture of corruption involving "under-the-table" payments has developed.

However, President Raul Castro, Fidel's brother, said that the concentration of property would not be allowed and no details were given on how sales would operate.

The plan to allow home sales was one of about 300 approved by the party, which also include more self-employment, cutting a million government jobs in the coming years, encouraging foreign investment and reducing state spending. » | Robin Yapp, Sao Paulo | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Twisting Truth: French Media Keep Public in Dark Over Libya

Will Egypt's Former Ruler Mubarak Ever Face Trial?
AL–MASRY AL–YOUM: An authoritarian leader is forced to resign after protests against his corruption-tainted rule. He is charged with graft and murder, but ill health stalls his interrogation. He dies before he is put on trial.

The fate of Indonesia's President Suharto, who died 10 years after mass demonstrations swept him from power in 1998, could be a scenario the generals now ruling Egypt are considering for deposed President Hosni Mubarak, 82 and ailing, who still wields considerable clout within the army.

Yet significant delays in putting Mubarak on trial risk a return of the mass demonstrations and chaos that swept him from power on February 11 and hammered Egypt's economy, analysts say.

The protests have largely died down, but normality has yet to return to a country central to stability in the Middle East. » | Reuters | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Mubarak Brothers Accused of Exploiting Influence for Gain
AL–MASRY AL–YOUM: Investigations into Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, the sons of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, suggest that they exploited their official positions in order to obtain public funds, said judicial sources on Monday. The two sons deny any involvement in acts of corruption.

According to official investigations, Gamal used his influence in the National Democratic Party and as son of the president to award contracts to foreign companies in which he was a partner. » | Staff | Monday, April 18, 2011

US-Haushaltsdefizit: Countdown zum Staatsbankrott
STERN.DE: Gehen die USA pleite? Möglich, sogar ein Datum für den Bankrott gibt es schon, den 8. Juli. Nun wird um Sparpläne gefeilscht. Aber was scheren uns eigentlich die Miesen der Amerikaner? Eine Analyse von Florian Güßgen

Es ist ein Weckruf, ein Warnschuss - eine dringende Aufforderung an die in politischen Schützengräben liegenden US-Demokraten und Republikaner. Einigt euch! Vergesst eure ideologischen Gefechte! Das Wohl des ganzen Landes steht auf dem Spiel. Und, bitte, macht vor allem schnell. Nicht anders ist die Botschaft zu bewerten, die die Rating-Agentur Standard & Poor's am Montag nach Washington und in die Welt geschickt hat. Es ist der Job der Agentur, die Kreditwürdigkeit von Staaten zu beurteilen. Nun sagen die Finanzexperten, es könne sein, dass die USA ihre Top-Bewertung als Kreditnehmer - das dreifache A, das "triple A" - verlören, und zwar schon 2013. Das alles könnte geschehen, wenn die Herren und Damen in Washington jetzt nicht bald einheitlich und schlüssig erklären können, wie sie Amerikas schwindelerregendes Haushaltsloch stopfen wollen. Und zwar subito!

Denn in den USA sieht es haushaltspolitisch derzeit in zweierlei Hinsicht zappenduster aus. Das erste Problem ist die Staatskasse. Die befindet sich in einem dramatischen Zustand. Steuert die Politik hier nicht gegen, können die USA mittel- und langfristig tatsächlich in einen Strudel geraten, der dann auch die Weltwirtschaft herunterziehen könnte. Das zweite Problem ist dummerweise die Politik selbst. In den USA sind Demokraten und Republikaner auch nach mehr als zwei Jahren unter dem als Versöhner angetretenen Präsidenten Barack Obama so tief gespalten, dass es fast unmöglich erscheint, dass sie haushaltspolitisch an einem Strang ziehen. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist der Weckruf von Standard & Poor's zu sehen. » | Eine Analyse von Florian Güßgen | Dienstag, 19. April 2011

”Ich bin schlimmer als Helmut Schmidt”

WIKI: Jan Fedder – [D] und [E]

L'état d'urgence levé en Syrie
LE FIGARO: Ce week-end, le président Assad avait prévenu la population qu'elle n'aurait plus d'excuses pour manifester, une fois levé l'état d'urgence, en vigueur depuis près de 50 ans. Sur le terrain, la répression se poursuit.

Le président Bachar al-Assad l'avait promis ce week-end aux manifestants, qui contestent le régime syrien depuis la mi-mars. Mardi, le gouvernement a approuvé un projet de loi pour l'abrogation de la loi d'urgence, en vigueur depuis 1963. Le gouvernement a également aboli la Cour de sûreté de l'Etat, tribunal chargé de juger les prisonniers politiques, et approuvé une loi autorisant les manifestations pacifiques. Selon un haut responsable syrien, le chef de l'État aura encore à ratifier ces textes mais sa signature devrait être une simple formalité.

L'état d'urgence restreignait notamment la liberté de réunion et de déplacement et permettait l'arrestation de «suspects ou de personnes menaçant la sécurité». Samedi, le président avait prévenu que la population n'aurait plus d' «excuses» pour manifester, une fois l'état d'urgence levé. » | Par Thomas Vampouille | Mardi 19 Avril 2011

Gaddafis Truppen feuern von Dächern auf Zivilisten
WELT ONLINE: In Misrata führt Gaddafi einen brutalen Krieg gegen das eigene Volk: Seine Soldaten tarnen sich als Zivilisten und schießen aus dem Hinterhalt auf Bewohner.

Der Oberbefehlshaber über den Nato-Militäreinsatz in Libyen, Generalleutnant Charles Bouchard, hat die Truppen des Machthabers Muammar al-Gaddafi beschuldigt, in Misrata auf Zivilisten zu schießen.

Die Streitkräfte stünden auf den Dächern von Moscheen und feuerten von dort auf Menschen, sagte Bouchard dem kanadischen Fernsehen.

Sie versteckten sich in der Nähe von Krankenhäusern und hätten gepanzerte Wagen in Schulen abgestellt. Manchmal zögen die Gaddafi-Verbündeten auch ihre Uniformen aus, damit niemand sie in der eingekesselten Rebellenbastion erkennen könne. Der Kanadier Bouchard kritisierte dieses Vorgehen als „unmoralisch„ und „hinterhältig“. » | Reuters/dpa/AFP/pku | Dienstag, 19. April 2011

Royal Wedding: Police Consider Pre-emptive Arrests
THE GUARDIAN: • Met working with other forces to identify 'black bloc' anarchists
 • Muslims Against Crusades group refused permission to protest

Police cannot rule out pre-emptive strikes against anarchists plotting to disrupt the royal wedding, Scotland Yard has said.

In one of the biggest security operations in the history of the Metropolitan police, just under 5,000 police officers - including armed and undercover teams - will be on duty on 29 April in the city of Westminster and around the centre of London.

So far, two groups have indicated that they wish to protest: Muslims against Crusades, who asked to demonstrate outside Westminster Abbey but were refused permission, and the English Defence League. The EDL indicated it would mount a demonstration if Muslims against Crusades did so.

Sixty individuals who have been arrested at past demonstrations, such as the TUC anti-cuts protest and the student demonstration against the introduction of fees, have been banned from the city of Westminster as part of their bail conditions. Action will be taken against them if they enter the city on the day.

In addition, the Met is working with forces across the country and is using "spotters" to identify those within the so-called "black bloc" of anarchists intent on causing trouble.

Should evidence emerge that groups are planning to commit criminal acts, pre-emptive action will be taken, a Scotland Yard spokesman said. This could range from breaking up a squat where individuals are gathered, under breach of the peace legislation, or moving in to break up and arrest individuals if evidence suggests they are conspiring to commit criminal acts. » | Sandra Laville, crime correspondent | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Bahrain Steps Up Campaign against 'Professional' Classes
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Bahrain's embattled government has pressed ahead with its campaign against middle-class professionals it suspects of taking part in anti-regime protests, announcing the suspension of more than 100 civil servants.

A statement said the 111 people at the ministry for education would also be referred for legal action and quoted the education minister, Majid bin Ali al-Nuaimi, as saying it followed an investigation into "flagrant violations" of rules concerning schools.

The education ministry did not give details of how many of the employees suspended were teachers, but made clear the action was a response to a strike call by the Bahraini Teachers' Association.

"The association called for the strike for political reasons in a bid to cripple schools", Mr al-Nuaimi said.

Bahrain, a key western ally, has conducted a wide-ranging campaign against opposition groups and political parties since using the army, along with reinforcements from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to clear protesters from the streets. At least 30 people are thought to have been killed.

Among those detained have been doctors who treated the wounded, while opposition newspaper editors have also been told they will be prosecuted for their coverage of the unrest. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Britain Sends Military Advisers to Libya: This Is What Mission Creep Looks Like
TELEGRAPH BLOGS – BENEDICT BROGAN: The Foreign Office has announced that it is sending 10 ‘mentors’ to beef up the embryonic British presence in eastern Libya. Mentors? That’s the word used by the centre to describe what are in fact military advisers being sent in to help the rebels. The Government says it’s all well within the terms of UN Resolution 1973, and they are not a “fighting force”. They are there to advise on helping civilians, not on military training. The Telegraph reported recently the view inside the MoD that the rebels, while lacking nothing in enthusiasm, coudn’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Without outside help in arms and possibly international back-up they will not be able to accomplish what everyone wants – getting rid of Col Gaddafi. With the Libyan effort bogged down, Gaddafi still in place, and no sign of any momentum to force him out, it is no wonder that those allies still committed to this adventure are looking for ways to help the rebels get on with the job. Italy is talking of sending military help. David Cameron and his ministers have tied themselves in knots to avoid ruling out military help. And now we have it. The Prime Minister will have to face unavoidable charges that this is mission creep, and it will be tempting to recall how John F Kennedy started with military ‘advisers’ in Vietnam. Continue reading and comment » | Benedict Brogan | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My comment:

David Cameron is out of his depth. I will always remember the day that Cameron committed to war in Libya, and Hague chanting at his side, "statesman, statesman." I remember thinking to myself then: I wonder whether people will say silly things like that when it's all over (whenever that will be). It's very easy to enter into war; it's getting out of it that's the difficult thing. Fools rush in, and all that...

Cameron has been raised in a cocoon. He has no idea or understanding of the character and mentality of the man he has entered into war with. Gaddafi is a tough man; he's a Bedouin. And anyone who has ever had a little experience in dealing with Bedouins will know that they are tough, hard-nosed, and very inflexible. I feel sure that David Cameron's upbringing has ill-prepared him for his fight with one of this world's toughest adversaries.

Only all-out war will prepare the way for the Gaddafis' ouster; and even that would be a rough, tough, messy, very bloody conflict. What has Cameron got us into? – © Mark

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Dead Alien Found in UFO Hotspot in Russia ; With Translation

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Body of 'dead alien' found in Siberia: A video claiming to show alien remains in Irkutsk, Siberia has become a internet sensation, garnering more than a million hits. » | Andrew Osborn in Moscow | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Nigella Lawson Wears a Burkini on Bondi Beach
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: For admirers of Nigella Lawson's Rubenesque curves, the prospect of the domestic goddess hitting the beach was one to savour.

From corseted Vivienne Westwood gowns to figure-hugging cashmere twinsets, the television chef never fails to make the most of her voluptuous figure.

So her choice of swimwear for a dip off Sydney's Bondi Beach came as something of a surprise. Rather than a revealing swimming costume, Miss Lawson was covered head to toe in a burkini, the modesty-saving outfit designed for Muslim women.

The 51-year-old cut a striking figure as she splashed in the surf with her friend, comedian Maria McErlane. While Miss McErlane wore a skimpy bikini, Miss Lawson was protected from the elements in a black two-piece and peaked cap, leaving only her hands, feet and face showing.

Rather than a sudden conversion to Islam, her choice of outfit was motivated by a desire to shield her creamy complexion from the Australian sun. "Nigella was protecting herself from sunburn, nothing more than that," said her spokesman. » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Kate Middleton's wedding dress? That's one for the women, says BBC's Huw Edwards: As the presenter chosen to lead the BBC's coverage of the Royal Wedding, Huw Edwards will guide viewers through every aspect of the day - except one. » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

David Cameron Blocks Gordon Brown as Head of IMF
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron will block Gordon Brown's attempts to head up the International Monetary Fund after criticising his handling of the financial crisis.

In a direct attack on the former Prime Minister, Mr Cameron said his predecessor was not the "most appropriate person" to lead the IMF because he would not admit the UK had a "debt problem".

Mr Brown is reportedly hoping to take on the £270,000-a-year role but he must first be nominated by the Government.

“If you have someone who didn’t think we had a debt problem (running the IMF) they may not be the best person to decide whether other countries have that problem," he said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He added that the role needed to be filled by “someone who understands the dangers of excessive spending.”

And in a clear signal that Britain would block Mr Brown if stood for the job, Mr Cameron suggested the position should be filled by a candidate from “China, India or south east Asia.” » | Andrew Porter and James Kirkup | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Britain Attempts to Target Mrs Gaddafi with UN Sanctions
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain is attempting to target Col Muammar Gaddafi's wife with UN sanctions, fearing her multi-billion dollar fortune could be used to bolster her husband's rule and attacks on civilians.

Mrs Gaddafi, who is known by her maiden name of Safia Farkash, the Libyan leader's wife of 40 years, was not named among the Gaddafi associates and family members who had their assets frozen and were banned from international travel under two UN resolutions in February and March.

Her personal fortune has been put by some of her many enemies at $30 billion (£18 billion), though estimating Gaddafi wealth is difficult due to the regime's failure to distinguish between private family and government money.

Miss Farkash is known to control Buraq Air, a private rival to the Libyan state, and is said to have amassed 20 tons of gold reserves, though she is less of a public figure than some other Arab leaders' wives.

The mother of his daughter and six of his seven sons, she became Col Gaddafi's second wife in 1971, after nursing him through a bout of appendicitis.

She was said by one of the several Ukrainian nurses who have attended him in recent years to be jealous of them, though despite popular rumour there is no evidence that they are his lovers.

The British government, together with France and Germany, has now requested that Miss Farkash be added to the sanctions blacklist, along with 23 other Libyans and several companies. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

White Men Converting to Islam BBC Inside Out (Jan 2011)

Rechtspopulismus in Europa: Die Wahren Finnen stehen nicht allein
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nicht nur in Finnland verzeichnen Rechtspopulisten einen großen Wählerzuspruch: Der rechtsextreme Front National kam in Frankreich auf zwölf Prozent der Stimmen, in den Niederlanden wählte jeder Sechste die Partei der Rechtsliberalen. Ein Überblick. » | Von Anne-Christin Sievers | Montag, 18. April 2011

Gaddafi’s Son: We Will Deal with Terrorists First and Then Talk Reform
THE WASHINGTON POST: TRIPOLI, Libya — Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the influential second son of Moammar Gaddafi who was once seen as the great hope for reform in Libya, is clear on two points: He and his government have done nothing wrong, and they are not going to back down.

In an interview that reflected the defiance of the Gaddafi family more than two months into its efforts to put down a rebellion supported by the United States and its allies, the 38-year-old said the world had gone to war with Libya based on nothing more than rumor and propaganda.

In Saif Gaddafi’s telling, he has been betrayed by his “best friend,” who defected to join the rebels. His father’s government is besieged by al-Qaeda. And President Obama has proved no different from his predecessor, George W. Bush.

The comments underscore the uncompromising stance of the Libyan government at a time when the fighting has stale­mated and NATO faces internal squabbling. Although there had been indications this month that Saif Gaddafi was interested in a diplomatic solution to the crisis that has divided his nation, his tone during an hour-long interview suggested that the core decision-makers in Tripoli are in no hurry to find a political way out.

As if to bolster that point, forces loyal to the Gaddafi regime on Sunday heavily shelled the besieged city of Misurata, the only rebel outpost in western Libya. A city council spokesman said 17 people were killed and more than 100 were injured. Government troops also attacked rebel positions in the strategically critical eastern city of Ajdabiya, sending some opposition fighters fleeing back to their de facto capital, Benghazi.

One month after the uprising, the United Nations authorized a no-fly zone over Libya in March to counter the government’s attacks on civilians. Obama has said that international military action saved countless Libyan lives, by preventing Moammar Gaddafi’s men from carrying out a massacre in Benghazi.
But in Saif Gaddafi’s view, Obama has it all wrong.

“We want the Americans tomorrow to send a fact-finding mission to find out what happened in Libya. We want Human Rights Watch to come here and to find out exactly what happened,” he said. “We are not afraid of the International Criminal Court. We are confident and sure that we didn’t commit any crime against our people.” » | Simon Denyer | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Transcript of interview »

LE POINT: Seif el-Islam : "Nous n'avons commis aucun crime" : Pour le fils du colonel Kadhafi, les tirs de l'armée contre des opposants au régime ne sont que des allégations. » | Source AFP | Lundi 18 Avril 2011

Wall Street Shares Slump as S&P Downgrades US Debt Outlook
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ratings agency cuts long-term outlook from stable to negative for first time since Pearl Harbor attack 70 years ago

Shares fell heavily on Wall Street on Monday after a leading ratings agency fanned fears of Europe's debt crisis spreading across the Atlantic by issuing a strong warning about America's failure to tackle its budget deficit.

In a move seen by Wall Street as a "shot across the bows" of bickering politicians in Washington, Standard and Poor's (S&P) said it was cutting the outlook on the US's long-term rating from stable to negative for the first time since the attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago.

The announcement surprised the financial markets, where attention in recent months has been focused on the problems of the weaker nations of the eurozone. Renewed speculation that Greece will be forced to default on its debts led to a sharp sell-off in the euro, but S&P stressed that the US was not immune from the sovereign debt crisis.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average ended the day down 140 points, or 1.1%, with the dollar weaker on the foreign exchanges and yields rising on US treasury bills. The FTSE 100 in London was down 126 points at 5870 – a drop of more than 2% – as ongoing concerns about the eurozone's debt crisis were compounded by the setback for the world's biggest economy. » | Larry Elliott, Economics editor | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

here and here

Syria: Shooting Interrupts Latest Anti-government Protest in Homs
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands gather in city after reports that security forces shot dead 17 citizens on Sunday

Syrian forces fired shots at hundreds of protesters who had gathered overnight in Homs city in defiance of warning by the authorities to halt what they called an insurrection.

A member of the security police addressed the protesters at Clock Square through a loud speaker asking them to leave, and then the forces opened fire, said a human rights campaigner, who is in contact with protesters in the square.

Tear gas was also used. At least one protester was injured, the activist added. Two residents of Homs also said they heard the sound of gunfire coming from around the square.

Several hours earlier, Syrian state television broadcast an interior ministry statement that described the wave of unrest in Syria as an insurrection, pointing specifically to Homs as one of two cities where "armed groups belonging to Salafist organisations" were trying to terrorise the population.

Salafism is a strict form of Sunni Islam which many Arab governments equate with militant groups like al-Qaida. » | Reuters | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Second Post Mortem into Dubai Death of British Tourist in Custody
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Police in Dubai have ordered a second post mortem into the death in custody of a British man whose relatives say he was beaten to death.

Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Bin Tamim, head of Dubai Police, said police doctors were examining the body of Lee Bradley Brown, 39, who was on holiday at the Burj al-Arab Hotel in the city when he was arrested for threatening a Nepalese housekeeper.

The Dubai authorities repeated denials that Mr Brown had been "tortured". A previous post mortem, conducted by the prosecutor's department, said he had choked on his own vomit, and that there were traces of cannabis in his system.

Lt Gen Khalfan said: "We do not doubt the first report but we just want to confirm it. Two doctors started examining the body on Saturday and we will reveal the results soon. » | Richard Spencer, Dubai | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Related »

Moonwalking Romanian Politician Ordered to Stop Dancing
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A moonwalking Romanian politician has been ordered by leaders of his political party to tone down his antics.


Edmond Talmacean, a 40-year-old Bucharest-based politician, has inspired national headlines with his Michael Jackson-inspired moonwalk on a television show and his impersonations of the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

His impersonation of a well-known sports commentator during a serious political debate also stunned other lawmakers into silence.

"Dancing is another kind of political message to appeal to the younger generation, that it is good to have fun ... that you can go to a disco and dance," Mr Talmacean said.

Party leaders, however, say enough is enough and have ordered him to tone down. » | Monday, April 18, 2011

Edmond Talmacean »

Sarkozy’s Napoleonic Ambitions Backfire

Obama’s Broken Promises Kick Off Campaign for 2012

Ex-Ahmadyya Anhänger nimmt den Islam an!

Don’t These Politicians Talk BS?*

*I’m not advocating AV here. But I am sick to death of the empty talk we hear from politicians, right across the spectrum. They are playing us for fools! – © Mark

Mideast without Christians
YNET NEWS: Op-ed: Christians must realize Israel’s fate intertwined with fate of non-Muslims in region

This is the saddest Easter in the long epic of Arab Christianity: The cross is near extinction in the lands of it origin. The much-vaunted diversity of the Middle East is going to be reduced to the flat monotony of a single religion, Islam, and to a handful of languages.

In 1919, the Egyptian revolution adopted a green flag with the crescent and the cross. Both Muslims and Christians participated in the nationalist revolution against British colonialism. Now, according to the Egyptian Federation for Human Rights, more than 70 Christians a week are asking to leave the country due to Islamist threats.

The numbers are telling. Today there is only one Middle Eastern country where the number of Christians has grown: Israel. As documented in the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the Christian community that numbered 34,000 people in 1949 is now 163,000-strong, and will reach 187,000 in 2020.

In the rest of the Middle East, the drive for Islamic purity is going to banish all traces of pre-Islamic pasts. This has affected not only Christians, but other non-Islamic communities too, such as the Zoroastrians and Baha’is in Iran (the late also found refuge in Israel, in Haifa.)

The silence of the global forums, the flawed conscience of human rights groups, the self-denial of the media and the Vatican’s appeasement is helping facilitate this Islamist campaign. According to a report on religious freedom compiled by the US Department of State, the number of Christians in Turkey declined from two million to 85,000; in Lebanon they have gone from 55% to 35% of the population; in Syria, from half the population they have been reduced to 4%; in Jordan, from 18% to 2%. In Iraq, they will be exterminated.

Should the exodus of Christians from Bethlehem continue in the next two or three decades, there may be no clergy left to conduct religious services in Jesus’ birthplace. In Iran, Christians have become virtually non-existent since 1979, when Khomeini ordered the immediate closure of all Christian schools. In Gaza, the 3,000 who remain are subjected to persecution. In Sudan, Christians in the South are forced into slavery. Israel’s flag a symbol of hope » | Giulio Meotti | Monday, April 18, 2011

Letter: Arabs Brainwashed against Israel
YNET NEWS: Iraqi man sends letter to Foreign Ministry saying Hamas has made him ashamed of being Arab

The Foreign Ministry's Arabic-language website received a letter Saturday from a repentant Iraqi man who says he and his fellow citizens have been "brainwashed against Israel".

The man added that Hamas's recent attacks on Israeli civilians have caused him "shame" for being an Arab and a Muslim.

"For a long time we believed that Israelis are dangerous barbarians due to the brainwashing we underwent during Saddam (Hussein)'s rule but now I see (Arabs) being massacred in a wretched and shameful manner by Sunni and Shiite rulers," the letter says.

The man added that Hamas's recent attacks on Israeli civilians have caused him "shame" for being an Arab and a Muslim.

"For a long time we believed that Israelis are dangerous barbarians due to the brainwashing we underwent during Saddam (Hussein)'s rule but now I see (Arabs) being massacred in a wretched and shameful manner by Sunni and Shiite rulers," the letter says. » | Roee Nahmias | Monday, April 18, 2011

US Warned Over Debts, as S&P Cuts Outlook to 'Negative'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America's ability to tackle its deficit has been given a strong vote of no confidence, after leading rating agency Standard & Poor's said the chances are rising that the country will lose its prized AAA status.

S&P downgraded the outlook for the US government's debt to negative from stable on Monday in a clear shot across the bows of Congress and The White House.

In sharp contrast to every other developed economy, the US has increased its budget deficit in the last year in an effort to accelerate the economic recovery here.

While President Barack Obama and the Republicans have in the last month laid out plans to reduce the deficit, S&P warned that a plan needs to be agreed upon within the next two years for the US to retain its status as a top borrower.

"More than two years after the beginning of the recent crisis, US policymakers have still not agreed on how to reverse recent fiscal deterioration or address longer-term fiscal pressures," said Nikola Swann, an analyst at S&P.

The move by S&P sparked an immediate reaction in financial markets, with US government bond prices falling alongside the S&P 500. Gold prices jumped to a new record of $1,496. » | Richard Blackden, US Business Editor | Monday, April 18, 2011

Markets Hub: Stocks Tumble as S&P Cuts U.S. Outlook
Stocks tumbled Monday after Standard & Poor's cut its credit outlook on the U.S. to negative, increasing the likelihood of a potential downgrade from its triple-A rating. Paul Vigna, George Stahl, Kathleen Magigan and Jim McTague discuss

Inside Story: Syria's Emergency Laws
Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president, says the country's state of emergency should be lifted by next week. 



Inside Story, with presenter Darren Jordon, discusses with guests: Walid Saffour, president of the Syrian Human Rights Committee; Ivan Eland, a senior fellow and Director of the Centre of Peace and Liberty, at the Independent Institute.



This episode of Inside Story aired on Sunday, April 17, 2011.

Finland's Right Turn Spells Trouble for Europe
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The right-wing populist party True Finns won 19 percent of the vote in Finland on Sunday. The euroskeptic party has said it is opposed to a bailout package for Portugal, which could spell trouble for the euro zone.

Now, it is Finland's turn. Following in the footsteps of several northern European countries in recent years -- and continuing a trend that has been particularly apparent in Scandinavia -- Finnish voters on Sunday threw substantial support behind the right-wing populist party True Finns.

The party, led by Timo Soini, 48, grabbed 19 percent of the vote, more than quadrupling its result in 2007. And while Soini adheres to the standard collection of xenophobic and anti-Islam positions common to the right wing everywhere, it is his party's position on the euro which has engendered the most concern across Europe.

"We have to this point been too soft when it comes to Europe," Soini said on Monday, basking in his election success. "That has to change." In particular, Soini said, the euro-zone bailout package currently being designed for Portugal must be revisited. » | cgh -- with wire reports | Monday, April 18, 2011

Number of Violent Neo-Nazis Rising in Germany
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Germany saw an increase in the number of violent neo-Nazis by 600 to 5,600 last year, according to the country's domestic intelligence agency. In the year 2000, there were just 2,200. Still, the far-right scene as a whole is shrinking, and the NPD party is losing members.

The number of violent neo-Nazis in Germany rose by more than 10 percent to 5,600 people in 2010, the head of the country's domestic intelligence agency said in an interview published on Monday.

"The neo-Nazi scene that is prepared to commit violence has become larger. It grew by 600 to 5,600 people in 2010," Heinz Fromm, the president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper. In 2000, the number had been far lower, at 2,200.

Fromm said the number of neo-Nazi anarchists, a relatively recent trend consisting of violent youths, often masked, bent on committing violence at far-right demonstrations, had increased from 800 to 1,000 people last year.

The overall number of right-wing extremists in Germany fell last year by 1,600 to around 25,000, said Fromm. » | cro | Monday, April 18, 2011

NEUE OSNABRÜCKER ZEITUNG: Neonazis auf dem Vormarsch: Osnabrück. Nach Angaben des Verfassungsschutzes ist die Zahl gewaltbereiter Rechtsextremisten in Deutschland 2010 erneut deutlich gestiegen. » | Autor: Sven Rebehn | Sonntag, 17. April 2011

’Wear Scarf Or We Will Kill You’, Muslims Told Woman
DAILY EXPRESS: ISLAMIC extremists bent on imposing Sharia law have threatened women and told them to cover up their heads, it has been claimed.

One woman was told she faced death if she failed to don the hijab, or headscarf, in east London’s Tower Hamlets.

Signs warning the area is a “gay-free zone” have also been seen while posters at bus shelters featuring models and a Bollywood film have been defaced with black paint. Incidents involving posters have also happened in Birmingham. » | Anil Dawar | Monday, April 18, 2011

THE SUN: Wear hijab or die: ISLAMIC extremists bent on establishing Sharia law in Britain have threatened to kill women who do not cover their heads. » | Anthony France | Monday, April 18, 2011

Jordan to Try Danish Cartoonist
THE TELEGRAPH (AUSTRALIA): A JORDANIAN court will try Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard over a controversial caricature of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed.

Zakarya Sheikh, spokesman for a group of local media outlets that sued Westergaard in 2008 for depicting Mohammed with a bomb in his turban, said the artist and others have been summoned by a magistrates' court in Amman to stand trial on April 25.

the [sic] subpoena states Westergaard "is accused of the crime of blasphemy."

"These legal measures seek to prevent attempts to insult Islam and incite racial hatred against Muslims worldwide, particularly in Europe," Sheikh said. » | NewsCore | Friday, April 15, 2011

Royal Wedding: What Do We Call Her?
BBC: At the instant she and Prince William are pronounced "man and wife", Catherine Middleton will begin a new life and take on a whole new identity.

She will automatically become Her Royal Highness, Princess William of Wales.

However, she does not automatically become Princess Catherine - and certainly not Princess Kate.

The reason is very simple (if anything in this arcane area can be considered anything other than totally mystifying): Catherine Middleton is not of royal blood.

The Queen's late sister Margaret was entitled to call herself Princess Margaret. The Queen's daughter is Princess Anne and her granddaughters are Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. They are, or were, of royal blood, so they are princesses in their own right.

But Sarah Ferguson was never Princess Sarah and Sophie Rhys-Jones (wife of Prince Edward) is not Princess Sophie.

And, to the astonishment of many, Lady Diana Spencer was never officially Princess Diana. She was the Princess of Wales and, after her divorce from Prince Charles, she was Diana, Princess of Wales. » | Nicholas Witchell, Royal correspondent | Saturday, April 16, 2011

BBC: Kate Middleton’s family history »

US Storms Kill 45 as Tornadoes Hit Seven States
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: At least 45 people have been killed after a powerful storm over the weekend whipped up tornadoes in seven southern US states.

The tornadoes left a trail of destruction in North Carolina, flattening homes and businesses and causing power cuts.

The fast-moving storm toppled trees and power lines, tore roofs off houses and scattered farm trailers across highways.

Some two dozen tornadoes were reported in the southern states of Mississippi and Alabama on Friday, a day after 15 tornadoes struck in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, the US National Weather Service said. » | Sunday, April 17, 2011

THE KANSAS CITY STAR: South looks to recover from killer twisters » | Emery P. Dalesio and Brock Vergakis, Associated Press | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Related video »

Inside Story - Bahrain's Iron Fist
Three days after Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in Egypt, the people of Bahrain took to the streets to make their grievances heard. They were not demanding an end to the monarchy - but more representation. But a violent crackdown against protesters saw a shift in their demands. The monarchy was quick to portray the popular uprising as sectarian. Troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered Bahrain a month later as tensions began to grow. Now in the latest move, Bahraini authorities pledged to seek court approval to dissolve two Shia opposition groups for alleged links to the protests. Why did Bahrain opt for an iron-fist approach against pro-democracy protesters? And what is the nature of the role of regional players in this Gulf country? Inside Story discusses.

Libya's Growing Humanitarian Crisis
The western Libyan city of Misurata continues to be under siege by Muammar Gaddafi's forces.



Its only lifelines are the sea routes to Benghazi, Tunis, and Malta, from where a steady stream of supplies has been trickling in over the past few weeks.

However, supplies such as food and medicine are running short in Misurata, Libya's third largest city.



Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull and cameraman Craig Pennington, boarded a trawler carrying humanitarian supplies, for a 24-hour voyage to the city.



Warning: This exclusive package contains images that may disturb or offend some viewers.

Deadly Tornadoes Rip across the Southern US

Bahrain Told to Respect Students' Right to Protest by UK Government
THE GUARDIAN: Foreign Office issues call following Bahraini targetting of participants in peaceful protest outside BBC in Manchester

The government has called on Bahrain to respect the right to peaceful protest. The move follows claims that families of students studying in Britain, who were photographed attending a peaceful protest in Manchester in solidarity with the country's pro-democracy movement, had been targeted.

The Foreign Office said it was aware of the actions of Bahraini citizens living in the UK campaigning against the regime and said they had a right to voice their concerns without intimidation or retaliation. "We have made clear to the Bahraini government that, unless these individuals commit a criminal offence in the UK, they will be free to carry out their activities in line with UK laws."

Students told the Guardian the Bahraini authorities had stripped government-funded scholarships from those who attended the event outside the BBC building last month and told parents to order their children home.

Students said they had "strong and well-founded" fears they and their families could suffer beatings and torture following Bahrain's crackdown on the protests 3,000 miles away and they were likely to be arrested on their return. » | Matthew Taylor | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Palm Sunday Celebrations around the World
THE GUARDIAN: Christians across the globe celebrated the last Sunday of Lent, distributing palms and attending mass

To the picture gallery » | Monday, April 18, 2011

Radi[c]al Islamist Groups Gaining Stranglehold in Egypt
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The rapid spread of Muslim political parties ahead of September's parliamentary elections has strengthened fears that Egyptian democracy will be dominated by radical Islamic movements.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest Islamic movement and the founder of Hamas, has set up a network of political parties around the country that eclipse the following of the middle class activists that overthrew the regime. On the extreme fringe of the Brotherhood, Islamic groups linked to al-Qeada are organising from the mosques to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of the dictatorship.

The military-led government already faces accusations that it is bowing to the surge in support for the Muslim movements, something that David Cameron warned of in February when he said Egyptian democracy would be strongly Islamic.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, warned on Sunday that the direction of Egyptian politics was anti-Israeli. He told diplomats last week that Egyptian officials – including Nabil al-Arabi, the foreign minister – were pandering to political militants by branding Israel as the "enemy".

"I am very concerned over some of the voices we've been hearing from Egypt recently," Mr Netanyahu said. "I'm especially concerned over the current Egyptian foreign minster's statements."

An Egyptian court on Saturday disbanded the National Democratic Party, which won 80 per cent of seats in parliament in December's rigged election. Hosni Mubarak, the ousted president, and his protégés are under arrest and threatened by prison.

Mohammed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader, last week predicted the group's candidates would win 75 per cent of the seats it contested. » | Damien McElroy, Cairo | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Muslim Hate Cleric Targets Kate Middleton’s [sic] and Prince William’s Big Day
THE SUNDAY EXPRESS: AN INVESTIGATION was launched last night into more than £1million of Government contracts awarded to the brother of Britain’s most notorious hate cleric who is plotting to ruin the Royal Wedding.

Vince Cable’s business department is examining whether funds given to Yazdani Choudary for IT training and apprenticeship projects over the past seven years were “allocated properly”.

Mr Choudary, 48, is the wealthy elder brother of Anjem Choudary, 44, whose fanatical groups such as Al-Muhajiroun and Islam4UK, are banned in Britain.

Anjem, who wants a worldwide Islamic state and threatened a rabble-rousing march through Wootton Bassett to disrupt coming home ceremonies for dead British soldiers, is UK spokesman for Al Qaeda sympathiser Omar Bakri Mohammed.

The latest group with which he is involved, Muslims Against Crusades, is planning to cause chaos at next week’s wedding with a “forceful demonstration”.

The group has warned Prince William “and his Nazi best man” Prince Harry that unless they immediately withdraw from the military, the “day which the nation has been dreaming of for so long will become a nightmare”. » | Ted Jeory, Whitehall editor | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Flüchtlingsstreit eskaliert – Frankreich stoppt Züge aus Italien
TAGES ANZEIGER: Flüchtlinge, die via Italien reisen wollen, sorgen zwischen den EU- Ländern für böses Blut. Frankreich verweigerte Zügen aus Ventimiglia die Weiterfahrt nach Frankreich. Einwanderer besetzen den Bahnhof.

Alle Züge wurden auf Anordnung der Polizeipräfektur von Nizza (Alpes-Maritimes) [F] [E] annulliert. Zur Absicherung der Zone entsandten die Behörden gar ein Bataillon der französischen Einsatzpolizei CRS nach Menton, dem ersten Ort auf der französischen Seite der Grenze.

Aus Protest gegen den Stopp der Züge besetzten am Sonntag etwa 200 Menschenrechtsaktivisten aus Italien und Frankreich sowie tunesische Einwanderer in Ventimiglia den Bahnhof. » | pbe/sda | Sonntag, 17. April 2011

Une oeuvre d'art controversée détruite à Avignon
LE FIGARO: Piss Christ, une photographie représentant un crucifix plongé dans de l'urine, a été détruite dans un musée d'Avignon. Des associations catholiques avaient dénoncé une oeuvre blasphématoire.

Un Christ sur sa croix dans un bain d'urine. Exposé à Avignon, le cliché de l'artiste américain Andres Serrano n'est pas passé inaperçu à la veille du week-end pascal. Samedi, plus d'un millier de manifestants s'étaient réunis devant le palais des Papes à l'appel de plusieurs associations catholiques et d'organisations d'extrême droite pour dénoncer une œuvre «blasphématoire». L'évêque d'Avignon, Mgr Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, a demandé le retrait de la photographie, dénonçant un cliché «odieux» qui «bafoue l'image du Christ».

Le cliché, daté de 1987, était présenté à la collection d'art contemporain Lambert dans le cadre d'une exposition anniversaire intitulée «Je crois aux miracles» prévue jusqu'au 8 mai et financée en partie par la municipalité, la région et l'État. » | Par lefigaro.fr | Dimanche 17 Avril 2011

Heroin Addiction on the Rise in Pakistan
Islamabad struggles to cope with the spike in heroine addiction across the country

Janet Daley: Cameron Is Taking Us Back to the Feudal
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The party appears to have returned to the old model of gentry-led Conservatism , says Janet Daley.

There is an election coming. So the Prime Minister is touring the country trying to persuade Conservative voters in various states of disgruntlement and suspicion that they should support the party. He is hitting a number of refrains that are calculated to have that effect: we are doing what you know in your hearts needs to be done to the economy. We are bravely reforming welfare, education and health (whoops, no – maybe not health). And, rather startlingly, we are cracking down on immigration – or at least we are prepared to acknowledge that you have legitimate concerns about immigration.

But even in the midst of these various strands of more-or-less persuasive appeal there is an odd kind of vacuum – a hole where the central theme should be. The Conservatives may be doing quite a few things of which their supporters approve, most notably taking on what had seemed the intractable problems of welfare dependency and collapsing educational standards. But if people choose to vote Tory now it will be more a consequence of what the party seems to be getting done from one day to the next, than of what it is in itself. There is no longer a clear sense of basic common purpose – of fundamental driving principle – at the heart of Conservatism. Who the party speaks for, and what it stands for, is a matter of confusion and contradiction. This is not, as some apologists might claim, a simple re-assertion of pragmatism over ideology. Pragmatism is the doctrine of do-what-works but what counts as working is established on the basis of values: governments can only know when they have achieved something worthwhile if they have an idea of what is worth achieving.

If you are between the ages of, say, 30 and 45, you probably thought you had a fairly clear conception of what you were supporting when you voted for the Tories (or of what you hated when you voted against them). Since the 1980s, Conservatism had stood for free-market economics and self-improvement: the party had come to represent the striving, sometimes vulgar but always determined and hard-working, upwardly mobile classes. This provoked a revulsion on both the Left and the more traditional Right which was as much to do with snobbery as it was with political beliefs. Margaret Thatcher was dismissed as a “greengrocer’s daughter”, and her philosophy derided as “bourgeois triumphalism”. The Tory party had cast itself as the voice of the most productive, creative, energetic – and unfashionable – people in the country. Read on and comment » | Janet Daley | Saturday, April 16, 2011

My comment:

Nothing will ever change in this country, since snobbery is written in the Brits’ DNA. The class system is perpetuated by the monarchy, which, while its pageantry is charming and delightful to watch, its effect on society is toxic. Little people who think they are big simply because daddy was very rich and mummy was a lady-in-waiting! It’s a case of the best ‘jobs for the boys,’ and university places in the best universities, especially Oxbridge, are reserved for the aristocracy.

I used to feel very pro-monarchy and pro-establishment until I had a rude awakening and discovered what the establishment of this country was truly like.

To call this country a democracy is a joke indeed. This country is a plutocratic aristocracy. Closed to all that weren’t born in the right circles, scornful of achievement, and distrustful of true academic success. (The aristocracy, traditionally, never had to work for doctorates and higher degrees, because they had their status from birth.)

Until this country can be turned into a true meritocracy, there will never be true advancement, and the country will always be held back and chained to its feudal past.

Other successful countries in Europe cast off the spell of aristocracy long ago, and they embarked on the bourgeoisification of their countries, thereby shrinking the lower class and upper class, and giving everyone a fair chance in life by including them in the middle class. Not so, this country. In this country, successive governments have deliberately not embarked on bourgeoisification: the Labour Party wanted to keep the working classes down so as to keep them all in power; the Conservative Party wanted to keep the working classes down, too. That way they could hold on to the reins of power, and maintain a good, solid supply of cheap labour for the overlords.

This Coalition government, headed by the Caminicks, is run by the snobs for the snobs. They couldn’t give a damn about the ‘little people.’ If one hasn’t got gazillions, preferably inherited gazillions of course, then one doesn’t belong in their midst. It’s a public school, old-boy network. They’ll get ever richer, despite the austere times, but God help the rest of us! – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Misrata Becomes Libya's Stalingrad
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: The brutality of attacks on the rebel city reveal how important reclaiming the port is to Col Gaddafi

The "dawn chorus" came in on time, salvos of missiles crashing down with shattering noise, burning buildings, killing and maiming people. It was the start of another day in Misrata, the city whose fate may decide the military outcome of this brutal civil war.

The besieged and battered bastion has become Libya's Stalingrad. The fall of Misrata would not only be a huge symbolic and psychological triumph for Muammar Gaddafi, but also end significant opposition to his rule in the west of the country.

It is this defiance and determination only 150 miles from where he sits in Tripoli that seem to enrage the dictator of Libya. The daily rocket and artillery attacks are vengeful and often indiscriminate, destroying homes and killing and maiming civilians. More than 200 attacks have been launched in the past 48 hours, killing 40 people and injuring 105 others.

Even by the standards of Misrata, the bombardment at the end of the week was particularly brutal. Missiles landed in residential areas, on a school, and in a street on which a queue outside a bakery had formed. Some people waiting for bread escaped the initial onslaught and fled to a garage that promised protection. But the next round hit the entrance, starting a fire from which they could not escape. Among those to die was a mother aged 33 and her two daughters, both under 10. » | Kim Sengupta | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Libya's Civil War Shrinks Christian Communities
AL-MASRY AL-YOUM: Tripoli -- With most of his flock having fled Libya's violence, Tripoli's Roman Catholic bishop now focuses on keeping the power struggle between Muammar Qadhafi and anti-government rebels out of his church.
But it's getting harder.

After a recent Mass, several Muslim women, all Qadhafi supporters, followed Bishop Giovanni Martinelli into the vestry, tearfully demanding that he call the Vatican to get the pope to halt NATO airstrikes.

Some of his parishioners, especially African migrant workers, have been using his St. Francis Church as a sanctuary, saying they dread going into the streets because they are frequently stopped and harassed by Qadhafi's security forces.

The war has hit hard Christian communities in Tripoli, which include African migrant laborers, Filipino health care workers and European expatriates, among them foreign women married to Libyan men. Libya is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, and missionary activity is not allowed, though clergy say the regime has respected Christians' freedom of worship.

Martinelli and the head of the five other churches in Tripoli — all led by foreign clergy with congregations made up almost entirely of foreigners -- have staked out a cautious middle ground in the conflict that has split Libya into a Qadhafi-controlled west and a rebel-run east.

In a statement this week, just before Sunday's start of Easter Week, the Tripoli churches called for an immediate cease-fire and said dialogue is the only way to end the two-month-old crisis.

Attempts to dislodge Qadhafi by force will only make him more determined to hang on, said Martinelli, an Italian who came to Libya just a year after Qadhafi seized power in 1969.

"He is a Bedouin, he is very strong," the bishop said, tapping his forehead to illustrate hard-headedness. » | AP | Sunday, April 17, 2011

WIKI: Christianity in Libya »

Mubarak Transferred to Military Hospital Near Cairo
AL-MASRY AL-YOUM*: Under heavy guard, toppled president Hosni Mubarak was transferred Saturday from Sharm el-Sheikh hospital to the International Medical Center of the Armed Forces, located near Cairo.

According to medical sources, Mubarak was flown on a military plane that landed at a military base near the hospital, along Cairo-Ismailia high road.

Military reinforcements and soldiers from the special forces were sent to guard the hospital, where he is detained pending investigation.

Mubarak had been admitted to Sharm el-Sheikh hospital after the attorney general decided to investigate him on charges of inciting the killing of protestors and gaining illicit funds. Mubarak's condition is not critical, and he is only suffering from the symptoms of aging, according to media reports. [Source: Al-Masry Al-Youm] | Staff | Saturday, April 16, 2011

AL-MASRY AL-YOUM: Disbelief and satisfaction follow Mubarak arrest » | Noha El-Hennawy |Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Al-Masry Al-Youm »

* Egypt Today