Tel Aviv's Gay Pride Parade Draws Thousands to the City
THE GUARDIAN: Liberal, hedonistic and secular Israeli metropolis has ambitions to be world's most gay-friendly place

Rainbows were everywhere – on faces, belts, garlands, T-shirts, paper fans, tattoos and hats. One man had a python draped around his neck, a soldier in uniform carried a rainbow flag, and a young woman, almost naked, danced to the throbbing music, oblivious to the crowds and the searing heat.

On Friday, thousands of people poured on to Tel Aviv's Gordon beach at the end of the annual Gay Pride parade in celebration of sexual freedom, tolerance and their city's ambition to be the most gay-friendly place on Earth.

"The weather is hot, the guys are hot, it's a hot city," said 28-year-old Amit Margalit, wearing turquoise shades and matching beads over his bare chest.

The parade's organisers estimated that more than 100,000 Israelis, plus another 5,000 tourists, took part. Every square metre of shade was crammed, friends greeted one another with sweaty kisses and hugs, stalls selling ice-cold beer were doing brisk trade and traffic jams backed up around closed streets.

Tel Aviv, in sharp contrast to Jerusalem, is a liberal, hedonistic and secular city, where leisure life revolves around beaches, cafes and nightclubs.

Lonely Planet named it one of its top three cities in the world for 2011, describing it as "the flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on the sea rather than an ancient Holy City on a hill" and adding: "There are more bars than synagogues, God is a DJ and everyone's body is a temple." The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rarely on the radar. » | Harriet Sherwood in Tel Aviv | Friday, June 10, 2011

Sealed with a Kiss: How the Mafia Makes a Deal

THE INDEPENDENT: Pledge of silence between members of the Naples Camorra is witnessed in public for the first time

The long and passionate kiss between the two young men continued for several seconds, as onlookers gawped and photographers snapped incessantly. Their lips finally parted when police officers yanked one man away and shoved him into a waiting police car.

Uninhibited public shows of affection between men are seldom seen in Italy. But these two weren't lovers. And the show they put on outside Naples police headquarters on Wednesday evening was something rarer still – a full kiss on the lips between Camorra mobsters as a powerful sign, made very public, that the bonds of the crime syndicate would remain strong and the arrested man would remain silent. Experts say that this particular mob tradition has never previously been filmed or photographed.

The young mobster under arrest, Daniele D'Agnese, 27, a senior figure in the notorious Scissionisti clan of the Camorra, locked lips with not one but two younger male associates in front of press cameras and crowds. La Stampa newspaper said the kisses were a message telling the pair that they would not be left to fend for themselves.

"It was a sign to the weaker members of the group telling them, 'We'll continue to be a group; we'll command the same territory and whatever happens, you won't be abandoned'," it said. The kiss may also have been a sign to rival clans that Scissionisti bonds remained strong. (+video) » | Michael Day | Friday, June 10, 2011

US State Signs Harsh Immigration Law
The governor of the state of Alabama has signed into law one of the country's toughest measures to crackdown on immigration. The law is expected to take effect on September 1, giving police the power to arrest anyone suspected of being undocumented.

Happy 90th Birthday! Prince Philip 'A National Treasure' at 90 Despite Gaffes

Prince Philip's 90th Birthday: Duke of Edinburgh's Best Gaffes

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Duke of Edinburgh has made a string of memorable quotes during his reign as the Queen's consort. On his 90th birthday, here is a selection of his memorable gaffes as he offers his own unique advice to people all over the world. » | Andrew Hough | Friday, June 10, 2011


Johann Hari’s Alternative View:
Spare Us the Fawning over Prince Philip
THE INDEPENDENT: When Elizabeth became the Queen, he was forced to quit his job in the Navy, and became depressed for months

Is there a more consistently hilarious sight in Britain than the endless parade of slavering monarchists trying to convince us the Windsor family is the embodiment of virtue and hard work? Today is the 90th birthday of Philip Mountbatten. Ordinarily, I would wish him a happy day, as I would any other 90-year-old, and then let the event pass in silence – if only the monarchists were not so relentlessly using the event as yet another propaganda tool for their snobbery-soaked institution. But we can't let yet another bout of their myth-making pass without answer.

Today, you are being encouraged to celebrate a man who merrily visited a genocidal dictator and used the occasion to sneer at British democracy. A man whose political interventions even prompted complaints from the far-right Enoch Powell. A man who, at the height of mass unemployment, mocked the unemployed, while complaining his own family of multi-millionaires was financially deprived. A man who has shot countless examples of endangered species – and then sought praise for his protection of wildlife.

But let's start with the myth. Monarchists feel the need to claim that the Windsors are somehow more worthy than the rest of us, but this is difficult, since they consist merely of whoever randomly emerges from a royal womb, and whoever that package of DNA and unearned privilege then chooses to marry. Windsors are thrown up by chance, and must have imaginary merits thrust upon them. You can see how hard this is by reading the moist panegyric written by the conservative commentator Peter Oborne last week. He said Philip is "colossally important" because... um... Well, he said, he represents continuity. That's true. If you gave my father a job for life from which he couldn't be fired and a slew of golden palaces to live in, he'd represent continuity too. So would yours. So would literally anyone in Britain. » | Johann Hari | Friday, June 10, 2011

Russell Crowe Calls Jewish Circumcision 'Barbaric' and Compares It to Human Sacrifice in Bizarre Twitter Row
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russell Crowe, the Gladiator star, has sparked outrage after describing circumcision as barbaric in an angry four-letter outburst on the social networking site Twitter.

The Oscar-winning actor laballed the practice “barbaric and stupid” during a row with his Twitter followers, telling them to “f--- off” if they disagreed with him.

The 47-year-old engaged in an angry exchange with one follower, whom he branded a “moron”, before imploring Jewish people to “stop cutting your babies”.

The debate followed a question by one of his fans called @picknic11 who asked him: “My son is due soon. Do you think I should get him circumstanced?”

Crowe, who hit the headlines in 2005 when he was charged with second-degree assault in New York after throwing a telephone at a hotel employee, tweeted: “Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect.” » | Friday, June 10, 2011

Formula One: Bahrain Grand Prix Cancelled after Team Protests
THE GUARDIAN: Race circuit chairman says it 'has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision'

The Bahrain Grand Prix has finally been cancelled after Formula Oneteams complained about competing in the country, which has been racked by months of popular uprisings against the regime.

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone had already announced the race was now "not on" after a complaint from teams at the rescheduling of the event, which was initially put back to 30 October amid condemnation from human rights groups.

The Bahrain International Circuit chairman, Zayed Alzayani, said: "While Bahrain would have been delighted to see the grand prix progress on 30 October in line with the World Motor Sport Council's decision, it has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision.

"We want our role in Formula One to continue to be as positive and constructive as it has always been; therefore, in the best interest of the sport, we will not pursue the rescheduling of a race this season." » | David Batty | Friday, June 10, 2011

Algerian Man Denied French Nationality Because Of Sexism
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Algerian man has been denied French nationality because of his sexist attitudes towards women.

The man's application was refused because "his idea of sexual equality is not that of the republic", according to a high-ranking official quoted by French radio station Europe 1.

The man, who has not been identified, is married to a Frenchwoman, but does not allow her to leave the family home freely, it was claimed.

The French constitution states that the government can refuse nationality or strip nationality for a "lack of integration". » | Friday, June 10, 2011

Hillary Clinton Interested in Becoming Head of World Bank?

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been in discussions with the White House about leaving her job next year to become head of the World Bank, sources familiar with the discussions said on Thursday.

The former first lady and one-time political rival to President Barack Obama quickly became one of the most influential members of his cabinet after she began her tenure at State in early 2009.

She has said publicly she did not plan to stay on at the State Department for more than four years.

Associates in the USA say Mrs Clinton has expressed interest in having the World Bank job should the Bank's current president, Robert Zoellick, leave at the end of his term, in the middle of 2012.

"Hillary Clinton wants the job," said one source who knows the secretary well.

A second source also said Clinton wants the position.

A third source said Mr Obama has already expressed support for the change in her role.

It is unclear whether Obama has formally agreed to nominate her for the post, which would require approval by the 187 member countries of the World Bank.

The White House declined to comment. » | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Another job for the boys (or girls)! For top jobs, experience seems not to matter. It’s all about strings being pulled. – © Mark

Utah Officials Trying to Ban Hookah Smoking
DESERET NEWS: SALT LAKE CITY — Hookahs could go the way of cigarettes, cigars and pipes if Utah health officials approve a ban on smoking heated tobacco in popular bars and other public places.

Health officials argue secondhand smoke from hookahs is just as dangerous as that of other tobacco products, which state law already prohibits in public indoor spaces. That includes all bars.

"There are harmful effects from the secondhand smoke from hookahs," Utah Department of Public Health spokesman Steve Hadden said Monday. "Just because it's an adult place doesn't mean it's any less harmful." Read on and comment » | Associated Press | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Tony Blair: Europe Risks Losing Influence
BBC: Europe risks losing its international influence if it does not join more closely together, according to Tony Blair.

The former prime minister said that the rapid growth in the economies of countries like China meant that European nations needed to combine efforts in order to leverage power on important global issues. Watch video » | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Obama ehrt Merkel mit Freiheitsmedaille

Libyan Rebels Promised £780m by Western and Arab Governments

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Foreign leaders have finalised a funding mechanism to pump hundreds of millions of dollars to Libya's cash-strapped rebel forces, intensifying pressure on Colonel Gaddafi's weakened regime even as Nato warplanes bombed targets in the capital Tripoli.

Western and Arab leaders met rebel leaders in Abu Dhabi to plan for a Libya free from Gaddafi's clutches.

Donors immediately promised more than £780m for the fund, which is backed by billions of dollars in frozen Libyan assets.

At the start of the third meeting of the Contact Group for Libya, Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, urged the coalition to intensify pressure amid optimism that Tripoli would soon fall.

"Gaddafi's days are numbered. We are working with our international partners through the UN to plan for the inevitable: a post-Gaddafi Libya," she said.

While senior officials from the Contact Group – which includes Britain and France as well as Arab allies Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait – worked on ways to support the rebels, Nato air strikes rattled the Libyan capital with bombing runs believed to have targeted the outskirts of Tripoli.

There were eight explosions in a first series of strikes on Thursday.

Hours later, the sound of six more attacks boomed in the distance, according to reporters in the city. » | Rob Crilly, Dubai | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Libya Accused of War Crimes
A new United Nations report critisises the Gaddafi regime and accuses its forces of war crimes. Al Jazeera's Rosalind Jordon reports from Washington DC.

People & Power - Osama My Neighbour
People & Power visited the people of Abbottabad in the days after the raid that saw the capture of Osama bin Laden

Inside Story - Leaving Afghanistan
Has the US been winning Afghan hearts and minds or is it cash down the drain?

Syrian Teenager Reportedly Tortured to Death
Al Jazeera has obtained footage of the disfigured body of a 15-year old Syrian boy.

Thamer al Sahri was arrested in April for participating in an anti-government protest. His body was released on Wednesday.

The video comes from a reliable source, but we are unable to independently verify it due to restrictions on journalists in the country.

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reports, with a warning that viewers may find some of the images in the report disturbing.

'Most Immigrants Are Fruit Pickers': Labour MP Sparks Race Row with 'Ignorant' Claim

MAIL ONLINE: Glenda Jackson was plunged into a race row last night after she suggested migrants were engaged in ‘picking strawberries’ and ‘digging up potatoes’.

Labour leader Ed Miliband faced calls to discipline the MP for Hampstead and Kilburn in north London after her comments were condemned as ‘incredibly ignorant’.

The extraordinary statement by the Oscar-winning actress came in a clash with Chris Grayling, the Work and Pensions minister. Read on and comment » | Gerri Peev | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Tony Blair Issues Arab Spring Warning to West

THE GUARDIAN: Dictators must 'change or be changed' says ex-PM as western leaders urged to prepare wider plan for Middle East

Tony Blair warns the west today that it urgently needs a wider plan to respond to the Arab spring, including a warning to autocratic leaders across the Middle East "to change or be changed".

His call for a clearer strategic approach comes in a new foreword to the paperback edition of his bestselling autobiography, The Journey.

The former prime minister also praises Europe, and by implication David Cameron, for showing leadership in Libya, saying it would have been inconceivable to leave Muammar Gaddafi in power.

He said that if America and Europe had done nothing, "Gaddafi would have retaken the country and suppressed the revolt with extraordinary vehemence. Many would have died."

If he had been left in power while the west was willing to see President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt deposed, "the damage to the west's reputation, credibility and stature would have been not just massive but potentially irreparable. That's what I mean by saying inaction is also a decision."

Blair does not call for immediate military intervention across the region, saying instead that "where there is the possibility of evolutionary change, we should encourage and support it. This is the case in the Gulf states." » | Patrick Wintour | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Is this hypocrisy, or what? This is the man who courted Qadhafi not so long ago, and it was his party, NuLabour, that was complicit in releasing Megrahi – the man of Lockerbie infamy! Go back to sleep, Blair! Your ‘wisdom’ is not needed at this time. – © Mark

Gaddafi Ordered Mass Rape as a Weapon, International Criminal Court Claims
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has said that Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi ordered mass rapes and bought containers of sex drugs for troops to attack women.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he may ask for a new charge of mass rape to be made against Gaddafi following the new evidence.

The chief International Criminal Court prosecutor is expecting a decision from judges within days on his request for crimes against humanity charges against the Libyan leader.

"Now we are getting some information that Gaddafi himself decided to rape, and this is new," Mr Moreno-Ocampo said. » | Thursday, June 09, 2011

French Television Appeal for Other Women 'Assaulted' by Dominique Strauss-Kahn

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A lawyer for the maid who claims Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexually attacked her has appeared on television to appeal for other women he may have assaulted to come forward.

Kenneth Thompson, the head of a new legal team representing the 32-year-old Guinean woman, believes any victims who can describe similar attacks could help bolster the maid's case.

"If there is any woman out there, whether in France or in Africa, who has been sexually assaulted or sexually abused by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, I ask them to please call me," he said on France 2.

"My law firm champions the rights of people who are taken advantage of all over the world. And so we take this case because we feel that no woman should be sexually assaulted anywhere." » | Jon Swaine, New York | Thursday, June 09, 2011

DSK: appel de l'avocat de la femme de chambre
FRANCE 2.fr: L'avocat de la femme qui accuse DSK a lancé sur France 2 un appel à d'éventuelles autres victimes de l'ex-boss du FMI

"S'il y a des femmes en France ou en Afrique qui a été agressée sexuellement ou violée par Dominique Strauss-Kahn, qu'elle m'appelle, qu'elle me contacte, car nous voulons l'aider, nous voulons lui parler", a dit Me Kenneth Thompson, le nouvel avocat de la femme de chambre du Sofitel de New York. » | Par FTV (avec agences) | Mercredi 08 Juin 2011

Assad Has Run Out Of Friends, and Out Of Time

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Syrian regime has its back against the wall now that its people have found their voice, says Rime Allaf.

Up until a few weeks ago, the conventional wisdom in the Middle East was that the Arab Spring had run into the stifling heat of an unexpectedly early summer. Dictators prematurely departing their eternal thrones was, Arab potentates and their allies had decided, the kind of trend that needed stopping – as was the notion of civilians thinking they could dictate their own destiny.

Sure, the cumbersome Gaddafi would be removed – eventually – but other revolutions would be stopped before they gained traction, whether by persuasion, dissuasion or repression. The wishes of millions of Yemenis were ignored; peaceful protests in Bahrain were brutally squashed [quashed](with the blessing of leaders around the region, and beyond); and numerous other demonstrations were quickly controlled.

As for Syria, there was no need even for protest: Bashar al-Assad had already brought in economic reforms to address the grievances that sparked the uprisings in Tunis and Cairo. His country was stable, he told the Wall Street Journal, because his government’s policies were so closely linked to the beliefs of the people.

There was one problem, however: this was far from enough for the parents of 15 schoolboys in Daraa, who had the audacity to object to the jailing and torturing of their children by the Syrian regime, after they dared to scrawl anti-government slogans on the city’s walls. The result was an uprising that has proved impossible to quell, despite Assad receiving the declared support of most Arab leaders – including the Saudi and Bahraini kings, returning the favour – and the initial silence of the international powers, who hoped that the problem would quickly resolve itself.

Not only have seasoned observers been confounded, but both friends and foes of Assad find themselves in completely uncharted territory. After decades of docility from the Syrian people – partly because of their fear of the regime following the horrific massacre of Hama in 1982, and partly because they genuinely did support its regional stances – they are suddenly unafraid, unbeaten and seemingly unstoppable. Read on and comment » | Rime Allaf | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Thousands of Troops March on Syrian Town Led by 'Murderous' Brother of Assad
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The notoriously murderous brother of President Bashar al-Assad has led thousands of Syrian troops towards a mission to wreak vengeance on a rebellious northern town.

More than 100 residents of Jisr al-Shughur fled across the border to Turkey, while others sought sanctuary in the churches and mosques of nearby villages.

They escaped after receiving telephoned warnings that Maher al-Assad, the most feared man in Syria, was on his way at the head of a huge column of armour and troops.

Witnesses in the surrounding Idlib province said the convoy comprised "hundreds" of tanks and "thousands" of soldiers, who kicked up huge plumes of dust as they sped past, in a dramatic escalation of the government crackdown.

The advance came amid fears that a British attempt to persuade the UN Security Council merely to condemn the Syrian regime's violence would be blocked by Russia during talks in New York on Wednesday night.

Human rights activists appealed for urgent international pressure on the regime, warning that unless Maher al-Assad was halted, his well-known "thirst for blood" would lead to a massacre. (+ map) » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent, and Jon Swaine in New York | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Al-Qaeda's Second In Command Ayman al-Zawahiri Vows to Avenge Osama bin Laden's Death
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's long-time second in command, has vowed in a video eulogy to Osama bin Laden that he will pursue his late leader's jihad against the West.


Read the article » | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Rowan Williams Condemns 'Frightening' Coalition

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dr Rowan Williams will launch a sustained attack on the Coalition in the most outspoken political intervention by an Archbishop of Canterbury for a generation.

He warns that the public is gripped by “fear” over the Government’s reforms to education, the NHS and the benefits system and accuses David Cameron and Nick Clegg of forcing through “radical policies for which no one voted”.

Openly questioning the democratic legitimacy of the Coalition, the Archbishop dismisses the Prime Minister’s “Big Society” as a “painfully stale” slogan, and claims that it is “not enough” for ministers to blame Britain’s economic and social problems on the last Labour government.

The comments come in an article he has written as guest editor of this week’s New Statesman magazine.

His two-page critique, titled “The government needs to know how afraid people are”, is the most forthright political criticism by such a senior cleric since Robert Runcie enraged Margaret Thatcher with a series of attacks in the 1980s.

Lambeth Palace is braced for an angry response but Dr Williams, who became Archbishop of Canterbury nine years ago, is understood to believe that the moment is right for him to enter the political debate. Continue reading and comment » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Obama Welcomes End of Emergency Law in Bahrain
After low key meetings in Washington, Bahrain's crown prince, has made another promise of national dialogue.

But the US president, although welcoming the end of emergency law, has made his position clear: "You can't have national dialogue if you keep locking up the opposition".

The US needs the Gulf state as a port for its fifth fleet and while the price of oil remains so high the US cannot afford to annoy Saudi Arabia whose troops remain in Bahrain as support for the Sunni monarch.

Nearly three months since the crackdown began hundreds of people including activists, students, teachers, hospital staff and member of the political opposition have been arrested but Bahrain insists it is only punishing criminals.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports.

Inside Story: Ban Ki-moon Announces His Candidacy for Second Five-year Term for the Post of UN Secretary General

Robert Fisk: The People vs the President
THE INDEPENDENT: Syria in turmoil as resistance turns to insurrection

Syria's revolt against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad is turning into an armed insurrection, with previously peaceful demonstrators taking up arms to fight their own army and the "shabiha" – meaning "the ghosts", in English – of Alawi militiamen who have been killing and torturing those resisting the regime's rule.

Even more serious for Assad's still-powerful supporters, there is growing evidence that individual Syrian soldiers are revolting against his forces. The whole edifice of Assad's Alawi dictatorship is now in the gravest of danger.

In 1980, Assad's father, Hafez, faced an armed uprising in the central city of Hama, which was put down by the Special Forces of Hafez's brother Rifaat – who is currently living, for the benefit of war crimes investigators, in central London – at a cost of up to 20,000 lives. But the armed revolt today is now spreading across all of Syria, a far-mightier crisis and one infinitely more difficult to suppress. No wonder Syrian state television has been showing the funerals of up to 120 members of the security services from just one location, the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour. » | Robert Fisk | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Yémen : Le retour de Saleh est annoncé
FRANCE SOIR: Alors que le président Saleh, hospitalisé en Arabie Saoudite, est annoncé de retour au Yémen dans les jours qui suivent, les États-Unis et l'Europe demandent la mise en place d'une « transition immédiate. »

L'espoir de l'opposition yéménite aura été de courte durée : le régime a jeté un froid, lundi 6 juin, quand elle a annoncé que le président Ali Abdallah Saleh, hospitalisé en Arabie Saoudite après avoir été légèrement blessé à la tête par le bombardement de sa maison, reviendrait à Sanaa « dans les prochains jours. » Le Yémen ne serait donc pas le troisième des pays arabes a faire chuter son dirigeant suite à une révolte populaire en 2011. » | Par Arnaud Aubry | Mardi 07 Juin 2011

Preisverleihung in Washington: Ganz entkrampft historisch

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Transatlantische Verstimmungen? Libyen längst vergessen, nichts mehr zu vergeben! Angela Merkels Washington-Reise war die glänzende Vorführung unerschütterlicher Eintracht mit Barack Obamas Amerika.

Vom warmherzigen Empfang in Berlin hat der Präsident gesprochen, von seiner Wahlkundgebung 2008 im Tiergarten dort, welchen er nun mit einem Dinner im Rosengarten erwidern wolle. Von Konrad Adenauer sprach er auch, dem ersten Kanzler Deutschlands nach dem Krieg, der auf dem Kapitol vom Freiheitswillen der Deutschen gesprochen habe. Und natürlich von dem kleinen Mädchen Angela, das von dieser Freiheit geträumt habe. Nun wolle er sie ehren, mit der „Medal of freedom“, auch für das, was sie aus ihrer Freiheit gemacht habe. Vormals geehrte Preisträger arrangierte Barack Obama zu einer politischen Hymne auf die Bundeskanzlerin: „Papst Johannes Paul II., Nelson Mandela, Helmut Kohl“.

In Washington neigte sich der Tag dem Ende zu. Die Leute im Rosengarten, sorgsam plaziert an fein eingedeckten Tischen im Geviert am Weißen Haus, erhoben sich. Zum Wohl, sprach der Präsident, und überreichte die Medaille. Vom Weinen ihrer Eltern beim Bau der Mauer sprach die Geehrte. Von Freiheit habe sie geträumt. Auch davon, fügte sie wieder einmal an, später, vermutlich erst als alte Frau, nach Amerika zu reisen. Niemals aber habe sie in ihren Träumen als Bundeskanzlerin im Rosengarten ein amerikanischer Präsident geehrt. „Glauben Sie mir, dieser Augenblick ist ein wirklich bewegender Moment“, sagte die Bundeskanzlerin. „Die Sehnsucht nach Freiheit lässt sich nicht dauerhaft einmauern.“ In Deutschland, daheim, war schon Mittwoch. Im Rosengarten spielte das Nationale Symphonie-Orchester auf. Ein wohliger Abend, die Herren in Schwarz, die Damen in Lang. » | Von Günter Bannas, Washington | Mittwoch 08. Juni 2011

Die F.A.Z. für Hillary Clinton: Das andere Geschenk
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Was schenkt man als Bundeskanzlerin einer amerikanischen Außenministerin beim Staatsbesuch? Angela Merkel enthüllte eine gerahmte Ausgabe der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung. Hillary Clinton amüsierte sich köstlich.


Lesen Sie den kurzen Artikel » | F.A.Z. | Mittwoch 08. Juni 2011

Syria: Turkey Will Accept Hundreds of Refugees, Recep Tayyip Erdogan Says
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Turkey will continue to accept the hundreds of Syrian refugees who are fleeing their nation’s violence, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

About 450 refugees, including more than 30 people who were wounded in clashes, have arrived in Turkey, authorities said. The nations share an 850 kilometer (520-mile) border.

Mr Erdogan also urged Syria’s government to adopt reforms aimed at ending the unrest.

Most of the refugees are fleeing a tense northern town, Jisr al-Shughour, which is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Turkey.

The residents fear a crackdown by their government following a deadly mutiny of Syrian soldiers that set off fighting with officers and security guards. The Syrian government said 120 of its forces were dead and acknowledged losing “intermittent” control of the area.

Erdogan, whose government has close ties with Syrian leader Bashar Assad, said the situation in Syria is of deep concern for Turkey. » | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Moscow to Get Terrorist-proof Lavatories
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Moscow is to be equipped with terrorist-proof public lavatories that are strong enough to contain a bomb blast.

The introduction of the state-of-the-art WCs follows a spate of Islamist terror attacks on the Russian capital over the years.

In the last major attack, in January, a suicide bomber struck Moscow’s busiest airport killing 37 people.

“This lavatory can function on its own and is vandal and terrorist-proof,” said Anatoly Ashikhmin, an official involved in the project.

The new lavatories’ shells will be made from ultra-strong fibrous concrete, while fittings inside will be hewn from a mixture of steel and reinforced plastic. » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Turin Shroud 'the Creation of a Renaissance Artist'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Turin Shroud is neither an authentic cloth in which Christ's body was wrapped nor a medieval forgery, but the creation of early Renaissance artist Giotto, according to new book by an Italian art historian.

Luciano Buso claims to have found Giotto di Bondone's signature hidden in the 14ft-long, sepia-coloured burial cloth, as well as the number 15.

The historian believes that the number is a reference to 1315, and that the artist was commissioned in that year to come up with an exact copy of the relic because the original was badly damaged after centuries of being hawked around the Holy Land and Europe.

Mr Buso, who has laid out his controversial thesis in a new book, said the idea that the existing shroud was created in 1315 agrees with modern carbon dating tests which dated the fabric to the early 14th century.

He told The Daily Telegraph that he believes the original was indeed the sheet used to cover Christ's body but that it disintegrated, or was lost or burned, sometime after the copy was made.

After months of analysis, he claims to have found several 15s and Giotto's name hidden in the imprint of Christ's face and hands – a means by which the artist stamped his mark on his work. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Hitler's First Anti-Jewish Letter to Go on Display in Los Angeles
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A letter by Adolf Hitler believed to contain his first written comments calling Jews a threat has been bought by a Jewish human rights organisation.


Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center said the centre paid $150,000 (£91,000) to a private dealer last month to obtain the 1919 writing, known as the Gemlich letter.

Rabbi Hier said the letter was typed by Hitler on a German army typewriter and that it "set the gold standard about for man's inhumanity to man."

At the time it was written, Hitler was serving in the Army, and had taken to riling up the troops with his anti-Semitic rants.

A superior officer urged Hitler to put his ideas on paper.

The letter has long been known to scholars. It is considered significant because it demonstrates how early Hitler was forming his anti-Semitic views. » | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

JEWISH VIRTUAL LIBRARY: The Gemlich Letter »

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Letter of Hitler’s First Anti-Semitic Writing May Be the Original » | Jack Ewing | Friday, June 03, 2011

JEWISH VIRTUAL LIBRARY: Adolf Hitler »

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Erstes antisemitisches Dokument Hitlers veröffentlicht (+Video) » | bim/AP | Mittwoch 08. Juni 2011

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: Simon Wiesenthal Center »

WIKI: Adolf Hitler's political views »

Al Qaeda Leader Ilyas Kashmiri Planned New Death Squad to Avenge Bin Laden

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Al-Qaeda's chief military commander was plotting a new terrorist group called Lashkar-e-Osama to launch a wave of revenge suicide attacks when he was reportedly killed in a drone strike last week, Pakistani officials have claimed.

Ilyas Kashmiri had convened a meeting of militant leaders to discuss hitting foreign embassies and also trying to poison Nato food supplies en route to Afghanistan to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden.

The plans were disclosed as distrust between Washington and Islamabad still surrounded Kashmiri's reported death on June 3.
US officials said their working assumption was that he remained alive despite assurances from Pakistan.

His new squad had plans to target the American, Saudi and Emirati embassies in Pakistan, according to reports.

Kashmiri called Pakistani Taliban commanders, including Asmatullah Maavia, Amjad Farooqui and Badar Mansoor to the meeting in North Waziristan a few days before he was reportedly killed. » | Ben Farmer, Kabul | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Doctor Talks about Saleh's Injuries
President Saleh is thought to have suffered burns to 40 percent of his body and a possible head injury. Al Jazeera spoke to Dr. Bob Arnot and asked him how serious Saleh's condition might be.

Breaking the Silence on AIDS in Egypt
An estimated 34 million people are living with HIV and AIDS across the globe.

Many don't even know they have it, but of those who do more than nine million are still not getting vital treatment.

That ratio is particularly bad in countries where the virus is stigmatised, such as Egypt. The UN estimates around 11,000 people there have HIV, but only 400 are seeking treatment.

But now one man is trying to change that. Magid is the first HIV positive person to speak out in Egypt about his experience.

He told Al Jazeera his story.

Danish Police Search for 'Outsiders'
European Union Ministers are discussing new measures which could restrict people's movement across the continent. Much of the debate has been prompted by an influx of migrants from North Africa.

Syrian Town Braces for Military Assault
Residents of the Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughur have been fleeing their village to Turkey and neighbouring villages, fearing an intensified military crackdown. Rights groups say at least 42 civilians have been killed in fighting in the town since Saturday. Al Jazeera's Rula Amin reports.

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Syrian Town Empties as Government Tanks Mass Outside

THE GUARDIAN: All-out assault on residents of Jisr al-Shughour feared after uprising against security forces

The Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour was besieged by columns of government tanks on Tuesday night as the army massed for what is feared will be an all-out assault on residents it claims killed more than 120 security force members over the weekend.

By nightfall most inhabitants had fled to nearby Turkey before the expected sharp escalation in a three-month uprising that has pitched largely unarmed demonstrators against a regime using increasingly lethal force to suppress the gravest threat to its four-decade rule.

Jisr al-Shughour, a town of 41,000 people, was largely abandoned. The hospital stood empty and the intelligence headquarters, which had been the scene of an uprising on Sunday, was now a looted and empty shell, according to three men who had stayed behind.

Human rights activists in Damascus said 59 civilians had been confirmed killed. However they feared the final number was likely to be more than 100.

The prospect of the imminent operation has stirred the ghosts of an infamous assault on the town of Hama 29 years ago, in which tens of thousands of residents were killed by the former president Hafez al-Assad after they launched a failed challenge to his authority.

Assad's son, President Bashar al-Assad, is now facing a more serious threat, with sustained protests in many Syrian towns and cities that are steadily eroding the iron-clad rule of the Assad dynasty. » | Martin Chulov | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Gaddafi's Daughter Sues Over Deadly Nato Air Strike

THE GUARDIAN: Aisha Gaddafi claims air strike that killed four members of her family, including her daughter, constitutes a war crime

The daughter of Muammar Gaddafi has launched a lawsuit for murder following the death in April of four members of her family during a Natoair strike.

Legal papers were submitted to the prosecutor's office in Brussels on Tuesday by the French lawyer for Aisha Gaddafi.

During the bombing raid on 30 April the Libyan leader's son Saif el-Arab, 29, as well as three of his grandchildren were killed. Ms Gaddafi's four-month-old daughter Mastoura was one of those who died.

She argues the coalition forces that carried out the attack are guilty of "war crimes", stating the air strike did not target a command and control post held by troops loyal to her father, but was a private residence in Tripoli where members of his family were living. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Iran's President Admits Rift with Country's Senior Islamic Figures

THE GUARDIAN: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces he is on 'opposite side' to those who accuse him of revolutionary deviancy

Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has admitted for the first time that a rift has developed between him and some of the most senior figures of the Islamic regime.

In a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, the first since news emerged of his power struggle with the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the president said: "It is very clear now that we are 180 degrees away from them – we are actually on opposite sides."

He pointed the finger at ruling conservatives, who have accused the government of "revolutionary deviancy", while playing down suggestions that he has been at odds with Ali Khamenei.

In recent months, conservatives close to the supreme leader have launched an extensive campaign against the president and his allies, who they believe are undermining the supremacy of the leader.

Senior figures in the powerful revolutionary guards and some of the most prominent clerics in the country who have supported Ahmadinejad in the past are now distancing themselves from him.

Those who remain in his camp have faced accusations of "sorcery", "deviancy" and even espionage, and some presidential aides have been arrested.

"They arrested those people. Good for them," Ahmadinejad said. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Um Gottes willen, hör auf mit Deinen Komplimenten! So schön bin ich auch wieder nicht

Fast schon peinlich waren Merkel die vielen Komplimente, mit denen sie Obama überhäufte. Höhepunkt der Nettigkeiten: Bei einem Staatsbankett in der Nacht zum Mittwoch bekommt die Kanzlerin die Freiheitsmedaille verliehen. Merkel ist die erste europäische Regierungschefin, die von Obama so gewürdigt wird. Seit der Amtszeit von Altkanzler Helmut Kohl hat es keinen solchen deutschen Besuch in den USA gegeben
Charme-Offensive im Weißen Haus »

Medvedev Signs Amendments Introducing Forced Labor into Criminal Code

RUSSIA TODAY: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said a set of amendments to the Criminal Code contains new forms of punishment, while reducing charges of slander – once a criminal offense - to a civil offence.

Medvedev personally made the announcement on Tuesday while meeting with Justice Minister Aleksandr Konovalov. In Russia, the Justice Ministry includes the Federal Service for Execution of Punishment – the body that oversees the system of prisons, penal colonies and pre-trial detention centers.

“The draft law includes a number of novelties and deserves attention as it makes the criminal law more up to date, gets rid of obsolete norms that were passing from one code to another but were never observed, eliminates contradictions and introduces a new form of punishment – forced labor,” Medvedev said.

Apart from the introduction of forced labor, the bill establishes new penalties for petty economic crimes and crimes related to drug trafficking. Meanwhile, charges of libel and slander have been decriminalized and will fall under the civil code.

“The deeds that are listed as crimes in the current version of the Criminal Code are being decriminalized and after the law comes into force these acts will be persecuted as administrative offence,” the president noted.

The list of such actions pertain to libel, including cases of libeling judges involved in court cases, as well as non-qualified actions that do not cause grave consequences. » | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

French Declare that Bashar al-Assad Has Lost All Legitimacy

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France is to push for a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian regime for human rights violations in its assualt on opposition protesters.

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe [sic] told a meeting in Washington that President Bashar Assad has "lost his legitimacy to rule the country" and that Paris hoped to overcome Russian opposition to a Security Council rebuke.

Mr Juppe [sic] told an audience at the Brookings Institution, however, that France believes that strong support in the 15-member security council might persuade Russia to abstain.

He said that perhaps the Russians will see that there are 11 votes in favor of the resolution, and they will change their mind.

"The situation is very clear. In Syria, the process of reform is dead and we think that Bashar has lost his legitimacy to rule the country," Mr Juppe [sic] said. "We'll see what the Russians will do. If they veto, they will take their responsibility. Maybe if they see that there are 11 votes in favour of the resolution, they will change their mind. So there is a risk to take and we're ready to take it."

Amnesty International urged the Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Formula One: Bernie Ecclestone Urges Rethink on Bahrain Grand Prix after Human Rights Group Condemns FIA Report

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: In a dramatic about-turn, Bernie Ecclestone was last night trying to reverse the governing body’s decision over the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Formula One's chief executive was part of the World Motor Sport Council which passed a 'unanimous' vote last Friday to reschedule the race for Oct 30, pushing the Indian Grand Prix back to an unspecified date in December, but The Daily Telegraph understands that the 80 year-old has had a change of heart and written to Formula One's 12 teams urging them to express their discontent and demand a re-vote.

That will have come as a surprise to FIA president Jean Todt who spent yesterday conducting a PR offensive in Paris, claiming that everything in Bahrain was "back to normal" and defending the decision to reinstate the race.

Todt’s argument backfired somewhat when the report on which the WMSC's vote was based was dismissed as "blinkered" by a human rights group who said the member who compiled it only consulted with persons and organisations sympathetic to Bahrain's ruling Al Khalifa family.

During the two-day trip last week, FIA vice-president Carlos Gracia met Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the president of ASN, Sheikh Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, the Minister of Culture, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, the Minister of the Interior and Sheikh Salman bin Essa Al-Khalifa, the CEO of the Bahrain International Circuit.

Gracia also met Tariq Al Saffar, of the National Institute of Human Rights, who he quoted as saying "inaccurate information has been very bad for the country and does not help to improve the situation". Alex Wilks, campaign director for Avaaz, a web-based human rights group, called the report a "whitewash". » | Tom Cary, F1 Correspondent in Paris | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Libya: Col Gaddafi Pledges to 'Fight to the Death'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Gaddafi pledged to never surrender and said he would fight to the death, just hours after Nato strikes targeted his Tripoli compound.

In an audio speech broadcast on state television, the Libyan leader said: "We only have one choice: we will stay in our land dead or alive."

Col Gaddafi called on his supporters to flock to his Bab al-Aziziya compound which was hit several times by NATO air strikes on Tuesday.

He said: "We will not surrender, we welcome death. Martyrdom is a million times better."

On Tuesday low-flying NATO military craft unleashed a ferocious series of nearly 30 daytime airstrikes on Tripoli, rattling the Libyan capital, sending plumes of smoke billowing above Gaddafi's compound. » | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Pas de libération sous caution pour Khodorkovsky

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RUSSIE | La justice russe ne mettra pas le magnat Mikhaïl Khodorkovsky en liberté conditionnelle, a indiqué le journal «Kommersant» mardi. La demande a été retournée aux avocats de l’homme d’affaires emprisonné.

La justice russe a rejeté la demande de mise en liberté sous condition du magnat Mikhaïl Khodorkovsky, a indiqué le journal «Kommersant» mardi. La demande a été retournée aux avocats de l’homme d’affaires emprisonné.

Un porte-parole du tribunal Preobrajenski de Moscou, cité par le «Kommersant», a précisé que les avocats de Khodorkovsky n’ont pas produit les documents appropriés pour leur requête.

Autrefois considéré comme l’homme le plus riche de Russie, M. Khodorkovsky a été condamné en 2003, à l’époque où Vladimir Poutine était président de la République. Il purge une peine de 13 années d’emprisonnement.

Le président Dmitri Medvedev avait estimé le mois dernier que la remise en liberté de M. Khodorkovsky ne constituait pas une menace. Mais le Premier ministre Poutine avait adopté une position beaucoup plus ferme, comparant l’ancien magnat du pétrole au chef de gang américain Al Capone. » | ATS/Reuters | Mardi 07 Juin 2011

Merkel trifft Obama: „Intensiver Meinungsaustausch“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Arabellion, Afghanistan und die Euro-Krise standen auf der Agenda: Der amerikanische Präsident Obama hat sich mit Kanzlerin Merkel zum Auftakt ihres Besuches in Washington in einem Restaurant in Georgetown getroffen.

Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama hat mit Kanzlerin Angela Merkel zum Auftakt ihres Besuches in Washington vertraulich über das deutsch-amerikanische Verhältnis gesprochen. In einem Restaurant in Georgetown erörterten sie am Montagabend (Ortszeit) ferner die Lage in Nordafrika und Afghanistan sowie den Nahost-Konflikt und die Euro-Krise, verlautete aus deutschen Regierungskreisen. Es sei ein „gelungener, intensiver und freundschaftlicher Meinungsaustausch“ gewesen, hieß es.

Anlass der Reise ist die Verleihung einer „Medal of freedom“ durch den amerikanischen Präsidenten Obama. Es handelt sich um den höchsten zivilen Orden der Vereinigten Staaten, den einst auch Helmut Kohl erhalten hatte. Frau Merkel ist die erste europäische Regierungschefin, der Obama in seiner Amtszeit als Präsident diesen Orden verliehen hat.

Der Festakt dazu findet - nach amerikanischer Zeit - am Dienstagabend im Rosengarten des Weißen Hauses statt. Die Eheleute Michelle Obama und Joachim Sauer werden an dem Festakt teilnehmen. Anschließend fliegt Frau Merkel zurück nach Berlin, wo sie nach Plan am Mittwoch zur Mittagszeit eintreffen wird.

Hinsichtlich des protokollarischen Ablaufs enthält die Reise Frau Merkels Elemente eines Staatsbesuches. Am Dienstagvormittag ist nochmals eine Unterredung Frau Merkels mit Obama vorgesehen, von dem sie mit militärischen Ehren begrüßt wird. Am Nachmittag kommt Frau Merkel mit Vizepräsident Joe Biden und Außenministerin Hillary Clinton sowie Senatsmitgliedern zusammen. Westerwelle: „Vorzügliches Verhältnis“ » | FAZ.NET mit dpa | Dienstag 07. Juni 2011

Bin Laden Bounce Definitely Over for Obama

MAIL ONLINE: Those who forecast Barack Obama had sealed his second term as president with the killing of Osama Bin Laden look to be wrong.

According to a new poll, the 'Bin laden bounce' has already evaporated[.]

Obama's approval rating surged to 56 per cent in the aftermath of the terrorist's death but now just 47 per cent think he is doing a good job.

But it is domestic policies - notably Obama's handling of the economy - that is driving the frustration of the American public, according to a joint poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC news.

Fifty-nine per cent, a new high, gave Obama negative marks for his handling of the economy, up from 55 per cent a month earlier.

Obama's approval rating on the deficit issue has also hit a new low of 33 per cent, a drop of 6 per centage [sic] points since April.

The state of the economy poses a huge challenge for the president, whose re-election in 2012 may depend on his ability to convince voters that his economic policies have been successful. Bin Laden bounce definitely OVER for Obama as new poll shows he could lose the presidency over the economy » | Daily Mail Reporter | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

We Won't Accept Migrants Fleeing Turmoil in Africa, Theresa May Tells the French

MAIL ONLINE: Theresa May last night insisted Britain would not accept thousands of migrants fleeing the turmoil in North Africa.

The Home Secretary said the Government would not share the burden if European countries open their borders to asylum seekers.

In Calais to inspect joint immigration controls in the French port, Mrs May said: ‘I have made absolutely clear to my counterparts in Europe that we will not agree to so-called “burden sharing”.

'Britain will not be accepting large numbers of North African migrants. Instead we will be working with other European countries to get these people safely back to their home countries.

‘We have not, and will not, opt into any proposal that would weaken our borders,’ she added.

Tens of thousands of people have fled the political instability in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia in recent months. Their arrival in southern Europe has put huge strain on the continent’s system of open borders, leading to proposals that it be scaled back. » | Jack Doyle | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Hizb ut-Tahrir: This Is Open Hostility to Islam
POLITIC.co.uk: Taji Mustafa, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain, rejects coalition's 'colonial' approach:

"This policy has nothing to do with security. It is about forcing a set of values on a community simply because their beliefs do not conform to secular liberal norms, and is proof that liberals can be supremacist.

"After bombing Afghanistan and Pakistan, does Mr Cameron still expect people to believe in the Blairite delusion that it is Islamic beliefs that are the cause of security threats to the UK? Most serious observers have abandoned this discredited world view, which continues to be propagated by some politicians, and self-serving think tanks and academics whose funding relies on such nonsense.

"This Conservative-Liberal government has decided to display an open hostility to Islam - threatening to cut funding to some groups - in order to impose Cameron's definition of 'British' values, and coercing Muslims to leave any Islamic values that the government labels 'extremist'. » | Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Syrian Army Officer Deserts Army
Al Jazeera has received a video statement, from one Syrian army officer who has deserted. He says he witnessed crimes against civilians who were just trying to protect themselves.

Syria Vows to Retaliate after Attack on Police and Security Forces

THE GUARDIAN: Regime to intensify crackdown on protesters after claiming that dozens of government personnel were killed in Jisr al-Shughour

The Syrian government has vowed to retaliate after claiming that dozens of its police and security forces were killed in attacks in and around the north-western town of Jisr al-Shughour.

In an indication they will intensify the crackdown on protesters that has already killed an estimated 1,200 civilians, authorities rapidly upgraded the toll in the town 20 miles from the Turkish border.

The state news agency, Sana, initially said 28 personnel had been killed, including in an armed ambush and at a state security post. It revised the figure up to 43, 80 and then 120 within the space of an hour without an explanation. The claims could not be independently verified.

"We will act firmly and decisively based on the law [and] will never be silent over any armed attack that targets the country's security," the interior minister, Ibrahim Shaar, said in a statement broadcast on state television. » | Nidaa Hassan in Damascus | Monday, June 06, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Syrian forces crackdown to result in massive loss of life: Residents of Jisr al-Shughour in north-west Syria warned of an imminent atrocity if the security forces carry out an operation to take control of the town following the deaths of 120 soldiers in clashes. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, June 07, 2011