The EU should be stronger and more united. Great Britain should belong to the Union.
Die EU sollte stärker und geeinter sein. Großbritannien sollte der Union angehören.
L'UE devrait être plus forte et plus unie. La Grande-Bretagne devrait appartenir à l'Union.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Prince Albert of Monaco Faces Paternity Test after Wedding, Officials Confirm
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prince Albert II of Monaco faces a paternity test after his wedding to Charlene Wittstock following claims that he has fathered a third child out of wedlock, officials have confirmed.
The wedding was a glittering affair, the likes of which have not been seen since Prince Rainier III married Hollywood icon Grace Kelly in Monaco more than half a century ago.
Amid the splendour of the Mediterranean principality’s Italian Renaissance palace Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock, the former Olympic swimmer, had their marriage blessed in a Roman Catholic service on Saturday.
Among the guests at the ceremony, which followed a civil service on Friday, were crowned heads of Europe, heads of state and celebrities – there to see Miss Wittstock, the daughter of a South African photocopier salesman, became [sic] Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene de Monaco.
But as the couple took their vows, Prince Albert’s colourful past threatened to overshadow the proceedings.
It has now been revealed that, following the couple's civil ceremony, a senior palace official confirmed rumours that Prince Albert is likely to undergo the test after claims that he has fathered a third child. » | Henry Samuels and Patrick Sawer | Saturday, July 02, 2011
Albert de Monaco et Charlene : Le mariage religieux
Ensemble des vidéos consacrées au mariage à Monaco du Prince Albert et de Charlene Wittstock. Événement du 02 juillet 2011. Commentaire de Stéphane Bern et Marie Drucker
Discussion with Christian Malard, a political correspondent with France 3 TV; Brian Cathcart, a professor of journalism at Kingston University and a media columnist at the New Statesman; and Paul Tweed, a media lawyer.
Watch Al Jazeera English Live
Thousands March in Bahrain
July 2 - Tens of thousands take to Bahrain's streets ahead of a crucial national dialogue on political reform. Andrew Raven reports
«Oui»: Fürst Albert und Fürstin Charlene sind jetzt Mann und Frau
Fürst Albert und Fürstin Charlene haben sich vor 3500 geladenen Gästen aus Adel, Wirtschaft, Sport und Prominenz jetzt auch das kirchliche Jawort gegeben. Nach der Hochzeitsparade steht als nächstes das offizielle Dinner auf dem Programm
LE POINT: Le couple princier s'est dit "oui" lors d'une cérémonie religieuse qui s'est tenue en présence notamment de Nicolas Sarkozy.
Le prince Albert et Charlene, samedi lors de la cérémonie religieuse de leur marriage. Photo : Le Point
Point d'orgue du mariage princier de Monaco, Albert II et Charlene Wittstock se sont unis religieusement samedi dans la principauté lors d'une messe en plein air devant près d'un millier d'invités. L'office, qui s'est tenu dans la cour d'honneur du palais princier, a été retransmis sur écrans géants dans l'un des plus petits États du monde et par des télévisions du monde entier.
En se disant oui civilement, la veille, le prince Albert, 53 ans, et la nouvelle princesse de Monaco, 33 ans, ont mis fin aux rumeurs qui planaient sur leur union, offrant un moment de faste à un Rocher à la recherche d'un second souffle. Le palais princier compte sur l'événement pour recréer un peu de la magie qui a longtemps entouré la famille Grimaldi. Une quarantaine de têtes couronnées et de familles régnantes, ainsi qu'une vingtaine de chefs d'État, dont le président français Nicolas Sarkozy, assistaient à la messe de mariage entre le prince et l'ancienne nageuse sud-africaine. » | Source Reuters | Samedi 02 Juillet 2011
Prince Albert of Monaco Marries Charlene Wittstock in Catholic Ceremony
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A day after their civil wedding, Prince Albert has married the former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock in a Catholic ceremony in Monaco.
The daughter of a South African photocopy salesman wore a stunning Armani gown cut from 130 metres of silk and studded with 40,000 crystals.
Archbishop Bernard Barsi of Monaco asked each whether they accepted each other "for better, for worse." Both replied with a firm: "Yes."
Then, in front of witnesses, the couple - the Princess, noticeably less tense than she had been at the first ceremony, and occasionally smiling - exchanged 18-carat rings in white gold and platinum by the House of Cartier.
South African singer Pumela Matshikiza celebrated with a popular, upbeat wedding song from Charlene's homeland: "Diviner of the roadways, the knock knock beetle / It just passed by here, the knock knock beetle."
Around 800 guests attended the service in the palace, and another 3,800 were outside watching on a large screen, cheering as popular guests like James Bond actor Roger Moore and former French first lady Bernadette Chirac arrived.
Aside from France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and the kings and queens of Sweden and Belgium, the crowd included fashion designers, models, sportsmen, more minor royals and senior officials from the tiny principality. » | Saturday, July 02, 2011
Gaddafi Threatens to Attack Europe over Airstrikes
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to carry out attacks against "homes, offices, families, in Europe" unless NATO stops its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya.
The Libyan leader, sought by the International Criminal Court for a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters, delivered the warning in a telephone message played to thousands of supporters gathered in the main square of the capital Tripoli.
It was one of the largest pro-government rallies in recent months, signaling that Gaddafi can still muster significant support. A green cloth in Libya's national colour, several hundred meters long and held aloft by supporters, snaked above the crowd filling Tripoli's Green Square.
A series of powerful explosions later rattled the heart of the capital, apparently new NATO airstrikes, as Gaddafi supporters cheered, honked horns and fired into the air in the street. Black smoke could be seen rising from the area near the Colonel's Bab al-Aziziya compound.
Gaddafi spoke from an unknown location in a sign of concern over his safety. Addressing the West, he warned that Libyans might take revenge for NATO bombings.
"These people [the Libyans] are able to one day take this battle ... to Europe, to target your homes, offices, families, which would become legitimate military targets, like you have targeted our homes," he said.
"We can decide to treat you in a similar way," he said of the Europeans. "If we decide to, we are able to move to Europe like locusts, like bees. We advise you to retreat before you are dealt a disaster." » | Patrick Sawer | Saturday, July 02, 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Walks Free after Maid Rape Case Crumbles
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Seven weeks after a haggard and scowling shadow of Dominique Strauss-Kahn was first hauled in front of a New York judge, his old self swaggered into room 1324 at the state supreme court on Friday with a broad smile.
In a crisp navy suit, pressed white shirt and baby blue tie, he beamed like a man already plotting his sensational comeback as a statesman, while New York prosecutors and lawyers for the 32-year-old hotel maid who continues to allege that he tried to rape her looked shell-shocked.
Eight minutes later, the 62-year-old – who had been under house arrest and armed guard in a Manhattan townhouse, wearing an electronic tag – was free. The $1 million (£620,000) cash bail and $5 million (£3.1 million) bond put up by his wife, the wealthy heiress Anne Sinclair, were returned.
Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, an assistant district attorney, told the court that "the fact of a sexual encounter" between the pair, after the maid arrived to clean suite 2086 of the Manhattan Sofitel on May 14, "was and is corroborated by the forensic evidence".
Mr Strauss-Kahn remains charged with forcing the woman to give him oral sex after trying to rape her, before fleeing and being arrested aboard a flight on the tarmac of JFK airport, minutes away from take-off for Paris.
The French Socialist, who had been expected to stand against Nicolas Sarkozy for the French presidency in 2012, was forced to resign as head of the International Monetary fund five days later, his career apparently in tatters.
However, "substantial credibility issues" have been found with the maid, Ms Illuzzi-Orbon told the court, following a "comprehensive and thorough investigation of all aspects of this case, including the background of the complainant and her various statements about the incident". » | Jon Swaine, New York | Friday, July 01, 2011
Charlene Wittstock Marries Prince Albert in 'Fairytale' Wedding
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The daughter of a South African photocopy salesman became Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco on Friday when she wed Prince Albert II at a civil ceremony on the tiny Riviera principality following a week of intrigue and rumour.
Under clear blue skies, scores of residents and tourists lined the streets to watch the statuesque blonde's transformation from commoner into princess in the red silk damask-draped throne room where Hollywood icon Grace Kelly married Albert's father, Prince Rainier III, 55 years ago.
Scotching persistent rumours that she had sought to flee Monaco shortly before the wedding day after discovering Prince Albert allegedly had a third illegitimate child, the 33-year old Olympic swimmer was the first to say "I do" in a matching Chanel sky blue jacket and skirt.
Under huge chandeliers and with Albert's forebears looking on from portraits adorning the room, she exchanged restrained smiles with Prince Albert, 20 years her senior, in a dark suit and grey tie.
Only 80 family members, friends and dignitaries were gathered around the couple during the 20-minute ceremony. But the gates of the Italian Renaissance residence were thrown open to more than 5,000 Monegasques who followed the proceedings from the palace square, waving the red and white flags of Monaco and those of Charlene's native South Africa. » | Henry Samuel, Monaco | Friday, July 01, 2011
Friday, July 01, 2011
DSK Has Bail Lifted Over Sex Assault Case
SKY NEWS: Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released without bail over sexual assault allegations.
The former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief had his strict bail conditions lifted after he seeked to change them in a New York Court.
He was given his cash bond back but the judge told him he still could not leave the country and authorities retained his travel documents.
Prosecutors told the court the credibility of the hotel maid who accused him had been thrown into question.
Justice Michael Obus said: "I understand that the circumstances of this case have changed substantially ... I release Mr Strauss-Kahn."
But the judge stressed that the "case is not over" and said the French politician was due to appear before the courts again on July 18.
Outside the court, Strauss-Kahn's lawyer said he was confident he "will be exonerated". » | Friday, July 01, 2011
Hugo Chávez Tells of Cancer Diagnosis
THE GUARDIAN: Venezuelan president describes surgery to remove a cancerous tumour, in his first television address since flying to Cuba
Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, has finally returned to the public eye, describing in a nationwide address that doctors had diagnosed him with cancer, following furious speculation about the true state of his health.
In his first live appearance since undergoing emergency pelvic surgery in Cuba on 10 June, Chávez said doctors had removed "cancerous cells" from his body. "This [is] the new battle that life has placed before us," he said.
Flanked by a Venezuelan flag and a portrait of Simón Bolívar, the South American liberator, Chávez said he had committed a "fundamental mistake" in not taking better care of his own health.
"I neglected my health and I was reluctant to have medical check ups. It was a fundamental mistake for a revolutionary," he said, directing his speech "to the Venezuelan people and the international public opinion".
Chávez slipped off the radar at the start of June when he embarked on a tour of South America and subsequently underwent emergency pelvic surgery in Cuba.
In his Thursday night address, broadcast on national television, an unusually reserved looking Chávez who read rather than improvised his speech, said Cuban doctors had detected "a strange formation in the pelvic region" following the first round of surgery.
During a second operation they found "cancerous cells", he said, without specifying which kind of cancer had been detected. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro and Virginia Lopez in Caracas | Friday, July 01, 2011
Royal Tour of Canada: Prince Willam's Bilingual Speech in Full
The Duke of Cambridge impressed crowds in Ottawa as he gave his first speech on his tour of Canada in both English and French
Dominique Strauss-Kahn Case 'On Verge of Collapse' amid Doubts over Maid
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF chief accused of sexually attacking a hotel maid, could be on the verge of collapse, it was claimed on Thursday night.
Prosecutors have serious concerns about the credibility of the 32-year-old maid who accused Mr Strauss-Kahn of attempting to rape her, according to several reports.
They believe she has lied about their encounter, has links to a drug dealer and received strange payments into her bank account, according to The New York Times.
The woman's account of why she received asylum in the US, and even her claim to own only one mobile phone, have also been called into serious doubt, the report said.
Citing unnamed law-enforcement sources, the newspaper reported that New York prosecutors had admitted to Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyers that there were serious problems with their case.
CNN, citing an unnamed "official close to Mr Strauss-Kahn's defence team", also said there were "serious issues regarding the credibility" of the maid.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, is due in court at 11.30 (16.30 BST) on Friday, where he is expected to have the strict conditions of his $1 million (£620,000) bail relaxed. He is under house arrest and armed guard, and must wear an electronic tag.
But the newspaper said that the flaws in the prosecution were so great that he could soon also have all eight criminal charges against him - including attempted rape and criminal sexual acts - dismissed. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Friday, July 01, 2011
My comment:
When this story broke, almost everyone on the The Daily Telegraph forums were ready to indict this poor man for a 'crime' they were convinced he had committed. Not I. I hate to say I told you so, because it sounds so smug. But I truly did. And if this newspaper hadn't taken down the comments to that particular article, you could find it here.
But they have, so I can't. So here is the comment (one of many, actually), where I stated that we shouldn't rush to judgement:
Whilst this man has got a reputation of being a womanizer, and whilst his sexual appetite may be as large as his intellectual appetite, there are certain aspects of this story which simply do not ring true. As I have already stated in an earlier comment, where is this woman getting the money from to pay for a high-flying New York lawyer? But there are many other inconsistencies, too. At first they said she was a devout Muslim, but photos of her show that she wears short-sleeve dresses, she doesn't cover her hair, and lives in a home for HIV sufferers. That simply doesn't add up. These are not the hallmarks of a devout Muslimah.
In addition, it was first stated that she knew exactly who DSK was. Now they are trying to say that she didn't have a clue who he was. By all accounts, he was a regular guest at the Sofitel in Manhattan. How come she didn't know? She had been working there for several years. News of celebrities and famous people travels like wildfire through the corridors of the hotel staff. It is simply difficult to swallow this supposed ignorance. In fact, front desk would in all probability have informed her to be extra careful when making up DSK's room. That's how it works in exclusive hotels, and more especially for regular customers.
Whilst so many people commenting on newspapers are only too ready to convict DSK even before his trial, I prefer to keep an open mind. Being a womanizer and paying for prostitutes – all of which is certainly nothing to be proud of – in and of itself does not make him guilty in this particular case.
I can't help but have a nagging doubt in my mind that he has been set up for the purposes of notoriety and fortune. We all know how Americans love a great story, and we all know how fabulously wealthy people can become when they have a humdinger of a story to sell to the media. And this story is one big humdinger. Whatever the facts of the story, it is to be hoped that the truth will come out in the court. But one thing is for sure: This young chambermaid will not have to clean rooms in any hotel for much longer. I hope her wheelbarrow is large enough to carry the pots of gold which will soon be coming her way.
Chief Rabbi: Equality Laws Leading to New Mayflower Exodus
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New equality laws are forcing religious people to flee the country because they are being denied the freedom to live in accordance with their beliefs, the Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, has warned.
The Orthodox Jewish leader claimed that anti-discrimination policies had fuelled an “erosion of religious liberty" in Britain that was leading to a new “Mayflower”, a reference to the flight of the persecuted Pilgrim Fathers to America in the 17th century.
His comments follow growing alarm from leading religious figures over the increasing influence of equality laws. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has called on the Prime Minister to review equality legislation amid concerns that religious freedoms and Britain’s Christian heritage are under threat.
Speaking to the House of Commons public administration select committee, Lord Sacks said there was "no doubt'' numbers of religious believers in Britain were "extraordinarily'' low.
He continued: “I share a real concern that the attempt to impose the current prevailing template of equality and discrimination on religious organisations is an erosion of religious liberty.
“We are beginning to move back to where we came in in the 17th century - a whole lot of people on the Mayflower leaving to find religious freedom elsewhere.” » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, June 30, 2011
US Broadcaster Suspended for Obama Insult
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One of America’s most prominent political analysts has been suspended by a cable television network after stating on air that President Barack Obama was “kind of a d---”.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lawyers working for Dominique Strauss-Kahn will seek to argue that the former head of the IMF's arrest on rape charges was unlawful due to a procedural error, it emerged yesterday.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, 60, was arrested on May 15 while awaiting take-off to Paris from New York on charges of sexually assaulting and sequestering a chambermaid from a Sofitel hotel in New York.
His alleged victim, a 31-year old single mother of Guinean origin, formally identified him through one-way glass during a police line – up the following day.
But his two lawyers told the Libération newspaper yesterday that they have grounds to argue the identification was illegal, as the plaintiff had been shown pictures of Mr Strauss-Kahn prior to the line-up.
Citing an account of events released by Manhattan's district attorney, the lawyers said it showed that the maid had been shown a photo of Mr Strauss-Kahn by hotel staff shortly after the alleged attack, and that she saw pictures on TV of the one-time French presidential hopeful while waiting to identify him at the police station. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tony Blair on U.S. Policy in Middle East
Jun 29, 2011 – Former U.K. prime minister weigh in on Obama's Israel comments, Afghanistan troop withdrawal
Auma Obama
Auma Obama ist die ältere Halbschwester von Barack. Während der amtierende US-Präsident in Indonesien aufwächst, verbringt sie ihre Kindheit in Kenia. Zur ersten Begegnung der beiden kommt es in den 1980er-Jahren. Die beiden ergründen ihre Familiengeschichte, und Auma Obama unterstützt ihren Bruder schliesslich auf dem Weg zum mächtigsten Mann der Welt. Schwester und Bruder sind beide Kämpfernaturen. So setzt sich Auma heute vor allem für die Frauen in ihrem Heimatland ein.
Die Einführung ist in Schweizerdeutsch (Schwyzertüütsch)
Public Sector Staff Strike
Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, including teachers, immigrations officers and customs officers go on strike over pensions reform
Follow events here | Christopher Hope, and Jonny Cooper | Thursday, June 30, 2011
French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Scuffle with Assailant
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: French President Nicolas Sarkozy was involved in a scuffle during a handshake tour on Thursday when a man grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to pull him over a crowd barrier.
Mr Sarkozy, attending a meeting of mayors near the southern city of Toulouse, was moving down a line of residents and shaking hands when an unidentified man seized the fabric of his suit at the shoulder and yanked him aggressively.
The French president started to lose his balance and fall, then immediately recoiled and righted himself. Security officers pulled the assailant to the ground.
In footage shown on several French news channels, body guards pulled the man back from the crowd and pinned him to the ground as Sarkozy, visibly shaken, looked on.
The incident happened in the town of Brax. The man's identity and motives were unclear but police said he was a 32 year-old who lives in the Lot-et-Garonne region and works in the theatre business. » | Thursday, June 30, 2011
Riots Herald a 'Dark Day' in Greek History as MPs Vote Through Austerity Cuts
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A young woman staggered down the steps of Syntagma Square blinded by the acrid smoke as thick clouds of tear gas billowed across the heart of the Greek capital.
Bent double and choking, the thin surgical mask across her mouth failing to protect her lungs from the noxious fumes, she crumpled to the ground in front of the Parliament as an army of riot police closed ranks behind her.
Hooded youths, their faces hidden behind gas masks ripped what projectiles they could find from the streets to hurl at police chanting "cops, pigs, murderers!"
Police retaliated with baton charges accompanied by sporadic rounds of teargas and stun grenades releasing terrifying loud bangs - and the crowds fled, regrouping within minutes in other parts of the square.
Such scenes were repeated over and over throughout Wednesday during a second day of protests against a deeply unpopular austerity package.
The protests demonstrate a growing social unrest across all levels of society bubbling into unprecedented public anger at the politicians held responsible for bringing a nation to its knees. » | Fiona Govan, Athens | Thursday, June 30, 2011
Giant Statue of Jesus Christ Opened in Peru
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One of the world's tallest statues of Jesus Christ has been inaugurated in Peru despite high level opposition and Facebook campaigns mocking it.
President Alan Garcia formally opened the monument, known as Cristo del Pacifico or Christ of the Pacific, on a hill in the capital Lima.
He personally helped fund the cost of the statue to the tune of around 100,000 Peruvian soles (£22,000) and has said it will "bless and protect Lima".
But he has faced strong criticism from several quarters, with many seeing it as a vanity project he chose to pursue before leaving office at the end of July.
Susana Villaran, the Mayor of Lima, condemned the lack of consultation over the statue and labelled it "a plastic copy of the Christ of Corcovado" in Rio de Janeiro. » | Robin Yapp | Sao Paulo | Thursday, June 30, 2011
You Can Pick Up a Knife and Stab a Burglar, Says Ken Clarke
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Householders who stab burglars will not face criminal charges, Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary, said yesterday.
He announced that an act of Parliament would be used to "clarify" the existing legal right to use "reasonable force" against intruders.
His remarks come after a householder was arrested on suspicion of murder following the stabbing of a burglar at a house in Salford, Greater Manchester, last week.
David Cameron has promised that the new Justice Bill would "put beyond doubt that home owners and small shopkeepers who use reasonable force to defend themselves or their properties will not be prosecuted".
Yesterday, Mr Clarke spelt out the sort of action that would be permitted under the new regime. He made clear that it would remain illegal to pursue intruders to attack them or to shoot them as they fled.
The Justice Secretary said: "If an old lady finds she has got an 18 year-old burgling her house and she picks up a kitchen knife and sticks it in him, she has not committed a criminal offence and we will make that clear." » | Thursday, June 30, 2011
Fear of Uprisings? North Korea Shuts Down Universities for 10 Months
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: North Korea has shut down its universities for the next 10 months and sent students to work in factories, agriculture and the construction sector as it struggles to rebuild its economy.
Pyongyang has told the North Korean people that the nation will have achieved its aim of becoming "a great, prosperous and powerful nation" in 2012, which marks the 100th anniversary of the founder of the reclusive state, Kim Il-sung.
In addition, Kim Jong-il will turn 70 in February and the "Dear Leader" hopes to be able to transfer his power and an economically stronger nation to his son and heir-apparent, Kim Jong-Un.
Reports in South Korea indicated that the government in Pyongyang on Monday ordered all universities to cancel classes until April of next year. The only exemptions are for students who will be graduating in the next few months and foreign students. » | Julian Ryall in Tokyo | Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Poison of Bloomberg’s New York Reaches England: Stony Stratford Set to Ban Smoking in All Public Places
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An English town is set to follow the example of New York and become the first in Britain to ban smoking on its streets.
A campaign has been launched to outlaw smoking in all public places in Stony Stratford near Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
If passed, the new bylaw would mean anyone caught lighting up in the historic market town would face a fine.
Senior politicians on the town’s council have indicated their support for the scheme, which comes after the mayor of New York banned smoking from parks and beaches in the US city last month.
The town’s council will discuss the concept next month before Milton Keynes Council is likely to be asked to use its powers to introduce the ban.
Stony Stratford Councillor Paul Bartlett, who is leading the campaign, said: "When you walk through the high street in any town, smoke is in your face and harming you and any children there. » | Murray Wardrop | Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Five Saudi Women Arrested for Driving
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Five Saudi women have been arrested in the first government response to an organised campaign by women to drive in defiance of long-standing rules in the country.
Campaigners said that four women were arrested by religious police in a single car being driven by one of them in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Tuesday morning.
Later in the day, four regular police cars also in Jeddah surrounded a vehicle being driven by another woman, in which a man, either her husband or brother, was riding as a passenger. Both were arrested and taken into custody.
On Wednesday night, the authorities had released no news about the arrests or said what would happen to the women. Manal al-Sharif, the computer security expert whose arrest for driving triggered the campaign last month, spent several days in custody before being released after signing a pledge not to repeat the offence.
The dispute about women driving has become symbolic for the demands of many women, particularly in the professional classes, for less restrictive rules on their public lives.
Two Fridays ago, a group of women launched a Facebook campaign for a lifting of the ban on women driving by taking to the wheel. Those who took part all have international licences. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Wife Has 'No Doubts' He Is Innocent
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dominique Strauss-Kahn's wife has said she has "no doubts" he is innocent of rape charges as his family has come out in support of the former International Monetary Fund chief.
The words from Anne Sinclair, a former star TV presenter and art heiress, coincided with the release of previously censored extracts of a book by a female journalist alleging Mr Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted her.
In an email sent to Mr Straus-Kahn's biographer, Miss Sinclair writes: "No doubts about the facts. But very worried nevertheless." "Dominique is a good, honest, upright man. I believe in him more than ever.
Our couple is solid in any ordeal. We will get through this drama together, dignified and upright, hand in hand," she goes on.
Her email dates back to May 19, five days after Mr Strauss-Kahn was arrested while awaiting take-off to Paris from New York on charges of sexually assaulting a chambermaid from the Sofitel hotel.
The previously unpublished exchange will feature in refreshed edition of Michel Taubmann's book, The Real Novel of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, out next Thursday. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Égypte, l’après Moubarak: Les manifestations resurgissent au Caire
FRANCE SOIR: Des centaines de jeunes manifestants ont affronté la police dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi sur la place Tahrir dans le centre du Caire. Ils entendent faire partir le chef du conseil militaire, Mohamed Hussein Tantaoui.
Quatre mois après le départ de l'ancien président, Hosni Moubarak, les Egyptiens ne sont pas satisfaits de l’évolution de leur pays, et sont donc retournés sur la place Tahrir, où des heurts ont de nouveau éclaté, entre forces de l'ordre et manifestants, pour la seconde journée consécutive.
Les manifestants appellent à un sit-in
Des policiers anti-émeute étaient déployés autour du ministère de l'Intérieur et ont fait usage de gaz lacrymogènes, de façon à éloigner les manifestants. Ces derniers ont répliqué par des jets de pierres et de cocktail Molotov. « Le peuple veut la fin du régime », scandaient des manifestants, alors qu'une cinquantaine de personnes ont été blessées, et que les heurts se sont poursuivis mercredi. » | Par Alexandre Couppey | Mercredi 29 Juin 2011
Dutch Parliament Votes to Ban Ritual Slaughter of Animals
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Dutch parliament on Tuesday voted to ban ritual slaughter in landmark animal rights legislation that has been compared to Nazi persecution of the Jews by the country's Chief Rabbi.
In a rare show of unity, representatives of one million Dutch Muslims and 40,000 Jews have condemned the prohibition of halal and kosher meat as a violation of their religious freedom.
The legislation was tabled by the tiny Animal Rights Party but it quickly won cross-party support in a country where traditional religion, especially Islam, has been accused of being out of step with liberal Dutch values.
"This way of killing causes unnecessary pain to animals. Religious freedom cannot be unlimited," said Marianne Thieme, the party's leader.
"For us religious freedom stops where human or animal suffering begins."
The new ban requires that livestock must be stunned before being killed, contrary to the Muslim and Jewish "ritual slaughter" customs that require animals to be fully conscious. » | Bruno Waterfield | Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Geert Wilders Pushes Netherlands to Class Immigrant Grandchildren as Non-native
THE DAILY TELEGRAPGH: Geert Wilders and his anti-Islam Freedom Party are pushing the Dutch government to class the grandchildren of immigrants as "allochtonen" or non-native.
Under current law the third generation children of immigrants in Holland are classified as Dutch, in terms of government statistics and entitlements, as long as both their parents were born there.
But the anti-Muslim Freedom Party is concerned that by treating the grandchildren of immigrants as Dutch, 80 per cent of whom are under 10 years old, it will stop being possible to measure their integration.
Joram van Klaveren, a Freedom Party MP, has called for the change because, he claimed, unless third generation migrants are included in statistics as "allochtonen" then proof of immigration related crime would disappear.
"Non-western immigrants are still over-represented in the crime figures. Soon we won't see that anymore because they will be classified as natives," he told the nu.nl news website. » | Bruno Waterfield | Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Riyadh Will Build Nuclear Weapons If Iran Gets Them, Saudi Prince Warns
THE GUARDIAN: Prospect of a nuclear conflict in the Middle East is raised by senior diplomat and member of the Saudi ruling family
A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East if Iran comes close to developing a nuclear weapon.
Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to Washington, warned senior Nato military officials that the existence of such a device "would compel Saudi Arabia … to pursue policies which could lead to untold and possibly dramatic consequences".
He did not state explicitly what these policies would be, but a senior official in Riyadh who is close to the prince said yesterday his message was clear.
"We cannot live in a situation where Iran has nuclear weapons and we don't. It's as simple as that," the official said. "If Iran develops a nuclear weapon, that will be unacceptable to us and we will have to follow suit."
Officials in Riyadh said that Saudi Arabia would reluctantly push ahead with its own civilian nuclear programme. Peaceful use of nuclear power, Turki said, was the right of all nations. » | Jason Burke in Riyadh | Wednesday, June 29, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI has sent his first ever tweet to announce the launch of a Vatican news information portal.
Benedict's Tweet on Tuesday read: "Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI" » | Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Thousands of Iraqi Shia have just finished an annual pilgrimage to a Baghdad shrine.
Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq's previous leader, the Shia were religiously and politically oppressed.
The fall of Hussein's regime in 2003 empowered the country's long-crushed majority.
Now, their renaissance is having an impact on the country's politics.
Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh reports from Baghdad.
Islam in Thailand: Problems
Islamic Minnie Mouse Enrages Egypt's Muslims
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Greek Protests Turn Violent
The streets of Athens have erupted in violence as Greece's parliament prepares to vote on a controversial austerity package.
The package involves job losses, privatisation and tax rises.
Without those measures Greece will not be given access to any more loans from the European Union or the International Monetary Fund. Opponents, however, say it that it condemns ordinary Greek citizens to years of poverty.
Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips reports from Athens, the Greek capital.
Egypt: Christian Tycoon Faces Wave of Muslim Anger over Bearded Mickey Mouse Photo
LOS ANGELES TIMES – BABYLON & BEYOND: A picture of Mickey Mouse with long beard and Minnie with a full-face veil posted on businessman Naguib Sawiris’ Twitter account has enraged Muslims and prompted 15 lawyers to file a lawsuit against him for blasphemy and insulting Islam.
The Christian Copt telecommunications mogul, who has emerged as a provocative voice in post-revolutionary Egypt, apologized on Twitter, saying that he meant the picture to be humorous, not an affront to the country's majority population of Muslims. "I apologize for those who don’t take this as a joke. I just thought it was a funny picture no disrespect meant! I’m sorry,” the magnate tweeted.
Nonetheless, Sawiris’ apology wasn’t enough to halt the fury and criticism from many Muslims, especially the ultraconservative Salafis, whose lawyers have already sued the billionaire. A Facebook group launched under the name “we are also joking, Sawiris” gathered no less than 90,000 members in recent days, calling for boycotting products or services sold by any of the businessman’s companies, especially the Mobinil mobile phone company.
"If you’re a real Muslim ... boycott his (Sawiris’) products if you love your religion. We have to cut the tongue of any person who attacks our religion,” the group writes. Several other Facebook groups under the same name or the moniker “we hate you Mickey Sawiris” also collected thousands of members angry at what the called “Sawiris’ mockery of and disrespect to Islam.” » | Amro Hassan in Cairo | Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Changing Face of the US – American Converts to Islam: Lisa Killinger Gives Advice to Singles
Die Gewerkschaften in Griechenland haben mit einem 48-stündigen Streik begonnen. Damit wollen sie erneut gegen das 78 Milliarden Euro schwere Sparprogramm der Regierung protestieren. Viele Flüge fallen aus. Vor dem Parlament kam es am Rande der Demonstrationen zu Ausschreitungen.
Interview with ICC's Moreno-Ocampo on Arrest Warrant for Gaddafi
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, speaks to Al Jazeera about the court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader. Gaddafi is accused of crimes against humanity.
Inside Story: China & Europe - Who Benefits?
Inside Story discusses with, Jonathan Holslag, head of research at the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies; Jan Randolph, head of Sovereign Risk at IHS Global Insight; and Lok Sang Ho, professor of economics at Lingnan University, HK.
Dutch Calls for Ban on Religious Slaughter
In the Netherlands, an animal rights party and the far-right Freedom Party are pushing for a ban on kosher and halal slaughter methods which critics say inflict unacceptable suffering on animals.
The parties say ritual slaughter should only be allowed on the proviso that Jewish and Muslim groups can prove the process is humane.
Al Jazeera's Tania Page reports from Amsterdam.
Muslime können den Koran nicht lesen, so Imam Hübsch
Islamophobia, Discrimination against Muslims on the Rise
ARAB NEWS: ASTANA, Kazakhstan: Foreign ministers at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Kazakhstan on Tuesday will hear that anti-Muslim discrimination is on the rise, OIC sources said.
Prepared by the organization’s Islamophobia Observatory, sources said the report covers the period from May 2010 to April 2011 and catalogs intolerance and discrimination against Muslims and reveals a rise in Islamophobic discourse within both the public and political domains.
Based on the Observatory’s daily monitoring during the reporting period Western media, right-wing political movements and parties are taking advantage of people’s ignorance of true Islamic values to fuel Islamophobia in Europe and the United States.
The trend manifests itself in various forms, including direct attacks and desecration of Muslim places of worship, cemeteries and other Islamic centers along with a growing public perception that Muslims constitute a threat both to culture and well being of Western society and that Islamic religious symbols, particularly the head scarf and burqa, should be strictly limited or completely banned.
The frequency of such events was monitored by various surveys led UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to speak out against the dangers of intolerance and the perils to religious freedom on the continent. » | Siraj Wahab | ARAB NEWS | Monday, July 27, 2011
Kingdom Raps Israeli Moves to Destroy Islamic Landmarks
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers on Monday denounced the Israeli occupation forces’ move to destroy Umayyad palaces near the southern wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque as well as its digging works in Jerusalem to obliterate Islamic landmarks in the city.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, urged UNESCO and other relevant UN organizations to intervene immediately to protect Islamic heritage in the holy city.
The Cabinet also reviewed the developments taking place in some Arab countries and expressed the Kingdom’s desire to end the bloodbath by tackling problems in “a way that would ensure peace and stability” in these countries. » | ARAB NEWS | Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Libya: ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Colonel Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and the country's spy chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, on charges of crimes against humanity.
ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo had in May asked the court to issue arrest warrants for the "pre-determined" killing of protesters in Libya following after the UN Security Council referred the issue to the court.
Gaddafi has "absolute, ultimate and unquestioned control" over Libya's state apparatus and its security forces, presiding judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng said in reading out the ruling.
She added that both Gaddafi and Saif al-Islam "conceived and orchestrated a plan to deter and quell by all means the civilian demonstrations" against the regime and that al-Senussi used his position of command to have attacks carried out.
Gaddafi, who has run his oil-producing Arab North African country since a military coup in 1969, is under pressure to relinquish power from rebels who rose up against his rule and from a NATO bombing campaign.
But more than three months into the NATO campaign, fissures are showing within the Western alliance and it is feared that the ICC warrant could also trigger greater violence in Libya as Gaddafi tries to cling to power. » | Monday, June 27, 2011
