Senator Accused of Sexism Over 'Thank God' Remark about Female Opponent

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A US senator, who once posed nude for a magazine photo shoot, has been accused of sexism after declaring "thank God" when his female opponent said she had never done the same.

Scott Brown, a Massachusetts Republican who helped pay for university by appearing in Cosmopolitan, was alleged to have descended into "the gutter" with his comment on Elizabeth Warren.

Asked how she funded her own education, Prof Warren, a 62-year-old Democratic ally of Barack Obama who teaches at Harvard, said she had "borrowed money", adding: "I kept my clothes on." During a radio interview, Mr Brown, 52, responded: "Thank God." He later added: "I went to the school of hard knocks. And I did whatever I had to do to pay for school." Clare Kelly, the Massachusetts Democrats' executive director, said the remarks were more suited to the "frat house, not a race for US Senate". » | Jon Swaine, New York | Friday, October 07, 2011

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Russia Tells Assad Regime to Reform or Go

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has told Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to enact reforms or step down in Moscow's sharpest rebuke to Damascus to date.

Smarting from criticism that Russia is soft on the Assad regime after it vetoed United Nations sanctions against Damascus, Mr Medvedev insisted Moscow wanted the bloody government clampdown on pro-democracy activists to end.

"Russia wants as much as the other countries for Syria to end the bloodshed and demands that the Syrian leadership conduct the necessary reforms," he said.

"(But) if the Syrian leadership is unable to undertake these reforms it will have to go."

His comments echoed remarks made by Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, and will be interpreted as a sign that Moscow is beginning to lose patience with its old ally.

The UN estimates that nearly 3,000 people have lost their lives since the Assad regime began cracking down on protests in mid-March with tanks and troops. Mr Assad has promised reform but the crackdown has continued unabated with little sign of genuine reform. » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Friday, October 07, 2011

Incredible Speech by Wall Street Protester "End the Fed" 2011

Proteste sollen sich nach Europa ausbreiten
WELT ONLINE: Die Anti-Wall-Street-Proteste verbreiten sich von New York aus in viele amerikanische Städte. Auch in Deutschland rufen Aktivisten zu Demonstrationen auf.

Die Anti-Wall-Street-Bewegung breitet sich aus. Nach Protesten in New York versammelten sich auch in Washington und in zahlreichen weiteren US-Städten Demonstranten, um die anhaltend hohe Arbeitslosigkeit und eine ungleiche Verteilung von Wohlstand anzuprangern. In Deutschland riefen Bündnisse für Samstag kommender Woche zu Protesten unter anderem in Frankfurt und Berlin auf.

In der US-Hauptstadt Washington forderten die Demonstranten "Stoppt den Krieg gegen die Arbeiter". Andere verlangten, die Bürger wieder wichtiger zu nehmen als "die Gier der Unternehmen". In Philadelphia versammelten sich bis zu 1000 Menschen. In Los Angeles zogen Demonstranten vor die Filiale der Bank of America . Es wurden elf Personen festgenommen. "Ich glaube, der amerikanische Traum ist mächtig in Gefahr", sagte ein Teilnehmer in Tennesse. "Es gibt so viele Menschen wie mich, die genug haben von den Wall Street-Verbrechern." » | Reuters/smb | Freitag 07. Oktober 2011

Génocide arménien : réponse cinglante d'Ankara à Sarkozy

LE FIGARO: Ankara a conseillé vendredi à la France d'affronter son passé colonial avant de donner des leçons aux autres pays, en réponse aux déclarations de Nicolas Sarkozy demandant la reconnaissance du génocide arménien.

«Je vais lancer une grenade dégoupillée», prévenait jeudi Nicolas Sarkozy devant une partie de la délégation qui l'accompagnait à Erevan, en Arménie. Le président de la République y est revenu sur un sujet sensible en évoquant la reconnaissance du génocide arménien par la Turquie. Le Président a déclaré que la France modifierait sa législation pour que le négationnisme du génocide de 1915 soit condamné au pénal, si la Turquie ne reconnaissait pas officiellement le massacre de plus d'un million et demi d'Arméniens.

Une vive réaction était à prévoir et la réponse, cinglante, ne s'est pas fait attendre. Vendredi, Ahmet Davutoglu a conseillé à la France d'«affronter son passé colonial avant de donner des leçons aux autres pays». Le ministre turc des Affaires étrangères a également insisté sur la situation des étrangers, considérés comme des «citoyens de seconde zone» dans l'Hexagone, selon lui. » | Par Romain Renner | Vendredi 07 Octobre 2011

Forget Secular Education: Somali Militant's Message Before Suicide Attack

THE GUARDIAN: Man responsible for huge blast in Mogadishu that left 100 dead said young people should focus on jihad

The suicide bomber who killed more than 100 people, including students seeking scholarships, in an attack near Somalia's education ministry was a school dropout who had declared that young people should wage jihad and forget about secular education.

Bashar Abdullahi Nur, who was to blame for the huge explosion on Tuesday that covered the capital, Mogadishu, in dust up to half a mile away, gave an interview before the attack.

"Now those who live abroad are taken to a college and never think about the hereafter. They never think about the harassed Muslims," he said in the interview broadcast on Wednesday by a militant-run radio station. "They wake up in the morning, go to college and studies and accept what the infidels tell them, while infidels are massacring Muslims." » | Associated Press in Mogadishu | Thursday, October 06, 2011

Gaddafi Urges Libyans to 'March in Their Millions'
On an audio tape, a voice purported to be that of Colonel Gaddafi urges his supporters to "march in their millions" and "raise our green flags to the skies".

Lien en relation avec cette vidéo »

Google's eBook Store Opens to Face Struggle against Amazon
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Google’s ebook store opens for business in Britain today, but the web giant faces a struggle to gain a foothold in the growing market.

Major publishing houses including Hachette, Random House, Penguin have signed on to provide content for the new service, which will also offer free access to more than two million out-of-copyright titles.

Google eBooks will be available to anyone via the web, with app for iOS and Android, plus integration with the Android Marketplace.

It represents a big step for the firm towards becoming a major content provider, but compared to Amazon and Apple it [is] a complete novice.

“We’ve been working with publishers for some time to build new online revenue sources for writers and publishers, and this is the next step in that direction,” said Jason Hanley of Google. » | Christopher Williams, Technology Correspondent | Friday, October 07, 2011

Griechenland: Hakenkreuze zum Rösler Besuch

US-Gewerkschaften unterstützen Demonstranten

Albania's Last Communist Leader Ramiz Alia Dies
HOUSTON CHRONICLE: TIRANA, Albania — Albania's last communist president Ramiz Alia — credited with opening one of the world's most isolationist political systems to democracy — has died. He was 85.

Mimoza Kociu, a spokeswoman for president Bamir Topi, said Alia died at about 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) of lung complications.

Alia assumed leadership of the communist party in 1985 following the death of his longtime friend, dictator Enver Hoxha. Following a series of massive student protests, he introduced political and economic reforms that paved the way for the country's first free elections in 1991. » | AP | Friday, October 07, 2011

NZZ ONLINE: Früherer albanischer Präsident Alia gestorben: Erster frei gewählter Präsident des Landes » | ddp | Freitag 07. Oktober 2011

WIKI: Ramiz Tafë Alia »

Saudis Crush Dissent and Point Finger at Iran for Trouble in Eastern Province

THE GUARDIAN: Kingdom wary of popular uprising warns unrest will be crushed with 'an iron fist' and plays down protests, blaming outsiders

Saudi Arabia has made clear it will not tolerate unrest in its eastern province, where 14 people, 11 of them policemen, were injured in protests this week. Any further trouble would be crushed with "an iron fist," the government warned, anxious to avoid any perception that the first green shoots of the Arab spring have started to emerge in the Gulf's conservative heartland.

It is no surprise that the regime's instinct has been to play down the dimensions and significance of the trouble – an "isolated incident" is the official line in Riyadh. Initial evidence of an over-reaction by security forces gave way to a pullout from the flashpoint, Awamiyah, near the regional capital Qatif, where the Saudi interior ministry accused protesters of carrying arms and throwing petrol bombs. YouTube pictures showed some of that — along with the sound of gunfire and cries of "Allahu Akbar."

It also alleged that the trouble was directed by an unnamed "foreign country" – no prizes for guessing that meant Iran. Unofficial Saudi experts were far less coy, comparing what happened in Awamiyah to the tactics used by Shia protesters in nearby Bahrain during the Pearl Revolution earlier this year, which was also widely, and misleadingly, blamed on meddling by the Islamic republic. Reinforcing Saudi suspicions, Iranian media have hailed the trouble as a "popular uprising" against the monarchy. » | Ian Black | Thursday, October 06, 2011

Kadhafi appelle les Libyens à manifester contre le CNT
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Mouammar Kadhafi a appelé les Libyens à manifester «par millions» contre le nouveau pouvoir libyen, le Conseil national de transition (CNT), dans un message sonore diffusé jeudi soir par la chaîne Arraï basée en Syrie.

"J’appelle le peuple libyen, hommes et femmes, à sortir pour manifester par millions à nouveau sur les places et dans les rues et dans toutes les villes", a déclaré le "Guide" déchu dans un message sonore, dans lequel il était à peine audible.

"Je leur dis n’ayez peur de personne, vous êtes le peuple, vous appartenez à cette terre. Faîtes entendre votre voix contre les collaborateurs de l’Otan", a-t-il poursuivi, s’adressant au peuple et faisant référence aux dirigeants du CNT. » | AFP | Jeudi 06 Octobre 2011

Un proche du clan Ben Ali a été arrêté à Rome

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L'arrestation de Moez Trabelsi est la première arrestation à l'étranger d'un proche du clan Ben Ali depuis la fuite le 14 janvier de l'ex-président après 23 ans d'un pouvoir sans partage.

Le neveu de Leïla Trabelsi, l'épouse du président tunisien déchu Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, a été arrêté ce jeudi à Rome sur instruction d'Interpol, a indiqué le ministère tunisien de la Justice.

Il s'agit de la première arrestation à l'étranger d'un proche du clan Ben Ali depuis la fuite le 14 janvier de l'ex-président après 23 ans d'un pouvoir sans partage.

Moez Trabelsi est l'objet d'un mandat d'amener émis par la justice tunisienne. Interpol a fait procéder à son arrestation jeudi vers 3H (2H GMT) à Rome, a déclaré le porte-parole du ministère Kadhem Zine El Abidine.

L'organisation policière internationale a émis une notice rouge pour le jeune homme poursuivi dans plusieurs affaires de corruption et soupçonné de blanchiment d'argent, a-t-il précisé. » | AFP | Jeudi 06 Octobre 2011

Weimar Republic Hyperinflation
A short film explaining Hyperinflation with in the Weimar Republic. In the bubble that was created mimics what is happening now in the US

French Suburbs Turn Away from State and Towards Islam: Scientist

AL ARABIYA NEWS: Local communities in France’s immigrant suburbs increasingly organize themselves on Islamic lines rather than following the values of the secular republic, according to a major new sociological study.

Respected political scientist Gilles Kepel, a specialist in the Muslim world, led a team of researchers in a year-long project in Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil, two Paris suburbs that exploded in riots in 2005.

The resulting study − “Suburbs of the Republic” − found that religious institutions and practices are increasingly displacing those of the state and the French Republic, which has a strong secular tradition.

Families from the districts, which are mainly populated by immigrants from north and west Africa and their descendants, regularly attend mosque, fast during Ramadan and boycott school meals that are not “halal.”

With between five and six million Muslim residents and citizens, France has the largest Islamic population in the European Union, and central government often struggles to address the challenges to integration that this poses.

Kepel performed a similar study 25 years earlier, and told the daily Le Monde that the influence of Islam in the daily lives and cultural references of the suburbs has “diversified and intensified” since then.

French schools, which are rigorously non-religious, have traditionally been seen as having the role of training young citizens of the republic, but local officials say Islamic pupils are heading home for a halal lunch.

“A certain number of children don’t come to the canteen any more or, if they come, they only take a starter and dessert,” Xavier Lemoine, the center-right mayor of Monfermeil, told Europe 1 radio. » | AFP | PARIS | Thursday, October 06, 2011

Wall Street Crackdown: Police Beat Back Protesters, Dozens Arrested
Police in the U.S. have been filmed beating back protesters at a mass demonstration in New York, in the biggest event yet in the three-week-long rally called 'Occupy Wall Street'. There are also reports pepper spray's been used, and police have confirmed they've made dozens of arrests at the rally. Thousands have been taking part in sustained protests to demand social and economic change. Activists say they're fed up with breaking their backs at work, while the Wall Street bankers' bonuses keep flowing.

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Arabischer Aufstand und Scharia: Sehnsucht nach göttlicher Ordnung
SUEDDEUTSCHE: Die arabische Revolution gibt den Demokraten Auftrieb - aber auch den Islamisten. Diese fordern die Scharia als seligmachende Alternative. Folgt der demokratischen Aufbruchstimmung der islamistische Abbruchbetrieb, in dem Frauen ausgepeitscht werden?

Die Nebel der Tränengasgranaten über Kairos Tahrir-Platz hatten sich gerade erst gelegt, da waren sie auf einmal da: Bärtige Fundamentalisten und ihre vollverschleierten Frauen, die nach dem Sturz des Mubarak-Regimes durch junge demokratische Aktivisten plötzlich mehr Islam in Ägypten forderten und nach derScharia riefen, dem islamischen Gesetz. Sie standen neben den gemäßigteren Islamisten von der Muslimbruderschaft: Modernisten, die einen angeblich weichen Islam anpreisen als Lösung aller ägyptischen Probleme.

Voraussetzung für diesen "Islam light" sei, dass islamische Rechtsvorstellungen stärker Einzug hielten in der Gesetzgebung. Wird das Land am Nil also bald ein mehr oder minder islamischer Staat, in dem die Frauen noch mehr benachteiligt sind, Bekleidungsvorschriften gelten, Homosexuelle und Ehebrecher verfolgt sowie Wein und Bier verboten werden?

Das Hauptargument aller Islamisten ist: Ägypten ist ein islamisches Land, die Scharia unablöslicher Teil des Islam. Das religiöse Recht müsse daher Widerhall in der Verfassung - und damit auch im Alltagsrecht - finden. In den Augen von Demokraten, Säkularen und auch für die christliche Minderheit der Kopten stellt sich das Problem anders dar: Bekommt Äygpten nach Mubarak eine hieb- und stichfeste, demokratisch-weltliche Verfassung? Oder bleiben Schlupflöcher für Islamisten und ihre Rechtsvorstellungen offen?

Auch unter Präsident Hosni Mubarak war die Scharia in der Verfassung als "Quelle" des Rechts verankert. Mit dem halbherzigen Zugeständnis an die muslimische Mehrheit im Land blieb garantiert, dass säkulares und religiöses Recht sich wenigstens auf dem Papier nicht widersprachen. Mubarak hatte die Scharia aber weitgehend ausgebremst, ihr wie viele arabische Staaten nur noch im Erb- und Familienrecht Raum gegeben. Die damit einhergehende Benachteiligung der Frauen bei Scheidung und Erbe versuchte er mit Zusatzgesetzen auszugleichen - mit begrenztem Erfolg. » | Von Tomas Avenarius | Kairo | Sonntag 02. Oktober 2011

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

NZZ ONLINE: «Der Tod ist die beste Erfindung des Lebens» : Nachruf auf den Apple-Gründer » | Von Henning Steier | Donnerstag 06. Oktober 2011

Related »

Apple Fans Pay Tribute to Steve Jobs Who Dies Aged 56
Apple fans around the world hail Steve Jobs 'a visionary' as they pay tribute to the Apple co-founder and CEO who has died at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer.

TELEGRAPH OBITUARY: Steve Jobs: Steve Jobs, who died on October 5 aged 56, was the visionary co-founder, and later chief executive, of Apple, makers of the Macintosh computer, the iMac, the iPod, iPad, and iPhone, and the man behind the astonishing success of the computer animation firm Pixar, makers of Toy Story and Finding Nemo; in consequence he did more to determine what films we watch, how we listen to music, and how we work and play than any other person on the planet. » | Thursday, October 06, 2011

Related »

Bahrain Caves and Orders Retrial of Medics Jailed after Treating Protesters
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bahrain has ordered the retrial of 20 doctors and nurses whose convictions for allegedly backing pro-democracy protests provoked an international outcry.

A statement by the kingdom's attorney general Ali al-Boainain on Wednesday appeared to nullify the sentences of five to 15 years issued last week by a special security court. Sending them for trial in a civilian court, it said: "No doctors or other medical personnel may be punished by reason of the fulfilment of their humanitarian duties or their political views."

The move raises the possibility that the medics will be spared any jail time. They had been found guilty of "inciting hatred for the regime" and hoarding weapons at the Salmaniya Medical Complex in Manama as they treated those injured in demonstrations in March as the Arab spring swept the region.

"The accused will have the benefit of full re-evaluation of evidence and full opportunity to present their defences," said the attorney general's statement.

"The department of public prosecution seeks to establish the truth and to enforce the law, while protecting the rights of the accused." » | Alex Spillius | Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Sarah Palin Finally Confirms She Will Not Run for President

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: After months of teasing Republican voters, Sarah Palin has finally confirmed she will not be a candidate in next year's US presidential election.

The former Governor of Alaska said on Wednesday that "after much prayer and serious consideration", she had decided not to stand for the Republican nomination, but would increase her efforts to oust Barack Obama.

"Not being a candidate, you are unshackled and able to be even more active," she told a radio talk show. "I look forward to using all the tools at my disposal to get the right people in there."

Mrs Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 2008, was once expected to run for the White House after becoming a figurehead for the anti-government Tea Party movement.

She has made millions of dollars from two blockbuster books, a reality television show and public appearances. Earlier this year she held a "One Nation" bus tour along the east coast of the US.

But it became widely assumed that she had missed her opportunity by repeatedly teasing voters about her intentions while several other Republican heavyweights firmly declared their candidacies. Continue reading and comment » | Jon Swaine | New York | Thursday, October 06, 2011

Steve Jobs, Architect of Apple, Dies
THE BOSTON GLOBE: Steve Jobs, the demanding visionary who understood before anyone else how deeply we would live our lives through our devices, died today at the age of 56, only weeks after resigning as chief executive of computer giant Apple Inc. as he battled pancreatic cancer.

“The world has lost an amazing human being,” wrote Apple chief executive Tim Cook in a message to employees. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

Jobs was “among the greatest of American innovators,” said President Obama in a statement posted on the White House blog. “There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

Jobs revitalized Apple by transforming smartphones, computers, and media players into objects of desire. He insisted the company put the human experience first, focusing on design as well as technological prowess. Fifteen years ago, Apple flirted with bankruptcy; today, it is one of the most successful companies on earth.

Jobs’s rival, Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, issued a statement saying, “The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had.”

Gates closed his statement by writing, “I will miss Steve immensely.” » | Hiawatha Bray | Globe Staff | Thursday, October 06, 2011



LE FIGARO: «L'Amérique a perdu un génie» : «Un visionnaire», «un génie dont on se souviendra comme d'Edison et d'Einstein»: les hommages de grands patrons, d'hommes politiques et de milliers de fans d'Apple pleuvent après l'annonce de la disparition de Steve Jobs. » | Par Mathilde Golla, Chloé Woitier | Jeudi 06 Octobre 2011

LE FIGARO: Steve Jobs, le culte de la perfection : Le patron d'Apple, décédé mercredi à l'âge de 56 ans, a guidé son entreprise vers les sommets grâce à une gestion particulièrement stricte de ses équipes. » | Par Benjamin Ferran | Jeudi 06 Octobre 2011


FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Steve Jobs ist tot: Der Tod des Apple-Mitbegründers Steve Jobs hat Trauer und Bestürzung ausgelöst. Der Computer-Visionär starb am Mittwoch im Alter von 56 Jahren. Er hinterlässt seine Frau und vier Kinder. » | Roland Lindner | New York | Donnerstag 06. Oktober 2011

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: „Leider ist der Tag gekommen“ : Steve Jobs tritt als Apple-Chef zurück. Gebannt blicken wir auf das abwechslungsreiche Leben des Apple-Gründers und fragen: Wird man schon zum Genie geboren? » | Von Hendrik Ankenbrand | Donnerstag 06. Oktober 2011

Steve Jobs: His Life and Career
Technology editor Charles Arthur looks back at the career of the driving force behind Apple, Steve Jobs. He was the single-minded visionary who revolutionised three industries: computers, film and music.

Jobs simplified complicated things by making the customer's needs paramount, bringing cutting edge technology into globally popular consumer products

THE GUARDIAN: Steve Jobs obituary: Computing entrepreneur and inventor, and the co-founder, chairman and recognisable face of Apple » | Jack Schofield | Thursday, October 06, 2011

Archbishop Attacks Cameron's 'Gay Marriage' Plan

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron is facing a backlash from religious leaders after saying he supported plans to legalise gay marriage.

The Prime Minister said “commitment” in relationships should be valued regardless of whether it involved “a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and another man”.

But the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Church of England are likely to lodge formal objections to the move when the Coalition launches an official consultation next year.

Speaking to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Mr Cameron said: “We're consulting on legalising gay marriage. To anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it's about equality, but it's also about something else: commitment.

“Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other.

“So I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative.”

Under Coalition reforms, churches, synagogues and other faith centres will be able to host same-sex civil partnership registration ceremonies for the first time, including the use of religious music. » | Tim Ross, Social and Religious Affairs Editor | Wednesday, October 05, 2011

EU May Need Treaty Changes, Says Jose Manuel Barroso

THE INDEPENDENT: Treaty changes to achieve even closer European integration will "probably" be necessary to cope with the economic crisis, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said today.

After talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Brussels at the Commission, he said the EU was putting in place a raft of economic plans which should reassure markets, including stronger eurozone regulation and supervision, a quadrupling to 440 billion euro of an existing bailout fund and a tax on bank transactions.

But more might need to be done and it might require treaty change, he said - something Mrs Merkel said last month was necessary to get the EU out of the debt crisis.

Mr Barroso said: "We may need treaty change for more integration if current (financial) mechanisms are proved not to be enough."

He said the idea was not a delaying tactic, adding: "We are not proposing to have treaty change to avoid decisions we have to take now, so it cannot be a way of postponing that.

"But yes, probably in the future we may have to have treaty change, and it is a good indication for so-called markets and investors that we are looking for forward integration in the euro area, and not less Europe." Read on and comment » | Geoff Meade | Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Adolf Hitler Auction Causes Uproar
THE AUSTRALIAN: ORGANISERS of an auction of Adolf Hitler's reading glasses and other personal effects were on the verge of abandoning the sale last night after an outcry over profiting from Germany's Nazi past.

The Fu[e]hrer's glasses were due to be put up for auction for a reserve price of €4800 ($A6700) at a Munich auction house this month, while bidding for a silver cigarette case monogrammed with the initials of the non-smoking dictator was set to begin at €10,000.

Stung by accusations that the sale was a "stain" on modern Germany, Hermann Historica, the auction house, issued a statement last night insisting that it never intended to cause offence and had not sought publicity for the items on sale.

But it refused to confirm who would receive the money, although some items, such as a fob watch starting at €10,000, were believed to originate from the estate of Rudolf Hess, Hitler's former deputy.

There were also items of cutlery with A.H. monograms for €1800, and a Hitler Youth badge encrusted with diamonds and rubies, given to the Fu[e]hrer in 1942, marked up for €22,000.

While public display of the swastika is illegal in Germany, and they have been carefully airbrushed out of the auction catalogue, there is no ban on the sale of Nazi memorabilia. » | David Charter | The Times | Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Three Videos from David Cameron's Speech at the Conservative Party Conference

Iran gegen Antrag der Palästinenser auf UN-Aufnahme

Première victoire diplomatique pour la Palestine dans sa quête d’un Etat

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: C'est une première victoire diplomatique pour les Palestiniens: une recommandation à l’Unesco pour faire de la Palestine un membre à part entière de cette organisation a été approuvée.

Les Palestiniens ont engrangé mercredi une première victoire diplomatique dans leur quête d’une reconnaissance internationale d’un Etat, avec l’approbation d’une recommandation à l’Unesco pour faire de la Palestine un membre à part entière de cette organisation.

Selon des sources au sein de l’Organisation des Nations unies pour l’éducation, les sciences et la culture, le conseil exécutif de cette agence a approuvé à une forte majorité, par 40 voix sur 58, une recommandation d’attribuer à la Palestine ce statut de membre à part entière.

Quatre pays ont voté contre, dont les Etats-Unis, et 14 se sont abstenus, dont la France et l’Espagne, selon les mêmes sources. La recommandation, initiée par le groupe des pays arabes, va être soumise à la fin du mois à la Conférence générale de l’Unesco.

Pour que la Palestine obtienne un statut d’Etat membre à l’Unesco, la Conférence doit approuver la recommandation par une majorité des deux tiers de ses 193 membres, lors de sa session qui se tiendra du 25 octobre au 10 novembre à Paris où siège l’organisation. » | AFP | Mercredi 05 Octobre 2011

Erdogan: Israel ist "Bedrohung" für den Nahen Osten

DIE PRESSE: Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Erdogan wirft Israel vor, "Staatsterror" zu betreiben. Das Land sei eine Gefahr, weil es eine Atombombe habe.

Der türkische Regierungschef Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat am Mittwoch erneut Israel verbal attackiert. "Ich sehe Israel derzeit als Bedrohung für die Region", sagte er nach einer Meldung der Nachrichtenagentur Anadolu. Zudem betreibe Israel "Staatsterror".

Erdogan verwies darauf, dass Israel eine Atombombe habe. Bisher hat das Land den Besitz von Atomwaffen weder bestätigt noch dementiert. » | APA/Red. | Mittwoch 05. Oktober

Dunkle Tage in Griechenland: Polizei und Krawallmacher agieren in Griechenland mit grosser Härte
Aus Protest gegen die harten Sparmassnahmen haben in Griechenland tausende Beschäftigte im Staatsdienst die Arbeit niedergelegt. In Athen versammelten sich laut Polizei 10'000 Demonstranten. Es kam zu heftigen Zusammenstössen.

SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Krawalle am Streiktag in Griechenland: Aus Protest gegen die harten Sparmassnahmen haben in Griechenland tausende Beschäftigte im Staatsdienst die Arbeit niedergelegt. In Athen versammelten sich laut Polizei 10'000 Demonstranten. Es kam zu heftigen Zusammenstössen. » | agenturen/horm/engf | Mittwoch 05. Oktober 2011

Political Correctness Continues to Stifle Debate on Multiculturalism

MAIL ONLINE: Not so long ago I accepted a post for teaching law at one of Britain’s prestigious Universities. On my first hour of arriving I was taken in to meet the Head of Department.

I was told that a student had made a complaint about my appointment, and that the complaint was being investigated. The complaint related to some things I had said in a recent by-election.

I was a little taken aback, not so much because there was a complaint but because it warranted an investigation that would unnecessarily use up taxpayers' money.

This was also a concern from the perspective of the important right to freedom of speech. We were here, after all, talking about matters spoken during an election campaign, which ought not in a democracy, be subject to censure.

What had come out in the by-election was my statement that Islam was 'morally flawed and degenerate in its treatment of women’.

This was supported by the following statement of facts: that Sharia courts now operate in the UK where a woman’s evidence is worth significantly less than a man's and where women are not afforded the right to speak in divorce proceedings.

It was also highlighted that the Equality and Human Rights Commission had pointed out that a disproportionate number of Muslim women were unemployed (75%) and it was not right that they were missing out on employment opportunities due to the likely rigidly subservient role women play in Islamic, and also other ethnic minority cultures.

This was not in keeping with the strong movement towards female equality in this country going back to Wollstonecraft, and more recently, Emmeline Pankhurst. The latter fought hard to get women the right to vote.

Sharia courts were desired by immigrants in the UK, due to mass immigration without assimilation. Some immigrants had no need or desire to assimilate, and instead wanted what should be unacceptable, their own laws and culture to govern them.

However it was accepted, and even promoted, by the Labour party as a part of the grand multicultural project for a diverse (i.e. divided) Britain. » | Abhijit Pandya | Tuesday, October 04, 2011

HT: Marisol @ Jihad Watch »

The Pied Piper of Jihad – Yemen
Watch Journeyman Pictues video here

Vatican Paper Says Reported BBC Dating Change Is ‘Senseless’

CATHOLIC HERALD: The Vatican newspaper has said it is “historically senseless hypocrisy” to drop the dating abbreviations BC and AD on the grounds that they might offend non-Christians.

In a front-page commentary L’Osservatore Romano said the change reflected a wider effort to “cancel every trace of Christianity from Western culture”.

The BBC has clarified, however, that it has not dropped the use of BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, or Year of the Lord) in favour of BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).

Even so, the religion page of its website says it prefers BCE and CE, explaining that “in line with modern practice, bbc.co.uk/religion uses BCE/CE as a religiously neutral alternative to BC/AD. As the BBC is committed to impartiality it is appropriate that we use terms that do not offend or alienate non-Christians.” » | JOHN THAVIS | Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Syrien wirft Deutschland Nazi-Vergangenheit vor

WELT ONLINE: Nach der Abstimmung über eine UN-Resolution hat Syriens Botschafter den Westen attackiert. Deutschland erinnerte er spöttisch an die Juden-Verfolgung.

Mit ihrem Veto haben Russland und China am Dienstag im UN-Sicherheitsratdie Verabschiedung einer Resolution verhindert, die dem Regime dessyrischen Präsidenten Baschar Assad mit Sanktionen droht, sollte die Gewalt gegen Zivilisten nicht eingestellt werden.

Die europäischen Mitglieder des Sicherheitsrats hatten die Formulierung der Resolution in den vergangenen Tagen bereits dreimal entschärft, um ein Veto zu verhindern. Trotzdem wurde der Entwurf im Sicherheitsrat von den beiden Nationen abgelehnt. » | APD/dpa/jm | Mittwoch 05. Oktober 2011

Anjem Choudary Leads Muslim Protest in Luton

LUTON TODAY: Anjem Choudary leads Muslim protest in Luton: EXTREMIST preacher Anjem Choudhury led a protest outside Luton Police Station against what he has called the mistreatment of Muslim women. ¶ Counter-terrorist officers from the Metropolitan Police recently raided the home of Mona Thwany, widow of Stockholm suicide bomber Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, and another women. ¶ Extremist group Muslims Against Crusades distributed a leaflet prior to the demonstration saying the women were strip searched during the raid. » | Monday, October 03, 2011

The View: Cain – Gay Is A Choice

LGBTQNATION: Herman Cain: Being gay is ‘a choice,’ and bring back ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’: GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain, appearing on ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday, said he feels being gay “is a choice,” and that if elected President, he would reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the former ban on openly gay military service members. » | Staff Reporters | Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Demonstrationen in New York: Die Besetzung der Wall Street

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Im New Yorker Finanzviertel gibt es seit Wochen Proteste gegen Banken. Die Bewegung scheint an Fahrt zu gewinnen.

An der Wall Street ist es enger als sonst. Angestellte mit Anzug und Schlips drängen sich am späten Nachmittag zwischen Absperrgittern an Touristen vorbei Richtung U-Bahn. Es geht nicht so schnell voran wie an normalen Tagen. Die Gitter halten die Leute auf den Bürgersteigen. Auf der Straße, die dort eine Fußgängerzone ist, läuft niemand. Das Börsengebäude ist weiträumig abgesperrt, und vor dem Eingang stehen keine Händler mit grünen Jacken, sondern New Yorker Polizisten mit blauen Uniformen. "Das ist seit ein paar Wochen so wegen der Proteste", sagt ein junger Wertpapierhändler, der vor dem Eingang eines Hochhauses eine Zigarette raucht. Von Demonstranten ist an diesem Nachmittag dort aber nichts zu sehen.

Nur zwei Straßen weiter, im Zuccotti Park zwischen Broadway und der Baustelle des neuen World Trade Center, ist das anders. Dort campieren und protestieren seit mehr als zwei Wochen Hunderte von Demonstranten gegen die Macht der Finanzbranche. Ihr Motto: "Occupy Wall Street - Besetzt die Wall Street". » | Von NORBERT KULS, NEW YORK | Dienstag 04. Oktober 2011

Lien en relation avec cet article »

Bernanke et Geithner comprennent l'exaspération des anti-Wall Street
LE MONDE: Le président de la banque centrale américaine, Ben Bernanke, et le secrétaire au Trésor des Etats-Unis, Timothy Geithner, ont déclaré mardi 4 octobre qu'ils comprenaient l'exaspération exprimée par nombre d'Américains vis-à-vis de Wall Street. "D'une manière générale, les gens sont assez mécontents de l'état de l'économie et de ce qui se passe", a déclaré M. Bernanke à propos des manifestations qui durent depuis la mi-septembre à New York.

"Ils reprochent, non sans raison, au secteur financier de nous avoir menés à la pagaille dans laquelle nous nous trouvons et sont mécontents de la réponse" des autorités, a ajouté M. Bernanke, qui s'exprimait lors d'une audition devant la Commission économique mixte du Congrès à Washington. "Jusqu'à un certain point, je ne peux pas leur reprocher quoi que ce soit. Il est certain qu'avec un chômage de 9 % et une croissance économique très faible la situation n'est pas très bonne. C'est contre cela qu'ils protestent", a encore indiqué le président de la Réserve fédérale. » | LEMONDE.FR avec AFP | Mercredi 05 Octobre 2011

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Vladimir Putin's Plan to Create a Eurasian Union Is about Reclaiming the Russian Empire

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vladimir Putin is on a roll. Last month, he revealed he was all set to return to the Russian presidency next year, possibly for as long as twelve years.

And on Tuesday, he disclosed he was in the process of creating a new global power bloc, the ‘Eurasian Union,’ on the bones of what used to be the Soviet Union.

His dream would see Russia again dominating about one fifth of the earth’s surface with an internal market of almost 300 million people.

The new union would include authoritarian Kazakhstan and Belarus to begin with before expanding to take in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and then, Mr Putin hopes, other former Soviet republics. Mr Putin did not say so but it is known that he would dearly like to see Ukraine sign up to his master plan.

His is a bold idea and one that immediately and unsurprisingly drew admiration from Russian nationalists. Older Russians, who hark after the paternalism and stability of the defunct Soviet Union, are also likely to appreciate the plan. Mr Putin was at pains to say however that his mission was not to recreate the Soviet Union.

That though is somewhat misleading. Read on and comment » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Egypt: Court Delay Is 'Death Sentence' for Blogger
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The family of a jailed Egyptian blogger who has been on a 43-day hunger strike to demand his release from prison yesterday accused a military court in Cairo of effectively sentencing him to death by delaying his appeal.

Maikel Nabil, who is serving a three-year prison sentence for "insulting" the Egyptian military, had been due to appear before a tribunal that was to consider his conviction. But a judge postponed the case until next week because he did not have the necessary documents with him.

Mr Nabil, described by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, has refused all food since August 23rd. According to rights groups, he is suffering from renal problems, anaemia and scabies as a result of his hunger strike.

The blogger has also told his family that he would refuse water if he was not released yesterday.

"Maikel is not going to make it to next week's hearing," his brother Mark was quoted as saying. "Every doctor we have spoken to has said no one can last more than 43 days without food."

"This is a death sentence for Maikel because he said if he weren't released on 4th October he'd refuse water." » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Saudi Arabia: Police 'Open Fire' on Protesters
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saudi forces reportedly laid siege to a Shia village in the east of the kingdom yesterday following the eruption of clashes, raising fears that the world’s biggest oil producer may not be immune to the unrest sweeping the Middle East.

Exiled Saudi dissidents said police had sealed off the village of Awwamiya [sic] after using live fire to disperse Shia protesters on Monday night. They claimed 20 people had been wounded in the worst violence in Saudi Arabia’s [e]ast, home to much of the Sunni kingdom’s Shia minority, for years.

Observers say Sunni-Shia tension is rising in the kingdom and could be exploited by Iran, Saudi Arabia’s greatest rival in the region. » | Tuesday, October 04, 2011

THE INDEPENDENT: Saudi police open fire on civilians as protests gain momentum: Insecure Saudis crack down on freedom protest » | Patrick Cockburn | Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Who Benefits Most From Christie's Decision Not to Run?
Oct 5, 2011 – Charles Krauthammer analyzes impact of N.J. governor's announcement on GOP presidential field

Chris Christie: Biggest Man in US Politics Turns Down Biggest Job
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Chris Christie formally ruled out a bid for the Republican 2012 presidential nomination on Tuesday, disappointing legions of admirers and putting an end to speculation that he would make a dramatic late entrance to the wide-open race.

The fact that the New Jersey governor had to call a press conference, which was televised live by cable news channels, to make his announcement underlined how anxious many Republicans were for him to join the fray.

Speculation had reached fever pitch as Mr Christie spent two weeks reconsidering his original decision not to stand after being inundated with pleas from what he described as "some very serious people" and ordinary voters.

"I've explored the options and listened to so many people and considered whether this was something that I needed to take on," he said.

"But in the end, what I always felt was the right decision remains the right decision today – now is not my time. I'm doing a job that I love in the state I grew up in," said Mr Christie, 49, who has been in office for less than two years.

Known for his easy-going style, solid conservatism and candour about a range of subjects including his substantial girth, Mr Christie had delighted audiences with his blunt criticism of President Barack Obama's leadership failings.

While not impossible, it would have been difficult for him to raise money, enlist activists and build a nationwide team in time for the start of the nominating process, which is to kick off in early January with the Iowa caucuses followed shortly by the New Hampshire primary. » | Alex Spillius | Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Wall Street Protest Movement Spreads to Cities across US, Canada and Europe
THE GUARDIAN: Occupy Wall Street protests reach Boston, LA, St Louis and Kansas City, and are planned in cities across US and abroad

It began as the brainchild of activists across the border in Canada when an anti-consumerism magazine put out a call in July for supporters to occupy Wall Street.

Now, three weeks after a few hundred people heeded that initial call and rolled out their sleeping bags in a park in New York's financial district, they are being joined by supporters in cities across the US and beyond.

Armed with Twitter, Facebook and shared Googledocs, protesters against corporate greed, unemployment and the political corruption that they say Wall Street represents have taken to the streets in Boston, Los Angeles, St Louis and Kansas City.

The core group, Occupy Wall Street (OWS), claims people will take part in demonstrations in as many as 147 US cities this month, while the website occupytogether.org lists 47 US states as being involved. Around the world, protests in Canada, the UK, Germany and Sweden are also planned, they say.

The speed of the leaderless movement's growth has taken many by surprise. Occupytogether.org, one of several sites associated with theprotest, has had to be rebuilt to accommodate the traffic. » | Karen McVeigh in New York | Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Wahabi/Saudi Goverment Destroying Islamic Heritage
SUNNI NEWS: Mecca Bucks: Why Saudis invited Starbucks to Islam’s holiest city

Multinational capitalism and its edifices rise in the shadow of Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

According to some popular Muslim accounts, the marble Kaaba structure at the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca was built first by the angels before God created mankind, reconstructed by Adam, and later rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael. It’s safe to say that none of these builders could have anticipated the latest use of the Mosque’s image, in a promotional DVD for the Abraj Al Bait Towers, a giant new skyscraper complex slated to be built just across the street from one of the entrances to the Grand Mosque. The DVD shows a beautiful woman sitting in one of the towers’ luxury apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook thousands of pilgrims circling the Kaaba below. Eyes flashing a come-hither stare from beneath her tightly wound headscarf, she asks prospective buyers in Arabic, “Would you like to be here in this place in front of the Kaaba year after year?”

Unlike the United Arab Emirates, with its Western-friendly, oil-money-flush megalopolises Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia had, until very recently, resisted commercializing its major cities–particularly Mecca, site of Islam’s holiest relics, where millions of pilgrims flock yearly to perform the hajj. But the dramatic rise in global oil prices, and the construction boom across Saudi Arabia that followed, has finally caught up with the city where Mohammed was born. » | Zvika Krieger, The New Republic | Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Mecca for the Rich: Islam's Holiest Site 'Turning into Vegas'

THE INDEPENDENT: Historic and culturally important landmarks are being destroyed to make way for luxury hotels and malls, reports Jerome Taylor

Behind closed doors – in places where the religious police cannot listen in – residents of Mecca are beginning to refer to their city as Las Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment.

Over the past 10 years the holiest site in Islam has undergone a huge transformation, one that has divided opinion among Muslims all over the world.

Once a dusty desert town struggling to cope with the ever-increasing number of pilgrims arriving for the annual Hajj, the city now soars above its surroundings with a glittering array of skyscrapers, shopping malls and luxury hotels.

To the al-Saud monarchy, Mecca is their vision of the future – a steel and concrete metropolis built on the proceeds of enormous oil wealth that showcases their national pride.

Yet growing numbers of citizens, particularly those living in the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina, have looked on aghast as the nation's archaeological heritage is trampled under a construction mania backed by hardline clerics who preach against the preservation of their own heritage. Mecca, once a place where the Prophet Mohamed insisted all Muslims would be equal, has become a playground for the rich, critics say, where naked capitalism has usurped spirituality as the city's raison d'être.

Few are willing to discuss their fears openly because of the risks associated with criticising official policy in the authoritarian kingdom. And, with the exceptions of Turkey and Iran, fellow Muslim nations have largely held their tongues for fear of of a diplomatic fallout and restrictions on their citizens' pilgrimage visas. Western archaeologists are silent out of fear that the few sites they are allowed access to will be closed to them.

But a number of prominent Saudi archaeologists and historians are speaking up in the belief that the opportunity to save Saudi Arabia's remaining historical sites is closing fast.

"No one has the balls to stand up and condemn this cultural vandalism," says Dr Irfan al-Alawi who, as executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, has fought in vain to protect his country's historical sites. "We have already lost 400-500 sites. I just hope it's not too late to turn things around." » | Jerome Taylor | Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Muslim Worldview: The Method To Re-establish the Islamic State (Caliphate): Documentary [Produced in 2003]
Documentary that explains the correct method to establish the Khilafah according to the way of the Prophet Muhammad