Patrick Cockburn: Iran Had Better Watch Its Step Now Obama's Chasing Votes

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: A fumbling Tehran-backed plot to kill the Saudi ambassador was dismissed as bizarre by the rest of the world. But the White House is taking it very seriously

The plot in which an Iranian-American from Corpus Christi, Texas, notorious locally for his Clouseau-like dimwittedness, tries to hire a Mexican gangster to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington at the behest of the Iranian authorities has been greeted with incredulous hilarity across much of the world.

The allegations need to be taken seriously primarily because they show that the White House, by giving credence to them at the highest level, is seeking confrontation with Iran in the lead-up to next year's presidential election. It is shifting towards the Saudi position of seeing the hand of Iran behind its troubles in Iraq and the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain. The US is increasingly backing the Sunni side, and above all Saudi Arabia, in the struggle between Sunni and Shia which is escalating wherever the two communities live together.

The supposed conspiracy is bizarre even by the mendacious standards of stories pumped out by the Bush administration before 2003, purporting to show that Saddam Hussein was building weapons of mass destruction. Manssor Arbabsiar, an Iranian-American who has lived for 30 years in the US, had a history of serial failure in small business ventures. He had a conviction for cheque fraud and a reputation for fumbling incompetence so great that his friends suspected he might have suffered brain damage when he was knifed and beaten up for flirting with Iranian-American women. But this man, with his rather sad history of personal and business failures, is suddenly appointed a frontline operator for Quds Force, the intelligence arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. » | Patrick Coburn | Sunday, October 16, 2011

Mitt Romney Leads the Charge as Mormonism Moves into the American Mainstream

THE OBSERVER: With two Mormons contending for the presidency and a growing media profile, the church has never been so popular – nor so closely scrutinised

The stone-clad building stands on a busy intersection in the heart of Manhattan's Upper West Side. There is little to distinguish it from any other modern place of worship in New York: it has a simple design, subtly decorated windows and a modest spire – one topped by a golden statue of a trumpet-wielding angel. And that is the difference: the angel, unfamiliar to most Christians, is called Moroni.

The building is the Manhattan temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known around the world as the Mormons. There are other temples scattered throughout New York, serving a growing community in the city of one of the world's youngest but fastest-spreading faiths. Normally associated with the desert mountains of Utah, where it has its headquarters, the church's 6 million-plus members are rapidly rising to prominence in America's consciousness: two Mormons are running for the Republican presidential nomination. Indeed, Mitt Romney is a frontrunner in that race and by 2013 the US could have a Mormon president.

There are already 15 Mormons in Congress, including Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid. Rightwing media firebrand Glenn Beck is a Mormon. So is rock star Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the Killers, and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, contending with Romney for the Republican nomination. Mormons run businesses such as hotel chain Marriott International, and shows about them – such as the HBO drama Big Love – are television hits. For a faith that has often been persecuted, Mormonism, it seems, has never been more American.

"I am not only a New Yorker and a Mormon, but I am proud to be so. I have raised a family here," says David Buckner, a business consultant who worships at the Manhattan temple. For Buckner, 48, who has called New York home since 1995, the city and Mormonism are a perfect fit. "There is a deep respect for different religions here in New York. People are respectful of our mores and values."

That is not true everywhere. Robert Jeffress, a leading conservative Baptist minister with links to Romney's rival for the nomination Rick Perry, recently launched a blistering attack on the faith, calling it a "cult" and saying it is "not Christianity". Others appear to view the emergence of Mormonism into everyday life with nervousness: a poll in June found one in five US voters would oppose a Mormon candidate for president.

Nor is that a reflection of concern only on the religious right. Mormonism takes a strong view against gay marriage: it has provided financial backing for campaigns to stop same-sex couples getting full married rights, notably in California in 2008. The church's actions triggered nationwide protests by campaigners. » | Paul Harris in New York | Sunday, October 16, 2011

Liam Fox Resignation Exposes Tory Links to US Radical Right

THE GUARDIAN: Labour and Lib Dem politicians have stepped up demands for the PM to explain ministers' involvement with Atlantic Bridge

David Cameron has been accused of allowing a secret rightwing agenda to flourish at the heart of the Conservative party, as fallout from the resignation of Liam Fox exposed its close links with a US network of lobbyists, climate change deniers and defence hawks.

In a sign that Fox's decision to fall on his sword will not mark the end of the furore engulfing the Tories, both Liberal Democrat and Labour politicians stepped up their demands for the prime minister to explain why several senior members of his cabinet were involved in an Anglo-American organisation apparently at odds with his party's environmental commitments and pledge to defend free healthcare.

At the heart of the complex web linking Fox and his friend Adam Werritty to a raft of businessmen, lobbyists and US neocons is the former defence secretary's defunct charity, Atlantic Bridge, which was set up with the purported aim of "strengthening the special relationship" but is now mired in controversy.

An Observer investigation reveals that many of those who sat on the Anglo-American charity's board and its executive council, or were employed on its staff, were lobbyists or lawyers with connections to the defence industry and energy interests. Others included powerful businessmen with defence investments and representatives of the gambling industry.

Fox's organisation, which was wound up last year following a critical Charity Commission report into its activities, formed a partnership with an organisation called the American Legislative Exchange Council. The powerful lobbying organisation, which receives funding from pharmaceutical, weapons and oil interests among others, is heavily funded by the Koch Charitable Foundation whose founder, Charles G Koch, is one of the most generous donors to the Tea Party movement in the US. In recent years, the Tea Party has become a potent populist force in American politics, associated with controversial stances on global warming.

Via a series of foundations, Koch and his brother, David, have also given millions of dollars to global warming sceptics, according to Greenpeace. Read on and comment » | Toby Helm and Jamie Doward | Saturday, October 15, 2011

Action mondiale: Berne, Bâle et Zurich: les autres manifestations des «indignés»

LE MATIN: Les villes alémaniques, à l'instar de Genève en Suisse romande, ont vu défiler samedi des manifestations clairsemées et pacifistes dénonçant la crise financière actuelle.

L’appel mondial des «indignés», qui devait rassembler des manifestants à Rome, Berlin, Bruxelles ou New York, a été suivi avec plus ou moins de succès en Suisse. Zurich a attiré près de 1000 «indignés». Genève, Bâle et Berne ont également réuni quelques centaines de personnes.

Un milliers d’«indignés»

Selon les organisateurs, environ 1000 personnes étaient rassemblées sur la Paradeplatz à Zurich dans le cadre de l’action mondiale des «indignés». Elles protestaient contre le système financier et l’élite politique.

L’ambiance était détendue. Beaucoup de manifestants étaient des jeunes, mais de nombreux adultes et des familles avec enfants étaient aussi de la partie. La manifestation zurichoise, non autorisée, a notamment été organisée par les jeunesses socialistes et les jeunes Verts.

De nombreuses patrouilles de police était présentes dans des rues proches de la place, où sont situés les sièges de nombreuses banques, a constaté une journaliste de l’ats sur place. Les forces de l’ordre sont restées en retrait, sans intervenir. » | LeMatin.ch & les agencies | Samedi 15 Octobre 2011

Arraï TV, dernière tribune de Kadhafi
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Basée à Damas, cette chaîne privée est l’ultime canal de communication de l’ex-dictateur.

Kadhafi a disparu des écrans radars, mais pas du paysage médiatique. Depuis son départ précipité de Tripoli, le 23 août dernier, le colonel continue à défier ses opposants et la communauté internationale sur les ondes d’une télévision syrienne. Inconnue du grand public, Arraï (l’opinion en arabe) focalise l’attention depuis qu’elle diffuse les messages sonores (sept à ce jour) du Guide déchu et de ses proches.

Dernière missive en date? Le 6 octobre. Dans un enregistrement – à peine audible – l’ancien maître de Tripoli a appelé le peuple libyen à descendre dans la rue pour faire entendre sa voix «contre les collaborateurs de l’OTAN». Quant à Aïcha, la fille de l’ancien leader réfugié à Alger, et son grand frère Seif al-Islam, le SDF du clan, ils ne se privent pas d’utiliser cette tribune pour relayer les discours de leur père. » | Yannick Van der Schueren | Samedi 15 Octobre 2011

Heurts contre les coptes: l'Egypte adopte une loi punissant les discriminations
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L'armée égyptienne a adopté samedi une loi punissant les discriminations religieuses pour éviter de nouvelles violences à l'images de celles contre les chrétiens coptes le 9 octobre derniers.

L’armée, qui dirige l’Egypte depuis la chute du régime de Hosni Moubarak en février, a approuvé samedi une loi punissant les discriminations après les heurts entre forces de l’ordre et chrétiens coptes ayant fait 25 morts le 9 octobre au Caire.

Cet amendement au code pénal prévoit une amende de 30.000 livres égyptiennes (5'000 dollars) pour toute discrimination basée sur "le genre, l’origine, la langue, la religion ou les croyances". » | AFP | Samedi 15 Octobre 2011

Two Million People Hit by Thailand's Worst Floods for 50 Years
At least 283 people have been killed and more than 110,000 people left homeless by floods that have destroyed crops and livlihoods across Thailand.

Read short article here | Friday, October 14, 2011

Protesters in Rome Burn Cars, Break Windows
Protests inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement have become violent in Rome as 'black block' militants smash shop windows and set fire to two cars.

Comment here
THE TIMES: Rome riots in global ‘day of protest’ against corporate greed » | Sadie Gray | Saturday, October 15, 2011 [£]

Anwar al Awlaki's Son Killed in Yemen
THE AUSTRALIAN: A SON of the US-born dead al-Qa'ida cleric Anwar al Awlaki was among seven suspected jihadist militants killed by apparent US air strikes in Yemen.

"Abderrahman Anwar al Awlaki was killed in the raid," the tribal source said, adding that he received confirmation from the militant-controlled Yemeni hospital where the dead and wounded from the strikes were taken.

Awlaki himself was killed in a US drone strike on September 30, which US President Barack Obama hailed as a "major blow" to al-Qa’ida worldwide.

US intelligence officials believe Awlaki was linked to a US army major charged with shooting dead 13 people in Fort Hood, Texas, and to a Nigerian student accused of trying to blow up a US airliner on December 25, 2009.

He was also believed to be the leader of external operations of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). » | AFP | Saturday, October 15, 2011

Die Occupy-Welle geht um die Welt
Gewaltsame Ausschreitungen bei Sozialprotesten in Rom
NZZ ONLINE: Der Aktionstag gegen die Entartung des Kapitalismus hat weltweit Anklang gefunden. Vom Ostasien und Ozeanien ausgehend schwappte die Welle besonders heftig nach Europa. Insgesamt soll es Teilnehmer in 82 Ländern gegeben haben. Nur in Italien wurde es brenzlig.

Bei Protesten gegen die Macht der Finanzinstitutionen ist es am Samstag in Rom zu Ausschreitungen gekommen. Demonstranten, die sich von der Grosskundgebung abgesetzt hatten, warfen Schaufensterscheiben ein und setzten ein Auto in Brand. Schwarzer Rauch stieg in der Innenstadt auf. Zahlreiche Polizisten waren im Einsatz. Erwartet worden waren in der italienischen Hauptstadt rund 100'000 Demonstranten. » | ddp/dpa/Reuters | Samstag 15. Oktober 2011

NZZ ONLINE: Kreative Besetzung des Paradeplatzes: Einige hundert Personen bekunden in Zürich ihren Widerstand gegen die Finanzwelt » | Andreas Schmid | Samstag 15. Oktober 2011

BERNER ZEITUNG: In Rom brennen die Autos: Nach Australien sind auch in Europa Zehntausende dem weltweiten Aufruf zum Protest gegen die Macht der Banken gefolgt. In Italiens Hauptstadt kam es zu heftigen Ausschreitungen. » | kpn, jak/sda | Samstag 15. Oktober 2011

Occupy London – Live

Watch live streaming video from occupylondon2 at livestream.com

MAIL ONLINE: Day of 'Global Revolution' comes to London as thousands of demonstrators take over the City » | Lee Moran | Saturday, October 15, 2011

Protesters Hit the City of London

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Protesters descended on the City of London today as part of worldwide demonstrations against corporate greed and cutbacks.

Inspired by America's "Occupy Wall Street" and Spain's "Indignants", people took to the streets in Sydney, Hong Kong and Tokyo in the opening hours of the unprecedented global outcry.

Anger over unemployment and opposition to the financial elite hung over the protests in 951 cities in 82 countries, which coincided with a Paris meeting of G20 financial powers pre-occupied by the eurozone debt crisis.

But the demands and the sense of urgency among the activists varied depending on the city.

In London, more than 1,000 protesters gathered outside St Paul's Cathedral and struggled against police officers on horseback to enter Paternoster Square, the home of the London Stock Exchange.

Speaking at the protest, political campaigner Peter Tatchell proposed a one-off 20pc emergency tax on the net wealth of the richest 10pc of the UK population, as well as the introduction of a “Tobin Tax” on financial transactions.

"The richest 10pc of the UK population have a combined personal wealth of £4 million, million. A one-off 20pc tax on those people would raise £800 billion," he said.
"Those people can afford it, they'd feel no pain, they're so fabulously wealthy.

"With that sum of money you could pay off the entire government deficit. No need for any public spending cuts." Read on and comment » | Matthew Sparkes | Saturday, October 15, 2011

Occupy Wall Street Protests Gain Momentum Across US
Protesters campaigning against corporate greed take their demands for reform of the financial system to cities across America.

Occupy Wall Street Protests: One Hundred People Arrested at Boston Site
Police arrest scores of protesters after the Occupy Boston group, inspired by the fellow demonstrators on New York's Wall Street, expanded its encampment in the east coast US city [Monday, October 10, 2011]

Occupy Wall St Protests Spread to Asia Pacific
Occupy Wall Street protests spread to cities in Asia and the Pacific as demonstrators demand reform of the global financial system.

Read article here | Alastair Good | Saturday, October 15, 2011

Finnish Schools to Teach Islam
ON ISLAM: HELSINKI – Seeking to teach younger generations about Islam, Finland has introduced textbooks about the Islamic faith and Muslim traditions in public schools.

"The stories are set in Finland so that the events would have resonance with the lives of the pupils,” Suaad Onniselka, an author of the textbook, said, reported Ahlul Bayt news agency.

The new book, tilted [sic] “Salam – islamin polku[“] (Salam – the Path of Islam), teaches pupils about the Islamic calendar and Muslim traditions.

It also teaches young Finnish [sic] about other religions and the importance of tolerance for others.

The book features two Finnish Muslim children, Fatima and Adam, who visit a forest, a grandmother’s farm, and bake wheat buns.

“The status of Islam as a minority religion is reflected in the fact that the stories also teach how it is possible to live along with other people even though the religion and customs are different,” said Onniselka, who teaches Islam at the lower level comprehensive school in Vesala in the east of Helsinki.

The textbook is designed for the first and second school grades. Books for higher grades are currently being drafted. » | Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tony Blair on Islam

Tunisie : Les Islamistes dans les rues, la tension monte

FRANCE SOIR: De nombreux rassemblements islamistes se sont déroulés vendredi en Tunisie. Ce samedi, d'autres manifestations sont programmées. La police est intervenue à plusieurs reprises.

Les nouvelles manifestations inquiètent les dirigeants tunisiens mais aussi les pays voisins. Serait-on en train d'assister à une poussée islamiste ? Il est certainement trop tôt pour le dire mais une chose est sûre, depuis le reversement de Zine Ben Ali, le paysage politique tunisien se modifie. Et la rue gronde. La police tunisienne a en effet durcit le ton vendredi tirant des gaz lacrymogènes pour disperser un rassemblement d'islamistes, dont certains tentaient de marcher en direction des bureaux du Premier ministre dans le centre de Tunis.

Les manifestants, qui scandaient « Allahou Akbar » et réclamaient l'instauration de la charia (loi islamique) en Tunisie, ont répliqué aux gaz lacrymogènes en lançant des pierres sur les forces de police. Une situation tendue alors que les Tunisiens sont appelés aux urnes le 23 octobre pour élire une Assemblée constituante. Le scrutin risque d'être relégué au second plan par les tensions grandissantes entre les islamistes et le camp laïque. Il s'agira des premières élections depuis la chute du président en janvier dernier.

La manifestation de vendredi, qui a réuni plus de 10.000 personnes, soit la plus importante du camp islamiste à ce jour dans la capitale, avait commencé dans le calme. Lorsque la foule s'est rapprochée de la Casbah, où se trouvent les bureaux du Premier ministre, Béji Caïd Essebsi, certains groupes ont tenté de forcer les barrages de police. » | Par Actu France Soir | Samedi 15 Octobre 2011

Iran : la justice confirme la condamnation de Jafar Panahi à six ans de prison

LE POINT: Une mobilisation internationale s'était organisée en faveur du cinéaste de renommée mondiale.

La justice iranienne a confirmé la condamnation de Jafar Panahi à six ans de prison et vingt ans d'interdiction de filmer, de voyager ou de s'exprimer, malgré la mobilisation internationale en faveur du cinéaste de renommée mondiale.

Une cour d'appel "a confirmé la condamnation de Jafar Panahi à six ans de prison et vingt ans d'interdiction de faire des films ou des scénarios, de voyager à l'étranger ou de donner des interviews", a indiqué samedi un membre de sa famille à l'AFP. Jafar Panahi, qui restait samedi en liberté selon la même source, avait été condamné en décembre 2010 pour "activités contre la sécurité nationale et propagande contre le régime" après avoir entamé la réalisation d'un film sur les troubles ayant suivi la réélection controversée du président Mahmoud Ahmadinejad en juin 2009. Les gouvernements occidentaux ont dénoncé la condamnation » | Source AFP | Samedi 15 Octobre 2011

THE TIMES: Court upholds sentence against Iran director Jafar Panahi: A Tehran appeals court has upheld a six-year jail sentence and 20-year filmmaking and travel ban against the award-winning Iranian director… » | Sophie Tedmanson | Saturday, October 15, 2011 [£]

Les snipers de Kadhafi résistent au cœur de Syrte

LE FIGARO: Décidés à vendre chèrement leur peau, quelques centaines de combattants sèment la mort parmi les rebelles.

L'alignement d'immeuble gris n'est qu'une ruine. De temps à autre, un gros nuage vient s'écraser sur les murs, ajoutant un trou aux façades déjà presque méconnaissables. Le bruit de l'explosion de la roquette se perd dans la canonnade générale. Aujourd'hui, au cœur de Syrte, la première ligne de défense des kadhafistes a été pilonnée sans relâche, comme depuis deux jours. Mais les ultimes défenseurs du Guide, jouant un va-tout insensé, ne cèdent rien. Retranchés dans l'ouest de la cité, dans un quartier qui ne fait pas plus de quelques kilomètres carrés, ils ne donnent même pas l'impression de se laisser gagner par la panique.

Face à eux, à une centaine de mètres tout au plus, les thuwars, les combattants rebelles, se plaquent au sol, grimpent dans les étages pour tenter de trouver un angle de tir. Sur un balcon mal accroché, un jeune homme, que son treillis délavé et ses rares poils de barbe ne parviennent pas à vieillir, épaule un lance-roquettes et fait feu avant de partir au plus vite se mettre à l'abri. Plus que tout, les rebelles redoutent les tireurs embusqués. Dans l'air les balles sifflent. Au coin d'une rue, dans l'ombre, Salah, l'air grave, pointe son fusil de haute précision Makarov sur les gueules noires que sont devenues les fenêtres. L'œil rivé à sa lunette, iI traque son alter ego ennemi. «C'est très difficile de les voir. Ils bougent beaucoup», murmure-t-il, l'air las. » | Par Tanguy Berthemet | Vendredi 14 Octobre 2011

Religionszugehörigkeit: Israelisch ja, jüdisch nein
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Mehrere Hundert Israelis haben beim Innenministerium beantragt, künftig als „Bürger ohne Religion“ registriert zu werden. Sie protestieren damit gegen die Macht der orthodoxen Rabbiner.

Der israelische Schriftsteller Yoram Kaniuk hatte in der vergangenen Woche nur den Anfang gemacht. Am Sonntagabend reichten die Sitzplätze auf dem Dach des unbewohnten Gebäudes am Tel Aviver Rothschild-Boulevard nicht aus. Etwa 200 Israelis waren in das inoffizielle Hauptquartier der Protestbewegung gekommen, um dort Erklärungen zu unterschreiben, in denen sie verlangten, dass das Innenministerium auch sie künftig als Bürger „ohne Religion“ in seinen Registern führt.

„Die Kombination von Judentum und Demokratie funktioniert nicht“, sagte Kaniuk laut einem Bericht der Zeitung „Haaretz“. Die größten Feinde des Judentums seien das engstirnige Rabbinat und das religiöse Establishment, schimpfte der 81 Jahre alte Schriftsteller, der mit einer christlichen Frau verheiratet ist. Nach jüdischem Religionsrecht sind deshalb seine Kinder und Enkelkinder keine Juden wie er selbst; nur Kinder einer jüdischen Mutter oder Nicht-Juden, die vor ihren Rabbinern konvertierten, sind nach orthodoxem Verständnis Juden. Als die Behörden vor einiger Zeit auch seinen Enkelsohn als religionslos registrierten, hatte der Autor genug: Er zog bis vor das Tel Aviver Bezirksgericht, um durchzusetzen, dass das Innenministerium bei ihm die Religionszugehörigkeit streicht. Jetzt steht „jüdisch“ nur noch hinter seiner ethnischen Herkunft. » | Von HANS-CHRISTIAN RÖSSLER, JERUSALEM | Montag 10. Oktober 2011

Syria Is Heading for Full-blown Civil War, Top UN Official Warns
THE GUARDIAN: Ten people have died in the latest clashes as protesters urge more people to defect from the Syrian security forces

Large rallies urging further defections from the Syrian security forces have been attacked by government gunmen, as a senior United Nations official warned that the country was sliding towards a full-blown civil war.

At least 10 people were killed across Syria, taking the death toll in the six-month uprising to more than 3,000, not including loyalist members of the security forces who continue to target demonstrators.

Deir Azour in the Kurdish north was a scene of violent clashes between security forces and defectors who had been urged to swap sides by thousands of chanting activists.

In recent weeks a largely passive rights movement inside Syria has taken on a more militant tone, with activists openly seeking weapons and soldiers who have fled the army battling with their former colleagues. The Syrian government says around 1,100 security officers have been killed.

On Thursday, at least 36 people were killed nationwide, 25 of them either former or serving security force members. Friday's demonstrations were called in support of the defectors, who Syrian activists say hold the key to the future of an uprising that has become a grinding struggle.

"We know the world is not coming to help us," said one man speaking by phone from Homs. "We will do what we have to do. Our brothers in the security forces are increasingly waking up. And soon we will fight alongside them in large numbers." » | Martin Chulov in Beirut | Friday, October 14, 2011

Tunisia Extremists Firebomb Home of 'Blasphemous' TV Station Head
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tunisian extremists firebombed the home of a TV station chief Friday, hours after militants protesting its broadcast of a film they say violated Islamic values clashed with police in the streets of Tunis.

About a hundred men, some of whom threw Molotov cocktails, lay siege to the home of Nabil Karoui, the head of the private television station Nessma late on Friday, the station reported in its evening news bulletin.

Karoui's family had only just escaped, the news presenter said.

Sofiane Ben Hmida, one of Nessma's star reporters, told AFP the station chief was not at home when the attack on his house took place at around 7:00pm (1800 GMT). But his wife and children were.

About 20 of the protesters had managed to get inside.

"The family managed to get out the back and are safe. The attackers wrecked the house and set it on fire," he added.

Interior ministry spokesman Hichem Meddeb told AFP around a hundred people had turned up outside the house, forced their way inside, broken the windows and torn out two gas pipes. Five people had been arrested, he added.

This was the most serious incident yet in an escalating series of protests against the station's broadcast of "Persepolis" on October 7.

The globally acclaimed animated film on Iran's 1979 revolution offended many Muslims because it depicts an image of God as an old, bearded man. All depictions of God are forbidden by Islam. Read on and comment » | Saturday, October 15, 2011

LE FIGARO: Troubles autour du film Persepolis en Tunisie : Des milliers de personnes ont manifesté vendredi pour dénoncer la représentation de Dieu sous les traits d'un vieillard barbu. Dans la soirée, le domicile du PDG de la chaîne qui a diffusé le film a été attaqué. » | Par lefigaro.fr | Samedi 15 Octobre 2011

Italian Town Bans Any New Kebab Shops or Other 'Ethnic Food'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One of Italy's most upmarket coastal resorts has slapped a ban on the opening of kebab shops, Chinese takeaways, Indian restaurants and other purveyors of "ethnic food".

Forte dei Marmi, a leafy beachfront retreat for politicians, artists and writers on the Tuscan coast, has rebutted accusations that the prohibition is xenophobic and small-minded.

The town's council, which passed the decree unanimously this week, said the ban also applied to more familiar "foreign" establishments such as burger joints and English-style pubs.

The move is the latest expression of a culinary nationalism that is sweeping the country, as Italians struggle to hold onto centuries-old culinary traditions in the face of globalisation and immigration.

"This measure has nothing to do with xenophobia – it is about protecting and valuing our culture," said Umberto Buratti, the centre-Left mayor of the town. "We would also say no to American hamburger chains." The ban is aimed at encouraging the survival of Tuscan and Italian cuisine, although existing "ethnic" restaurants will not be closed down.

"There's a sushi takeaway, although it's not in the town centre," said the mayor. "You will still be able to eat ethnic food, we just want to limit the number of outlets." Forte dei Marmi has become popular in recent years with rich Russian tourists and a restaurant serving Russian food opened recently. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Friday, October 14, 2011

France: French Teacher Dies After Setting Herself On Fire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A French maths teacher who doused herself in petrol and set herself on fire in front of terrified pupils died of her injuries on Friday.

The 44-year-old was hospitalised on Thursday after walking into the playground of a high school in the southern city of Beziers with a jerry can of fuel and starting a blaze that left her with third-degree burns.

She staggered across the yard in front of her horrified students, some of whom joined teachers in rushing to her aid.

She was taken by helicopter to a specialist burns unit at the university teaching hospital in nearby Montpellier, but doctors could not save her.

"(The teacher) had third-degree burns over 95 per cent of her body," a hospital source told AFP. "With these burns there was no way she could have survived." » | Friday, October 14, 2011

Liam Fox Profile: Champion of Traditional Tory Values
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: In a Cabinet heavy with English public school privilege and social liberalism, Dr Liam Fox stood out.

A Scottish Catholic raised in an East Kilbride council house, he went from his state school to Glasgow University. There, he read medicine, won debating competitions and emerged as a Rightwing [sic] Conservative, resigning from the union after it recognised a gay and lesbian society.

First elected in north Somerset in 1992, he rebelled over the Maastricht Treaty, but was still given a job as a junior Foreign Office minister in the Major government. In that role he became involved in attempts to end Sri Lanka's civil war, brokering a settlement – never implemented – known as the Fox Plan.

Gregarious to a fault, stories of his social life are a staple at Westminster. In 2005, aged 44, he married Jesme Baird, a fellow medic and Glaswegian, and used the occasion to dismiss rumours that have dogged him.

"I know that some people use smears and I have heard them for years," he said. "They'd say, 'Why are you not married? You must be a playboy or a wild man or gay,' or whatever. Well, I'm getting married in December and I'm perfectly happy with my private life." » | James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Sunday, October 09, 2011 [sic?]

TELEGRAPH BLOGS – PETER OBORNE: Liam Fox resigns: he will sink without trace – The resignation of Liam Fox is not nearly as big a deal as it looks. He will sink without trace, and the waves will close over him fast. The issue has been competently handled by David Cameron, who was completely right to ask Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell to conduct a thorough enquiry before reaching a final decision. » | Peter Oborne | Friday, October 14, 2011


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Defence Secretary Liam Fox resigns over links with friend Adam Werrity: Defence Secretary Liam Fox has resigned after a week of disclosures about this links to his close friend Adam Werritty. » | Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor | Friday, October 14, 2011

Wiki-Whacked - UK
Watch Journeyman Pictures video here

Computer Program to Reveal Who Wrote the Bible
MAIL ONLINE: Can determine when passage has been written by more than one person and when new author takes over / Scientists and scholars have written algorithm that analyses writing styles

Precisely who wrote the Bible has been debated for centuries – but now scientists have devised a computer program that sheds much more light on the sources of the various religious texts within it.

Israeli computer scientists and Bible scholars have written an algorithm that analyses the writing styles found within various sections.

While it can’t pinpoint an individual author, the program has been able to determine when a passage has been written by more than one person and can detect the point at which a new author has taken over.

For instance, many believe that the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, was written by one person – Moses.

However, many experts insist there were multiple sources. » | Ted Thornhill | Friday, October 14, 2011

Steve Jobs Doomed Himself by Shunning Conventional Medicine Until Too Late, Claims Harvard Expert

MAIL ONLINE: Apple CEO's choice of alternative treatment 'led to an unnecessarily early death', Dr Ramzi Amir says

Steve Jobs would probably be alive today if he had not put off conventional medical treatment in favour of alternative remedies, a leading cancer doctor has said.

Dr Ramzi Amri, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, claims the Apple boss had a mild form of cancer that is rarely fatal and that his choice of treatment 'eventually led to an unnecessarily early death'.

Writing on Quora, a forum frequented by Silicon Valley executives, Dr Amri said: 'Let me cut to the chase - Mr Jobs allegedly chose to undergo all sorts of alternative treatment options before opting for conventional medicine.

'Given the circumstances, it seems sound to assume that Mr Jobs' choice for alternative medicine has eventually led to an unnecessarily early death.' Read on and comment » | Graham Smith | Friday, October 14, 2011

Polémique après l'élimination de l'imam al-Awlaqi
LE FIGARO: Un document du ministère de la Justice américain justifiaient le droit de l'Administration à prendre le haut-responsable d'al-Qaida «mort ou vif».

À Washington

L'administration Obama a-t-elle passé une ligne rouge lourde de conséquences futures en allant éliminer l'Américain Anwar al-Awlaqi, au Yémen, avec une frappe de drone? A-t-elle commis un acte de guerre légitime comme elle l'affirme, ou l'assassinat de l'un de ses citoyens passible d'un jugement en bonne et due forme? A-t-elle créé un précédent que certains régimes dictatoriaux utiliseront pour aller frapper leurs adversaires politiques?

Le débat ne fait certes pas la une des journaux aux États-Unis où, en plein dixième anniversaire du 11 Septembre, les impératifs de la guerre antiterroriste continuent de prévaloir sur les droits potentiels d'un imam radicalisé, connu pour avoir inspiré l'horrible tuerie de Fort Hood, au Texas, ainsi que d'autres projets d'attentats. Mais des voix s'élèvent pour réclamer des explications au pouvoir américain sur la légalité de cette opération. » | Par Laure Mandeville | Vendredi 14 Octobre 2011

Ces célébrités qui rallient le mouvement anti Wall-Street

LE FIGARO: EN IMAGES - Alors que le mouvement américain des Indignés prend de l’ampleur, plusieurs stars ont apporté leur soutien aux manifestants. Du rappeur Kanye West à l’actrice militante Susan Sarandon, tour d’horizon. À la galerie » | Par Constance Jamet | Vendredi 14 Octobre 2011

Le frère de Rachida Dati tente de se suicider

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le frère de l'ex-ministre française de la Justice, Rachida Dati, a tenté de se pendre avec ses lacets de chaussures. Il devait être jugé notamment pour vols avec violence.

Jamal Dati, le frère de l’eurodéputée et ex-Garde des Sceaux Rachida Dati, a tenté de se suicider jeudi dans les toilettes du tribunal de Briey (Meurthe-et-Moselle), où il devait être jugé en comparution immédiate, a-t-on appris vendredi de source judiciaire.

M. Dati, 39 ans, a tenté de se pendre avec les lacets de ses chaussures. "Normalement, les lacets et les chaussures sont retirés, mais au vu de la saleté des lieux, l’escorte policière a consenti à les lui laisser", a indiqué une source proche du dossier. » | AFP | Vendredi 14 Octobre 2011

The Decoder: The Anatomy of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami
Reuters takes an in-depth look at Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), the outlawed Islamic militant group.

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Set for Showdown with Police
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anti-Wall Street protesters in New York are preparing for a showdown with police when they attempt to shift them from the site today.

Hundreds of people are camped in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park, at the heart of the financial district, in protest at the greed and failures of the industry, as well as the economic difficulties facing the United States.

Around 600 protesters have been ordered to leave the park temporarily so that it can be cleaned.

Michael Bloomberg, the New York Mayor, personally assured the protesters on Wednesday evening that they could return after the clean, which was ordered by the square's private owners.

However, Ray Kelly, the city's police chief, created the spark for a potential conflict when he said camping would be banned.

The organisers of the protest, which has united several discrete groups, urged people to "hold our ground" and "be prepared for possible arrest". » | Andy Bloxham | Friday, October 14, 2011

Malaysia: Explicit Islamic Sex Manual Encourages Group Sex

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The controversial Obedient Wife Club in Malaysia has spawned new outrage by producing an explicit Islamic sex manual.

The 115-page, pocket-sized guide to Islamic sex suggests that Muslim men can have sexual relations with all their wives simultaneously. Islamic teachings say a man can take up to four wives if he has the means to support them.

The Obedient Wife Club is no stranger to controversy. When it formed in June, claiming 1,000 members, one of the founders told Malaysia’s women they need to behave like a “first-class whore” in the bedroom to stop their men from straying. » | Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok | Friday, October 14, 2011

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Says West Trying to Spread 'Iranophobia'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The West is trying but failing to instil "Iranophobia," Iran's supreme leader said on Thursday in remarks that appeared to be prompted by, but did not directly address, US allegations of a thwarted Tehran-sponsored assassination plot.

"The repeat of ineffective and stupid methods by hapless and distracted policy-makers in the West (to spread) Iranophobia will again bear no result," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an army base in the western city of Kermanshah, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"They will once again taste failure's bitterness," he said.

Khamenei added that Iran's arch-foe, the United States, was caught in a "quagmire" of its own creation because of its "wrong policies and performance."

Khamenei did not explicitly respond to US allegations that Iranian government officials were behind a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington. » | Thursday, October 13, 2011

L’Iran et les États-Unis au bord de la crise de nerf

PARIS MATCH: Les Etats-Unis ont lancé une alerte au niveau mondial, d’une durée d’un an, après avoir annoncé avoir déjoué une tentative d’attentat fomentée par le gouvernement iranien, contre l’ambassadeur saoudien à Washington. Un suspect a été arrêté, un autre est activement recherché. Téhéran a dénoncé une «conspiration diabolique».

A chaque discorde, l’Iran et les Etats-Unis semblent avoir atteint le paroxysme de leur mésentente. Pourtant, la tension entre les deux pays qui ont rompu leurs relations diplomatiques depuis la révolution islamique de 1979 a franchi un nouveau cap, mardi, avec l’annonce, par les autorités américaines, d’une tentative d’attentat déjouée contre l'ambassadeur saoudien à Washington. Abdel al-Djoubeir, un conseiller d'Abdallah, avait joué un grand rôle pour défendre le royaume après les attentats du 11-Septembre. Le président Barack Obama l’a appelé pour lui faire part de sa «solidarité». Il a dénoncé une «violation flagrante du droit américain et international». L'Arabie saoudite, elle, a jugé ce complot «ignoble» et «méprisable».


Lors d'une conférence de presse, le directeur du FBI, Robert Mueller, a précisé que l’attentat à la bombe était prévu dans un restaurant de Washington, financé par de l'argent provenant du trafic de drogue au Mexique, et qu’il avait été empêché grâce à des écoutes téléphoniques internationales. Quant aux suspects, ils auraient préparé leur coup depuis mai dernier selon un communiqué du ministère de la Justice. … » | Marie Desnos - Parismatch.com | Mercredi 12 Octobre 2011

Jamie Oliver Brands Andrew Lansley Obesity Plan as 'Patronising Rubbish'
THE GUARDIAN: Health secretary sets out 'national ambition' to cut 5bn calories a day from Britons' daily diet

Andrew Lansley's announcement of a push to get the nation to cut 5bn calories a day from its diet was immediately slammed by health experts on Thursday, and branded "worthless, regurgitated, patronising rubbish" by Jamie Oliver.

Faced with a mounting obesity crisis that a succession of government initiatives on exercise have failed to turn around, the health secretary and the chief medical officer, Sally Davies, issued a "call to action" on diet, pointing out that alcohol contributed 10% to our calorie intake.

Lansley urged individuals to eat less and eat more wisely, and promised to talk to the food industry about voluntary cuts in the calorie content of processed food and drinks.

But the new plan, which Lansley termed a "national ambition" rather than a strategy, drew immediate derision from food campaigners and doctors. "Simply telling people what they already know – that they need to eat less and move more – is a complete cop-out," said Oliver.

The TV chef and food campaigner added: "This whole strategy is just worthless, regurgitated, patronising rubbish.

"Any of us could walk into any primary school in the country and find plenty of eight-year-olds with more creative solutions to these problems. It's a farce." He called for the government to make real change and then legislate and finance it. » | Sarah Boseley, health editor | Thursday, October 13, 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Cleared of Attempted Rape Charges in France

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Paris prosecutors on Thursday dropped all attempted rape charges against Dominique Strauss Kahn – but said he had "sexually assaulted" his alleged victim.

The 62-year-old former International Monetary Fund chief had been accused by French writer Tristane Banon of attacking her in a flat in the French capital in 2003. She claimed he had acted like a "rutting chimpanzee".

Following a three[-]month inquiry, judges said the violence shown by Mr Strauss-Kahn happened such a long time ago that a criminal case could not be launched.

While the statute of limitations for attempted rape is 10 years in France, it is only three years for sexual assault. » | Peter Allen in Paris | Thursday, October 13, 2011

Queen Pulls Out of Official Engagement after Coming Down with a Cold

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Queen pulled out of an official engagement today for only the third time in five years because of ill health.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen is suffering from a cold and the decision was taken because part of the event at the British Museum, at which she had been due to be shown an exhibition about Australia, was outdoors.

The Queen sets off on a two-week tour of Australia next week and decided not to take any risks with her health. She is still expected to carry on with a reception tonight for 350 Australians living and working in Britain.

Royal aides stressed that the decision to miss the British Museum engagement was merely a precaution, but is rare for the Queen to cancel official visits. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Thursday, October 13, 2011

Anders Behring Breivik Claims There Are 80 Militant Anti-Islamic Cells in Europe

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anders Behring Breivik, who has confessed to the bomb and shooting attacks that killed 77 people in Norway in July, says there are up to 80 cells in Europe with militant anti-Islamic ideals like his own, Norwegian investigators said on Thursday.

Norwegian police said previously that Breivik had said there were two or three cells in Norway, apart from himself, and "several" elsewhere in Europe that shared his plans to stop what they saw as an Islamic invasion of Europe.

"It's more like three in Norway and 80 around Europe," police prosecutor Christian Hatlo told Reuters, adding that Breivik had made the allegation since shortly after his arrest on July 22.

Hatlo added: "We have not uncovered a single one of them."

He said the police had intentionally played down Breivik's alleging of 80 like-minded cells in order to avoid causing panic across the continent at the time.

Police spokesman Roar Hansen, who has briefed reporters since the attacks, confirmed the number. » | Thursday, October 13, 2011

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Bhutan's Dragon King Weds Student in Traditional Ceremony
Bhutan's 31-year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk marries 21-year-old student Jetsun Pema at an ancient monastic fortress in a traditional ceremony in the isolated Himalayan nation.

Read the short article here | Thursday, October 13, 2011
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Tibet Shocked by Increase in Monks Setting Themselves on Fire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Four Tibetans from a monastery in western China have succumbed to their injuries after setting themselves on fire, the Tibetan government-in-exile has claimed.

A series of self-immolations this year has shocked Tibet, with seven monks, or former monks, now having set themselves on fire.

In the last fortnight alone there have been five cases in the town of Aba, the site of an important monastery.

The Tibetan parliament, based in Dharamsala, blamed the suicide cluster on a "deteriorating situation" in Tibet and said that the victims had found "China's occupation and repression intolerable".

It said four of the seven monks had died, including Kaying, 18, and Choephel, 19, who had left the Kirti monastery and were dressed in laymen's clothes when they set themselves on fire last week. It said the condition of the other three men is "still unknown".

The claim contradicts reports in the official Chinese media, which said that four of the monks are being treated for "light wounds". » | Malcolm Moore, Shanghai | Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wo sind die Ghadhafis?
Geflüchtet, tot, versteckt: Libyens ehemalige Herrscherfamilie im Ausnahmezustand

NZZ ONLINE: Die angebliche Festnahme des Ghadhafi-Sohns Mutassim Bilal wirft die Frage auf, wo sich die anderen Mitglieder der ehemaligen Herrscherfamilie befinden. Die Flucht ins benachbarte Ausland ist bisher nur einem Teil des Clans gelungen.

Die Gerüchte über eine mögliche Festnahme des Ghadhafi-Sohns Mutassim Bilal erinnern daran, dass sich die Familie des ehemaligen libyschen Machthabers weiterhin nicht in den Händen der Rebellen befindet. Berichte über Festnahmen, etwa von Saif al-Islam und Saadi, haben sich in der Vergangenheit als Falschmeldungen erwiesen. Unklar ist, ob sich die Ghadhafi-Söhne ihre Freiheit von den Milizen, die sie angeblich gefangen genommen hatten, erkauft haben.

Als gesichert gilt derzeit einzig der Aufenthalt der Familienmitglieder, die sich in Algerien aufhalten. Am Morgen des 29. August passierten die Ehefrau Ghadhafis, Safia Farkash, ihre Tochter Aisha sowie die Söhne Muhammad und Hannibal die Grenze in einem Konvoi von sechs gepanzerten Fahrzeugen. Das algerische Aussenministerium bestätigte später, man habe die Familie aus «humanitären Gründen» einreisen lassen. Aisha bint-Ghadhafi soll bei der Reise hochschwanger gewesen sein. Nur einen Tag später hiess es, sie habe eine Tochter geboren. » | Von Isabelle Imhof | Donnerstag 13. Oktober 2011

Norvège: Breivik va pouvoir sortir du régime d’isolement total
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Anders Behring Breivik va pouvoir sortir du régime d’isolement total dans lequel il était placé depuis son arrestation après les attaques du 22 juillet.

Le tueur norvégien Anders Behring Breivik va pouvoir sortir du régime d’isolement total dans lequel il était placé depuis son arrestation après les attaques du 22 juillet, a annoncé la police norvégienne, précisant toutefois qu’il demeurerait isolé des autres détenus.
"Nous n’allons pas prolonger l’isolement total au-delà du 17 octobre", a déclaré Christian Hatlo, procureur de la police, lors d’un point de presse. » | AFP | Jeudi 13 Octobre 2011

King of Bhutan Marries Commoner Bride

THE INDEPENDENT: The fifth Dragon King came down from his golden throne to place a silk crown upon the head of his bride. Monks chanted in celebration and she took her seat beside him this morning to become the new queen of the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan.

The wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck to his commoner bride, Jetsun Pema, has captivated a nation that had grown impatient with their 31-year-old bachelor king's lack of urgency to take a wife and start a family since his father retired and handed power to him five years ago.

Thousands of Bhutanese from the surrounding villages joined the king and queen at their wedding reception at a fairground outside the country's most sacred monastery fortress, where a slate of dancers performed traditional routines for the new couple.

"I have longed for this celebration, and here it is," said Pema Gyeltshen, a nearby villager, as he watched the dancing.

When the king, who has a reputation as a down-to-earth and accessible leader, was asked how it felt to be married, he asked his questioner if she was married. When she said no, he responded: "It's great; you should try it yourself." » | AP | Thursday, October 13, 2011

BOSTON.COM: Bhutan Crowns a New King » | Friday, November 07, 2008

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Saudi Arabien und Iran: Alte Feindschaft mit neuer Dynamik
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Mit der „islamischen Revolution“ des Ajatollah Chomeini 1979 begann die Feindschaft zwischen Iran und Saudi-Arabien: Teheran erklärte Amerika zum „Großen Satan“, während Riad schon damals der wichtigste Verbündete Washingtons in der arabischen Welt war.

Der Gegensatz zwischen Saudi-Arabien und der Islamischen Republik Iran geht auf die „islamische Revolution“ des Ajatollah Chomeini im Jahre 1979 zurück. Während die neuen Machthaber in Teheran sofort die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika zu ihrem ideologischen Hauptfeind und zum „Großen Satan“ erklärten, war Saudi-Arabien schon damals der wichtigste und einflussreichste Verbündete Washingtons in der arabischen Welt; die Kontakte datierten bis zu Präsident Franklin D. Roosevelt zurück, der - nach einem Treffen mit dem Reichsgründer Abd al Aziz Ibn Saud am 5. Februar 1945 - die wachsende Bedeutung des saudischen Königreiches erkannt hatte - nicht zuletzt der Erdölvorräte wegen. » | Von WOLFGANG GÜNTER LERCH | Mittwoch 12. Oktober 2011

Les djihadistes salafistes prospèrent à Gaza
LE FIGARO: Suiveurs de l'idéologie d'al-Qaida, ils sont les principaux opposants au Hamas dans l'enclave de Gaza.

La voiture soulève un épais nuage de poussière sur son passage, slalome entre les monticules de sable qui cachent, tout au long de la frontière égyptienne, l'entrée de centaines de tunnels de contrebande. Le conducteur, propriétaire de l'un des tunnels, salue les policiers du Hamas installés par petits groupes à chaque carrefour : une nouveauté. Officiellement, ces gardiens agissent comme douaniers, taxant les produits qui arrivent sur la bande de Gaza. Il s'agit en réalité d'empêcher la circulation des sala¬fistes djihadistes et de leurs armes.

Suiveurs de l'idéologie d'al-Qaida, ils sont les principaux opposants au Hamas dans l'enclave de Gaza. «Il ne suffit pas d'être proche de l'islam, il faut pratiquer la charia et appliquer ses règles, ce que ne fait pas le Hamas, explique un commandant de l'Armée de l'islam, groupuscule de djihadistes salafistes installé à Gaza. Notre lutte ne se limite pas à un morceau de terre, nous menons un combat entre l'islam et la mécréance. Nous demandons aux musulmans, juifs, chrétiens et autres de se soumettre aux lois de l'islam.» Ils n'ont que faire de la cause palestinienne, ne reconnaissent aucun parti politique, n'envisagent aucune négociation. «Via les tunnels, ils reçoivent de l'argent d'Arabie saoudite, du Yémen, du Qatar ou d'Europe», explique une source bien informée. » | Par Katia Clarens | Envoyée spéciale à Gaza | Mercredi 12 Octobre 2011

Yulia Tymoshenko Says Ukraine Trial 'Like Stalin's Soviet Union' as She Is Jailed for 7 Years

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: European leaders on Tuesday night warned Ukraine that its decision to sentence former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko to seven years in jail would have “profound implications” for a country vying to join the European Union.

For her part, Mrs Tymoshenko said the trial would not have been out of place in Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union after the presiding judge, Rodion Kireyev, ruled in a politically-tinged trial that she “criminally” exceeded her powers in 2009.

“The manner in which the trial has been conducted and today’s conviction are an example of the politicisation of the Ukrainian judiciary. Ukraine’s image as a country that is undertaking a fundamental pro-European transformation has been tarnished,” said the Polish foreign ministry, which currently holds the EU presidency.

Baroness Ashton, EU foreign policy chief, said the union would “reflect on its policies” towards Kiev.

Punishing her for what amounted to a political rather than a criminal act, Mr Kireyev ruled that Mrs Tymoshenko had illegally concluded a gas deal with Russia that had lost the Ukrainian treasury the equivalent of £121 million and damaged the country’s own gas industry.

“Tymoshenko ... used her official powers to criminal ends and, acting consciously, committed actions which clearly exceeded her rights and powers which had heavy consequences,” Judge Kireyev told the court in Kiev.

He ordered her to pay a fine equivalent to £121 million, barred her from holding office for the next three years and sentenced her to seven years in jail, the exact term that state prosecutors demanded. Continue reading and comment » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Sunday, October 11, 2011

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