Herman Cain Accused of 13-year Affair with Businesswoman

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Herman Cain has been accused of having a 13-year affair with a businesswoman, providing a potentially lethal blow to a presidential bid already faltering under the weight of repeated sexual allegations.

The former pizza executive strenuously denied the detailed claims made by Ginger White, a woman he described as "an acquaintance who I thought was a friend".

Miss White said they met after a business presentation by Mr Cain in the late 1990s and that for more than a decade he had flown her to cities around the United States where they had sex in upmarket hotels.

The single mother of two said that their physical relationship had ended eight months ago, shortly before he declared his presidential bid, but that they had spoken as recently as September.

Her mobile phone bills showed she had contact with him 61 times in recent months, often receiving calls or texts in the early hours of the morning.

"He made it very intriguing. It was fun. It was something that took me away from my humdrum life at the time," she told Fox Atlanta. » | Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Egyptians Head to Polls for Second Day

Islamic Schools Flourish to Meet Demand

THE GUARDIAN: Demand for Islamic education in England is growing fast and schools – official and unofficial – are springing up to meet it. Now some local authorities are concerned that there is insufficient regulation

At about eight o'clock on a dull autumnal morning, a mother is preparing breakfast for her young son in the kitchen of an unassuming private house on a little modern estate in Leicester. The doorbell rings. Outside, a series of people carriers and estate cars are rolling up one by one; out of them tumbling a succession of children in twos and threes, all in traditional Islamic dress.

By 8.30, 26 children – some of them only just old enough for school, some almost grown – are sitting in tight rows on the floor of a little inner room, reciting morning prayers in Arabic and in English. By 9.30, the conservatory has become an infant classroom, the dining room has been taken over by the juniors and in the living room, year 7 and 8 girls are preparing to spread their geography projects across the laminate flooring.

By now, the mother has vanished – she doesn't want her name or address to be used, she says, because already families are turning up at odd hours asking to look round the "school" – and Fatima D'Oyen, director of Manara Education, has taken charge with her small team of staff.

There's no doubting that the Manara academy is a most unusual educational institution. But it's also part of a national trend. Although the number of Islamic schools is still small – around 140 at the latest count, just 12 of them state-funded – it is growing fast. About 60 of these schools have opened in the last 10 years; several in the last couple of months. And the demand from parents seems to be huge – one school in Birmingham recently attracted 1,500 applications for just 60 places. At least five Islamic schools have recently applied to be free schools, although so far only one has been approved.

Manara is one of two Islamic schools that have opened in Leicester this autumn – although in its case, the word "school" can only be used loosely. Manara operates just three mornings a week, and its pupils are registered as home-educated. » | Fran Abrams | Monday, November 28, 2011

Hasn't He Done Well! John Bercow Unveils His £37,000 Portrait and Coat of Arms Complete with Ladder, Rainbow and Pink Triangles

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: John Bercow has unveiled his official coat of arms, dominated by a ladder to represent his climb to the top and a rainbow and pink triangles to mark his support for homosexual issues.

The Speaker of the House of Commons also revealed his new official portrait by British artist Brendan Kelly, depicting him rising from his Speaker's chair and motioning towards the Government benches.

The total bill to the taxpayer is £37,000, prompting criticism from value for money campaigners, who said it was “very excessive at a time of public sector austerity” and only aimed at “boosting John Bercow’s ego”.

Mr Bercow’s official coat of arms sits in the frame of his portrait. It is dominated by a ladder, four roundels and two curved ‘seax’ knives.

The ladder represents Mr Bercow’s ascent from humble beginnings, as the son of a taxi driver in north London. He went to a comprehensive, before entering Parliament as MP for Buckingham and becoming Speaker in 2009.

The roundels mark Mr Bercow’s fondness for tennis – he is a qualified lawn tennis coach – and also represent his role as ex officio chairman of the Boundaries Commission of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The seax knives, which were traditionally worn by Saxon warriers over 1,000 years ago, represent Mr Bercow’s attachment to Essex.

He went to university in the county, graduating in 1985 with a first class degree in Government.

The rainbow colours and pink triangles mark Mr Bercow's championing of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans-sexual people. They sit between his motto: “All Are Equal”.

The red and blue colours, as well as the gold colour of the roundels, represent the three main parties in the House of Commons. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Monday, November 28, 2011

La gangrène menace Seif al-Islam s’il n’est pas soigné

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le fils de Mouammar Kadhafi, arrêté le 19 novembre et blessé à la main droite, pourrait développer une gangrène si ses blessures ne sont pas soignées, a déclaré lundi le médecin ukrainien qui l’a examiné.

Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, fils de l’ancien dirigeant libyen arrêté le 19 novembre dans le sud du pays, pourrait développer une gangrène si ses blessures ne sont pas soignées, a déclaré lundi le médecin ukrainien qui l’a examiné.

"Ses blessures sont graves mais quand je les ai vues, elles n’étaient pas gangrenées. Elles peuvent le devenir si elles ne sont pas soignées", a déclaré le Dr Andreï Mourakhovsky, qui a fait un pansement à la main droite du prisonnier au lendemain de son arrestation.

Une semaine après cette première visite, le Dr Mourakhovsky a exprimé son inquiétude: "J’avais été appelé par le conseil militaire. J’ai nettoyé la blessure et j’ai fait un pansement. Maintenant, il faut refaire un nouveau pansement. Le chef du conseil militaire a dit qu’il allait m’appeler mais ils ne l’ont toujours pas fait". » | AFP | lundi 28 novembre 2011

Deutschland, «einmal mehr»

TAGES ANZEIGER: Im verzweifelten Kampf um die Eurorettung brechen Jahrhunderte alte Gräben wieder auf: Briten und Franzosen zeichnen das Bild des hässlichen Deutschen.

Im Ringen um die Eurorettung liegen die Nerven in Europa blank. So blank, dass die Stimmung hie und da gehässig wird – insbesondere in Grossbritannien und Frankreich gegen die deutsche Regierung, die sich nicht für eine EZB-Aktion oder für Eurobonds aussprechen will. Dabei brechen Animositäten hervor, die man für überholt hielt: Deutschland wird zum Kriegsherrn stilisiert, der es im letzten Jahrhundert zweimal war. «Da wird mit uralten Stereotypen gearbeitet», sagt Joachim Knape, Professor für Allgemeine Rhetorik an der Universität Tübingen.

So schreibt etwa der französische Ökonom und frühere Regierungsberater Jacques Attali, Deutschland sei «einmal mehr verantwortlich für den Selbstmord des fortschrittlichsten Kontinents der Welt», falls es dem Anleihenkauf der EZB nicht zustimme. Deutschland halte dazu «die Waffe in der Hand». «Der Aufstieg des Vierten Reichs» » | Von Olivia Kühni | Montag 28. November 2011

Racist Rant of Mother Captured on Camera Phone Shocks Tram Passengers
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The racist rant of a young mother on a busy tram has caused an outpouring of outrage from across Britain.

The unidentified mother was filmed holding her toddler son on her lap while abusing black passengers.

The expletive-filled video shows the white mother on a tram screaming abuse at passengers on the Croydon to Wimbledon service in South London.

The brunette mother blasts black, Polish and foreign commuters with a hate-filled tirade demanding they "go back to their own country", saying that they are not British.

The footage has been viewed thousands of times by internet users - with many reacting angrily and calling for the woman to be arrested and charged. » | Monday, November 28, 2011

Disgusting Racist Rant »

Whatever has become of the refined English lady and gentleman of yore? This is the language of the sewer; and the mentality of a Nazi! Disgusting! – © Mark

Kuwaiti Emir to Hold Crisis Meeting After Three Ministers Quit Over Protests

THE GUARDIAN: Newspaper reports government could resign before demonstration demanding PM resign over corruption allegations

Kuwait's ruler will hold an emergency meeting with his cabinet to try to avert a possible government collapse after three ministers resigned amid growing protests, a Kuwaiti newspaper said.

Kuwaiti daily newspaper al-Watan said the government could submit its resignation to the emir on Monday morning before protesters plan a large demonstration against the government.

"His Highness the emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah will head a cabinet meeting to end the current crisis between the legislative and the executive authorities," Watan reported, citing special sources.

The paper said at least three ministers, including the minister of justice, minister of health and minister of state for development affairs, had resigned because they were unhappy with the government's performance. » | Reuters in Kuwait | Monday, November 28, 2011

Tehran Votes to Expel Britain's Ambassador
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Iran erupted in a fresh frenzy of animosity towards its old imperial foe on Sunday as MPs chanting "death to England" voted to expel Britain's ambassador to Tehran and threatened his mission with a reprise of the 1979 hostage crisis.

Dominic Chilcott, who took up the position of ambassador just a month ago, could be forced to leave the country within weeks after a motion to downgrade Iran's diplomatic ties with Britain was passed overwhelmingly by the Islamist republic's parliament.

The step was taken after Britain, Canada and the United States announced fresh sanctions against Iran last week in the wake of a report by UN weapons inspectors which provided the most compelling case yet that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear bomb.

Britain was singled out, however, after it became the first state to impose direct sanctions on Iran's central bank. Financial institutions in the City were also banned from doing business with their Iranian counterparts.

Despite pressure from Israel, Washington has baulked at following suit, arguing that such a step would cause deep financial pain for ordinary Iranians and could cause the price of oil to soar. If its central bank faced widespread international sanctions, Iran would find it virtually impossible to import and export oil, food and other commodities except on the black market.

It is the first time in the UK's postwar history that Britain has imposed a total boycott on the entire banking industry of a foreign state.

Iranian MPs were incandescent in their fury towards Britain, known by many in Iran as "the Old Fox". After announcing that the motion had been carried by 171 votes to three, Ali Larijani, the hawkish speaker, warned that even tougher penalties would be imposed on Britain, saying: "this is just the beginning of the road." Read on and comment » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, November 17, 2011

New Dark Age: Muslim Medical Students Boycotting Lectures on Evolution... Because It 'Clashes with the Koran'

MAIL ON SUNDAY: Muslim students, including trainee doctors on one of Britain's leading medical courses, are walking out of lectures on evolution claiming it conflicts with creationist ideas established in the Koran.

Professors at University College London have expressed concern over the increasing number of biology students boycotting lectures on Darwinist theory, which form an important part of the syllabus, citing their religion.

Similar to the beliefs expressed by fundamentalist Christians, Muslim opponents to Darwinism maintain that Allah created the world, mankind and all known species in a single act.

Steve Jones emeritus professor of human genetics at university college London has questioned why such students would want to study biology at all when it obviously conflicts with their beliefs.

He told the Sunday Times [£]: 'I had one or two slightly frisky discussions years ago with kids who belonged to fundamentalist Christian churches, now it is Islamic overwhelmingly.

'They don't come [to lectures] or they complain about it or they send notes or emails saying theyshouldn't have to learn this stuff.

'What they object to - and I don't really understand it, I am not religious - they object to the idea that there is a random process out there which is not directed by God.' » | Daily Mail Reporter | Sunday, November 27, 2011

Newt Gingrich Wins New Hampshire Union Leader Endorsement

THE GUARDIAN: Newspaper snubs Mitt Romney six weeks ahead of Republican primary and backs former Speaker of House of Representatives

The influential New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper has endorsed Newt Gingrich as the Republican party's presidential candidate, snubbing favourite Mitt Romney six weeks before voters in the state cast their ballots in one of the first Republican primaries.

"We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing," the state's largest newspaper wrote in a Sunday editorial which promoted Gingrich while delivering Romney a discreet rebuke.

"We don't back candidates based on popularity polls or big-shot backers. We look for conservatives of courage and conviction who are independent-minded, grounded in their core beliefs about this nation and its people, and best equipped for the job," the newspaper said. » | Associated Press | Sunday, November 27, 2011

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Now Scared, Alone and Pondering His Fate

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, held in a secret location by the men of Zintan who his family fought, must wonder if he will get a fair trial - and then execution.

There are no books, and no television. More importantly perhaps, for a partygoer used to shooting weekends at country houses and birthday celebrations, there is no company.

In an anonymous concrete house, in the back streets of the mountain stronghold of Zintan, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi sits alone, with no access yet to a lawyer, friends, or even the four men captured with him.

"For sure, he is just sitting there, thinking about his fate," Osama Jueili, the head of the Zintan Brigade and the man responsible for Saif al-Islam's security, told The Sunday Telegraph.

He does have 20 brigade men on permanent station to guard him. It is doubtful they have much in common with the man who pursued the bright lights of Europe in white tie and tails and once thought he was destined to rule over them.

The capture of the late dictator's son was a happy moment for Libya. A clean operation, it was performed without the bloodlust attendant on his father, Muammar, and brother, Mutassim.

Yet unlike their deaths, Saif al-Islam's fate will linger in the international consciousness for months as he is brought to trial and, most likely, convicted and hanged. Endless questions will be raised – not least by his own lawyers – about his character, his relationship to his father, and his close contacts with politicians and businessmen like Tony Blair, and fellow partygoers Peter Mandelson, Nathaniel Rothschild and Oleg Deripaska.

The process will be a test too of the stability of the new Libya, and of whether a country held in thrall to the whim of one man can unite to the difficult cause of building peaceful, prosperous institutions. » | Richard Spencer, Zintan | Sunday, November 27, 2011

Niall Ferguson Threatens to Sue over Accusation of Racism

THE GUARDIAN: Historian claims writer Pankaj Mishra accused him of racism and must apologise or face court action

It has been an intellectual spat of some savagery, so far largely confined to the refined pages of one of Britain's most respected literary magazines.

This weekend, however, it seems ever more likely that a court will have to adjudicate between the historian Niall Ferguson and writer Pankaj Mishra over Ferguson's claim that he had been accused of being a "racist".

Indeed, not since VS Naipaul and Paul Theroux fell out has there been a spat like this in the letters pages of a literary journal. A new exchange of correspondence in the current London Review of Books, triggered by Mishra's review of the Harvard professor's latest book Civilization, which Ferguson claims was "defamatory", is evidence that the row is becoming more intense.

In his letter Ferguson charges Mishra of being "in full and ignominious retreat", condemning both Mishra and the LRB for refusing to apologise. » | Peter Beaumont | Saturday, November 26, 2011

Islamists in Morocco Election Claim 'Historic' Vote Breakthrough

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Morocco's moderate Islamists said today that they were poised for an unprecedented electoral win.

Morocco's moderate Islamists are the latest religious party to achieve spectacular gains on the back of the Arab Spring.

A month after Islamists won Tunisia's post-revolution election and days before their predicted surge in Egyptian polls, their Moroccan counterparts claimed to have achieved a similar breakthrough without bloodshed.

With official results expected Sunday, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) – a moderate Islamist movement which accepts the monarchy – said its own figures gave it a clear edge.

"The figures which we have allow us to say that we will have over 100 seats" out of the 395 in parliament, PJD parliamentary bloc leader Lahcen Daoudi said, adding that his party notched up wins in rural areas where it had little traditional support.

"We have already won over 80 seats and I can tell you that we will easily have over 100 seats. This is a historic turning point," added Mustapha el Khelfi, the managing editor of Attajdid, the PJD's mouthpiece. » | Saturday, November 26, 2011

My comment:

What’s all this talk about “moderate Islamism”? Now that’s an oxymoron if ever I heard one! Islam is not given to moderation; Islamism still less so! What a load of tosh! They might well appear moderate on the surface, and at the start; but just wait! They’ll soon show just how moderate they are. – © Mark

Related »

New Zealand Election: John Key Wins Second Term as Prime Minister

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: John Key, the New Zealand prime minister, promised voters 'a brighter future' after his centre-right National party was swept back to power in a general election on Saturday.

During a victory speech to ecstatic supporters chanting "three more years", Mr Key said: "We have been given the trust and goodwill of New Zealanders.

"I do not take that trust for granted, and I never will.

"Tonight New Zealanders voted for a brighter future, and there will be a brighter future."

Mr Key alluded to some of the major issues he had faced during his first term in office, such as the destructive Christchurch earthquakes and the Pike River coal mine disaster.

"Over the past 15 months, New Zealand has experienced more than its fair share of challenges, but as a country we have risen to them," he said.

"We have shown that in the worst of times you have seen the very best of New Zealanders."

In an interview later, he renewed his commitment to returning the government's books to surplus by 2014 and addressing the controversial topic of welfare reform. » | Paul Chapman, Wellington | Saturday, November 16, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Smiling Assassin »

DIE PRESSE: Neuseeland: Konservative vor Wahlsieg im plötzlichen Auswanderungsland » | Manuela Kornell | Freitag 25. November 2011

Early Results Show Islamist Party Lead in Morocco
BRADENTON HERALD: Election results for the first 50 seats in Morocco's parliament announced by the state news agency early Saturday suggest a moderate Islamist party is taking 40 percent of the vote.

With just a fraction of the results for the 395-seat Parliament reported, the opposition Justice and Development Party looks to have dramatically increased its share.

Party Secretary General Abdelilah Benkirane said late Friday that by its own estimates, his party had come in first.

According to the new constitution, the party with the most seats gets first crack at forming a new government, so if the trend continues, the Islamists must find coalition partners willing to work with them.

In recent years Morocco's Islamists have cultivated an image as honest outsiders battling corruption and seeking to improve services, rather than focusing on moral issues such as the women's headscarf.

Morocco, a close U.S. ally and popular European tourist destination suffers from high unemployment and widespread poverty.

If the Islamists do end up winning the most seats, that would appear to confirm a trend of victories by Islamist parties in elections prompted by the Arab Spring, following Ennahda's win last month in Tunisia. Read on and comment » | PAUL SCHEMM, Associated Press | Saturday, November 26, 2011
LE MONDE: Les islamistes revendiquent la victoire électorale au Maroc » | Isabelle Mandraud, envoyée spéciale au Maroc | samedi 26 novembre 2011

Zapatero und die Medien: Verdiente Ruhe

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Kaum ist der spanische Ministerpräsident Zapatero abgewählt, fallen die Medien über ihn her. Egal ob Freund, ob Feind: Der Sozialist wird verhöhnt und verteufelt. Nur von einem nicht.

Es ist nicht leicht, eine angemessene Vorstellung von der Abneigung und Verachtung zu geben, welche die rechten spanischen Medien - Presse, Radio, Fernsehen - gegenüber José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero über die letzten acht Jahre an den Tag gelegt haben. Es ist auch nicht leicht, in Spanien über „links“ und „rechts“ zu reden, aber davon gleich. Alle Arten von Witzen, Wortspielen und Namensverdrehungen waren gängige Münze, um den sozialistischen Ministerpräsidenten zu verhöhnen, tagaus, tagein.

Auf dem Cover eines Buchs erschien Zapatero mit gefährlich funkelnden grünen Augen, langen Ohren und übertrieben spitzen Augenbrauen, als sei er der leibhaftige Teufel. Die „Augenbrauen des Präsidenten“ mit Hilfe von Photoshop als verräterisches Signal des Bösen schlechthin zu nehmen lag für eine klerikale Wählerschaft durchaus nahe, die der Regierungschef durch seine Gesetze zu Schwulenehe und Express-Scheidung brüskiert hatte. Sogar die spanischen Bischöfe gingen auf die Straße. » | PAUL INGENDAAY | Donnerstag 24. November 2011

A Bible Is a Thing of Beauty: Gove to Send One St James Text to Every School in Move Blasted as 'Unacceptable Waste of Money'
MAIL ONLINE: The Prime Minister will send every school in Britain a copy of the King James Bible – complete with a foreword by the Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Mr Gove said the Bible was the most ‘important book written in the English language’ and had major cultural and historical significance.

But the move is highly controversial with non-religious groups condemning it as an unacceptable waste of public money.

Critics also mocked the project on Twitter with former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott describing it as Mr Gove’s ‘vanity project’.

The Department for Education confirmed that the Bibles will be sent out to over 20,000 schools to mark the 400th anniversary of it[s] translation.

Supporters said the book will help school pupils of all faiths to take pride in the history and culture of Britain.

Government ministers have always been careful to avoid controversies surrounding religion with Tony Blair’s former communications chief Alastair Campbell famously once declaring: ‘We don’t do God’.

But Mr Gove said: ‘It‘s a thing of beauty, and it‘s also an incredibly important historical artefact. It has helped shape and define the English language and is one of the keystones of our shared culture. And it is a work that has had international significance’. Continue reading and comment » | Kirsty Walker | Saturday, November 26, 2011

Prepare for Riots in Euro Collapse, Foreign Office Warns
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: British embassies in the eurozone have been told to draw up plans to help British expats through the collapse of the single currency, amid new fears for Italy and Spain.

As the Italian government struggled to borrow and Spain considered seeking an international bail-out, British ministers privately warned that the break-up of the euro, once almost unthinkable, is now increasingly plausible.

Diplomats are preparing to help Britons abroad through a banking collapse and even riots arising from the debt crisis.

The Treasury confirmed earlier this month that contingency planning for a collapse is now under way.

A senior minister has now revealed the extent of the Government’s concern, saying that Britain is now planning on the basis that a euro collapse is now just a matter of time.

“It’s in our interests that they keep playing for time because that gives us more time to prepare,” the minister told the Daily Telegraph.

Recent Foreign and Commonwealth Office instructions to embassies and consulates request contingency planning for extreme scenarios including rioting and social unrest. » | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor | Friday, November 25, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Eurozone looks to International Monetary Fund as contagion spreads: • Italian and Spanish bond yields reach new highs • Belgium downgraded by S&P credit-rating agency » | David Gow in Brussels and Giles Tremlett in Madrid | Friday, November 25, 2011

Blinded by Acid, Now Denied Compensation for Showing Her Attacker Mercy
THE INDEPENDENT: Iranian woman spares assailant a similar fate – only for courts to take away payout

A woman blinded and horrifically disfigured in an acid attack by a spurned admirer is suing Iran's judiciary after accusing senior officials of cheating her out of compensation when she agreed to spare her attacker from a similar fate.

Ameneh Bahrami, 34, suffered severe injuries to her eyes, face and hands when a former university classmate, Majid Movahedi, threw acid in her face after she rejected his advances. In November 2008, a criminal court in Tehran ordered Movahedi to be blinded in both eyes under Iran's application of the sharia code of qisas, which allows retribution for violent crimes.

But he was given an eleventh hour reprieve in July when Ms Bahrami exercised her right to pardon him. Prison officials had been preparing to drop acid into his eyes when the pardon was delivered.

Ms Bahrami says she is paying the price for her leniency after being told by judiciary officials that she no longer had the right to compensation, which Movahedi was ordered to pay when he was sentenced.

After being pardoned, Movahedi's sentence was reduced to 10 years in prison and five years exiled in a remote area. The sentence no longer requires him to pay compensation, something Ms Bahrami is now disputing. » | Noushin Hoseiny | Friday, November 25, 2011

Egypt: America Tells Generals to Quit, as Siege of Cairo Goes On
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Egypt's political crisis deepened on Friday as the US urged the military to give up power immediately and protesters laid siege to the Cabinet office in Cairo.

The demonstrators were trying to prevent a new prime minister, derided as a stooge of the military leadership, from taking up his post. For the seventh successive day, a vast crowd thronged the city's Tahrir Square to press their demand for an immediate restoration of civilian rule.

More than 100,000 people heeded a call for a show of force at the landmark.

The White House said the transfer of power to a civilian government in Egypt must be "just and inclusive" and take place "as soon as possible".

In a significant increase of pressure on the ruling generals, Jay Carney, a White House spokesman, said: "The United States strongly believes that the new Egyptian government must be empowered with real authority immediately."

The US provides $1.3 billion (£900 million) in aid to the Egyptian military each year. It has repeatedly called for restraint on both sides despite evidence of brutal tactics by the military. » | Adrian Blomfield, Cairo | Friday, November 25, 2011

Neuseeland: Konservative vor Wahlsieg im plötzlichen Auswanderungsland

DIE PRESSE: Die regierende „National Party“ ist laut Umfrage klar vor der Labour-Opposition, die Mindestlöhne anheben und Auswanderung bremsen will. Die die Gehälter treiben mehr Neuseeländer als je zuvor ins Ausland.

Auckland/Wellington. Die letzten zwölf Monate haben es nicht gut gemeint mit dem Inselstaat im Südpazifik. Erdbeben, ein Minenunglück, eine Ölpest und die weltweite Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrise haben dem kleinen Land mit nur rund vier Millionen Bewohnern stark zugesetzt. Die Parlamentswahl am heutigen Samstag ist ausschlaggebend dafür, welchen Weg Neuseeland in Zukunft einschlagen wird. Die Staatsverschuldung steht jedenfalls ganz oben auf der Agenda für die Wahl.

Die Politiker haben aber auch mit einem anderen massiven Problem zu kämpfen: Steigende Lebenshaltungskosten (vor allem Mieten und Lebensmittel), gepaart mit einem niedrigen Lohnniveau – die Gehälter hier sind im Schnitt um 30 Prozent niedriger als im benachbarten Australien – treiben mehr Neuseeländer als je zuvor ins Ausland. Zum ersten Mal seit zehn Jahren hat das Land eine negative Migrationsbilanz. » | Manuela Kornell | Freitag 25. November 2011

Bushfires in Western Australia Force Residents onto Beach
Residents of the Margaret River region of Western Australia were forced to take shelter on the local beach as bushfires swept the area destroying over 30 homes.

Read short article here | Friday, November 25, 2011

Protests and Prayers Sweep the Arab World
Thousands of people turned out for demonstrations and prayers on the streets of Egypt, Yemen and Syria.

Read article here | Friday, November 25, 2011

Apartheid Row at Norwegian School after It Segregates Ethnic Pupils

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A political row has broken out in Norway after a secondary school segregated students with ethnic backgrounds in classes away from white Norwegians.

Bjerke Upper Secondary School in Oslo filled one of the three general studies sets solely with pupils with immigrant parents, after many white Norwegians from last year's intake changed schools.

The controversy over the decision has highlighted the unease in Norway over how to integrate the 420,000 "non-Nordic" citizens who immigrated between 1990 and 2009, and who make up 28 per cent of Oslo's population.

"This is the first time I've heard about this, and it is totally unacceptable," Torge Ødegaard, Oslo education commissioner, said on Friday, before pressuring the school to inform parents that the three classes would now be reorganised. The letter to parents read: "Such a division of the students is not in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act. The school regrets this error."

But Robert Wright, a Christian Democrat politician and former head of the city's schools board, struck back, arguing that the authorities had been wrong to block the move. He also said that other Oslo schools should start to segregate classes to prevent a situation of "white flight" developing.

"I think we have to try this to see how it's functioning," he told The Daily Telegraph. "Bjerke School has come up with a radical solution to a real problem, but the politicians have just said 'no'."

He said that the school's decision reflected problems stemming from the high rate of immigration Oslo has seen in recent decades. » | Richard Orange in Malmö | Friday, November 25, 2011

'Harry Potter and Yoga Are Evil', Says Catholic Church Exorcist
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: For most people it is a way of toning the limbs and soothing the stresses of everyday life, but the Catholic Church’s best-known exorcist says yoga is evil.

Father Gabriele Amorth, who for years was the Vatican’s chief exorcist and claims to have cleansed hundreds of people of evil spirits, said yoga is Satanic because it leads to a worship of Hinduism and “all eastern religions are based on a false belief in reincarnation”.

Reading JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books is no less dangerous, said the 86-year-old priest, who is the honorary president for life of the International Association of Exorcists, which he founded in 1990, and whose favourite film is the 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist.

The Harry Potter books, which have sold millions of copies worldwide, “seem innocuous” but in fact encourage children to believe in black magic and wizardry, Father Amorth said.

“Practising yoga is Satanic, it leads to evil just like reading Harry Potter,” he told a film festival in Umbria this week, where he was invited to introduce The Rite, a film about exorcism starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as a Jesuit priest.

“In Harry Potter the Devil acts in a crafty and covert manner, under the guise of extraordinary powers, magic spells and curses,” said the priest, who in 1986 was appointed the chief exorcist for the Diocese of Rome.

“Satan is always hidden and what he most wants is for us not to believe in his existence. He studies every one of us and our tendencies towards good and evil, and then he offers temptations.” Science was incapable of explaining evil, said Father Amorth, who has written two books on his experiences as an exorcist. “It’s not worth a jot. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Friday, November 25, 2011

Thai Facebookers Warned Not to 'Like' Anti-monarchy Groups

THE GUARDIAN: Country's strict laws against insulting the monarch have been used to jail a man for 20 years for sending text messages

A government minister in Thailand has warned Facebook users that anyone pressing the "like" button on posts that might be offensive to the monarchy could be prosecuted under the country's strict lèse-majesté laws.

The warning was given two days after a Thai criminal court sentenced Amphon Tangnoppaku, 61, to 20 years in prison for sending text messages deemed insulting to the country's queen.

Amphon was found guilty on four counts and sentenced to five years' consecutive jail on each charge.

Thailand's laws against lèse-majesté (insulting a monarch) are the most severe in the world. Even repeating the details of an alleged offence is illegal.

A report in the Bangkok Post quoted the information technology minister, Anudith Nakornthap, saying that anyone who had pressed "like" on items related to lèse-majesté on Facebook should go back and delete all their reactions and comments. Such material could end up being copied by people who set up fake pages to insult the monarchy, he said.

"If they don't delete them, they can end up violating the computer crime act for indirectly distributing inappropriate content," Anudith said. » | Staff and agencies | Friday, November 25, 2011

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Villagers Defeat Saudi Prince in Footpath Battle
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A group of villagers have defeated a Saudi Prince in a battle over an historic footpath.

Prince Khalid Abdullah came up against a group of more than 700 villagers in sleepy Shipbourne in Kent after he closed off a footpath - which dates back to Roman times - running through his plush Fairlawne Estate.

Prince Abdullah - who owns a string of top horses and has won almost all the European classic races - banished villagers from using part of the Greensland Way footpath which runs through his land and behind the village's St Giles Church.

But the billionaire prince - the first cousin of Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and brother-in-law of the late King Fahd - didn't count on the villagers mounting a campaign against him.

And now, after a three year battle, locals have won the right to use the path after the Planning Inspectorate overturned a decision by Kent County Council to ban locals from the path.

The council acted on information from the Prince, saying that dog walkers were worrying his sheep, that the path invaded his privacy and was a threat to the security of the estate.

But locals were left fuming after not being consulted over the footpath and mounted an appeal to get it re-opened to the public after fences were installed blocking them from the path.

And on Friday last week, they were successful after the Planning Inspectorate - which held a public inquiry into the closure of the footpath in June this year - announced its decision that the path should be re-opened to the public. » | Friday, November 25, 2011

Lords Debate Threatens Decision to Allow Gay Weddings in Churches

THE GUARDIAN: Peers could scupper change to equality bill amid fears churches will face pressure to opt in to the voluntary scheme

Peers opposed to the registration of civil partnerships in religious premises have secured a debate in the House of Lords that could see the provision scrapped altogether, after warnings that churches could face litigation for turning away gay couples.

This month the equalities minister, Lynne Featherstone, said the government was committed to removing the legal barrier to civil partnerships' registration on the religious premises "of those faith groups who choose to allow this to happen", adding it would be a "permissive measure" with "no obligation on faith groups to host civil partnerships". The change to the equality bill, known as the Alli amendment, was passed in March 2010.

But peers, led by Lady O'Cathain, will debate the change on 15 December – 10 days after it comes into effect – in an attempt to scupper it entirely amid continued fears that churches will be under pressure to opt in to the voluntary scheme. If successful it would prevent all religious premises from registering civil partnerships – including those happy to do so. » | Riazat Butt , religious affairs correspondent | Thursday, November 24, 2011

New South Wales Parliament Embraces the Queen with New Royal Oath

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Politicians in Australia's largest state, New South Wales, will again be able to swear allegiance to the Queen and the royal family under moves to restore the oath after it was scrapped in 2006.

The bill, proposed by an ardently pro-monarchist MP, has been backed by the new Government which won office earlier this year. It would reverse a decision to scrap the oath by the former Labor government.

Under the proposals, politicians would no longer be forced to swear loyalty to the people of NSW and Australia and could instead choose to pledge allegiance "to her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors according to law".

The change was proposed by Reverend Fred Nile, from the Christian Democratic party, who said the removal of the Queen from the oath was a "calculated snub" by Labor on the eve of a royal visit. Reverend Nile was buoyed by the most recent royal visit, which ended with jubilant scenes as big crowds came to farewell the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh after what may have been her final tour as head of state. » | Jonathan Pearlman, in Sydney | Friday, November 25, 2011

Egypt Faces Surge of Protesters as Military Faces 'Friday of the Last Chance'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A massive demonstration was gathering strength in Cairo with tens of thousands of protesters chanting, "Leave, leave" rapidly filling up Tahrir Square.

The Friday rally is dubbed by organisers as "The Last Chance Million-Man Protest," and promises to be a massive demonstration to force Egypt's ruling military council to yield power.

The build-up comes one day after the military offered an apology for the killing of nearly 40 protesters in clashes on side streets near Tahrir over the last week.

The White House demanded the transfer of power to a civilian government in Egypt must be "just and inclusive" and take place "as soon as possible". "Most importantly, we believe that the full transfer of power to a civilian government must take place in a just and inclusive manner that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people, as soon as possible," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.

The remarks came as a private Egyptian television channels reported that the ruling military council had asked Kamal al-Ganzuri, a former prime minister to form a new cabinet.

Mr Ganzuri headed the government from 1996 to 1999 under ousted president Hosni Mubarak. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Friday, November 25, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Egypt protesters flock to Tahrir Square: ElBaradei joins tens of thousands heading to Tahrir Square demanding immediate end to military rule » | Martin Chulov in Cairo | Friday, November 25, 2011

Tape of Anders Behring Breivik's Phone Call to Police after Mass Murder on Utoya [sic] Released
A phone call recording of Anders Behring Breivik speaking to police from the island where he carried out a massacre has been leaked by Norwegian police.

Read article here | Barney Henderson | Thursday, November 24, 2011

Barack Obama Volunteers at Thanksgiving Food Bank
The US President Barack Obama and his family hand out food at a local Food Bank on the eve of Thanksgiving.

Read short article here | Thursday, November 24, 2011

Frauen in der rechtsextremen Szene
Rechtsterroristen sind verantwortlich für eine Mordserie an neun Ausländern und einer deutschen Polizistin. Eine Frau stand im Mittelpunkt des Terrortrios. Sie ist nicht die einzige Frau in der Szene.
Das Video hier abspielen

Nordkorea droht Süden mit "Meer aus Feuer"

DIE PRESSE: Nach einem Militärmanöver Südkoreas in der Nähe der Insel Yonpyong verschärft Nordkorea seine Drohungen.

Nordkorea verschärft das Säbelrasseln gegenüber Südkorea wieder: Sollte das Nachbarland je einen Schuss über die Grenze abgeben, werde der Sitz des südkoreanischen Präsidenten in einen "Meer aus Feuer" verwandelt, hieß es am Donnerstag aus Pjöngjang. » | Ag. | Donnerstag 24. November 2011

Pologne: un tribunal autorise des symboles néonazis et homophobes
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: EXTRÊME DROITE | Un tribunal polonais a inscrit dans ses registres, les deux nouveaux symboles néonazis et homophobes du mouvement nationaliste d’extrême droite Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski.

Un tribunal polonais a enregistrés des symboles néonazis et homophobes comme emblèmes du mouvement nationaliste d’extrême droite Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski (NOP, Renaissance nationale polonaise).

Certains Polonais ont réagi en exprimant leur indignation. «Après deux ans de bataille juridique, a indiqué ce mouvement sur son site internet, le tribunal a inscrit dans ses registres les nouveaux symboles du NOP: une croix celtique et une interdiction de pédaler», signe en forme de panneau de signalisation routière évoquant un rapport homosexuel. » | ATS/AFP | jeudi 24 novembre 2011

Iraq Executes 16 Al-Qaeda Members Convicted Over Wedding Massacre
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iraq has executed 16 al-Qaeda members convicted of involvement in the massacre of 70 people at a wedding, although they were officially put to death for other murders, a judicial spokesman said.

“Sixteen people were executed this morning,” Abdelsattar Birakdar told AFP, adding that “all of them were al-Qaeda members.”

Mr Birakdar said that the 16 were convicted of involvement in the massacre of 70 people at a wedding in 2006, but were put to death for the murder of cooking gas salesmen. » | Thursday, November 24, 2011

Mugabe Calls David Cameron 'Satanic' for Backing Gay Rights

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has condemned as "satanic" a suggestion by Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain could cut aid money to countries that do not respect gay rights.

Mr Mugabe said that homosexuals were "worse than pigs and dogs" and warned those practising in his country: "We will punish you severely."

His comments come as Zimbabweans get ready to vote next year on a new constitution that could offer some legal protection to homosexuals in Zimbabwe. At present, those caught engaging in same-sex relationships face prison terms.

Britain has already cut aid to Malawi by £19 million following the sentencing of two gay men to 14 years hard labour. They were later pardoned.

Mr Cameron raised the idea of linking funding to human rights issues at the end of the Commonwealth summit in October. » | Aislinn Laing, Johannesburg | Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!
I should like to take this opportunity to wish our American visitors, followers, and Twitter followers VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

Image courtesy of Google Images

Paris sägt am Stuhl des syrischen Herrschers
Frankreich geht zunehmend auf Distanz zum einstigen Hoffnungsträger in Damaskus

NZZ ONLINE: Die Zeit für den syrischen Herrscher Asad ist aus französischer Sicht abgelaufen. Wie bei Libyen versucht Paris beim Aufbau einer Front gegen das Regime in Damaskus ganz vorne mitzuwirken. Doch Asad sitzt wohl fester im Sattel als damals Ghadhafi.

Mit der Abberufung des Botschafters aus Damaskus hat Frankreich vor einer Woche ein erstes klares Zeichen gesetzt: Aus Sicht der französischen Diplomatie hat Syriens Präsident Bashar al-Asad mit der blutigen Bekämpfung der Proteste Frankreichs Goodwill verspielt. Es sei zu spät für Asad, doppelte Aussenminister Alain Juppé am vergangenen Freitag bei seinem Besuch in der Türkei nach. Noch hält sich Frankreichs Staatschef Nicolas Sarkozy mit öffentlichen Regieanweisungen zurück, doch die Haltung in Paris ist klar. Man sägt aktiv am Stuhl des mittlerweile auch bei der Arabischen Liga in Ungnade gefallenen syrischen Herrschers. » | Manfred Rist, Paris | Mittwoch 23. November 2011

Saleh gibt die Macht ab
Jemenitischer Präsident übergibt sein Amt an seinen Stellvertreter

NZZ ONLINE: Nach langem Zögern hat der jemenitische Präsident Saleh in Riad eine Vereinbarung für einen Machtwechsel unterzeichnet. Sein Stellvertreter Hadi übernimmt sofort, gleichzeit[i]g wird ein Prozess für Neuwahlen in Gang gesetzt. Man erwartet, dass Saleh ins Exil geht.

Nach zehn Monaten Krise gibt es in Jemen Hoffnung auf Wandel: Der jemenitische Staatschef Ali Abdullah Saleh erklärte am Mittwoch in Saudiarabien schriftlich seinen Verzicht auf die Macht. Im Gegenzug werden dem 69-Jährigen und dessen Familie Straffreiheit gewährt. » | hoh./(sda/dpa/afp/ddp) | Mittwoch 23. November 2011

Inquiry Finds 'Excessive Force' Used in Bahrain Crackdown
Bahrain's security forces used excessive force to suppress protests in the country earlier this year, including torture and forced confessions, an inquiry panel says.

Read article here | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Seven Charged in US with Hate Crimes in Amish Religious Haircut Attacks
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Seven men have been arrested on hate crime charges following haircutting attacks against Amish men and women.

Cutting the hair is a highly offensive act to the Amish, who believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry.

Authorities have said several members of a breakaway group forcefully cut the beards and hair of Amish men and women in September and October. » | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Seven members of Amish breakaway group arrested over haircut attacks: US authorities raid compound and arrest seven men – including group leader Sam Mullet – on federal hate crime charges » | Associated Press | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Iran MPs Cry 'Death to Britain' in Parliament
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iranian politicians to vote on downgrading diplomatic ties with Britain in retaliation for newly imposed sanctions.

The parliament introduced an emergency bill to go to a vote on Sunday on the issue, said the website of IRIB television.

Several politicians cried "Death to Britain" as the measure was adopted with 162 votes. Five deputies voted against.

The wording of the bill was not immediately divulged.

But the head of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and national security, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said he was asking the foreign ministry "to expel the British ambassador from the country," said the parliamentary website.

Britain on Monday, in co-ordination with the United States and Canada, announced new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, after a report by the UN atomic energy watchdog this month suggesting Tehran was researching nuclear weapons. » | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tatiana Limanova Gives Obama the Middle Finger


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russian newsreader Tatyana Limanova makes insulting gesture at Obama: A top Russian female newsreader has caused a stir after appearing to offensively show US President Barack Obama her middle finger during a live newscast. » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Wednesday, November 23, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russian newsreader fired after Obama middle finger insult: A top Russian female newsreader who appeared to defiantly show US President Barack Obama her middle finger during a live newscast has been fired. » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Thursday, November 24, 2011

Spain's King Left with Black Eye after Walking into a Door

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: King Juan Carlos of Spain appeared in public sporting a black eye after “walking into a door” at his royal residence.

The 73-year-old monarch was pictured with the shiner on his left eye and a small sticking plaster on the bridge of his nose at a reception for new ambassadors to Spain on Tuesday.

Royal aides said the King had received the injuries earlier in the day but they were not serious enough to alter his schedule.

The King himself commented on the mishap: “This is what happens when one slams into a door,” he said.

Spanish media reported that the accident was in fact the fault of a member of the palace staff, who pushed open the door at the moment the King was opening it from the other side.

“It was an accident and his job is not in danger” said a source at Zarzuela Palace. » | Fiona Govan | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Russia Today Live

Erdogan entschuldigt sich für Massaker an Kurden

DIE PRESSE: Die Angriffe der türkischen Armee auf Kurdengebiete in den 1930er Jahren seien "eines der tragischsten Ereignisse unserer neueren Geschichte", sagt der türkische Ministerpräsident.

Als erster Regierungschef in der Geschichte der Türkei hat sich Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan für Angriffe der Armee auf Kurdengebiete in den 1930er Jahren entschuldigt. "Wenn es notwendig ist, sich im Namen des Staates zu entschuldigen, würde ich mich entschuldigen - und ich entschuldige mich", sagte er am Mittwoch vor Mitgliedern seiner religiös-konservativen Regierungspartei AKP. Die Gewalttaten seien "eines der tragischsten und schmerzhaftesten Ereignisse unserer neueren Geschichte". » | Ag. | Mittwoch 23. November 2011

Le Premier ministre turc compare le président syrien Assad à Hitler

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a de nouveau critiqué le président syrien Bachar al-Assad, comparant son attitude à celle des dictateurs comme Adolf Hitler ou Benito Mussolini.

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a demandé mardi la démission du président syrien Bachar al-Assad afin de «prévenir davantage d’effusion de sang» dans le pays. Damas a de son côté qualifié de «déclaration de guerre» un projet de résolution de l’Onu condamnant la répression de la contestation.

«Pour le salut de ton peuple, de ton pays et de la région, quitte désormais le pouvoir», a dit le chef du gouvernement turc devant le groupe parlementaire de son Parti de la justice et du développement (AKP). M. Erdogan, qui était un ami personnel du dirigeant syrien, avait déjà annoncé avoir rompu avec le régime de Damas, mais c’est la première fois qu’il demande ouvertement le départ de M. Assad.

M. Erdogan a aussi de nouveau critiqué M. Assad, qui s’est dit «tout à fait» prêt à combattre et à mourir s’il devait affronter des forces étrangères, comparant son attitude à celle des dictateurs comme Adolf Hitler ou Benito Mussolini. » | AFP | mardi 22 novembre 2011

Muslim Preacher Jailed after Being Secretly Filmed Kicking and Slapping Children at Mosque

MAIL ONLINE: A religious teacher who was caught on a secret camera kicking and slapping children in a mosque was jailed for 10 weeks today.

Sabir Hussain, 60, admitted four charges of assaulting boys at the Markazi Jamia Mosque, in Keighley, West Yorkshire, as they learned The Koran.

He was arrested after secret filming was screened on a Channel 4 documentary earlier this year.

The assaults Hussain admitted happened on December 7 and December 13 last year, and involved four different boys.

Hussain, of Spencer Street, Keighley, appeared at Bradford Magistrates Court in traditional clothing and was led out of court in handcuffs after the sentence was passed. Read on and comment » | Richard Hartley-Parkinson | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tory Students Burn Barack Obama Effigy

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Conservative students at Scotland's oldest university have apologised after members of their society burned an effigy of US President Barack Obama.

Authorities at St Andrews University - where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge studied and first met - said they were looking into reports of the incident on Friday evening on the town's East Sands beach.

Matthew Marshall, president of the St Andrews Conservative Association, told the BBC: "President Obama is an important ally to the British Government. It was a stupid thing to do and we apologise for any offence caused."

John Park, Labour MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, whose constituency includes the university said: "This is gravely offensive and way beyond a student prank."

He urged David Cameron and the Conservative Party to take action against the activists responsible.

"Burning an effigy of anyone is offensive, let alone the first black President of the United States. The overtones are deeply unpleasant." » | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Attacke aus Großbritannien: "Deutschland hat der Euro-Zone den Krieg erklärt"
WELT ONLINE: Der Ton aus Großbritannien wird schärfer: Erstmals schreibt eine renommierte Zeitung vom "Krieg", mit dem Deutschland wieder andere Völker unterwerfen wolle.

Im eurokritischen Großbritannien stößt die Politik der Bundesregierung in derEuro-Schuldenkrise zunehmend auf Kritik.

Die konservative Zeitung „The Times“ [£] hat im Zusammenhang mit der Politik von Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel erstmals das Wort „Krieg“ ins Spiel gebracht. „Deutschland hat der Euro-Zone den Krieg erklärt“, lautet die Überschrift eines halbseitigen Kommentars in der „Times.“

„Wenn (Carl von) Clausewitz Recht hat, dass „Krieg die Fortsetzung von Politik mit anderen Mitteln“ ist, dann ist Deutschland wieder im Krieg mit Europa“, schrieb der renommierte „Times“-Kommentator Anatole Kaletsky in der Mittwochausgabe der Zeitung. » | dpa/pku | Mittwoch 23. November 2011

Angela Merkel kalt erwischt (Mein Handy klingelt...)
Angela Merkel beim Arbeitgebertag in Berlin: Vor Hunderten Zuhörern spricht die Kanzlerin über Schuldenkrise und Euro-Rettung - als plötzlich ihr Handy klingelt! Gelächter im Saal, doch Angela Merkel bleibt cool. Manchmal behalte sie die Nerven und mache den "double track", sagte sie. Will sagen: Angela Merkel spricht weiter UND telefoniert.