France: Une pétition et une chanson pour le retour de Sarkozy
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le lancement d'une pétition pour son retour, une chanson à sa gloire vue plus d'un million de fois sur Youtube, une popularité en hausse. A droite, les Français sont nostalgiques de Nicolas Sarkozy.


«La Sarkonostalgie», comme les médias français l'ont joliment nommée continue à se poursuivre à droite. Lundi, le courant de l’UMP Droite forte a annoncé le lancement d’une pétition en faveur de Nicolas Sarkozy.

«Trop, c’est trop ! Après avoir critiqué la campagne présidentielle de 2012, certains affirment maintenant vouloir 'tourner la page'», s’insurge dans un communiqué le courant de la Droite forte animé par Geoffroy Didier et Guillaume Peltier, qui ont tous deux pris parti pour Jean-François Copé dans son duel avec François Fillon pour la présidence de l’UMP.

«Avec la Droite forte, nous disons que nous serons toujours aux côtés de Nicolas Sarkozy s’il souhaite revenir !», poursuit le communiqué des deux jeunes UMP. Le texte proposé est le suivant: «En signant cette pétition, nous, citoyens Français, adressons un message de remerciement et de reconnaissance à Nicolas Sarkozy et affirmons que la France aura encore besoin de lui à l’avenir.» » | afp/LD/Newsnet | lundi 12 novembre 2012

Pope Benedict XVI Declares It Is 'Beautiful to Be Old'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Pope declared that it is "beautiful to be old" on Monday but acknowledged that many elderly people are suffering as a result of the global economic crisis.

During a visit to an old people's home in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI said societies should be judged on the way in which they care for their elderly.

"The quality of a society, I'd say of a civilisation, is judged by how well it treats its elderly," the 85-year-old pontiff said during the visit to the home run by the Saint Egidio Community, a Catholic charity.

While it was "beautiful to be old", age brought challenges and difficulties with which he himself was familiar.

"I know well the difficulties, the problems and the limits of this age, and I know that these difficulties are aggravated for many people by the economic crisis," Benedict said.

"But I want to say to you with profound conviction – it is beautiful to be old!" » | Nick Squires, Rome | Monday, November 12, 2012

Hitler – Viewpoint: His Dark Charisma

BBC: Adolf Hitler was an unlikely leader but he still formed a connection with millions of German people, generating a level of charismatic attraction that was almost without parallel. It is a stark warning for the modern day, says historian Laurence Rees.

At the heart of the story of Adolf Hitler is one gigantic, mysterious question: how was it possible that a character as strange and personally inadequate as Hitler ever gained power in a sophisticated country at the heart of Europe, and was then loved by millions of people?

The answer to this vital question is to be found not just in the historical circumstances of the time - in particular the defeat of Germany in World War I and the depression of the early 1930s - but in the nature of Hitler's leadership.

It's this aspect of the story that makes this history particularly relevant to our lives today.

Hitler was the archetypal "charismatic leader". He was not a "normal" politician - someone who promises policies like lower taxes and better health care - but a quasi-religious leader who offered almost spiritual goals of redemption and salvation. He was driven forward by a sense of personal destiny he called "providence".

Before WWI he was a nobody, an oddball who could not form intimate relationships, was unable to debate intellectually and was filled with hatred and prejudice.

But when Hitler spoke in the Munich beer halls in the aftermath of Germany's defeat in WWI, suddenly his weaknesses were perceived as strengths.

His hatred chimed with the feelings of thousands of Germans who felt humiliated by the terms of the Versailles treaty and sought a scapegoat for the loss of the war. His inability to debate was taken as strength of character and his refusal to make small talk was considered the mark of a "great man" who lived apart from the crowd.

More than anything, it was the fact that Hitler found that he could make a connection with his audience that was the basis of all his future success. And many called this connection "charisma". » | Laurence Rees | Monday, November 12, 2012

Konflikt in Syrien löst Flüchtlingswelle aus
Der Konflikt in Syrien geht unvermindert weiter. Der Kampf um die Stadt Ras al-Ayn nahe der türkischen Grenze zwingt 10‘000 Menschen zur Flucht. Insgesamt stieg die Zahl der Flüchtlinge aus Syrien auf über 400‘000.

Was Petraeus Forced Out to Silence His Account of Benghazi Killings?

TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – CON COUGHLIN: As they say in politics, timing is everything, and the shock resignation of David Petraeus as CIA director raises serious questions about whether this was genuinely a resignation caused by his affair with his biographer, or whether it was a hatchet job by Barack Obama's administration to prevent him giving evidence this Thursday to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

There is no doubt that General Petraeus made a monumental error of judgement by embarking on an affair with Paula Broadwell, the author of the recent hagiography of America's most celebrated soldier of modern times, All In: The Education of David Petraeus.

But the general's friends tell me that his sudden departure from Langley has nevertheless raised suspicions that his political enemies in the Obama administration – and there are many – used his dalliance to force him out of the CIA before he could make damaging allegations about the handling of the al-Qaeda attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi last September, in which US Ambassador Chris Stephens and three other staff died. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Monday, November 12, 2012

Why Social Media - Not Violence - Could Bring Change to Oman

BBC: The Arab Spring left the Gulf state of Oman relatively unscathed, with long-term ruler Sultan Qaboos moving to quieten discontent by introducing reforms, but how long can tradition hold back calls for change?

I woke to the roar of total silence.

Issa, an Omani bedouin of the Al-Maashani tribe, made tea as the orange-lit theatrics of sunrise began behind us. It was just him, me and the soundless dunes of the Empty Quarter.

Dinner had been Issa's too - chopped camel meat fried in camel fat, chewy and delicious, washed down with ginger tea.

Afterwards, we had chit-chatted companionably in the dark, staring upwards as the Milky Way slid across a pinprick sky, like the arch above Wembley Stadium.

We were camped in what the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes had called "a place of wind and spiders". In his day it was known as Fasad, or "decay".

The spot had since been euphemistically renamed Al-Hashman, meaning wholesome - but with its broken walls and foully undrinkable spring water, that struck me as an oddly mirthless piece of spin.

There is a lot of that in Oman these days, as the country paddles ever harder to maintain its trademark swan-like serenity.

The Arab Spring has come knocking. Last month a local journalist was jailed, accused of slander - the most high-profile of, so far, 42 court cases related to issues of public protest. » | Matthew Teller, BBC News, Oman | Thursday, November 08, 2012

Abu Qatada Wins Appeal against Deportation to Jordan

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Terror suspect Abu Qatada has won his battle against deportation to Jordan to face trial.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) upheld his appeal after his lawyers claimed he would not get a fair trial.

The radical cleric, once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, was convicted of terror charges in Jordan [in] his absence in 1999.

Home Secretary Theresa May had been given assurances by Jordan that no evidence gained through torture would be used against him.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government will apply to appeal against the decision.

He said: "The Government strongly disagrees with this ruling. We have obtained assurances not just in relation to the treatment of Qatada himself, but about the quality of the legal processes that would be followed throughout his trial. » | Telegraph reporters | Monday, November 12, 2012

La Pologne confrontée à une page noire de son histoire

LE FIGARO: Un film évoquant le pogrom de Jedwabne, commis en 1941, vient de sortir sur les écrans polonais, relançant un douloureux travail de mémoire.

Vingt-trois ans après la chute du communisme, la Pologne n'en finit pas de déterrer les tabous historiques occultés pendant plusieurs décennies par la pensée unique de l'ère soviétique. Le cinéma a pris sa part dans cette recherche archéologique. Qu'il s'agisse des crimes orchestrés par Staline (Katyn d'Andrzej Wajda), du génocide perpétré par les nazis (Sous la ville d'Agniezska Holland) ou bien encore des atrocités commises par les Polonais eux-mêmes. Le cinéaste Wladyslaw Pasikowski vient ainsi de relancer un débat brûlant avec «Poklosie» (La glanure), qui évoque l'une des pages noires des relations judéo-polonaises. Le film retrace le massacre de Jedwabne, un village du nord-est de la Pologne, où plusieurs centaines de juifs furent brûlés vifs par leurs voisins polonais en 1941. » | Par Arielle Thedrel | lundi 12 novembre 2012

11 novembre: décorations vandalisées
LE FIGARO: Le maire d'Ille-sur-Têt (Pyrénées-Orientales) a exprimé aujourd'hui une vive émotion devant des actes de vandalisme commis contre les ornements et les drapeaux installés pour le 11 novembre au monument aux morts de cette bourgade catalane.

Les banderoles bleu-blanc-rouge et des drapeaux français ont été saccagés quelques heures avant la cérémonie officielle dimanche. Un des drapeaux a été brûlé, d'autres jetés dans une poubelle. » | AFP | lundi 12 novembre 2012

LE FIGARO: GB: arrêté pour avoir brûlé un coquelicot » | Par lefigaro.fr | lundi 12 novembre 2012

Russian Police Detain Members of Banned Islamic Group
REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - Russian police have arrested six members of a banned Islamic group on suspicion of recruiting followers in Moscow mosques and possessing weapons, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

Russian authorities are concerned about the prospect of Islamist militants becoming more of a threat outside the heavily Muslim North Caucasus, which is plagued by an insurgency rooted in two post-Soviet separatist wars in Chechnya province.

The Interior Ministry said the detainees were members of the Islamic Revival Party, which was designated as an international terrorist group by Russia's Supreme Court and banned.

Police searching places where the detainees were staying found nine hand grenades and other weapons and ammunition, as well as extremist literature. » | Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Jon Boyle | MOSCOW | Monday, November 12, 2012

Militany Muslim Salafists Seize Church Land in Cairo in Protest of New Copt Leader
CATHOLIC ONLINE: Militants seize the South Mina Church in Shubra al-Kheima, in city's center

Nearly 100 Muslim extremists - the hard-line Salafists in Egypt, wielding sticks and rods seized land near the South Mina Church in Shubra al-Kheima last week. The seizure of the land in the middle of Cairo was in protest of the election of the new Copt leader, Patriarch Tawadros II, who was selected in a ceremony last week.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Police reportedly stood idly as the Islamists occupied the parcel of land for more than a day. Signs were erected which read "Al-Rahma Mosque." Law enforcement later moved in after the Interior Ministry was notified.

The demonstration deemed symbolic in nature was in reprisal against a statement by newly elected Patriarch Tawadros II against having Sharia law included in the new Egyptian constitution. Bishop Antonius Morcos, who is the spokesman for Patriarch Shenouda III's successor, heads the diocese. » | Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) | Sunday, November 11, 2012

Accountant Seeks to Prove He Is Princess Margaret's Secret Son

THE GUARDIAN: Robert Brown, who believes Princess Margaret hid a pregnancy in 1955, is fighting for access to documents relating to her will

A Jersey accountant is restarting his legal battle to find out if he is Princess Margaret's secret illegitimate son.

Robert Brown, 57, said he was prepared to spend up to £100,000 fighting for access to sensitive documents relating to her will and he has appointed solicitors to obtain secret court papers, known as a practice direction, about the sealing of royal wills drawn up around the time of Margaret's death in 2002.

Brown believes he was born to Princess Margaret in 1955 and his father was possibly Robin Douglas Home. He claims that the later stages of her pregnancy were covered up with the use of body doubles and that he was sent to Kenya to be brought up as the child of Cynthia and Douglas Brown in Nairobi.

He believes the documents will show how Buckingham Palace, the attorney general and a senior judge acted together to maintain secrecy around the Queen's sister's last testament, in which he hopes details of his birth are included.

Brown's case has been dismissed by lawyers for the royal family in a previous court hearing as that of "a fantasist seeking to feed his private obsession". But he insists he has the right to find out if the Queen's sister is his mother and he has appointed the law firm Christian Khan, which describes itself as having a reputation for "acting in political cases where individuals bring or defend proceedings against larger organisations, including the state". » | Robert Booth | Sunday, November 11, 2012

Col Gaddafi’s Children 'Flee Algeria’
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi’s children have fled Algeria, fearing the oil-rich dictatorship’s improving relations with the new Libya authorities is undermining their safe haven.

Tight restrictions on the family and the prospect of a deal to allow Gaddafi’s widow back into Libya prompted the family to seek refuge elsewhere in Africa, regional officials said.

Reports in the Arabic press this week said that Aisha Gaddafi, the lawyer and most prominent member of the clan, had moved with her brother Hannibal and half-brother Mohammad to an African country.

Because of the UN flight ban on the Gaddafi inner circle, the siblings could most readily gain access to Niger, the impoverished Saharan state where a third brother, Saadi, lives on the presidential compound.

Niger is one of the few options open to the family as offers of asylum in Zimbabwe and Venezuela were impractical. Other countries are less reliable. Mauritania extradited Abdullah Senussi, Aisha’s uncle and Gaddafi’s intelligence chief back to Libya this summer.

A series of recent developments triggered the decision to leave the highly protected, secluded compound that the Gaddafis were granted inAlgerian government, a family associate said. “Definitely they wanted to get out,” he said.

Aisha Gaddafi is said to have grown increasingly frustrated with the restrictions on her communications imposed by the Algerian regime. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Sunday, November 11, 2012

Another Idiot from Saudi! Talking to Foreign Media Is ‘Haram:’ Saudi Grand Mufti

AL ARABIYA NEWS: Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti has issued a religious edict prohibiting contact and cooperation with foreign media outlets seeking to “spread chaos and strife in Muslim lands.”

He urged people instead to address their concerns through writing directly to responsible authorities.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh told worshipers during a Friday sermon held in a mosque in the capital Riyadh that people should not contact foreign media outlets to “divulge the country’s secrets or address various matters” because these outlets “are only concerned with dividing people and striking the unity of the nation.”

He said doing so was tantamount to “treason and major crime.” » | Al Arabiya | Sunday, November 11, 2012

HT: Fasdunkle »

Britain Could Intervene Militarily in Syria in Months, UK's Top General Suggests

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain could intervene militarily in Syria in the next few months, the country’s most senior general has said.

Gen Sir David Richards said there were contingency plans in place for a “very limited” response in the case of a worsening humanitarian situation in Syria.

The admission is the most serious warning yet that Britain is preparing for some sort of military involvement in Syria. In the past week, British policy has moved from admitting that it wanted to help organise the disparate rebel groups to discussing full blown military intervention.

It comes on the eve of a meeting of the National Security Council this week which will be devoted to the Syrian civil war.

In an interview on the Andrew Marr programme on BBC1, General Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff, suggested that Britain could intervene militarily this winter when desert temperatures plummet and lives are put at risk.

He said it would be a "huge effort", adding: “The humanitarian situation this winter I think will deteriorate and that may well provoke calls to intervene in a limited way. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Sunday, November 11, 2012

My comments:

This is stupid. This is ridiculous. Leave Bashar Al-Assad where he is. Toppling him will lead to another hardline, Islamist state. What idiots we have at the top of our political establishment, what idiots we have at the top of our military. Can't this country keep its bleeding nose out of other people's squabbles for once? Does this little island have to involve itself in every conflict in the world? Let the Saudis sort it out! Let other Muslim nations sort it out! Why the hell should our troops risk life and limb for this non-cause? – © Mark

This comment can also be found here

Gen Sir David Richards has got to be stupid if he is mulling the idea of war in Syria. What does he want to start: the next world war? – © Mark

This comment can also be found here

AGAIN, we are going to do the Saudis' dirty work for them. One can only shake one's head. The British establishment is worse than stupid; it's criminal. We'll send our troops to risk life and limb for a country which finances the jihad against us. How stupid is that? – © Mark

This comment can also be found here

Lord Browne Raises Questions Over City 'Homophobia’

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, has raised the spectre of homophobia in the City and questioned why there are no openly homosexual chief executives running Britain’s biggest companies.

The industrialist, who resigned from the oil giant in 2007 after lying in court to cover up circumstances linked to his sexuality, believes that homosexual men and women may not be being chosen for top jobs at FTSE 100 companies because of their sexuality.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Lord Browne, who is now openly homosexual, said that he believes gay rights should be as high on the agenda as other issues such as gender and race.

His comments, in the wake of the recent campaign to ensure fair representation of women in senior board roles, shine a light on an issue that is rarely discussed in the upper echelons of Britain’s leading companies.

Asked if homophobia exists in the City of London, Lord Browne said: “There appear to be no out gay chief executive officers in the top companies listed on the FTSE.

“This cannot be for want of talent. That leaves two explanations: either LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] candidates are self-selecting away from these positions, or they are not being selected for them.” » | James Quinn, Deputy Sunday Business Editor | Sunday, November 11, 2012

François Hollande rend hommage à "tous les morts pour la France"

REUTERS FRANCE: PARIS (Reuters) - François Hollande a présidé pour la première fois dimanche à Paris les cérémonies commémorant l'armistice du 11 novembre 1918, une journée du souvenir dédiée désormais à "tous les morts pour la France" en vertu d'une loi voulue par Nicolas Sarkozy et votée par le Parlement en février dernier.

Le chef de l'Etat s'est notamment recueilli sur la tombe du Soldat inconnu, sous l'Arc de Triomphe, entouré de Caroline, 14 ans, et Charles, 15 ans, les enfants de militaires tués cette année en Afghanistan.

Les noms des 13 soldats français tués en 2012 en Afghanistan ont été cités, en présence de leurs familles, avec lesquelles François Hollande s'est entretenu. » | Sophie Louet | dimanche 11 novembre 2012

Obamas Eintönigkeit

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Assange’s Health Could Drastically Worsen in Embassy – Lawyer
RT.COM: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could suffer serious health problems if he stays in London’s Ecuadorian embassy, warned his lawyer. The whistleblower faces immediate arrest and extradition to Sweden should he leave the building.

“Assange is in good health, but the situation is getting steadily worse,” lawyer Baltasar Garzon said during an anti-corruption conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The confined conditions in which Assange is currently living could cause him to “suffer from serious medical problems,” and lead to “psychological issues,” Garzon said.

Assange has been confined tinside Ecuadorian Embassy since June 19 in conditions Garzon described as worse than prison. Assange took refuge there to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning on charges of sex crimes.

According to Garzon, Assange is not seeking to escape questioning in Sweden, as they allegedly have evidence proving his innocence. “We want the trial to go ahead in Sweden, but we want a guarantee of his safety.” Garzon said the whistleblower risked being re-extradited to US jurisdiction should he be taken to Sweden. Previously, Ecuadorian vice foreign minister Marco Albuja said that he was “very worried” for Assange’s welfare, and that “he had lost a lot of weight.” » | Sunday, November 11, 2012

French Nationalists in Paris Protest Extreme Islam
ABC NEWS: Hundreds of French nationalists have demonstrated in Paris against Islamist extremism, chanting the French anthem and saying the religion has no place in the country.

Protester Romain Cyiril says, "France was always a welcoming country, but for the first time we have to deal with a religion which can't and doesn't want to integrate itself." » | Associated Press, PARIS | Saturday, November 10. 2012

LA VOIX DE LA RUSSIE: Une manifestation anti-islamique s'est déroulée à Paris » | dimanche 11 novembre 2012

Egypt’s Salafists Deploy Virulent Rhetoric, Accuse Liberals of Being Foreign Agents

BIKYA MASR: CAIRO: On Friday, Mohamed Amr watched as ultra-conservative Salafists converged on Egypt’s iconic Tahrir Square. Their deafening chants of “Islamic state” resounding throughout downtown Cairo. For him, a liberal activist wounded in the January 2011 uprising that ousted the country’s long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak, it was frustrating.

“I am very worried about the future of the country and how the Salafists are trying to accuse liberals and those of us who fought and bled for change as foreigners in our own country,” he told Bikyamasr.com.

“It is a sad time for the Egyptian revolution. It might be dead and what we are seeing is something very scary,” the former member of the April 6 Youth Movement added.

Making matters worse for the left is the growing anti-liberal sentiment growing on the streets and in mosques.

On Friday, as thousands of puritan Salafists gathered in Tahrir Square to demand that the new constitution for Egypt be an Islamic one, member of al-Gama’a Islamiya Sheikh Mohamed el-Soghir accused secular and liberal activists of pushing a Western agenda.

“Our Prophet [Mohamed] fought the infidels of Mecca, who are now represented by the Liberals,” said El-Soghir in comments published by local media. » | Yussif Ibrahim | Sunday, November 11, 2012

Remembrance Sunday 2012
Let us remember the fallen – those who sacrificed their lives for us and our freedoms

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Queen leads tributes to fallen on Remembrance Sunday: Remembrance Sunday events were being held across the country today in tribute to members of Britain and the Commonwealth's Armed Forces who have died during conflicts. ¶ The Queen attended a service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, where she laid a wreath in memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. ¶ She was joined by host of senior royals, Prime Minister David Cameron and leaders of opposition parties for the service, a focal point of the nation's Remembrance Sunday ceremonies. ¶ The first stroke of Big Ben at 11am and the firing of a gun from Horse Guards Parade by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery marked the start of two minutes' silence, which was followed by The Last Post, sounded by the Buglers of the Royal Marines. » | Sunday, September 11, 2012

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH – PICTURE GALLERY: Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall attend a Remembrance Sunday service in New Zealand » | Sunday, November 11, 2012

In Flanders Fields
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders Fields.
[Source: Arlington Cemetery]

Spain Suicides Result of Economic Crisis
Moments before Ameia Egana, aged 53, was to be evicted from her fourth floor apartment, she clambered over the balcony railing and jumped to her death. Police at the scene said she died on impact. It is the second suicide in Spain in a matter of weeks; a man facing eviction in Grenada was found hanging in his home. A local judge called to the scene said the law on evictions must be changed. Al Jazeera's Peter Sharp reports.

Omani Culture in the Heart of the UAE
Deep inside the United Arab Emirates, there's a town called Madha - except the community is not part of the UAE.Because of a decision taken 70 years ago, Madha belongs to a different country, Oman, and maintains its own unique character. Al Jazeera's Andrew Hopkins reports from Madha.

Mixed Views About New Church of England Leader
The Church of England will soon have a new leader. Justin Welby is tipped to be the next archbishop of Canterbury, and head of the worldwide Anglican communion. But as Laurence Lee reports, people have conflicting views about him.

Der nächste Akt des Arabischen Frühlings spielt am Golf

TAGES ANZEIGER: Die Herrscher der Golfregion glaubten lange, der Wind des Arabischen Frühlings werde einen Bogen um sie machen. Doch das war eine Fehleinschätzung.

Zwar konnten die Proteste in Oman 2011 durch ein staatliches Beschäftigungsprogramm und eine Kabinettsumbildung beendet werden. Doch in Kuwait gingen in den vergangenen Wochen unter dem Motto «Würde der Nation» Zehntausende auf die Strasse, um gegen das neue Wahlgesetz zu protestieren.

In Bahrain ist die Konfrontation zwischen den Königstreuen und der Opposition, die im Frühjahr 2011 begonnen hatte, noch immer nicht beendet. In Saudi-Arabiens ölreicher Ost-Provinz begehren die Schiiten weiter auf, obwohl König Abdullah Arbeitslosengeld eingeführt hat und die Polizei hart gegen Demonstranten vorgeht.

In den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten (VAE) und in Katar wurden jüngst mehrere lautstarke Kritiker verhaftet, um mögliche Proteste im Keim zu ersticken. » | Von Anne-Beatrice Clasmann, DPA | Samstag, 10. November 2012

Le Vatican s'engage à lutter contre le mariage des homosexuels
REUTERS FRANCE: CITE DU VATICAN (Reuters) - Le Vatican, réagissant aux avancées récentes des défenseurs du droit au mariage des homosexuels, s'est engagé samedi à ne jamais cesser de défendre le mariage "spécifique" entre un homme et une femme, présenté comme "une conquête de la civilisation".

Cette semaine, les électeurs américains du Maryland, du Maine et de l'Etat de Washington ont légalisé par référendum le droit au mariage des homosexuels, désormais reconnu dans six Etats du pays ainsi que dans le district fédéral de Columbia.

En Europe, le gouvernement français de Jean-Marc Ayrault a adopté mercredi son projet de loi sur le mariage et l'adoption pour les couples homosexuels tandis que la Cour constitutionnelle espagnole rejetait un recours contestant la législation existante qui parle de conjoint A et B, excluant toute référence à la femme et l'homme.

"Il est donc évident que dans les pays occidentaux, il y a une tendance répandue à modifier la vision classique du mariage entre un homme et une femme, ou plutôt à tenter de l'abandonner, supprimant sa reconnaissance légale spécifique et privilégiée par rapport à d'autres formes d'unions", a déclaré le père Federico Lombardi, porte-parole du Vatican, dans son éditorial hebdomadaire repris par Radio Vatican. » | Par Philip Pullella | Henri-Pierre André pour le service français | dimanche 11 novembre 2012

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Vatican vows it will never accept gay marriage: The Vatican has vowed to never stop insisting marriage must be between a man and a woman. ¶ In a front-page article in Saturday's Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See seeks to frame itself as a lone voice opposing initiatives to give same-sex couples legal recognition. ¶ In a separate Vatican Radio editorial, the Pope's spokesman asked sarcastically why gay marriage proponents don't now push for legal recognition for polygamous couples as well. » | AP | Sunday, November 11, 2012

Assad: Erdogan Thinks He's Caliph, New Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Assad: Not a civil war, terrorism my enemy, no regrets for now

Republican Right Weeps Over Obama's Victory – Then Begins Internal Civil War

THE OBSERVER: The clash between diehard conservatives and modernisers will dictate the fate of a party which increasingly seems to appeal only to angry, older white Americans

The town of Pella, Iowa, looks an almost too perfect vision of smalltown America. Surrounded by a chessboard of prosperous farmland and with a bustling town square, lined with shops bearing the surnames of its first Dutch settlers, Pella feels like a throwback to a different age.

But beneath its attractive exterior last week one could find some ugly sentiments on election day. "Obama is a Muslim," said Shirley Schutte, 75. Was she sure about that? "I am. I am not sure he even should have been there [in the White House]. He has been a disaster."

Such a fervent belief is not typical of most Republican voters, whether in Pella or anywhere else in America. But it is not hard to find. One poll in Mississippi even found some 52% of likely Republican voters suspected President Barack Obama was a follower of Islam. Neither has the party leadership done too much to discourage equally outlandish ideas, such as Obama being born in Kenya. From business mogul Donald Trump to top elected officials, Republicans have carefully crafted a message of Obama as a radical "other" hoping to transform America in some dangerous way.

Yet far from exiling Obama outside the US mainstream, many experts, now including leading conservative figures, believe the Republican party itself is being pushed into the political wilderness. The Republicans increasingly look like the party of angry, older white people. People like Schutte. And that does not work in America any more.

As Republicans sifted through the wreckage of the Mitt Romney campaign, they saw collapsing popularity among fast-emerging ethnic groups, such as Hispanics, and key social demographics, such as young people. In an economy struggling with 7.9% unemployment, where more than half of voters believed the country was heading in the wrong direction and against an unpopular incumbent, the once fiercely effective Republican party machine only managed to craft a devastating defeat. » | Paul Harris in Pella | Saturday, November 10, 2012

Warning! This Is One of Cameron's Most Stupid Suggestions! David Cameron Surprises Allies with Suggestion of Arming Syrian Rebels
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has split the western alliance with his unexpected proposals to open the door to arming the Syrian opposition, just as the US is becoming alarmed at its Islamist make-up and human rights abuses.

Downing Street is floating striking proposals to alter the European Union's embargo on Syria to allow arming the rebels, under the pretext of recognising their "right to self-defence". Rebels are demanding a shopping list of weapons they say will allow them to "finish the job" of removing President Bashar al-Assad.

But with rebel groups openly admitting to executing prisoners, and radical Islamist groups taking more prominent roles in the fighting, Mr Cameron's initiative has caused surprise in the US state department and elsewhere.

"It's amazing," said one western diplomat familiar with the startled US response. "Questions have to be asked in London as to what Cameron is thinking."

The diplomat was speaking in Doha, the Qatari capital, where a disparate collection of Syrian exiles has spent the week with western and Arab backers trying to cajole them into a semblance of unity.

Mr Cameron and European allies, including France and Italy, believe that any success should be rewarded with a bolder approach by the West on providing arms. » | Ruth Sherlock, in Doha and Richard Spencer in Idlib Province, Syria | Saturday, November 10, 2012

My comment:

What is Camoron trying to do? Turn Syria into an Islamist stronghold, or what? Go back to sleep, David! We'll call you when we want your advice. – © Mark

Tausende flüchten aus Syrien
Der Flüchtlingsstrom von Syrien in die Nachbarländer wird immer grösser. Jede Nacht flüchten Tausende. Häufig können sie nicht mehr als ihr nacktes Leben retten.

Homo-Ehe in Frankreich bald möglich
Homosexuelle Paare können sich künftig in Frankreich ganz offiziell das «Ja»-Wort geben. Die Regierung brachte in Paris einen umstrittenen Gesetzentwurf auf den Weg, der Ehen von Schwulen und Lesben möglich macht.

Thousands of Ultraconservative Muslims Rally for Sharia in Egyptian Constitution

RT.COM: More than 10,000 ultraconservative Muslims staged a demonstration in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday, demanding that Egypt’s new constitution be based on Sharia law. The protest reflects the debate over the role of Islam in the nation’s future.

Many were bussed from outside Cairo to take part in the rally, where demonstrators waved the Islamist and Egyptian flags and held traditional Friday prayers.

Protesters chanted, "Sharia is our constitution" and "The people demand the application of God's law.”

Many demonstrators collected signatures for a petition, in which they ask for the Sharia to become "the basis of all laws," meaning that Egypt’s laws would be subject to religious interpretation and clearance.

The drafting of Egypt’s new constitution has been fraught with controversy since ex-president Hosni Mubarak was ousted and replaced by Mohamed Morsi.

Conservative Islamists are stepping up pressure on the ruling Muslim Brotherhood party to override liberal and secular objections to Sharia law. The party has repeatedly been accused of not advocating strongly enough for Islamic rule. » | Friday, November 09, 2012

Tens of Thousands Rally for Argentina's Biggest Protest in Years
Aerial view of Mayo square in Buenos Aires during a "cacerolazo" (a form of civilian protest where pots are used to make noise) against Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's government on November 8, 2012

Près de 8000 Syriens ont fui dans la nuit en Turquie
LE FIGARO: INFOGRAPHIE - Depuis mercredi soir, des combats opposent l'armée d'el-Assad aux rebelles pour le contrôle du poste frontière de Ras al-Ain.

Quelque 8000 Syriens ont franchi la frontière turque dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi, portant à plus de 120.000 le nombre total des réfugiés syriens en Turquie, après plus de vingt mois de guerre civile.

Ils fuient les combats qui opposent l'armée de Bachar el-Assad aux rebelles pour le contrôle du poste frontière de Ras al-Ain. Un enjeu crucial pour Damas: Ras al-Ain est, en effet, l'un des deux derniers points de passage encore aux mains des forces de sécurité syrienne, avec celui de Kesep au nord-ouest de la Syrie. » | Par Georges Malbrunot | vendredi 09 novembre 2012

New Archbishop Justin Welby Pledges Re-think on Gay Marriage
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The new Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby offered an olive branch to the gay community saying he will re-examine his opposition to same-sex marriage.


The new Archbishop of Canterbury offered an olive branch to the gay community despite reaffirming his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Justin Welby, the Bishop of Durham, pledged to examine his own thinking on homosexuality "carefully and prayerfully" and spoke out against "exclusion".

Be he said he supported the Church's current stance on redefining marriage. "I support the House of Bishop's statement in the summer in answer to the government's consultation on same sex marriage.

I know I need to listen very attentively to the LGBT communities, and examine my own thinking prayerfully and carefully. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, November 09, 2012

Related »

Rachida Dati : "Qu'est-ce qui vous dérange chez moi ?"
RTL.fr: Une femme en colère. Rachida Dati, eurodéputée et maire UMP du VIIème arrondissement de Paris, était l'invitée de RTL, ce matin. Elle est longuement revenue sur l'affaire des tests de paternité concernant sa petite fille, Zohra, trois ans et demi. Elle a posé la question "Qu'est-ce qui vous dérange chez moi ?" à "une certaine presse qui ne fait plus d'information mais du sensationnel, pour ne pas dire du voyeurisme". Elle a également annoncé avoir porté plainte au pénal contrec et le magazine le Point. (+ video | + audio) » | vendredi 09 novembre 2012

lePARISIEN.fr: Paternité de Zohra : Dati porte plainte contre «Le Point» » | LeParisien.fr | vendredi 09 novembre 2012

Pat Condell: Saudi Arabia, Can I Say This (September 2012)

EU-Kommissar Oettinger: Großbritannien "von allen guten Geistern verlassen"

WELT ONLINE: EU-Energiekommissar Oettinger lässt Dampf ab: In einer Rede bezeichnet er Frankreich als reformunwillig und in Großbritannien versuche Rupert Murdoch Premier Cameron "aus Europa rauszumobben".

EU-Energiekommissar Günther Oettinger hat die deutschen Medien aufgefordert, keinen "billigen Anti-Griechenland-Populismus" zu betreiben. "Griechenland ist nicht das europäische Sorgenkind, sondern eher Frankreich oder Großbritannien", sagte der CDU-Politiker beim "Publishers" Summit" der Zeitschriftenverleger in Berlin. » | EPD/sara | Donnerstag, 08. November 2012

Britain to Stop Aid to India
THE GUARDIAN: UK to halt state financial assistance to India in 2015 and will make no new cash commitments before then, says minister

All financial assistance from the UK to India will end from 2015, the international development secretary, Justine Greening, has announced.

Britain is to make no new financial aid commitments to India, and will save about £200m by 2015.

Greening, who took responsibility for Britain's aid budget in September, said programmes already under way would be completed as planned but no new initiatives would be signed off.

British support for India will in future be limited to skills sharing in [area] areas such as trade and investment and health.

"After reviewing the programme and holding discussions with the government of India this week, we agree that now is the time to move to a relationship focusing on skills sharing rather than aid," Greening said.

"Having visited India, I have seen first-hand the tremendous progress being made. India is successfully developing and our own bilateral relationship has to keep up with 21st-century India. It's time to recognise India's changing place in the world. » | Press Association | Friday, November 09, 2012

Justin Welby Confirmed as Next Archbishop of Canterbury

THE GUARDIAN: Old Etonian and Cambridge graduate with reputation for self-deprecation gets nod to succeed Rowan Williams

Justin Welby, a former oil executive who was made a bishop just over a year ago, has been appointed the next leader of the Church of England, Downing Street confirmed on Friday morning.

A statement on the website of the prime minister's office said the Queen had nominated Welby. A press conference at Lambeth Palace is taking place to announce that the 56-year-old bishop of Durham will be the 105th man to sit on the throne of Saint Augustine, succeeding Rowan Williams[.]

Welby will be enthroned as archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013. He said: "To be nominated to this post is both astonishing and exciting. It is something I never expected, and the last few weeks have been a very strange experience.

"It is exciting because we are at one of those rare points where the tide of events is turning, and the church nationally, including the Church of England has great opportunities to match its very great but often hidden strengths.

"I feel a massive sense of privilege at being one of those responsible for the leadership of the church in a time of spiritual hunger, when our network of parishes and churches and schools and above all people means that we are facing the toughest issues in the toughest place." » | Lizzy Davies | Friday, November 09, 2012

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Justin Welby: a pragmatic priest in turbulent times: An evangelical conservative, the new archbishop of Canterbury will not run up against the suspicion of the church's reactionaries ¶ It was not through a puff of white smoke but through the suspension of booking at Ladbrokes that providence made itself known. For the identity of the new archbishop of Canterbury to emerge in this way is embarrassing, but then embarrassment is nothing new for the Church of England. In recent months fellow churchmen have torn themselves asunder over Occupy, and for far longer they have obsessively observed the injunction of Salt-n-Pepa: let's talk about sex. The divisive preoccupation with gay clergy and gay marriage crowds out much other discussion, and at times prevents the church being heard on anything else at all. And, all the while, the relentless withering of the congregations continues. » | Editorial | Thursday, November 08, 2012

'Assad Is Completely Demonized by the Press' – RT’s Interviewer
Bashar Assad talking to RT's Sophie Shevardnadze.

Assad: Erdogan Thinks He's Caliph, New Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Exclusive)
Bashar al-Assad talks to Sophie Shevardnadze | Assad: Not a civil war, terrorism my enemy, no regrets for now

Visite historique du patriarche russe Kirill en Terre sainte

LE FIGARO: Le chef de l'Église orthodoxe russe va rencontrer les dirigeants israéliens et palestiniens et célébrer une messe avec le patriarche grec orthodoxe de Jérusalem.

Tout comme le Vatican, l'Église orthodoxe russe s'inquiète du sort des chrétiens d'Orient. Le patriarche de Moscou, Kirill, fera part de cette préoccupation lors du séjour symbolique de près d'une semaine en Terre Sainte, qu'il entreprend ce vendredi. De Jérusalem à Amman en Jordanie, en passant par les actuels territoires occupés, Kirill, qui est à la tête de la plus importante des Églises orthodoxes orientales (150 millions de fidèles), mettra l'accent sur un principe sacré: le «respect des droits de l'homme», qu'il assimile intentionnellement aux «droits des chrétiens». «Il s'agit d'une visite pastorale et de paix qui n'a aucun but politique», insiste le père Philaret, vice-président du département des relations extérieures du patriarcat. «Même si en Israël et en Palestine, les chrétiens ne sont pas la cible d'attaques, la situation, comme on le voit en Syrie et en Libye, peut changer, et ce phénomène nous inquiète», ajoute le prélat interrogé par Le Figaro. Israël compte aujourd'hui quelques 120.000 chrétiens arabes, toutes confessions confondues, et 250.000 chrétiens orthodoxes. » | Par Pierre Avril, correspondant à Moscou | vendredi 09 novembre 2012

Guttenberg-Auftritt in Washington: Gerüchte aus dem Schneegestöber
09.11.2012 - Ex-Verteidigungsminister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg spricht bei einem Auftritt in Washington über ein mögliches Comeback in der deutschen Politik.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Guttenberg nennt Comeback-Plan "Quatsch" » | Von Sebastian Fischer, Washington | Freitag, 09. November 2012

Robert Spencer and Michael Coren Discuss Obama's Re-election
Topic: Obama's presidential victory and his capitulation to jihad and islamofascism.

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

New Dawn? This Looks More Like a New Dusk

MAIL ONLINE: The next four years for America look bleak. It’s not so much a new dawn as a new dusk. And with 50 months left in power, President Obama, his hands tied by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, is a lame duck already.

He was re-elected despite a majority of voters thinking the economy is on the wrong track. And with tax rises that could wreck recovery due on January 1 – the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ – experts fear a recession here in 2013.

The most sensible policy – which a Romney administration would have pursued – is deficit reduction. Instead, the second Obama term will increase the deficit, further diminishing America’s economic power and credibility.

Around $1trillion a year will be added to debt – bringing the total to $20trillion by 2016. This will drive up interest rates on US bonds, and hard-pressed Americans will have to pay more taxes to fund higher interest payments.

Meanwhile, the President is determined to push through his ‘Obamacare’ health insurance policy, which would account for a large part of that increase.

But the Democrats are well aware that the pumping of federal money into corporate bail-outs and infrastructure projects in declining regions is the key to creating a state clientele that keeps voting them back into office.

The administration is already devising stealth taxes to help pay for the bribes it wishes to offer the coalition of minorities that comprise its supporters. Some will corrode the core of American self-reliance, such as taxes on any substantial capital gains made from house sales. Others are simply opportunist, such as a tax on tanning salons.

These are all measures of how desperate the financial situation is – a reality apparently kept from most of the American electorate, so far. Read on and comment » | Simon Heffer | Wednesday, November 07, 2012

USA: Record Snow, New Power Outages as Storm Slams Northeast

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Read the article here »

L'Iran interdit l'importation des biens de "luxe"
LE POINT: Téhéran dit vouloir "économiser des milliards de dollars".

L'Iran a décidé d'interdire l'importation de voitures étrangères, d'ordinateurs portables, et d'autres biens dits de "luxe" dans la perspective d'économiser des milliards de dollars face à la crise de sa monnaie, a annoncé un quotidien officiel. » | Source SIPA | jeudi 08 novembre 2012

Norvège : Anders Behring Breivik se plaint de ses conditions de détention
LE POINT: L'homme qui avait assassiné 77 personnes en 2011 estime que ses conditions de détention sont "contraires aux droits de l'homme".

Anders Behring Breivik, condamné pour le meurtre de 77 personnes le 22 juillet 2011 en Norvège, s'est plaint de ses conditions de détention "contraires aux droits de l'homme", a annoncé jeudi un de ses avocats. L'extrémiste de droite de 33 ans a envoyé une lettre aux autorités pénitentiaires dans laquelle il fustige le régime carcéral de très haute sécurité auquel il est soumis depuis plus d'un an et les restrictions encadrant sa correspondance. Selon l'avocat Tord Jordet, Breivik est en pratique privé d'accès à un ordinateur qui lui avait été fourni - sans accès à internet - pendant sa détention provisoire et les courriers qu'il reçoit et envoie sont censurés dès qu'ils abordent un thème politique. » | Source AFP | jeudi 08 novembre 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Norway killer Breivik complains about prison: Mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, convicted of killing 77 people last year, has complained that prison conditions are violating his human rights, one of his lawyers said Thursday. » | Thursday, November 08, 2012

Bibi’s Bad Bet: Netanyahu Damaged Political Chances By Backing Romney