Canadian Islamic Group Charges Jewish School Uses Racist Textbook
JTA: TORONTO (JTA) -- A Canadian Islamic organization is accusing a Toronto-area Jewish day school of using a textbook that vilifies Muslims.

In a Nov. 19 letter to Jewish groups, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-CAN, charges that a textbook used at the Joe Dwek Ohr HaEmet Sephardic School employs "inflammatory and hateful terms in describing Muslims."

CAIR-CAN alleges that the book, "2000 Years of Jewish History," describes Muslims as "rabid fanatics" with "savage beginnings."

"The entire chapter devoted to Islam presents a pernicious and extreme portrayal of Muslims and the Islamic faith. The material further denigrates the Prophet Muhammad as a 'rabid Jew-hater,' and falsely portrays Islam as inherently anti-Semitic and devoted to hating Jews," the group said in its letter to the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center For Holocaust Studies and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, or CIJA. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Waffenruhe: Iran feiert "Sieg" der Palästinenser
DIE PRESSE: Die vergangenen Tage hätten die "Schwäche und Zerbrechlichkeit der Zionisten" offenbart, sagt Irans Präsident Ahmadinejad. Die arabische Liga fordert ein Ende der Blockade des Gaza-Streifens.

Der iranische Präsident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nennt die Waffenruhe zwischen Israel und der Hamas einen Sieg des palästinensischen Widerstands. "Ein kleiner Ort wie Gaza hat sich gegen die Zionisten (Israel) gestellt und gesiegt", sagte er nach Angaben der Nachrichtenagentur Fars am Donnerstag. "Dies ist eine weitere Offenbarung, wie schwach und zerbrechlich die Zionisten und ihre Verbündeten sind." » | APA/dpa | Donnerstag, 22. November 2012

Dead-End Road for Mr. No: David Cameron's Risky EU Showdown

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: All eyes are on British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday as European Union leaders gather in Brussels for talks aimed at passing the bloc's next budget. His pre-summit blustering leaves him with little wiggle room, and he could emerge as the debate's biggest loser.

When the 27 European Union heads of state and government arrive in Brussels on Thursday evening for the budget summit, all eyes will be on David Cameron. The British prime minister is in a pugnacious mood, and has said he is prepared to veto the European Commission's budgetary proposal for the years 2014 to 2020 if he doesn't get his way.

Cameron is set to arrive ahead of most of his European counterparts for talks with European Union Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso in an attempt to outline a possible compromise. It promises to be a difficult task.

Every seven years, the EU must come together to fashion a spending plan, and each time it becomes a bitter battle over national interests. For the approaching seven-year period, the Commission has proposed raising EU spending to €1.091 trillion. And the EU's executive body has the support of the European Parliament as well as the 17 countries who are net recipients -- a group made up primarily of Southern and Eastern European countries who receive more from the EU budget than they pay in. » | Carsten Volkery in London | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all my American visitors, followers, and Twitter followers a VERY HAPPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING

Abstract Painting, ORIGINAL Contemporary Art "Alembic" (Thanksgiving) by Elizabeth Chapman
Elizabeth Chapman lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her family, where she works as a professional artist and teaches out of her home studio. The majority of her work can be described as contemporary expressionism. This acrylic painting (16” x 20” x ¾”) is available for purchase. »

Osama bin Laden: Code for Body Was 'Fedex Package'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The first details of Osama bin Laden's secret burial at sea have been revealed in internal US military emails.

The emails were released by the Pentagon after a freedom of information request by the Associated Press, but were heavily redacted.

They disclosed that the funeral was so secret that none of the crew on USS Carl Vinson witnessed the burial at sea. They confirmed what the administration said at the time that Islamic rituals were observed.

In an indication of the intense secrecy surrounding the operation, senior naval officers referred to the slain terror leaders's [sic] body was referred to as a FedEx package. » | Thursday, November 22, 2012

Mali: des djihadistes arrêtés au Niger
L’EXPRESS.fr: Les djihadistes affluent pour soutenir les rebelles islamistes au Nord du Mali. Au Niger, un Franco-Congolais a été arrété alors qu'il tentait de passer la frontière malienne.

Les services de sécurité nigériens sont sur les dents. Outre l'arrestation, le 7 août, d'un Franco-Congolais qui voulait rejoindre les islamistes armés dans le nord du Mali, de nombreux candidats africains au djihad ont été interceptés à Niamey ces derniers mois. Avant tout pour une raison géographique: la capitale du Niger n'est distante que de 450 kilomètres de Gao, ville du Nord malien tenue par le Mouvement pour l'unicité et le djihad en Afrique de l'Ouest (Mujao), satellite des terroristes d'Aqmi. » | Par Boris Thiolay | mercredi 21 novembre 2012

Religion: "Ein düsterer Tag für die Kirche"
DIE PRESSE – AUSZUG: Die Synode der Church of of England verhinderte, dass es künftig auch weibliche Bischöfe gibt. Traditionelle Anglikaner sehen darin einen Verstoß gegen die Bibel. In anderen anglikanischen Kirchen sind sie längst üblich.

…

Elisabeth II., als Königin auch Oberhaupt der Staatskirche, kommentierte die jüngste Entwicklung wie üblich nicht – wobei sich viele Briten fragen, warum eine Frau zwar problemlos Chefin der Kirche sein kann, aber nicht Bischof. Den ganzen Artikel hier lesen » | Julia Kastein (Die Presse) | Mittwoch, 21. November 2012

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Comes into Effect in Gaza

BBC: A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement which governs Gaza has come into effect.

Under the deal, Israel has agreed to end all hostilities and targeted killings, while Hamas will stop attacks against Israel and along the border.

At least 157 people have died since the flare-up of violence began last week.

Both sides continued to fire on each other as the 21:00 (19:00 GMT) ceasefire deadline approached, but no incidents have been reported since.

Earlier, a bomb exploded on a bus in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, leaving three people needing surgery.

Wednesday also saw at least 13 people die in Gaza.

Israel has agreed to "stop all hostilities on the Gaza Strip, land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals", the ceasefire deal says.

"All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel, including rocket attacks, and attacks along the border," it stipulates. (+ video) » | Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Afghan Shia Muslims Flog Themselves for Ashura Festival
Hundreds of Shia Muslims in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, flog themselves to mark the festival of Ashura on Wednesday. The festival marks the martyrdom of Hussain, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, in the battle of Karbala in Iraq in the year 680. Shia Muslims mourn for a month as part of the festival

Petraeus Testifies in Benghazi Attack Inquiry
The US Congress continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack on the US consulate in Libya two months ago. Former CIA director David Petraeus - fresh from a scandal about an extra-marital affair - has been testifying behind closed doors. Al jazeera's John Terrett has the latest from Washington DC.

Malaria Makes a Comeback in Southern Greece
Forty-years since the last recorded case of malaria in Greece, the disease everyone thought was a thing of the past is back. There have been 28 cases among the Greek population in the southern agricultural land of Laconia in the last year alone. Higher temperatures caused by global warming and the economic crisis have both contributed to the resurgence. Al Jazeera's Simon McGregor Wood reports from Laconia, Southern Greece.

India Hangs Mumbai Attacker
India has hanged the only Pakistani fighter to have survived the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Mohammad Ajmal Kasab was hanged hours after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected a mercy plea. It is the first time the death sentence has been carried out in India since 2004. Al Jazeera's Sohail Rahman reports from New Delhi.

Al Jazeera's Cairo Bureau Firebombed by Egyptian Protesters

Anschlag in Tel Aviv
Im Zentrum von Tel Aviv ist es zu einem Bombenanschlag auf einen Bus gekommen. Laut Angaben von Rettungskräften wurden dabei mindestens zehn Menschen verletzt. Drei von ihnen offenbar schwer. Israel spricht von einem terroristischen Akt. Einschätzungen von SF-Korrespondent Pascal Weber.

Women Bishops: The Church Has Lost Credibility in Society, Says Archbishop
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned the Church of England it has a “lot of explaining to do” after the rejection of plans for women bishops.


In a measured but devastating address to the General Synod, Dr Rowan Williams said that there was no doubt the church has “lost credibility” in society because of the vote.

He acknowledged that to many it would appear that the Synod was being held “hostage” by certain minority groups opposed to change.

And he said that, irrespective of rules preventing the measure coming back for debate for several years, “parking” it would not be an option.

His comments came after almost three quarters of the General Synod voted in favour of allowing women to become bishops but the measure fell short of final approval by just six votes in one strand of the Synod, the House of Laity. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor, and Richard Alleyne | Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Mali : le touriste enlevé est français
lePARISIEN.fr: L'Européen enlevé mardi soir au Mali est bien de nationalité française selon des sources concordantes. Un peu plus tôt dans la matinée, on avait appris qu'un Européen parlant français avait été enlevé dans la localité de Diema, dans l'ouest du pays.

Cet homme, Jules Berto Rodriguez Léal, enlevé par plusieurs hommes armés mardi soir vers 22 heures locales à Diéma, est «né le 18 juillet 1951 à Laurichal» au Portugal, mais est «de nationalité française», selon l'Agence mauritanienne d'information (AMI) et une source sécuritaire malienne. » | Ava Djamshidi | mercredi 21 novembre 2012

Britain's EU Wavering: What Cameron Doesn't Know Could Hurt You

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Does Britain have a future as a member of the European Union? Prime Minister David Cameron doesn't have an answer to that question -- and that is a problem. His threats to veto the EU budget and efforts at securing a special status for his country are both undignified and dangerous.

David Cameron's favorite toy while attending European Union summit meetings is his BlackBerry. He glances at it constantly, almost as though he thinks it can provide him with guidance. Unfortunately, it cannot.

EU heads of state and government are gathering in Brussels this Thursday for talks on the 27-nation club's next budget, set to cover the years from 2014 to 2020. And Cameron, the British prime minister, has threatened to torpedo negotiations if the €1 trillion spending plan submitted by the European Commission isn't drastically cut. » | A Commentary by Christoph Scheuermann | Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Salafists Take Responsibility for Gaza Rockets
THE JERUSALEM POST: Gaza groups opposed to Hamas admit firing rockets at Israel, while Salafists from Sinai are aiding Hamas's military wing.

Gaza-based Salafist-Jihadists with ties to al-Qaida have claimed responsibility for perpetrating several of the recent rocket attacks against Israel, according to statements published by several jihadist groups in the past days.

The Gaza-based jihadi group Jaish al-Ummah published two statements on jihadist forums on Monday claiming responsibility for a series of attacks against Israel. » | Joanna Paraszczuk | Tuesday, November 20, 2012

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Ariel Sharon's Son Gilad Calls on Israel to 'Flatten Gaza'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Gilad Sharon, the son of Ariel Sharon the former Israeli prime minister who was felled by a stoke in 2005, called on the country's armed forced to crush terrorism in Gaza by laying siege to the Palestinian territory.

Mr Sharon, an activist for the opposition Kadima party said that Israel's south would only be calm when Israel would be able to declare total victory over Hamas and other radical groups in the city.

Otherwise the alternative would be to reoccupy the territory that his father ordered a withdrawal from in 2005. To do so the army should unleash an all-out assault. "Flatten all of Gaza. The Americans didn't stop with Hiroshima – the Japanese weren't surrendering fast enough, so they hit Nagasaki, too," he wrote in the Jerusalem Post.

Mr Sharon, who is also a major in Israel's reserve forces, said the government should force the leadership of Gaza to capitulate by cutting off all supplies.

"There should be no electricity in Gaza, no gasoline or moving vehicles, nothing. Then they'd really call for a ceasefire," he wrote. » | Damien McElroy | Monday, November 19, 2012

Leaving the EU Would Be an Economic 'Disaster', Ken Clarke Has Said
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain must stop having a "nervous breakdown" over Europe as it would be a economic "disaster" to leave the EU, Ken Clarke has said.

The Cabinet minister said any suggestion the UK could leave the EU is "damaging our influence" in the world.

Speaking on the BBC's Today Programme, he said he does not "remotely believe" the Prime Minister is planning to take Britain out of the EU, despite eurosceptic pressure from backbench MPs.

"We are going through a very curious stage in the national debate," he said. "In the last 20 years the country gets near to having a nervous breakdown on the subject every now and again. David Cameron assures the public, he’s always assured me, that he believes, as I do, that Britain’s place in the modern world has got to be in the EU.

"It would be a disaster for our influence in global political events. It would be a disaster for the British economy, if we were to leave the EU. It damages our influence in these great critical events of the moment if we keep casting doubt on our continued membership." » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Monday, November 19, 2012

'Martyrs for the Conservative Revolution': Mass-Murderer Breivik Writes Neo-Nazi Zschäpe

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik has written a letter to Beate Zschäpe, the last surviving member of Germany's neo-Nazi terrorist cell the National Socialist Underground. In the text obtained by SPIEGEL, Breivik praises Zschäpe for her alleged crimes and says she should be "extremely proud."

Anders Behring Breivik, the right-wing extremist who is serving a maximum sentence for the murder of 77 people in premeditated attacks that devastated Norway in July 2011, is interested in establishing contact Germany's most famous neo-Nazi. SPIEGEL has learned that he sent a letter to Beate Zschäpe, the only surviving member of the German neo-Nazi terrorist group known as the National Socialist Underground (NSU).

Zschäpe, who stands accused of acting as an accessory to murder on 10 counts, currently awaits trial in police custody at a prison in Cologne. That is where Breivik addressed his letter to Zschäpe on May 7, offering his support for what he called their common cause. » | kla/SPIEGEL | Monday, November 19, 2012

From Wedding Dress to Suicide Vest

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Aminat Kurbanova, 29, of Dagestan, seen smiling on wedding day in 2003 / Brought up as an Orthodox Christian and met husband at drama college / But she converted to Islam in 2007 and blew herself up three months ago / Brother-in-law introduced her to Islam but later died; as did her husband

Brought up as an Orthodox Christian by her mother, Aminat Kurbanova looked a picture of happiness at her wedding nine years ago - marrying the man with whom she had fallen in love at drama school.

But she converted to Islam in 2007 and three months ago walked into the house of a Muslim cleric in Dagestan, Russia, wearing a 3lb bomb, and blew herself up - killing eight people including her.

Once a stage actress, the 29-year-old mother had transformed into a Muslim suicide bomber. The blast shocked Russia but her mother Vera Saprighina insists she was ‘a kind person, not a monster’.

Kurbanova was brought up in Makhachkala, Dagestan, and gained top marks at the city’s arts and drama college - where she met her future husband Marat Kurbanov, reported the Sunday Times [£].

The couple married in 2003 and she gave birth to a daughter, Malika, two years later. In 2006 the couple were introduced to Islam by Marat’s brother Rustam - and Kurbanov converted a year later.

‘She said she had finally found the right religion for her,’ her mother Vera Saprighina told the Sunday Times. ‘Before long, both left the theatre because dancing and acting are considered un-Islamic.’

But Rustam was killed in a police house raid on suspected militants in 2008. It shocked the couple. Marat left home, never to come back, and is thought to have joined militants to avenge the death. How Russian Islamic convert kissed her daughter goodbye and blew herself up at cleric's home » | Mark Duell | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Qatada Intends to Sue for £10million Says His Family: Hate Preacher Wants Compensation for Years Spent behind Bars

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Abu Qatada has told his family that he plans to sue the British government for £10million for ‘unlawful detention’.

The hate preacher has said he wants compensation for his ‘extended mistreatment’ after a judge released him from jail last week and blocked his deportation to Jordan to face terror charges.

Qatada was awarded a far smaller payout from the European Court of Human Rights three years ago after judges ruled he had been unfairly detained in Belmarsh high security jail without trial.

But the cleric’s family said that his hopes of a much larger compensation win have been boosted after the special immigration court ruled last Monday that there was a real risk that evidence obtained through torture might be used against him if he was sent home to Jordan to face trial.

The cleric, once described by a judge as Osama Bin Laden’s ambassador in Europe, has been bailed to his family home in London after spending much of the past seven years behind bars.

Qatada lives in North London with his wife and five children on state handouts said to total £1,000 a month. » | Tom Kelly | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Marco Rubio Leads Way for 2016 Republican Challengers

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: It may only be less than two weeks since they lost to Barack Obama, but potential Republican candidates are already jostling for position for the 2016 presidential election race.

Marco Rubio, the 41-year-old Florida Senator who is the Republicans’ most prominent Latino, led the way with a speech this weekend, calling for immigration reform and lower taxes as the party seeks to make itself more broadly acceptable.

"The way to turn our economy around is not by making rich people poorer, but make poor people richer," Senator Rubio said, taking a swipe at Mr Obama's plans to raise taxes on millionaires.

He was speaking at a birthday celebration for the Republican Governor of Iowa, a swing state whose 2016 caucus will officially get the race to find a Republican candidate under way.

Mr Rubio, a Cuban American with a flashing smile and a rags-to-riches back story, presents a stark contrast with the staid, establishment figure of 65-year-old Mitt Romney whose campaign conspicuously failed to win over Hispanic, black or young women voters.

"Our workers are not making as much as they made in the same jobs 25 years ago," Mr Rubio said. "My father was a bartender. My mother was a maid at a hotel. They were able to provide for us a standard of living." » | Peter Foster, Washington | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Coptic Pope Tawadros II Enthroned

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The new pope of Egypt's Orthodox Coptic church has been enthroned in an elaborate ceremony lasting nearly four hours, attended by the nation's Muslim prime minister and a host of Cabinet ministers and politicians.

Pope Tawadros II, 60, was elected earlier this month but the official enthronement ceremony was held on Sunday at the Coptic cathedral in Cairo. He replaced Shenouda III, who died in March after leading the ancient church for 40 years.

The packed cathedral repeatedly erupted into applause as the ceremony progressed. The ceremony's climax came when the papal crown was placed on Tawadros' head before he sat on the throne of St. Mark, the Coptic church's founding saint. » | Source: AP | Sunday, November 18, 2012

Jordan: King Abdullah II Cancels UK Trip After Protests
THE INDEPENDENT: King Abdullah II has cancelled his trip to London scheduled for next week, after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of Amman yesterday calling for his fall on the fourth day of unrest sparked by rising fuel prices.

There had been anxiety over the visit due to the violence in Gaza, as his wife, Queen Rania, is Palestinian. Smaller groups of protesters have made rare calls against the monarch before. But the crowd in the capital of about 2,500, chanting slogans reminiscent of last year's Arab Spring uprisings, was the largest yet to seek the overthrow of the regime. » | Jalal Halaby, AMMAN | AP | Friday, November 16, 2012

Barroso: Unabhängiges Katalonien muss aus EU austreten

DIE PRESSE: Die nordspanische Region Katalonien hat vorgezogene Neuwahlen als Schritt zur Unabhängigkeit ausgerufen.

EU-Kommissionspräsident Jose Manel Barroso hat den katalanischen Unabhängigkeitsbestrebungen am Samstag einen harten Rückschlag versetzt. Am Rande des 22. Iberoamerikanischen Gipfeltreffens im südspanischen Cadiz stellte Barroso klar, dass eine Region, die sich von einem EU-Mitgliedsstaat trennt, automatisch aufhören würde, Teil der Europäischen Union zu sein. Die Einwohner der betreffenden Region würden ebenfalls sofort den Status als EU-Bürger verlieren, so Barroso weiter. » | DoePresse.com | Samstag, 17. November 2012

Gaza - L'Iran appelle le monde islamique à des représailles contre Israël
LE POINT: Le Parlement iranien a envisagé l'envoi d'une délégation de parlementaires à Gaza, mais aucune date n'a été fixée.

Le ministre iranien de la Défense Ahmad Vahidi a appelé samedi le monde islamique à des "actions de représailles" contre Israël pour mettre un terme aux "crimes du régime sioniste" à Gaza, a rapporté l'agence officielle Irna. "Les attaques sauvages contre la population innocente de Gaza sont l'exemple même de crimes de guerre", a affirmé le général Vahidi. "Seule l'unité, une action révolutionnaire et des représailles du monde islamique peuvent mettre un terme aux crimes du régime sioniste", a-t-il ajouté. » | Source AFP | samedi 17 novembre 2012

One Fat Lady in Race Row over Muslim Ghetto Jibe

MAIL ONLINE: Chef was 'surprised any of the people who might object could read what I wrote as it is written in English' / She describes visit to the 'ghetto' after getting lost in traffic and found herself 'in an area where all the men were wearing Islamic clothing' / But she says there's an upside — she's thankful for the large number of Asian restaurants in the city as 'you can eat excellent curry' there / Her comments were criticised by the Muslim Council of Britain and the city's mayor, who claims her account 'may help sell books but it is cheap'

She is as renowned for her outspoken views as she is for her cooking.

So when celebrity chef Clarissa Dickson Wright decided to write about her day out in a multi-cultural part of Leicester, she didn't mince her words.

The former star of the BBC's Two Fat Ladies claimed a visit to the city, which has a large Muslim population, was 'the most frightening experience of her life'.

Describing parts of Leicester as a 'ghetto', she said seeing so many men in Islamic clothing and women in a burkas left her feeling 'in the middle of my own country, a complete outcast and pariah'.

Yesterday her comments provoked fury from Muslim groups and local leaders.
But Miss Dickson Wright remained defiant, saying: 'I'm surprised any of the people who might object could read what I wrote as it is written in English.' The Islamic area of Leicester frightened me, says TV chef » | Paul Bentley | Friday, November 17, 2012

Hamas feuert Rakete auf Tel Aviv

Deutschland und Frankreich wollen enger kooperieren

Homosexualité = zoophilie ? L’UOIF riposte
SAPHIR NEWS: L’Union des organisations islamiques de France (UOIF [Union des Organisations Islamiques de France]) désapprouve le mariage homosexuel et l’homoparentalité et a souhaité le faire savoir par une tribune, publiée sur Saphirnews,[,] dans laquelle elle décline tous ses arguments pour expliquer sa position.

Or, les médias mainstream n’ont retenu qu’un passage : celui où l’UOIF évoque la zoophilie. « Si le mariage entre deux personnes de même sexe devenait une norme, alors où s’arrêteront les revendications ? Les plus incongrues peuvent, un jour, être légitimées au nom du même principe d’égalité. Qui pourra délégitimer la zoophilie, la polyandrie, au nom du sacro-saint amour ? », s’était-elle interrogée.

Plusieurs médias en ont conclu alors que l’UOIF compare homosexualité et zoophilie, ce qui a suscité une réaction d’indignation de Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, la porte-parole du gouvernement. « Les propos de l'UOIF sont évidemment un dérapage, une violence langagière terrible pour les principaux intéressés mais pas seulement, pour la société tout entière », a-t-elle déclaré. » | Rédigé par La Rédaction | vendredi 16 novembre 2012

Economist 'Time-bomb' Cover Sparks French Ire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: French officials angrily rejected a charge by The Economist on Friday that France was the "time-bomb at the heart of Europe", accusing the magazine of sensationalist journalism.

The Economist's front cover showed seven loaves of "baguette" bread held together by a French tricolour with a lit fuse protruding from the centre.

Its main article raised concerns that President Francois Hollande's economic reforms are not ambitious enough and so could jeopardise the future of the euro currency.

"Unless Mr Hollande shows that he is genuinely committed to changing the path his country has been on for the past 30 years, France will lose the faith of investors—and of Germany. As several euro-zone countries have found, sentiment in the markets can shift quickly," The Economist wrote.

"The crisis could hit as early as next year. Previous European currency upheavals have often started elsewhere only to finish by engulfing France—and this time, too, France rather than Italy or Spain could be where the euro’s fate is decided. Mr Hollande does not have long to defuse the time-bomb at the heart of Europe."

Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg told Europe 1 radio: "Honestly, The Economist has never distinguished itself by its sense of even-handedness." » | Telegraph Staff, and agencies | Friday, November 16, 2012

War Looms Over Gaza As Israel Mobilizes Troops Near Border

FOX NEWS: JERUSALEM – Both the Israeli military and militants in the Gaza strip continued relentless air strikes Friday as Israeli troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers massed near the Palestinian territory, signaling a ground invasion might be growing near.

Hopes of even a brief cease-fire were dashed after both sides accused the other of violating a proposed cease-fire during a visit by the prime minister of Egypt to Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had told Egypt that Israel was prepared to suspend its military offensive in the Gaza Strip during Prime Minister Hisham Kandil's three-hour visit there Friday.

However, Israel later said Hamas did not honor the deal, saying rockets fired from Gaza had hit several sites in southern Israel as Kandil was in the enclave.

Israel strongly denied it had carried out any attacks from the time Kandil entered Gaza, though Gaza militants claimed Israel had continued strikes during the visit.

More indications emerged late Thursday that the conflict may erupt into an all-out war, as at least 12 trucks were seen transporting Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers toward Gaza and buses carrying soldiers headed toward the border area. » | FoxNews.com | Friday, November 16, 2012

Binyamin Netanyahu Accuses Hamas of War Crimes
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu says the Palestinian armed groups are committing war crimes, attacking Israeli civilians and using Palestinians as human shields. A Hamas spokesman says they will decide when the fighting ends, not Israel. A Hamas rocket has killed three Israelis north of the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The Palestinian death toll has risen to 15

Romney Breaks Silence in Bitter Broadside at Obama

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mitt Romney, speaking for the first time since losing the US presidential election to Barack Obama, has blamed his defeat on "gifts" showered by the president on his female, young, African-American and Hispanic supporters.

Mr Romney accused Mr Obama of following the "old playbook" by bestowing favors on key Democratic constituencies in exchange for their support at the ballot box.

"In each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups," the defeated Republican presidential nominee said during a phone call with his national finance committee.

"With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest, was a big gift," Mr Romney said.

Mr Obama garnered 51 percent of the popular vote, while Mr Romney got 48 percent. The president's win was more decisive in the Electoral College, where he earned 332 votes against Mr Romney's 206.

Romney's remarks, reported by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, echoed controversial remarks made to donors at a private fundraiser, denigrating the "47 percent" of US voters who he said failed to pay income tax. » | Source: AFP | Thursday, November 15, 2012

War Looms Over Gaza as Death Toll Rises
REUTERS.COM: (Reuters) - A Hamas rocket killed three Israelis north of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, drawing the first blood from Israel as the Palestinian death toll rose to 15 in a military showdown lurching closer to all-out war and an invasion of the enclave.

On the second day of an assault Israel said might last many days and culminate in a ground attack, its warplanes bombed targets in and around Gaza city, where tall buildings trembled.

Plumes of smoke and dust furled into a sky laced with the vapor trails of outgoing rockets.

The sudden conflict, launched by Israel with the killing of Hamas's military chief, pours oil on the fire of a Middle East already ablaze with two years of revolution and an out-of-control civil war in Syria. Palestinian allies, led by Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, denounced the Israeli offensive.

After watching powerlessly from the sidelines of the Arab Spring, Israel has been thrust to the centre of a volatile new world in which Islamist Hamas believes that Mursi and his newly dominant Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt will be its protectors. » | Nidal al-Mughrabi | GAZA | Thursday, November 15, 2012

"Panic" in Gaza after Israeli Strike – Rough Cuts
Ahmed Jabari, a top Hamas military commander, was targeted by an Israeli rocket and killed Wednesday. Panic quickly ensued around the wreckage. Dan Williams, senior correspondent in Jerusalem, reports. (November 14, 2012)

Des républicains comparent l'affaire Benghazi au scandale du Watergate
LE POINT: L'ancien chef de la CIA, qui a démissionné vendredi, témoignera au Sénat sur l'attaque contre le consulat américain de Benghazi.

L'ancien chef de la CIA David Petraeus, qui a démissionné vendredi après la révélation d'une liaison avec sa biographe, témoignera auSénat sur l'attaque contre le consulat américain de Benghazi, une affaire que le républicain John McCain compare au scandale du Watergate. Le sénateur John McCain a indiqué à des journalistes mercredi que David Petraeus se rendrait bien en personne devant la commission du Renseignement du Sénat, répondant ainsi à la demande de parlementaires. La CIA n'a pas commenté ces informations. "Le général Petraeus, comme vous le savez, participera à l'audition devant la commission du Renseignement", a-t-il indiqué en conférence de presse, avant d'indiquer plus tard que cela aurait lieu lors de l'audition déjà programmée de jeudi. Mais la date précise de l'audition ne semblait toutefois pas définitivement calée, contrairement à ce que laissait entendre John McCain.

John McCain a appelé à la formation d'une commission parlementaire spéciale au Sénat pour enquêter sur les événements de Benghazi, dans lesquels l'ambassadeur et trois autres Américains ont été tués dans un assaut à l'arme lourde, le 11 septembre. "Il est essentiel que le Congrès conduise sa propre enquête indépendante. Je veux être parfaitement clair : l'administration n'a aucune crédibilité, pour la plupart d'entre nous, concernant les multiples controverses et contradictions soulevées dans la gestion de cette affaire", a lancé John McCain. » | Source AFP | jeudi 15 novembre 2012

Filipino Man Wins Last Minute Stay of Execution for $1 Million Blood Money

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Filipino man won a stay of execution hours before he was due to be beheaded for murdering his landlord in Saudi Arabia as his family were given four months to raise $1 million (£630,000) blood money.

Joselito Zapanta, a Philippine construction worker was sentenced to death after killing the Sudanese landlord in 2009.

The relatives of Salah Ibrahim, who was killed in a dispute with Zapanta, 34, over unpaid rent, however agreed to waive the sentence in return for blood money.

The predawn decision to put off the sentence came after a Philippine official handed in a written plea for more time to King Abdullah, the Saudi ruler.

Raul Hernandez, a spokesman for the Philippine government, said the Saudi government had given more time but could not defy the wishes of the bereaved.

"The family has been given four months to raise four million riyals," he said. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Spain Anti-austerity Protests: 'There Is a Great Deal of Anger on the Streets'
Fiona Govan, the Telegraph's correspondent in Madrid reports on the escalating tension as Spanish workers join strikes to protest against spending cuts and tax hikes that trade unions say have brought misery and deepened the country's economic crisis.

Read the article here | Contains video from Reuters | Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Damascus Demonstration: To Hell with Freedom, We Want an Islamic Caliphate and Weapons | The Internet - September 14, 2012

Egyptian Salafi Sheik Murgan Salem Calls to Destroy Pyramids, Tax Christians, and Says: Bin Laden Greater than Saladin | Dream 2 TV (Egypt) - November 10-13, 2012

Attempt to Pre[-]empt Ban: Far-Right NPD Asks Court to Confirm Its Legality

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Germany's far-right NPD party has taken the unusual step of asking the country's highest court to confirm its constitutionality in an effort to avert a possible future attempt by the government to outlaw it. Mainstream politicians have dismissed the move as a populist stunt and say it is high time authorities move ahead with their bid to ban the party.

The far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) faces a possible bid to outlaw it on the grounds that it has an extremist manifesto that challenges Germany's democratic constitution. The country's domestic intelligence agency has described it as a "racist, anti-Semitic, revisionist" party bent on removing democracy and forming a Fourth Reich. » | cro – with wire reports | Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Damas dénonce la position «immorale» de Paris sur l'opposition syrienne
LIBÉRATION: Le vice-ministre des Affaires étrangères estime qu'en reconnaissant l'opposition, la France «soutient les terroristes».

En reconnaissant mardi l’opposition syrienne, la France a pris une position «immorale», a estimé mercredi le vice-ministre syrien des Affaires étrangères Fayçal Mekdad dans un entretien à l’AFP.

«Permettez-moi d’utiliser ce mot, c’est une position immorale car elle autorise l’assassinat de Syriens. Ils soutiennent les meurtriers, les terroristes et encouragent la destruction de la Syrie», a-t-il déclaré, réagissant aux déclarations du président français François Hollande.

Depuis le début en mars 2011 d’une révolte populaire devenue conflit armé, les autorités syriennes assimilent rebelles et opposants à des«terroristes» armés et financés par l'étranger pour semer le chaos dans le pays.

Le président français François Hollande a annoncé mardi que Paris reconnaissait la nouvelle coalition de l’opposition syrienne, formée dimanche, comme «la seule représentante du peuple syrien» et a ouvert la voie à des livraisons d’armes à l’opposition, jusqu’ici refusées. » | AFP | mercredi 14 novembre 2012

Pippa Middleton : son livre ne se vend pas
Seuls 2000 exemplaires ont été achetés

GALA.fr: Relégué dans les bas-fonds du classement sur Amazon.co.uk (180e) et sur Amazon.com (308e), Dedicate, le premier livre de Pippa Midleton est un échec cuisant.

Pippa Middle-down…

Les tabloïds ne devraient pas tarder à surnommer ainsi la sœur de la princesse de Cambridge si les ventes de son ouvrage ne décollent pas.

Disponible dans les librairies depuis le 30 octobre, son livre sur l’organisation de fêtes a du mal à trouver son public. Pire, alors qu’elle aurait perçu une avance de 400 000 livres (près de 500 000 euros), la jolie Pippa est la cible de violentes critiques de la part de la presse britannique. » | mercredi 14 novembre 2012

Austerity Protests in Spain and Portugal on Europe-wide Day of Action
Union members and activists in Madrid and Lisbon gather to join a European day of action against austerity measures. Workers in Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal were all due to hold protests on Wednesday. A 24-hour strike causes transport disruptions, including many cancelled flights

En Espagne et en Italie, des manifestations dégénèrent
LE FIGARO: EN IMAGES- À Paris, Lisbonne, Bruxelles ou encore Athènes, la mobilisation anti-austérité est importante. Forces de l'ordre et manifestants s'affrontent violemment à Madrid, Turin et Milan.

» | Par Sébastien Thévenet | mercredi 14 novembre 2012

Mali : la charia "pédagogique" d'Ansar Dine
LE POINT: Le groupe armé exige de pouvoir appliquer la loi islamique dans son fief de Kidal. À sa manière.

Ansar Dine, l'un des groupes islamistes armés occupant le nord du Mali, a renoncé mercredi à imposer la loi islamique dans tout le pays, exigeant de l'appliquer dans son seul fief de Kidal, un revirement qui intervient sous la menace d'une guerre africaine. "Nous renonçons à l'application de la charia sur toute l'étendue du territoire malien, sauf dans notre région de Kidal (nord-est) où la charia sera appliquée en tenant compte de nos réalités", a déclaré Hamada Ag Bibi, l'un des membres d'une délégation d'Ansar Dine présente à Ouagadougou, sans plus de précision.

"Nous souhaitons seulement l'application de la charia dans les zones sous notre contrôle, c'est-à-dire dans la région de Kidal. Tout se fera avec pédagogie et nous allons détailler notre argumentation" lors de futures "négociations" avec les autorités maliennes de transition, a expliqué Mohamed Ag Aharib, porte-parole de la délégation. » | Source AFP | mercredi 14 novembre 2012

Syrische Christen in Angst
400‘000 Syrer haben sich bereits in die Nachbarländer abgesetzt. Unter ihnen viele Christen. Sie fürchten, dass die christliche Bevölkerung wie im Irak verfolgt und vertrieben wird. Weil die Rebellen in Aleppo vorrücken, sind die christlichen Viertel im Stadtzentrum mitten in der Kampfzone. «10vor10» konnte mit dem Leiter des jesuitischen Flüchtlingshilfswerks in Syrien sprechen.

Zum Teil in Schweizerdeutsch

Ist Madeleines Verlobter in unseriöse Geschäfte verwickelt?

SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Wenn man in die schwedische Königsfamilie einheiratet, muss man damit rechnen, gehörig unter die Lupe genommen zu werden. Genau so ergeht es jetzt Chris O'Neill, dem Verlobten von Prinzessin Madeleine. Ihm wird Steuerhinterziehung vorgeworfen.

Eine schwedische Wirtschaftszeitung will herausgefunden haben, dass Chris O'Neill an unseriösen Geschäftspraktiken beteiligt sein soll. Denn seine Firma ist auf den Cayman Islands angemeldet und der amerikanische Firmensitz liegt im US-Bundesstaat Delaware – beide Orte sind bekannte Steueroasen. » | donm | Mittwoch, 14. November 2012

Related »

Augenschein in Aleppo: Die Vergangenheit der Zukunft opfern

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Aleppos Zentrum galt als das schönste unter den syrischen Altstädten und ist nun Schauplatz des Bürgerkrieges. Ein schnelles Ende der Kämpfe zeichnet sich nicht ab, und bereits nach wenigen Monaten sind viele einmalige Kulturschätze verloren. – Ein Augenschein vor Ort.

Seit dem 8. August 2012 verliert Aleppo jeden Tag ein Stück seiner Identität, seiner Geschichte, seines Charakters. An jenem Mittwoch begannen syrische Regierungstruppen ihren Sturm auf die Millionenstadt und zwangen die zahlreichen Rebellenverbände, sich aus dem Viertel Salaheddine in die engen Gassen der Altstadt zurückzuziehen, in die ihnen keine Panzer folgen konnten. Seitdem starben hier zahllose Kämpfer wie auch Zivilisten, ohne dass eine der beiden Seiten einen entscheidenden militärischen Sieg erringen konnte. Stattdessen graben sie sich immer tiefer in das Gewirr mamlukischer und osmanischer Herrenhäuser, Souks und Moscheen ein und beschiessen sich aus grosser Entfernung mit Granaten und aus Scharfschützengewehren. » | Nils Metzger | Mottwoch, 14. November 2012

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Kulturerbe in Gefahr – Spiegel von Syriens multikultureller Geschichte: Durch die Versuche der syrischen Armee, Aufständische aus Aleppo zu vertreiben, sind die einzigartigen Kulturschätze der Stadt bedroht. Dabei hatte Aleppo gerade erst begonnen, sich für das eigene historische Erbe zu interessieren. » | Claudia Mende | Donnerstag, 09. August 2012

Israel Threatens to Overthrow Abbas Over Palestinian Statehood Bid

THE GUARDIAN: Foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman says alternative would be 'raising a white flag' as cabinet considers action after UN vote

Israel should topple the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, if he presses ahead with a request for recognition of the state of Palestine by the United Nations general assembly in two weeks' time, the hardline foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has urged. In a draft paper distributed to the media, Lieberman argued that overthrowing the Palestinian leadership was Israel's only viable option, faced with the certainty of an overwhelming vote in support of the Palestinian bid.

"A reality in which the United Nations recognises a Palestinian state according to a unilateral process will destroy all Israeli deterrence and completely harm its credibility," the paper said.

"Although this step is not simple, considering the implications that Israel will have to deal with, the only other option in this case would be the toppling of Abbas's government … The other option, of containment or a softer response, would be seen as raising a white flag."

Lieberman's extreme stance comes as the Israeli cabinet is considering a range of punitive measures it could take in response to the vote, expected on 29 November. These include the full or partial annulment of the 1993 Oslo Accords, financial penalties and an acceleration of settlement expansion. » | Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem | Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Nouvelle-Zélande: Un antiroyaliste voulait jeter du fumier sur le prince Charles

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Un Néo-Zélandais septuagénaire a reconnu mardi avoir voulu lancer du fumier sur le prince Charles et son épouse Camilla, en visite en Nouvelle-Zélande. Il a été libéré sous caution par la justice.

Sam Bracanov, 74 ans, décrit par la police comme «un antiroyaliste connu», avait été arrêté lundi, peu avant que Charles et Camilla aillent à la rencontre de la foule massée sur une promenade de bord de mer, à Auckland. Devant la cour de justice du district d'Auckland, le septuagénaire a plaidé mardi non coupable de la préparation d'une attaque. Il a été libéré sous caution et doit maintenir au moins 500 mètres entre sa personne et le couple royal. » | ats/Newsnet | mardi 13 novembre 2012

David Cameron: I Am Fed Up That Abu Qatada Is Still At Large In UK
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he feels exasperated by radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada winning an appeal to stay in Britain.

Read the article here | Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Gauck bei der Queen: Antrittsbesuch unterm Radar

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Es knirscht im deutsch-britischen Verhältnis, die EU-Frage spaltet die Partner. Bundespräsident Gauck versuchte beim Antrittsbesuch in London, gut Wetter zu machen. Doch die Konflikte bleiben.

Das letzte Mal war Joachim Gauck nur auf Stippvisite bei der Queen. Vor der Eröffnungsfeier der Olympischen Spiele hatte er Ende Juli am offiziellen Empfang für alle hundert Staatsoberhäupter im Buckingham-Palast teilgenommen. Für mehr als ein Händeschütteln reichte es bei diesem Anlass nicht.

Am Dienstag nun folgte der offizielle Antrittsbesuch inGroßbritannien. Auch dieser fiel jedoch eher bescheiden aus. Auf die traditionellen Insignien eines Staatsbesuchs, militärische Ehren und ein Abendbankett, wurde verzichtet. Stattdessen begrüßten Queen Elizabeth II. und Prinz Philip den Bundespräsidenten und seine Partnerin Daniela Schadt mittags am Portal des Palasts.

Schadt knickste formvollendet vor der Königin, man posierte gemeinsam für ein Foto, dann ging es in den "18th Century Room" zu einem Mittagessen mit einem Dutzend Teilnehmern. Serviert wurde ein Drei-Gänge-Menü - und ein Riesling von der Saar. Nach einer guten Stunde verabschiedeten sich die Gäste und fuhren weiter zur Residenz des deutschen Botschafters, wo Gauck sich mit Vertretern des deutsch-britischen Establishments zu einem Meinungsaustausch traf. » | Von Carsten Volkery, London | Dienstag, 13. November 2012

Das Zeit Online Video hier abspielen

Tony Blair Jeered by UCL Students Before Speech
THE GUARDIAN: The former prime minister is greeted with chants of "war criminal" as he arrives at the London university

Tony Blair was jeered by anti-war protesters as he arrived to deliver a speech at University College London (UCL) this morning.

Students and campaigners from the Stop the War Coalition used the occasion to reiterate their demand that the former primer minister be tried for war crimes and criticised the university for hosting the event.

Blair was speaking at the launch of the Institute for Security and Resilience Studies (ISRS) – a research institute which is independent from UCL – alongside former defence secretary John Reid and education secretary Michael Gove.

But students say the event-organisers behaved in an underhand manner by failing to advertise the speech, which was open only to guests who paid £700 for tickets. » | Ashley Cowburn | Tuesday, November 13, 2012

A Bruxelles, le sapin de Noël fait polémique

LE FIGARO: Le conifère installé traditionnellement sur la Grand-Place de Bruxelles est remplacé cette année par une structure métallique lumineuse, suscitant des réactions parfois islamophobes.

C'est un sapin «électronique» de 24 mètres de haut qui remplacera cette année le traditionnel arbre de Noël de la Grand-Place de Bruxelles. Mis en avant à l'occasion de la célébration des fêtes de fin d'année dans la capitale belge, le Xmas Tree, un «sapin 2.0» en acier du label créatif 1024 Architecture, s'inscrit dans une démarche artistique qui a vocation à «dépoussiérer Noël», selon la municipalité.

Mais cette volonté de modernité initiée par le maire bruxellois, Freddy Thielemans, n'est pas du goût d'une partie de la population. C'est le cas d'une élue locale du parti chrétien-démocrate flamand CD&V, Bianca Debaets, qui a avancé l'argument du motif religieux à l'origine de cet abandon du sapin naturel, selon Le Soir. Pour la conseillère, tout a commencé quand l'appellation «Marché de Noël» a été remplacée par celle de «Plaisirs d'Hivers», balayant toute «référence à la fête de Noël». «Qu'arrivera-t-il ensuite? La suppression des œufs de Pâques parce qu'ils se réfèrent à Pâques?», demandait la conseillère municipale dans une interview à Brusselnieuws. Elle regrettait également la disparition de la crèche de la Nativité ; une crèche qui sera pourtant montée comme chaque année, a rassuré le maire. » | Par Gary Assouline | lundi 12 novembre 2012

L'islam radical n'épargne pas la Russie
LE FIGARO: DÉCRYPTAGE - Circonscrit jusqu'ici au Caucase du nord, le djihadisme, commence à s'étendre à d'autres régions de la fédération. Moscou craint que l'islamisation du monde arabe contamine les républiques musulmanes d'Asie centrale, voire même la Russie.

La police russe a arête cette semaine à Moscou six membres du parti Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami (parti islamique de la libération), présenté comme «extrémiste» par les autorités russes. Les six hommes sont accusés de prosélytisme radical dans plusieurs mosquées de la capitale. Des armes et de l'argent ont été saisis. Cette opération n'est pas la première du genre. Plusieurs cellules de cette organisation ainsi que d'autres mouvances islamistes, politisées ou non, ont déjà été démantelées. » | Par Arielle Thedrel | mardi 13 novembre 2012

Petraeus-Affäre, ein Sumpf unabsehbaren Ausmaßes
WELT ONLINE: Außenministerin Clinton, Pentagon-Chef Panetta und Finanzminister Geithner wollen aufhören, und nun weitet sich die Petraeus-Affäre aus. Ein Fehlstart für den US-Präsidenten.

Inzwischen sind alle sicherheitspolitischen Großorgane der USA alarmiert: CIA, FBI, Pentagon. Die außereheliche Affäre des CIA-Chefs David Petraeus ist für den Helden des Irak, der als künftiger US-Verteidigungsminister und Präsidentschaftskandidat 2016 gehandelt wurde, nicht nur peinlich sondern auch Karriere zerstörend. » | Von Dietrich Alexander | Dienstag, 13. November 2012

URSS: les regrets de Gorbatchev
LE FIGARO: Le père de la Perestroïka et dernier dirigeant soviétique, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, 81 ans, avoue regretter encore de ne pas avoir mené le bateau URSS "à bon port", dans un dernier livre publié à Moscou, où il confesse des erreurs mais critique aussi le rôle des Occidentaux. "Je regrette toujours de ne pas avoir réussi à mener le bateau, à la barre duquel j'avais été placé, à bon port", écrit M. Gorbatchev dans ce livre de souvenirs de 600 pages intitulé "En tête-à-tête avec soi-même". » | AFP | mardi 13 novembre 2012

'Merkel Get Out!': Chancellor Faces Angry Protests in Portugal

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Following her visit to Greece a few weeks ago, Angela Merkel made her first official visit [to] crisis-plagued Portugal on Monday. With the trip, the German chancellor sought to bring a bit of hope to the struggling nation. But as in other Southern European countries, a weary public greeted her with angry protests.

It didn't take long after her plane landed in Lisbon for it to become clear just how poorly some in Portugal regard Angela Merkel. "Hitler go home," read one banner held up by a man standing on the sidewalk as the German chancellor's motorcade passed by. A few meters further, a person waved a black flag and two others stretched their arms out to give the Hitler salute.

It wouldn't be off the mark to suggest that the location of the day's most important meeting was a well-chosen one. Forte de São Julião da Barra, a fortress with massive walls and moats, located kilometers away from Portugal's capital city on a cliff with a sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean, is virtually impregnable. It is the country's most important sea fortress and serves today as the headquarters of the Portuguese Defense Ministry. It is to this fortress that Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho invited the chancellor on Monday for her first official visit to the debt-plagued country at the southwestern edge of Europe. » | Philipp Wittrock in Lisbon | Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Saudi Prince Who Killed Manservant 'To Be Allowed Home'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Saudi prince sentenced to life for killing his manservant is reportedly set to be allowed home as part of prisoner swap between Britain and the Kingdom.

Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir Al Saud is likely to be flown back to Saudi Arabia by the end of the year as part of a deal being cut by British officials, The Times [£] has reported.

The grandson of Saudi's King Abdullah is one of 11 Saudi citizens in British jails that can now seek transfers home.

Under the prisoner transfer agreement, which came into operation in August, five Britons currently languishing in Saudi prisons can ask to serve the remainder of their sentences in the UK.

Mr Al Saud, 36, was found guilty at the Old Bailey two years ago of murdering his manservant Bandar Abdulaziz, 32, in a "sadistic" assault in their five-star London hotel suite. » | Ruth Sherlock | Tuesday, November 13, 2012