Thursday, August 08, 2013

UK Has Biggest Population Boom in Europe as Half a Million Migrants Enter in One Year


DAILY EXPRESS: MORE than a half a million immigrants entered the country in the last year, leading to the UK having the biggest population boom in Europe.

The UK's population grew to 63.7 million, with the highest birth rate since 1972 contributing to the rise.

Migration from overseas accounted for 517,800 of the population flow into the UK while 352,100 people left the country, putting net migration at 165,600 for the year.

Many of the migrants to the UK are from China, India, Germany, USA, Pakistan, Poland and Australia.

The overall population growth was 419,900, with 254,400 more births than deaths pushing the UK to becoming the third largest EU nation behind Germany and France.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said the figures showed the failure of the Government "to get a grip on immigration into this country".

He said: "The results of this increase in population can be felt in communities up and down the country as public services struggle to cope with the increase in demand.

"At the same time we face cuts to front line services and send billions of pounds abroad in foreign aid.

"And this is before Romanian and Bulgarian citizens have full access to the UK come January next year. » | Owen Bennett | Thursday, August 08, 2013

Europe: Ramadan Wrap-Up, 2013


GATESTONE INSTITUTE: The real reason for the withdrawal of the documentary, according to bloggers in Finland, was because the documentary -- which included the forgotten women of the Arab Spring and the public rapes of women in Egypt -- is critical of the low status of women under Islam.

Muslims across Europe are marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month which, in accordance with the lunar calendar, this year fell between July and August.

Ramadan was a major topic for public discussion, and the month-long holiday received heavy press coverage from print and broadcast media in all parts of Europe -- a reflection of the rising influence of Islam across the continent.

Muslim leaders sought to leverage the media attention to showcase Ramadan -- a time when Muslims refrain from taking food or water between sunrise and sunset -- as the peaceful nature of Islam in Europe.

Muslims were supported by European multiculturalists – who, when it comes to Judaism and Christianity, are staunch enforcers of secularism. They made great efforts to draw up guidelines, issue instructions and carve out special privileges to ensure that Muslims were not offended by non-Muslims during the festival.

As in past years, Ramadan-related controversies also fuelled heated debates in many countries.

In Britain, for example, Channel 4 became the first mainstream British television channel to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer (adhan) live each morning during Ramadan (see video here). Channel 4 also broadcast a series of programs about Ramadan called "Ramadan Diaries" which explored how British Muslims "cope with the physical and spiritual effects of fasting."

Channel 4 said the special Ramadan programming was an act of "deliberate provocation" to anyone who associates Islam with extremism. » | Soeren Kern | Thursday, August 08, 2013

Inside Story: The Rise and Rise of Al-Qaeda


How real is the threat posed by al-Qaeda 15 years after it bombed US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania?

Cold War Thinking? 'Obama's Reaction on Snowden Asylum Infantile'


US President Barack Obama has cancelled a one-to-one with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that was scheduled for next month. The decision, prompted by Moscow giving temporary refuge to the fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden, was met with disappointment in the Kremlin. John Laughland, a director of studies at the Institute of democracy and cooperation in Paris, joins RT to discuss this.

Smoking in Jersey Homes Could Be Banned


BBC: Smoking in homes and cars could be banned under proposals being discussed by Jersey's health department.

The move to extend the smoking ban has been suggested as a way of protecting children from secondary cigarette smoke.

Lighting up in parks, shopping areas and beaches could also be banned under the proposals, suggested in a report.

A public consultation on the possible changes to smoking policies is due to run until 31 October.

A department spokesman said smoking was "one of the biggest causes of premature death and ill health in the island".

About 20% of the population smoke and health officials have blamed this high level of smoking for the higher than average rates of some cancers in the island. » | Monday, August 05, 2013

Syrien: Rebellen berichten von Raketenangriff auf Assad


08.08.2013 - Syrische Rebellen berichten, sie hätten den Konvoi von Präsident Assad mit Raketen beschossen. Ein Regierungssprecher dementierte, das Staatsfernsehen zeigt Assad beim Gebet in einer Moschee.

Obama Cancels Moscow Meeting with Putin over Snowden


US President Barack Obama has canceled a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow which was scheduled for September, White House says. The move comes after Russia's recent decision to grant temporary asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

Queen Victoria's Last Love (2012)


The story of Queen Victoria's relationship with her Indian servant Abdul Karim, and how it violated Victorian taboos and stoked royal jealousy, threatening her diamond jubilee celebrations


MAIL ONLINE: Victoria's secret crush: How Queen fell under the spell of Indian servant after death of ghillie companion John Brown: Just imagine. It’s the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, the eyes of the world are on London... and the Prince of Wales threatens to have his mother declared insane. ¶ Unthinkable? Well, that’s what happened to Queen Victoria in 1897 after her Royal Household refused to condone any longer Her Majesty’s shockingly intimate friendship with an Indian servant. ¶ It was a relationship that violated Victorian taboos of race and class, and threatened to destabilise the monarchy and the Empire – yet, although Queen Victoria’s earlier scandalous relationship with her Scottish ghillie [an outdoor servant] John Brown is still common knowledge today, her deep affection for her Muslim servant has been almost forgotten. ¶ A new Channel 4 documentary, Queen Victoria’s Last Love, rediscovers how, as courtiers plotted to depose the royal favourite, the nation’s Jubilee celebrations teetered on the brink of chaos. » | Mary Greene | Friday, April 20, 2012

South 2 North: 'Making Love a Crime'


A recent study reveals that 38 countries in Africa have laws criminalising consensual same-sex conduct.

The Café: Israel: The Enemy Within?


Israel has always felt under siege, but its internal problems could be more damaging than any external threat.

Obama Cancels Visit to Putin as Snowden Adds to Tensions


THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — President Obama has canceled a planned summit with the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, officials said Wednesday, a response to frustration at the Russian government for refusing to send Edward J. Snowden, the fugitive intelligence analyst, to the United States to face charges of leaking national security secrets.

The move is also a reflection of growing tensions between the two countries on a series of other issues, including Mr. Putin’s continuing support of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

In a statement, the White House said the president had decided to postpone the summit between the two leaders after concluding that there had not been enough progress made on the “bilateral agenda” to make a meeting worthwhile. “Given our lack of progress on issues such as missile defense and arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security issues, and human rights and civil society in the last twelve months, we have informed the Russian government that we believe it would be more constructive to postpone the summit until we have more results from our shared agenda,” Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said in a statement. Mr. Carney said Russia’s “disappointing decision” to grant temporary asylum to Mr. Snowden was “also a factor” in Mr. Obama’s decision. » | Michael D. Shear | Wednesday, August 07, 2013

How Islam Conquers Europe


GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Hezbollah's Deputy Director General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, says Europe will be harmed by the lies it spreads about Hezbollah, whose two wings are intertwined and cannot be separated. He says Hezbollah knows exactly how to respond to Europe's provocation, and will do so at a time and in a place it chooses.

Europe, in denial, afraid to face the truth about the Islamist threat, has taken the coward's way out and stuck its head firmly in the sand. Even as the radical Islamist networks threatening to take over Europe entrench themselves in the violent enclaves within the swelling Islamic communities in the cities, the EU's politicians, with their elastic sense of morality and double-jointed value system, outdo themselves in attempts to reassure their constituents, and defang the Islamist terrorism about to explode in their back yards.

In light of Hezbollah's participation in the slaughter in Syria and of the terrorist attacks it has carried out in the thirty years of its existence, the leaders of the EU had no choice but to designate its "military wing" as a terrorist organization and take measures against it, but somehow managed to leave its so-called "political wing" untouched.

However, before the EU could designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization, a sop had to be thrown to the various Islamist terrorist organizations: an anti-Israeli decision. In a particularly pathetic move intended to provide "balance" for designating Hezbollah's military wing a terrorist organization -- and hoping to stave off the Islamist terrorism threatening Europe, if only temporarily -- the EU issued a condemnation of the Jewish settlements in the occupied territories and announced that their products would be boycotted.

The truth is that the EU's condemnation of the Israeli settlements is sinful, because it is impossible to distinguish between the various Israeli groups. The Jews who live in occupied Palestine and the Jews who live in the occupied West Bank are all Jewish Zionist invaders who settled on Arab lands on the grounds that the Bible granted them the right to the land, while the Palestinians have no right to the Holy Land which gave birth to Jesus, the first Palestinian Messiah. I do not hate the Jews, but by distinguishing between the two parts of the Blessed Land, the EU legitimized the Jewish settlers who have been living in occupied Palestine since 1948. As the Arabic proverb says, "He who came to put kohl on the eyes of the lady instead caused her to go blind."

It is obvious that all the EU's slippery maneuvering and rhetoric have only one objective: to fool the radical Islamists and appease them, in that way hoping to gain quiet, for the time being, and postpone the eventual outbreak of Islamist violence. The Islamists, however, refuse to be manipulated by such semantics. Hezbollah spokesmen had an immediate aggressive response to the EU announcement, calling it surrender to the dictates of the Americans and the Zionist lobby, and a hostile action, which serves only the Jews. » | Ali Salim | Wednesday, August 07, 2013

The Frost Interview: Shimon Peres: 'Self-victimising Palestinians'


Israel's president discusses Jewish settlements and insists Palestinians are victims of their own mistakes.

Huge Fire Forces Nairobi Airport Shutdown


"Massive" blaze has gutted parts of airport in the Kenyan capital, forcing all flights to be suspended, officials say.

Syria's War Moves to Electronic Battlefield


Hackers linked to regime forces responsible for several cyber-attacks in recent weeks says an internet security company.

Islamists Massacre 450 Kurds in Syria, Including 120 Children


Unconfirmed reports have emerged detailing a new massacre in which 450 Kurds - including 120 children - were allegedly slaughtered by al-Qaeda-linked rebels fighting against the Syrian government. The report has sparked international concern.

The Horrible Injustice of the Bradley Manning Verdict


"Transparency campaigners condemned the harsh sentence in prospect for Bradley Manning, but journalists and lawyers closely associated with the trial were relieved with the acquittal for the most serious charge -- that he "aided the enemy" by transmitting state secrets to WikiLeaks."*

Bradley Manning faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison for charges including espionage for whistle blowing on the U.S. military to Wikileaks. Does he deserve the steep sentence, and will be become an example of what happens when someone steps out of line? Why was his case ignored by the mainstream press? Cenk Uygur breaks it down.


Are Huge Orgies Liberating Iran?


"When Iranian American anthropologist Pardis Mahdavi first visited Tehran in the summer of 2000, she expected to encounter the Iran she grew up imagining. Her family remembered violence and extremism, and these were the images that stuck: "women clad in black chadors, wailing and whipping themselves," "black bearded men with heavy hearts and souls," arranged marriages, and the fierceness of the "morality police."*

Is Iran having a so-called "sexy spring?" The west has exported restaurants, products, and ideas to other countries around the world, but what if western ideas of sexual liberation became big in countries where sex is repressed? That is happening now in Iran-- could sex be the key to real change? Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss.


Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Haben syrische Rebellen Croissants verboten?

DIE PRESSE: Internationale Medien berichten, ein religiöses Gericht in Aleppo habe das gebogene Backwerk als "unislamisch" identifiziert. Die Meldung könnte aber auch ein Fake sein.

Sie mögen harmlos wirken und einen durchschnittlichen Betrachter nur an ein wohlmundendes Frühstück denken lassen. Doch ein Scharia-Gericht im syrischen Aleppo soll nun Croissants - und damit auch Kipferl - als Feind identifiziert haben: Das Gericht habe die Speise per Fatwa - einem religiösen Rechtsgutachten - verboten. Mit der Begründung, Croissants verherrlichten den "europäischen Sieg über die Muslime". Was demnach gegen das gebogene Gebäck spricht: Es sei von den französischen Kolonialherren nach Syrien importiert worden. Und es sei ursprünglich - als Kipferl - von den Europäern erfunden worden, um die Abwehr der Osmanen zu feiern. » | Red. | Dienstag, 08. August 2013

Anders Breivik n'étudiera pas à l'université


LE FIGARO: L'auteur du massacre d'Utoeya voulait prendre des cours de sciences politiques. Sa demande a finalement été rejetée.

Recalé. Anders Breivik n'étudiera pas les sciences politiques à l'université d'Oslo, comme il l'avait demandé à la fin du mois de juillet. Le recteur, Ole Petter Ottersen, a fait savoir ce mardi que l'auteur de la tuerie d'Utoeya, qui purge une peine de 21 ans de prison renouvelable, ne pourrait pas accéder aux cours à distance. La raison de ce refus? Il n'a pas les qualifications nécessaires. Anders Breivik, 34 ans, a arrêté sa scolarité au cours du secondaire. Or, en Norvège, les universités sélectionnent les candidats en fonction des notes obtenues aux examens passés à l'issue de l'enseignement secondaire. » | Par lefigaro.fr | mardi 06 août 2013

'I Am the Shooter': US Army Major Nidal Hasan Declares as He Faces Court Martial over Fort Hood Massacre


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A US army major and self-styled "soldier of Allah" admitted gunning down 13 of his comrades in cold blood on Tuesday, calmly telling their families that "war is an ugly thing" as he finally stood trial over the Fort Hood massacre.

Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, declared: "I am the shooter" after being accused of trying to "kill as many soldiers as he could" during a shooting rampage at the military base in Texas four years ago.

In an extraordinary scene, Hasan, who is acting as his own defence lawyer, told the hearing that he had "switched sides" and was now a "Mujahideen" waging a holy war against America.

The bearded defendant, who is in a wheelchair and paralysed from the waist down after being shot at the end of his rampage, addressed the small wood-paneled court room at Fort Hood Texas, in a soft, controlled, and accentless voice.

In a statement lasting barely a minute he said: "Panel members, Good morning. On the morning of Nov 5, 2009, 13 US soldiers were killed and many more injured. The evidence will clearly show that I am the shooter.

"The bodies found that day show that war is an ugly thing. Death, destruction and devastation are felt from both sides, from friend and foe.

"The evidence will show I was on the wrong side. The evidence will also show that I then switched sides. The evidence will show we Mujahideen are imperfect soldiers trying to establish a perfect religion in the land of the supreme God.

"I apologise for any mistakes in this endeavour." » | Nick Allen, Fort Hood, Texas | Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Buzzsaw : Yemen and Political Turmoil in the Middle East with Ibrahim Mohammed Alsaidi


Sean Stone Debunks Myths on Iran, Islam & US Empire


Abby Martin speaks with actor and director, and co-host of 'Buzzsaw' Sean Stone, about the clash of civilizations, misconceptions about Islam and Iran, and the role Hollywood and the corporate media play in perpetuating Islamophobia.

Iran Ready to Talk If US Shows 'Goodwill', Says New President

THE GUARDIAN: Hassan Rouhani says Tehran would match any 'constructive move' by Washington to end stalemate over nuclear programme

Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, has made clear that his government is open to direct talks with the US, in a move that could open the way to breaking the stalemate over the nuclear issue.

But Rouhani added that the US needed to show goodwill and abandon "hidden agendas" with regards to Iran. Two days after he was sworn in to office and in his first press conference as president, Rouhani said on Tuesday he wanted Washington to hear the message of the Iranian elections and show willingness to engage Tehran with "practical steps". The president promised that any constructive move by the US would be matched accordingly. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Tuesday, August 06, 2013

French Nurse Offers to Breastfeed for Gay Parents

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A nurse has sparked controversy in France for posting a classified online advert to breastfeed babies whose parents – notably gay men – are unable to do so.

Denounced as illegal and a health hazard by experts, the 100-euro-per-day (£86) rental of the 29-year-old's breasts is thought to be the first such commercial venture since France legalised gay marriage and adoption earlier this year.

The new mother posted the novel offer on the website e-loue.com (e-rental), whose motto is: "With e-loue.com, everything is up for rent.

"I am a young mother in full health, a trained nurse, 29 years old, and I'm renting out my breasts to feed young babies. In one day I can offer you up to a dozen feeds for your baby," reads the ad by "cecelia232" titled "Breast rental – breast-feeding – Boulogne", a district on the western outskirts of Paris. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Message du pape François aux musulmans pour la fin du Ramadan (Aïd al-Fitr)


SAPHIR NEWS: Voici l'intégralité du message personnel du pape François adressé aux musulmans du monde entier pour l'Aïd al-Fitr qui signe la fin du Ramadan.

C’est pour moi un grand plaisir de vous saluer alors que vous célébrez ‘Id al- Fitr’ concluant ainsi le mois de Ramadan, consacré principalement au jeûne, à la prière et à l’aumône.

Il est désormais de tradition qu’en cette occasion le Conseil Pontifical pour le Dialogue Interreligieux vous adresse un Message de vœux, accompagné d’un thème en vue d’une réflexion commune. Cette année, la première de mon Pontificat, j’ai décidé de signer moi-même ce Message traditionnel et de vous l’envoyer, chers amis, comme expression d’estime et d’amitié envers tous les musulmans, spécialement envers leurs chefs religieux.

Comme vous le savez, lorsque les cardinaux m’ont élu Évêque de Rome et Pasteur universel de l’Eglise catholique, j’ai choisi le nom de « François », un saint très célèbre qui a si profondément aimé Dieu et chaque être humain au point d’être appelé le «Frère universel». Il a aimé, aidé et servi les nécessiteux, les malades et les pauvres ; en outre il a eu un grand souci de la sauvegarde de la création.

Je suis conscient que les dimensions de la famille et de la société sont particulièrement importantes pour les musulmans pendant cette période, et il vaut la peine de noter qu’il y a des parallèles avec la foi et la pratique chrétiennes dans chacun de ces domaines. » | Rédigé par Pape François | lundi 05 août 2013

France Faces Autumn of Discontent, Claims Gérard Depardieu

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France is facing an autumn of discontent and the economic crisis in the country will be "even worse" next year, Gérard Depardieu has claimed, in the actor's latest broadside against the Socialist government whose tax hikes he famously fled.

The 64-year old Gallic screen icon made his incendiary remarks while on his first film shoot in France since he took up Russian citizenship and residence in Belgium to avoid President François Hollande's planned 75 per cent super tax on millionaire earners.

Despite record unemployment levels and a deeply sluggish economy, Mr Hollande's government insists that there are tentative signs of recovery and that the jobless rate will start receding by the end of the year.

Mr Depardieu claimed this was pie in the sky. "I think things will really heat up this autumn and I think that in 2014, things will be much worse in France, despite what some people are saying," he predicted in an interview with AFP. Read on and comment » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Monday, August 05, 2013

Riots to Repeat? 'UK Failed to Respond to Needs that Caused 2011 Unrest'


Two years since violent riots rocked London and other cities and towns across the UK - and Britain's youth still feels left behind. With the government pressing on with cuts, thousands of young people are falling into long-term joblessness. RT's Sara Firth met a young Brit, who took part in the riots two years ago, to find out if anything's changed.

US Involvement Criticised in Egypt


Both supporters and opponents of the military, see the US as self-interested and hypocritical.

Inside Story: The Shame of a Royal Pardon


As Morocco's king revokes a controversial pardon for a paedophile, we examine the problem of sex tourism in the kingdom.

Russian Court Cuts Khodorkovsky's Jail Term


Supreme Court reduces former oil tycoon's jail sentence by two months, paving way for his release in August 2014.

US and UK Urge Citizens to Leave Yemen


AL JAZEERA: Both countries call on citizens to leave Gulf Arab nation immediately, as reported drone strike kills several in Yemen.

The United States evacuated dozens of its personnel from the Yemeni capital, after both the US and United Kingdom told their citizens to leave due to the threat of "terrorist attacks."

The US citizens were flown out of the country on military aircraft; a Pentagon spokesman did not say how many people were evacuated.

The new US measures, announced in a statement on Tuesday, followed a heightened security warning from Washington on Friday that prompted the closure of several Western embassies in Yemen and several US missions across the Middle East and Africa.

It also came after at least four suspected al-Qaeda members were killed in what local tribal leaders said was a US drone strike in central Yemen early on Tuesday.

"The Department urges US citizens to defer travel to Yemen and those US citizens currently living in Yemen to depart immediately," the statement posted on its website said.

The UK's foreign office, meanwhile, advised against all travel to Yemen, and "strongly urge[d] British nationals to leave now". It said that all British embassy staff had been temporarily withdrawn from the country. The UN's refugee agency also boosted security, though it did not withdraw its personnel. » | Source: Al Jazeera and agencies | Tuesday, August 06, 2013

'National Stasi Agency': Germans Furious over Intel Sharing with NSA


German intelligence is sharing large swathes of telecommunications data with the US - according to latest revelations published in Der Spiegel magazine. Documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden show that the degree of surveillance cooperation between Berlin and Washington is higher than officials would like to admit.

West's Warped Vision of Russian Gay Life Leads to 'Crackdown' Cries & Vodka Waste


Russian vodka down the drain - that's the latest protest move against what's seen in the West as Russia's crackdown on gay rights. Activists in the US and Europe have been outraged at a new law against "propaganda of homosexuals to minors" - a name often shortened by the media to the ominous "Russian anti-gay law". But supporters of the law say it upholds the views of the majority of Russians. RT's Anissa Naouai investigates.

The Manning Verdict: Obama's Defining Injustice

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: By using the Espionage Act to punish Bradley Manning, the Obama administration has shown how far it will go to intimidate leakers. His sentencing is a stain on the president's legacy and on America's global reputation.

It was never an issue whether Bradley Manning violated US law. Manning pleaded guilty to 10 charges at the beginning of his military trial. The maximum sentence for those charges was 20 years in prison -- an intolerable sentence, but unlikely to be the extent of his punishment.

That punishment could now be a 136-year prison sentence. Prosecutors have brought in the big guns -- and invoked the Espionage Act, which was passed in 1917 in reaction to fears of German spies and saboteurs.

It is political despotism to use this act in a trial that has to do with neither espionage nor sabotage. It means the defense can no longer argue that the defendant harmed no one, that he acted in the public interest. It deprives Manning of the only basis to justify his actions and the opportunity to avoid a guilty verdict.

This is why the appropriate reaction to this verdict would be to reverse it. It would be over[-]zealous, both from a legal and political standpoint, to pass judgment on Manning as a warning to other possible politically motivated offenders. The 25-year-old soldier, a man who is unconvincing as a heroic figure and burdened with complexes, is the most recent casualty in a hysterically prolonged "war on terror." » | A Commentary By Hans Hoyng | Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan |Monday, August 05, 2013

Free Bradley Manning »

Monday, August 05, 2013

Daniel Barenboim: 'Spaces of Dialogue'


A fascinating insight into one of classical music's best known and most controversial characters.

Clashes Erupt After Turkey Trial Verdicts


Police disperse protesters gathered around courthouse as ex-army chief and many others sentenced in conspiracy trial.


Related »

Florida to Execute Mentally Ill Man Despite Constitutional Prohibition


THE GUARDIAN: Schizophrenic man will die by lethal injection at 6pm Monday unless his lawyers can convince the supreme court to intervene

Florida is preparing to execute a schizophrenic man who believes that he is the immortal prince of God vested with superhuman powers that include an ability to control the sun, despite the US constitution's prohibition against putting mentally ill people to death.

John Ferguson, 65, will be killed by lethal injection at 6pm on Monday unless his lawyers can convince the US supreme court to intervene. Ferguson's legal team, backed by a raft of prominent legal and mental health organisations, are appealing on the nation's highest legal panel to step in on grounds that the execution would be a flagrant violation of the Eighth Amendment of the US constitution that bars "cruel and unusual punishment". » | Ed Pilkington in New York | Monday, August 05, 2013

George Osborne Accused of 'Patronising' Stay-at-home Mothers


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: George Osborne has been accused of "patronising" stay-at-home mothers after saying that they have made a "lifestyle choice" and should not receive childcare vouchers.


The Chancellor today unveiled a scheme to encourage women back into the workplace by handing up to £1,200 of taxpayer-funded childcare for each child to families where both parents have a job.

He said that he had "huge respect" for stay-at-home mothers and said that the government will "help" their families by introducing tax breaks for married couples.

However Laura Perrins, a stay-at-home mother who took on the Deputy Prime Minister during a radio phone earlier this year, said that the reported £120 tax breaks were "pathetic" compared to the value of childcare vouchers.

She said: "Saying stay-at-home mothers have made a lifestyle choice is pejorative and patronising. They are contributing to the economy, to society, to everything. Staying at home is not a luxury, it's not a hobby. Women who chose to stay at home make huge sacrifices. » | Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent | Monday, August 05, 2013

Related »

CrossTalk: Rising Latinos


How are relations between Latin America and the US developing? Can Latin America challenge US influence? What does each party stand to lose in this contest? CrossTalking with Alejandro Sanchez and Mark Weisbrot.

Tony Abbott Woos Sydney's Muslims

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has used his first set speech on the campaign trail to appeal to western Sydney's Muslim community.

Mr Abbott spoke at a dinner hosted by Auburn Council to mark "Iftar", or the fast-breaking meal at sundown during the holy month of Ramadan.

In front of more than 100 people, at the Westella Renaissance Hotel in Lidcombe, Mr Abbott praised multiculturalism as a "heroic dimension to our national history".

"[Our] multiculturalism is a beacon of hope to a troubled and divided world," he said. "People from all around the four corners of this earth have come to this country of ours to be welcomed by us and to build a better life in freedom, for themselves and their children."

The audience included a number of Australian Muslim leaders, including the Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, and diplomatic representatives from countries with large Muslim populations such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, India and Lebanon. » | James Robertson | Monday, August 05, 2013

'Read Constitution, Not My Email': Anti-snooping Protests Sweep US


The protests "1984 Day," have taken place across the US, most notably in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. The rallies have been organized by a number of social media initiatives by a grassroots organization called Restore the Fourth that demands an end to "unconstitutional surveillance of digital communications."

Turkey Court Sentences 'Ergenekon Coup Plotters'

BBC: A court in Turkey has been delivering its verdicts in a long-running trial of more than 270 people accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

Prison sentences of up to 47 years have been handed out to some of those accused in the "Ergenekon" plot, while 21 people have been acquitted.

Verdicts are being read out one by one at the specially constructed courtroom.

Among those on trial is a former army chief, as well as other officers, lawyers, academics and journalists.

Gen Ilker Basbug, who led the military between 2008 and 2010, has rejected all the charges against him. It is not yet known what the verdict is against him.

The plot allegedly aimed to topple the Justice and Development (AK) Party government. (+ video) » | Monday, August 05, 2013

Religious Rage: Will Egypt's Muslims & Copts Live in Peace? – Documentary


Their churches are set on fire. They are killed on the streets. Their women are kidnapped and converted to Islam by force. The Coptic Christians of Egypt are the largest Christian community in the Middle East. RT explores the dramatic changes that the fall of Hosni Mubarak's regime brought about.

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Burqa Bump: Violence Hits France as Government Fails to Draw a Line between Laws and Religion


France's secular laws have put a dent into the country's relations with its Islamic community. Recent riots and clashes with police over the ban on face covering burqas, have sparked a heated debate on whether uncontrolled mass immigration is the true cause of failing multi-culturalism.

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Sources: Al Qaeda Plot in Final Stages


Does 'Slacktivism' Accomplish Anything?


Russian Vodka Boycotted



Stolichnaya website »

An Open Letter from the CEO of Stolichnaya Vodka to the LGBT community »

How Russian Anti-gay Laws Impact Olympics


Berlusconi Convicted for Tax Fraud


Italy's highest court has upheld Silvio Berlusconi's conviction for tax fraud at his second and final appeal.


Verwandtes Video »

UK's 'Go Home' Campaign Faces Legal Action


'Go home or face arrest' motto of government's immigration campaign accused of racism.

Inside Story: Rouhani: A New Era for Iran?


We look at the challenges facing Iran's new president and ask whether he will usher in an era of moderation and reform.

Nigel Farage Says Britain Is 'Terrified' Of Upsetting Muslims


THE HUFFINGTON POST: Ukip leader Nigel Farage today denied he was jumping on a political bandwagon by supporting a primary school dinner lady sacked for accidentally serving pork to a Muslim pupil.

Alison Waldock, 51, has said she forgot the dietary needs of seven-year-old Khadija Darr when she asked if she wanted roast gammon, and the youngster said yes.

The headteacher of Queen Edith Primary School in Cambridge spotted the mistake as the youngster was about to eat her lunch and swept the plate away from her.

But after the girl's parents were told about the mistake, they complained to the school's catering firm and Ms Waldock, a dinner lady for 11 years, was suspended and then dismissed.

Mr Farage told ITV1's Daybreak programme: "It's outrageous, isn't it? We've all made mistakes in our lives and in our jobs, and I can imagine 250 kids coming through chattering, it's noisy, you've got time pressures on you, and mistakes get made.

"The reason that Alison's been sacked is that we're so terrified in this country of causing offence to anybody, particularly the Muslim religion." » | Press Association | Thursday, August 01, 2013

THE HUFFINGTON POST: Alison Waldock Dinner Lady Row: Muslim Parents Speak Out Over 'Gammongate' » | Mehdi Hassan | Friday, August 02, 2013

Related »

Joining Jihad: Self-radicalized EU Youths Flood Syria's Frontlines


Syria could see the influx of European weaponry, that's if EU leaders make a decision on supplying lethal aid to rebel fighters. Thursday is an unofficial deadline for a decision to be made it was set in May and lobbied for by the UK and France.However since then EU ministers seem to have had a change of heart concerned by a surge of foreigners now fighting in the country. RT talked to Dimitri Bontinck, whose son went to Syria to join jihadist forces.

'Snowden Likely to Apply for Refugee Status in Russia, US Legally Powerless'


Snowden arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on June 23rd and has since been stuck in a legal limbo, which sparked a diplomatic standoff between a number of countries. Today NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia and is allowed to enter the country's territory. London-based legal expert Alexander Mercuris joins RT studio to discuss it in more detail.

Pope Sends Message of Respect for Muslims


THE NEW YORK TIMES: In a demonstration of what the Vatican spokesman called Pope Francis’ “particular attention to relations with the Muslim world,” the pope on Friday personally signed the Holy See message for Muslims at the end of Ramadan, calling for “mutual respect through education” between Christianity and Islam.

“We are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values,” Francis wrote in a statement distributed by the Holy See.

“We have to bring up our young people to think and speak respectfully of other religions and their followers,” said the message, which stressed the enhanced role that education must play in building respect for different religions and the need “to avoid ridiculing or denigrating their convictions and practices.”

“As an expression of esteem and friendship for all Muslims,” Francis decided to personally sign his good wishes to Muslims worldwide on the feast of Id al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan, a month of prayer and fasting. Historically, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has delivered the message on behalf of the Holy See. The last pope to send a personal message to Muslims was John Paul II in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf war in 1991. » | Gaia Pianigiani | Friday, August 02, 2013

Abandoned Babies Given Away on Pakistani TV Programme

BBC: Two baby girls who were abandoned in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi have been allocated new parents during a live television broadcast, the BBC's Orla Guerin reports.

At just over a month old Fatima has already lived through a lot.

Her life began, and could have ended, on a rubbish dump in the sprawling megacity of Karachi. Instead, Fatima was rescued by a charity and placed in the loving care of a childless couple.

It looks like a happy ending but it came about in the full glare of television cameras. The sleeping infant was one of two abandoned girls handed over during live broadcasts of "Amaan Ramzan", a blend of Islam and entertainment, which runs during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (+ video) » | Friday, August 02, 2013

Germany Ends Spy Pact with US and UK after Snowden

BBC: Germany has cancelled a Cold War-era pact with the US and Britain in response to revelations about electronic surveillance operations.

Details of snooping programmes involving the transatlantic allies have been leaked to the media by former US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.

The revelations have sparked widespread outrage in Germany, where elections are due next month.

The agreement dates from 1968-9, and its cancellation is largely symbolic.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement: "The cancellation of the administrative agreements, which we have pushed for in recent weeks, is a necessary and proper consequence of the recent debate about protecting personal privacy."

Germans' experience of mass surveillance under the Communist and Nazi dictatorships makes them particularly sensitive to perceived infringements of personal privacy, and the country has strong data protection laws.

The agreement cancelled on Friday gave the Western countries which had troops stationed in West Germany - the US, Britain and France - the right to request surveillance operations to protect those forces. » | Friday, August 02, 2013

Swiss to Launch National Anthem Competition in 2014

BBC: Switzerland considers its national anthem too old-fashioned, so a new one will be chosen through a competition.

The priority is to have a new text, but contestants will also be free to compose a new tune, project leader Lukas Niederberger told BBC News.

The current text dates back to 1841 and includes references to God, prayer, mountains and sunshine.

The new text is to include values enshrined in the Swiss constitution, such as democracy and solidarity.

The competition will run from January to the end of June 2014, with the top prize - SFr10,000 (£7,080; $10,745) - to be awarded in 2015.

The runners-up will get SFr5,000, SFr3,000 and SFr1,000. The competition is open to Swiss nationals and foreigners living in Switzerland.

The winning anthem will be presented to the government - the Federal Council - for approval. (+ audio) » | Laurence Peter | Friday, August 02, 2013

Friday, August 02, 2013

Diana: The Fairytale Princess


A one hour documentary produced by Tapestry for Channel 5 about the life of Princess Diana. It got just under 2 million viewers when it was broadcast.

Charles Saatchi's Multimillion-pound Art Collection Up for Sale

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Charles Saatchi is selling off part of his multimillion-pound art collection at auction just days after Nigella Lawson divorced him at London's High Court.

Fifty lots, including a four-poster bed by Tracey Emin, will be sold at Christie's Thinking Big sale in central London in October.

Mr Saatchi has not put any reserve prices on the work, which means in theory they could sell for as little as once [sic] pence.

In reality, artist's dealers will probably bid for work if it looks like they might sell for prices so low they would damage their reputation.

Many of the lots, including work by the Chapman Brothers and Conrad Shawcross, are so big they cannot be exhibited at Christie's but will instead go on show in a huge former Post Office depot in central London.

The Saatchi Gallery, which Mr Saatchi opened in 1985, has included some of the UK’s most controversial and talked-about artworks. His collection is reported to be worth £200million. » | Alice Philipson | Friday, August 02, 2013

America Issues Travel Alert over Fears of Al-Qaeda Plot to Target Tourists

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America has issued a worldwide travel alert after warning of an al Qaeda plot to attack public transport or tourist sites.

The US State Department said the risk of a terror attack was particularly high in the Middle East and North Africa between now and the end of August.

It followed a warning from America on Thursday of an al Qaeda plot to attack its embassies in Muslim countries.

Britain changed its travel advice for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf yesterday in the wake of the latest alert, telling diplomats in Arabian capitals to exercise vigilance until the Eid festival, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday.

In a statement last night, the US State Department officials said American citizens living or travelling overseas should be aware of a potential al-Qaeda attack either in or emanating from the Arabian peninsula.

"Current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organisations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," the department said.

The attacks are seen as occurring in or emanating from the Arabian peninsula, according to the statement, and "may involve public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure." » | Damien McElroy, and Raf Sanchez in Washington | Friday, August 02, 2013

Charles and Diana: The Wedding of the Century


Marking the 30th anniversary of the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and the Prince of Wales, ITV1 looks back at that day in July 1981 from the viewpoint of the other people involved.

The Heiress-apparent: Silvio Lines Up Daughter to Take Control of His Political Party


THE INDEPENDENT: Comparisons to the Kennedys and the Bushes are exaggerated, but if Silvio Berlusconi’s criminal conviction makes it politically impossible for him to continue at the head of his party after the summer, there is a strong chance that another Berlusconi will take his place – Marina Berlusconi, his eldest daughter, who at present heads both Fininvest, his financial holding company, and Mondadori, Italy’s biggest book publisher, acquired by her father in controversial circumstances. » | Peter Popham | Friday, August 02, 2013

"Best Dressed"-Liste: Vanity Fair nominiert Herzogin Kate


Die royale Mama hat es zum vierten Mal seit 2008 auf die "'Best-Dressed-Liste" der Zeitschrift Vanity Fair geschafft: Neben Kate ist auch Keith Richards mit von der Partie.

US-Spionageaffäre: Snowden dankt Russland für Asyl


US-Whistleblower Edward Snowden hat für ein Jahr Asyl in Russland bekommen und den Moskauer Flughafen verlassen. Die Reaktionen auf diese Entwicklung sind sehr gemischt.

Videobotschaft nach Urteil: Verbitterter Berlusconi gibt sich uneinsichtig


Keine Spur von Einsicht: Nachdem er erstmals rechtskräftig verurteilt wurde, weist Italiens Ex-Ministerpräsident Silvio Berlusconi jede Schuld von sich. Und wettert gegen die Justiz.

Family Who Got Dinner Lady Fired after She Accidentally Served Their Child Gammon Are Emigrating to Muslim Country

MAIL ONLINE: Zahid and Rumana Darr asked for Alison Waldock to be dismissed / Miss Waldock accidentally served pork, forbidden by Islam, to their daughter / The Darrs are now moving to the conservative UAE

The parents involved in the sacking of a school dinner lady who mistakenly served gammon to their daughter are to emigrate to a Muslim country.

Alison Waldock, 51, was accused of gross misconduct and says she lost her job after Zahid and Rumana Darr asked that she be dismissed.

Today it can be revealed that Mr and Mrs Darr and their three children are emigrating to the United Arab Emirates later this month. The family have chosen to move from their home in Cambridge to Sharjah, where alcohol is banned and there are the strictest decency laws in the emirates.

Mrs Darr, 33, wrote on her Facebook page: ‘So we’re leaving the country end of August for good … We’re moving to Sharjah. We want to go relax in a nice hot Muslim country where the kids know their identities as Muslims.’

The move comes after Mr Darr’s recruitment firm was closed down in June when he was found to be working as a company director illegally.

Following an investigation by the Insolvency Service, he was banned from holding company directorships after he was caught pocketing over £500,000 owed in tax in 2008.

His firm Interecruit (UK) went into liquidation after Mr Darr, 36, ‘diverted’ money owed to the taxman in VAT, income tax and national insurance to another of his companies.

The nine-year ban was imposed in February 2011 but in May this year he was found to be operating a similar company named Interecruit (GB), which supplied agricultural workers. (+ video) » | John Stevens | Thursday, August 01, 2013

Wire Transfer: NSA Paid $150 Mlnimum to GCHQ to Spy on UK Citizens


Snowden's leaks continue to span the Atlantic. The latest revelations published by the Guardian show not only was Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) spying extensively on UK citizens - but it was receiving funds from Washington to do so. RT's Polly Boiko takes a closer look at the US role in it.