Sunday, April 13, 2014
Israeli Teenagers Risk Being Sent to Prison by Refusing to Join the Army
Turquie : le Premier ministre accuse Twitter d'évasion fiscale
Le Premier ministre turc a accusé Twitter d'évasion fiscale après que le réseau a été utilisé pour diffuser des enregistrements et des écoutes téléphoniques mettant en cause son proche entourage dans un scandale de corruption. "Twitter, YouTube et Facebook sont des sociétés internationales créées pour faire du profit", a déclaré Recep Tayyip Erdogan dans des propos retransmis à la télévision. "Twitter est parallèlement aussi un évadé fiscal." "Nous allons nous occuper de cela", a ajouté le Premier ministre. » | Source AFP | samedi 12 avril 2014
Ukraine : Obama crie au loup mais manque d'options et de vision
Tandis que Poutine poursuit «son plan» de déstabilisation rampante de l'Ukraine, l'Amérique en est réduite à crier au loup et à appeler vainement à la «désescalade». Le contraste entre la résolution du dirigeant du Kremlin et le désarroi qui plane dans les capitales occidentales, comme tétanisées par l'enchaînement des événements, est flagrant. Après avoir annexé la Crimée, le patron du Kremlin est passé à la phase «provocations» dans l'est du pays, tandis que des dizaines de milliers de soldats russes sont massés aux frontières, prêts à entrer. … » | Par Laure Mandeville | dimanche 13 avril 2014
Konflikt in der Ostukraine: „Russland führt Krieg gegen die Ukraine“
Nach blutigen Zusammenstößen in der Ostukraine hat Übergangspräsident Alexander Turtschinow die prorussischen Separatisten ultimativ zur Aufgabe aufgefordert. Nur wer bis Montagmorgen die Waffen niederlege und die besetzten Verwaltungsgebäude verlasse, werde strafrechtlich nicht belangt, sagte Turtschinow am Sonntag in Kiew. Zugleich drohte er mit einem „groß angelegten Anti-Terror-Einsatz“ unter Beteiligung der Streitkräfte, um die Unruhen im Osten des Landes zu beenden. Nach Angaben des Präsidialamtsleiters Sergej Paschinski gilt das Ultimatum bis 9 Uhr Ortszeit (8 Uhr MESZ).
Russland warnte die prowestliche Regierung in Kiew nachdrücklich vor einem Militäreinsatz gegen die Separatisten. Moskau sei „empört über den verbrecherischen Befehl“ von Turtschinow, der die Proteste von der Armee niederschlagen lassen wolle, teilte das Außenamt in Moskau am Sonntag mit. Russland trete dafür ein, die Krise von der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) und dem Weltsicherheitsrat untersuchen zu lassen. „Gerade vom Westen hängt es jetzt ab, einen Bürgerkrieg in der Ukraine zu vermeiden.“ » | Quelle: AFP | Sonntag, 13. April 2014
Russische Propaganda: Der gute und der böse Hitler
Auf dem Gebiet der ehemaligen Sowjetunion hat man diesbezüglich weniger Berührungsängste. Hier gilt Hitler in erster Linie als imperialistischer Feldherr, dessen grösstes Vergehen der Angriff auf die UdSSR war, der Holocaust kommt im Bewusstsein erst an zweiter Stelle. Die Reduktion der Rolle Nazideutschlands auf diejenige einer unterlegenen Kriegspartei führt mitunter zu sonderbaren Situationen. So hat schon mancher deutsche Besucher anerkennende Worte über Wehrmacht und Hitler zurückweisen müssen, die als wohlwollende Schmeicheleien gedacht waren. » | Volker Pabst | Freitag, 11. April 2014
Erneut Giftgas in Syrien
Das staatliche Fernsehen meldete am Wochenende, Aufständische der radikalislamischen Nusra-Front hätten in der Ortschaft Kfar Seita auf diese Weise zwei Menschen getötet sowie mehr als 100 verletzt. » | ap | Sonntag, 13. April 2014
Ukraine-Krise: Politisches Powerplay des Kremls
Auf breiter Front ist Moskau am Wochenende der internationalen Kritik an seiner Ukraine-Politik entgegengetreten und hat jegliche Verantwortung für die angespannte Lage von sich gewiesen. Es sei nicht im Interesse Russlands, südöstliche Regionen der Ukraine abzuspalten und sich einzuverleiben, sagte Aussenminister Sergei Lawrow. Ob allfällige Referenden über den Beitritt zur Russischen Föderation von Moskau genauso anerkannt würden, wie dies auf der ukrainischen Halbinsel Krim der Fall war, ist jedoch unklar. » | Daniel Wechlin, Moskau | Sonntag, 13. April 2014
Debate: Anjem Choudary vs. David Wood: Would Sharia Help the West?
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Adultery Is Good For Your Marriage – If You Don’t Get Caught, Says Infidelity Website Boss
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| Noel Biderman is the Canadian founder of Ashley Madison, a controversial but globally[-]popular adultery website that connects married men and women and discretely enables them to have affairs |
He receives regular death threats, websites are devoted to his demise, the Vatican has sent letters of complaint and the Queen of Spain has sued him.
The man in question is not a criminal, a terrorist or a dictator. Instead, he is the businessman behind the world’s biggest website for extramarital affairs.
Noel Biderman is the Canadian founder of Ashley Madison, a controversial but globally popular adultery website that connects married men and women and discretely enables them to have affairs.
Famed for its catchy motto – “Life is short. Have an affair” – the dating service is free for women but paying for men. Its array of features include virtual “winks”, instant messaging and “travelling” services for members seeking an affair during business trips.
Its mobile app uses GPS technology to track down the nearest available potential lover. » | Danielle Demetriou, Tokyo | Saturday, April 12, 2014
Church of England Faces 'Crisis’ As Gay Priest Weds
A priest has become the first in Britain to defy the Church of England’s ban on gay clergy marrying.
Canon Jeremy Pemberton, 58, a divorced hospital chaplain, wed his long-term partner Laurence Cunnington, 51, on Saturday afternoon.
Campaigners expressed delight that the couple had taken advantage of Britain’s newly-introduced gay marriage laws and urged bishops to “bless” their partnership. They predict he will be the first of many gay clergy to marry. » | Edward Malnick | Saturday, April 12, 2014
Geert Wilders in America (2009)
Here's What I Would Have Said at Brandeis
On Tuesday, after protests by students, faculty and outside groups, Brandeis University revoked its invitation to Ayaan Hirsi Ali to receive an honorary degree at its commencement ceremonies in May. The protesters accused Ms. Hirsi Ali, an advocate for the rights of women and girls, of being "Islamophobic." Here is an abridged version of the remarks she planned to deliver.
One year ago, the city and suburbs of Boston were still in mourning. Families who only weeks earlier had children and siblings to hug were left with only photographs and memories. Still others were hovering over bedsides, watching as young men, women, and children endured painful surgeries and permanent disfiguration. All because two brothers, radicalized by jihadist websites, decided to place homemade bombs in backpacks near the finish line of one of the most prominent events in American sports, the Boston Marathon.
All of you in the Class of 2014 will never forget that day and the days that followed. You will never forget when you heard the news, where you were, or what you were doing. And when you return here, 10, 15 or 25 years from now, you will be reminded of it. The bombs exploded just 10 miles from this campus. » | Ayaan Hirsi Ali | Thursday, April 10, 2014
Related »
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Publishes Remarks She Planned for Brandeis
Brandeis Withdraws Honorary Degree for Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali »
Friday, April 11, 2014
Hillary Clinton Dodges a Shoe Thrown by Audience Member
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Margaret Thatcher – The Iron Lady (Documentary 2012)
Margaret Thatcher's Anti-Gay Speech
David Cameron: 'Jesus Invented the Big Society – I'm Just Continuing God's Work'
David Cameron has claimed divine inspiration was at work when it came to drafting a key concept for Conservative Party policy.
Speaking last night at his Easter reception in Downing Street, the Prime Minister reportedly said he was simply doing God’s work when he launched the “Big Society” initiative of volunteering and civic responsibility.
“Jesus invented the Big Society 2,000 years ago,” Mr Cameron said. “I just want to see more of it.”
On the day that saw Culture Secretary Maria Miller resign over a furore about her expenses – despite repeatedly being back by the Prime Minister – Mr Cameron was said to have no comment on a singer’s choice of hymn: “Ave Maria”.
He went further than any recent prime minister in speaking publicly about his faith, according to the Daily Mail, and took the opportunity to offer his support to Britain’s Christian community. » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, April 10, 2014
Scientists Trying to Create Human Heart with 3D Printer
Russia’s 'Preparations for War on Sweden' Lead to Security Service Concerns
Swedish security services have expressed serious concerns that Russia is heightening its spying efforts in Scandinavia and “preparing for war”, according to local media reports.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the chief counter-intelligence analyst for the Säkerhetspolisen (Säpo) agency said that the escalating crisis in eastern Europe was the greatest security threat identified in a recent briefing.
Wilhelm Unge said communications from Russian intelligence agencies had increased, more attempts were being made to recruit spies and that Moscow had purchased a significant number of maps.
The spy chief said the developments were in keeping with recent trends, most notably the military flight exercises undertaken by Russia last year against simulated Swedish targets.
“You don't carry out these kinds of things unless you can actually conceive carrying out an attack in the future,” Mr Unge said. Read on and comment » | Adam Withnall | Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Angela Merkel Denied Access to Her NSA File
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| Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. |
The US government is refusing to grant Angela Merkel access to her NSA file or answer formal questions from Germany about its surveillance activities, raising the stakes before a crucial visit by the German chancellor to Washington.
Merkel will meet Barack Obama in three weeks, on her first visit to the US capital since documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA had been monitoring her phone.
The face-to-face meeting between the two world leaders had been intended as an effort to publicly heal wounds after the controversy, but Germany remains frustrated by the White House's refusal to come clean about its surveillance activities in the country.
In October, Obama personally assured Merkel that the US is no longer monitoring her calls, and promised it will not do so in the future. However, Washington has not answered a list of questions submitted by Berlin immediately after Snowden's first tranche of revelations appeared in the Guardian and Washington Post in June last year, months before the revelations over Merkel's phone.
The Obama's administration has also refused to enter into a mutual "no-spy" agreement with Germany, in part because Berlin is unwilling or unable to share the kinds of surveillance material the Americans say would be required for such a deal.
Merkel is intensely aware of the importance of the surveillance controversy for her domestic audience, and is planning to voice Germany's concerns privately with White House officials and leading senators. She will also be "forthright" in confronting the issue if she is asked by reporters during a press conference with Obama, according to a well-placed source with knowledge of the trip. Read on and comment » | Paul Lewis in Washington and Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Thursday, April 10, 2014
Inside Story: Pakistani Justice: A Dysfunctional System?
Thousands Celebrate Kim Jong-un's Re-election as N. Korea Defense Chair
Car Bomb Explodes in Athens ahead of Merkel Visit
Ron Paul: Anytime US Gives International Aid It Takes Money from Poor at Home and Gives It to Rich Abroad
Confirmed: Russia's 'Most Wanted' Terrorist Doku Umarov Killed
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Brandeis Withdraws Honorary Degree for Islam Critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali
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| Ayaan Hirsi Ali |
A university has reversed a decision to grant an honorary degree to an advocate for Muslim women who has made comments critical of Islam.
Brandeis University said in a statement that Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali would no longer receive the honorary degree, which it had planned to award her at the May 18 commencement.
Ali, a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006, has been quoted as making comments critical of Islam. That includes a 2007 interview with Reason Magazine [sic] in which she said of the religion: "Once it's defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It's very difficult to even talk about peace now. They're not interested in peace. I think that we are at war with Islam. And there's no middle ground in wars."
Brandeis, outside Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, said it was not aware of Ali's statements earlier.
"She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women's rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world," said the university's statement. "That said, we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University's core values." Read on and comment » | Associated Press | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
REASON.COM: Did Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Reason Interview Sink Her at Brandeis? » | Nick Gillespie | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Sajid Javid: The Millionaire Bus Conductor's Son with a Portrait of Margaret Thatcher on His Wall
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| Sajid Javid: 'This is the root of my conservative beliefs. My mother and father had nothing and, like many people in their adopted country, worked their way up.' |
Sajid Javid, the millionaire son of a bus driver, has become the first Asian man to be given a full time job in the Cabinet.
The promotion to Culture Secretary crowns a remarkable ascent to the top of the Government by Mr Javid, who only entered Parliament in 2010.
Mr Javid sacrificed a huge amount to become an MP. He became an MP after running Deutsche Bank’s trading operations in Asia, where he is reported by Bloomberg to have earned around £3 million a year.
Mr Javid was picked out as a high flier from early on, almost immediately joining the work and pensions committee.
He was made economic secretary to the Treasury in 2012, rising up the departmental ranks the following year to the more senior role of financial secretary. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sajid Javid and Nicky Morgan join Cabinet after Maria Miller quits: Prime Minister makes ex-banker educated at state school new Culture Secretary after Maria Miller quits over expenses » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Inside Story: Is Russia Planning to Destabilise Ukraine?
Iraq Ready to Legalise Childhood Marriage
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| An Iraqi woman walks with her fully-veiled daughter in Baghdad |
Children in Iraq could be legally married before the age of nine under sweeping legislation tabled on Tuesday that introduces new religious restrictions on women's rights.
As almost its last act before elections at the end of the month, the Iraqi parliament looks likely to pass new marital rules for its majority Shia community with a draft law criticised by human rights activists as "legalised inquality"[.]
The legislation has been approved by the governing coalition in an effort to attract support from Shia Muslims in the April 30 vote.
Current Iraqi law sets the legal age for marriage at 18 without parental approval and states girls as young as 15 can be married only with a guardian's approval. It does not allow for special provisions according to sect.
But the legislation, known as the Jaafari law, introduces rules almost identical to those of neighbouring Iran, a Shia-dominated Islamic theocracy. » | Damien McElroy | Tuesday, April 08, 2014
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Iraq: Don’t Legalize Marriage for 9-Year-Olds: Draft Law Huge Step Back for Women, Girls » | Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Venezuela Protests Are Sign That US Wants Our Oil, Says Nicolás Maduro
Monday, April 07, 2014
Muslim Parents Object to Easter Egg Hunt
Ukraine Crisis: Donetsk Officials ‘Proclaim Independence from Kiev’ and Set Date for Referendum on Joining Russia
The eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk has reportedly declared itself independent from the central government in Kiev and set a date for a referendum on joining Russia, according to local media reports.
The local government building was taken over last night by pro-Russian activists, and today members of the regional legislature moved to declare the city and its surrounds the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian news agency Itar Tass reported.
The Ukrainian prime minister denounced the creation of a separatist state, describing it as part of a Russian plan to invade the east of the country. » | Adam Withnall | Monday, April 07, 2014
Trois femmes émiraties attaquées au marteau
A Londres, trois femmes émiraties ont été victimes d'une agression dans un hôtel de luxe. Un homme les a frappées à coups de marteau alors qu'elles dormaient.
Selon les enquêteurs, le suspect se serait introduit dans la chambre située au septième étage du Cumberland, un hôtel quatre étoiles situé près de Marble Arch, où les trois femmes, originaires des Emirats arabes unis, dormaient.
«L'homme aurait ensuite été dérangé par l'une des occupantes de la chambre. Il aurait alors frappé les femmes avec un marteau qui a été retrouvé sur les lieux», ont déclaré les enquêteurs. » | afp/Newsnet | lundi 07 avril 2014
The Stream: Marriage in Kenya: A Man's World?
'Extremist’ Working as Psychiatrist for NHS
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| Dr Imran Waheed |
A British doctor responsible for the care of some of the country’s most vulnerable people can today be exposed as a senior leader of a radical Islamist party banned in several countries.
Dr Imran Waheed is a consultant psychiatrist at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust, one of the largest of its kind in the country.
He specialises in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and obsessive compulsive disorders, and also provides advice to courts in criminal cases on potentially dangerous individuals.
But Dr Waheed is also the spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir, which campaigns for a caliphate ruled by Sharia.
Dr Waheed is the group’s chief media adviser and is listed by the organisation as one of its six leading members in Britain.
Under a caliphate, men and women would be segregated in public places and women and non-Muslims would be banned from holding positions of power. Alcohol would also be banned, along with same-sex relationships. Critics have said his professional role conflicts with his extreme views on women’s rights, alcohol, and same-sex relationships. » | Patrick Sawer and Ben Lazarus | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Sunday, April 06, 2014
How CIA Used Copies of Doctor Zhivago in Battle to Win Cold War
t had all the hallmarks of a classic Cold War spy caper, and it began in January 1958 when British intelligence’s Moscow station delivered two rolls of microfilm into the hands of the CIA’s Langley headquarters.
However the films showed not the blueprints for a new Soviet warplane or ballistic missile, but something potentially even more powerful in the ideological war between East and West: the complete Russian text of Boris Pasternak’s masterpiece, Doctor Zhivago.
In a nine-point memo, marked Secret but recently declassified, British intelligence said it was “in favour of exploiting the book”, warning that Soviet censors were already putting pressure on Pasternak to put out a “revised” version of the novel. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Lara’s Theme »
Doctor Zhivago: Trailer (1965) »
Négociations: Israël menace les Palestiniens de représailles
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| Le premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Nétanyahou. |
«Nous répondrons (...) par des mesures unilatérales à toutes les mesures unilatérales qu'ils (les Palestiniens) prendront», a affirmé le premier ministre israélien, Benyamin Nétanyahou, lors du conseil des ministres.
Ces démarches palestiniennes, elles-mêmes lancées en réaction au refus d'Israël de libérer un dernier contingent de prisonniers comme prévu dans le cadre des pourparlers de paix, «ne feront qu'éloigner un accord de paix», a-t-il martelé.
«Les Palestiniens ont beaucoup à perdre d'une démarche unilatérale. Ils n'obtiendront un État que par des négociations directes (avec Israël) et pas par des déclarations vides, ni par des décisions unilatérales», a averti le premier ministre. «Nous sommes prêts à continuer les pourparlers, mais pas à n'importe quel prix». » | Daphne Rousseau | Agence France-Presse | Jerusalem | dimanche 06 avril 2014
Retired Art Teacher Committed Suicide because of Frustration with Modern Life
A retired art teacher committed suicide at the Dignitas clinic because she was frustrated at the lack of interaction in modern life, because of our reliance on computers and the Internet.
The 89-year-old, who asked only to be identified as Anne before her death, was frustrated with the trappings of modern life, including fast food, consumerism and the amount of time people spend watching television.
Anne, a former electrician with the Royal Navy, was not terminally ill or seriously handicapped and travelled to Dignitas in Switzerland last month.
Before her death she told the Sunday Times [£]: “People are becoming more and more remote … We are becoming robots. It is this lack of humanity.”
She described the modern age as “cutting corners” and said she could not adapt to it, as she felt all the traditional ways of doing things had disappeared. » | Claire Carter | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Why It Is More Important Than Ever to Invest in Defence of Democracy
Sixty-five years ago this month, Nato was born into a dangerous world. As the Soviet shadow deepened across Europe, 12 nations from both sides of the Atlantic committed to individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law determined to stand together to safeguard their security.
Those nations were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. They took the most solemn pledge that any country can take: an attack on one would be viewed as an attack on all.
Today’s Nato brings together a unique combination of the world’s strongest democracies with an integrated military structure, a permanent political decision-making process and a network of more than 40 partners from around the world. It is where Europeans and North Americans consult, decide and act every day on security issues that concern us all. We have learned much from the last 20 years of challenging operations, from Afghanistan to Kosovo, from Libya to the Horn of Africa. We are now more efficient and effective than at any time in Nato’s history.
We still live in a dangerous world, and the threats are more complex and unpredictable than 65 years ago. Some are new: cyber and missile attacks. Others are age-old: attempts to redraw borders by force. What has not changed is Nato’s commitment to our fundamental values and purpose. Our motto remains: all for one, one for all. » | Anders Fogh Rasmussen | Sunday, April 06, 2014
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is the secretary general of Nato
La polémique sur les parallèles Poutine/Hitler s'enlise
Moscou entend mettre fin aux parallèles «Poutine/Hitler» qui se développent depuis l'annexion de la Crimée par la Russie. La Douma a examiné vendredi en première lecture un projet de loi visant à sanctionner «la négation de l'action des armées de la coalition anti-hitlérienne pour soutenir la paix mondiale et la sécurité ainsi que la diffusion d'informations mensongères relatives à la Seconde Guerre mondiale». La «réhabilitation du nazisme» sera punie, au maximum, d'une peine de prison de cinq ans. » | Par Pierre Avril, Nicolas Barotte | vendredi 04 avril 2014
Did Pot Legalization Do More Harm Than Good In Colorado?
Saudi-Arabien: Monarchie am Tropf
Beim Besuch von Barack Obama letzte Woche trug sein hochbetagter Gastgeber einen Sauerstoffschlauch in der Nase. Über 90 Jahre alt ist Saudi-Arabiens König Abdullah, rückenleidend, übergewichtig, schnell ermüdend und nur noch per Rollator beweglich. Der Monarch habe Krebs und nur noch wenige Monate zu leben, verbreiteten amerikanische Diplomaten, auch wenn er die zwei Stunden Diskussion mit dem eine Generation jüngeren US-Präsidenten offenbar mit Witz und Elan absolvierte.
Erst 24 Stunden zuvor hatte Abdullah wie aus heiterem Himmel seinen jüngsten Halbbruder, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, zum zweiten Kronprinzen befördert. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag hinzufügen » | Von Martin Gehlen | Sonntag, 06. April 2014
Saturday, April 05, 2014
Pakistani Couple Get Death Sentences for Blasphemy
The couple, named as Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, were found guilty of sending the text message to the imam of their local mosque.
Allegations of blasphemy against Islam are taken very seriously in Pakistan.
Several recent cases have prompted international concern about the application of blasphemy laws.
The imam brought a complaint against the couple last July.
The couple's lawyer told the BBC he would appeal against the sentences and said the trial had not been conducted fairly.
Pakistan has a de facto moratorium on the death penalty so it is unlikely the couple will be executed.
They come from the town of Gojra in Punjab, previously the scene of communal violence. » | Saturday, April 05, 2014
Fracking On: Businesses & UK Government Dismiss Public Outcry
Der russische Vormarsch: Was tun? Deckmantel der Geschichte
Am 18. März feierte Wladimir Putin einen persönlichen Sieg über die jüngere Geschichte seines Landes: Im prachtvollen Georgs-Saal des Kremls proklamierte er den Anschluss der Krim. Mit seiner Rede hat Russlands Präsident nicht nur seine Landsleute erreicht, sondern auch die Debatte in Deutschland über die Annexion der Krim – die erste Annexion in Europa seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg – verwirrt. Seither wird diskutiert, ob Putin mit seinen Ausführungen nicht doch recht habe und sein Vorgehen daher verständlich sei.
Um den Anschluss der Krim zu erklären, langte Russlands Präsident tief in die Vergangenheit und deutete die Geschichte für seine Zwecke. Diese Art von Geschichtspolitik ist so altbekannt wie simpel: Man verkürzt und verdreht die Vergangenheit so lange, bis der Gegner der Gegenwart diskreditiert ist. Putin hat eine Falle aufgestellt. Er tut so, als ginge es ihm ums Gestern, um historische Gefühle, um alte Ungerechtigkeiten. Russland und die Russen stellt er als Opfer des Westens, einer sich ausdehnenden Nato und finsterer Faschisten in Kiew dar. Russische Staatsjournalisten und Diplomaten wiederholen das wortgetreu. Man sollte ihnen genau zuhören, denn die russische Argumentation bedeutet in ihrem Kern nichts anderes als einen Angriff auf das friedliche Zusammenleben in Europa. Putin hat im Wesentlichen drei Thesen aufgestellt, die ungeheure Sprengkraft enthalten. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag abgeben » | Von Michael Thumann | Freitag, 04. April 2014
Mormon Leader Reiterates Church's Opposition to Same-sex Marriage
A Mormon leader on Saturday reiterated the church's opposition to gay marriage.
Neil L Andersen, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve, said during the church's biannual general conference in Salt Lake City: "While many governments and well-meaning individuals have redefined marriage, the Lord has not.
"He designated the purpose of marriage to go far beyond the personal satisfaction and fulfilment of adults, to more importantly, advancing the ideal setting for children to be born, reared and nurtured."
After a June 2013 US supreme court ruling struck down parts of the federal Defence of Marriage Act, gay marriage has become legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Federal judges have also struck down bans in Michigan, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia, and ordered Kentucky and Tennessee to recognise out-of-state gay marriages, though stays have been issued pending appeals.
On Friday, a judge in Ohio said he would order the state to recognise same-sex marriages from other states.
The Mormon church's message on homosexuality has softened in recent years, but this marks the second consecutive conference in which leaders have talked about their opposition to gay marriage. In 2012, Dallin H Oaks of the Quorum said human laws cannot "make moral what God has declared immoral". Read on and comment » | Associated Press in Salt Lake City | Saturday, April 05, 2014
Tu felix Helvetia: 3300 Euro Mindestlohn für die Verkäuferin
Beim Urlaub sind die Schweizer sparsam. Sechs Wochen? Nicht notwendig, befand das Volk im März 2012 und stimmte mit beachtlichen 67 Prozent gegen eine Initiative, die den Mindesturlaub um zwei Wochen ausweiten wollte. Beim Geld aber kennen die Eidgenossen keine Grenze nach oben - oder besser: nur eine sehr, sehr hohe Grenze. Während die deutsche Bundesregierung am Mittwoch - nach überaus heftigem Tauziehen - einen Mindestlohn von 8,50 Euro brutto pro Stunde beschlossen hat, dringt man in der Schweiz in völlig andere Sphären vor: Lidl, Aldi (der Schweizer Hofer) und jetzt auch die Bekleidungskette H & M haben eben einen Mindestlohn von 17,98 Euro pro Stunde umgesetzt. Hochgerechnet auf den Monat sind das 3269 Euro brutto für eine ungelernte Arbeitskraft. Nur zum Vergleich: Das Durchschnittseinkommen in Österreich liegt bei 2163 Euro brutto. » | Von Norbert Rief | Die Presse | Samstag, 05. April 2014
Metamorphosis: A Hungarian Extremist Explores His Jewish Roots
Csanád Szegedi's second life began in the apartment of Rabbi Baruch Oberlander, located above the Synagogue in the Erzsébetváros quarter of Budapest. A mohel -- a circumcision specialist -- had arrived from Israel. And with a single cut, the anti-Semite Csanád was transformed into Dovid, a Jew.
Csanád Szegedi, 31, had been the deputy head of right-wing extremist party Jobbik, which he also represented in the European Parliament. He had made a career of claiming that the Jews sought to plunder Hungary and that they had entered into an alliance with the Roma to turn "pure" Hungarians into a minority in their own country. In public, he would often wear the black military pants and vest of the Hungarian Guard, the banned right-wing extremist group.
But then he learned that his family was Jewish, a revelation that turned his life on its head.
Now, he calls himself Dovid Szegedi, eats kosher, is learning Hebrew and goes to the Synagogue every Friday. "This is my true identity," says Szegedi, who is almost two meters (6" 6') tall. He wears an Italian designer suit, scruffy stubble and a black kippah.
The story of Csanád's transformation into Dovid is one of radical reinvention, and also one of a desperate search for a reliable identity, one which continues to elude Eastern Europe even 25 years after the end of communism. » | Jan Puhl | Thursday, April 03, 2014
Russian Ambassadors 'Joked about Annexing Scotland'
The war of dirty tricks over the Ukraine crisis escalated on Friday with the leak of a conversation purporting to be of two Russian ambassadors joking about adding Scotland, Alaska, and Venice to Russia’s conquest of Crimea.
The expletive ridden conversation posted on Youtube features two voices said to be Igor Chubarov, the ambassador to Eritrea, and Sergei Bakharev, the ambassador to Zimbabwe and Malawi.
The voice labelled as Mr Chubarov’s congratulates Mr Bakharev on persuading Zimbabwe to back Russia’s position on Crimea at the UN, and goes on to joke about telling a European diplomat about future conquests.
“We’ve got Crimea, but that’s not ----ing all, folks. In the future we’ll take you ----ing Catalonia, Venice, as well as Scotland and Alaska,” the voice says.
The pair go on to add Miami and London to their hit list, noting that "Miamiland' is ----ing 95 percent Russian citizens." » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow and Tony Paterson, Berlin | Friday, April 04, 2014
Russians Petition for Return of Alaska »
France's Le Pen: Ban Non-pork Meals in Schools
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| Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National |
School canteens will no longer offer non-pork meal options in towns where France's anti-immigration far-right Front National (FN) party won local elections, its leader Marine Le Pen has said.
Mrs Le Pen reignited debate on a sensitive issue about the substitution meals targeting mainly Muslim and Jewish pupils for whom pork is taboo.
"We will accept no religious requirements in the school lunch menus," Mrs Le Pen told RTL radio. "There is no reason for religion to enter into the public sphere."
She defended the decision saying it was necessary to "save secularism". » | Saturday, April 05, 2014
THE INDEPENDENT: French National Front to stop Muslim and Jewish pupils having pork-free school dinners: 'We will not accept any religious demands in school menus,' the party's leader Marine Le Pen told a radio station » | Kashmira Gander | Saturday, April 05, 2014
LE POINT: Marine Le Pen veut imposer le porc dans les cantines : Marine Le Pen promet que ses nouveaux élus locaux "rétabliront les menus avec porc dans les cantines" s'il en a été supprimé. » | Source AFP | vendredi 04 avril 2014
Did Adolf Hitler Marry a Woman of Jewish Descent? DNA Tests ‘Show Eva Braun Associated with Ashkenazi Jews’
Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler’s long-term lover who married the Nazi leader hours before their joint suicide in his Berlin bunker, may have had Jewish ancestry, ground-breaking DNA testing has found.
DNA analysis of hair samples from a hairbrush claimed to belong to Braun suggests that the fascist dictator responsible for the murder of millions of Jews may have unwittingly married a woman of semitic descent, in one of his final acts as the Third Reich crumbled.
The revelation appears in a Channel 4 documentary, Dead Famous DNA, broadcast next week, in which leading scientists attempt to extract DNA from relics and analyse their genome to solve mysteries associated with them. » | Adam Sherwin | Sayurday, April 05, 2014
Friday, April 04, 2014
Germany Preparing to Mobilise Once Mighty Luftwaffe in Response to Russia’s Crimea Crisis
German media reported at the weekend that Berlin's defence ministry was ready to make available up to six aircraft for a strengthened air patrolling mission in parts of eastern Europe, and the number of Nato aircraft would be at least doubled as a response to the crisis in Crimea.
Berlin has been reluctant to involve the German military in foreign conflicts, and after the Second World War West Germany's constitution went so far as to prohibit any military action, except in case of an external attack against Germany or its allies.
Earlier this month US President Barack Obama said Nato needed to boost its presence in those eastern European partner states that feel vulnerable to Russia.
But German magazine Der Spiegel quoted German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the weekend as saying it was important for Nato to keep a cool head and not get dragged into a military escalation.
"At the same time, our partners know that we stand for solidarity in the alliance with no ifs and buts and not just when the weather suits," Der Spiegel quoted. » | Owen Bennett | Political Reporter | Tuesday, April 01, 2014
Phone Nigel Farage Live: Put Your Questions to the UKIP Leader
Thursday, April 03, 2014
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
British Woman Jailed in Tehran for Insulting Islam and Iranian Government on Facebook Fears Execution
A British woman has been locked up in Iran for five months after posting derogatory comments about the country's government on Facebook and fears she will be executed, her husband has said.
Concerns are growing for the welfare of Roya Saberi Negad Nobakht, 47, from Stockport, who has been charged with "insulting Islamic sanctities", a crime which can be punishable by death. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was "urgently" looking into her case. However, Britain currently has no embassy in Iran, making any negotiations more difficult.
Mrs Nobakht was in Iran visiting family in October last year when she was arrested by police as she arrived by plane in the south western city of Shiraz, according to an account given by her husband, Daryoush Taghipoor, to a family friend in Britain.
She was then taken back to Tehran and charged with "gathering and participation with intent to commit crime against national security" and "insulting Islamic sanctities", according to a copy of her charge sheet seen by The Independent.
Mr Taghipoor, who is currently in Iran, claimed that his wife's arrest was over comments she had made on a Facebook group about the government being "too Islamic", and that she had only been charged after a confession was extracted from her "under duress". Facebook declined to comment. » | Chris Green | Senior Reporter | Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Saudiarabien: Abdullah bringt 69-jährigen „Jungspund“ in Stellung
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| König Abdullah |
Kairo/Riad. Beim Besuch von Barack Obama vergangene Woche trug sein hochbetagter Gastgeber einen Sauerstoffschlauch in der Nase. Über 90 Jahre ist Saudiarabiens König Abdullah alt, rückenleidend, übergewichtig, schnell ermüdend und nur noch per Rollator mobil. Der Monarch habe Krebs und nur noch wenige Monate zu leben, verbreiteten US-Diplomaten, auch wenn er die zwei Stunden Diskussion mit dem 52-jährigen US-Präsidenten offenbar mit Witz und Elan absolviert hat.
Nur 24 Stunden zuvor hat Abdullah wie aus heiterem Himmel seinen jüngsten Halbbruder, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, zum zweiten Kronprinzen befördert. Die Entscheidung sei „unwiderruflich und kann von niemandem annulliert werden“, hieß es in dem Dekret. » | Von Martin Gehlen | Die Presse | Mittwoch, 02. April 2014
Russians Petition for Return of Alaska
More than 35,000 people have signed a petition on the White House website calling for Alaska to be returned to Russia after 117 years of American rule.
Written in stilted English, the petition says that “groups Siberian Russians” crossed the Bering Strait more than 10,000 years ago.
Alaska was Russian territory until 1867 when it was sold to the United States for $7.2 million (£4.3 million).
Reminders of its days as an outpost of the Tsarist empire persist in the form of the distinctive domed Russian Orthodox churches dotted around some of the [the] towns.
The western tip of Alaska at the end of the Seward Peninsula – named after William Seward, the US secretary of state who handled the negotiations – is only 51 miles from Russia. » | David Millward, US Correspondent | Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
Inside Story: Turkey Elections: Test of Erdogan’s Rule?
Saudi Arabia Declares Atheists Terrorists under New Laws Targeting Citizens Who 'Call for Secular Thought in Any Form'
The regulations place secular citizens who commit thought crimes in the same category as violent terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch and Saudi Hezbollah.
Under the new decree by King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia will jail for up to 20 years anyone who fights in conflicts abroad - an apparent move to deter Saudis from joining rebels in Syria.
But the law also applies to any Saudi citizen or a foreigner residing in the kingdom that 'calls for atheist thought in any form or calls into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based.'
The laws have been denounced by human rights groups for making no distinction between religious expression and violent extremism.
'Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies, but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism,' said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. » | Simon Tomlinson | Tuesday, April 01, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
Ku Klux Klan on New Recruitment Drive with Leaflet Drop in Towns across America
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| The leaflets depict the outline of a hooded figure in white robes with Klan insignia pointing at the reader in the style of traditional military recruiting posters, complete with phone numbers and websites |
The Ku Klux Klan is on a recruitment drive across America with a new leafleting campaign, as membership numbers grow due to opposition to Barack Obama and increased immigration.
Residents of towns in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania emerged from their houses over the weekend to find fliers attached to their doors, car windscreens or on the front lawn declaring “The KKK wants you.”
The leaflets depict the outline of a hooded figure in white robes with Klan insignia pointing at the reader in the style of traditional military recruiting posters, complete with phone numbers and websites.
The Klan and its latest campaign are legal under the US’s strong constitutional right to free speech. The white supremacy group, which aims to oust Mr Obama and stem immigration, is also against interracial marriage and homosexuality. In their contemporary guise, Klan leaders promote non-violent defence of whites “in the race war against us”, according to one website. » | Joanna Walters, New York | Monday, March 31, 2014
Right Triumph: Hollande's Socialist Party Suffers Drubbing at Local Vote in France
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