Is a New Cold War Looming on the Horizon?
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The Russian list of grievances with the West is growing: the planned US missile shield in Eastern Europe, plans for an independent Kosovo, NATO overtures to former Soviet Republics, and now Estonia moving a Soviet war memorial. As president of the EU, Germany is desperately trying to keep the peace between East and West. German Foreign Minister Warns against a New Cold War (Read on)

Mark Alexander

Vladimir Poutine réitéré son hostilité au déploiement d'éléments du bouclier antimissile américain en République tchèque et en Pologne
LE FIGARO: Le président russe a suspendu l'application d'un important traité de désarmement conventionnel en Europe.

VLADIMIR POUTINE l'a dit lui-même hier en prononçant son dernier discours à la nation avant l'élection présidentielle de mars 2008 : ceux qui attendaient un testament auront été déçus. Mais il a été clair : « Le prochain discours à la nation sera fait par un nouveau président. » Il a ainsi répété son intention de respecter la Constitution qui interdit un troisième mandat présidentiel consécutif. Et ce, malgré la multiplication récente d'appels de personnalités à une révision constitutionnelle qui permettrait à leur champion et protecteur de se représenter. Nouvelle charge de Poutine contre l'Occident (encore)

Mark Alexander

Life for Plotters
BBC: Five men have been jailed for life for a UK bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda that could have killed hundreds of people.

Jurors in the year-long Old Bailey trial heard of plans to target a shopping centre, nightclub and the gas network with a giant fertiliser bomb.

The judge, Sir Michael Astill, said the men, all British citizens, had "betrayed their country". Five get life over UK bomb plot (Read on)

Mark Alexander

Crise boursière en Turquie
LE FIGARO: La crise politique opposant laïcs et gouvernement en Turquie se mue ce matin en crise boursière. Le principal indice d'Istanbul perd près de 6%. La monnaie du pays, la Lire, est également en chute libre. La bourse d'Istanbul en chute libre sur fond de crise politique (encore)

Mark Alexander

Die Türkei befindet sich in “Ausnahmezustand”
NZZ: Das türkische Militär droht kaum verhüllt mit einem Putsch. Die Drohgebärde der Generäle und die Mobilisierung Hunderttausender, die auf den Straßen für eine säkulare Türkei demonstrieren, zeigen: Das Land befindet sich faktisch im Ausnahmezustand. Von Günther Nonnenmacher. Ausnahme Zustand in Ankara (mehr) Von Günther Nonnenmacher

Erdogan kündigt Rede an Nation an

Mark Alexander

Wolfowitz Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Photo of Wolfowitz courtesy of Google Images

TIMESONLINE: Paul Wolfowitz will plead to keep his job as President of the World Bank today before a special investigating committee, which is said to have concluded that he breached ethics by engineering a pay rise for his girlfriend.

The fate of Mr Wolfowitz, who in his former role at the Pentagon was one of the architects of the Iraq war, has opened up a new split between EU countries and the US. Wolfowitz is given time to go quietly (Read on) by Tom Baldwin in Washington

Mark Alexander

Turks Take to Streets to Demonstrate; Stock Market and Lira Hit

Photo courtesy of TIMESONLINE

TIMESONLINE: Hundreds of thousands of secularist Turks took to the streets for the second time in two weeks yesterday after a dramatic intervention by the military in an attempt to stop Abdullah Gul becoming the first Turkish President with an Islamist past.

Demonstrators in Istanbul carried blood-red national flags and posters of Kemal Atatürk, the founder of a secular Turkey. Banners read: “Sharia (Islamic law) shall not rise to the Presidential Palace.” Protesters and military see red as Islamist heads for presidency (Read on) by Suna Erdem in Istanbul

FINANCIAL TIMES: Turkish court to rule on presidential crisis

Mark Alexander

Clampdown: Iran Now Bans Western Hairstyles for Men
BBC: Iranian police have warned barbers not to give men western hair styles or use make up on them.

The move is part of an unusually fierce crackdown on what is known locally as bad hijab, or un-Islamic clothing, that this year is also targeting men.

Hair stylists have been warned that they could lose their licenses if they do not comply.

However, police have denied a report that they have ordered barbers not to serve customers wearing ties. Iran ban on 'Western' hairstyles (Read on)

BBC: Tehran dress code: Iranian views

Mark Alexander

In der Türkei spitzt sich der Konflikt zwischen der Regierung und der Armee zu
Konflikt zwischen Regierung und Militär um Präsidentschaftskandidatur Güls
NZZ: Inmitten neuer Massenproteste in der Türkei spitzt sich der Konflikt zwischen Regierung und Militär im Streit über die Präsidentenwahl zu. Justizminister Cemik Cicek wies eine Erklärung des Generalstabs als inakzeptabel zurück, in der dieser seine Sorge über die Wahl zum Ausdruck brachte und vor einer Abkehr von der säkularen Staatsordnung warnte. Die Lage in der Türkei spitzt sich zu (mehr)

BBC: Huge rally for Turkish secularism

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Thousands of Turks protest

Mark Alexander

Mind what you say when in Britain. Your class and standing in society are still reflected in your choice of vocabulary

Photo courtesy of Google Images

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Even in new, egalitarian Britain, everyone seems ready to believe in the return of the class war that had supposedly ended in a truce years ago.

Did a "toilet" come between them?

We will probably never know. But the reports last week that Prince William and his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, broke up in part because of her mother's so-called middle-class behavior, including using the word toilet for bathroom, are a vivid reminder that class issues still bubble vexingly beneath the surface of British life.

Mrs. Middleton's other missteps, apparently, included having once worked as a flight attendant, a fact that caused some of William's friends to cattily mutter "Doors to manual" whenever Kate came into the room.

But it doesn't really matter what she did or did not do. What is significant is that even in new, egalitarian Britain, everyone seemed so mesmerized by accounts of it, so ready to believe in the return of the class war that had supposedly ended in a truce years ago. Why Can't the English Just Give Up That Class Folderol? (Read on) by Sarah Lyall

Mark Alexander

The Bush Administration, Prince Bandar, King Abdullah, and Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

Image courtesy of Google Images
NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON, April 28 — No foreign diplomat has been closer or had more access to President Bush, his family and his administration than the magnetic and fabulously wealthy Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia.

Prince Bandar has mentored Mr. Bush and his father through three wars and the broader campaign against terrorism, reliably delivering — sometimes in the Oval Office — his nation’s support for crucial Middle East initiatives dependent on the regional legitimacy the Saudis could bring, as well as timely warnings of Saudi regional priorities that might put it into apparent conflict with the United States. Even after his 22-year term as Saudi ambassador ended in 2005, he still seemed the insider’s insider. But now, current and former Bush administration officials are wondering if the longtime reliance on him has begun to outlive its usefulness.

Bush administration officials have been scratching their heads over steps taken by Prince Bandar’s uncle, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, that have surprised them by going against the American playbook, after receiving assurances to the contrary from Prince Bandar during secret trips he made to Washington. A Saudi Prince Tied to Bush Is Sounding Off-Key

Mark Alexander

French society seems to have "sacrificed the Jews", says Melanie Philips
MELANIE PHILIPS: A most powerful and disturbing piece by Professor Shmuel Trigano on the parlous state of French Jewry, subjected over the past few years to a shocking degree of physical and existential attack, poses an even bigger question mark over the fate of France itself. Here’s a sample of his argument:

The problem of French Jewry is related, of course, to the emergence on the political stage of a new population, including important sectors that carry a latent antisemitism which has been revived by militant fundamentalism. Because the new population is experiencing significant demographic growth, it is being courted by the political parties. French society seems then to have sacrificed the Jews in order not to alienate French Arabs and Muslims. A fatal choice has been made. French Jews at the crossroads (Read on)

Mark Alexander

Vatican to make every effort to eradicate anti-Semitism
YNET NEWS: Entire section of preparatory document released Friday devoted to Church's relationship with Jews, noting 'close associations of the two in faith,' calling for efforts 'to overcome every form of anti-Semitism'

The need to step up the fight against anti-Semitism will be a key issue for the world's Roman Catholic bishops at a meeting at the Vatican next year.

An entire section of a preparatory document released by the Vatican on Friday is devoted to the Church's relationship with Jews, noting the "close associations of the two in faith" and calling for efforts "to overcome every form of anti-Semitism." Vatican to fight anti-Semitism (Read on)

Mark Alexander

Die Islamisierung der Schweiz setzt sich fort
NZZ: Muslime planen einen 60 bis 80 Millionen Franken teuren Bau mit Moschee, Museum und Viersternhotel

Die Umma, der Dachverband der bernischen Muslimvereine, will in Bern ein islamisches Zentrum realisieren. Entwickelt wird das Konzept von Berner Architekten. Ernst & Young erstellt den Businessplan.

Das Gebäude wird «keine Karikatur und keine Kopie einer Moschee aus einem islamischen Land» sein, vielmehr sollen mit dem Bau «die schweizerische Kultur und die Kultur des Islams» architektonisch verbunden werden. Und zwar auf höchstem Niveau: Ein internationaler Architekturwettbewerb soll sicherstellen, dass im Berner Nordquartier ein Gebäude entsteht, das in Qualität und Ausstrahlung «dem Zentrum Paul Klee von Renzo Piano entspricht». Das sagt Farhad Afshar, islamischer Vertreter im Schweizerischen Rat der Religionen und Sprecher der Umma, des Dachverbands von elf bernischen Muslim-Vereinen. Die Umma ist die treibende Kraft hinter der Idee, in Bern ein grosses islamisches Zentrum zu realisieren. Islam-Zentrum in der Stadt Bern (mehr)

Entscheid über Berner Islam-Zentrum im Herbst: Gemeinderätin kritisiert Muslim-Verein

Mark Alexander

No Limbo, No More
THE TIMES: The Pope has reversed centuries of Roman Catholic teaching and abandoned the concept of limbo, held since mediaeval times to be the place to which the souls of babies who die without baptism are consigned.

The Vatican’s International Theological Commission said that limbo reflected an “unduly restrictive view of salvation”. Limbo is banished on orders of the Pope (Read on) by Richard Owen

Mark Alexander

Enigma: How do such people get so much money in such a short time - legally?
BBC: The fortunes of Britain's wealthiest 1,000 people grew 20% in a year, the Sunday Times Rich List has revealed.

The combined wealth of the top 1,000 now stands at £59bn and there are 68 billionaires in the country, it shows.

The £19bn fortune of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal ensured he kept his title as Britain's richest person.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was ranked second. The Duke of Westminster, ranked third, was the only one in list's top five born in the UK.

Mr Mittal's fortune grew more than £4bn from £14.8bn in 2006, while Mr Abramovich's wealth remained at a hefty £10.8bn, the list suggested.

The Sunday Times said Britain's richest had seen their fortunes grow faster than their equivalents in Europe and worldwide. Wealth of UK richest ‘climbs 20%’ (Read on)

THE SUNDAY TIMES: Super-rich treble wealth in last ten years

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST

Mark Alexander

In Tehran, it’s the talk of the town: ”Saw off those breasts!”, say the morality police

Photo courtesy of the BBC

BBC: Thousands of Iranian women have been cautioned over their poor Islamic dress this week and several hundred arrested in the capital Tehran in the most fierce crackdown on what's known as "bad hijab" for more than a decade.

It is the talk of the town. The latest police crackdown on Islamic dress has angered many Iranians - male, female, young and old.

But Iranian TV has reported that an opinion poll conducted in Tehran found 86% of people were in favour of the crackdown - a statistic that is surprising given the strength of feeling against this move.

Police cars are stationed outside major shopping centres in Tehran.

They are stopping pedestrians and even cars - warning female drivers not to show any hair - and impounding the vehicles and arresting the women if they argue back.

Middle-aged women, foreign tourists and journalists have all been harassed, not just the young and fashionably dressed. Crackdown in Iran over dress codes (Read on) by Frances Harrison

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Iran cracks down on hijabs

Mark Alexander

Is Al Gore to Run for President?

Photo of Al Gore courtesy of Google Images

BBC: So is Al Gore running? The answer was not just a resounding yes. It was delivered breathlessly, impatiently, punctuated by huffs and puffs. There were neatly formed beads of sweat running down his cheeks.

Al was definitely running. No doubt about it! Proof positive. He was running on the running machine at a hotel in Los Angeles where I also happened to be staying.

While I was ploughing gently and unambitiously through the waters of the nearby pool I spotted him in the gym. He was reading the local paper while working the Stairmaster/running machine for at least an hour. I could practically see the pounds flying off him.

The punditocracy has already decreed that one sure sign of Al Gore entering the 2008 presidential race is any evidence that he's serious about shedding post-Florida recount pounds. There you have it. A scoop!

Who knows what's really going through his mind?

But I have no doubt that if he did decide to enter in October this year he would have no shortage of funds, would need less cash than his opponents because of his name recognition and would hugely benefit from the signature issue of global warming for which he has become America's principal spokesman. Washington Diary: Al Gore running (Read on) by Matt Frei

Mark Alexander

Pope Plans to Revive the Tridentine Mass
BBC: Pope Benedict's plans to revive the Latin Mass, which includes prayers for the conversion of Jews, is causing concern among Catholic and Jewish groups about relations between their faiths.

Religious commentators predict that Pope Benedict will issue authorisation for wider use of the Mass - known as the Tridentine Mass - soon.

The Mass was celebrated for hundreds of years before being replaced by a liturgy celebrated in local languages, as part of reforms instigated after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

The old wording has none of the Vatican Council thinking that reversed long-standing anti-Jewish views in the Church. Vatican II brought about a revolution in Catholic thinking, highlighting the ancient Jewish roots of Christianity and affirming God's love for the Jews.

Concern is now focused on traditional mass's Good Friday liturgy which contains a prayer "For the conversion of the Jews". The prayer reads:

"Let us pray also for the Jews, that the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ."

It refers to their "blindness" and prays for them to be "delivered from their darkness." Concerns over Pope’s Latin Mass move by Kathryn Westcott

Mark Alexander

The Turkish Army Says It Will Not Shy Away from Defending Secularism

Photo courtesy of Google Images

BBC: The European Union has warned Turkey's military not to interfere in politics, amid a row over the Islamist-rooted ruling party's candidate for president.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the controversy was a test case for the military to respect democracy.

In a statement after a disputed vote by MPs on Friday, the army said it would defend Turkey's secular system. EU warns Turkish army over vote (Read on)

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Turkish army worried by vote

Mark Alexander