Finding the World’s Most Beatiful Nuns
Audrey Hepburn plays Sister Luke in The Nun’s Story (1959)
MAIL Online: An Italian priest wants nuns across the world to flaunt it in the name of beauty.

Reverend Antonio Rungi, of Mondragone, near Naples, has come up with a novel way of enticing young people back to the church.

He has organised a beauty contest open only to nuns, to give them more visibility within the Catholic church, and to fight the stereotype that they are old and dour.

It would run online at first, but Reverend Rungi is hopeful that it will one day take off in the real world alongside the all-singing and all-dancing Miss Italia competition.

He said it would give nuns from around the world a chance to showcase their work and image. 'Miss Sister 2008': Web Vote to Find World's Most Beautiful Nuns >>> | August 25, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Italy)

Sixteen-Year-Old Qatari Boy Dies after Tragic Race Attack by Thugs in Hastings
Photo of Mohammed Al Majed courtesy of MAIL Online
MAIL Online: A murder probe is under way after a foreign student aged 16 died in hospital following a 'racial' attack.

The boy, who was visiting Britain from Qatar in the Middle East, was attacked by a mob outside a kebab shop in Hastings, East Sussex.

He suffered serious head injuries in the late-night attack on Friday and died last night at King's College Hospital in London.

Sussex Police said the fight happened outside the USA Fried Chicken and Kebab House near the seafront in Hastings on Friday night.

The youngster was rushed to hospital and later transferred to the King's College Hospital, London, where he died late on Sunday night. Wealthy Arab Student, 16, Dies after Race Attack by Gang of Thugs in Seaside Town >>> | August 25, 2008

SUSSEX EXPRESS:
Student murdered in race attack: Three men arrested and bailed >>> By Laura Button | August 25, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Student Is Beaten to Death Outside Kebab Shop in Hastings >>> By Lucy Bannerman | August 26, 2008

BBC:
Arab Warning after ‘Racist Death’: The uncle of a student who died after a suspected racially-motivated attack on the south coast has said Arabs should not send their children to England.

Mohammed Al-Majed, 16, suffered a serious head injury outside a takeaway in Hastings and died two days later.

Ghazi Abdullah al-Majed told the BBC his nephew had complained about hostility towards Arabs in the town.

But community leaders, who held discussions in Hastings on Thursday, said it was safe for foreign visitors.

Mr al-Majed said Mohammed was worried about his safety before the attack on 22 August.

"He said people were not treating him very well, he said 'they don't like Arabs'. >>> | August 28, 2008

Watch BBC video: The council is keen to repair the town's image >>>
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Court to Consider Divorce for 8-Year-Old Girl
NEWS.COM.AU: A SAUDI court will next month hear a plea for divorce from an eight-year-old girl married off by her father to a man in his fifties, the Arabic-language daily Al-Watan reported today.

It said the girl's mother had filed the divorce case with the court at Unayzah 220km north of Riyadh, and cited lawyer Abdullah Jtili as saying the father had arranged the marriage without telling the girl.

"She doesn't know yet that she has been married,'' added Jtili of the girl who is about to begin her fourth year at primary school.

Al-Watan said relatives of the girl had told a Saudi rights group of her plight and urged it to intervene to have the marriage annulled.

But the daily also reported that the husband had refused to renounce the marriage, saying that he had not done anything illegal.

Arranged marriages involving pre-adolescents are occasionally reported in the Arabian Peninsula, including in the ultra-conservative Saudi kingdom where the strict conservative Wahabi version of Sunni Islam holds sway and polygamy is common.

In Yemen in April, another girl aged eight was granted a divorce after her unemployed father forced her to marry a man of 28. [Source: Court to Consider Divorce for 8-Year-Old Girl]

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Australia)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback – Australia)

Moscow Ups the Ante in Poker Game with West
TIMESONLINE: For most of the week she had seemed to be presiding over yet another fiasco for American foreign policy, yet Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, looked surprisingly chirpy as she toasted Polish officials at the signing of a new defence deal in Warsaw on Thursday.

Her hosts provided a bottle of Georgian wine for a dinner with Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, and Rice leapt at the opportunity to express solidarity with the victims of Russian aggression in the Caucasus.

Despite widespread criticism of America’s failure to curb Moscow’s advance and its apparent lack of options for a punitive response, Washington appeared quietly confident that Russia’s short-term gains in Georgia would turn into a long-term diplomatic headache for Moscow, which the US may be able to turn to its advantage.

“I don’t think this is a new cold war,” Rice declared after signing an agreement to deploy part of America’s long-range missile shield on Polish soil. “It’s a difficult time but I think we shouldn’t overstate the depth of the difficulties.”

Her confidence was based in part on the continuing refusal of Russia’s former communist neighbours to be cowed by the Georgian conflict - Poland, Ukraine and Georgia have all shown readiness to continue cooperating with the West - and partly on the US State Department’s assessment that long-term Russian economic interests will force Moscow to negotiate eventually.

Yet several US analysts warned that Moscow still holds the upper hand in any future diplomatic showdown. There may be no return to cold war-era nuclear threats of what used to be known as MAD - mutually assured destruction - but East-West relations seem certain to stay in cold storage for a time.

“The events of the past two weeks have been a disaster for US foreign policy,” declared Daniel Benjamin, a foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “Russia’s invasion of its neighbour is a clear demonstration that the US-led effort to integrate postSoviet Russia into the West has failed.” Moscow Ups the Ante in Poker Game with West >>> By Tony Allen-Mills, New York | August 24, 2008

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the West, Mosco

Druck auf Moskau wächst
STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG ONLINE: Moskau/Tiflis/Washington/Berlin - Nach dem weitgehenden Rückzug des russischen Militärs aus dem Kerngebiet Georgiens ist ein internationaler Streit um Pufferzonen und Kontrollpunkte in der Krisenregion entbrannt. "Angesichts der angespannten Lage kommen wir nicht ohne eine Verstärkung der Friedenssoldaten aus", sagte Vize-Generalstabschef Anatoli Nogowizyn in Moskau. Die Bundesregierung verschärfte ihre Haltung gegenüber Moskau. Berlin äußerte am Samstag die Erwartung, dass Russland den Abzug jetzt "unverzüglich gemäß dem vom russischen Präsidenten Dmitri Medwedew mitunterzeichneten Sechs-Punkte-Plan vollendet und seine Truppen vereinbarungsgemäß auf die Linien vor Ausbruch der Feindseligkeiten zurückzieht".

Die USA forderten Russland zum sofortigen Abzug seiner Soldaten aus dem georgischen Kerngebiet auf. Georgiens Regionalminister Temuri Jakobaschwili nannte die Pufferzonen "Hirngespinste russischer Offiziere". Die in acht beziehungsweise 18 Kontrollposten um die abtrünnigen Gebiete Südossetien und Abchasien stationierten Soldaten sollen nach den Worten des Generalstabs in Moskau Sabotageakte verhindern und die Bevölkerung schützen. Das russische Parlament will zudem am Montag über eine mögliche Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit der Separatistengebiete debattieren. Druck auf Moskau wächst >>> dpa | 24. August 2008

STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG ONLINE:
Streit um Pufferzonen >>> dpa | 23. August 2008

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Nicolas Sarkozy beruft EU-Sondergipfel ein
WELT ONLINE: Der französische Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy plant wegen der Georgien-Krise für den 1. September einen Sondergipfel der Europäischen Union. Frankreich, das derzeit den EU-Vorsitz führt, kommt damit den Forderungen mehrerer Mitgliedsstaaten nach. Bundeskanzlerin Merkel hat ihre Teilnahme bereits angekündigt.

Das Gipfeltreffen soll in Brüssel stattfinden. Dabei werde es um die „Zukunft der Beziehungen“ zwischen der EU und Russland sowie um Hilfen für Georgien gehen, teilte der Elysée-Palast mit.

Der amtierende EU-Ratspräsident Nicolas Sarkozy zog bereits kurz nach dem Ausbruch des Kriegs zwischen Russland und Georgien Anfang August einen Sondergipfel in Erwägung. Sarkozy kritisierte den Rückzug der russischen Streitkräfte zuletzt als nicht ausreichend.

Auch Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) unterstützt das Vorhaben. Ein Regierungssprecher teilte in Berlin mit, Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) werde an dem Gipfel teilnehmen. Nicolas Sarkozy beruft EU-Sondergipfel ein >>> | 24. August 2008

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Taleban Winning War, Says Zardari
BBC: The Pakistani Taleban have "the upper hand" and should be put on the list of banned organisations in Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, has said.

He says the world and Pakistan are losing the war on terror.

"It is an insurgency", he said, "and an ideological war. It is our country and we will defend it.

"The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they (the Taleban) definitely have the upper hand.

"The issue, which is not just a bad case scenario as far as Pakistan is concerned or as Afghanistan is concerned but it is going to be spreading further. The whole world is going to be affected by it." Taleban Winning War, Says Zardari >>> By Owen Bennett-Jones, BBC News, Islamabad | August 24, 2008

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Margaret Thatcher Is Struggling with Dementia
Photo of Margaret Thatcher courtesy of Le Figaro
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Baroness Thatcher's daughter Carol has revealed details of her mother's struggle with dementia for the first time.

In her new book, Carol Thatcher tells of her pain at haveing to repeatedly break the "truly awful" news of her father Sir Denis' death to her mother until the information sank in.

In her book, A Swim-On Part in the Goldfish Bowl: A Memoir, she wrote how her mother's "blotting-paper brain" which had always absorbed information got confused between Bosnia and the Falklands during a conversation about the war in the former Yugoslavia.

She wrote: "I almost fell off my chair. Watching her struggle with her words and her memory, I couldn't believe it. She was in her 75th year but I had always thought of her as ageless, timeless and 100% cast-iron damage-proof.

"The contrast was all the more striking because, until that point, she'd always had a memory like a website."

In the book, serialised in a Sunday newspaper, Ms Thatcher added: "From the fateful day of our lunch, telltale signs that something wasn't quite right began to emerge.

"Whereas previously you would never have had to say anything to her twice, because she'd already filed it away in her formidable memory bank, Mum started asking the same questions over and over again, unaware she was doing so. Thatcher's Struggle with Dementia >>> | August 24, 2008

MAIL ON SUNDAY:
Carol Thatcher: I Always Thought of Mum as Being 100% Cast-Iron Damage-Proof >>> By Carol Thatcher | August 23, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Margaret Thatcher's Struggle with Dementia Revealed in Daughter's Memoir: Dementia is slowly claiming one of Britain’s sharpest political minds >>> By Francis Elliott, Deputy Political Editor | August 24, 2008

THE GUARDIAN:
Lady Thatcher's Daughter Writes of Dementia >>> By Allegra Stratton, political correspondent | August 25, 2008

THE INDEPENDENT:
Thatcher's Battle with Dementia, by Her Daughter >>> By Chris Green | August 25, 2008

MAIL Online:
Too Soon and Far Too Much Detail: Why I'm Saddened by Carol Thatcher's Tell-All Book on Her Mother's Dementia >>> By Amanda Platell | August 24, 2008

BERLINER ZEITUNG:
Margaret Thatcher kämpft mit Demenz >>> 24. August 2008

NZZ Online:
Margaret Thatcher leidet unter Altersdemenz: Tochter Carol beschreibt Erkrankung in ihren Memoiren >>> | 24. August 2008

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE:
Margaret Thatcher souffre de démence depuis sept ans, confie sa fille: L'ancien Premier ministre britannique Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) souffre de démence depuis sept ans, confie sa fille Carol dans des mémoires dont des extraits sont publiés dans la presse britannique lundi >>> Londres (AFP) | 25 Août 2008

LE FIGARO:
Carol Thatcher parle 
de la maladie de sa mère: Malade depuis sept ans, l'ancien premier ministre s'est retirée de la vie publique en 2002 sur les conseils de ses médecins. La fille de Margaret Thatcher raconte pour la première fois, dans un livre à paraître dévoilé par la presse britannique, que sa mère a perdu la mémoire et souffre de démence depuis sept ans. «J'ai toujours pensé à elle comme la Dame de fer 100 % inoxydable, sur laquelle l'âge et le temps n'ont pas de prise», écrit Carol Thatcher, qui retrace le déclin de l'ancien premier ministre, aujourd'hui âgée de 82 ans >>> 25. 08. 2008

EL PAÍS:
Margaret Thatcher sufre demencia, según su hija Carol: La ex primera ministra británica, de 82 años, pierde su prodigiosa memoria >>> Patricia Tubella, Londres | 25/08/2008

CORRIERA DELLA SERA:
«Mia madre Thatcher
ora dimentica tutto»: La malattia nel libro della figlia Carol. Confonde le guerre di Falklands e Jugoslavia. E bisogna ricordarle ogni volta che il marito è già morto nel 2003 >>> Guido Santevecchi |
25 agosto 2008

IL GIORNALE:
Il triste declino della Lady di Ferro >>> di Redazione | lunedì 25 agosto 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Carol Thatcher, Daughter of the Revolution: Never very close to her mother, she still embodies the Thatcherite legacy. Accusations of disloyalty cannot dent the nation's affection for the Iron Lady's girl, writes William Langley >>> By William Langley | August 30, 2008

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Documentary Explores Gay Muslims’ Lives in ‘Love’
PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS: The men and women who tell their stories, sometimes tearfully, in Parvez Sharma's documentary "A Jihad for Love" have one thing in common: They all continue to believe in the tenets of Islam, regardless of having to hide their personal lives or, worse, escape their homelands because their religion considers their way of life a sin sometimes punishable by death.

The film, which was screened during this year's Frameline festival, is often fascinating and provocative, although, as a film, it feels a bit long and somewhat repetitive.

The only mention of homosexuality in the Quran has to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. Other writings known as the Hadith, a kind of Apocrypha of pronouncements said to have come from Muhammad, are cited to enforce the idea that homosexuality is a sin. That said, the official and popular attitudes toward homosexuality vary from country to country in the Islamic world. Turkey, for example, is a largely Islamic country but has no laws outlawing sexual relations between people of the same sex. In Iran and Egypt, homosexuality is specifically outlawed and the punishment can be extreme.

Sharma's film begins with a look at Muhsin Hendricks, an Islamic scholar who fought his homosexual feelings as a young man, married in the hope of sublimating his true nature, and eventually concluded that he had to find a way to live with being both a believer in Islam and a gay man. He believes that since Allah created him as he is, and because scriptural references condemn homosexual rape and not homosexuality per se, he is living a religious life as a gay Muslim. Documentary Explores Gay Muslims' Lives in 'Love' >>> By David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle | August 23, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Conception de la liberté d'expression selon Al-Munajid, Théologien saoudien

Al-Munajid - Théologien saoudien - VOSTF
by bivouac-id

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché)
The Dawning of a new Dark Age (Relié)

Immigrants Exploit Loophole to Gain British Citizenship in Church of England Marriages
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Illegal immigrants are exploiting a legal loophole to gain British citizenship by getting married in Church of England ceremonies.

Confidential guidelines have been issued by bishops to warn clergy of the scam, which has exploded since a Government crackdown on sham marriages was introduced in 2004.

Official figures show that the number of bogus weddings performed by Anglican priests has risen by as much as 400 per cent in some dioceses over the last four years.

Foreign nationals have turned to the Church because it is exempt from rules that require all foreign nationals from outside the European Union to obtain a Home Office certificate of approval to marry in a register office. Immigrants Exploit Loophole to Gain British Citizenship in Church of England Marriages >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | August 24, 2008

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"Ahmadinedschad ist größtes Geschenk für Israel"
WELT ONLINE: Der iranische Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad lässt kaum eine Gelegenheit aus, gegen Israel zu hetzen. Ein ehemaliger Chef des israelischen Geheimdienstes hat dies nun als "Geschenk" bezeichnet. Denn wegen der unverhohlenen Drohungen habe sich die Welt hinter die Israelis gestellt.

Ein ehemaliger Direktor des israelischen Geheimdienstes Mossad hat den iranischen Präsidenten Mahmud Ahmadinedschad als "größtes Geschenk für Israel“ bezeichnet. Ahmadinedschad habe es geschafft, die ganze Welt gegen den Iran zu vereinen, sagte Epfraim Halevi dem arabischen Fernsehsender Al-Hurra. "Ahmadinedschad ist größtes Geschenk für Israel" >>> | 20. August 2008

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Death of Patriotism: How National Pride Is 'Under Threat by a Global Super-Elite'
MAIL Online: Patriotism is back in fashion. With the Union flag flying high over Beijing after the golden success of our Olympic athletes, the British public has been given a rare opportunity to indulge in unbridled expressions of national pride.

Yet, in our ever more globalised world, instinctive patriotism is being diluted. The concept of nationhood has been undermined by mass immigration and the imposition of the dogma of multi-culturalism.

Our economy is increasingly tied up with the global financial system, dominated by multinational giants which see borders as irrelevant. Supra-national bodies, such as the UN and the EU, have a mounting influence over our political governance.

The idea of national interest is sliding towards the dustbin of history.

Only last month, in a rhetorical and extravagant speech to the Israeli parliament, Gordon Brown called on the nations of the world to ensure that our era becomes ‘the century of the global community’.

In one overblown passage, he pledged to ‘make a reality of the vision of a global society in which we create global civic institutions that turn words of friendship into bonds of human solidarity’.

Not to be outdone, David Cameron has joined this enthusiasm for earnest globalism. Death of Patriotism: How National Pride Is 'Under Threat by a Global Super-Elite' >>> By Leo McKinstry | August 23, 2008

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'We Should Have Trampled on Georgia', Say Russians
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A quick war is the best propaganda: The conflict in the Caucasus has further strengthened the Putin-Medvedev leadership duo, according to new polls. Many Russians are hoping the pair will continue leading the country back toward's super-power status and that they will pursue that aim more energetically.

"Alexander" is the first caller on the "Curve" morning show at Echo of Moscow, a radio station critical of the government. The young listener is the first to be given the opportunity to answer the host's question about the Caucasus conflict: "Did this war make Russia stronger?"

The connection isn't great and there's fuzz in the background as he declares: "The stronger person is always more respected, and Russia has become stronger." His country may be finding itself in an increasingly isolated position internationally, but you can still hear the pride in his voice. And this young Moscow resident is far from alone in his opinion. The strong state is enjoying tremendous popularity.

For many Russians, the economic crisis of the 1990s remains a painful memory. The economic upswing that happened under Vladimir Putin's terms as the Kremlin chief not only improved the country's material situation, but also helped promote a new sense of self-confidence. That has also been evident in the days following the war in the Caucasus. In direct contrast to the Western view, Russians have emphasized the fact that the Georgians started the offensive and the war.

Indeed, most Russians are backing their government. The latest poll taken by Moscow's renowned Levada Center delivered clear results: 70 percent of the Russians surveyed said they were "in full and complete agreement" with the statement that the Russian leadership had "done everything it could to prevent an escalation of the conflict and to prevent the bloodshed." Only 4 percent claimed that the government had stoked the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in order to promote its own geopolitical interests. 'We Should Have Trampled on Georgia' >>> By Carmen Eller in Moscow | August 22, 2008

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Three Adherents of the ROP Arrested over Internet Threats to Kill the Prime Miniter
THE TELEGRAPH: Three suspected terrorists have been arrested over internet threats to kill the Prime Minister.

Two men were arrested at Manchester airport last week as they prepared to leave the country and a third, the brother of one of the other men, was detained in Accrington, Lancashire where he worked as a security guard.

Counter-terrorism sources said the arrests related to a statement which appeared on an Arabic language website called al-ekhlaas.net, which often carries messages from senior members of al-Qaeda.

The message, written in English, appeared only briefly on January 24, and claimed to be from Shaykh Umar Rabie al-Khalaila, "The leader of al-Qaeda in Britain."

In it, he demanded the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and the release of prisoners from Belmarsh high security jail in south east London including the radical clerics Abu Hamza al-Masri and Abu Qatada.

Qatada was later released after an Appeal Court ruling and put under house arrest.

It is understood the men had been under surveillance by police and two were arrested as they prepared to leave the country for Finland. Gordon Brown Terror Threat: Three Arrested >>> By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent and Nigel Bunyan | August 23, 2008

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Slaying Church Attendance among Women, Study Claims
THE TELEGRAPH: The old-fashioned attitudes and hierarchies of churches are causing a steep decline in the number of female worshippers, according to an academic study.

The report claims more than 50,000 women a year have deserted their congregations over the past two decades because they feel the church is not relevant to their lives.

It says that instead young women are becoming attracted to the pagan religion Wicca, where females play a central role, which has grown in popularity after being featured positively in films, TV shows and books.

The study comes amid ongoing controversy over the role of women in all Christian denominations. Last month its governing body voted to allow women to become bishops for the first time, having admitted them to the priesthood in 1994, but traditionalist bishops have warned that hundreds of clergy and parishes will leave if the move goes ahead as planned.

The report's author, Dr Kristin Aune, a sociologist at the University of Derby, said: "In short, women are abandoning the church.

"Because of its focus on female empowerment, young women are attracted by Wicca, popularised by the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Slaying Church Attendance among Women, Study Claims >>> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | August 23, 2008

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Despite Pullout, Russia Envisions Long-Term Shift
THE NEW YORK TIMES: MOSCOW — As the Russian Army withdrew most of its forces from Georgia, it was becoming ever more clear on Friday that Moscow had no intention of restoring what once was — either on the ground or diplomatically.

The West wants a return to early August, before an obscure territorial dispute on the fringes of the old Soviet empire erupted into an international crisis. But Russia’s forces are digging in and seizing ribbons of Georgian land that abut two breakaway enclaves allied with Moscow, effectively extending its zone of influence.

At the same time, the Kremlin is nearing formal recognition of the independence of the enclaves, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, possibly as early as next week.

These moves indicate that despite the French-brokered cease-fire framework that Russia accepted, it is striving to maintain considerable economic and military pressure on Georgia, a close ally of the United States. The ultimate goal, it seems, is the ouster of its president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who is detested by the Russian leadership, and the installation of a government that it considers less hostile. Despite Pullout, Russia Envisions Long-Term Shift >>> By Clifford J Levy | August 22, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Georgia Rejects Russian Claims of Withdrawal: Russia's defence minister has said his forces have completed a promised withdrawal from the main body of Georgia into the enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia >>> | August 22, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Even Today, Fighting Might with Might Is Often the Only Solution >>> By John O'Sullivan | August 23, 2008


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Obama Names Joe Biden as His Running Mate
Photo of Joe Biden courtesy of MAIL Online
MAIL Online: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has named Joe Biden as his running mate, despite the veteran politician once admitting that Obama was 'not yet ready for the presidency'.

Mr Biden, 65, is known for being talkative and is prone to making statements which get him in to trouble.

Last year he said Mr Obama was "not yet ready" for the presidency, a remark which will now be seized upon by the Republican attack machine ahead of the general election on November 4.

Even before Mr Obama confirmed his selection this morning, McCain campaign spokesman Ben Porritt said: 'There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden.

'Biden has denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realising - that Barack Obama is not ready to be president.' Obama Names 'Gaffe-Prone' Joe Biden as His Running Mate in Presidential Elections >>> | August 23, 2008

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Moskau meldet Abschluss des Truppenabzugs aus Georgien
NZZ Online: Nach offiziellen Angaben aus Moskau haben die russischen Truppen ihren Rückzug aus dem georgischen Kernland abgeschlossen. Im Laufe des Freitags war die Abfahrt von grösseren Militärkonvois in Richtung Norden gemeldet worden. Moskau meldet Abschluss des Truppenabzugs aus Georgien: Militärkonvois in Richtung Norden abgefahren >>> | 22. August 2008

LEFIGARO:
Géorgie : les colonnes militaires russes se replient >>> lefigaro.fr, avec AFP | 22.08.2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) >>>

Another Verdict of Death from the ‘Religion of Peace’
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: LAGOS - An Islamic body in Nigeria has issued a death sentence on a man who married 80 women against the maximum of four allowed by Islam, The Guardian reported yesterday.

Jamatu Nasril Islam said in a statement that Mohammadu Bello Masaba from the central Niger state stood condemned to death unless he divorced 76 of the women in four days.

"Unless Masaba repents within four days and take only four wives from the herd he remains condemned to death, according to sharia law," the statement said.

"Any Muslim who married more than the approved number of wives at a time either by mistake or out of ignorance is instructed to choose but only four and ask for Allah's forgiveness," Jamatu Nasril Islam said. [Source: Death Verdict for Man with 80 Wives] Agence France-Presse | August 23, 2008

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