Ökonom fordert Deutsche zum Kinderkriegen auf
NAME: Babypause statt Arbeitslosigkeit – diese Losung empfiehlt in der Krise der Präsident des Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle, Ulrich Blum. Durch die schlechte Wirtschaftslage werde die Erwerbstätigkeit sinken, meint Blum: "Warum nutzen wir dies nicht familienpolitisch, indem sich junge Paare den Kinderwunsch erfüllen?"

Die Geburtenzahl erreichte 2008 den zweitniedrigsten Stand nach Kriegsende. Nur 2006 wurden weniger Kinder geboren. Bild dank der Welt
Angesichts der immer schlechteren Lage auf dem Arbeitsmarkt hat der Präsident des Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH), Ulrich Blum, junge Familien zum Kinderkriegen aufgerufen.

Blum sagte der "Bild"-Zeitung: "In der Krise wird die Erwerbstätigkeit erheblich sinken. Warum nutzen wir dies nicht familienpolitisch, indem sich junge Paare jetzt den Kinderwunsch erfüllen?"



Blum erklärte, es müsse darum gehen, in der Krise ein Zukunftspaket zu schnüren. Der IWH-Präsident sprach sich in diesem Zusammenhang für mehr Unterstützung werdender Eltern durch den Staat aus. So müsse unter anderem der Kündigungsschutz für denjenigen Elternteil verbessert werden, der weiterhin einen Arbeitsplatz habe. >>> AP/dpa/fsl | Montag, 18. Mai 2009

Netanyahu’s Meeting with Obama Is Expected to Be Tense

Women Win Parliamentary Seats for First Time in Kuwait
Rola Dashti. Photo courtesy of CNN
CNN: Kuwait elected its first female lawmakers in the conservative Gulf state where men have dominated parliament for nearly five decades.

Four women won parliamentary seats in the general elections Saturday, the official Kuwait News Agency said.

Women were first granted the right to vote and run four years ago, but they failed to make inroads in the country's parliament in the past two elections.

Preliminary results released Sunday show that university instructor Aseel al-Awadhi and economist Rola Dashti were among four women who won seats.

The U.S.-educated Al-Awadhi has a doctorate and has been a member of Amnesty International, Kuwait News Agency said.
Dashti has worked as a consultant for several companies and chairs the Kuwait Economists Society, according to the news agency. >>> | Sunday, May 17, 2009

Spencer Talks Free Speech and Censorship on the Savage Nation

Turkey Protest over Alleged Coup Plot Draws 30,000
YNET NEWS: Turkish Authorities say at least 30,000 protesters gathered in downtown Ankara on Sunday to protest the arrests of university professors and other secularists accused of involvement in an alleged plot to topple the Islamic-rooted government.

Authorities recently charged more than 200 people as part of the investigation into the alleged secularist conspiracy to topple Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. Protesters, who are waving Turkish flags and carrying posters of late leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, chanting: "We are soldiers of Ataturk!" will later march to the mausoleum of Turkey's first secular leader. [Source: YNet News] AP | Sunday, May 17, 2009

Israeli Sheikhs: Zionism Failing, Islam on the Rise
ARUTZ SHEVA: The Israel-based Islamic Movement led 'Nakba Day' rallies on Friday to mourn the creation of the State of Israel. The rallies were accompanied by dire warnings regarding Israel's future, and bright predictions of success for Islamists.

"The sun of Zionism will set as the sun of an Islamic state rises,” predicted Sheikh Khamel Hatib, the second in command in the Islamic Movement's northern branch.

Hatib issued a thinly veiled warning to Israeli Jews, saying, “If there will be a future Nakba, it will be suffered by another people, not ours.” The Arabic term "Nakba,” meaning "catastrophe,: is used to refer to the creation of Israel and the flight of many Arab Muslims from the fledgling state.

Hatib also addressed young Israeli Muslims, telling them not to serve the country in any way, including non-military volunteer programs. “Do not fall into the trap of national service,” he said. >>> Maayana Miskin | Sunday, May 17, 2009

Walesa Expected in Ireland for Libertas Election Rally
IRISH TIMES: CAMPAIGN ADDRESS: SOLIDARITY CO-FOUNDER Lech Walesa is expected to address a Libertas European election event in Ireland in the coming days.

The former Polish president has been attacked as a “disgrace” at home for appearing at Libertas events in Rome and Madrid – for a reported fee of €100,000.

As the European election enters its final phase, Mr Walesa’s reported five-city tour is also likely to include an address in Warsaw. Any such appearance will be a controversial one for the Polish icon many of his countrymen have accused of selling out.

“Lech Walesa is a symbol of peaceful democratic changes in Poland and elsewhere in Europe, our ambassador in the world. And now this ambassador disgraces us,” wrote the influential Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, founded by former Polish dissidents in 1989.

At his second Libertas event, on Wednesday in Madrid, Mr Walesa said he agreed with the Libertas call for a more transparent Europe but that ratifying the Lisbon Treaty was the key to do so. “We must approve Lisbon so that we can change things from inside,” he said. >>> Derek Scally in Berlin | Saturday, May 16, 2009

Obama to Press Netanyahu on Two States, Settlements
REUTERS: Obama to push two-state solution to conflict / Common ground seen on Iran nuclear issue / Restarting Israeli-Syrian peace talks on agenda

WASHINGTON - Days before a White House summit, the Obama administration signaled on Saturday that the U.S. president would press Israel's new government to endorse Palestinian statehood and halt settlement expansion.

But senior U.S. officials downplayed prospects of a confrontation between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as they grapple with rare differences between Washington and its close ally.

"The president does not believe it's going in a bad direction," one Obama aide told reporters when asked about the refusal so far by Netanyahu's right-leaning government to embrace a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.

Administration officials said Obama would push that principle, the cornerstone of U.S. Middle East policy for years, in his talks with Netanyahu, which are aimed at reviving the stalled peace process.

"Two states living side by side in peace and security -- my guess is they'll discuss that, and it's an issue they'll continue to work through," an official said. >>> Matt Spetalnick | Saturday, May 16, 2009

MPs' Expenses: Cash Secrets of MPs Who Tried to Stop You Seeing Their Expenses
THE TELEGRAPH: The full details of the taxpayer-funded expenses claimed by the MPs who battled to keep them secret can be disclosed for the first time.

Clockwise: David Maclean, Julian Lewis, David Clelland and Fraser Kemp. Photos courtesy of The Telegraph
An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has established that backers of a Bill two years ago which aimed to exempt Parliament from the full force of the Freedom of Information Act have benefited from thousands of pounds paid under the second home expenses system.

Examples ranged from a former government whip who “bought out” his partner from her share of a London flat at a cost to the taxpayer of thousands of pounds, to a Tory grandee who spent thousands of pounds of public funds on his country estate before selling it.

A shadow minister claimed a £7,000 bedroom suite and a £2,200 television and “flipped” his second home, while a Labour election co-ordinator bought 16 bedsheets within the space of two months for a one-bedroom flat.

The MPs, who all backed the 2007 Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill introduced by David Maclean, the former Conservative chief whip, will face questions over their use of expenses and will come under pressure to return money.

Supporters of Mr Maclean’s Bill said they were acting to protect the confidentiality of constituents. Yet MPs opposing the Bill told the Commons repeatedly that its main impact would be to keep expenses secret. >>> By Patrick Hennessy and Melissa Kite | Saturday, May 16, 2009

Five Minutes with Richard Dawkins

Amsterdam Islam Congress Resounding Success
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Around 1,000 people attended the first National Islam Congress in Amsterdam today. The event was organised by the Institute of Islamic Studies in order to highlight Islam's diversity and promote dialogue. There were numerous discussions and workshops as well as lectures given by Islamic scholars from numerous countries including Saudi Arabia, United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Participants, both Muslim and non-Muslim, discussed various issues including citizenship, the position of Muslim women, Sharia law and Salafism, a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim movement.

One of the speakers was the preacher Khalid Yassin; an earlier visit to the Netherlands was extremely controversial due to his radical ideas. Tarik Ramadan, a progressive Moslem known for his criticism of Islam, also gave a lecture.

Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders was also invited but the far-right MP refused the invitation saying, "never in 10 million years".

The Institute for Islamic Studies says today's congress was an overwhelming success and a follow-up will be organised. [Source: RNW] | Saturday, May 16, 2009

Vladimir Bukovsky: The European Union – The New Soviet Union?

Hat tip: The Destruction of Britain >>>

Beautiful Oman

Muscat: Capital of Oman

Rom setzt auf Härte gegen Immigranten
DIE PRESSE: Die Regierung hat die Gesetze gegen illegale Einwanderung verschärft. Flüchtlinge, die übers Meer kommen, werden schon auf hoher See abgefangen und zurückgeschickt. Das führt zu Protesten des UNHCR.

Rom. „Weil Europa uns alleingelassen hat“, so sagt Innenminister Roberto Maroni, greift Italien nun zur Selbsthilfe. Mit der Übergabe der ersten drei von sechs Küstenwachbooten an Libyen hat nun die Ära der italienisch-libyschen Seepatrouillen begonnen. Sie sollen Flüchtlingsboote spätestens in internationalen Gewässern abfangen und die Insassen nach Libyen zurücktransportieren.

Bereits in den vergangenen Wochen hatte Italien damit begonnen, mehr als 500 Flüchtlinge, die im Mittelmeer nahe der Insel Lampedusa aufgegriffen worden waren, umgehend nach Libyen zurückzuschicken. Das hatte zu Protesten des UN-Flüchtlingskommissariats UNHCR geführt: Es sei unrechtmäßig, Menschen noch vor jeglicher Prüfung eines Asylantrags abzuweisen. >>> Paul Kreiner | Freitag, 15. Mai 2009

Der letzte Kraftakt des Terminators
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der kalifornische Gouverneur Arnold Schwarzenegger kämpft um sein politisches Überleben. Das Volk entscheidet über sechs Vorlagen und damit auch über seine Zukunft.

2010 ist spätestens Schluss: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gouverneur von Kalifornien. Bild dank dem Tages Anzeiger
Ich freue mich, wieder hier in San Francisco zu sein», rief der Gouverneur in den vollen Saal des Hotels Fairmont. «Nach monatelangen Budgetverhandlungen freue ich mich, irgendwo zu sein. Diese Verhandlungen waren grauenhaft, schlimmer als der Dreh von ‹Hercules in New York›.» Arnold Schwarzenegger hatte die Lacher auf seiner Seite; die Anspielung auf seine Rolle des Mister Universe in seinem allerersten Film kam an. Es war einer der wenigen heiteren Momente für einen Gouverneur, der von seiner eigenen Partei völlig im Stich gelassen wird und dessen Popularitätskurve steil nach unten zeigt.

Am kommenden Dienstag entscheiden die Kalifornier, ob sie dem Gouverneur noch einmal eine Chance geben. Zur Abstimmung kommen sechs Vorlagen, um den an sich bankrotten Bundesstaat zu sanieren, darunter eine Ausgabenbremse sowie eine drastische Steuererhöhung, die kaum durchkommt. Umfragen zeigen, dass gar fünf der sechs Geschäfte auf der Kippe stehen. Der letzte Kraftakt des «Arnold Strong», der vor fünf Jahren angetreten war, den Staat von Grund auf zu reformieren und finanziell in Ordnung zu bringen, könnte misslingen. Dann hätte Schwarzenegger noch 18 Monate Zeit, einige der übrigen Reformvorhaben, namentlich eine Krankenversicherung für alle, unter Dach zu bringen. 2010 ist Ende: Wegen der Amtszeitbeschränkung muss er aufhören. >>> Von Walter Niederberger | Samstag, 16. Mai 2009

Massenarbeitslosigkeit und Armut: Proteste in ganz Europa
TAGES ANZEIGER: In europäischen Grossstädten sind Hunderttausende auf die Strasse gegangen – aus Angst vor Stellenabbau und Armut. In Berlin war auch eine Schweizer Rede zu hören.

Massenbewegung: Auch in Berlin zeigten die Menschen ihre Sorgen und forderten mehr Gerechtigkeit. Photo dank dem Tages Anzeiger
Die Menschen protestierten gegen den Sozial- und Stellenabbau, der wegen der Wirtschaftskrise immer mehr um sich greift. In Berlin versammelten sich am Samstag nach Angaben des Deutschen Gewerkschaftsbundes (DGB) 100'000 Menschen; laut der Polizei waren es mehrere zehntausend. Unter dem europaweiten Motto «Fight the crisis – put people first» zogen die Demonstranten in zwei grossen Protestzügen durch die Innenstadt. >>> raa/sda | Samstag, 16. Mai 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Europe in Deepest Recession Since War as Germany Suffers

German economic policy is "bankrupt", economists have said.

The declaration was made as it emerged that Europe's biggest economy has now suffered a worse "lost decade" than Japan and is deeper in recession than any other major economy.

On a day of dismal news for the European economy, official figures also showed that Italy, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands are facing their biggest combined slump in post-war history, sparking warnings about the potential for social unrest throughout Europe. >>> By Edmund Conway and Angela Monaghan | Friday, May 15, 2009

Cérémonie anti-homophobie à Paris
L’EXPRESS.fr: Une centaine d'homosexuel, bi- et transsexuels se sont rassemblés ce samedi à Paris à l'occasion de la 1ère cérémonie nationale en hommage aux victimes de l'homophobie.

Une centaine d'homosexuel(le)s, bi- et transsexuels ont participé ce samedi à Paris à la première cérémonie nationale en hommage aux victimes de l'homophobie.

A l'appel de l'association "Les Oubliés de la mémoire", de SOS Homophobie, et de l'IDAHO (International Day against Homophobia & Trans), les manifestants se sont regroupés au Square d'Ile-de-france et ont été sensibilisés à la lutte contre toutes formes de discriminations et de violences faites aux membres de leur communauté. Entre 10 000 et 15 000 personnes ont péri dans les camps de concentration en raison de leur orientation sexuelle.

Pour cette première cérémonie où l'Etat était représenté, des gerbes de fleurs avaient été déposées dans la crypte érigée en bas du square sur les berges de la Seine, où la Secrétaire d'Etat au droits de l'homme, Rama Yade, ainsi que certains élus de l'opposition sont venus se recueillir.

L'accent a été mis sur "la nécessité de lutter contre les tabous, contre les discriminations" à caractère homophobe et d'"éradiquer une certaine frilosité politique", a déclaré à l'AFP Jacques Lizé, président de SOS Homophobie. >>> Par LEXPRESS.fr avec AFP | Samedi 16 Mai 2009

Smuggling Alcohol to Iran

Unchaining Cheney
Dick Cheney. Photo credit: Townhall.com
TOWNHALL: Dick Cheney is unleashed! After eight years of being nearly invisible to the media, the former vice president has come forth bearing wrath. He is now a man on a mission, an angry messenger. Very simply, Cheney believes the Obama administration is putting the United States in danger by dismantling the Bush anti-terror programs.

And Cheney has one very large point. Since the sneak attack on September 11, 2001, America has not suffered another violent terrorist episode on its soil. That is not in dispute, and the former vice president believes tough interrogations and aggressive anti-terror moves were the cornerstones of the shield.

Cheney also has two big bullets in his rhetorical arsenal. First, the Obama administration recently released classified interrogation memos but did not release the follow-up reports detailing what was gleaned by water boarding and other rough stuff. Cheney wants those memos out.

And second, there is no doubt that Democrats like Nancy Pelosi knew all about water boarding and went along with the interrogation program because the CIA told them it was vitally important for national security.

So, believing the truth is on his side, Cheney has launched a one-man jihad against the Obama administration for canceling what he believes are life-protecting anti-terror strategies. >>> By Bill O’Reilly | Saturday, May 16, 2009