Obituary: Winston Churchill
THE TELEGRAPH: Winston Churchill, who died today aged 69, never quite managed in 27 years as a Conservative MP to shrug off the burdens of having had the wartime leader as his grandfather and the ebullient, self-destructive Randolph Churchill for a father.

Winston Churchill in front of a portrait of his grandfather. Photograph: The Telegraph
Faced with the choice of emulating Sir Winston or pursuing a career outside politics, he opted for the former, proved competent if mercurial, but lacked the exceptional flair to establish himself in his own right.

Churchill was at a disadvantage not only through his legacy but because his preoccupation with it led some to consider him bumptious; alone of more than 650 MPs, he insisted on signing Commons motions without using his Christian name.

He caused a furore in 1995 when he negotiated the payment to the Churchill family of £12.5 million in National Lottery funds for his grandfather’s personal papers to remain at Churchill College, Cambridge, rather than be sold abroad, himself retaining the copyright for 20 years. It had not been widely appreciated, even among historians, that the papers were eligible for sale as the family had already received £393,000 for them in 1946.

There were suggestions that Churchill needed the cash to offset his losses as a “name” at Lloyds, to finance his divorce from his first wife or even to bail out his mother, Pamela Harriman, who had almost exhausted the £100 million railroad fortune of her final husband. The Churchill trustees insisted first that he would only receive some of the investment income, then said they would consider a request to fund the divorce.

Randolph Churchill had observed of his son: “His name is such a disadvantage”, but young Winston saw both sides: “A famous name can be terrible if you are lousy, but if you are any good, it helps.” It may have seen him bullied at school, but later it did secure him the best tables at restaurants. It did not always carry weight, however; when after the Gulf War he introduced himself to a squaddie in the desert, he received the reply: “Yes, and I’m Rommel.” >>> | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Kiddoms!
Excuse me, but shouldn’t boys of twelve be playing with their friend Willy instead of playing with their own willy? – © Mark

MAIL ONLINE: Extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 are going on sale in Switzerland after a sexual health group campaign.

Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to 14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.

The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged between 10 and 20.

It found more 12 to 14-year-old were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s.

Nancy Bodmer, who led the research at the Centre for Development and Personality Psychology at Basel University, said: 'The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behaviour.

'They have more of a tendency not to protect themselves. They do not have a very developed sexual knowledge. Swiss government produces extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 >>> Alexandra Williams | Wesnesday, March 03, 2010

Suisse – Affaire Kadhafi : Le dénouement serait proche
20MINUTES.ch: Le dénouement est proche dans la crise qui oppose la Libye et la Suisse, a assuré mardi le chef de la diplomatie libyenne Moussa Koussa.

«Nous sommes proches d'une solution en ce qui concerne la crise avec la Suisse, même si cette dernière a la grande responsabilité de ne pas avoir mis en oeuvre jusqu'à présent ce qui a été convenu entre nos deux pays afin de résoudre» notre différend, a déclaré Moussa Koussa en marge d'une réunion du Congrès général du peuple (le pouvoir législatif libyen), à Syrte.

Cette rencontre a eu lieu mardi à l'occasion du 33e anniversaire de la proclamation de la Grande Jamahiriyya, le régime populaire et socialiste mis en place par Mouammar Kadhafi en 1977, huit ans après son accession au pouvoir. >>> ats | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Affaire Kadhafi : La famille de Max Göldi lance un appel à Kadhafi
20MINUTES.ch: La famille du Suisse emprisonné en Libye Max Göldi a lancé un appel pressant au chef de l'Etat libyen Mouamar Kadhafi.

Une demande de grâce doit être déposée en fin de semaine par l'avocat libyen de l'otage helvétique.

Moritz, le frère de Max Göldi, a déclaré mardi soir lors de l'émission «10vor10» de la télévision alémanique SF, qu'au nom de sa mère et de toute la famille, il avait appelé la famille Kadhafi «à faire tout ce qui était en leur pouvoir pour que la demande de recours en grâce soit entendue». >>> ats | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Chodorkowski: «Russland schaufelt sich sein eigenes Grab»
20MINUTEN.ch: Der russische Strafvollzug «legitimiert Gewalt» und sei von «Schweinehunden» durchsetzt, schreibt der inhaftierte Ex-Ölmanager Michail Chodorkowski in einem Zeitungsartikel.

Ungeachtet der Reformversprechen von Kremlchef Dmitri Medwedew herrschen in Russlands Justiz aus Sicht Chodorkowskis weiter Gewalt und Willkür. «Das verbrecherische Fliessband der Justiz zerstört jedes Jahr die Würde und das Schicksal tausender Menschen und produziert damit eine gewaltige Menge, die es hasst», schrieb der Kremlkritiker und einstige Chef des zerschlagenen Ölkonzerns Yukos in einem Beitrag für die Zeitung «Nesawissimaja Gaseta» vom Mittwoch. >>> sda | Mittwoch, 03. März 2010

Liechtenstein sieht braun: Neonazis mit Schafsköpfen und Brandbomben
20MINUTEN.ch: Im Fürstentum Liechtenstein ist die heile Welt aus den Fugen geraten. Rechstextreme Kreise gehen immer offener auf Ausländer los. Regierungsvertreter sehen «rechtsextreme Einstellungen bis tief in die Mitte der Gesellschaft in Liechtenstein».

Am letzten Freitag wurde ein Kebap-Bistro in Nendeln kurz vor der Eröffnung durch Molotow-Cocktails verwüstet. Es handelt sich um den zweiten Anschlag mit einfach herstellbaren Brandsätzen im gleichen Ort innert dreier Monate.

Ende November 2009 hatten Unbekannte Molotow-Cocktails gegen zwei Wohnhäuser in Nendeln geworfen. Hausbewohner konnten die Flammen löschen, bevor grösserer Schaden entstand.

Ein weiterer Anschlag ereignete sich vergangenen September in Triesen: Unbekannte sprengten den Briefkasten einer liechtensteinischen Familie und deponierten vor den Trümmern einen abgeschnittenen Schafskopf.

In allen Fällen fand die Polizei keine Hinweise auf die Täterschaft, wie Sprecherin Tina Enz der Nachrichtenagentur SDA sagte. Daher könne man weder eine Verbindung zwischen den drei Fällen noch eine zu rechtsextremen Kreisen bestätigen. Unverkennbare rassistische Tendenz >>> sda | Mittwoch 03 März 2010

Anti-dhimmitude! Muslim Woman Barred from Flight After Refusing Body Scan
THE TELEGRAPH: A Muslim woman is thought to have become the first passenger to be stopped from boarding a flight after refusing to go through a full body scanner for religious reasons.

The passenger was at Manchester Airport for a flight to Islamabad when she was selected at random to pass through the security screen.

She was warned she would not be allowed to board the Pakistan International Airlines flight if she did not comply with the request but she decided to forfeit her ticket.

Her female travelling companion also left the airport after she cited ''medical reasons'' for not wanting to go through the scanner.

More than 15,000 people have already passed through the £80,000 Rapiscan machine at the airport's Terminal 2. The Government introduced the scanner at Heathrow and Manchester airports last month.

Security staff use the X-ray machine to check for any concealed weapons or explosives but it has attracted criticism for also showing clear outlines of passengers' genitals. Civil liberties campaigners have criticised the scanners as an invasion of privacy.

Sources at Manchester Airport said the flight to Pakistan about two weeks ago was busy and that no other passengers objected when chosen to go through the full body scanner after check-in. >>> | Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Poppycock from The Times in the Best Neville Chamberlain Tradition! Blond bombshell Geert Wilders Returns to Britain, Looking for a Fight
Geert Wilders. Photo: Times Online
My oh my, Geert Wilders really does seem to have got you rattled, Mr Macintyre.

But let’s get some facts straight. Geert Wilders is not “far-right” just because he states truths that you, Mr Macintyre, don’t want to hear. This is clearly a case of shooting the messenger, and one of trying to shoot him down with ad hominem attacks. Geert Wilders is merely pointing out the dangers of the growth of Islam in his country. The Channel 4 documentary, Dispatches, entitled 'Britain's Islamic Republic', testifies to the validity of what Mr Wilders says.

In a free society, we should be allowed to hear and say things which may not be popular. It’s called ‘free speech’, remember? It’s what our ancestors died for.

So if Muslims don’t want to hear what Mr Wilders has to say, then it’s just too bad. We so-called infidels don’t want to hear half the nonsense and abuse that Muslims come out with either, but nobody has the courage to shut them up. By the way, Mr Macintyre, it’s Muslims who are trying to kill us, not the other way round. Your logic seems to be warped and twisted. – © Mark

TIMES ONLINE: Boyish, topped with a bouffant mane of bleached blond hair, cheerful and cherubic, Geert Wilders is the unlikely new face of the far Right in Europe. But appearances are deceptive. The leader of the Dutch anti-immigration Freedom Party has emerged as one of the most divisive politicians in Europe, the purveyor of a virulent brand of anti-Islamic rhetoric that calls for a tax on Islamic headscarves and a ban on the Koran, which he likens to Mein Kampf.

Mr Wilders is facing trial in a Dutch court for “inciting hatred”. Last year he was banned from Britain and turned away at Heathrow when he arrived here planning to show his short film, an incendiary anti-Islamic diatribe that the Dutch Prime Minister described as serving “no purpose other than to offend”.

On Friday, after successfully appealing against the Home Office ban, Mr Wilders will return to Britain at the invitation of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) to show his controversial film to an invited audience at the House of Lords. The English Defence League is expected to demonstrate in his support and Muslim groups are all but certain to mount protests.

To his enemies, the 46-year-old Dutchman is an old-fashioned racist demagogue in a new suit; a bottle-blond bigot. To his growing ranks of supporters he is a champion of free speech, a bulwark against what he calls “the Islamic invasion of Holland”. He may be dismissed by some as a crank but he is an increasingly powerful and popular one. On February 20 the Dutch centrist coalition Government collapsed, deeply divided over keeping troops in Afghanistan, paving the way for a general election in June in which the Freedom Party is expected to do extremely well. Polls suggest that the party will triple its tally of seats, becoming at least the second-biggest parliamentary party and quite possibly the overall winner. Mr Wilders is likely to be a key player in any coalition, with a profound impact on the political agenda. >>> Ben Macintyre | Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Sur la cigarette, Obama n'a pas tenu ses promesses
LE FIGARO: Le président américain a subi dimanche son premier «check-up» depuis son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche. Malgré un bilan satisfaisant, Barack Obama peine à arrêter de fumer et possède un taux de cholestérol trop élevé.

Finies les cigarettes et les sucreries concoctées par les grands chefs. Barack Obama va devoir se serrer un peu la ceinture. Le président américain a subi dimanche son premier «check-up» depuis son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche. Et, à 48 ans, bien qu'il soit en «excellente santé » et «bon pour le service», le chef de l'Etat a toujours du mal à abandonner la cigarette.

Il doit «poursuivre ses efforts pour arrêter de fumer», a ainsi expliqué son médecin, le capitaine Jeffrey Kuhlman, après une heure et demi d'auscultation. Plus de trois ans après avoir décidé d'arrêter - sur demande express de sa femme Michelle - le président éprouverait encore des difficultés à ne pas succomber de temps à autre à une blonde. En l'occurrence à des Marlboros, sa marque préférée. >>> Par Flore Galaud | Mardi 02 Mars 2010

Elton John: You Gotta Love Someone

The Late Luciano Pavarotti & Celine Dion: I Hate You Then I Love You

Greece's budget crisis is like wartime situation - PM
BBC: Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has likened the country's budget crisis to a "wartime situation".

He said Greece was at risk of bankruptcy if it did not take radical extra measures to cut its debts.

The comments come as Mr Papandreou is due to announce further big budget cuts following the pressure from the EU.

The government in Athens has pledged to reduce its deficit from 12.7% - more than four times eurozone rules - to 8.7% during 2010.

It also also seeking to reduce its 300bn euros ($419bn; £259bn) debt.

'Blow to wallets'

"We find ourselves in a wartime situation, faced with the negative scenarios affecting our country," Mr Papandreou told the parliamentary group of his Socialist Party (Pasok).

He said that Greece had to avoid "a nightmare of bankruptcy" in which the state would not be able to pay salaries or pensions.

Mr Papandreou has used some dramatic phrases to describe Greece's fiscal problems over the past few months, but this was his most alarmist to date, the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens says.

The prime minister was effectively telling Greeks to prepare themselves for another blow to their wallets, our correspondent adds. >>> | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Nigel Farage Fined After Herman Van Rompuy Slur
THE TELEGRAPH: Ukip's European leader Nigel Farage has been fined £2,700 after refusing to say sorry for a colourful outburst against the new European president.

Mr Farage used Herman Van Rompuy's maiden speech to the European Parliament last week to describe him as having the "charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low grade bank clerk".

He was summoned in by EU officials to explain his comments but said his only apology would be to bank clerks.

Yves Leterme, Belgium's Prime Minister, has demanded a public apology for the "slander" and Mr Farage's added "insult" that Mr Van Rompuy was a "quiet assassin" hostile to the sovereignty of nation states because he came from the "non-country" of Belgium.

Mr Farage was called to the office of Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European Parliament, and told to publicly apologise to Mr Van Rompuy and Belgium "or else".

"I said he had the charisma of a damp rag and I challenge you to find anyone who would say any different to that," he said, "The only people I am going to apologise to are bank clerks the world over. If I have offended them I am very sorry indeed."

Following the meeting, Mr Farage was informed by Mr Buzek that he would be fined EUR3,000, to be deducted from his MEP allowances, for the comments. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

3000 euros d’amende : Il compare le président de l'UE à une «serpillière humide»
20MINUTES.ch: Le Parlement européen a infligé une amende de 3000 euros à l'eurodéputé britannique Nigel Farage, qui a comparé le 24 février le nouveau président de l'Union européenne, le Belge Herman van Rompuy, à une «serpillière humide».

Nigel Farage, chef du parti UK Independence Party qui demande le retrait de la Grande-Bretagne de l'Union européenne, a refusé de s'excuser pour ces propos. La présidence du Parlement européen a condamné mardi le comportement «incorrect et irrespectueux» de l'eurodéputé, qui va perdre dix jours d'indemnités parlementaires journalières, à 298 euros par jour. >>> ap | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Greek Singer Nana Mouskouri Offers Her Pension to Help End Debt Crisis
THE TELEGRAPH: Greece's crippling economic crisis has prompted its best-known singer, Nana Mouskouri, to offer the country her pension in a bid to tackle its massive debt.

Mouskouri, whose best known songs include Greece, Land of Dreams and The White Rose of Athens, served as a member of the European parliament for five years in the 1990s and draws a pension of around £14,700 from Brussels each year.

The diva, who recorded 1,500 songs during a career spanning half a century, said she would donate her pension "until the country emerges from the economic crisis." >>> Nick Squires, in Rome | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Crise en Grèce : Nana Mouskouri renonce à sa retraite d'eurodéputée
20MINUTES.ch: Nana Mouskouri a décidé de faire don de sa retraite d'eurodéputée à l'Etat grec, face à la crise financière qu'il traverse.

Selon les journaux, Nan Mouskouri a invoqué dans un courrier au ministère son «devoir envers la patrie». Elle indique vouloir renoncer à sa retraite «pour ne pas alourdir le budget public, jusqu'à ce que le pays sorte de la crise économique». >>> ats | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010

Parisians Really Are Rude, French Poll Finds
THE TELEGRAPH: Parisians are traditionally viewed as rude, arrogant and unwelcoming in the popular British imagination.

Now the stereotype has been confirmed - by a French poll that completed the character assassination by labelling the capital's inhabitants "snobbish" and "self-regarding".

"We find them to be hard working and cultivated," the political magazine Marianne said of Parisians in an editorial published alongside the survey.

"But we consider them to be above all way too arrogant, aggressive, flirtatious, stressed, chauvinistic, snobbish, and self-regarding than other French people. >>> Peter Allen in Paris | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Hillary Clinton Slaps Britain in the Face Over the Falklands
THE TELEGRAPH: The transcript of Hillary Clinton’s press conference in Buenos Aires with Argentine President Kristina Kirchner last night, has just been released by the State Department, and it is a real eye-opener. Her remarks represent an astonishing propaganda coup for the Peronist regime in its dispute with Britain over the Falklands, with Washington brazenly backing its position. >>> Nile Gardiner | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

The Iranian Connection

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow – India
Journeyman Pictures: Watch video here >>> | Monday, March 01, 2010

Un érudit musulman publie une fatwa contre le terrorisme
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: LONDRES | Cet homme d'origine pakistanaise estime qu'il les martyrs et leurs actes ne peuvent être considérés comme le djihad.

Un éminent érudit musulman d’origine pakistanaise, Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a condamné mardi les terroristes comme des ennemis de l’islam, dans une fatwa rendue publique à Londres. Il a souligné que les actes de terrorisme ne pouvaient avoir aucune justification au nom de l’islam, condamnant notamment les attentats d’Al Qaïda, dans cette fatwa de quelque 600 pages, présentée au cours d’une conférence de presse à Londres en présence notamment de députés et de représentants d’associations caritatives. >>> AFP | Mardi 02 Mars 2010

Sex in the Army – USA
JOURNEYMAN NEWS: Watch video here* >>> | Tuesday, November 24, 2009
*Viewer discretion is strongly advised.