For Christ’s Sake, Spare Us, the US, and BP from the Bliar*! BP Oil Spill: Tony Blair Is the Right Man to Be BP Chairman
THE TELEGRAPH: It's not a sinecure after all, being chairman of an international oil company. Nobody blames Carl-Henric Svanberg for taking the job at BP – it was an honour to be asked, and lack of experience in the oil business did not prevent his predecessor, Peter Sutherland, coping with his own crisis well enough.

Unfortunately, Svanberg's crisis is of a different order. The fall of chief executive John Browne when Sutherland was chairman was awkward for BP; the gusher in the gulf is potentially life-threatening.

Svanberg has failed to provide leadership and public support for his CEO, Tony Hayward. He will have to go. There seems little prospect of Hayward keeping his job, either.

The BP directors have dithered about the dividend so long that they have lost control; the fate of the payout is now effectively in the hands of the US president. Read on and comment >>> Neil Collins, Reuters Breakingviews | Wednesday, June 16, 2010

*It seems to be a case of, tell lies, will rise! The unrelenting rise of the Bliar! I have an alternative suggestion: Put the man out to graze? He’s past his sell-by date. – © Mark

Interdiction d’un apéro géant "saucisson-pinard"
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: PARIS | La police a interdit mardi un projet d’apéro géant "saucisson et pinard" qui devait se tenir vendredi dans un quartier à forte population musulmane de Paris, largement relayé sur internet par divers groupes mêlant extrême droite et militants laïcs.

La préfecture de police a justifié cette interdiction, qui concerne aussi tout projet de contre-manifestation, car "cet événement (...) est créateur de risques graves de troubles à l’ordre public".

L’invitation à manger du porc et boire du vin à la Goutte d’Or, un quartier populaire du 18e arrondissement dans le nord de Paris, perçue comme une provocation à l’égard des musulmans, avait été lancée par l’intermédiaire du réseau social Facebook. Elle s’inspirait d’un procédé, l’apéro géant, qui fait débat en France car les participants y finissent parfois très imbibés d’alcool.

Mais cette fois, l’apéro avait une vocation politique: elle visait à dénoncer la prière du vendredi qui rassemble des dizaines de musulmans dans la rue, faute de place dans les mosquées du quartier.

Sur leur groupe Facebook, les instigateurs se plaignent que des rues du quartier "sont occupées, particulièrement le vendredi, par des adversaires résolus de nos vins de terroir et de nos produits charcutiers".

L’appel a été lancé apparemment il y a deux semaines. Mais sa notoriété a explosé véritablement lundi par sa révélation dans les médias. Mardi à la mi-journée, le groupe Facebook comptait 6.700 membres, certains se proposant déjà d’organiser d’autre apéros à Lille ou Bruxelles, voire un apéro "bacon and beer" à Londres.

La créatrice du groupe se fait appeler Sylvie François et a assuré au journal Libération être une habitante du quartier "depuis plusieurs générations".
L’invitation a été relayée par des associations d’extrême droite, comme le Bloc identitaire, qui avaient déjà tenté par le passé de lancer des soupes populaires (repas pour les plus démunis) "au cochon", dans le but d’en exclure les musulmans. >>> AFP | Mardi 15 Juin 2010

Lien en relation avec l'article ici

Shirin Ebadi. Bild: Die Presse
Ebadi: "Im Iran spielt Recht schon lange keine Rolle"
DIE PRESSE: Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Ebadi berichtete in Wien, wie Teherans Regime sie einschüchtern will. Ebadi schätzt, dass 800 Anhänger der Oppositionsbewegung in Haft sind, zusammengepfercht mit Schwerverbrechern.

WIEN. Seit Shirin Ebadi bei der Durchsicht von Dokumenten zufällig auf ihr eigenes Todesurteil stieß, ist sie auf der Hut. Doch einschüchtern lässt sich die iranische Friedensnobelpreisträgerin nicht. „Ich werde nicht schweigen“, sagt die 63-jährige Menschenrechtsaktivistin, und ihr bestimmter Blick verrät, dass sie das ernst meint. Komme, was da wolle. Vergangene Woche strahlte Irans Staatsfernsehen im Hauptabendprogramm einen Beitrag aus, in dem Ebadis Ehemann, Jawad Tawasolian, seine eigene Frau diffamiert. Politisch fehlgeleitet sei sie und eine schlechte Gattin auch. Sogar seine Brille habe sie zerbrochen, behauptet da Tawasolian. Shirin Ebadi erzählt die Episode vor Journalisten im Wiener Hotel Sacher ganz ruhig. Nicht den Anflug einer inneren Erschütterung will sich die kleine, zierliche Frau anmerken lassen. Diesen Triumph gönnt sie ihren Gegnern nicht. >>> Christian Ultsch, Die Presse | Dienstag, 15. Juni 2010

Reversing Stereotypes Is Driving Force for the Palestinian Speed Sisters
Helen Elstrop, left, is giving expert tuition to women racing drivers known as the Speed Sisters, a group of Palestinian women trying to break stereotypes — and records. Photo: The Times
THE TIMES: “I love cars, I love speed and I love to drive fast,” said the driver on a makeshift race course near Ramallah, on the West Bank. The sentiments are not unusual — but the long hair sweeping out from under the helmet and the eyeliner are signs that this is not a typical racer.

Mona Einab, 24, is a former contestant for Miss Palestine. She is also one of the Speed Sisters, a group of Palestinian female racing drivers trying to break stereotypes — and records. “It’s doesn’t matter that I am a girl. I love being a girl. But you can be a girl and a serious racer in Palestine.”

Led by Suna Aweideh, 39, known as Queen of the Car Races, the Speed Sisters are open to new drivers but number between five and seven regulars. “We are getting better and better, thanks to a little help from our friends,” said Ms Aweideh, pointing to the two British women.

Sue Sanders, a professional trainer, and Helen Elstrop, a racer, flew in this week to provide two days of instruction to the “sisters” in a project initiated by the British Consulate in Jerusalem. “These girls are welcoming us with open arms. They just want to know as much as possible. They are so eager,” Ms Sanders said.

While she has focused on mental preparation, Ms Elstrop put the girls through their paces on a makeshift course. The consulate is also paying for equipment and arranging sponsorship through local organisations. Read on and comment >>> Sheera Frenkel, Ramallah | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

General David Petraeus Collapses in Senate Hearing
THE TIMES: General David Petraeus, America’s best-known military commander, collapsed while giving testimony on the campaign in Afghanistan to a Senate hearing.

His face turned deathly white and his head fell forward on to the desk in front of him just as he was being closely questioned during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee about President Obama’s decision to start withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan.

General Petraeus — commander of US Central Command which is responsible for both Afghanistan and Iraq — recently had treatment for prostate cancer but had insisted he was fully healthy. He is fanatical about his health and runs every day.

His sudden collapse, which brought his staff rushing to his side, came after he was being questioned by Senator John McCain, the former Republican presidential candidate and a Vietnam veteran, who had given grave warnings about the “negative trends” in Afghanistan.

He decried Mr Obama’s “arbitary” timetable for starting to withdaw US troops in July next year which, he claimed, had sent the wrong signal to Kabul. It was this timeline, he said, which he believed had persuaded President Karzai that the US wanted to get out of Afghanistan and had begun to refocus his efforts towards an accommodation with the Taleban and Pakistan’s military.

“It’s time for the President to say unequivocally that we will stay in Afghanistan until we succeed,” Mr McCain said. Read on and comment >>> Michael Evans, Pentagon Correspondent | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Gaza Crossing Points Opened as Israel Bows to International Pressure
THE TIMES: Israel bowed to international pressure yesterday when it agreed to reopen crossing points into Gaza for everyday goods.

The decision was prompted by criticism of its bloody interception of an aid flotilla two weeks ago and condemnation of the Gaza blockade by the Red Cross.

Tony Blair, Middle East peace envoy, hailed the move as significant after the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, agreed in principle to relax restrictions on goods entering Gaza. It will replace the current narrow list of permitted items with a list of specifically prohibited goods.

Mr Blair also welcomed the proposal from Mr Netanyahu for an Israeli inquiry into the flotilla raid, with Lord Trimble, the former First Minister of Northern Ireland, named as one of two international observers — despite him having started, coincidentally, a Friends of Israel Initiative on the day of the flotilla raid.

Turkey, however, immediately rejected the format of the inquiry, overseen by a senior Israeli judge. The United Nations had called for an independent, international investigation of the incident in which nine Turkish activists died. Read on and comment >>> David Charter, James Hider | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

No Greater Love
THE TIMES: Can a documentary about a group of nuns living in virtual silence really speak to a modern audience?

I suspect that many people, Catholic or not, would form instinctive ideas about a group of women who spend the vast proportion of their days in silence, rarely venture outside of their monastery walls, and who have made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience before God.

As No Greater Love begins we are led into the Carmelite Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Notting Hill, which houses these devout women and clarifies their lifestyle from the outset.

Consequently my immediate expectations assumed a story of naïve, well-meaning and dedicated nuns whom I would respect and admire, but whose narrative might prove slightly tedious after half an hour. >>> Madeleine Teahan* | Wednesday, May 19, 2010

*Madeleine Teahan, 23, is Roman Catholic and a parliamentary researcher

I'm Trying for Bin Laden's Grandchild: Briton's Surrogacy Deal with Son of Terror Chief
MAIL ONLINE: A British woman has agreed to become a surrogate mother to Osama Bin Laden's grandson.

Louise Pollard is having fertility treatment in an attempt to conceive using the sperm of Bin Laden's son Omar and the eggs of his British wife Jane Felix Browne.

The couple have been unable to have children since marrying in 2007 and contacted 24-year-old Miss Pollard through a surrogacy website.

If she is successful, it will mean that the world's most wanted terrorist will have a British grandchild.

So far, however, three attempts at conception have been unsuccessful. But Mrs Pollard is due to have another pregnancy test soon.

If the result is negative, she has vowed to make a fourth attempt using her own eggs and Bin Laden's sperm.

Omar, the fourth eldest child of Bin Laden, has had several visa applications to live in Britain rejected. But a British son may help his attempts, though Home Office officials said he would not automatically be granted a visa.

He is said to be deeply saddened that Mrs Pollard, who has already given away two surrogate babies and is thought to be the youngest surrogate mother in the UK, has yet to conceive. >>> Claire Ellicott and Amy Oliver | Friday, June 11, 2010

Die verlorene Ehre
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: In einem 50-minütigen Dokumentarfilm* rollt das Schweizer Fernsehen heute abend den Ablauf der Libyen-Krise auf. Der Film zeigt mit bisher unbekanntem Material Hintergründe der Geiselaffäre.



Falls Sie das eingebettete Video nicht erhalten können, bitte hier klicken.

*Der Film ist zum Teil in Schweizerdeutsch übertragen.

Daniel Hannan – I Admit It: I Was Wrong to Have Supported Barack Obama
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – DANIEL HANNAN: In three and a half years of blogging, this has been my single most unpopular post. There’s little point, I know, in reminding readers that my support for Barack Obama was qualified; that I simultaneously endorsed GOP Congressional candidates; that I never saw Obama as a messiah and, indeed, was repelled by the millenarian fervour of his supporters. Nor is there much purpose in rehearsing John McCain’s shortcomings. The fact remains that I backed the Democrat.

I was wrong. Not that Obama is without his good points, obviously. His commitment to school choice is unfeigned. His foreign policy has been a jolly sight cheaper than McCain’s would have been. The election of a mixed-race president who opposed the Iraq war has made the USA slightly more popular.

None of these advantages, however, can make up for the single most important fact of Obama’s presidency, namely that the federal government is 30 per cent larger than it was two years ago[.] Continue reading and comment >>> Daniel Hannan | Monday, June 14, 2010

Sarkozy’s ‘Reign of Terror’? Journalist Faces Jail Over Leak of Nicolas Sarkozy's Rebuke for TV Technician
THE TELEGRAPH: A French journalist who leaked footage of Nicolas Sarkozy reprimanding a "rude" television studio worker is facing five years in jail.

Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni. Photo: The Telegraph
Augustin Scalbert, who works for the news website Rue89.fr, was charged with receiving stolen goods.

The allegations concern off-air clips of the French president accusing a technician of not having any manners, and poking fun at another journalist.

As he is waiting to appear on an evening bulletin, he begins to mock those around him. He says "Hello" to a technician fitting a microphone, but the man does not reply and Mr Sarkozy says: "When you're invited, you have the right for people to say hello to you.

"Otherwise we might as well be at a street rally - it's unbelievable!'"

Mr Sarkozy then asks one of the bulletin's journalists, Gilles Leclerc, why he had not been seen on-screen for months suggesting he was being kept "in reserve - in a cupboard".

The footage has already been seen millions of times on video-sharing websites. >>> Peter Allen in Paris | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Winston Churchill's Cigar Airbrushed from Picture
THE TELEGRAPH: A photograph of Winston Churchill giving his victory salute has been airbrushed to remove his signature cigar.

The original image (left) was taken in 1948 during the opening of a new military headquarters, and (right) the airbrushed image. Photographs: The Telegraph
In the well-known original image, Churchill makes a "V" shaped symbol with his fingers – while gripping a cigar in the corner of his mouth.

But in a reproduction of the picture, hanging over the main entrance to a London museum celebrating the wartime leader, he has been made into a non-smoker through the use of image-altering techniques.

It is unclear who is responsible for doctoring the photograph, with the museum – The Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience – claiming not to have noticed the cigar was missing.

John Welsh, manager of the museum, admitted he was shocked to learn of the alteration, but declined to reveal who was responsible for the display and for enlarging the image. >>> Nick Collins | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

MAIL ONLINE: Spot the difference: How today’s airbrushing PC censors decided Churchill could do without his cigar >>> Beth Hale | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

French Is a ‘Useless’ Language, Says Former Foreign Minister
MAIL ONLINE: A former Foreign Office minister has branded French a 'useless' modern language.

Chris Bryant, now a shadow Foreign Office minister, told the Commons other languages - such as Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic - were more important.

'Unless we have sufficient numbers of people who speak modern foreign languages - and not just the useless modern foreign languages like French ...,' the Labour MP said.

Amid Tory protests that this was 'insulting' to the French, Mr Bryant, who was minister for the EU before Labour lost power, said: 'I've said this to the French. I think they realise there are problems.'

He defended his remark, insisting that while French had been the 'most useful language to use because it was the diplomatic language', things had changed over the last 30 to 40 years and now 'it certainly isn't.'

He said the most significant languages to speak now, aside from English, were Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

One could be forgiven for concluding that this man is a philistine! – Mark

Rory Bremner 'Afraid' to Joke about Islam
THE TELEGRAPH: Rory Bremner, the political impressionist, said he fears joking about Islam could lead to his death due to the "chilling" issue of fundamentalism.

Bremner said religion is "one of the toughest issues of our time". Photo: The Telegraph
Bremner said self-censorship was the biggest obstacle today for comedians addressing topical issues, due to fears of retribution by extremists.

His comments came as he discussed the future of satire with Sir David Frost on a BBC documentary, Frost on Satire, to be broadcast on Thursday.

He said: "The greatest danger now is that one of the toughest issues of our time is religion.

"When [I'm] writing a sketch about Islam, I'm writing a line and I think, 'If this goes down badly, I'm writing my own death warrant there.' Because there are people who will say, 'Not only do I not think that's funny but I'm going to kill you' – and that's chilling." >>> Nick Collins | Tuesday, June 15, 2010

This is proof, if indeed proof is at all needed, that Islam DOES NOT BELONG here in the WEST. Western culture and Islamic culture are TOTALLY and UTTERLY immiscible. In other words, they are like oil and water: they just DO NOT MIX. Ergo, all these Muslims should NEVER have been allowed in to the West to destroy ALL we stand for and hold dear.

Yes there are perfectly good Muslims. The problem is this: At no time can one be sure that today’s moderate (i.e. non-pratising) Muslim won’t turn into tomorrow’s fundamentalist. I have witnessed many such transformations.

The politicians who have allowed this to happen, who have sown the seeds of our own destruction, mostly left-wing, social-engineering types, should be punished severely for their crimes against our broad-minded civilization. – © Mark

Sarah Palin Plans Trip to UK to Meet 'Political Heroine' Margaret Thatcher
THE GUARDIAN: No date has been set for the meeting but they share a love of tax cutting and hostility towards organised labour

Sarah Palin at the Showdown in Searchlight Tea Party rally, in Searchlight, Nevada this March. Photograph: The Guardian
Sarah Palin, the once obscure governor from Alaska who is shaking up rightwing US politics, is promising to honour the woman she calls the Iron Lady by visiting Britain to see Margaret Thatcher.

Today Palin told her 1,630,386 Facebook fans that she was in discussions about meeting the baroness. In typically convoluted Palin language, she said she had received an invitation for a visit to London that "included the offer of arranging a meeting" with Thatcher.

The post came a day after the Mail on Sunday reported that Palin herself had made the approach, with her people contacting Thatcher's office to ask for an audience. The Mail said Thatcher had agreed to see her, though no date has been specified. >>> Ed Pilkington, New York | Monday, June 14, 2010

Obama Pledges Clean Energy Policy to Cut America’s Dependency on Oil
President Obama said that the Deepwater Horizon disaster would change how people think about the environment, in the same way that 9/11 changed US foreign policy. Photo: The Times
THE TIMES: President Obama likened the impact of the oil spill disaster on the nation’s psyche to the September 11 terrorist attacks as he made his first multi-state tour yesterday of the Gulf of Mexico.

Facing questions about his leadership amid rising public anger 56 days after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, he sought to reassert his authority by visiting Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, the states left out of three previous trips to the region.

Keen to dispel accusations that he has allowed BP to slacken in its efforts to stem the leak, Mr Obama noted that the company is now expecting to increase its containment capacity to 50,000 barrels a day two weeks sooner than planned. “We went back to them and said they needed to move faster and more aggressively and they have now come back with a plan,” he said.

The White House said it expected BP to place up to $20 billion in an escrow account to pay for the spill.

“One of the biggest leadership challenges for me going forward is going to be to make sure that we draw the right lessons from this disaster,” Mr Obama said in an interview with The Politico news website before he set off.

Vowing to move forward “in a bold way” with a clean energy policy that would help America to reduce its oil dependency, he added: “In the same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy was shaped profoundly by 9/11, I think this disaster is going to shape how we think about the environment and energy for many years to come.”

Mr Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office tonight, when he will announce new measures to help to restore the Gulf’s ecosystem. Tomorrow he meets BP executives for what the White House was keen to portray as showdown talks. Read on and comment >>> Jacqui Goddard, Orange Beach, Alabama | Monday, June 14, 2010

Barack Obama's Analogy Between the Gulf Oil Spill and 9/11: Dirty Politics from the Chicago School
Obama: He knows how to craft a cheap jibe. Photo: The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS: Barack Obama is easily clever enough to understand the effect of his comparison between the environmental challenge facing America after the Gulf oil spill and the terrorist challenge it faced after 9/11: a subliminal equation of heartless British oil executives with homicidal Islamists. But he’s also unscrupulous enough not to care.

This is how he put it: “In the same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy was shaped profoundly by 9/11, I think this disaster is going to shape how we think about the environment and energy for many years to come.” Nice.

I wondered recently how an expensively educated kid from Hawaii plunged into the filthy pool of Chicago machine politics and emerged smelling so sweet that America elected him president. David Remnick doesn’t address the question in his hagiography, and I’m not sure anyone knows the answer. But if there were any doubt about where Obama served his apprenticeship, then today’s little elision between a terrible accident and meticulously plotted mass murder clears it up. Read on and comment >>> Damian Thompson | Monday, June 14, 2010

Under False Colours
THE SPECTATOR: ‘With time,’ writes David Remnick, ‘political campaigns tend to be viewed through the triumphalist prism of the winner.’ Never more so, perhaps, than in Remnick’s idolatrous new biography of Barack Obama, which presents the First Black President’s ascension to the White House as nothing less than a glorious saga. >>> John R. MacArthur | Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Sarah Brown, l'ex First Lady, va publier ses Mémoires
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Sarah Brown, l'épouse de l'ex-Premier ministre britannique Gordon Brown, va écrire ses Mémoires, qui lèveront le voile sur ses années passées au 10 Downing Street, a annoncé lundi sa maison d'édition.

Sarah Brown, en compagnie de son mari l'ex-premier ministre britannique. Photo : Tribune de Genève
Le volume s'intitulera "Behind the Black Door" (Derrière la porte noire) et racontera "ce que c'est de faire les magasins avec la Special Branch (une unité d'élite de la police chargée de la protection des personnalités, ndlr)" et comment "s'accommoder d'être mal coiffée quand Carla Bruni est dans le coin", a indiqué l'éditeur Ebury.

Sarah Brown avait annoncé la nouvelle dimanche sur le site internet de micro-blogs Twitter, où ses messages sont suivis par plus d'un million de personnes.

"Je viens juste d'accepter d'écrire un livre avec mon éditeur Ebury (...) donc (serai) enchaînée à mon ordinateur portable dès lundi", avait-elle écrit.

La parution du livre est prévue pour le jour de la Fête des mères 2011, soit le 3 avril au Royaume-Uni.

Selon un porte-parole de Mme Brown, le livre "reflétera les défis consistant à abandonner une brillante carrière pour créer un nouveau rôle en tant qu'activiste internationale pour des organisations caritatives". >>> AFP | Lundi 14 Juin 2010

Göldi «fatigué mais heureux»
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Rentré la nuit dernière en Suisse, Max Göldi avait convoqué la presse cet après-midi.

De retour en Suisse après avoir été retenu près de deux ans en Libye, Max Göldi s’est déclaré fatigué mais heureux. Lors d’une conférence de presse lundi à Berne, l’employé d’ABB a expliqué combien a été difficile à vivre l’incertitude et la séparation d’avec les siens. Max Göldi a en revanche éludé les questions trop politiques.

"C’est un moment très émouvant pour moi. Je suis fatigué, mais très heureux", a-t-il déclaré à Berne devant la presse, des trémolos dans la voix. Il a souligné avoir été victime d’un conflit dont il n’était pas responsable. L’ingénieur d’ABB a remercié tous ceux qui se sont engagés pour sa libération, sans oublier son employeur. Il a confié que cet épisode laisserait des traces et qu’il aurait besoin de temps pour retrouver une vie normale. >>> AP | Lundi 14 Juin 2010

Une majorité de Suisses serait favorable à l'homoparentalité
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ÉTUDE | Plus de cinquante pour cent des Helvètes se prononceraient, selon un sondage publié ce lundi, pour l'adoption d'enfants par des couples homosexuels.

Photo prétexte. Ici un couple néerlandais dans la chambre de leur futur bébé. Photo : Tribune de Genève
Cinquante-trois pour cent des Suisses estiment que les couples homosexuels devraient pouvoir adopter un enfant, révèle un sondage Isopublic publié lundi. Il y a six ans, seuls 41,3% de Helvètes s'étaient déclarés favorables à une telle évolution.

Une large majorité de Suisse (86,3%) se prononce par ailleurs pour l'instauration d'un cadre légal pour les familles homoparentales. Quant à la possibilité d'adopter l'enfant de son ou sa partenaire pour les couples de même sexe, deux tiers des sondés se sont déclarés en faveur. >>> ATS | Lundi 14 Juin 2010

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