Thursday, November 04, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Jeanne Ruby bit, slapped and scratched Middle Eastern woman who was wearing face-covering Muslim veil
A Paris court today gave a retired French teacher a one-month suspended sentence for attacking a Middle Eastern woman who was wearing a face-covering Muslim veil.
The court also ordered Jeanne Ruby to pay €800 (£698) in damages to the victim, a citizen of the United Arab Emirates.
Ruby had been charged with aggravated violence, and the prosecutor had asked that she be given a two-month suspended sentence. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, November 04, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A French court on Thursday handed out a one-month suspended jail sentence to a retired female teacher who attacked a woman in a shop for wearing a face-covering Islamic veil.
The Paris court heard that the defendant, who had worked in several Arab countries, set upon a 26-year-old Emirati woman in a shop, first trying to tug off her niqab veil and then slapping, scratching and biting her on the hand.
"I knew that I was going to crack one day. This burka business was beginning to annoy me," the defendant told police, saying she was fighting for women's rights, according to evidence heard in court. >>> | Thursday, November 04, 2010
LE FIGARO: Après les menaces d'al-Qaida, la sécurité est renforcée autour des églises égyptiennes.
Devant l'église Sainte-Marie, au centre du Caire, des policiers surveillent attentivement les allées et venues des passants. Les gilets pare-balles ne sont pas loin, les fidèles fouillés et tout inconnu est prié de rebrousser chemin. Depuis les menaces d'al-Qaida contre la communauté copte orthodoxe, la plus grande minorité chrétienne au Proche-Orient, «l'état d'alerte» a été décrété autour des églises égyptiennes. «Je ne sais pas si la menace est vraiment sérieuse, mais cela montre au moins que le gouvernement ne nous abandonne pas», confie un fidèle. >>> Par tangi salaun | Jeudi 04 Novembre 2010
THE DAILY MAIL: Cherie Blair today launched a strident defence of Muslim women saying it was wrong to see those who cover their hair or their body as a threat.
Speaking just two weeks after her sister Lauren Booth converted to Islam, the former Prime Minister's wife stressed that it was essential to respect people's right to dress how they choose.
'We use the appearance of women as a metaphor of our fear of a supposed Islamic threat,' she told Spain's El Pais newspaper.
'There are thousands of Muslims in Europe who participate in our way of life and intend continuing to do so and if they want to dress in a certain way because of their beliefs, we shouldn't feel threatened.'
Asked about her sister's recent conversion to Islam, she said simply: 'It’s her choice.'
Mrs Blair's comments were made in an interview ahead of the European Muslim Women of Influence Conference in Madrid.
She stressed it was important to fight against stereotypes that 'above all affect Muslim women'.
'We tend to believe they're oppressed, insecure and incapable of thinking for themselves and that is not true,' she said.
'One of the things I try to do is help to explain that Islam is an open religion in which women have influence, whether they hide their hair or not. >>> Gerard Couzens | Thursday, November 04, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands of Iranians chanted “Death to America” as they staged a mass protest against the “Great Satan” to mark the 31st anniversary of the capture of the American embassy by Islamist students.
Waving Iranian flags and carrying anti-US banners alongside posters of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the largely young crowd also shouted anti-Israel slogans.
Iran annually on November 4 marks the anniversary of the capture of the US embassy by Islamist students in Tehran in 1979, months after the Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed shah.
The embassy has remained closed and the US and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since then.
The students, who took 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days, said they were responding to Washington’s refusal to hand over the deposed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Ezatollah Eragami, the keynote speaker at the rally and one of the 1979 hostage takers, hit out at Barack Obama, the US president, over Washington’s foreign policy.
“Obama has acted very weakly and badly when it comes to his foreign policy,” Mr Eragami, who now heads Iranian state media, told the cheering crowd. >>> | Thursday, November 04, 2010
DAILY EXPRESS: JEERING Muslim fanatics turned an Old Bailey court into a battleground yesterday after an Al Qaeda follower was jailed for stabbing an MP.In unprecedented scenes the angry mob chanted “British go to hell” as would-be assassin Roshonara Choudhry was handed a sentence of life with a minimum of 15 years.
Startled security guards bundled the mob out of the historic court as they turned their hate on the judge and a Muslim woman on the jury. One shouted “curse the judge” while another ranted: “Shame on you sister, sitting on a jury, judging a Muslim sister.”
The gang, sitting in the public gallery, chanted “Allahu akbar” or “God is great” and another demonstration raged outside the court.
It appeared last night that none of the mob had been arrested for contempt of court after the outburst. Conservative MP Patrick Mercer said: “If the court case was disrupted as seriously as I’m told then I don’t see why the police should not have made some arrests for contempt of court.
“What they were doing amounts to affray and they appear to have been trying to incite racial tensions.” >>> John Twomey and Cyril Dixon | Thursday, November 04, 2010
Related >>>
WELT ONLINE: Während die EU Ankaras Außenpolitik lobt, beklagt sie im neuen Fortschrittsbericht Probleme bei Medienfreiheit und Frauenrechten.
Die Türkei macht nach Ansicht der Europäischen Union keine befriedigenden Fortschritte in Sachen Grundrechte. „Meinungsfreiheit und die Freiheit der Medien müssen sowohl per Gesetz als auch in der Praxis gestärkt werden. Defizite bleiben bei der Ausübung der Religionsfreiheit. Fortschritt ist auch bei Frauenrechten, Geschlechtergleichheit und den Rechten der Gewerkschaften notwendig“, heißt es im diesjährigen Fortschrittsbericht. Mit dem Report, welcher WELT ONLINE vorab vorliegt und am kommenden Dienstag präsentiert wird, zieht Brüssel sein jährliches Resümee über die Arbeit der EU-Beitrittskandidaten. Neben der Türkei sind auch Kroatien und Mazedonien Bewerber für eine Mitgliedschaft in der Union.
Die Beziehungen zwischen der Türkei und der EU sind zunehmend von Schwierigkeiten geprägt. Im Land selbst nimmt der Zuspruch für den EU-Beitritt rapide ab, nur noch jeder dritte Bürger ist Umfragen zufolge dafür – vor fünf Jahren waren es noch 68 Prozent. Für Ankaras prowestliche Politiker wird es immer schwerer, ihren Wählern angesichts der ablehnenden Haltung Europas die Beitrittsperspektive schmackhaft zu machen.
Gleichzeitig sorgt die sich verändernde Außenpolitik Ankaras für Spannungen mit Brüssel. Die Regierung von Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan schlägt einen deutlich eigenständigen Kurs ein, sie richtet sich immer häufiger nach eigenen Interessen als nach denen der Partner in Europa und den USA. So erregte das türkische Veto gegen Iran-Sanktionen des UN-Sicherheitsrats vergangenen Juni großen Unmut. Auch die Schaffung einer Freihandelszone unter anderem mit Syrien sorgte für Irritation. Zeitgleich wurden die traditionell guten Beziehungen zu Israel vom heftigen Streit über den israelischen Angriff auf die „Gaza-Flottille“ überschattet, bei dem neun türkische Staatsbürger umkamen. >>> Von Stefanie Bolzen | Mittwoch, 03. November 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Israel abruptly announced the suspension of a high-profile security meeting with Britain in a move that appeared calculated to embarrass William Hague on his first official visit to the country.
The Israeli government caught British officials off-guard by declaring the next session of the annual “UK-Israel Strategic Dialogue” would be suspended until its ministers could travel to Britain without fear of arrest.
Israel has long been dismayed that pro-Palestinian activists in Britain have been able to use a loophole in extradition law to bring private prosecutions against visiting Israeli officials. The issue has strained relations between the two states with the Strategic Dialogue, which brings together senior officials from both states to discuss key issues such as security, terrorism and Iran, has falled vicitme [sic] to the tension.
British officials insisted that the Dialogue - established just two years - was not hostage to legislative changes to curb Universal Jurisdiction provisions. Until yesterday, the Foreign Office had been led to believe delays to the next session of the Strategic Dialogue, which should have been held last month, were because of Israeli scheduling problems.
But the timing of the Israeli announcement also suggested an attempt by hardline elements in the office of Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s hawkish foreign minister, to ambush Mr Hague.
The news was leaked by the foreign ministry before Mr Hague had met with Israeli leaders.
Compounding the Foreign Secretary’s discomfort, those behind the leak claimed that the decision had been taken because Britain had “done nothing” to address legal issues.
The move appeared to be part of an emerging strategy by Mr Lieberman and his aides to humiliate visiting European ministers. >>> Adrian Blomfield in Ramallah | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Islamist insurgents in Iraq have warned of a new wave of attacks on Christians "wherever they can be reached", threatening a new wave of sectarian violence.
"We will open upon them the doors of destruction and rivers of blood," said a statement posted on a militant website by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), an al-Qaeda front.
The ISI claimed responsibility for an attack on a Roman Catholic church in Baghdad on Sunday evening which left 42 worshippers, at least six police and all nine assailants dead.
Al-Qaeda or other Sunni militants are also presumed to be responsible for a wave of bombings across Shia districts of the city that killed 76 people on Tuesday night. Islamist Insurgents in Iraq Threaten Wave of Attacks on Christians >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Germany demanded EU take emergency action on Wednesday to secure air freight after parcel bombs were sent from Greece to Angela Merkel and other European targets.
Security services in Greece, Italy and Germany were investigating the co-ordinated campaign, which caused a continent-wide alert.
Mrs Merkel told a German newspaper that the EU needed to agree common rules on air cargo security, implying that freight-checking procedures were not up to the job of intercepting bombs.
"We have a global patchwork of security rules for air freight," she said.
EU officials told The Daily Telegraph that, while governments were responsible for passenger security, freight checks were carried out by companies with "trusted supplier" status.
"The interior ministers might want to look at the rules which currently allow accredited air freight and postal courier companies to do their own security checks," an official said. "It is difficult to detect devices in bulk cargo but if the feeling is that the bombs got through because checks were not tight enough then the rules will be looked at." >>> Bruno Waterfield and Nick Squires | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
MAIL ONLINE: Antonio Horta-Osorio has been named the new chief executive of taxpayer-backed Lloyds bank.Mr Horta Osorio, the current UK boss of Santander, will join early next year when he takes over from current chief Eric Daniels, who is due to retire.
However the arrival package he will receive on his appointment has provoked outrage as he could scoop up to a whopping £8.3million in the first year alone.
His package includes a basic salary of just over £1million, but he could collect another £2.3million in annual bonuses plus around £4.3million in long term share awards.
In addition he will pay £610,000 in pension payments, meaning his total package could added up to £8.3million. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
DIE PRESSE: Die Fed kauft Staatsanleihen im Wert von 600 Milliarden Dollar, um den Arbeitsmarkt zu beleben. Weitere Wertpapierkäufe schließt die Leitung der US-Notenbank nicht aus. Experten befürchten bereits eine Deflation.
Alle Augen waren auf Ben Bernanke gerichtet. Am Mittwochabend gab der Chef der US-Notenbank Fed schließlich bekannt, worüber seit Tagen spekuliert worden war: Die Fed wird den Geldhahn erneut aufdrehen. Bis Mitte 2011 will die US-Zentralbank Staatsanleihen im Wert von 600 Milliarden Dollar (umgerechnet rund 428 Milliarden Euro) kaufen. Zusätzlich sollen Papiere, die bereits der Fed gehören, aber auslaufen, durch neue ersetzt werden. Damit belaufen sich die Anleihenkäufe in Summe auf 850 bis 900 Milliarden Dollar. >>> Wien/Reuters/Dj | Mittwoch, 03. November 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Fed druckt mehr Geld: 900 Milliarden Dollar für Aufkauf von Staatspapieren >>> sda/Reuters | Mittwoch, 03. November 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New Zealand has unveiled an ambitious plan to make the country smoke-free by 2025.
A parliamentary report into the tobacco industry recommended severely limiting the import and use of tobacco in an attempt to drastically cut smoking rates across the nation.
If the policy is adopted, it will make New Zealand the first country to wipe out smoking in all public places within the next 15 years.
The only other country with a similar policy is Finland, which plans to be smoke-free by 2040.
The proposal, which was devised after months of hearings, has been welcomed by doctors and given cautious support from the government, which said that smoking was a health hazard but that it would be difficult to completely eradicate it.
About 20 per cent of New Zealand’s 4.4 million general population smoke, but that rate is doubled among the indigenous Maori people. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Smoking ban in small Dutch pubs lifted: A smoking ban in small Dutch pubs has been lifted. An estimated 400 pubs smaller than 70 square metres where only the owner works will no longer have to ban smoking says Health Minister Edith Schippers. >>> | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
The fight will not be over until the ban is lifted for all pubs >>>
THE GUARDIAN: President says severe losses his party suffered across the country reflect frustration at the slow pace of economic recoveryBarack Obama has expressed humility and promised to work with the Republicans after one of the worst Democratic election defeats in 70 years.
Speaking at a White House press conference, Obama acknowledged that the devastating losses suffered in races across the country reflected voters' frustration with the slow economic recovery.
He offered to sit down with Republican and Democratic leaders to see whether there were areas where they could agree. "I have been willing to compromise in the past and I am willing to compromise going forward," Obama said. >>> Ewen MacAskill in Washington | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Midterms 2010: Obama’s ability to address global challenges now in doubt – Experts across the world have been raising doubts about Barack Obama’s ability to address foreign policy challenges in the wake of the mid-term election defeat. >>> Praveen Swami, Diplomatic Editor | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Americans may have fallen out of love with Barack Obama, but the president of the United States is still an object of affection for the Chinese, who have remodelled him as a blow-up sex doll.
A doll wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, and with Mr Obama's face carefully screen-printed onto its head, was exhibited at the recent 8th Sex Culture Festival in the southern city of Guangzhou.
The doll was photographed by Chinese state media nestling behind several other standard plastic female toys.
Mr Obama is widely popular in China, and a "Maobama" t-shirt, bearing an image of his face crossed with a portrait of Chairman Mao, has become a best-seller. >>> Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
MAIL ONLINE: A courtroom erupted in protest today after a student who tried to murder a Labour MP was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years.Roshonara Choudhry, 21, stabbed Stephen Timms twice in the stomach after being inspired by a radical Al Qaeda cleric linked to the air cargo bomb plot.
Her attack on the former Treasury minister is thought to be the first Al Qaeda-inspired attempt to assassinate a politician on British soil.
After the sentence was passed, a group of men began shouting in the public gallery 'Allahu akbar' ('God is great'), 'British go to hell' and 'Curse the judge'. A demonstration was also taking place outside the court.
Choudhry knifed East Ham MP Mr Timms as he held a constituency surgery at the Beckton Globe community centre in east London on May 14 after watching online jihadi sermons by US-born extremist Anwar al-Awlaki.
Mr Justice Cooke, sentencing Choudhry, said: 'You said you ruined the rest of your life. You said it was worth it. You said you wanted to be a martyr'.
The judge said Choudhry would continue to be a danger to Members of Parliament for the foreseeable future.
The judge said that if Choudhry had succeeded in killing Mr Timms he would have given her a whole-life sentence, meaning she would never be released. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, November 30, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France's finance minister, Christine Lagarde, had her pearl earrings, bracelet and ring airbrushed out of a local publication in an apparent attempt to look more austere in the wake of protests against reforms to make the French work longer.
Mrs Lagarde appears on the front cover of Nouvelles du 12 – a local newsletter in Paris' 12th arrondissement where she is a councillor – smiling and standing in front of a viaduct in a red scarf but 'sans' jewellery.
However, it transpires that the cover is a Photoshop montage of a picture of her on a walkabout with journalists in which she is clearly adorned with bulky earrings and other jangly jewellery.
Jacques Kalifa, the editor of the local publication, said he had requested the photo from Mrs Lagarde's office for the cover of the magazine.
Mr Kalifa said: "Rather than take a photo ourselves, we asked for one from her private office then did a montage of her with the viaduct in the background." At first he said the ministry had sent the photo with the jewellery already removed. "Perhaps she wanted to have a softer image, to be seen without her jewellery," he told the Le Poste website. But he later claimed the newsletter's picture editor had taken the initiative to remove the lavish objects himself.
The photo edit was spotted by Le Canard Enchaîné, the satirical weekly, which said the jewels were no doubt viewed as too "bling-bling". >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
FOX NEWS: President holds news conference on election results
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Midterms 2010: Barack Obama facing the prospect of legislative gridlock after election defeats: Republicans seized control of the House of Representatives in a piercing rebuke to President Barack Obama, who now faces legislative gridlock and even a rolling back of his controversial health care legislation. >>> Toby Harnden and Alex Spillius in Washington | Wednesday, November 03, 2010
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