Abusing Women Is Un-Islamic: Saudi Mufti
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has strongly warned against maltreating women in any form and said this is totally against Islam.

In his Friday sermon at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, the mufti said only bad people treat women badly.

"The psychological or physical abuse of wives, daughters and sisters is against the Islamic Shariah and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)," he said.

Al-Asheikh warned husbands and fathers who take the salaries of their wives and daughters that they are committing anti-Islamic acts.

"The fathers who make it a condition to have their daughters' salaries before they give their consent for marriage are equally wrong. Husbands who force their working wives to share in home expenses are committing erroneous acts. Islam made it the responsibility of the man to spend on the house," he told the worshippers. » | Muhammad Humaidan, Arab News | Friday, April 08, 2011

Gutachten: Guttenberg hat absichtlich abgeschrieben
SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: So viel Plagiat kann kein Zufall sein: In einem Gutachten kommt die Universität Bayreuth zu dem Schluss, dass der Ex-Minister mit Absicht abgeschrieben haben muss. Anders lassen sich die kopierten Passagen nicht erklären. Veröffentlichen darf die Hochschule ihre Analyse noch nicht - Guttenbergs Anwälte haben etwas dagegen.

In der Plagiatsaffäre hat Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg zwar Fehler eingeräumt und sich entschuldigt. Er hat aber stets bestritten, absichtlich abgeschrieben und die Hochschule mit seiner Doktorarbeit getäuscht zu haben. Die Kommission der Universität Bayreuth, die den Fall geprüft hat, sieht es anders. Nach Informationen der Süddeutschen Zeitung kommt sie zu dem Urteil, dass Guttenberg mit Absicht gehandelt haben muss. Ausmaß und Art der Plagiate in Guttenbergs Doktorarbeit ließen keinen anderen Schluss zu. » | Von Tanjev Schultz | Freitag, 08. April 2011

Marine Le Pen rate son grand oral d'économie
LE POINT: La présidente du FN a tenté d'expliquer son programme économique pour la France. Sans convaincre.

"De quoi ? Qui ça ? Ah oui ! Borloo a quitté l'UMP... Très bien, vous savez, moi, je suis pour la concurrence !" plaisante Marine Le Pen, vendredi matin. Pour la concurrence en politique, peut-être, mais en économie, rien n'est moins sûr... Tout sourire, lunettes de soleil sur la tête, veste couleur crème et bottines noires, la présidente du Front national fume une dernière cigarette avant de se livrer à un exercice dont elle n'a pas l'habitude. Son équipe a en effet convié des journalistes économiques - et non pas les "politiques", qu'elle connaît bien - à un "petit-déjeuner de travail " pour expliciter les grandes orientations de son programme dans ce secteur. "Nous ne sommes pas légitimes que sur l'immigration et l'insécurité", veut-elle convaincre. Elle souhaite démontrer que son programme n'est "ni simpliste, ni fantaisiste, ni ringard". » | Par Pauline de Saint Remy | Vendredi 08 Avril 2011

Australians Up In Arms Over Carbon Tax
On a per-capita basis, Australians are among the world's worst polluters, and the government is trying to put a price on carbon.



But the plan to change that -- by taxing polluting industries -- is running into stiff opposition, with thousands turning out to protest the move.



Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas reports from Sydney. (08 April 2011)

The 'Arab Spring' Uprisings of 2011 Are Being Hailed in Washington as the 'Al-Jazeera Moment'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are among the millions of Americans turning to Al-Jazeera English.

Walking back from the White House this week, Abderrahim Foukara, Washington bureau chief for Al-Jazeera television, could have been forgiven for pinching himself. He’d just met senior aides to President Barack Obama who had lavished praise on the Arab television network.

“They told us that during Egypt basically Al-Jazeera English was all they watched to try to make sense of what was going on,” he said, taking off his overcoat in the channel’s bureau on K Street, the boulevard that houses the city’s top lobbyists. The President, they made clear, had been one of those glued to the screen.

On Capitol Hill four weeks ago, Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State, delivered what amounted to an advertisement for Al-Jazeera to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “Viewership of Al-Jazeera is going up in the United States because it's real news,” she said.

“You may not agree with it, but you feel like you're getting real news around the clock instead of a million commercials and, you know, arguments between talking heads and the kind of stuff that we do on our news.”

In London, where Moroccan-born Foukara worked for the BBC World Service for nearly a decade before moving to the US in 2001, David Cameron has also made clear he is a fan. The Prime Minister has told friends that he considers Al-Jazeera to be essential viewing, the only network that gives the texture of what the Arab Street is thinking. » | Toby Harnden | Saturday, April 09, 2011

Tahrir Square Comes Alive with Protesters Again
THE GUARDIAN: Military the target of Egyptian demonstrations as people demand more prosecutions against Hosni Mubarak-era ministers

Protesters have packed Cairo's Tahrir Square, piling pressure on the ruling military council to meet demands including the prosecution of Hosni Mubarak in one of the biggest demonstrations since he was ousted.

By early afternoon the protest had swollen to more than 100,000. Thousands waved red, white and black Egyptian flags in scenes reminiscent of the height of the protests that toppled Mubarak and helped ignite revolts in other Arab countries.

"Oh field marshal, we've been very patient!" chanted some of the protesters, gathered in the square that was the hub of protests that toppled Mubarak from the presidency and left the army, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, in charge.

"Tantawi, Tantawi get your act together or do you want a pool of blood?" chanted some of the protesters.

The military has enjoyed broad support since it took control of the country on 11 February but frustrations have grown over the pace of reform. Attention is now focused on the perceived tardiness of legal steps against Mubarak and his entourage. » | Reuters in Cairo | Friday, April 08, 2011

Libya: Moussa Koussa 'Could Leave Britain'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Moussa Koussa, the Libyan defector, could be allowed to leave the country, William Hague has said.

The foreign secretary said Mr Koussa, who faces inquiries from the International Criminal Court and families of the victims of Libyan terrorists, would not be forced to return to Libya, adding: "There are quite a range of places that he could go to live."

Mr Hague's comments, in an interview with Sky News, came as relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims accepted he may never face trial in Britain.

Susan Cohen, who lost her only daughter on Pan Am Flight 103 said the former intelligence chief "should probably be hanged for what he has done" but she had no expectation of him ending up in a Scottish court.

She added that American relatives were more interested in the British authorities using him to "get to" Col Muammar Gaddafi than in seeing Mr Koussa on trial. » | Auslan Cramb, James Kirkup and Duncan Gardham | Friday, April 08, 2011

US Government Shutdown Averted by Late Night Deal in Congress
THE GUARDIAN: Obama and Democrats forced to accept $39bn package of cuts while Republicans gave way on health care for women

A shutdown of the US federal government scheduled to begin on Saturday was averted after the Democrats and Republicans reached agreement only hours before midnight on budget spending cuts.

The shutdown would have triggered major disruptions across the country and could have set back the country's fragile economic recovery. Hundreds of federal agencies would have closed down and about 800,000 federal staff faced suspension.

The deal came after days of negotiation between Obama and the Republican House Speaker, John Boehner, and the Democratic leader in the Senate Harry Reid. A deal had appeared to be tantalisingly close several times but was not finalised, until Friday night.

Boehner, an hour before midnight, told journalists in Congress: "I am pleased that Senator Reid and the White House have come to an agreement that will cut spending and keep government open."

It would have been the first federal government shutdown since 1995-96 when there was a stand-off between the Republicans and the Clinton White House. » | Ewen MacAskill | Saturday, April 09, 2011

Saudi Arabia: There Has Been ‘No Crackdown’ in Bahrain
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – ALEX SPILLIUS: I just attended an eye-opening roundtable discussion with several members of Saudi Arabia’s Majlis al-Shura, the advisory council to King Abdullah, at the New America Foundation here in Washington.

It was a great chance to assess the Saudi government’s take on the change sweeping the Arab world, and where it is positioning itself. It was hard to conclude that its location is currently on the wrong side of history.

The level of denial about Bahrain, which is the kingdom’s key concern in the region, was startling. One delegate said there was “no major crackdown” in Bahrain, despite the fact that the security forces opened fire in Manama’s Pearl Roundabout, You-Tube footage can be seen of protestors being shot at point blank range, the main opposition newspaper has just been shut down amid the emergency rule imposed a month ago. Not forgetting that Gulf Co-operation Council forces agreed to a cry for help from Bahrain’s royal family, resulting in the Saudi-led intervention of 1,000 troops. Continue reading and comment » | Alex Spillius | Friday, April 08, 2011

Can You Live By the Bible?
Apr 8, 2011 – Group attempts living by the biblical rules of the Old Testament

‪Stevie Wonder‪ - I Just Called To Say I Love You‬

Fall of Roman Empire Caused by 'Contagion of Homosexuality'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A prominent Italian historian has claimed that the Roman Empire collapsed because a "contagion of homosexuality and effeminacy" made it easy pickings for barbarian hordes, sparking a furious row.

Roberto De Mattei, 63, the deputy head of the country's National Research Council, claimed that the empire was fatally weakened after conquering Carthage, which he described as "a paradise for homosexuals".

The remarks prompted angry calls for his resignation, with critics saying his comments were homophobic, offensive and unbecoming of his position.

The fall of the Roman Empire was a result of "the effeminacy of a few in Carthage, a paradise for homosexuals, who infected the many.

"The abhorrent presence of a few gays infected a good part of the (Roman) people," Prof Mattei told Radio Maria, a Catholic radio station.

The Roman Republic achieved domination over Carthage, in present-day Tunisia, during the Punic Wars of the third and second centuries BC, during which Hannibal made his ultimately abortive crossing of the Alps with war elephants.

After the third and final Punic War, Carthage fell into Roman hands, followed by most of the other dependencies of the Carthaginian Empire.

Prof Mattei claimed that it was as the capital of Rome's North African provinces that Cartagena became a hotbed of sexual perversion, gradually influencing Rome itself, which eventually fell to barbarian tribes in 410AD. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Friday, April 08, 2011

Japan Aftershock Raises Fears
Another powerful earthquake shook the same region hit by the quake and tsunami that devastated much of Japan's coastal areas last month.



Power and water were cut, people were evacuated, and fears were once again raised about the potential effect on the country's nuclear power facilities.



Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports from Mizusawa.


Related links here and here

Turkey's "Benevolent" Rôle in Libya Sparks Some Resentment
Turkey has become the latest in a line of countries to offer a plan to bring about a negotiated end to the conflict in Libya.



But despite its humanitarian efforts to aid civilians under the guns of the Gaddafi regime, Turkey has angered opposition forces in the east by appearing to put a brake on NATO's military efforts.



Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Tripoli.

School Shooting Rocks Even Violent Rio de Janeiro
A former student wielding two handguns entered a school in the western part of the violence-plagued Brazilian city and opened fire, killing at least 11 students and wounding 18 more.

Parents who arrived to pick up their students instead found a chaotic scene, with police helicopters landing nearby to ferry away the injured.

One man told Al Jazeera he never thought such a shooting could happen in his country.

Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo reports from Rio de Janeiro.


Related video »

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Gunman captured on security video »

Japan vier Wochen nach der Katastrophe: Ein Gespenst namens Tokio
STERN.DE: Tokio vor dem großen Beben: Laut, bunt, quirlig, exzessiv. Tokio heute: Dunkel, bedächtig, ständig schwankend. Streifzug durch eine Stadt, die weit entfernt ist von Normalität. Von Mareike Dornhege, Tokio

s will einfach kein Ende nehmen. Am Donnerstagabend wackelten die Häuser in Tokio wieder. Die Menschen gewöhnen sich an den dauerhaft erscheinenden Zustand, dass sich der Boden unter seinen Füssen bewegt, gewöhnt. "Als ich vor ein paar Tagen in Deutschland ankam, bildete ich mir noch immer ein, der Boden bebe, wenn ich einmal ganz ruhig an meinem Schreibtisch saß” sagt ein deutscher Japanologe, der für ein paar Tage in seine Heimat zurückgekehrt ist. Fast wie ein Seemann, der einmal von Schiff gegangen, "landkrank" wird.

Doch es sind nicht nur die immer wiederkehrenden Nachbeben, die Tokio fortwährend daran erinnern, dass es noch lange nicht wieder so ist, wie vorher. Nachts geht man nun durch ein dunkles Tokio. "Bukimi" – gespenstisch, unheimlich, sagen die Japaner. Wo einem sonst an jeder Häuserwand die Neonschilder in allen Farben entgegenleuchteten, ist es heute sehr dunkel. Es wird überall an Beleuchtung gespart: In den meisten Straßenzügen brennt nur jede zweite Laterne, moderne Hochhäuser, die sonst hellerleuchtete Blickpunkte der Stadt bildeten, bleiben dunkel. Erloschenes Wahrzeichen » | Von Mareike Dornhege, Tokio | Freitag, 08. April 2011

Libya to Unleash Wave of Migrants on Europe
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libya is unleashing a wave of migrants against Europe as retaliation for the coalition's military strikes against the country.

The opening of immigration floodgates came as Italy announced that it would grant travel permits to more than 20,000 Tunisian refugees who have reached its southernmost islands in recent weeks.

The Italian government said the temporary permits would grant the refugees freedom of movement within the visa-free Schengen area, but in reality most want to head to France.

Paris reacted angrily to the move, with Claude Gueant, the interior minister, saying the country would not tolerate "a wave of immigration" and warning that migrants without appropriate identity documents and sufficient funds would be prevented from entering.

The Schengen zone excludes Britain and Ireland, but migrants could attempt to enter the UK illegally from the Continent.

The Tunisians are among nearly 26,000 migrants who have managed to reach the tiny island of Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost territory, since January, when president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled by a popular revolt.

In neighbouring Libya, Col. Muammar Gadaffi's regime is alleged to have been actively encouraging boatloads of migrants to leave the country's shores since March 22, when the first vessel sailed from Tajoura, a suburb of Tripoli. » | Nick Squires, Rome and Damien McElroy in Valletta | Thursday, April 07, 2011

La France ne veut pas des migrants de Tunisie
LE POINT: Paris a rappelé à ses préfets les conditions d'accueil des migrants. Un reproche à peine caché aux autorités italiennes.

Le ministère de l'Intérieur a rappelé, dans une circulaire aux préfets mercredi, les conditions d'accueil des immigrés passés par un pays de l'espace Schengen, au moment où des dizaines de clandestins tunisiens venus d'Italie sont interceptés chaque jour en France. Alors que Rome reproche à la France de lui renvoyer ces clandestins, cette circulaire énumère les conditions de séjour des ressortissants issus "d'un pays tiers" et "en provenance du territoire d'un autre État membre de l'espace Schengen". » | Le Point.fr | Vendredi 08 Avril 2011

LE FIGARO: Lampedusa : une circulaire contre les flux migratoires » | Par Jean-Marc Leclerc | Jeudi 07 Avril 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy ‘Threatened to Smash the Face of Editor Who Said Carla Bruni Was Maneater’
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to “smash the face” of a political editor during a 40-minute conversation after his magazine suggested Carla Bruni was a maneater, a new biography claims.

The French president’s alleged threat was sparked by an article in Le Point news magazine offering “24 tips to the President ahead of his marriage to Mademoiselle Bruni”.

One piece of advice was: “Do not introduce your new wife to your sons, Barack Obama or any handsome men.”

In a new book called M. Le President, Franz-Olivier Giesbert, director of Le Point, gives what he says is a blow by blow account of the president’s tirade following the article.

The president allegedly called shortly after publication in January 2008, started with a few niceties before suddenly turning apoplectic.

“This article is filth and I should smash your face in,” he reportedly told Mr Giesbert.

Mr Giesbert replied: “Are you threatening me?” Mr Sarkozy hit back: “You deserve it. I don’t know what’s holding me back.”

“There’s no reason for you and Carla to feel insulted,” replied the author.

“I’m sure you’d blow your top if I wrote that your wife was a whore that everyone had slept with and even wanted to have sex with your children,” the president went on.

“Never did our magazine suggest Carla was a whore,” said Mr Giesbert. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, April 07, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy biography: extracts from M Le President – Here are some extracts from the new biography M Le President Scenes of political life 2005-2011. » | Friday, April 08, 2011

New Zealand Churches Upset Over Hot Cross Buns 'Like Jesus'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A pizza company has caused outrage in New Zealand with billboards advertising hot cross buns accompanied by the slogan: "For a limited time. A bit like Jesus."

Instead of the traditional Christian cross, the buns bear an inverted pentagram, a design symbolic of Satanism.

The giant billboards, placed by the Hell Pizza company, have been plastered around Auckland, the country's largest city.

Lloyd Ashton, a spokesman for New Zealand's Anglican Church, condemned the advertising campaign as disgraceful.

"It's disrespectful to what a lot of people hold very dear," he said.

"They've dared here to take a clumsy poke at something that numbers of people hold sacred." » | Paul Chapman in Wellington | Thursday, April 07, 2011

"Die Islamisten wären schlimmer als Gaddafi" meint ein Stammesführer
Die libysche Führung ist nach Angaben eines Regierungssprechers zu Diskussionen über politische Reformen bereit. Es könne sowohl über Wahlen als auch über ein Referendum gesprochen werden, sagte Regierungssprecher Mussa Ibrahim vor Journalisten