Saturday, May 07, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: William and Kate are the new stars of the Royal family – and the public love them for their spontaneity, says Patrick JephsonA week has passed in the new royal era. Prince William is back at his airbase. Kate is in the supermarket. The Queen is at Windsor Castle. The media circus has packed its satellite dishes and left town. The bunting has been recycled. Like a cartwheeling verger, we’ve watched the world turn upside down and then revolve right-way up again. Everything looks as it did before. But everything has changed.
These unremarkable days are actually momentous. Historians of tomorrow may look back on them as the point at which either the British Crown reinvented itself to prosper for another 100 years… or at which it gave one final hurrah before slipping into terminal irrelevance.
A touch melodramatic? Consider the options. On the one hand, with the wedding of the decade triumphantly behind us and the prospect of royal babies growing closer by the day, the monarchy is set fair. But on the other, by any realistic actuarial assessment, the next two candidates for the throne will be grandparents by the time they ascend it. That’s not in itself a bad thing – wisdom being one of the qualities most prized in a king – but in a country inexorably ageing, who could blame today’s teenagers for being disenchanted by a system that will never deliver a head of state for their generation. Continue reading and comment » | Patrick Jephson* | Saturday, May 07, 2011
*Patrick Jephson was equerry and private secretary to HRH the Princess of Wales 1988-96
Patrick Jephson »
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France's presidential race descended into a battle of bling before it had begun yesterday as Left-wing favourite was criticised by the Right as a champagne Socialist after he was photographed getting into a Porsche.Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund has yet to say if he will run for president but is tipped in opinion polls to trounce President Nicolas Sarkozy if the two compete next April.
The photograph of DSK, as he is known, and his wife beside the Porsche Panamera, which sells in France for more than 100,000 euros (£88,000), sparked sneers on the internet and from the Right, even though it belonged to a friend and not to him.
Brice Hortefeux, the former interior minister and a close friend of President Nicolas Sarkozy, quipped that the Left had abandoned the symbols of the workers' struggle used when Socialist president, Francois Mitterrand, first took power.
"Back in 1981, it was the rose and the clenched fist. Today it's a Porsche at the wheel," Mr Hortefeux said. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Friday, May 06, 2011
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AUSTRALIE | La somme d’un milliard et demi de dollars australiens sera versée sous forme de construction de logements, de programmes d’éducation et de fonds sociaux.
Les aborigènes d’une région de l’ouest de l’Australie vont recevoir 1,6 milliard de dollars américains pour permettre l’extraction de gaz sur leur territoire, aux termes d’un accord "historique" conclu vendredi avec un des principaux groupes producteurs d’énergie du pays. En échange de ce pactole, la communauté Goolarabooloo [-] Jabirr Jabirr devra renoncer au profit de la compagnie Woodside à ses droits de propriété sur 3.500 hectares, à 60 kilomètres au nord de Broome. » | AFP | Samedi 07 Mai 2011
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ISLAMABAD | Le chef d’Al-Qaïda avait vécu avec sa famille dans la ville-garnison pakistanaise d’Abbottabad avant d’y être tué il y a près d’une semaine par un commando américain, ont dit samedi des responsables pakistanais de la sécurité.
Une des femmes d’Oussama Ben Laden a assuré que le chef d’Al-Qaïda avait vécu pendant cinq ans avec sa famille dans la ville-garnison pakistanaise d’Abbottabad avant d’y être tué il y a près d’une semaine par un commando américain, ont dit samedi des responsables pakistanais de la sécurité.
Cette épouse yéménite a été blessée à la jambe dans les tirs au moment de l’opération qui a abouti à la mort de Ben Laden et bénéficie actuellement de soins médicaux, tout en étant soumise à des interrogatoires, au Pakistan, en même temps que 15 autres parents de son mari, ont-ils ajouté. » | AFP | Samedi 07 Mai 2011
Al Jazeera has obtained new footage of the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed.
The pictures show the interiors of the house where the al-Qaeda leader is thought to have been hiding for up to six years.
Imtiaz Tyab reports from Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Have you ever seen such a mess in your life? How on earth could anyone live in such squalor? OBL's money didn't do him any good, did it? It certainly didn't buy him or his family any comfort or style. Furthermore, for a person so intent on spreading the faith of Islam, he certainly doesn't appear to have lived up to it. Prophet Muhammad is said to have placed great emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene. This from The Religion of Islam website:
Muslims throughout the world have extremely high standards of personal hygiene, because Islam places great emphasis on both physical and spiritual, cleanliness and purification. While humankind in general usually considers cleanliness to be a pleasing attribute, Islam insists on it. Muslims are required to take care of their personal hygiene by assuring that they are well groomed, and that their bodies, clothing, and surroundings are clean.It seems to me that Osama bin Laden omitted an important part of the faith he held so dear. [Source: The Religion of Islam] – © Mark
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, has reignited the war of words between the coalition partners by calling the Conservatives "ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal."Mr Cable said the coalition would continue in a more "businesslike" format in the wake of the Lib Deb drubbing in local council polls and the large-scale defeat of the "Yes" campaign in the referendum on the Alternative Vote (AV) system back[ed] by almost all his party.
However, his choice of words was unlikely to do anything to smooth relations around the Cabinet table. He also described the Conservatives as "not our natural bedfellows."
As the Lib Dem rhetoric intensified, Norman Baker, the transport minister, said Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, had been "let down" by David Cameron.
There was no sense that any Lib Dem minister would break ranks, either by resigning or suggesting Mr Clegg should quit as party leader, despite the scale of the party's defeat.
Leading Lib Dems were more concerned to blame Conservative tactics in targeting Mr Clegg during the AV referendum campaign.
Mr Cable made clear that Liberal Democrats would not accept policies which go beyond last year's coalition agreement with Tories - such as controversial proposals for NHS reform.
Mr Cable told Radio 4's Today programme: "Some of us never had many illusions about the Conservatives, but they have emerged as ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal. » | Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor | Saturday, May 07, 2011
BBC: Vote 2011: Tories ruthless and calculating, says Cable – Vince Cable has attacked the Lib Dems' Tory coalition partners as "ruthless, calculating and very tribal" but insisted their alliance would continue. » | Saturday, May 07, 2011
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nach dem unangekündigten Krisengipfel der EU-Finanzminister erklärte der Chef der Eurogruppe, Luxemburgs Finanzminister Juncker, eine Umschuldung Griechenlands komme nicht in Frage. Einen Austritt Griechenlands aus der Euro-Zone bezeichnete Juncker als „dumme Idee“.Die Kernländer der Eurozone haben bei einem unangekündigten Treffen in Luxemburg in der Nacht zum Samstag den Ausstieg Griechenlands aus der Währungsunion ausgeschlossen. Der Chef der Eurogruppe, Luxemburgs Finanzminister Jean-Claude Juncker, sagte nach dem Treffen, auch eine Umschuldung Griechenlands komme nicht in Frage. Einen Austritt Griechenlands aus der Euro-Zone bezeichnete Juncker als „dumme Idee“. Das wäre „ein Weg, den wir niemals gehen würden“, sagte er. „Wir wollen nicht, dass der Euro-Raum ohne Grund explodiert“, fügte er hinzu.
An dem Treffen in einem Schloss bei Luxemburg nahmen unter anderen die Finanzminister aus Deutschland, Frankreich, Italien und Spanien teil. Weitere Teilnehmer waren der Präsident der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB), Jean-Claude Trichet, EU-Währungskommissar Olli Rehn und der griechische Finanzminister Giorgos Papakonstantinou. » | FAZ.NET | Samstag, 07. Mai 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Wounded pride and tall stories about bin Laden’s killing could be a lethal mix, says Peter Oborne in Islamabad.Their anger and frustration was palpable. The mobs who gathered in the streets across Pakistan yesterday rallied to mourn the killing of Osama bin Laden by American forces – and promised revenge. Hundreds of men spilled out of Friday prayers in the military town of Abbottabad, where the al-Qaeda leader was killed this week. Tyres were set alight and abusive chants directed at the United States rang through the streets.
Similar rallies were taking place in several other Pakistani cities – but it must be said that their scale and ferocity was by no means as great as the country’s militant religious groups had hoped.
As I understand it, one explanation for the muted reaction may be that Pakistan feels like a country on the edge of a nervous breakdown. It is a profoundly proud nation and its people are finding it painful to come to terms with the discovery of the world’s most wanted terrorist on national soil.
Some are taking refuge in denial, and, as I walked round Abbottabad earlier this week, few people – even those who had actually witnessed the US attack – were ready to admit that bin Laden had been even living in the town. For almost a decade Pakistan politicians and religious leaders have been adamant that the terror chief was outside Pakistan or, at worst, living in one of the remote tribal areas, and effectively outside the control of the state.
Even al-Qaeda took a full four days to acknowledge its figurehead was dead – only doing so yesterday, in a statement which also vowed to wreak dire retaliation. Read on and comment » | Peter Oborne | Saturday, May 07, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A political author whose face Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to "smash in" over claims Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was a "maneater" has seen his state television show shelved, sparking claims that the French president was involved in the move.Last month, Franz-Olivier Giesbert, 62, director of the weekly magazine Le Point, released a biography on Mr Sarkozy called M. Le President, which today tops France's bestseller list.
In it, he branded Mr Sarkozy a "child king" who is "drunk on himself", "immature" and a "weathervane" who is "tyrannical" with his entourage and above all his friends. He recounts being subjected to a 40-minute telephone tirade by [the] Mr Sarkozy sparked by an article 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."
Mr Sarkozy told Mr Giesbert: "This article is filth and I should smash your face in."
"You'll see what I'm going to do to you, you'll see," he threatened. Mr Giesbert said the president subsequently sought to pressure Le Point's owner, the luxury goods billionaire François Pinault, into firing Mr Giesbert, to no avail. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Friday, May 06, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros has died after a severe deterioration in his condition following treatment for a brain tumour in 2008, the Spanish television channel TVE has reported.Ballesteros, 54, a five-times major winner, had been recuperating at his home in northern Spain after four operations on the tumour and a course of chemotherapy.
Regarded by many as golf's greatest shot-maker, Ballesteros won 87 titles worldwide, 50 of them on the European Tour.
A winner of three British Opens and two Masters titles, he also helped revive Europe's fortunes in the biennial Ryder Cup team competition.
On Friday the world of golf held its breath after Ballesteros's family reported a “severe deterioration” in his neurological condition.
At the Spanish Open in Barcelona fellow Spaniards José-María Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jiménez played together in sombre mood. Twenty-four hours earlier, Olazabal, who last visited the wheelchair-bound Ballesteros a fortnight ago, learnt from Ballesteros’s daughter, Carmen, that his mentor’s condition had taken a grave turn. The European Tour press officer in Barcelona reported that Olazabal and Jiménez were in tears after completing yesterday’s round. » | Saturday, May 07, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Seve Ballesteros suffers ‘severe deterioration in neurological state’: The world of golf holds its breath for Seve Ballesteros. A brief statement on his website published by his family yesterday sent a shudder through the sport. It told of a “severe deterioration” in his neurological condition. » | Kevin Garside | Friday, May 06, 2011
Friday, May 06, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Plans to change the way the MPs are elected have been overwhelmingly rejected by voters.More than two thirds of people voted to keep the first-past-the-post system in what was the first UK-wide referendum for 36 years.
With the count 85 per cent complete, the No to AV campaign passed the crucial figure of 9.87million votes at 7.41pm on Friday night to secure victory.
It was a boost to David Cameron who had campaigned hard for a No vote and a blow to Nick Clegg, who had made a referendum on voting reform a condition of the Coalition deal which is this week one year old. » | Andrew Porter, and Christopher Hope | Friday, May 06, 2011
It was billed a 'day of defiance', but this Friday has ended in bloodshed.
Syrian security forces have reportedly killed up to 30 protesters who were calling for the end of President Bashar al-Assad's leadership. Scores of people and opposition figures, including Riad Saif, a well-known activist and a member of parliament, were arrested.
And, in response to the growing crackdown, the European Union has now agreed to impose sanctions on government officials.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr's report contains amateur video footage which cannot be independently verified.
Anti-government protests were held place for the seventh day in a row in the Maldives capital of Male.
The people are demonstrating because of soaring prices and claim the president is mishandling the economy.
But the democratically-elected president is calling it an attempt to reinstate a dictatorship in this tropical paradise.
Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports.
MAIL ONLINE: Radicals warn 'it is only a matter of time' before another atrocity / EDL member burns Bin Laden effigy among extremist MuslimsA protest by hundreds of Osama Bin Laden supporters sparked fury outside the US Embassy in London today as they staged a mock 'funeral service' for the terror leader.
Police stepped in to separate the protesters and members of the English Defence League amid threats of violence from both sides.
Radicals carrying placards proclaiming 'Islam will dominate the world' branded US leaders 'murderers' and warned vengeance attacks were 'guaranteed'.
The protest came shortly after the verdict into the 7/7 inquest was released by Lady Justice Heather Hallett.
She recorded that the 52 victims had been 'unlawfully' killed when four terrorists attacked three London Underground trains and a bus in 2005. On this day of all days! Hundreds of militant Muslims stage mock funeral for Bin Laden outside U.S. embassy in London... as relatives of 7/7 terror attack victims weep at inquest just three miles away » | Daily Mail Reporter | Friday, May 06, 2011
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