Carla Bruni-Sarkozy rend hommage à sa tante Gigi

GALA.fr: La Première dame explique pourquoi elle a choisi le prénom Giulia

Alors que toutes les hypothèses possibles ont été suggérées autour du prénom Giulia, - même Dahlia a été évoqué- la vérité éclate enfin au grand jour. Avec Giulia, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy souhaite rendre hommage à sa tante Gigi, de son patronyme complet Giulia. » | par Pauline Gallard | jeudi 03 novembre 2011

Julian Assange : "Je lui ai appris à dire la vérité" dit sa mère

FRANCE SOIR: Alors que l'extradition vers la Suède du fondateur de WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, a été confirmée mercredi par la Haute Cour de Londres, sa mère annonce ce jeudi qu'il a été « crucifié » pour avoir dit la vérité. Chose qu'elle lui a toujours appris mais à laquelle elle ne croit plus...

Depuis l'Australie, dont Julian Assange est originaire, la mère du fondateur de WikiLeaks met en avant une éducation de la vérité donné à son fils. Selon elle, il est pourchassé pour avoir défendu son idéal de « vérité et de justice ». L'homme qui a fait trembler les Etats-Unis avec les révélations sur son site internet de 250.000 télégrammes diplomatiques américains en novembre 2010 est accusé par deux Suédoises d'avoir eu des relations contraintes et non protégées avec elles en août 2010.

Il a été « crucifié parce qu'il fait ce pour quoi il a été élevé », a poursuivi Christine Assange. « J'ai appris à mon fils à dire la vérité, à croire en la justice. Il a été élevé en pensant vivre dans une démocratie où il devait réparer toute injustice dont il était témoin. Aujourd'hui, je ne crois plus en tout cela », a-t-elle conclu. » | Par Actu France Soir | jeudi 03 novembre 2011

Iran Warns US to Avoid Clash over Nuclear Programme

THE GUARDIAN: Iranian foreign minister says America has 'lost its wisdom and prudence' as tensions mount over Tehran's enrichment efforts

Iran has warned the US not to set the two countries on a collision course over Tehran's nuclear enrichment programme, as diplomatic tensions reflected growing concern that the Middle East might be on the verge of new conflict.

The Iranian foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, spoke amid reports that the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has been trying to rally support within his country for an attack.

The Guardian revealed that the UK was advancing contingency plans for joining American forces in a possible air and sea campaign against military bases in Iran.

The revelations led to Nato insisting on Thursday that it would play no part in any military action, and provoked the rebuke from Salehi, who insisted that any attack by either Israel or the US would provoke immediate retaliation. He also accused Washington of recklessness.

"The US has unfortunately lost its wisdom and prudence in dealing with international issues," he told reporters during a visit to Libya. "Of course we are prepared for the worst, but we hope that they think twice before they put themselves on a collision course with Iran."

In a separate interview with a Turkish newspaper, Salehi claimed Tehran was ready for war with Israel. "We have been hearing threats from Israel for eight years. Our nation is a united nation … such threats are not new to us," he said. "We are very sure of ourselves. We can defend our country." » | Nick Hopkins, Julian Borger and Ian Black | Thursday, November 03, 2011

Landmark Ruling Lifts 'Veil of Secrecy' from Prince of Wales's Duchy of Cornwall Estate

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The 700-year-old “veil of secrecy” covering the workings of the Prince of Wales’s Duchy of Cornwall estate will be partially lifted after a landmark legal ruling that could open up the Royal family to far greater public scrutiny.

A tribunal ruled that the Duchy, which provided the Prince with an income of £17.8 million last year, was no longer exempt from freedom of information laws.

Since 1337 the Duchy, which owns 132,000 acres of land in 23 counties, has been the private domain of the heir to the throne.

But after a three-year legal battle by a local environmental campaigner, a judge decided that the Duchy is, in fact “a public authority”.

The decision means the Duchy, and by implication other royal assets such as the Duchy of Lancaster, owned by the Queen, must abide by some of the same rules of disclosure as local councils.

The case is also potentially embarrassing for the Prince, who prides himself on his environmental campaigns, as it revolved around the Duchy’s refusal to discuss the possible environmental impact of an oyster farm in its waters.

Michael Bruton, the environmentalist who has now forced the Duchy to answer his questions about the oyster farm, said: “It was clear that the Duchy did not want people to peer into its affairs and it has spent the last three years stalling. Read on and comment » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Thursday, November 03, 2011

Michael Jackson 'Paid with His Life' for Conrad Murray's Recklessness

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Michael Jackson was killed by the recklessness of his personal physician Dr Conrad Murray who violated the "hallowed" bond of trust between doctor and patient, a court heard.

In his closing speech at the end of a five week trial prosecutor David Walgren told a jury that Dr Murray was guilty of "gross negligence" and had left the singer's children Prince, 14, Paris, 13, and Blanket, nine, fatherless.

Dr Murray, who denies a single charge of involuntary manslaughter, is accused of causing Jackson's death on June 25, 2009 by giving him propofol, a surgical anaesthetic intended only for use in hospitals, in the bedroom of his Los Angeles mansion.

Mr Walgren told the jury of seven men and five women that Jackson "paid with his life" for the criminal negligence of Dr Murray.

"The evidence in this case is overwhelming. It is absolutely clear that Conrad Murray acted with criminal negligence, that Conrad Murray caused the death of Michael Jackson, that Conrad Murray left Prince and Paris and Blanket without a father.

"For them this case does not end today, tomorrow or the next day. For Michael Jackson's children this case will go on forever because they do not have a father." Continue reading and comment » | Nick Allen, Los Angeles | Thursday, November 03, 2011

Der Islam gehört nicht zu Deutschland
Papst Benedikt hat bei seiner Deutschlandreise gesagt, dass Muslime ein "Merkmal Deutschlands" sind. PI München ist in dem folgenden Video der Frage nachgegangen, für welche Bereiche dies wohl maßgeblich zutreffen könnte. In jedem Fall ist diese Aussage des Papstes weitaus realistischer als der weder historisch noch faktisch belegbare Satz von Bundespräsident Wulff, dass der Islam zu Deutschland gehöre.

Wir haben am Beispiel Münchens einmal genauer untersucht, welche Spuren der Islam im Laufe der Zeit dort hinterlassen hat. Egal, ob es die Theatinerkirche am Odeonsplatz, die Propyläen am Königsplatz oder die "Vierte Moschee" in Freimann ist - man kann nicht davon sprechen, dass irgendetwas davon mit positiver Symbolik besetzt ist.

In der Vergangenheit hat der Islam Europa nur bedroht, in der Gegenwart stellt er hauptsächlich Forderungen, spaltet die Gesellschaft, sorgt für Sicherheitspobleme, reduziert den Wohlstand und in der Zukunft dürfte er eine ernste Gefahr für den Fortbestand der demokratischen, freien und toleranten Grundordnung darstellen. Daher widersprechen wir mit diesem Video ganz klar der Feststellung des Bundespräsidenten.

Es ist auch kein Zufall, dass Moslems mit ihrem "Tag der Offenen Moschee" dem "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" eine direkte Konkurrenz liefern. Klarer kann man kaum ausdrücken, wie das interne Wertesystem gelagert ist.

Herzlich Willkommen in ihrem Land: Deutschland

Référendum: les raisons de la volte-face de Papandréou
L’EXPRESS.fr: Le Premier ministre grec a laissé entendre en fin de journée que le référendum n'aurait finalement pas lieu. Les pressions exercées de toutes part auront donc eu raison de lui. Récit d'une journée extraordinaire.

Une journée en enfer pour le premier ministre grec. En l'espace de quelques heures, des pressions venues de l'Europe, de l'opposition, et même de son propre parti ont forcé Georges Papandréou à prendre le chemin de l'abandon du référendum sur le plan d'aide européen qu'il avait annoncé avec fracas ce mardi. Car depuis 48h, ce choix de consulter le peuple empoisonne ses relations avec l'Europe entière et avec les membres de sa propre majorité. Retour sur une spectaculaire volte-face. » | Ali Bekhtaoui | jeudi 03 novembre 2011

Israel Freezes UNESCO Funding after Palestinian Membership
HAARETZ: Netanyahu decides to hold $2 million Israel transfers to UN cultural body yearly; Israel decided Tuesday to expedite settlement building in West Bank in response to PA's UNESCO membership.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided Thursday to freeze funding to UNESCO after it had granted the Palestinians membership on Monday.

Israel transfers some $2 million to the UN cultural body yearly. A source in the Prime Minister's Office said that Netanyahu instructed to transfer those funds to initiatives working toward regional cooperation. » | Barak Ravid | Thursday, November 03, 2011

Drohungen gegen Israel – Irans Außenminister: Wir sind bereit zum Krieg
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nachdem in Israel seit Tagen über einen möglichen Angriff auf iranische Atomanlagen diskutiert wird, hat Iran Israel nun mit „apokalyptischen“ Konsequenzen gedroht. Die Zeitung „Guardian“ berichtet unterdessen, auch Großbritannien bereite sich auf einen Angriff gegen iranische Ziele vor.

Iran hat Israel für den Fall eines Angriffes mit Konsequenzen in „apokalyptischem“ Ausmaß gedroht. Eine entsprechende Warnung veröffentlichte das iranische Staatsfernsehen am Donnerstag auf seiner Internetseite. Israel seien die militärischen Fähigkeiten Irans gut bekannt, heißt es dort: „Die iranische Raketenindustrie ist in der Region die beste und in der Welt eine der besten.“ Irans Außenminister Ali Akbar Saleh sagte der Zeitung „Hürriyet Daily News“, sein Land sei „immer bereit zum Krieg“. Drohungen seien für Iran nicht neu.

In Israel wird seit mehreren Tagen über einen möglichen Angriff auf iranische Atomanlagen diskutiert. Laut Presseberichten versuchten Ministerpräsident Netanjahu und Verteidigungsminister Barak, im Kabinett Zustimmung für ein militärisches Vorgehen zu gewinnen. Mehrere Minister seien jedoch dagegen. In Israel werden die jüngsten Warnungen vor den Gefahren des iranischen Atomprogramms, wie die von Netanjahu zu Wochenbeginn geäußerte, unterschiedlich gedeutet. » | Quelle: F.A.Z./hcr./Lt./rüb./anr. | Donnerstag 03. November 2011

Turkish Prime Minister in Berlin: Erdogan Escalates Germany Criticism

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A ceremony on Wednesday to mark 50 years since the first Turkish 'guest workers' arrived in Germany should be a friendly photo opportunity for the leaders of the two countries. But many tensions still exist, and Turkish leader Erdogan has taken aim at Germany once again in a controversial interview.

When Angela Merkel and Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet today at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, the pictures of two important world leaders should be nice, friendly ones; the German chancellor and the Turkish prime minister shaking hands as they cement the friendship between their two countries. The ceremony is being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the first 'guest workers' arriving in Germany from Turkey, and ahead of the prime minister's visit, Merkel praised the migrants, saying they had become part of the country.

The reception for Erdogan laid on by German President Christian Wulff on Tuesday evening was also a harmonious affair. But the kind words and grand gestures between the two countries cannot cover the fact that serious tensions exist between them -- tensions underlined by inflammatory comments made by Erdogan in an interview with German daily Bild on Wednesday.

Turkey is one of the world's up and coming nations, and its economy is booming. At the same time, Erdogan is pursuing a new, aggressive foreign policy which is viewed with the utmost concern not only by Turkey's immediate neighbours, but also in Berlin.

After the ceremony in the Foreign Ministry, therefore, the leaders are likely to talk turkey, so to speak. Erdogan and Merkel will meet for a frank exchange of opinions in which sensitive foreign policy issues will be on the agenda -- including the situation in North Africa and the Middle East, the conflict with the Kurds and bilateral relations. » | Anna Reimann | Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Des hackers turcs revendiquent le piratage de "Charlie Hebdo"

LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR: Dans un message transmis au "Nouvel Observateur", le groupe Akincilar lance : "'Charlie Hebdo' est devenu notre cible après cet affront à nos valeurs religieuses".

Le groupe de hackers Akincilar a revendiqué, jeudi 3 novembre, le piratage du site de "Charlie Hebdo", justifiant sa démarche comme "une lutte contre une publication qui attaque [ses] croyances et [ses] valeurs morales".

Dans un message transmis au "Nouvel Observateur" et accessible en ligne, les hackers turcs plaident : "Le site www.charliehebdo.fr est devenu notre cible [après] cet affront à nos valeurs religieuses. Puisqu'il est méprisant envers notre prophète, nous avons mis notre contenu sur la page d'accueil [du site] pour protester".

Akincilar propose de revoir une version de www.charliehebdo.fr lorsqu'il était piraté. » | Boris Manenti - Le Nouvel Observateur | jeudi 03 novembre 2011

Muslim Canadians must abide by Canada's laws: OUR OPINION
THE BARRIE EXAMINER – EDITORIAL: Canadians should be concerned about a recent survey that found 62% of Muslims living in this country want some form of Shariah law here.

And that 15% of Muslims say Shariah law should be mandatory.

The study was conducted by the MacDonald Laurier Institute and involved phone interviews with 455 Muslims in Ottawa, between May and July 2008, with a margin of error of five percentage points.
A small sample, done more than three years ago, but of concern nonetheless.

Shariah means an Islamic way of life, not just a system of criminal justice. It is a code of living that most Muslims adopt as part of their faith. Some countries formally institute it as the law of the land, enforced by the courts.

Because many Muslims believe Canada is a secular country, they feel our secular legal system makes it difficult for them to govern themselves by the personal rules of their own religion. Canada's marriage and divorce laws differ from Muslim law, for example.

But there is considerable opposition to Shariah law in Canada, as there should be.

The National Association of Women and the Law, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women and the National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada have all argued that under Shariah law, men and women are not treated equally.

These groups argue that women fare much worse in divorce, child custody and inheritance matters under Shariah law.

This flies in the face of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our Constitution, which guarantees that women and men are treated equally under Canadian law.

Two of Canada's largest provinces have already rejected Shariah law. » | The Barrie Examiner | Thursday, November 03, 2011

Regierungskrise in Griechenland: Papandreou droht Schlappe bei Vertrauensvotum
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Griechenland schlittert in eine schwere Regierungskrise. Bei der für Freitag geplanten Vertrauensabstimmung im Parlament steht Premier Papandreou eine Niederlage bevor. In Europa wächst die Wut auf Athen, auch ein Euro-Aus für Hellas wird nun ernsthaft erwogen.

Athen - Die Regierungskrise in Griechenland hat sich am Donnerstag dramatisch verschärft. Bei der für Freitag geplanten Vertrauensabstimmung im griechischen Parlament könnte die Regierung ohne Mehrheit dastehen. Zwei Abgeordnete der Sozialisten haben angekündigt, Regierungschef Georgios Papandreou nicht das Vertrauen aussprechen zu wollen. Dies berichtet der griechische TV-Sender Net. Papandreou verfügt im Parlament derzeit nur noch über eine hauchdünne Mehrheit von 152 der 300 Abgeordneten, ohne die Parlamentarierinnen wären es 150. » | jok/dpa/Reuters/dapd | Donnerstag 03. November 2011

Israël étudie l'option d'un raid contre l'Iran

LE FIGARO: Selon la presse israélienne, les modalités d'une attaque préventive contre les installations nucléaires iraniennes se précisent.

Israël serait en train d'envisager plus sérieusement que jamais une attaque préventive contre les installations nucléaires iraniennes. Depuis plusieurs semaines déjà, des diplomates étrangers s'alarment des préparatifs israéliens. L'éditorialiste Nahum Barnea du quotidien Yedioth Ahronoth a porté le débat sur la place publique en Israël vendredi dernier, en laissant entendre que Nétanyahouet son ministre de la Défense Ehoud Barak auraient déjà pris la décision de lancer une attaque contre l'Iran.

Barak a précisé lundi qu'aucune décision n'avait été arrêtée. Sans vraiment convaincre, puisqu'il a ajouté le lendemain à la Knesset qu'il pouvait y avoir «des situations sensibles dans lesquelles Israël devra défendre ses intérêts vitaux de façon indépendante».

Mercredi, le quotidien Haaretz, citant une source officielle israélienne, confirmait que Nétanyahou et Barak s'efforçaient de convaincre une majorité au sein du cabinet, et que Liberman, le ministre des Affaires étrangères, se serait déjà rallié à cette option. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes, correspondant du Figaro à Jérusalem | mercredi 02 novembre 2011

Egyptian Blogger Claims Authorities Are Betraying Revolution
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Egyptian activist detained by the military authorities has smuggled a letter out of prison condemning them for betraying the revolution to topple President Hosni Mubarak which he helped initiate.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah is one of thousands of people, many activists and bloggers, arrested by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the military council running Egypt, since the Tahrir Square revolution.

But his detention has caused particular outrage because he is accused of instigating violence during a protest by Christians last month, where video evidence clearly showed troops driving into and shooting at unarmed demonstrators.

In his letter, published in local media, he describes how being imprisoned reminds him of a previous arrest under Mr Mubarak.

"I'm alone, in a cell with eight men who shouldn't be here; poor, helpless, unjustly held – the guilty among them and the innocent," he writes. "As soon as they learned I was one of the "young people of the revolution" they started to curse out the revolution and how it had failed to clean up the ministry of the interior. Continue reading and comment » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Marine Le Pen Defends US Trip Despite Political Snubs
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Marine Le Pen, the French far-right candidate, said her trip to the United States remained a success despite scoring meetings with only a small handful of political figures.

"Even before I left for the United States, the French media said it was already a failure. That's not at all the case," she told a throng of French journalists.

Miss Le Pen, of the anti-immigrant National Front party, had an agenda filled more with visits to centres of power like the US Capitol than with meetings with political leaders.

But the office of Republican representative and presidential hopeful Ron Paul said he had a "quick private meeting" with Le Pen earlier Wednesday.

"They primarily discussed monetary policy and the gold standard," spokeswoman Rachel Mills told AFP. » | Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Herman Cain Accuses Rick Perry of Smear Campaign over Sexual Harassment Allegations

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Herman Cain has launched a blistering attack on his rival Governor Rick Perry, accusing him of mounting a “despicable” smear campaign by orchestrating the leak of sexual harassment allegations against him.

Aides to the Republican presidential front-runner demanded that Mr Perry, the Governor of Texas, “apologise to Herman Cain and quite frankly to America", as a third woman who worked for him in the 1990s alleged that he had behaved inappropriately towards her.

The pizza tycoon’s chief of staff, Mark Block, said an adviser to Mr Perry, Curt Anderson, had learned about the allegations while working on Mr Cain’s unsuccessful 2004 campaign for the US Senate. He accused Mr Anderson of giving the details to reporters after joining Mr Perry’s team a fortnight ago.

"It is an outrage,” Mr Block said. “The antics of the Perry campaign are despicable ... Mr Cain has never committed any sexual harassment. Period. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Wednesday, November 02, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pressure mounts on Herman Cain as third woman claims sexual harassment: The presidential campaign of Republican Herman Cain has been thrown into deeper trouble after a third woman came forward to accuse the former pizza chief executive of inappropriate behaviour when he headed a restaurant industry lobbying group in the 1990s. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Thursday, November 03, 2011

With Gaddafi Gone, Iran Is Once Again Top of the West's List of Problems

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The drumbeat of war against Iran is set to beat much louder when the UN’s nuclear watchdog publishes the findings of its long-awaited report next week that the country is well advanced in its attempts to build a nuclear bomb

Because of Libya, international concern over Iran’s controversial nuclear programme has taken second place to the Nato-led effort to overthrow Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

But now that Nato has officially declared the Libya mission at an end, the far more problematic issue of how to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions is once again making all the headlines on the international security agenda.

Next week’s report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is widely expected to be the most unequivocal assessment of Tehran’s nuclear intentions in more than a decade. » | Con Coughlin | Wednesday, November 02, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran: the damning nuclear evidence – Iran is attempting to engineer and test nuclear weapons at a series of banned production sites in defiance of United Nations sanctions, according to a report to be released next week. » | Damien McElroy, Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem, Duncan Gardham and Alex Spillius | Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Hugo Chavez's Family 'Want Him to Give Up Presidency due to Cancer'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A doctor who fled Venezuela after claiming President Hugo Chavez has only two years to live has said he only spoke out at the request of the radical left-wing leader's own family because they want him to step down.

Salvador Navarrete was labelled "a great con man" by Mr Chavez last month after telling a magazine that the cancer which the Venezuelan leader says he has already overcome was "very aggressive" and probably terminal.

Shortly afterwards, the doctor hurriedly left Venezuela with his family for an undisclosed location, amid reports that police had visited his offices in Caracas.

Now a new statement, released via medical colleagues of Dr Navarrete, threatens to undermine further Mr Chavez's insistence that he has been declared free of cancer and will be fit to fight next year's presidential election.

"Whom [sic] requested Dr Navarrete to make the announcement on Chavez's health was the presidential family, his daughters and his mother; they want Hugo Chavez to give up the presidency so he can rest and spend time with his family", said the statement.

It added that "the presidential family is concerned because his kidneys are not working; he is being submitted to dialysis almost daily, he is being bombarded with steroids". » | Robin Yapp, Sao Paulo | Wednesday, November 02, 2011