Police Investigate Links between Neo-Nazi Group and Far-right Party
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Police in Germany are investigating links between a neo-Nazi group that murdered nine Turkish and Greek immigrants, and a far-right party with representatives in two state assemblies.

Germany has more than 400 police and prosecutors looking into how the "National Socialist Underground" could have stayed undetected until last month, when two members were found dead in a burnt-out mobile home and a third handed herself in to police.

The head of Germany's crime squad, Joerg Ziercke, said the arrest this week of a 35-year-old man in Jena in east Germany where the cell was based indicated a link to the anti-immigrant National Democratic Party (NPD). » | Thursday, December 01, 2011

Frankreich: Schärfere Ausländerpolitik
Nicolas Sarkozy will die Zahl der legalen Einwanderer reduzieren. Möglicherweise ist das eine Taktik, um bei den Präsidentschaftswahlen im Frühling die Rechtsaussen-Partei «Front National» auszubremsen.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn: 'Uninhibited Sex Life' Ruined My Career

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dominique Strauss-Kahn has laid bare his despair at how his “weak flesh” ruined his political career for a "stupid" moment of “pleasure” with an hotel maid, in an official biography released Thursday.

Providing his first public account of what took place in his New York hotel suite on May 14, the former International Monetary Fund chief is quoted as saying: “Nothing would have happened if I hadn’t had this consensual, but stupid relationship with Nafissatou Diallo. That day, I opened the door to all the other affairs.”

The ensuing sex scandal cost the 62-year old his job and his chance of being the next French president. Beforehand, he was runaway favourite to beat the incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.

In his only previous media interview since returning to France after sexual assault charges were dropped, Mr Strauss-Kahn had only acknowledged committing a “moral fault”.

But in The DSK Affairs: the Counter Investigation, the 62-year old expresses remorse at how he threw it all away for a moment of “pleasure” in Sofitel suite 2806.

“I could have been in a position to be president,” he is quoted as saying. “Now, I’m no longer in that position.” » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, December 01, 2011

Russia Today Live

Biassed Viewpoint: Iranian Quest for casus belli

Read the Russia Today article »

The Republicans' Farcical Candidates: A Club of Liars, Demagogues and Ignoramuses

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The US Republican race is dominated by ignorance, lies and scandals. The current crop of candidates have shown such a basic lack of knowledge that they make George W. Bush look like Einstein. The Grand Old Party is ruining the entire country's reputation.

Africa is a country. In Libya, the Taliban reigns. Muslims are terrorists; most immigrants are criminal; all Occupy protesters are dirty. And women who feel sexually harassed -- well, they shouldn't make such a big deal about it.

Welcome to the wonderful world of the US Republicans. Or rather, to the twisted world of what they call their presidential campaigns. For months now, they've been traipsing around the country with their traveling circus, from one debate to the next, one scandal to another, putting themselves forward for what's still the most powerful job in the world.

As it turns out, there are no limits to how far they will stoop.

It's true that on the road to the White House all sorts of things can happen, and usually do. No campaign can avoid its share of slip-ups, blunders and embarrassments. Yet this time around, it's just not that funny anymore. In fact, it's utterly horrifying.

It's horrifying because these eight so-called, would-be candidates are eagerly ruining not only their own reputations and that of their party, the party of Lincoln lore. Worse: They're ruining the reputation of the United States.

'Freakshow'

They lie. They cheat. They exaggerate. They bluster. They say one idiotic, ignorant, outrageous thing after another. They've shown such stark lack of knowledge -- political, economic, geographic, historical -- that they make George W. Bush look like Einstein and even cause their fellow Republicans to cringe. » | A Commentary by Marc Pitzke | Thursday, December 01, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Michele Bachmanns Phantom-Botschaft: Tea-Party-Frau Michele Bachmann wollte wohl Entschlossenheit demonstrieren - und machte sich zum Gespött: Wenn sie Präsidentin wäre, sagte die Bewerberin der Republikaner, würde sie die US-Botschaft in Iran schließen. Allein: Eine diplomatische Vertretung gibt es dort schon seit 1980 nicht mehr. » | ffr | Donnerstag 01. Dezember 2011

Ben Ali condamné à cinq ans de prison
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le président tunisien déchu Zine El Abidine Ben Ali a été condamné par contumace à cinq ans de prison par la justice militaire de son pays, a indiqué mercredi une source judiciaire.

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali a été notamment reconnu coupable pour des actes de torture.

Dans ce premier procès devant le Tribunal militaire permanent de première instance de Tunis, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali était jugé pour l’arrestation et la torture d’officiers de l’armée accusés de coup d’Etat contre son régime dans l’affaire dite «Baraket Essahel», dont les faits remontent à 1991. » | AFP | mercredi 30 novembre 2011

Bundesanwaltschaft ermittelt: Iran plant angeblich Anschläge in Deutschland
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die deutschen Sicherheitsbehörden verdächtigen Iran, Attentate auf amerikanische Militärflugplätze in Deutschland zu planen. Die Bundesanwaltschaft ermittelt wegen des Verdachtes der Agententätigkeit gegen einen Deutschen.

Die deutschen Sicherheitsbehörden verdächtigen Iran, im Falle eines Angriffs der Vereinigten Staaten Anschläge auf amerikanische Militärflugplätze in Deutschland zu planen. General-bundesanwalt Harald Range bestätigte am Donnerstag in Karlsruhe ein entsprechendes Ermittlungsverfahren. Eine unmittelbare Gefahr bestehe allerdings nicht, sagte der Präsident des Bundeskriminalamtes (BKA), Jörg Ziercke. » | Quelle: dpa | Donnerstag 01. Dezember 2011

Mogadishu Suicide Bomber Attacks Somalia Government Compound
A suicide bomb attack on a government compound in Mogadishu killed four government soldiers, narrowly missing the senior army commander. A wave of roadside bombings have hit Mogadishu this week, killing at least seven people, in incidents that police and residents have blamed on al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabaab militants

Iran's Mullahs Come Out Fighting

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The storming of the British embassy in Tehran and William Hague’s closure of the Iranian mission in London brings to an end the fruitless diplomatic reconciliation instigated by the last Labour government.

For the beleaguered group of diplomats holed up in the British Embassy compound in Tehran and surrounded by a baying mob of Iranian protesters, it was, as one of their colleagues phlegmatically remarked yesterday, “a very hairy few hours”.

The embassy staff had been forewarned that trouble was brewing. All Tuesday morning, pro-government Farsi websites had posted comments calling for protesters to gather in Bobby Sands Street. This is the name that the road leading to the British Embassy was given by the ayatollahs when they last squared up to Britain, over the Salman Rushdie affair in 1989.

The original aim of the protest was to commemorate the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist, one of three killed in the past two years on the streets of Tehran. But with relations between Britain and Iran entering one of their periodic crises, the bloggers argued that there was no better way to mark the scientist’s death than to focus their ire on the embassy compound in central Tehran.

Britain has a long and undistinguished history of intrigue in Iranian affairs, dating from the 19th century when British gunboats regularly shelled Persian ports to persuade the Shah to toe the line. More recently, in 1953, British intelligence masterminded the plot to overthrow Mohammed Mossadegh – arguably Iran’s last democratically elected prime minister – after he sought to nationalise the British-owned Anglo-Iranian oil company.

Given this history of skulduggery, it is hardly surprising that most Iranians believe Britain is involved in the carefully coordinated campaign of assassinations, bombings and acts of computer sabotage that are clearly designed to disrupt Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. In the most recent incident, a mysterious explosion appears to have caused significant damage to the uranium enrichment complex at Isfahan, a vital feature of Iran’s nuclear programme. Read on and comment » | Con Coughlin | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Blair’s Government Tried to Get Oxford Place for Saif Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Blair government tried to secure a place at Oxford University for Saif al-Islam, the son of Muammar Gaddafi.

A senior Foreign Office official contacted the university in 2002 as part of efforts to establish better relations with the Libyan regime, according to a report.

“It was made clear that the FCO would appreciate help in this case since Libya was opened up to the West again,” Professor Valpy FitzGerald said in the report. The request came two years before Mr Blair’s deal in the desert, which formally reopened diplomatic links.

The approach was disclosed by an inquiry, carried out by Lord Woolf, the former Lord Chief Justice, into the “disastrous” relationship that subsequently developed between Gaddafi’s Libya and the London School of Economics. Continue reading and comment » | Graeme Paton, Education Editor | Wednesday, November 30. 2011

Related »

Warning over 'Excessively Strict' Discipline in UK Madrassas

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Children attending some UK Islamic schools are being subjected to physical beatings as teachers use loopholes to get around a ban on corporal punishment, according to new research.

Several madrassas – religious schools often run by mosques – use “excessively strict approaches to discipline” to keep children in line, it was revealed.

Researchers said the imposition of hard-line rules on behaviour instilled a sense of “spiritual fear” in young people, marking them out from mainstream schools.

The study, by the Institute for Public Policy Research, found a number of examples of madrassas actually employing corporal punishment.

A ban on physical beatings, including the cane, was introduced in the 1980s.

But the legislation does not cover “supplementary schools”, including many madrassas, where lessons are taught for fewer than 12.5 hours per week.

Labour pledged to close the loophole after an independent review of child safety raised concerns over the practice in early 2010, but the policy has never been enacted.

The latest study – Inside Madrassas – also found around one-in-10 institutions did not subject staff to criminal records checks, adding that this was likely to be a significant underestimate as it failed to include less formal schools not covered by the research. » | Graeme Paton, Education Editor | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

LSE Attacked over 'Disastrous' Ties to Gaddafi's Libya
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A catalogue of failures by senior dons allowed one of Britain’s top universities to establish a “disastrous” relationship with Gaddafi’s Libya, according to a damning report.

The London School of Economics built up increasingly extensive ties to the regime over almost a decade after admitting Muammar Gaddafi's most high-profile son, Saif al-Islam, in 2002.

In a series of blunders, the university allowed Saif Gaddafi to start a PhD despite concerns over his academic ability and accepted a £1.5m donation from his personal charity with limited inquiries into the source of the cash.

Its links to the regime were so extensive that at one point the university was even nicknamed the “Libyan School of Economics”, it was revealed.

The inquiry – carried out by Lord Woolf, the former Lord Chief Justice – found that the relationship was allowed to grow “unchecked and to a degree unnoticed until their effect was overwhelming” when the Gaddafi regime started to crumble this year. Muammar Gaddafi was eventually killed by rebels in October and his son was captured in mid-November.

In a damning conclusion, the report said: “The mistakes and errors of judgment go beyond those that could be expected from an institute of the LSE's distinction." » | Graeme Paton, Education Editor | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Related »

Former US Marine Sues BAE for Mocking Military Service
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A former US Marine who was given the nation's highest award for valour is suing British defence giant BAE Systems alleging that a manager mocked his military service and blocked his efforts to get a job with another company.

Sergeant Dakota Meyer, who worked briefly this year for BAE Systems OASYS based in the US, claims the manager called him mentally unstable and suggeste [sic] BAE Systems warns of 'significant uncertainty' in US defence spending [d] he had a drink problem, thereby costing him a new job.

Sgt Meyer received the Medal of Honour from President Barack Obama in September, two years after saving 36 lives during a six-hour ambush in Afghanistan. He was the third living recipient of the award for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.

At the age of 21 he defied orders from his commanders, charging five times in a Humvee into heavy gunfire and providing cover for his team, allowing many to escape. He killed at least eight Taliban.

In a defamation case filed in Texas, Sgt Meyer said he became dismayed in April upon learning that weapons systems including optical scopes were being sold to Pakistan.

He sent an email to supervisors saying: "We are simply taking the best gear, the best technology on the market to date and giving it to guys that are known to stab us in the back." » | Nick Allen, Los Angeles | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

My comment:

What can we expect of BAE Systems? Isn't it a schlucky operation? Won't it £$%^ on anyone in its way to turn a profit? – © Mark

This comment also appears here.

Britain On Brink of Severing Diplomatic Ties with Iran
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain came close to severing diplomatic ties with Iran when the Government ordered the closure of the Islamic Republic's embassy in London and gave its staff 48 hours to leave.


Read article and comment here | David Blair, Chief Foreign Correspondent | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Jeremy Clarkson: 'Execute' Public Sector Workers, Says BBC Top Gear Host
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The BBC has apologised after Jeremy Clarkson, the Top Gear presenter, called for public sector workers to be "executed", during a live television interview.

In a series of gaffes live on the corporation’s popular The One Show, the 51 year-old suggested that public sectors workers should be shot in front of their families.

The veteran television presenter and newspaper columnist, whose show is broadcast on BBC Two, also complained about being delayed by people throwing themselves in front of trains.

The public broadcaster issued a swift on-air apology, saying he sometimes overstepped the mark in his quest for "comic" value.

The BBC disclosed that it had received complaints about the comments but could not provide exact numbers.

During his interview, Clarkson was asked what he would do with strikers, he replied: "I would have them all shot". » | Andrew Hough | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Ginger White: Herman Cain ‘Would Be a Bad President’
BBC: Herman Cain would not make a good president, says Ginger White, the woman who said she had a 13-year affair with the Republican White House hopeful.

Speaking to ABC News, Ms White also referred to her relationship with Mr Cain as "very casual".

The former pizza firm executive has denied the affair, calling Ms White a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman".

The candidate has said he is "reassessing" his campaign in light of the new allegations.

Ms White, 46, said on Wednesday that her mobile phone records show interactions with Mr Cain as late as November, although their relationship ended eight months ago when he began running for president.

"It was a very casual affair. Am I proud to admit to that? No I'm not," Ms White told ABC.
Mr Cain has not denied he was friends with Ms White, or that he helped her financially, but has denied they had any sexual relationship.

Mr Cain, a former head of the National Restaurant Association, wrote to supporters on Tuesday: "I have helped many friends and acquaintances throughout the years... Ms White has made it apparent that she was abusing the friendship." (+ video) » | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Tolerant Dictator: Syria's Christians Side with Assad Out of Fear

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Many of Syria's 2.5 million Christians are supporting President Bashar Assad amidst ongoing protests in the country. They prefer a brutal dictator who guarantees the rights of religious minorities to the uncertain future that Assad's departure would bring. The president is exploiting their fears of Islamists for his own ends.

The rebellion against him was just a few days old when Syrian dictator Bashar Assad summoned his country's Christian leaders to the presidential palace in northwestern Damascus. Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius came. He is 78 years old and critically ill, but still a powerful figure. Bishops and archbishops representing Catholics, Armenians, Aramaeans and Assyrians were also present. In total, there were a dozen religious leaders, representing around 2.5 million Syrian Christians.

The message they received from their head of state was short and simple: Either support me, or your churches will burn.

It seemed Assad, himself a member of the Alawis, a branch of Shia Islam, didn't want to assume that Syria's Christians would continue to remain aloof from politics. Sensing that not only his authority but perhaps his very survival was at stake, he resorted to the same means his father, Hafez Assad, once used to maintain power: pressure and violence.

The Arab League has suspended Syria's membership, isolating the country internationally. Damascus missed last Friday's deadline for Assad to stop the bloodshed and allow a commission of observers into the country. The League had allowed a brief extension, but on Sunday imposed harsh economic sanctions on the country. On Wednesday, Turkey also introduced its own economic sanctions on Syria. » | Bastian Berbner | Translated from the German by Ella Ornstein | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Bundesverwaltungsgericht: Muslim darf in Schule nicht beten
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Ein 18 Jahre alter Muslim darf an seiner Schule nicht gen Mekka beten. In dem mehrjährigen Streit entschied das Bundesverwaltungsgericht, der Junge müsse die Einschränkung seiner Glaubensfreiheit hinnehmen. Sonst sei der Schulfrieden gestört.

Ein junger Muslim aus Berlin darf an seiner Schule nicht demonstrativ gen Mekka beten. Nach mehrjährigem Streit wies das Bundesverwaltungsgericht in Leipzig am Mittwoch die Klage des 18 Jahre alten Schülers zurück. Der Gymnasiast müsse die Einschränkung seiner Glaubensfreiheit hinnehmen, weil durch die öffentlichen Ritualgebete der Schulfrieden gestört werde, urteilte der 6. Senat. » | Quelle: dpa | Mittwoch 30. November 2011

Britain Expels Iranian Diplomats and Closes Tehran Embassy
THE GUARDIAN: William Hague says diplomats must leave UK within 48 hours, saying storming of British embassy in Iran had backing of regime

The foreign secretary, William Hague has ordered the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from the UK and announced that the UK is closing its embassy in Tehran, saying that the storming of the mission on Tuesday had the backing of the regime.

Hague said Iranian diplomats would have to leave Britain within 48 hours, and that all British embassy staff in Tehran had now left Iran. » | Julian Borger, diplomatic editor | Wednesday, November 30, 2011