Iran Clamps Down on Internet Use

THE GUARDIAN: Restrictions on cybercafes and plans to launch national internet prompt fears users could be cut off from world wide web

Iran is clamping down heavily on web users before parliamentary elections in March with draconian rules on cybercafes and preparations to launch a national internet.

Tests for a countrywide network aimed at substituting services run through the world wide web have been carried out by Iran's ministry of information and communication technology, according to a newspaper report. The move has prompted fears among its online community that Iran intends to withdraw from the global internet.

The police this week imposed tighter regulations on internet cafes. Cafe owners have been given a two-week ultimatum to adopt rules requiring them to check the identity cards of their customers before providing services.

"Internet cafes are required to write down the forename, surname, name of the father, national identification number, postcode and telephone number of each customer," said an Iranian police statement, according to the news website Tabnak.

"Besides the personal information, they must maintain other information of the customer such as the date and the time of using the internet and the IP address, and the addresses of the websites visited. They should keep these informations for each individuals for at least six months."

In recent weeks, users in Iran have complained of a significant reduction in internet speed, reported the reformist newspaper, Roozegar, which has recently resumed publication after months of closure. The newspaper said it appeared to be the result of testing the national internet. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, January 05, 2012

Hosni Mubarak: Egypt Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty
BBC: Prosecutors at the trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have demanded he be given the death penalty.

Mr Mubarak is being tried in Cairo on charges of ordering the killing of protesters during unrest which led to his overthrow in February.

"The law foresees the death penalty for premeditated murder," prosecutor Mustafa Khater said, AFP reports.

The demand also applies for former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly and six other former security chiefs.

Mr Mubarak's two sons, one-time heir apparent Gamal and Alaa, face corruption charges in the same trial.

"How could the president of the republic not be aware of the demonstrations that broke out on January 25th?", chief prosecutor Mustafa Suleiman asked, according to AFP.

Mr Suleiman went on to argue that the then interior minister Habib el-Adly, who is also on trial, could "not have given the order to fire on demonstrators without having been instructed to do so by Mubarak." » | Thursday, January 05, 2012

Maldives President Orders All Spas to Be Reopened

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The president of the Maldives has ordered the country's upscale resorts to reopen their spas pending a Supreme Court decision on whether they violate Islam – just days after they were shut under pressure from protesters.

The court decision could be critical to the tourism-dependent island nation's economic future.

"The government has decided we will open all spas and give all the services to tourists which we have been giving before," said President Mohammed Nasheed.

"The tour operators were very worried" about the closure, he said.

Last week, authorities ordered all spas to close following a protest in the capital on Dec 23 in which thousands of people called for a halt to "anti-Islamic" activities including spas.

The protesters also demanded that authorities halt the sale of alcohol on islands inhabited by local people, stop plans to allow direct flights from Israel, and demolish statues given by other countries to commemorate a South Asian summit in November which they saw as idols. Read on and comment » | Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Ed Miliband 'Has No Strategy as Leader’

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ed Miliband has shown “no strategy, no narrative and little energy” as Labour leader and failed to “break through” with voters, one of his closest political allies has said.

Lord Glasman, a political theorist who has advised Mr Miliband, passed a damning verdict on his performance as Labour leader, saying he is losing the argument with the Coalition on the economy.

The peer said Labour was in thrall to “old faces” from Gordon Brown’s era committed to the former prime minister’s economic policies.

“On the face of it, these look like bad times for Labour and for Ed Miliband’s leadership,” Lord Glasman said. “There seems to be no strategy, no narrative and little energy. » | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor | Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner's Cancer Operation 'Successful'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been successfully operated on for thyroid cancer.

Presidential spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro said that Mrs Kirchner was recovering well after her three-and-a-half hour operation.

“The surgery on President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was carried out without any complication,” he said, adding that she will remain in hospital for about 72 hours.

The government last week announced her diagnosis of papillary carcinoma, detected during a routine medical checkup just before Christmas.

Tests suggested it had not spread beyond her thyroid, so the condition should be curable without chemotherapy, doctors said. They added that the 58-year-old president has a better than 90 per cent chance of recovery. » | Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Allow Assisted Suicide for Those with Less Than a Year to Live

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Doctors should be allowed to help terminally ill patients kill themselves – but only if they have less than a year to live, under proposals published in a major report today.

The independent Commission on Assisted Dying, whose members include several prominent peers and medics, wants GPs to be able to prescribe lethal doses of medication for dying people to take themselves.

The report, published today, calls for the “inadequate and incoherent” law against assisted suicide to be scrapped following a series of high profile cases where patients have used the Dignitas suicide clinic to take their own lives.

Although helping someone to die is punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment and police still investigate all cases, there have been no prosecutions since landmark guidelines were set out almost two years ago.

The Commission says the situation is “very distressing” for families, “uncertain” for health workers and place a “deeply challenging burden” on police and prosecutors.

Under its plans, doctors would be allowed to prescribe drugs to end the lives of terminally ill patients who have fewer than 12 months to live provided they are judged to have the mental capacity and clear desire to die.

If implemented, it could mean more than 1,000 people a year being helped to die in England and Wales. » | Martin Beckford, Social Affairs Editor | Thursday, January 05, 2012

Norway Killer Anders Behring Breivik 'Is Not Psychotic'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prison psychiatrists in Norway have ruled that mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is not psychotic and has not been put on medication, contradicting earlier reports of insanity.

The original finding by two court-appointed psychiatrists has been fiercely debated by mental health experts and several lawyers representing the victims of the massacre. Families of the victims have demanded the Oslo District Court order a second evaluation. Breivik has confessed to the murder of 77 people in July. In November he was declared insane.

However, despite the psychiatrists views, prosecutor Svein Holden in a letter to the court said he would not seek another evaluation.

Breivik has recently been given access to media in prison and could try to manipulate new experts in ways that would be favourable to him, he said.

Prosecutors say they would rather let experts testify at the forthcoming trial. » | Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Mahomet: Nouvel Obs interdit au Maroc
LE FIGARO: Le Maroc a bloqué la distribution de l'hebdomadaire français Le Nouvel Observateur qui a publié un dossier sur le monde arabe comportant notamment une représentation du visage du prophète Mahomet, proscrite par la tradition musulmane. Cette décision intervient quelques jours après l'interdiction de l'hebdomadaire français l'Express, qui avait publié un dossier de 95 pages sur l'islam, dans lequel le visage du prophète Mohamet était également reproduit. » | AFP | mercredi 04 janvier 2012

HT: Islam versus Europe »

L’EXPRESS: Mahomet: interdiction de l'hebdomadaire français le Nouvel Observateur au Maroc – RABAT - Le Maroc a bloqué la distribution de l'hebdomadaire français Le Nouvel Observateur qui a publié un dossier sur le monde arabe comportant notamment une représentation du visage du prophète Mahomet, proscrite par la tradition musulmane, a-t-on appris mercredi auprès des autorités. » | AFP | mercredi 04 janvier 2012

Sarkozy Outrage at Hollande's 'Nasty Piece of Work' Jibe
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Nicolas Sarkozy's party allies demanded a public apology from his main electoral opponent after he reportedly branded him a "nasty piece of work".

Francois Hollande, the opposition Socialist candidate currently on course to beat Mr Sarkozy in April's election, allegedly called the president a "sale mec", which roughly translates as a "nasty piece of work".

He made the remark in a supposedly off-the-record briefing for reporters on Tuesday, but a truncated version of his jibe was revealed in the daily Le Parisien.

Although dismissed as being taken out of context by the Socialist camp, a cohort of outraged Sarkozy allies seized on the "insult".

Dominique Dord, treasurer of Sarkozy's UMP party, described the reported comment as "revolting" and said that Mr Hollande should pull out of the presidential race, little more than 100 days before the election.

"We are all deeply shocked," said the head of Sarkozy's UMP party, Jean-Francois Cope.

"This is not the standard expected of a presidential candidate," said government minister Nadine Morano, one of many other UMP party members to pounce on the reported comment. "I demand a public apology."

Le Parisien reported the term as an insult, but others present at the lunch said it was not a direct attack but part of an imagined dialogue in which Mr Hollande played Mr Sarkozy. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Mitt Romney on Caucus Night

Mitt Romney: Mister Glückskind

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mitt Romney hat die Vorwahlen in Iowa nur hauchdünn gewonnen, doch die Präsidentschafts-Kandidatur der Republikaner ist ihm wohl kaum noch zu nehmen. Er profitiert von der Schwäche seiner Rivalen - genau das könnte ihm beim Kampf gegen ein anderes politisches Glückskind schaden: Barack Obama.

Amerikaner glauben, dass jeder Mensch seines Glückes Schmied ist. Aber ihre Präsidenten sind manchmal einfach Glückskinder. Barack Obama, ein relativ unerfahrener Ex-Sozialarbeiter, Hochschullehrer und Senator, gewann die Wahl 2008 nur dank einer Trias glücklicher Zufälle: Parteirivalin Hillary Clinton unterschätzte den jungen Parteifreund, Amerikaner ersehnten nach den Bush-Jahren "Change" - und Republikaner-Gegner John McCain entpuppte sich als sehr schwacher Wahlkämpfer.

Obamas Aufstieg begann im Schnee von Iowa, und jetzt ist dort erneut ein politisches Glückskind zu bestaunen: Mitt Romney, Sieger der republikanischen Vorwahlen in dem winzigen Agrarstaat. Dabei hat Romney die Abstimmung nicht einmal deutlich gewonnen, hauchdünn landete er am Dienstagabend vor seinem Parteifreund Rick Santorum, einem Liebling der religiösen Rechten.

Dennoch wird Romney wohl bald schon Obamas offizieller Herausforderer, weil er bestens präpariert die kommenden Abstimmungen in South Carolina und Florida angeht - ganz anders als Santorum, der bislang fast ausschließlich in Iowa um Stimmen buhlte. Anders auch als der Drittplatzierte Ron Paul, ein Idol der Jungen und der Radikalen, der Amerika keine Kriege mehr führen lassen möchte und die US-Notenbank abschaffen will.

Romney, der Ex-Gouverneur von Massachusetts, hat auf seinen Krönungsmoment lange hingearbeitet, er ist seit einem halben Jahrzehnt professioneller Präsidentschaftskandidat. Er ist auch ein besserer Bewerber als bei seinem ersten Anlauf 2008. Damals erschien er vielen Wählern noch wie ein Polit-Roboter.

Aber Romney ist vor allem ein Glückskind, und ihm helfen wie Obama drei glückliche Umstände: Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben » | Ein Kommentar von Gregor Peter Schmitz, Des Moines | Mittwoch 04. Januar 2012

Frankreich errichtet ersten Friedhof für Muslime

WELT ONLINE: In Straßburg entsteht derzeit ein städtischer Friedhof für Muslime. Für den Friedhof hat die Stadt rund 800.000 Euro bereitgestellt.

Erstmals in Frankreich erhalten die Muslime einen eigenen städtischen Friedhof. Der Friedhof, der in Straßburg entsteht, werde im Laufe des Januars offiziell eröffnet, sagte die zuständige stellvertretende Bürgermeisterin Anne-Pernelle Richardot.

Das Gelände ist einen Hektar groß und bietet Platz für rund tausend Gräber. Eine kleine Halle am Eingang soll den vorgeschriebenen rituellen Waschungen dienen. Rund 800.000 Euro bereitgestellt » | AFP/mcz | Mittwoch 04. Januar 2012

Hasstirade aus Nordkorea: "Südkoreas Präsident ist ein faschistischer Irrer"

WELT ONLINE: Nordkorea schimpft: Der südkoreanische Präsident Lee Myung-bak sei ein "proamerikanischer faschistischer Irrer", weil er seine Truppen in Alarmbereitschaft versetzt hat.

Nordkorea hat den südkoreanischen Präsidenten Lee Myung-bak als "proamerikanischen faschistischen Irren" und "Häuptling der Übel" bezeichnet.

Grund dafür ist die Entscheidung Lees, die südkoreanischen Truppen nach dem Tod des langjährigen nordkoreanischen Machthabers Kim Jong-il in höchste Alarmbereitschaft zu versetzen.

Die nordkoreanischen Streitkräfte würden Südkorea dazu zwingen, einen Preis für die Aktion zu zahlen, hieß es in einer Erklärung des Komitees für die friedliche Wiedervereinigung Koreas, die von der amtlichen Nachrichtenagentur KCNA verbreitet wurde.

Seit Lee nach seinem Amtsantritt 2008 die bedingungslosen Hilfslieferungen an den verarmten Norden einstellte, ist er immer wieder Ziel scharfer Kritik der nordkoreanischen Behörden gewesen, [sic] » | dapd/dpa/mcz | Mittwoch 04. Januar 2012

Michele Bachmann Drops Out of GOP Race
CBS NEWS: WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- In the wake of a disappointing finish in Tuesday's Iowa caucuses, Rep. Michele Bachmann announced Wednesday that she is suspending her campaign for president.

"Last night, the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, and so I have decided to stand aside," she said at a hastily-arranged news conference here.

"I have no regrets," she added. "None whatsoever. We never compromised our principles." She said she "looks forward to the next chapter in God's plan."

Bachmann did not endorse another candidate.

Bachmann, a third-term Minnesota congressman and the founder of the Tea Party caucus in the House, won the support of just five percent of Iowa Republican caucus-goers Tuesday. She finished in sixth place in the caucuses, which was essentially last place among the major contenders, since Jon Huntsman did not contest the state. » | Brian Montopoli | Wednesday, January 04, 2012

'Destroying Democracy': Hungarians Protest Controversial New Constitution

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Tens of thousands of Hungarians took to the streets of Budapest on Monday night to protest the country's new constitution, which took effect on Jan. 1. The document, in combination with other recent laws, severely curtails the independence of the country's central bank and courts. Religious rights have also been slashed.

"Viktor Orban. Dictator!" read one sign. "Enough!" screamed another. "Hey Europe, sorry about my prime minister," said a third. And there were hundreds more on Monday night in Budapest as tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the city's famous opera house to protest against the country's controversial new constitution, which went into effect on Jan. 1.

"The prime minister took an oath to defend the constitution, but instead he overthrew it," said Laszlo Majtenyi, the former head of the country's media authority, at the rally. "Tonight, the Opera is the home of hypocrisy and the street the home of constitutional virtues."

The crowd gathered outside as inside Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other leading government officials celebrated the new Basic Law inside the opera. Hungarian President Pal Schmitt defended the document, saying that his countrymen should be proud of it. "The constitution was born of a wide consultation, building on national and European values," he said in a speech at the celebration. "Our Basic Law defines the family, order, the home, work and health as the most important, shared scale of values."

The passage of the new constitution marks the crowning achievement of Orban's center-right Fidesz party, 18 months into its rule. The party won 53 percent of the vote in the spring of 2010, resulting in 68 percent of the seats in parliament, enough to radically change Hungary's legal landscape. Since then, according to Kim Lane Scheppele, director of Princeton University's Program in Law and Public Affairs and a long-time observer of Hungary, Fidesz has passed 359 laws. » | cgh -- with wire reports | Tuesday, January 03, 2012

German President Urged to Resign over Threats to Newspaper Editor

THE GUARDIAN: Christian Wulff under pressure over warning to Bild editor about 'judicial consequences' of printing story about his finances

Germany's president, Christian Wulff, is facing growing pressure to stand down following damaging revelations that he tried to browbeat the editor of the country's top tabloid to kill an unflattering story about him.

Germany's press were united in their condemnation of Wulff after it emerged on Monday that he had threatened the editor of Bild, Kai Diekmann.

In a furious voicemail message, Wulff told Diekmann there would be "war" unless he spiked an article on the president's personal finances.

Wulff, a key ally of Angela Merkel, the chancellor, and a Christian Democrat like her, accepted a large private loan from the wife of a wealthy businessman.

Although the arrangement was made before Wulff became president in 2010, it has fuelled claims that he lacks the personal judgment needed for the job.

In December Bild discovered that Wulff had taken a €500,000 (£420,000) loan from the wife of a close friend, Egon Geerkens, at an interest rate of 4% – 1% below the usual bank rate.

After discovering Bild was about to publish, Wulff tried unsuccessfully to reach Diekmann, who was away on a trip. He then left him a long, haranguing message, threatening "judicial consequences" and a "definitive breach" in relations with Bild's publishing group, Axel Springer. Two days later Wulff phoned back from a tour in the Gulf to apologise. Wulff, who took over the largely ceremonial role in June 2010, faced further embarrassing questions about his behaviour when another Springer newspaper, the Welt am Sonntag, revealed he had summoned one of its veteran reporters to a dressing down at his presidential residence. Wulff had taken umbrage at a forthcoming interview with his little-known half-sister.

The influential FT Deutschland newspaper called on Wulff to resign. The Süddeutsche newspaper described his dealings with the media as "naive and brazen", observing coldly: "The office is obviously too big for Wulff." » | Luke Harding | Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Related here and here

Romney Wins Iowa Nail-biter
LOS ANGELES TIMES: He edges Santorum, with Paul a strong third. Perry's fate is all but sealed with a fifth-place finish.

Reporting from Des Moines— In the closest finish in the history of the Iowa caucuses, Mitt Romney edged out Rick Santorum by eight votes in the first battle for the Republican presidential nomination.

A distant fifth-place finish apparently ended the once-promising candidacy of Rick Perry. The Texas governor, who started as a prime contender for the nomination last summer, broke off plans to fly to South Carolina for more campaigning, and said he was returning home instead to "determine whether this is a path forward."

Santorum rode a late-breaking burst of support after getting counted out by virtually everyone until the final days of a long campaign. His Iowa comeback represented a drastic reversal from his last election night, a 17-point reelection drubbing in 2006.

"Thank you so much, Iowa," said the former Pennsylvania senator, who swapped his trademark sweater vest for a coat and tie to address jubilant supporters in a Des Moines suburb.

The victory strengthened Romney's candidacy heading into next Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, where he enjoys a big lead in the polls and a victory would provide momentum to make him the clear favorite to become the GOP nominee. » | Paul West, Washington Bureau | Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Mitt Romney Wins Iowa by Eight Votes
Mitt Romney beat Rick Santorum by just eight votes in Iowa - the tightest finish in the Republican party's history in the state. Romney won 30,015 votes and Santorum 30,007 after a record turnout of 122,225. Ron Paul came third. The biggest loser was Rick Perry, with only 5% of the vote

Mitt Romney Attacks Obama on Economy During Iowa Caucus Day
Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney targeted Barack Obama on economic issues on Iowa caucus day, as the former Massachusetts governor vowed to 'get America working again'.

L'Arabie saoudite ignore la demande de Tunis d'extrader Ben Ali

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le tribunal militaire de Tunis a reporté mardi au 10 janvier le procès intenté contre l'ex-président tunisien Ben Ali et une quarantaine de hauts responsables du régime.

«Nous avons demandé à deux reprises son extradition, mais nous n'avons pas reçu de réponses», a expliqué le président du tribunal militaire de Tunis, Hédi Ayari, aux avocats qui l'interrogeaient sur les efforts tunisiens pour faire revenir Ben Ali d'Arabie Saoudite.

Ce procès, reporté pour la deuxième fois, porte sur leurs rôles dans la mort de 43 manifestants et la blessure de 97 autres dans le gouvernorat de Tunis et autres villes au nord du pays comme Bizerte et Nabeul, lors des soulèvements datés d'une année en Tunisie. Continuez à lire et écrire un commentaire » | ATS/AFP/Newsnet | mercredi 04 janvier 2012

Ein Präsident, der "von allen guten Geistern verlassen" ist

DIE PRESSE: Um den deutschen Bundespräsidenten Christian Wulff wird es langsam sehr einsam: Die Medien trommeln gegen ihn, viele mit deftigen Worten, Politiker rücken von ihm ab - und jetzt tauchen neue Vorwürfe auf.

Berlin. Das Schloss der deutschen Bundespräsidenten heißt Bellevue, zur schönen Aussicht. Gar nicht schön sind die Aussichten für Amtsinhaber Christian Wulff. Zu Wochenbeginn wurde bekannt, dass er „Bild“-Redakteuren per Anruf auf die Mobilbox des Chefredakteurs mit Strafanzeigen gedroht hat, um das Erscheinen eines Bericht über Ungereimtheiten bei der Finanzierung seines Hauskaufs zu verhindern. Am Dienstag zeigte sich die schreibende Zunft geschlossen solidarisch mit den Kollegen vom großen Boulevardblatt. Sie haben das Staatsoberhaupt abgeschrieben, viele mit deftigen Worten.

Wulff sei „von allen guten Geistern verlassen“, befand die „Frankfurter Allgemeine“. Die „Süddeutsche“ zeigt sich bestürzt über seine „Naivität und Dreistigkeit“: „Dieses Amt ist für Wulff zu groß“. Stefan Aust, der frühere „Spiegel“-Chefredakteur, ist fassungslos“ über das „politische Selbstmordkommando“ des Präsidenten: „So etwa Irres ist mir noch nie vorgekommen.“ Dumm, unentschuldbar, unterste Schublade – so rau rauscht es durch den Blätterwald. Ein medialer Super-GAU. » | Von Karl Gaulhofer | Dienstag 03. Januar 2012

Related »

Newt Gingrich Calls Mitt Romney “a Liar”
THE BOSTON GLOBE: Newt Gingrich called Mitt Romney “a liar” today for saying he has no role or responsibility for a barrage of negative ads that are credited with damaging the former House speaker’s campaign in Iowa.


During an interview with CBS News, Gingrich, who was the frontrunner in Iowa just two weeks ago, said it was “baloney” that Romney had nothing to do with the ads from an independent group, a super PAC called Restore our Future, which is backing the former Massachusetts governor. Those ads are credited, in part, with exposing Gingrich’s personal and congressional vulnerabilities. As Romney has risen to the top of the most recent polls in Iowa, where caucusgoers vote tonight, Gingrich has tumbled to the middle of the pack.

“This is a man whose staff created the PAC and his millionaire friends fund the PAC,” he said on “The Early Show.”

“He’s not telling the American people the truth,” Gingrich said. “It’s just like his pretense that he’s a conservative.”

When asked if he was calling Romney a liar, Gingrich answered “yes.” » | Bobby Caina Calvan, Globe Staff | Tuesday, January 03, 2012