Friday, January 25, 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In der ägyptischen Hauptstadt Kairo haben sich Regierungsgegner und Polizei heftige Auseinandersetzungen geliefert. Die Sicherheitskräfte schossen mit Tränengas auf Hunderte Demonstranten - sie haben sich zum zweiten Jahrestag des Revolutionsbeginns auf dem Tahrir-Platz versammelt.
Kairo - Ihr Protest gilt Präsident Mohammed Mursi: Zwei Jahre nach dem Beginn der Massenproteste gegen den damaligen Machthaber Husni Mubarak haben Tausende Ägypter gegen die neue islamistische Regierung demonstriert. » | hen/Reuters | Freitag, 25. Januar 2013
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Sie ließen sich im afghanisch-pakistanischen Grenzgebiet im Umgang mit Waffen und Sprengstoff ausbilden - und reisten dann zurück nach Europa, um sich "für bestimmte Operationen" bereitzuhalten: Das Kammergericht Berlin hat jetzt zwei Qaida-Terroristen zu mehrjährigen Haftstrafen verurteilt.
Berlin - Rund zwölf Monate dauerte das Verfahren, jetzt hat das Berliner Kammergericht sein Urteil gegen zwei Mitglieder des Terrornetzwerks al-Qaida gesprochen: Ein 23-jähriger Österreicher muss für sechs Jahre und neun Monate ins Gefängnis, ein 27-jähriger Deutscher für neun Jahre. » | hen/dapd/dpa | Freitag, 25. Januar 2013
Iran has been conducting a smear campaign designed to intimidate Iranian journalists living in exile, including apparent death threats. Cyber-activists linked to the Islamic republic have fabricated news, duplicated Facebook accounts and spread false allegations of sexual misconduct by exiled journalists, while harassment of family members back in Iran has been stepped up by security officials.
Staff at the BBC's Persian service in London are among dozens of Iranian journalists who have been subjected to what appears to be an operation sponsored by the authorities and aimed at discrediting reporters in the eyes of the public in Iran.
It is not the first time the Iranian authorities have resorted to such tactics, but Sadeq Saba, head of BBC Persian, said the number of incidents and level of harassment has increased in the last few weeks.
"In comparison to previous round of harassment, this time the language they were using in Iran [against the family members] was more threatening," he said. According to Saba, members of journalists' families have been summoned to the intelligence service headquarters for questioning. One journalist whose parents were interrogated several times said they were told he should stop working for the BBC or risk being killed. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, January 24, 2013
THE GUARDIAN: New arrests bring total to five after incidents and YouTube videos in which east London gang harass members of public
Detectives investigating a self-styled Muslim patrol gang have made three more arrests, Scotland Yard has said.
Officers are investigating a string of incidents in east London over the weekend where the group harassed members of the public.
A video posted on YouTube showed the gang hurling homophobic abuse at one man, whom the police have urged to come forward.
In the film, titled "Muslim vigilantes in London harass and taunt gay male", they are heard to shout "get out of here you fag … don't stay around here any more".
In a second video, also posted online, men from the gang in Whitechapel tell another man "no drink in this area, it's a Muslim area" before ordering him to pour away his alcohol.
Det Chief Inspector Wendy Morgan from Tower Hamlets borough said: "The Met takes such homophobic behaviour very seriously. (+ video) » | Press Association | Thursday, January 24, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Fewer than one in four British voters believes Islam is compatible with the British way of life, the UK's first Muslim woman Cabinet Minister reveals today.
Baroness Warsi will quote private police figures which show that more than half of race hate attacks in Britain are against Muslims as she condemns critics of Islam for peddling 'hate'.
Lady Warsi sparked huge controversy two years ago when she said Britain's approach to Muslims has made Islamophobia acceptable at middle class dinner parties.
But in a new speech today she accuses critics of Islam of being 'un-British' themselves by grouping ordinary Muslims with extremists.
The Minister for Faith and Communities reveals stark polling conducted by YouGov which found that just 24 per cent of voters think Islam is compatible with being British, while more than half disagree. Only 23 per cent say Islam is not a threat to Western civilisation.
An unrepentant Lady Warsi, whose parents emigrated from Pakistan, said that she was right to speak out before and will use the new evidence to warn that the 'underlying, unfounded mistrust' of Muslims is fuelling extremism. Read on and comment » | Tim Shipman | Thursday, January 24, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Germany's Bild newspaper has published an impassioned editorial in defence of the "crazy Brits" and David Cameron's pledge to hold a referendum on the European Union.
Going against the grain of most European press coverage of the Prime Minister's speech, which is hostile, the popular German newspaper, praises Britain for "once again making an extra sausage", or seeking an extra democratic advantage.
"Crazy Brits. The Brits put Europe into a frenzy," the newspaper opines.
"Most EU countries have tacitly agreed to build Europe above the heads of the people. Motto: The European project is simply too important for democratic participation. And then along comes this Cameron!"
The German newspaper upbraids those who are seeking to kick Britain out of the EU and to lecture Britons on their national interest as defined by outsiders in Brussels or elsewhere on the continent.
"Nice that the rest of the world knows better than the Brits do the interests of their country. » | Bruno Waterfield | Thursday, January 24, 2013
BILD.DE: Bitte geht nicht, ihr seid so schön crazy! : Kaum hat Großbritanniens Premier David Cameron eine Volksabstimmung über die Zugehörigkeit der Insel zu EU-Europa angekündigt, steht der alte Kontinent Kopf. » | Mittwoch, 23. Januar 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Up to 233 billion barrels of oil has been discovered in the Australian outback that could be worth trillions of dollars, in a find that could turn the region into a new Saudi Arabia.
The discovery in central Australia was reported by Linc Energy to the stock exchange and was based on two consultants reports, though it is not yet known how commercially viable it will be to access the oil.
The reports estimated the company's 16 million acres of land in the Arckaringa Basin in South Australia contain between 133 billion and 233 billion barrels of shale oil trapped in the region's rocks.
The find was likened to the Bakken and Eagle Ford shale oil projects in the US, which have resulted in massive outflows and have led to predictions that the US could overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer as soon as this year.
Peter Bond, Linc Energy's chief executive, said the find could transform the world's oil industry but noted that it would cost about £200 million to enable production in the area. Shale oil is more costly to extract than conventional crude oil and involves the controversial process of fracking, in which water and chemicals are used to break up the rocks.
"If you took the 233 billion, well, you're talking Saudi Arabia numbers," Mr Bond told ABC News. » | Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney | Thursday, January 24, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is lifting the military’s ban on women in combat, which will open up hundreds of thousands of additional front-line jobs to them, senior defense officials said on Wednesday.
The groundbreaking decision overturns a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricts women from artillery, armor, infantry and other such combat roles, even though in reality women have found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 20,000 have served. As of last year, more than 800 women had been wounded in the two wars and more than 130 had died.
Defense officials offered few details about Mr. Panetta’s decision but described it as the beginning of a process to allow the branches of the military to put it into effect. Defense officials said Mr. Panetta had made the decision on the recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. » | Elisabeth Bumiller | Wednesday, January 23, 2013
This is the West’s unrelenting quest to turn men into women, and women into men. Soon, there will be no masculine men or feminine women left. – © Mark
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A second inflammatory video featuring Islamic vigilantes emerged today, which appeared to show members of the group hurling homophobic abuse at a man and telling him to leave their "Muslim area".
The footage, from a group calling themselves Muslim Patrol, shows the gang abusing the unnamed man who was walking by himself in Whitechapel, East London.
Today Scotland Yard said they were investigating the video, which was posted on YouTube. Muslim leaders also condemned the thugs' behaviour.
It comes after the gang uploaded another video called "The Truth About Saturday Night", in which white women were called "naked animals with no self-respect".
In the latest video, hooded thugs shout at the terrified man, who appears to be wearing make-up, before one tells him: "Mate, don't you know this is a Muslim area. What's wrong with your face?"
Another then shouts: "This is a Muslim area get out of here. Get out here you b----- f--. You can't stay round here anymore."
During the latest filmed confrontation, the victim can be heard to say: "I am a homosexual."
A yob then asks: "Why are you dressed like that?"
The same yob then tells the man: "You are walking through a Muslim area dressed like a f--. You need to get out of here. "Get out of here quicker. You're dirty mate."
The man then forces the victim to admit he is dirty, he can be heard saying: "Are you dirty? Say it again." » | Telegraph Reporters | Tuesday, January 22, 2013
London. Die Reaktion kam rasch und war eindeutig: Die beiden großen EU-Länder Frankreich und Deutschland wollen Großbritannien keine neuen Sonderrechte mehr zugestehen. Sie möchten sich auf das Druckmittel des britischen Premiers, der am Mittwoch ein Referendum über den Verbleib seines Landes in der EU angekündigt hat, nicht einlassen.
David Cameron hat den Einsatz in der Europapolitik mit seiner Rede in London noch einmal erhöht. Bleiben die EU-Partner hart, werden die Briten möglicherweise Ende 2017 nicht über eine neue Sonderrolle der Insel in der Europäischen Union, sondern lediglich über ein Ende der Mitgliedschaft entscheiden. Ein Recht, das ihnen der Lissabon-Vertrag mit der Austrittsklausel zugesteht. » | Gabriel Rath | Die Presse | Mittwoch, 23. Januar 2013
There were 4,229 in all who converted to Islam at the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (Diaca) and the Islamic Information Centre of the Dubai government-run Dar Al Ber Society.
Diaca saw the conversion of 2,322 residents from 77 different countries — 70 per cent of whom were women. Diaca director-general Hamad Al Shaibani said the department spared no effort to convey the tolerant message of Islam, develop awareness about Islamic culture, and enhance national identity.
“We also pay much attention to new Muslims and provide them with an array of lectures, activities and training courses for them and their family members.” » | Ahmed Shaaban | Wednesday, January 23, 2013
STERN.DE: David Cameron hat den Briten ein Referendum zur EU versprochen. Und sie bekommen es. In vier Jahren. Aber es bleibt die Frage: Wird das Land dann noch abstimmen oder ist es nicht jetzt schon raus? Ein Kommentar von Cornelia Fuchs
Während meiner Zeit als Korrespondentin in London habe ich viele Vorträge von Politikern und Politikbegeisterten gehört, die ihre Theorien zur EU vor mir ausbreiteten. Ob dies im Pub passierte oder in einem Vortragsraum - die Mehrheit hatte einen eindeutigen Grundtenor: Wir brauchen Euch nicht, aber Ihr braucht uns.
EU-Gegner riefen dabei nicht selten das alte Empire ins Gedächtnis: Die ehemaligen Kolonien seien eine viel natürlichere Gemeinschaft für das Vereinigte Königreich, der Commonwealth mit dem beliebten, weißen und weisen Oberhaupt Königin Elizabeth II. Oder man folge der Muttersprache und vereine von Indien bis zu den Vereinigten Staaten alle Länder der "Anglosphere", des englischen Einflusses. » | Cornelia Fuchs | Mittwoch, 23. Januar 2013
David Cameron has outlined the scale of his ambition to transform the terms of Britain's membership of the EU by calling for the UK to be exempted from its founding principle: the creation of an ever-closer union.
In his long-awaited speech on the EU, the prime minister cast himself as a modern-day heretic as he pledged to challenge established thinking.
Speaking at the London headquarters of Bloomberg, Cameron confirmed plans to hold an in-out referendum after the next election but warned: "The biggest danger to the European Union comes not from those who advocate change, but from those who denounce new thinking as heresy. In its long history Europe has experience of heretics who turned out to have a point."
The prime minister said that nothing would be off the table when he puts forward demands for the repatriation of a series of powers to Britain if he wins the 2015 general election. A new settlement would then be put to voters in a referendum by the end of 2017.
"I believe in confronting this issue – shaping it, leading the debate. Not simply hoping a difficult situation will go away," he said.
The prime minister concluded by saying that he would campaign with all his "heart and soul" for Britain to remain in the EU if he succeeds in renegotiating its membership terms. "When the referendum comes, let me say now that if we can negotiate such an arrangement, I will campaign for it with all my heart and soul," he said.
But Cameron declined to be drawn on whether he would campaign for a no vote if he failed to secure changes in the negotiations. Read on and comment » | Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent | Wednesday, January 23, 2013
My comment:
The Conservatives under David Cameron are playing fast and loose with our future. They dream of re-creating England's past glory. But it's never going to happen, of course. It is becoming ever-clearer now that David Cameron is truly out of his depth. He is a man with little foresight, and still less charisma. If he thinks he is going to move the Europeans over to his way of thinking, he's got another think coming.
The way things are going, the Europeans will soon be telling us to "get on our bikes." Then the UK will find itself truly isolated: it won't have any pull at the top tables in Europe, and the Americans will shun us because we won't have any bargaining power there. Nice one, Dave!
I am old enough to remember a time when the UK was not in Europe; I am old enough to remember the referendum which took us into the club. Although it wasn't stated, anyone with any political savvy knew in his heart of hearts that it would lead to an ever-closer union. It wasn't rocket science. Further, I can add that the UK was an infinitely poorer place to live in. The selection of goods in the shops was as nothing by comparison with what we have today in the way of variety of continental foodstuffs. If you wanted continental foods, you'd have to travel to your nearest large town or city and pay a visit to the expensive, exclusive delicatessen to buy them, and even then the selection was severely limited by comparison with today. If you wanted to travel in Europe, you'd need your papers for different countries; if you were taken ill abroad, you wouldn't have access to local health services; if you wanted to work in a European country, you'd have to go through a great deal of red-tape (if it was even possible at all).
If this is the scenario that cast-iron Dave wants to re-create, then the man is a fool. It's a great shame that he isn't a little bit older. If he were, he'd be able to remember the status quo ante. It would do him a lot of good to have some idea of it. – © Mark
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Comme un pied de nez à l'actualité. Karl Lagerfeld a conclu le défilé haute couture Chanel ce mardi de manière un peu moins traditionnelle qu'à l'accoutumée : avec deux mariées. En plein débat sur le mariage pour tous, effet immédiat garanti. "Je ne comprends même pas cette discussion en France car depuis 1901 l'église et l'Etat sont séparés", a expliqué Karl le couturier de la maison Chanel à l'issue du défilé. "Pourquoi les gens qui vivent ensemble ne peuvent pas avoir la même sécurité que les bourgeois mariés ?".
Dans une interview accordée au magazine anglais Vice il y a deux ans, il se disait pourtant opposé à l’idée du mariage gay. "Je suis contre pour la simple raison que, dans les années 60, tout le monde réclamait le droit à la différence. Et maintenant, soudainement, tout le monde veut une vie bourgeoise" faisait-il valoir alors. » | mardi 22 janvier 2013
THE ADVOCATE: The speech marked the first time a president used the term 'gay' as a reference to sexual orientation in an inauguration speech. Prayers and poems carried messages of inclusion as well.
President Obama’s speech for his second inauguration broke new ground in inclusiveness, with the first use of the word “gay” in reference to sexual orientation and a call for LGBT equality.
“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well,” Obama said.
He also invoked the Stonewall riots of 1969, which marked the beginning of the modern gay rights movement, as a milestone in civil rights history. “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall,” the president said.
Gay CNN reporter Anderson Cooper commented on the historic nature of the speech. “For a president who only recently, to use his word, evolved on the issue of same-sex marriage, he made very forceful statements in this inaugural address, actually, historic statements on equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans,” Cooper said. » | Trudy Ring | Monday, January 21, 2012
THE ADVOCATE: According to Santorum, pop culture and colleges have ruined America.
Former senator and Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum blamed the decline of America on indoctrinating the gay agenda in colleges across the country and the media. » | Michelle Garcia | Saturday, January 19, 2013
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