Russia’s Caucasus: Breeding Ground for Terror
TIME: (MOSCOW) — Militants from Chechnya and other restive regions in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus have targeted Moscow and other areas with bombings and hostage-takings, but the allegations of involvement in the Boston Marathon explosions would mark the first time they had conducted a terror attack in the West.

The conflict in Chechnya began in 1994 as a separatist war, but quickly morphed into an Islamic insurgency whose adepts vow to carve out an independent Islamic state in the Caucasus.

Russian troops withdrew from Chechnya in 1996 after the first Chechen war, leaving it de-facto independent and largely lawless, but then rolled back three years later following apartment building explosions in Moscow and other cities blamed on the rebels. » | Associated Press | Friday, April 19, 2013

Belgium vs. Islamic Jihadists
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Some 1,000 Muslims from across Europe are currently active as Islamic jihadists in Syria, which has replaced Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia as the main destination for militant Islamists to obtain immediate combat training with little or no official scrutiny.

Belgian police have carried out dozens of raids and arrested six Islamists -- including the pugnacious ringleader of a Belgian Salafist group called Sharia4Belgium -- suspected of recruiting foreign fighters for the war in Syria.

The crackdown reflects growing concerns in Belgium and elsewhere about the threat posed by Islamic jihadists, or holy warriors, when they return to Europe after obtaining combat experience in Syria.

Some 1,000 Muslims from across Europe are currently active as Islamic jihadists in Syria, which has replaced Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia as the main destination for militant Islamists seeking to obtain immediate combat training with little or no official scrutiny. » | Soeren Kern | Friday, April 19, 2013

Gespräch mit Thomas Kielinger: Großer Abschied für Margaret Thatcher
Mit großem Zeremoniell und militärischen Ehren hat Großbritannien am 17. April 2013 seiner früheren Premierministerin Margaret Thatcher die letzte Ehre erwiesen. Wir haben mit Thomas Kielinger, dem London-Korrespondent der "Welt", gesprochen.
Das Video hier abspielen | Mittwoch, 17. April 2013
WIKI: Thomas Kielinger [D] | [ E ]

Amanda Thatcher passionne les Britanniques
LE POINT: Les obsèques de la "Dame de Fer" ont fait connaître au monde entier sa petite fille. La presse et Twitter la comparent déjà à Pippa Middleton.


Les circonstances sont bien différentes mais leur destinée pourrait être la même : alors que les Britanniques avaient découvert Pippa Middleton lors du mariage de sa soeur Kate avec le Prince William, les sujets de la reine ont assisté à l'avènement médiatique d'Amanda Thatcher lors des obsèques de sa grand-mère, mercredi 17 avril.

En la cathédrale Saint-Paul à Londres, Amanda Margaret Thatcher a lu un entier un extrait des épitres aux Ephésiens en hommage à son aïeule, au cours d'une cérémonie retransmise par les télévisions du monde entier. Vêtue d'un tailleur noir et d'un collier de perles, coiffée d'un chapeau noir asymétrique, elle est apparue très élégante. Ce que n'ont pas manqué de commenter les journaux britanniques. The Guardian, The Telegraph ou encore The Daily Mail lui on déjà consacré des portraits et des diaporamas. » | Source Sipa Media | mercredi 17 avril 2013

Margaret Thatcher's Funeral Passes Peacefully

Amanda Thatcher’s Reading at Margaret Thatcher's Funeral Ceremony Causes Twitter Storm

US Intercepts 'Ricin' Letter to Obama
BBC: A letter addressed to US President Barack Obama containing a "suspicious substance" has been intercepted.

Initial tests on the letter, identified at a remote facility, showed the presence of the lethal toxin ricin.

The letter, which arrived at the facility on 16 April, is related to another laced with ricin intended for a US senator, the FBI said.

Meanwhile, US Capitol Police are questioning a suspect in connection with the tainted letters, reports say.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the letters addressed to the president and Republican Senator Roger Wicker were both were postmarked Memphis, Tennessee and dated 8 April.

The contents of the letter intended for President Obama are being sent to an accredited laboratory for further analysis, the FBI said, with results expected in 24 to 48 hours. » | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Queen Sofia Wins Apology from Online Adultery Agency
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Queen Sofia of Spain has won an apology from an online dating agency for adulterers after it used her image in an advertising campaign mocking the King's rumoured indiscretions.


The 74-year old Greek-born spouse of King Juan Carlos took legal action against US-based agency Ashley Madison for "damage to her honour and dignity" after it used a photograph of her in a series of adverts last year.

The company, which specialises in connecting people looking for extra-marital affairs, has issued a personal apology to Queen Sofia and promised never to use her image in its marketing campaigns.

The offending advertisements contained a doctored image of the smiling Queen draped around the bare shoulders of a much younger man, beneath the slogan in Spanish: "You no longer have to spend the night alone".

Published first in February 2012 and then again last October, it apparently refered to widespread allegations that King Juan Carlos had conducted numerous affairs during their 50-year marriage.

An explosive biography of Queen Sofia, written by Pilar Eyre, called "The Solitude of the Queen" was published in January 2012. It detailed her long-standing suffering as the wife of serial womanizer. » | Fiona Govan, Madrid | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Saudi Arabia Reportedly Deports Men for Being ‘Too Handsome’
TIME: It’s a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem for three men who have reportedly been deported from Saudi Arabia for being “too handsome.”

The men were visiting Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates to attend the annual Jenadrivah Heritage & Cultural Festival in Riyadh. They were apparently minding their own business when members of Saudi Arabia’s religion police entered the pavilion and forcibly removed them from the festival. Their offense? They were considered “too handsome” to stay for fear that women would find them irresistible, according to the Arabic-language newspaper Elaph. » | Melissa Locker | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

New Zealand Legalises Gay Marriage in First for Region
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: New Zealand has become the first country in the Asia-Pacific region - and 13th in the world - to legalise gay marriage.


Parliament voted 77 to 44 in support of the bill on its third and last reading. Uruguay legalised gay marriage last week and the move will put more pressure on Australia, which rejected the proposal last year, leading to speculation that couples will make the three hour flight to get married in New Zealand.

Spectators in the public gallery and some law makers couldn’t hide their jubilation at the decision, singing the nation’s love song, Pokarekare Ana, in the native Maori language.

In a heartfelt speech, bill sponsor Louisa Wall said: “In our society, the meaning of marriage is universal — it's a declaration of love and commitment to a special person.

“Nothing could make me more proud to be a New Zealander than passing this bill,” she went on to add. » | Romil Patel | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Baroness Thatcher’s Funeral in Full
Dignitaries attended an official ceremonial funeral service with full military honors for the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Watch the BBC coverage of the funeral via C-SPAN here | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Funeral of Baroness Thatcher
David Dimbleby introduces live coverage of the funeral service of Baroness Thatcher at St Paul's Cathedral. Sophie Raworth and Mishal Husain report from the route.
Watch the funeral on BBC iPlayer here | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

England [Großbritannien] nimmt Abschied von Margaret Thatcher
Mit einem Trauerzug durch die Innenstadt haben die Trauerfeierlichkeiten für Margaret Thatcher begonnen. Die verstorbene ehemalige britische Premierministerin Margaret Thatcher hat präzise Anweisungen für den heutigen Ablauf ihrer Trauerfeier hinterlassen. Geladen sind rund 2500 Gäste.

Margaret Thatcher Funeral: Live Coverage
Follow our live coverage as Baroness Thatcher is laid to rest today following a procession through central London and funeral service at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Latest | Joel Gunter and Matthew Holehouse | Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History
Bad Blood: Stuarts to Hanoverians
Lucy Worsley explores how the health of monarchs has shaped the nation. She looks at the medical histories of the later Stuarts and Hanoverians.
Watch the programme here

Margaret Thatcher Funeral: US Opts for Low-key Official Representation
THE GUARDIAN: Barack Obama sends presidential delegation with no serving politicians to London ceremony

The US is to send distinctly low-key official representation to Lady Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday, with a delegation led by George Shultz and James Baker, who both served as US secretary of state while Thatcher was in power.

While Barack Obama was invited, he has opted to send a presidential delegation comprising no serving politicians. Shultz was secretary of state to Ronald Reagan while Baker served the elder George Bush. Also representing Obama will be Barbara Stephenson, chargé d'affaires at the US embassy in London, and Louis Susman, the recently departed ambassador to Britain.

Separately, the Republican party is sending three members of the House of Representatives: Marsha Blackburn, who will lead the delegation, along with Michele Bachmann and George Holding. Blackburn is a leading fiscal conservative, while Bachmann, a member of the hard[-]line conservative Tea Party faction, became internationally known during her spectacular if brief bid for the 2012 presidential nomination. » | Peter Walker | Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Margaret Thatcher: Parliament's Chapel Service for a 'Beloved Mother'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Michael Deacon reports on the chapel service held for the late Baroness Thatcher in the Palace of Westminster, the day before her funeral.


Footsteps on flagstones echoed through the vast hall, breaking the cold, draughty silence. Faint sunlight crept in from the outside world through the stained glass; otherwise, the hall was dim. Darkness spread from the high rafters down the dingy stone walls. Into this echoing gloom, the mourners slowly filed.

The day before her funeral, a chapel service was being held for Baroness Thatcher in the Palace of Westminster. Tucked away in a poky corner of Westminster Hall, up a short flight of steps, and guarded by wrought-iron gates, was a small door headed, “Chapel of St Mary Undercroft”. It was here that, this afternoon at three o’clock, Lady Thatcher’s coffin was brought.

As a television news helicopter thundered overhead, crowds gathered outside Parliament to watch the hearse draw up at Old Palace Yard. Solemnly the bearers hoisted the coffin on to their shoulders. The union flag in which it was draped fluttered in the breeze. Nestled in the wreath was a small white card. It read, simply, “Beloved Mother – always in our hearts.” » | Michael Deacon, Parliamentary Sketchwriter | Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Thatcher Funeral: Attendees and No-Shows
ABC NEWS: More than 2,000 invitations were sent out for the Wednesday funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Among the former U.S. presidents, surviving U.K. prime ministers, world leaders and celebrities who made the cut are some high profile would-be guests who sent regrets: Former First Lady Nancy Reagan — whose husband had a close relationship with the late premier — will not be able to attend; nor will former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who shared key moments in history with the Iron Lady. Germany's Angela Merkel is sending her foreign minister, while U.S. power families the Clintons and the Bushes won't be making appearances.

Here's a look at who is — and isn't — attending the funeral Wednesday at St. Paul's Cathedral. » | Associated Press | Tuesday, April 16, 2013

CrossTalk on Mali: Target Islam?
Is the crisis in Mali turning into a war on Islam or is it merely a continuation of the West's 'War on Terror'? Does NATO have the right to decide the quality of democracy in any country, particularly Africa? What are the justifications for French military involvement in Mali? And what good will it bring? CrossTalking with Ayo Johnson, Daniel Pipes and Kelley Vlahos.

Leap of Faith: Church of England en route to Extinction
Hand-in-hand with the British Monarchy, the Church of England has been a symbol of the UK for centuries. And while the Church still enjoys many unique political and financial privileges - it's current state is less than secure, as RT's Polly Boyko found out.