David Cameron Says Christians Should Be 'More Evangelical'

David Cameron: Christians should be 'more evangelical' about their faith

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron says that in a secular age Christians should be even 'more evangelical' about their faith and says he has felt the 'healing power' of the Church.

Christians should be "more evangelical" about their faith and "get out there and make a difference to people's lives", David Cameron has said.

In his strongest intervention on religion to date, Mr Cameron said that in an increasingly "secular age" Christians need to be even "more confident" and "ambitious".

He said that he has personally felt the "healing power" of the Church of England's pastoral care and highlighted its role in "improving our society and the education of our children".

He said he wants to "infuse politics" with Christian "ideals and values" such as "responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion, humility and love".

Mr Cameron's comments go significantly further than his previous comments on his faith, when he said that his belief in God is a "bit like the reception for Magic FM in the Chilterns: it sort of comes and goes". » | Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The US Is An Oligarchy, Study Concludes

Researchers concluded that US government policies rarely
align with the preferences of the majority of Americans

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Report by researchers from Princeton and Northwestern universities suggests that US political system serves special interest organisations, instead of voters

The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful, a new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has concluded.

The report, entitled Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, used extensive policy data collected from between the years of 1981 and 2002 to empirically determine the state of the US political system.

After sifting through nearly 1,800 US policies enacted in that period and comparing them to the expressed preferences of average Americans (50th percentile of income), affluent Americans (90th percentile) and large special interests groups, researchers concluded that the United States is dominated by its economic elite. Read on and comment » | Zachary Davies Boren | Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Is Putin Making President Obama Look Weak?

Apr. 15, 2014 - 4:14 - Ukraine military clashes with pro-Russia militants; takes back airport

Documentary: Margaret & Denis

Prince Charles Turned His Back on Sir Salman Rushdie over The Satanic Verses 'Because He Thought Book Was Offensive to Muslims'

THE INDEPENDENT: Revelations made by author Martin Amis

Prince Charles turned his back on Sir Salman Rushdie during his fatwa over publication of The Satanic Verses because he thought the book was offensive to Muslims, it has been claimed.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the author Martin Amis claims that the Prince’s views caused a row at a dinner party after Rushdie was issued with the death sentence by Islamic clerics in 1989. Amis claims that Charles told him that he would not offer support “if someone insults someone else’s deepest convictions”.

Amis attempted to remonstrate with him, but the Prince offered little beyond insisting he would “take it on board”. Rushdie went into hiding for a decade after Iran's late spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa in 1989 calling for the author's assassination. » | Kunal Dutta | Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Iran Considers Ban on Vasectomies in Drive to Boost Birthrate

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

THE GUARDIAN: Supreme leader sees family planning policy as an imitation of western lifestyle and aims to double Iran's population

Iran's parliament is seeking a ban on vasectomies and a tightening of abortion rules as the country moves away from its progressive laws on family planning in an attempt to increase the birthrate.

Two decades after Iran initiated an effective birth control programme, including subsidised male sterilisation surgeries and free condom distribution, the country is to make a U-turn.

Last year the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticised existing policy on contraception, describing it as an imitation of western lifestyle.

The 74-year-old has urged the government to tackle what he believes to be an ageing population and to double the number of people in Iran from 77 million to at least 150 million.

This week Tehran's conservative-dominated parliament, the Majlis, voted to discuss banning vasectomies and introducing punishments for those involved in encouraging contraceptive services and abortions, local agencies reported. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Margaret Thatcher: Feisty Interview 1995

One Resolute, Determined, Feisty Lady! Margaret Thatcher – The Walden Interview 29/10/1989

Margaret Thatcher appearing for interview on 'The Walden Interview' following the controversial resignation of her Chancellor Nigel Lawson.

The First part of the interview is non political and demonstrates excellent interview technique under pressure. Regardless of your political beliefs you have to admire her composure.

President Obama Stoking Resentment?

Apr. 14, 2014 - 5:00 - Bernie Goldberg weighs in

President Obama and Stoking Resentments » | Bernard Goldberg | Sunday, April 13, 2014

Barack Obama & The White House: Playing the Race Card to Deflect Criticism

Apr. 14, 2014 - 6:07 - Dr. Ben Carson on the Obama administration playing the race card

How the Media Protects President Obama

Apr. 11, 2014 - 4:34 - Howard Kurtz on why the media covers for the President

Feindbild Islam – Wird die Angst zum Hass?

Religionsfreiheit in Salzburg – Islam in Österreich

Ukraine Crisis: Obama Warns Putin That Moscow Faces Further Action

THE GUARDIAN: Presidents clash in tense telephone call as armed separatists seize more buildings in eastern Ukraine

Barack Obama has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a tense phone call that Moscow would face further costs for its actions in Ukraine and should use its influence to get separatists in the country to stand down.

Armed pro-Russian separatists seized more buildings in eastern Ukraine earlier in the day, expanding their control after the government failed to follow through on a threatened military crackdown.

In a call on Monday night that the White House said Moscow requested, the US president told Putin that those forces were threatening to undermine and destabilise the government in Kiev.

"The president emphasised that all irregular forces in the country need to lay down their arms, and he urged president Putin to use his influence with these armed, pro-Russian groups to convince them to depart the buildings they have seized," the White House said in a statement. » | Reuters | Tuesday, April 15, 2014

BBC Whitewash? Trojan Horse: 25 Schools Probed Over Alleged Takeover Plot

BBC: An investigation into an alleged hard-line Islamist takeover plot of Birmingham schools has widened, with 25 schools now under the spotlight.

Birmingham City Council said it had received more than 200 reports in relation to its inquiry.

It has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor.

Anonymous claims hard-line Muslims were trying to take over the running of some city schools were made in a letter sent to local authorities last year.

The 25 schools now being looked at include primaries, secondaries and academies.

The 200-plus reports to the council include emails and calls from staff, parents and governors. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, April 14, 2014

Margaret Thatcher: Death of a Revolutionary

A documentary about the late former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which could be criticised for being an uncritical hommage rather than a balanced view of her premiership. Most of the negative impacts caused by the fundamental changes she brought to Britain have been "elegantly" omitted, but her motives, her basic believes, her encouraging message and everything positive she stood for are beautifully summarised and one understands why despite her errors and some misjudgement she could be praised as a great and visionary politician who not only changed Britain for the better (on balance) but had an influence on the world like few other politicians can claim.

A Channel 4 documentary by Martin Durkin with contributions by Kenneth Baker, Cecil Parkinson, Neil Kinnock, Kelvin MacKenzie, Norman Tebbit, Bernard Ingham, Charles Powell, Nigel Lawson and David Cameron.

Dead Swedes Provide Home Heating for the Living

A crematorium in Stockholm is helping people in the city keep warm - by burning dead residents. Environmentalists hail it as a progressive way of generating energy. And as RT's Paul Scott reports, the idea is catching on.

Ukraine : l'UE élargit la liste des sanctions ciblées

LE POINT: Bruxelles a décidé lundi d'élargir la liste des personnalités russes et ukrainiennes pro-russes sous le coup de sanctions, a annoncé Catherine Ashton.

L'Union européenne a décidé lundi d'allonger la liste des Russes et des Ukrainiens pro-russes visés par des sanctions ciblées, mettant directement en cause la Russie pour "l'escalade" de la situation dans l'est de l'Ukraine. Réunis à Luxembourg, les ministres des Affaires étrangères ont insisté sur "l'importance décisive" de la réunion prévue pour jeudi à Genève entre Ukrainiens, Russes, Américains et Européens.

"Il est crucial que la Russie et l'Ukraine s'engagent dans un dialogue utile" pour "lancer le processus de désescalade", a déclaré Catherine Ashton, qui dirige la diplomatie européenne. Si, à l'issue de la rencontre de Genève, une extrême tension devait persister dans l'est de l'Ukraine, les Européens pourraient décider de passer à la "phase 3" des sanctions, celles d'ordre économique, susceptibles de frapper plus durement la Russie. » | Source AFP | lundi 14 avril 2014

Israel: Lieberman enthüllt Geheimgespräche mit arabischen Staaten

Außenminister Avigdor Lieberman: "Sie haben mein Wort"

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Avigdor Lieberman hetzt gerne gegen Araber. Umso überraschender sind die jüngsten Äußerungen des israelischen Außenministers. Seine Regierung führe Geheimverhandlungen mit Saudi-Arabien und Kuwait. Das Ziel ist die Aufnahme diplomatischer Beziehungen.

Jerusalem - Israels Außenminister Avigdor Lieberman hat erstmals bestätigt, dass seine Regierung Geheimgespräche mit verfeindeten arabischen Staaten führt, unter ihnen Saudi-Arabien und Kuwait. Ziel der Verhandlungen sei die Normalisierung der Beziehungen und die Aufnahme diplomatischer Kontakte, sagte Lieberman der Zeitung "Jediot Acharonot".

Grundlage der Gespräche seien die gemeinsame Furcht vor der wachsenden Stärke Irans und die Bedrohung durch islamistischen Extremismus, sagte der israelische Außenminister weiter. "Erstmals verstehen die Araber, dass nicht Israel oder die Juden oder der Zionismus die Bedrohung sind - sondern Iran, der weltweite Dschihad, die Hisbollah und al-Qaida", so Lieberman. » | syd/Reuters | Montag, 14. April 2014

Türkei: Erdogan plant Sondergefängnis für Homosexuelle

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Die Regierung in Ankara spricht von "Schutz der Verurteilten": Inhaftierte Schwule, Lesben und Transsexuelle sollen in der Türkei künftig in einem speziellen Gefängnis untergebracht werden. Die Opposition ist empört.

Ankara - Die türkische Regierung von Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan sorgt mit einem neuen Vorhaben für Aufsehen: Justizminister Bekir Bozdag hat bekanntgegeben, dass Ankara den Bau eines Sondergefängnisses plane, in dem ausschließlich Homosexuelle untergebracht werden sollen.

Ziel der Trennung sei der "Schutz der Verurteilten", sagte der Minister auf Anfrage eines Oppositionsabgeordneten. Fortan müsse jeder Gefangene bei Haftantritt seine sexuelle Orientierung angeben. Insassen, die bei Haftantritt erklären, homosexuell zu sein, sollen künftig in einem eigenen Knast eingesperrt werden. » | syd/dpa | Montag, 14. April 2014