Rates Cut Again as Recession Deepens
TIMESONLINE: Cost of borrowing lowest in more than 50 years

The economy is plunging deeper into recession despite emergency tax cuts and the multibillion-pound bank bailout, the Bank of England said yesterday.

Cutting the base rate to its lowest level in more than 50 years, the Bank said the outlook now was worse than a month ago, with manufacturing and consumer spending in sharp decline.

The one-point cut left the base rate at 2 per cent, its lowest since 1951, but economists are forecasting already that the cost of borrowing could fall further, with a base rate of zero per cent no longer out of the question. The Bank’s dramatic move followed a relentless stream of dire economic news over the past four weeks that has fuelled fears that Britain’s plight will be worse than the recession of the early 1990s.

The Bank, which cut rates by 1.5 percentage points in November, acknowledged the risk of a deep, prolonged recession yesterday. It conceded that more will need to be done to jump-start stalled growth, and paved the way for further rate cuts. In a bleak assessment, it said: “Business surveys have weakened further and suggest that the downturn has gathered pace. Consumer spending and business investment have stalled.” >>> Gary Duncan, Philip Webster, Gráinne Gilmore | December 5, 2008

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Barack Obama Breaks First Campaign Promise by Dropping Oil Tax
THE TELEGRAPH: President-Elect Barack Obama has broken his first campaign promise by quietly dropping a profits windfall tax on oil companies that he promised on the campaign trail.

During the campaign, Mr Obama repeatedly promised to submit oil and gas companies to a profits windfall tax, citing the disparity between their huge profits and the struggles of ordinary Americans.

In the summer he said the tax would "help families pay their heating and cooling bills and reduce energy costs".

But the proposal has been quietly dropped from his agenda listed on transition team website's www.change.gov, setting off a storm of protest among liberal bloggers and small business groups.

An aide explained the change by saying: "President-Elect Obama announced the policy during the campaign because oil prices were above $80 per barrel. They are below that now and expected to stay below that."

But the shelving of the proposal was spotted by the California-based Small Business League, which asked if "the sudden elimination of this issue is a further indication that large corporations are already demonstrating their ability to influence the Obama administration". >>> By Alex Spillius in Washington | December 4, 2008

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What is Sharia Law? Why It Threatens America. Wafa Sultan Explains

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The Crazy West? “I am a US Muslim”

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When Town Halls Turn to Mecca
THE ECONOMIST: For many European municipalities and a few American ones (see article) accommodating Islam is a big dilemma—but not an insoluble one

IN CITIES all over Europe, mayors are fretting about the coming religious festivities. No, not just Christmas lights. They want to ensure hygiene and order in the slaughter of sheep for the feast of Eid al-Adha on December 8th. This remembers the readiness of Abraham—the patriarch revered by all three monotheistic faiths—to sacrifice his son. Muslims often sacrifice a lamb, whose meat is shared with family members and the poor.

In the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, where the dominant culture is that of Morocco, a circular from the district authorities reminds residents not to kill animals at home. It invites them to a “temporary abattoir” that will function for 48 hours in a council garage. Molenbeek is one of four areas of Brussels which have set up makeshift slaughterhouses, each with a capacity of at least 500 sheep. In practice, home killing is hard to stop, despite vows by the city authorities to prosecute offenders.

In places like Molenbeek, a few miles away from the European Union’s main institutions, talk of the continent’s transformation into Eurabia doesn’t sound absurd. Although Muslims make up less than 4% of the EU’s total population, their concentration in urban areas is altering the scene in some European cities.

In some of these places bad relations between Muslims, non-Muslims and the authorities are creating political opportunities for the far right. In east London, for example, arguments are raging over plans for a “mega-mosque” near the site of the 2012 Olympics. In rough parts of northern Paris, there are fights between Muslims and Jews. In Italian cities, where Muslims are numerous but not many can vote, Catholics and secularists have united to stop the erection of mosques.

Yet talk of civilisational war in Europe’s cobblestoned streets is out of line in one respect: it understates the ability of democratic politics, especially local politics, to adapt to new social phenomena. For cities to work, compromises have to be struck and coalitions assembled. In city affairs, more than in national politics, politicians borrow each other’s slogans and policies.

In London, many expected a change in municipal attitudes towards Islam when a Conservative, Boris Johnson, took over as mayor from Ken Livingstone, a leftist maverick who had feted Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a controversial Muslim preacher. But in October, when the fasting month of Ramadan ended, Mr Johnson worked as keenly as his predecessors had done with the Muslim Council of Britain to stage an Islamic celebration in Trafalgar Square. >>> DUISBURG, LYON AND ROTTERDAM | December 4, 2008

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Oriana Fallaci on European Anti-Semitism

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Why the POTUS* Needs to Be a Natural-Born Citizen
FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS: The Founders and Framers were incredibly intelligent people. In fact, they operated, intellectually, at a grade 24 level, grade 12 equating to the senior year in high school. Therefore, it shouldn't come as any surprise that each Article and Amendment – each tenet – in The Charters of Freedom was painstakingly examined, debated, reviewed and, finally, included. Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution – the Article that clearly states the qualifications for holding the office of President of the United States – is no different.

To be clear, I have no decided position on whether or not President-Elect Barack Obama is a natural-born citizen or otherwise. I believe that we – as a people – need to base our understanding on any and every issue on the facts. But in the case of Mr. Obama’s status of natural-born citizenship there are too many unanswered questions and not enough transparency where the facts are concerned. For a candidate who ran his presidential campaign on the promise of transparency, Mr. Obama has proven in the earliest moments of his executive tenure that transparency is subjective.

The most troubling of the troublesome questions is why Mr. Obama didn’t immediately release his vaulted, original birth certificate for examination. This act would have not only eliminated a potential stumbling block for his campaign, but it would have certified his eligibility for the office of President of the United States and saved the taxpayers the cost of judicial intervention. Instead, under the pretext of visiting an ailing grandmother in Hawaii just days before the 2008 Presidential Election, Mr. Obama had his vaulted, original birth certificate sealed by Hawaii’s governor, Linda Lingle (R). >>> Frank Salvato | December 4, 2008

*POTUS – President of the United States

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Converted Muslim Tells Story behind Papal Baptism
ZENIT.ORG: Italian Journalist Recounts Journey to Catholicism

ROME - The high-profile baptism of Magdi Cristiano Allam at the Easter Vigil ceremony presided over last year by Benedict XVI has a story behind it. According to Allam himself, his conversion journey was possible because of great Christian witnesses.



One of the directors of the Milan daily Corriere della Sera, he spoke about his conversion and the experiences that led to it when he met with university students of Rome last week to tell the story of his path to Catholicism.



Starting from the Easter Vigil of 2008 -- which Allam called the "most beautiful day of my life" -- when he received baptism from Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Basilica, the Italian-Egyptian journalist spoke of his life journey and the reflections that brought him to embrace "a new life in Christ and a new spiritual itinerary."



"This journey," he recalled, "began apparently by chance, [but] in truth was providential. Since age four, I had the chance to attend Italian Catholic schools in Egypt. I was first a student of the Comboni religious missionaries, and later, starting with fifth grade, of the Salesians.



"I thus received an education that transmitted to me healthy values and I appreciated the beauty, truth, goodness and rationality of the Christian faith," in which "the person is not a means, but a starting point and an arriving point."



"Thanks to Christianity," he said, "I understood that truth is the other side of liberty: They are an indissoluble binomial. The phrase, 'The truth will make you free' is a principle that you young people should always keep in mind, especially today when, scorning the truth, freedom is relinquished."



The journalist continued: "My conversion was possible thanks to the presence of great witnesses of faith, first of all, His Holiness Benedict XVI. One who is not convinced of his own faith -- often it's because he has not found in it believable witnesses of this great gift.



"The second indissoluble binomial in Christianity is without a doubt that of faith and reason. This second element is capable of giving substance to our humanity, the sacredness of life, respect for human dignity and the freedom of religious choice."



The journalist affirmed that the Holy Father's 2006 speech in Regensburg -- which caused uproar within the Muslim community -- was for him a reason to reflect.



Allam said: "An event, before my conversion, made me think more than other events: the Pope's discourse in Regensburg. On that occasion, citing the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus, he affirmed something that the Muslims themselves have never denied: that Islam spreads the faith above all with the sword." >>> By Luca Marcolivio | December 1, 2008

ZENIT.ORG:
Cristiano Magdi Allam revient sur sa conversion >>> | 3.12.2008

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E. Europe Free Hajj…Reverts First
Photo courtesy of IslamOnline
ISLAMONLINE: CAIRO — New Muslims in several East European countries are being given the lion's share of free hajj packages offered by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz.

"The Islamic Center of Brno has received 20 free hajj packages from the Saudi Embassy," Munib Hassan Al-Rawi, the director of the Islamic Waqf Society in the southern Czech city of Bruno, which runs the center, told IslamOnline.net.

"The priority was given to new Muslims with the hope that the spiritual journey would further strengthen their new beliefs."

Al-Rawi noted that the Saudi Embassy has given most of the free hajj packages to Czech's only two Islamic centers in the capital Prague and Brno.

Nearly 100 pilgrims, including 50 beneficiaries of the Saudi grants, will be flying to Istanbul, Turkey, en route to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.

Every able-bodied adult Muslim — who can financially afford the trip — must perform hajj at least once in a lifetime.

The Czech Republic, which has a population of more than 10 million people, is home to around 15,000 Muslims.

The number of new Muslims is estimated between 1500-2000, many of them embraced Islam in the 1990s.

In 2004, Prague acknowledged Islam as an official religion, giving Muslims rights on equal footing to Christians and Jews. >>> By Hani Salah | December 3, 2008

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Big Brother State by Stealth
THE INDEPENDENT: Thousands of unaccountable civil servants given access to our most intimate personal information

Personal information detailing intimate aspects of the lives of every British citizen is to be handed over to government agencies under sweeping new powers. The measure, which will give ministers the right to allow all public bodies to exchange sensitive data with each other, is expected to be rushed through Parliament in a Bill to be published tomorrow.

The new legislation would deny MPs a full vote on such data-sharing. Instead, ministers could authorise the swapping of information between councils, the police, NHS trusts, the Inland Revenue, education authorities, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, the Department for Work and Pensions and other ministries.

Opponents of the move accused the Government of bringing in by stealth a data-sharing programme that exposed everyone to the dangers of a Big Brother state and one of the most intrusive personal databases in the world. The new law would remove the right to protection against misuse of information by thousands of unaccountable civil servants, they added.

Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, said he believed Britain had gone too far in helping to bring about a "surveillance society". In a report drawing on personal data infringements across Europe but "inspired" by Britain's plan for a new internet, email and telephone database, he added: "General surveillance raises serious democratic problems which are not answered by the repeated assertion that those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. This puts the onus in the wrong place: it should be for states to justify the interferences they seek to make on privacy rights." >>> By Robert Verkaik, Law Editor | December 4, 2008

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Obama on Cameron: 'What a lightweight'
YAHOO! NEWS (UK & IRELAND): Barack Obama's meeting with Tory leader David Cameron in London earlier this year left the Democratic nominee "distinctly unimpressed", it has been claimed.

According to diplomatic sources Mr Obama, now the president-elect of the United States, emerged from the meeting in July with the words: "What a lightweight."

Mr Obama met Mr Cameron following brief talks with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in Westminster two days after addressing 200,000 people in Berlin.

According to the Conservatives the "really positive" meeting had seen the two men discuss the "long-term underlying problems" in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East.

An informal conversation picked up by ABC News between Mr Cameron and Mr Obama in New Palace Yard revealed the Tory leader urging the Illinois senator to 'take a break'.

Mr Cameron asked: "You should be on the beach... you need to be able to keep your head together... Do you have a break at all?" >>> | December 4, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Good Barnet, Good Leader!

David Cameron celebrates his third anniversary as Conservative leader on Saturday with few signs of the rigours of high office etched on his smooth face.

At 42, Cameron radiates health and keeps relatively trim by riding his bicycle to the Commons.

Sadly, the same can't be said of his distinctive mane of hair: in true Tory tradition, it's thinning. And fast. >>> By Andrew Pierce | December 5, 2008

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Queen's Speech: Firms Free to Favour Female and Black Job Applicants
MAIL Online: Companies will be free to discriminate in favour of women and black job candidates under proposed ‘equality’ laws.
The move allows employers to give preferential treatment as long as applicants are equally qualified.

It is designed to boost the proportion of female and ethnic staff, as well as thrusting more of them into senior posts.

Ministers insist that businesses will not be compelled to favour the woman or the black candidate, but the law will be changed to ensure they cannot be sued for turning down a white man.

Equalities minister Harriet Harman says ‘positive action’ is vital so that the workforce more accurately represents the proportion of the population as a whole.

Positive discrimination, where a lesser qualified candidate is given the job just because he or she is from a minority, will remain illegal. >>> By Michael Lea | December 4, 2008

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Muslim Legal Assistant Taunted by Boss over Her Headscarf Wins £75,000 Damages
MAIL Online: A Muslim legal assistant has won £75,000 damages after being called 'tent 'ead' in an email sent by her boss.

The comment was one of several discriminatory incidents that Saleca Parkar, 31, who wears traditional dress, including a headscarf, endured at a corporate law firm.

Mrs Parkar took her former company to an employment tribunal claiming discrimination on the grounds of her race, sex, religious beliefs and pregnancy.

The case was settled this week before evidence was aired. >>> By David Wilkes | December 4, 2008

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Interest Rates Cut: Bank of England Cuts Rates from 3 per Cent to 2 per Cent
THE TELEGRAPH: The Bank of England has cut UK interest rates from 3 per cent to 2 per cent, the lowest level since 1951 in an attempt to stop the economy sliding into a deep recession.


Rates have never been any lower since the Bank's foundation in 1694.
The aggressive move, which most economists had forecast, comes as a raft of data shows the state of the economy is worsening by the day.

Earlier today, Halifax, the country's largest lender said that house prices had fallen by 2.6 per cent in the last month alone, and have now lost more than £37,000 from their peak last summer.

Two important manufacturing and services surveys this week have shown factories and businesses are feeling the squeeze, while The Pier furniture chain became the latest retailer to collapse into administration.

Economists welcomed the move, saying it was the bare minimum required.

Hetal Mehta, Senior Economist from the Ernst & Young ITEM Club, said: "You could almost hear the sigh of relief up and down the country when the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee announced a 100 basis point cut in the base rate.

"As was the case last month, it was almost certain that interest rates would be slashed, but the big question was by how much. ITEM believes that the MPC was right to cut the base rate of interest to 2 per cent – anything less would have been a missed opportunity."

The move will save anyone on a £200,000 tracker-rate repayment mortgage just over £100 a month. Someone on an interest-only mortgage would save even more. >>> By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor | December 4, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: World Stability Hangs by a Thread as Economies Continue to Unravel

The political bubble is bursting. Spreads on geo-strategic risk are now widening as dramatically as the spreads on financial risk at the onset of the credit crunch.

Whether it is the Indian rupee, the Shanghai bourse, or Kremlin debt, the stars of the credit boom have fallen to earth. Investors are retreating into 3-month US Treasury bills – the ultimate safe-haven. The yield has fallen to 0.02pc, less than zero after costs. You pay Washington to guard your money.

The working assumption of the "Great Boom" is – or was – that we live in a benign era where most societies are converging towards some form of market liberalism; where trade and capital flows are unrestricted; where governments have enough legitimacy to keep order by light touch; where a major war is unthinkable.

This illusion is now being tested. >>> By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | December 1, 2008

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Frankreich: Haftstrafen für Zwölfjährige
DIE PRESSE: Während die Straf-Fälligkeit generell zurückgehe, nehme die Delinquenz der Jugendlichen weiter zu. Die Justizministerin plant deswegen nun härteres Jugend-Strafrecht.

PARIS (r.b.). Für jugendliche Straftäter soll es in Frankreich künftig kein Pardon mehr geben: Gerichte sollen auch erst Zwölfjährige – bei schweren Delikten – zu mehrjährigen Haftstrafen verurteilen können. So jedenfalls lautet einer von 70 Vorschlägen einer Expertenkommission, die sich im Auftrag von Justizministerin Rachida Dati mit der Revision des Jugendstrafrechts befasst hat. Nötig wäre dafür eine Senkung der Strafmündigkeit von 13 auf zwölf Jahre.

Viele Franzosen zeigen sich ob der angedachten Strafrechtsänderung schockiert, Dati rechtfertigt den Bedarf nach einer Neufassung mit dramatischen Zahlen: So würden 204.000 Minderjährige schwerer Straftaten beschuldigt, sagt sie in einer Fernseh-Talkshow. Darunter seien „Vergewaltiger, Entführer, Drogendealer, Brandstifter“. Und während die Straffälligkeit generell zurückgehe, nehme die Delinquenz der Jugendlichen weiter zu. >>> | 3. Dezember 2008

LE FIGARO: Fillon enterre le projet d'incarcération dès 12 ans

Le premier ministre a désavoué Rachida Dati vendredi, en se disant «totalement hostile» à la prison pour les mineurs de 12 ans.

La réforme de la justice des mineurs se complique pour Rachida Dati qui va devoir composer avec les réserves de François Fillon. Le premier ministre s'est déclaré vendredi «totalement hostile» à l'emprisonnement des mineurs de moins de 12 ans et a assuré que «son gouvernement n'avait aucun projet dans ce domaine». La position du chef de Matignon sur la mesure phare du rapport Varinard le passage de la responsabilité pénale à 12 ans- diverge nettement de celle de la ministre de la justice. Mercredi, Rachida Dati avait soutenu que «sanctionner pénalement les enfants dès 12 ans relevait du bon sens». Si «sanctionner ne veut pas dire emprisonner, les juges pour mineurs doivent pouvoir disposer d'une palette de réponses adaptées qui vont jusqu'à l'incarcération», avait-elle ajouté.

Toutefois, Rachida Dati rejoignait la commission Varinard sur le caractère exceptionnel de la mise en prison d'un jeune dès 12 ans. Le président de la commission André Varinard préconisait ainsi dans son rapport «l'impossibilité d'incarcérer un mineur de moins de 14 ans sauf en matière criminelle». Des garde-fous insuffisants apparemment pour le premier ministre. «Il y a d'autres solutions pour traiter y compris les cas les plus extrêmes de violences concernant les enfants de 12 ans», a défendu vendredi François Fillon. >>> C.J. (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP | Vendredi 05 Décembre 2008

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Berlusconi will das Internet regulieren
DIE PRESSE: Der G8-Gipfel wird 2009 wieder in Italien stattfinden. Minister-Präsident Berlusconi will eine internationale Regelung des Internets diskutieren. Widerstand könnte aus der EU kommen.

Der italienische Ministerpräsident Silvio Berlusconi will am G8-Gipfel 2009 eine internationale Regulierung für das Internet festschreiben. Das erklärte er während eines Besuchs im Technologiepark der Post in Rom. Der G8-Gipfel findet im Juli 2009 auf der Insel Magdalena nahe Sardinien statt. Konkrete Vorschläge hat Berlusconi noch nicht gemacht. Laut dem italienischen Corriere della Sera sieht Berlusconi Italien als Vorreiter bei der Internetregulierung. Nach einem Bericht der Presseagentur APA schwebt dem italienischen Innenminister Roberto Maroni vor, jeden Internet-Nutzer durch eine Erkennungsnumer identifizierbar zu machen.



Die G8 ist nach Ansicht des italienischen Ministerpräsidenten ein besseres Forum für Fragen der Internetregulierung als die UN, weil man sich bei den vielen Staaten der UN oft nicht einigen könne. >>> | 4. Dezember 2008

CORRIERE DELLA SERA:
Berlusconi: «Internet va regolamentata» : La proposta per il prossimo G8: «Serve una prospettiva internazionale, in cui l'Italia possa essere avanguardia» >>> | 03 dicembre 2008

LE FIGARO: Silvio Berlusconi a gagné
un surnom : «César»

Les fréquents emportements du président du Conseil contre les journaux et les leaders de l'opposition, ses manières autoritaires inquiètent jusqu'à ses alliés. >>> Richard Heuzé, à Rome | 4.12.2008

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Obama déjà omniprésent, Bush s'efface discrètement
LE FIGARO: La rapidité avec laquelle le président élu met en place son Administration laisse peu d'espace à l'actuel hôte de la Maison-Blanche.

Il y a ces jours-ci un contraste saisissant au sommet du pouvoir américain : d'un côté, la vélocité et l'aisance avec lesquelles le président élu s'installe déjà dans sa fonction à plus d'un mois et demi de son investiture ; de l'autre, la discrétion morose qui marque les derniers jours de George W. Bush à la Maison-Blanche.

Le futur patron de l'Amérique, qui tenait mercredi sa cinquième conférence de presse depuis son élection, est constamment sous les feux de la rampe, au fur et à mesure qu'il dessine les contours de son équipe. Après la présentation unanimement saluée du trio de choc Clinton, Gates, Jones, chargé de mettre en musique la politique étrangère et de sécurité américaine, Obama a annoncé la nomination du gouverneur du Nouveau-Mexique, Bill Richardson, au poste de secrétaire au commerce. «M. Richardson deviendra un “ambassadeur économique de premier plan”» pour l'Amérique, a expliqué le président élu dans un éloge appuyé. «C'est le moment non seulement de s'attaquer aux menaces économiques immédiates mais de jeter les fondements d'une prospérité à long terme en aidant les entreprises américaines à grandir… et accentuant nos efforts pour les promouvoir dans le monde», a poursuivi un Barack Obama en grande forme, qui a salué dans une boutade le «record du monde» de Richardson, qui aurait serré près «de 14 000 mains en moins de huit heures pendant une campagne». >>> Laure Mandeville | 4.12.2008

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Mumbai Attacks: Terror Suspect to Be Injected with Truth Drug
THE TELEGRAPH: The sole surviving terrorist from last week's Mumbai attacks is to be injected with a "truth serum" to establish where he is from.

Police hope to discover whether gunman Azam Amir Kasab came from Pakistan through the use of "narcoanalysis" – a practise banned in most democracies.

The technique was used during the Cold War before it emerged that barbiturate sodium pentothal induced hallucinations, delusions and psychotic manifestations

The row over where the gunman came from has caused major dispute between India and Pakistan as the nuclear-armed neighbours dispute each other's claims. >>> By Rahul Bedi in New Delhi | December 3, 2008

TIMESONLINE: Mumbai Police to Use Truth Serum on 'Baby-faced' Terrorist Azam Amir Kasab

Indian police interrogators are preparing to administer a "truth serum" on the sole Islamic militant captured during last week's terror attacks on Mumbai to settle once and for all the question of where he is from.

The mystery of the man dubbed "the baby-faced gunman" has weighed heavily on India's relations with Pakistan as the nuclear-armed neighbours dispute each other's accounts of his origin.

Police interrogators in Mumbai told The Times that they have "verified" that Azam Amir Kasab, who was captured after a shoot-out in a Mumbai railway station on Wednesday night, is from Faridkot, a small village in Pakistan's impoverished south Punjab region. They say that the nine dead gunmen are also Pakistani. >>> Rhys Blakely, Mumbai | December 3, 2008

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US Anglicans Form Breakaway Church
THE TELEGRAPH: Traditionalist Anglicans in North America are to set up a new church to settle their differences with the liberal views of the Episcopal Church.

The new Anglican Church in North America will include four Episcopal dioceses which recently split from the US church, as well as breakaway parishes from Canada.

Conservative Episcopalians have long been upset by the stance of the church's leadership on various issues, particularly homosexuality. >>> By Tom Leonard in New York | December 3, 2008

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Risqué Old Master Consigned to Attic Sells for £2.8 Million
THE TELEGRAPH: An Old Master painting of a semi-naked woman, consigned to an attic for 200 years because it was considered too risqué for display, has sold for more than £2.8 million at auction.

Lady as Flora by Giambattista Tiepola courtesy of The Telegraph
An anonymous bidder paid three times the estimate for Portrait of a Lady as Flora, by Italian Giambattista Tiepolo, at Christie's in London.

The mid-18th century picture provocatively shows the woman's exposed left breast.

Richard Knight, international director of Christie's Old Master Department, described it as "one of the most exciting and extraordinary discoveries of recent years".

He said it had been found in the attic of a French chateau "where it had been hidden by the grandparents of the present owners due to the semi-naked subject".

He added "The painting has lain untouched in the same private collection for over 200 years, and as a result it remains breathtakingly similar to the way it would have been immediately after it left the artist's easel. >>> By Stephen Adams, Arts Correspondent | December 3, 2008

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India Will Not Bow Before Terrorism, Says Sonia Gandhi
Photo of Sonia Gandhi courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: India will give a "befitting reply" to last week's attacks in Mumbai (Bombay) and will not "bow before terrorism," the leader of the ruling Congress party Sonia Gandhi said on Wednesday.

"We will never bow before terrorism. We will give a befitting reply," Ms Gandhi said at a rally in Indian Kashmir.

"We have taken several steps to have a friendly and brotherly relationship with our neighbours," she said, but warned: "It should not be taken as our weakness."

State elections are under way in Kashmir despite poll boycott appeals by Muslim separatists and rebels opposed to Indian rule in the scenic region.

"We are ready for talks with anyone who wants to see a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute," Ms Gandhi said. "There will be no talks with the people who work against humanity." >>> | December 3, 2008

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Kyle Bristow – Opinion: Austria Rising
GLOBAL POLITICIAN: On September 28, 2008, Austria held elections in which right-wing nationalist political parties received 29 percent of the total vote. The left-wing British newspaper Guardian described these nationalist parties as “neo-fascist” in an article published on its website entitled “Extreme Right Emerges as Strong Force in Austria” (9/29/2008). The article goes on to say that these nationalist parties “emerged from a general election as a contender to be the strongest political force in the country for the first time.” With how Europe has been infected with severe cases of multiculturalism and multiracialism for years now, it is about time that the people rise up and let the storm break loose.



The aforementioned article states that “The combined forces of the extreme right took 29% of the vote, with Jörg Haider almost tripling the share of his breakaway Movement for Austria's Future to 11%, while his successor as Freedom party leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, saw his party soar to 18%.” When Austrian nationalists stand up and proclaim “Here marches the national resistance!” nearly a third of the electorate stands with them.



Why are Austrians flocking to the polls to vote for “neo-fascist” political parties? In my mind, the answer is quite clear: Austrians are sick and tired of being fed the politically correct garbage that Marxist scum have forced down their throats for years. 



Herr Strache, the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party, said in an interview that Turkey will never be admitted into the European Union—if he had his way—“Not now, not in 100 and not in 200 years.” It is a breath of fresh air for a European statesman to suggest that it is in the interest of European people to keep Europe European. In that very same interview, Strache added “that non-EU members should not be allowed access to Austria's social service system.” Commonsense policies that nationalists promote are eagerly accepted by voters, and this scares leftists who wish to rob Europeans of their destiny by turning Europe into a multiracial, multicultural swamp in which the First World populations are replaced with Third World parasites. Was Rome destroyed not in a day, but over time, through mass immigration? Why should suicidal policies be pursued? The Austrian voters ask these questions, and their politicians have ignored them for too long. Austrians have—through democracy—rejected mass immigration in favor of keeping Austria Austrian by voting for nationalist parties. 



The Occident-hating multiculturalists must be going nuts right about now. The fact that nearly a fifth of a population of a country voted for a political party of which the leader of it describes Muslim women who wear Islamic outfits that are no less ridiculous than the most outrageous Halloween costume as “female ninjas,” who wants to create a government ministry to manage the deportation of illegal aliens and the repatriation of immigrants, who speaks of Europeans from the Balkans who immigrate to Austria as “[Our] European brothers who don’t want to be Islamized,” and the political party which has leaders who reminisce “about the days when the kiosks on Vienna’s squares sold sausage and wiener schnitzel, rather that ‘the kebab joints selling falafel and couscous, or whatever you call that stuff’” must irk the leftist, self-hating Westerners. >>> Kyle Bristow | December 23, 2008

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Radical Preacher Sent Back to Prison as Judges Rule on Secret Evidence
THE GUARDIAN: Islamist Qatada deemed to be at risk of absconding / Bail revoked pending decision on deportation

Radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada yesterday had his bail revoked and was returned to indefinite detention in a maximum security prison pending the outcome of a legal battle over his deportation to Jordan.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac), in effect Britain's national security court, ruled that evidence from the security services, heard in secret, had convinced them there was now an increased risk of Qatada absconding.

Qatada, described by a Spanish judge as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, was released on bail in June to live with his family in west London under a 22-hour curfew after the court of appeal ruled it was unsafe to return him to Jordan.

The preacher has spent three and half years in maximum security jails since he was first declared a risk to national security in January 2001 on the grounds that he encouraged other extremists to commit acts of terrorism by providing religious sanction for them.

The immigration judges said their decision to revoke his bail was based on the evidence they had heard in secret: "The secretary of state relies on information contained in the closed case to justify the revocation of bail." This remains confidential and is only spelled out in a separate "closed" unpublished judgment.

The "open" version published yesterday said none of the reasons put forward by the Home Office in the public sessions of the commission's two-day hearing would justify the revocation of his bail. These included the seizure at his home of memory cards, MP3 players, computer discs and videotapes. >>> Alan Travis, Home Affairs Editor | December 3, 2008

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Enough of Radical Islam
TOWNHALL.COM: Enough with the pseudonyms. Western civilization isnt [sic] at war with terrorism any more than it is at war with grenades. Western civilization is at war with militant Islam, which dominates Muslim communities all over the world. Militant Islam isnt a tiny minority of otherwise goodhearted Muslims. Its a dominant strain of evil that runs rampant in a population of well over 1 billion.

Enough with the psychoanalysis. They dont [sic] hate us because of Israel. They dont [sic] hate us because of Kashmir. They dont [sic] hate us because we have troops in Saudi Arabia or because we deposed Saddam Hussein. They dont [sic] hate us because of Britney Spears. They hate us because we are infidels, and because we dont [sic] plan on surrendering or providing them material aid in their war of aggressive expansion.

Enough with the niceties. We dont [sic] lose our souls when we treat our enemies as enemies. We dont [sic] undermine our principles when we post more police officers in vulnerable areas, or when we send Marines to kill bad guys, or when we torture terrorists for information. And we dont [sic] redeem ourselves when we close Guantanamo Bay or try terrorists in civilian courts or censor anti-Islam comics. When it comes to war, extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

Enough with the words. Talking with Iran without wielding the threat of force, either economic or military, wont [sic] help. Appealing to the United Nations, run by thugs and dictators ranging from Putin to Chavez to Ahmadinejad, is an exercise in pathetic futility. Evil countries dont [sic] suddenly decide to abandon their evil goals -- they are forced to do so by pressure and circumstance. >>> By Ben Shapiro | December 3, 2008

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Messianic Jewish Leader Says Islam is a Threat to the World
JOURNAL CHRÉTIEN: One of the founders of the Jewish Messianic movement has openly identified Islam as being a threat to the world.

In an online article written following the devastating attacks in Mumbai, in which almost 200 people were killed, Asher Intrater said, “Islamic Jihad is an international movement - coordinated, planned, and well-financed. Its goal is to destroy Western civilization, kill Christian missionaries, and destroy the State of Israel. It is deeply rooted in Islamic religious indoctrination. Terror is part of Jihad, and Jihad is part of Islam.” >>> By Jeremy Reynalds | December 2, 2008

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L'émir koweïtien charge le premier ministre de former un nouveau cabinet
LE MONDE: Après la crise entre le pouvoir exécutif et le pouvoir législatif au Koweït qui s'est soldée, mardi 25 novembre, par la démission du gouvernement, l'émir, cheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, a décidé de reconduire dans ses fonctions le premier ministre cheikh Nasser Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, en le chargeant lundi 1er décembre de former une nouvelle équipe. La décision devait encore être confirmée par une annonce officielle.

En acceptant la démission du gouvernement, cheikh Sabah a évité une dissolution du Parlement dans ce riche petit émirat pétrolier qui a du mal à trouver une stabilité politique. Depuis 2006, le parlement y a été dissous à deux reprises et le pays a connu une valse de quatre gouvernements, tous dirigés par le cheikh Nasser Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, neveu de l'émir.

La crise actuelle a été déclenchée par la détermination des députés fondamentalistes sunnites, Walid Tabatabaï, Mohammed Al-Mtiri et Abdallah Al-Barghach, de soumettre à la question le premier ministre sur la corruption et une mauvaise gestion, ainsi que sur l'autorisation octroyée à un dignitaire chiite iranien, Mohammed Baqer Al-Fali, d'effectuer une visite au Koweït, alors même qu'il a été interdit de séjour dans ce pays en vertu d'une décision de justice - dont il a fait appel - pour avoir insulté les compagnons du Prophète. >>> Beyrouth Correspondante | 02.12.2008

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Castro ist bereit, Obama an einem «neutralen Ort» zu treffen
TAGES ANZEIGER: Kubas Präsident Raúl Castro hat sieben Stunden lang mit Filmstar Sean Penn gesprochen – und dabei Interessantes gesagt.

Der amerikanische Schauspieler und Filmregisseur Sean Penn hat geschafft, was Journalisten seit über zwei Jahren vergeblich versuchen: mit Fidel Castros Nachfolger und Bruder Raúl Castro ein Interview zu führen. Sean Penn, der gerne politisiert und schreibt und sich früher schon mit Hugo Chávez und Fidel Castro unterhalten hatte, reiste Ende Oktober nach Venezuela zu Chávez und anschliessend nach Havanna zu Raúl Castro. Mit beiden Staatspräsidenten hat Penn stundenlang gesprochen und darüber einen Essay verfasst. Dieser erscheint am 15. Dezember in der amerikanischen Zeitschrift «The Nation», ist auf der Internetseite jedoch bereits zu lesen.

Im ersten Interview mit einem Ausländer sagte Raúl Castro, er sei bereit, sich mit Barack Obama «an einem neutralen Ort» zu treffen, zum Beispiel auf der US-Militärbasis Guantánamo im Osten Kubas. «Wir sollten uns treffen und beginnen, unsere Probleme zu lösen», sagte Raúl im siebenstündigen Gespräch, das kurz vor den amerikanischen Präsidentschaftswahlen stattfand. Raúl zeigte sich überzeugt, dass Obama die Wahlen gewinne, «sofern er vorher nicht umgebracht wird». >>> Von Oscar Alba, Havanna | 2. Dezember 2008

THE NATION:
Conversations With Chávez and Castro >>> Sean Penn | November 25, 2008

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Die Hisbollah sollte schleunigst verboten werden
WELT ONLINE: Sie gilt als extremistisch und betreibt "anschlagsfähige Netzwerke": die radikalislamische Gruppierung Hisbollah. Mit Geldern aus dem Iran schürt sie eine Hasspropaganda und finanziert Anschläge gegen Israel. Jetzt wurde ihr TV-Sender Al-Manar in Deutschland verboten. Die Hisbollah jedoch nicht.

Das Verbot des radikal-islamistischen TV Senders Al-Manar (Der Leuchtturm) durch den Bundesinnenminister ist am vergangenen Wochenende wirksam geworden.

Seitdem ist es untersagt, Al-Manar TV in Hotels oder Teestuben zu zeigen, auf dem Sender zu werben oder sonst wie mit ihm zusammen zu arbeiten. Da das Verbot jedoch keine Auswirkungen auf den Sendebetrieb hat, wirft die Verbotsverfügung des Bundesinnenministers zusätzliche, schwerwiegende Fragen auf. >>> Von Alexander Ritzmann | 3. Dezember 2008

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"Es wird Zeit, dass wir unsere Sprache schützen"
WELT ONLINE: Die Basis der CDU hat sich auf ihrem Parteitag in Stuttgart dafür ausgesprochen, die deutsche Sprache im Grundgesetz zu verankern. Wörtlich soll festgehalten werden: "Die Sprache in der Bundesrepublik ist Deutsch." Was das bedeutet, sagt der Geschäftsführer des Vereins Deutsche Sprache (VDS) auf WELT ONLINE. >>> Von Lars Kreye | 2. Dezember 2008

WELT ONLINE: Muslime gegen Debatte über deutsche Leitkultur

Foto von Ayyub Axel Köhler, Zentralrats-Vorsitzende dank der Welt
Politiker und Verbände haben das Vorhaben der CDU kritisiert, die deutsche Sprache als eigenständigen Passus ins Grundgesetz aufzunehmen. Auch der Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland hat sich gegen das Vorhaben ausgesprochen. Der Rat warnt vor einer Diskussion über deutsche Leitkultur.

Der Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland hat die CDU für ihr Vorhaben kritisiert, Deutsch als Landessprache im Grundgesetz zu verankern. Der Zentralrat nannte das Vorhaben „lächerlich und kleinlich“. „Dass Deutsch Amtssprache ist, steht doch ohnehin fest. Und dass die deutsche Sprache Grundlage für Integration ist, ist selbstverständlich“, sagte der Zentralrats-Vorsitzende Ayyub Axel Köhler der in Hannover erscheinenden „Neue Presse“.

Köhler warf der CDU einen Rückfall in die Debatte über eine deutsche Leitkultur vor: „Diese Diskussion hat unendlich viel Schaden angerichtet und schien längst überwunden. Jedes Signal in Richtung Leitkultur ist ein Hindernis für Integration.“ Der Vorsitzende des Zentralrats der Muslime verwies zudem auf die dänische und die sorbische Minderheit in Deutschland. Auch diesen Bevölkerungsgruppen würde mit einer Verankerung der deutschen Sprache in der Verfassung „vor den Kopf gestoßen“. >>> | 3. Dezember 2008

NZZ Online:
Deutschland soll nicht mehrsprachig werden: Vorstoss der CDU zur deutschen Sprache löst Welle der Empörung aus >>> | 3. Dezember 2008

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Papst-Botschafter: „Islam heute ist nicht Islam des Koran“
DIE PRESSE: Der scheidende Botschafter des Papstes, Erzbischof Edmond Farhat, im Interview mit der "Presse". Farhat ist seit 2005 Apostolischer Nuntius in Österreich, vor Wien war er Nuntius in der Türkei.

Die Presse: Als Diplomat sind Sie Vertreter des Heiligen Stuhls bei der Republik Österreich und Gesandter des Papstes bei der Kirche. Welche Rolle ist die wichtigere?

Erzbischof Edmond Farhat: Gott sei Dank sagen Sie „Diplomat“. Das heißt nämlich, dass wir arbeiten. Die Kirche arbeitet, der Nuntius arbeitet – auch mit dem Staat. Wir haben keine großen Probleme mit dem Staat. Die Kirche macht Probleme, hat aber auch Erfolge. >>> Hans Winkler | 2. Dezember 2008

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State Opening of Parliament: ‘Economy Is Overriding Priority’
Watch BBC video: State Opening of Parliament: Live coverage >>> | December 3, 2008
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Sharjah: Have Degree, Will Drive!
BBC: Sharjah, one of the seven emirates that makes up the UAE, is to bar workers in certain jobs from applying for driving licenses, a newspaper has reported.

The ban will cover 86 categories of mainly menial jobs - including cooks, housemaids, gardeners, and tailors.

It was brought in by Sharjah's police traffic department to curb congestion and pollution, the report says.

The United Arab Emirates have one of the highest ratios of car ownership to population in the world.

The report, which appeared in the Gulf News daily newspaper, was linked to from Sharjah's official police website.

The impact of the ban on workers may be compounded by the poor state of public transport in the emirate.

Many, if not most, of those hit by the driving ban will be foreign workers in low-paid, unskilled jobs.

The report said driving licence applications would still be accepted from those with university degrees. Emirate Car Ban on Menial Workers >>> | December 1, 2008

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USA haben Indien vor Anschlag in Mumbai gewarnt: Indische Regierung gerät wegen möglicher Pannen unter Druck
NZZ Online: (ap) Nach dem Terrorüberfall von Mumbai gerät die indische Regierung immer stärker unter Druck, weil sie die Anschlagsserie womöglich hätte verhindern können. So soll der Geheimdienst bereits im September von der Planung der Anschläge informiert gewesen sein. Auch die amerikanische Regierung habe indische Stellen vor einem Terrorangriff auf Mumbai gewarnt haben, wie am Dienstag aus Regierungskreisen in Washington verlautete. >>> | 2. Dezember 2008

LE FIGARO: L'Inde était prévenue des risques d'attentats à Bombay

Dès octobre, les services secrets américains avaient alerté l'Inde de possibles attaques venant de la mer contre des cibles précises de Bombay. L'Inde demande au Pakistan de lui livrer plusieurs suspects.

Une erreur d'appréciation des services secrets indiens a-t-elle facilité la tâche des terroristes qui ont fait un carnage mercredi à Bombay ? Les chaînes américaines CNN et ABC News affirment que les services secrets américains ont prévenu dès mi-octobre leurs homologues indiens de la possibilité d'une attaque «par la mer contre des hôtels et des centres commerciaux» de la mégalopole. Un responsable de l'intelligence américaine, qui tient à rester anonyme, explique même, à ABC News, avoir fourni à New Delhi une liste de cibles spécifiques dont l'hôtel du «Taj Mahal», effectivement visé par les islamistes. >>> C.J. | 02.12.2008

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Die Linke begehrt auf gegen Barack Obama

WELT ONLINE: Das moderate Kabinett des designierten US-Präsidenten Barack Obama verstört seine Anhänger. Viele Demokraten wünschen sich einen Linksruck in Amerika und sehen in den Clinton-Vasallen in Obamas Schattenkabinett eine Horde von Wölfen im Schafspelz. Obama droht an Rückhalt zu verlieren.

Robert Dreyfuss ist ein engagierter linksliberaler "Investigativjournalist" aus dem altehrwürdigen Alexandria, einer linksliberalen Enklave des sonst eher konservativen Bundesstaates Virginia.



Von Alexandria aus kann man Washington sehen, und was Dreyfuss dort sieht, gefällt ihm nicht. Er hält Barack Obama inzwischen für einen konservativen Wolf im linksliberalen Schafspelz.

Im Magazin "The Nation" schrieb er über Obamas außenpolitisches Team: "Sind wir überrascht, dass die Ansichten der konservativen und zur Mitte tendierenden Berater Obamas in Wahrheit den Auffassungen Obamas selbst entsprechen? Und sind wir überrascht, dass seine Kandidaten für außen- und sicherheitspolitische Ämter ausschließlich aus konservativen, moderaten, promilitärischen Zirkeln stammen, ohne einen – keinen einzigen! – Kandidaten, der den Antikriegsflügel der Demokratischen Partei repräsentierte? Nein, wir sind nicht überrascht." >>> Von Torsten Krauel | 2. Dezember 2008

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Leonetti : «Il est inutile et dangereux d'introduire dans la loi l'exception d'euthanasie»
LE FIGARO: Jean Leonetti, médecin, député maire d'Antibes, remet mardi à François Fillon le rapport parlementaire d'évaluation de la loi fin de vie de 2005, qui s'oppose une fois de plus à la légalisation de l'euthanasie. >>> | 2.12.2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Grand Duke of Luxembourg Will Lose His Veto

Photo of Gand Duke Henri of Luxembourg courtesy of SpiegelOnline International
Luxembourg's parliament looks ready to strip the Grand Duke of his last lawmaking power as a controversy over euthanasia comes to a head. One of Europe's last royals with political sway may lose his formal veto by taking a stand against a law legalizing euthanasia.

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg, who has said he would interfere with a decision by parliament, will likely be stripped of his veto in a historic decision after a heated showdown over a bill to legalize euthanasia.

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg protested the bill and threatened to kill it next week by refusing to sign it into law.

Since parliament is expected to pass the bill, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said the Grande Duke has overstepped his role. Juncker personally opposes the euthanasia bill but says he will propose a change to the constitution to deny the Grand Duke his veto. His role by the end of 2008 could be reduced to rubber-stamping parliamentary decisions, instead of deciding whether to approve them.

"That means he will only technically enact laws," Juncker said, according to Reuters.

The euthanasia bill passed a first vote by parliament in February. It looks set to pass a second and final vote next week, but the Catholic Grand Duke announced on Tuesday -- in a closed-door meeting with leaders of Juncker's ruling Christian Socialists -- that he would refuse to enact the law.

His position tipped the tiny nation into the worst constitutional crisis in its history. The Luxembourg royal house has tried to block a decision by parliament only once before, when the Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide refused to sign an education bill in 1912. >>> msm -- with wire reports | December 4, 2008

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Controversial Movie on Ataturk Stokes Debate in Turkey
VOICE OF AMERICA: Turks treat Ataturk, the founder of their republic, with great reverence. So when the release of a documentary divulging details of his personal life was released, a furor errupted. As Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul the documentary on his life, called Mustafa paints Ataturk as a hard-living, hard-drinking, melancholy man who felt increasingly detached from the country he created.

The documentary Mustafa's catchy soundtrack by Goran Bregovic is reverberating across Turkey, as is the subject of the film.



Mustafa is the first Turkish film that takes a close look at the private side of the man who was the architect of modern Turkish society. For many, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk has an almost iconic status. But the film's director, Can Dundar, says he is seeking to portray the man behind the legend.



"While we are accustomed to an image of Ataturk with his loud voice and strong statements, one gets surprised to see a Mustafa who noted down his own adolescence worries," Dundar said. "We also revealed very intimate information from unseen letters, about himself. This film reveals the man that disappeared under all big and cliché words about him."
 


The film explores Ataturk's tough childhood and his difficult early life. But among the films most striking portrayals is Ataturk as a heavy-drinking, chain-smoking womanizer, who loved to party and dance. >>> By Dorian Jones, Istanbul | December 1, 2008

Listen to the article

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Muslim Graveyard Refuses to Bury Terrorists in Mumbai
TIMESONLINE: A Muslim graveyard in the heart of Mumbai has broken with Islamic tradition and refused to bury the bodies of nine terrorists who were killed during the attack on India's financial capital.

The influential Muslim Jama Masjid Trust, which runs the 7.5-acre Badakabrastan graveyard, said it would not bury the gunmen because they were not true followers of Islam.

Hanif Nalkhande, a spokesman for the trust, said: "People who committed this heinous crime cannot be called Muslim. Islam does not permit this sort of barbaric crime." >>> Nico Hines, and Rhys Blakely in Mumbai | December 1, 2008

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BBC Criticised for Refusing to Call Mumbai Gunmen Terrorists
THE TELEGRAPH: The BBC has been criticised for refusing to describe the perpetrators of the Bombay (Mumbai) massacre as terrorists.

The corporation has taken a policy decision to always refer to the gunmen in radio, television and online reports as militants despite reports linking the shooting to the Pakistani based terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. The group, whose name means Army of the Pious, is on the US watch list of terrorist organisations.

It was established to fight against Indian rule in Kashmir and has past links to both Pakistani intelligence and al-Qaeda. L-e-T was founded in Afghanistan where it has said to have shared training camps with the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

But the BBC said that it had decided, after much consideration, to carefully avoid the use of the word terrorist in volatile international situations such as the Bombay shootings, which left 174 dead and hundreds injured, because of the fear the meaning of the word could be lost in translation.

Stephen Pound, the chairman of the Labour Party Friends of India Group, said: "This is the worse sort of mealy mouthed posturing. It is desperation to avoid causing offence which ultimately causes more offence to everyone. The terrorist term is universal. The result is innocent victims slaughtered in restaurants by men brandishing machine guns. They are terrorists and the BBC should call them that." >>> By Andrew Pierce | December 1, 2008

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Johann Hari: The Refugee Who Rocked Islam: an Exclusive Interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali
THE HUFFINGTON POST: Ayaan Hirsi Ali was stabbed into the world's consciousness four years ago. One wet afternoon in November 2004, her friend Theo Van Gogh - descendant of Vincent - left his house and was about to start cycling down the streets of Amsterdam. But a young Dutch-born Muslim called Mohammed Bouyeri was waiting for him - with a handgun and two sharpened butcher knives. Wordlessly, he shot Van Gogh twice in the chest. Van Gogh howled, "Can't we talk about this?" Bouyeri ignored his pleas and fired four more times. Then he pulled out a butcher's knife and slit Van Gogh's throat with such strength his head was almost severed from his body. He used the other knife to stab a five-page letter into Van Gogh's haemorrhaging corpse. Ayaan explains, "The letter was addressed to me."

It said Van Gogh had been "executed" for making a film with her that exposed the widespread abuse of Muslim women. Now she would be "executed" too, for being an apostate. Even now, "Every time I close my eyes, I see the murder, and I hear Theo pleading for his life," she says. "'Can't we talk about this?' he asked his killer. It was so Dutch, so sweet and innocent." At the trial, Bouyeri spat at Van Gogh's mother: "I don't feel your pain. I don't have any sympathy for you. I can't feel for you because I think you're a non-believer."

This is the story of how a 25 year-old bogus asylum seeker from Africa came to Europe in search of freedom - only to be nearly murdered here by a Dutchman, on the streets of Amsterdam, for speaking out against religion. It opens in the blood-strewn streets of Somalia, and it closes in the shiny white marble of Washington D.C - yet it also ends where it began: with Ayaan's life in imminent, immediate danger. This is the story of the refugee who rocked Islam.

Her light, slight figure walks into the room so quietly that I would not have noticed her. But then the bodyguards follow: big and tall, with their eyes darting into every corner in search of the long-awaited assassin, and you realise - yes, she is here. The internet is littered with pledges to torture and slay Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Yet just a few weeks before we meet in London, the Dutch government has stripped away her security detail. She is paying for her own bodyguards now - and she could soon run out of cash. So how did this soft-voiced woman come to be so hated - and to be abandoned by the country that gave her sanctuary? >>> By Johann Hari | November 30, 2008

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Iran Confirms Stoning Sentence against Adulteress: Report
AFP: TEHRAN — Iran's supreme court has confirmed a sentence of death by stoning against a woman convicted of adultery in the southern city of Shiraz, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

The woman identified as Afsaneh R., was also given a second death sentence for murdering her husband with the help of a man identified only as Reza, who had an affair with her, Etemad Melli newspaper reported.

The report said the supreme court had in August confirmed verdicts first issued in April, but gave no reason for the delay in making the decision public.

It said Reza had also been sentenced to 100 lashes for having an illegitimate relationship and 15 years in jail for collaborating in murder. >>> | November 29, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

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5,000 Pak Butchers to Get Jobs in UK
THE NATION: LONDON - Over 5,000 butchers from Pakistan would get employment in the halal meat industry of UK through Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between National Halal Foods Group (NHFG) of UK and Overseas Employment Cooperation of Pakistan. The MoU has been signed here at the Pakistan High Commission, London Friday. [Source: TheNation] By Asif Mehmood | November 29, 2008

Hat tip: Robert Spencer

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Joseph Klein: Off the Table
FRONTPAGEMAG.COM: Islam was born as a religion spread through violence. There is a direct line from the prophet Muhammad to today’s Islamic terrorists, whose latest deadly attacks wreaked havoc in Mumbai, India. The ongoing effort in the United Nations and the politically correct media to disassociate Islam from terrorism is a sham.

Just days before the Mumbai attack, a United Nations Committee passed a resolution entitled “Combating Defamation of Religions”, which will be going to the General Assembly for approval in mid-December. It is one in a series of such resolutions pushed by the Organization of Islamic Conference. While ostensibly applying to all religions, it refers only to Islam by name. The text “expresses deep concern … that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism.”

The New York Times’ lead news stories in the aftermath of the Mumbai massacre played right into the Organization of Islamic Conference’s campaign of obfuscation. It omitted the central fact that the terrorists who murdered more than 170 innocent people were fanatical Islamists. The Times referred to them simply in generic terms as “gunmen”, “attackers”, and “militants”.

The only hint of a Muslim connection to the terrorist acts reported in the New York Times’ lead article on November 28, 2008 was the recounting of a complaint from two of the attackers to local television stations about the treatment of Muslims in India and about hostilities in the disputed territory of Kashmir. The Times actually quoted one of these cold-hearted terrorists, who tried to play victim in justifying the carnage.

Islamic terrorists always have some kind of excuse for their wanton killings. Usually it starts with the Jews, whom the religious fanatics believe are responsible for every ill befalling Muslims everywhere and thus deserve to die. It was no surprise that a Jewish center in Mumbai was among the prime terrorist targets, with deadly consequences to a rabbi, his wife and other Jews.

Westerners also must be punished for keeping the Muslim people down, so the Islamists’ rationalization for murder goes. American and British citizens in particular were targeted at hotels and other locations in Mumbai where they were likely to congregate. However, the slaughter soon became indiscriminate. In fact, most of the dead appeared to be Indians and tourists of other nationalities caught in the midst of the terrorists’ mayhem. Indian commandos involved in an operation to end the siege described the terrorists as "showing no remorse, firing at anyone who moves". >>> By Joseph Klein | December 1, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
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India Lashes Out at Old Enemy
THE INDEPENDENT: Concern grows of military build-up on border between India and Pakistan

Military tensions flared up yesterday between India and Pakistan as the nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in a display of sabre-rattling in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks that have left at least 170 people dead.

With bodies still being recovered from the battle-scarred interior of the Taj Mahal hotel and with the Indian authorities saying that most, if not all, of the 10 gunmen responsible came from Pakistan, Delhi announced that it was raising security to a "war level". In response, Pakistan said that any escalation would force it to redeploy troops battling militants in tribal areas to positions along its eastern border with India.

Although the dispute shows no signs of reaching the level it was in 2002, when the two countries came perilously close to conflict, the statements reflect the anger and a sense of helplessness in India about the attacks that struck at its soft underbelly.

The Indian government, which faces elections within months, will be keen to use criticism of Pakistan to divert attention from its own failure to prevent the attacks. Yesterday, the Congress Party-led administration announced that the Home Minister and the national security advisor were to be replaced. It was also claimed that the authorities had failed to act on a number of intelligence warnings that an attack in Mumbai might be imminent.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who chaired an all-party meeting to discuss the situation, said there would be an overhaul of India's counter-terrorism capabilities. Addressing criticism that the National Security Group elite commandos took almost 10 hours to get to Mumbai from Delhi, he said that, from now on, the strength of the so-called Black Cats would be boosted and they would be stationed in four cities. He also said that air and sea security would be improved.

"We share the hurt of the people and their sense of anger and outrage," he said in Delhi. "Several measures are already in place. But clearly much more needs to be done and we are determined to take all necessary measures to overhaul the system." >>> By Andrew Buncombe | Monday, December 1, 2008

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Police State UK: MPs Threaten to Disrupt State Opening of Parliament
THE TELEGRAPH: MPs are threatening to disrupt this week's State Opening of Parliament in protest at the arrest of the shadow minister Damian Green.

The signal for a week of unrest in Westminster came after the Leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman, said that she was "very concerned indeed" at the threat to "fundamental principles" posed by the affair.

She called on Michael Martin, the Speaker, to order a formal inquiry into the decision to allow a police search of Mr Green's Parliamentary office. Mr Martin was under pressure from MPs on all sides to issue an apology after personally allowing the police access to the Commons.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, faced further criticism for refusing to intervene in the row or apologise to Mr Green, the Conservative immigration spokesman. Instead, she used a television interview to defend the police's tactics.

She claimed that it would be "Stalinist" for politicians to intervene in the inquiry – a reference to how Mr Green's arrest had been compared to state control during the Soviet era. Mr Green, who had made a series of embarrassing disclosures after receiving leaked Whitehall documents, was arrested and had his property searched last Thursday in an operation involving 20 police officers. He was bailed on suspicion of conspiring to break the archaic law of "misconduct in public office".

It has emerged that MPs were privately discussing whether to protest during the debate on Wednesday's Queen's Speech if Mr Martin did not act. Senior Conservative figures said they might even organise a walkout from Parliament if the authorities did not apologise.

In The Daily Telegraph on Monday, Denis MacShane, a former Labour minister, describes the affair as "a mammoth breach in the core democratic doctrine of parliamentary privilege." >>> By Robert Winnett and Richard Edwards | November 30, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Damian Green Arrest: Video Footage of Police Search Released

Video footage of counter-terrorist police officers searching the Parliamentary office of a senior Conservative minister has been released.


The release of the footage on David Cameron's personal website has escalated the stand-off between the Conservatives and the authorities. Officers are seen being confronted by a senior Tory MP and preparing to search Damian Green's confidential files.

The video shows Andrew Mackay, Senior Parliamentary and Political Adviser to the Conservative leader, entering Mr Green's office and confronting the officers carrying out the search. He is asked to leave. A police camera used to photograph evidence is clearly visible.

Dominic Grieve, the shadow Home Secretary, said: "These pictures document a dark day for democracy. They show Officers from the Metropolitan police searching the office of Damian Green - an MP who was guilty only of doing his job.

"MPs are not above the law. But they must be allowed to bring the Government to account and to put into the public domain information which may be uncomfortable for Ministers." >>> By Robert Winnett | December 2, 2008

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