Pakistan: We're Ready for War with India
THE TELEGRAPH: Pakistan warned it is ready for war with India if it is attacked following the strike by the Mumbai terrorists.

The remarks by Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who also insisted he would not hand over any suspects in the Mumbai attacks, come amid mounting tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

India has said it is keeping all options open following last month's carnage by the Mumbai terrorists, who killed more than 170 people.

"We do not want to impose war, but we are fully prepared in case war is imposed on us," said Mr Qureshi.

"We are not oblivious to our responsibilities to defend our homeland. But it is our desire that there should be no war."

Indian officials say the hardline Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, which is based in Pakistan despite being banned by the government, is behind the bloodshed, and Indian media have suggested there could be Indian strikes on militant camps.

Mr Qureshi said he was sending "a very clear message" that his country did not want conflict with India.

"We want friendship, we want peace and we want stability - but our desire for peace should not be considered Pakistan's weakness."

The minister also said that India's demands for the extradition of suspects in the Mumbai attacks were out of the question and that Pakistan, which has arrested 16 people since Saturday, would keep them on home soil.

"The arrests are being made for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect, he will not be handed over to India," Qureshi said. "We will proceed against those arrested under Pakistani laws." >>> | December 9, 2008

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Australia: Children a Rare Luxury as Couples Count Cost of Loving
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: GROWING financial uncertainty and an ageing population mean families are now just as likely to be made up of a couple with no dependent children as a couple with children living at home.

By 2026 the couples without children at home will have overtaken those with children as the most common type of family in Australia, a new report on family composition shows. But this is likely to accelerate should the economic turmoil worsen.

The report, by the Federal Government and to be published today, suggests financial concerns such as big mortgages and job uncertainty are among the main reasons couples delay having children or have fewer than they would like.

"There are more younger couples delaying having children or not having children at all," says the report, Australian Families 2008.

An ageing population also means there are more "empty nesters" than in the past.

People aged between 30 and 34 are now more likely to have children than those aged between 25 and 29. Those with children say they are having fewer than they would like.

"Although the number of women having only one child or no children is increasing, more Australians would prefer to have four or more children than to have no children or only one child," the report says.

Whether someone can afford to have children is as common a consideration as whether their partner would make a good parent.

The Government uses information on the changing composition of families to plan for schools, hospitals, community centres and other infrastructure.

And fewer children means fewer family members to care for ageing parents. >>> Stephanie Peatling | December 10. 2008

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Imposante Trauerfeier für russischen Patriarchen Alexi II. : Fernsehübertragung aus der Moskauer Erlöser-Kathedrale
Foto von der Trauerfeuer dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
NZZ Online: Mit einer imposanten und über Stunden dauernden Trauerfeier hat die russisch-orthodoxe Kirche am Dienstag Abschied von ihrem verstorbenen Patriarchen Alexi II. genommen. Das staatliche Fernsehen übertrug Bilder aus dem riesigen Gotteshaus, in dem der Verstorbene seit Samstag aufgebahrt lag.

Das Kirchenoberhaupt war am Freitag im Alter von 79 Jahren gestorben. Redner würdigten Alexis Rolle beim Wiederaufbau der Kirche nach dem Ende des Kommunismus. Sein Leichnam wurde in der Moskauer Erlöser-Kirche aufgebahrt. Nach drei Stunden Trauerfeier trafen Präsident Dmitri Medwedew sowie Ministerpräsident Wladimir Putin ein und erwiesen Alexi die letzte Ehre. Vor der Kirche warteten Tausende Gläubige im Regen. Im Zentrum der russischen Hauptstadt ruhte der Verkehr. >>> (sda/Reuters) | 9. Dezember 2008

leJDD.fr: Funérailles solennelles pour Alexis II

La Russie a rendu mardi un hommage solennel au patriarche Alexis II, décédé vendredi à l'âge de 79 ans. La télévision publique avait annulé ses programmes habituels pour retransmettre la cérémonie longue d'une demi journée, au cours de laquelle les orateurs ont loué Alexis pour avoir ravivé la foi chrétienne de la nation russe, après des décennies de communisme athée. "Sa Sainteté s'est toujours souvenue que l'Eglise orthodoxe russe était la seule à avoir préservé les traditions, la mémoire et les valeurs de la sainte Russie", a déclaré le métropolite Cyrille, qui assure l'intérim à la tête de l'Eglise. [Source: leJDD.fr] Mardi 09 Décembre 2008

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Australia: Labor Plan to Censor Internet in Shreds
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The Government's plan to censor the internet is in tatters, with Australia's largest ISP saying it will not take part in live trials of the system and the second largest committing only to a scaled-back trial.

And the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, has written to critics saying that the so-called "live" trials would be "a closed network test and will not involve actual customers". Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said this was a sign the Government was slowly backing away from the heavily criticised policy.

The live trials, scheduled to kick off before Christmas, were supposed to provide a definitive picture of whether the filters could work in the real world, after lab tests released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority in June found available ISP filters frequently let through content that should be blocked, incorrectly blocked harmless content and slowed down network speeds by up to 87 per cent.

But now Telstra and Internode have said they would not take part in the trials. iiNet has said it would take part only to prove to the Government that its plan would not work, while Optus will test a heavily cut-down filtering model.

The Government plans to introduce a two-tiered censorship system of filtering from the ISPs' end. The first tier would be compulsory for all Australians and would block all "illegal material", as determined by a blacklist of 10,000 sites administered by ACMA.

The second tier, which is optional, would filter out content deemed inappropriate for children, such as pornography. Experts say this second tier will have the most marked effect on network performance because every piece of traffic handled by the ISP will need to be analysed for "inappropriate" content. >>> Asher Moses | December 9, 2008

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Does Little Mommy Cuddle Coo 'Islam is the light'?
Photo of the controversial doll courtesy of The Telegraph
GLOBEANDMAIL: TORONTO — The baby doll coos, giggles and utters sounds like “mama.” But to some ears, it is baby's first phrase – “Islam is the light” – that is stirring up controversy.

Is it holiday shoppers mistaking the sounds from a cheap speaker or a case of toy tinkering?

Fisher-Price insisted that its Little Mommy Cuddle & Coo doll does not deliver any hidden messages. The only scripted word is “mama” and the doll features realistic baby sounds, including cooing, giggling and baby babble with no sentence structure, the company said.

“There is a sound that may resemble something close to the word ‘night, right, or light.' To avoid any potential misinterpretation, we have eliminated that segment of the sound file from future production,” spokeswoman Juliette Reashor wrote in an e-mail.

“Because the original soundtrack is compressed into a file that can be played through an inexpensive toy speaker, actual sounds may be imprecise or distorted.”

Ms. Reashor said there are no plans to discontinue making the dolls or take them off the shelves, adding that the company is confident in the quality standards of its dolls.

But others aren't as convinced. >>> Caroline Alphonso | December 8, 2008

Watch video from ctv.ca: A doll with something to say: ‘Islam is the light’ >>> | December 8, 2008-12-09

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Cameron: Scrap the Human Rights Act
DAILY EXPRESS: DAVID CAMERON yesterday stepped up his call for the hated Human Rights Act to be scrapped.

The Tory leader demanded action after Justice Secretary Jack Straw admitted the law had become a “villains’ charter” used by the courts to put the rights of criminals first.

Mr Cameron said the admission showed the Strasbourg-inspired Act needed to be replaced by a new British Bill of Rights more attuned to the country’s needs and traditions.

In a speech to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Mr Cameron said: “We have seen a lack of proportion and common sense.

“I believe we now need a home-grown British Bill of Rights.” >>> By Macer Hall, Political Editor | December 9, 2008

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World's First Virtual World for Muslims Is Launched
MAIL Online: The first ever Muslim virtual world has launched today, following in the footsteps of popular online communities such as Second Life.

Called Muxlim Pal, it allows users to look after a cartoon avatar or 'pal' who can move around the world, which promotes Islamic culture.

Users can buy gift such as tea sets with online currency to give to their friends and pals can also go to prayer rooms and dress in clothing including hijabs.

Each pal has a number of 'meters' that govern spirituality, happiness, fitness and knowledge, which change as the character carries out tasks.

'We are not a religious site, we are a site that is focused on the Muslim lifestyle,' said Mohamed El-Fatatry, founder of Muxlim.com, which launched the virtual world.

'As no other virtual world offers a family-friendly environment for our community, we felt there was a need to cater for the people who were being left out.' >>> | December 9, 2008

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Bible Probably Not True, Says George Bush
THE TELEGRAPH: US President George W Bush has said that the Bible is "probably not" literally true and that a belief that God created the world is compatible with the theory of evolution.

"I think you can have both," Mr Bush, who leaves office January 20, told ABC television, adding "You're getting me way out of my lane here. I'm just a simple president."

But "evolution is an interesting subject. I happen to believe that evolution doesn't fully explain the mystery of life," said the president, an outspoken Christian who often invokes God in his speeches.

"I think that God created the Earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an almighty and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution," he told ABC television.

Asked whether the Bible was literally true, Mr Bush replied: "Probably not. No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it."

"The important lesson is 'God sent a son,'" he said. [Source: The Telegraph] | December 9, 2008

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Cigarettes to Be Sold 'Under the Counter'
Image courtesy of The Telegraph
Naturally, it is a good thing for smoking in society to be reduced. This government, however, seems to have a ‘thing’ about smokers: Government ministers pursue them with fervour. If only these same government ministers were to pursue the case of the growth of Islam in the United Kingdom with the same fervour as they do smokers. – ©Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Cigarettes will have to be 'sold under the counter' in moves to be announced by the Department of Health today.

Tobacco products will be barred from display in shops despite fears it could hit small stores during the economic downturn.

The new restrictions come after an extensive consultation on measures to reduce the number of children who take up smoking and helping those already addicted to quit.

But ministers will not go as far as recommending all cigarette packaging be plain with only the brand name and health warnings printed on them.

Sales from vending machines will also be restricted as research has shown children can buy cigarettes from them easily even though they are supposed to be in places where shops owners and pub landlords can supervise them.

Experts are keen to build on the success of the ban on smoking in public places, introduced in England in July 2007, and the increase in the legal age to buy tobacco to 18. >>> By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor and Andrew Porter, Political Editor | December 8, 2008

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Griechenland: Randalierer zünden Hotels und Kaufhäuser an
Foto von den Protesten Griechenlands dank der Welt
In Athen und Saloniki hat es erneut schwere Unruhen gegeben. Gruppen gewalttätiger Jugendlicher zogen durch Straßen, steckten Geschäfte und Gebäude in Brand. In Athen ging ein riesige Weihnachtsbaum in Flammen auf. Der Tod eines Schülers durch die Hand eines Polizisten sorgt weiter für Zündstoff.

In der griechischen Hauptstadt Athen haben gewalttätige Demonstranten Feuer in einem Großkaufhaus gelegt. Ein riesiger Weihnachtsbaum vor dem Parlamentsgebäude im Zentrum der Metropole wurde in Brand gesteckt.

Einige Demonstranten stellten sich vor den brennenden Baum und sangen die griechische Fassung von „Oh Tannenbaum“. Fenster von einem Luxushotel an diesem Platz, dem Athens Plaza, wurden eingeworfen. Die Hotellobby war voller Tränengasschwaden. Ein Hotelmitarbeiter sagte, die Gäste würden evakuiert.

Auch im Vorraum des Außenministeriums brannte es. In Saloniki bot sich ein ähnliches Bild. Tausende Demonstranten warfen Scheiben von Regierungsgebäuden, Banken, Unternehmensniederlassungen und anderen Gebäuden ein.

Die Unruhen wurden am Samstag vom Tod eines 15-Jährigen ausgelöst, der von Schüssen eines Polizisten tödlich getroffen wurde. >>> Reuters/AP/dpa/lk | 8. Dezember 2008

BBC: Greek Rioters Clash with Police

Watch BBC video: Fresh rioting hits Greek cities >>>
Thousands of rioters across Greece have clashed with police in a third day of violent protests over the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy.

Police used teargas against protesters roaming the streets of Athens throwing petrol bombs and setting fire to buildings, vehicles and rubbish bins.

Dozens of people have been injured throughout the country and there are reports of looting in some areas.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has gone on television to appeal for calm.

He said "extreme elements" were taking advantage of the situation to engage in vandalism and pledged to compensate businesses damaged.

The riots began on Saturday after Alexandros Grigoropoulos was shot dead by police in the Exarchia area of Athens. >>> | December 8, 2008

Listen to BBC audio: Malcolm Brabant in a hotel in Athens where protesters were trying to break in >>>
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Top 9/11 Suspects to Plead Guilty
BBC: Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants have told a military judge at Guantanamo Bay they want to confess and plead guilty.

The judge at the pre-trial hearing, Col Stephen Henley, said he would question the men to ensure that was their wish.

Mr Mohammed had earlier said he wished to be executed and achieve martyrdom, but had still mounted a defence.

The five accused face the death penalty if convicted of a role in killing 2,973 people in the suicide plane attacks. >>> | December 8, 2008

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Iran Shuns US 'Carrot-and-stick'
BBC: Iran has told US President-elect Barack Obama to abandon the "failed" US carrot-and-stick approach to solving the atomic row with Tehran.

Mr Obama on Sunday vowed "tough but direct diplomacy", offering Iran economic incentives to end its nuclear programme or face tougher sanctions.

But Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said the policy was "unacceptable".

He urged Mr Obama to adopt an "interactive policy" instead.

"The carrot and stick approach has proven to be useless. It is an unacceptable and virtually failed policy," Mr Qashqavi said.

"This needs to change and transform into an interactive policy".

The UN Security Council has repeatedly demanded that Iran freeze its uranium enrichment work, which the US says is part of Iran's drive to develop an atomic weapon, a claim denied by Tehran. >>> | December 8, 2008

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'Obama too British' Case Rejected
BBC: An appeal claiming Barack Obama is too British to become president of the United States has been rejected by the US Supreme Court.

The lawsuit claimed he should be disqualified because, it claimed, he acquired the same British citizenship that his father had when he was born.

This meant he was not a "natural-born" US citizen, as the US constitution requires, it alleged.

Mr Obama's birth certificate shows he was born in Hawaii.

The issue was addressed by Mr Obama's aides during his presidential campaign, when they posted online his birth certificate - which was verified by Hawaiian officials.

This lawsuit, brought by retired New Jersey lawyer Leo Donofrio, gained a high profile because it was distributed by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to other justices for discussion.

It conceded that Mr Obama was born in Hawaii - but contended that he still held foreign citizenship at birth. >>> | December 8, 2008

THE GUARDIAN: US Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Obama Citizenship Case

The US supreme court has turned down an emergency appeal from a man who says Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.

The court did not comment on its order today, rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio to intervene in the presidential election.

Donofrio claimed that since Obama had dual nationality at birth, his mother was American and his Kenyan father was a British subject, he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen", one of the requirements the US constitution lists for eligibility to be president.

Donofrio also contends that two other candidates, Republican John McCain and Socialist Workers candidate Roger Calero, also are not natural-born citizens and thus ineligible to be president.

At least one other appeal over Obama's citizenship remains at the court. Philip J Berg argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii as Obama says and the Hawaii secretary of state has confirmed.

Berg says Obama also may be a citizen of Indonesia, where he lived as a boy. Federal courts in Pennsylvania have dismissed Berg's lawsuit. Federal courts in Ohio and the state of Washington have rejected similar lawsuits. >>> AP | December 8, 2008

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Kampfrede von Mullah Omar: Der untergetauchte Taliban-Führer kündigt Welle der Gewalt an
NZZ Online: (ap) Der flüchtige Taliban-Führer Mullah Omar hat für das kommende Jahr eine Explosion der Gewalt in Afghanistan angekündigt. Statt wie bisher Hunderte von Opfern werde es Tausende von Toten und Verletzten geben, überall würden Kämpfe aufflammen, sagte Omar in einer Erklärung, die zum Auftakt des muslimischen Opferfestes am Sonntag auf einer Taliban-nahen Internetseite veröffentlicht wurde. Appelle von Präsident Hamid Karzai zur Aufnahme von Friedensgesprächen wies er zurück. >>> | 8. Dezember 2008

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Le cimetière militaire d'Arras de nouveau profané
LE FIGARO: Alors que la communauté musulmane célèbre l'Aïd-el-Kébir, environ 500 tombes musulmanes du cimetière Notre-Dame de Lorette ont été dégradées pour la troisième fois en deux ans.

Environ 500 tombes musulmanes du cimetière militaire Notre-Dame de Lorette, situé sur la commune d'Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, près d'Arras (Pas-de-Calais), ont été profanées dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi, a-t-on appris auprès des gendarmes. Il s'agit de la troisième profanation en deux ans dans ce cimetière militaire, le plus grand de France. «Des inscriptions (notamment des croix gammées) et des tags», ont été retrouvés, et ce sur la quai-totalité des 576 tombes du carré musulman. La majorité des tombes sont recouvertes par une lettre majuscule tracée à la peinture noire, quelques autres sont recouvertes d'une croix gammée. Certaines inscriptions, lisibles en reliant les lettres inscrites sur des tombes voisines, de même qu'une affichette collée sur une tombe, sont des insultes envers la religion musulmane. Des inscriptions citent également nommément Rachida Dati, ministre de la Justice. «A priori, cela semble ressembler à la précédente profanation», commise en avril 2008, a indiqué lundi à la presse sur place le procureur de la République d'Arras Jean-Pierre Valensi. >>> J.B. (lefigaro.fr) Avec AFP et AP | Lundi 08 Décembre 2008

LE FIGARO: Une mosquée incendiée en Bosnie

Une mosquée a été détruite par le feu à Gacko, dans l'entité serbe de Bosnie, a indiqué aujourd'hui la police, alors que les leaders religieux et politiques musulmans bosniaques ont dénoncé un "acte terroriste".

Des policiers ont été dépêchés sur place, a-t-elle ajouté, sans être en mesure pour l'instant de dire s'il s'agissait d'un incendie criminel ou d'un accident. Parallèlement, les leaders de la Communauté islamique de Bosnie ont fermement protesté contre ce qu'ils qualifient d'"acte terroriste". >>> AFP | Lundi 08 Décembre 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Hundreds of Muslim Wargraves Defaced on Islamic Feast Day

Five hundred war graves in the Muslim part of a military cemetery in northern France have been found sprayed with Nazi symbols on the day of an important Islamic feast.

A dozen or so Jewish tombstones were also defaced.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the attack in the Notre-Dame de Lorette military cemetery near Arras, where 30,000 First World War soldiers are buried.

The rows of white headstones, marking the graves of Muslim soldiers who died fighting for France, were spray-painted with neo-Nazi slogans such as "Heil Hitler." Some had lettering whose meaning was unclear.

It was the third attack in two years on the site's Muslim section, which has 576 tombs. Last April, 148 tombs were desecrated and a year before that 52 headstones and an ossuary were vandalized. >>> By Henry Samuel in Paris | December 8, 2008

BBC: Vandals Hit French Muslim Graves

The graves of as many as 500 Muslim war veterans have been vandalised in northern France, in an attack President Nicolas Sarkozy said was "repugnant".

Gravestones were daubed with swastikas and letters spelling out anti-Islamic slogans at France's biggest military graveyard near Arras in the north-east.

The attack took place on the eve of Islam's Eid al-Adha festival, when Muslims visit the graves of loved ones.

Dozens of police searched the graveyard on Monday as an investigation began.

It is the third time the Muslim sector of the Notre Dame de Lorette cemetery has been attacked.

President Sarkozy called the latest incident "abject and revolting" and said it was "the expression of a repugnant racism directed against the Muslim community of France". >>> | December 8, 2008

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Caroline Kennedy brigue
 le poste de Hillary Clinton
Photo de Caroline Kennedy grâce aux Google Images
LE FIGARO: La fille du président assassiné serait tentée par le siège new-yorkais que Mme Clinton laissera vacant au Sénat en devenant la secrétaire d'État d'Obama.

Après avoir boudé la politique et fui les caméras jusqu'à sa 51e année, Caroline Kennedy aurait-elle été finalement rattrapée par le démon qui entretient la légende de son illustre famille ? Après avoir joué les premiers rôles dans la campagne de Barack Obama, la fille du président John F. Kennedy serait-elle tentée par le flambeau que son oncle Ted, malade d'un cancer, pourrait lui transmettre au Sénat, où son père avait lancé sa carrière il y a cinquante-six ans ? >>> Jean-Louis Turlin | Lundi 08 Décembre 2008

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Integration: Katholiken fordern islamischen Religionsunterricht
Foto dank der Welt
WELT ONLINE: Religionsunterricht für Muslime an Schulen könnte der Integration dienen. Das findet das Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken und fordert die Einführung des Schulfaches. Dies gehöre zur Gleichbehandlung der Muslime. Der Unterricht soll nach dem Willen der katholischen Laien allerdings auf Deutsch stattfinden.

Das Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken (ZdK) fordert die Einführung eines islamischen Religionsunterrichts als ordentliches Lehrfach und in deutscher Sprache.

Ein solcher Unterricht sei "ein notwendiger Schritt auf dem Weg zur Gleichbehandlung der Muslime" und damit ein Schlüssel zur Integration, heißt es in einem in Bonn vorgestellten Positionspapier des ZdK-Gesprächskreises "Christen und Muslime".

ZdK-Präsident Hans Joachim Meyer betonte, Muslime seien "auf Dauer Mitbürger unserer Gesellschaft" und hätten deswegen ein verstärktes Interesse an der Etablierung eines konfessionellen Religionsunterrichts, wie ihn das Grundgesetz für öffentliche Schulen vorsehe. >>> | 8. Dezember 2008

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Medvedev Congratulates Muslims on Eid Al-Adha
One can only wonder whether strong man Medvedev really believes this twaddle. First it was Dubya issuing such statements from the White House; now it’s Dmitry issuing them from the Kremlin. – Mark

INTERFAX: Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has congratulated Russian Muslims on the main Islam holiday Eid Al-Adha, the Kremlin press service reported.



"This is a significant religious holiday for each Muslim which symbolizes peace and kindness, all forgivingness and care of friends. It reminds of the basis of Islam, which calls for justice and mercy, nourish respective attitude to panhuman values in peoples," the felicitation reads.



The ancient holiday of Eid Al-Adha is widely celebrated in modern Russia, the president said. "Hajj is performed every year.

Prayers for the welfare of the motherland can be heard in mosques. For those professing Islam, these bright days are the time of spiritual improvement and attention to those in need," he said.



"Maintaining the traditions of many centuries, you contribute to ensuring the spiritual and cultural diversity of our country, assist mutual understanding, tolerance and interethnic consent in Russian society," Medvedev said.



Chairman of the Russian Council of Muftis Ravil Gainutdin read the Russian presidential felicitation at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque on Monday. [Source: Interfax] | December 8, 2008

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Austria Lacks a Culture of Human-rights
AUSTRIAN TIMES: The European Network against Racism (ENAR) based in Brussels claims in its latest report that Austria lacks a culture of human-rights.



The report says that human- and civil-rights groups in Austria are rarely in a position to pressure the federal government on important issues. "In Austria, there appears to be no tradition of discussing and fighting for human rights," it adds.



Every step forward in the area of human rights in Austria since World War II has been the result of foreign pressure, and Austrian human-rights organisations have had to solicit it in order to change racist structures in the country, the report continues. >>> | December 3, 2008

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Teen Stoning Death Casts Shadow on Conference
IOL.CO.ZA: A 13-year-old girl begged for mercy moments before a mob buried her up to her shoulders and stoned her to death.



The Somali youngster is said to have pleaded "Don't kill me, don't kill me!" before her horrific execution in front of a 1 000-strong crowd in late October. 



Convicting a girl of 13 years for adultery is illegal under sharia law, but the authorities argued that she lied about her age.



Amnesty International and the United Nations International Children's Fund said the girl, identity known to this publication, was raped while travelling to see a relative in Mogadishu.

Her family is said to have tried to report the crime to the militia who control Kismayu, only for Aisha to be arrested and accused of adultery. None of the men she accused of rape was detained.

The stoning that sent shockwaves around the world in October formed a sombre backdrop to the Sixth African Development Forum (ADF) on gender violence and women's empowerment hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa. >>> By Zarina Geloo and Joyce Chimbi | December 8, 2008

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Americans Elected Obama into Office; Now Americans Are Going to Have to Pay the Price!
TIMESONLINE: The US economic crisis will deepen next year, Barack Obama warned the country yesterday when he announced the first details of a stimulus package that could ultimately exceed $1 trillion.

The President-elect, giving the most extensive interview since winning the election a month ago, spoke the day after he announced the biggest public works construction programme since Dwight Eisenhower created the interstate highway system half a century ago.

In saying twice that “things are going to get worse before they get better”, Mr Obama was not simply reflecting the realities of the stricken US economy but seeking to gain political advantage from the financial crisis.

By talking up the scale of the recession, the President-elect was lowering expectations for what he can achieve next year while seeking to justify what will, in effect, be the greatest injection of federal money into the US economy since the Depression-era New Deal.

The economic crisis is so great that Mr Obama and his economic team now believe that nothing less than a giant stimulus package is needed. The depth of the worsening recession has presented him with an extraordinary mandate to throw hundreds of billions of dollars at the problem – an opportunity that he did not have even a few weeks ago – and with it the chance to fund much of his hugely expensive legislative agenda.

The economic conditions – combined with a Democratic-controlled Congress – mean that Mr Obama is perhaps the most powerful incoming President, in terms of the ability to pass legislation quickly, since Lyndon Johnson took office in 1963. Barack Obama Reveals Stimulus Package that Could Exceed $1 Trillion >>> Tim Reid in Washington | December 8, 2008

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Barack Obama Says He Has Quit Smoking - Sort of
Photo of Barack Obama smoking courtesy of Google Images
THE TELEGRAPH: US President-Elect Barack Obama said he will not be lighting up in the smoke-free White House.

But he failed to give a straight answer when asked on a US talkshow on Sunday whether he had managed to quit smoking.

In a country where cigarettes are responsible for one in five deaths and smoking costs tens of billions of dollars in health care, the president-elect has been under pressure to set an example by giving up his reported two-decade-old habit.

Perhaps more to the point, Mr Obama's wife, Michelle, reportedly insisted he renounce cigarettes as a condition for allowing him to run for president. On the campaign trail, Mr Obama was seen habitually chomping on nicotine gum.

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press", interviewer Tom Brokaw noted that the White House is a no-smoking zone, and asked Mr Obama: "Have you stopped smoking?"

"I have," Mr Obama replied, smiling broadly. "What I said was that there are times where I have fallen off the wagon." >>> | December 7, 2008

WELT ONLINE: Obama kommt von der Zigarette nicht los

Foto von Obama dank der Welt
Der künftige US-Präsident verspricht, das inzwischen geltende Rauchverbot im Weißen Haus einzuhalten. Er habe das Qualmen aufgegeben – zumindest fast. Hier und da gebe es aber schon einmal einen "Wegeunfall", gestand er jetzt. Seine Frau Michelle dürfte das am meisten ärgern.

Vom großen amerikanischen Schriftsteller Mark Twain (1835-1910), stammt der Spruch: "Rauchen aufhören muss besonders leicht sein. Ich kenne viele, die das schon öfters gemacht haben."

Ein solcher Zeitgenosse ist auch der künftige US-Präsident. In einem TV-Interview sagte Barack Obama jetzt, der Zigarette abgeschworen zu haben. Auf die Frage, ob er er noch Raucher sei, schränkte der 47-Jährige jedoch sein Bekenntnis ein: "Praktisch nicht mehr."

Er habe erhebliche Anstrengungen für seine Gesundheit unternommen und werde das Rauchverbot im Weißen Haus befolgen, versicherte Obama. Tatsächlich ist Obama im Wort: Seine Ehefrau Michelle hatte seiner Kandidatur für das höchste Amt im Staate nur zugestimmt, wenn er der Zigarette abschwört. Während des Wahlkampfs hatte der Bewerber deshalb allerdings zu kleinen Hilfsmitteln greifen müssen. So soll er eifrig Nikotin-Kaugummi gekaut haben. >>> ap/afp/hm | 10. Dezember 2008

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George Bushs plötzliche Reue über den Irak-Krieg: Amerikaner reagieren kaum auf Kehrtwende des Präsidenten
NZZ am Sonntag: Der scheidende US-Präsident George Bush bedauert, dass er vor dem Einmarsch im Irak falsch informiert worden sei. Seine Geschichtsklitterung lässt die Amerikaner kalt.

Gefragt, ob er eine Entscheidung seiner Amtszeit rückgängig machen würde, hat George Bush in einem Fernsehinterview diese Woche nicht den Einmarsch im Irak bedauert, sondern nur das «Versagen der Nachrichtendienste» im Vorfeld. Deren Informationen über Massenvernichtungswaffen im Irak hätten sich nach der Invasion im März 2003 als falsch herausgestellt. Der scheidende US-Präsident sagte, nicht nur die Mitglieder seiner Regierung, sondern auch viele US-Parlamentarier und Staatsmänner hätten auf Grundlage der gleichen Informationen den Angriff auf das Regime Saddam Husseins befürwortet. >>> Andreas Mink, New York | 7. Dezember 2008

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Europas Rechte: "Patrioten aller Länder"
Fotogalerie der Presse >>>
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Pakistan: Islamisten greifen NATO-Nachschubkonvoi an
WELT ONLINE: Es ist der bislang schwerste Angriff auf eine entscheidende Nachschubroute nach Afghanistan: Rund 250 radikalislamische Taliban haben nahe der pakistanischen Stadt Peschawar eine Verladestation der Nato angegriffen und 65 Lastwagen mit Nachschub für die Truppen in Afghanistan angezündet.

Im Nordwesten Pakistans haben mutmaßliche Islamisten bei einem Angriff auf die Nachschublinie für die internationalen Soldaten im benachbarten Afghanistan mehr als 60 Lastwagen im Brand geschossen. >>> AP/dpa/ks | 7. Dezember 2008

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Tension maximale en Inde
ATTENTATS DE BOMBAY | La police indienne a annoncé arrêté deux suspects, accusés d'avoir fourni des cartes de téléphones portables aux commandos terroristes. Cela le jour de l'anniversaire de la destruction de la mosquée Babri par des extrémistes hindous.

La police indienne a annoncé aujourd'hui l'arrestation de deux suspects dans l'enquête sur les attentats de Bombay imputés à des islamistes du Pakistan. L'un de ces suspects a été appréhendé à Calcutta, dans l'est de l'Inde, et son comparse à New Delhi «pour avoir apparemment fourni des cartes SIM aux terroristes des attaques de Bombay», selon la police.

Outre l'arrestation à Bombay du dixième auteur des attentats, commis du 26 au 29 novembre dans la capitale économique indienne, il s'agit là des toutes premières interpellations officielles dans l'enquête sur ces attaques islamistes. >>> AFP | Samedi 06 Décembre 2008

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Les Etats-Unis trinquent à la fin de la prohibition
Agents de police dans la prohibition faisant une razzia de la salle à manger de 922 Pa. Ave, Washington, DC. Photo grâce aux Google Images
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ANNIVERSAIRE | Il y a 75 ans tout juste, les Etats-Unis mettaient fin à la prohibition, une période où l’alcool était strictement interdit dans tout le pays, mais qui a vu les bars clandestins fleurir et le crime organisé exploser.

En 1920, un amendement constitutionnel, à l’initiative de conservateurs brandissant des arguments moraux et de santé publique, interdisait la fabrication, la vente, le transport, l’importation et l’exportation de boissons alcoolisées.

Le 5 décembre 1933, l’interdiction était levée pour des raisons économiques. Septante-cinq ans plus tard, les bars de Washington vont être autorisés à servir de l’alcool jusqu’à 5 heures du matin, mais seulement du 17 au 20 janvier… à l’occasion de l’investiture du président Barack Obama. Les bars ferment normalement à 2 heures en semaine et à 3 heures le week-end dans la capitale américaine.

«Le mouvement en faveur de l’interdiction de l’alcool s’est imposé au lendemain de la Première Guerre mondiale», rappelle l’économiste Mark Thornton, de l’Institut Ludwig von Mises, en Alabama. «L’impôt sur le revenu a été instauré en 1913, et une fois que la guerre a été terminée et que les revenus ont augmenté, le secteur des boissons alcoolisées a perdu l’argument selon lequel il représentait une grosse source de revenus pour le gouvernement fédéral.»

En 1920, les Etats-Unis se lancent donc dans ce qui sera surnommé la «Noble expérience». Certains estiment qu’elle a été positive, du moins en partie. «Pendant une longue période après la fin de la prohibition, le niveau de consommation d’alcool est resté bas, souligne l’historienne Amy Mittelman, auteur d’un livre sur la bière. Si le but de la prohibition était de freiner la consommation d’alcool ou de limiter ses abus, alors elle y a réussi dans une certaine mesure. >>> AFP | Samedi 06 Décembre 2008

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Sarkozy trifft den Dalai Lama trotz heftiger Kritik aus Peking: Nach kurzfristiger Absage eines Gipfeltreffens mit der EU durch China
Foto von Nicolas Sarkozy mit dem Dalai Lama dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
NZZ Online: Trotz vehementer Kritik aus Peking hat der französische Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy am Samstag den Dalai Lama getroffen. Der amtierende EU-Ratsvorsitzende und das geistige Oberhaupt der Tibeter trafen sich in Danzig hinter verschlossenen Türen für ein halbstündiges Gespräch.

(ap) China hatte gegen das Treffen heftig protestiert und einen in Frankreich geplanten EU-China-Gipfel kurzfristig abgesagt. Zudem drohte Peking mit einer nachhaltigen Verschlechterung der bilateralen Beziehungen. Bilder des französischen Fernsehens zeigten, wie sich beide freundlich begrüssten und der Dalai Lama Sarkozy als Willkommensgeste buddhistischer Tradition folgend einen weissen Schal um den Hals legte. Sarkozy flog nach dem Treffen direkt zurück nach Paris und auch der Dalai Lama sprach nicht zu Journalisten. Das Treffen fand am Rande einer Veranstaltung zu Ehren des Friedensnobelpreisträgers und ehemaligem polnischen Präsidenten Lech Walesa statt. >>> | 6. Dezember 2008

leJDD.fr: Dalaï-lama: La Chine proteste officiellement

Le vice-ministre chinois des Affaires étrangères He Yafei a vivement protesté dimanche contre la rencontre, la veille en Pologne, entre le président français Nicolas Sarkozy et le dalaï lama, chef spirituel tibétain en exil. "La partie française devrait prendre des mesures concrètes pour réparer ses erreurs et les dommages causés aux relations bilatérales sino-françaises et sino-européennes", a déclaré He, dont les commentaires ont été rapportés par la chaîne officielle CCTV. Dans un communiqué diffusé séparément, le ministère chinois des Affaires étrangères a estimé que "les actions malencontreuses de la partie française interfèrent de façon injustifiée dans les affaires internes de la Chine et attentent grièvement au sentiment national du peuple chinois." [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 07 Décembre 2008

CORRIERA DELLA SERA: INOLTRATA UFFICIALMENTE DAL VICEMINISTRO DEGLI ESTERI HE YAFEI: Proteste cinesi per l'incontro 
tra Sarkozy e il Dalai Lama

«I francesi ascoltino la voce del popolo di Pechino»

PECHINO - Pechino è passata alle vie di fatto e ha inoltrato a Parigi una protesta formale per l'incontro che il presidente Nicolas Sarkozy ha avuto con il Dalai Lama. Secondo la tv di stato cinese, il viceministro degli Esteri, He Yafei, «ha presentato una energica protesta ai francesi» consegnata direttamente nelle mani dell'ambasciatore francese a Pechino, Herve Ladsous. Secondo l'agenzia di stampa Xinhua il portavoce del ministero, Liu Jianchao, ha sottolineato «l'importanza delle relazioni bilaterali sino-francesi» che Pechino «ha sempre considerato su una prospettiva strategica e di lungo termine». >>> | 07 dicembre 2008

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Studie: Die unfassbare Brutalität türkischer Polizisten
WELT ONLINE: Prügelnde Polizisten müssen in der Türkei in der Regel keine Verurteilung fürchten. Egal, wie brutal ein Beamter vorgeht und wie unberechtigt seine Gewaltanwendung ist – zur Verantwortung gezogen werden die wenigsten. Und die Zahl der Fälle nimmt laut einer Studie zu. WELT ONLINE erzählt die Geschichte eines Opfers. >>> Von Boris Kalnoky | 5. Dezember 2008

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Catholic Backlash at Cherie Blair's Speech to Students over Views on Birth Control
MAIL Online: An invitation to Cherie Blair to speak at a university set up by the Vatican has been met by a storm of protest because of her views on contraception.

The Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome is surprised by the backlash against the decision to invite the Catholic wife of the former Prime Minister to speak on human rights.

The university has received more than 200 complaints over the talk by Mrs Blair, who admitted in her autobiography Speaking For Myself that she used birth control.

In a TV interview earlier this year, Mrs Blair – whose husband Tony converted to Catholicism last December – declared: ‘I can still be a good Catholic girl and use contraceptives.’ >>> By Nick Pisa and Daniel Boffey | December 7, 2008

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London Doctor Is Held as Forced Marriage Hostage
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Race is on to release trainee GP lured to Bangladesh by family, held captive, beaten, and about to marry a stranger against her will. Nina Lakhani reports

British lawyers were this weekend working frantically to rescue a London doctor who has been beaten and held captive in Bangladesh in an attempt to force her into marriage. Dr Humayra Abedin, known as Dorothy to her friends, this weekend faces being forced to marry a complete stranger, unless efforts by lawyers to free her, using new powers, succeed.

Dr Abedin is being held hostage by her family in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, where she is thought to have been gagged, bound and violently beaten to get her to comply with her parents' wishes. The 33-year-old trainee GP is depressed, suicidal and without hope, according to an email she managed to send to a close friend last Friday. This is the first time friends have heard from Dr Abedin for more than three months.

Her parents and uncle were yesterday served with a Forced Marriage Order issued by the British High Court on Friday. Dr Abedin, who has worked as a doctor in the Britain since 2002, is among the first cases to be heard under the Forced Marriage Act which came into force on 25 November. The move came after the family ignored orders from the Bangladeshi high court to bring Dr Abedin to court.

The new legislation allows judges to issue protection orders to prevent forced marriage and help to rescue victims who have already been married off. Those convicted of forcing people into marriage can be jailed for up to two years. >>> | December 7, 2008

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Amsterdam's Brothels and Cannabis Cafés Furious over Mayor's 'Clean-up'
THE GUARDIAN: Dissent grows over a planned crackdown on prostitution and drugs aimed at curbing organised crime in the red-light district

Amsterdam has long been famed for its relaxed approach to prostitution and soft drugs, making the Dutch city one of the most popular destinations for tens of thousands of Britons on stag and hen parties.

But all that may be about to change. As part of a major 'clean-up' of the city centre, the local authorities yesterday unveiled plans to close half of the brothels and the little coffee shops where cannabis can be bought and smoked, prompting warnings that they will cost the city dear as visitors head elsewhere.

Although prostitution has been legal for eight years, and possession of small amounts of drugs has long been tolerated, the latest moves mark an escalation in the culture wars in a country that many of its people believe has become too liberal.

At the heart of the new initiative is the city's drive against the organised crime that it claims gravitates to the areas with high concentrations of 'coffee shops', brothels and the 'windows' where women advertise themselves.

While Amsterdam has long been held up as a model of the argument in favour of the legalisation of soft drugs and the sex trade, its critics counter that the windows and coffee shops mask the violent reality of organised crime. 'By reduction and zoning of these kinds of functions, we will be able to manage and tackle the criminal infrastructure better,' the city said in a statement.

Opponents of the clean-up - including coffee-shop owners and the prostitutes' union, De Rode Draad (Red Thread), which represents 20,000 Dutch prostitutes - told The Observer yesterday that they believed that, far from reducing crime, it would encourage drug dealers and prostitutes to go underground in areas where they were banned.

They also warned that the new clampdown on drugs and the sex industry would have a profound effect on the economics of a city famous for both things. 'Amsterdam is the city of sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll,' said Metje Blaak, a spokeswoman for De Rode Draad, which provides health screening and other training for its members.

'Now we have no sex. No drugs. The women will go on the streets and to the hotels. It is very bad, not least in terms of women's health and safety. The mayor has not listened to the women or the coffee shops,' she added. >>> Peter Beaumont | December 7, 2008

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Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor: Britain Is 'Unfriendly' for Religious People
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain has become an "unfriendly" place for religious people to live, according to the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor claims that the rise of secularism has led to a liberal society, hostile to Christian morals and values, in which religious belief is viewed as "a private eccentricity" and the voice of faith groups is marginalised.

The cardinal warns that Britain shows signs of degenerating into a country free of morals, because of its rejection of traditional values and its new emphasis on the rights of the individual.

There are now "serious tensions" between Christians and secularist society, he says, in which atheists are becoming more "vocal and aggressive".

Writing in a book on multiculturalism, to be published on Monday, the Cardinal argues that immigrants have a duty to adjust to British life, but expresses concern that they are faced with a culture that is increasingly repressive and intolerant. He says that while the country has become more diverse and pluralistic, the Christian values which have shaped its identity should not be abandoned.

he book, called Faith in the Nation, is published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), with the backing of the Prime Minister. In it the cardinal says: "Religious belief of any kind tends now to be treated more as a private eccentricity than as the central and formative element in British society that it is.

"Although the tone of public discussion is sceptical or dismissive rather than antireligious, atheism has become more vocal and aggressive."

Britain's most senior Catholic leader says that the "unfriendly climate for people of all faiths" has united the country's three major faiths, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. >>> By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | December 6, 2008

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Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan:
The Most Colourful Coronation in the World?
The newly –crowned King of Bhutan in the Himalayas: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Photo courtesy of The Independent
THE INDEPENDENT: Last month, a new monarch was crowned in the secretive Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The writer Stanley Johnson was one of a tiny handful of Westerners to receive an invitation. But first he had to get there ... Road to Shangri-la: Stanley Johnson Witnesses the Coronation of Bhutan's New King >>> | December 6, 2008

Amérique centrale: une monnaie unique contre la crise
LE FIGARO: Pour faire face à la crise économique mondiale, les présidents des pays d'Amérique centrale et le gouvernement de la République Dominicaine, sont convenus vendredi d'adopter une monnaie unique. Ni le nom de la future monnaie, ni la date à laquelle elle entrera en circulation n'ont cependant été précisés.

Cet accord pour une monnaie unique constitue un des éléments d'un «Plan de mesures urgentes» pour «amortir l'impact régional de la crise financière internationale», énoncées dans une déclaration en 41 points signée à San Pedro Sula, la deuxième ville du Honduras, qui accueillait ce 33e sommet. Ce Plan prévoit notamment «la création d'un fonds commun de crédit, économique et financier, pour le développement de la région dans le contexte des négociations Amérique centrale-Union européenne». >>> L.S (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP | Samedi 06 Décembre 2008

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Israel: Siedler verwüsten Hebron in einem Rachefeldzug
WELT ONLINE: Die Räumung des besetzten Hauses in der Stadt Hebron hat bei den jüdischen Siedlern heftigen Protest hervorgerufen. Marodierend zogen sie durch die Straßen und legten Feuer. Seit langem zählen sie zu den radikalsten unter den Siedlern. Ein normales Zusammenleben mit der palästinensischen Mehrheit ist nicht möglich.

Am späten Donnerstagnachmittag herrscht in der palästinensischen Stadt Hebron im Westjordanland Krieg. Jedenfalls sieht es so aus: Oben, am „Pfad der Betenden“, schleppen Polizisten in Schutzausrüstung die letzten Bewohner aus einem von jüdischen Siedlern besetzten Haus. Die wütenden Siedler beschimpfen die Soldaten als „Nazis“ oder „Judenfeinde“ und werfen unterschiedslos Steine auf die israelischen Polizisten wie auch auf die Häuser der im Tal lebenden Palästinenser. Wenn es ihnen zu wild wird, schießen die Polizisten Tränengaspatronen ab.

Ungehindert von den israelischen Sicherheitskräften zieht ein Siedlermob durch das Tal, legt Feuer in palästinensischen Gärten, demoliert alles, was nicht niet- und nagelfest ist und versucht gar in ein palästinensisches Haus einzudringen. Die bewaffneten Sicherheitsleute der nahe gelegenen Siedlung Kirjat Arba denken gar nicht daran, einzugreifen. Einige israelische Journalisten eilen den arabischen Bewohnern zu Hilfe. Einer von ihnen wird seinen sehr persönlichen Bericht über die Geschehnisse am nächsten Tag in der Zeitung Haaretz unter der Überschrift „Ich schäme mich“ veröffentlichen. >>> Von Michael Borgstede | 5. Dezember 2008

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Casse du siècle chez le bijoutier des rois!
Photo de la célèbre joaillerie-bijouterie Harry Winston grâce aux Google Images
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: BRAQUAGE | Quatre braqueurs armés et déguisés ont raflé pour 85 millions d’euros de bijoux chez Harry Winston à Paris. Ce hold-up record a été minutieusement préparé par des «pros» qui sont toujours en fuite. Parmi les suspects: les «Pink Panthers». Ces ex-soldats des guerres balkaniques sont bien connus en Suisse.

Devant la porte, une Rolls immatriculée à Genève et stationnée en deuxième position. A droite, le palace Plaza-Athénée, à gauche Max Mara, en face Louis Vuitton et Fendi. La célèbre joaillerie-bijouterie Harry Winston est bien entourée et figure en belle place parmi les joyaux de cette artère grand luxe de Paris, l’avenue Montaigne.

Cette artère vient de subir une sacrée hémorragie de diams! Quatre braqueurs ont attaqué la bijouterie Harry Winston et y ont emporté pour 85 millions d’euros de bijoux. Soit plus de 131 millions de nos francs.

Déguisés en femmes

C’est le casse du siècle chez celui que l’on surnomme «le prince des bijoutiers et le bijoutier des rois». Il y a un an, presque jour pour jour, cette même bijouterie avait déjà subi un hold-up dont le préjudice était estimé à 10 millions d’euros. Une récompense de 500 000 dollars avait été offerte par l’assureur pour retrouver les bijoux volés. En vain.

Jeudi après-midi, les quatre gangsters procèdent aux ultimes réglages. Trois d’entre eux enfilent robes et jupes, se maquillent afin de ressembler à de belles touristes et se mettent des perruques féminines. Le quatrième reste habillé en homme. >>> Jean-Noël Cuénod | Samedi 06 Décembre 2008

RADIO SUISSE ROMANDE: Podcast:
Paris: le casse du siècle ! >>> Vendredi 05 Décembre 2008

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Obama will in Amerika investieren: Grösstes Infrastrukturprogramm seit 50 Jahren angekündet
NZZ Online: Der künftige amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama hat am Samstag in einer Radioansprache die grösste Investition in die Infrastruktur des Landes seit 50 Jahren angekündigt.

(sda) Obama will mit Beginn seiner Präsidentschaft Anfang 2009 Schulen und Spitäler modernisieren, die Breitband-Internet-Verkabelung ausbauen und öffentliche Gebäude energiesparend einrichten. Einschliesslich Investitionen in den Strassen- und Brückenbau sollen so 2,5 Millionen Arbeitsplätze gesichert oder neu geschaffen werden.

Dass die USA bei der Breitband-Verkabelung nur den 15.Platz belegten, sei «nicht hinnehmbar», sagte Obama. «In diesem Land, welches das Internet erfunden hat, sollte jedes Kind online gehen können.» Als Präsident werde er dafür sorgen, dass «die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit Amerikas gestärkt wird». >>> | 6. Dezember 2008

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From Berlin to Beijing, Chancellors and Presidents Feel the Strain
THE GUARDIAN: The deepening world recession has dented prospects for many of the world's leaders trying to contain the financial fallout

The financial crisis has already changed the face of the political world. It decisively tipped the US election in Barack Obama's favour, tarnishing John McCain with the brush of Republican economic mismanagement. It brought Gordon Brown back from the political dead, making him appear statesmanlike, assured. It helped Nicolas Sarkozy turn his approval ratings round, as he too sought to offer crisis leadership and this week produced a package heavily larded with populist measures. A handful of other leaders around the world are having a "good" crisis, most notably Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, another economic populist, who is basking in 70% approval ratings.

But across much of the world, it has been hard to avoid one of the intractable laws of politics - when the economy goes south, the people in charge get the blame. Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper, is feeling the pain most acutely this week, but just about everyone running a substantial economy anywhere must now be worrying about their own job security. That goes too for those untroubled by the necessity of holding elections. Popular wrath has other ways of making itself felt. >>> Julian Borger | December 6, 2008

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BAE Accused of £100m Secret Payments to Seal South Africa Arms Deal
THE GUARDIAN: More than £100m was secretly paid by the arms company BAE to sell warplanes to South Africa, according to allegations in a detailed police dossier seen by the Guardian yesterday.

The leaked evidence from South African police and the British Serious Fraud Office quotes a BAE agent recommending "financially incentivising" politicians.

In the arms deal, the new ANC government in South Africa agreed to spend a controversial £1.6bn buying fleets of Hawk and Gripen warplanes.

Critics said the country, beset by unemployment and HIV/Aids, could not afford it. The Hawks, rejected by the military, cost twice as much as Italian equivalents.

But the then South African defence minister Joe Modise and a key official, Chippy Shaik, insisted on the purchase.

BAE is accused in the reports of corrupt relationships with an arms tycoon, John Bredenkamp, recently blacklisted in the US for his links with Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Bredenkamp's blacklisting freezes his assets in the US.

BAE's former marketing director for southern Africa, Allan McDonald, has been speaking to police, the leaked files say. He allegedly told them Bredenkamp "gave progress reports directly to Mike Turner". Turner, who has been interviewed under caution by the SFO, stepped down last year as BAE's chief executive.

Bredenkamp-linked companies were paid £40m by BAE to promote the arms deal. According to McDonald, "Bredenkamp suggested identifying the key decision-makers, with a view to 'financially incentivising them' to make the right decision". >>> David Leigh and Rob Evans | December 6, 2008

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Asylum Seekers Riot in Athens
DAILY EXPRESS: Hundreds of migrants waiting to submit asylum applications rioted in central Athens, setting fire to rubbish bins and attacking passing cars.

Protesters said the riot began when one man fell into a nearby canal after authorities told the crowd that no more applications could be submitted. Only a small number of applications can be submitted each week. 



It was not immediately clear how the man fell into the canal. Police said he was injured and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. They said they were investigating the incident. 



Outraged asylum-seekers began setting fire to rubbish bins and throwing them into the street, and ripped branches off trees to set them alight. A smaller group threw rocks at passing cars, stopping some vehicles and banging on them with their hands. There were no reports of any passers-by being injured. 



The riot lasted for about an hour, and riot police who were on standby nearby did not intervene. A fire truck extinguished the blazes. >>> | December 6, 2008

NZZ Online: Schwere Krawalle in Griechenland: Tod eines Jugendlichen löst Protestwelle aus

Der Tod eines 15-Jährigen durch Schüsse der Polizei hat in mehreren griechischen Städten schwere Krawalle ausgelöst. In Athen und Thessaloniki sowie auf Kreta protestierten mehrere hundert Jugendliche gewaltsam gegen die Polizei.

(sda/ap) Der 16-jährige Athener war am Samstagabend bei gewalttätigen Zusammenstössen zwischen Polizisten und linksextremen Gruppen in Athen getötet worden. Die Gruppe von Jugendlichen hatte nach Angaben von Augenzeugen am Samstagabend einen Streifenwagen attackiert. Ein Polizist gab drei Schüsse auf die Gruppe ab und traf den Jugendlichen in der Brust. >>> | 7. Dezember 2008

BBC: Fresh Riots Erupt in Greek Cities

BBC: Thousands of protesters have attacked banks and shops in Athens and Greece's northern city of Thessaloniki, angered by the police's killing of a teenager.

Demonstrators threw petrol bombs, rocks and other objects at the buildings and at police, who responded with tear gas.

Greek Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos has appealed for restraint.

The streets of the capital were already strewn with glass and rubble after a night of rioting sparked by Saturday's shooting, in the Exarchia district.

Police said Saturday's riots had left 24 police officers injured, one seriously, and 31 shops, nine banks and 25 cars damaged or burned.

Six people were arrested, one of them for carrying a weapon.
Alex Hadjisavvas, the owner of a shop on Patission Avenue in central Athens, told the BBC that many nearby businesses had been looted.

"The window was smashed, the shop front damaged and a large quantity of stock taken from inside has been used by the rioters as material to start street fires," he said.

The unrest, the worst in the country in several years, later spread to Thessaloniki and the southern island of Crete. >>> | December 7, 2008

Watch BBC video: Rioters throw stones and petrol bombs at police, who respond with tear gas >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: Third Day of Rioting in Greek Cities

Greek rioters have fought police in Thessaloniki and Trikala in a third day of violence sparked by the death of a 15-year-old boy shot by Athens police on Saturday night.


In Athens, protesters continued to occupy two university campuses and block main road and rail systems, with the rioters promising fresh demonstrations in five cities on Monday night.

About 15 protesters also occupied the Greek consulate in Berlin, taking down its flag and raising a banner that read: "Murderer state".

About 300 students in Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city, were reportedly battling riot police on Monday morning, setting alight rubbish bins and attacking cars and shop fronts.

At the same time a policeman in Trikala, a small town in central Greece, was injured in fighting.

The authorities in the capital were preparing for a mass rally by the Communist party, still a powerful force in the east Mediterranean state.

On Saturday night and throughout Sunday, Greek cities endured the worst street violence seen for years as youths fought police.

The clashes erupted after police shot dead 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in Exarchia, a neighbourhood of central Athens. >>> | December 8, 2008

WELT ONLINE: Chaos in Griechenland, Konsulat in Berlin besetzt

Griechenland kommt nach dem Tod eines 15-Jährigen nicht zur Ruhe. Am dritten Tag in Folge gab es teils gewaltsame Proteste von Jugendlichen. Vermummte Demonstranten und die Bereitschaftspolizisten lieferten sich in Thessaloniki heftige Straßenschlachten. In Berlin besetzen Demonstranten das griechische Konsulat.

Griechenland versinkt im Chaos. In Thessaloniki, der zweitgrößten Stadt des Landes, setzten am Montagvormittag etwa 300 Demonstranten in der Nähe eines Polizeikommissariats Autos in Brand und schlugen Schaufensterscheiben ein.

Die von Studierenden besetzte Universität Thessaloniki wurde auf Anordnung des Rektorats bis mindestens Dienstag geschlossen. Auch in Athen und anderen Städten ruhte der Lehrbetrieb in mehreren Universitäten und Hochschulen. In der Stadt Trikala wurde am Montag ein Polizist bei Auseinandersetzungen mit Demonstranten verletzt. Auch dort wurde eine Bahnverbindung blockiert.



Linksgerichtete Gruppen kündigten für den Nachmittag weitere Demonstrationen in mehreren Städten an. Die Kommunistische Partei Griechenlands (KKE) veranstaltete eine Protestkundgebung am zentralen Athener Omonia-Platz, das Bündnis der radikalen Linken (SYRIZA) wollte vor dem Universitätsgebäude im Stadtzentrum demonstrieren. Innenminister Prokopis Pavlopoulos und sein Stellvertreter boten ihren Rücktritt an, Ministerpräsident Konstantinos Karamanlis lehnte jedoch ab. >>> AFP/AP/dpa/fsl | 8. Dezember 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Demonstrators Occupy Greek Consulate in Berlin

A group of 30 demonstrators has occupied the Greek consulate in Berlin to protest the killing of a teenager by police in Athens on Saturday night. The Berlin protesters are behaving peacefully.

A group of demonstrators occupied the Greek consulate in Berlin on Monday morning in protest over the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy by Athens police on Saturday that triggered the worst rioting Greece has seen in 25 years.

Some 30 people pushed their way into the lobby of the consulate at Wittenbergplatz in western Berlin at around 9.40 a.m. local time, said SPIEGEL TV reporter Martin Heller, who is on the scene.

Around 120 German police cordoned off the area outside the consulate and negotiations are underway with the demonstrators, who were behaving peacefully and had made no demands, police said. At around 11 a.m., 10 people wearing hats and scarves to mask their faces appeared on the balcony of the consulate and shouted: "Police Assassins" and "Alexandros, That Was Murder!" >>> cro -- with wire reports | December 8, 2008

NZZ Online: Griechenlands Regierung verspricht Aufklärung: Nach Tod eines 15-Jährigen durch Polizeikugel - Wieder Unruhen

Der griechische Ministerpräsident Kostas Karamanlis will nach dem Tod eines 15-jährigen Schülers durch eine Polizeikugel die Verantwortlichen zur Rechenschaft ziehen.

(sda/dpa/ap) «Wir werden alles tun, damit diese Tragödie sich nicht wiederholt», sagte Karamanlis in einer Fernsehansprache. Für die schweren Ausschreitungen am Wochenende machte er «extreme Elemente» verantwortlich. «Deren einziges Motiv ist die Gewalt und die Zerstörung», sagte der konservative Regierungschef: «Wir werden das nicht dulden.» >>> | 8. Dezember 2008

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Bias in the Media
Charles Johnson, Roger L Simon, and Joe Hicks on media bias >>> | November 24, 2008
Hat tip: Always On Watch

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Could This Woman Be Vladimir Putin's Real Mother?
Vera Putina claims to be Vladimir Putin’s real mother. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: Little is known about the childhood of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, despite his position as one of the world's most powerful men. Now in an extraordinary development, a Georgian woman has come forward to say she is his mother.

Vera Putina, 82, has claimed he is the child she gave away at the age of ten, giving an account of an unhappy childhood which is fiercely disputed by the Kremlin:

Vera Putina lives hand-to-mouth in rural Georgia but displays the famous hospitality of the people of the Caucuses. Draping a cloth over the table in her garden, she piles it with fruit, nuts and shot glasses of chacha – homemade vodka.

Her house sits on a dirt track in the village of Metekhi, about 12 miles from Gori which was occupied by Russian tanks this August during the conflict over the breakaway state of South Ossetia. A tiny woman, with gnarled worker's hands, only Mrs Putina's strong cheekbones and deep-set, piercing blue eyes are suggestive of who she claims she is.

"I used to be proud of having a son who became President of Russia. Since the war I am ashamed."

Since Russian-born Mrs Putina saw Vladimir Putin on the television in 1999, she has been convinced he is her estranged son. Backed up by other residents in Metekhi, Mrs Putina claims he lived in the village between the ages of two-and-a-half and ten before being sent back to his grandparents in Ochyor, Russia.

Records in the archives of Metekhi's closest town, Caspi, indicate that a Vladmir Putin was registered at Metekhi school, 1959-1960, stated nationality: Georgian.

Mrs Putina's account is at odds with the Kremlin's version of events and Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman, yesterday dismissed the claims: "The story is not true. It does not correspond to reality at all." >>> By Kate Weinberg in Georgia | December 5, 2008

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