Anti-dhimmitude: School Bans Muslim Mother from Parents' Evening for Wearing Veil
MAIL ONLINE: A mother was barred from a parents' evening at her child's school because she was wearing a veil.

The mother-of-one arrived at the function wearing a full veil which covers every part of the body except the eyes.

But she was turned away on health, safety and security grounds after the headteacher said visitors' faces should be visible at all times.

The woman, who is a former pupil of the school, is furious with her treatment and says her religion should not affect her access to the Catholic school.

The incident happened in Blackburn, Lancs, which was at the centre of controversy three years ago when Jack Straw MP angered Muslim groups by suggesting women who wear veils over their face can make community relations harder.

The former foreign secretary branded the veil as a 'visible statement of separation and of difference' in 2006.

The move caused fury among Muslim groups who condemned Mr Straw and accused him of discrimination.

The latest incident is set to reignite the row over the right to wear whatever clothing the religious believer chooses. >>> By Jaya Narain | Friday, April 3, 2009

No Kiss for Obama from Sexy Carla!
We've all been there: Carla Bruni leans in to greet Barack Obama with a kiss today - but quickly backpedals. Photo courtesy of the MailOnline
MAIL ONLINE: Over the last few days Barack Obama has charmed the entire world.

And today it appeared his charisma overwhelmed the French First Lady.

It is usual in France to greet one another with a kiss - but the best Mr Obama could get out of a suddenly flustered Carla Bruni was a handshake. >>> By Mail Foreign Service | Friday, April 3, 2009

G20: A 'New World Order' Is Simply Fantasy
THE TELEGRAPH: The international act of posturing was pointless; because despite having caused the problem, the political class had none of the requisite skills to sort it out, says Simon Heffer.

Barack Obama and Gordon Brown: Don't trust these guys with your trillions. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Those who thought that Dr Goebbels came to an end on a stretch of waste ground in Berlin in 1945 have been forced to think again. The piece of theatre that concluded in London on Thursday was one of the great confidence tricks of our lifetimes. Just getting the 20 most important heads of government on the planet together in one place and not being unpleasant about each other was, we must concede, something of an achievement. But it won't make a blind bit of difference to the world's economy.

Nor, I imagine, will it have any effect on the result of the next general election. In the months ahead, as thousands more people go on to the dole every week, more businesses go under and confidence continues to seep out of a system wrecked by politicians, few will link in their minds the words "Gordon Brown" and "triumph". I have long thought that our Prime Minister was around elevenpence ha'penny to the shilling. His fantasy press conference at the end of the G20, with his grandiloquent (and preposterous) claim to have founded a "new world order", confirmed it. >>> By Simon Heffer | Friday, April 3, 2009

Angry RBS Shareholders Vote against Sir Fred Goodwin's Pension
THE TELEGRAPH: Royal Bank of Scotland's shareholders have emphatically rejected the £700,003 annual pension awarded to former chief Sir Fred Goodwin at a tense meeting in Edinburgh.


About 90pc of the beleaguered bank's shareholders voted against its renumeration report, including UK Financial Investments, which manages the taxpayers' majority stake.

Sir Fred was fired in the Autumn as RBS was forced to go cap-in-hand to the taxpayer for billions as financial markets and the economy soured. Sir Philip Hampton, the bank's new chairman, said that the pension plan is legally stipulated by Sir Fred's contract but no "stone is being left unturned' to see if it can be overturned. >>> By Jamie Dunkley and Peter Taylor in Edinburgh | Friday, April 3, 2009

President Barack Obama: America Has Been 'Arrogant and Dismissive' Towards Europe
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has declared that America has "failed to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world" and has "shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive" towards its allies.


His speech in Strasbourg went further than any United States president in history in criticising his own country's action while standing on foreign soil. But he sought to use the comments, which amount to a mea culpa for recent American foreign policy, as leverage to alter European views of America and secure more troops for the war in Afghanistan.

He declared that there had to be a fundamental shift on both sides of the Atlantic. "America is changing but it cannot be America alone that changes."

Addressing a crowd of some 2,000 mainly students from France and Germany, Mr Obama said: "In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world.

"Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive."

He then balanced this striking admission with a tough message to Europeans that blaming America and using its actions as an excuse to avoid tackling the global Islamist threat was unacceptable.

"But in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual, but can also be insidious. Instead of recognising the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans choose to blame America for much of what is bad."

In a speech which his aides billed as a commitment to rebuild transatlantic relations by offering an olive branch directly to young Europeans, he offered himself as the figure who could bridge the gap that had grown over the eight years of President George W. Bush's administration.

"On both sides of the Atlantic, these attitudes have become all too common," he said. "They are not wise. They do not represent the truth. They threaten to widen the divide across the Atlantic and leave us both more isolated.

"They fail to acknowledge the fundamental truth that America cannot confront the challenges of this century alone, but that Europe cannot confront them without America." >>> By Toby Harnden in Strasbourg | Friday, April 3, 2009

Netanyahu to Obama: Stop Iran—Or I Will
The message from Israel's new prime minister is stark: if the Obama administration doesn't prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, Israel may be forced to attack.
An Atlantic exclusive

THE ATLANTIC: In an interview conducted shortly before he was sworn in today as prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu laid down a challenge for Barack Obama. The American president, he said, must stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons—and quickly—or an imperiled Israel may be forced to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities itself.

“The Obama presidency has two great missions: fixing the economy, and preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told me. He said the Iranian nuclear challenge represents a “hinge of history” and added that “Western civilization” will have failed if Iran is allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

In unusually blunt language, Netanyahu said of the Iranian leadership, “You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs. When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the entire world should start worrying, and that is what is happening in Iran.”

History teaches Jews that threats against their collective existence should be taken seriously, and, if possible, preempted, he suggested. In recent years, the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has regularly called for Israel to be “wiped off the map,” and the supreme Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, this month called Israel a “cancerous tumor.” >>> By Jeffery Goldberg | Interview | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

G20 Summit: Global Financial Crackdown Is Cost of Solving Crisis
THE TELEGRAPH: • New Financial Stability Board as global overseer • Tax havens and hedge funds to be punished • Heavy scrutiny for banks

Gordon Brown and his fellow world leaders have pledged the biggest crackdown on tax havens, hedge funds and banks in modern history as the price to be paid for the multi-trillion dollar bail-out of the world economy.

"The era of banking secrecy is over", the Prime Minister declared, as the Group of 20 leading nations agreed to impose a new range of regulations on banks and non-bank financial institutions as a punishment for contributing to the crisis.

Harsh fines and sanctions will be levied on tax havens that refuse to publish details of their accounts; hedge funds will have to provide more detailed accounts in the future; and bankers will have their bonuses more heavily controlled and taxed throughout the world, the communique pledged.

The range of new regulations will be implemented by national governments in the coming months, officials said, after the G20 agreed on more significant and far-reaching reforms than had been expected.

In what will be interpreted as a victory for the French and German factions, which had emphasised the importance of regulation over new fiscal giveaways, the G20 also ordered the creation of a new Financial Stability Board dedicated to monitoring leverage and inter-connectedness of international financial institutions. >>> By Edmund Conway Economics Editor | Friday, April 3, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: G20 Summit: Blacklisted Tax Havens Face Sanctions

Tax havens that refuse to sign anti-secrecy agreements face expensive sanctions under an unprecedented global effort to catch illegal tax evaders.

Liechtenstein is among 45 territories blacklisted by the OECD and threatened with punitive financial retaliation for banking secrecy. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Switzerland, Singapore, the Cayman Islands, Monaco, Luxembourg and Hong Kong are among 45 territories blacklisted on Thursday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and now threatened with punitive financial retaliation for their banking secrecy.

Among the sanctions being considered by the G20 are the scrapping of tax treaty arrangements, imposing additional taxes on companies that operate in non-compliant countries, and tougher disclosure requirements for individuals and businesses that use shelters.

Of the offending jurisdictions, 40 "have committed to the internationally agreed tax standard" but have yet to implement it. Only Costa Rica, Malaysia, Philippines and Uruguay have refused to sign up altogether. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are fully compliant already.

Illegal tax evasion through offshore shelters has been a long-standing irritation for Gordon Brown, President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. An estimated $7 trillion of assets are held offshore and, according to pressure group Tax Justice Network, developed countries lose $180bn a year in evaded taxes. >>> By Philip Aldrick, Banking Editor | Friday, April 3, 2009

'One in 10 Americans Still Think Barack Obama Is Muslim'
THE TELEGRAPH: More than two months after Barack Obama placed his hand on the Bible and was sworn in as president of the United States, 11 per cent of Americans still think he is a Muslim, a poll suggested on Thursday.

'We did OK,' says Barack Obama. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph

White evangelical Protestants and Republicans were the most likely to say Mr Obama - who has an Arabic middle name - was Muslim in response to the poll question: "Do you happen to know what Barack Obama's religion is?"

Nearly one in five white evangelical Protestants and 17 per cent of the Republicans who took part in the telephone poll of 1,308 adults, which was conducted by Pew Research from March 9-12, said they thought Obama was Muslim. >>> | Friday, April 3, 2009

Weimar 1923 May Have More Lessons than US 1932
THE TELEGRAPH: Are we heading for another Great Depression?

Many baffled forecasters are asking just that, and studying what the US did wrong after the stock market crashed in 1929. But the more relevant policy errors might have been those made earlier across the Atlantic - in Weimar Germany from 1919 to 1923.

Policymakers have learned from the US mistakes. This time around, there has been no shrinkage of the money supply and no repetition of President Hoover's increase in tariffs in 1930 and income taxes in 1932. On the contrary, money supply has expanded rapidly while fiscal policies have been expansionary and protectionism limited.

But look at the Weimar government. Suffering from the trauma of defeat in the First World War and the burden of reparations, it was too weak to raise taxes. It ran large budget deficits instead. Interest rates were kept far below the rate of inflation, while money supply expanded rapidly. About half of government expenditure was funded by newly printed money. >>> By Martin Hutchinson, breakingviews.com | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

RBS: Sir Fred Goodwin 'Thinking About' Shredding His Pension
THE TELEGRAPH: Former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Sir Fred Goodwin - known as 'Fred the Shred' - is considering a "voluntary reduction" in his £703,000-a-year pension payout, the bank has confirmed.

Chairman Sir Philip Hampton said Sir Fred was thinking about the move, but said it was too soon to know what the outcome would be.

He said: "I've asked Sir Fred if he would consider a voluntary reduction and he's told me he's thinking about that."

The comments come ahead of the bank's annual general meeting in Edinburgh later on Friday, when angry shareholders are expected to vote down RBS's remuneration report in protest at Sir Fred's controversial pension payout.

RBS - now majority-owned by the taxpayer - also warned of more job losses in the UK and internationally as it said the 2,700 announced so far this year for the UK were "not the end of the story".

The embattled bank said it was still unclear how many redundancies would be made, but stressed it would do "all it can" to keep compulsory redundancies to a minimum.

The group is laying off staff as part of a plan to cut £2.5 billion from annual costs within the next three years. >>> | Friday, April 3, 2009

Un enfant tué à la hache dans une colonie de Cisjordanie
LE FIGARO: Un Palestinien a tué un adolescent et grièvement blessé un enfant jeudi. La victime était le fils du fondateur de la colonie juive.

Jeudi après-midi, en Cisjordanie, un Palestinien a tué un adolescent et grièvement blessé un enfant à coups de hache. L'attaque a eu lieu dans la colonie de Bat Ayin, dans le Gouch Etzion, bloc d'implantations juives entre Bethléem et Hébron. Un habitant a déclaré à la télévision s'être battu avec l'assassin, qui pourrait être un employé local de la colonie, et être parvenu à le désarmer. Selon son témoignage, un autre habitant aurait tiré sur l'agresseur, le blessant avant qu'il ne prenne la fuite.

L'armée a aussitôt bouclé la zone entourant Bat Ayin et décrété un couvre-feu dans les villages palestiniens voisins, où la police perquisitionnait les maisons à la recherche du meurtrier. La colonie, l'une des plus radicales de Cisjordanie, n'était pas entourée d'une clôture comme la plupart des autres implantations juives, les habitants considérant la construction d'un périmètre de défense comme un aveu de faiblesse.

La victime, Shlomo Nativ, 13 ans, est le fils de l'un des fondateurs de la colonie. L'enfant blessé, Yair Gamliel, 7 ans, est celui d'un activiste connu, Ofer Gamliel, qui purge une peine de prison pour avoir participé à une tentative d'attentat contre une école palestinienne de Jérusalem-Est en 2002. Il est soupçonné d'appartenir à une organisation clandestine de colons extrémistes, dont une partie des membres est originaire de Bat Ayin. >>> Adrien Jaulmes | Jeudi 02 Avril 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Relié) >>>

Kommentar: Das Bankgeheimnis war eine bürgerliche Bastion
WELT ONLINE: Der G-20-Gipfel hat das Bankgeheimnis abgeschafft. Das ist ein Schlag gegen bürgerliche Ideale. Es ist daran zu erinnern, dass die totalitären Regime des 20. Jahrhunderts jedes Bankgeheimnis kassierten, weil sie es als Zelle bürgerlicher Resistenz betrachteten. Leider breitet sich der moderne Steuerstaat hemmungslos aus.

Es gab einmal ein Bankgeheimnis, und das beruhte auf Vertrauen zwischen Bürger und Bank wie zwischen beiden und dem Staat. Unbetrauert und ohne Nachruhm ist das Bankgeheimnis auf dem G-20-Gipfel ins Grab gesunken. Mit ihm die Reste der bürgerlichen Epoche.

Dieser Abschied ist Anlass zu mehr als dem zynischen Achselzucken, es sei ohnehin der Datenschutz nichts als ein leeres Wort, oder die unschuldige Bemerkung, man habe doch nichts zu verbergen. Es ist daran zu erinnern, dass die totalitären Regime des 20. Jahrhunderts jedes Bankgeheimnis kassierten, weil sie es als Zelle bürgerlicher Resistenz betrachteten. Leider aber hat der moderne Steuerstaat die Tendenz, sich hemmungslos auszubreiten, jeden Lebensvorgang, oder nahezu jeden, zu kontrollieren und die – Bismarcks frühe Warnung zu zitieren – „misera contribuens plebs“ unter Generalverdacht zu stellen.



Steuern sind zu zahlen, keine Frage. Man muss es ja nicht lächelnd tun. Es reicht, dass der Staat das Vertrauen, das ihm in steiler Progression finanziell übertragen wird, seinerseits durch verantwortlichen Umgang rechtfertigt. Das ist Grundlage der Legitimität. Aber sie endet, wie das Bundesverfassungsgericht vor Jahren bereits feststellte, irgendwo an der Schwelle zu 50 Prozent vom Einkommen. >>> Von Michael Stürmer | Donnerstag, 2. April 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe) – Deutschland & Österreich >>>

Armut: Jeder zehnte Amerikaner braucht Lebensmittelhilfe
WELT ONLINE: Die Wirtschaftskrise in den USA führt immer mehr Menschen an den Rand des Existenzminimums. So sind inzwischen zehn Prozent der Amerikaner auf staatliche Lebensmittelmarken angewiesen. Das ist eine Rekordzahl von 32,2 Millionen Bedürftigen. Obama plant jetzt eine Erhöhung des Lebensmittel-Programms um 13 Prozent.

Bild dank Google Images
In den USA ist inzwischen jeder zehnte Bürger auf die Lebensmittelhilfe der Regierung angewiesen.

Im Januar habe eine Rekordzahl von 32,2 Millionen Bedürftigen Lebensmittelmarken erhalten, teilte das Landwirtschaftsministerium mit. Im Durchschnitt seien in dem Monat pro begünstigte Person 112,82 Dollar bezahlt worden. >>> Reuters/fsl | Freitag, 3. April 2009

Egypt Village Mob Torches Bahai Homes
AFP: CAIRO — Egyptian villagers have set fire to Bahai homes after a member of the religion said on television the village was "full of Bahais," the latest incident to reflect religious tensions in the country.

Furious villagers rampaged through Sharoniyah, near Sohag in southern Egypt, on Monday and Tuesday, setting fire to and damaging four Bahai homes, a security official told AFP, asking not to be named.

The fires spread to two Muslim homes which were also damaged, the official said.

The villagers also threatened the village's roughly 30 Bahais with death, the official said, after which all of them fled. >>> | Tuesday, April 2, 2009

Syria Warned over Britons Held for Weeks
THE INDEPENDENT: Britain has warned Syria that marked progress towards an improved relationship between the two countries could be undermined if Damascus continues to refuse consular access to two Britons held by the security forces here.

Maryam Kallis, 36, was seized by plain-clothes security men on 15 March while walking with one of her four young children on a busy Damascus street. She has been kept incommunicado and at an unknown location ever since and Amnesty International said this week that it believed she could be in danger of torture or other ill-treatment. A British male, who has not been named, was seized in an apparently unconnected episode two days later, and the Syrian authorities have not so far disclosed the reasons for either detention. >>> By Donald Macintyre in Damascus | Thursday, April 2, 2009

Israel's New Foreign Minister Dismisses Two-state Solution
THE INDEPENDENT: Far-right Lieberman rejects US-led talks with Palestinians

Far-right politician Avigdor Lieberman stunned diplomats in his first speech as Israel's foreign minister yesterday when he rejected the past year of US-led negotiations and said that a previous commitment Israel made to Palestinian statehood "had no validity".

Mr Lieberman reinforced fears that his government will steer the country in a more hawkish direction when he added that concessions to Palestinians would be "mistaken". The remarks contradicted Israel's previous commitments agreed at the Annapolis conference in 2007, and drew an immediate response from Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, who emphasised that the US was "committed to the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security".

Expectations had been raised in recent weeks that Mr Lieberman would seek to soften his image, and that the new hardline government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu would avoid alienating the international community.

Mr Lieberman's speech came a day after Mr Netanyahu offered the Palestinians self-rule in place of the statehood that had at least rhetorically been on offer in a declaration accompanying the relaunch of peace talks under the leadership of Ehud Olmert at the Annapolis conference. But Mr Lieberman said "The Israeli government never ratified Annapolis, nor did parliament."

Mr Lieberman took issue with the very idea of concessions towards the Palestinians saying that "whoever thinks that through concessions peace will be achieved is mistaken. He is only inviting pressure and more wars." >>> By Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem | Thursday, April 2, 2009

Afghanistan: Gesetz bestimmt Häufigkeit von Sex in der Ehe
WELT ONLINE: Mindestens vier Mal pro Woche – so oft muss eine afghanische Frau mit ihrem Mann schlafen, wenn er danach verlangt. Das sieht ein neues Gesetz vor, das Präsident Hamid Karsai ohne parlamentarische Debatte in Kraft setzte. Für Frauenrechtler wird dadurch die Vergewaltigung in der Ehe legalisiert.

Der afghanische Präsident Hamid Karsai hat ein Gesetz unterzeichnet, das Ehefrauen dazu zwingt, mindestens alle vier Tage mit ihrem Mann zu schlafen. „Solange der Mann nicht auf Reisen ist, hat er jede vierte Nacht das Recht auf Geschlechtsverkehr mit seiner Frau“, bestimmt Artikel 132 des neuen Gesetzes zur Regelung des Familienlebens unter den Schiiten in Afghanistan. Diese stellen rund 20 Prozent der Bevölkerung.

„Außer wenn die Frau krank ist oder irgendeine Krankheit hat, die sich bei Geschlechtsverkehr verschlimmert, ist die Frau verpflichtet, den sexuellen Bedürfnissen ihres Mannes eine positive Antwort zu geben“, heißt es in dem Gesetz. >>> | Donnerstag, 2. April 2009

Islam in China

En Suède, les homosexuels pourront se marier à l'église
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: LOI | Le parlement suédois a adopté mercredi à une large majorité une loi permettant aux homosexuels de se marier civilement ou religieusement.

Cette législation "sur le mariage sexuellement neutre" entrera en vigueur dès le 1er mai. Sur les 349 parlementaires, 261 ont voté pour, 22 contre, seize se sont abstenus tandis que 50 étaient absents.

En Suède, les couples hétérosexuels peuvent choisir de se marier soit à la mairie soit à l'église. Les couples homosexuels étaient jusqu'alors seulement autorisés, depuis 1995, à s'unir via un "partenariat" rendu légal par une cérémonie civile. >>> Mercredi 01 Avril 2009

A Athènes, pas un jour sans son attentat
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: CONTESTATION | Banques, commerces ou voitures de luxe sont devenus les cibles quasi quotidiennes d’une violence attribuée par l’Etat à la mouvance anarchiste. Derrière ce phénomène se cache autre chose: l’effondrement de la classe moyenne.

Voitures incendiées samedi dernier chez un concessionnaire Jaguar à Athènes. En Grèce, la multiplicité des actions de groupuscules anarchistes se couple à la montée de la petite criminalité. Photo grâce à la TDG
Cinq banques, une succursale de la Poste, une voiture diplomatique, une autre appartenant à une société de gardiennage et trois autos particulières. Parties en flammes, incendiées dans la nuit de lundi à mardi, au centre-ville et dans la grande banlieue d’Athènes.
Mais que se passe-t-il en Grèce, où une grève générale de vingt-quatre heures – convoquée aujourd’hui par les syndicats pour protester contre la vie chère – pourrait s’accompagner de nouvelles violences?

Depuis les émeutes qui ont ravagé le centre d’Athènes, au mois de décembre, suite à la mort d’un lycéen de 15 ans abattu par un policier, la violence s’installe dans cette mégapole de près de 5 millions d’habitants. Sans épargner d’autres grands centres urbains, comme Salonique en particulier. Pour l’instant, les dégâts sont matériels. Mais les Grecs, pourtant habitués aux actions de groupuscules anarchistes, s’interrogent. La multiplicité des attaques se couple à la montée de la petite criminalité. Elle s’ajoute à la montée en puissance de gangs mafieux, qui n’hésitent plus à descendre des patrons de club ou des partenaires en «affaire». >>> Nicolas Verdan | Jeudi 02 Avril 2009

Video: Radicals Beat Girl, 17, in Islamic Stronghold of Swat, Pakistan
TIMESONLINE: This grainy footage appears to show a 17-year-old girl being beaten by Islamic radicals in Pakistan’s northwestern region of Swat, where Sharia law was introduced after the government reached a truce with the Taleban in February.

A local Taleban commander in the militant stronghold of Matta, 25 miles from the regional capital, Mingora, ordered the girl to be flogged a week ago after accusing her of adultery, according to local reporters.

But some residents of Matta have accused the commander of ordering the beating to get revenge after the girl refused to accept his proposal of marriage, the reporters told The Times.

“Please! Enough! Enough!” the girl is heard crying in Pashtu, the language of the tribes who dominate northwestern Pakistan – now the main hub of Taleban and al-Qaeda activity.

At another point, she cries: “I am repenting, my father is repenting what I have done, my grandmother is repenting what I have done...”

The man flogging her is also heard abusing his colleague as he struggles to hold her down and stop her covering her backside with her hands.

“You should hold her tightly so she doesn’t move,” he is heard saying. >>> Jeremy Page, Delhi | Thursday, April 2, 2009

Barack Obama Warns North Korea over Rocket Launch as Pyongyang 'Fuels Missile'
THE TELEGRAPH: North Korea can expect a "stern, unified action" from the international community if it test-fires a ballistic missile, US President Barack Obama has said.

South Korean protesters burn a mock missile, pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and North's flags during a rally against North Korea's missile in Seoul, South Korea. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Mr Obama promised tough action at a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit as reports emerged that Pyongyang had begun fueling the long-range rocket for an impending launch.

US military officials said that technicians have started to fuel up the three-stage Taepodong-2 missile at Musudan-ri launch site in the country's northeast in defiance of a 2006 UN resolution.

Pyongyang has said that the missile-test is a satellite launch not covered by the UN resolution and has informed international agencies that it will fire the rocket as early as Saturday.

US intelligence officials said that analysis of the rocket's nose-cone appeared to confirm claims that it was a satellite launch, but added that the launch was a cover for testing ballistic missile technology capable of delivering a warhead as far as Alaska or Hawaii.

Diplomatic tensions are building on the Korean peninsula, where relations between North and South have sunk to their lowest levels in a decade. >>> By Peter Foster in Beijing | Thursday, April 2, 2009

Taliban in Policy Shift on Beards and Burqas
THE INDEPENDENT: Negotiations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai reveal new pragmatism ahead of US offensive

An Afghan man has his beard trimmed at the Fazal Mohammad Barber Shop in Kabul. The trimming of beards was outlawed by the Taliban. Photo courtesy of The Independent
The Taliban, whose extreme interpretation of Sharia law and its harsh punishments made Afghanistan one of world's most repressive and reviled regimes, have agreed to soften their position on such things as beards and burqas as part of a trade-off in negotiations with the Afghan government.

Afghanistan is increasingly the focus of international diplomatic attention following a major international conference in The Hague this week. It will surface on the fringes of the G20 summit and dominate this week's Nato meeting in Strasbourg. Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, floated the idea of talking to "moderate" Taliban at the Hague conference, saying that those who gave up "extremism" would be granted an "honourable form of reconciliation".

Publicly, a Taliban spokesman yesterday rejected the American offer, describing it as "a lunatic idea". But preliminary talks between President Hamid Karzai's government and Taliban insurgents are already under way, and appear to have yielded a significant shift away from the Taliban's past obsession with repressive rules and punishments governing personal behaviour. The Taliban are now prepared to commit themselves to refraining from banning girls' education, beating up taxi drivers for listening to Bollywood music, or measuring the length of mens' beards, according to representatives of the Islamist movement. Burqas worn by women in public would be "strongly recommended" but not compulsory. The undertakings have been confirmed by Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, who was the Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan in the late 1990s, and who has been part of a Saudi-sponsored peace initiative. >>> By Kim Sengupta and Jerome Starkey in Kabul | Thursday, April 2, 2009

G20 Summit: Leaders Target Bankers
THE TELEGRAPH: World leaders will agree unprecedented global restrictions on pay and bonuses for bankers at the G20 summit in London.

G20 rioters storm RBS – Telegraph TV exclusive
In future, bankers will be prevented from receiving multi-million pound cash bonuses for speculating on the stock market.

Their remuneration will instead be based on the risks they take over the long term. Bankers deemed to be making risky investment decisions will only be paid in shares that can be cashed in after several years.

The multi-million-pound bonuses paid to bankers have been blamed for encouraging them to take the "reckless" decisions that triggered the global financial crisis.

The Daily Telegraph has learnt that the remuneration deal was thrashed out over the past few days following intensive diplomatic efforts by Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. The measure did not appear in a draft communiqué that was leaked at the weekend.

The European leaders were understood to have pushed for an exact monetary limit on banking pay but were prepared to sign up to the new, strongly-worded agreement.

Regulators in each of the G20 countries will impose the new restrictions, which cover both private banks and those owned both wholly and partially by the state.

The agreement will be the most eye-catching part of the communiqué, which is expected to be released by G20 leaders at the summit in London's Docklands on Thursday.

On Wednesday, violent clashes took place in the capital between police and anti-capitalism protesters ahead of the talks. In the City of London, a branch of Royal Bank of Scotland was attacked and looted as violence flared during a 6,000-strong protest, which resulted in 32 arrests.

A man died after he collapsed at the scene of protests near the Bank of England last night.

A protester called the police after they saw the man collapse and stop breathing in St Michael’s Alley, near Birchin Lane just off Cornhill shortly before 7.30pm.

Two police medics broke through the cordon and carried the man to a clear area in front of the Royal Exchange where they gave him CPR.
The ambulance arrived six minutes later and took him to hospital just before 8pm, where he was pronounced dead.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The officers took the decision to move him as during this time a number of missiles - believed to be bottles - were being thrown at them.”

It is believed that the man died of a heart attack. >>> By Andrew Porter, Robert Winnett and Christopher Hope | Thursday, April 2, 2009

Protocol Is Abandoned as Michelle Obama Cosies Up to Queen
The US President and his wife appeared very relaxed in the company of the Queen. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMESONLINE: Protocol seems to be dispensed with when the Obamas come to town.

Michelle Obama and the Queen slipped their arms around each other towards the end of a reception at Buckingham Palace held in honour of the G20 leaders and their wives.

The US President and his wife appeared very relaxed in the company of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh from the start.
By the end of the evening, the two women were standing side by side and appeared to be chatting about their height difference.

As they moved closer and continued to chat, the Queen put her hand on the back of Mrs Obama, who did the same for a few moments. Before she departed, the Mrs Obama told the Queen: “I really enjoyed our meeting.” >>> Laura Dixon | Thursday, April 2, 2009

Dancing Pope Advert Banned
THE TELEGRAPH: A nightclub leaflet showing the late Pope John Paul II holding a bottle of beer and dancing with a blonde woman has been banned.

The leaflet shows Pope John Paul II with a bottle of beer dancing with a blonde woman wearing a short dress . Image courtesy of The Telegraph
The Advertising Standards Authority branded the flyer offensive and ordered it to be removed a complaint by the Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE) on behalf of angry Poles and Catholics.

The leaflet showed Pope John Paul II with a bottle of beer dancing with a blonde woman wearing a short dress.

It was distributed to promote a night called Berserk at Club Fire nightclub in Ipswich.

Sheila Soltysik, secretary of Ipswich Polish Club, said a local Polish girl had complained to her.

She said: "It was hugely offensive. The sheer volume of the reaction is what made us take the matter to ISCRE.

"It is unfortunate that the thoughtless actions of a marketing idea has created dismay amongst the Polish community and Catholic religion by depicting figures of high moral standards amongst ideas of inappropriate behaviour and surroundings.

"Perhaps to some it may have innocent connotations but to the majority of sensible people it is deeply upsetting." >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

New Dark Age Alert! Dumb UK 'Heading Back to the Dark Ages' Thanks to Cult of Celebrity, Says Senior Tory
Liam Fox: Britain's obsession with celebrity is sending it back to the Dark Ages. Photo courtesy of MailOnline
Where do you suppose Liam Fox got the phrase a “New Dark Age” from?
MAIL Online: Britain risks entering a new Dark Age because the cult of celebrity is undermining learning, a senior Tory said yesterday.

Liam Fox warned the fabric of society was under threat, with the 'age of reason' going into reverse.

The defence spokesman said a generation ago children wanted to be astronauts or scientists - now they simply want fame.

'Since the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, the age of reason, we have transformed our world,' he said.

'But there is a crisis of confidence, an uncertainty and a lack of optimism in our society which should trouble us.

'Diminishing social mobility, the cult of the celebrity society, the decline in serious learning, the increasing disregard for empiricism and social attitudes verging on value-phobia threaten to cast a shadow on the enlightened western liberalism which has taken us so far.'

Dr Fox, who is seen as the keeper of the Thatcherite flame, expressed alarm about the collapse in the numbers studying science at university.

And he attacked Labour's promotion of political correctness, which he argued was undermining free expression and thought. >>> By James Chapman | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

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

The Pope Is 'Stupid', Says Richard Dawkins after Pontiff's Claim that Condoms Increase AIDS
Professor Dawkins stands with the UK's first atheist campaign founder Ariane Sherine before one of the ads they placed on London buses and Underground. Dawkins has labelled the Pope 'stupid' for his stance on condoms. Photo courtesy of MailOnline
MAIL Online: Biologist Richard Dawkins has attacked the Pope as 'stupid' over his claim condoms increase AIDS.

The prominent atheist said Benedict XVI would end up with the blood of millions of people on his hands if they took his words seriously.

Speaking at a university in Spain, he raged: 'I wonder on what basis anyone can say condoms make AIDS worse.

'The Pope is either stupid, ignorant or just dim.

'If people take his words seriously he will be responsible for the deaths of thousands, perhaps millions of people.'

Dawkins, 67, launched his attack in a press conference at the University of Valencia after being awarded an honorary degree at an official ceremony.

He also claimed the more people thought for themselves, the less they were likely to believe in God.

And he congratulated U.S. President Barack Obama for overturning predecessor George Bush's funding ban on stem cell research.

Professor Dawkins is known for his passionate views and has become known as much for his views on atheism as his Darwinist theories on evolution. >>> By Gerard Couzens | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

G20: Sarkozy and Merkel Form Pact to Curb the Excesses of Disgusting, Shameless, Greedy, 'Can't-Get-Enough' Bankers
THE TELEGRAPH: Tough regulation of global financial markets is a non-negotiable demand of France and Germany at tomorrow's G20 summit, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel have said.

France's President Sarkozy waves alongside German Chancellor Merkel before a bilateral meeting in London, ahead of a G20 summit meeting. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
In a tough-speaking joint press conference in London on the eve of the summit, the two leaders left no doubt that they will refuse to sign an agreement which does not meet their "red lines" on tax havens, hedge fund regulation, banking transparency and a worldwide cap on bankers' pay.

Mr Sarkozy said that the summit provided a once in a lifetime opportunity to give capitalism a conscience.

He said: "Germany and France will speak with one and the same voice.

"We are aiming for the same objectives in terms of principles and how we apply those principles. The objective is a simple one – we demand results, we want hard and fast results."

He added: "This is a historic opportunity afforded us to give capitalism a conscience, because capitalism has lost its conscience and we have to seize this opportunity."

Mrs Merkel said that Germany was ready to offer support to poorer countries which are unable to deliver fiscal stimulus packages of tax spending and public investment from their own resources.

But she made clear that both France and Germany feel they have already implemented substantial stimulus packages of their own.

Mrs Merkel said that France and Germany wanted to see "a new architecture and new regulations for financial markets" spelt out very clearly in the final communique of the summit. G20 Summit: Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel Demand Tough Market Regulations >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

TIMESONLINE: Franco-German Demands Upset G20 Unity

The leaders of France and Germany delivered a stunning ultimatum to Gordon Brown tonight when they demanded binding reform of world financial markets as the price of their support at tomorrow's G20 summit.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel made the comments at a joint press conference at which they promised that they would "speak with one voice" at the meeting in London's Docklands.

Having already scuppered Gordon Brown's plans for the summit to agree on a massive and coordinated fiscal stimulus, the two European heavyweights are demanding that it now move to do away with the "light-touch" Anglo-Saxon model of regulation blamed for the current economic crisis. >>> Philippe Naughton | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Islam Metastasizes!
SAUDI GAZETTE: SOME three-four million Muslims live in Latin America and over 50,000 of them are Hispanic. Majority of Muslims there have roots from Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. There are large Muslim populations in Brazil, Venezuela and Columbia. Mosques and prayer houses can be found in all major cities.

Islam in Latin America began with Muslim journeys to the continent even before the arrival of Columbus. Evidence of this early contact is based on world maps produced by Muslims in the early 16th century. Later, during the voyages of Columbus to the New World, some Muslim Moors are believed to have accompanied him, fleeing persecution in the Iberian Peninsula. In Brazil, the importation of African slaves during the colonial period accounted for a substantial influx of Muslims into the continent. Little is known whether these early Muslims were able to maintain their faith.

The Islamic influence on regional architecture and culture between 1600-1800 CE is still visible today in cities such as Lima, Cholula and Guatemala City. Lima, the capital of Peru, is famous for its Tapadas Limenas or Covered Women in Lima. During the 18th Century, there was uprising of Muslim slaves (Brazil 1835).

Since late 19th century, Arabs first began to immigrate from the Middle East to Latin America. The descendants of these immigrants are still found today in significant numbers. Further, emigrants from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine increased during the mid 20th Century after Israel’s occupation of Palestine and its surrounding areas. These Muslims were largely merchants and became influential in local trade. Many have even held leading positions in government. Growth of Islam in Latin America >>> By Dr. Mozammel Haque | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
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Bishop Defrocks Episcopal Priest Who Practices Islam
KTVL.COM: SEATTLE -- An Episcopal priest who lives in Seattle has been removed from her position for refusing to recant her faith in Islam.

Rev. Ann Holmes Redding served as director of faith formation at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle until 2007 when she announced she also was a Muslim.

She believes the faiths are compatible at a fundamental level and practices both. But she was defrocked today by her Bishop, Geralyn Wolf in Rhode Island where Redding was ordained.

Wolf called Redding "a woman of utmost integrity" but said her open practice of Islam meant she abandoned the Episcopal church. [Source: KTVL] | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Iran: Three Converts Ordered to Stop ‘Christian Activities’
COMPASS DIRECT NEWS: Judge puts them on probation, threatening them with ‘apostasy’ trial.

LOS ANGELES – Declaring three Iranian Christians guilty of cooperating with “anti-government movements,” a court in Shiraz on March 10 ordered the converts to discontinue Christian activities and stop propagating their faith. An Islamic Revolutionary Court judge handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence with a five-year probation to Seyed Allaedin Hussein, Homayoon Shokouhi, and Seyed Amir Hussein Bob-Annari. The judge said he would enforce their prison sentence and try them as “apostates,” or those who leave Islam, if they violate terms of their probation – including a ban on contacting one another. A new penal code under consideration by the Iranian Parliament includes a bill that would require the death penalty for apostasy. “The warning that they will be ‘arrested and tried as apostates’ if they continue their Christian activities is quite chilling,” said a regional analyst who requested anonymity. [Source: CompassDirectNews] Copyright © 2009 Compass Direct News | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Israel's 32nd Government Sworn In
THE JERUSALEM POST: Israel seeks peace with the entire Arab and Muslim world but continues to be threatened by the forces of Islamic extremists, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said several hours before he was sworn in Tuesday evening.

He took the oath of office just before midnight, after the Knesset voted 69-45 to approve the new government.

"These are irregular times," Netanyahu told the Knesset plenum. "Today Israel is faced with two tests - an economic crisis and a security crisis. The source of these crises are neither our past actions nor past mistakes.... Our [current] actions, however, will determine the results of these crises."

Netanyahu was interrupted numerous times by critics of his extra-large government as he presented it and its guidelines to the Knesset. In the past, Netanyahu himself expressed opposition to large governments due to the expense involved.

"It is not with a victor's joy that I stand here today in front of you, but with a great sense of responsibility," Netanyahu began. "I ask for your trust at this time of worldwide crisis of a kind we haven't known before, and it is with a sense of worry, but also with hope and faith, that the State of Israel confronts two major challenges: the economic challenge and the security challenge.

I am certain that the people of Israel will cope successfully with the challenges that lie ahead of it."

Regarding Iranian threats to "erase Israel from the map," Netanyahu criticized the international community for its lack of response.

"The Jewish people has experience with dictators and it cannot overestimate megalomaniac dictators who threaten to destroy it," he said.

The new prime minister added that the worst thing for the State of Israel and the world would be "that a radical regime obtains nuclear weapons."

The threat to Israel came from the spread of extremist Islam in the region and in the world, Netanyahu said.

"I separate extremist Islam from the general Muslim world, which is also threatened by extremist Islam," he told the plenum.

"The Muslim culture is a rich culture that knew times of prosperity, of Arabs and Jews who lived together and created things together." >>> By Shelly Paz and Tovah Lazaroff | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Inside Iran's Secret Gay World
Part 1:


Part 2
Part 3

Iran Denies US Claims of Meeting
BBC: Iran has denied that a meeting took place between their main representative at an international conference on Afghanistan and a senior US official.

Iran said Mr Akhoondzadeh did not meet US officials in The Hague. Photo courtesy of the BBC
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had said that Richard Holbrooke and Mohammad Mehdi Akhoondzadeh had an informal but "cordial exchange".

She said the US had given the Iranian delegates a letter, but Iran's foreign ministry "categorically" denied this.

The US had welcomed Iran's presence at the meeting as a "promising sign".

On Tuesday, Mrs Clinton said that Mr Holbrooke and Mr Akhoondzadeh had had a brief meeting on the sidelines of the conference in the Hague.

She said the meeting had been unplanned but that the men had agreed to "stay in touch". >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

G20 Protests: Rioters Loot RBS as Demonstrations Turn Violent
THE TELEGRAPH: G20 summit protesters looted a City office of Royal Bank of Scotland this afternoon, as a largely peaceful demonstration spilled over into bloody violence in the centre of London.

G20 violence. RBS windows smashed.
A small number of demonstrators forced their way into the building on Threadneedle Street near the Bank of England after smashing windows and throwing smoke grenades.

Hundreds of protesters cheered as office equipment including a printer was carried out of the building – which is believed to have been empty – before riot police wielding batons managed to force the crowds back.

The rampage inside RBS will raise questions about the effectiveness of the £7.2 million security operation. The bailed-out bank was known to be a target of anti-capitalist groups in advance of the protests, but police efforts had concentrated on defending its headquarters on Bishopsgate in Liverpool Street, around half a mile away.

Twenty-three people were arrested as protesters clashed with police around the Bank of England, which was the focus of today's anti-capitalist and anarchist demonstrations. >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

TELEGRAPH picture gallery: G20: Protests turn violent >>>

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

A Little Classic Light Relief – Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers: Dancing Cheek to Cheek

Speaker, Students Battle over Islam
DAILY ITEM: LEWISBURG — An advocate for women’s rights in Muslim society was called the “bin Laden of the opposing view of Islam” and accused by students of exploiting American ignorance on the religion during her lecture Tuesday at Bucknell University.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia and raised in a traditional Muslim family. In 1992, she fled an arranged marriage and sought asylum in Netherlands, where she was later elected as a member of Dutch parliament.

During her time there, she crusaded for the rights of Dutch and all Muslim women, a campaign she continues today.

Ali eventually turned her back on Islam, which she describes as an intolerant religion that subjugates women and encourages hatred and distrust for other cultures.

During her speech Tuesday night, Ali explained to a crowd of about 400 students and members of the community that the tenets of Islam — those written in the Koran — are the fundamental problem.

The Muslim belief system, she said, inspires bigotry against Western culture, suppresses women and serves as the justification for the acts of radical Islamic terrorists.

Ali’s comments riled up a few Muslim audience members, who accused her of painting an overwhelmingly negative picture of Islam. >>> By Rob Scott | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Geert Wilders Sued in France for Racial Hatred
EXPATICA.COM: The anti-Islamic politician is being sued by a French rights group for a speech in which he said Paris was encircled by Muslim districts.

PARIS – A French rights group said Tuesday it was suing Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders for inciting racial hatred for a speech in which he said that Paris was "encircled by Muslim districts". 



The Association for the Defence of Human Rights said its lawsuit centred on a speech made in New York last year by Wilders, who is facing trial in the Netherlands for inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.



It says Wilders also said in his address there that "numerous areas (in France) were no-go zones for women not wearing headscarves." 



Wilders added that "in France, teachers are asked to avoid authors considered offensive towards Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot". 

The rights group's lawyer Yassine Bouzrou told AFP that "the remarks made by Mr. Wilders target a specific community, Muslims, and that comes within the context of inciting racial hatred." >>> AFP/Expatica | Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Kiosk - To Kojaee

Subculture: Sexes, Hairdos and Jeans in Iran
Lavasan, Tehran. Photo courtesy of CaféBabel
1 April is Islamic Republic Day, a national holiday in Iran. Thirty years after the Islamic revolution, an unpopular government is once again struggling with a dissatisfied young population. However, the Iranian resistance against its own regime has no strategy behind it, only tactics. A portrait of the mood in the land of the red squares
CAFÉ BABEL: The drawing that Schirin Germez* pushes quickly across the small table of a smoky café in Esfahan barely fills a napkin. Its shows a naked woman surrounded by threatening blots of ink, looking anxiously at the observer. The surrounding blackness has already taken over the woman’s body. Only a bright, red square in the centre of her body, protected by folded arms, still resists the gloom. 'You can’t take this from me,' says the young actress, as she taps the square with one hand and puts out her cigarette with the other. 'But I can’t ever show it in this country either.'

Fear of the government, which Schirin Germez only shakes off briefly in the company of a foreign traveller, is palpable in cities across the country. The time in office of the reform-oriented former state president Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) was shaped by hopes of change, but since the victory of Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s conservative elite, disappointment has spread among Iran’s urbane young population, who often harbour sympathy towards the west. Some of them are fighting, as in the past, for a liberal society: for instance, the budding doctors at Schiraz University, who are taking a stand against the planned segregation of the sexes in their lecture theatres. However, most have resigned themselves to the belief that they will not be able to change this republic.

So, the younger members of Iran’s middle classes have entered into a risky game of cat-and-mouse with the regime, by trying to fill public areas with signs of their disapproval. The women’s veils fall back, until the police step in to carry out their strict controls. Extravagant hairstyles and clothes are so widespread in some Tehran suburbs that for a short moment it’s possible to imagine oneself in Tokyo or London. But here, too, the powers that be quickly intervene to enforce their self-styled Islamic clothing regulations.

Hairdos ahoy at the Grand Bazaar in Tehran | (Image: ©kamshots/ Flickr)
Hairdressers are even advised, when in doubt, to side with the government’s ideas rather than the customers’ wishes. Many shop owners put up the obligatory photos of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khameini, not over the door or next to the till, but above shelves which – 'oh, what bad luck!' – are piled high and therefore block the view of the leaders of the eternal islamic revolution. On top of all this come drugs, western music and the youth sub-culture’s undermining of the country’s strict sexual morals. All of which is risky – and therefore all the more exciting. >>> By Jan Aengenvoort, Isfahan | Translation: Andrew Christie | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

YOUTUBE: Kiosk : Eshgh e Sorat


CAFÉ BABEL:
Das Land der roten Quadrate - Jugendkultur im Iran >>> (Original-Version des Artikels)

Haaretz Editorial Excoriates Israel’s New Government!
HAARETZ: Israel's 32nd government, which was sworn in last night, is destined to fail. In putting this government together, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demonstrated sophisticated political skills and impressive tricks of wheeling and dealing, along with a total lack of vision, courage and practical judgment.

The fate of the State of Israel was not on the agenda in forming this government, but rather the lust for power of a handful of politicians and the creation of power for their boss. Israel has received the largest government in its history and one of its most meager. Its makeup bodes ill.

When coalition considerations are the only criterion for forming a government, the outcome is a finance minister with no qualifications in economics, a foreign minister liable to be shunned abroad, a defense minister who has failed at the job, an education minister with no experience in education, a Health Ministry without a minister and a long list of ridiculous ministers and useless ministries. There is also a batch of ministers without portfolio and without a role to play, apart from filling a seat at the cabinet table. Such a giant government sends a message of scandalous wastefulness, with the economy on the brink of a grave financial crisis. A Failure Foretold >>> Editorial | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Protesters Take to London’s Streets
FINANCIAL TIMES: Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters have gathered around the capital on Wednesday morning for a day of action ahead of the G20 summit.

By 11am four marches, led by representations of the horsemen of the apocalypse, were preparing to depart to advance on the Bank of England.

Amid a huge police operation, the mood was largely good natured as protest groups assembled, shouting slogans and carrying banners.

But there were early signs of friction as police contained demonstrators within barricades outside Liverpool Street station, who started screaming ”let us go”.

About 100 cyclists sped down Bishopsgate ”pedalling for the planet”. One cyclist was asked why he was taking part. ”It’s a day out of the office,” he said.

Olivier Dale, a 28 year old attending the demonstration said: ”I am sick of these bankers and this greed. It has got to stop. We have to make a stand. But we want it to be peaceful.”

One protester wearing a balaclava and carrying a sign saying ”welcome to pig city” and who declined to be named said: ”I am an anti-capitalist, I am an anarchist. It’s a rich man’s club. I believe in class war. It is poor versus rich, as simple as that. ” >>> By FT Reporters | Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Quand la Maison-Blanche voyage
Photo grâce au Figaro
LE FIGARO: C'est une formidable armada qui est mobilisée pour accompagner le couple présidentiel dans ses déplacements.

«Sommes-nous Rome ?» se demandait l'écrivain américain à succès Cullen Murphy, dans un livre récent sur l'Amérique contemporaine, se livrant à une comparaison aussi brillante qu'osée sur les États-Unis des années 2000 et l'Empire romain finissant.

En ouverture de ce livre, il évoquait un voyage officiel en Irlande de dix-huit heures qu'il avait effectué avec l'ancien président George W. Bush. Il y décrivait les légions d'hommes des services et de l'armée déployés sur l'aéroport pour accueillir et protéger l'homme le plus puissant du monde, véritable empereur des temps modernes. Le déploiement des ­avions de surveillance tournant dans le ciel. Les rangées de ministres et de conseillers sherpas. Mais aussi l'intendance, les cuisiniers et les journalistes qui l'accompagnaient.

De ce point de vue, l'Amérique d'Obama ressemblera beaucoup à celle de son prédécesseur, La tournée d'un président américain est un événement qui mobilise une organisation gigantesque. Et des semaines de préparation. « Ce n'est pas le président qui voyage, c'est la Maison-Blanche » , résume l'un de ses conseillers. >>> Laure Mandeville, envoyée spéciale du Figaro à Londres | Mercredi 01 Avril 2009

Indiens Premier: "Pakistan Epizentrum des Terrorismus"
DIE PRESSE: Manmohan Singh wirft Pakistan vor, keine effektiven Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen. Die Regierung sei entweder "unfähig" oder "unwillig".

Manmohan Singh. Bild dank der Presse
Der indische Regierungschef Manmohan Singh hat Pakistan vorgeworfen, das "Epizentrum" des weltweiten Terrorismus zu sein. Das Nachbarland habe es nicht geschafft, effektive Maßnahmen gegen islamische Terroristen zu ergreifen, sagte Singh der "Financial Times" (Mittwochsausgabe*). "Wir alle wissen, dass das Epizentrum des Terrorismus in der Welt heute Pakistan ist." >>> Ag | Mittwoch, 1. April 2009

FINANCIAL TIMES: *India’s Economy ‘More Durable’ than China['s]

Democracies have a far better chance of sustaining economic reform than one party states Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, has told the Financial Times in a rare top-level assertion of his country’s stance over neighbouring China.

The architect of India’s market liberalisations and a well-respected economist, Mr Singh has placed the long-term success of the world’s largest democracy over the potential fragility of the fastest growing large economy under Communist party rule.

“The Chinese have certain advantages: the fact that it’s a single party government,” Mr Singh said in an interview with the Financial Times before travelling to the G20 meeting in London on Thursday.

“But I do believe in the long run in the fact that India is a functioning democracy, committed to the rule of law. Our system is slow to move but I’m confident that once decisions are taken they are going to be far more durable.”

Mr Singh’s comments come as China is asserting its leadership among emerging markets of the global economic policy debate.

His remarks come as a tacit reminder to China that it lacks one of the key credentials to contribute to the global policy debate – democracy. >>> By James Lamont, Alec Russell and Amy Kazmin in New Delhi | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Obama in London eingetroffen: Erster Besuch als amerikanischer Präsident in Europa
NZZ Online: Barack Obama ist am Dienstagabend in London gelandet, um seine erste Europareise als amerikanischer Präsident anzutreten. Obama wird von seiner Frau Michelle begleitet.

Michelle und Barack Obama treffen in London ein. (Bild: Reuters)
Der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama ist am Dienstagabend zum Auftakt seiner ersten grossen Europareise in London eingetroffen. Begleitet von seiner Frau Michelle, wird er in den kommenden acht Tagen fünf Länder besuchen und an den Gipfeln von G-20, Nato und EU teilnehmen.

Erste Station ist London, wo die Staats- und Regierungschefs der 20 wichtigsten Industrie- und Schwellenländer nach Auswegen aus der von den USA ausgegangenen globalen Finanzkrise suchen. In London trifft Obama mit dem britischen Premierminister Brown, dem chinesischen Präsidenten Hu Jintao und dem russischen Präsidenten Medwedew zusammen. Auch Termine mit der britischen Königin Elizabeth II., dem saudischen König Abdullah, dem indischen Ministerpräsidenten Manmohan Singh und dem südkoreanischen Präsidenten Lee Myung Bak sind hier geplant. >>> ap/sda | Dienstag, 31. März 2009

BBC: Obama Arrives in UK ahead of G20


THE TELEGRAPH: G20 Summit: Barack Obama Lands in Britain for G20 Summit

Barack Obama, the US president, has landed in Britain ahead of the G20 summit, at the start of his first overseas trip since taking office.

The president's plane, Air Force One, landed in Stansted Airport's VIP area at 7.51pm, where he was met on the tarmac by Chancellor Alistair Darling and his wife Margaret.

In stark contrast to the grandeur surrounding Mr Obama's arrival in the UK, Mr Darling travelled to Stansted Airport on the Stansted Express from London Liverpool Street, accompanied by police officers and security staff.

Around ten minutes after landing, Mr Obama and his wife Michelle descended the steps hand in hand, waving at onlookers. The pair shook hands with assembled dignitaries including Mr Darling before the Obamas boarded a Marine One helicopter for the short flight to the US ambassador's residence in London. Several decoy helicopters will also take to the air to ensure maximum security. >>> By Aislinn Simpson and Matthew Moore | Tuesday, March 31, 2009

lePARISIEN.fr: Un périple européen chargé pour Obama

La première grande tournée européenne de Barack Obama s'annonce comme un périple dense, non exempt d'embûches, singulièrement au début de celui-ci, alors que le G20 s'ouvre jeudi à Londres. L'Union européenne voudrait obtenir des engagements forts davantage de régulation financière, Washington a fait connaître ses espérances de plans de relance européens plus ambitieux. Le jeune couple présidentiel a quitté le sol américain mardi en début d'après-mid à bord de l'Air Force One et atterri dans la capitale britannique en début de soirée. Déjà présent à Londres, Mike Froman, un haut responsable de la Maison Blanche, a tenté de gommer toute aspérité avant leur arrivée, pariant sur un large accord des pays du G20 sur les moyens de relancer la croissance comme sur la supervision des institutions financiers. >>> leparisien.fr | Mardi 31 Mars 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch und Gebundene Ausgabe) – Versandkostenfrei innerhalb der Schweiz >>>

Let Them Smoke Cigarettes!
DAILY EXPRESS: She’s unlikely to please the anti-smoking health lobby but actress Maureen Lipman has bizarrely suggested that the problems of Britain’s youth binge drinking culture could be solved by encouraging youngsters to smoke instead.

Maureen Lipman thinks that the youth binge drinking cuture could be solved by encouraging youth to smoke. Photo courtesy of the Daily Express
While the rest of the country is trying to curb smoking, Maureen claims it’s a lesser evil than alcohol and should become ­acceptable in public again.

She is particularly concerned, she says, by the way young women are now becoming drunkenly boorish in a manner that used to be confined to men.

“We fought for equal rights but we have just inherited the worst traits of men,” says Maureen, 62. “This is a bad thing.

“Girls go out drinking and wearing virtually nothing. They are like highly coloured insects looking not just for a drink but a good seeing-to.

“I think we should let them smoke. It was very calming to smoke. There was the whole ritual with the little Zippo lighter. I know it’s the worst thing to say these days but you can go out and drink yourself stupid and kill someone in your car or beat up your wife but you are not allowed to smoke.” Why Lipman Has Got Them Fuming >>> | Wednesday, April 1, 2009