Queen's Speech Sets Out Election Battle Lines
THE TELEGRAPH: The Government has unveiled its final legislative package before the General Election, with the Queen's Speech containing pledges to help the neediest pensioners and crack down on excesses in the financial sector.

The unashamedly political address made clear to the public Labour's "aspirations" for a fourth term, including free care in old age for the elderly, and action on child poverty, according to Lord Mandelson, the First Secretary.

Speaking ahead of the speech on BBC Radio 4's today programme, Lord Mandelson denied accusations that this year's speech was lacking in substance.

With less than seven months before the country must go to the polls, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, put forward a series of populist bills designed to set out election battle lines in what is the final legislative programme before next year's vote.

As well as ensuring free personal care for 280,000 elderly and disabled people with the highest needs, there were guarantees on health care and schooling as well as a crackdown on "risky" bank bonuses.

With parliamentary time running out, few, if any, of the streamlined package of around 15 new bills stand much chance of making it to the statute book before Parliament is dissolved.

The Queen told the assembled MPs and peers: "My Government's overriding priority is to ensure sustained growth to deliver a fair and prosperous economy for families and businesses, as the British economy recovers from the global economic downturn. >>> Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, November 18, 2009



TIMES ONLINE: Queen's Speech: 15 Bills, but only 33 days left of Parliament >>> Sam Coates, Chief Political Correspondent | Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Britische Regierung will Staatsdefizit halbieren: Regierungserklärung von Queen mit traditioneller Thronrede verlesen
NZZ ONLINE: Die britische Regierung plant für das kommende Parlamentsjahr ein Gesetz zur Halbierung des Staatsdefizits und zur Begrenzung der Sonderzahlungen für risikofreudige Bankmanager. Diese Absicht gab die Queen in ihrer Thronrede bekannt.

Traditioneller Pomp: Die Queen beim Einzug in das Oberhaus vor ihrer Thronrede. Bild: NZZ Online
Die alles übertreffende Priorität meiner Regierung liegt darin, in der gegenwärtigen Phase der Erholung von der globalen Rezession ein nachhaltiges Wirtschaftswachstum sicherzustellen und eine faire und florierende Wirtschaft für Familien und Geschäftsleute zu ermöglichen», hiess es in der sogenannten Thronrede zur Eröffnung des neuen Parlamentsjahres.

Zugleich mit der Reduktion des Staatsdefizits soll das soziale Netz enger geknüpft werden, besonders für bedürftige Rentner. Dies sind einige der Kernpunkte in Premierminister Gordon Browns alljährlicher Regierungserklärung, die am Mittwoch nach alter Tradition von Königin Elizabeth II. im Londoner Oberhaus verlesen wurde. Viele Beobachter werteten die Erklärung vor allem als Wahlkampfmanifest der Labour Party. >>> ap | Mittwoch, 18. November 2009

WALL STREET JOURNAL – Photogallery: Queen’s Speech Opens Parliament: Royal pageantry met hard-nosed electioneering as Queen Elizabeth II donned the diamond-encrusted Imperial State Crown to announce the government’s plan for the next parliamentary session >>>

Related WSJ article >>>

Somali Woman Stoned for Adultery
BBC: A 20-year-old woman divorcee accused of committing adultery in Somalia has been stoned to death by Islamists in front of a crowd of about 200 people.

A judge working for the militant group al-Shabab said she had had an affair with an unmarried 29-year-old man.

He said she gave birth to a still-born baby and was found guilty of adultery. Her boyfriend was given 100 lashes.

It is thought to be the second time a woman has been stoned to death for adultery by al-Shabab.

The group controls large swathes of southern Somalia where they have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law which has been unpopular with many Somalis.

'Lenient'

According to reports from a small village near the town of Wajid, 250 miles (400km) north-west of the capital, Mogadishu, the woman was taken to the public grounds where she was buried up to her waist.

She was then stoned to death in front of the crowds on Tuesday afternoon.

The judge, Sheikh Ibrahim Abdirahman, said her unmarried boyfriend was given 100 lashes at the same venue. >>> | Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Heart Disease Was Rife Among Affluent Ancient Egyptians
THE GUARDIAN: X-rays of mummies reveal atherosclerosis, suggesting there may be more to heart disease than bad diet and smoking

Heart disease plagued human society long before fry-ups and cigarettes came along, researchers say. The upper classes of ancient Egypt were riddled with cardiovascular disease that dramatically raised their risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Doctors made the discovery after taking hospital X-ray scans of 20 Egyptian mummies that date back more than 3,500 years.

The scans revealed signs of atherosclerosis, a life-threatening condition where fat and calcium build up in the arteries, clogging them and stiffening their walls.

On a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, one of the researchers had been intrigued by a nameplate on the remains of Pharaoh Merenptah, who died in 1,203BC. The plate said the pharaoh died at the age of 60 and suffered diseased arteries, arthritis and tooth decay.

The US and Egyptian experts got permission to examine the mummified pharaoh and others that were on display or stored in the museum's basement.

Despite their extraordinary age, 16 mummies had identifiable hearts and arteries. Of these, nine showed evidence of atherosclerosis. Hard calcified deposits were seen either in the walls of arteries or along the path an artery would have taken. In some individuals, up to six different arteries were affected.

The most ancient mummy afflicted with heart disease was the maid of Queen Ahmose Nefertiti, Lady Rai, who lived around 200 years before the time of King Tutenkhamun. She is thought to have been between 30 and 40 years old when she died in 1,530BC. >>> Ian Sample, science correspondent | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Vitamin D: Wenn das Sonnenvitamin fehlt
SUEDDEUTSCHE: Schon ein geringer Mangel an Vitamin D führt einer US-Studie zufolge bei über 50-Jährigen zu einem erhöhten Risiko für Herzkrankheiten.

Ältere Menschen mit einem Mangel an Vitamin D haben einer Studie zufolge ein deutlich höheres Herzinfarkt-Risiko. Außerdem laufen sie Gefahr, häufiger Schlaganfälle zu erleiden und früher zu sterben, wie aus einer Untersuchung von US-Wissenschaftlern hervorgeht.

Mehr als ein Jahr lang sammelten die Forscher vom Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) in Salt Lake City im US-Bundesstaat Utah Daten von 27.686 Patienten ab 50 Jahren ohne vorherige Herzerkrankungen. Die Sterbewahrscheinlichkeit lag bei Probanden, die wenig Vitamin D im Blut aufwiesen, demnach um 77 Prozent höher als bei Menschen mit normalen Werten. Vitamin-D-Mangel erhöht den Angaben zufolge das Risiko von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen um 45 Prozent, die Gefahr eines Schlaganfalls sogar um 78 Prozent. >>> AFP/beu | Dienstag, 17. November 2009

Nubian Fury at 'Monkey' Lyric of Arab Pop Star Haifa Wehbe
THE GUARDIAN: Black Egyptians sue and demand album be banned / Row casts fresh light on racism in region

Haifa Wehbe, one of the Middle East’s biggest pop stars. Photo: The Guardian
One of the Arab world's biggest pop stars has provoked a torrent of outrage after releasing a song which refers to black Egyptians as monkeys.

Haifa Wehbe, an award-winning Lebanese diva who has been voted one of the world's most beautiful people, is now facing a lawsuit from Egyptian Nubians claiming the song has fuelled discrimination against them and made some Nubian children too afraid to attend school.

The row has cast fresh light on the position within Egyptian society of Nubians, who are descended from one of Africa's most ancient black civilisations and yet often face marginalisation in modern Egypt.

Wehbe, a 35-year-old model turned actress and singer, is widely regarded as the Middle East's most prominent sex symbol and has been no stranger to controversy in the past. Her skimpy outfits and provocative lyrics (one previous hit was entitled Hey, Good Little Muslim Boy) have earned her the wrath of religious conservatives and forays into the political arena have also sparked debate, including her very public praise for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

The latest accusations of racism came after the release of her new song, Where is Daddy?, in which a child sings to Wehbe, "Where is my teddy bear and the Nubian monkey?". >>> Jack Shenker in Cairo | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Colonel Gaddafi Hosts Second Gathering of Glamorous Italian Women
THE TELEGRAPH: The Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has hosted a second evening event in Rome to which he invited 200 beautiful Italian women.

Two Italian girls show a copy of the Koran they received after attending a 'party' given by Libyan Leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Photo: The Telegraph
They were under orders not to show too much leg or cleavage. But a strict dress code for 200 glamorous young Italian women appeared to have slipped somewhat when they were entertained for a second time by Libya's eccentric leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Many of the women were photographed turning up for the unusual soiree on Monday night wearing tight black leather mini-skirts, high heels and tops with plunging necklines.

The dress code had relaxed considerably since Sunday, when another group of 200 Italian girls were invited to a reception by the Libyan leader, who is in Rome for the UN World Food Summit.

For that occasion, they were told by the modelling agency that recruited them not to wear jeans, see-through or suggestive clothing or skirts above the knee.

Col Gaddafi again used the agency, Hostessweb, to hand-pick a fresh batch of 200 women - each paid 60 euros (£53) - and have them brought by bus to the Libyan ambassador's residence.

Each was given a copy of the Koran. But unlike on Monday night, when the first group of girls sat through a meandering discourse on Islam, sexism in the West and Col Gaddafi's belief that the crucifixion of Jesus was fraudulent, this time he permitted the women to ask him questions. >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Islam is Tearing the World Apart

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The Great EU Debate: Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP
Mr. Hannan, you’d better be careful what you wish for! You seem not to be taking into consideration that the people of Scotland and Wales might well not wish to come out of the EU as you so desperately wish to do. So, if the time came to vote on it, the Scots and the Welsh could well decide to remain in the EU. After all, the Irish have done very well out of the EU, haven’t they? Indeed, the EU has brought the Irish a great deal of prosperity.

There is a strong separatist element in Scotland. In Wales it is rather weaker, but it is there nevertheless. It is not beyond the realms of possibility, therefore, that the Scots and Welsh would indeed choose to remain in the European Union even if England were to choose to come out. If this happened, it would leave England very badly isolated. Then the English would have neither Europe nor Scotland nor Wales to count on. Be careful, therefore, what you wish for, Mr. Hannan. The outcome might not be that which you intended. – © Mark



The Case for Leaving the EU >>> Daniel Hannan | Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Great EU Debate >>>

Australia: Church Wars

Christians 'Would Rather Vote BNP Than Labour', Pastor Claims
THE TELEGRAPH: Christians would rather vote for the British National Party than Labour because they are so disillusioned with the Government’s discrimination against them, a pastor has claimed.

Reverend George Hargreaves, who leads the conservative Christian Party, said people were “sick” of “Labour’s anti-Christian, anti-free speech agenda and laws”.

Rev Hargreaves said: “Christians in the past may have voted Labour, but [they] have silenced Christians and their anti-traditional family policies have created a vacuum which Nick Griffin can fill." >>> Andy Bloxham | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Obama Fails to Convince China’s Ruling Élite
THE TELEGRAPH: America and China have been forced to agree to disagree on a wide range of issues following several hours of talks between US president Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Beijing.

Despite reaffirming the importance of deeper US-China co-operation to world peace and stability, the two sides were unable to disguise the deep differences that separate them on trade, security, climate change and human rights.

Speaking after the talks which formed the centrepiece of Mr Obama's five day tour of Asia, the two presidents laid out their separate positions on key issues during a press conference at which no questions were allowed.

Trade protectionism was high on the agenda with the US and China currently embroiled in its worst round of trade spats since China entered the World Trade Organisation in 2002.

"I stressed to President Obama that under the current circumstances our two countries need to oppose and reject protectionism in all its manifestations in an even stronger stance," Mr Hu said, in a thinly veiled attack on recent US trade measures against Chinese goods.

On Monday a poll by the CNN news network found that more than 70 per cent of Americans viewed China as a threat to the US, putting further domestic pressure on Mr Obama to protect US industries from cheap Chinese imports.

Mr Hu studiously avoided mention of China's currency, which the International Monetary Fund has warned is undervalued, but was prodded firmly on the long-standing issue of contention by Mr Obama. China: talks between Barack Obama and Hu Jintao yield few agreements >>> Peter Foster in Beijing | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Merz appelle par vidéo au rejet de l’initiative antiminarets
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: PREMIÈRE | Hans-Rudolf Merz appelle au rejet de l’initiative contre les minarets dans une vidéo mise en ligne sur le site du Département fédéral des finances (DFF).

Le président de la Confédération a rappelé la longue tradition de tolérance religieuse en Suisse. Photo crédits : Tribune de Genève
Rappelant la longue tradition de tolérance religieuse en Suisse, le président de la Confédération invite à accepter les symboles d’autres religions. Il a souligné qu’il n’y aura pas d’appel à la prière du muezzin en Suisse.

"Nous vivons dans un pays multiculturel et ouvert", déclare le conseiller fédéral dans son message. Chaque religion arbore ses particularismes architecturaux, qu’il s’agisse d’églises, de synagogues ou de minarets. "J’y vois l’expression de la diversité de notre société". >>> AP | Mardi 17 Novembre 2009



«Den Ruf des Muezzins wird es hier nicht geben»
TAGES ANZEIGER: In einer Videobotschaft ruft Bundespräsident Hans-Rudolf Merz zu einem Nein bei Minarett-Initiative auf. Und erzählt von seiner Zeit in arabischen Ländern.

Bundespräsident Hans-Rudolf Merz ruft in einem Video zur Ablehnung der Minarett-Initiative auf. Religiöse Symbole seien Ausdruck unserer vielfältigen Gesellschaft, sagt er in der am Dienstag auf der Seite des Finanzdepartements aufgeschalteten Botschaft. Den Ruf des Muezzins werde es in der Schweiz aber nicht geben. >>> sam/sda | Dienstag, 17. November 2009

Muslim Scholars Rejecting Darwin's Theory of Evolution as 'Unproven'
THE TELEGRAPH: Muslim scholars around the world are increasingly rejecting Darwin's theory of evolution as an "unproven".

Muslim students and academics also said they felt they were being asked to make a "binary choice" between Darwinism and creationism, rather than both having a place.

The claim was made by Nidhal Guessoum, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, at a conference organised by the British Council to celebrate the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth.

He told his audience that in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia, only 15 per cent of people surveyed believed Darwin’s theory was “true” or “probably true”.

A poll he conducted at his own university showed that 62 per cent of Muslim professors and students believed evolution to be an “unproven theory”, compared with 10 per cent of non-Muslim professors.

“The rate of acceptance of evolution and of the idea of teaching evolution was extremely low,” he said. “I wondered, who are all these educated people rejecting evolution? They are even rejecting the fact that it should be taught as scientific knowledge.” >>> | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Muslim Academics and Students Are Turning Against Darwin's Theory
TIMES ONLINE: Muslims in many countries are increasingly rejecting Darwin’s theory of evolution, under the influence of conservative elements in Islam, a science conference was told yesterday.

Nidhal Guessoum, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, told the conference, being held in Egypt by the British Council, that in too many places students and academics believed they had to make a “binary choice” between evolution and creationism, rather than understanding that one could believe both in God and in Darwin’s theory.

Dr Guessoum, who is a Sunni Muslim, said that in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia, only 15 per cent of those surveyed believed Darwin’s theory to be “true” or “probably true”. This stand was equally prevalent among students and teachers, from high school to university. Most alarmingly, he claimed, science teachers were misrepresenting the facts and theories of evolution by mixing it with religious ideologies.

A survey of 100 academics and 100 students that he conducted at his own university showed that 62 per cent of Muslim professors and students believed evolution to be an “unproven theory”, compared with 10 per cent of non-Muslim professors. “The rate of acceptance of evolution and of the idea of teaching evolution was extremely low,” he said. “I wondered, who are all these educated people rejecting evolution? They are even rejecting the fact that it should be taught as scientific knowledge.”

Evolution did not contradict Islamic beliefs, Dr Guessoum said, unless a literal reading of the texts were adopted. “Many Muslim scholars, from the golden age of Islam to today, adopted an evolutionary world view,” he said. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Sarkozy's £165m Jet Cleared for Takeoff
THE GUARDIAN: French opposition protest as 'Air Sarko One' fulfils president's ambition to fly world-statesman class

For Nicolas Sarkozy – a 1.65m (5ft 5in) head of state with a statuesque wife, a penchant for cuban heels and an arch-enemy who refers to him as "the dwarf" – size most certainly matters.

But the French president can take comfort in the knowledge that, in one area at least, his diminutive stature will no longer be a reason for ridicule: his ageing, relatively petite Airbus 319s will soon be replaced by an airliner with measurements better suited to a leader of his lofty aspirations.

The budget for the new model, an Airbus A330-200 which opposition critics have dubbed "Air Sarko One", was approved earlier this month in a low-key vote which passed largely unnoticed by the French media.

Despite attempts by the Socialist party to derail it, a package worth €185m (£165m) was given the green light by MPs. To the horror of the opposition, the money for the purchase and lavish modernisation of the jet will come out of the already strained defence budget.

Reserved for use by Sarkozy and his entourage, the A330 has been bought second-hand from the Air Caraibes airline. It is currently undergoing a multimillion-pound renovation and is not expected to be in use before the end of 2010. >>> Lizzy Davies in Paris | Monday, November 16, 2009

Bernanke's Rare Intervention Fails to Calm Fears Over Weak Dollar
With the dollar going into steep decline, with the price of gold rising to record levels, with the US’s huge deficit having to be financed through printing money (or ‘quantitative easing’ as they prefer to call it by way of euphemism these days), with Ben Bernanke talking about the dollar “remaining strong” and a “source of global financial stability”, one really has to question the competence, judgment and ability of the head of the Fed – Ben Bernanke! This is, after all, the age of the resurgence of soup kitchens in America, a country in which fifty million Americans are finding it difficult to get adequate nourishment. It is also an age in which bankers continue to pay themselves ginormous bonuses. Surely, this must be the age of ultimate financial mismanagement. Shame on Ben Bernanke! Shame on them all! – © Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's attempt to shore up support for the US currency failed yesterday as the dollar fell to fresh 15-month lows.

In a rare moment of intervention into the currency markets from America's leading central banker, Mr Bernanke admitted the Fed is watching the dollar "closely" as part of its focus on employment growth and price stability.

Mr Bernanke stressed the dollar will remain "strong" and continue as a "source of global financial stability". >>> James Quinn, US Business Editor | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Wirtschaftskrise: 50 Millionen Amerikaner fehlt das Geld für Nahrung
ZEIT ONLINE: Die globale Krise trifft viele Menschen in der stärksten Wirtschaftsnation der Welt hart: Rund 50 Millionen Amerikaner konnten sich 2007 nicht ausreichend Essen leisten.

Suppenküche in Charlotte, North Carolina: 2008 hatten Millionen Amerikaner nicht genügend Geld, um sich ausreichend zu ernähren. Bild: Zeit Online
Im Jahr 2007 waren noch elf Prozent der Haushalte nicht angemessen mit Lebensmitteln versorgt. Ein Jahr später, im Krisenjahr 2008, sind es 14, 6 Prozent gewesen. Das geht aus einer Studie des US-Landwirtschaftsministeriums hervor. Demnach hatten rund 50 Millionen Amerikaner zeitweise nicht genügend Geld, um sich ausreichend Essen zu kaufen. >>> Zeit Online, dpa | Dienstag, 17. November 2009

Rekordhoch am Goldmarkt: Misstrauensvotum gegen den Dollar
ZEIT ONLINE: Der Goldpreis bricht Rekord um Rekord. Schwellenländer stocken aus Angst vor einem Dollarverfall ihre Goldreserven auf – und treiben so die Nachfrage. Von Stefan Frank

Ein Juwelier in New York wirbt um Kunden, die Gold und Diamanten verkaufen. Der Goldpreis erreichte am Montag ein neues Rekordhoch. Bild: Zeit Online
Am Montag brach der Goldpreis einen neuen Rekord: Auf mehr als 1.130 US-Dollar kletterte der Preis für eine Feinunze. Das sind hundert Dollar mehr als noch vor zwei Wochen. Innerhalb eines Jahres hat sich das Edelmetall sogar um rund 400 Dollar – oder 50 Prozent – verteuert. Begonnen hat der jüngste Anstieg im September, als der Preis zum ersten Mal seit Anfang 2008 die psychologisch wichtige 1000-Dollar-Marke überspringen konnte.

Vor zwei Wochen beschleunigte sich die Entwicklung. Da wurde bekannt, dass sich der Internationale Währungsfonds (IWF) von der Hälfte seiner Goldreserven trennt – das sind 200 Tonnen. Diese Nachricht hätte den Goldmarkt eigentlich belasten müssen. Doch der IWF wirft das Gold nicht auf den Markt, sondern verkauft es an die indische Notenbank, die damit in die Gruppe der zehn Zentralbanken mit den größten Goldreserven aufsteigt. Offenbar sind die Schwellenländer selbst bei den derzeit hohen Preisen bereit, ihren Dollarreserven einen größeren Anteil Gold beizumischen.

Das ist ein Misstrauensvotum gegen Amerikas Währung. Der Wert des Dollars wird immer fragwürdiger, weil die USA immer mehr Geld drucken müssen, um ihr Budgetdefizit in Höhe von geschätzten zwei Billionen Dollar zu finanzieren. Gold hingegen kann von Regierungen oder Notenbanken nicht aus dem Nichts geschaffen werden. Seine Menge wächst nur sehr langsam. Obwohl sich der Goldpreis seit Beginn des Jahrzehnts vervierfacht hat, sind die Minenbetreiber nicht in der Lage, die Fördermenge zu erhöhen. >>> Von Stefan Frank |, Zeit Online | Dienstag, 17. November 2009

Le roi Abdallah invite Sarkozy à la ferme
LE FIGARO: Le président traite ce mardi avec le monarque saoudien des dossiers du Proche-Orient.

Nicolas Sarkozy se familiarise avec les mœurs bédouines. Pour sa troisième visite en Arabie saoudite, le président de la République va passer presque vingt-quatre heures, à partir de mardi après-midi, dans la ferme du roi Abdallah, à 70 km au sud de Riyad, la capitale. Sans ministre. Sans Carla. Et très peu de journalistes pour l'accompagner. Ses deux précédents séjours, menés au pas de charge, avaient irrité les Saoudiens, qui préfèrent disposer d'un peu de temps pour parler affaires ou politique, et si possible dans la discrétion. Or sur les dossiers chauds du moment, Paris et Riyad convergent le plus souvent. Mieux valait donc, cette fois, se conformer aux usages locaux.

À l'instar de Nicolas Sarkozy, le roi Abdallah est inquiet de la menace nucléaire iranienne. Les relations sont mauvaises entre les deux pôles de l'islam - Téhéran pour les chiites et Riyad pour les sunnites. Le monarque saoudien approuve la fermeté de ton française contre l'Iran. Mais il ne veut pas d'une attaque israélienne, qui déstabiliserait la région et risquerait de compromettre son programme de réformes dans le royaume. «Comment mettre sur pied une politique de sanctions qui tienne la route pour éviter la confrontation ?», se demande-t-on côté français. >>> | Mardi 17 Novembre 2009

Proche-Orient : Indépendance de la Palestine: l’appel à l’UE
LE TEMPS: L’Autorité palestinienne demande aux Vingt-Sept de soutenir sa démarche en vue d’une reconnaissance par le Conseil de sécurité d’un Etat palestinien indépendant. Les autorités israéliennes de leur côté mettent en garde contre tout «geste unilatéral»

Par la voie de son ministre des Négociations, Saëb Erekat, l’Autorité palestinienne (AP) a officiellement demandé lundi aux représentants diplomatiques européens en poste dans la région de soutenir son plan visant à proclamer unilatéralement l’indépendance d’un Etat palestinien «dans les frontières de 1967 et avec Jérusalem-Est (la partie arabe de la ville) pour capitale». Dans la foulée, le président du comité exécutif de l’OLP, Yasser Abed Rabo (un proche conseiller du président Mahmoud Abbas), a entamé des démarches auprès des instances des Nations unies afin de présenter le projet au Conseil de sécurité.

Malgré l’enthousiasme de façade de l’entourage de Mahmoud Abbas, la proclamation éventuelle de l’indépendance de la Palestine sur quelques parcelles de Cisjordanie suscite le plus souvent des réactions mitigées. Au sein même de l’AP, le colonel Jibril Rajoub, un responsable du Fatah qui passe pour un successeur potentiel du président palestinien, a estimé que des négociations directes avec Israël sont à ses yeux «préférables a tout geste unilatéral». Une position identique à celle de la diplomatie égyptienne ainsi qu’aux vues de l’émissaire de l’Union européenne, Marc Hotte.

Quant au Hamas au pouvoir dans la bande de Gaza, il a d’ores et déjà fait savoir qu’il ne participerait pas au processus initié par l’AP. «Il faut d’abord libérer les territoires occupés avant de proclamer l’indépendance», a déclaré l’un des porte-parole du mouvement islamiste. >>> Serge Dumont | Mardi 17 Novembre 2009

How the Nazis Tried to Take Christ Out of Christmas
TIMES ONLINE: For the perfect Nazi Christmas you had to hang glittering swastikas and toy grenades from the pine tree in the living room and, in your freshly pressed uniform, belt out carols urging German women to make babies for the Führer rather than worship the Jewish Baby Jesus. Then came the moment to light the pagan candle-holders — hand-made by labourers at Dachau.

Hitler’s dream of a 1,000-year Reich came to an end long before the world was subjected to 1,000 of his Christmases but an exhibition in Cologne is highlighting how the Nazis, in particular Heinrich Himmler, tried to take Christ out of Christmas.

What is alarming German visitors is the realisation that, in many cases, they have been brought up with a variation of the Third Reich Christmas. Not the swastika baking trays or baubles shaped like Iron Crosses, but the revised lyrics of carols and the traditions that had been altered subtly.>>> Roger Boyes in Berlin | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Germany's Muslims Wary After Headscarf Martyr Trial
TIME: Dozens of reporters from Germany, Egypt and other Muslim countries packed into a Dresden courtroom last week to hear the verdict against the Russian émigré accused of stabbing to death a pregnant Egyptian woman who's since been dubbed the "headscarf martyr" by much of the Arab world. It was a far cry from the attention the killing itself received in July — the crime was scarcely reported by the German media, leading to massive protests in Egypt and the Middle East.

That Alex Wiens was convicted of murdering Marwa el-Sherbini and sentenced to life in prison was not surprising — el-Sherbini was stabbed in front of numerous eyewitnesses in a dramatic attack just after she finished giving testimony in the same Dresden courthouse where Wiens was tried. His trial seemed a mere formality. It was nonetheless closely watched by Germany's 4 million Muslims, as well as the wider Muslim world, as a way of gauging how serious Germany was about confronting what Muslims see as a rising tide of Islamophobia and racism in the country.

The crime was shocking as much for Wiens' brutality as for his brazenness. During the trial, prosecutors said el-Sherbini, 31, was attacked after giving testimony against Wiens in a defamation case — el-Sherbini had accused Wiens of calling her an "Islamist" and a "terrorist" on a playground after she asked him to make way so her son could play on the swings. As she finished testifying, Wiens suddenly lunged at her with a kitchen knife he had smuggled into court and stabbed her 16 times. Her husband, Elwy Okaz, 32, was also repeatedly stabbed before being shot by a police officer who mistook him for el-Sherbini's attacker. El-Sherbini, who was three months pregnant at the time, bled to death in front of the couple's 3-year-old son. >>> Tristana Moore, Berlin | Monday, November 16, 2009

Naher Osten: Israel warnt Palästinenser vor Staatsausrufung
WELT ONLINE: Die Ankündigung der Palästinenser, möglicherweise einen eigenen Staat auszurufen, stößt in Israel auf heftigen Widerstand. Ein solches Vorgehen würde "einseitige Schritte Israels" zur Folge haben, sagte Ministerpräsident Netanjahu. Er verlangte stattdessen Verhandlungen "ohne Vorbedingungen".

Israels Ministerpräsident Netanjahu warnt die Palästinenser. Bild: Welt Online
Der israelische Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanjahu hat die Palästinenser vor einseitigen Schritten zur Gründung eines eigenen Staates gewarnt. Dies würde „einseitige Schritte Israels“ zur Folge haben, sagte Netanjahu laut einem Bericht der israelischen Tageszeitung „Haaretz“ am Sonntagabend in Jerusalem. Es gebe keinen Ersatz für Verhandlungen zwischen Israel und der Palästinenserbehörde.

Jeder einseitige Schritt würde lediglich das Gerüst von Abkommen zwischen den beiden Seiten zu Fall bringen. Im Rundfunk rief Netanjahu die Palästinenser zur Wiederaufnahme der Friedensverhandlungen „ohne Vorbedingungen“ auf. >>> dpa/AFP/cn | Montag, 16. November 2009

Die Schönheit vom Iran: Asam al-Sada Farahi
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Outrage in Washington Over Obama's Japan Bow
U.S. President Barack Obama is greeted by Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko upon arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo November 14, 2009. Photo: Canada.com
CANADA.COM: WASHINGTON - News photos of President Barack Obama bowing to Japan's emperor have incensed critics here, who said the U.S. leader should stand tall when representing America overseas.

Obama on Monday was in China, having wrapped up the Japan leg of his Asia trip two days earlier. But Washington's punditocracy was still weighing whether or not the U.S. president had disgraced his country two days earlier by having taken a deep bow at the waist while meeting Japan's Emperor Akihito.

Political talk shows have played and replayed the moment from the second day of Obama's week-long Asia tour, which set the blogosphere on fire and chat show tongues wagging.

"I don't know why President Obama thought that was appropriate. Maybe he thought it would play well in Japan. But it's not appropriate for an American president to bow to a foreign one," said conservative pundit William Kristol speaking on the Fox News Sunday program, adding that the gesture bespoke a United States that has become weak and overly-deferential under Obama.

Another conservative voice, Bill Bennett, said on CNN's "State of the Union" program: "It's ugly. I don't want to see it."

"We don't defer to emperors. We don't defer to kings or emperors. The president of the United States -- this coupled with so many apologies from the United States -- is just another thing," said Bennett.

Some conservative critics juxtaposed the image of Obama with one of former U.S. vice president Dick Cheney, who greeted the emperor in 2007 with a firm handshake but no bow.

"I'll bet if you look at pictures of world leaders over 20 years meeting the emperor in Japan, they don't bow," Kristol said.

Some said the gesture was particularly grating coming after Obama's bow to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah at a G20 meeting in April. >>> Stephanie Griffiths, AFP | Monday, November 16, 2009

Obama Bows to Japanese Emperor Akihito

Johann Hari’s Viewpoint – Renouncing Islamism: To the Brink and Back Again
THE INDEPENDENT: A generation of British Islamists have been trained in Afghanistan to fight a global jihad. But now some of those would-be extremists have had a change of heart. Johann Hari finds out what made them give up the fight

British muslim Maajid Nawaz is the country's most famous former Islamist fanatic. Photo: The Independent
Ever since I started meeting jihadis, I have been struck by one thing – their Britishness. I am from the East End of London, and at some point in the past decade I became used to hearing a hoarse and angry whisper of jihadism on the streets where I live. Bearded young men stand outside the library calling for "The Rule of God" and "Death to Democracy".

In the mosques across the city, I hear a fringe of young men talk dreamily of flocking to Afghanistan to "resist". Yet this whisper never has an immigrant accent. It shares my pronunciations, my cultural references, and my national anthem. Beneath the beards and the burqas, there is an English voice.

The East End is a cramped grey maze of council estates, squashed between the glistening palaces of the City to one side and the glass towers of Docklands to the other. You can feel the financial elites staring across at each other, indifferent to this concrete lump of poverty dumped in-between by the forgotten tides of history. This place has always been the swirling first stop for immigrants to this country like my father – a place where new arrivals can huddle together as they adjust to the cold rain and lukewarm liberalism of Britain.

The Muslims who arrive here every day from Bangladesh, or India, or Somalia say they find the presence of British Islamists bizarre. They have come here to work and raise their children in stability and escape people like them. No: these Islamists are British-born. They make up 7 per cent of the British Muslim population, according to a Populous poll (with the other 93 percent of Muslims disagreeing). Ever since the 7/7 suicide bombings, carried out by young Englishmen against London, the British have been squinting at this minority of the minority and trying to figure out how we incubated a very English jihadism.

But every attempt I have made up to now to get into their heads – including talking to Islamists for weeks at their most notorious London hub, Finsbury Park mosque, immediately after 9/11 – left me feeling like a journalistic failure. These young men speak to outsiders in a dense and impenetrable code of Koranic quotes and surly jibes at both the foreign policy crimes of our Government and the freedom of women and gays. Any attempt to dig into their psychology – to ask honestly how this swirl of thoughts led them to believe suicide bombing their own city is right – is always met with a resistant sneer, and yet more opaque recitations from the Koran. Their message is simple: we don't do psychology or sociology. We do Allah, and Allah alone. Why do you have this particular reading of the Koran, when most Muslims don't? Because we are right, and they are infidel. Full stop. It was an investigatory dead end.

But then, a year ago, I began to hear about a fragile new movement that could just hold the answers we journalists have failed to find up to now. A wave of young British Islamists who trained to fight – who cheered as their friends bombed this country – have recanted. Now they are using everything they learned on the inside, to stop the jihad.

Seventeen former radical Islamists have "come out" in the past 12 months and have begun to fight back. Would they be able to tell me the reasons that pulled them into jihadism, and out again? Could they be the key to understanding – and defusing – Western jihadism? I have spent three months exploring their world and befriending their leading figures. Their story sprawls from forgotten English seaside towns to the jails of Egypt's dictatorship and the icy mountains of Afghanistan – and back again. >>> Johann Hari | Monday, November 16, 2009

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi Invites 500 Italian Women to Villa and Lectures Them on Islam
Women were given religious advice by Colonel Gadaffi, accompanied by women guards, at the summit. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi invited hundreds of attractive Italian "hostesses" to a villa in Rome last night for an evening at which he urged them to convert to Islam and told them Christianity was based on a fraud, Italian reports said today.

The Libyan leader is in Italy to attend a United Nations summit on world food security. Reports said that Colonel Gaddafi's aides phoned an agency which provides elegantly dressed young women to act as hospitality staff at events.

The agency was asked to send 500 women to the residence of Hafed Gaddur, the Libyan ambassador in Rome, where Colonel Gaddafi is staying, over a series of evenings during the three day summit.

The agency advertised for "500 pleasing girls between 18 and 35 years of age, at least one metre 70 high." The women were asked to dress elegantly but soberly, with both miniskirts and cleavage-revealing decolletage firmly banned.

Those who replied were offered €60 (£53) to attend an evening at the villa for an "exchange of opinions" and to "receive a Libyan gift", which turned out to be a copy of the Koran. They were given nothing to eat or drink, however.

Paola Lo Mele, a journalist with the Italian news agency ANSA who posed as a hostess to enter the villa, said the 200 women who attended yesterday had to pass through metal detectors, before being ushered by white turbanned Libyan staff into a "sumptuous drawing room" with white and red divans arranged in a semi-circle in front of Colonel Gaddafi. He arrived an hour late. He sat next to an interpreter and two of his renowned female guards.

The Libyan leader said it was "untrue that Islam is against women" according to Corriere della Sera. He urged the women to convert to Islam, pointing out that whereas there were four different Gospels, there was only one Koran.

He then observed — to "general incredulity" — that Christ had not died on the Cross and been resurrected, as Christians believe, because the person crucified had been "a look-alike" who was substituted for the real Jesus.

"Convert to Islam. Jesus was sent to the Jews, not for you. Mohammed, on the other hand, was sent for all human beings," he reportedly said. "Whoever goes in a different direction than Mohammed is wrong. God's religion is Islam, and whoever follows a different one, in the end, will lose," Colonel Gaddafi added, according to La Stampa.

He said women must do only "what their physical condition allows them", and spoke about the role that women played during the Second World War. He claimed that in the West women "have often been used as pieces of furniture, changed whenever it pleases men. And this is an injustice." He then invited the women to travel to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

As the soiree broke up at midnight he handed out copies of the Koran, his own Green Book on the Libyan revolution, and a pamphlet entitled How to be a Muslim. >>> Richard Owen in Rome | Monday, November 16, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Colonel Gaddafi preaches Islam to 200 glamour girls: Colonel Gaddafi has lived up to his reputation for eccentric behaviour by lecturing 200 attractive young glamour models on the benefits of Islam. >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Monday, November 16, 2009

MAIL ONLINE: 'Give me 500 beautiful Italian girls': Colonel Gaddafi hires escort agency women during Rome summit and then tries to convert them to Islam >>> Nick Pisa | Monday, November 16, 2009

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Kadhafi: «L’islam n'est pas contre les femmes!» : ROME | Comme à son habitude, le colonel libyen s’est fait organiser à Rome des rencontres avec de jeunes Italiennes recrutées par agence. Il leur a lancé: "Convertissez-vous à l’islam!". >>> AFP | Lundi 16 Novembre 2009

Lady Ahmadinejad
Lady Ahmadinejad. Foto: La Stampa
LA STAMPA: La signora Ahmadinejad durante il summit delle First Ladies dei Paesi non allineati presso la sede della Fao,il 15 novembre 2009, a Roma.

La moglie del presidente iraniano, in chador nero e occhiali fumè, ha lanciato un appello per garantire cibo e medicine nella Striscia di Gaza, poi ha proposto l'esempio iraniano per la sicurezza alimentare nelle famiglie e accusato «l'attitudine mercantilista allo sfruttamento delle risorse e la politica dell'occupazione e della corsa alle armi» definendole responsabili della povertà e della fame nel mondo. Galleria di foto >>> | Domenica 15 novembre 2009

Die Schönheit vom Iran: Asam al-Sada Farahi
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Barack Obama Criticises Censorship in Meeting with Chinese Students
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama, the US president, has strongly criticised censorship in his first public appearance in China, veering directly into one of the most sensitive areas of Communist party policy.

Barack Obama: US President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with students after answering questions at a town hall meeting at the Museum of Science and Technology in Shanghai. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Obama told an audience of 400 Chinese students that freedom of "expression, and worship, of access to information and political participation" were "universal rights".

He said: "They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities, whether they are in the United States, China or any nation".

The Chinese government did its best to carefully choreograph Mr Obama's maiden tour, going as far as to hand-pick each student in the auditorium.

Mr Obama was allowed to open the floor to questions, but at least two of the four students he called upon were later discovered to be members of the Communist Youth League, the university arm of the party.

Nevertheless, a question selected by the US embassy gave the president an opportunity to tackle a more contentious topic. Asked for his opinion of the "Great Firewall of China", a censorship program that strips the internet of any political dissent, Mr Obama said he was a "big believer in openness".

He added: "The more freely information flows, the stronger a society becomes. Citizens can hold their own governments accountable. They can begin to think for themselves. That generates new ideas and encourages creativity. >>> Malcolm Moore in Shanghai | Monday, November 16, 2009

GLOBE AND MAIL: Obama holds town hall in China: Pressing for freedoms on China's own turf, President Barack Obama said Monday that individual expression is not an American ideal but a universal right that should be available to all. >>> AP video | Monday, November 16, 2009

Obama Welcomes Rise of China


TIMES ONLINE: China rounds up dissidents as President Obama touches down in Beijing: Chinese officials have rounded up dozens of Beijings’s tiny coterie of activists and petitioners in case any dissident tries to approach President Obama, who arrived in the city today.
The arrests continued to gather momentum even as Mr Obama told an unprecedented question-and-answer session with Shanghai students that freedom of information and expression were vital for a stronger, more creative society. >>> Jane Macartney in Beijing | Monday, November 16, 2009

LE TEMPS: En Chine, Barack Obama évoque des «droits universels» : Le président américain Barack Obama a prôné lundi à Shanghai la liberté d’expression, de culte et d’information, y compris sur l’Internet, lors de sa première visite en Chine. Il a ensuite rejoint Pékin pour des entretiens politiques avec son homologue Hu Jinato. >>> ATS | Lundi 16 Novembre 2009

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

People Must Be Free to Hold Intolerant Views about Homosexuality
THE TELEGRAPH: Ministers seem set on eroding yet another safeguard to our liberty, says Philip Johnston.

An important blow for free speech was struck in the dying hours of the last parliamentary session, despite a desperate rearguard action by the Government to quash it. Ministers wanted to remove a protection inserted into a law, passed only last year, which made it an offence to express hatred of homosexuals. But they were twice beaten back in the Lords and eventually ran out of time.

They may try again in the coming session that starts on Wednesday, the last before the general election.

This story encapsulates much that has been so pernicious about the 12 years of misrule to which the country has been subjected. No one can remember a government returning in the very next session to try to undo something to which it had agreed (albeit reluctantly) in the preceding parliamentary term. The free speech protection was proposed by Lord Waddington, a former Home Secretary. It stated: "For the avoidance of doubt, the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct or practices, shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred."

This was done for a purpose. There are too many instances of people being questioned by the police under existing public order legislation for holding views that may be considered offensive or intolerant for yet another measure to be passed without setting out the circumstances in which it is meant to be used. These instances include a grandmother, Pauline Howe, who was visited by two constables because she wrote to her local council to complain about a gay rights march and what she considered a "public display of indecency". She was told she might have committed a "hate crime".

A similar experience befell Joe and Helen Roberts, a Christian couple lectured by Lancashire police on the evils of "homophobia" after criticising gay rights in a letter to Wyre Borough Council. A few years ago, Lynette Burrows, a family campaigner, was the target of a police inquiry after saying on the radio that she did not believe homosexuals should be allowed to adopt. Sir Iqbal Sacranie, the former head of the Muslim Council, had his collar felt, as did the Bishop of Chester for making remarks in a religious context that no sane person could have taken as stirring up hatred against homosexuals. The most preposterous example was the Oxford student who was arrested and threatened with prosecution for calling a police horse gay. >>> Philip Johnston | Monday, November 16, 2009

Grave of Neda Soltan Desecrated by Supporters of Iranian Regime
TIMES ONLINE: Supporters of Iran’s regime have desecrated the grave of Neda Soltan, the student who became a symbol of the opposition after she was shot dead during an anti-goverment demonstration on June 20.

The incident was confirmed by Ms Soltan’s fiancé, Caspian Makan, who fled from Iran after being released on bail following 65 days in prison. A recording of Ms Soltan’s mother weeping and cursing those responsible has been posted on the internet.

Mr Makan, 38, also disclosed that the regime tried to force him and Ms Soltan’s parents to say that she was killed by the opposition, not by a government militiaman on a motorbike as eyewitnesses have claimed. A documentary to be shown on BBC Two next week contains an unseen clip of demonstrators catching the militiaman seconds after the shooting.

Mr Makan, who is in hiding said: “The breaking of Neda’s gravestone broke the hearts of millions of freedom-loving people around the world. The repressors, believing they can stifle the cries for freedom, have even attacked, beaten, threatened and insulted Neda’s parents. This is while the Islamic Republic of Iran denies Neda’s murder.” >>> Martin Fletcher | Monday, November 16, 2009

Texas Accounts for Half of Executions in US But Now Has Doubts Over Death Row
THE GUARDIAN: Overturned convictions and growth of DNA forensic evidence shake state's rock-solid faith in capital punishment

Even in Texas they are having their doubts. The state that executes more people than any other by far – it will account for half the prisoners sent to the death chamber in the US this year – is seeing its once rock-solid faith in capital punishment shaken by overturned convictions, judicial scandals and growing evidence that at least one innocent man has been executed.

The growth of DNA forensic evidence has seen nearly 140 death row convictions overturned across the US, prompting abolition and moratoriums in other states that Texas has so far resisted.

But the public mood is swinging in the conservative state, which often seems to have an Old Testament view of justice. A former governor, Mark White – previously a strong supporter of the death penalty – has joined those calling for a reconsideration of capital punishment because of the risk of executing an innocent person.

The number of death sentences passed by juries in Texas has fallen sharply in recent years, reflecting a retreat from capital punishment in many parts of America after DNA evidence led to the release of scores of condemned prisoners.

The number of death sentences passed annually in the US has dropped by about 60% in the past decade, to around 100.

"In Texas we have seen a constant stream of individual cases that really destroy public faith and integrity in our criminal justice system," said Steve Hall, former chief of staff to the Texas attorney general for eight years, who is now an anti-death penalty activist.

"You are seeing that scepticism reflected in a lot of different ways. You are seeing juries more reluctant to issue death sentences. You are also seeing a different approach by district attorneys. Some are breaking with the past culture of seeking the death penalty whenever they can." >>> Chris McGreal in Livingston | Sunday, November 15, 2009

Italy's Foreign Minister Says Post-Lisbon EU Needs a European Army
Mr Frattini said the experience of Afghanistan strengthened the 'necessary objective' of a Europe-wide army. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: Italy is to push for the creation of a European Army after the "new Europe" takes shape at this week's crucial EU summit following the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister, said that the Lisbon Treaty had established "that if some countries want to enter into reinforced co-operation between themselves they can do so". This was already the case with the euro and the Schengen accords on frontier-free travel, and could now be applied to "common European defence".

In an interview with The Times at his office in the monumental marble-halled Foreign Ministry on the banks of the Tiber, Mr Frattini said: "We have finally concluded a never-ending story". The Lisbon Treaty, which comes into force in December, will be sealed on Thursday with an EU summit to choose an EU President and Foreign Minister.

He warned that "if we do not find a common foreign policy, there is the risk that Europe will become irrelevant. We will be bypassed by the G2 of America and China, which is to say the Pacific axis, and the Atlantic axis will be forgotten. We need political will and commitment, otherwise the people of Europe will be disillusioned and disappointed. People expect a great deal of us. After Lisbon we have no more alibis". >>> Richard Owen in Rome | Sunday, November 15, 2009

BNP Leader Nick Griffin to Stand in Barking at General Election
THE TELEGRAPH: Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, has confirmed he will stand in Barking at the next General Election.

According to the BNP leader, for the first time ever, the party has really serious challengers in a number of seats. Photo: The Telegraph
Speaking shortly before he addressed the BNP's annual conference in Hindley Green, Wigan, he also set out the key topics on which the party will fight for seats in the House of Commons.

He said: ''For the first time ever, we are really serious challengers in a number of seats. We're looking at half a dozen really seriously with big amounts of resources.

''And on top of that we will be fighting, I'm sure, our largest number ever - so I guess in excess of 200.''

The BNP's annual conference began on Saturday and finished with a key-note speech by Mr Griffin, in which he spelt out the future of the party to delegates.

He explained why he has chosen to fight in Margaret Hodge MP's Essex constituency in his campaign to get to Westminster.

''I am going to stand in Barking,'' he said. ''The thrust of that campaign will be the housing and education problems in the borough, and the way that the Labour party has let that borough down in a catastrophic way.''

The MEP for the north-west said bringing home British troops for Afghanistan is a key policy for the party and one that he believes has wide support across the country.

He said: ''It is the issue that everyone in the public wants a party to take the lead on. The three main parties are completely out of kilter with public opinion.'' >>> | Sunday, November 15, 2009

News Hub: Palin Hopes for More Than a Bestseller in Going Rogue

Diplomatie : Sommet de l'Asean à Singapour : les États-Unis font pression sur la Birmanie
LE POINT: C'est une première. Barack Obama a demandé directement au Premier ministre birman la libération de la dissidente Aung San Suu Kyi. Le président américain a profité de sa première rencontre avec Thein Sein, au cours d'une réunion sans précédent avec des leaders de l'Association des États d'Asie du Sud-Est (Asean), qui s'est ouverte dimanche dans un hôtel de Singapour. Mais pas seulement : les États-Unis et l'Asean ont appelé la Birmanie à faire en sorte que les élections promises par la junte en 2010 soient "libres, justes, transparentes et ouvertes" à l'opposition. >>> LePoint.fr avec AFP | Dimanche 15 Novembre 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Obama demands release of Burma democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi >>> Leo Lewis, Asia Business Correspondent | Sunday, November 15, 2009

Venezuela: Chávez ruft zu den Waffen
ZEIT ONLINE: Staatspräsident Chávez ist in Rage. Er sieht sein Land durch das Militärabkommen zwischen Washington und Bogotá gefährdet und bereitet sich auf einen Krieg vor.

Venezuelas Präsident Hugo Chávez ist kampfbereit. Er glaubt, dass die USA und Kolumbien sein Land angreifen wollen. Bild: Zeit Online
Venezuelas Staatschef Hugo Chávez wirft den USA und Kolumbien vor, einen Angriff auf sein Land zu planen. Die Regierungen beider Länder hätten einen "teuflischen Pakt" geschlossen, um einen Krieg gegen Venezuela vorzubereiten und den bolivarischen Sozialismus zu bremsen, sagte der linksgerichtete Staatschef am Freitag bei einer Parteiveranstaltung in Caracas.

Grund für seine heftigen Verballattacken ist das kürzlich abgeschlossene Militärabkommen zwischen Washington und Bogotá, das eine stärkere Militärpräsenz der USA in Südamerika ermöglicht.

Chávez betonte, Venezuela werde niemanden angreifen, aber das Land sei darauf vorbereitet, sich zu verteidigen. Der Staatschef rief erneut das Militär und die Milizen in Venezuela auf, sich auf einen Krieg vorzubereiten, um die Souveränität des Landes gegen die Bedrohung der USA über Kolumbien zu verteidigen. >>> Zeit Online, dpa | Samstag, 14. November 2009

El-Assad rejette un dialogue direct avec Israël
«Ce qui nous manque, c'est un partenaire israélien qui est prêt à aller de l'avant et prêt à parvenir à un résultat», a dit Bachar el-Assad après s'être entretenu, vendredi à Paris, avec Nicolas Sarkozy. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le président syrien, reçu vendredi pour déjeuner à l'Élysée, a évoqué avec Nicolas Sarkozy la relance du processus de paix.

Convié vendredi à l'Élysée, deux jours après Benyamin Nétanyahou , le président syrien Bachar el-Assad a opposé une sèche fin de non-recevoir à l'offre de dialogue direct faite par Israël sur la question du plateau du Golan, occupé depuis 1967 et annexé en 1981 par l'État hébreu. «Ce qui nous manque, c'est un partenaire israélien qui est prêt à aller de l'avant et prêt à parvenir à un résultat», a dit Bachar el-Assad après s'être entretenu, vendredi, avec Nicolas Sarkozy. Une invitation à déjeuner et trois rangées de gardes républicains dans la cour de l'Élysée, le raïs syrien a été reçu avec les prévenances réservées à un invité qui compte.

C'était sa deuxième visite à Paris, après celle de juillet 2008, qui avait marqué son retour dans l'arène internationale. «Depuis, les relations avec la France se sont beaucoup améliorées et développées sur une base de franchise», s'est d'ailleurs félicité vendredi Bachar el-Assad. >>> Alain Barluet | Vendredi 13 Novembre 2009

«Die Zeit wird knapp» : Obama und Medwedew drohen Iran
NZZ ONLINE: Die USA und Russland haben Teheran aufgefordert, ein Abkommen über die Verarbeitung angereicherten Urans ausserhalb des Irans zu unterzeichnen. «Die Zeit wird knapp», sagte der amerikanische Präsident Barack Obama bei einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz mit dem russischen Präsidenten Dmitri Medwedew am Sonntag in Singapur.

Im Atomstreit mit dem Iran haben der amerikanishe Präsident Barack Obama und der russische Staatschef Dmitri Medwedew den Druck auf die Führung in Teheran erhöht. Die Zeit für die Annahme des internationalen Kompromissvorschlags laufe allmählich ab, sagte Obama in Singapur.

Der Iran habe leider bislang nicht dem Vorschlag zugestimmt, der allgemein als kreativer und konstruktiver Vorstoss angesehen werde, sagte der amerikanische Präsident an einer gemeisamen Medienkonferenz mit Medwedew am Rande des Gipfels des Asien-Pazifik-Forums (Apec) am Sonntag.

Auch Medwedew äusserte sich unzufrieden über das Tempo der Verhandlungen. Wenn es keine Ergebnisse gebe, müssten andere Mittel erwogen werden. «Unser Ziel ist klar: ein transparentes Atomprogramm statt eines Programms, das die Sorgen Anderer erregt», sagte Medwedew. >>> sda/Reuters | Sonntag, 15. November 2009

Exclusive: Boyfriend Speaks of His Love for Neda Agha Soltan, Murdered Iranian Protester
THE OBSERVER: Neda was prepared 'to take a bullet in the heart' in fight against President Ahmadinejad

Neda Agha Soltan, the young Iranian woman whose face became the international symbol of protest against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told her fiancé she was prepared to "take a bullet in the heart" in the fight against the president's regime.

The revelation comes as her boyfriend speaks out for the first time after being imprisoned following Neda's death last June, when she was shot by Iranian police at a demonstration in Tehran. Caspian Makan, a photographer, spent two months in prison for criticising the authorities after her death. In a moving interview, he told the Observer that far from being a bystander caught up in the demonstrations, she was committed to the overthrow of Ahmadinejad. As a result of her high-profile presence at the protests, he believes she was targeted by the regime loyalists who killed her.

Makan has fled Iran and given two in-depth interviews. His meeting with director Angus Macqueen, which is featured in today's Observer Review, will appear in a BBC film about Neda. In both interviews she emerges as a markedly different figure to the young woman depicted at the time of her death. Her fiancé describes her as politically active and assertive, convinced she was fighting for "democracy and freedom" for Iranians. Neda joined the first wave of protests. After the election results were announced, she headed to the Interior Ministry in central Tehran – a focal point for the emerging movement supporting Ahamdinejad's election rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi. Makan remembers telling her that the scenes she described to him would quickly lead to a violent response from the regime.

She said: "No, they will continue because the people are too many and the scale too widespread… Everyone is responsible for reaching democracy," Makan recalls her as saying. "If I get shot in the heart or arrested, it's not important because we are all responsible for our future." >>> Iason Athanasiadis | Sunday, November 15, 2009

Caspian Makan: 'I Cannot Believe It Yet. I Still Think I Will See Neda Again'
THE OBSERVER: Neda Agha Soltan, killed on camera by a sniper's bullet, became the symbol of opposition to Iranian President Ahmadinejad this summer. Her boyfriend, Caspian Makan, who has just fled the country, talks to Arash Sahami and Angus Macqueen about their romance, his imprisonment after her death and his terrifying escape

A demonstrator holds a photo of dead Iranian student Neda Agha-Soltan during a protest in New York. Photo: The Observer
Caspian Makan has been run over by the blind, careering juggernaut of history. Just five months ago his girlfriend was killed on the streets of Tehran, one of some 80 deaths reliably reported during the tumultuous demonstrations that followed the disputed presidential elections. Most victims' relatives and friends have grieved in private – but Neda Agha Soltan, Caspian's girlfriend, died live on phone camera, an almost unbearable 90-second sequence that turned her into an icon. Uploaded on to the internet, within hours her face became the face of protest.

But symbols destroy lives. In the days and weeks that followed, Caspian has lost not only the woman he was planning to marry, but also his country, his family, his friends and his career. Anyone and everyone who had anything to do with Neda's death are now toxic to the Iranian government. Members of her family have been bullied, threatened and even detained. The doctor who is caught on camera trying to save her life is now exiled in Britain. The music teacher who was with her when she died has been rolled out on Iranian television, patently required to deny what he saw: that Neda was shot by a member of the religious militia.

And Caspian disappeared. In the days after her killing, he spoke out on foreign satellite stations and then vanished. Finally it was confirmed he was in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran – the frightening symbol of the Shah's oppressive regime smoothly transferred into the hands of the Islamic Republic's secret police. He was held for more than two months, some of that time in solitary confinement. In September he was released on bail pending trial – perhaps being prepared for one of the extraordinary show trials that have been broadcast on Iranian TV over the past months, in which leading supporters of the opposition have been obliged to recant their actions. Urged on by family and friends, Caspian decided he had to escape. >>> The Observer | Sunday, November 15, 2009

'An Iranian Martyr', directed by Monica Garnsey, will be broadcast on BBC2 on Tuesday, 24 November, at 9pm.

US-Präsident: Obama warnt Nordkorea vor Konfrontationskurs
Barack Obama redet in der Suntory Hall in Tokio. Bild: Welt Online
WELT ONLINE: US-Präsident Barack Obama hat während seiner Asienreise erneut Nordkorea aufgefordert, seinen Konfrontationskurs zu beenden. In seiner Grundsatzrede zur Außenpolitik bekräftigte Obama die Beistandsgarantie für die langjährigen Verbündeten Japan und Südkorea und lobte die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung Chinas.

US-Präsident Barack Obama hat Asien in seiner fünften außenpolitischen Grundsatzrede eine gleichberechtigte Partnerschaft angeboten. Vor 1.500 Zuhörern in Tokio bekräftigte er die Beistandsgarantie für die langjährigen Verbündeten Japan und Südkorea, lobte den Aufstieg Chinas zur Wirtschaftsmacht und warnte Nordkorea davor, seinen Konfrontationskurs fortzusetzen. Anschließend reiste Obama zum Gipfeltreffen des Asiatisch-Pazifischen Wirtschaftsforums (APEC) in Singapur.

Die Regierung in Pjöngjang müsse lernen, dass die Nichterfüllung internationaler Verpflichtungen im Umgang mit seinem Atomprogramm nicht zu mehr, sondern zu weniger Sicherheit führe, sagte Obama. Das isolierte Nordkorea habe nur dann eine bessere Zukunft, wenn es zu den Sechsparteien-Gesprächen zurückkehre. „Wir werden weiter eine klare Botschaft senden, nicht nur mit Worten, sondern mit unseren Handlungen“, betonte der US-Präsident. >>> AP/ks | Samstag, 14. November 2009

Obama Bows to Emperor of Japan

Our Alcoholic Father Beat Me, Says Barack Obama's Half Brother, Mark
THE TELEGRAPH: As President Barack Obama begins his China visit, his half brother who lives there reveals that when he was a child their father was a violent drunk

Barack Obama's half brother, Mark Ndesandjo, paints a shocking picture of his and President Obama's father. Photo: The Telegraph
The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is a world away from Washington DC.

The booming border town and the staid American capital are both home to members of the Obama family. That, though, is where the similarities end, because while Barack Obama resides in the splendour of the White House and is perhaps the most recognisable person on the planet, his younger half-brother Mark lives anonymously in a rented two-bedroom flat in Shenzhen's suburbs.

Now, on the eve of his older sibling's first-ever visit to China, Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo has emerged from the shadows to reveal the disturbing truth about the late Barack Obama Sr, his and President Obama's father.

Last week, Mr Ndesandjo published an autobiographical novel, Nairobi to Shenzhen: A Tale of Love In The East. It paints a shocking picture of his abusive and alcoholic father, one that is at odds with the man portrayed in Dreams From My Father, President Obama's best-selling 1995 memoir.

"I can remember my father hitting my mother and me. They're memories I don't like to dwell on because it's very painful for me," said Mr Ndesandjo, who has lived in China for seven years.

"I had a very difficult early childhood and there were things that happened to me that really hardened me."

In his book, Mr Ndesandjo describes a father who was a heavy drinker and who began to abuse his wife, verbally and physically, soon after they were married. Their son witnesses his mother running, screaming, into the night to escape being beaten. >>> David Eimer in Guangzhou | Saturday, November 14, 2009

Ce demi-frère qu'Obama va retrouver en Chine
Même silhouette longiligne et athlétique, Mark Ndesandjo présente aussi de vraies ressemblances dans les traits avec son demi-frère Barack Obama. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo, né du même père et d'une autre mère, vit à Shenzhen au sud de la Chine. Il vient de publier un roman autobiographique et sera dimanche à Pékin pour accueillir le président.

En s'aventurant pour la première fois en terre chinoise, dimanche, Barack Obama pourra s'appuyer sur une épaule familiale s'il est pris du vertige du grand dépaysement. Son «frère chinois» devrait être là pour l'accueillir. Resté jusqu'à présent très discret sur sa parenté si intime avec le président américain, Mark Ndesandjo vient de sortir un peu de l'ombre.

Longtemps, l'homme avait tu cette prestigieuse affinité­ lignagère, y compris à ses bons amis, jusqu'à ce que la presse le débusque l'an dernier. Depuis, il avait refusé toutes les sollicitations. Aujourd'hui, c'est cependant fort opportunément que Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo sort un livre, à mi-chemin entre le roman et l'autobiographie, à l'aube du voyage du président américain à Pékin. Si pour Barack Obama, le chemin s'est fait de Hawaï à Washington, celui de Mark l'a conduit De Nairobi à Shenzhen, titre de son ouvrage. Le demi-frère de l'homme le plus puissant du monde, comme on le souligne ici, a fait souche depuis sept ans dans la grande ville du sud de la Chine, à un jet de pierre de Hongkong. Une ville qui reste le symbole des réformes lancées par Deng Xiaoping, le temple du capitalisme rouge, pour ne pas perdre tous ses repères américains.

David, le nom du héros du roman, y pose son sac dans le sillage du 11 septembre 2001, après avoir perdu son travail. Il tombe sous le charme de la Chine par l'intermédiaire «d'une femme magnifique et d'un jeune orphelin». David est le fils d'une mère juive américaine, divorcée de son mari kényan. Dans la vraie vie, Obama père, divorcé en 1964 de la mère de l'actuel président, Stanley Ann Dunham, a ensuite rencontré une autre de ses quatre femmes, la jeune Ruth Nidesand, avec laquelle il est reparti l'année suivante au Kenya, où il a eu six nouveaux enfants. Ce père est au cœur du livre de Mark Ndesandjo, comme il l'était des célèbres Mémoires de Barack Obama, Les Rêves de mon père. Les deux hommes se rejoignent en peignant douloureusement le portrait d'un homme brillant, mais qui n'a jamais pu ou su tenir ses talentueuses promesses ni ses responsabilités familiales. Il disparaît dans la nature quand Barack a 2 ans, et le jeune garçon ne reverra son père que brièvement huit ans plus tard. Obama Senior est mort dans un accident de la route en 1982, à l'âge de 46 ans. Cette absence du père a été la grande blessure du président américain, en quête de cette part fuyante de son identité. Son cadet Mark, qui tait son âge, a connu les mêmes blessures. Il raconte ce père grignoté par l'alcool, battant sa mère, le frappant lui-même. De manière émouvante, il a confié combien l'élection de son demi-frère avait en ce sens transformé sa vie. La fierté ressentie devant ce succès et la liesse de millions d'Américains transfigurés par un nouvel espoir l'ont réconcilié «avec beaucoup de choses, y compris le nom d'Obama». >>> Par correspondant du Figaro à Pékin, Arnaud de La Grange | Vendredi 13 Novembre 2009

NZZ am SONNTAG: Der Halbbruder aus Shenzhen: Auf seinem Staatsbesuch in China trifft der US-Präsident auch einen Verwandten >>> Bernhard Bartsch, Peking | Sonntag, 15. November 2009

TIME: Obama's Half Brother Makes a Name for Himself in China >>> Ling Woo Liu / Guangzhou | Monday, November 16, 2009

TIME PHOTOGALLERY: Barack Obama’s Family Tree >>>

Obama Blowing Smoke!
With his bomber jacket, open-necked shirt, and smoking one cigarette after the other, Obama thought himself to be the ‘king of cool’! Photo: Stern.de
Check out these photos of Obama >>>