Iran Opposition Leader Mehdi Karoubi Escapes Mob Bullets After Mourning Victims
TIMES ONLINE: Iran’s most outspoken opposition leader has had a narrow escape after his car was hit by bullets as he fled from a mob of government supporters.

Mehdi Karroubi’s armoured car was hit at least twice as it pulled away from the angry crowd, breaking the front and back windows. Mr Karroubi was unhurt.

The shooting was an ominous development in the seven months of internal strife that have engulfed Iran since the hotly disputed presidential election in June that handed victory to President Ahmadinejad.

Mr Karroubi, 72, has been attacked with bricks and teargas before but never with bullets, and in recent days the regime has sharply increased its efforts to crush a resurgent opposition. It has fired on demonstrators and staged rallies that have demanded the execution of Mr Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, the other leader of the so-called Green Movement. >>> Martin Fletcher | Friday, January 08, 2010

Video Shows CIA Suicide Bomber Saying Act Was Revenge
THE TELEGRAPH: The Jordanian doctor who killed seven CIA employees in a suicide attack in Afghanistan said in a video released on Saturday that the act was revenge for the killing of the Pakistani Taliban leader.



Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi appeared next to the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsoud, and explained how the "emigrants" – Muslim jihadists from abroad – were given shelter by the Pakistani Taliban and so should exact revenge for US attacks.

In August, Baitullah Mehsoud, the supreme commander of the Pakistani Taliban was killed by a CIA missile strike.

"We will never forget the blood of our emir Baitullah Mehsoud, We will always demand revenge for him inside America and outside," he said, addressing the "enemies of God" and Jordanian intelligence. "It is an obligation of the emigrants who were welcomed by the emir."

Al-Balawi, wearing traditional Afghan dress, spoke in Arabic during the minute-and-a-half video.

The IntelCenter, a US-based group monitoring extremist sites, said the video was released by the Pakistani branch of the Taliban. >>> Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Saturday, January 09, 2010

Positive Thinking Making Us Miserable, Says Author
THE TELEGRAPH: The modern "tyranny" of positive thinking is to blame for society's ills and was the true cause of the financial crisis, according to a new book by author Barbara Ehrenreich.

Author Barbara Ehrenreich. Photo: The Telegraph
She said the belief that everything will turn out all right in the end if we remain optimistic and upbeat is "delusional".

What began as a 19th-century "quack theory" has become the dominant mode of thinking in the United States, she argues, influencing everything from global business decisions to the treatment of cancer patients.

Ehrenreich's book, Smile Or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World, sets out to demolish the "distinctive American ideology of positive thinking".

Speaking ahead of the book's publication in Britain next week, Ehrenreich said: "Delusion is always dangerous and the big example I would give of that is the 2008 financial meltdown. There are many things that fed into that.

"Many, many people got way over their heads in debt – ordinary people. And in what frame of mind do you assume large amounts of debt? Well, a positive frame of mind. You think that you're not going to get sick, your car's not going to break down, you're not going to lose your job and you're going to be able to pay it off.

"Mostly, though, I blame the top levels of corporate culture which, by the middle of this decade, were completely in a bubble of mandatory optimism and positive thinking."

Ehrenreich referred to the "cult-like atmosphere of high-fives" at Countrywide, the mortgage lender which became one of the biggest casualties of the subprime crisis, and claimed that executives who sounded warnings of impending financial disaster at Lehman Brothers were dismissed as "negative" thinkers.

"Corporate America had gone into this bubble of denial where bad things could never happen," she said. >>> Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Saturday, January 09, 2010

EU-Beitritt der Türkei: CSU will Westerwelle zügeln
ZEIT ONLINE: Nächster Konflikt zwischen CSU und FDP: Die CSU fordert, Westerwelle solle den Türken keine falschen Hoffnungen auf einen EU-Beitritt machen. Der verbittet sich das.

Bundesaußenminister Guido Westerwelle und der türkische Staatsminister für Europa, Egemen Bagis in Istanbul. Bild: Zeit Online
Der seit Tagen andauernde Zwist zwischen CSU und FDP hat nun auch die Außenpolitik erreicht. Bundesaußenminister Guido Westerwelle (FDP) hat die Kritik der CSU an seiner Türkeipolitik "kleinkariert" genannt. Es sei wichtig, dass die sich weiter in Richtung EU orientiere, sagte er zum Abschluss seines Türkeibesuchs in Istanbul. Dies läge nicht nur im politischen, sondern auch im wirtschaftlichen Interesse Deutschlands, weil die Perspektiven tausender deutscher Firmen davon abhingen. Das Thema eigne sich nicht für "kleinkarierte Scharmützel zwischen den Parteien". Westerwelle forderte, man solle "etwas mehr an Deutschland denken und etwas weniger an die parteipolitischen Interessen".

Der Außenminister hatte dem Land zugesichert, der Beitrittsprozess werde wie mit der EU vereinbart ergebnisoffen gestaltet. "Darauf gebe ich Ihnen mein Wort", sagte der FDP-Chef am Donnerstag.

Die CSU will die deutsche Haltung zu einem EU-Beitritt der Türkei nun zum Thema in der Koalition machen. CSU-Generalsekretär Alexander Dobrindt sagte der ARD, dass es bei dieser Frage in erster Linie um die Interessen Deutschlands und der Europäischen Union gehen müsse. Es sei ein Gebot der Fairness, der Türkei zu vermitteln, "dass wir die Überzeugung haben, dass eine Vollmitgliedschaft der Türkei zur Europäischen Union nicht möglich ist". Auch der Parlamentarische Geschäftsführer der CSU-Landesgruppe, Stefan Müller, bekräftigte die Ablehnung einer türkischen EU-Vollmitgliedschaft. "Darüber wird auch in der Koalition zu verhandeln sein", sagte er im WDR. Westerwelle müsse wissen, "dass er, wenn er in der Türkei ist, dort nicht Erwartungen wecken kann, die er am Ende vielleicht nicht einhalten kann". >>> Zeit Online, dpa, Reuters, AFP | Freitag, 08. Januar 2010

Radicalisme : "Les imams intégristes sont marginaux"
L’EXPRESS.fr: Un imam intégriste de Seine-Saint-Denis a été expulsé de France jeudi. Franck Frégosi, directeur de recherche au CNRS, revient sur la place de l'imam en France.

Ali Ibrahim el-Soudany, un Egyptien né en 1973, exerçait les fonctions d'imam depuis plusieurs mois dans des mosquées de l'est parisien. Dans ses prêches, le religieux, qualifié d'individu dangereux" par Brice Hortefeux et lié à l'islamisme radical, s'en prenait vivement à l'occident et faisait l'apologie du djihad, selon des sources proches du dossier. Il était l'objet d'une surveillance particulière depuis 2008. >>> Par Sylvain Morvan | Vendredi 08 Janvier 2010

Norwegian Newspaper Reprints Prophet Mohammed Cartoons
THE TELEGRAPH: The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten has reproduced the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

They were used to illustrate an article about Kurt Westergaard, the Danish cartoonist whose home was broken into by an Islamist armed with an axe a week ago.

It printed six out of the 12 drawings that infuriated Muslims around the world when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten first published them in 2005.

Several of the drawings were seen as linking Islam and its revered prophet to terrorism and suicide bombings, with Westergaard's cartoon showing him wearing a turban in the shape of a bomb. >>> | Friday, January 08, 2010

Jyllands-Posten Muhammad Cartoons

Menschenrechte: Das bedrohte Leben Homosexueller in Nahost
DEUTSCHE WELLE: Entgegen geltendem Völkerrecht werden Rechte von Homosexuellen vielerorts auf der Welt verletzt. In einigen Ländern droht sogar die Todesstrafe. Ein heikles Thema für Außenminister Westerwelle bei seiner Nahost-Reise.

Eine Bestandsaufnahme der miserablen Situation Homosexueller findet sich in einem Antrag vom 6.Mai 2009 an den Bundestag mit dem Titel: "Die Menschenrechte von Lesben, Schwulen, Bisexuellen und Transgendern in Deutschland und weltweit schützen". Antragsteller damals: Dr. Guido Westerwelle und die Fraktion der FDP. Das Parlament, so heißt es in dem Entwurf, solle die Bundesregierung auffordern, sich verstärkt gegen die Diskriminierung einzusetzen. Unter anderem solle die Bundesregierung "bei den Ländern, in denen Lesben, Schwulen, Bisexuellen aufgrund ihrer gelebten sexuellen Orientierung Strafen oder gar die Verhängung der Todesstrafe drohen, für deren Abschaffung eintreten".

Der Antrag wurde im Juni 2009 von CDU/CSU und SPD, der seinerzeit regierenden großen Koalition, gegen die Stimmen von FDP, Grünen und Linken abgeschmettert. Ob der jetzige Bundesaußenminister Westerwelle nun seinem damaligen Antrag folgt und das Thema im Verlauf der Nahost-Reise anspricht?

Todesstrafe in Saudi-Arabien

In der Türkei ist Homosexualität nicht verboten. Sich öffentlich zu seiner Homosexualität zu bekennen, ist trotzdem äußerst heikel, vor allem in den traditionellen Milieus abseits der großen Städte. Homosexualität, vor allem die unter Männern, passt weder in das religiös-fundamentalistische Weltbild von Anhängern der Regierungspartei AKP noch in das der türkischen Nationalisten. >>> Autor: Michael Gessat / Redaktion: Michael Borgers | Donnerstag, 07. Januar 2010

Attentat auf Karikaturisten: Mohammeds wahres Gesicht ist schwer zu ertragen
WELT ONLINE: Nach dem Attentat auf den Mohammed-Karikaturisten Kurt Westergaard wird wieder über die Grenzen der Satire gestritten. Dabei vergessen viele, um wen es hier eigentlich geht, beklagt der Philosoph Daniele Dell’Agli. Schließlich startete Mohammed seine Karriere als Karawanenräuber und Mörder.

Das Werk eines unbekannten Künstlers zeigt den Propheten Mohammed mit seiner Frau. Bild: Welt Online
Der schwelende Streit um die dänischen Mohammed-Karikaturen glimmt nach dem Attentat gegen ihren Zeichner Westergaard wieder auf, und alle Beteiligten tun so, als ob sie nicht wüssten, warum.

Die einen, moslemische Verbandssprecher und islamophile Europäer, machen nach wie vor verletzte religiöse Gefühle geltend, die je nachdem mit verbaler Empörung oder mit gewaltsamen Aktionen geschützt bzw. geahndet werden müssen; die anderen machen das Grundrecht auf Meinungsfreiheit geltend, das sie je nachdem für unantastbar oder für begrenzt – in Ausnahmefällen – suspendierbar erklären.

Alle sind sich jedoch darin einig, dass die Mohammed-Karikaturen deswegen Anstoß erregen, weil ihre Darstellung der Gestalt des Propheten nicht gerecht wird. Die einen nennen das Verleumdung, die anderen Satire.

Nun gibt es zwar viele Definitionen von Satire, doch keine, die den Tatbestand der Unwahrheit oder der Lüge beinhaltet; stets wird konzediert, dass satirische Darstellungen allenfalls übertreiben, um – in polemischer oder unterhaltender Absicht (beides schließt sich nur in Deutschland aus) – den Wahrheitskern eines Skandals oder eines im übrigen allgemein bekannten Missstands zu verdeutlichen.

Mehr noch: Die allgemeine Bekanntheit des jeweiligen historischen, politischen oder biografischen Hintergrunds ist sogar Voraussetzung für die satirische Absicht, sie würde sonst wirkungslos verpuffen. Worauf zielt die satirische Attacke in diesem Fall?

Ganz einfach darauf, dass der Begründer des Islam seine Karriere als Karawanenräuber und Mörder begonnen und als Herrscher von Medina Attentate auf politische Gegner sowie den Genozid an den dort ansässigen jüdischen Stämmen befohlen hat. Das sind historisch auch unter moslemischen Gelehrten unstrittige Tatsachen, die mindestens jedem Gebildeten der Nordhemisphäre hinlänglich bekannt sind. >>> Daniele Dell’Agli* | Freitag, 08. Januar 2010

*Daniele Dell’Agli ist Philosoph und Literaturwissenschaftler in Berlin.

Vol d'Auschwitz : un ex-leader nazi suédois impliqué
L'Allemagne nazie a exterminé de 1940 à 1945 à Auschwitz-Birkenau environ 1,1 million de personnes, dont un million de juifs. Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: L'homme assure avoir agi comme simple intermédiaire dans le vol de l'inscription «Arbeit macht frei» de l'ancien camp d'extermination. Selon lui, une personne était prête à verser plusieurs millions d'euros pour l'acquérir.

Un ancien dirigeant nazi suédois de 34 ans, soupçonné par les enquêteurs d'avoir participé au vol le 18 décembre dernier de l'inscription «Arbeit macht frei» («Le travail rend libre») de l'ancien camp d'extermination nazi d'Auschwitz-Birkenau, a reconnu vendredi sa participation.

Anders Högström, qui a fondé et dirigé entre 1994 et 1999 le Front national-socialiste - le principal parti néonazi suédois - a raconté avoir agi comme simple intermédiaire dans le cadre de cette affaire. Selon ses dires, son rôle consistait seulement à chercher et à revendre l'inscription à un acheteur. >>> Flore Galaud (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP | Vendredi 08 Janvier 2010

Le parlement portugais autorise le mariage gay
LE FIGARO: Pour être définitivement adopté le projet de loi du gouvernement socialiste doit désormais passer entre les mains du chef de l'Etat, le conservateur Aníbal Cavaco Silva, qui dispose d'un droit de veto.

Un feu vert, mais pas encore une victoire pour les socialistes. Le Parlement a adopté vendredi en première lecture le projet de loi du gouvernement autorisant le mariage entre homosexuels, mais a rejeté en revanche les propositions de l'extrême gauche et des verts en faveur de l'adoption. Pour être définitivement validé, le texte doit désormais passer entre les mains d'une commission puis être ratifié par le président portugais, Aníbal Cavaco Silva.

Le projet de loi, défendu avec ferveur par le premier ministre José Socrates, a été voté par la quasi totalité des élus de gauche - majoritaires au parlement -, tandis que la droite a massivement voté contre. Il faut «réparer des décennies d'injustices faites aux homosexuels», à défendu le premier ministre à la tribune, rappelant que jusqu'en 1982, l'homosexualité était considérée comme un crime au Portugal. Un veto présidentiel possible >>> Flore Galaud (lefigaro.fr) | Vendredi 08 Janvier 2010

Portugal: Parliament Legalises Same-sex Marriage, But Not Adoption


Dark Age Alert! Gay Marriage Rejection Is a Disgrace
NJ.COM: What happened this week in the New Jersey state Senate was an absolute disgrace. There's no explanation for it that makes any sense. It never makes sense when elected officials sworn to uphold not only the Constitution, but the rights of each citizen to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness do just the opposite. >>> Steve Adubato, PhD | Friday, January 08, 2010

Same-sex Marriage Bill Defeated in New Jersey Senate Vote


New Jersey Senators Reject Same-sex "Marriage"


Portugals Parlament erlaubt Homo-Ehen
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Das Parlament hat zugestimmt, jetzt fehlt nur noch die Unterschrift des Präsidenten: Portugal steht kurz vor der Einführung der gleichgeschlechtlichen Ehe. Dennoch sind die Homosexuellenverbände nicht völlig zufrieden mit dem Gesetzentwurf.

Lissabon - Im streng katholischen Portugal hat das Parlament für die Einführung der Homosexuellenehe gestimmt. Die Abgeordneten nahmen den Gesetzentwurf der sozialistischen Regierung mit 125 zu 99 Stimmen an. Zuvor waren konservative Parteien mit einem Antrag gescheitert, über eine Eheschließung gleichgeschlechtlicher Partner in einer Volksabstimmung zu entscheiden.

Der Entwurf schließt allerdings aus, dass gleichgeschlechtliche Paare Kinder adoptieren können. Grüne und kleinere Linksparteien hatten versucht, homosexuellen Paaren auch dieses Recht einzuräumen.

Homosexuellenverbände merkten daher an, der Gesetzentwurf ginge nicht weit genug. Die Bewegung "Rosarote Panther" sprach wegen des Adoptionsverbots von einer "Ehe zweiter Klasse" und forderte ein Gesetz wie im benachbarten Spanien, wo die Homo-Ehe 2005 eingeführt wurde. Dort dürfen gleichgeschlechtliche Eheleute Kinder adoptieren. >>> hut/dpa/AP | Freitag, 08. Januar 2010

Cultural Sensitivity, Forced Marriages, Honour Killings, & Murder
TIMES ONLINE: Tulay Goren’s death won’t be the last so long as misplaced cultural sensitivity stops us acting against forced marriages

Twice, in the weeks before she was murdered by her father, Tulay Goren told the police that she feared for her life. And twice she was ignored. Mehmet Goren, who was convicted of murder yesterday, killed his 15-year-old daughter because she had fallen in love with an “unsuitable” older man. To Mehmet, the affair made her a “worthless commodity” who could not be married off for a £5,000 dowry. The authorities did nothing to protect her, even though the police became involved when her father attacked her boyfriend, and even though Mehmet demanded in front of police officers that his daughter take a virginity test. Only a decade after her murder in 1999 has justice been done.

“Honour killings” in Britain? Impossible. To many people the case of Tulay Goren will come as a shock, but not to me. I know from personal experience, and from working with victims, that such “honour” crimes are a huge social problem in this country. The shame is not just that it is happening on such a large scale, but that it is so often covered up for fear of upsetting cultural sensibilities. Serious crimes are being treated as a matter for diversity officers rather than for the police and the courts.

There are measures in place to help potential victims of honour crimes, but they are not being used to anything like the extent that they should be. In 2007 Parliament passed the Forced Marriage Act, which enables magistrates to issue protection orders to stop women and girls being married against their will. If necessary, victims, a third of whom are under 16, can be taken into care. Passports can be confiscated, and parents can be forced to reveal the whereabouts of daughters who have gone missing from school, most likely because they have been taken abroad to be coerced into marriage. According to a recent Home Affairs Select Committee report, 2,500 British girls have gone missing from schools and are believed to be at risk. It is not part of anyone’s culture to be abused >>> Jasvinder Sanghera | Friday, December 18, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: Special protection orders save nine-year-olds from forced marriages >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Friday, January 08, 2010

Dark Age Alert! Malaysian Churches Attacked with Firebombs
THE GUARDIAN: Three churches in Kuala Lumpur attacked after court reverses ban on Christians using the word 'Allah' to mean 'God'

Muslims protest against a court decision that allows a Catholic newspaper to use the word 'Allah' to describe the Christian God in its Malay language editions. Photograph: The Guardian
Three Malaysian churches were attacked with firebombs, causing extensive damage to one, as Muslims pledged today to prevent Christians from using the word "Allah", escalating religious tensions in the multiracial country.

Many Malay Muslims, who make up 60% of the population, are incensed by a recent high court decision to overturn a ban on Roman Catholics using Allah as a translation for God in the Malay-language edition of their main newspaper, the Herald.

The government had said that Allah, an Arabic word that predates Islam, was exclusive to the faith. It refused to make an exception, even though the Herald's Malay edition is read only by Christian indigenous tribes in the remote states of Sabah and Sarawak.

At Friday prayers at two main mosques in downtown Kuala Lumpur, young worshippers carried banners and vowed to defend Islam.

"We will not allow the word Allah to be inscribed in your churches," one shouted into a loudspeaker at the Kampung Bahru mosque. About 50 other people carried posters reading "Heresy arises from words wrongly used" and "Allah is only for us".

"Islam is above all. Every citizen must respect that," said Ahmad Johari, who attended prayers at the National Mosque. "I hope the court will understand the feeling of the majority Muslims of Malaysia. We can fight to the death over this issue." >>> Associated Press | Friday, January 08, 2010

Un débat autour du mot «Allah» dégénère en Malaisie
Crédits photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Trois églises ont été détruites par des bombes vendredi, dans ce pays où la polémique enfle sur l'emploi du nom d'Allah pour désigner le dieu du christianisme.

Trois églises ont été la cible de bombes incendiaires vendredi en Malaisie, où le débat autour de l'utilisation du mot «Allah» par les non-musulmans fait rage, opposant la population malaise musulmane aux minorités d'origine chinoise et indienne, qui pratiquent notamment le christianisme.

L'affaire n'est pas récente, et puise ses racines en mai 2008, date à laquelle le haut conseil national de la fatwa avait ordonné que l'appelation «Allah» soit uniquement employée par les musulmans. Il avait en effet estimé qu'un tel usage de ce mot par des catholiques risquait de semer la confusion parmi les musulmans, présents à 60% dans le pays. >>> F.G. (lefigaro.fr) avec AFP | Jeudi 08 Janvier 2010

British Woman 'Arrested in Dubai after Being Raped'
THE TELEGRAPH: A 23-year-old British woman on holiday in Dubai told police she had been raped, only to be arrested herself for having illegal sexual intercourse.

The woman, a Muslim of Pakistani descent, was celebrating her engagement to her 44-year-old boyfriend, and was allegedly attacked when she passed out in a hotel lavatory.

Despite approaching police about the attack, she was arrested after admitting to "illegal drinking" outside licensed premises as well as having sexual intercourse outside marriage. Her fiancé was also charged with the same offences.

The couple from London are now reportedly on bail and understood to be awaiting trial after having their passports confiscated. Should they be found guilty, they could face up to six years in jail.

The woman, who is said to have accepted her boyfriend's marriage proposal during a three-day break, admitted drinking too much alcohol as they celebrated at Dubai Marina's Address Hotel. The waiter, believed to be Syrian, is then said to have followed her into the toilets and raped her while she was in a state of semi-consciousness.

After her fiancé found out about the attack, they contacted police, but they were questioned about breaking the country's strict rules, which contain elements of Sharia law. >>> Chris Irvine | Friday, January 08, 2010

Have Sex, Be Healthy!
THE TELEGRAPH: Men who have sex at least twice a week can almost halve their risk of heart disease, according to new research.

It shows men who indulge in regular lovemaking are up to 45 per cent less likely to develop life-threatening heart conditions than men who have sex once a month or less.

The study, of over 1,000 men, shows sex appears to have a protective effect on the male heart but did not examine whether women benefit too.

Now the American researchers who carried out the investigation are calling for doctors to screen men for sexual activity when assessing their risk of heart disease.

Every year, around 270,000 people in Britain suffer a heart attack, and coronary disease remains Britains biggest killer.

Although sex has long been regarded as good for physical and mental health, there has been little scientific evidence to show the full benefits that frequent intercourse can have on major illnesses such as heart disease.

In the latest study, scientists at the New England Research Institute in Massachusetts, tracked the sexual activity of men aged between 40 and 70 who were taking part in a long-term project called the Massachusetts Male Ageing Study, which began back in 1987.

At regular points over a 16-year period, each man was quizzed on how often they had sex and then checked for signs of heart disease.

Researchers took into account other risk factors, such as their age, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The results, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, showed men who made love at least twice a week were much less likely to have heart disease than those whose sexual encounters were limited to once a month or less. Having sex twice a week 'reduces chance of heart attack by half' >>> | Friday, January 08, 2010

Egyptian Christians Riot after Fatal Shooting
THE GUARDIAN: Churchgoers targeted after Coptic Christmas Eve mass in apparent payback for alleged rape of Muslim girl by Christian

Clashes between thousands of protesters and riot police shook Egypt today after six Coptic Christians were murdered, prompting some of the worst sectarian violence the country has seen.

The victims were gunned down in a drive-by shooting as they emerged from church in the early hours of this morning following a Coptic Christmas Eve mass. Egypt's interior ministry said it believed the attack, in the southern town of Naga Hammadi, 40 miles north of Luxor, was in revenge for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old Muslim girl by a Christian man last year. A Muslim security guard was also killed.

"It is all religious now," said the church's Bishop Kirollos. "This is a religious war, about how they can finish off the Christians in Egypt." >>> Jack Shenker in Cairo | Thursday, January 07, 2010

David Miliband Defies the Prime Minister by Assuring Iceland Its £2.3bn Debt Repayment Vote Will Not Affect EU Bid
MAIL ONLINE: David Miliband has assured Iceland that its president's decision to veto the repayment of billions of pounds owed to Britain will not affect its bid to join the EU.

The comments by the Foreign Secretary directly contradict those of Gordon Brown who has threatened serious consequences if the money does not enter Treasury coffers.

On Tuesday, Iceland's president Olafur Ragnar Grimsson called a referendum on a law to return £2.3billion owed to Britain to cover the bail-out of more than 200,000 savers in the collapsed online bank Icesave.

Icelandic voters are expected to reject the scheme.

Today Iceland's foreign minister said he had been assured by Mr Miliband that a presidential rejection of the so-called Icesave bill would not torpedo Iceland's EU bid. >>> Daniel Martin | Friday, Januar 08, 2010

Obama: "We Are at War"
CBS NEWS: President Obama Thursday afternoon publicly called for the intelligence community to do better in the wake of the Christmas Day bombing attempt. In the process, he offered a response to critics on the right who have complained that he has not used rhetoric indicating the seriousness of the situation.

"While passions and politics can often obscure the hard work before us, let's be clear about what this moment demands," the president said. "We are at war." >>> Brian Montopoli | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Le Vieux Lion Roars Again Among a Generation Hungry for Greatness
TIMES ONLINE: President Sarkozy may have cooled to Gordon Brown, but France has just fallen for the charms of another British leader — Sir Winston Churchill.

“Le Vieux Lion,” as the British leader was known, has found new popularity thanks to two bestselling books — a fresh translation of his Second World War memoirs and a prize-winning biography.

Enthusiasm for Churchill is being fed by new interest in the war era among a generation born since France preferred to forget the trauma of the Nazi occupation. Recent war documentaries, including a spectacular colour series on the France2 channel last autumn, have brought the period closer to modern France, said François Kersaudy, author of the new biography Winston Churchill.

“The younger generation knew very little about Churchill but they are beginning to discover him through the memoirs,” Mr Kersaudy told The Times. His book, which won the Grand Prix for political biography last year, depicts the Prime Minister as a towering figure in European history.

Admiration for Churchill reflected “nostalgia for great leaders when there seem to be so many small ones around,” Mr Kersaudy said. “There is special nostalgia for Churchill with his contempt for the opinion of the man in the street when present leaders are obsessed with opinion polls.” >>> Charles Bremner in Paris | Friday, January 08, 2010

Boris Johnson's Ex-wife, 45, in Secret Marriage to Muslim Aged 23
MAIL ONLINE: The ex-wife of Boris Johnson has shocked her family by secretly marrying a 23-year-old Muslim, she announced on Thursday.

Allegra Mostyn-Owen even implied she would be content to be one of several of his wives. Since she is 45, she said she would be happy for her new husband to have children with a younger woman.

They would then live as an ‘extended family’ as sanctioned by the Prophet Mohammed ‘who said it was OK to marry up to four women’, she declared.

Miss Mostyn-Owen was the London Mayor’s first wife. They met when they were students at Oxford and married in 1987, aged 23, but divorced in 1993. She has no children.

She revealed how she stunned her family on Christmas Day by announcing her marriage to the Muslim man – whom she did not name because his Pakistani family ‘know nothing’ of what he has done.

Miss Mostyn-Owen is the only daughter of Italian writer Gaia Servadio and multimillionaire landowner and art historian William Mostyn-Owen.

Describing the scene at Christmas, she said: ‘My mum accused me of spoiling her Christmas and was sure I am heading for a nervous breakdown.

'My older brother also said he would be there for me when I had a breakdown. My father was very annoyed, saying he’d only tolerated “him” – the Muslim – because our relationship had kept me off the booze.

‘Nobody asked his name, whether we were happy, what our plans are and what his livelihood is.’

The society beauty and one-time Tatler cover girl revealed they had married in a mosque and then again in a register office. She said she had not converted to Islam. >>> Sam Greenhill and Tamara Cohen | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Obama im Gestrüpp der US-Geheimdienste: Amerikanischer Präsident will Bericht über Versagen von Detroit vorstellen
NZZ ONLINE: Der Druck auf Präsident Obama hat zugenommen. Nach dem Versagen der Geheimdienste im Fall des versuchten Attentats des Nigerianers Abdulmutallab auf ein amerikanisches Flugzeug wird vom Präsidenten erwartet, dass er Köpfe rollen lässt.

Der für Innere Sicherheit zuständige Berater Präsident Obamas, John Brennan, hat seinem Chef am Donnerstag einen nicht sogleich veröffentlichten Bericht über die Schwächen der amerikanischen Terrorabwehr vorgelegt. Darin ging es um die Frage, warum der Nigerianer Abdulmutallab am Weihnachtstag mit einem Sprengsatz in der Unterhose in Amsterdam ein Flugzeug nach Detroit besteigen konnte, obwohl konkrete Warnungen über den Attentäter sowie Indizien für einen bevorstehenden Anschlag eingetroffen waren. Zuvor war er von Lagos nach Amsterdam geflogen.

Die mehr als ein Dutzend zivilen und militärischen Nachrichten- und Geheimdienste versagten bei der Aufgabe, die diversen bruchstückhaften Informationen – darunter Warnungen aus dem Munde des Vaters des Attentäters – miteinander zu verknüpfen. Dies geschah, obwohl nach den Attacken des 11. Septembers 2001 wegen genau solcher damals ans Licht getretenen Schwächen neue Institutionen geschaffen worden waren. Dazu zählen das Nationale Anti-Terror-Zentrum und ein Direktorat der nationalen Nachrichtendienste. >>> Beat Ammann, Washington | Donnerstag, 07. Januar 2010

Iranische Justiz verschärft Internet-Zensur: Liste mit strafbaren «Vergehen» veröffentlicht
NZZ ONLINE: Die Justiz in Iran hat eine Verschärfung der Zensur im Internet verfügt und dazu eine lange Liste mit strafbaren «Vergehen» veröffentlicht.

Wie iranische Zeitungen berichteten, sind laut der von einem «Expertenaussschuss» zusammengestellten Liste nunmehr alle Websites verboten, deren Inhalte gegen die «soziale Moral», «religiöse Werte» oder «die Sicherheit und den sozialen Frieden» verstossen oder die «regierungsfeindlich» sind.

Unter das Verbot fallen auch Internetseiten, die den Gründer der Islamischen Republik Iran, Ayatollah Khomeiny, oder den obersten Geistlichen Führer, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beleidigen. Verboten sind ferner Inhalte, die gegen die Verfassung verstossen oder für «feindliche politische Gruppen» werben. >>> sda/afp | Donnerstag, 07. Januar 2010

Small Man, Big Balls! France Plans 'Google Tax' on Internet Searches
THE TELEGRAPH: France is planning a "Google tax" on internet search websites to raise money to plough into creative industries weakened by the digital revolution.

The proposal, outlined in a government-commissioned survey, has set the scene for a new Gallic run-in with Google – fast becoming the global internet behemoth the world loves to hate.

The levy on advertising revenue is the latest plank in France's drive to regulate the internet, which has seen it enact some of the world's toughest antipiracy legislation.

Besides Google, the tax would target other large operators in Europe such as Microsoft and Yahoo! whether or not their offices are in France. Google's European headquarters are in Ireland, but under the proposal, the operator would pay a levy every time a French internet user clicks on an advertising banner or sponsored link on its sites.

Guillaume Cerutti, one of the authors of the report said the tax would put an end to "enrichment without any limit or compensation".

Google – which this week extended its empire with the launch of Nexus One, its first mobile phone – has annual internet advertising revenues in France alone of £720 million, according to the report's authors. They want France's competition watchdog to investigate whether it is respecting monopoly rules on internet advertising.

President Nicolas Sarkozy has repeatedly cast himself as a defender of France's cultural heritage from digital predators. Last month, he pledged £700 million to digitise France's national literary treasures and stop them falling into Google's hands. "We are not going to be stripped of our heritage for the benefit of a big company, no matter how friendly, big or American it is," he said. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Roman Polanski Asks to Be Sentenced in Absentia
THE TELEGRAPH: Roman Polanski has asked a judge to sentence him in his absence for having sex with a 13-year-old girl more than three decades ago.

The request came in a letter signed by the film director in Switzerland, where he is under house arrest, and was submitted to a judge in Los Angeles.

It said Polanski understood he had the right to be present at all legal proceedings, but added: "I request that judgment be pronounced against me in my absence."

The request followed a ruling last month by an appeal court in California which suggested Polanski would not serve any additional time in jail of he agreed to being sentenced in his absence.

However, prosecutors who have long sought to bring him back to Los Angeles, said they would oppose any attempt to sentence him until he turns up in court there.

At a hearing in Los Angeles on Wednesday prosecutor David Walgren said Polanski should come back to California and not continue to fight the case "from the comfort of his Swiss chalet in the Alps." >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Un passager d’un vol Miami-Detroit voulait "tuer tous les juifs"
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ARRESTATION | L’incident s’est produit alors que l’appareil s’apprêtait à décoller. L'individu a été arrêté.

Un homme qui s’apprêtait à effectuer mercredi soir un vol Miami-Detroit à bord d’un avion de la compagnie Northwest a été arrêté et placé en détention pour avoir notamment clamé qu’il voulait "tuer tous les juifs", a-t-on appris jeudi auprès de la police.

Mansor Mohammad Asad, 43 ans, originaire de l’Ohio (nord des Etats-Unis), "est en prison à Miami" et "devrait être inculpé", notamment pour menaces, conduite désordonnée et résistance à son arrestation, a indiqué Veronica Ferguson, porte-parole de la police du comté de Miami-Dade (Floride, sud-est). >>> AFP | Jeudi 07 Janvier 2010

Iran: Sous le voile de la terreur
Crédits photo : Paris Match
PARIS MATCH: A trois jours des manifestations de l'opposition, le régime iranien organise sa contre-manifestation et des milliers de personnes répondent à son appel dans les rues de Téhéran. La pression se fait de plus en plus forte sur les opposants. Chronique de la vie ordinaire à Téhéran par Violet-B, une jeune Iranienne.

Mercredi 30 décembre, je reçois un appel vers 5 heures du matin : « Aujourd’hui, entre 7 et 8 heures, aura lieu une cérémonie pour le neveu de Mir Hossein Moussavi [tué lors d’une manifestation trois jours plus tôt]. Si tu y vas, reste prudente. »

Quand j’arrive au cimetière Behesht Zahra, le plus grand d’Iran avec ses 400 hectares, il est truffé d’agents de sécurité. J’aperçois Moussavi, entouré de parents et d’amis, mais aussi de bassidjis qui photographient tous les gens présents. Tandis que je me voile le visage, un officier de police me glisse : « Si vous n’êtes pas de la famille, il vaut mieux que vous partiez. » Je demande pourquoi. Un homme en chemise noire et complet gris me répond que « la curiosité est un très vilain défaut »... Je m’en vais, troublée par ces étranges funérailles. >>> Violet-B Parsi, Paris Match | Jeudi 07 Janvier 2010

Türkei-Besuch von Westerwelle: Westerwelle fordert Türkei zu weiteren Reformen auf
ZEIT ONLINE: Während seines Türkei-Besuchs hat Außenminister Westerwelle eine EU-Mitgliedschaft des Landes nicht ausgeschlossen. Dafür müsse Ankara aber weitere Reformen umsetzen.

Als Auftakt seiner bislang längsten Auslandsreise äußerte sich Westerwelle als erster deutscher Außenminister in einer Rede vor den Auslandsbotschaftern, die in Ankara zu einer Konferenz zusammengekommen waren. Westerwelle hat die Türkei darin zu weiteren Reformen für eine Vollmitgliedschaft in der EU aufgefordert. "Wir alle wissen, dass Meinungs-, Presse- und Religionsfreiheit tragende Säulen unserer europäischen Wertegemeinschaft sind", sagte er. Das Reformwerk der Türkei auf ihrem Weg nach Europa sei "noch unvollendet". "Ich möchte Sie ermutigen, damit fortzufahren."

Als "Schlüssel" für Fortschritte in den Beitrittsverhandlungen bezeichnete Westerwelle die Zypern-Frage. Die Türkei müsse das sogenannte Ankara-Protokoll auch auf Zypern anwenden. Bisher weigert sich Ankara, die eigenen Häfen und Flughäfen auch für Schiffe und Flugzeuge aus Zypern zu öffnen. Begründet wird dies mit der Weigerung der EU, den seit 1974 von türkischen Truppen besetzten Nordteil der Insel als Staat anzuerkennen. >>> Zeit Online, dpa | Donnerstag, 07. Januar 2010

Signs of Enlightenment! France: Fines for Wearing the Burqah
MAIL ONLINE: Women who wear Islamic veils in public will be liable to a fine of more than £700 under strict new laws being formulated in France.

The amount could be doubled for Muslim men who force their wives or other female members of their family to cover their faces.

Jean-Francois Cope, president of Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP Party in the French parliament, said the new legislation was intended to protect the 'dignity' and 'security' of women.

He is set to file the draft law in the National Assembly after Mr Sarkozy said veils are 'not welcome' as they intimidate and alienate non-Muslims, especially in a secular country like France.

'We want a ban in public areas,' said Mr Cope, making clear that the veil would not be allowed in public buildings, nor on the streets of France, as it encourages extremism.

Mr Cope said: 'The wearing of the burkha will be subject to a fine, probably of the 4th class, which is to say 750 euros.'

He said the fine would apply to 'all people on the public street whose face is entirely covered'. Women who wear burkhas and niqabs on the street in France face fines of more than £700 >>> Peter Allen | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Dark Age Alert! In Darkest Africa: Human Sacrifices on the Rise
THE TELEGRAPH: Witch doctors in Uganda have admitted their part in human sacrifice amid concerns that the practice is spreading in the African country.

One man said he had clients who had captured children and taken their blood and body parts to his shrine, while another confessed to killing at least 70 people including his own son.

The latter has now given up the ritual and is campaigning to stamp it out, according to BBC News.

The African country's government claimed human sacrifice was on the increase.

According to officials trying to tackle it, the crime is directly linked to rising levels of development and prosperity - and an increasing belief that witchcraft can help people get rich quickly. Human sacrifices 'on the rise in Uganda' as witch doctors admit to rituals >>> | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Islamization: Some People Are Too Dumb to Get It, Mr Pitcher!
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS: We Christians need to shape up apparently. Enough of this turning the other cheek, lovey-dovey self-sacrifice and expecting the meek to inherit the earth. We need a bit of moral fibre, ideological backbone and standing astride a broken piano sporting ammo belts and singing Rock of Ages would be nice too. We need some lead in the pencil and fire in the belly.

That seems to be the message from a couple of huge figures in the European Church this morning. According to Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Christians have been “too soft” and have let others “walk over them” to avoid upsetting other faiths. And Miloslav Vlk, Archbishop of Prague, says that “Europeans systematically empty the Christian content of their lives.”

Carey’s comments came after an all-party group of parliamentarians warned that failing to limit immigration could put “social harmony” at risk. Vlk is more explicit: “Unless Christians wake up, life may be Islamised.” He blames secularism rather than Muslims and I agree with that, though I believe that the so-called “threat” of Islamification is way over-stated and a knicker-wetting bogeyman invented by not very bright nationalists. How do we put some lead in the Christian pencil? >>> George Pitcher | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Christenverfolgung: Siebenfacher Mord vor ägyptischer Kirche
WELT ONLINE: Aus einem vorbei fahrenden Auto heraus haben mutmaßlich radikale Islamisten in Ägypten das Feuer auf eine Gruppe koptischer Christen eröffnet. Sie kamen aus einer Messe – die Kopten feiern Weihnachten am 7. Januar. Bei dem Anschlag starb auch ein muslimischer Wachmann, neun Menschen wurden verletzt.

Schenouda III., Papst von Alexandrien und Oberhaupt der koptisch-orthodoxen Kirche in Ägypten, beim Gebet in der koptischen Kathedrale in Kairo. Bild: Welt Online
Muslimische Fanatiker haben vor einer Kirche in Oberägypten sechs koptische Christen und einen muslimischen Wachmann erschossen. Neun weitere Menschen wurden verletzt, als drei Männer aus einem vorbeifahrenden Auto heraus das Feuer auf die Gläubigen eröffneten. Es war der folgenschwerste Angriff auf koptische Christen in Ägypten seit zehn Jahren. Die Angreifer hätten wenig später auch noch ein Kloster beschossen.

Bischof Kirollos von der oberägyptischen Diözese Nag Hammadi (Provinz Kena) sagte, er selbst sei vermutlich das eigentliche Ziel der Mörder gewesen. Der Kirchenmann erklärte, er sei am Abend gegen 23 Uhr nach der Messe zum orthodoxen Weihnachtsfest mit seinem Auto von der Kirche weggefahren. Er merkte, dass ihn ein Wagen verfolgte und kehrte um. Als er vor dem Hintereingang des Gotteshauses eintraf, schossen seine Verfolger auf eine Gruppe von Oberschülern, die vor dem Gebäude miteinander plauderten. Der Bischof erklärte, er habe die Messe aus Sicherheitsgründen früher als sonst abgehalten. >>> dpa/AFP/jay | Donnerstag, 07. Januar 2010

Attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt Leaves 7 Dead
Egyptian Coptic Orthodox members perform prayers at the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt, 07 Jan 2010. Photograph: Voice of America
VOICE OF AMERICA: At least seven Coptic Christians were killed and another half dozen were wounded - many seriously - after a Thursday morning drive-by shooting after a Christmas midnight mass in Nag Hamadi in Upper Egypt.



Egypt's Coptic Christian community was celebrating midnight mass on Christmas Day, according to the Coptic calendar, when the shooter sprayed a large crowd in front of the church with a hail of gunfire. Many died on the spot. Others were taken to the hospital, in serious condition.



Eyewitnesses indicate the crossroads in front of the Virgin Mary Church in Nag Hamadi was crowded because of the Christmas ceremony. The shooter escaped during the chaos.

Nag Hamadi is 64 kilometers from the famous Temple of Luxor. It has been racked by sectarian violence since the alleged sexual assault of a Muslim girl by a Christian man, in November. 



Muslim residents of the town ransacked, burned and looted Christian homes and shops for five days after the alleged incident.



Said Sadek, professor of political sociology at the American University of Cairo, says that the region of Upper Egypt where Nag Hamadi is located has a tribal culture and that the crime, or violence, or even sex can often take on a sectarian nature. >>> Edward Yeranian, Cairo | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Muslim Group Files Complaint against College
BOSTON HERALD: A Muslim-American advocacy group filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over a Boston college’s policy that forbids face coverings, including traditional Islamic garb.

The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences banned face coverings last fall, citing security and the need to be able to match students with their mandatory photo IDs, and a college spokesman says the only two female Muslim students on campus who might be affected had no objection.

But Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American Islamic Relations, which filed the complaint, said, “Even though the policy refers to students it will clearly impact the staff and employees as well.” >>> O’Ryan Johnson | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Massachusetts College Bans Face Coverings, Muslims Outraged
DIGITAL JOURNAL: A Massachusetts college has banned students, faculty, and staff from wearing any kind of face covering, outraging some Muslim groups. The ban is believed to be the first of its kind at a U.S. college.

A spokesman for the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences told the Boston Globe yesterday that the ban was intended to protect the public safety on its three campuses. The prohibition includes such items as ski masks and scarves, and is not specifically aimed at the traditional Islamic burka.

“It’s no surprise that college safety has become a huge issue of importance in the past couple years,” said college spokesman Michael Ratty. “This is another measure that public safety [officials] wanted to implement to keep the campus safer.” >>> Martin Laine | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Pharmacy School Bars Covering of the Face
THE BOSTON GLOBE: The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has banned students, faculty, and staff from covering their faces on its three campuses in an effort to ensure public safety, a college spokesman said yesterday.

But the new policy has drawn flak from a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, which wants the school to exempt Muslim women who veil their faces for religious reasons.

“It’s a very strange policy,’’ said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. “I don’t know where it came from. The only thing we can conclude is that it’s designed to specifically target Muslims.’’

Sarah Wunsch, staff attorney at the ACLU of Massachusetts, called the policy “puzzling and possibly illegal.’’ >>> Martin Finucane | Wednesday, January 6, 2010

New Dark Age Alert! Cardinal Says Christian Europe Is to Blame for Islamisation
THE TELEGRAPH: A leading Catholic cardinal has said Europeans only have themselves to blame for allowing Islam to "conquer" the continent.

Czech Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the Archbishop of Prague. Photograph: The Telegraph
Czech Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the Archbishop of Prague, said Muslims were well placed to fill the spiritual void "created as Europeans systematically empty the Christian content of their lives".

"Europe will pay dear for having left its spiritual foundations and that this is the last period that will not continue for decades when it may still have a chance to do something about it," he said.

"The Muslims definitely have many reasons to be heading here. They also have a religious one – to bring the spiritual values of faith in God to the pagan environment of Europe, to its atheistic style of life.

"Unless the Christians wake up, life may be Islamised and Christianity will not have the strength to imprint its character on the life of people, not to say society."

The 77-year-old cardinal made his remarks in an interview to mark his retirement after spending 19 years as the leader of the Czech Church.

He said he did not blame Muslims for the crisis as Europeans had brought it upon themselves by exchanging their Christian culture for an aggressive secularism that embraced atheism.

"Europe has denied its Christian roots from which it has risen and which could give it the strength to fend off the danger that it will be conquered by Muslims, which is actually happening gradually," he said. >>> Simon Caldwell | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Buy Mark Alexander’s book: The Dawning of a New Dark Age >>>

Snow in Britain through the Years
Video: BBC archive film shots >>> | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

"On interdit la burqa, point barre!"
LE FIGARO: Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, président de Debout la République, a estimé aujourd'hui sur Radio Classique qu'il fallait "interdire la burqa, point barre", jugeant que le port du voile intégral était "une coutume barbare, une prison pour les femmes".



"L'affaire de la burqa, ce n'est pas une affaire religieuse. C'est une coutume barbare, une prison pour les femmes", a déclaré le député, en soulignant que la France avait interdit "le lancer de nain". >>> AFP | Mercredi 06 Janvier 2010

Scary Gay Marriage Ad

Catholic Portugal Set to Legalise Gay Marriage
AFP: LISBON — Catholic Portugal, traditionally one of Europe's most socially conservative countries, is expected to approve the legalisation of gay marriage on Friday with a minimum of fuss.

With the governing Socialists and other left-wing parties enjoying a strong majority, the new law is likely to sail through the first reading debate and gain final approval before a visit by Pope Benedict XVI, due in Portugal in May.

In contrast to Spain, where the lead-up to the legalisation of gay marriage in 2005 brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets, the bill in Portugal has provoked only muted opposition even from the right.

While normally vocal on the role of marriage and the family in society, the Catholic Church has refused to mobilise on a subject which, according to Lisbon's Cardinal Patriarch Jose Policarpo, is "parliament's responsibility". >>> Anne Le Coz (AFP) | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Sudan Incites Against New Danish Movie
ARUTZ SHEVA: (IsraelNN.com) A new Danish film portraying the Arab Muslim genocide against Black Africans in Darfur is being compared by the Sudanese government to the anti-Islamist film Fitna and to cartoons of Muhammad published in a Danish newspaper in 2005. The publication of those cartoons of the founder of Islam led to worldwide rioting and ongoing violence, including an attempt this week to kill one of the cartoonists.

A spokesman for Sudan's foreign ministry called the movie, Hævnen ("The Revenge"; also titled Civilization in English) by Susanne Bier, "racist". The film "should be seen as a new extension of the notorious Fitna movie and the cartoons which insult the prophet Muhammad," according to Sudanese officials. >>> Nissan Ratzlav-Katz | Thursday, January 07, 2010

Germany's Westerwelle Embarks on Tour of Turkey, Gulf
AFP: BERLIN — Germany's foreign minister embarked Wednesday on a tour of Turkey and the Gulf to promote efforts to revive the Middle East peace process and weigh security risks emanating from Yemen and Iran.

Guido Westerwelle, who is head of the pro-business Free Democrats and vice-chancellor in Angela Merkel's centre-right government, flew to Ankara with a delegation including several executives scouting investment opportunities.

Westerwelle's spokesman said the five-day tour, which will also take in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, would focus on the Iranian nuclear programme, Afghanistan, and the threat posed by Al-Qaeda operatives based in Yemen.

"The issues will also include the situation in Middle East, the state of the peace process and how we can manage, together with our partners in the region, to bring about a new start in the Middle East peace process," Andreas Peschke said amid a swirl of regional diplomacy aimed at restarting talks.

Westerwelle was to join his counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu for dinner in the Turkish capital ahead of official meetings Thursday with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other government ministers.

Germany boasts a three-million-strong minority of Turkish origin -- the largest outside Turkey.

Merkel's conservatives are deeply sceptical about Ankara's bid to join the European Union and would prefer to grant Turkey a "privileged partnership" with the bloc. Westerwelle is seen as more supportive of its long-term accession. >>> | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Waafa Sultan: Islam Is Incompatible with Western Law

CAIR Debates Hate Vandalism of Quran with Chris Hitchens

Sicherheitsgipfel im Weißen Haus: Obama wird zum Anti-Terror-Präsidenten
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Er wollte mit der Kriegspolitik seines Vorgängers George W. Bush brechen - doch seit dem vereitelten Detroit-Anschlag ist klar: Auch für Barack Obama wird der Terrorkampf zum Kerngeschäft. Die Rede nach dem Sicherheitsgipfel zeigt, wie sehr die neue Rolle seinen Regierungsstil verändern wird.

Der Präsident lässt sich Zeit - und das macht sein Problem nur noch offensichtlicher. Im Situation Room des Weißen Hauses sitzt Barack Obama mit gut zwei Dutzend seiner wichtigsten Sicherheitsberater zusammen. Der FBI-Chef hält einen Vortrag, ebenso die Heimatschutzministerin und der Justizminister, fast zwei Stunden dauert das Treffen schon. Seit 30 Minuten wird Obama im Foyer zu einer kurzen Ansprache an die Nation erwartet. Die Kameras sind aufgebaut. Doch er kommt nicht.

Also schalten die TV-Sender nach Minneapolis um. Am dortigen Flughafen riegeln Polizisten gerade Gebäude ab, weil ein verdächtiges Gepäckstück gefunden wurde. Die Aufnahmen zeigen Absperrungen, aufgeregte Sicherheitsbeamte, ängstliche Passagiere - wie schon ein paar Stunden zuvor nach einer ähnlichen Warnung an einem kleinen Flughafen in Kalifornien.

Die Bilder machen klar: Auch Obama ist nun ein Terror-Präsident - knapp ein Jahr nach seinem Amtsantritt. Sein Sprecher Robert Gibbs spricht schon vom "War on Terror", als regiere noch George W. Bush.

Als dann die Sitzung endlich vorbei ist, tritt Obama vor die Kameras. Ein Helfer hat rasch noch den Redetext hingelegt. Der Präsident spricht ohne Teleprompter. Diesmal geht es ihm nicht um rhetorische Höhenflüge, sondern um klare Ansagen - zum gescheiterten Terroranschlag an Weihnachten, als dem Nigerianer Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab um ein Haar ein Attentat auf den Northwest-Airlines-Flug nach Detroit gelungen wäre. "Wir müssen besser werden" >>> Von Gregor Peter Schmitz, Washington | Mittwoch, 06. Januar 2010

Le Pen souhaite un «référendum sur l'immigration»
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: FRANCE | Le président du Front national, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a prôné mercredi l'organisation d'un "référendum sur l'immigration", estimant que le "critère ethnique" était une composante de l'identité française.

"Sachant que l'immigration massive est l'instrument de son appauvrissement et de sa servitude future, c'est elle qui doit être le sujet d'un référendum, dont le résultat s'imposera de gré ou de force aux oligarques qui dirigent la France", a dit M. Le Pen.

"L'immigration massive pèse sur la vie française, sur ses finances, sur la sécurité, sur le chômage, sur l'école, sur tous les problèmes, de telle manière qu'il faut le résoudre sous peine d'être submergé", a-t-il affirmé, depuis le siège du parti à Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine).

En référence à la votation anti-minarets en Suisse, il a souhaité que les Français puissent "oser dire publiquement dans les urnes ce qu'ils murmurent tout bas que le Front national dit tout haut", voyant dans l'immigration le "problème principal de la France". >>> AFP | Mercredi 06 Janvier 2010

Nigerian Man Indicted in Plot to Blow Up Plane
THE NEW YORK TIMES: DETROIT -- A grand jury indicted a Nigerian man on Wednesday on charges accusing him of attempting to blow up a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas Day by trying to use a weapon of mass destruction.

The federal grand jury also charged Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab with attempted murder, possession of a firearm and other counts.

Authorities say Abdulmutallab, 23, was traveling to Detroit from Amsterdam when he tried to blow up the plane carrying nearly 300 people by injecting chemicals into a package of pentrite explosive concealed in his underwear.

The failed attack caused popping sounds and flames that passengers and crew rushed to extinguish.

Since then, airlines and the Transportation Security Administration have boosted security in airports in the U.S. and around the world. >>> Associated Press | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

France Socialist Party Opposes Burka Ban
BBC: France's opposition Socialists have come out against a law banning the burka - even though they remain firmly opposed to the garment.

The announcement comes ahead of a parliamentary report on the issue that is due out later this month.

Last summer, French MPs held hearings on whether to ban the Muslim veil, which covers the body from head to toe.

President Nicolas Sarkozy had said the burka was "not welcome" in France, home to Europe's largest Muslim population.

Mr Sarkozy has left open the idea of introducing legislation to ban the burka.

While the Socialist Party opposes the wearing of the burka, it was "not favourable" to a legal ban, said party spokesman Benoit Hamon. >>> | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Lord Carey Calls for 'Reasonable Limit' on Migration
TIMES ONLINE: Lord Carey of Clifton has called for a "reasonable limit" to be imposed on the number of migrants entering Britain.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury said he was not calling for a ban on non-Christian immigrants settling in Britain, but he warned that if concerns about immigration were not addressed it could play into the hands of the British National Party.

"What I think we must call for is an understanding on the part of those who come into our country that they are coming into one which values parliamentary democracy, which is built upon our Christian heritage. They have got to understand our commitment to the English language and espouse it, and they must understand our history," he said in an interview with the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.

Lord Carey said he was not arguing for an outright ban on new immigration but believed that there needed to be a "reasonable limit" on the numbers coming into the country. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

MAIL ONLINE: All immigrants should learn our Christian values: Former Archbishop of Canterbury's warning over population >>> James Slack | Wednesday, January 06, 2010

France’s Elite Colleges Rise Up in Revolt against Nicolas Sarkozy
TIMES ONLINE: The elite colleges that train France’s rulers and top managers were in open revolt against President Sarkozy’s Government yesterday, refusing orders to admit more students from working-class and immigrant backgrounds.

Cabinet ministers expressed shock at the defiant stance adopted by the heads of the grandes écoles, the establishments that educate the cream of the professions. Mr Sarkozy wants them to take 30 per cent of their entrants from low-income families. The colleges retort that to do that would mean dropping their rigorous standards.

The quarrel goes to the heart of Mr Sarkozy’s drive to revamp a once-proud higher-education system that is failing all but a lucky few, leaving France behind in world rankings. Most students are relegated to overcrowded, free-for-all universities with a 25 per cent drop-out rate, while resources are lavished on the privileged 14 per cent who reach a few dozen highly selective colleges, most of them from the higher social classes.

In recent decades France’s old meritocratic path to the top has declined. It has become harder for students from less-educated — and especially immigrant — families to pass the gruelling competitive entrance examinations for the écoles, which include the Polytechnique, the Centrale and the HEC business school. >>> Charles Bremner in Paris | Tuesday, January 06, 2010

Britain Threatens to Freeze Iceland Out of EU as Loan Payback Vetoed
TIMES ONLINE: Britain warned Iceland that it would be frozen out of the European Union after its President abruptly vetoed the repayment of a £3.6 billion loan.

The Treasury expected Reykjavik to rubberstamp the terms of repayment for the loan extended by Britain and the Netherlands at the height of the financial crisis. The loan meant that 400,000 savers with deposits in Icesave did not lose their money.

President Ólafur Grimsson stunned the world’s financial community by refusing to sign the repayment schedule into law. Instead, he said that the matter would be decided in a referendum among Iceland’s 243,000 voters.

The decision threatened to bring down the Icelandic Government, took its financial system to the brink of collapse and sparked the worst row with Britain since the Cod Wars of the 1970s. Fitch, the international rating agency, downgraded Iceland’s credit rating to junk status.

Lord Myners, the financial services minister, said that if the decision was allowed to stand Iceland would be frozen out of the international financial system and would not be able to join the European Union. >>> Suzy Jagger and Jill Sherman | Wednesday, January 06, 2010