Staatsschulden: Deutschland erwägt Milliardenhilfe für Griechen
WELT ONLINE: Die übrigen Euro-Länder erwägen, das verschuldete Griechenland mit einer Milliardenhilfe zu unterstützen. Laut einem Magazinbericht könnte allein Deutschland mit bis zu fünf Milliarden Euro einspringen. Deutschen Banken drohen Verluste wegen Finanzgeschäften mit Griechenland und weiteren Staaten.

Die Hilfen der Euro-Gruppe für Griechenland könnten nach einem „Spiegel“-Bericht ein Volumen zwischen 20 und 25 Milliarden Euro erreichen. Das Nachrichtenmagazin bezieht sich auf „erste Überlegungen“ des Bundesfinanzministeriums.

Auf Deutschland könnten demnach vier bis fünf Milliarden Euro entfallen. Ein Sprecher des Ministeriums nannte den Bericht eine Spekulation und die darin genannten Angaben zu „konkreten Überlegungen“ der Länder der Eurogruppe unzutreffend. „Im Finanzministerium gibt es keinerlei Festlegungen dazu. Dies gilt auch in Bezug auf Spekulationen des Spiegel zu konkreten Hilfsinstrumenten“, sagte der Sprecher von Minister Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) weiter. >>> dpa/lac/oht | Samstag, 20. Februar 2010

Neuwahl Chance für Wilders: Koalitionsbruch in Holland nützt den Populisten
WELT ONLINE: Das Bündnis aus Christlich-Demokratischem Appell, Sozialdemokraten und der protestantisch-konservativen Christen-Union scheiterte am Streit um den Einsatz holländischer Soldaten in Afghanistan. Bei Neuwahlen könnte die rechtsgerichtete Partei für die Freiheit (PVV) des Populisten Geert Wilders zweitstärkste Kraft werden.

Geert Wilders. Bild: Welt Online
Zwei Tage vor ihrem dritten Geburtstag ist die vom niederländischen Christdemokraten Jan Peter Balkenende geführte Koalition zerbrochen. Das Bündnis aus Balkenendes Christlich- Demokratischem Appell, den Sozialdemokraten von Vizepremier Wouter Bos und der kleinen protestantisch-konservativen Christen-Union scheiterte am Streit um dem Einsatz holländischer Soldaten in Afghanistan.

Die Sozialdemokraten hatten öffentlich gefordert, einer Nato-Anfrage nach einer Ausweitung des niederländischen Engagements am Hindukusch eine klare Absage zu erteilen. Auch ein 16-stündiger Beratungsmarathon konnte die vierte von Balkenende geführte Koalition nicht retten – sehr zur Freude der Oppositionsparteien des linken und rechten Spektrums, die bei den nun vermutlich vorgezogenen Wahlen mit kräftigen Stimmenzuwächsen rechnen können.

Nutznießer des Koalitionsbruchs dürfte besonders die rechtsgerichte Partei für die Freiheit (PVV) des Populisten Geert Wilders sein. Nach Meinungsumfragen dürfte sie bei der nächsten Parlamentswahl die Zahl ihrer Mandate von derzeit neun auf 24 mehr als verdoppeln und zweitstärkste Kraft werden. >>> Von Rachel Levy | Samstag, 20. Februar 2010

Verbunden / Related:

Dutch Cabinet, Balkenende’s Fourth, Collapses >>> Petra de Koning in Brussels | Friday, February 19, 2010

9/11–Held: New Yorks Ex-Polizeichef muss 4 Jahre ins Gefängnis
Bernhard Kerik: Foto: Krone.at
KRONE.at: Er war einer der Helden nach den Terrorangriffen vom 11. September – doch spätestens jetzt ist sein Ruhm wohl für immer verpufft. Bernard Kerik, ehemaliger Polizeichef von New York, muss wegen Bestechlichkeit, Falschaussage und Veruntreuung von Steuergeldern für vier Jahre ins Gefängnis. Nun ist er wieder dort, wo er vor seinem märchenhaften Aufstieg stand: ganz unten.

In Amerikas dunkelster Stunde war Bernard Keriks Stern aufgegangen. Nach dem Terrorangriff auf das World Trade Center am 11. September 2001 stand der damalige Polizeichef in vorderster Front, koordinierte die Einsätze, motivierte seine Leute und gab seinem Land neue Hoffnung. Auch bei George W. Bush machte sein Einsatz großen Eindruck, so dass ihn der Ex-Präsident 2004 zum Chef des mächtigen Heimatschutz-Ministeriums machen wollte.

Doch genau das brach Kerik das Genick. Denn im Zuge seiner Nominierung wurde er gründlich durchleuchtet. Dabei traten zahlreiche Verfehlungen zutage. So entdeckten die Ermittler, dass Kerik Steuergelder unterschlug, Falschaussagen tätigte und eine Illegale als Kindermädchen beschäftigte.

Am schlimmsten wog jedoch der Vorwurf, dass Kerik sich sein Appartement von einer Firma renovieren ließ, der schon damals intensive Mafia-Kontakte nachgesagt wurden. 250.000 Dollar kostete die Luxus-Sanierung, an deren Ende die Behausung mit Marmor-Bädern, einer Luxus-Küche und einem Whirlpool ausgestattet war. Im Gegenzug sorgte Kerik dafür, dass die Firma öffentliche Aufträge bekam, wofür er wiederum sein Ansehen in die Waagschale warf, das er sich am 11. September erworben hatte. >>> | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

Britain - Money - Muslims - Monarchy - A Discourse by Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi


Related:

Radical Muslim Leader Has Past in Swinging London >>> Barney Henderson | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi: A Russian Interview


Related:

Radical Muslim Leader Has Past in Swinging London >>> Barney Henderson | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Shaykh Abdulqadir as-Sufi: The Bankers' World War


Shaykh Abdalqadir >>>

Related:

Radical Muslim Leader Has Past in Swinging London >>> Barney Henderson | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi on Governance


Related:

Radical Muslim Leader Has Past in Swinging London >>> Barney Henderson | Saturday, February 20, 2010

SHAYKH DR. ABDALQADIR AS-SUFI: The Collapse of the Terrorist Dialectic >>> By Shaykh Dr. Abdulqadir as-Sufi | Sunday, February 07, 2010

Shaykh Abdalqadir’s Sufi Order: Murabitun Darqawiya (Granada in Early ‘80’s)


Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi’s website >>>

Introduction to Sufi Islam


Related:

Radical Muslim Leader Has Past in Swinging London >>> Barney Henderson | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Mayor 'Bans' Barack Obama from Las Vegas for Sins Against the City
Oscar Goodman, the Las Vegas Mayor, greets showgirls at a party celebrating his 70th birthday in July last year. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: The list of people banned from Las Vegas is a litany of dishonour. But among the swindlers, fixers and mobsters — many of their mugshots displayed on the Nevada Gaming Commission’s website under the heading Excluded, Wanted & Denied — is a new and rather unlikely name: that of Barack H. Obama, of Washington.

“I want to assure you that when he comes [here], I’ll do everything I can to give him the boot,” growled Oscar Goodman, the Mayor of Las Vegas, before Air Force One swooped down over Sin City’s infamous “Strip” for a presidential visit that was expected to last less than 24 hours.

Mr Goodman was not there to greet Mr Obama when he stepped on to the tarmac of McCarran International, having turned down an invitation from the White House. Nor was he expected to attend any of the President’s events — an astonishing rebuff by a lowly city mayor to a US leader.

With Obama’s visit intended in large part to help the re-election chances of the deeply unpopular Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — a man who opined with excruciating candour that the President’s victory in 2008 was a result of him being a “light-skinned African-American, with no Negro dialect” — the mayor’s snub was threatening to turn an already awkward situation into a full-blown political debacle.

But as of last night, Mr Goodman was undeterred. A rotund and unshaven former Mob lawyer, who is rarely pictured without a Martini glass in his hand, flanked by showgirls, the 70-year-old mayor is livid about what he regards as Mr Obama’s repeated attacks on his beloved city, which has been hurt badly by the recession. >>> Chris Ayres, Las Vegas | Saturday, February 20, 2010

New Dark Age Alert! Fear Grows Among Uganda’s Gay Community Over Death Penalty Draft Law
TIMES ONLINE: There was a time in Kampala when gay men would meet for furtive one-night stands, even if they were prevented from forming lasting relationships in a country where homophobia is rife.

“You would just have sex, then disappear. We were secretive out of fear,” said Peter, 39. At one point, things had begun changing for the better. “You could know where a guy lived and hung out; you could start to form relationships, something more permanent,” he said. “Then along comes this Bill that wants to kill us.”

Homosexuality has always been illegal in Uganda, but draft legislation introduced by a born-again Christian parliamentarian proposing the death penalty for gay sex, under certain conditions, has upped the ante. Peter is again living in fear.

Anti-gay sentiment is on the rise in many parts of Africa. In a bellwether case, a gay couple face trial for “unnatural practices” in Malawi; in Kenya, police arrested guests at what is claimed to have been a gay wedding last week — supposedly to protect them from an angry mob. “They are proposing a witch-hunt,” said Peter. “That Bill could put me to death, or in prison, in many ways. They want to legislate us out of existence.”

The draft law proposes the death penalty for having gay sex with anyone under 18, if infected with HIV/Aids, or with someone who is disabled — or for being what the Bill terms “a serial offender”. Gay sex between consenting adults would lead to a life sentence.

It also calls for prison sentences for those “promoting homosexuality” — which could be interpreted to mean any human rights groups — and for anyone failing to report a homosexual act to the authorities. >>> Tristan McConnell in Kampala | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Dutch Cabinet, Balkenende's Fourth, Collapses
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: The Dutch coalition government fell in the early hours of Saturday morning because it could not come to an agreement over whether to extend the Netherlands' military mission in Afghanistan.

Labour, the second largest party in his three-party alliance, is quitting what had always been an uneasy partnership with the bigger Christian democratic CDA and junior partner ChristenUnie, a small orthodox Christian party.

After a 16-hour cabinet meeting in The Hague last night, prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende gave a brief press statement explaining the parties have no confidence left in each other. "Where there is no trust, it is difficult to work together," Balkenende said. "There is no road left for this cabinet to walk."

Labour leader, and now ex-finance minister, Wouter Bos had given the cabinet a Friday deadline to confirm it would withdraw all 1,600 Dutch soldiers from the Afghan province Uruzgan no later than December 2010. The CDA and ChristenUnie refused to comply with his demand, which goes against the explicit wish of Nato for the Netherlands to stay longer. The Nato secretary general filed an official request for the extension of the Dutch mission earlier this month. >>> AP, NRC | Saturday, February 20, 2010

NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Nato flabbergasted by Dutch reaction to troop request: Dutch politicians asked for an official Nato request to keep troops in Uruzgan. The current political infighting in The Hague is raising eyebrows at the organisation’s headquarters. >>> Petra de Koning in Brussels | Friday, February 19, 2010

Radical Muslim Leader Has Past in Swinging London
THE TELEGRAPH: As part of the bohemian scene in swinging sixties London, Ian Dallas inspired Eric Clapton to write Layla and counted George Harrison and Edith Piaf among his friends.

Ian Dallas converted to Islam and took the name Abdalqadir. Photo: The Telegraph
Born into a landowning clan in Ayr, south-west Scotland, he had left the family estate for London and quickly fell in with a host of stars after writing and directing a series of television hits.

He directed a play starring Albert Finney, wrote versions of the classics Jane Eyre and Vanity Fair for the BBC and even acted in the Federico Fellini classic 8½.

But these days Mr Dallas is famed for very different reasons as the leader of an extreme Islamic group with thousands of followers across the world.

He has called for Britain to be run by a Muslim council and likened the war in Afghanistan to the Holocaust.

During the Sixties, he became increasingly disillusioned with his London life and began exploring Islam. In 1967 he met Shaykh Abdalkarim Daudi in Fes, Morocco, converted to Islam and took the name Abdalqadir.

He spent years travelling north Africa, learning from various leading Muslim scholars before founding the orthodox Murabitun Worldwide Movement in the early 1980s.

It now has more than 10,000 committed followers across the world – spread from Denmark to Indonesia – and thousands more who support the movement.

Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi, as he is now known, believes the Islam world will conquer the "Jewish dominated" West with an [sic] hardline interpretation of Islamic law.

"(Israel) knows that without its massive defence subsidy from the USA it could not last one financial year," he states.

Abdalqadir's teachings range from the claim that movies and football "degrade the proletariat" to calls for Middle Eastern-style monarchical rule in Britain supported by a moral body of Muslims. >>> Barney Henderson | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Greece Seeks Support for Debt Plan But Not Bail-out
BBC: Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has said his country needs the support of European governments if it is to cut its debt levels effectively.

But he reiterated that Greece is not looking for a financial bail-out from other European countries.

"Our problem is our problem, our responsibility," he said. >>> | Friday, February 19, 2010

Christian 'Homosexual Cure' Conference Sparks Protests
THE INDEPENDENT: Being gay is not an illness, say demonstrators as they picket Belfast church

Gay campaigners began a weekend of protests last night against an international conference in Belfast which promotes the controversial claim that homosexuality can be "cured" using psychotherapy and prayer.

The conference is organised by Core Issues, an evangelical Christian group in Northern Ireland which promotes so-called "conversion therapy" and claims to have "saved" numerous homosexual Christians. The star speaker is the Rev Mario Bergner, a Chicago-based Anglican preacher and leading proponent of conversion therapy, who claims to have been cured of Aids and homosexuality through prayer.

In response, a coalition of protesters has begun picketing Ballynahinch Baptist Church, where the conference began last night. The protests are being organised by the Queer Youth Network and the Stop Conversion Therapy Taskforce (Scott), a new lobby group set up by gay journalist Patrick Strudwick. >>> Jerome Taylor, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Assisted Suicide: Law to Be Decriminalised 'by Back Door' from Next Week
THE TELEGRAPH: Assisted suicide will be effectively decriminalised by the back door in landmark guidance to be published next week.

Final rules set out by the Crown Prosecution Service will make it clear that those who help others end their lives are unlikely to face court if they acted out of compassion.

However the factors against prosecution are likely to be altered from existing draft guidance, after it was claimed that they would leave the most vulnerable members of society at greater risk while providing immunity to spouses regardless of their motives.

It marks a legal milestone as the law against assisting suicide is in effect being changed without the involvement of Parliament, on the orders of the Law Lords.

It is also unprecedented for prosecutors to set out in such detail the ways in which people can commit a particular crime yet avoid being charged. >>> Martin Beckford, and Heidi Blake | Friday, February 19, 2010

Tiger Woods: Money Went to His Head!
TIMES ONLINE: A downcast and sometimes angry Tiger Woods broke his three-month silence yesterday with a rambling apology to friends, fans — and his absent wife.

Sighing heavily and sniffing back tears, the world’s leading golfer and first billion-dollar sportsman read a repetitive 14-minute statement to a small, invited audience during a week-long break from his sex addiction therapy.

“I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them,” he confessed. “I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules.”

Woods’s beloved mother Kultida sat in the front row at the PGA headquarters on the TPC Sawgrass course on the Florida coast, and he choked back tears as he hugged her afterwards.

His estranged wife, the Swedish supermodel Elin Nordegren, the mother of his two children, was nowhere to be seen. “I understand the press wants to ask me for the details and the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know if Elin and I will remain together . . . These are issues between a husband and a wife,” he said. Tiger Woods: I felt I deserved to enjoy all the temptations. I was wrong >>> James Bone, Ponte Verda Beach, Florida | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tzipi Livni Scoffs at Tory Pledge to End Threat of Arrest for Israel Officials
THE TELEGRAPH: A Conservative party pledge to end the threat of arrest hanging over visiting Israeli officials has received short shrift from the senior politician whose arrest was sought by a London court in December.

Tzipi Livni, leader of the Israeli opposition, responded with notable coolness when she was paid a visit by Edward Garnier, the shadow attorney general, this week.

Mr Garnier relayed a promise from David Cameron, the Conservative leader, that legislation to guarantee immunity for visiting Israeli officials would be one of his government's top priorities following a general election expected in May.

"I've been asked officially to relay to you on behalf of the Conservatives that immediately after we are elected, we will handle this matter, end this affair and make it possible for you to go to Great Britain," Mr Garnier told Mrs Livni, according to Israel's Yediot Ahronot newspaper.

A Westminster magistrate's court last December granted an application by pro-Palestinian groups to issue an arrest warrant for Mrs Livni over war crimes allegedly committed during Israel's Gaza offensive a year ago when she visited. At the time of Israel's military operation, Mrs Livni was foreign minister.

But if Mr Garnier expected gratitude from the Israeli opposition leader, he was to come away disappointed. >>> Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem | Friday, February 19, 2010

Maroc : Un minaret s'effondre et fait un carnage
20MINUTES.ch: Trente-deux personnes ont été tuées et 68 blessées vendredi lors de l'effondrement du minaret historique d'une mosquée à Meknès (centre du Maroc), a annoncé la télévision publique Al-Oula, citant un bilan provisoire du ministère de l'Intérieur.

La télévision a mis en cause les pluies qui se sont abattues sur la région.

«Le minaret s'est effondré à cause des fortes pluies» de ces derniers jours, a expliqué la télévision dans son principal bulletin d'information de la soirée.

Des habitants de Meknès, joints au téléphone par l'AFP, ont confirmé que «des pluies diluviennes» sont tombées sur la ville et sa région. «Le minaret et une partie du toit se sont effondrés sur les fidèles alors qu'ils accomplissaient la prière du vendredi», ont- ils dit. Prière du vendredi >>> ats | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Morocco minaret collapse kills dozens: At least 40 people died and 71 were injured after the minaret of a historic 18th century mosque collapsed in the central Moroccan city of Meknes during Friday prayers, the interior ministry said. >>> | Saturday, February 20, 2010

New Dark Age Alert! Shariah Law – For Extra-marital Sex? Cane Them!
MAIL ONLINE: Three Muslim women who were the first in Malaysia to be caned for having sex outside marraige this morning claimed the punishment was an opportunity for them to repent.

Prison authorities caned the women last week after an Islamic Shariah court issued the penalty.

The caning has outraged rights groups and revived speculation that conservative Islamists, who advocate harsh punishment, are gaining influence in the country.

The three women, aged 17-25, said they turned themselves in after feeling guilty for sleeping with their boyfriends before marriage and getting pregnant.

The 17-year-old told reporters that she surrendered to Islamic authorities after her prematurely born child died.

She is now serving a six-month prison sentence.

'I know I have sinned, and I have to be punished. Strangely however, I felt that the caning was not a form of punishment but was an opportunity for me to repent and return to the right path,' she said.

She has already married her boyfriend, who has also been caned and jailed over the offence.

The other women, who have one young child each, are planning to marry their partners after they are released.

The men were also caned for having sex. 'We deserved our punishment': What three Muslim Malaysian women said after being caned for having sex outside marriage >>> | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Rachida Dati veut être au côté de Nicolas Sarkozy en 2012
LE FIGARO: L'ancienne garde des Sceaux multiplie les déplacements en France et à l'étranger. L'occasion de vérifier sa popularité.

«Pour moi, l'ambition n'est pas un gros mot, ce n'est pas un tabou.» Ces mots, prononcés jeudi soir à Londres devant une centaine d'expatriés militants UMP, sont ceux de Rachida Dati. Six mois après son départ forcé du gouvernement, l'ancienne ministre de la Justice regarde devant elle. Et elle peut savourer une victoire : même «exilée» à Strasbourg, elle n'est pas sortie des écrans radar. Toujours aussi présente, toujours aussi demandée, elle multiplie les déplacements en France et à l'étranger. Et remplit les salles. «Alain Juppé et Xavier Bertrand sont les derniers à être venus. Ils n'ont pas eu plus de monde que Rachida Dati. En fait, elle a fait mieux qu'eux», glisse un adhérent UMP. Pour les régionales, elle ira à Lyon, Avignon ou Chalon-sur-Saône, la ville de sa jeunesse. D'autres meetings sont programmés dans le Centre, en Poitou-Charentes, en Paca… «Il y aura du monde», promet-elle crânement. >>> Par Anne Rovan | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

Hundreds Defy Warning to Give Mohammed ElBaradei Hero's Welcome Home to Egypt
THE TELEGRAPH: Hundreds of Egyptian opposition supporters defied warnings to welcome home Nobel Peace laureate and former UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei amid hopes he will run for president.

Chanting the national anthem, the crowd was so large that it twice prevented Mr ElBaradei, 67, from exiting Cairo airport after he flew in from Vienna following 12 years at the helm of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

About 1,500 people thronged the airport and wellwishers held up banners that read "Yes, ElBaradei president of Egypt" and "ElBaradei for presidency of Egypt 2011".

Others shouted "ElBaradei 100 per cent, he will bring to account the thieves" in reference to alleged corruption during the 29-year-old regime of President Hosni Mubarak. >>> | Saturday, February 20, 2010

Jesus Was Gay, Says Elton John
THE TELEGRAPH: Sir Elton John has claimed that Jesus Christ was gay.

In a magazine interview, he said: "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.

"On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving." >>> | Thursday, February 18, 2010

I Know Why Judas Betrayed Jesus, Says Gerry Adams in Channel 4 Documentary
TIMES ONLINE: Ever since Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus with a kiss 2,000 years ago theologians have argued about his motives. But one British academic has now given credit to Gerry Adams, the Sinn Féin leader, for a new insight into one of the most controversial passages of the Bible.

The man who spent a lot of his youth “on the run” from the Army in Belfast yet still swears that he has never been a member of the Provisional IRA, believes that Judas was turned informer by the Roman security services of the time in Palestine, just as many of his former comrades in the Republican movement were induced to spy. >>> David Sharrock, Ireland Correspondent | Monday, February 15, 2010

How Shariah Law Has Taken Over The West

Birmanie : L'émissaire de l'ONU n'a pas pu rencontrer Suu Kyi
20MINUTES.ch: Un haut responsable de l'ONU a quitté Rangoun vendredi après une visite de cinq jours consacrée aux droit humains en Birmanie. Il a évoqué sa profonde déception de s'être vu refuser par le régime militaire une rencontre avec l'opposante Aung San Suu Kyi.

L'Argentin Tomas Ojea Quintana, rapporteur de l'ONU sur les droits de l'homme en Birmanie, n'a pu que constater son échec à convaincre la junte au pouvoir d'assouplir sa position, à quelques mois d'élections aux dates encore inconnues et dont la crédibilité est plus que jamais sujette à caution.

«Je suis déçu de n'avoir pas pu rencontrer Mme Aung San Suu Kyi cette fois-ci, en cette période cruciale d'année électorale, les premières élections en vingt ans», a déclaré l'émissaire de l'ONU avant de partir pour Bangkok. >>> ats | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

France : Sixième suicide depuis janvier à France Télécom
20MINUTES.ch: Un salarié de France Télécom s'est suicidé le week-end dernier à son domicile, ce qui porte à six le nombre de suicides dans l'entreprise depuis le début de l'année, a-t-on appris vendredi auprès de la société.

Ce dessinateur-projeteur de 53 ans était en congé maladie, a indiqué un porte-parole. Un phénomène de suicides a fait selon le direction de la société 32 morts en 2008 et 2009 à France Télécom, ancienne administration d'Etat devenue société anonyme en 1996. Les syndicats avancent des bilans plus lourds. >>> ats | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

Protest gegen Sparmassnahmen: Den Griechen geht das Benzin aus
20MINUTEN.ch: Weil die Zollbeamten in Griechenland weiter streiken, wird es langsam aber sicher knapp mit dem Benzin. Viele Tankstellen sind bereits geschlossen und nun haben auch noch die Taxifahrer ihre Arbeit niedergelegt. >>> ddp | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

Bevölkerung: Europa schrumpft, Afrika und Asien wachsen
DIE PRESSE: Die Umverteilung der Welt: Bis 2050 wird Europa schrumpfen, während die Bevölkerungszahl in Afrika und Asien wächst. Das erhöht den Migrationsdruck und verändert die globale Machtbalance. >>> Von Christian Ultsch, Julia Hartz, Isabel Groetzinger-Singer (Doe Presse) | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

Russia 'Very Alarmed' by Iran Nuclear Report
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran was driven deeper into international isolation yesterday after Russia said it was "very alarmed" by a leaked UN report which directly accused the country of building a nuclear weapon for the first time.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said Moscow had lost patience with the regime after UN weapons inspectors declared for the first time on Thursday that it was seeking to "weaponise" its nuclear stocks.

"We are very alarmed and we cannot accept this, that Iran is refusing to co-operate with the IAEA," Mr Lavrov said. "Some questions remain on the table and Iran has so far not reacted to them but they are rather serious and we need to understand how several documents concerning military nuclear technology found their way to Iran.

"Clear explanations are needed."

The strong denunciation was a departure for Russia, which has been a brake on efforts to censure Iran until recently.

Iran suffered a double blow on Thursday when a G20 report on money laundering identified the Islamic Republic as the worst violator of laws against funding terrorism and the proliferation of weapons. The report also hinted at concerns that banks in Syria and Turkey, two other nations cited for involvement in terrorism financing, were acting as an axis to help Iran evade UN financial sanctions. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Friday, February 19, 2010

ElBaradei Returns to Egypt Hoping to Run for Presidency
YNET NEWS: After ending term as International Atomic Energy Agency chief, Mohamed ElBaradei returns to homeland to 'do everything I can for Egypt to advance toward democracy'

Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the UN nuclear watchdog, is awaited in Cairo as police warn his supporters not to mark the homecoming of a would-be electoral challenger to President Hosni Mubarak.

ElBaradei, who is expected to fly home on Friday, has repeatedly called for democratic change in Egypt since stepping down as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency in November.

On the eve of his return, he reaffirmed his determination to "do everything I can for Egypt to advance toward democracy and economic and social progress."

"I hope to be an instrument for change," the 67-year-old long-time international civil servant said in an interview with Egypt's Dream TV.

"I am ready to throw myself into Egyptian political life on the condition that there are free elections, and the first step toward that would be a constitutional amendment under which I can be a candidate and others as well."

Mubarak, 81, will complete his fifth term in office next year and his son, Gamal, is often cited as his potential successor.

At the moment, the constitution effectively bars an ElBaradei candidacy. >>> AFP | Friday, February 19, 2010

Uproar in France Over Muslim 'Kosher' Burgers
YNET NEWS: Local Quick fast food chain starts using halal meat only, slaughtered according to Sharia law, in eight of its branches located in large Muslim population centers. French officials protest step, warn of cultural isolationism, discrimination

PARIS – The French campaign against American junk food has been going on for years based on the argument that Americanization best represented by McDonalds destroys traditional French culture.

However, it was the local Quick burger chain that suffered criticism this week. The fast food chain has started serving only beef slaughtered according to Muslim Sharia law - halal meat - in eight of its branches across France. Pork has been removed from the menu and replaced with smoked turkey. The braches [sic] are located in the outskirts of Paris, Marseille and the northern town of Roubaix - all areas containing large concentrations of North-African immigrants.

Quick's management claimed in its defense that the decision was purely financial and had nothing to do with religious considerations. It further stressed that the step was an experimental one, to be reviewed in six months.

The Muslim food market in France is constantly expanding and according to marketing estimates will be worth €5.5 billion by the end of 2010. >>> Gilad Halpern | Friday, February 19, 2010

Dalai Lama Meets with Obama

Cheney: Obama a 'One-Term' President

Rußland: Diktator Stalin wird wieder als Held verehrt
WELT ONLINE: Zum 65. Jahrestag des Sieges über Hitlerdeutschland sollen Plakate mit dem Diktator Stalin an den "Vater aller Völker" erinnern. Menschenrechtler kündigen Widerstand an: Sie wollen an die Millionen Stalin-Opfer und das daraus resultierende Leid erinnern. Premier Putin hingegen findet diese Betrachtung "einseitig".

Bereits 2009 war dieses großflächige Werbeplakat mit Josef Stalin in Russland zu sehen. Nun bricht erneut ein Streit um die Verehrung des Diktators aus. Foto: Welt Online
Der Diktator Josef Stalin kehrt in die Straßen der russischen Hauptstadt zurück. Zum bevorstehenden 65. Jahrestag des Sieges über Hitlerdeutschland, der am 9. Mai begangen wird, will die Stadtverwaltung Werbeflächen mit Porträts des „Vaters aller Völker“ und Schlächters von Millionen Sowjetbürgern zieren lassen. >>> Von Manfred Quiring | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

Nucléaire : Iran : après le rapport de l'AIEA, il est "urgent" d'agir
LE POINT: Le dernier rapport de l'AIEA sur le programme nucléaire iranien "montre combien il est urgent d'agir avec détermination pour répondre à l'absence de coopération de l'Iran", a déclaré vendredi le ministère français des Affaires étrangères. "Ce rapport confirme avec précision les très graves préoccupations de la communauté internationale. Il montre combien il est urgent d'agir avec détermination pour répondre à l'absence de coopération de l'Iran", a estimé devant la presse le porte-parole du ministère, Bernard Valero. >>> AFP | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

Staatskrise: Griechenland braucht eine Revolution
ZEIT ONLINE: Weil Premier Papandreou trotz drastischem Sparkurs beliebt ist, sollte ihn Brüssel erstmal gewähren lassen. Denn die Griechen wissen es: Ihr Leben auf Pump ist vorbei.

Der Minister stritt in Brüssel für sein Land, derweil das Land gegen sich selbst kämpfte. In der EU-Zentrale versuchte Finanzminister Giorgos Papakonstantinou seine Amtskollegen davon zu überzeugen, dass Griechenland beim Sparen gut vorankommt. Zuhause in Athen demonstrierten seine Beamten das Gegenteil. Hier in der griechischen Hauptstadt reichen sich die Staatsangestellten die Streikstaffel weiter. Erst waren es die Zollbeamten, dann die Finanzkontrolleure im Ministerium, dann die Steuereintreiber, am Ende die Taxifahrer. Sie alle warnen ihre Regierung: Kürzen dürft ihr, aber nicht bei mir!

Wie viel Aussicht haben die griechischen Versprechen, dauerhaft zu kürzen und zu sparen? Wann darf die Eurozone mit besseren Nachrichten aus Athen rechnen? >>> Von Michael Thumann | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

NZZ ONLINE: Griechenland-Szenario könnte weiteren Ländern drohen: BIZ warnt vor globaler Schuldenkrise >>> sda/Reuters | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

Frankreichs offenes Gesicht: Die Schleierdebatte vor dem Hintergrund der Ideen von 1789
NZZ ONLINE: Frankreichs Diskussion um die Vollverschleierung muslimischer Frauen muss in der geistigen Tradition von «1789» gesehen werden. Die Nation besteht aus freien Bürgern. Das kommt im Kontakt mit dem Staat in offenen Gesichtern zum Ausdruck.

Die Szene bleibt unvergesslich: Anlässlich der Pariser «Street Parade» rennt eine junge Frau auf die in voller Montur aufmarschierte Bereitschaftspolizei zu, dreht sich um und entblösst in dreister Hocke ihren Hintern. Umgehend umzingeln die Ordnungshüter die Demonstrantin und nehmen sie eingeübt in Gewahrsam. Die Freiheit und die offene Gesellschaft brauchen, das ist wenig bestritten, immer moralische Bindungen, mitunter gar staatliche Regeln.

Keine Zwischenmächte

Undenkbar indessen wäre, dass der französische Staat in ähnlicher Weise in Polizeiformation gegen eine die Burka oder den Niqab tragende Frau vorginge. Und doch wird über ein Verbot dieser Ganzkörperschleier in Frankreich derzeit diskutiert. Dabei steht weniger ein allgemeines Verbot im Vordergrund als eine Einschränkung dort, wo der Bürger mit dem Staat in direkten Kontakt tritt. Es geht nicht einfach darum, ein in der Öffentlichkeit seltenes, unerwünschtes Kleidungsstück zu verbannen, sondern darum, einem emanzipatorischen Freiheitsrecht Ausdruck zu verleihen. >>> Manfred Rist, Paris | Freitag, 19. Februar 2010

L'ambassadeur américain convoqué à Pékin
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: VISITE DU DALAÏ LAMA | L'ambassadeur américain en Chine a été convoqué vendredi pour se voir remettre une protestation formelle après la rencontre jeudi entre le président américain Barack Obama et le dalaï lama.

"Le vice-ministre des Affaires étrangères Cui Tiankai a convoqué l'ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en Chine Jon Huntsman et a émis une protestation formelle concernant la rencontre entre le président Barack Obama et le dalaï lama", a affirmé Chine Nouvelle. L'agence officielle rappelle que la rencontre s'est tenue "malgré l'opposition ferme et répétée de la Chine". >>> ATS | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

Les Américains expriment leurs doutes sur Obama
LE FIGARO: Pour la première fois, un sondage indique que le président ne serait pas réélu aujourd'hui.

Cruelle désillusion pour Barack Obama : pour la première fois depuis son arrivée à la Maison-Blanche, un sondage CNN/Opinion Poll Research indique que la majorité des Américains ne le réélirait pas si la présidentielle avait lieu aujourd'hui. Il ne remporterait que 44% des voix, et 52% voteraient pour un autre candidat.

L'euphorie de novembre 2008 est déjà un lointain souvenir. Un an après le plan de relance à 787 milliards de dollars censé sortir l'Amérique de la crise, mais qui n'a pas eu les effets escomptés sur l'emploi, le président peine à convaincre. Un sondage unique portant seulement sur 954 électeurs enregistrés a une portée limitée. Selon les dernières enquêtes d'opinion Washington Post-ABC et Gallup, le taux d'approbation du président était encore à 51-52%. Mais ce capital de confiance ne cesse de se réduire, en particulier en ce qui concerne l'économie, alors que le taux de chômage atteint 9,7%. >>> Adèle Smith | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

Pakistan Fashion Week Pushes Back Boundaries
TIMES ONLINE: A call to prayer echoed over the red carpet. The celebrity guests and socialites of Lahore lifted their diamante stilettos through the scarlet pile, careful not to trip as they showed lipsticked smiles – and bare shoulders – to the flashing camera bulbs.

Pakistan’s first Government-endorsed fashion week finishes today. There is hope that with it will disappear decades of the Government repression that had previously forced the scene underground.

“We have seen the fashion world in Pakistan evolve in recent years,” said Aamna Isani, a freelance fashion writer. “Ten years ago we weren’t allowed to say the word 'fashion’. We had to go for a ‘cultural event’ with clothes.”

Today, the Ministry of Commerce supports the festival, the Pakistan Fashion Design Council is Government-recognised, and even Pakistani TV crews happily meet gleaming and unveiled faces.

A triumph for young liberals, the event was also a red rag to those who protect conservative Islamic values with an iron fist. Inter Services Intelligence and the bomb squad were standing by to keep out haute couture’s uninvited guests. >>> Mary Bowers, Lahore | Friday, February 19, 2010

Pope Approves Mary MacKillop as Australia's First Saint
THE TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI has approved Mary MacKillop as Australia's first saint.

A painting of Australian nun Mary MacKillop. MacKillop. Photo: The Telegraph
The rebellious nun who was revered for her work with children is to become Australia's first Roman Catholic saint on October 17, the Pope said on Friday.

In December, Benedict recognised a miracle in which MacKillop apparently cured a woman of cancer, paving the way for the canonisation of a nun who is already a national icon in Australia. >>> | Friday, February 19, 2010

Indian Women Banned from Keeping Husband's Name after Divorce
THE TELEGRAPH: Indian women will not be allowed to use their husband's surnames after divorce to prevent them from bringing shame on their family, an India high court has ruled.

Its ruling was made in a case where a woman who divorced her police inspector husband four years ago but kept his name and brought shame on it through a series of public brawls.

She also used the family's association with the police for personal advantage. >>> Dean Nelson in New Delhi | Friday, February 19, 2010

Swiss Prostitutes Trained to Use Defibrillators in Brothels to Prevent Clients Dying
THE TELEGRAPH: Swiss prostitutes are being trained to use defibrillators to prevent clients with heart problems from dying on them, it has emerged.

Brothel owners in the Lugano area say electric shock treatment to restart customer's hearts is needed because so many elderly customers are using their services.

The most recent victim was a pensioner, thought to be having fun with the help of anti-impotence medication.

His death followed a series of other incidents, some fatal, in which heart attacks have claimed brothel customers in the area.

The owner of one sex club said: "Having customers die on us isn't exactly good publicity". >>> | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Studying History Is Vital - There Are Obvious Lessons for David Cameron
THE TELEGRAPH: Churchill and Thatcher had to win elections to rescue Britain’s economy and values, says Jeff Randall.

As part of its drive towards the lowest common denominator in education, Labour has allowed the teaching of history to vanish from the curriculum at many state schools. Thousands of pupils drop the subject at 13, and only three in 10 fifth-formers take it at GCSE.

The thinking behind this classroom vandalism is that history, along with pure sciences and foreign languages, is a “hard” subject, much more likely to be failed than less academic courses, such as leisure and tourism.

Under a regime that focuses on quotas rather than quality, little Johnny at the bog-standard comprehensive is encouraged to play the soft-option system. He gains a fistful of qualifications, but ends up knowing nothing of the past and can barely write a note to the milkman.

This is a shame. History has much to teach us in today’s financial crisis, not least that we have been here before in one form or another. The economy is in a mess, government spending is out of control, and our currency is being devalued. Desperate ministers, fearing disaster at the polls, seek to denigrate opponents by labelling them “toffs”.

Put another way: “Our finances have been brought into grave disorder. No British Government in peace time has ever had the power or spent the money in the vast extent and reckless manner of our current rulers... no community living in a world of competing nations can possibly afford such frantic extravagances... the evils which we suffer today are the inevitable progeny of that wanton way of living.”

This analysis, crisp and incontrovertible, could have been penned last week by David Cameron to sum up Gordon Brown’s shambles. It comes, however, not from the current Tory leader but Winston Churchill in the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the general election of 1951. Much has changed since then, yet the immediate political challenge facing Mr Cameron is not dissimilar to the task Churchill confronted 59 years ago. >>> Jeff Randall | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Plainte contre le Quick halal
leJDD.fr: Beaucoup de bruit pour un hamburger halal. La ville de Roubaix a décidé de porter de plainte pour "discrimination" contre la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick, qui expérimente, notamment dans la ville du Nord, des restaurants servant uniquement des produits répondant aux rites d'abattage musulmans.

Le hamburger halal est dur à avaler pour la ville de Roubaix qui, après un début de polémique, a décidé de porter plainte. La décision de la chaîne de restauration rapide Quick de vendre exclusivement de la nourriture halal dans huit de ses 350 restaurants français, dans le cadre d'une "expérimentation", est fortement critiquée par la mairie roubaisienne, qui héberge un restaurant uniquement halal. Elle s'estime lésée et a déposé plainte auprès du procureur pour "discrimination", a déclaré à l'agence de presse Reuters, jeudi, son avocat Franck Berton. Ce dernier explique qu'il y a un problème juridique car la société a choisi, à ses yeux, de manière discriminatoire les huit sites pour ses restaurants halal, car ils concernent des lieux où la population musulmane est importante. Le porc y est remplacé par de la dinde et le reste de la viande est conforme aux rites d'abattage musulmans. >>> V.V. (avec Reuters) | Jeudi 18 Février 2010

Britain at Risk of Worse Deficit Crisis Than Greece
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain is at risk of a Govenment deficit crisis worse than that of Greece, sparking serious fears over the economic stability of the country.

In surprise news which sent the pound sliding on Thursday, official figures showed that the Government borrowed £4.3 billion last month.

It was the first time since 1993 that the public finances had gone into the red in January – a month in which tax revenues usually push the Exchequer into the black.

Economists said that the scale of the shortfall in the budget could this year mount to above £180 billion – higher than even the Chancellor’s forecast of a record £178 billion.

Such a deficit would, at 12.8 per cent of British gross domestic product, be even greater than the deficit faced in Greece, which is facing a full-scale fiscal crisis and may need to be bailed out by fellow euro nations or the International Monetary Fund. >>> Edmund Conway and James Kirkup | Thursday, February 18, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: On borrowed time: shock deficit threatens UK recovery >>> Francis Elliott and Gráinne Gilmore | Thursday, February 18, 2010

Yusuf Estes: This Guy Is Somethin’ Else!

Saudi 'Prince' Charged with Murdering His 'Aide' at London Landmark Hotel
THE TELEGRAPH: A member of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family has been charged with murdering his aide at the five-star Landmark hotel in London, Scotland Yard said.

Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Nasir Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 33, is accused of killing Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz earlier this week.

He is also accused of committing grievous bodily harm on him, police said.

A post-mortem examination found Abdullah Abdulaziz was strangled and had also suffered head injuries.

Mr Abdulaziz was found dead at the five-star Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, central London. >>> Andrew Hough | Thursday, February 18, 2010