Saturday, March 06, 2010
LE TEMPS: Entre les exigences de Bruxelles pour qu’il prenne des mesures d’austérité drastiques et l’inquiétude de l’opinion, le premier ministre socialiste a une marge de manœuvre bien réduite
Le ciel politique du flamboyant premier ministre, José Socrates, est empli de nuages menaçants. Au lendemain d’une grève des fonctionnaires – suivie jeudi à 80% –, et alors que Bruxelles exige de lui des mesures drastiques pour réduire le déficit public, la situation du leader socialiste est devenue difficilement tenable. Car, non seulement José Socrates va devoir annoncer d’ici peu des réformes très impopulaires (réduction des dépenses de santé, gel des salaires de la fonction publique, baisse des indemnités chômage…), mais il fait face à une série de scandales économico-médiatiques dans lesquels il serait impliqué.
Enquête parlementaire
La semaine prochaine, une commission d’enquête parlementaire sera constituée pour faire la vérité sur son rôle dans le rachat de la télévision privée TVI – l’une des deux plus importantes – par Portugal Telecom, le géant des télécommunications du pays, sous contrôle gouvernemental. Pour la première fois depuis le retour de la démocratie en 1974, un chef de l’exécutif sera appelé à comparaître personnellement dans une affaire qui pourrait le forcer à la démission. >>> François Musseau | Samedi 06 Mars 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Strategic partnership at risk despite Barack Obama's attempts to stop Congress resolution
Turkey has threatened to downgrade its strategic relationship with the US amid nationalist anger over a vote in the US Congress that defined the mass killings of Armenians during the first world war as genocide.
Barack Obama's administration, which regards Turkey as an important ally, was today desperately seeking to defuse the row. It expressed its frustration with the House of Representatives' foreign affairs committee, which voted 23-22 yesterday in favour of a resolution labelling the 1915 massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians a "genocide".
A furious Turkey may now deny the US access to the Incirlik air base, a staging post for Iraq, as it did at the time of the 2003 invasion, or withdraw its sizeable troop contribution to the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
On the diplomatic front, the US needs the support of Turkey, which has a seat on the UN security council, in the push for sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. Turkey is also helpful to the US on a host of other diplomatic issues in the Middle East and central Asia.
The White House and state department began work today to try to prevent the controversial issue making its way to the floor of the house for a full vote. >>> Robert Tait in Istanbul and Ewen MacAskill in Washington | Friday, March 05, 2010
If the Swiss adopt this stupid measure, then they will ALL be ready for admittance to the Bürghölzli in Zürich forthwith! Sicherlich können die Schweizer nicht recht bei Trost sein! Perhaps Colonel Ghadhafi was right all along. It could be that this really is the land of the infidel! They certainly don’t have enough serious things to think about, or else they wouldn’t come up with nonsense like this! Think about this: Goldfish are given more rights in Switzerland than homosexuals are in Muslim countries! Now that's something to ponder over. – © Mark
TIMES ONLINE: There is no better place than Switzerland to be a chicken. Or a hamster. Or even — though the jury is still out on this — a goldfish.
The reason is that the country has an extraordinary set of animal protection laws that closely define the obligations of pet owners and farmers.
Now it is about to go a step farther [sic]: a national referendum tomorrow will decide whether to allow animals official legal representation.
The canton of Zurich already has an animal advocate, Antoine Goetschel, a kind of courtroom Dr Dolittle who, for the past two years, has been fighting the corner for flogged horses, depressed Dalmatians and tortured fish.A “yes” vote will place publicly funded animal welfare lawyers, like Mr Goetschel, across the country. “Then I think the Government should create some form of academy or educational forum for animal barristers,” Mr Goetschel said. “These are not skills learnt at law school.”
The tricky issues facing these new Rumpoles of the barnyard came to a head a fortnight ago in one of Mr Goetschel’s most toughly fought cases.
An angler on Lake Zurich landed a 22lb (10kg) perch after, as he subsequently bragged to a local paper, a ten-minute fight. Zurich citizens complained and the state prosecutor passed the case to Mr Goetschel, who had to determine how long an angler can struggle to land a fish before it becomes an act of cruelty. Fish-rights supporters opened a Facebook page for the dead perch — 6,000 “friends” made it probably Europe’s most popular fish — while the anglers argued fiercely that the fish felt no pain.
Mr Goetschel did not win the case. >>> Roger Boyes | Saturday, March 06, 2010
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nach der Entscheidung des Auswärtigen Ausschuss des amerikanischen Repräsentantenhauses, den osmanischen Massenmord an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915 als „Völkermord“ einzustufen, hat der türkische Außenminister Ahmet Davutoglu am Freitag vor einer Verschlechterung der Beziehungen zwischen seinem Land und den Vereinigten Staaten gewarnt. Davutoglu bezeichnete die Entscheidung als Beleg für mangelnde strategische Weitsicht in Washington und fügte sinngemäß hinzu, Ankara erwarte, dass Präsident Obama dagegen vorgehe. Andernfalls sei der Ausblick (auf die Beziehungen zwischen beiden Ländern) „nicht positiv“, sagte Davutoglu.
Die Türkei werde den im vergangenen Jahr begonnenen Annäherungsprozess an Armenien fortsetzen, sich dabei aber nicht unter Druck setzen lassen: „Wir sind entschlossen, die Verhandlungen über eine Normalisierung der Beziehungen mit Armenien voranzutreiben“, wurde Davutoglu am Freitag zitiert. Allerdings gefährde die Entscheidung des Auswärtigen Ausschusses die Ratifikation der Protokolle über die armenische Annäherung durch das Parlament, sagte der Außenminister weiter.
Die Türkei und Armenien hatten sich im April 2009 unter Vermittlung der Schweiz auf eine Normalisierung ihrer Beziehungen geeinigt. Im Oktober vergangenen Jahres unterzeichneten Ankara und Eriwan ein Protokoll über die Aufnahme diplomatischer Beziehungen sowie über die Öffnung der seit 1993 geschlossenen Grenze zwischen den Ländern. >>> FAZ.NET mit tens., rüb., Reuters, dpa | Samstag 06 März 2010
LE MONDE: Les Canadiens ont certes goûté à la crise, avec des effets à long terme sur les finances publiques, mais leur pays, qui a émergé de la récession au troisième trimestre 2009, a affiché une croissance de 5 % au quatrième et conserve une bonne longueur d'avance sur ses collègues du G7. Le ministre des finances canadien, Jim Flaherty, s'est vanté de cette place en présentant, jeudi 4 mars, son cinquième budget, qui donne "priorité absolue" à un plan de relance de 46 milliards de dollars canadiens, (près de 33 milliards d'euros) dont 19 milliards restants pour 2010.
Contrairement à son voisin états-unien, le Canada a conservé un secteur financier robuste (qui a traversé la crise sans aide étatique et en accumulant des profits) et une demande intérieure soutenue qui a compensé, en partie, une baisse de 14 % des exportations en 2009. Pour l'avenir, M. Flaherty table sur une reprise mondiale pour conserver au Canada sa place de leader du G7 en matière de croissance. >>> Anne Pelouas, Montréal (Canada) Correspondance | Vendredi 05 Mars 2010
LE MONDE: La secrétaire d'Etat américaine Hillary Clinton a déclaré, vendredi 5 mars, que l'administration américaine allait "travailler très dur" pour bloquer le vote au Congrès d'une résolution qualifiant de "génocide" les massacres d'Arméniens sous l'Empire ottoman. Les propos de Mme Clinton se veulent conciliants envers la Turquie, qui avait appelé Washington à bloquer cette résolution.
Les responsables turcs ont déclaré qu'une adoption de ce texte aurait des conséquences négatives non seulement sur les relations entre Ankara et Washington, mais également sur le processus de réconciliation avec l'Arménie.
"Nous espérons que les relations turco-américaines ne serons pas soumises à une nouvelle épreuve. Sinon, les perspectives auxquelles nous allons être confrontés ne vont pas être positives", a souligné le ministre des affaires étrangères turc, Ahmet Davutoglu, évoquant une "affaire d'honneur national". >>> LeMonde.fr avec AFP | Vendredi 05 Mars 2010
lePARISIEN.fr: La Grèce a adopté vendredi son plan de rigueur alors que le pays était quasiment paralysé par des grèves et des manifestations, dont l'une à Athènes marquée par de violents affrontements entre policiers et jeunes.
Le projet de loi intitulé «Mesures d'urgence pour faire face à la crise financière» a été adopté au cours d'une procédure parlementaire d'urgence.
Visant à rassurer les marchés et stabiliser la zone euro - fragilisée par cette crise exceptionnelle - ce plan d'austérité comprend notamment des coupes salariales pour les fonctionnaires, le gel des retraites du secteur privé et public ainsi qu'une hausse des deux points de la TVA, à 21%. Objectif : 4,8 milliards d'euros d'économie pour réduire le déficit public de 4 points à 8,7% de PIB cette année. >>> Leparisien.fr | Vendredi 05 Mars 2010
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: BERLIN | La chancelière allemande a fait cette déclaration à l'issue d'une rencontre avec le Premier ministre grec Georges Papandréou à Berlin.
La chancelière allemande Angela Merkel a estimé vendredi après une rencontre avec le Premier ministre grec Georges Papandréou à Berlin que la Grèce n'avait actuellement pas besoin d'aide financière et que la stabilité de la zone euro était "assurée". "La Grèce n'a pas demandé d'aide financière", a déclaré la chancelière lors d'une conférence de presse commune.
"La stabilité de la zone euro est assurée. Le résultat est que la question (d'une aide financière à la Grèce) n'est pas posée (....) Je suis même optimiste (et pense ) qu'elle ne sera pas posée." >>> AFP | Vendredi 05 Mars 2010
Related:
Son of Hamas Leader: Hamas Atrocities Led Me to Convert >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010
The Terrible Truth About Hamas >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010
’Son of Hama’ Who Spied for Israel >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010
L’EXPRESS.fr: Une collection de témoignages et d'autoportraits décrivent la situation des gays dans des pays où leur sexualité est considérée comme un crime. Un livre utile et poignant.
En Algérie, ils risquent deux ans de prison. En Irak, des chefs religieux ont envoyé des escadrons de la mort pour les tuer par dizaines. Aux Maldives et en Malaisie, leur emprisonnement peut être assorti de coups de fouet. En Jamaïque, ils encourent dix ans de travaux forcés et au Yémen, la peine de mort par lapidation... S'il s'agissait d'une minorité religieuse ou ethnique, leur sort mobiliserait sans doute davantage. Mais la répression des homosexuels dans de nombreux pays du monde, puisque c'est de cela qu'il s'agit, passe souvent inaperçue dans nos démocraties développées. Pis, quand elle est identifiée et reconnue, elle provoque un sourire ou un haussement d'épaules.
Dans un livre passionnant qui vient de paraître (1), Philippe Castetbon aborde le sujet de front. Journaliste et photographe, il a contacté des gays sur tous les continents, dans les quelque 80 Etats où les relations entre femmes ou entre hommes sont condamnés par la loi. A une cinquantaine d'entre eux – un par pays – il a demandé une photo de leur visage caché, ainsi qu'un récit personnel. >>> Par Marc Epstein | Mercredi 03 Mars 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The 12-year-old son of the Azerbaijan president has gone on a multi-million pound property spending spree, buying up a series of luxury Dubai waterfront mansions.
Heydar Aliyev, the son of Ilham Aliyev, the oil-rich country’s president, allegedly spent almost £30 million (US$44 million) on nine waterfront mansions in the southern Gulf emirate earlier this year, reports said.
The boy, who was 11 at the time, made the purchase in the Palm Jumeirah development over two weeks, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
Heydar’s name and his date of birth appeared on Dubai Land Department records, which were obtained by the paper.
The details listed on the property records were the same as those of the son of the former Soviet Republic’s president, whose annual salary is about £150,000 ($228,000).
The purchases are about the equivalent to 10,000 years' worth of salary for the average citizen of the country. >>> Andrew Hough | Friday, March 05, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: A German tabloid has advised Greeks to adopt a more Germanic work ethic – by rising earlier and working harder – in order to solve the country's financial crisis.
On Thursday, two German politicians told their Greek counterparts that the country should sell off its assets – art, historic buildings and islands – before accepting international aid.
George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, was dispatched abroad, to seek the help of European leaders including Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, in addressing the country's mounting debt.
But Germany's Bild tabloid had another suggestion, calling on Greek citizens to adopt a more Germanic work ethic in an open letter to Mr Papandreou. Dear Mr Prime Minister, >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Prince Bernhard, the father of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, was a member of the Nazi party, a new book has claimed, contracting the German-born Dutch war hero's life-long denials.
"Bernhard, a secret history" has revealed that the prince was a member of the German Nazi party until 1934, three years before he married Princess Juliana, the future queen of the Netherlands.
Annejet van der Zijl, a Dutch historian, has found membership documents in Berlin's Humboldt University that prove Prince Bernhard, who studied there, had joined Deutsche Studentenschaft, a National Socialist student fraternity, as well as the Nazi NSDAP and its paramilitary wing, the Sturmabteilung.
He left all the groups on leaving university in December 1934, when he went to work for the German chemical giant, IG Farben. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Friday, March 05, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Dutch far right politician, who was last year banned from the UK, said film showing was a 'victory for freedom of speech'
The controversial far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders appeared at the House of Lords today to screen an anti-Islam film and denounce the religion as "totalitarian" and incompatible with democracy.
The visit, which was originally planned for last year, sparked demonstrations from anti-fascists and a show of support from the far-right English Defence League.
Wilders, 46, who leads the Freedom party, was banned from the UK when Jacqui Smith was home secretary. She said his presence had the potential to "threaten community harmony and therefore public safety".
Wilders succeeded in getting the ban overturned and told a press conference that he had screened his film in the Lords and discussed it afterwards in what he termed a "victory for freedom of speech".
"I had to debate with people who disagreed with me and people who agreed with me," he said.
Wilders said he had "nothing against Muslims whatsoever" but Islam was a "totalitarian religion".
"Islamism and democracy are incompatible. The more Islam we have, the more freedom we will lose and this is something worth fighting for."
Wilders, whose film describes the Koran as a fascist book, has received death threats for denouncing Islam and has been under close protection for more than five years.
This afternoon he repeated the views that have angered Muslims in Europe and across the globe, saying Islam was a "fascist ideology", "a violent and dangerous religion and a retarded culture".
Wilders, who visited the Lords at the invitation of the UK Independence party leader Lord Pearson and the crossbencher Baroness Cox, said: "Cultural relativism is the greatest disease we face in Europe today."
Lord Pearson said that while he and Wilders – "a very great man" – agreed on many things he did not support his Dutch colleague's desire for the Koran to be outlawed.
"If Geert is still calling for the Koran to be banned like Mein Kampf then I would not agree with him," he said. "[But] the Koran should be very much more discussed among the Muslim community."
When Wilders was asked whether he would engage with Muslims who reinterpreted their holy book in a manner more compatible with his views, he replied: "If you tear the hateful passages out of the Koran, you would get Donald Duck."
In any case, he said, Muslims would never abandon the text of what he called "a terrible book". >>> Sam Jones | Friday, March 05, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: In pictures: Protests for and against the visit of Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010
MY ESSAY: Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom >>> Mark Alexander | Friday, April 20, 2007
WIKIPEDIA: The principality of Asturias / Principado de Asturias >>>
BASLER ZEITUNG: Eine Umfrage überrascht nicht nur die dänische Königin Margrethe: Sie soll ihrem ältesten Sohn, Kronprinz Frederik, Platz machen.
Eine knappe Mehrheit der Dänen wünscht die Abdankung von Königin Margrethe II. zu ihrem 70. Geburtstag in gut zwei Monaten. Dieses überraschende Ergebnis hat eine Umfrage des Capacent-Institutes für Danmarks Radio ergeben. >>> vin/sda | Freitag, 05. März 2010
WELT ONLINE: Damit Griechenland aus den Schulden rauskommt, haben Politiker von CDU und FDP den Verkauf von unbewohnten griechischen Inseln gefordert. Die Empörung ist groß, denn die Griechen denken an die deutsche Besatzung während des Zweiten Weltkrieges zurück. Angela Merkel soll sich jetzt für die Idee entschuldigen.
Politiker von CDU und FDP haben Griechenland aufgefordert, zur Bewältigung der Schuldenkrise unbewohnte Inseln zu verkaufen – und damit für Empörung gesorgt. Der Vorsitzende der CDU- Mittelstandsvereinigung, Josef Schlarmann, sagte der „Bild“-Zeitung, Griechenland besitze Gebäude, Firmen und unbewohnte Inseln, die zur Schuldentilgung eingesetzt werden könnten.
„Ein Bankrotteur muss alles, was er hat, zu Geld machen, um seine Gläubiger zu bedienen.“ Der FDP-Finanzexperte Frank Schäffler sagte:
„Der griechische Staat muss sich radikal von Beteiligungen an Firmen trennen und auch Grundbesitz, zum Beispiel unbewohnte Inseln, verkaufen.“Der Linken-Vorsitzende Lothar Bisky forderte von Kanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) eine Entschuldigung für den Vorstoß. „Die Herren von Union und FDP haben wohl vergessen, wer zuletzt den Versuch gemacht hat, griechische Inseln zu erobern. So ein Vorschlag aus Deutschland ruft bei vielen Menschen in Griechenland entsetzliche Erinnerungen auf“, kritisierte Bisky.
Deutschland hatte Griechenland im Zweiten Weltkrieg besetzt. Deutsche Soldaten verübten damals Massaker unter der Zivilbevölkerung. Bisky forderte nun, Merkel solle sich öffentlich bei Griechenlands Regierungschef Giorgos Papandreou entschuldigen. Merkel trifft Papandreou am Freitag in Berlin. >>> dpa/afp/jm | Donnerstag, 04. März 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Die Polizei in Jerusalem hat eine Kundgebung muslimischer Demonstranten am Tempelberg gewaltsam aufgelöst. Dabei wurden mindestens 50 Demonstranten und Polizisten verletzt, die meisten von ihnen leicht.
Ein Polizeisprecher sagte, die Sicherheitskräfte seien eingeschritten, als Steine gegen jüdische Gläubige an der Klagemauer am Fusse des Tempelberges geworfen worden seien. Die Gläubigen seien in Sicherheit gebracht worden. Nach Diskussionen mit der Behörde für muslimische Kulturgüter habe sich die Polizei schliesslich zurückgezogen.
Der Sprecher wies Berichte zurück, wonach die Polizei die Aksa-Moschee auf dem Tempelberg gestürmt habe. Die Moschee ist das drittwichtigste islamische Heiligtum nach Mekka und Medina.
Später kam es im muslimischen Viertel der Jerusalemer Altstadt zu weiteren Zusammenstössen. Auch aus dem Viertel Ras al-Amud in Ost-Jerusalem wurden Zwischenfälle gemeldet. >>> sda/afp/dpa | Freitag, 05. März 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Unmittelbar vor einem Krisentreffen in Berlin mit dem griechischen Regierungschef Papandreou hat das Parlament in Athen das milliardenschwere Sparpaket gebilligt. Bei einer Protestkundgebung vor dem Parlamentsgebäude kam es zu schweren Zusammenstössen.
Nach den Krawallen vor dem Parlament sprachen Beobachter vom heftigsten Ausbruch der Gewalt in Griechenland seit den Jugendunruhen von 2008. Damit gerät die griechische Regierung nicht nur finanziell, sondern auch innenpolitisch unter wachsenden Druck. Massiver Druck der EU >>> ddp | Freitag, 05. März 2010
WELT ONLINE: Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) will Spekulanten das Handwerk legen, die mit den Problemen Griechenlands Geld verdienen. Nach einem Treffen mit dem griechischen Premier Giorgos Papandreou lobt Merkel dessen Sparprogramm. Als erste Hilfe für den verschuldeten Staat gibt es eine neue Kommission.
Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) hat das Milliarden-Sparprogramm der griechischen Regierung als außerordentlich wichtigen Schritt begrüßt. Zugleich kündigte sie schärfere Maßnahmen gegen Spekulanten an den Märkten an.
Man habe mit Freude zur Kenntnis genommen worden, dass die griechische Regierung und das Parlament in Athen weiterführende Maßnahmen beschlossen hätten, sagte Merkel nach einem Gespräch mit dem griechischen Premierminister Giorgos Papandreou in Berlin. Dies sei ein wichtiger Schritt.
Merkel sprach sich für Maßnahmen gegen Spekulanten aus, die von der Krise in Griechenland profitieren. „Wir müssen es schaffen, den Spekulanten das Handwerk zu legen“, sagte die Bundeskanzlerin. Dies sei ein schwieriger Prozess. „Die Politik hat aber das Primat.“ >>> dpa/Reuters/oht | Freitag, 05. März 2010
TIMES ONLINE: The storm over Baroness Ashton of Upholland’s faltering start as Europe’s top diplomat intensified yesterday when she was sent a letter on how to do her job — from David Miliband, the man whom many favoured for the post.
Lady Ashton, who was plucked from relative obscurity to represent the EU, was warned by the Foreign Secretary that she risked losing a Brussels power struggle over the scope of her empire.
Mr Miliband, adopting a lecturing tone, expressed concern over infighting between European institutions, warned that the Commission may try to take control of large parts of the fledgeling foreign service and urged her to expand EU missions in capitals such as Delhi, Islamabad, Beijing and Brasilia. >>> David Charter, Brussels | Friday, March 05, 2010
TIMES ONLINE: Should Carla Bruni have worn a bra? : France’s First Lady has divided opinion by hosting a state dinner wearing a tight Roland Mouret dress and no underwire [spelling deliberate, I assume] >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: A U.S. congressional committee approved a resolution condemning the 1915 slaughter of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, rejecting a last-minute Obama administration effort to derail it and putting a chill on relations with Turkey.
The House panel's resolution, approved on a 23-22 vote, faces an uncertain future in Congress. But it nonetheless could damage U.S. relations with Turkey, a vital ally in the Middle East and Central Asia. Within minutes of the vote, Ankara said it was recalling its ambassador from Washington for consultations. Turkey took the same step in 2007, when the committee passed a similar resolution.
Thursday's vote also raised concerns for big U.S. defense firms including Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co., Raytheon Co., United Technologies Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. Turkey is involved in several weapons projects with such companies, including helicopters, missiles and the F-35 fighter jet, and the companies are worried about losing business.
The vote was carried live on most Turkish television and radio news channels and was seen as a significant blow to Turkey's already limping attempt at rapprochement with Armenia.
Armenians say as many as 1.5 million ethnic Armenians were killed in 1915 during the dying days of the Ottoman Empire in what they consider a precursor to the Jewish holocaust. Many historians agree that the executions and mass deportations into deserts amounted to genocide. Turkey argues the death toll was lower, and many Turks contend the deaths were a result of civil war stirred up by World War I opponents such as Russia, and included atrocities on both sides. >>> John D. McKinnon and Marc Champion | Thursday, March 04, 2010
Related:
US Labels Turkish Killing 'Genocide' >>> | Thursday, March 04, 2010
Here is the transcript in Arabic (العربية) and here it is in English.
TIMES ONLINE: The Dutch anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders arrives in Britain today on the crest of an electoral triumph that could mean him entering government in a matter of months.
Mr Wilders’s Freedom Party made big gains in Dutch local elections this week, widely regarded as a dress rehearsal for the national poll on June 9.
He has been invited to the House of Lords by Lord Pearson of Rannoch, the UKIP leader, to show his controversial film Fitna. This has already provoked widespread anger for its crude juxtaposition of extremist atrocities, such as beheadings and the 9/11 attacks, with verses from the Koran.
The Freedom Party, founded by Mr Wilders in 2005, won in the town of Almere, near Amsterdam, and came second in The Hague, the only two places in which it fielded a candidate out of 394 cities and towns, aiming for maximum impact with minimum campaigning.
Opinion polls show Mr Wilders vying for the national lead with the Christian Democrats, whose coalition Government collapsed last month after the Labour Party walked out in a row over keeping Dutch troops in Afghanistan. >>> David Charter, Europe Correspondent | Friday, March 05, 2010
Uploaded by groepwilders. - Up-to-the minute news videos.
BBC: For Mosab Hassan Yousef, everything begins and ends with God.
The startling journey of the eldest son of a Hamas leader, a Christian convert, and former Israeli spy, has shocked, angered, and intrigued.
We meet in New York on the day his new book, Son of Hamas, is published in the country he fled to a few years ago.
Before we start our interview, a burly man in his entourage asks his own question.
I take him for a bodyguard, possibly an Israeli. "Could we say our prayers first?" he asks our BBC team.
And then, they bow their heads in Christian prayer asking for God's blessing.
Green Prince
Mosab Hassan Yousef repeatedly makes it clear in our wide-ranging interview that he now sees himself walking in the path of Jesus Christ, whom devout Christians regard as the son of God.
He says he is also suffering for his beliefs, "carrying the cross," as Jesus did, as told in the Bible.
The man whose Israeli code name became the Green Prince admits how he has gone from being "a prince in my country to the lowest possible level, of being a traitor".
But he is still a man on a mission: "I want my people to understand I am not doing what they want, but what they need."
His book tells the story of a young man raised in a strict Muslim family in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in the folds of the Hamas movement.
But he lands in an Israeli prison before he is 20, experiences Israeli torture, but also witnesses torture by Hamas inmates against other Palestinians.
A young Palestinian's rage against Israeli occupation is soon matched by growing hatred of what he sees as the corruption of the Palestinian Authority, the violent ideology of Hamas and finally the precepts of his own Islamic faith.
His mood is still surprisingly upbeat.
"I am more optimistic than at any time in the past, and hopeful about the future. I am sure I will help my people as I helped them in the past, even though they didn't appreciate it."
But he expressed hope that one day they would, even if it was not in his own lifetime. Read on (with video and audio) >>> Lyse Doucet, BBC News, New York | Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Mosab Hassan Yousef on Facebook >>>
THE TELEGRAPH: One of Pope Benedict's ceremonial ushers and a member of an elite choir in St Peter's Basilica have been implicated in a gay prostitution ring, in the latest sexual scandal to taint the Vatican.
Ghinedu Ehiem, a Nigerian, was dismissed by the Vatican from a prestigious choir after his name appeared in transcripts of police wiretaps.
In the wiretaps, Mr Eheim is allegedly heard negotiating over the procurement of male prostitutes.
The wiretaps were carried out in connection with a probe into corruption in contracts to build public works, including the planned venue in Sardinia of last year's G8 summit.
Among four people arrested last month in the corruption probe was Angelo Balducci, an engineer who is a board member of Italy's public works department and a construction consultant to the Vatican.
Balducci is also a member of an elite group called "Gentlemen of His Holiness" – ushers who are called to serve in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on major occasions such as when the pope receives heads of state or presides at big events.
Balducci was arrested on corruption charges and the allegations of prostitution emerged only later.
Excerpts of the wiretaps and police documents published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica showed that Ehiem, 40, had been in regular contact with Balducci before Balducci's arrest last month and the subject of their conversation was gay sex. >>> | Friday, March 05, 2010
BBC: A party that calls Islam a backward religion, wants a ban on headscarves in public life and has compared the Koran to Hitler's Mein Kampf has made major gains in local elections in the Netherlands.
Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) has become the biggest party in the medium-sized city of Almere, and the second biggest in the political capital of the Netherlands, The Hague.
Mr Wilders was visibly buoyed by the results, but was also combative in his reaction, and called the results the first step in the upcoming campaign for parliamentary elections.
"The national campaign begins today. Today, in Almere and The Hague, tomorrow in all of the Netherlands… On 9 June, we'll conquer the Netherlands," he said.
The question remains whether the party will be able to join local government in those two cities. Dutch politics features a plethora of parties, and compromise is necessary to form coalitions.
Geert Wilders has said his party is ready to find the middle ground, but now he will be tested. Other Dutch parties are loath to work together with the PVV because of its outspoken standpoints. >>> John Tyler, Radio Netherlands Worldwide | Thursday, March 04, 2010
Thursday, March 04, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Libya said its leader Colonel Gaddafi's call for "jihad" against Switzerland was not a reference to armed struggle.
Ali Aujali, Libya's ambassador to the United States, said: "It is a call for (an) economic and commercial boycott against Switzerland, this is true, but it doesn't mean by any means that it is an armed struggle."
On Feb 25, Col Gaddafi called for a "jihad" against Switzerland, branding it an infidel state that was destroying mosques – an apparent reference to a Swiss referendum in favour of banning the construction of minarets.
But Mr Aujali said that Tripoli still expects an apology for US criticism of his remarks.
Asked about the Libyan leader's "jihad" comment, State Department spokesman P J Crowley last month responded dismissively and drew a parallel to Col Gaddafi's one hour and 35 minute address to the United Nations last year.
"It just brought me back to a day in September, one of the more memorable sessions of the UN General Assembly that I can recall – lots of words and lots of papers flying all over the place, not necessarily a lot of sense," Mr Crowley said.
Mr Crowley has since said his comment was not meant as a personal attack but has refused to apologise outright, a stance that did not satisfy Libya. >>> | Thursday, March 04, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey has recalled their ambassador to Washington after a US congress panel voted to label the World War One-era killing of Armenians as genocide.
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan said he was seriously concerned that the resolution would harm ties between the US and Turkey, and the ambassador was being recalled for consultations.
The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee voted to label as "genocide" the massacre of Armenians by Turkish forces, despite pressure from the Obama administration and Turkey to drop the matter.
But it was unclear whether the measure will get a floor vote.
It calls on President Barack Obama to ensure US policy formally refers to the massacre as genocide, putting him in a tight spot.
On the one side is Nato ally Turkey, which rejects calling the events genocide.
On the other side is an important US Armenian-American constituency and their backers in Congress ahead of congressional elections in November.
Turkey had warned its ties with the United States would be damaged and Ankara's efforts to normalise relations with Armenia could be harmed if the resolution were approved.
"We highly appreciate the decision," Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.
"This is further proof of the devotion of the American people to universal human values and is an important step towards the prevention of crimes against humanity." >>> | Thursday, March 04, 2010
LE TEMPS: Les syndicats se mobilisaient jeudi contre le plan d’économies de 4,8 milliards d’euros décidé par la Grèce pour mettre fin à sa dérive budgétaire qui a placé la population en état de choc et alimente des craintes de récession prolongée
L’annonce des mesures décidées par le gouvernement socialiste a été reçue comme «un choc», «un électrochoc» par l’ensemble de la société, «c’est la fin d’une époque», a affirmé jeudi la presse grecque. Les partis, les syndicats du public et du privé fourbissaient leurs armes pour réagir.
Le Front de lutte syndicale (PAME), proche des communistes, a ouvert la danse des protestations. Il a organisé dès mercredi soir plusieurs manifestations dans le pays, appelé ses membres à une grève vendredi et préparait de grands rassemblements dans une soixantaine de villes du pays, jeudi soir. Dans la matinée, ses militants ont bloqué l’entrée du ministère des Finances, scandant des slogans contre «les mesures anti-populaires». Ils ont déployé une immense banderole sur la façade du ministère, face au Parlement, appelant les Grecs à réagir pour que «les mesures ne passent pas». >>> AFP | Jeudi 04 Mars 2010
SUEDDEUTSCHE.de: Die Macht der Pracht: Außenminister Guido Westerwelle lädt Prominente gern in die Villa Borsig ein - bezahlt wird aus der Ministerschatulle. Die Opposition ist irritiert.
Als Außenminister Guido Westerwelle seinen Kollegen Sergej Lawrow jüngst nach Tegel bestellte, wunderte sich der Russe. Die Adresse ließ einen schmucklosen Treffpunkt in der Nähe des Berliner Flughafens befürchten. An Ort und Stelle zerstreuten sich die Sorgen. Westerwelle lud seinen Moskauer Gast zu Tisch in die Villa Borsig, ein neobarockes Schloss mit herrlichem Blick auf den Tegeler See. >>> Von D. Brössler | Donnerstag, 04. März 2010
SUEDDEUTSCHE.de: Der libysche Staatschef ist beleidigt und verhängt ein Wirtschaftsembargo gegen die Schweiz. Diplomaten hatten sich über Gaddafis Aufruf zum Heiligen Krieg gegen die Schweiz lustig gemacht.
Der libysche Staatschef Muammar al-Gaddafi ist beleidigt, weil sich Diplomaten über seinen Aufruf zum Heiligen Krieg gegen die Schweiz lustig machen. Vom US-Außenministerium fordert er nun eine Entschuldigung, weil sich Außenamts-Sprecher Philip Crowley ironisch über seine kämpferischen Reden geäußert hatte. Das libysche Allgemeine Volkskomitee für auswärtige Beziehungen bestellte am Mittwoch die Geschäftsträgerin der US-Botschaft in Tripolis ein, um gegen die Äußerung Crowleys zu protestieren.
Sollte sich das Ministerium weigern, sich bei Gaddafi "offiziell zu entschuldigen", werde dies negative Folgen für die Beziehungen zwischen den beiden Staaten haben, erklärten die Libyer nach Angaben der staatlichen Nachrichtenagentur JANA. Gleichzeitig betonte das Volkskomitee, Oberst Gaddafi habe sich seinerseits stets respektvoll über US-Präsident Barack Obama geäußert. >>> dpa/segi | Mittwoch, 03. März 2010
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