Elton John's Lover Committed Suicide After Struggling to Come to Terms with Sexuality
THE TELEGRAPH: Sir Elton John has disclosed that a former lover threw himself to his death under a passing lorry because he could not reconcile his homosexuality with his Christian beliefs.

The singer, 62, said he was deeply traumatised by the suicide of the man, with whom he had been involved in a relationship before he "married" David Furnish, a film-maker 15 years his junior, in 2005.

"Years back I had a relationship, and I had absolutely no idea in the world he was going to do this... he threw himself under a truck," Sir Elton said. "There was so much grief."

Mr Furnish told The Sunday Telegraph that the lover, whom he declined to name, had taken his life because he was traumatised by the clash between his Christianity and his sexual inclinations.

"He was so tortured by the conflicting views between his sexuality and his strong religious beliefs that he chose to take his own life," said Furnish, whom Sir Elton "married" in a ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on the first day that civil partnerships could be performed in England. "It is very sad indeed."

Mr Furnish, a former advertising executive, added that "out of respect" for the dead man's family he would not name him. >>> Richard Eden, Deputy Editor, Mandrake | Saturday, March 13, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy 'Angry at David Cameron Over Dwarf Jibe'*
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has angered the French government by apparently mocking the diminutive height of Nicolas Sarkozy.

The Conservative leader is said to have made a remark about "hidden dwarfs" whilst discussing a photograph of himself and Mr Sarkozy, who is seven inches shorter than him.

The disclosure comes after it emerged that George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, also made a quip about the French president's stature at a conference hosted by The Spectator.

Mr Sarkozy, who is 5ft 5in, is understood to have made an official complaint to the British government after Mr Osborne made a show of removing a stool from behind the lectern at which he was about to speak and joked it was the "Sarkozy box". >>> | Sunday, March 14, 2010

*Tut, tut, Mr Cameron! Weren’t you taught better manners than this at Eton? Furthermore, you have just set back Anglo-French relations by a decade. – Mark

I Kissed Tourist But Only On the Cheek, Says Briton Jailed in Dubai
MAIL ONLINE: A British businessman facing jail in Dubai after he was accused of kissing a woman in public has vowed to fight the charges and clear his name.

Marketing executive Ayman Najafi, 24, and British tourist Charlotte Lewis, 25, were accused of kissing on the lips and drinking alcohol after a fellow diner reported them to the authorities.

The pair pleaded guilty to drinking alcohol - and were fined £180 - but said they only kissed on the cheek and are appealing against breaking the country's morality laws. >>> Stephanie Condron | Saturday, March 13, 2010

Österreichs Kandidatin von rechtsaussen
NZZ am SONNTAG: Barbara Rosenkranz möchte Österreichs Bundespräsidentin werden. Ihre rechtsradikalen Ansichten gehen selbst einigen ihrer FPÖ-Parteifreunde zu weit.

Die FPÖ-Kandidatin für die Wahl des österreichischen Bundespräsidenten am 25. April, Barbara Rosenkranz, bezeichnet sich unspektakulär als «Nationalkonservative». Aber selbst der Chef der sehr rechtsgerichteten FPÖ, Heinz-Christian Strache, der in seinen populistischen Hetzreden noch nie ein Blatt vor den Mund genommen hat, scheint die von ihm nominierte Kandidatin inzwischen für unkontrollierbar, ihre Ansichten für kontraproduktiv zu halten. In Umfragen prophezeien 29 Prozent der befragten Österreicher, dass Rosenkranz die Nation spalten, und gar 41 Prozent, dass sie dem Ruf des Landes schaden werde. >>> Charles E. Ritterband, Wien | Sonntag, 14. März 2010

Rave from the Grave! Al Martino - Spanish Eyes (1967)

Another Prophet Muhammad Clone!

Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy: L’affaire twitter
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Reports that the marriage of France’s first couple was in trouble sprang from just two postings on the social networking site

When Nicolas Sarkozy, the French leader, and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, hosted a state banquet for Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, at the Elysée Palace recently it was not only Carla’s figure-hugging dress that caught people’s attention.

After dinner, in an unusual departure from custom, the Sarkozys failed to show up for coffee in the drawing room with their guests. Something must have been wrong, one of those present later told a foreign diplomat: they must be having a row.

Spare a thought for “Sarko” and his première dame, a singer and former top model. Ever since they met at a dinner party, and married just over two years ago, the country has been wondering how long it will last. A president known for a roving eye, a willowy beauty renowned as a “man-eater” — to many it seemed destined to end in tears.

No wonder, then, that their body language, and everything else about them, is scrutinised so intensely: the merest detail is enough to set off the gossips. If Carla appears at the president’s side in heels, as she did for the Russian banquet, she must be signalling her displeasure by towering over the pint-sized Sarkozy. Mustn’t she?

In the grand old days of Versailles, it would take weeks for gossip to filter through the ramparts to the hungry masses outside. Today the internet is being used like a battering ram against the high palace walls.

In the age of Twitter, rumours flash around the world in a second and can end up in newspapers, regardless of whether they are true. It has prompted debate among lawyers about whether victims can pursue Twitterers, and if simply relaying a defamatory tweet should also be punishable under the law.

Even before the Medvedev dinner 12 days ago, rumours were flying in cyberspace. Carla was having an affair, it was said, with Benjamin Biolay, a 37-year-old singer, and had been on holiday with him to Thailand. A jealous Sarkozy had sent a jet to bring her home.

That was not all. Twitterers went on to say that the president was consoling himself in the arms of Chantal Jouanno, his junior ecology minister, a karate champion. By the time the British press got hold of the story last Wednesday, the French first couple were reported to be on the verge of rupture.

At a press conference with Gordon Brown, the prime minister, in London last Friday, Sarkozy was asked about the rumours. He glowered at the offending journalist: “I certainly don’t have time to deal with these wild imaginings, not even half a fraction of a second. I don’t even know why you use your speaking time to put such an idiotic question.”

For her part, Jouanno, who is married with three children — to whom she described her job as being minister “for the birds and the bees” — is threatening to sue any publication that refers to any affair between her and Sarkozy. Biolay has likewise threatened to sue.

So how did a few bits of internet gossip make global headlines? And what, if anything other than pure fantasy, is behind all the tweets? >>> Matthew Campbell in Paris | Sunday, March 14, 2010

Taking the ‘Great’ Out of Britain! Plans for Abolition of House of Lords* to Be Unveiled
THE TELEGRAPH: Plans to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a 300-strong, wholly elected second chamber are to be unveiled by ministers in a key political move ahead of the general election.

New House of Lords is likely to be a more partisan body but with no party in control. Photograph: The Telegraph
Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, is this weekend consulting cabinet colleagues on a blueprint which would represent the biggest change to the way Britain is governed for several decades.

The proposals, which have been leaked to The Sunday Telegraph and which are expected to be announced soon, would sweep away centuries of tradition and set ministers on a collision course with the current 704-member House of Lords, which is resolutely opposed to having elected members.

Ministers are ready to announce their plans, which follow years of fruitless cross-party discussions and several votes in the House of Commons, in a bid to wrong-foot the Tories with polling day less than two months away.

Labour's plan is to provoke elements inside the Conservative Party to object to the reforms – which would allow it to paint David Cameron as wedded to old ideas of privilege.

The proposed changes also follow various House of Lords-related controversies, including the recent furore over the admission by Lord Ashcroft, the Tory deputy chairman, that he was a "non-dom."

Members of the new-style chamber will have to be both UK residents and domiciled here for tax purposes. >>> Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor | Saturday, March 13, 2010

*If this rotten Labour government thinks it will rid Britain of privilege by abolishing the House of Lords, it had better think again. All that will be achieved is that a group of privileged patricians will be replaced by group of overpaid privileged plebeians. It will achieve nothing except denude Britain of its wonderful heritage and incomparable traditions. – © Mark

Clinton Rebukes Israel Over East Jerusalem Plans, Cites Damage to Bilateral Ties
THE WASHINGTON POST: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday about the state of the U.S.-Israeli relationship, demanding that Israel take immediate steps to show it is interested in renewing efforts to achieve a Middle East peace agreement.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley described the nearly 45-minute phone conversation in unusually undiplomatic terms, signaling that the close allies are facing their deepest crisis in two decades after the embarrassment suffered by Vice President Biden this week when Israel announced during his visit that it plans to build 1,600 housing units in a disputed area of Jerusalem.

Clinton called Netanyahu "to make clear the United States considered the announcement a deeply negative signal about Israel's approach to the bilateral relationship and counter to the spirit of the vice president's trip," Crowley said. Clinton, he said, emphasized that "this action had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process and in America's interests."

From the start of his tenure, President Obama identified a Middle East peace deal as critical to U.S. national security, but his efforts have been hampered by the administration's missteps and the deep mistrust between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Last fall, he softened his demand for a full freeze on settlement construction, accepting a limited 10-month moratorium that did not include the East Jerusalem area where the construction announced this week is to take place. Clinton at the time hailed the Israeli plan as "unprecedented."

Special envoy George J. Mitchell has struggled to relaunch peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Last week, he got the two sides to agree to indirect talks, with Mitchell shuttling between them, but the Israeli announcement has imperiled that development. Rising Palestinian anger led Israeli forces on Friday to seal off the West Bank and post riot squads around Jerusalem's Old City and Arab neighborhoods.

U.S. officials were especially furious about the announcement because they thought they had reached a private understanding with Netanyahu that even though East Jerusalem was not officially included in the moratorium, he would prevent any provocative actions there. Its release during Biden's trip, intended as a fence-mending mission, was seen as another slap.

"The announcement of the settlements on the very day that the vice president was there was insulting," Clinton told CNN on Friday.

Obama had approved Clinton's call, sitting down with her during their weekly meeting Thursday to determine the language she would use. "The secretary and the president worked through together the specific points she would be making to Prime Minister Netanyahu," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said. Biden also called Netanyahu on Friday to reinforce the message, officials said, and Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren was summoned to a meeting with Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg.

Some analysts applauded the administration's tough stance, saying it may jar the right-leaning Israeli government into making gestures to the Palestinians. But others said Clinton's call risked emboldening Arab and Palestinian officials to make new demands before talks start, if only so as not to seem softer than the Americans. >>> Glenn Kessler, Washington Post Staff Writer | Saturday, March 13, 2010

Moscow Hits Back at US Human Rights Accusations

Douglas Murray vs Tariq Ramadan

Douglas Murray on BBC Question Time

Debate: Ayaan Hirsi Ali vs Ed Husain - 'The West and the Future of Islam'
LISTEN TO AUDIO HERE

The President Said He Was a Christian. His ‘Prayer Partner’ Suggests Otherwise!
America’s first Muslim president? Photo: Always On Watch
ALWAYS ON WATCH: New and startling information has been released concerning President Barack Obama’s spiritual life and his close relationship with ardent Islamists.

Mr. Obama, who rarely attends public church services, turns often to Muslims and Islamic sympathizers for prayer and spiritual and moral discussion.

The President, according to Daniel Burke, writing for the Washington D.C. based Religion News Service, prays on the phone with individuals from around the country “to frame his policies in moral terms.”

One of Mr. Obama’s prayer partners is Rashad Hussain, an Islamic lawyer and critic of America’s alleged “terror prosecutions” of his fellow Muslims.

Mr. Obama has appointed Mr. Hussain to serve as his deputy associate counsel and special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations.

The mission of the OIC is to safeguard and protect “the interests of the Muslim world,” should be of serious concern to Congress and the American public.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Mr. Hussein has a history of participating in events connected with the Muslim Brotherhood. The Chicago daily describes the Muslim Brotherhood as “the world’s most influential Islamic fundamentalist group” whose goal is to create Muslim states throughout the world.

In 1991, Mohamed Akram, a prominent leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, said the members of his radical organization “must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ’sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.” >>> Always On Watch | Friday, March 12, 2010

From this source, citing The Last Crusade (Dr. Paul L. Williams)

For the Love of Islam: A Second American Woman Is Arrested in Cartoonist Case
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Last Easter, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, a 31-year-old mom with a $30,000-a-year job as a medical assistant, announced to her family that she had converted to Islam. A few months later, she began posting to Facebook forums whose headings included "STOP caLLing MUSLIMS TERRORISTS!"

On Sept. 11, she suddenly left Leadville, Colo., a small town in the Rocky Mountains, for Denver, then for New York, to meet and marry a Muslim man she connected with online, her family says. Ms. Paulin-Ramirez, who is 5-foot-11 and blonde, phoned her mother and stepfather in Leadville, providing them with an address in Waterford, Ireland, they say.

Now, she is in the custody of the Irish police, along with six other individuals, arrested as part of an investigation into a conspiracy to commit murder, according to officials familiar with the case. The nature of the authorities' suspicions about Ms. Paulin-Ramirez couldn't be determined on Friday.

Ms. Paulin-Ramirez's interest in Islam "came out of left field," said her mother, Christine Holcomb-Mott, in an interview at her home Friday, wearing a blue sweatsuit with a silver cross around her neck.

"I'm angry with her right now," Ms. Holcomb-Mott said. "I'd like to just choke her. But I'm worried about her, too. I love my daughter."

Nearby was a stack of photos of Ms. Paulin-Ramirez, with a sparkling smile, and her son, who has brown hair and eyes. Her mother looked at the images over and over, as college basketball played on the TV.

Ms. Paulin-Ramirez had been in contact by phone and email with her mother, stepfather and an aunt, her relatives said. But none of them has heard from Ms. Paulin-Ramirez in recent days, they said.

Ms. Paulin-Ramirez is the second American woman to be linked to an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist who made fun of the Prophet Mohammed. An indictment was unsealed this week against Colleen R. LaRose, 46, a suburban Philadelphia woman who authorities said used the Web alias "JihadJane." >>> Vanessa O’Connell in New York, Stephanie Simon in Colorado and Evan Perez in Washington | Friday, March 12, 2010

Muslim Child Brides on Rise
TORONTO SUN: Federal immigration officials say there’s little they can do to stop “child brides” from being sponsored into Canada by much older husbands who wed them in arranged marriages abroad.

Top immigration officials in Canada and Pakistan say all they can do is reject the sponsorships of husbands trying to bring their child-brides to Canada. The men have to reapply when the bride turns 16. The marriages are permitted under Sharia Law.

Muslim men, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents return to their homeland to wed a “child bride” in an arranged marriage in which a dowry is given to the girl’s parents. Officials said some of the brides can be 14 years old or younger and are “forced” to marry. The practice occurs in a host of countries including: Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Lebanon. Not valid in Canada >>> Tom Godfrey, Toronto Sun | Thursday, March 11, 2010

A Pakistani Member of the English Defence League Speaks Out
JIHAD WATCH: The English Defence League (EDL), a group standing up against the spread of Sharia and Islamic supremacism in England, is often stigmatized as racist and fascist -- but here again this common tactic of the Left is without substance. Sajid Khan, a Pakistani member of the EDL, kindly sent me this message:

I am an ex-Muslim and a proud EDL member. I have been to many of their demos, including London. The information about the EDL in the mainstream media has been quite biased and just stupid. For instance, they say that the EDL is "right wing" and "racist". This is wrong, as I am a liberal who supports equal rights for different races, colours, sexualities and religions. This is primarily why I support the EDL.

As an ex-Muslim, who still has to hide this fact from many (if not all) my fellow Muslims including my family, I believe that your average White English Christian pub-going non-halal meat-eating and pork-eating Infidel living in the West is the only liberal voice out there opposing the hordes of violence-supporting backward "right-wing" religious foreigners who come into the West and think that homoseuxals should be tortured and killed, and who think that women must gain their husband's or father's permission to go out for the most basic of things like seeing a doctor for treatment.

These people believe that women who show their faces are "whores" and are "asking for it," and that this justifies rape. They think that "offensive" cartoons drawn of a supposed "prophet" of a certain religion (I'll let you guess that one) should be condemned by all, and that the freedom to draw such cartoons should not be available. These are the same people of the same religion who will not condemn with the same tenacity the heartless and cruel practice of the "honor killing" of women and girls.

>>> Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch | Friday, March 12, 2010

Douglas Murray - Muslim Immigration into Europe

Douglas Murray: Instead of Facing Reality, Many Young British Muslims Take Refuge in Delusion and Self-pity
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: I debated Tariq Ramadan last night in London for Intelligence Squared, the British Council and the BBC. I’ll link to the video here once the BBC put it out. The motion was “Europe is failing its Muslims”. I argued of course that it was not Europe that was failing its Muslims, but Islam that was failing Europe, indeed Islam that is failing Muslims.

Ramadan was seconded by the former Dutch diplomat Petra Stienen. I was seconded by Flemming Rose, the Danish Jyllands-Posten editor who commissioned the famous Danish cartoons.

The fact that Flemming was my number two wasn’t publicised in the run-up to the debate because of the security threat around him. Just last October two men were arrested in Chicago for another alleged plot to murder him. And on the first day of this year an axe-wielding Somali Muslim broke into one of the cartoonist’s houses and attempted to decapitate him. So there were more police than usual and Flemming and I had more burly security men than we usually would for a discussion.

In a way this proved a lot of the argument that Flemming and I were making. I’ve been told not to pre-empt the results until the BBC screens the debate. But one of the most striking aspects of the evening was that the Muslims who turned out en masse, rallied by certain organisations, let themselves down appallingly. Continually cat-calling, jeering and hissing. They made a very bad impression.

What was most striking of all however was the level of complete denial. I pointed out that the reason Europeans often associate Islam with violence (as Ramadan complained) is that Islam is often associated with violence. I pointed out that it wasn’t Sikhs or Buddhists who flew the planes into the twin towers. This was welcomed by an extraordinary level of anger. I don’t know, maybe some of them thought it was Jews who did it. Read on and comment >>> Douglas Murray | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Douglas Murray >>>

WIKI: Douglas Murray >>>

IQ2 Debate: "Europe Is Failing Its Muslims" - Intro, Tariq Ramadan and Douglas Murray (Part 1)


IQ2 Debate: "Europe Is Failing Its Muslims" - First Audience Questions (Part 2)


IQ2 Debate: "Europe Is Failing Its Muslims" - Petra Stienen and Flemming Rose (Part 3)


IQ2 Debate: "Europe Is Failing Its Muslims" - Audience Q&A1 (Part 4)


IQ2 Debate: "Europe Is Failing Its Muslims" - Audience Q&A2 (Part 5)


IQ2 Debate: "Europe Is Failing Its Muslims" - Summing Up and Results (Part 6)

Britons Arrested Abroad Will Lose the Right to a Translator
THE TELEGRAPH: Britons arrested in Europe will not have the right to demand a full translation of the charges they are facing, under proposals supported by the government.

Britons arrested in Europe will not have the right to demand a full translation of the charges they face. Photograph: The Telegraph
Britain has backed plans to "dilute" the rights of its citizens when extradited or caught up in criminal proceedings in other European countries.

Justice campaigners say anyone facing criminal allegations abroad under a European Arrest Warrant will be hit by the plan.

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe has accused Britain of pushing for procedures that do not provide proper protection for suspects.

The CCBE, which represents one million European lawyers, is concerned because the right to translation has been limited to only "essential" documents – a "formula which is too vague and open to abuse".

Under EU legislation, British courts must allow a European Arrest Warrant extradition to take place even if there are concerns about the standards of justice in the country that they are being sent to.

Fair trial campaigners say people will be deported to countries such as Portugal, Hungary, Greece and Bulgaria where charges are made and trials held without an English translation allowing them to follow proceedings. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Friday, March 12, 2010

Les églises catholiques de plus en plus vandalisées
La chapelle Saint-Guen de Saint-Tugdual a été recouverte d'inscriptions satanistes en 2006. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Vingt-quatre lieux de cultes ont été profanés depuis le 1er janvier et les responsables religieux se mobilisent.

Vandalisées, cambriolées et profanées… Les églises catholiques sont les cibles d'attaques répétées. Ainsi, dans la nuit du 5 au 6 mars dernier, la porte de la basilique Saint-Donatien de Nantes et les murs d'enceinte du lycée catholique éponyme ont été maculés de slogans anarchistes. On pouvait y lire «Brûle ton église», «Les curés au bûcher, les sorcières en liberté» ou «Ni Dieu ni maître». >>> Par Christophe Cornevin | Vendredi 12 Mars 2010

Gay Love: Two US Gay Military Men (Avec sous-titres français)

Douglas Murray: Why Are Islamic Nutters in Nightdresses So Obsessed with Gays?
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOG: If anyone missed Channel 4’s Dispatches the other night, can I very much recommend it? “Britain’s Islamic Republic” is available here and is vital viewing. Andrew Gilligan’s programme will be shocking even for those of you who, like me, thought they couldn’t be shocked by this sort of thing any more.

One interesting addition, if I may, which Brett at Harry’s Place also points out here. Though there has been a lot of press coverage of the documentary, there has been far too little outrage about the opening sequences showing the East London Mosque (yes, that one, favoured by Boris Johnson and Prince Charles) as the venue for events at which the most virulent anti-gay and anti-women perverts preach. I know that’s no surprise, but stay with me a moment.

One preacher, an evidently lunatic semi-literate called Abdul Karim Hattin, is shown playing what he calls “a game” called “spot the fag”. For this tittersome “game” he uses a slide to show a picture of Elton John beside one of the dead rapper “2-pac” (Tupac Shakur).

This confuses me a lot. I think the point this unfunny bigot is trying to make is that you can somehow recognise Elton John as gay because of the way he looks. But surely there is some mistake.

In the photo Elton John is wearing a respectable casual red top. Tupac on the other hand is topless, rather conspicuously ripped, and his naked torso glistening with sweat. Now I don’t want to spoil this “game”, but to my, not untrained, eyes I’d have identified “2-pac” as gay in this gay identity-parade.

But as it turns out, Mr Hattin also thinks (though for baffling reasons) that Tupac’s image was somehow gay. I’m not sure I go along with this. In any case, Mad-as-a-Hattin is saying all this whilst wearing what looks to me distinctly like an elderly lady’s nightdress. >>>

Dispatch: Britain’s Islamic Republic
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Sarkozy Braced for Poll Defeat as Angry French Voters Look to the Left
THE GUARDIAN: Socialists and Greens expect significant gains in regional elections as ruling party blamed for poor economic situation

The leader of the French Socialist party, Martine Aubry, speaks at a rally in Paris. Photograph: The Guardian
Nicolas Sarkozy faces an embarrassing setback at the polls over the next week as France votes in elections that look likely to hand a significant victory to the opposition Socialist party.

Although not officially on the ballot for the regional elections, whose first of two rounds will be held on Sunday, the embattled leader is expected to be punished indirectly as voters shun his rightwing UMP party in favour of leftwing and green alternatives.

With opinion polls showing the Socialists – who won control of 20 of the 22 mainland regions at the last vote in 2004 – will consolidate their "pink tide" or even increase it, commentators say the predicted defeat will reflect voters' dissatisfaction with Sarkozy.

Today, Sarkozy attempted today to distance himself from his party's impending drubbing, insisting local elections had little to do with national politics. He told Le Figaro Magazine: "The vote … is a regional vote: its consequences will therefore be regional."

However, because the significance of the poll – which elects regional presidents and assemblies – is limited, many are predicting it will be seen as an unofficial referendum on Sarkozy's leadership. The president is more than halfway through his five-year term, and this is the last major electoral exercise France will see before his mandate expires in 2012. >>> Lizzy Davies in Paris | Friday, March 12, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown Hail 'entente formidable'
THE GUARDIAN: Two leaders stress need for close co-operation to stay 'bang in the middle' of Europe

Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street today. Photograph: The Guardian
Gordon Brown today described Britain's alliance with France as an "entente formidable" as he and Nicolas Sarkozy stressed the need for close co-operation and to stay "bang in the middle" of Europe.

Speaking at a press conference after a working lunch at Downing Street today, the two leaders highlighted close political alignment on a number of policy fronts as the prime minister described relations between the two countries as "greater now than at any time since the second world war".

Brown said he and Sarkozy were in "harmony" over the need to introduce a tax on banking transactions as he revealed that a report on the levy is due "in the next few weeks".

As well as on the economy, the two countries were working "more closely than ever" on environmental, energy and security matters, he said.

This included putting nuclear power at the heart of tackling climate change.

In his first visit to Downing Street since 2008, Sarkozy echoed the view that it was essential Britain remain "bang in the middle" of Europe amid concerns that a Tory government may engage less enthusiastically with Europe under David Cameron.

Sarkozy insisted he was not in Britain to "play politics" ahead of the forthcoming general election but nevertheless made comments that appeared to be aimed squarely at the Tory leader, who he is meeting this afternoon.

"I remain convinced that the position of our British friends is bang in the middle of Europe. We need you," the French president said.

Sarkozy said he "regretted" Cameron's decision to pull the Tories out of the centre-right European People's party grouping in the European parliament. >>> Hélène Mulholland, political reporter | Friday, March 12, 2010

Greece Debt: EU Agrees Bailout Deal
THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Germany plays pivotal role in potential eurozone rescue package for Greek debts

The eurozone has agreed a multibillion-euro bailout for Greece as part of a package to shore up the single currency after weeks of crisis, the Guardian has learnt.

Senior sources in Brussels said that Berlin had bowed to the bailout agreement despite huge resistance in Germany and that the finance ministers of the "eurozone" – the 16 member states including Greece who use the euro – are to finalise the rescue package on Monday. The single currency's rulebook will also be rewritten to enforce greater fiscal discipline among members.

The member states have agreed on "co-ordinated bilateral contributions" in the form of loans or loan guarantees to Greece if Athens finds itself unable to refinance its soaring debt and requests help from the EU, a senior European commission official said.

Other sources said the aid could rise to €25bn (£22.6bn), although it is estimated in European capitals that Greece could need up to €55bn by the end of the year.

Germany, the EU's traditional paymaster, but the most reluctant to come to the rescue of a fiscal delinquent in the current crisis, has played the pivotal role in organising the rescue package, the sources added. >>> Ian Traynor in Brussels | Friday, March 12, 2010

Detroit Family Homes Sell for Just $10
THE TELEGRAPH: Family homes in Detroit are selling for as little as $10 (£6) in the wake of America's financial meltdown.


The once thriving industrial city has suffered a dramatic decline following the global economic crisis.

According to Tim Prophit, a real estate agent, the crisis has led to a unprecedented portfolio of homes, but they are failing to sell.

He said there were homes on the market for $100 (£61), but an offer of just $10 (£6) would be likely to be accepted.

Speaking on a BBC 2 documentary, Requiem for Detroit, to be screened on Saturday, Mr Prophit said: "The property is listed by the city of Detroit as being worth $35,000 (£22,000), but the bank know that is impossible to ask.

"This part of town has got a lot of bad press in the media because it featured in Eminem's film 'Eight Mile', but that particular road is fifteen minutes up the road and that is a long way in Detroit."

Homes offered in viewing brochures as early 1920s example of colonial architecture would once have made handsome homes but are no longer sought after. >>> | Friday, March 13, 2010

Nazi Victims' Mass Graves Found in Austria Under Football Pitch
THE TELEGRAPH: Two mass graves containing scores of people murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War have been found underneath an army football pitch in Austria, government officials said on Friday.

Some of the remains may be the bodies of US pilots shot down and imprisoned during the war.

Police Col. Rudolf Gollia, an interior ministry spokesman, said his ministry plans talks with the owners of the site to discuss exhumation.

The mass graves are located in bomb craters underneath the army sports field in the southern city of Graz. Officials said they contain about 70 bodies of victims killed by the SS to eliminate witnesses to Nazi atrocities shortly before Soviet troops arrived. >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

Barack Obama's Approval Rating Drops to 46 Per Cent
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama yesterday delayed a trip to Asia amid falling approval ratings and grave doubts that his 11th hour attempt to push health care reform through Congress will succeed.

A new poll by Gallup showed Mr Obama's approval rating at a record low of 46 per cent since taking office. In the optimistic early days of his presidency 69 per cent approved of the job he was doing.

Doubts about his ability to pass his flagship domestic policy have affected his popularity among Democratic supporters, while independents and Republicans have grown wary of health care reform as an expensive government venture.

Mr Obama had set Democratic leaders in Congress a deadline of March 18 to coral the votes necessary to pass health care without any support from Republicans, by using a procedure known as budget reconciliation. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Friday, March 12, 2010

On Air: The Gathering Storm Radio Show
I’ll be on air today at 12 noon PST, 3pm EST, 8pm GMT, and 9pm CET. Always On Watch, WC, and I will be discussing growing anti-Semitism in Europe, JihadJane, and much else besides. I'll be on for the full hour. We do hope you can join us. ALL are welcome. The number to call is (646) 915-9870. Click HERE for the show.

Fury as German Ex-football Boss Says: 'There's No Place in Football for Gays'
MAIL ONLINE: A former soccer boss today sparked fury by declaring: ‘There is no place in football for gays.’

Rudi Assauer, who formerly headed up Schalke 04 in Germany's Bundesliga, went on to say: ‘Perhaps they are OK in other sports but not in football.

‘If a player came to me and said he was gay I would say to him: “You have shown courage.” But then I would tell him to find something else to do.

‘That's because those who out themselves always end up busted by it, ridiculed by their fellow players and by people in the stands. We should spare them these witch-hunts.’

His outburst is set to enrage world footballing authorities who are making concerted efforts to rid the game of homophobia.

Asked whether he had ever met a gay footballer during his many years as both player and manager, 65-year-old Assauer replied: ‘No, never.

‘When I was in Bremen, I heard that our masseur was gay. So I went up to him and said: 'Look, son, do me a favour - look for another job.’

Assauer's comments come in a week when homosexuality has been in Germany's spotlight for other reasons.

Guido Westerwelle, the country's openly gay foreign minister, was criticised for taking his lover on an official government trip to South America. >>> Allan Hall | Friday, March 12, 2010

Germany Fights to Keep Holocaust Organiser's Files Sealed
THE TELEGRAPH: Germany is fighting to keep sealed the Eichmann files detailing the years the Holocaust's chief logistics organiser spent on the run before he was captured by Mossad agents.

Adolph Eichmann during his trial in 1961. Photograph: The Telegraph
Those hoping to have a 50-year secrecy order overturned believe the government is embarrassed by details within that may prove German and Vatican officials colluded in his escape and freedom.

The secrecy order is being challenged in a benchmark court case against the BND, Germany's domestic intelligence service, which wants the 4,500 pages of documents on Adolf Eichmann to remain out of the public domain. The service claims that intelligence agencies in other countries will be "frightened off" in future data-sharing if they are disclosed, Der Spiegel reported.

Critics believe this is a smokescreen designed to avoid official embarrassment both in Berlin and the Vatican. It is well documented that German Bishop Alois Hudal in Rome operated postwar "Ratlines," getting passports for wanted Nazis to allow them to escape justice.

Franz Stangl, commandant of the Treblinka extermination camp, admitted to British Nazi expert Gitta Sereny that Hudal helped him get away after the Nazi defeat in 1945.

Eichmann also escaped. He was the ultimate "desk murderer" of the Third Reich who, as head of department IVB4 of the SS in Berlin, was responsible for the trains that carried millions to their deaths at extermination centres in Nazi occupied Poland. >>> Allan Hall in Berlin | Friday, March 12, 2010

DER SPIEGEL: Adolph Eichmann: Alle Artikel, Hintergründe und Fakten >>>

Prada Ordered Manager to Get Rid of 'Old, Fat and Ugly' Staff
THE TELEGRAPH: A senior manager at Prada is suing the fashion label claiming that she was ordered to get rid of "old, fat and ugly" staff in its Japanese stores.

A spokeswoman at Prada's Tokyo headquarters told The Daily Telegraph that the company was currently unable to comment. Photo: The Telegraph
Rina Bovrisse, a senior retail manager at Prada Japan, also alleges that the chief executive wanted her to change her hairstyle and lose weight in order to fit into the company.

Ms Bovrisse, who oversaw 500 staff in 40 stores across Japan, has launched a discrimination and harassment case against the Italian fashion label in Tokyo's industrial tribunal courts.

Her allegations focus on an incident in May last year when she claims that Davide Sesia, the CEO of Prada Japan, allegedly asked her to "eliminate" around 15 managerial staff he described as "old, fat, ugly, disgusting or not having the Prada look," following a tour of 40 stores. >>> Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo | Friday, March 12, 2010

BNP Barred from Taking New Members
THE TELEGRAPH: The British National Party was barred from taking new members on Friday after a judge ruled its constitution could discriminate against non-white people.

Mr Griffin had been met with angry scenes as he arrived at court, with a small group of protesters chanting "Nazi scum". Photo: The Telegraph
Judge Paul Collins issued an injunction ordering the far-Right group to comply with race equality laws and said the membership list would have to be closed until it did.

Under the injunction, prospective BNP members will not in future have to be vetted at home before they are accepted.

Last month the BNP scrapped its whites-only policy in an attempt to avoid legal sanctions brought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

But on Friday at Central London County Court, Judge Collins ruled: ''I hold that the BNP are likely to commit unlawful acts of discrimination in the terms on which they are prepared to admit persons to membership under their constitution.''

The judgment found that, while it is not unlawful to hold discriminatory views, it is unlawful for such principles to be used for controlled entry to a political party, the EHRC said. >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

Related:

Teachers Can Keep BNP Membership, Government Review Says >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

President Sarkozy Irritated by Questions Over His Marriage
THE TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, has angrily rebuked a journalist for asking about rumours surrounding his marriage to Carla Bruni.


At a joint Downing Street press conference with Gordon Brown, Mr Sarkozy was twice pressed on the recent flurry of speculation that his marriage was in trouble.

He snapped at a French journalist who raised the subject calling his question idiotic.

And minutes later when a British member of the press asked him to deny the rumours the French president simply refused to answer before Mr Brown called the briefing to an end.

Mr Sarkozy’s irritation was plain when he responded to the first question.

He told the journalist: "You must know very little about what the President of the Republic actually has to do all day long. I certainly don't have time to deal with these ridiculous rumours, not even half a fraction of a second.

"I don't even know why you use your speaking time to put such an idiotic question." >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Friday, March 12, 2010

This reply, Mr President, was most unconvincing! No time to deal with such "ridiculous rumours" indeed! You had time for courting Carla, though; so why should we believe that you have absolutely no time to find out what's being said and tweeted about your marriage? By the way, M. le président, that photo of you is most unbecoming. You look as though you're clutching a broomstick for dear life at take-off! – © Mark

Grossbritanniens Premier Brown und Frankreichs Präsident Sarkozy sind nicht zufrieden mit dem Gebahren der USA. Bild: NZZ Online
Brown und Sarkozy werfen den USA Protektionismus vor: Reaktion auf verpassten Rüstungsauftrag für EADS
NZZ ONLINE: Nach dem verpassten Rüstungsgeschäft für die Lieferung von Tankflugzeugen für die US-Luftwaffe durch den EADS-Konzern hat es Vorwürfe aus Frankreich und Grossbritannien gegeben. Der britische Premier Brown und Frankreichs Präsident Sarkozy warfen den USA Protektionismus vor.

Der französische Staatspräsident Nicolas Sarkozy und der britische Regierungschef Gordon Brown haben den USA im Streit um einen verpassten Rüstungsauftrag für den europäischen EADS-Konzern Protektionismus vorgeworfen.

«Nicht die richtige Art»

«Das ist nicht die richtige Art, wie die USA ihre europäischen Verbündeten behandeln sollten», sagte Sarkozy am Freitag nach einem Besuch bei Brown. Der Brite erklärte, er sei wegen der entstandenen Situation enttäuscht. >>> ddp/sda/Reuters | Freitag, 12. März 2010

Hysterische Kontroverse um Westerwelle: FDP-Generalsekretär Lindner sieht Demokratie in Deutschland gefährdet
NZZ ONLINE: In Deutschland scheint es derzeit kein wichtigeres Thema zu geben, als die Begleiter von Aussenminister Westerwelle auf seinen Auslandreisen. Die Vorwürfe werden zum Teil ins Groteske gesteigert. Die Partei schlägt nicht minder heftig zurück.

Der deutsche Aussenminister Guido Westerwelle beendet am Freitag eine einwöchige Reise in lateinamerikanische Länder. Er tat dabei das, was Aussenminister bei solchen Anlässen so tun: Er traf verschiedene Minister, Industrielle und Vertreter gesellschaftlicher Gruppen. Er verhandelte über Exporte, Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen und Atomkraft. Zu wesentlichen Differenzen mit seinen Gastgebern oder gar einem Eklat ist es dabei nicht gekommen. Trotzdem titelt Spiegel Online: «Reise ins Fiasko». >>> spi./(ddp) | Freitag, 12. März 2010

SPIEGEL ONLINE VIDEO: Guido Westerwelle beantwortet die Kritik >>>

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Michael Mronz: Alle Artikel, Hintergründe und Fakten >>>

SPIEGEL ONLINE VIDEO: Mauschell-Minister? Westerwelle unter Druck >>>

Selma Aliye Kavaf, die türkische Familienministerin, die das Schwulsein für eine Krankheit hält. Sie glaubt sie soll „behandelt“ werden. Bild: Google Images
Streit in der Regierung: Türkische Ministerin hält Schwulsein für krank
WELT ONLINE: Die türkische Familienministerin hat in der islamisch geprägten Regierung einen Streit ausgelöst, weil sie Homosexualität für eine Krankheit hält, die behandelt werden müsse. Andersartige Sexualität ist in der Türkei ein heikles Thema. Die Intoleranz endete schon mehrmals tödlich.

Homosexuelle haben in der Türkei einen schweren Stand: Diese Gruppe portestierte 2008 in Istanbul gegen ihr Verbot. Bild: Welt Online
Seit einigen Tagen streiten türkische Minister um das Wesen der gleichgeschlechtlichen Liebe. Die Familienministerin der islamisch geprägten Regierung, Selma Aliye Kavaf, erklärte in einem Interview mit der Zeitung „Hürriyet“, Homosexualität sei eine „Krankheit“ und müsse „behandelt“ werden.

Der Reporter hatte sie nach ihrer Meinung über Eheschließungen zwischen gleichgeschlechtlichen Partnern gefragt, und dies war ihre Begründung für die Antwort, sie habe „keine positive Meinung“ über solche Ehen.

Istanbul mit grosser Schwulenszene

Da sie Schwulsein als Krankheit bezeichnet hatte, fühlte sich ihr Kabinettskollege Recep Akdag angesprochen, der Gesundheitsminister. Denn wenn Homosexualität eine Krankheit ist, dann wäre ja wohl sein Ressort gefragt, um sie zu bekämpfen.

Akdag ließ die Kollegin wissen, dass Homosexualität als gesellschaftliches Problem eher in ihren Bereich gehöre: Es sei ein Fall für „Freiheiten“ – also Toleranz und Gleichberechtigung. >>> Von Boris Kálnoky | Donnerstag, 11. März 2020

”Reporter ohne Grenzen”: 120 Blogger sind wegen Internetzensur eingesperrt
WELT ONLINE: Das Internet ist als Plattform für Diskussionen und freie Informationen häufig nicht akzeptiert. So haben weltweit fast ein Drittel aller Staaten eine Internetzensur und rund 120 Blogger sitzen im Gefängnis. Für "Reporter ohne Grenzen" ein Grund zur Besorgnis, auch wenn die Zensur umgangen werden kann.

Das Internet kann eine politische Waffe sein: In Diktaturen bietet es die Plattform für Debatten und freie Informationen. Soziale Netzwerke wie Facebook und Twitter werden für Protest und Widerstand genutzt, You Tube-Videos stellen autoritäre Regime bloß.

Etliche Regierungen allerdings haben etwas gegen Meinungsäußerung im und freien Zugang zum Internet und reagieren mit drastischen Maßnahmen. Etwa 60 Staaten haben im vergangenen Jahr Internetzensur ausgeübt. Derzeit sitzen fast 120 Blogger im Gefängnis, im vergangenen Jahr waren es zur gleichen Zeit rund 70 kritische Internet-Nutzer.

Das ruft die die Organisation Reporter ohne Grenzen auf den Plan, sie veranstaltet zum zweiten Mal den „Welttag gegen Internetzensur“. Die Journalisten prangern zwölf Staaten als „Feinde des Internets“ an. Diese verfolgen der Organisation zufolge unliebsame Internetnutzer systematisch und zensieren unerwünschte Online-Informationen.

In Nordkorea, Birma und Turkmenistan ist ein Großteil der Bevölkerung komplett vom World Wide Web abgeschnitten. >>> Von Jan David Sutthoff | Freitag, 12. März 2020

L'Amérique latine célèbre ses premiers mariages gays
Une cérémonie collective a été organisée jeudi dans l'Hôtel de ville de Mexico pour l'union de quatre couples gays. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Quatre couples homosexuels ont prêté serment jeudi à Mexico. La capitale mexicaine avait légalisé en décembre dernier le mariage homosexuel.

La scène est inédite. Deux femmes sont devenues jeudi à Mexico les premières homosexuelles à se marier en Amérique latine. Une union rendue possible par la légalisation du mariage gay, votée en décembre dernier dans la capitale mexicaine.

Un autre couple féminin et deux masculins se sont unis quelques minutes plus tard, lors d'une cérémonie collective organisée dans l'Hôtel de ville de la capitale et retransmise à la télévision. Ils avaient pris pour témoin le maire de Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard, une des principales figures de la gauche. Un parti minoritaire dans ce pays administré par le président conservateur Felipe Calderon.

«Je vous déclare unis légitimement par le mariage, avec tous les droits et prérogatives que le mariage impose, je vous souhaite beaucoup, beaucoup de bonheur», a annoncé le juge qui a officialisé les unions. Ces premiers couples homosexuels «constituent maintenant une famille reconnue par la loi», grâce à une révision de la législation «soucieuse des valeurs de tolérance, de respect et d'égalité», a ajouté le magistrat. >>> Par Marion Brunet | Vendredi 12 Mars 2010

Arabie saoudite : la vidéo qui fait scandale
LE FIGARO – BLOG – CHRONIQUES ORIENTALES: Les autorités saoudiennes auraient préféré que l'affaire ne s'ébruite pas. Mais force des nouvelles technologies oblige, la diffusion clandestine - par texto et par courriel - d'une vidéo embarrassante pour les bigots du royaume vient de pousser la police à en confirmer l'existence, et à annoncer publiquement l'arrestation d'un de ses auteurs...

De quoi s'agit-il ? Le petit film amateur de 2'30 (voir lien ci-dessus - avec sous-titres en anglais) y montre un jeune homme déguisé en policier « flirter », dans une voiture, avec le caméraman, en train de le filmer.


- Donne moi ton permis de conduire, lui demande-t-il.
Puis, après avoir constaté qu'il est périmé, il reprend :
- Je dois te donner une amende.
Face à la résistance du caméraman/chauffeur, il lui propose alors une solution de rechange, pistolet à la main :
- Procure moi du confort, lui ordonne-t-il.
La suite est prévisible. Sur fond de musique pop, le « policier » se met à déboutonner sa chemise en se caressant la poitrine...Scandale ! (avec vidéo) >>> Par Delphine Minoui | Jeudi 11 Mars 2010

Pope Defends Celibacy Rule Amid Sex Abuse Scandals
BBC: Pope Benedict XVI has defended celibacy among priests, saying it was a sign of "full devotion" to the Catholic Church.

He was speaking at a theological conference before meeting Germany's top bishop for talks about a new crisis over sexual abuse of children.

German Bishop Robert Zollitsch apologised again to victims of abuse by German priests.

The Archbishop of Vienna had suggested that the Church should examine celibacy and priests' training. >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

Ground Zero Workers Win $657m Settlement for Health Problems
THE TELEGRAPH: Thousands of workers who suffered health problems after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 have reached a settlement worth up to $657.5 million (£437m) with an insurer representing the city of New York.

An explosion rips through the South Tower of the World Trade Towers after the hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into it. Photograph: The Telegraph
Thousands of firefighters, police, contractors and others who worked at "Ground Zero" in the ruins of the World Trade Center sued the city and its contractors for claims of injuries associated with their rescue and clean-up work.

The settlement will be drawn from a federally financed insurance fund - the WTC Captive Insurance Company - created in 2004 with a $1 billion grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"The resolution of the World Trade Center litigation will allow the first responders and workers to be compensated for injuries suffered following their work at Ground Zero," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.

The parties will appear before US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein on Friday to request his preliminary approval of the settlement. >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

George Bush Adviser Karl Rove: I Am 'Proud' of Waterboarding
THE TELEGRAPH: Karl Rove, the senior adviser to George W. Bush, has said he is "proud" of the interrogation methods used by US intelligence services such as waterboarding.

He said they had helped prevent terrorist attacks.

Mr Rove also told the BBC in an interview that he did not believe waterboarding – a simulated drowning method – amounted to torture.

He said: "I'm proud that we used techniques that broke the will of these terrorists and gave us valuable information that allowed us to foil plots. I am proud that we kept the world safer than it was by the use of these techniques. They are appropriate, they are in conformity with our international requirements and with US law."

"Flying aeroplanes into Heathrow and into London ... bringing down aircraft over the Pacific, flying an aeroplane into the tallest building in Los Angeles" were all terror plots that were thwarted by tough interrogation, he insisted. >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

Rove 'Proud' of US Waterboarding Terror Suspects
BBC: A senior adviser to former US President George W Bush has defended tough interrogation techniques, saying their use helped prevent terrorist attacks.

In a BBC interview, Karl Rove, who was known as "Bush's brain", said he "was proud we used techniques that broke the will of these terrorists".

He said waterboarding, which simulates drowning, should not be considered torture. Read on (with video) >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

BBC: Profile: Karl Rove >>>

Anti-Semitism Rising Worldwide, US Report Finds
THE TELEGRAPH: Criticism of Israel and Zionism led to a rise of anti-Jewish sentiment around the world in 2009, the US said on Thursday in a report that denounced "new forms" of anti-Semitism.

"Traditional and new forms of anti-Semitism continued to arise, and a spike in such activity followed the Gaza conflict in the winter of 2008-2009," the State Department said in an annual report.

"Often despite official efforts to combat the problem, societal anti-Semitism persisted across Europe, South America, and beyond and manifested itself in classic forms," it said. >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010

Teachers Can Keep BNP Membership, Government Review Says
THE TELEGRAPH: Teachers will be allowed to keep their membership of the BNP and the National Front after a Government review ruled that there was no justification for banning them from joining extremist organisations.

Maurice Smith, the former chief inspector of schools, said banning BNP members from teaching would be using a "very large sledgehammer to crack a very small nut".

His review of measures to prevent racism in schools, commissioned by Ed Balls, the children’s secretary, recommended against a ban because he said there was little public concern about extremism among teachers. >>> Heidi Blake | Friday, March 12, 2010

BBC: BNP membership rules still discriminatory, court rules: The British National Party's new membership rules are likely to discriminate against non-white people, a judge has ruled. >>> | Friday, March 12, 2010