Les Français préfèrent Fillon à Sarkozy pour 2012
Nicolas Sarkozy et François Fillon font quasiment jeu égal chez les personnes interrogées se déclarant sans proximité partisane, selon le sondage BVA. Phto : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Selon un sondage BVA, 43% d'entre eux préfèrent le premier ministre au chef de l'Etat (29%) comme candidat UMP pour la prochaine élection présidentielle.

François Fillon confirme son entrée dans le clan des présidentiables. Les Français plébiscitent en effet le premier ministre à 43% contre 29% pour Nicolas Sarkozy comme candidat UMP à l'élection présidentielle en 2012, selon l'observatoire de BVA* pour Orange, L'Express et France Inter publié mardi. 28% des personnes interrogées ne se prononcent pas entre les deux têtes de l'exécutif.

Si la préférence en faveur du premier ministre est encore plus nette chez les sympathisants de gauche (48% contre 17%), l'actuel président de la République garde toutefois les faveurs des Français de droite (52% contre 34% à François Fillon) et des proches de l'UMP (59% contre 25%). «Le président pâtit d'un désamour auprès de son électorat» >>> Par Marion Brunet | Mardi 16 Mars 2010

Merkel über den Beitritt der Türkei in die EU

Deutschland – Markus Ferber (CSU): Keine EU Mitgliedschaft für die Türkei


Markus Ferber >>>

Türkei: Homosexuelle verklagen Familienministerin
WELT ONLINE: Die türkische Frauen- und Familienministerin Selma Aliye Kavaf soll für ihre Äußerung, dass Homosexualität eine Krankheit ist, vor Gericht. Zudem rief der Homosexuellenverband zu Demonstrationen gegen die Politikerin auf. Sie sprach sich in einem Interview auch gegen die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe aus.

Ein Homosexuellenverband in der Türkei will Frauen- und Familienministerin Selma Aliye Kavaf vor Gericht bringen.
Anlass für die Strafanzeige sei eine Äußerung der Ministerin, wonach Homosexualität eine Krankheit sei, die behandelt werden müsse, berichteten türkische Medien. Der Homosexuellenverband LGBTT rief zudem zu einer Demonstration gegen die Ministerin auf.

Kavaf hatte Anfang des Monats in einem Zeitungsinterview gesagt, sie betrachte die Homosexualität als „biologischen Defekt, als Krankheit.“ Sie fügte hinzu, dass „diese Sache“ behandelt werden müsse.

Deshalb sei sie auch dagegen, homosexuellen Paaren die Möglichkeit einer Eheschließung zu geben. >>> afp/jm | Dienstag, 16. März 2010

Wahl in Niederlanden: Job Cohen will Populisten Wilders entzaubern
WELT ONLINE: Geert Wilders bezeichnet bei der Ministerpräsidentenwahl seinen Hauptgegner, Job Cohen, als „größten Multi-Kulti-Schmusebär des Landes". Doch für viele Niederländer ist er die größte Hoffnung. Er soll den populistischen Parolen von Geert Wilders Paroli bieten. Dafür muss Cohen mehr als nur Versöhner sein.

Zeit zum Warmlaufen war Job Cohen nicht vergönnt. Kaum hatte der Bürgermeister von Amsterdam angekündigt, bei den niederländischen Parlamentswahlen am 9. Juni kandidieren zu wollen, da ging sein Hauptgegner, Geert Wilders, auch schon zum Frontalangriff über: Er habe gehört, dass der „größte Multi-Kulti-Schmusebär des Landes“ Spitzenkandidat der Sozialdemokraten würde, sagte der Chef der anti-islamischen Freiheitspartei (PVV). „Das ist ganz sicher nicht, was die Niederlande jetzt brauchen.“ >>> Von Michael Borgstede | Montag, 15. März 2010

Brief an iranische Führung: Bin-Laden-Sohn erbittet Freilassung seiner Familie
WELT ONLINE: So etwas hat es noch nicht gegeben: Mit einem offenen Brief bittet ein Sohn Osama Bin Ladens, Khalid Bin Laden, um die Freilassung seiner Familienmitglieder im Iran. Dort verhängte der Geheimdienst über sieben Kinder und mindestens eine Frau des Terrorchefs Hausarrest. Zweien gelang offenbar die Flucht.

Ein Sohn des al-Qaida-Chefs Osama Bin Laden hat sich mit einer offiziellen Botschaft an die iranische Führung gewandt. Darin fordert Khalid Bin Laden die Freilassung der im Iran festgehaltenen Familienmitglieder. Der Brief des 29-Jährigen an den iranischen Revolutionsführer und Großayatollah Ali Khamenei trägt den Titel „Eine Bitte um die Freilassung meiner Familie im Iran“. >>> Von Florian Flade | Montag, 15. März 2010

Two Muslim Men Charged Over Alleged Plot to Kill Swedish Cartoonist Lars Vilks
Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks was allegedly the subject of a murder plot after depicting the Prophet Muhammad's head on the body of a dog in 2007. Photograph: The Guardian
THE GUARDIAN: Two Muslim men were charged last night in the Irish Republic in connection with an alleged plot to murder Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, whose artwork outraged many Muslims after he depicted the Prophet Muhammad's head on the body of a dog in 2007.

Algerian Ali Charafe Damache and Abdul-Salam Mansour al-Jehani, from Libya, were brought before a specially convened court in Waterford, south-east Ireland late last night.

Damache, 44, was charged with sending a menacing text message while al-Jehani, 32, was charged with an immigration offence after allegedly giving a false name. Both men were remanded in custody until Friday after Irish detectives said they were not convinced of the authenticity of the men's identities.

The men, who both gave Waterford addresses to the court, were among seven people arrested last Tuesday morning over an alleged conspiracy to kill Vilks. >>> Aidan Jones | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy’s Prospects for a Second Term Diminish After Poll Rout
TIMES ONLINE: President Sarkozy’s prospects of a second term looked shakier yesterday after voters showed their distaste for his leadership by routing his party in the first round of elections for regional councils.

The Union for a Popular Movement, the machine that Mr Sarkozy built for his election in 2007, won 26 per cent, the lowest vote for a centre-right party in half a century.

The Socialist party won half the total vote along with its allies, notably the resurgent Greens, who took more than 12 per cent. The National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen also enjoyed a return to favour with nearly 12 per cent.

The result was seen as repudiation of the policies and style of the President, who has been wallowing in disapproval since 2008. Mr Sarkozy, 55, seems to have turned from an asset to a liability for his party, UMP insiders say.

Dissatisfaction is fuelled by antipathy for the way that he imposed a personal stamp on the presidency, casting himself as saviour of the nation and showing off his private life and his glamorous circle of friends.

Many right-wing voters who backed Mr Sarkozy in 2007 joined the 53 per cent who abstained or backed Mr Le Pen’s group on Sunday.

If the debacle is confirmed in the March 21 run-off, Mr Sarkozy could face a challenge from within the UMP for the presidency. The campaign for the election in April 2012 begins next year. >>> Charles Bremner, Paris | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Supreme Leader Tries to Ban Charshanbeh Suri in Attempt to Quell Protests
TIMES ONLINE: Iran’s Supreme Leader is seeking to ban the Iranian equivalent of Bonfire Night in case the opposition turns it into another protest against his regime.

“Charshanbeh Suri [Red Wednesday] has no Sharia basis and causes much harm and corruption and should be avoided altogether,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared, in what opponents called a fatwa.

Millions of Iranians celebrate the festival, a prelude to the Persian new year, by lighting fires in the streets and letting off firecrackers on a night of anarchy that the regime has tolerated but never encouraged. It dates back to the Zoroastrian era but analysts said that Ayatollah Khamenei’s pronouncement had less to do with its un-Islamic origins than the fear that it would give the opposition a chance to show it was still a potent force. >>> Martin Fletcher | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Palestinians and Israeli Police Clash in East Jerusalem
THE TELEGRAPH: Hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Tuesday on a "day of rage" declared by Hamas Islamists in protest against Israel's consecration of an ancient synagogue in the city.



The violence was another challenge to US efforts to revive Middle East peace talks after Israel angered Palestinians and touched off a dispute with Washington by announcing a Jewish settlement project near East Jerusalem, an area captured along with the West Bank in a 1967 war.

In a deepening US-Israeli crisis, US Middle East envoy George Mitchell cancelled plans to return to the region on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not curb such construction, opposed by the United States.

Clashes erupted in several areas of East Jerusalem. Palestinians hurled stones at police and burned tyres and trash bins. Police responded with tear gas and fired rubber bullets.

Some 40 Palestinians were treated at East Jerusalem hospitals for minor injuries and two policemen were hurt, medical officials said.

A police spokesman said some 3,000 officers were put on high alert after Hamas, an Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip and wields influence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, urged Palestinians to mount anti-Israeli protests.

"We call on the Palestinian people to regard Tuesday as a day of rage against the occupation's (Israel's) procedures in Jerusalem against al-Aqsa mosque," Hamas said in a statement. >>> | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Ridiculous! Detroit Workers Told to Avoid Perfumes After 'Smelly Colleague' Lawsuit
THE TELEGRAPH: Workers in Detroit have been urged not to wear perfumed products after a city employee won $100,000 (£67,000) settlement in which she claimed that a colleague's perfume made it difficult for her to breathe.

Signs will be placed in city buildings warning staff to avoid "wearing scented products, including ... colognes, aftershave lotions, perfumes, deodorants, body/face lotions."

The use of scented candles, perfume samples from magazines and spray or solid air fresheners will also be discouraged.

The move follows a 2008 federal lawsuit in which Susan McBride, a city employee, said a colleague's perfume made it challenging for her to do her job. [Source: The Telegraph] Tom Leonard in New York | Monday, March 15, 2010

France's Burka Dilemma
Proposals to ban face veils provoked debate in France's Muslim community. Photograph: BBC
BBC: France could become the first country in Europe to ban the burka. A draft law submitted to the French parliament would make it illegal for a woman to cover her face in public spaces such as hospitals and trains. But the proposal has divided the country's five million-strong Muslim community.

26 year-old Anisa wears a bright blue niqab, a piece of clothing that covers her completely except for her eyes and perfectly arched eyebrows.

You can't miss her among the crowds: maybe it is because of the colour of the niqab or because there is no other woman around who is covered up to this extent.

She has been wearing it for a year-and-a-half. Anisa's family, who are originally from Morocco, are against her wearing the niqab. But Anisa believes it is her religious duty.

According to official figures there are just 1900 women who wear the burka in France. Most of them are young and a quarter are converts.

But a report from the French intelligence services put this figure much lower at 367, out of an estimated population of five million Muslims, the largest in Europe.

When I met Anisa in the suburbs of Seine-Saint Denis, an area with the highest concentration of Muslims in France, she says that ever since she started wearing the niqab she has had unwelcome attention from the police, has been insulted in the street and is frequently stared at.

Women wearing the burka - a veil which covers the whole face - or the niqab in France are not as visible as those in Britain. But look hard enough in the suburbs and you can find them.

The mosque in the town of Drancy, on the outskirts of Paris, is currently the most controversial in France because the imam here has come out in support of the government's decision to ban the burka.

Imam Hassan Chalghoumi is now facing death threats and has been given police protection. Ignoring the advice of his advisors he spoke to the Today programme. >>> Zubeida Malik , Today Programme | Monday, March 15, 2010

Petrol to Hit 120p a Litre, as Motorists 'Mugged' by Oil Companies
THE TELEGRAPH: Petrol is due to hit a record of 120p a litre in a matter of days, even though the price of oil is little more than half the levels it was at its peak, the AA motoring group has warned.

Petrol could soon hit 120p a litre, the AA said. Photograph: The Telegraph
Senior MPs and motoring groups said that oil companies were "mugging motorists on the forecourt" and urged Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, to delay next month's planned increase in petrol duty as well as investigate why drivers were paying so much.

The average petrol price across the country is 115.9p for a litre of unleaded and 116.6p for a litre of diesel, according to Petrolprices.com. However, the Treasury is due to add a further 3p on April 1.

Even without this increase the price at forecourts is due to hit 120p very soon, according to the AA. This would overtake the previous high of 119.7p, which motorists suffered from in July 2008.

At the time the high price of petrol was blamed on the surging price of crude oil, the key raw material in petrol, which within weeks of the record petrol price hit its own record of $147 a barrel.

However, crude oil is now $78 a barrel and there are more than 250 petrol stations charging more than 120p a litre for unleaded and diesel.

Lindsay Hoyle, the senior Labour MP on the Business Select Committee, said: "This is a complete disgrace. Yes, crude oil has gone up this year, but nothing like the rise in petrol prices. Motorists are being legally mugged at the forecourt by petrol companies." >>> Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor | Monday, March 15, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy Identity Debate 'Boosted Votes for Far-right'
THE TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial "national identity" debate has been blamed for helping the far-right to reestablish itself in French elections.

Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front remains in the running in 12 of France's 22 mainland regions. Photo: The Telegraph
Opponents said the president's decision to start a high-profile discussion about issues including immigration, the burka and social cohesion led voters to back Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front (FN).

The near-bankrupt FN had been written off after a disastrous showing in the 2007 presidential elections, but on Sunday scored almost 12 per cent in the first round of regional elections.

Martine Aubry, leader of the Socialist opposition, said Mr Sarkozy was guilty of "reopening a door for the FN" by organising a "debate on national identity aimed at opposing [native] French with French from elsewhere, or foreigners".

And Francois Bayrou, former presidential candidate and head of the centrist MoDem party, said: "It's a worrying moment. The National Front is back at a level not seen in years." >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Monday, March 15, 2010

German Catholics Fume at Pope's 'Silence'
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: German Catholic groups have hit out at the pope's silence over a snowballing paedophilia priest scandal rocking his native country's Church.

The scandal "affects people, whether they are religious or not," said Dirk Taenzler, head of the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ), in the Berliner Zeitung daily.

"The Holy Father should make a statement about this."

He added that the German Catholic Church, which has been hit by allegations of child sex abuse dating back decades on an almost daily basis in recent weeks, was in the midst of one of its "biggest identity crises since 1945".

Christian Weisner from the German chapter of reform movement We Are Church said meanwhile that the pope "has not yet realised the full extent of the unease" caused.

The recent statement from the Vatican alleging a campaign to target the pope "is the worst possible communication strategy thinkable," Weisner told the Munich regional daily TZ.

"Many Catholics who are faithful to the Church regret the fact that Benedict XVI has failed to express a single word of sympathy," Weisner added. >>> AFP | Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Dubai
Stay away from the bloody place! >>> |Monday, March 15, 2010

Foto: Bild.de
Viertel der Deutschen wollen die "Mauer" wieder
DIE PRESSE: Gemäß einer Umfrage kann sich die Mehrheit der Deutschen vorstellen in einem sozialistischem Land zu leben, solange für Arbeitsplätze, Solidarität und Sicherheit gesorgt wäre.

Eine große Mehrheit der Deutschen könnte sich einer Umfrage zufolge vorstellen, in einem sozialistischen Staat zu leben, solange für Arbeitsplätze, Solidarität und Sicherheit gesorgt wäre. Die "Bild"-Zeitung berichtete, damit hätten sich bei einer Emnid-Umfrage achtzig Prozent in Ostdeutschland und bis zu 72 Prozent in Westdeutschland einverstanden erklärt. Anlass der Befragung war die Ausstrahlung des Fernseh-Zweiteilers "Die Grenze". Eines der Ergebnisse ist, dass jeder Vierte es unter Umständen befürworten würde, die Mauer zwischen West- und Ostdeutschland wieder zu errichten. >>> Ag. | Montag, 15. März 2010

Accord de la zone euro sur les modalités d'un plan d'aide à la Grèce
Le premier ministre grec, Georges Papandréou, entouré de plusieurs dirigeants européens, jeudi 11 février 2010 à Bruxelles. Photo : Le Monde
LE MONDE: Les ministres des finances de la zone euro, réunis lundi soir à Bruxelles, sont tombés d'accord sur les modalités d'un plan d'aide financier à la Grèce qui pourra être mis en place "rapidement", a annoncé leur chef de file, Jean-Claude Juncker. "Les propositions que nous ferons seront totalement en ligne avec les dispositions afférentes du traité et avec les législations nationales", a-t-il ajouté, sans donner de détails sur les mesures contenues dans l'accord. Seule certitude avancée par le président de l'Eurogroupe, le mécanisme retenu ne consistera pas en des prêts garantis.

Le premier ministre luxembourgeois a ensuite précisé que la décision ultime de recourir à cette aide serait prise par les dirigeants de l'Union européenne lors d'un prochain sommet européen, si nécessaire. >>> Le Monde.fr avec AFP et Reuters | Lundi 15 Mars 2010

Ultimatum italien à la Suisse pour mettre fin à la crise des visas
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE KADHAFI | L'Italie hausse le ton face à la Suisse dans la crise des visas liée à l'affaire Kadhafi.

Si aucun accord n'est trouvé entre Berne et Tripoli d'ici le 5 avril, Rome présentera une proposition visant à permettre à la Libye de passer outre l'opposition helvétique à l'octroi de visas Schengen.

Cette initiative devrait être présentée par l'Italie, l'Espagne, le Portugal et Malte lors de la prochaine réunion des ministres des affaires étrangères de l'UE le 22 mars, a déclaré le chef de la diplomatie italienne Franco Frattini, à l'issue d'un «long» entretien avec le premier ministre libyen Al Baghdadi El-Mahmoudi à Tripoli.

Le nouveau règlement concernant l'octroi de visas Schengen doit entrer en vigueur le 5 avril. Il prévoit la possibilité d'émettre des visas à «territorialité» limitée à un certain nombre de pays membres de l'Espace Schengen, a dit M. Frattini à l'agence ANSA. Chaque pays pourra ainsi émettre un visa qui sera valable pour son territoire et pour les autres pays adhérant à cette initiative.

Dans ce contexte, si la crise «n'est pas résolue d'ici au 4 avril, l'Italie proposera à tous les autres pays de Schengen» d'attribuer des visas aux personnalités libyennes, même si la Suisse «continue à s'y opposer». >>> ats/ansa | Lundi 15 Mars 2010

More Cracks in the Eurozone Despite Likely Deal for Greece
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Europe's leaders will do their best to put on a show of unity as early as Monday when they announce that they stand ready to help Greece recover from its financial disaster.

But the deal is just a thin veneer over permanent disagreements about how to run the European Union, and Brussels is about to embark on another round of damaging internal debate which will further distance it from the bloc's 500 million citizens.

Greece is the weakest but not the only member of the 16-country eurozone in deep trouble. It must borrow over 50 billion euros on the international markets this year or else it could go bust. The other countries that use the euro, led by Germany and France, are likely to say that their private banks will guarantee to help meet those financing needs should willing investors turn out to be in short supply. That, allied to a massive round of spending cuts inside Greece designed to reduce the budget deficit, should be enough to calm markets and stabilise the situation.

It won't stop Greeks from rioting, however. Just as in the UK, US and everywhere else, ordinary workers can't see why they have to swallow pay cuts, tax rises and cuts in services as a result of incompetent politicians and mendacious bankers. Greece's socialist government, recently elected, is suffering from internal dissent at the price to be paid for outside help. The deficit is more than four times higher than eurozone rules allow, but reducing it could be a dangerous process in a country plagued by social unrest and which was under military rule as recently as the 1970s.

As for the rest of the eurozone and the European Union, the big beasts of the continent - the UK, France and Germany - have never seen eye to eye on the level of economic oversight and political interference they would countenance from Brussels. It was hoped that the passage of the Lisbon Treaty, the reforms of the EU's rules and institutions just enacted after much pain, would still that debate and end internal wrangling for a decade.

Instead, Greece's problems, and those yet to be played out in full in Spain, Portugal, Ireland and elsewhere, have exposed the messy and inadequate compromises agreed for the co-ordination of vastly disparate economies. It hasn't worked; a new framework is required. >>> Adrian Michaels and Bruno Waterfield | Sunday, March 14, 2010

Washington Stands Firm as Relations with Israel Hit 'Crisis of Historic Proportions'
TIMES ONLINE: The White House is refusing to back down today in a bitter dispute with Israel over settlements in Jerusalem that has stalled peace talks, split Jewish lobbyists in Washington and which the Pentagon believes is threatening the lives of American soldiers in the broader Middle East.

As Palestinians threatened to boycott future talks, the depth of the dispute was revealed when Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, was quoted today warning that US-Israeli relations were “in their worst crisis since 1975 – a crisis of historic proportions”.

Still smarting over the announcement of new construction in East Jerusalem during the visit to Israel last week by Joe Biden, the US Vice-President, Hillary Clinton has called the move and its timing “insulting” towards the US.

Her remarks were echoed by senior White House officials at the weekend who spoke of Israel’s “affront” to Washington after Mr Biden’s effort to restart the peace process was sabotaged by the prospect of new Jewish settlements in districts claimed by Palestinians for their future capital.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, has apologised for embarrassing Mr Biden but has given no sign of ordering a halt to the project to build 1,600 new homes in Ramat Shlomo, an East Jerusalem neighbourhood conquered by Israel in 1967.
Mrs Clinton extracted the promise of a ten-month freeze on Israeli settlement-building from Mr Netanyahu last year.

Washington sees the construction project as a betrayal of trust, but the American response appears to have been doubly emboldened by an extraordinary briefing given to the Pentagon in January by the staff of General David Petraeus, the top-ranking US military officer in the Middle East and Central Asia. >>> Giles Whittell, Washington | Monday, March 15, 2010

HAARETZ: Netanyahu: Israel will keep building in Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel would continue to build in Jerusalem in the same way that it has over the last 42 years.

"The building in Jerusalem - and in all other places - will continue in the same way as has been customary over the last 42 years," said Netanyahu at a Likud party meeting. >>> Barak Ravid and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents | Monday, March 15, 2010

The America Threat
YNET NEWS: Obama shows diplomatic sensitivity worldwide, with the exception of Israel

One reprimand by Hillary Clinton, a half-threatening tone from the Obama Administration’s direction, and there we have the Diaspora Jew hidden in the genetic code of all of us breaking out fearfully.

Now you will say that the Netanyahu government shot itself in the foot, and that during such a significant visit on behalf of our master it allowed the community’s bureaucrats to run wild. You will say that the crisis is unbearable and that the Americans are fed up with the Mideast’s harsh realities.

You will then cry out: Jews, the future is bleak and, heaven forbid, the masters across the ocean may undermine loan guarantees and aid funds to the shtetl we established here.

Yet with all these words, secret government sessions, and apologies, someone may forget that after all we are dealing with a sovereign Jewish State here. A state allowed to declare that Jerusalem is its capital and allowed to plan construction on days and at sites the current US Administration is not comfortable with. >>> Yoaz Hendel | Monday, March 15, 2010

A Blessing in Disguise
YNET NEWS: Moshe Dann pleased that Biden, Clinton emerged from Obama's closet hatred of Israel

If delusion is one of the most dangerous pitfalls of diplomacy, then, paradoxically, recent criticism of Israel by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a blessing in disguise.

Condemning a routine announcement of Israeli plans to build a new neighborhood in Jerusalem, Biden fired the first shot. Clinton added that "it was not only an insult to Biden, but an insult to the United States."

Such fiery attacks on Israel are sharp contrasts to pledges of love and loyalty, rhetoric meant to anesthetize Israelis against the reality of American policy and intentions.

We should all breathe a sigh of relief, not only that these agents of PLO policies – that Jerusalem is negotiable – have left, but that it's out in the open.

Prime Minister Netanyahu avoided the first salvo by excusing and apologizing for the "untimely" announcement. Actually, the timing was perfect. It exposed the real purpose of Biden's visit and President Barack Hussein Obama's direction.

But Netanyahu cannot avoid Clinton's pot shots, which struck at the spinal nerve of the relationship between Israel and the US. As she put it, this was not a dispute over policy, but a deliberate attempt to humiliate the United States of America.

It was not the planned official dedication of a square and monument in Ramallah – during Biden's visit - to a terrorist who had murdered Israelis that offended Ms. Clinton, but plans to build apartments for Jews.

Concessions a display of weakness

Supporters of Israel should rejoice that Biden and Clinton have emerged from Obama's closet hatred of Israel. >>> Moshe Dann | Monday, March 15, 2010

The author is a writer and journalist in Jerusalem

YNET NEWS: Wall Street Journal: Why is Obama against Israel? : Day after political journalist Thomas Friedman slams Israel for authorizing east Jerusalem building, economic newspaper sides with Israel, criticizes Obama's foreign policy: 'When it comes to Israel, no trouble raising pitch' >>> Ynet | Monday, March 15, 2010

YNET NEWS: Senior PLO member warns building in east J'lem will lead to intifada: After Netanyahu vows to continue east Jerusalem construction, Qureia says, 'If Israel continues these practices, another uprising will break out'; Egyptian FM calls Israel's actions 'attempt to suffocate the Palestinians'. Dozens of Palestinians riot north of Jerusalem >>> Ali Waked and agencies | Monday, March 15, 2010

Related:

US Diplomatic Rift with Israel Widens After Settler Plan >>>Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem | Sunday, March 14, 2010

Several related articles (auch auf Deutsch) >>>

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Thought You Knew Your Grandma? Maybe It’s Time to Think Again! More Gay Than Gray!
THE ADVOCATE: Changing attitudes and increased visibility of LGBT Americans are prompting more and more seniors to come out later in life, a process that is a new subject of study. 



The Associated Press reports that people who work with older adults note the trend of seniors coming out, even if no definitive numbers are available. Outings by older stars such as Meredith Baxter, who came out last year at 62, and Richard Chamberlain, who came out in 2003 at 69, inspire some. Seniors Reborn, Coming Out Later in Life >>> Julie Bolcer | Monday, March 15, 2010

Gay Seniors Come Out Late, Start Second Lifetime
abcNEWS: Gray and gay: As acceptance grows, seniors step out of the closet and into a new identity

Those who work with seniors say they're seeing growth in the number of people in their 60s, 70s and 80s coming out of the closet as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Social scientists have long noted that people are coming out younger and younger. They say there's a similar trend at the other end of the age spectrum.

Growing awareness and acceptance of varied sexualities and gender identities in the U.S. helps explain the shift.

Support groups and services have cropped up to help such seniors. >>> Matt Sedensky, Associated Press Writer, Miami | Monday, March 15, 2010

Islamic Iran Offers 'Courting' Diplomas to Cut Divorce
THE TELEGRAPH: Iranian youths can attend courtship classes and earn a diploma before tying the knot as part of a newly introduced government scheme to cut the divorce rate.

The National Youth Organisation has unveiled an online course to educate the Islamic republic's overwhelmingly young population on how to find Mr or Mrs Right, pop the question and live happily ever after.

Interactive and lasting three months, the course designed by academics and clerics requires pupils seeking the diploma to sit for weekly tests.

Iran's hardline leaders condemn dating and relationships out of wedlock and like to see men and women married off ideally in their early 20s in a country where traditionalists frown upon singles in their 30s.

But according to official estimates, the average age of marriage has risen to 29, mainly due to economic hardship and a change in priorities and values, especially for women who outnumber men at college.

Since rising to power five years ago, conservatives in the parliament and the government have made a mantra of "facilitating marriage for young people" in Iran, where about 60 per cent of the 70 million population is under 30.

The concept of a "marriage diploma" has already unleashed a torrent of jokes on the internet, but officials insist that Iranians need awareness without revealing much about the content of the course.

"Marriage needs hundreds of hours of education," said Mehrdad Bazrpash, a deputy to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and head of the National Youth Organisation, as he inaugurated the programme in Tehran on Saturday.

Ahmad Borjali, a psychologist and adviser to the initiative, said that the divorce rate has gone up steadily since 2006, rising by 15.7 per cent in 2009 compared with the previous year, against a 2.1 per cent increase in marriages.

One in every four marriages ends in divorce in Tehran alone, he said, citing research by social workers as blaming "sexual" and "communication troubles" among main reasons for the problem nationwide. >>> Hiedeh Farmani, in Tehran for AFP | Monday, March 15, 2010

FDP Chef in der Kritik: Westerwelles abenteuerliche Reisen
ZEIT ONLINE: Selten stand ein deutscher Außenminister derart in der Kritik wie Guido Westerwelle in diesen Tagen. Beinahe täglich gehen neue Vorwürfe auf den FDP-Vorsitzenden und Vizekanzler nieder. Was ist dran an den Anschuldigungen? ZEIT ONLINE klärt die wichtigsten Fragen

Der Bundesaußenminister auf Südamerika-Reise: In Brasilien besucht er ein Siemens-Werk, daheim zweifelt man an seiner Integrität. Bild: Zeit Online
Was wird Westerwelle konkret vorgeworfen?

Der Hauptvorwurf lautet, der Außenminister und Vizekanzler habe auf seinen bisherigen Reisen ins Ausland Dienstliches und Privates miteinander vermischt. Außerdem hält man ihm vor, dass er sich während seiner Südamerika-Reise und seiner Asien-Reise im Januar von FDP-nahen Unternehmern, Parteispendern und persönlichen Freunden begleiten ließ. Im Raum steht auch der Vorwurf, Westerwelles Bruder Kai profitiere indirekt vom Amt des Außenministers. Ebenso wie Westerwelles Lebenspartner, der Eventmanager Michael Mronz, der mit nach Südamerika gereist ist. >>> Von Michael Schlieben | Philip Faigle | Steffen Dobbert | Freitag, 12. März 2010

Islamdebatte: Wo endet Toleranz?
ZEIT ONLINE: Josef Joffe: Gedankenverwirrung im Streit der Islamversteher und -verächter

Die DITIB-Merkez-Moschee in Duisburg. Bild: Zeit Online
Jeder Religion kann Schreckliches nachgesagt werden. Die Juden haben die Kanaaniter beim Einfall ins Gelobte Land gemeuchelt; ihr »Jahwe« ist sowieso ein »rächender Gott«. Den Christen darf man die Kreuzzüge und Torquemada anhängen, den Muslimen Ehrenmord, Steinigung und Terror im Namen Allahs. Anderseits haben die Juden nicht nur den einen und einzigen Gott erfunden, sondern auch »Liebe deinen Nächsten«. Das Christentum hat die Würde des Individuums und die Trennung von Kirche und Staat vorgezeichnet. Dem Islam verdankt der Westen Schätze, die von A wie Algebra bis Z wie Zimt reichen.

Vergessen wir also die wohlfeile Aufrechnung. Im Streit zwischen Islamverächtern und -verstehern lautet die eigentliche Frage nicht: »Wie halten wir es mit dem Islam?«, sondern: »Wie halten wir’s mit uns, dem Westen?« Zwei Antworten, die durch die Debatte geistern, zeugen von Gedankenverwirrung. Eine fordert Toleranz auch dann, »wenn ein anderer nicht tolerant sein will«. Die zweite handelt vom »Fundamentalismus der Aufklärung«, die der islamischen Variante gleiche (und oft mit »Islamophobie« einhergehe). Islamkritiker seien also die geistigen Zwillinge ihrer Feinde. >>> Josef Joffe, Herausgeber der Zeit | Freitag, 12. März 2010

Nahost: Merkel bemängelt negative Signale aus Israel
ZEIT ONLINE: Kanzlerin Merkel hat Israels Siedlungspolitik ungewöhnlich deutlich kritisiert und mehr Konstruktivität eingefordert. Ansonsten blockiere Israel die Friedensgespräche.

Fordert von Israel, "mit aller Kraft" auf Friedensgespräche mit den Palästinensern hinzuarbeiten: Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU). Bild: Zeit Online
Merkel nannte den Beschluss zum Bau von 1600 neuen Wohnungen in Ost-Jerusalem einen "schweren Rückschlag" für den Friedensprozess im Nahen Osten. "Ich hoffe, dass auch die Signale aus Israel in Zukunft konstruktiv sind und nicht weiter so negativ, dass sie das Zustandekommen von solchen Gesprächen verhindern", sagte Merkel nach einem Treffen mit dem libanesischen Ministerpräsidenten Saad Rafiq Hariri.

Jetzt müsse "alle Kraft" darauf gesetzt werden, dass die geplanten indirekten Friedensgespräche zwischen Israelis und Palästinensern tatsächlich stattfinden, sagte die Kanzlerin. "Wir sind der Meinung, dass es ein Zeitfenster gibt, das nicht unendlich groß ist." >>> Zeit Online, dpa, AFP | Montag, 15. März 2010

Affaire Kadhafi : L’otage Max Göldi est au plus mal
LE TEMPS: L’état de santé du Suisse retenu à Tripoli s’est détérioré depuis qu’il a été transféré dans une prison libyenne il y a trois semaines, a indiqué lundi Amnesty International. L’incertitude sur la durée de sa détention est un des facteurs qui pèse sur la santé du Suisse

Max Göldi a des problèmes de santé, selon le porte-parole de l’ONG Daniel Graf, qui est en contact avec la famille de l’otage. Le fait qu’il ait dû quitter l’ambassade de Suisse à Tripoli, où il était réfugié, et qu’il soit maintenant détenu dans une prison près de Tripoli ne facilite pas la situation.

Il y a trois semaines, M. Göldi considérait son transfert en prison comme une étape intermédiaire et comptait sur un retour rapide en Suisse. Son compagnon d’infortune, avec qui il avait retenu un an et demi en Libye, avait d’ailleurs pu quitter le pays pour retrouver sa famille sur les bords du lac Léman. >>> ATS | Lundi 15 Mars 2010

Culture Clash: European Art Provokes Muslims
Tell us what doesn’t provoke Muslims? – Mark
ASSOCIATED PRESS: LONDON — With the West locked in conflicts across the Muslim world, why would anyone throw fuel on the fire?

A small group of Europeans have been doing just that — provoking death plots and at least one murder by turning out art that derides the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran in the name of Western values.

Behind the scenes is something bigger: a rising European unease with a rapidly growing Muslim minority, and the spreading sense that the continent has become a front in a clash of civilizations.

Recent events — including surprising electoral success by an anti-Islamic Dutch party, moves to ban veils in France and minarets in Switzerland, and arrests in Ireland and the U.S. this week in an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist — are signs of the rising tensions.

Swedish artist Lars Vilks says he was defending freedom of speech when he produced a crude black-and-white drawing of Muhammad with a dog's body in 2007. Authorities say that set him in the crosshairs of an assassination plot by extremists including Colleen LaRose, a 46-year-old Muslim convert from Pennsylvania who dubbed herself "Jihad Jane."

Vilks said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that he wasn't interested in offending Muslims as an end in itself, but wanted to show that he could make provocative art about any topic he chose. "There is nothing so holy you can't offend it," he said.

The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten also said it was defending free speech in 2005 when it printed 12 cartoons of Muhammad, one in a bomb-shaped turban, setting off protests and the torching of Western embassies in several Muslim countries. And bottle-blond Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders said he was promoting European values by producing Fitna, a 15-minute film that lays images of the Sept. 11 attacks alongside verses from the Quran. The film was shown in Britain's House of Lords this month.

The cases are extreme, but millions of moderate Europeans also are re-examining the meaning of the liberal values widely cherished across the continent. How, many are asking, should a liberal society respectfully deal with immigrants who often espouse illiberal values? Should the immigrants adopt the values of their adoptive land — or, to the contrary, should society change to accommodate the newcomers who now form part of it?* >>> Michael Weissenstein | Sunday, March 14, 2010

Associated Press Writers Karl Ritter in Stockholm and Art Max and Mike Corder in Amsterdam contributed to this report.

*This is an absurd question to ask! It is clearly incumbent upon the immigrant to adapt to the host country, not the other way around. Many of these immigrants, after all, are here in Europe ILLEGALLY. And even when they aren’t, they came here for a better life. They came here to get away from backwardness and poverty. We should stop engaging in such banal and useless belly-aching! Were I to have house-guests refusing to abide by the rules of the house, I would show them the door. So it should be with a country. Abide by the laws of the country, or get out! – © Mark

Crucifixion Year Bad for Bavarian Village Barbers
THE TELEGRAPH: Once every 10 years Oberammergau, in Bavaria, crucifies Jesus all over again and local hairdressers nearly go out of business.

Martin Norz,centre, as Jesus Christ and other lay actors during a rehearsal of the passion play in Oberammergau. Photograph: The Telegraph
That's because nearly half the 5,300-strong village lets hair and beards grow for over a year to better resemble the Jews they will interpret in the Passion play that has been running here for nearly 375 years.

The tradition goes back to 1633 when the plague struck the alpine village and locals vowed, if they were spared, to put on a play about the crucifixion and reincarnation of Jesus once every 10 years - for ever.

"A lot of people, including some 600 children stop having their hair cut from Ash Wednesday (February 25) 2009 to October 3 2010" when the play packs up for nine years, says Doris Renner, 51, who runs one of the village's three hairdressing shops.

"That means a tremendous loss of business and shorter working hours for some employees," she adds.

But "Jesus", for his part, is working over time.

Frederik Mayet, 30, a marketing student, is both "Jesus" and spokesman for the play.

To take part in the Passion, "you have to be born in the village, have lived here for 20 years, or be married to someone from the village for over 10 years", he says.

The Passion is the "social event of the decade", says play director Christian Stueckl.

"Some want to take part because it's a tradition. Others for religious reasons. Still others, who aren't at all religious, just don't want to miss out," according to Stueckl, a village native who usually runs the Munich Volkstheater.

Villagers give up a lot of time to take part. >>> Francis Curta, in Oberammergau for AFP | Monday, March 15, 2010

US Diplomatic Rift with Israel Widens After Settler Plan
THE TELEGRAPH: The United States thwarted an Israeli attempt to play down a diplomatic rift between the two countries on Sunday by renewing its condemnation of plans to build new settler homes in occupied East Jerusalem.

After days of uncharacteristically caustic criticism from Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, suggested that claims of a crisis between the Jewish state and its superpower patron were overblown.

“I suggest not to get carried away and to calm down,” Mr Netanyahu told his cabinet.

“We look at this morning’s newspapers and read all kinds of comments and analysis,” he said. “First of all, I suggest that we don’t get carried away. We know how to deal with these situations.”

Yet the prime minister's display of confidence rapidly began to appear misplaced. Within hours, a senior aide to President Barack Obama indicated that displeasure over Israel's actions during last week's visit to the Holy Land by Joe Biden, the US vice president, had far from dissipated.

"This was an affront, it was an insult but most importantly it undermined this very fragile effort to bring peace to that region," David Axelrod, Mr Obama's most senior political adviser, told NBC news. "This was not the right way to behave." >>> Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem | Sunday, March 14, 2010

BBC: Ties between Israel and US 'worst in 35 years': Israel's ambassador to the US has said that relations between the two countries face their worst crisis for 35 years, Israeli media have reported. >>> | Monday, March 15, 2010

Barack Obama Must Pull US Troops Out of Afghanistan, Says Indonesian Cousin
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama must pull American troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq if he wants to fulfil his dream of reconciling the Muslim world and the West, according to his Indonesian cousin.

Haryo Soetendro, 55, grew up with Mr Obama. Photograph: The Telegraph
Haryo Soetendro, 55, grew up with Mr Obama – whom he knew as "Barry" – when the future American president lived in Indonesia for four years from the late 1960s.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Soetendro said that his illustrious cousin must start delivering on his promise to build bridges with the Islamic world as the President prepares to leave for a visit to his childhood home next weekend.

"The Iraq and Afghanistan problems should be solved peacefully and that is what Barry is trying to do. Indonesian Muslims are generally tolerant. But there is a common opinion that one country should not occupy another. No one would want their house occupied by someone else.

"You cannot force other countries to accept your idea of what is right just because you are stronger. I think the mothers in America would agree with this when they see their soldier sons being killed in Afghanistan."

Mr Obama is due to fly to Indonesia next week but postponed his trip to help hammer out a health care reform bill that he hoped will be passed before his departure.

After criticism that he was taking a "vacation" to the country that had been timed to coincide with his daughters' school holidays, the White House announced that Mr Obama's wife Michelle and their children would not be accompanying him. >>> Barney Henderson in Jakarta | Monday, March 15, 2010

Frankreich: Debakel für Nicolas Sarkozy bei Regionalwahlen
WELT ONLINE: Denkzettel für Frankreichs Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy: Sein bürgerlich-rechtes Regierungslager hat bei einem wichtigen Stimmungstest eine bittere Niederlage erlitten. In der ersten Runde der Regionalwahlen kam die konservative UMP nach ersten Prognosen nur auf 26,7 Prozent der Stimmen.

Bei den Regionalwahlen musste Frankreichs Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy eine bittere Niederlage verkraften. Bild: Welt Online
Das bürgerlich-rechte Regierungslager von Frankreichs Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy hat bei einem der wichtigsten Stimmungstests seiner Amtszeit eine bittere Niederlage erlitten. In der ersten Runde der Regionalwahlen am Sonntag kam die konservative UMP nach ersten Prognosen nur auf 26,7 Prozent der Stimmen. Sie geht damit nahezu chancenlos in die zweite Runde in einer Woche. >>> dpa/fp | Sonntag, 14. März 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy votes with Carla Bruni in regional polls in show of unity: President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, put on a show of unity on Sunday following rumours of infidelities, arriving together to vote in regional elections in which the French president faces a drubbing. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Sunday, March 14, 2010

TIMESONLINE: President Sarkozy faces poll wipeout: France signalls its displeasure with its President in the first round of regional elections with Socialists taking 53.6 per cent of the vote >>> Charles Bremner, Paris | Monday, March 15, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Far-Right National Front performs well in French regional elections: France's far-Right National Front (FN) has re-emerged on the French political scene after enjoying a surprisingly strong showing in regional elections on Sunday. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Monday, March 15, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy's Party Humbled by the Left in French Regional Elections
THE TELEGRAPH: French voters scarred by the economic crisis have dealt President Nicolas Sarkozy and his conservative leadership a stern blow by coming out in support of leftist candidates in regional elections.

Some voters took their worries about immigration and France's growing Muslim population to the ballot box - helping the far right National Front party upset predictions and perform strongly in first-round voting to choose regional governments.

With more than 96 per cent of votes counted, candidates from the Socialist and other leftist parties won 53.6 per cent of the overall vote, according to the Interior Ministry. Mr Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party and others on the right won 39.8 per cent.

The UMP's poor showing combined with an unusually low turnout of 47 per cent, highlights widespread discontent with the increasingly unpopular Mr Sarkozy. >>> | Monday, March 15, 2010

Jihad Jane II: Second US Woman Arrested Over Cartoonist Murder Plot
THE TELEGRAPH: An American woman who converted to Islam last year and was lured to Europe by online extremists was arrested in Ireland in connection with a suspected plot to murder a Swedish cartoonist, her mother said on Saturday.

Jamie Paulin-Ramirez is the second American woman arrested in a plot to kill the Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks. Photograph: The Telegraph
Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, the second American woman to be linked to the plot, had vowed to "strap a bomb" for the jihad cause, said Christine Mott.

Miss Paulin-Ramirez was a troubled single mother who taught her six-year-old son to hate Christians, said Mrs Mott. The 31-year-old had the "mentality of an abused woman" and had fallen in with extremists to escape her loneliness, according to her mother.

"She doesn't have the sense God gave a goose. She's book-smart and common-sense-dumb," said Mrs Mott.

Miss Paulin-Ramirez, a former trainee nurse from Leadville, Colorado, was one of seven people arrested in Ireland last week over an alleged conspiracy to murder Lars Vilks, a Swedish cartoonist who had depicted the prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog.

In a development that has caused alarm in the United States, she was the second American woman to be linked with the plot. >>> Tom Leonard in New York | Sunday, March 14, 2010

*Yet another American dumb blonde taken in by the false teachings of the prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! Where and when will it all end, if indeed it ever will? By allowing Islam to put down roots in the West, we have given ourselves a right headache: a headache that no simple Tylenol or Beechams will eradicate. – © Mark

Related:

For the Love of Islam: A Second American Woman Is Arrested in Cartoonist Case >>> Vanessa O’Connell in New York, Stephanie Simon in Colorado and Evan Perez in Washington | Friday, March 12, 2010

Britons Sentenced to a Month in Prison for Kissing* in Dubai Restaurant
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Two Britons have been sentenced to a month's imprisonment for indecency after a local woman took objection to them kissing in a restaurant.

British pair caught kissing in public in Dubai, Charlotte Adams and Ayman Najafi. Photograph: The Telegraph
Ayman Najafi, 24, a marketing consultant who lives in Dubai, and Charlotte Adams, 25, an estate agent from North London, were said to have been touching each other and kissing passionately as they dined with friends in a beachfront restaurant.

They were arrested and sentenced to a month in prison after which they were told they would be deported.

But the pair told a hearing at the Dubai Appeal Court yesterday that they were the victims of a "huge misunderstanding" and had simply exchanged a friendly greeting.

"We kissed each other on the cheek as a greeting, nothing more,” Mr Najafi told Judge Aysar Fouad. Miss Adams pointed at her cheek to show where contact had taken place.

The two are not the first Britons to fall foul of the strict laws in the conservative Muslim state. Last year Michelle Palmer, 36, and Vince Acors, 34, were sentenced to three months imprisonment for having sex on a beach.

The latest incident took place when Miss Adams and Mr Najafi met along with four other friends for dinner at Bob's Easy Diner on the beachfront at the Jumeirah Beach Residence complex on November 27.

The police were called at around 2am by an Emirati woman sitting at a nearby table with her children and claimed her daughter had been upset by the display of affection. >>> Richard Spencer in Dubai, and Aislinn Laing | Sunday, March 14, 2010

*There was a time when a British government would have sent out the warships to put this upstart Emirate, Dubai, in its place. These days we just suck up, and say: ‘Yes Sir, No Sir, three bags full, Sir!’ It’s pathetic! When will this damn government grow a backbone? If Brown had anything in him, he’d get on that telephone and tell the leader of Dubai that these innocent people should be released forthwith, or else. But that won’t happen because all our politicians understand these days is arsehole-scraping. How ashamed one has to be to be British nowadays! – © Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Dubai: strict morality laws behind Western appearance: With its skyrise buildings, slick bars and glitzy shopping malls, Dubai might seem like any other Western capital but when it comes to its laws, it could not be more different. >>> | March 14, 2010

Wilders soll einen Schwächeanfall erlitten haben
WELT ONLINE: Der holländische Rechtspopulist Geert Wilders hat einem Medienbericht zufolge bei einem Aufenthalt in Deutschland einen Schwächeanfall erlitten. Der 46-Jährige soll übermüdet gewesen sein. Mit einer SMS reagierte der islamfeindliche Politiker auf die plötzlichen Gerüchte um seine Person.

Niederländische Zeitungen berichten über einen Schwächeanfall des PVV-Vorsitzenden Geert Wilders. Bild: Bild: Welt Online
Gerüchte um Geert Wilders: Bei einem Aufenthalt in Deutschland soll der holländische Rechtspopulist einen Schwächeanfall erlitten haben. Für den 46-Jährigen sei Samstagabend in einem Hotel des Luftkurortes Monschau in der Eifel ein Notarzt gerufen worden, berichtete die Online-Ausgabe der Zeitung „de Volkskrant“. Das Blatt berief sich auf „diverse Quellen“, die aber nicht konkret benannt wurden. Sie hätten erklärt, Wilders sei „übermüdet“ gewesen. >>> dpa/fas | Sonntag, 14. März 2010

Yémen : Nojoud Ali, une fille d'exception
Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO – BLOG – CHRONIQUES ORIENTALES: C'était il y a presque deux ans. Par un matin d'hiver, une enfant de 10 ans, à peine, allait briser l'un des plus grands tabous du Yémen : le mariage précoce des jeunes filles. Mariée de force à un homme trois fois plus âgé qu'elle, Nojoud Ali, eut l'audace de s'enfuir au tribunal et de demander le divorce. A l'époque, ses mésaventures firent la une des journaux, de Sanaa à New York, en passant par Paris... >>> Par Delphine Minoui | Mercredi 10 Mars 2010

Katholische Kirche: Bischöfe fordern Recht auf Heirat für Priester
WELT ONLINE: Mehrere Bischöfe haben dazu aufgerufen, parallel zur zölibatären Lebensform auch verheiratete Priester zu akzeptieren. Papst Benedikt XVI. erteilte dieser Anregung eine strikte Absage. Die Ehelosigkeit der Priester sei ein Geschenk Gottes, das nicht dem Zeitgeist geopfert werden solle.

Der Hamburger Weihbischof Hans-Jochen Jaschke (2.v.l.) hat sich für ein Nebeneinander von zölibatär lebenden und verheirateten Priestern ausgesprochen. Bild: Welt Online
Die Serie von Missbrauchsfällen in der Katholischen Kirche hat die Debatte um die verpflichtende Ehelosigkeit der Priester neu entfacht. Am Wochenende riefen mehrere Bischöfe dazu auf, über den Zölibat nachzudenken und zum Beispiel parallel zur zölibatären Lebensform auch verheiratete Priester zu akzeptieren.

Sie schlossen sich damit einer Forderung an, die reformorientierte Theologen und katholische Laienverbände schon seit Jahren vorbringen. Gleichzeitig betonten die Geistlichen, der Zölibat sei keine hinreichende Erklärung für die pädophilen Auswüchse in der Kirche. Papst Benedikt XVI. will dagegen an der Ehelosigkeit der Priester festhalten. >>> Von Lucas Wiegelmann | Sonntag, 14. März 2010

Four Explosions Hit Kandahar

Coffee Party to Challenge Tea Party

Suicide Bomber Hits Pakistan Military

Virginia: First to Block Health Coverage

Sex Abuse Allegations Vex Vatican

Paul Harris’ View: Liberal Americans Choke on Their Pretzels as Karl Rove Rewrites History
THE OBSERVER: It has been fun watching the man known as 'Bush's brain' squirm on the TV talkshows as he tries to sell his self-serving memoir

President George W Bush announces the resignation of Karl Rove in August 2007. Photograph: The Observer
For Karl Rove's legions of liberal detractors – who did not manage to lay a hand on him while he was in power – it has been a case of too little, too late.

But watching the man dubbed "Bush's brain" take to the media circuit to flog his self-serving memoir Courage and Consequence has at last provided a tiny bit of satisfying blood sport at Rove's expense. It has not been a pretty sight and is one that Rove, no doubt, will blame on the natural liberal tendencies of America's media classes. Yet it has been fun watching a man whose name became a byword for brutal, dirty politics go cap in hand around the talk shows and get a thorough roasting.

Leading the charge was normally genial daytime TV host Matt Lauer, who laid into Rove over everything from the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to Hurricane Katrina to his role in the leak of the identity of CIA spy Valerie Plame. "Some are saying this is 500 pages of you rewriting history," Lauer said. He was wrong. It's 608 pages. >>> Paul Harris in New York | Sunday, March 14, 2010

Blair Courts Controversial US Pastor Rick Warren in Bid to Unite Faiths
THE OBSERVER: Former prime minister builds network of Christian allies as he prepares to launch a religious 'offensive' in North America

Tony Blair. Photo: The Observer
Tony Blair is preparing to launch a "faith offensive" across the United States over the next year, after building up relationships with a network of influential religious leaders and faith organisations.

With Afghanistan and Iraq casting a shadow over his popularity at home in Britain, Blair's focus has increasingly shifted across the Atlantic, to where the nexus of faith and power is immutable and he is feted like a rock star.

According to the annual accounts of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, a UK-based charity that promotes cohesion between the major faiths, the foundation is to develop a US arm that will pursue a host of faith-based projects. The accounts show that his foundation has an impressive – and, in at least one case, controversial – set of faith contacts. Sitting on some £4.5m in funds as of April last year, mostly gathered through donations, it is now well placed to make its voice heard.

The foundation's advisory council of religious leaders includes Rick Warren, powerful founder of the California-based Saddleback church. It attracts congregations of nearly 20,000 and is reportedly one of the largest in the US. Warren, who has addressed the UN and the World Economic Forum in Davos, has been named one of the "15 world leaders who matter most" and one of the "100 most influential people in the world".

His influence was confirmed in December 2008 when Barack Obama chose him to give the invocation at his presidential inauguration. But the decision angered many liberals, who see Warren as an opponent of gay rights and abortion on demand; a prominent alliance with Warren is likely to attract similar attacks on the former British prime minister. >>> Jamie Doward and Paul Harris | Sunday, March 14, 2010

Backlash at the Mosque
THE TELEGRAPH: The influence of Muslim fundamentalists in east London is being challenged, says Andrew Gilligan.

In the two weeks since the Islamic Forum of Europe were exposed by The Sunday Telegraph and Channel 4’s Dispatches as hardline fundamentalists secretly infiltrating the political system, they have been furiously protesting their “proven track record of community cohesion”. Last week, however, the organisation showed its true face.

“We’ve tracked you down,” said the IFE’s community affairs co-ordinator, Azad Ali, in a webcast targeting the Channel 4 reporter “Atif”, who went undercover at the IFE’s headquarters, the East London Mosque, filming the group’s true views – and its boasts that it controlled the local Tower Hamlets council. “Yes, Atif, we’ve got a picture of you and a lot more than you thought we had. We’ve tracked you down to different places. And if people are gonna turn what I’ve just said into a threat, that’s their fault, innit?”

Mr Ali’s words sit strangely with his role as an official advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, and to the police, but perhaps his annoyance is understandable. The undercover reporters filmed him saying: “Democracy, if it means not implementing the sharia, no one’s going to agree with that.”

The reporters found that, far from its protestations of being merely a “social welfare organisation”, the IFE is an organised political movement dedicated to creating an “Islamic social and political order” through “entryism” into mainstream democratic institutions. >>> Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, March 13, 2010