Monday, March 29, 2010
BBC: An industrial park for Islamic goods and produce, which could mean about 3,000 jobs, might open in south Wales.
News of the proposed £150m Super Halal Industrial Park (SHIP) was revealed at an Islamic finance summit in London.
Mahesh Jayanarayan, chairman of Halal Industries, said Wales was chosen as the project's site for its meat industries and affordable land prices.
The assembly government said they were "tenative proposals" and and it would work closely with the firm.
The firm, a private equity company, said it was raising funds for the venture, which could launch in three to five years.
Mr Jayanarayan told the Reuters Islamic Banking and Finance Summit that Europe has no Halal industrial parks, despite being home to millions of Muslims.
Halal is an Arabic term meaning "permissible" and while it is often associated with meat, it refers to anything that is permissible in the Islamic faith.
The industrial park could create up to 3,000 jobs and would make the UK a landmark Halal centre for the region, Mr Jayanarayan told the finance summit.
It would provide services like storage freezers, a product packing centre, and raw material storage for manufacturers for food production. Meat selection and processing as well as research and development would also be offered.
Mr Jayanarayan said: "If you look at some figures, the halal sector in the UK is worth between £2bn to £4bn, the majority of that is imported.
"You have 2.5 billion people on the planet eating halal food, directly or indirectly," he told the summit.
"This halal market is not going away, it is not some fad. >>> | Tuesday, February 16, 2010
SOUTH WALES EVENING POST: Industrial park plan puts jobs boost on cards: AN industrial park that could create 1,500 jobs is on the cards for a site in Carmarthenshire or Neath. >>> | Tuesday, March 23, 2010
SOUTH WALES EVENING POST: THE British National Party has been accused of putting their "narrow prejudice before the chance of good jobs" after vowing to oppose a major development earmarked for the region.
Carmarthenshire and Neath have been named as the preferred home for a proposed £150 million Super Halal Industrial Park, said to promise around 1,500 jobs.
But the BNP say they will fight the plans because the jobs would be given to Muslims.
Writing on our website, Kevin Edwards, BNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Aberavon, said: "If the people of Wales think this will provide employment for them then they must think again. If this is given the go ahead the vast majority of jobs created will have to be allocated to Muslims."
Mr Edwards, a Penygroes community councillor, added: "The Welsh Assembly has a shameful record of handing out grants to companies that have fled as soon as the money has gone.
"When this happens, as it inevitably will, 'the industrial estate' will wind up and there will be 5,000 more Muslims in the UK claiming benefits and living on our doorsteps.
"Only the British National Party will oppose this development."
Criticism of how halal meat is produced has also sparked debate.
Traditionally, halal meat is killed by hand without stunning the animal first, and then blessed by the person doing the job, although some Muslims say a mechanised form is also now acceptable.
Julie Richards, from Pontarddulais, said: "It is absolutely barbaric. Lambs are going to be strung up and bled to death. It is not humane." >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010
THE SUN: A SHOCK new survey for The Sun has revealed how Britons feel badly let down by Labour's shambolic handling of immigration. More than two-thirds of the 1,500 adults quizzed by YouGov feel the surge in immigrants - 163,000 in 2008 alone - has had a negative impact on the UK. >>> Anila Baig | Monday, March 29, 2010
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Russia will continue to battle terrorists “without compromise,” President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday, hours after a pair of suicide attacks ripped through Moscow’s metro, killing at least 37 people.
“We will continue operations against terrorists, without compromise and to the end,” Mr. Medvedev said at an emergency government meeting.
Russia’s security services must not allow the suicide bombings that ripped through Moscow’s metro to “destabilize” the country and stoking ethnic hatred within society, Mr. Medvedev said. >>> Ira Iosebashvili | Monday, March 29, 2010
Several related articles in English, French, and German >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Nach den beiden Selbstmordanschlägen in Moskau hat der russische Präsident Medwedew einen unerbittlichen Kampf gegen Extremisten angekündigt. Ministerpräsident Putin sprach von einer gnadenlosen Jagd auf die Hintermänner der Tat.
Russland werde ohne zu Zögern den «Krieg gegen Terror» fortsetzen, erklärte der russische Präsident Medwedew am Montag nach den beiden schweren Anschlägen in der Moskauer U-Bahn. Die Sicherheitskräfte würden kompromisslos gegen Terroristen vorgehen. Die Menschenrechte müssten aber bei Polizeieinsätzen gewahrt bleiben, sagte der russische Präsident.
«Terroristen zerstören»
«Ein Verbrechen ist begangen worden, das schrecklich ist in seinen Konsequenzen und abscheulich in seiner Art», sagte Ministerpräsident Putin zu Beginn einer Videokonferenz mit ranghohen Vertretern der Sicherheitsbehörden. «Ich bin zuversichtlich, dass die Polizei- und Justizbehörden keine Anstrengung unterlassen werden, die Kriminellen zu finden und zu bestrafen. Die Terroristen werden zerstört werden.» >>> sda/Reuters/ddp | Montag, 29. März 2010
RUSSIA TODAY: Putin condemns Metro attacks, urgently flies to Moscow: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, currently on a working trip in Siberia, said he was urgently returning to Moscow after terrorists exploded two bombs in the Metro, killing dozens. >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Supreme Court’s refusal this week to hear a challenge to the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military is not much of a legal setback. The court did not address the merits of the case, and another lawsuit still moving through the courts may be a better vehicle for challenging the benighted policy.
Even so, relying on a conservative court to make things right would be a gamble. Unfortunately, neither President Obama nor Congress shows much appetite for moving to end a ban that is not only unfair to gay men and lesbians but damaging to the military as well.
The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was hatched in 1993 as a compromise after President Bill Clinton failed in an attempt to overturn an existing ban on gay service members. The awkward compromise limited the military’s ability to ask service members about their sexual orientation (don’t ask) and allowed homosexuals to serve provided they kept quiet about their sexual orientation (don’t tell) and refrained from homosexual acts.
The ostensible rationale was that the known presence of gay men and lesbians would undermine morale and unit cohesion, but as it turned out, the policy caused its own kind of damage to military readiness. Thousands of service members have been discharged from duty at a time when the military is stretched by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The loss of highly skilled interpreters and intelligence analysts has been especially damaging. >>> | Tuesday, June 09, 2009
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Obama has said he will abolish the 16-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military only if they do not disclose their sexual orientation. Nationwide, polls show that a majority of Americans support lifting the ban on openly gay members of the military. But support in the military’s ranks and among retired officers is mixed. While several prominent retired generals and admirals have urged a repeal, others have said that allowing openly gay people to join the service would hurt recruiting and retention.
How would lifting the ban affect the military ranks? And, as the first step, if the president acts to change the policy, should it be by executive order or should it be by act of Congress? >>> The Editors | Sunday, May 03, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: FBI agents have arrested seven people in a series of raids targeting a Christian militia group.
The raids took place in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio over the weekend and were reportedly carried out by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The suspects are expected to make an initial appearance in US District Court in Detroit later today.
A source close to the investigation in Washington, D.C. told the Detroit News that FBI agents were conducting activities in connection to Hutaree, a Christian militia group whose members describe themselves as Christian soldiers preparing for the arrival and battle with the anti-Christ. >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010
TIMES ONLINE: Israel could become the first country to ban the wearing of animal fur; a move campaigners hope will encourage other countries to follow suit.
However, ultra-Orthodox MPs are blocking the final steps in the process because many of their constituents traditionally wear sable hats known as shtreimels, which they argue are part of their cultural identity.
The international anti-fur campaign, backed by animal rights activists such as Brigitte Bardot and Sir Paul McCartney, has picked Israel as the perfect starting point because the fur trade is tiny — worth about $1 million a year — and because, under Jewish tradition, the undue suffering of animals is forbidden.
“The market here is not that big,” said Josh Rotbart, a legal representative for the Israeli organisation Let The Animals Live, which also runs an animal rescue centre in Lod, near Tel Aviv. “We are not talking about Canada or the US or China. It’s a small industry and it’s pretty easy to ban a small industry. It’s hot here. You don’t really need to wear fur.” >>> James Hider, Lod | Monday, March 29, 2010
MAIL ONLINE: Tony Blair will make a dramatic return to the centre stage of British politics to boost Labour's election hopes.
The former Prime Minister is due to give a speech tomorrow attacking Tory policies and highlighting New Labour's achievements.
It will be the first time Mr Blair has stepped out of the political shadows since standing down from No.10.
The speech, in his former constituency of Sedgefield, County Durham, is expected to dismiss claims that David Cameron is his natural successor and has modernised the Tories.
The carefully-planned attack will also attempt to portray the Tories as a far-Right party with extremist policies. He's back! Tony Blair set to step out of political shadows with speech attacking Cameron >>> Ryan Kisiel | Monday, March 29, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: Canadian police investigate dozens of allegations against psychiatrist nicknamed for use of electricity to 'cure' gay soldiers
A leading Canadian psychiatrist who kept accusations of gross human rights abuses in apartheid-era South Africa hidden has been charged in Calgary with sexually abusing a male patient and is being investigated over dozens of other allegations.
Dr Aubrey Levin, who in South Africa was known as Dr Shock for his use of electricity to "cure" gay military conscripts, was arrested after a patient secretly filmed the psychiatrist allegedly making sexual advances. Levin, who worked at the University of Calgary's medical school, has been suspended from practising and is free on bail of C$50,000 (£32,000) on charges of repeatedly indecently assaulting a 36-year-old man.
The police say they are investigating similar claims by nearly 30 other patients. The Alberta justice department is reviewing scores of criminal convictions in which Levin was a prosecution witness.
Levin has worked in Canada for 15 years since leaving South Africa, where he was chief psychiatrist in the apartheid-era military and became notorious for using electric shocks to "cure" gay white conscripts. He also held conscientious objectors against their will at a military hospital because they were "disturbed" and subjected them to powerful drug regimens.
South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission heard that Levin was guilty of "gross human rights abuses" including chemical castration of gay men. But after arriving in Canada in 1995 he managed to suppress public discussion of his past by threatening lawsuits against news organisations that attempted to explore it.
Following the arrest, other male patients have contacted the authorities. One, who was not identified, told CTV in Canada that he had gone to Levin for help with a gambling addiction and alleged he had been questioned about his sex life and subject to sexual advances. >>> Chris McGreal in Washington | Sunday, March 28, 2010
WELT ONLINE: Vor dem Treffen zwischen Merkel und Erdogan ist die Stimmung zwischen beiden Ländern auf dem Nullpunkt. Der türkische Ministerpräsident wirft der Kanzlerin Hass gegen sein Land vor. Er habe nicht erwartet, dass Merkel den Vorschlag nach türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland so deutlich zurückweist.
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan hat im Streit um die von ihm geforderten türkischen Schulen in Deutschland nachgelegt.
Vor dem Besuch von Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) kritisierte er während einer Reise in Libyen die Ablehnung seines Vorschlags. „Warum dieser Hass gegen die Türkei? Ich verstehe es nicht“, sagte Erdogan demnach am Wochenende mitreisenden türkischen Journalisten. „Das hätte ich von der Bundeskanzlerin Merkel nicht erwartet. Ist die Türkei ein Prügelknabe?“
Die Kanzlerin ist zu Wochenbeginn zu einem politisch brisanten Besuch in der Türkei. In Ankara kommt sie mit Staatspräsident Abdullah Gül und Erdogan zusammen. Zu den Themen gehören die schleppenden Beitrittsverhandlungen zwischen der Europäischen Union (EU) und dem Nato-Partner Türkei, die Lage in der Region mit Blick auf den Iran und Israel sowie der schwierige Versöhnungsprozess der Türkei mit Armenien. Am Dienstag besucht Merkel Istanbul. Es ist ihre zweite Türkei-Reise als Kanzlerin. >>> dpa/AFP/fas | Montag, 29. März 2010
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Chancellor Angela Merkel is embarking on a difficult trip to Turkey on Monday amidst a spat with the Turkish prime minister over integration in Germany. However, the true focus of the talks is likely to be Ankara's EU ambitions and what to do about Iran's nuclear program.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel haven't exactly laid the groundwork for harmonious talks ahead of her visit to Turkey on Monday. Something of a spat has broken out between the two leaders, focusing on the integration of Turks living in Germany, just as Merkel was preparing to make her first visit to Turkey in four years.
When Erdogan spoke out in favor of Turkish high schools in Germany last week, Merkel's response was to call on Turks living in Germany to make a greater effort to integrate. In a video address over the weekend she said that while she wasn't asking Turkish immigrants to give up their own culture she would like to see them also participate in German society. "Of course, that means that the German language must be learned and that German laws must be obeyed."
Erdogan reacted to the cool reponse in Berlin by asking: "Why this hate against Turkey? I don't understand it." Speaking to Turkish journalists during a visit to Libya this weekend he said: "I wouldn't have expected this from Chancellor Merkel. Is Turkey a whipping boy?"
However, when Merkel meets Erdogan and Turkish President Abdullah Gül during her two-day trip, the talks are less likely to focus on languages in schools than on the pressing issues of Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union, as well as how to deal with Iran's nuclear program. >>> Siobhán Dowling | Monday, March 29, 2010
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Regierungschefin betont vor Reise nach Ankara ihre Zuständigkeit für alle, die in Deutschland leben
BERLIN. Am Abend der Bundestagswahl hat Angela Merkel den programmatischen Satz gesagt, sie wolle Bundeskanzlerin aller Deutschen sein. Am Vorabend ihrer Reise in die Türkei hat sie ihn nun, je nach Sichtweise, präzisiert oder ausgeweitet. Wenn es um die Sorgen und Nöte türkischstämmiger Mitbürger gehe, "dann bin ich Bundeskanzlerin auch für sie", betonte sie in ihrer Videobotschaft am Wochenende. Merkel hat auf diese Weise einerseits ihre Hand demonstrativ zur türkischen Gemeinschaft in Deutschland ausgestreckt, zugleich aber ihrem türkischen Amtskollegen Tayyip Erdogan deutlich gemacht, wo die Grenzen seiner Einflussnahme sind.
Und noch etwas hat die Kanzlerin vor ihrer Reise nach Ankara und Istanbul klargestellt: Sie wolle nicht die Assimilation sondern die Integration der Türkischstämmigen, und dazu gehörten zwei Dinge: Das Erlernen der deutschen Sprache und die Befolgung der deutschen Gesetze. Beides klingt selbstverständlich, doch die Betonung durch die Kanzlerin gerade zu diesem Zeitpunkt kann nur als Mahnung an ihre Gastgeber verstanden werden, sich mehr dafür einzusetzen.
Erdogan wiederum machte seinem Ärger über die Reaktionen aus Deutschland auf seine Forderung nach türkischen Gymnasien Luft. "Das hätte ich von Merkel nie erwartet. Und das werde ich sie auch wissen lassen, " sagte Erdogan gestern während eines Besuches in Libyen vor türkischen Journalisten. Konfliktreiche Themen >>> Matthias Loke, Holger Schmale | Montag, 29. März 2010
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: MOSCOW—Two bombs ripped through Moscow's subway system Monday, killing at least 34 people on their way to work. Officials said two female suicide bombers may have been responsible.
The first explosion occurred at about 7:52 a.m. local time (11:52 p.m. ET), killing at least 19 people at the Lyubyanka metro station, not far from the Kremlin, Moscow chief prosecutor Yuriy Syomin told reporters at the scene. About 11 were wounded.
"One could presume that the explosives were strapped to someone's body," Mr. Syomin said.
Half an hour later, some 15 people were killed by a blast at the Park Kultury station, on the same metro line, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov told reporters. "The blasts were caused by two suicide female terrorists," he said.
Both bombs exploded when the doors to the metro carriage were open, injuring passengers inside the train cars and on the platforms deep underground in the world's busiest subway system, according to officials.
A female suspect with dark hair and a black dress was seen on surveillance video, said Vladimir Markin, an investigator for the prosecutors office. >>> Richard Boudreaux, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and William Mauldin | Monday, March 29, 2010
—Ira Iosebashvili contributed to this article
THE TELEGRAPH: Two female suicide bombers known as “black widows” blew themselves up in Moscow’s busy metro during morning rush hour killing at least 35 people, according to the Russian authorities.
A further 40 people were reported badly wounded.
Though no group has so far claimed responsibility for the atrocity, security sources said early indications suggested that the suicide bombers were from the volatile North Caucasus region that includes Chechnya.
If that is right, it would be the first time since 2004 that Islamist extremists have struck the Moscow metro, raising the terrifying spectre of a new bombing campaign aimed at Russia’s biggest cities.
Prosecutors opened a criminal case immediately, saying they would be working on the basis that the explosions were the work of terrorists.
The bombers struck two separate metro stations in central Moscow – Lubyanka and Park Kultyry - in a carefully coordinated attack.
At least 22 people were reported dead at the Lubyanka metro station, which is situated close to the headquarters of the FSB security service, the successor agency to the KGB.
Witnesses said an explosion tore through one of the carriages as the train was coming into the station killing commuters onboard as well as people standing on the platform. Dozens were reported wounded.
One witness, a policeman, said the bomb went off as the train’s doors opened and people poured out. Officials said the suicide bombers were wearing belts around their bodies packed with explosives. There were unconfirmed reports that they had set off the bombs using their mobile phones.
A second explosion at the busy Park Kultyry metro station located close to Moscow’s famous Gorky Park followed about forty minutes later. >>> Andrew Osborn, in Moscow | Monday, March 29, 2010
TIMES ONLINE: Women suicide bombers kill dozens in Moscow Metro attacks: Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up aboard packed underground trains at the height of the rush hour in Moscow this morning, killing 38 people and leaving an estimated 62 injured, according to the Russian security service. >>> Will Stewart in Moscow and Jenny Booth | Monday, March 29, 2010
RUSSIA TODAY: Two blasts in Moscow Metro, dozens killed: Two explosions have rocked the Moscow Metro this morning, claiming dozens of dead and injured. >>> | Monday, March 29, 2010
LE FIGARO: Selon les autorités russes, deux femmes ont actionné des bombes dans deux stations différentes, tuant au moins 36 personnes.
Le métro était bondé, ce lundi matin, dans la capitale russe. Alors que les Moscovites se rendaient au travail, deux violentes explosions ont causé la mort de plusieurs dizaines de personnes. La première déflagration a eu lieu à 7h50 (5h50 en France) à la station Loubianka, au centre de la capitale russe et à quelques encablures du siège principal du Service fédéral de sécurité (FSB, ex-KGB). La violente explosion s'est déclenchée à proximité du second wagon du train et a tué au moins 24 personnes, à la fois sur le quai et dans la rame de métro, et plusieurs dizaines de blessés.
Environ 50 minutes plus tard, vers 8h40 (6h40 en France), une seconde explosion à la station Park Kultury a fait 12 morts et 15 blessés, selon les forces de l'ordre. >>> Par lefigaro.fr | Lundi 29 Mars 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Terror in der Moskauer Metro: Mitten im Berufsverkehr haben sich am Montagmorgen Selbstmordattentäterinnen in zwei Zügen der Moskauer U-Bahn in die Luft gesprengt und mindestens 35 Menschen mit in den Tod gerissen. Mehr als 70 Fahrgäste wurden verletzt.
Wie der russische Inlandsgeheimdienst FSB mitteilte, zündeten die Frauen ihre Sprengsätze an den Stationen Lubjanka, wo auch die Geheimdienst-Zentrale liegt, und Park Kultury im Zentrum der russischen Hauptstadt. Hunderte Rettungskräfte waren im Einsatz.
Zuletzt hatten islamistische Terroristen aus der Konfliktregion im Nordkaukasus immer wieder damit gedroht, im ganzen Land Anschläge zu verüben. Nach Angaben von Ermittlern tragen die Anschläge auf die Metro die Handschrift der Islamisten.
Die Sprengstoffanschläge mit einer Wucht von 3 beziehungsweise 1,5 Kilogramm TNT erfolgten im Abstand von weniger als einer Stunde: der erste um 7.56 Uhr Ortszeit (5.56 Uhr MESZ), der zweite 44 Minuten später. Täter möglicherweise aus dem Nordkaukasus >>> (sda/reuters/ddp)/ii. | Montag, 29. März 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The father of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Pal Sarkozy, has said he will set the record of his life straight in a tell-all autobiography.
Mr Sarkozy, a self-confessed bon vivant and womanizer, wrote "Tant de Vie" - which translates as "So Much Life" - after his son advised him against filing lawsuits against his disparagers and instead to "answer later ... about all these unjust accusations."
Mr Sarkozy, 81, said the book is above all a family affair, adding: "This wasn't for the world, it was for my family."
"I wanted to talk to my children," and a book was "the simplest thing," he said in the interview, given on the sidelines of France's annual Book Fair.
A Hungarian immigrant who arrived in France in 1948 penniless, Pal Sarkozy concedes that he hid his past and failed to pass on his heritage to his five children - four sons and a daughter from two of his four wives - because "I wanted them to become French."
The book gives a rare look into the life of a president's father - the first modern-day French president with both parents still living.
But Mr Sarkozy questioned whether his son, Nicolas, should even want to make a second run for re-election in 2012. >>> | Sunday, March 28, 2010
Related / Lien en relation avec l’article:
PARIS MATCH: Pal Sarkozy, la mémoire du clan: Le père du président de la République publie ses souvenirs, l’itinéraire extraordinaire d’un jeune immigré arrivé en France à 20 ans. Sans papiers. >>> Interview Caroline Pigozzi, Paris Match | Samedi 27 Mars 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Out of America: Healthcare reform, standing up to Israel, and a nuclear treaty have transformed his presidency
What a week it has been. Congress passed the most far-reaching social legislation in four decades. The US and Russia agreed the most important arms control agreement since the end of the Cold War. And an American president, his patience exhausted with Israel's procrastination over what some still describe as "the Middle East peace process", dared send off a visiting Israeli prime minister with a flea in his ear. In short, it was the week that made Barack Obama*. >>> Rupert Cornwell | Sunday, March 28, 2010
* What a load of socialist, anti-Israeli BS you talk, Mr Cornwell! Healthcare reform was passsed against the wishes of the majority of Americans, Barack Hussein Obama showed himself up to be the petulant, rude, tantrum-prone greenhorn he is, and a nuclear treaty has been agreed upon at a time when we know not what is going to happen with al-Qaeda, to say nothing of Iran. Only time will tell how “great” this week has been, Mr Cornwell. The week may well prove to be Obama’s undoing! – © Mark
THE GUARDIAN: Tripoli reciprocates by ending entry restrictions on members of Schengen nations
Libya has claimed victory after Switzerland today dropped a visa ban on senior members of Muammar Gaddafi's regime as part of a long-running row between the two countries.
The foreign ministry in Tripoli said it was ending entry restrictions on members of Europe's Schengen passport-free zone after the Spanish EU presidency declared an end to the exclusion of 188 Libyan officials, including Gaddafi.
But Libya's foreign minister, Musa Kusa, said that the crisis was not over. "We demand international arbitration and we will accept any outcome, positive or negative," he said.
The visa spat ended after the Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, arrived for talks in the Libyan town of Sirte, where Gaddafi was hosting an Arab League summit. Italy's Silvio Berlusconi was one of the foreign guests and reportedly stopped to kiss the Libyan leader's hand.
It took weeks of intense diplomatic activity to end the row and ease pressure on economic ties between the EU and Libya, with Italy – increasingly dependent on Libyan energy supplies – pressing hard for a solution. The Swiss visa ban was legally binding on Italy and all 25 Schengen members, including 22 EU countries as well as Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. >>> Ian Black, Middle East editor | Sunday, March 28, 2010
L’EXPRESS.fr: L'ancien patron de l'AIEA, lauréat du prix Nobel de la Paix, part en guerre contre le régime de Hosni Moubarak. Au nom de la démocratie.
On pourrait en faire un film, l'histoire d'une métamorphose d'un grand commis de l'Etat en opposant farouche. Celle d'un homme dont la prudence était, pour ses détracteurs, synonyme de faiblesse, transfiguré en "sauveur de la nation". Le scénario, en cours d'écriture, s'annonce plein de rebondissements. Le "happy end" n'est pas garanti. Mais quatre mois après avoir quitté la direction de l'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA), Mohamed El-Baradei vient de décrocher, à 67 ans, le rôle de sa vie. Peut-être le plus difficile.
Après avoir croisé le fer avec l'administration de George W. Bush au sujet des armes de destruction massives introuvables en Irak, ce diplomate de carrière s'est lancé dans un nouveau combat: instaurer "la démocratie et la justice sociale" en Egypte. Fort de son prestige international - qui lui vaut du respect dans son pays, à défaut d'une vraie popularité - Mohamed El-Baradei entend peser de tout son poids en faveur des réformes politiques. Sans trop savoir, semble-t-il, jusqu'où cette quête va le mener. Peut-être à la présidentielle de 2011, où il n'exclut pas d'être candidat si la constitution est modifiée. Celle-ci interdit de facto à des personnalités indépendantes de se présenter, sans l'aval du parti au pouvoir. >>> Par Tangi Salaün | Jeudi 25 Mars 2010
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI began Holy Week on Sunday by suggesting in his Palm Sunday address that the Catholic Church would "not be intimidated" by the sex abuse scandals sweeping it.
In a clear indication that the Vatican continues to insist the continual abuse revelations are part of a conspiracy the Pope said: "From God comes the courage not to be intimidated by petty gossip."
Although he did not directly mention the crisis that has seen claims of abuse from Ireland, Germany, Austria, Holland and Brazil the 82 year old Pontiff's message was evidently clear.
As he spoke, thousands of pilgrims who had gathered in a sunlit St Peter's Square clapped and shouted "Viva il Papa" (Long Live The Pope). The scandals seemingly not to have had an impact on their faith.
Last week the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said the abuse allegations were part of an "ignoble attempt to strike at Pope Benedict XVI and his closest collaborators at any cost".
The Pope's Palm Sunday address, marked the beginning of Holy Week, the Roman Catholic's Church's most solemn seven days and which culminates with Easter Sunday. >>> Nick Pisa in Rome | Sunday, March 28, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: A former insurgent in Afghanistan has told how he survived daily battles with British troops and why he decided to join the peace process in what is believed to be the first ever interview given by a member of the Helmand Taliban.
Every morning just before dawn, as the sun rose over the central Helmand plain, Abdul Mohammed would pray to Allah, clean his rifle and prepare to kill British soldiers.
For two years, Abdul, who is married with a young son, served as Taliban foot soldier in one of the most violent and battle-scared areas of southern Afghanistan.
"I expected to be killed in battle – but that didn't worry me," he said. "I never thought about death. If I was told go on a suicide attack, I would have done so. I was a committed Taliban fighter, being with the Taliban was my life.
"The British soldiers were my enemy, they would try and kill me, so I'd try to kill them."
But last month, after seeing hundreds of his friends and family killed in battle, Abdul turned his back on the insurgency and joined the peace process under the Nato-backed strategy of "reintegration".
In what is believed to be the first ever interview by a member of the Helmand Taliban, the former insurgent told The Sunday Telegraph, how he survived daily battles with British troops and why he decided to join the peace process.
Abdul agreed to the interview only after lengthy negotiations between the district governor, an "intermediary" and The Sunday Telegraph.
Until 2008, Abdul and his family enjoyed a simple existence: growing crops, tending his small herd of goats and living in hope that his young son, Babrak, might one day go to school and become an engineer.
But those dreams were shattered when, he says, a violent warlord seized control of his district and began robbing and killing members of his family and friends. >>> Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent in Nad e'Ali | Saturday, March 27, 2010
YNET NEWS: Latest crisis an opportunity to tell America we’re allowed to disagree
Let’s all take a deep breath. All of us. Now that the latest meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ended, we would do well to accept the not-so-bitter truth: At this time there are disagreements between the United States and Israel.
Two new governments on both sides do not see eye to eye on diplomatic realities and have different attitudes to Jerusalem. We could have caved in, or tried to blur the gaps, yet this would be a missed opportunity. It is better to reconcile ourselves to this diplomatic reality and recognize it. This is the situation, dear citizens: Israel thinks differently than America.
Instead of getting scared of this fragile situation, we need to speak out boldly: On the other side, there are quite a few people who fail to understand the limits of power.
It doesn’t matter what they tell you about what’s really happening between the White House and Israel, one thing is clear: The notion someone planted in Obama’s head, whereby Netanyahu will make statements that contradict his beliefs and his voters’ worldview, and that would shatter his coalition and split the Likud – this notion is foolish and unreasonable.
Indeed, this notion casts doubt on President Obama’s ability to conduct himself vis-à-vis Israel the way one should conduct himself vis-à-vis an ally. >>> Hanoch Daum | Sunday, March 28, 2010
CYBERPRESSE.ca: Le premier ministre israélien Benyamin Nétanyahou a accusé dimanche les Palestiniens de «durcir leurs positions» tout en se disant prêt à poursuivre les contacts avec les États-Unis pour favoriser une reprise du dialogue.
«Nous continuons de constater que les Palestiniens durcissent leurs positions. Ils ne montrent pas le moindre signe de modération», a déploré M. Nétanyahou au début de la séance hebdomadaire de son cabinet.
Lors de l'ouverture du sommet arabe samedi en Libye, le président palestinien Mahmoud Abbas a de nouveau exclu des négociations indirectes, dite de «proximité», avec Israël sans un arrêt de la colonisation israélienne. >>> AFP, Jerusalem | Dimanche 28 Mars 2010
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Summit leader addresses Ah[a]madinejad’s nuclear ambitions, cautions Israel against building more settlements
The head of the Arab League urged the 22-nation bloc to engage Iran directly over concerns about its growing influence in the region and its disputed nuclear program.
Amr Moussa also warned in his opening statement at a two-day Arab League summit in Sirte, Libya, that Israeli construction on land claimed by Palestinians could scuttle the Mideast peace process for good.
Mr. Moussa outlined his plan for closer ties with Iran, saying it would involve a forum for regional co-operation and conflict resolution that would include Iran and Turkey — both non-Arab nations.
But the proposal could undermine U.S. and Israeli efforts to isolate Tehran amid concerns that its nuclear program aims to develop atomic weapons. It also comes as the U.S. and other Western powers push for a fresh round of sanctions over Iran's nuclear defiance. Tehran insists its program is for peaceful purposes.
“I realize that some are worried about Iran, but that is precisely why we need the dialogue,” Mr. Moussa said.
The push to engage Tehran seems to be at least partly fuelled by Arab frustration over Washington's failure to get Israel to back down on plans for more Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for a future state.
It also suggests that Arab nations are increasingly less likely to align with the U.S. strategy on Iran if they feel they are getting nothing in return in Mideast peace efforts.
Arab countries have grown increasingly skeptical that U.S. President Barack Obama will be able to forge a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians to end a conflict that has fuelled anti-American sentiment in the region. >>> Khaled Al-Deeb | Saturday, March 27, 2010
WELT am SONNTAG: Zwischen Libyen und der EU gibt es keine Visabeschränkungen mehr. Damit darf auch Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi wieder in den Schengen-Raum einreisen. Die Beschränkungen waren von beiden Seiten nach lang anhaltenden Streitigkeiten verhängt worden, in deren Mittelpunkt Libyen und die Schweiz standen.
Der Visa-Streit zwischen Libyen und der Europäischen Union ist beigelegt. Beide Seiten bekannt, dass die wechselseitigen Visa-Restriktionen aufgehoben seien. Für die EU kündigte die spanische Ratspräsidentschaft die Aufhebung des Einreiseverbots in den Schengen-Raum für einige ranghohe Libyer, darunter Machthaber Muammar al-Gaddafi, an.
Alle Namen von Libyern seien von der Schwarzen Liste gestrichen worden, teilte das spanische Außenministerium mit. „Wir bedauern den Ärger und die Unannehmlichkeiten, die libyschen Bürgern dadurch entstanden sind, außerordentlich. Wir hoffen, dass sich so etwas künftig nicht wiederholt“, hieß es in der Mitteilung.
Libyen hob im Gegenzug die Einreiseverbote für Bürger aus dem Schengen-Raum auf, wie das Außenministerium am Rande eines Treffens der Arabischen Liga im libyschen Syrte bekannt gab.
Ausgelöst hatte die Krise ein Streit zwischen der Schweiz und Libyen. Bern hatte Mitte der Woche jedoch dem Druck der EU nachgegeben, die in dem diplomatischen Streit vermittelte. >>> AFP/Reuters/cn | Sonntag, 28. März 2010
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: La crise des visas est finie, Max Göldi attend toujours : AFFAIRE KADHAFI | La Libye et l’Union européenne lèvent les restrictions à l’octroi de visas des deux parties, mettant fin à la crise provoquée par l’interdiction suisse à des personnalités libyennes d’entrée dans l’espace Schengen. >>> AFP | Samedi 27 Mars 2010
WELT am SONNTAG: Eines Tages, da ist sich der israelische Finanzminister Juval Steinitz sicher, wird sein Land die Hamas-Regierung im Gazastreifen gewaltsam beseitigen müssen. Das Regime stelle unter anderem mit ihrem Raketenarsenal eine Bedrohung Israels dar und müsse daher „liquidiert" werden.
Der israelische Finanzminister Juval Steinitz hat sich dafür ausgesprochen die Regierung der Hamas im Gazastreifen zu „liquidieren“. „Früher oder später werden wir das militaristische pro-iranische Regime der Hamas, das den Gazastreifen kontrolliert, liquidieren müssen“, sagte der Vertraute von Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu im Rundfunk.
Er lege keinen Zeitplan fest, aber es könne nicht geduldet werden, dass die Hamas im Gazastreifen militärisch stärker werde und sich ein Raketenarsenal zulege, das Israel bedrohe, fügte der Minister hinzu. Steinitz gehört Netanjahus rechtgerichteter Likud-Partei an. >>> AFP/cn | Sonntag, 28. März 2010
WELT am SONNTAG: Kurz vor ihrer Reise in die Türkei hat Kanzlerin Merkel deutliche Worte zum Thema Integration gefunden. Voraussetzung für Integration sei das Erlernen der deutschen Sprache und die Einhaltung deutscher Gesetze, sagte sie. Die Forderung nach türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland wies neben Merkel auch SPD-Chef Gabriel zurück. Er hat aber einen anderen Vorschlag.
Die Forderung des türkischen Ministerpräsidenten Recep Tayyip Erdogan nach türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland sorgt weiter für Diskussionsstoff. Nach Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) wies auch SPD-Chef Sigmar Gabriel den Vorstoß zurück, schlug aber zugleich mehr Türkisch-Unterricht an deutschen Schulen vor.
Merkel indes verwies darauf, dass die Voraussetzung für Integration das Erlernen der deutschen Sprache sei.
Gabriel sagte dem Deutschlandfunk am Samstag, er könne sich „im Ernst nicht vorstellen, dass wir türkische Gymnasien möglichst noch mit Regierungsauftrag aus der Türkei bei uns aufbauen“. „Aber ich habe überhaupt nichts dagegen, dass Türkisch als zweite oder dritte Fremdsprache mehr in Deutschland unterrichtet wird, als das zurzeit der Fall ist“, sagte der SPD-Chef.
Weil Deutschland immer engere Wirtschaftsbeziehungen zur Türkei habe, würden die Sprachkenntnisse wichtiger. „Da haben die jungen Leute, die türkische Eltern haben, richtig was zu bieten“, sagte Gabriel. >>> EPD/AFP/ab | Sonntag, 28. März 2010
20MINUTES.ch: Sarah Palin a appelé samedi des milliers de conservateurs réunis près de Las Vegas à sanctionner les démocrates.
L'ancienne gouverneure de l'Alaska s'est adressée à une foule de 7.000 personnes réunies par la mouvement d'opposition Tea Party à Searchlight, ancienne petite ville minière du désert du Nevada, où Harry Reid, l'un des artisans de la réforme de santé voulue par Barack Obama, a grandi et possède encore une maison.
Harry Reid «dilapide notre futur», a affirmé Mme Palin. «Quelqu'un doit lui dire, ce n'est pas un simple coup de dés». «Nous n'allons pas rester assis et nous taire», a-t-elle ajouté, assurant vouloir inciter les gens à la mobilisation et non à la violence.
L'ancienne candidate à la vice-présidence américaine a annoncé aux manifestants la fin de la politique du sénateur Reid, du président Obama et de la porte-parole de la Chambre des représentants Nancy Pelosi. «Vous êtes virés», a lancé Sarah Palin. Les organisateurs du mouvement d'opposition Tea Party ont affirmé pouvoir rassembler jusqu'à 10.000 personnes. >>> ap | Samedi 27 Mars 2010
20MINUTES.ch: Barbara Bush, épouse de l'ancien président des Etats-Unis George Bush, a été admise samedi dans un hôpital de Houston pour une série d'examens.
Les tests que l'épouse de George Bush senior doit subir sont consécutifs à des problèmes de santé, a annoncé la chaîne de télévision CBS, sans préciser la nature de ces troubles. >>> afp | Dimanche 28 Mars 2010
MAIL ONLINE: The two Christian hoteliers cleared last year of insulting a Muslim guest are being forced to sell up because their business has collapsed.
Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang are putting their nine-bedroom hotel up for auction in May because they can no longer pay the mortgage.
Despite donations sent to them by Christian supporters from around the world, they still have debts of well over £400,000.
They are also considering a civil action against the police who brought the prosecution.
Mrs Vogelenzang, 54, said last night it was 'devastating' that they could be left with nothing as the result of a case that should never have come to court.
'Where do we go from here?' she said. 'How do we start all over again?'
The couple saw their Liverpool business brought to its knees after an investigation into what was deemed a religiously aggravated hate crime against Ericka Tazi. The 60-year-old white British convert complained that the couple had called the prophet Mohammed a 'warlord' and told her that Muslim women were oppressed.
The case against them was thrown out after a judge at Liverpool magistrates' court said it flew in the face of their right to freedom of religious expression.
After the victory, the couple hoped they would be able to revive the Bounty House Hotel near Aintree racecourse, which they had built up over ten years.
Four months later, however, they have failed to attract enough customers and are losing about £8,000 a month. We're selling our hotel, say Christian couple in row with Muslim guest >>> Jonathan Petre | Saturday, March 27, 2010
THE OBSERVER: For much of the last century Harlem was the heart of the black community, but now some locals fear that whites and Hispanics are invading their turf
There was a time when the sight of Sandra Schulze's blond hair in the middle of Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park would have been a shock. But last week, as the 38-year-old graphic designer played with her two-year-old son, it was more a sign of the times.
Harlem has long been one of the most famed names in black American culture. The neighbourhood produced jazz greats, political giants and sports heroes. It kept a firm black foothold in the heart of Manhattan. But that is changing, and fast. Schulze, who moved to Harlem from Connecticut a week ago with her advertising executive husband, is the new face of what was once a place synonymous with either black pride or black ghetto-isation. Not that Schulze, who is German, sees it that way. She just sees a wonderful place to raise her son, with cheap rents, enormous apartments and friendly locals. "So far, it's been wonderful. It is a little like Paris, a little like Berlin. I love it," she gushed.
Schulze is part of a tide of newcomers to Harlem that is changing the historic neighbourhood. In Greater Harlem, black Americans no longer make up a majority. They comprise about four in 10 people, being pushed out by white gentrifiers and the explosive growth of the Latino population of Spanish Harlem. In fact, the black population of Greater Harlem is at its lowest in absolute terms since the 1920s. Those figures are from 2008, but a new census will take a snapshot of America on 1 April 2010 and its results will be announced later this year. For Harlem, one thing is almost certain: the neighbourhood will continue to have become less black and more white and brown. That is mimicking trends at a national level. >>> Paul Harris in New York | Sunday, March 28, 2010
THE OBSERVER: Changes to legislation will recognise growing trend for same-sex couples to become parents, say campaigners
Gay male couples will be able to use a fast-track route to become the legal parents of surrogate children from next week. On 6 April, changes to the law will permit two men to be named as parents on a child's birth certificate for the first time in British history.
The transition will take effect following the implementation of the final piece of the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. This last section is aimed at helping same-sex and unmarried couples who seek to have surrogate children and will allow them to secure legal parenthood in a new, simplified manner. At present, only married, heterosexual couples can use this route.
"These changes bring the law up to date with the realities of modern 21st-century life and recognise that increasing numbers of same-sex and unmarried couples are having children together," said Natalie Gamble, of the fertility law firm Gamble and Ghevaert. >>> Robin McKie, science editor | Sunday, March 28, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: British politicians should be "less deferential" towards the United States and more willing to say no, an influential group of MPs urges in a report.
The Foreign Affairs Committee says it is time to reconsider the term "the special relationship", which it complains is overused by politicians and the media, serving "simultaneously to devalue its meaning and to raise unrealistic expectations about the benefits the relationship can deliver to the UK."
Instead, the MPs conclude, Britain should acknowledge that it has "a" special relationship with the US - as do other American allies, partners and regional neighbours.
Britain should adopt "a hard-headed political approach to the relationship and a realistic sense of the UK's limits", and not always assume that America's priorities coincide with Britain's, say the MPs.
"British and European politicians have been guilty of over-optimism about the extent of influence they have over the US," said Mike Gapes, chairman of the committee.
"Certainly the UK must continue to position itself closely alongside the US but there is a need to be less deferential and more willing to say no where our interests diverge."
He added: "The extent of political influence which the UK has exercised on US decision-making as a consequence of its military commitments is likely to diminish. Over the longer-term the UK is unlikely to be able to influence the US to the extent it has in the past."
The 14-member, cross-party committee says that the perception after the Iraq War that the UK was a "poodle" to America's wishes was highly damaging, and reported dissatisfaction among American generals over the capabilities of British forces gives "cause for concern". >>> Harriet Alexander, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Sunday, March 28, 2010
THE SUNDAY TIMES: My daughter was baptised into the Roman Catholic faith when she was two months old. She is now six, and should really be gearing up for her first communion. The fact that she isn’t is down to one factor: the parish priest at the local church was suspended, pending investigations into allegations of child abuse.
He was eventually cleared of all charges, which was nice for him but didn’t really work for me because I don’t want any of my children left alone with adult men in any context where the words “child abuse” are hovering in the air. In recent years that context has, sadly, broadened to include the entire church.
To be blunt about it, my daughter was baptised because we feared she might die — she had complicated open-heart surgery a few weeks after she was born, and for some reason I found the sacrament intensely comforting. Beautiful, too.
Her father, a cradle Catholic, lost patience with his childhood faith long ago. I’m only nominally Catholic — my (late) father was pathologically anti-clerical, which makes me wonder what happened in his childhood to make him hate priests quite so much, and my mother, although educated by nuns, is nominally a Muslim.
But I was born into an otherwise Catholic family, and baptising your child into the faith is what you did when I was born. My mother then remarried another lapsed(ish) Catholic; my sisters went to a convent school. None of us was exactly what you would call religious, to put it mildly.
Nevertheless, there were aspects of Catholicism that I loved, and not only because they made me good at reading religious paintings (this is why RE lessons are so important — never mind God; feel the culture). They were mostly all the things people make fun of and call superstitious: the ceremony, the ritual, the saints, the relics, the Latin, the grace.
I went to Lourdes and Knock and Medjugorje — once each — and dragged along friends who observed the whole thing with amazed, incredulous hilarity (“You can’t seriously believe ... ?”) but I always found myself moved. I went to a particular church in the Rue du Bac whenever I was in Paris, because of St Catherine Labouré, who had always answered my calls for intercession, especially ones concerning my daughter. I’ve probably lost you right there — but never mind, because at this point they’ve lost me, too.
It is simply not possible, having read the papers or watched the news over the past couple of weeks, to stick with the programme. Like many of my generation, I could hardly be described as a good, or even decent, Catholic, but I’d managed to hang on in there, in the vaguest way imaginable.
Vague because it’s hard to pay lip-service to a faith that you feel hates you; a faith that would rather let you die in childbirth than have an abortion, won’t let you take the contraception necessary to prevent said abortion, hates gay people despite having many homosexual priests; a faith that talks ignorant nonsense about HIV and Aids, that would rather watch people die in Africa than let them use a condom; a faith that is unbelievably slow to say sorry about the fact that some of its members are habitual rapists of children.
I mean, you know, at some point you just give up. Not one of these things is defensible taken individually. Collectively, they are beyond comprehension.
A faith based on central authority and infallibility must understand that failure immediately to condemn the rape of children — in Ireland, in America, in Austria, in Germany, in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Brazil, so far — is essentially to allow it. >>> India Knight | Sunday, March 28, 2010
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Victims of sex abuse to sue Vatican: NEW revelations about Pope Benedict XVI’s alleged role in covering up accusations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have exposed the Vatican to the risk of lawsuits brought by victims around the world. >>> Tony Allen-Mills in New York and John Follain in Rome | Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
THE SUNDAY TIMES: SAUDI ARABIA is pouring hundreds of millions of pounds into Islamist groups in the Balkans, some of which spread hatred of the West and recruit fighters for jihad in Afghanistan.
According to officials in Macedonia, Islamic fundamentalism threatens to destabilise the Balkans. Strict Wahhabi and Salafi factions funded by Saudi organisations are clashing with traditionally moderate local Muslim communities.
Fundamentalists have financed the construction of scores of mosques and community centres as well as handing some followers up to £225 a month. They are expected not only to grow beards but also to persuade their wives to wear the niqab, or face veil, a custom virtually unknown in the liberal Islamic tradition of the Balkans.
Government sources in traditionally secular Macedonia (official title the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), said they were monitoring up to 50 Al-Qaeda volunteers recruited to fight in Afghanistan.
Classified documents seen by The Sunday Times reveal that Macedonian officials are also investigating a number of Islamic charities, some in Saudi Arabia, which are active throughout the Balkans and are suspected of spreading extremism and laundering money for terrorist organisations.
One of the groups under scrutiny is the International Islamic Relief Organisation from Saudi Arabia, which is on a United Nations blacklist of organisations backing terrorism. It did not respond to inquiries, but has previously denied involvement in terrorist activities, calling such claims “totally unfounded”.
According to its website, it works in 32 countries to provide relief to the victims of natural disasters and to carry out humanitarian, health and educational projects.
“Hundreds of millions have been poured into Macedonia alone in the past decade and most of it comes from Saudi Arabia,” said a government source. “The Saudis’ main export seems to be ideology, not oil.”
Sulejman Rexhepi, leader of the Islamic community in Macedonia, said a number of mosques had been forcibly taken over by radical groups. Four in central Skopje are no longer under the control of the official Islamic authorities. New imams claim they have been “spontaneously” installed by the “people”.
“Their so-called Wahhabi teachings are completely alien to our traditions and to the essence of Islam, which is a tolerant and inclusive religion,” said Rexhepi. >>> Bojan Pancevski in Skopje | Sunday, March 28, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Christians in Britain are being persecuted and "treated with disrespect", senior bishops have said.
Six prominent bishops and Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, describe the "discrimination" against churchgoers as "unacceptable in a civilised society".
In a thinly-veiled attack on Labour, they claim that traditional beliefs on issues such as marriage are no longer being upheld and call on the major parties to address the issue in the run-up to the general election.
In a letter to The Sunday Telegraph, the bishops express their deep disquiet at the double standards of public sector employers, claiming that Christians are punished while followers of other faiths are treated far more sensitively.
Their intervention follows a series of cases in which Christians have been dismissed after seeking to express their faith. They highlight the plight of Shirley Chaplin, a nurse who was banned from working on hospital wards for wearing a cross around her neck. This week she will begin a legal battle against the decision.
Christians are also increasingly concerned that the Government is ignoring their views on issues such as sex education and homosexuality when introducing new legislation.
A group of 640 head teachers, school governors and faith leaders have signed a separate letter to this newspaper warning that compulsory sex education in primary schools will erode moral standards and encourage sexual experimentation.
They call for the dropping of legislation that will see children as young as seven taught about sex and relationships.
In their letter, the bishops urge the Government to stop the persecution of Christians. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs correspondent | Saturday, March 27, 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Die arabischen Staaten sind von der internationalen Gemeinschaft enttäuscht und setzen bei der Lösung von regionalen Konflikten deshalb künftig auf die Zusammenarbeit mit Nachbarn wie der Türkei und Iran. Israel wollen sie dagegen noch stärker isolieren als bisher.
Der Generalsekretär der Arabischen Liga, Amr Mussa, forderte die Mitgliedsstaaten auf, eine Alternative zu den jetzigen Nahost- Friedensgesprächen zu entwickeln. «Wir müssen die Möglichkeit in Betracht ziehen, dass der Friedensprozess komplett scheitern könnte», sagte Mussa am Samstag in seiner Eröffnungsrede zu dem zweitägigen Gipfeltreffen in der libyschen Stadt Sirte.
«Wir müssen Alternativpläne erstellen, denn die Situation hat einen Wendepunkt erreicht,» sagte Mussa. Bisher habe die Liga den Einsatz von Vermittlern und einen Friedensprozess mit offenem Ausgang akzeptiert. «Aber dadurch ging Zeit verloren», sagte der Generalsekretär. «Wir haben nichts erreicht, und das hat es Israel erlaubt, 20 Jahre lang seine Politik zu verfolgen.»
Die arabischen Staaten müssten jetzt schnell agieren, da Israel versuche, durch den Bau jüdischer Siedlungen im arabischen Ostteil von Jerusalem und andere Massnahmen Fakten zu schaffen, die später nur noch schwer aus dem Weg zu räumen seien. >>> sda/Reuters/dpa | Samstag, 27. März 2010
PARIS MATCH: Le père du président de la République publie ses souvenirs, l’itinéraire extraordinaire d’un jeune immigré arrivé en France à 20 ans. Sans papiers.
Il reconnaît sans façon que son nom lui a largement ouvert, surtout à l’étranger, les portes des galeries de peinture où il expose régulièrement. Pal Sarkozy, bientôt 82 ans, est un aventurier au franc-parler. Ses Mémoires, écrits en collaboration avec Frédérique Drouin (éd. Plon), portent un titre éloquent, « Tant de vie ». Issu de la noblesse terrienne hongroise, Pal Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa a fui le communisme à 20 ans pour s’installer à Paris où il exercera plusieurs petits métiers avant de s’imposer comme publicitaire. Soixante années après son arrivée clandestine dans la capitale, il a vu son fils Nicolas être élu à la charge suprême. Marié quatre fois, père de cinq enfants de deux unions différentes, fier de sa vie et du destin de sa famille, Pal Sarkozy avoue qu’il partage avec son fils de président un même besoin et désir de plaire. >>> Interview Caroline Pigozzi, Paris Match | Samedi 27 Mars 2010
PARIS MATCH: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy ne souhaite pas un 2e mandat >>> | Mercredi 24 Mars 2010
PARIS MATCH: Benoît XVI n'est pas "affaibli" par les attaques médiatiques sur sa gestion des scandales de pédophilie dans l'Église catholique, a déclaré le porte-parole du Vatican Federico Lombardi sur Radio Vatican. >>> | Samedi 27 Mars 2010
*Andrew Sullivan is a prominent author and journalist. Check him out on The Daily Dish >>>
20MINUTEN.ch: Selbstkritisch hat in Libyen der 22. Gipfel der Arabischen Liga begonnen: Der Emir von Katar geisselte die eigene Ohnmacht.
Scheich Hamad bin Chalilfa al-Thani, sagte in seiner Eröffnungsrede: «Die Meinungsverschiedenheiten zwischen den arabischen Staaten haben in den vergangenen Jahren eine erfolgreiche gemeinsame Politik verhindert.»
Dies müsse sich ändern. «Wir wollen niemanden persönlich beschuldigen und diesen Misserfolg auch nicht alleine auf die schwierigen Umstände schieben», sagte der Emir. Es könne doch nicht angehen, dass die Araber nicht einmal in der Lage seien, die Blockade des palästinensischen Gazastreifens zu beenden. >>> sda | Samstag, 27. März 2010
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