Rich Bitch, Alaskan Hick, Or True Servant of the People?
THE TELEGRAPH: Sarah Palin's public speaking demands, which include a "bendable" straw, two bottles of unopened still water, first class flights and three hotel rooms, have been disclosed.

Mrs Palin's public speaking requirements, reminiscent of those drawn up by rock star managers on behalf of their more demanding protégés, were included on the pages of a five-page contract allegedly found by Californian students in a bin.

These include two bottles of still water, unopened by a wooden lectern and accompanied by a "bendable" straw, three deluxe hotel rooms; and a first class flight or private aircraft that "MUST BE a Lear 60 or larger."

Mrs Palin, 46, whose standing as John McCain's vice-presidential candidate in 2008 was badly damaged when she stumbled over simple questions put to her by news anchor Katie Couric, also stipulates that all audience questions must be vetted.

"For Q&A, the questions are to be collected from the audience in advance, pre-screened, and a designated representative ... shall ask questions directly of the Speaker to avoid delay time with a roving microphone in the audience," the contract states in a clause highly unusual for a politician.

The contract, drawn up by the Washington Speakers Bureau and refers to a female speaker who will be aboard flights originating in Anchorage, Alaska, also provides sketches of how people should approach if they are to be photographed with her and how long the picture sessions should last.

The document, dated March 16, was discovered by students at California State University in a bin when they went searching for material relating to Mrs Palin's speech in June to the university's Stanislaus Foundation at a gala 50th anniversary event after they heard that university authorities were shredding documents. Sarah Palin's speaking demands: 'bendable' straws, three hotel rooms and a private jet >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sarah Palin Wants What? Bendy Straws and a Private Jet, Please
TIMES ONLINE: Sarah Palin faced embarrassing revelations yesterday about lavish demands that she makes before or speaking engagements, including first-class air travel or large private jets, suites in hotels and even bendable straws in her water bottles.

The former Republican vice-presidential candidate, who has reportedly earned $12 million (£7.75 million) since she resigned as the Governor of Alaska last summer, also insists that all questions must be collected from the audience in advance to be screened.

The speaking contract details were retrieved from a rubbish bin by a group of students at the California State University, where Mrs Palin is due to give a speech in June. Five pages of the contract were passed to a local Democratic politician, who sent them on to the press.

Mrs Palin faced controversy in 2008 when it emerged that hundreds of thousands of dollars had been spent by the Republican Party on clothes and make-up for her and her family after she was picked by John McCain to be his running-mate.

The latest revelation will do little to damage her reputation among the party’s grassroots activists, who view her as a straight-talking hero, but it undercuts her claim to be a down-to-earth “hockey mom” who is fighting for ordinary working Americans. >>> Tim Reid in Washington | Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tiger Woods 'To Divorce Soon'
THE TELEGRAPH: Tiger Woods is losing the battle to save his marriage and his wife may file for divorce soon, according to friends.

Tiger Woods at ‘The Masters’. Photograph: The Telegraph
The beleaguered golfer's wife Elin Nordegren was said to be furious over a television advertisement he filmed for Nike which featured the voice of his late father.

She was also said to have thought her husband would take more time off before returning to the course.

Woods took an indefinite break from golf after details of his infidelities started to become public at the end of last year.

He returned in the Masters at Augusta, Georgia last week, where he finished fourth, but his wife did not attend the tournament.

At the weekend she was seen boarding a private jet alone after leaving their estate near Orlando, Florida.

The television advertisement said to have angered her was broadcast on the eve of the tournament and featured Woods looking directly into the camera without speaking.

A 2004 recording of his late father Earl saying "Did you learn anything?", was played over the footage.

"Elin was violently angry over this commercial and thought it was a cheesy thing to do," a source told People magazine. "She wouldn't have gone near the Masters under any condition but that just made her madder. She is over Tiger. I wouldn't be surprised if she files for divorce sometime soon." >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Suicide Bomber Blows Herself Up in Ingushetia

Homosexualité et pédophilie: le Vatican s'empêtre
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ROME | La controverse provoquée par le cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, qui a lié homosexualité et pédophilie, a contraint le Vatican à s’expliquer sur les propos de son numéro deux.

Le cardinal Bertone se "référait évidemment au problème des abus commis au sein du clergé et non à ceux commis dans l’ensemble de la population", a argumenté le père Federico Lombardi, porte-parole du Vatican.

Le père Lombardi a précisé qu’il s’agissait d’une "clarification et pas d’une prise de distance" du Vatican par rapport aux déclarations du secrétaire d’Etat.

Le cardinal Bertone avait déclaré lundi au Chili: "Nombre de psychologues, de psychiatres, ont démontré qu’il n’y avait pas de relation entre célibat et pédophilie, mais beaucoup d’autres ont démontré, et m’ont dit récemment, qu’il y a une relation entre homosexualité et pédophilie". "Inacceptable", dit la France >>> AFP | Mercredi 14 Avril 2010

Ringo Starr Rebuffs Vatican's 'Absolution' of ‘The Beatles’
THE TELEGRAPH: Ringo Starr has rebuffed efforts by the Vatican to forgive The Beatles over John Lennon's notorious claim that they were "more popular than Jesus".

Instead, the Beatles drummer suggested the Catholic Church should concern itself more with the clerical sex abuse crisis.

In an article sanctioned by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican's newspaper absolved the Fab Four of their drug-taking and rock and roll lifestyle, describing them as a "precious jewel".

In the front page editorial, L'Osservatore Romano forgave Lennon for famously declaring, in an interview in 1966, that "Christianity will...vanish and shrink." But the olive branch from the Holy See did little to impress Starr.

"Didn't the Vatican say we were satanic or possibly satanic? And they've still forgiven us?" the 69-year-old said yesterday.

In an apparent reference to the scandal over paedophile priests that has shaken the Catholic Church worldwide, he added: "I think the Vatican, they've got more to talk about than the Beatles."

The Vatican has been battling for weeks to contain scandals which have broken out in one country after another, from Ireland and Germany to Brazil and New Zealand.

The controversy has inched close to the Pope, who turns 83 on Friday and will celebrate the fifth anniversary of his papacy on Monday.

He has been accused of being too lenient towards paedophile priests when he was archbishop of Munich in the 1980s and later, for more than 20 years, the head of the Vatican's doctrinal enforcement department.

The Holy See was forced onto the defensive again yesterday after the Vatican Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, who is second in seniority only to the Pope, drew a link between paedophilia and homosexuality. >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Kyrgyz Leader Calls for Trial of Ousted President
THE NEW YORK TIMES: BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — With Russia warning that his country was “on the verge of civil war,” the deposed president of Kyrgyzstan said that he would formally step down if there were guarantees of safety for him and his family. But, in a hardening of the lines, the country’s new leader said on Wednesday that he might face trial.

The fugitive president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, was speaking after the interim government that ousted him after bloody riots last week stripped him of immunity and threatened to send special forces to arrest him.

With conditions in the country still fluid on Wednesday, the head of the new government, Rosa Otunbayeva, seemed to adopt a tougher posture toward Mr. Bakiyev, ruling out safe passage for family members wanted by the new government.

Mr. Bakiyev must either stand trial in Kyrgyzstan or go into exile alone, she said — leaving behind brothers and other relatives whom she has accused of ordering the police to fire on demonstrators and of corruption.

At a news conference, Ms. Otunbayeva said that if Mr. Bakiyev waited until security forces loyal to the new government detained him, he would certainly face trial, adding that his time may already have run out.

“He has already had his chance to leave,” she said.

As she spoke, about 100 people gathered outside the Ministry of Defense building, which serves as the seat of the new government, to demand that Mr. Bakiyev be returned to the capital to face justice. >>> Andrew E. Kramer and Alan Cowell | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Verbunden:

DIE PRESSE: Medwedjew: "Kirgisistan [sic?] könnte zweites Afghanistan werden" >>> Ag. | Mittwoch, 14. April 2010

Verschiedene Artikel über Kirgistan >>>

Bravo, M. le Président ! Homosexualité et Pédophilie : Paris dénonce l'"amalgame inacceptable" du numéro deux du Vatican
Paris a condamné les propos controversés de Tarcisio Bertone sur le rapport entre homosexualité et pédophilie. Nicolas Sarkozy avait rencontré le numéro deux du Vatican en décembre 2007. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: La France condamne les propos du cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, qui a lié homosexualité et pédophilie, affirme mercredi le ministère des Affaires étrangères. Selon Bernard Valero, le porte-parole du ministère qui s'exprimait lors d'un point de presse, "il s'agit d'un amalgame inacceptable que nous condamnons". "La France rappelle son engagement résolu dans la lutte contre les discriminations et les préjugés liés à l'orientation sexuelle et l'identité de genre", a-t-il ajouté. >>> Avec AFP | Mercredi 14 Avril 2010

Lien en relation avec l’article:

LE FIGARO: Le numéro 2 du Vatican lie homosexuels et pédophiles >>> Par Charlotte Menegaux | Mardi 13 Avril 2010

CYBERPRESSE.CA: Le Vatican lie homosexualité et pédophilie: la France s'indigne : La France condamne un «amalgame inacceptable» dans les propos controversés du numéro deux du Vatican, le cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, qui a lié homosexualité et pédophilie, a indiqué mercredi le ministère français des Affaires étrangères. >>> Agence France-Presse | Mercredi 14 Avril 2010

Grèce : Nouvelle série de grèves contre la rigueur et l'austérité
La Grèce est confrontée à une quatrième vague de grèves depuis le début de l'année, en réaction aux mesures draconiennes prises par le gouvernement pour réduire le déficit. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Une nouvelle série de grèves et d'arrêts de travail a débuté mercredi en Grèce avec des mouvements de chauffeurs de taxi et d'avocats contre un projet de réforme fiscale qui doit être voté jeudi par le parlement. "Notre revendication reste la même : la non-inclusion de notre secteur dans la logique du projet fiscal", souligne un communiqué de la Fédération nationale des taxis et voitures de location (POE.IATA, 30.000 adhérents) qui a déjà organisé deux grèves, en février et mars, pour les mêmes raisons.

Les grévistes de la région d'Athènes, qui regroupent quelque 15.000 taxis, devaient manifester en début d'après-midi dans le centre de la capitale. Les avocats ont eux aussi lancé une grève de trois jours, la deuxième en un mois, contre la loi qui réforme l'imposition des professions libérales. Les vendeurs des marchés populaires ont de leur côté observé une grève de 24 heures pour protester contre l'obligation d'utiliser des caisses enregistreuses prévue par le gouvernement. >>> AFP | Mercredi 14 Avril 2010

If Immigration Is So “Financially Beneficial,” Why Do the Lib/Lab/Con Parties Not Suggest It for Poor Third World Nations to “Cure Poverty” There?
BNP: If mass immigration supposedly brings all sorts of financial benefits, why do the Liberal / Labour / Conservative parties not propose it as a solution to the poverty of the Third World, asks our correspondent Maid of Kent.

What the media refers to as “immigration” is in truth nothing other than a Government-sponsored invasion which is becoming the major topic in this election campaign, despite the best efforts of the other parties to ignore it.

“Invasion” can be defined as people from alien cultures intruding and encroaching on a settled indigenous population, forcing that population to make way for them and to adapt to their ways.

The other political parties are still trying to feed the British people the lie that this immigration invasion has ‘enriched’ Britain — even though it costs this country billions of pounds annually in benefits, translation services and public services.

The vast majority of immigrants are low skilled and contribute almost nothing to this country except to take jobs from British people.

Proof of this enormous financial cost to Britain is the fact that our country is bankrupt. Public services are no longer “affordable” and will be cut drastically whichever of the Tweedledee Tweedledum parties wins the election.

As Britons are slowly realising, the ‘enrichment’ of Britain through mass immigration doesn’t end with the fictitious financial benefits, but continues through to the fragmentation of our society, the elimination of the cohesion that formerly existed among the British people, the breakdown of law and order and the eventual but logical total destruction of British culture — and with it, the destruction of Britain as it was — the homeland of the British people. >>> MaidofKent | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Why Is There No Talk About Immigration?
THE TELEGRAPH: It is one of the voters' greatest concerns - but politicians are turning a deaf ear, says Frank Field.

The economy and immigration are the two big issues that voters wish to see debated at this election. The economy has already featured in the clashes between the main parties. But, despite brief mentions in the manifestos, immigration is the issue that dare not speak its name.

No sensible person is calling for a policy of no immigration. It is the scale of population change, which over the past decade has transformed parts of Britain, that voters wish to make an election issue. A continuation of mass immigration on roughly the present scale will bring the population of the UK to 70 million in 20 years – and the growth won't stop there, unless we are prepared to control drastically the size of net migration. Immigration will account for 70 per cent of this population increase. This is what needs to be tackled.

We have just lived through 10 fat years of public expenditure increases, of a scale we are unlikely ever to see again. Yet, even as most budgets doubled during the past decade, the pressures on our public services due to immigration were plain.

Maternity units are struggling as 25 per cent of all births in England and Wales are to foreign-born mothers – in London that proportion is 50 per cent. Primary schools in some areas have to resort to portable classrooms to cope with new arrivals, and are forced to redirect teachers' time to teaching English rather than ensuring that the weakest pupils succeed. >>> Frank Field | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Liberal Democrats Pledge £10bn a Year of Spending Cuts
THE TELEGRAPH: The Liberal Democrats have published their election manifesto with a promise to cut more than £10 billion a year from public spending.



Tax credits, winter fuel payments to pensioners, child trust funds would all be reduced under Liberal Democrat manifesto plans to cut the Government deficit.

ID cards, RAF fighter jets and surveillance systems used by MI5 would also be cut.

Nick Clegg said the party was being honest with voters about the need for savings to reduce the deficit, which reached £167 billion this year.

"We have to come clean with people. There is this big black hole in the public finances," Mr Clegg said.

Other parties were "kidding people" and "failing to show candour" about the need to make cuts, Mr Clegg said.

Vince Cable, the Lib Dem Treasury spokesman said the cuts would have to be even bigger than the £10 billion a year in the manifesto.

He said: "There is more to be done. I fully appreciate this isn't enough. We have to go beyond that."

The Lib Dems would also raise the starting threshold for income tax to £10,000, a tax cut for 3.6 million low earners.

That would cost £17 billion, money the party said it would find by cracking down on tax avoidance and by imposing higher taxes on airline flights.

The party also pledges to boost the pay of the lowest ranking members of the Armed Forces to bring them into line with the starting salary of their emergency services counterparts.

Under the manifesto commitments, prison inmates would be forced to work and contribute to a compensation fund for victims.

In his foreword to the document, party leader Nick Clegg said the Lib Dems will ''sort out our rotten political system once and for all'' if successful at the May 6 General Election. >>> James Kirkup, and Jon Swaine | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Political Risk Looms for Merkel: Greece Aid Promise Spurs Grumbling Ahead of Key State Vote for Ruling Coalition
Jürgen Rüttgers, conservative premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, campaigns ahead of a vote that will test Germany's ruling center-right alliance. Photograph: The Wall Street Journal
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: BERLIN—Europe's ever-louder promises of help for Greece may have calmed financial markets for now, but they pose a problem for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces growing criticism at home as her resistance to a Greek bailout softens.

Ms. Merkel's center-right coalition will be tested in crucial regional elections on May 9 that could wipe out its thin majority in Germany's upper house of parliament, making it harder for the government to pass its major economic policies into law.

Loaning taxpayer money to Greece at a time when German authorities are strapped for cash to maintain schools and roads at home could potentially add to broader voter dissatisfaction with the performance of the ruling coalition, political analysts say.

So far the election campaign in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, has centered on domestic issues including jobs, education and the appeal and flaws of local candidates. Opinion pollsters say Greece isn't playing a major role. But the center-right, which is lagging in polls, can't afford extra controversy, analysts say.

"If Greece is bailed out shortly before the election, it could lead to an awkward debate for Merkel, with voters questioning why there's money for Greece but not for them," says Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist at Berlin's Free University.

Ms. Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and their junior coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats, who hold a governing majority in North Rhine-Westphalia, are lagging in opinion polls, which show them with about 45% of the vote. >>> Markus Walker | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Le numéro 2 du Vatican lie homosexuels et pédophiles
Le cardinal Tarcisio Bertone est le bras-droit du pape Benoît XVI. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, bras-droit du pape Benoît XVI, réfute en revanche tout lien entre le célibat de prêtres et la pédophilie.

Après la cascade de révélations de scandales pédophiles dans l'Eglise catholique, le Vatican ravive la polémique. C'est sur une radio chilienne que le cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, bras-droit du pape Benoît XVI, a lancé lundi soir : «De nombreux psychiatres et psychologues ont démontré qu'il n'existe pas de relation entre le célibat et la pédophilie, mais beaucoup d'autres - et on me l'a dit récemment - ont démontré qu'il existait un lien entre l'homosexualité et la pédophilie. La vérité est celle-ci et le problème, c'est cela». Le responsable religieux répondait à une question qui lui suggérait que la fin du célibat des prêtres pourrait résoudre les problèmes de pédophilie au sein de l'Eglise catholique. Officiellement, l'Eglise considère l'homosexualité comme «un dérèglement», qu'elle «ne condamne pas absolument» mais «n'approuve en aucun cas».

Le rapprochement que Tarcisio Bertone établit entre pédophiles et homosexuels n'a pas manqué de susciter la réaction indignée d'associations de défense des droits des homosexuels au Chili : «Ni Bertone, ni le Vatican, n'ont l'autorité morale» pour offrir des leçons de sexualité, a ainsi estimé Rolando Jimenez, président du mouvement pour l'intégration et la libération homosexuelle au Chili. Selon lui, il n'existe aucune étude pouvant étayer les propos du cardinal Bertone. «Il s'agit d'une stratégie perverse du Vatican qui cherche à fuir sa propre responsabilité» a-t-il poursuivi, avant d'expliquer que l'un des scandales majeurs de prêtre pédophile au Chili avait mis en cause un ecclésiastique qui avait mis enceinte une jeune fille. >>> Par Charlotte Menegaux | Mardi 13 Avril 2010

Liens en relation avec l’article:

LE POINT: Église Catholique : Pour le Vatican, "il y a une relation entre homosexualité et pédophilie" >>> Le Point.fr | Mardi 13 Avril 2010

And other related articles >>>

Medwedjew: "Kirgisistan [sic?] könnte zweites Afghanistan werden"
DIE PRESSE: Die politischen Kräfte ringen weiter um eine Lösung für den gestürzten Präsidenten Bakijew. Der russische Präsident Dmitrij Medwedjew warnt vor einem Bürgerkrieg. Er fordert Bakijew zum Rücktritt auf.

Dmitri Medwedjew. Bild: Die Presse
Eine Woche nach dem blutigen Umsturz in der zentralasiatischen Republik Kirgistan ringen die politischen Kräfte weiter um eine Lösung für den gestürzten Präsidenten. Nach Einschätzung des russischen Präsidenten Dimitrij Medwedjew steht das Land vor einem Bürgerkrieg. 



Kurz vor geplanten Verhandlungen mit Bürgerrechtlern forderte der entmachtete Staatschef Kurmanbek Bakijew erneut "Sicherheit für mich und meine Familie". Er sei "kompromissbereit", sagte der 60-Jährige nach Angaben kirgisischer Medien am Mittwoch in Jalalabad im Süden des Landes. In der politischen Hochburg von Bakijew sollten am Mittag (Ortszeit) die Gespräche mit Bürgerrechtlern beginnen. Die Übergangsregierung hatte direkte Verhandlungen mit Bakijew abgelehnt. >>> Ag. | Mittwoch, 14. April 2010

NZZ ONLINE: Kirgisische Führung will Bakijew vor Gericht bringen: Weiterhin keine Immunität für gestürzten Präsidenten >>> sda/dpa | Mittwoch, 14. April 2010

«Zehntausende pro Jahr, und nicht Hunderttausende» : Tories wollen Einwanderung in Grossbritannien einschränken
NZZ ONLINE: Die britischen Tories haben im Wahlprogramm ihren europaskeptischen Kurs festgeschrieben. Die Partei verspricht in ihrem Manifest, dass es unter einer konservativen Regierung über alle EU-Angelegenheiten ein Referendum geben werde.

«Wir werden nicht zulassen, dass Grossbritannien in ein föderalistisches Europa schlittert», heisst es in dem Programm, das Parteichef David Cameron am Dienstag in London vorstellte.

Darin versprachen die Tories zudem, die jährliche Zahl der Einwanderer aus Nicht-EU-Ländern zu begrenzen. Die Zahl solle auf das Niveau der 90er Jahre gedrückt werden - «Zehntausende pro Jahr, und nicht Hunderttausende».

Die traditionell euroskeptischen Tories versicherten auch, dass Grossbritannien unter einer Tory-Regierung niemals den Euro einführen würde. Zudem wollen sie die Bürger generell mehr an der Regierung beteiligen. >>> sda/dpa | Dienstag, 13. April 2010

David Cameron s'engage à «rendre le pouvoir au peuple»
David Cameron, lors de la présentation du programme officiel de son partipour les élections législatives,mardi à Londres. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le chef des conservateurs britanniques veut s'attaquer aux déficits et limiter le rôle de l'État.

De correspondant du Figaro à Londres

Pas d'annonces surprises ni de grandes promesses coûteuses. David Cameron a quelque peu rompu avec la tradition des grands discours électoraux lors de sa présentation du programme conservateur mardi à Londres. Après avoir longuement laissé la parole à ses principaux futurs ministres, le chef des tories a précisé sa vision du gouvernement s'il réussissait à obtenir une majorité des députés à la Chambres des communes lors des législatives, dans trois semaines.

Promettant de rendre «le pouvoir au peuple», le jeune leader des conservateurs a présenté le manifeste de son parti, un épais livre de 130 pages intitulé: «Invitation à rejoindre le gouvernement de Grande-Bretagne.» «Les projets contenus dans ce manifeste vont changer la Grande-Bretagne pour le meilleur, mais seulement avec votre implication», a-t-il dit. >>> Par Cyrille Vanlerberghe | Mercredi 14 Avril 2010

Soros: Griechenland droht „Todesspirale"
DIE PRESSE: Der Investor George Soros ist der Meinung, dass die Zinsen, die Griechenland für das Rettungspaket der EU zahlen muss, zu hoch sind. Er sieht die Gefahr einer Schuldenspirale nicht gebannt.

Der bekannte Investor George Soros sieht für Griechenland die Gefahr einer Todesspirale. Die Zinsen, die Europa für das 30-Milliarden-Euro-Hilfspaket für die Griechen vorsieht, seien zu hoch. Griechenland muss für Kredite mit drei Jahren Laufzeit fünf Prozent Zinsen zahlen. >>> APA | Mittwoch, 14. April 2010

Pröll warnt vor "griechischem Szenario" für Österreich
DIE PRESSE: Ohne massive Budgetmaßnahmen würde Österreich in drei Jahren selbst vor einem "griechischen Szenario" stehen, warnt Finanzminister Pröll. Alle Gesellschaftsschichten werden die "monetären Lasten zu schultern haben".

VP-Finanzminster Josef Pröll warnt davor, dass Österreich ohne massive einnahmen- und ausgabenseitige Budgetmaßnahmen in drei Jahren selbst vor einem "griechischen Szenario" stehen würde. Um das zu verhindern, werde er als Finanzminister mit aller Kraft daran arbeiten, dass im Herbst das Budget gelingt, so Pröll am Dienstagabend bei einer Diskussionsveranstaltung anlässlich der 5. Ökologiegespräche der Raiffeisen Leasing GmbH in Wien. Alle werden betroffen sein >>> APA | Mittwoch, 14. April 2010

Der schönste Mann der Welt hebt bald völlig ab
Krone.tv Video hier anschauen

Hundreds Killed as Earthquake Rocks China
TIMES ONLINE: At least 400 people have been killed and 8,000 injured after a strong earthquake struck northwestern China. Many others were left trapped in collapsed mud-built homes.

The magnitude 6.9 tremor shook the county of Yushu in the remote Qinghai province this morning and was followed by a series of large aftershocks that destroyed low-rise brick and mud buildings.

Troops stationed nearby were digging with their bare hands through the rubble in search of survivors, state television showed.

They were hampered by a lack of equipment in the rural prefecture. Additional rescue teams were en route to the remote county, which is in mountains near the border between Qinghai and Tibet. >>> Jane Macartney in Beijing | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Séisme meurtrier en Chine
leJDD.fr: Un séisme d'une magnitude de 6,9 degrés sur l'échelle de Richter a touché l'ouest de la Chine, mercredi. Pour le moment, les médias locaux parlent de 300 morts et plus de 8.000 blessés.

Le bilan s'alourdit de minute en minute. Un séisme d'une magnitude de 6,9 degrés sur l'échelle de Richter a touché le haut plateau tibétain, dans le sud-ouest de la Chine. Selon la télévision officielle, qui cite un responsable du gouvernement, il y aurait au moins 300 morts et plus de 8.000 blessés. De nombreuses autres personnes seraient encore prisonnières des décombres de maisons effondrées. >>> B.B, leJDD.fr | Mercredi 14 Avril 2010-04-14

Naturkatastrophe: 400 Tote, 10.000 Verletzte bei Erdbeben in China
WELT ONLINE: Das Beben mit der Stärke 7,1 hat eine arme und abgelegene Region im tibetischen Hochland von Qinghai getroffen. Hunderte sind dem chinesischen Staatsfernsehen zufolge gestorben. Schulen und öffentliche Gebäude stürzten ein. Risse in einem nahe gelegenen Staudamm könnten die Katastrophe noch verschlimmern.

Chinas neues verheerendes Erdbeben mit Stärke 7,1 bei dem mit Hunderten Opfern gerechnet wird, kam aus einer Tiefe von 33 Kilometern, so wie auch das Erdbeben in Chile.

Offiziellen Angaben zufolge wurden bislang 400 Tote geborgen. Um die 10.000 Menschen seien verletzt worden.

Sorge macht den Behörden der Zustand eines Stausees in der Nähe, bei dessen Staumauer sich Risse zeigten. Untersucht würde auch, ob die 200 Kilometer vom Bebengebiet westlich verlaufende Strecke der Tibet-Eisenbahn Schäden erlitten hat.

Das Beben erschütterte eine der ärmsten und abgelegensten Regionen im tibetischen Hochland von Qinghai um 7,49 Uhr, 800 Kilometer im äußersten Süden der Provinzhauptstadt Xining. >>> Von Johnny Erling | Mittwoch, 14. April 2010

Polish President Made Trip to Russia after Putin Snub
THE TELEGRAPH: Poland's president Lech Kaczynski only made his fateful trip to Russia after Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, failed to invite him to formal commemorations for the Katyn massacre.

Mr Kaczynski had wanted to attend the ceremony marking the wartime massacre of thousands of Polish officers at the hands of the Soviet Union, along with Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, and Mr Putin, but received no invitation from the Russians, said Pawel Kuglarz, a close party associate of the late president.

Feeling snubbed, but wanting to pay his respect to the massacre's victims, President Kaczynski decided to hold his own ceremony on Saturday, three days after the event hosted by Mr Putin.

But disaster struck when the aircraft carrying President Kaczynski crashed as it approached Smolensk airport in western Russia, killing all 96 on board.

The details to what lay behind President Kaczynski's decision to travel to Russia emerged as Warsaw welcomed home the body of his wife Maria, who also died in the accident. As a sign of the deep, yet dignified, grief that still grips the Polish nation, thousands of people lined the capital's streets to say goodbye to the respected first lady, who now lies in state alongside the body of her husband.

Polish authorities have announced that both Lech and Maria Kaczynski will be given a state funeral on Sunday afternoon. >>> Matthew Day in Warsaw | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Israel Accuses Syria of Providing Scud Missiles to Hizbollah
THE TELEGRAPH: Israel's president has accused Syria of double-dealing amid allegations that Damascus has handed over an arsenal of Scud missiles to the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hizbollah.

Reports claim that Hizbollah operatives have been trained in the use of Scuds, some models of which have a longer range than its current arsenal and could hit any city in Israel from Lebanon.

They say Israel is threatening to bomb targets in both Lebanon and Syria if additional claims that the missiles have been physically moved across the border and placed under Hizbollah control are verified.

"Syria claims it wants peace while at the same time it delivers Scuds to Hezbollah whose only goal is to threaten the state of Israel," Shimon Peres, the Nobel peace prize-winning Israeli president said yesterday.

The United States, which has been moving towards closer relations with Syria, is also said to be alarmed. Washington this year agreed to send its first ambassador to Damascus for five years, but a hold has been put on his taking up his appointment. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Israel Issues ‘Urgent’ Warning of Terrorist Attacks in Sinai
THE TELEGRAPH: Israel on Tuesday night issued an urgent warning of impending terrorist attacks aimed at tourists in the popular resorts of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.

The anti-terror office of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it was advising all Israeli tourists to leave the Sinai.

It asked families who had relatives on holiday there to contact them and update them on the warning.

It said it had “concrete evidence” of an attempt to kidnap Israelis who had crossed the Egyptian border to the peninsula’s Red Sea resorts.

The resorts, particularly Sharm el-Sheikh on the peninsula’s tip, are also popular with British and other European holiday-makers, and the Foreign Office was last night thought to be reviewing the situation.

Sharm el-Sheikh and the nearby towns of Taba and Dahab have all seen bomb attacks in recent years. Two Britons were among 70 people killed in the attack on Sharm el-Sheikh in 2005, while a year before 34 people were killed at Taba, on the Israeli border.

Twenty people died in the attack on Dahab in 2006.

Since then, Israeli intelligence agencies have focused on the threat posed by Sinai, which was under Israeli occupation until the implementation of its peace deal with Egypt in 1982. Israeli citizens are advised not to holiday in the area, but tens of thousands visit every year.

Last year, a tip-off from Israeli intelligence agencies led to a series of raids by Egyptian security forces on what it said were Hizbollah cells that had infiltrated the country to attack tourist sites, particularly those frequented by Israelis. >>> Samer al-Atrush in Cairo and Richard Spencer | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Radovan Karadzic's Death Squad Told Me to Dig My Grave, Says Muslim Survivor
THE TELEGRAPH: A Bosnian Muslim has described how he watched men dig their graves before Serb killers slashed their throats as he came face-to-face for the first time with the warlord Radovan Karadzic in a UN war crimes court.

The former Bosnian Serb leader, who is on trial for genocide and war crimes, was confronted by a victim of the ethnic cleansing and killings he is accused of unleashing during the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992.

Karadzic, who is defending himself, was repeatedly reprimanded by the UN judge for hectoring, trying to browbeat and interrupting Ahmet Zulic, a Muslim survivor of Serbian executions and detention camps, as he cross-examined him.

As Mr Zulic, 62, entered The Hague court with his head bowed, Karadzic subjected him to a baleful stare over his reading glasses before the prosecution's first witness began his, often, harrowing testimony.

The former mineworker described to the court how Serbs shelled Muslim houses in Sanski Most, in north west Bosnia, before he and many others were rounded up in June 1992 and held in horrific conditions, where they were regularly beaten or taken off to be killed.

"Two men would kick us in one part of the body and another would use a baton to beat you over the head until you became unconscious," he said. >>> Bruno Waterfield in The Hague | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Ex Bosnian Leader Accuses British Government of 'Rewriting History'
THE TELEGRAPH: A former Bosnian president facing extradition to Serbia to face war crimes charges yesterday accused the British Government of conspiring to "rewrite history" by allowing court proceedings to be brought against him.

Ejup Ganic, a university professor and friend of Baroness Thatcher, was arrested last month on suspicion of being involved in a 1992 massacre despite the charges having already been dismissed by a UN war tribunal.

Yesterday he appeared before Westminster magistrates after the Crown Prosecution Service accepted the Serbian extradition warrant.

It alleges that Mr Ganic ordered attacks that killed 42 Yugoslav soldiers despite a ceasefire in 1992. It also alleges that he was responsible for the torture and murder of captured soldiers and patients in a military hospital in 1992.

Mr Ganic, who spent 10 days in Wandsworth Prison following his arrest on March 1, claimed the warrant was a politically motivated abuse of the extradition arrangements between Britain and Serbia.

John Jones, his defence counsel, said that the charges had been examined and dismissed by the international tribunal investigating war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

The 64-year old professor condemned the government's decision to accept the warrant.

"I am not happy with the decision of the British government, especially the Home Office, to initiate this process," he said. "It appears the British government volunteers to do the police job for the Milosevic regime which is still more or less in some way very active.

"The British government also volunteered to help Serbs to rewrite the chapter of Srebrenica and other places where genocide has been committed,"

He said the Serbian record was second only to "Nazi Germany in the books of genocide." >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Poland's President and First Lady Lie in State
BBC: The bodies of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and First Lady Maria Kaczynska are now lying in state in the capital, Warsaw.

Maria Kaczynska's body arrived earlier from Moscow amid emotional scenes after Saturday's plane crash in Russia that killed the couple and 94 others.

Parliament has held a special session to honour those killed in the disaster.

The first couple are to be buried on Sunday, a day after a memorial service for the victims in the Polish capital.

US President Barack Obama has said he will attend the funeral on Sunday.

Weather warning

A guard of honour stood to attention in the rain at Warsaw airport as the body of the first lady arrived on a military plane. President Kaczynski's remains were repatriated on Sunday.

After a brief religious ceremony, mourners took turns to kneel at Maria Kaczynska's casket and pay their respects as it stood on the tarmac.

They included the late first couple's only child, daughter Marta, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, identical twin of the late president.

Maria Kaczynska's coffin, draped with Poland's white-and-red flag, was then driven through the streets of Warsaw to the presidential palace.

Thousands of Poles lined the 10km (6 mile) route to the city centre, covering the hearse with flowers, then took turns to file past the coffins.

The first couple will be laid to rest on Sunday at Wawel Castle in the southern city of Krakow, according to Poland's PAP news agency. Read on and watch BBC video – The first couple's only child, Marta, led mourners >>> | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Americans Have Lost Their Way
Rep. Paul Ryan, shown here in March, has proposed reductions in future Medicare and Social Security benefits for people under 55, a politically difficult idea. Photo: USA Today
USA TODAY: WASHINGTON — Erskine Bowles realized how tough his task will be leading President Obama's war on the federal budget deficit when he told his 90-year-old mother of his appointment.

She was proud of him. Then she said, "Don't mess with my Medicare."

It won't be the last threat Bowles gets this year as he directs an 18-member, bipartisan commission through an ocean of red ink that has never been deeper or more foreboding.

Under Obama's budget plan, the USA's debt in 2020 would be nearly the size of the entire economy then. Interest costs would be $900 billion, five times today's level.

The White House, Congress, budget experts and typical Americans are growing anxious about the nation's mounting debt, which is helping to fuel the rise of the anti-tax, anti-big government Tea Party movement.

Yet the only solutions capable of raising enough money are politically dangerous for the president and Congress: tax increases and major reductions in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Neither Democrats nor Republicans want to take the first step.

The debt hasn't stopped conservatives from saying tax increases should be off the table when the panel debates how to close Washington's budget gap — an estimated $1.5 trillion this year alone, equal to the entire federal budget in 1995. Nor has it stopped liberals from saying Medicare, Social Security and other entitlements must be protected.

Bowles, outgoing president of the University of North Carolina and a White House chief of staff under Bill Clinton, says neither taxes nor benefits can be off-limits.

"We can't do this without a lot of pain," he says. Nation's soaring deficit calls for painful choices >>> Richard Wolf, USA Today | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Don't Bet On A Hung U.K. Parliament

Bavière: la maison natale du pape vandalisée
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ALLEMAGNE | Une inscription "obscène" a été découverte mardi matin sur la maison natale du pape Benoît XVI, dans le village bavarois de Marktl-am-Inn, a-t-on appris auprès de la police.

La maison natale du pape Benoît XVI, dans le village bavarois de Marktl-am-Inn, photographiée en 2007. Photo : Tribune de Genève

Les mots inscrits au-dessus de la porte d'entrée – "Fick euch selbst" (Allez vous faire en...), selon les photos – ont été effacés dans la matinée, à précisé un porte-parole de la police.

"On peut établir un lien" avec le scandale des abus sexuels qui secoue l'Eglise catholique, notamment en Allemagne, a-t-il ajouté.

L'inscription "de couleur bleue, au contenu injurieux" a été remarquée par un témoin vers 6H45 sur le mur au-dessus de la porte d'entrée de la maison natale du pape, précise un communiqué de la police.

Son auteur "a visiblement employé une bombe de laque et a tracé des lettres d'environ 30 centimètres de hauteur".

Le dommage sur la façade de la maison est estimé à environ 1500 euros, selon la police, qui a lancé un appel à témoins. "Entre-temps, un peintre a été chargé de masquer le texte", précise le communiqué.

Le pape Benoît XVI, né Joseph Ratzinger le 16 avril 1927 à Marktl-am-Inn, fêtera dans trois jours son 83ème anniversaire. Il est devenu pape il y a près de cinq ans, le 19 avril 2005. >>> AFP | Mardi 13 Avril 2010

Suisse – Libye : Hannibal Kadhafi ne se satisfait pas de la décision genevoise
Hannibal Kadhafi. Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Le fils du dirigeant libyen souhaite poursuivre sa procédure contre la Suisse et amener l’affaire devant un tribunal international, selon le site web d’«Al-Jazeera»

Hannibal Kadhafi ne se satisfait pas de la décision du Tribunal de première instance de Genève à l’égard de la «Tribune de Genève». Le fils du dirigeant libyen souhaite poursuivre sa procédure contre la Suisse et amener l’affaire devant un tribunal international, selon le site web d’«Al-Jazeera».

Un porte-parole du gouvernement libyen, cité par l’AFP, a lui aussi appelé la Confédération à accepter le recours à un arbitrage international pour «régler le dossier de l’interpellation musclée de Hannibal» en été 2008. «La Libye ne veut pas de vengeance et ne se sent pas humiliée. Elle veut seulement que justice soit faite», a précisé le porte-parole, Mohamed Baayaou. >>> ATS | Mardi 13 Avril 2010

Lien en relation avec l’article / Verbunden:

TAGES ANZEIGER: Genfer Gericht gibt Ghadhafi Recht – kommt Bewegung in Fall Göldi? >>> vin/sda | Montag, 12. April 2010

Saudischer Klerus stellt sich dem Terrorismus: Geistliche verabschieden erste offizielle, gemeinsame Fatwa
NZZ ONLINE: In Saudiarabien haben Mitglieder des Obersten Rates der Religionsgelehrten während drei Tagen über den Terrorismus debattiert. Am Schluss unterzeichneten sie die erste offizielle und gemeinsame Fatwa.

Seit Jahren schon überzieht das Terrornetzwerk al-Kaida die Welt im Namen des Islam mit Autobomben, Hassbotschaften und Selbstmordanschlägen. Die massgeblichen Religionsgelehrten in Saudiarabien, dem Land der heiligen Stätten des Islam, haben dazu lange geschwiegen.

Dubiose Organisationen

Sie duldeten auch, dass dubiose «Wohltätigkeitsorganisationen» vor ihren Moscheen Geld sammelten, das teilweise zur Finanzierung von Terroranschläge benutzt wurde. Damit soll jetzt endgültig Schluss sein.

Am vergangenen Samstag versammelten sich die 20 Mitglieder des Obersten Rates der Religionsgelehrten von Saudiarabien zu einer geheimen Sondersitzung. Fast drei Tage lang debattierten sie hinter verschlossenen Türen darüber, was «Terrorismus» ist und was nicht.

Erste offizielle Fatwa

Am Montag unterzeichneten sie schliesslich gemeinsam die erste offizielle saudische Fatwa (islamisches Rechtsgutachten) gegen den Terrorismus. >>> sda/dpa | Dienstag, 13. April 2010

Saudi Arabia's Cruel Marriage Laws
THE GUARDIAN: Saudi women who wish to marry non-Saudi Muslims face social prejudice and official discrimination

Accompanied by her father, Hassna'a Mokhtar went to the Saudi Arabian interior ministry in Jeddah to sign papers for a marriage licence. She was hoping to get a sense of how long it would take to get permission, so that she could plan her wedding. But that was not the case.

A Saudi woman falling in love with a non-Saudi Muslim leads to more obstacles than a Capulet falling in love with a Montague. In most parts of society, a father can decline a suitor simply because he is not a Saudi. The tribal mentality has changed, at least to some degree, among the middle and upper classes. But even if the father consents, the Saudi government makes it arduous for the couple to proceed with the marriage.

All Saudi men and women must obtain a permission to marry a non-Saudi Muslim before marriage (nikkah). And there is one set of rules for men and another for women. "Why is it so difficult to get the permit?" Mokhtar asked the female officer at the interior ministry. "The country wants to protect you," she recalls the officer responding. The officer told Mokhtar that she, too, wanted to marry a non-Saudi Muslim but would have to resign from her government job to do so.

Mokhtar, now 32, was ready to marry, but faced many hurdles. She applied for the marriage license in June 2007 and finally received it a year later. "They [the Saudi government] are not going to solve the problem by forcing men or women to marry another Saudi," said Mokhtar. "They should leave the choices open."

When she finally did get married, it was the beginning of another set of problems. In that, she is not alone. Her husband was not automatically eligible for a residency permit (iqamah). He can visit her in Saudi Arabia on a visa that can be extended up to two months, on which he can neither work nor own a car or a property. And there is no set of procedures for obtaining residency; it could take months if you know someone who can get it done through the back door, or it could take years. >>> Fahad Faruqui | Saturday, April 03, 2010

Well, Well, Well! Fancy That!
THE TELEGRAPH: A 13-year-old Croatian girl who fell into a coma woke up speaking fluent German.

The girl, from the southern town of Knin, had only just started studying German at school and had been reading German books and watching German TV to become better, but was by no means fluent, according to her parents.

Since waking up from her 24 hour coma however, she has been unable to speak Croatian, but is able to communicate perfectly in German.

Doctors at Split's KB Hospital claim that the case is so unusual, various experts have examined the girl as they try to find out what triggered the change. Croatian teenager wakes from coma speaking fluent German >>> | Monday, April 12, 2010

Al-Qaeda Trying to Secure Nuclear Weapons, Says Barack Obama
THE TELEGRAPH: Al-Qaeda is trying to secure material for nuclear weapons and would have "no compunction in using them", President Barack Obama warned, as he welcomed leaders for the largest gathering in the US since the Second World War.



The US president has set himself the mission of convincing fellow leaders from 45 nations that they faced the same threat and to establish a plan to secure every ounce of the world's nuclear weapons-grade fuel.

"The single biggest threat to US security, both short-term, medium-term and long-term, would be the possibility of a terrorist organisation obtaining a nuclear weapon," Mr Obama said.

"This is something that could change the security landscape in this country and around the world for years to come."

"If there was ever a detonation in New York City, or London, or Johannesburg, the ramifications economically, politically and from a security perspective would be devastating.

"We know that organisations like al-Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, and would have no compunction at using them."

Discussions at the two summit which ends on Tuesday are focusing on stocks of separated plutonium and enriched uranium which could be used by extremists to manufacture weapons.

They are part of an initiative by Mr Obama to eventually rid the world of nuclear weapons by controlling "loose nukes", reducing the US military's strategic dependence on nuclear arms and halting proliferation.

It was this vision that earned him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize and accompanying criticism that he had done little to deserve the award. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Monday, April 12, 2010

US President Barack Obama's Body Language as He Greets World Leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit
To the gallery >>> | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Somalia: Islamisten verbieten Musik im Radio
Somalische Milizionäre: Keine Musik, keine Filme, kein Fußball. Bild: Spiegel Online
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Somalische Rundfunksender dürfen keine Musik mehr spielen. Ein entsprechendes Verbot verkündeten die radikal-islamischen Milizen. Musik sei Sünde, begründeten sie. Aus Angst vor drakonischen Strafen befolgen fast alle Sender die Anordnung.

Mogadischu - Fast alle Radio-Stationen in Somalia haben ihr Musikprogramm eingestellt. Nur ein von der Übergansregierung in Mogadischu kontrollierter und ein Uno-Sender widersetzten sich am Dienstag noch dem Verbot. Die Islamisten in dem Land sind dafür bekannt, Anweisungen wie das Musikverbot mit brutaler Gewalt durchzusetzen und Zuwiderhandlungen beispielsweise mit Morden oder Amputationen zu bestrafen.

Man habe keine andere Wahl, als ihre Forderung umzusetzen, sagte Abdulahi Yasin Jama von der Rundfunkstation Tusmo am Dienstag. "Wir haben Angst vor möglichen Angriffen gegen den Sender", sagte Hassan Osman Abdi vom Rundfunksender "Radio Shabelle". Die Islamisten hätten mit der Schließung aller Radiosender gedroht, die sich dem Verbot widersetzten. Nur einige regierungstreue Sender spielen noch Musik.

"Wir erleben heute den offiziellen Zusammenbruch der unabhängigen Medien", klagte Mohamed Ibrahim vom nationalen Journalistenverband Somalias. Der Verband verurteile die Anordnung als "grobe Verletzung" der Meinungsfreiheit, sagte Ibrahim.

Die von der internationalen Gemeinschaft unterstützte Interimsregierung hat ihren Herrschaftsanspruch bislang nicht durchsetzen können und kämpft mit islamistischen Milizen um die Macht in Somalia. >>> ler/apn/dpa/AFP | Dienstag, 13. April 2010

Somali Radio Stations Bow to Islamist Ban on Music
Horn Afrik Radio presenters read the news at a studio in Mogadishu. Photograph: The Guardian
THE GUARDIAN: All but two stations in Mogadishu comply with order to cease broadcasts that militants say violate Islamic principles

A majority of radio stations in southern and central Somalia today stopped playing music and jingles, to comply with a ban by Islamist militants.

Hizbul Islam, one of the two main insurgent forces in Somalia, issued the order on 3 April, saying music broadcasts violated Islamic principles. It gave FM radio stations – the main form of news and entertainment in the country – 10 days to comply or be shut down.

Islamic groups have previously outlawed music in some areas under their control, along with beards, football, movies, women's beauty salons and bras. The latest ban on all tunes – including those used in commercials – appears to be the most widely applied yet, and indicative of the rebels' ability to instil fear.

In the capital, Mogadishu, where there are 16 FM radio stations, only the government-controlled Radio Mogadishu, which is protected by African Union peacekeepers, and the UN-funded Radio Bar-Kulan, whose studio is in Nairobi, resisted the order.

"I've listened to three of my regular stations today, and there's no music at all," said Abdulkadir Khalif, a Mogadishu resident. "There's not even a jingle."

Instead, some stations used birdsong or vehicle noises to introduce programmes. One of the broadcasters aired "a recording from a warzone" to signal the start of the news, as an ironic gesture, Khalif said. >>> Xan Rice | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

James Parker: Sex, Gay Rights and the Cross
TIMES ONLINE: Legislation for equal rights won't eradicate the suffering of homosexual men and women

Anyone who has endured years of teenage, and often adult, angst coming to terms with their homosexual attraction, as Alexandra Mankowitz recounted in The Times Online last Monday, cannot help but be deeply moved.

Like her, I too came out at 17, and felt incredible shame and abject loneliness trying to dodge the assumption of heterosexuality and the homophobic bullying that was ever present in the Northern mining community in which I grew up.

Unlike her, however, my parents had no gay friends. Nor were there any visible gay role models within spitting distance of the Watford Gap to offer a hand of hope or consolation in my time of despair and silent suffering.

I was raised in a Christian household and experienced only unconditional love, both before and after declaring my homosexual nature. Yet for many in the gay community, religions represent nothing other than bastions of division and rejection. For some time I too shared this belief, until I was presented with a fresh challenge.

My life calling, I wholeheartedly believed, was to challenge the leaders of religion that homosexuals should be treated with the same dignity and rights as everyone else. This was especially true of the Christian community in which I had been raised. The more senior the religious leader’s role, the more I rose to the challenge.

Along the journey of acrimonious engagement with different expressions of Christianity I came across some startling, dare I say life-changing, revelations. In short, I came to understand that some of the people and organisations that I had consistently learned to blame and finger-wag for my despair were in fact conduits of my discovering an equal standing with others. This in turn led to a deeper sense of self-acceptance and my despair metamorphosing into a rich hope.

The season of Lent, the 40-day period in the run up to Easter, has become a great gift to me and to many homosexual men and women I know. It is the season where we recognise that no one gets it right all the time, that everyone is in need of compassion and mercy, and that before God we all experience apartheid, sexual or otherwise, in some form or other. >>> James Parker | Friday, March 12, 2010

Thousands of Sikhs Return to the Fold on World Turban Day
TIMES ONLINE: Thousands of Sikh men, each with a unique work of art perched on his head, will take to the streets of India today. Their mission: to prove to the world that the turban is not old hat.

Scores of rallies, prayer vigils and tying competitions will mark World Turban Day, an event conceived amid concerns that young Sikhs are abandoning the most conspicuous emblem of their faith — six to eight metres of cloth wrapped around their heads — in favour of close-cropped Western-style hairdos.

“We are inviting Sikhs who have forsaken the turban to return to the fold,” said Jaswinder Singh of the Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj (Army of God), a Turban Pride movement. “This day is their chance to reconnect with our gurus.”

Sikh men — and some women — have worn turbans since 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh, the religion’s tenth master, prohibited them from cutting their hair. Every man was given the surname Singh — lion — and was required to wear a steel bangle, long cotton underwear, a sheathed sword and wooden comb.

In recent decades many Sikhs have preferred to blend into India’s Hindu-dominated society. Their turbans and beards are often confused with those of Islamist extremists and count against them when job hunting, young Sikhs say.

“People think I’m Taleban,” said Gagandeep Singh, 26, a founder member of the recently formed Sikh Turban Pride Organisation. “The prejudice is ridiculous: I’m not a terrorist, I’m on Facebook.”

Others trace the demise to 1984 when Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister and a Hindu, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. In the riots that came after people wearing turbans were attacked.

There are no official figures but Sikh leaders say that about half the community wear turbans, compared with 80 per cent to 90 per cent a few decades ago. The trend must be reversed, they believe, if Sikhism is to endure. >>> Rhys Blakely | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Nukleargipfel: Welt ohne Atomwaffen – nicht mit Nicolas Sarkozy
WELT ONLINE: Frankreichs Präsident will nicht vollständig auf Atomwaffen verzichten. Sein Land habe bereits Nukleartests eingestellt und die Waffenanzahl reduziert. Mehr sei nicht zu machen, andernfalls könne die Sicherheit Frankreichs nicht garantiert werden. Sarkozy widerspricht damit einer Vision Barack Obamas.

Nicolas Sarkozy ist mit Barack Obama (r.) nicht einer Meinung. Bild: Welt Online
Der französische Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy hat den Atom-Abrüstungsideen seines US-Amtskollegen Barack Obama eine Absage erteilt. „Ich werde nicht auf die Atomwaffe verzichten, die die Sicherheit meines Landes garantiert“, sagte er am Rande des Nukleargipfels in Washington dem Sender CBS.

„Wir haben in Frankreich die Atomtests eingestellt und unsere Waffen um ein Drittel reduziert“, fügte er hinzu. Alles darüber hinaus würde die Sicherheit des Landes gefährden. Frankreich unterstütze grundsätzlich die Reduktion der Atomwaffen. „Aber wir behalten ein Minimum, um die Sicherheit zu garantieren“, bekräftigte er. >>> dpa/cn | Dienstag, 13. April 2010

Église Catholique : Pour le Vatican, "il y a une relation entre homosexualité et pédophilie"
"Beaucoup de psychologues, de psychiatres ont démontré (...) et m'ont dit récemment qu'il y a une relation entre homosexualité et pédophilie", a affirmé Mgr Bertone lors d'une visite officielle au Chili. Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Le numéro deux du Vatican, le cardinal secrétaire d'État Tarcisio Bertone a une nouvelle fois récusé le lien entre les cas récents de pédophilie de la part du clergé et la question du célibat des prêtres, estimant plutôt que "le problème" est lié à l'homosexualité. "Nombre de psychologues et de psychiatres ont démontré qu'il n'y a pas de relation entre célibat et pédophilie, mais beaucoup d'autres ont démontré, et m'ont dit récemment qu'il y a une relation entre homosexualité et pédophilie", a affirmé Mgr Bertone lundi, lors d'une visite officielle à Santiago du Chili. "C'est la vérité, c'est le problème." "Cette pathologie touche toutes les catégories de gens, et les prêtres à un moindre degré si l'on regarde les pourcentages", a-t-il poursuivi. 



Les propos de Mgr Bertone ont provoqué l'ire d'associations de défense des droits des homosexuels. "Ni Bertone ni le Vatican n'ont l'autorité morale" pour offrir des leçons de sexualité, a déclaré Rolando Jimenez, président du mouvement pour l'intégration et la libération homosexuelle au Chili. Selon Jimenez, aucune étude ne peut étayer les propos du cardinal Bertone. "Il s'agit d'une stratégie perverse du Vatican qui cherche à fuir sa propre responsabilité [dans les affaires de pédophilie]", a-t-il poursuivi, avant de préciser que l'un des scandales majeurs de prêtre pédophile au Chili avait mis en cause un ecclésiastique qui avait également mis enceinte une adolescente. >>> Le Point.fr | Mardi 13 Avril 2010

Lien en relation avec l’article:

LE MONDE: Le numéro deux du Vatican lie pédophilie et homosexualité >>> LeMonde.fr avec AFP et Reuters | Lundi 12 Avril 2010

Top Cardinal, Tarcisio Bertone, Blames Paedophile Crisis on Homosexuals
TIMES ONLINE: The Holy See’s second-highest prelate after the Pope has blamed homosexuals for the paedophile crisis.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, said that the child rape scandal that is threatening the moral authority of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide is linked to homosexuality and not celibacy among priests.

Other Vatican clerics have sought to deflect criticism from the Catholic hierarchy by blaming the media, and one retired bishop was even reported earlier this week to have blamed the Jews.

Cardinal Bertone made the comments during a news conference on Monday in Chile, where one of the church’s highest-profile paedophile cases involves a priest having sex with young girls.

Cardinal Bertone said: “Many psychologists and psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relation between celibacy and paedophilia. But many others have demonstrated, I have been told recently, that there is a relation between homosexuality and paedophilia. That is true. That is the problem.”

Cardinal Bertone also said that the church had never impeded investigations of paedophilia by priests.

Chile’s gay rights advocates reacted with anger. “Neither Bertone nor the Vatican has the moral authority to give lessons on sexuality,” said Rolando Jiménez, president of the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation in Chile.

Mr Jimenez also said that no reputable study existed to support the cardinal’s claims. “This is a perverse strategy by the Vatican to shirk its own ethical and legal responsibility by making a spurious and disgusting connection,” he said.

At least one of the paedophile priests in the Chilean Church victimised young girls, including a teenager who became pregnant. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent, and Richard Owen in Rome | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Big Business Wants Immigrants
MAIL ONLINE: The Tories were today forced to defend their manifesto before it was even launched after a stinging assault on immigration policy.

Just hours before David Cameron unveils his make-or-break election blueprint, plans to curb the number of migrants were savaged by business leaders.

London First, the City lobby group that represents many of London's biggest companies and banks, claims the move would threaten British competitiveness at a time when the economy is still in the early stages of recovery.

In a separate attack, the party had to defend itself against accusations it had played the 'race card' by pledging to reduce immigration to levels last seen in the mid-1990s.

Baroness Jo Valentine, London First's chief executive, said members feared the proposals had been put forward to 'appease the populist vote' with little thought for the longterm consequences.

'How we build our links with the Far East and the Bric (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies is absolutely fundamental to London's future,' she told The Financial Times.

'Irritating the Chinese and Indians would not be clever.' Tories forced to deny playing 'race card' amid business chiefs' stinging attack on immigration policy >>> James Chapman | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Euphoria Over Greek Rescue Fades As First Cracks Appear
THE TELEGRAPH: Euphoria over a joint EU-IMF rescue deal for Greece worth €45bn (£39.8bn) has given way to caution after angry reactions in Germany and continued concerns among bond investors that any bail-out merely delays the day of reckoning.

Euphoria over Greek rescue fades as first cracks appear. Photo collage: The Telegraph
Greek borrowing costs have fallen from post-EMU highs last week but still remain at stress levels. The yield spread on 10-year bonds over German Bunds dropped by 45 basis points to 6.75pc on Monday.

"This is a short-run fix, not a long-run solution," said David Owen at Jefferies Fixed Income. "At the end of the day, Greece has to carry out monumental fiscal tightening even as it slides deeper into recession. They risk chasing their tale. [sic]"

Mohamed El-Erian, head of the US bond fund Pimco, doused hopes that his firm would soon step in to buy Greek debt, saying the rescue package at rates near 5pc does not address the underlying "solvency challenges" facing the country.

The German taxpayers' union accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of caving into pressure, saying Germany would be left on the hook for huge liabilities.

Christoph Steegmans, spokesman for the finance ministry in Berlin, insisted that "nothing had changed" as a result of the weekend pledge by eurozone states for €30bn of loans. Help is "not automatic" and cannot be activated if any state objects. "The fact that the fire extinguisher has been primed says absolutely nothing about the probability of a fire," he said.

Frank Schäffler, a Free Democrat finance expert in Mrs Merkel's coalition, said the rescue deal is "clearly a subsidy" and violates the EU summit deal in March. "We're on very thin ice legally," he said, hinting at likely court challenges.

Professor Ekkehard Wenger from Würzburg University said the aid for Greece is "another step on the slippery slope downwards. All rational economic rules are being thrown out of the window. This is a bottomless pit."

"In the short-term this may calm things but within 10 years the eurozone is not going to exist any longer in its current form," he told Handelsblatt. >>> Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Monday, April 12, 2010

Thai Foreign Minister: ‘Thaksin Shinawatra Is a Terrorist’
TIMES ONLINE: Thailand’s Foreign Minister has described the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, as a “bloody terrorist” who can be compared to Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler. The comments are likely to further inflame Mr Thaksin's Red Shirt supporters, who are engaged in a bloody stand-off with the Government.

Speaking on the fringes of the nuclear summit in Washington, Kasit Piromya denounced foreign governments, including Russia and Germany, as well as the Interpol police agency, for not co-operating in returning Mr Thaksin to Thailand, where he has been convicted in absentia for corruption.

“Everyone is washing their hands but he is a bloody terrorist,” Mr Kasit said. “There is this act of interference by third countries – how can the Russians allow him there for two days or the Germans before that? Everyone is playing naive, closing their eyes and so on, simply because he was once an elected leader.” >>> Richard Lloyd Parry, Bangkok | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Smiling Could Help You Live Longer
THE TELEGRAPH: Smiling could add years to your life, according to researchers.

The wider you grin and the deeper your laughter lines, the more likely you are to have a long existence.

Broader smiles and wrinkles around your eyes point to a positive outlook on life which translates to better long-term health.

It has long been thought that a happy disposition can impact on life expectancy, and the recent study by experts at Wayne University in Michigan, America, seems to back this. >>> | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Politizap - La rumeur sur le couple Sarkozy

Al-Qaeda Trying to Secure Nuclear Weapons, Says Barack Obama
THE TELEGRAPH: Al-Qaeda is trying to secure material for nuclear weapons and would have "no compunction in using them" *, President Barack Obama warned, as he welcomed leaders for the largest gathering in the US since the Second World War.

The US president has set himself the mission of convincing fellow leaders from 45 nations that they faced the same threat and to establish a plan to secure every ounce of the world's nuclear weapons-grade fuel.

"The single biggest threat to US security, both short-term, medium-term and long-term, would be the possibility of a terrorist organisation obtaining a nuclear weapon," Mr Obama said.

"This is something that could change the security landscape in this country and around the world for years to come."

"If there was ever a detonation in New York City, or London, or Johannesburg, the ramifications economically, politically and from a security perspective would be devastating.

"We know that organisations like al-Qaeda are in the process of trying to secure nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, and would have no compunction at using them." >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Monday, April 12, 2010

*So Obama does admit that the greatest threat, then, comes from Islamic terrorism. After all is said and done, it is ISLAM which poses the greatest threat to peace and security worldwide. – © Mark

Kyrgyzstan to Expel Former Leader

Landslide Kills Train Commuters in Italy