The EU should be stronger and more united. Great Britain should belong to the Union.
Die EU sollte stärker und geeinter sein. Großbritannien sollte der Union angehören.
L'UE devrait être plus forte et plus unie. La Grande-Bretagne devrait appartenir à l'Union.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Iranian Nuclear Scientist Shahram Amiri Heads Home
THE GUARDIAN: Iran had accused US and Saudi Arabia of his abduction, but US says he was always free to come and go
An Iranian nuclear scientist who disappeared more than a year ago and mysteriously turned up in Washington is on his way back to Iran via a third country, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman has said.
"With the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran and effective co-operation of Pakistan's embassy in Washington, a few minutes ago Shahram Amiri left American soil and is heading back to Iran via a third country," the semi-official news agency ISNA quoted him as saying. He did not name the country.
Another Iranian official on Tuesday said Tehran could enlist Turkey's help to return Amiri to Iran. Ramin Mehmanparast said the foreign ministry would pursue the case through legal and diplomatic channels regarding the part the US government played in what Iran says was Amiri's abduction.
Iran had accused Saudi Arabia of handing Shahram Amiri to the US after he disappeared during the hajj pilgrimage a year ago. Amiri subsequently appeared in a series of internet videos, some of which said he was in hiding from US agents.
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said: "Mr Amiri has been in the United States of his own free will and he is free to go. In fact he was scheduled to travel to Iran yesterday but was unable to make all of the necessary arrangements to reach Iran through a transit country."
Clinton called on Tehran to release three American hikers being held in Iran and to provide more information on the former FBI agent Robert Levinson who disappeared during a business trip to Iran.
Referring to Amiri, Clinton said: "He's free to go, he was free to come, these decisions are his alone to make." >>> Ian Black, Middle East editor, Saeed Shah in Islamabad and agencies | Wednesday, July 14, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: BSkyB in talks to start free-to-air competitor to al-Jazeera, run as 50/50 joint venture with investor from Abu Dhabi
BSkyB is in talks about launching a Sky News-branded 24-hour Arabic language service in conjunction with an Abu Dhabi-based private investor.
It would compete with the Qatar-based al-Jazeera and other Arabic language news services in the Middle East and North Africa. Sky said that the channel will launch within the next two years if the discussions are successful.
The new channel, which would be a 50/50 joint venture between the two parties, will be based in Abu Dhabi and have bureaux "in most major regional and international news centres". >>> Mark Sweney | Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Mandelson's Memoirs: Blair Thought Brown Was 'Mad, Bad and Dangerous'
THE GUARDIAN: Tony Blair branded Gordon Brown 'beyond redemption' and reneged on deal to stand down after his second term
Gordon Brown behaved 'like a mafioso' according to Tony Blair. Photograph: The Guardian
The relationship between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown became so hostile that Blair described his chancellor as "mad, bad, dangerous and beyond redemption" and likened Brown's behaviour to that of a "mafioso" in his dealings with him, Lord Mandelson has revealed.
The breakdown in the two men's relationship is detailed in the third instalment of Mandelson's memoirs, The Third Man, in which he describes how he and other No 10 aides drew up plans – codenamed Operation Teddy Bear – to split the Treasury into two in an attempt to weaken Brown's challenge to Blair after the prime minister agreed in 2003 not to fight the next general election, only to renege on his promise.
But plans to remove Brown from the Treasury and put him in the Foreign Office were twice considered and rejected by Blair because he feared Brown would resign and become an even greater threat.
Blair's broken promise led to an almost complete breakdown in relations between the two men, and while Mandelson's memoirs lack genuine revelation in many areas they confirm some intriguing details.
Mandelson said at a meeting with John Prescott, then deputy prime minister, Blair agreed to the deal in which he would step aside in favour of Brown. Blair is quoted as saying that even Prescott was "scared" by Brown. "He knows there's something wrong with him," Blair is reported as saying. Mandelson said Blair described Brown as "flawed, lacking perspective and having a paranoia about him". >>> Allegra Stratton, political correspondent | Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Rage Unmosqued
NEW YORK POST: Rivals clash at hearing on Ground Zero project
A city hearing yesterday on the historical significance of the downtown Manhattan site of a proposed mosque quickly turned into a raucous -- and at times ugly -- debate about whether an Islamic center should be located so close to Ground Zero.
About 150 people crowded into the Hunter College Auditorium in Manhattan for the Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing, held to see if the 152-year-old building at 45-47 Park Place in lower Manhattan had the cultural or architectural consequence worthy of being landmarked.
Those who opposed the construction of the 13-story mosque and community center, called the Cordoba House, accused their opponents of being unpatriotic and insensitive to the thousands who died on 9/11.
But attendees who want to see the $100 million project completed accused their challengers of being racist and encouraging conflict with Muslims.
One protester, shouting, "Down with this McCarthyistic witch hunt against Muslims," was escorted out after interrupting speakers against the mosque.
Sally Regenhard, mother of an FDNY firefighter who died on 9/11, begged the commission to landmark the spot, which could end or complicate plans for the new mosque.
"I'm here to represent my son, probationary firefighter Christian Regenhard, a beautiful person who loved all people," she said.
"Follow the guidelines to making this a landmark. Please do not fold to political forces."
Joseph Reichling of Ridgewood, Queens, said, "Our forefathers are turning in their graves. Have we forgotten what happened on 9/11? We must never forget 9/11."
Andrea Quinn echoed his sentiments.
"The plan to build a 13-story mosque on that site is ludicrous," said Quinn of Queens. "Not to preserve this building is to allow for a citadel of Islamic supremacy to be built in its place." Continue reading and comment >>> Tom Topousis | Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Outrage Over Ground Zero Mosque Plan
Barack Obama Compared to Hitler and Lenin in Tea Party Billboard
THE TELEGRAPH: A roadside billboard created by a branch of the Tea Party in Iowa comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin has been condemned by other groups in the movement.
North Iowa Tea Party co-founder Bob Johnson said the sign highlighted what the group argues is Mr Obama's support for socialism. Photograph: The Telegraph
The North Iowa Tea Party began displaying the sign in Mason City last week. It shows photographs of Mr Obama, the German Nazi leader and Russian communist with the statement: "Radical leaders prey on the fearful & naive."
The words "Democratic Socialism" are featured over Mr Obama's picture, over Hitler's photo is "National Socialism" and over Lenin's head is "Marxist Socialism." The word "Change" – Mr Obama's campaign slogan – is included on each photo.
North Iowa Tea Party co-founder Bob Johnson said the sign highlighted what the group argues is Mr Obama's support for socialism. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Roman Polanski Victim Calls for End of Sex Case Pursuit
THE TELEGRAPH: Roman Polanksi's victim has called for the sex case against him to be dismissed "once and for all" after Swiss authorities rejected an attempt by prosecutors to have him extradited to the United States.
Samantha Geimer said she hoped the Los Angeles district attorney's office would finally cease its pursuit of the film director over the crime he committed against her 33 years ago.
The victim, who is now a mother of three in her 40s, said: "I am satisfied with this decision and I hope that the district attorney will now close the case and get it over once and for all." However, Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley said the case was not closed and he would continue to pursue Polanski if he is arrested again in another country from where he can be extradited. A US arrest warrant remains active. >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Michelle Obama Controversy as Tea Party Is Labelled 'Racist' by NAACP
THE TELEGRAPH: Michelle Obama has provoked controversy by giving the keynote speech for a civil rights organisation which has formally accused the American Tea Party movement of being 'racist'.
Michelle Obama lavished praise on the NAACP. Photograph: The Telegraph
The First Lady said that her husband's presidency had been made possible by the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) and urged the group to "increase its intensity".
The organisation later issued a motion condemning the Tea Party movement – which is closely linked to the right wing of the Republican Party – as racist.
The motion threatens to turn race into an important issue in this autumn's midterm elections as several members of the movement are standing for the Republican Party.
Mrs Obama's appearance at the organisations's annual conference in Kansas City, was primarily focused on warning African-Americans about the dangers of childhood obesity.
However, she also lavished praise on the NAACP. Mrs Obama said: "I know that I stand here today, and I know that my husband stands where he is today, because of this organisation – and because of the struggles and the sacrifices of all those who came before us.
"When African American communities are still hit harder than just about anywhere by this economic downturn, and so many families are just barely scraping by, I think the founders would tell us that now is not the time to rest on our laurels.
"When stubborn inequalities still persist – in education and health, in income and wealth – I think those founders would urge us to increase our intensity, and to increase our discipline and our focus and keep fighting for a better future for our children and our grandchildren."
In its motion, the NAACP said the Tea Party movement engaged in "explicitly racist behaviour" and called for people to "stand in opposition to the drive to push our country back to the pre-civil rights era."
The increasingly influential Tea Party movement has been embraced by a series of senior Republicans including Sarah Palin, the former vice-presidential nominee. >>> Robert Winnett in Washington | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
No. 1 Nation in Sexy Web Searches? Call it Pornistan
FOX NEWS: They may call it the "Land of the Pure," but Pakistan turns out to be anything but.
The Muslim country, which has banned content on at least 17 websites to block offensive and blasphemous material, is the world's leader in online searches for pornographic material, FoxNews.com has learned.
“You won’t find strip clubs in Islamic countries. Most Islamic countries have certain dress codes,” said Gabriel Said Reynolds, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame. “It would be an irony if they haven’t shown the same vigilance to pornography.”
So here's the irony: Google ranks Pakistan No. 1 in the world in searches for pornographic terms, outranking every other country in the world in searches per person for certain sex-related content. >>> Kelli Morgan | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
This should come as no surprise. Anyone who has ever worked in the Islamic world, and who has kept his eyes open, will have experienced prurience as he will never have experienced it before in the West. The seclusion of women – purdah – is one of the main causes of this preoccupation with matters sexual in the Muslim world.
Homosexuality, too, is a huge problem in the Islamic world. Why? Because young men, when they reach puberty and become frisky, have no outlet for their sexual urges. So, what they do is look for pretty young men to fit the bill! If the young man is clean-shaven and handsome, look out!
This is one reason why the French and Belgians are so much wiser than the Brits and the Americans. The burqah should be banned. The Belgians have banned it already; the French will have banned it very soon. Britain should follow suit. But our politicians lack the balls to take such a bold step.
Al hamdu lillah! French MPs Vote in Favour of Banning Burka
THE TELEGRAPH: French MPs have passed a law banning Islamic face veils from public areas amid warnings it poses constitutional problems and risks being overturned in the courts.
On the eve of Bastille Day, marking the birth of France's staunchly secular republic, the vast majority of MPs in the country's National Assembly voted in favour of outlawing the burka and the niqab from French streets, making it the second European country after Belgium to clamp down.
The new law, passed by 335 votes to one, is expected to sail through the Senate in September and be in force by early next year after a six-month explanatory period.
However, it could yet be deemed unconstitutional by France's highest legal body, the Constitutional Council, which President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party has asked to rule on the matter, while it could also fall foul of European human rights legislation.
Under the new law, women who wear face-covering veils in all public places in France, including the street, face being fined 150-euro (£125) or ordered to follow citizenship classes, or both.
Husbands and fathers who force such veils on women and girls risk a year of prison and a 30,000-euro (£25,000) fine, with both penalties doubled if the victim is a minor. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
La loi antiburqa adoptée sans opposition à l'Assemblée
Le premier ministre François Fillon, lors des questions au gouvernement, mardi à l'Assemblée nationale. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Un seul élu a voté contre le texte et vingt élus de gauche l'ont approuvé.
La loi antiburqa a franchi le cap de l'Assemblée nationale. Vingt députés de gauche (dont 14 socialistes, 4 radicaux de gauche, le communiste André Gerin et le chevènementiste Jacques Desallangre) ont voté mardi le projet de loi visant à interdire le port du voile intégral dans l'espace public. Michèle Alliot-Marie n'y est pas étrangère. La garde des sceaux a adressé de nombreux signes aux dirigeants socialistes.
Le texte a été adopté à une écrasante majorité (335 voix), seul un député non inscrit, Daniel Garrigue (villepiniste, ex-UMP), votant contre. Les villepinistes Marc Bernier, François Goulard, Jean-Pierre Grand et Marie-Anne Montchamp, eux, n'ont pas participé au vote.
Ce résultat est une victoire pour Jean-François Copé, le patron des députés UMP, ardent partisan de ce texte. La quasi-totalité de la droite (UMP et Nouveau Centre) a voté pour, de même que le président du MoDem François Bayrou, le souverainiste Nicolas Dupont-Aignan et les villiéristes Véronique Besse et Dominique Souchet. >>> Par Sophie Huet | Mardi 13 Juillet 2010
Frankreich: Burka-Verbot rückt näher
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die französische Nationalversammlung hat ein landesweites Verbot der Burka verabschiedet, der Senat muss aber noch zustimmen. Mit dem Gesetz will die Regierung das Tragen von Vollschleiern in der Öffentlichkeit komplett untersagen.
Die französische Nationalversammlung hat am Dienstag ein landesweites Verbot der Burka verabschiedet. Die Abgeordneten stimmten mit 336 zu einer Stimme für das Gesetz, das die Gesichtsverschleierung in der Öffentlichkeit verbietet.
Das Gesetz sieht ein Verbot jeglicher Art von Vermummung vor, etwa auch Gesichtsmasken bei Demonstrationen und nicht nur von muslimischen Frauen getragene Schleier wie die Burka oder den Nikab. Im September stimmt der Senat über das Gesetz ab, das kommendes Jahr in Kraft treten soll; auch der Verfassungsrat soll noch Stellung dazu beziehen. >>> Text: AFP, Bildmaterial: Archiv, dpa | Dienstag, 13. Juli 2010
Vom Kopftuch bis zum Ganzkörperschleier
French Minister at Centre of Funding Scandal Resigns
THE TELEGRAPH: Eric Woerth, the minister at the heart of the French political funding scandal announced he would step down as treasurer of Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party to quell suggestions of a conflict of interest.
Mr Woerth had been under pressure to drop the treasurer and party fund-raiser post following allegations over campaign donations from L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
He was accused of a conflict of interest as Mrs Bettencourt, 87, employed his wife to help manage her fortune and had failed to declare Swiss bank accounts while Mr Woerth was budget minister and on a mission to fight tax fraud.
A finance ministry report released on Sunday cleared Mr Woerth of having intervened to protect Mrs Bettencourt from tax scrutiny while he was budget minister.
However, question marks remain over allegations by Mrs Bettencourt's former accountant that Mr Woerth accepted 150,000 euros (£125,000) in illegal cash donations from France's richest woman. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Technicalities Underlie Swiss Decision on the Film Director
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Justice ministry says it won't extradite the film director because allegations of judicial misconduct have yet to be disproved and because prosecutors didn't immediately seek the fugitive's arrest.
In the end, the move by Swiss authorities to free Roman Polanski did not come down to whether he drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl.
Instead, the Swiss government's refusal Monday to extradite the director centered in part on a controversial 1977 backroom meeting that a Los Angeles judge held with the prosecutor and defense attorney on the case.
Polanski's lawyers say the judge made it clear at the meeting that he intended to send the director to prison for a 90-day psychiatric test as his full sentence behind bars. They say that Polanski completed his punishment when prison authorities released him after 42 days and that the filmmaker fled the country when the judge indicated he would send him back to prison.
The Swiss justice ministry cited the meeting in a statement explaining its decision, saying that a U.S. court's ruling that kept some records about the meeting secret created "persisting doubts concerning the presentation of the facts of the case."
"In these circumstances, it is not possible to exclude with the necessary certainty that Roman Polanski has already served the sentence he was condemned to at the time," the statement said.
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said he was "genuinely surprised and disappointed" by the legal reasoning behind the decision.
He described the failure to return Polanski as a "disservice to justice."
Experts said the latest development in the long-running legal saga was a blow to Cooley's office. Continue reading and comment >>>
2-Min Bio: Fugitive Filmmaker Roman Polanski
TIME: Fugitive filmmaker Roman Polanski's onscreen dramas are rivaled only by his private ones. The latest plot twist came Sept. 26, when the director of Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist touched down at Zurich airport to find police waiting to arrest him in connection with charges of a 1977 sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl. Polanski, 76, was arriving in Switzerland to collect a lifetime-achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. Fast Facts: >>> Laura Fitzpatrick | Monday, September 28, 2009
«Merci et bravo la Suisse!» : Stimmen zur Freilassung von Roman Polanski
NZZ ONLINE: In den amerikanischen Medien wird der Entscheid, Roman Polanski nicht auszuliefern, relativ nüchtern zur Kenntnis genommen. Ob die Freilassung des renommierten Filmemachers mehr recht denn schlecht ist, mag niemand so recht beantworten.
Es bleibt der Haftbefehl
Die Schweizer Behörden hätten nicht in der Frage, ob der Regisseur eine damals minderjährige Person sexuell missbraucht habe, geurteilt, schreibt die «Los Angeles Times». Die Aufhebung des Hausarrests sei vielmehr von technischer Natur, weil die amerikanischen Justizbehörden den Schweizern die Akteneinsicht verweigert hätten.
Dennoch sei der Sieg, den Polanski durch die Aufhebung der Auslieferungshaft in der Schweiz davonträgt, ein kleiner. Der Haftbefehl bleibe; die zu den längsten Kriminalsaga der kalifornischen Kriminaljustiz zählende Causa Polanski gehe bloss in eine weitere Runde, folgert die «Los Angeles Times». Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> hoh. | Dienstag, 13. Juli 2010
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Die französische Regierung hat das Verbot für die Vollverschleierung muslimischer Frauen vorgestellt. Frauen, die gezwungen werden eine Burka zu tragen, können ihre Männer anklagen.
Frankreich führt konflikträchtige Debatte über Burka-Verbot (07.07.10)
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Die französische Nationalversammlung diskutiert derzeit über ein Burka-Verbot. Mit dem von der konservativen Regierung eingebrachten Gesetzentwurf sollen sämtliche Ganzkörperverschleierungen aus dem öffentlichen Raum verbannt werden. Zum Aufakt der Debatte hat sich Justizministerin Michèle Alliot-Marie für das geplante Gesetz starkgemacht.
'Abducted' Iranian Nuclear Scientist 'Seeks Refuge in Pakistan Embassy in Washington'
THE TELEGRAPH: An Iranian nuclear scientist claimed by Tehran to have been abducted by the United States has sought refuge in the Pakistan embassy in Washington, state television said on Tuesday.
In a dramatic development in a long-running mystery, Shahram Amiri was said to be demanding to be allowed to return home.
Mr Amiri disappeared last year while on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Iran claimed he had been seized by the Saudi intelligence services working in collaboration with the CIA.
Washington said such claims were "ridiculous" but shed no light on what happened to him. The American television channel ABC reported it had been told by official sources that he had defected voluntarily and was providing information to the US authorities.
Intelligence websites said he had been "turned" while on trips to Frankfurt and Vienna, and had provided detailed information on the secret uranium enrichment plant the Iranians were discovered to be building near the holy city of Qom.
Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since the Islamic revolution in 1979, and national interests are looked after by the Pakistan embassy in Washington and the Swiss embassy in Tehran respectively.
Mehr, an Iranian news agency, reported on Tuesday morning that Mr Amiri, a nuclear researcher at Tehran's Malek Ashtar University who also worked for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation, "went to Iran's interest section and asked for a quick return to Tehran". >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The new science of geomythology links ancient legends and natural disasters - and supports climate change , writes Steve Jones.
Noah's Ark by Edward Hicks, 1846. 300 versions of the Flood myth are known in different cultures. Painting: The Telegraph
'Global warming is a myth.” Type that into a search engine and you get thousands of hits – but global warming is not a product of the human imagination; or no more so than any other scientific claims for – like them – it depends on its data, the accuracy of which has been affirmed by the inquiry into the leaked East Anglia documents. The subject has, alas, become the home of boring rants by obsessives.
More interesting is the notion that myths themselves may reflect real happenings of long ago. The new science of geomythology sets out to tie such tales to ancient disasters. Often, geology and legend fit remarkably well. >>> Steve Jones | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Fidel Castro Returns to TV with Dire Warning of Nuclear Conflict
THE GUARDIAN: In rare appearance, Cuba's former president, 82, analyses Middle East situation and says Iran will not be cowed by the US
The Middle East is on the verge of a nuclear war triggered by a US attack on Iran in the name of preventing the country from developing its own weapons, according to ageing Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro.
"To do this on the basis of a calculation that the Iranians are going to come running out to ask the Yankees for forgiveness is absurd," Castro said. "They [the US] will encounter a terrible resistance that will spread the conflict that cannot end up any other way than turning nuclear."
The former Cuban president said Israel would throw the first bomb, but the risk that red buttons would also be pressed in Pakistan and India was latent.
Castro made the prediction on Cuban TV last night, in a dramatic return to public life after four years in near-seclusion.
"The US is activating the machinery to destroy Iran," he said. "But the Iranians have been building up a defensive force little by little for years."
Castro said attacking Iran would have a very different result from invading Iraq. "When Bush attacked Iraq, Iraq was a divided country," he said. "Iran is not divided."
The Cuban leader also emphasised that India, Pakistan and Israel are the three nuclear powers who have refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
"The control that Israel has over the United States is enormous."
"US foreign policy is better described as the policy of total impunity." (+ video) >>> Jo Tuckman in Mexico City | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Roman Polanski Released: US Says Case Is Not Closed
THE TELEGRAPH: The district attorney prosecuting Roman Polanski in the United States have criticised the Swiss government's refusal to extradite the director and said the case was not closed.
Polanski was freed after the Swiss government rejected a US extradition request that he be brought back there and sentenced for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
However, Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley said he was "deeply disappointed" by the decision and would work to try to extradite Polanski if he is arrested again. An arrest warrant on the 33-year-old case remains active in Los Angeles. >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Schweiz wegen Polanski auf der «Anklagebank»
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Der Bezirksstaatsanwalt von Los Angeles, Steve Cooley, will auch nach Ablehnung des Gesuches durch die Schweiz die Auslieferung von Filmregisseur Roman Polanski fordern, sollte er in einem anderen Land festgenommen werden. Polanski nicht auszuliefern sei eine Unterlassung der Schweiz und ein Affront gegen das Gericht in Kalifornien.
Pour sa première prestation en direct depuis le 25 janvier, le chef de l'Etat a été interrogé un peu plus d'une heure par David Pujadas, sur une terrasse des jardins de l'Elysée. Installé face à Nicolas Sarkozy, une table les séparant, le journaliste de France 2 a débuté l'entretien par le feuilleton Bettencourt, qui atteint de plein fouet le ministre du Travail, Eric Woerth, en charge de la réforme emblématique des retraites.
Voici les principales déclarations du chef de l'Etat : >>> D.P. | Lundi 12 Juillet 2010
Blonde Meets Sharia Law: When the Tourist Becomes the Attraction
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Despite covering up, Courtney Trenwith finds herself the centre of attention in Indonesia's only province that applies sharia law.
An hour after arriving in the capital of Indonesia's only non-secular province, I stepped out of a black SUV-style taxi at the mouth of a sleepy little market. I was wearing a long grey dress and cardigan, with a white pashmina draped over my head, across my shoulders and neatly tucked under my chin. I felt confident, impenetrable and, ironically, elegant.
“Psst, lady, lady,” Achenese men called from the back of tooting motorcycles.
Were Muslim men seeking my attention?
I ignored the jeers and entered the market with my five Australian female friends, who were similarly covered up. Men and women came rushing from the rear of their stalls and emerged from side streets. Many, mostly men, enthusiastically - desperately - beckoned us into their tiny shops.
“Pretty. Beautiful,” they said.
The surprising sense of confidence I had felt since changing into this unfamiliar attire during a stop-over at Kuala Lumpur airport, quickly diminished.
It seemed my pale hands and face – the only bare parts of my body - had revealed my true origins – a place somewhere far from the inherently Muslim community of Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
Throughout Asia I have become accustomed to my light skin and blonde hair causing much fuss among the locals. I've often transformed from the tourist to the attraction, as men, women and children whip out their mobile phones to snap the strange white girl.
But I had expected to be shielded from gawkers while observing the strict sharia law dress code, including a jilbab (the Indonesian term used for a head scarf).
Furthermore, I thought being in a strict Islamic region where it is even prohibited for single, unrelated men and women to stand close together in public, would have ruled out verbal male attention. >>> Courtnet Trenwith | Monday, July 12, 2010
Courtney Trenwith travelled as a fellow in the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre's Understanding Near Neighbours tour.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sudan: Bashir nun auch wegen Völkermord gesucht
DIE PRESSE: Der Internationale Strafgerichtshof in den Haag stellte am Montag einen weiteren Haftbefehl gegen Sudans Präsidenten Omar al-Bashir aus. In diesem ist auch das gravierendste Verbrechen aufgeführt: Genozid.
Den Haag. Nun also auch Völkermord: Der Internationale Strafgerichtshof in den Haag stellte am Montag einen weiteren Haftbefehl gegen Sudans Präsidenten Omar al-Bashir aus. In diesem ist auch das gravierendste Verbrechen aufgeführt, über das der Gerichtshof Jurisdiktion hat: Genozid. Verübt von Milizen in Verbindung mit regulären Einheiten der Armee in der Bürgerkriegsprovinz Darfur im Westen des Landes.
Man habe ausreichende Gründe zu glauben, dass al-Bashir persönlich für das Verbrechen des Genozids an den Ethnien der Fur, Masalit und Zaghawa verantwortlich sei, hieß es seitens des Gerichtshof am Montag. >>> ag. | Montag, 12. Juli 2010
Erasing the George W. Bush Administration Online
DANIEL PIPES: Here's a pet peeve: Through eight years of the two George W. Bush administrations, I linked hundreds of times to White House and Department of State documents, plus less frequently to other U.S. government departments and agencies. I made efforts to link to original documents (and not news articles, much less blogs) because, having earned a Ph.D. in history, I value primary sources.
I assumed during those years that the documents, being part of the U.S. government's permanent record, would remain available so long as the government and the internet were functioning – in other words, a long time.
I assumed wrong. On coming to office, the Obama administration in an instant removed thousands (millions?) of pages, abruptly making dead and useless all those links to the prior administration's work. Latterly I learned that the Bush administration pulled this same trick against its Clinton predecessor. Finish reading and comment >>> Daniel Pipes | Friday, June 25, 2010
Roman Polanski a quitté son chalet de Gstaad
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE POLANSKI | Le cinéaste «a quitté son chalet de Gstaad» (BE) où il était assigné à résidence, a assuré une employée du cinéaste à des journalistes sur place. Son bracelet électronique lui a été retiré à la mi-journée.
Une employée de Roman Polanski, qui a demandé à ne pas être identifiée, a ouvert la porte du chalet «Milky Way» (Voie Lactée) du cinéaste lorsqu'une journaliste de l'AFP a sonné et a assuré que Roman Polanski avait quitté les lieux. «Il n'est plus là», a-t-elle encore insisté. >>> AFP / ATS | Lundi 12 Juillet 2010
SKY NEWS: Those who follow the pattern of the Islamist bombing campaign know that to label it 'anti Western' is to misinform. This misinformed narrative argues that because of various historical injustices perpetrated by ' The West' , radical Islam has begun to hit back, and if only 'we' stopped meddling in the affairs of Muslim countries the violence would stop.
Sunday night's bombings in Uganda give lie to that narrative, as do numerous examples over the last decade. Yes, anti- western sentiment is ever present in the bombing campaign, but the aims of the jihadists are more than that, and, without that context, Islamism cannot be seen for what is; A global revolutionary movement with fascistic tendencies However, the narrative appears stuck in the tram lines and even mass murders such those in Kampala cannot jolt it onto a more wide ranging analysis.
The Ugandan police chief believes the Kampala bombings to be the work of Al-Shabab, an ultra radical Islamist group based in Somalia. If the gang is responsible then the targeting of black Africans makes sense. The victims were mostly Ugandan, and the location of one attack was an Ethiopian themed bar. Uganda has troops in in Somalia as part of the African Union force trying to stabilise the country, and Ethiopian soldiers ousted Al-Shabab from Mogadishu four years ago. Both countries are majority Christian, but can hardly be described as 'Western'. There is a connection to the West insofar as the African Union helps to prop up a government which is supported by the USA and others, but that doesn't explain why Al-Shabab calls Uganda 'An infidel country'.
Al- Shabab has strong links to Al Queda and some of its gang members were trained in AQ camps in Afghanistan. The group has carried out punishment including the stoning of women accused of adultery, and recently said anyone watching the World Cup should be targeted as football was un Islamic. Most Muslims around the world think these beliefs are crazy, but the Islamists continue to believe they speak for all of Islam. Continue reading and comment >>> Tim Marshall | Monday, July 12, 2010
Shaping the Religious Right: Drs. Tim and Beverly LaHaye are leading Christian voices
Senior Judge Who Had Fling With Male Prostitute Resigns
THE TELEGRAPH: A senior circuit judge who hit the headlines over claims he had a passionate fling with a male prostitute has resigned.
Judge Gerald Price QC, 61, was suspended last summer when an official investigation was launched into his conduct.
Christopher Williams, 26, the male prostitute, claimed that he was allowed to sit on the bench during trials and was even present during sentencing.
The investigation recommended the judge should be sacked as a result of his conduct but he resigned after a failed appeal, before he could be dismissed.
The investigation was launched after disclosures in the News of the World in June last year claiming he had a nine month affair with Williams, a £250-a-night rent boy.
Mr Price, who is married, sat as a senior circuit judge in Swansea, Cardiff and Carmarthen, south Wales.
Williams was widely reported claiming that Mr Price had set him up in a flat and paid him an allowance.
Mr Price is believed to have made initial contact with Mr Williams through an escort website in September 2008.
Mr Williams claimed at the time that he initially met Mr Price in a hotel and later at his second home near Carmarthen, west Wales.
News of his resignation came in the form of a statement issued by the Office for Judicial Complaints. >>> | Monday, July 12, 2010
Polanskis Anwalt erleichtert
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Hervé Temime, Anwalt des Regisseurs Polanskis ist erleichtert über den Entscheid der Schweiz. Für ihn ist die Entscheidung die einzig richtige. Einschätzungen von den SF-Korrespondenten Fritz Reiman in Bern, Adrian Arnold in Paris und Tilman Lingner in Washington.
FRANCE 2: Le président s'exprimera pendant une heure sur "toutes les questions d'actualité" notamment l'affaire Woerth-Bettencourt
Le président est l'invité d'une émission spéciale, de 20h15 à 21h15 sur France 2.
Après plusieurs semaines de crise et au plus bas dans les sondages, Nicolas Sarkozy tentera de reprendre la main en traitant des questions de fond notamment la réforme des retraites, les orientations budgétaires, la relance et l'emploi. >>> Par Catherine Rougerie | Lundi 12 Juillet 2010
"Nicolas Sarkozy a parlé avec force et conviction"
Mel's Early Day Antigay Meltdown
ADVOCATE.COM: Long before Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic, racist and violent rants, the actor made headlines — and enemies — with his antigay remarks to a Spanish newspaper in 1991.
The latest shocking comments from Mel Gibson, in which he hurls racist, misogynistic, and anti-immigrant slurs at his ex-girlfriend, cap a career of tirades that includes a highly publicized homophobic rant and an anti-Semitic outburst.
According to PopEater, long before Gibson could be heard on tape last week threatening Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he had a baby, he made homophobic remarks in 1991. Back then, American columnist Liz Smith reported on what the actor said to the Spanish newspaper El Pais: >>> Advocate.com Editors | Sunday, July 11, 2010
Gesetzesnebel beim Rauchverbot
WELT ONLINE: Die meisten Länder haben schwachen Nichtraucherschutz - Bayerns Verschärfung könnten aber andere folgen
Das erfolgreiche Volksbegehren für ein striktes Rauchverbot hat in Bayern für Klarheit gesorgt: Künftig dürfen die Gastwirte des Bundeslandes das Qualmen in ihren Räumen nicht mehr erlauben. In Deutschland aber könnte diese Entscheidung zu einem Flickenteppich unterschiedlicher Vorschriften führen. Denn ein einheitliches Bundesgesetz ist nicht in Sicht. Einzelne Bundesländer planen, dem Vorbild Bayerns zu folgen. Andere wiegelten bereits ab. So könnte es bald sein, dass einige Länder den Qualm aus ihren Gaststätten komplett verbannen und andere nicht. >>> von Markus Scheele | Montag, 12. Juli 2010
Qualmen auf Reisen: Wo darf ich im Ausland noch rauchen?
Auch im Land der Gauloises und Gitanes gilt in Cafés, Bars und Restaurant: Geraucht wird draußen. Seit Januar 2008 gilt in Frankreich ein striktes Rauchverbot. Foto: Bild
BILD: Bilder von rauchenden Menschen in der Öffentlichkeit werden immer seltener – Nichtrauchen scheint zeitgemäß zu sein. Erst recht nach dem strengen Rauchverbot in Bayern. Schließlich ist der Tabakgenuss schädlich für die Gesundheit.
Doch nicht nur in Deutschland, auch im Ausland wird die Luft für Raucher dünner. Denn die Europäische Union kämpft entschieden für ein „100 Prozent rauchfreies Europa“, wie es in einem aktuellen Dossier der EU heißt.
Das bekam kürzlich auch Österreich zu spüren. Seit dem 1. Juli 2010 darf in Österreichs Lokalen nur noch in abgetrennten Raucher-zimmern gequalmt werden. Bei Verstoß drohen dem Raucher Strafen bis zu 1000 Euro und dem Gastwirt ein Bußgeld bis zu 10 000 Euro.
Bisher hatte Österreich eine recht liberale Einstellung zum Qualmen in der Öffentlichkeit. In einem Raucherparadies-Ranking der „Los Angeles Times“ vom Januar kam Österreich sogar auf Platz vier. Angeführt wurde dies übrigens von Griechenland.
Den ersten Schritt zum Rauchverbot in Lokalen, öffentlichen Einrichtungen und Verkehrsmitteln machte am 1. März 2004 Irland. Auch in Frankreich und Italien gelten Rauchverbote für sämtliche öffentlich zugängliche Gebäude, inklusive Bars und Diskotheken. In Kalifornien sind sogar die Strände „smokefree“. Wer dagegen verstößt und erwischt wird, muss bis zu 100 Dollar Strafe zahlen.
Wie es mit dem Rauchverbot in den europäischen Urlaubsländern steht, welche Strafen bei Missachtung drohen und wo es die letzten Raucherparadiese gibt, lesen Sie gleich hier: Die letzten Raucherparadiese >>> Donnerstag, 08. Juli 2010
Tabac : Bloomberg plus fort que Schwarzenegger
JIM.fr: New York – C’était au début du mois de mai. Arnold Schwarzenegger, gouverneur de Californie, un état où certaines municipalités n’hésitent pas à interdire de fumer dans tous les lieux publics, y compris dans certaines rues, avait estimé que la prohibition du tabac dans les parcs et sur les plages était une disposition trop extrême.
Il avait en effet considéré qu’il s’agissait d’une « intrusion inappropriée du gouvernement dans la vie des gens ». L’argument avait été considéré comme difficilement recevable par les partisans de la mesure, poussés par de nombreux exemples nationaux et étrangers dans leur démarche. En effet, un nombre croissant de municipalités dans le monde a banni les cigarettes des parcs et plages : les plus illustres étant Chicago qui punit d’une amende de 500 dollars tout contrevenant ou encore Vancouver qui a adopté un règlement municipal dans ce sens qui devrait entrer en vigueur le 1er septembre. New York pourrait prochainement rejoindre les deux illustres cités. >>> Martine Pichet | Lundi 12 Juillet 2010
University Fires Catholic Professor Who Said Homosexual Acts Violate Natural Law
CATHOLIC CULTURE: Following a student complaint, the University of Illinois refused to renew the contract of Dr. Kenneth Howell, an adjunct religion professor, who wrote in an e-mail that “Natural Moral Law says that Morality must be a response to REALITY” and that “sexual acts are only appropriate for people who are complementary, not the same.” Dr. Howell, who taught courses on Catholicism at the university and was recognized for excellence in teaching in 2008 and 2009, wrote the e-mail to his students to help them prepare for their final exam; in the e-mail, he compared utilitarianism and the natural moral law.
“Teaching a student about the tenets of a religion is one thing. Declaring that homosexual acts violate the natural laws of man is another,” the offended student complained to the head of the religion department; he also sent complaints to the director of the university's LGBT Resource Center and the professor who founded the university’s queer studies major. “The courses at this institution should be geared to contribute to the public discourse and promote independent thought; not limit one's worldview and ostracize people of a certain sexual orientation.” Read on and comment >>> | Monday, July 12, 2010
Terror Experts Blast Obama for Dropping References to Islamic Extremism
FOX NEWS: WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration's recent move to drop rhetorical references to Islamic radicalism is drawing fire in a new report warning the decision ignores the role religion can play in motivating terrorists.
Several prominent counterterror experts are challenging the administration's shift in its recently unveiled National Security Strategy, saying the terror threat should be defined in order to fight it.
The question of how to frame the conflict against Al Qaeda and other terrorists poses a knotty problem. The U.S. is trying to mend fences with Muslim communities while toughening its strikes against militant groups.
In the report, scheduled to be released this week, counterterrorism experts from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argue that the U.S. could clearly articulate the threat from radical Islamic extremists "without denigrating the Islamic religion in any way."
President Obama has argued that words matter, and administration officials have said that the use of inflammatory descriptions linking Islam to the terror threat feed the enemy's propaganda and may alienate moderate Muslims in the U.S. Continue reading and comment >>> Associated Press | Monday, July 12, 2010
Polanski Extradition to U.S. Is Blocked by Switzerland
THE NEW YORK TIMES: BERN, Switzerland (AP) -- The Swiss government has rejected a U.S. extradition request for Roman Polanski on a charge of having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.
The Justice Ministry said Monday in a statement that national interests were taken into consideration in the decision, and that Polanski was now a free man. [Source: The New York Times] | The Associated Press | Monday, 12, 2010
Roman Polanski Free After Swiss Reject US Extradition Request
THE TELEGRAPH: Roman Polanski is free after the Swiss government rejected a US extradition request on a charge that the film director had sexual intercourse in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.
The Justice Ministry said in a statement that national interests were taken into consideration in the decision, and that Polanski was now a free man.
"The reason for the decision lies in the fact that it was not possible to exclude with the necessary certainty a fault in the US extraditionary request," the Swiss Justice Ministry said in a statement.
Polanski had suggested the case against him was unjust and riddled with discrepancies.
Polish-born Polanski, 76, won a best director Oscar for his portrait of life in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto of the Second World War in "The Pianist".
The announcement follows months of uncertainty over whether Polanski would have to return to the United States after having been arrested in September 2009 upon arrival in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award at a film festival.
His arrest prompted an outcry in the global film industry and in some political circles in France, where he has been a long-time resident, with directors from Woody Allen to Martin Scorsese to Jean-Luc Godard showing public support for the director.
After a short jail stint, Polanski, who holds dual French and Polish citizenship, was put under house arrest in December 2009 at his chalet in luxury ski resort Gstaad while Swiss officials awaited the outcome of US legal proceedings.
Polanski pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with the girl but fled the United States on the eve of his 1978 sentencing because he believed a judge might overrule his plea and put him in jail for 50 years. >>> | Monday, July 12, 2010
Polanski est libre de ses mouvements
LE FIGARO: La Suisse a annoncé lundi son refus d'extrader le cinéaste franco-polonais, assigné depuis le 4 décembre dans son chalet de Gstaad.
Il aura fallu presque un an à la justice suisse pour trancher. Roman Polanski «ne sera pas extradé vers les Etats-Unis et les mesures de restriction de sa liberté sont levées», a annoncé lundi la ministre suisse de la Justice. «Les clarifications approfondies qui ont été menées à bien n'ont pas permis d'exclure avec toute la certitude voulue que la demande d'extradition américaine présentait un vice», a fait valoir Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf au cours d'une conférence de presse. >>> Par Flore Galaud | Lundi 12 Juillet 2010
Roman Polanski est libre!
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: BERNE | Le cinéaste franco-polonais ne sera pas extradé vers les Etats-Unis, vient d'annocer la conseillère fédérale Evelyn Widmer-Schlumpf. Roman Polanski est libre.
La demande d'extradition américaine de Roman Polanski pouvait présenter un vice. Les clarifications approfondies n'ont pas permis d'exclure une telle éventualité avec toute la certitude voulue, a expliqué lundi la conseillère fédérale Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.
L'Office fédéral de la justice (OFJ) a demandé le 3 mars 2010 aux autorités américaines de lui faire parvenir, à titre de complément à la demande, le procès-verbal d'une audition du procureur Roger Gunson, alors chargé du dossier, menée le 26 janvier 2010. >>> ATS | Lundi 12 Juillet 2010
Die Schweiz liefert Polanski nicht aus: Der Regisseur ist wieder ein freier Mann
NZZ ONLINE: Die Schweiz liefert Starregisseur Roman Polanski nicht aus. Justizministerin Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf begründete den Entscheid mit einer mangelnden Kooperation der USA. Seit Freitag, 11 Uhr 30, ist Polanski ein freier Mann.
Die Schweiz liefert den vor knapp 10 Monaten verhafteten Regisseur Roman Polanski doch nicht an die USA aus. Justizministerin Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf begründete den Entscheid mit einer mangelnden Kooperation der USA.
Polanski hatte argumentiert, er habe die Strafe schon abgesessen. Er sei für den sexuellen Missbrauch einer 13-Jährigen im Jahre 1977 bereits verurteilt worden und habe damals nach einem Schuldbekenntnis für eine diagnostische Untersuchung 42 Tage in einem kalifornischen Gefängnis verbracht. Der damalige Richter, der inzwischen verstorben ist, habe zugesichert, dass Polanski keine weitere Haftstrafe absitzen müsse, erklärte der Regisseur.
Die USA sind offenbar nicht bereit, hierüber Klarheit zu schaffen. Wie die Justizministerin vor den Medien erklärte, hat sich die Schweiz vergeblich um das entsprechende Protokoll bemüht. In dieser Situation könne die Schweiz den Regisseur nicht ausliefern. Denn ein Mangel im Auslieferungsgesuch der USA sei damit nicht auszuschliessen.
Polanski stehe nicht länger unter Hausarrest, erklärte Widmer-Schlumpf. «Er ist seit 11 Uhr 30 ein freier Mann», betonte sie. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> tsf | Montag, 12. Juli 2010
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf über eine mögliche Entschädigung für Polanski
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Der Regisseur wird nicht an die USA ausgeliefert. Zur Begründung wies das Schweizer Justizministerium darauf hin, dass ein Mangel im Auslieferungsgesuch der USA nicht ausgeschlossen werden könne.
Al-Shabaab Islamists Suspected in Deadly Ugandan World Cup Bombings
THE TELEGRAPH: Somali Islamists carried out two bomb attacks in Kampala, killing at least 64 people as they watched the World Cup final, Ugandan authorities said on Monday.
Suspicion fell on the al-Shabaab rebel group, which claims links with al-Qaeda, after the severed head of a suspected Somali suicide bomber was found at one of the blast sites.
If those suspicions prove true, it would be the first time that al-Shabab has carried out an attack outside of Somalia.
The explosions ripped through two bars packed with football fans watching the final moments of World Cup in an Ethiopian-themed restaurant and at a gathering in a Kampala rugby club on Sunday.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni toured the blast sites on Monday and vowed to bring the attackers to justice: “We shall go for them wherever they are coming from."
Al-Qaeda-inspired al-Shabaab militants in Somalia have threatened to attack Uganda for sending peacekeeping troops to the anarchic country to prop up the Western-backed government. >>> | Monday, July 12, 2010
Fury: Police arrest a protester on the streets of Oakland last night as riots broke out over the killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant by a white officer last year. Photo: Mail Online
Riots in California After Police Officer Who Shot Dead Unarmed Black Man Is Cleared Of Murder
MAIL ONLINE: 53 arrests as protesters furious at verdict storm the streets
Violent protests erupted in the city of Oakland in California today after a Los Angeles jury convicted a white former transit officer of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man.
Police in riot gear watched over a crowd of protesters as emotions ran high with 500 people marching in the street and 83 people arrested.
Prosecutors had wanted Johannes Mehserle, 22, to be convicted of murdering Oscar Grant. Justice Department officials have announced they will look into whether the case warrants federal prosecution.
Mr Grant was shot as he lay face down on a train platform on New Year's Day in 2009 on an Oakland train platform in an incident that was compared to the 1992 beating of Rodney King.
During protests last night, at least a dozen businesses were damaged, bank windows were smashed, fires were started and a small bomb exploded near a police station but caused no damage.
'This city is not the wild, wild west,' said Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts. 'This city will not tolerate this sort of activity.' >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Monday, July 12, 2010
Reckless by Name, Reckless by Nature!
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A Tory MP was so drunk during a late night debate about the Budget in the Commons that he was unable to vote, it has emerged.
Mark Reckless was one of a number of MPs accused of being “well-refreshed” and “convivial” during the late night sitting which finished at 2.48am on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old new MP for Rochester and Strood had been drinking alongside scores of MPs on the Commons Terrace and was not the only one said to be worse for wear.
John Randall, the deputy chief whip, was accused by Angela Eagle – the shadow Treasury minister – of having indulged in “rather a liquid evening”.
Stephen Pound, the Labour MP, said Miss Eagle could not be heard in the Commons “because of the well-refreshed ejaculations from the benches opposite”.
Mr Reckless, who became an MP at the general election in May, was understood to have had difficulty standing and has scant recollection of the night. Tory MP 'too drunk to vote in Commons debate' >>> Caroline Gammell | Sunday, July 11, 2010
