BP Blunderer's Golden Goodbye: Hayward Exits with £10m Pension Pot as an American Replaces Him
MAIL ONLINE: The embattled head of BP is on the brink of bailing out today - with a golden parachute to break his fall.

Tony Hayward, who arrived at the company's headquarters in London this morning, will receive a seven-figure payoff and a pension estimated at £584,000 a year.

He will stand down today after three months of abuse left him described as the ‘most hated and clueless man in America’.

The enforced departure of the 53-year-old Briton will top the agenda at a crucial London board meeting today.

He has been widely seen as a ‘dead man walking’ ever since an oil-rig explosion led to the worst-ever environmental disaster in the U.S.

The focus will not be on if he goes but when, and how much it costs. During his 28 years at BP, he has built up a gold-plated £10.8million pension pot which he can start taking at 60.

He is also entitled to a year’s salary, equal to just over £1million.

His departure follows a disastrous series of PR gaffes since 11 died in an explosion on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico.

One of his most notorious was to admit: ‘I want my life back’, at a time when millions of barrels of oil were gushing into the ocean, wrecking the livelihoods of thousands of Americans.

A few weeks later, his decision to go sailing on his yacht in the Isle of Wight added to suspicions that Mr Hayward was not being suitably contrite. But the level of the fury from America has been extraordinary and relentless despite the fact that BP was not solely responsible for the disaster.

President Obama warned: ‘He wouldn’t be working for me after any of those statements.’

Yesterday a BP spokesman insisted that Mr Hayward, whose family have been the victims of crank phone calls, hate mail and death threats, remains the company’s chief executive.

But his departure is inevitable, and will be the second headline-grabbing exit of a BP chief executive in just three years. In 2007, his predecessor Lord Browne dramatically resigned after admitting lying on oath to a High Court judge. >>> Becky Barrow and Daniel Bates | Monday, July 26, 2010

Sarkozy Confirms French Aid Worker Killed by Al-Qaida
THE GUARDIAN: French president condemns death of Michel Germaneau as 'a barbarous act', promising it will not go unpunished

A 78-year old French aid worker held hostage by al-Qaida's north African branch was killed by his captors at the weekend, president Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed today.

Retired engineer Michel Germaneau was "murdered in cold blood", the French leader said in a televised statement in which he warned "the crime committed will not go unpunished".

"I condemn this barbarous act, this odious act, which has just left an innocent victim," Sarkozy said of Germaneau's killing. "Far from weakening our determination, his death must reinforce it." >>> Kim Willsher in Paris | Monday, July 26, 2010

Iran Stoning Case Lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei's Relatives Arrested
THE GUARDIAN: The lawyer defending Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani himself faces re-arrest as his wife and brother-in-law are held by Iran authorities

Authorities in Iran have issued an arrest warrant for an acclaimed Iranian lawyer and arrested his wife and brother-in-law over his involvement in the case of a woman sentenced to death by stoning.

Lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei's office in Tehran was ransacked, and he was interrogated in Evin prison for four hours on Saturday over his human rights activities and involvement in the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the 43-year-old mother of two who was convicted of adultery and whose plight in Iran has drawn international attention since her children launched a campaign for her release almost a month ago.

Mostafaei called Sakineh's stoning sentence "a bogus conviction" and "absolutely illegal" in an interview with the Guardian earlier this month.

He was released, then called back for further questioning before being set free. Authorities then issued an arrest warrant.

When they were unable to find him the authorities arrested his wife, Fereshteh Halimi and her brother Farhad Halimi to try to force him to surrender. However, it is still unclear whether Mostafaei has been arrested or he has managed to evade officials. >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Monday, July 26, 2010

Related >>>

Britons to Be Spied On by Foreign Police
THE TELEGRAPH: Britons face being spied on and pursued by foreign police officers even for the most minor offences in an European agreement the Home Office will sign up to tomorrow.

The power allows prosecutors from any EU country to demand details such as DNA or even bank and phone records on anyone they suspect of a crime.

Officers in the UK would be almost powerless to refuse the request even if they believed it was disproportionate to the alleged offence being investigated.

They could also be told to carry out investigations and live surveillance for their EU counterparts, despite already stretched resources.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, will today announce she plans to sign up to the so-called European Investigation Order (EIO), The Daily Telegraph understands.

It comes despite concerns by fair trial campaigners and has angered backbench Tories.

It raises the prospect of personal details of individuals being passed on without their knowledge in the most minor of cases, such as leaving a restaurant without paying. >>> Tom Whitehead and Andrew Porter | Monday, July 26, 2010

JD Hayworth's Republican Challenge to John McCain Grows as Anti-immigrant Anger Spills onto Arizona's Streets
THE GUARDIAN: State's tough new rules capture mood of growing fury – and are starting to set a national trend

Protesters in favour of the anti-immigrant law, which faced a legal challenge, in Phoenix, Arizona. Photograph: The Guardian
JD Hayworth, a barnstorming Arizona Republican who is campaigning for the Senate, has strong opinions about his state's new law on illegal immigration.

The law, known as SB1070 and due to come into effect this week, requires police to arrest suspected illegal immigrants and makes it a crime not to have valid immigration papers on your person. It has prompted Hispanics to fear racial profiling, immigrants to flee the state in droves, activists to organise consumer boycotts and the Obama administration to sue in federal court.

Hayworth has an objection, too. He thinks the law is not enough. Speaking to an overwhelmingly white crowd at a "town hall" meeting in suburban Mesa last week, Hayworth said it was time to stop automatically granting citizenship to anyone born in Arizona. "There is a whole new term: birth tourism. In the jet age there are people who time their gestation period so they give birth on American soil," he declared. State senator Russell Pearce, who helped come up with SB1070, is now pushing for a law along those lines.

By any standards this is extreme stuff. Yet Hayworth, far from being out on the edge of Arizona politics, is a politician on the rise. He is challenging Senator John McCain in a right-wing rebellion that could turf the Republicans' most recent presidential candidate out of the Senate seat he has held since 1986. That this even seems possible shows just how powerful the fear over illegal immigration has become in Arizona. >>> Paul Harris, The Observer | Sunday, July 25, 2010

Islamic Infiltration

Islamic Infiltration - Part 2 from Morgan Wright on Vimeo.

HT: Always On Watch >>>

Marc Mezvinsky and Chelsea Clinton Wedding


MAHALO: Marc Mezvinsky >>>

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Chelsea Clinton's wedding: ready for her big moment and more: As Chelsea Clinton prepares for her wedding, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt that she is also being groomed for a role with the Clinton Foundation >>> Philip Sherwell in New York | Sunday, July 25, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton 'nervous' over daughter Chelsea's wedding: Hillary Rodham Clinton, the US secretary of state, has said that her daughter Chelsea's approaching wedding is turning her and her husband into nervous wrecks. >>> | Monday, July 19, 2010

Burka Ban Tory MP Could Face Legal Action
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: The MP who is refusing to hold meetings with Muslim women wearing full Islamic dress faces legal action.

In an interview with The Independent this month, Philip Hollobone said he would ask a woman wearing the niqab at his constituency surgery to lift her face veil. If she refused, he would end the interview, although he would take up her case if she later wrote a letter to him.

The human rights group Liberty has written to the Kettering MP warning that his decision would breach the 2006 Equality Act. It told him: “As an MP providing a service? [sic] the obligation under the Equality Act not to discriminate applies to you.” The group “will be happy to represent any of your constituents that you refuse to meet because they are veiled”. >>> Andrew Grice, Political Editor | Sunday, July 25, 2010

New Dutch Coalition Talks with Anti-Islam Party
EXPATICA: The party of Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders on Saturday reemerged as a possible government coalition partner.

The Christian Democrats agreed to exploratory talks with Wilders' PVV and the centre-right VVD.

Following June 9 elections won by the VVD, the Christian Democratic Action refused coalition talks involving Wilders' far-right Party for Freedom, but a party conference decided Saturday to take part in a new round of talks.

CDA leader Maxime Verhagen said the CDA would set no conditions for the discussions. But if this were to lead to real coalition negotiations, "there will be conditions", he said on national television.

These would involve "how we relate to each other as a society, the principles of the constitutional state, basic human rights that each individual should enjoy in the Netherlands.

"The CDA will not be part of a government that may put these issues up for discussion."

Wilders, who calls Islam fascist and campaigns for the banning of the Koran and the burqa, described CDA's move as a "good decision," according to news agency ANP.

On Tuesday, two weeks of coalition talks between the VVD, the labour PvdA, the centrist D66 and green GroenLinks broke down on issues of financial policy. >>> AFP | Saturday, July 24, 2010

Gaddaffi investiert in italienisches Bergdorf
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Die 2800 Seelen-Gemeinde Antrodoco im Apennin gefällt Lybiens Machthaber Muammar Gaddafi so gut, dass er dort mehrere Tourismusprojekte realisieren will. Zur grossen Freude der Dorfbevölkerung.

Neo-Nazis in Israel

François-Marie Banier, le meilleur ennemi de Françoise Meyers. Photo : leJDD.fr
Les secrets d'une déchirure
leJDD.fr: C'est une des familles les plus riches de France. C’était la plus discrète. Une vie rangée, derrière les hauts murs de propriétés splendides à l’abri des regards. Pas de vie tapageuse. Cet édifice a volé en éclats quinze jours après la mort d’André Bettencourt, en novembre 2007. Pour quelles raisons ? Le milliard d’euros de François-Marie Banier n’explique pas tout.

Le trio François- Marie, Liliane et André…

C’est un secret d’initiés que tous ceux qui ont approché les Bettencourt semblent partager. François-Marie Banier était aussi très proche d’André Bettencourt. Intime. "Ce n’est pas tout à fait exact", corrige-t-on dans l’entourage du photographe. "Liliane Bettencourt formait un très beau couple avec son mari, nuance un de leurs proches. Mais ils étaient libres tous les deux." Des personnages de roman, ce couple-là. Liliane Bettencourt, grande et magnifique femme, immensément riche. Et lui, André, un dandy élégant, raffiné. "Deux gentlemen", résume un avocat. >>> L.V. - Le Journal du Dimanche | Dimanche 25 Juillet 2010

LIBÉRATION: «Banier s’est mué en Raspoutine» : Françoise Meyers-Bettencourt, dans son audition mardi, a décrit l’emprise exercée sur sa mère. >>> Par Karl Laske | Samedi 24 Juillet 2010

Liens en relations avec l’article ici et ici

BP Chief Tony Hayward 'Negotiating Exit Deal'
BBC: BP's chief executive Tony Hayward has been negotiating the terms of his exit, with a formal announcement likely within 24 hours, the BBC has learnt.

Mr Hayward has been widely criticised over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BBC business editor Robert Peston said it was likely he would be replaced by his US colleague Bob Dudley, now in charge of the clean-up operation.

BP said Mr Hayward "remains our chief executive and has the full support of the board and senior management".

Our correspondent added that while BP had been preparing for a change at the top for some time, the company was waiting until progress had been made on stemming the leak and until it was possible to quantify the financial costs of the disaster.

BP is due to release its results for the second quarter on Tuesday.

It is expected to reveal a provision of up to $30bn (£19bn) for the costs of capping the well, compensation claims and fines to be paid, resulting in a massive quarterly loss.

BP's board is scheduled to meet on Monday ahead of the results.

Mr Hayward has been with the company for 28 years. >>> | Sunday, July 25, 2010

Greece to Restore Classical 'Treasures'
BBC: Despite facing a financial crisis the Greek government is pledging to make funds available to improve the country's architectural treasures.

Among the projects are a restored temple on the Acropolis rock and a new museum to honour the philosopher Plato.

Malcolm Brabant reports. Watch BBC video >>> | Saturday, July 24, 2010

Clegg on David Davis' Brokeback Comments


Related >>>

British Girls Undergo Horror of Genital Mutilation Despite Tough Laws
THE OBSERVER: Female circumcision will be inflicted on up to 2,000 British schoolgirls during the summer holidays – leaving brutal physical and emotional scars. Yet there have been no prosecutions against the practice

Like any 12-year-old, Jamelia was excited at the prospect of a plane journey and a long summer holiday in the sun. An avid reader, she had filled her suitcases with books and was reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when her mother came for her. "She said, 'You know it's going to be today?' I didn't know exactly what it would entail but I knew something was going to be cut. I was made to believe it was genuinely part of our religion."

She went on: "I came to the living room and there were loads of women. I later found out it was to hold me down, they bring lots of women to hold the girl down. I thought I was going to be brave so I didn't really need that. I just lay down and I remember looking at the ceiling and staring at the fan.

"I don't remember screaming, I remember the ridiculous amount of pain, I remember the blood everywhere, one of the maids, I actually saw her pick up the bit of flesh that they cut away 'cause she was mopping up the blood. There was blood everywhere."

Some 500 to 2,000 British schoolgirls will be genitally mutilated over the summer holidays. Some will be taken abroad, others will be "cut" or circumcised and sewn closed here in the UK by women already living here or who are flown in and brought to "cutting parties" for a few girls at a time in a cost-saving exercise.

Then the girls will return to their schools and try to get on with their lives, scarred mentally and physically by female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that serves as a social and cultural bonding exercise and, among those who are stitched up, to ensure that chastity can be proved to a future husband. >>> Tracy McVeigh and Tara Sutton | Sunday, July 25, 2010

Watch video*: Survivors talk about the traumatic effect female genital mutilation has on their lives >>>

*WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS DISTRESSING AND DISTURBING IMAGES

Special Report: The Libya Investment Firm and the Release of the Lockerbie Bomber
THE TELEGRAPH: Americans are questioning why a company was set up in London a week after news broke that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, may be released.

Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in Tripoli. Photo: The Telegraph
The terraced house just around the corner from the American embassy in London looks like most in the affluent street. Tall and elegant, only the shiny brass plaque gives a clue to what lies beyond the black front door.

The name reads Dalia Advisory Limited, a company established by Libyan businessmen just a week after the country's officials were told the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was being considered for release on compassionate grounds.

Dalia Advisory is in fact a "front" for the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), a sovereign wealth fund with £80 billion, to invest in Britain and beyond. The Georgian town house, bought for £6 million, is, ironically, only a few yards from the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

Senior business sources have told The Sunday Telegraph that had Megrahi died in a British jail, the LIA would have taken its vast sums elsewhere. "If Megrahi had perished in Scotland, we would have become a pariah state as far as the Libyans were concerned," said one source.

Oliver Miles, a former ambassador to Libya and now deputy chairman of the Libyan British Business Council, said: "At the time of his release everyone knew that if he died in a Scottish jail, it would be bad for our relations."

But some 1,500 miles from the LIA's Mayfair headquarters, Megrahi, 58, is clinging defiantly to life despite his terminal cancer – much to the embarrassment of the authorities in Britain.

The former Libyan intelligence officer is living at government expense in a prosperous Tripoli suburb in a two-storey villa surrounded by gardens, where he is looked after by his wife, their five children and a team of medics.

He enjoys superstar status, repeatedly feted as a "much-loved" hero of the Libyan people. According to Megrahi's family, he has received up to 30,000 house guests – a white tent was erected in the garden for visitors – while newborn babies across Libya have been named after him. Gaddafi family members have also made several private visits, friends say.

But he is said to be lower in spirits than when he first arrived home, and does not leave the house – spending much of his time propped up in bed, sedated for the pain.

Prof Karol Sikora, one of the doctors who suggested Megrahi had just three months to live, insists that there is no miraculous recovery. "I am well-informed he is dying; he is just not dying as fast as we predicted," he said. Scottish authorities insist that the study by Prof Sikora and two other doctors, which was paid for by Libya, had not been considered and was not a contributory factor to Megrahi's release.

However long Megrahi now survives, the fact is business between Britain and Libya is currently booming. British exports to Libya are now double what they were a year ago while imports from Libya have risen three fold. In the first two months of this year alone, the UK exported £110 million of goods and services. >>> Robert Mendick, Philip Sherwell in New York and Andrew Alderson | Saturday, July 24, 2010

NZZ am SONNTAG: BP und der kranke Attentäter: Laut Libyen befindet sich Lockerbie-Attentäter im Sterben – Die Ölfirma BP hat sich vor fast einem Jahr für die Begnadigung des todkranken Terroristen al-Megrahi eingesetzt. Nach den Prognosen müsste der Libyer heute längst tot sein. >>> Kristina Bergmann, Kairo | Sonntag, 25. Juli 2010

Yu Pengnian, China’s biggest philanthropist, sits in the restaurant atop the hotel he built, where he lives and eats most of his meals. Photograph: The Globe and Mail
Chinese Philanthropist Donates It All
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Eccentric developer from humble roots shocks nation by leaving offspring nothing

Yu Pengnian’s journey from poor street hawker to Hong Kong real-estate magnate was already a remarkable one. Then the 88-year-old did something even rarer that shocked many in increasingly materialistic China: He gave it all away.

Saying he hoped to set an example for other wealthy Chinese, Mr. Yu called a press conference in April to announce he was donating his last 3.2 billion yuan (about $500-million) to a foundation he established five years earlier to aid his pet causes – student scholarships, reconstruction after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and paying for operations for those like him who suffer from cataracts.

“This will be my last donation,” he announced. “I have nothing more to give away.” >>> Mark MacKinnon, Shenzhen, China | Friday, July 23, 2010

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: China’s richest and most generous >>> | Saturday, July 24, 2010

L'Oréal-Erbin Bettencourt wird vernommen
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Paris - In der bis in Frankreichs Staatsspitze reichenden «L'Oréal-Affäre» soll jetzt die reichste Frau Europas, Liliane Bettencourt, verhört werden.

Die 87-jährige L'Oréal-Erbin, die im Mittelpunkt des seit Wochen andauernden Spenden- und Steuerskandals steht, wird französischen Medienberichten vom Samstag zufolge nächste Woche vernommen werden. Wie die Wochenzeitung «Paris-Match» auf ihrer Internetseite präzisiert, soll sie in ihrem Stadthaus in dem noblen Pariser Vorort Neuilly-sur-Seine verhört werden. >>> © dpa | Samstag, 24. Juli 2010

Verbundenes hier und hier

Rachel Maddow Interviews Dan Choi


Renvoyé de l'US Army pour avoir révélé qu'il était gay
LE FIGARO: Un jeune officier américain a fait jeudi les frais de la loi «Don't ask don't tell», dont l'abrogation avait franchi une première étape il y a un mois.

Diplômé de la prestigieuse académie de West Point, le lieutenant Dan Choi a servi en Irak comme chef de section en 2006 et 2007. Parlant couramment l'arabe et le coréen, ses compétences sont très utiles à l'armée américaine. Pourtant, celle-ci a décidé de s'en passer à l'avenir, en signifiant jeudi à l'officier de 29 ans son renvoi. Sa faute : avoir révélé son homosexualité.

«C'est une nouvelle douloureuse et rageante», a réagi Dan Choi. S'il s'était tu, le jeune homme aurait pu continuer à servir le drapeau américain. Mais au printemps 2009, alors qu'il vit une histoire d'amour depuis plus d'un an, il décide de ne plus se cacher et révèle son homosexualité à la télévision. Immédiatement, l'armée lui signifie qu'il tombe sous le coup de la loi «Don't ask don't tell» (littéralement «Pas de questions, pas d'aveux»).

Votée sous l'administration Clinton en 1993, cette législation constituait à l'époque un compromis dans la discrimination des homosexuels, qui pouvaient ainsi rejoindre l'armée mais à la condition expresse de cacher leur orientation sexuelle. L'institution militaire jugeait en effet qu'un tel affichage serait dangereux pour la cohésion de ses troupes. Du fait de cette loi, 13.000 militaires ont déjà dû quitter l'armée. >>> Par Thomas Vampouille | Vendredi 23 Juillet 2010

Maddow Talks Pentagon

North Korea Threatens 'Nuclear War' Over Troop Exercises
THE GUARDIAN: Pyongyang ramps up the tension over this weekend's joint US-South Korean wargames in the Sea of Japan

South Koreans take a look at the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington at Busan. the ship is about to take part in large-scale military exercises in the Sea of Japan Photograph: The Guardian
North Korea has threatened to use its "nuclear deterrent" in response to planned military exercises by the US and South Korea this weekend.

The regime promised a "retaliatory sacred war" amid increased tensions on the Korean peninsula over the March sinking of a South Korean navy vessel, which Seoul and Washington blame on Pyongyang.

North Korea's National Defence Commission (NDC), headed by leader Kim Jong-il, issued the threat today for what it called a second "unpardonable" provocation for again being blamed for the incident in which 46 sailors died.

"The army and people of the [North] will legitimately counter with their powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises," the commission said in a statement run on the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Pyongyang routinely threatens war when its southern neighbour and the US hold joint military exercises. South Korea's defence ministry said no unusual North Korean military movements were detected. >>> David Batty and Justin McCurry | Saturday, July 24, 2010

America’s First Muslim President: “Islam As We Know Is Part Of America” – B. Hussein Obama At Ramadan Dinner (2009)


Does anyone else find B. Hussein Obama’s way of speaking irritating? I certainly do. The sharp ‘s’s’, the lecturing tone, the pointed finger, the staccato voice, the dogmatism, the self-satisfaction. It’s all a turn off! I have the desire to switch off each and every time he starts lecturing us. – © Mark

Catastrophe: How Shariah Law Has Taken Over The West

Shariah Islamic Law in America and Europe: What the West Needs To Know

Frank Gaffney: Stop the Trojan Horse Mosque

No Mosque at Ground Zero

Frank Gaffney, Brigitte Gabriel & Cliff May: Border Security Is a National Security Issue

Elena Kagan: Will She Tolerate Shariah?

Israel Risks Alienating Jewish Diaspora Over Definition of a Jew
THE TELEGRAPH: Israel has been warned it risks alienating the Jewish diaspora with controversial proposals to redefine who has the right to be called a Jew.

The row has left Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as an unwilling arbitrator in a stand-off of potentially historic proportions between American Jewish leaders and senior figures in his own coalition.

There are growing fears that the dispute could lead to a major schism in world Jewry and the prime minister is facing a choice between further isolating his country or the possible collapse of his government. Mr Netanyahu said this week that the proposed law could “tear apart the Jewish people”. He has received tens of thousands of emails of protest from American Jews, who have been urged to contact him by their rabbis.

At the heart of the controversy is the age-old question of identity and the growing influence of ultra-orthodox rabbis in Israel, whose views on the subject are often seen as doctrinaire by Jews outside the country.

Matters came to a head earlier this month when a committee in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, narrowly approved legislation that could result in many foreign Jews being denied the right to settle in Israel. The so-called “conversion bill”, which still has to be passed by a full session of the Knesset before it becomes law, has caused fury in the United States.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a million Russian-speaking immigrants have moved to Israel. But, because they either had only a Jewish father or married into the faith, almost 350,000 of them are not recognised as Jews in their adopted homeland. That includes 90,000 who were born in Israel.

According to Orthodox doctrine, only those whose mothers are Jewish can be officially classed as Jews. >>> Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem | Friday, July 23, 2010

Kirche und Homosexualität - Ein zwiespältiges
Verhältnis

Tender Moments, Bush-style! A US-Canadian Love-in!

Check it out here

Tender moments, cowboy-style! A scene from 'Brokeback Mountain'. Photograph: Google Images
David Davis Accused of Lampooning Tory-Lib Dem Alliance as 'Brokeback Coalition'
THE TELEGRAPH: David Davis, the leading Conservative MP, has been accused of lampooning the Tory-Lib Dem alliance and describing it as the "Brokeback Coalition".

In reportedly extended criticism, he also referred to David Cameron's flagship Big Society policy as “Blairite dressing”.

Mr Davis' alleged comments suggest deep frustration at the way Conservative MPs have been forced to accept the deal with Nick Clegg’s party.

Mr Davis is reported to have said: “The corollary of the big society is the smaller state. If you talk about the small state, people think you’re Attila the Hun. If you talk about the big society, people think you’re Mother Teresa.”

The former shadow home secretary was allegedly overheard making the comments in a City of London pub during a private lunch with businessmen.

The leading right wing MP - who stood against Mr Cameron in the 2005 leadership campaign - also allegedly said the Prime Minister was more concerned with appeasing Lib Dems rather than appealing to MPs in his own party.

The Financial Times reported that three of its journalists heard Mr Davis attack the Coalition.

He was alleged to have approvingly repeated a remark attributed to a senior Conservative, which talked of the David Cameron-Nick Clegg partnership as the “Brokeback coalition” – a reference to the Oscar-winning film about two homosexual cowboys. Continue reading and comment >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Friday, July 23, 2010

Palestinian Tycoons with Libya Links Behind Tory Donations
THE TELEGRAPH: The Conservative Party has received a six-figure donation from a company owned by Palestinian millionaires who were developing Libya’s vast offshore oilfields, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Palestinian billionaires Said Khoury (left) and Hasib Sabbagh. Photograph: The Telegraph
The business figures, who were well-known in the Middle East, built the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and reportedly had close links with the Palestine Liberation Organisation. They previously hired senior Labour figures as “consultants” but began donating money to the Conservatives shortly before the election.

The money was donated by a small British firm owned by one of their Middle Eastern holding companies.

During his first official visit to America this week, David Cameron was under intense pressure over BP’s oil contracts in Libya and the possible link to the release of the Lockerbie bomber. The Prime Minister has refused to criticise the oil giant – or call for a suspension of its drilling in Libya – to the irritation of some senior American politicians.

Next week, the US Senate will hold a hearing on whether the British Government and BP were involved in a decision to release Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi eight years into a life sentence. Jack Straw, the former justice secretary, has been asked to travel to Washington to give evidence.

The disclosure that the Conservatives received more than £100,000 from CC Property Company is likely to lead to further criticism of Mr Cameron and government links to Libya. >>> Holly Watt | Saturday, July 24, 2010

So Cameron’s government is beginning to stink too, is it? Everywhere you look, Middle Eastern money is steering the ship. Little wonder that Islam is becoming such a strong force in British politics, little wonder Cameron is unwilling to criticise BP, little wonder that he has no appetite for calling for a suspension in drilling in LIbya, and little wonder that the Conservative administration wants nothing to do with a ban on the Islamic veil. It would upset their paymasters, I suppose. Oh boy! It’s politics as usual in Westminster. Nothing much has changed. – © Mark

Catholic Priests 'Filmed at Gay Clubs and Having Casual Sex'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Catholic Church in Italy was embroiled in a fresh scandal on Friday when photographs apparently showing homosexual priests attending gay nightclubs and engaging in casual sex were published in a magazine.

Panorama magazine published photographs apparently showing homosexual priests attending gay nightclubs and engaging in casual sex. Photo: The Telegraph
A journalist from Panorama, a conservative weekly news magazine owned by Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, used a hidden camera to film interviews with three gay priests, who introduced the journalist to the gay clubs they apparently frequent, and allowed the journalist to film their sexual encounters with strangers, including one in a church building.

One of the priests, a Frenchman identified only as Paul, celebrated Mass in the morning before driving the two escorts he had hired to attend a party the night before to the airport, Panorama said.

The Catholic Church in Italy, still reeling from the paedophile priest scandal, responded on Friday by ordering homosexual priests who are leading a double life to come out of the closet and leave the priesthood. >>> Nick Pisa in Rome | Friday, July 23, 2010

PANORAMA.it: Le notti brave dei preti gay: una grande inchiesta in edicola con Panorama >>> Redazione | Giovedì 22 Luglio 2010

NZZ am SONNTAG: Schwule Priester feiern in Rom erotische Feste >>> Patricia Arnold, Mailand | Sonntag, 25. Juli 2010

Pat Condell: No Mosque at Ground Zero

Pat Condell: The Enemy Within

Spanish Mayor Closes 'Too Popular' Mosque
THE TELEGRAPH: A Spanish mayor has told Muslim worshippers to "pray at home" and closed the town's mosque because it was too popular.

Photo: The Telegraph
Angel Ros, the socialist mayor of Lleida, in the northeastern region of Catalonia, complained that the mosque was too full and closed it on Wednesday until further notice.

The building, a former garage used to service trucks, was often filled with crowds exceeding a thousand people, the council said, when the authorised limit for the venue is 240.

A new mosque is under construction on the outskirts of the town but work had been stalled because of a lack of financing during the economic crisis. >>> Fiona Govan in Madrid | Friday, July 23, 2010

Boney M Asked Not to Sing Rivers of Babylon at West Bank Concert
THE TELEGRAPH: The lead singer of the 1970s disco group Boney M was asked not to sing Rivers of Babylon at a concert in the West Bank because of its reference to Israel. >>> | Thursday, July 22, 2010

Three Things About Islam

Nordkorea droht USA mit Konsequenzen: Physische Antwort auf geplantes Militärmanöver mit Südkorea angedroht
NZZ ONLINE: Ein nordkoreanischer Regierungsvertreter hat mit physischen Konsequenzen auf das geplante Militärmanöver der USA und Südkorea gedroht. US-Aussenministerin Clinton wirft Pjöngjang Provokation vor und erhöhte durch Androhung von Sanktionen den Druck auf Nordkorea.

«Es wird eine physische Antwort auf die von den amerikanischen Streitkräften eingesetzte Drohung geben», sagte ein nordkoreanischer Regierungsvertreter auf einer Sicherheitskonferenz in Vietnam. Die amerikanische Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton warf Nordkorea erneut vor, Ende März ein südkoreanisches Kriegsschiff versenkt zu haben. Pjöngjang müsse sein «provokatives, gefährliches Verhalten» ändern. Erst dann könne es eine friedliche Lösung geben, so Clinton. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> ddp | Freitag, 23. Juli 2010

Künstler, Lebemann und Frauenliebling: Wer ist François-Marie Banier?
NZZ ONLINE: In der sogenannten Affäre Bettencourt taucht ein Name immer wieder auf: François-Marie Banier. Er soll von der L’Oréal-Erbin Liliane Bettencourt im Laufe der Jahre Geschenke und Geld im Wert von rund einer Milliarde Euro erhalten haben. Wer ist dieser Mann?

Ein vom Leben gezeichnetes Gesicht, schütteres Haar und ein intensiver Blick: So sieht heute der Mann aus, der indirekt die Affäre Bettencourt ausgelöst hat. François-Marie Banier hat sich in Frankreich einen Namen als Photograph und Schriftsteller, aber auch als Lebemann und Profiteur gemacht. Seine Fotobücher werden auch in Deutschland und den USA verlegt.

Auf seiner Website führt er auf, was er in seinem Leben geschaffen hat. Die Liste ist beeindruckend. Er sei, so schreiben mehrere Zeitgenossen über ihn, ein Besessener, ein Arbeitstier sowie ein Meister der Selbstinszenierung. In vierzig Jahren hat er offenbar ein beachtliches Vermögen angehäuft, welches ihm etwa erlaubt, Kunstwerke und seltene Fotografien an Auktionen zu erstehen. Er lebt wie ein Grand-Seigneur in einem Stadtpalais mit mehreren Angestellten. Doch angefangen hat er mit nichts. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> Isabelle Imhof | Freitag, 23. Juli 2010

Verbunden >>>

Muslim Women 'Refused Bus Ride' Over Veil
YNET NEWS: Two students claim London bus driver told them, ''I am not going to take you on the bus because you two are a threat'

London bus company Metroline said on Friday it was investigating claims by two Muslim women that they were not allowed to get on a bus in the capital because one of them was wearing a face veil.

The company confirmed an incident involving two 22-year-old students from Slough, Berkshire took place on a No. 7 bus at Russell Square on Tuesday.

The firm said the women had made a complaint to Transport for London (TfL) and that Metroline was following it up, but stressed it was still merely an allegation at this stage.

Interviewed by the BBC, Yasmin, who was wearing a hijab, which leaves the face and hands uncovered, and Atoofa, dressed in a niqab which covers the face but leaves the area around the eyes open, said they were stopped from boarding because of their appearance.

"He (the bus driver) said, 'I am not going to take you on the bus because you two are a threat,'" Yasmin said. >>> Reuters | Friday, July 23, 2010

YNET NEWS: Poll: Most Brits back face veil ban – Two-thirds of British public say they want to follow in France, Belgium's footsteps, outlaw burqas‬ >>> Ynet | Friday, July 16, 2010

Facebook Forced to Apologise to Sarah Palin [After] It Deletes Note She Posted Slamming Plans for Ground Zero Mosque
MAIL ONLINE: Social networking site Facebook has apologised after a post by U.S. Republican politician Sarah Palin was deleted.

Facebook admitted that the 'note' by Palin - voicing her opposition to the building of a mosque near the World Trade Center site in New York - had been deleted by an automated system.

Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in the statement: 'The note in question did not violate our content standards but was removed by an automated system. We're always working to improve our processes and we apologise for any inconvenience this caused.'

After the original post was deleted, Mrs Palin re-posted the note Thursday morning.
The 46-year-old former Alaskan governor's stance against the mosque became an international farce last week when she used a made-up word 'refudiate' to voice her opposition.

The media picked up on her apparent ignorance of the English language, likening her to gaffe-prone former president and fellow Republican George Bush.

But it was the sentiments of her message that has now drawn the greatest criticism.

Mrs Palin wrote on Twitter: 'Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate.'

Her comments were attacked by Republican-turned-independent New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has called efforts to derail the mosque un-American.

He said: 'Sarah Palin has a right to her opinions, but I could not disagree more. Everything the United States stands for, New York stands for, is tolerance and openness.'

Mrs Palin hit back - this time from her Facebook page - saying her opposition to the mosque had nothing to do with tolerance, adding: 'It's just common decency.' Continue reading and comment >>> Mail Foreign Service | Friday, July 23, 2010

Bloomberg thinks that America stands for “tolerance and openness”; but tolerance and openness to people who want to destroy you? Please! That’s taking tolerance and openness to ridiculous limits. In my opinion, Bloomberg can be described in one way only: As a traiterous fool! – © Mark

Carl Paladino: I'd Use Eminent Domain To Block Ground Zero Mosque
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: If elected governor, WNY's Carl Paladino vows in a new radio ad that he'd use the eminent domain laws to stop the construction of a controversial Islamic center/mosque near Ground Zero.

(I'm not sure he could actually do that, by the way, but I'm looking into it.)

Paladino says sure he can, and instead of a mosque, the site should be a war memorial.

"I've been driving land-use issues for 40 years, and I understand the full powers of the governor. If the ACLU or anyone else wants to challenge me in court, I'm ready for the fight," he said in a campaign statement.

"Andrew Cuomo supports the mosque. He says it is about religious freedom and he says the mosque construction should proceed. I say it is disrespectful to the thousands who died on 9-11 and their families, insulting to the thousands of troops who've been killed or injured in the ensuing wars and an affront to American people. And it must be stopped."

>>> Celeste Katz | Thursday, July 22, 2010

"South Park" Critic in Va. Court on Terror Charge
SALON: Arrested man, linked to al-Qaida, threatened show's creators for mocking the Prophet Muhammed

A Virginia man known for a threatening the creators of "South Park" is due in federal court on charges of offering himself as a fighter to a Somali terror group linked to al-Qaida.

Twenty-year-old Zachary Chesser of Oakton, Va., was scheduled to make an initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. (+ audio) >>> Associated Press | Thursday, July 22, 2010

Anger Over Scottish Justice Minister's Lockerbie Inquiry Snub
THE GUARDIAN: Kenny MacAskill, who released Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, will not fly to US for Senate foreign relations committee

Scotland's justice secretary Kenny MacAskill. Photograph: The Guardian
The Scottish justice minister has been accused of "running a mile" from a US inquiry into the release of the Libyan jailed for the Lockerbie bombing.

Labour and Tory leaders said Kenny MacAskill, of the Scottish National Party, had no justification for refusing a "perfectly legitimate" request to give evidence before a powerful US Senate committee on Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's release next week.

The Senate foreign relations committee is to hold hearings next Thursday into allegations, ignited by the Gulf oil spill controversy, that the British oil giant BP influenced a UK government prisoner transfer treaty with Libya to win lucrative contracts there.

The hearing has reignited the controversy over al-Megrahi's compassionate release from Greenock prison last August, partway through his life sentence for planting the bomb which killed 270 mainly American passengers and crew on a Pan Am flight to New York over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.

Al-Megrahi, who still insists he is innocent, had been fighting an appeal against his conviction but dropped it two weeks before his release because he was terminally ill with inoperable prostate cancer and wanted to return home to die.

Richard Baker, Labour justice spokesman at the Scottish parliament, said: "There is a legitimacy for the US senators, they represent so many of the families who lost loved ones on that flight, I think it's a perfectly legitimate request."

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Baker added: "I think it speaks volumes about the lack of confidence [MacAskill] has now in his own decision that he is running a mile from any scrutiny of it." >>> Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent | Friday, July 23, 2010