Historische Messe in der Türkei: Hunderte von Armeniern feiern im Osten des Landes
NZZ ONLINE: Im Osten der Türkei haben Armenier zum ersten Mal seit hundert Jahren in der Inselkirche Akdamar einen Gottesdienst gefeiert. Der türkische Ministerpräsident Erdogan hatte zuvor grünes Licht gegeben.

Hunderte von Armeniern haben am Sonntag in einer Kirche im Osten der Türkei einen historischen Gottesdienst gefeiert. Zum ersten Mal seit fast 100 Jahren wurde in der Inselkirche Akdamar im Van-See in Südostanatolien wieder eine Messe abgehalten.
Via Leinwand

Da in der historischen Kirche aus dem 10. Jahrhundert nur wenige Platz fanden, mussten die meisten Besucher die Messe auf einer Leinwand verfolgen. Der türkische Ministerpräsident Erdogan hatte die Feier erlaubt, um den Bemühungen zu einer Normalisierung des Verhältnisses zum Nachbarstaat Armenien einen neuen Impuls zu geben. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> sda/afp | Sonntag, 19. September 2010

Au moins 29 tués et 100 blessés dans un double attentat à Bagdad
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: IRAK | Deux attentats à la voiture piégée quasi simultanés ont frappé le nord et l'ouest de Bagdad dimanche matin, a indiqué une source au sein du ministère de l'Intérieur.

Au moins 29 personnes ont été tuées et plus de 100 autres blessées dans deux attentats à la voiture piégée quasi simultanés qui ont frappé Bagdad dimanche matin. Ces attentats constituent les attaques les plus meurtrières depuis le début du mois de septembre.

Les explosions, qui ont secoué les quartiers d'Aden (nord) et Mansour (ouest) de la capitale, ont retenti vers 10h10 (09h10 en Espagne), selon des journalistes de l'AFP sur place.

Au moins 29 personnes et 111 ont été blessées, selon un bilan fourni par une source au sein du ministère de l'Intérieur.

L'attaque la plus sanglante a eu lieu dans le quartier d'Aden (nord) et a fait 19 tués et 53 blessés, selon cette source.

Dans le quartier résidentiel de Mansour, dans l'ouest de la capitale, une autre voiture piégée a explosé, faisant 10 tués et 58 blessés, a également précisé cette source. Le chaos régnait sur les lieux des déflagrations. >>> ATS | Dimanche 18 Septembre 2010

Pope Visit: Benedict Pays Tribute to Britain’s Sacrifices in Fighting Nazis
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain’s “courageous resistance” to the “evil ideology” of Nazism was honoured by the Pope as he spoke to a crowd of more than 50,000 in Birmingham.



Benedict XVI said it was “deeply moving” to recall the sacrifices made by Britons during the Second World War and paid particular tribute to nearby Coventry, which was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain 70 years ago.

Speaking at the Beatification Mass for Cardinal John Henry Newman in Cofton Park, near where the Victorian theologian was buried, the Pope said the destruction of the conflict should be remembered with “shame and horror”.

His words were particularly significant given controversy over his own wartime record. As a 14 year-old growing up in Germany, the then Joseph Ratzinger was drafted into the Hitler Youth and later enlisted in the anti-aircraft corps. >>> Martin Beckford | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Six Freed Over Pope 'Plot'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Six men quizzed by counter-terrorism police probing a plot to attack the Pope were all released without charge, Scotland Yard said today.

The men, all believed to be of North African origin, were arrested on Friday in London.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ''Six men who were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Friday, 17 September, were all released without charge late on Saturday night (September 18) and early this morning (Sunday September 19).''

Police searched eight homes in north and east London and two business premises in central London, including a street cleaning depot as part of the investigation.

The Metropolitan Police said the searches of the premises had been completed and had not revealed any weapons or suspicious materials. >>> | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Related >>>

Ban on 'Distracting' Miniskirts at School Is Set to Spread
THE OBSERVER: Parents back heads over controversial ban on miniskirts

Concerns could be addressed by specifying skirts that cannot be customised. Photograph: The Observer
When Mary Quant first raised the nation's hemlines in the 1960s, it was seen as a symbol of women's liberation. Fifty years on and the miniskirt is still causing consternation, and now faces a ban in Britain's schools.

Dozens of schools are considering following the lead of St Aidan's High in Yorkshire and St Alban's in Suffolk, which have banned skirts altogether this term and insisted girls wear trousers. In others, letters have been sent to parents saying that the current fashion for wearing school skirts as short, and as tight, as possible is a real problem in school, and dealing with the issue is a distraction from teaching.

At Kinross High in Perthshire, some parents received a stinging note telling them: "The length of your daughter's skirt is such that she spends a great deal of time pulling it down. It detracts her attention from the learning process."

Last week another Scottish head, Robert Kelly, rector of Berwickshire High in Duns, said short skirts were encouraging "inappropriate thoughts" among boys. Kelly, who had gathered together female pupils for his lecture, referred to a recent anti-rape advert. >>> Tracy McVeigh, social affairs editor | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Nick Clegg Tells Lib Dems: Accept My Cameron Pact
THE GUARDIAN: As party gathers for annual conference, leader says he has been impressed by PM's pragmatism and flexibility

Nick Clegg has appealed to his party to embrace PM and Conservative leader David Cameron, above. Photograph: The Guardian
Nick Clegg tomorrow will launch a heartfelt appeal to Liberal Democrats to finally embrace David Cameron's centre-right party as he predicts that together they can become a "great, great reforming government". In terms that may deepen unease among Lib Dems unhappy with the coalition, Clegg uses an interview with the Observer to heap praise on Cameron as a "big politician" who fully understands how to share power.

As his party gathers in Liverpool for its annual conference, Clegg admits he was completely wrong to call Cameron a "fake" and a "con" during the election campaign and has been impressed by his pragmatism and flexibility. "He hasn't been dogmatic. He hasn't been doctrinaire," he says. "I think this government definitely has the capacity to be a great, great reforming government."

The Lib Dem leader's central message is that the coalition can only work if his own party accepts it is a full and willing participant that jointly "owns the government". The alternative, he says, is to operate in an atmosphere of "poison" as a competing faction "constantly trying to put little trophies on the mantelpiece to show we are winning victories".

He adds: "In fact the truth is much more radical than that. All the big decisions are jointly taken by David Cameron and myself … that is why I didn't want to have a department, why I am a hop and a skip from his office." >>> Toby Helm | Saturday, September 18, 2010

The Inside Story of Pope Benedict XVI's Visit
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Only a handful of journalists flew with the Pope to Britain and travelled around the country with his touring party. Jonathan Wynne Jones, The Sunday Telegraph's Religious Affairs Correspondent, was one of them

Pope Benedict XVI greets journalists on board Shepherd One, his private plane. Photo: The Sunday Telegraph
There was a great sense of anticipation on board Shepherd One, the Pope's private plane, as the grey curtain dividing us from the papal entourage was pulled back.

His aides moved to the side to reveal the 83-year-old pontiff shuffling up the aisle, using the seats for balance, to meet the small group of Press given permission to join him on the flight from Rome to the UK.

Standing only a few feet from me, the spiritual leader of more than one billion Catholics cut a fragile and weary figure.

Dressed all in white, except for his red shoes that peeped from under his cassock, his eyes blinked often as he waited for our questions.

It is the only point of the papal visit where the Pope addresses journalists directly, but introducing the session, Fr Frederico Lombardi, the Holy See's spokesman, told the pontiff that the questions and answers would all be in Italian "so as not to tire you".

Pope Benedict's voice sounded hoarse and cracking as he replied to my question on his concerns for the trip.

"Above all I wish you a good-day and a pleasant flight to all of us," he said.

"I must admit that I am not worried, because when I went to France, it was said that it was the most anticlerical country, with strong anticlerical opinions and very few believers; when I went to the Czech Republic it was said that it was the most irreligious country in Europe and the most anticlerical also."

It would have been understandable if he was anxious at the reception that awaited him, given that in the run-up to his state visit to Britain – the first in papal history – opposition had been shrill, with atheists threatening to have him arrested and apathy seeming to be the prevailing mood.

But instead he said he was arriving in "good spirits and with joy".

"Naturally Great Britain has had is own history of anti-Catholicism. This is obvious; but it is also a country with a great history of tolerance."

His reply appeared to be going down well with his posse of aides who stood behind him as he spoke, smiling and nodding at almost every other word.

Most prominent were Georg Ganswein [sic], his private secretary who has become known as Gorgeous George for his Hollywood-good looks, and Cardinal Bertone, the Holy See's secretary of state, who comes across as more mafia don than Don Juan with his bovine face and menacing dark eyes.

Pope Benedict then surprised us by choosing to address the clerical abuse scandal, expressing his shock and sadness at the revelations and criticising the Church for failing to act swiftly enough, before adding: "Now we are in a moment of repentance and humility."

After speaking for 15 minutes, the Pope raised his arms to give his papal wave, before returning to his seat with his entourage filing behind him like bridesmaids dutifully following a bride, Fr Ganswein [sic] gently brushing down his cassock as he walked. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Sunday, September 19, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Pope visit: wait for a guest who took time to charm his hosts _ Pontiff shows his dislikes about the modern age include rushing about >>> Andrew Gimson | Saturday, September 18, 2010

My essay on Pope Benedict XVI written in 2006! It has taken the MSM in Great Britain till now to catch on, to realize just how wonderful this pope is! (And I speak not as a Catholic, but as a member of the Anglican communion!

Pope Benedict XVI: Saviour of Western Civilization? >>> Mark Alexander | Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Pope to Call for 'Full Communion' Between Anglicans and Catholics
THE TELEGRAPH: The Pope is to make a dramatic offer to disaffected Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church.

Dr Rowan Williams and Pope Benedict XVI embrace on Friday. Dr Williams has admitted that the papal offer last year put him in 'an awkward position' and it is unlikely that he would welcome Anglicans being encouraged to defect to Rome. Photo: The Telegraph
In a move which the pontiff views as a positive step for Christianity, he will on Sunday make a personal plea for the Churches to come together.

Pope Benedict XVI sees this as the best way to challenge the rise of "aggressive secularism" and heal centuries of division.

He will use the final speech of his historic state visit to urge for a "restoration of full ecclesial communion" between the Churches, which separated nearly 500 years ago.

Addressing the Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland, he will argue that his offer to disaffected Anglicans should not be viewed negatively, but as "a prophetic gesture".

However, the speech could undermine his efforts to build bridges with Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who confronted the Pope over the issue last year.

The plea will come at the end of his four day state visit to England and Scotland which has seen tens of thousands of members of the public attend religious ceremonies and thousands more lining the streets to see him. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Cardinal Newman's Beatification 'Miracle'
BBC: The Pope is to perform the first beatification ceremony ever to take place in the UK, paving the way for the Victorian Cardinal John Henry Newman to become a saint.

Thousands are expected to attend the ceremony in Cofton Park in Birmingham, but some have questioned the validity of the miracle attributed to Cardinal Newman.

Robert Pigott reports. Watch BBC video >>> | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Radical Islam on Rise in Balkans
ASSOCIATED PRESS: SKOPJE, Macedonia — An online music video praising Osama bin Laden has driven home a troubling new reality: A radical brand of Islam embraced by al-Qaida and the Taliban is gaining a foothold in the Balkans.

"Oh Osama, annihilate the American army. Oh Osama, raise the Muslims' honor," a group of Macedonian men sing in Albanian, in video posted on YouTube last year and picked up by Macedonian media this August. "In September 2001 you conquered a power. We all pray for you."

Although most of Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority are Muslims, they have generally been secular. But experts are now seeing an increasing radicalization in pockets of the country's Islamic community, particularly after armed groups from the ethnic Albanian minority, which forms a quarter of the population of 2.1 million, fought a brief war against Macedonian government forces in 2001.

It's a trend seen across the Balkans and has raised concerns that the region, which includes new European Union member Bulgaria, could become a breeding ground for terrorists with easy access to Western Europe. Many fear that radicalized European Muslims with EU passports could slip across borders and blend into society.

At the center of the issue is the Wahhabi sect, an austere brand of Islam most prevalent in Saudi Arabia and practiced by bin Laden and the Taliban. >>> Konstantin Testorides, AP | Saturday, September 18, 2010

SHARIAH Alert! Britain Goes Halal... But No-one Tells the Public: How Famous Institutions Serve Ritually Slaughtered Meat with No Warning
MAIL ONLINE: A Mail on Sunday investigation – which will alarm anyone concerned about animal cruelty – has revealed that schools, hospitals, pubs and famous sporting venues such as Ascot and Twickenham are controversially serving up meat slaughtered in accordance with strict Islamic law to unwitting members of the public.

All the beef, chicken and lamb sold to fans at Wembley has secretly been prepared in accordance with sharia law, while Cheltenham College, which boasts of its ‘strong Christian ethos’, is one of several top public schools which also serves halal chicken to pupils without informing them.

Even Britain’s biggest hotel and restaurant group Whitbread, which owns the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains, among many others, has admitted that more than three-quarters of its poultry is halal.

Animal welfare campaigners have long called for a ban on the traditional Islamic way of preparing meat – which involves killing animals by drawing a knife across their throats, without stunning them first – saying it is cruel and causes unnecessary pain.

Sharia law expressly forbids knocking the animal out with a bolt gun, as is usual in British slaughter­houses. Instead, it must be sentient when its throat is cut, and the blood allowed to drip from the carcass while a religious phrase in praise of Allah is recited.

The extent of halal meat consumption, even in areas of Britain with a very small Muslim population, was revealed as the Pope, on his first visit to Britain, expressed fears that the country was not doing enough to preserve traditional Christian values and customs.

In a strongly worded speech to Parliament, he said: ‘There are those who argue that the public celebration of festivals such as Christmas should be discouraged, in the questionable belief that it might somehow offend those of other religions or none.’

But it is animal rights groups which have been most vociferous in their opposition to halal slaughter. Campaign organisation Viva!, whose supporters include Heather Mills and Joanna Lumley, said in a statement: ‘Other practices which may be undertaken for religious reasons, such as polygamy or the stoning of adulterers, are not permitted in the UK.

‘Religious freedom does not override other moral considerations and the suffering caused by this form of slaughter is so severe that it cannot be allowed to prevent action to be taken. Consumers can do their bit by boycotting places that persist in selling meat from unstunned animals.’ Read on and comment >>> Simon McGee and Martin DelGado | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Papal Visit: The Pope Shows Great Courage
THE TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict's visit offers a lesson for all Christians in Britain.

Pope Benedict XVI wipes his brow during a mass in Westminster Cathedral in central London. Photo: The Telegraph
The Pope’s visit to Britain has demonstrated the abiding strength of Christianity within this nation. Throughout his visit, thousands of people from across the country have come to watch the spiritual leader of the world’s Catholics as he makes the first state visit by a Pontiff to these shores. In his speeches, His Holiness has shown a clarity of thought to shame the woolly utterances of Britain’s politicians, throwing down the gauntlet to our overly secularised society and insisting – as this newspaper has on many occasions – that religion still has a vital role to play within our culture. >>> Telegraph View | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Verstimmung zwischen Berlin und Paris: Merkel weiss nichts von einer angeblichen Schliessung von Roma-Lagern
NZZ ONLINE: Die deutsche Kanzlerin Merkel hat die Darstellung Präsident Sarkozys, wonach Deutschland ebenfalls Roma-Lager zu schliessen gedenkt, zurückgewiesen. Bei den deutschen Roma kennt man keine Lager.

Missverstanden? Merkel und Sarkozy während des EU-Gipfels in Brüssel. Bild: NZZ Online
Ein Sprecher der Regierung in Berlin hat am Freitag Äusserungen des französischen Präsidenten Sarkozy dementiert, wonach auch Deutschland die Räumung von Roma-Lagern plant. Der Sprecher sagte, Bundeskanzlerin Merkel habe weder im Europäischen Rat noch im Gespräch mit Sarkozy über angebliche Roma-Lager in Deutschland, geschweige denn über deren Räumung gesprochen. Sarkozy hatte nach einem Gespräch mit Merkel in Brüssel behauptet, auch Deutschland wolle «seine» Roma-Lager bald auflösen. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> Ulrich Schmid, Berlin | Freitag, 17. September 2010

THE INDEPENDENT: Row with Merkel leaves Sarkozy more isolated than ever: The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rubbished a claim by President Nicolas Sarkozy that she planned to follow France's example and bulldoze Roma camps in Germany.

The humiliating disavowal by France's closest ally left President Sarkozy more isolated than ever in his battle with the European Union over his campaign against Roma migrants from eastern Europe. >>> John Lichfield in Paris | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Kubanischer Newspeak und die harte Realität: Raúl Castro ringt sich zu Reformen durch und gibt sie als Retuschen aus
NZZ ONLINE: Die Machthaber in Havanna maskieren Abstriche am orthodoxen Sozialismus als Perfektionierung des kubanischen Modells. Doch das Wirtschaftsdebakel lässt ihnen keine andere Wahl, als Freiheitsräume in der Arbeitswelt einzuführen.

Ein Kubaner trägt Blumen aus seinem Auto, die er an einem Verkaufsstand auf dem Lebensmittelmarkt «Cuatros Caminos» bei Havanna verkaufen will. Bild: NZZ Online
Und Fidel hatte doch recht, als ihm der Satz entglitt, das kubanische Modell funktioniere nicht einmal mehr in Kuba selbst. Zwar deutete der «Líder máximo» seine gegenüber einem Journalisten geäusserten häretischen Worte, als sie publik geworden waren, zum Scherz um, den seine unbedarften Zuhörer nicht verstanden hätten. Wenige Tage später aber traf Raúl Castro die ersten dezidierten Massnahmen zur Korrektur des bankrotten Systems.

Das Gesicht wahren

Die Einführung von Leistungskriterien im Staatssektor, der Verzicht auf fiktive Vollbeschäftigung und die Entlassung von vorerst einer halben Million Staatsangestellten in eine Privatwirtschaft, welcher ein fruchtbarer Nährboden erst noch bereitet werden muss, sind wahrhaftig keine blossen Retuschen. Es sind tiefe Einschnitte in die Orthodoxie der Kommunistischen Partei Kubas. Weiter lesen und einen Kommentar schreiben >>> Peter Gaupp, San José de Costa Rica | Freitag, 17. September 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Cuba to make 500,000 state employees redundant: Cuba has announced it will make at least half a million state workers redundant and reduce restrictions on private enterprise in the most dramatic step yet to remodel employment on the communist-run island. >>> | Monday, September 13, 2010

Meinung: Wie die Islamisten Deutschland unterwandern
WELT ONLINE: Alice Schwarzer warnt vor dem aggressiven Islam. Sie glaubt, dass die Gefahr für unser Bildungs- und Rechtssystem unterschätzt wird.

Alice Schwarzer warnt vor dem aggressiven politischen Islam – ihm ginge es nicht um Religion, sondern allein um Macht. Bild: Welt Online
Silvester 2007 habe ich in Algier gefeiert. In meiner „algerischen Familie“. Wir haben bis nachts um vier getanzt, nach arabischen wie westlichen Klängen. Wir, das waren auf der algerischen Seite: meine Kollegin Djamila, die fünf Jahre lang bei mir in Köln Zuflucht gesucht hatte, weil sie in ihrer Heimat in Lebensgefahr war. Als unverschleierte Frau und kritische Journalistin stand sie ganz oben auf den Todeslisten der marodierenden Islamisten. Neben ihr rockte ihre gläubige, unverschleierte Schwester Zohra mit Ehemann Zahar, einem Möbelhändler, der in die Moschee geht und gerne Wein trinkt. Dazwischen die Töchter Lili und Mounia, die es in den „Schwarzen Jahren“ gewagt hatten, jeden Tag ohne Kopftuch zur Uni zu gehen, und das so manches Mal nur knapp überlebt haben. Nicht dabei war Djamilas alte Mutter, die das weiße, traditionelle Kopftuch trägt und jedes Jahr nach Mekka pilgert.

Doch am ausdauerndsten tanzte der Sohn des Hauses, Ganoud, tiefgläubig und resolut lebenslustig. Wenn der Mittzwanziger mit uns durch die Stadt und an der Küste entlangstreifte, lautete jeder dritte Satz, mal ernst, mal lachend: „Alice, le prophète a dit ...“ Natürlich habe ich ihn damit aufgezogen. Aber ich habe ihn auch ernst genommen. Und er ist bis heute mein Maßstab: Ganoud, der sauer ist über die „Arroganz und Hegemonie des Westens“. Wenn ich mal wieder die Islamisten angreife, frage ich mich: Was würde Ganoud wohl dazu sagen? Und es würde mich tief beschämen, wenn er eines Tages auch mich in einen Sack mit den „arroganten Westlern“ stecken würde. Ganoud und ich, wir bleiben im Dialog.

Es fehlt an echten Dialogen

In einem echten Dialog. Denn der falsche Dialog und die so lange praktizierte falsche Toleranz haben allen geschadet, nicht nur uns Westlern, sondern allen voran der Mehrheit der nicht fundamentalistischen Menschen im muslimischen Kulturkreis, Gläubigen wie Ganoud und Nichtgläubigen wie Djamila. Diese falsche Toleranz hat den Westen 30 Jahre lang wegsehen lassen: beim Iran, wo die Menschenrechte seit 1979 mit Füßen getreten werden; in Afghanistan, wo die Taliban mit aktiver Unterstützung der USA und Deutschlands die sowjetischen Besatzer verjagten und 1992 die Terrorherrschaft übernahmen; in Tschetschenien, wo nicht nur die russische Soldateska von Übel ist, sondern auch die Islamisten ein Problem sind, die bereits 1996 (!) die Scharia einführten.

In Algerien, wo die sogenannten Afghanen, die aus dem Krieg in Afghanistan zurückgekehrten Söldner, in den 1990er-Jahren einen Bürgerkrieg anzettelten, der über 100000 Menschen das Leben kostete; in Schwarzafrika, wo der von den Gotteskriegern gezündelte Flächenbrand unaufhaltsam um sich greift – und in Europa, wo wir zuließen, dass mitten unter uns Menschen als „die anderen“, als Bürgerinnen zweiter Klasse behandelt werden und der Rechtsstaat relativiert wird. „Die Kulturfalle“ nennt das die Fatwa-verfolgte Khalida Messaoudi-Toumi, als Mathematiklehrerin lange auf der Flucht und heute algerische Kulturministerin. >>> Alice Schwarzer * | Samstag, 18. September 2010

Vorabdruck aus dem am 23.9. erscheinenden Buch von Alice Schwarzer (Hrsg.) „Die große Verschleierung. Für Integration, gegen Islamismus. Ein Emma-Taschenbuch“, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 318 S.

Tabagie: Un fumeur sur trois est Chinois
20 MINUTES: La Chine compte 300 millions de fumeurs, soit un tiers de la population totale de fumeurs dans le monde.

La Chine compte 300 millions de fumeurs, ce qui représente un tiers de la population totale de fumeurs dans le monde, et 500 millions de fumeurs passifs, a déclaré samedi le vice-ministre chinois de la Santé, Yin Li, cité par l'agence Chine nouvelle. >>> afp | Samedi 18 Septembre 2010

Far-Right Party Poised to Take First Seats in Sweden's Parliament
THE TELEGRAPH: With his clean-cut looks, geeky spectacles, and sensible haircut, 31-year-old Jimmie Åkesson looks more like an accountant than a political extremist.

Yet in the past few weeks Mr Åkesson, leader of the far-Right Sweden Democrat party, has blamed immigrants for rape - especially Africans and Arabs.

His party has played crude television advertisements accusing burqa-clad Muslim women of taking benefits from white Swedish pensioners. And last year he called Islam the biggest threat to Sweden since the Second World War.

To the horror of his compatriots in one of Europe's most liberal and tolerant nations, blaming foreigners has worked electoral magic.

When Swedes vote on Sunday Mr Åkesson's anti-immigrant party will almost certainly win its first seats at a general election - and has even been predicted to come third with 7.5 per cent of the vote, according to one poll.

That would be enough to give them 28 seats out of a total of 349 in the Riksdag, Stockholm's parliament, ahead of five more established parties, and hold the balance of power.

It is the sort of far Right success that has been seen several times across Europe this year, and a prospect has struck fear in the hearts of Sweden's usually moderate voters who never thought they would see extremists get anywhere near power.

Mainstream politicians, deeply troubled by the party's success, have been forced to promise that they wouldn't under any circumstances go into coalition with the Sweden Democrats.

Swedes are bracing themselves for a difficult time of minority government, when their economic problems demand decisive leadership.

Fredrik Reinfeldt, the prime minister and leader of a centre-Right party, has been so rattled that, after ignoring the Sweden Democrats throughout the campaign, last week he came out and warned that a vote for them meant a "gamble with stability".

But Mr Åkesson has won support by saying what for decades most Swedes have considered unthinkable.

"Swedish pensioners can't afford to fix their broken teeth or pay for the medicine that would bring them back to health," he said, blaming the generous welfare system for lavishing money on immigrants.

"Today's multicultural Swedish power elite is completely blind to the dangers of Islam and Islamification," was another of his claims. He has called for massive restrictions to be placed on immigration.

It is a message which has resonated with surprisingly large numbers of voters. >>> Paul O´ Mahony in Stockholm and Nick Meo | Saturday, September 18, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Swedish elections: The impact of immigration – For many, Sweden represents a modern, liberal, progressive ideal. But after tomorrow's election, a far-right party could hold the balance of power >>> Andrew Brown | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI at Westminster Abbey (September 17, 2010)
Part 1:



Part 2:

US Scientist Charged with Trying to Sell Nuclear Secrets to Venezuela
THE TELEGRAPH: A US physicist and his wife who both worked for a high-level US energy laboratory have been arrested and charged with conspiring to sell nuclear secrets to Venezuela.

Leo Mascheroni and his wife Marjorie pose in their Los Alamos home. Photo: The Telegraph
Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, 75, is said to have claimed that he could help Venezuela achieve a nuclear bomb within 10 years.

He was held following a sting operation in which an FBI undercover operative posed as an agent from the South American country.

The US government said that, in reality, Venezuela had not been seeking US secrets, nor had anyone working for it.

Under Mr Mascheroni's alleged plan, Venezuela would have used a secret, underground nuclear reactor to produce and enrich plutonium, and an open reactor above ground to create nuclear energy.

The scientist's wife, Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, 67, a US citizen, was also arrested.

Both used to work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, a US government facility which conducts nuclear weapons research.

They appeared in court in Albuquerque, New Mexico to face 22 charges. They could be imprisoned for life if convicted. >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Friday, September 17, 2010

Pope Visit UK: 9,000 Protesters Gather for London Demonstration Against Papal Tour
THE TELEGRAPH: Up to 9,000 protesters have gathered on the streets of London to demonstrate against Pope Benedict XVI's state visit.

People protest against the visit of Pope Benedict XVI . Photo: The Telegraph
Organisers estimated up to 10,000 were due to join the march to Downing Street in opposition to the papal tour, but shortly before the march police put the growing crowd at between 7,000 and 9,000.

Campaigners held aloft banners stating ''the Pope is wrong – put a condom on'' and ''Pope protects paedophile priests'' as they joined the march.

The action is supported by the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society among others.

Protesters cite a number of grievances against the Vatican's stance on issues ranging from gay rights, the use of condoms and the Church's response to clerical sex abuse.

As they waited to set off, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused the Pontiff of obstructing police investigations into paedophile priests.

He said: "The Pope's apologies do not ring true. Even today he is refusing to hand over Vatican files he holds under lock and key. Priests who sexually abused children should. Be brought to justice and the church should do his bit."

The action is supported by the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society among others.

Protesters cite a number of grievances against the Vatican's stance on issues ranging from gay rights, the use of condoms and the Church's response to clerical sex abuse.

As they waited to set off, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused the Pontiff of obstructing police investigations into paedophile priests. >>> Patrick Sawer and Alastair Jamieson | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Anwar al Awlaki: The New Osama bin Laden?
THE TELEGRAPH: Anwar al Awlaki, a preacher broadcasting his Islamist ideology in sermons on the internet, is a clear and present danger, says Philip Johnston.

You may not have heard of him before – but this is the new face of international terrorism. His name is Anwar al Awlaki – and unlike Osama bin Laden, who has not been seen in public for many years, he is loud, obvious and very dangerous. If there is an attack any time soon in London or in another Western capital, the chances are that Awlaki will be behind it. The CIA has put him on their hit-list of assassination targets, and in a rare speech on Thursday, Jonathan Evans, the head of MI5, name-checked Awlaki as the West’s Public Enemy No 1.

“The operational involvement of Yemen-based preacher Anwar al-Awlaki with al-Qaeda is of particular concern given his wide circle of adherents in the West, including in the UK,” said Evans.

So, who is Awlaki and why are intelligence agencies so worried about him? To some extent, he is the creation of the West’s success in restraining al Qaeda’s activities in Afghanistan and the lawless borderlands of north-west Pakistan. Bin Laden’s terror organisation, if not exactly beaten, has been scattered. Where, once most of the terrorist plots against Western targets could be traced back to Pakistan (specifically, the tribal areas of Waziristan), the proportion dropped to 75 per cent three years ago and is now down to 50 per cent. The reason is that a lot of al-Qaeda’s foreign fighters, especially the Arabs, have relocated to Somalia or to Yemen – and it is there where Awlaki rules the roost.

But he is not a gun-toting terrorist warlord like bin Laden. Awlaki, 39, is a preacher, broadcasting his Islamist ideology in sermons on the internet. The web gives him a global reach – literally into the bedrooms of disenchanted and gullible young Muslims who may already have been radicalised by an extremist imam or friend. For the intelligence services, this poses a dangerous new threat because it is so hard to keep under surveillance. Plotters meeting can be watched and followed; but if the conspiracy is internet-based, with would-be terrorists acting alone simply because they have heard Awlaki’s call to jihad on their PC, the chances of stumbling upon it are reduced.

The first time that many people heard Awlaki’s name was at the turn of the year. It is said that he recruited and mentored Umar Abdulmutallab, the young African who attempted to blow up a plane carrying hundreds of passengers over Detroit on Christmas Day, by detonating a device in his underpants. However, Awlaki has been on Western intelligence’s radar for some years, as his connections with terrorist plotters, including the September 11 hijackers and the July 7 London bombers, gradually became apparent.

Far from emerging like an Old Testament prophet from the mountains of Arabia, Awlaki is an American citizen. He was born, somewhat incongruously, given his brand of radical Islam, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His father, a Yemeni, moved there in 1971 with his wife to attend the state university where he received a master’s degree in agricultural economics. In 1978, when Awlaki was seven, the family moved back to Yemen where his father served as agriculture minister. Aged 20, Awlaki returned to the US in 1991 where he studied civil engineering at Colorado State University. He later lived in San Diego, where he obtained an MA in education, and then studied for a doctorate in Washington. Read on and comment >>> Philip Johnston | Friday, September 17, 2010

Scotland Yard Investigates Political Assassination as Fears Rise of Karachi Gang Violence Spreading
THE TELEGRAPH: Scotland Yard counter-terrorism police have been called in to lead the murder inquiry into the London killing of a Pakistani politician after officials warned a bloody struggle between political factions in Karachi was on its way to Britain.

Pakistani Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Secretary-General Imran Farooq. Photograph: The Telegraph
Security sources told the Daily Telegraph the murder inquiry into the death of Imran Farooq, a founder member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), had been taken over by Scotland Yard's Counter-Terrorism Command which investigates political assassinations. MI5 is also likely to be called in to help with the hunt for the killers.

Scotland Yard last night appealed for witnesses to the crime.

Karachi, Pakistan's commercial capital, was in lockdown following the murder of Dr Farooq, who had lived in the UK since claiming asylum in 1999.

Hundreds of deaths of loyalists from rival political and ethnic gang have been recorded this year in a murky corruption and racketeering turf war.

"This has been going on here for years and it's not a surprise to see something happen in London," said a senior counter-terrorism official in Karachi, speaking on condition of anonymity. "These networks extend a long way and are very well developed." >>> Duncan Gardham and Rob Crilly in Islamabad | Friday, September 17, 2010

If something isn't done about the growth of multi-cultural Britain, it won't just be Heathrow that resembles the Third World, the whole country will! The liberal élite will then have a hell of a lot to answer for. – © Mark

Day of Drama Ends with Plea to Rescue Religion from the Margins
Pope Benedict at an assembly at St Mary's College in Twickenham. Photograph: The INdependent
THE INDEPENDENT: Benedict XVI hit out at what he described as the "increasing marginalisation of religion" during a dramatic second day of the papal visit during which police arrested six men for an alleged terrorist plot to attack the Pope.

Speaking to members of civil society in Westminster Hall, a venue filled with symbolism for the Catholic Church as the place where St Thomas More was condemned to death for refusing to abandon his loyalty to Rome, the Pope last night praised Britain's Parliamentary tradition for creating a "pluralist democracy which places great value on freedom of speech".

But he also attacked moves to relegate religion to the private sphere and said more should be done to protect religious festivals such as Christmas. Continue reading and comment >>> Jerome Taylor, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, September 18, 2010

THE INDEPENDENT: Pope's 'deep sorrow' over child abuse scandal: Pope Benedict XVI today offered his strongest public apology of his state visit to victims of child abuse within the Catholic Church.

The Pontiff told of the "shame and humiliation" brought by the scandal and expressed "deep sorrow" once again for the "unspeakable crimes". >>> Katie Hodge, Press Association | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Nick Clegg: 'The Lib Dems Have No Future on the Left'
THE TELEGRAPH: Nick Clegg has said that there is no future for the Liberal Democrats as a left wing party.

The Deputy Prime Minister said he sympathised with voters who had turned to his party as an alternative to Labour and were unhappy that they had formed a coalition with the Conservatives.

But he risked alienating key supporters by dismissing those who see the Lib Dems as “a sort of left-wing conscience of the Labour Party”.

"There were some people, particularly around the height of the Iraq war, who gave up on the Labour Party and turned to the Liberal Democrats,” he said.

"I totally understand that some of these people are not happy with what the Lib Dems are doing in coalition with the Conservatives. The Lib Dems never were and aren't a receptacle for left wing dissatisfaction with the Labour Party. There is no future for that; there never was," he told the Independent. >>> Heidi Blake | Saturday, September 18, 2010

Nick Clegg: There Is No Future for Us as Left-wing Rivals to Labour
THE INDEPENDENT: As the Liberal Democrats' conference begins, their leader gives his party an uncompromising message

Nick Clegg has declared that there is "no future" for the Liberal Democrats as a left-wing alternative to Labour as he appealed to his party to show "patience" and maintain a united front with the Conservatives.

In an interview with The Independent on the eve of Liberal Democrat conference starting today, he promised his party it would reap the electoral rewards if it held its nerve about its slump in the opinion polls. >>> Andrew Grice, Political Editor | Saturday, September 18, 2010

We Will Not Be Silenced, Pope Tells Secular Britain
THE TELEGRAPH: The Pope strongly criticised the “marginalisation” of Christianity in modern Britain, claiming that churchgoers were forced to act against their conscience in the name of secular equality.



Delivering the most important speech of his historic visit, he attacked the politically correct ideas that Christmas should not be celebrated for fear of offending minorities and that the faithful should be forced to keep their beliefs to themselves.

Speaking in Westminster Hall before an audience including four former prime ministers, the Pope declared that politicians must not interfere with the running of Roman Catholic institutions, in what would be seen as a reference to those adoption agencies and faith schools that felt under attack from the previous Labour government.

He spoke earlier in the day of the threat posed by “aggressive secularism”, words that were echoed by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks.

Cheering crowds had lined the streets of London to welcome Benedict XVI, first in Twickenham, then in the centre of the capital. >>> Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Friday, September 17, 2010

BBC: Papal visit: Pope Benedict in London (with video) >>> | Friday, September 17, 2010

Prophet Cartoon Paper Bomb Target
DAILY EXPRESS: A man hurt in an explosion at a Copenhagen hotel was preparing a letter bomb, police have said.

Officers in Denmark claimed that the bomb was likely to have been intended for a Danish newspaper which published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. >>> | Friday, September 17, 2010

Pope Warns of 'Increasing Marginalisation' of Christianity
THE INDEPENDENT: Pope Benedict XVI tonight attacked the "increasing marginalisation" of Christianity, arguing that religion should be recognised for its "vital" contribution to the nation.

The Pontiff told MPs, peers, and religious leaders in Westminster Hall that there were "worrying signs" of a failure to appreciate the rights of believers to freedom of conscience and the "legitimate" role of religion in public life.

In his speech, the Pope said he was voicing his concern at the growing marginalisation of religion - particularly of Christianity - even in nations which place a great emphasis on tolerance.

"There are those who would advocate that the voice of religion be silenced, or least relegated to the purely private sphere," he said.

"There are those who argue that the public celebration of festivals such as Christmas should be discouraged, in the questionable belief that it might somehow offend those of other religions or none.

"And there are those who argue - paradoxically, with the intention of eliminating discrimination - that Christians in public roles should be required at times to act against their conscience."

The Pope's remarks are likely to be interpreted as aimed in part at the failure of the Catholic adoption agencies to retain the right to refuse gay couples as potential adoptive parents.

The Church has also come under fire over the right to run faith schools and whether it should be allowed to bar sexually active gay people from key appointments.

In his speech, the Pope highlighted Catholic martyr St Thomas More, who was tried in Westminster Hall and sentenced to death in 1535.

The Pope paid tribute to the role of Parliament and its influence in developing democratic Government across the world.

He said Catholic social teaching had "much in common" with the approach of Britain's democracy with its "strong sense" of the individual's rights and duties and of the equality of all citizens before the law.

Former prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Sir John Major and Baroness Thatcher were all present in Westminster Hall to hear the speech. Read on and comment >>> Martha Linden and Andrew Woodcock, PA | Friday, September 17, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI Publicly Shakes Hand with Clergywoman for First Time

Pope Benedict XVI publicly shook hands with a clergywoman for the first time in a historic gesture ahead of a service at Westminster Abbey. >>> | Friday, September 17, 2010

Pope Visit: Five Suspected Islamist Terrorists Arrested Over Assassination Plot
THE TELEGRAPH: Police have arrested five suspected Islamist terrorists, working as street cleaners in London, over an alleged plan [to] assassinate the Pope.



The men were arrested during raids at 5.45am at a rubbish depot in central London based on an intelligence tip off received overnight.

The suspects, aged 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50 were arrested by officers from Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

They are said to be from a variety of nationalities including a number of Algerian origin.

The depot where they worked is less than a mile from Hyde Park where the Pope was due to hold a prayer vigil tomorrow evening.

As street cleaners they would have been able to move relatively freely and inconspicuously through the London crowds.

Westminster City Council said the men worked for Veolia Environmental Services, a contractor which employs 650 on-street staff to keep Westminster's streets clean and free from rubbish.

The men have been taken to a central London police station where they will be interviewed by detectives.

Searches are being carried out under the Terrorism Act 2000 at the rubbish depot and at residential premises in north and east London. >>> Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Friday, September 17, 2010

Here we go again! Adherents of the ‘religion of peace’ stirring up trouble. When are we going to come to terms with reality? With all these Muslims living amongst us, we are never going to be able to live as freely as we used to, never going to be able to be anything other than extremely vigilant. It is going to cost us a fortune in security services. The whole situation is ludicrous. And unsustainable! And why? What do we want these people here for, only to endanger innocent people's lives? – © Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Pope visit: six man arrested over alleged assassination plot: Police have arrested a sixth man on terrorist charges over an alleged plan to assassinate the Pope. >>> Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Friday, September 17, 2010

Iraq Was 'Failure of Strategic Thinking', Chief of Defence Staff Tells MPs
THE GUARDIAN: Sir Jock Stirrup tells select committee that politicians did not understand the consequences of invading Iraq

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff: he told MPs that invading Iraq was 'a failure of strategic thinking'. Photograph: The Guardian
British soldiers in Iraq were "dying for no strategic benefit" because Tony Blair's government did not appreciate what it was taking on when it planned the invasion, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of defence staff, has told MPs.

There was a "failure of strategic thinking" in southern Iraq, he told the Commons public administration committee. Stirrup, who retires next month, was asked if the politicians appreciated what they were taking on when British forces went into southern Iraq. He replied: "No." >>> Richard Norton-Taylor | Friday, September 17, 2010

Simon Jenkins’ View: Through Coalition, Nick Clegg Chose Glory in Death
THE GUARDIAN: Nick Clegg's love affair has brought the Liberal Democrats short-term power. But longer term, the deal is a suicide note

Admit it, Clegg, you're in love. You rise each morning with that ache of uncertainty in your breast. You choose that tie, that suit, those shoes with him in mind. You scurry early to the office, practising the phrase that will please him, the gesture he will notice. When you first see him in the corridor … you can't help it. The knees go. He is adorable.

The trouble is, an angry wife and family are watching and waiting back home. This weekend, the Liberal Democrat conference will want to know exactly what has been going on between Nick Clegg and David Cameron these past five months. The party has been forgiving, so far, since Clegg has given its members a high profile, a tinge, a hint of real power. But for how much longer?

From his first storming election debate last April to his present high poll rating, Clegg has led the Liberal Democrats into high places and tempted them beyond their dreams. Assorted party wonkery about income tax thresholds, pupil premiums and electoral reform are suddenly taken seriously. They are in play.

Then there are the jobs. Nineteen out of 57 new MPs have government employment, five of them in the cabinet. No Lib Dem MP ever imagined they would experience such titles, salaries, cars and dispatch boxes. Despite having five fewer MPs than in the old parliament, Clegg has taken his followers where no Liberal since Lloyd George has dared to tread.

So much for the good news. The truth is that behind the razzmatazz Cameron's coalition agreement was a political coup worthy of Walpole. He bought himself a Commons majority for the duration of a parliament. He knew that joining a coalition would devastate the Liberal Democrats at the polls, so he hired enough MPs, bound hand and foot, to give himself safety. The MPs took the bait. Sooner or later, the Lib Dem backbenchers are certain to run for opposition cover, but for those who took jobs with Clegg and entered the coalition, the much-trumpeted "programme for government" last May was short-term glory but a longer-term suicide note. Read on and comment >>> Simon Jenkins | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Watch Guardian video: Nick Clegg's speech at the Liberal Democrat conference 2009: Highlights from the Liberal Democrat leader's keynote speech at the party conference in Bournemouth >>> John Domokos | Wednesday, September 23, 2009

THE GUARDIAN: Nick Clegg becomes a Tory poster boy: Nick Clegg is now more popular among Conservative supporters than Lib Dem ones. What explains this strange development? >>> Tom Clark | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Cartoonist behind 'Draw Mohammed' Facebook Page Goes into Hiding
THE TELEGRAPH: The satirical cartoonist who inspired the controversial "Everybody Draw Mohammed Page" on Facebook has gone into hiding on the advice of the FBI.

Everybody Draw Mohammed page on Facebook. Photo: The Telegraph
Molly Norris, of Seattle, Washington, has moved and changed her name following a call for her assassination by US-born Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

The Seattle weekly newspaper said: "You may have noticed that Molly Norris's comic is not in the paper this week. That's because there is no more Molly.

"The gifted artist is alive and well, thankfully. But on the insistence of top security specialists at the FBI she is, as they put it, 'going ghost' - moving, changing her name, and essentially wiping away her identity." >>> Nick Allen, Los Angeles | Friday, September 17, 2010

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Cartoonist in Hiding After Death Threats: A cartoonist in Seattle who promoted an “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” last spring is now in hiding after her life was threatened by Islamic extremists. >>> Brian Stelter | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Nicolas Sarkozy Hits Back at Critics of Roma Expulsions
THE TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, has angrily denounced "disgusting" comparisons of his Roma expulsion policy with Second World War round-ups of Jews and claimed that all European leaders supported his campaign against illegal gipsy camps.

Mr Sarkozy was involved in a "fierce and heated" argument with Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President as the dispute over France's expulsion of Roma dominated an EU summit on Thursday.

"The disgusting and shameful words that were used - World War II, the evocation of the Jews - was something that shocked us deeply," he said.

Viviane Reding, the EU's justice commissioner, earlier this week condemned President Sarkozy's treatment of Roma gipsies as a "disgrace" that reminded her of wartime Vichy France's collaboration with Nazi deportations of Jews and gipsies.

"Europe is unanimous that the Roma issue is extremely worrying," said Mr Sarkozy.

"Mrs Reding said extremely insulting things. It was deeply shocking to hear someone speak like this and make simplifications that hurt and shocked my fellow citizens." >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Thursday, September 16, 2010

This Is a Must Read! Is Islam the Problem?
YNET NEWS: Op-ed: Asking tough questions about problematic aspects of Islam isn’t ‘Islamophobic’

Supporters of building a mosque and huge Islamic center near ground zero have focused the issue on religious freedom. Since thousands of mosques have already been built throughout America, however, this can't be the issue.

Its location is sensitive because of the 9/11 attack by Muslim terrorists. But no one is accusing all Muslims of being guilty of this crime. This project, however, has become a rallying cry of pain, a howl of grief that every Muslim should hear.

Opposition to this project echoes 3,000 silent screams. That outrage needs to focus not only on the memory of lost loved ones, but on why so many Muslims are terrorists, and support terrorism. We need to ask some hard questions; and, it is not "Islamophobic" to ask.

Is Islam a "religion of peace," as President Obama and others say?

According to experts, suicide bombing ("martyrdom") and Jihad ("holy war") are not radical ideas in Islam; they are intrinsic parts of that belief.

Conventional wisdom says that there are radical Muslims and moderate Muslims, and that we must distinguish between the two groups and encourage those who don't want to destroy non-Muslims and their cultures.

No doubt, most Muslims don't want to fly airplanes into buildings, or blow up supermarkets and buses. But what does Islam say, and who is the authority? The problem seems to be that Islam contains both radical and moderate traditions, and both are authentic. Fanatic Jihadists and soft-spoken moderates consider themselves good Muslims; Muslim religious leaders are divided.

The leader of the proposed mosque/Islamic center in downtown Manhattan claims he is tolerant, and has suggested that the project may even include space for other religions, as if Christians and Jews would want to pray there. But this seems to be just another PR trick, since it violates strict separation mandated in the Koran, and also denies Muslim superiority. It is impossible, therefore, to know what kind of Islam will be taught there, or for how long.

Controversy over the building must move to a critical examination of Islam's theology, beliefs and practices. Not very peaceful; not so tolerant >>> Moshe Dann * | Thursday, September 16, 2010

* The author is a writer and journalist living in Jerusalem

Rachida Dati Plotted to Oust Carla Bruni from Elysee Palace, Book Claims
THE TELEGRAPH: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was the target of a plot by Rachida Dati, a rival and former justice minister, to oust the French first lady from the Elysée Palace and to bring back President Nicolas Sarkozy's second wife, an official biography has claimed.

The book says that Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy received a police and security services file in March – including phone call listings and text messages – showing that Miss Dati and Sophie Douzal, the President's ex-sister-in-law, conspired by spreading rumours and stories to have her removed and replaced by Cécilia Attias, whom he divorced in October 2007. Mr Sarkozy married Carla Bruni in February 2008.

The claims are made in Carla and the Ambitious by journalists Michael Darmon and Yves Derai, released on Thursday, the day after another, unauthorised, biography hit bookshops in France.

Miss Dati, a former star of Mr Sarkozy's cabinet who fell out of favour with the president, was prepared to "stop at nothing to return to such dizzy heights," the authors wrote. As a result, she and her fellow plotter "hatched a plan more fitting of the tradition of salon scheming than of a modern political fight. Rachida Dati and Miss Douzal believed Carla Bruni was a weak link in the presidency. Their plan was to bring back Cecilia to the Elysée."

The book says that Ms Dati and Miss Douzal planned to spread rumours about Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy's infidelity and stories that Ms Attias was "bored" living in New York and "dreamed" of returning to politics.

After perusing the police report, a furious Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy phoned Cécilia in New York, where she lives with her new husband Richard Attias and Mr Sarkozy's youngest son Louis, to warn her against taking part in the plot. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pope Likens the Rise of Atheism in Britain to the Nazis as He Admits His 'Shock and Sadness' Over Abuse Scandal
Pope Benedict XVI. Photo: Mail Online
'Search for him [Jesus Christ], know him and love him, and he will set you free from slavery to the glittering but superficial existence frequently proposed by today's society. Put aside what is worthless and learn of your own dignity as children of God.' – Pope Benedict XVI, Bellahouston Park, Scotland
MAIL ONLINE: Pope addresses 65,000 Catholics at open-air Mass in Glasgow / Queen and Prince Philip welcome Pope in Scotland / He invokes Nazi Germany in attack on 'atheist extremism' / Aide axed from trip after ill-judged comments about UK / Pope: 'I was shocked and saddened by sex abuse scandal' / Staunch Catholic Susan Boyle sings ahead of Papal Mass

The Pope tonight urged Catholics to speak out in defence of their faith amid a 'dictatorship of relativism' which 'threatens to obscure the unchanging truth about man's nature, his destiny and his ultimate good'.

Speaking to a crowd of 65,000 in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park, Benedict XVI argued that the 'evangelisation of culture is all the more important in our times'.

Just hours earlier he had controversially likened the rise of atheism in Britain to Nazi Germany and warned against 'aggressive forms of secularism' as he began his historic state visit.

Risking sparking a new row after one of his aides likened the UK to the 'Third World', the former member of the Hitler Youth invoked Nazi Germany in an attack on 'atheist extremism'.

Tonight he addressed the crowd from almost exactly the same spot in Bellahouston Park as Pope John Paul II in 1982 - albeit to a much smaller crowd of 65,000, compared to 250,000 then.

The 1982 gathering was the largest crowd in Scottish history.

Pope Benedict said: 'The evangelisation of culture is all the more important in our times, when a "dictatorship of relativism" threatens to obscure the unchanging truth about man's nature, his destiny and his ultimate good.

'There are some who now seek to exclude religious belief from public discourse, to privatise it or even to paint it as a threat to equality and liberty.

'Yet religion is in fact a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect, leading us to look upon every person as a brother or sister.

'For this reason I appeal in particular to you, the lay faithful, in accordance with your baptismal calling and mission, not only to be examples of faith in public, but also to put the case for the promotion of faith's wisdom and vision in the public forum.

'Society today needs clear voices which propose our right to live, not in a jungle of self-destructive and arbitrary freedoms, but in a society which works for the true welfare of its citizens and offers them guidance and protection in the face of their weakness and fragility. Read on and comment >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Poor Must Accept Benefit Cuts: Clegg on Collision Course with Own Party by Backing Welfare Axe
MAIL ONLINE: Nick Clegg has waded into the row over welfare reform by warning that benefits should not be there 'to compensate the poor for their predicament'.

On the eve of the Liberal Democrat conference, the Deputy Prime Minister backed the Coalition's programme of welfare cuts and dramatically shifted his party's policy on the subject.

He said the billions spent on welfare should be used as an 'engine of mobility', instead of just leaving people 'stuck on benefits, year in, year out'.

His comments are likely to infuriate his party's left-wingers, who have publicly accused the Coalition of targeting the vulnerable and Mr Clegg of breaking promises to ensure all cuts were 'fair'.

The issue is likely to prove a flashpoint with the LibDem Left when activists gather in Liverpool from Saturday for the first time since joining the Tories in government.

But Mr Clegg made clear he considered welfare reforms to be essential. In a newspaper article, he said: 'A fair society is not one in which money is simply transferred by the central State from one group to another.

'Welfare needs to become an engine of mobility, changing people's lives for the better, rather than a giant cheque written by the State to compensate the poor for their predicament.

'Instead of turning the system from a 'safety net' into a 'trampoline', as Labour promised, people have been stuck on benefits, year in, year out.' Read on and comment >>> Jason Groves | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pope Visit: Queen Says Freedom to Worship Is at ‘Core’ of British Society
THE TELEGRAPH: Freedom of religion is at the heart of British society, the Queen said as she welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to Britain.

Meeting the Pope for the first time at Holyroodhouse Palace, her official residence in Scotland, she praised the contribution of Christianity to world development.

The Queen also praised the contribution of the Roman Catholic Church in helping the poor, educating the young and bringing about peace in Northern Ireland.

Her comments echoed those made by Baroness Warsi, the Conservative party chairman, who said earlier this week that “faith is very much alive and kicking” in Britain.

The papal plane touched down at Edinburgh International Airport on Thursday morning and in a break with tradition the Pontiff was greeted by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The entourage swept onto the courtyard of Holyroodhouse Palace in limousines where the Queen and the Pope shook hands at the formal welcome.

The two heads of state stood shoulder to shoulder, with the Duke of Edinburgh behind them, on a small dais in front of a Guard of Honour formed of men from the Queen’s historic Bodyguard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers, who carry longbows and wear bonnets decorated with a single eagle feather.

The Papal Anthem and the National Anthem were played by the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, before the Queen introduced the Pope to a line of dignitaries including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams; the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg; and Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland.

Peter Robinson, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, was not there although his name had been on an official list.

The Queen, the Pope and the Duke of Edinburgh exchanged gifts in the Morning Drawing Room.

Benedict was presented with a facsimile of 85 drawings by Hans Holbein the Younger, and then gave the Queen a copy of the Lorsch Gospels dating from 778 to 820. She thanked him and described the book as “lovely”. >>> Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent in Edinburgh | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Pope Visit: 'Gorgeous' Georg Gänswein, the Pope's Right-hand Man
THE TELEGRAPH: Georg Gänswein - or Gorgeous George - brings an unlikely touch of sex appeal and glamour to the Pope's visit to the UK.

Georg Gänswein has been compared by the Italian edition of Vanity Fair to George Clooney. Photo: Google Images
Father Gänswein, Benedict XVI's personal secretary, has earned his nickname because of his square jaw, tousled blonde hair and tall, athletic frame.

Known to Italians as “Bel Giorgio”, the well-preserved 54-year-old has been compared by the Italian edition of Vanity Fair to George Clooney, while English-speaking Vatican observers have dubbed him the “Hugh Grant of the Holy See”.

Italian gossip magazines have run breathless articles alongside paparazzi photographs of him playing tennis in his whites.

As a keen skier and qualified pilot, he lends a rare man-of-action image to the often stuffy, staid world of the Vatican hierarchy. He will be at the side of the 83-year-old pontiff throughout the four day trip to London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow, making sure he has the right speech to deliver, handing him his spectacles, ensuring his personal welfare and fussing over his appearance.

During Benedict’s trip to Malta in April, Father Gänswein made sure the Pope was comfortable in his white, bullet-proof Popemobile as he was driven among cheering crowds and prevented his cream-coloured cape and cassock from flapping around his face during a windy boat tour of Valletta Harbour.

“He is the bridge between the Pope and the world,” said Jack Valero, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in England and Wales who is closely involved in this week’s visit.

“Whatever the Pope needs, he will get it. He’s very good looking – straight out of central casting.” >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Thursday, September 16, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: Georg Gänswein: the man behind the pope: John Hooper profiles the papal secretary whose looks have been compared with those of George Clooney and Hugh Grant >>> John Hooper | Thursday, September 16, 2010

Msgr. Georg Gänswein - über Schönheit


Georg Gänswein feierte Jubileum

Pope Arrives in the United Kingdom


Queen Elizabeth Greets the Pope in Holyrood Palace

Die Königin und Prinz Philipp geleiten den Staatsgast durch die Räume von Hollyrood House. Bild: NZZ Online
Papst und Queen betonen Gemeinsamkeiten: Grossbritannien-Besuch von Benedikt XVI. beginnt in Schottland
NZZ ONLINE: Ein erster Höhepunkt der Papstvisite in Grossbritannien war der Empfang bei Königin Elizabeth auf deren schottischem Sitz. Beachtung fand, was der Papst im Flugzeug zu Journalisten über die Missbrauchsfälle in seiner Kirche zu sagen hatte.

Der Besuch des Papstes in Grossbritannien soll die Beziehungen zwischen der katholischen und der anglikanischen Kirche vertiefen. Diese Hoffnung äusserte die britische Königin Elizabeth II., die Benedikt XVI. am Donnerstag in Edinburgh empfing. Auch der Papst hob die gemeinsamen christlichen Wurzeln von Katholiken und Anglikanern hervor. Klare Worte zu den Missbrauchsfällen >>> ddp | Donnerstag, 16. September 2010