Anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders On Trial for Inciting Racial Hatred
THE TELEGRAPH: Geert Wilders, the Dutch anti-Islam MP who will become a shadow partner in the next Dutch government, has gone on trial accused of inciting racial hatred against Muslims.

Wilders, 47, is charged with five counts of giving religious offence to Muslims and inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims and people of non-Western immigrant origin, particularly Moroccans. Photo: The Telegraph
The controversial politician risks up to a year in jail or a 7,600-euro (£6,600) fine for calling Islam "fascist" and likening the Koran to Hitler's Mein Kampf.

Wilders, 47, is charged with five counts of giving religious offence to Muslims and inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims and people of non-Western immigrant origin, particularly Moroccans.

In comments made between October 2006 and March 2008 in Dutch newspapers and on internet forums, prosecutors say that Wilders described Islam as "the sick ideology of Allah and Mohammed" and its holy book as "the Mein Kampf of a religion that seeks to eliminate others". >>> | Monday, October 04, 2010

Geert Wilders (right) and Bram Moszkovicz (left), his advocate. The trial judge is Jan Moors. Photograph: The Sydney Morning Herald
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: From kingmaker to racism trial >>> | Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Now That’s Really Dumb, George!
THE TELEGRAPH: Middle class parents who take time out from work to look after their children will lose out on thousands of pounds of Government handouts under a reform of child benefit announced by George Osborne.

In a move designed to save a billion pounds a year, the Chancellor annouced that higher-rate taxpayers will no longer be eligible for the benefits.

However the way the system is calculated threatens to put families with just one breadwinner at a disadvantage relative to households where both parents work.

This is because families with a combined income of £87,000 where both parents earn just under the higher-rate tax threshold of £44,000 are still entitled to the benefit while those with just one breadwinner earning £45,000 are not.

If the withdrawal of the benefit is not tapered, it could also mean that parents earning just below the threshold could be penalised if they get a pay rise.

The system relies on higher rate taxpayers declaring whether anyone in their household is claiming the benefit which can then be deducted from their earnings.

Mr Osborne defended the plan by pointing out that the costs of conducting a means test on every family would eat up much of the savings from cutting the benefit payouts. He claimed that the average income for households with one higher rate taxpayer is £75,000.

Speaking in an interview on ITV's Daybreak this morning he described the move as "a tough but fair decision."

He added: "It's just not fair to ask someone who's on £15 or £20,000 a year to be paying for the child benefit of someone who's on £50,000 or even more."

"At any other time, I wouldn't do this. But Labour left us with a heck of a mess." Stay-at-home parents to lose out in child benefit reform >>> James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Monday, October 04, 2010

BENEDICT BROGAN: Child Benefit: What's fair about taxing stay-at-home mums? >>> | Monday, October 04, 2010

Ground Zero Mosque Imam 'Gets Death Threats'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The wife of an imam planning an Islamic community centre and mosque near ground zero says she and her husband have received death threats.

Daisy Khan said yesterday that the lives of her and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf are "under threat." Police can't confirm the threats.

Khan was part of a discussion of Islam on ABC television's This Week news program. >>> | Sunday, October 03, 2010

Ground Zero mosque – first look >>>

They can make the Ground Zero mosque as futuristic as they like, but the religion it represents will still be as backward as it gets! Ground Zero mosque likened to Superman’s HQ! >>>

Waitrose Forced to Ditch Halal Lamb from Duchy Range

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Waitrose is to introduce a range of non-halal lamb products as a response to customers’ concerns about its meat supplies.

Until now, all lamb sold by the store has been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law, with a Muslim reciting a prayer in Arabic over the meat.

But Waitrose said last night that, from now on, organic Welsh lamb from its Duchy Originals range – established by Prince Charles to market produce from his estates – will no longer be halal.


Waitrose said they made their decision in order to give customers ‘more choice’. But their reversal of policy comes a week after The Mail on Sunday revealed how most British supermarkets were secretly selling halal meat – especially lamb – without telling customers.

The investigation found that most New Zealand lamb sold in major British supermarkets was halal, meaning that the prayer ‘In the name of Allah, who is the greatest’ is said at the time of slaughter. Stores selling lamb slaughtered according to Islamic law included Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

After inquiries by The Mail on Sunday last week, Waitrose said: ‘We have decided to offer our customers an option to buy lamb which has not received the halal blessing.’

Waitrose said that all their other lamb produced in the UK and New Zealand will continue to be halal without being described as such on the packaging. Continue reading and comment >>> Abul Taher | Sunday, October 03, 2010

'Dutchy Originals' is a company which belongs to Prince Charles.

British Schools Where Girls Must Wear the Islamic Veil
THE TELEGRAPH: Hundreds of girls are bring forced by British schools to wear the Islamic veil in a move which has been heavily criticised by mainstream Muslims.

Islamic schools have introduced uniform policies which force girls to wear the burka or a full headscarf and veil known as the niqab.

Moderate followers of Islam said yesterday that enforcement of the veil was a "dangerous precedent" and that children attending such schools were being "brainwashed".

The Sunday Telegraph has established that three UK institutions have introduced a compulsory veil policy when girls are walking to or from school. They are:

• Madani Girls' School in east London;
• Jamea Al Kauthar in Lancaster;
• Jameah Girls' Academy in Leicester.
•
All three are independent, fee-paying, single-sex schools for girls aged 11 to 18. Critics warned that the spectacle of burka-clad pupils entering and leaving the schools at the start and end of the day could damage relations between Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

Ed Husain, co-director of Quilliam, the counter-extremist think-tank, said: "It is absurd that schools are enforcing this outdated ritual – one that which sends out a damaging message that Muslims do not want to fully partake in British society.

"Although it is not the government's job to dictate how its citizens dress, it should nonetheless ensure that such schools are not bankrolled or subsidised by the British taxpayer."

He added: "The enforcing of the niqab on young girls is not a mainstream Islamic practice – either in Britain or in most Muslim-majority countries.

"It is a desert practice which belongs to another century and another world."

Dr Taj Hargey, an imam and chairman of the Muslim Educational Trust of Oxford, said: "This is very disturbing and sets a dangerous precedent. >>> David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, October 02, 2010

It is becoming increasingly clear that most of the problems that the West is facing are being caused by Islam and Muslims. Until the West rids itself of the cancer of Islam, there is little hope of improvement; inevitably, the West will sink deeper into the mire as time marches on. Alas, the politicians haven't the spunk to do anything about our slide into backwardness and darkness. – © Mark

This comment also appeared here

Harman’s Equality Act ‘Outlaws Humour’
DAILY EXPRESS: THE death knell has sounded for the risque joke after new equality laws, masterminded by Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, heralded a new era of political correctness yesterday.

The Equality Act aims to make the law simpler by bringing together nine pieces of legislation under one single banner.

The change was seen as one of the proudest achievements by Ms Harman, dubbed ‘Harriet Harperson’ because of her strong views on equality.

But critics warn the Act will create a legal minefield for businesses with virtually anyone able to sue for anything that offends them.

Under the Act, vegans, teetotallers and atheists are to be given the same protection against discrimination as religious groups – while gypsies and travellers will get special favours because of the “many socio-economic disadvantages” they face.

There is also a provision that extends protection from third-party harassment, meaning employers have a responsibility to shield their staff, where possible, from abuse by customers.

This has led to fears that bosses could be sued for jokes or comments that staff overhear and find offensive – even if they are not directed at or about them.

The Act, which ministers claim will help stamp out pay discrimination, has been slammed by employer groups who claim it will cost £189million to implement. Since coming into force yesterday, the new law allows men and women in all firms to discuss and compare their salaries. Read on and comment >>> Martyn Brown | Saturday, October 02, 2010

French Women Cause a Stir in Niqab and Hot Pants in Anti-burka Ban Protest
THE TELEGRAPH: Two French female students have made a film of the pair of them strolling through the streets of Paris in a niqab, bare legs and mini-shorts as a critique of France's recently passed law.

Calling themselves the "Niqabitches," the veiled ladies can be seen strutting past prime ministerial offices and various government ministries with a black veil leaving only their eyes visible, but with their long legs naked bar black high heels.

Bemused passers-by can be seen gawping at the pair or asking to take photographs in the clip.

At one stage in the film, the two women approach the entrance to the ministry of immigration and national identity, only to be told by a policeman to go elsewhere. However, a policewoman also present is delighted by their clothes. “I love your outfit, is it to do with the new law?” she asks. “Yes, we want to de-dramatise the situation,” one girl replies. “It’s brilliant. Can I take a photo?” asks the police-woman, who will soon be required to fine public niqab wearers.

In an opinion piece published on the news website, rue89, the anonymous duo – political science and communication students in their twenties – said the film was a tongue-in-cheek way of criticising France's niqab ban, which the Senate passed last month and is due to go into force early next year.

"To put a simple burka on would have been too simple. So we asked ourselves: 'how would the authorities react when faced with women wearing a burka and mini-shorts?," asked the students, one of whom is a Muslim.

"We were not looking to attack or degrade the image of Muslim fundamentalists – each to their own – but rather to question politicians who voted for this law that we consider clearly unconstitutional," they said.

"To dictate what we wear appears to have become the role of the State (as if they didn't have other fish to fry ...)."

The film had been viewed 71,000 times on rue89 and a few hundred times on YouTube yesterday, but French websites predicted it would become an internet sensation.

France's law banning the burka makes no mention of Islam, but President Nicolas Sarkozy's government promoted the law as a means to protect women from being forced to wear Muslim full-face veils such as the burka or the niqab.

France's five-million-strong Muslim minority is Western Europe's largest, but fewer than 2,000 women are believed actually to wear a full face veil.

Once the law is in force, a woman who chooses to defy the ban will receive a fine of 150 euros (£125) or a course of citizenship lessons. A man who forces a woman to go veiled will be fined 30,000 euros (£25,000) and serve a jail term.

It could yet be overturned by France's constitutional court. To the video >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Friday, October 01, 2010

Global Employment Crisis Will Stir Social Unrest, Warns UN Agency
THE TELEGRAPH: Global employment will not recover to pre-crisis levels until 2015 if current policies are pursued, creating social tension, the International Labour Organisation has warned

Rubbish bins burn in central Barcelona during the general strike. Photo: The Telegraph
The United Nations work agency said it was putting back by two years from 2013 its previous assessment of the time needed to create the 22 million jobs still needed to regain the pre-crisis level - 14 million in rich countries and 8 million in developing states.

The global economy has started to grow again with encouraging signs of employment recovery especially in some Asian and Latin American emerging economies, the ILO said in its annual World of Work report.

"Despite these significant gains ... new clouds have emerged on the employment horizon and the prospects have worsened significantly in many countries," it said.

Raymond Torres, lead author of the report, told a news conference that job losses since the crisis started had totalled some 30-35 million. The ILO has forecast global unemployment this year of 213 million, a rate of 6.5 per cent.

For the United States - where persistent unemployment has become one of the main issues in this November's elections - the number of jobs still needed to regain pre-crisis levels is 6.9 million, Steven Tobin, ILO economist, said.

The extended loss of employment and growing perceptions of unfairness risked increasing social tension, the ILO said. >>> | Thursday, September 30, 2010

Osama bin Laden 'Behind Plot to Attack European Cities'
THE TELEGRAPH: Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda chief, was involved in the plot to launch Mumbai-style attacks on European and American cities, according to reports.

Several months ago, bin Laden sent a directive to al-Qaeda affiliates and partners that he wanted a Mumbai-style attack on at least three European countries – the United Kingdom, Germany and France – the US National Public Radio said, citing intelligence officials.

Gunmen had planned to fire on crowds at busy European tourist sites and take over hotels in a plot that would mark a new style of attack for al-Qaeda, although details of the plans remain unclear for now. The United States may also have been in bin Laden's sights. >>> | Friday, October 01, 2010

Ed West: The Equality Act Is the Triumph of Identity Politics and Possibly the Worst Law in English History
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – ED WEST: We’ve finally reached rock bottom, with Harriet Harman’s Equality Act, which comes into force today. Where do I begin? (Quotations are from the Telegraph report.)

“An employee who had been disciplined for taking a lot of sickness leave could also claim they had been treated unfairly.

“The Equality Act will make it easier for staff to claim they were discriminated against because of a disability. This is because they no longer have to prove they were treated less favourably than non-disabled colleagues.

“The new law also stops colleges from preventing teenage girls at school who are pregnant or who have had a baby from taking their A-levels.”

Now I dare say that when historians of the 25th century come to write about the downfall of European civilisation this law will be used to illustrate how Western thinking lost its way, and how a perverse ideology that took hold of universities in the 1960s came to dominate politics.

It is ironic that when anti-discrimination laws were first brought in they were supposed to ensure that people were judged by their abilities; now the triumph of identity politics is complete with an “anti-discrimination” law that ensures that to judge a person by their character is illegal.

“The Government also expects discrimination claims from dyslexic workers who have been barred from carrying out tasks because of tendency to make spelling mistakes.”

Perhaps unconsciously mirroring the seven deadly sins of Christianity, the law tackles seven types of discrimination, including: Continue reading and comment >>> Ed West | Friday, October 01, 2010

Netherlands to Ban Burka, Says Anti-Islam MP
THE TELEGRAPH: The Netherlands will ban the burka under measures agreed in a pact to form a minority coalition government, according to Geert Wilders, the anti-Islam MP whose party is part of the deal.

In addition to the measures agreed by the three parties, the number of immigrants who enter The Netherlands will be halved, Mr Wilders said as the agreement was announced.

"We want the Islamisation to be stopped," Mr Wilders, who will go on trial in Amsterdam next Monday for inciting hatred against Muslims, said.

Mr Wilders – who campaigns for a ban on Muslim immigration and wants to end the building of new mosques and tax Muslim head scarves – had a say in the plan's immigration policies in return for supporting its austerity measures. >>> | Thursday, September 30, 2010

Dutch Coalition Agreement - But What's In It for Wilders?
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: The Qur'an will not be banned, headscarves will not be taxed, and Muslims will not be deported en masse. Geert Wilders did not get everything he wanted in the coalition agreement between the conservative VVD and the Christian Democrats, propped up by own Freedom Party.

So what did Mr Wilders get in return for supporting this minority cabinet? These are the main PVV points: >>> John Tyler | Thursday, September 30, 2010

REUTERS: Dutch government pact cuts budget, bans burqa: Two Dutch centre-right political parties, supported by the anti-Islam Freedom Party, announced a coalition agreement on Thursday that calls for balancing the budget by 2015 and banning the burqa. >>> | Amsterdam, September 30, 2010

THE LOCAL: German politicians slam Dutch pact with Geert Wilders' far-right party: German politicians on both sides of the spectrum have expressed deep unease over the Netherlands’ conservative parties' decisions to strike a tentative power deal with the far-right populist Geert Wilders. >>> | Thursday, September 30, 2010

Most Germans See Muslims as a Burden
THE LOCAL: More than half of Germans see Muslim immigrants as a drag on the country, a poll published Thursday has found.

According to the Allensbach poll commissioned by the Financial Times Deutschland, 55 percent judged that the migrant group “has cost significantly more financially and socially than it has yielded economically.”

Only one fifth of respondents believed Muslim immigrants were more a benefit than a burden. The skepticism is particularly strong in the former east of the country, where 74 percent of respondents saw Muslims as a drain on the nation. In the former west, the figure was 50 percent.

Furthermore, more than one third of the population believes Germany is indeed becoming “dumber on average” because of immigration, as former Bundesbank board member Thilo Sarrazin has controversially claimed. Migrants were poorly educated and had more children, many respondents said. In the former east, 37 percent of people believed this to be the case, compared with 33 percent who rejected the proposition. Read on and comment >>> | Thursday, September 30, 2010

Woman Sentenced to Death by Stoning Could Now Be Hanged Instead
'Save Sakineh' posters in Rome. There has been worldwide condemnation of Iran's death sentence for the 43-year-old mother-of-two. Photograph: The Independent
THE INDEPENDENT: Confusion surrounded the fate of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani yesterday, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, who now faces execution by hanging for the alleged murder of her husband, according to some reports.

The government says no final decision has been taken in a case that has generated outrage around the world, as the adultery and murder issues are still before the courts. A final judgement would be announced only when that process is completed, Ramin Mehmanparast, the foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters in Tehran.

But he indicated that the focus was shifting to a charge of murder, and seemed to suggest that Ms Ashtiani's guilt was not in doubt. "Right now, what we are pursuing is the topic of murder, and her participation in murder is confirmed," he said. >>> Rupert Cornwell in Washington | Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Barack Obama Says He Is 'a Christian by Choice'
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama, in a rare discussion about his religious beliefs, has described himself as a "Christian by choice" who arrived at his faith in adulthood because "the precepts of Jesus Christ" helped him envision the kind of life he wanted to lead.

Mr Obama talked about his beliefs when he was asked, "Why are you a Christian." The question was posed by a woman at a backyard conversation, part of a series of meetings Mr Obama is holding to talk informally with Americans.

Some conservatives and political opponents have questioned Mr Obama's Christian faith and a Pew Research Center poll in August found that 18 per cent of Americans wrongly believe that the president is Muslim - up from 11 per cent who said so in March 2009. Just 34 per cent said they thought Obama is Christian.

"I'm a Christian by choice," Mr Obama said. "My family didn't - frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church.

"So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead - being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me," he continued. >>> | Wednesday, September 29, 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama says he is 'Christian by choice' in rare comments on religion: President Barack Obama has spoken of how he is a "Christian by choice" who found faith while an adult because "the precepts of Jesus Christ" offered a basis for the life he wanted to lead. >>> Toby Harnden, Washington | Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Ed Miliband: I Would Raise Taxes Higher Than Gordon Brown
THE TELEGRAPH: Ed Miliband’s Labour Party will push for increases in taxation at a higher rate than that proposed by Gordon Brown at the last general election.

The new leader said that he wanted to do “more” from taxation, adding that plans by Alistair Darling, the former chancellor, to cut the deficit over four years were only a “starting point”.

Mr Miliband, who joined in the traditional singing of the Red Flag at the close of Labour conference, has hit out his characterisation as “Red Ed” after he defeated his brother for the party leadership with the support of the trade unions.

But in a break from the New Labour era, when Tony Blair’s ministers shied away from advocating tax rises, he made clear that he was unafraid of being labelled left-wing. >>> Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Thursday, September 30, 2010

Alien Life Certain to Exist on Earth-like Planet, Scientists Say
THE TELEGRAPH: The chances of alien life existing on a newly-discovered Earth-like planet are 100 per cent, an astronomer has claimed.



Gliese 581g was discovered orbiting a nearby star at a distance that places it squarely in the "habitable zone" where liquid could exist on its surface. Of around 500 planets that astronomers have found outside Earth's solar system, this is the first to be considered habitable.

The planet is a similar size to Earth and its mass indicates that it is probably rocky with a definite surface and has enough gravity to hold an atmosphere, according to Prof Steven Vogt, who led the team that discovered it.

It is as yet unknown whether water does exist on the planet or what kind of atmosphere it has. But because conditions are ideal for liquid, which is always a precursor for life on Earth, Prof Vogt believes that life will undoubtedly have begun there.

"Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say, my own personal feeling is that the chances of life on this planet are 100 percent," he said during a press briefing. "I have almost no doubt about it." >>> Heidi Blake | Thursday, September 30, 2010

Michael Bublé: Haven’t Met You Yet (Official Video)


Everything >>>

Cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Images: Google Images
Danish Editor Reprints Prophet Mohammad Cartoons
THE TELEGRAPH: The Danish editor whose 2005 publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad sparked violent protests around the globe released a book on Wednesday that reprints the pictures.

Thursday marks the fifth anniversary of the publication of the 12 drawings in Jyllands-Posten which one year later became a major global controversy leading to dozens of deaths.

Flemming Rose's book The Tyranny of Silence has fed worries of renewed unrest, similar to when the cartoons were reprinted by many newspapers in 2008 after a death threat to cartoonist Kurt Westergaard.

Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen met 17 ambassadors from Muslim countries on Wednesday as part of efforts to prevent any new cartoon crisis.

"The violence was committed by people who made a decision to react to these cartoons in a specific way," said Mr Rose, who has lived for years under police protection because of threats against him and his paper Jyllands-Posten.

"To publish cartoons, religious satire, in a Danish newspaper is not incitation to violence," he said. >>> | Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Obama Presidency 'Hobbled by Discord' According to Book
THE GUARDIAN: Extracts from Obama's Wars portray president anxious to pull US troops out of Afghanistan and at odds with senior advisers

Barack Obama's presidency is hobbled by discord, according to a new book, Obama's Wars. Photograph: The Guardian
The Obama presidency is hobbled by discord and mutual contempt among its senior policy-makers and top generals according to a new book which is likely to damage the administration in November's congressional elections and undermine its efforts in Afghanistan.

The book, Obama's Wars, by the veteran investigative journalist Bob Woodward, is out on Monday, but extracts published overnight by the Washington Post and the New York Times make it clear that it will hurt the administration in the runup to mid-term elections, in which Democrats are already struggling and in which they are expected to lose control of the House of Representatives.

The book also portrays a president anxious to pull US troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible, and at odds with his military commanders and some senior advisers, who openly question whether his strategy will work. It is likely to be read as evidence that the attempt to divide the Taliban is having more success dividing Washington. >>> Julian Borger | Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Bravo, Mr Cable! Bravo! Vince Cable Attacks Bankers as 'Spivs and Gamblers'
THE TELEGRAPH: Vince Cable has attacked the “spivs and gamblers” who he claimed are more of a danger to the economy than militant union leaders.



The Business Secretary told the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool that it was right that the public was angry about the bankers’ bonuses.

He refused to tone down his comments, which have angered business leaders, about the “murky world of capitalism.”

He said: “I make no apology for attacking spivs and gamblers who did more harm to the British economy than Bob Crow (the RMT union leader) could achieve in his wildest Trotskyite fantasies, while paying themselves outrageous bonuses underwritten by the taxpayer. There is much public anger about banks and it is well deserved.”

In another move that is likely to anger the Conservatives Mr Cable revelled in the fact that the Lib Dems had forced David Cameron to drop his pre-election commitment to a new inheritance tax limit.

To cheers from the Lib Dem delegates, he said: “You'll remember our Conservative colleagues campaigned in the General Election to lift the inheritance tax burden on double millionaires. But they have dropped that commitment.

“They have gone halfway to accepting our case for equalising income tax and capital gains tax rates. They have accepted in the Coalition Agreement that the priority for cutting income tax is for low earners not top earners.”

He also repeated his wish for a new tax on properties worth more than £2 million.

Mr Cable said: “I personally regret that mansion tax did not make it into the Coalition Agreement but in a coalition we have to compromise. But we can and should maintain our distinctive and progressive tax policies for the future.”

Mr Cable was unrepentant for talking about capitalism's failings.

He said: “The Government's agenda is not one of laissez-faire. Markets are often irrational or rigged. So I am shining a harsh light into the murky world of corporate behaviour. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI Says Christian Faith Remains Strong in Britain
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain remains a country in which Christian faith is “still strong and active at every level of society”, Pope Benedict XVI said in his first remarks after returning from his historic four-day visit to England and Scotland.

The Pope said the visit, which was widely judged a success despite being preceded by months of controversy over cost, clerical sex abuse scandals and the issue of gay and married clergy, marked a new phase in the Vatican’s “complicated” relations with the Church of England.

"This was a historic event marking a new and important phase in the long and complicated history of relations between (the British) and the Holy See," he said during his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square, after flying into Rome by helicopter from his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, in the hills outside the capital.

"In the course of the intense and very beautiful four days spent in this noble country, I had the great pleasure of speaking to the heart of the inhabitants of the United Kingdom and they spoke to my heart, most particularly with their presence and the testimony of their faith," he said.

"I witnessed how the Christian faith is still strong and active at every level of society," he said. >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Switzerland Has Women Majority Cabinet for First Time
THE TELEGRAPH: The Swiss government has more women in its cabinet than men for the first time in the country's history.

The new Swiss government pose during the autumn Parliament Session in Bern. Photo: The Telegraph
Swiss women have for the first time taken control of the reins of power in an Alpine country that denied any females the vote until 1971.

One Swiss canton, Appenzell Inner-Rhodes, continued to bar women from local elections until 1990, making Switzerland the last European country to introduce universal suffrage.

The historic shift in the balance of power came as the Swiss parliament in Bern voted Simonetta Sommaruga, a Social Democrat MP, on to the cabinet, a Federal Council.

The council is comprised of seven politicians from different parties, four of whom are now women, and does without a fixed Prime Minister or President to rule Switzerland - one of the most prosperous countries in the world.

"It's a great day to see a female majority in the Cabinet," said Claudine Esseiva, a cabinet ministers and member of the pro-business Free Democrats. >>> Bruno Waterfield | Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Liberal Democrat Conference: 'Oil Price Could Double in Return to 1970s Style Shocks'
THE TELEGRAPH: Energy secretary Chris Huhne has ordered his officials to look at the impact of a 1970s-style oil price spike on the British economy.

Mr Huhne said the UK was having to prepare itself for “lots of shocks”, forcing the price of a barrel of oil to double, mirroring the volatility last seen in the 1970s.

The news came as Mr Huhne said he would only give the green light to more nuclear power stations if Chancellor George Osborne agreed to taking millions of the lowest paid out of income tax. “A deal is a deal,” he said.

Mr Huhne said he was concerned about the future fluctuations in the price of a barrel of oil, which would send the price of petrol soaring.

A 1970s-style doubling in the price of oil would drain £45billion from the UK economy in two years, hitting investment and jobs.

He told a meeting on the fringe of the party’s conference in Liverpool: “We will have a world where there may be lots of shocks, we may well have oil price rises which are similar to the ones that we had in the 1970s, a doubling.

“I have asked for some work to be done in the department about what the impact of that might be in terms of British business, businesses that have nothing to do with energy, with green growth, entirely outside.

“The corner shop is affected if we have an oil price shock because the economy is hit very seriously.” >>> Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor | Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Bristol Palin on 'Dancing with the Stars'
THE TELEGRAPH: The daughter of Sarah Palin made reference to her Republican mother when she appeared on Dancing with the Stars by singing “Mama Told Me Not to Come.”

Bristol Palin, 19, performed a version of Randy Newman’s hit on the 11th series of the dance show and explained that she had not always taken her mother’s advice.

The 19-year-old was thrust into the public spotlight when Mrs Palin stood for Vice-President as John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 American election.

Mrs Palin, who has advocated the virtue of no sex before marriage, faced some embarressment when Bristol and her boyfriend revealed during the election campaign that they were expecting a baby. >>> | Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Far-right Success in Swedish Elections
CNN: The far-right party took 20 seats in the Swedish parliament after a nail-biter of an election.

Bruni: Mrs. Obama Never Said Job Is Hell
CNN: French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy denies U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama ever said being first lady is "hell."

First Lady On Restaurant Food
CNN: Michelle Obama addresses the National Restaurant Association about the role restaurant meals play on children's health.

Lieberman: ‘Don’t Ask ‘Un-American’
CNN: Sen. Joe Lieberman has a warning for those who planned to vote against the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

CNN Claptrap & Whitewash!
CNN: Author Deepak Chopra discusses the misconceptions surrounding Islam and advocates tolerance and understanding.

Stick With Me, Clegg Begs Lib Dems

France Raises Paris Terror Alert Over Al-Qaeda Warning
THE TELEGRAPH: France raised its terrorist alert warning today amid fears of suicide bomb plots against the Paris transport network.

French police officers and security personnel stand guard at a security cordon around the Eiffel Tower after a bomb threat was called in. Photo: The Telegraph
French intelligence services are hunting a female would-be suicide bomber who they believe could be planning to target the Paris metro.

The alert followed a tip-off from a friendly intelligence agency – thought to be Algeria’s — warning of an imminent al-Qaeda threat.

Five French nationals have been kidnapped close to a French uranium mine in Niger in the last week, while a bomb scare caused alarm at the Eiffel Tower.

In a separate development armed guards were deployed to protect prominent Islamic moderate Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Paris mosque. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Monday, Septemebr 20, 2010

Pastor Who Threatened to Burn Korans Told to Pay Police Bill
THE TELEGRAPH: US pastor Terry Jones, who threatened to burn copies of the Koran, has been told he must pay $180,000 (£115,000) for security costs triggered by the controversy.

Pastor Terry Jones arrived in New York the night before the anniversary after cancelling his scheduled burning of the Koran. Photo: The Telegraph
The city of Gainesville, Florida said that local police agencies spent more than a month working on security plans to ensure the community close to the planned site of the burning was safe.

Mr Jones sparked outrage when he announced his plan to burn the Muslim holy text on the anniversary of the September, 11, 2001, attacks. He eventually agreed to abandon the idea after pressure from Barack Obama and other world leaders.

Gainesville police spokeswoman Cpl. Tscharna Senn told CNN that the threat led to a large police operation. >>> | Monday, September 20, 2010

Why should he pay the police bill? Has the police bill been paid by al-Qaeda? – Mark

Hillary Clinton Urges Iran to Dump Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
THE TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has called on "responsible" leaders to assert control in Iran and said tough UN sanctions were turning the screw on the military-backed regime.

Short of an explicit call to the Iranian people to revolt, Mrs Clinton's comments represented a sharpening of rhetoric as she increasingly seeks to portray Iran as a military dictatorship.

Mrs Clinton said the military, especially the elite Revolutionary Guard, was wielding more and more power to prop up a regime struggling to maintain its legitimacy since last year's "very flawed" presidential elections.

"And I can only hope that there will be some effort inside Iran, by responsible civil and religious leaders, to take hold of the apparatus of the state," she told ABC News.

"When you empower a military as much as they have to rely on them to put down legitimate protests and demonstrations, you create a momentum and unleash forces that you do not know where they will end up.

"And I know that that's a concern of people inside Iran. We read reports coming out of Iran. And it is something that would be even more distressing for the Iranian people." >>> | Monday, September 20, 2010

Interview With Hillary Clinton
ABC NEWS: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sits down with Christiane Amanpour.



Interview With Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
ABC NEWS: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad joins Christiane Amanpour on "This Week."

Liberal Democrat Conference: Nick Clegg Defends Coalition Cuts
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Nick Clegg has defended the coalition's policies amid criticism from activists over the impact of the impending spending cuts.

The Deputy Prime Minister denied that the Government "relished" having to impose tight budget reductions, but insisted there was "nothing fair" about forcing future generations to pay off the nation's debt.

He said the Government had restored the earnings link to pensioners and was reversing the "grotesque inequality" in the tax system.

But he was told the deep spending cuts to be outlined in next month's spending review would "disproportionately" affect the poorest in society.

Speaking to party members during a question-and-answer session at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool, Mr Clegg said: "The fact of this deficit, which (Labour) created, you and I can't wish it away.

"You cannot build social justice on the sands of debt. It can't be done." >>> | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pope Visit: Benedict XVI Says Goodbye to Britain
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain's historic papal visit has come to an end as Benedict XVI gave his final wave from the steps of his aeroplane.



The Pontiff took off from Birmingham Airport on a windy Sunday evening after thanking the nation for its hospitality.

In speeches to a small crowd of dignitaries on the airport's apron, both he and Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to strengthen relationships between Britain and the Vatican.

The hustle and bustle of the airport continued throughout the day, with holidaymakers oblivious to frantic behind-the-scenes preparations for the Pope's departure.

Hours before his arrival, police and officials swarmed round the Alitalia plane, checking every detail, while officials practised "walk-throughs" on a specially-laid cross-shaped red carpet. >>> | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pope Visit: Britons Thirst for Holy Word, Says Holy Father
THE TELEGRAPH: The British people have a “deep thirst” for the message of Christianity, the Pope said as he ended his historic state visit to Britain.



On his arrival, the Pope said the country’s Christian culture was under threat from “aggressive forms of secularism”. But before his departure he said that he had seen evidence of a continued interest in religion.

He called upon the local Roman Catholic bishops to help people turn away from the “vain enticements of this world”.

The Pope made his comments to Catholic bishops in Birmingham after beatifying Cardinal John Henry Newman, the Victorian theologian who converted to Rome.

Despite controversy over his speeches in some quarters and a well-attended protest rally, the Vatican believes the first papal state visit to Britain has been a “wonderful” success with an estimated 500,000 attending open-air services or lining the streets to see the Pope over the past four days.

Images of the Pontiff meeting the Queen at Holyroodhouse Palace, embracing the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey and addressing four former prime ministers in Parliament will go some way to restoring the Church’s reputation after the scandal over clergy abusing children.

Last night Britain’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, spoke of his hope that the four-day trip would lead to a “Benedict bounce”. >>> Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Monday, September 20, 2010

The Pope's Parting Gift
THE TELEGRAPH: Benedict XVI's historic visit to Britain has been a resounding success – and may have changed attitudes towards the role of religion in modern life, says Peter Stanford.

In a damp Birmingham park before a crowd of 55,000 worshippers, Pope Benedict XVI rounded off his visit to Britain yesterday by beatifying the Victorian convert and theologian John Henry Newman. Like Newman (best remembered, said Benedict, for his "keen intellect and prolific pen"), this Pontiff has long enjoyed a reputation for being a complex, clever but rather dry academic, favouring language that is difficult to understand and moral positions that are uncompromising. Hence his nickname, "God's rottweiler". Or at least that was how Benedict was seen until he arrived in Britain. What a difference four days can make.

When the Pope argued in his homily that, contrary to popular prejudice, Newman was in fact a "warm and human" character, a parish priest and "pastor of souls" as well as a great thinker, he might well have been referring to himself. If this state visit has achieved anything, it has been to show a decidedly sceptical public that the parish priest of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics does indeed have a heart. Since the theme that the organisers chose for the trip was Newman's motto "Heart speaks unto heart", they must be congratulating themselves on a mission accomplished.

From the moment the television cameras picked up Benedict and the Queen chatting amiably in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Thursday, during the traditional exchange of gifts, it was clear that the Pope was determined to reveal himself more as a kindly German shepherd than a rottweiler. Every time the Popemobile pulled to a halt to allow Benedict to reach out and kiss a baby, that pastoral image was reinforced. And it was not a cynical, mechanical ploy. Benedict's voice may have been devoid of intonation, and his face curiously immobile, but his eyes conveyed that same pastorly warmth and humanity that he praised in Newman. Here was an essentially modest man; if not charismatic in the mould of his crowd-pleasing predecessor, John Paul II, then certainly possessing a quiet charm, and emphatically not the woman-hater, gay-basher or ivory-tower bigot of stereotype.

In advance of the visit, siren voices had warned that it would all be a disaster. Few would turn up, we were told. Yet 125,000 lined the streets of Edinburgh, according to the police, and 75,000 came to Glasgow's Bellahouston Park. Everywhere the Popemobile went, the crowds were 10 or 12 deep. As reporters moved among them, it was clear that these were not simply the faithful, coming out of a tribal loyalty to their embattled leader, but people of faith and none, simply curious to witness a moment of history – the first state visit by a pope since the Reformation – and to hear a distinctly counter-cultural message, questioning the remorseless march of the me society, with its twin obsessions of consumerism and celebrity. Read on and comment >>> Peter Stanford * | Monday, September 20, 2010

* Peter Stanford is a former editor of the 'Catholic Herald' and author of 'The Extra Mile: A 21st Century Pilgrimage' (Continuum)

Bermuda Lashed by Hurricane Igor
THE TELEGRAPH: Fierce waves have pounded Bermuda's breakwaters and shores and battered oceanfront hotels as Hurricane Igor lashed the British territory.

Bermudians battened down their homes in pelting rain to wait out Igor, a relatively weak Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The wind uprooted trees and power poles, knocking out electricity in many parts of the island. But there were no early reports of major damage.

"We're certainly getting our money's worth in drama," lawyer James Dodi said while standing outside a hotel in downtown Hamilton watching Igor's winds whip through palm trees and howl around buildings.

Some storm-seasoned islanders ventured outside during the day to watch as the hurricane force winds drove 15-foot surf onto shore. Flooding was reported in low-lying areas, while streets in downtown Hamilton, the capital, were covered in several inches of water and littered with tree branches and other debris. >>> | Monday, September 20, 2010

Igor Powers Ashore in Bermuda


Bracing for Igor in Bermuda >>>

Bermuda in More Tranquil Times

Sweden Elections End in Hung Parliament, Rise of Far-Right
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Swedish elections on Sunday night ended in a hung parliament after the rise of a far-Right group narrowly prevented the conservative-liberal coalition government from winning an outright majority in Sweden’s parliament.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and his wife Filippa. Reinfeldt appears to be heading for an historic second term. Photo: The Telegraph
The result, which gave Frederik Reinfeldt's Moderate-led alliance the largest share of seats in the Riksdag, was the worst result since 1914 for the Social Democrats, effectively ending the party's 80 year domination of Swedish politics.

Official preliminary results showed Mr Reinfeldt’s centre-Right coalition winning 173 seats in the 349-seat parliament and the Social Democrat led Left-Green coalition with 156 seats.

However, the big news of the night for a country which has long prided itself as being one of the most tolerant in Europe was that the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats (SD) looked set to win 20 seats, their first entry to the national parliament.

Despite winning the largest share of the vote, Mr Reinfeldt’s coalition could face weeks of horse-trading after both his conservative-liberal alliance and the opposition left-Green bloc ruled out working with the far-Right.

“If this result stands we will have an uncertain situation,” said a government spokesman.

Before polling opened, Mr Reinfeldt had pleaded for a clear majority amid fears that in the event of a hung vote far-Right MPs from the SD party could play a “kingmaker” role in forming a new government.

“Don’t expose Sweden to this experiment. Make sure they don’t get any power,” he said of the far-Right. >>> Bruno Waterfield and Matthew Day | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sweden's PM Re-elected But Fails to Win Majority
THE GUARDIAN: Sweden's ruling centre-right coalition led by prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt beat the Social Democrat opposition in Sunday's election but failed to win an outright majority. The far right Sweden Democrats have won seats in parliament for the first time

Watch Guardian video here
Read article: Sweden's ruling coalition heads for minority government: Prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt becomes first non-socialist to win re-election since 1930s >>> Julian Borger | Monday, September 20, 2010

Virginia Set to Execute First Woman in Nearly a Century
THE GUARDIAN: Teresa Lewis will die by lethal injection on Thursday unless an appeal to the supreme court can save her

The state of Virginia this week plans to carry out its first execution of a woman in nearly a century, despite claims that Teresa Lewis has severe learning difficulties.

Lewis's last hope is an appeal to the US supreme court after Robert McDonnell, the state governor, said he will not spare the life of the 41-year-old who was convicted of arranging for two men to murder her husband and stepson. She is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Thursday.

The men who carried out the killings – one of whom was Lewis's lover – received life sentences.

Lewis's last hope of avoiding the death chamber is an appeal before the supreme court. Her lawyers will argue that because she has such a low IQ her execution would be unconstitutional. >>> Chris McGreal in Washington | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Suède: L'extrême droite au Parlement?
leJDD.fr: Selon un sondage réalisé à la sortie des urnes dimanche soir, l'extrême droite suédoise entrerait pour la première fois au Parlement. La coalition de centre-droit au pouvoir arriverait en tête du scrutin, devant l'opposition de centre-gauche, sans pour autant disposer de la majorité absolue. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 19 Septembre 2010

Wie der Papst die Zuneigung der Briten gewann
WELT ONLINE: Zum Abschluss seiner Reise spricht Benedikt XVI. John Newman in Birmingham selig und dankt den "englischen Fräulein".

Der Regen hört auf, als Benedikt XVI. an den Altar tritt. Die Sonne bricht durch. Hier, im Cofton Park von Birmingham, hatte John Henry Newman oft Atem geschöpft, zwischen ausladenden Eichen, Kastanien, Nussbäumen und Pappeln, die sich im Wind bogen. Jetzt hat er, 120 Jahre nach seinem Tod, 55.000 Pilger unter sanftem Regen hierhin gezogen, die seine Seligsprechung persönlich miterleben wollen. Trompeten setzen ein, als der Papst mit einer kurzen Erklärung den eminenten Denker und Priester des 19. Jahrhunderts endlich zu einem Seligen der katholischen Kirche erklärt.

Es ist der innere Höhepunkt dieser Reise – nicht weit von Coventry, das die deutsche Luftwaffe vor 70 Jahren in Schutt und Asche legte, vor deren Opfern sich der Papst aus Deutschland nun noch einmal verbeugt, wie vor all den Engländern, „die ihr Leben opferten, als sie so tapfer den Mächten dieser Ideologie des Bösen“ widerstanden. Eine Ewigkeit scheint der Einsatz der Bläser und das überwältigende „Gloria“ der Pilger in der zugigen Landschaft von den wehmütigen Dudelsäcken entfernt, die am Donnerstag die Ankunft des Papstes in Schottland begleitet hatten. >>> Von Paul Badde | Sonntag, 19. September 2010

Tausende feiern Messe mit Papst
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Tausende Katholiken haben mit Papst Benedikt XVI. eine Messe im Cofton Park von Birmingham gefeiert. Der viertägige Besuch des Papstes in Grossbritannien hatte aber auch viele Proteste provoziert.

Cult Members Go Missing in Apparent Mass Suicide Bid
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Police launched a helicopter search for 13 missing cult members on Sunday amid fears they had gone to a California desert to commit mass suicide.

The religious sect included eight children, aged as young as three, and was led by a suburban housewife Reyna Marisol Chicas, 32.

She took her two children Ezequel, 15, and Genisis, 12, with her, police said.

The group, made up of El Salvadorian immigrants, left behind a bag with a relative which contained farewell notes in which members indicated the world was about to end and they were “going to heaven.”

An alert issued by the California Highway Patrol said: “It is believed, through further investigation, that their intentions are to commit mass suicide.” >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Sunday, September 19, 2010

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Cult members 'planning mass suicide' discovered praying for end to sexual immorality: Members of a religious cult feared to be planning a mass suicide in a California desert were discovered hours after they went missing. >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pope Visit: Benedict XVI Beatifies Cardinal John Henry Newman
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI has beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman at an open-air Mass in Birmingham.

Around 55,000 people attended the two-hour ceremony at Cofton Park on the final day of the pope's four-day state visit. | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pope Expresses Sadness at No Welsh Visit

BBC: The Pope has spoken of his "deep love" for the Welsh people and his sadness at being unable to visit during his trip to Britain.

In a special address to the people of Wales, broadcast from a mass at Westminster Cathedral in London, the Pope also gave a blessing in Welsh.

He said he was happy to honour the people of Wales and the ancient Christian tradition.

He also blessed a mosaic of St David, the Welsh patron saint.

The pontiff said St David was "one of the great saints of the the sixth century".

"David's preaching was simple yet profound," reflected Pope Benedict.

"His dying words to his monks were: 'be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things'.

He added: "May St David's message, in all its simplicity and richness, continue to resound in Wales today, drawing the hearts of its people to renewed love for Christ and his Church."

The Pope was speaking after he blessed a new mosaic of St David installed in Westminster Cathedral earlier this month.

He also prayed before the statue of Our Lady of the Taper, the Welsh shrine brought from Cardigan to mark the occasion.

The Pope said he hoped the statue, set to return to Cardigan, would be a "lasting reminder" of his "deep love" for the Welsh people and of his "constant closeness" in prayer and in the communion of the Church[.]

He concluded his address: "Bendith Duw ar bobol Cymru! God bless the people of Wales." (+ video) >>> | Saturday, September 18, 2010