brucebawer.com >>>
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
DIGITAL JOURNAL: Opinion: The brilliantly honest Pat Condell about 'Free Speech' in Europe >>> R C Camphausen | Thursday, November 11, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, has been advised to stop cycling to Downing Street because of a threat from students angry at his broken tuition fees pledge.
The security warning came ahead of a planned mass protest today which is expected to see thousands of young people around the country targeting Liberal Democrat MPs, including Mr Clegg.
Lib Dems have become the focus of student anger because in the run up to the general election they promised to scrap tuition fees altogether, only to support a substantial increase in rates after entering into a Coalition Government with the Conservatives.
Mr Clegg’s security personnel are understood to have told him that it was no longer safe for him to bicycle from his home in Putney, south west London, to his office in the Cabinet Office, beside 10 Downing Street.
There were fears that the Deputy Prime Minister could be knocked from his bicycle or pelted with objects. >>> Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, November 24, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tuition fee protest: why students are turning fire on Liberal Democrats: Thousands of students are preparing to turn their anger on the Liberal Democrats in a demonstration over broken promises on tuition fees. >>> Nick Collins | Wednesday, November 24, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tuition fee protest: where demonstrations will take place: The Liberal Democrat headquarters will be targeted by thousands of students in a second wave of demonstrations against tuition fee hikes on Wednesday. >>> Nick Collins | Wednesday, November 24, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Foreign languages will be made virtually compulsory up to the age of 16 under an overhaul of the education system being announced today.
A shake-up of league tables used to rate schools will force growing numbers of teenagers to take GCSEs in subjects such as French, German and Spanish.
The Coalition said the move would counter the "catastrophic decline" of languages witnessed under Labour following the decision to make them optional at 14.
Ministers say the reforms will also promote the study of other traditional subjects such as history, geography and science, which have fallen in popularity over the past 13 years. >>> Andrew Porter, Robert Winnett and Graeme Paton | Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
POLITICALLY INCORRECT: Somehow, the Taliban don’t seem to like the Dutch government under the tolerance of Geert Wilders’ PVV. Their speaker for Afghanistan, Zabiullah Mujahid, let it be known that a “Jihadist group” from the little country will be administered, if the anti-Islam policies are forced. >>> | Sunday, November 21, 2010
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL – LETTERS: Regarding the Nov. 10 news article "EU gauges member readiness," it is regrettable that the current Turkish government refuses to recognize its continued shortcomings in the areas of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appeared quick to respond in terms of Turkey's patience and how long it might last, but he seems oblivious to the suffering of millions in a country where there is virtually no freedom of speech unless one supports the ruling AKP party's ultimate aim: an all-out Islamic state.
Would Mr. Davutoglu be so quick to respond to questions on whether there are any independent media at all in Turkey capable of reporting freely and without recrimination? Let us not forget that, during the recent debates about changes to Turkey's constitution, the opposition were denied equal and unbiased media access.
I sincerely hope the EU delegation has taken note of this, as well as of the restrictive religious practices currently imposed on Turkey's non-Muslim population. >>> Tayfun Balkan | Wednesday, November 24, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela, has banned the use of his image in propaganda unless he has explicitly granted permission in advance.
A decree issued by his Government outlaws the unauthorised use of his "name, image or figure" on "infrastructure projects, constructions, educational establishments or public buildings of any kind."
Murals, graffiti and posters featuring images of President Chavez by amateur artists wanting to show their support have become a common sight in the capital city, Caracas, and many other parts of Venezuela.
Political opponents have expressed concern about the widespread use of his image in public areas. >>> Robin Yapp in Sao Paulo | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
LE POINT: L'homosexualité est injuste, s'oppose à la volonté de Dieu et est inconciliable avec la vocation de prêtre, estime le pape Benoît XVI dans son livre-entretien présenté mardi à la presse, La lumière du monde, une position qui a suscité l'indignation des gays italiens. "En tant qu'êtres humains, (les homosexuels) méritent le respect (...) ; ils ne doivent pas être rejetés à cause de cela. Le respect de l'être humain est tout à fait fondamental et décisif", affirme-t-il. "Mais cela ne signifie pas que l'homosexualité soit juste pour autant. Elle reste quelque chose qui s'oppose à l'essence même de ce que Dieu a voulu à l'origine", s'empresse-t-il de préciser. >>> Source AFP | Mardi 23 Novembre 2010
LE POINT: C'est le vote le plus important de l'année. Toute l'Amérique - ou presque - est suspendue aux résultats du scrutin de mardi soir qui doit couronner ou non la célèbre Palin. Non ! pas Sarah, mais Bristol, sa fille ! Rappelez-vous, c'est celle qui a avoué, en 2008 pendant la campagne présidentielle, qu'elle était enceinte, à 18 ans, et dont le petit copain l'a lâchement abandonnée, se répandant dans tous les médias en disant pis que pendre des Palin, avant d'annoncer dans un tabloïd leur mariage, puis de prendre à nouveau la poudre d'escampette... Entre-temps, Bristol a été recrutée comme ambassadrice pour une association qui prône l'abstinence avant le mariage. Mais elle est surtout devenue cette saison l'une des concurrentes de Dancing with the stars, un show très populaire dans lequel danseurs professionnels et célébrités souvent has been dansent le tango ou le cha-cha-cha. Le plus doué gagne. Du moins en théorie. Cette saison, même si Bristol Palin se meut avec la grâce d'un crapaud arthritique, elle est la star de l'émission. Toutes les semaines, cette fille un peu ronde écope des plus mauvais scores décernés par les juges et, toutes les semaines, elle est immanquablement sauvée de l'élimination par le vote du public. À tel point qu'elle a réussi à atteindre la finale. >>> De correspondante du Point à Washington, Hélène Vissière | Lundi 22 Novembre 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bristol Palin receives death threats ahead of Dancing With The Stars results: Bristol Palin received death threats ahead of the final results show for Dancing With The Stars in the US on Tuesday. >>> Nick Allen in Los Angeles | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Palin Pantomine goes on! – Mark
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ten alleged Islamists have been detained in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany suspected of plotting an attack in Belgium, according to the prosecutor's office.
The arrests were part of "an inquiry into international jihadist terror," a spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office said.
"In total 10 people suspected of preparing an attack in Belgium were arrested in Belgium, Holland and Germany," he said.
The suspects are from Belgium, the Netherlands, Morocco and Chechnya, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. The group used the extremist website Ansar Al Mujahideen.
The target of the plot was unknown. >>> | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's pro-democracy leader, has been reunited with her son who[m] she last saw a decade ago.
In an emotional moment at the Yangon airport, 10 days after her release from detention, Ms Suu Kyi met Kim Aris, 33, who was finally granted a visa by the military regime after waiting for several weeks in neighbouring Thailand.
Just before walking into the airport terminal, the 65-year old Ms Suu Kyi, who was released earlier this month after more than seven years under house arrest, said: "I am very happy."
A smiling Ms Suu Kyi slipped her arm around her son's waist as the two posed briefly for photographers.
Through her lawyer Nyan Win, Ms Suu Kyi thanked the Burmese authorities for issuing the visa to her son, who resides in Britain and last saw his mother in December 2000. He has repeatedly been denied visas ever since by the ruling junta. >>> | Tuesday, November 23, 210
GATES OF VIENNA: The Trial of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, Day 1 >>> Baron Bodissey | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The developers of an Islamic community centre and mosque near Ground Zero in New York have applied for millions of dollars in public money from a post-September 11 reconstruction fund.
The Park 51 group has risked reigniting a debate over its project by requesting the grant, which is reported to total $5 million (£3.1 million), from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.
Its plan to build a base for local Muslims two blocks away from the World Trade Centre site is opposed by a majority of Americans, polls suggest, and has been criticised by high-profile Republican politicians.
President Barack Obama was also criticised after endorsing the project before backtracking and saying he had only meant that it was legally entitled to go ahead.
Sharif El-Gamal, the 15-storey project's lead developer, is now seeking public money through the Corporation's $17 million "community and cultural enhancement" programme. >>> Jon Swaine in New York | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
FOX NEWS – LIVESHOTS: He wants your money. The developer of the so called "Ground Zero Mosque" is applying for federal taxpayer money to help him build the controversial and contentious project. The funds are designated to help lower Manhattan recover from the 9-11 terrorist attacks, which took place just around the corner from the proposed mosque and cultural center location.
Sharif El-Gamal, the head of SOHO Properties, says the money will be used for a variety of services for Park51, as the project is called.
In a statement, El-Gamal said he is, "…committed to exploring all sources of revenue and funding to build the community center," noting that the request for a reported $5 million would help provide "social service programs....such as domestic violence prevention, Arabic and other foreign language classes, programs and services for homeless veterans, two multi-cultural arts exhibits and immigration services."
El-Gamal did not specify exactly how much of the taxpayers' funds would be allocated to "build the community center."
"It's absolutely disgraceful," said an angry Congressman Peter King (R-NY) who is likely to be the new chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Read on and comment >>> Eric Shawn | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
No Mosque At Ground Zero >>>
JIHAD WATCH: NBC names Ground Zero Mosque developer Sharif El-Gamal "Person of the Year" >>> Robert Spencer | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – ANDREW GILLIGAN: I’ve just finished watching John Ware’s excellent BBC Panorama about what’s being taught in some Muslim schools: a subject which I, and others, believe is the single most worrying aspect of Islamist and radical activity in Britain.
At present the vast majority of British Muslims have little or no truck with Islamist ideas. But in some Muslim schools – not in all, but in a significant and growing number – a new generation is being raised to be much more radical than its parents.
The BBC’s film is another encouraging sign of the growing pressure under which Islamism now finds itself. But the Telegraph has been following this story for a while. As I’ve reported in the paper over the last couple of years, some British schools (most but not exclusively Muslim) are teaching impressionable children to suspect, even despise, the society in which they will have to live. Other schools are teaching an overly narrow, Islamic-focused curriculum, turning out students ill-equipped for life in anything other than a Muslim ghetto. This is, quite simply, a betrayal of the children involved and a recipe for social conflict.
The most shocking and headline-grabbing aspect of the film was, understandably, the Saudi-sponsored weekend schools which teach children racism, anti-Semitism and Sharia punishments. It was fun watching the Islamists’ usual transparent wriggling and lies – the Saudi government trying to deny responsibility for its own textbooks, and so on. Read on and comment >>> Andrew Gilligan | Tuesday, November 22, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Two South Korean soldiers were killed and a dozen injured after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island setting more than 60 houses ablaze and sending civilians fleeing in terror.
The attack, which comes days after it emerged that North Korea was pressing ahead with its illegal nuclear programme, marks a serious further escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The incident is believed to have been sparked by South Korean military exercises in the area, which the North had objected to.
Officials said “dozens” of artillery rounds had landed on Yeonpyeong Island at in the Yellow Sea, 50 miles off the South’s northwest coast in an area close to a disputed sea border. Other reports suggested around 200 shells could have been fired in the attack which began at 2.34pm local time (7.34am GMT).
F-16 fighter jets were scrambled and South Korean land-based forces returned fire on the North as civilians were evacuated to emergency bunkers, according to witnesses quoted by the Seoul-based cable news television channel YTN. >>> Peter Foster in Beijing | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
BBC: Germany is to suspend conscription in July 2011 and switch to a volunteer military service, defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has said.
Conscription of German men will end but will remain in the country's constitution, Mr zu Guttenberg said.
The 250,000-strong German army, the Bundeswehr, is to be cut to around 185,000 soldiers, he added.
Currently all young German men are called to serve, but conscientious objectors can opt for social work.
Mr zu Guttenberg said the slimmed-down German army would focus on missions abroad. >>> | Monday, November 22, 2010
BBC: After a special service at Westminster Abbey later, the Queen is to open the Church of England's General Synod.The synod gets the honour of a royal inauguration because this is the established, state church and the Queen is its supreme governor.
The synod - the Church's legislative body - is the only institution outside parliament that can make laws, even if it does have to get its decisions approved by a special parliamentary committee.
One of the most important laws likely to emerge in the synod's five-year term starting on Tuesday is the introduction of women bishops.
It has already been a debate that has deeply divided traditionalists from progressives, and led some on the Catholic wing of the Church to say they will take up the Pope's offer of a place in the Roman Catholic Church.
To many outside the Church - and to some Anglicans as well - so much anguish and dispute over what they regard as a logical progression from the ordination of women priests 16 years ago is unaccountable.
But for traditionalists - from both Anglo-Catholic and Protestant backgrounds - there is something fundamental at stake.
Some see it as part of a struggle for the soul of the Church, suggesting that the future starting with this new synod will bring in a more liberal Anglicanism which has less time for traditionalist values.
They point to the growing "feminisation" of the Church as a cause for concern. >>> Robert Pigott, Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The WikiLeaks website has announced it plans to publish nearly three million more secret US documents in its next mass release of confidential material.
It would be seven times larger than its release last month, when it posted some 400,000 secret documents about the war in Iraq on its site.
"Next release is 7x the size of the Iraq War Logs. Intense pressure over it for months. Keep us strong," WikiLeaks said on its Twitter feed, adding a link to a donations website.
"The coming months will see a new world, where global history is redefined." it added in a later message.
It would be WikiLeaks' third mass release of classified documents after it published 77,000 secret US files on the Afghan conflict in July. >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Monday, November 22, 2010
LE TEMPS: Le récent soutien du président Barack Obama à une entrée de l’Inde lors de sa visite à New Delhi relance le débat
Barack Obama ou Joseph Deiss? Chacun à sa manière, l’Américain et le Suisse sont appelés à inscrire quelques notes supplémentaires dans l’une des plus longues et des plus complexes partitions diplomatiques qui soient: la réforme du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies. Tout le monde, ou peu s’en faut, considère cette réforme inévitable, depuis des années. Plusieurs fois, elle a même donné le sentiment d’être à deux doigts de se réaliser. Aujourd’hui, plusieurs éléments pourraient jouer à nouveau en sa faveur. Ce sera peut-être à quitte ou double.
La liste fait rêver: aux côtés des cinq «Grands» (Etats-unis, Russie, Chine, France et Grande-Bretagne), voici réunis l’Inde, le Brésil, l’Allemagne, l’Afrique du Sud, le Nigeria. Telle sera la composition du Conseil de sécurité l’année prochaine. Mais ce n’est là qu’un simple hasard. Et les nouveaux Etats, qui ne feront leur apparition qu’en tant que membres non permanents, repartiront une fois passée leur présence de deux années. A moins que… >>> Luis Lema | Lundi 22 Novembre 2010
WELT ONLINE: In ganz Europa sind Rechtspopulisten auf dem Vormarsch. Doch der blanke Rassismus der "English Defence League" lässt sogar eingefleischte Islam-Gegner wie Geert Wilders auf Distanz gehen.
THE GUARDIAN: Brian Cowen defies calls for resignation / Fears that Portugal and Spain may need aid / International rescue plan does little to calm markets / Datablog: how will the bailout be funded and how exposed is each economy?
Financial markets were thrown into turmoil today amid fears that an imminent collapse of Ireland's beleaguered government would have a knock-on effect across the eurozone.
The announcement of the potential €90bn international bailout for debt-laden Ireland – of which the UK could contribute up to £10bn – offered only a temporary respite to nervous markets.
By tonight, concerns that Portugal and even Spain might also need their own rescue packages were rising and sent the euro and shares falling while the risk of holding the debt of potentially vulnerable countries rose alarmingly.
After a tumultuous day in Dublin, where protesters tried to storm the parliament building, the prime minister, Brian Cowen, defied calls for his resignation but conceded he would call an election in the new year. The move was forced upon him after the Green party pulled out of his fragile coalition government, unnerving markets on a day which was supposed to restore confidence in Europe's decade-old single currency.
Instead there was a sense of growing unease in the markets amid evidence that investors felt Portugal would not survive without aid., Dealers said sentiment in the markets was reminiscent of the days after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. Read on and comment >>> Jill Treanor, Nicholas Watt and Henry McDonald in Dublin | Monday, November 22, 2010
Or watch the programme on a BBC iPlayer here if you are a resident of the UK.
Related >>>
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A plan to tackle extremism in the classroom: Those who wish to set up schools in Britain should have to commit to core British values, argues Ruth Dudley Edwards. >>> Ruth Dudley Edwards | Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Verbunden >>>
Monday, November 22, 2010
BBC: Panorama reporter John Ware travels to Birmingham to Al Furqan Community College. The school strives to nurture a genuine sense of respect for other faiths and values. But not all religious schools are as willing to open their doors to other communities. Watch BBC video >>>
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Hand ab für Diebe, Steinigung für Homosexuelle: Derart drakonische Strafen werden in saudi-arabischen Schulbüchern erklärt und mit dem Koran begründet. Antisemitismus steht ebenfalls auf dem Lehrplan - auch in Islamschulen in Großbritannien. Die Regierung in London ist empört.
Aus Saudi-Arabien kommen immer wieder Meldungen über die archaische Strafjustiz des Landes. Enthauptung mit dem Schwert, Amputationen als Strafe für Diebstahl, Steinigung bei Ehebruch oder homosexueller Liebe - in kaum einem Land der Welt sind die Strafen drakonischer und grausamer als in dem Königtum auf der Arabischen Halbinsel.
Dass dieses Rechtsverständnis offenbar auch in saudischen Wochenend- und Abendschulen in Großbritannien unterrichtet wird, empört derzeit die britische Regierung. Rund 5000 Schüler zwischen sechs und 18 Jahren besuchen eine der etwa 40 muslimischen Religionsschulen, die Kinder und Jugendliche in religiösen Fragen und in saudi-arabischer Kultur unterweisen.
Wie man Dieben Hände und Füße amputiert und dass sich Juden in Schweine oder Affen verwandeln - derart bizarrer Lehrstoff wird nach Recherchen des Fernsehsenders BBC auch in Großbritannien muslimischen Kindern beigebracht, die in den saudi-arabischen Einrichtungen lernen. Antisemitismus und Schwulenfeindlichkeit "absolut unangemessen" >>> cht/AFP/dpa | Montag, 22. November 2010
Verbunden >>>
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Germany's parliament says it is closing down the cupola of the Reichstag building to visitors over security concerns.
In a statement the parliament gave no reasons for the closure, which also covers the historic building's roof terrace. Pre-arranged group visits were still allowed, however.
Last week German authorities beefed up security at crowded places such as airports and train stations after Thomas de Maiziere, the Interior Minister, said that Berlin had received a tip-off that Islamic terror attacks were being planned in Germany.
A spokeswoman for parliament said the popular tourist site - from which one can get a panoramic view of the city - would be shut until further notice.
Birget Landskron also said "it has to do with the security situation" but would not elaborate further.
The move comes after Der Spiegel magazine reported on the weekend without citing sources that an informer claimed to German authorities that al-Qaeda planned a possible attack early next year on the parliament building. >>> Martin Banks | Monday, November 22, 2010
LE POINT: Le Reichstag de Berlin partiellement fermé en raison d'une menace d'attaque terroriste >>> Source Reuters | Lundi 22 Novembre 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Mehrere tausend Siedler haben gegen einen neuen Baustopp im Westjordanland demonstriert. Die Demonstranten hielten Spruchbänder in die Höhe und riefen Slogans gegen einen Baustopp.Die israelischen Siedler haben ihre Proteste gegen einen erwarteten neuen Baustopp im Westjordanland verschärft. Mehrere tausend Siedler demonstrierten vor dem Amtssitz des israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, wie israelische Medien berichteten. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag abgeben >>> sda/dpa | Sonntag, 21. November 2010
LE FIGARO: Les nouvelles mesures destinées à améliorer la sécurité dans le transport aérien soulèvent une vague de mécontentement outre-Atlantique. Continuez à lire et réagir à cet article >>> Par Adèle Smith | Lundi 22 Novembre 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Snow will fall in Britain later this week as an early winter blast from the Arctic brings freezing temperatures across the country.
The mercury will start to drop today falling throughout the week until maximum temperatures hit just 36F (2C) in some areas.
Overnight temperatures will fall as low as 14F (-10C) in Scotland and the North, bringing widespread frosts.
The snow will blow in from Scandinavia and Russia on Tuesday falling first in Scotland and the North East, before spreading to the rest of the country. Snow to hit Britain as freezing temperatures sweep country >>> Louise Gray | Monday, November 22, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Snow to settle in Britain as winter weather sets in: Snow will settle in parts of Britain today for the first time this winter as temperatures dip below zero and freezing winds sweep the country. >>> Sarah Rainey and Heidi Blake | Wednesday, November 24, 2010
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Muslim children are being taught how to chop off thieves’ hands and that Jews are plotting to take over the world at a network of Islamic schools, it has been disclosed.
Up to 5,000 pupils attending weekend schools across Britain are being exposed to textbooks claiming that some Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and that some offences could be punished with stoning. One book for six year-olds warns that those who do not believe in Islam will be condemned to “hellfire” in death.
Another text for 15 year-olds teaches that thieves who break Sharia law should have their hands cut off for a first offence and their feet amputated for a subsequent crime. Teenagers are presented with diagrams showing where the cuts should be made.
Tonight’s Panorama on BBC One will claim that the books were discovered at a network of 40 private schools teaching the Saudi Arabian national curriculum. The programme claims to have uncovered evidence apparently linking the schools to the Saudi embassy. Officials at the embassy deny any link.
Panorama also found examples of private Muslim schools using extremist sentiments on their websites. >>> Graham Paton | Sunday, November 21, 2010
BBC: The BBC's Panorama programme has found evidence that Muslim schoolchildren in England are being taught anti-Semitic and homophobic material from a Saudi textbook.
The syllabus used at a network of more than 40 weekend schools details the correct way to chop off the hands and feet of thieves and advocates the death penalty for homosexuality. Watch video here or here.
Panorama will be on TV tonight at 8:30pm.
BBC: British Schools, Islamic Rules: Investigation which uncovers disturbing evidence that some Muslim children are being exposed to extremist preachers and fundamentalist Islamic groups. We also expose the part-time schools where hate is on the curriculum. The programme asks why school inspectors have missed the warning signs and examines the impact this could have on young Muslims' ability to integrate into mainstream British life. >>> | Monday, November 20, 2010
Watch: Panorama: British Schools, Islamic Rules >>>
This is just the start! Islam is not compatible with a liberal democracy. Our politicians and the powers that be had better learn this simple lesson soon, before it’s too late. We have no obligation to tolerate this backward, dark-age excuse for a religion in our country. We do not have to tolerate the intolerant. Muslims WILL turn the clocks back to a DARK AGE. It’s in their DNA! Do something about it! NOW! – © Mark
The Dawning of a New Dark Age >>>
Sunday, November 21, 2010
BBC: Saudi Arabia's ailing 86-year-old King Abdullah is to go to the US for treatment for a back problem, Saudi officials have said.
He has a herniated disc worsened by an accumulation of blood around the spine and is to leave for the US on Monday.
Crown Prince Sultan, who is himself said to be unwell, is to return from an extended overseas holiday to take over. >>> | Sunday, November 21, 2010
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A leading bishop has been criticised after publicly denouncing Prince William’s engagement to Kate Middleton and predicting that their marriage will only last for seven years.
The Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, the Bishop of Willesden, chastised the “nauseating tosh” surrounding the announcement and likened the Prince and his fiancée to “shallow celebrities”.
He said the Royal Family was full of “broken marriages and philanderers” and expressed disappointment that the wedding would cost the public “an arm and a leg”.
Bishop Broadbent’s comments, made on his Facebook page, provoked anger and embarrassment amongst Church of England members and MPs. >>> Victoria Ward | Sunday, November 21, 2010
MAIL ON SUNDAY: 'I give their marriage seven years!' Fury at bishop's slur on 'shallow' Royal couple >>> Jonathan Petre | Sunday, November 21, 2010
CRANMER: Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, must resign >>> Archbishop Cranmer | Sunday, November 21, 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Die Kaida-Zelle im Jemen sieht ihren versuchten Paketbomben-Anschlag als Erfolg an. Die Terroristen stellen zufrieden fest, der durch die Paketbomben entstandene wirtschaftliche Schaden sei enorm.
Die Kaida auf der Arabischen Halbinsel feiert ihren misslungenen Anschlag mit zwei Paketbomben als Erfolg. Die Operation zwinge den Westen zu Milliardenausgaben für neue Sicherheitsmassnahmen, heisst es in einer Erklärung der im Jemen beheimateten Zelle der Terrororganisation.
Dabei habe die Aktion die Kaida gerade mal 4200 Dollar gekostet: «Das nennt sich Hebelwirkung.» Die Erklärung in englischer Sprache wurde in der Nacht von islamistischen Websites veröffentlicht. >>> sda/ddp | Sonntag, 21. November 2010
JIHAD WATCH: Said Musa faces death for apostasy from a government the U.S. installed and in accordance with a Constitution that the U.S. endorsed. An update on this story. "Afghan Christian faces trial for alleged conversion from Islam," by Matiullah Mati for CNN, November 21 (thanks to Mackie):
An Afghan Christian, detained for months for allegedly converting to Christianity from Islam, could face trial as early as next week - and could face a potential death penalty, officials said Sunday. [...]Nice of CNN to admit it, after obfuscating it before. Read on and comment >>> Robert Spencer | Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Afghan Constitution does not mention converting from one religion to another, so the judge will take Islamic law into account, officials said.
"According to Afghanistan's constitution, if there is no clear verdict as to whether an act is criminal or not in the penal code of the Afghan Constitution, then it would be referred to sharia law where the judge has an open hand in reaching a verdict," Shenwari said.
Under sharia law, converting from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death....
GATES OF VIENNA: The clash of civilizations, the collision between cultures, forecast by Samuel P. Huntington, has long since become an obvious fact in modern-day Europe, finding its clearest expression in the confrontation of Islam with the remnants of European Christianity. This collision not only is echoed in the form of terrorist attacks but also as a bitter battle of ideals between two systems of values that could hardly be more opposed to each other, namely the archaic totalitarian value system of Islam and the one represented by post modern European Enlightenment.
In the wake of this quarrel, the world of Islam has already achieved considerable partial success, thanks to something we might call “value indifference coupled with blind tolerance” exhibited by European political elites, which has already lead to a process of disintegration of both Europe’s ethic-religious foundations and its sphere of rights. In the end Islam may well emerge as victorious should Europe fail to rethink its occidental Christian roots. Read on and comment >>> Michael Mannheimer | Sunday, November 21, 2010
WELT ONLINE: Jetzt also doch: Irland wird unter den Euro-Rettungsschirm schlüpfen. Das hochverschuldete Land braucht "mehrere zehn Milliarden Euro".
Irland wird als erstes Land offiziell um Finanzhilfe aus Mitteln des Rettungsschirms der Euroländer und des Internationalen Währungsfonds bitten. Finanzminister Brian Lenihan sagte am Sonntag im irischen Sender RTE, es gehe um „mehrere zehn Milliarden Euro“, nannte jedoch keine konkrete Summe. Griechenland hatte im Mai 110 Milliarden Euro erhalten, allerdings gab es damals den 750 Milliarden Euro umfassenden Rettungsschirm noch nicht. Er werde einen entsprechenden Vorschlag noch am Sonntag im Kabinett machen, sagte Lenihan. >>> dpa/cat | Sonntag, 21. November 2010
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Irland bittet um Hilfe: „Mehrere zehn Milliarden Euro“ >>> bes./wmu. , F.A.Z. | Sonntag, 21. November 2010
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Ireland Asks for Aid From Europe, Minister Says: DUBLIN — Ireland has formally applied for a bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, Brian Lenihan, the country’s finance minister, said Sunday. >>> Landon Thomas Jr. | Sunday, November 21, 2010
THE NEW YORK TIMES: DUBLIN — Antoinette Shields had a plan to keep her tall, blue-eyed son, Kevin, close at hand. When she took over her boss’s construction company in 2002, she hoped to retire at 55 and give her son the business.
But it is not working out that way. Mrs. Shields’s company, which once employed 26 people, is now down to 8, still afloat in Ireland’s collapsed economy, but barely. Though Kevin graduated from college two weeks ago, she has no work for him, and he expects to emigrate to the United States or Canada next year.
“That is where we are,” Mrs. Shields said. “Sad, isn’t it?”
Just three years ago as Ireland’s economy boomed, immigrants poured in so fast that experts said this tiny country of 4.5 million was on its way to reaching population levels not seen since before the great potato famine of the mid-19th century. The conditions that prompted the Irish statesman Éamon de Valera to express the hope that Ireland’s children would no longer “like our cattle, be brought up for export” seemed like quaint history.
That has abruptly turned around. >>> Suzanne Daley | Saturday, November 20, 2010
THE TIMES: Ireland goes cap in hand to IMF >>> Sadie Gray | Sunday, November 21, 2010 | (Behind a paywall: £)
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Who killed the Celtic tiger? >>> James Ashton and Iain Dey | Sunday, November 21, 2010 | (Behind a paywall: £)
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Death of the euro >>> David Smith and Richard Woods | Sunday, November 21, 2010 | (Behind a paywall: £)
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Ireland forced to take EU and IMF bail-out package: Ireland has accepted an EU and IMF bail-out thought to be worth up to £77 billion after emergency telephone conference talks. >>> Bruno Waterfield | Sunday, November 21, 2010
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Deutschland in Angst vor einem Blutbad - eine Gruppe aus dem Ausland soll Anschläge planen. Aber es wächst auch die Sorge, dass islamistische Einzeltäter zuschlagen. Die Polizei hat Urlaubssperre, denn es gilt die Alarmstufe rot.
Nennen wir ihn Thomas. Er ist 26 Jahre alt. Seine Eltern sind geschieden, in Kindheit und Jugend fehlt dem Jungen das, was gemeinhin eine Orientierungsperson genannt wird. Das Gymnasium schafft er nicht, auch nicht die Höhere Handelsschule. Als Jugendlicher finanziert er seinen Lebensunterhalt mit Drogengeschäften, er wird dafür zu mehreren Jahren Haftstrafe verurteilt. Der Aufenthalt im Gefängnis verändert sein Leben. Dort wird Thomas von muslimischen Häftlingen angesprochen, die ihm die Gemeinschaft ihrer Gruppe und ein klares Weltbild anbieten.
Freund und Feind sind darin säuberlich getrennt. Noch während seiner Haftzeit konvertiert er zum Islam, zu dessen radikaler, islamistischer Variante. Heute vertritt er eine strikte Auslegung seiner neuen Religion für alle Belange des Lebens. Er hat sich einen Bart wachsen lassen, hat sein Äußeres, wie er sagt, dem Propheten Mohammed angepasst. Und er hat einen Sprachkurs in Arabisch besucht. Nach Einschätzung des Verfassungsschutzes in Nordrhein-Westfalen befindet sich Thomas in einer Phase der Radikalisierung.
Was bringt einen jungen Deutschen dazu, sich dem radikalen Islam zu verschreiben? Was bewegt ihn dazu, zu konvertieren? Und wie läuft das ab? In Düsseldorf hat sich der Verfassungsschutz diese Fragen gestellt und in einem aufwendigen Verfahren die Lebensläufe von 140 männlichen Konvertiten untersucht, die in der umtriebigen islamistischen Szene an Rhein und Ruhr verkehren, die in diesen Tagen der Terrorgefahr Polizei und Verfassungsschützer in Atem halten. Die Behörde hat dafür alle Daten zusammengetragen; mehr als ein Viertel der Konvertiten war für die noch unveröffentlichte Untersuchung bereit, sich in Interviews mit Polizeihauptkommissaren zu den Beweggründen ihrer Konversion zu äußern. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag abgeben >>> F.A.S. | Sonntag, 21. November 2010
BBC: Cigarette packets should have plain packaging to make smoking less attractive, ministers have suggested.
The government plans to ask retailers to cover up displays of cigarettes from next year to protect children.
But Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said it was wrong children were being attracted to smoking by "glitzy designs on packets" and that it made sense to consider "less attractive packaging".
Campaign group Ash says this is "an enormous leap forward".
The Department of Health is considering the idea of asking tobacco firms to put only basic information and health or picture warnings on their packets.
Making the cigarette packets a plain colour would protect children from taking up smoking in the first place, it suggests.
It would also help support people who are trying to give up smoking, the department said. >>> | Sunday, November 21, 2010
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Des paquets de cigarettes neutres pour décourager les fumeurs: GRANDE-BRETAGNE | Le ministère de la Santé britannique envisage d’imposer aux cigarettiers des emballages neutres standards, portant les seules mises en garde de santé, afin de décourager les jeunes fumeurs. >>> AFP | Dimanche 21 Novembre 2010
leJDD.fr: L'Autorité palestinienne ne retournera à la table des négociations que si un gel de la construction de colonies, y compris à Jérusalem-Est, est prononcé, a déclaré dimanche Mahmoud Abbas. "S'il n'y a pas un arrêt total de la colonisation dans l'ensemble des territoires palestiniens, y compris à Jérusalem, nous n'accepterons pas" de reprendre les négociations, a indiqué le président de l'Autorité palestinienne, à l'issue d'une rencontre avec le président égyptien, Hosni Moubarak, au Caire. Abbas a par ailleurs déclaré n'avoir reçu aucune demande de reprise des pourparlers de la part des Etats-Unis qui mettent en oeuvre un plan destiné à relancer les négociations entre les deux parties. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 21 Novembre 2010
LE POINT: Colonisation: Abbas exige le gel total pour reprendre les négociations: Le président de l'Autorité palestinienne, Mahmoud Abbas, a affirmé dimanche au Caire qu'il n'accepterait pas une reprise des négociations de paix avec Israël sans un gel de la colonisation à Jérusalem-Est. >>> AFP | Dimanche 21 Novembre 2010
NZZ am SONNTAG: Im scheinbar befriedeten Tschetschenien häufen sich wieder Terroranschläge. Der Präsident der russischen Teilrepublik, Ramsan Kadyrow, sieht darin aber kein Problem.NZZ am Sonntag: Herr Kadyrow, Sie haben den Titel Präsident Tschetscheniens abgelegt, da Sie der Meinung sind, in Russland dürfe es nur einen Präsidenten geben. Wie darf man Sie nun ansprechen?
Ramsan Kadyrow: Einfach Ramsan.
Tschetschenien galt bis vor kurzem als ruhigste Republik im Nordkaukasus. Nun häufen sich Terroranschläge wieder. Auch Ihr Heimatort Zentoroi und das Parlament in Grosny waren Ziele.
Wer behauptet, dass der Terror zugenommen hätte? >>> Interview: Klaus-Helge Donath | Sonntag, 21. November 2010
NZZ am SONNTAG: US-Präsident Barack Obama hat ein harmloses Kinderbuch veröffentlicht. Aber sogar damit erzürnt er seine vielen Kritiker.
Ohne viel Klimbim ist am Dienstag das Buch «Of Thee I Sing» erschienen, ein 31-seitiges Bilderbuch von Barack Obama, das dieser seinen Töchtern Malia und Sasha gewidmet hat. Der US-Präsident hat die kurzen Texte darin noch vor seinem Amtsantritt im Jahr 2009 geschrieben. >>> Andreas Mink, New York | Sonntag, 21. November 2010
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