The EU should be stronger and more united. Great Britain should belong to the Union.
Die EU sollte stärker und geeinter sein. Großbritannien sollte der Union angehören.
L'UE devrait être plus forte et plus unie. La Grande-Bretagne devrait appartenir à l'Union.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sacked Iran Foreign Minister Criticises 'Un-Islamic' Dismissal
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Manouchehr Mottaki, the former Iranian foreign minister who was abruptly fired last week, has said his dismissal was "un-Islamic, undiplomatic and offensive".
The former minister said he was caught unaware when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iran president, announced the decision to sack him while he was away on a diplomatic mission in Senegal, according to the Mehr new agency. Mr Ahmadinejad appointed nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi as acting foreign minister.
Mr Mottaki added his criticism to an outcry by parliament members who rival Mr Ahmadinejad from within his own conservative camp. He told that he was not told about the dismissal before or during his trip.
"Dismissing a minister during a mission is un-Islamic, undiplomatic and offensive," Mr Mottaki said. "I was never informed," he added. >>> | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Former Sarah Palin Colleague Says She Has Multiple Flaws
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Nicolle Wallace, a former colleague of Sarah Palin, has become the latest senior Republican publicly to round on the darling of the Tea Party movement, saying that her opponents should avoid criticising her directly and let her expose her own multiple flaws.
Mrs Wallace, who worked closely with Mrs Palin on the ill-fated 2008 Republican presidential campaign, said the former vice-presidential candidate's weaknesses would be revealed by the rigours and demands of a long contest to secure the party's nomination for the next White House election. >>> Alex Spillius, New York | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Iran Committee Votes to Cut Ties with U.K.
TORONTO SUN: TEHRAN - A committee in Iran’s parliament voted on Sunday to cut diplomatic relations with Britain, a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for “cooperation“ with major powers.
The decision by parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, reported by the semi-official Fars news agency, follows criticism by Britain’s ambassador to Tehran of Iran’s human rights record.
“After voting by the members of the committee, it was decided to have diplomatic relations completely severed with Britain,” Fars quoted lawmaker Mohammad Karami-rad as saying.
If the motion is backed by the full parliament it would put pressure on the government to downgrade relations with Britain at a time when a new foreign minister has called for “positive interaction””with the European Union. >>> Reuters | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Schweden nach dem Terroranschlag: „Wir haben es immer gesagt“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nach dem misslungenen Terroranschlag in Stockholm trumpfen die Rechtspopulisten in Schweden auf und fordern eine „offene Debatte“; die Gefahr müsse endlich ernst genommen werden. Islamistischen Fundamentalisten sei in Schweden ein „roter Teppich“ ausgerollt worden.
Am Tag nach dem Terroranschlag von Stockholm legte Fredrik Reinfeldt auf eine Feststellung besonderen Wert. „Es ist wichtig“, sagte der Ministerpräsident, „dass wir unsere offene Gesellschaft verteidigen und keine voreiligen Schlüsse ziehen.“ Anderenfalls drohten unerwünschte Spannungen in der schwedischen Gesellschaft. Doch die rechtspopulistischen Schwedendemokraten, seit der Wahl vom September im Reichstag vertreten, wollten nicht warten. Sie verlangten „eine aktuelle Debatte im Parlament über gewaltbereiten islamischen Extremismus“ – und zwar „aufgrund des großen öffentlichen Interesses so schnell wie möglich“.
Parteichef Jimmie Åkesson forderte im „Svenska Dagbladet“ eine offene Debatte; die Gefahr müsse endlich ernst genommen werden. Doch die Bereitschaft der anderen Parteien, die Diskussion tatsächlich offen und mit den Schwedendemokraten zu führen, dürfte spätestens dann versiegt sein, als deren Parteisekretär Björn Söder der gesamten politischen Konkurrenz vorwarf, sie hätten den islamischen Fundamentalisten in Schweden „den roten Teppich“ ausgerollt. Johan Linander von der mitregierenden Zentrumspartei gab sich empört. Soweit er verstehe, seien die Schwedendemokraten ohnehin gegen alle eingewanderten Muslime. „Sie geben einer ganz Gruppe die Schuld für die Tat eines Einzelnen, das ist sehr gefährlich.“ >>> Von Matthias Wyssuwa | Freitag, 17. Dezember 2010
Wikileaks: Julian Assange Facing US Prosecution Bid, Says Joe Biden
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, is facing proscution [sic] in America for leaking secret cables, the US Vice President, Joe Biden, has disclosed as he branded him a "high-tech terrorist".
Mr Biden said that officials in the US Justice Department were actively exploring ways to prosecute Mr Assange in America over his website’s leaks.
It is the first admission from a senior member of the US administration that efforts are already underway in Washington to bring charges against Mr Assange, who is currently on bail in Britain facing extradition to Sweden on unrelated sexual assault charges.
The 39-year-old Australian-born whistleblower has infuriated the US government by leaking thousands of sensitive diplomatic cables.
He said last week that it looked increasingly likely the US would try to extradite him to face charges related over the leaked cables. >>> John Bingham | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Hier feiern die Obamas Weihnachten
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Vier Wochen vor Heiligabend erstrahlt das Weisse Haus in feierlichem Glanz. In welcher Pracht Barack und Michelle Obama mit ihren Töchtern Weihnachten feiern, sehen Sie im Video.
Barack Obama läutet Weihnachten ein
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Jetzt weihnachtet es auch offiziell: Barack Obama hat in Washington einen riesigen Christbaum in ein Lichtermeer getaucht. Der US-Präsident forderte in seiner Rede zur Nächstenliebe auf. Auch Michelle Obama und Blues-Legende B. B. King hatten einen Auftritt.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Fury Over BBC’s Nativity Insult
THE SUNDAY EXPRESS: THE BBC has angered Christians with a TV drama in which the Virgin Mary is branded a prostitute and sex cheat.
In The Nativity, written by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan, 15-year-old Mary is attacked by people who do not believe her claim that she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Her husband Joseph accuses her of “whoring” and even suggests that her pregnancy might have been the result of rape.
The Church of England has described the four-part drama, which goes out before the 9pm watershed from tomorrow, as “a gritty interpretation”. >>> David Stephenson | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Legalisierung bleibt für zwölf Millionen Menschen ein Traum
Keine erleichterte Einbürgerung für junge Einwanderer in USA
NZZ ONLINE: Für Hunderttausende illegal in die USA eingewanderte Menschen ist der Traum von der amerikanischen Staatsbürgerschaft wieder ein Stückchen weiter in die Ferne gerückt. Die Republikaner blockierten den sogenannten «DREAM Act» zur erleichterten Einbürgerung. Obama zeigte sich enttäuscht. >>> sda | Samstag, 18. Dezember 2010
Königliche Visite: Prinz Harry besucht Berlin
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die Nummer drei der britischen Thronfolge, Prinz Harry, hat am Wochenende die deutsche Hauptstadt besucht. Er nahm an einer Wohltätigkeitsveranstaltung teil und sah sich die Wahrzeichen der Stadt an.
Le patron du Wef voudrait inviter Julian Assange au Forum de Davos
leJDD.fr: Le fondateur de Wikileaks ne peut actuellement pas quitter l'Angleterre.
Le patron du Forum économique mondial (Wef), Klaus Schwab, qui réunit chaque année à Davos le gotha international des affaires et de la politique, a annoncé dimanche qu'il souhaiterait inviter le fondateur du site WikiLeaks Julian Assange pour le prochain sommet en janvier.
"En réalité, je devrais inviter" Julian Assange à Davos, "mais ce n'est pas possible car il n'est pas autorisé à quitter l'Angleterre", a expliqué M. Schwab dans un entretien avec le journal dominical SonntagsZeitung. >>> AFP | Dimanche 19 Décembre 2010
Egypte: Moubarak annonce des réformes
leJDD.fr: Le président Hosni Moubarak s'est engagé dimanche à améliorer la gestion de l'eau, à durcir les conditions d'acquisition de terrains de l'Etat et à renforcer le commerce intérieur lors de la prochaine législature du nouveau Parlement. Les élections législatives de début décembre ont débouché sans surprise sur un triomphe du Parti national démocrate (PND) au pouvoir. S'exprimant devant les deux chambres du Parlement, Moubarak a déclaré que les réformes allaient donner un coup de fouet aux nouvelles industries alors que le gouvernement s'est fixé pour objectif une croissance de 8% sur les cinq prochaines années. [Source: leJDD] | Dimanche 19 Décembre 2010
Russia & China Take on the Dollar
Sharia Law to Be Tightened if Sudan Splits - President
Mr Bashir also defended a recent public flogging of a woman by police. Photo: BBC
BBC: The north of Sudan will reinforce its Islamic laws if the south secedes as a result of next month's referendum, President Omar al-Bashir has said.
Mr Bashir said the constitution would then be changed, making Islam the only religion, Sharia the only law and Arabic the only official language.
Correspondents say his comments are likely to alarm thousands of non-Muslim southerners living in the north.
They are currently protected from some of the stronger aspects of Sharia.
"If south Sudan secedes, we will change the constitution," Mr Bashir told a gathering of his supporters in the eastern town of Gederef on Sunday.
"Sharia and Islam will be the main source for the constitution, Islam the official religion and Arabic the official language," the president added. >>> | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Billionaire's Holiday Gift to Neighborhood
Holiday light show at the home of hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones II * in Greenwich, Connecticut. 12/16/10
* Christmas kitsch! Clearly, Paul Tudor Jones II has more money than taste!
George Papandreou Risks Sparking Class War Over Austerity Cuts
THE GUARDIAN: A mob attack on a politician in broad daylight has highlighted how desperate Greeks are becoming about political decisions imposed on them
Riot police clash with protesters in September outside the Thessaloniki International Fair where the Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, was delivering a keynote speech. Photograph: The Guardian
Stung by fury on the streets, criticism within his own party and rising poverty, the Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, addressed an emergency session of his socialist MPs yesterday as parliament prepared to debate one of the toughest budgets in the near-bankrupt nation's modern history.
Amid mounting hostility over austerity measures that last week sparked some of the ugliest scenes of violence since the eruption of Europe's debt-crisis in Athens, he appealed for calm in navigating what he has increasingly come to call a "state of war".
"These are critical times for Greece," said Kostas Panagopoulos, a political analyst. "It is going through its worst period in 30 years."
An attack in broad daylight on Kostas Hadzidakis, a minister in the former conservative government, has highlighted fears that Greeks are at a tipping point. He was set upon as he walked through Athens during one of the capital's biggest ever anti-austerity demonstrations. Protesters were seen shouting "thieves, thieves" and "let the parliament burn" as they punched him in the face, threw stones at him and tried to attack him with sticks. >>> Helena Smith | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Bank of America Blocks Donations to WikiLeaks
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bank of America has halted all transactions for WikiLeaks, joining other institutions that refuse to process payments for the website that has exposed a trove of US government cables.
"Bank of America joins in the actions previously announced by MasterCard, PayPal, Visa Europe and others and will not process transactions of any type that we have reason to believe are intended for WikiLeaks," the largest US bank said in a statement.
"This decision is based upon our reasonable belief that WikiLeaks may be engaged in activities that are, among other things, inconsistent with our internal policies for processing payments."
Bank of America spokesman Scott Silvestri declined to comment beyond the official statement.
He has previously said that he has a treasure trove of documents on Bank of America, whose shares tumbled more than three per cent on November 30 shortly after the Forbes interview was released. Read on and comment >>> | Saturday, December 18, 2010
Stockholm Bomber: Banned Extremists Recruit Near Taimur Abdulwahab al-Abdaly's Luton Home
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The outlawed Islamist group al-Muhajiroun is openly recruiting near the home of the suicide bomber who blew himself up on a Stockholm street last week, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
MI5 and anti-terrorist police are attempting to unravel what transformed the father of three into an extremist.
But moderate Muslims in Luton, where Iraqi-born Taimour Abdulwahab lived for almost 10 years, claim the authorities are to blame for turning a blind eye to the activities of hard-core jihadi sympathisers.
Unimpeded by the police, the group, now calling itself The Reflect Project, is accused of mounting a campaign of intimidation and violence against those who disagree with it.
The group's members are followers of the radical cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad, who is being held in jail in Lebanon on terrorism charges, and are led locally by Ishtiaq Alamgir or Sword of Islam – a former inland revenue accountant. >>> Jason Lewis, Investigations Editor | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sarkozy Bows to Rival Le Pen over Muslim Prayers in the Street
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Stung by the rise of the right’s new star, the president is taking his cue from her on the highly volatile issue of Muslim prayers on the streets Read on and comment (£) >>> Matthew Campbell | Sunday, December 19, 2010
Snow Chaos: Heathrow Airport To Stay Shut
SKY NEWS: Heathrow will remain closed and will not reopen until checks this morning confirm it is safe, as heavy snow continues to cause chaos across Britain's transport networks.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The US Senate has lifted the controversial ban on gays serving openly in the US military.
The bill will be signed into law this week by President Barack Obama, who made lifting the ban a key campaign pledge.
The repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is a major victory for Mr Obama and congressional Democrat leaders and a historic breakthrough for gay rights advocates.
It will also mark a striking cultural shift for the US armed forces as gays are allowed to serve for the first time without fear of dismissal.
“It is time to close this chapter in our history,” said Mr Obama who has remained in Washington to complete political duties while his family begins their annual Christmas holiday in Hawaii.
“It is time to recognise that sacrifice, valour and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed.” He added that as commander-in-chief, he believed the measure would strengthen the country’s military. >>> | Saturday, December 18, 2010
US Senate Votes to Allow Openly Gay Soldiers in Military
THE OBSERVER: 'Don't ask, don't tell' overturned by 65-31 majority in Senate, paving way for Obama to sign a law ending the policy this week
Campaigners celebrate the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'. Photograph: The Observer
The US Senate voted yesterday to repeal the ban on gay people serving openly in the military, paving the way for President Obama to sign a law ending the policy this week.
However, the defence secretary, Robert Gates, who had pushed for the change, warned gay men and women in the military that the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy will remain in effect for some time while the new rules are put in place.
Obama said in a statement: "By ending 'don't ask, don't tell' no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love." Read on and comment >>> Ben Quinn | Sunday, December 19, 2010
None too soon either. Gays in the US military have been downtrodden for far too long.
I'm glad that the US military has decided, at last, to embrace the twenty-first century. Denying people their rights simply because they were born different is, and always has been, unconscionable.
Senate votes to overturn military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Oskar Freysinger ovationné à un colloque anti-islam à Paris
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: UDC | Le Valaisan avait été invité par l’organisation «Riposte laïque», un mouvement militant laïque français.
Quelque 200 opposants à la tenue d’un colloque baptisé «Assises contre l’islamisation de l’Europe», avec notamment la participation remarquée du conseiller national UDC Oskar Freysinger, ont manifesté samedi à Paris, près de la salle où se tient l’événement. La manifestation s’est dispersée dans le calme en milieu de journée.
Sur un périmètre de plusieurs centaines de mètres autour de l’Espace Charenton (XIIe), où se tenait le colloque organisé par le mouvement d’extrême droite «Bloc Identitaire», des forces de l’ordre déployées en nombre filtraient l’accès au bâtiment, selon l’AFP.
Derrière une banderole rouge portant le slogan: «Pas de fachos dans nos quartiers», les manifestants se sont rassemblés sur une place non loin de là, à l’appel de plusieurs associations et partis de gauche.
«Ne nous laissons pas voler l’idée même de République (...) La laïcité, ce n’est pas la haine, pas la persécution de la majorité sur la minorité», a déclaré la députée PS de Paris Sandrine Mazetier, lors d’une série de prises de parole. Freysinger ovationné >>> ATS/AFP | Samedi 18 Décembre 2010
Charles and Camilla: Obsessively convinced of his own rightness, Charles views his critics with the weary resignation of an early Christian martyr. Photograph: Mail Online
MAIL ONLINE: The engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton has given the British people a welcome fillip in a chilly season. Next April’s wedding will be a big success — even if we make a mess of some things, we’re jolly good at royal ceremonies.
The hard part comes afterwards: as the Queen gets older, growing attention and speculation is focusing on the monarchy’s future. Opinion polls show that most British people would like William to become heir to the throne, bypassing his father, the Prince of Wales.
But courtiers vigorously declare that’s not going to happen. When the Queen dies — as, like all of us, she eventually must — her son is determined to succeed her.
The Prince and his wife Camilla earned warm public sympathy last week when their car was assaulted by rioting student demonstrators in London. But many thoughtful people are alarmed by the prospect of a figure of such assertive eccentricity acceding to the British throne.
I heard one of the cleverest men in Britain, master of an Oxbridge college, quite calmly say the other night: ‘The best hope for the monarchy is that Prince Charles dies before the Queen.’
This seemed a brutal observation from a kindly and temperate man, but he went on to justify it: ‘We spend our lives here educating a new generation to understand that rational behaviour requires us to reach conclusions and make decisions by examining evidence.
HRH, The Prince of Wales 'Harmony': A New Way of Looking at Our World
WikiLeaks Cables: Sudanese President 'Stashed $9bn in UK Banks'
THE GUARDIAN: Speculation that Omar al-Bashir siphoned $9bn in oil money and deposited it in foreign accounts could fuel calls for his arrest
Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, has siphoned as much as $9bn out of his impoverished country, and much of it may be stashed in London banks, according to secret US diplomatic cables that recount conversations with the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court.
Some of the funds may be held by the part-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group, according to prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who told US officials it was time to go public with the scale of Bashir's theft in order to turn Sudanese public opinion against him. >>> Afua Hirsch, legal affairs correspondent | Friday, December 17, 2010
Winona Ryder: Mel Gibson Called Me an 'Oven Dodger'
THE GUARDIAN: Actor claims Gibson made antisemitic and homophobic remarks to her at a party more than 15 years ago
The actor Winona Ryder has claimed that Mel Gibson called her an "oven-dodger" in an apparent reference to her Jewish heritage at a party more than 15 years ago.
Ryder, 39, makes the accusation in an interview with GQ magazine. Gibson, who allegedly also made homophobic remarks about one of her friends on the same evening, was referencing the gas chambers used by Nazis to kill millions of Jews during the Holocaust, she believes. >>> Ben Child | Friday, December 17, 2010
Steven Spielberg Was Target of Arab League Boycott, WikiLeaks Cable Shows
THE GUARDIAN: Leaked dispatch reveals diplomats from 14 Arab states voted to ban the director's films in response to his donation to Israel
A WikiLeaks cable reveals that Steven Spielberg and his Righteous Persons Foundation were the target of an Arab League boycott. Photograph: The Guardian
Steven Spielberg was blacklisted by the Arab League's Central Boycott Office after making a $1m (£645m) donation to Isreal during the 2006 conflict in Lebanon.
A US embassy memo released by WikiLeaks reveals that during a meeting of the group in April 2007, diplomats or representatives from 14 Arab states voted to ban all films and other products related to Spielberg or his Righteous Persons Foundation.
At the confidential US briefing, the head of the Syrian regional office for the boycott of Israel, Muhammad al-Ajami, said that Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had agreed to ban all Spielberg's works. >>> Amelia Hill | Friday, December 17, 2010
Thousands of Christians Flee Central Iraq after Attacks
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled their homes to semi-autonomous Kurdish areas and neighbouring countries since a Catholic church in Baghdad was attacked six weeks ago, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday.
Iraqi Christians gather at the Sayidat al-Nejat Catholic Cathedral to mark the 40th day since the bloody attack. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
Some 1,000 Christian families, roughly 6,000 people, have arrived in the northern Kurdish areas from Baghdad, Mosul and Nineveh, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said. Several thousand have crossed into Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
Many spoke of receiving threats or leaving out of fear. Fifty-two hostages and police were killed when Iraqi forces tried to free more than 100 Catholics taken hostage during Sunday mass on Oct. 31. >>> | Friday, December 17, 2010
En route vers le yuan
Image : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Prudemment plutôt que délibérément, la Chine est en train d’internationaliser son renminbi. Un processus qui pourrait avoir un gros impact sur le commerce, ainsi que sur le système financier mondial. Et même sur la politique internationale
Le marché des emprunts obligataires émis dans la devise chinoise est tellement neuf qu’il doit encore se trouver un nom. A défaut d’autre chose, il est surnommé marché «dimsum», une allusion à la cuisine de Hongkong, où il est basé. En dépit de sa jeunesse, ce marché fait l’objet d’un intérêt grandissant. Le mois dernier, Caterpillar, le fabricant américain d’équipements de chantier, a lancé une émission d’obligations pour 1 milliard de renminbis [145 millions de francs]. C’est la deuxième multinationale à exploiter ce marché, après la chaîne de fast-food McDonald’s en août.
Ces émissions d’obligations sont importantes, car le marché des emprunts obligataires en renminbis par des entreprises étrangères représente bien plus qu’une nouvelle voie pour financer de la dette, c’est un atout majeur dans un plan visant à internationaliser la monnaie chinoise. Le processus sera lent, à pas de bébé bien plus qu’à pas de géant, et il n’est en aucun cas garanti que le renminbi – connu aussi sous le nom de yuan – jouera un rôle décisif au niveau mondial. Mais il pourrait avoir un énorme impact sur le commerce, sur le système financier global et même sur la politique internationale. >>> Robert Cookson et Geoff Dyer | Jeudi 16 Décembre 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Lieber fett und fit, als schlank und schlapp
SCHWEIZER FERNSEHEN: Menschen mit Übergewicht leben ungesund – und Schlanke gesund. Irrtum, sagt der ETH-Wissenschaftler Paolo Colombani. Wer sein Gewicht und damit sein Krankheits-Risiko lediglich gemäss Body-Mass-Index beurteilt, liegt falsch.
Zum Teil in Schwyzertüütsch übertragen.
Islamische Republik Deutschland
Eric Holder Refuses To Say "Radical Islam"
BNP Leader Defeats Contempt Bid
SKY NEWS: BNP leader Nick Griffin fights off a bid to have him declared guilty of contempt of court.
SKY NEWS: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says extradition to the US seems increasingly likely. He's been speaking to Sky's Emma Birchley in Suffolk where he's under house arrest.
Prince William and Kate Middleton. Photograph: Google Images
Snub for Obamas as Royal Sources Reveal They Will Not Be Invited to Prince William's Wedding
MAIL ONLINE: American President left off the guest list as it is not a 'state occasion' / Royal couple eager to ask ordinary citizens to attend rather than VIPs / Heads of State who may attend include Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni
President Obama and his wife Michelle will not be invited to Prince William's wedding next year.
Because Prince William is not yet heir to the throne, his wedding to Kate Middleton is not classed as a ‘state occasion’ – and the couple feel under no pressure to fill the 2,000-strong guest list with heads of state, the Mail understands.
They are more eager to ask ordinary citizens and charity workers than foreign dignitaries and VIPs to what will be the first royal ‘people’s wedding’, courtiers suggested.
A handful of heads of state are likely to be invited in line with previous royal weddings, possibly including France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni.
But the decision to exclude the American premier and his wife Michelle from the celebrations marks a break from tradition. Read on and comment >>> Fay Schlesinger | Friday, December 17, 2010
Armistead Maupin: 'We're Winning' Gay Culture War
BBC: Stephen Sackur talks to Armistead Maupin, an American author whose bestselling Tales of the City series chronicled the beginning of gay liberation in 1970s San Francisco. Has it really got any better for America's gay community since then? Watch BBC video >>> | Friday, December 17, 2010
Julian Assange's Bail Host Had 'No Hesitation'
BBC: The owner of the hall where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been ordered to spend his bail has told BBC Look East he has no qualms about housing the Australian.
Mr Assange has been ordered to spend his bail at Ellingham Hall in Bungay, Suffolk.
Vaughan Smith has only known Mr Assange for five months, but claims he is sure they will get on fine. Watch BBC video >>> | Friday, December 17, 2010
Ancient Mystery of Beheaded French King
BBC: A 400-year-old mystery has finally been solved in France.
Forensic experts have identified an embalmed head passed between private collectors for centuries as belonging to King Henri IV of France, assassinated in 1610.
Hugh Schofield reports from Paris. Watch BBC video >>> | Friday, December 17, 2010
Duc d'Anjou : «La tête d'Henri IV est un patrimoine national»
«Avec la confirmation de la découverte, en tant que chef de la maison des Bourbon, je dois établir une relation avec le gouvernement», déclare le Duc d'Ajou, descendant d'Henri IV.
«On ne prie pas dans la rue par gaieté de cœur»
LE FIGARO: REPORTAGE VIDÉO - Après une semaine de polémique sur les prières de rue, lefigaro.fr est allé à la rencontre des fidèles de la rue Myrah, dans le XVIIIe arrondissement de Paris. D'ici à la fin 2012, ils devraient être accueillis dans une nouvelle mosquée.
WikiLeaks: les pirates lanceront samedi une campagne d’affichage
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: OPÉRATION PAPERSTORM | Le groupe "Anonymous", à l’origine d’attaques contre Visa et Mastercard, ont promis de lancer samedi une campagne d’affichage en soutien au fondateur de WikiLeaks, Julian Assange.
Des pirates informatiques du groupe "Anonymous", déjà à l’origine d’attaques contre Visa et Mastercard, ont promis de lancer samedi une campagne d’affichage en soutien au fondateur de WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, menacé de poursuites en Suède.
"Operation Paperstorm" (Opération tempête de papiers) appelle les partisans de WikiLeaks à "imprimer un logo, un manifeste ou tout ce qui est visible ou fort" puis à l’afficher samedi dans les stations-service, les métros ou tout autre lieu public, explique un message diffusé sur le site twitter "AnonOps communications", utilisé par des pirates d’Anonymous. >>> AFP | Friday, 17 Décembre 2010
WikiLeaks: Julian Assange Fears He Is Subject of an 'Illegal Investigation'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has claimed that there could be an "illegal investigation" being carried out into him.
Speaking on his first day under house arrest, the 39-year-old Australian said he had not been provided with any evidence relating to claims he sexually assaulted two women.
He was let out of prison on Thursday after a judge ruled he should be released ahead of Swedish extradition proceedings in the new year.
Bail conditions require Mr Assange to remain in the country until the extradition hearing next year and he is now staying at Ellingham Hall, a country retreat on the Norfolk/Suffolk border owned by Vaughan Smith, the founder of London's Frontline club.
Speaking from the grounds of the mansion, he claimed certain institutions were "engaged in what appears to be, certainly a secret investigation, but appears also to be an illegal investigation.
"We can see that by how certain people who are allegedly affiliated with us were contained at the US border and had their computers seized, and so on." >>> | Friday, December 17, 2010
THE AUSTRALIAN: Nasrin Sotoudeh has spent 105 days in solitary confinement and is so weak from her hunger strike that she can barely finish sentences.
The leading Iranian human rights lawyer has nonetheless issued a declaration of defiance from her prison cell.
"If you are going to hell, then go like a man," she told The Times in a message sent from Tehran's infamous Evin prison via her husband, Reza Khandan. "Let them give me a harsh sentence because that brings a person honour."
Mr Khandan, who risked reprisals for speaking to a foreign journalist, said that he was proud of his wife and supported her stand, whatever the price.
"I very much fear for her life, but I don't know what I can do to save her," he said.
Ms Sotoudeh, 47, the mother of two young children, is becoming the latest symbol of the regime's barbarity. >>> Martin Fletcher | The Times | Saturday, December 18, 2010
Accommodating Sarkozy Allows National Front to Set France's Agenda
THE AUSTRALIAN: The President's divisive policies on immigration and race could derail the next election.
IF Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency is consumed by the hydra-headed monster that is France's National Front, reinvigorated under Marine Le Pen, he has only himself to blame.
When Sarkozy was elected president in 2007, there was rejoicing that despite his dangerous campaign embrace of far Right rhetoric and policies, Sarkozy had at least vanquished veteran culture warrior Jean-Marie Le Pen's extremist political movement as an electoral force.
But Sarkozy's long-term strategy of battling the racist Right on its own territory, with strident anti-immigrant and law and order policies and polemics, has manifestly failed. As the political establishment gears up for an early start to the 2012 presidential poll, Le Pen's daughter and heir apparent is now attracting 27 per cent of the vote in some popularity surveys and she hasn't even been officially crowned successor to her father.
Throughout his career Sarkozy has made it his practice to "steal" the policies of the extreme Right, and slightly repackage them for majority consumption. >>> Emma-Kate Symons | The Australian | December 18, 2010
Shi'ite Muslims Mark Ashura Festival
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Shi'ite Muslims commemorate the festival of Ashura - one of the religion's most important holy days. Video courtesy of Reuters.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Hundreds of people are detained in Moscow and St Petersburg in what authorities say is a move to prevent new outbreaks of ethnic violence. Video courtesy of Reuters.
UBS Tells Staff To Look Sharp
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Swiss bank UBS released a detailed employee dress code with suggestions on perfume and eating habits that is raising eyebrows across the internet. WSJ's Elva Ramirez discusses the controversy.
Change You Can Believe In! Barack Obama to Sign Package Extending Tax Breaks for the Rich
THE GUARDIAN: Passage of bill reflects weakness of both the presidency and the Democratic party after Republican wins in November elections
Barack Obama was forced to sign the bill despite admitting that he opposed some of its provisions. Photograph: The Guardian
The US president, Barack Obama, will today sign into law measures approved by Congress extending tax cuts introduced by George Bush amid Democratic complaints that the breaks favour the rich.
Despite objections from many of Obama's fellow Democrats, the House of Representatives passed the $858bn (£548bn) package of renewed tax cuts last night. The package, which also extended benefits for the long-term unemployed for 13 months, was passed by 277 votes to 148. On Wednesday the Senate passed it by an overwhelming 83-15 margin.
Passage of the bill reflects the relative weakness of both the presidency and the Democratic party after the Republican sweep in November's congressional elections, giving them a majority in the House and big inroads into the Democratic majority in the Senate.
Obama has been forced to bend to the resurgent Republicans, his current position on taxes contrasting sharply with his stance earlier this year when he and his fellow Democrats fought against renewing tax reductions for the wealthiest Americans – those with household incomes above $250,000 – while supporting continued cuts for middle-class taxpayers. >>> Mark Tran | Friday, December 17, 2010
Assange gegen Kaution frei
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Der inhaftierte Wikileaks-Chef Julian Assange ist wieder auf freiem Fuß: Am Abend wurde er gegen Zahlung einer Kaution aus dem Gefängnis entlassen. Das höchste britische Zivilgericht hatte die Freilassung zuvor angeordnet.
Der Wikileaks-Gründer Julian Assange ist aus der Haft entlassen worden. Das berichtete die britische Nachrichtenagentur PA am Donnerstag. Er muss sich in den kommenden Wochen auf einem Landsitz in England aufhalten, den er als ständige Adresse angegeben hat, und unter anderem eine elektronische Fußfessel tragen, hatte ein Gericht zuvor entschieden. >>> FAZ | Donnerstag, 10. Dezember 2010
Céline Dion: The Prayer (Duet with Josh Groban)
Bradley Manning's Health Deteriorating in Jail, Supporters Say
THE GUARDIAN: The intelligence analyst suspected of leaking US diplomatic cables is being held in solitary confinement
As Julian Assange emerged from his nine-day imprisonment, there were renewed concerns about the physical and psychological health of Bradley Manning, the former US intelligence analyst suspected of leaking the diplomatic cables at the centre of the storm.
Manning, who was arrested seven months ago, is being held at a military base in Virginia and faces a court martial and up to 52 years in prison for his alleged role in copying the cables.
His friends and supporters also claim they have been the target of extra-judicial harassment, intimidation and outright bribery by US government agents.
According to David House, a computer researcher from Boston who visits Manning twice a month, he is starting to deteriorate. "Over the last few weeks I have noticed a steady decline in his mental and physical wellbeing," he said. "His prolonged confinement in a solitary holding cell is unquestionably taking its toll on his intellect; his inability to exercise due to [prison] regulations has affected his physical appearance in a manner that suggests physical weakness."
Manning, House added, was no longer the characteristically brilliant man he had been, despite efforts to keep him intellectually engaged. He also disputed the authorities' claims that Manning was being kept in solitary for his own good. >>> Heather Brooke | Thursday, December 16, 2010
