Hillary Clinton on Lebanon's Political Tensions
BBC: Hezbollah and its allies have threatened to quit the Lebanese cabinet unless their demands over a UN tribunal probing the murder of ex-premier Rafik Hariri are met.

The move would automatically bring down the government, ministers have warned.

Tension has been high in Lebanon, amid indications that Hezbollah members could be indicted by the UN tribunal.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, told the BBC's Kim Ghattas that there was no reason to expect the tensions to lead to violent unrest.

Mrs Clinton said the US will "continue to support the integrity of an independent sovereign Lebanon". Watch BBC video >>> | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Lebanon's Vines on the Frontline
It is estimated that Lebanon's winemaking tradition dates back 5,000 years. Photo: BBC
BBC: Lebanon's history dates back to Noah - the first winemaker mentioned in the Bible - and the winemaking tradition has defied many conflicts over the centuries.

One day not so long ago, I was driving from Damascus in Syria to Beirut.

After the border, the road winds down the Anti-Lebanon mountains. Ahead is the Bekaa Valley, laid out down below like a giant's play-mat.

On that morning, the road through the Bekaa was jammed.

The Lebanese army was rounding up some suspects and had put up a roadblock.

Dozens of soldiers with automatic weapons were outside a building and on the roofs opposite, while some of their colleagues pulled bearded, handcuffed men towards an army lorry.

The mood in the traffic jam was philosophical.

Military roadblocks and checkpoints are part of the scenery in Lebanon. So are contrasts that the Lebanese accept but which might surprise some foreigners. Almost Provence >>> Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East editor | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Persecution of Muslim Converts to Christianity in Germany

Tunisia Riots: Reform or Be Overthrown, US Tells Arab States Amid Fresh Riots
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Riots by youths protesting against Tunisia's 50-year dictatorship clashed with police in the country's capital as the United States warned its Middle Eastern allies to reform or be overthrown.

Police in Tunis opened fire and shot tear gas in the air as stone-throwing youths breached a curfew and surrounded government buildings.

At least three people were reportedly killed, bringing to more than 60 the number said by human rights groups to have died in a wave of unrest in what was previously seen as one of the Arab world's most stable and prosperous countries.

Four more people had already been shot and killed in Tunis's suburbs on Wednesday night.

President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, 74, who has been in power since he overthrew his predecessor in 1987 sacked the interior minister on Wednesday but failed to quell calls for his resignation.

On Thursday night Mr Ben Ali attempted to pacify protesters by saying in a television address that he would not change the constitution to allow him to run again when his term expires in 2014. He also ordered his security forces to stop using firearms against protesters and said prices for sugar, milk and bread would be reduced.

However, as the president was speaking, promising an end to force, two people were killed as police opened fire on protesters, witnesses said.

Hillary Clinton ended a tour of the Gulf with a warning that leaders who failed to carry out political and economic reform risked being cast aside.

"In too many places, in too many ways, the region's foundations are sinking into the sand," she said.

"Those who cling to the status quo may be able to hold back the full impact of their countries' problems for a little while, but not forever.

"If leaders don't offer a positive vision and give young people meaningful ways to contribute, others will fill the vacuum."

Protests over unemployment and food prices have also broken out in Algeria, Jordan and even Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, all countries with a high proportion of young people, many well-educated but jobless. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Liens en relations avec l’article. Aussi ici, et ici.

'It'd Be Better If the UK Joined The Euro'

SKY NEWS: 'It'd Be Better If the UK Joined The Euro': The Spanish Ambassador to the UK, Carles Casajuana says that it would be "much better for everybody" if the UK were to join the single currency. >>> Katie Snape, Sky News Online | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Marine Le Pen. Photo: Google Images
I Can Beat Nicolas Sarkozy, Marine Le Pen Claims
THE AUSTRALIAN: IN a modest office in the drab Paris suburb of Nanterre, a tall, confident blonde sketches out her hopes of beating Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential election early next year.

Marine Le Pen, 42, daughter of Jean-Marie, France's far-right bogeyman, is predicting coming second in the first round and knocking out the President in a replay of 2002 when her father stunned Europe by eliminating Lionel Jospin, the Socialist and favourite. "I think the surprise can be repeated and I am not the only one to think it," Ms Le Pen told The Times.

A few years ago, that would have sounded preposterous but the prospect is now serious, not least in the eyes of Mr Sarkozy's own camp as the unpopular President struggles to regain favour. Jean-Francois Cope, the new leader of Mr Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), sees Le Pen fille as "a major danger for our political family and the political life of France".

A less frightening but still formidable version of Jean-Marie, 88, Ms Le Pen is to be anointed by a congress this weekend as leader of the party that her father founded in 1972. She will then launch a presidential campaign on a tide of popularity never seen by her rabble-rousing father.

With her softer, modern discourse, Ms Le Pen is enjoying a political windfall because the hobbyhorses of the National Front (FN) - Muslims, immigrant-related crime and globalisation - have gone mainstream. "Time has proved us right in a quite spectacular fashion," said Ms Le Pen. "Our old themes, opposition to the euro, the EU, immigration, have taken on a different light. People are saying that this party that was stigmatised was right." With a touch of the apocalypse beloved of her father she added: "This touches the future of European civilisation." >>> Charles Bremner, The Times | Friday, January 14, 2011

THE AUSTRALIAN: French ethnic taboos on trial: RACIAL tensions in France have been laid bare at the trial of one of the country's high-profile journalists accused of inciting hatred. >>> Charles Bremner, The Times | Friday, January 14, 2011

Imam Criticized for NY Mosque Embarks on U.S. Speaking Tour
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Photo: Reuters
REUTERS: The New York imam whose proposed Muslim cultural center and mosque near "Ground Zero" has stirred opposition is embarking on a U.S. speaking tour where he intends to correct misperceptions about his aims.

"The sentiment around Muslims and Islam, about who we are and what we are about, is something that cannot wait and must be dealt with," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said.

"We want to make it clear who we are and where we stand," he said. "We are part of this narrative for the worse, and we need to be part of it for the better."

But opponents say Rauf's debut in Detroit on Saturday before the Islamic Society of North America is indicative of his extremism, and his tour of universities and religious institutions amounts to blatant fund-raising for a widely condemned project. >>> Andrew Smith, Chicago | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Ryan Mauro’s blog, ‘World Threats’ >>>

A Plot to Do Down Islam
THE ECONOMIST: Most of the Arab media are glum about the prospect of South Sudan’s secession

THROUGH the lens of the Muslim Brotherhood’s slick Arabic-language website, the referendum on the future of South Sudan looks rather different from its portrayal elsewhere. The looming partition of Sudan is not, it says, the logical outcome of five decades of civil war. It is the fruition of a century-old Western ecclesiastical plot to close Islam’s gateway into Africa, and the start of a plan to break other Arab countries into feeble statelets so as to grab their riches. >>> Cairo | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Tunisie: levée de la censure sur les sites internet bloqués
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Les sites internet qui étaient bloqués en Tunisie, notamment Dailymotion et Youtube, étaient de nouveau accessibles jeudi soir, peu après la promesse du président Zine El Abidine Ben Ali de garantir "la liberté totale" de l'information et de l'accès à l'internet.

Des utilisateurs ont très vite célébré la disparition du censeur du ministère de l'Intérieur, qui se faisait appeler "Ammar 404". >>> AFP | Jeudi 13 Janvier 2011

LE MONDE: Tunisie : Ben Ali promet de quitter le pouvoir en 2014 – Un mois après le début des émeutes en Tunisie, le président Ben Ali a donné des gages importants aux manifestants, à l'opposition et à la communauté internationale. Lors d'un discours très attendu jeudi 13 janvier, il a promis plus de libertés aux Tunisiens, la baisse du prix des produits de première nécessité et s'est engagé à ne pas se représenter à l'élection présidentielle de 2014. >>> LEMONDE.FR avec AFP, Reuters | Jeudi 13 Janvier 2011

WELT ONLINE: UNRUHEN IN TUNESIEN – Präsident spricht von unangebrachter Waffengewalt: Tunesiens Präsident Ben Ali ist auf die Demonstranten zugegangen und hat die Internetzensur gelockert. Auch sprach er über seine politische Zukunft. >>> dpa/Reuters/jw | Freitag, 14. Januar 2011

Brazil Floods: Death Toll Passes 370
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: More than 370 people have died and hundreds are feared dead as a result of floods and mudslides in Brazil in the worst natural disaster to hit the country for decades.


Three towns situated in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro were devastated after up to 10 inches of rain - the equivalent of a month's rainfall - fell in 24 hours.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing cars, animals and human corpses carried away by torrents of water, while bodies recovered were stored in schools and churches.

Survivors in the towns of Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Petropolis tried desperately to claw away mud with their hands in a search for signs of life after the mudslides struck at around 3am (5am GMT) on Wednesday.

"We were like zombies, covered in mud, in the dark, digging and digging," said Geisa Carvalho, 19, of Teresopolis.

"The recovery of bodies doesn't seem to end," added Ricardo Figueiredo, 52, who has spent his summers in the area since he was born. "If you walk through the streets you see only expressions of desperation, people shouting, stretchers passing by." >>> Robin Yapp, São Paulo | Thursday, January 13, 2011

THE INDEPENDENT: Hundreds killed in Brazil floods and mudslides >>> AP | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Call for Fox News to Drop Glenn Beck
THE GUARDIAN: Ten thousand sign petition for rightwing talkshow host to be removed amid accusations that he has whipped up hatred in the wake of the Arizona shooting

Glenn Beck has had to defend his record. Photograph: The Guardian
A protest was staged against rightwing talkshow host Glenn Beck today, calling for his immediate removal from Fox News.

The organisers, Jewish Funds for Justice (JFSJ), a charity that campaigns for social change, delivered a petition with 10,000 signatures.

In the wake of the Tucson shooting, the TV and radio personality has had to defend his record against accusations that he has whipped up hatred within the public discourse.

For a media figure who has been variously lambasted as a liar, buffoon, clown, bigot and racist Beck is no stranger to the vitriol that currently passes in America as public debate. In fact, he's built a multimillion dollar empire out of it.

So the protest rally that was staged outside the News Corporation headquarters in New York today probably troubled him as much as water flowing off a duck's back.

The petition was part of a groundswell of opinion that when it comes to Beck, arguably the most extreme of America's multitude of rightwing talk hosts, enough is now enough. >>> Ed Pilkington in New York | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Paedophilia 'Culturally Accepted in South Afghanistan'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: British forces were advised by a military study that paedophilia is widespread and culturally accepted in southern Afghanistan.

Older, powerful men boosted their social status by keeping boys as sexual playthings and the practice was celebrated in song and dance, a military study claimed.

British officers in Helmand requested the study to help them understand the sexual behaviour of locals and Afghan comrades after young soldiers became uneasy they were being propositioned.

American social scientists employed to help troops understand the local culture reported that homosexual sex was widespread among the Pashtun ethnic group in southern Afghanistan.

Strict separation of men and women, coupled with poverty and the significant expense of getting married, contributed to young men turning to each other for sexual companionship.

"To dismiss the existence of this dynamic out of desire to avoid western discomfort is to risk failing to comprehend an essential social force underlying Pashtun culture," the report said.

The study, called 'Pashtun Sexuality', said that as well as willing sex between young men, "boys are appreciated for physical beauty and apprenticed to older men for their sexual initiation". >>> Ben Farmer, Kabul | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Pashtun Taliban Sexuality

Afghan Profile >>>

MAIL ONLINE: Imam ‘raped boy, 12, as he attended mosque for religious lessons’ >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Les confidences anglaises de François Fillon
François Fillon. Photo: Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: «Il est plus facile de travailler avec Sarkozy qu'avec Mitterrand ou Giscard d'Estaing», raconte le premier ministre dans The Times. Il évoque aussi la cuisine anglaise, la mixité sociale des pubs, et mêmes les tenues de son épouse.

Et si la Grande-Bretagne, son crachin et son «fog», mettaient le premier ministre en confiance ? François Fillon le pudique, le flegmatique, s'y sentirait-il plus à l'aise pour fendre l'armure et parler de lui ? Avare de confidences avec la presse française, qu'il évite dès qu'il peut, le chef du gouvernement, qui fait la Une du Times [£] jeudi matin, s'est longuement confié à deux journalistes du quotidien britannique. Marié à une femme, «moitié anglaise, moitié galloise», «l'anglophile» Fillon, qui a reconnu jeudi devant les financiers de la City qu'il parlait anglais «comme un Pakistanais», a vanté les charmes du Royaume-Uni.

Et même la cuisine anglaise, «bien meilleure que ce que les gens disent». Il raconte avoir tenté à plusieurs reprises d'en convaincre Nicolas Sarkozy. «Nous avons eu des disputes animées à ce propos», plaisante-t-il. Le premier ministre explique aussi qu'il aimerait «importer» en France les pubs anglais dont il aime la mixité sociale et… la bière. «La première fois que j'ai été à un match de rugby, je ne pouvais pas comprendre pourquoi nous devions partir à 9 heures le matin pour un match qui commençait en début d'après-midi, raconte t il. Après avoir passé quatre heures à boire de la bière, suivre le match était devenu difficile…» >>> Par Solenn de Royer | Jeudi 13 Janvier 2011

THE TIMES: Britain must help us save the euro, warns French PM >>> Charles Bremner, Paris, Sam Fleming | Wednesday, January 12, 2011 (£)

Turkey Calls on Israel to Sack Avigdor Lieberman
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Turkey has urged Israel to sack Avigdor Lieberman, its controversial foreign minister, escalating a protracted row that has badly damaged one of the Middle East's most important pro-western alliances.

Avigdor Lieberman suggested that Turkey was on the verge of succumbing to an Islamist-style revolution of the type that overthrew the Shah in Iran in 1979. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
In an interview on al-Jazeera television, Recept Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, sought to present Mr Lieberman as an out-of-control maverick who had damaged Israel's international standing.

Reflecting deep anger in Ankara over a series of attacks that Mr Lieberman has directed at Turkey in recent weeks, the prime minister suggested that there was little hope of ending the diplomatic crisis with Israel while the foreign minister remained in office.

"Lieberman is Israel's chief problem and the Israelis should get rid of them," the prime minister said. "This is their problem not ours. If Israel doesn't fire him, their problems will get worse." >>> Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Third of Young Japanese Men Not Interested in Sex
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: More than a third of Japanese males aged between 16 and 19 have no interest in or are actively averse to sex, according to a government survey.

Japan's birth rate stands at 1.21 per family, far below the rate of 2.08 babies that is required for a stable population.

As of March 2009, Japan's total population stood at just over 127 million, but that figure is projected to decline to 95 million by 2050. And if more drastic measures fail to encourage people to have sex - and hence children - then there will be a mere 47.7 million Japanese at the turn of the next century. >>> Julian Ryall in Tokyo | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Women 'Should Be Able' to Take Abortion Drugs at Home
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Women could be given the right to have abortions at home after campaigners mounted a legal challenge against 40-year-old laws.


Abortion provider, BPAS, is demanding that women be allowed to take the second of two drugs for an early medical abortion in the comfort of their own homes rather than in clinics.

The organisation, previously known as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said the Abortion Act does not take into account modern advances that mean terminations before nine weeks can be induced with drugs without having to resort to surgery.

Currently women have to attend the abortion clinic to be provided with the first drug, which stops the pregnancy progressing, and then she has to return 24 for 48-hours later for the second, which causes the miscarriage.

Doctors have said it is unnecessary for women to return to the clinic for the second drug and experience in other countries shows it is safe and acceptable to give them the medicine to take at home. >>> Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Deutschland über alles!
WELT ONLINE: Deutschland soll Europas Vorbild sein. Die Kanzlerin fordert, dass sich schwächere Staaten an Deutschland orientieren – nicht am Mittelmaß.

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hat vor einer wirtschaftlichen Mittelmäßigkeit der Europäischen Union (EU) gewarnt. „Die Frage ist nicht, wie wir einen Mittelwert zwischen verschiedenen Staaten bilden“, sagte sie gestern auf dem „Welt“-Wirtschaftsgipfel in Berlin. Wichtiger sei es, die schwächeren Staaten wettbewerbsfähig zu machen. „Unsere Aufgabe ist es, dafür zu sorgen, dass sich Europa an den Stärkeren orientiert.“ Deutschland habe großes Interesse daran, dass sich die überschuldeten Staaten in der Euro-Zone wirtschaftlich schnell erholten. „Über 60 Prozent unserer Exporte gehen nach Europa, deshalb haben wir eigenes Interesse an wirtschaftlicher Prosperität“, betonte sie vor rund 60 Topmanagern und Politikern im Berliner Axel-Springer-Haus. Angela Merkel will deutsche Führung in Europa >>> fab, ams, jos | Donnerstag, 13. Januar 2011

Brisbane Floods: Queensland Facing Reconstruction 'of Post-war Proportions'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Australia's third largest city is facing a clean-up of "post-war" proportions as thousands of residents returned to assess the damage caused to their homes by the biggest flood to hit Brisbane in decades.


The death toll from the floods sweeping the state's south-east rose to 15 during the day after a 25-year-old man was sucked down a storm drain to his death in the city when he went to check on his father's flooded home.

The Brisbane River peaked at 14ft overnight but the drama continued during the day with several dramatic rescues carried out on the fast-flowing water.

A man in a dinghy rescued two people from a boat that was careening down the river without power, and another man was plucked out of the torrent after he fell in from one of the riverbanks.

The rescues came hours after a tugboat helped avert disaster by nudging a large piece of floating concrete away from the supports of a major city bridge.

An estimated 50 suburbs across Brisbane have been swamped with dirty, muddy water and 11,900 homes have been hit by serious flood damage.

Another 14,000 properties and 6,000 businesses are partially flooded.

In some of the worst hit areas, residents who had fled to high ground with as many possessions as they could fit into their cars returned to survey the damage. >>> Bonnie Malkin, Brisbane | Thursday, January 13, 2011

Related >>>

Turkey Alcohol Curbs Raise Secular Fears
BBC: New rules on the sale of alcohol in Turkey have raised fears its food and entertainment industries may be harmed.

The curbs ban alcohol from sports advertising and events for young people, and sales are limited to licensed shops and restaurants.

Critics say it will become harder for catering companies to organise wedding parties and similar gatherings.

A ruling party official said the rules were put in place to protect young adults from alcoholism.

An opposition spokesman said that an "oppressive mentality" was seeking to control Turkey, suggesting that the ruling AKP party was targeting secular lifestyles.

But Mehmet Kucuk, whose Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Board implemented the changes, insisted there was "no ideological dimension to the issue".

One small wine-maker told the BBC that, under the new regulations, he could no longer promote his wines via the internet, could not recommend wines to go with certain food, nor hold wine-tasting events. >>> | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Bank of London and the Middle East Launches [sic] Sharia'a [sic] Compliant Premier Deposit Account in Sterling, US Dollars and Euros for Investors
iSTOCKANALYST: Bank of London and The Middle East plc (BLME), London's leading wholesale Sharia'a compliant bank whose main shareholders are Boubyan Bank, National Bank of Kuwait, the Securities House and the Public Institution for Social Security, announced today the launch of its Premier Deposit Account (PDA) in Pound Sterling, US Dollars and Euro for Kuwait investors. >>> Source: Middle East Company News | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Greek Church Raps Bishop Over Muslim, Jew Remarks
THE WASHINGTON POST: ATHENS, Greece -- Greece's Orthodox church has rejected disparaging comments about Muslims and Jews by a senior cleric that sparked protests from representatives of both faiths.

A statement by the church governing body, the Holy Synod, condemned "any form of racial and religious discrimination." >>> The Associated Press | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Assange 'Faces Death Penalty' in US
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Lawyers for WikiLeaks' founder say he could face death penalty or torture if he is extradited to the US via Sweden.

Assange's lawyers said his human rights could be violated if he is extradited [AFP]. Photograph: Al Jazeera English
Defence attorneys for Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has said he could end up facing the death penalty in the US if the UK extradites him to Sweden, where he is accused of sex crimes.

The lawyers fear that Sweden will in turn hand him over to the US.

Following Assange's appearance in a London court on Tuesday, his attorneys published an outline of the defence he will use at a full extradition hearing scheduled for February 7.

"There is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the US will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA, where there will be a real risk of him being detained at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere" according to a legal memo on the website of the law firm Finers Stephens Innocent.

"Indeed, if Mr Assange were rendered to the USA, without assurances that the death penalty would not be carried out, there is a real risk that he could be made subject to the death penalty."

The Australian citizen, who has angered the US and other states by releasing embarrassing classified US diplomatic cables, is wanted by Sweden for questioning over alleged sexual offences against two women in Sweden last summer.

According to his lawyer, the allegations stem from a dispute over "consensual but unprotected sex". >>> | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Brisbane Battens Down the Hatches as River Peak Looms
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands of residents of Brisbane are rushing to evacuate homes and move to higher ground as the region's worst flood in decades bore down on the city.


Anna Bligh, the state's premier who has spearheaded the official response to the unfolding disaster, warned the country's third largest city would wake up to unprecedented damage.

"Brisbane will go to sleep tonight and wake up to scenes many will never have seen before in their lives," she warned.

The death toll from devastating floods swamping south-east Queensland climbed to 12, with another 43 people missing, the state capital Brisbane braced for more than 50 suburbs to be inundated with rapidly rising water.

The most recent estimates suggest that 20,000 homes, 3,500 businesses and 2,100 roads will be hit by the massive flood as the swollen Brisbane River peaks at 17ft early on Thursday morning.

In preparation, residents in affluent riverside suburbs rushed to save their most precious belongings as the water steadily inched higher throughout the day. >>> Bonnie Malkin, in Brisbane | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Australia floods: Brisbane waters peak lower than feared: Torrents inundate Australian city but flood waters peak at 4.46m, considerably lower than expected >>> Owen Bowcott | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Related >>>

Bonnie Malkin >>>

Lebanon Government Collapses After Hizbollah Walks Out
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Lebanese government has collapsed after Hizbollah and its allies walked out of a coalition that had ensured an uneasy peace in one of the Middle East's most unstable countries.


Eleven ministers resigned in a well-timed move to undermine the pro-western prime minister, Saad Hariri. Mr Hariri was posing for photographs in the White House with President Barack Obama when the decision was announced.

The Hizbollah-led alliance acted after Mr Hariri refused to bow to demands to disavow an international tribunal into the murder of his father, Rafiq Hariri, a former prime minister, which is expected to blame the militant group.

Its move could reignite the three-way confrontation between pro-western parties, Shia factions tied to Iran and Syria, and Israel which has caused decades of political and military conflict in the country. >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Erdogan Is Voted “Man of the Year”
The anti-Israeli rhetoric of Ankara, as well as the support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is certainly not aimed against Israel, but is directed towards the Arabs to enlist their support in the establishment of a Middle Eastern analogue of the EU
No matter how much the orthodox Islam resists the “pernicious Western influence”, the fashion for “Man of the Year” reached the Muslim world too. Naturally, the favourite was Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was voted “Man of the Year” for 2010 by readers of CNN Arabic. As reported by Today’s Zaman, Erdogan won 74% of the votes
PanARMENIAN.Net: The choice of Erdogan in this category was not arbitrary: Turkish foreign policy of the past several years has been focused specifically on becoming a mediator between the Arab and Turkic worlds. And it must be admitted that to some extent Turkey has succeeded. In this respect, the big time for Erdogan came in Davos in 2009, when he left the forum after quarreling with Israeli President Shimon Peres for the operation “Cast Lead”. As you remember, Erdogan was met in Turkey as a national hero, and there immediately began an anti-Semitic campaign. With his demarche Erdogan killed two birds with one stone: he showed the Arabs that Turkey does not sympathize with her long-standing ally Israel and supports the Palestinian side; besides Turkey defends Islam, or rather Pan-Turanism, or to be more precise - Ottomanism, without any prefixes like “neo-”. The anti-Israeli rhetoric of Ankara, as well as the support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is certainly not aimed against Israel, but is directed towards the Arabs to enlist their support in the establishment of a Middle Eastern analogue of the EU. By the way, there are rumours that the Greater Middle East, being the brainchild of the United States, may still be fulfilled by Erdogan. Perhaps that is why Washington turns a blind eye to the anti-Israeli and sometimes anti-American demarches of Ankara.

One may say that Erdogan follows two goals: membership in the EU and establishment of a similar structure in the Middle East with the involvement of some former Soviet republics. It may well be that both of these goals are achieved in the years to come if the Justice and Development Party (AKP) remains in power after the elections of 2011. And only a few doubt that it will be so. Naturally Ataturk’s legacy must be preserved, but Turkey, with the exception of Istanbul and Ankara, is still an Islamic country as a whole. In the central part of the country people still live under Sharia Law and the current situation is unlikely to change in the near future. The immortal phrase of Rudyard Kipling “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet” is relevant today too. And no matter how often Turkey repeats to the world that she is the crossroads of civilizations and the bridge between East and West, yet an Islamic country is an Islamic country. >>> Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Verbunden >>>

New Move to Make Yuan a Global Currency
A Chinese clerk counts yuan next to U.S. dollars. Photograph: The Wall Street Journal
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: China has launched trading in its currency in the U.S. for the first time, an explicit endorsement by Beijing of the fast-growing market in the yuan and a significant step in the country's plan to foster global trading in its currency.

The state-controlled Bank of China Ltd. is allowing customers to trade the yuan, also known as the renminbi, in the U.S., expanding the nascent offshore market for the currency which began last year in Hong Kong.

The decision is the latest move by China to allow the yuan, whose value is still tightly controlled by the government, to become an international currency that can be used for trade and investment.

"We're preparing for the day when renminbi becomes fully convertible," Li Xiaojing, general manager of Bank of China's New York branch, told The Wall Street Journal. He said the bank's goal is to become "the renminbi clearing center in America." >>> Lingling Wei | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Pope Targets Pakistan Blasphemy Law
Pope Benedict XVI calls on Pakistan to repeal the law that calls for stoning to death those who criticize Islam. Video courtesy of Reuters

Headscarf Ban Relaxed in Turkey, But Row Rages On
The relaxing of a ban on Turkish students wearing Islamic headscarves to college has done little to silence a debate about limiting enforced secularism on campus. Video courtesy of AFP

L'agitation gagne la capitale tunisienne
LE FIGARO: Manifestants et forces de l'ordre se sont affrontés dans le centre de Tunis et la police a eu recours aux gaz lacrymogènes pour disperser la foule. Les nombreux blessés sont amenés dans les hopitaux où l'on assiste à des scènes de panique.


Des centaines de jeunes criant des slogans contre le régime sur la place de la porte de France, à Tunis, ont essayé d'avancer vers l'avenue Habib Bourguiba, et les forces de sécurité leur ont barré la route en tirant des grenades lacrymogènes. >>> Par Olivier Couvreur | Mercredi 12 Janvier 2011

FINANCIAL TIMES DEUTSCHLAND: Tunesien versinkt im Chaos – Bilderserie >>>

ISLAMISCHE UNION: Erdogan träumt von arabisch-türkischer Weltmacht
WELT ONLINE: Der türkische Premier Erdogan fordert Türken und Araber auf, Streitigkeiten zu vergessen und sich zu einer Union zusammenzutun.

Logo: Die islamische Union gibt es noch nicht, aber wir haben uns schon mal die passende Flagge ausgedacht. Bild: Welt Online
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan reist derzeit mit einer hochrangigen Regierungsdelegation durch die arabischen Golfstaaten. In einer Rede in Kuwait skizzierte er dabei, welche Mächte seiner Meinung nach in der Zukunft „die ganze Welt gestalten” könnten: Die Türkei und die arabischen Länder, wenn sie die Kraft zu einer „Union” finden als Zentrum der muslimischen Welt.

Erdogan sprach auf einer Konferenz zu den türkisch-arabischen Beziehungen. In dem von der „halbamtlichen” türkischen Nachrichtenagentur Anadolu verbreiteten Text forderte er, die Sreitigkeiten und Differenzen des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts zu vergessen – als die arabischen Völker sich gegen die osmanische Herrschaft erhoben – und sich auf die historischen Gemeinsamkeiten zu besinnen, die Araber und Türken verbinden.

Diese Gemeinsamkeiten sind laut Erdogan vor allem der Islam und das gemeinsame Ringen gegen christliche Aggressoren. „Türken und Araber haben diese Gegenden gemeinsam in der Zeit der Kreuzzüge verteidigt”, meinte er. Auch in späteren Epochen „haben wir gemeinsam gegen die Invasoren gekämpft”, behauptete er unter Verweis auf die „Invasion von Erzurum”. Damit meinte er wahrscheinlich den russisch-armenischen Einmarsch im ersten Weltkrieg in der nordöstlichen Türkei – allerdings hatte das osmanische Reich die Kämpfe mit einem Angriffskrieg gegen Russland provoziert.

Heute, so Erdogan, gelte es, die alte „1000-jährige Brüderlichkeit” zu neuem Leben zu erwecken, eine „politische, wirtschaftliche und kulturelle Union” zu werden. „Wir sind Angehörige der selben Zivilisation. Wir haben eine gemeinsame Geschichte.” Durch Solidarität das Palästina-Problem überwinden >>> Autor: Boris Kalnoky | Mittwoch, 12. Januar 2011

Hillary Clinton Falls While Boarding Plane


MAIL ONLINE: Mrs Clinton takes a tumble as she boards plane >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Mother Nature in Full Rage: Heavy Snow in Much of US; Blizzards in New England

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

MAIL ONLINE: Snow on the ground on 49 of the 50 states as New York shivers through its THIRD storm of the winter >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Iran Broadcasts 'Confession' of Man It Says Was Part of Assassination Plot
THE GUARDIAN: Majid Jamali-Fash says he was hired by Israel as part of network ordered to kill Iranian scientist Masoud Ali-Mohammadi

Iranian intelligence minister Heidar Moslehi reveals details of the alleged plot at a press conference in Tehran. Photograph: The Guardian
Iran's state TV has broadcast the apparent confession of a man it describes as "the main element" of an Israeli-trained network involved in the assassination of an Iranian scientist last year.

The young man, identified as Majid Jamali-Fash, said last night that he was hired by Israel and trained at a military base outside Tel Aviv before being dispatched to Iran as a part of network ordered to kill Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, a Tehran University particle physicist. >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Sarah Palin: “America’s Enduring Strength”

Sarah Palin: "America's Enduring Strength" from Sarah Palin on Vimeo.

THE GUARDIAN: Sarah Palin Brands Media's Attacks Over Arizona Shooting as 'Blood Libel': Politician breaks silence on Giffords shooting and lambasts opponents with controversial choice of language >>> Matthew Weaver | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Australia Floods: Thousands Flee Their Homes in Brisbane as Floodwaters Surge
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands of Brisbane residents are rushing to empty their homes and evacuate to higher ground before the Brisbane River reaches a peak of 18ft on Thursday.


As the death toll from the devastating floods swamping Queensland rose to 12, with another 51 people missing, the state capital braced for widespread flooding across more than 50 suburbs.

In what Anna Bligh, the premier, called “the worst natural disaster in our history”, the most recent estimates suggest that 19,700 homes and 3,500 businesses will be hit by the rapidly rising water.

In preparation, residents of low-lying neighbourhoods were trying to protect their homes with sandbags and tarpaulins and remove their most precious possessions before the peak.

In some places water rose more than three feet in a matter of hours, catching many homeowners off-guard. >>> Bonnie Malkin, in Brisbane | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Australia floods: compelling sight of endless debris in Brisbane River – There are two compelling sights in flood-ravaged Queensland at the moment as the Brisbane River rages to its predicted devastating peak of 18 feet. >>> Jacquelin Magnay, Queensland | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Brisbane floods leave city centre deserted as thousands flee: Officials warn that worst is yet to come / Death toll since weekend rises to 12 >>> Alison Rourke in Brisbane | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

ZEIT ONLINE: FLUT IN AUSTRALIEN: "Hier herrscht das totale Chaos" – Die Hochwasserlage in der australischen Millionenstadt hat sich deutlich verschärft. Verantwortliche rechnen mit einer Überflutung nicht gekannten Ausmaßes. >>> Zeit Online | Mittwoch, 12. Januar 2011

Related here, here, and here.

47 Frontline Al-Qaeda Commanders Identified by Saudi Arabia
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A group of 47 frontline al-Qaeda commanders, including a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, have been identified in an Interpol alert on behalf of Saudi Arabia, in an unprecedented disclosure of Saudi citizens in key terrorist roles.

A spokesman warned that the men were key figures in supplying arms and financing to terrorist outfits in Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
The cross-border police agency said that all of the men named were based outside the oil rich kingdom but posed a potentially serious public threat at home and abroad because of their suspected involvement with the Islamic group. >>> Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, January 12, 2011

Benjamin Netanyahu Says Palestinians 'Walking Away' from Peace
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday blamed the Palestinians for the stalled peace process, saying their refusal to negotiate showed they were not interested in peace.

"What is preventing the advent of peace, the advent of peace negotiations is that the Palestinians are doing everything in their power to avoid them," Mr Netanyahu told a meeting of foreign journalists in Jerusalem. "That is the simple truth." >>> | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Mark Steel: We Owe It to Bankers to Feel Their Pain
THE INDEPENDENT: At last someone has dared to defend the oppressed people of the banking community. Bob Diamond, chief executive of Barclays, who himself has to suffer the trauma of an £8m bonus, said yesterday that the bankers' "period of remorse and apology should be over". And you feel his pain, because the first words to cross your mind when you see a banker are "remorseful and apologetic". Then you're left worrying, "Oh, how I wish the poor souls were slightly less burdened with remorse about their bonus, and didn't apologise with such agonising sincerity about putting it into their wife's name in a series of untraceable accounts based in uninhabitable islands off Ecuador."

But at last they've learnt to stand up for themselves, and Bob Diamond has emerged as their Martin Luther King. Soon the whole banking community will declare: "Say it out loud, I'm 27 million quid in the black and I'm proud." >>> Mark Steel | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

There’s Money in Dem Da Google Searches!
MAIL ONLINE: Google mogul Larry Page has joined the billionaire boat owner club by splashing out $45m on his own super yacht - but unlike many moguls, he bought his yacht used.

Page, 37, picked up the 193-ft boat 'Senses' which comes with a helipad, gym, multi-level sun decks, ten luxurious suites, a crew of 14 and interior design by famed French designer Philippe Starck. [Also here.]

The 193-foot Senses first set sail in 1999. Photo: Mail Online

Page, who is worth an estimated $15billion, bought the boat from New Zealand brewing heir Sir Douglas Meyer [sic].

It was first launched onto the seas in 1999.

Meyer said Page took delivery on the mega-yacht shortly before the new year, and perhaps enjoyed the holidays on the high seas with his family.

Page married model Lucinda Southworth at Richard Branson's Necker Island in 2007, with whom he has a one-year-old son. A yacht to smile about: Billionaire Google founder buys 193-foot boat for $45million ... but he bought it second-hand >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Hillary Clinton Calls Yemeni Child Bride Her 'Hero'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described as "my hero" a young Yemeni girl who broke with tribal tradition to obtain a divorce two years ago, as she spoke at a town-hall meeting in Sanaa.

Hillary Clinton speaks at a town-hall meeting in Sanaa. Photo: The Daily Telegraph
"I want to acknowledge one of my heroes, Nujood Ali, who is with us today," said Mrs Clinton. Ali was married off as a 10-year-old to a considerably older man and forced to drop out of school.

Ali took the stand in court, aided by her human rights lawyer Shada Nasser, and was granted a historic divorce.

"She was one of the many, many young girls in Yemen who wanted to continue her education," Mrs Clinton said. >>> | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Al Qaeda launched English-language online newspaper from Yemen >>>

Brisbane Braces Itself for Worst Floods in More Than a Century
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thousands of Brisbane residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as the city braces itself for its worst flooding in more than a century.


The devastating Queensland floods have claimed at least 10 lives in the last two days and left more than 70 people missing on Tuesday after a torrent raged through the streets of Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.

As the winding Brisbane River breached its banks in several places to engulf parks and footbridges and heavy rain continued to fall on the metropolitan area, the city's main roads and public transport system quickly became clogged as people rushed to get to higher ground.

The authorities called for calm amid reports of panic buying among Brisbane residents, and police asked for volunteers to help fill sandbags as the scale of the threat became clearer.

Early estimates suggested that more than 9,000 homes could be inundated when the Brisbane River peaks at 12ft on Thursday.

The destruction was already evident, with a steady stream of debris, including boats and whole pontoons, floating down the swollen Brisbane River. >>> Bonnie Malkin, Brisbane | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

HERALD SUN PHOTO GALLERY: To the photo gallery >>>

Riding the Wave of Islamophobia: The German Geert Wilders
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A former member of Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats has formed a party to attract voters enthralled by Thilo Sarrazin and disappointed by Germany's existing parties. Berlin politician René Stadkewitz's new Freedom Party aims to leverage fear of Islam for political ends.

René Stadtkewitz, founder and chairman of the Freedom Party, Germany's new right-wing populist movement. Stadtkewitz is a former member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and remains a member of the Berlin state parliament. Photograph: Spiegel Online International
The 52 men and women meeting in a conference room at the Hotel Maritim in Berlin's Tiergarten district were determined to remain undisturbed. No one else was privy to the location and time of the meeting, in a deliberate attempt to prevent protestors and journalists from showing up at the scene. The only outsider present was Daniel Pipes, an American author, critic of Islam and advisor to former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who happened to be in the city.

The Hotel Maritim is on Stauffenbergstrasse, near the Memorial to the German Resistance. It is an historic point of reference that the 52 attendees would likely have drawn encouragement from. Like would-be Hitler assassin Claus von Stauffenberg, after whom the street is named, they too hope to protect Germany against what they perceive to be pending disaster. The group drafted a set of bylaws and discussed a 77-page party platform, which includes such statements as: "We will do everything in our power to oppose the Islamization of our country."

They gave their party a grand name, a name worth fighting for: "Die Freiheit" (Freedom).

The 52 men and women chose as their party chairman an unprepossessing man with a short haircut and melancholy eyes, the 45-year-old manager of a company specializing in alarm systems and security technology and a member of the Berlin state parliament, René Stadtkewitz. >>> Jochen-Martin Gutsch | Thursday, January 06, 2011

Egypt Recalls Vatican Envoy Over Pope Remarks
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Egypt is recalling its Vatican envoy for consultations over remarks by Pope Benedict XVI on Coptic Christians seen as an "interference" in its affairs, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

The action follows "new statements from the Vatican concerning Egypt which are considered by Egypt as unacceptable interference in its internal affairs," the ministry spokesman said in an apparent reference to remarks concerning Copts.

The pontiff has expressed repeatedly his solidarity with the Copts and called on world leaders to protect them in the aftermath of a New Year's Day church bombing that killed 21 people as worshippers emerged from midnight mass in Alexandria.

A day after the attack on the Al-Qiddissin (The Saints) church, the pope appealed for the "concrete and constant engagement of leaders of nations," in what he termed a "difficult mission".

At his New Year's Day mass, Benedict underscored that "humanity cannot display resignation in the face of negative forces of selfishness and violence, it cannot get accustomed to conflicts which claim victims and endanger the future of people."

On Sunday Benedict again voiced solidarity with Egypt's Copts – two days after they marked their Christmas, celebrated on January 7.

"I salute the Coptic faithful present here to whom I renew my expression of closeness," the pope told thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter's Square. >>> | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Anjem Choudary: A Message of Support for His “Brothers” in Belgium

Anjem Choudary's website >>>

The Realities of Christmas >>> Anjem Choudary | Sunday, December 19, 2011

Hillary Clinton en visite au Yémen sur fond de menace terroriste
Hillary Clinton est arrivée mardi à Sanaa en provenance des Emirats arabes unis. Photo : Le Monde
LE MONDE: Premier de la diplomatie américaine à se rendre au Yémen depuis vingt ans, la secrétaire d'Etat Hillary Clinton est arrivée mardi 11 janvier à Sanaa pour une visite surprise au Yémen. Mme Clinton a déclaré avoir l'intention d'aller au-delà de la coopération militaire pour aborder une "stratégie globale" face aux problèmes économiques, sociaux et politiques du Yémen qui font le lit des extrémistes. >>> LEMONDE.FR avec AFP | Mardi 11 Janvier 2011

Un chrétien tué dans une fusillade en Egypte
LE MONDE: Un Egyptien de confession chrétienne a été tué et cinq autres personnes blessées par un inconnu qui a ouvert le feu mardi 11 janvier à bord d'un train près d'Assiout, au sud du Caire.

Le tireur est monté à bord d'un train à destination du Caire, dans la localité de Samalut, près d'Assiout, puis il a ouvert le feu sur des passagers. L'homme a été appréhendé et le mobile de son acte n'est pas encore connu, selon les services de sécurité, qui ont précisé que des musulmans et des chrétiens figurent parmi les blessés. … >>> LEMONDE.FR avec AFP, Reuters | Mardi 11 Janvier 2011

Sarkozy to Be Subject of 'Hugely Embarrassing' Film Charting Rise to Power and Second Divorce
Sarkozy is seen here in June 2007 with second wife Cecilia. The film depicts the newly-elected French President begging his then-wife to come support him at his victory party. Photograph: Mail Online
MAIL ONLINE: French President Nicolas Sarkozy is the subject of a 'hugely embarrassing' new film exploring why his previous wife left him on the day he was elected.

The move called The Conquest is the first ever movie about a French president to be released while they are still in office.

It portrays his rise to power in the five years before he was elected in 2007.

And French critics have said it also sheds light on one the greatest mysteries of his presidency - why Cecilia Sarkozy walked out on him on the night of the election.

The film pulls no punches as it opens with Sarkozy waking up alone at a hotel on the Champs-Elysees after celebrating his election victory.

He is then shown spending his first day as President searching in vain for the wife he married in 1996, a former top model and mother of his youngest son Louis, 13. >>> Ian Sparks | Tuesday, January 11, 2011