Portugal Asks for Bail-out Which Could Cost Britain £4.4 Billion
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Portugal last night became the third European Union country after Greece and Ireland to formally request an emergency bail–out which could cost Britain £4.4 billion.


The country's caretaker prime minister José Sócrates said the measure had been taken after the stricken nation had run out of options.
Economists last night put the UK's involvement in a Portuguese bail–out at up to a potential £4.4billion.

After months of resisting having to apply for a bail–out from the EU and the International Monetary Fund, Portugal's cost of borrowing has reached unsustainable levels.

Addressing the nation last night Mr Sócrates, said: "I have always said that asking for aid would be the final way to go, but we have reached the moment."

It is understood that the rescue fund could be as high as £70 billion, or €80 billion.

Sources close to the Treasury said last night that Britain would take part in any Portugal–related discussions involving the EU's 27 member states. However, the type of bail–out is yet to be discussed and therefore the extent of the UK's exposure was impossible to gauge, the sources said. » | James Hall | Thursday, April 07, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Spain 'won't follow Portugal' with bail-out: Spain said it will not follow ailing neighbour Portugal in seeking a European bail-out. » | James Hall | Thursday, April 07, 2011

One on One - Richard Dawkins
Meet the evolutionary biologist, best-selling author and staunch athiest

Richard Dawkins Debunks "Atlas Of Creation" by Harun Yahya
Richard Dawkins debunks the publication "Atlas Of Creation" by Harun Yahya (aka) Adnan Oktar

Part 2 »
Part 3 »
Part 4 »

Mexico's Indigenous Minority Converting to Islam
Compared to other countries in Latin America with sizeable Muslim communities, Mexico's Muslim population is tiny.



In southern Mexico, the indigenous Mayan population is a minority.

But another minority is being created within that group, as more and more Mayans convert from Catholicism.



In Chiapas, Frank Contreras takes a look at how Islam is gaining a foothold in the region.

Old Benghazi Reveals Pre-Gaddafi Days
Before Muammar Gaddafi took control of Libya in 1969, it was the Italians who ran the show, and their Mediterranean architecture still colours Benghazi's side streets.



But the Italians aren't the only foreign force to have asserted themselves over Libya's second city. Only under Gaddafi has Benghazi been wrestled into subservience to Tripoli, and the new leader did his best to erase meaningful traces of the old.



Now, those who have lived through both eras hope to see a new one that will be Benghazi's own.



Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports from Benghazi.

A Jewish Renaissance in Poland
THE GUARDIAN: There are signs that Poles are discovering their lost Jewish heritage and that antisemitism is in decline

In Kazimierz, once the Jewish heart of Krakow, signs of a revival are everywhere. There are restaurants with Hebrew lettering, a new community centre where students drop in for a Sabbath meal, and even a Jewish kindergarten. And once a year, this quarter is dominated by a celebration of Jewish music, theatre and film that attracts up to 13,000 visitors.

Krakow's Jewish Culture festival is the most prominent symbol of an apparent rejuvenation in the shadow of the Holocaust. This is the nearest Polish city to Auschwitz, but it has also become a place where Poles are discovering their lost Jewish heritage.

The Jewish community centre on Miodowa Street, neighbouring a synagogue defiled by the Nazis but now restored for worship, has seen a steady stream of visitors. Opened in 2008 by Prince Charles, the centre offers Hebrew and Yiddish language lessons and an introductory religious course, alongside yoga, belly-dancing and basketball.

Jonathan Ornstein, the centre's director, says: "I think that people for a few years have been talking about a Jewish renaissance in Poland, in Krakow especially, and that was primarily an interest by non-Jews in Jewish culture, and I think that now we're in a second stage that is totally made possible by this first stage. That's people with Jewish roots getting involved in the Jewish community."

Ornstein says the centre has young people coming in every day who have no contact with Jewish life but want to explore their Jewish roots. One local rabbi tells a story of a Pole who discovered from his mother's birth certificate that she was Jewish, born in Krakow's wartime ghetto. She told him that she had kept it a secret all her life – and then they discovered that the man's father was Jewish, too.

There are reckoned to be slightly more than 100 official members of the Jewish community in Krakow, but 400 who consider themselves Jewish. » | Jeevan Vasagar and Julian Borger | Thursday, April 07, 2011

Clinton unbeeindruckt von Ghadhafis Brief
Appell zum Stopp der Nato-Luftangriffe auf Libyen zurückgewiesen
NZZ ONLINE: Die amerikanische Aussenministerin Clinton hat den Appell des libyischen Machthabers al-Ghadhafi, die Nato-Luftangriffe zu stoppen, zurückgewiesen. Ghadhafi hatte sich in einem Brief an Amerikas Präsidenten Obama gewandt.

Libyens Machthaber Muammar al-Ghadhafi ist beim amerikanischen Präsidenten Barack Obama mit einem persönlichen Bittschreiben abgeblitzt. US-Aussenministerin Hilary Clinton wies Ghadhafis Appell zurück, die Nato-Luftangriffe zu stoppen, und forderte ihn auf, ins Exil zu gehen.

«Es ist überhaupt kein Geheimnis, was derzeit von Herrn Ghadhafi erwartet wird», sagte Clinton bei einer Pressekonferenz. Je früher «das Blutbad aufhört, desto besser ist das für alle». » | sda/Reuters/afp | Donnerstag, 07. April 2011

Clinton Rebuffs Personal Appeal from Gaddafi to Obama

Krieg in Libyen: Gaddafi schreibt an Obama
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Der Militärführer der libyschen Regimegegner hat den Einsatz der Nato als nicht entschieden genug kritisiert. Gleichwohl soll Gaddafi den amerikanischen Präsidenten Obama in einem Brief um ein Ende der Angriffe des Bündnisses gebeten haben.

Der libysche Staatschef Muammar al Gaddafi hat den amerikanischen Präsidenten Barack Obama in einem Brief um ein Ende der Nato-Angriffe in seinem Land gebeten. In dem Brief vom Mittwoch, der der Nachrichtenagentur AP vorlag, sprach Gaddafi von einem „ungerechten Krieg gegen ein kleines Volk eines Entwicklungslandes“.

Aus amerikanischen Regierungskreisen verlautete, man halte den dreiseitigen Brief für echt. Darin erkläre Gaddafi weiter, die Nato-Luftangriffe hätten seinem Land moralisch stärker geschadet als militärisch. Ein demokratische Gesellschaft könne nicht mithilfe von Raketen und Kampfflugzeugen errichtet werden. Gaddafi wiederholte außerdem, seine Gegner seien Mitglieder des Terrornetzes Al Qaida. Der libysche Machthaber sprach Obama in seinem Brief mit den Worten „unser Sohn“ an und erklärte, er wünsche dem amerikanischen Präsidenten die Wiederwahl 2012. » | FAZ.NET mit dapd/AFP/Her./nbu. | Mittwoch 06 April 2011

Nick Clegg: I Cry to Music and Even My Sons Ask Why Everyone Hates Me
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nick Clegg has admitted that he feels like a "punch bag" in the face of public hostility towards him and that he "cries to music", in his latest toe-curling magazine interview.

Insisting that he is a human being with feelings, the Deputy Prime Minister said even his sons ask their “Papa” why he is hated by students following the row over tuition fees.

In words which will irritate No 10, he distanced himself from the Prime Minister, who he referred to as “Dave,” and insisted that, despite appearances, the two are not friendly.

He also admitted telling “white lies” to his family to explain his absences, adding that he was often "quite miserable" at the amount of time he was forced to spend away from them.

The candid interview, in this week’s New Statesman magazine, was conducted by Jemima Khan, the heiress and socialite, and is almost certain to raise questions about Mr Clegg’s judgement.

It follows another frank interview he gave to Piers Morgan for GQ magazine three years ago, in which he admitted to having had “no more than 30” previous lovers. » | Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Le Portugal demande l’aide financière de la Commission européenne
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le Portugal a demandé mercredi à bénéficier d’une assistance financière de l’Union européenne, a annoncé le président de la Commission européenne José Manuel Barroso dans un communiqué.

"Le Premier ministre du Portugal José Socrates a informé ce jour (mercredi) le président de la Commission européenne José Manuel Barroso de son intention de demander l’activation des mécanismes de soutien financier" de l’UE, a précisé la Commission.

"Le président de la Commission a assuré que cette demande serait examinée le plus rapidement possible (...) et s’est dit confiant dans les capacités du Portugal de surmonter ses difficultés actuelles avec la solidarité de ses partenaires", a ajouté la commission. Peu auparavant, le Premier ministre portugais José Socrates avait annoncé lors d’une allocution télévisée que le gouvernement portugais avait "décidé aujourd’hui même d’adresser une demande d’assistance financière à la Commission européenne". » | AFP | Mercredi 06 Avril 2011

Yemen Protesters Hold Firm
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Yemen, demanding an end to the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
 More than a hundred people have been killed in anti-government demonstrations since February. Our special correspondent has this report from the Yemeni capital Sanaa. 
We are not naming her due to security reasons

Gaddafi Sends Message to Barack Obama
YAHOO! NEWS UK: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has sent a message to US President Barack Obama, the White House has confirmed, as Nato claims his forces are using human shields for protection.

Colonel Gaddafi sent the message "following the withdrawal of America from the crusader colonial alliance against Libya", Libya's official news agency JANA said.

No further details were given by the state broadcaster about the message to Mr Obama. » | Sky News | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

US Defense Chief in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Mideast Unrest
VOICE OF AMERICA: Officials say talks with Saudi ruler to focus on political change across the region, progress on $60 billion arms deal, missile defense[.]



U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Saudi Arabia to meet King Abdullah for talks on the recent spate of political unrest sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. » | VOA News | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Gaddafi Forces Using Civilians as Human Shields, Says France
THE GUARDIAN: Libya rebels accuse coalition of standing by as Misrata assault continues, saying air strikes have abated since Nato took charge

Muammar Gaddafi's forces are using civilians as human shields to foil Nato air strikes, France said after rebels accused the western-led coalition of standing by while government troops continue their assault on Misrata.

The French foreign minister, Alain Juppé, conceded that the position of rebel-held city – under daily shelling and sniper fire from the army – was intolerable but said there was little more which could be done immediately.

"We've formally requested that there be no collateral damage for the civilian population," he told France Info radio [Radio France]. "That obviously makes operations more difficult."

The head of France's armed forces gave a similar response to complaints from rebels that the pace of air strikes has abated since Nato took over control of Libyan operations from the US, France and UK on 31 March.

"I would like things to go faster, but as you are well aware, protecting civilians means not firing anywhere near them," Admiral Edouard Guillaud told Europe 1 radio. "That is precisely the difficulty." » | Peter Walker and agencies | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Fox News to Drop Glenn Beck's Show
THE GUARDIAN – BLOGS – RICHARD ADAMS: Fox News announces it is dropping Glenn Beck's daily talkshow - but spins it as a "new partnership"

Fox News announced today it is dropping Glenn Beck's daily talkshow – but in its official statement said the network and the controversial host would work together on unnamed future projects.

That may just be a face-saving device for Beck and the network, or it may be an attempt by Fox to find a way to use Beck in a form that avoids alienating advertisers. » | Richard Adams | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Glenn Beck 'to transition off' Fox News: Network axes Tea Party icon's daily slot amid mounting controversies and exodus of advertisers » | Richard Adams in Washington | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

L'infirmière de Kadhafi
LE POINT: Oksana Balinskaya décrit deux années "heureuses" passées au côté du chef de la Jamahiriya.

La jeune femme s'est confiée au quotidien russe Komsomolskaya Pravda. Selon elle, sûr, Kadhafi est en très bonne forme. "Il prend soin de sa santé et, tous les ans, il fait des examens médicaux. Et sa tension artérielle, on ne peut que l'envier... " déclare l'infirmière. Le personnel du leader a pris l'habitude de l'appeler Papa. C'est d'ailleurs ainsi qu'elle-même le désigne. "Côté gastronomie, Papa est un homme sans prétention. Il aime le couscous à la viande de chameau ou de mouton. Comme tous les Libyens, il adore la cuisine italienne, surtout les pâtes." » | Le Point.fr | Mercredi 06 Avril 2011

Syria Relaxes Veil Ban for Teachers
THE GUARDIAN: Bashar al-Assad also orders closure of Syria's only casino in bid to appease Muslims ahead of proposed anti-regime protests

Syria has closed the country's only casino and reversed a ban on teachers wearing the Islamic veil – moves seen as an attempt to reach out to conservative Muslims ahead of calls for pro-democracy demonstrations.

Syrian activists have urged protesters to take to the streets on Wednesday and the following two days to honour more than 80 people who were killed in a crackdown on demonstrations that erupted nearly three weeks ago.

President Bashar al-Assad's decisions on Wednesday were unusual concessions to religious concern in Syria, which promotes a strictly secular identity.

The recent protests, however, have brought sectarian tensions into the open with thousands of people taking to the streets calling for democracy in a country where Alawites – followers of a branch of Shia Islam who represent just 11% of the population – have been in power for nearly 40 years. The country is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. » | Associated Press in Cairo | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Österreich: "Nazi-Bäcker" laufen die Kunden davon
KURIER.AT: Die Torte mit Nazi-Symbolen eines Bäckers bleibt nicht ohne Folgen. Der Konditor aus Maria Enzersdorf entschuldigte sich.

Ich wurde am Telefon als Nazi-Schwein beschimpft, man hat mir und meiner Familie den Tod gewünscht und Gäste haben mir ausrichten lassen, dass sie nicht mehr ins Lokal kommen." - Konditor Manfred Klaschka aus Maria Enzersdorf (NÖ) bekommt die Auswirkungen der "Torten-Affäre" deutlich zu spüren. Wie berichtet, hatte das "Mauthausen Komitee Österreich" Anzeige erstattet, weil sich in einer Mustermappe von Klaschka Fotos von Torten mit Nazi-Symbolen (vom Hakenkreuz bis zum Hitlergruß) fanden. » | Mittwoch, 16. April 2011

KURIER.AT: Zuckerbäcker bot Nazi-Torten an: Im Bezirk Mödling wurden Süßwaren gespickt mit Nazi-Symbolen feil geboten. Das "Mauthausen Komitee Österreich" hat Anzeige erstattet. » | Mittwoch. 04. April 2011

FOCUS ONLINE: Konditor wegen Nazi-Torten angezeigt: Österreich ist für seine vielfältigen Süßspeisen bekannt – eine sehr geschmacklose Kreation hat einem Konditor nahe Wien nun aber eine Anzeige eingebracht: Der Bäcker bietet mit Nazisymbolen verzierte Torten für jeden Anlass an. » | jba/dapd/dpa | Dienstag, 05. April 2011

DIE PRESSE: Niederösterreich: Konditor bäckt Torten im Nazi-Design – Im Bezirk Mödling wurde ein Konditor angezeigt, der mit NS-Symbolen verzierte Torten im Programm hatte. Er selbst "würde auch Gaddafi backen". » | APA | Dienstag, 05. April 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Austria: 'Nazi' cakes cause outrage – A pastry maker in Austria has had a complaint filed against them [sic] by a Holocaust survivors group for baking cakes decorated with Nazi designs. » | Emanuelle Degli Esposti | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

24HEURES.CH: Signes nazis sur des gâteaux: un pâtissier autrichien dans la tourmente – Une association autrichienne de survivants de l’Holocauste a porté plainte contre un pâtissier qui décorait, à la demande, ses gâteaux avec des symboles nazis comme des croix gammées. » | AFP | Mercredi 06 Avril 2011

Witness - Shahrbanoo
The encounter of an American woman with a super-conservative Iranian family living in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Tehran. An extraordinary trip deep into the heart of conservative Iran

Egypt Military Trying Political Prisoners
Mohamed Ibrahim Soliman, Egypt's former Housing Minister, has been arrested on corruption allegations, becoming the latest member of the former Mubarak government to be detained over allegations regarding deals worth billions of dollars.



Much less publicised in Egypt, however, are the cases of political activists who have been detained since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. Many have been charged with spreading "false information" and insulting the country's powerful military, which currently controls the state.



Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports on one such case from Cairo.

Inside Story: Tensions in the Gulf
Internal unrest through the Arabian gulf.
 


But the country being painted as the aggressor is just 300 kilometres across the famous stretch of water - Iran.



The unrest is being billed as one between the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nations and their Persian neighbour.



The foreign ministers of the six nations - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recently met in Riyadh. 



They released a statement criticising what they called Iran's blatant interference in internal affairs, particularly in Bahrain and Kuwait.

This comes after Iran's objection to Saudi Arabia sending in troops to Bahrain during the uprising there.
 


In return, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday the GCC statement was issued under the pressure of the US government and its allies.



This episode of Inside Story discusses what 'Iranian meddling' may or may not amount to, and just what the GCC and indeed Iran are achieving by ratcheting up the rhetoric at this time.



Inside Story, with presenter Kamahl Santamaria, discusses with guests: Hussein Shobokshi, a columnist for Asharq Alaw-sat newspaper; Ghanbar Naderi, a political commentator and jounalist; and Fahad Shulemi, a security analyst and a former colonel in the Kuwaiti army. 



This episode of Inside Story aired on Tuesday, April 5, 2011.

French Panel Debates Secularism and Islam
THE NEW YORK TIMES: PARIS — France’s governing party pressed ahead on Tuesday with a controversial debate on the nature of secularism and the challenges of Islam, an exercise criticized by some in the government and numerous religious leaders and ridiculed as cynical by both the Socialist opposition and the far-right National Front.

Held at a Paris hotel in the presence of some 600 religious leaders, legislators and journalists, the debate was shunned by prominent members of the government, and its title was altered to remove any reference to Islam, resulting in the anodyne “Secularism: To Live Better Together.”

It was three hours of debate after two months of fierce political squabbling.

Initiated by President Nicolas Sarkozy, the debate was organized by the leader of his party, the Union for a Popular Movement, Jean-François Copé. But the prime minister, François Fillon, quietly refused to take part, fearing that it would push the party too far to the right and might lead to “a stigmatization of Muslims,” he said, leading Mr. Copé to accuse him of “not being a team player.”

The concern is to help along a Westernized version of Islam that fits within the behavioral and cultural norms of France, which accept gender equality and the private nature of religious belief.

Mr. Copé said the debate was “controversial but necessary,” saying that “the values of France are like the Three Musketeers: liberty, equality, fraternity.” He would add a fourth, he said — secularism. » | Steven Erlanger and Maïa de la Baume | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Florida Pastor Does Not Plan To Burn More Qurans
NPR: The pastor of a Florida church says he does not plan to burn any more Qurans — but Terry Jones has said that before.

Jones first made headlines around the world last September, when he announced — and then called off — plans to publicly burn a copy of the Quran at his church in Gainesville, Fla. But on March 20, he actually did it — and though it drew little media attention at the time, it has since sparked protests in Afghanistan that have claimed 20 lives.

Jones' event was markedly different from the scene outside his church last year, when reporters, cameras and satellite trucks made him a dubious worldwide celebrity — at least for a while.

To make sure the word got out, Jones' church, the Dove World Outreach Center, videotaped the event and put it up on its website. It was a mock trial, complete with a prosecutor, a jury of church members and a judge played by Jones himself. The charges: "The Quran is charged with death, rape, torture of people worldwide whose only crime is not being of the Islamic faith."

At the conclusion of the trial, Jones and his jurors pronounce the Quran guilty, and a kerosene-soaked copy of the Muslim holy book is placed on a barbecue grill and set aflame.

Jones says he did it to raise awareness about the nature of radical Islam and was surprised when it attracted little notice at first. A few days later, however, the small flame Jones lit in Gainesville was kindled into something much larger half a world away.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the act, leading to a series of protests in Afghanistan that have claimed more than 20 lives, including those of seven U.N. employees.

Jones says he feels no responsibility for those deaths. » | Greg Allen | Wednesday, April 06, 2011

David Cameron: Britain Caused Many of the World's Problems
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain is responsible for many of the world’s historic problems, including the conflict in Kashmir between India and Pakistan, David Cameron has said.

The Prime Minister appeared to distance himself from the imperial past when he suggested that Britain was to blame for decades of tension and several wars over the disputed territory, as well as other global conflicts.

His remarks came on a visit to Pakistan, when he was asked how Britain could help to end the row over Kashmir.

He insisted that it was not his place to intervene in the dispute, saying: “I don’t want to try to insert Britain in some leading role where, as with so many of the world’s problems, we are responsible for the issue in the first place.”

His remarks about Kashmir were greeted warmly by the audience of Pakistani students and academics, but drew accusations from historians that the Prime Minister was wrongly apologising for Britain’s past.

Daisy Cooper, the director of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, said: “This is typical of the UK’s schizophrenic relationship with former colonies where it is both proud and embarrassed about its past. The Coalition has said that it has big ambitions for a modern Commonwealth and the UK should stop being embarrassed about its colonial past and they should work with other countries to help improve their human rights.” » | James Kirkup, in Islamabad and Christopher Hope | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Nick Clegg: I Was Wrong to Use Father’s Help to Secure Bank Internship
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nick Clegg’s drive to stop privileged children with "sharp-elbowed" parents monopolising internships was undermined when he admitted securing a placement at a bank with the help of his father.

The Deputy Prime Minister was embarrassed as he launched his landmark social mobility strategy, which includes at its heart a plan to open up work experience to all classes, after it emerged that he also employed unpaid interns in his parliamentary office.

Speaking at an event to launch the strategy, he said it had been “wrong” of his wealthy banker father to have secured him a placement at a Finnish bank by “having a word” with a friend who worked there.

“I think the whole system was wrong,” he added. “I am not the slightest bit ashamed of saying that we all inhabited a system that was wrong.”

Mr Clegg announced that he was banning the practice of unpaid work experience across his party after a former intern came forward to say that he had not even been paid out of pocket expenses such as travel and lunch while working for free for the Liberal Democrat leader.

The Coalition is moving to take action on the “tacit conspiracy” which sees privileged professionals give their children a leg up in life by using contacts to secure internships, which are often viewed as the first step on the career ladder.

As part of the strategy, Mr Clegg called on employers to pay interns the minimum wage, or at least reasonable expenses, to avoid excluding those who could not afford to work for free. » | Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Jeremy Irons Says Smokers Deserve Special Protections, Like Disabled People
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Jeremy Irons has said that smokers deserve to be protected like disabled people and children, during a scathing attack on New York's crackdown on lighting up in public.

The veteran British actor has become one of the most high profile critics of efforts by Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, to improve public health by banning smoking in city-owned open spaces.

Earlier this year, Mr Bloomberg – himself a reformed ex-smoker – pushed through a law making it illegal to light up in 1,700 parks, public squares and beaches, including Central Park and Times Square.

The ban, which carries a £31 fine, came eight years after Mr Bloomberg prohibited smoking in all of the city's bars and restaurants. A similar ban was imposed in Britain four years later.

Mr Irons, who was in New York to guest-star in an episode of Law & Order, a television series, described the measures as "ludicrous and a terrible bullying of a minority that cannot speak back."

Smokers should be protected like "handicapped people and children", he told an interviewer for New York magazine [sic], who said the 62-year-old's teeth were "a testament to a life of indulgences." » | Jon Swaine, New York | Monday, April 04, 2011

AFP: 'Home-grown' rebellion fights New York smoking ban » | Sebastian Smith, AFP | Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Labour Attacks Nick Clegg Over Social Mobility Plan
BBC: Nick Clegg has come under fire over his plan to improve social mobility, with Labour claiming it is "mission impossible" with him at the helm.

In an angry Commons exchange, deputy leader Harriet Harman accused Mr Clegg of "betraying a generation of young people" by raising tuition fees.

But the deputy PM said Labour had failed to improve social mobility despite doubling public spending.

He said the coalition's "overriding mission" was to make society fairer.

The deputy prime minister faced questions in the Commons after unveiling the government's social mobility and child poverty strategies – entitled Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers.

He said he wanted to stop people getting on in life purely because of "who they know" and has announced that informal internships for young people in Whitehall would be banned.

"They should get an internship because of what they know," he told the BBC.

"It's not just because of someone who's met somebody at the tennis club or the golf club, who's whispered something into someone's ear and they've got an internship for their son or daughter." (+ video) » | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Prince Harry Can’t Quit Ciggies Habit
THE SUN: PRINCE Harry is back on the cigs, The Sun can reveal.

The royal soldier, 26, tried to give up after his ten-week stint in Afghanistan in 2008.

But he has been seen smoking again and took his favourite Marlboro Golds on his Walking with the Wounded North Pole challenge.

A source said: "Harry has really battled with fags, but he doesn't seem able to give up once and for all.

"One reason he smokes is boredom. He's been learning to fly helicopters - which is great when you're flying but there's a lot of sitting around, doing nothing.

"Harry has been training hard for his ice trek, but that hasn't stopped him puffing away.

"If he wants to give up, he's clearly got a challenge on his hands." » | Duncan Larcombe, Royal Editor and Richard White | Monday, April 04, 2011

Sarkozy's Debate Targets Muslims
THE GUARDIAN: A week before the burqa ban, French Muslims find themselves accused of violating republican values

Claude Guéant, France's interior minister, was in typically conciliatory mood when he described the growing number of Muslims in his country as a "problem". Pointing to the fact that this community had grown from "very few" when the republic became a secular one in 1905, to 5-10 million today, Guéant highlighted the sight of many of them "praying in the street" as particularly undesirable. Guéant's government has chosen a period of unprecedented tension and volatility in the Arab world to launch a debate about the negative influence of Islam on French society. As his own pilots attack Libya with a ferocity so far not displayed by other coalition members, President Nicolas Sarkozy will settle down on Tuesday to watch the epic discussion unfold at a Paris hotel. Continue reading and comment » | Nabila Ramdani | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

My comment:

I have full sympathy for Sarkozy and for what he is trying to achieve. The man has courage indeed. That’s more than can be said for the wimps that govern us.

It must be remembered that France takes its secularism very seriously. They didn’t have a revolution for nothing! The revolution stood for liberté, egalité, and fraternité. Those three concepts are precisely what Islam does not stand for. Islam does not stand for liberty (unless one is talking about the liberty to worship Allah); Islam does not stand for equality (unless one is a member of the faith and referring to the equality of Muslim brothers and sisters); and Islam does not stand for farternity (unless one is talking of the fraternity of the ummah).

So it is very understandable that Sarkozy and his colleagues want to launch this debate on Islam, secularism, and la République. Were I to be he, I should wish to do the same; moreover, I wish that our politicians had the courage to stand up for what we believe in too. Alas, they are far too cowardly. – Mark

This comment also appears here

Islam in Deutschland: Eurabia Rising

Study Finds Poorer Health among Older Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals
PINK NEWS: A study of older gay men, lesbians and bisexuals in California suggests that they have poorer health than their straight counterparts.

According to the data from the California Health Interview Survey, gay and bisexual men between 50 and 70 have higher rates of physical disability, diabetes and high blood pressure than straight men of the same age.

Older gay and bisexual men were 45 per cent more likely to report psychological distress and one in five said they were living with HIV.

Half lived alone, compared to just 13 per cent of straight men.

Lesbian and bisexual women also had poorer health, with higher rates of physical disability and psychological distress.

They were also more likely to live alone than straight women.

Steven P Wallace of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, who led the research, said: “Many aging LGB Californians do not have biological children or strong family support. » | Jessica Geen | Tuesday, April 05,

First Irish Public Civil Partnerships Take Place
PINK NEWS: Ireland’s first public civil partnership ceremonies were due to take place this afternoon.

The law came into force on January 1st, although the vast majority of couples were required to give three months notice of their intent to tie the knot.

Six couples who obtained a special court exemption have had civil partnerships since February 7th. The couples, who all requested privacy, will have been granted exemptions on compassionate grounds, for example, when one partner is terminally ill.

Today, Dublin couple Hugh Walsh and Barry Dignam will be the first to have a civil partnership without a court exemption. Another couple is expected to follow them. » | Jessica Geen | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

The Great Jesus Swindle
The greatest lie ever told

Egypt's Emergency Law
Egypt's former leaders ruled the nation with what many deemed "excessive force", locking up people without due process and keeping them incarcerated even after courts demanded their release.
Since the fall of Mubarak, however, concern has been growing at the army's use of military tribunals and quashing of dissent.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Cairo on the calls to scrap Egypt's emergency law

Inside Story: Libya's Peace Pleas Not Enough
After more than a month of fighting, Muammar Gaddafi the Libyan Leader has once again renewed diplomatic efforts seeking an end to the crisis. 
On Sunday, Abdel Ati Obeidi, Libya's deputy foreign minister landed in Athens, carrying a message to the Prime Minister from Gaddafi. Gaddafi's message: to seek an end to the fighting. 

This was followed by a trip to Turkey and then to Malta.
 The Greek foreign minister said his country wants to reinforce the demands of the UN resolution.
 Also Franco Frattini, Italy's Foreign Minister dismissed Al Obeidi's message from Gaddafi as "not credible", reiterating that Gaddafi had to leave power. At the same time, Italy recognised the Libyan Opposition National Council as the only legitimate authority in the country. But Libyan opposition are still refusing any kind of settlement saying they will accept a UN-demanded ceasefire only if Gaddafi pulls his forces from all Libyan cities. Inside Story, with presenter Dareen Abughaida, discusses with guests: Ashur Shamis, a Libyan journalist and writer; Dimitris Papadimitriou, a reader in European Politics at the University of Manchester and Claire Spencer, head of Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.
 This episode of Inside Story aired on Monday, April 4, 2011

Sanctions Are Dropped Against Libyan Defector
THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — The Obama administration dropped financial sanctions on Monday against the top Libyan official who fled to Britain last week, saying it hoped the move would encourage other senior aides to abandon Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the country’s embattled leader.

But the decision to unfreeze bank accounts and permit business dealings with the official, Moussa Koussa, underscored the predicament his defection poses for American and British authorities, who said on Tuesday that Scottish police and prosecutors planned to interview Mr. Koussa about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and other issues “in the next few days.”

Mr. Koussa’s close knowledge of the ruling circle, which he is believed to be sharing inside a British safe house, could be invaluable in trying to strip Colonel Qaddafi of support.

But as the longtime Libyan intelligence chief and foreign minister, Mr. Koussa is widely believed to be implicated in acts of terrorism and murder over the last three decades, including the assassination of dissidents, the training of international terrorists and the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

“He was both the left arm and the right arm of the regime, its bloodhound,” said Dirk Vandewalle, a Dartmouth professor who has studied Libya for many years.

Mr. Vandewalle recalled a dinner with friends in Libya a few years ago when one man mentioned Mr. Koussa’s name, a dangerous faux pas. “The conversation just stopped,” he said. “People switched to a different topic. Koussa was considered beyond the pale.” » | Scott Shane | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Unrest in Yemen Seen as Opening to Qaeda Branch
THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — Counterterrorism operations in Yemen have ground to a halt, allowing Al Qaeda’s deadliest branch outside of Pakistan to operate more freely inside the country and to increase plotting for possible attacks against Europe and the United States, American diplomats, intelligence analysts and counterterrorism officials say.

In the political tumult surrounding Yemen’s embattled president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, many Yemeni troops have abandoned their posts or have been summoned to the capital, Sana, to help support the tottering government, the officials said. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group’s affiliate, has stepped in to fill this power vacuum, and Yemeni security forces have come under increased attacks in recent weeks.

A small but steadily growing stream of Qaeda fighters and lower-level commanders from other parts of the world, including Pakistan, are making their way to Yemen to join the fight there, although American intelligence officials are divided on whether the political crisis in Yemen is drawing more insurgents than would be traveling there under normal conditions. » | Eric Schmitt | Moonday, April 04, 2011

National Gallery Visitor Attacks Gauguin Painting, Officials Say
THE WASHINGTON POST: A painting at the Gauguin exhibit at the National Gallery was attacked last week by a gallery visitor, provoking considerable commotion, according to other museum visitors and gallery officials.

Screaming “This is evil,” a woman tried to pull Gauguin’s “Two Tahitian Women” from a gallery wall Friday and banged on the picture’s clear plastic covering, said Pamela Degotardi of New York, who was there.

“She was really pounding it with her fists,” Degotardi said. “It was like this weird surreal scene that one doesn’t expect at the National Gallery.”

Gallery spokeswoman Deborah Ziska said no damage to the 1899 painting was immediately apparent after the 4:45 p.m. incident. But she said a more thorough examination will be conducted Monday.

In the painting, both breasts of one woman are exposed, as is one of the second woman’s breasts.

The woman who allegedly attacked the painting was “immediately restrained and detained” by the museum’s federal protection ser­vices officers, who charged her with destruction of property and attempted theft, Ziska said in a statement. » | R. Smith and Martin Weil | Monday, April 04, 2011

PINK NEWS: Woman attacks ‘evil homosexual’ Gauguin painting: A woman who attacked a Paul Gauguin painting in Washington DC’s National Gallery claimed she did it because it is “very homosexual”. » | Jessica Geen | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Haia Officers Get Training to Combat Black Magic
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: A total of 30 officials of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) have been trained on how to deal with cases of black magic.

The three-day training program was held in the Eastern Province city of Al-Ahsa.

The commission has achieved remarkable successes in combating black magic in various parts of the country. It has set up nine specialized centers in the main cities to deal with black magicians. » | MD Humaidan | ARAB NEWS | Monday, April 04, 2011

How to Keep Up with the Letwins
THE INDEPENDENT: In this anti-elitist age, snobbery seems ridiculously outmoded. But, argues John Walsh, there's an awful lot of it about ...

Like a duchess unwarily revealing her pants to the world's gaze, Oliver Letwin, the Cabinet Office minister, reportedly let slip a tiny flash of bigotry. He was talking to Boris Johnson about whether there should be more airports when he allegedly said: "We don't want more people from Sheffield flying away on cheap holidays."

Instantly, he revealed himself as a ridiculously old-fashioned snob – the kind who assumes that Northerners are whippet-owning paupers, that the poor should be persuaded to stay in their place, and that cheap holidays are less acceptable than expensive ones in Letwina, or wherever the minister goes in August.

The besetting sin of snobbery is that it reduces people, places, things and behaviour to one dimension, which can be despised without further thought (Kate Moss – common; Birmingham – ghastly; Saturday TV – vulgar; brown shoes worn in town – not done.) With luck they will live, and converse, with other snobs who agree with their views, so they can share conspiratorial shrieks about Kate Middleton's family background or Osborne & Little wallpaper. Sometimes, though, they'll misjudge their audience (to be fair, Letwin was speaking to a fellow Old Etonian) and the cat will be out of the bag. » | John Walsh | Tuesday, April 05, 2011



My comment:

This excellent article sums it all up perfectly. Thank you! The British have cornered the market in snobbery, I'm afraid. There's no snob like a British snob. The English, in particular, are past masters at the silly little game. Nowhere else in the world – and I have worked in a few countries – have I observed snobbery as bad as in the UK. By the way, looking at that photo of Oliver Letwin, it's hard to see what he has to be snobbish about! – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Where Are the Republicans Who Can Beat Obama in 2012?
THE GUARDIAN – BLOGS – RICHARD ADAMS: "GOP presidential contest begins to warm up," the Los Angeles Times declared. That was on 7 March. In the weeks since then, can you feel the excitement? No, me neither.

In fact the most dramatic thing to happen during the nomination contest to date is Barack Obama's announcement that he's running for re-election. And he faces no primary opposition.

Compared with the same stage in 2007, when the presidential primary season was running at full steam, 2011 is a flat tire. But it's not just the lack of activity – the Republican candidates being touted are a collection of has-beens, nobodies and deadbeats, several of them barely household names in their own households. And those are the most electable ones. Continue reading and comment » | Richard Adams | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Libyan Rebels Scoff at Idea of Gadhafi's Son Taking Over
CNN: Tripoli, Libya -- With no end to Libya's bloody war in sight, a source close to the country's leadership said a Libyan envoy is floating the idea of ruler Moammar Gadhafi passing his power to a son -- a notion rebel leaders deem merely cosmetic.

Under the proposal, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, 38, would help to usher in swift reform, the source said. But Saif Gadhafi has become one of his father's most outspoken defenders since the start of the unrest, despite once being perceived as a leading reformer in the Libyan government.

But a proposal to shift power from Gadhafi to his second-oldest son is "a ridiculous offer," said Ali Aujali, a former Libyan ambassador to the United States who now represents the Libyan opposition in Washington.

"Libyan people, they decided, and they will not go back at all (to) Gadhafi or any member of his family," Aujali said. "His sons, they are killers -- they're just like their father."

Aujali said the rebels are willing to offer Moammar Gadhafi and his family safe passage out of Libya in an exchange for an end to the fighting -- but that's as far as their offer goes. » | CNN Wire Staff | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE – DER KOMMENTAR: Gaddafis Manöver: Gaddafis Versuch, über Verhandlungen sein Gesicht zu retten, ist zum Scheitern verurteilt. Schließlich ist die Gegenregierung im Aufwind: Ein französischer Diplomat wurde bereits in Benghasi akkreditiert, Qatar hat die Übergangsregierung anerkannt. » | Von Wolfgang Günter Lerch | Montag, 04. April 2011

Prince of Wales Lays Wreath at Moroccan Tyrant's Tomb
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Prince of Wales risked controversy on Monday as he laid a wreath at the tomb of a tyrannical former ruler of Morocco.

The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Rabat amid continuing protests against the country's undemocratic regime, and paid their respects at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, where the late king and his son Hassan II are buried.

The reign of Hassan II, who died in 1999, was marred by the deaths of hundreds of people who protested against his regime, including more than 300 people who were killed during demonstrations and 174 who died in custody.

Morocco is in the middle of a "peaceful revolution" after the present king, Mohammed VI, promised to give up his executive powers, including the right to choose the prime minister and other ministers, following widespread street protests in the past two months.

Fouad Abdelmoumni, an economist and pro-democracy campaigner, suggested the timing of the Prince's visit to Hassan II's tomb was far from ideal.

He said: "Some people would think that it's not the best time for him to do this kind of thing, and not the best place to visit."

One of the leaders of the protests, who asked not to be named, said: "Hassan's human rights record was appalling and the families of people who were killed during his rule will not be happy with Prince Charles laying a wreath at his tomb, though I don't think the wide majority of Moroccans will have strong opinions about it."

Despite concerns before the visit that the Prince and the Duchess could be confronted by protesters during their three-day stay, the only time they saw demonstrators was when they drove past a group of teachers camped outside the education ministry demanding better pay and conditions. » | Gordon Rayner, Rabat | Monday, April 04, 2011

EXAMINER.COM: Charles and Camilla arrive in Morocco, meet King Mohammad VI » | Megan Knight | Royal News Examiner | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Related »

George W Bush 'Invited Son of Osama bin Laden to White House'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The son of Osama bin Laden has claimed he was invited to the White House in the final days of George W Bush's presidency in a last-ditch attempt to discover the whereabouts of the world's most wanted terrorist.

Omar bin Laden, the fourth son of the al-Qaeda leader, claims he received a visit from White House staff in January 2009 at his home in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

"They invited me to accompany them to the White House, offered to defend, help and protect me, on the condition that I helped them find my father," he told Spanish daily newspaper La Vanguardia, in an interview published on Monday.

But the 29-year-old said he refused because of filial duty. "I told them I was sorry but it wasn't something I could do. He is my father and I am his son, and as is the way the son must love and respect his father," he said, adding: "Even if in many cases a man may be against the ideas of his father."

But the son who was once groomed to take over from bin Laden later admitted that he had had no contact with his father for almost a decade. Read on and comment » | Fiona Govan, Madrid | Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Libya: Diplomatic Initiative Opens Up Rift between Gaddafi Sons
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A rift in the Gaddafi family has emerged as two hardline sons of the Libyan leader have dismissed efforts to implement a ceasefire as part of a diplomatic initiative to end the Nato bombing campaign.

Mutassim Gaddafi, the National Security Adviser and Khamis Gaddafi, the commander of elite forces, have confronted supporters of a peace plan that has circulated in diplomatic circles in Tripoli.

Diplomats have said that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, another son, had offered to act as interim president to oversee a transition to a democratic system. The offer would mean Col Muammar Gaddafi's withdrawal from power and the end of the family's tyrannical hold on power.

But one family aide said there had been arguments over Saif's initiative, which is supported by Saadi, another brother with power in the armed forces. He said: "It is not in the military interest of the government to have a ceasefire now. While we have the momentum, Mutassim wants to keep going." The official said that the brothers had argued over a ceasefire.

While Saif believes that talks would be impossible without a ceasefire, Mutassim wants to ensure the regime cannot be beaten. He is reported to have said: "People get sick of dying, we have to keep fighting until we've beaten the opposition."

Mutassim and Saif have been rivals for almost a decade. A US diplomatic cable said that Saif's overseas reputation – he cultivated British and US leaders while living in London as a PhD student – had made Mutassim jealous.

All four brothers are known to enjoy glamorous social events. The singer Beyoncé performed for Mutassim in the Caribbean at the New Year. » | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Monday, April 04, 2011

Alleged Libyan Rape Victim Speaks Out

Charles and Camilla Welcomed with Milk in Morocco
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Morocco today where they were welcomed in traditional style - with a glass of milk.

The royal couple were greeted off their plane at Rabat airport by Prince Moulay Rachid, brother of the Moroccan King Mohammed VI and immediately sat down to milk, pastries and dates.

The traditional offering symbolises ''sweet and pure intentions'', the Moroccan hosts said, and it appeared to please the British royals who chatted animatedly with the prince and his wife, Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui.

The visit comes as the North African nation reaches a historical crossroads following the Arab Uprisings.

Morocco has so far avoided persistent unrest but several people died in February during violence linked to protests.

King Mohammed made a rare television appearance on March 9 announcing major constitutional reform.

Speaking before he was introduced to the British royals, Moroccan prime minister Abbas El Fassi described it as a ''peaceful revolution''.

He said: ''This is a very big event for Morocco, for the King to have invited the Prince, and it will reaffirm the historic relationship between the two countries.

''There is conformity in our views in many areas - international problems, regional problems and the fight against terror.

''This visit is a symbol because it comes at a moment of instability in many countries and the Prince, by visiting Morocco, is confirming that Morocco is a stable country.'' » | Monday, April 04, 2011