California Set to Teach Gay History and Rights in Schools
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: California is set to become the first US state to require the teaching of gay history and rights.

Children would take lessons on issues affecting gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people, with schools granted discretion about what age to start the lessons.

The law was passed by the state's senate and is likely to pass the assembly easily, which is also controlled by the Democrats, before being signed by Governor Jerry Brown. Read on and comment » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Friday, April 15, 2011

My comment:

I don’t understand all this hullabaloo about homosexuality. It should neither be promoted nor rejected. It should just be accepted. It is, after all, a part of life. There have always been homosexuals, just as there have always been geniuses. They form a small part of the population; so why are people so worried about giving gays their rights?

The homophobia in the comments here is plain to see and reprehensible.

Homosexuality is a perfectly natural sexual condition. It has to be, otherwise it wouldn’t occur in other species. In nature, there are homosexual penguins and dogs and birds. So on what basis can anyone say that it is not natural?

As people, we are inclined to say something is unnatural simply because we don’t like it, and we choose not to partake of that thing. Further, because we need to procreate to survive as a species, heterosexuality has always been the preferred norm. And it is the norm. But that doesn’t make homosexuality unnatural.

Gays have suffered since the beginning of time. They have been bullied and mistreated, and even hunted down and killed. And by whom? By bigots who wrongly believe that the world is here for them, and them alone.

But the fact is that this world has not been created for bigots. There is space in this world for all people. Just give them that space, And show a little compassion. Many homosexuals, I feel sure, wish they weren’t that way.

How would you people feel, I wonder, if you had a homosexual child, or brother, or sister? Wouldn’t you be protective of that person?

The fact is this. If this education programme is neutral – that means to say, it doesn’t promote the homosexual lifestyle, for that would be dumb – if it is there merely to inform the uninformed, and to promote acceptance of people who are different, and can’t help being that way, and if it is there to try and put a stop to all the brutality against gays, then it is to be welcomed. – Mark

This comment also appears here, as do others.

The Gathering Storm Radio Show (Friday, April 15, 2011)
This week's guest on the nearly famous Gathering Storm Radio Show is Mark Alexander

Listen to internet radio with WC Always On Watch on Blog Talk Radio

Aisha Gaddafi Visiting Bab El Aziziyah in Tripoli, Libya (April 14, 2011)

Aisha Gaddafi whips up a frenzy in Tripoli »

Croatia Ruling

Related »

Protests Spreading across Syria
Pro-democracy rallies have been held in cities across Syria.
Friday's protests appear to have been largely peaceful, but violence was reported as security forces dispersed protesters marching towards the centre of Damascus from the suburb of Douma.
Al Jazeera's Caroline Malone reports

Verbunden »

Bahrain: Is a U.S. Ally Torturing Its People?
TIME: On March 17, Ibrahim Shareef, the head of the anti-government activist movement Waad, was snatched from his home at gunpoint by what his family describes as Bahraini security forces. Thrown into a waiting sport utility vehicle, he was driven off into the night. Today he's still missing, whereabouts unknown.

As the island kingdom's Sunni regime continues to crack down on anti-government activists and prominent Shi'ites, Shareef and more than 460 others are believed to be in government custody. New arrests happen daily in the country, which is home base of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. Bahrain was designated an official Non-NATO ally in October 2001, after the 9/11 attacks on America.

While there have been wild rumors of the whereabouts of the arrested dissidents, the likely truth is dire enough. Nearly all may be held in prisons around Bahrain, with an unknown number undergoing questioning and torture. On Wednesday, opposition party al-Wefaq claimed that at least four detainees had been killed since April 2, from injuries sustained from police-inflicted torture. Human Rights Watch says another three died in March, including one man who arrived in custody with knees blown out by ammunition fired at close range. » | Karen Leigh | Thursday, April 14, 2011

France's Burqa Ban Comes Into Force With Much Noise, Little Impact

Read the article » | Bruce Crumley | Monday, April 11, 2011

Aisha Gaddafi Whips Crowds into a Frenzy
MAIL ONLINE: Call to arms as Libyan defector Musa Kusa flees Britain

Muammar Gaddafi's daughter today defied the West's demand that her father leave power, dubbing it an 'insult' to all Libyans.

'In 1911 Italy killed my grandfather in an air strike and now they are trying to kill my father. God damn their hands,' Aisha Gaddafi told a flag-waving crowd gathered at her father's Bab Al-Aziziyah compound in the capital.

The event, broadcast live on state television, marked the 25th anniversary of American strikes on the huge complex, which includes military barracks.

Ms Gaddafi, wearing a green headscarf and black leather jacket, said she had been five years old at the time.

'They rained down on us their missiles and bombs, they tried to kill me and they killed dozens of children in Libya,' she said, her speech interrupted several times by the cheering crowd.

'Now a quarter of a century later the same missiles and bombs are raining down on the heads of my and your children.'

At a meeting in Doha yesterday, a Western and Middle-Eastern states called for the first time for Gaddafi to step aside.

'Talk about Gaddafi stepping down is an insult to all Libyans because Gaddafi is not in Libya, but in the hearts of all Libyans,' his daughter said.

Addressing the Western powers who are carrying out air strikes under a U.N. resolution to protect civilians against her father's forces, she said: 'Who are the civilians you are protecting? Are they the people who have automatic weapons and hand grenades? Are they the innocent civilians you are trying to protect?' In her father's footsteps: Gaddafi's daughter Aisha whips crowds into a frenzy as she calls on West to 'leave our skies' » | Daily Mail Reporter | Friday, April 15, 2011

Finland's election: Race to the Finnish
THE ECONOMIST: FINNISH elections do not usually excite much attention abroad, still less apprehension. A long border with Russia gives Finland strategic significance, but it is a small place with a reputation as a stolid member of both the European Union and the euro zone. Most election campaigns feature a dozen or more parties. The one that wins the most votes invites two or three others to form a coalition—and nobody loses much sleep. But the election on April 17th may break the mould because of the astonishing rise of a populist Eurosceptic party, the True Finns, led by Timo Soini.

Many Finns are bored by their familiar politicians. A recent survey found that one-third of voters could not name the four parties in today’s coalition. By contrast, Mr Soini’s soundbites about helping impoverished Finns instead of bailing out profligate Greeks or handing cash to immigrants have struck a chord. The True Finns took just 4.1% of votes in the 2007 election, but they are now almost level in the polls with the three bigger parties (see chart). It is anybody’s guess which party will emerge as the biggest on polling day, and thus probably supply the next prime minister. » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

L’Eglise catholique belge dans la tourmante
20 MINUTES ONLINE: Elle est accusée de protéger un ancien évêque pédophile.

L'Eglise catholique belge protégerait un ancien évêque pédophile qui a choqué le pays lors d'une interview télévisée où il fait de nouvelles révélations et ne montre aucun signe de remords.

Roger Vangheluwe, ex-évêque de Bruges, avait déclenché un déluge de plaintes contre l'Eglise quand il avait démissionné en avril 2010, après avoir reconnu des abus sexuels sur un neveu mineur entre 1973 et 1986. Il a provoqué un nouveau tollé en détaillant jeudi soir sur la chaîne de télévision néerlandophone VT4 des abus sur non pas un, mais deux neveux, tout en minimisant ses actes.

«Je n'ai pas du tout l'impression d'être un pédophile», a-t-il déclaré depuis un monastère français où il vit depuis peu, banni par son Eglise. «Je n'étais pas conscient que cela avait un tel impact sur mon neveu. Je croyais qu'il s'agissait de choses superficielles».

«Naturellement, je savais que ce n'était pas bien, je l'ai confessé plusieurs fois», a-t-il concédé. Mais il a aussi reconnu s'être entendu avec la famille pour ne pas ébruiter l'affaire et avoir versé de l'argent à sa victime. » | ats | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011

Découvrez les prénoms des jumeaux de Frederik et Mary
GALA.fr: Vincent et Josephine: le suspense est levé au royaume du Danemark où les prénoms des nourrissons de la Maison de Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderbourg-Glücksbourg ont été tenus secrets jusqu’à leur baptême.

Pas de doute ce mois d’avril est royal. Et en ce jeudi ensoleillé, c’est du côté de Copenhague que se déroulait l’événement «gotha» le plus fastueux et attendrissant. Le prince héritier Frederik et la princesse Mary, magnifique dans une robe bleu saphir, ont baptisé leurs enfants lors d’une cérémonie religieuse et chaleureuse. » | J.B | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011

Related »

Freilassungen angekündigt: Erstmals Proteste in ganz Syrien
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: In Damaskus und mehr als zwei Dutzend anderen syrischen Städten ist es zu Demonstrationen gegen die Regierung gekommen. Sicherheitskräfte hielten sich zurück. Das Regime beschuldigte „Kräfte“ im Libanon, die Proteste anzuheizen.

Bei den größten Kundgebungen seit dem Beginn der Proteste am 18. März haben am Freitag in Syrien Demonstranten in mehr als zwei Dutzend Städten politische Reformen gefordert. Kundgebungen fanden erstmals in allen Landesteilen statt. In Daraa und Baniyas, den bisherigen Zentren der Proteste, verlangten jeweils mehrere Tausend Demonstranten politische Freiheit. Anders als vor einer Woche schritten die Sicherheitskräfte nicht ein.

Weitere Zentren waren Aleppo, Homs und Hamah sowie Latakia, Idlib und Deir el Zor. In Barzah, einem Vorort von Damaskus, wurden zwei Demonstranten getötet. Erstmals versammelten sich Demonstranten auf dem Abbasiden-Platz in Damaskus. Aus Hamah und Homs wurden Zusammenstößen zwischen Sicherheitskräften und Demonstranten bekannt. In Homs versuchten Demonstranten, eine Statue von Hafiz al Assad niederzureißen.

Die meisten Proteste fanden im Süden Syriens statt, neben Daraa vor allem in Suweida und Harrak, sowie im Osten des Landes in von Kurden bewohnten Gebieten. Sicherheitskräfte riegelten die Zufahrten nach Daraa ab, um zu verhindern, dass sich Demonstranten aus den umliegenden Ortschaften an der Kundgebung beteiligen konnten. Auf den meisten Kundgebungen zeigten die Demonstranten Solidarität für die in Daraa und Baniyas getöteten Protestierer. » | F.A.Z./her. | Freitag, 15. April 2011

LE MONDE: Syrie : des dizaines de milliers de personnes manifestent contre le régime » | LEMONDE.FR avec AFP et Reuters | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011

Protests in Croatia over Jailing of 'War Hero' for 'Ethnic Cleansing' Campaign
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Veterans protested on the streets of Zagreb after a popular Croatian general regarded as a national hero was jailed for "ethnic cleansing" war crimes as the price Croatia will pay for joining the EU later this year.


The Croatian government reacted with fury to the UN judgment finding Ante Gotovina guilty of war crimes for commanding "Operation Storm", a 1995 campaign still defended as "a legitimate military operation with the objective of liberating Croatian territory from occupation".

But Gotovina was convicted on nine counts of war crimes, including murder, deportation, persecution and inhuman acts. Mladen Markac, another Croat general in charge of "special" police forces was jailed for 18 years.

Jadranka Kosor, Croatia's Prime Minister, was especially angered by the UN's ruling which named President Franjo Tudjman, independent Croatia's founding father, who died in 1999, as a war crime conspirator along with Gotovina.

"The verdict is unacceptable to the government and we will do everything in our power to change it," said Mrs Kosor.

Gen. Gotovina, 55, a former parachute commando in the French Foreign Legion, commanded the lightning paced Operation Storm campaign that took back the Krajina region, Serbian communities along Croatia's eastern border that was held by Serb rebels early in the Balkan wars. » | Bruno Waterfield, The Hague | Friday, April 15, 2011

Verbunden »

Egypt: Mubarak Could Hang for Protesters Crackdown
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hosni Mubarak, the deposed president of Egypt, could face the death penalty if prosecutors prove he ordered the police to shoot unarmed demonstrators.

More than 800 people died in the violence surrounding the popular protests against Mr Mubarak's regime earlier this year.

Habib al-Adly, the Interior Minister at the time, has already been arrested to face charges of ordering the security forces to attack the crowds.

Anger over the deaths of protesters when police opened fire on a crowd that stretched from Cairo's Tahrir Square to the state television building on January 28 has sustained demands for Mr Mubarak and his sons to face justice.

Zakaria Shalash, the head of Cairo's appeals court, told the state newspaper Al-Ahram that Mr Mubarak could be hung [sic] for his role in the crackdown.

He said: "If proven, he will receive the same punishment as the person who carried it out and it could reach execution if it is proven that peaceful demonstrators were killed with premeditation." » | Damien McElroy, Cairo | Friday, April 15, 2011

“Silvio and I Are Closer Together Than Ever” – Berlusconi’s Russian Flame

Kroatien: Hintergrund des Verbrechens
Ante Gotovina und seine beiden Mitangeklagten Ivan Cermak und Mladen Markac sind die verantwortlichen Offiziere bei der Rückeroberung der Krajna gewesen, eines der ärmsten Gebiete Kroatiens

Image: Google Images
On Air
THE GATHERING STORM: I am going to be interviewed by Always On Watch and WC this evening. Do come and join us.

The show will air at noon PT, 3pm EST, 8pm BST, and 9pm CET.

To join us, click here at the appropriate time.

Best wishes,

Mark

Riz Khan: Progress in Saudi Arabia (May 2010)
How long can Saudi Arabia remain a land of contradictions? For decades the country has been torn between its strong, traditional values and a push toward modernisation and change. How is today's Saudi Arabia balancing tradition with progress?

Human Rights Watch Interview
Syria's security forces have arrested hundreds of people arbitrarily since pro-democracy protests erupted a month ago and subjected them to torture and
ill-treatment, a Human Rights Watch report said on Friday.



The torture included electric shocks and sleep deprivation, says the report.



Nadim Houry, senior Syria researcher at HRW, speaks to Al Jazeera.

Italian Activist Found Dead in Gaza
Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni has been found dead in Gaza. He had been kidnapped on April 14 by a group which aligns itself with al-Qaeda.



The group had threatened to kill if Hamas did not release its leader and two other members.



Officials have arrested two suspected kidnappers and are now looking for accomplices.



The Italian government have condemned the act as "barbaric murder".



Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from the Gaza Strip. (15 April 2011)


Lien en relation avec la vidéo »

Inside Story: Assad's Grip on Syria
Stability in Syria has become a cause for concern for local authorities, as anti-government protests spread to the country's second largest city Aleppo.



Meanwhile in the capital itself, several hundred students protested for a second day, against the government at Damascus University. 



Inside Story, with presenter Ghida Fakhry, discusses with guests: Iyas Maleh from the Haitham Maleh Foundation for the defense of human rights defenders in Syria; Ousama Monajed, a Syrian political activist; and George Jabbour, a former member of the Syrian Parliament.

This episode of Inside Story aired from [sic] Thursday, April 14, 2011

Syria: Iran Secretly Aiding Repression of Protests
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Iran is secretly aiding Syria's repression of anti-government protests by providing anti-riot gear and assistance in blocking protesters' use of internet, US officials have warned.

As part of an attempt its mission to spread its influence across the Middle East, Tehran is also examining ways of helping Shia populations in Bahrain and Yemen rising up against their rulers.

"We believe that Iran is materially assisting the Syrian government in its efforts to suppress their own people," an Obama administration official told the Wall Street Journal.

Assistance has included equipment and technical advice on blocking and monitoring communication between dissidents, and drew on the Iranian authorities' own experience of putting down an uprising that followed the June 2009 disputed election. » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Thursday, April 14, 2011

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Moroccan King Pardons Prisoners » | Associated Press | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Bill Clinton Recalls 'Romantic' Times Square of Prostitutes and Colourful Characters
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Bill Clinton, the former US president who was impeached for lying about an affair, has raised eyebrows by eulogising the Times Square of old, recalling the old mix of prostitutes and colourful characters as “romantic” and “fascinating”.

At the risk of reviving memories of his infamous sex scandal, the former US president managed to weave his fondness for the seedy past of the city’s central thoroughfare into an announcement that he and Mayor Michael Bloomberg were merging their environmental initiatives.

Asked if he had any memories of the area before it was sanitised and later pedestrianised, he said: “When I was 18 years in November of 1964, a freshman at Georgetown, I first went to Times Square. I bought a steak at Tad’s Steakhouse. I heard a guy ream his mother out, poor working woman, because she’d given him a hi-fi instead of a stereo speaker. I remember everything about it.

“I saw a hooker approach a man in a grey flannel suit. Pretty heavy stuff for a guy from Arkansas. Yes, look, I still have vivid memories of it. Romantic, fascinating.” » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Thursday, April 14, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Marine Le Pen's godfather arrested for pimping in Paris: The ageing godfather of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been arrested and charged with running brothels in Paris' notorious Pigalle red light district, officials said on Thursday. » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Who Is to Blame for Fractured Britain?
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As David Cameron admits that Britain is disjointed by mass immigration, Ruth Dudley Edwards examines the consequences of our lax policies.

I lived for 30 years in South Ealing in West London, which originally was a model little London village. The Poles who arrived after the war were thoroughly integrated, the Hindu shopkeepers got on with everyone, including the local Muslim residents, and although there were new immigrants from perhaps 20 countries, the pace of change was slow and unthreatening. We knew that nearby Southall had long since become an ethnic ghetto, but we were sure this would not happen to us. There were, perhaps, more Indian restaurants in South Ealing than anyone could possibly require, but the only local grumbles I can recall were about some Somali refugees who had trashed their council house.

We all ticked along in our own way. I liked living in South Ealing. But things changed. What ruined our community and the personality of our neighbourhood were the young Eastern Europeans who poured in from 2004 onwards. I am not criticising the character of these young migrants. They were generally hardworking, eager and ambitious. But they arrived all at once in large numbers and, most significantly, had zero interest in integrating. They lived and socialised exclusively together, watched Polish television channels via their satellite dishes, chatted to family back home for free on Skype, set up Polish shops to sell Polish food, newspapers and books, and they learnt only as much English as they had to. Seeing shop after little shop put up the words Polski sklep marked the end of the village I knew.

This is why I applaud the Prime Minister for admitting that people are profoundly disturbed by the havoc that mass immigration has wreaked on parts of Britain. “When there have been significant numbers of new people arriving in neighbourhoods,” he said, “perhaps not able to speak the same language as those living there, on occasions not really wanting or even willing to integrate, that has created a kind of discomfort and disjointedness in some neighbourhoods.”

Many people across Britain – from big cities to smaller towns – will have nodded along to Mr Cameron’s comments. I now live in central London, which I love, but there is no pretence that it is a community: it is the most cosmopolitan city state in the world and largely reflects the upside of immigration – a dynamic employment market and a diverse cultural scene. The downside is visible a few Tube stops down the line from me in places like Tower Hamlets and New Cross where the communities are far more fractured than South Ealing. These areas also suffer from the worrying, spreading rash of Islamism. » | Ruth Dudley Edwards | Thursday, April 14, 2011

My comment:

Don't get too taken in by Cameron's sweet words. He's only playing to the gallery. He's too soft to do anything meaningful about the problem. There are ways of dealing with this problem, but the captains of industry wouldn't brook much of a curtailment in immigration because they want cheap labour.

Furthermore, he spoke of allowing tens of thousands more immigrants per year into the country, rather than hundreds of thousands. At the moment, what do we want any more immigrants for at all? Haven't we got enough immigrants here already? Haven't we got enough of a workforce in this shrinking economy? And come to think of it, what are they doing to track down the illegal immigrants?

The speech Cameron made yesterday sounded good, but in actual fact it was nothing more than hot air. Nothing much will be done about the problem. The will isn't there. They'd rather destroy Britain and all it has ever stood for.

By the way if you ever thought this country was a democracy, think again. This country is run by the ruling élite, for the ruling élite. Having cheap labour is in the ruling élite's best interests. What these immigrants do to the fabric of society is of little concern to them. They've got enough money to isolate themselves from the problems that mass immigration creates. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

L'Italien enlevé à Gaza a été exécuté
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L'Italien enlevé à Gaza est mort par suffocation. Deux de ses ravisseurs présumés ont été arrêtés.

Le ressortissant italien enlevé par un groupe salafiste à Gaza a été exécuté par ses ravisseurs. Son corps a été retrouvé dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi, ont indiqué les services de sécurité du Hamas. Deux des ravisseurs présumés ont été arrêtés.

Mort étouffé 


Les services de sécurité recherchent leurs complices, a ajouté la même source. «L’Italien a été exécuté par suffocation et son corps a été retrouvé dans une rue de la ville de Gaza», a déclaré un porte- parole des services de sécurité du mouvement islamiste qui contrôle la bande de Gaza. » | ATS | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011

La Corée du Nord célèbre l’anniversaire de son fondateur
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Les Nord-Coréens célébraient vendredi la «fête du Soleil», l’anniversaire de la naissance de Kim- Il song, père de l’actuel dirigeant du pays. Parallèlement étaient lancés depuis le Sud des tracts appelant à la chute du régime.

La Corée du Nord célébrait vendredi la naissance de son fondateur dans une ambiance festive, selon la propagande du régime, alors que des activistes lançaient depuis le Sud des tracts appelant à la chute du régime dirigé par son fils Kim Jong-Il.

La «fête du Soleil» célèbre l’anniversaire de la naissance de Kim- Il song, père de l’actuel dirigeant, proclamé «président pour l’éternité» à sa mort en 1994. La foule a déposé des fleurs au pied de la statue du fondateur du régime et d’immenses portraits de Kim étaient affichés dans les rues de Pyongyang, a rapporté l’agence de presse officielle KCNA. » | AFP | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011

Une prison américaine interdit tout autre ouvrage que la Bible
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Seuls avec la Bible. Un shérif de Caroline du Sud est accusé d’interdire aux détenus d’une prison toute autre lecture que le texte saint, qui leur est "proposé" gratuitement.

Le ministère américain de la Justice a lancé des poursuites judiciaires à l’encontre d’un shérif de Caroline du Sud accusé d’interdire aux détenus d’une prison toute autre lecture que la Bible.

Selon la plainte du ministère, déposée cette semaine devant un tribunal de Charleston (sud-est), le bureau du shérif Sheriff H. Wayne DeWitt refuse systématiquement les demandes de prisonniers souhaitant recevoir des journaux, des revues ou même des cours par correspondance.

"Le seul livre, magazine, journal ou publication religieuse" que le Centre de détention du comté de Berkeley autorise "est la Bible", affirme la plainte. » | AFP | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011

Vince Cable Backtracks on Criticism of David Cameron's Immigration Claims
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vince Cable has indicated his support for the Government’s policy on tackling immigration, despite earlier accusing David Cameron of “inflaming extremism”.

The Business Secretary earlier said the Prime Minister had been “very unwise” in giving a speech warning that mass immigration had led to "discomfort and disjointedness" in some communities.

However, he later appeared to backtrack on his criticism, telling reporters that the Coalition was “completely united” on the issue.

Questioned about his earlier comments, which he made to the BBC, Mr Cable, a Liberal Democrat, said: "I don't want to develop that, and I think I have said what I wanted to say.

"We have a common consensus, a compromise in the coalition on our policy on the immigration cap and I don't think I need to add to that.

"We are completely united behind the policy and the policy is about a cap." (+ video) » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Related »

Cannes 2011: 'Embarrassing' Nicolas Sarkozy Biopic to Debut
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A biopic of Nicolas Sarkozy that charts his rise to power and break-up of his marriage has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival, threatening to turn the unpopular French president into an international laughing stock.


La Conquête (The Conquest) will receive its world premiere at the French festival on May 18 after months of fevered speculation about its content. The drama charts Mr Sarkozy’s victory in the 2007 election.

It also shows him fretting about his height and using colourful language to describe his enemies. Yet it brings out a more sympathetic side of the French leader as he struggles to cope with the break-up of his marriage to Cécilia, his second wife. She left him for another man shortly after the presidential race.

Mr Sarkozy now faces a dilemma over his attendance at the festival. He had been expected to walk his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, down the red carpet at the premiere of her film, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, which will open the 10-day event.

Critics of Mr Sarkozy await its unveiling with glee, after a teasing trailer for the film showed him proclaiming: “I am a Ferrari. You open the hood with white gloves on.”

The premiere spells potential embarrassment for Mr Sarkozy and could dent his bid for a second presidential term at a time when his disapproval rating amongst the French electorate stands at 74 per cent. » | Anita Singh, Henry Samuel in Paris | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Libya: Col Muammar Gaddafi 'Parades through Tripoli in a Jeep'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Libyan television on Thursday broadcast footage of what it claimed was Col Muammar Gaddafi driving around Tripoli and said the outing occurred while the Libyan capital was being bombed by Nato.

Wearing a green safari hat, dark glasses and a black jacket, state television showed Col Gaddafi pumping his fists in the air and waving, standing through the sunroof of an open-top sport utility vehicle.

A screen caption said the trip had taken place a short while ago, while the Libyan capital was under Nato air attack. Read on, and watch The Telegraph video here » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Obama's Bid to Beat the Deficit: Tax the Rich
THE AUSTRALIAN: BARACK Obama has set the scene for an ideological battle in next year's presidential election, announcing tax increases for the wealthy.

The proposed hike is part of his plan to reduce the federal budget deficit by $US4 trillion ($3.8 trillion) over 12 years.

In a break from his conciliatory style, Mr Obama has ripped into his Republican opponents for trying to put the burden of deficit reduction on the poor and elderly while continuing to cushion the wealthy.

The President announced a broad plan for reducing the US budget deficit yesterday, including cuts to government health programs and defence spending.

But he raised Republican hackles by refusing point blank to extend tax cuts introduced by the Bush administration for people earning more than $US250,000 a year.

Mr Obama said he had agreed to renew the tax cuts for high-income earners once, as part of a deal with Republicans to guarantee cuts for the middle class. "I refuse to renew them again," he said. » | Brad Norington, Washington Correspondent | The Australian | Friday, April 15, 2011

Denmark's Royal Twins Christened Vincent and Josefina
Danish Crown Princess Mary holds her three-month-old daughter Josefina while Crown Prince Frederik holds her twin brother Vincent at their christening in Copenhagen. Picture: The Australian
THE AUSTRALIAN: NEARLY 300 guests crammed into the Holmens Church in Copenhagen this morning for the christening of the latest additions to the Danish royal family: twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josefina.

The youngest children of Crown Prince Frederik and Australian-born Crown Princess Mary were baptised Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Josefina Sofia Ivalo Mathilda.

Following three months of speculation, the babies' names, a closely-kept secret since their birth on January 8, immediately became the top news story in Denmark. » | AFP | Friday, April 15, 2011

Ending Kusa Sanctions 'Astonishing'
LONDON EVENING STANDARD: An EU decision to lift sanctions on Muammar Gaddafi's former right-hand man Musa Kusa has been condemned as "astonishing".

Kusa, who made a high-profile defection to Britain last month, no longer faces travel restrictions or an asset freeze.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Sanctions are introduced to invoke behavioural change and as Musa Kusa has chosen to leave the regime he is no longer sanctioned in this way." » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Catherine Zeta Jones Treated for Bipolar Disorder
BBC: Catherine Zeta Jones has received treatment for bipolar disorder after dealing with the stress of her husband's battle with throat cancer.

Zeta Jones, 41, made a decision to check into a "mental health facility" for a brief stay, said her publicist.

Michael Douglas, who was diagnosed last year, said in January his tumour had gone and he was beating the disease.

Last September, Zeta Jones said she was "furious" that doctors failed to detect the cancer earlier.

Bipolar, also known as manic depression, causes severe mood swings, that usually last several weeks or months.

Zeta Jones's publicist Cece Yorke said the actress sought treatment for the condition following the stress of her husband's cancer fight.

"After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check in to a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her Bipolar II disorder," said Yorke.

"She's feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films."

It is unclear when Zeta Jones, who is from Swansea, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder or where she received treatment. (+ video) » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Zeta Jones spoke of being enveloped by a 'dark cloud': Catherine Zeta Jones gave a nod towards her struggles with depression when she spoke of being enveloped by a "dark cloud" months before she checked into a rehabilitation clinic for treatment. » | Anita Singh, Showbusiness Editor | Friday, April 15, 2011

David Cameron Rejects Cable Immigration Criticism
BBC: David Cameron has hit back at criticism by cabinet colleague Vince Cable over his promise to cut immigration to "tens of thousands" of people a year.

The Lib Dem business secretary said the prime minister had been "very unwise" and that such a target was Conservative - not coalition government - policy.

He added that Mr Cameron's comments, made in a speech to Tory activists, "risked inflaming extremism".

But the prime minister denied this and said his words had been "measured".

Labour leader Ed Miliband said ministers had to "get a grip" on immigration and stop fighting amongst themselves.

The Conservatives' 2010 election manifesto calls for "steps to take net migration back to the levels of the 1990s - tens of thousands a year, not hundreds of thousands".

However, the coalition agreement between the Conservatives and Lib Dems pledges only an "annual limit" on people coming to the UK from outside the European Union for economic reasons, making no reference to specific numbers. » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

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Dubai Death Briton Lee Brown 'Choked on Vomit'
BBC: A British tourist died in police custody in Dubai after choking on his own vomit, officials have said.

Lee Brown, 39, of east London, was held at the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel after being accused of physically and verbally abusing a female staff member.

The UK has called for an inquiry amid reports he was assaulted by officers.

But the claim was denied by an unnamed police official quoted by local media and Dubai's attorney general said the force followed the "highest standards".

Dubai attorney general Issam Al Humaidan said a post-mortem examination concluded Mr Brown's death was caused by suffocation after vomit leaked into his respiratory tract.

In a statement he expressed condolences to Mr Brown's family and said that police in the Gulf emirate dealt with prisoners with respect and were "governed by the highest standards to preserve human rights". » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

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Islam : «Sarkozy est dans une course poursuite avec le FN»

"Attacke" auf Christian Wulff Der Eierwurf von Wiesbaden
STERN.DE: Der Bundespräsident steckte es locker weg, wechselte kurz das Jackett und ging zur Tagesordnung über. Zuvor hatte ihn ein "Wiederholungstäter" mit einem Ei beworfen.


Der Bundespräsident nahm es locker. "Ich möchte den Kontakt zu den Bürgern haben. Das setzt voraus, dass man auch einmal von einem Ei getroffen wird", sagte Christian Wulff nach der "Attacke" von Wiesbaden [E]. Und bereits wenige Minuten nach der Attacke kam Wulff im neuen Jackett wieder aus dem Landtag und ließ sich mit einer Gruppe Mädchen fotografieren, die am "Girl's Day" das hessische Parlament besucht hatten. Später sprach Wulff auch noch mit älteren Wiesbadenern.

Ein 48-Jähriger hatte aus der Menge heraus ein Ei auf Wulff und Hessens Ministerpräsidenten Volker Bouffier (CDU) abgefeuert, das beide traf und das präsidiale Jackett mit Dotter beschmierte. Ein weiteres Ei verfehlte die Politiker.

Dass der Werfer auf den Hessen zielte, der Wulff nach Wiesbaden eingeladen hatte und mit ihm durch die Landeshauptstadt spazierte, ist aber unwahrscheinlich. Ein Blick auf seine Vergangenenheit weist ihn als notorischen Präsidentenbewerfer aus: So hatte der Mann 2007 schon das damalige Staatsoberhaupt Horst Köhler attackiert. » | ben/DPA | Donnerstag, 14. April 2011

Kampala Journal: Pulling Out All the Stops to Push an Antigay Bill
THE NEW YORK TIMES: KAMPALA, Uganda — They entered through Parliament’s gates, an eclectic group. Their leader, the Rev. Martin Ssempa, wore sunglasses and long black robes embroidered with matching red crosses and two campaign buttons. One said, “Debate Our Bill Now!” and the other, simply, “No to Sodomy.”

Mr. Ssempa’s mission is to get Uganda’s Parliament to pass a highly contentious antigay bill and eradicate homosexuality throughout the country — or, after more than a year of the law’s languishing in the legislature, to at least debate the proposed law.

To many here, Uganda’s gay population does not represent a sexual minority advocating for its rights, but an underground threat promoting a cancerous vice. They accuse gay men and women of recruiting children in secondary schools, and maybe giving them H.I.V.

In 2009, Uganda’s Parliament tabled legislation calling for the execution of gays under certain circumstances and requiring citizens to report any known act of homosexuality to the police within 24 hours.

The bill drew ire from Western nations and has drifted listlessly in Parliament over the last 18 months. When David Kato, a prominent gay-rights activist, was murdered in January after his photo ran on the cover of a newspaper calling for gays to be hanged, the bill became politically toxic.

But with Parliament closing next month, Mr. Ssempa, a leading religious figure from an independent sect of Christianity, made a last-ditch push last week, bringing a coalition of religious leaders, civil society organizers and two self-described former homosexuals to meet directly with the speaker of Parliament, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi. They presented him with a petition containing what they said were more than two million signatures in support of the bill.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced in 2009, only a month after a seminar with American ministers about “curing” homosexuality and the dangers of “the gay movement.” Last year, an evangelical Christian from Missouri, Lou Engle, held an event in Uganda at which the bill was promoted (though after he left to travel home, he says).

But Uganda, a poor and heavily Christian nation of 35 million with a large American missionary community, has long held its own conservative views on sexuality. Mr. Ssempa says his movement is about African culture, and while the United States has continued to debate its own societal values, similar conversations are happening here. » | Josh Kron | Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Arianna Huffington Scorns 'Painful' Blogger Lawsuit
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor of The Huffington Post, has hit back at the group of bloggers filing a major lawsuit against her, saying the accusation that she treated them like “slaves” is “painfully unoriginal”.

EXTRACT: “It seems that AOL's purchase of HuffPost suddenly opened his eyes to the fact that we are a business. I guess he'd missed the ads that appeared on the same page as his blog posts the 216 times he decided, of his own free will, to post something on our site.”

She went on to compare free blogging to appearing for free on a TV show and said that blogging had changed media landscape forever.

“People blog on HuffPost for free for the same reason they go on cable TV shows every night for free: either because they are passionate about their ideas or because they have something to promote and want exposure to large and multiple audiences,” she argued.

“Our bloggers are repeatedly invited on TV to discuss their posts and have received everything from paid speech opportunities and book deals to a TV show…

“Bottom line: the vast majority of our bloggers are thrilled to contribute -- and we're thrilled to have them. Indeed, we are inundated with requests from people who want to use our platform. People are looking to join the party, not go home early. Read the whole article here, and comment » | Emma Barnett, Digital Media Editor | Thursday, April 14, 2011

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Vaclav Klaus, The President of the Czech Republic: A Penchant for Other People’s Pens!

Plenty of pens for Mr. President’s pocket: Two cheeky Czechs have launched a campaign aimed at gathering writing implements for the country’s President Václav Klaus. In doing so, they express their support to the leader, who has recently found himself in an embarrassing situation. » | Wednesday, April 13, 2011

America Loves Debt!

US Dollar Should Be Replaced by New Global Reserve – Leading Economist

«Bernanke pumpt eine weitere Blase auf»
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der Chef des Bostoner Vermögensverwalters GMO, Jeremy Grantham, hält Aktien für überbewertet und warnt vor grossen Risiken am Bondmarkt.

Wenige Investoren haben in den vergangenen Jahren so viel Klarsicht bewiesen wie Jeremy Grantham. Der Gründer des Bostoner Vermögensverwalters GMO warnte vor 2007 wiederholt vor einem Kollaps am US-Immobilienmarkt und vor einem Börsencrash. Im März 2009, auf dem Höhepunkt der Marktpanik, empfahl er in einem Kundenbrief mit dem Titel «Reinvesting When Terrified» den Kauf von Aktien. Heute ist er skeptisch. Die Aktienmärkte seien als Folge der enorm expansiven Geldpolitik der US-Notenbank bereits überbewertet, während der Bondmarkt für Investoren «tödlich» sei – ein Riesendilemma für Anleger, sagt Grantham. Er rät zum Aufbau von Cashreserven. » | Von Mark Dittli, Finanz und Wirtschaft | Donnerstag, 14. April 2011

Nato-Außenminister in Berlin: Langer Kampf gegen Gaddafi befürchtet
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die Außenminister der Nato-Staaten haben sich auf eine Forderung an den libyschen Machthaber Gaddafi geeinigt: Der Diktator soll seine Soldaten wieder in die Kasernen zurückzubeordern. Korrespondenten berichten unterdessen von einem schweren Luftangriff auf Gaddafis Residenz in Tripolis.

Die Außenminister der 28 Nato-Staaten haben den libyschen Machthaber Muammar al Gaddafi bei ihrem Treffen in Berlin aufgefordert, seine Soldaten wieder in die Kasernen zurückzubeordern. Dies sei unerlässlich, um einen wirklichen und kontrollierbaren Waffenstillstand zwischen Regierung und Rebellen zu vereinbaren. Nach Angaben von Diplomaten waren sich die Minister bei ihrem Treffen am Donnerstag in Berlin über diese Forderung einig.

Sie wollten eine gemeinsame Erklärung zu Libyen beschließen. Die Sanktionen gegen das Gaddafi-Regime sollten strikt angewendet werden, hieß es. Damit werde der Nachschub für die libysche Regierung ausgetrocknet. Dem Vernehmen nach herrschte in der Ministerrunde weitgehende Einigkeit darüber, dass die internationale Gemeinschaft sich auf einen längeren Konflikt mit Gaddafi einrichten müsse. An dem Treffen in Berlin nahmen auch Vertreter von sechs weiteren Staaten teil, die die Militäraktion direkt oder indirekt unterstützen. » | FAZ.NET mit dpa/dapd | Donnerstag, 14. April 2011

Un verre de vin par jour n'est pas si sain
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Jusqu'ici, la science a toujours dit qu'un verre de vin par jour était bon pour le coeur. De nouvelles recherches remettent en cause cette thèse.

La nouvelle en surprendra plus d'uns. Un verre de vin par jour augmenterait les risques de cancer. C'est une étude effectuée sur 360'000 personnes issues de huit pays d'Europe qui le dit. La recherche, publiée dans le "British medical Journla [sic] online", est décortiquée jeudi par le quotidien zurichois "Tages-Anzeiger". Elle s'oppose à de nombreuses publications antérieures et au célèbre "French paradox".

La recherche, menée par une équipe internationale de scientifiques, a étudié l'impact de l'alcool sur le cancer. La consommation d'alcool est responsable d'un cancer sur 10 chez les hommes et d'un sur 33 chez les femmes, selon l'étude. Ces cas sont surtout liés à une forte consommation d'alcool.

Mais les petits buveurs seraient aussi concernés, affirme les chercheurs, qui montrent qu'un à deux verres de vin ou de liqueur par jour favorise également les risques de cancer. Même en petite quantité, l'alcool peut en outre causer des problèmes cardiaques et de circulation.

Les cancers concernés touchent le foie, la bouche, la gorge, le larynx et l'oesophage. Les cancers du sein et des intestins pourraient également être liés à l'alcool, mais dans une moindre mesure. » | Rédaction online | Jeudi 14 Avril 2011

La France pas prête à armer la rébellion libyenne
LE POINT: Alain Juppé estime qu'il n'y a pas de solution militaire au pays de Kadhafi.

La France n'entend pas fournir des armes aux rebelles libyens, la solution à la crise étant politique et non militaire, a déclaré jeudi Alain Juppé. Le ministre français des Affaires étrangères s'exprimait à son arrivée à une réunion informelle à Berlin sur la Libye avec ses homologues des 28 pays de l'Otan. » | Source Reuters | Jeudi 14 Avril 2011