Wave of 'Arab Spring' Refugees Heading for Britain
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Refugees fleeing conflict in Libya are gathering in Calais in an attempt to enter Britain.

n a filthy squat two miles from the entrance to the Channel Tunnel, Mohammed Yosif and his friends are hoping for a new life in Britain.

The 21-year-old is one of at least 40,000 to have fled to Europe as a result of the Arab Spring that has seen political unrest sweep north Africa.

Many are migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa who now believe their lives are at risk, especially in Libya where the regime used black mercenaries to attack rebel forces.

A growing number have now arrived in France and are sleeping rough near ports in a bid to sneak into the UK or at the Gare du Nord Eurostar station in Paris.

“It is very difficult to get on the train, but I dream of England,” said Mohammed, who arrived in Calais on Tuesday after fleeing the war in Libya, where he was a migrant worker from Chad.

“Maybe I will hide, but I hope to find a way to get there somehow. England is a great country where I can have my human rights.”

Until he can sneak onto a lorry heading for Britain, he is living with up to 400 other migrants in a squalid, chaotic encampment nicknamed 'Africa House’. » | Alastair Jamieson | Saturday, May 21, 2011

My comment:

Isn't this in part a spin-off of Cameron's war on Libya? So the bottom line is this: The UK will increasingly be subjected to Islamisation; Libya will eventually be improved. But in the meantime, the UK will have to suffer still more. Gee! Thanks David! You've 'done us proud.' Again, yet another politician who can't tell his a*** from his elbow! And doubtless, as tigerchopper rightly said: These people will get their council houses, welfare benefits, breeding assistance, etc. This ties in with my other comment today: here – © Mark

This comment is also appears here

Saudi Woman Campaigns for Right to Drive
And a Saudi woman is held after mounting an internet campaign to get more females driving

A woman has been detained in Saudi Arabia for defying the ban on driving.

The kingdom is the only country in the world where women are discouraged from getting behind the wheel.

Manal al Sharif is part of an online campaign group determined to get women in the driving seat more.

Al Jazeera's Anu Nathan reports.

Obama to Address Pro-Israel Group AIPAC
Barack Obama will make his first appearance as US president at the annual conference of America's largest Jewish lobby.

His speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee comes days after the Israeli prime minister publicly rejected Obama's views on the Middle East peace process.

Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports.

Turkey Sex Scandal
Six senior members of Turkey's far-right opposition have resigned over a sex video scandal, shortly before national elections.

The National Action Party is accusing the government of engaging in political blackmail.

Al Jazeera's Iain Bruce reports.

'Scores Killed' in Syrian Protests
Syrian rights groups say security forces there killed more than fifty anti-government activists during the last two days.

President Bashar al-Assad has been meeting with local dignitaries over the two-month long unrest, with a view to urging a national dialogue.

But opposition groups within and outside the country are setting strong conditions for any talks.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from neighbouring Lebanon.

Iceland Volcano Prompts Airport Closure
Iceland's most active volcano has started erupting, prompting the closure of the country's main international airport.

But experts say the eruption of the Grimsvotn volcano is unlikely to cause a repeat of the disturbance to European air traffic caused by another Icelandic volcano last year.

Last year, another eruption led to a major air travel chaos for days, affecting some 10 million travellers.

Al Jazeera's Catherine Stancl reports.


Lien en relation avec cet vidéo »

Bahrain Special Court Upholds 2 Death Sentences in Protest-related Case
ARAB NEWS: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: A special appeals court in Bahrain upheld death sentences Sunday for two people convicted of killing policemen during anti-government demonstrations in March.

A report by the Bahrain News Agency said the court upheld death sentences against Ali Abdullah Hassan Al-Singace and Abdul Aziz Abdul Redha Ibrahim Hussein, who were accused of killing the policemen intentionally by running them over with a car.

BNA identified two other accused whose death sentences were reduced as Qasim Hassan Mattar Ahmed and Saeed Abdul Jalil Saeed.

Bahraini state media last month aired government-produced videos that including clips of purported confessions of the policemen’s killings. They also included testimonials from alleged relatives of one of the slain policemen and a taxi driver killed in the unrest.

The case was the first related to this year’s unrest, which was inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Capital punishment is extremely rare in Bahrain and is typically not applied to the country’s citizens. A Bangladeshi man was executed last July after being convicted of premeditated murder. » | Adam Schreck | AP | Sunday, May 22, 2011

Inside Story - Spain in Pain
Street protests in Madrid over austerity measures may turn political with elections just around the corner

Syria's Defiant Women Risk All to Protest against President Bashar al-Assad
THE GUARDIAN: Women on the frontline of demonstrations against Syria's brutal regime are now being targeted by security forces


They came for the men first, as the security forces of Syria's PresidentBashar al-Assad killed, beat and arrested people protesting against his regime.

Next, they came for the women of Syria's revolution. Despite the threats, however, they refuse to be silenced.

As the violence has become worse, women activists have organised a Friday protest of Free Women showing solidarity with those seized or killed. Women-only protests in towns across the country have led the effort to let the outside world know what is happening in Syria. But they are now being targeted as well, with the same lethal brutality.

Two weeks ago three women were shot dead at an all-women march near the besieged city of Banias. A week later human rights activist Catherine al-Talli, 32, was detained in the Barzeh district of Damascus after being forced off a minibus when it was stopped at a checkpoint by the secret police.

Others, such as Razan Zeitouneh, whose husband has been arrested, have been forced into hiding as evidence emerges that the regime is targeting relatives of those it is seeking to arrest.

Yesterday it was Zeitouneh who reported that the final death toll for the latest crackdown on Friday protests by the regime had been 30. Twelve were reported dead in Ma'aret al-Nu'man, south of the city of Aleppo, after tanks entered the town earlier in the day to disperse protesters; 11 in the central city of Homs and seven in Deraa, Latakia, the Damascus suburbs and Hama. » | Peter Beaumont | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Armed Saleh Supporters Trap US, European Envoys
ARAB NEWS: SANAA, Yemen: The US, European and Gulf Arab ambassadors were trapped inside a diplomatic mission Sunday by an armed mob angry over a deal for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down after 32 years in power.

Prospects that Saleh would sign the pact as promised were thrown into doubt.

Wielding knives, daggers and swords, hundreds of Saleh loyalists blocked the entrances to the United Arab Emirates Embassy, where at least five ambassadors were gathered in expectation the embattled leader would arrive to sign the deal.

“Everybody is worried. We can’t leave the embassy,” said a Saudi diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Pro-Saleh militiamen dressed in traditional Yemeni dress roamed the streets of the capital, especially outside embassies, and blocked the road to the presidential palace. » | Ahmed Al-Haj | AP | Sunday, May 22, 2011

Ex-Nato-General Wesley Clark: "Gaddafi wird stürzen"

DIE PRESSE: Wesley Clark, einstiger US-Oberbefehlshaber im Kosovo-Krieg, ist überzeugt, dass Luftangriffe ausreichen, um Libyens Diktator Gaddafi zu Fall zu bringen. Die USA werden ihre globale Machtposition beibehalten.

Sie leiteten 1999 die Nato-Militäroperation im Kosovo. Damals beklagten Sie den fehlenden Willen, Bodentruppen einzusetzen. Müsste diese Kritik nicht nun auch für den Libyen-Krieg gelten, der seitens der Alliierten ebenfalls nur aus der Luft geführt wird.

Wesley Clark: Wir mussten damals im Kosovo die Eskalationsdominanz erreichen: Wenn die Luftangriffe allein nicht ausgereicht hätten, wäre die Nato zum nächsten Schritt gezwungen gewesen. Gott sei Dank war das nicht notwendig, aber wir hätten darauf vorbereitet sein müssen. In Libyen schlägt die Nato denselben Weg ein.

Ist denn irgendjemand bereit, Bodentruppen nach Libyen zu schicken?
Nein, diese Bereitschaft gibt es nicht ... Gibt es überhaupt eine Strategie in Libyen » | Von Christian Ultsch (Die Presse) | Samstag, 21. Mai 2011

Iran Arrests 30 People Suspected of Spying for the U.S.
HAARETZ: Washington has had no diplomatic presence in Iran since the 1979 revolution; arrests come two days after Obama made a speech reiterating that the U.S. views Tehran as a sponsor of terrorism.

Iran has arrested 30 people it said were spying for the United States, official media reported on Saturday.

"The Intelligence Ministry's active and pious forces, in their ardent confrontations with the agents of the CIA ... arrested 30 people who were spies for America," state television's lunchtime news announced.

According to the semi-official Fars news agency, the suspects had passed information to U.S. officials at embassies and consulates in third countries, including Malaysia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. » | Reuters | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Strauss-Kahn's Lawyer to Haaretz: Former IMF Chief Will Be Acquitted

HAARETZ: Attorney Benjamin Brafman says that if Strauss-Kahn had not been famous and had not been a foreigner, the court would not have demanded the unusually high bail.

The lawyer of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn told Haaretz Sunday that his client would be acquitted of the sexual assault charges that have shocked the economic world.

"He'll plead not guilty and in the end he'll be acquitted," said attorney Benjamin Brafman in his first interview since his client was arrested last week for the alleged attack on a New York City chambermaid.

Brafman, on a short trip to Israel to attend to family obligations, spent the weekend in north Jerusalem with his son - a rabbi - and his grandchildren.

Brafman met with Haaretz while he was on his way to light a Lag Ba'omer bonfire with the grandchildren.

Brafman, 62, is used to scandals and high-profile cases. He has defended Michael Jackson, crime boss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, online gambling king Jay Cohen and rapper Jay-Z. Another of his clients, rapper Sean Combs, gave him the nickname "Uncle Benny." » | Chaim Levinson | Sunday, May 22, 2011

French Weekly Magazines Review

rfi ENGLISH: The French weeklies all put up special dossiers on the Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair. The right-leaning magazines aren’t mincing words. "Shame" headlines Le Figaro. "Downfall" writes Le Point. "The scandal that changes everything" says l’Express and “descent to hell”, according to left-leaning Le Nouvel Observateur.

France is ashamed of Strauss-Kahn’s humiliating pictures writes Le Figaro - ashamed of being ridiculed in the eyes of the world. The conservative journal says in an editorial, that the affair lends credence to the erroneous, but long –upheld view, that France is a nation of pleasure seekers. Le Figaro states that Strauss-Kahn has always had a soft spot for women which he often boasted about. The journal lambasts the socialists for rushing out to support him as the scandal broke out.

Some said it was a diabolical smear and lynching campaign hashed by a black cabinet to prevent him from becoming president of France. Le Figaro regrets that the politicians who piled-up all the blind support for DSK had no word for the poor black woman at the centre of the case. Le Figaro dispatched a team to New York’s Bronx district, home to the alleged rape victim, Nafissatou Diallo. It reports that the Guinean community there has been staging demonstrations in support of her clamour for justice.

Le Point agrees with Le Figaro that the Strauss-Kahn affair has claimed a terrible toll on France’s image abroad."What a fall" screams the journal which runs a 10-page dossier on the tragic descent to hell of the popular politician who had been poised to possibly become France's next president. Le Point runs excerpts from the New York tabloids reporting of the damaging story including The Daily News, The New Yorker and even the respected Wall Street Journal. The magazine says Strauss-Kahn's name has been tarnished forever, no matter the outcome of the case, pointing to the fact that his socialist comrades are already burying him, some with flowers, others without. » | William Niba | Sunday, May 22, 2011

Guinean Woman Nafissatou Diallo Is Reportedly the Accuser in Strauss-Kahn Affair
HAMSAYEH.NET – EXTRACT: The Sofitel Hotel is run by its French owners and is considered one of the most expensive hotels in New York. There have been numerous reports of a frame up by powerful political factions in particular those connected to Nicholas Sarkozy and his supporters. Also, it seems that powerful interest groups have been worried over Strauss-Kahn’s future plans to reorganize the way the IMF nromally functions. Read it all » | Sunday, May 22, 2011

Nafissatou Diallo, la femme qui a repoussé les avances de DSK
ECHOS D’AFRIQUE: Qui est vraiment LA VIERGE Nafissatou Diallo? Celle qui a dit NON comme le president Sekou Toure.

Une jolie femme de nationalité guinéenne sans histoire, sérieuse et qui n’a pu être manipulée selon ses collègues et employeur.

Selon sa famille, qui préfère rester anonyme, Nafissatou Diallo, 32 ans, est aux États-Unis depuis treize ans, où elle menait jusqu’à samedi 14 mai 15H09 une vie sans histoire.

Fille d’un commerçant guinéen, originaire de la région de Labé Guinee-Conakry ou Sekou Touré, Nafissatou Diallo a suivi son mari, un commerçant guinéen, aux États-Unis en 1998. Ce qu’on appelle en France un regroupement familiale. » | Source: Afrohistorama | Mercredi 18 Mai 2011

Was DSK Stitched Up?
COUNTER PUNCH: The French are for the millionaire. The Americans are for the maid. Among the French, three out of five think the IMF’s former managing director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been framed. (Strauss-Kahn tendered his resignation as head of the IMF May 18.) Here in the USA there’s not been a reliable poll, but public sentiment is clearly against Strauss-Kahn, amplified by self-congratulation that America is a nation of laws, a maid’s word as potent as that of a millionaire, in contrast to the moral decay and deference to the rich prevalent in France.

The French, for their part, stigmatize America as a puritanical, omnipotent imperial police state, whose intelligence agencies are efficiently capable of any infamy. But even as they charge that Strauss-Kahn was set up, the French press is rather weak on identifying or even suggesting the precise mastermind or group working to destroy a man who might have been the French Socialist Party’s candidate, evicting Sarkozy from the Elysee Palace. (They miss the real damage to France's reputation, not to mention balance of payments, which is that previously women from the US or northern Europe have booked costly tours to France hoping to be seduced by Charles Boyer or Michel Piccoli or Alain Delon or, if you like heavy smokers, Jean-Paul Belmondo, or Gerard Depardieu. They will will now, rather than be attacked by a Gallic sexual psychopath, elect to go straight to Italy notwithstanding the chances of a semi-senile Berlusconi jumping out of the bushes, shouting "Bunga, Bunga.")

In Parisian financial circles some charge that this is an attack on “les juifs”. Following this line, they suggest it’s a plot by the Muslims, presumptively eager to contrive any embarrassment to a well-known Jew, and indeed ardent Zionist, also perhaps because the agent of Strauss-Kahn’s downfall, the 32-year maid accusing Strauss-Kahn of a serious sexual assault – widely identified on French and West African websites as Nafissatou Diallo -- is a Muslim from the West African nation of Guinea. (And yes, the name Diallo does ring a bell. Amadou Diallo (September 2, 1975–February 4, 1999) was a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant in New York City who was shot and killed on February 4, 1999 by four plain-clothes members of the NYPD who fired 41 rounds at him. They were all subsequently acquitted.) » | Alexander Cockburn | Weekend Edition, Friday, May 20, 2011 – Sunday, May 22, 2011

“Strauss-Kahn is being framed up because the IMF recently announced that ‘the age of America is over,’ that China will be the number one economy within five years. This was a massive blow to Washington, and they are taking their revenge.” – Paul Craig Roberts, assistant secretary of the US Treasury in Reagan’s time

Ex-IWF-Chef: Wie Strauss-Kahn in New York geschnitten wird

ZEIT ONLINE: Ex-IWF-Chef Strauss-Kahn hat gegen Kaution die Gefängnisinsel Rikers Island verlassen. Als er in ein Penthouse in Manhattan einziehen wollte, rebellierten die Nachbarn.

Nur eine Woche hat das Leben des einst mächtigsten Bankers der Welt dramatisch verändert: Letzten Samstag standen Dominique Strauss-Kahn noch alle Türen offen, nach der Anklage wegen versuchter Vergewaltigung ist der gefallene IWF-Chef in New York zum Paria geworden. Die Bewohner eines Wolkenkratzers in der betuchten Upper East Side rebellierten, als sie hörten, dass Strauss-Kahn seine Zelle gegen ihr Penthouse eintauschen wollte.

Gegen eine Kaution von insgesamt sechs Millionen Dollar war der 62-jährige Franzose am Freitag von der berüchtigten Gefängnisinsel Rikers Island im New Yorker East River entlassen worden. Der Ex-Chef des Internationalen Währungsfonds steht unter Hausarrest, muss eine elektronische Fußfessel tragen und wird wegen Fluchtgefahr rund um die Uhr von bewaffneten Sicherheitsbeamten überwacht.


Nachdem ihm eine Wohnung im eleganten Bristol Plaza verweigert worden war, kam Strauss-Kahn vorübergehend in einem umgebauten Bürogebäude am New Yorker Broadway in der Nähe von Ground Zero unter. Dabei hatte seine Frau, Anne Sinclair, das Penthouse im Bristol mit Blick über Manhattan bereits für 14.000 Dollar (knapp 10.000 Euro) im Monat gemietet, berichtete die New York Times.

Das Bristol hätte einen Swimming Pool auf der Dachterrasse, täglich frische Handtücher und allerlei Service geboten. Womit Sinclair nicht gerechnet hatte, war die Reaktion der Nachbarn. "Es ist einfach nicht richtig, ihn hier absteigen und unsere Gastfreundschaft genießen zu lassen, nach dem, was er sich der Anklage nach hat zuschulden kommen lassen", wurde eine Frau aus dem Bristol von der Zeitung zitiert. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag abgeben » | QUELLE dpa | Samstag, 21. Mai 2011

Zapatero unter Druck
Die Unzufriedenheit der Spanier ist groß. Bei den Kommunal- und Regionalwahlen könnte Ministerpräsident Zapatero sein Amt verlieren
Das Video hier abspielen

Libye: l'Otan vise la résidence de Kadhafi à Tripoli

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche, les forces de l'Otan ont visé les alentours du complexe résidentiel de Mouammar Kadhafi à Tripoli.

L’Otan a mené une frappe aérienne dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche près du complexe résidentiel de Mouammar Kadhafi à Tripoli. Les forces libyennes ont bombardé, selon un site de l’opposition, des quartiers résidentiels de Misrata, dans l’ouest du pays.

Selon des responsables libyens, l’Alliance atlantique a effectué des frappes près du complexe de Bab al Aziziah et des images de Reuters Television ont montré une colonne de fumée s’élevant au dessus de la capitale. » | AFP | Samedi 22 Mai 2011

Eruption volcanique: fermeture de l’espace aérien islandais

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le volcan Grimsvoetn est entré samedi en éruption sous le plus grand glacier d’Islande. Le principal aéroport international ferme ses portes.

L’espace aérien islandais a été temporairement fermé dimanche matin en raison de l’éruption du volcan le plus actif du pays, qui a déclenché un immense panache de fumée, ont annoncé les autorités aéroportuaires (Isavia).

"L’aéroport de Keflavik, notre principal aéroport international ferme. L’espace aérien ferme", a déclaré la porte-parole d’Isavia, Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, peu avant 11 heures suisses.

Cette fermeture devrait durer "au moins pour les prochaines heures", selon la porte-parole, indiquant qu’un nouveau point serait fait à 13 heures. » | AFP | Samedi 22 Mai 2011

Saudi Arabia Shuns Thought of Arab Spring

BBC: Saudi Arabia has not seen the large-scale protests of the kind sweeping many Arab countries - it is a place which, above all, values stability.

There were hundreds of them, migrant workers, from South and East Asia, coming to Saudi Arabia to work for meagre, but tax-free, wages.

And their arrival in Riyadh coincided with my flight, making for a teeming but fairly orderly passport hall.

The queues were not moving much, however, and so one tall, thin Indian man decided to sit on the floor.

Not for long though.

Out of nowhere, one of the guards shoved his way into the line - spraying people left and right - and hauled the man back on to his feet.

Moments later, the same guard kicked the arm of another migrant worker who could not figure out how to operate the biometric scanning machine.

All this had taken place within 20 minutes of me setting foot on Saudi soil.

It was my first impression of the country - and to the extent that the incidents highlight the authoritarian, uncompromising nature of Saudi society, not to mention the appalling manner in which some low-skilled migrant workers are treated, then it has proven fairly accurate.

I have travelled the breadth - if not the length - of this desert kingdom over the past week or so, and the lesson I have learned again and again is that there is a Saudi way of doing things which is quite unique.

'Un-Islamic'

A tribal, hierarchical society defined almost exclusively by its religion tends not to tolerate much dissent - and looks suspiciously at any new behaviours and ideas.

A suggestion last week, for instance, from the education minister that it was maybe time to consider sending boys and girls to mixed-sex primary schools led to one opponent claiming the idea would turn boys into transvestites.

Any notion that Saudis had that the uprising in other Middle Eastern countries might take root here was brushed aside a few weeks ago by an edict from the country's religious leaders that dissent and protest were un-Islamic, and that Saudis should obey their rulers.

We do not challenge our parents in the house, one man told me, and so what makes you think we are going to challenge our government in the streets?

Beside a big stick, a rather large carrot has also been dangled in front of Saudis. » | Michael Buchanan, BBC News, Riyadh | Saturday, May 21, 2011

US 'Would Repeat Bin Laden Raid'
BBC: The US President Barack Obama has spoken exclusively to the BBC's Andrew Marr ahead of his visit to the UK and Ireland.

The president spoke about the raid in Pakistan which led to the death of Osama Bin Laden, and Afghanistan's future.

Andrew Marr also asked Mr Obama what it was like meeting the Queen. (+video: Full Interview) » | Andrew Marr | Sunday, May 22, 2011

Here is the full transcript of the BBC's interview with President Barack Obama. »

Exclusive: New Details on Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Maid's Trauma
THE DAILY BEAST: The maid allegedly sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn was so distressed she had difficulty speaking and tried to vomit, sources tell John Solomon. Plus, new details on how her supervisors responded. Related: The timeline of Strass-Kahn’s weekend.

The luxury-hotel maid who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn was found by a supervisor in a hallway where she hid after escaping from the former International Monetary Fund director's room. Hotel workers described her as traumatized, having difficulty speaking, and immediately concerned about pressing charges and losing her job, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The maid also repeatedly spit on the walls and floors of the suite in front of her hotel colleagues as she alleged that Strauss-Kahn locked her in his room and forced her into oral sex acts. That saliva is being tested for DNA markers and could become a crucial piece of evidence in the case, the sources said.

The sources, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, provided The Daily Beast details of what happened inside New York City's Sofitel hotel in the hour between the alleged attack and when hotel security notified the police, a gap Strauss-Kahn's defense team is certain to question as the case proceeds in court. Strauss-Kahn's lawyers deny any wrongdoing on his part.

The sources said the fact that it only took an hour for the hotel to calm the woman, get her to overcome her difficulty describing what happened, do a thorough interview and get police on scene for forensic testing helped make the case and apprehend the suspect before he fled the country. » | John Solomon* | Saturday, May 21, 2011

*John Solomon is executive editor of the Center For Public Integrity.

Staking Out Strauss-Kahn

Barack Obama's State Visit to Britain Hit by Splits over Libya

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tensions over the military campaign against Libya have cast a cloud over President Barack Obama’s state visit to Britain this week, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

Military and diplomatic sources in both Britain and the US are privately critical over the other side’s role in the action which has hit a damaging “stalemate” and left Colonel Muammar Gadaffi clinging to power.

Britain wants the US to take more of a defined role in the campaign, with UK military chiefs protesting that the effectiveness of bombing raids is being lessened by the absence of American leadership.

US diplomatic sources, meanwhile, have criticised Britain as a “skittish” and unpredictable ally which frequently issues a “red card” -- effectively vetoing a target, causing confusion and greatly hampering proper planning.

Mr Obama emphasised the differences between the two allies yesterday, describing the action against Libya as “limited” in a letter to US lawmakers.

Mr Cameron is expected to pass on the frustration over the lack of leadership from the US when he holds talks with Mr Obama at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, although Downing Street sources last night denied there were tensions.

Both London and Washington are keen to proclaim a new era for the “special relationship” between the two nations on the eve of the trip, which will see the president and his wife, Michelle, spend two nights in Britain, with the programme including a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and a speech by Mr Obama to both houses of parliament.

It will also feature a barbecue in No 10’s rose garden on Wednesday, hosted jointly by Samantha Cameron and Mrs Obama, which both leaders are expected to take time out of their schedules to attend. » | Patrick Hennessy, Philip Sherwell and Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, May 21, 2011

My comment:

Has it come to this? That the UK can't wage an effective war against a country like Libya without 'Big Daddy' helping in the background? Only seventy years ago, we could put up a damn good fight against the military might of the Third Reich – alone. Now, we can't take on even Qadhafi alone!

But for Cameron's vanity, we wouldn't have started a war against Libya anyway. We have no business being there. It is wrong to interfere in an internal revolution. That's what revolutions are all about: upheaval in the internal affairs of a nation. And as for all the crap about protecting civilians – sheer nonsense! Nato, the UK, and France have inflicted more pain and suffering on civilians than Qadhafi ever did.

Qadhafi is an evil man. Of that there is no doubt. But should we really have gone in there to 'sort them out' when we turn a blind eye to equally unpalatable atrocities in Bahrain and Syria, to name but two examples? Indeed, it was only yesterday that Cameron gave us a photo shoot of himself with the Crown Prince of Bahrain, the man some are calling the "torturer-in-chief". And boy, didn't Cameron look weak! And such hypocrisy! One thing is for sure: This is not the UK's "finest hour".

Lastly, whilst I have every respect for the US, and even though I frequently visit that fine country, I find it rather unacceptable, rather nauseating, that we have to look for US approval for everything. We have to follow their lead all the time, and follow their trends. Isn't it about time that the UK grew a backbone? – © Mark

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Pro-Israeli Lobby Urged 'Not to Boo['] Barack Obama after Middle East Peace Address

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama and Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, are squaring up for another clash on Sunday as relations between the two countries plunge to their worst level since the founding of the Jewish state.

The two men will both address the leading pro-Israel lobbying group, the American-Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC), two days after Mr Netanyahu publicly rebuked Mr Obama's peace plans for the Middle East from inside the Oval Office.

Such is the controversy aroused by Mr Obama's stance that AIPAC's leader, Lee Rosenberg, has been forced to write to members begging them not to boo the president when he addresses them.

Mr Obama's clash with Mr Netanyahu, who accused his host of wanting a "peace based on illusions", has sent a sharp divide down American, Israeli and international opinion.

Mr Netanyahu objected to Mr Obama's demand in a speech on Thursday for a Palestinian state based on borders from before the 1967 Six Day War, with revisions to take into consideration security concerns and some of Israel's settlements.

Mr Obama was immediately backed by the Middle East "Quartet", the mediation body comprising the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union. It issued a statement expressing its "strong support". » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Stevie Wonder: I Just Called to Say I Love You

Dutch PM and Wilders Clash on Greece
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and populist Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders clashed in parliament today over more financial aid for Greece. Mr Wilders is against a further bailout, saying that Greece should quit the euro.

The minority coalition of the conservative VVD and Christian Democrats (CDA) relies on support from the PVV on a majority of issues. However, the Greek euro crisis has caused a major divide between the PVV and the coalition parties.

The PVV and the opposition Socialist Party are against more financial aid for Greece. However, the government’s position of not ruling out more aid has the support of Labour, the D66 democrats and Green Left - all opposition parties. » | mw/hs | Thursday, May 19, 2011

Tobacco Giants Threaten to Slash Cigarette Price over Australia's Plain Packaging Plans
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One of Australia's major tobacco companies has warned that the price of cigarettes could halve if a plan to bring in plain packets is carried out.

At the launch of a multi-million dollar campaign against the government's proposals, British and American Tobacco Australia (BATA) said more people would end up smoking if plain packaging was introduced.

BATA warned that uniform packets would make illegal imported cigarettes made in China and Indonesia and known as "chop chop" easier to disguise and would eventually force prices down sharply as tobacco companies tried to compete.

Last month, Australia unveiled the world's toughest laws on tobacco promotion that would see cigarettes sold in ugly olive-green packets plastered with graphic health warnings. Under the plan, due to take effect next year, all logos would be removed and replaced with the brand name in a small, specific font.

But BATA has vowed to fight the move, warning that it will backfire and spark a boom in black market tobacco.

"When all cigarette packs look the same and lose their trademarks and distinguishing features, counterfeiters will have a field day mass producing packets to smuggle into Australia," David Crow, BATA's chief executive said. Continue reading and comment » | Bonnie Malkin, In Sydney | Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Le film de la semaine où tout a basculé pour DSK
De son arrestation à sa remise en liberté sous caution, revivez en images les moments forts de la semaine de descente aux enfers de Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Dépressif, Moubarak va faire appel à un psychologue
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: EGYPTE | Hospitalisé à Charm el-Cheikh, l'ancien président Hosni Moubarak, actuellement en détention préventive, serait dépressif et aurait besoin d'un suivi psychiatrique.

Le président égyptien déchu Hosni Moubarak, en détention préventive dans un hôpital, est dépressif et a besoin d’être suivi par un psychologue, a indiqué samedi une source médicale citée par l’agence officielle Mena.

L’ancien président, âgé de 83 ans, est hospitalisé à Charm el-Cheikh, sur la mer Rouge, depuis le mois dernier à la suite d’un accident cardiaque survenu durant un interrogatoire.

M. Moubarak fait l’objet d’une enquête sur l’origine de sa fortune ainsi que sur la répression du soulèvement populaire contre son régime en janvier et février, qui a fait plus de 800 morts.

Son transfert en prison dans l’attente d’un éventuel procès est conditionné à l’évolution de son état de santé. » | AFP | Samedi 21 Mai 2011

Syrie: trois morts et des dizaines de blessés à Homs
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: GUERRE CIVILE | Les forces de sécurité syriennes ont ouvert le feu sur la foule, qui sortait du cimetière de la ville de Homs. Trois personnes ont été tuées et des dizaines d'autres blessées.

Trois personnes ont été tuées et des dizaines blessées samedi par les forces de sécurité syriennes. » | ATS / AFP | Samedi 21 Mai 2011

Hansjörg Schultz: Wo war Gott in Auschwitz?
Sehen Sie hier sein erstes Gespräch mit dem Theologen Norbert Reck zum Thema «Wo war Gott in Auschwitz?»

Knife Mob Attacks Journalists in Libya

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A BUS containing foreign journalists was attacked by a knife-wielding mob in Libya on Saturday, in the first significant manifestation of public hostility to Westerners.

The vehicle was stuck in a traffic queue in the town of Zuara, sixty miles west of Tripoli, when it was stormed by a crowd of about 50 civilians apparently angered about growing petrol shortages.

Only the intervention of Libyan security forces saved the journalists from being injured or killed.

Guy Desmond, a reporter for the Reuters news agency who was on board, said: "We were stopped opposite a petrol queue and the people in the queue were obviously tired and agitated. One guy came and kicked in the door of the bus, saying we'd been filming. Then a crowd of about fifty people tried to get on board. They wanted to drag us out. A soldier with an AK47 from a nearby checkpoint jumped in through the driver's door and tried to hold them back."

About six of the angry crowd, some armed with knives, managed to get past the soldier and on to the vehicle. "A guy with a knife came towards me and was stopped by the soldier. The government minder with us tried quite courageously to put himself between us and the crowd. He was punched and slapped," said Mr Desmond. » | Andrew Gilligan in Tripoli | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Italy: First 'Halal' Firm to Supply Restaurants and Canteens

ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (AKI): Bologna - Italy's first-ever 'halal' supplier has opened for business in Italy's northern city of Bologna, selling meals prepared according to Islamic principles to restaurants and canteens in Italy and abroad.

"Integration is also being able to eat as one should and to be at peace with God," Hamza Piccardo, told Adnkronos International (AKI).

Piccardo, an Italian convert to Islam, is the director of the 'Tre Alfieri Halal', which is based in Bologna, a renowned gastronomic centre.

"Our new company wants to be a triumph of integration: to combine Italy's great cuisine and Islam's rules without losing the flavours of the former and the spiritual rigour of the latter," he said. » | AKI | Friday, May 20, 2011

Egyptian Novelist Hails Revolution as a 'Great Human Achievement'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The country's most celebrated writer, Alaa al-Aswany, was inspired by the Tahrir protesters, but fears a counter-revolution

On 28 January a young Egyptian man was urging the novelist Alaa al-Aswany to write a book about the revolution that was gathering momentum in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Just minutes after their brief conversation the protester was shot dead by a government sniper from a nearby roof.

Aswany never learned his interlocutor's name, but that and other killings, along with the sheer bravery of revolutionaries motivated by "an untameable anger and a profound sense of injustice", are seared into the memory of Egypt's most celebrated living writer as he articulates his feelings about the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak and what it means.

"The revolution was a great human achievement," Aswany says in a booming voice that amplifies his evident emotion. "It means people are willing to die for freedom and justice. When you participate in a real revolution you become a much better person. You are ready to defend human values."

Now though, like other Egyptian democrats, he fears a counter-revolution led by old regime loyalists fomenting violence and sectarian attacks, precisely in line with the finger-wagging warning by Mubarak of the "chaos" that would follow if he were forced from the presidency.

Uncertainties abound, Aswany admits, smoking furiously between appointments in his dental surgery in Cairo's Garden City district, its leafy streets a haven from one of the noisiest urban spaces on the planet, and whose fading charms and human vibrancy he captured in his best-selling novel The Yacoubian Building [I].

"The revolution succeeded in Egypt but there is someone else taking the decisions," he muses. "The army is seen very positively ... but we have to keep up pressure [on it] to take the decisions of the revolution. It needs a lot of effort ... and then, at some point, they respond." » | Ian Black in Cairo | Friday, May 20, 2011

Bahrain: David Cameron Under Fire for No 10 Crown Prince Photocall

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron risked criticism after he was pictured shaking hands with the Crown Prince of Bahrain on the steps of Downing Street.

The Prime Minister met Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa for talks at No 10 amid concern of the Gulf state’s human rights record.

The pair met in private for discussions on the uprisings across the Middle East and north Africa, including a bloody crackdown by Bahraini authorities on demonstrators.

But critics said officials should not be “rolling out the red carpet for Bahrain's torturer-in-chief”, insisting the meeting sent out the wrong signal.

It came as President Barack Obama gave a major speech last night throwing American weight behind the Arab Spring protests, which have been shaking the autocracies of the Middle East.

Mr Cameron was said to have urged Bahrain to embrace ''reform rather than repression'' in response to pro-democracy protests in the Gulf state.

Hundreds of anti-government protesters have been arrested and put on trial in special courts[.]

The Crown Prince’s London visit also follows a row about his invitation to last month’s Royal Wedding of the Duke of Duchess of Cambridge.

He later declined the invitation amid fears his presence might act as a distraction and attract widespread demonstrations. » | Andrew Hough | Friday, May 20, 2011

Bahrain Visit: Cameron Embraces Tyranny

THE INDEPENDENT: In Bahrain, it was another day of violence and repression as the Saudi-backed Al-Khalifa dynasty continued to clamp down on protesters demanding a better life for the repressed Shia majority.

But in Downing Street, David Cameron exchanged a warm handshake with Bahrain's Crown Prince, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa. While other Arab tyrants feel the full force of British disapproval, Sheikh Salman is here on a mission to repair the damaged reputation of his dynasty. His visit prompted an outcry from politicians and civil rights campaigners. It came on the day when President Obama delivered his first major speech on the Arab Spring, which he said would open a "new chapter in American diplomacy". "It will be the policy of the US to promote reform, and to support transitions to democracy," he promised.

The Labour MP Denis MacShane, a former Foreign Office minister, said: "It's unbelievable, at a time when Bahrain is becoming the torture chamber of the Gulf, with terrible reports of killings and beatings, that David Cameron has even allowed the torturer-in-chief into Britain, let alone into Downing Street." Amnesty International UK's director, Kate Allen, said: "The Prime Minister ought to make it clear to Sheikh Salman that Bahrain's relations with the UK will suffer if the Bahraini authorities refuse to allow peaceful protests or conduct proper investigations into numerous allegations that detained protesters have been tortured." Continue reading and comment » | Andy McSmith | Friday, May 20, 2011

Counting the Cost - The Future of the IMF

Strauss-Kahn Holed Up under House Arrest in Lower Manhattan
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has finally been released on bail from Rikers Island after residents at the Bristol Plaza, where his wife had rented luxury accommodation, complained that his presence would prompt a media feeding frenzy and it would not accept the Frenchman

Turkey Earthquake Kills Two, Injures Dozens
An earthquake in northwest Turkey has killed at least two people and injured nearly 100 more. It was shortly before midnight when the 5.9 magnitude tremor struck the small town of Simav in Kutahya province. Buildings there were damaged and others shaken further north in Istanbul and across western Turkey

Dubya Rakes in a Cool $15million on Speaking Circuit. Because He’s Worth It?

MAIL ONLINE: Former president George Bush has raked in a whopping $15 million since leaving the White House, it was claimed today.

Despite insisting he wanted to keep a low profile, Mr Bush has padded his bank account by making scores of speeches paying between $100,000 and $150,000 a time.

The ex-president has made a point of saying he was staying away from politics after retiring to Dallas, Texas.

He turned down an invitation from Barack Obama to attend a ceremony at Ground Zero after Osama bin Laden was killed because he wanted to remain out of the spotlight.

But, according to iWatchNews, Mr Bush made time for three speeches in the week after the 9/11 event.

He earned three six-figure paydays speaking to hedge fund executives in Las Vegas, the UBS Swiss bank in New York and a professional golf gathering in Florida.

In all, Mr Bush is estimated to have delivered as many as 140 paid talks at home and abroad.

Almost all of the speeches are closed to the press so they do not get widespread coverage. So much for the quiet life... George W Bush rakes in staggering $15million on speaking circuit » | David Gardner | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Spain Protesters Challenge Government Ban
Spain's government have ruled that mass protests are illegal on the eve of elections. But many people remain on the streets of a number of cities refusing to leave. Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips reports.

Negotiating with Hamas 'Unacceptable'
Mark Regev is the spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. He says negotiating with a Palestinian government that includes members of Hamas is unacceptable.

Jeffrey Shapiro, le petit avocat des causes civiles

LE FIGARO: PORTRAIT - L'homme qui défie le grand pénaliste Benjamin Brafman aurait hérité de l'affaire DSK par un ami.

À New York

Le contraste ne pourrait être plus frappant entre Benjamin Brafman, l'avocat de Dominique Strauss-Kahn, et Jeffrey Shapiro, celui de sa victime présumée. Le premier est l'un des ténors du barreau new-yorkais, un avocat connu qui défend avec succès les cas indéfendables de mafieux et de célébrités du rap. Le second est spécialisé dans les erreurs médicales et les accidents du travail, avocat civil parmi des milliers d'autres à New York.

S'il ne joue pas dans la cour des grands comme Ben Brafman et si ses clients sont beaucoup moins «glamour», il n'en est pas moins efficace. Sur son site Internet sont affichées ses «victoires»: 22,1 millions de dollars pour la victime d'une erreur médicale lors d'une hystérectomie, 3,75 millions pour un bébé mal soigné à l'hôpital, 3 millions pour un ouvrier atteint d'épilepsie après un accident du travail, etc. «Sachant qu'il touche un tiers de ce que gagne la victime, ce n'est pas mal du tout», estime un de ses confrères, Matthew Galluzzo.

Ben Brafman et Jeff Shapiro, tous deux la cinquantaine passée, ont un point commun: leurs cabinets sont tous deux situés sur la IIIe Avenue à Manhattan, à cinq pâtés d'immeubles l'un de l'autre. À part cela, ils appartiennent à deux mondes très différents. Le premier défend des accusés (présumés innocents) pour leur éviter la prison, le second défend des victimes (présumées) pour les aider à retrouver une vie normale après un traumatisme. » | Par Adèle Smith | Vendredi 20 Mai 2011

LE FIGARO: Me Brafman, l'avocat de DSK rompu aux affaires difficiles : PORTRAIT - Puff Daddy, Jay-Z ou encore Michael Jackson : l'avocat de Dominique Strauss-Kahn est rompu aux combats judiciaires très médiatiques. Réputé coriace, l'homme a un parcours étonnant. » | Par Flore Galaud | Jeudi 19 Mai 2011

LE FIGARO: La bataille judiciaire commence pour DSK: Inculpé par le grand jury, l'ex-patron du FMI doit affronter la perspective d'un procès, alors que de nombreuses informations et rumeurs s'accumulent. Le Figaro fait le point sur ces certitudes et ces zones d'ombre. » | Par Marie-Amélie Lombard | Jeudi 19 Mai 2011

Heftiger Streit Amerikas mit Israel

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Israels Präsident Netanjahu hat dem amerikanischen Präsidenten Obama die Gefährdung der Existenz Israels vorgeworfen. Im Weißen Haus protestierte er gegen Obamas Vorschlag für einen Palästinenserstaat in den Grenzen von 1967. In diesem Fall könne das Land „nicht verteidigt“ werden, warnte Netanjahu.

Der israelische Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanjahu hat Präsident Barack Obama vorgeworfen, mit seiner Forderung nach einem palästinensischen Staat in den Grenzen von 1967 die Existenz Israels zu gefährden. Sollte sich Israel tatsächlich auf die vor dem Sechstagekrieg vom Juni 1967 bestehenden Grenzen zurückziehen, könne das Land „nicht verteidigt“ werden, warnte Netanjahu am Freitag.

Ein mehrstündiges Gespräch zwischen ihm und Obama war am Freitag in Washington ohne eine Annäherung zu Ende gegangen. Es gebe Unterschiede in der Beurteilung einer möglichen Ausgangsposition für neue Verhandlungen, sagte Obama nach dem Treffen im Weißen Haus. „Offensichtlich haben wir Differenzen in präzisen Formulierungen und in der Sprache“, solche seien aber „unter Freunden“ normal. Netanjahu erklärte, dass Israel durchaus zu Zugeständnissen bereit sei. Ein Rückzug hinter die Grenzen von 1967 sei jedoch unmöglich. „Damit es Frieden gibt, müssen die Palästinenser bestimmte fundamentale Realitäten akzeptieren“, sagte Netanjahu weiter. „Wir haben keinen großen Spielraum, denn die Geschichte wird den Juden keine zweite Chance geben“, fügte er hinzu. » | FAZ.NET | Freitag, 20. Mai 2011

Related »

Benjamin Netanyahu Rebukes Barack Obama Over 1967 Plan

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has issued a public rebuke to Barack Obama's face, telling the US president his proposed border for the Jewish state would be "indefensible" and not based on reality.

Mr Netanyahu told Mr Obama that to suggest a return to Israel's pre-1967 borders did not "take into account certain changes that have taken place" in the intervening 44 years.

The president said that the talks, which had overrun in the Oval Office by more than 90 minutes, had been "extremely useful" and although he did not mention the pre-1967 borders, he reiterated the need for "a contiguous, functioning" Palestinian state.

It was the seventh Obama-Netanyahu meeting and came after Mr Obama's speech on Thursday calling for the creation of a Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders triggered uproar in the Israeli government.

During the frosty public show, the Israeli premier told Mr Obama that any peace deal "based on illusion will crash on the rocks of Middle East reality". Israel, he insisted, "can't go back to the 1967 lines".

Mr Netanyahu also warned that Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, would have to choose between a new unity pact with the militant group Hamas or peace with Israel. Mr Obama agreed with Mr Netanyahu that the Palestinians would have to answer "some very difficult questions" about the recent reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah – Hamas still denies Israel's right to exist.

Mr Netanyahu's anger was compounded by the fact that he had been taken by surprise, learning the contents of Mr Obama's Thursday speech about the future of the Middle East just a few hours before it was delivered. » | Toby Harnden, Washington and Adrian Blomfield | Friday, May 20, 2011

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Says Europe 'Stealing Iran's Rain'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused Western countries of plotting to "cause drought" in Iran by using high tech equipment to drain the clouds of raindrops.

Moments after the Iranian president made the startling claim at the inauguration of a dam in a central province, it started to rain.

"Western countries have designed plans to cause drought in certain areas of the world, including Iran," Mr Ahmadinejad said in the city of Arak in Markazi province.

"According to reports on climate, whose accuracy has been verified, European countries are using special equipment to force clouds to dump" their water on their continent, he said.

By doing so, "they prevent rain clouds from reaching regional countries, including Iran," Mr Ahmadinejad charged.

Iran has experienced several droughts in recent years. » | Barney Henderson | Saturday, May 21, 2011