Shocking Evidence of Syria Crackdown Emerges
More shocking evidence of the crackdown on protesters in Syria has appeared in video posted on YouTube.

It is claimed that the film shows Syria's Security Forces fabricating evidence after shooting a group of men on a rooftop.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford has the details.

PM Wins Row with Nick Clegg over Crackdown on Muslim Extremists

THE GUARDIAN: Counter-terrorism review insists groups must reflect British mainstream values to get funds

David Cameron will emerge as the victor from a bitter cabinet battle over multiculturalism this week as the government unveils a hardline approach to tackling Islamist extremism.

Home Office sources say that Cameron has quashed Nick Clegg's argument for a more tolerant attitude to Muslim groups by insisting on a strategy centred upon the notion that violent extremism is incubated within the ideology of non-violent extremism.

The shift in approach will be outlined when the government's counter-terrorism strategy is unveiled by the home secretary, Theresa May, on Tuesday. Central to the Prevent strategy is a broader definition of extremism that will be extended beyond groups condoning violence to those considered non-violent but whose views, such as the advocacy of sharia law, fail to "reflect British mainstream values".

A Home Office source said: "There will be a direct challenge to these [non-violent] groups." » | Mark Townsend and Hannah Olivennes | Saturday, June 04, 2011

Food Chain At Risk of Being Poisoned by Terrorist Groups

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Food and drink sold in Britain is under a growing threat from terrorist groups which might try to poison supplies, the Government’s security advisers have warned.

Manufacturers and retailers have been told that their sector is vulnerable to attacks by ideologically and politically motivated groups that may seek to cause widespread casualties and disruption by poisoning food supplies.

The warning from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure [CPNI], which operates as part of the Security Service, comes as experts warned the deadly E.coli outbreak in Germany has highlighted the vulnerability of the food chain and how quickly bacteria can spread.

The highly virulent strain has claimed 18 lives and left more than 1,800 seriously ill, with the true number of cases expected to be far higher.

A senior German doctor last night called for an investigation into the possibility that the bacteria had been spread deliberately.

Klaus-Dieter Zastrow, chief doctor for hygiene at Berlin’s Vivantes hospital, said: “It’s quite possible that there’s a crazy person out there who thinks 'I’ll kill a few people or give 10,000 people diarrhoea’. It’s a negligent mistake not to investigate in that direction.” » | Richard Gray, Science Correspondent | Saturday, June 04, 2011

Benoît XVI demande à l’Europe de respecter les valeurs chrétiennes

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le pape Benoît XVI est arrivé samedi matin à Zagreb pour une visite de deux jours en Croatie. Il a défendu l’identité chrétienne de l’Europe dans ce pays qui se prépare à adhérer à l’Union européenne.

Benoît XVI a invité samedi au premier jour de sa visite pastorale à Zagreb les Croates à adhérer avec "joie" à l’Union européenne en aidant l’Europe, menacée de "régression", à valoriser sa "richesse spirituelle" négligée par une culture favorisant l’individualisme.

Benoît XVI fait son premier voyage en Croatie où son prédécesseur Jean Paul II, très populaire, s’était rendu trois fois, soutenant l’indépendance croate pendant la guerre de 1991-95.

"Je pense que la majorité des Croates envisagent avec une grande joie" le moment de la prochaine adhésion à l’UE, a déclaré le pape dans l’avion qui le conduisait vers Zagreb.

"Depuis ses origines, votre nation appartient à l’Europe", a-t-il lancé ensuite sur le tarmac de l’aéroport, en s’adressant au président croate Ivo Josipovic. Il a vanté "treize siècles de liens forts et spéciaux" avec le Saint-Siège.

"Puisse cette chère nation contribuer à ce que l’Union européenne valorise pleinement sa richesse culturelle et spirituelle", a-t-il encore insisté. » | AFP | Samedi 04 Juin 2011

Iran Marks Death of Ayatollah Khomenei
Iran marks the 22nd anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Khomenei. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei used the occasion to remind the country of the late Imam's vision, while struggle for power continues

Yemen Teeters on Brink as President Is Wounded by Shellfire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Yemen's veteran president, Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded by shellfire, as his presidential palace came under attack amid the country's brewing civil war.


Mr Saleh, who has held office for nearly 33 years, was praying in a mosque inside the fortified palace compound when it was struck by at least two shells, killing seven guards.

The president escaped with light injuries, according to western diplomats and government officials, but the prime minister and speaker of parliament were more seriously hurt. Rashad al-Alami, the deputy prime minister and a leading pro-Western voice in the cabinet, was said to [be] in a critical condition.

In a brief speech after the attack Mr Saleh said it had been carried out by an "outlaw gang" of his tribal foes.

Speaking only via audio in a televised speech, he blamed the attack on the powerful Hashed tribe led by Sadeq al-Ahmar who has been battling Saleh loyalists in Sana'a.

"I salute our armed forces and the security forces for standing up firmly to confront this challenge by an outlaw gang that has nothing to do with the so-called youth revolution," he said. » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Friday, June 03, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: 4 top Yemeni officials in Saudi for treatment » | AP foreign | Saturday, June 04, 2011

DSK : le calme avant la tempête

FRANCE SOIR: Dernier week-end pour l'ex-patron du FMI avant de comparaître, lundi, devant la Cour suprême de New-York. Et l'ouverture – officielle - des hostilités.

A TriBeCa comme sur le reste de l'île de Manhattan, le week-end s'annonce orageux. Depuis plusieurs jours déjà, une lourde chaleur étouffe les avenues encombrées et assourdissantes de New-York, et liquéfie les valeureux touristes en short. A deux « blocks » du tumulte de Broadway et de Canal Street, le quartier de TriBeCa, avec ses squares, ses terrasses de restaurants et ses petits immeubles, est un havre de paix. Loin de l'effervescence de Wall Street et des grattes-ciel époustouflants de Central Park.

Au 153 Franklin Street, quatre parasols rouges et blancs ont été dressés sur la petite terrasse, totalement invisible depuis la rue, calme et pavée. Impossible, cependant, de savoir si Dominique Strauss-Kahn, bracelet électronique à la cheville, et son épouse Anne Sinclair viennent goûter là l'ombre et la brise de la rivière Hudson : les rares photographes qui se sont risqués à escalader l'échafaudage d'un immeuble voisin ont été délogés avant d'immortaliser une scène très hypothétique en cette fin de semaine. Car, en perspective de sa comparution, lundi, devant la Cour suprême de New-York, DSK a mieux à faire que de paresser sur son toit. Ce week-end sera en effet le dernier avant l'ouverture – officielle – des hostilités judiciaires avec le procureur de Manhattan Cyrus Vance Jr. Une lutte sans merci que Strauss-Kahn a bien l'intention d'emporter après avoir plaidé « non coupable » de la tentative de viol dont l'accuse Nafissatou Diallo, femme de chambre à l'hôtel Sofitel de New-York. » | Par envoyée spéciale dee France Soir à New-York, Sandrine Briclot | Vendredi 03 Juin 2011

Tunisia: Ex-President Ben Ali's Sister Arrested
ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL: Tunis - A sister of toppled Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been arrested as authorities go after individuals linked to the former North African leader who are suspected of wrong[-]doing during his 23-year rule.

Najet Ben Ali was arrested late Thursday in the Sousse region, around 150 kilometres south of capital Tunis, the official TAP news agency said. No reason was immediately given for her arrest. » | AKI | Friday, June 03, 2011

King of Spain Undergoes Knee Surgery

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Spain's King Juan Carlos on Friday underwent his second major surgical procedure in a little over a year, just days after he accused Spanish media of wanting to see him dead.

The 73-year old monarch was said to be recovering well at a Madrid hospital after undergoing an operation to replace his right knee joint.

The 90 minute procedure to insert an artificial knee was carried out to alleviate pain from old sporting injuries suffered during his younger years as a keen sailor and skier.

There has been frenzied speculation over the state of the monarch's health since he was admitted to hospital in May last year to have a tumour removed from his lung.

After unfavourable headlines when appeared recently at an official function walking with the aid of the cane, the King admonished the usually respectful media for their obsession with his health.

Asked during a press call how he was feeling he snapped: "Terrible, terrible, terrible, can't you see that?"

Then added: "What you like to do is kill me and have me in a coffin every day. This is what you do in the press." » | Fiona Govan, Madrid | Friday, June 03, 2011

US Economy on Verge of ‘Great Great Depression’?

Where on earth did this woman (being interviewed), Erica Paine, learn economics? She's talking nonsense! – © Mark

Celebration! One Million Visitors!

Today we have received the millionth visit. This is all thanks to YOU, of course. For me, it has been hard work, but well worth it. This is a good reason to celebrate tonight. A drop of Champaigne sounds like a good idea, don’t you think?

My heartfelt thanks and my very best wishes to you all!

Mark

Trial of Geert Wilders Nears Verdict
NEW AMERICAN: As the spectacle of a man being tried for speaking the truth about Islam comes to its end in the Netherlands, the accused continues to assert that the accusations of “hate speech” that have been made against him are baseless — the problem is that Islam is an ideology of hatred.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), has been on trial in Amsterdam on the accusation that he was “inciting hatred and discrimination” against Muslims. It appears, however, that not even prosecutors believe Wilders to be guilty of the charges against him. As CNSNews explained in an article on the Wilders case earlier this week:

The Dutch legal establishment has proceeded with the landmark trial even though public prosecutors have requested that it be abandoned, leading to the peculiar spectacle of the officials whose job is to secure a conviction instead urging the Amsterdam district court to acquit the accused man.

The lengthy trial also saw the judges replaced last fall on the instructions of a review panel, because of an appearance of bias against Wilders. Prosecution and defense alike have argued that Wilders’ statements about Islam constituted protected speech, and that Wilders was not speaking out against Muslims per se, but against what he saw as a growing threat to Dutch society posed by Islamism.

As reported previously for The New American, the trial of Wilders is a test of the willingness of the West to resist the latest onslaught of an Islamic Jihad, which has been waged for over 1,300 years. As Wilders and other courageous individuals have pointed out, the threat to the civilized world is not limited to al-Qaeda or the Muslim Brotherhood; the threat of Islam is based in Islam being a religion of hate. Rev. Elijah Abraham of Living Oasis Ministries spoke with The New American in an interview last year, and among the topics he addressed was his childhood growing up as a Muslim in Iraq: » | James Heisner | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Saudi Arabia Looks to Ban Child Brides
THE JERUSALEM POST: In a country where no laws protect children from marriage, efforts to make wedlock more female-friendly raises conservatives’ ire.

The case of a nine-year-old girl given away in marriage by her father to a 58-year-old man because of argument with his wife shocked many Saudis. Widespread media coverage brought the plight of child brides to the fore in the oil-rich Gulf kingdom where no law currently protects children like "the Unayzah girl," as she was called after her home town, from the misery of early marriage.

That was two years ago. Finally, the Shoura Council, Saudi Arabia's 150-member consultative body, voted this week by a large margin in favor of setting a minimum marriage age for women. The council is only an advisory body, so the matter has been sent to the Justice Ministry for enactment. Government sources told the on-line daily Ilaf that the ministry would set the minimum marriage age at 17.

"The only way to stop this legal rape is to pass a law," Wajeha Al-Huwaider, a Saudi woman activist, told The Media Line. "They can start with age 15, like most Gulf countries, and then they gradually increase it."

The practice of families marrying off their underage girls to elderly, usually wealthy, men has long been criticized by local and international human rights organizations. But the most conservative Saudis, including many in the religious establishment, are loath to disrupt age-old customs that are often assumed to have a basis in Islam as well. » | David E. Miller | The Media Line | Friday, June 03, 2011

Drunk Driving: 243 Licenses Seized This Year
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: Since the beginning of the current Hijri year, 243 drivers in Jeddah have had their driving licenses withdrawn after they were caught drunk-driving or operating vehicles when under the influence of drugs, traffic police announced on Thursday. They were each sentenced to 80 lashes and fined SR500.

The police said the Jeddah summary court, which the violators were sent to, issued the verdicts. They added that under the law, the drivers would also be sentenced to various jail terms.

“The DUI drivers are a real threat to other road users and sober car drivers. They are a main cause of traffic congestion as they are not focused,” said Brig. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, director of traffic in Jeddah. » | Muhammad Humaidan | ARAB NEWS | Friday, June 03, 2011

Saudi Arabia: Shoura Ready to Discuss Women Driving If Requested

ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH: Speaker of the Shoura Council Abdullah Al-Asheikh said on Thursday the council was ready to discuss the issue of women driving if it was asked to.

“The issue has not so far been tabled with the council for discussion,” he said, adding that not every issue in the public domain was discussed by the council.

Explaining the mechanism of tabling issues for discussion at the council, Al-Asheikh said a motion must either come from the government, at least one member of the council or when the council itself expressed a desire to deliberate a certain issue, reported local Arabic daily Al-Jazirah.

Saudi writer and columnist Abdullah Abdul Sattar Al-Alami said he and a group of other people formally asked the council to discuss the issue of women driving.

“We sent our request in a letter sent by express mail on Feb. 8, 2011,” he said in a statement to Arab News Thursday.

Al-Alami said the request was signed by a large number of academics, literary figures, media professionals, businessmen and women, housewives, students, government employees, a former ambassador, a former undersecretary to the UN secretary-general, a deputy CEO of a big company in the Eastern Province and a prominent member of the National Society for Human Rights. » | ARAB NEWS | Friday, June 03, 2011

Inside Story: Drug War Failed?
A report by the Global Commission on drug policy has concluded that the global war on drugs has failed. The commission, which includes a group of politicians and former world leaders, says the current anti-drug policy has been fuelling organised crime, costing taxpayers millions of dollars, and causing thousands of deaths.

How essential is the need for frank dialogue on the issue? Can the calls for legalising or decriminalising drugs help deal with the problem or make it worse?

Inside Story, with presenter Jane Dutton, discusses with Neil McKeganey, professor of Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow; Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst at Transform; and Guxd De Wit, an addiction therapist.

This episode of Inside Story aired from [sic] Thursday, June 2, 2011.



Related »

Mladic Appears before UN Court
Ratko Mladic faced his judges at the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Friday to hear charges of genocide in the Bosnia war

Mitt Romney Joins Race for White House
US politician formally launched his 2012 presidential campaign, entering the race for the Republican nomination in which he is seen as the front-runner

Malaysian Polygamy Club Draws Criticism

THE NEW YORK TIMES: KUALA LUMPUR — Rohaya Mohamad, 44, is an articulate, bespectacled medical doctor who studied at a university in Wales. Juhaidah Yusof, 41, is a shy Islamic studies teacher and mother of eight. Kartini Maarof, 41, is a divorce lawyer and Rubaizah Rejab, a youthful-looking 30-year-old woman, teaches Arabic at a private college.

The lives of these four women are closely entwined — they take care of each others’ children, cook for each other and share a home on weekends.

They also share a husband.

The man at the center of this matrimonial arrangement is Mohamad Ikram Ashaari, the 43-year-old stepson of Hatijah Aam, 54, a Malaysian woman who in August established a club to promote polygamy.

“Men are by nature polygamous,” said Dr. Rohaya, Mr. Ikram’s third wife, flanked by the other three women and Mr. Ikram for an interview on a recent morning. The women were dressed in ankle-length skirts, their hair covered by tudungs, the Malaysian term for headscarf. “We hear of many men having the ‘other woman,’ affairs and prostitution because for men, one woman is not enough. Polygamy is a way to overcome social ills such as this.”

The Ikhwan Polygamy Club is managed by Global Ikhwan, a company whose businesses include bread and noodle factories, a chicken-processing plant, pharmacies, cafes and supermarkets. Mr. Ikram is a director of the company. » | Liz Gooch | Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Related »

'Obedient Wife Club' Set Up to Curb Divorce

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A group of Malaysian Muslim women is to launch a new platform called The Obedient Wife Club that aims to curb social ills like divorce, domestic violence and prostitution.

Wives who sign up will be given instruction in how to "obey, serve and entertain" their husbands to promote marital harmony and cut the risk their spouses will stray or misbehave.

The club's inaugural meeting on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur will get the proceedings rolling with speeches and a show to illustrate how women can keep their husband's happy and contented.

One of the club's founders Maznah Taufik – who also set up the Polygamy Club two years ago – said much marital discord was the result of disobedient wives failing to bring joy to their husbands.

"Domestic abuse happens because wives don't obey their husband's orders," said Mrs Maznah. "A man must be responsible for his wife's wellbeing, but she must listen to her husband." She also said the group would stress that wives had to provide husbands with a fulfilling sex life to prevent them straying to prostitutes.

"To entertain their husbands is compulsory," she said. "If she doesn't do this the husband will look for another woman ... and the house will break down. » | Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok | Friday, June 03, 2011

Hillary Clinton: World Must Unite Against Assad's Government
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has said that the death of the 13-year-old Syrian boy, Hamza al-Khatib was symbolic for many of the "total collapse of any effort by the Assad government to work with their own people."

A video purporting to show the mutilated body of the boy who activists say was killed during a government crackdown on protests has stoked even more fury against a regime the opposition says has lost all legitimacy.

Clinton commented on al-Khatib's death during a joint news conference with visiting Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, adding that if Assad could not put an end to the violence against his own people, and take "meaningful steps" to start a process of reform, then he should resign. (+ video) » | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Hispanic Population Spreads across US

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The boom in the Hispanic population of the United States is spreading beyond traditional strongholds such as California and Texas to reach every corner of the country including the Deep South and the Midwest, official figures show.

A new report from the US Census Bureau shows that the biggest jumps in the Hispanic population over the past decade were seen in places such as South Carolina, Alabama and South Dakota.

Figures released earlier this year showed that Latinos are the largest minority group in the US, accounting for 16.3 per cent of the population in 2010 – 50.5m people – up from 12.5 per cent in 2000. The overall population of the United States is 308.7m, according to the 2010 US Census. This includes 196.8m whites (64 per cent), 38.9m blacks (13 per cent) and 14.7m Asians (5 per cent).

Now, further analysis from the Census Bureau shows that while California, Texas and Florida still account for more than half of all US Hispanics, many other states are seeing far more rapid increases in their Latino population.

The Hispanic population more than doubled in nine states during the first decade of the 21st century and increased by at least a fifth in every state bar New York.

"This shows that the Hispanic population is now in every corner of the country," said Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C. » | Robin Yapp | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Mitt Romney Officially Enters 2012 Presidential Race

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mitt Romney, the early front-runner in the Republican race to beat Barack Obama in 2012, has officially entered the reckoning, declaring that the US president has "failed America" with his handling of the economy.

The former Massachusetts governor said that by choosing Mr Obama in 2008 voters "gave someone new a chance to lead, someone we hadn't known for very long, who didn't have much of a record but promised to lead us to a better place".

"Now, in the third year of his four-year term, we have more than promises and slogans to go by. Barack Obama has failed America," he said, in prepared remarks.

Given the high profile he developed as a Republican contender in the 2008 primary, Mr Romney has polled poorly compared to lesser known figures, rarely leading by more than a few percentage points and often coming second.

But he has raised prodigious amounts of money, including $10 million in a single day last month, and has spent the past two years quietly building a campaign network that is unrivalled by any of his competitors.

He chose to officially launch his campaign on a farm in New Hampshire, a key early voting state in the primary schedule, which begins in February next year and will last several months. The presidential vote will be held on Nov 6, 2012. » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Thursday, June 02, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Why Mitt Romney could be president » | Alex Spillius, Washington | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Atheist Demographics III - "The Great Shrinking" and Replacement of the Unfit

Geert Wilders' Final Remarks at The Amsterdam Trial - English Subtitles

HT: Faith Freedom »

Coptic Bishop Warns Native Germans about Islam: "You're Up Next!"

HT: Faith Freedom »

Inside Hamas: An In-depth Look at What Drives the Palestinian Militants
'Globe and Mail' Interviews
Watch the interviews here

E.coli Outbreak Believed to Be New Strain of Bacteria
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: E.coli at the centre of a German outbreak is believed to be a new strain of bacteria never seen before.


Seven people in the UK have been affected by the virulent strain, including three Britons and four German nationals.

Early investigations suggest the strain is a mutant form of two different E.coli bacteria.

Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the WHO, told the Associated Press: "This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before."

She added that the new strain has "various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing".

It is not uncommon for bacteria to continually evolve and swap genes but the new strain appears to be more virulent than other strains of E.coli.

Severe E.coli cases are usually seen in children and the elderly, but all age groups are currently affected.

According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), all the UK cases caught the infection in Germany. » | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Verbunden / Liens en relation avec l’article »

Shari’ah
Talk By Abdul Raheem Green

Les prostituées protestent à Paris

FRANCE SOIR: Ce jeudi après-midi, les prostituées parisiennes défilent place Pigalle pour protester contre la proposition de loi visant à pénaliser leurs clients.

Alors qu'une quarantaine de prostituées s'est réunie mercredi à Toulouse pour manifester contre la proposition de certains députés de pénaliser les clients, les prostitués indépendantes parisiennes se retrouvent ce jeudi après-midi, place Pigalle, à Paris. 17 associations de préventions et de santé communautaires (Act-up, Aides, Syndicat du travail sexuel-Strass, etc) ont répondu à l'appel du Collectif Droits et Prostitution et protestent contre le rapport parlementaire Bousquet qui souhaite incriminer les personnes ayant recours aux services des prostituées. » | Par Juliette Dominati | Jeudi 02 Juin 2011

Schwere Überschwemmungen in Japan

Erreger stammt wohl doch nicht von Salatgurken

FRANCE SOIR: Bactérie tueuse : La souche identifiée – Le Centre européen de prévention et de contrôle des maladies a confirmé avoir identifié, ce jeudi, la souche de la bactérie E.coli qui a entraîné la mort de 18 personnes en Europe. » | Par Actu France Soir | Jeudi 02 Juin 2011

FRANCE SOIR: Bactérie tueuse : L'Europe demande des explications à la Russie – Même si le concombre espagnol a été mis hors de cause, la crise de confiance est toujours bien réelle. Alors que la Russie annonce qu'elle interdit toute importation de légumes, l'Europe parle d'une mesure "disproportionnée". En France, la mort suspecte d'un homme de 47 ans pourrait être le prémisse d'une arrivée imminente de l'épidémie. » | Par Actu France-Soir | Jeudi 02 Juin 2011

Ägypten: Mubarak soll am 3. August vor Gericht gestellt werden

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Der frühere ägyptische Staatspräsident Husni Mubarak und seine beiden Söhne sollen am 3. August vor Gericht gestellt werden. Dies teilte die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur Mena am Mittwoch mit.

Der Prozess gegen den früheren ägyptischen Staatspräsidenten Husni Mubarak und seine beiden Söhne beginnt am 3. August. Die amtliche Nachrichtenagentur Mena berichtete am Mittwoch unter Berufung auf Justizkreise, Mubarak werde sich wegen Korruption und des Mordes an Demonstranten während des 18 Tage dauernden Aufstands verantworten müssen, der schließlich zu seinem Sturz am 11. Februar führte. » | FAZ.NET mit dapd/dpa | Mittwoch, 01. Juni 2011

Egyptian Army Denies 'Virginity Tests'
Egyptian military official denies comments saying the military had conducted forced "virginity tests" on female protesters in March

Libya: Oil Minister Confirms Defection in Further Blow to Gaddafi
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan regime suffered another blow on Wednesday when Shokri Ghanem, its oil minister and former prime minister, ended weeks of speculation and announced he had turned on the dictator.

Mr Ghanem appeared alongside the Libyan ambassador to Rome, who has also defected, to condemn the "daily spilling of blood" and "unbearable" spiral of violence in the country.

However, he said it was too early to say whether he would work with the opposition National Transitional Council in Benghazi.

He also denied suggestions, repeated by Libyan government officials, that he had timed his move so that he could represent the opposition at a key summit of the international oil cartel, OPEC, in Vienna next week.

Mr Ghanem disappeared from public view after first leaving Libya two weeks ago.

A former prime minister who had overseen the reopening of relations with the West, he did not have the historic personal relationship with Col Muammar Gaddafi of Moussa Koussa, the foreign minister who defected in March.

But his knowledge of the workings of the regime and in particular the state oil company, which he ran, could provide important information.

At a news conference in Rome, he said oil production in Libya was coming to a halt because of the international embargo. "Very little is being produced, because of the UN embargo and the fact that foreigners have fled for reasons of security," he said. (+ video) » | Nick Squires, Rome and Richard Spencer in Tripoli | Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Bahrain: Locked Up for Reading a Poem

THE INDEPENDENT: Ayat al-Gormezi, the woman who symbolises Bahrain's fight for freedom

Bahrain's security forces are increasingly targeting women in their campaign against pro-democracy protesters despite yesterday lifting martial law in the island kingdom.

Ayat al-Gormezi, 20, a poet and student arrested two months ago after reading out a poem at a pro-democracy rally, is due to go on trial today before a military tribunal, her mother said. Ayat was forced to turn herself in when masked policemen threatened to kill her brothers unless she did so.

She has not been seen since her arrest, though her mother did talk to her once by phone and Ayat said that she had been forced to sign a false confession. Her mother has since been told that her daughter has been in a military hospital after being tortured.

"We are the people who will kill humiliation and assassinate misery," a film captures Ayat telling a cheering crowd of protesters in Pearl Square in February. "We are the people who will destroy the foundation of injustice." She addresses King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa directly and says to him: "Don't you hear their cries, don't you hear their screams?" As she finishes, the crowd shouts: "Down with Hamad."

Ayat's call for change was no more radical than that heard in the streets of Tunis, Cairo and Benghazi at about the same time. But her reference to the king might explain the fury shown by the Bahraini security forces who, going by photographs of the scene, smashed up her bedroom when they raided her house and could not find her.

There are signs that Bahraini police, riot police and special security are detaining and mistreating more and more women. Many are held incommunicado, forced to sign confessions or threatened with rape, according to Bahraini human rights groups. » | Patrick Cockburn | Thursday, June 02, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Female poet brought before Bahrain military tribunal: A female poet whose "death" became the focus of an Iranian state propaganda campaign against Bahrain has been brought before a military tribunal in the island kingdom. » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Thursday, June 02, 2011

Italy: Magistrates Order Ben Ali Family Luxury Yacht to Be Impounded
ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL: Lampedusa - Italian judges have ordered the seizure of a luxury yacht on Lampedusa island in Italy's south allegedly being used by toppled Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's family.

A Rome appeals court issued the order after Italian police established that the Atlantique yacht worth a million euros was moored in Lampedusa's port.

The court order followed a request from Tunisian judicial authorities for magistrates to identify all assets in Italy belonging to the Ben Ali family and order their impoundment by tax police.

Tunisia made the request under a 1967 bilateral accord on the grounds that the assets rightfully belong to the Tunisian people. » | AKI | Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Celebrities Call for Drug Decriminalisation

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dame Judi Dench has joined a coalition of celebrities, politicians and former police chiefs to urge David Cameron to decriminalise possession of all drugs.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, they called for "a swift and transparent review of the effectiveness of current drug policies" because the current laws have failed.

The campaign is backed by actresses Dame Judi and Julie Christie, singer Sting, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and former Home Office minister Bob Ainsworth.

Film director Mike Leigh, actress Kathy Burke, three former chief constables and leading lawyers have also put their name to the letter.

It came as a separate group of former world leaders and high profile figures called on governments around the world to “urgently” consider decriminalisation because the “war on drugs” has failed.

Sting said: "Giving young people criminal records for minor drug possession serves little purpose – it is time to think of more imaginative ways of addressing drug use in our society." » | Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor | Thursday, June 02, 2011

My comment:

At a time when smoking even tobacco has been all but criminalised, it makes little sense to decriminalise all other drugs. We appear to be living in a topsy-turvy, upside-down world, where things that were once considered normal have been de-normalised, and things that were considered abnormal and deviant are being rolled out anew as something acceptable. They are not acceptable in my eyes. We need to keep drugs out of daily life as much as is possible. And I certainly do not want to be preached to by these so-called 'stars.' They want to legalise these drugs in all probability because they partake of them. Let them find other countries to accept their deviant, unhealthy ways! Don't bring them anywhere near me!

We already have a colossal problem with people suffering from Alzheimers disease. Heaven forbid that the laws on drugs be relaxed. In years to come the institutions which care for the mentally ill will be full to overflowing! – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Bahrain Sees New Clashes as Martial Law Lifted

THE GUARDIAN: Demonstrations were quickly scattered by security forces

Clashes between demonstrators and security forces have again broken out in Bahrain on the day martial law was lifted by a ruling monarchy battling to restore its image.

Today's demonstrations were quickly scattered by the same means used to douse protests earlier in the year. Security forces moved into Shia neighbourhoods where people had taken to the streets and dispersed them with tear gas and bird shot. Human rights activists said those wounded were too scared to go to hospital and instead treated their injuries at home.

The kingdom had cast today as a watershed after 11 weeks of heavy crackdowns on Shia demonstrators that had drawn condemnation from the US and Europe.

King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa this week made a fresh bid for a national dialogue aimed at bringing the Sunni establishment and the Shia majority population together. However, rights groups say 21 opposition activists arrested under emergency laws remain detained. Numerous Shiite mosques have been destroyed during security sweeps and four people have died while in custody. The violence claimed at least 24 lives, including four security officers. » | Martin Chulov | Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Cameron Drinks the Kool-Aid
THE SPECTATOR: The Times (£) says that David Cameron’s decision to step down from being a patron of the Jewish National Fund shows the British government is becoming cool on Israel.

You don’t say. Any cooler and it would be frostbite territory.

Precisely why Britain’s Conservative-led government has drunk so deeply of the anti-Israel Kool-Aid isn’t clear. Sucking up to Obama? Muslim demographics in the UK? Part of Cameron’s hopey-changey-lefty-loopy repositioning of the Tory Party? Yet another bone tossed to the blood-libelling knitted organic vegan victimologists, aka his LibDem coalition partners?

Whatever. Who cares. The unpalatable fact is that Britain has now reverted well and truly to type in professing with hand on heart an unbreakable bond of brotherhood with Israel while cutting it off at the knees, sliding a stiletto between its shoulder blades and bashing its head in.

The JNF thing (despite Downing Street's unconvincing claim that Cameron has stepped down from a number of charities through lack of time) is the latest act of aggression against Israel by HMG, and is particularly offensive. For the JNF is identified closely with the foundational Zionist dream of making the desert bloom, by buying up and developing the land for decades before the State of Israel was established. And so now – of course – it stands accused of the ‘theft of Palestinian land’, ‘ethnic cleansing’ and even ‘war crimes’. Ah yes – that terrible weapon of mass destruction, the sapling.

Without getting into the imbecilic interstices of precisely what and where, one key, crucial, overarching, all-important, nothing-else-matters-as-much-as-this point needs to be made (and yes, I have made it before many times, but it needs to be taped to Cameron’s eyeballs and rammed down the throats of the malevolent mandarins of the Foreign Office and delivered by diplomatic cable to Israeli spokesman as their line–to-take in answer to any statement-disguised-as-a-question about their intrinsic belligerency routinely lobbed at them by the Guardian-of-the Airwaves, aka the BBC).

This is quite simply that the territory beyond the ceasefire lines (formed when Israel fought off the attempt by five Arab armies to destroy it at birth in 1948-9, and now falsely deemed to be Israel’s ‘border’) is not Palestinian land. It is not land that is owned by the Palestinians in general, or to which they have any general right or title. On the contrary, it is land to which the Jews in general are legally entitled. All of it. This is not some crazed, ultra-nationalist dogma. It is a matter of historical fact, international law and basic justice. » | Melanie Phillips | Monday, May 30, 2011

Hillary Clinton kritisiert Syrien scharf
Berichte über eine mutmassliche Folterung und Tötung eines 13-jährigen Jungen haben US-Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton dazu veranlasst, Klartext zu reden: Sie kritisiert die Regierung in Damaskus ungewöhnlich scharf

Rauchverbot wirkt sich positiv aus
Seit rund einem Jahr gilt schweizweit das Rachverbot in öffentlichen Räumen und Restaurants. Nun kommen verschiedene Studien zum Schluss, dass beispielsweise die Atemwegserkrankungen zurückgegangen sind

Food Prices Could Double by 2030
The price of some food staples could double in the next 20 years because of rising demand and climate change, a British-based charity has warned.

In a report released on Tuesday, Oxfam said world hunger was already increasing due to rising food price inflation and oil price hikes, as well as environmental changes such as droughts and floods.

Charlie Angela has more.

Increasing Food Shortage in Libya's West
Food is running very low in western Libya - another knock-on effect of the conflict. James Bays reports from Nalut, where a warehouse that supplies 13 towns, has only a few days worth of rations left.

Syria's Opposition Dismisses Amnesty Gesture
Syria's opposition dismisses Bashar al Assad's amnesty gesture as too little, too late

Who Cares in the Middle East What Obama Says?

THE INDEPENDENT: President Obama has shown himself to be weak in his dealings with the Middle East, says Robert Fisk, and the Arab world is turning its back with contempt. Its future will be shaped without American influence

This month, in the Middle East, has seen the unmaking of the President of the United States. More than that, it has witnessed the lowest prestige of America in the region since Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz on the USS Quincy in the Great Bitter Lake in 1945.

While Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu played out their farce in Washington – Obama grovelling as usual – the Arabs got on with the serious business of changing their world, demonstrating and fighting and dying for freedoms they have never possessed. Obama waffled on about change in the Middle East – and about America's new role in the region. It was pathetic. "What is this 'role' thing?" an Egyptian friend asked me at the weekend. "Do they still believe we care about what they think?"

And it is true. Obama's failure to support the Arab revolutions until they were all but over lost the US most of its surviving credit in the region. Obama was silent on the overthrow of Ben Ali, only joined in the chorus of contempt for Mubarak two days before his flight, condemned the Syrian regime – which has killed more of its people than any other dynasty in this Arab "spring", save for the frightful Gaddafi – but makes it clear that he would be happy to see Assad survive, waves his puny fist at puny Bahrain's cruelty and remains absolutely, stunningly silent over Saudi Arabia. And he goes on his knees before Israel. Is it any wonder, then, that Arabs are turning their backs on America, not out of fury or anger, nor with threats or violence, but with contempt? It is the Arabs and their fellow Muslims of the Middle East who are themselves now making the decisions. » | Robert Fisk | Monday, May 30, 2011

Inside Story: The End of Berlusconi?
Inside Story presenter Felicity Barr, discusses with Nucccia Bianchini, editor at the foreign desk for Italian news agency Agenzia Giornalistica Italia; Andrea Teti, international relations lecturer at the University of Aberdeen; and James Walston, professor of international relations at the American Univeristy. This episode of Inside Story aired from [sic] Tuesday, May 31, 2011.