Liliane Bettencourt confie: ma fille est «un peu dérangée»
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: BISBILLES ENTRE MILLIARDAIRES | Liliane Bettencourt estime, dans un entretien au "Journal du Dimanche", que sa fille Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers est quelqu’un d’"un peu dérangé".

C'est une déclaration pour le moins cassante que livre dimanche la richissime Liliane Bettencourt dans le Journal Du Dimanche (JDD). Elle estime, dans un entretien à l'hebdomadaire français, que sa fille, Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, est quelqu’un d’"un peu dérangé".

Alors que les hostilités ont repris entre la milliardaire et sa fille, Liliane Bettencourt explique au JDD avoir refusé de la recevoir jeudi dernier car "c’est fatiguant de recevoir quelqu’un qui est psychiquement un peu dérangé".

Elle explique en outre que sa "fille n’est pas heureuse", qu’elle "est très changeante" et qu’elle "aurait besoin de se confier à un psy compte tenu de ses problèmes psy". "C’est peut-être méchant de dire cela, mais si cette jeune personne voyait un psy en qui elle aurait confiance et qui l’inciterait à sortir d’elle-même, peut-être serait-elle plus heureuse", ajoute-t-elle. » | AFP | Dimanche 12 Juin 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: L'Oreal [sic] heiress Liliane Bettencourt brands her daughter 'disturbed': Liliane Bettencourt, the heiress to the L'Oreal [sic] cosmetics empire, has branded her estranged daughter mentally disturbed, as their battle re-erupted over the family billions, entangled in political scandals. » | Sunday, June 12, 2011

A Bahreïn, une poétesse condamnée à un an de prison pour un poème dissident
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Ayat al Kurmouzi a été arrêtée après avoir récité un poème moquant le roi Hamad ben Issa al Khalifa et réclamant son abdication. La justice bahreïnie la condamne à un an de prison.

La justice bahreïnie a condamné dimanche une poétesse chiite de 20 ans à un an de prison pour avoir pris part à des manifestations contre la monarchie sunnite au pouvoir, a-t-on appris auprès d’un proche.

Ayat al Kurmouzi a été arrêtée après avoir récité un poème moquant le roi Hamad ben Issa al Khalifa et réclamant son abdication, durant les manifestations de la majorité chiite qui ont ébranlé le royaume du Golfe en février et mars derniers. » | AFP | Dimanche 12 Juin 2011

One on One - Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi
The ruler of Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates offers an insight into the experiences that shaped him for rule

Jacques Chirac Will Not Vote for Nicolas Sarkozy

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Jacques Chirac stuck the knife into his successor Nicolas Sarkozy, by quipping he would vote for the prospective Socialist candidate François Hollande over his fellow conservative in next year's elections.

Mr Chirac, 78, has broken his self-imposed silence on the French president, who succeeded him in June 2007, twice in the past week.

Mr Chirac branded his onetime protégé "nervous", "impetuous" and untrustworthy in his memoirs, saying he did not share the same "vision of France" as Mr Sarkozy, widely expected to run for a second term.

He meanwhile heaped praise on Mr Hollande, currently frontrunner in a contest to obtain the Socialist Party's backing for the election next April, saying he had the stuff of a true "statesman".

Mr Chirac made his latest outburst while alongside Mr Hollande during a tour of the museum housing his many presidential gifts in the south-central Corrèze region of France.

Both men have their electoral roots in the region, where Mr Hollande is currently MP. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Sunday, June 12, 2011

Muslims Call for Action against Hate Crimes

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Islamophobic attacks have been on the rise, with an increase in assaults, vandalised mosques and desecrated graves

Britain's largest mainstream Muslim organisation will today call for "robust action" to combat Islamophobic attacks amid fears of growing violence and under-reporting of hate crimes.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) will challenge the "ethnic profiling" of members of its community, claiming that minorities are 42 times more likely to be targeted under the Terrorism Act.

MCB secretary-general Farooq Murad will tell the council's AGM in Birmingham that there must be more monitoring of anti-Muslim crimes in response to incidents including violent assaults, death threats and the desecration of graves. He will also complain that not enough is being done to encourage communities to report crimes to the police.

The calls, supported by leading academics, a counter-terrorist think-tank and Muslim groups, come as the Metropolitan Police confirmed a total of 762 Islamophobic offences in London since April 2009, including 333 in 2010/11 and 57 since this April. A spokesman said the Met was aware of "significant" under-reporting of hate crime, and acknowledged "missed opportunities" to keep victims safe.

Despite rising concerns about the impact of hate crime on all communities, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said that data on such offences are not collated centrally as this would be an "overly bureaucratic process for local forces". Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris, who leads the police on hate crime, was unavailable for comment.

In his speech, Mr Murad is expected to warn that attacks are increasing. "Islamophobic attacks, on persons and properties, are committed by a tiny minority, but the number of incidents is increasing. Robust action is necessary and this means we must have a systematic manner of recording, monitoring and analysing such attacks. Only a small number of police forces record anti-Muslim hate crimes." » | Andrew McCorkell | Sunday, June 12, 2011

Spies in Schools to Hunt Fanatics

THE SUNDAY EXPRESS: EXPERTS in Islamic extremism have been drafted in by Education Secretary Michael Gove to identify dangerous radicals in schools.

The counter-intelligence advisers, who worked for many years at the Home Office, have the most detailed knowledge of terror networks around the globe and their affiliates in the UK. They will work with a new Government unit to prevent extremism and will hunt down Muslim radicals hijacking learning and grooming school pupils from primary level onwards to create the terrorists of the future.

Intelligence sources have become aware that extremists are increasingly using schools and after-school clubs to brainwash children against the West.

Mr Gove said: “The due diligence unit will monitor applications for new schools and arrangements in existing schools so there’s no risk of extremism taking hold.

“We want to help local authorities and others deal either with governors trying to hijack a school or extremists setting up free schools. Whether it’s religious extremism or political extremism, that power will be there.” » | Hilary Douglas | Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sarah Palin Snub by Margaret Thatcher Aides Infuriates US Rightwing

THE GUARDIAN: Rush Limbaugh joins supporters accusing Thatcher's circle of disgracing former PM with 'Palin is nuts' comment

A firestorm on the US right has erupted after the Guardian reported thatSarah Palin will be denied a meeting with Lady Thatcher on the grounds that it would be "belittling" for her to meet the darling of the Tea Party movement.

Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio host, devoted the opening section of his radio show to denouncing the "preposterous" Guardian report, as Palin supporters accused Thatcher's circle of disgracing the former prime minister.

The US conservative right reacted furiously after the Guardian reported that Thatcher's aides had decided it would be inappropriate for her to meet Palin, who is planning to visit London next month en route to Sudan. Palin has been touring US historical sites (an excursion that saw her slip up this week on the subject of Paul Revere, the American patriot who made a famous "midnight ride" to warn of approaching British forces).

One Thatcher ally told the Guardian: "Lady Thatcher will not be seeing Sarah Palin. That would be belittling for Margaret. Sarah Palin is nuts." » | Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Syrian from Jisr al-Shughur Talks to Al Jazeera
A resident of the northern Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughur gives his account of events there as the military launches operations in the area and thousands flee to Turkey

Bahrain Police Tear Gas Unarmed Protesters
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Video purported to show Bahrain security forces firing tear gas at unarmed civilians has been posted online.


Read the short article here

Ultra-Orthodox Jews Campaign for Dismantling of Israel

Knocking on Bilderberg’s Closed Doors

Suvretta House, St. Moritz, Switzerland » [D]

Related »

Bilderberg Meets Amid Growing Global Strife

Bilderberg: The Official Website »

France Is Not a Democracy, Stop Telling Fairytales – French Far-right Leader

'Muslims Won't Win Against the West'
Immigration tensions are rising in Germany following Chancellor Angela Merkel's statement that multiculturalism has failed in the country. Udo Ulfkotte, a noted German journalist and author, known for his severe criticism of Islam, shared with RT his view on what is behind the integration dispute and where it may lead. "What I believe is there is a place for Muslim in this world and for their culture, they have a place to live in," Ulfkotte told RT. "And there is a place for European and Western culture to live in. What I don't believe is they will live peacefully together. We have a clash not only of civilizations and religions, we have a clash of ideologies, like we had a clash between communism and capitalism. Now we have a clash because Islam is also an ideology. I believe that Islam is not going to win a battle."

Listening Post - Pakistan: The Most Dangerous Place to Report From
On Listening Post this week: Another journalist is murdered in Pakistan and the primary suspect is not an extremist group. It is the security forces. And sexism on Italian TV

London's Rich Sell as Foreign Money Pours In

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain's rich and famous are moving out of central London's most up-market districts and being replaced by wealthy overseas buyers, according to new research.

Savills, the estate agent, says £3.7bn of foreign money is pouring into the prime London housing market every year and especially into areas such as Mayfair, Kensington, Notting Hill and Chelsea.

The demand is leading to UK owners selling their homes and moving to outer London, creating a "champagne tower effect" with the distribution of wealth in the capital.

Savills' report, called World in London and published on Friday, says British sellers of homes in central London have outnumbered British buyers by 30pc this year, compared with 5pc in 2008. Meanwhile, foreign buyers have outnumbered foreign sellers by 58pc in 2011, up from 23pc in 2008.

The market is being boosted by the weakness of sterling and the perception of London as a safe haven amid political and economic uncertainty.

Yolande Barnes, head of residential research at Savills, said: "We anticipate that London will continue to attract overseas buyers in the foreseeable future, especially with the eyes of the world on the London Olympics next year. "The diversity of economies from which these buyers originate and of their motivations for purchase, mean that there will nearly always be an overseas market for London property for as long as London remains a major global city." » | Graham Ruddick | Saturday, June 11, 2011

My comment;

Successive British governments have been absolutely stupid to allow this to happen. This is the United Kingdom; London is our capital. Therefore, the indigenous population should be able to buy a home in these prime locations if they have the means. But by allowing all these super-rich oligarchs—many of whom are rich through ill-gotten gains—to come to London to buy upscale properties means that British people cannot compete. And this in our capital where so many British people need to live to conduct their affairs.

Why are our politicians so stupid? Why are they so craven? Why do they go weak at the knees as soon as billions are mentioned, losing all rational thought?

I have lived in Switzerland, and I know how that superior political system works. I can tell you this: The Swiss look after their own, first and foremost. Rich foreigners are welcome to buy property in Switzerland, but only in certain designated areas. All properties are not open to foreign ownership. In particular, in cities such as Zürich, where commerce is of great importance, and Swiss people have to be able to afford to live within commutable distance of their places of work, foreigners are generally disallowed from purchasing homes at all.

Why are the Swiss so sensible and considerate of their people's needs, whereas our politicians, regardless of the hue of the party, are so greedy, inconsiderate, and idiotic? – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Inside Story - Does Turkey Need a New Constitution?
On Sunday, Turkey will go to the polls to elect a new parliament and government. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, or AKP, is expected to win and continue its rule for a third consecutive term - a first in Turkey's history. But this election is less about who is going to win and more about whether the party that does win, will secure a big enough majority to amend the constitution. The AKP needs between 330 to 367 seats in the National Assembly. If the party does secure the super majority, it will not need the support of any other party to approve the new constitution. But why does Turkey need a new constitution? And can the governing party obtain the majority required to allow it to unilaterally write it? Inside Story discusses.

US Calls on Syria to End 'Outrageous' Violence

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The United States has toughened its stance on Syria, calling for an "immediate end to brutality and violence" and warning President Bashar al-Assad he is leading his nation on a "dangerous path."

White House spokesman Jay Carney issued a statement after Syrian forces killed at least 25 people in nationwide democracy protests and helicopters, tanks and troops opened fire on protesters in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.

"The United States strongly condemns the Syrian government's outrageous use of violence across Syria today and particularly in the northwestern region," he said.

"There must be an immediate end to the brutality and violence."

The statement contained a clear sign of Washington's growing impatience over Syria after top officials had repeatedly called for Assad to embrace reform or get out of the way – but stopped short of demanding his departure.

"Earlier this week, we urged the Syrian government to exercise maximum restraint and not to respond to its own reported losses through additional civilian casualties," Mr Carney added. "The Syrian government is leading Syria on a dangerous path. » | Alastair Jamieson | Saturday, June 11, 2011

Mikhail Khodorkovsy 'To Be Moved to Undisclosed Prison'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mikhail Khodorkovsy, the former head of the Yukos oil company, is to be moved from a Moscow jail to an undisclosed prison colony, his lawyers have said.

Authorities at Moscow’s Matrosskaya Tishina prison informed the jailed oligarch’s wife of the forthcoming transfer yesterday morning, Vadim Klyugvant told Russian media.

Neither Khodorkovsky’s wife nor his lawyers have been able to seen [sic] him, even though prisoners are entitled to a family visit before being transferred, Mr Klyugvant said.

“Right now the spouse intends to exercise this right,” he told the Interfax news agency. » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow | Friday, June 10, 2011

Syria: Eyewitness Account of Violence in Jisr al-Shughour

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Syrian helicopters, tanks and troops opened fire on protesters in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour. Here one resident, Hassan, tells his story.

The situation is very difficult. They came and started to destroy our houses - all the houses where we were living are destroyed. They used tanks.

We are now at the Turkish border, in the mountains, near the border town of Güvecci. There are 3,000 families on the border now.

We, our children and families, we are all together. I am 20 years old and I have three children.

If they attack here, we will cross the border. They are in the city (Jisr al-Shughour) now, and they didn’t come after us.

We don’t have milk for the babies. From the Turkish jandarma (gendarmerie, the Turkish forces guarding the border) we will get milk. Everybody is sick, there is no milk for the babies.

Trouble started a long time ago, but today is the worst. » | As told to Piotr Zalewski, Antakya | Saturday, June 11, 2011

Christian Sacked after Abortion Leaflet Row

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Christian mental health worker has been sacked after passing colleagues a booklet warning of the physical and psychological damage some women suffer after an abortion.

Margaret Forrester discussed the booklet with family planning staff at the health centre where she worked because she felt that the NHS was failing to give patients information about the risks and other options to terminating a pregnancy.

But after a six-month disciplinary process, during which Ms Forrester had to fight her own case and became ill, she was found guilty of “gross professional misconduct” and fired.

She has spoken out over the “scandal” of the pro-abortion culture in the medical profession and claimed that Christians were “an easy target” for “politically correct” bureaucrats in the NHS.

“The NHS has a pro-abortion stance which comes from a secular religion. It is a belief system which is aggressively anti-Christian,” she said. » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, June 10, 2011

New York Maids Demand to Be Heard as They Dish the Dirt on Hotel Life

THE GUARDIAN: The Dominique Strauss-Kahn case casts a spotlight on workers who face abuse, lechery and filth

The life of a hotel maid is not an easy one, with naked men flaunting their wares, verbal abuse, lecherous suggestions and personal hygiene standards that would shame a chimp. But thanks to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, things may be about to improve.

There are more than 10,000 hotel maids – or room attendants as they prefer to be called – in New York City. An invisible army of cleaners working for $24 (£15) an hour (if they have a union job), they rarely hit the headlines.

But their work was thrust into the spotlight after the alleged attack by theformer head of the International Monetary Fund on one of their number in room 2806 of the Times Square Sofitel last month.

Politicians are calling for security checks, more cases of abuse are coming out into the open and the voices of the maids themselves are being heard.

This week, as Strauss-Kahn, hand in hand with his millionaire wife, made his way to court to plead not guilty to the charges against him, a group of maids chanted "shame, shame" to make the news around the world.

They intend to be there again when the trial begins but, in the meantime, they hope their employers and customers are learning something about what it means to be a maid in Manhattan. » | Dominic Rushe in New York | Friday, June 10, 2011

Prinz Philip – ein Leben im Schatten der Queen
Er ist der Mann an der Seite der Königin von England. Doch meist steht der Gatte der Queen einige Schritte hinter dem Staatsoberhaupt des Vereinigten Königreiches. Heute feierte Prinz Philip seinen 85. Geburtstag [vor 5 Jahren]. Ein Porträt

Prinz Philip und sein 90. Geburtstag
Er gilt als einer der grössten Charmeure des europäischen Hochadels und ist bekannt für seinen bissigen Humor. Prinz Philip, Ehemann der Queen, wird am Freitag 90 Jahre alt. Seinen Job als Prinzgemahl macht er seit fast 60 Jahren


Dieses Video ist zum Teil in Schweizerdeutsch (Schwyzertüütsch).

Syria Unrest: Renewed Clashed ‘Leave 28 Dead’
BBC: At least 28 people have been killed in fresh clashes in Syria between security forces and protesters, activists say.

They say tanks and helicopter gunships opened fire on crowds in the northern town of Maarat al-Numan, leaving several protesters dead.

The violence came as government forces moved on the nearby town of Jisr al-Shughour where the government said 120 security personnel had been killed.

Hundreds of civilians have fled north into Turkey to escape the assault.

Opposition activists told the BBC that the army was adopting a "scorched earth policy" around Jisr al-Shughour, with helicopter gunships and tanks firing into the town as advancing troops bulldozed homes and torched crops and fields.

The Syrian government has not commented on the claim.

Anti-government activists said about 15 people died in the northern province of Idlib, most of them in in Maarat al-Numan where tanks and helicopters fired on protesters.

Correspondents say it is the first reported use of air power to quell protests in Syria's three-month uprising. (+video) » | Friday, June 10, 2011

Verbunden »

Arabische Revolten: Syrien feuert in Grenzstadt auf Demonstranten
ZEIT ONLINE: Das Regime demonstriert Stärke: An der Grenze zur Türkei schoss syrisches Militär auf Wehrlose. Landesweit trotzten Zehntausende Demonstranten dem Druck der Regierung.

Die syrische Armee ist in der Stadt Dschisrasch Schugur, an der Grenze zur Türkei, mit Gewalt gegen Regimegegner vorgegangen. Laut Augenzeugen fuhren Dutzende Militärfahrzeuge durch umliegende Dörfer und schossen auf Demonstranten. Dabei sei ein Mann getötet worden, der sich dem Konvoi in den Weg gestellt habe.

Der Einsatz in der Stadt ziele darauf ab, "bewaffnete Banden" festzunehmen und sei "auf Wunsch der Bevölkerung" begonnen worden, berichtete das Fernsehen. Die Bewohner der Stadt befürchteten seit Tagen eine Vergeltungsaktion der Armee, nachdem vor einer Woche angeblich 120 Polizisten durch Rebellen ermordet worden waren. Aktivisten und Oppositionelle hatten das zurückgewiesen und gesagt, es habe eine Meuterei bei der Polizei gegeben, weil Sicherheitskräfte nicht auf Demonstranten hätten schießen wollen.

Eindeutige Informationen aus dem Land sind kaum zu bekommen, die wesentlichsten Quellen sind Augenzeugen, online veröffentlichte Videos wie eine nicht verifizierte Aufnahme von Misshandlungen oder Vertreter von Menschenrechtsgruppen. Für ausländische Journalisten ist das Land offiziell gesperrt. » | ZEIT ONLINE, dpa, AFP, Reuters | Freitag 10. Juni 2011

Syrians Rejoice Regime-end Rumour
Syrians in a refugee camp on the Syria-Turkey border celebrated, after a rumour circulated that President Bashar al-Assad had stepped down.

People waved and gathered in a victory lap around the camp, before finding out the rumour was false.

Turkey has since covered the fence seperating the two countries with blue plastic sheets to block visibility of the goings-on in the camp.

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Yayladagi, in Turkey - on the perimeter of the Syrian refugee camp.

En Irak, Tarek Aziz demande au pouvoir son exécution

LE FIGARO: Condamné à être pendu, l'ancien ministre de Saddam Hussein, très affaibli, ne veut pas mourir en prison.

Âgé de 75 ans, l'ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères de Saddam Hussein souhaite que le gouvernement irakien mette fin à son calvaire. «Mon père ne peut plus bouger ni parler et éprouve de sérieuses difficultés à s'alimenter», explique Ziad, le fils de Tarek Aziz, joint par téléphone à Amman. La famille, qui fait part de ses préoccupations, s'indigne du silence des autorités irakiennes. «Il y a deux semaines, ma mère et ma sœur sont venues à Bagdad pour lui rendre visite, sans succès. Le vice-ministre de la Justice ne répond d'ailleurs plus à nos appels téléphoniques», poursuit l'homme à la voix inquiète.

Plus de trois mois après la confirmation en appel de la peine de mort par pendaison, l'ancien chef de la diplomatie irakienne lance une supplique à la hauteur de son désespoir. L'homme dont l'état de santé se serait sérieusement dégradé ces dernières semaines demande désormais son exécution immédiate, ou sa libération afin d'avoir accès aux soins nécessaires. Une requête maintes fois présentée par les proches de Tarek Aziz. Victime de deux crises cardiaques l'année dernière, il a fait part de son refus de mourir en prison. La demande a cependant toujours été rejetée par le gouvernement chiite de Nouri al-Maliki, bien décidé à effacer toute trace du régime dictatorial. » | Par Fatma Kizilboga | Jeudi 09 Juin 2011

Queen Makes Duke of Edinburgh Head of the Navy as 90th Birthday Gift
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Queen sprang a 90th birthday surprise on the Duke of Edinburgh yesterday by making him Lord High Admiral, the titular head of the Royal Navy.

Her Majesty has held the title herself since a re-organisation of the Navy in 1964, but decided to bestow it on her husband as a gift to mark his landmark birthday and to show her gratitude for his unstinting support during 59 years as her consort.

A royal insider said the Duke was “really, really touched” by the honour, which the Queen told him about during a private birthday lunch for two at Buckingham Palace.

“The Duke’s great passion in life was the Royal Navy,” said the insider, “so this it’s just the most amazing gift for the Queen to have given him. It was a complete surprise and he only found out about it when the Queen told him during their lunch.”

The title is a particularly fitting gift for the Duke, who served with the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets during the Second World War, and will be seen as a recognition by the Queen of the sacrifice her husband made by giving up his Naval career to be her full-time consort when she became monarch in 1952. » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Friday, June 10, 2011

Prince Philip Gets Honorary Appointment to Top of Canadian Forces
VANCOUVER SUN: OTTAWA — To commemorate Prince Philip's 90th birthday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Friday that the Duke of Edinburgh had been appointed to the top ranks of the Canadian Forces.

Prince Philip was appointed as an honorary admiral and general, marking the first time the high ranks have been granted on an honorary basis.

"I am delighted that His Royal Highness has accepted this honour from Canada in recognition of his significant contribution to our national life," Harper said in a statement. "His unwavering support of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and his commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as to many other fields of endeavour in this country, are worthy of our highest recognition and deepest gratitude."

With the most recent appointments, Prince Philip becomes an admiral in maritime command and a general in land forces and air command. He is allowed to wear the ranks on all three uniforms of the Canadian Forces. » | POSTMEDIA NEWS | Friday, June 10, 2011

Related »

Facts about Philip »

WIKI: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh »

Tel Aviv's Gay Pride Parade Draws Thousands to the City
THE GUARDIAN: Liberal, hedonistic and secular Israeli metropolis has ambitions to be world's most gay-friendly place

Rainbows were everywhere – on faces, belts, garlands, T-shirts, paper fans, tattoos and hats. One man had a python draped around his neck, a soldier in uniform carried a rainbow flag, and a young woman, almost naked, danced to the throbbing music, oblivious to the crowds and the searing heat.

On Friday, thousands of people poured on to Tel Aviv's Gordon beach at the end of the annual Gay Pride parade in celebration of sexual freedom, tolerance and their city's ambition to be the most gay-friendly place on Earth.

"The weather is hot, the guys are hot, it's a hot city," said 28-year-old Amit Margalit, wearing turquoise shades and matching beads over his bare chest.

The parade's organisers estimated that more than 100,000 Israelis, plus another 5,000 tourists, took part. Every square metre of shade was crammed, friends greeted one another with sweaty kisses and hugs, stalls selling ice-cold beer were doing brisk trade and traffic jams backed up around closed streets.

Tel Aviv, in sharp contrast to Jerusalem, is a liberal, hedonistic and secular city, where leisure life revolves around beaches, cafes and nightclubs.

Lonely Planet named it one of its top three cities in the world for 2011, describing it as "the flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on the sea rather than an ancient Holy City on a hill" and adding: "There are more bars than synagogues, God is a DJ and everyone's body is a temple." The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rarely on the radar. » | Harriet Sherwood in Tel Aviv | Friday, June 10, 2011

Sealed with a Kiss: How the Mafia Makes a Deal

THE INDEPENDENT: Pledge of silence between members of the Naples Camorra is witnessed in public for the first time

The long and passionate kiss between the two young men continued for several seconds, as onlookers gawped and photographers snapped incessantly. Their lips finally parted when police officers yanked one man away and shoved him into a waiting police car.

Uninhibited public shows of affection between men are seldom seen in Italy. But these two weren't lovers. And the show they put on outside Naples police headquarters on Wednesday evening was something rarer still – a full kiss on the lips between Camorra mobsters as a powerful sign, made very public, that the bonds of the crime syndicate would remain strong and the arrested man would remain silent. Experts say that this particular mob tradition has never previously been filmed or photographed.

The young mobster under arrest, Daniele D'Agnese, 27, a senior figure in the notorious Scissionisti clan of the Camorra, locked lips with not one but two younger male associates in front of press cameras and crowds. La Stampa newspaper said the kisses were a message telling the pair that they would not be left to fend for themselves.

"It was a sign to the weaker members of the group telling them, 'We'll continue to be a group; we'll command the same territory and whatever happens, you won't be abandoned'," it said. The kiss may also have been a sign to rival clans that Scissionisti bonds remained strong. (+video) » | Michael Day | Friday, June 10, 2011

US State Signs Harsh Immigration Law
The governor of the state of Alabama has signed into law one of the country's toughest measures to crackdown on immigration. The law is expected to take effect on September 1, giving police the power to arrest anyone suspected of being undocumented.

Happy 90th Birthday! Prince Philip 'A National Treasure' at 90 Despite Gaffes

Prince Philip's 90th Birthday: Duke of Edinburgh's Best Gaffes

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Duke of Edinburgh has made a string of memorable quotes during his reign as the Queen's consort. On his 90th birthday, here is a selection of his memorable gaffes as he offers his own unique advice to people all over the world. » | Andrew Hough | Friday, June 10, 2011


Johann Hari’s Alternative View:
Spare Us the Fawning over Prince Philip
THE INDEPENDENT: When Elizabeth became the Queen, he was forced to quit his job in the Navy, and became depressed for months

Is there a more consistently hilarious sight in Britain than the endless parade of slavering monarchists trying to convince us the Windsor family is the embodiment of virtue and hard work? Today is the 90th birthday of Philip Mountbatten. Ordinarily, I would wish him a happy day, as I would any other 90-year-old, and then let the event pass in silence – if only the monarchists were not so relentlessly using the event as yet another propaganda tool for their snobbery-soaked institution. But we can't let yet another bout of their myth-making pass without answer.

Today, you are being encouraged to celebrate a man who merrily visited a genocidal dictator and used the occasion to sneer at British democracy. A man whose political interventions even prompted complaints from the far-right Enoch Powell. A man who, at the height of mass unemployment, mocked the unemployed, while complaining his own family of multi-millionaires was financially deprived. A man who has shot countless examples of endangered species – and then sought praise for his protection of wildlife.

But let's start with the myth. Monarchists feel the need to claim that the Windsors are somehow more worthy than the rest of us, but this is difficult, since they consist merely of whoever randomly emerges from a royal womb, and whoever that package of DNA and unearned privilege then chooses to marry. Windsors are thrown up by chance, and must have imaginary merits thrust upon them. You can see how hard this is by reading the moist panegyric written by the conservative commentator Peter Oborne last week. He said Philip is "colossally important" because... um... Well, he said, he represents continuity. That's true. If you gave my father a job for life from which he couldn't be fired and a slew of golden palaces to live in, he'd represent continuity too. So would yours. So would literally anyone in Britain. » | Johann Hari | Friday, June 10, 2011

Russell Crowe Calls Jewish Circumcision 'Barbaric' and Compares It to Human Sacrifice in Bizarre Twitter Row
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russell Crowe, the Gladiator star, has sparked outrage after describing circumcision as barbaric in an angry four-letter outburst on the social networking site Twitter.

The Oscar-winning actor laballed the practice “barbaric and stupid” during a row with his Twitter followers, telling them to “f--- off” if they disagreed with him.

The 47-year-old engaged in an angry exchange with one follower, whom he branded a “moron”, before imploring Jewish people to “stop cutting your babies”.

The debate followed a question by one of his fans called @picknic11 who asked him: “My son is due soon. Do you think I should get him circumstanced?”

Crowe, who hit the headlines in 2005 when he was charged with second-degree assault in New York after throwing a telephone at a hotel employee, tweeted: “Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect.” » | Friday, June 10, 2011

Formula One: Bahrain Grand Prix Cancelled after Team Protests
THE GUARDIAN: Race circuit chairman says it 'has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision'

The Bahrain Grand Prix has finally been cancelled after Formula Oneteams complained about competing in the country, which has been racked by months of popular uprisings against the regime.

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone had already announced the race was now "not on" after a complaint from teams at the rescheduling of the event, which was initially put back to 30 October amid condemnation from human rights groups.

The Bahrain International Circuit chairman, Zayed Alzayani, said: "While Bahrain would have been delighted to see the grand prix progress on 30 October in line with the World Motor Sport Council's decision, it has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision.

"We want our role in Formula One to continue to be as positive and constructive as it has always been; therefore, in the best interest of the sport, we will not pursue the rescheduling of a race this season." » | David Batty | Friday, June 10, 2011

Algerian Man Denied French Nationality Because Of Sexism
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Algerian man has been denied French nationality because of his sexist attitudes towards women.

The man's application was refused because "his idea of sexual equality is not that of the republic", according to a high-ranking official quoted by French radio station Europe 1.

The man, who has not been identified, is married to a Frenchwoman, but does not allow her to leave the family home freely, it was claimed.

The French constitution states that the government can refuse nationality or strip nationality for a "lack of integration". » | Friday, June 10, 2011

Hillary Clinton Interested in Becoming Head of World Bank?

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been in discussions with the White House about leaving her job next year to become head of the World Bank, sources familiar with the discussions said on Thursday.

The former first lady and one-time political rival to President Barack Obama quickly became one of the most influential members of his cabinet after she began her tenure at State in early 2009.

She has said publicly she did not plan to stay on at the State Department for more than four years.

Associates in the USA say Mrs Clinton has expressed interest in having the World Bank job should the Bank's current president, Robert Zoellick, leave at the end of his term, in the middle of 2012.

"Hillary Clinton wants the job," said one source who knows the secretary well.

A second source also said Clinton wants the position.

A third source said Mr Obama has already expressed support for the change in her role.

It is unclear whether Obama has formally agreed to nominate her for the post, which would require approval by the 187 member countries of the World Bank.

The White House declined to comment. » | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Another job for the boys (or girls)! For top jobs, experience seems not to matter. It’s all about strings being pulled. – © Mark

Utah Officials Trying to Ban Hookah Smoking
DESERET NEWS: SALT LAKE CITY — Hookahs could go the way of cigarettes, cigars and pipes if Utah health officials approve a ban on smoking heated tobacco in popular bars and other public places.

Health officials argue secondhand smoke from hookahs is just as dangerous as that of other tobacco products, which state law already prohibits in public indoor spaces. That includes all bars.

"There are harmful effects from the secondhand smoke from hookahs," Utah Department of Public Health spokesman Steve Hadden said Monday. "Just because it's an adult place doesn't mean it's any less harmful." Read on and comment » | Associated Press | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Tony Blair: Europe Risks Losing Influence
BBC: Europe risks losing its international influence if it does not join more closely together, according to Tony Blair.

The former prime minister said that the rapid growth in the economies of countries like China meant that European nations needed to combine efforts in order to leverage power on important global issues. Watch video » | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Obama ehrt Merkel mit Freiheitsmedaille

Libyan Rebels Promised £780m by Western and Arab Governments

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Foreign leaders have finalised a funding mechanism to pump hundreds of millions of dollars to Libya's cash-strapped rebel forces, intensifying pressure on Colonel Gaddafi's weakened regime even as Nato warplanes bombed targets in the capital Tripoli.

Western and Arab leaders met rebel leaders in Abu Dhabi to plan for a Libya free from Gaddafi's clutches.

Donors immediately promised more than £780m for the fund, which is backed by billions of dollars in frozen Libyan assets.

At the start of the third meeting of the Contact Group for Libya, Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, urged the coalition to intensify pressure amid optimism that Tripoli would soon fall.

"Gaddafi's days are numbered. We are working with our international partners through the UN to plan for the inevitable: a post-Gaddafi Libya," she said.

While senior officials from the Contact Group – which includes Britain and France as well as Arab allies Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait – worked on ways to support the rebels, Nato air strikes rattled the Libyan capital with bombing runs believed to have targeted the outskirts of Tripoli.

There were eight explosions in a first series of strikes on Thursday.

Hours later, the sound of six more attacks boomed in the distance, according to reporters in the city. » | Rob Crilly, Dubai | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Libya Accused of War Crimes
A new United Nations report critisises the Gaddafi regime and accuses its forces of war crimes. Al Jazeera's Rosalind Jordon reports from Washington DC.

People & Power - Osama My Neighbour
People & Power visited the people of Abbottabad in the days after the raid that saw the capture of Osama bin Laden

Inside Story - Leaving Afghanistan
Has the US been winning Afghan hearts and minds or is it cash down the drain?

Syrian Teenager Reportedly Tortured to Death
Al Jazeera has obtained footage of the disfigured body of a 15-year old Syrian boy.

Thamer al Sahri was arrested in April for participating in an anti-government protest. His body was released on Wednesday.

The video comes from a reliable source, but we are unable to independently verify it due to restrictions on journalists in the country.

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reports, with a warning that viewers may find some of the images in the report disturbing.

'Most Immigrants Are Fruit Pickers': Labour MP Sparks Race Row with 'Ignorant' Claim

MAIL ONLINE: Glenda Jackson was plunged into a race row last night after she suggested migrants were engaged in ‘picking strawberries’ and ‘digging up potatoes’.

Labour leader Ed Miliband faced calls to discipline the MP for Hampstead and Kilburn in north London after her comments were condemned as ‘incredibly ignorant’.

The extraordinary statement by the Oscar-winning actress came in a clash with Chris Grayling, the Work and Pensions minister. Read on and comment » | Gerri Peev | Thursday, June 09, 2011

Tony Blair Issues Arab Spring Warning to West

THE GUARDIAN: Dictators must 'change or be changed' says ex-PM as western leaders urged to prepare wider plan for Middle East

Tony Blair warns the west today that it urgently needs a wider plan to respond to the Arab spring, including a warning to autocratic leaders across the Middle East "to change or be changed".

His call for a clearer strategic approach comes in a new foreword to the paperback edition of his bestselling autobiography, The Journey.

The former prime minister also praises Europe, and by implication David Cameron, for showing leadership in Libya, saying it would have been inconceivable to leave Muammar Gaddafi in power.

He said that if America and Europe had done nothing, "Gaddafi would have retaken the country and suppressed the revolt with extraordinary vehemence. Many would have died."

If he had been left in power while the west was willing to see President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt deposed, "the damage to the west's reputation, credibility and stature would have been not just massive but potentially irreparable. That's what I mean by saying inaction is also a decision."

Blair does not call for immediate military intervention across the region, saying instead that "where there is the possibility of evolutionary change, we should encourage and support it. This is the case in the Gulf states." » | Patrick Wintour | Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Is this hypocrisy, or what? This is the man who courted Qadhafi not so long ago, and it was his party, NuLabour, that was complicit in releasing Megrahi – the man of Lockerbie infamy! Go back to sleep, Blair! Your ‘wisdom’ is not needed at this time. – © Mark