WikiLeaks cesse ses activités faute d'argent

LE FIGARO: Face à une chute de dons, le site Internet suspend la divulgation de documents secrets. Il accuse Washington de lui imposer un blocus financier en représailles à ses activités.

WikiLeaks est sur la paille. Devenu la bête noire de Washington après la diffusion de câbles diplomatiques américains, le site spécialisé dans la divulgation de documents a été contraint lundi de «suspendre» ses activités faute de fonds.

Pour expliquer la mauvaise situation financière du site basé en Islande, son fondateur Julian Assange a pointé du doigt les géants bancaires Bank of America, Visa, MasterCard, Paypal et Western Union. Ceux-ci ont bloqué depuis fin 2010 les donations au site, qui ont chuté drastiquement. Les dons ont plongé de «plus de 100.000 dollars par mois» (72.000 euros), avant la décision de Visa et de MasterCard, à «6000 ou 7000 dollars» actuellement, a affirmé le porte-parole du site. Un «blocus financier arbitraire et illégal» qui «a détruit 95% de nos revenus», a affirmé Julian Assange. » | Par lefigaro.fr | mardi 25 octobre 2011

Crown Prince Sultan's Funeral Takes Place in Saudi Arabia

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The funeral of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan on Tuesday set the stage for King Abdullah to name a new heir, widely expected to be veteran Interior Minister Prince Nayef, a choice that would emphasise stability in the world's top oil exporter.

Amid the flashing of cameras, Sultan's sons and brothers carried his corpse, swathed in a brown shroud, on a bier through a throng of mourners in Riyadh's sprawling Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque for funeral prayers before burial.

The body of Sultan, who died of colon cancer in New York on Saturday, was flown back to Riyadh on Monday, accompanied by his younger brother and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, who may now play a more prominent role in the conservative Islamic kingdom.

Among the mourners who went forward to greet King Abdullah after the prayer recital was Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, whose country is a regional rival of Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this month Tehran was accused of backing a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, soon after Riyadh had blamed armed protests among its Shi'ite minority on an unnamed foreign power – a coded reference to Iran.

The Royal Court said it would be open to accept condolences for three days from Tuesday. A U.S. delegation headed by Vice President Joe Biden is expected in Riyadh on Thursday. » | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tory Demands on EU Powers Are Impossible for Coalition, Says Nick Clegg

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Conservative Party row over Europe put strain on the Coalition as Nick Clegg said it was “impossible” for the Government to deliver on Tory MPs’ demands over the European Union.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that, for as long as his Liberal Democrats were in government, there would be no move towards leaving the EU.

In an intervention described as “very unhelpful” by senior Conservatives, Mr Clegg also forced Downing Street to water down Mr Cameron’s promise to bring back British powers from Brussels.

On Monday, Mr Cameron was rocked by a rebellion of 81 Conservative MPs who demanded a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU.

As the Prime Minister tried to calm the row with warm words about the rebels, Mr Clegg offered a string of provocative comments, scorning the demands of the Conservative backbenches.

“Eurosceptics need to be quite careful for what they wish for, because if they succeed – and they won’t succeed, as long as I’m in government – to push this country towards the exit sign, let’s be clear: that [what] will be damaged is British families, British businesses, British jobs,” said Mr Clegg. » | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Former King of Romania Addresses Parliament for First Time Since 1947

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The former king of Romania and the last wartime leader still alive addressed the Romanian parliament for the first time since his forced abdication in 1947.

Sitting resplendent on a throne-like chair King Michael I, 90, called for politicians to provide greater democracy and to restore the dignity of a country that has struggled to bring wealth and prosperity to all of its people since the overthrow of the despotic regime of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.

The king had been afforded the rare privilege of addressing both houses of the Romanian parliament in honour of his 90th birthday.

"The time has come after 20 years to ... break for good with the bad habits of the past", said the king. Taking a swipe at the country's present ruling elite, often chided for apparent self-interest and corruption, he added in 2011 "demagogy, selfishness and attempts to cling to power" should not have their place in Romania.

"All united, we have to pursue our efforts in order to become once more respected and dignified", he said in a speech that won a standing ovation and shouts of "Long live the King!" from some MPs. » | Matthew Day | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

View from the Eurosceptic Right: PM Goes Grey Over Scandal of EU Betrayal

DAILY EXPRESS: CRAVEN MPs were last night accused of cowardice and betrayal after rejecting a referendum on the European Union in a crunch Commons vote.

Despite the biggest-ever Tory rebellion on Europe, David Cameron faced down a courageous attempt by backbenchers to give voters their first say on Britain’s membership of the EU since 1975.

MPs voted overwhelmingly against the Commons motion calling for a national poll on whether to cut or renegotiate Britain’s ties to Brussels.

The result was a bloody nose for the Prime Minister and a stark demonstration of the growing support at Westminster for a referendum.

Campaigners accused the Tory, Lib Dem and Labour MPs who united to kill the Commons motion of wilfully ignoring a huge surge of public support for a plebiscite. And they vowed that there will be no let-up in the drive to give the British people a say on our links with the EU. » | Macer Hall and Martyn Brown | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Berlusconi in der Krise: Italien schimpft auf Merkel und die Deutschen

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Italien ächzt unter seinen Schulden - und dem Druck Europas: Das Kabinett Berlusconi muss radikale Reformen beschließen, die EU will bis Mittwoch Ergebnisse sehen. Regierung, Präsident und Medien sind sich in einem Punkt einig: Schuld an der Lage sind Kanzlerin Merkel und Frankreichs Sarkozy.

Hamburg/Rom - An Druck ist Italiens Ministerpräsident Silvio Berlusconi gewöhnt. Seit Jahren laufen Prozesse wegen Amtsmissbrauchs und Korruption gegen ihn, er hat sich schon durch 51 Vertrauensfragen in seiner Amtszeit gezittert. Doch wohl noch nie stand er so sehr unter Zugzwang wie in diesen Stunden.

Berlusconi weiß: Irgendetwas wird er Rest-Europa bis Mittwoch vorzeigen müssen. Die EUverlangt bis zum Euro-Gipfel von Berlusconi einen konkreten Plan, wie er sein Land aus Schuldenkrise und Wirtschaftsflaute herausführen will. Doch seine Koalition ist derart zerstritten, dass sie sich kaum auf umfassende Maßnahmen einigen kann.

Entsprechend nervös ist man in Rom: Der Premierminister deutet gegenüber einem Journalisten seinen Rücktritt an. Koalitionspartner Umberto Bossi, Chef der Lega Nord, sagt, die Regierung sei in großer Gefahr. Andere aus der Koalition sprechen bereits über Neuwahlen.

Einig ist sich Berlusconis Chaos-Koalition in diesen Tagen vor allem in einem Punkt: Schuld an der dramatischen Lage sind die Franzosen und die Deutschen. Am Wochenende hatten Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und Frankreichs Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy von Berlusconi klare Pläne bis zum Euro-Gipfel verlangt - und auf einer Pressekonferenz bei einer Frage zu ihrem Vertrauen in Berlusconi gelacht (ein Video der Szene findet sich hier). Nun fragt sich ganz Italien: Machen sich Merkel und Sarkozy über Berlusconi lustig - oder gar über die Italiener an sich? » | Von Fabian Reinbold | mit Material von dpa und Reuters | Dienstag 25. Oktober 2011

France: l'internaute qui avait brûlé le Coran dans une vidéo a été relaxé
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: La justice alsacienne a confirmé la relaxe de l'homme qui avait diffusé sur le web une vidéo où il brûlait un exemplaire du Coran. Il risquait 45'000 euros d'amende.

La cour d’appel de Colmar a confirmé mardi la relaxe d’un homme de 31 ans poursuivi pour avoir diffusé sur internet en octobre 2010 une vidéo où il brûlait un exemplaire du Coran et urinait sur le livre. Le ministère public avait requis en septembre trois mois de prison avec sursis et 1.000 euros d’amende, comme en première instance. » | AFP | mardi 25 octobre 2011

US and Danish Aid Workers Kidnapped in Somalia
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Two Western aid workers, from the US and Denmark, were kidnapped on Tuesday from a town in central Somalia where they were contracted to a landmine clearance programme.

The pair, a man and a woman, were abducted close to the airport in Galkayo, a town split between two different local authorities but north of territory controlled by al-Shabaab, Somalia’s Islamist insurgents.

A Somali colleague was taken hostage with them.

The three were working for the Danish Demining Group, an offshoot of the Danish Refugee Council, and had spent the day visiting projects in Galkayo’s south, local officials said.

It is the fourth abduction of Westerners by Somali gangs in the last six weeks, following kidnappings of British, French and Spanish women from northern Kenya. » | Mike Pflanz, Nairobi | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Gay Barman Stuart Walker Killed and Set On Fire
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A gay man killed in Cumnock, Ayrshire and then left at the side of the road with "horrific" injuries could have been the victim of a homophobic attack, it has emerged.


It's believed Stuart Walker, 28, was beaten and burned alive before he was left in the early hours of Saturday morning.

His charred remains were found by a member of the public at 5am on Saturday in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Detectives launched a murder inquiry on Sunday following the grim discovery, with streets in a nearby industrial estate sealed off as part of the ongoing investigation.

Strathclyde Police confirmed the body had scorch marks and the victim had suffered horrific injuries. » | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Julia Gillard Curtsy Row Dismissed as 'Storm in a Royal Teacup' by Queen

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Julia Gillard's failure to curtsy to the Queen whipped up a storm of controversy in Australia, but failed to upset the monarch, it has emerged.

The Queen, who is in the middle of a 10-day trip to Australia, was said to be unconcerned by Ms Gillard's decision to bow and shake her hand instead of bending at the knee.

The prime minister's greeting incensed some quarters of the Australia media, and many monarchists, who accused Ms Gillard of offensive behaviour and embarrassing the nation.

However, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said the Queen was happy with Ms Gillard's choice.

"The person who is least concerned about protocol is the Queen, we've always said do what you feel comfortable with," she said.

"Absolutely no offence was taken at all – it's a storm in a royal teacup." In fact, the Queen had been "delighted" with the warm reception she has received so far on her visit, the spokesman said. Huge crowds turned out in Brisbane on Monday to wave and cheer the royal couple as they took a cruise up the Brisbane River. » | Bonnie Malkin, Canberra | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Converts to Islam: Abdur Raheem McCarthy – “Islam Is the Solution”

Pat Condell-America's Religion Fetish (September 2011)

Saudi Arabia: Child Marriage, the Hadiths and the Islamophobia Card
PAKISTAN CHRISTIAN POST: Saudi Arabia continues to allow old men to marry young girls aged eight years old and upwards. The mantra by Muslims and converts to Islam[,] is that Islam equals morality and that Mohammed is a great role model[,] but [doesn’t] this depend[s] on your interpretation of a good role model? Therefore, with Saudi Arabia supporting Islamic Sharia law and believing that society should be based on what Mohammed did and stated in the Hadiths, it is clear that child marriage is sanctioned because Mohammed also married a child.

This reality is creating a problem for the Guardians of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. If this nation modernizes, then it may be seen to be pandering to Western morals and increasing the age of marriage will be challenged by conservative Sunni Islamic leaders in Saudi Arabia.

Ironically, the people who use the “Islamophobia card” are basically trying to prevent individuals speaking out against Islamic Sharia law. This is despite the fact that Islamic Sharia law and the Hadiths support pedophilia, killing homosexuals, killing apostates, chopping hands and feet off for petty crimes, stoning people to death for adultery, and other draconian laws. All these draconian measures are based on the life and sayings of Mohammed.

Therefore, if people are deemed to be “Islamophobic” for fighting against the brutal reality of many Islamic states which are based on hatred and supporting the abuse of children, apostates, homosexuals, and others; then in a world based on justice and morality the overwhelming majority of people should be deemed to be “Islamophobic.”

However, democratic nations, the mass media on a whole, international child advocates, and major institutions like the United Nations are not doing enough to fight against a legal system which clearly discriminates against non-Muslims and allows children to be married to old men.

More surprisingly is that major religious leaders, irrespective if they are Christian, Buddhist, or whatever, appear to be fearful of speaking out against this injustice. The political correct brigade and “trendy left” and “trendy liberals” appear to have “sold their soul” because if anyone speaks out against the brutal reality of Sharia Islamic law then they are deemed to be “Islamophobic.” » | Lee Jay Walker and Murad Makhmudov | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Übergangsrat: Saif al-Islam befindet sich an der Grenze zu Niger und Algerien

TAGES ANZEIGER: Ghadhafis Sohn will Libyen mithilfe eines gefälschten Passes verlassen. Die Tuareg sollen dabei behilflich sein.

Der vom Internationalen Strafgerichtshof gesuchte Sohn des früheren libyschen Machthabers Muammar al-Ghadhafi, Saif al-Islam, will offenbar in Niger Zuflucht suchen. Ein ranghohes Mitglied der Tuareg sagte der Nachrichtenagentur AP, Saif al-Islam bewege sich auf die Grenze zu. Er werde von Tuareg geleitet, die zu den grössten Anhängern Ghadhafis zählten.

Er befinde sich an der Grenze zu Niger und Algerien und wolle mit Hilfe eines gefälschten Passes das Land verlassen, vermutete derweil ein Vertreter der libyschen Übergangsregierung am Montag. Ghadhafis früherer Geheimdienstchef Abdullah al-Senussi sei in die Pläne involviert. Die Region sei extrem schwierig zu überwachen und einzugrenzen. Deshalb sei es schwierig, die Flucht Saif al-Islams zu verhindern. » | kpn/sda | Dienstag 25. Oktober 2011

EU Referendum Vote: Clegg Says Britain Should Lead, Not Leave, Europe
THE GUARDIAN: Deputy PM says prospect of wresting back powers from EU is 'tilting at windmills' after Cameron suffers backbench rebellion

Fresh differences between Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition partners have been exposed as the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, described the prospect of wresting back powers from Brussels as "tilting at windmills".

The education secretary, Michael Gove, had earlier sought to play down differences between the government and backbenchers after David Cameron suffered the largest postwar rebellion on Europe on Monday night, when 81 Conservative MPs supported a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

Gove insisted the policy differences between the government and rebels were exaggerated, and said the two sides were united in their determination to repatriate powers from the EU to Westminster[.]

Clegg, however, condemned the backbench rebellion, saying Britain should be leading, not leaving, Europe.

Recognising that reforms to the EU were necessary, he said: "You don't change Europe by launching some smash-and-grab dawn raid on Brussels. You do it by setting out the case for changes and then arguing the case with other countries.

"We can't do this on our own – we have to build alliances, we have to convince and persuade other countries, and that is what we look to do all the time."

Asked whether the British public could not be trusted with a vote on the country's relationship with Europe, Clegg replied: "I have always advocated a vote on Europe if there is a proposal on the table to transfer significant chunks of sovereignty and policy from our country to Brussels – but it's not on the table.

"We should stop tilting at windmills about threats and challenges which simply aren't there right now. Let's get on with the difficult job of working with our eurozone partners to fix the eurozone because, let's face it, unless you've got a strong, prosperous eurozone, you can't have a strong, prosperous United Kingdom." » | Hélène Mulholland, political reporter | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Smoking and Drinking Rise as Money Worries Hit Home
IRISH EXAMINER: SALARY cuts and reduced working hours are affecting almost half of all households, with money matters now having overtaken the pursuit of personal happiness in lists of priorities, a study has found.

As the effect of the recession deepens, the 2011 Pfizer Health Index indicates the toll the austere times are taking on our health. Pointing to increased drinking and smoking and lower motivation for personal improvement, the survey finds seven out of 10 people are struggling to make ends meet. » | Catherine Shanahan | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

US Elections 2012: Bizarre Herman Cain Advert Features Chief of Staff Smoking
The Republican presidential nominee's chief of staff puffs on a cigarette in Herman Cain's latest campaing advert.

Libya: Col Gaddafi Buried at Dawn

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Col Muammar Gaddafi was buried at an unknown location at dawn on Tuesday, according to NTC officials.

Officials said earlier that the ousted Libyan leader would be buried in a secret desert grave, ending a wrangle over his rotting corpse that led many to fear for the country's governability.

Transitional government forces had put the body on show in a cold store in Misurata while they argued over what to do with it, until its decay forced them on Monday to end the display.

His son Mutassim is thought to have been buried in the same ceremony. A few relatives and officials were in attendance, according to a Misurata military council official.

Yesterday, the government bowed to international pressure and announced a commission to determine how Gaddafi died after he was cornered in a drain while trying to flee Sirte, his besieged home town. » | Ben Farmer, Tripoli and Barney Henderson | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prince of Wales 'praised Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2007 letter': The Prince of Wales was used to improve Britain's relationship with Muammar Gaddafi and praised the Libyan leader in a letter to him in 2007, according to reports. ¶ In his letter the Prince complimented Gaddafi for his work with Christians, Aids victims and the British Council. ¶ He wrote: "I just wanted to write to Your Excellency to say how heartened I am by the breadth of these developments." » | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

PARIS MATCH: Exclusif. Le dernier message de Kadhafi à l’Occident: C’est peut-être le dernier courrier adressé par Kadhafi au monde occidental : un appel au secours lancé à son ancien ami Silvio Berlusconi écrit le 5 août dernier. Dans un élan désespéré, le président de la Jamahiriya y rappelle le pacte d’amitié scellé moins de deux ans plus tôt entre l’Italie et la Libye et enjoint le président du Conseil italien à faire cesser les bombardements de l’Otan sur son pays. » | François de Labarre - Parismatch.com | lundi 24 octobre 2011

Comment:

Qadhafi has gone. Cameron was determined that he should go. He got his way. Now Islamism will take over instead. It's already happened in Tunisia, and the introduction of sharia law has already begun in Libya. Seif ul-Islam said that if his father were toppled, it would make way for exactly what the West didn't want: Islamism. And he was right.

This in no way means that either Col. Qadhafi or his son were desirable. They were not. But what has really been achieved in Libya? And what has the Arab Spring bought to north Africa? Soon, Europe will be encircled by Islamism to the south and east. There will be an islamist crescent, stretching from west to north-east. Some achievement! – © Mark

This comment appears here

Moderate Islamist Party Declares Victory in Tunisia Elections

LOS ANGELES TIMES: REPORTING FROM TUNIS, TUNISIA -- Tunisia’s moderate Islamist party appeared to win elections for an assembly to draft a constitution Monday, a sign of religion’s growing influence over politics in the country that inspired uprisings across the Arab world.

The apparent victory by Nahda is certain to resonate throughout the region, especially in Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood is expected to post a strong showing in parliamentary elections next month. Nahda’s ascent from banned organization to popular force indicates that an emerging political Islam may replace decades of rule by secular autocrats.

That prospect indicates that much of the Middle East and North Africa regard Islam and politics as indivisible, a dynamic that has upset liberals in battles over civil rights and what styles of governments will rise from the so-called Arab Spring. Nahda has consistently promised that it is committed to pluralism and tolerance but its opponents claim it masks a more conservative agenda. » | Monday, October 24, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Triumph der Islamisten alarmiert Diplomaten: Islamisten haben die ersten freien Wahlen Tunesiens gewonnen, in Libyen will der Übergangsrat die Scharia einführen. Westliche Diplomaten warnen vor einer Radikalisierung Nordafrikas, Liberale fürchten Kopftuchzwang und Alkoholverbot. Den Arabischen Frühling hatten sich viele anders vorgestellt. ¶ Tunis/Bengasi - Die Signalwirkung ist enorm: Die Wahlen in Tunesien sind die erste freie Abstimmung nach dem Arabischen Frühling - jener Protestwelle, die vor knapp einem Jahr eben dort ihren Anfang nahm. Nun zeichnet sich ein deutlicher Wahlerfolg der Islamisten ab. » | fab/heb/dpa/Reuters | Montag 24. Oktober 2011

David Cameron Rocked by Record Rebellion as Europe Splits Tories Again
THE GUARDIAN: Largest postwar rebellion on Europe as 81 Tory MPs support call for referendum on Britain's membership of the EU

David Cameron was warned that he faces four years of trench warfare with disgruntled backbenchers after he suffered the largest postwar rebellion on Europe as 81 Conservative MPs supported a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

With a new opinion poll showing overwhelming support for a referendum, normally loyal backbenchers told Downing Street that Cameron will face further rebellions unless he takes a tough stance in EU treaty negotiations.

The warnings were issued as nearly half of Cameron's backbenchers defied a three-line whip and voted in favour of a motion calling for a referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EU on current terms, whether to leave or whether to renegotiate Britain's membership. » | Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Full list of MPs who voted against the EU referendum: A total of 81 Tory MPs rebelled against the government. In all, 79 Tory MPs voted in favour of an EU referendum while a further two were tellers for the rebels » | Patrick Wintour | Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Europe Destroyed Two Tory PMs. And Now It's Cameron's Problem
THE GUARDIAN: The government will win the vote on a referendum on EU membership – but at what cost to the PM's leadership?

While Tory MP Steve Baker conducted his weekly surgery in High Wycombe on Friday, the phone rang constantly. "Lots of constituents got in touch, urging me to vote for a referendum on Europe," he said. "And members of my association did the same. It is the first time on any issue that I have had that kind of response."

As it turns out, they need not have bothered. Baker, a young MP who entered parliament only in 2010, is already a fully developed muscular Eurosceptic. He had decided days before that he would rebel in Monday's Commons vote on whether the people should be granted a referendum on UK membership of the European Union. "Personally I think reform of the EU is impractical and that we should come out," he said. "So I will be backing the motion."

Across the country, Tory MPs – many of whom are worried about retaining their seats after boundary changes – have been ordered by their constituents to do the same, or else.

At Westminster, however, the pressure on them has been to do precisely the opposite. David Cameron and his whips are making clear they expect Conservatives to vote against Monday's motion. Their argument is that the UK must help to shape a better, more economically successful Europe from within and that now, of all times, is not the moment for a noisy revival of Brussels-bashing. » | Toby Helm, political editor | Saturday, October 22, 2011

Vatican Sides with Anti-capitalist Protesters and Attacks Global Financial System

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Vatican aligned itself with anti-capitalism protesters around the world on Monday when it condemned "the idolatry of the market" and called for a radical shake-up of the global financial system.

By demanding that the worst excesses of global capitalism be reined in, the Holy See echoed the message of protesters encamped outside St Paul's Cathedral in London, the indignados of Spain and the Occupy Wall Street movement in the US.

In a forthright statement, the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace called for an end to rampant speculation, the redistribution of wealth, greater ethics and the establishment of a "central world bank" to which national banks would have to cede power.

Such an authority would have "universal jurisdiction" over governments' economic strategies.

Existing financial situations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund were outdated and no longer able to deal with the scale of the global financial crisis, which had exposed "selfishness, greed and the hoarding of goods on a grand scale".

The global financial system was riddled with injustice and failure to address that would lead to "growing hostility and even violence", which would undermine democracy. » | Nick Squires, in Rome | Monday, October 24, 2011

My comment:

Capitalism is failing; indeed it is ailing and totally failing. The Vatican is absolutely right to call it into question.

I never thought that I would see the day I would do so myself; but capitalism is a thoroughly discredited system. It's a system which Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher brought into disrepute with their ignorant, stupid deregulation of the banks and finance houses. Now, the best system that has ever been conceived by man stands before total annihilation and destruction. It is a travesty that in the States, for example, 50% of wealth is owned by 1% of the population. This is disgraceful! – © Mark

This comment appears here

US Citizen Manssor Arbabsiar Pleads Not Guilty Over Alleged Saudi Bomb Plot

THE GUARDIAN: Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old US citizen with an Iranian passport, pleads not guilty to five-count indictment in New York

A man charged in a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States has pleaded not guilty in court in New York. » | Associated Press | Monday, October 24, 2011

David Cameron: Closer European Integration Could Marginalise Britain
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Closer integration between Euro members could “undermine” the European Union's free market rules, David Cameron has warned.


The Prime Minister will this week attend a special EU summit to discuss the eurozone crisis, and warn the 17 countries who use the single currency not to cut the other ten EU members out of major decisions.

Moves among euro countries towards closer co-ordination of economic policies and fiscal systems have fuelled fears of a two-speed Europe, where the EU is divided between a core of euro nations and a marginalised fringe of countries left outside the single currency.

Wednesday’s summit had originally been scheduled only for the 17 euro governments. But at a bad-tempered meeting on Sunday, Mr Cameron won an agreement for a meeting on Wednesday of all 27 EU members too.

Number 10 fears that the eurozone countries will integrate their policies ever more closely and start to operate as a “caucus” within the EU, making decisions without consulting non-euro members like Britain.

Those decisions could include protectionist measures like higher taxes on imports and tighter market regulations, which would hurt the single market, British officials fear. » | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor, and Andrew Hough | Monday, October 24, 2011

Obama Gets the Chequebook Out: US President's Personal Handouts to Struggling Americans
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama has admitted that he sometimes writes personal cheques to Americans who write him their tales of economic woe.

The US President told White House correspondent Eli Saslow that sometimes he felt drawing on his own bank account was all he could do for Americans struggling to pay their bills in the embattled American economy.

The revelation is made in Mr Saslow's new book "Ten Letters", about Mr Obama's correspondence with the American public.

"It's not something I should advertise, but it has happened," he was quoted as telling Mr Saslow in an excerpt from the book in The Washington Post.

Other times, he confessed, he had forwarded letters to government agencies or Cabinet secretaries with an attached handwritten note reading: "Can you please take care of this?" » | Monday, October 24, 2011

Libya's Liberation: Interim Ruler Unveils More Radical Than Expected Plans for Islamic Law

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Libya's interim leader outlined more radical plans to introduce Islamic law than expected as he declared the official liberation of the country.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the chairman of the National Transitional Council and de fact [o]president, had already declared that Libyan laws in future would have Sharia, the Islamic code, as its "basic source".

But that formulation can be interpreted in many ways - it was also the basis of Egypt's largely secular constitution under President Hosni Mubarak, and remains so after his fall.

Mr Abdul-Jalil went further, specifically lifting immediately, by decree, one law from Col. Gaddafi's era that he said was in conflict with Sharia - that banning polygamy. » | Richard Spencer | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Michael Ignatieff, the Leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, Believes Libya’s Revolution Pushes Democracy Forward! »

Libya: Human Rights Watch Calls on NTC to Probe Mass 'Executions' as 53 Bodies Are Found
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Human Rights Watch are calling for an investigation after 53 decaying bodies were found in Sirte, the final bastion of Libya's ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi, suggesting some of his loyalists were executed.

"We found 53 decomposing bodies, apparently Gaddafi supporters, at an abandoned hotel in Sirte," said Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch (HRW), who investigated the killings.

"Some had their hands bound behind their backs when they were shot," he added.
In a statement, the group said: "If the NTC fails to investigate this crime it will signal that those who fought against Gaddafi can do anything without fear of prosecution."

HRW's investigator found the bodies on Sunday at the Hotel Mahari in District 2 of Sirte, an "area of the city that was under the control of anti-Gaddafi fighters from Misurata before the killings took place."

"The bodies were clustered together, apparently where they had been killed, on the grass in the sea-view garden of the hotel," HRW said in a statement. » | Monday, October 24, 2011

Burnt in Satanic Ritual
THE STAR: A TEENAGE girl is in a coma after she and a friend were doused with petrol and set alight in an apparent satanic ritual.

The girls, one 18 and the other 16, were among eight youngsters who went to a koppie behind the Linmeyer swimming pool on Julius Street on Friday night.

According to Samantha Theologia, her 18-year-old sister Kirsty has 75 percent burns to her body from the waist up.

Doctors had told them, she said, that they were worried about her sister’s recovery because her lungs and throat were damaged.

Kirsty was scheduled to have surgery today. » | ANGELIQUE SERRAO | Monday, October 24, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Teenage girl in coma after she's burned alive by friends in 'satanic ritual': An 18-year-old South African woman was in a coma Monday after being doused in petrol and burned alive by friends in a Johannesburg park, in what police suspect was a satanic ritual. » | Monday, October 24, 2011

Fille de Sarkozy : Marine Le Pen aurait préféré "un prénom français"
TF1 NEWS: La présidente du Front national, Marine Le Pen, aurait préféré que Giulia Bruni-Sarkozy, la fille du président de la République née mercredi, "porte un prénom français plutôt qu'un prénom italien", a-t-elle déclaré dimanche.

Alors que Carla Bruni-Sarkozy et sa fille Giulia, née mercredi, sont sorties dimanche de la clinique de La Muette à Paris (XVIe arrondissement), où l'épouse du chef de l'Etat avait accouché (voir notre vidéo avec les premières images de la sortie en cliquant ici), la fille de Nicolas Sarkozy reçoit un accueil pour le moins mitigé de la part de Marine Le Pen. La présidente du Front national a ainsi déclaré dimanche qu'elle aurait préféré que Giulia Bruni-Sarkozy, la fille du président de la République, "porte un prénom français plutôt qu'un prénom italien". » | dimanche 23 octobre 2011

Giulia Sarkozy-Bruni : les premières images de la sortie de la clinique

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Tunisie: vers une nette victoire des islamistes d'Ennahdha
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le mouvement islamiste Ennahdah arriverait en tête de plusieurs circonscriptions aux élections tunisiennes, d'après les premières estimations, alors que le taux de participation au scrutin a atteint dimanche 90%.

Les résultats des premières élections libres tunisiennes ne devraient pas être connues avant demain. En attendant, la tendance donne le parti islamiste Ennahdah nettement vainqueur. » | AP | lundi 24 octobre 2011

La santé de Sonia Gandhi affaiblit le pouvoir indien
LE FIGARO: Absente pendant six semaines, la femme la plus puissante du pays a dû laisser les rênes à son fils Rahul.

Sonia Gandhi souffre-t-elle d'une maladie grave, voire incurable ? Début août, le magazine Tehelk[a] a a été le premier à lancer une minibombe sur Twitter : la présidente du Parti du Congrès, que l'on tient pour la femme la plus puissante du pays - c'est elle qui, en 2004, a ramené au pouvoir la dynastie Nehru-Gandhi - serait atteinte d'un cancer. Elle venait alors de quitter Delhi pour être opérée aux États-Unis. Nombre d'Indiens avouent avoir appris la nouvelle via la presse étrangère. Les médias nationaux, eux, ont été tenus à l'écart du drame qui était peut-être en train de se nouer au 10, Janpath, où réside Sonia Gandhi, en plein cœur du «Luytens Delhi», un havre de verdure. Si l'intervention chirurgicale a bien eu lieu au Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center à New York, l'organe atteint et la nature même de la maladie restent, à ce jour encore, un mystère. La peau, le col de l'utérus, le pancréas… tout a été évoqué. Y compris l'erreur de diagnostic. » | Par Marie-France Calle | lundi 24 octobre 2011

Cristina Kirchner Re-elected as Argentina's President in Landslide

THE GUARDIAN: One of country's biggest ever electoral victories makes Kirchner first woman in Latin America to retain top office

Argentina has re-elected Cristina Kirchner as president in a landslide result that gave her the widest victory margin in Argentina's history after her government spread the wealth of a booming economy.

Kirchner had 53% of the vote after 58% of polling stations reported. Her nearest challenger got 17%. The interior minister, Florencio Randazzo, predicted the president's share would rise as polls came in from her party's stronghold of densely populated Buenos Aires province.

"Count on me to continue pursuing the project," Kirchner said in her victory speech. "All I want is to keep collaborating ... to keep Argentina growing. I want to keep changing history."

Kirchner is Latin America's first woman to be re-elected as president but the victory was personally bittersweet – the first without her husband and predecessor, Néstor Kirchner, who died of a heart attack on 27 October 2010.

"This is a strange night for me," she said, describing her mix of emotions. "This man who transformed Argentina led us all and gave everything he had and more ... Without him, without his valour and courage, it would have been impossible to get to this point."

Thousands of jubilant, flag-waving people crowded into the capital's historic Plaza de Mayo to watch on a huge TV screen as she spoke from a downtown hotel. » | Associated Press in Buenos Aires | Monday, October 24, 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy Tells David Cameron: Shut Up over the Euro

THE GUARDIAN: • Anglo-French row holds up EU summit • PM braced for biggest Commons revolt

David Cameron has begun a week of intense political infighting over Europe by becoming embroiled in a furious row with Nicolas Sarkozyover Britain's role in talks to solve the crisis enveloping the euro.

The bust-up between Cameron and Sarkozy held up the conclusion of the EU-27 summit for almost two hours, with the French president expressing rage at the constant criticism and lectures from UK ministers.

Sarkozy bluntly told Cameron: "You have lost a good opportunity to shut up." He added: "We are sick of you criticising us and telling us what to do. You say you hate the euro and now you want to interfere in our meetings."

The prime minister has torn up his travel plans this week – a move urged on him by Labour leader Ed Miliband in a Guardian interview on Saturday – to attend an emergency heads of state meeting on Wednesday, and has demanded that all 27 EU countries be given the final say over measures to prevent the eurozone's sovereign debt crisis spreading and Europe sliding into deep recession.

On Monday the prime minister is facing both the largest Commons revolt of his premiership and the largest rebellion of eurosceptics suffered by a Conservative prime minister when parliament votes on whether the UK should have a referendum on Europe. » | Allegra Stratton and David Gow in Brussels | Sunday, October 23, 2011

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Alex Salmond Sure Scots Will Back SNP and Vote for Independence

THE GUARDIAN: Leader reiterates referendum will ask two questions, one on full independence and the second on fiscal autonomy

The Scottish nationalist leader, Alex Salmond, threw down the gauntlet to Labour on Sunday, challenging the party to devise an enhanced devolution plan to put to Scottish voters alongside the independence option in the referendum.

He declared he was confident, though, that Scots would back independence in the referendum due before the next Holyrood elections, in 2016.

"In my heart, in my head, I think Scotland will become an independent country within the European community, with a friendly, co-operative relationship with our partners in these islands," Salmond told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1. » | Martin Kettle | Sunday, October 23, 2011

EU Referendum Vote Is Wrong Question at Wrong Time, Says Hague

THE GUARDIAN: Foreign secretary speaks out as Commons prepares to debate motion calling for referendum of UK's relationship with EU

William Hague, has told backbench Eurosceptics that Monday's Commons vote on pulling out of Europe "is the wrong question at the wrong time".

The foreign secretary spoke out as David Cameron faced the most serious challenge to his authority since taking office. A large number of Conservative MPs are reportedly planning to rebel on the Commons motion, which calls for a referendum on the UK's relationship with the EU.

Cameron will meet parliamentary aides in Downing Street before the vote in an attempt to dissuade as many as 10 members of the government who are minded to rebel against the prime minister, requiring them to resign their posts.

The coalition is sticking to its decision to impose a three-line whip on MPs to vote against the motion, despite criticism that it has been too heavy-handed.

The motion calls for a nationwide referendum on whether Britain should leave the EU, renegotiate its treaty with Brussels, or remain a member on the current terms.

The government will not suffer a defeat because Labour and the Lib Dems will vote down the motion, but a sizeable group of Conservative believes Cameron should honour pledges once made to allow a national vote on Britain's relationship with Europe. They are calling for the repatriation of social and employment rights.

Hague – formerly one of the Tory party's most high-profile Eurosceptics – defended the leadership's decision to impose a three-line whip on the grounds that the motion being debated was "completely against the policy of the government".

"This proposition is the wrong question at the wrong time. It was not in the manifesto of either of the governing parties," he said. » | Hélène Mulholland | Monday, October 24, 2011

Saudi Arabia Faces Backlash over Appointment of Likely Heir Apparent to Country's Throne

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The likely decision to appoint a hardline conservative prince as heir apparent to the throne of Saudi Arabia could cause a popular backlash against the rulers of the world's biggest oil producer, a human rights activist warned.

Prince Nayef, who has been interior minister for more than 40 years, was appointed second deputy prime minister two years ago, a post which made him second-in-line to the throne currently occupied by King Abdullah. The two men's brother, Crown Prince Sultan, died on Saturday, leaving Prince Nayef almost certain to step into the role.

Prince Nayef has been on record opposing such liberal reforms as allowing women to vote, and has also overseen a tough crackdown on opposition in the wake of this year's Arab Spring.

Mohammed al-Qahtani, head of the Association for Civil and Political Rights in Saudi Arabia, said the royal family should promote someone who could continue the push for reform.

"It is guaranteed Prince Nayef does not have that quality," he told The Daily Telegraph. "If they come up with a hardliner they are going to lose out. Resentment is building in society and a time will come where it will break loose." » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, October 23, 2011

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New Moscow Blacklist of Senior US Officials
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Moscow has drawn up a retaliatory blacklist of top American officials three months after Washington announced travel restrictions on Russians linked to the 2009 death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who exposed a £144 million tax fraud.

A statement released by the foreign ministry said that Russia considered the American move to be "direct pressure on state structures" and a "political provocation". The spat threatens to derail the "reset" of US-Russian relations championed by President Barack Obama and his counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.

The American citizens on Moscow's list were not named, but a foreign ministry spokesman said that they included senior Washington civil servants "linked to high-profile humanitarian crimes".

He singled out the "indefinite detention of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and the uninvestigated killings of peaceful people in Iraq and Afghanistan". » | Howard Amos, Moscow | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Pope Sainthood Ceremony Disrupted by Protester
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The Pope named three new saints for the Catholic Church during Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square that was disrupted by a man who climbed out onto the upper colonnade and burned a bible.


Vatican gendarmes, a bishop and the pope's own bodyguard talked the man back from the edge of the colonnade after he shouted, "Pope, where is Christ?" in English and threw the burned bible to the crowd below.

Benedict and the thousands in the square appeared unfazed by the incident and carried on with the Mass. » | Sunday, October 23, 2011

First Glimpse of France 'First Baby' Giulia Sarkozy

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Cradled by her former-supermodel mother and surrounded by bodyguards, the most famous baby in France made her first public appearance today.

Giulia, the four-day-old daughter of Carla Bruni and President Nicolas Sarkozy, appeared on the steps of the Muette Clinic in Paris, where she was born last Wednesday.

Wrapped in a dark blue baby wrap, Guilia was carried down some steps to a waiting limousine with blacked-out windows, and then driven to her multi-millionaire family's town house a few streets away in the city's exclusive 16th arrondissement.

But, despite the kind of celebrity attention which both her mother has grown used to, there was no question of Giulia showing her face to the world.

Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy deliberately covered it up, after announcing last month: "I will never show photos of this child. I will never expose this child."

The French first lady, who has herself chased the limelight almost constantly since first dating English rock legend Mick Jagger as a teenager, added: "I will do everything to protect this infant, and I'll be absolutely rigorous." » | Peter Allen in Paris | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Denmark: Islamists Call for ‘Sharia Zones’

THE COPENHAGEN POST: A majority of Danish Muslims distance themselves from small group of extremists

A fundamentalist Islamic group wants to set up zones in Copenhagen where Islamic Sharia Law should be upheld.

The group, ‘The Call to Islam’, belongs to a branch of Islam called Salafism, whose followers in the UK attempted to introduce similar Sharia zones in London earlier this summer.

According to Jyllands-Posten newspaper, the group is led by the imam Abu Ahmed, who has taught several people subsequently linked to terrorist activities.

The Call to Islam intends to start patrolling the Copenhagen neighbourhood of Tingbjerg before extending into Nørrebro and eventually the whole of Denmark. Muslims found to be drinking and gambling would be reprimanded for breaking Islamic code. » | PS NEWS | Friday, October 21, 2011
HT: Marisol @ Jihad Watch »

Devastation as Earthquake Hits Turkey
Rescue workers frantically search for trapped people after a powerful Turkey earthquake hits southeastern Turkey.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: One thousand people feared dead in Turkey earthquake: As many as 1,000 people are feared dead after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, resulting in the collapse of around 50 buildings in the province of Van. » | Julia Harte in Istanbul | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy Tells David Cameron: 'We’re Sick of You Telling Us What to Do'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron clashed repeatedly with Nicolas Sarkozy today after the French President tried to exclude Britain and non-eurozone countries from a critical Brussels summit to rescue European banks.

During two hours of bitter exchanges during a meeting of all 27 EU leaders before a crisis summit of the eurozone’s 17 members on Wednesday, President Sarkozy fought hard to get the Prime Minister barred from talks that would finalise a 100billion euros cash injection into banks.

”We’re sick of you criticising us and telling us what to do. You say you hate the euro, you didn’t want to join and now you want to interfere in our meetings,” the French leader told Mr Cameron, according to diplomats. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Sunday, October 23, 2011

My comment:

And who can blame Sarkozy? Many of us would like to tell Cameron to p*** o**! Good on Sarkozy! The English only know how to do one thing when it comes to Europe: Whinge!

Maybe it's high time that England got out of the EU, and Wales and Scotland joined as independent members. Then, the English will get what they want; and the Scots and the Welsh will then be satisfied too. – © Mark

This comment appears here

NTC Leaders Lead Celebrations as Libya Declares Liberation
Libya's provisional leaders are gathering in the eastern city of Benghazi to make a formal declaration of the country's liberation from the 42-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi.

Kadhafi : 144 milliards d’euros à l’étranger
leJDD: Le quotidien Los Angeles Times a révélé vendredi que Mouammar Kadhafi a fait sortir secrètement près de 144 milliards d’euros de Libye. Ils étaient principalement investis au Moyen-Orient et en Asie du Sud-Est.

Sa fortune était deux fois plus importante. Mouammar Kadhafi aurait fait sortir secrètement de Libye près de 144 milliards d’euros (soit 200 milliards de dollars), d’après une information publiée vendredi par le quotidien américain Los Angeles Times. La somme estimée jusque-là par les gouvernements occidentaux était de 72 milliards d’euros. » | A.F. - leJDD.fr | samedi 22 octobre 2011

leJDD: Libye : et maintenant? – La mort de Mouammar Kadhafi désormais actée, le Conseil national de transition se tourne l'avenir. Il devrait déclarer la libération totale du pays dans les jours qui viennent. Mais les enjeux qui attendent les nouveaux dirigeants libyens sont de taille. » | M.E - leJDD.fr | vendredi 21 octobre 2011

Gaddafi's Eldest Son Saif Captured 'Alive and Uninjured' Claim Libyan Officials
THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: Saif al-Islam caught in Nessma, near stronghold of Bani Walid / Loyal son tried to broker peace deal on behalf of his father 10 days ago / Moussa Ibrahim, Gaddafi's spokesman, also caught while fleeing to Misrata / Father and three of sons dead, three more and daughter still at large

Moammar Gaddafi's eldest son Saif al-Islam has been captured 'alive and uninjured' Libyan officials this morning claimed.

There had been various reports of Saif's condition following the death of his father, with some reports that he had been shot, and even some claims that he had lost both arms.

However, a National Transitional Council spokesman told NBC last night that Saif and Moussa Ibrahim, the former media frontman for the Gaddafi's regime, were captured in Nessma, near Bani Walid, while they were being moved to Misrata.

NTC spokesman said the Osoud el Wadi brigade, which translates as 'Lions of the Valley,' were responsible for the capture. The claims could not immediately be verified last night.

Conflicting reports emerged yesterday claiming that Saif he had already been captured in Zlitan, 99 miles from Tripoli, while receiving treatment for wounds.

No pictures have emerged of Saif since his father was captured and killed on Thursday.

Any escape will worry the British political elite who could face acute embarrassment if Saif was ultimately captured and ended up in court.

Saif became close to leading figures in the British government after Tony Blair signed the notorious ‘Deal in the Desert’ in March 2004.

Prince Andrew has also been linked to the bomber’s controversial release.

The Duke of York was accused of holding secret ‘detailed discussions’ over the release of the Lockerbie bomber with Saif in 2009, during an official Foreign Office-sponsored trip to Algeria. » | Daily Mail Reporter | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Prince Sultan's Death Fuels Debate about Who Will Succeed to the Saudi Throne

THE OBSERVER: Ultraconservative Prince Nayef, who was behind suppression of protests in neighbouring Bahrain, becomes likely successor

The death of the heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud, has led to an urgent debate over the succession in the oil-rich state.

Sultan, who was in his 80s, had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer in New York, although Saudi TV, which announced the death today, only said he had died "abroad".

The younger half-brother of Saudi Arabia's frail and ailing leader, King Abdullah, Sultan was also deputy prime minister and defence minister, in charge of one of the biggest arms budgets in the world. He leaves multiple widows and 32 children.

The most likely candidate to replace him as Abdullah's successor is Prince Nayef, a member of the most powerful of the Saudi ruling families.

Nayef, 78, is the Saudi interior minister, in charge of the security forces, and is close to Islamic ultra-conservatives. He was directly involved in the decision in March to send soldiers into neighbouring Bahrain to help crush pro-reform demonstrations. » | Tracy McVeigh | Sunday, October 23, 2011

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