Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Berlusconi fühlt sich nach Amtsverzicht "erleichtert"

ZEIT ONLINE: Italiens Ministerpräsident will nicht wieder zu Wahlen antreten. Sein Thronfolger soll Angelino Alfano werden, Chef der Partei "Volk der Freiheit".

Italiens Ministerpräsident Silvio Berlusconi will darauf verzichten, im Fall vorgezogener Wahlen nochmals anzutreten. "Ich werde nicht wieder kandidieren", sagte er der Turiner Zeitung La Stampa, "ich fühle mich erleichtert". Berlusconi favorisierte stattdessen den 43-jährigen Generalsekretär seiner Partei "Volk der Freiheit" (PDL) und früheren Justizminister Angelino Alfano: "Jetzt schlägt Alfanos Stunde, er wird unser Kandidat sein. Er ist gut." Berlusconi lobte vor allem dessen "Führungskraft". » | ZEIT ONLINE, dpa, AFP | Mittwoch 09. November 2011
Nicolas Sarkozy Calls Benjamin Netanyahu a 'Liar'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy are facing deep embarrassment after they were inadvertently recorded disparaging Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as a "liar".

The exchange, which took place during talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Cannes last week, has already prompted a backlash on the American right and is likely to undermine Mr Obama's claims to be a friend of Israel as he campaigns for re-election next year.

The French and American presidents, speaking during what they believed to be a private encounter week, failed to realise that a simultaneous translation of their conversation was being broadcast to journalists outside the room.

During a discussion on Israeli-Palestinian policy, Mr Sarkozy gave an unapologetic assessment of his views of Mr Netanyahu, saying[g]: "I cannot bear him, he's a liar."

Damagingly his pro-Israel credentials, the US president did not demur.

Instead he exacerbated his sin in the eyes of pro-Israeli Americans by retorting: "You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day."

The exchange was gleefully seized on by Republicans who have accused Mr Obama of "throwing Israel under the bus" for his past criticism of Mr Netanyahu's settlement policy in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. » | Adrian Blomfield, Jerusalem and Jon Swaine in Washington | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

My comment:

I should like to say the following: Name me a politician who doesn't lie! Can anybody think of anyone? And who is Obama to call anyone else a liar? Three things we know about Obama are that he bloviates, he poses, and he lies. So this accusation coming from Obama is a bit rich, to say the least. Likewise, I don't think that Sarkozy is in any position to spout off about another politician's propensity to lie, either. Can he look in the mirror and honestly say he never lies? I very much doubt it.

It is truly astonishing that these two presidents didn't have the common sense to go out for a walk in the fresh air, or something, to discuss such a sensitive matter. They should have known that talking in a conference about such matters would be explosive if caught. How naïve and inexperienced they both were!

Further, I should like to say that I have great respect for Netanyahu as a politician. He is tough, and he understands the minefield that is politics in his region. Obama and Sarkozy, apparently, do not. Netanyahu is experienced in ME politics; Obama and Sarkozy are greenhorns.

Netanyahu is a man who, I believe, is genuinely dedicated to peace; but he is also a realist, and he knows exactly that until the Palestinians recognise Israel's right to exist, there will be no peace in the Middle East. And that's a fact which seems to go over Obama and Sarkozy's heads.
– © Mark


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Prepare for Iran War

YNET NEWS: Op-ed: In wake of damning UN report on Iran’s nuclear plan, world must prepare for war

Tuesday’s dramatic United Nations report indicating that Iran has been working towards producing nuclear weapons constitutes a huge humiliation for the world. For years now, the international community has foolishly dismissed this menace as either nascent or non-existent, while refraining from earnestly confronting the ayatollahs’ obvious nuke ambitions. Did anyone honestly think this approach would make the threat go away?

The blunt revelations contained in Tuesday’s report make a mockery of the global so-called effort to curb Iran’s race to the bomb. They also highlight the extent to which Tehran has been making a mockery of the world, lying brazenly and feeding absurd explanations to statesmen all too willing to accept them. How could anyone believe that Iran’s nuclear reactor was established for “medical research” purposes? » | Yigal Walt | Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Ultra-Orthodox Pressure Takes Women Off Ads for Jerusalem Organ Donor Campaign

HAARETZ: The advertising agency handling the bus ads asked ADI for permission to replace the ads on buses in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak with ones showing men only.

The recent removal of images of women from bus ads in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak encouraging Israelis to sign organ donor cards has sparked protest, with some people threatening to revoke their agreement to donate organs after their death.

Last week, ADI, the National Transplant Center, launched a campaign urging Israelis who do not have organ donor cards to take advantage of a provision in the Organ Transplant Law of 2008 that affords priority on the transplant waiting list to candidates who sign up by December 31, 2011.
Last week, Canaan Pirsum Bitnuah, the advertising agency handling the bus ads, which feature the faces of men and women, asked ADI for permission to replace the ads on buses in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak with ones showing men only.

"The photos showed only the women's faces; there were no exposed shoulders or anything at all provocative. But we were warned that if we didn't change the images, the buses might be burned," ADI spokeswoman Dvora Sherer said. » | Dan Even | Tuesday, November 08, 2011
En Syrie, Homs au bord de la guerre civile

LE FIGARO: L'armée fait le siège de cette ville, où les heurts confessionnels se multiplient.

Pour le cinquième jour consécutif, Homs était encerclée mardi par les forces de sécurité, qui cherchent à venir à bout de la révolte de nombreux habitants de cette ville mosaïque, théâtre d'affrontements confessionnels, parfois meurtriers.

Une fois encore, c'est le quartier résidentiel de Bab Amro qui a le plus souffert. «Les soldats sont entrés dans les maisons pour arrêter des personnes recherchées», précise l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'homme (OSDH), une ONG proche de l'opposition au régime de Bachar el-Assad. Un civil a été tué lors des perquisitions, tandis que dans un autre quartier, une fillette est morte dans l'explosion d'une roquette qui a touché sa maison.

Le pilonnage de Bab Amro a commencé en fin de semaine dernière. Puis la nuit de dimanche à lundi, les redoutés chabiha, ces miliciens à la solde du pouvoir, ont lancé leur assaut contre ce quartier où de nombreux déserteurs ont trouvé refuge avec leurs armes. Tous ses habitants n'ont pas eu le temps de fuir. Plusieurs dizaines de civils ont été tués et de très nombreux autres blessés, en cinq jours de violences. » | Par Georges Malbrunot | mardi 08 novembre 2011
The Worst Form of Censorship

THE SPECTATOR: A week ago, the offices of the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo were burned down. This attack came after it advertised the founder of Islam, Muhammad, as 'editor-in-chief' of the new issue. The move was a light-hearted response to the very serious matter of the election of an Islamist party (the Ennahda party) as the leading party in Tunisia (a result which, incidentally, appears not to have greatly bothered most European media).

As the staff of Charlie Hebdo contemplated the ruins of their magazine, a much grander and richer magazine, Time, ran one of those pieces which have become familiar whenever there is an Islamist assault against free speech. As Nick Cohen has also noted, the Paris correspondent of Time magazine –- the almost too-perfectly named Bruce Crumley –- used the burning of their offices to taunt Charlie Hebdo's journalists[.]

'Do you still think the price you paid for printing an offensive, shameful, and singularly humor-deficient parody on the logic of 'because we can' was so worthwhile?' he asked before going down a related track by denouncing French politicians who had criticised the firebombing. Mr Crumley is apparently not a fan of free-expression, or even slight jokes, when it comes to Islam. In this respect he is not unique. He follows in a long and ignoble line of useless idiots.

In 2004 when Theo van Gogh was murdered on a street in Amsterdam by a Islamic fundamentalist it was Index on Censorship's turn. You would have thought that with a title like 'Index on Censorship', the reader could expect such a magazine to do what it says on the masthead. Yet in what should have been a pretty straightforward test ('for or against the murder of people who express their opinions') Index on Censorship managed to land it wrong.

They published a piece which claimed that it was not van Gogh's murderer but van Gogh himself who had been a 'fundamentalist'; not Mohammed Bouyeri (the killer), but van Gogh (the killed) who had been on a 'martyrdom operation' by having the temerity to say mean things about Islam. Index on Censorship's author went on to imply that the whole murder was some type of performance art designed to promote van Gogh's new film on the assassination of another critic of Islam, Pim Fortuyn. Read on and comment » | DOUGLAS MURRAY | Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Herman Cain Vows to Fight On

THE GUARDIAN: Republican candidate for presidential nomination will not pull out of race despite fresh allegations of sexual harassment

The embattled Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has insisted he is not planning to pull out of the race despite a second woman coming forward to abandon anonymity and publicly accuse him of sexual harassment.

The woman, Karen Kraushaar, a 55-year-old treasury official, said she wanted all four women making sexual harassment allegations to hold a joint press conference.

Cain held a press conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, denying the allegations, in particular seamy details offered by Sharon Bialek, who accused him of forcing himself on her in a car in Washington.

He said he did not remember either Bialek or the alleged incident. "I did not recognise the name, the face, the voice," he said.

He faces an awkward event on Wednesday night: a nationally televised presidential debate in which he can only hope his rivals will not seek to exploit the allegations on air. After a week of silence, his Republican opponents have begun to raise the issue.

Cain denies all allegations made by Bialek and Kraushaar, as well as two other women, who have so far opted to remain anonymous.

"The charges and accusations I absolutely reject. They simply didn't happen. They simply did not happen," he said. » | Ewen MacAskill in Washington | Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Related »

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Herman Cain is a monster, says second woman: A second woman who claims she was sexually harassed by Herman Cain identified herself last night, as the Republican presidential hopeful said he would undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence. » | Jon Swaine, Washington | Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

UK Border Chief Brodie Clark Quits with Broadside against Theresa May

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The senior civil servant at the heart of the scandal over relaxed passport checks has made a direct attack on Theresa May, accusing the Home Secretary of misleading the public.

Brodie Clark quit as head of the UK Border Agency’s border force and said he would lodge a claim for constructive dismissal. Mr Clark also claimed that he had come under “pressure” from ministers to compromise security checks in order to reduce queues at airports.

His resignation and attack on Mrs May escalates the most serious immigration row the Coalition has faced. The Home Secretary is under intense pressure over a loosening of border controls that allowed an unknown number of foreign nationals – potentially including terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants – to enter the country without full security checks.

Over the summer, she secretly authorised border staff to stop checking biometric data in the passports of European arrivals at ports and airports. She says Mr Clark then defied her clear orders and extended the policy to non-Europeans.

The Home Secretary rejected calls for her resignation yesterday and denied that her actions had led to “security breaches”. » | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

What a cock up! Can't these politicians – right, left, or centre – understand that we, the electorate, are sick to the back teeth of all these illegal immigrants coming into this country? Further, are they so stupid that they can't seal the borders? What idiots! What highly-paid idiots they are! The damn, bloody lot of them! – © Mark

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Banning Tintin from Children's Shelves Is 'Politically Correct Lunacy', Says Vatican Newspaper

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: 'Tintin in the Congo', the comic banned from the children's shelves of British book shops, is an example of "politically correct lunacy", according to the Vatican's official newspaper.

L'Osservatore Romano hailed the Belgian boy reporter as a "Catholic hero" and said it was ridiculous that the comic book had been "wrapped up like a pornographic magazine and consigned to the adults-only section" of book shops in the UK.

The newspaper, which generally reflects the view of the Vatican, asked whether the act of censorship – on the grounds that the comic is racist – was "an appropriate protection of the defenceless children of Her Majesty, or politically correct lunacy in the shadow of Big Ben."

The book, published by Egmont, is being sold in Britain with a protective band around it, warning that its portrayal of Africans as wide-eyed simpletons would offend some readers and was based on "the bourgeois, paternalistic stereotypes of the period."

But an editorial in L'Osservatore Romano said: "It is essential to take into account the historical context to avoid entering the realm of the ridiculous," arguing that the book by Herge, the Belgian artist whose real name was George Remi, reflected the values prevalent in Europe between the wars.

"The comic book was published in the 1930s, and for that reason expresses the values of the era – but can it really perturb young Britons of today, raised as they are on the internet, video games and fish and chips?"

If retrospective political correctness was taken to its logical conclusion then scouting should be banned because the movement was founded by Lord Baden Powell, who as well as being "a military man and a writer was also a racist and a eugenicist," the newspaper said. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Threatens US

YNET NEWS: General Hajizadeh says 'if you kill any of us, we will kill dozens of you,' while Ahmadinejad claims Tehran does not need nuclear bomb to confront US. FM Salehi: If we wanted to develop nukes we would declare so openly

Islamic Republic escalates rhetoric ahead of IAEA report:
A top commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard force threatened to kill "dozens" of American military commanders, should the US kill any one of theirs.

"You also should not forget that American commanders have plenty of presence and travel in the region. If you kill any of us, we will kill dozens of you," Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, chief of the Guards' aerospace division, was quoted by Fars agency on Tuesday as saying.

Earlier last week several American neoconservatives, including retired US Army general Jack Keane, urged the Obama administration to use covert action against Iran and target members of the Quds Force, the Guard's special foreign actions unit.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that his country did not need a nuclear bomb to confront the US.

"If America wants to confront the Iranian nation, it will certainly regret the Iranian nation's response," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency. "They are saying that Iran is seeking the atomic bomb. But they should know ... we do not need a bomb ... Rather we will act thoughtfully and with logic. History has shown that anyone acting against the Iranian nation regrets it." » | Dudi Cohen, AP | Tuesday, November 08, 2011
The Ultra-Orthodox Bomb

YNET NEWS: Op-ed: In light of demographic trends, Israel en route to becoming Iran-style state

Former Mossad Chief Efraim Halevy knows a thing or two about the dangers lurking for Israel. In a recent lecture he claimed that the danger of ultra-Orthodox radicalization is greater than the Iranian threat.

Halevy’s words prompted protests, of course. Members of Shas and United Torah Judaism accused him of resorting to grave incitement. They are certain, or pretend to be certain, that the ultra-Orthodox improve the status of Jews before God, and that the more people study Torah, the greater the people of Israel’s security would be.

We should note time and again that the overwhelming majority of Orthodox rabbis in the Diaspora objected to Zionism because they believed the Jews should remain in the Diaspora until God shall salvage them. After the Holocaust, they claimed that it constituted a punishment for shunning our Torah.

Haredi leaders in Israel did not change this basic view, even if they do not voice it much: The salvation of the Jews is at the hands of God in the heavens and does not depend on the skill of our pilots in the skies. » | Yaron London | Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Grundsatzrede – Clinton: „Islamische Parteien nach ihren Taten bewerten“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Außenministerin Hillary Clinton bietet in einer Grundsatzrede den aufstrebenden islamischen Parteien in Staaten des „arabischen Frühlings“ die Zusammenarbeit mit den Vereinigten Staaten an. Sie fordert aber die Einhaltung rechtsstaatlicher Prinzipien.

Die Vereinigten Staaten wollen mit den aufstrebenden islamischen Parteien in den Ländern des „Arabischen Frühlings“ zusammenarbeiten. Der Gedanke, dass gläubige Muslime nicht in einer Demokratie leben könnten, sei „beleidigend, gefährlich und falsch“, sagte Außenministerin Hillary Clinton am Montag in einer Grundsatzrede in Washington. Die Vereinigten Staaten wollten die islamischen Parteien nicht nach ihren Namen, sondern nach ihren Taten bewerten. » | Quelle: AFP/AP | Dienstag 08. November 2011
Nétanyahou “menteur” : la conversation secrète Obama-Sarkozy

Diffusés par erreur aux journalistes pendant le G20, ces propos sont restés "off"

ARRÊT SUR IMAGES: C'était une conversation franche, entre chefs d'Etat, à propos d'un autre dirigeant. Echange à bâtons rompus, et à huis-clos. Enfin, qui aurait dû rester à huis-clos. C'était sans compter sur une maladresse de l'organisation, et la curiosité de quelques journalistes. Révélations sur deux petites phrases qui voguent bien loin du langage habituellement policé des sommets diplomatiques.

Jeudi 3 novembre, lors du sommet du G20 à Cannes, Nicolas Sarkozy rencontrait Barack Obama lors d'un "entretien bilatéral". Comme il est d'usage, Les deux hommes ont fait face aux journalistes, mais ont aussi discuté en privé, dans une pièce à part, loin des oreilles indiscrètes, afin de pouvoir se libérer de toute retenue diplomatique. Cela a été le cas, mais pour la discrétion, c'est raté.

Selon nos informations, les deux présidents ont laissé de côté toute retenue à propos du délicat dossier des relations israélo-palestiniennes. Obama a d'abord reproché à Sarkozy de ne pas l'avoir prévenu qu'il allait voter en faveur de l'adhésion de la Palestine à l'Unesco, alors que les Etats-Unis y étaient fermement opposés. La conversation a ensuite dérivé sur Benyamin Nétanyahou, le Premier ministre israélien. Sûrs de ne pas être entendus, les deux présidents se sont lâchés. "Je ne peux plus le voir, c'est un menteur", a lancé Sarkozy. "Tu en as marre de lui, mais moi, je dois traiter avec lui tous les jours !", a rétorqué Obama, qui a ensuite demandé à Sarkozy d'essayer de convaincre les Palestiniens de mettre la pédale douce sur leur demande d'adhésion à l'ONU. » | Par Dan Israel | lundi 07 novembre 2011

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FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: „Ich kann ihn nicht ausstehen, er ist ein Lügner“: Nicolas Sarkozy hat in einem vertraulichen Gespräch mit Barack Obama den israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Netanjahu angegriffen. Was der französische Präsident allerdings nicht wusste, viele Journalisten hörten mit. » | MICHAELA WIEGEL, PARIS | Dienstag 08. November 2011
Nicolas Sarkozy Complained to Barack Obama of Liar Benjamin Netanyahu

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy have inadvertently broadcast a private exchange during which they confessed their distaste for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and branded him a “liar".

The French and American presidents were speaking during an encounter on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Cannes last week without realising that a simultaneous translation of their words was being transmitted to journalists outside the room.

As the conversation drifted to Israel, Mr Sarkozy is reported to have said: “I cannot bear Netanyahu, he’s a liar.”

Mr Obama did not challenge the assertion, instead replying: “You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day.”

The exchange provides the most tantalising evidence yet of the growing antipathy with which Mr Netanyahu is said to be held by many Western leaders.

President Obama has had a frequently strained relationship with the Israeli leader. In March last year, Mr Netanyahu was left to stew in a White House meeting room for over an hour after the president allegedly walked out of tense talks to have dinner with his family. » | Adrian Blomfield | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Sarkozy and Obama's Netanyahu gaffe broadcast via microphones: French president called Israeli PM a liar in exchange with US president inadvertently shared with journalists » | Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

MAIL ONLINE: Sarkozy: 'I can't stand him… he’s a liar': Obama: 'You're fed up with him - I have to deal with him every day!'
Presidents' unflattering comments about Israeli PM Netanyahu are broadcast at G20 summit
»
| Anthony Bond | Tuesday, November 08, 2011
'This Isn't a Party Town!' Mayor Warns Prince Harry Not to 'Fornicate the Night Away' as He Settles into Sleepy Arizona Township

MAIL ONLINE: Gila Bend was chosen by the MoD for Apache helicopter training because the desert region resembles the mountain terrain of Afghanistan / 'Fathers here would go to extremes to protect their daughters,' says the town's mayor

Prince Harry has been ordered to be on his best behaviour on his latest posting in the United States.

The party-loving prince has been moved to the tiny town of Gila Bend in the Arizona desert for the final stage of a two-month advanced weapons training course.

Ron Henry, mayor of the 1,700-strong community where many residents are devout Christians, says Harry should take care as his reputation as a ladies' man has gone before him.

'There are probably some fathers here who would go to extremes to protect their daughters,' said Mr Henry, 64. 'Some of the dads won't take too kindly to a Prince fornicating the night away.' » | REBECCA ENGLISH, ROYAL CORRESPONDENT | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prince Harry warned over 'fornicating' in Christian US town: The mayor of a US town where Prince Harry is staying during helicopter training has warned him to be on his best behaviour with its young women. » | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Monday, November 07, 2011

Comment l’austérité est appliquée en Grèce

US Election 2012: Woman Breaks Silence to Say Herman Cain Sexually Groped Her

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A woman broke her silence to accuse Republican presidential contender Herman Cain of sexually groping her in a car, when she asked him for help in finding a new job in 1997.

Sharon Bialek became the first woman to go public with detailed allegations, amid swirling accusations by four different women of sexual harassment by Cain, vying to be crowned the Republican Party's nominee for the 2012 elections.

She also became the first to offer graphic details of what has been referred to as "inappropriate behaviour" by Cain, a former pizza company executive now at the top of the opinion polls in the Republican White House race.

Bialek said she had appealed to Cain for help after she was let go from her job with the educational department of the National Restaurant Association, of which he was the then president. The two were driving in a car in Washington, when Cain pulled over.

"He suddenly reached over and he put his hand on my leg under my skirt and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and brought it towards his crotch," Bialek told a packed press conference in a private club in New York.

"I was very, very surprised and very shocked. I said, 'what are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend. This isn't what I came here for.' Mr Cain said, 'You want a job, right?'" » | Monday, October 07, 2011
Women & Islam: The Rise and Rise of the Convert

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Three-quarters of Britons who become Muslims are female. Now a major new study has shed light on the difficulties they face in adjusting to their new life.

Record numbers of young, white British women are converting to Islam, yet many are reporting a lack of help as they get used to their new religion, according to several surveys.

As Muslims celebrate the start of the religious holiday of Eid today and hundreds of thousands from around the world converge on Mecca for the haj, it emerged that of the 5,200 Britons who converted to Islam last year, more than half are white and 75 per cent of them women.

In the past 10 years some 100,000 British people have converted to Islam, of whom some three-quarters are women, according to the latest statistics. This is a significant increase on the 60,000 Britons in the previous decade, according to researchers based at Swansea University.

While the number of UK converts accelerates, many of the British women who adopt Islam say they have a daily struggle to assimilate their new beliefs within a wider culture that both implicitly and explicitly positions them as outsiders, regardless of their Western upbringing.

More than three-quarters told researchers they had experienced high levels of confusion after conversion, due to the conflicting ways Islam was presented to them. While other major religions have established programmes for guiding new believers through the rigours of their faith, Islam still lacks any such network, especially outside the Muslim hubs of major cities.

Many mosques still bar women from worship or provide scant resources for their needs, forcing them to rely on competing cultural and ideological interpretations within books or the internet for religious support. » | RICHARD PEPPIATT | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Turkey Investigated Over Chemical Weapons Claim

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A Turkish human rights group is investigating claims by Kurdish activists that Ankara used chemical weapons in an attack on militants in the east of the country last month.

The activists are circulating gruesome pictures of some of the 24 rebels, from the PKK guerrilla group, killed in the Kazan Valley in air raids that began on October 19. Blackened and dismembered, the corpses lie in a morgue in a nearby town with weeping relatives nearby.

Their allegations have forced their way into the open in Turkey, which is usually fiercely nationalist when it comes to accusations of abuse by the Kurds, whose campaign for autonomy is a long-running sore. The prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, made a public denial of them as a "slander" while on his recent trip to the G20 summit in Cannes.

The activists say the only explanation for the type of burns exhibited is that some chemical agent was used. Their claims has now been raised by MPs from the legal pro-Kurdish party, the BDP, and taken up by the Turkish Human Rights Association (IHD). » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Theresa May: We Will Never Know How Many People Got Through Without Proper Checks

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Theresa May, the Home Secretary, admitted today that the number of people who entered the country without being checked against a Home Office database of terror suspects and illegal immigrants will never be known.

Mrs May said she had launched three inquiries in to what happened at the force as she told MPs senior staff had extended a pilot scheme she had authorised in April designed to focus checks on high-risk passengers entering the UK.

She told the House of Commons senior officials had "let down" hard-working staff and promised that those found guilty of relaxing checks without authorisation from ministers would be punished.

Mrs May said UK border force head Brodie Clark "authorised the wider relaxation of border controls without ministerial sanction."

Mr Clark, has since been suspended amid reports that border guards were told this summer not to bother checking fingerprints and other personal details against a Home Office database of terror suspects and illegal immigrants.

The Home Secretary said in July she agreed the UK Border Agency (UKBA) could "pilot a scheme that would allow Border Force officials to target intelligence-led checks on higher-risk categories of travellers". Read on and comment » | Monday, November 07, 2011

Why the hell is border control such a problem? Other countries are able to control their borders, to wit Switzerland, so why can't we? Are we really that dumb? – © Mark

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Herman Cain Faces Fourth Sexual Harassment Claim

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A fourth woman to accuse Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual harassment will outline allegations against him at a news conference in New York today.

The woman alleges she was sexually harassed by Cain "when she sought his help with an employment issue when he was President of the National Restaurant Association," according to a statement by her lawyer, Gloria Allred. The news conference is scheduled for 1:30pm (1830 GMT).

She will become the first person to give her name and come forward publicly to lay out her case against Cain, a front-runner in the Republican presidential race.

At least three other women have accused him of sexual harassment from his time as the restaurant industry's top lobbyist in the mid-1990s. Cain, 65, insists the claims are baseless and that he was wrongfully accused. » | Monday, November 07, 2011
Israel droht mit Militärschlag


Verwandt »

DIE PRESSE: Frankreich warnt vor Militärschlag gegen den Iran: Frankreichs Außenminister Juppe befürchtet eine "völlige Destabilisierung" der Region, sollte Israel Ziele im Iran angreifen. » | Ag. | Sonntag 06. November 2011
Rechtsextreme wollen ein "Russland nur für Russen"

WELT ONLINE: Am "Tag der nationalen Einheit" protestieren Tausende vermummte Rechtsextremisten in Russland. Sie fordern einen Zuzugsstopp von "Nichtrussen" aus Zentralasien.

Tausende Nationalisten und Rechtsextreme haben in Moskau und anderen Städten zum „Tag der nationalen Einheit“ für ein starkes und slawisches Russland demonstriert. „Russland nur für Russen“, skandierten die teils mit schwarzen Masken vermummten Rechtsextremen unter starkem Sicherheitsaufgebot in der russischen Hauptstadt. Die Polizei sprach Medien zufolge von 7000 Teilnehmern, die Organisatoren dagegen gaben die Zahl mit 25.000 an.

Vor der Parlamentswahl in einem Monat forderten die Demonstranten die Regierungspartei auf, den islamisch geprägten Nordkaukasus nicht weiter „zu füttern“. Die Spannungen zwischen Nationalisten und den Kaukasiern sind traditionell groß. Die Neonazis zeigten bei Kundgebungen auch in anderen Städten wie so oft am 4. November Hakenkreuze und forderten einen sofortigen Zuzugsstopp von „Nichtrussen“ aus Zentralasien und dem Kaukasus. » | dpa/jm | Freitag 04. November 2011
Imran Khan Predicts 'a Revolution' in Pakistani Politics

THE GUARDIAN: Former national cricket captain vows to fight corruption and negotiate with the Taliban in address to 100,000 at Lahore rally

At the height of his cricket glory days, Imran Khan would visualise winning – standing on the podium, cup held aloft – and propelling Pakistan to victory. Last weekend, standing before a sea of supporters in Lahore, he had a similar epiphany about his political career.

"As I stood there, watching them, I knew the moment had come," Khan, who is the leader of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insafr party, said. "Now nothing can stop us. This is a revolution, a tsunami. We will not just win the next elections – we will sweep them."

Whether the former cricket captain can translate rhetoric into reality is hotly debated. Yet few doubt that last weekend's rally sent shockwaves across Pakistan's moribund political system.

Over 100,000 people crammed into a historic Lahore park. Many were middle-class Pakistanis – young, urban, educated – drawn by Khan's rhetoric and their anger at conventional politics.

"This is the emergence of a new force. The cry for change is resonating across Pakistan," said Ayaz Amir, a parliamentarian from rival Nawaz Sharif's party, who was there. "Young, old, professionals, women – I've never seen such people at a public meeting in Pakistan before."

The sight, Amir added, had "scared the living daylights" out of his own party. » | Declan Walsh in Islamabad | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Russia Warns Against Air Strike On Iran

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavov has warned that a military strike on Iran would be a “very serious mistake” with “unpredictable consequences”, after Israel’s president Shimon Peres said that an attack was increasingly likely.

n comments published in the Israeli daily Hayom, Mr Peres said that “the possibility of a military attack against Iran is now closer to being applied than the application of a diplomatic option”.

"We must stay calm and resist pressure so that we can consider every alternative," he added.
The drumbeat of war is expected to grow louder this week when United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, issues its most detailed report to date on nuclear research in Iran.

It will provide what Western officials and experts regard as irrefutable evidence that Tehran is compiling the capacity and skills to build a bomb. It will be used as leverage for a fifth round of sanctions at the UN, but could also provide Israel, with the tacit support of Washington, to finalise plans for an air strike.

Among its findings are that Tehran was helped by nuclear experts from two countries, believed to be Russia and Pakistan. The Washington Post reported that key assistance was provided by Vyacheslav Danilenko, a former Soviet nuclear scientist, hired by Iran's Physics Research Centre. » | Alex Spillius | Monday, November 07, 2011

Related »

Japan's Emperor Admitted to Tokyo Hospital

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Japan's emperor has been admitted to hospital suffering from persistent fever and bronchitis symptoms.

Emperor Akihito, 77, was taken to University of Tokyo Hospital late Sunday evening where he was being treated by medical staff, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

Television footage showed the emperor arriving at the hospital by car, accompanied by his wife Empress Michiko. » | Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo | Monday, November 07, 2011
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Accuses Israel and US as Tension over Possible Strike Grows

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused Israel and the United States of seeking world support for a military strike on Iran nuclear facilities, ahead of the publication of a report expected to show the regime is making efforts to develop a warhead.

The Iranian president warned against a military attack on Iran and again insisted Tehran's atomic programme was for peaceful purposes only.

"Iran's capabilities are increasing and it is progressing, and for that reason it has been able to compete in the world. Now Israel and the West, particularly America, fear Iran's capabilities and role," Ahmadinejad told Egypt's Al-Akhbar newspaper.

"Therefore they are trying to gather international support for a military operation to stop (Iran's) role. The arrogant should know that Iran will not allow them to take any action against it," he said.

Ahmadinejad added that Washington wanted to "save the Zionist entity, but it will not be able to do so."

"This entity (Israel) can be compared to a kidney transplanted in a body that rejected it," he said. "Yes it will collapse and its end will be near."

Ahmadinejad's diatribe against Israel, Iran's arch-foe, come after Israeli President Shimon Peres warned in a television interview on Saturday that an attack on Iran was becoming "more and more likely." » | Monday, November 07, 2011

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Ehud Barak refuses to rule out military strike against Iran: Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, refused to rule out military action against Iran yesterday, heightening expectations that his government is preparing to authorise an attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities. ¶ In an interview with the BBC, Mr Barak said that sanctions and international diplomacy had so far failed to deter Iran from seeking to build a nuclear bomb, a prospect that would, he warned, threaten the stability of the "whole world". » | Adrian Blomfield, Jerusalem | Sunday, November 06, 2011

WATCH BBC VIDEO: Ehud Barak: Middle East is 'tough neighbourhood' – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has described the Middle East as a "tough neighbourhood" when describing the risks of a confrontation with Iran over its nuclear programme. ¶ Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show the former Israeli Prime Minister said "Israel is the strongest country for the thousand miles around Jerusalem, we plan to remain the strongest country around." ¶ "But we are at the same time peaceful, we are ready to make peace at any moment with any one of our neighbours." » | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Islam Is the Solution, Grand Mufti Says in Haj Sermon

ARAB NEWS: ARAFAT – More than 2.5 million pilgrims from around the globe prayed for peace and security on the sprawling plains of Arafat on Saturday amid a forceful condemnation by Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh of those who provoke hostilities between the Ummah and its leaders.

The “wuqoof” or “the standing” in Arafat was the high point of the annual pilgrimage. It was also an extraordinary symbol of the unity and equality in Islam.

Delivering the keynote sermon at the majestic Al-Nimira Mosque, the grand mufti said: “Solve your problems without seeking interference from your enemies...and beware of those provoke hostility between you and your leaders.”

The mosque was packed with the faithful and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims prayed out in the open streets.

“Islam is the solution for the problems of Muslims,” he said, and warned Muslims of a media and cultural invasion that seeks to weaken their faith.

Al-Asheikh called on rulers in the Muslim countries not to oppress their people but to help them lead a dignified life.

“It is the duty of Muslim leaders to maintain justice and fight corruption. Their priority should be the welfare of their people,” Al-Asheikh said.

While the ruler strives to help solve the problems of the citizens, the subjects should obey, love and pray for their rulers, Al-Ashiekh said.

The mufti also advised government officials to shun bribery and nepotism, reminding Muslims that the Islamic world was passing through one of its most dangerous and challenging periods. » | ARAB NEWS | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Church of England 'Must Curb Its Attacks on the City'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Church of England must resist igniting a 1980s-style war of words with the Government over its attacks on the City, according to a senior banker and church official.

Ken Costa, a former bank chairman and head of a newly appointed Church committee charged with rebuilding links with the financial sector, has warned against a repeat of the bitter row that broke out after the publication of the clergy's landmark Faith in the City report 25 years ago.

At the time, the report provoked fury among senior Conservatives by levelling some of the blame for economic and spiritual decline at the door of the Thatcher administration.

Mr Costa, the chairman of the St Paul's Initiative, established by the Church to open up a debate on ethical capitalism, said the clergy's response to the ongoing protests outside St Paul's Cathedral must not turn into a "reheated Faith in the City".

In his first public comments since his appointment, Mr Costa insisted that a flourishing banking sector was "essential to any successful economy" and that financial incentives are "both valid and effective".

He also said that stiffer regulation of financial services was not necessarily the solution to the global economic crisis, saying, "you cannot regulate into existence a culture of honesty, integrity, truthfulness and responsibility". » | Graeme Paton | Monday, November 07, 2011

Ken Costa, a one-time Marxist turned City banker, seems to be saying that the Church should do and say nothing. So he wants the Church to shut up to allow the banksters to continue their theft and corruption, eh? I say that if the Church wants to be taken seriously, it should step up its attack on these fraudsters, not shut up.

In my opinion, it is time for bankers to have a code of ethics, just as doctors have in the Hippocratic Oath. Then, if they are found to be engaging in foul practice, they can have their licence to work in the banking sector taken away from them.
– © Mark


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Sunday, November 06, 2011

Arab League Warns of 'Disastrous Consequences' for the Middle East after Syria Peace Plan Fails

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The head of the Arab League warned of "disastrous consequences" for the Middle east on Sunday as the Assad regime heightened fears of civil war in Syria by inflicting a fresh round of bloodshed on its people.

Defying the terms of a regional peace initiative that President Bashar al-Assad agreed to uphold last week, Syrian security forces killed at least 13 people in Homs, the opposition said, bringing the three-day death toll in the restive city to more than 40.

The Arab League initiative was seen as an "eleventh hour opportunity" to restore a semblance of peace in Syria, where more than 3,000 people have been killed since the uprising against Mr Assad began nearly eight months ago.

"The failure of the Arab solution will have disastrous consequences in Syria and the region," Nabil Elaraby, the Arab League's secretary-general, said from his Cairo headquarters yesterday.

Under the terms of the peace plan, the Syrian government was meant to order tanks off the streets, end the killing of protesters, release 70,000 political prisoners and embark on negotiations with the opposition.

Although a few hundred prisoners have been freed, Mr Assad's non-compliance prompted fresh hints that Syria could be suspended from the Arab League. » | Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Papandreou Out as Greek Leaders Agree Unity Government Deal

THE GUARDIAN: PM and opposition leaders agree formation of new coalition government in bid to break political deadlock

The Greek prime minister and opposition have agreed on the formation of a new coalition government in a bid to break the political deadlock and pave the way for an EU bailout for the debt-stricken country.

Prime minister George Papandreou and opposition leader Antonis Samaras battled over the weekend to strike the deal – which will see a new leader appointed to take over from Papandreou – ahead of the opening of the global financial markets this morning.

A statement from the Greek presidency said the leaders will meet again on Monday to discuss who would head the coalition government, but made no mention of how long the interim government would last.

Officials from the two parties were continuing with talks late on Sunday to try to set the time needed to implement the bailout.

Under the auspices of the nation's president, Karolos Papoulias, Papandreou and Samaras struck the deal to form an interim administration to agree on how to enact a bailout agreement, and so steer Greece through its worst crisis in modern times. » | Helena Smith in Athens and Tom Kington in Rome | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Les musulmans du monde entier célèbrent l'Aïd

LE FIGARO: EN IMAGES - La plus importante fête de l'Islam, qui commémore la fidélité du prophète Ibrahim, coïncide avec le grand pèlerinage de La Mecque, où plus de 3 millions de musulmans sont rassemblés.


À la galerie »
Far Right On Rise in Europe, Says Report

THE GUARDIAN: Study by Demos thinktank reveals thousands of self-declared followers of hardline nationalist parties and groups

The far right is on the rise across Europe as a new generation of young, web-based supporters embrace hardline nationalist and anti-immigrant groups, a study has revealed ahead of a meeting of politicians and academics in Brussels to examine the phenomenon.

Research by the British thinktank Demos for the first time examines attitudes among supporters of the far right online. Using advertisements on Facebook group pages, they persuaded more than 10,000 followers of 14 parties and street organisations in 11 countries to fill in detailed questionnaires.

The study reveals a continent-wide spread of hardline nationalist sentiment among the young, mainly men. Deeply cynical about their own governments and the EU, their generalised fear about the future is focused on cultural identity, with immigration – particularly a perceived spread of Islamic influence – a concern.

"We're at a crossroads in European history," said Emine Bozkurt, a Dutch MEP who heads the anti-racism lobby at the European parliament. "In five years' time we will either see an increase in the forces of hatred and division in society, including ultra-nationalism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and antisemitism, or we will be able to fight this horrific tendency."

The report comes just over three months after Anders Breivik, a supporter of hard right groups, shot dead 69 people at youth camp near Oslo. While he was disowned by the parties, police examination of his contacts highlighted the Europe-wide online discussion of anti-immigrant and nationalist ideas.

Data in the study was mainly collected in July and August, before the worsening of the eurozone crisis. The report highlights the prevalence of anti-immigrant feeling, especially suspicion of Muslims. "As antisemitism was a unifying factor for far-right parties in the 1910s, 20s and 30s, Islamophobia has become the unifying factor in the early decades of the 21st century," said Thomas Klau from the European Council on Foreign Relations, who will speak at Monday's conference. Read on and comment » | Peter Walker and Matthew Taylor | Sunday, November 06, 2011

Europe's 'nationalist populists' and far right – interactive: Political groups and parties studied by researchers investigating a new wave of hardline nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiment » | Peter Walker and Paddy Allen | Sunday, November 06, 2011

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Far-Right groups in Europe 'on the rise': The eurozone crisis and immigration is fuelling the rise of the far-Right across Europe, according to a study by the Demos think-tank. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Sunday, November 06, 2011

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L’extrême droite séduit de jeunes Européens grâce à la crainte de l’islamisme: ÉTUDE | Les thèses de l'extrême droite rencontrent un écho grandissant chez les jeunes hommes de moins de 30 ans, selon une étude par le centre de réflexion britannique Demos. » | ATS/AFP | lundi 07 novembre 2011
Vatican : des féministes ukrainiennes stoppées

leJDD: Trois féministes du mouvement ukrainien Femen, dont les militantes ont pour habitude de manifester les seins nus, ont été stoppées dimanche par la police italienne avant de pouvoir atteindre la place Saint-Pierre, a constaté un photographe de l'AFP.

Elles voulaient attirer l'attention sur leur cause au moment où le pape Benoît XVI prononçait la traditionnelle prière dominicale de l'angélus sur la Place Saint-Pierre. La police les a interceptées dans la matinée avant qu'elles n'arrivent sur la place. [Source: leJDD] | dimanche 06 novembre 2011
"C'est moi qui ai piraté Charlie Hebdo"

leJDD: EXCLUSIF - Juste après l’incendie du siège du journal satirique, son site Internet a été hacké. À Istanbul, le JDD a retrouvé Ekber, l’auteur du piratage, qui menace aujourd’hui Libération.

C’est un jeune homme de 20 ans qui se présente au rendez-vous donné dans un café discret, sur la rive asiatique d’Istanbul. En jean et chemise noire, Ekber arrive avec son ordinateur portable sous le bras. Il est étudiant à l’université Isik, futur ingénieur informatique. Originaire de Rize, sur la mer Noire, comme le premier ministre Erdogan, qu’il admire. Un jeune Turc lambda qui n’a pas vraiment le profil du taliban croqué par Cabu! "Black Apple", son nom de code de hacker, est celui qui a realise le piratage du site Internet de Charlie Hebdo, mercredi matin.

Ce jour-là, un peu avant 6 heures, la page d’accueil de l’hebdo satirique est victime d’une attaque. Un message s’affiche en turc, traduit dans un mauvais anglais: "Avec vos caricatures haineuses, vous attaquez le grand prophète de l’Islam, sous couvert de la liberté d’expression. Que la malédiction de Dieu s’abatte sur vous. Nous serons votre malédiction dans le monde virtuel!". Signé des Akincilar, un groupe de neuf hackers turcs qui a adopté le nom des guerriers légendaires de la cavalerie ottomane. À 6h54, heure d’Istanbul, Black Apple annonce le succès de l’opération sur un forum. "Il fallait donner la réponse qu’elle méritait à cette revue qui prononce de telles imbécillités." » | Guillaume Perrier, correspondance à Istanbul (Turquie) - Le Journal du Dimanche | samedi 05 novembre 2011

Liens en relation avec l’article »
Millions of Muslim Hajj Pilgrims Perform Symbolic Stoning of the Devil on Eid al-Adha

On the final day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, Muslims throw stone pebbles at walls representing Satan.


Read article here | Sunday, November 06, 2011

NZZ am SONNTAG: Millionen Muslime auf Pilgerfahrt Hadsch: Aufstieg auf Berg Arafat und Steinigung des Teufels » | dapd | Sonntag 06. November 2011

NZZ am SONNTAG: Blutiger Beginn des muslimischen Opferfestes: Bomben explodieren im Norden Afghanistans und im Irak » | dapd | Sonntag 06. November 2011
We Are Paid Too Much, Bankers Confess in St Paul's Survey

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: As politicians shift ground on high earners, City workers admit public sector gets raw deal

British bankers have admitted that they are paid too much, a report into moral standards in the City of London will reveal tomorrow.

A survey of 500 workers in City financial institutions, carried out for the Christian think-tank St Paul's Institute, found that "a substantial number" believed they were overpaid compared with other professions – particularly frontline workers including teachers and, most of all, nurses.

The results will fuel continuing bitterness towards the industry over its culpability for the financial crisis and its apparent failure to rein in huge salaries and bonuses . Last night The Sunday Times reported the publicly owned Royal Bank of Scotland is planning to pay its investment bankers about £500m in bonuses.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, yesterday joined the attack on bankers' pay, claiming excesses in the financial sector had helped to create huge inequalities in wealth, "demonstrating how scandalously unfair our society is". » | MATT THOMAS, BRIAN BRADY | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Oklahoma Rattled by 5.6 Earthquake

THE GUARDIAN: Homes damaged and roads buckled by series of shocks including the biggest on record in US state

Earthquakes of up to 5.6 magnitude have shaken Oklahoma, damaging buildings and roads and sending a handful of people to hospital.

The first quake was recorded on Saturday morning at a magnitude of 4.7. The second came on Saturday night and is the largest ever recorded in Oklahoma, topping a tremor of 5.5 magnitude in 1952, according to the US Geological Survey.

In Prague, Oklahoma, where the first quake was centred, city manager Jim Greff said part of the town library's ceiling collapsed and a chimney fell through the roof of a home. There were no serious injuries. » | Reuters | Sunday, November 06, 2011
GOP Set to Embrace Mitt Romney as Candidate Who Can Beat Barack Obama

THE GUARDIAN: The frontrunner exudes confidence as polls suggest he could seize the White House, reports Paul Harris in New Hampshire

Mitt Romney walked into the old Town Hall in the New Hampshire town of Exeter late last week already looking like an American president sent straight from Hollywood. He had the square jaw, the perfect smile and, walking beside him, his gorgeous blonde wife, Ann. He also had a speech that read like a horror movie and described an America in mortal peril of bankruptcy and social chaos.

"If we keep spending like we are spending and borrowing like we are borrowing, at some point we can face what Greece faces," he told a room that was packed to overflowing.

But Romney does not just look the part of president. In the race to be the Republicans' 2012 nominee, and challenge Barack Obama for the White House, Romney is riding high. And with Obama facing the challenge of a worsening economy and anaemic approval ratings, a growing number of commentators believe that the former governor of Massachusetts could be the next occupant of the Oval Office.

He is the undoubted frontrunner in the Republican race, with the rest of the field scrabbling to be the sole "anti-Romney" candidate. One by one, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry looked likely contenders before their bubbles burst and support withered. Now the latest anti-Romney candidate, former pizza magnate Herman Cain, is mired in a sexual harassment scandal.

With less than two months until Iowa and New Hampshire kick off the vital early contests, Romney is sitting pretty. More than a few of those 200 people inside the hall felt they just might be looking at their nominee: their great hope of making Obama a one-term president. "He has the money. He has the experience. Romney is the most well-rounded candidate," said Rene Bonnin, 63, a local retired naval worker. » | Paul Harris in Exeter, New Hampshire | Saturday, November 05, 2011

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Church Leaders Accuse Bankers of Losing Their 'Moral Moorings'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Church of England has launched a fierce new attack on bankers accusing them of greed and having "slipped their moral moorings".

A series of senior figures stepped up their attack on the City in an assault that comes a week after the Church refused to evict protesters from outside St Paul's Cathedral in central London.

They spoke of a financial sector which sets a moral tone for a society which had become "scandalously unfair".

The interventions included:

• A call in an article in The Sunday Telegraph today for fundamental reform of how the financial world works. It was made by Ken Costa, a former bank chairman and the Church’s newly appointed leader of an initiative to build links with the City;

• The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said executive salaries were creating a gulf between rich and poor that made “societies less cohesive” and called for an end to official honours for financiers;

• Dr Giles Fraser, the cleric who quit as canon chancellor of St Paul’s over plans to evict protesters, said there was “financial injustice” that had to be addressed;

• A report written by Dr Fraser on behalf of a think tank endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to be published tomorrow, claiming the City’s reliance on technology was dehumanising its values. » | Jonathan Wynne-Jones and Kamal Ahmed | Saturday, November 05, 2011

This is all the result of Reaganism and Thatcherism. The Old Gipper and the ol' 'Milk Snatcher' have a lot to answer for. In Britain, Maggie Thatcher institutionalised greed; in the US, Reagan did the same. – © Mark

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