German Memo Shows Secret Slide Towards a Super-state

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An intrusive European body with the power to take over the economies of struggling nations should be set up to tackle the eurozone crisis, according to a leaked German government document.

The six-page memo, by the German foreign office, argues that Europe’s economic powerhouses should be able to intervene in how beleaguered eurozone countries are run.

The confidential blueprint sets out Germany’s plan to tackle the eurozone debt crisis by creating a “stability union” that will be “immediately followed by moves “on the way towards a political union”.

It will prompt fears that Germany’s euro crisis plans could result in a European super-state with spending and tax plans set in Brussels.

The proposals urge that the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), a eurozone bailout fund that will be established by the end of next year, should be transformed into a version of the International Monetary Fund for the EU.

The European Monetary Fund (EMF) would be able to take full fiscal control of a failing country, including taking countries into receivership. Read on and comment » | Bruno Waterfield, in Brussels | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Female Blogger's Nude Photo Creates a Stir in Egypt

GLOBAL POST: Aliaa Elmahdy, a 20-year-old female activist in Egypt, posted a nude photo of herself on the internet

An Egyptian female activist sparked an intense online debate over the limits of personal expression in art this week, following the discovery of nude photos the woman took and posted to her blog.

Aliaa Elmahdy, a 20-year-old college student and self-described “secular liberal feminist,” posted two nude photos of herself on her blog, “A Rebel’s Diary,” last month. The young revolutionary's photos were apparently discovered earlier this week by a Twitter user, who called them "brave."

In one of the pics, Elmahdy is standing with her right foot perched one the bottom rung of a wooden stool. She is wearing lacy, thigh-high black stockings, red slippers - and nothing else.

The second photo is a three-part collage of the first, with yellow strips censoring out her crotch, mouth and eyes. » | Jon Jensen | Thursday, November 17, 2011

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Police Arrest Protesters On Occupy Wall Street March

THE INDEPENDENT: Hundreds of Occupy demonstrators marched through New York's financial district today in an attempt to block traders from reaching the New York Stock Exchange, promising a national day of action with mass gatherings in other cities.

The action came two days after authorities cleared their encampment that sparked the global protest movement against economic inequality and greed.

Frustrations seemed to spill over in the park at the center [sic] of the protest as hundreds of people shoved back the metal police barricades that have long surrounded the area. A live television shot from above showed waves of police and protesters briefly pushing back and forth before the barricades appeared to be settled at the edge of the park once more.

"All day, all week, shut down Wall Street!" the crowd chanted, clogging the streets as they neared the stock exchange.

Police said about 50 or 60 people were arrested, including several who sat on the ground one block from Wall Street and refusing to move.

Some of the police hit protesters as they resisted arrest. Most of the marchers retreated.

The protest did not delay the opening of the New York Stock Exchange or disrupt business, said Rich Adamonis, a spokesman for the exchange. » | Karen Matthews | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Judge Expresses Sympathy with Fortnum & Mason Protesters

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A judge sentencing a group of anti-cuts protesters who stormed Fortnum & Mason appeared to condone their actions yesterday when he told them “history often vindicates those involved in such acts”.

Ten demonstrators who occupied the luxury department store on London’s Piccadilly earlier this year were found guilty of aggravated trespass when they appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

But in sentencing them all to conditional discharges, District Judge Michael Snow expressed some sympathy with their actions telling them they were all united by a “common sense of decency”.

Declining to award the famous store compensation, the judge told the group: “Civil disobedience has a long and entirely peaceful history in this country.

“History often vindicates those involved in such acts. I've read a series of glowing references on behalf of every one of you. You are united by a common sense of decency.”

Fortnum & Mason, which has an illustrious 300-year history and is often referred to as the Queen’s grocer, was targeted by protestors on the day of a large TUC rally in March. » | Martin Evans | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Kuwait Security Crackdown after Crowd Storms Parliament
THE GUARDIAN: Emir denounces protest as threat to country's stability and calls for 'stricter measures to confront chaotic behaviour'


Kuwait's ruler has ordered the authorities to tighten security measures and make arrests if necessary after protesters stormed parliament in anger at claims of high-level corruption.

Dozens of protesters surged past police barricades on Wednesday and briefly entered the parliament chamber amid attempts by opposition MPs to bring the prime minister in for questioning over claims that officials transferred state funds to accounts abroad.

The emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, on Thursday denounced the protest as a threat to the country's "security and stability" and called for "stricter measures to confront this chaotic behaviour", according to a statement from government spokesman Ali Fahad al-Rashid. » | Associated Press | Thursday, November 17, 2011

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Merkel knutscht Sarkozy

Verwandt »

Assad unter Druck
n Teilen Syriens eskaliert der blutige Machtkampf. Zugleich steht das Land unter dem Assad-Regime international immer isolierter da. Die Arabische Liga droht mit harten Sanktionen und setzt Syrien eine Frist von drei Tagen, um die Gewalt zu beenden und Beobachter ins Land zu lassen.

Iran Fires Up Voters with Partial Lifting of Water Pipe Ban

THE GUARDIAN: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government reverses unpopular ban on smoking in tea houses - but only for men

Revoking a smoking ban may seem an unlikely way to boost election turnouts. But in Iran, authorities are hopeful that allowing the traditional hubble-bubble, or water pipes, back into tea houses could encourage reluctant voters to go to the polls.

The government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has signed into law a bill that removes tea houses from the list of places where smoking tobacco is prohibited, Iranian newspapers reported on Thursday.

The move comes only two weeks after Iran's court of administrative justice, a judicial body independent of the government, banned the smoking of all sorts of tobacco in traditional restaurants and tea houses. Iranians were allowed only to smoke certain types – perceived to be less dangerous – in the past.

Since Ahmadinejad first took the office in 2005, water pipes have intermittently been banned from, then allowed, in tea houses.

In his early years in power, Ahmadinejad came under pressure from conservatives to curb water pipe smoking, which had become a popular pastime for the young people but was seen as culturally decadent by the regime, despite being an integral part of the Persian culture for centuries. A smoking ban was eventually passed in October 2006 but was lifted later to allow certain kinds of tobacco. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Silvio Berlusconi Releases CD of Love Songs
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Just days after he stepped down as Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi is preparing to release his latest CD of love songs.


The billionaire businessman, who as a student crooned on cruise ships in the Mediterranean, spent two years writing the lyrics for the album, called 'True Love'.

The 11 songs he penned are sung by Mariano Apicella, a Neapolitan ballad singer who has collaborated with the former prime minister on similar albums in the past. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Vatican to Take Legal Action against Benetton

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Vatican announced on Thursday that it will take legal action over an advertising campaign by Benetton which showed Pope Benedict XVI kissing a Muslim imam.

The Holy See said it wanted the offensive image removed from magazines, newspapers, websites and Benetton shops around the world, saying it was in extremely poor taste.

The image shows the Pope kissing the lips of Ahmed el Tayyeb, the imam of the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo and a leading authority of Sunni Islam.

A statement from the Vatican said it would instruct its lawyers “to take action in Italy and abroad to prevent the circulation in the mass-media and elsewhere of the photo montage produced as part of Benetton’s publicity campaign.”

The image was insulting “not only to the dignity of the Pope but also to the sensibilities of the faithful”, the Vatican said.

The legal threat came despite the fact that Benetton, which is based in Treviso in northern Italy, announced that it would withdraw the image following the furore. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Related »

LE PARISIEN: EN IMAGES. Benetton, la campagne polémique » | mercredi 16 novembre 2011

White House Shooting Suspect 'Had Obsession with Barack Obama'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A man clad in black who was obsessed with President Barack Obama pulled his car within view of the White House at night and fired shots from an assault rifle, authorities said.

The U.S. Secret Service found two bullets had hit the White House and agents caught up with Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez in Pennsylvania on Wednesday after a four-day search.

Police arrested the 21-year-old Idaho man at a hotel after a desk clerk recognised his picture. Ortega was scheduled to make his first appearance at 2pm on Thursday in a federal court in Pittsburgh and many questions remained about his motive and background.

The White House declined to comment on the unfolding events.

Authorities are investigating the man's mental health and say there are indications he believed attacking the White House was part of a personal mission from God, according to a law enforcement official who spoke with The Associated Press.

There are also indications the man had become obsessed with Obama and the White House, according to two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. » | Thursday, November 17, 2011

En Arabie saoudite, une féministe chez les Saoud

LE MONDE – LE MAGAZINE: EN COULISSES – La princesse saoudienne Amira plaide la cause des femmes dans son pays. Un engagement à portée limitée même si le roi vient de leur donner le droit de voter aux élections municipales.

Naguère, les princesses dispensaient leurs bienfaits par le biais de sociétés de charité, aujourd'hui, elles accèdent au ministère de la parole grâce à Twitter. L'Arabie saoudite s'est trouvé une égérie en la personne de la quatrième épouse du richissime prince Al-Walid Ben Talal Ben Abdelaziz Al-Saoud, Amira. Née en Arabie saoudite, diplômée en droit des affaires d'une université du Connecticut, cette princesse de 27 ans, très médiatisée, a été la première à se féliciter, sur Twitter, de l'annulation en septembre par le roi Abdallah d'une peine de dix coups de fouet prononcée à l'encontre d'une Saoudienne. Sa faute : avoir pris le volant dans un pays où une fatwa interdit aux femmes de conduire. … » | Gilles Paris | sans date

US Will Shift Focus from Middle East to Asia Pacific, Barack Obama Declares
Barack Obama has pledged to expand America's military in the Asia Pacific as a "top priority" as he declared the US intends to shift its focus from the Middle East.

Read the article and comment here | Jonathan Pearlman in Canberra | Thursday, November 17, 2011
My comment:

This declaration sounds like a provocation to China to me. It sounds like sabre-rattling. Further, where is broke America going to get the money from? – © Mark

This comment also appears here.

Syria Is 'Like a Civil War'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russia called for all sides in Syria’s growing civil war to lay down their arms as they compared the situation a "civil war".

Residents claimed 20 people died in a rebel attack on an air force intelligence base on the outskirts of Damascus.

“This is already completely similar to real civil war,” Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said. He urged “all states” to demand that not only the government but also the opposition to halt the violence and begin talks.

Russia, along with China, has vetoed further international sanctions against their long-term strategic ally at the United Nations. But both are growing increasingly alarmed that in the absence of any foreign intervention the situation is spiralling out of control anyway. » | Richard Spencer, Adrian Blomfield and Alex Spillius | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Kuwait Opposition Protesters Disrupt Parliament

THE GUARDIAN: Dozens of Kuwaiti protesters storm parliament, with more demonstrating outside, demanding the prime minister step down

Dozens of anti-government protesters stormed into Kuwait's parliament during a debate over efforts to question the prime minister about corruption allegations.

Local media reported the demonstrators briefly chanted before being forced out as hundreds of others protested outside on Wednesday evening, prompting opposition lawmakers to warn of a political crisis.

Opposition parliament members have sought to question the prime minister Sheik Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah over claims that government officials illegally transferred money to accounts outside the Gulf country. Last month, Kuwait's foreign minister resigned as the scandal grew.

Pro-government lawmakers managed to vote down a request for the questioning, but opposition groups filed another motion to force another debate later this month.

Kuwait's affairs are run by the ruling Al Sabah family, but it has one of the region's most politically active parliaments. » | Associated Press | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Camerons Berlin-Besuch: Deutschlands Dominanz, Britanniens Angst

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Auftakt zum Berlin-Besuch von David Cameron am Freitag verläuft denkbar schlecht: Volker Kauders Spruch, in Europa werde nun Deutsch gesprochen, sorgt für Protest in Großbritannien. London fürchtet eine Zwei-Klassen-EU. Nun muss Kanzlerin Merkel die Wogen glätten - sie braucht die Briten noch.

Der Satz war eine Steilvorlage für die Euro-Skeptiker auf der Insel. "Jetzt auf einmal wird in Europa Deutsch gesprochen", hatte Unionsfraktionschef Volker Kauder auf dem CDU-Parteitag in Leipzig gesagt. Das Zitat wurde am Mittwoch von den britischen Zeitungen begierig aufgegriffen, bestätigt es doch alte Vorurteile über den deutschen Machtanspruch.

"Europa spricht jetzt Deutsch!", titelte die Boulevardzeitung "Daily Mail" mit dickem Ausrufezeichen und schob empört hinterher: "UndGroßbritannien soll sich einreihen". Das, so der Tenor in sämtlichen konservativen Blättern, werde selbstverständlich nie passieren. Stattdessen, so die Forderung der Euro-Skeptiker, müsse die Euro-Krise genutzt werden, um sich aus der EU zu "befreien".

Die Kauder-Kontroverse ist das jüngste Indiz für die wachsende Kluft zwischen Berlin und London. Auf britischer Seite befeuerte am Mittwoch Wirtschaftsminister Vince Cable den Streit. Es ging um die Finanztransaktionssteuer. Die von Deutschland geforderte Abgabe auf Geldgeschäfte bezeichnete er als "völlig ungerechtfertigt". Wiederum Kauder hatte die britische Blockade zuvor als verantwortungslos beschimpft. » | Von Carsten Volkery, London | Mittwoch 16. November 2011

German Neo-Nazis Had Hit List of 88 Political Targets
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A German neo-Nazi terrorist group responsible for a spree of murders and bombings across Germany had a hit list of 88 possible targets including prominent politicians.

Investigators said they had found the list as they probed the brutal world of the self-styled National Socialist Underground, a gang believed to have shot dead nine men of immigrant background and a policewoman.

The gang's end only came this month after a failed bank robbery led to two of its three members committing suicide and the survivor handing herself into the police after destroying their hideout in the east German town of Zwickau.

Along with politicians the names of leaders from Germany's large Turkish and Islamic communities were also found on the list.

The number 88 is apparently code for Adolf Hitler in neo-Nazi circles because the letter H is the eighth letter of the alphabet, and is code for 'Heil Hitler'.

As police tried to ascertain whether the three-person group was actively plotting to kill people on the list, those named reacted with shock.

"This is a dreadful feeling for me," Jerzy Montag, a leading Green politician from Munich told Spiegel Online. "The fact that the known members of the terror cell have been deactivated does not mean that this is over. If someone can think this up, then there could also be others."

Hans-Peter Uhl from the governing Christian Democrats also expressed his bewilderment at being listed by the gang.

"When I heard that my name was on the list, I was shocked," he said, adding that he was trying to work out why the group would target him. » | Matthew Day | Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Breastfeeding Is Slavery (But It Lets Men Off the Hook): Sarkozy Angers Mothers with 'Macho' Comments
MAIL ONLINE: It is a statement that is likely to raise the hackles of women everywhere.

In what many would consider to be a clumsy and insensitive move, Nicolas Sarkozy has publicly described breastfeeding as 'slavery'.

While most women would welcome their husband's sensitivity and discretion on such matters, Mr Sarkozy has spoken out about wife Carla Bruni's struggle to produce enough milk for their newborn baby.

The French president, 55, also said a mother's feeding 'freed men of blame' for not getting up at night to give the infant a bottle.

Former supermodel Ms Bruni, 44, gave birth to the couple's first child together - a girl named Giulia - four weeks ago.

It was the first child ever to be born to a president while in office in France.

Mr Sarkozy aired his views on breastfeeding while chatting to young mothers at a family benefits agency in south west France yesterday.

He said: 'Carla is feeding the baby. I think it's much better for protecting against allergies and illnesses.'But the woman, it's both a joy and a kind of slavery.

'However it does free men of blame because we don't have the problem of bottle-feeding. You don't have to get up at night, although out of solidarity, I do open one eye.'

The president added: 'But you know, she is worried about not having enough milk.' » | Deborah Arthurs | Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Proche-Orient: Mahmoud Abbas tend la main au Hamas

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: RÉCONCILIATION | Face aux incertitudes sur la demande d’adhésion à l’ONU d’un Etat de Palestine et au blocage des négociations avec Israël, le président palestinien cherche à se réconcilier avec le Hamas.

Le président palestinien rencontrera le chef du mouvement islamiste le 25 novembre au Caire pour tenter de faire redémarrer la difficile négociation avec le Hamas.

Mahmoud Abbas s’est engagé mercredi à «faire tous les efforts pour hâter la résolution des questions en suspens, en premier lieu les élections présidentielle, législatives et du Conseil national palestinien, et la formation d’un gouvernement d’indépendants pour organiser les élections».

«Quelles que soient les difficultés, nous ne renoncerons pas à notre droit à adhérer à l’ONU», en tant que membre à part entière, a- t-il insisté dans un discours pour le 7e anniversaire de la mort de son prédécesseur Yasser Arafat et le 23e anniversaire de la Déclaration d’indépendance. Il a fait état de consultations avec la direction palestinienne et les pays arabes. » | ATS/AFP | mercredi 16 novembre 2011

US Elections: Newt Gingrich Under Fire after Surge in Opinion Polls

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Newt Gingrich, the Republican presidential hopeful and former House Speaker, has come under attack for his controversial personal and financial affairs after enjoying a surge in the opinion polls.

Mr Gingrich, whose campaign was left for dead after his staff resigned en masse in June, has risen to second place behind Mitt Romney in a handful of national surveys, after support for Rick Perry and Herman Cain declined.

But he faced allegations yesterday that he was paid up to $1.8 million (£1.14 million) for advising Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage lender at the centre of the 2008 financial meltdown.

Meanwhile a leaflet detailing his infidelity and two divorces — which came as his wives were suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis respectively — was circulating in Iowa, a crucial early-voting state.

Mr Gingrich was previously said to have received $300,000 (£190,000) for advising Freddie Mac in 2006, as the organisation lobbied Congressmen to not dismantle it.

In fact, Mr Gingrich received up to six times this figure, according to Bloomberg, and argued for it to expand lending to more risky borrowers — blamed by many economists for the financial crisis.

It later had to be bailed out with its sister agency Fannie Mae for $170 billion (£107 billion) following the US housing market collapse. » | Jon Swaine, Washington | Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Angst vor Unruhen: Athen rüstet sich für Massen-Demo

KRONE: Die griechische Polizei hat am Mittwoch wegen geplanter Demonstrationen gegen den Sparkurs der neuen Regierung ein massives Sicherheitsaufgebot im Zentrum von Athen zusammengezogen. Mehrere linksgerichtete Organisationen haben für Donnerstag Proteste angekündigt. Die Polizei befürchtet, dass gewaltbereite Demonstranten ein Chaos in Athen auslösen könnten. Deshalb sollen nach griechischen Medienberichten mehr als 7.000 Beamte im Einsatz sein.

Die geplanten Demonstrationen fallen mit dem 38. Jahrestag des blutig niedergeschlagenen Studentenaufstandes gegen das Militärregime am 17. November 1973 zusammen. Die zentrale Kundgebung wird in Athen am Donnerstagnachmittag stattfinden. » | AG/red | Mittwoch 16. November 2011

"Unhate", la nouvelle campagne choc de Benetton

LE MATIN: Une affiche géante a été déroulée ce matin sur le Pont "Sant'Angelo" à Rome, à deux pas du Vatican. Au premier plan le pape Benoît XVI embrassant sur la bouche l'Imam du Caire, Ahmed el Tayyeb. Une nouvelle provocation signée Benetton.

La campagne mondiale de communication UNHATE - première initiative de la Fondation du même nom qui vient d’être constituée - vient d'être présentée en avant-première mondiale par Alessandro Benetton à Paris, dans le flagship store du boulevard Haussmann. » | LeMatin.ch | mercredi 16 novembre 2011


SPIEGEL ONLINE: Benetton zieht Papst-Kussbild zurück: Nicolas Sarkozy küsst Angela Merkel, der Papst knutscht einen ägyptischen Imam: Eine neue Fotomontagen-Kampagne des italienischen Modehauses Benetton sorgt für Entrüstung im Vatikan - das Unternehmen zog das Bild mit dem Kirchenoberhaupt jetzt zurück. » | als/lgr/AFP | Mittwoch 16. November 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Vatican criticises Benetton picture of pope kissing Muslim leader: Italian clothing company Benetton withdraws publicity shot of Benedict XVI kissing grand sheikh of al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo » | Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent | Thursday, November 17, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Vatican condemns Benetton 'Unhate' advert: A new Benetton advertising campaign - 'Unhate' - which includes a highly provocative image of the Pope kissing an imam has been condemned as a "grave" act of disrespect by the Vatican. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Thursday, November 17, 2011

Nicolas Blancho joue à l’ambassadeur en Tunisie
LE MATIN: Le président du controversé Conseil Central Islamique Suisse a rencontré ce week-end le chef du parti religieux récemment arrivé au pouvoir en Tunisie. En parlant au nom des musulmans de Suisse….

Nicolas Blancho prend-il un peu trop ses désirs pour des réalités? La question est ouverte au vu de l’une des dernières informations postées sur le site de son organisation, le Conseil Central Islamique Suisse (CCIS). Relatant un voyage effectué par le Biennois à Tunis ce week-end, un texte explique que le président du CCIS a présenté les félicitations des « musulmans suisses » à Rachid Al-Ghannouchi, leader du parti islamiste Ennahda, qui a récemment gagné les élections.

Problème: l’organisation de Nicolas Blancho – qui défend un islam assez rigoriste – divise fortement chez les croyants vivant en Suisse. Si ses dernières manifestations ont réuni de nombreux participants, beaucoup de fidèles contestent sa légitimité à parler au nom de tous les musulmans helvètes. Vice présidente de l'Union des organisations de cette religion à Genève, Lucia Dahlab en fait partie. Selon elle, Nicolas Blancho est coutumier des effets d’annonce un peu «gonflés». «Rien que le nom de son organisation me laisse perplexe, il a vraiment trop tendance à s’autoproclamer représentant de tout le monde.» » | Raphaël Pomey | LeMatin.ch | mardi 15 novembre 2011

« Kadhafi était un partouzeur, drogué et alcoolique »
LE MATIN: Repérée par le «Guide de la Révolution» à l’âge de 15 ans, une jeune Libyenne a passé cinq ans dans le «harem» du colonel. Cette ancienne esclave sexuelle de Kadhafi témoigne.

Elle dit l’avoir appelé «papa Mouammar» durant l’enfance, avant d’en savoir davantage sur les réelles habitudes de vie du personnage. A l’âge de 22 ans à peine, c’est peu dire que Samira*, une fille habitant Syrte, ville natale et ultime bastion du colonel Kadhafi, a vu sa vie ruinée par les penchants sadiques et dégénérés de son ancienne idole. Car de 2004 à 2009, la malheureuse a dû répondre au doigt et à l’œil aux moindres désirs de l’ancien dirigeant du pays, qui l’a rencontrée à 15 ans. » | Raphaël Pomey | LeMatin.ch | mercredi 16 novembre 2011

*prénom fictif

Barack Obama's Australian Slang Shows Closeness to Julia Gillard
Barack Obama displayed his closesness to Julia Gillard, by lapsing into an Aussie "Strine" to toast the Australian prime minister.

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Reaktionen auf rechtsextreme Gewalt: Innenminister Friedrich will Zentralregister für Neonazis

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Womöglich kommen die Anti-Terror-Ermittlungen nach der Neonazi-Mordserie heute voran. Die Hauptverdächtige Beate Z. will einem Zeitungsbericht zufolge aussagen. Die Politik debatiert über Konsequenzen.

Die Bundesanwaltschaft könnte bei ihren Ermittlungen zu der Neonazi-Mordserie heute deutliche Fortschritte machen. Das mutmaßliche Mitglied der Zwickauer Terrorzelle, Beate Z., will nach Informationen der „Stuttgarter Nachrichten“ (Mittwoch) eine umfassende Aussage machen. „Sie will auspacken und berät sich deshalb mit ihrem Anwalt“, zitierte das Blatt einen Beamten aus Ermittlerkreisen. » | Quelle: dapd | Mittwoch 16. November 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Neo-Nazis: German interior minister calls for database on far-right extremists – Germany's interior minister has called for a national database on far-right extremists similar to that developed for Islamic radicals to counter the threat of neo-Nazi terrorism. » | Matthew Day | Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Occupy Wall Street: Protesters Vow to Fight On
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Protesters have flooded back into the New York park where police demolished their two-month-old tent camp, vowing to step up the Occupy Wall Street campaign despite a ban on camping out there.

The movement to protest alleged corporate greed and political dysfunction was thrown into crisis during a turbulent 24 hours on Tuesday that began with a surprise early morning police raid on the privately-owned Zuccotti Park.

Protesters then spent the day playing cat-and-mouse with authorities as they sought to re-establish their base near Wall Street, the symbolic epicenter of a movement that has inspired similar protests in other US cities and abroad.

In the evening, police reopened the park and let the protesters back in one-by-one - but only after a New York judge backed a ban on pitching tents, rejecting the demonstrators' legal challenge to the dismantling of the camp.

"No one will be denied entry," a police officer said at the gate, as people began to wander back in. Organisers put the number at 1,200. Once inside, the crowd began to chant: "All day, all week, occupy Wall Street."

Both sides were claiming victory after judge Michael Stallman ruled that the owners of the park and the authorities were not denying protesters their constitutional right to freedom of speech by banning them from camping out.

"Zuccotti Park will remain open to all who want to enjoy it, as long as they abide by the park's rules," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. » | November 16, 2011

Barack Obama to Deploy 2,500 Marines in Australia as He Says 'We Do Not Fear China'
Barack Obama has unveiled plans to deploy 2500 Marines in northern Australia but insisted the move was not prompted by fear of China.

Read article here and comment

Fury Over Young Activist Publishing Nude Self-portrait
AL-MASRY AL-YOUM: In an unprecedented move, a young Egyptian female on Sunday dared to publish a nude self-portrait, along with other nude photos, on her blog as an expression of personal freedom.

Aliaa Magda Elmahdy said on Twitter that she posted the photo under her real name. She added that she took the photo by herself in her parents’ home.

Her blog, which has only one entry so far, has received nearly 30,000 hits.

Under the title “fan a’ry” (nude art), Elmahdy posted eight pictures, two of herself and one showing a nude man holding a guitar, in addition to other photos.

In one photo, yellow rectangles cover parts of her body. “The yellow rectangles on my eyes, mouth and sex organ resemble the censoring of our knowledge, expression and sexuality,” Elmahdy said. » | EE staff | Sunday, November 13, 2011

THE WASHINGTON POST: Egyptian activist’s nude self-portrait causes online fury » | Maura Judkis | Monday, November 14, 2011

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Muslim artist defies Islamic prudes by baring all on the web: Strips despite her country's conservative culture » | Corky Siemaszko | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

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Les violences contre les musulmans en hausse de 50% en un an, aux Etats-Unis
LIBÉRATION: Les autres violences raciales et religieuses ont légèrement baissé ou peu progressé, selon les statistiques du FBI.

Les crimes et délits contre les musulmans ont augmenté de près de 50% de 2009 à 2010 aux Etats-Unis, selon les statistiques du FBI rendues publiques lundi.

Selon ces chiffres, le nombre total des violences perpétrées contre les musulmans est passé de 107 en 2009 à 160 en 2010, soit 49% d'augmentation, contre une progression de 13% des violences contre les catholiques, une baisse de 4% des infractions contre les juifs et une hausse globale de 14% des crimes et délits anti-religieux. Le nombre total de "crimes de haine" a très légèrement augmenté à 6.628 cas, dont 47,3% motivés par des différences de race et 20% par des différences de religion, selon le FBI. » | Source AFP | mardi 15 novembre 2011

Gewalt in Syrien hält an – Erdogan: Assad ernährt sich von Blut

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Das syrische Regime geht mit größerer Brutalität als zuvor gegen die Opposition vor. Am Montag wurden mindestens 70 Menschen getötet. Die Arabische Liga hat angekündigt, 500 Beobachter nach Syrien zu schicken.

Trotz der Ankündigung der Arabischen Liga, bei Fortsetzung der Gewalt an diesem Mittwoch Syriens Mitgliedschaft zu suspendieren, geht das Assad-Regime noch brutaler gegen die Opposition vor. Allein am Montag wurden mehr als 60 Personen getötet. Auch am Dienstag wurde von heftigen Gefechten vor allem zwischen regimetreuen Soldaten und Deserteuren in den Provinzen Daraa und Idlib berichtet. Der türkische Ministerpräsident Tayyip Erdogan verschärfte den Ton und sagte, Präsident Assad „ernährt sich von Blut“. » | Quelle: F.A.Z. | Dienstag 15. November 2011

Starkey: ‘Britain Is a White Mono-culture and Schools Should Focus on Our Own History’

MAIL ONLINE: David Starkey has sparked controversy by claiming Britain is a white 'mono-culture' and that children should focus on studying the history of their 'own culture'.

It comes just three months after the historian blamed the summer riots in England on the import of a 'violent, destructive, nihilistic' black 'gangsta' culture.

He then further stoked the flames by adding that Enoch Powell was right in warning, more than 40 years ago, that immigration would ultimately cause conflict across our cities.

Speaking at a historians' conference in London, Dr Starkey attacked the notion of British children studying world history, according to The Times [£]. Read on and comment » | Daily Mail Reporter | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Muhammad Cartoon Plot Trial Opens in Norway

THE GUARDIAN: Three men accused of plotting to bomb the offices of Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper plead not guilty on opening day

Three Norwegians accused of plotting, with al-Qaida's help, to bomb a Danish newspaper for printing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, have pleaded not guilty to the charges in an Oslo court.

The alleged ringleader, Mikael Davud, learned how to use explosives at an al-Qaida camp in Pakistan and made "an agreement" with [the] group to blow up the offices of the daily Jyllands-Posten newspaper, prosecutor Geir Evanger said on the first day of the trial.

The three acquired bomb-making ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide and acetone, and two of them may also have planned to kill a Danish cartoonist who had drawn Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, Evanger said in his opening statement.

"This is a ground-breaking case in Norway," Davud's lawyer, Arild Karl Humlen, said. "It is the first full-scale test of new [Norwegian] terror laws and the first time they [the prosecutors] are linking a terror conspiracy to an international organisation."

Jyllands-Posten was the first of several European publications to print cartoons lampooning the prophet in late 2005 and early 2006, sparking violent protests in the Middle East and Africa and a widespread debate about press freedom.

As recently as 2 November a firebomb attack gutted the headquarters of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo after it put an image of the prophet on its cover. » | Reuters | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Gabrielle Giffords Vows to Return to Congress in First Interview after Shooting
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords demonstrated her remarkable resilience in her first interview since being shot in the head at point blank range 10 months ago.

Read the article here and comment | Nick Allen, in Los Angeles | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy Sends Letter of Condolence to Benjamin Netanyahu Following 'Liar' Dig

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy sent a letter of condolence to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli premier, after having reportedly called him a "liar", according to a senior Israeli official.

Mr Sarkozy, the French president, suffered embarrassment last week when he reportedly made the remarks to US President Barack Obama during the G20 summit in Cannes.

The conversation was overheard by a number of journalists after it was inadvertently transmitted over a system used for translation, media website Arret Sur Images reported. "I can't stand him anymore, he's a liar," Mr Sarkozy was heard to say in French.

The Israeli official said: "President (Nicolas) Sarkozy sent a personal letter in his and his wife Carla's name in which he expresses his condolences to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his spouse Sarah after the death of the latter's father. » | Monday, November 14, 2011

The Iron Lady's Success Will Be Difficult for David Cameron to Bear
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – BENEDICT BROGAN: According to those who have seen it, there's a delicious moment in The Iron Lady set in the present when Margaret Thatcher is at a dinner party and we hear her say "I don't like coalitions". Another guest suggests the Prime Minister performed well, at which point she agrees then adds: "He's quite a smoothie." The PM is left unnamed, but presumably the director and the author could not resist a dig at modern politics and current incumbent of No10. The bad news for David Cameron is that the film in fact could do more than just tweak his tail. If it's the success it looks like it might be, it will invite some difficult comparisons. Will it become a rallying point for disgruntled Conservatives? » | Benedict Brogan | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

David Cameron's Imitation of Julia Gillard 'Worst Australian Accent Ever'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron's imitation of Julia Gillard's broad nasal inflection has been panned in Australia as a diplomatic insult and "perhaps one of the worst Aussie accents in history".


Ms Gillard, who was born in Wales, has frequently made self-deprecating remarks about her own accent – which is deeply nasal and consonant-swallowing, even by Australian standards.

But Mr Cameron's imitation, during a speech at the Lord Mayor of London's banquet, was roundly denounced, drawing unfavourable comparisons with James Coburn's accent in The Great Escape and Meryl Streep's in Evil Angels.

Mr Cameron attempted his impersonation – albeit with a disclaimer – while recounting a conversation he had with the Australian Prime Minister during the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth about the move to scrap laws that bar firstborn daughters from inheriting the British throne.

"I turned to the Australian prime minister and said, 'thank you very much Julia for allowing us to have this meeting in Australia,'" Mr Cameron said. "And she said, I can't quite do the accent but I'll try – 'Not a bit David, this is good news for sheilas everywhere'." Read on and comment » | Jonathan Pearlman in Sydney | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Nick Clegg Warns European In-fighting Will Play into Hands of 'Chauvinists'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nick Clegg has warned European leaders not to give ammunition to "chauvinists and demagogues" by getting caught up with in-fighting over the economic crisis.

The Deputy Prime Minister urged European countries trying to sort out their financial problems not [to] “disappear into a windowless room” to discuss changes to treaties that millions of people do not care about.

In an outspoken attack, he suggested that this bureaucracy will only play into the hands of Eurosceptics, such as backbench Conservative MPs, who want to withdraw from the Union.

“If the whole political establishment is about to disappear in to a windowless room in Brussels discussing things that no one understands, it means absolutely nothing to millions of ordinary people who are worried about their jobs, worried about economic security, worried about prospects for their children,” he said.

“I tell you the only people who will benefit are populists, chauvinists and demagogues who will exploit that lack of political leadership… At the moment, our priority is the economy, the economy, the economy.” Read on and comment » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Herman Cain on Libya
Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain talks to the ‘Journal Sentinel’ editorial board about the Obama administration’s handling of Libya

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Herman Cain's poor grasp of foreign policy goes viral: Herman Cain's poor grasp of US foreign policy has gone viral, with a video showing the Republican candidate struggling to comment on Barack Obama's stance on Libya. » | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Herman Cain's Wife Gloria Rejects Sexual Harassment Allegations
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Herman Cain's wife Gloria has rejected accusations of sexual harassment against her husband, a leading Republican presidential candidate, insisting: "He totally respects women."


Speaking publicly for the first time, Mrs Cain told Fox News: "You hear the graphic allegations and we know that would have been something that's totally disrespectful of her as a woman. And I know the type of person he is."

After listening to the string of accusations about her husband levelled by at least four women, Mrs Cain said, "I'm thinking he would have to have a split personality to do the things that were said."

The most lurid allegations came from Sharon Bialek, 50, who said that in 1997 Mr Cain lunged at her in a parked car, putting his hand up her skirt and pushing her head down towards his crotch.

Mr Cain has said that his wife of 43 years, who suffers from a serious heart condition, was already aware of allegations made back in 1999, when he ran the National Restaurant Association, where Miss Bialek had worked. Two other women from the association received severance payments after making allegations against Mr Cain. Read on and comment » | Toby Harnden, Washington | Monday, November 14, 2011

Les cigarettes «anti-incendie» vont être obligatoires en Europe
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Afin d'éviter les incendies, les fabricants de tabac de l'Union européenne vont avoir l'obligation dès jeudi de mettre sur le marché, uniquement des cigarettes qui s'éteignent toutes seules, lorsqu'elles sont laissées à l'abandon.

Les fabricants de tabac vont avoir l’obligation à partir de jeudi de mettre sur le marché uniquement des cigarettes dites "à faible propension à l’inflammation", qui s’éteignent toute seule au bout d’un certain temps afin d’éviter les incendies.

"Une cigarette sûre n’existe pas et, de toute évidence, le plus sûr est de ne pas fumer du tout. Mais pour ceux qui choisissent de fumer, les nouvelles normes qui entreront bientôt en vigueur obligeront les fabricants de cigarettes" à appliquer ces règles qui pourraient "protéger des centaines de citoyens contre le risque d’incendie", a estimé le commissaire européen à la santé et aux consommateurs, John Dalli. Ces cigarettes ont la particularité de s’éteindre d’elles-mêmes lorsqu’elles sont laissées à l’abandon. » | AFP | lundi 14 novembre 2011

Une blogueuse nue défie les conservateurs égyptiens

LE FIGARO: Aliaa Elmahdy pose nue sur son blog. De quoi choquer les islamistes, mais peut-être aussi les renforcer, en décrédibilisant les libéraux.

Défi courageux lancé aux conservateurs? «Suicide social»? Ou provocation gratuite qui va renforcer les islamistes en choquant la majorité très conservatrice et pieuse des Égyptiens?

Le débat fait rage en Égypte, particulièrement sur Twitter, depuis que la nouvelle s'est répandue qu'Aliaa Magda Elmahdy a créé fin octobre un blog sur lequel elle et un de ses amis posent entièrement nus. La jeune femme, qui se définit comme «individualiste et athée» était jusqu'alors une inconnue en Égypte, mais elle se présente sur son compte Facebook comme la petite amie de Karim Amer, un blogueur alexandrin condamné en 2007 à quatre ans en prison pour avoir «insulté l'Islam» sur son blog. Il y avait notamment dénoncé la dérive fondamentaliste, selon lui, de la mosquée-université d'Al-Azhar, vitrine de l'islam officiel égyptien. » | Par Tangi Salaün | lundi 14 novembre 2011

Anders Behring Breivik: 'I Am the Commander of Norway's Resistance Movement'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anders Behring Breivik, the self-confessed killer who massacred 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in Norway earlier this year, has claimed to be the commander of a Norwegian "resistance movement".

Breivik's first public hearing before a packed Oslo court was the first time victims and family and friends of the dead had seen the 32-year old since he killed eight in the Norwegian capital with a bomb before shooting 69 people dead at a youth camp on the island of Utoya back in July.

Anne Leer, a journalist in court, said Breivik looked his victims straight in the eye when he entered the court.

"I am a military commander in the Norwegian resistance movement and Knights Templar Norway," Breivik said in a low and controlled voice. "Regarding the competence (of the court), I object to it because you received your mandate from organisations that support hate ideology (and) because it supports multiculturalism."

The public presence of the anti-Muslim extremist produced a maelstrom of emotions for those who survived the massacre or those who lost loved ones. Some left the court sobbing while others remained, curious to see the man responsible for so much death and suffering. » | Matthew Day | Monday, November 14, 2011

Related »

LE FIGARO: Le tueur d'Oslo reste en prison trois mois de plus : Anders Behring Breivik, l'auteur du massacre du 22 juillet en Norvège, comparaissait pour la première fois en public lundi devant le tribunal d'Oslo. » | Par lefigaro.fr | lundi 14 novembre 2011

THE ATLANTIC WIRE: Anders Breivik Demands Psychiatrists and Cigarettes » | Connor Simpson | Saturday, August 02, 2011

BBC: Norway attacks: Breivik makes ‘unrealistic’ demands » | Saturday, August 02, 2011

Arab Press Predicts Regional War Over Syria

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Syria's growing isolation from its neighbours has raised the prospect of a regional war, according to Arab analysts and newspapers.

Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based pan-Arab nationalist newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi, raised the prospect of a conflagration in which a Turkish attack on Syria would coincide with an Israeli attack on Syria's closest ally, Iran.

Other newspapers renewed claims, first raised in the summer, that Turkey was on the brink of ordering its troops to create a "buffer zone" on its border with Syria as a safe haven for refugees from the crackdown on protest by President Bashar al-Assad.

That could trigger a confrontation between the two former friends and allies.

Although the Arab League and certainly western powers including the European Union and Nato have denied suggestions of a military intervention, Syrian opposition leaders are less adamant in their rejection of the use of armed force than hitherto. » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Monday, November 14, 2011

Verwandt »

Jordaniens König Abdullah fordert Assad zum Rücktritt auf
HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT: Arabische Liga will Syriens Ausschluss am Mittwoch bei Sondertreffen in Kraft setzen. Syrische Opposition hofft auf Hilfe der Türkei. EU verschärft Sanktionen.

BRÜSSEL/BEIRUT/DAMASKUS/ANKARA/LONDON/RABAT. Der jordanische König Abdullah hat den syrischen Präsidenten Baschar Assad zum Rücktritt aufgefordert. In einem Interview mit dem britischen Rundfunksender BBC sagte Abdullah, Assad sollte vor seinem Abgang einen politischen Dialog einleiten und sicherstellen, dass sein Nachfolger "die Fähigkeit hat, den Status quo zu ändern“. Weiter sagte der König: "Wenn ich an seiner Stelle wäre, würde ich zurücktreten.“ Die Europäische Union hat am Montag neue Sanktionen gegen Syrien verhängt, mit denen Assad dazu bewegt werden soll, das harte Vorgehen gegen die seit acht Monaten andauernde Protestbewegung zu stoppen. Die Arabische Liga hatte am Sonnabend entschieden, die Mitgliedschaft Syriens wegen der blutigen Niederschlagung der Proteste ab Mittwoch vorübergehend auszusetzen. Zuvor hatte das Assad-Regime massiv gegen Bedingungen einer Friedensinitiative der Liga verstoßen. » | abendblatt.de mit Material von dpa, rtr dapd und kna | Montag 14. November 2011

Westerwelle kündigt weitere Sanktionen gegen Syrien

lePARISIEN.fr: Syrie : le roi de Jordanie exhorte al Assad à quitter le pouvoir – Après que Rifaat al-Assad, oncle du président syrien, a fait savoir qu'il souhaitait incarner une nouvelle voix de l'opposition, le roi Abdallah II de Jordanie a été lundi le premier dirigeant arabe à appeler Bachar al-Assad à «quitter le pouvoir». Le secrétaire général de la Ligue arabe Nabil al-Arabi va, de son côté, rencontrer des opposants syriens en prévision d'une réunion des ministres arabes des Affaires étrangères prévue mercredi à Rabat. » | LeParisien.fr | lundi 14 novembre 2011

European Debt Crisis Is Worst Time Since Second World War, Says Angela Merkel
THE GUARDIAN: German leader calls for 'not less Europe, but more' to improve economic situation

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has called for a stronger political union in Europe to overcome the ongoing debt crisis, which she called "maybe Europe's most difficult hours since world war two".

A breakthrough in the crisis will be achieved not by "less Europe, but more", she told members of her conservative party gathered for their annual convention in the eastern German city of Leipzig on Monday.

The European Union's treaties must be overhauled to create a tighter political union, including measures to force countries in violation of fiscal discipline rules to face tough and automatic sanctions, even possibly hauling them to the European court of justice, Merkel said.

"We must develop the European Union's structure further. That does not mean less Europe, but more. That means creating an [sic] Europe that ensures that the euro has a future," she said.

She added that the crisis led people across the continent to realise that the problems of any state within the 17-nation eurozone today are also the problems of all other members.

"Our responsibility no longer stops at our countries' borders," she said. » | Associated Press | Monday, November 14, 2011

Exklusiv bei CDU.TV: Angela Merkel im Interview
Im Anschluss an ihre Rede stand Angela Merkel dem CDU-Internetfernsehen für ein exklusives Interview Rede und Antwort. Darin gewährte die CDU-Vorsitzende auch Einblicke in ihre persönliche Motivation angesichts der zahlreichen aktuellen Herausforderungen.

German Government Fears New Far-Right Terrorism after Neo-Nazi Killing Spree

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The German government Monday admitted gross failures by the security services in dealing with a new brand of far-right "terrorism" after revelations of a decade-long killing spree by neo-Nazis.

Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said it was still unclear whether a small group of extremists who admitted gunning down nine businessmen of foreign origin and a policewoman had a larger network behind them.

"It is deeply troubling that there was no connection made between the murder series across Germany and the far-right scene in Thuringia," the east German state where the group was based, Friedrich told the daily Bild.

"State interior ministers are calling for better co-ordination between police and domestic intelligence on the state level. I strongly back that."

Federal prosecutors launched the probe last week after the discovery of a pistol used in the murder of the nine people in the home of a 36-year-old woman, Beate Zschaepe, a self-confessed neo-Nazi.

Wanted by police for questioning over an armed robbery in the eastern city of Jena on November 4, she had turned herself in after blowing up a rented flat in the eastern town of Zwickau. » | Monday, November 14, 2011

BERLINER MORGENPOST: Hinweise auf weiteren Neonazi-Anschlag in Köln: Die unter Mordverdacht stehenden Thüringer Neonazis sollen für einen weiteren Anschlag in Köln verantwortlich sein. Dabei sei 2001 eine 19-jährige Deutsch-Iranerin durch eine Sprengfalle im Lebensmittelgeschäft schwer verletzt worden. Anhaltspunkte dazu hat die Polizei offenbar auf einer DVD gefunden worden. » | Montag 14. November 2011

BERLINER MORGENPOST: Video “Haftbefehl gegen Beate Z.” hier abspielen

BERLINER MORGENPOST: Video “Döner-Morde Tat von Neonazis” hier abspielen