Thursday, January 26, 2012
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The European Union embargo on Iranian oil will only come into effect in six months, but the leadership in Tehran wants to act first: Exports to Europe are set to be halted immediately. It is a move which could mean added difficulties for struggling economies in southern Europe.
It's a move which has tit-for-tat written all over it, but one which could nonetheless have a serious impact: The Iranian government wants to present a bill to parliament this weekend calling for an immediate halt to oil deliveries to Europe. The move, with most reports citing the Iranian news agency Mehr, has come about in response to the EU agreement to impose sanctions against Iran, which were announced earlier this week. » | dsk -- with wires | Thursday, January 26, 2012
THE HILL: CAMBRIDGE, MD.— House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday dismissed the idea that she has dirt on GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich.
The California Democrat said speculation that she's withholding scandalous information on the former House Speaker in hopes of derailing his candidacy is false. Her recent comments on the topic, she said, have been misinterpreted.
"I have said over and over again, as far as Speaker Gingrich is concerned, I refer you to the public record," Pelosi said at a press conference amid the Democrats' annual issues conference near the Chesapeake Bay. "It's a matter of public record."
Pelosi—who served on the Ethics Committee that investigated, and ultimately sanctioned, Gingrich for violating tax law and lying to investigators in the 1990s — raised eyebrows last month when she seemed to suggest she had damning information on Gingrich she was willing to spill. » | Mike Lillis | Thursday, January 26, 2012
THE HILL: Mystery: What Nancy Pelosi has on Newt » | Alicia M. Cohn | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Newt Gingrich would like to see an amnesty, Ron Paul thinks government, not business should take responsibility for the problem and Mitt Romney would veto any path to citizenship, but on the ground in Texas the problem of illegal immigration defies a soundbite solution.
In a border state where the economy is buoyed by the work of illegal immigrants, the idea of shipping them all home isn’t quite as simple as it seems. » | Alastair Good, Texas | Monday, January 23, 2012
An award-winning film partly inspired by Yildiz's story, which opened in dozens of cinemas across Turkey last week, is putting the spotlight on gays in a Muslim country that is seeking European Union membership but remains influenced by conservative and religious values.
The film "Zenne Dancer" — or male belly dancer — is not the nation's first gay-themed movie but is the first to explore the little-known phenomenon of men killed by family members for being gay. So-called honor killings in Turkey usually target women accused of disgracing the family.
"Our main aim was to convey Ahmet's story, but by doing so we also wanted to expose the pressure the (gay and lesbian community) faces from their family, the society and the state," said Mehmet Binay, who co-directed and produced the film with his partner, Caner Alper. » | Suzan Fraser, Associated Press | Tuesday, January 24, 2012
THE GUARDIAN: Equity survey finds only 57% of gay actors feel they can be open about their sexuality to their agents
One gay actor, quoted in theatre trade paper the Stage, said: "A previous agent of mine once told me to keep quiet about my sexuality and though I am out, I do not broadcast it."
However, 81% described themselves as out in their professional lives and 94% said they did not conceal their sexuality to fellow performers.
Over half of the gay actors who responded to the survey said that they feared being offered only stereotypical roles if they came out, while being denied romantic leads in particular.
One said: "I have seen others sidelined due to their sexuality and I know that I have been sidelined too." Another said: "It's OK for a straight actor to play gay roles but harder, if not impossible, the other way round."
Last January, Rupert Everett told the Observer that he regretted coming out, saying: "For an actor to be working (at all) is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren't. So it's just silly for a working actor to say, 'Oh, I don't care if anybody knows I'm gay' – especially if you're a leading man." » | Alex Needham | Thursday, January 26, 2012
THE GUARDIAN: Distrust of Europe seems inherently British, born of geographic distance and political loyalties
When the then prime minister, Harold Macmillan, acknowledged the strategic error and applied to join in 1961, his wartime ally, Charles de Gaulle, feared Britain would be an Anglo-Saxon Trojan horse and kept it out until 1973. In those early days it was Labour's leader, Hugh Gaitskell, who raised the Eurosceptic standard against losing "1,000 years of history" as an independent state. His enemies on the Labour left, who saw Europe as a capitalist ramp, cheered him on. Fellow moderates were appalled.
The Tories had their sceptics too – including pro-Commonwealth nostalgics – preaching the angry language of betrayal. They were marginalised, their rebellious votes neutralised by Europhile Labour and Liberal (later Lib Dem) MPs, as well as most of Fleet Street where – as at Westminster – most top jobs were held by "never again" veterans of the second world war.
With the exceptions of the pro-empire Daily Express and the communist Daily Worker, Fleet Street voted yes in the 1975 referendum on UK membership. Seven Labour cabinet members – led by Michael Foot – were allowed to campaign for a no. Margaret Thatcher campaigned for a yes with Harold Wilson, Ted Heath, David Steel and Roy Jenkins.
Only in the late 80s, as vivid wartime memories faded, did the centre of gravity shift in both main parties. Claiming to have been deceived, in 1988 Thatcher denounced "federalism" in Bruges, just as Neil Kinnock – encouraged by the visionary French European Commission president, Jacques Delors – led Labour to embrace a social Europe. It would protect workers against the free market capitalism of Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. As Labour swung towards Europe, most of Fleet Street swung the other way. So it has remained. » | Michael White | Thursday, January 26, 2012
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: MORE than 400 doctors, medical researchers and scientists have formed a powerful lobby group to pressure universities to close down alternative medicine degrees.
Almost one in three Australian universities now offer courses in some form of alternative therapy or complementary medicine, including traditional Chinese herbal medicine, chiropractics, homeopathy, naturopathy, reflexology and aromatherapy.
But the new group, Friends of Science in Medicine, wrote to vice-chancellors this week, warning that by giving "undeserved credibility to what in many cases would be better described as quackery" and by "failing to champion evidence-based science and medicine", the universities are trashing their reputation as bastions of scientific rigour. » | Kelly Burke | Thursday, January 26, 2012
In a Scottish government consultation paper published on Wednesday, the leader of the Scottish National Party said the 2014 referendum would ask Scotland's 4 million voters: “Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?”
Mr Salmond's plan for the independence vote set the stage for what some in Britain have described as a high-stakes constitutional poker game pitting Mr Salmond against the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, with the prize the right to dismantle, or preserve, Britain's existence as a united country.
Mr Cameron has insisted that only parliament in London has the legal power to approve a referendum on the potential breakup of the union between England and Scotland, which was forged in the Act of Union of 1707. He has also said London, not Edinburgh, should set the terms and timing of the vote.
Mr Salmond has rejected those positions and on Wednesday he threw down the gauntlet. Outlining his own terms for the ballot, he set a May deadline for the conclusion of a public consultation['] on its terms and suggested that Mr Cameron would have little choice in the end but to bow to whatever format Mr Salmond's government adopted. » | John Burns, Alan Cowell | Friday, January 27, 2012
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: THE federal government will help Australian same-sex couples marry in countries where gay marriage is legal by issuing them with documents currently available only to heterosexuals.
In several nations that allow gay marriage, including Portugal, Spain, Norway and South Africa, a person must produce a Certificate of No Impediment, which proves they are at least 18, unmarried and that there is no other barrier to them taking part in a marriage ceremony.
The Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, will announce today that from February 1 same-sex couples will be able to apply for the certificates. » | Dan Harrison | Friday, January 27, 2012
The outspoken former Test cricketer, who terrorised batsmen during his six-year international career, was forced to duck and weave after delivering a tweet described as "more than despicable" by the leader of an Islamic group.
"Just put out my Aussie flag for Australia Day but I wasn't sure if it would offend Muslims … So I wrote 'Allah is a shit' on it to make sure," Hogg tweeted at about noon yesterday. » | Andrew Wu | Friday, January 27, 2012
SUEDDEUTSCHE: Bei der Präsidentenwahl 2012 tritt ein anderer Barack Obama an als vor vier Jahren: Gefragt ist nicht mehr der Versöhner, sondern der Klassenkämpfer, der für soziale Gerechtigkeit eintritt. Das ist eigentlich unamerikanisch, aber trotzdem nötig. Denn angesichts eines extrem ungerechten Steuersystems, das schamlos die Reichen bevorzugt, haben viele US-Bürger das Grundvertrauen verloren: dass jeder die Chance habe, sein Glück zu machen.
Vor vier Jahren war Barack Obama als Versöhner angetreten. Die Amerikaner hatten ihn gewählt, weil sie hofften, dass er die Gräben zuschütten könnte, die sich in den ersten Jahren des neuen Jahrtausends unübersehbar aufgetan hatten: die tiefe Animosität zwischen den beiden politischen Lagern im Land und die klaffenden Unterschiede zwischen den Profiteuren der Boom-Jahre und dem Rest der Gesellschaft, in der immer mehr Menschen der Absturz drohte.
Inzwischen ist alles anders. Die Hoffnung, die Obama seinerzeit entgegenbrandete, ist längst dahin. Deshalb wird sich diesmal ein anderer Obama zur Wahl stellen. Das hat er in seiner Ansprache zur Lage der Nation im Kongress unmissverständlich zu verstehen gegeben. 2012 tritt Obama der Klassenkämpfer an. » | Ein Kommentar von Reymer Klüver | Mittwoch 25. Januar 2012
Barack Obama left Washington on a tour of swing states crucial to his re-election in November after delivering a populist state of the union speech that launched his 2012 campaign.
Obama called for a fairer, more equal America, the theme he is to pursue throughout the campaign, branding the Republicans as the party of the rich elite.
Republicans accused him of promoting "class warfare" and adopting "left-wing demagoguery".
Although Obama did not mention by name one of the Republicans chasing the party nomination to be his challenger, Mitt Romney was the president's target when Obama called for a minimal tax rate of 30% for millionaires.
"Washington should stop subsidising millionaires," the president said.
He added: "Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense." » | Ewen McAskill in Miami | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The 59-year-old actor is said to be considering converting to Islam following a working trip to Istanbul.
According to The Sun, Neeson admitted that Islamic prayer 'got into his spirit' while he was filming in Turkey.
'The call to prayer happens five times a day, and for the first week, it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit, and it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing,' he said.
'There are 4,000 mosques in the city. Some are just stunning, and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim.'
Neeson was raised in Northern Ireland as a devout Roman Catholic due to his parents[‘] beliefs. » | Kirsty McCormack | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
DOPPIO SCHERMO: Liam Neeson verso la conversione all'Islam: L'attore ha confessato che la preghiera islamica "gli è entrata nello spirito", durante le riprese di un nuovo film a Istanbul. » | Scritto da Sonia Arpaia | Mercoledì 25 Gennaio 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Omar Bakri Mohammed, the radical cleric banned from the United Kingdom for 'glorifying terrorism', has told the Daily Telegraph from his base in the Middle East that al Qaeda is poised to wage war against the Syrian regime.
"In two or three operations, [al Qaeda] can make the Ba'ath party run away," he added. "With self sacrifices operations – you call them suicide bombings, al Qaeda will go to the Parliament when the Ba'ath are inside, he will explode and he will say 'Oh God receive me. Oh God I am hurrying towards you'".
"Al Qaeda are so clever, they can make so many weapons from nothing. They can go to any kitchen, make a very nice pizza bomb and deliver it fresh," added Bakri.
Speaking from his new home in Lebanon, the self styled cleric who caused controversy after the 2005 London bombings by blaming them on the government and British public, called the wave of pro-democracy revolutions that have swept the Middle East in the past year, 'al-Qaeda's victory'.
The volatility in the Arab world, and the dismantling of authoritarian regimes and ruthless intelligence services have given Salafist groups room to breathe and the thousands of jailed Islamists in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, released as the dictatorships crumbled, have been perfect for recruiting he added. » | Ruth Sherlock, Beirut | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
...common to the Nazi creed of the sword and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Not only has a school been opened in Berlin, where Moslem students are given free education and board; it has been decided to "convert" 25000 Nazis to Mohammedanism. They will be organised in a newly-formed Moslem association, Jamait-e-Muslimin, which already has an understanding with the Mufti, a leader of the Palestinian Arabs. It is intended that the 25000 converts shall be sent to various Moslem countries as trade and political missionaries. Two centres have already been started for them in the Near East. The one in Cairo directs Nazi work in Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, and Transjordania. [Source: Liberty News] | Paula Poster | Thursday, January 19, 2012
WILMINGTON POLITICAL BUZZ EXAMINER: A member of the Kuwait's royal family has reportedly renounced his Islamic beliefs and has embraced Christianity.
It's being reported in the Italian newspaper La Stampa’s 'Vatican Insider' section, that Prince Abdullah al-Sabah announced his conversion in an audio file on the Arabic-language Christian television station al-Haqiqa.
According to the report, Abdullah stated:
"First of all, I fully agree with the distribution of this audio file and I now declare that if they kill me because of it, then I will appear before Jesus Christ and be with Him for all eternity."In an apparent acknowledgment to the real possibility of martyrdom due to his embrace of Christianity, Prince Abdullah declared:
"I will accept whatever they do to me, because the truth in the Bible has guided me towards the right path."
The Prince is also reported to have stated:
"Islamic communities have always wanted to attack in different parts of the world but God has preserved the world and still protects it.» | Timothy Whiteman | Monday, January 23, 2012
This is why we have recently seen disagreements appearing among Islamic groups who are now fighting with each other.
They are about to divide further into different groups."
Bloomberg said police have stopped showing officers The Third Jihad, a 72-minute movie that has been branded inflammatory by some Muslim organisations and was produced by a conservative group called the Clarion Fund.
"Somebody exercised some terrible judgment," he said in Albany, the state capital. "As soon as they found out about it, they stopped it." » | AP | Thursday, January 26, 2012
DIE PRESSE: Der norwegische Attentäter soll zur Beobachtung in eine psychiatrische Klinik eingewiesen werden. Sie erhoffen sich neue Erkenntnisse über seine Psyche. Ein erstes Gutachten hatte Breivik für unzurechnungsfähig erklärt. » | Ag. | Mittwoch 25. Januar 2012
THE WEASHINGTON POST: The most important figure in Tuesday night’s State of the Union address wasn’t on the House floor. In fact, he hasn’t taken a seat in front of the chamber in 13 years.
But as he campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination in Florida, former House speaker Newt Gingrich was doing more to boost President Obama’s reelection prospects than anything Obama himself could do. While Obama was using the speech to portray the Republicans as plutocrats, Gingrich was doing all he could to prove the caricature true. Read on and comment » | Dana Milbank | Opinion Writer | Tuesday, January 24, 2012
RT: In a move that has triggered outrage, Google has announced plans to bring all data collected from users’ separate accounts on its sites into a combined profile. Besides raising dubious questions about privacy, this offer is one you… cannot refuse.
The changes will take effect on March 1. Before that date, Google will notify its hundreds of millions of users about the new rules of the game. In preparation, the company is boosting its privacy policy and terms of service. Users will have to decide whether to agree with the new terms – or lose access to some of their favorite sites. There is no way of opting out of the changes.
Some say Google’s privacy announcement is frustrating and a little frightening."Even if the company believes that tracking users across all platforms improves their services, consumers should still have the option to opt out,” said Common Sense Media chief executive James Steyer, as cited by the Washington Post.
Google says the new policy reflects a “desire to create a simple product experience” that does what one needs, when one needs it. The changes, apparently, will also allow Google to offer more new services and other “cool things.” » | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has chosen a Kremlin-bankrolled satellite TV channel known for its relentless anti-Western propaganda to broadcast his new talk show.
“Details of the episodes and the guests featured are secret for now,” RT said in a statement, adding it was proud to be associated with the WikiLeaks founder.
On bail in the UK with strict limits on his freedom of movement pending possible extradition to Sweden on sex crime charges he denies, RT said Mr Assange would interview "’iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders’" – people Assange can clearly identify with, being a rather controversial figure himself.”
“The 40-year-old Australian media and internet entrepreneur will get to talk about the issues of the day with those he believes will shape the world tomorrow. » | Andrew Osborn, Moscow | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Embarrassing, inaccurate or simply personal data will have to be deleted from the internet and company databases if consumers ask, under a new set of European laws.
The move will mean that social networks such as Facebook or Twitter will have to comply with users' requests to delete everything they have ever published about themselves online. It will also mean that consumers will be able to force companies that hold data about them, such as for Tesco's Clubcard, to hand it over or remove it.
The changes, which could take more than two years to implement, also include a new EU power to fine companies up to 2 per cent of their global turnover if they breach the rules. Read on and comment » | Matt Warman, Consumer Technology Editor | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
As Europe struggles with its debt crisis and the global economic outlook remains gloomy at best, there's a sense at the heavily guarded World Economic Forum that free markets are on trial.
Many at the elite economic gathering in the Swiss Alps accept that more must be done to convince critics that Western capitalism has a future and that it can learn from its massive failures.
For David Rubenstein, the co-founder and managing director of asset management firm Carlyle Group, leaders must work fast to overcome the current crisis or else different models of capitalism, such as the form practiced in China, may win the day.
"As a result of this recession, that's lasted longer than anyone predicted and will probably go on for a number more years ... we're going to have a lot of economic disparities," Rubenstein said. "We've got to work through these problems. If we don't do in three or four years ... the game will be over for the type of capitalism that many of us have lived through and thought was the best type." » | Pan Pylas, AP Business Writer | Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Billionaire investor George Soros has warned the global economic system could collapse and riots on the streets of America are on the way.
The 81-year-old said he’d rather survive than stay rich as the world faces an ‘evil’ period and Europe fights a ‘descent into chaos and conflict’.
He has backed the euro, bought $2billion in European bonds and insisted the economic climate is similar to the 1930s Great Depression.
‘The euro must survive because the alternative - a breakup - would cause a meltdown that Europe, the world, can’t afford,’ he told Newsweek.
‘The situation is about as serious and difficult as I’ve experienced in my career. We are facing now a general retrenchment in the developed world.’
His warnings came as U.S. stocks dipped on Tuesday, with talks to resolve Greece's debt crisis faltering and threatening a five-day winning streak. » | Mark Duell | Tuesday, January 24, 2012
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