John Travolta Sued for $2m by Masseur 'Over Sexual Assault'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The actor John Travolta is being sued for $2 million (£1.2 million) by an unidentified masseur who claims the Hollywood star assaulted him sexually during a massage in January inside a room at the Beverly Hills Hotel, according to court documents.

The masseur, referred to as John Doe in court papers obtained by Reuters and filed last Friday, claims that Travolta rubbed his leg, touched his genitals and tried to initiate at least one sex act inside a private bungalow at the exclusive hotel on Jan. 16.

Travolta's spokesman dismissed the claim in a statement as a "baseless lie."

"On the date when plaintiff claims John met him, John was not in California and it can be proved that he was on the East Coast," the statement said. "John intends to get this case thrown out and then he will sue the attorney and plaintiff for malicious prosecution."

The masseur's lawyer, Pasadena, California-based Okorie Okorocha, said that under California law, a victim of a sexual assault like his client can file as John Doe if he fears extreme embarrassment if his identity is known. » | Source: Reuters | Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy to Resume Singing Career

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is to start singing live again and will release a new album of songs in the autumn, her promoter confirmed on Tuesday.

There are even rumours of France's outgoing first lady starring in a new biopic about her family history.

News of the 44-year-old's desire to revive her showbusiness career came after her husband, Nicolas Sarkozy, announced his retirement from politics.

The 57-year-old suffered a humiliating electoral defeat on Sunday night, meaning that he became the first French head of state to be rejected after just one term for 31 years.

Sarkozy is facing an uncertain future – his poor English means he is unlikely to be able to make money on the lucrative US lecture circuit, and he has ruled out any return to politics.

Veronique Rampazza, spokeswoman for Sarkozy's wife, said: "Carla did not put her career on hold during Nicolas Sarkozy's five years in office. She continues to compose.

"What she gave up for practical reasons was her public concerts, which she is now able to start again." » | Peter Allen in Paris | Tuesday, May 08, 2012

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Extremists vs. Extremists: Salafists and Right-Wing Populists Battle in Bonn

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Germany's right-wing populists are fond of insulting Islam in order to attract attention. On Saturday, violence prone Salafists took the bait, resulting in a riot that left 29 police injured. Despite the clash, however, the anti-Islam party can continue to display their anti-Islam caricatures, a court has decided.

It was clear from the start that the tiny, right-wing populist group Pro-NRW would stop at nothing to attract attention in the run-up to state elections in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia this Sunday. With Salafists in the state now reacting violently to Pro-NRW's inflammatory parading of Muhammad caricatures in front of Muslim establishments, the splinter party appears to have gotten its wish.

On Saturday, violence flared anew when Salafists attacked police protecting a Pro-NRW demonstration in front of a Saudi Arabian school in Bonn. Twenty-nine officers were wounded, two of them having been stabbed, and more than 100 people were arrested. On Monday, a 25-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder in the knife attacks.

Ralf Jäger, interior minister for the state, promised that there would be "severe consequences," adding that he would "join the federal government in exploring all legal possibilities for countering these extremists." The police president in Bonn, Ursula Brohl-Sowa, spoke of an "explosion of violence like we haven't seen for some time."

The Pro-NRW march in Bonn consisted of just over two dozen people, but some 500 to 600 counter-demonstrators also gathered, including, according to police estimates, some 200 Salafists who had travelled to Bonn from across the country. Several hundred police were also present to keep the two groups separated. » | Charles Hawley | Monday, May 07, 2012

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Geert Wilders: "Marked For Death"

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Geert Wilders on the Glenn Beck Show: “Islam’s Ideology Is Dangerous”

HT: Always On Watch »

Pro-NRW-Demo vor Moschee: Kölner Polizei fürchtet neue Salafisten-Krawalle

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Köln rüstet sich für neue Ausschreitungen mit militanten Salafisten. Weil die rechtsextreme Gruppe Pro-NRW dort am Nachmittag vor einer Moschee demonstrieren will, könnte die Gewalt eskalieren. Die Union fordert ein schärferes Vorgehen gegen die Radikalen.

Köln/Berlin - Nordrhein-Westfalen fürchtet eine weitere Eskalation zwischen der rechtsextremistischen Kleinstpartei Pro-NRW und den radikalislamischen Salafisten. Am Dienstagnachmittag wollen Pro-NRW-Anhänger erneut demonstrieren, diesmal vor der im Bau befindlichen Kölner Zentralmoschee im Stadtteil Ehrenfeld.

Aus einer internen Lageeinschätzung der nordrhein-westfälischen Polizei, die SPIEGEL ONLINE vorliegt, geht hervor, dass die Behörden sich auf eine mögliche Verschärfung der Auseinandersetzung einstellen. Es sei bekannt geworden, heißt es in dem Papier, dass sich die Salafisten intensiv auf die heutige Kundgebung vorbereitet hätten. "Konkret will sich die Szene mit Schlagstöcken und Tränengas aufrüsten, um sich an den Einsatzkräften für die jüngsten Ereignisse in Bonn rächen zu können." Auch seien die Parteibüros und Anhänger von Pro-NRW weiterhin Ziele der radikalen Muslime.

"Wir werden den friedlichen Protest gegen die Wahlkampfveranstaltung ermöglichen. Gegen jede Form von Gewalt werden wir frühzeitig und konsequent vorgehen," kündigte Michael Temme, Einsatzleiter der Kölner Polizei, an. » | jdl/syd/heb/dpa | Dienstag, 08. Mai 2012

Verwandt »

Press Freedom Alarm Over Greek Party's Treatment Of Journalists
GUARDIAN – GREENSLADE BLOG: International press freedom watchdogs are watching the political situation in Greece with growing alarm following the treatment of journalists by the far-right Golden Dawn party.

After Golden Dawn obtained 7% of the vote, a press conference was staged by its leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos. Before his arrival, waiting reporters were ordered by party members to stand as a sign of respect.

Journalists who refused to do so were then expelled from the room.

This move came as little surprise to the Greek journalist Xenia Kounalaki. Last month, she wrote an article about Golden Dawn in the German weekly Der Spiegel, which prompted an attack on her on the party's website. Read on and comment » | Roy Greenslade | Tuesday, May 08, 2012

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Gay Couples to Win Legal Right to Marry Before Next Election
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Gay couples will be guaranteed the legal right to marry before the next general election, a Liberal Democrat minister has said.

Lynne Featherstone, the equalities minister, defied Tory backbench MPs who want the proposal to be dropped, declaring: “There will be no U-turn on equal marriage.”

She said the Coalition would continue to focus on “core issues”, such as reducing the deficit, at the same time as introducing laws allowing same-sex couples to marry by the end of this Parliament.

Her remarks, on her constituency blog, will fuel tensions between Liberal Democrats and Tories over the direction of the government.

Since last week’s poor election results for both Coalition parties, a succession of Conservatives have demanded that David Cameron and Nick Clegg abandon “fringe issues” and focus on the economy.

Miss Featherstone insists that the coalition can introduce equal marriage and secure the economic recovery at the same time. » | Tim Ross, Political Correspondent | Monday, May 07, 2012

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Al-Qaeda Underwear Bomb Plot Proof of 'Perverse' Lengths They Will Go To
Al-Qaeda's plot to blow up a US-bound plane with an underwear bomb is proof of the "perverse and terrible" lengths they are willing to go, according to Hillary Clinton.

Read the article here | Raf Sanchez | Washington | Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Related »

CIA Foils New Al-Qaeda Underwear Bomb Plot
The CIA has disrupted an al-Qaeda plot to bring down a US-bound airline using a new underwear bomb around the anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death.

Read the article here | Raf Sanchez | Washington | Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Angela Merkel Facing Political Fight of Her Life over France and Greece Austerity Rejection

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Angela Merkel is under pressure to defeat the popular backlash against austerity to save her own political skin and to preserve Germany's dominance in the eurozone system.

Over the next four weeks, the German chancellor has the fight of her political life on all fronts, domestic and European, at a moment when one slip could sink her government and tear down the European Union's single currency.

In the coming days, Mrs Merkel must take the lead in trying to find an answer for the Greece [sic] crisis after three[-]fifths of Greek voters rejected EU austerity measures, crafted in Frankfurt, the home of the European Central Bank.

German taxpayers have put 211 billion euros on the line to bail-out [sic] countries like Greece, and Germany's patience is running out with countries that reject the economic medicine they are prescribed to cut debt while continuing to demand the hand[-]outs.

In order to appease her highly taxed voters worried that EU bailouts breached Germany's constitution, Mrs Merkel made German economic aid conditional on all eurozone countries signing the "fiskalpakt [sic]".

The treaty, signed by 25 EU countries, gives Brussels officials the right to block budgets that break spending rules that must be enshrined in national constitutions, as is the case in Germany. » | Bruno Waterfield, Paris | Monday, May 07, 2012

French and Greek Political Earthquakes Point to Rise of the Anti-austerity Movement

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anti-austerity movements are gathering pace across Europe following political earthquakes in France and Greece, with 12 governments dismissed over the last three years.

With unemployment in Europe at its highest level since the creation of the single currency, resentment has been growing over whether strict budgetary discipline is the best way to brace a spiral of debt.

Street protests have been seen across Italy, Spain and Portugal as people reacted to spending cuts that have slowed economies across Europe.

Savings have been wiped out and in Spain, a real estate crash has helped swell unemployment to 25 per cent of the workforce.

Many economists have advocated a greater emphasis on growth, but it has only gained traction among European policy-makers and politicians in the past few weeks.

Paul Krugman, an economics Nobel Prize winner, welcomed the anti-austerity groundswell in Europe, saying the bloc’s voters proved “wiser than the Continent’s best and brightest”.

He said the health of the German economy was “an argument for much more expansionary policies elsewhere, and in particular for the European Central Bank to drop its obsession with inflation and focus on growth”. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Monday, May 07, 2012

Greek Immigrants Urge Parties to Isolate Far-Right Golden Dawn

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Greece's immigrant community on Monday urged political parties to work together to isolate a far-Right, virulently anti-immigrant party that won more than 20 seats in parliament for the first time.

Chrysi Avgi, or Golden Dawn, regarded as a fringe group only a year ago, stunned political observers by winning 6.97 per cent – 21 seats – in Sunday's election.

Leader Nikos Michaloliakos, who gave the fascist salute upon taking his seat in the Athens town council two years ago, said: "The time for fear has come for those who betrayed this homeland."

Flanked by menacing shaven-headed young men who form the party's core, he added: "No one should fear me if they are a good Greek citizen. If they are traitors – I don't know." » | Alex Spillius, Athens | Monday, May 07, 2012

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Rechtsextreme dürfen Mohammed-Karikaturen zeigen: Polizei fürchtet weitere Salafisten-Krawalle in NRW*

FOCUS ONLINE: Gewaltbereite Salafisten machen in NRW nach Erkenntnissen der Polizei erneut mobil. Nach den Krawallen in Bonn wollen sie sich in Köln gegen die rechtsextreme Splitterpartei Pro NRW versammeln. Einen Angriff auf Polizisten werten die Ermittler als Mordversuch.

Nach den schweren Ausschreitungen in Bonn hat die Polizei Hinweise auf weitere geplante Gewalttaten von Salafisten an diesem Dienstag in Köln. Dort ist eine Wahlkampf-Kundgebung der rechtsextremen Splitterpartei Pro NRW geplant. Die Behörden haben es mehr als 100 Islamisten verboten, Kölner Stadtgebiet zu betreten, teilte das Innenministerium in Düsseldorf mit. Außerdem dürfen die Rechtsextremisten von Pro NRW nicht in unmittelbarer Nähe einer Moschee demonstrieren und auch keine islamkritischen Karikaturen zeigen.

Verwaltungsgerichte in Minden und Arnsberg haben indes das Zeigen der Mohammed-Karikaturen erlaubt. Bei Ausschreitungen zwischen Salafisten und der Polizei waren am Samstag in Bonn 29 Polizisten verletzt worden, zwei durch Messerstiche schwer. Gegen einen 25-jährigen Islamisten wurde Haftbefehl wegen dreifachen versuchten Polizistenmordes erlassen. Der Mann aus Hessen sei wegen mehrfacher gefährlicher Körperverletzung bekannt, sagte ein Sprecher der Bonner Staatsanwaltschaft. Er habe den Angriff auf die Beamten gestanden, bestreite aber eine Tötungsabsicht. » | jba/dpa | Montag, 07. Mai 2012

*NRW – Nordrhein-Westfalen target=_blank> » [E]

France's Hollande Plunges into Debt Crisis
President-elect Francois Hollande's decisions on eurozone austerity and NATO troop withdrawals will be closely watched.

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AT&T to Pay Muslim Woman $5m in Harassment Case
THE KANSAS CITY STAR: KANSAS CITY, MO. -- A former Kansas City woman who converted to Islam in 2005 said she was harassed for years at AT&T, and that the abuse boiled over in 2008 when her boss snatched her head scarf and exposed her hair.

A Jackson County jury on Thursday awarded Susann Bashir $5 million in punitive damages in her discrimination lawsuit, along with $120,000 in lost wages and other actual damages.

The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/JKWbqR) reported Saturday the award appears to be the largest jury verdict for a workplace discrimination case in Missouri history.

Bashir said in court documents that her work environment became hostile immediately after she converted, with her co-workers making harassing comments about her religion and referring to her hijab as "that thing on her head."

"I was shocked. I thought, 'What is going on?'" she told the newspaper. "Nobody ever cared what I wore before. Nobody ever cared what religion I was before."

Bashir worked at AT&T's office in Kansas City for 10 years as a fiber optics network builder before being fired from her $70,000-a-year job. She claimed she endured religious discrimination nearly every day of the final three years she worked there, including being asked if she was going to blow up the building and being called a "towelhead" and a terrorist.

AT&T said Friday it disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal. » | The Associated Press | Saturday, May 05, 2012

Toronto Islamic School Removes Parts of Curriculum from Website Casting Jews as ‘Treacherous,’ Akin to Nazis

NATIONAL POST: A Toronto Islamic school said Monday it had removed part of its curriculum from its website following a complaint about the material, which depicts Jews as “treacherous” and comparable to Nazis.

“We are looking into it,” said Masuma Jessa, principal of the East End Madrassah, which operates out of David and Mary Thompson Collegiate Institute, a Toronto District School Board facility.

In a press release, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs complained the madrassa’s curriculum was rife with antisemitic slurs. The document refers to “Jewish plots and treacheries” and calls Jews “crafty.”

“Using religion to promote hatred among youth is not just offensive and abhorrent – it shows a stunning disregard for Canada’s basic values of decency and tolerance,” David Spiro, Greater Toronto Co-Chair of centre said.

“Canadians of all backgrounds would be outraged to learn that horrific conspiracy theories are included in this curriculum, including the blood libel that Jews plotted to kill Muhammad. » | Stewart Bell | Monday, May 07, 2012

Nicolas Sarkozy arrête définitivement la politique

LE FIGARO: Le président sortant Nicolas Sarkozy a confirmé lundi aux poids lourds de la majorité qu'il quittait la vie politique et livré son regard sur sa défaite.

De l'émotion. De la gravité aussi. Nicolas Sarkozy a reçu son comité de campagne lundi à 14 heures, à l'Élysée. Une vingtaine de personnes, dont François Fillon, Jean-François Copé, et les représentants des différentes sensibilités, ainsi que des ministres et ses principaux collaborateurs, dont sa plume Henri Guaino. Le président sortant les a reçus à l'heure dite. La réunion a duré une heure. Fatigué, le teint gris et les traits marqués, Sarkozy a toutefois fait bonne figure en se montrant calme et serein, au lendemain d'une défaite à laquelle il a cru jusqu'au bout pouvoir échapper. Il a une nouvelle fois confirmé qu'il arrêtait la politique: «Une page se tourne pour moi, a-t-il confié. Je ne serai pas candidat aux législatives, ni aux élections à venir.» Il a ajouté, dans un sourire: «Soyez rassurés, je renouvellerai ma carte (de l'UMP) et je payerai ma cotisation. Mais je quitte l'opérationnel.» » | Par Solenn de Royer | lundi 07 mai 2012

Une vidéo en relation avec cet article »

Sarkozy is quitting politics for good. He loves life too much to be bitter. He’d leave tomorrow if he could, but he has to respect tradition. The French falling out of love with him, his personality, his politics will be worse for him than his divorce from Cécilia. Carla will welcome his withdrawal from political life. »

Schwere Verluste für Regerierungsparteien

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Angry Greeks Send a Message by Punishing Parties of Austerity
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Greek voters on Sunday delivered a resounding message to Europe's leaders that their tolerance for austerity has reached its limits by choosing a parliament with a majority of MPs from anti-bailout parties.


The two mainstream parties that approved the second international £110 billion rescue loan and its stringent requirements for cuts were heavily punished as support surged for the Left and Right.

The shattering of the political status quo threw into doubt Greece's commitment to meeting the terms of its debt and could spread instability throughout the euro zone. Weeks of uncertainty are likely to follow as numerous parties vie to cobble a majority coalition, with a fresh election within two months a distinct possibility.

There will also be fears that ensuing political instability will see a return to the street violence that has scarred Athens since the debt crisis surfaced two years ago. » | Alex Spillius, Athens | Sunday, May 06, 2012

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eKathimerini »

Falklands: Argentina Ambassador Calls for Britain to Hand Back 'Colonial Enclave'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: British relations in South America could falter if the UK Government refuses to hand over the Falkland Islands to Argentina, the country's ambassador to London said today.

Alicia Castro tried to pull Argentina's immediate neighbours into the dispute, claiming UK diplomatic and business relations could be damaged if the islands were not handed over to Buenos Aires.

She said Las Malvinas – Argentina's name for the Falklands – would be better off if they cut their ties with the UK.

Describing the islands as a "colonial enclave", she said her government would send teachers to the islands to teach Spanish, while it also wanted to re-establish direct flights between the Falklands and the mainland.

She told Dermot Murnaghan on Sky News that Argentina "did not want to change the way of life" on the Falklands, insisting the islands had to be "given back to Latin America as a whole". Read on and comment » | Sunday, May 06, 2012

Penguin News »

Benjamin Netanyahu Calls Early Israel Election

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Israel was propelled into election season one year ahead of schedule on Sunday night with an announcement from Benjamin Netanyahu that the country will take to the polls in four months.

“I am not interested in a year and a half long election campaign that would damage the country. I would rather have a four-month swift election campaign that would bring political system to stability quickly,” Mr Netanyahu told fellow Likud party members during his opening address at their annual conference in Tel Aviv.

Mr Netanyahu praised leaders of rival parties, whom he conceded had “much to offer” but swiftly dismissed them as viable candidates to replace him as prime minister.

“The state of Israel cannot afford to have a prime minister without the economic, diplomatic and security experience necessary [for the job],” he said.

Mr Netanyahu's announcement had long been predicted by Israeli media and government officials. » | Phoebe Greenwood in Tel Aviv | Sunday, May 06, 2012

US Election 2012: Joe Biden Weighs into Gay Marriage Debate

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Joe Biden, the US vice president, said he was "absolutely comfortable" with gay marriage on Sunday as he waded into one the most divisive issues of the forthcoming presidential election.

"I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties," he said a television interview.

His remarks came as the Obama administration continued to walk a political tightrope over same-sex marriages, with Barack Obama's own position on the issue said by aides to be "evolving".

In a sign of how sensitive an issue gay marriage is for Mr Obama's campaign strategists, gay rights groups initially took Mr Biden's words on NBC's "Meet the Press" as a significant step towards full endorsement, only for senior Obama aides to say the position remained unchanged.

David Axelrod, the Obama campaign chief strategist, clarified on Twitter that Mr Biden had only "precisely" stated Mr Obama's position that "that all married couples should have exactly the same legal rights".

A Biden aide then added further clarification: "The vice president was saying what the president has said previously – that committed and loving same-sex couples deserve the same rights and protections enjoyed by all Americans, and that we oppose any effort to rollback those rights. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Sunday, May 06, 2012

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Bahrain Arrests Prominent Rights Activist

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Bahraini rights activist Nabeel Rajab, a leader of protests against authorities in the Gulf kingdom, has been arrested on his return from a trip abroad, the interior ministry and activists said on Sunday.

Mr Rajab, who heads the non-governmental Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), was arrested at the airport late on Saturday over charges of "participating in illegal assembly and calling others to join," the centre said in a statement.

His trial is expected to begin on Sunday.

"Nabeel Rajab arrested by order of public prosecution. All legal procedures are being taken," the interior ministry said on its Twitter account.

Mr Rajab was returning from Lebanon where he met the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, according to activist Mohammed al-Maskati, who travelled with him.

He was led away by people in plainclothes, Mr Maskati wrote on his Twitter page.

The BCHR said Mr Rajab could face further charges, as he was summoned for interrogation on April 26 accused of "insulting the statutory bodies". » | Source: AFP | Sunday, May 06, 2012

Nicolas Sarkozy : "Je porte toute la responsabilité de cette défaite (...). Il me faut en tirer toutes les conséquences."

Lien en relation avec cette vidéo »

François Hollande raconté par sa famille et ses mentors
Son visage est apparu sur la scène politique en 1981 lorsqu'il est devenu conseiller de François Mitterrand. Pourtant, il y a quelques mois encore, ils étaient peu nombreux à imaginer François Hollande à L'Elysée. Sa passion de la politique l'a forgé, dès l'enfance. – FTVi / Hélène Hug et Frédéric Faure - France 2

Clinton 'Hurt' by Charges of Anti-Islam US Bias

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was hurt by the idea that the United States was against Islam, during a public forum in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Clinton claims the US has gone farther than most countries to guarantee legal protections for minorities.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday she was deeply hurt by charges that the United States was biased against Muslims, staunchly defending her country's record in protecting minorities.

Clinton, visiting the world's third largest Muslim-majority country Bangladesh, was asked by a student at a public forum about perceptions that the United States was against Islam.

"That hurts me so much," Clinton said. "It's a painful perception to hear about and I deeply regret that anyone believes that or propagates it."

Clinton said that the decade of US-led war was "self-defense" after the September 11, 2001 attacks by Al-Qaeda and said extremists "perverted" the teachings of Islam. » | AFP | Sunday, May 06, 2012

Al Qaeda Releases New Video of Elderly American Hostage

Read the article here | Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz | Monday, May 07, 2012

Syria Goes to Polls amid Deadly Unrest
For the first time in decades, Syria will hold multi-party elections on Monday. The parliamentary vote is seen by supporters of Bashar al-Assad as proof of his committment to political reform. But critics say it is anything but. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports on whether this election is likely to achieve any political change.

Putin Sworn In as Russia's President
Vladimir Putin attends glittering Kremlin ceremony a day after police clashed with thousands of protesters in Moscow.

François Hollande Elected as French President
With the celebrations barely over, France's president-elect has already got down to business, promising massive change. Francois Hollande says he'll spend more and create new jobs. The Socialist leader says he'll also challenge the strict economic austerity measures imposed by Europe. Al Jazeera's Emma Hayward reports from Paris, the French capital.

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Socialist Hollande Wins French Presidency
Francois Hollande has been elected president of France, the country's first Socialist leader in nearly two decades. Addressing jubilant supporters in the French capital, Paris, he called for a change in Europe's austerity direction. Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons reports.

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Pro-bailout Parties Weakened in Greece Vote
Greeks have voted heavily against austerity measures in Sunday's parliamentary poll. The country's two main political parties, both backers of the eurozone's stringent bailout scheme, suffered a dramatic fall in support. With no outright majority, the next government will most likely be a coalition. Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips reports from Athens.

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Greek Voters Punish Ruling Coalition Over Austerity
FRANCE 24: Voters delivered a blow to Greece's traditional ruling parties, the conservative New Democracy and the Pasok socialists, on Sunday as voters moved to anti-austerity parties on the far right and left. Nobody won enough votes to form a government.

AP: Furious Greeks punished the two parties that have dominated politics for decades in the crisis-battered country Sunday, leaving its multibillion dollar international bailout - and even its future in the euro currency - hanging in the balance.

With more than 83 percent of the vote counted, Greece appeared to be heading toward political stalemate. Nobody won enough votes to form a government, and the two parties that backed the bailout - the conservative New Democracy and socialist PASOK - conceded they need to win over adversaries to form a viable coalition.

“I understand the rage of the people, but our party will not leave Greece ungoverned,” said New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras.

New Democracy was leading with nearly 20 percent of the vote, which would give it 110 seats in the 300-member parliament. PASOK, which has spent 21 years in government since 1981 and stormed to victory with more than 43 percent in 2009, saw its support slashed to about 13.5 percent. It will have just 41 seats, compared to 160 in the last election.

The two parties saw their support plummet to the lowest level since 1974, when Greece emerged from a seven-year dictatorship. The outcome showed widespread public anger at the harsh austerity measures imposed over the past two years in return for rescue loans from other European Union countries and the International Monetary Fund. Without the funds, Greece faced a disastrous default that could have dragged down other financially troubled European countries and seen it leave the euro.

Voters who deserted the two mainstays of Greek politics in droves headed to a cluster of smaller parties on both the left and right, including the extremist Golden Dawn, which rejects the neo-Nazi label and insists it is nationalist patriotic. The movement has been blamed for violent attacks on immigrants and ran on an anti-immigrant platform, vowing to “clean up” Greece and calling for land mines to be planted along the country’s borders. The party looked set to win about 7 percent of the vote, giving it 21 deputies in parliament - a stunning rise for a group that earned just 0.29 percent of the vote in 2009. (+ video) » | News wires | Monday, May 07, 2012

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France, Greece and Germany Election Results Send Austerity Shockwaves Through Europe
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The stunning victory of the French Socialists and wipe-out of mainstream parties in Greece sent shock waves on Sunday night crashing throughout the continent of Europe.

François Hollande's election threws [sic] down the gauntlet to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, who has railroaded the eurozone into agreeing a new "fiskalpakt" treaty enshrining Germany's austerity doctrine.

The economic doctrine of austerity, to cut the burden of state spending to free up the economy, has ruled supreme with the support all of Europe's leaders, the European Union and financial markets.

But political leaders were on Sunday night conceding the consensus had been shattered beyond repair.

With Europe's economies plunging further into recession and as unemployment in the eurozone breaks record levels, voters demands for a new approach had finally become to great to ignore.

The popular backlash to EU imposed austerity to the centrist New Democracy and Socialist parties in Greece threatens the existence of the euro itself.

Greece is potentially ungovernable as a minority government must try and pass a new raft of austerity measures next month which are a condition of an EU-IMF bailout and Greek membership of the euro.

In France, while Hollande, the Socialist President-elect is a centrist, he is sitting on a powder keg of resentment at measures that his government will have to pass if it is not spark a meltdown of financial markets.

He has refused to ratify the treaty unless the eurozone and EU also sign up to a "growth pact". » | Bruno Waterfield, Devorah Lauter in Paris and Matthew Day | Sunday, May 06, 2012

THE HUFFINGTON POST: Greece Elections 2012: Nikolaos Michaloliakos, Extreme Right Leader, Warns Greek 'Traitors': ATHENS, Greece -- The leader of an extreme-right, anti-immigrant party on course for shock success in Greece's general elections Sunday lashed out at those he described as "traitors" responsible for the country's financial crisis and said his party was ushering in a "revolution." ¶ The far-right Golden Dawn party is set to win 7 percent of the parliamentary vote, according to early projections, as Greeks punished the traditionally dominant parties who backed harsh austerity measures tied to debt-relief agreements. » | Nebi Qena | AP | Saturday, May 05, 2012

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German Police Arrest 100 Salafist Protesters
ASSOCIATED PRESS: BERLIN — Clashes erupted in Germany when police tried to separate competing rallies by an ultraconservative Muslim group and a small far-right march, injuring 29 officers, authorities said Sunday. More than 100 Salafist protesters were briefly arrested.

The trouble in the western city of Bonn started late Saturday when hundreds of Muslims protested against the rally of about 30 supporters of the local far-right party Pro NRW, which has angered Muslims by showing unfavorable cartoons depicting Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Strict Muslims oppose any depiction of their prophet.

About 110 Salafist protesters were arrested after they started attacking security forces with stones and bottles, police said. Two of the injured police officers were hospitalized with serious wounds after being stabbed. » | AP | Sunday, May 06, 2012

Hollande siegt über Sarkozy: Der Präsident, der Frankreich enttäuschen muss

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Favorit hat gesiegt: Der Sozialist François Hollande wird neuer französischer Präsident. Doch er wird viele Anhänger bitter enttäuschen müssen. Präsident Hollande hat einen der schwierigsten Jobs der Welt gewonnen.

Bis zum Ende wollte Amtsinhaber Nicolas Sarkozy alle glauben machen, der Ausgang stehe auf Messers Schneide und er könne noch gewinnen. Er hat sich geirrt. Neuer französischer Präsident wird François Hollande. Zum zweiten Mal in der Geschichte der französischen Republik haben die Wähler nach François Mitterrand einen Sozialisten ins Amt gewählt.

Der Sieg Hollandes ist zunächst einmal eine Abrechnung mit Nicolas Sarkozy. In den fünf Jahren seiner Amtszeit ist er, der nach seiner Amtseinführung eine Zustimmungsrate von mehr als 60 Prozent hatte, zum unbeliebtesten Präsidenten der Fünften Republik geworden. Das hängt natürlich auch mit der großen Krise zusammen, die vor ihm bereits neun andere europäische Staatenlenker das Amt gekostet hat. Aber die Ablehnung geht tiefer: Viele Franzosen eint das Gefühl, dass Sarkozy das Amt entweiht habe, dass er sich nicht wie ein würdevoller Ersatzkönig verhalten habe, sondern wie ein Emporkömmling, der sich selbst mit dem Staat verwechselte und sich als eine Art moderner Napoleon gebärdete. Am Ende gab es bis ins bürgerliche Lager viele Franzosen, die ihn regelrecht hassten. Die Wahl Hollandes muss deshalb zunächst als Abwahl des amtierenden Präsidenten verstanden werden. Sarkozy und die Franzosen - das ist die Geschichte einer enttäuschten Liebe, die in ihr Gegenteil umschlug.

Nun wollen die Franzosen nach dem abnormalen wieder einen normalen Präsidenten - und so einer zu sein, das versprach ihnen François Hollande. Es ist noch nicht lange her, da hätte ihm niemand dieses Amt zugetraut. Er galt als weichlicher Witzbold. Einen "Tretbootkapitän" nannte ihn der Linkspopulist Jean-Luc Mélenchon zur allgemeinen Belustigung. Er war ja auch nur die zweite Wahl der Sozialisten, nachdem der große Favorit Dominique Strauss-Kahn im vergangenen Jahr über seine Sexaffären gestolpert war. Doch im Verlauf dieses Wahlkampfs ist es François Hollande gelungen, eine Mehrheit der Franzosen davon zu überzeugen, dass er das Zeug zum Präsidenten hat. Er tankte präsidiale Aura, er hielt Reden, in denen er sich in eine Reihe mit François Mitterrand stellte, und schließlich krönte er sich beim großen TV-Duell gegen Sarkozy selbst. Sogar Sarkozys Freund und Berater Alain Minc sagte neulich: "Wir haben diesen Kerl alle unterschätzt. Entweder haben wir uns getäuscht, oder er hat sich wirklich verändert." Sarkozy hat Hollande bis zum Schluss unterschätzt.

Hollande positionierte sich im Wahlkampf deutlich links: Er kündigte an, Einkommen über eine Million Euro im Jahr mit 75 Prozent zu besteuern. Das Rentenalter für manche Franzosen wieder von 62 auf 60 zu senken. Und er versprach ein Ende der europäischen Austeritätspolitik - er positionierte sich als Gegenstück zu Angela Merkel, und rief seinen Anhängern zu: "So viele Menschen in Europa ersehnen unseren Sieg! Ich will kein Europa der Austerität, in dem Nationen auf die Knie gezwungen werden." » | Eine Analyse von Mathieu von Rohr, Tulle | Sonntag, 06. Mai 2012

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François Hollande, l'«homme normal» devient président

LE FIGARO: Élu président de la République, François Hollande succède à François Mitterrand dans l'imaginaire socialiste. Pourtant, il revient de loin. Personne ne pensait qu'il serait un jour le héros de la gauche

Comme si de rien n'était, François Hollande est devenu président. Personne ne l'avait imaginé, sauf lui sans doute. À 57 ans, il succède pourtant à François Mitterrand, l'équivalent pour la gauche du général de Gaulle. Ce n'est pas rien: il entre dans l'Histoire comme le deuxième président socialiste de la Ve République. Qui pense encore aujourd'hui que Hollande est un «homme normal» ? Lui sans doute. Il revendique la formule. Mais pour les autres, les regards vont définitivement changer. François Hollande ne sera plus jamais cet ancien rondouillard bonhomme, vif et blagueur, que décrivaient ses camarades socialistes avec une pointe de condescendance. C'est la clé: personne ne s'est jamais méfié de lui alors qu'au fond, il construisait patiemment son ambition. Quand a-t-il commencé à y songer? Secret à l'extrême, l'homme n'en parlait jamais. Au PS, on s'en doutait. Mais on ne lui donnait aucune chance. «Hollande président? On rêve!», s'est un jour exclamé Laurent Fabius. Hollande président? «Quelle histoire!», aurait pu dire François Mitterrand. » | Par Nicolas Barotte, François-Xavier Bourmaud | dimanche 06 mai 2012

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François Hollande Wins French Presidential Election

THE GUARDIAN: Nicolas Sarkozy concedes defeat to Socialist party candidate, who has become first leftwing president in almost 20 years

François Hollande has won power in France, turning the tide on a rightwards and xenophobic lurch in European politics and vowing to transform Europe's handling of the economic crisis by fighting back against German-led austerity measures.

The 57-year-old rural MP and self-styled Mr Normal, a moderate social democrat from the centre of the Socialist party, is France's first left[-]wing president in almost 20 years. Projections from early counts, released by French TV, put his score at 51.9%.

His emphatic victory is a boost to the left in a continent that has gradually swung rightwards since the economic crisis broke four years ago.

Nicolas Sarkozy, defeated after one term in office, became the 11th European leader to lose power since the economic crisis in 2008.

He conceded defeat at a gathering of his party activists at the Mutualité in central Paris, urging them from the stage to stop booing Hollande. "I carry all the responsibility for this defeat," he said.

He had spoken to Hollande to congratulate him. "From the bottom of my heart I want France to succeed with the challenges it faces. It is something much greater than us; France. This evening we must think exclusively of France."

He said that after 35 years in politics and 10 years at the top of government, he would now become a simple "Frenchman among the French".

The defeat of the most unpopular French president ever to run for re-election was not simply the result of the global financial crisis or eurozone debt turmoil. It was also down to the intense public dislike of the man viewed by many as the "president of the rich" who had swept to victory in 2007 with a huge mandate to change France. The majority of French people felt he had failed to deliver on his promises, and he was criticised for his ostentatious display of wealth, favouring the rich and leaving behind over 2.8 million unemployed. Political analysts said anti-Sarkozy sentiment had become a cultural phenomenon in France. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Sunday, May 06, 2012

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Socialists Celebrate as French Vote Nears Close
REUTERS.COM: France looked set to crown Francois Hollande as its first Socialist president in nearly two decades in an election on Sunday, marking a shift to the left at the heart of Europe and heralding a fight back against German-led austerity.

Conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy, swamped by anger at a surge in unemployment during his five-year term, faced being the 11th euro zoneleader to be swept from power by the economic crisis after final opinion polls placed Hollande between four and eight points ahead.

A wide margin of victory would give Hollande greater authority to pursue his promise to temper unpopular German-led austerity, which sparked protests across southern Europe last week, and refocusing economic policy on fostering growth.

In a decisive day for the recession-hit single currency area, Greece's mainstream political parties were punished in a parliamentary election for rising economic misery due to IMF-imposed spending cuts, exit polls showed.

Hollande cast his vote for the presidential runoff in the central town of Tulle, where he was mayor for seven years, shaking hands and kissing voters, many of whom he knows personally. "I am confident. I am sure," he told Reuters as he ate later in a local restaurant packed with Tulle residents.

In Paris's Bastille square, a flashpoint of the 1789 French Revolution and the Socialists' traditional gathering point for electoral celebrations, crowd barriers were already laid out in anticipation of an Hollande victory. Party supporters gathered in excitement two hours before the last polls closed, and giant television screens were erected.

In Tulle, Hollande supporters drove around the town honking car horns. » | Sybille de La Hamaide and Daniel Flynn | PARIS | Sunday, May 06, 2012

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La victoire de François Hollande se confirme
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Toutes les sources concordent pour l’instant: François Hollande deviendrait le nouveau président de la République Française. Il réunirait 53% des votes. Avant l'instant fatidique de 20h, toutes les infos en direct... » | dimanche 06 mai 2012

STERN: Agentur meldet Sieg Hollandes: Sarkozy-Herausforderer Francois Hollande wird offenbar der nächste französische Präsident. In Griechenland sind die Regierungsparteien schwer abgestraft worden. » | Sonntag, 06. Mai 2012

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John Bercow: More MPs Seeking Help for Alcoholism

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Commons Speaker John Bercow said more MPs are seeking help for alcoholism as Parliament attempts to crack down on Westminster's drinking culture.

Mr Bercow also suggested there may be politicians with "other addiction issues" as he insisted the House reflects wider society.

Last week it emerged Commons staff are to be told to top up MPs' glasses fewer times at Parliamentary receptions to encourage "responsible alcohol use".

The move comes in the wake of the fight in the Commons Strangers Bar that saw Eric Joyce attack fellow MPs.

Mr Bercow said there is no longer a heavy subsidy on alcohol served in Parliament's bars.

In an interview for Sky News' Murnaghan programme he said: "I think that there are a number of other factors. I think there are issues relating to members who have had too much to drink.

"I think it is important that the medical service in the House is aware as it can be of members with problems.

"There is some evidence now that more members and staff who have got drink-related issues are seeking help and that's a positive.

"I think we are a reflection of society and just as there are people in every walk of life who have got issues to do with alcohol, and possibly other addiction issues, there can be problems in this place." » | Sunday, May 06, 2012

Osborne Urges ‘100% Focus’ on Economy after Election Defeats
BBC: George Osborne has said his party will focus on what matters to the public amid criticism from Conservative MPs in the wake of local election defeats.

Some Tories have urged the coalition to drop plans for electing the House of Lords and legalising gay marriage in favour of more populist policies.

The chancellor told the BBC ministers should "focus 100%" on the economy and not get "distracted" by other issues.

But they would still do "socially progressive" things, he insisted.

He was responding to criticism of the coalition's direction and priorities from some Conservative-supporting newspapers and backbench Tory MPs.

On Wednesday, the coalition will outline its agenda for the next year in the Queen's Speech, as it tries to regain the initiative after both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems suffered heavy losses in local elections.

'Change direction'

Many Conservative MPs want ministers to use the occasion to assert more traditional Conservative priorities on issues such as welfare, crime and tax and either delay or abandon proposals to legalise gay marriage and reform the House of Lords, seen predominately as Liberal Democrat ideas.

Mr Osborne told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that "100% of our efforts need to be directed" at fixing the economy, which is back in recession. » | Sunday, May 06, 2012


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Présidentielle : les Français font leur choix

LE FIGARO: Depuis 8 heures ce matin, les électeurs sont appelés aux urnes. Peu après 10h30, le candidat socialiste a voté. Avant midi, Nicolas Sarkozy devrait faire de même.

Plus de 44,5 millions d'électeurs sont appelés aux urnes ce dimanche pour choisir qui de Nicolas Sarkozy ou de François Hollande sera le prochain président de la République. Si le scrutin a débuté ce matin à 8 heures en France métropolitaine, les Français d'outre-mer et les expatriés ont commencé à voter dès samedi, décalage horaire oblige. » | Par lefigaro.fr | dimanche 06 mai 2012

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Wer wird Frankreichs neuer Präsident?
Das Wahlwochenende in Frankreich verspricht spannend zu werden, Sozialist François Hollande liegt schon seit Wochen in den Umfragen vor dem amtierenden Präsidenten Nicolas Sarkozy. Doch dieser konnte etwas aufholen.  Einschätzungen von Micheal Gerber, SF-Korrespondent, in Paris

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Egypt's Generals Wait in the Wings as Battle for Democracy Sours
THE GUARDIAN: In Cairo, violence flares between gangs and Islamists. In Alexandria, discontent grows as the country's politicians lose their way ahead of elections. And over them all looms the shadow of an army far from ready to give up power

There is a narrow footbridge overlooking the entrance to the ministry of defence in the Abbasiya district of Cairo. On Friday afternoon, this crowded bridge provided the best view of the frontline in the latest round of violent clashes between the army and demonstrators who suspect the country's ruling generals of wanting to hold on to power.

On one side of a ring of barbed wire, soldiers hurled bricks and fired tear gas. Below the bridge, the protesters facing the soldiers threw their own missiles, while others removed the injured on motorbikes or carried them limp on their shoulders, some insensible, others spattered in blood.

I bumped into Hazem Abdel Rahman, a young protester, drenched in sweat, holding his injured arm. "I came here this morning and everything was peaceful. People linked arms to keep the crowd back from the ministry of defence. But then after Friday prayers people came who we did not know and infiltrated our demonstration and started throwing stones," he said.

Others say the trouble started after some protesters were grabbed by the soldiers trying to cross the wire. A few minutes after I spoke to Hazem, the first sound of live gunfire rang out, driving the protesters back in panic. I ran, but found myself trapped between two groups of soldiers, forced to climb several walls and cross a railway line to escape, only to be confronted by an angry group of supporters of the military.

"You are a spy," one shouted, attempting to drag me away for questioning, prevented in his efforts by the intervention of other residents. Other journalists covering events in Abbasiya in the last few days have not been so fortunate. Eighteen have been arrested or injured, including one who reportedly had an ear cut off during an attack. » | Peter Beaumont in Cairo | Saturday, May 05, 2012

Britain's Far Right to Focus on Anti-Islamic Policy

THE GUARDIAN: Head of English Defence League to join British Freedom party as deputy leader with virulent anti-Muslim platform

The head of the English Defence League, Tommy Robinson, will be named deputy leader of the British Freedom party this week after proposing that the group adopt virulent anti-Islamic policies as its central strategy.

Confirmation that Robinson is to be offered a political platform within the BFP is contained in internal documents revealing that he has forwarded a number of "potential policy suggestions" that suggest the party will widen its attacks on Muslims.

The document suggests the BFP with Robinson would "focus on non-Islamic population, not white/black population", a move that critics describe as an attempt to antagonise relations between Muslims and other Britons. Other proposed areas of campaigning for the party, which will contest several seats in this week's local elections, include calls for regulation of all mosques and religious schools and the banning of the burqa and niqab.

The unveiling of Robinson as deputy leader of the British Freedom Party will take place in Luton ahead of an EDL demo in the town, during which supporters will be banned from its centre by police, following previous disturbances. » | Mark Townsend | Saturday, April 28, 2012