Ed Balls: My Late Gay Uncle Inspired Me to Support Gay Marriage

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ed Balls, the Labour shadow chancellor, has said his gay uncle inspired him to support the case for same-sex marriage.

Mr Balls said he believed that homosexual couples should be able to marry in the same way as heterosexuals, with services held in churches.

In an online video recorded to back the case for same-sex marriage, Mr Balls said he drew inspiration from his late uncle.

“Twenty years ago my uncle came out in his fifties as gay - and he died, I’m afraid, before he and his long-term partner could have a civil partnership,” he said.

“In our family we would have liked him to have gone further and to have got married. It’s what he would have wanted, I believe.”

Mr Balls did not name his relative, and Labour spokesman said he would not do so in order to respect the man’s privacy. » | James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor | Tuesday, May 29, 2012


Out4Marriage »

US Election: Mitt Romney under Growing Pressure to Dump Donald Trump over 'Birther' Row
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mitt Romney is under growing pressure to cut his ties with Donald Trump after he refused to denounce the businessman for continuing to propagate the so-called 'birther conspiracy' that Barack Obama was born outside the US.

The row over Mr Trump threatened to engulf Mr Romney on the day that he will be officially confirmed as the Republican presidential candidate after voters in the Texas presidential primary pushed him 'over the top', securing him the 1,144 delegates he needed clinch the nomination.

Mr Romney, who was due to be hosted by Mr Trump at a $2m (£1.3 million) fund-raising event in Las Vegas, declined to criticise the property mogul turned reality television star for saying last week that he still believes Mr Obama was born in Kenya.

"I don't agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe," Mr Romney said on his charter plane en route to Nevada, "But I need to get 50.1 per cent or more and I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people." Repeating the conspiracy theories over Mr Obama's birth has been widely condemned as "dog whistle politics" – or a thinly-veiled attack on the President's race – and leaves Mr Romney vulnerable to accusations that he's tacitly defending racism.

Although Mr Romney has said that he personally accepts that Mr Obama was born in Hawaii, his equivocating response to Mr Trump provoked fierce criticism from both the Obama campaign and commentators in his own party.

The Obama camp released a video comparing Mr Romney's refusal to distance himself from Mr Trump with the conduct of John McCain, the 2008 Republican candidate, who on several occasions publicly slapped down voters who suggested that Mr Obama was not American-born and a Muslim. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Related »

Christine Lagarde, Scourge of Tax Evaders, Pays No Tax

THE GUARDIAN: IMF boss who caused international outrage when she suggested that Greeks should pay their taxes earns a tax-free salary

Christine Lagarde, the IMF boss who caused international outrage after she suggested in an interview with the Guardian on Friday that beleaguered Greeks might do well to pay their taxes, pays no taxes, it has emerged.

As an official of an international institution, her salary of $467,940 (£298,675) a year plus $83,760 additional allowance a year is not subject to any taxes.

The former French finance minister took over as managing director of the IMF last year when she succeeded her disgraced compatriot Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was forced to resign after he faced charges – later dropped – of sexually attacking a New York hotel maid.

Lagarde, 56, receives a pay and benefits package worth more than American president Barack Obama earns from the United States government, and he pays taxes on it.

The same applies to nearly all United Nations employees – article 34 of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations of 1961, which has been signed by 187 states, declares: "A diplomatic agent shall be exempt from all dues and taxes, personal or real, national, regional or municipal." » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Don’t Expect Sympathy, Lagarde Tells Greeks – It’s Payback Time »

Anders Behring Breivik a Self-styled 'Metrosexual' Who Used David Beckham as Example

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Anders Behring Breivik was a self-styled "metrosexual" who used David Beckham as an example, his trial in Oslo heard.

The Norwegian mass killer's life "fell apart" after a failed relationship with a Belarusian internet date left him struggling with his sexuality, his friends told the court.

"That was perhaps his last attempt at dating a girl like the other boys did," his best friend's ex-girlfriend told the court.

Breivik's friends suspected the 33-year-old extremist might be homosexual because he was feminine and fastidious about his appearance, another friend, a lawyer in Norway's Ministry of Defence, said.

"He used make-up powder, those kinds of things, and he explained that as being 'metrosexual'. He made reference to David Beckham being that at the time."

Breivik, who admits to killing 77 people in Norway last July, retorted angrily when allowed to respond at the end of the day's proceedings.

"I have not been vain after 2006, and I've never been feminine either," he complained. "The only function that this powder had was as a cover to hide acne." » | Richard Orange, Oslo | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Related »

Ukraine: Prügelei wegen russischer Sprache

Gauck pocht auf Zwei-Staaten-Lösung

Verbunden »

Muslime verhindern Lady Gaga Konzert

Related »

La France et l'Allemagne expulsent les ambassadeurs syriens

L’EXPRESS.fr: La France, l'Allemagne, l'Australie et le Royaume-Uni ont annoncé l'expulsion des ambassadeurs de Syrie sur leur territoire, alors que le médiateur international Kofi Annan a rencontré ce mardi le président Bachar el-Assad pour dénoncer le massacre de 108 civils à Houla.

La communauté internationale réagit après le massacre de Houla. La France a annoncé ce mardi l'expulsion de l' ambassadrice de Syrie en France, Lamia Chakkour. Cette décision intervient alors que Kofi Annan est en visite en Syrie et a rencontré Bachar el-Assad ce matin.

François Hollande a annoncé que Lamia Chakkour, l'ambassadrice de Syrie en France serait expulsée lundi ou mardi prochain, en réponse au massacre survenu ce week-end dans la ville de Houla, qui a provoqué la mort de 108 personnes, dont 49 enfants. Cette décision sera notifiée à l'ambassadrice "aujourd'hui (mardi) ou demain (mercredi)", a déclaré le chef de l'Etat lors d'un point presse, ajoutant que "elle est aussi ambassadrice auprès de l'Unesco, ça aura donc des conséquences sur la rapidité d'exécution de cette décision". » | Par LEXPRESS.fr | mardi 29 mai 2012

Should Israel Be Responsible for Immigrants?
We discuss why Israel is denying African immigrants their basic rights, as revealed in an annual US human rights report.

Doha Mall Blaze: An Eyewitness Account
Qatar is mourning the 19 victims, including 13 children of a fire at a major shopping mall cum entertainment complex in the capital Doha. Monday's incident has raised questions about building safety in the Gulf Arab state. Several memorials are planned to be held in Doha on Tuesday, as authorities continue to investigate the cause of the blaze at the Villaggio mall. Al Jazeera's Tarek Bazley was in the shopping centre with his two children when the fire broke out, but they escaped unharmed.

Related »

Children Among Dead in Qatar Mall Blaze
At least 19 people have been killed, including 13 children, in a fire at a major shopping mall and entertainment complex in the Qatari capital Doha, according to the country's interior ministry. The ministry said on Monday that four teachers and two firefighters were among those killed in the fire, while at least 17 others were injured. Al Jazeera's Andrew Potter reports from Doha.

Related »

Thai Woman Awaits Verdict in Royal-insult Trial
A Thai woman is facing 20 years in jail for comments posted online criticising the Thai king, who is revered as God in the Southeast Asian country. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, a web master, was initially arrested in 2009, charged with being too slow to remove 10 comments from a forum on her website. The postings were made by other people, but under tough computer crime laws enacted after the military coup in 2006, the website's host can also be prosecuted. Chiranuch's verdict was delayed by a month because the judge needed more time. The Thai royal family is, by law, above criticism. Anyone who is caught breaking the rules is more often than not, thrown in jail. Earlier this month, an elderly man died less than six months into a 20-year prison sentence for sending four text messages that were deemed insulting to the monarchy. The death of Amphon Tangnoppakul, also known as Uncle SMS, has shone a light on the country's strict lèse-majesté laws, legal stipulations which criminalise the violation of the royal family and which were designed to prevent criticism of them. Family members of prisoners, also a growing portion of the public, are trying to push for changes to the lèse-majesté laws. Yingluck Shinawtra, the Thai prime minister, admitted to Al Jazeera in a recent interview that the law is sometimes misused. Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay says from Bangkok.

Vatican Rebukes US Nuns for 'Feminist Themes'
An umbrella organisation representing over 80 per cent of US nuns has earned a sharp rebuke from the Vatican for "serious doctrinal problems" and the prevalence of "radical feminist themes" in their work. The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, has come under fire by Rome for among other things, staying "silent" amid what the Catholic Church called a "lively debate" over the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage in the United States. The views of the organisation, including the ordination of female priests, goes against the views taken by Bishops, whom the church called "authentic teachers of faith and morals". Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports from New York City.

Ken Clarke: Only Extreme Nationalists Want 'Silly' European Referendum
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A referendum on Britain’s relationship with the European Union would be “silly” and is only of interest to “a few extreme nationalist politicians,” Kenneth Clarke has said.


The Justice Secretary launched a sustained attack on advocates of a popular vote on Europe, which he described as “a total irrelevance” that would create turmoil and undermine Britain’s economic credibility.

In a BBC Radio Four interview, he dismissed those seeking a referendum as “frenzied eurosceptics”.

Mr Clarke, a longstanding supporter of the EU, made the comments amid growing pressure from Conservative MPs for the Government to take a harder line on European issues.

Some Conservative MPs are arguing that a Greek exit from the euro should trigger a vote on Britain’s relationship with the EU. Some ministers are urging David Cameron to take a more eurosceptic line to address a recent fall in the Government’s popularity.

Mr Clarke dismissed those suggestions as irresponsible. Read on and comment » | James Kirkup, and Richard Alleyne | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Middle East: Too Soon for Democracy?
BBC RADIO 4: Edward Stourton explores the prospects for post-revolution government, following the Arab Spring. Elections are being held, but can voters be sure autocratic rule is in the past? »
| Monday, May 28, 2012

Listen Now »

Mass killer Breivik Had Unusually Close Relationship with Mum, Norwegian Court Hears

HERALD SUN: NORWEGIAN mass killer Anders Behring Breivik had an unusually close relationship with his mother and friends thought he was afraid of coming out as gay, a court heard today.

Two of the 33-year-old's friends gave evidence at the court in Oslo in which they described the right-wing extremist as obsessed with how he looked.

Four friends were due to testify in the trial today and a statement from Breivik's mother, Wenche Behring, will also be read out.

One of the friends said he thought Breivik was depressed or was a closet homosexual after he moved back in with his mum in 2006, Dagbladet newspaper reported.

The witness said, "I think they had a more friendly relationship than a mother and son normally have." » | Newscore | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Related »

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM NORWAY: Breivik’s family avoids testifying: Lawyers for terror defendant Anders Behring Breivik have opted against calling his family members and several other key persons from his past to testify, at Breivik’s own request. The prosecution isn’t calling them in either, even though they could shed important light on the main question that needs to be addressed in his trial: Whether he’s sane or insane. » | Nina Berglund | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Un Saoudien condamné à mort pour meurtre décapité au sabre
TF1 NEWS: Un Saoudien, condamné à mort pour le meurtre de l'un de ses concitoyens, a été décapité au sabre mardi dans la région de Taëf, dans l'ouest de l'Arabie saoudite, a annoncé le ministère de l'Intérieur. Majed al-Hosni a été reconnu coupable d'avoir tué par balle Abdel Mohsen Bacha lors d'une dispute, a précisé le ministère dans un communiqué reproduit par l'agence officielle Spa. » | mardi 29 mai 2012

Italy Hit by 5.8-magnitude Earthquake

THE GUARDIAN: Three people reportedly killed and buildings damaged by earthquake 40km north-west of Bologna in Northern Italy

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook a large swath of northern Italy at 9am local time on Tuesday, reportedly killing at least three people and bringing down buildings already damaged by a quake that hit the area less than two weeks ago.

The earthquake was centred 40km north-west of Bologna, close to where the earlier 6-magnitude quake killed seven. More than 200 aftershocks have continued to rattle thousands of people sleeping in tents and temporary accommodation.

According to early reports, one of the victims was killed when an industrial building collapsed[.]

The mayor of San Felice sul Panaro, a town that suffered large scale damage in the last quake on 22 May, told Sky TV he feared further victims would be found under rubble. » | Tom Kington in Rome | Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Related »

Besuch in Jerusalem: Gauck wegen wachsender Israel-Kritik in Deutschland besorgt

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Bundespräsident Gauck ist nach Israel gereist, um ein Zeichen für die deutsch-israelische Freundschaft zu setzen. Das Staatsoberhaupt signalisierte in Jerusalem, dass ihn die kritische Haltung vieler Landsleute zum jüdischen Staat beunruhige.

Jerusalem - "Deutschland und Israel sind enger verbunden als jemals zuvor", hat Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck am Dienstag bei einer kurzen Ansprache in Jerusalem gesagt. Die Betonung der deutsch-israelischen Freundschaft ist dem Staatsoberhaupt bei seinem Staatsbesuch in Israel wichtig. Umso mehr irritiert Gauck die wachsende Kritik an Israel in Deutschland: "Ohne Umfragen überzubewerten: Als Freund Israels besorgen mich die Ergebnisse dennoch", antwortete er der Zeitung "Haaretz" auf eine Frage nach dem sinkenden Ansehen Israels in Deutschland.

Eine Umfrage hatte kürzlich ergeben, dass 70 Prozent der Deutschen Israel vorwerfen, seine Interessen ohne Rücksicht auf andere Völker zu verfolgen, und 59 Prozent die israelische Politik für aggressiv halten.

"Aus den Abgründen seiner Geschichte kommt Deutschland eine einzigartige Verantwortung gegenüber Israel zu", sagte Gauck. "Wachsende Ressentiments gegenüber Israel sind zwar nicht allein ein deutsches Phänomen, aber wir Deutsche sollten uns besonders kritisch fragen: In welchem Geist urteilen wir über israelische Politik? Doch bitte nur im Geist der Freundschaft. Da ist durchaus auch Platz für Kritik, nicht aber für Vorurteil", betonte der Bundespräsident. » | hen/dpa/dapd/Reuters | Dienstag, 29. Mai 2012

Rapper Najafi on the Fatwa: 'Fundamentalists Can't Take a Joke'

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Iranian rapper Shahin Najafi has been in hiding in Germany since a fatwa was pronounced against him three weeks ago. In an interview with SPIEGEL, he discusses the fear Iranian leaders have of young people and his conviction that change will come to his country sooner or later.

So this is what exile in exile looks like. Fleeing the threats of Iranian ayatollahs, Iranian rapper Shahin Najafi, 31, has taken refuge in a garden house near Cologne, surrounded by chirping birds and a fig tree. Although he's under police protection, the four fatwas that have by now been launched against him by leading religious clerics in Iran over the past few weeks seem incredibly far away. Najafi released a song in which he implored the 10th imam, Ali al-Hadi al-Naqi, to return to the Earth to sort out modern-day Iran's problems. Shiites venerate al-Naqi, who died 1,143 years ago and was a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. The song has been downloaded over 500,000 times in Iran alone, and has received over half a million views on YouTube.

The musician appeared to be in a good spirits. The interview was conducted in German, although Najafi often switched to Persian and his manager, a German-Iranian, translated for him whenever necessary. German author Günter Wallraff, who is supporting Najafi, was also there. Children's voices could be heard in the distance. » | Interview conducted by Georg Bönisch and Tobias Rapp | Translated from the German by Paul Cohen | Monday, May 28, 2012

Related »

Abu Qatada Denied Bail to Allow MI5 to Focus on Olympics
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada, the Islamist cleric, was denied bail today because of the impossible strain it would place on the police and MI5 if he absconded during the Olympics.

The extremist preacher, once described as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", sought again to be freed from jail while he fights deportation to his native Jordan.

But a senior immigration judge ruled that he should remain in the high-security Belmarsh Prison in London, expressing concerns that Qatada's supporters in al Qaeda could help him to escape if he were bailed.

Mr Justice Mitting said if the 51-year-old firebrand cleric absconded, the security services would either have to divert resources away from protecting the Olympics and Paralympics to find him or make locating him a lower priority.
"I am not going to take that risk, and it would be wrong for me to do so," he said. » | Sam Marsden | Monday, May 28, 2012

13 Children Killed in Qatari Shopping Centre Fire
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thirteen children were among 19 foreigners killed in a Qatari shopping centre in Doha after a fire erupted in a nursery.

The blaze left “19 dead, including 13 children, among them seven girls and six boys, in addition to four female teachers,” the interior ministry said on its Twitter page, citing the country’s health minister.

Four of the dead children were Spanish, according to diplomatic source in Madrid. Two members of the civil defence also died in the fire at the capital’s main Villagio mall, it said. » | Source: Agencies | Monday, May 28, 2012

Barack Obama Is Facing His Jimmy Carter Moment
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As Mitt Romney closes the gap, it is 1980 all over again for the man in the Oval Office.

Until recently, Barack Obama’s re-election was regarded as inevitable – in the same way that summer follows spring, or a monsoon follows a hosepipe ban. The president’s poll lead over Mitt Romney was strong, while the Republican’s character was assassinated by a primary fight that permanently spoiled the reputation of his party. To court the GOP’s conservative base, Romney was forced to adopt positions on abortion, contraception, health care and welfare that are thought to be unpopular among moderate swing voters. Obama, by contrast, is the man who killed bin Laden and toppled Gaddafi. A choice between Obama the moderate statesman and Romney the craven conservative is surely no contest at all.

But in the last two weeks, things have changed. Obama’s re-election is no longer guaranteed; some pollsters think it is unlikely. Day by day, the odds are improving that Mitt Romney will be the next President of the United States.

What changed? For a start, voters are getting gloomier about the economy. Joblessness remains high and debt is out of control. According to one poll released this week, only 33 per cent of Americans expect the economy to improve in the coming months and only 43 per cent approve of the way that the president has handled it. Voters think Obama has made the debt situation and health care worse. The man who conducted the poll – Democrat Peter Hart – concluded that “Obama’s chances for re-election… are no better than 50-50.” » | Tim Stanley | Friday, May 25, 2012

Saudi Woman Makes a Stand against Feared Religious Police

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A YouTube video of a Saudi woman defying orders by the notorious religious police to leave a shopping centre because she is wearing nail polish has gone viral, attracting more than a million hits in just five days but thousands of negative comments.

The three and a half minute video posted on May 23 shows members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice telling the women to "get out of here"[.]

But she refuses to comply, saying: "I'm staying and I want to know what you're going to do about."

"It's none of your business if I wear nail polish," the unidentified woman, who is not seen on tape, is heard shouting at bearded men from the feared religious force.

"You are not in charge of me," she defiantly shouts back, referring to new constraints imposed earlier this year on the religious police banning them from harassing Saudi women over their behaviour and attire.

"The government has banned you from coming after us," she told the men, adding "you are only supposed to provide advice, and nothing more". » | Monday, May 28, 2012

'Vatileaks' Scandal Widens as Pope's Butler Vows to Help Investigators

THE GUARDIAN: Paolo Gabriele says he will co-operate over confidential documents allegedly found at his home

One of the Vatican's biggest scandals in decades has widened, with the pope's butler agreeing to co-operate with investigators over confidential documents allegedly found at his home, according to his lawyer.

Paolo Gabriele's pledge to co-operate with Vatican magistrates means high-ranking prelates could soon be named in the investigation into leaks of confidential Vatican correspondence that have shed a light on power struggles and intrigue at the highest levels of the Catholic church.

Italian media report that a cardinal is suspected of playing a major role in the "Vatileaks" scandal. However, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, denied the reports. He said many Vatican officials were being questioned in the investigation but insisted: "There is no cardinal under suspicion."

He also dismissed as "pure fantasy" a rash of other un[-]sourced reports about the investigation in the Italian media, which have been in a frenzy ever since reports of Gabriele's detention emerged last Friday. » | Associated Press | Monday, May 28, 2012

Verbunden »

Mali Government Rejects Azawad Council
Two armed groups in northern Mali are joining forces to create a governing body, the Transitional Council for the Islamic State of Azawad, for the newly independent state. Tuareg fighters and the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine say they will jointly rule their territory. The UN says more than 300,000 have been displaced by the crisis in Mali. Mereana Hond reports, and Nick Clark interviews Abdel Fatau Musah, director of political affairs for ECOWAS.

Related »

Greek Leftist Leader Alexis Tsipras: 'It's in Europe's Interest to Lift the Austerity Diktat'

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Alexis Tsipras, head of the leftist Syriza party, wants an end to austerity in Greece. Ahead of Greek general elections in mid-June, he speaks with SPIEGEL about the dangers his country poses to the euro, the failure of economization measures thus far and why Chancellor Angela Merkel would be to blame if the Greek economy collapses.

Tsipras, the 37-year-old rising star in Greek politics, lays his Ray-Ban sunglasses on the table. It's Tuesday afternoon, and he looks exhausted. Indeed, he has a packed schedule: first Paris and then Berlin, where he met with Gregor Gysi and then with Jürgen Trittin and Sigmar Gabriel, senior officials in Germany's Left Party, Green Party and Social Democratic Party, respectively. Tsipras was the surprise victor when his Radical Left (Syriza) party took second place in May 6 general elections in Greece. Because leaders were unable to form a coalition government, a new election will be held on June 17. Most believe that Tsipras will attract even more votes in this second election.

Tsipras' tour through "Europe's two most important capital cities," as he put it, was primarily about cultivating his image. The civil engineer, already politically active in high school as a member of the Communist Youth of Greece, numbers among the strongest critics of the EU-International Monetary Fund (IMF) strategy for Greece, which calls for radical budget cuts and austerity in return for international aid. Should he win the June 17 election, Tsipras plans to ditch the terms of the bailout agreements struck with its creditors. On the campaign trail, one of his slogans has been that Greece is in danger of becoming a "German colony." But he toned things down in Berlin, saying: "We want to persuade, not blackmail." » | Interview conducted by Julia Amalia Heyer and Manfred Ertel | Translated from the German by Josh Ward | Monday, May 28, 2012

Related »

Islamists Declare North Mali an Independent State Governed by Sharia

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Mali moved a step closer to being broken in two on Sunday when al-Qaeda-linked Islamists and Tuareg rebels declared the nation's north an independent country to be ruled according to sharia law.

The announcement, from Ansar Dine and the Tuareg MNLA group, came as the country's interim president remained in a Paris hotel recovering from an assault in his private office last week.

Diplomats and Mali's neighbours fear that the country, once a beacon for democratic stability in West Africa, is poised to plunge further into crisis following a coup two months ago.

The "declaration of independence" for the northern half of Mali, Africa's sixth-largest country, came late on Saturday.

Timbuktu, the history trading centre and seat of Tuareg learning, now lies in the disputed territory, to be known as Azawad, which is almost the size of France. » | Mike Pflanz, West Africa Correspondent | Sunday, May 27, 2012

Lien en relation avec l’article »

Kammerdiener des Papstes verhaftet: Paoletto ist ein „Rabe“

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Der Kammerdiener von Papst Benedikt XVI. sitzt im päpstlichen Kerker. Seit 2006 ist Paolo Gabriele einer der engsten Mitarbeiter des Papstes, nun soll er vertrauliche Mitteilungen gestohlen und an die Öffentlichkeit getragen haben.

Bisher ist vom Papst nur die Bemerkung bekannt, er sei „betrübt und betroffen“. Tatsächlich aber werden mit der Festnahme eines der engsten Mitarbeiter von Papst Benedikt XVI. die schlimmsten Erwartungen übertroffen. Seit Monaten suchen päpstliche Gendarmerie, päpstliche Staatsanwaltschaft, ein eigens eingesetztes Komitee aus Kardinälen und die Schweizergarde die „Raben“, die vertrauliche Mitteilungen aus den päpstlichen Akten stehlen und an die Öffentlichkeit tragen. Sie haben Fernsehsendungen gefüttert, Buchautoren mit Material versorgt und das Ansehen der Weltkirche zu erschüttern gesucht.

Jetzt sitzt seit dem späten Mittwoch der 46 Jahre alte Paolo Gabriele im päpstlichen Kerker. Schon für Johannes Paul II. arbeitete der Familienvater von drei Kindern. Seit 2006 ist Gabriele der Maggiordomo von Benedikt XVI., in einer Person Butler, Hausmeister und Kellner des Papstes. » | Jörg Bremer, Rom | Samstag, 26. Mai 2012

Verbunden »

Pope's Butler Charged in 'Vatileaks' Scandal
Pope Benedict XVI's butler has been arrested and charged with illegal possession of secret documents following embarrassing leaks that exposed alleged intrigue and corruption in the Vatican, a spokesman has said. Federico Lombardi said in a statement on Saturday that Paolo Gabriele, a layman who lives inside Vatican City, was arrested on Wednesday. The Vatican said a wider investigation would take place to see if Gabriele, 46, had any accomplices that helped him leak the documents. Al Jazeera's Emma Hayward reports.

Related »

British Woman Facing Death Penalty after Arrest on Suspicion of Trafficking Cocaine in Bali

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A British woman has been arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine into the Indonesian island of Bali, and may face the death penalty under stiff anti-drug laws.

Customs officials detained the woman, identified as Lindsay June Sandiford, 55, on May 19 with almost five kg (11lbs) of cocaine after arriving at the airport in Denpasar on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok.

Police also revealed that they today arrested another British woman, two British men and an Indian man they believe may be connected.

"We arrested the suspect after we found 4,791 grams of cocaine in her suitcase. She hid it in the lining of her suitcase," said Denpasar airport customs chief I Made Wijaya told reporters.

"We conducted an X-ray scan on the luggage, found a suspicious substance in it and then examined it," he said.

The cocaine has a street value of more than £1.6 million and Sandiford, who told officials she is a housewife, faces the death penalty for drug trafficking, Mr Wijaya said. » | Sarah Dougherty in Denpasar | Monday, May 28, 2012

So sang sich Loreen zum Sieg

No British 'Drawbridge' to Stop Greek Immigration, Says Nick Clegg
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain would not bring down a “drawbridge” at the borders to stop an influx of immigration if Greece exits the euro, Nick Clegg has said.

The Deputy Prime Minister condemned the idea of stopping migrants from the financially stricken country as “far-fetched”, “apocalyptic” and “deeply unhelpful”.

His remarks are likely to be seen as a challenge to Theresa May, the Home Secretary, who has revealed officials are working on the possibility of emergency border controls.

This weekend, she told The Daily Telegraph it is “right that we do some contingency planning” aimed at controlling Britain’s borders in case there is a financial collapse in Europe.

She said there was no evidence of increased migration at present, but that it was "difficult to say how it is going to develop in coming weeks".

There are growing concerns that millions of Greeks could be forced to look for work abroad if a financial collapse engulfs the country. » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Sunday, May 27, 2012

Baroness Warsi's West London Landlord Claims She Never Paid Rent
Dr Wafik Moustafa, who owns the west London house that Baroness Warsi stayed in, says the Conservative co-chair did not pay rent and it was never discussed.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tory peer Baroness Warsi faces police inquiry over expenses: Baroness Warsi was is facing calls for a police investigation into her parliamentary expenses after she claimed up to £2,000 for staying rent-free in the home of a Tory party donor. » | Rowena Mason, and Martin Evans | Sunday, May 27, 2012

Profile: Sayeeda Warsi, the trailblazing peer who divided the Tory party: Conservative Party co-chairman Baroness Warsi was the first Muslim woman to be appointed a Cabinet minister. »

Greek Facebook Users Start War Against Lagarde

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Angry Greeks waged Facebook war against International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde today, after she accused their countrymen of dodging taxes.

The French managing director of the International Monetary Fund received more than 10,000 messages, many of them obscene, on her page on the online social network - where her postings typically draw a couple of hundred comments.

By late Sunday afternoon a separate Facebook page had sprung up titled "Greeks are against Lagarde".

Its creators described it as "the page through which to show displeasure as a nation towards Lagarde!", with a picture of the IMF chief.

Greeks accused Lagarde on her page of belittling their suffering in an economic crisis that has seen salaries and pensions cut, in a recession now in its fifth year.

Ms Lagarde told The Guardian in an interview published this weekend that Greeks must "help themselves" by all paying taxes, saying she was more concerned about Africans in poverty than Greeks in the economic crisis. » | AFP | Sunday, May 27, 2012

Related »

My comment:

Christine Lagarde comes over as a very cold, hard, self-possessed, aggressive, and ambitious woman. How someone without a specialty in economics could be given this position beats me. She's a generalist in a specialist's role. Her comments about the Greeks' plight were harsh and cruel. In particular, her comments about Greek children showed a level of heartlessness which was surprising, especially coming from a woman. Her words will not endear the Greeks to her, and they won't endear many others to her either. Comparing the conditions children in African schools have to put up with is totally irrelevant to the Greek question; and in any case, not being able to put food in your child's stomach is hardly comparable to three children in Africa having to share a chair in school. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Gay Marriage: Ministers to Consult on Law Change
BBC: A 12-week consultation on allowing gay couples in England and Wales to marry is being launched by the government.

Ministers say it would lift another barrier to equality and give gay partners the same rights as those enjoyed by opposite sex couples.

But the proposal is fiercely opposed by some senior church figures, as well as a number of Conservative MPs.

Ben Geoghegan reports. Watch BBC video » | Thursday, March 15, 2012

BBC: Gay marriage: Nick Clegg at odds with Tory plan for free vote – Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has rejected Conservative plans to treat gay marriage as a "conscience issue" on which MPs do not follow a party line. » | Sunday,, May 27, 2012

Günter Grass Attacks Merkel for Athens Policy

THE INDEPENDENT: The Nobel laureate sends a stinging rebuke to the German Chancellor for her uncompromising attitude to the struggling economy

The world's leaders and economists, having put in their euro's worth on Greece and currency union – to no great discernible effect, so far – yesterday, one of the planet's most respected literary figures joined in. Germany's Nobel literature laureate Günter Grass criticised the treatment of Greece in the debt crisis, describing it in a new poem as a "country sentenced to poverty".

The 84-year-old's latest work, "Europe's Disgrace", was published in the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. It comes less than two months after Grass triggered a storm of criticism with another intervention on a political issue – a prose poem sharply criticising Israel amid the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme. As Greece struggles with austerity and reform programmes demanded by creditors in exchange for rescue loans, and speculation grows that it may leave the 17-nation eurozone, Grass springs to its defence, and, by implication, criticises his own country's attitude to it.

The poem is a stinging rebuke for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative-led government which has insisted that austerity is the only way that Greece can balance its books. The author accuses Europe of forcing Greece to drink from a poisoned chalice and describes it as a "country now hardly tolerated". In the poem, he says Greece has been "pilloried naked as a debtor". He writes: "You will waste away spiritlessly without the country whose spirit, Europe, conceived you." » | David Randall, Tony Patterson | Sunday, May 27, 2012

Lady Gaga Cancels Indonesian Show after Threats

SEATTLE PI: JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Lady Gaga canceled her sold-out show in Indonesia after Islamist hard-liners threatened violence, claiming her sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt the youth.

The controversy was a blow to the predominantly Muslim country's reputation for combining free speech and democracy with a mostly moderate brand of the faith.

Fans were devastated, despite the promoter's offer of full refunds. Some accused police — who refused to issue a permit over concerns about security — of buckling to the will of a small group of thugs.

The planned "Born This Way Ball" concert has been on-again-off-again from the start.

But on Sunday, it was final, said Minola Sebayang, a lawyer for Big Daddy, the promoter of the June 3 show.

"It's unfortunate," he said. "But with threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga's side is calling it off. This is not only about Lady Gaga's security, but extends to those who will be watching her." » | Niniek Karmini, Associated Press | Sunday, May 27, 2012

Related articles here and here

Mais qui est réellement Paolo Gabriele ?

LE POINT: Le majordome de Benoît XVI a été arrêté en raison des soupçons qui pèsent sur lui : il serait à l'origine de fuites de documents confidentiels.

Un ingénu, victime d'un complot qui le dépasse, ou un traître? Le petit monde qui suit de près les affaires du Vatican se demande qui est réellement Paolo Gabriele, majordome du pape Benoît XVI,arrêté car soupçonné d'être à l'origine de fuites de documents confidentiels. L'accusation est sérieuse et s'il est reconnu coupable, il risque une peine de 30 ans de prison, affirme le quotidien La Repubblica en précisant que "le vol de la correspondance d'un chef d'État", en l'occurrence le pape, "est un délit équivalent à l'atteinte à la sécurité de l'État". Surnommé "Paoletto", Paolo Gabriele, 46 ans, Romain, toujours tiré à quatre épingles, vit avec sa femme et ses trois enfants dans un immeuble à l'intérieur du Vatican dont il a la nationalité, et il est l'un des très rares laïcs à avoir accès aux appartements du pape. » | Source AFP | samedi 26 mai 2012

Lien en relation avec l’article »

Griechenland und die Euro-Zone: Hilflos am Abgrund
SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: Griechenland taumelt, der Staat ist handlungsunfähig, der Reformprozess kommt nicht voran. Viele in Europa stellen sich bereits auf einen Austritt des Landes aus der Euro-Zone ein, finden sogar Gefallen daran. Athen aufzugeben, ist jedoch voreilig - und gefährlich.

Griechenland solle aus dem Euro austreten, und zwar schleunigst: Das hat Hans-Werner Sinn, der Präsident des Ifo-Instituts, schon vor mehr als zwei Jahren gesagt, in diesem großen Drama ist es fast eine Ewigkeit her. Andere wie Bosch-Chef Franz Fehrenbach forderten gar einen erzwungenen Austritt des Landes aus Euro und EU. Die europäischen Regierungen haben anders gehandelt, sie haben insgesamt 240 Milliarden Euro leihweise Hilfe aus aller Welt organisiert und im Gegenzug einen brutalen Spar- und Reformkurs erzwungen.

Das war damals und bisher richtig, weil es hier nicht um den Austritt aus Sportverein oder ADAC ging, sondern um viel mehr. Zu Disposition stand und steht die Mitgliedschaft in einer Währungsunion, wie es nie eine gegeben hat, eine, die als Krönung der europäischen Integration gedacht war. Auch aus einer solchen Gemeinschaft kann man austreten, aber doch nur als ultima ratio. » | Ein Kommentar von Marc Beise | Samstag, 26. Mai 2012

Nazi War Criminal Klaas Carel Faber Dies in Germany
BBC: Dutch-born Nazi war criminal Klaas Carel Faber has died in Germany at the age of 90.

Faber, who served in an SS unit, was second on the Simon Wiesenthal Centre list of most-wanted Nazi criminals.

He was sentenced to death in 1947 for the deaths of 22 Jews at the Westerbork transit camp [D]. His term was later commuted to life.

Faber escaped in 1952, was given German citizenship and died in Bavaria, where he had been living.

A hospital official in the southern Bavarian town of Ingolstadt confirmed that he had died on Thursday, according to Associated Press. He reportedly died of kidney failure.

Faber had lived as a free man in Germany despite several attempts to try or extradite him.

Germany refused his extradition on the grounds that he was a German citizen. » | Saturday, May 26, 2012

Theresa May: We'll Stop Migrants If Euro Collapses

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Government is drawing up plans for emergency immigration controls to curb an influx of Greeks and other European Union residents if the euro collapses, the Home Secretary discloses today.

In an interview in The Daily Telegraph, Theresa May says “work is ongoing” to restrict European immigration in the event of a financial collapse. People from throughout the EU, with the exception of new member countries such as Romania and Bulgaria, are able to work anywhere in the single market.

However, there are growing concerns that if Greece was forced to leave the euro, it would effectively go bankrupt and millions could lose their jobs and consider looking for work abroad.

The crisis could spread quickly to other vulnerable countries such as Spain, Ireland and Portugal, although Britain is regarded as a safe haven because it is outside the single currency.

Details of the contingency plan emerged as the euro crisis deepened further yesterday. » | Robert Winnett, and James Kirkup | Friday, May 25, 2012

My comment:

This woman is a joke! How long has she been telling us that immigration is going to be brought under control? In fact, under this administration, immigration has gone up! They can’t control the borders now. What makes her think they’ll be able to control the borders if the euro “collapses”? In any case, wouldn’t an influx of Greeks, Portuguese, or Spaniards be preferable for this country than Third World immigrants who have little in common with our heritage, and in any case have no desire or determination to integrate? Mrs. May, your words sound awfully hollow. Do you really expect us to believe this nonsense? You wouldn’t be able to control the flow of the pious into a prostitute’s parlour. – © Mark

Cabinet Minister Baroness Warsi Admits Breaking Cash Rules

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron suffered a fresh political blow last night when the Conservative party chairman admitted that she failed to declare a source of income for more than a year.

Baroness Warsi said did not tell House of Lords authorities that she was receiving rental income from a London property she had bought and rented out.

She made an apology today over the breach of parliamentary guidelines, blaming “an oversight, for which I take full responsibility,” but claimed that she had paid tax on the income.

The disclosure is the latest in a series of crises to hit Mr Cameron in the last few weeks. It comes as the political future of Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, is called into question once again. » | Saturday, May 26, 2012

Islam in Deutschland: Innenminister Friedrich vergleicht Salafisten mit Al-Qaida

HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT: Schünemann (CDU) für Grundrechtsverwirkung gegen Salafisten. Friedrich (CSU) setzt Salafisten mit Terrororganisation Al-Qaida gleich.

BERLIN/HANNOVER/LEIPZIG . Die Salafisten haben, nach Ansicht von Bundesinnenminister Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU), den gleichen ideologischen Ansatz wie die Terrororganisation Al-Qaida. Es handele sich eindeutig um Menschen, die die freiheitliche Grundordnung bekämpfen wollten, sagte Friedrich der "Leipziger Volkszeitung“ (Samstagausgabe) laut Vorabbericht. Wie Al-Qaida meinten die Salafisten, ihre Ideologie gebe ihnen das Recht, mit Gewalt alles zu beseitigen, was sich ihnen in den Weg stelle.

Friedrich kündigte an, mit aller Härte und mit allen Möglichkeiten, die ein Rechtsstaat zur Verfügung hat, bei den Salafisten durchzugreifen. Er akzeptiere nicht, dass eine Gruppierung aus ideologisch-politischen Gründen Presse- und Meinungsfreiheit mit Füßen trete und Journalisten bedrohe. » | abendblatt.de | Mit Material von dapd und dpa | Samstag, 26. Mai 2012

Mali: le chef d'Aqmi appelle à imposer la charia "graduellement" au nord
AFP: DAKAR — Le chef d'Al-Qaïda au Maghreb islamique (Aqmi) a donné une série de conseils à ses combattants contrôlant en partie le nord du Mali pour y réussir la création d'un Etat islamique, les appelant en particulier à y imposer "graduellement" la charia, selon le site spécialisé américain SITE.

Dans un enregistrement sonore de 12 minutes posté mercredi sur le site Sahara Media basé en Mauritanie, Abdelmalek Droukdel, alias Abou Moussaab Abdelouadoud, "félicite" ses combattants pour la "victoire historique" remportée dans le nord du Mali, qu'Aqmi contrôle avec d'autres groupes armés depuis fin mars.

Il les exhorte cependant à ne pas rater l'occasion de créer un Etat islamique dans cette région, leur donnant huit conseils afin d'y parvenir.

Parmi ceux-ci, ne pas faire preuve de "vanité" et appliquer la charia (loi islamique) "graduellement". "L'imposition de la charia ne doit pas seulement être limitée à la juste punition des gens, c'est beaucoup plus large que cela", dit-il, ajoutant: "Sachez que c'est une erreur d'imposer toutes les règles de l'islam d'un seul coup". » | AFP | jeudi 24 mai 2012

Requiem pour l'Islam : le wahhabisme est la nouvelle religion des musulmans

TUNISIE NEWS.COM: Si l'on veut prendre au piège les islamistes dans leur propre jeu, déjouer leur complot fomenté contre la religion musulmane, dénoncer leur supercherie théologique, ce n'est pas en les laissant labourer à leur guise le terrain de l'Islam et mener en toute liberté des campagnes scélérates contre le Prophète de l'Islam et la religion musulmane elle-même.

Il n'y a pas pires ennemis de l'Islam que les islamistes héritiers de l'anthropomorphe et apostat Ibn Taymya, maître à penser de Mohamed Ibn Adelwahhab fondateur du sectarisme wahhabite, fléau mortel pour la religion musulmane. Depuis son avènement en 1745, il ne cesse de corrompre et de défigurer l'Islam prônant un retour à l'Islam des origines. Celui des compagnons du Prophète et des 2 générations qui lui succèdent. Une vision réactionnaire de l'Islam, négatrice des Hadiths, qui n'est pas sans rappeler les courants fondamentalistes chrétiens telle que l'Eglise mormone appelée l'Eglise de « Jésus-Christ des Saints des Derniers jours » ou les ultra-orthodoxes juifs des Haredim, les "Craignant-Dieu". » | Proposé par : Ben Ammar Salem | vendredi 25 mai 2012

Islamic Convention Set This Weekend In Hartford
THE HARTFORD COURANT: HARTFORD — — Thousands of Muslims are expected to attend a convention in the city this weekend sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America with the goal of promoting religious tolerance and fighting "Islamophobia."

The group, a New York City-based Muslim American advocacy organization, seeks to raise awareness and dispel misconceptions by educating people about the Islamic faith, members said.

The convention at the Connecticut Convention Center is titled "Defending Religious Freedom, Understanding Shariah" and is part of a national tour. Shariah is the fundamental religious concept of Islam.

About 15,000 people are expected to attend the conference, which runs from Saturday to Monday, said Naeem Baig, vice president of public affairs for ICNA. » | Jenna Carlesso, The Hartford Courant | Friday, May 25, 2012