French Police 'Hold Suspect' over Anti-Semitic Attack
BBC: French police say a man suspected of attacking three young Jews with a hammer in the town of Villeurbanne has been detained, local media report.

Several assailants are reported to have taken part in Saturday's attack, in which iron bars were also used.

The suspect, the fifth to be detained, reportedly gave himself up to police on Thursday afternoon.

A spate of anti-Semitic incidents has followed the murder of four people at a Jewish school in Toulouse in March.

The attack in Villeurbanne took place as the three youths, all wearing Jewish skullcaps, were leaving a Jewish school.

A small group attacked them, reportedly insulting and jostling them, before as many as a dozen other joined in, striking the youths with weapons.

One of them suffered a hammer blow to the head, another was struck with an iron bar, while the third was hit on the arm. » | Thursday, June 07, 2012

UAE Turns to Deportation to Silence Regime's Critics
THE INDEPENDENT: Gulf state tries to send activist to remote Comoros Islands, then offers him Thailand

The United Arab Emirates is trying to deport an activist to a country he has never set foot in, with a human rights group accusing the oil-rich state of increasingly wielding its power to grant or deny citizenship as a tool to crush any Arab Spring-style uprising.

While revolts have gripped many countries in the Middle East, the Gulf states have largely managed to escape the protests as their people enjoy the rewards of oil wealth, with well-paid state employment and benefits.

Still, there have been some signs of dissent, but these were dealt with in a swift and quiet crackdown. Members of the "UAE 5" group spent eight months in jail last year after signing a petition with more than 100 academics and other activists calling for universal suffrage. Several non-governmental organisations were dismantled. Now it seems the UAE is employing another tool to deal with dissenters. Ahmed Abdul Khaleq, one of the UAE 5 who was again detained without charge two weeks ago, called his family yesterday to tell them he was being deported to Thailand. The activist and blogger was initially told he would be sent to the Comoros Islands, off the coast of Madagascar. » | Loveday Morris | Thursday, June 07, 2012

Gay Danish Couples Win Right to Marry in Church
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Homosexual couples in Denmark have won the right to get married in any church they choose, even though nearly one third of the country's priests have said they will refuse to carry out the ceremonies.

The country's parliament voted through the new law on same-sex marriage by a large majority, making it mandatory for all churches to conduct gay marriages.

Denmark's church minister, Manu Sareen, called the vote "historic".

"I think it's very important to give all members of the church the possibility to get married. Today, it's only heterosexual couples."

Under the law, individual priests can refuse to carry out the ceremony, but the local bishop must arrange a replacement for their church.

The far-Right Danish People's Party mounted a strong campaign against the new law, which nonetheless passed with the support of 85 of the country's 111 MPs. » | Richard Orange in Denmark | Thursday, June 07, 2012

Saudi Head of Religious Police Criticises Agents for Handling of 'Nail Polish' Row
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The head of the Saudi religious police has criticised agents for clamping down on a woman who was wearing nail polish, after the video went viral, attracting more than a million hits on YouTube.

The three minute video posted on May 23 shows members of the religious police telling the woman to "get out" of a shopping mall. But she refuses to comply, saying "I'm staying and I want to know what you're going to do about."

In an interview with the daily newspaper al-Watan, Sheikh Abdullatiff Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh, said: "The world is manufacturing airplanes and we are still telling a woman 'leave the mall because you've got nail polish on your fingers'."

“I was very disappointed by what I have seen. The matter has been exaggerated and negatively exploited,” Sheikh Abdullatiff, head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, later told the AFP news agency.

“The way the member of the commission behaved was not right, even if the girl had gone too far. He should have offered her advice and left instead of arguing with her and escalating [the matter]."

The video has been viewed more than one million times, but her behaviour attracted scores of negative comments online.

One posting said she had "no shame" and accused her of "prostituting" herself. Another called her a "slut" and a "whore." » | Thursday, June 07, 2012


Related »

London-Based Shiite Cleric Yasser Al-Habib in Anti-Sunni Rhetoric: The Caliph Omar Had an Anal Disease that Made Him Addicted to Homosexuality | Fadak TV (U.K.) - May 24, 2012

Egyptian Cleric Muhammad Sallah: Implementing Religious Law Will Make Egypt the Mightiest Country in World, Richer Than Sweden | Al-Hekma TV (Egypt) - May 4, 2012

Schengen-Reform: Grenzkontrollen bis zu zwei Jahre lang
DIE PRESSE: Durch einen Notfallmechanismus können künftig Grenzkontrollen im Schengen-Raum für bis zu zwei Jahre wieder eingeführt werden.

Die EU-Innenminister haben sich auf eine Reform des grenzkontrollfreien Schengen-Raums geeinigt. Sie beschlossen bei einem Treffen am Donnerstag in Luxemburg einen Notfallmechanismus, der im Fall von außergewöhnlichen Umständen und als Ultima Ratio die Wiedereinführung von Grenzkontrollen bis zu zwei Jahren ermöglicht. Innenministerin Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) schloss nicht aus, dass der Mechanismus im Fall Griechenlands zur Anwendung gelangen könnte "wenn die innere Sicherheit in Gefahr ist", betonte aber auch, dass "derzeit keine Veranlassung dazu bestehe". » | APA | Donnerstag, 07. Juni 2012

Violences en Syrie: Hillary Clinton réclame le départ d'Assad
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: La secrétaire d'Etat américaine Hillary Clinton qualifié le dernier massacre commis en Syrie d'«inadmissible». Elle demande le départ du président Bachar al-Assad.

«La violence soutenue par le régime dont nous avons été le témoin hier à Hama est tout simplement inadmissible», a déclaré Hillary Clinton jeudi à la presse[.] La chef de la diplomatie américaine, qui achève en Turquie un périple qui l'a menée en Scandinavie et dans le Caucase, estime qu'un règlement en Syrie nécessitait un cessez-le-feu, un transfert de pouvoir et la formation d'un gouvernement de transition.

«Al-Assad doit transférer son pouvoir et quitter la Syrie», a-t-elle insisté au lendemain d'une réunion à Istanbul avec les puissances occidentales et des pays arabes pour définir les moyens de renforcer la pression sur le régime de Damas. » | afp/Newsnet | jeudi 07 juin 2012

Irak: Le secrétaire de Saddam Hussein exécuté
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le ministère de la Justice a mis en oeuvre la peine de mort pour [«]génocide» lors de la répression des chiites dans les années 1980.

Le secrétaire particulier de l'ex-président irakien Saddam Hussein, Abed Hmoud, condamné à mort en 2010, a été exécuté, a indiqué jeudi un porte-parole du ministère de la Justice, Haidar al-Saadi.

Abed Hmoud, aussi connu sous le nom de Abed Hamid Mahmoud, avait été condamné à la peine capitale le 26 octobre 2010, en même temps que d'autres piliers du régime dont Tarek Aziz, ministre des Affaires étrangères et compagnon de la première heure de Saddam Hussein et, qui se trouve actuellement en prison, et l'ex-ministre de l'Intérieur Saadoun Shaker. » | ats/Newsnet | jeudi 07 juin 2012

Germany's Chancellor Merkel Urges EU Political Union
BBC: German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the EU needs a political union even if it means some countries integrating faster than others.

Speaking on German TV, she called for "more Europe", including a budgetary union, saying "we need a political union first and foremost".

"Step by step we must from now on give up more competences to Europe, and allow Europe more powers of control."

However, she has resisted calls for the joint issuing of eurozone debt.

She will hold talks on Thursday with UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who has urged the 17-nation eurozone to speed up measures to build a budgetary union to shore up the embattled monetary union.

Ms Merkel's insistence on economic austerity and budget discipline has alienated many Europeans who say the policy is strangling growth and piling more debts on the struggling "periphery" countries like Greece and Spain. » | Thursday, June 07, 2012

N-TV: "Wir brauchen eine politische Union" – Merkel will vorangehen: Bundeskanzlerin Merkel will mehr Macht an Brüssel abgeben - und zwar auch dann, wenn nicht alle EU-Staaten mitmachen. Wichtig ist ihr, dass die Euro-Staaten enger zusammenwachsen. Damit verschreibt sie sich einem Konzept, das lange als Tabu galt: Das Europa der zwei Geschwindigkeiten. Man dürfe nicht stehen bleiben, "weil der eine oder andere noch nicht mitgehen will." » | Quelle: n-tv.de, dpa/rts | Donnerstag, 07. Juni 2012

SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: EU-Gipfel – Merkel will politische Union in Europa vorantreiben: "Mehr Europa": Angela Merkel will sich auf dem nächsten EU-Gipfel für eine Stärkung der politischen Union in Europa einsetzen. Gleichzeitig warnt die Kanzlerin aber vor allzu hohen Erwartungen - an einen "großen Wurf" glaubt sie selbst nicht. » | Donnerstag, 07. Juni 2012

Far-Right Golden Dawn Spokesman Hits Two Female MPs on Greek Talk Show
An arrest warrant has been issued for the spokesman for Ilias Kasidiaris, Greece's far-Right Golden Dawn party after he physically assaulted two female left-wing MPs on live television during a morning political show.

Read the article here | Source: AP | Thursday, July 07, 2012

Forced Marriage Expected to Become a Crime
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Forcing someone to marry is set to be made a crime after David Cameron rejected claims that doing so would simply drive the practice underground.

The move, expected to be announced tomorrow would represent a victory for campaigners who argued that only full criminalisation would deter abusive families.

Almost 1,700 people a year in Britain – most of them women from Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds – come forward to voice fears that their family is plotting to force them into a marriage against their will.

But the figure is thought to be only the tip of the iceberg with many afraid for their lives or fearing that they would be ostracised if they resisted.

It emerged earlier this year that a five-year-old girl had been forced into a marriage and last year alone the Home Office’s dedicated Forced Marriage Unit dealt with 400 children. An 87-year-old woman was also a suspected victim.

David Cameron has condemned the practice as like “slavery” but it is not currently illegal in Britain to make someone to get married against their will. » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Thursday, June 07, 2012

Ende des Diamond-Jubiläums
Mit einem Grossaufmarsch haben die Briten heute das 60-jährige Thronjubiläum ihrer Königin gefeiert. Die Feierlichkeiten sind mit einem Abschlussgottesdienst in der royalen Hauskirche St. Paul zu Ende gegangen.

Londres jubile comme jamais
LE POINT: Des milliers de Britanniques sont venus acclamer la reine Élisabeth II pour le dernier jour de son jubilé, mardi.

L'apparition au balcon du palais de Buckingham d'Élisabeth II, saluée par les hourras d'une foule immense aux couleurs de l'Union Jack, a conclu mardi en apothéose le quatrième et dernier jour des célébrations du jubilé, où seul manquait le prince Philip, hospitalisé. La reine, habillée d'un ensemble en tulle vert d'eau avec un chapeau assorti, était flanquée des numéros un à trois dans l'ordre de succession au trône qu'elle occupe depuis soixante ans: son fils, le prince Charles, 63 ans, accompagné de Camilla, et ses petits-fils, William, 29 ans, en compagnie de sa femme, Kate, et Harry, 27 ans. » | Le Point.fr | mardi 05 juin 2012

Salafisten: Neue Krawalle in Köln? Verfassungsschutz warnt vor Islamisten-Kongress
HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT: Die Sicherheitsbehörden befürchten neue Ausschreitungen zwischen radikal-islamistischen Salafisten und Mitgliedern der rechtsextremen Partei „Pro NRW" am Samstag in Köln. Das berichtet die „Bild"-Zeitung (Mittwoch) unter Berufung auf eine interne Lageeinschätzung des Bundesamtes für Verfassungsschutz.

KÖLN. Einen Monat nach den Ausschreitungen bei Kundgebungen von radikalislamischen Salafisten in Nordrhein-Westfalen haben Islamisten zu einer neuen Kundgebung in Köln aufgerufen. Die Polizei ist alarmiert und will am Samstag (9. Juni) ein abermaliges Aufeinandertreffen mit Anhängern der rechten Splitterpartei Pro NRW verhindern. „Insgesamt wird die Lage diesmal als etwas entspannter angesehen“, sagte ein Polizeisprecher am Dienstag. Die Veranstalter hätten bei der Anmeldung mehr als 1.000 Teilnehmer angekündigt. Unter anderen soll bei dem „1. Islamischen Friedenskongress“ mit Pierre Vogel einer der führenden Köpfe der Szene predigen. » | KNA/dpa | Mittwoch, 06. Juni 2012

Bounty Offered to Report Face Veil
A Belgian right-wing politician has offered a financial reward to anyone who would report a woman wearing a face veil to the police. Face veils in public, worn by a small minority of Muslim women, was banned by the government last year. But right wing groups say the ban isn't being enforced because police are afraid it might lead to riots. Al Jazeera's Bhanu Bhatnagar reports.

Disney Joins Fight Against Obesity
Obesity is a big concern among US children, with nearly one-third of them either overweight or obese. Junk food marketing is a contributory factor to such problems, according to the Washington-based Institute of Medicine. Now, Walt Disney, one of the world's largest mass media companies, has decided to join the fight against obesity. The company, known for its popular theme parks, plans to ban commercials for junk food on its widely watched children network Disney TV, radio, web channels - and inside the theme parks themselves. Al Jazeera's John Terrett reports from Washington.

US Pastor's Anti-gay Sermon Goes Viral
The rural US town of Maiden in North Carolina has become the latest flashpoint in an often bitter national debate about gay rights. Arguments from either side intensified after President Barack Obama earlier this month declared his support for gay marriage. In rural America's so called, "Bible Belt", many pastors have been rhetorical and at times hateful in their condemnation. A recent sermon posted online by a pastor, in which he outlines a plan to imprison homosexuals behind an electric fence and keep them there until they die, has gone viral. Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports from Maiden.

Setback for Barack Obama as Republican Governor Scott Walker Survives Wisconsin Vote
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama’s re-election campaign suffered another setback after Republicans claimed victory in a key local election that is being seen by some Republicans as a harbinger of defeat for the Democrats in November.

The "recall" vote in the mid-western state of Wisconsin was triggered last year after the union labour movement collected a million signatures in a bid to oust a fiscal-firebrand Republican governor who had outlawed collective union bargaining and slashed public-spending.

But last night, after weeks of bitter campaigning that emphasised the deep ideological divide in US politics, the Republican candidate Governor Scott Walker scored a solid win with a seven-point lead over his opponent.

Although Mr Obama remains ahead in the national polls in Wisconsin, the Republican victory was hailed on the right for delivering critical momentum for the general election and an endorsement of tough Republican stance on the need to cut government spending and entitlements.

Douglas Schoen, a political strategist and commentator on the conservative Fox News channel predicted that Governor Walker’s victory could prove to be “a pivotal, watershed moment” in the 2012 presidential election and “spell disaster” for President Obama. » | Peter Foster, Washington and Amy Willis in Los Angeles | Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Norwegian Far Right Defend Breivik's Views on Islam
BBC: Defence witnesses from the far right in Norway have backed Anders Behring Breivik's views on Islam in court on Day 31 of his murder trial.

They said Norway was threatened by Muslim immigration, an argument used by Breivik in an attempt to justify massacring 77 people and injuring 242.

Breivik's defence said the extremists' testimony proved he was not insane because others shared his views.

However, the speakers did not condone Breivik's attacks.

Breivik admits bombing government buildings in the capital Oslo before shooting young Labour Party supporters at a camp on the lake island of Utoeya on 22 July.

Norway, a small nation famous for its traditions of political tolerance, was traumatised by the attacks.

The trial is seeking to establish whether the 33-year-old is sane, in which case he will be sent to prison. If not, he will be held in a psychiatric institution.

The court warned on Tuesday it might not be able to deliver its verdict until 20 July or even 24 August, for logistical reasons.

'We're at war'

Arne Tumyr, who heads an organisation called Stop the Islamisation of Norway, described Islam as "a religion of violence, a religion of wars".

His organisation, he said, considered Islam "a threat to Norwegian society and values". » | Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Lien en relation avec l’article »

Barack Obama Calls Mitt Romney 'George' in Latest Election Gaffe
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama mistakenly confused Mitt Romney with his father George on Monday at a fund-raiser in New York – the latest in a string of election gaffes from US presidential candidates.

During a speech at the New Amsterdam Theater in Times Square, the president mixed up his Republican opponent with former Michigan Governor George Romney while contrasting their economic policies.

“We are not going back to a set of policies that say you’re on your own and that’s essentially the theory of the other side. You know, George Romney,” Mr Obama said.

As the audience roared with laughter at the president's parapraxis, Mr Obama, who was not using an autocue, attempted to explain the mistake before continuing with the speech, later referring to Mitt Romney as “Governor Romney” – a title both men share.

“Governor Romney is a patriotic American, he’s had great success in his life and he’s raised a beautiful family,” the president said. “But he has a theory of the economy that basically says, if I’m maximising returns for my investors, for wealthy individuals like myself, then everybody’s going to be better off.” » | Amy Willis, Los Angeles | Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Diamond Jubilee: Queen 'Humbled and Touched' by Celebrations
The Queen declared herself humbled by the celebrations staged for her Diamond Jubilee in a rare address to the country and Commonwealth.

Read the article here | Telegraph reporters | Tuesday, June 05, 2012

The Queen's ‘Diamond Jubilee Concert’: Prince Charles’ Speech (in Full)

Stevie Wonder Performing at ‘The Diamond Jubilee Concert’

Poplegenden feiern die Queen

”God Save the Queen”

Breivik revient sur les facteurs de sa radicalisation
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Anders Behring Breivik, jugé pour la mort de 77 personnes l'an dernier en Norvège, a détaillé lundi les agressions dont il dit avoir été victime de la part de musulmans, dès sa plus tendre enfance.

Autorisé à prendre la parole au 30e jour de son procès, Breivik a expliqué que le premier incident s'était produit dès l'âge de sept ans, quand un diplomate turc, père d'un de ses camarades, avait détruit son vélo parce qu'il avait été offensé.

Puis, l'extrémiste de droite a recensé une longue liste d'incidents dont lui ou des connaissances auraient été victimes dans sa jeunesse: gifles, rixes, tentatives de vols et trois cas de viols même si, selon le journal Verdens Gang (VG), les jeunes filles concernées ont nié les faits auprès de la police.

«Pris séparément, tous ces épisodes ne sont pas si graves mais leur somme a contribué à façonner mon opinion des musulmans», a déclaré l'accusé.

«Ils ont très souvent en commun le fait que des familles musulmanes aient bénéficié de la part de l'Etat d'appartements dans l'ouest d'Oslo», le quartier chic de la capitale norvégienne, a-t-il dit. » | ats/afp/Newsnet | mardi 05 juin 2012

Related »

Le niqab sème la zizanie à Bruxelles
LE FIGARO: Après l'interpellation mouvementée, jeudi dernier, d'une femme voilée, les politiques belges s'opposent sur l'intégration.

La rébellion d'une femme en niqab a mis Bruxelles sous haute tension. À quelques mois des élections communales, prévues en octobre en Belgique, des incidents déclenchés par l'interpellation mouvementée, jeudi dernier, d'une femme intégralement voilée, enflamment le débat politique.

L'affaire a débuté jeudi après-midi, lorsque des policiers ont abordé une femme qui attendait un bus vêtue d'un niqab, dont le port est interdit dans la rue en Belgique depuis un an. Refusant de décliner son identité, cette Belge convertie a été conduite dans un commissariat de Molenbeek, une commune de Bruxelles à forte population immigrée. Elle s'est rebellée, frappant deux policières, dont l'une a eu deux dents et le nez cassés. » | Par Stéphane Kovacs | lundi 04 juin 2012

Diamond Jubilee Crowds Cheer Queen to St Paul's

Marine Le Pen Threatens to Sue Madonna
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French far-Right, has threatened to sue Madonna over a video depicting the National Front chief with a swastika on her forehead.

The fleeting image was shown at a concert the US-born singer gave in Tel Aviv last Thursday as part of her MDNA world tour.

Projected during the song Nobody knows me, the film morphed Madonna's face with a number of famous figures, including Chinese leader Hu Jinatao, US Republican former presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Pope Benedict XVI.

Miss Le Pen's eyes and forehead then appear for a second before a swastika and the eyes of Adolf Hitler are superimposed onto the FN leader.

Furious, Miss Le Pen threatened to sue the singer if she kept the video unchanged when she performs in Paris on the July 14 national holiday and in Nice in August. "If she does that in France, we'll be waiting for her," she told Le Parisien. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Monday, June 04, 2012

Vatileaks Scandal: Documents Expose Pope's Frail Leadership
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Though Pope Benedict XVI's personal butler has been arrested in connection with the "Vatileaks" scandal, new documents released over the weekend indicate he had powerful backers that remain unidentified. The secret documents expose the pontiff's awkward and helpless leadership in the Church.

Do the two know each other? Is one the other's source? Could it be that they teamed up to harm the German-born head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI?

Few others in Rome have been the object of such intense speculation recently as these two men. But, as chance would have it, despite their physical proximity, they probably won't be running into each other any time soon.

One of them is looking out of a 4 meter (13 foot) by 4 meter detention cell in a Vatican police station on the wall surrounding the papal state. He has been sitting there for almost two weeks now, and almost everyone knows his name: Paolo Gabriele, the pope's 46-year-old personal butler.

Shortly before Pentecost, Benedict's private secretary, Monsignor Georg Gänswein, reportedly uncovered Gabriele as a spy. Investigators found four boxes with copies of strictly confidential letters to and from Pope Benedict in Gabriele's apartment.

Since then, Gabriele has been viewed as a traitor and called "il corvo," the raven, an animal known for its thieving disposition. His lawyers say he will finally submit to formal questioning this week -- and that he is prepared to tell all.

Is this merely the climax of the so-called "Vatileaks" scandal, which has been smoldering since January, when a series of secret documents began coming to light? Or is it just the beginning? There's no doubt that this flood of paper out of the Vatican is a sign of what the Italian weekly magazine Panorama calls one of the "worst crises in the history of the Holy See," or what Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi has described as a "difficult test" for the pope.

In any case, it is a crime story that not even Dan Brown could have better concocted -- but one in which Gabriele is possibly just a marginal figure because Vatican officials are still searching for the true masterminds behind the scandal.

Indeed, they appear to remain at large. Despite the butler's arrest, the leaks continued over the weekend. While the pope was on a three-day trip to Milan, Italian paper La Repubblica published Vatican documents on Sunday that included two bearing the signature of his secretary. » | Fiona Ehlers in Rome | Monday, June 04, 2012

Related »

Tobacco Companies Blitz Airwaves to Block California Tax on Cigarettes
THE GUARDIAN: Two-thirds of California voters backed the $1 extra tax, but two months later, the margin is narrowing in run up to Tuesday's vote

An advertising blitz funded by tobacco companies has eroded Californians' support for a ballot measure to raise taxes on cigarettes, putting the vote's outcome in doubt.

Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds have flooded airwaves with warnings that the proposed $1 tax on cigarette packs is a flawed idea which would bloat government bureaucracy and funnel money out of the state.

The energetic $47.7m campaign – more than triple the yes campaign – has been fronted by anti-tax activists and dramatically reduced support for Proposition 29, a June 5 ballot measure backed by anti-cancer groups.

"We are still ahead but it's very close. Big tobacco has a bottomless budget to tell lies," said David Veneziano, head of the American Cancer Society's California chapter. "They are trying to protect their profits."

Two months ago about two-thirds of voters backed the measure but that has tumbled to just over half, according to a Public Policy Institute of California survey. "Today, 53% say they will vote yes, 42% say they will vote no, and 5% are undecided on the measure." » | Rory Carroll in Los Angeles | Monday, June 04, 2012

Duke of Edinburgh Rushed to Hospital with Bladder Infection, Buckingham Palace Announces
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Duke of Edinburgh has been taken to hospital suffering from a bladder infection and will miss the remainder of the Jubilee celebrations, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The Duke, 90, will spend the next few days at King Edward VII Hospital in London after being taken there by ambulance from Windsor Castle.

He was said to be "disappointed" that he would miss the remainder of the Jubilee weekend, which culminates tomorrow with a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral and a carriage procession through the capital.

The Duke's sudden illness, which follows a spell in hospital over Christmas after he suffered heart problems, will lead to inevitable speculation that his health has suffered as a result of the four hours he spent in the open in bitterly cold and wet conditions during yesterday's Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: "His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was taken to King Edward VII Hospital in London this afternoon from Windsor Castle as a precautionary measure after developing a bladder infection, which is being assessed and treated.

"Prince Philip will remain in hospital under observation for a few days. He is understandably disappointed about missing this evening's Diamond Jubilee concert and tomorrow's engagements." » | Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | Monday, June 04, 2012

My comment:

This is sad news indeed. My thoughts are with him and Her Majesty at this difficult time. It is to be hoped that the Duke will make a speedy and sound recovery. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Nicolas Sarkozy 'Bored' Three Weeks After Leaving Office
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy is said to be "bored" after spending a three-week post-election break with his wife and children in Morocco in which he was constantly on the phone to politicians back in France, according to reports.

Mr Sarkozy, his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and their daughter Giulia, returned to Paris on Saturday, where he was spotted jogging in the Bois de Boulogne, after unwinding at King Mohammed VI's expense in one of his luxury private residences in Marrakesh.

The Right-winger intends to remain "durably discreet" after losing to Socialist François Hollande in his presidential re-election bid on May 6, one of his closest friends, Brice Hortefeux, insisted.

"He is naturally concerned by the situation in Europe, but remains removed, voluntarily and durably from all political preoccupation," he told France 3.

After spending the rest of the month in Paris, Mr Sarkozy will descend with his wife to her Riviera retreat in Cap Nègre for the following two months.

Playing hard to get would soon see the French missing Mr Sarkzoy, the country's most unpopular President at the end of a first term, one friend predicted. "In a year, he'll be as popular as (Jacques) Chirac ," he is quoted as saying by Le Journal du Dimanche. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Sunday, June 03, 2012

LE FIGARO: Sarkozy a pris possession de ses nouveaux bureaux : L'ancien président de la République a reçu ce matin Alain Minc. Selon Brice Hortefeux, Sarkozy devrait rester «éloigné durablement» de la politique. » | Par Tristan Quinault Maupoil | lundi 04 juin 2012

LE FIGARO: Un proche de Sarkozy sent de l'ennui chez lui : L'ancien chef de l'État est rentré hier à Paris. Le Journal du dimanche indique qu'il devrait occuper en fin de semaine ses nouveaux bureaux mais qu'il se donne encore du temps pour réfléchir à son avenir. » | Par lefigaro.fr | dimanche 03 juin 2012

Extreme US Politics: Murder of an American Nazi
Lesley Stahl reports on the murder of a neo-Nazi leader by his 10-year-old son.

PM David Cameron on Queen's Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee comes at a time when Britain is struggling with severe economic problems. Prime Minster David Cameron speaks to Erica Hill about the celebration.

Related »

Breivik Judge Caught Playing Solitaire in Norway Court
FOX NEWS: OSLO -- A judge at the trial of Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was caught playing solitaire on his laptop during Monday's proceedings, the VG newspaper reported.

Ernst Henning Eielsen, one of the five judges for the case, can clearly be seen on court cameras playing the card game.

According to VG [Verdens Gang], Eielsen was playing the game on a solitaire website, and images showed solitaire in his browser window for up to 16 minutes before the court was adjourned for lunch.

A Swedish expert was testifying while the judge played the game.

A court spokeswoman denied the judge was not paying attention and said the game may have helped him concentrate. » | Newscore | Monday, June 04, 2012

Related »

Europäische Finanzkrise: Europa steht in Flammen
SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG: Deutschland ist einsam und isoliert. Wider alle historische Erfahrung hält Kanzlerin Merkel dogmatisch an einer Sparpolitik fest, die Europa an den Abgrund geführt hat. Wenn der Euro und mit ihm der zweitgrößte Wirtschaftsraum der Welt zerfällt, dann wird das eine Krise auslösen, wie sie die heute lebenden Generationen noch nicht erlebt haben.

Die Zeiten sind ernst, sehr ernst sogar. Wer hätte jemals auch nur davon geträumt, dass David Cameron die Regierungen der Euro-Gruppe dazu auffordern würde, endlich all ihren Mut zusammenzunehmen und gemeinsam eine Fiskalunion (gemeinsames Budget, Steuerpolitik, gemeinsame Garantie für die Staatsschulden) und, da es anders nicht geht, auch eine politische Union zu schaffen? Nur so könne ein Zerfall des Euro aufgehalten werden.

Der konservative britische Premierminister! So geschehen kürzlich! Und noch schlimmer daran ist, dass Cameron völlig und uneingeschränkt recht hat! Das europäische Haus steht in Flammen, und London fordert ein vernünftiges und entschlossenes Verhalten der Feuerwehr.

Freilich hat er die Rechnung ohne die Feuerwehr (uns Deutsche) und unsere Feuerwehrhauptfrau Angela Merkel gemacht. Europa, angeführt von Deutschland, löscht lieber weiter mit Kerosin statt mit Wasser, und der Brand wird so mit der von Merkel erzwungenen Austeritätspolitik beschleunigt. Genau deshalb hat sich die Finanzkrise in der Euro-Zone innerhalb von drei Jahren zu einer wirklichen Existenzkrise ausgewachsen. » | Ein Gastbeitrag für die Sueddeutsche Zeitung von Joschka Fischer | Montag, 04. Juni 2012

Deutschland und Frankreich als Europa-Retter »

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Le complot pour remplacer Charles par William
LE FIGARO: La presse britannique soulève l'hypothèse selon laquelle le prince de Galles devrait céder la place à son fils William, dont la popularité est au plus haut depuis son mariage glamour en 2011.

Le prince Charles trépigne. S'il fait bonne figure dans les célébrations des soixante ans de règne de sa mère, le fils aîné d'Elizabeth II est d'ores et déjà l'héritier du trône qui a le plus attendu de l'histoire de la lignée britannique - après avoir détrôné, si l'on peut dire, son aïeul Edouard VII en 2008 [?]. Émouvant lorsqu'il raconte sur la BBC ses souvenirs de sa «mama» s'entraînant à porter la couronne lorsqu'elle lui donnait son bain à Buckingham avant son couronnement (il avait 4 ans), il ronge son frein.

À 86 ans, la reine se porte à merveille et promet à ses sujets de continuer à régner «pour de nombreuses années à venir». Sa propre mère a vécu 101 ans, sa grand-mère 85 ans. Le mot abdication est tabou à la cour d'Elizabeth, qui ne s'y résoudra qu'en cas de grande incapacité physique ou mentale. À l'âge où le commun des mortels se prépare à prendre sa retraite, le prince de Galles, lui, est toujours en formation. Parmi ses 21 prédécesseurs, seulement 14 sont devenus rois. » | Par Florentin Collomp | lundi 04 juin 2012

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North Korea Threatens to Blow Up Media Offices over Critical Coverage
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: North Korea's military threatened on Monday to blow up the Seoul offices of South Korean media outlets following critical coverage of a mass children's event in Pyongyang.

The military general staff, in an unusually detailed statement on the official news agency, said missile units and other forces had fixed the longitude and latitude coordinates for several firms' offices in central Seoul.

The statement named the Chosun Ilbo and JoongAng Ilbo newspapers, a TV channel operated by Dong-A Ilbo newspaper, and the KBS, CBS, MBC and SBS television stations.

The North's military accused conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak of inciting the coverage and called on him to apologise to avert an attack.

"In case dens of monstrous crimes are blown up one after another, the Lee group will be entirely held responsible for this," it said in what it termed an "open ultimatum".

The military accused the media outlets of "monstrous mud-slinging" over their coverage of an event which brought 20,000 schoolchildren to Pyongyang to mark the 66th anniversary of the [North] Korea[n] Children's Union. » | Source: agencies | Monday, June 04, 2012

"Rock Royalty" To Join Queen's Jubilee Concert

Europe Mulls Major Step Toward "Fiscal Union"
REUTERS.COM: When Jean-Claude Trichet called last June for the creation of a European finance ministry with power over national budgets, the idea seemed fanciful, a distant dream that would take years or even decades to realize, if it ever came to be.

One year later, with the euro zone's debt crisis threatening to tear the bloc apart, Germany is pushing its partners for precisely the kind of giant leap forward in fiscal integration that the now-departed European Central Bank president had in mind.

After falling short with her "fiscal compact" on budget discipline, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pressing for much more ambitious measures, including a central authority to manage euro area finances, and major new powers for the European Commission, European Parliament and European Court of Justice.

She is also seeking a coordinated European approach to reforming labor markets, social security systems and tax policies, German officials say.

Until states agree to these steps and the unprecedented loss of sovereignty they involve, the officials say Berlin will refuse to consider other initiatives like joint euro zone bonds or a "banking union" with cross-border deposit guarantees - steps Berlin says could only come in a second wave. » | Noah Barkin and Daniel Flynn | BERLIN/PARIS | Monday, June 04, 2012

Assad Compares Syria Crackdown to Surgeons Saving Patients' Lives
THE GUARDIAN: Syrian president denied responsibility for the Houla massacre in his first public address for five months


Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, defended his government's bloody crackdown on dissent, comparing his security forces – who have been repeatedly accused of torture and mass killing – to surgeons working to save the life of their patients.

Speaking before a newly selected parliament, Assad, a London-trained ophthalmologist, said: "When a surgeon ... cuts and cleans and amputates, and the wound bleeds, do we say to him your hands are stained with blood? Or do we thank him for saving the patient?"

In his first public address for five months, Assad denied responsibility for the Houla massacre in which more than 100 civilians died – almost half of them children - and most killed at close range with guns and knives. "Not even monsters would carry out [the crimes] that we have seen," he said.

Assad's comments contradicted the accounts of many witnesses and survivors, including a defecting air force officer, Major Jihad Raslan, who told the Observer the killings were carried out by a regime-controlled militia, the shabiha. UN investigators say there are indications that the shabiha carried out at least some of the killings on 25 and 26 May, while the UN security council rebuked the Syrian government for using heavy artillery in civilian areas. » | Julian Borger | Sunday, June 03, 2012

Ayatollah: West Fearful of Islamic Iran
UPI.COM: TEHRAN -- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, said Sunday the West was more fearful of Iran's fervent Islam than its nuclear program.

The religious leader spoke Sunday at the 23rd anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Khomenei and claimed Iran was stronger than ever despite Western efforts to keep the country at bay. » | UPI | Sunday, June 03, 2012

Les Britanniques célèbrent leur reine pour son jubilé

LE FIGARO: Coup d'envoi des festivités pour les 60 ans de règne d'Elizabeth II, 1000 bateaux ont défilé sur la Tamise.

Comme dans un tableau de Turner, la Tamise est apparue nimbée de brume, les contours flous des tours de Westminster et de Big Ben se dessinant au loin. Sous une bruine incessante depuis la veille au soir, les sujets de Sa Majesté se sont rangés le long de la rivière pour attendre la reine.

«La pluie? Nous sommes anglais, nous sommes roya¬listes, on ne pouvait pas ne pas être là !» s'exclame Charmian Guilbert, retraitée du Kent arrivée avec sept amies dès le début de la matinée pour prendre place aux premiers rangs dans les jardins situés derrière le palais de Westminster.

Mais la pluie s'est arrêtée. À la mi-journée, les quais se remplissent. Dans les gares de la capitale, les trains bondés déversent des foules qui se dirigent vers tout ce que Londres a de quais. Pour les faire patienter, les écrans géants projettent des images en noir et blanc du couronnement d'Elizabeth II, en 1953. Selon les plus anciens, ce jour-là, il pleuvait déjà à verse et il faisait encore plus froid. Pique-nique géant » | Par Florentin Collomp | dimanche 03 juin 2012

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Elizabeth feiert Riesenparty auf der Themse

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Queen's Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant
Members of the royal family sail down the river Thames as part of a 1,000-strong flotilla to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne. The jubilee river pageant sailed from Battersea bridge to Tower Bridge, cheered on by thousands of people standing on bridges and embankments, despite almost continual wet weather

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